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 76
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 76
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April 2, 1890, Mr. Stinson was married to Miss Eunice Nickerson, whose father, George G. Nickerson (elsewhere represented in this work), is one of the most widely known and popular men of the county. Three children have blessed this marriage- Bernice E., Harold C. and Rhea Joy. Few men take a more lively interest in the affairs of the community than Mr. Stinson or are
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AMBROSE B STINSON
MRS. A. B. STINSON.
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more energetic in carrying out plans for pub- lic improvement. He has been clerk of the village since its organization up to 1900, and was also village president in 1902. He has been the efficient clerk of the township for a number of years. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the encampment of Traverse City, as well as a member of the Knights of the Maccabees.
MYRON A. CULVER.
Myron A. Culver is a member of the firm of Ward & Culver, merchants, and is foreman of the Dewey Stone Company, at Cedar, Leelanaw county. His connection with this company dates from 1871 and no higher testimonial of his business ability and fidelity to the interests of those whom he rep- resents could be given than the fact that he has so long been connected with the company. He was born on a farm in Hillsdale county, Michigan, on the 20th day of July, 1844. His father, Walter Culver, was born in New York and after arriving at years of maturity he sought as a companion and helpmate for life's journey Miss Caroline Loomis, who was also born in the Empire state. They were married and for many years traveled life's journey happily together, but in Kent county, Michigan, when sixty-five years of age, the wife was called to the home be- yond. Mr. Culver still survives her and is living in Cedar, at the very advanced age of ninety-three years.
Myron A. Culver is the only son and eldest child in a family of four children born unto Walter and Caroline (Loomis) Culver, and he was reared chiefly in Leela-
naw county, working upon the home farm in his youth and afterward giving his atten- tion chiefly to agricultural pursuits until 1871, when he entered into business rela- tions with the Dewey Stone Company. In the month of December of that year he en- tered that employ and has since been a rep- resentative of the firm. He was first sent to Blissfield, Michigan, in the capacity of en- gineer and so acted for about seven years. At the end of that time he went to Bairds- town, Wood county, Ohio, where he acted as foreman for the company for seventeen years, and in 1894 he came to Cedar, Michi- gan, where he is now associated with Mr. Ward, and is acting in the capacity of fore- man for the Dewey Stone Company. He is a man of broad experience in business lines, of enterprise and sound judgment, and he capably controls the company's business at this place. He has the unqualified confi- dence of those whom he represents, and his control of the business has been mutually profitable to himself and the company.
In Adrian, Michigan, in September, 1867, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Culver and Miss Mary Ensign, a native of this state, and they now have two chil- dren, Charles E. and William J. Both Mr. and Mrs. Culver have made many friends in Cedar and in Leelanaw county during the nine years of their residence here, and the hospitality of the best homes of the commu- nity in which they reside is extended to them. Good cheer and cordiality also pervade their own home, and their personal characteristics have made them popular with those with whom they have come in contact.
Mr. Culver is a stanch Republican, giv- ing an unfaltering support to the principles of the party since he attained his majority,
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and while he labors for the growth and suc- cess of the party he also gives his time to the advancement of measures for the general welfare.
JOHN N. COURTADE.
John N. Courtade is now serving as treasurer of East Bay township, Grand Traverse county, and has been called upon to fill several other local offices of trust and responsibility. He is a worthy incumbent and over the record of his official career there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. He has lived in this county from the age of five years and the fact that many of stanchest friends have known him from his boyhood days is an indication that his career has ever been honorable and upright. His parents were Peter and Magdalena (Jordi) Courtade, the former a native of Seneca county, Ohio, and the latter of Bavaria, Germany, when she came to the United States in her girlhood days. They became the parents of nine children, of whom Mr. Courtade of this review is the second in order of birth. He was born near Eagle Harbor, Michigan, on the Upper Peninsula, March 31, 1863, and when a little lad of about five summers was brought by his par- ents to Grand Traverse county, the family home being established in East Bay town- ship, where he grew to manhood upon his father's farm, his youth being passed in a manner similar to that of other boys of the period. Work and play alternated to fill his days and the duties of the school-room were mastered by him as he gained a knowl- edge of those branches of learning which fit one for transaction of business in later life.
Since coming to Grand Traverse county he has resided continuously in East Bay town- ship, and since putting aside his text books he has followed farming and lumbering, giving his attention to the latter pursuit dur- ing the winter months. He owns one hun- dred and sixty acres of land in the home farm, of which one hundred and twenty acres have been improved, and in addition he has timber land in the county. On his farm he has erected nice buildings, a com- fortable home, commodious and convenient, standing as a monument to his enterprise, while barns and sheds furnish shelter for the stock and protect his crops from the in- clement weather.
Mr. Courtade was married in Traverse City, Michigan, on the 16th of June, 1890, to Miss Luella A. Schlosser, who was born in Edgerton, Williams county, Ohio, on the 20th of May, 1874, a daughter of John and Mary E. (Gillett) Schlosser, residents of East Bay township. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Courtade have been born eight children : Florence E., Peter L., Oscar J., Mamie M., Nellie E., Alice A., Bertha M. and Laura A., all of whom are still under the parental roof, the family circle being still unbroken.
An advocate of Republican principles, Mr. Courtade has always supported that party and keeping informed on the issues of the day is able to defend his position by in- telligent argument. He has held the office of school inspector and has also been elected overseer of highways and justice of the peace. For several terms he has been elected treasurer of East Bay township and is the present incumbent in that position. His is a well-rounded character, in which the dif- ferent interests of life are given their due
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proportion of attention. One line of thought or work to the exclusion of all oth- ers produces an abnormal development and makes the individual narrow in his views of life. Mr. Courtade has never followed such a course, for while giving his chief attention to his business, as do the majority of men, he finds time and opportunity to take an in- terest in matters pertaining to the progress and growth of his county, state and nation, and to mingle with his friends, enlarging the circle of his acquaintance and broaden- ing his mind through the interchange of thought with others.
HIRAM A. HALL.
Hiram A. Hall, who lives on section 24, Long Lake township, Grand Traverse coun- ty, was born in America's metropolis, the city of New York, on the 19th of March, 1839, being the fourth of the six children whose parents were Samuel and Betsey (Gay) Hall. Both the father and mother died in St. Joseph county, Michigan. Mr. Hall of this review spent the greater part of his life in Ontario county, New York, where he remained until nineteen years of age. At- tracted by the business opportunities of the growing west, he then made his way to the Mississippi valley, taking up his abode in Illinois, where he remained for six months. He then removed to St. Joseph county, In- diana, where he was engaged in farming, and he also followed that pursuit in LaPorte county, Indiana, twelve years being thus passed. In the spring of 1867 he came to Grand Traverse county, Michigan, and his choice of a location fell upon section 2, Blair
township, on a part of the Green Lake town- ship. There he resided for five years, hav- ing secured a tract of land as a homestead claim. He was afterward in the employ of the firm of Hannah, Lay & Company in Long Lake township, for three years, and subsequently he located on what is now Gar- field township, where he was engaged in farming for six years. At the end of that time he purchased the farm which is now his home and upon which he has resided continuously since it came into his posses- sion. He has eighty acres of land, of which sixty-five acres has been cleared, plowed and transformed into productive fields. In the midst of his farm he has ercted good build- ings, which are kept in excellent repair, and neatness and thrift characterize every de- partment of his place and indicate the su- pervision of a careful and painstaking owner.
An important event in the life of Mr. Hall occurred in Stark county, Indiana, in October, 1860,-his marriage to Miss Al- vira Monroe, who was born in Oakland county, Michigan. They have become the parents of six children : Emma, who is now the wife of Alonzo Howard; Hattie, the wife of George Tuttle; Lottie, who married William Newstead; Edna, the wife of Will- iam Correy ; and Amos H. and Rayon E. The parents are active workers in the church, holding membership with the Meth- odist Episcopal denomination, and every- thing pertaining to the uplifting of their fel- low men and the advancement of moral de- velopment elicits their interest and aid. In his political views Mr. Hall is an earnest Republican and he has held the office of township treasurer of Long Lake township. for two years. At the time of the Civil
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war he manifested his loyalty to the govern- ment by entering the Union army in Sep- tember, 1861, as a member of Company C, Twenty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. With the boys in blue he then went to the front and served for eighteen months, after which he was honorably discharged, but in January, 1865, he again entered the army and served for three months. Mr. Hall has always been loyal in citizenship and in times of peace is as true to the old flag as he was when he followed the starry banner upon southern battle-fields. During his res- idence in Michigan the sterling traits of his character have gained him recognition as a man of strong purpose and upright princi- ples and his personal characteristics and his public life are such as to entitle him to rep- resentation in this volume.
JOHN R. FOUCH.
The horologue of time has marked off thirty-seven years since John R. Fouch first came to Leelanaw county, and he is, there- fore, numbered among the early settlers. The traveler of today who visited the region that long ago, had'he not seen it in the in- terim, would not recognize this highly im- proved district as the one into which Mr. Fouch came. Long since have pioneer con- ditions given way before the advance of civ- ilization, and the forests have fallen before the sturdy strokes of the woodmen, who have converted the great trees into lumber that has been exported to various markets of this and other countries. Where once stood the tall trees are now seen waving fields of grain and the rich farms tell of active and continued
work on the part of the agriculturist. Towns and villages have also sprung up, with their varied industrial and commercial interests, and Leelanaw county vies with other por- tions of the state in the excellent educational and moral advantages which it affords to its settlers.
Mr. Fouch now follows farming on sec- tion 13, Elmwood township, and throughout the greater part of his life he has engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was born on a farm in Warren county, Ohio, his natal day being November 17, 1845. He is a son of William and Catherine Fouch. The former died in Warren county and the latter in De- fiance county, Ohio. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom the subject of this review is the youngest.
When a lad of ten years John R. Fouch accompanied his parents to Indiana, and after a year spent there became a resident of Defiance county, Ohio, where he lived until he came to Leelanaw county, Michigan, in the fall of 1866. He took up a homestead in Elmwood township, entering the land from the government, and the farm which he de- veloped is the same upon which he now re- sides. It is situated in section 13, and he has made his home here continuously with the exception of a year and a half spent in Arkansas and a similar period in Missouri. He built the resort at Fouch's station, which he afterward sold, when he had conducted it for two years. Farming has been his chief occupation, and he is today the owner of two hundred and sixty-seven acres of land, of which he has about one hundred and seventy- five acres utilized for the production of grain or for meadow or pasture lands. The farm in its various appointments is modern, and in appearance it is attractive and pleasing.
MR. AND MRS. JOHN R. FOUCH.
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The buildings upon the place are modern and commodious, and stand as monuments to the enterprise of the owner by whom they were erected.
Mr. Fouch has been twice married. In Defiance, Ohio, he was joined in wedlock to Miss Hannah Berringer, a native of the Buckeye state, who came with him to Mich- igan and here died upon the home farm in Elmwood township in the fall of 1875. She left three children-Temple, Perry and Jesse. After the death of his first wife Mr. Fouch was again married, his second union being celebrated in Elmwood township. Miss Clara Beitner, a native of Michigan, became his wife, and they have since lived happily together upon the farm, rearing their family of three children, namely : George W., Ada and Harry. The daughter is now the wife of Arthur Killmer.
Voting with the Republican party since attaining his majority, Mr. Fouch has never faltered in his allegiance to its principles. He is interested in its success, and he has held the office of highway commissioner and of overseer of highways, and in these capaci- ties he has labored earnestly and effectively to secure and maintain good roads, knowing how important are improved public highways to the farmer. At the time of the Civil war he gave proof of his loyalty to the Union cause by enlisting, in 1865, as a member of the One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Regiment of Ohio Guards, and he was in the active service for one hundred days. He was but nineteen years of age at the time of his en- listment. All the years of his manhood have been characterized by an unfaltering de- votion to his country's good and his interest in the improvement of his adopted county has been shown by the aid he has given to
plans for the general improvement and ad- vancement. His name is a synonym for in- proves conclusively that success may be won tegrity in business affairs, and his life history through perseverance, strong determination and diligence. One may profit by inheritance or the aid of influential friends, but many an inheritance has been squandered and outside aid never serves to strengthen character or to develop sturdy manhood. The honored man of America is he who wins his own ad- vancement unaided, and this Mr. Fouch has done.
MOSES C. CATE.
Moses C. Cate, who for many years has followed farming in Leelanaw county, his home being now on section 18, Solon town- ship, is an honored veteran of the Civil war and a citizen whose worth has been demon- strated in times of peace as well as in times of strife. In public office he has been found most loyal to the general good, and in his business affairs he is ever straight-forward and trustworthy, enjoying the public con- fidence to a marked degree.
Mr. Cate is one of New England's native sons, his birth having occurred in London, Merrimack county, New Hampshire, on the 23d of August, 1828. His parents, Shad- rack and Rebecca (Chamberlain) Cate, were also born in the old Granite state and for many years resided in Loudon, where the fa- ther's death occurred, while the mother died in Loudon in 1868. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom Mr. Cate of this review is the youngest. He was reared up- on his father's farm in Loudon, New Hamp- shire, and he has witnessed many changes
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in connection with the methods of agricul- tural work. The crude farming machinery of a number of decades ago has long since given way before the improved agricultural implements of the present, rendering the work of the farmer less ardous and difficult. When a young man, however, Mr. Cate de- cided to follow some other pursuit than that to which he had been reared, and learned the painter's trade, but he found that he was un- able to stand this work and therefore learned the shoemaker's trade. This he followed for fourteen years before leaving his native state.
In 1852 Mr. Cate removed to Cuyahoga county, Ohio, where he engaged in shoe- making until March, 1856, and during that time he was married to Miss Mary Louisa Barnard, the wedding being celebrated on the 2d of December, 1855. The lady was born in Jefferson county, New York. The young couple began their domestic life in "Cuyahoga county, but in March, 1856, re- turned to his old home in New Hampshire, where they remained until May, 1860. At that date they again became residents of Cuyahoga county, Ohio, where Mr. Cate con- tinued business until August 7, 1862. At ยท that date he put aside all personal considera- tions in order to aid his country in the sup- pression of the rebellion in the south. Prompted by a spirit of patriotism, he en- listed in the Union army and was assigned to Company D, One Hundred and Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for almost three years, lacking two -months. The war having closed he was then mustered out of the service and with a most creditable military record he returned to his home. He had ever been valorous and loyal and never faltered in the performance
of any duty, whether it called him into the thickest of the fight or stationed him on the lonely picket line.
Mr. Cate continued to make his home in Cuyahoga county until September, 1866, when he removed with his family to Leela- naw county, Michigan, and took up a home- stead of one hundred and sixty acres in So- lon township. Here he has since lived and he now owns one hundred and twenty acres of good land, of which eighty acres is im- proved. Indolence and idleness have ever been utterly foreign to his nature and by his earnest work and close application he has won the property which he now owns. He has passed the psalmist's span of three score years and ten, and yet he gives his personal supervision to the management of his farm and its culltivation.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Cate were born three children: Shadrach B., who is living at home; Eliza, who is the wife of Orlando J. T. Singrey; Rebecca, who is the wife of Ward J. Miller. The wife and mother died in Traverse City, March 24, 1897.
In public affairs Mr. Cate has been prominent and influential. He has held the office of sheriff of Leelanaw county for one term and he was supervisor of Solon town- ship for about four years. He has held all of the township offices save that of treas- urer and he is now township clerk. Public spirited and active in behalf of the general good, progress and patriotism might well be termed the keynote of his character, for at all times he has been actuated by fidelity to his country and her welfare. Church work also receives his earnest support and he be- longs to the Congregational denomination and was for many years superintendent of its Sunday school in Solon. He is likewise
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a member of the Grand Army of the Repub- lic and was the second agent appointed. in Leelanaw county for the state board of char- ities. A man of broad sympathy and of marked humanitarian principles, whatever tends to benefit his fellow men and advance the standard of upright living is of interest to him and his efforts along such lines have been effective and beneficial. The poor and needy have ever found in him a friend and in earlier years he rendered much assistance to those who were in need of aid. Now in the evening of life, having to some degree put aside the activities which claimed his attention in earlier years, he is living quietly at his home in Solon township, respected alike by young and old, rich and poor.
ADDISON M. GRAY.
Addison M. Gray is a member of the firm of Gray Brothers, of Long Lake town- ship. Grand Traverse county. They are en- gaged in agricultural pursuits, in stock- raising and in dealing in lumber and are conducting a business which in its varied departments is meeting with success. Both are men of sterling worth, of upright prin- ciples and of excellent executive force. In the control of their business interests they manifest keen discrimination, combined with perseverance and energy, and upon this sure foundation they have builded their prosper- itv. Their father, Joseph H. Gray, was a native of St. Lawrence county, New York, born about 1830 .. At the time of the Civil war. prompted by patriotic spirit, he entered the Union army in 1862 and became a mem- ber of Company F, One Hundred and Sixth New York Volunteer Infantry. He had
been with the army for six weeks when he was taken sick and died at New Creek Sta- tion in Hampshire county, West Virginia, passing away on the 12th of October. Thus he laid down his life as a sacrifice upon the altar of his country. He was a man of up- right principles, honored and respected by all with whom he came in contact, and to his family he was a devoted husband and father. In St. Lawrence county, New York, he was married, on Christmas day of 1852, to Miss Mary E. Mensfield, who was born in that county on the IIth of July, 1835. Their union was blessed with three children, Addison M., Alandon W. and Wilbur D., but the last named died when only nine months old.
Addison M. Gray was born in St. Law- rence county.on the 13th of May, 1854, and was a youth of fourteen years when he left his native state, his mother coming with her two sons to Michigan. For eleven years they resided in Almira township, Benzie county, and on the expiration of that period came to Grand Traverse county, settling in Long Lake township on the farm where the brothers and their mother are now living. They have always been associated in busi- ness, the relation being mutually pleasant and profitable, and today they are the owners of one of the best farms in this section of the state. They have one hundred and ninety-three acres of land and in its care and conduct they manifest their knowledge of practical and progressive business methods. They have erected good buildings upon their place and made many fine improvements and in the cultivation of the soil and. the harvest- ing of the crops they use the best machinery. They also devote considerable time to stock- raising, having only high grade cattle and
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horses upon their place. Another branch of their business is lumbering and this is also conducted with excellent success.
Alandon W. Gray was born in St. Law- rence county, on the 8th of September, 1856, and the history of one brother is practically the history of the other. When their school books were put aside they took up farm work and the association between them has been maintained in the existence of a firm that for business strength and enterprise is unsurpassed in this portion of the state. Their energies have been concentrated along business lines and, while the brothers are progressive citizens and have aided in measures for the general good, they have never sought or desired office, preferring to give their attention to their private inter- ests. They and their mother are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which they take a deep interest and not only do they contribute liberally to the support of the church, but also labor in other ways for its advancement. The brothers are very favorably known through Traverse county and this section of Michigan. As business men they have been conspicuous among their associates, not only for their success, but for their probity, fairness and honorable meth- ods. In everything they have been emi- nently practical and this has been manifested not only in their business undertakings, but also in social and private life.
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