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 78
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 78
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nest Christian people, true to the teachings of the church and exemplifying in their lives the spirit of Christianity. In his business deal- ings Mr. Elliott is straightforward and hon- orable and in all life's relations he is found true and loyal.
JOSIAH W. LANE.
The agricultural interests of Grand Tra- verse county are well represented by Josiah W. Lane, who resides on section II, Long Lake township, where he has a valuable farm. He is a young man of excellent busi- ness ability and the success which he has achieved is an indication of a life of indus- try and enterprise, for all that he has is the result of his earnest efforts.
Mr. Lane is a native son of Michigan, his birth having occurred in Breedsville, Van Buren county, on the 10th of April, 1867. His parents were Gilman and Eunice (Abrams) Lane, in whose family were four children, Josiah W. being the second in or- der of birth. The father is now deceased, having passed away at PawPaw, Michigan, when thirty-six years of age. Upon the home farm near PawPaw Josiah W. Lane was reared and in the public schools he was educated. He also spent some time as a stu- dent in Spring Arbor Seminary in Jackson county, Michigan, and in the PawPaw high school, and was thus well equipped by in- tellectual training to meet the practical and responsible duties of life. Since entering upon his business career he has devoted his time and attention to agricultural pursuits. He came from Van Buren county to Grand Traverse county in the fall of 1890 and
rented a farm in Blaine township, where he lived for three years. On the expiration of that period he purchased the farm on which he now lives on section II, Long Lake town- ship. It comprises eighty acres of land, of which sixty-five acres is improved, and the owner is accounted one of the progressive agriculturists of his community, keeping in touch with the improvements which are made along agricultural lines. His business ability is manifested in the capable control of his affairs and in all of his dealings he is found trustworthy and straightforward.
Mr. Lane was married in Hartford. Van Buren county, Michigan, on the IIth of October, 1887, to Miss Clara Brown, a daughter of Alfred H. and Mary Brown, the former a farmer by occupation. The mar- riage of the subject and his wife has been blessed with five children, Lois J., Irma L., Rex and Reta, twins, and Viora. Mr. and Mrs. Lane are held in high esteem by many friends and the hospitality of the best homes of this section of the county is extended to them.
Since the spring of 1896 Mr. Lane has served as clerk of Long Lake township, at which time he was elected on the Union tick- et. He has also been school inspector and constable and is found most faithful to his duties. In township affairs he takes an ac- tive interest and local progress and national advancement are causes dear to his heart. Both he and his wife are deeply interested in the moral advancement of the community and are active church workers. In political + thought and action he has always been, in- dependent, carrying out his honest views without fear or favor. In business he has achieved success through honorable effort, untiring industry and capable management,
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and in private life he has gained that warm personal regard which arises from true no- bility of character, deference for the opinion of others, kindliness and geniality.
HORACE K. BEECHAM.
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Horace K. Beecham has been supervi- sor of Whitewater township, Grand Tra- verse county, Michigan, for a period of two years and for many more has been well and favorably known to its citizens as a man of integrity on whom they could at all times rely. He was born in Dover, county of Kent, England, May 14, 1839, and was the eldest of four children born to John and Louisa ( Harvey) Beecham. He came to America in 1850 and for three years was a resident of Canada, going thence to Chicago, where he remained for about twenty years. While in that metropolis he was variously employed, but never at a loss for work. For several years he was mailing clerk on the Chicago Tribune, then he accepted the position as storekeeper in the machinery department of Illinois Central Railroad and was with that. corporation five years. In 1873 he came to Grand Traverse county and for nine years was engaged in the mercantile business in Acme, the greater part of which time he was also postmaster of the village. Removing to Traverse City, he resided there two years, while at the same time he conducted an api- ary in Garfield township and the farm in Whitewater township, upon which he moved and has since made his home.
Mr. Beecham was married in Chicago, October 6, 1870, to Miss Lucy Gurnee, a na- tive of Adrain, Lenawee county, Michigan,
and a daughter of John R. Gurnee, who died at the age of ninety-three years and is well remembered by the older residents of this township. Mr. Beecham's family consists of four children, Frances G., Kathleen A., wife of Daniel M. Blodgett, Gurnee and Horace K., Jr. Mr. Beecham has affiliated with the Republican party since he cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln. He has been more or less prominent in public life for a number of years and served as clerk of East Bay town- ship before the township was divided. He was also elected treasurer of Whitewater township and has been retained in the capaci- ty of supervisor of the township since 1892. He is prominent in Masonic circles and has been raised to the rank of Knight Templar.
ALONZO NORCONK.
Well may America boast of her citizen- ship, for great have been the accomplish- ments of her sons in all lines of endeavor which contribute to the sum of the world's progress in this land where every man is born equal before the law, where the public, the public usefulness and public thought is open to all. It is worthy of note that an individual by his merit and ability is capable to pass others on the highway of life and reach the goal of prosperity perhaps before those who start out ahead of him. Standing in an emi- nent position among the representatives of in- dustrial interests in Leelanaw county is Alonzo Norconk, who now occupies the im- portant and responsible position of foreman of the mill of the Empire Lumber Company, In this regard he is controlling an extensive and important industry, for the product of
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the saw-mill is large and annually the ship- ments of lumber made to the the city mar- kets bring in return a very desirable income to the stockholders of the company.
Mr. Norconk was born in Bedford coun- ty, Pennsylvania, on the 13th of March, 1857, his parents being Samuel and Christine (Neuber) Norconk, of whose family of twelve children the subject of this review was the third in order of birth. The father was a native of Danville, Pennsylvania, and af- ter reaching years of maturity he wedded Miss Christine Neuber, whose birth had oc- curred in Germany and who was brought to the United States in early life. Their son Alonzo was reared in the county of his na- tivity until nineteen years of age, when, in 1876, he arrived in Michigan, making his way to Bear Lake, Manistee county. After a year Mr. Norconk returned to Bedford county, Pennsylvania, where he continued to reside for four years and then again made his way to Bear lake, where he remained un- til March, 1887. At that date he arrived in . Empire, Michigan, and since the fall of that year he has been in the employ of the Em- pire Lumber Company as foreman of their extensive mill. He has practical knowledge of machinery and thoroughly understands the best methods of operating the mill so as to produce desired results. A large amount of lumber is annually manufactured in the saw-mill of the Empire Lumber Company . and the plant is equipped with the latest im- proved machinery for turning out high grade work.
On the 26th of November, 1890, in Em- pire, Mr. Norconk was united in marriage to Miss Georgia E. Aylesworth, who was born in Chicago, Illinois, December 19, 1869, and is a daughter of the late George
Aylesworth, who died in Empire, February 26, 1888, when sixty-nine years of age. His widow, Mrs. Margaret Aylesworth, nee Hutzler, still survives him and is yet living in Empire. Mr. and Mrs. Norconk are the par- ents of six children as follows : Lillian M., Tillisa M., George F., Blanche J., Alonzo A. and Gladys M.
Mr. Norconk has made judicious invest- ments of his capital in real estate and is now the owner of two hundred and sixty-two acres of land, of which one hundred and twelve acres are improved. Fraternally he is a representative of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Knights of the Maccabees. His success has been won entire- ly along lines of old and time-tried maxims, such as "honesty is the best policy" and "there is no excellence without labor." Strong mentality and determination have formed the basis of his prosperity. He has the ability and executive power to carry for- ward his plans to successful completion and he stands today as one of the strong and rep- resentative business men of Empire.
JOHN G. WEISS.
John G, Weiss is known as a leading and influential resident of Leelanaw county, where he has made his home since 1884. In mat- ters pertaining to the general progress and upbuilding of the county his judgment is practical, his views progressive, and his ef- forts for the general welfare have been far- reaching and beneficial. He has become so well known that he needs no special intro- duction to the readers of this volume, and in his farm work he has been successful, be-
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coming the owner of a farm which is two hundred acres in extent. . Much of this prop- erty has been cleared and improved and his home is pleasantly situated on section 18, Bingham township.
Mr. Weiss was born in Freedom town- ship, Washtenaw county, Michigan, Decem- ber 9, 1863. His father, the Rev. Edward Weiss, was born in Hesse-Cassel, Germany, and became a minister of the German Evan- gelical church. In the course of his connec- tion with the ministry he filled a number of pastorates and did excellent work for the up- lifting of his fellow men, his influence being far-reaching and helpful. As a companion and helpmate for the journey of life he chose Miss Adelaide Bertke, who was a native of Washtenaw county, Michigan, and their marriage was blessed with twelve chil- dren, of whom the subject of this review is the third.
As his father was a minister, removing from place to place, John G. Weiss spent his boyhood and youth in various towns and thus became quite familiar with Michigan, its possibilities, natural resources and its op- portunities. In 1884, when he was twenty- one years of age, he started out in life on his own account and came to Leelanaw coun- ty, Michigan, where he purchased eighty acres of land lying in Bingham township. He has since made his home here and his at- tention has been given in an undivided man- ner to agricultural pursuits. As his financial resources have increased he has extended the boundaries of his property until the farm now comprises two hundred acres, of which he has about one hundred and thirty acres improved. Before coming to this county, and after leaving the common schools, he had spent three years as a student in the North-
western College, at Naperville, Illinois, and also took a six-months course in book- keeping at the same college, so that his men- tal training well qualified him to cope with the problems of a business career. Farming has been his chief occupation through life, and his success has been won along this line. He has always made a thorough mastery of whatever he has undertaken and in control- ling his agricultural pursuits he has shown excellent business capacity as well as system and method in managing his work, in plant- ing his crops and in gathering his harvests.
On the 20th of October, 1886, in Hersey, Osceola county, Michigan, Mr. Weiss was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ann Rup- pert, who was born in that place December 2, 1866, a daughter of Adam and Catherine (Thiel) Ruppert. Their family numbered seven children, of whom Mrs. Weiss was the fourth. Five children have been born unto the subject and his wife, three sons and two daughters, Samuel R., Roy J., Viola L., Mabel F. and Dewey N., and the family cir- cle remains unbroken by the hand of death.
When the County Farmers Institute of Leelanaw county was organized, in Decem- ber, 1902, Mr. Weiss was chosen its presi- dent, and he is putting forth every effort in his power in this connection to promote the welfare and best interests of the agricultural class .. For many years he filled the position of justice of the peace and his decisions were strictly fair and impartial, winning him the commendation of the public and securing his re-election to office. In county and township affairs he has taken an active and helpful part and has co-operated in many measures for the general good. He votes with the Re- publican party and along that line his labors have been directed, for he believes it the duty
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as well as the privilege of every man to stand by the principles which he thinks will best conserve the welfare of the county, state and nation. Both he and his wife are active in church work and hold membership with the German Evangelical denomination. His life is upright and honorable, his actions manly and sincere, his manner unaffected, and his prominence in public regard is well merited.
PERRY A. CORE.
In this enlightened age, when men of industry, energy and merit are rapidly push- ing their way to the front, those who, by their individual efforts, have won favor and success may properly claim recognition. This Mr. Core has done and today he is classed among the men of affluence in Bingham township, Leelanaw county. He is there following farming, his home being on section 30, where he owns one hundred and forty- five acres of land. Of this, one hundred acres are under cultivation and the excel- lent improvements which Mr. Core has made constitute this one of the best farms of the locality.
Perry A. Core is the eldest in a family of eight children, five sons and three daugh- ters, born unto William and Maggie (Mc- Farland), and he first opened his eyes to the light of day on his father's farm in Bing- ham township, on the 15th of July, 1868. The old homestead was his play-ground in youth, his training ground for the work which he has followed in manhood and it is yet his place of residence. He was educated in the common schools, and since putting aside his text books he has followed farming
and lumbering, meeting with success in both branches of his business. He is today the owner of one hundred and forty-five acres of land, of which one hundred acres has been improved. He has erected good buildings upon his place, and its modern equipments are proof of his progressive spirit and en- terprisc. He raises good crops and keeps on hand good grades of domestic animals to assist in the farm work. He thoroughly understands the best methods of caring for his property and of producing good crops, is systematic and energetic and exercises sound judgment in transacting his business affairs.
On the 17th of November, 1889, in Bingham township, Leelanaw county, Mr. Core was united in marriage to Miss Emma Ann Woodrow, a daughter of the late James and Ellen (Towns) Woodrow. Her parents were natives of Canada and it was in that country that the father died. The mother is still living. Mrs. Core was the third in a family of six children, three sons and three daughters, and her birth occurred in Canada, on the 5th of March, 1868. Unto the subject and his wife has been born one son, Ray, who is the light and joy of the household.
Mr. Core votes with the Republican party and keeps well informed on the political questions and issues of the day so that he is able to defend his position by intelligent ar- gument. He is a liberal supporter of the Evangelical church and is a public-spirited citizen, deeply interested in everything per- taining to the social, material and moral wel- fare of the community. He has always lived in Leelanaw county and upon the farm where he now resides, but he keeps in touch with the progress of the world through reading and observation. His life has been devoid of
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exciting episodes, but his history is that of one who is always trustworthy and true to duty, whether of a public or private nature. He needs no introduction to the readers of this volume because he is so widely and favorably known and he still numbers among his friends those who have known him from boyhood as well as many with whom he has become acquainted in more recent years.
MORRIS B. JENNINGS.
The pioneers of a country, the founders of a business, the originators of an undertak- ing that will promote the material welfare or advance the educational, social and moral standing of a community deserve the grati- tude of humanity. Mr. Jennings is numbered among the early settlers of Grand Traverse county and, moreover, throughout the long years of his residence here he has been an ad- vocate of everything pertaining to the pub- lic good and the substantial improvement of his county. He is deserving also of mention in this volume because of the valiant 'service which he rendered to his country in the dark days of the Civil war. For three years he followed the old flag and was often upon the battlefield risking his life in defense of the cause which he had espoused. By reason of these various elements in his life record which render him an honored citizen of his community we present with pleasure to our readers this account of his career.
Mr. Jennings was born in the township of Franklin, in Lenawee county, Michigan, July 17, 1838, and is the eldest of the six children of Franklin and Elizabeth B. (Earl) Jen- nings, the former a native of Vermont and
the latter of New Jersey. Coming to the west, they took up their abode in Michigan and Mr. Jennings died in Montague, Muskegon coun- ty, at the age of seventy-eight years, while his wife passed away in 1882 when seventy- five years of age. She was then residing in Grant township and at two o'clock in the af- ternoon of September 1, 1882, her house took fire. She was so severely burned that she died from the effects after eight hours of in- tense suffering. She was carried to the resi- dence of Alonzo VanTassel, in Mayfield township, and there departed this life in the seventy-sixth year of her age. Both were people of sterling worth, possessing many excellent traits of heart and mind which had endeared them to their many friends, and their loss to the community in which they lived was widely felt.
Morris B. Jennings was a resident of Lenawee county, Michigan, until ten years of age, when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Ypsilanti, this state. There he resided until the fall of 1861, when, feel- ing that his first duty was to his country, he offered his services to the government as a defender of the Union. The tocsin of war had sounded and men from all stations in life flocked to the standard of their country. They came from the workshops, from the of- fices, from the counting rooms and from the fields, the homes of the rich and poor alike sent their sons to battle for the Union and Mr. Jennings was among the number who, believing in the righteousness of the govern- mental policy, offered to stand as a defender of the starry banner of the nation. He joined the First Michigan Regiment. of Engi- neers and Mechanics and was assigned to Company I, with which he served for three years or until the fall of 1864. He was al-
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ways true to his duty, no matter where it called him nor how arduous was the work he was called upon to perform.
In the meantime his parents had removed to Colon, Michigan, and at the close of his military service Mr. Jennings joined them at that place. He continued to live there for about two years, during which time he was engaged at farming and at carpentering. It was also during his residence there that he returned to Ypsilanti, Michigan, and was married on the 3d of January, 1866, to Miss Eliza Mallion, who was born in Millford, Oakland county, Michigan, on the 13th of July, 1844, and was a daughter of William and Jane ( McCulloch ) Mallion. Her father was'a native of Kent, England, and after ar- riving at years of maturity he wedded Miss McCulloch, whose birth occurred in Belfast, Ireland. For many years they resided in Michigan and she died in Ypsilanti, when about fifty-five years of age, while Mr. Mall- ion passed away in Blair township, Grand Traverse county, at the age of sixty-eight years. They were the parents of six children of whom Mrs. Jennings was the youngest. The home of the subject and his wife has . been blessed with six children, but Marian J. died in her eighteenth year. The daughter, Rosina J., is now the wife of William B. Pierce, the wedding being celebrated at the home of the bride by the Rev. Hugh Kenne- dy in the presence of about thirty relatives and intimate friends. The local papers speak of this as a very pretty home wedding. Mrs. Pierce was one of the successful and popular teachers of the county prior to her marriage and Mr. Pierce is a business man of Traverse City, where he has resided for several years. He is especially well known and highly es- teemed among the members of the Indepen-
dent Order of Odd Fellows and is a valued representative of the fraternity. Frank . M. Jennings, the next member of the family, died when twenty-nine years of age. Oren B. is still at home. Grace G. died in her four- teenth year. Willie M. completes the family.
In 1866 Mr. Jennings removed from Colon to Grand Traverse county, arriving in the month of March. Here pioneer con- ditions existed and much of the land was still unclaimed. He now has one hundred and sixty acres which he entered from the government on section 28, Blair township, took up his abode thereon and with charac- teristic energy began its cultivation. Since that time he has devoted his attention to its improvement with the exception of a brief pe- riod of two years during which time he was engaged in conducting a hotel and carpenter- ing. Farming, however, has been his chief occupation in life and he is now the owner of eighty-five acres, of which sixty-five acres has been improved. Upon his farm he has erected a comfortable residence, substantial and commodious barns and other outbuild- ings for the shelter of grain and stock. He uses the latest improved farm machinery in carrying on the work of the fields and every- thing about his farm is neat and thrifty in appearance. In all of his work he has been ably seconded by his wife through her capa- ble management of the household affairs. She is a most intelligent and estimable lady, an entertaining companion and she has won a host of warm friends in Grand Traverse county. Mr. Jennings has been honored with several local offices. He acted as township clerk for several years, was also township treasurer and has been officially connected with the schools of this community, doing much to advance the educational interests of
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this part of the state. Fraternally he is con- nected with McPherson Post, Grand. Army of the Republic, of Traverse City. In busi- ness he has been watchful of all the details of his work and of all indications pointing toward prosperity. He has gained success, yet it has not been alone the goal for which he is striving, for he belongs to that class of representative American citizens who pro- mote the general prosperity while advancing individual interests. Self-reliance and hon- orable business methods have been salient features in his career and his life record is well worthy of emulation because it contains many standard elements.
DAVID A. SWAINSTON.
David A. Swainston, whose farm is on section 33, Blair township, Grand Traverse county, was born in Waterford, Norfolk county, Ontario, September 17, 1854, a son of Joseph and Jane (Irons) Swainston. In the year 1866 his parents came to Grand Tra- verse county and settled in Mayfield town- ship. where the mother died in the forty- fifth year of her age. The father, surviving her for some time, passed away in Blair township in the seventy-seventh year of his age. They were the parents of eleven chil- dren, of whom David A. Swainston is the sixth in order of birth.
For about twelve years the subject of this review remained in his native country and then accompanied his parents on their removal to Grand Traverse county. He lived in Mayfield township for about four or five years, but since 1866 has resided in Blair township, where he has been engaged in mill-
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