USA > Michigan > St Clair County > St. Clair County, Michigan, its history and its people; a narrative account of its historical progress and its principal interests, Vol. I > Part 36
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man was the editor. During the last three years of its publication the subseription price of the magazine was twenty-five cents a year, and it was published by the International Magazine Company, of which Charles W. Adams and George S. Clarke were the principal stockholders. At one time the paid circulation of the International exceeded 75,000.
The Threshermen's Review (monthly ) was established in Port Huron by Frank A. Peavey, its first issue bearing date of May, 1892. In 1900 Mr. Peavey sold it to A. H. Shoemaker, E. C. Davidson, J. R. Stone and W. V. West, and the office was removed to St. Joseph, Mich. The last issue printed in Port Huron bearing date of May, 1900. Since that time it has been published regularly at St. Joseph, its present owners and publishers being E. C. Davidson, J. R. Stone and the estate of J. L. Stevenson.
HIEL B. BUCKERIDGE'S PAPERS
In 1897 Hiel B. Buekeridge established in Port Huron a weekly paper which he called X-Rays. At first it was a small sheet, but after- ward was enlarged. Its publication was continued until July, 1900, when Mr. Buckeridge sold it to Elmer J. Ottaway and Louis A. Weil, and it was merged into the Daily Herald.
The Port Huron News was established in 1895. It is now the Port Huron Sunday News, published by Hiel B. Buckeridge.
"PORT HURON DAILY HERALD"
The first issue of the Port Huron Daily Herald bore date of August 1, 1900, Elmer J. Ottaway and Lonis A. Weil, the publishers, having previously purchased the Sunday Herald of John Murray and X-Rays, a. weekly paper, of Hiel B. Buekeridge. At the outset the Daily Herald was a sheet of four pages, seven columns to the page. Afterward its size was inereased to six pages, and still later its usual size was eight pages.
In July, 1901, Mr. Ottaway sold his interest in the Herald to John Murray, who continued its publietion jointly with Mr. Weil until his death, in May, 1907. Thereafter Mr. Weil was both editor and busi- ness manager of the paper until its consolidation with the Times, Jan- uary 1, 1910.
The office of the Herald was at first located in the building, 928 Sixth street. After a few years it was removed to the Desmond build- ing on Water street, opposite the postoffice. In 1907 the entire first floor and basement of the White building, next to the Desmond build- ing, was leased jointly by the Daily Herald Company and the Herald Printing Company, where the Herald remained until its consolidation with the Times, and where the home of the Times-Herald has been sinee.
From the outset the cireulation and advertising patronage of the Daily Herald steadily increased, and at the time of its consolidation with the Times it had attained a good degree of profit and prosperity. A weekly edition was published until the consolidation, and then dis- continued.
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THE "PORT HURON TIMES-HERALD"
The Port Huron Times-Herald, daily with no weekly edition, is the last word in Port Huron journalism. It represents the consolidation of the Daily and Twice-a-Week Times with the Daily and Weekly Her- ald, Elmer J. Ottaway and Louis A. Weil being the holders of the com- mon stock of the Times-Herald Company, and Loren A. Sherman, the holder of the preferred stock. Mr. Ottaway is president of the com- pany and business manager of the paper, and Mr. Weil is secretary and treasurer of the company and editor of the paper. Mr. Sherman is an editorial writer for the paper, but has no share in its management.
Messrs. Ottaway and Weil obtained control of the Times, January 1, 1910, by the purchase of Fred W. Sherman's interest in it. From January 1 until April, 1910, the Times was continued as a morning daily and the Herald as an evening paper, the semi-weekly edition of the Times and the weekly edition of the Herald being discontinued. The separate daily editions were then discontinued, and afternoon edi- tions only have been since published, under the name of the Times- Herald. The paper has nearly 13.000 circulation in St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Macomb and other nearby counties. No other daily is published in St. Clair county, and the only other newspaper published in Port Huron is the Sunday News.
The Times-Herald has the full associated press dispatches, and sel- dom has less than ten pages of seven columns each, and frequently more.
Elmer J. Ottaway was born at Flushing, Genesee county, Michigan, June 18, 1871. Graduating from the Flushing and Flint high schools, he entered the University of Michigan and was graduated from the literary department with the class of 1894. Mr. Ottaway's experience in journalism began while he was a student at the university, as man- ager of the U. of M. Daily, and as a reporter during four summer vaca- tions for the Daily Resorter, published by Charles S. Hampton, at Pe- toskey. After leaving the University he was employed for a year in the editorial department of the Ann Arbor Daily Courier, published by Junius E. Beal. In the fall of 1895 he joined the reportorial staff of the Detroit Free Press, and retained his connection with that paper un- til 1900, acting for a year as its Washington correspondent. In the summer of 1900 Mr. Ottaway joined with Louis A. Weil in the pur- chase of the Port Huron Sunday Herald and X-Rays, and the start- ing of the Daily Herald. Something less than a year later he sold his interest in the Herald to John Murray and bought an interest in the Flint Daily Globe, which he held for some months, spending a portion of his time at Flint, and then sold to H. H. Fitzgerald. When the De- troit Daily Times was established Mr. Ottaway acquired an interest in it which he still holds, being one of the directors of the Times Company. He also held an interest in the Ann Arbor Daily News in 1908, which he subsequently sold. In 1907 Mr. Ottaway leased the St. Clair Repub- lican office of H. A. Hopkins and published the Republican (weekly) until the close of the year 1909. Under his management the Republican, which previously had been Republican in politics, became independent, Mr. Ottaway being a Democrat. Beside his newspaper interests Mr.
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Ottaway is chief owner and president of the Herald Printing Company, which carried on a job printing business in the same building with the Daily Herald from the time it was established, and now occupies quar- ters with the Times-Herald in the White building. Mr. Ottaway has been twiee married and has three children. His home is at St. Clair, where he owns and occupies a fine residence on the bank of St. Clair river in the northern section of the city.
Louis A. Weil was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., June 19, 1878. In 1884 his parents located in Port Huron, where he attended the public schools. graduating from the high school in 1896. His first experience in jour- nalism was as editor of the Tattler, a high school paper, in 1895 and 1896. After leaving school, in the fall of 1896, Mr. Weil was employed for two months on the Port Huron Daily News, and then went to De- troit and became police reporter on the Morning Tribune. After two years with the Tribune he accepted an offer of a similar position on the Free Press, which he held until July, 1900, when he joined with Mr. Ottaway in establishing the Daily Herald. In July, 1901, John Murray purchased Mr. Ottaway's interest in the Herald, and up to the time of Mr. Murray's death, in the spring of 1907. Mr. Weil was associated with him in its publication. Thereafter he was both editor and busi- ness manager of the paper until it was consolidated with the Times, January 1, 1910. Since the consolidation he has been editor of the Times-Herald. Mr. Weil is married, has two children, and a pleasant home on Military street, Port Huron.
Herbert L. Weil was managing editor of the Times-Herald from January, 1910, until June 1, 1911, when he resigned the position to take charge of the Alliance, Ohio, Leader, which he had purchased. Mr. Weil began newspaper work as a reporter on the Daily Herald, in 1901. Later he was promoted to city editor of the Herald. Resigning that position he became a reporter on the Detroit Morning Tribune, and sub- sequently held a similar position on the Free Press. Returning to Port Huron he became manager of the Weekly Sentinel for its owners until the Times and Herald were consolidated. In October, 1911, he sold the Alliance Leader and returned to Port Huron.
While still in school, Alexander T. Stewart was a carrier of the Times. Graduating from the Port Huron high school when eighteen years of age, he entered the service of the Port Huron Daily News as a reporter. Later he studied law for a year, and then returned to news- paper work as a reporter for the Times. When the Daily Herald was first established he was its eity editor. Later he went to Washington, D. C., as secretary for Congressman MeMorran. Afterward he was engaged in the advertising business in New York and Chicago, and is now doing special work for the Times-Herald and handling the adver- tising business of a number of Port Huron's largest advertisers.
David T. Monteith, managing editor of the Times-Herald, was born in Port Huron, May 21, 1883, and was educated in the Port Huron sehools, graduating from the high school, and afterward attending Alma College for a year. He entered newspaper work in 1905 as a reporter for the Port Huron Daily Times, rising to the position of city editor. Afterward he was eity editor of the Daily Herald and Times-
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Herald until the resignation of Herbert L. Weil as managing editor, June 1, 1911.
PERIODICALS OF NINETEEN HUNDRED ELEVEN
List of periodicals published regularly in St. Clair county, at date of this writing, November, 1911.
Algonac Courier-Algonac. Weekly; Fridays; Republican; estab- lished 1899; Charles C. Parker, editor and publisher.
Capac Journal-Capac. Weekly; Fridays; Republican; established 1887; Journal Publishing Company; Noble Hunter, editor.
Marine City News-Marine City. Weekly; Thursdays; Republican ; established 1903; T. J. Wreath and George W. Guyor, publishers.
Marine City Reporter-Marine City. Weekly; Thursdays; Repub- lican ; established 1879; Frank Sutton, editor and publisher.
Memphis Bee-Memphis. Weekly; Fridays; independent in poli- tics; established 1893; John P. Smith, editor and publisher.
Bee Hive-Port Huron. Monthly, official organ of the Knights of the Maccabees of the World; headquarters at Detroit; established 1881; Ed. L. Young, editor; printed and mailed by the Riverside Printing Company.
The Forester-Port Huron. Monthly; official organ in the United States of the Independent Order of Foresters; established 1907; Su- preme Court Independent Order of Foresters, publishers; Albert E. Stevenson, editor. Printed and mailed by Riverside Printing Company.
The Ladies' Review-Port Huron. Monthly; official organ of the Ladies of the Maccabees of the World; established 1895; Miss Bina M. West, editor; printed and mailed by the Riverside Printing Company. The Lady Maccabee-Port Huron. Monthly; official organ of the Ladies of the Modern Maccabees; established 1892; Mrs. Grace Green- wood Browne, editor; printed and mailed by the Riverside Printing Company.
The Michigan Hibernian-Port Huron. Monthly ; official organ of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and of the Ladies of the A. O. H. of Michigan. John C. Lehr, editor. Printed by the Riverside Printing Company.
Port Huron Sunday News-Port Huron. Weekly; Sundays; local ; established 1908; Hiel B. Buekeridge, editor and publisher.
Port Huron Times-Herald-Port Huron. Daily except Sundays, evening; independent in politics; Times-Herald Company, publishers ; Louis A. Weil, editor; Elmer J. Ottaway, business manager. Daily Times established 1872; Daily Herald, 1900; consolidated 1910.
Postmaster Everywhere-St. Clair. Monthly; representative of postmasters' associations; established 1903; Hannibal Allen Hopkins, editor and publisher.
St. Clair Republican-St. Clair. Weekly: Thursdays; Republican ; established 1856; George H. Pond, editor and publisher.
St. Clair County Press-St. Clair. Weekly; Fridays; independent ; in polities ; established 1900; Charles R. Roberts, editor and publisher.
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Yale Expositor-Yale. Weekly; Fridays; Republican; established 1882; James A. Menzies, editor and publisher.
Yale Record-Yale. Weekly; Fridays; independent in polities; es- tablished 1897; George W. Allen, editor and publisher.
CHAPTER XIX
THE COUNTY CELEBRITIES
THOMAS A. EDISON-OMAR D. CONGER, UNITED STATES SENATOR-THE WARD FAMILY-METTA VICTORIA AND FRANCES AURETTA FULLER- THOMPSON JAY HUDSON-STANLEY WATERLOO-JEREMIAH WHIPPLE JENKS-OTHER CELEBRITIES.
St. Clair County has had at least its fair share of men and women who have had a state, national or world wide reputation in literature or sei- ence ; without referring to the many distinguished soldiers of the regular army who spent a small portion of their careers within its limits, the county has reason to be proud that it has been the home or the tem- porary dwelling place of a considerable number of well known people. It is true that in most or all of these cases the work done and reputation acquired have been after leaving the county, but a reasonable explana- tion of this is that the soil or air stored up in the individual is the neces- sary inspiration, which later produced the results.
We cannot claim world renowned artists or musicians as our chil- dren, and perhaps the conditions of pioneer life and the accompanying struggles are not conducive to the development of art, but we can justly claim, because this county was his home during his formative years, the greatest electrical genius which the world has ever known.
THOMAS A. EDISON
Perhaps the most noted person ever a resident of this county is Thomas Alva Edison, who came to Port Huron in 1854, a boy of seven years, and lived here continuously until 1863, and occasionally from that time up to 1868, when at the age of twenty-one he went to Boston to begin his career of inventions in electricity which have made him world famous. His father, Samuel Edison, continued to live in the county until a few years before his death in 1896, at the age of ninety- two.
Thomas A. Edison, or "Al," as he has always been familiarly known, was born in Milan, Ohio, February 11, 1847. Although his ancestors came from Holland to New Jersey about 1730, Samuel Edison was born in Nova Scotia in 1804, and was brought, as a boy, with his father, to Ontario, where he grew up and married, and, taking an active part in the unsuccessful "Patriot" movement of 1837-8, decided that the eli-
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mate of Canada was no longer healthful, and came to the States, and in 1842 to Milan, where he remained twelve years, engaged in various enterprises.
In 1854 the business of Milan having decayed owing to railroad con- struction, Samuel Edison moved with his family to Port Huron, and purchased from B. C. Farrand a house upon the military reservation, which the latter had bought in 1848 from Edgar Jenkins, whose wife's father, Chancellor Walworth of New York, had built it in 1841. Mr. Jenkins was sutler, or post storekeeper of the fort, and desiring to build and land being plentiful, he was granted the use of a traet of about ten acres within the military reservation adjoining on the south what is now Thomas street, for garden and other purposes, and his house was built near the northeast corner of the tract, which gave a beautiful view over St. Clair river and out into Lake Huron. The Jenkins family during their occupancy of the house had made it the center of social culture for the community, and after Mr. Farrand bought it, it retained its reputation until the untimely death of his young and charming wife, whom he had brought from St. Clair, Laura Whitman, a sister of David Whitman, long a resident of Port Huron. Mr. Edison, after his purchase of the house, occupied it until 1864 when it was requisitioned by the government for use as a hospital, but was in fact never used for that purpose but occu- pied as a residence by the parents of General William Hartsuff. Dur- ing his occupancy Mr. Edison built at the northeast corner of the house, which fronted east, an observatory nearly 100 feet high, which gave a fine outlook in all directions, and which produced him some revenue through a charge made for admission.
This house was the only one in Port Huron, which was the home of Thomas A. Edison, and was burned in 1867, and so far as known no photograph or picture of it remains. The house generally shown as the home of Edison, although occupied for a number of years by Samuel Edison, was not acquired by him until a number of years after his famous son had left the parental home forever.
Samuel Edison was a tall, spare man, six feet in height, active and vigorous, during his long life, and never pursuing any one vocation for a long period. Except in versatility, the son did not much resemble the father. He received his book education mainly from his mother, spend- ing but three months in the public schools at Port Huron, and gaining the reputation there of being rather stupid. His mother, before her marriage was a school teacher, and gave her son a more careful and thorough training than any ordinary school could give, among other things, teaching him to read good books, which he has followed all his life, and with his ability of concentrating his mind, he learned to grasp the contents of almost an entire page in an instant, so that the essence of a book was quickly caught.
From his earliest youth Edison was an indefatigable experimenter, at first in chemistry. It is related of him that seeing that seidlitz pow- ders generated a considerable amount of gas, he conceived the idea that the use of enough of them would make enough gas to lift the user so that he could fly, and induced an unfortunate lad employed by his
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father, to take a number of the powders with painful results to the boy, but no flight.
In 1859 the Grand Trunk Railway was opened from Port Huron to Detroit, and young Edison applied for the privilege of selling news- papers on the train. This train left Fort Gratiot at seven in the morn- ing and arriving at Detroit at ten, returned, leaving Detroit about six p. m. This gave nearly a day in Detroit, which Edison improved by reading in the public library, and by chemical experiments.
After he had been upon the road for about two years he found the unemployed time unendurable, and bought a small press and some old type, and making use of a smoking compartment, unused except by him for the storing and use of some chemical apparatus, he began the publication on the train of the Weekly Herald, which was sold at three cents per copy, or at eight cents per month. He soon acquired a few hundred subscribers, and published his paper about six months. This enterprise, conducted by a boy of fifteen, was noted by the great Eng- lish engineer, Stephenson, and commented on by the London Times. While he was publishing his paper and making his chemical experi- ments upon the train, an accident occurred which had a permanent ef- fect. The car took fire from some of his phosphorus, and the angry and frightened conductor threw out his belongings and gave him a severe box on the ear, which caused a permanent deafness.
In August, 1862, he saved from death upon the railroad the little son of the railroad agent at Mt. Clemens, and the grateful father offered to teach him telegraphy. This was accepted and Edison worked nights at this task, and in the early part of 1863, feeling himself qualified, he left the railroad and entered the jewelry store and telegraph office of Mr. Walker at Port Huron, as the telegraph operator. Here he re- mained about six months, and then left, a boy of sixteen, to become railroad operator at Stratford, Ont., and never returned to Port Huron except for short visits. His subsequent achievements in electricity and other lines are so well known that it would be superfluous to refer to them at length here.
UNITED STATES SENATOR CONGER
Omar D. Conger occupied the highest political station ever held by any St. Clair county resident, that of senator of the United States. He was born at Cooperstown, N. Y., in 1818, and when a boy of six, re- moved with his father to Huron county, Ohio. He attended the schools of the neighborhood, and also the Huron institute at Milan, just over the line in an adjoining county, and at the age of twenty-four was graduated from Western Reserve University. In 1845 and 1846 he was a member of Dr. Douglass Houghton's party engaged in exploring and surveying the Upper Peninsula.
In 1847 he came to St. Clair county and spent about a year in the employ of his uncle, Mr. Titus, who was operating a water power saw mill at Lakeport, then a village plat under the name of New Milwaukee. During the time he was employed at this point, working in the lumber
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woods, and saw mill, he was occasionally practicing before the justice courts, and in 1848 he came to Port Huron, and opened an office.
In 1850 he was elected county judge, defeating Judge Copeland, who had held the position one term. As the new constitution of the state adopted the same year, abolished the county court, he did not long wear the judicial ermine. As a lawyer he soon took a prominent posi- tion, and won a wide reputation for his dry, caustie wit and his power over juries, and while his application to study and investigation was small, le relied and generally with success, upon ability to bring the jury to his way of thinking. It is related of him that in an important case involving a large amount of pine timber, his opponent was an able lawyer from Detroit, who presented his ease carefully and well, and felt himself sure of a favorable verdiet. When Mr. Conger came to address the jury he began by saying that the plaintiff must have felt his case to be weak as he had gone out of the county, to Detroit, and engaged the able and famous lawyer who had tried the case. "But gentlemen of the jury," he continued, "if you and I stand together we shall be able to defeat this seheme and to teach these outsiders that we are able to manage our own affairs without their assistance." It is perhaps needless to say the jury stood with him.
In 1854 he was elected to the state senate and was twiee re-elected in 1856 and 1858. In 1867 he was a member of the state constitutional convention, and in 1868 he was elected representative in congress and continuously re-elected until he resigned in 1881, upon his election to the United States senate. After the expiration of his term he lived in Washington until his death, July 11, 1898, at the age of eighty.
During his career in the House of Representatives, he became known as "The Great Objector," because of his great familiarity with par- liamentary law and his proneness to raise points of order to harass his opponents. He always wore a swallow tail coat, and had numerous per- sonal peculiarities, which during his long service in congress became well known. Very familiar with the political history of the county, an able debater, quick witted and shrewd, he was a dangerous enemy and a helpful friend. The state, the distriet and the county all found him a most valuable member of congress, and to him are due the Har- bor of Refuge at Harbor Beach, the Lake St. Clair Ship Canal, the Port Huron Custom House, and many other important governmental en- terprises.
THE WARD FAMILY
One of the most notable families, and one of the most widely con- nected of any in the county, was the Ward family, whose first repre- sentative in the county was Samuel Ward, the founder of Newport- Marine City. He bought land at the junction of Belle and St. Clair rivers in the fall of 1818, and the following year his brother, Eber Ward, came, followed later by his brothers, Zael and Nathan.
Eber Ward had four children, two of whom became very well known in the county and state, and even beyond the state confines. Eber Broek Ward and Emily Ward, or Aunt Emily, as she was fondly and
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intimately called even by men who could not claim the tie of blood re- lationship with her. Eber B. Ward was born in Rutland, Vermont, in 1812, and came with his father to Ohio in 1818 and to St. Clair county the following year. After a youth spent in various pursuits, including three years spent with his father, who was light keeper on Bois Blanc Island, he came in the spring of 1833. just after he became of age, to Newport, and hired out to his Uncle Samuel, who already had estab- lished a reputation as an enterprising, successful business man, especial- ly in the line of boat building and operating. For about ten years Eber B. Ward sailed for his uncle, in every capacity from deck hand to eap- tain, and then obtained an interest in the business which gradually in- creased. At this time Samuel Ward was approaching his sixtieth year, and naturally was becoming conservative, but Eber B. brought to the firm an optimism, push and vigor which were irresistible .. The following decade was one of rapid growth in boat building, and the Wards were in the forefront, and their fortunes grew with great rapidity, and when upon the death of Samuel in February, 1854, his estate passed to his nephew, the latter was, though still a young man, possessed of a consider- able fortune, an extended business experience, of extraordinary force and persistence, and a boldness which frequently caused him losses, but us- ually rewarded him with success.
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