USA > Michigan > Wayne County > Detroit > The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922, Vol. IV > Part 74
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On the 18th of December, 1913, Mr. Edwards was married to Miss Ruth R. Smith, a daughter of J. R. Smith of Marion, Ohio, and they have one ehild, Vir- ginia Louise, born in Detroit, June 14, 1920.
Mr. Edwards gives his politieal support to the re- publican party and fraternally is a Mason, belonging to Palestine Lodge, A. F. & A. M .; Palestine Chapter, R. A. M .; Detroit Commandery, No. 1, K. T., and Moslem Temple of the Mystie Shrine. He is also a well known figure in the elub circles of the eity. He belongs to the National League of Masonie Clubs, the Masonie Country Club, the Detroit Yacht Club, the Canopus Club, the Caravan Club, the Noontide Club, the Detroit Republican Club and also to the Detroit Board of Commerce. His interests are thus broad and varied and whatever he undertakes earries with it a desire for progress and improvement-a desire that usually reaches its fulfillment.
EUGENE STEPHEN CLARKSON, a lawyer of De- troit, was born in Macon, Michigan, February 5, 1860. He pursued a district school education there to the age of fifteen years while spending his boyhood days under the roof of his parents, John J. and Mary Ann (Miller) Clarkson. His later educational op- portunities, however, were of a more liberal character and further qualified him for life's practical and re- sponsible duties. He was graduated from the high school at Manchester, Michigan, in June, 1879, and in October of the following year matriculated in the University of Michigan, in which he completed a full four years' literary course, winning the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1884. He aeted as managing editor of the Chroniele, a paper published by the university, in 1883, and since qualifying for the bar he has prae- tieed law continuously in Detroit, opening his office here on the 18th of January, 1886. He has always made a specialty of corporation and real estate law and is thoroughly informed concerning these branches of the profession. He studies broadly, thinks deeply and is a safe counselor and able advocate. He belongs to the Bar Association of Detroit and his fellow members of the profession attest his ability.
On the 24th of June, 1896, in the eity where he still resides, was celebrated the marriage of Eugene S. Clarkson and Miss Mary Wright Stoup, who has passed away. They had two sons: William S. and Eugene S., Jr. On the 17th of November, 1911, Mr. Clarkson was united in marriage to Miss Nellie W. Stoup.
Mr. Clarkson is keenly interested in many important publie questions and to this end is identified with the Detroit Citizens League and the Commission Gov- ernment Club. He is also a member of the University of Michigan Alumni Association. He is one of nine members of the charter commission of Detroit, and he belongs to the Board of Commerce, the Ingleside Club, the Burton Hills Country Club, and is on the committee of the Ingleside courts to frame amendments to the
marriage laws. In polities he is a democrat and fraternally he is connected with the Masons and the Knights of Pythias. He belongs to the Westminster Presbyterian church, in which he has served as trustee, and he was also a member of the Westminster Men's Club. His ideals of life are high and he has never been content to choose the second best. His aid and influence are always given to the side of advancement and improvement and his activities have been of a far-reaching and beneficial character.
ANDREW R. HACKETT, M. D. Among the promi- nent surgeons and noted yachtsmen of Detroit is Dr. Andrew R. Haekett, who enjoys an extensive private praetiee. At all times he keeps in touch with the advaneed purposes and researches of the profession and his entire career as a physician and surgeon refleets credit and honor upon the profession which he has chosen as a life work. At the same time he is well known as a sportsman and recently came into prominence as the winner of the Seripps trophy, gain- ing the eup at the helm of the cruiser Pirate.
Dr. Haekett was born in Amhersthurg, Ontario, Mareh 17, 1878, a son of Andrew and Agnes (Me- Gregor) Hackett, who were also of Canadian birth. The paternal grandfather, James Hackett, was the first lighthouse keeper on Bob Lo Island, thirty miles south of Detroit, and was known to all the sailing masters and marines on the Great Lakes. He was of Scoteh- Irish deseent aud originally went to Canada from the north of Ireland. He died on Bob Lo Island, where for many years he was in the government service. His son, Andrew Hackett, also devoted his life to Marine interests, and after his father was no longer able to at- tend the light on Bob Lo, he took up the task and re- mained lighthouse keeper at that famous point to the time of his demise, whie's occurred in 1901. His widow survives and is liv'ng at Amherstburg, Ontario. In their family were six children: Harry, Margaret, David M., Andrew R., Grace and Charles.
In his youthful days 'r. Hackett attended school in Amherstburg, mastering t'e various branches of the public school curriculum there, and in the meantime he aequired a taste for water sports-or was it a natural predileetien that turned him in that direction, as both his father anl grandfather were marines? He beeame very profieient in the use of water craft and an expert oarsman, while all kinds of aquatie sports rade strong appeal to him. He early beeame familiar with the task of handling motor boats and this in later years enablel him to become one of the most noted cruiser pilots on the Great Lakes, bringing him at last to a championship position as the winner of the Seripps trophy, an ambition shared by almost every motor boat owner in these parts. Dr. Haekett alone among the thousands who have cherished this desire won the prize in the raee from Cleveland to Put In Bay and return, and today the trophy is in the eustody of the Detroit Yacht Club.
EUGENE S. CLARKSON
Vol. IV-41
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In the meantime Dr. Hackett, after leaving the public schools, continued his education in Drake Uni- versity, at Des Moines, Iowa, and there completed a course in medicine, with the class of 1912. He was connected with Ames College of Iowa as a lecturer for two years, at the end of which time he resigned his professorship and came to Detroit. Here he be- came superintendent and chief surgeon of the Delray Industrial Hospital on West Fort street. After Dr. Hackett assumed charge changes and improvements were made in the institution, which became one of the best managed and most profitable private hos- pitals in the city, and the most scientific methods were employed, Dr. Hackett bending every effort to the improvement of the institution. In 1921 Dr. Hackett severed his connection with the Delray Industrial Hospital and is now devoting his entire attention to his private practice. At various times he has taken postgraduate work in clinics, specializing on industrial surgery and his ability is pronounced. He belongs to the Wayne County Medical Society, the Michigan State and the American Medical Associations, and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, to which he was admitted in 1920.
On the 8th of September, 1905, Dr. Hackett was married in Detroit to Miss L. Maude Keller, a daugh- ter of George H. Keller, and in the social circles of the city they are well known. They have one. daugh- ter, Cora Janet. Dr. Hackett gives his political alle- giance to the republican party, and is a member of Kilwinning Lodge, F. & A. M., and Palestine Chapter, R. A. M., while the nature of his recreation and di- version is indicated in his connection with the Detroit Auto Club, the Grosse Ile Golf Club, the Detroit Yacht Club and the Inter-Lake Yachting Association. He recognizes the value of clean sport and outdoor life and exercise for every individual, and that to play well is just as necessary as to work well, if one would maintain an evenly balanced nature.
JOHN LACEY AUSTIN, a prominent representative of the Detroit bar, whose professional ability is indi- cated by the large and distinctively representative clientage accorded him, was born in this city May 17, 1865, and here acquired his early education, attend- ing the public schools and also receiving instruction under private tutors, while later he became a student at Albion College of Albion, Michigan. In 1890 he went to the west, locating at Seattle, Washington, where he entered a law office. In 1895 he was ad- mitted to practice before the supreme court of Oregon and followed his profession at Pendleton and at Union, Oregon, until 1904, when he returned to Detroit. Here he entered the building business, in which he con- tinued active from 1904 until 1912. In the latter year he resumed the practice of law, opening an office in the Penobscot building, where he has since been located, and in the intervening period he has built up an important practice. He is specializing in cor-
poration and municipal law, in which branches of jurisprudence he has become recognized as an au- thority. He has a thorough knowledge of statute and precedent, is careful in the preparation of his cases and convincing in argument. His ability has devel- oped with the passing years and his talents, native and acquired, have won for him recognition as an able lawyer and safe counselor.
On the 25th of June, 1895, Mr. Austin was united in marriage to Miss Jennie M. Houghtaling and they have become the parents of a daughter, Margaret, who is now the wife of J. Richard Newman, a well known attorney of Detroit. Mr. Austin is a repub- lican in his political views and has always supported the principles and candidates of the party. He is an active worker in its ranks and for many years has been a member of the Wayne county central committee, has also served on the state central committee and as a delegate to many state conventions, He has at- tended several national conventions but never in an official capacity and he has been called upon to fill many public offices of trust and responsibility, now serving as attorney for the village of Springwells. In 1912 he was elected president of Highland Park and in 1916 he was appointed to that office by the common council to succeed the late Donald Thomson, serving out the remainder of the term, which expired in March, 1917. In 1913 he was elected justice of the peace for Highland Park but resigned that office at the end of twenty months. From November, 1915, until April, 1916, he was supervisor of Greenfield township, and in April, 1918, he was elected the first judge of the munic- ipal court of Highland Park, which became a city at that time. He has devoted much of his life to public service and at all times has been actuated by a public- spirited devotion to the general good. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Trinity Methodist Episcopal church at Highland Park and fra- ternally he is identified with the Masons, in which he has attained the thirty-second degree in Michigan Sov- ereign Consistory, and is also a member of Highland Park Lodge, F. & A. M., and Moslem Temple of the Mystic Shrine, having been first inducted into the order at Union, Oregon. That he is a man of high professional attainments is indicated in the fact that he is retained as attorney by several private corpora- tions of the city and many municipalities in this and adjoining counties, and his ability is also attested by his fellow practitioners. He devotes much time and thought to the study of problems affecting the courts and the administration of justice and his worth as a man and citizen is widely acknowledged.
HARRY G. SAUNDERS. An analyzation of the life of Harry G. Saunders brings out clearly the points of his continued loyalty to any cause or interest with which he becomes affiliated, and this has been one of the strong elements in bringing him to the point of business success, which he now occupies as the man-
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ager of the Vinewood yards of the Restrick Lumber Company. A native son of Detroit, his parents were Harry G. and Fannie A. (Cree) Saunders. The father was born in India, where his father, Henry G. Saun- ders, was serving as an officer in the English army. In the maternal line Harry G. Saunders of this review comes of one of the old and well known Detroit families. His parents removed to Atlanta, Georgia, and he began his education in the schools of that city, but later they returned to Detroit and he continued his education in the Central high school here.
Starting out upon his business career Mr. Saunders was first employed by Frederick Stearns & Company for a year and a half, and later with the Lowrie & Robinson Lumber Company for a year. He was next with the W. A. C. Miller Lumber Company for a year and a half, and in 1907 became associated with the Restrick Lumber Company, with which he has since been connected. His original position with this corporation was that of shipping clerk. Later he was promoted to assistant sales manager and eventually was made manager of Vinewood yards and placed in charge of the plant. In his fourteen years connection with the company he has thoroughly familiarized him- self with every phase of the business and is today an expert on lumber and is a most alert and enterprising salesman. His uniform courtesy, combined with his progressiveness, has been a strong element in the success which has attended his efforts.
During his high school days Mr. Saunders was man- ager and captain of the baseball team and has always been interested in our national game, even yet greatly enjoying a well matched contest between two nines. His political endorsement is given to the republican party and his religious faith is indicated by his mem- bership in the Trumbull Avenue Presbyterian church. Mr. Saunders was united in marriage to Miss Ethel Gray and they have become parents of two children: Harry G., Jr., and Ethel Ruth. Fraternally Mr. Saun- ders is identified with the Masons, belonging to Ashlar Lodge, No. 9, A. F. & A. M., and King Cyrus Chapter, R. A. M.
JAMES P. FEELY, JR., president of the Taylor Supply Company, was born in Toledo, Ohio, Septem- ber 9, 1872. He received his early education in the schools of Toledo and then began his active business career with the National Supply Company in his na- tive city. He remained with that company for seven years, on the expiration of which period he came to Detroit and joined the Ideal Manufacturing Company, of which he became secretary. After twelve years with the Ideal Manufacturing Company he joined with Mr. Taylor and formed the Taylor Supply Com- pany, of which he has been president since its in- corporation in 1910.
The history of the Taylor Supply Company is a record of continual and successful growth. They started with one small store, but it was not long
until the demands of their business caused them to move to their present location at 540 Larned street, West. Here they had only one store space at first, but today they occupy the entire building of one hundred feet frontage and one hundred and twenty- five feet depth, part of which is three stories high and part two stories high. Besides this they have a large warehouse at the foot of Larned street, where they carry a stock of from one hundred and fifty to two hundred carloads of pipe. They have a railway track running right beside the warehouse and are thoroughly equipped in every way for handling their orders promptly and efficiently. Their business is selling pipe, valves and fittings, and they are the biggest specialty people in this line in Detroit.
Mr. Feely has been in this particular business all his life and understands it down to the smallest de- tail. Moreover, he knows the trade and has not only the benefit of a large experience in it but also pos- sesses business ability of the highest order and the affairs of the company receive his constant and best attention. It is also worthy of note that he takes a warm interest in the welfare of the company's employes.
On the 15th of January, 1896, in Toledo, Ohio, Mr. Feely married Miss Lillian Keenan of that city, and they have two children: Mildred Loretta; and Fred, who was born in Detroit, February 4, 1904. He is affiliated with the Oakland Hills Golf Club, the Ingle- side Club and the Toledo Club of Toledo, Ohio, is a member of the Board of Commerce and of the Roman Catholic church. Mr. Feely is strictly a busi- ness man, but he takes a very keen interest in public affairs and the welfare of the city and country. He resides at 619 Pingree avenue.
A. E. RYAN, a representative of one of the old and well known families of Michigan, is successfully op- erating in the field of real estate in Detroit, where he has won a well deserved reputation for reliability, integrity and enterprise. He has made steady advance- ment in his business career, being watchful of every indication pointing to success, and is now conducting a business of extensive proportions. He was born in Alpena, Michigan, a son of Thomas and Mary (Fitz- patrick) Ryan, the former of whom came to this state as a youth of fifteen. He engaged in construction work, in which he long continued active, becoming widely and favorably known in the city of Alpena and vi- cinity. He remained a resident of this state until his death in 1919. His widow survives.
Their son, A. E. Ryan, pursued his studies in the public schools of his native city and on laying aside his textbooks engaged in construction work with his father, with whom he was associated in business for five years. He then came to Detroit and here entered the real estate field, in which he has since continued active, winning thereby a gratifying measure of pros- perity. He has an intimate knowledge of the worth
JAMES P. FEELY, JR.
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of all real estate in his locality and is considered an expert in placing valuations upon property. He handles both vacant and improved realty but gives special attention to inside properties. He has negotiated many important real estate transfers and his built up a busi- ness of large proportions, maintaining his offices in the Dime Savings Bank building, of which he has been a tenant for a longer period than any of the other occupants of the building, and he has become recognized as one of the thoroughly reliable and sub- stantial business men of the city.
In religious faith Mr. Ryan is a Catholic and he is also a member of the Knights of Columbus, in which he has attained the third degree. His public spirit finds expression in his membership in the Detroit Board of Commerce, which is one of the most im- portant factors in the development of the city, and all of its projects for the general welfare meet with his hearty cooperation. The years have chronicled his growing success and at all times his methods have been such as will bear the closest investigation and scrutiny. He is a forceful and resourceful business man who has never feared to venture where favoring opportunity has pointed the way, and is a public-spirited citizen whose progressiveness has been a potent factor in pro- moting the upbuilding and development of his com- munity.
SAMUEL LATTA SMITH. Those forces which have contributed most to the development, improvement and benefit of Michigan received impetus from the constructive labors of Samuel Latta Smith, an honored pioneer of the state, who passed away at Detroit, May 7, 1917. He was essentially a member of the class of doers and his initiative spirit led him to con- tinue beyond the paths which others had marked out, into new fields where his intelligently directed efforts resulted in successful achievement.
Mr. Smith was a native of Michigan, bis birth hav- ing occurred at Algonac, June 28, 1830. His parents were John Keyser and Cathaerine (MacDonald) Smith. The latter was born near Glasgow, Scotland, and be- came one of the early settlers on the banks of the St. Clair river. The father, a veteran of the War of 1812, became a pioneer in the development of what now constitutes Macomb and St. Clair counties and the son also devoted his life to the exploitation of the wonderful mineral resources of the state and to the development of the automobile industry. His early education was acquired in the grammar and high schools of Algonac and in 1846 he entered Albion Col- lege of Michigan, in which he completed a two years' course. Thereafter the responsibility of caring for his mother and seven sisters fell largely upon his shoulders and his higher education was rounded out in the world of men.
The upper peninsula of Michigan represented his first large field of pioneer work and long before the now famous Calumet and Hecla mines were dreamed
of he assisted in organizing and developing the School- craft (Centennial), the Huron, the Atlantic, the Wol- verine, the Mohawk and the Baltic copper mines. The opening of the copper country by the Marquette, Houghton & Ontonagon Railroad was due in large part to his efforts, the completion of the road itself being under his personal supervision. The Lake Su- perior ship canal, the cut-off around dangerous Ke- weenaw Point, was completed by him and in part owned by him until taken over by the federal govern- ment, and on the side of constructive work for the upper peninsula no man could claim so much, and did claim so little.
With the full development of the copper country his active participation in its affairs lessened and his alert mind reached out, in his seventieth year, to the possibilities of the automobile. He became one of the pioneers in this industry, which has since played such an important part in the development of Detroit and of the state, and in the face of discouragement and ridicule he organized the Olds Motor Works, backing it personally and unhesitatingly. Through its infancy he took an active part in its direction and had the satisfaction of seeing it grow to be the greatest com- mercial producer of cars in the world at that time.
Mr. Smith's life was one of intense activity and usefulness, intelligently directed into those channels through which flows the greatest good to the greatest number, and his efforts brought him a measure of suc- cess that was most desirable. He was a courtly gentle- man of the old school, a wide reader and a deep thinker, possessing that tenacity of purpose which carried him forward to the goal of achievement, en- abling him to overcome all obstacles and difficulties in his path. He was ever a devoted husband and father and a true and loyal friend, a man of high ideals and exalted standards of citizenship, and his name is written high on the roll of the honored dead who were among the real builders and promoters of the great commonwealth of Michigan.
FRED L. HONHART, M. D. The profession, as well as the public, accords Dr. Fred L. Honhart a promi- nent position among the medical practitioners of De- troit. He was born in Warren, Pennsylvania, May 31, 1885, a son of Charles and Mary (Miller) Honhart, both of whom are natives of that city, where they have always made their home. The father was for many years prominently identified with mercantile pur- suits but is now living retired in the enjoyment of a comfortable competence, gained through industry and business ability. The mother also survives and they enjoy the respect and esteem of a large circle of friends.
Dr. Honhart, an only child, acquired his early educa- tion in the grammar and high schools of his native city, after which he pursued an academic course in the Pennsylvania State University. He then took up. the profession of teaching and for four years was
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director of physical education in that institution, be- ing very successful as an educator. In 1904 he entered the Springfield College at Springfield, Massachusetts, from which he was graduated in 1908. For a few years he was engaged in educational work in the west. He then furthered his education at the University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, receiving the degree of M. D. from that institution in 1916. Coming to Detroit, in 1916 he opened an office and has since suc- cessfully followed his profession in this city, his ability being attested in the large practice accorded him. He is a member of the staff of the William Booth, St. Mary's and Provident Hospitals, and of the last named institution is also connected with the outdoor clinic. He does everything to perfect himself in his chosen vocation and has always made his professional duties his first consideration, being most thorough and con- scientious in the performance of the work that de- volves upon him in this connection.
In Emporia, Kansas, on the 6th of June, 1911, Dr. Honhart was united in marriage to Miss Hannah M. Edwards, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rowland J. Edwards, well known residents of that city. Two children have been born of this union: Fred L., Jr., whose birth occurred at Emporia in 1912 and who is now attending school in Detroit; and Mary Elizabeth, who was born in this city in 1918.
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