USA > Michigan > Grand Traverse County > Sprague's history of Grand Traverse and Leelanaw counties, Michigan embracing a concise review of their early settlement, industrial development and present conditions...to which will be appended...life sketches of well-known citizens of the county > Part 53
USA > Michigan > Leelanau County > Sprague's history of Grand Traverse and Leelanaw counties, Michigan embracing a concise review of their early settlement, industrial development and present conditions...to which will be appended...life sketches of well-known citizens of the county > Part 53
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venient and commodious quarters, which is without question an additional inducement for prospective students. In its appoint- ments the building is well adapted to the purposes mentioned, while thoroughness is made the imperative demand in all depart- ments, the best of instructors being retained, and the satisfactory progress of the student being thus insured, while the college derives its support from all sections of the state and from many outside localities. Students from this school are today holding good positions in Chicago and other large cities, their satisfactory advancement being largely attributable to the thoroughness of the dis- cipline and instruction received in the Tra- verse City school.
In politics Mr. Dockeray is a Republi- can, in religious belief a Universalist, while in his fraternal relations he is affiliated with two societies, the Free and Accepted Masons and the Knights of Pythias. He is a thor- oughly practical business man, which fact, coupled with his undoubted ability as an edu- cator, contains the secret of the success of the institution of which he is the head. Be- cause of his courteous manners, genial dis- position and genuine worth he has won and retains a host of warm personal friends.
FRANCIS J. FRALICK, M. D.
During the years which marked the period of Dr. Francis J. Fralick's profes- sional career he has met with gratifying success and though his residence in North- port dates back scarcely a decade he has won the good will and patronage of many. of the leading citizens and families of this place. He is a great student and endeavors
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to keep abreast with the times on everything relating to discoveries in medical science, being a patron of the leading journals de- voted to the discussion of the "ills to which flesh is heir" and the treatment thereof. Progressive in his ideas and believing in modern methods as a whole, he does not, however, dispense with the .true and tried systems which have stood the test of years.
Dr. Fralick was born in Plattsville, Ox- ford county, Canada, on the 25th of Novem- ber, 1867. His father was George S. Fra- lick, also a native of Canada and a manu- facturer of woolen goods. He lived to the advanced age of seventy-four years, spend- ing his last days in Plattsville. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Rebecca Bray, was a native of Leeds, England, and died at the home of her son, Dr. Fralick, in North- port, where she spent the last six years of her life, passing away when about seventy- four years of age. This worthy couple were the parents of two children, of whom the Doctor is the youngest.
In the place of his nativity Dr. Fralick was reared and after attending the common schools he continued his education in St. Catherine's Collegiate Institute. He then engaged in teaching school for four years near Woodstock, Ontario, and proved a capable educator, imparting readily and clearly to others the knowledge which he had obtained. While engaged in teaching he also took up the study of medicine pre- paratory to making its practice his life work and he further continued his preparation by becoming a student in the Kentucky School of Medicine at Louisville, Kentucky, where he completed the prescribed course and was graduated in the class of 1894.
Immediately afterward Dr. Fralick re-
turned to Michigan and took up his abode in Northport. After a short time, however, he removed to Sutton's Bay, where he spent two years, but on the expiration of that period he returned to Northport, where he has since been located, engaged in a practice that has grown to extensive and important proportions. In March, 1902, he estab- lished a drug store in this place in partner- ship with C. E. Harvey and they are now conducting the enterprise under the firm style of C. E. Harvey & Company.
The Doctor was married in Canada, near Woodstock, on the 15th of May, 1895, the lady of his choice being Miss Bessie Bruce, a native of Ontario. They had three chil- dren : Margaret, who died when but three and a half years of age; and Irving and Francis Bruce, at home. The Doctor and his wife have a wide acquaintance in North- port and occupy an enviable position in social circles. He has held the office of county coroner and is also health officer of Leelanaw township. In no profession to which man gives his attention does success depend more largely upon individual effort than the one which now claims Dr. Fralick as a follower and he has achieved distinc- tion and success in his chosen calling which attests his superior ability and close appli- cation. Fairness characterizes all his ef- forts and he conducts all his business with the strictest regard to a high standard of professional ethics.
ROBERT E. WALTER.
Robert E. Walter, present county clerk of Grand Traverse county, was born in Litchfield, Hillsdale county, Michigan, Sep-
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ROBERT E. WALTER.
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tember 16, 1877. His father is Lewis S. Walter, a native of Michigan, a practicing physician and now a resident of Fife Lake, where he has resided for the past seventeen years. His mother is Jennie L. (Hubbard) Walter, who was born in Pulaski township, Jackson county, Michigan. They were married in Litchfield, Michigan, in Decem- ber, 1876, and are the parents of six chil- dren, viz: Robert E., the subject of this sketch; Cora I., wife of J. Harry Cook, of Traverse City; Roy L., now of Battle Creek, Michigan, was in the United States serv- ice as a soldier and served about a year in the Philippines; R. Guy, attending school at Fife Lake; Lloyd R. and Frank Arthur.
When only five years old Robert E. Walter began attending school, he at that time living with his grandparents in Jack- son county. After the family moved to Fife Lake he took the regular course in the common schools there, and later attended the Traverse City high school. The break- ing out of the Spanish-American war in April, 1898, quenched, for the time being, his thirst for learning, and his books were laid aside and in their place were taken up the implements of war. In May, 1898, only a few days after the declaration of war, he enlisted in Company M, Thirty-fourth Reg- iment Michigan Volunteers, and within a few weeks he was with his regiment in Cuba. They landed at Siboney July I, marched all night and reached the scene of hostilities early on the morning of the 2d, the day of the battle of San Juan hill. The duty assigned to the Michigan regiment was on the line, supporting the batteries and do- ing outpost duty. Though footsore and weary after their journey of the night, they acquitted themselves creditably in the duty
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assigned them, but most of them regretted that they were not permitted to be in the thick of the fight. They were discharged December 9, 1898, and Company M was given a most royal reception on its return to Traverse City.
Anxious as he was to resume his studies on his return home, Robert E. Walter was obliged to curb his desire for a time, on ac- count of his physical condition. His sum- mer's sojourn in Cuba taxed his constitution severely, and it was many weeks before he could again resume his studies. When he had sufficiently recovered he again entered the Traverse City high school, and gradu- ated in the class of 1900, he being the class president. The young lady, Miss Edna Holdsworth, whom he later married, was a member of the same class, and its secre- tary.
In the spring of 1899, while still in school, Robert E. Walter was nominated for clerk of his township, and was elected with- out opposition. The people valued his serv- ices as a soldier, and gave this testimonial of their appreciation of the sacrifice he made on the altar of patriotism, to be followed later by a larger and more lucrative one. In 1900 he was renominated. This time there was an opposing condidate, but the opposi- tion never developed sufficient strength at any time to endanger his election. Three days before the convening of the Republican county convention in 1900 he was solicited to become a candidate for county clerk, but he did not decide to enter the race until the day before the convention met. There were four other candidates for the place, but so popular was the youthful student-soldier that he had little difficulty in securing the nomination. He made a most spirited can-
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vass, and at the ensuing election received the largest majority of any candidate on the county ticket, with one exception. In 1902 he was renominated, there being no opposi- tion to his candidacy, and this time his vote led the entire ticket. Whatever may be said about the ingratitude of republics, there can be no doubt that the hearts of the Ameri- can people are all right. It is sometimes asked what nationality Robert E. Walters springs from, that has enabled him to de- velop such strong qualities. His ancestry on his father's side came from England only three generations ago. The ancestry of his mother cannot be traced beyond the United States. They were here when the Declara- tion of Independence was drafted, and one ยท or more of her ancestors have participated in every war with which the country has been visited since.
July 30, 1902, Robert E. Walter was united in marriage to Miss Edna Holds- worth, a native of Traverse City, born April 7, 1879. She is the daughter of Edwin H. and Eliza (Gorball) Holdsworth, both na- tives of Michigan. Her father died when she was six months old, and her mother in 1887, when the daughter was but seven years of age. They were the parents of three children, viz : Percy, who is a graduate of the University of Michigan, engineering department, is now in business in Bay City as a consulting mechanical engineer and so- licitor of patents, and was formerly with the Atlantic Coast Line at. Wilmington, North Carolina; Byron, who will graduate next spring as a mechanical engineer from the Michigan Agricultural College, is an ath- lete of much prominence and has won a number of first and second medals in several inter-collegiate meets; Edna, wife of the
subject hereof, taught a number of terms of school while pursuing her own studies, as also did her husband, and was for a time a student in the woman's department of the Michigan Agricultural College. When not occupied with his studies, Robert E. Walter devoted himself to farming from the time he was ten years of age. Success in politics and the occupancy of a county office has not abated his thirst for learning in the least. He expresses his purpose and determination to yet secure a college training, and will en- ter one of the learned professions, but is not yet decided as to whether it will be the pul- pit or the bar. He was barely twenty-one years old when nominated for township clerk, and only twenty-two when he re- ceived the nomination for clerk of the cir- cuit court. At the time he qualified he is believed to have been the youngest county official in the state, and was certainly the youngest clerk of the circuit court.
From his early childhood Mr. Walter has been moral and devout. At the age of sixteen he became a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church, and has never wa- vered in the faith. Previous to her mar- riage Mrs. Walter was a Baptist, but has since transferred her membership to the church of her husband's choice. He is a member of the Maccabees, Independent Or- der of Foresters and Knights of Pythias. and is deeply interested in the work and the welfare of each of those orders. As yet but little more than twenty-five years of age, he has accomplished more during the brief span of his existence that many have been able to accomplish in twice his years. His cour- teous manners, genial disposition and genu- ine worth are the qualities to which are at- tributable his remarkable success.
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WILLIAM SULLIVAN.
William Sullivan makes his home in the village of Empire, Leelanaw county, and de- votes his energies to agricultural pursuits. He was born in the city of Sandusky, Ohio, February 21, 1854. His father was the late Bishop Sullivan, a native of Waterford, Ire- land, and his mother bore the maiden name of Annastasia Dunphy. She, too, was born in Waterford, on the Emerald isle, and after living in Sandusky for a number of years they removed to St. Mary's, Perth county, Canada, which continued to be their place of residence from 1856 until the fall of 1865. At that time they took up their abode in De- troit, Michigan, where they spent a few months, and in the spring of 1866 they came to Leelanaw county, Michigan, taking up their abode in Empire township, where the father lived up to the time of his death with the exception of one year spent in Milwau- kee, Wisconsin. He devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits, and prospered in his undertakings. He passed away December 14, 1892, when about seventy years of age. His widow is now living in Empire. They were the parents of ten children, of whom William Sullivan is the eldest.
Mr. Sullivan, of this review, accom- panied his parents on their various removals, and with them came to Leelanaw county in the spring of 1866. He has lived here throughout the intervening period, with the exception of three years, which he spent in Wisconsin, and his home has always been in Empire township, where he has chiefly fol- lowed farming. He now owns fifty-five acres, located in the village of Empire, and upon his place he has good buildings, which were erected by his father. His life is one of
industry and earnest toil, and through the careful conduct of his agricultural interests he is meeting with a fair degree of success. For five terms he has served as supervisor of Empire township, and has served as township clerk for two years. He takes a very active interest in the welfare and progress of the community as promoted through political or material affairs, but in politics he is inde- pendent, supporting the men and measures rather than party. He is a man of scrupu- lous honor. There has never been a ques- tionable method charged to him in his busi- ness career, and he has the confidence and trust of his fellow-men.
GEORGE W. RAFF.
A bluff, candid man is rarely popular. His very honesty of thought and expression stirs the resentment of people, to many of whom honesty is a stranger and dissimula- tion a born companion. The man who takes neither the time nor trouble to formulate his expression of truth so as to make it palatable may be ever so good a man, but his is a spe- cies of honesty that is never appreciated. The subject of this review, George W. Raff, post- master of Traverse City, is a man of the ut- most candor and sincerest frankness. He believes in expressing his own thoughts in his own way, and if at times people get of- fended and show resentment, when they think calmly over the matter they admire the man for his honesty of thought and ex- pression, a quality that is so refreshingly rare that it may be classified as admirable. If his peculiarity in this particular has made Mr. Raff unpopular the condition is not ap-
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parent in Traverse City, where he is known and where he has lived for nearly a quarter of a century.
George W. Raff was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, December 27, 1833. His parents were Peter and Catherine (Sny- der) Raff, both natives of Pennsylvania. The father died when the subject of this review was but three years old, he being killed in an accident. The mother expired at the home of one of her children in Ohio, a few years ago, at the age of ninety-three years. They were the parents of nine children, of whom George W. was the youngest. All have passed to their eternal rest except the latter and two of his brothers-Peter, who is a farmer and resides in Ames, Iowa, and John, a resident of Canton, Ohio.
The early life of George W. Raff was spent in Pennsylvania, where he resided un- til he was fourteen years old. With his mother he then moved to Ohio and located at Wilmot, Stark county, and resided there about nine years, when he went to Iowa, where he resided five years and then enlisted in the United States service during the war of the Rebellion. He attended school in Penn- sylvania a number of terms during his resi- dence there, and, while learning his trade, that of a tailor, went to school one winter in Ohio. These were the meager opportunities he had for receiving an education. He was only fourteen years of age when he began work in a tailor shop, but he devoted himself earnestly to the calling and had mastered the art long before he had attained his majority. Tailoring has since been his life work, but about five years ago he retired from the business.
On the 13th day of April, 1853, George W. Raff was united in marriage to Miss Sa-
rah Agler, in Stark county, Ohio. She is a native of Ohio, born in Wilmot in 1834. Her parents were George and Eva (Wyan- dot) Agler, natives of Pennsylvania. After their marriage the subject and his wife es- tablished a home in Stark county and went to housekeeping. There they resided until 1857, when they moved to Marshalltown, Marshall county, Iowa, where they lived un- til after the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion, when the subject entered the United States service as a soldier, enlisting in Company K, Twenty-third Iowa Volun- teer Infantry. Before going to the front Mr. Raff was elected by the company and was afterward commissioned by the government second lieutenant. While he was in the serv- ice his wife and two children returned to Ohio, where they awaited his return from the war. For about a year after its enlist- ment the field of operations of the Twenty- third Iowa Regiment was Missouri, where they were engaged in skirmishing and doing garrison duty. After being in the service about a year Lieutenant Raff received an in- jury which disqualified him from active duty, and he resigned on account of disability. He immediately returned to his family in Stark county, Ohio, and the next seventeen years was spent by the family at Napoleon. Soon after President Grant entered upon his first term as President of the United States George W. Raff was appointed postmaster at Napoleon and served in that capacity for eight years. In 1880 the family moved from Ohio to Michigan, located in Traverse City, and there they have since resided. Most of the time since he has been here the father of the family has conducted a tailoring estab- lishment. When Benjamin Harrison became President, in 1889, the subject was by him
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appointed postmaster at Traverse City, and discharged the duties of the office most sat- isfactorily to all concerned, but was super- seded by a Democrat soon after the begin- ning of the second Cleveland administration. Upon the return of the Republican party to power under William Mckinley Mr. Raff was restored to the position, which he has continued to hold from that time to the pres- ent, having been again commissioned post- master by President Roosevelt.
To Mr. and Mrs. George W. Raff four children have been born, one of whom died in infancy. The others are, Laura R., who is her father's principal assistant in the post- office, is the wife of Charles Beers, city clerk of Traverse City; Elsie, wife of Julius T. Hannah, cashier of the Traverse City State Bank; George W., Jr., a member of the firm of Raff & Morgan, electricians of Traverse City. Each have been afforded a good edu- cation, and all reside upon the same street of the city upon which their parents reside.
After what has been said above it seems superfluous to add that George W. Raff is a very pronounced Republican, one whose political faith is best disclosed by his works. His first vote was cast for Salmon P. Chase for governor of Ohio, and his first presiden- tial vote was cast for John C. Fremont in 1856. In religion, while nearly all of his people were Lutherans, neither he nor any of the members of his immediate family are members of any religious denomination. They, however, attend divine services, but do not confine their worship to any one par- ticular church. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, of the Masonic body and of the Grand Army post, his membership in each being in Traverse City. He is the own- er of a handsome residence and possesses
considerable city property. He is a man of strong personality, and for a man of his years possesses much physical and mental vigor.
HERBERT MONTAGUE.
When the mercantile and commercial in- terests of a town or city are in the hands of worthy, capable and enterprising men an im- portant step has been taken toward the growth, development and prosperity of the place. Had her merchants and men of busi- ness been less worthy, capable and enterpris- ing than they were Chicago would lack much of being the city that it is today. Cities, like persons, have a distinct individuality. One may be sluggish, plodding, shiftless, while its neighbor, only a few miles distant, may be alert, energetic and progressive. It is the inhabitants who give character to a town or city. The character of the inhabitants col- lectively is the character of the place. If they are drones, the place cannot disclose much of either development or progress. There are very few cities in the state of Michigan that have made more or even equal progress with Traverse City in the past few years. Its increase in material wealth and population has been simply phenomenal. To the merchants, manufacturers and . business men generally most of the credit is due for this desirable condition of affairs. Among the merchants none holds a higher or more responsible position than does Herbert Mon- tague, the subject of this review. He is the secretary, treasurer and general manager of the entire mercantile establishment of the corporation known as the Hannah & Lay Mercantile Company. He has been connect-
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ed with the business of this mammoth con- cern for thirty-one years, and has risen from the position of an ordinary salesman to his present responsible post.
Herbert Montague was born in Hender- son, Jefferson county, New York, August 29, 1849. His father was Benjamin Montague, a native of the same place, born in 1821, and who all his life was engaged in agricultural pursuits. About 1855 he and his family moved to Wisconsin, where they resided un- til 1867, when they came to Michigan, locat- ing in Grand Traverse county, at Old Mis- sion. There he resided until 1885, when he came to Traverse City and made his home with the subject of this review until his death, which occurred September 5, 1890. The mother of Herbert Montague was Cas- cendana (Bates) Montague, born in 1827, at Sacket's Harbor, Jefferson county, New York, where she was reared and educated. She was a woman of splendid intellect and had the advantages of a finished education and to her all of her children are indebted for much of the learning they possess. At her home in Sacket's Harbor she first met and later married Benjamin Montague. She died December 1I, 1885, and her death was the first real sorrow that her husband and children had ever known. Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Montague were the parents of four children, viz: Herbert, the subject of this review: J. Aikin is a hardware mer- chant of Traverse City; Victor E. is a boat builder of Traverse City; Cascandana is the wife of George Ray, who is now in the Phil- ippines engaged in teaching. His wife is also an educator and employed in the city schools.
The early life of Herbert Montague was spent upon the farm, where, when not en-
gaged with his books, he was busy with the usual labors of the farm. He attended the public schools until he was fourteen, but the greater part of his instruction, as stated above, was received from his mother. La- ter he attended two terms of school at the German Lutheran College of Watertown, Wisconsin. His first employment after leav- ing school and away from home was teach- ing, being employed three terms in the dis -. trict schools of the county and then, in the spring of 1872, he entered the employment of what is now the Hannah & Lay Mercan- tile Company. It was then a copartnership known as Hannah, Lay & Company, but has since become a corporation. He first oc- cupied an humble place, at a modest salary, as a salesman in the grocery department, but, by tact, courtesy to patrons and strict ad- herence to business he secured the favor of his employers and was advanced steadily in position and salary until 1892, when, after twenty years of service, by a vote of the directors he was elected secretary, treasurer and general manager of the entire mercantile establishment, which covers an entire block and embraces nearly every species of mercan- tile business. This position he yet occupies with credit to himself and profit to the cor- poration.
December 25, 1870, at Watertown, Wis- consin, Herbert Montague was united in marriage to Miss Ida Smith, a native of Watertown, born September 19, 1853. She was educated in her native town, graduating from the high school. She was the daughter of Whitman and Lucinda Smith, natives of Jefferson county, New York. Her father was drowned October 14, 1872, he and six others going down with the ill fated steam- boat "Lac La Belle." The family, con-
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