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 92
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 92
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In Traverse City on the Ist of July, 1866, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Warren and Miss Rebecca Griffin, who was a native of Canada, born on the 4th of December, 1840. This marriage has been blessed with a family of nine children, as follows: Ag- nes, who died at the age of twenty years; James E .; Mary H., who is the wife of George Clapp; Dudley, who died in infancy; Elizabeth, who also died when an infant; Richard H .; William J .; Sarah A., who is the wife of Claude Finch; and Frank E.
The years to the number of fifty-two have been added to the cycle of the centuries since John. W. Warren was brought to Grand Traverse county and his interests have since centered here. Progress has been made, doing away with the old landmarks and substituting in their places all the evi-
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dences of an advanced civilization, and in all matters pertaining to the general good and improvement Mr. Warren has been deeply interested nor has he withheld his aid when it has been solicited for the advancement of any public measure of worth. He is a highly respected citizen, held in uniform regard by those who have known him through long years.
WILLIAM M. HESS.
Agriculture forms one of the principal sources of prosperity to the state of Michi- gan and this line of business activity has as its representatives men of marked force of character, of capability in the control of important interests and whose adaptability enable them to improve upon existing condi- tions and advance the general prosperity while promoting individual success. Of this class William M. Hess is a representative and as such he well deserves mention in the history of Grand Traverse county. He lives on section 13, Green Lake township, where he has a good and well improved farm.
Mr. Hess was born on a farm in Lewis county, New York, July 21, 1838, a son of Jacob and Mary (McDonald) Hess. The mother died in Lewis county, New York, and the father afterward came to Michigan, settling in Grand Traverse county in No- vember, 1865. He passed away in Traverse City in his sixty-third year, while the moth- er's death occurred when she was forty-two years of age. They had seven children and the fifth born was the subject of this review.
The first twenty years of his life William M. Hess spent in Lewis county, New York,
and during that period he attended the common schools, acquiring a fair English education, mastering the branches usually taught in such institutions of learning. When a young man he started out in life on his own account, and, leaving the Empire state, he made his way to Columbiana coun- ty, Ohio, where he was employed at different occupations unutil October, 1861. That was a momentous year in the country's history. The slavery question, which had agitated the nation for many years, had now reached its climax in the attempt of the southern states to secede from the Union. Aroused by a spirit of patriotism, Mr. Hess offered his services to the government in October, 1861, and joined the boys in blue of Com- pany C, Sixth Ohio Cavalry. He served with that command until April, 1863, when on account of disability he was honorably discharged. On leaving the army he took up his abode in Allen county, Indiana, where he was engaged in farming until February, 1865. The war was still in progress and he could not content himself to remain at home while the Union was still threatened. Once more he joined the boys in blue and donned the blue uniform of the nation and this time became a member of Company C, One Hun- dred and Fifty-third Indiana Infantry, with which he remained until September, 1865. In the meantime the flag had been victori- ously planted in the capital of the southern confederacy and hostilities had ceased. He was then mustered out in the month of Sep- tember and returned to his home with a creditable military record.
In the fall of the same year Mr. Hess came to Grand Traverse county, Michigan, and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Blair township. Upon this farm
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he took up his abode and made it his home for thirteen years. He arrived here in pio- neer times, when the work of progress and improvement was scarcely begun, but with characteristic energy he undertook the task of transforming his land into a productive tract and when more than a decade had passed he sold this at a good profit. Mr. Hess then removed to Arakansas, where he remained for five and a half years, and dur- ing his residence in that state he also carried on general farming and worked on the rail- roads as a bridge carpenter, being engaged in such labor on the line extending from Hot Springs to Melvern Junction. On leaving Arkansas he returned to Michigan and once more took up his abode in Grand Traverse county. He has since lived con- tinuously in Green Lake township and is to- day one of its extensive land owners, his possessions aggregating three hundred and ten acres, of which one hundred and twenty acres is under the plow. Clearing the land, he made his fields very arable and annually harvested good crops. He is practical in all his methods and is also progressive. He uses the latest improved agricultural im- plements in his work, practices the rotation of crops and does everything that will make his farm of more value and render the fields more productive. He has a full set of farm buildings upon his place and in his work he is persevering, energetic and capable.
In Enon Valley, Pennsylvania, on the 3d of June, 1859, occurred the marriage of Mr. Hess and Miss Hannah E. Kennett, who was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, De- cember 7, 1839, a daughter of Kendall Ken- nett. Her mother bore the maiden name of Sarah Ann Stamp, and in June, 1866, Mr. and Mrs. Kennett arrived in what is now
Green Lake township, Grand Traverse coun- ty, where they spent. their remaining days, his death occurring in his seventy-eighth year, while his wife reached her eighty-first year. Of their three children Mrs. Hess was the second. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Hess has been blessed with five children, but David O., the first born, died at the age of two years. The others are Charlie J., Grant D., Perry E. and Ida M., the last named being the wife of A. B. Calkins.
Called to public office by his fellow townsmen who recognize his worth and abil- ity, Mr. Hess has served as highway com- missioner, as township treasurer and as jus- tice of the peace. He voted with the Re- publican party and did everything in his power to promote its success and to aid in the development of all measures which will prove of general benefit to the community, but now he is a Prohibitionist. Fraternally he is connected with McPherson Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Traverse City, and thus maintains pleasant relationship with his old army comrades. He is as true to his country and her welfare today as he was when he followed the starry banner upon the battlefields of the south. As a pio- neer of Grand Traverse county he also de- serves mention in this volume. The trans- formation that has been wrought since he first arrived here has been very great. He came into a district where over many acres grew the native forest trees with only here and there a clearing and when the work of settlement had just been begun. All this has been changed. The trees have been cut down and converted into lumber, finding a ready sale upon the market, the stumps have been cleared away and the land been placed under the plow and today the rich farms of
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Grand Traverse county are one of its chief sources of income. Towns and villages have also sprung up and grown into thriving com- mercial centers and marked progress has been made along educational, social and moral lines. What has been accomplished for the substantial benefit and material im- provement of the county has been of much interest to Mr. Hess and the active co-op- eration which he has given to measures for the general good is worthy of notice in the reckoning of what has been accomplished here.
PETER MORRISON.
Peter Morrison, a wealthy and highly respected citizen of Grand Traverse county, Michigan, has one of the finest and best cared-for farm properties in the county, with the finest house in the county outside of Traverse City. His property represents the industry and integrity of a man whose in- domitable will refused to be overcome by serious difficulty and whose perseverance and pluck brought him success where many other men have failed. Peter Morrison was born near Paisley, Scotland, January 21, 1848, and is a son of John and Flora (Grame) Morrison. He was one of nine children and as his parents were only in comfortable circumstances he became a toil- er in the vast army of wage earners at an early age. He was brought up on a farm and early learned habits of industry and thrift. His educational advantages were few, nature being the great teacher from which he gained his most valuable lessons, but he has been a close observer and has kept remarkably well posted on the events of the day as they are transpiring around
us. In 1882 he came to America with his wife and four children, arriving here with but eighteen dollars in his pocket. This. would have disheartened a less plucky per- son, but Mr. Morrison rented a farm in Whitewater township, which he cultivated for two years, and got a start which he has not been slow to take advantage of. He then purchased a farm of eighty acres, upon which he moved, believing that it was cheaper to buy than to pay rent and improve land for some one else. By exercising the closest economy and working early and late he not only paid for this property but bought an adjoining eighty, all of which he has placed in the highest state of cultivation and improvement.
Mr. Morrison was married in Scotland, in 1873, to Miss Isabella Corbett, a native of Glasgow. They have nine children, viz : Mary, the wife of Howard Fife; Flora, wife of Everett Saylor; John; Duncan; Neil; Isabella; Peter C .; Alexander and Ronald. Mr. and Mrs. Morrison are earnest members of the Presbyterian church, as are the en- tire family. He has given his children every advantage in the way of obtaining an education and his family is one of which he may well feel proud. Mr. Morrison is a Republican and has held a number of local offices, having served as justice of the peace, member of the school board, assessor and overseer of the highways, in each position giving eminent satisfaction.
WILLIAM DAVIDSON.
William Davidson resides on a farm on section 8, Blair township, Grand Traverse county, and his indefatigable labor and pro-
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gressive methods have made him one of the leading agriculturists of the county. He has not always followed farming, different occu- pations claiming his attention during the ear- lier years of his residence here, but marked energy and sound common sense are always valuable factors in any avenue of life, and in his farm work Mr. Davidson has dis- played these characteristics with the result that the property is now highly cultivated and returns a good income. A native of Barry county, Michigan, he was born on the 28th of March, 1867, and is the fourth of the seven children born unto Horace and Mary E. (Hull) Davidson. The father died in Benzie county, this state, but the mother is still living. William Davidson was a youth of thirteen years when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Benzie county, where he lived until about 1888, when he removed to Traverse City. There he was employed at various occupations that would yield him an honest living. He was also employed as a farm hand in Blair township, Grand Traverse county, and he has never feared that laborious attention to business which proves so important a factor in a successful career.
On the 2d of March, 1890, in Traverse City, Mr. Davidson was united in marriage to Miss Elsie B. Gardner, a daughter of Si- las A. and Mary A. (Downing) Gardner, both of whom were natives of Cuyahoga county, whence they removed to Grand Traverse county in the spring of 1866. They settled in what is now Blair township, becoming early residents of that locality, and there the father died on the 3Ist of October, 1883, when in his forty-first year. The mother still survives him, and their two children, a son and daughter, are also living.
Mrs. Davidson, who is the elder, was born in Blair township, June 23, 1867, and there spent her girlhood days, being trained to the duties of the household, while in the public schools she acquired her education. Her father was quite prominent in public affairs and left the impress of his individuality upon many lines of progress. He was hon- ored with several township offices, his fellow townsmen recognizing his worth and ability and therefore calling him to positions of pub- lic trust. He served as supervisor, as town- ship clerk and as postmaster and was one of the leading men of the community. He was also an active worker in the grange to which he belonged and was a devoted member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, his life being in consistent harmony with the teachings of that fraternity which is based upon truth and the brotherhood of man- kind. It was the many admirable qualities of Mr. Gardner that won him a large circle of friends and causes his memory to be still en- shrined in the hearts of those who knew him.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Davidson have been born three children : Albert G., Vera L. and Rose G., and the family circle still remains unbroken by the hand of death. They re- side on the home farm in Blair township, Mr. Davidson owning one hundred and six- ty acres on section 8, of which one hundred acres have been put to the uses of the horti- culturist and agriculturist. He has modern equipments . and the various accessories needed for the development of the property and in the conduct of his business affairs he is meeting with creditable success. He has never. engaged in speculation but has placed his dependence upon earnest, persist- ent effort, guided by sound judgment, and
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it is through the legitimate channels of busi- ness that he has won his prosperity.
Fraternally Mr. Davidson is connected with the Knights of the Maccabees, belong- ing to Grawn Tent No. 809. Both he and his wife have many warm friends in the community and the hospitality of the best homes in this part of the county is extended to them.
JOHN GREILICK.
The honored subject of this review was a native of Austria, where his birth occurred in the year 1840, having been the fourth in a family of seven children whose parents were Godfrey and Terressa Greilick. The names of the other members of the fam- ily are Joseph, Ferdinand, Anthony, Mary, Edward and William, all natives of Austria except William, who was born in Elmwood township, Leelanaw county. Julia died at the age of eighteen months.
When four years of age the subject was brought to the United States by his parents and spent six years in New York and nine weeks in Chicago, removing at the expira- tion of that time to Leelanaw county, Mich- igan, where he grew to maturity and en- gaged in business. Owing to circumstances over which he had no control, his early lit- erary education was quite limited, but by intelligent observation and association with educated men he subsequently became the possessor of a fund of valuable practical knowledge, becoming in due time widely in- formed on many subjects, especially in mat- ters of business, to which he began devoting his attention while a mere youth. Shortly after coming to Michigan he went to work
with Hannah & Lay in the lumber business and after spending six or seven years with that firm resigned his position and, about 1862, formed a partnership with his brothers Anthony and Edward for the manufacture of hardwood lumber, which enterprise con- tinued without any change in the manage- ment until the death of the subject in 1898, the business the meanwhile assuming large proportions and returning to the proprietors handsome financial profits. While thus en- gaged Mr. Greilick made a number of judi- cious investments in real estate throughout the county of Leelanaw, his land in due time increasing in value and, with other property which came into his possession at intervals, finally making him one of the wealthy men in his part of the state. He was wide awake, energetic and public spirited, laid his plans carefully, and seldom failed to carry to suc- cessful completion any enterprise in which he engaged. A man of sound judgment and practical business experience, he made his presence felt in industrial circles and his in- fluence, always guided and controlled by cor- rect principles, did much to develop the lum- ber industry in Michigan and establish it upon a solid and enduring basis.
Mr. Greilick was married in Leelanaw county, Michigan, July 28, 1866, to Miss Sa- lina D. Weller, a native of Ohio, born in the town of Mentor, that state, on July 17th of the year 1851. Mrs. Greilick came to Lee- lanaw county, Michigan, with her parents in 1861, and has made this part of the state her home ever since, living at the present time in the family residence erected by her husband and in which all of her married life was spent. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Greilick was blessed with two children, a son, Walter E., whose biography appears
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elsewhere in this volume, and a daughter by the name of Ida, who was accidentally killed at Detroit in the year 1888.
As already stated, the death of Mr. Grei- lick occurred in 1898, the event being deep- ly lamented not only by his immediate fam- ily and friends, but by the people of the en- tire community, as he was widely known and universally esteemed. His many sterl- ing qualities of head and heart endeared him to all with whom he came in contact, his business relations were characterized by a high sense of honor and his name always stood for what was noble in manhood and upright in citizenship.
JAMES L. GIBBS.
James I .. Gibbs was born in Wisconsin in 1848, and came to Mayfield, Grand Trav- erse county, in 1876, where he became a member of the firm of Gibbs Brothers, and was engaged for a number of years in the manufacture and sale of lumber. He was elected to the legislature in 1876 and again in 1884. He also served as postmaster, su- pervisor, township clerk and superintendent of schools. He was subsequently elected county clerk and register of deeds for two terms. He was married, in 1883, to Ad- die A. Sargent, a native of Wisconsin. While holding the office of county clerk and register of deeds he lived with his family in Traverse City. At the end of this time he bought out the interest of his partner in the mill and lumber business and returned to Mayfield, where he died about two years ago. Since his death his widow has con- ducted the business.
JOHN B. SPENCER.
John B. Spencer was born in Govenour, St. Lawrence county, New York, June 3, 1809, and lived there until 1833, when he went to Utica to enlist in the United States cavalry for service in the Black Hawk war. When he arrived there he found that the company of cavalry had gone and he en- listed in the general service, and was sent to Mackinaw, which in those days was quite a journey. The trip was made on the Erie canal from Utica to Buffalo, and from Buf- falo to Detroit by steamer, and from there to Mackinaw by a sailing vessel, arriving at his place of destination October 1, 1833, and reported to the commandant at the fort. In six weeks he was made a non-commissioned officer, and the next spring promoted to or- derly sergeant. He served his time and was honorably discharged August 8, 1836. Soon after this he went to Green Bay to look after some real estate interests there and then wandered back to Mackinaw, which held a fascination for him, as he loved the scenery, and this time he engaged in business on the island. The following spring Misses Harriet and Sarah Britton, of Canton, New York, came to the island to pay their brother a visit. Mr. Spencer became acquainted with the young ladies, and Miss Harriet be- came his wife September 10, 1837. Six chil- dren were born to them at Mackinaw, all of whom are still living. They are Mrs. E. L. Sprague, Miss Olive Spencer and John C. Spencer, of Traverse City; James Spencer, of Chicago; Silas W. Spencer, of St. Ignace, Michigan, and Milton Spencer, of Colorado. The youngest member of the family, Harriet Spencer-Aiken, was born in Elk Rapids, and has been deceased several years. Mr.
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Spencer was sheriff of Mackinaw several years and at one time held seven offices there. In 1851 he came to the Grand Traverse re- gion and purchased considerable land. Among these first purchases was a tract of one hundred and seventy-eight acres lying just east of Boardman avenue, between Boardman lake and the bay, he subsequently sold to Perry Hannah, and is a part of the plat of Traverse City. On this land Mr. Spencer built a small log building for use in his lumbering operations, which was after- wards fitted up and used as the first school- house in Traverse City. He also purchased lands near Elk Rapids, and in 1852 moved his family there, clearing up a farm on the shores of Elk lake. He remained in Elk Rapids until 1881, when he removed with his family to Traverse City, where he lived until his death, which occurred December 5, 1898.
HENRY C. BULLER.
Henry C. Buller, a prosperous and high- ly respected farmer of Grand Traverse coun- ty, Michigan, was born in Kent county, Can- ada, September 2, 1854, and is a son of Robert and Flora (Sinclair) Buller. Both parents were born in the year 1818, the fa- ther in Yorkshire, England, and the moth- er in Scotland. They left Canada in 1864 and located in Grand Traverse county, Mich- igan, where they purchased a farm which was their home until death claimed them for the home above. The mother was the first to answer the summons, May 9, 1884, while the father survived her nine years, passing away December 14, 1893. They are sur-
vived by two sons, Henry C. and Neil A., while a daughter, Elizabeth, died in infancy.
Henry C. Buller has been a resident of this county since his tenth year and has a large circle of warm friends throughout this and surrounding country. He was edu- cated in the public schools and afterwards engaged in teaching for a number of terms before he finally gave his entire attention to husbandry. He resides on the old homestead, where he owns two hundred and forty acres and where he dispenses hospitality and good cheer. He was married in Stanton, Mont- calm county, Michigan, October 25, 1887, to Miss Della Brawn and five children have been born to them, namely: Roy C., Robert J., Henry S., and two, Salina and Flora, who died in infancy. Mrs. Buller was born in Clark county, Canada, April 30, 1859, and is an only child of John and Salana (Wood) Brown. Her father was an Englishman and her mother a Canadian. Mr. Buller is one of the leading Democrats of Grand Traverse county and has been chosen to a number of township offices. He served as school mod- erator and school assessor of Acme town- ship and also as treasurer. He is widely and favorably known throughout the county and his popularity is only exceeded by his geniality and hearty good nature.
ELISHA J. FULGHUM.
Elisha J. Fulghum, founder and present manager of the Fulghum Manufacturing Company, Traverse City, one of the suc- cessful business men of northwestern Mich- igan, was born in the town of Plainfield, Hendricks county, Indiana, December 1, 1855. His parents, Joseph and Rebecca
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(Jossep) Fulghum, were natives of North Carolina and of English descent, the former born March 6, 1809, the latter on July 7th of the year 1813. They were both repre- sentatives of old Quaker families, came to Indiana in an early day and spent the re- mainder of their lives in that state, the fa- ther dying July 7, 1889, the mother April 9, 1901. Of their seven children, four are living at the present time, all well settled in life and highly esteemed in their respective communities.
The early life of Elisha J. Fulghum was spent in the city of Indianapolis and he re- ceived a good practical education in the public schools. Later he entered his father's store at Winchester and after clerking there one year accepted a position in a boot and shoe house at Ridgeville, where he remained for a brief period. Not finding clerking to his taste, he afterwards entered the operating department of the Big Four Railroad and after working for that company for some time and becoming familiar with the busi- ness was transferred to the Pennsylvania system, with which he remained until 1883, when he engaged in manufacturing. Clos- ing out the latter business in 1885, Mr. Fulghum came to Traverse City, Michigan, and took the position of foreman with the J. E. Grielick Company, which he held until 1890, when he resigned and established the manufacturing enterprise with which he has since been identified.
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