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ftIS 

A  TWENTIETH  CENTl'RY  HISTORY 


OF 


BERRIEN  COUNTY 


MICHIGAN 


JUDGE  ORVILLE  W.  COOLIDGE 

AUTHOR  AND  EDITOR 


ILLUSTRATED 


1906 

THE  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

CHICAGO        NEW  YORK 


PREFACE) 


HE  author  of  the  historical  sketch,  which  forms  the  introductory  part 
of  this  volume,  commenced  his  task  in  August,  1905.  The  historical 
sketch  has  been  prepared  under  some  difficulties,  as  the  author  has 
been  necessarily  engaged  most  of  the  time  in  judicial  labors. 

The  sources  of  information  have  been  various.  In  1871  a  partial 
history  and  directory  of  the  county  was  published  by  E.  B.  Cowles. 
In  some  respects  the  work  was  a  very  valuable  one.  The  narratives 
of  the  earliest  settlements  of  Niles  and  St.  Joseph  were  in  the  main 
evidently  full  and  reliable.  In  1881  a  combined  history  of  Berrien  and  Van  Buren 
counties  was  issued,  edited  by  A.  Ellis.  This  work  contained  a  valuable  sketch  of  the 
earliest  settlements  of  each  township,  the  material  of  which  was  largely  derived  from 
interviews  with  early  pioneers.  This  work  has  been  largely  consulted  in  the  preparation 
of  certain  portions  of  the  present  sketch.  The  work,  however,  contained  many  errors, 
some  of  which  arose  from  the  fact  that  the  editor  had  never  resided  in  Berrien  county. 

The  author  is  also  indebted  for  information  to  the  following  works  :  The  historical  and 
biographical  collections  of  the  State  Pioneer  Association,  consisting  of  31  volumes. 
Journal  of  Charlevoix,  The  Jesuit  Relations,  Histories  of  Michigan  by  Lanman  and 
Cooley,  Sketch  of  St.  Joseph  by  D.  A.  Winslow,  History  of  Trinity  Church,  Niles.  by 
Rev.  Dr.  McMurdy,  History  of  St.  Mary's,  files  of  Niles  newspapers  from  1835, 
reports  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Berrien  County  Old  Settlers'  Association,  and  biographies 
of  Berrien  and  Cass  County  personages,  published  in  1894. 

For  the  first  time  a  complete  list  of  the  supervisors  of  each  city  and  township  is  pre- 
sented. To  secure  this  considerable  time  and  labor  were  necessary,  as  large  portions  of 
the  records  of  many  townships  had  been  lost  or  destroyed.  The  author  is  under  obliga- 
tion to  the  supervisors  of  the  respective  townships,  to  S.  B.  Miners,  our  county  clerk, 
to  C.  J.  Schultz,  our  county  treasurer,  and  to  the  clerks  of  the  cities  for  valuable  assist- 
ance in  the  preparation  of  these  lists. 

An  attempt   has  been  made  to  portray  the  growth  and  development  of  the  county  in 
its   industrial   features.      A   brief   sketch   of    its   principal   manufactories   and   statistical 
"tables  of  agricultural  and  horticultural  production  are  given. 

The  author  is  especially  indebted  to  Hon.  Henry  Chamberlain,  of  Three  Oaks,  for 
interesting  memoranda  and  information  relating  to  the  early  settlement  of  the  southwest- 
ern portion  of  the  county. 

The   author  is  also  indebted  for  information  to  the  following  pioneers,  who  became 


IV 


PREFACE 


residents  of  this  vicinity  before  1835:  Isaac  Lybrook  of  Berrien,  Wilson  Sparks  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  Capt.  Amos  Bartlett  of  Dayton,  Alexander  J.  Collins  of  St.  Joseph,  Mrs. 
Thos.  Huston  of  Niles,  Jas.  Kirk  of  Pipestone,  Ezekiel  Denniston  and  John  Hatfield  of 
Niles,  Nathaniel  Hamilton  of  Buchanan,  A.  J.  Cleland  and  Mrs.  Robert  Gephart  of 
Niles,  Mrs.  Thos.  Stevens  of  Oronoko,  Samuel  Marrs  of  Lincoln,  Andrew  Marrs  of  Ber- 
rien Springs,  and  Jas.  Claypool  of  Berrien. 

In  the  chapter  on  ''Aborigines  and  the  French  Occupation,"  the  author  has  not 
relied  on  previous  histories  of  the  county,  but  resorted  to  more  original  and  rehable 
sources  of  information. 

More  space  has  naturally  been  given  to  the  early  history  of  Niles  and  St.  Joseph  than 
to  other  portions  of  the  county,  for  the  reason  that  the  commercial  and  business  interests 
of  the  county  for  many  years  after  its  first  settlement  were  centered  at  these  two  points. 

ORVILLE  W.   COOLIDGE. 


TABLE   OK   CONTENTS 


•  CHAPTER  I. 

Nature  and  Topography • 

CHAPTER    II. 
Aborigines  and  Early  French  Occupation 

CHAPTER  ni. 

19 
Early  Settlement  of  Berrien  County 

CHAPTER   IV. 
Organization— General  Interests  and  Institutions 

CHAPTER  V. 

.    ^   ,  55 

Fruit  Culture 

CHAPTER  VI. 

62 
Berrien  County  in  the  Civil  War 

CHAPTER   VII. 

141 

Niles  City 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

_  ^.  166 

Niles  Township 

CHAPTER  IX. 

171 
St.  Joseph  Township  and  City  of  St.  Joseph 

CHAPTER   X. 

.      ^         ,.  192 

Berrien  Township -  >   

CHAPTER  XI. 

198 

Oronoko  Township 

CHAPTER    XII. 

20o 

Bertrand 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Buchanan  Township 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

New  Buffalo  Township 

CHAPTER    XV. 

228 

Watervl iet  Township 

CHAPTER   XVI. 

232 
Benton  and  Benton  Harbor 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

244 

Bainbridge 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

249 

Pipestone 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

252 

Weesaw ' 


vi  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER   XX. 
Lake  Township 255 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
The  Early  History  of  Royalton  and  Lincoln  - 259 

CHAPTER  XXIL 
Sodus 264 

CHAPTER   XXin. 
Three  Oaks  Township 26 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Chikaming  Township 274 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
Galien  Township 280 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Hagar „ 284 


INDKX 


Adams,    Horace   J.,    581 
Adams,  William  T..  815 
Ager,   Charles,  640 
Alden,  Hial,  545 
Alexander,  Mitchel,  288 
Allen,  J.   Sherlock,  317 
Allen,  Israel  M.,  967 
Allen,  R.    Clarke,  608 
Allmendinger,  John  M.,  614 
Archer,  Davis,  976 
Arford,    Albert    R.,    384 
Arnt,  Daniel  C,  904 
Atkinson,    Robert    C,    72s 
Aumack,  Jacob,  982 
Austin,    Eugene    W.,   894 
Austin,    Stephen   M.,   418 

Babcock,   W.   Irving,   655 
Backus,  Edwin  L,  649 
Bacon,  Nathaniel  H.,  653 
Badger,    Chester,   846 
Bainton,  William  F.,  759 
Baitenger,  George  M.,  730 
Bakeman,    Frederick,   979 
Baker,   J.   J.,   693 
Baldwin,  Omar  A.  D.,  995 
Baldwin,    Warner   M.,   326 
Ball,  James  M.,  847 
Ballard,   Otis  W.,  356 
Bardelmeier,    Philip   J.,  853 
Barkhouse,   William    P.,   913 
Barmore,    Salma,   642 
Barnes,   John   E.,  957 
Bartram,  Burr,  690 
Batten,   Levi,  872 
Beall,   James  M.,   587 
Beaver,  Theodore   G.,   647 
Becht,    William,    295 
Beckwith,   J.    T.,   752 
Bedford,  John   W.,   910 
Bedinger,    M.    S.,   864 
Beeson,   Dix   H.,   457 
Behel,  Wilbur  F.,  465 
Beistle,  John  W.,  426 
Belknap,  Fred  R.,  365 
Belknap,   Simeon,   711 
Bell,   George   M.,   302 
Bell,  John,  297 
Benson   Brothers,   314 
Berry,   Fanny,   628 
Beyrer,  Lucas,  291 
Birdsey,  Abijah,  306 
Birkholm.    Clarence    D.,   534 
Birkholz,   August   W.,   491 
Bishop'    John   L.,   927 
Either,  Anson  F.,  549 
Black,  George  H.,  341 
Blake,  William,  574 


Bliesmer,  August  F.,  441 
Bliss,    Milton   J.,    567 
Boardman,   D.  L.,  509 
Bonine,   Isaac  A.,   700 
Bort,   Harry,  472 
Bostick,  John   C,   371 
Boughter,  Samuel,  ^7^ 
Bowe,    Prosper   O.,   501 
Bowman,  Henry  J.,  976 
Boyer,   Dwight,  892 
Bracelin,  Frank,  635 
Brammall,    Edward,    388 
Brant,  Barney  H.,  676 
Brant,   Edward,  323 
Brant,    Ezra,   662 
Brant,  Nathaniel  M.,  671 
Brant,    Porter   E.,   691 
Bremer,    William    D.,   824 
Brenner,  Jacob,   1006 
Brewer,    Frank,    774 
Bridgeford,   George,  s^3 
Briggs,  Fred  G.,  463 
Brodrick,   Edward,  667 
Brooks,  John  J.,  495 
B rower,   Jacob,   797 
Bruce,  William   L.,  418 
Bullard,  William  F.,  319 
Bullard,   William   H.,   741 
Burdick,    Stephen   V.,   398 
Burg,   John,   827 
Burke,   John,   7^6 
Burkhart,  John,  558 
Burton,  Edwin,  956 
Burton,   Henry,  621 
Bury,    Clellen   B.,   624 
Bury,   John   D.,  438 
Butts,  Elmer,  572 
Butzbach,   Benjamin   F.,   361 
Butzbach,    Jacob,   888 
Butzbach,  Philip  H.,  889 

Cady,  Alvah   P.,   381 
Caldwell,  Elliott  H.,  863 
Camfield,    WilHam,    663 
Campbell,  Harvey  J.,  455 
Carey,  Milton  T.,  ^^6 
Cart,  John  A.,  355 
Case,   William   H.,  401 
Cassiday,  William  H.,  944 
Chamberlain,   Henry,   523 
Chamberlain,    William,   644 
Chapin,   Claudis   B.,  S77 
Chauncey,    Albert   E.,   878 
Childs,   theron    D.,    751 
Church,   William   B.,   603 
Clark,  Aaron,  345 
Clark,   Charles  A.,   778 
Clark,   John,   579 


Clark,  Roy,  947 

Clarke,   Ernest   P.,   718 

Clawson,    S.    M.,   890 

Claypool,  John  J.,  922 

Close,    Charles,    505 

Collins,   Eben  D.,  650 

Collins,  Fred  B.,  239 

Collins,   M.   O.,  955 

Collins,   William,   978 

Collis,  John  H.,  662 

Commercial   National   Bank,  847 

Conger,  Frank  D.,  397 

Cook,  Fred  W.,  604 

Cook,   William,   871 

Cook,  William  H.,  970 

Coolidge,   Orville   W.,   286 

Copeland,  Abial  C,  738 

Corell,  George  E.,  656    . 

Crall,   David,  925 

Crall,  Jacob  B.,  931 

Crandall,   Burton  A.,  984 

Cranson,  George  P.,  321 

Crawford,   Andrew,   336 

Cribbs,    Jacob,    749 

Cryan,  Edward  B.,  383 

Cupp,  Frank  P.,  972 

Curtis,   Orville,   346 

Cutler,  Solon,  760 

Daigneau,  Samuel  E.,  395 
Dalenberg,    Cornelius,   837 
Damon,  Oscar,  419 
Dana,   Charles  E.,  937 
Dana,   Eugene   C,   680 
Daniels,  Francis  A.,  296 
Deidrich,  Fred,  887 
DeMott,   John   E.,   287 
Dempsey,  John  T.,  762 
Dester,    William,    311 
Deuel,  Abram,  444 
Deuel,   Joseph   J.,   458 
Dick,  John  C,  428 
Dickerman,   Nicholas,   568 
Dix,    Orrin   E.,   661 
Dix,  Rosco  D.,  719 
Dixon,  James  W.,  351 
Doane,  Hannah  R.,  952 
Doane,    William   H.    H.,   951 
Dockter,   William   C,   705 
Dodd,  E.  S.,  339 
Dodge,    Balaam,   914 
Donner,   Garey,  883 
Dukescherer,  Fred,  813 
Dukesherer,   August,   908 
Dukesherer,   Peter  D.,  597 
Dunbar,  Julius  E.,  394 
Duncan,  John  F.,  733 
Dye,   Frank  Z.,  412 


Vlll 


INDEX 


Eaman,  Benjamin  J.,  697 
Eaman,  James  M.,  698 
Earl,   Benjamin   F.,  702 
East,  William  W.,  424 
Edgcumbe,   George  J.,  368 
Edinborough,  Olive  A.,  622 
Edinger,  Jacob  L.,  746 
Edwards,  Hiram  A.,  467 
Eidson,  Edward  D.,  841 
Eidson,   Gilbert   A.,  862 
Ells,  Joshua,   592 
Ellsworth,  Frank  H.,  701 
Ellsworth,  Selin  B.,  389 
Emerson,   Aden    M.,   649 
Emerson,   Moses,   743 
Emery,  Alexander,  350 
Emlong,    Henry,    296 
Enders,   Adam,   876 
Enders,  Jacob  E.,  575 
Enders,  William  F.,  873 
Ericsson,   B.   O.,  49^ 
Esper,  Michael  G.,  621 

Farmer,    Charles    K.,    393 
Farnum,    C.   H.,   406 
Fay,   John   W.,  800 
Feather,  Daniel  T.,  794 
Feather,    Henry    A.,    808 
Feather,  Joshua,    848 
Feather,  Milton  H.,  810 
Feather,   William   A.,    Sr.,  881 
Feather,  William  J.,  984 
Felton,   Fred,  972 
Ferry,   Emery  F.,   791 
File,  William  E.,  569 
Flewelling,  David  B.,  916 
Flood,  James,  667 
Flood,  James  H.,  460 
Flood,  Thomas  P.,  462 
Flower,  George  E.,  641 
Foeltzer,  Helmath  A.,  380 
Forler,  George  A.,  720 
Foster,   George,   577 
Foster,  John  J.,  584 
Franklin,   Marshall   D.,  831 
Franz,  Frederick  C.,  290 
Franz,  George  L.,  946 
Freestone,  Wilbert  D.,  688 
Freestone,   William,  687 
French,  Alfred  O.,  47i 
French,  Charles  H.,  758 
French,  James  E.,  487 
French,    Joseph    W.,   636 
Fulkerson,  Frank  L.,  507 

Card,   John   F.,   597 
Gardner,  James  H.,  950 
Garland,   Edgar  F.,  342 
Garland,   Horace   W.,   705 
Garland,  J.  A.,  357 
Garr,   Abel,  823 
Garwood,   John,   347 
Gaugler,  Daniel   G.  W.,  312 
Geisler,  Fred,  474 
Gersonde,   H.   L.,  518 
Geyer,    Benjamin   C,   566 
Gibson,  John    S.,  493 
Giddings.    Burton    D.,    535 
Gillam,  George  E.,  843 


Gillette,    Raymond   B.,    436 
Glavin,    Maurice,    764 
Glavin,  Thomas   F.,  765 
Gleeson,   John,    553 
Glidden,   Emory   J.,   489 
Goodenough,  Alonzo,  773 
Goodwin,    Richard    M.,    480 
Gordon,    Peter,   494 
Gowdy,  Frank  M.,  990 
Gowdy,   Franklin,  934 
Graffort,   Phay  A.,  425 
Graham,  Edmon  A.,  658 
Graham,    George,   714 
Graham,  Harry  K.,  866 
Graham,   William   H.,   320 
Granger,  Thomas,  685 
Green,   Daniel,  375 
Green,  George  S.,  334 
Green,   William   W.,   408 
Green   &   Company,   375 
Greenfield,  John,  427 
Griffin,  Edwin  C,  7^3 
Griffin,   George,  689 
Griffith,  Joseph,  565 
Groat,  Cyrus  B.,  912 
Guy,   Juan   M.,   756 

Hall,  Alfred  R.,  486 
Hall,   Byron   L.,   382 
Halliday,   Alexander,  459 
Hamann,  Henry  H.,  416 
Hamilton,    Edward   L.,    313 
Hamilton,   Louis    S.,   634 
Handy,   Gerald,   924 
Hanley,   George,  289 
Hansen,   Joseph   B.,  852 
Hansen,    Peter,   851 
Hansler,    Arthur,   335 
Harder,  James  E.,  639 
Harger,  M.   E.,   570 
Harner,  Abraham  A.,  787 
Harner,   Eldon   C,   396 
Harner,   Michael   F.,   7S3 
Harris,  Lewis  D.,  675 
Harris,    Uriah,    328 
Hastings,  John  J.,  361 
Hatch,   Edward   N.,  939 
Hatch,    Henry    C,   841 
Hauser,  Joseph   W.,  859 
Hawks,  Andrew  M.,  704 
Heckman,   Erasmus    S.,   886 
Heise,   Louis,   563 
Helkie,  William  L.,  504 
Helmick,    Burns,    940 
Helmick,   Hiram    S.,   816 
Hemenway,  Joseph  R.,  679 
Henkel,   George,   722 
Herring,  J.  H.,  903 
Herring,  Nathaniel  A.,  377 
Hess,  Homer  E.,  974 
Hess,  Juan,  993 
Hess,  William  A.,  915 
Hewitt,    William    C,    770 
Higbee,  James   F.,  447 
Higman,   John,   598 
Hill     John    D.,    694 
Hill,  William  H.,  699 
Hinchman,  Burwell,  988 
Hoadley,   Rodney   P.,   788 


Hoadley,  W.  E.,  349 
Hoag,  Isaac  J.,  631 
Hobbs,    Frederick   A.,   665 
Hodges,   Cyrus   C,  986 
Hogue,  Emerson,  968 
Hogue,  John   F.,  961 
Holden,  Jonas  H.,  294 
Holland,   William   L.,   747 
Hollett,  Retta,  607 
Hollinrake,    Thomas,   632 
Hoopenganer,  John   C,  309 
Hoppin,   George   S.,   338 
Horn,   George,  402 
House,   Amos   C,  755 
Houseworth,    David,    786 
Houswerth,  Thomas   F.,  360 
Hoven,  Cornelius,  765 
Howard,  Franklin,  411 
Howe,  Alonzo  F.,  431 
Howe,  Charles  F.,  483 
Howe,   Frederick   W.,   780 
Hunt,  Daniel,  379 
Hutchinson,   Gilbert,  590 

Ingles,  Henry  D.,  770 
Ingles,  John  S.,  769 
Ingraham,   Elisha,  385 
Isbell,  James   W.,  652 
Ives,   Timothy   H.,   842 

Jakway,    James,    611 
Jennings,   Milo  A.,  946 
Jerue,   John   B.,   551 
Jewett,  Edson  B.,  515 
Johnson,   Frank   A.,   979 
Johnson,  Jether  L.,  606 
Johnson,  John,  767 
Jones,  Thomas  W.,  933 

Kaiser,    Barney,    761 
Keith,  William  A.,  836 
Kelley,  Sam  H.,  414 
Kelly,   L.,   550 
Kephart,   Henry,   310 
Kimball,    Sylvester    B.,   416 
Kimbel,    William    C,    432 
King,  Charles  M.,  781 
King,    Henry    L.,    591 
King,  Louis  A.,  544 
King,   William   P.,  821 
Kingsley,    Edward    H.,   715 
Kless,  Fritz  L.,  450 
Kluth,   Charles,   828 
Knapp,    William    W.,    891 
Kniebes,  Frank,  856 
Kniebes,    Jacob,    905 
Knight,  David,  837 
Knisely,  Abraham  J.,  599 
Knox,   E.   Clififord,  844 
Kompass,  Rudolph  F.,  655 
Kramer,   Andrew,  615 
Kramer,    John,    486 
Krieger,  Eugene  L.,  374 
Krieger,   Frederick,   906 
Krieger',  Jacob  C  799 
Krieger,  J.  D.,  898 

Lamore,  George  S.,  975 
Lardner,    Henry,   659 


INDEX 


Lavanway,    Clark,    955 
Lavanway,    William,    949 
Lawrence,  John  C.,  517 
Lee,  Ray  E.,  855 
Lemon,    Charles    L.,    938 
Light,   Isaac,   967 
Littleson,    Theodore,    631 
Lockinaw,    Henry,   782 
Lovell,   Nathan  V.,  806 
Lucas,   James  W.,  381 
Lusso,    Christian,    884 
Lybrook,   Isaac,  761 
Lyon,   Thomas,   488 
Lyon,  William  R.,  601 

Madison,    Hans,    745 
Mangold,  George,  881 
Mars,    B.    Frank,    784 
Mars,    Guy    C,   3^9 
Mars,    Thomas,    725 
Martin,  Thomas  H.,  453 
Martindale,  John,  686 
Matrau,   Morgan   W.,  681 
McCartney,    J.    H.,    969 
McCollum,   Edward    C,   576 
McCombs,   Hezekiah,   925 
McDonald,  James,   553 
McGowan,   Charles,  971 
McGuigan,   Samuel,  860 
McKee,   Fred,  677 
McKie,  James  L.,  802 
McKindley,  Frank  A.,  921 
McLin,  Luther  I.,  735 
McOmber,   Fred,   1000 
Mell,   William,   852 
Mess,   Peter  F.,  443 
Metras,    M.    G.,    369 
Metzger,   Richard    B.,   "J^^Z 
Metzger,   Theodore,   357 
Meyer,   Christian,  477 
Milbourne,   Louis   W.,  384 
Miller,    Charles,   801 
Miller,   Christian,   463 
Miller,  James  J.,   378 
Miller,    William    H.,    77i 
Mills,  George  A.,  634 
Mitchell,    Charles    H,,   sgg^, 
Montague,    Charles    M.,   643 
Montross,  Richard  W.,  ^(^ 
Moore,   Frank   B.,   ZIZ 
Morgan,  John,  684 
Morley,  Alvin,  775 
Morley,   Ebenezer    P.,   435 
Morley,    Francis    H.,    561 
Morley,   William    S.,   422 
Morlock,  George,  812 
Morris,   Richard   H.,   784 
Morrow,   Munroe   H.,   375 
Morton,    Henry    C.,   291 
Morton,  J.  Stanley,  293 
Moser,   Charles,  911 
Moulton,   L.   G.,   55i 
Moyer,   Henry  J.,  786 
Mulcahy,    Dennis    O.,   609 
Mulholland,    Joseph,    454 
Mulliken,   G.   F.,  630 
Murphy.    Erastus,    926 
Murphy,   Harvey   R.,   928 
Murphy,  John   J.,   920 


Murphy,  J.  M.,  924 
Murphy,   M.   T.,   936 
Musil,   Karel,  991 
Mutchler,   Charles   F.,  805 
Mutchler,   W.   E.,   507 
Myers,  Calvin,  879 

Nichols,  Charles  D.,  943 
Nixon,   John    B.,    303 
Newman,    Wingate   W.,   731 
Newton,    Albert,   ^2"] 
Noble,    George   W.,   359 
Nold,   Henry   K.,   880 
Nothdurft,  John  J.,  825 
Nott,    Carrie,   811 
Nowlen,  Albert  R.,  707 

Olmstead,   Melbourne   H.,    1004 
Olsen,  George,  594 
Ormsbee,    Charles   W.,   602 
Otwell,  George  N.,  315 

Palmer,  W.  A.,  430 
Parker,   Bascom,  854 
Parker,   Reuben  D.,  652 
Parren,   George   A.,   556 
Parrish,   William   M.,   432 
Parsons,    George,   929 
Patterson,   Charles  L,  871 
Paul,  Jacob  M.,  916 
Pearl,   Irving   R.,   'j'j^ 
Pearl,   Warren   S.,  410 
Pears,  Charles  F.,  352 
Peck,  L.  E.,  571 
Pennell,   Byron,  845 
Pennell,   Edgar  S.,  820 
Pennell,    R.    Smith,   971 
Peo,  John,  817 
Perry,   Theodore   N.,  670 
Peters,  Henrv,  707 
Phelps,  Chester  P.,  585 
Phillips,  John  V.,  440 
Piatt,   Edwin  F.,  405 
Piatt,    Frank   H.,   364 
Piatt,  James   D.,   785 
Piatt,  Leslie  W.,  646 
Piatt,    Lester   G.,   646 
Plummer,   Zachariah,   573 
Pratt,   Wilmer  M.,  (y^'j 
Preston,   Milton,  980 
Preston,  Wallace  K.,  948 
Price,   Moses   A.,   ']'z6 
Price,   Thomas   W.,   813 
Pullen,    Frank,   SZ2> 
Pullen,  George  P.,  780 
Pullen,    Robert,    532 

Quade,   Samuel  J.,   536 
Quimby,    Charles    S.,   'J2% 

Randall,  Allen   M.,  6(^ 
Ranft,  Ernest  L.,  340 
Ransom.   Theron   T.,   717 
Rau,  John  P.,  498 
Reams,   S.   C,  973 
Rector,  Charles  H.,  958 
Rector,  D.   Sidney,  Jr.,  960 
Rector,   Samuel  J.,  885 
Redden,   Samuel   W.,  490 


Reese,  Chauncey  B.,  870 
Reese,  Reuben  W.,  857 
Rhoades,  Frank,  320 
Richards,  J.   L.,   564 
Richards,  Joseph,  537 
Richter,   Frederick   W.,  989 
Rickert,  Louis,  869 
Ricketts,  Albert  S.,   1006 
Ridenour,   Eli,   932 
Rinkenberger,    A,    C,    942 
Rist,   Mathias,   793 
Robinson,    O.    A.,    954 
Rodgers,  John   H.,  838 
Roe,  Ellis  S.,  508 
Rohde,  John  H.,  446 
Rose,  W.   A.  D,,  464 
Rouch,   John   M.,   349 
Rough,   George   W.,  482 
Rouse,   Elmer   E.,   362 
Rush,    Henry   J.,  478 
Rynearson,   Isaiah,  484 
Ryno,  Wakeman,  421 
Ryther,  Hale  E.,  839 

Sabin,   Charles   E.,  477 
Sattler,  George  P.,  867 
Sattler,   Lewis,   867 
Savage,   Daniel   S.,  844 
Sawin,   Judson,   559 
Schairer,   John,    387 
Schaus,   Charles   G.,  899 
Schaus,  Jacob  L.,  907 
Schell,  Albert,  959 
Scherer,   David,  347 
Schiller,  John  D.,  414 
Schmitt,    Joseph,    992 
Schopbach,   Henry,  832 
Schultz,    Carl   J.,   897 
Schultz,   Claus  H.,  514 
Schwenk,  Jacob  M.,  500 
Schwenk,    John    C,    451 
Scofield,   A.   J,,   627 
Scott,  Alexander  H.,  Jr.,  476 
Scott,  Stephen,  796 
Seegmiller,  Abbie,  964 
Seitz,  William  H.,  613 
Sells,    Bernard    T.,    629 
Shafer,  John,  303 
Shafer,   William.   506 
Sharai,  Alfred  J.,  963 
Sharai,  Edwin,  962 
Sharai,  John   W.,   964 
Sharp,    George,   983 
Shearer,    William,    583 
Shedd,    Sylvester,   882 
Sheffield,    William    E.,    716 
Sherwood,    Alva,    996 
Sherwood,    Alonzo,   939 
Sherwood.  Robert  H.,  895 
Shippy,    Charles    D.,    826 
Sisson,  Edward  C,  556 
Skalla,   John,   'jyj 
Skalla,   Joseph,   y:\;] 
Skinner,  James  F.,  Z2>1 
Smith,   Carmi   R.,   742 
Smith,   Chauncev,   793 
Smith,   George   E..   (yJZ 
Smith,   Isaac   M.,   753 
Smith,  James,   754 


INDEX 


Smith,  Warren  A.,  307 
Smith,  Washington  A.,  510 
Smith,    Washington   B.,   944 
Snavely     Solomon    L.,    918 
Snuff,   Edgar   L.,   584 
Snyder,    Oscar    D.,    544 
Snyder,  Sherwood,  605 
Sonner,    George    F.,    610 
Sorrell,    E.,   95^ 
Sovereign,  Frederick  F.,  503 
Sowers,    Charles   N.,  z^l 
Spading,   Theodore,  446 
Sparks,  John  H.,  314 
Sparks,    Spencer    F.,    569 
Sparks,  William  D.,  577 
Spaulding,   Elmore   C,   798 
Spencer,  Benajah  H.,  434 
Spencer,   Charles  A.,  54^ 
Spink,  Andrew  M.,  400 
Stafford,  Theo  N.,  779 
Starkweather,    Frank,    316 
Starr,  John  V.,  616 
Stemm,   Ira  R.,  804 
Stevens,  George  L.,  499 
Stevens,   J.   E.,   520 
Stewart,  George  F.,  789 
Stewart,  Murray,  861 
Stoll,  Matthew,  696 
Storms,    Edmund    B.,    745 
Stouffer,   John   B.,   547 
Stover,   John   H.,   470 
Strickland,  Edward  F.,  710 
Strong,  George,  329 
Stryker,   Frank  A.,  479 
Stuart,  Charles  D.,  409 
Stuck,   John,   452 
Sumrill,  John  J.,  35^ 
Sutherland,   Darwin   B.,   325 
Sutherland,  John  R.,  977 
Sutherland,  Lewis,  618 
Sutherland,  Lott  F.,  529 
Sutherland,   Sterling  L.,  530 

Taber,    Roland    B.,   865 
Taber,  Roland  F.,  619 
Tabor,   Carleton  E.,  966 
Tabor,  Ernest,  961 
Taube,  Charles  H.,  Z22 
Taylor,   Thomas,   874 
Teetzel,    Charles    W.,    953 


Tennant,   Joseph,   461 
Thayer,  Robert  C,  561 
Thomas,   Victor   H.,    'j^^ 
Thompson,    Frank,    771 
Thomson,  James  B.,  344 
Thurston,   Henry  E.,  334 
Tibbs,   Jacob,   981 
Tichenor,  Fred  A.,  775 
Timm,    Christian,    445 
Trowbridge,  Udorus   E.,  884 
Tutton,   Henry   V.,   442 

Ullrey,   Arthur   O.,   748 
Ullrey,   David   H.,  987 
Umphrey,   Lewis,  902 

Vail,    Helen,   305 
Valentine,   George   M.,   721 
Valentine,    Lewis,    (:^2 
Vanderveer,    Ernest,    539 
Vanderveer,   John   T.,  803 
Vanderveer,  William  N.,  540 
Van  Horn,   Spencer  B.,  389 
Van  Namee,  William  P.,  538 
Van   Vranken,   Urias,   901 
Versaw,   James    P.,    965 
Vetterly,    August,    731 
Vetterley,    Edward,    588 
Vincent,    Alonzo,   834 
Vinton,   Charles   A.,   ^^Z 
Vite,   Jacob   E.,   759 
Vollmann,  Charles,  887 

Walker,  Joseph,  819 
Wallace,  Dudley  B.,  332 
Wallace,  John  R.,  330 
Walton,   Richard,  877 
Walton,   Robert  A.,   582 
Walton,    William,    877 
Waltz,  Samuel  Z.,  917 
Wangerin,  William  F.,  840 
Ward,  Lyman  M.,  511 
Ward,  W.   A,  849 
Warren,   Dwight,   402 
Warren,    Edward   K.,    looi 
Warren,  Frank  J.,  724 
Warren,   George  L.,  724 
Warren  &  Company,  724 
Watson,    Alec,    833 
Watson,    Berton    G.,    386 


Watson,  William  H.,  834 
Weber,   William   H.,   740 
Wees,    William,    703 
Weir,   James   J.,   552 
Wellington,    Oliver   F.,   872 
Wells,    Abel    W.,    318 
West,  Thomas  J.,  709 
Wetzer,    Rudolph,    868 
Wells,  William  H.,  595 
Whalen,  Henry  E.,  850 
Whalen,    James,    580 
Whetstone,    Carl    F.,    727 
Whipple,   Frank   H.,   861 
Whitcomb,    Charles   H.,   602 
White,   Charles   E.,   729 
Whitehead,  W.  K.,  456 
Whitney,  Harris  S.,  555 
Whitten,  Charles  E.,  497 
Wilkinson,   Thomas    L.,    557 
Willard,    Levi,    832 
Willming,  Joseph,  902 
Wilson,    Hiram,    468 
Wilson,  John  F.,  712 
Wilson,   William   L.,   734 
Winchester,   Amandus   O.,   1000 
Winn,  John  J.,  Jr.,  333 
Wise,    Horace    M.,    912 
Wissing,    William    M.,    750 
Witbeck,   F.   M.,  626 
Witt,    Edward   J.,   617 
Wolf,    David,    354 
Womer,   Peter,   829 
Womer,    William    A.,   830 
Wood,  Bradford  H.,  919 
Woodworth,   O.   P.,   522 
Worthington,  Albert  A.,  429 
Wright,    Elmer   H.,    308 
Wright,   George,   512 
Wyant,  John  F.,  918 
Wyant,  Oscar,  1005 
Wyant,    William,   819 
Wynn,  Thomas  B.,  932 


Yates,  Abram,  893 
Yerington,  George  W.,  358 
Yerington,    Polly,    358 
Yetter,  George  T.,  951 
Young,  A.  D.,  343 
Young,   Edwin   W.,   391 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


CHAPTER  I 


NATURE  AND  TOPOliRAPHY. 


"Like  orchards  of  forgotten  times. 
Like  pleasure  parks  of  Ea.-terii  clinics, 
The   "openings'   of  the   West   appear, 
The   paradise   of   fal'ow   deer." 


Berrien  county  is  tlie  extreme  south- 
west county  of  the  State,  being  bounded  on 
th.e  north  1)y  \'c\u  Buren  county,  on  the 
east  by  Van  Buren  and  Cass  counties,  on 
the  south  by  tlie  State  of  Indiana  and  on 
the  west  by  Lake  Alidiigan.  Tlie  area  of 
the  couu/l}^  is  approximately  600  square 
miles  or  alsout  3B5.000  acres.  The  surface 
is  diver sihed.  The  larger  portion  of  the  soil 
was  originally  covered  with  forests  of  val- 
uable growing  timber,  consisting  mainly  ot 
white  and  red  oak,  hickory,  whitewood, 
maple,  l)eech.  l)lack  Wcdnut,  elm,  asli,  and 
basswood.  The  land  adjoining  Lake  Mich- 
igan is  generally  sandy,  but  hns  been  culti- 
vated for  fruit  and  made  highly  reiuuner- 
ative. 

Manv  of  the  toAvnships  were  originally 
almost  covered  with  inmiense  forests  of  tall, 
thick  timber.  Idie  m(^)St  profitable,  probably 
on  account  of  its  al)undance  and  adaptation 
for  all  kinds  of  building  purposes,  was  the 
wdiitewood.  The  tree  grew  to  a  large  size, 
often  three  to  four  feet  in  diameter,  and  was 


remarkabl}'  free  from  knots  or  defects  be- 
lovv  the  jjranclies.  Its  diameter  from  the 
ground  t(^  the  first  branch  varied  slightly. 
Single  trees  often  produced  6,000  to  8,000 
feet  of  lumljer,  which  to-day  would  be  \-ery 
valual)le  in  the  lumber  market.  It  is  now 
known  commercially  as  the  white  poplar. 
This,  however,  is  a  gross  misnomer,  as  it 
does  not  belong  to  the  poplar  family.  It  is 
sometimes  called  the  tulip  tree,  from  the 
large,  handsome  golden  blossoms  which 
come  out  in  the  spring,  resembling  the  tulip, 
and  ])eloiigs  to  tlie  magnolia  family. 

The  Ijlack  walnut  tree  Ijecame  the  most 
valuable  iiKli\  idually  on  account  of  its  hand- 
some grain  and  color,  and  its  use  for  choice 
furniture.  The  trees  were  much  scarcer, 
howe\er,  than  the  w^hitewood.  They  often 
grew  to  an  enormous  size,  trees  being  fre- 
quentlv  found  which  measured  fifteen  feet  in 
circumference. 

The  early  settlers  in  their  eagerness  to 
clear  the  land,  burned  up  enormous  quanti- 
ties of  valuable  timber.     Subsequently  the 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


saw-mill  industries  rapidly  denuded  the 
country  of  the  remainder,  and  very  little  of 
choice  timbered  tracts  are  now  in  existence. 
The  policy  of  extinction  of  this  class  of 
trees  was  a  wasteful  and  injurious  one,  and 
their  wholesale  destruction  is  greatly  to  be 
regretted. 

Less  prairie  land  exists  in  Berrien 
county  than  in  the  southern  counties  of  the 
State  lying  immediately  east  of  us.  There 
are  however,  two  prairies  which  lie  wholly 
or  in  part  within  the  limits  of  this  county. 
Wolf's  prairie  upon  which  the  village  of 
Berrien  Springs  is  located,  has  an  area  of 
about  I, GOO  acres.  It  is  an  elevated  plateau, 
delightfully  situated,  adjoining  the  ■.high 
bluffs  of  the  St.  Joseph  river. 

Portage  prairie  is  located  in  Bertrand 
township.  A  portion  of  it  lies  in  this  state 
and  a  portion  in  the  state  of  Indiana.  That 
portion  which  lies  in  this  state  has  an  area 
of  about  3,000  acres.  A  narrow  streak  of 
timber  land  runs  into  the  prairie,  and  the 
smaller  portion  is  sometimes  called  "Little 
Portage." 

The  soil  of  these  prairies  is  exceedingly 
rich  and  consists  of  a  black,  vegetable  mould, 
intermixed  with  small  cjuantities  of  clay, 
sand  or  gravel. 

Adjoining  these  prairies  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  county  are  the  burr  oak  lands. 
The  trees  are  small  and  scraggy.  The  soil 
is  composed  of  a  mixture  of  the 
earth  of  the  prairies  and  of  the  white  oak 
openings.  On  account  of  the  intermixture 
of  lime,  which  makes  up  a  considerable  pro- 
portion of  the  soil,  the  burr  oak  lands  are  ex- 
tremely productive,  and  are  regarded  by 
many  farmers  as  superior  to  all  other  classes 
•of  soil. 

The  so-called  ^^Barrens"  which  occupy  a 
small  portion  of  many  townships,  consists  of 
sandy  soil,  covered  with  stunted  trees  and 
vegetation.  The  soil  is  poor,  although  by 
the  use  of  fertilizers,  and  careful  husbandry, 
much  of  it  has  been  made  capable  of  raising 
crops    fairly    remunerative.      It    has    been 


found  that  these  lands  are  capable  of  raising 
certain  kinds  of  fruit,  and  in  this  way  much 
of  the  poorest  land  lying  near  Lake  Michi- 
gan has  been  made  highly  profitable. 

The  most  picturesque  feature  of  the  land- 
scape, as  it  was  presented  to  the  eye  of  the 
first  settler,  w^as  our  ''Oak  Openings.'' 
Dotted  over  the  county  were  extensive  for- 
ests of  large,  handsome  white  oak  trees, 
looking  like  stately  parks.  The  trees  were 
separated  at  some  distance  from  each  other, 
no  underbrush  grew  between  them,  and  a 
vehicle  could  pass  through  these  forests 
in  almost  every  direction  with  perfect  ease. 
The  trees  were  generally  large,  symmetrical 
and  branching,  and  might  fitly  be  called  the 
''Kings  of  the  Forest."  They  presented  a 
scene  of  exquisite  beauty  and  grandeur ;  and 
the  lover  of  nature,  grazing  at  these  majestic 
creations  of  God's  handiwork,  might  fitly 
exclaim  with  the  poet  Bryant : 

"The  groves  were  God's  first  temples." 

?ii         ^         Jfii         5{c         ;jc        >,i         3)^ 

"Father,  thy  hand 

Hath „  reared    these    venerable    columns;    thou    didst 

weave 
This  verdant  roof. 
Grandeur,  strength  and  grace, 
Are  here  to  speak  of  thee. 
Thou  mighty  Oak,  not  a  prince 
In  all  that  proud  old  world  beyond  the  deep 
E'er  wore  his  crown  as  loftily  as  he 
Wears  the  green  coronal  of  leaves  with  which 
Thy  hand  has  decked  him." 

The  county  is  well  watered  by  streams 
and  lakes.  The  principal  streams  are  the  St. 
Joseph  and  Paw  Paw  rivers,  and  the  follow- 
ing creeks :  The  Dowagiac,  the  Galien,  the 
Hickory  and  the  Pipestone.  The  St.  Joseph 
is  the  second  largest  river  in  the  state,  being 
one  hundred  and  seventy-five  miles  long. 
Its  width  varies  for  100  miles  from  its 
mouth,  from  300  to  400  feet.  It  rises  in  a 
small  lake  called  Baw  Beese,  in  Hillsdale 
county,  runs  in  a  northwesterly  direction 
into  Calhoun  county,  thence  southwesterly 
through  St.  Joseph  county  to  South  Bend, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Indiana,  where  it  bends  to  the  northward  and 
continues  in  a  northwesterly  direction  to  its 
mouth  at  St.  Joseph.  The  length  of  the  river 
from  the  point  where  it  crosses  the  state  hue 
to  its  mouth  is  55  miles.  Throughout  its 
whole  extent  it  runs  through  a  rich  and  fer- 
tile country.  The  current  is  generally  rapid. 
Its  high  and  picturesque  bluffs  often 
crowned  with  lofty  trees,  its  numerous  isl- 
ands, its  graceful  curves  and  meanderings 
and  its  rapid  current  moving  unceasingly  to 
mingle  its  waters  with  those  of  the  great 
lake  combine  to  render  the  St.  Joseph  a  most 
romantic  and  beautiful  stream,  always  pre- 
senting a  charming  landscape  to  the  eye  of 
the  artist. 

The  valley  of  the  St.  Joseph  was  once 
visited  by  the  great  novelist,  Fenimore 
Cooper,  and  in  his  story  of  the  "Oak  Open- 
ings" founded  upon  aboriginal  life  in  south- 
western Michigan,  he  refers  to  this  valley 
as  "a  region  that  almost  merits  the  lofty  ap- 
pellation of  the  garden  of  America." 

In  the  early  days  the  St.  Joseph  river 
played  an  important  part  in  the  business  and 
commerce  of  southwestern  Michigan  and 
northwestern  Indiana.  Boats  of  different 
kinds  were  constantly  plying  on  its  waters. 
Merchandise  from  the  east  was  brought 
through  the  Erie  canal  and  the  great  lakes, 
via  the  St.  Joseph  river  to  Niles,  South 
Bend,  jMishawaka  and  Elkhart  and  even  as 
far  east  as  White  Pigeon  and  Constantino. 
The  subject  of  the  early  navigation  of  the 
river  will  be  considered  hereafter. 

Two  dams  have  been  constructed  across 
the  river,  one  at  -Niles  and  one  at  Buchanan. 
Another,  at  Berrien  Springs,  is  contem- 
plated. The  river  is  crossed  by  thirteen 
bridges,  viz. :  one  at  Bertrand.  five  at  Niles, 
one  at  Buchanan,  two  at  Berrien  Springs, 
one  between  Royalton  and  Sodus  townships, 
one  between  St.  Joseph  and  Benton  Harbor, 
and  two  in  the  city  and  township  of  St. 
Joseph.  Of  these,  two  at  Niles,  one  at  St. 
Joseph  and  one  at  Berrien  Springs  are  used 
exclusively  for  railroad  purposes.    The  long- 


est and  most  massive  structure  is  the  one 
recently  constructed  by  the  Interurban  Com- 
pany at  Berrien  Springs,  which  will  be 
described  later. 

I .  quote  the  following  verses  upon  St. 
Joseph  river  from  a  volume  of  poems  writ- 
ten by  Ben.  F.  King,  Jr.,  a  gifted  musician 
and  writer,  who  was  born  and  grew  to  man- 
hood at  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  and  died  in 
1894. 

''When  the  bumble  bee  sips^  and  the  clover  is  red, 
And  the  zephyrs   come   laden  with  peach  blow  per- 
fumes, 
When  the  thistle  dow^i  pauses  in  search  of  the  rose, 
And  the  myrtle  and  woodbine  and  wild  ivy  grows, 
When  the  cat-bird  pipes  up  and  it  seems  most  divine, 
Off  there  in  the  branches  of  some  lonely  pine, 
Oh,  give  me  the  spot  that  I  once  used  to  know 
By  the  side  of  the  placid  old  river  St.  Joe." 

"When  the  tall  grasses  nod  at  the  close  of  the  day, 
And  the   sycamore's   shadow   is  stealing  awMy — 
When  the   wdiip-poor-wdll   chants   from  a  far  distant 

limb, 
Just  as  if  the  whole  business  was  all  made  for  him, 
Oh !   it's  now  that  my  thoughts,  Rying  back  on  the 

wings 
Of  the  rail  and  the  die-away  song  that  he  sings 
Brings  the  tears  to  my  eyes  that  drip  off  into  rhyme 
And  I  live  once  again  in  the  old  summer  time, 
For  my  soul,  it  seems  caughi  in  old  time's  under-tow 
And  I  am  floating  away  down  the  river  St.  Joe." 

The  Paw  Paw  river  rises  in  Van  Buren 
county  and  flows  southwesterly  till  it 
empties  into  the  St.  Joseph  river  about 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  above  the  mouth  of 
the  latter.  It  has  furnished  an  excellent 
water  power  for  many  mills.  The  largest 
lumber  mill  in  the  county  during  the  timber 
period,  was  located  upon  this  stream  at  the 
village  of  Watervliet.  Keel  boats  were  used 
upon  the  Paw  Paw  in  the  early  days  and  ran 
as  far  as  Paw^  Paw  village. 

The  Dow^agiac  is  an  important  stream. 
It  rises  in  Cass  county,  runs  through  the  city 
of  Dowagiac  and  empties  into  the  St.  Joseph, 
at  the  northern  boundary  of  the  city  of 
Niles.  It  has  furnished  w^ater  power  for 
numerous  mills  and  factories.     Its  wddth  at 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


its  mouth  is  about  75  feet.  It  is  noted  for 
its  meandering  channel,  its  rapid  current, 
high  bluffs  and  great  natural  beauty. 

The  following  charming  verses  on  Dowa- 
giac  creek,  written  by  Mrs.  Lena  Lardner 
of  Niles,  are  taken  from  her  volume  of 
poems  and  tales  entitled  'This  Spray  of 
Western  Pine.'' 

'Tortuous  and  clear  thou  flowest  on,  fair  streamlet, 
Unheeded    by   the    city's   busy   throng; 
Yet  art  thou  beautiful  as  storied  river 
And  should  inspire  a  worthier  poet's  song. 

*'Thou  flowest  swiftly  through  the   farm  and  w^ood- 

land, 
And  all  along  thy  banks,  sweet  nooks  are  found, 
Where  lured  by  Nature,  weary  man  may  ponder 
Over  thy  wondrous  gifts  to  sight  and  sound. 

"Thy  murmuring  ripples  in  our  tongue  translated 
Might  tell  of  dusky  maidens'  bliss  and  woe, 
Of  savage  rivals  striving  in  these  waters. 
Which  closed  above  them  many  years  ago. 

'The  red  man  named  thee  and  the  red  man  loved  thee, 
In  light  canoe  he  skimmed  thy  surface  free; 
But  driven  Westward,  toward  the  reddening  sunset, 
Left  thee  to  man  less  picturesque  than  he." 

Pipestone  creek  enters  the  St.  Joseph 
about  seven  miles  from  its  mouth  on  its  left 
bank.  In  the  early  settlement,  its  width  at 
this  point  was  100  feet. 

The  Galien  river  is  formed  by  several 
streams  which  unite  their  waters  in  the 
southern  part  of  Berrien  county,  emptying 
into  Lake  Michigan  at  New  Buffalo.  This 
stream  with  its  various  branches,  flows 
through  a  region  originally  covered  with  im- 
mense forests  of  valuable  timber.  Formerly 
numerous  lumber  mills  doing  an  extensive 
business  were  located  on  this  stream. 

To  these  creeks  may  be  added  the  Hick- 
ory, which  empties  into  the  St.  Joseph 
about  two  miles  southeast  of  the  city  of  St. 
Joseph,  and  McCoy's  creek  which  empties 
into  the  St.  Joseph  at  Buchanan.  Several 
factories  are  located  on  the  latter  stream. 

When  the  early  settlers  arrived,  the 
streams  and  lakes  swarmed  with  fish; 
prairie     chickens     were    abundant     on    the 


prairies,  duck  in  the  marshes,  and  partridge, 
quail,  wild  turkey  and  other  wild  game  in 
the  forests.  Pigeons  came  in  immense 
flocks,  and  deer  were  plentiful.  Nature, 
with  the  indulgence  of  a  kind  mother,  fur- 
nished the  pioneer,  poorly  equipped  and 
plunging  generally  into  an  unbroken  wilder- 
ness, with  abundance  of  health-giving  food. 
Other  animals  furnished  both  pastime  and 
profit  to  the  hunter  and  trapper.  The  wolf, 
bear,  fox,  panther,  and  also  fur  bearing 
animals  such  as  the  wolverine,  muskrat, 
raccoon,  beaver,  otter,  mink  and  marten 
were  common.  Our  state  has  been  called  the 
''Wolverine  State"  from  the  fact  that  wol- 
verines were  abundant  in  the  pioneer  period 
throughout  the  whole  territory.  It  was  one 
of  the  largest  fur-bearing  animals  and  was 
really  an  uncommonly  large,  clumsy  and 
shaggy  marten.  Its  fur  was  very  valuable. 
It  was  bear-like  in  form,  and  of  a  deep, 
blackish-brown  color.  It  had  great  strength, 
and  extraordinary  cunning,  being  regarded 
by  the  Indians  and  trappers  as  a  notorious 
and-  successful  thief. 

The  most  remarkable  of  all  the  animals 
named  was  the  beaver.  The  fur  of  this  ani- 
mal is  extremely  valuable  and  was  formerly 
the  staple  of  the  fur  trade  in  the  northwest. 
In  the  year  1829  no  less  than  100,000  beaver 
skins  were  exported  to  Europe  from  the  ter- 
ritory of  Michigan.  When  the  early  settler 
came  to  Michigan,  picturesque  beaver  huts 
and  dams  constructed  upon  ponds  and 
streams  in  wooded  districts  were  numerous. 
The  average  length  of  the  beaver  was  two 
feet  and  its  weight  about  35  pounds.  Their 
houses  were  constructed  of  eartli,  stones  and 
sticks.  The  w^alls  of  these  houses  were  :\hnnt 
about  two  feet  thick,  and  surmoiuited  by  a 
dome  generally  rising  about  four  feet  above 
them.  The  entrance  was  ahvays  at  least 
three  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  water. 
Their  homes  were  often  permanent.  Their 
food  consisted  of  the  bark  and  tender 
branches  of  trees.  In  the  summer  they  pro- 
vided for  their  winter  subsistence  by  piling 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


a  large  heap  of  the  bark  and  branches  of 
trees  under  the  water,  adjacent  to  their  habi- 
tation. In  order  to  give  them  sufficient 
depth  of  water  to  give  clear  ingress  to  their 
homes  and  to  afford  room  for  the  winter 
storage  of  provisions,  they  constructed  dams 
across  the  stream  upon  whose  bank  they  had 
located.  For  this  purpose  they  gnawed  down 
trees  sometimes  two  or  three  feet  in  diam- 
eter, dragged  or  floated  them  to  the  spot  and 
laid  them  lengthwise  across  the  current.  To 
these  they  added  stones,  roots,  sod  and  mud 
to  keep  them  in  place.  By  constant  repairs 
they  often  succeeded  in  forming  a  solid  bank 
capable  of  resisting  a  great  force  of  water 


and  ice.  They  also  constructed  canals  into 
the  woods  from  the  streams,  by  means  of 
which  they  could  float  down  the  trees  and 
other  material  to  the  dam  and  bark  and 
branches  to  their  habitation. 

Inland  lakes  of  clear  water  were  com- 
mon throughout  the  county.  The  largest  of 
these  lakes  is  Paw  Paw  lake,  which  is  about 
four  miles  long.  This  lake  has  become  a 
leading  resort  in  the  summer  time.  It  is  es- 
timated that  during  the  summer  of  1905, 
there  were  about  5,000  people  residing  in 
cottages  and  boarding  at  the  hotels  during 
most  of  the  season,  and  30,000  resorters  in 
ah. 


CHAPTER    II 


THE    ABORIGINES  AND  EA  RLY  FRENCH  OCCUPATION. 


Not  grand  or  famous,  but  with  pride 

It  makes  our  senses  quiver; 
Dearer  than  any  stream  beside 
Is  our   St.   Joseph  River. 

It  bore  the  red  man's  light  canoe 

Which  brought  the  Fathers  saintly ; 

They  preached  the  cross  with  courage  true 
Not  fearfully,  nor  faintly. 

A  mound  beside  it  markes  the  place 

Where  Father  Alouez  lieth. 
God  to  his  servants  granted  grace, 

As  the  church  testifieth. 

Their   dark-browed  converts   journeyed   on 
To  where  the   sun  is   setting; 

The  pale-face  these  fair  scenes  had  won, 
Useless  was  all  regretting. 


And  sturdy  men  with  foresight  keen 
Prepared  their  humble  dwelling; 

Their  brave   wives  toiled  with  brow   serene 
No  tale  of  hardship  telling. 

Now   glides  the   stream   by  pleasant  homes, 
And  thro'  the  tangled  wildwood; 

As  by  its  banks  we  stand  there  comes 
Fond  memory  of  childhood. 

The  pioneers  have  "crossed  the  bar" 
And  now   their  sons  and  daughters, 

Neath  morning  sun  and  evening  star. 
Row  on  its  rippling  waters. 

It  seems  to  murmur  "On  I  flow 
Tho'  human  ties  must  sever; 
"For  men  may  come  and  men  may  go 
But  I  go  on  forever." 

Lena  B.  Lardner. 


The  lower  peninsula  of  Michigan,  when 
the  French  missionaries  first  entered  the  ter- 
ritory, was  occupied  by  Ottawas,  O  jib  ways, 
or  Chippewas,  Miamis,  Pottawatomies  and 
Hurons  or  Wyandots.  The  St.  Joseph  val- 
ley was  then  mainly  inhabited  by  the  Mi- 
amis,  wdiose  possession  however  was  short. 
According  to  tradition  the  Pottaw^atomies 
formerly  occupied  a  large  portion  of  the 
lower  peninsula,  but  toward  the  latter  part 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  were  driven  by 
other  tribes  north  and  westerly  to  the  region 
of  Green  Bay.  About  the  year  1705  they 
were  permitted  to  return  south  under  the 
protection  of  the  French.    A  portion  of  them 


migrated  to  the  region  of  Chicago  but  the 
larger  portion  returned  to  southern  Michi- 
gan and  northern  Indiana.  The  St.  Joseph 
valley  became  the  favorite  habitation  of 
this  portion  of  the  tribe  and  the  villages  of 
the  Pottawatomies  along  or  near  the  bank 
of  St.  Joseph  river  were  numerous  when  the 
pioneers  first  settled  Berrien  county. 

The  early  settlers  regarded  the  Potta- 
watomies as  peaceable,  compared  with  other 
Indian  tribes.  This  may,  however,  have 
been  attributable  to  previous  contact  for 
many  years  w^ith  French  missionaries  and 
traders,  and  especially  to  the  fact  that  many 
of  them  had  been  converted,  through  the  la- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


bors  of  French  Catholic  priests,  to  Chris- 
tianity. 

They  inherited  and  preserved,  however, 
in  the  main,  the  general  physical  and  mental 
traits  of  the  Algoncjuin  family  to  which  they 
belonged.  A  hard  and  stern  physiognomy 
characterized  all  their  movements,  being 
stoical  in  their  nature  and  trained  to  exhibit 
no  emotion  of  joy  or  grief.  They  were 
naturally  brave,  and  proud,  and  a  savage  love 
of  individual  liberty  and  hatred  of  all  re- 
straint w^ere  prominent  in  their  character. 
Their  powers  of  perception  and  observation, 
W'ithin  the  range  of  their  experience,  were  re- 
markably acute,  while  their  reasoning  pow- 
ers were  correspondingly  weak. 

The  squaws  generally  did  the  work, 
planting  the  corn,  cultivating  and  harvest- 
ing it,  dressing  the  skins,  getting  the  w^ood, 
doing  the  camp  work  and  gathering  rushes 
to  weave  into  mats.  Most  of  the  Indians 
had  ponies  and  dogs.  The  ponies  were  ob- 
tained from  the  spoils  of  Braddock's  defeat 

in  1755- 

The  following  description  of  the  wearing 
apparel  and  general  outfit  of  the  Pottawa- 
tomies  is  taken  from  an  article  by  A.  B. 
Copley  in  the  Alichigan  Pioneer  and  Histor- 
ical Collections. 

'^The  squaws  were  usually  dressed  in 
blue  broadcloth  leggins  with  fringes  per- 
haps one  and  a  half  inches  wide  on  the  out- 
side of  either  limb;  a  blue  figured  domestic 
calico  short  gown,  over  which  w^as  worn  a 
blanket.  On  their  feet  they  wore  mocca- 
sins of  dressed  deer  skin.  The  blanket  was 
supported  by  a"  belt  at  times,  especially  if 
there  w^as  a  pappoose  a  year  or  two  old,  who 
rode  on  the  back  of  the  mother  inside  the 
blanket.  If  the  child  was  young,  it  was 
strapped  to  a  board  and  hung  on  the  back 
by  a  belt  over  the  mother's  forehead.  The 
hair  was  wound  up  on  a  chip  about  two 
inches  square  and  fastened  just  back  of  the 
head;  another  style  was  braided  and  hang- 
ing down  the  back.  If  the  weather  was  in- 
clement,  the  blanket  was  brought  up  over 


the  head,  otherwise  there  was  no  head  cov- 
ering. The  carrying  strap  w^as  an  indispen- 
sable article  of  female  use;  it  consisted  of  a 
leather  4  to  6  feet  in  length,  2  inches  broad 
in  the  centre  where  it  crossed  the  forehead, 
the  rest  being  about  an  inch  in  width — for 
convenience  in  tying  up  the  pack  of  goods 
or  utensils  to  be  moved. 

*^The  Indian  men  wore  leggins,  mocca- 
sins, a  calico  shirt  generally  of  a  lighter 
color;  the  blankets  were  generally  light 
colored,  the  fringes  consisting  of  the  colored 
border  seen  on  Mackinac  blankets.  A 
blanket  was  belted  at  the  waist  and  worn 
loose  over  the  shoulders.  In  the  belt  was 
carried  a  knife,  (protected  by  a  leather 
sheath)  and  a  small  axe  or  tomahawk,  while 
depending  from  the  right  shoulder  hung  on 
the  left  side,  the  powder  horn  and  charger 
and  bullet  pouch  containing  bullets,  bullet 
molds,  bullet  starter,  patch  cloth  and  extra 
flints,  for  flint  locks  were  in  common  use, 
and  any  other  needed  extras  for  the  chase, 
also  not  forgetting  the  pipe  and  tobacco.  On 
the  head  was  almost  invarial)ly  worn  a  large 
colored  cotton  handkerchief  w-rapped  around 
in  somewhat  of  a  turban  style.  This  dress, 
with  a  rifle  across  the  shoulder,  the  lock  of 
which  was  protected  from  dampness  by  a 
fox  squirrel  skin,  completed  the  costume. 
Sometimes  a  feather  or  two  was  added,  es- 
pecially if  the  party  was  high  in  rank." 

The  Pottawatomies,  Chippewas  and 
Ottawas,  were  evidently  at  one  time  one  peo- 
ple. Mr.  Schoolcraft,  whose  intimate 
knowledge  of  the  Indian  tribes  of  Michigan 
entitles  his  opinion  to  great  weight,  states 
that  this  is  indicated  ''from  their  general  re- 
semblance in  person,  manners,  customs  and 
dress,  but  above  all,  by  their  having  one 
council  fire  and  speaking  one  language." 

At  the  treaty  of  Chicago  in  1821,  an  Ot- 
tawa chief  said  'The  Chippewas,  the  Pot- 
tawatomies and  the  Ottawas  were  originally 
one  nation.  We  separated  from  each  other 
near  Mackinac." 

A  chief  of  the  Chippewas  following  said : 


8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


''My  brethren,  you  have  heard  the  man  who 
has  just  spoken.  We  are  ah  descended  from 
the  same  stock.  The  Pottawatomies  and 
the  Chippewas,  we  consider  ourselves  as 
one." 

These  three  tribes  were  not  only  closely 
related  in  l)lood,  language  and  customs  but 
were  bound  by  a  compact  to  support  each 
other  in  peace  and  war.  The  Pottawatomies 
were  divided  into  two  bands  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  1 8th  century,  one  being  known  as 
the  ''Pottawatomies  of  the  Woods"  (those 
of  Michigan  and  Northern  Wisconsin)  and 
the  other  as  the  ''Pottawatomies  of  the 
Prairies"   (those  of  Illinois). 

Unlike  other  Indian  races,  the  Potta- 
watomies were  not  divided  into  separate 
tribes,  but  their  different  bands  moved  sep- 
arate or  united  according  to  the  abundance 
or  scarcity  of  game  or  the  emergencies  of 
war.  The  name  Pottawatomie  signifies  "We 
are  making  a  fire." 

The  first  mention  which  is  made  of  the 
Pottawatomies,  is  to  be  found  in  the  "Jesuit 
Relations."  This  is  a  work  of  73  volumes 
edited  by  the  learned  antiquarian,  Reuben 
G.  Thwaites  of  Madison,  Wisconsin,  and 
consists  mainly  of  correspondence  and  jour- 
nals of  the  French  priests  in  North  America 
during  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  cen- 
turies. 

In  the  journal  of  Father  Allouez,  pre- 
served in  the  Jesuit  Relations,  and  written  in 
1666,  he  says  that  "the  Pottawatomies  are 
a  people  whose  country  is  about  the  lake 
Ill-'i-mouch   (Michigan). 

"They  are  a  warlike  people,  hunters  and 
fishers.  Their  country  is  good  for  Indian 
corn  of  which  they  plant  fields,  and  to  which 
they  repair  to  avoid  the  famines  that  are  too 
frequent  in  these  quarters.  They  are  in  the 
highest  degree  idolaters,  attached  to  ridicu- 
lous fables,  and  devoted  to  polygamy. 

"Of  all  the  people  that  I  have  associated 
with  in  these  countries  they  are  the  most  do- 
cile and  affectionate  toward  the  French." 

The  Pottawatomies  at  this  time  did  not 


reside  in  the  St.  Joseph  valley,  but  in  the 
region  of  Green  Bay  and  on  the  northwest- 
ern coast  of  Lake  Michigan.  It  appears 
from  a  letter  written  by  Pere  Daublon,  a 
French  missionary  from  the  mission  at 
Green  Bay,  in  1670,  that  the  Pottawatomies 
had  formerly  occupied  a  good  portion  of  the 
southern  peninsula  of  Michigan,  but  that 
about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century 
they  had  been  forced  to  fly  northward  on 
account  of  the  frequent  incursions  of  the 
Iroquois. 

The  Iroquois,  originally  consisting  of 
the  "five  nations,"  the  Mohawk,  the  Senecas, 
the  Oneidas,  the  Cayugas  and  the  Onon- 
dagas,  was  the  most  intellectual  and  power- 
ful of  all  the  Indian  races  in  America  and  had 
their  headquarters  in  the  state  of  New  York. 
Owing  to  a  blunder  of  Champlain  wdio  allied 
himself  with  the  Hurons,  a  bitter  enemy  of 
the  Iroquois,  early  in  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, the  Iroquois,  became  the  deadly  enemy 
of  the  French  and  the  constant  friend  of  the 
English.  This  fact  had  a  most  important 
bearing  on  the  whole  history  of  North 
America.  It  is  the  opinion  of  leading  histo- 
rians that  the  powerful  aid  of  the  Iroquois 
to  the  English:  during  the  whole  colonial 
period,  decided  the  downfall  of  French  dom- 
ination in  North  America,  or  at  least  mate- 
rially hastened  it. 

The  western  tribes  belonging  to  the  Al- 
gonquin family,  on  the  contrary,  were  gen- 
erally allied  to  the  French,  but  they  were 
weaker  than  the  Iroquois,  who  kept  them  in 
constant  fear  and  partial  subjugation. 
Among  these  western  tril3es,  none  were  more 
devoted  to  the  French  than  the  Pottawato- 
mies. 

Their  religion,  before  conversion  to 
Christianity,  was  dreamy  and  oliscure.  Like 
all  of  the  Indian  races,  they  endowed  all 
Nature  with  divine  attributes.  Every 
stream  and  lake  was  the  embodiment  of  a 
supernatural  power.  The  sun  was  a  god  and 
the  moon  a  goddess.  Hence  their  religious 
belief  was  essentially  pantheistic.     They  ap- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


pear  to  have  had  a  species  of  beUef  in  the  ex- 
istence of  a  good  spirit  who  was  lord  of  aU, 
ahhough  any  conception  of  the  nature  and 
attril)utes  of  this  spirit  w^as  extremely  ob- 
scure. The  same  obscure  belief  existed  as  to 
a  ];)ad  spirit. 

It  was  a  tradition  among  them  that  the 
souls  of  the  departed  are  obliged  on  their 
way  to  the  great  prairie,  to  cross  a  large 
stream  over  which  a  log  is  placed 
l3Ut  that  this  is  in  such  constant  agi- 
tation that  none  but  the  spirits  of  good  men 
can  pass  over  in  safety,  while  those  of  the 
bad  slip  from  the  log  into  the  w^ater  and  are 
never  after  heard  of. 

Major  Long  in  his  report  of  his  expedi- 
tion among  the  Indians  in  1823,  states  that 
the  Pottawatomies  then  numbered  about 
3,000  and  that  their  musical  instruments 
consisted  solely  of  a  drum,  a  rattle  and  a  kind 
of  flageolet.  He  further  says  that  they  were 
for  the  most  part  well  proportioned,  about 
five  feet  eight  inches  high,  possessed  of 
much  muscular  strength  in  the  arm,  but 
rather  weak  in  the  back,  with  a  strong  neck, 
endow^ed  with  considerable  agility. 

Until  late  in  the  seventeenth  century  these 
Indians  w^ere  the  sole  occupants  of  the  St. 
Joseph  valley.  The  first  wdiite  men  to  pen- 
etrate the  wilderness  were  undoubtedly  the 
runners  for  French  traders  of  Quebec  and 
^Montreal,  engaged  in  the  fur  trade.  They 
were  called  ''coureurs  des  bois"  or  ''run- 
ners of  the  w^oods;"  and  came  in  advance 
of  the  missionaries  or  soldiers.  That  innate 
courtesy,  tact  and  power  of  adaptation  wdiich 
have  characterized  the  French  race  beyond 
all  other  races,  were  inherent  in  these  French 
runners,  and  at  once  attracted  the  friendship 
of  the  western  Indians.  A  natural  alliance 
grew  up  between  the  Frenchmen  and  the 
western  Indians  w4iich  was  strengthened  by 
intermarriage  Ijetween  French  men  and  In- 
dian women,  and  which  was  never  broken. 

But  the  advent  of  the  French  race  into 
the  wilds  of  the  West  was  destined  to  be  suc- 
ceeded bv  a  French  occupation  much  more 


important  than  the  visits  of  the  French 
'^coureurs  des  bois."  The  Court  of  Ver- 
sailles, having  gained  possession  of  Canada, 
was  now  engaged  in  a  dream  of  conquest, 
embracing  a  vast  continent.  While  the  Eng- 
lish colonists  remained  contented  with  the 
possessions  of  a  narrow  belt  of  territory 
along  the  Atlantic  coast,  the  French  were 
now  determined  to  occupy  that  vast  territory 
which  lay  between  the  Alleghanies  and  the 
Mississippi  and  between  the  lakes  and  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  This  plan  of  conquest  was 
rapidly  developed,  and  by  the  close  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  nearly  all  this  region 
had  l:een  formally  taken  possession  of 
by  the  French  with  little  opposition 
from  the  Indians,  and  dotted  over  with 
frequent  military  posts.  In  this  occu- 
pation, explorers,  missionaries  and  sol- 
diers joined.  The  desire  to  make  this  ter- 
ritory a  New  France  and  to  convert  the  In- 
dian to  Christianity  went  hand  in  hand. 
Every  missionary  became  an  explorer,  and 
every  fort  was  at  once  followed  by  a  mission. 
In  this  crusade,  the  same  tact,  and  power 
of  adaptation  which  attracted  the  Indian  to 
the  "coureurs  des  bois"  secured  his  friend- 
ship for  the  explorer,  the  missionary  and  the 
soldier.  No  cruelties,  such  as  marked  the 
conquests  of  the  Spaniard  in  l)oth  North  and 
South  America,  attended  the  peaceful  mis- 
sion of  the  French.  Everywhere  they 
treated  the  Indian  wath  kindness  and  for- 
bearance. In  their  labors  for  the  good  of 
the  Indian  race,  the  Catholic  priests  en- 
dured all  manner  of  privation  and  suffering 
and  displayed  a  fortitude  and  heroism  which 
have  never  been  surpassed.  The  main  idea 
which  possessed  the  minds  of  the  French 
priests  appears  to  have  been  to  Christianize 
and  civilize  the  Indian  races  and  leave  them 
in  the  possession  of  the  lands  which  they  oc- 
cupied. They  did  not  favor  any  considerable 
cession  of  lands  by  the  Indians  to  the  white 
man,  nor  any  extensive  schemes  of  coloniza- 
tion. Their  scheme  contemplated  the  build- 
ing up   of   the   Indian  tribes   into   civilized 


10 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


communities  owing  allegiance  to  the  French 
government,  but  preserving  their  lands  and 
property  rights.  In  this,  they  were  destined 
to  be  disappointed  by  the  British  conquest 
and  the  subsequent  policy  of  the  American 
government,  which  wa&  essentially  hostile 
to  the  Indian  races  east  of  the  Mississippi. 

Michigan  was  the  first  territory  entered 
under  the  banner  of  New  France  and  the 
Cross.     In  1668  Father  Marquette,  a  man 
of  extraordinary  ability  and  of  scientific  at- 
tainments,   established   the   first   permanent 
mission  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie.     Here  in  1671 
formal  possession  was  taken  of  the  upper 
lake  region  in  the  name  of  Louis  XIV,  by 
St.  Lusson,  a  military  leader,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  an  immense  concourse  of  the  chiefs 
of     the     Pottawatomies,     Sauks,     Miamis, 
Winnebagoes,  Menomonies,  and  nine  other 
tribes.      Father  Allouez,   another   leader  in 
missionary  work,  addressed  the  Indians  at 
some    lengthy    describing    the    greatness    of 
France  and   of  its   monarch  whom   he   de- 
scribed as  the  chief  of  the  greatest  chiefs. 
The  savages,  moved  by  his  eloquence,  yelled 
out  their  approval  and  the  alliance  was  com- 
plete.    In  the  same  year,  1671,  Father  Mar- 
quette established  a  settlement  and  flourish- 
ing mission  on  Mackinac  Island.     A  strong 
fortress  was  at  once  erected  by  the  French, 
and  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  it  was 
the   chief   center   of   the   fur   trade  of   the 
Northwest.      In     1673,    Louis    Joliet    and 
Father  Marquette  commenced  their  memor- 
able  exploration  of  the   River   Mississippi, 
which  they  descended  as  far  as  the  mouth 
of  the  Arkansas.     It  seems  to  be  regarded 
as  highly  probable  that  Father  Marquette  on 
his  final  return  from  missions  which  he  and 
Joliet  had  established  in  the  country  of  the 
Illinois,  came  back  by  way  of  the  Kankakee 
river,  crossed  over  the  portage  between  the 
Kankakee    and    St.    Joseph,    and   then   de- 
scended the  St.  Joseph  to  Lake  Michigan. 
But  this  fact  is  rather  to  be  inferred  than 
established,  and  the  first  authentic  and  de- 
tailed account  of  the  visit  of  white  men  to 


Berrien  county  is  the  narrative  of  La  Salle's- 
explorations  on  his  way  to  the  Mississippi. 

Leaving  Montreal  in  the  month  of  Octo- 
ber, 1679,  this  intrepid  explorer,  with  a  band 
of  soldiers  and  artisans  and  four  priests,  ar- 
rived at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  river 
on  November  i,  1679.  This  river  he  desig- 
nated the  river  of  the  Miamis,  the  name  of 
the  Indian  tribe  which  then  occupied  this 
part  of  the. St.  Joseph  valley. 

While  waiting  at  the  mouth  of  the  river 
for  the  arrival  of  a  large  vessel,  which  he 
had  ordered  to  meet  him  at  this  point,  he 
constructed  a  fort  at  or  near  the  mouth  of 
the  river.  This  fort  was  called  Fort  Miami 
and  was  located  on  the  bluff  of  the  river  near 
the  intersections  of  what  are  now  known 
as  Front  and  Broad  streets,  St.  Joseph, 
Michigan.  The  river  then  emptied  into  Lake 
Michigan  about  700  feet  farther  south  than 
now,  the  channel  having  been  changed  by 
the  U.  S.  Government.  The  spot  where  La 
Salle  landed  and  established  his  fort  is 
marked  by  a  monument  of  large,  glacial 
boulders,  erected  a  few  years  since  by  the 
ladies  of  the  St.  Joseph  Chapter  of  the 
''Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution." 

The  subsequent  history  of  the  fort  is 
merged  in  obscurity.  How  long  this  fort 
existed,  or  wdiat  was  its  subsequent  fate, 
does  not  appear  in  any  authentic  account  or 
record. 

After  waiting  several  weeks  in  vain  for 
the  Griffin,  from  wdiich  he  heard  no  tidings, 
La  Salle  determined  to  press  forward.  On 
the  3rd  day  of  December,  1679,  he  and  his 
party  consisting  of  33  persons,  embarked 
upon  the  St.  Joseph  river  in  eight  canoes. 
Through  the  aid  of  some  friendly  Indians, 
La  Salle  learned  that  near  the  present  site  of 
South  Bend,  there  was  a  portage  of  about 
five  miles  from  the  St.  Joseph  river 
to  the  Kankakee,  the  head  waters 
of  the  Illinois.  Disembarking  at  this 
point  the  party  carried  their  canoes 
to  the  Kankakee,  and  descended  to  the  Illi- 
nois.    Owing  to  difficulties  w^hich  La  Salle 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


II 


encountered  in  Illinois  among  the  Indians 
and  his  own  men,  he  did  not  succeed  on  his 
first  expedition  in  exploring  the  Mississippi. 
Returning  to  Montreal,  he  organized  a  new 
expedition,  and  in  1681  he  succeeded  in  his 
great  design  and  opened  up  the  Mississippi 
valley  to  the  military  occupation  of  the 
French  government.  While  making  his  var- 
ious expeditions  and  returning  to  Montreal, 
he  frequently  spent  considerable  time  at 
Fort  Miami  in  recruiting  the  strength  of  his 
company  and  in  enlarging  the  fort.  A  fort 
known  as  Fort  St.  Joseph  was  subsequently 
built  by  the  French  at  another  point  on  the 
river. 

Writers  upon  the  history  of  Berrien 
county  have  been  confused  or  mistaken  as 
to  the  location  of  'Tort  St.  Joseph,"  They 
have  generally  either  entirely  ignored  the 
question  of  location  or  placed  it  at  the  mouth 
of  the  St.  Joseph  river.  This  arose  from  the 
fact  that  these  wTiters  did  not  have  access 
to  the  journals  and  correspondence  of  the 
early  French  missionaries  and  travelers.  It 
is  abundantly  established  by  these  journals 
and  correspondence  that  this  fort  was  located 
within  or  near  the  present  limits  of  the  city 
of  Niles. 

In  1 72 1,  the  celebrated  French  traveler, 
Charlevoix,  a  man  of  great  learning  and 
scientific  attainments,  made  an  extensive 
trip  through  North  America,  occupying  two 
years.  Among  his  travels  was  his  visit  to  the 
Fort  St.  Joseph  and  the  mission  adjoining. 

In  1744,  he  published  a  work  in  Paris 
entitled  ''Histoire  de  la  Nouvelle  France," 
and  also  a  journal  written  while  in  America 
and  addressed  to  the  Duchesse  de  Lesdi- 
quien. 

I  translate  from  a  letter  addressed  to  the 
Duchesse  de  Lesdiquien  and  headed  "Letter 
from  the  river  St.  Joseph,  this  i6th  Aug- 
ust, 1 72 1."    It  reads  as  follows: 

^'Eig-ht  days  ago  I  arrived  at  this  post 
where  we  have  a  mission  and  where  is  a 
commandant  with  a  little  garrison.  The 
house  of  the  commandant  which  is  a  small 


affair,  is  called  the  fort,  because  it  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  palisade  which  is  a  crude  af- 
fair. There  are,  however,  some  small  can- 
non, or  gun  swivels,  sufficient  to  prevent  a 
surprise  and  hold  the  savages  in  check.  In 
order  to  reach  the  fort,  one  ascends  it  (the 
river  St.  Joseph)  20  leagues  (French 
league  at  this  time  was  about  2.40  miles). 
We  have  here  two  villages  of  Indians,  one 
of  the  Miamis  and  the  other  of  the  Potta- 
watomies.  Both  are  for  the  greater  part 
Christians,  but  they  have  been  a  long  time 
without  pastors,  and  the  missionary  which 
has  been  sent  to  them  lately,  will  have  some- 
thing to  do  to  restore  to  them  the  exercise 
of  their  religion. 

''The  river  St.  Joseph  is  navigable  for 
80  leagues  and  in  the  20  leagues  that  I  as- 
cended in  order  to  reach  the  fort,  I  saw  only 
a  beautiful  country  crowned  with  trees  of 
great  height. 

'The  Pottawatomies  have  occupied  here 
successively  many  posts  and  occupy  them 
yet.  Their  village  is  on  the  same  side  as 
the  forts  and  upon  a  very  beautiful  plateau ; 
that  of  the  Miamis  is  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river." 

In  the  history  of  New  France  by  Charle- 
voix is  a  map,  entitled  ''Map  of  the  lakes  of 
Canada,"  of  the  date  1744.  On  this  map  the 
St.  Joseph  river  is  designated  correctly  and 
Fort  St.  Joseph  is  named  and  located  at 
about  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Niles. 
The  village  of  the  Miamis  is  located  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river  and  that  of  the  Potta- 
watomies together  with  the  Fort  on  the  west 
side  of  the  river.  The  Kankakee  river  is 
designated  as  "Teakiki,"  and  the  portage 
between  the  latter  river  and  St.  Joseph  is 
placed  a  few  mile  south  of  the  Fort.  The 
location  of  the  Fort  called  St.  Joseph  near 
Niles  is  further  established  by  the  line 
marked  out  by  the  English  military  authori- 
ties of  a  road  from  Detroit  to  the  Illinois 
river  in  1772,  fifty  years  later  than  the  date 
of  Charlevoix's  visit.  After  designating  the 
eastern  part  of  the  road  to  the  Kalamazoo 


12 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY. 


river,  the  road  from  thence  proceeds  as  fol- 
lows : 

To  Prairie  Roiide 't^o  miles 

To  Fort  St.  Joseph   75  miles 

To  Portage   12  miles 

From  carrying  place  to  Kankakee.   4  miles 
To  juncture  of  Kankakee  with  Illi- 
nois    150  miles 

A  fort  or  stockade  was  built  at  some 
time  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  but  at  what 
date  cannot  be  ascertained.  The  earth  works 
of  this  fortification  were  clearly  in  evidence 
when  the  first  settlers  came  and  for  some 
time  after.  Among  the  old  residents  of 
Niles  who  have  a  distinct  remembrance  of 
seeing  the  remains  of  the  fort  are  Ezekiel 
Denniston,  John  Hatfield,  A.  J.  Cleland  and 
George  S.  Hoppin. 

The  fort  was  built  on  the  brow  of  the 
first  bluff  on  the  river  south  of  the  dam  and 
on  the  w^est  side  of  the  South  Bend  road. 

The  exact  date  of  the  establishment  of 
Fort  St.  Joseph  cannot  be  ascertained.  It 
was  probably  established  at  about  the  same 
time  as  the  French  mission.  About  the  year 
1690  the  French  authorities  made  a  grant  of 
two  acres  of  land  to  the  Jesuit  fathers,  who 
at  once  established  a  mission  among  the  Mi- 
amis.  A  few  years  later  the  Pottawatomies, 
bv  the  aid  of  the  French,  also  settled  on  the 
St.  Joseph  river,  and  the  mission  embraced 
both  the  Miamis  and  the  Pottawatomies,  un- 
til the  former  moved  away.  The  mission 
appears  to  have  been  a  flourishing  one  and 
the  greater  part  of  the  Indians  w^ere  con- 
verted to  Christianity. 

It  appears  that  Father  Allouez,  one  of 
the  ablest  of  the  French  missionaries,  la- 
bored at  this  mission  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  seventeenth  century  and  subsequently 
Father  Aveneau. 

According  to  tradition  Father  Allouez 
•died  at  this  mission,  in  1690,  but  there  is  no 
authentic  record  of  this  fact.  Another  tra- 
dition is  that  Father  Aveneau  died  here  but 


this  tradition  is  not  supported  by  any  proof. 
One  of  the  French  missionaries  appears 
to  have  died  here^  and  a  wooden  cross  near 
the  site  of  the  Miami  village,  for  a  long  time 
marked  the  spot  of  his  burial,  but  what  his 
name  was  is  unknown. 

The  French  mission  at  Niles  was  con- 
tinued until  about  1759,  wdien  it  w^as  prac- 
tically abondoned.  No  church  was  again  es- 
tablished until  about  1830,  w^hen,  in  answer 
to  an  appeal  made  by  Pokagon,  a  leading 
chief  of  the  Pottawatomies  and  a  man  highly 
respected  by  the  early  settlers,  whose  village 
was  one  mile  west  of  Bertrand  village. 
Father  Badin  was  sent  to  the  Pottawatomies 
and  built  a  church  edifice  of  logs  near  Ber- 
trand. The  church  established  by  Father 
Badin  embraced  among  its  attendants  both 
whites  and  Indians. 

The  petition  of  Pokagon  to  the  Catholic 
bishop  is  thus  given.  *'My  father,  I  come 
again  to  implore  you  to  send  us  a  Black 
Robe  to  instruct  us  in  the  Word  of  God.  If 
you  have  no  care  for  us  old  men,  at  least 
have  pity  on  our  poor  children^  w^ho  are 
growing  up  as  we  have  lived,  in  ignorance 
and  vice.  We  still  preserve  the  manner  of 
prayer  as  taught  to  our  ancestors  by  the 
Black  Robe  who  formerly  resided  at  St. 
Joseph.  Morning  and  evening,  with  my  wafe 
and  children  w^e  pray  together  before  the 
crucifix.  On  Fridays  we  fast  according  to 
the  traditions  handed  down  by  our  fathers 
and  mothers,  for  w^e  ourselves  have  never 
seen  a  Black  Robe  at  St.  Joseph.  Listen  to 
the  prayers  which  he  taught  them,  and  see  if 
I  have  not  learned  them  correctly." 

It  is  related  that  Pokagon,  after  his  peti- 
tion had  been  presented,  fell  upon  his  knees, 
made  the  sign  of  the  Cross  and  recited  in  his 
own  language,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  Hail 
Mary,  the  Apostles'  Creed  and  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments. 

The  early  French  missions  among  the 
Indians  appear  to  have  been  successful  and 
productive  of  great  good.  A  large 
portion       of      the       Pottawatomies      was 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


13 


converted  to  Christianity  and  became  to  a 
considerable  degree  civilized  and  accus- 
tomed to  industrial  pursuits.  Between  the 
abandonment  of  these  missions  and  the  ap- 
peal of  Pokagon  referred  to,  a  decline  in  the 
condition  of  the  Pottawatomies  commenced. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury white  men  began  to  sell  liquors  to  the 
Indians  in  large  quantities.  A  passion  for 
strong  drink  seems  to  have  been  inherent  in 
the  race,  and  when  once  indulged  in,  the 
appetite  became  insatiable.  During  the 
French  occupation,  the  sale  of  liquors  to  the 
Indians  by  the  whites  was  carried  on,  but 
to  a  less  extent  than  subsequently. 

Th.Q  French  priests,  true  to  the  instincts 
of  their  race  which  despised  habits  of  in- 
toxication, and  to  the  precepts  of  their  re- 
ligion, were  remarkably  temperate  them- 
selves and  at  all  times  strenuously  en- 
deavored to  prevent  the  use  of  liquors  by 
the  Indians. 

It  appears  from  the  ''Jesuit  Relations" 
that  at  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, Father  Chardon  came  with  the  Potta- 
watomies from  the  region  of  Green  Bay 
to  the  valley  of  the  St.  Joseph,  and  was 
their  first  pastor  in  this  region.  Whether 
they  first  settled  at  the  mouth  of  the  river 
or  farther  up  does  not  appear.  A  mission, 
however,  was  established  at  an  early  date 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river.  This  mission 
embraced  not  only  Indians  but  Canadian 
French,  who  appear  to  have  had  a  colony  at 
this  point  for  many  years,  with  considerable 
numbers. 

Fatlier  Allouez  in  one  of  his  letters, 
states  that  the  Pottawatomies  procured  their 
liquors  from  Englishmen  to  the  east,  with 
wdiom  they  bartered  in  furs,  and  complains 
that  the  liquors  of  the  Englishmen  were 
much  stronger  and  more  baneful  in  their 
effects  than  those  of  the  French.  It  would 
appear  that  the  French  preferred  light 
wines,  while  the  English  preferred  whiskey. 

With  the  early  advent  of  the  American 
trader,  the  sale  of  liquors  to  the  Indians  be- 


came a  source  of  immense  profit.  The 
Pottawatomies  fell  an  easy  prey  to  their 
appetite  for  liquors,  and  passed  days  at  a 
time  in  a  state  of  gross  intoxication,  when 
they  were  unable  to  do  anything.  The  rapid 
deterioration  of  the  Pottawatomie  race,  be- 
fore their  final  removal  to  their  w^estern 
reservation  beyond  the  Mississippi,  may  be 
said  to  have  been  mainly  caused  by  the  rum 
traflfic  carried  on  by  white  men  who  were 
nominally  Christians. 

Returning  to  the  subject  of  the  French 
occupation,  it  may  be  said  that  the  fort 
upon  the  St.  Joseph  river,  remained  in  the 
possession  of  the  French  till  shortly  after 
the  year  1759.  In  that  year  occurred  one 
of  the  greatest  events  of  modern  history. 
Quebec,  the  great  stronghold  of  the  French 
in  America,  and  one  of  the  greatest  natural 
fortresses  in  the  world,  capitulated  to  the 
British  forces.  It  was  the  final  act  in  the 
great  drama  of  warfare  which  had  waged 
relentlessly  for  four  years  between  Great 
Britain  and  France  and  which  decided  what 
race  should  govern  the  destinies  of  the 
North  American  continent.  The  English 
race  prevailed.  The  French  flag  was  hauled 
down  from  every  fort  along  the  line  of  the 
great  lakes  and  rivers  of  the  west.  Among 
the  names  of  the  forts  which  are  recorded 
as  having  surrendered  to  the  British,  is  the 
fort  of  St.  Joseph  on  the  river  St.  Joseph. 

The  fort  was  destined  to  change  hands 
often.  In  1763,  the  conspiracy  of  the  great 
Indian  chief,  Pontiac,  whose  home  was 
on  the  Michigan  side  of  the  Detroit  river, 
was  at  its  height.  The  chieftain  had  visited 
the  Pottawatomies  and  inflamed  their  pas- 
sions against  the  English  colonist.  They 
enthusiastically  joined  the  great  conspiracy, 
now  embracing  nearly  all  the  leading  tribes 
of  the  west.  The  year  1763  was  a  dis- 
astrous one  for  the  English,  and  the  English 
colonist.  Fort  after  fort  surrendered  to 
the  Indians.  Among  them  was  Fort  St. 
Joseph.  A  band  of  Pottawatomies  sur- 
prised    the     English     commander,     Lieut. 


14 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Schlosser,  captured  the  fort  and  massacred 
nearly  all  the  soldiers.  The  fort  was  held 
by  the  Pottawatomies  for  about  two  years. 
Upon  the  failure  of  the  conspiracy  and  the 
submission  of  Pontiac,  the  fort  passed  back 
to  the  British. 

The  Pottawatomies  were  always  hostile 
to  the  English  colonist.  They  sided  with 
the  French  ag-ainst  the  British  in  the  colonial 
wars.  They  joined  with  Pontiac  in  his  great 
conspiracy  of  1763,  and  were  engaged  in 
many  massacres  of  the  colonists.  Their 
animosity  w^as  peculiarly  aroused  against 
the  latter.  In  the  war  of  the  Revolution, 
they  aided  the  British.  In  181 1,  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Tippecanoe  when  Gen.  Harrison  de- 
feated the  Indians,  300  Pottawatomies  were 
engaged,  and  fought  with  great  courage  and 
ferocity.  In  the  war  of  18 12,  under  the 
command  of  the  celebrated  Tecumseh,  they 
were  engaged  at  the  Battle  of  the  Raisin, 
and  also  in  the  battle  on  the  Thames,  where 
Tecumseh  was  killed.  The  terrible  massacre 
of  whites  at  Fort  Dearborn  (Chicago)  in 
August,  1 81 2,  was  committed  by  Potta- 
watomies. 

According  to  the  statement  of  E.  G. 
Mason,  in  an  essay  read  before  the  His- 
torical Society  of  Chicago,  professing  to  be 
based  on  authentic  records  found  in  the 
archives  of  the  Spanish  government  at  Mad- 
rid, a  singular  movement  was  made  in  1781 
by  the  Spaniards  who  then  claimed  title 
to  Louisiana,  Florida  and  all  of  the  United 
States  west  of  the  Mississippi.  In  that  year, 
a  Spanish  force  from  St.  Louis,  a  military 
outpost  of  Spain,  marched  to  the  St.  Joseph 
river,  captured  Fort  St.  Joseph,  hauled  down 
the  British  flag  and  raised  the  Spanish  flag. 
The  Spanish  troops  remained  but  a  few 
days,  but  destroyed  the  magazines  and  store 
houses,  gave  the  provisions  and  stores  to  the 
Indians,  and  returned  to  St.  Louis.  This 
happened  during  the  revolution  and  while 
France  and  Great  Britain  were  engaged 
in  war. 

The  design  of  Spain  at  that  time  was  to 


conquer  the  Northwest  Territory  and  sub- 
sequently  exchange   it   with    Great   Britain 
for  Gibraltar.     The  scheme  was  not  success- 
ful but  a  secret  alliance  was  soon  entered 
into  between  France  and  Spain,  the  object 
of  which  was  to  secure  for  France  the  pos- 
session of  the  Northwest  Territory,  and  for 
Spain  absolute  control  of  the  navigation  of 
the  Lower  Mississippi,  as  a  reward  or  pay- 
ment for  their  aid  to  the  colonists  in  their 
struggle  for  Independence.     This  object  was 
frustrated  by  the  masterly  sagacity  and  de- 
termination  of   three  great  men,   our   am- 
bassadors to  Europe,  Franklin,  Adams  and 
Jay,   who,   in   violation   of   the   instructions 
of  Congress  providing  that  they  should  first 
obtain  the  consent  of  our  ally,  the  French 
government,   before   making  a   treaty   with 
Great  Britain,   entered   into  a  secret  treaty 
with  the  British  government,  by  which  that 
government  ceded  to  the  United  States  all 
its  possessions  east  of  the  Mississippi  and 
south  of  Canada,  and  made  the  Mississippi 
river  the  western  boundary  of  the  United 
States.    The  French  officials  were  extremely 
angry  when  the  terms  of  this  treaty  were 
made   known,    but   opposition    was    useless, 
and    Congress,    although    mildly    censuring 
our  ambassadors,   ratified   their  action   and 
insisted    on    the    Mississippi    river    as    the 
western    boundary.      Thus    Michigan    was 
probably  preserved  by  the  action  of  Frank- 
lin, Adams  and  Jay  from  French  domination. 
These  men  were  fully  justified  in  making 
the  secret  treaty  with  Great  Britain.     The 
scheme  of  France  to  annex  the  wdiole  terri- 
tory west  of  the  AUeghanies  and  east  of  the 
Mississippi   was   extortionate,  and  attended 
with  conduct  of  the  greatest  duplicity  on  the 
part  of  the  French  ministry. 

Undoubtedly,  a  true  and  gallant  sym- 
pathy with  the  cause  of  the  colonies  actuated 
the  minds  of  La  Fayette  and  thousands  of 
freedom  loving  Frenchmen,  but  the  main 
motive  of  the  rulers  of  France  in  lending 
aid  to  the  colonies  was  not  a  philanthropic 
one,  but  a  desire  not  only  to  cripple  Great 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Britain,  but  to  restore  their  old  dominion 
and  acquire  supremacy  in  North  America. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  the  early  settlers, 
Topinabee  was  the  hereditary  and  ranking- 
chief  of  the  whole  Pottawatomie  nation  and 
seems  to  have  maintained  this  position  for  a 
period  of  over  forty  years,  commencing  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
His  village  at  the  time  of  the  first  pioneer 
settlement  was  located  on  the  Gitchell  farm 
and  tlie  farm  now^  occupied  by  Chester  Bad- 
ger, situated  about  three  miles  southwest  of 
Niles.  The  village  adjoined  a  lake  named 
after  the  chief^  which  was  originally  quite 
a  sheet  of  water,  but  which  was  subsequently 
crossed  by  the  Michigan  Central  railroad 
track  and  has  l:)een  drained.  Quantities  of 
Indian  relics  have  been  found  on  the  Gitchell 
and  Badger  farms,  consisting  of  tomahawks, 
arrow  heads,  Indian  calumets,  and  skinning 
stones  for  dressing  animals.  The  farm  of 
Mr.  Badger  has  been  named  after  the  Indian 
chief  and  is  called  ''Topinabee  Farm." 

Topinabee  in  his  prime,  was  regarded 
as  a  man  of  ability  and  a  brave  and  cunning 
warrior.  In  the  latter  part  of  his  life  he 
became  addicted  to  the  excessive  use  of 
liquors  and  died  from  the  effect  of  a  fall 
received  w4iile  in  a  state  of  gross  intoxica- 
tion. At  the  treaty  of  Chicago  in  182 1,  he 
was  advised  by  General  Cass  to  keep  sober 
so  as  to  secure  a  good  bargain  for  himself 
and  his  people.  His  reply  was  ''Father,  we 
do  not  care  for  the  lands,  nor  the  money,  nor 
the  goods.  What  we  want  is  whiskey.  Give 
us  whiskey." 

Pokagon  was  the  second  in  rank.  Tlis 
village  was  located  in  the  southern  part  of 
Bertrand  township,  about  one  mile  west  of 
the  village  of  Bertrand,  on  the  old  Chicago 
road.  He  w^as  a  man  of  talent,  strictly 
honest  and  true  to  his  word.  He  became  a 
convert  to  the  Catholic  faith  early  in  life 
through  the  efforts  of  Catholic  missionaries 
and  was  a  devout  and  consistent  member  of 
the  Church.  He  was  highly  respected  by 
the  early  settlers  and  a  total  abstainer  from 


all  intoxicating  drinks.  When  the  great 
body  of  the  Indians  went  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi in  1834,  he  preferred  to  remain  in 
Michigan.  He  removed  to  Silver  Creek 
township  in  Cass  county,  where  he  located 
upon  land  purchased  of  the  United  States 
government.  He  died  in  1841  and  his  body 
rests  in  a  vault  in  the  Catholic  Church  in 
Silver  Creek. 

Weesaw,  another  chief,  had  his  village 
on  the  south  side  of  the  St.  Joseph  river, 
about  two  miles  northwest  of  the  central 
part  of  Niles,  on  the  farm  now^  owned  by 
Mrs.  \\\  B.  Gray  and  her  daughter  Kate. 
Fie  was  regarded  as  the  war  chief  of  the 
tribe,  and  dressed  ostentatiously. 

He  was  tall,  dignified  and  of  commanding 
presence.  His  leggings  were  bordered  with 
little  bells,  his  head  adorned  by  a  brilliant 
turban  and  his  waist  bound  with  a  gorgeous 
sash.  Upon  his  breast  he  wore  a  huge  silver 
amulet  kept  very  bright  and  from  his  ears 
and  nose  hung  heavy  rings  of  silver.  He 
had  three  wives,  of  wdiom  the  favorite  was 
a  daughter  of  Topinabee,  designated  the 
Princess.  Whenever  Weesaw^  visited  the 
whites  with  his  wdves,  she  w^alked  next  to 
him  in  the  rear  and  the  others  followed  be- 
hind her.  Weesaw  was  killed  at  his  village 
in  a  drunken  row  w^th  his  son. 

Moccasin,  another  chief,  had  his  village 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  St.  Joseph  river  at 
a  place  still  known  as  "Moccasin  Bluff,"  and 
located  about  a  mile  north  of  Buchanan. 

TREATIES    WITH    THE    POTTAWATOMIES. 

Three  distinct  treaties  affecting  the  terri- 
tory now  included  within  the  limits  of  Ber- 
rien county,  w^ere  made  between  the  Indians 
and  the  United  States  government. 

The  first  treaty  was  made  by  the  govern- 
ment August  29,  1 82 1,  and  to  this  treaty, 
the  Ottawas,  Chippewas  and  Pottawatomies 
w^ere  parties.  By  this  treaty  all  that  part  of 
southwestern  Michigan  (including  territory 
which  is  now  embraced  with  the  limits  of 


i6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY. 


several  counties)  except  that  portion  of  Ber- 
rien county  which  Hes  between  the  St.  Jo- 
seph river  and  Lake  Michigan,  was  ceded 
to  the  government. 

The  second  treaty  w^as  made  between  the 
Pottawatomies  and  the  government  Septem- 
ber 28,  1828,  at  the  Carey  mission  house, 
located  about  a  mile  west  of  the  city  of 
Niles.  By  this  treaty  the  Pottawatomies 
ceded  to  the  government  all  that  part  of 
Berrien  county  lying  west  of  the  St.  Joseph 
river,  except  a  tract  of  land  lying  between 
the  river  and  a  direct  line  running  from  the 
state  line  in  the  southwest  corner  of 
Bertrand  township  to  the  river  in  section  12 
of  Buchanan  township.  This  tract  con- 
tained nearly  fifty  sections  and  included  all 
but  four  sections  of  the  present  township  of 
Bertrand  and  several  sections  in  Buchanan 
and  Niks  townships.  This  tract  was  subse- 
quently known  as  the  ''reservation''  and  con- 
tained the  choicest  lands  in  southern  Michi- 
gan. 

The  treaty  was  signed  at  the  Carey  mis- 
sion on  the  part  of  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment, by  Lewis  Cass,  governor  of  Michi- 
gan Territory  and  Pierre  Menard,  and  on 
the  part  of  the  Indians  by  Topinabee,  Poka- 
gon,  Weesaw  and  other  leading  men  of  the 
tribe. 

The  third  treaty  was  made  at  Chicago, 
September  26,  1833.  ^Y  ^his  treaty  the 
Pottawatomies  ceded  the  reservation  in  Ber- 
rien county  to  the  government,  receiving  in 
lieu  thereof  certain  lands  lying  west  of  the 
Mississippi.  Pokagon  and  his  band  refused 
to  sign  the  treaty  unless  they  were  allowed 
to  remain  in  Michigan.  This  request  was 
granted. 

In  the  treaty  of  1821  certain  individual 
reservations  and  grants  were  made  which 
were  not  disturbed  by  the  subsequent 
treaties.  To  John  Burnett  of  St.  Joseph,  a 
white  trader  from  New  Jersey  wdio  had 
had  married  an  Indian  wife^  was  reserved 
two  sections  of  land. 

To  the   children   of  John   Burnett   and 


Kawkeraee,  his  wife,  a  sister  of  Topinabee,, 
was  awarded  each  a  section. 

To  Madeleine  Bertrand,  a  Pattawatomie 
woman  and  wife  of  Joseph  Bertrand,  a 
French  trader  of  Bertrand,  one  section  of 
land  on  the  present  site  of  the  village  of 
Bertrand,  and  also  one-half  section  at  tlie 
portage  of  the  Kankakee  to  the  children  of 
Bertrand  and  wife. 

An  annuity  of  twenty-five  hundred  dol- 
lars was  provided  for  the  Pottawatomies. 

With  the  advent  of  the  early  American 
traders,  the  Indians  began  to  deteriorate. 
The  cause  has  been  stated  heretofore.  Se\- 
eral  years  before  their  removal  west,  most  of 
them  had  reached  a  sad  condition  of  poverty 
and  destitution.  Their  food  consisted  out- 
side of  the  wild  game,  almost  wholly  of  corn 
and  dried  beans. 

Their  immigration  westward  commenced 
in  1836,  but  considerable  numbers  remained 
later.  In  1840  under  the  management  of 
Alexis  Coquillard  of  South  Bend  2,000  of 
them  were  removed.  In  1843  the  re- 
mainder, except  Pokagon's  band,  left  their 
Michigan  home  for  their  new  home  beyond 
the  Mississippi. 

The  descendants  of  Pokagon  and  his 
band  are  still  living  in  Silver  Creek,  Cass 
county,  and  in  portions  of  Van  Buren  and 
Allegan  counties. 

The  Pottawatomies  who  removed  west, 
were  first  located  near  Council  Bluffs  in 
Iowa.  Some  changes  were  made  subse- 
quently and  finally  in  1847  ^  permanent 
reservation  on  the  Kansas  river  in  Kansas, 
consisting  of  a  large  tract  of  land  in  the 
vicinity  of  Topeka,  was  made  for  them. 
The  Catholics  established  a  mission  for  theni 
at  St.  Mary's,  in  Jackson  county,  while  the 
Baptists  had  a  mission  in  an  adjoining  coun- 
ty. In  1 861  the  United  States  government 
made  a  treaty  wath  the  Pottawatomies  ))}■ 
vvhich  lands  were  to  be  allotted  in  severalty 
to  those  who  had  adopted  the  customs  of  the 
whites  and  desired  a  separate  allotment,  A 
portion  of  the  reserve  was  to  be  assigned  in 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


17 


a  body  to  those  who  did  not  desire  the  allot- 
ment. The  Michigan  Pottawatomies  were 
generally  allotted  lands  in  severalty.  Chiefs 
were  assigned  one  section  of  land,  head  men 
one-half  section,  heads  of  families  one- 
quarter  section,  and  other  members  of  the 
tribe,  men,  women  and  children  each  eighty 
acres.  Lands  were  also  conveyed  to  the 
St.  Mary's  Catholic  mission  for  school  and 
church  purposes,  and  also  to  the  Baptist 
mission. 

A  large  portion  of  the  Michigan  Potta- 
watomies have  dropped  all  tribal  relations 
and  have  become  full  citizens  of  the  United 
States. 

In  1870,  a  portion  of  these  Indians  re- 
moved to  the  Indian  Territory,  the  payment 
of  annuities  to  the  Pottawatomies  by  the 
government  having  ceased  that  year. 

The  condition  of  the  Pottawatomies  after 
their  removal  was  improved.  They  are  con- 
sidered as  among  the  most  intelligent  of  the 
Indian  tribes.  A  large  number  of  them  have 
French  blood,  owing  to  the  intermarriage  of 
Indian  squaws  with  French  traders  and 
hunters,  and  many  of  the  tribe  have  very 
little  Indian  blood.  Nearly  all  are  Chris- 
tians, a  majority  belonging  to  the  Catholic 
Church.  Upon  the  removal  of  the  Potta- 
watomies to  Kansas  in  1847,  the  head  chief 
was  Kah-he-ga-wa-ti-an-gah.  He  was  born 
in  Indiana  in  181 1,  and  converted  in  Michi- 
gan to  Christianity  under  the  labors  of  Rev. 
Isaac  McCoy,  the  head  of  the  Carey  mission, 
to  be  hereafter  described.  This  chief,  when 
he  became  a  Christian,  discarded  his  Indian 
name,  and  was  baptized  under  the  name  of 
Abram  B.  Burdette.  He  was  known  as  the 
big  fat  man,  weighing  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  350  pounds.     He  died  in  1870. 

This  chapter  would  be  incomplete  with- 
out mention  of  the  famous  Carey  mission 
among  the  Pottawatomies  of  the  St.  Joseph 
valley.  In  1820,  Rev.  Isaac  McCoy,  a  Bap- 
tist clergyman,  established  a  school  and  mis- 
sion at  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana.  The  school 
became  a  flourishing  one,  and  was  attended 


largely  by  Indians  and  French.  In  June, 
1 82 1,  in  company  with  a  pupil  of  his,  Abra- 
ham Burnett,  a  half-breed  and  son  of  Will- 
iam Burnett,  an  American  trader  of  St.  Jo- 
seph, who  acted  as  interpreter,  McCoy  set 
out  from  Fort  Wayne  to  meet  some  of  the 
Pottawatomies  for  the  purpose  of  conferring 
with  them  on  the  subject  of  establishing  a 
school  among  them.  A  conference  was  held 
with  the  Indians  along  the  St.  Joseph  river. 
The  Pottawatomie  chiefs  were  favorable  to 
the  scheme.  The  aid  of  General  Cass  w^as 
obtained  and  by  a  treaty  between  the 
government  and  the  Indians  in  1822, 
a  tract  of  land  a  mile  square,  located  a  mile 
west  of  the  present  Broadway  bridge  in 
Niles,  was  set  out  for  school  purposes  and 
in  July,  1822,  McCoy  received  from  Gen. 
Cass  an  appointment  to  take  charge  of  the 
mission.  The  appointment  was  accompanied 
with  instructions  in  detail,  and  McCoy's 
salary  was  fixed  at  $600  a  year. 

Mr.  McCoy  removed  to  this  site  in  1823. 
He  brought  with  him  a  number  of  capable 
teachers  and  assistants  and  at  once  estab- 
lished his  school  and  mission. 

A  French  Catholic  mission  had  existed 
at  Niles^  but  it  appears  to  have  been  aban- 
doned before  McCoy  arrived.  There  were 
no  roads,  and  he  was  obliged  to  hew  his  way 
through  the  forests. 

The  mission  was  a  flourishing  one  for 
several  years,  and  conducted  with  ability. 
In  1825  Mr.  McCoy  built  a  grist  mill,  the 
first  grist  mill  erected  in  Michigan,  west  of 
Ann  Arbor  and  Tecumseh. 

The  condition  of  the  mission  in  1826 
is  stated  by  John  L.  Lieb,  a  government 
agent  whose  duty  it  was  to  visit  the  Indian 
schools  in  the  territory  of  Michigan.  In 
that  year  he  made  a  visit  to  the  Carey  mis- 
sion and  in  his  report  to  Gen.  Cass,  appears 
the  following:  **There  are  at  present  sev- 
enty scholars  in  various  stages  of  improve- 
ment. Two  hundred  and  eight  acres  are 
enclosed  in  fence  of  which  fifteen  are  in 
wheat,  fifty  in  corn,  eight  in  potatoes  and 


mS 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


totlier  vegetables.  They  have  a  most  ex- 
cellent grist  mill  worked  by  horses.  The 
misefulness  of  this  mill  can  scarcely  be  ap- 
preciated as  there  is  no  other  within  one 
liundred  miles  at  least." 

In  a  letter  written  by  Gen.  Cass  to  Mr. 
IWcCoy  in  1823,  the  General  says:  ''Your 
report  and  that  of  Mr.  Noble  (a  govern- 
iment  inspector)  are  entirely  satisfactory. 
The  affairs  of  the  agency  appear  to  be  in 
Hhe  best  condition  and  if  the  experiment  is 
^ver  successful,  I  am  satisfied  you  will  make 
it  so." 

The  object  of  the  mission  was  not  simply 
to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  Indians,  but  to 
teach  them  methods  of  cultivating  the  soil, 
and  industrial  trades  and  to  instill  into  their 
minds  habits  of  industry  and  economy. 
These  objects  were  partially  accornplished 
and  many  Indians  were  induced  to  lead 
sober  and  industrious  lives.  With  the  ad- 
vent, however,  of  white  settlers,  the  attend- 
ing sale  of  liquors  to  the  Indians,  and  the 
making  of  the  treaties  which  evidently  con- 
templated a  future  removal  of  the  Potta- 
-watomies,  the  mission  began  to  decline  al- 
though it  lingered  till  about  1832,  when  Mr. 
McCoy  left  to  engage  in  missions  farther 
ii?vest. 

An  interesting  history  of  the  Carey  mis- 
sion was  furnished  by  Judge  Nathaniel 
Bacon  in  an  address  before  the  Old  Settlers' 
JVssociation  of  Berrien  county,  in  1869. 
This  address  is  given  nearly  in  full  in 
Cowles'  directory  oi  Berrien  county,  pub- 
lished in  1 87 1. 

The  author  of  this  directory,  Edward 
Cowles,  now  living  in  Omaha,  Nebraska,  is 
liimself  of  Indian  blood.  His  book  is  a  very 
valuable  one,  containing  much  historical  re- 
search, gathered  by  him  with  great  care  and 
labor  and  partially  prepared  by  Mr.  Cowles 
i^v^hile  in  the  office  of  the  father  of  this  his- 


torical sketch.  The  father  of  Edward 
Cowles  was  prominent  in  securing  for  the 
members  of  Pokagon's  band  and  their  de- 
scendants, at  different  times,  a  liberal  pro- 
vision from  the  Federal  government  in 
money,  distributed  to  each  man,  woman  and 
child  equally.  To  secure  these  appropria- 
tions, Mr.  Cowles  made  frequent  visits  to 
Washington  and  was  in  frequent  consulta- 
tion with  Gen.  Cass  and  leading  men  in  the 
government.  His  father  was  an  Ottawa 
and  his  mother  a  Chippewa,  but  he  himself 
was  adopted  by  the  Pottawatomies.  Early 
in  life  he  became  a  protege  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Ferry,  a  Presbyterian  missionary  at  Mack- 
inac and  the  father  of  the  late  Senator  Ferry. 
Through  Mr.  Ferry's  efforts,  Cowles  was 
educated  at  Oberlin  College  and  was  a  gen- 
tleman of  high  intelligence  and  courteous 
manners.  He  died  near  Niles  about  thirty- 
five  years  since. 

The  remnant  of  Pottawatomies  of  Poka- 
gon's band  now  remaining  in  southwestern 
Michigan  number  about  two  hundred  and 
thirty.  Of  these  twenty-seven  live  in  Ber- 
rien county,  thirty-nine  in  Cass  county,  sev- 
enty-eight in  Van  Buren  county  and  eighty- 
six  in  Allegan  county. 

The  Carey  mission  played  an  important 
part  in  the  original  settlement  of  Berrien 
county,  and  the  western  part  of  Cass  county. 
The  first  settlers  who  came  to  this  region 
stopped  at  the  mission,  and  made  it  their 
headquarters,  while  they  were  prospecting 
for  a  permanent  location.  Several  of  them 
were  engaged  as  teachers  in  the  mission  and 
others  assisted  in  various  capacities. 

Among  those  so  engaged,  were  the  fol- 
lowing prominent  settlers  to  whom  more 
special  reference  will  hereafter  be  made. 
Calvin  Britain,  Baldwin  Jenkins,  John  John- 
son, Geo.  H.  Claypool,  Maj.  Timothy  Smith, 
John  Pike,  and  Jas.  Gillespie. 


SQUIRE  THOMPSON 

THE  FIRST  WHITE  SETTLER  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


CHAPTER  HI 


EARLY    SETTLEMENT    OF    BERRIEN    COUNTY. 


''I  hear  the  tread  of  pioneers, 

Of  nations  yet  to  be, 
The   first    low    wash   of    waves    where    soon 

Shall   wave  a  human  sea. 
The  rudiments  of  empire  here 

Are  plastic  yet  and  warm, 
The  chaos  of  a  mighty  world, 

Is   rounding  into   form." 


About  the  year  1780,  William  Burnett, 
an  American  from  New  Jersey,  established 
a  trading  post  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  St. 
Joseph.  He  selected  a  home  near  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Napier's  bridge,  built  a  house 
and  set  out  an  orchard  of  apple  trees.  These 
trees  proved  to  be  of  remarkable  vitality. 
In  1876  apples  produced  from  these  trees 
were  exhibited  at  the  Michigan  State  Fair 
by  A.  O.  Winchester  of  St.  Joseph,  who 
then  remarked  that  they  were  gathered  from 
trees  over  a  century  old.  Burnett  succeeded 
in  establishing  a  large  and  lucrative  busi- 
ness with  the  Indians,  exchanging  blankets, 
utensils,  cheap  jewelry,  hatchets,  scalping 
knives  and  ardent  spirits  for  furs.  Raccoon 
skins  appear  to  have  been  the  leading  com- 
modity in  furs.  A  portion  of  Mr.  Burnett's 
books  covering  the  period  from  1792  to 
1 801  have  been  preserved.  Items  gathered 
from  these  books  of  account  in  1801  may 
be  interesting  as  showing  the  character  of 
the  trade.     The  first  item  dated  May  26, 


1 80 1,  consists  of  casks  and  boxes  of  maple 
sugar  shipped  on  board  the  General  Hunter, 
a  sloop  which  made  frequent  trips  to  St. 
Joseph.  These  casks  and  boxes  contained 
1,695  pounds  of  sugar. 

The  second  item  reads  as  follows :  June 
3,  1801.  Invoice  of  fifteen  packs  consigned 
to  David  Mitchell  at  Mackinac  by  the  sloop 
Hunter,  Capt.  Rough,  master. 


Skins. 

I 

Pack 

containing   (musk)   Rats 

400 

Minks 

196 

Covering 

2 

Raccoons 

60 

Otters 

38 

Fishers 

6 

Martens 

9 

Cubs 

5 

Covering 

2 

10  packs  Deer  skins  containing  each 

SO 

3 

packs 

Raccoons  containing  each 

120 

On  the  same  date  occur  the  following: 


20 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


I    pack   of  Otter  containing 

1  pack   Beaver  containing.  . 
3  packs  (musk)  rats  contain' g 

covering 

(wild)  cats  contain'g 

Foxes  contain'g 

covering 

8  packs  Bucks  containing.  . 

7  packs  Does  containing.  .  . 

29  packs  Raccoons  containing 

covering 

2  packs  (musk)  rats  ...... 

covering 


100  &  2  skins. 
91  &  2  skins. 
500         skins. 
6         skins. 
64         skins. 
60         skins. 
2         skins. 
30  each 
50  each 
120  skins 
58  skins 
500  each 
4  skins 


Burnett  married  Kawkemee,  sister  of 
Topinabee,  principal  chief  of  the  Potta- 
watomie nation,  and  appears  to  have  had 
five  children  by  her.  The  government  of  the 
United  States  by  the  treaty  of  Chicago  in 
1821,  gave  to  John  Burnett,  a  son  of  Wm. 
Burnett,  and  Kawkemee,  two  sections  of 
land  and  to  the  other  children  each  one  sec- 
tion of  land.  It  appears  from  the  reports 
made  by  Burnett  in  1801  that  quite  a  num- 
ber of  French  Canadians  then  lived  at  St. 
Joseph,  but  these  had  disappeared  before 
any  permanent  settlement  had  been  made  by 
American  settlers  and  no  relics  of  these  peo- 
ple remained.  They  cannot  be  regarded  as 
pioneers  or  colonists,  as  they  led  a  roving 
life,  made  no  attempt  to  clear  the  wilder- 
ness or  make  any  permanent  settlement. 
Nor  can  Burnett  be  regarded  as  a  pioneer. 
He  was  simply  a  fur  trader  with  no  thought 
of  encouraging  any  settlement  of  the  coun- 
try. 

At  about  the  same  time  with  that  of  Bur- 
netts location  at  St.  Joseph,  Joseph  Bertrand 
and  one  Le  Clare,  Frenchmen  from  Canada, 
located  at  Bertrand  on  the  St.  Joseph  river 
and  engaged  in  the  fur  trade  with  the 
Indians.  These  men  appear  to  have  been 
employed  by  Burnett.  The  place  occupied 
by  them  was  called  ''pare  aux  vaches."  The 
name  originated  from  the  fact  that  the 
Indians  claimed  that  it  was  formerly  a 
favorite  roaming  ground  of  buffalo  herds, 
although  literally  the  words  mean  a  cow- 


pen  or  pasture.  Bertrand  conducted  a  large 
trading  business  for  over  fifty  years  and 
after  his  death  it  was  carried  on  by  his  son, 
Joseph.  Bertrand  married  Madeline,, 
daughter  of  the  Indian  chief  Topinabee,  by 
which  marriage  five  children  were  born.  By' 
the  treaty  of  Chicago,  a  section  of  land 
where  the  vilage  of  Bertrand  is  situated^ 
was  given  to  Madeline,  and  a  half  section 
to  each  of  the  children  on  the  portage  of  the 
Kankakee,  in  Indiana,  a  few  miles  south  of 
Bertrand. 

The  residence  of  these  Indian  traders 
does  not  really  form  a  part  of  the  early  set- 
tlement and  colonization  of  the  country.  The 
real  pioneer  work  was  done  by  a  different 
class  of  men. 

The.  earliest  immigration  of  settlers  inta 
Berrien  county,  came  from  the  south  and 
the  majority  were  of  southern  origin,  either 
by  birth  or  by  descent.  They  belonged  to- 
that  hardy  and  venturesome  race  of  genuine 
pioneers  whose  prototype  was  Daniel  Boone. 
They  came  into  a  wilderness,  where  there 
were  no  roads,  where  savages  and  wild 
beasts  were  numerous,  and  where  none  of 
the  comforts  and  conveniences  of  civilized; 
life  existed.  No  road  to  the  St.  Joseph 
river  existed  except  a  dangerous  track  from 
Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  to  Niles,  crossed  by 
numerous  rivers  and  streams  which  the 
traveler  was  obliged  to  ford.  The  only  resi- 
dences between  Fort  Wayne  and  Niles  were 
the  houses  of  the  French  traders  at  South 
Bend  and  Bertrand.  It  was  not  till  about 
1834,  after  the  Erie  Canal  had  been  com- 
pleted and  the  Chicago  road  constructed,, 
that  immigration  set  in  from  the  Empire 
state,  to  which  reference  will  be  made  here- 
after. 

The  character  and  manner  of  life  of 
these  southern  pioneers  may  be  briefly  sum- 
marized, before  entering  into  detailed  his- 
tory. I  have  gleaned  the  following  facts, 
from  articles  published  by  the  Michigan 
Pioneer  and  Historical  Society. 

They  w^ere  a  cheerful,  contented  people 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


21 


M^hose  wants  were  few  and  easily  supplied. 
They  were  honest  and  hospitable.  Their 
food  consisted  generally  of  corn  bread,  pork 
fattened  in  the  woods,  fish,  venison  and  wild 
game  which  was  abundant.  The  fruits  con- 
sisted of  cranberries,  crab  apples,  wild  plum, 
strawberries,  whortleberries,  and  blackber- 
ries. The  wild  strawberry  was  delicious  and 
was  much  superior  to  the  domestic  straw- 
berry in  flavor  and  sweetness.  The  farmer's 
outfit  consisted  of  an  axe,  iron  wedge,  a 
bull  plow  which  was  a  shire  and  landside 
combined  with  w^ooden  stock  and  moldboard, 
a  harrow  which  was  often  a  tree  top  or 
crotch  with  wooden  teeth,  and  a  sickle.  Un- 
til 1830  nearly  all  the  small  grain  was  cut 
w4th  a  sickle.  Threshing  machines  did  not 
begin  to  appear  till  about  1842,  and  at  that 
time  they  had  no  separator. 

The  dresses  of  women  were  generally 
of  linsey  cloth.  The  shoes  were  made  from 
leather  dressed  at  the  tanneries  on  shares, 
and  made  up  by  local  or  traveling  shoe- 
makers. 

The  cotton  cloth  worn  by  the  ladies  was 
colored  with  oak  bark  into  a  variegatea 
brown,  the  waist  and  skirt  made  up  in  one 
piece  and  gathered  at  the  waist  by  a  cord 
run  in  a  shirr. 

Men  were  clad  in  jeans,  blue  or  butter- 
nut, home  made.  Pantaloons  were  often 
made  of  buck-skin.  The  upper  garment  was 
something  like  a  blouse,  called  a  wamus. 
Teaching  nearly  to  the  hips.  Coon  or  fox 
skin  caps  were  common. 

The  first  residences  of  these  pioneers 
were  cabins  constructed  of  logs. 

Having  given  this  general  description 
of  the  equipment  and  outfits  of  these  set- 
tlers, as  furnished  us  by  contemporaries,  I 
now  proceed  to  a  brief  account  of  the  set- 
tlers themselves.  They  settled  on  or  near 
the  St.  Joseph  river,  and  their  settlements 
were  confined  for  several  years  almost 
wholly  to  the  townships  of  Niles,Berrien  and 
St.  Joseph,  a  territory  embracing  a  part  of 
Bertrand    and    Oronoko    townships.      The 


Carey  mission,  already  described,  was  a 
temporary  headquarters  for  these  settlers 
at  first. 

It  should  be  observed  at  the  outset  that 
the  early  settlers  of  the  county  were  largely 
men  and  women  of  great  natural  strength 
and  force  of  character.  We  are  sometimes 
prone  to  exaggerate  the  virtues  of  the  past, 
but  there  is  no  illusion  in  stating  this  propo- 
sition.   It  is  the  naked  truth. 

The  men  and  women  who  came  from  the 
older  regions  of  the  country  and  cleaned  up 
the  forests  and,  who  were  the  advance  guard 
of  civilization  w^ere  no  ordinary  people. 
They  were  largely  ambitious  young  men 
and  women  of  more  than  ordinary  intelli- 
gence, who  saw  in  the  natural  resources  of 
a  new  and  fertile  country  the  prospects  of 
bettering  their  condition  and  of  developing 
a  civilization  better  than  that  of  the  crowded 
thoroughfares  of  the  east. 

This  remark  applies  not  only  to  the 
farmers,  but  to  the  merchants  and  business 
men  who  were  the  early  leaders  in  trade 
and  transportation  and  in  mechanical,  mer- 
cantile, banking  and  professional  life.  They 
belonged  to  a  superior  class  and  were  gen- 
erally reading  and  thinking  men,  often  well 
educated.  They  were  the  cream  of  the  older 
civilization,  and  calculated  to  command  re- 
spect by  their  sturdy  characteristics  of  mind 
and  body.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find  any- 
where a  class  of  men  superior  in  those  quali- 
ties which  command  respect  and  personal 
influence,  to  those  broad  minded,  energetic, 
well  developed  and  impressive  characters 
who  led  the  early  business  life  of  Berrien 
county. 

In  1835  a  work  was  published  at  New 
York  City  entitled  "A  Winter  in  the  West." 
It  consists  of  letters  written  in  1833  de- 
scriptive of  travels  in  several  states,  and 
among  them  was  Michigan.  The  writer 
traveled  on  horseback  and  stopped  at  Niles. 
In  his  work  he  remarked  that  the  popula- 
tion of  Michigan  generally  was  much  su- 
perior  to   the   ordinary   settlers   of   a   new 


2.2 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


country.  The  writer  also  says  ^'to  no 
scenery  of  our  country  that  I  have  yet  seen 
is  the  term  ^Arcadia'  more  appHcable  than 
to  the  rich  and  fairy  landscape  on  the  west 
side  of  the  peninsula,  watered  by  the  Kala- 
mazoo and  the  St.  Joseph.  *  ^k  *  ^y^ 
were  ferried  over  the  St.  Joseph  at  Niles. 
A  low-sided  scow  was  the  means  of  con- 
veyance. At  length,  ascending  the  bank, 
a  beautiful  plain  with  a  clump  of  trees  here 
and  there  upon  its  surface,  opened  to  our 
view.  The  establishment  of  the  Carey  mis- 
sion, a  long,  low,  white  building,  could  be 
distinguished  afar  off  faintly  in  the  moon- 
light, while  several  winter  lodges  of  the 
Pottawatomies  which  inhabit  this  fine  dis- 
trict, were  plainly  perceptible  over  the 
plain." 

The  pioneer  colonist  and  farmer  of  Ber- 
rien county  was  Squire  Thompson,  who 
came  from  Ohio  to  Niles  in  1823  and  lo- 
cated on  a  piece  of  land  on  the  flat  south  of 
the  present  dam  across  the  St.  Joseph  river. 
He  planted  a  field  of  corn  that  spring  and 
returned  to  Ohio  for  his  family,  which  he 
brought  with  him  in  the  fall  of  the  same 
year.  He  at  once  built  a  log  house  in  which 
he  and  his  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Charity  Florey,  and  two  children,   resided. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  born  in  Virginia  in 
1784  and  emigrated  in  early  life  to  Ohio, 
where  he  lived  for  a  time  before  coming  to 
Michigan.  In  1826  he  moved  to  the  town- 
ship of  Pokagon,  Cass  county,  where  he 
lived  till  1849,  when  he  removed  to  Sacra- 
mento, California,  where  he  died  the  next 
year. 

Mr.  Thompson  w^as  a  strong  man  phy- 
sically and  mentally.  He  was  a  lawyer,  mer- 
chant, farmer,  trapper,  politician,  interpreter 
and  guide.  He  made  frequent  trips  to  De- 
troit on  horseback,  taking  wath  him  furs 
and  skins.  He  often  tried  cases  before 
justices.  He  was  an  ardent  admirer  of 
*'Harry  Clay"  and  frequently  delivered 
Whig  speeches.  His  ordinary  costume  at 
all  seasons  was  a  pair  of  pantaloons  faced 


with  buckskin  and  a  red  flannel  shirt  open 
at  the  throat.  His  personality  was  positive, 
virile  and  unique.  He  was  appointed  a 
county  judge  when  Michigan  was  a  terri- 
tory. While  he  was  living  at  Niles,  the 
Indians  held  a  council  at  which  it  was  re- 
solved to  drive  him  out.  As  the  Indians,, 
however,  had  ceded  the  land  on  which  he 
lived  to  the  United  States  government,  he 
paid  no  attention  to  their  hostility  and  w^as 
never  molested.  He  was  nominated  as  a 
candidate  for  the  state  Legislature,  but  as 
the  Democracy  was  in  the  ascendancy,  and 
he  was  a  Whig,  he  was  defeated. 

His  son,  Isaac,  who  was  born  to  his  par- 
ents on  their  way  from  Ohio  to  Niles  in 
1823,  is  now  living  at  Santa  Clara  in  the 
state  of  California.  It  is  highly  gratifying 
and  interesting  to  note  that  this  earliest  of 
pioneers  who  lived  with  his  parents  on  the 
banks  of  the  St.  Joseph  river  eighty-three 
years  ago,  before  any  white  family  except 
his  owai  had  made  any  actual  settlement  in 
the  St.  Joseph  valley,  is  now  rounding  out 
an  old  age  in  perfect  physical  health  and  in 
the  full  possession  of  his  mental  faculties. 
He  removed  to  California  from  Michigan  in 
1849.  Before  his  removal,  he  married  a 
daughter  of  Isaac  Smith,  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  Berrien  township. 

The  first  white  child  born  in  the  St. 
Joseph  valley  was  the  daughter  of  Squire 
Thompson,  Rachel,  who  was  born  at  Carey 
(Niles)  in  1825.  She  married  Wm.  Weed, 
a  farmer  of  Berrien  township,  who  died 
many  years  ago.  After  the  death  of  her 
husband  she  removed  to  Cameron,  Missouri^ 
where  she  died  two  years  ago. 

The  second  settler  in  the  county  waa 
William  Kirk  who  came  in  the  spring  of 
1824  from  Virginia.  He  lived  for  a  while 
in  a  log  house  near  Thompson,  but  after- 
wards built  a  house  near  the  site  of  the  old 
Michigan  Central  passenger  depot.  He  re- 
sided in  Niles  but  a  short  time,  removing 
farther  west. 

Baldwin  Jenkins  next  came  from  Ohio 


MRS.  RACHAEL  WEED 

THE  FIRST  WHITE  CHILD  BORN  IN  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


ISAAC  THOMPSON 

THE  SON  OF  SQUIRE  THOMPSON,  WHO  CAME  WITH  HIS  FATHER 
TO  BERRIEN  COUNTY  IN  1823 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


^5 


in  the  summer  of  1824.     He  remained  at 
Niles   a    few   months   examining"   carefully 
the  surrounding  country.  He  located  a  home 
on  Pokagon  prairie  in  Cass  county.     After 
selecting  his  farm,  he  returned  to  Ohio  and 
brought   back    with   him    Benjamin    Potter 
and   Nathan   Young.      Jenkins    appears    to 
have  remained  in  Niles  a  short  time,  and  in 
the  fall  of  1825,  he  returned  again  to  Ohio 
and  brought  back  with  him  his  family,  when 
he  located  on  his  prairie  farm.  He  has  left 
a  description  of  the  log  houses  which  were 
used  for  a  residence  by  the  earliest  settlers. 
They  were  built  of  small  logs,  one  upon  the: 
other,  grooved  at  the  ends  so  as  to  fit  all 
round  closely,  the  chinks  l^eing  closed  with 
strips  of  mud  and  wood,  with  small  oblong 
apertures  for  v/indows  on  the  side,  and  an- 
other and  larger  one  in   front  for  a  door- 
way,   and   still   another   in   the   roof    for   a 
chimney  made  of  sticks  and  clay,  but  often 
a  hole  was  left  in  the  roof  through  Vvhich 
the  smoke,  after  lingering  with  the  family 
and  the  household  goods  till  all  was  blue, 
would   wander   out   at   its   own   sweet   will. 
The  roof,  flat  but  sloping,  was  composed  of 
poles  covered  with  boughs  or  straw.     When 
the  weather  was  inclement,  blankets  would 
be  put  up  at  the  windows. 

Mr.  Jenkins  became  a  resident  of  Cass 
county  as  stated,  but  was  prominently  con- 
nected with  the  life  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Berrien  county,  and  is  entitled  to  mention  in 
this  sketch  of  our  early  history.  He  owned 
large  tracts  of  land  in  Berrien  county,  as 
well  as  Cass  county.  He  was  one  of  the 
first  county  judges  appointed  under  the  old 
territorial  law,  for  territory  then  embracing 
both  counties.  He  was  a  man  of  unusual 
sagacity  and  ability  and  was  highly  respected 
by  all  who  knew  him.  He  died  in  1847  ^^ 
the  residence  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Isaac 
Murphy,  at  Berrien  Center  in  this  county. 
During  the  year  1826,  Mr.  Jenkins  kept  a 
dairy,  and  his  family  made  large  quantities 


of  butter  and  cheese  which  were  marketed 
at  Fort  Wayne.  He  was  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  Church  subsequently  or- 
ganized at  Niles,  and  one  of  its  founders 
although  then  living  in  Pokagon,  a  few 
miles  away. 

In  the  fall  of  1824,  John  Lybrook  came 
from  Richmond,  Indiana,  via  Fort  Wayne^ 
and  worked  for  Squire  Thompson  and  the 
Carey  mission.     In  the  spring  of   1825,  he 
returned    to    Richmond    and   brought   back 
with  him  Joel  G.  Yard,  John  Johnson  and 
his   brother.      They   walked   the   entire  dis- 
tance each  carrying  provisions,  clothing,  am 
axe  and  a  gun.     At  this  time  no  dwelling; 
house    existed    between    Fort    Wayne    and 
Niles   except   the  trading  houses   at   Soutk 
Bend  and   Bertrand.      In   the   fall   of    1825 
John  Johnson  brought  his  family  from  Rich- 
mond  and    settled    in   Berrien    township   im 
Section   29,   where   he   lived   till   his   deaths 
His  son,  John  Johnson,  a  former  sheriff 
of  this  county,  now  lives  on  the  farm  whicli 
was  settled  by  his  father  in  1825,  the  fann 
never  having  gone  out  of  the  possession  of 
the  family. 

John  Lybrook  settled  on  a  farm  a  short 
distance  north  of  Niles,  shortly  after  he  re- 
turned to  Ohio  and  brought  back  with  hint 
his  father,  Henry  Lybrook,  a  soldier  in  the 
American  Revolution.  The  Lybrooks  soom 
moved  to  La  Grang'e  Prairie,  Cass  county^ 
A  son  Joseph  now  lives  on  the  farm  entered 
by  his  father,  John  Lybrook,  in  Cass 
county. 

In  1828  Eli  Bonnell  and  A.  Tietsorfc 
came  from  Ohio.  Bonnell  built  a  log  house 
on  the  site  of  present  Main  street  in  whictt 
he  and  his  family  lived.  It  was  the  first 
house  built  in  the  place.  Bonnell  and  Tiet- 
sort  shortly  after  moved  to  Cass  county^ 
The  subject  of  the  earliest  settlements 
will  be  resumed  in  subsequent  chapters,  em- 
bracing first  Niles,  Berrien  township,  St^ 
Joseph,  Oronoka  and  Bertrand. 


CHAPTER  IV 


ORGANIZATION— GENERAL    INTERESTS  AND  INSTITUTIONS 


"What  constitutes  a  State? 
Not    high-raised    battlement    or    laboured    mound, 

Thick  wall  or  moated  gate; 
Not  cities   prQud  with  spires  and  turrets  crowned; 

No: — men,  high  minded  men, 
Men,  who  their  duties  know, 

But  know  their  rights,  and  knowing,  dare  main- 
tain." Sir  William  Jones. 


The  famous  ordinance  of  1787  created 
the  ''North  West  Territory''  out  of  which 
were  subsequently  organized  the  five  great 
sister  states  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Michigan, 
IlHnois  and  Wisconsin.  By  the  congres- 
sional act  of  1800  that  part  of  the  North- 
west Territory  now  included  in  Ohio  was 
set  off  under  a  distinct  territorial  govern- 
ment and  the  remainder  was  organized  as 
the  territory  of  Indiana.  In  1805,  Michigan 
was  erected  into  a  separate  territory.  For 
many  years  the  territory  now  included  in  the 
county  of  Berrien  was  part  of  the  county  of 
Wayne.  In  1827  the  township  of  St.  Jo- 
seph was  organized  as  a  part  of  that  county 
and  included  all  lands  acquired  from  the 
Indians  by  the  treaty  of  1821.  September 
2,2,  1829,  all  lands  acquired  by  the  Carey 
mission  treaty  were  attached  to  Lenawee 
county.  October  29,  1829,  the  county  of 
Berrien  was  organized  with  its  present 
limits,  but  on  November  5,   1829,   it  was 


erected  into  the  township  of  Niles  and  at- 
tached to  Cass  county.  In  1831,  Berrien 
county  was  detached  from  Cass  county  and 
made  a  separate  county.  In  1832,  the  coun- 
ty was  divided  into  three  townships,  viz.: 
Berrien,  Niles  and  St.  Joseph.  The  town 
of  Berrien  then  embraced  the  territory  now 
included  in  the  townships  of  Berrien, 
Oronoko  and  Lake,  with  a  two  mile  strip 
immediately  north  of  that  territory.  The 
town  of  St.  Joseph  embraced  all  of  Berrien 
county,  north  of  Berrien  township,  and  the 
town  of  Niles  embraced  all  south  of  Ber- 
rien township. 

Subsequently  new  townships  were  or- 
ganized and  portions  of  territory  detached 
from  the  three  original  townships  of  Ber- 
rien, St.  Joseph  and  Niles.  The  dates  of 
the  organization  of  these  townships,  in  their 
chronological  order  appear  in  the  following 
table : 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Royalton,  1835,  embracing  also  the  pres- 
ent territory  of  Pipestone  and  Lincoln. 

New  Buffalo,  1836,  embracing  also  pres- 
ent territory  of  Three  Oaks  and  Chikaming. 

Bertrand,  1836,  embracing  also  present 
territory  of  Galien. 

Bainbridge,    1837. 

Buchanan,  1837. 

Benton,  1837. 

Oronko,  1837,  embracing  also  present 
territory  of  Lake. 

Weesaw,  1837. 

Pipestone,  1842,  embracing  also  present 
territory  of  Sodus. 

Galien,  1844. 

Hagar,  1846. 

Watervliet,  1846. 

Lake,   1846. 

Three  Oaks,  1856. 

Chikaming,  1856. 

Sodus,  i860. 

Lincoln,  1867. 

Bertrand  township  as  originally  organ- 
ized, extended  to  the  west  line  of  Cass  coun- 
ty, and  was  twelve  miles  long,  but  subse- 
quently that  portion  of  the  township  east 
of  the  St.  Joseph  river  was  detached  and 
annexed  to  the  township  of  Niles. 


The  township  of  Buchanan,  as  originally 
constituted,  embraced  no  lands  north  and 
east  of  the  St.  Joseph  river.  Several  years 
since,  however,  all  that  territory  in  Niles 
township  lying  west  of  the  range  line  No. 
18,  was  detached  and  annexed  to  Buchanan 
township,  consisting  of  nearly  four  sections 
of  land.  Some  small  changes  have  been 
made  with  regard  to  other  townships,  but 
not  of  sufficient  importance  to  mention. 

The  city  of  Niles  was  incorporated  in 
1859.  The  village  of  Niles  was  incor- 
porated in  1838. 

The  city  of  St.  Joseph  was  incorporated 
in   1 89 1.     The  village  was  incorporated  in 

1834. 

The  city  of  Benton  Harbor  was  incor- 
porated in  1 89 1.     The  village  in  1869. 

The  following  table  shows  the  popula- 
tion  of  Berrien  county  at  different  dates: 


1837     1840 
4863      5011 

1870    1874 
35104  35029 


1845        1850        1854        1860      1864 
7365      11417      13595      22578    25704 


1880 
36785 


1884 

37776 


1890 
41285 


1900 
49165 


1904 
49390 


The  following  table  shows  the  popula- 
tion of  the  different  townships  and  cities  at 
dift'erent  dates : 


1840 

1845 

1854 

1860 

1870 

1880 

1890 

1900 

1904 

Bainbridge 

251 

i298 
543 
264 

'i23 
1420 

*335 

'246 

*489 

'i42 

613 
237 

1305 
566 
630 

ui 

'4i6 
1935 

"664 

277 
284 

628 
'i55 

574 
641 

1684 

999 

1202 

'464 
269 

227 

'873 
3174 

'874 
875 
452 

'703 
'464 

938 
1028 

1540 
1253 

1728 
310 
528 
438 
557 

'834 
2722 
2788 
1252 
1052 
964 
674 
1358 

*539 
545 
753 

1337 
3116 

i522 

1405 

2973 

993 

856 

834 

1006 

1181 

1389 

1910 

4648 

1617 

1379 

2190 

906 

2994 

i328 
1328 
1243 

1378 
2139 

1308 

1392 

2898 

996 

'946 
1247 
1408 
1191 
1663 
4197 
1812 
1495 

'960 
3550 

1393 
1897 
1369 

1519 
2377 
3692 
1093 
1584* 
2849 

964 
1238 

953 
1518 
2112 
1192 
1364 
4197 
1815 
1446 
1164 

953 

574 
3733 
1754 
2016 
1178 

1803 
3234 
6562 

932 
1490 
2575 

920 
1239 
1105 
2694 
1877 
1240 
1131 
4287 
1951 
1386 
1147 
1165 
1070 
5155 
1844 
3009 
1349 

1759 

Benton ,   

3043 

Benton  Harbor 

Bertrand  

6702 
933 

Berrien > 

1530 

Buchanan 

2672 

Chikaming 

893 

Galien   

1205 

Hagar 

1127 

Lake 

Lincoln 

2733 
1783 

New  Buffalo 

Niles 

Niles  City 

Oronoko 

1245 
1059 
4641 
1997 

Pipestone 

1366 

Royalton 

1144 

Sodus 

1182 

St  Joseph 

1008 

City  of  St.  Joseph 

5322 

Three  Oaks 

1800 

Watervliet 

2915 

Weesaw 

1331 

26 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  table 
that  in  the  early  history  of  the  county  the 
bulk  of  the  population  for  a  considerable 
period  occupied  the  southeastern  portion  of 
the  county.  At  the  close  of  the  Civil  war, 
however,  immigration  set  in  rapidly  toward 
other  portions  of  the  county.  The  most 
rapid  increase  of  population  during  its  whole 
history  was  between  the  years  1864  and 
1870.  During  a  period  of  only  six  year^ 
the  population  increased  by  9,400,  or  about 
35  per  cent.  During  this  period  the  build- 
ing of  the  C.  &  W.  M.  railroad  along  the 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  the  attractions 
of  the  fruit  industry  just  beginning  to  de- 
velop, led  to  the  resurrection  of  St.  Joseph 
from  its  decline  and  to  the  birth  of  a  new 
metropolis  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  St. 
Joseph  river,  hitherto  undreamed  of,  but 
destined  to  take  the  lead  in  Berrien  county, 
in  commercial  industry,  enterprise  and  popu- 
lation. 

Berrien  county  was  named  after  John 
M.  Berrien,  attorney  general  in  the  first 
cabinet  of  President  Jackson. 

The  population  of  the  incorporated  vil- 
lages according  to  the  State  census  of  1904 
was  as  follows : 

Berrien    Springs    .  .    780,  incorporated  1867 

Buchanan 1832,  "  1863  _ 

Eau  Claire 318,  "  1891 

Galien 414,  "  1879 

Coloma 558,  "  1893 

New  Buflfalo    640,  "  1836 

Three  Oaks   1000,  "  1867 

Steven^ville    237  "  1893 

Watervliet 816,  "  1891 

The  population  of  the  county  is  not 
homogeneous,  but  composed  of  several  ele- 
ments. 

The  earliest  settlers  came  from  Virginia, 
Ohio  and  Indiana,  by  the  way  of  the  Fort 
Wayne  highway.  A  large  portion  of  them 
were  of  southern  or  Virginia  origin,  by  birth 
or  descent,  although  a  considerable  element 
originated  in   Pennsylvania.      It  is  worthy 


of  note  that  a  majority  of  those  of  southern 
origin  were  strongly  anti-slavery  in  their 
convictions. 

About  the  year  1834,  however,  the  most 
important  stream  of  immigration  into  the 
state  of  Michigan  commenced.  It  came 
from  the  state  of  New  York,  also  embrac- 
ing New  England.  Whole  townships  and 
counties  were  populated  with  immigrants 
from  New  York.  The  county  of  Berrien 
was  not  so  exclusively  settled  by  eastern 
people  as  other  counties  east  of  us,  but  it 
is  probable  that  the  number  of  settlers  of 
Berrien  county  who  came  from  New  York 
between  the  years  1834  and  1855,  exceeded 
that  from  all  the  other  states  put  together. 
These  people  from  New  York  were  almost 
wdiolly  descendants  of  pioneers  who  had 
emigrated  from  New  England  and  cleared 
up  the  forests  of  the  Empire  State  in  the 
eighteenth  century. 

A  considerable  number  of  our  pioneers 
came  from  Pennsylvania  to  this  county,  es- 
pecially to  the  townships  of  Bertrand, 
Oronoko  and  Berrien. 

An  important  element  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania immigration  was  the  ''Pennsylvania 
Dutch.''  A  description  of  this  thrifty  peo- 
ple is  given  in  another  chapter.  Their  set- 
tlements in  Bertrand  and  Oronoko  were 
quite  extensive. 

A  considerable  portion  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Virginia  settlers  belonged  to  the 
so-called  ''Scotch-Irish"  race.  They  were 
the  descendants  of  Scotchmen  who  had  set- 
tled in  the  northern  part  of  Ireland  in  the 
seventeenth  century.  Being  exasperated 
by  an  excessive  tariff  of  the  English  govern- 
ment on  their  linen  industries,  they  com- 
menced coming  to  America  about  the  year 
1720  and  poured  over  in  vast  numbers.  At 
least  one-third  of  the  population  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  of  Virginia  at  the  close  of  the 
Revolution  consisted  of  this  element.  Their 
descendants  now  number  many  millions 
and  the  race  has  formed  one  of  the  most 
powerful   factors    in   national   development. 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


27 


The  foreign  population  or  those  who 
were  born  abroad  numbers  about  7,000.  The 
townships  of  Lincohi,  New  Buffalo,  Lake, 
and  the  city  of  St.  Joseph  are  the  only  lo- 
calities where  the  percentage  of  foreign 
population  seems  to  be  comparatively  large. 
Lincoln  township  has  a  foreign  population 
of  over  700.  St.  Joseph  about  1,200  and 
New  Buffalo  about  300.  The  prevailing 
element  of  foreign  population  is  German. 

The  native  population,  where  one  or 
both  of  the  parents  w^ere  born  abroad,  num- 
bers about  4,400.  Bainbridge  at  an  early 
day  w^as  settled  largely  by  Germans,  but 
foreign  immigration  into  the  township 
ceased  many  years  since  and  the  number  of 
people  now  living  there,  who  were  born 
abroad,  is  small.  The  German  immigra- 
tion into  Bainbridge  w^as  at  a  very  early  day 
and  much  in  advance  of  the  general  stream 
of  German  emigration  to  this  country. 

The  townships  of  Lake  and  Lincoln, 
within  a  few  years,  have  been  settled  largely 
by  people  of  various  foreign  birth  or  de- 
scent, the  German  element,  however,  pre- 
dominating. The  township  of  Three  Oaks 
has  a  large  population  of  German  origin, 
but  the  great  majority  were  born  in  this 
country. 

BLACK    HAWK    WAR. 

In  1832  the  famous  Black  Hawk  w^ar 
occurred.  Black  Hawk,  a  savage  of  un- 
common ability,  was  a  Pottawatomie  by 
birth,  but  became  identified  with  the  Sacs 
and  Fox  of  Wisconsin  and  the  chief,  eventu- 
ally, of  both  tribes.  He  opposed  the  re- 
moval of  the  Indians  west  of  the  Mississippi 
in  1 83 1,  and  headed  an  organized  conspiracy 
against  the  whites  which  was  attended  with 
several  frightful  massacres.  A  report  came 
in  the  spring  of  1832  that  Black  Hawk  was 
marching  upon  Chicago  with  a  large  force 
and  that  all  the  western  settlements  were 
in  danger.  The  presence  of  several  thou- 
sand Pottawatomies  on  the  Reserve  who  had 


not  yet  removed  to  the  west  tended  to  in- 
crease the  anxiety.  A  regiment  consisting- 
of  four  or  five  companies  of  Michigan  volun- 
teers made  their  rendezvous  at  the  hotel  of 
Thos.  K.  Green  afterwards  known  as  the 
''Old  Diggins,"  in  April.  This  was  increased 
subsequently  to  a  brigade  under  the  com- 
mand of  General  Williams  and  in  May  the 
brigade  departed  as  was  supposed  for  the 
seat  of  war.  When  the  brigade  arrived  at 
LaPorte,  Indiana,  news  was  received  that 
Black  Hawk  had  been  defeated,  that  his 
forces  had  been  obliged  to  retreat  west  of 
the  Mississippi  and  that  the  troops  would 
not  be  needed. 

xA^mong  the  old  settlers  who  joined  the 
brigade  were  A.  M.  Huston,  David  Wilson, 
Dr.  E.  Winslow,  Wm.  B.  Beeson,  Geo.  Hoft'- 
man,  Jacob  K.  Brown,  A.  L.  Burke,  G.  H. 
Claypool,  Daniel  Johnson,  Wm.  Kinzie, 
Henry  Drew  and  Samuel  Rogers.  Mr.  Hus- 
ton was  first  chosen  colonel,  Hoffman  as 
major,  Dr.  E.  Winslow  as  surgeon  and  Wm. 
B.  Beeson  as  assistant  surgeon.  Some  of 
the  volunteers  went  as  far  as  Chicago  and 
a  few  as  far  as  the  Mississippi.  None  of 
them,  however,  saw  active  service,  as  Black 
Hawk  was  not  only  defeated  but  his  forces 
practically  annihilated  and  he  himself  taken 
prisoner  within  thirty  days  after  he  crossed 
the  Mississippi. 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  Pottawatomies 
during  all  the  excitement  of  this  war,  re- 
mained faithful  to  the  whites,  actuated  no 
doubt  to  a  considerable  extent  by  their 
hatred  toward  their  old-time  enemies,  the 
Sacs. 

For  a  year  at  least,  immigration  was  re- 
tarded by  the  alarm  created  by  Black 
Hawk's  invasion  of  the  western  settlements. 

"'wild  cat  banks.'' 

An  event  occurred  in  1838  and  1839 
which  seriously  retarded  immigration  and 
operated  disastrously  to  the  growth  of  the 
state  for  several  years.    It  especially  affected 


28 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Berrien  county  which  bid  fair  as  early  as 
1836  to  develop  rapidly  into  a  thickly  set- 
tled and  prosperous  locality.  The  un- 
fortunate event  referred  to  was  the  organiza- 
tion and  collapse  of  the  so-called  ''Wild  Cat 
Banks/'  In  March,  1837,  the  state  legisla- 
ture enacted  a  general  law,  under  which  any 
ten  or  more  freeholders  of  any  county  might 
organize  themselves  into  a  bank,  on  furnish- 
ing certain  securities  in  bonds  and  mort- 
gages, approved  by  the  county  treasurer  and 
clerk.  A  mania  for  establishing  banks 
rapidly  developed,  which  spread  through  the 
whole  state.  The  banks  established  in  Ber- 
rien county,  were  the  Commercial  Bank  at 
St.  Joseph,  and  the  Bank  of  Niles  and  the 
Berrien  County  Bank  at  Niles.  Wild  specu- 
lation, especially  in  lands,  followed  the  crea- 
tion of  these  banks.  Money  soon  com- 
manded exhorbitant  rates  of  interest,  com- 
manding from  two  per  cent,  to  four  per 
cent,  per  month.  The  securities  furnished 
by  the  banks  generally  consisted  of  mort- 
gages on  real  estate  appraised  at  speculative 
prices.  Wild  lands  which  had  been  recently 
purchased  of  the  government  at  $1,25  per 
acre,  were  now  rated  as  high  as  $25  per 
acre,  and  lots  in  villages  which  only  existed 
as  yet  on  paper  brought  enormous  prices. 
Banks  in  this  condition  of  things  were  often 
established  at  inaccessible  places.  Bank 
paper  was  issued  to  the  amount  of  $4,000,- 
000,  an  amount  out  of  all  proportion  to  the 
real  needs  of  the  people.  A  financial  col- 
lapse soon  came.  By  the  close  of  1839  forty- 
two  of  the  banks  of  the  state  were  in  the 
hands  of  receivers,  and  only  two  of  the 
chartered  banks  and  four  of  those  organized 
under  the  general  banking  law  were  able  to 
do  business.  Most  of  the  currency  of  the 
state  had  become  utterly  worthless,  and  the 
loss  to  the  people  was  immense.  The  banks 
of  Berrien  county  collapsed  with  the  rest, 
and  an  issue  of  about  $300,000,  a  large 
amount  for  one  county  at  that  time,  became 
for  the  most  part  worthless.  These  bank 
bills   were   handsomely   embossed   and    for 


some  time  after  the  collapse,  were  often  used 
to  decorate  walls.  A  period  of  extreme  de- 
pression and  distress  ensued^  values  of  all 
kinds  of  property  declined  and  lands  be- 
came unsalable.  For  several  years  immigra- 
tion and  progress  were  practically  sus- 
pended. 

''''MICHIGAN    AGUE.'"' 

Another  peculiar  cause  retarded  some- 
what the  rapid  growth  of  the  new  territory. 
This  was  the  "Michigan  Ague."  Other  new 
countries  in  the  west  were  subject  to  it,  but 
nowhere  was  it  more  prevalent  than 
in  Michigan,  and  reports  of  the  prevalence 
of  this  peculiar  disease,  often  exaggerated, 
deterred  people  of  the  east  from  emigration 
to  the  new  territory. 

This  "Ague"  was  an  intemittent  and 
malarial  fever,  which  assumed  three  stages. 
The  first  was  a  cold  sensation  causing  the 
patient  to  shiver,  his  teeth  to  chatter  and 
his  knees  to  knock  together.  It  was  a  chill 
of  diabolical  severity.  This  was  succeeded 
by  a  high  fever,  and  a  headache,  the  tempera- 
ture ranging  from  103  degrees  to  105  de- 
grees Fahrenheit.  The  third  stage  was  a 
return  of  the  pulse  to  its  normal  condition, 
and  a  copious  sweat  from  every  pore  of  the 
body  followed  by  a  sleepy  condition. 

These  paroxysms  of  the  disease  occurred 
at  regular  intervals,  sometimes  each  day, 
and  sometimes  intermittently  every  other 
day.  The  disease  was  seldom  fatal,  although 
attended  with  distressing  symptoms.  It  oc- 
curred most  frequently  in  the  autumn. 
Nearly  everybody  had  it  in  the  early  days 
and  the  physicians  in  certain  seasons  of  the 
year  reaped  an  abundant  harvest  in  the 
treatment  of  ague  patients.  The  method  of 
treatment  adopted  by  most  of  the  early  phy- 
sicians was  of  doubtful  efficiency.  It  con- 
sisted of  big  doses  of  calomel  with  other  in- 
gredients. The  patient  often  emerged  from 
the  disease  salivated,  and  in  a  skeleton  con- 
dition with  his  teeth  rapidly  disappearing. 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


29 


The  fact  that  nearly  all  of  the  old  settlers 
recovered  from  the  effects  of  both  disease 
and  treatment  can  only  be  ascribed  to  the 
Darwin  doctrine  of  ''the  survival  of  the 
fittest."  The  early  settler  of  Michigan  must 
have  been  ''the  salt  of  the  earth." 

The  origin  of  this  disease  is  naturally 
ascribed  to  malaria  arising  from  abundant 
richness  of  vegetation,  causing  immense 
vegetable  decomposition,  and  the  existence 
of  a  large  area  of  marshy  soil  undrained. 
About  1845  ^  i^^w  school  of  physicians  be- 
gan administering  quinine  and  other  tonics 
and  discarding  large  doses  of  calomel  and 
were  successful.  The  original  form  of 
Michigan  ague  long  since  disappeared  ow- 
ing mainly  to  the  draining  of  the  marshes 
and  the  cultivation  and  drying  of  the  soil. 

The  equalized  valuation  of  the  various 
towmships  and  cities  of  Berrien  county  for 
the  designated  years,  made  by  the  board  of 
supervisors,  was  as  follows: 


1 90 1,  the  state  board  of  equalization  equal- 
ized the  valuation  at  $30,000,000.  It  is  to 
be  observed  that  this  board  meets  once  in 
every  five  years,  and  that  both  in  1901  and 
1906,  it  disregarded  the  work  of  the  state 
board  of  tax  commissioners.  The  com- 
missioners in  1906  fixed  the  valuation  of 
Berrien  county  at  over  $36,000,000.  The 
state  board  diminished  this  amount  by  over 
$4,000,000. 

As  surveyed  and  organized,  a  township 
in  Michigan  generally  w^as  six  miles  square, 
consisting  of  thirty-six  sections  of  land, 
On  account  of  the  meandering  course  of  the 
St.  Joseph  river,  the  bend  of  the  shore  of 
Lake  Michigan,  and  the  state  line  on  the 
southern  boundary  of  Berrien  county,  the 
townships  are  of  unequal  size  and  generally 
contain  many  fractional  sections.  Only  the 
townships  of  Watervliet,  Bainbridge^  Pipe- 
stone, and  Buchanan  are  exactly  six  miles 
square.     The  sections  on  the  State  line  be- 


Bainbridare 

1870 

208,750 
615,190 
;  379,500 
492,845 

1880 

480,153 

1,002,246 

770.338 

910,418 

1889 

478,815 
1,014,560 

856,110 
1,208,410 

1900 

518,640 

926.404 

933,248 

1,186,780 

2,373,163 

1.291.382 

244.089 

411,094 

265,310 

524,249 

371,784 

323.418 

980,254 

1,657,308 

1,133.904 

621.686 

418,277 

377,400 

1,876,937 

420.743 

639,366 

792,195 

522.605 

18,810,236 

1905 
724,610 

Rfiffranrl     

957,190 

Berrien      • 

978,100 

Benton 

1,922,265 

4,530,580 

Buchanan 

605,615 
126,114 
144,948 
83,200 
155,404 
161,475 
134,730 
541,010 
918,981 
406,990 
238,530 
156,535 
426,051 

1,082,501 
236,458 
314,241 
188.883 
346,343 
333,244 
267,557 
1,092,927 
1.747,308 
911,221 
514,530 
334.159 
803,781 

1,098,040 
210,220 
317,263 
203,180 
355,280 
318,760 
230,911 
1,015.522 
1,688,132 
887.295 
574,220 
345,940 
833.335 

1,365,110 

Cliikaniinsf    

322,463 

Galien      

490,140 

Hasjar 

374,400 

Lake >    

746,680 

Lincoln 

553,115 

New  Buffalo. . 

Niles 

Niles  City 

413,365 
1,064,427 
1,954,205 

Oronoko 

Pipestone 

1,374.760 
818.100 

Royalton 

619,160 

St.  Joseph 

582,900 

St    TnsPTih  Citv 

2,993,075 

Sodus 

129,607 

187,274 
181,274 
195,895 

301,798 
437,600 
560, 6C0 
455.565 

294,790 
429.430 
520,340 

448,528 

13,228.981 

574,940 

Three  Oaks 

Watervliet 

779.500 
1.053,725 

^Veesaw. . . 

640,410 

6,569,918 

13,061.871 

26,733.020 

The  valuation  given  above  is  that  fixed 
by  out  board  of  supervisors. 

The  state  board  of  equalization  which 
met  in  September  last,  equalized  the  valua- 
tion of  Berrien  county  at  $32,000,000.     In 


tween  Michigan  and  Indiana  are  fractional, 
containing  only  about  three-fifth  of  a  sec- 
tion. 

The  plan  of  local  government  adopted 
by  the  Michigan  pioneers  was  that  of  New 


30 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


England  and  New  York^  in  preference  to 
that  in  vogue  in  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia. 
In  the  south  the  county  was  the  political 
unit.  In  New  England  and  New  York  the 
township  was  the  political  unit.  In  the  lat- 
ter, powder  was  conferred  upon  the  people 
of  the  township,  at  their  annual  town  meet- 
ing, to  enact  such  laws  as  they  deemed  best 
for  their  local  needs,  and  not  upon  a  county 
board.  This  is  the  theory  of  local  govern- 
ment reduced  to  its  simplest  and  most  demo- 
cratic form.  County  legislation  was  car- 
ried on  by  a  general  meeting  of  the  super- 
visors' of  the  respective  townships  at  cer- 
tain stated  times  each  year. 

The  adoption  of  this  system  of  local 
government,  arose  from  the  fact  that  before 
the  admission  of  Michigan  into  the  Union, 
an  immense  immigration  had  set  in  from 
the  Empire  State,  which  exceeded  that  from 
all  the  other  states  put  together,  and  made 
Michigan  in  her  laws,  institutions,  customs 
and  traditions  the  child  of  New  York. 

While  Michigan  belonged  to  the  terri- 
tory of  Indiana,  Wayne  county  embraced 
the  whole  of  the  lower  peninsula  lying  north 
of  Ohio  and  Indiana.  At  this  time  the 
southern  boundary  of  Wayne  county  was 
understood  to  be  a  line  running  due  east 
from  the  southernmost  point  of  Lake  Mich- 
igan to  Lake  Erie.  This  embraced  the  pres- 
ent site  of  the  cities  of  South  Bend,  Misha- 
waka,  Elkhart  and  Toledo.  The  north- 
western portion  of  Indiana  was  not  settled 
till  about  1829,  but  Toledo  and  the  sur- 
rounding country  were  settled  as  early  as 
1800.  The  enabling  act  of  Congress  pro- 
viding for  the  admission  of  Ohio  as  a  state, 
described  the  northern  boundary  as  the  pro- 
longation of  a  line  running  due  east  from  the 
southernmost  point  of  Lake  Michigan.  The 
people  of  Ohio  were  not  then  aware  that 
this  line  would  exclude  Toledo.  Upon  as- 
certaining that  it  did,  they  demanded  a  new 
line  to  be  drawn,  and  a  new  survey  was 
made  under  the  direction  of  the  Ohio  State 
government  by  which  the  southern  boundary 


of  Michigan  ran  from  the  southernmost 
point  of  Lake  Michigan  to  the  northernmost 
cape  of  Maumee  Bay.  This  line  placed 
Toledo  south  of  the  boundary  line,  but  left 
the  present  site  of  South  Bend,  Elkhart,  and 
Mishawaka  within  the  boundaries  of  Mich- 
igan. In  1 81 6  the  enabling  act  of  Congress, 
providing  for  the  admission  of  Indiana, 
fixed  the  northern  boundary  of  Indiana  on  a 
line  drawn  due  east  and  west  ten  miles 
north  of  the  southern  extreme  of  Lake  Mich- 
igan. No  particular  attention  was  paid  by 
the  people  of  Michigan  to  this  change  sub- 
tracting a  strip  of  territory  ten  miles  wide, 
as  northern  Indiana  had  not  then  been  set- 
tled and  was  regarded  of  little  account.  The 
controversy,  however,  between  the  people  of 
Ohio  and  Michigan  over  the  boundary  line 
continued  with  great  bitterness  for  several 
years,  and  almost  led  to  a  civil  war.  Con- 
gress finally  granted  the  claims  of  Ohio, 
and  recompensed  the  state  of  Michigan  by 
annexing  to  it  the  territory  covered  by  the 
Upper  Peninsula. 

Michigan  lost  a  valuable  strip  of  terri- 
tory on  our  southwestern  borders  to  which 
she  was  undoubtedely  entitled,  whatever 
may  have  been  the  merits  of  the  controversy 
between  Ohio  and  Michigan.  If  the  people 
of  Michigan  in  1816  could  have  anticipated 
the  value  and  future  importance  of  this  ten 
mile  strip,  the  southern  boundary  of  Berrien 
county  would  probably  without  serious  con- 
troversy, have  been  located  ten  miles  farther 
south  than  at  present,  and  would  have  em- 
braced within  its  limits  nearly  300  sections, 
largely  of  the  choicest  prairie  and  timbered 
lands,  and  the  flourishing  city  erf  South 
Bend. 

The  survey  of  Berrien  county  by  the 
United  States  government  was  not  com- 
pleted till  1829  and  until  that  year  no  con- 
veyances were  made  by  the  government. 

The  first  white,  man  who  owned  land  in 
Berrien  county  was  Davis  McKinstry  of 
Detroit.  By  the  treaty  of  Chicago  in  1821, 
there  was  reserved  to  certain  Indians  and 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


31 


Indian  traders  who  had  married  into  Indian 
famiUes,  ten  sections  of  land  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  commencing 
within  the  present  hmits  of  the  city  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor  and  running  southerly  into 
Sodus  township.  Jean  B.  Chandonai  re- 
ceived two  of  these  sections.  In  1822 
Chandonai  made  a  deed  of  one  section  to 
McKinstry.  The  treaty  having  provided 
that  no  lands  could  be  sold  without  the  con- 
sent of  the  President,  the  deed  was  invalid, 
but  a  petition  was  presented  to  the  President 
asking  his  approval  which  was  granted  by 
President  Monroe.  In  1829,  McKinstry  lo- 
cated the  S.  J/2  of  Sec.  3  and  the  E.  ^  of 
Sec.  4,  in  Sodus  township.  The  deed  was 
not  recorded  till  1834. 

The  first  entries  of  land  were  made  Jvme 
20,  1829,  by  the  following  named  persons. 
In  Berrien  township.  Squire  Thompson, 
Isaac  Smith,  Eli  Ford,  Shadrick  Ford, 
George  Claypole,  William  Garwood,  John, 
Samuel  and  Daniel  Johnson,  and  Jesse 
Toney. 

In  Niles  township  by  William  Justice, 
Elijah  Lacey,  Ephraim  Lacey,  Stephen  and 
Samuel  Salee,  Joseph  Stephens,  John  Rit- 
ter,  Alex.  Rogers,  Jacob  Miller,  Joseph 
Bertrand,  Jr.,  and  Leon  Bourasas. 

In  1830,  Hugh  Marrs,  Baldwin  Jenkins, 
Andrew  L.  Burke,  William  Lemon,  John 
Snyder  and  John  Lybrook  entered  land  in 
Berrien  township ;  Calvin  Britain,  A.  B. 
Newell  and  William  Huff  at  St.  Joseph; 
George  Kimmel  and  John  Pike  at  Berrien 
Springs,  and  Edward   Smith  at  Royalton. 

The  first  deed  actually  recorded  in  Ber- 
rien county  after  its  organization  was  dated 
November  29,  1831,  and  executed  by  Eber 
Griswold  and  Marinda,  his  wife,  to  Wm. 
Liston.  It  conveyed  lot  No.  23,  Wm.  Jus- 
tice's plat  of  Niles,  and  was  recorded  the 
day  of  date  by  Obed  P.  Lacey,  register  of 
deeds. 

The  first  election  for  county  officers  was 
held   at   Niles,   April   2,    1832.     Augustus 


Newell  w^as  elected  sheriff,  Titus  B.  Willard, 
county  clerk,  Obed  P.  Lacey,  register  of 
deeds,  and  Jacob  Beeson,  county  treasurer. 
Cogswell  K.  Green  was  appointed  judge  of 
probate. 

The  county  seat  remained  at  Niles  till 
October,  1832,  when  it  was  removed  to  the 
village  of  Newburyport  (now  St.  Joseph). 

The  first  court  established  in  the  county 
was  the  probate  court.  The  first  term  of 
that  court  was  held  at  Niles  by  Judge  C.  K. 
Green,  December  2y,  1831.  The  first  will 
probated  was  that  of  Ephraim  Lacey,  which 
occurred  September  24,  1832,  and  Elijah 
Lacey  and  Obed  P.  Lacey  were  appointed 
executors. 

The  first  term  of  the  county  court  was 
held  at  Niles  July  3,  1832,  Daniel  Olds  pre- 
siding. The  first  case  called  was  a  slander 
suit  of  Daniel  Wilson,  Jr.  vs.  Garrett 
Shuert  and  Elizabeth  Shuert,  which  appears 
afterwards  to  have  been  dismissed.  The 
county  court  was  abolished  in  1833.  It 
was  re-established  in  1847  ^^^^  again 
abolished  in   1853. 

The  first  term  of  the  circuit  court  for 
Berrien  county  was  held  at  Newburyport 
(St.  Joseph)  in  October,  1833.  Wm.  A. 
Fletcher,  a  very  able  and  learned  lawyer  of 
Detroit,  was  president  judge,  Tolman 
Wheeler  and  Amos  S.  Amsden,  associate 
judges.  The  associate  judges  at  this  time 
w^ere  not  generally  lawyers  and  were  called 
*'side  judges."  Their  services  were  usually 
perfunctory  as  they  generally  nodded  a 
silent  acquiescence  to  every  decision  of  the 
circuit  judge.  The  first  case  was  that  of 
Calvin  Bartlett  vs.  Benj.  Chandler,  parties 
living  at  St.  Joseph.  The  first  chancery 
case  was  that  of  Job  Brookfield  vs.  Bacon 
Wheeler,  prominent  residents  of  Niles. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  board  of  super- 
visors, so  far  as  appears  of  record  was  on 
October  2,  1832,  when  they  met  at  the 
council  house  in  Niles.  The  county  then 
consisted    of    three    townships,  Niles,  Bar- 


3^ 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


rien  and  St.  Joseph.  Jacob  Beeson  repre- 
sented Niles^  Pitt  Brown,  Berrien  and  Amos 
S.  Amsden,  St.  Joseph. 

In  1838  the  state  adopted  a  plan  of  vest- 
ing the  powers  of  the  board  of  supervisors 
in  a  board  of  county  commissioners.  Eras- 
mus Winslow  of  Niles,  John  F.  Porter  of 
St.  Joseph  and  Jos.  G.  Ames  of  Bertrand 
were  appointed  commissioners.  This  office 
was  abolished  in  1842  and  the  old  New 
England  and  New  York  plan  resumed. 

In  1837  the  county  seat  was  removed 
to  Berrien  (Berrien  Springs).  While  it  re- 
mained at  St.  Joseph  no  court  house  was 
erected  and  courts  were  held  first  in  a  log 
school  house  and  subsequently  in  what  was 
known  as  the  ''old  White  school  house/' 
still  standing  in  St.  Joseph.  In  1834  Fow- 
ler Preston  was  appointed  county  agent  to 
construct"  a  jail.  Mr.  Preston  constructed 
one  of  logs  for  the  sum  of  $191.56  in  that 
year. 

A  court  house  w^as  built  at  Berrien  in 
1839,  which  still  remain  standing.  Brick 
buildings  for  offices  were  erected  in  1873. 

In  1893,  at  an  election  called  for  the  pur- 
pose of  considering  the  question  of  removal 
of  the  county  seat  to  St.  Joseph,  the  measure 
was  carried  by  a  majority  of  240.  The 
actual  removal  was  made  in  December,  1894. 
Courts  w^ere  held  and  county  offices  carried 
on  till  1896  in  Martin's  Academy  of  Music. 
The  new  court  house  was  first  occupied  in 
February,  1896. 

The  primary  school  system  of  Michi- 
gan by  w^hich  each  township  is  divided  into 
school  districts  supported  by  public  taxation 
and  the  primary  school  fund,  was  inaugu- 
rated by  the  ordinance  of  1787  creating  the 
Northwest  Territory,  by  which  one  section 
of  land  in  each  township  was  reserved  for 
public  school  purposes. 

These  lands  have  been  sold  by  the  state 
and  a  fund  thus  created  for  the  support  of 
schools.  A  law  was  enacted  by  the  Legis- 
lature in  1838  providing  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  school  districts.     The  most  sweep- 


ing and  comprehensive  law,  however,  was 
enacted  in  1855  by  which  education  in  the 
primary  schools  was  made  free  to  all  pupils 
resident  in  the  district.  There  was  consider- 
able opposition  to  this  species  of  legislation 
at  the  time,  as  being  highly  socialistic,  but 
public  sentiment  supported  it  and  our  sys- 
tem of  primary  schools  has  become  the  pride 
of  the  state.  In  the  administration  of  this 
system  throughout  our  county  and  state, 
character  and  intelligence  have  been  recog- 
nized as  essential  qualifications  of  official 
position,  and  it  has  been  removed  to  a  large 
extent  from  the  domain  of  partisan  politics. 
This  atmosphere  of  freedom  from  contact 
with  practical  politics  has  allowed  unob- 
structed passage  for  pure  air  and  sunlight^ 
to  this  beneficent  branch  of  our  govern- 
mental institutions. 

In  1847  by  resolution  of  the  board  of 
supervisors  a  site  for  a  county  poor  farm 
and  buildings  was  purchased.  The  farm  was 
located  in  sections  16  and  17  of  Berrien 
township  and  a  house  18  feet  by  26  feet  was 
built  the  same  year.  The  farm  consisted 
of  160  acres.  To  this  32  acres  have  since 
been  added.  In  1867  ^he  building  was 
burned  down  and  in  1869  a  large  brick 
building  was  erected.  Considerable  addi- 
tions and  improvements  have  been  made. 
The  poor  farm  is  under  the  supervision  of 
a  board  of  superintendents.  The  present 
board  consists  of  C.  N.  Mou-lton,  J.  L. 
Bishop,  Chester  Badger.  The  manager  is 
Charles  Miller.  At  present  there  are  47  in- 
mates. 

List  of  County  Officers. 

The  following  tables  contain  a  list  of 
the  names  of  persons  who  have  filled  the 
principal  county  offices  since  Berrien  was 
organized  as  a  county  in  1831  : 

Judges  of  Probate. 

Cogswell  K.  Green 1831-1833 

Francis  B.  Murdock 1833- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


33 


Thos.  Conger 1834-1836 

N.  H.  Bacon 1837-1839 

Geo.  W.  Hoffman 1841-1845 

Jas.  Brown 1845-1853 

Thos.  Fitsgerald   1853-1855 

E.  Mcllvaine 1855-1857 

B.  F.  Fish   1857-1861 

Chas.  Jewett   1861-1865 

W.  S.  Merrill 1865-1869 

Dan'l  Chapman    1869- 1877 

Alex.  B.  Leeds   1877-1885 

D.  E.  Hinman   1885-1893 

J.  J.  Van  Riper 1893-1901 

Frank  H.  Ellsworth 1901- 

( Present  Incumbent) 

Sheriffs. 

Augustus  Newell   1831-1835 

Fowler  Preston    1835-1837 

E.  S.  Chapman 1837-1839 

A.  B.  Munger 1839-1843 

J.   B.   Wittenmeyer    1843-1847 

O.  B.  Willard   1847-1851 

Thos.    Conger    1851-1855 

Nathan  Fitch 1855-1859 

Jas.    Graham    1859-1863 

Chas.    Nichols    1863-1865 

J.   M.   Seward    1865-1869 

L.   F.  Warner 1869-1873 

J.  W.  Weimer 1873-1877 

R.   A.   De  Mont 1877-1881 

J.  R.  Clark 1881-1885 

Wallace    Peck    1885-1887 

B.  R.   Stearns 1887-1891 

John    Johnson    1891-1893 

Chas.   Whitcomb    1893- 1895 

E.   H.   Ferguson 1897-1901 

Fred   B.    Collins    1901-1905 

Jos.  Tennant   I905" 

(Present  Incumbent"). 

County  Clerks. 

C  K.  Green 1831-1833 

B.   C.   Hoyt    1833-183S 

Jas.    Randies    1835-1837 

Edw.    Richardson    1837- 1839 

Alonzo  R.  Bennett 1839-1843 

Thos.   Love    1843-1847 

E.    Mcllvaine    1847-1853 

3 


W.    S.    Merrill    1853-1859 

Geo.  H.  Murdock   1859-1861 

Dan'l.    Terriere    1861-1863 

Geo.  H.  Murdock 1863-1869 

Chas.  E.  Howe   1869-1873 

D.  E.  Hinman   1873-1877 

E.  D.  Cook 1877-1881 

W.  L  Himes   1881-1883 

Thos.   O'Hara    1883-1887 

H.  L.  Potter   1887-1891 

John   Carmody    1891-1893 

F.  A.  Woodruff 1893-1897 

Jno.    W.    Needham 1897-1901 

A.   L.   Church    1901-1905 

S.  B.  Miners   1905- 

( Present  Incumbent). 

Prosecuting   Attorneys. 

W.  H.  Welch    1832-1836 

Chas.   Jewett    1836-1839 

J.  S.  Chipman   1839-1842 

Jas.    Brown    1842-1844 

J.  N.  Chipman 1846-1848 

J.  B.  Fitzgerald    1849- 

J.  A.  Thompson    1850- 

Levi    Taft    1851- 

Jas.   Brown    1853-1855 

David  Bacon    1855-1857 

E.  M.   Plimpton    1857-1859 

F.  O.   Rogers    1859-1863 

H.  H.  Coolidge  1863-1865 

Geo.  S.  Clapp 1865-1871 

O.   W.   Coolidge 1871-1873 

N.  A.   Hamilton    1873-1875 

W.  H.  Breese    1875-1877 

J.  J.  Van  Riper 1877-1881 

J.   A.   Kellogg 1881-1885 

A.  C.  Roe   1885-1887 

G.  W.  Bridgman 1887-1893 

N.  A.   Hamilton    1893-1897 

G.  M.  Valentine   1897-1901 

Ira  W.  Riford 1901-1905 

Chas.    E.    White 1905- 

( Present  Incumbent). 

Registers  of  Deeds. 

Obed  P.  Lacey 1831- 

S.   E.  Mason 1833-1837 

A.  J.  F.  Phelan 1837-1839 

Ed.  Richardson   1839-1843 


34 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Thos.    Conger    

F.  D.  Johnson 

Chas.  F.  Howe 

Warren  Chapman    

A.  B.  Leeds 

R.  D.  Dix   

Frank   N.    Dix    

R.  D.  Dix   

W.  H.  Marston 

Ed.  R.  Haven   

A.  B.  Bisbee 

W.  P.  Harmon 

W.    H.    Sylvester 

Joel    H.    Gillette 

A.  O.  French 

H.   A.   Racklifife    

I.  L.  H.  Dodd 

(Present  Incumbent). 


County  Treasurers. 


Jacob   Beeson 

B.  C.  Hoyt   

R.  C.  Paine   

Wm.   Lemon    

Thos.   Love    

R.  W.  Landon    

CaJvin  Britain    

C.  D.  Nichols   

T.   F.   Glenn    

B.  F.  Pennell    

Sam'l.  Hess   

Jno.  Tate   

Geo.  W.  Rough   , 

.S.  L.  Van  Camp 

E.  B.  Storms 

J.  E.  Babcock   

F.  A.  Treat 

John   Clark    

John  F.  Gard 

(Died  in  office). 

W.  W.  McCracken 

Alva    Sherwood    

(Died  in  office). 

C.  H.   Schultz    

(Present  Incumbent). 

County   Surveyors. 

J.   Wittenmeyer    

Jehiel  Enos    

A.   B.   Staples    


1843-1845 
1845-1847 

1847-1853 
1853-1859 
1859-1865 
1865-1871 
1871-1873 
1873-1877 
1 877- 1 88 1 
1881-1885 
1885-1887 
1887-1891 
1891-1893 
I 893- I 897 
1 897- 1 90 1 
1901-1905 
1905- 


1833-1835 
1835-1837 
I 837- I 839 
1839-1841 
1841-1843 
1843-1851 
1851-1853 
1855-1859 
1859-1861 
1861-1869 
I 869- I 875 
1875-1879 
I 879- I 883 
1883-1887 
I 887- I 89 I 
1891-1893 
I 893- I 897 
1 897- 1 90 1 
1901- 

1902- 1 905 
1905 

1905 


1837-1841; 
1841-1845 
1845-1849 


F.    R.   Pinnell    1849-1851 

J.   L.  Parent    1851-1855 

Amos   Gray    1855-1857 

J.  L.  Parent   1857-1859 

Robt.    Eaton    1861-1865 

O.  D.  Parsons   1865-1867 

J.    F.    Miller    1867-1871 

A.   J.   Nowlen    1871-1875 

Thos.   Love    1875-1877 

J.  M.  Glavin 1877-1881 

It  has  been  practically  impossible  to  ob- 
tain the  dates  of  service  of  these  surveyors 
who  succeeded  Mr.  Glavin.  Their  names, 
however,  are  as  follows:  Luther  Heming- 
way, A.  L.  Drew,  W.  W.  Graves,  Ernest 
Bacon,  C.  B.  Pratt,  and  W.  J.  Cleary,  who 
is  the  present  incumbent. 

County  Judges. 

This  office  lasted  but  two  years  during 
the  territorial  period  and  five  years  after 
Michigan  became  a  State. 

Dan'l.    Olds    1831-1833 

Chas.   Jewett    1847-185 1 

Thos.   Fitzgerald    1851 

Senators  of  the  State  Legislature. 

Calvin   Britain,    St.    Joseph....  1835-1837 

Vincent  L.  Bradford,  Niles 1838- 1839 

Elijah  Lacey,  Niles 1840 

J.  N.  Chapman,  Niles 1845 

J.  B.  Fitzgerald,  St.  Joseph  ....  1847 

R.  T.  Twombly,  Niles 1853 

R.  C.   Paine,  Niles 1855 

A.  H.  Morrison,  St.  Joseph.  .  .  .  1857 

F.  L.  Muzzy,  Niles 1859 

R.  W.  Landon,  Niles 1863 

Warren  Chapman,  St.  Joseph..  1865-1867 

E.  J.   Bonine,   Niles 1869 

L.  P.  Alexander,  Buchanan.  .  .  .    1871-1873 
Levi  Sparks,  Buchanan   1873 

F.  H.  Berrick,  Buchanan 1875 

Wm.   Chamberlain,  Three  Oaks  1877- 1879 
Thos.    Marrs,    Berrien   Center..    1881 

L.  A.  Duncan,  Niks 1883 

H.   M.   Sherwood,  Watervliet..  1885 

W.  I.  Babcock,  Niles 1887- 1889 

J.   S.   Beers,   Stevensville 1891 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


35 


E.  A.  Blakeslee,  Galien 1897- 1899 

Fred  T.  Sovereign,  Three  Oaks  1 901-1903 
The  Seventh  Senatorial  District  of  the 
state  now  embraces  the  counties  of  Berrien 
and  of  Cass.  J.  G.  Hayden  of  Cassopohs 
is  the  present  Senator.  In  the  above  Hst 
I  have  given  only  those  who  were  residents 
of  Berrien  County. 

Representatives    in    the    State    Legislature. 

Cogswell    K.    Green,    Niles 1835-1836 

Robt.  E.   Ward    1837 

Elijah   Lacey,    Niles 1838 

Thos.  Fitzgerald,  St.  Joseph.  .  .  1839 

J.  B.  La  Rue,  St.  Joseph 1840-1841 

Alonzo  Bennett,  New  Buffalo..  1842 

J.  G.  Ames,  New  Buffalo 1844 

John  Groves,   Buchanan 1845 

Calvin   Britain,    St.   Joseph 1847-1850 

R.  P.  Barker,  Niles 1857 

Jehiel  Enos,   Benton 1848 

Andrew  Murray,  Benton 1848 

A.  L.  Burke,  Berrien  Springs..  1849 

Henry  Chamberlain,  Three  Oaks  1849 

Calvin    Britain,    St.    Joseph 1851 

Sam'l.    Street,    Niles 1851 

J.   W.   Buterheld,   Niles    1851 

H.  W.  Griswold,  Niles 1853 

Michael   Hand,   Berrien  Springs  1853 

J.  B.   Sutherland    1855 

J.  D.  Ross,  Buchanan 1855 

Jehiel    Enos,    Benton    1857 

Nate  E.  Crosby,  New  Buffalo.  .  1857 

Wm.  B.  Beeson,  Niles 1859 

Morgan  Enos,  Pipestone 1859 

A.   H.  Morrison,   St.  Joseph...  1861 
L.  P.  Alexander,  Buchanan.  .  .  .  1861 
Nathan  .Fitch,    Berrien    Springs  1863 
Henry  C.  Morton,  Benton  Har- 
bor    1863 

John  C  Miller,  Union  Pier.  .  .  .  1863 

E.   J.   Bonine,   Niles 1865-1867 

Newton  E.  Woodruff   1865 

Jas.  Graham,  Berrien  Springs..  1865 

Chas.  R.  Brown,  St.  Joseph 1867 

J.  M.  Glavin,  New  Buffalo....  1867 

E.  M.  PHmpton,  Buchanan....  1869 

A.  B.  Riford,  Benton  Harbor..  1869-1871 

J.  M.  Seward,  Niles 1869 

W.  J.   Edwards,  Niles 1871 


W.  H.  Chamberlain 1871-1873 

T.    J.    West,    Bainbridge    1873- 1875 

E.  J.  Bonine,  Niles 1873 

E.  A.  Brown,  Berrien  Springs     1874 

C.   B.  Potter,   St.  Joseph 1875 

N.  A.  Hamilton,  St.  Joseph.  .  .  .    1877 

Geo.  F.  Edwards,  Niles ^'^17 

Silas  Ireland,  Berrien  Tp i877 

B.  R.  Stearns,  Galien 1879 

L.  M.  Ward,  Benton  Harbor..    1879-1881 

Alonzo    Sherwood,    Troy 1879 

W.   S.  Millard,  Niles 1881 

L.  C.  Fyfe,  St.  Joseph 1881-1883 

W.   A.   Keith,   Chikaming    1883 

A.    N.    Woodruff,   Watervliet..    1885 

A.  J.  L.  McKee,  Three  Oaks..    1885-1887 

W.  A.  Baker,  Coloma 1887-1889 

O.    E.   Aleshire,   Buchanan, 1889 

H.  C.  Rockwell,  Benton  Harbor  1891 

G.  A.  Lambert,  Niles 1891 

J.  B.  Thompson,  Niles 1893 

E.  L.  Kingsland,  Hagar  Tp.    .  .    1893- 1895 

E..  D.  Williams,  Niles 1895- 1897 

S.  L.  Van  Camp,  Benton  Harbor  1897- 1899 

C  R.  Smith,  Niles 1899 

Joel   Gillette,   Niles 1901-1903 

N.  V.  Lovell,  Eau  Claire 1903-1905 

S.  H.  Kelly,  Benton  Harbor 1905 

John  Lane,  St.  Joseph 1901-1903 

From  1863  to  1883  Berrien  county  was 
divided  into  three  legislative  Districts  for 
the  lower  house.  In  1883  the  representa- 
tion was  reduced  to  two  members. 

County  Superintendents  and  Commissioners 
of  Schools. 

The  records  of  these  oflfices  have  been 
lost,  and  the  dates  of  the  incumbency  of 
most  of  these  officers  cannot  be  given.  The 
first  office  created  was  county  superin- 
tendent. Subsequently  a  board  of  three  ex- 
aminers was  chosen,  of  which  the  secre- 
tary was  the  chief  officer.  Finally  an  office 
was  created  called  the  commissioner  of 
schools.  The  duties  of  these  various  of- 
ficers w^ere  practically  the  same.  The  names 
of  the  officers  are  as  follows:  Henry  A. 
Ford,  Niles,  served  1868  to  1872;  E.  L. 
Kingsland,  Hagar,  served  1872  to  1876;  C. 


36 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


B.  Groat,  Berrien  Tp. ;  Miss  Rachael  Tate,. 
Berrien  Tp.;  John  C.  Lawrence,  Benton; 
E.  P.  Clarke,  St.  Joseph;  C.  D.  Jennings, 
Pipestone,  present  incumbent. 

County  Agents  of  the  State  Board  of  Cor- 
rections and  Charities. 

No  early  record  is  preserved  of  this  im- 
portant office.  The  names  of  the  officers 
are  given.  The  duties  of  the  office  have  been 
greatly  extended  during  recent  years. 
Thos.  Marrs,  Berrien,  served  9  years; 
Wm.  Jones;  Levi  Sparks;  Geo.  A.  Correll, 
Niles;  Chas.  W.  Whitehead,  Benton  Har- 
bor, from  1892  to  present  time,  except  an 
interregnum  of  five  months. 

The  following  tables  contain  a  list  of 
important  state  officials  who'  were  residents 
of  Berrien  county  and  of  the  judges  of  the 
second  judicial  circuit  of  the  State  and  cir- 
cuit court  stenographer. 

Calvin  Brittain,  Member  of  Leg. 

Council  of  Mich.  Territory..    1835 

Calvin  Brittain,  Lieut.  Gov- 
ernor       1852-1853 

Wm.  Graves,  Sec'y.  of  State..    1853-1855 

R.  D.  Dix,  Auditor  General...    1 897-1 901 

J.  J.  Van  Riper,  Attorney  Gen- 
eral     1881-1885 

R.    D.    Dix,    Commissioner    of 

Land  Office    1887-1891 

J.  J.  Van  Riper,  Regent  of  Uni- 
versity        1880-1886 

Wm.  Chamberlain,  Warden  of 
State  Penitentiary    1893 

Alonzo  Vincent,  Warden  of 
State  Penitentiary   

Judges  of   Second  Judicial   Circuit  of 
Michigan. 

Wm.  A.  Fletcher,  Detroit   ....    1833-1836 
Epaphroditus      Ransom,      Kala- 
mazoo       1836-1848 

Chas.  W.  Whipple,  Niles 1848-1855 

Nathaniel   Bacon,    Niles 1856-1864 

Perrin  M.  Smith,  Centreville,  St. 


Joseph  Co. 1864-1866 

Nathaniel   Bacon,  Niles    1866-1869 

Daniel      Blackman,      Cassopolis, 

removed  to  Niles,    1869- 1872 

Henry  H.  Coolidge,  Niles 1872-187& 

Andrew  J.   Smith,   CassopoHs.  .    1878-188S 
Thomas         O'Hara,         Berrien 

Springs    1888-1894 

Orville  W.  Coolidge,  Niles....    1894 

and  since. 

The  Second  Judicial  Circuit  of  the  state 
originally  embraced  a  large  number  of 
counties.  For  a  number  of  years  it  em- 
braced Berrien,  Cass,  St.  Joseph  and  Branch 
counties.  About  1868  it  was  reduced  to 
Berrien  and  Cass  counties.  In  1899  Ber- 
rien county  was  erected  into  a  separate 
circuit,  the  number  of  the  circuit  not  being 
changed. 

Circuit  court  stenographers :  E.  Day,, 
1869;  E-  L.  Knapp,  1881 ;  James  J.  Atkin- 
son, 1902,  present  incumbent. 

The  following  named  residents  of  Ber- 
rien county  have  held  important  federal  posi-. 
tions  as  designated : 

Thos.  Fitzgerald,  of  St.  Joseph, 

U.  S.   Senator   1848-1849 

John  S.  Chipman  of  Niles,  Rep- 
resentative to   Congress 1845-1847 

Edward  La  Rue  Hamilton, 
Niles,  Representative  to  Con- 
gress        1897- 

(Re-elected  for  '99,  '01,  '03,  '05  and  '07) 

The  Foutrh  Congressional  District,  rep- 
resented by  Mr.  Hamilton,  embraces  the 
counties  of  Barrien,  Cass,  St.  Joseph,  Van 
Buren,  Allegan  and  Barry. 

Only  three  residents  of  Barrien  county 
have  been  members  of  Congress.  These 
w^ere  Col.  Thos.  Fitzgerald,  John  S.  Chip- 
man  and  Edward  L.  Hamilton,  as  appears 
in  the  foregoing  list  of  federal  officers. 

Col.  Fitzgerald  was  appointed  United 
State  Senator  in  1848  to  fill  the  vacancy 
occasioned  by  the  resignation  of  Gen.  Cass, 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


37 


then  a  candidate  for  the  presidency.  He 
held  the  position  till  1850,  when  Gen.  Cass 
was  re-elected.  At  the  time  of  his  appoint- 
ment, Col.  Fitzgerald  was  a  resident  of  St. 
Joseph,  where  he  settled  in  1832.  He  is 
referred  to  elsewhere  in  the  chapter  on  ''St. 
Joseph." 

John  S.  Chipman  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  lower  house  of  Congress  in  1844.  He 
was  then  a  resident  of  Niles,  where  he  had 
settled  in  1838.  He  was  a  brilliant  and 
able  lawyer,  ranking  among  the  best  in  the 
state.  He  removed  to  California  in  1851, 
where  he  died  many  years  since. 

Edward  L.  Hamilton,  a  native  of  Niles 
tow^nship  and  now  a  resident  of  the  city  of 
Niles,  was  first  elected  to  Congress  in  1896, 
after  an  exciting  nominating  convention 
which  lasted  three  days,  and  has  been  re- 
nominated five  successive  times  wathout  the 
least  opposition,  having  made  a  record  in 
his  Congressional  career  which  has  been  a 
source  of  pride  to  his  constituency.  He  is 
now  chairman  of  one  of  the  most  important 
committees  in  the  House  of  Representatives, 
the  committee  on  territories,  and  is  recog- 
nized as  a  forceful  and  brilliant  orator,  a 
hard  student  and  one  of  the  foremost  leaders 
of  the  house.  His  constituency  recognizing 
the  importance  of  having  the  continued  ser- 
vices of  an  able  and  experienced  leader  to 
represent  them  in  Congress,  will  undoubted- 
ly keep  him  in  his  present  position,  so  long 
as  he  may  consent,  unless  he  should  be  the 
future  recipient  of  higher  honors,  which 
now  appears  probable. 


Roads  and  Railroads. 

The  earliest  road  w4iich  led  into  Berrien 
■county  w^as  the  road  from  Fort  Wayne  via 
the  trading  stations  at  South  Bend  and  Bert- 
rand  to  the  Carey  mission.  The  road  was 
however,  rough  and  almost  dangerous.  It 
followed  an  Indian  trail.  This  was  the 
route  used  by  the  earliest  settlers  of  Ber- 
rien county. 

The  principal  Indian  trail  in  Michigan, 


however,  was  the  continuation  of  a  trail 
which  started  from  Green  Bay,  ran  south- 
ward through  the  present  site  of  Chicago, 
passed  around  the  head  of  Lake  Michigan, 
reached  the  Pottawatomie  villages  near  the 
present  site  of  Bertrand,  crossed  the  river 
at  Bertrand  and  went  eastward  through  the 
present  site  of  Edwardsburg,  White  Pigeon, 
Jonesville,  Tecumseh  and  Ypsilanti  to  the 
Detroit  river. 

In  1825,  by  authority  of  an  act  of  Con- 
gress, the  old  Chicago  road  w^as  commenced. 
This  was  the  first  throughfare  laid  out 
which  traversed  the  territory  of  Michigan. 
It  followed,  nearly  the  whole  distance  from 
Detroit  to  Chicago,  the  old  Indian  trail  used 
for  over  a  century  by  the  Pottawatomies 
and  other  Indian  tribes.  For  the  survey 
the  government  appropriated  $10,000.00. 
The  survey  in  Berrien  county  was  not  fin- 
ished till  1833  and  the  road  was  not  com- 
pleted to  Chicago  till  1836.  The  survey  at 
the  western  end  was  made  by  Daniel  G. 
Garnsey^  one  of  the  proprietors  who  laid  out 
the  once  famous  village  of  Bertrand. 

The  territorial  legislature  in  1832  es- 
tablished two  territorial  roads  which  ran  to 
the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  one  run- 
ning from  Coldwater  via  Niles  and  the  other 
from  Jackson.  The  commissioners  of  the 
former  road  were  Squire  Thompson,  Alex- 
ander H.  Redfield  and  CogswxU  K.  Grpen. 
Squire  Thompson  w^as  the  first  settler  in 
Berrien  county  and  the  first  settler  of 
western  Michigan.  Redfield  was  a  wealthy 
land  owner  in  Cass  county,  and  Green  the 
first  attorney  who  settled  in   Niles. 

A  mania  for  establishing  territorial  roads 
seems  to  have  raged  in  the  legislature  and 
council  between  the  years  1833  ^^d  1838. 
An  enormous  emigration  to  Michigan  had 
set  in  from  the  Empire  state,  and  new  set- 
tlements rapidly  developing,  demanded  the 
building  of  roads.  Nearly  thirty  roads  lead- 
ing into  Berrien  county  were  ordered  and 
surveyed.  Some  of  them  were  never  built 
and  others  were  not  built  until  many  years 


38 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


afterwards.  The  ^Wild  Cat  Bank''  col- 
lapse of  1838  and  1839  seriously  crippled 
the  finances  of  the  young  state  and  retarded 
the  development  of  intended  improvements. 

Commissioners  were  generally  appointed 
consisting  of  prominent  men  living  in  the 
locality  of  the  projected  road  to  establish 
and  lay  out  these  roads. 

Among  these  commissioners  appointed 
by  the  territorial  government  were  the  fol- 
lowing prominent  early  settlers  of  Berrien 
county :  Jehiel  Enos,  Fowler  Preston,  John 
Wittenmyer,  Lemuel  L.  Johnson,  Elijah 
Lacey,  Erasmus  Winslow,  Jacob  Beeson, 
Benj.  Redding,  Jno.  F.  Porter,  Wessel 
Whittaker,  R.  E.  Ward,  H.  W.  Griswold, 
R.  S.  Griffin,  J.  P.  Davis,  Eleazer  Morton, 
Pitt  Brown,  Wm.  Huff,  E.  P.  Deacon,  Jos. 
Bertrand  (son  of  the  old  Indian  trader).  Dr. 
John  K.  Finley,  Wm.  F.  St.  John. 

In  1836  the  so-called  territorial  road  was 
surveyed  and  opened  the  next  year.  It  came 
into  Berrien  county  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship, ran  through  Millburg  and  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Benton  Harbor  into  St.  Joseph. 
The  stage  lines  connected  at  St.  Joseph  with 
lake  boats  for  Chicago.  The  business  done 
by  these  stage  coaches  for  many  years  was 
immense.  Often  as  many  as  fifteen  Con- 
cord coaches  drawn  by  four  horses  came 
into  St.  Joseph  daily,  loaded  with  passeng- 
ers for  Chicago  and  points  in  northern  and 
central  Illinois. 

These  tw^o  roads^  the  Chicago  road  pass- 
ing through  Niles  and  the  Territorial  road, 
were  the  pricipal  highways  between  the  east 
and  west  in  the  early  settlemen.  In  183 1 
a  road  was  built  from  Saranac  (St.  Joseph) 
through  Wolfs  Prairie  (Barrien  Springs) 
to  Niles. 

In  1 83 1,  the  first  stage  line  into  the 
county  was  conducted  by  Col.  Amanson 
Huston,  who  lived  at  Niles  and  kept  a  tavern 
known  by  the  name  of  the  Council  House. 
The  road  ran  from  Detroit  through  Ypsil- 
anti,  Jonesville,  White  Pigeon  and  Edwards 


Prairie,  to  Niles,  following  the  old  Indian 
trail,  to  a  short  distance  east  of  Niles. 

In  1833,  the  stage  line  was  carried  to 
Chicago.  In  1835  daily  stages  were  placed 
on  the  route,  the  road  was  divided  into  sec- 
tions and  that  part  of  the  road  west  of  Jones- 
ville was  placed  under  the^charge  of  Maj- 
Wm.  Graves.  The  company  conducting  the 
stage  line  was  known  as  the  ''Western  Stage 
Line." 

This  road  for  several  years  was  the  only 
stage  route  through  the  state  from  east  to 
west. 

The  stage  line  diverged  from  the  old 
Chicago  road  four  or  five  miles  east  oif 
Niles,  and  re-entered  it  about  the  same  dis- 
tance west  of  Niles. 

As  business  increased,  several  stages 
were  put  on  daily.  They  consisted  of  large 
handsome  Concord  coaches  drawn  by  four 
horses.  The  arrival  of  a  stage  w^as  an- 
nounced by  the  blowing  of  a  horn  by  the 
driver,  who  was  perched  on  top  of  the  coach. 

In  1828  the  mail  was  carried  by  David 
Hunter,  a  soldier  in  the  regular  army,  from 
Detroit  to  Chicago  on  horseback.  Hunter 
became  a  leading  general  in  the  Civil  war. 

In  1830  Thomas  Huston,  a  boy,  carried 
the  mail  between  Niles  and  Saranac  (St. 
Joseph). 


Railroads. 

The  first  railroad  which  was  built  in  the 
county  was  the  Michigan  Central.  The 
w^ork  of  constructing  railroads  was  first 
undertaken  by  the  state  itself  and  originated 
even  before  the  admission  of  the  state  into 
the  Union. 

In  1832  the  territorial  legislature  in- 
corporated the  Detroit  and  St.  Joseph  R.  R. 
Co.  Twenty  commissioners  were  appointed 
among  whom  were  Calvin  Britain  and  Tal- 
man  Wheeler  of  St.  Joseph.  The  line  was 
shortly  after  surveyed  by  Lieut.  Berrien  of 
the  regular  army. 

In    1837,   the  legislature  passsd  an  act 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


39 


authorizing  the  construction  of  three  rail- 
roads, the  Northern,  Central  and  Southern 
raih'oads,  all  starting  from  Detroit.  The 
western  terminus  of  the  Central  was  to 
be  at  St.  Joseph.  The  construction  of  the 
Southern  and  Central  proceeded  first,  and 
for  this  purpose  a  loan  of  $5,000,000  was 
made  by  the  state.  The  Central  road  was 
finished  as  far  as  Kalamazoo  in  February, 
1846.  The  state  in  the  meantime  had  be- 
come exhausted  financially  and  found  the 
railroad  business  conducted  by  politicians, 
often  incompetent  and  wasteful,  unprofit- 
able. The  legislature  concluded  to  sell  out 
its  railroad  properties. 

In  March,  1846,  a  corporation  was  or- 
ganized under  the  name  of  the  Michigan 
Central  Railroad  composed  mainly  of 
wealthy  Boston  capitalists,  and  the  State 
sold  the  Central  railroad  to  this  corporation 
for  $2,000,000.  In  the  contract  between 
the  state  and  the  corporation,  the  latter  was 
not  obliged  to  make  its  western  terminus  at 
St.  Joseph.  The  only  condition  was  that 
the  road  should  go  to  some  point  on  Lake 
Michigan  accessible  to  steamboats  and 
thence  to  some  point  on  the  southern  bound- 
ary of  Lake  Michigan.  The  company  then 
changed  the  route  from  Kalamazoo  and 
directed  it  via  Niles  to  New  Buffalo. 

The  road  was  finished  to  Niles  October 
7,  1848,  to  New  Buffalo  in  1849,  to  Michi- 
gan City  in  1851  and  to  Chicago  in  1852. 
The  terminus  for  nearly  three  years  was 
at  New  Buffalo  and  during  this  time  this 
town  was  a  place  of  great  activity.  Pas- 
sengers were  conveyed  to  Chicago  from  this 
point  by  lake  steamers. 

Various  railroads  were  projected  in  the 
meantime  and  subsequently  which  were 
never  built,  among  which  were  the  ''Con- 
stantine  &  Nile  Canal  or  R.  R.  Co.,"  the 
*^St.  Joseph  R.  R.  Co.,"  the  "Elkhart  & 
Lake  Michigan  Railroad." 

The  next  railroad  built  was  the  Chicago 
and  West  Michigan  Railroad.  A  company 
was  incorporated  in  May,  1869,  under  that 


name.  A.  H.  Morrison,  Warren  Chapman,, 
B.  C.  Hoyt,  Curtis  Boughton,  Geo.  Bridg- 
man,  David  Ballentine  and  R.  A.  Connolly 
were  the  first  directors.  Morrison  was 
chosen  president. 

The  road  was  completed  from  New  Buf- 
falo to  St.  Joseph  in  February,  1870.  It 
was  subsequently  continued  northward  as 
far  as  Pentwater,  which  was  its  northern 
terminus  for  some  years.  It  was  finally 
extended  to  Petoskey.  The  road  was  pur- 
chased some  years  since  by  the  Pere  Mar- 
quette, which  built  its  line  into  Chicago. 
The  president  and  some  of  the  officers  oil 
the  C.  &  W.  M.  R.  R  Co.,  endeavored  to- 
have  the  road  about  a  mile  away  from  the- 
center  of  Benton  Harbor,  practically  leav- 
ing that  town  ''out  in  the  cold."  The  active 
citizens  of  Benton  Harbor  headed  off  the 
movement  by  getting  the  ear  of  Jas.  F.  Joy^ 
a  leading  railroad  magnate,  who  was  in- 
terested in  the  railroad  in  some  way  and 
controlled  the  situation.  He  was  a  sensible,, 
level  headed  man  and  carried  out  the  wishes 
of  the  Benton  Harbor  people.  The  road 
was  built  largely  by  heavy  donations  from 
the  lake  shore  townships,  which  issued 
bonds.  The  debts  wxre  somewhat  burden- 
some. The  Supreme  court  of  this  State 
about  the  time  of  the  construction  of  this 
road  decided  that  all  donations  or  stock 
subscriptions  by  townships  or  municipalities 
for  railroad  purposes  were  absolutely  void, 
A  number  of  the  townships  refused  to  pay 
their  bonds.  The  railroad  company  evaded 
the  Supreme  court  decision  by  selling  the 
bonds  to  non-residents  of  the  state.  These 
non-residents  commenced  proceedings  in  the 
Federal  courts  and  recovered  judgments 
against  the  resisting  townships. 

In  1870  a  railroad  was  built  into  Niles 
from  Jackson  called  the  **Air  Line,"  and 
continued  to  South  Bend.  The  people  along^ 
the  line  subscribed  for  the  road  understand- 
ing that  it  was  to  be  a  road  competing  with 
the  Michigan  Central  line.  Niles  issued 
bonds  for  the  aid  of  the  road  and  stock 


40 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


subscriptions  to  the  amount  of  nearly  $ioo,- 
ooo  were  made  by  citizens  of  Niles  and  the 
vicinity.  On  the  completion  of  the  road  it 
was  turned  over  to  the  Michigan  Central 
R.  R.  Co.,  by  lease  at  first,  and  eventually 
became  a  part  of  the  road.  The  Niles  peo- 
ple resisted  payment  of  bonds  and  subscrip- 
tions. The  bonds,  by  mandamus  proceed- 
ings, were  reached  before  they  were  de- 
livered by  the  state  treasurer.  The  Supreme 
court  declared  them  void,  they  were  sur- 
rendered to  the  city  authorities  and  a  grand 
bonfire  was  had.  Practically  the  same  fate 
attended  the  sueing  of  the  supscription 
paper. 

In  1 88 1,  a  narrow  guage  road  was 
built  from  Bechanan  to  Berrien  Springs  by 
donations  and  private  subscriptions.  The 
road  proved  to  be  an  unprofitable  invest- 
ment, ran  for  a  few  years  and  then  ceased 
to  run  altogether.  Subsequently  the  road- 
bed was  purchased  by  a  syndicate  and  a 
standard  road  built  to  Benton  Harbor.  The 
road  was  known  for  man)/  years  as  the  St. 
Joseph  Valley  Road,  and  after  its  construc- 
tion to  Benton  Harbor  as  the  Benton  Har- 
bor Terminal.  It  is  now  controlled  by  the 
Pere  Marquette  Railroad  Co. 

In  1 88 1,  a  railroad  was  built  from  Elk- 
hart to  Niles  and  shortly  after  continued  to 
Benton  Harbor.  The  road  is  now  known 
as  the  '*Big  Four."  The  name  of  the  cor- 
poration is  the  Cincinnati,  Cleveland,  Chi- 
cago and  St.  Louis  Railway.  It  runs  on 
the  east  side  of  the  St.  Joseph  river. 

In  1889  ^  I'o^d  was  biult  from  South 
Bend  through  Galien,  Glendora  and  Baroda 
to  St.  Joseph.  Within  the  past  two  years 
it  was  continued  to  Benton  Harbor.  It 
was  first  called  the  Vandalia  road  and  after- 
wards the  Three  I  road,  its  corporate  name 
being  the  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Iowa  Rail- 
road. It  has  become  a  branch  of  the  Michi- 
gan Central  Railroad  and  trains  now  run 
directly  from  Benton  Harbor  and  St.  Joseph 
via  Galien  to  Chicago. 

In  August,   1903,  the  Michigan  South- 


ern Railway,  an  interurban  road,  was  com- 
pleted from  South  Bend  tO'  Niles.  In 
December,  1905,  it  was  continued  to  Ber- 
rien Springs.  In  May^  1906,  it  was  fin- 
ished to  St.  Joseph.  The  route  of  the  road 
is  a  charming  one,  with  delightful  views  of 
the  river,  and  passes  through  extensive  fruit 
orchards  south  of  St.  Joseph.  The  cars  are 
commodious  and  comfortable  and  run  every 
hour.  The  road  has  had  an  immense  pat- 
ronage during  the  past  year,  and  its  con- 
struction constitutes  the  most  important  in- 
ternal improvement  made  in  the  county  for 
many  years. 

During  the  summer  of  1906,  and  electric 
interurban  road  running  south  from  Ben- 
ton Plarbor  has  been  completed  as  far  as 
Taber's  Resort,  about  eleven  miles  south  of 
Benton  Harbor,  on  the  banks  of  the  St. 
Joseph  river.  The  route  is  a  charming  one, 
having  stations  at  King's  landing  and  other 
points  on  the  river. 

Berrien  county  has  more  railroad  facili- 
ties than  most  rural  counties.  Only  one 
township  is  not  traversed  by  a  railroad.  The 
length  of  these  various  railroads  in  the 
county  is  about  210  miles. 

Politics. 

The  political  complexion  of  Berrien 
county  has  practically  remained  the  same 
for  fifty  years. 

During  the  existence  of  the  Whig  party 
the  county  was  Democratic.  After  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Republican  party,  it  be- 
came Republican.  The  passage  of  the  Kan- 
sas-Nebraska bill  in  May,  1854,  by  Con- 
gress, in  the  interest  of  slavery,  resulted  in 
the  down-fall  of  Democratic  supremacy  in 
Berrien  county.  It  has  given  a  plurality 
for  every  Republican  candidate  for  the  presi- 
dency except  for  Mr.  Blaine  in  1884.  In 
that  year  a  fusion  between  the  Cleveland 
and  Butler  forces  in  this  state  upon  certain 
electors,  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  plurality 
of  13  for  the  fusion  electors  in  the  county. 


HISTOJIY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


41 


The  Republican  electors,  however,  obtained 
a  plurality  of  415  over  the  straight  Demo- 
cratic electors. 

Shortly  after  the  organization  of  the 
Republican  party,  a  number  of  prominent 
Whigs  like  Franklin  Muzzy,  R.  C.  Paine 
and  D.  O.  Woodruff,  became  identified 
with  the  Democracy.  The  accession  from 
the  Whigs  in  this  direction,  however,  was 
small  while  a  large  number  of  anti-slaver^/ 
Democrats  abandoned  their  party. 

The  Republican  party  in  this  county  as 
well  as  elsewhere^  w^as  materially  strength- 
ened in  i860  by  a  considerable  vote  from 
naturalized  Germans,  who  were  almost  vmi- 
versally  strong  in  their  anti-slavery  convic- 
tions. This  fact  played  an  important  part 
in  the  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln.  Gov.  Alt- 
geld  in  an  article  in  the  ''Forum"  some  years 
since,  demonstrated  that  the  German  voters 
in  i860  held  in  their  hands  the  balance  of 
power,  and  by  their  heavy  and  almost  unani- 
mous support  of  the  Republican  party,  se- 
cured the  election  of  President  Lincoln. 

After  the  war,  other  issues  arising  in 
the  meantime,  the  German-Americans  be- 
came divided,  in  some  localities  largely  sup- 
porting one  party  and  in  other  localities,  the 
opposite  party. 

In  1896,  however,  the  German  vote  in 
this  county  and  especially  in  the  northern 
portion  was  strongly  against  the  Democ- 
racy on  the  issue  of  ''free  silver." 

In  the  bitter  and  exciting  campaign  of 
that  year,  the  cause  of  "free  silver,"  which 
spread  like  wild-fire  through  the  great  agri- 
cultural counties  of  south  central  Michigan, 
and  captured  the  banner  Republican  strong- 
holds of  the  state,  had  no  appreciable  sup- 
port from  the  Republican  voters  in  this 
county,  while  a  land  slide  from  the  ranks 
of  the  Democratic  party  combined  to  bring 
about  the  largest  Republican  majority  ever 
reached  so  far  in  the  history  of  the  county. 

In  the  campaign  of  1872,  many  promi- 
ment  leaders  in  the  Republican  party  in  the 
county     supported     Greeley     for    president 


among  whom  were  A.  H.  Morrison,  Benj. 
Frankenberg,  and  Geo.  H.  Murdock.  The 
defection  of  leaders,  however,  did  not  affect 
the  rank  and  file  of  the  Republican  party, 
and  Grant's  plurality  was  large. 

In  1874  the  Republican  party  suffered 
a  defeat  in  the  county,  the  Democrats  elect- 
ing a  State  senator,  two  members  of  the 
Legislature  and  a  portion  of  the  county 
ticket.  This  w-as  the  result  of  the  credit 
mobilier  and  salary  grab  measures  in  Con- 
gress. 

Formerly  it  was  the  custom  of  each 
party  to  have  a  large  mass  meeting  at  both 
Niles  and  St.  Joseph  during  each  presidential 
election.  The  meetings  were  generally  ad- 
dressed by  speakers  of  national  reputation 
and  elaborate  preparations  for  the  occasion 
were  made  in  advance  by  the  respective 
county  committees.  Immense  crowds  from 
every  part  of  the  county  and  from  adjoin- 
ing counties  came  to  these  gatherings.  Uni- 
formed marching  companies,  girls  in  red, 
w^hite  and  blue,  men  and  ladies  on  horse- 
back in  gorgeous  costumes,  long  processions 
with  banners  and  devices  often  caricaturing 
the  opposite  party  and  its  candidates,  un- 
mercifully; brass  bands,  drum  corps,  glee 
clubs,  wild  hurrahs  and  bubbling  enthusi- 
asm, life  and  music  everywhere  abounding, 
all  combined  to  make  the  occasion  a  gala- 
day,  entertaining  to  the  masses  and  inter- 
esting even  to  the  cynical.  As  an  instance 
of  the  interest  taken  in  these  gatherings  by 
people  living  far  distant,  it  may  be  recited 
that  in  the  Fremont  campaign  of  1856,  a 
single  procession  of  loaded  vehicles  and 
horseman  from  Cass  county  on  its  arrival 
at  Niles  was  more  than  two  miles  in  length. 
There  were  similar  processions  from  other 
directions.  Among  the  noted  men  who  ad- 
dressed these  gatherings  were  Gen.  Cass, 
Stephen  A.  Douglas,  John  Wentworth, 
Schuyler  Colfax,  John  Van  Buren  (Prince 
John),  Ben.  Wade,  Parson  Brownlow  and 
Will  Cumback.  Of  all  these  men,  John  Van 
Buren,   the  son   of  President  Van   Buren, 


42 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


nicknamed  ^Trince  John,"  was  by  far  the 
most  brilHant  and  fascinating  orator,  and 
pecuharly  adapted  to  charm  and  excite  the 
masses. 

This  system  of  large  mass  meetings  was 
abandoned  in  this  county  more  than  thirty 
years  ago,  and  no  attempt  has  been  made  to 
revive  it.  The  tableaux  of  these  picturesque 
gatherings,  however,  can  never  fade  away 
from  the  "mind's  eye"  of  those  who  once 
witnessed  them. 

Many  of  the  leading  men  of  the  nation, 
however,  have  made  addresses  at  smaller 
or  local  gatherings,  notably,  Webster, 
Blaine,  Bryan,  McKinley,  Roosevelt  and 
President  Johnson. 

The  year  1837  especially  was  made 
memorable  in  Berrien  county  by  the  visit 
to  Niles  of  our  greatest  orator  and  states- 
man, Daniel  Webster,  w^ho  was  then  on  a 
trip  through  the  w^estern  states.  He  was 
accompanied  by  a  young  lawyer  of  Port- 
land, Maine,  William  Pitt  Fessenden,  whom 
Mr.  Webster  selected  as  a  traveling  com- 
panion on  account  of  his  eminent  ability. 
By  his  congressional  compeers,  Mr.  Fessen- 
den was  generally  regarded  as  the  ablest 
statesman  of  the  Civil  war  period,  although 
neither  attaining  nor  seeking  that  national 
notoriety  acquired  by  many  men  of  much 
weaker  mental  caliber.  Upon  this  visit  to 
Niles,  Mr.  Webster  and  Mr.  Fessenden 
made  brief  speeches. 

In  1866,  President  Johnson  in  his 
memorable  speech-making  circuit  through 
the  country,  stopped  at  Niles  attended  by  a 
remarkable  galaxy  of  great  men,  among 
w^hom  were  Wm.  H.  Seward,  Gen.  Grant 
and  Admiral  Farragut.  President  Johnson 
did  all  the  speech-making.  A  platform  for 
the  president  and  his  suite  had  been  hastily 
erected  and  while  the  president  was  address- 
ing the  assemblage  the  platform  collapsed, 
precipitating  a  number  of  distinguished 
visitors  to  the  ground.  Fortunately,  no 
one  was  hurt.  The  writer  of  this  sketch, 
having  been  permitted  to  shake  hands  with 


the  ''Old  Admiral,"  formed  the  impression 
that  he  was  one  of  the  noblest  specimens  of 
manhood  vvhich  he  had  ever  seen. 

I  cannot  forbear  from  quoting  the  words 
of  one  of  his  biographers,  which  are  un- 
questionably accurate.  ''Admiral  Farragut 
had  a  strongly  religious  nature,  believing 
in  the  constant  guidance  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence. He  is  one  of  the  few  great  heroes 
of  the  world,  whose  character  has  never 
been  clouded  by  the  slightest  suspicion  of 
a  want  of  honesty  or  personal  purity." 

The  speech  of  the  president  on  this  oc- 
casion was  intensely  bitter  and  dramatic, 
although  not  so  vituperative  and  discon- 
nected as  his  famous  speeches  at  St.  Louis 
and  Cleveland.  The  failure  of  the  impeach- 
ment proceeding  caused  intense  excitement 
among  a  large  class  of  Republicans  in  this 
coimty  and  everywdiere  in  the  north.  This 
is  an  instance  where  intelligent  and  excel- 
lent people  have  gone  astray  in  time  of  in- 
tense political  excitement.  There  was  not 
the  slightest  legal  or  constitutional  ground 
for  impeachment.  The  votes  of  a  few  able 
and  courageous  Republican  senators  and 
great  constitutional  lawyers  against  im- 
peachment, saved  the  nation  from  future 
anarchy  and  revolution.  Their  action  pre- 
vented the  impeachment  proceedings  from 
being  turned  into  a  device  for  removing  high 
officials  from  office  for  mere  errors  of  judg- 
ment, bad  manners,  or  distasteful  political 
notions,  and  resulted  in  confining  the  de- 
liberations of  the  court  of  impeachment  to 
the  constitutional  grounds  of  "high  crimes 
and  misdemeanors." 

The  most  picturesque  political  campaign 
in  the  county  was  that  of  1856.  A  new  party, 
full  of  enthusiasm  and  almost  fanatic,  was 
commencing  its  career.  Party  ties  were 
badly  broken,  old  conservative  Whigs 
frightened  by  anti-slavery  radicalism  joined 
the  Democracy,  while  greater  numbers  of 
anti-slavery  Democrats  eagerly  espoused  the 
cause  of  the  new  party.  It  was  impossible 
to  stem  the  advancing  current  of  popular 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


43 


indignation  against  the  passage  of  the 
Nebraska  bill,  and  the  control  of  the  politics 
of  the  county  passed  from  that  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  into  that  of  a  new  organization 
hitherto  unknown.  It  resulted  in  the  con- 
signment of  able  and  excellent  men  to 
political  oblivion,  a  result  sometimes  to  be 
deplored. 

The  most  important  recent  political 
event  in  the  history  of  the  county  occurred 
during  the  past  year.  The  Republican  elec- 
tors at  a  primary  election,  voted  in  favor 
of   the   primary   caucus   reform    system   by 


forms,  and  opportunity  for  careful  delibera- 
tion. 

The  movement  had  an  adequate  cause. 
It  originated  in  a  desire  for  more  inde- 
pendence in  political  action  and  of  freedom 
from  the  control  of  a  few  self-constituted 
leaders.  Under  a  law  wisely  framed,  the 
new  movement  would  undoubtedly  be  at- 
tended with  beneficent  results. 

The  vote  of  each  township  and  city  for 
secretary  of  state,  in  1904,  in  the  November 
election  is  given  below.  The  vote  for  sec- 
retary of  state  is  given  as  the  best  index  of 


The  Popular  Vote  of  Berrien  County      for  President  has  Been  as  Follows: 


1840  Harrison Whig  548 

1844  Clay "  713 

1848  Taylor "  953 

1852  Scott "  1017 

1856  Fremont Repub.  1926 

1860  Lincoln "  2620 

1864  Lincoln "  2554 

1868  Grant "  3993 

1872  Grant "  3902 

1876  Hayes "  4188 

1880  Garfield "  4535 

1884  Blaine "  4445 

1888  Harrison "  5128 

1892  Harrison "  4979 

1896  McKinley 


Van  Buren Dem.     553 


Polk 

Cass 

Pierce  . . . 
Buchanan  . 
Douglas  .  .  . 
McClellan. 
Seymour  . . 
Greeley  . . . 

Tilden 

Hancock . . 
Cleveland  . 
Cleveland  . 
Cleveland  . 


1900  McKinley  , 


1904  Roosevelt  . 


6672      Bryan 


6595      Bryan 


7309      Parker . 


828 
1146 
1234 
1540 
2837 
2307 
3268 
2274 
3679 
3536 
4458 
4689 
4716 

4792 


4960 


3819 


Van  Buren Free  Soil  108 

Hale •'  41 


O'Conner Dem.  (Ind.)  113 

Cooper Green  304 

Weaver "      540 

St.  John Pro.  345 

Fisk "     468 

Bidwell "     426 

Weaver Peo.   135 

Palmer ,  .  .Gold  Dem.  272^ 

Levering Pro.    115 

Bentley Nat.   13T 

Wooley Pro.  187 

Debs, Soc.  Dem  104 

Scat    43 

Swallow Pro.  206 

Debs Soc  218 

Scat 5^ 


which  candidates  for  county  offices  must 
be  nominated  directly  by  Republican  voters 
and  not  by  delegates  chosen  by  a  caucus. 

The  law  creating  this  method  of  nomi- 
nating candidates  is  crude,  and  complicated 
and  needs  amendment.  It  is  extremely 
doubtful  whether  the  absolute  abolition  of 
state  and  county  conventions  is  practicable 
or  desirable,  although  the  principle  at  the 
bottom  of  the  movement  be  sound.  Parties 
need  and  should  have  principles  and  plat- 


the  strength  of  each  party  this  year,  because 
a  large  number  of  Democrats  voted  focr 
Roosevelt,  as  against  Parker,  for  president^ 
and  a  large  number  of  Republicans  voted 
for  Ferris  as  against  Warner  for  governor. 
The  plurality  for  Roosevelt  in  the  county 
was  3490,  that  for  Warner  was  1546. 
Neither  plurality  was  representative  of  the 
political  complexion  of  the  county. 

Table  of  election  of  1904,  for  secretary 
of  State. 


44 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Dem. 
Plur. 


Prescott  Balch  Repub. 

Repub.  Dem.  Plur. 

Bainbridge 240  143  97 

Benton 471  141  330 

Berrien 223  140  82 

Bertrand 120  112  8 

Buchanan 382  212  170 

Chikaming 130          77  53 

Galien   204          92  112 

Hagar 164          88  76 

Lake 257  240  17 

Lincoln 193  156  37 

New  Buffalo 126  124  2 

Niles 128  127  1 

Oronoko 217  202  15 

Pipestone 257  103  154 

Royalton 165  116  49 

Sodus 169          66  103 

St.  Joseph 152           58  94 

Three  Oaks 287  124  163 

Watervliet 453  222  231 

Weesaw 136  140 

Benton  Harbor  (city)...  1195  441  754 

Niles  (city) 685  543  142 

St.  Joseph  (city) 689  499  190 

Total  Republican  plurality 2876 


The  election  of  1904  cannot  be  regarded 
as  a  fair  index  of  the  normal  strength  of 
the  two  parties,  as  the  popularity  of  the 
Republican  candidates  for  president  and  the 
unpopularity  of  the  Democratic  candidate 
seriously  diminished  the  Democratic  vote  on 
all  candidates. 

In  a  general  way,  it  may  be  said  that  the 
following  named  townships  and  citites  are 
regarded  as  reliably  Republican  in  fall  elec- 
tions, viz. ;  Bainbridge,  Benton,  Berrien, 
Buchanan,  Galien^  Hagar,  Pipestone,  Sodus, 
Three  Oaks,  Waterviliet,  Benton  Harbor, 
St.  Joseph  township  and  St.  Joseph  city. 

The  city  of  St.  Joseph  has  generally 
given  handsome  majorities  for  Republican 
candidates  for  national  and  state  offices. 
For  local  candidates  for  office  it  is  regarded 
as  uncertain,  and  there  is  a  large  floating 
vote  in  this  place.  Chikaming  township  has 
of  late  years  been  Republican  with  small 
majorities. 

The  township  of  New  Buffalo  sometimes 
goes  Republican  and  sometimes  Demo- 
cratic, leaning  to  the  Democracy  of  late 
years.  The  following  townships  may  be 
regarded  as  reliably  Democratic :    Bertrand, 


Lake,  Lincoln,  Oronoko>,  Royalton,  Niles 
township  and  Weesaw. 

Niles  city  has  Democratic  proclivities, 
but  at  the  last  three  presidental  elections 
has  gone  Republican.  It  is  not  safe  to  place 
this  city  reliably  in  the  column  of  either 
party.  It  was  formerly  a  Democratic 
strong-hold  but  it  has  ceased  to  be  so  in 
general  elections  and  local  elections  are 
largely  governed  by  local  issues  and  per- 
sonal choice  in  candidates. 

The  following  vote  on  secretary  of  state 
in  the  state  election  of  1902  best  gives  the 
relative  strength  of  the  parties  in  recent 
years.  There  was  not  a  full  vote,  but  the 
table  gives  the  best  index  of  party  strength 
that  we  have  lately : 

Rep.  Maj.     Dem.  Maj. 

Bainbridge    64 

Benton    248 

Berrien 32 

Bertrand    13 

Buchanan    120 

Chikaming 20 

Galien    84 

Hagar    43 

Lake    64 

Lincoln    36 

New  Buffalo 14 

Niles    26 

Oronoko    44 

Pipestone    87 

Royalton    36 

Sodus    83 

St.  Joseph 66 

Watervliet    1 1 1 

Weesaw    53 

Benton  Harbor   566 

Niles  city 24 

St.    Joseph   city    ....    132 


The  Press. 
The  first  newspaper  published  in  Niles 
was  the  Niles  Gazetteer  and  Advertiser,  pub- 
lished by  G.  H.  Barnes.  The  first  issue  was 
September  5,  1835.  The  files  of  this  paper 
for  the  years  1835  ^^d  1836  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  first  number  which  is  missing, 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


45 


are  in  the  office  of  the  city  clerk  of  Niles. 

The  number  of  the  paper  dated  Septem- 
ber 12,  1835,  contains  a  notice  of  an  elec- 
tion for  state  officers  to  be  held  in  Berrien 
county  on  October  5,  and  6,  1835,  for 
submission  of  the  constitution  of  the  pro- 
posed state  of  Michigan  to  the  electors, 
signed  by  Fowler  Preston,  sheriff  of  Berrien 
county. 

This  was  perhaps  the  first  and  certainly 
the  second  newspaper  published  in  the 
county,  the  St.  Joseph  Herald^  a  short  lived 
journal  having  been  published  as  is  claimed 
in  1833,  by  A.  E.  Draper. 

The  early  newspapers  were  barren  of 
personal  or  local  news  and  w^ere  devoted 
almost  wholly  to  matters  of  public  import- 
ance. It  is  probable  that  they  represented 
one  undesirable  extreme  and  the  present 
daily  newspaper  the  opposite.  In  the  news- 
paper of  the  olden  day,  the  great  speeches 
of  our  ablest  statesmen  in  Congress  and  in 
the  Legislature  were  published  in  full  and 
eagerly  read  by  the  patrons.  Some  of  the 
speeches  made  in  the  Legislature  in  those 
formative  days,  notably  those  of  Vincent 
L.  Bradford,  a  senator  from  this  county, 
W'Cre  very  able  and  instructive. 

The  Niles  Gazetteer  and  Advertiser^  was 
followed  by  the  Niles  Gazette  and  the  Niles 
Intelligeneer.  In  1839,  a  Whig  paper  called 
the  Nile  Republican  w^as  started.  In  1842 
Darius  B.  Cook,  a  native  of  Connecticut, 
and  H.  B.  Miller  became  the  owners  and 
converted  it  into  a  Democratic  journal.  In 
1844  Mr.  Cook  became  the  sole  owner  and 
conducted  the  paper  till  1862  when  he  sold 
it  to  A.  J.  Shakespeare.  Mr.  Shakespeare 
changed  the  name  to  the  Niles  Democrat. 
This  was  published  successively  by  Mr. 
Shakespeare,  Dr.  O.  P.  Horn,  Messrs. 
Guiheen  &  Hern  and  L.  H.  Landon.  D. 
B*^  Cook,  shortly  after  his  sale  to  Shakes- 
peare, published  a  newspaper  called  the 
Niles  Globe.  In  1876  he  established  the 
Niles  Weekly  Mirror  which  he  continued 
to  publish  till  his  death  in  1902.     His  son, 


Fred  W.  Cook  continued  to  publish  it  for 
about  a  year  after  his  father's  death. 

At  the  time  of  his  death,  Mr.  Cook  was 
the  veteran  journalist  of  Michig'an.  He  was 
connected  with  the  Detroit  Free  Press  in 
1838  and  subsequently  with  a  Kalamazoo 
paper.  He  died  in  1902  in  his  87th  year. 
He  was  an  ardent  Democrat,  but  in  later 
years  independent  in  local  matters,  some- 
times supporting  Republican  candidates  in 
his  paper  for  local  offices.  He  once  inserted 
in  his  paper  the  history  of  a  gun  which  he 
owned.  This  was  a  flint  lock  gun  used  by 
his  grandfather  Daniel  Cook  at  the  battle 
of  Lexington  in  1775.  This  he  willed  to  his 
grandson  Harry  W.  Cook.  It  is  still  in  a 
good  state  of  preservation. 

Various  papers  were  published  which 
had  a  short  existence.  Among  them  were 
the  Niles  Courier,  the  Berrien  County  Free- 
man, and  Niles  Enquirer.  The  latter  paper 
w^as  for  some  time  published  by  George  M. 
Dewey,  a  vigorous  writer  and  speaker,  but 
somewhat  erratic. 

In  1866  the  Niles  Times,  a  Republican 
paper,  was  established  by  Maj.  L.  A.  Dun- 
can and  Eugene  Dana.  Mr.  Dana  wrote 
breezy  and  brilliant  articles,  both  editorial 
and  local,  but  retired  in  1868,  when  Major 
Duncan  changed  the  name  to  the  Niles 
Republican  and  continued  to  edit  it  for 
nearly  thirty  years.  Maj.  Duncan  was  a 
very  careful  and  conservative  manager  al- 
lowing no  personal  billingsgate  or  objec- 
tionable matter  in  the  columns  of  his  paper. 
He  was  state  senator  in  1883  and  postmaster 
from  1889  to  1893.  The  Niles  Weekly  Re- 
publican  has  continued  to  the  present  day. 
Since  1901  it  has  been  published  and  edited 
by  Geo.  E.  Gillam.  It  is  the  only  weekly 
paper  published  in  Niles. 

The  first  daily  newspaper  published  in 
Niles  was  the  Niles  Daily  Star,  published 
by  Fred  W.  Cook,  a  son  of  Darius  B.  Cook. 
The  first  issue  was  in  1886  and  the  paper 
has  been  published  ever  since. 

The  Daily  S::n  was  established  in  1893 


46 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


by  L.  A.  Duncan.  It  afterwards  passed  into 
the  hands  of  a  syndicate,  but  in  1901  George 
E.  Gillam  became  the  proprietor  and  editor 
and  so  still  continues.  Both  of  the  daihes 
are  ably  conducted  and  have  a  large  circu- 
lation. 

St.  Joseph. 

The  St.  Joseph  Herald,  the  first  news- 
paper published  in  St.  Joseph,  was  first  is- 
sued August  I,  1836,  A.  E.  Draper  being 
the  publisher.  In  1837  the  name  of  the 
paper  was  changed  to  St.  Joseph  Democrat. 
The  first  number  of  this  paper  contained  a 
speech  in  the  State  Legislature  of  Vincent 
L.  Bradford  and  a  report  of  a  debate  in  the 
St.  Joseph  Lyceum.  This  paper  existed  only 
about  a  year. 

It  was  followed  by  the  Western  Post, 
the  St.  Joseph  Commericial  Bulletin  and  the 
St.  Joseph  Traveler.  Judge  Chas.  R. 
Brown^  a  prominent  attorney  of  St.  Joseph 
at  that  time,  was  the  publisher  in  1862  of 
the  Traveler. 

In  1866,  Albert  H.  Potter,  an  attorney 
of  St.  Joseph,  established  the  St.  Joseph 
JJerald.  It  was  intensely  Democratic  and 
the  editorials  were  decidedly  breezy  and  sen- 
sational. No  hesitation  was  shown  in  ex- 
posing any  supposed  short-coming  on  the 
part  of  Republican  leaders,  and  this  was 
done  with  considerable  ability  and  pungency. 
In  1874  the  Herald  and  the  Traveler  were 
consolidated  under  the  name  of  the  Traveler 
and  Herald,  by  Horace  W.  Guernsey  and 
Charles  Stewart.  Shortly  afterwards  Stew- 
art sold  his  interest  in  the  paper  to  L.  J.  Mer- 
chant and  in  1877,  M^-  Merchant  purchased 
the  interest  of  Mr.  Guernsey  and  soon 
changed  the  name  of  the  paper  to  St. 
Joseph  Herald.  Mr.  Merchant  has  con- 
tinued to  publish  the  paper  ever  since. 
Mr.  Merchant  is  now  the  oldest  journalist 
in  the  county,  having  been  connected  with 
newspaper  business  about  forty  years.  The 
paper  has  a  daily  issue  and  Mr.  Marchant's 
son,  L.  E.,  is  manager. 


In  1863,  the  St.  Joseph  Pioneer,  a 
Democratic  campaign  paper,  was  published, 
D.  A.  Winslow,  a  prominent  attorney  of  St. 
Joseph,  being  the  editor.  The  paper  termi- 
nated its  career  upon  the  election  of  Lin- 
coln and  in  his  valedictory,  Mr.  Winslow 
expressed  his  submission  to  the  will  of  the 
people  with  a  possible  st^gestion  that  the 
cause  of  the  Union  might  better  be  sub- 
served by  Mr.  Lincoln's  re-election. 

The  St.  Joseph  Republican  was  estab- 
lished by  Wm.  Ricoby  and  Capt.  Thos.  H. 
Botham  as  a  Republican  paper.  Wm.  Rico- 
by and  Robert  Ricoby  afterwards  became 
the  sole  proprietors  and  in  1876  made  it  a 
Democratic  journal.  Robert  Ricoby  is  still 
living  in  St.  Joseph  and  for  years  was  en- 
gaged in  the  drug  business. 

A  paper  called  the  St.  Joseph  News  was 
issued  by  K.  and  W.  Ricoby  in  1879.  The 
life  of  the  two  last  named  papers  was  short. 

The  St.  Joseph  Press  was  established  in 
1888.  In  1894  it  was  incorporated  under 
the  name  of  the  Press  Publishing  and  Stere- 
otyping Co.  It  is  now  published  by  Willard 
Brewer,  who  owns  a  controlling  interest  in 
the  paper.  A  daily  is  issued  by  the  com- 
pany called  the  St.  Joseph  Daily  Press.  The 
paper  has  recently  been  largely  improved. 
Two  monthly  periodicals,  The  Thresher- 
men's  Reviezv  and  The  National  Fruit 
Grower,  are  also  published  in  St.  Joseph. 

Benton  Harbor. 

The  Benton  Harbor  Palladium  was  first 
issued  by  L.  G.  Merchant,  now  editor  of  the 
St.  Joseph  Herald,  in  October,  1868,  as  a 
weekly  newspaper.  In  1869  i^  was  sold  to 
J.  P.  Thresher  who  conducted  it  for  three 
years.  It  then  passed  through  various  hands 
till  the  late  Frank  Gilson  became  the  pro- 
prietor and  conducted  it  for  several  years 
till  his  death.  He  established  the  Daily 
Palladium  in  1886. 

The  paper  was  ably  managed  from  the 
outset.      Mr.   Thresher  was  a  prioneer   in 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


47 


Benton  Harbor,  having  come  there  in  1863. 
He  has  been  actively  identified  with  many 
business  enterprises  calculated  to  build  up 
the  town,  and  made  various  donations  in 
land  and  money  for  that  purpose.  He  was 
postmaster  under  President  Grant,  and 
manager  of  the  Benton  Harbor  Improve- 
ment Association  for  some  years.  He  is 
now  living  at  Benton  Harbor  in  his  76th 
year. 

Mr.  Merchant  removed  from  Benton 
Harbor  to  St.  Joseph  and  in  1877  estab- 
lished the  5^^.  Joseph  Herald,  for  many  years 
the  only  permanent  newspaper  published  in 
the  place.  He  was  postmaster  of  St.  Joseph 
from  1880  to  1887  ^^d  is  now  the  oldest 
journalist  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Gilson  purchased  the  Palladium  in 
1885,  and  published  it  till  his  death.  He 
was  a  vigorous  writer,  and  a  pleasing 
speaker.  A  son,  Roy  R.,  is  a  w^ell  known 
and  popular  magazine  writer  and  author. 

In  the  meantime^  an  independent  daily 
paper  called  the  Evening  Nezvs  was  estab- 
lished in  1895.  In  February,  1904,  this 
paper  and  the  Palladium  were  consolidated 
under  the  name  of  the  N ezus-Palladium. 

It  is  ably  edited  and  has  both  a  daily 
and  semi-weekly  edition.  It  .  consists  of 
eight  pages  well  loaded  with  news  and  edi- 
torials. It  has  the  largest  circulation  of 
any  paper  in  the  county. 

The  circulation  of  the  daily  is  2,800  and 
that  of  the  semi-weekly  edition  1,300.  It 
is  Republican  in  politics  and  is  owned  by 
a  stock  company  with  the  following  officers : 
Pres.  J.  Stanley  Morton,  Vice-Pres.  H.  S. 
Gray,  Sec.  Treas.  and  General  Manager  J. 
N.  Klock.  The  latter  named  g^entleman 
has  the  editorial  supervision  of  the  paper 
and  is  wtII  equipped  by  previous  experience 
and  editorial  ability  for  his  important  posi- 
tion. 

The  Banner  Register^  a  weekly  paper, 
was  established  some  years  since  and  has 
been  published  and  edited  by  Jos.  N.  Reed. 
It  is  an  excellent  paper  and  well  conducted. 


Other  papers  besides  the  Neivs,  the  Pal- 
ladium, the  N ezus-Palladium  and  the  Ban- 
ner  Register  have  been  published  but  they 
were  comparatively  short-lived.  Among 
them  were  the  Benton  Harbor  Times  and 
the  Lake  Shore  Daily  News.  The  Times 
was  edited  for  a  time  by  Romain  Jarvis, 
who  was  the  Democratic  candidate  for  Con- 
gress from  this  district  in  1896,  1898  and 
1900. 

Berrien  Springs. 

In  1874,  Dr.  Fred  McOmber  estab- 
lished the  Berrien  Coimty  Journal  with  L. 
E.  Barnard.  In  1876,  Geo.  H.  Murdock 
became  the  proprietor  and  conducted  it  for 
a  number  of  years. 

In  1876  Dr.  McOmber  established  the 
Berrien  Springs  Era  and  this  paper  has  con- 
tinued till  the  present.  It  is  now  published 
by  the  Benson  Brothers.  A.  E.  Perkins,  an 
experienced  newspaper  wa'iter,  conducted 
the  editorial  department  for  many  years, 
and  often  wrote  spicy  articles  and  vigorous 
editorials. 

Buchanan. 

The  first  newspaper  issued  in  Buchanan 
w^as  the  Buchanan  Vindicator,  published  in 
1858  by  J.  M.  Potter.  In  1862  it  was 
merged  in  the  Buchanan  Weekly  Union. 
Daniel  Wagner  purchased  the  paper  in  1867 
and  changed  the  name  to  that  of  the  Bu- 
chanan County  Record.  It  was  published 
for  many  years  by  John  G.  Holmes,  who 
went  west  a  few  years  since,  and  sold  out 
his  interest  in  the  paper.  It  is  a  Republi- 
can journal  published  by  M.  C.  Chamberlain 
and  edited  by  O.  P.  Woodworth.  The 
Buchanan  Argus  was  established  some  years 
ago  and  is  published  by  Fay  Graffort. 

Several  papers  wdiich  were  short 
lived  have  been  published  at  different  times, 
among  which  were  the  Buchanan  Indepen- 
dent, published  by  Alonzo  Bennett,  and  the 


48 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Buchanan  Reporter,  published  by  Dr.  F.  N. 
Berrick. 

For  a  few  years  Buchanan  was  the 
headquarters  in  the  west  of  the  sect  known 
as  Adventists  and  in  1864  Joshua  Himes, 
a  leader  of  that  denomination,  pubilished 
the  Voice  of  the  West,  which  had  a  circu- 
lation of  about  6,000.  In  1871  Mr.  Himes 
removed  to  Chicago. 

The  papers  now  published  in  the  county, 
not  already  named,  are  the  Galien  Advocate, 
Three  Oaks  Acorn,  Waterviiet  Record,  and 
Eau  Claire  Enterprise, 

The  Galien  Advocate  is  published  and 
edited  by ;  the  Waterviiet  Rec- 
ord by  Eugene  Case;  the  Eau  Claire  Enter- 
prise  by  ,    and   the    Three   Oaks 

Acorn  by  the  Three  Oaks  Publishing  Com- 
pany. 

County  Organization. 

A  brief  sketch  of  the  leading  county 
organizations  is  herewith  given. 

Pioneer  Association  of  Berrien  county — 
This  association  was  organized  in  Sep- 
tember, 1875.  The  following  officers  were 
elected  :  President,  Levi  Sparks ;  secretary, 
George  H.  Murdock;  and  treasurer,  Lyman 
A.  Barnard.  The  meetings  of  the  associa- 
tion have  generally  been  held  in  Barnard's 
grove,  at  Berrien  Springs.  The  use  of  the 
grove  was  given  to  the  association  by  Dr. 
Barnard. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  pioneer 
members  in  1880,  who  came  to  the  county 
or  were  born  of  pioneer  parents  before  1845, 
with  date  of  settlement  in  Michigan.  The 
names  of  many  of  the  pioneers  do  not  ap- 
pear from  the  fact  that  many  had  died  or 
removed  away  and  others  did  not  take  the 
trouble  to  join.  The  list,  however,  fur- 
nishes a  general  idea  of  the  names  of  most 
of  the  prominent  early  settlers  who  were  liv- 
ing in  1880  and  of  the  children  of  pioneers 
who  came  with  their  parents  to  the  county 
at  an  early  age,  or  were  born  here  at  an 
early  day. 


1827  Matilda  Ireland 

1828  Thos.  K.  Clyborne 
Edwin  F.  Dickson 
Levi  Sparks 

"      R.  Griffin,  N.  Y. 
L.  A.  Barnard 
R.  Babcock 

1829  C.  D.  Nichols 
"      D.  T.  Wilson 

"      Lucy  A.  Brownell 

1830  Andrew  L.  Burke,  Va. 
"      Michael   Hand,   O. 

"      Geo.  H.  Murdock,  Pa. 
"      Thos.  Marrs,  Va. 
''      John  G.  Shuarts 
"      Wm.  Dougherty,  Md. 
''      John  Tate 
''      C.  P.  Wray 
"      A.  W.  Marrs,  Va. 
''      Rebecca  Reynolds 
"      Jacob  E.  Miller 
"      Hugh  Marrs,  Va. 
"      Isaac  Smith,  O. 
Sarah  A.  Byers 

1 83 1  Samuel  Marrs,  Mich. 
"      Eliza  Brown 

"      Robert  Cassiday 
"      Francis  Wells 
"      Amanda  Weaver 
"      Orlando  Hart 
"      Harriet  Marrs 

1832  Maria  Sparks 
"      A.  G.  Abbe 

"      C.  A.  Hall 
''      Daniel  J.  Claypool 
"      Jos.  Feather 
''      Anna  Feather 
"      Susan  Irwin 
"      Mary  Pennell 
"      M.  D.  Burk,  Sr. 
"      Mary  Worthington 

Samuel  Simmons 
"      Varna  Simmons 
"      May  Riggin 
''      Malvina  Smith 
"      Jas.  Smith 
"      Jos.  Mansfield 
"      Elizabeth  Michael 
"      Nicholas  Michael 
''      Jacob  Weaver 
"      Abel  Garr 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


49 


1833  Alonzo   Sherwood 
"  Kingsley  Olds 

"  Wallace  Tabor 

"  James  W.  Robinson 

"  Susan  Kephart,  Pa. 

"  Fred  M.  Phillips 

"  Samuel  Van  Vlear 

"  Plenderson  Ballenger 

1834  Francis  Johnson 
"  Thomas  Love 

"  Hiram  Brown,  N.  Y. 

"  Asa  W.  Sherwood 

"  Henry  C.  Morton,  N.  Y. 

"  Reuben  A.  Kibler 

"  Elizabeth  Pennell 

"  Benjamin  Keigley 

"  Samuel  Spry 

"  John  Gillespie,  O. 

"  Richard  McOmber 

"  Nathan  Hamilton 

1835  E.  D.  Chilson 
"  W.  H.  Rector 
"  Jas.  A.  Kirk 

"  Nelson  Harper 

"  Minerva  Robinson 
Adam  Small 

1835  John  Redden 

"  Rachel  Shaffer 

"  Lucinda  Groat 

"  Jacob  Messenger 

"  Chas.  F.  How^e 

"  Chas  H.  Walker 

"  John  C.  Miller 

"  Balance  A.  Miller 

"  M.  C.  Barnes 

1836  Joshua  Feather 
"  Nathan  Fitch 

"  J.  H.  Nixon 

''  R.  T.  Twombly 

"  D.  C.  Higbee 

"  Emily  Van  Vranken 

"  Rosanna  Alexander 

"  J.  Mertzler 

"  Julia  Tabor 

"  I.  F.  SouU 

"  Minerva  Soul! 

"  Nathaniel  Brant 

"  John  Byers 

"  C.  C.  Sutton 

"  Jacob  Helmick 

^'  Julia  A.  Hamilton 


1836  William  Burns 
''  May  A.  Burns 
''      Geo.  Ewalt 

"      Margaret  Ewalt 
''      Caroline  Hildreth 
''      Martha  M.  Brant 
''      Harriet  Garr 
"      J.  H.  Nixon 

1837  Jas.  F.  Higbee 

"      Newton  R.  Woodrufif 
''      William  Hazlitt 
''      G.  Van  Vranken 
"      Susie  L.  Dickson 

Mary  Higbee 
"      Henry  Worthington 
"      Geo.  H.  Scott 
"      Helen  Saunders 
"      Willie  Foster 
"      Joel  Layman 

1838  D.  A.  Winslow 
"  Nellie  S.  Drew 
"      J.  S.  Weaver 

''      P.  W.  Guernsey 
"      H.  W.  Guernsey 
''      Jas.  Groat 
"      Chas.  Evans 
''      Orrin  D.  Snow 
"      Fanny  Snow 

1839  Silas  Ireland,  O. 
"      J.  Cribbs 

"      B.  W.  Sutherland 

1840  Tamont  M.  Winslow 
"      J.  H.  Jakeway 

"      Pitt  J.  Pierce 

"      Juha  A.  Hess 

"      Benjamin  D.  Townsend 

"      F.  F.  Clark 

"      Celinda  Clark 

''      C.  C.  Kent 

''      George  Smith 

"      L.  P.  Alexander 

1 841  J.  B.  Sutherland 
"      Philip  Kephart 

"      Augustus  Kephart 

''      John  D.  Miller 

"      Mrs.  C.  R.  Barnard 

"      Eva  Miller 

"      Thos.  Ford 

"      Richard  A.  DeMont 

1842  Olivia  C.   Spaulding 
"      O.  W.  Rose 


so 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


1842  George  Graham 
''  Darius  J.  Barker 
"  Mahala  Mansfield 
"  John  De  Field 

"  John  Irwin 

1843  Curtis  S.  Bough  ton 
"  J.  M.  Piatt 

"  Jas.  Badger 

''  Isabella  Piatt 

"  Henry  Chamberlain,  N.  H. 

"  Wm.  Chamberlain,  N.  H. 

1844  W.  B.  Gilson 

''  M.  A.  Sylvester 

''  J.  L.  Haskins 

"  Nancy  Fisher 

"  Jos.  Fisher 

"  Daniel  Neidlinger 

"  Jerry  Painter 

"  Samuel  Messenger 

"  A.  Van  Patten 

''  B.  F.  Pennell 

"  Sydney  Spencer 

Berrien  County  Grange. — This  grange 
was  organized  in  1875,  Wm.  Smythe  Farner 
was  chosen  Master.  In  1876  Thomas  Marrs 
was  elected  Master  and  held  it  for  many 
years. 

Farmers  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Associa- 
tion.— This  association  was  organized  in 
1859  ^^d  effected  insurance  in  both  Ber- 
rien and  Cass  counties.  The  following 
named  persons  wer  the  original  incorpora- 
tors :  D.  P.  Gerberich,  J.  D.  Hart,  Michael 
:Swobe,  Jas.  Badger,  Abraham  Correll, 
Sani'l  Messenger,  Sam'l  Thompson,  Francis 
Wells,  Michael  Herkimer,  A.  P.  Knox, 
Harvey  Moore,  Geo.  S.  Floppin,  M.  B.  Gil- 
lette, Reuben  Groat  and  A.  C.  Mead.  The 
'Only  survivors  are  Samuel  Messinger  and 
'Geo.  S.  Hoppin.  It  is  still  in  existence,  has 
done  an  immense  business,  and  has  been  re- 
tnarkably  successful  and  well  managed. 

Berrien  County  Agricultural  Society. — 
This  society  was  organized  in  1850  and  the 
following  officers  chosen :  President,  B.  C. 
Hoyt;  recording  secretary,  W.  S.  Farmer; 
treasurer,  Thomas  Love ;  corresponding 
secretary,  J.  L.  Glenn ;  executive  committee, 


Joshua     Feather,     Peter     Ruggles,     Henry 
Lardner,  Jehiel  Enos  and  J.  G.  Ames. 

The  first  fair  was  held  at  Berrien 
Springs  in  1851.  After  that  year,  the  fair 
was  held  at  Niles  with  the  exception  of  one 
year. 

The  society  first  purchased  a  tract  of 
five  acres  immediately  w^est  of  the  Niles 
cemetery.  The  ground,  however,  was  found 
too  small  and  in  1867  twenty-five  acres  be- 
longing to  the  Staples  estate  were  purchased, 
buildings  erected,  and  a  race  track  con- 
structed. Fairs  were  held  here  annually  for 
about  eighteen  years.  For  many  years  the 
fairs  were  well  patronized,  fine  exhibitions 
of  stock  and  agricultural  productions  were 
given  and  these  exhibitions  were  generally 
attended  by  immense  crowds.  The  society 
however,  became  badly  indebted,  the  at- 
tendance grew  less,  the  property  passed  out 
of  the  hands  of  the  society  through  the  fore- 
closure of  a  mortgage,  and  the  holding  of 
county  fairs  was  abandoned  many  years  ago. 

Northern  Berrien  county  and  Michigan 
Lake  Shore  Agricultural  Society. — This 
society  was  formed  in  March,  1878.  The 
officers  elected  were:  President,  J.  F. 
Higbee;  vice-presidents,  S.  L.  Van  Camp, 
B.  L.  Rounds,  and  A.  F.  McKee;  sec- 
retary, O.  S.  Willey;  treasurer,  Dr. 
Dr.  John  Bell;  trustees,  A.  B. 
Chivis,  S.  G.  Antisdale,  G.  N.  Lord,  Marcus 
Osgood,  J.  Caldwell,  Juan  Gray  and 
Josephus  Fisher;  chief  marshal,  S.  G.  An- 
tisdale. 

About  twenty  acres  of  land  were  leased 
and  buildings  erected  in  the  following  year. 

This  society  was  succeeded  by  another 
organization,  which  is  practically,  however, 
a  continuation  of  the  original  company.  Its 
fairs  of  recent  years  have  been  successful 
and  attended  by  enormous  crowds. 

Young  People's  Picnic  Association. — 
This  association  was  organized  in  1877, 
Geo.  M.  Valentine  was  chosen  president,  G. 
M.  Dudley,  secretary,  and  C.  A.  Johnson, 
treasurer.      The    following    young    gentle- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


51 


men  were  chosen  vice-presidents :  E.  C. 
Griffin,  Frank  Plimpton,  H.  F.  Heath,  W. 
B.  Plumb,  H.  N.  Chamberlain,  J.  A. 
Crosby  and  M.  D.  Osgood. 

The  meetings  have  been  held  annually 
at  Barnard's  Grove,  Berrien  Springs  and 
have  been  attended  with  sports  and  amuse- 
ments. Large  crowds  have  generally  been 
in  attendance. 

Anti-Horse  Thief  Associations.  —  The 
object  of  these  associations  was  the  detection 
and  apprehension  of  horse  thieves.  In  the 
early  history  of  the  county,  the  stealing  of 
horses  by  gangs  of  horse  thieves  was  com- 
mon. A  favorite  resort  of  these  thieves  was 
at  Hawpatch,  near  Goshen,  Indiana,  a  dense 
sv'amp  and  wilderness,  from  which  they 
emerged  frequently  on  their  tour  of  depre- 
dation. 

The  worst  of  the  gangs  were  broken  up 
many  years  ago.  The  Niles  association  was 
formed  in  1853.  The  first  officers  were  Dan- 
iel Fisher,  president,  Daniel  McClung,  secre- 
tary, L.  Harter,  treasurer,  and  Joseph  Mc- 
Clung, foreman  of  riders. 

The  ''Reserve  Horse  Thief  Detectives" 
was  organized  in  1865.  Jas.  Badger  was 
chosen  president,  Samuel  Messenger,  treas- 
urer, Ebenezer  Mcllvarie,  secretary. 

The  Lakeside  Anti-Horse  Thief  Asso- 
ciation was  organized  in  1876.  The  first 
officers  w^ere  J.  C.  Miller,  president,  A.  K. 
Clark,  vice-president,  C.  H.  Bostwick,  secre- 
tary, and  R.  M.  Goodwin,  treasurer.  The 
association  is  still  in  existence. 

Berrien  County  Humane  Society. — This 
•society  was  organized  March  2,  1900,  and 
was  established  for  the  purpose  of  prevent- 
ing cruelty  to  animals  and  for  other  humane 
purposes. 

The  present  officers,  are  president, 
Mrs.  W.  W.  Dresden,  Niles;  secretary. 
Belle  Cross,  Niles;  treasurer,  Carl  J. 
Schultz,  St.  Joseph;  vice-presidents,  Mrs. 
Dr.  Garrett  and  Robert  Sherwood  of 
Watervliet,  Dr.  J.  A.  Garland  and  Mrs. 
J.  D.  Richards,  of  Buchanan,  John  J.  Ster- 


ling of  Benton  Harbor,  Dr.  F.  N.  Bonine 
and  Mrs.  -Mary  E.  Bacon  of  Niles,  Chas. 
Hinchman,  of  Saw^yer;  superintendent. 
Captain  Robert  Jones;  generarl  manager. 
Captain  Lloyd  Clark. 

In  1906  it  received  an  appropriation 
from  the  board  of  supervisors  and  has  done 
efficient  work  in  aiding  and  supplementing* 
to  some  extent  the  labors  of  the  State  Char- 
ity Agent  for  Berrien  county,  Mr.  White- 
head, wdio  is  prominently  connected  with  the 
society. 

Religious  Organizations. 

The  early  organization  of  churches  is 
generally  given  in  connection  with  local  his- 
tory. The  following  list  of  the  number  of 
churches  of  each  sect  is  given  from  the  last 
census. 

Free  Methodists    5 

Methodist  Episcopal 29 

African  Methodist 3 

Baptists    (Regular)     8 

African  Baptists    i 

German  Baptists  or  Dunkards 2 

Free  Will  Baptists   i 

United  Brethren    11 

Christians    9 

Congregationalists    6 

Presbyterians 4 

Protestant   Episcopal    3 

Christian   Adventists i 

Catholic    8 

Evangelical  Association 6 

Lutheran 1 1( 

Seventh  Day  Adventists i 

Church   of   God    i 

Latter  Day   Saints '. 2 

Universalists i 

Jewish    I 

Christian   Science    3 

The  first  religious  structure  built  in  the 
county  except  by  the  mission  churches,  was 
Catholic,  built  of  logs  and  located  near  the 
present  site  of  the  village  of  Bertrand.  It 
was  built  in   1S31   and    attended    by    both 


K2 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


whites    and    Indians.      Fatlier    Badin    was 
pastor. 

The  next  church  edifice,  so  far  as  can 
now  be  ascertained,  was  built  by  the  Presby- 
terians at  Niles  in  1835.  It  was  a  small 
frame  building  with  a  seating  capacity  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  persons. 

Mission  preaching  among  the  settlers 
by  ministers  from  abroad  commenced  about 
1829.  The  Methodist  Church  especially 
commenced  early  tO'  send  ministers  to  preach 
in  the  new  settlements  at  Niles,  St.  Joseph 
and  Berrien  Springs. 

In  1829  Rev.  H.  Coston  established  a 
Methodist  mission  at  Niles.  Preaching  was 
held  at  the  house  of  Wm.  Justus  once  in 
four  weeks.  The  first  church  organized  in 
the  county  by  the  early  settlers  was  a  Meth- 
odist class  formed  at  Niles  in  1832,  by  Rev. 
Richard  Robinson.  The  first  members 
were  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Comley,  Mrs.  Eber 
Griswold,  Mrs.  Sarah  Deniston,  Mrs.  Mor- 
gan Wilson,  Mrs.  Elias  Hickman,  James 
Kirk  and  wife  and  Henry  Slater  and  wife. 
Henry  Slater  was  appointed  leader. 

The  first  Presbyterian  Church  was  organ- 
ized at  Niles  in  March,  1834.  The  members 
during  the  first  year  were  Nathaniel  Bacon 
and  wife.  Bacon  Wheeler  and  wife,  Orrin 
Derby  and  wife,  E.  F.  Crocker  and  wife, 
T.  K.  Green,  Dr.  J.  K.  Finley,  Uriel  Enos, 
Mrs.  L.  A.  Widour,  W.  B.  Copeland  and 
Samuel  Hunter. 

A  Methodist  Church  was  organized  at  St. 
Joseph  in  1836,  but  no  edifice  was  erected 
till  1846. 

The  Methodist  Church  at  Berrien  Springs 
was  organized  in  1835,  by  Rev.  Richard 
Meek,  but  no  edifice  was  built  till  1845. 

The  first  Episcopal  Church  in  the  county 
was  organized  at  Niles  in  1834  by  Rev.  Jas. 
Selking,  a  missionary.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Philo  Sanford,  Mrs.  Anna  Dickson  and  two 
others  were  the  first  members. 

The  first  Baptist  Church  in  the  county 
was  organized  at  Niles  in  1841.  The  orig- 
inal members  were  John  Reese,  S.  S.  Lewis, 


Joshua  Howell  and  wife,  Lucy  Thompson,. 
Wm.  Cotton,  Susanna  Carberry,  Baldwin 
Jenkins,  J.  P.  Martin,  John  Johnson,  Sally 
Bailey,  Clarissa  Nicholson^  Sally  Burnette, 
Louise  Fellows,  Lucy  Fellows  and  Wm. 
Mead,  Jr. 

The  first  Methodist  Church  in  Berrien 
township  was  organized  in  1843,  called  the 
Morris  Chapel. 

A  strong  church  was  organized  by  the 
United  Brethren  at  Berrien  Springs,  in  1841, 
containing  some  fifty  members. 

The  first  Lutheran  Church  appears  to 
have  been  organized  in  Bainbridge  in  1851, 
The  original  members  were  Fred  Weber, 
Daniel  Krieger  and  David  Scherer. 

The  first  Evangelical  Church  was  organ- 
ized in  Bertrand  township  in  185 1.  David 
Rough  and  wife,  Peter  Rhodes,  J.  Steiner 
and  two  others  were  the  first  members.  It 
subsequently  became   a   flourishing  church. 

The  first  Congregational  Church  was  or- 
ganized at  Niles  in  1844.  It  was  feeble, 
however,  and  ceased  to  exist  over  forty 
years  ago.  A  strong  church  was  organized 
at  St.  Joseph  in  1854.  J.  B.  Sutherland  and 
wife,  D.  B.  Crane  and  wife,  Samuel  May- 
nard,  Mrs.  J.  King,  Anne  Olmstead,  Fannie 
Stowe,  Isabel  Maken  and  Jane  Vanverbeck 
were  the  first  members,  and  to  these  large 
additions  were  made  shortly  afterwards. 

Many  other  sects  have  established 
churches  in  the  county,  but  were  organized 
at  later  dates.  The  object  of  this  brief 
sketch  is  to  give  only  a  reference  to  the  pio- 
neer churches. 

Benevolent   and   Fraternal    Societies. 

Owing  to  the  large  number  of  these  so- 
cieties which  exist  in  Berrien  county,  it  will 
be  beyond  the  scope  of  this  work  to  attempt 
any  history  or  account  of  the  formation  of 
these  societies,  even  in  connection  with  local 
history. 

The  fraternal  and  beneficiary  societies 
especially  have  increased  enormously  within 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


53 


a    few   years   and   their   number   is   legion. 

A  brief  reference,  however,  to  those  so- 
cieties which  were  organized  by  the  early 
settlers  should  not  be  omitted. 

The  first  Masonic  lodge  in  Berrien  coun- 
ty was  'The  St.  Joseph  Valley  lodge  No. 
93,  F.  &  A.  M./'  which  was  organized  in 
1843.  The  charter  was  received  from  the 
gTand  lodge  of  New  York  and  R.  E.  Ward 
was  named  as  master,  John  F.  Porter,  senior 
warden,  and  W.  H.  McOmber,  junior 
warden. 

The  Grand  Lodge  of  Michigan  was 
shortly  after  organized  and  a  new  lodge  or- 
ganized called  St.  Joseph  Valley  Lodge  No. 
4,  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  1844.  Jacob  Beeson  was 
master,  W.  H.  McOmber,  senior  warden, 
and  C.  I.  Ingersoll,  junior  warden. 

In  1857  a  dispensation  w^as  issued  to  the 
following  named  persons ;  Henry  A.  Chapin, 
Erastus  Spaulding,  David  Bacon,  W.  D. 
Sterling,  J.  H.  Richardson,  W.  J.  Edwards, 
W.  B.  beeson,  W.  B.  Gray  and  A.  E.  Tut- 
tle,  to  organize  Niles  Lodge  No.  97,  F.  & 
A.  M.  Erastus  Spaulding  was  master, 
David  Bacon,  senior  warden,  and  H.  A. 
Chapin,  junior  warden. 

The  first  Odd  Fellows  lodge  in  the 
county  was  organized  in  1844  called  Ber- 
rien County  Lodge  No.  6,  I.  O.  O.  F.  The 
charter  members  were  J.  F.  Porter,  C.  K. 
Green,  A.  J.  Clark,  J.  C.  Larimore,  T.  M. 
Freeland,  J.  B.  Goodman,  Chas.  Jewett,  G. 
Hoadley,  Geo.  Goodman,  and  J.  M.  Stewart. 

Additional  lodges  were  afterwards  or- 
^*anized  in  Niles. 

The  second  lodge  of  Masons  in  the  coun- 
ty was  organized  at  Berrien  Springs  in  1850 
and  called  the  Western  Star  Lodge,  No.  39. 
The  original  officers  were  R.  W.  Landon, 
master;  William  Dougherty,  senior  warden, 
and  Michael  Hand,  junior  warden. 

In  1879  ^^  Odd  Fellows  lodge  was  or- 
g-anized  at  Berrien  Springs,  known  as  Ber- 
rien Springs  Lodge  No.  323.  The  officers 
were  E.  D.  Cook,  noble  grand ;  G.  W.  Caru- 


thers,  vice-grand;  D.  G.  W.  Gangler,  recod- 
ing  secretary;  R.  A.  Demont,  permanent 
secretary,  and  George  W.  Rough,  treasurer. 

The  first  lodge  of  Masons  at  St.  Joseph 
was  organized  in  1852,  as  Occidental  Lodge 
No.  56.  The  officers  w^ere  L.  Church,  mas- 
ter; J.  Enos,  senior  warden;  A.  P.  Stinson, 
junior  warden,  A.  B.  Leeds,  secretary,  and 
Phineas  Pearl,  treasurer. 

The  first  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows  at  St 
Joseph  was  organized  in  1868  as  Burnett 
Lodge  No.  119.  The  charter  members 
were  A.  H.  Morrison,  A.  E.  Perkins,  C.  H. 
Chamberlain,  O.  W.  Oviatt,  and  W.  R. 
Graham. 

The  first  lodge  of  Masons  in  Buchanan 
was  organized  in  1854  known  as  Buchanan 
Lodge  No.  68.  C.  J.  Ingersoll  was  worthy 
master,  S.  M.  Griswold,  senior  warden,  and 
Nathaniel  Hamilton,  junior  warden. 

The  first  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows  at  Buch- 
anan was  organized  in  1855  known  as 
Buchanan  Lodge  No.  75. 

The  first  lodge  of  Masons  at  Benton 
Harbor  was  organized  in  1872  known  as 
Lake  Shore  Lodge  No.  298.  A.  B.  Leeds 
was  master. 

The  first  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows  at  this 
place  was  known  as  Benton  Lodge  No.  132, 
and  F.  G.  Rice  was  noble  grand. 

The  first  lodge  of  Masons  at  Three  Oaks 
was  organized  in  1868,  Henry  Chamberlain 
was  master,  Owen  Churchill,  senior  war- 
den, and  James  S.  Bird,  junior  warden. 

The  first  lodge  of  Masons  in  Watervliet 
township  was  organized  in  1865,  known  as 
Coloma  Lodge  No.  162,  J.  L.  Marvin  was 
master,  W.  W.  McKee,  senior  warden,  and 
Milo  Bratten,  junior  warden. 

The  first  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows  in  Water- 
vliet was  organized  in  1871  known  as  Co- 
loma Lodge  No.  140.  The  charter  mem- 
bers were  I.  B.  Winch,  J.  O.  Keith,  Jesse 
Woodward,  Geo.  Strong  and  E.  Brant. 

The  next  order  of  fraternal  organizations 
which   was   organized   to   any  considerable 


54 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


extent  was  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  which  was  estabhshed  in  all  the 
leading  towns  some  thirty  years  ago. 

Manufacturing  Industries. 

A  table  is  presented  showing  the  num- 
ber of  factories  in  the  different  cities  and 
villages  in  1905,  the  number  of  persons  em- 
ployed and  wages  paid,  according  to  the 
report  of  state  inspectors. 


It  should  be  observed  from  the  returns 
made  to  this  writer  from  the  leading  fac- 
tories in  the  three  cities  that  the  number 
of  persons  employed  in  the  factories  is  much 
larger  at  the  present  time  in  all  these  towns. 
The  exact  figures  cannot  be  given,  but  the 
total  number  of  employes  should  be  increased 
by  at  least  twenty  per  cent.  Evidently,  all 
the  factories  were  not  inspected. 


05 

C3     . 

g 

i:Jp 

(U 

^S 

biO 

>.  '^ 

CITIES  AND 

^1 

03 

VILLAGES 

^  ft 

%- 

B^ 

sa 

Sfl 

s 

2S 

;3.S 

3  0) 

s  0 

> 

^a 
< 

iz; 

Z 

Z 

< 

Berrien  county 

116 

3587 

Benton  Harbor,  city.. 

41 

1206 

50 

$1.50 

$3.50 

Buchanan,   village.... 

13 

166 

2 

1.75 

3.50 

Berrien   Springs 

2 

15 

20 

1.50 

3.50 

Coloma,  village 

3 

63 

5 

1.50 

3.50 

Eau  Claire,  village. .  . . 

1 

35 

5 

1.50 

3.00 

Galien,    village 

2 

4 

3 

1.50 

3.00 

Niles,    city 

24 
22 

679 
1062 

12 
4 

1.50 
1.50 

3.00 

St.  Joseph,  city 

3.50 

Three  Oaks,  village. . . 

4 

293 

15 

1..50 

3.00 

Watervliet,  village. . .  . 

4 

64 

3 

1.50 

3.00 

CHAPTKR    V 


FRUIT  CULTURE. 


''Round    about    them    orchards    sweep, 
Apple  and  peach  tree  fruited  deep." 


The  Michigan  fruit  belt,  so-called  from 
its  adaptability  for  the  raising  of  peaches, 
includes  the  counties  of  Berrien,  Van  Buren, 
Allegan,  Ottawa,  Muskegon,  Oceana, 
Mason,  Manistee,  Benzie,  Leelanau,  Neway- 
go, Mecosta,  Kent  and  Ionia.  Of  these, 
all  but  the  four  last  mentioned  counties  are 
situated  along  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan.  The  production  of  peaches  has 
also  led  to  the  cultivation  of  other  fruits  in 
great  abundance,  and  it  has  been  found  that 
this  region  is  particularly  well  adapted  for 
all  kinds  of  fruit  culture.  It  is  the  opinion  . 
of  leading  pomologists  that  the  apparent 
adaptation  of  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan  to  the  culture  of  fruit,  is  owing 
to  the  near  proximity  of  the  Great  Lake. 
It  is  claimed  that  this  wide  body  of  water, 
which  rarely  freezes  to  any  considerable  ex- 
tent, acts  as  a  regulator  modifying  the 
temperature  both  in  winter  and  summer; 
preventing  early  frosts  in  both  spring  and 
fall,  creating  needed  moisture  and  vapor  in 
times  of  drought;  and  tempering  the  pre- 
vailing winds  which  come  from  the  west 
and  southwest  over  the  wide  expanse  of  the 
lake. 

The  banner  county  of  this  fruit  belt  is 
Berrien  county.    In  the  production  and  value 


of  the  fruits  raised,  Berrien  county  for  many 
years  has  taken  the  lead. 

The  first  apple  orchard  probably,  in  Ber- 
rien county,  was  planted  by  William  Bur- 
nett about  one  hundred  and  twenty  years 
ago.  Reference  has  been  made  to  this  fact 
in  the  chapter  on  Early  Settlement  of  the 
County.  It  appears  also'  that  the  Indians 
cultivated  the  raising  of  apples  to  a  small 
extent.  The  orchard  of  the  Carey  mission^ 
planted  by  Rev.  Isaac  McCoy  about  1826^ 
consisted  of  about  two  hundred  peach  trees 
and  one  hundred  apple  trees.  When  the 
early  settlers  arrived  at  Niles^  they  found 
apple  trees  growing  near  the  ruins  of  the 
old  fort,  evidently  planted  many  years  be- 
fore by  the  French  occupants. 

The  peach  industry  in  Berrien  county 
commenced  about  the  year  1848.  Prior  ta 
that  time  seedling  peaches  had  been  raised 
to  some  extent.  About  1833,  Theo.  G. 
Abbe  planted  an  orchard  of  peach  trees  in 
the  southern  part  of  St.  Joseph  township. 
The  trees  were  purchased  by  Mr.  Abbe  of 
a  nursery  in  Rochester  and  were  subse- 
quently removed  to  the  farm  of  John  Pike 
in  Royalton.  Fruit  from  this  orchard  was 
sold  in  1837.  The  first  shipment  of  peaches 
to   Chicago  was  made  by   Captain   Curtis 


56 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Boiighton  in  the  year  1839  in  his  vessel,  the 
schooner  ''Henry  U.  King."  These  peaches 
were  purchased  of  small  producers  in  the 
vicinity  of  St.  Joseph. 

In  1840,  David  Byers  of  Bainbridge, 
purchased  one  hundred  peach  trees  in  Liv- 
ingston county,  New  York,  and  gave  forty 
of  these  to  his  nephew,  John  Byers,  of  Bain- 
bridge. These  were  set  oiit  and  in  1843, 
produced  forty  bushels  which  were  shipped 
to  Chicago,  and  sold  for  one  hundred  dol- 
lars. 

In  1840,  Eleazer  Morton  planted  an 
orchard  on  his  farm  in  Benton  township,  con- 
taining  peach  trees.  He  appears  to  have  made 
the  second  shipment  of  peaches  from  this 
county  to  Chicago.  The  variety  raised  by 
Mr.  jMorton  was  what  was  called  the  ''Yel- 
low Rareripe." 

The   real  pioneers,   however,  in  the  in- 
troduction   of   peach    raising   were    George 
Parmelee  and  Curtis  Boughton.     In   1847, 
Mr.    Parmelee   planted  a   small  orchard   of 
choice    budded    peach    trees   in    Bainbridge 
township.     In  1848  he  set  out  an  orchard  of 
two    and   one-half    acres    mainly   of   peach 
trees,  in  Benton  township.     Captain  Bough- 
ton  set  out  an  orchard  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty  choice  budded  trees  in  St.  Joseph  in 
1849.     Ii"i  1852,  he  set  out  seven  acres.     In 
1855,   he   made  shipments  to   Chicago,   re- 
ceiving from  five  to  ten  dollars  per  bushel. 
Mr.  Parmelee  in  an  article  in  the  state 
pomological  reports  states  as  follows:     "It 
was  not  till  after  Mr.  Boughton  and  I  had 
sold  choice  peaches  from  our  imported  trees, 
that    there    was    much    else    than    seedling 
trees  planted,  or  budded  trees  from  the  bet- 
ter class  of  local  seedlings.     The  first  great 
impetus  to  peach  planting  was  given  when  I 
contracted  my  first  considerable  peach  crop 
for  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  to  be  delivered 
in  St.  Joseph." 

Mr.  Parmelee  enlarged  his  peach  orchard 
set  out  in  1848,  till  within  a  few  years  he 
had  put  out  ninety-eight  acres,  when  he  sold 
his  farm  for  $43,000.     The  main  value  of 


the  farm,  although  some  valuable  buildings 
had  been  constructed,  was  in  the  fruit  trees. 
Shortly  after,  the  so-called  "Cincinnati 
Orchard,''  then  the  largest  peach  orchard  in 
the  State,  was  planted  on  lands  of  Eleazer 
Morton,  located  about  a  mile  from  Benton 
Harbor.  Sixty-five  acres  were  leased  of  Mr. 
Morton  by  Smith  &  Howell,  bankers  of 
Cincinnati,  and  set  out  to  fruit  trees.  The 
lease  ran  twelve  years.  At  the  beginning  of 
the  tenth  year,  these  parties  sold  their  lease- 
hold right  for  the  remaining  three  years  for 
twelve  thousand  dollars.  The  purchaser 
netted  fifteen  thousand  dollars  on  their 
crop  the  same  year.  In  1871,  this  orchard 
produced  over  thirty-seven  thousand  baskets 
of  peaches,  which  brought  about  twenty 
thousand  dollars  net. 

The  culture  of  peaches  during  this  first 
period  of  its  development,  reached  its  high- 
est mark  about  1872,  when  it  began  to  rap- 
idly decline.  A  destructive  disease  known 
as  the  "Yellows"  appeared  among  the  peach 
trees  in  1868,  and  spread  rapidly  till  in  six 
or  seven  years,  the  peach  industry  had  be- 
come insignificant  as  compared  with  former 
years.  In  1872,  Berrien  county  shipped 
about  one  hundred  and  forty  thousand  l^ush- 
els,  while  in  1879  the  shipments  amounted 
to  only  sixteen  thousand  bushels.  The  ijeach 
*  industry  had  then  liecome  practically  extinct. 

The  cause  or  origin  of  this  disease  has 
not  been  discovered  and  no  treatment  has 
been  devised  by  which  the  peach  tree  when 
once  attacked  by  this  disease,  can  be  re- 
stored to  a  healthy  condition.  The  disease 
is  extremely  contagious,  and  the  only  pre- 
ventive used  to  arrest  its  spread  is  to  de- 
stroy the  tree  as  soon  as  the  existence  of  the 
disease  is  discovered.  Rigorous  laws  have 
been  enacted  by  the  Legislature  to  secure 
this  result.  Commissioners  are  appointed 
whose  duty  it  is  to  see  that  all  trees  infected 
with  the  disease  are  destroyed  and  for  this 
purpose,  they  are  empowered  to  enter  the 
orchards  if  necessary  and  destroy  the  trees 
themselves. 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


57 


The  law  has  been  generally  obeyed,  the 
producers  being  found  ready  and  willing  to 
aid  in  the  destruction  of  the  diseased  trees. 

The  result  of  this  radical  treatment  was 
to  revive  the  peach  industry  after  a  lapse  of 
about  fifteen  years.  In  the  meantime,  whole 
orchards  had  been  destroyed,  and  the  peach 
industry  practically  annihilated.  Within 
the  past  fifteen  years,  however,  the  develop- 
ment of  the  peach  industry  has  been  rapid, 
and  has  assumed  mammoth  proportions  in 
the  counties  of  Berrien,  Allegan  and  Van 
Buren.  In  1905,  the  production  and  ship- 
ment of  peaches  were  the  largest  ever  had. 
There  are  now  about  sixteen  thousand  acres 
set  out  to  peach  trees  in  Berrien  county. 

In  taking  the  state  census  of  1904,  the 
census  takers  were  required  to  make  a  defi- 
nite report  of  all  agricultural  and  horticul- 
tural products  in  each  township  for  the  year 
1903.  Estimates  have  only  been  made  for 
the  years  1904  and  1905. 

The  year  1903  was  not  a  ''peach"  year 
as  compared  with  1905,  but,  other  fruits 
were  raised  in  abundance  that  year,  and  it 
will  be  of  interest,  as  showing  the  extent  to 
which  tile  culture  of  fruit  lias  reached  in  this 
county,  in  certain  townships,  to  refer  to  the 
census  reports  for  the  year  1903.  Reference 
will  also  l)e  made  to  the  production  of  fruit 
in  some  of  the  other  fruit  producing  counties 
•of  the  State,  as  showing  the  comparative 
value  of  the  fruit  industry  in  Berrien  coun- 
ty. In  1903,  Allegan  county  produced  the 
most  peiches  of  any  county  in  the  State, 
Berrien  county  standing  second.  The  four 
counties  of  Allegan,  Berrien,  Van  Buren 
and  Kent  produced  nearly  three-fourths  of 
all  the  peaches  raised  in  the  State. 

The  following  table  shows  the  number 
of  acres  planted  with  peach  trees,  the  num- 
ber of  trees  and  the  production  in  bushels 
for  the  year  1903,  in  these  four  counties: 

Acres  set  out.         No.  of  trees.  Bushels. 

A^llegan    12,067     1,089,418  463,811 

Berrien    13.276     i, 377734  370.535 

Van  Buren    ...                 1,201,166  177,411 

Kent    861,405  127,473 


It  will  be  seen  from  this  table  that  Ber- 
rien county  had  the  most  trees,  and  this  fact 
had  its  effect  upon  future  production. 

In  Berrien  county,  the  township  of  Ben- 
ton took  the  lead  in  the  production  of 
peaches.  The  peach  producing  townships  in 
1903  consisted  of  the  following:  Benton, 
St.  Joseph,  Pipestone,  Hagar,  Lincoln, 
Bainbridge,  Watervliet,  and  Sodus.  Thei 
following  table  shows  the  acreage,  number 
of  trees  and  production  for  the  year  1903. 
The  city  of  Benton  Harbor  is  included  with 
Benton  township  and  the  city  of  St.  Joseph 
with  St.  Joseph  township.  The  production 
in  the  cities  was^  however,  small. 

Acreage.  Trees.  Bushels. 

Benton    2,692  270,223  114,408 

St.  Joseph    990  118,399  64,771 

Pipestone    1,027  94,061  44,704 

Hagar    1,511  155.581  35^937 

Lincoln 939  126,862  34,660 

Sodus    558  54,463  22,646 

Bainbridge    ....    2,387  208,817  14,366 

Watervliet    971  89,751  7<572 

Some  reference  to  the  largest  peach  or- 
chard in  the  county  may  be  of  interest.  Ro- 
land j\Iorrill  has  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  acres  of  peach  orchards  of  which  eighty- 
five  acres  are  in  bearing.  These  orchards 
are  located  in  Benton  township.  In  1905, 
Mr.  Morrill  obtained  twenty  thousand  bush- 
els of  peaches  from  about  50  acres.  The 
first  orchards  of  Mr.  Morrill  came  into  bear- 
ing about  fifteen  years  ago  and  since  that 
time  he  has  not  had  a  failure  although  there 
have  been  three  light  crops.  In  1899,  wdien 
the  peach  crop  w^est  of  the  Rocky  Mountains 
w^as  an  universal  failure,  he  received  thirty- 
five  thousand  dollars  for  the  product  of  forty 
acres.  From  four  acres  of  Elbertas  that 
year  he  received  six  thousand  four  hundred 
dollars.  Mr.  Morrill  ascribes  his  success  to 
the  great  care  exercised  in  preserving  the 
vitality  of  his  trees  through  proper  fertili- 
zation and  cultivation,  together  with  keep- 
ing the  crop  down  to  reasonable  limits.    He 


58  HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 

is  now  general  manager  of  the  Morrill  Or-  Each    of    the    townships     of    Berrien^ 

chard  Company  of  Morrill,  Texas,  in  which  Hagar,  Royalton,  Weesaw    and    Buchanan 

company  he  is  a  heavy  stockholder.     The  produced  about  50,000  bushels.     In  several 

company  owns  twelve  thousand  five  hundred  of  the  townships  the  production  of  choice 

acres,  devoted  to  the  raising  of  fruits  and  varieties  of  apples  for  shipment  has  become 

vegetables,  twelve  hundred  acres  of  wdiich  a  specialty,  and  the  value  of  the  apple  crop 

are  planted  with  peach  trees.  in    1903   was  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the 

The   West   Michigan   Nurseries,    whose  peach  crop. 

office  is  at  Benton  Harbor,  in  addition  to  The  largest  apple  orchard  in  the  county 

their    nurseries,    have    extensive    fruit    or-  is  that  of  Robert  H.  Sherwood,  consisting 

chards  upon  their  farm  of  eight  hundred  of  about  300  acres,    situate    in    Waterviet 

and  seventy-three  acres,  situated    in    Pipe-  township  on  the  bank  of  Paw  Paw  lake. 

stone  township,  half  a  mile  from  Eau  Claire.  Peach,  pear  and  plum  trees  were  planted  in 

This    company    has    planted    about    30,000  the  same  orchards   with   the   young  apple 

peach  trees  on  this  farm  for  bearing  pur-  trees,  to  fill  up  the  time  before  the  latter 

poses,  also  about  10,000  plum  trees,  8,000  commenced  bearing.     These    orchards    are 

pear  trees,  5,000  cherry  trees  and  5,000  ap-  known  as  the  Lake  View  orchards.     About 

pie  trees.     The  total  planting  of  orchards  2000  apple  trees  were  set  out  about  thirty 

amount  to  about  five  hundred  acres.     The  years  ago,  by  Hon.   Harvey  C.  Sherwood,. 

company  has  one  hundred  acres  upon  the  since  deceased,  who  was  the  father  of  Robert 

Pipestone   farm   devoted   to  nursery,    stock  H.  Sherwood,  and  until  the  last  year  when 

purposes,  and  also  one  hundred  acres  near  the    apple   crop    failed   in   Michigan,    these 

Berrien    Springs.      Through    the    summer  trees  produced  on  an  average  annually  2000 

months    the    company    employs    about    one  barrels  for  the  last  fifteen  years.     Most  of 

hundred  and  twenty  men  in  working  in  the  the  trees  were  set  out  eight  years  ago. 

orchards  and  nurseries. 

,  Pears. 
Apples. 

.     ,  .            ,  In    the    production    of    pears,    Berrien 

Apples  are  raised  m  nearly  every  county  ^       ..     j    r    ^           j     •                1 

^    ,  ^^^           ,         ,                •         r    A 11  county    stood    first,    producmg    nearly    one 

of  the  State,  but  the  counties  of  Allegan  ^^.^^  ^^  ^jj              ^^^^^^^  .^  ^^^  ^^^^^_    ^j^^ 

Berrien,    Van    Buren    and    Kent   produced  ^^^^^,j^„  ^f  Berrien  county  was  108,4^0 

more  than  one-fourth  of  all  the  apples  raised  v:     i    i        o^    t        i    ^         w          i     -^       J^ 

.                                  ^  ^  bushels.     St.  Joseph  township  and  city  pro- 

m  the  State,  m  1903.  ^^^^^     ^^^^^^     bushels.       Hagar,     15,073 

Allegan   produced 1,208,949  bushels  bushels,  and  Benton  10,001  bushels. 

Berrien  produced    1,157,653 

Kent  produced   773,319       ''  Strawberries. 

Van  Buren  produced....     814,190       ''  g^.^^^  ^^^^^y,  in   1903,  stood  first  in 

In  Berrien  county  the  townships  lead-  the  production   of   strawberries,   producing 

ing  in  yield  of  apples,  produced  as  follows:  in  bushels,  155,868;  Allegan,  45,626;  Van 

Bainbrid^e                               106  646  bushels  ^^^^'^""^  49.874,   and  Kent,   32,272.     These 

-D     ^               -r^r-'^Tr-       *<  four  counties  produced  more  than  one-half 

Benton    125,015  ^  ^               .    ^                r  .1     o^  .. 

g^^^g    \    106,01 5       ''  ^^  ^'^^  strawberry  crop  of  the  State. 

Watervliet    X04V28       "  Lake  township  has  made  a  specialty  of 

Oronoko    88,175       ''  raising  strawberries  and  is  the  banner  straw- 

Pipestone    86,101       ''  berry  township  of  Berrien  county. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


59 


The  following  named  townships  pro- 
duced as  follows : 

Lake    31^582  bushels 

Lincoln    20,212  '' 

Sodus    15.617  '' 

Bainbridge    i6,6b6  '' 

Benton    16,061  '' 

Hagar 11,418  " 

Royalton    10,254  " 

Raspberries. 

Berrien  county  in  1903  produced 
71,245  bushels  of  raspberries,  or  more  than 
one-third  of  the  raspberry  crop  of  the  State. 
Kent  county  came  next  with  13,665  bushels. 

The  following  named  townships  of  Ber- 
rien county  produced  as  follows  : 

Lake    11,501  bushels 

Lincoln    10,523  " 

Royalton    9,399  '' 

Benton    7,143  '' 

Sodus    6,120  '' 

St.  Joseph 6,002  " 

Hagar    5,830  '' 

Blackberries. 

Berrien  county  produced  more  than  one 
half  of  the  blackberry  crop  of  the  state  in 
1903,  amounting  to  91,115  bushels.  The 
production  of  the  other  counties  was  insig- 
nificant, comparatively. 

Lincoln  township  produced.  27,945  bushels 

St.  Joseph  and  City 14,847  '' 

Lake    12,771  '' 

Benton    1 1,562  '' 

Royalton    ; 6,851 

Grapes. 

The  counties  of  Berrien  and  Van  Buren 
produced  three-fourths  of  the  entire  grape 
crop  of  the  State  in  1903.  Berrien  county 
produced  13,949,552  pounds,  and  Van 
Buren  13,461,546  pounds.  The  amount 
produced  in  any  other  county  was  trifling 
comparatively.  The  townships  of  St.  Joseph^ 


Benton,    Royalton   and   Oronoko  produced 
most  of  the  grapes  in  this  county. 

St.  Joseph  Tp.  and  City  pro- 
duced     6.031,550  lbs. 

Benton    1,536,890    '' 

Royalton    1,245,378    '' 

Oronoko    755^670    " 

The  most  extensive  grapery  in  the  State 
of  Michigan  has  recently  been  established 
in  the  township  of  Chikaming,  by  the  Lake 
Side  Vineyard  Co.,  wdiich  has  its  office  at 
St.  Joseph.  The  following  are  the  officers: 
Jos.  H.  Burkhard,  president;  M.  J.  Beckett, 
secretary ;  F.  J.  Burkhard,  treasurer.  These 
gentlemen  and  Wm.  Habel  and  Benj.  Ryan 
constitute  the  board  of  directors.  This  cor- 
poration owns  642  acres  devoted  to  fruit 
raising,  of  which  525  acres  are  set  out  to 
grapes.  The  enterprise  was  started  in  1902 
and  nearly  all  of  the  vines  have  been  recently 
planted.  200,000  Concord  vines  have  been 
set  out.  About  18,000  baskets  of  grapes 
were  raised  last  year.  The  proprietors  esti- 
mate from  present  apperances  that  the  yield 
this  year  will  be  over  300,000  baskets. 

The  Burkhards,  who  planned  this  im- 
portant enterprise,  are  wxll  known  and  en- 
terprising grocers  and  fruit  dealers  of  St. 
Joseph. 

In  addition  to  these  fruits,  Berrien 
county  in  1903  produced  also  considerable 
quantities  of  plums,  cherries,  gooseberries 
and  other  small  fruits. 

The  value  of  all  these  fruit  products  of 
Berrien  county  in  1903  was  estimated  at 
about  $1,250,000.  The  value  of  the  fruit 
products  of  Allegan  county  which  stood 
next,  was  nearly  $900,000. 

For  the  year  1904  and  1905  nothing  but 
estimates  of  the  fruit  crop  have  been  made. 
The  peach  crop  in  Berrien  cormty  in  1905 
however,  was  enormous,  and  it  appears  from 
estimates  that  Berrien  county  largely  ex- 
ceeded any  other  county  in  that  year  in  the 
production  of  this  fruit. 

Some  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  this  in- 
dustry may  be  formed  from  a  statement  of 


6o 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


the  shipment  of  peaches  made  by  boat  and 
at  certain  railroad  stations.  With  this 
statement  will  also  be  included  items  as  to 
other  fruits.  In  1905  the  boats  shipped  the 
following : 

Baskets   of    peaches 1,125,728 

Bushel  baskets  of  peaches 381,469 

Crates  of  berries   679,680 

Baskets    of   grapes 1,160,425 

Half-bushel  baskets  of  fruit....  82,847 
Barrels  of  pears  and  other  fruit.  .  48,249 
Bushel  crates  of  muskmelons.  .  .  .     130,142 

There  were  shipped  by  car  at  the  Pere 
Marquette  station  in  St.  Joseph  in  1905  as 
follows : 

Car-loads  of  peaches 305 

Car-loads  of  grapes 334 

An  average  fruit  car  contains  400 
bushels  of  peaches  and  3000  one-fifth  bushel 
baskets  of  grapes. 

There  were  shipped  at  the  Pere  Mar- 
quette Railroad  station  at  Benton  Harbor  in 
1905  approximately  as  follows: 

Car-loads   of  peaches 350 

Car-loads   of   grapes> 150 

Car-loads    of   berries 15 

There  were  shipped  at  the  Benton  Har- 
bor station  of  the  C.  C.  C.  &  St.  L.  Railway 
Co.  (Big  Four)  during  the  season  of  1905, 
666  carloads  of  peaches.  Other  shipments 
were  made  at  other  railroad  points.  It  may 
be  inferred  from  these  reports  that  over  one 
million  bushels  of  peaches  were  shipped 
abroad  from  Berrien  county  during  the  sea- 
son of  1905.  The  shipments  by  rail  equalled 
those  by  boat,  large  amounts  being  sent  to 
eastern  and  central  States. 

Agriculture. 

"Honor  waits  o'er  all  the  Earth, 
Through  endless  generations, 

The  art  that  calls  her  harvests  forth, 
And  feeds  the  expectant  nations." 

Bryant. 

In  the  production  of  corn  and  wheat, 
Berrien  county  is  exceeded  by  many  of  the 


counties  of  the  State.  In  1903  it  was  ex- 
ceeded in  the  production  of  corn  by  ten 
counties,  in  that  of  wheat,  by  fifteen  coun- 
ties. The  four  leading  counties  in  the  pro- 
duction of  corn  were  Lenawee,  Hillsdale, 
Calhoun  and  Monroe,  which  produced  enor- 
mous crops. 

The  agricultural  product  of  Berrien 
county,  however,  is  much  diversified,  so  that 
the  aggregate  production  of  all  agricultural 
products  places  the  county  in  the  front 
rank.  Different  classes  of  vegetables  have 
been  raised  in  large  quantities  for  the  Chi- 
cago market,  certain  townships  making  a 
specialty  of  raising  some  particular  class. 

In  the  production  of  wheat  Bertrand 
township  took  the  lead  in  the  county  pro- 
ducing 54,597  bushels.  For  many  years 
this  township  produced  more  wheat  than 
any  other  township  in  the  State.  In  1878 
the  yield  of  wheat  was  more  than  125,000 
bushels.  The  highest  yield  of  wheat  for  any 
township  in  1903  was  that  of  Prairie  Ronde, 
Kalamazoo  county,  which  produced  76,270 
bushels.  Of  late  years,  however,  the 
farmers  of  Bertrand  have  turned  their  at- 
tention to  other  crops. 

The  following  townships  came  next  to 
Bertrand,  viz. :  Niles,  with  an  almost  equal 
production,  54,318  bushels;  Berrien,  40,635 
bushels,  and  the  townships  of  Buchanan  and 
Oronoko  with  about  30,000'  bushels  each. 
The  total  production  of  the  county  was 
439,569   bushels. 

In  the  production  of  corn,  Bertrand  took 
the  lead  in  1903,  producing  145,000  bushels. 
Niles  produced  137,000  bushels,  Berrien 
112,000  bushels,  Oronoko  111,000  bushels, 
Pipestone  103,000  bushels,  Buchanan  97,- 
000  bushels,  and  Weesaw  96,000  bushels. 
The  total  production  was  1,459,378  bushels. 

The  total  production  of  oats  was  470,515 
bushels.  The  townships  of  Pipestone,  Wee- 
saw,  Buchanan,  Three  Oaks  and  Ber- 
trand each  raised  from  35,000  to  40,000 
bushels. 

The  county  produced    16,868    tons    of 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


6i 


clover  hay  valued  at  $125,264  and  34,281 
tons  of  timothy  valued  at  $289,277. 

The  production  of  potatoes  was  405,761 
bushels,  valued  at  $217,758. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  two  townships 
have  made  a  specialty  of  raising  cabbage, 
Three  Oaks  and  Bertrand.  Three  Oaks  pro- 
duced 349,000  heads  and  Bertrand  157,000. 

Oronoko  produced  one-quarter  of  the  to- 
matoes raised,  amounting  to  6,025  bushels. 

Lake,  New  Buffalo  and  Weesaw  each 
raised  over  10,000  bushels  of  cucumbers. 

Niles  and  Three  Oaks  raised  about  3,000 
bushels  of  onions,  each. 


The  melon  industry  has  become  exten- 
sive in  four  townships,  viz. :  Benton  rais- 
ing 315,000  melons,  Bainbridge  171,220, 
Watervliet  61,380,  and  Hagar  51,360.  The 
value  of  the  melon  crop  in  1903  was  about 
$21,000. 

The  shipments  made  of  these  vegetables 
have  been  large  and  added  materially  to  the 
wealth  of  the  county.  The  estimated  val- 
uation of  these  vegetables  in  1903  was  over 
$425,000  and  a  large  portion  of  them  was 
shipped  abroad,  or  sent  to  canning  establish- 
ments, the  product  of  which  finds  a  ready 
sale  in  the  markets  of  the  country. 


CHAPTER    VI 


BERRIEN  COUNTY  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


"When  treason  first  began  the  strife 

That  crimsoned  sea   and  shore, 

The  Nation  found  her  hoarded  life, 

On  Freedom's  threshing  floor; 
From   field   and   prairie.   East   and    West, 

From  Coast  and  hill  and  plain, 
The  sheaves   of  ripening  manhood  pressed. 
Thick  as   the  bearded   grain." 

— Holmes. 


It  is  fitting  that  the  gallant  part  which 
the  soldiers  of  Berrien  county  played  in  the 
great  drama  of  the  Civil  war  should  be  duly 
commemorated  in  any  historical  sketch  of 
the  county.  For  this  purpose,  a  list  is  given 
of  all-  the  officers  and  soldiers  in  the  Civil 
war  who  resided  in  this  county  at  the  time 
of  enlistment  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained 
from  authentic  records.  It  is  impossible 
to  give  the  record  of  any  individual  com- 
pany except  as  identified  with  the  regiment 
to  which  it  belonged.  A  short  sketch  there- 
fore, of  the  career  of  those  State  regiments 
to  which  any  considerable  number  of  soldiers 
from  Berrien  county  belonged,  is  given,  fur- 
nishing a  general  view  of  the  movements  of 
the  regiments  and  mention  is  made  of  the 
principal  actions  in  which  they  were  en- 
gaged. 

The  historical  facts  stated  are  mainly 
derived  from  ^'Michigan  in  the  War,''  a 
volume  published  by  the  State  and  edited  by 
John  Robertson,  adjutant  general.     For  de- 


tailed information  with  regard  to  the  history 
of  each  Michigan  regiment  the  reader  is  re- 
ferred to  that  work.  In  making  out  the  lists 
of  soldiers  in  Michigan  regiments  from  Ber- 
rien county,  the  History  of  Berrien  and  Van 
Buren,  published  in  1880  and  edited  by  F. 
Ellis,  has  been  mainly  used,  on  account  of 
the  convenient  and  compact  form  in  which 
the  lists  are  made  up.  Considerable  addi- 
tions, however,  have  been  made  to  these 
lists,  derived  from  the  series  of  volumes  re- 
cently published  by  the  State,  entitled  ''Rec- 
ord of  Service  of  Michigan  Volunteers,"  and 
edited  by  General  George  H.  Brown,  adju- 
tant general.  It  is  probable,  however,  that 
many  omissions  have  been  made  on  account 
of  the  fact  that  large  numbers  of  soldiers 
from  Berrien  county,  whose  record  cannot 
be  ascertained,  enlisted  in  the  regiments  of 
other  States.  An  attempt  has  been  made  to 
give  the  names  of  soldiers  who  enlisted 
abroad,  so  far  as  State  and  other  available 
records  have  disclosed  them. 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


63 


Second  Infantry. 

■"When  weary,   watching  traitor   foes 
The     welcome     night    brings    sweet    repose, 
The  soldier  weary  from  the  fight, 
Sleeps    sound,   nor    fears   the   rebel's   might, 
For  Michigan's  on  guard  tonight." 

On  April  14,  1861,  the  next  day  after 
the  surrender  of  Fort  Sumter  to  the  Confed- 
erates, President  Lincoln  issued  a  procla- 
mation calling  for  seventy-five  thousand 
volunteers  for  three  months. 

At  this  first  call  for  troops,  a  company 
of  infantry  was  raised  at  Niles,  composed 
of  persons  residing  there  and  in  the  vicin- 
ity. This  was  the  first  company  organized 
in  the  county,  for  service  in  the  Civil  war. 

The  first  officers  of  the  company  were 
Robert  Brethschneider,  captain;  Benjamin 
Brownell,  first  lieutenant,  and  Jerome 
Beales,  second  lieutenant.  The  ladies  of 
Niles  presented  a  handsome  flag  to  the  com- 
pany, which  afterward  became  the  flag  of 
the  Second  Michigan  Infantry,  to  which  it 
was  afterward  assigned.  The  company  left 
the  city  of  Niles  for  the  cantonment  at  De- 
troit on  April  26,  1861,  when  it  was  as- 
signed as  Company  ''E"  of  the  regiment  re- 
ferred to. 

Before  the  Second  regiment-  could  be 
iiiustered  into  service,  the  government  re- 
fused to  accept  any  more  three  months 
soldiers,  whereupon  nearly  all  the  regiment, 
and  practicaly  all  of  Company  ''E,"  volun- 
teered for  three  years.  The  regiment  left 
for  Washington  on  June  5,  1861^  and  was 
the  first  three  years  regiment  from  this  State. 
The  first  battle  in  which  this  regiment  was 
engaged  was  the  disastrous  one  of  Bull  Run, 
fought  July  18,  1 86 1.  At  this  battle  it 
belonged  to  Richardson's  brigade,  which 
covered  the  retreat,  and  came  to  camp  in 
perfect  order  and  discipline. 

At  the  important  battle  of  Williamsburg, 
May  5,  1 86 1,  it  took  an  important  part.  In 
a  communication  relating  to  this  battle,  Gen- 
eral Philip  Kearney  says,  ''General  Beny's 


regiment  fought  most  desperately.  It  was 
one  of  them,  Colonel  Foe's  Second  Michi- 
gan, more  directly  under  my  control,  which 
maintained  the  key  point  of  our  position. 
Two  of  its  companies  led  off  wath  the  first 
success  of  the  day,  while  covering  the  ar- 
tillery. I  especially  notice  him  (Colonel 
Poe)  for  advancement.  His  loss  in  killed, 
wounded  and  missing  is  sixty." 

General  Poe,  a  very  able  officer  and  ac- 
complished gentleman,  w^as  very  proud  of 
his  regiment.  After  his  promotion  to  higher 
rank,  removing  him  from  the  command  of 
the  regiment,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  a  friend,  in 
which  he  said :  ''There  is  something  sub- 
limely grand  in  the  steady,  quite  courage  of 
those  men  of  our  'Second,'  They  never  yet 
have  failed  in  time  of  need  and  they  never 
w411.  I  would  ask  no  higher  honor  than  to 
ride  at  their  head  through  the  streets  of  De- 
troit." 

No  regiment  probably  in  the  service  of 
the  government,  surpassed  the  Second  Mich- 
igan Infantry  in  heroic  service  and  excellent 
discipline.  It  was  engaged  in  many  of  the 
most  important  battles  of  the  war  and  its 
losses  from  death,  wounds  and  disease  was 
enormous. 

Company  "E"  never  returned  from  the 
war  as  a  company.  A  few  individuals  re- 
turned but  the  great  majority  had  been  re- 
moved by  death,  or  broken  down  by  wounds, 
disease  and  hardships  innumerable.  Only 
one  member  of  this  company  is  now  living 
in  our  midst,  Pope  McClary,  of  Niles,  who 
received  no  less  than  seven  wounds. 

The  regiment  remained  with  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  till  March,  1863,  when  it 
was  sent  to  Kentucky,  and  in  June,  1863, 
to  re-enforce  the  Army  of  General  Grant  in 
Mississippi.  In  August,  1863,  it  joined  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  and  participated  in  the 
capture  of  Petersburg,  April  3,  1865.  It 
was  disbanded  at  Detroit,  August  i,  1865. 

This  regiment  belonged  for  a  time  to 
a  brigade  commanded  by  the  distinguished 
general,  Phil  Kearney,  one  of  the  "bravest 


64 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN    COUNTY 


of  the  brave."  As  showing  his  high  opinion 
of  the  character  and  efficiency  of  the  Michi- 
gan regiments  under  his  comniamnd,  I  quote 
the  following  from  ''Michigan  in  the  War." 

''On  one  occasion,  when  the  darkness 
had  brought  the  day's  battle  to  a  close, 
wearied  with  excessive  service,  and  desiring 
quiet  for  the  night,  he  (General  Kearney) 
ordered,  'Put  a  Michigan  regiment  on  guard, 
so  that  I  can  sleep  tonight.' 

"An  interesting  episode  in  the  history- 
of  this  regiment,  is  the  fact  that  a  young 
woman  said  to  have  been  good  looking,  en- 
listed at  Flint  and  served  for  some  time, 
without  her  sex  being  known.  She  enlisted 
under  the  name. of  'Frank  Thompson.'  She 
served  in  various  campaigns  and  battles  of 
the  regiment  as  a  soldier,  was  often  employed 
as  a  spy,  going  into  the  enemy's  lines  and 
furnished  valuable  information.  She  was 
with  the  regiment  till  April,  1863,  when  she 
deserted  for  fear  that  her  sex  had  become 
known.  Her  future  history  is  unknown." 
Michigan  in  the  War,  page  47. 

The  regiment  was  in  the  following  en- 
gagements : 

1 86 1  Blackburns  Ford,  Bull  Run. 

1862  Siege  of  Yorktown,  Williamsburg, 
Faid  Oaks,  near  Richmond,  June  18. 
1862,  Glendale,  Malvern  Hill,  Bull 
Run  2nd,  Chantilly,  Fredericksburg, 
all  in  Virginia. 

1863  Siege  of  Vicksburg,  Miss.,  Jackson, 
Blue  Spring,  Tenn.,  London,  Lenoir 
Station,  Siege  of  Knoxville,  Knox- 
ville.  Fort  Saunders,  Thirley's  Ford, 
all  in  Tennessee. 

1864  Strawberry  Plains,  near  Knoxville, 
Wilderness,  Va.,  Ny  River,  Spottsyl- 
vania,  Oxford,  North  Anna,  Tolo- 
potomy,  Bethseda  Church,  Cold  Har- 
bor, Petersburg,  The  Crater,  Weldon 
R.  R.,  Reams'  Station,  Poplar  Spring 
Church,  Pegram  Farm,  Boydon  Road, 
Hatcher's  Run,  all  in  Virginia. 

1865  Fort  Steadman,  Capture  of  Peters- 
burg, Siege  of  Petersburg. 


Members  of  the  Second  Infantry  from  Ber- 
rien County. 

Field  and  Staff. 

Surgeon,  Evan  J.  Bonine,  Niles;  com- 
missioned September  23,  1861 ;  resigned 
August  31,  1864. 

Non-Commissioned  Staff. 

Quartermaster  sergeant,  William  H. 
Seward,  Niles;  enlisted  April  19,  1861  ;. 
promoted  to  second  lieutenant.  Company  I,. 
December  4,  1861. 

Company  E. 

Captain  Robert  Brethschneider,  Niles ; 
commissioned  May  25,  1861 ;  resigned  De- 
cember  14,   1861 ;  captain   12th  infantry. 

Captain  Benjamin  Brownell,  Niles;  com- 
missioned December  14,  1861 ;  first  lieuten- 
ant April  25,  1861 ;  resigned  August  30,^ 
1862. 

Captain  John  S.  Moore,  Niles;  commis- 
sioned July  30,  1863;  first  lieutenant,  Feb-^ 
ruary  24,  1863;  second  lieutenant,  August 
9,  1862;  mustered  out  at  end  of  service,. 
September  30,  1864. 

Captain.  Sylvester  Keyser,  Niles;  com- 
missioned September  30,  1864;  brevetted 
major  United  State  volunteers  for  gallant 
and  meritorious  services  before  Petersburg; 
mustered  out  July  29,  1865. 

Second  Lieutenant  Jerome  Beals,  Niles; 
commissioned  April  25,  1861 ;  resigned  Aug- 
ust 7,  1 861. 

Sergeant  Henry  Kellogg,  enlisted  May 
25,  1861 ;  discharged  December  i,  1861,  for 
disability. 

Sergeant  Plowden  Huggins,  enlisted 
May  25,  1861  ;  mustered  out  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, July  21,  1864. 

Sergeant  John  N.  Shanahan,  enlisted 
May  25,  1861 ;  killed  in  action  at  WiUiams- 
burg,  Virginia,  May  5,  1862. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Corporal  William  H.  Delano,  enlisted 
May  25,  1861 ;  mustered  out  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, July  21,  1864, 

Corporal  Charles  H.  Houghland,  enlisted 
May  25,  1861 ;  discharged  for  disability, 
December  6,  1861. 

Corporal  William  Thayer,  enlisted  May 
25,  1861 ;  discharged  at  end  of  service,  July 
21,  1864. 

Corporal  John  Moore,  enlisted  May  25, 
1861 ;  color  sergeant;  promoted  to  second 
lieutenant. 

Corporal  Sylvester  Keyser,  enlisted  May 
25,  1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran,  December 
31,  1863;  promoted  to  first  lieutenant.  Com- 
pany F,  July  7,  1864. 

Wagoner  John  B.  Richardson,  enlisted 
May  25,  1861 ;  absent,  sick;  not  mustered 
out  with  company. 

Privates. 

Uriah  Arnold,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, July  21,  1864. 

Theodore  F.  Brown,  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  September  10,  1864. 

Hartley  Boswell,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity. May  21,  1862. 

James  W.  Brown,  veteran;  enlisted  De- 
cember 31,  1863;  mustered  out  May  25, 
1865. 

George  Covert,  discharged  to  enlist  in 
regular  army,  June  11,  1863. 

William  Covert,  discharged  to  enlist  in 
regular  army,  June  11,  1863. 

James  H.  Delano,  discharged  for  disa- 
bility, October  7,  1862. 

Franklin  Farnsworth,  veteran;  enlisted 
December  31,  1863;  discharged  for  disa- 
bility, July  20,  1865. 

George  H.  Genung,  discharged  for 
wounds,  September  12,  1862. 

Philo  H.  Gallup,  killed  in  action  at  Wil- 
liamsburg, Va.,  May  5,  1862. 

Edward  Hartman,  died  of  disease  at 
Georgetow'n,  D.  C. 

Marvin  Hillicker,  discharged  for  disa- 
bility. 


Benjamin  Hess,  discharged  to  enlist  in 
regular  army. 

Charles  Hulin^  discharged  to  enlist  in 
regular  army,  December  4,  1862. 

Samuel  P.  Hulin,  veteran;  enlisted  De- 
cember 31,  1863;  sergeant;  promoted  to  sec- 
ond lieutenant;  mustered  out  as  sergant,^ 
July  25,  1865. 

William  H.  F.  Holston,  veteran;  en- 
listed December  31^  1863;  sergeant;  pro- 
moted to  first  lieutenant.  Company  G;  cap- 
tain. Company  K. 

William  H.  Harrison,  veteran,  enlisted 
December  31,  1863;  sergeant;  promoted  to 
second  lieutenant ;  mustered  out  as  sergeant, 
July  25,  1865. 

William  Jay,  discharged  for  disability, 
July  4,  1862. 

William  Jones,  discharged  for  disability. 

William  Jackson,  veteran;  enlisted  De- 
cember 31,  1863;  niustered  out  July  28„ 
1865. 

John  McKown,  killed  in  battle  at  Wil- 
liamsburg, Virgina,  May  5,  1862. 

Benjamin  F.  Loop,  died  August  4,  1862, 
of  wounds  received  at  Fair  Oaks,  May  31^ 
1862. 

James  Leech,  discharged  for  disability. 

John  T.  Lamon,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, September  3,  1863. 

William  Lambert,  discharged  at  end  o£ 
service,  July  21,  1864. 

John  Noel,  discharged  for  disability, 
September  29,  1862. 

James  H.  Philips,  discharged  for  disa- 
bility. May  21,  1862. 

G.  Prossard,  discharged  to  enlist  in  reg- 
ular army. 

William  Park,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, May  25,  1865. 

Gilbert  Parish,  veteran;  enlisted  Decem- 
ber 31,  1863;  discharged  for  disability,  De- 
cember 25,  1865. 

William  Redick,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity. 

Charles  Richardson,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, July  4,  1862. 


66 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


William  Roach,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, August  13,  1862. 

Joshua  B.  Richardson,  died  of  disease 
at  Washington,  February  17,  1863. 

Watson  Ready,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vise,  May  25,  1864. 

John  Rutledge,  veteran;  enlisted  Decem- 
ber 31,  1863;  mustered  out  July  28,  1865. 

William  B.  Randall,  veteran;  enlisted 
December  31,  1863;  mustered  out  July  28, 
1865. 

Anthony  Rolle,  mustered  out  July  28, 
1865. 

William  Rucker,  discharged  for  wounds, 
October,  1862. 

Elias  Schockley,  died  of  wounds,  No- 
vember 2y,  1863. 

Martin  Stafford,  veteran;  enlisted  De- 
cember 3,  1863;  died  of  wounds,  June  19, 
1864. 

B.  Steinbach,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice. May  25,  1864. 

William  W.  Smith,  veteran;  enlisted 
December  3,  1863;  mustered  out  July  11, 
.1865. 

William  Thayer,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  July  21,  1864. 

Edwin  Trumburn,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  July  21,  1864. 

George  W.  Vandervent^  discharged  at 
end  of  service,  July  21,  1864. 

Alfred  A.  Van  Vliet,  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  June  6,  1864. 

John  M.  Wilson,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  September  8,  1863. 

John  Ward,  discharged  at  end  of  service, 
July  21,  1864. 

Company  F. 

First  Lieutenant  Sylvester  Keyser, 
Niles;  commissioned  July  7,  1863;  promoted 
to  captain.  Company  E,  September  30,  1864. 
Company  G. 

First  Lieutenant  William  H.  F.  Hols- 
ton,  Niles;  commissioned  November  24, 
1864;  promoted  captain,  Company  K,  April 
25,  1865. 


Company  H, 

Captain  Charles  H.  Rogers,  mustered 
out  July  28,  1865. 

First  Lieutenant  John  S.  Moore,  pro- 
moted captain.  Company  E,  July  30,  1863. 

* 
Company  L 

Second  Lieutenant  William  H.  Seward, 
resigned  August  30,  1862. 

Stephen  G.  Colvin,  veteran;  enlisted  De- 
cember 31,  1863;  died  of  wounds  in  Wilder- 
ness, Virginia,  May  6,  1864. 

Ossian  L.  Moody,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  July  21,  1864. 

Stephen  G.  Colvin,  veteran;  enlisted  De- 
cember 31,  1863;  mustered  out  July  28, 
1865. 

Company  K. 

Captain  William  H.  F.  Holston,  com- 
missioned April  25,  1865 ;  mustered  out  July 
25,  1865. 

Corporal  Roscoe  D.  Dix,  enlisted  May 
25,  1861 ;  discharged  at  end  of  service,  July 
2,  1864. 

Stevens  Dickinson,  discharged  at  end  of 
service.  May  26,  1864. 

Theodore  W.  Snell,  died  of  disease  at 
Fortress  Monroe,  Virginia,  December  20, 
1864. 

Capt.  Edmunds'  Company. 

This  company  was  raised  in  May,  1861, 
consisting  of  one  hundred  and  five  members 
who  were  enlisted  mainly  from  the  town- 
ships of  St.  Joseph,  Benton,  Sodus  and 
Royalton.  It  was  the  second  company  raised 
in  the  county.  W.  W.  Edmunds  was 
elected  captain. 

The  company  was  unable  to  procure  an 
assignment  in  a  Michigan  regiment,  the  reg- 
iments having  already  been  filled.  Captain 
Edmunds  on  his  return  from  Lansing,  where 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


67 


lie  went  to  see  Governor  Blair,  fell  from  a 
steamboat  into  the  St.  Joseph  river  and  was 
drowned. 

Upon  the  death  of  Captain  Edmunds, 
Jay  J.  Drake,  of  St.  Joseph  was  elected  cap- 
tain, but  the  members  being  unable  to  enlist 
in  a  Michigan  regiment  mostly  went  to 
Chicago,  and  enlisted  in  the  7th  Missouri 
Infantry,  the  Sixth  Wisconsin  Infantry  and 
the  Douglass  Brigade  of  Chicago.  Mr. 
Drake  was  made  a  first  lieutenant  in  the 
Seventh  Missouri  Regiment,  and  a  majority 
of  the  company  enlisted  in  this  regiment,  of 
which  Mr.  Drake  subsequently  became  a 
captain.  Mr.  Drake  is  now  living  at  St. 
Joseph. 

H.  C.  Matrau  and  the  members  of  Cap- 
tain Edmunds'  original  company,  enlisted  in 
the  Sixth  Wisconsin  Infantry  and  became 
a  captain  in  that  company  at  the  age  of 
nineteen. 

Sixth  Infantry. 

This  regiment  was  raised  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1 86 1.  Company  A  was  raised  main- 
ly from  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county 
at  Niles;  Company  B  from  the  northwest- 
'ern  portion  at  St.  Joseph;  Company  G  was 
raised  from  Van  Buren  and  Berrien  coun- 
ties and  Company  K  from  Berrien  and  Cass 
counties  at  Niles.  The  regiment  rendez- 
voused at  Kalamazoo  and  left  for  the  east 
in  August,  1 861,  where  it  was  detained  at 
Baltimore  for  garrison  duty  for  about  six 
months.  The  regiment  became  very  popu- 
lar with  the  people  of  Baltimore  on  account 
of  its  excellent  discipline  and  the  high  de- 
gree of  intelligence,  good  manners  and 
sobriety  manifested  by  both  officers  and 
men. 

In  1862  it  embarked  at  Newport  News 
with  General  Butler's  expedition  to  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico.  Although  a  few  companies  had 
entered  the  city  of  New  Orleans  before^  in 
the  night  time,  the  Sixth  Michigan  was  the 
first  regiment  to  enter  in  the  day  time,  where 


it  took  possession  of  the  government  mint. 

This  regiment  remained  in  service  in 
the  Gulf  States  till  the  close  of  the  war,  be- 
ing mustered  out  at  Greenville,  Louisiana, 
August  20,  1865. 

The  regiment  was  in  the  following  en- 
gagements : 

1862  Sewell's  Point,  Va.,  Fort  Jackson, 
Louisiana,  Vicksburg,  Grand  Gulf, 
Amite  River,  all  in  Mississippi; 
Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana. 

1863  Bayou  Teche,  Ticksaw  River,  Pouche- 
toula.  Siege  of  Port  Hudson,  Tunica 
Bayou. 

1864  Ashton,  Arkansas,  Fort  Morgan, 
Spanish  Fort,  Fort  Blakely,  Fort 
Huger,  all  in  Alabama. 

1865  Fort  Tracy,  Alabama,  and  Siege  o£ 
Mobile. 

This  regiment  was  actively  engaged  in 
the  defense  of  Baton  Rouge  on  August  5, 
1862,  against  an  assault  of  a  heavy  force 
under  General  Breckenridge.  In  this  en- 
gagement Captain  David  Bacon  of  Niles, 
was  severely  wounded.  On  August  8,  fol- 
lowingj  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
lieutenant-colonel.  In  a  general  order  relat- 
ing to  this  engagament.  General  Butler 
says :  ^'The  Sixth  Michigan  fought  rather 
by  detachments  than  as  a  regiment,  but  de- 
serves the  fullest  commendation  for  the  gal- 
lant behavior  of  its  officers  and  men."  In 
this  important  battle  in  which  General 
Breckenridge's  force  was  repulsed  with 
heavy  loss^  General  Williams  of  Detroit, 
who  commanded  the  Union  forces,  was 
killed. 

At  the  siege  of  Port  Hudson,  it  took  a 
prominent  part  and  received  the  thanks  of 
General  Banks  for  gallant  and  efficient  ser- 
vice during  the  siege.  On  July  10,  1863, 
it  was  converted  into  a  regiment  of  heavy- 
artillery,  and  on  account  of  faithful  and 
valuable  services,  was  allowed  to  retain  its 
infantry  number  and  have  the  pay,  clothing 
and  equipment  prescribed  for  troops  of  the 
artillery  army. 


68 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


After  the  battle  of  Port  Hudson,  hear- 
ing that  the  regiment  was  to  be  transferred 
farther  north^  the  members  of  the  regiment, 
through  Colonel  Clark,  requested  General 
Butler  that  it  might  be  placed  under  his  com- 
mand. General  Butler  sent  the  application 
to  the  secretary  of  war  with  the  following 
endorsement  : 

''Respectfully  forwarded  to  the  Hon.  Sec- 
retary of  War  with  the  request  that  if  the 
Sixth  Michigan  Volunteers  is  to  be  relieved, 
it  may  be  assigned  to  my  command,  as  I 
have  the  highest  respect  for  officers  and 
men,  who  have  displayed  distinguished  gal- 
lantry and  efficiency." 

Officers  and  Enlisted  Men  of  the  Sixth  In- 
fantry from  Berrien  County. 

Field  and  Staff. 

Colonel  Edward  Bacon,  Niles;  commis- 
sioned major,  August  20,  1861;  promoted 
to  lieutenant-colonel,  June  21,  1862;  must- 
ered out  October  16,  1864. 

Chaplain  Elizur  Andrews,  Niles;  com- 
missioned August  20,  1861 ;  mustered  out 
August  20,  1865. 

Non-Commissioned  Staff. 

Sergeant-Major  William  J.  Edwards, 
Niles;  enlisted  August  20,  1861 ;  appointed 
second  lieutenant.  Company  K,  September 
I,  1862. 

Quartermaster-Sergeant  Andrew  C.  Mer- 
rill, Niles,  enlisted  August  20,  1861,  must- 
ered out  at  end  of  service  August  19,  1864. 

Commissary  Sergeant  Richard  D. 
Kennedy,  Niles;  enlisted  August  20,  1861 ; 
mustered  out  at  end  of  service,  August  19, 
1864. 

Company  A. 

Captain  Eli  A.  Griffin,  Niles;  commis- 
sioned August  19,  1861 ;  resigned  July  17, 


1863;  commissioned  major.  Nineteenth  In- 
fantry, October  22,  1863. 

Captain  Selden  F.  Craig,  Niles;  com- 
missioned July  17,  1863;  commissioned 
second  lieutenant,  August  19,  1861 ;  pro- 
moted to  first  lieutenant,  April  i,  1862; 
mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

First  Lieutenant  William  W.  Thayer,. 
Niles;  commissioned  August  19,  1861 ;  re- 
signed March  28,  1862. 

Second  Lieutenant  James  Russey,  Niles; 
commissioned  April  i,  1862;  enlisted  as 
sergeant  August  20,  1861 ;  resigned  Decem- 
ber 18,  1862. 

Sergeant  Stephen  S.  Smith,  Oronoko; 
veteran;  enlisted  March  2,  1864;  promoted 
to  second  lieutenant,  November  25,  1864; 
mustered  out  as  sergeant,  August  20,  1865. 

Sergeant  Hiram  McMichael,  enlisted 
August  20,  1861;  died  on  Mississippi  river 
steamer.  May  20,  1862. 

Sergeant  Henry  P.  Glenn,  enlisted  Aug- 
ust 20,  1861 ;  died  of  w^ounds  at  New  Or- 
leans, September  4,  1862. 

Sergeant  James  M.  Smith,  enlisted  Aug- 
ust 20,  1 861;  died  on  Mississippi  river 
steamer.  May  22^  1862. 

Sergeant  George  M.  Fenton,  enlisted 
August  20,  1861 ;  promoted  to  first  lieu- 
tenant Company  G,  July  21,  1864. 

Corporal  Lawrence  Horrigan,  enlis;ted 
August  20,  1 86 1,  discharged  for  promotion, 
September  18,  1863. 

Corporal  Arthur  D'ailey,  enlisted  Aug- 
ust 20,  1861 ;  discharged  for  promotion  ta 
second  lieutenant,  September  i,  1863. 

Corporal  George  B.  Ta',tman,  emlisted 
August  20,  1861 ;  sergeant;  discharged  June 
20,   1864. 

Corporal  James  W.  Penrose,  enlisted 
August  20,  1 86 1 ;  discharged  to  enter  regu- 
lar army. 

Corporal  James  W.  Chesterman,  enlisted 
August  20,  1861 ;  veteran,  February  i, 
1864;  promoted  to  second  lieutenant  Com- 
pany D,  March  12,  1865. 

Corporal  William    W.    Smith,    enlisted 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


69 


August  20,    1 861 ;    discharged    October  5, 

1863. 

Jason  Bunker,  enlisted  August  20,  1861 ; 
discharged  for  disabihty,  October  11,  1862. 

Musician  Walter  G.  Cutting,  enlisted 
August  20',  1 861;  (promoted  ;to  principal 
musician;  mustered  out  August  20,    1865. 

Musician  Bethuel  S.  Lingrel,  enlisted 
August  20,  1861;  died  of  disease  at  Baton 
Rouge,  Louisiana,  July  26,  1862. 

Wagoner  Enos  F.  Curtis,  enlisted  Aug- 
xist  20,  1861 ;  mustered  out  August  23,  1864. 

Fridolin  Abley,  veteran;  enlisted  Feb- 
ruary   I,    1864;   mustered  out  August   20, 

1865. 

Robert  Atwood,  veteran;  enlisted  Feb- 
ruary   I,    1864;   mustered  out  August  20, 

1865. 

George  B.  xA^shcroft,  mustered  out  Aug- 
ust 20,  1865. 

Abram  O.  Bennett,  discharged  by  order 
June  20^  1864. 

Joseph  J.  Breck,  mustered  out  August 
20,  1865. 

William  H.  Curtis,  veteran;  enlisted 
February  i,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20, 

1865. 

John  R.  Cowles,  veteran;  enlisted  Feb- 
ruary   I,    1864;   mustered   out   August   20, 

1865.  ^ 

Julius  Cook,  veteran;  enlisted  February 
I,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Mills  Crippen,  veteran;  enlisted  Febru- 
ary I,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Daniel  L.  Closson,  mustered  out  Aug- 
ust 20,  1865. 

William  J.  Closson;  mustered  out  Aug- 
ust 20,  1865. 

James  M.  S.  Coder,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, October  2y,  1862. 

Joseph  Cherry^  discharged  by  order, 
May  3,  1865. 

Milton  W.  Doty,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  2^,  1864. 

Charles  Evans,  discharged  for  disability, 
December  7,  1861. 


Freeman  Evans,  died  of  wounds  October 
14,  1862. 

Albert  Edwards,  mustered  out  August 
20,  1865. 

Uriah  Greers,  discharged  for  disability, 
December  31,   1862. 

Samuel  Hallock,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  23,  1864. 

Christopher  Hahn,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  23,  1864. 

Edward  Harrington,  discharged  by 
order,  March  23,  1862. 

Dwight  Hunt,  discharged  to  enter  regu- 
lar army,  November  10,   1862. 

Nathan  H.  Heath,  died  of  disease  at 
Baton  Rouge,  June  17,  1862. 

John  Hall,  died  of  disease  in  regiment 
hospital,  November  25,  1862. 

Lewis  Horan,  veteran;  enlisted  Febru- 
ary I,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Andrew  J.  Hawkins,  mustered  out  Aug- 
ust 20,  1865. 

Henry  H.  Jackson,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, October  21,  1862. 

George  L.  Kimmel,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, October  15,  1862. 

Wilson  D.  Kinsey,  discharged  to  enter 
regular  army,  November  14,   1862. 

James  H.  Kill,  veteran;  enlisted  Febru- 
ary I,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Joseph  F.  Kirk,  mustered  out  August 
20,  1865. 

Henry  Lazelle,  veteran;  enlisted  Febru- 
ary I,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Clarence  McCoy,  veteran;  enlisted  Feb- 
ruary I,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20, 
1865. 

J.  N.  Mendenhall,  discharged  for  disa- 
bility, October  27,  1862. 

Alex.  McManamy,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, December  21,  1862. 

Charles  Mizner,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, August  2,  1865. 

Schuyler  C.  Morris,  died  of  disease  at 
Port  Hudson,     Louisiana,     December     30, 

1863. 


70 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


James  P.  Norris,  died  of  disease  at  Port 
Hudson,  Louisiana,  July  29,  1863. 

Wilson  Potter,  died  of  disease  at  Vicks- 
burg,  October  5,  1864. 

Aaron  Potter,  mustered  out  August  20, 

1865. 

Joseph  Partridge,  mustered  out  August 
20,  1865. 

John  S.  Perkins,  veteran;  enlisted  Feb- 
ruary   I,    1864;   mustered  out  August  20, 

1865. 

Frank  Rood,  veteran ;  enlisted  Febru- 
ary I,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Monroe  Redding,  veteran;  enlisted  Feb- 
ruary I,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20, 
1865. 

Henry  Redding,  died  of  disease  at  regi- 
mental hospital,  November  9,  1862. 

Daniel  Rittenhouse,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, June,  1863. 

David  Salisbury,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, October  8,  1861. 

Harvey  Skinner,  discharged  by  order, 
December  5,  1862. 

Frank  B.  Swift,  discharged  by  order, 
August  13,  1863. 

James  H.  Smith,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  23,  1864. 

John  J.  Stone,  discharged  for  disability, 
March  23,  1864. 

John  H.  Southwell,  died  of  disease  at 
Port  Hudson,  January  4,  1864. 

Duncan  Smith,  veteran;  enlisted  Febru- 
ary I,  1864;  died  of  disease  at  New  Orleans, 
October  6,  1864. 

Eaton  D.  Slayton,  veteran;  enlisted 
March  2,   1864;  mustered  out  August  20, 

1865. 

Jeremiah  Thompson,  veteran;  enlisted 
February  i,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20, 
1865. 

Alfred  Turner,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, August  23,  1864. 

Hiel  Truefit,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, August  23,  1864. 

Jeremiah  Van  Horn,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, December  31,  1862. 


Clark  Walters,  discharged  for  disability^ 
October  14,  1862. 

Henry  Walters,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  23,  1864. 

Charles  Wells,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, August  23,  1864. 

James  A.  Wilson,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  23,  1864. 

Porter  AVhitney,  died  of  wounds,  Oc- 
tober 14,  1862. 

Mark  Wilhams,  died  of  disease,  October 
22^  1862. 

Wm.  W.  Williams,  veteran;  enlisted 
February  i,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20, 
1865. 

Company  B. 

Captain  Wm.  W.  Wheeler,  Niles;  com- 
missioned August  19,  1 86 1 ;  promoted  to 
major,  Twenty-third  infantry,  April  6,  1863.. 

Captain  Charles  Moulton,  St.  Joseph; 
commissioned  November  25,  1864;  first 
lieutenant,  August  23,  1864;  second  lieu- 
tenant, October  i,  1863;  mustered  out  Aug- 
ust 20,  1865. 

First  Lieutenant  Augustus  W.  Chap- 
man, St.  Joseph;  commissioned  August  20^. 
1861 ;  captain  Company  K,  December  i, 
1862. 

First  Lieutenant  Patrick  H.  Lawler,  St. 
Joseph;  commissioned  December  1,1862; 
second  lieutenant,  August  19,  1861 ;  cap- 
tain Company  E,  August  12,  1864;  rnustered 
out  August  20,  1865. 

First  Lieutenant  William  H.  Conley, 
Berrien  Springs;  commissioned  November 
25,  1864;  second  lieutenant,  August  23, 
1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Second  Lieutenant  Le  Grand  E.  Perce, 
St.  Joseph ;  commissioned  quartermaster, 
August  19,  1861 ;  captain  Company  D,  June 
21,  1862;  appointed  assistant  quartermaster 
United  States  volunteers,  March  10,  1863; 
mustered  out  August  .20^  1865. 

Sergeant  Patrick  H.  Lawler,  enlisted 
August  20,  186^''  promoted  to  second  lieu-^ 
tenar-t. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


71 


Sergeant  Orin  K.  Pomeroy,  enlisted 
August  20,  1 861;  killed  in  action  at  Port 
Hudson,  May  27,  1863. 

Sergeant  Wm.  S.  Witherell,  enlisted 
August  20,  1 861;  discharged  August  31, 
1862. 

Ser§*eant  Edwin  F.  Kimmel,  enlisted 
August  20,  1861 ;  promoted  into  Twenty- 
fifth  infantry. 

Sergeant  George  W.  Keeler,  enlisted 
August  20,  1 86 1 ;  promoted  into  United 
States  C.  T. 

Corporal  Gilbert  Ackley^  enlisted  Aug- 
ust 20,  1861 ;  first  sergeant;  died  of  disease, 
November  21,  1862. 

Corporal  Charles  Moulton,  enlisted  Aug- 
ust 20,  1 86 1;  first  sergeant;  promoted  to 
second  lieutenant. 

Corporal  Greenleaf  Odell,  enlisted  Aug- 
ust 20,  1861 ;  sergeant;  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  August  19,  1864. 

Corporal  Samuel  Jamison,  enlisted  Aug- 
ust 20,   1861;  discharged  for  disability. 

Corporal  George  W.  Hemingway,  en- 
listed August  20,  1861 ;  died  of  disease  at 
New  Orleans,  October  g,  1862. 

Corporal  Joseph  Boughton,  enlisted 
August  20,  1861 ;  discharged  for  disability. 
October  20,  1862. 

Corporal  Daniel  H.  Reese,  enlisted  Aug- 
ust 20,  1 86 1 ;  discharged  for  promotion  in 
U.  S.  C.  T.,  Third  regiment. 

Corporal  Lorenzo  H.  Teetzel,  enlisted 
August  20,  1861 ;  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, August  22,  1864. 

Musician  Wm.  H.  Conley,  veteran;  en- 
listed March  20,  1861 ;  sergeant;  promoted 
to  second  lieutenant,  August  23,  1864. 

Musician  John  Burke,  enlisted  August 
20,  1861 ;  transferred  to  band. 

'  Wagoner  James  Whitney,  enlisted  Aug- 
ust 20,  1 861 ;  discharged  at  end  of  service, 
August  2;^,  1863. 

Mathew  Anderson,  discharged  by  order, 
March  21,  1864. 

John  Anderson,  veteran ;  enlisted  Febru- 
ary I,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 


John  Ayliffe,  veteran;  enlisted  Febru- 
ary I,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Elijah  Ayliffe,  killed  in  action  at  Port 
Hudson,  May  2y,  1863. 

Sylvester  Ayliffe,  discharged  by  order, 
January  6,  1865. 

Lafayette  Brant,  died  of  disease  at  Ship 
Island,  April  3,  1862. 

Levi  P.  Brown,  died  of  disease  at  Port 
Hudson,  May  2^,  1863. 

James  Boughton,  discharged  for  promo- 
tion, September  26,  1862. 

Henry  L.  Beach,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  23,  1862. 

George  Brown,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, August  2;^,  1864. 

Samuel  J.  Bernard,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, July  2^,  1865. 

Elias  Bailey,  mustered  out  August  20, 

1865. 

Enoch  Campbell,  died  of  disease  at  New 
Orleans,  June  12,  1862. 

George  W.  Closson,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, October  15,  1862. 

James  Campbell,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, October  15,  1862. 

W.  A.  Cleveland,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  2;^,  1864. 

Robert  L.  Dehay,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  2^,  1864. 

Charles  A.  Dilts,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, September  18,  1863. 

Charles  Davidge,  died  of  disease  in  Lou- 
isana,  November  12^  1862. 

Peter  Destler,  veteran;  mustered  iu 
February  i,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20,. 

1865. 

George  Forbes,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, August  23,  1864. 

Edward  Francis,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  23,  1864. 

Nelson  Gardner,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  2^,  1864. 

Martin  Gubbit,  discharged  by  order, 
March  21,  1864. 

Merritt  Geary,  discharged  for  disability, 
October  30,  1863. 


72 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Vintry  Green,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
Tice,  March  7,  1865. 

WilHam  E.  Garrison,  veteran;  mustered 
February  i,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20, 

1865. 

Joseph  Gubbit,  died  of  disease  at  Port 
Hudson,  August  19,  1863. 

Sylvanus  Gano^  died  of  disease  at  Jeffer- 
son City,  March  4,  1863. 

Henry  Hoadley,  died  of  disease  at  Jef- 
ferson City,  November  13,  1862. 

CorneHus  W.  Hutchinson,  died  of  dis- 
ease at  Jefferson  City,  October  31,  1862. 

John  E.  Hall,  discharged  for  disabihty, 
May  5,  1864. 

Jacob  Helmick,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, August  23,  1864. 

Charles  W.  Haskins,  discharged  by 
order,  July  22,   1865. 

Albert  Haskins,  veteran;  mustered  Feb- 
ruary  10^    1864;  mustered  out  August  20, 

1865. 

Elias  W.  Jay,  veteran;  mustered  Febru- 
ary 10,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20, 
1865. 

Daniel  L.  James,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, October  15^  1862. 

Prentiss  Jewell,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, January  8,  1863. 

John  Johnson^  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, August  23,  1864. 

Abram  Lafayette,  discharged  to  enter 
regular  army,  November  14,  1862. 

Arnold  Latham,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, September  i,  1863. 

Barzillia  W.  Loucks,  died  of  disease  at 
regimental  hospital^  October  22,  1862. 

John   Lane,   mustered   out   August  20, 

1865. 

James  Lamonion,  veteran;  mustered 
February  10,  1864;  mustered  out  August 
20,  1865. 

Anson  Mathews,  veteran ;  mustered  Feb- 
ruary 10,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20, 
1865. 

Chauncey     Miller,     veteran;     mustered 


February  10,  1864;  mustered  out  August 
20,  1865. 

George  W.  McFee,  mustered  out  August 
20,  1865. 

Orrin  Miller,  died  of  disease  at  Baton 
Rouge,  July  8,  1862. 

Charles  Morey,  died  of  disease  at  New 
Orleans,  August  11,  1862. 

Edward  Mason,  died  of  disease  at  regi- 
mental hospital,  October  8,  1862. 

George  Metcalf,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  23,  1864. 

George  W.  Palmer,  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  August  23,  1864. 

Myron  Pangborn,  died  of  disease  at 
New  Orleans,  February  3,  1863. 

Waite  Risley,  died  of  disease  at  Ship 
Island,  March  26,  1862. 

Eli  Robinson,  discharged  for  disability, 
October  15,  1862. 

Charles  Tubbs,  discharged  for  disability, 
January  29,  1863. 

Lewis  B.  Tryon,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  23,  1864. 

Byron  B.  Taylor,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  23,  1864. 

George  F.  Taylor,  mustered  out  August 
20,  1865. 

William  H.  H.  Wheaton,  veteran;  must- 
ered February  i,  1864;  mustered  out  Aug- 
ust 20,  1865. 

Franklin  S.  Walters,  died  of  disease  at 
New  Orleans,  July  7,  1864. 

Alexander  L.  Waterman^  died  of  disease 
at  Baton  Rouge,  June  18,  1862. 

Samuel  L.  Walton,  died  of  disease  in 
Louisiana,  September  19,  1862. 

Francis  Wood,  discharged  for  disability, 
October  30,   1863. 

Rodman  M.  Warden,  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  August  23,  1864. 

Joseph  F.  Yaw,  died  in  action  at  Port 
Hudson,  May  27,  1863. 

Franklin  Yaw,  veteran;  mustered  Feb- 
ruary ID,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20, 
1865. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


73 


Company  D. 

Sergeant  John  G.  Allison,  promoted  to 
second  lieutenant;  mustered  out  as  sergeant, 
August  20^  1865. 

Company  E. 

Isaac  Hamilton,  discharged  by  order, 
June  20,  1865. 

Edward  Hands,  discharged  by  order, 
June  20,  1865. 

Mark  Herman,  discharged  by  order, 
June  20,  1865. 

Riley  Higginbotham,  discharged  by 
order^  June  20,  1865. 

Company  K. 

Captain  David  Bacon,  Niles ;  commis- 
sioned August  20,  1861 ;  promoted  to  lieu- 
tenant-colonel Ninteenth  Infantry,  August 
8,  1862. 

Captain  Horace  W,  Cummings,  Niles; 
commissioned  first  lieutenant,  August  19, 
1861;  promoted  to  captain,  September  i, 
1862;  died  of  disease  in  Louisiana,  Novem- 
ber 13,  1862. 

Captain  Augustus  W.  Chapman,  St. 
Joseph;  commissioned  December  i,  1862; 
died  in  action  at  Pleasant  Hill,  Louisiana, 
April  27,  1864. 

Captain  William  J.  Edwards,  Niles; 
commissioned  second  lieutenant,  September 
I,  1862;  promoted  to  first  lieutenant^  Oc- 
tober I,  1863;  to  captain  July  21,  1864; 
mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Second  Lieutenant  Charles  W.  Wood, 
Niles;  promoted  to  corporal  (veteran), 
March  29,  1864;  to  second  lieutenant, 
March  10,   1865;  mustered  out  August  20, 

1865. 

Sergeant  Robert  Farrell,  enlisted  Aug- 
ust 20,  1 861;  discharged  for  disability, 
October  26,  1862. 

Musician  James  A.  Grimes,  enlisted 
August  20,    1 861;   re-enlisted;  as  veteran, 


February  i,  1864;  mustered  out  August 
20,  1865. 

Charles  H.  Adams^  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, October  26,  1862. 

George  Atkinson,  died  in  action  at  Port 
Hudson,  Louisiana,  May  27,  1863. 

Lew^is  Borst,  died  in  action  at  Port  Hud- 
son, Louisiana,  May  2y,  1863. 

Charles  W.  Bennett,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, October  26,   1862. 

Smith  Benjamin,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, October  28,  1862. 

Nicholas  P.  Bratt,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, January  5^  1863. 

F.  E.  Bohmankamp,  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  August  23,  1864. 

Andrew  J.  Bratt,  veteran;  February  i, 
1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Nathaniel  Bratt,  veteran;  February  i, 
1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Henry  C.  Buckles,  veteran,  February  i, 
1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Simon  P.  Boyce,  veteran,  February  i, 
1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Frederick  Barkway,  mustered  out  Aug- 
ust 20,  1865. 

John  P.  Bloom,  mustered  out  August 
20,   1865. 

John  Chatterton,  veteran;  February  i, 
1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Elisha  Chilson,  discharged  December 
18,  1862. 

George  N.  Cottrell,  discharged  by  order, 
November  4,   1864. 

James  W.  Cutshaw,  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  August  24,  1863. 

John  Carl,  killed  in  action,  October  11, 

1863. 

Wyman  A.  French,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, October  26,  1862. 

David  E.  French^  died  of  disease  at 
Baton  Rouge,  November  10,  1862. 

Martin  S.  Green^  veteran;  February  i, 
1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1864. 

Tobias  Hensler,  veteran;  February  i, 
1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 


74 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Henry  R.  Howard,  discharged  to  enter 
regular  army,  December  i,  1862. 

Arthur  J.  Hamilton^  discharged  by 
order,  September  8,  1865. 

Milton  Hutshaw,  died  in  action  at  Port 
Hudson,  May  23,  1862. 

Levi  A.  Logan,  veteran;  February  i, 
1864;  discharged  for  disabihty,  July  4,  1864. 

Henry  Miller,  veteran;  February  i, 
1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1864. 

William  E.  Milton,  mustered  out  Aug- 
ust 20,  1864. 

Thomas  B.  McClure,  died  of  disease  at 
New  Orleans,  May  5,  1862. 

Charles  Meyers,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  23,  1864. 

Henson  Molden,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  23,  1864. 

Ansel  J.  Noble,  discharged  for  disability, 
January  20,  1862. 

Hiram  Prouty,  discharged  for  disability, 
January  20,  1862. 

Uzziel  F.  Putnam,  discharged  by  order, 
January  26,  1864. 

Thomas  W.  Rutledge,  veteran;  Febru- 
ary I,  1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Abram  W.  Reese,  mustered  out  August 
20,  1865. 

Patrick  Rourke,  mustered  out  August 
20,  1865. 

Harrison  Shead,  mustered  out  August 
20,  1865. 

Gilbert  Shead,  mustered  out  August  20, 

1865. 

David  H.  Serviss,  veteran;  February  i, 
1864;  mustered  out  August  20,  1865. 

Elisha  Sullivan,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  2^,  1864. 

Godfrey  Schneidle,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  23,  1864. 

James  H.  Smith,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, June  30,  1862. 

Henry  Stratton,  discharged  December 
II,  1862. 

Theodore  C.  Sachse,  discharged  by 
order,  November  4,  1863. 


David  M.  Williams,  died  of  disease  at 
New  Orleans,  January  29,  1863. 

Edward  Williams,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, April  14,  1862. 

Wallace  Wood,  discharged  for  diwSabil- 
ity,  October  19,  1861. 

John  H.  Wisner,  discharged  by  order,. 
September  18,  1863. 

Marion  Wade,  discharged  by  order^ 
March  i,  1864. 

Caleb  S.  Williams,  mustered  out  Aug- 
ust 20,  1865. 

John  Worley,  mustered  out  August  20^ 
1865. 

Ninth   Regiment. 

About  one  hundred  men  from  Berrien 
county  belonged  to  this  regiment.  About 
one-half  of  Company  ''B"  were  from  this 
county. 

The  regiment  was  organized  at  Detroit 
and  left  for  Kentucky  in  October,  1861, 
Colonel  W.  W.  Duffield  commanding.  It 
was  connected  with  the  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland during  the  greater  portion  of  its  ser- 
vice and  during  the  summer  and  autumn  of 
1863,  participated  in  all  the  important  move- 
ments of  that  army. 

This  regiment  during  a  large  portion  of 
its  service  was  the  trusted  body  guard  of 
General  Thoi^ias  and  provost  guard  of  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland,  receiving  his  en- 
tire confidence  for  courage  and  fidelity  in 
the  discharge  of  duty. 

It  played  an  important  part  in  the  en- 
gagements of  Murfreesboro  and  Stone 
River  and  received  the  special  commendation 
of  General  Thomas  for  its  courage  and  ef- 
forts in  checking  a  stampede  at  the  latter 
battle. 

Company  *'B"  was  mainly  raised  at 
Niles,  Oliver  C.  Rounds  being  captain, 
Moses  A.  Powell,  first  lieutenant,  and  Leon- 
ard J.  Wright,  second  lieutenant.  This  com- 
pany was  highly  complimented  by  both  Gen- 
erals   Duffield    and    Parkhurst    for  heroic 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


75 


action  at  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro  in  the 
report  of  these  two  officers.  The  banner  of 
the  regiment  was  presented  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
George  Duffield,  father  of  the  colonel,  and 
had  inscribed  on  it  this  motto :  ''Thou  hast 
given  a  banner  to  them  that  fear  Thee  that 
it  may  be  displayed  because  of  the  truth.  In 
the  name  of  God  will  we  set  up  our  ban- 
ners." 

This  regiment  was  in  the  following  en- 
gagements : 

1 86 1  Murfreesboro,   Tennessee. 

1862  Lavergne,  Stone  River,  Tennessee. 

1863  Chickamauga,  Missionary  Ridge,  Ten- 
nessee. 

1864  Rocky  Face,  Resaca,  Dallas,  Kene- 
saw,  Chattahoochee  River,  Siege  of 
Atlanta,  Jonesboro,  all  in  Georgia. 

NINTH     INFANTRY. 

Non-Commissioned  Staff. 

Quartermaster-Sergeant  James  W.  Hig- 
gins,  Niles;  enlisted  May  i,  1864;  pro- 
moted to  second  lieutenant.  Company  K, 
August  I,  1864. 

Quartermaster  Sergeant  Gilbert  A.  Wat- 
kins,  Niles;  enlisted  October  28,  1864;  pro- 
moted to  second  lieutenant.  Company  E, 
October  15,  1864. 

Principal  Musician  George  H.  Newell, 
Niles;  enlisted  August  21,  1861 ;  veteran; 
November  23,  1863;  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 15,  1865. 

Company  A. 

Captain  James  G.  Huntley,  Niles;  com- 
missioned November  23,  1864;  first  lieuten- 
ant, August  5,  1863  >  second  lieutenant,  Com- 
pany E,  December  19,  1862;  mustered  out 
September  15,  1865. 

William  Millard,  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber IS,  1865. 

Company  B. 

Captain  Oliver  C.  Rounds,  Niles;  com- 


missioned August  12,  1861 ;  resigned  Aug- 
ust 7,  1863. 

First  Lieutenant  Moses  A.  Powell,  Niles ; 
commissioned  August  12,  1861 ;  resigned 
February  2,  1862. 

First  Lieutenant  Leonard  J.  Wright, 
Niles;  commissioned  December  13,  1861 ; 
second  lieutenant  August  12,  1861 ;  captain. 
Company  D,  February  2y,  1863. 

Sergeant  Thomas  H.  Gaffney,  enlisted 
August  12,  1861 ;  promoted  to  second  lieu- 
tenant, Company  C,  March  25,  1862. 

Sergeant  James  G.  Huntley,  enlisted 
August  12,  1861 ;  promoted  to  second  lieu- 
tenant Company  E.  December  19,  1862. 

Sergeant  Ebenezer  A.  Burnett,  enlisted 
August  12,  1861;  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, October  4,  1864. 

Sergeant  James  W.  Higgins,  enlistea 
August  12,  1861;  veteran,  December  7, 
1863;  appointed  quartermaster  sergeant 
May  I,  1864. 

Sergeant  John  L.  Allen,  enlisted  August 
12,  1861. 

Corporal  William  H.  Loshbaugh,  enlisted 
August  12,  1861 ;  veteran,  December  7, 
1863;  discharged  by  order,  September  28, 
1864. 

Corporal  Joseph  Reynolds,  enlisted  Aug- 
ust 12,  1861 ;  died  of  disease  at  Buchanan, 
June,  1863. 

Corporal  James  H.  Sharp,  enlisted  Aug- 
ust 12,  1861;  discharged  February  3,  1862. 

Corporal  Gilbert  A.  Watkins,  enlisted. 
August  12,  1 861;  veteran,  December  7, 
1863;  promoted  to  quartermaster  sergeant, 
October  28,  1864. 

Corporal  James  Gallaghan,  enlisted 
August  12,  1 861;  veteran,  December  7, 
1863;  mustered  out  September  15,  1865. 

Corporal  Le  Grand  A.  Swift,  enlisted 
August  12,  1861 ;  died  of  disease  at  Nash- 
ville, February  9,  1865. 

Corporal  Silas  York,  enlisted  August  12, 
1861 ;  veteran,  December  7,  1863;  mustered 
out  September  15,  1865. 

Musician    George    H.    Newell,    enlisted 


76  HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 

August    12,    1861 ;    veteran,    December    7,  Company  C. 

i863^,^promoted  to  principal  musician,  March  g^^^^^^  Lieutenant  Thomas  H.  Gaffnet, 

'  \.r^'           T^     •  1   T^  11         1-  .    1     A  commissioned    March    25,    1862;    resigned 

Wagoner  David  Bell^    enlisted    August  a     -i          qa 

12,  1861:  absent,  sick  at  muster  out.  t  1       r^    i^-  1             ^       1        x.    t 

'     „.    '    -o     /                     ,            -r  John   C.    Dick,   mustered  out  June  20, 

Jblliott   Burton,   mustered  out  June  20,  ^y^ 

186^  "'' 

^'  ....         .     ^         ,,           ,       ,          ^  Elisha  Everett,   mustered  out  June  20, 

William  A.  Boswell,  mustered  out  Sep-  ^^ 

em  er  15    i     5                               ,   o     .  Zebedee  Everett,  mustered  out  June  20, 

Hezekiah   Buck,  mustered  out   beptem-  ^^ 

^^  ^^/?'  "^^    "^'    ^/r     ^      1                  ...        .  Charles  Everling,  mustered  out  June  20, 

Mortimer    M.    Cutshaw,    mustered    out  ^^ 

September  15,  1865.                   ,    ^     ,      ,  Amos    Fesher,    mustered    out  June    20, 

James  Clark,  mustered    out    September  ^ 

^^'  ^     ^*      ,,  ^      .            ^       ,       .  o     .  Frederick  J.  Forsyth,  mustered  out  July 

Ceorge  W.  Curtis,  mustered  out  Septem-  Rfs 

ber  i^    186^  ' 

Patrick  Carl,  mustered    out    September 

15,  1865.  Captain  Leonard  J.  Wright,  Niles;  com- 

Hiram  Carpenter,  mustered  out  Septem-  missioned  February  27,  1863;  mustered  out 

ber  15,  1865.  at  end  of  service,  November  23,  1864. 

John   A.    Cox,   mustered   out   June  20, 

1865.  Company  E. 

Jacob   Eastman,   mustered  out   Septem-  _          ,    -.  .              ,     t           ^    tt     ^1 

\y  .      r      Q(.c  Second    Lieutenant    James  G.  Huntley, 

^"^  ^    \           n     \      ^      V    ^      c     ^'             ■  Niles ;  commissioned    December    19,    1862; 

Ambrose  Gephart,    died    01    disease    m  .        n       ^^     .         ^   r-                 a 

Tennessee    March  2I   186^  promoted  to  first  heutenant,  Company  A. 

iennessee,  March  24    1865  ^^^^^^  Lieutenant  Gilbert  A.  Watkins, 

Jacob  Flatt,   discharged  by  order,   Sep-  ^^.,                  .    .        ^  r\  4-  u      x  r-    xQ/^^.  .  -r.^^ 
f      \         Q     Qf.  Niles;  commissioned  October  15,  1864;  pro- 
em er  2,15  moted  to  first  lieutenant.  Company  I,  Janu- 

Edwm  Fressly,  mustered    out    Septem-  ^     r.^ 

ber  15,  1865.  ^^^    '         ^' 

Lewis  Piatt,  discharged  by  order,  Aug-  Company  G. 

ust  10,  1865.  P^j^^  j^j^jg^  mustered  out  June  20,  1865. 

Wilham  Redder,  mustered  out  Septem-  Gottlieb  Kramer,  mustered  out  June  20, 

ber  15,  1865.  jggg^ 

Abner  Reams,  mustered  out  September  George  W.  Lake,  mustered  out  July  5, 

15,  1865.  J865. 

John  Richardson,  mustered  out  Septem-  Frederick  J.  Forsyth,  mustered  out  Sep- 

ber  15,  1865.  tember  15,  1865. 

Alexander   Sweeny,  mustered  out   Sep- 
tember 15,  1865.  Company  H. 

Sylvester  Sherman,  mustered  out  Sep- 
tember IS,  1865.  Corporal  Joel  Kerr,  Niles;  enlisted  Aug- 

George  W.  Wells,  mustered  out  Septem-  ust  16,  1861 ;  died  of  disease  in  Kentucky, 

ber  15,  1865.  November  18,  1861. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


77 


Zacheus  Meade,  died  of  disease  at  Nash- 
ville, May  19,  1865. 

Georg^e  Markley,  mustered  out  June  20, 

1865. 

Edward  McVeigh,  mustered  out  June  20, 

1865. 

John  Murray,    mustered    out    June    20, 

1865. 

Walter  F.  McCracken,  mustered  out 
June  20,  1865. 

Richard  Pressley,  died  of  disease  at  West 
Point,  Kentucky. 

Andrew  J.  Richardson,  mustered  out 
August  10,  1865. 

Alonzo  Rice,  veteran,  December  7,  1863; 
mustered  out  September  15,  1865.  , 

Samuel  Sommers,  discharged  for  disa- 
bility. 

Daniel  R.  Shalier,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  October  14,  .1864. 

Richard  H.  Wirts,  discharged  August 
7,  1862. 

Miles  Woods,  died  of  disease  at  West 
Point,  Kentucky. 

Company  I. 

First  Lieutenant  Gilbert  A.  Watkins, 
commissioned  January  8,  1865;  mustered 
out  September  15,  1865. 

Charles  Stanwell,  died  of  disease  at  Nash- 
ville, June  21,  1865. 

Charles  H.  Smithy  mustered  out  June  20, 

1865. 

Joel  Starr,  mustered  out  June  20,  1865. 
Almon  G.  Stoddard,  mustered  out  June 
20,  1865. 

Company  K. 

First  Lieutenant  James  W.  Higgins, 
Niles;  commissioned  November  23,  1864; 
resigned  July  15,  1865. 

Henry  Russell,  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 15,  1865. 

Twelfth  Infantry. 

This  regiment  was  inaugurated  in  Ber- 
rien county  and  had  its  rendezvous  at  Niles. 


Nearly  one-half  of  the  members  of  this  regi- 
ment were  residents  of  Berrien  county. 
Company  B  w^as  raised  at  St.  Joseph  and 
vicinity,  and  Company  C  at  Buchanan  and 
vicinity,  Company  E  and  parts  of  Compan- 
ies F  and  K  at  Niles,  and  Company  I  at  Ber- 
rien Springs  and  vicinity.  Other  companies- 
also  had  members  who  had  enlisted  from 
this  county. 

The  regiment    w^as    organized    October, 

1 86 1,  and  remained  at  its  rendezvous  at 
Niles  in  camp  of  instruction  till  March  18, 

1862,  when  it  left  for  St.  Louis  with  a  full 
regimental  enrollment  of  one  thousand  of- 
ficers and  men.  From  St.  Louis  this  raw 
regiment  wdthin  twenty  days  after  it  had  en- 
tered upon  service  was  rushed  forward  to  the 
terrible  battle  field  of  Pittsburg  Landing.  In 
this  battle  which  occurred  on  April  6  and 
April  7,  1862,  the  Twelfth  regiment  did 
heroic  service  and  suffered  severely,  having 
about  forty  men  killed  and  eighty  wounded. 
This  battle,  known  as  the  battle  of  Shiloh, 
w^as  the  first  gigantic  battle  of  the  war.  In 
the  loss  of  life  all  previous  battles  had  been 
trifling.  The  Union  troops  and  Confeder- 
ates, each  lost  more  than  twelve  thousand  in 
killed,  wounded  and  missing.  In  the  final 
charge  of  the  Union  troops  which  drove  the 
Confederates  from  the  field  in  the  afternoon 
of  the  second  day  of  the  battle,  the  Twelfth 
regiment  took  a  prominent  part. 

An  erroneous  impression  prevailed  for  a 
long  time,  and  probably  still  prevails  in  the 
minds  of  many,  as  to  the  real  nature  and  re- 
sults of  this  important  battle.  It  was  claimed 
that  it  was  a  drawn  battle.  This  was  a  grave 
error.  It  is  true  that  mistakes  and  mis- 
fortunes occurred  on  the  part  of  the  Union 
army  on  the  first  day  of  the  battle,  but  these 
were  fully  retrieved  on  the  second  day,  and 
at  the  close  of  the  second  days  battle,  a  com- 
plete and  decisive  victory  remained  with  the 
Union  troops,  and  the  Confederates,  who 
had  made  the  assault,  retreated  with  great 
loss.  At  a  critical  point  in  the  war,  the  ef- 
fect of  this  battle  was  far  reaching,  and  it 


78 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


may  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  decisive  bat- 
tles of  the  war.  John  Fiske,  in  his  work  on 
^'Mississippi  Valley  in  the  War"  says:  ''Con- 
sidering the  rawness  of  most  of  the  troops 
engaged,  the  battle  of  Shiloh  was  peculiarly 
significant.  It  tested  American  mettle  * 
*  *  It  took  this  tremendous  battle  to  de- 
termine whether  the  results  of  the  capture 
of  Fort  Donelson  were  to  be  permanently 
secured.  As  to  this  point,  Shiloh  was  de- 
cisive. The  Federals  were  not  thrown  back 
upon  Kentucky,  but  advanced  into  Miss- 
issippi.'' 

In  a  general  order  of  General  Grant, 
dated  at  Holly  Springs,  January  8,  1863, 
a  very  complimentary  reference  is  made  to 
the  regiment  itself,  and  also  thanks  conveyed 
to  a  detachment  of  the  regiment  for  heoric 
services  at  the  battle  of  Millburg  against  a 
large  force  of  Van  Dorn's  cavalry.  This  de- 
tachment embraced  among  other  companies. 
Company  E  (Henry  Gephart,  captain)  and 
Company  K.  Company  E  was  made  up 
wholly  and  Company  K  largely,  of  Berrien 
county  troops. 

The  order  of  General  Grant  with  refer- 
ence to  this  engagement  reads  as  follows: 

"The  Nintieth  Illinois  at  Coldwater,  the 
detachment  of  the  veteran  Twenty-fifth  Indi- 
ana and  two  companies  of  the  Fifth  Ohio 
cavalry  at  Davis  Mills  and  the  detachment 
of  the  gallant  Twelfth  Michigan  at  Middle- 
burg,  are  deserving  of  the  thanks  of  the 
army.  ^  ^  "^  These  regiments  are  en- 
titled to  enscribe  upon  their  banners  respec- 
tively, Coldwater,  Davis'  Mills  and  Middle- 
burg,  with  the  names  of  other  battle  fields 
made  victorious  by  their  valor  and  dici- 
pline. 

'Tt  is  gratifying  to  know  that  at  every 
point  where  our  troops  made  a  stand  during 
the  late  raid  of  the  enemy's  cavalry,  success 
followed,  and  the  enemy  was  made  to  suf- 
fer a  loss  in  killed  and  wounded,  greater 
than  the  entire  garrisons  of  the  places  at- 
tacked ;  especially  was  this  the  case  at  Davis' 
Mills  and  Middleburg." 


General  Grant  was  not  given  to  flattery 
and  a  compliment  of  this  kind,  at  his  hands, 
meant  much. 

The  Twelfth  regiment  continued  in 
active  service  in  Tennessee,  Mississippi,  and 
Arkansas  till  it  was  mustered  out  at  Cam- 
den, Arkansas,  February  15,  1866. 

The  loss  of  this  regiment  by  disease  and 
battle,  was  very  large,  amounting  to  432 
deaths.  This  was  the  largest  death  record 
of  any  Michigan  regiment,  except  that  of  the 
Sixth   Michigan    Infantry. 

This  regiment  was  in  the  following  en- 
gagements : 

In  1862  Pittsburg  Landing,  luka,  Miss., 
Middleburg,  Tenn. 

In  1863  Mechanicsville,  Miss.,  Siege  of 
Vicksburg,  Miss.,  Siege  of  Little 
Rock,  Ark. 

In  1864  Clarendon,  Ark.,  Gregory's  Land- 
ing. 

TWELFTH   INFANTRY. 

S 

Field  and  Staff. 

Colonel  Francis  Quinn,  Niles;  commis- 
sioned October  5,  1861 ;  resigned  August 
31,  1862. 

Major  George  Kimmel,  Niles;  commis- 
sioned October  5,  1861 ;  resigned  April  22, 
1862. 

Major  Lewis  W.  Pearl,  Benton;  com- 
missioned June  10,  1865;  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

Adjutant  John  Graham,  Oronoko;  com- 
missioned October  5,  1861 ;  resigned  June  9, 
1864. 

Adjutant  William  E.  Stewart,  Niles; 
commissioned  March  19,  1864;  promoted  to 
captain.  Company  D,  June  14,  1865. 

Quartermaster  George  S.  Bristol,  Niles; 
commissioned  February  10,  1862;  resigned 
June  14,  1862. 

Quartermaster  William  B.  Perrott,  Bu- 
chanan; commissioned  August  4,  1862;  died 
March  14,  1864,  at  Buchanan,  Michigan. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


79 


Surgeon  James  R.  Rundall,  Niles;  com- 
missioned October  8,  1862;  assistant  sur- 
geon, April  25,  1862;  mustered  out  October 
12,  1865. 

Chaplain,  Rev.  Andrew  J,  Eldred,  Niles; 
commissioned  October  5,  1861,  resigned 
September  10,  1863. 

Non-Commissioned  Staff. 

Sergeant  Major  William  E.  Stewart, 
Niles;  enlisted  October  9,  1861 ;  veteran, 
February  2y,  1864;  promoted  to  first  lieu- 
tenant and  adjutant. 

Sergeant  Major  Richard  H.  Burke,  Ber- 
rien; veteran,  December  26,  1863;  promoted 
to  second  lieutenant,  Company  G,  June  10, 
1865. 

Sergeant  Major  Stephen  J.  Weaver, 
Niles;  veteran,  January  21,  1864;  promoted 
to  second  lieutenant,  Company  C,  January 
7,  1865. 

Quartermaster  Sergt.  Hiram  L.  Brown, 
St.  Joseph;  enlisted  August  20,  1864;  pri- 
vate, December  28,  1863;  promoted  to  sec- 
ond lieutenant,  Company  I,  June  7,  1865. 

Commissary  Sergeant  Charles  A.  Hoag- 
land,  Niles;  promoted  to  first  lieutenant, 
Company  E,  March  19,  1864. 

Hospital  Steward  Harvey  R.  Backus, 
Niles;  veteran,  January  2,  1864;  mustered 
out  February  15,  1866. 

Principal  Musician  Willard  Bostwick, 
veteran;  enlisted  December  24,  1863;  pro- 
moted   to    captain.    Company    E,    Julv    i, 

1863. 

Principal  Musician  Charles  W.  Hol- 
come,  Oronoko;  transferred  to  Company  C. 

Principal  Musician  Silas  Soules,  mus- 
tered out  February  15,  1866. 

Company  A.. 

Captain  Charles  E.  Howe,  Berrien 
"Springs;  commissioned  September  14,  1862; 
breveted  major  United  States  volunteers, 
March  13,  1865,  for  gallant  and  meritorious 


services  during  the  war;  appointed  acting 
adjutant-general  United  States  volunteers, 
April  10,  1865. 

Captain  John  C.  Welch,  commissioned 
April  15,  1865;  promoted  to  first  lieutenant, 
January  7,  1865;  mustered  out  February  15, 
1866. 

First  Lieutenant  William  M.  T.  Bar- 
tholomew, Oronoko;  commissioned  July  3, 
1864;  promoted  captain.  Company  I,  De- 
cember 20,  1864. 

First  Lieutenant  Samuel  L.  Hull,  Ben- 
ton; commissioned  April  15,  1865;  mustered 
out  February  15,  1866. 

Second  Lieutenant  George  L.  Antisdale, 
Niles;  commissioned  April  14,  1865;  dis- 
charged for  disability,  August  25,  1865. 

Sergeant  John  N.  Wooley,  discharged 
for  disability,  August  31,  1863. 

John  Adams,  missing  at  battle  of  Shiloh, 
April  6,  1862. 

William  Beans,  died  of  disease  at  Jack- 
son, Tennessee,  July  10,  1862. 

Oliver  Brockway,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Wilson  Clybourn,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

John  H.  Clark,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, September  9,  1865. 

Charles  E.  Davis,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Lewis  P.  Graham,  died  of  disease  at  Du- 
vall's  Bluff,  July  29,  1864. 

Bonaparte  Hyland,  died  of  disease  at 
Little  Rock,  May  18,  1864. 

John  Higgins,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Elon  M.  Ireland,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

George  G.  Jenkins,  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  September  9,  1865. 

Ezra  M.  Keyser,  mustered  out  February 
IS,  1866. 

Richard  Landon,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Andrew  Mershon,  died  of  disease  at 
Duvall's  Bluff,  January  15,  1865. 


8o 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Sylvester  P.  Smith,  died  of  disease  at 
Macon,  Georgia,  August  ii,  1862. 

Jonathan  W.  Stephens,  died  at  Pittsburg 
Landing,  Tennessee,  May  16,  1862,  of 
wounds. 

Silas  Soules,  veteran;  enlisted  Decem- 
ber 25,  1863;  promoted  to  principal  musi- 
cian, and  transferred  to  F.  and  S. 

Sandford  Wentworth,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

Company  B. 

Captain  Thomas  Wallace^  St.  Joseph; 
commissioned  October  10,  1861 ;  resigned 
May  7,  1862. 

Captain  Lewis  W.  Pearl,  Benton;  com- 
missioned September  i,  1862;  first  lieuten- 
ant, September  20,  1862  ;  promoted  to  major, 
June  10,  1865. 

Captain  William  A.  Deuel,  New  Buffalo ; 
commissioned  June  10,  1865;  second  lieu- 
tenant, October  10,  1861 ;  resigned  April 
14,  1865. 

Second  Lieutenant  Thomas  A.  Walker, 
St.  Joseph;  commissioned  March  19,  1864; 
sergeant,  corporal;  resigned  October  11, 
1864. 

Sergeant  Leonard  K.  Jilson,  Benton ;  en- 
listed September  3,  1861 ;  veteran,  December 
28,  1863;  promoted  to  second  lieutenant, 
Company  H,  January  20,  1865. 

Sergeant  Leonard  K. Jillson,  Benton ;  en- 
listed September  3,  1861 ;  veteran,  Decem- 
ber 28,  1863;  promoted  to  second  lieutenant, 
Company  H,  January  20,  1865. 

Sergeant  Charles  M.  Van  Horn,  Benton; 
enlisted  September  10,  1861 ;  died  of  disease 
at  Quincy,  Illinois,  June  25,  1862. 

Sergeant  William  H.  Long,  Benton ;  en- 
listed September  10,  1861 ;  veteran,  Decem- 
ber 28,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15, 
1866. 

Corporal  Dustin  Woodin,  Benton;  en- 
listed October  19,  1861 ;  veteran,  Decem- 
ber 28,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15, 
1866. 


Corporal  Lyman  A.  Burke,  Hagar;  en- 
listed October  20,  1861 ;  died  in  battle  at 
Shiloh,  April  6,  1862. 

Corporal  Joshua  L.  McKean,  Coloma; 
enlisted  September  6,  1861;  discharged  for 
disability,  September  28,  1863. 

Corporal  William  H.  Brown,  Benton; 
enlisted  September  3,  1861 ;  died  of  wounds 
received  at  Shiloh. 

Corporal  Hiram  L.  Brown,  St.  Joseph; 
enlisted  November  i,  1861 ;  veteran,  Decem- 
ber 28,  1863;  promoted  to  quartermaster 
sergeant,  August  20,  1864. 

George  F.  Allen,  discharged  for  disa- 
bility, November  14,  1862. 

Edwin  Arndt,  died  of  disease  at  Little 
Rock,  Arkansas,  August  5,  1864. 

George  Adams,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, September  9,  1865. 

James  Benton,  died  of  disease  at  Atlanta^ 
Georgia,  July  12,  1862. 

Albert  A.  Benton,  discharged  for  disa- 
bility, November  11,  1863. 

Augustus  Beyea,  discharged  for  disa- 
bility, December  9,  1863. 

Charles  Barnes,  died  of  wounds  at  Pitts- 
burgh,  Pennsylvania,  received  at  Shiloh. 

Thomas  J.  Bassford,  died  of  disease  at 
Benton,  Michigan. 

James  R.  Bundy,  discharged  for  disabil* 
ity,  August  30,  1862. 

David  W.  Brownell,  discharged  by  order^ 
June  17,  1865. 

George  W.  Brown,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  September  9,  1865. 

AlonzO'  Betts,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, September  9,  1865. 

Benjamin  Bishop,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  September  9,  1865. 

William  Becker,  veteran,  December  28,. 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Lewis  Bessey,  veteran,  December  28^ 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Richard  H.  Bell,  veteran,  December  28^ 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Hiram  L.  Brown,  veteran,  December  28,. 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


8i 


George  R.  Bury,  veteran,  December  28, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Melvin  Collace,  died  of  disease  at  Little 
Rock,  Arkansas,  April  19,  1864. 

George  W.  Closson,  discharged  by  order, 
September  9,  1865. 

William  M.  Curtis,  veteran,  December 
28,   1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Michael  Casey,  veteran,  December  28, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Thomas  Denims,  veteran;  December  30, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

John  Donahue,  veteran,  December  30, 
1863;  discharged  by  order,  October  12, 
1865. 

Martin  Donahue,  died  of  wounds  re- 
ceived in  battle  of  Shiloh,  April  6,  1862. 

Lorenzo  J.  Defield,  died  of  disease  at 
DuvalFs  Bluff,  Arkansas,  July  24,  1864. 

Henry  Defield,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Amber  A.  Doan,  discharged  by  order, 
March  6,  1866. 

Norman  B.  Emerson,  discharged  by  or- 
der, November  25,  1862. 

Oscar  Epley,  discharged  by  order,  No- 
vember 9,  1862. 

Christian  Eisele,  discharged  by  order, 
July  2,  1862. 

Ananias  Ellis,  discharged  for  disability, 
September  3,  1862. 

Amos  P.  Evans,  discharged  by  order, 
May  18,  1865. 

William  H.  Epley,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  September  9,  1865. 

Lawrence  Earl,  mustered  out  October 
15,  1866. 

Henry  Farnham,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, July  22,  1866. 

Lyman  H.  Frisbie,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, June  27,  1865. 

Peter  Flynn,  veteran;  December  28, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,   1866. 

Dewitt  C.  Guy,  veteran;  January  i, 
1864;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Seth  S.  Gregory,  veteran,  December  28, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 


William  Garrett,  veteran;  December  28, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Leonard  J.  Goulet,  veteran;  December 
28,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Leonard  K.  Jilson,  veteran;  December 
28,  1863;  promoted  to  sergeant;  promoted 
to  second  lieutenant. 

John  Garrett,  mustered  out  February  15,, 
1866. 

George  F.  Granville,  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  September  9,  1865. 

Henry  C.  Harris,  died  of  disease  at  At- 
lanta, Georgia,  June,  1862. 

Andrew  Hicks,  died  of  disease  at  At- 
lanta, Georgia,  June  8,  1862. 

Philetus  Hazard,  died  of  disease  at  Lit- 
tle Rock,  Arkansas,  April  19,  1864. 

James  C.  Hull,  died  of  disease  at  Little 
Rock,  Arkansas,  June  26,  1864. 

John  L.  Handy,  died  of  disease  at  Du- 
vall's  Bluff,  Arkansas,  September  10,. 
1864. 

John  Harris,  died  of  disease  at  St.  Louis,, 
Missouri,  May  16,  1862. 

Myron  Higbee,  veteran;  December  28, 
1863;  discharged  for  disability,  1864. 

William  D.  Huyck,  veteran;  December 
28,  1863;  discharged  for  disability,  1865. 

Samuel  L.  Hull,  veteran;  December  2S^ 
1863;  promoted  to  second  lieutenant.  Com- 
pany H. 

Norman  Ivory,  died  of  wounds  at  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  May  9,  1862  (Shiloh). 

Guardian  Jacques,  muste(red  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

Nathan  Kelley,  discharged  for  disability, 
July  I,  1862. 

James  G.  Krine,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  January  7,  1865. 

John  Krause,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, January  7,  1865. 

John  King,  discharged  at  end  of  service, 
September  9,  1865. 

Florence  B.  Ketchum,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

Morris  Lyons,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Carlton  Lloyd,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Morris  LaMott,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, January  5,  1866. 

Joseph  LaMott,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, January  31,  1862. 

Michael  Larkin,  discharged  from  Vet. 
Res.  Corps,  April  15,  1865. 

George  W.  Lee,  discharged  by  order, 
June  9,  1865. 

John  C.  Lorimer^  died  of  disease  at 
Memphis,  Tennessee,  January  26,  1864. 

John  W.  Murphy,  died  of  disease  at 
Helena,  Arkansas,  August  16,  1863. 

Stephen  Mussulman,  died  of  disease  at 
Duvall's  Bluff,  August  13,  1864. 

James  Mills^  died  in  rebel  prison  at 
Macon,  Georgia,  July  10,  1862. 

William  Miller,  veteran;  December  28, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

William  Mull,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Zerah  Moore,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

James  W.  Morrow^  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

Patrick  McLaughlin,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

Edwin  A.  McClave,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

William  C.  Norris,  died  of  disease  at 
Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  August  i,  1864. 

John  D.  Nason,  veteran;  December  28, 
1863;  discharged  for  disability,  March   14, 

1865. 

Ora  O.  Nutting,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  September  9,  1865. 

Elon  P.  Osgood,  veteran;  December  28, 
1863;  discharged  for  disability,  January 
2.2^  1866. 

Henry  C  Plumb,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, August  18,  1862. 

Jasper  Pitcher,  discharged  for  disability, 
November  26,  1862. 

William  H.  Pierce,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, November  26,  1864. 


George  C.  Post,  killed  in  battle  at  Shiloh, 
April  6,  1862. 

William  Parkerton,  veteran;  December 
28,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

W.  S.  Quackenbush,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

Morton  Quackenbush,  discharged  by 
order,  July  19,   1865. 

Solomon  Quint,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, January  7,  1865. 

Chauncey  Reese,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  September  9,  1865. 

John  Rogers,  discharged  May  10,  1863. 

Gilbert  Rogers,  discharged  for  disability, 
July  18,  1862. 

Joseph  Rokely,  veteran;  December  28^ 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

George  Riley,  discharged  for  disability, 
July  I,  1862. 

Robert  Robertson,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

John  D.  Rose,  died  of  disease  at  St. 
Louis,  Missouri. 

Edward  Sutton,  died  of  disease  at  Cam- 
den, Arkansas,  September  7,  1862. 

Huey  M.  Sweet,  died  in  rebel  prison  at 
Richmond,  Virginia,  October  19,  1862. 

Alvah  Smith,  died  of  wounds  received 
at  Shiloh,  April  6,  1862. 

Francis  E.  Shiver,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, June,  1862. 

George  Stanley,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, July  22),  1862. 

Levi  Sherman,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  January  7,  1865. 

Lorenzo  D.  Schofield,  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  September  9,  1865. 

Charles  G.  Sheets,  discharged  by  order. 
May  22,  1865. 

Elijah  Spink,  veteran;  December  28, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Minert  Shippey,  veteran;  December  28, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

James  Sharrard,  veteran;  December  28, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Harmon  Schmul,  veteran ;  December  28, 
1863;  niustered  out  February  15,  1866. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


83 


Charles  Soules,  veteran;  December  28, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Amos  Stout,  mustered  out  February  15, 
1866. 

Nathan  Stanley,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Kellogg  Stanley,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Charles  H.  Schmul,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

William  H.  Shiver,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

William  Turner,  veteran;  December  24, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Henry  Teachout,  veteran ;  December  28, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Oliver  C.  Timmins,  veteran;  December 
24,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

James  Troy,  veteran;  December  28, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Albert  Teachout,    discharged    December 

5,  1862. 

Ezra  Teachout,  discharged  August  lo, 
1863. 

William  H.  Thatcher,  discharged  by 
order,  October  12,  1865. 

William  Turner,  veteran;  December  24, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Alfred  A.  Teachout,  died  of  disease  in 
Michigan. 

Gates  Upson,  died  of  disease  at  St. 
Joseph,  Michigan. 

Charles  M.  Van  Horn,  died  of  disease  at 
Quincy,  Illinois. 

Julius  Valentine,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, September  18,  1862. 

John  W.  Van  Hazen,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

Jared  H.  Vincent,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Nelson  Wheeler^  veteran;  December  28, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

John  Webber,  veteran;  December  28, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Theodore  Waddel,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 


Sylvanus  E.  Whitehead,  mustered  out 
February  15,  1866. 

Otis  A.  Winslow,  died  of  disease  at 
Montgomery,  Georgia,  June,   1862. 

Forrest  F.  Woodward,  died  of  disease  at 
Memphis,  Tennessee,   September   11,   1863. 
Lafayette  Wood,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, November  14,  1864. 

Orlando  H.  Wright,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, September  24,  1862. 

George  Williams,  discharged  November 
15,  1862. 

William  Wheaton,  discharged  by  order, 
July  19,  1865. 

Charles  Warner,   discharged  at  end  of 
service,  September  9,  1865. 
Company  C. 
Captain    John    M.    Albert,    Buchanan; 
commissioned   October   10,    1861 ;   resigned 
April  27,  1862. 

Captain  Benjamin  E.  Binns,  Buchanan; 
commissioned  October  i,  1862;  resigned 
February  15,  1865. 

First  Lieutenant  William  F.  Molsberry, 
Buchanan;  commissioned  October  14,  1861 ; 
resigned  October  15,  1862. 

First  Lieutenant  Richard  A.  Demont, 
Bertrand;  commissoned  March  19,  1864; 
promoted  to  captain.  Company  H,  June  9, 
1864. 

First  Lieutenant  John  Perrott,  Buchan- 
an; commissioned  June  9,  1864;  resigned 
January  20,  1865. 

Second  Lieutenant  David  J.  Whitten, 
Niles;  commissioned  June  6,  1864;  pro- 
moted to  first  lieutenant,  Company  F,  Janu- 
ary 7,  1865. 

Second  Lieutenant  Stephen  J.  Weaver, 
Niles;  commissioned  January  20,  1865;  re- 
signed June  12,  1865. 

Second  Lieutenant  Dion  B.  Keltner, 
Niles;  commissioned  June  12,  1865;  must- 
ered out  February  15,  1866. 

Sergeant  Richard  A.  Demont,  Buchan- 
an; enlisted  October  14,  1861 ;  promoted 
to  second  lieutenant. 


84 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Sergeant  Charles  E,  Brong,  Buchanan;  John  Y.  Birge,  mustered  out  February 

enhsted  October  21,,  1861;  discharged  June      15,  1866. 


21,  1863. 

Sergeant  John  Perrott,  Buchanan;  en- 
listed October  15,  1861;  promoted  to  first 
lieutenant. 

Sergeant  Herbert  M.  Reynolds,  Bu- 
chanan; enlisted  October  15,  1861 ;  wounded 
at  Shiloh;  discharged  June  6,  1862. 

Corporal  James  K.  Woods,  Buchanan; 
enlisted  October  14,  1861;  discharged  Aug- 
ust 30,  1862. 

Corporal  Van  R.  Cahowe,  Buchanan; 
enlisted  November  11^  1861 ;  died  of  dis- 
ease at  Pittsburg  Landing,  April  3,  1862. 

Corporal  Francis  Conroy,  Weesaw;  en- 


Benjamin  Brown,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866, 

Frederick  Brown,  died  May  22,  1862, 
of  wounds  received  at  Shiloh,  April  6^ 
1862. 

William  T.  Brown,  died  of  disease  at 
Niles,  Michigan,  March  14,  1862. 

Daniel  Brown,  discharged  March  i^ 
1862. 

James  Boswell,  discharged  July  10,. 
1862. 

Harvey  Backus^  Niles;  transferred  to 
non-commissioned    staff,   hospital     steward. 

Hezekiah    Branch,    died    in    battle    at 


listed  October  18,  1861;  discharged  August     Shiloh,  April  6,  1862. 

20,  1863.  Daniel    P.    Beattie,    d'ied   of   disease  at 

Corporal  James  S.  McCoy,  Galien;  en-     Mobile,  Alabama. 


listed  October  20,  1861 ;  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  January  7,  1865. 

Corporal  Charles  Smith,  Buchanan;  en- 


Charles  Baldwin,  discharged  September 
26,  1862. 

Joel  Blackman,  veteran;  December  29,, 


listed  October   14,    1861;  absent,  sick;  not      1863;  discharged  for  disability,  January  4^ 


mustered  out  with  company. 

Corporal  Zimri  Moon,  Buchanan;  en- 
listed October  30,  1861;  discharged  Oc- 
tober 18,  1862. 


1865. 

William  H.  Beach,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  January  7,  1865. 

Thomas  Bristley,  discharged  at  end  of 
Corporal  George  Merrill,  Buchanan;  en-      service,  January  7,  1865. 
listed  October  14,  1861 ;  mustered  out  Feb-  Isaac  Batten,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 

ruary  15,  1866.  vice,  January  7,  1865. 

Musician  James  Boswell,  Weesaw ;  en-  George  W.  Brewer^  discharged  by  order,, 

listed  November   19,    1861 ;  discharged  for     May  22,  1865. 
disability,  August  30,  1862.  John     E.     Barrymore,     discharged     by 

Simon  P.  Aldrich,  discharged  February     order,  July  29,  1865. 
15,  1862.  James  R.  Burns,  veteran;  February  25, 

Asa  C.  Alexander,  discharged  for  dis-      1864;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 
ability,  June  8,  1865.  Wesley  A.  Burrows,  died  of  disease  at 

David  Allen,  died  of  disease  at  Duvall's     Duvall's    Bluff,    Arkansas,     September    3, 


Bluff,  November  24,  1864. 

Amos  P.  Atwood,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Edgar  Atwood,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Emory  Atwood,  mustered  out  February 
IS,  1866. 

William  H.  Bachelor,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 


1864. 

Benjamin  Chandler,  died  of  disease  at 
Buchanan,  October  7,  1864. 

Perry  W.  Cottrell,  died  of  wounds  at 
Shiloh. 

John  S.  Curtis^  veteran;  December  29, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Sylvester  Considine,  veteran;  February 
25,  1864;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


85 


Jerome  Chamberlain,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

Usher  B.  ColHns,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 


Victor  H.  Helms,  veteran;  December 
24,  1863;  discharged  by  order,  June  17, 
1865. 

James   Hemingway,   veteran ;   February 


Amos  Cook,  mustered  out  February  15,      25,  1864;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 


1866. 

Jeremiah  Courtney,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 


Lewis  Hahn,  mustered  out  February  15, 


Wallace  E.  P.  Hunt,  mustered  out  Feb- 


Jackson  Dalrymple,  mustered  out  Feb-  ruary  15,  1866. 

Tuary  15,  1866.  Samuel  K.  Hazen,  mustered  out  Febru- 

Alonzo  Drinkle,  mustered  out  February  ary  15,  1866. 

15,  1866.  Henry  Hudson,  died  in  battle  at  Shiloh, 

Austin  A.  Durand,  mustered  out  Febru-  April  6,  1862. 

ary  15,  1866.  *    Charles   T.    Harris,   died  of  disease  at 

George  G.   Dwoal,   discharged   for  dis-  Duvall's  Bluff,  Arkansas,  December  4,  1864. 

ability,  August  16,  1862.  John   S.   Ingersoll,    discharged   for   dis- 

James  S.  Davis,  discharged  for  disabil-  ability,  February  2,  1865. 

ity,  December  4,  1862.  Christopher  Ihler,  mustered  out  Febru- 

John   Dilts,    discharged   at   end   of   ser-  ary  15,  1866. 


vice,  March  10,  1865. 


William  Johnson,  mustered  out  Febru- 


Joseph  Elwell,  discharged  at  end  of  ser-      ary  15,  1866. 


vice,  October  20,  1863. 

Francis  W.  Elliott,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, May  28,  1862. 

John  H.  Egbert,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, August  2,  1864. 

Ralph  Fuller,  discharged  by  order,  Janu- 
ary 15,  1865. 

William  H.  Fisher,  discharged  by  order, 
November  3,  1865. 

Wilbur  W.  Fuller,  veteran;  December 
24,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Otis  J.  Fenton,  veteran;  February  18, 
1864;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 


V.    Kirkendall,   mustered  out   February 

15, 1866. 

Frank  B.  Kelly,  mustered  out  February 
15,   1866. 

William  Kinney,  discharged. 

Charles  H.  Knight,  died  of  disease  at 
Cairo,  Illinois,  August  9,   1864. 

Erwin  Knight,  died  of  disease  at  Little 
Rock,  Arkansas,  May  4,  1864. 

William  Lemon,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, September  2,  1862. 

Nicholas  W.  Miller,  veteran,  December 
29,  1863;  discharged  for  disability,  Decem- 


Samuel  J.    Griffith,   veteran;   December     ber  21,  1865. 


4,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

John  A.  Graham,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

John  Groves,  mustered  out  February  15, 
1866. 

Elisha  H.  Goldman,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 


Thomas  A.  Morley,  discharged  May  15, 
1862. 

Warren  Martin,  discharged  May  25, 
1862. 

Alfred  Murray,  discharged  June  30, 
1862. 

James  H.   Martin,   died    of    disease    at 


John  Gathergood,  discharged  at  end  of      St.  Louis,  Missouri,  May  25,  1862. 


service,  January  7,  1865. 

Andrew   Graham,   discharged    for    dis- 
ability, August  12,  1865. 


R.  Maxwell,  died  of  disease    at    Niles, 
Michigan,  March  13,  1862. 

Elisha  Marshall,  died  of  disease  at  Niles, 


Charles  Helms,  discharged  July  8,  1862.      Michigan,  March  13,  1862. 


86 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


James  S.  McCoy,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  January  7,  1865. 

Charles  McCracken,  discharged  at  end 
of  service^  January  7,  1865. 

John  F.  Miller,  veteran,  February  25, 
1864;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

George  W.  Merrill,  veteran,  December 
24,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

D.  Motinger,  mustered  out  Felu-uary  15, 
1866. 

E.  Motinger,  veteran,  December  24, 
1864;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

M.  N.  Mansfield^,  mustered  out  February 
15,    1866. 

William  H.  Martin,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

Samuel  Miller,  mustered  out  February 
15,   1866. 

James  Mudge,  mustered  out  February 
15,    1866. 

Henry  Piatt,  veteran;  December  29, 
1863;  mustered  out  February   15,   1866. 

Samuel  Potter,  died  in  battle  at  Shiloh, 
April   6,   1862. 

James  Painter,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity,   September   5,    1862. 

Armenius  Penwell^  died  of  disease  at 
Little  Rock,  May  31,  1864. 

Oscar  Reed,  died  of  disease  at  Niles, 
Michigan,  May  28,   1862. 

Herbert  M.  Reynolds,  discharged  for 
wounds,  June  6,   1862. 

Francis  C.  Roe,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

John  M.  Roe,  mustered  out  February  15, 
1866. 

John  C.  Shelman,  veteran,  December 
24,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Horace  Salsbury,  veteran,  December  24, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,   1866. 

John  Salsbury,  veteran,  February  25, 
1864;  mustered  out  February  15,   1866. 

Howard  F.  Smith,  veteran,  December 
24,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 


Henry  Sanders,  mustered  out  February 
15,    1866. 

Nathaniel  R.  Seely,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Edgar   Sanford,   mustered  out   February 
15,   1866. 

Howell  Strong^  mustered  out  Februarj' 
15,  1866. 

Charles  Snyder,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Christopher  Sawden,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

Moses  Shamp,  died  of  disease  in  Ohio^ 
May  19,  1862. 

George  Smith,  died  of  disease  at  Macon,, 
Georgia. 

Eri    O.    Smith,    discharged    January    i^ 

1863. 

Samuel  Smith,  discharged  November  8,. 
1862. 

James  Smith,  discharged  for  disability,, 
July   15,    1862. 

John     Scott,    discharged    for    disability^ 
August  6,   1862. 

Leonard  Simmons,   discharged  for  dis- 
ability, August   16,   1862. 

Lewis    Sanford,    discharged   at    end   of 
service,  September  9,  1865. 

John  Shamp,  discharged  at  end  of  serv- 
ice, September  9,  1865. 

Frederick    Taylor,    discharged    for    dis- 
ability, November  5,   1865. 

Joseph    Taylor,    discharged    by    order,. 
June  17,   1865. 

James  Tallman,  mustered  out  February 
IS,   1866. 

Morgan    Wynn,    veteran^    mustered    out 
February  15,  1866. 

Thomas   R.   Wynn,   veteran,   December 
24,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Simon  L.   Wilbur,  veteran,  January  2, 
1864;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Alexander  Wilbur,  veteran,  January  2,, 
1864;    died   of   disease   at   Duvall's    Bluff, 


James  O.  Smith,  veteran,  December  24,     Arkansas,  November  20,  1864. 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866.  Nelson  Wilbur,  died  of  disease  at  Niles^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


87, 


March    19,    1862. 

James  K.  Woods,  discharged  August 
30,  1862. 

Francis  Watson,  discharged  February 
15,  1862. 

David  A.  White,  discharged  January  19, 

1863. 

Wilson  E.  Wells,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, June  7,  1862. 

Orlando  Wilson,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, June  12^  1865. 

Delos  D.  Wilson,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Henry  H.  Wybert,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Company  D. 

Captain  William  E.  Stewart,  Niles; 
commissioned  June  14,  1865;  mustered  out 
February  15^  1866. 

First  Lieutenant  Charles  H.  Dye,  Niles; 
commissioned  December  31,  1864;  mustered 
out  February  15,   1866. 

Second  Lieutenant  Samuel  L.  Hull,  Ben- 
ton;  commissioned  October  19,  1864;  pro- 
moted to   Second  Lieutenant  Company  A. 

Second  Lieutenant  Otis  J.  Fenton, 
Buchanan;  commissioned  April  15,  1865; 
promoted  to  First  Lieutenant  Company  H. 

Daniel  W.  Allen,  died  May  7,  1862,  at 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  of  wounds  received  at 
Shiloh. 

Cassius  Chipman,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Isaac  J.  Frame,  died  of  disease  at  Little 
Rock,  Arkansas,  July  i,  1864. 

John  Green,  mustered  out  February  15, 
1867. 

Rinaldo  Reed,  discharged  for  disability, 
July  15,  1862. 

Frederick  Reim,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, July  15,   1862. 

Calvin  Smith,  discharged  April  21, 
1862. 

Miles  W.  Stubbs,  accidentally  killed  at 
Duvall's  Bluff,   October  28,    1864. 


George  Stilwell,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Company  E. 

Captain  Henry  Gephart,  Niles,  com- 
missioned October  9,  1861 ;  resigned  De- 
cember 19,   1862. 

Captain  Willard  S.  Bostwick,  Niles; 
commissioned  July  i^  1863;  mustered  out 
February  15,   1866. 

First  Lieutenant  Thomas  Bradley^ 
Three  Oaks;  commissioned  October  9, 
1861 ;  w^ounded  at  Shiloh;  resigned  Octo- 
ber 15,  1862. 

First  Lieutenant  Charles  O.  Hoagland, 
Niles;  commissioned  March  19,  1864;  re- 
signed June  18,  1864. 

First  Lieutenant  William  A.  Deuel,  New 
Buffalo;  commissioned  February  15,  1865; 
promoted  to  captaincy,  Company  B,  June 
10,  1865. 

First  Lieutenant  Benton  Stearns, 
Galien;  commissioned  June  10,  1865;  mus- 
tered out  February  15,  1866. 

Second  Lieutenant  John  Crofoot,  Niles; 
commissioned  September  14,  1862;  dis- 
charged for  disability,  April  28,  1864. 

Second  Lieutenant  James  Adams,  Niles ; 
commissioned  April  28,  1864;  promoted  to 
First  Lieutenant,  Company  H,  November 
15,   1864. 

Sergeant  Charles  W.  Barrett,  Niles ;  en- 
listed October  9,  1861;  discharged  July, 
1862. 

Sergeant  Frank  M.  Johnson,  Niles;  en- 
listed October  9,  1861 ;  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  December  9,  1864. 

Sergeant  Erasmus  N.  Shead,  Three 
Oaks;  enlisted  November  26,  1861 ;  dis- 
charged April  9,  1863. 

Sergeant  Simon  Nierbauer^  Niles;  en- 
listed October  9,  1861 ;  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  January  7,  1865. 

Corporal  Thomas  Swobe,  Niles ;  enlisted 
October  16,  1861 ;  veteran.  May  i,  1864; 
sergeant;  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant^ 
Company  K. 


•S8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Corporal  Charles  Naumett,  Three  Oaks; 
unlisted  November  25,  1861. 

Corporal  James  Adams,  Niles;  enlisted 
October  24,  1861 ;  veteran,  December  24, 
1863 ;  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant,  Com- 
pany E. 

Corporal  John  N.  Harder,  Niles;  en- 
listed October  9,  1861;  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  January  7,  1865. 

Corporal  Abram  Parmenter,  Niles;  en- 
listed November  2,  1861;  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  January  7,  1865. 

Corporal  William  E.  Stewart,  Niles ;  en- 
listed October  9,  1861 ;  veteran,  January  i, 
1864;  appointed  sergeant  major,  Novem- 
ber I,   1863. 

Corporal  Ebenezer  Harris,  Galien;  en- 
listed October  22,  1861;  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, April  21,  1862. 

Misician  John  A.  Slater,  Niles;  enlisted 
October  19,  ,1861;  discharged  for  disability, 
April  21,  1862. 

Henry  D.  Austin,  veteran,  December  24, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Henry  Alspaugh,  veteran,  December  24, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Orlando  Allne,  discharged  November  8, 
1862. 

John  Brihl,  discharged  for  disability, 
July  22,  1862. 

Lyman  Barnes,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, February  27,  1865. 

Charles  W.  Baird,  discharged  by  order, 
February  17,  1865. 

Joseph  Bramhall,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, June  2,   1865. 

Thomas  Broom,  veteran,  December  24, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Richard  Buck,  veteran,  December  24, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Emil  Bachman,  veteran,  December  24, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Robert  Bloom,  missing  in  battle  at 
Shiloh,  April  6,  1862. 

Henry  Corcoran,  killed  at  Louisville, 
Kentucky,  by  the  cars,  November  12, 
1862. 


Albert  Crossman,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  January  7,    1865. 

Joshua  R.  Crosby,  veteran,  December 
28,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Newton  W.  Cottrell,  veteran,  December 
24,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

William  Dingman,  veteran,  December 
24,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Harvey  A.  Daken,  veteran,  December 
24,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

William  A.  Deuel,  veteran,  January  21, 
1864;  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant,  Com- 
pany D. 

Edgar  H.  Durand,  missing  at  Shiloh, 
April  6,   1862. 

Morris  Dulin,  discharged  for  disability, 
July  24,  1862. 

John  Dulin,  discharged  at  end  of  service, 
January  7,   1865. 

Patrick  Dulin,  discharged  at  end  of  serv- 
ice, January  7,    1865. 

Allen  Dolph,  discharged  by  order,  Sep- 
tember 14,   1865. 

Martin  Dallom,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Joseph  Deuel,  mustered  out  February 
IS,  '1866. 

Francis  Darling,  mustered  out  February 
IS,   1866. 

William    Dean,    mustered    out    February 
15,    1866. 

Lewis  French,  mustered  out  February 
IS,   1866. 

Augustus  Fetterly,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary IS,  1866. 

George  S.  Foster,  veteran,  December  24, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  is,  1866. 

Benjamin  Franklin,  veteran,  December 
24,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Andrew  Finch,  died  of  disease  in  Arkan- 
sas, May  24,  i86s. 

Alex  D.  Finch,  discharged  by  order. 
May  6,  i86s. 

John  Greiner,  discharged  by  order,  Sep- 
tember IS,  I 86s. 

William  Gray^  died  of  wounds  at 
Bertrand,  Michigan,  May  28,   1862. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


89 


Logan     Gardner,    died    of    disease    at 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  June  12,   1862. 

Edward  George,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

George  M.  Gunn,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Henry  Gleason,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

John  Hess,   mustered   out  February   15, 
1866. 

Ebenezer  Harris,  veteran,  December  24, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

James   F.    Hunt,   veteran,   January   21, 
1864;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Clark    Hough,    veteran,    December    24, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Francis  W.  Hurd,  missing  in  action  at 
Shiloh,  April  2,  1862. 

John  Hoyt,  discharged  for  disability, 
July  17,   1862. 

John  N.  Harder,  died  at  end  of  service, 
January  7,   1865. 

Peter  Henkel,  discharged  by  order,  Oc- 
tober 13,  1865. 

Edward  M.  Hawley,  discharged  by 
order,  January  24,    1866. 

Samuel  D.  Hammond,  veteran,  Decem- 
ber 24,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15, 
1866. 

Charles  A.  Hoagland,  veteran,  Decem- 
ber 31,  1863;  died  at  Duvall's  Bluff,  Arkan- 
sas, May  3,  1865. 

George  Ives,  discharged  for  disability. 
May  7,  1865. 

David  O.  Inglewright,  discharged  May 
8,  1863. 

Magnus  Imboden,  discharged  by  order, 
June  13,   1865. 

John  C.  Ingling,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  September  9,  1865. 

Monroe  Ingersoll,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,   1866. 

William  S.  Inman,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Frank  M.  Johnson,  discharged  from 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  February  15,  1864. 


Samuel  Johnson,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  January  7^  1865. 

Joseph  Johnson,  died  of  disease  at  Niles, 
June  29,  1862. 

Cornelius  Kirkstead,  died  at  Louisville, 
of  wounds,  May  28,    1862. 

William  H.  Kelly,  died  of  disease  at 
Duvall's  Bluff,  October  18,  1862. 

George  W.  Knowlton,  veteran,  Decem- 
ber 24,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15, 
1866. 

Henry  Kirchener,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Henry  Larch,  mustered  out  February 
15,   1866. 

Edward  Lewis,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

William  McDonald,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

William  L.  Moody,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

Joseph  Mossbroogler,  mustered  out 
February  15,  1866. 

John  McNally,  veteran,  December  24, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Philip  May,  veteran,  December  24, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Andrew  Miller,  veteran,  December  24, 
1863;  died  of  disease,  October  11,  1864. 

V.  H.  Matchett,  died  of  disease  in  Ten- 
nessee, June  2y,   1862. 

Abram  Morris,  missing  in  battle  at 
Shiloh,  April  6,   1862. 

John    McDonald,    discharged    May    9, 

1863. 

John  McDermott,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  January  7,  1865. 

William  Maudlin,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, September  26,  1862. 

Charles    Naumett,    discharged    May    9, 

1863. 

John  W.  Perkins,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, July  8,    1862. 

Simon  Potter,  died  of  disease  at  Little 
Rock,  Arkansas,  October  3,  1863. 

Charles  M.  Powell,  veteran,  December 


go 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


24,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Collins  Phelps,  veteran,  January  21, 
1864;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Frederick  Powell,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

William  F.  Page,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Lowell  M.  Page,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Abram  Parmenter,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

Calvin  Penderbaugh,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

William  D.  Reprogle,  died  of  disease  at 
iJetroit,  December  16,  1864. 

Wilder  M.  Robbins,  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  January  7,  1865. 

John  P.  Rau,  discharged  by  order,  June 
20,   1865. 

Luther  Sage,  discharged  by  order,  Sep- 
tember 14,  1865. 

Loren  Shead,  discharged  by  order,  Sep- 
tember 15,  1866. 

Ferdinand  Swartz,  discharged  by  order, 
August  22,  1865. 

John  A.  Sence,  discharged  by  order,  Sep- 
tember 15,  1865. 

Joseph     Swartz,     discharged    July     12, 

1863. 

Harvey  Simons,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, February  12,  1863. 

Michael   Sullivan,  discharged   from  Vet- 
eran Reserve  Corps,  February  15,  1864. 

William   H.    H.    Skinner,   discharged   at 
end  of  service,  January  7,  1865. 

Lewis  Smith,  died  in  battle  at  Shiloh, 
April  6,    1862. 

Albert  Steinbeck,  missing  in  battle  at 
Shiloh,  April  6,    1862. 

Valentine  Shafife,  died  of  disease  at 
Memphis,  August  29,  1863. 

John  G.  Schurz,  died  of  disease  at  Niles, 
Michigan. 

Daniel  Shodder,  died  of  disease  at 
Duvall's  Bluff,  May  24,  1865. 

John  J.  Sutter,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 


Stephen  Scott,  mustered  out  February 
15,   1866. 

John  W.  Smith,  mustered  out  February 
15,    1866. 

Alphonzo  Straul,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Perry  Sumner,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Benanil  Swartz,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

David  Terwilliger,  discharged  at  end  of 
service^  January  7,  1865. 

Charles  Toffelmyer,  died  of  disease  at 
Duvairs  Bluff,  May  3,  1865. 

Peter  Tansey,  mustered  out  September 
14,   1865. 

Jacob  Ugea,  died  in  battle  at  Shiloh,, 
April  6,  1862. 

William  Van  Campen,  mustered  out 
February  15,  1866. 

William  C.  Williams,  veteran,  January 
4,  1864;  mustered  out  February  15,   1866, 

Elijah  Warren,  died  of  disease  at  Macon 
Georgia,  August  i,  1862. 

James  E.  Walling,  died  of  disease  at 
Little  Rock,  December   16,   1864. 

Menzies  Webster,   died  of  disease. 

Frederick  P.  Warner,  discharged  by  or- 
der. May  2y^  1865. 

Joseph  Yaw,  died  of  disease  at  Galien, 
May  30,  1863. 

William  Yawkcy,  veteran,  December  25, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Company  F. 

Captain  Russel  M.  Weston,  Niles;  com- 
missioned October  10,  1861;  resigned  May 
7,  1862. 

Captain  James  Adams,  Niles;  commis- 
sioned August  25,  1865;  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

First  Lieutenant  David  L  Whitten,. 
Niles;  commissioned  January  7,  1865;  re- 
signed November  18,  1865. 

Second  Lieutenant  Charles  H.  Dye^ 
Niles;  commissioned  March  19,  1864;  pro- 
moted to  First  Lieutenant,  Company  D. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


91 


Second  Lieutenant  William  Horton,  Jr. ; 
Pipestone;  resigned  June  12,  1865. 

Sergeant  Newell  Cleveland,  Berrien ; 
enlisted  November  20,  1861  ;  died  of 
disease  at  Pittsburg  Landing,  May  8,  1862. 

Sergeant  John  B.  Cochran,  Niles;  en- 
listed November  18,  1861;  discharged  July 
IS,  1862. 

Sergeant  Henry  M.  Bryant,  Niles;  en- 
listed September  i,  1861 ;  discharged  for 
disability,  June  17,   1862. 

Corporal  Herbert  L.  Putnam,  Niles;  en- 
listed November  10,  1861 ;  discharged  for 
disability.  May  26,    1862. 

Corporal  James  -Manny,  Niles;  enlisted 
September  21,  1861;  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, May  28,  1862. 

Corporal  William  Dillon,  Niles;  enlisted 
December  4,  1861 ;  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, March  16,  1862. 

Corporal  Edwin  F.  Crandall,  Niles;  en- 
listed November  9,  1861 ;  discharged  July 
18,  1862. 

Corporal  John  B.  Martin,  Royalton ;  en- 
listed October  21,  1861 ;  died  in  rebel  prison 
in  Alabama,  June  25,  1862. 

Stephen  M.  Bonnell,  died  in  battle  at 
Shiloh,  April  6,  1862. 

Henry  E.  Brown,  died  at  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, October  2y,  1862. 

Martin  C.  Burt,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Armstead  Claspie,  died  *of  disease  at 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  June  17,  1862. 

Benjamin  F.  Cahow,  died  of  disease  at 
Duvall's  Bluff,  Arkansas,  November  24, 
1864. 

William  E.  Davis,  died  of  disease  at  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  June  15,  1862. 

Charles  H.  Dye,  veteran,  March  8, 
1864;  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant, 
March  19,  1864. 

William  C.  Evick,  discharged  by  order, 
May  22,  1865. 

Milton  Hazard,  died  in  rebel  prison  at 
Montgomery,  Alabama,  June  20,  1862. 


Reuben  Hart,  mustered  out  February  15, 
1866. 

Daniel  B.  Martin,  veteran,  December  30, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Abner  Marckle,  discharged  by  order. 
May  22,  1865. 

Isaac  Marckle,  discharged  by  order, 
June  9,  1866. 

William  E.  Patterson,  discharged  by 
order,  June  2y,   1865. 

Charles  H.  Parketon,  discharged  June 
2y,  1862. 

Nathan  S.  Page,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, September  13,  1864. 

Mahlon  Pearson,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Myron  Parshall,  mustered  out  February 
15,   1866. 

Preston  Parmeter,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Jesse  Painter,  veteran,  December  25, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Lewis  Purdy,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

John  Shockley,  died  of  disease,  June  25,. 
1862. 

James  D.  Taggart,  died  in  rebel  prison 
at  Macon,  Georgia,  August  12,  1862. 

Stephen  J.  Weaver,  veteran,  January 
21,  1864;  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant,. 
Company  C,  January  7,  1865. 

Company  G. 

Second  Lieutenant  Alex.  G.  Davis,. 
Niles;  commissioned  October  23,  1861 ;  died 
of  wounds  received  at  Shiloh,  April  6,  1862. 

Second  Lieutenant  Benton  Stearns,. 
Galien;  commissioned  March  21,  1865;  pro- 
moted to  first  lieutenant,  Company  E. 

Second  Lieutenant  Richard  H.  Burke,. 
Coloma;  commissioned  June  10,  1865;  mus- 
tered out,  February  15,  1866. 

Calvin  H.  Crowley,  discharged  by  order,. 
August  22,  1865. 

Jasper  Finch,  died  of  disease  at  Little 
Rock,  July  22,  1864. 


92 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Erwin  J.  Fancher,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

George  King,  mustered  out  February  15, 
1866. 

Henry  L.  King,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Company  H. 

Captain  John  Graham,  Oronoko;  com- 
missioned October  8,  1862;  resigned  June 
9,  1864,  as  first  Heutenant. 

Captain  Richard  A.  Demont,  Buchanan; 
commissioned  June  9,  1864;  resigned  No- 
vember 15,  1864. 

First  Liieutenant  Henry"  T.  Kimmel, 
Niles;  commissioned  March  15,  1864;  com- 
missioned second  lieutenant,  May  5,  1862; 
promoted  to  captain  in  30th  infantry. 

First  Lieutenant  James  Adams,  Niles; 
commissioned  November  15,  1864;  pi'O" 
moted  to  captain,  Company  F. 

First  Lieutenant  Otis  J.  Fenton,  Niles; 
commissioned  August  26,  1865;  mustered 
out  as  second  lieutenant,  February  15,  1866. 

Second  Lieutenant  Leonard  K.  Jilson, 
Benton;  commissioned  January  20,  1865; 
mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

James  Anstice,  veteran,  March  8,  1864. 

Charles  Burrows,  discharged  by  order, 
September  30,  1865. 

Wesley  Buckmaster,  discharged  by  or- 
der, September  30,  1865. 

Joshua  Rogers,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, March  i,  1865. 

George  R.  Rogers,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Hiram  F.  Strong,  discharged  by  order, 
September  20,  1865. 

James  F.  Vallean,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  February  25,  1865. 

( 
Company  I. 

Captain  Darius  Brown,  Niles;  commis- 
sioned October  5,  1861 ;  mustered  out  at  end 
of  service,  January  7,  1865. 

Captain   William  M.    T.    Bartholomew, 


Oronoko;  commissioned  December  20,  1864; 
commissioned  second  lieutenant,  March  29, 
1864;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

First  Lieutenant  John  Graham,  Oro- 
noko; commissioned  October  5,  1861 ;  pro- 
moted to  captain.  Company  H,  March  19, 
1864. 

First  Lieutenant  William  H.  Miller,  Ber- 
rien; commissioned  March  19,  1864;  re- 
signed May  3,  1865. 

Second  Lieutenant  Charles  E.  Howe, 
commissioned  October  8,  1861 ;  promoted  to 
captain.  Company  A. 

Second  Lieutenant  Hiram  B.  Hipp,  Ber- 
rien; commissioned  September  14,  1862; 
discharged  for  disability,  March  29,  1864. 

Second  Lieutenant  John  C.  Welch,  com- 
missioned July  3,  1864;  promoted  to  first 
lieutenant.  Company  A. 

Second  Lieutenant  Josiah  C.  Murphy, 
Buchanan;  commissioned  January  7,  1864; 
resigned  June  7,  1865. 

Second  Lieutenant  Hiram  L.  Brown,  St. 
Joseph;  commissioned  June  7,  1865;  mus- 
tered out  February  15,  1866. 

Sergeant  William  H.  Hall,  Niles;  en- 
listed September  i,  1861 ;  discharged,  July 
25,  1862. 

Sergeant  Fliram  B.  Hipp,  Berrien;  ea- 
listed  October  5,  1861 ;  promoted  to  second 
lieutenant. 

Sergeant  William  H.  Miller,  Berrien; 
enlisted  October  11,  1861 ;  veteran,  Decem- 
ber 25,  1863 ;  promoted  to  first  lieutenant. 

Sergeant  Charles  H.  Parketon,  Oronoko; 
enhsted  October  12,  1861;  discharged  for 
disability,  June  27,  1862. 

Sergeant  Henry  L.  Johnson,  Berrien ;  en- 
listed October  11,  1861 ;  killed  in  battle  at 
Shiloh,  April  6,  1862. 

Corporal  John  E.  Eidson,  Oronoko;  en- 
listed October  7,  1861 ;  discharged  Novem- 
ber 12,  1862. 

Corporal  William.  M.  T.  Bartholomew, 
Oronoko;  enlisted  October  12,  1861 ;  ser- 
geant; veteran,  December  25,  1863;  pro- 
moted to  second  lieutenant. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


93 


Corporal  David  K.  Hubbard,  Oronoko; 
enlisted  October  14,  1861 ;  veteran,  Decem- 
ber 25,  1863;  discharged  for  disabilitv,  June 
8,  1865. 

Corporal  Daniel  G.  W.  Gangler,  Oro- 
noko; enlisted  October  14,  1861 ;  veteran, 
December  25,  1863;  discharged  November 
13,  1865. 

Corporal  Henry  R.  Smith,  Pipestone; 
enlisted  October  14,  1861 ;  died  of  wounds 
received  at  Shiloh,  May  4,  1862. 

Corporal  William  W.  Leader,  Oro- 
noko; enlisted  October  14,  1861 ;  veteran, 
December  25,  1863;  killed  in  battle,  Septem- 
ber 4,  1864. 

Corporal  Israel  M.  Allen,  Pipestone;  en- 
listed November  6,  1861 ;  dicharged  by  sub- 
stitute. 

Corporal  Charles  S.  Reese,  Pipestone; 
enlisted  October  9,  1861 ;  died  in  rebel  prison 
in  Alabama,  May  11,  1862. 

Musician  James  R.  Ackerman,  Oronoco ; 
enlisted  October  12,  1861;  veteran,  Decem- 
ber 25,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15, 
1866. 

John  A.  Aumick,  died  of  disease  at  Little 
Rock,  Arkansas,  June  12,  1864. 

William  Brayman,  died  of  disease  at 
Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  May  8,  1864. 

Francis  Bartholomew,  died  of  disease  at 
Duvall's  Bluff,  Arkansas,  August  6,   1865. 

Elisha  M.  Blakeman,  died  of  disease  at 
St.  Louis,  Missouri,  June  18,  1862. 

Lemuel  S.  Barlow,  Jr.,  discharged  Feb- 
ruary I,  1862. 

George  Brown,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, January  7,  1865. 

George  W.  Babcock,  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  January  7,  1865. 

James  C.  Bedinger,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  March  28,  1865. 

Ephraim  Black,  discharged  by  order, 
February  11,  1865. 

John  Barber,^  discharged  by  order,  Sep- 
tember 30,  1865. 

William  V.  Baker,  veteran,  December 
25,  1863,  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 


Raymond  Brosius,  veteran,  December 
25,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Alonzo  Brayman,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Joel  Benson,  mustered  out  February  15^ 
1866. 

Charles  Brownell,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Isaac  Crawford,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

George  B.  Crandall,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

Albert  D.  Crandall,  veteran,  December 
25,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15, 
1866. 

Edward  J.  Curtis,  veteran,  December 
25,  1864;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

James  D.  Curtis,  veteran,  December  25, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

John  E.  Curtis,  discharged  November  11, 
1862. 

Andrew  Covert,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, August  8,  1862. 

Van  B.  Clendennin,  discharged  by  order, 
August  16,  1865. 

James  Conkwrite,  died  of  disease  at  Lit- 
tle Rock,  Arkansas,  June  16,  1864. 

Orlando  A.  Cook,  died  of  disease  at 
Pittsburg  Landing,  May  20,  1862. 

Jacob  Cool,  died  of  disease  at  Little 
Rock,  Arkansas,  May  24,  1864. 

Hiram  Clawson,  died  of  disease  at  Du- 
vall's Bluff,  Arkansas,  August  5,  1864. 

Ezra  N.  Cleveland,  died  of  disease  in 
Tennessee,  September  16,  1862. 

Levi  Chase,  died  of  disease  at  Chika- 
ming,  October  31,  1863. 

William  Calhoun,  died  in  battle  at 
Shiloh,  April  6,  1862. 

James  C.  Donnell,  died  of  disease  at 
Pittsburg  Landing,  May  20,  1862. 

Calvin  H.  Davidson,  died  of  disease  at 
Macon,  Georgia,  September  5,  1862. 

Samuel  L.  Davis,  died  of  disease 
at  Raleigh,  North  Carolina,  October  12, 
1862. 

Lyman  I.  Davidson,  veteran,  December 


94  HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 

25,   1863;    discharg-ecl    at    end    of    service,  ber  25,    1863;  mustered  out  February  15, 

March  28,  1865.  1866. 

Silas  Davidson,  veteran,  December  25,  Nathan  Harrington,  veteran,  December 

1863;  discharged  at  end  of  service,  March  25,  1863;  discharged  by  order,  January  6, 
28,  1865.                                                                 ,  1866. 

Wayne    B.    Delong,   veteran,    December  WilHam  M.  House,  discharged  by  order, 

25,   1863;  discharged    by    order,    July    29,  August  30,  1865. 

1865.  William  H.   Hall,  discharged    July    26, 
Jesse  P.  Delong,  mustered  out  February  1862. 

15,  1866.  Lewis  J.  Hunneston,  discharged  by  or- 

James  W.  Delong,  mustered  out  February  der,  June  21,  1863. 

15,  1866.  George  W.  Hatfield,  discharged  by  or- 

Henry  Delong,   mustered  out  February  der,  September  30,  1865. 

15,  1866.  Perry  G.  Hatfield,  discharged  at  end  of 

Charles  D.  Donnelly,  mustered  out  Feb-  service,  September  9,  1865. 

ruary  15,  1866.  John  W.  Haverna,  discharged  at  end  of 

Thomas  T.  Elliott,  discharged  at  end  of  service,  September  9,  1865. 

service,  January  7,  1865.  Levi    Horner,    transferred    to    Veteran 

Noble  Fisher,  discharged  by  order.  No-  Reserve  Corps, 

vember  28,  1862.  Aaron    Hiser,    veteran,     December    25, 

John  Fisher,  Jr.,  mustered  out  February  1863;  died  of  disease  at  Little  Rock,  Arkan- 

15,  1866.  sas,  July  20,  1864. 

Ephraim  Fairbanks,  mustered  out  Febru-  Elias  Hartline,   died  of  disease  at  Du- 

ary  15,  1866.  vall's  Bluff,  Arkansas,  November  16,  1864. 

William    FI.     Faulkner,    mustered    out  Samuel  Jasper,   died  of  disease  at  Du- 

February  15,  1866.  vall's  Bluff,  Arkansas,  November  25,  1864. 

David  Foster,  died  of  wounds  at  Pitts-  Jacob  Johnson,  mustered  out  February 

burg,  Pennsylvania,  May  2,  1862.  15,  1866. 

Amos  GofT,  died  of  disease  at  Jacksor,  Royal  Jacobs,  mustered  out  February  15, 

Tennessee,  July  7,  1862.  1866. 

John  Gilbert,   died  of  disease  at  Little  James  Jones,  mustered  out  February  15, 

Rock,  Arkansas,  July  ^o.  J864.  1866. 

Japhet  Godfrey,  discharged  at  St.  Louis.  Jacob    Lauer,    veteran,     December    25, 

Ira   Gorham,    discharged    for   disability,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

July  25,  1864.  Thomas  Light  foot,  mustered  out  Febru- 

Luther  Graham,  discharged  for  disabil-  ary  15,  1866. 

ity,  December  19,  1864.  A.    Lightfoot,    discharged    for    disabil- 

Frederick  Goodrich,  veteran,  December  ity,  August  22,  1866. 

25,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866.  Albert  Lumbard,  discharged  for  disabil- 

Franklin  Grande,  mustered  out  Febru-  ity,  October  29,  1862. 

ary  15,   1866.  Alexander  Lowrey,  discharged  July  14, 

Armingo  Gif¥ord,  rriustered  out  Febru-  1862. 

ary  15,  1866.  George  W.  Lake,  transferred  to  veteran 

Isaac  Horton,  mustered  out  February  15,  reserve  corps,  December  12,  1863. 

1866.  Hugh   McClelland,   died   of    disease    at 
William   Horton,    Jr.,   veteran,   Decem-  Niles,  January  11,  1862. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


95 


George  F.   Murphy,   died  of  disease  in     1864;  died  of  disease  at  Berrien,  Michigan, 


Tennessee,  September  8,  1862. 

George  W.  Murphy,  died  of  disease  at 
Duvall's  Bluff,  Arkansas,  December  16, 
1864. 

John  Marsh,  died  of  disease  in  Arkan- 
sas, July  2,  1864. 

Jasper  N.  Murphy,  discharged  at  end  of 
:service,  January  7,  1865. 

William  Murphy,  discharged  November 
-28,  1862. 

Nicholas  Michael,  discharged  July  12, 
1862. 

Elijah  Michael,  veteran,  December  25, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Albert    McMichael,    veteran,    December 
.25,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 
Adam  Michael,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Daniel  Miller,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

William  W.  Morris,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

James  O'Conner,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

John  B.  Odell,  died  of  disease  at  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  June  9,  1862. 

Aaron  Renbarger,  died  of  disease  in  Ar- 
kansas, January  30,  1866. 

Patrick  Reagan,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, September  2,  1864. 

William  Ryan,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 


January  i,  1865. 

Sebastian  Shafer,  veteran,  December  25, 
1863;   discharged  by  order,   December    16, 

1865. 

Luther  St.  John,  veteran,  December  25, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

William   Stringer,   discharged   for  disa- 
bility, November  16,  1865. 

John  Templar,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 
vice, September  9,  1865. 

Clark  Toland,  discharged  by  order,  Sep- 
tember 30,  1865. 

John  Treadwell,  died  in  battle  at  Shiloh, 
April  6,  1862. 

Royal  J.  Tuttle,  died  of  disease  at  Du- 
vall's  Bluff,  Arkansas,  August  12,  1864. 

Julius  Teich,  mustered  out  February  15, 
1866. 

John    Vanseau,    discharj^ed    at    Detroit, 
1862. 

Maitland    Wilson,    discharged    July    18, 
1862. 

William    E.    Willis,    died    in    battle    at 
Shiloh,  April  6,  1862. 

Jasper  F.  Willis,  died  of  disease  in  Ala- 
bama, May  24,  1862. 

Charles  H.   Willard,  died  of  disease  at 
Duvall's  Bluff,  Arkansas,  January  6,  1865. 

Company  K. 

Captain    Robert    Brethschneider,    Niles ; 


William  Robinson,  mustered  out  Febru-  commissioned   October    10,    1861 ;   resigned 

.ary  15,  1866.  October  3,  1862. 

William  Reagan,  mustered  out  February  Captain  Byron  R.  Rockwell,  Niles,  com- 

15,  1866.  missioned    September     3,      1862;    resigned 

Daniel  Redpath,  mustered  out  February  April  12,  1865. 
15,  1866.  First    Lieutenant     Andrew    P.    Collins, 

Ensley  Rakestraw,  mustered  out  Febru-  Niles;   commissioned   September   30,    1861 

ary  15,  1866.  mustered  out  January  y,  1865. 

Henry  R.  Smith,  died  of  w^ounds  at  St.  First  Lieutenant  Thomas  Swobe,  Niles 

Louis,  Missouri,   1862.  commissioned  April  12,  1865 ;  commissioned 

Alonzo  Sircho,  died  of  disease  at  Pitts-  second     lieutenant,     December    20,     1864 

Ihnrg  Landing,  May  18,  1862.  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Thomas  Streets,  veteran,  December  25,  Second  Lieutenant  William  E.  Stewart, 


96 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Niles,  promoted  to  first  lieutenant  and  adju- 
tant. 

Sergeant  James  A.  Parish,  Niles;  en- 
listed November  21,  1861 ;  missing  in  action 
at  Shiloh,  April  6,  1862. 

Sergeant  Dion  B.  Keltner,  Niles;  enlisted 
October  7,  1861;  veteran,  January  i,  1864; 
promoted  to  second  lieutenant,  Company  C. 
Sergeant  Ezekiel  Spaulding,  Buchanan; 
enlisted  October  16,  1861 ;  veteran,  Decem- 
ber 29,  1863;  promoted  to  second  lieutenant, 
Company  A. 

Corporal  Granville  M.  Willis,  Berrien; 
enlisted  October  8,  1861 ;  died  of  disease  at 
Pittsburg  Landing,  May  7,  1862. 

Corporal  Almon  Richardson,  Niles;  en- 
listed September  17,  1861 ;  died  of  disease 
at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  May  13,  1862. 

Corporal  John  E.  Curtis,  Niles;  enlisted 
November  11,  1861 ;  discharged  November 
II,  1862. 

Corporal  Albert  V.  B.  Lumbard,  Pipe- 
stone; enlisted  October  10,  1861 ;  discharged 
October  29,  1862. 

Corporal  Lorenzo  Drake,  Niles;  enlisted 
September  17,  1861;  veteran,  December  29, 
1863;  discharged  by  order,  August  10,  1865. 
Musician  Thomas  M.  Stev^art,  Pipei- 
stone;  enlisted  October  10,  1861 ;  discharged 
for  disability,  July  29,  1863. 

Wagoner  David  Hofstetter,  Niles;  en- 
listed October  25,  1861 ;  died  of  disease  at 
St.  Louis,  June  21,  1862. 

David  Anglemeyer,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

Thomas  Brown,  mustered  out. 
George  Bowers,  mustered  out. 
Hosea  Clemens,  mustered  out. 
William  R.  Campbell,  mustered  out. 
Robert   Charlton,   discharged   by  order, 
June  20,  1865. 

Charles  Denend,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

John  N.  Denend,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Almon  A.  Doane,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity. 


George  Dragoo,  died  of  disease  at  Fort 
Smith,  Arkansas,  June  20,  1864. 

James  Finnell,  died  of  disease  at  Helena^ 
Arkansas,  August  17,  1863. 

Patrick  Finn,   died  in  battle  at  Shiloh^ 
April  6,  1862. 

Alvin    A.    Godfrey,     died     in   battle    at 
Shiloh,  April  6,  1862. 

Harvey  Green,  died  of  disease. 
John  Green,  died  of  disease  at  Corinth, 
Mississippi,  September,  1862. 

William  Higgins,  died  of  disease  in  Ala- 
bama, May  26,  1862. 

Orlando  Hoadley,  died  of  disease. 
Aaron  H.  Hoadley,   veteran,  December 
29,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 
Rodney  Holstein,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Robert  Kawkins,  mustered  out  February 
IS,  1866. 

William     Haumer,     died    in    battle    at 
Shiloh,  April  6,  1862. 

Abram  J.  Hudson,  discharged  by  order^ 
November  16,  1862. 

Elias  B.  Kendy,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

Abram  O.  Kendy,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Luke  Lavanway,  mustered  out  February 
IS,  1866. 

William  Lavanway,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary IS,  1866. 

William    H.    Lavanway,    mustered    out 
February  is,  1866. 

Anson    Lewis,    veteran,     December    29, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  is,  1866. 

Ansel  Lewis,  veteran,  January  i,  1864; 
mustered  out  February  is,  1866. 

Dorus  M.  Lewis,  died  of  disease  in  Ar- 
kansas, December  is,  i86s. 

Charles   C.   Luce,   discharged   at  end  of 
service,  January  7,  i86s. 

John  Large,    discharged  for    disability^ 
July  16,  1862. 

John  Lynn,  drowned  at  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


97 


Addison  McCoy,  veteran,  December  29, 
1863. 

Daniel  McGree,  veteran,   December  29, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

James  McGurk,  mustered  out  February 
15,  1866. 

John  FI.   Morrison,   discharged  for  dis- 
abilty. 

Noel    Maitchett,    discharged    at   Detroit, 
July  9,  1862. 

Sylvester  B.  Nolan,  discharged  by  order, 
June  17,  1865. 

James  Norris,  discharged  for  disability, 
December  28,  1864. 

Jeremiah    Puterbaugh,    discharged    No- 
vember 25,  1862. 

Lewis  M.  Pope,  veteran,  December  29, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

Daniel    Price,     veteran,    December    29, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

James   D.    Parish,   missing  in  battle   at 
Shiloh,  April  6,  1862. 

William  Parish,  missing  in  battle  at  Shi- 
loh, April  6,  1862. 

Ferdinand  P.  Row,  died  in  battle  at 
Shiloh,  April  6,  1862. 

Almon  Richardson,  died  of  disease. 
James  R.  Riggin,  died  of  disease  at  Niles, 
September  9,  1864. 

Oscar  Rood,  discharged  by  order,  July, 
1862. 

Jerome  Roseman,  discharged  by  order, 
September  30,  1865. 

Samuel  FI.  Smith,  discharged  by  order, 
September  30,  1865. 

Alfred  Sherwood,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1862. 

Bernard  Scanlon,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15,  1866. 

Christopher  Stephens,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1866. 

John  H.  Srackengast,  veteran,  Decem- 
ber 29,  1863;  mustered  out  February  15, 
1866. 

Nelson   Sinkler,  veteran,   December  29, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 
Chauncey  E.  Sinkler^  died  of  disease. 


Adelbert  R.  Tabor,  died  of  disease. 

Henry  Teesdale,  died  of  disease  at  Ma- 
con, Georgia,  July  13,  1862. 

Charles  D.  H.  Trowbridge,'  discharged 
at  Detroit,  July  9,  1862. 

Oliver  D.  Trowbridge,  mustered  out 
February  15,  1866. 

Jacob  Tibbs,  veteran,  December  29^, 
1863;  mustered  out  February  15,  1866. 

William  Tilroe,  veteran,  December  29^ 
1863;  discharged  by  order,   September  27, 

1865. 

James  E.  Vandemark,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, July  19,  1862. 

Benjamin  Van  Patten,  discharged  for 
disability,  August  25,  1862. 

Granville  M.  Willis,  died  of  disease. 

Nicholas  W.  Webber,  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  January  7,  1865. 

Isaac  Wilson,  mustered  out  February  15^ 
1866. 

George  Williams,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 15^  1866. 

Twenty-fourth     Michigan     Infantry. 

"When   lo !    the   dread   brigade   called    Iron,    flashed 
In  armour  bright  as  on  the  foe  they  dashed; 
And  when  they  met,  a  bloody  slaughter  spread, 
The  verdant  plain,  like  autumn  leaves   with   dead/* 

This  regiment  was  raised  almost  wholly 
in  the  county  of  Wayne  with  its  rendezvous, 
at  Detroit,  by  the  late  General  Henry  A. 
Morrow,  who  was  selected  as  ColoneL 
There  were  no  members  of  this  regiment 
from  Berrien  county  till  the'  summer  of 
1864,  when  about  seventy  recruits  were 
here  obtained,  mainly  through  the  efforts 
of  Edgar  A.  Kimmel,  who  was  made  first 
lieutenant  of  Company  K. 

The  regiment  attained  a  brilliant  fame 
soon  after  it  entered  service.  It  became  a 
part  of  the  famous  'Tron  brigade"  composed 
of  Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  Indiana  troops, 
and  did  heroic  service  on  the  great  battle 
field  of  Gettysburg.  It  arrived  near  Gettys- 
burg on  July  I,  and  immediately  went  into 


98 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


action  under  Colonel  Morrow.  On  the  first 
day  of  the  battle  the  loss  of  the  Twenty- 
fourth  regiment  was  316  in  killed,  wounded 
and  missing.  At  this  battle  Colonel  Mor- 
row was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner,  but 
shortly  afterward  exchanged.  General 
Meredith^  who  commanded  the  Iron  brigade 
in  this  action,  in  a  dispatch  tO'  Colonel  Mor- 
row shortly  after  the  battle  said:  *'No 
troops  ever  fought  with  more  bravery  than 
did  those  of  the  Twenty-fourth  Michigan, 
on  that  occasion." 

The  regiment  continued  in  service  in 
the  army  of  the  Potomac  till  near  the  close 
of  the  war.  Before  returning  home  it  was 
placed  on  garrison  duty  at  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois, where  it  had  the  honor  of  being 
selected  as  escort  at  the  funeral  of  President 
Lincoln.  It  was  mustered  out  of  service  at 
Detroit,  June  30,  1865. 

This  regiment  w^as  in  the  following  en- 
gagements. 

1862  Fredericksburg. 

1863  Port  Royal,  Fitzhugh  Crossing, 
Chancellorsville,  Westmorland,  all  in 
Va. ;  Gettysburg,  Pa. ;  Mine  Run. 

1864  Raccoon  Ford,  Wilderness,  Spottsyl- 
vania,  North  Anna,  Tolopotomy,  Cold 
Harbor,  Bethseda  Church,  Peters- 
burg, Weldon  R.  R.,  Hicksford, 
Hatcher's  Run. 

1865  Dabney's  Mills,  Siege  of  Petersburg. 

It  is  appropriate  to  make  some  mention 
of  the  brilliant  officer  who  was  the  first  col- 
onel of  this  famous  regiment.  General  Mor- 
row, as  he  was  called,  from  his  appoint- 
ment as  brigadier  general  and  afterwards 
major  general  during  the  w^ar,  was  living  at 
Detroit  at  the  time  the  regiment  was  organ- 
ized by  him,  but  after  the  close  of  the  war 
made  his  home  at  Niles,  although  as  Colonel 
in  the  regular  army  he  was  unable  to  be  at 
Niles  but  little  of  the  time.  He  died  in  the 
service  of  the  government  and  was  buried  at 
Niles.  Before  the  war  he  had  married  Miss 
Belle  Graves,   daughter  of  Major  William 


Graves,  a  prominent  i>ioneer  of  Berrien 
county,  of  whom  mention  will  be  made 
hereafter.  Mrs.  Morrow  is  now  living  at 
San  Francisco  wnth  one  of  her  children. 
General  Morrow  was  an  able  officer,  a  genial 
and  courteous  gentleman,  admired  by  all 
who  knew  him  and  a  brilliant  conversa- 
toinalist. 

The  following  brief  record  from  the 
rolls  of  the  adjutant  general's  office  tells  its 
own  story. 

Henry  A.  Morrow,  commissioned  Aug- 
ust 15,  1863;  wounded  in  action  at  Gettys- 
burg, July  I,  1863;  wounded  at  the  battle 
in  the  Wilderness,  May  5,  1864;  brevetted 
brigadier  general  United  States  volunteers, 
August  I,  1864,  for  gallant  and  distin- 
guished services  during  the  campaign  be- 
fore Richmond;  wounded  in  action  at 
Petersburg,  Virginia,  February  6,  1865. 
Brevetted  major  general  United  States 
volunteers  for  distinguished  and  conspicu- 
ous galantry  and  for  good  conduct  before 
Petersburg. 

Lieutenant  colonel,  Thirty-sixth  United 
States  infantry,  July  28,  1866. 

*  Brevetted  colonel,   March  2,    1867,   ^^^ 
gallant  service  at  battle  of  Hatcher's  Run. 

Colonel  Twenty-first  United  States  in- 
fantry, April  27,  1879. 

Twenty-fourth  Infantry. 

Non-Commissioned  Staff. 

Hospital  Steward  Owen  Churchill, 
Niles;  enlisted  August  24,  1864;  mustered 
out  June  30,  1865. 

Company  A. 

Richard   Burr,   mustered  out  June  30, 

1865. 

Selah  House,  mustered    out    June  30, 

1865. 

Alex.  P.  Manamy,  mustered  out  June 
30,  1865. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY  99 

George  F.  Niles,  mustered  out  June  30,  Andrew  E.  Mitchell,  died  of  disease  in 

1865.  Illinois,  April  22,  1865. 

James  M.  Noel,  mustered  out  June  30, 

Company  B.  1865. 

James  St.  John,  mustered  out  June  30, 

Calvin  W.  Aiken,  mustered  out  June  30,  1865. 

1865.  Oscar  St.  John,  mustered  out  June  30, 

Charles  Brunke^  mustered  out  June  30,  1865. 

1865.  James  L.  Sharp,  mustered  out  June  30, 

William  H.  Emmons,  mustered  out  June  1865. 

30,  1865.  Theodore  Swain,  mustered  out  June  30, 

Burkhardt  Freund,   mustered  out  June  1865. 

30,  1865.  James   S.   Stafford,  mustered  out  June 

Luther  Hemingway,  mustered  out  June  30,  1865. 

30,  1865.  Gideon  B.   Stiles,    died    of    disease    at 

William  Sullivan,  mustered  out  June  30,  Niles,  November  5,  1864. 

1865.  Amos  A.  Thompson,  mustered  out  June 

Lorenzo  Smith,  mustered  out  June  30,  30,  1865. 

1865.  Frank  Verbaum,  mustered  out  June  30, 

1865. 

Company  C. 

Company  D. 

James  Bourdon,  mustered  out  June  30, 

1865.  Charles    A.     Champion,    mustered    out 

James   Breen,  mustered  out    June    30,  June  30.  1865. 

1865.  Henry  Varsop,  mustered  out  June  30, 

William  Burlingame,  mustered  out  June  1865. 
30,  1865. 

Arra  Cook,  mustered  out  June  30,  1865.  Company  E. 

Patrick  English,  mustered  out  June  30, 
1865. 

John  R.   Field,  mustered  out  June  30,  Henry  Aldridge,    died    of    wounds    at 

1865.  Baltimore^  February  22,  1865. 

Thomas  Genderson,  mustered  out  June  Henry  Bradley,  mustered  out  June  30, 

30,  1865.  1865. 

Jerome   Head,    mustered   out  June   30,  Frederick  H.  Eisenhardt,  mustered  out 

1865.                  ^  June  30,  1865. 

John  Hutchinson^  mustered  out  June  30,  Dayton  Fuller,  mustered  out  June  3a, 

1865.  1865. 

John   J.   Hart,   mustered   out  June   30,  James  S.  Gender,  mustered  out  June  30, 

1865.     ^  1865. 

Davis  L.  Hurlburt,  mustered  out  June  John  H.   Hawkins,  mustered  out  June 

30,  1865.  30,  1865. 

Alexander  Lamond,  mustered  out  June  Ephriam  P.  Stratton,  mustered  out  June 

30,  1865.  30,  1865. 

Walter  S.   Mizner,   mustered  out  June  John  Talbot,  mustered    out    June    30, 

30,  1865.  1865. 


lOO 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Company  F. 

Thomas  W.  Rutledge,  Galien;  mustered 
out  June  30,  1865. 

Company  G. 

Second  Lieutenant  Andrew  j.  Bucklin, 
Niles,  commissioned  September  27,  1864; 
resigned  May  3,  1865. 

William  B.  Flanigan,  mustered  out 
June  30,  1865. 

Harvey  B.  Hall,  niustered  out  June  30, 
1865. 

Company  H. 
Frank   Higbee,  mustered  out  June  30, 

1865. 


Henry  Griffith,  mustered  out  June  30^ 
1865. 

Henry  L.  Morse,  mustered  out  June  30, 
1865. 

Anson    Miller,    mustered   out   June  30,. 

1865. 

Charles   Pike,   mustered    out    June  30,. 

1865. 

Henry   Smithy    mustered   out  June   30,. 

1865.  _  _ 

William  W.  Serviss,  mustered  out  June 
30,  1865. 

Silas  J.  Tomlinson,  died  of  disease  at 
Alexandria,  December  5,  1864. 

Seventeenth  Infantry. 

This  regiment  had    its    rendezvous  at 


Frederick  W.    Holmes,    mustered    out     Detroit.     About  twenty-seven  members  of 
June  30,  1865.  "^h^s   regiment   were   from   Berrien   county. 

The  regiment  became  famous  for  its  fight- 
Company  I.  ing  qualities  and  was  known  as  the  ''Stone- 
wall regiment''  throughout  the  war.     It  re- 
Thomas  Evans^  mustered  out  June  30,      ceived  its  name  from  the  gallant  charge  it 
1865.                                                                        made  at  the  battle  of  ''South  Mountain"  on 
James  H.  Nostrand,  mustered  out  June     the  stone  walls,   behind  which   the   enemy 
30,  1865.                                                                   with  its  batteries  was  strongly  posted. 

John  O' Conner,  mustered  out  June  30,  The    battle    of    South    Mountain    was 

1865.  fought  on  September  14,  1862,  only  about 

Jackson  Robertson,  mustered  out  June     tw^enty  days  after  the  regiment  had  left  its 
30,  1865.  rendezvous.     Three  days  after  it  was  en- 

gaged in  the  great  battle  of  Antietam. 
Company  K.  It  fully  preserved  throughout  the  war, 

the  reputation  which  it  gained    at    South 
First    Lieutenant    Edgar    A.    Kimmel,      mountain. 
Niles;   commissoned   September   2J,    1864; 
mustered  out  June  30,  1865. 

William  H.  Ames,  mustered  out  June 
30,  1865. 


Company  B. 

First     Lieutenant     John     Cunningham,. 

William  Breen,  mustered  out  June  30,  Niles;  commissioned  June  2,  1862. 

1865.  Sergeant   William    H.    Marston,    Niles; 

David   Boyd,   mustered    out    June    '^p,  enlisted  June  2,  1862;  lost  a  leg  at  Peters- 

1865.  burg,  Virginia,  June  18,   1864;  discharged 

William  L.  Condit,  mustered  out  June  for  wounds.  May  5,  1865. 

30,   1865.  Corporal   Samuel   H.   Case,   Buchanan; 

Franklin  Calbretzer,  died  of  disease  in  mustered  out  June  3,  1865. 

Illinois,  April  2'^^  1865.  Corporal  Allen  B.    Myers,    Sodus;  en- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


lOI 


listed  August  6,  1862;  killed  in  battle  at 
Spottsylvania,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864. 

Alonzo  G.  Bigelow,  discharged  for  dis- 
:ability,  September  13,  1862. 

Albert  Bixby,  mustered  out  June  3, 
1865. 

John  Beauwain,  mustered  out  June  3, 
1865. 

George  W.  Chase,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, February  9,  1863. 

Jonathan  Day,  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  corps^  February  15,  1864. 

Rock  Edwards,  mustered  out  June  3, 
1865. 

Jesse  Foster,  discharged  for  disability, 
March  3,   1863. 

Daniel  A.  Gates,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, February  26,  1863. 

John  Hazlett,  discharged  for  wounds, 
September  14,  1862. 

Henry  Hinman,  died  of  disease  in  Ten- 
nessee, January  21,  1863. 

Nutter  M.  Halsted,  mustered  out  June 
3,  1865. 

John  R.  Haynes,  mustered  out  June  3, 

1865. 

George  Isham,  died  in  action  at  Camp- 
bell's station,  Tennessee,  November  16, 
1863. 

Lewis  Jones,  accidentally  killed  at  Anti- 
etam,  Maryland,  September  17,  1862. 

Henry  Jackson,  died  in  action  at  Camp- 
bell's station,  November  16,  1863. 

Sylvanus  McManus,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, December  3,  1862. 

Ferdinand  Metzger,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, October  3,  1864. 

Stephen    Mead,    mustered    out   June    3, 

1865. 

Benjamin    Norris,    mustered    out    June 

.3. 1865. 

Columbus  Paddock,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, February  6,  1863. 

Edward  F.  Rice^  mustered  out  June  3, 

1865. 

Chester  J.  Walser,  mustered  out  June  3, 
1865. 


Lorenzo  D.  White,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, September  17,  1863. 

It  was  in  the  following  important  en- 
gagements : 

1862  South  Mountain,  Antietam,  Freder- 
icksburg. 

1863  Siege  of  Vicksburg,  Jackson,  Loudon, 
Siege  of  Knoxville. 

1864  Wilderness  (Va.),  Spottsylvania, 
North  Ana,  Petersburg,  Hatcher's 
Run. 

1865  Fort  Steadman,  Capture  of  Peters- 
burg. 

Its  loss  in  killed,  wounded  and  death 
from  disease  were  283. 

Nineteenth  Michigan  Infantry. 

This  regiment  was  raised  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1862  in  southwestern  Michigan, 
and  the  rendezvous  for  recruiting  and  or- 
ganization was  at  Dowagiac,  Michigan. 
Company  'T'  of  this  regiment  was  organ- 
ized at  St.  Joseph  and  was  first  known  as 
the  Morrison  guards  after  its  promoter, 
Honorable  A.  H.  Morrison,  of  St.  Joseph. 
About  twenty-five  from  this  county  be- 
longed to  other  companies. 

The  regiment  left  their  rendezvous  for 
service  in  Kentucky  in  September,  1862.  It 
w^as  shortly  afterwards  transferred  to  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland  as  a  part  of  the 
reserve  corps,  in  January,  1863.  From  this 
time  onward  it  was  often  in  many  severe 
engagements.  Within  a  month  it  lost  two 
of  its  commanding  officers.  In  the  battle 
of  Resaca,  Georgia,  May  15,  1864,  Colonel 
Henry  C.  Gilbert  was  mortally  wounded, 
while  the  regiment  was  making  a  success- 
ful charge  against  a  rebel  battery.  On  June 
15,  1864,  Colonel  Eli  A.  Griffin,  command- 
ing the  regiment  while  defending  his  posi- 
tion against  an  assault  of  the  enemy  at  Gol- 
gotha, Georgia,  was  mortally  wounded,  dy- 
ing the  next  day.  On  the  15th  of  Novem- 
ber, the  regiment  having  joined  the  army  of 


I02 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Sherman,  at  Atlanta,  set  forth  with  its  bri- 
gade on  the  great  march  to  the  sea. 

It  participated  in  the  siege  of  Savannah 
until  the  first  of  January,  i860,  when  it 
moved  northward  through  South  CaroHna 
to  North  Carohna,  meeting  the  enemy  at 
Averysboro,  where  a  severe  engagement  en- 
sued in  which  the  brigade  to  which  the  regi- 
ment belonged,  made  an  assault  upon'  the 
works  of  the  enemy  capturing  them  with 
many  prisoners.  The  regiment  was  compli- 
mented by  its  commanding  officer  for  its 
gallantry  in  this  action. 

Proceeding  northward,  it  arrived  at 
Alexandria  on  May  18,  and  the  24th  day 
of  May  participated  in  the  grand  review  of 
General  Sherman's  army  in  Washington. 
The  losses  of  the  regiment  were  2'^y  in 
killed,  wounded  and  death  from  disease. 

Nineteenth  Infantry. 

Field  and  Staff. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  David  Bacon,  Niles; 
commissioned  August  8,  1862;  wounded  in 
action  at  Baton  Rouge;  resigned  April  3, 

1863. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Eli  A.  Griffin,  Niles; 
commissioned  April  20,  1864;  major,  Oc- 
tober 22,  1863;  captain.  Sixth  infantry, 
August  19,  1 86 1 ;  died  in  action  at  Golgotha, 
Georgia,  June  15,  1864. 

Adjutant  Henry  M.  Brown,  St.  Joseph; 
commissioned  May  i,  1863;  commissioned 
first  lieutenant.  Company  I;  resigned  Oc- 
tober 4,  1864. 

Quartermaster  Warren  Chapman,  St. 
Joseph;  commissioned  August  2,  1862;  re- 
signed November  17,  1862. 

Non-Commissioned  Staff. 

Quartermaster-Sergeant  Lysander  J. 
Brown,  St.  Joseph;  enlisted  August  12, 
1862;  died  May  20,  1863. 


Principal  Musician  Charles  E.  Bort^ 
Royalton;  transferred  to   Company  I. 

Company  A. 

First  Lieutenant  Herbert  M.  Reynolds, 
Niles;  enlisted  May  25,  1864;  promoted  to 
second  lieutenant,  July  27,  1863;  commis- 
sioned sergeant;  discharged  for  disability,. 
July  20,  1864;  second  lieutenant. 

Lyman  Carney,  died  in  action  at  Thomp- 
son's Station,  Tennessee,  March  5,  1863. 

Lee  Chapman,  discharged  for  disability, 
August  2J,  1863. 

Edward  C.  Dix,  mustered  out  June  10,. 

1865. 

M.  D.  L.  Peters,  mustered  out  June  lo, 

1865. 

Milford  Tice,  died  in  action  at  Thomp- 
son's Station,  March  4,  1863. 

Company   B. 

George  M.  Kirk  died  in  action  at  Fred- 
erick, Maryland. 

Company  C. 

Albert  Newton,  transferred  to  Tenth  in- 
fantry; mustered  out  July  19,  1865. 

Emanuel  Rinehard,  transferred  to  Tenth 
infantry;  mustered  out  July  19,  1865. 

Company  D. 

Jeremiah  Van  Horn,  mustered  out  Sep- 
tember 8,  1865. 

Company  G. 

William  L.  Black,  transferred  to  Tenth 
infantry;  mustered  out  July  19,  1865. 

Francis  Cooper,  mustered  out  June  10,. 

1865. 

William  H.  Cook,  mustered  out  June  lo,. 
1865. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


103 


Orange  Hutchins,  mustered  out  June  10, 
1865. 

William  Moore,  mustered  out  June  10, 
1865. 

Arron  Messenger,  died  March  5,  1863, 
in  Columbia,  Tennessee,  of  wounds. 

Isaac  A.  Williams,  died  in  rebel  prison 
at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina,  January  27, 
1865. 

Winfield  Wilson,  mustered  out  June  4, 

1865. 

Franklin  E.  Wilson,  mustered  out  June 
4,  1865. 

Albert  H.  Wheeler,  mustered  out  June 
4,  1865. 

Eli  Wittfery,  mustered  out  June  4,  1865. 

Company  I. 

Captain  Richard  Lysaght^  St.  Joseph; 
commissioned  July  25,  1862;  resigned  June 
6,  1863. 

Captain  Charles  H.  Calmer,  St.  Joseph; 
commissioned  May  i,  1863;  promoted  to 
second  lieutenant,  July  26,  1862;  died  in 
action  at  Resaca,   Georgia,   May   15,    1864. 

First  Lieutenant  Henry  M.  Brown^  St. 
Joseph;  commissioned  August  11,  1862; 
appointed  adjutant.  May  i,  1863. 

Sergeant  Aaron  F.  Brewer,  St.  Joseph; 
enlisted  August  11,  1862;  promoted  to  sec- 
ont  lieutenant. 

Sergeant  Marvin  Beaman,  Royalton ; 
enlisted  August  11,  1862;  mustered  out 
July  10,  1865. 

Sergeant  George  W.  Livingston,  St. 
Joseph;  enlisted  August  21,  1862;  died 
July  I,  1864,  of  wounds  received  at  Gol- 
gotha, Georgia,  June  15,  1864. 

Sergeant  Charles  A.  Cronkhite,  St. 
Joseph;  enlisted  August  11,  1862;  dis- 
charged for  disability,  March  11^  1865. 

Sergeant  George  Brown,  St.  Joseph ;  en- 
listed August  12,  1862;  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, April  23,  1863. 

Corporal  D.  H.  Stevenson,  St.  Joseph; 
enlisted  August  11,  1862;  ^Jischarged  March 
6,  1863. 


Corporal  George  W.  Riley,  St.  Joseph; 
enlisted  August  11^  1862;  mustered  out 
June  8,  1865. 

Corporal  Asher  Lane^  St.  Joseph;  en- 
listed August  II,  1862;  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, June  17,  1863. 

Corporal  Frederick  Clay,  Royalton;  en- 
listed August  13,  1862;  died  in  action  at 
Golgotha,  Georgia,  June  15,  1864. 

Corporal  Thomas  Riley,  St.  Joseph;  en- 
listed August  II,  1862;  mustered  out  June 
10,  1865. 

Corporal  George  F.  Stewart,  St.  Joseph ; 
enlisted  August  22,  1862;  promoted  to  ser- 
geant; first  lieutenant.  Company  F,  March 
29,  1865. 

Musician  Charles  E.  Bort,  Royalton ;  en- 
listed August  12,  1862;  mustered  out  June 
10,  1865. 

Wagoner  John  Wilson,  St.  Joseph;  en- 
listed August  12,  1862;  mustered  out  June 
IS,   1865. 

Silas  W.  Allen,  died  of  disease  at  Nash- 
ville, Tennessee,  April  11,  1863. 

William  Bundy,  died  of  disease  at  Dan- 
ville, Kentucky,  January  13,  1863. 

James  M.  Boswell,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, April  21,  1863. 

Henry  L.  Beaman,  mustered  out  June 
10,  1865. 

John   Bradley,    musltered   out   June    10,, 

1865. 

Charles  Chanbeck,  died  of  disease  at 
Danville,  Kentucky,  January  8,  1863. 

Edward  Cronan,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, June  II,  1865. 

Daniel  Calmer,  mustered  out  June   10^ 

1865. 

Joseph  Clamfoot,  mustered  out  May  30, 

1865. 

Daniel  T.  Dopp,  mustered  out  June  10, 
1865. 

Peter  T.  Dopp,  mustered  out  June  10, 
1865. 

Oscar  Dee,  mustered  out  June  10,  1865. 

William  A.  Depue,  mustered  out  June 
10,  1865. 


104 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


William  G.  Ensley,  mustered  out -July 
13,  1865. 

John  H.  Fikes,  mustered  out  June  10, 
1865. 

Benjamin  Fikes,  mustered  out  June  10, 
1865. 

Benjamin  Green,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, May  13,  1863. 

Milo  Hyde,  mustered  out  May  26^  1865. 

Alexander  Hunter,  died  of  disease  at 
Annapolis,  Maryland,  June  2,  1863. 

George  Koof,  died  of  disease  in  Indiana, 
February  14,  1865. 

William  Kelsey,  died  in  action  at 
Thompson's  Station,  March  5,  1863. 

Charles  McCain,  died  in  rebel  prison, 
Richmond,  Virginia,  March  22,   1863. 

William  Morelock,  died  of  wounds  at 
Big  Shanty,  Georgia,  June  24,  1864. 

Theodore  Morelock,  transferred  to 
Tenth  Infantry,  mustered  out  July  19,  1865. 

Peter  Mooth,  transferred  to  Tenth  In- 
fantry; mustered  out  July  19,  1865. 

Horace  M.  Pitcher,  died  while  a  prisoner, 
March  20,  1863. 

Joseph  Penland,  died  while  at  work 
on  fortifications,  August  11,   1864. 

Charles  J.  Peterson,  died  of  disease  at 
Murfreesboro,  September  17,  1863. 

Jerry  Robicho,  discharged  for  disability, 
June  I,  1863. 

Martin  V.  Sherman,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, June  17,  1863. 

Timothy  H.  Spelman,  died  of  disease  at 
Annapolis,  Maryland,  April  11,  1863. 

James  Snyder,  died  at  Knoxville,  Ten- 
nessee, April  20,  1864. 

George  Thompson,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, April  23,  1863. 

William  Wiese,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, April  II,  1863. 

Thomas  Waterman,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, July  18,  1863. 

William  W.  Webster,  died  of  disease  at 
Murfreesboro,  September  17,   1863. 

The  regiment  was  in  the  following  en- 
gagements. 


1863  Thompson's  Station,  Nashville  and 
Chattanooga  R.  R.  in  Tennessee. 

1864  Resaca,  Cassville,  New  Hope  Church, 
Golgotha,  Gulp's  Farm,  Peach  Tree 
Creek,  Atlanta,  Savannah. 

1865  Averysboro,  N.  C,  Bentonville,  N.  C. 

Twenty-fifth  Michigan  Infantry. 

This  regiment  was  organized  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1862  and  rendezvoused  at  Kalama- 
zoo. On  September  29th,  1862,  it  left  for 
the  scene  of  war.  Three  of  its  companies 
came  from  Berrien  county,  viz. :  Company 
C  from  Berrien  Sprnigs  and  vicinity.  Com- 
pany F  from  Niles  and  vicinity  and  Com- 
pany K  from  Buchanan  and  vicinity. 

The  regiment  achie\  ed  considerable  fame 
early  in  the  war  by  repelling  a  spirited  as- 
sault made  by  the  famous  cavalry  com- 
mander. General  Morgan.  This  engagement 
took  place  at  Tibbs  Bend,  July  4th,  1863. 
Prior  to  his  assault,  the  colonel  of  the  regi- 
ment, Colonel  Moore,  received  the  following 
communication  from  General  Morgan : 

''To  the  Commander  of  the  U.  S.  Forces  at 
Tibbs  Bend. 

I,  John  H.  Morgan,  Major  General  in 
the  Army  of  the  Confederate  States,  liereby 
demand  the  immediate  and  unconditional 
surrender  of  the  troops  and  post  under  your 
orders. 

John  H.  Morgan, 

Maj.  Gen.,  C  S.  A." 

Colonel  Moore,  upon  receiving  the  com- 
munication told  the  bearer  of  the  dispatch  to 
present  his  best  compliments  to  General 
Morgan  and  say  to  him  that  it  was  the 
Fourth  of  July;  that  on  any  other  day  he 
migJit  possibly  demand  some  consideration, 
but  as  it  was  the  Fourth  of  July,  he  would 
please  tell  General  Morgan,  with  his  com- 
pliments, that  he  w^ould  see  him  damned 
first. 

General  Morgan  at  once  made  his  attack. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


lo; 


and  was  severely  repulsed  with  a  loss  of 
-about  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  in  killed 
and  wounded.  Companies  E  and  K  were  in 
this  engagement.  Morgan  was  evidently  im- 
pressed with  the  skill  and  heroism  of  the 
regiments  employed  against  superior  num- 
bers and  wittily  sent  to  Colonel  Moore  a  dis- 
patch brevetting  him  a  brigadier  general  in 
the  United  States  Army.  This  battle  was 
known  as  the  Green  River  engagement  and 
after  the  battle  the  regiment  was  generally 
know^n  as  the  ''Green  River''  boys.  The 
legislature  of  Kentucky  passed  a  resolution 
thanking  Colonel  Moore  and  his  regiment 
for  their  heroic  defense.  Of  this  engage- 
ment the  Louisville  Journal  said,  ''Moore's 
repulse  of  a  force  equal  to  twenty  or  twenty- 
five  times  his  own  was  one  of  the  most 
chivalrous  affairs  on  record.  Although  it 
is  unquestioned  history,  it  reads  like  the 
wildest  romance." 

This  regiment  also  acquired  fame  in  the 
great  battle  at  Franklin,  November  30, 1864, 
and  at  Nashville,  aided  General  Thomas 
in  winning  the  most  decisive  victory  achieved 
by  either  side  during  the  whole  war,  when 
the  immense  army  of  General  Flood  w^as 
practically  annihilated  by  defeat  and  prompt 
pursuit.  This  battle  was  executed  and  car- 
ried out  exactly  as  planned  on  the  eve  of  the 
engagement,  by  General  Thomas,  whose  de- 
sign was  not  simply  to  win  a  battle,  "but  to 
make  it  a  Waterloo,  which  would  wipe  the 
defeated  army  out  of  existence."  The  story 
of  this  battle  reads  like  that  of  one  of  Alex- 
ander's victories,  complete,  decisive  and  easy 
to  be  understood.  The, regiment  remained 
in  active  service  in  Georgia  and  Tennessee, 
until  the  latter  part  of  the  war  when  it  was 
transported  to  North  Carolina.  It  was 
mustered  out  at  Salisbury,  North  Carolina, 
June  24th,  1865. 

It  was  in  the  following  engagements : 

In  1865  Munfordville,  Ky.,  Tibbs  Bend, 
Ky.,  Kingston,  Tenn.,  Mossy 
Creek,  Tenn. 


In  1864  Tunnell  Hill,  Rocky  Face,  Resaca, 
Cassville,  Etowah  River,  Kings- 
ton, Atoona,  Pine  Mountain,  Lost 
Mountain,  Gulp's  Farm,  Kenesaw, 
Nickajack  Creek,  Chattahoocha 
River,  Decator,  Atlanta,  East 
Point,  Jonesboro,  Rome,  all  in 
Georgia. 

In  1865  Cedar  Bluffs,  Ala.,  Pine  Creek, 
Tenn.,  Franklin,  Tenn.,  Nashville, 
Tenn. 

Its  total  loss  in  killed,  wounded  and 
death  by  disease  was  one  hundred  sixty-six. 

Twenty-fifth  Infantry. 

Field  and  Staff. 

Adjutant  Charles  Woodruff,  Niles;  com- 
missioned April  7,  1864;  sergeant  major, 
January  14,  1864;  second  lieutenant,  Com- 
pany K;  mustered  out  June  24,  1865. 

Company  C. 

Captain  Charles  E.  McCollister,  Oro- 
noko;  commissioned  August  10,  1862;  re- 
signed May  II,  1863. 

Captain  Jacob  Ewalt,  Oronoco;  com- 
missioned March  13,  1863;  first  lieutenant, 
August  10,  1862;  discharged  for  disability, 
October  10^  1864. 

Captain  Clarence  H.  Howe,  Oronoko; 
commissioned  November  i,  1864;  second 
lieutenant,  March  13,  1864;  sergeant,  Aug- 
ust 12,  1862;  mustered  out  June  24,  1865. 

First  Lieutenant  Edwin  F.  Kimmel,  Oro- 
noko; commissioned  March  13,  1863;  sec- 
ond lieutenant,  August  i,  1862;  resigned 
September  23,  1864. 

Sergeant  Ezra  E.  Dunn,  Buchanan; 
enlisted  August  9,  1862;  died  of  disease  at 
Bowling  Green,  Kentucky,  March  20,  1863. 

Sergeant  Marion  W.  Jennings,  Pipe- 
stone; enlisted  August  13,  1862;  mustered 
out  June  24,  1865. 

Sergeant  Benjamin  F.  Feather,  Oronoko; 


io6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


enlisted  August  ii,    1862;    transferred    to  Reuben   Culbretzer,   mustered  out  June 

Invalid   corps,    July,    1863;    mustered    out  24,  1865. 

July  8,  1865.  Eli  N.   Crabbe,  mustered  out  June  24,. 

Sergeant  Reuben  H.   Richardson,   Oro-  1865. 

noko;  corporal,  August  i,   1862;  mustered  Milton  Cowley,  mustered    out    July    4,. 

out  June  24,  1865.  1865. 

Corporal  James  W.  Granger,  Oronoko;  Dorman  Curtis,  mustered  out  June  24, 

enlisted ■  August    11,    1862;    mustered    out  1865. 

June  24,  1865.  Ralph  Denn,  mustered  out  June  24,  1865. 

Corporal  Sylvester  P.  Mason,  Buchanan ;  Alanson  Dickerson,  mustered  out  June 

enlisted   August    15,    1862;   discharged   for  24,  1865. 

disability,  February  24,  1863.  Ambrose  Dickerson,  mustered  out  June 

Corporal  Francis    M.    Dougherty,  Oro-  24,  1865. 

noko;  enlisted  August  11,  1862;  discharged  Thomas  Daker,  mustered  out  June  24^ 


for  disability,  September  21,  1863. 

Corporal  Abram  Long,  Oronoko;  en- 
listed August  13,  1862;  transferred  to  In- 
valid corps,  December  15,  1863. 

Corporal  Alfred  O.  French,  Royalton; 
enlisted  August  9,  1862;  discharged  by  or- 
der. May  29,   1865. 

Corporal  Eli  Helmick,  Oronoko;  en- 
listed August  15,  1862;  mustered  out  June 
25,  1865. 

Musician    William    H.    Dennison,    Oro- 


1865. 

William  Desler,  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  corps. 

Jesse  Fisher,  mustered  out  June  24,  1865. 
R.  P.  Ferris,    mustered    out    June    24, 

1865. 

Bethuel  H.  Friley,  mustered  out  June  24,. 

1865. 

Stephen  E.  Gilbert,    died    of   accidental 
wounds,  March  31,  1863. 

Abel  Goddard,  discharged  for  disability,, 
noko;   enlisted  August    14,    1862;    died   of     June  16,  1863. 

disease    at    Bowling    Green,    January    16,  Edwin  W.  Hadlock,  mustered  out  June 

1863.  24,  1865. 

Wagoner  Elliot  Chamberlain,  Oronoko;  William  B.  Hartman,  mustered  out  June 

enlisted  August  18,  1862;  died  of  disease  at     24,  1865. 
Louisville,  July  27,  1863.  William  Hunter,  mustered  out  June  24^ 

James  B.  Alden,  mustered  out  June  24,      1865. 
1865.  Peter    Humphrey,    died    of    disease    at 

Orange  L.  Blake,  mustered  out  June  24,     Bowling  Green,  Kentucky,  March  9,   1863. 


1865 

John  A.  Burke,  miUstered  out  June  24, 

1865. 

Samuel  C.  Burke,  mustered  out  June  24, 
1865. 

Lavinius  Bratt,  mustered  out  June  24, 
1865. 

Josephus  Brow^nell,  mustered  out  June 
24,  1865. 

Porter  H.  Buckley,  mustered  out  June 
24,  1865. 

Peter  Bovee,  discharged  by  order,  July 
18,  1865. 


Frank  Jern,  mustered  out  June  24,  1865.. 

William  H.  Jones,  transferred  to  twenty- 
eighth;  mustered  out  June  5,  1866. 

George  H.  Kimmel.  mustered  out  May 
31,  1865. 

Samuel  Kimmel,  mustered  out  June  29^ 

1865. 

John  A.  Kebler,  mustered  ouc  July  1, 
1865,  from  Veteran  Reserve  corps. 

Albert  Kugles,  mustered  out    June    24, 

1865. 

Ludovic  Leeds^  mustered  out  June  24, 

1865. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY  107 

Isaac  Long,  mustered  out  June  24,  1865.  Jonathan  Ressler,  mustered  out  June  24, 

Stephen  Lappan,  mustered  out  June  24,  1865. 

1865.  Myron  H.  Roberts,  mustered  out  June 

Richard  Lawrence,   discharged   for  dis-  24,  1865. 

abihty,  January  9,  1863.  Reuben   H.   Richardson,    mustered    out 

Nott.  Lockman,  discharged  for  disabil-  June  24,  1865. 

ity,  June  16,  1863.  P>ederick    Simons,    mustered   out   June 

Jonathan  Hosier,  discharged    for    disa-  24,  1865. 

bihty.  May  9,  1863.  Samuel  Stuher,  mustered  out  June  24, 

George  D.  Nather,  died  in  action  at  Res-  1865. 

aca,  Georgia,  May  14,  1864.  Nathan  Smithy  mustered  out  October  28, 

George  W.  Myers,  mustered  out  June  24,  1865. 

1865.  Wihiam   H.    Shankwiler,   mustered   out 

Simeon   McOmber,   mustered   out  June  June  24,  1865. 
24,  1865.  J.  Shankwiler,  died  of  disease  at  Knox- 
Henry  P.  Movier,  mustered  out  June  24,  ville,  Tennessee,  April  21,  1864. 
1865.  Stephen    Simons,    died    of    disease    at 

Isaac  Maddox,   mustered  out  June  24,  Bowling  Green,  Kentucky,  March  29,  1863. 

1865.  Noah  St.  John,   discharged  for  disabil- 
Charles  S.  Mead,  mustered  out  June  5,  ity,  June  16,  1863. 

1866.  John  A.   Sperinar,  discharged  for  disa- 
George  Mallison,  mustered  out  June  5,  bility,  June  16,  1863. 

1866.  Andrew  J.  Tebbs,  transferred  to  Veteran 

Henry  Near,  died  of  disease  at  Louis-  Reserve  corps,  January  15,  1864. 

ville,  Kentucky,  February  6,  1865.  James  M.  Taylor,  mustered  out  June  24^ 

Merritt  Nichols,  mustered  out  from  Vet-  1865. 

eran  Reserve  Corps,  June  12,  1865.  Charles  E.  Terriere,  mustered  out  June 

Patrick  E.  O'Brien,  mustered  out  from  25,  1865. 

Veteran  Reserve  corps,  July  7,  1865.  Peter  Van  Husan,  mustered  out  June  25^ 

William  F.  Olds^  mustered  out  July  2,  1865. 

1865.  Michael  Van  Husan,  discharged  for  dis- 

Joel  Pangburn,  mustered  out  June  24,  ability,  March  10,  1863. 

1865.  Solomon  Wirrick,  discharged  for  disa- 

Benjamin  F.  Potter,  mustered  out  June  bility,  December  21,  1863. 

24,  1865.  Benjamin  Wirrick,  discharged  for  disa- 

Aaron  Puntivers,  mustered  out  June  24,  bility.  May  22,  1865. 

1865.  John    Williams,    discharged    by    order,. 

William  R.  Place,  transferred  to  twenty-  July,  1863. 

eighth  infantry;  mustered  out  June  5,  1866.  David     H.     Whipple,     transferred     to 

William  E.  Patterson,  discharged  for  dis-  twenty-eighth  infantry ;  mustered  out  June 

ability.  May  8,  1863.  5,  1866. 

Delos  Reed,  discharged  by  order,  July 

18,  1863.  Company  F. 

John  P.  Rooney,  died  of  disease  at  Bowl-  ( 

ing  Green,  Kentucky,  February  16,  1863.  Captain  Spencer  L.  Lansing,  Niles;  com- 

Galen  R.  Rogers,  died  of  disease  at  Bowl-  missioned  August  10,  1862;  discharged  for 

ing  Green,  Kentucky,  February  17,   1863.  disability,  October  28,  1864. 


io8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Captain  Irving  Paddock,  Three  Oaks; 
commissioned  May  8,  1865;  first  lieutenant, 
November  i,  1864;  sergeant,  August  14, 
1862;  mustered  out  June  24,  1865. 

First  Lieutenant  Gideon  Frisbie,  Avery; 
commissioned  August  10,  1862;  discharged 
for  disabihty  September  24,  1864. 

First  Lieutenant  Henry  Bond,  Niles; 
commissioned  May  8,  1865;  second  Heuten- 
ant,  November  2,  1864;  sergeant,  August 
II,  1862;  mustered  out  June  24,  1865. 

Second  Lieutenant  Arthur  Twombly, 
Niles;  commissioned  August  10,  1862;  re- 
signed September  18,  1864. 

Sergeant  Charles  Woodruff,  Niles;  en- 
hsted  August  14,  1862;  promoted  to  ser- 
geant-major, January  14,  1862. 

Sergeant  Henry  B.  Adams,  Niles;  en- 
listed August  7,  1862;  died  of  disease  at 
Knoxville,  Tennessee,  February  20,  1864. 

Sergeant  Julius  C.  Webb,  Niles;  cor- 
poral, August  14,  1862;  mustered  out  June 
24,  1865. 

Corporal  Don  A.  Clark,  Niles;  enlisted 
August  13,  1862;  died  December  25,  1864, 
of  wounds  received  August  6,  1864. 

Corporal  Peter  G.  Cuddeback,  Berrien; 
enlisted  August  13,  1862;  died  July  4,  1863, 
of  wounds  received  at  Tibbs'  Bend. 

Corporal  Henry  T.  Kimmel,  Niles;  en- 
listed August  14,  1862;  discharged  by  order, 
February  27,  1863. 

Corporal  Joel  F.  Warner,  New  Buffalo; 
enlisted  August  14,  1862;  mustered  out  June 
24,  1865. 

Corporal  Byron  W.  Earl,  Niles;  enlisted 
August  7,  1862;  transferred  to  Invalid 
Corps,  February  15,   1864. 

Corporal  Thomas  Quigley,  Niles ;  en- 
listed August  13,  1862;  discharged  for  disa- 
bility January  26,  1865. 

Musican  Isaac  McDaniel,  Niles;  enlisted 
August  9,  1862  ;  died  of  disease  at  Murfrees- 
boro,  January  16,  1863. 

David  C.  Bachelor,  transferred  to  Vet- 
eran Reserve  Corps,  May  i,  1864. 


Henry  Bowman,  mustered  out  June  24, 

1865. 

Thomas  D.  Bines,  mustered  out  June  24, 

1865. 

John    Bourke,    mustered    out   June   24, 

1865. 

Charles  H.  Burbank,  mustered  out  June 
24,  1865. 

Kellison  Collins,  discharged  for  disa- 
bility, February  24,  1865. 

Frederick  W.  Doane,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, April  23,  1863. 

Jerry  Doolan,  transferred  to  Veteran  Re- 
serve Corps,  April  10,  1864. 

John  Davis,  mustered  out  June  24,  1865. 

James  Edgin,  from  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps;  mustered  out  July  5,  1865. 

James  Fallon,  discharged  for  disability, 
February  18,   1863. 

Morris  Frisbee,  mustered  out  June  24, 

1865. 

William  Gray,  mustered  out    June    24, 

1865. 

John  J.  Garrison,  mustered  out  June  24, 

1865. 

Francis  W.  Gano,  mustered  out  June  10, 

1865. 

Nathan  Gilbert,  mustered  out  June  24, 

1865. 

Thomas  J.  Gilbert,  mustered  out  June 
24,  1865. 

Justus  H.  Hastings,  mustered  out  June 
24,  1865. 

Levi  Hoover,  discharged  for  disability, 
April  4,  1863. 

George  C.  Inman,  transferred  to  Vet- 
eran Reserve  corps,  February  15,  1864. 

Edwin  G.  Loucks,  mustered  out  June  24, 

1865. 

Leroy  Lamunion,  mustered  out  June  24, 

1865. 

William  Lahey,  mustered  out  June  24, 
1865. 

John  W.  McKee,  mustered  out  June  24, 
1865. 

John  McClarey,  discharged  by  order, 
July  20,  1863. 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


109 


James  McGurk,  discharged  for  disa- 
bility, August  28/ 1863. 

Arbuth  M.  Nott,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, September  4,   1863. 

Philo  Norton^  mustered    out    June    24, 

1865. 

Thomas  O'Callaghan,  mustered  out 
June  24,  1865. 

William  M.  Otwell,  mustered  out  June 
24,  1865. 

Emory  Otwell,  discharged  by  order,  July 
20,  1863. 

Andrew  J.  Painter,  mustered  out  June 
24,  1865. 

Horatio  H.  Richardson,  mustered  out 
June  24,  1865. 

Lewis  Quick,  died  of  disease  at  Louis- 
ville, February  8^  1863. 

Jesse  Sheridan,  died  of  disease  at  Bowl- 
ing Green,  February  18,  1863. 

William  Slater,  died  of  disease  at  Bowl- 
ing Green,  March  16,  1863. 

Rowland  Soper,  died  at  Chattanooga, 
June  29,  1864. 

Isaac  Smith,  transferred  to  Veteran  Re- 
serve corps,  February  15,  1863. 

Thomas  E.  Sheridan,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, November  21,  1863. 

Charles  T.  Serviss,  mustered  out  June 
24,  1865. 

Thomas  P.  Starr,  mustered  out  June  24, 
1865. 

John  P.  Titsworth,  mustered  out  June 
24,  1865. 

F^rederick  L.  Thaldorf,  mustered  out 
June  24,  1865. 

Marcus  Tuttle,  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps,  January   15,    1864.  ^ 

Thomas  Wood^  transferred  to  Veteran 
Reserve  corps,  December  15,  1863. 

Michael  Wood,  discharged  for  insanity, 
October  28,  1863. 

Nathan  Williams,  discharged  by  order, 
March  20,  1863. 

EphraimWellwood,  discharged  by  order, 
July  20,  1863. 


John  Wright,  died  at  Resaca,  Georgia, 
May  14,  1864. 

Orson  S.  Warner,  mustered  out  June  24, 

1865. 

John  Wing,  mustered  out  June  24,  1865. 
Company  K. 

Captain  M.  V.  McKinney,  Buchanan; 
commissioned  July  23,  1862;  resigned  July 
26,  1863. 

Captain  John  Tennant,  Buchanan;  com- 
missioned July  26,  1863;  first  lieutenant, 
August  4,  1862;  discharged  for  disability, 
June  14,  1864. 

First  Lieutenant  Frank  D.  Weaver,  Bu- 
chanan; commissioned  July  26,  1863;  sec- 
ond lieutenant,  August  15,  1862;  died  of 
disease,  April  12,  1864. 

Second  Lieutenant  Charles  Woodruff, 
Niles;  commissioned,  April  2,  1864;  pro- 
moted to  first  lieutenant,  and  adjutant,  April 
7,  1864. 

Second  Lieutenant  Norris  H.  Merrill, 
Buchanan;  commissioned  June  i,  1864;  ser- 
geant, July  22,  1862;  discharged  for 
wounds,  November  4,  1864. 

Sergeant  Rodney  Knight,  Buchanan; 
enlisted  August  13,  1862;  died  of  disease  at 
Knoxville,  January  4,  1865. 

Sergeant  Abram  Welles,  Weesaw;  en- 
listed August  II,  1862;  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, September  i,  1863. 

Sergeant  Joseph  C.  Harris,  Buchanan; 
enlisted  August  15,  1862;  discharged  for 
disability,  January  3,  1863. 

Sergeant  John  A.  Sperry,  Royalton; 
enlisted  July  12,  1862;  discharged  for  disa- 
bility, January  15,  1863. 

Corporal  James  L.  Slater,  Weesaw;  en- 
listed August  12,  1862;  died  in  action  at 
Tibbs'  Bend,  Kentucky,  July  4,  1863. 

Corporal  Emmet  S.  Totlen,  Buchanan; 
enlisted  August  15,  1862;  mustered  out  May 
31,  1865. 

Corporal  Solomon  Ulery,  Buchanan ;  en- 
listed August  12,  1862;  absent,  sick. 


no  HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 

Simon  P.   Aldrich,   mustered  out  June  J.  S.  Gordon,  discharged  by  order,  July 

24,  1865.  21,  1863. 

John  Boyce,  mustered  out  July  7,  1865.  F.  G.  M.  Holmes,  discharged  for  disa- 

Henry  Beacham,  discharged  for  disabil-  bility,  September  10,  1862. 

ity,  March  3,  1863.  William   J.   Henderson,   discharged    for 

Charles  Cochran,  discharged  for  disabil-  disability,  September  11,  1863. 

ity,  September  10,  1862.  William  H.  Hanover,  discharged  for  dis- 

Oliver  J.  Chin,  died  of  disease  at  Bowl-  ability,  March  3,  1863. 

ing  Green,  March  31,  1863.  Warren  J.  Harris,  mustered  out  June  24, 

Charles  Carr,  missing  in  action  in  Tenn-  1865. 

essee,  January  22,  1864.  Martin  V.  Hulmes,  mustered  out  June 

George  W.   Colvin,  mustered  out  June  24,  1865. 

15,  1865.  Henry  Homer,  mustered  out  June  24, 

James  A.  Cook,  mustered  out  June  24,  1865. 

1865.  David  Hill,  mustered  out  June  24,  1865. 

William  Conradt,  mustered  out  June  24,  Marvin  H.  Haskins,  mustered  out  June 

1865.  24,  1865. 

William  W.  Compton,  mustered  out  June  William  Inglewright,  Sr.,  discharged  by 

24,  1865.  order. 

Nathan  Dodds,  mustered  out  June  24,  William  Inglewright,  Jr.,  transferred  to 

1865.  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  February  15,  1864. 

Ambrose  Dickerson,  discharged  for  dis-  Harvey  C.  Judson,  transferred  to  Vet- 
ability,  January  6,  1863.  eran  Reserve  Corps,  February  15,  1864. 

Hiram  Dunham,  transferred  to  Veteran  Andrew  Judy,  died  of  disease  at  Louis- 
Reserve  corps,  April  20,  1864.  ville,  Kentucky,  October  8,  1862. 

A.    E warts,    discharged    for    disability,  James  S.  Lee,  discharged  for  disability, 

July  21,  1863.  January  15,  1863. 

Joseph  Fuller,  discharged  for  disability,  James  Meeker,  m.ustered  out  June  24, 

Franklin  B.  Fancher,  discharged  for  dis-  1865. 

ability,  January  15,  1863.  Robert  Norris,   mustered  out  June  24, 

Emory  F.  Ferry,  discharged  for  disabil-  1865. 
ity,  February,  1864.  James  Pen  well,  died  of  disease  at  Bowl- 
Lewis  B.  Force,  transferred  to  Veteran  ing  Green,  Kentucky,  March  11,  1863. 
Reserve    Corps;    mustered    out    June    30,  George  Pierce,  died  of  disease  at  Knox- 
1865.  ville,  Tennessee,  May  25,  1864. 

Charles  W.  Fancher,  transferred  to  Vet-  Nathan  Pratt,  discharged  by  order,  July 

eran  Reserve  Corps,  July  26,  1863.  29,  1863. 

George  Furay,    mustered    out    May    7,  A.     Randall,  transferred  to  Veteran  Re- 

1865.  serve  Corps,  February  15,   1864. 

.   William  R.  Gonder,  mustered  out  June  Henry  Rundell,  mustered  out  June  24, 

24,  1865.  1865. 

J.  L.  Gorham,  transferred    to    Veteran  Benjamin  N.  Redding,  mustered  out  June 

Reserve  Corps,  April  10,  1864.  24,  1865. 

Jacob  Garlinger,   transferred  to  Veteran  James  M.  Rose,  mustered  out  May  30, 

Reserve  corps,  January  15,  1864.  1865. 

Andrew  Graham,   discharged  by  order,  John  Z.  Swanger,  mustered  out  June  24, 

July  21,  1863.  1865.                                                            ^   i 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


III 


Charles  W.  Strong,  mustered  out  June 
^4,  1865. 

James  H.  Snodgrass. 

John  C.  Spinetta,  died  of  disease  at 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  October  7,  1862. 

Jacob  Shruler,  discharged  for  disability, 
September  10,  1862. 

Zenith  Strong,  discharged  for  disability, 
September  10,  1862. 

John    Taylor,    mustered    out    June    24, 

1865. 

Volney  O.  Van  Denburgh,  died  of  disease 
at  Bowling  Green,  Kentucky,  February  11, 

1863. 

Frank  Watson,  died  of  disease  at  Knox- 
ville,  Tennessee,  May  11,  1864. 

John  Weaver,  died  of  wounds  at  Resaca, 
Georgia,  May  14,  1864. 

Evert  Wirt,  died  in  action  at  Rocky 
Face,  Georgia,  May  9,  1864. 

Alvertus  Wray,  died  in  Indiana,  March 
10,  1865. 

Philip  Walworth,  discharged  for  disa- 
bility, September  10,  1862. 

H.  Wells,  discharged  for  disability,  Sep- 
tember I,  1863. 

Oscar  Woodworth,  discharged  for  disa- 
bility, January  15,  1863. 

Emery  Wray,  discharged  by  order  to 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  July  21,   1863. 

Samuel  Washburn,  discharged  by  order 
to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  July  21,   1863. 

Hiram  Walcott,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, February  10,  1863. 

W.  P.  Wood,  discharged  for  disability, 
February  6,  1863. 

J.  J.  Wade,  mustered  out  June  24, 
1865. 

David  Washburn,  mustered  out  June  24, 
1865. 

John  Washburn,  mustered  out  June  24, 
1865. 

William  H.  Walworth,  mustered  out 
June  24,  1865. 

Noah  Weaver,  mustered  out  June  23, 
1865. 


Noah  M.  Wilter,  mustered  out  May  18, 
1865. 

George  H.  Watson,  mustered  out  May 
26,  1865. 

Twenty-sixth  Michigan  Infantry. 

There  were  about  sixty  members  of  this 
regiment  from  Berrien  county,  being  in 
Company  G,  with  Asa  G.  Dailey  of  Dayton, 
captain.  This  regiment  was  raised  in  the 
fall  of  1862  and  rendezvoused  at  Jackson. 
Its  service  was  principally  in  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac. 

It  took  a  leading  part  in  the  successful 
attack  made  by  the  Second  Corps  at  Spott- 
sylvania.  May  12,  1863,  on  the  enemy's 
works,  which  were  carried  after  a  fierce 
hand  to  hand  fight  with  the  bayonet.  The 
Twenty-sixth  was  the  first  regiment  to  plant 
its  colors  on  the  rebel  works.  Its  loss  in 
this  action  was  severe,  amounting  to  one 
hundred  and  thirty- four  killed  and  wounded. 

For  gallant  services  at  the'  battle  of 
Deep  Bottom,  July  2y,  and  July  28,  1864, 
the  regiment  was  especially  complimented 
by  General  Hancock,  in  his  general  orders. 
It  w^as  in  the  advance  in  the  final  pursuit 
of  Lee's  retreating  army  in  April,  1865,  ^^^^ 
through  its  lines,  General  Grant  operated 
with  his  flag  of  truce,  in  arranging  the 
terms  of  surrender  at  Appomattox  Court 
House. 

Its  losses  in  the  war  were  two  hundred 
and  fifty-nine  out  of  a  membership  of  about 
one  thousand.  It  was  in  numerous  engage- 
ments; only  the  most  important  can  be 
mentioned. 

1864  Wilderness,  Po  River,  Spottsylvania, 
North  Anna,  Petersburg,  Deep  Bot- 
tom. 

1865  Peebles  Farm,  Hatcher's  Run,  Amelia 
Springs,  Sailor's  Creek,  Appomattox 
Court  House. 

It  w^as  engaged  in  the  siege  of  Peters- 
burg,  from  June   17,    1864,   to   April   3rd, 

1865. 


112 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Twenty-sixth  Infantry. 

Company  C. 

Second  Lieutenant  Sylvester  R.  Wilson, 
Galien;  commissioned  January  2,  1865;  pro- 
moted to  first  lieutenant;  mustered  out  as 
second  lieutenant,  June  4,  1865. 

Company  G. 

Captain  Asa  G.  Dailey,  Dayton;  com- 
missioned August  4,  1862;  resigned  April 
27,  1865. 

First  Lieutenant  William  M.  Cady,  Day- 
ton; commissioned  August  11,  1864;  re- 
signed April  9,  1864. 

Sergeant  James  M.  Price,  Weesaw;  en- 
listed August  15,  1862;  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, August  28,  1863. 

Sergeant  Sylvester  R.  Wilson,  Galien; 
enlisted  August  7,  1862;  promoted  to  sec- 
ond lieutenant,  Company  C. 

Sergeant  William  Hulmes,  Dayton;  en- 
listed August  6,  1862;  died  in  rebel  prison, 
Salisbury,     North    Carolina,    January     12, 

1865. 

Sergeant  John  Landor,  Dayton ;  enlisted 
Ailgust  6,  1862;  mustered  out  June  3,  1865. 

Sergeant  Albert  O.  Ewen,  New  Buffalo; 
enlisted  August  8,  1862;  mustered  out  June 
3,  1865. 

Corporal  Henry  Rowland,  Dayton,  en- 
listed August  6,   1862;  mustered  out  June 

3.  1865. 

Corporal  David  Bryant,  Niles;  enlisted 
August   6,    1862;  mustered   out  June    19, 

1865. 

Corporal  Winfield  Wilson,  Galien;  en- 
listed August  12,  1862;  mustered  out  June 

4,  1865. 

Corporal  William  De  Armand,  Bert- 
rand;  enlisted  August  15,  1862;  died  of 
wounds  received  at  Spottsylvania^  May  12, 
1864. 

Corporal  George  Day,  St.  Joseph,  en- 
listed August  12,  1862;  died  of  disease  at 
Alexandria,  Virginia,  February  15,  1863. 


Corporal  Reuben  H.  Rice,  Galien;  en- 
listed August  15,  1862;  mustered  out  June 
ID,  1865. 

Corporal  Alvah  H.  Spalding,  Galien; 
enlisted  August  22,  1862;  mustered  out 
June  4,  1865. 

Corporal  Albert  H.  Wheeler,  Dayton; 
enlisted  August  6,  1862;  mustered  out  June 
4,  1865. 

Chauncey  E.  Ashcroft,  mustered  out 
June  29,  1865. 

Charles  E.  Bradley,  mustered  out  June 
29,  1865. 

Selah  Baxter,  mustered  out  June  29,. 
1865. 

F.    A.    Burras,   mustered   out   June   29,. 

1865. 

Milford  L.  Brightford,  discharged  for 
disability,  April  20,  1865. 

William  L.  Bennett,  died  in  Anderson- 
ville  prison,  November  26,  1864. 

Uri  M.  Barber,  died  in  Andersonville 
prison,  September  2;^,  1864. 

John  Bowen,  missing  in  battle.  May  12,. 
1864. 

John  A.  Davidson,  mustered  out  June  4^ 

1865. 

John  F.  Espy,  died  of  disease  at  Wee- 
saw,  Michigan,  May  8,  1864. 

T.  J.  Green,  died  of  disease,  December 
21,  1863. 

Joseph  F.   Grooms,  mustered  out  June 

4,  1865. 

Joseph  V.  Grooms,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, February  17,  1865. 

John  Haggerty,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability. 

Joseph  Happe,  died  in  battle  at  Spottsyl- 
vania,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864. 

Daniel  Harris,  died  in  Salisbury  prison,. 
January  12,  1865. 

Samuel   Hills,   mustered    out    June    4, 

1865. 

Gilbert  F.  Kinney,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, May  2,  1863. 

Nelson  Kinney,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, November  17,  1863. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


113- 


Robert  Landon,  mustered  out  June  4, 
1865. 

James   Lavelle,   mustered   out   June   4, 

1865. 

Obed  Look,  died  of  disease,  NoA'ember 
7,  1862. 

Elkanah  A.  Parish,  died  of  disease  at 
Dayton,  Michigan,  February  20,  1864. 

Edgar  Potter,  died  of  disease  at  Alex- 
andria, April  9,  1863. 

Aaron  Perks,  died  in  battle  at  Spottsyl- 
vania,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864. 

James  R.  Ross,  died  of  disease  at  Day- 
ton, Michigan,  February  20,  1864. 

Joseph  Rouse,  mustered  out  June  4, 
1865. 

David    Stoner,   mustered   out    June    4, 

1865. 

Alvin   C.   Spalding,   mustered  out  June 

4, 1865. 

Abner  P.  Paulding,  mustered  out  June 
4,  1865. 

George  W.  Spengelburch,  died  in  rebel 
prison  at  Salisbury,  December  9,  1865. 

George  W.  Stoner,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, June  17,  1863. 

Nicholas  Shoop,  died  of  disease  at  Alex- 
andria, Virginia,  January  21,  1864. 

Hiram  A.  Sackett,  died  in  battle  at 
Spottsylvania,  Virginia,  May   12,   1864. 

William  Seward,  died  in  battle  at  Spott- 
sylvania, Virginia,  May  12,  1864. 

Benjamin  F.  Yaw,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, December  16,  1863. 

Jonathan  Yaw,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, December  16,  1863. 

Twenty-eighth   Michigan  Infantry. 

There  were  about  90  men  from  Berrien 
county  distributed  in  different  companies. 

It  was  raised  in  the  summer  of  1864, 
rendezvoused  at  Kalamazoo  and  left  for  the 
seat  of  war  October  26,  1864,  Colonel  Wil- 
liam W.  Wheeler^  of  St.  Joseph,  became 
colonel  on  December  9,  1864. 

Although  a   raw    regiment,   it    partici- 


pated in  the  great  battle  of  Nashville  in 
December,  1864,  where  it  fully  established 
a  reputation  as  a  gallant  fighting  regiment. 

It  was  afterward  assigned  to  General 
Cox's  army  in  North  Carolina^  which  was 
intended  to  co-operate  with  General  Sher- 
man's army  in  its  approach  to  the  coast. 
Here  it  was  engaged  in  duty,  guarding  the 
lines  of  the  Atlanta  &  North  Carolina  rail- 
road. It  remained  on  duty  in  North  Caro- 
lina till  it  was  mustered  out  at  Newbern,, 
North  Carolina,  June  5,  1866. 

Its  loss  was  128  in  killed,  wounded  and 
death  by  disease. 

It  was  in   the  following  engagements: 

Nashville,  Tenn.,  Dec.   12  to  16,   1864. 
Wise's  Fork,  N.  C,  March  8  to  10,  1865. 

Field  and  Staff. 

Colonel  William  W.  Wheeler,  Niles; 
commissioned  August  15,  1864;  lieutenant- 
colonel  and  major  Twenty-third  infantry; 
mustered  out  July  12,  1866. 

Company  B. 

S.  F.  West,  died  of  disease  at  Nash- 
ville, January  9,  1865. 

Company  C. 

Andrew  Baer,  mustered  out  June  12^ 
1865. 

Wilson  J.  Norton,  mustered  out  June 
12,  1866. 

Willis  S.  Norton,  discharged  by  order^ 
July  26,  1865. 

Charles  E.  Perry,  discharged  by  order^ 
May  26,  1865. 

Paul  Pasch,  mustered  out  June  5,  1866. 

Abram  Packard,  died  of  disease  at  Alex- 
andria, Virginia,  February  13,  1865. 

James  E.  Sprang,  mustered  out  June  5, 
1866. 


JII4  HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 

James  A.  Shelden,  mustered  out  Septem-  Company  H. 
fcer  12,  1865. 

Sergeant  Orrin  W.  Crossman,  Benton; 

Company  E.  enlisted  September  3,  1864;  died  of  disease 

at  Alexandria,  Virginia,  February  16,  1865. 

John  Brott,  mustered  out  June  5,  1866.  Sergeant  Orange  C.  Burbank^  Benton; 

Charles    L.    Cummings,    mustered    out  enlisted  October  i,  1864;  died  of  disease  in 

June  5,  1866.  North  Carolina,  August  16,  1865. 

Lawson   T.    Humphrey,    mustered    out  Corporal  Anthony  Jerrue,   Benton;  en- 
June  5,  1866.  listed  September   16,    1864;  discharged  by 

George   Hamilton,    mustered    out    Oc-  order,  September  6,  1865. 

tober6,  1865.  *      Corporal    Delmont  J.   Coboneau,     Ber^ 

William  W.  Jordan,  mustered  out  June  rien;  enlisted  September  10,  1864;  sergeant 

5,  1866.  mustered  out  June  5,  1866. 

Zephaniah  Linsey,  discharged  by  order.  Corporal  Francis  H.  Taylor,  St.  Joseph; 

August  26,   1865.  enlisted  September  13,  1864;  discharged  for 

Frank   Matron,   mustered    out    August  disability,  September  21,,  1865. 
^3?   1865.  Corporal  James  Hanna,  St.  Joseph;  en- 
Michael  Rohrer,  mustered  out  June  5,  listed   September   i,     1864;    mustered    out 
¥866.  June  5,  1865. 

Archibald    Schoonover,     discharged   by  Corporal  Uriah  Gress,  Benton;  enlisted 

order,  September  5,  1865.  September  19,    1864;  discharged  by  order, 

Luman   Wireman,   mustered    out    June  May  19,  1865. 

:i4,  1865.  Perry  J.  Ashley,   died    at    Kalamazoo, 

(shot),  December  6,  1864. 

Company  G.  David  Abbey,  discharged  by  order.  May 

17,  1866. 

"AVilliam   Allen,   mustered   out   June   5,  William  Annable,  mustered  out  June  5, 

1866.  1866. 

John  A.  Hunt,  mustered  out  May  22,  W.  S.  Aikens,  discharged  at  end  of  ser- 

.1:865.  vice,  March  3,  1866. 

Henry  D.  Kirtland,  discharged  for  dis-  Frederick  Barney,  discharged  by  order, 

nihility.  May  26,  1865. 

Ira    Olds    died    of    disease    at    Detroit,  Richard  W.  Brown,  mustered  out  July 

March  4,  1865.  7,  1865. 

Daniel   Quinn,  mustered    out    June    5,  Smith  B.  Barker,  mustered  out  June  5, 

a866.  1866. 

Charles  H.  Stevens,  mustered  out  Sep-  William  W.  Fenno,  mustered  out  June 

■tember  13,  1865.  5,  1866. 

'    James  P.  Tilton,  mustered  out  June  5,  George  G.   Gouchy,  mustered  out  July 

1866.  I,  1865. 

William  S.  Williams,  mustered  out  June  Lewis  Herbert,  mustered  out  September 

5,  1866.    ^  13,  1865. 

Cornelius  Williams,  mustered  out  Janu-  William  E.  Jakeway,  mustered  out  De- 
nary 3,  1866.  cember  4,  1865. 

William  Wittier,  mustered  out  May  25,  Richard  S.  Lawrence,  died  of  disease  at 

^865.  Louisville,  November  21,  1864. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


"5 


Charles  E.  Mowry^  mustered  out  June 

12,    1865. 

George  W.  Odell,  died  of  disease  in 
Indiana,  November  23,  1864. 

Gain  O.  Robinson,  died  of  disease  at 
Alexandria,   Virginia,    February    10,    1865. 


John  B.  Woodward,  died  of  disease  at 
New  York  City,  June  30,  1865. 

Company  K. 

Corporal     Warren     Beckwith,     Water- 


Humphrey  Starks,   mustered  out  May  29,      vliet;   enlisted   October   11,    1864;   died  of 


1865. 

Harvey  Smith,  mustered  out  June  5, 
1866. 

Pardon  D.  Taylor,  died  of  disease  at 
Nashville,  January  10,  1865. 

Edmund  Tappen,  mustered  out  June  5, 
1866. 

Hiram  Tubbs,  mustered  out  September 
13,  1865. 

Merrick  Voncent^  died  of  disease  in 
North  Carolina,  June  5,  1865. 

Henry  Weber,  discharged  by  order.  May 
19,  1865. 

Calvin  S.  Warren,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, October  19,  1865. 

Arthur  Worden,  mustered  out  June  5, 
1866. 

Company  I. 


disease  in  North  Carolina,  June  8,  1865. 

Daniel    Aspinwall,    mustered    out    May 
II,  1865. 

Perry  Converse,  mustered  out  May  16, 

1865. 

Silas   J.    Chapman,    died   of   disease   at 

Alexandria,   Virginia,    February    16,    1865. 

Alexander  Fisher,  mustered  out  June  5, 

1865. 

David  W.  Felson,  mustered  out  June  5, 
1866. 

Albert  E.  Heaton,  mustered  out  May  15, 

1865. 

Richard  A.  Lawrence,  mustered  out  May 
20,  1865. 

Edward  Measure,  mustered  out  May  26, 

1865. 

John  H.  Measure,  mustered  out  June  5, 

1865. 

;  William  H.  Morey,  mustered  out  June 

Washington  S.  Blowers,  died  of  disease      5,  1866. 

James  P.  Versau,  mustered  out  June  5, 
1866. 

Samuel  Versau,   mustered  out  June   5, 
1866. 


at  Nashville,  Tennessee,  January  10,  1865. 

Fred  N.  Bachman,  mustered  out  June  5, 
1866. 

John  Buchanan,  mustered  out  June   5, 
1866. 

John  J.  Baxter,  mustered  out  June  5,  One  Hundred  and  Second  U.  S.  Colored 

1866.  Troops.  • 

George  A.  Cook,  mustered  out  June  5,  !^ 

1866.  This  regiment  was  raised  in  the  winter  of 

Frederick  M.  Cook^  mustered  out  July  1863-64  and  rendezvoused  at  Detroit,  leav- 

14,  1865.  ing  for  the  seat  of  war  March  28th,  1864. 

William     C.     Conklin,     discharged     by  It  was  raised  wholly  in  Michigan  and 

order.  May  27,  1865.  was  first  know  as  the  First  Regiment  Michi- 

Amos   L.   Herrick,   discharged  for   dis-  gan  Colored  Infantry.     Fifty-one  members 

ability,  December  21,   1865.  of  this  regiment  were  from  Berrien  county. 

Daniel  D.   Havens,  mustered  out  June  Four  of  them,  viz. :  William  Powers,  Harri- 

5,  1866.  son  Johnson,  Edward  Finley  and  Eli  Smith, 

Stephen  R.  Thayer,  mustered  out  Sep-  became  sergeants  in  their  companies, 

tember   13,    1865.  The  regiment  was  sent  to  South  Caro- 


ii6 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


lina  in  April,  1864.  It  was  engaged  with 
the  enemy  in  December  at  Honey  Hill  and 
two  other  engagements  and  in  the  three 
conflicts  lost  65  in  killed  and  wounded  out 
of  300  engaged. 

In  February,  1865,  it  was  engaged  in 
the  operations  against  Charleston.  It  fought 
with  great  gallantry  in  a  skirmish  with  the 
enemy  at  Singleton,  South  Carolina,  on 
April  2 1st,  1865,  virtually  the  last  engage- 
ment of  the  war.  This  regiment  appears  to 
have  conducted  itself  manfully  and  when 
engaged,  showed  the  h'ghest  degree  of  brav- 
ery. It  was  mustered  out  September  30th, 
1865,  at  Charleston.  Its  loss  was  140.  It 
was  engaged  in  the  following  engagements : 

) 

1864  Honey  Hill,  Tullifirny,  D.  Vaux 
Neck,  S.  C. 

1865  Cuckwold's  Creek,  Sampterville, 
Spring  Hill,  Swift  Creek,  Boykins, 
Singleton,  S.  C. 

One  Hundred  and  Second  U.  S.  Colored 
Troops. 

Company  A. 

Stephen  Busbee,  mustered  out  September 
30,  1865. 

Joshua  Emmons,  died  of  disease  in  South 
Carolina,  July  4,  1864. 

Anthony  Nash,  mustered  out  September 
30,  1865. 

Robert  Ogden,  died  of  disease  in  South 
Carolina,  February  5,  1865. 

Company  B. 

John  Battles,  mustered  out  September 
30,  1865. 

James  T.  Battles,  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 30,  1865. 

George  Brown,  mustered  out  September 
30,  1865. 

Ezekiel  Harris,  mustered  out  September 
30,  1865. 


William  Linsey,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, August  II,  1864. 

Levi*  Mitchell,  discharged  by  order,  May 
24,  1864. 

Company  C. 

William  Adams,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, June  16,  1865. 

Company  D. 

Henry  Harris,  mustered  out  September 
30,  1865. 

Abner  A.  Mitchell,  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 30,  1865. 

Company  E. 

Sergeant  Eli  Smith,  Niles;  enlisted  No- 
vember 30,  1863 ;  absent,  sick,  at  muster  out. 

Nathan  Hall,  mustered  out  September 
30,  1865. 

William  P.  Minnis,  mustered  out  Sep- 
tember 30,  1865. 

Company  F. 

George  Vincent,  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 30,  1865. 

Company  G. 

)■ 

Sergeant  William  Powers,  Niles,  en- 
listed October  28,  1863 ;  mustered  out  Sep- 
tember 30,   1865. 

Sergeant  Harrison  Johnson,  Niles,  en- 
listed December  26,  1863;  mustered  out 
September  30,   1865. 

Corporal  John  Lett,  Sodus,  enlisted 
January  2,  1864;  died  of  disease  in  South- 
ern Carolina,  June  24,  1865. 

Corporal  Benjamin  F.  Coleman,  Sodus, 
enlisted  January  24,  1864;  died  of  disease 
in  New  York,  January  6,  1865. 

Corporal  Miner  Rivers,   Niles,   enlisted 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


117 


January  24,  1864;  mustered  out  September 
30,  1865. 

William  Buchanan,  mustered  out  Sep- 
tember 30,  1865. 

Benjamin  J.  Cozzens,  mustered  out 
September   30,    1865. 

Joseph  Dickinson,  mustered  out  Septem- 
May  26,  1865. 

Andrew  Farmer,  discharged  for  wounds 
May,  26,  1865. 

Lewis  Gibney,  mustered  out  September 
30,  1865. 

Washington  Gibney,  mustered  out  Sep- 
tember 30,   1865. 

Ashberry  Hackley,  mustered  out  Sep- 
tember 30,  1865. 

Marcellus  Hackley,  mustered  out  Sep- 
tember 30,  1865. 

Edward  Hicks,  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 30,  1865. 

Needham  Miller,  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 30,  1865. 

Samuel  McLean,  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 30,   1865. 

George  W.  Patterson,  mustered  out  Sep- 
tember 30,  1865. 

John  Stephens,  mustered  out  September 
30.  1865. 

Company  H. 

Corporal  George  Jackson,  Chikaming ; 
enlisted  December  31,  1863;  mustered  out 
September  30,  1865. 

Thomas  Buck,  mustered  out  September 
30,   1865. 

Stephen  A.  Douglass,  mustered  out  Sep- 
tember 30,  1865. 

George  H.  Hicks,  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 30,  1865. 

Willis  Littleton,  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 30,  1865. 

Jacob  Steele,  mustered  out  September 
30,  1865. 

Benjamin  A.  Woodruff^  mustered  out 
September  30,  1865. 


Company  L 

Sergeant  Edward  Finley,  Niles;  enlisted 
January  21,  1864;  mustered  out  Septembei 
30,   1865. 

Corporal  John  Wright,  Niles,  enlisted 
January  13,  1864;  mustered  out  September 
30,  1865. 

Edwin  Crowder,  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 30,  1865. 

Abram  Love,  died  of  disease  at  Detroit, 
February  13,  1864. 

William  Norman,  died  of  disease  in 
South  Carolina,  February  4,  1865. 

Company  K. 

William  Bailey,  absent,  sick  at  muster 
out. 

Isaac  Horden,  mustered  out  September 
30,  1865. 

John  Metchum,  mustered  out  September 
30,  1865. 

First  Sharp  Shooters. 

This  regiment  was  organized  in  July, 
1863.  Two  of  the  companies  were  raised 
in  Berrien  county.  Company  ''G,"  Thomas 
H.  Gaffrey,  of  Niles,  captain,  and  Company 
'T,''  George  H.  Murdock,  of  Berrien 
Springs,  captain. 

For  some  time  it  was  on  duty  guard- 
ing a  camp  of  rebel  prisoners  at  Camp 
Douglass.  In  February,  1864,  it  went  into 
active  service  in  the  field  with  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac.  On  May  sixth  or  seventh  it 
was  engaged  in  the  great  battle  of  the  Wild- 
erness, and  on  May  ninth  and  tenth  and 
twelfth  at  Spottsylvania  in  which  its  losses 
were  killed  and  wounded  one  hundred  and 
fifty-one.  'Tor  gallant  services  at  this  bat- 
tle as  well  as  during  the  campaign  before 
Richmond,''  Captain  George  H.  Murdock, 
of  Berrien  Springs,  was  brevetted  Major 
United  States  volunteers.  At  the  terrible 
engagement  before  Petersburg  on  June  sev- 
enteenth and  eighteenth,  1864,  the  regiment 
especially   distinguished   itself   in   charging 


11^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


and  taking  the  enemy's  work,  repelling  the 
army  .in  two  successive  charges  and  tak- 
ing eighty-six  prisoners.  The  loss  of  the 
regiment  in  these  two  days  were  seventy- 
seven  killed  and  wounded  and  eighty-four 
missing.  Captain  Gaffney,  of  Niles,  was 
killed. 

Ira  L.  Evans,  of  Niles,  first  lieutenant  of 
Company  E,  was  brevetted  Major  of  United 
States  volunteers  for  ''gallant  and  meritori- 
ous services"  in  this  assault. 

Upon  the  final  capture  of  Petersburg  on 
April  3,  1865,  the  First  Michigan  Sharp 
Shooters  were  in  the  advance  and  the  first 
regiment  to  enter  the  city,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Major  Ira  L.  Evans,  of  Niles,  orig- 
inally first  lieutenant  of  Company  E. 

This  regiment  was  one  of  the  best  in 
the  service.  Its  losses  in  killed  and  wound- 
ed and  death  by  disease  were  two  hundred 
and  sixty-three.  It  was  in  numerous  en- 
gagements of  which  the  following  were  the 
most  important : 

1864  Wilderness,  Po  River,  Spottsylvania, 
Ox  Ford,  North  Anna,  Siege  of 
Petersburg,  Hatcher's  Run. 

1865  Fort  Stedman,  Fort  McGilvery,  Cap- 
ture of  Petersburg. 

First  Sharp  Shooters. 

Company  A. 

Captain  Ira  L.  Evans,  Niles;  commis- 
sioned June  19,  1864;  brevetted  major 
United  States  Volunteers,  December  2, 
1864,  ''for  gallant  and  meritorious  services 
in  the  assault  before  Petersburg." 

First  Lieutenant  Daniel  C.  Gore,  Niles; 
commissioned  December  9,  1864;  mustered 
out  July  28,  1865. 

Company  E. 

First  Lieutenant  Ira  L.  Evans,  Niles; 
commissioned  April  16,  1863;  promoted  to 
captain  Company  A. 

Corporal  Jacob  Earnhardt,  Berrien;  en- 
listed January  3,  1863;  discharged  for  disa- 
bility, October,  14,  1864. 


Corporal  Daniel  C.  Gore,  Berrien;  en- 
listed January  30,  1863;  promoted  to  first 
lieutenant  Company  A. 

Musician  John  Jones,  Berrien;  enlisted 
December  29,  1863;  promoted  to  principal 
musician  December  i,   1864. 

Wagoner  Edward  Terwilliger,  Berrien; 
enlisted  January  12,  1863;  mustered  out 
July  28,   1865. 

Luke  D.  Hatch,  mustered  out  of  Veteran 
Reserve  corps,  August  11,  1865. 

Joseph  Nichols,  died  of  wounds  at  Ports- 
mouth, September  8,  1864. 

Isaac  Odell,  mustered  out  July  28,  1865. 

Wilson  Ryan,  died  in  Andersonville 
prison-pen,  September  i,  1864. 

Oscar  E.  Thompson,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, March  22,  1864. 

Charles  M.  Wheeler,  transferred  to 
Ninth   Indiana   Volunteers,  January,    1864. 

Company  G. 

Captain  Thomas  H.  Gaffney,  Niles^ 
commissioned  August  8,  1863;  died  of 
wounds  received  at  Petersburg,  June  17,. 
1864. 

Sergeant  Robert  Farrell,  Berrien 
Springs;  enlisted  June  20,  1863;  promoted 
to  first  lieutenant.  Company  H,  December 
27,  1864. 

Sergeant  Juhn  Unrah,  Galien;  enlisted 
July  2,  1863;  mustered  out  May  25,  1865. 

Corporal  Horace  B.  Seeley,  Niles;  en- 
listed June  2j,  1863;  mustered  out  May  25,. 

1865. 

Corporal  Stephen  Teeter,  Galien;  en- 
listed July  15,  1863;  died  of  disease,  Sep- 
tember 10,  1864. 

Corporal  James  Jones;  Niles;  enlisted 
June  6,  1863;  died  in  battle  at  Wilderness, 
May  6,  1864. 

Corporal  George  J.  Davis,  Weesaw;  en- 
listed August  I,  1863;  mustered  out  Veter- 
an's Reserve  Corps,  November  20,  1865. 

Musician  P.  B.  Bostwick,  Niles ;  enlisted 
June  I,  1863;  mustered  out  July  28,  1865. 

Wagoner  Charles   A.   Knoll,   Weesaw^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY  119^ 

enlisted    June  25,  1863;  mustered  out  July  Albert  Shedd,  died  in  battle  at  Spotts- 

28,  1865.  sylvania  May  12,  1864. 

Sylvester  Berry,  discharged  for  disabil-  Alvah   Thayer,   mustered   out   July   28^ 

ity,  September  27,  1864.  1865. 

Nelson  E.  Brayman,  mustered  out  July  John  Wallace,  discharged  May  12,  1865. 

28,  1865.  William  Wiseman,  died  of  disease,  April 

Dennis  Broderick,  mustered  out  July  28,  10,  1864. 

1865.  Joseph    Wilson,     died    in    action    near 

John  li.   Countryman,  mustered  out  of  Petersburg,  June  17,  1864. 

Veteran's  Reserve  Corps,  July  28,  1865.  P                ^ 

Edward   Corey,   mustered  out  July  28,  ^     -^ 

1865.  Captain    George    H.    Murdock,    Berrien 

Noah  Cain^  died  of  disease  August  17,  Springs;    commissioned    October    i,    1863;. 

1864.  wounded  in  action  before  Petersburg,  June 
Simon  E.  Davis,  died  of  disease  August  17,     1864;     promoted     to     brevet     major 

17,  1864.  United     States    Volunteers,     December    2^ 

Jairus  Davidson,  mustered  out  July  28,  1864,   for  gallant  services  in  the  battle  of 

1865.  Spottsylvania  and  during  the  campaign  be- 
Israel  R.  Dalrymple,  discharged  March  fore  Richmond;  resigned  December  6,  1864^ 

9,  1865.  William  B.  Andrews,  mustered  out  July- 
John  Harvey,  died  of  disease  at  Chicago,  28,   1865. 
December  3,  1863.  Louis   P.    Boulford,  mustered  out  July: 

John  Hanover,  discharged  for  disability  28,   1865. 

December  10,  1864.  William  Cassell,  mustered  out  July  28^ 

Charles  Huntstable,   mustered  out  July  1865. 

28,  1865.  Andrew  J.  Davis,  mustered  out  July  28, 

John  Knoll,  mustered  out  July  28,  1865.  1865. 

Samuel   Mc Arthur,    died    of   disease   at  Myron  Fox,  mustered  out  July  28,  1865. . 

Chicago,  November  26,  1863.  Austin  Harmon,  died  of  disease  at  Chi-^ 

John    McCann,   mustered   out   July   28,  cago,  December  22,  1863. 

1865.  Benjamin  Long,  mustered  out  July  28^ 

Lewis  Mathews,  mustered  out  Veteran's  1865. 

Reserve  Corps,  March  18,   1865.  Henry  Miller,  discharged  for  promotion 

George     W.      Morris,      mustered     out  in  United  States  C.  T.,  June  12,  1865. 

August  18,  1865.  James   M.    Walton,   mustered   out   July 

Abram  Norris,  discharged  April  17,1864.  28,  1865. 

Munford  A.  Potter,  mustered  out  July  ^          ,,                  ^ 

00^  First  Michigan  Cavalry. 
28,  1865. 

Jerome  Paddock,  died  of  disease,  July  6,  "With  foam  and  with  dust  the  black  charger  was. 

1864.  ^'^y'' 

Robert  B.   Ready,  discharged  for  disa-  l^  ^^^  ^'? '' f  T\  ""^  ^1'  ""'"?  ''"''~ 

o/c  ^^  seemed  to  the  whole  great  army  to  say^ 

blhty,  December  29,  1865.  j  ^^^^  brought  you  Sheridan  all  the  way, 

William   A.    Roby,    mustered   out   July  From  Winchester  down,  to  save  the  day." 

28,   1865.  — T.  B.  Read. 
M.  F.  Reed,  mustered  out  July  28,  1865. 

Rossiter  Sanford,  mustered  out  July  28,  About  forty  men  from  Berrien  county 

1865.  belonged  to  this  regiment,  which  was  raised 


'120 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


-in  the  summer  of  1861,  and  rendezvoused 
"iat  Detroit.     It  left  for  the  seat  of  war  Sep- 
tember 29,    1 86 1,   under  the  command   of 
Colonel  T.  F.  Broadhead. 

It  was  soon  engaged  in  active  service  in 
Virginia  and  was  engaged  in  the  second  bat- 
tle of  Bull  Run,  August  30th,  when  Colonel 
Broadhead  was  mortally  wounded.  In  the 
latter  part  of  June,  1864,  it  became  a  part 
of  the  famous  Iron  Brigade  composed  of 
Michigan  regiments  under  the  command  of 
General  Custer.  A  short  account  of  the 
services  of  this  brigade  is  contained  in  the 
chapter  on  the  Seventh  Michigan  Cavalry. 
At  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  July  3,  1863, 
this  regiment  met  and  charged  Wade 
Hampton's  legion,  defeating  it,  with  a  heavy 
loss  however  of  ninety-one  men  killed  and 
wounded  out  of  three  hundred  who  went 
into  action. 

In  March,  1864,  the  brigade  became  a 
part  of  General  Sheridan's  Cavalry  Corps 
and  was  engaged  in  the  great  battle  of  the 
Wilderness,  which  lasted  two  days,  and  in 
the  battle  of  Winchester,  where  Sheridan 
arriving  on  the  scene  of  battle,  as  the  troops 
were*  retreating,  re-formed  the  battalions 
and  won  a  memorable  victory.  The  gal- 
lantry of  the  regiment  in  this  action  was 
conspicuous. 

The  subsequent  history  of  the  regiment 
is  that  of  the  Iron  Brigade.  It  was  mus- 
tered out  March  10,  1866,  in  Utah,  where 
it  did  garrison  duty  against  the  Indians, 
after  the  close  of  the  war. 

It  was  in  the  following  important  en- 
gagements, besides  many  lesser  ones. 


First  Michigan  Cavalry. 

Company  B. 

Isaac  R.  Johnson,  mustered  out  Decem- 
ber 5,  1865. 

Company  C. 
John  Carrier,  mustered  out  December  5, 

1865. 

Albert  H.  Waters,  mustered  out  March 
10,  1866. 

Company  D. 

\ 
Anthony  Trombly,  mustered  out  March 

10,  1866. 

Company  E. 

Samuel  Nolan,  mustered  out  December  5, 

1865. 

Theodore      Parmelee,      mustered      out 
August  8,  1865. 

P.  K.  Sampson,  mustered  out  March  10, 
1866. 

Company  F. 

Mark  A.  Aiken,  mustered  out  March  25, 
1866. 

John    Abbott,    mustered    out    Julv    15, 

1865. 

Charles  Hagerman,  mustered  out  May 

11,  1865. 

Charles  Pennell,  mustered  out  March  25, 
1866. 

Company  H. 

Shadrach  Cole,  mustered  out  December 
5,  1865. 

Company  K. 


1862  Winchester,  Middletown,  Strasburg, 
Cedar  Mountain,  Bull  Run. 

1863  Gettysburg. 

1864  Yellow  Tavern,  near  Richmond,  Win- 
chester, Trevilian  Station,  Cedar 
Creek. 

1865  Five  Forks,  Sailor's  Creek. 


Robert  Diamond,  died  of  disease. 

John  W.  Hatfield,  mustered  out  Novem- 
ber 30,  1865. 

James  H.  Leland,  discharged  by  order, 
June  5,  1865. 

Charles    Wilson,    discharged    by    order, 
June  7,  1865. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


121 


Company  M. 


Second  Michigan  Cavalry. 


Second  Lieutenant  Richard  H.  Van 
Atta,  Watervliet;  commissioned  November 
12,  1862;  sergeant;  corporal,  August  20, 
1861 ;  resigned  March  24,  1865. 

Alonzo  Bullock,  died  of  disease  at  Stras- 
burg,  Virginia,  April  2,  1862. 

Harrison  Branch,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, February  2,  1862. 

Theodore  A.  Barnum,  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  August  22,  1864. 

Francis  Barclay,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  22^  1864. 

Solomon  Brummer,  discharged  by  order, 
May  17,  1865. 

Peter  Baldwin,  veteran,  enlisted  Decem- 
ber 21,  1863;  mustered  out  August  7, 
1865. 

Henry  Beachman,  mustered  out  Decem- 
ber 5,  1865. 

Harrison  H.  Cole,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  August  22,  1864. 

Alfred  Cook,  discharged  at  end  of  serv- 
ice, September  24,  1864. 

John  C.  Cleland,  missing  in  action  at 
Buck's  Mills,  October  19,  1863. 

Oscar  W.  Elliott,  veteran,  enlisted  De- 
cember 21,  1863:  mustered  out  November 
24,  1865. 

Joseph  H.  Fisher,  mustered  out  Novem- 
ber 24,  1865. 

Micah  W.  Grimes,  died  of  wounds,  Sep- 
tember 2,   1864. 

W.  R.  Hopkins,  mustered  out  July  10, 
1865. 

Wilbur   Moore,   mustered   out  December 
5.  1865. 

George  W.  Miles,  discharged  by  order, 
May  15,  1865. 

Edward  O'Donnell,  mustered  out  De- 
cember 5,  1865. 

Simon  Shrickengast,  mustered  out  De- 
cember 5,  1865. 

George  W.  Walcott,  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  September  6,  1864. 


This  famous  regiment  was  organized  in 
the  fall  of  1 86 1,  with  its  rendezvous  at 
Grand  Rapids.  Company  L  was  raised  at 
Niles.  Its  first  colonel  was  Gordon  Granger, 
afterward  a  distinguished  major  general  in 
the  Union  services.  It  left  its  rendezvous 
at  Kalamazoo,  November  14,  1861,  for  tiie 
seat  of  war. 

The  history  of  this  second  regiment  is 
especially  interesting  from  the  fact  that  the 
command  of  this  regiment  was  the  starting 
point  in  the  brilliant  career  of  the  greatest 
cavalry  officer  of  the  war^  General  Philip 
Sheridan,  who  was  never  defeated  in  all 
the  numerous  battles  in  which  he  w^as  in 
command  of  the  Union  forces. 

On  May  25,  1862,  he  w^as  appointed 
colonel  of  the  regiment.  Until  this  time, 
although  in  the  service  of  the  government 
in  various  capacities,  he  had  not  been  in  the 
field.  It  was  then  determined  that  his  true 
place  was  in  active  engagement  on  the  field 
of  battle.  He  assumed  command  at  once, 
and  in  a  few  days  he  was  with  his  regiment 
and  at  once  went  into  active  engagements 
with  the  enemy.  The  regiment  was  organ- 
ized, as  General  Sheridan's  regiments  gen- 
erally were,  so  as  to  fight  as  cavalry  or  in- 
fantry, as  might  be  needed.  It  was  armed 
w^ith  sabres,  Colts'  revolving  rifles  and  pis- 
tols, and  was  practically  a  regiment  of 
cavalry  and  sharp  shooters. 

On  July  I,  1862,  the  rebel  general,  Chal- 
mers, with  a  force  of  seven  thou- 
sand mounted  men,  was  signally  de- 
feated by  the  Second  Michigan  Cav- 
alry and  the  Second  Iowa  under  the 
command  of  Colonel  Sheridan.  This  was 
one  of  the  brightest  minor  victories  of  the 
war  and  Colonel  Sheridan  was  promoted  at 
once  to  the  rank  of  brigadier  general.  The 
regiment,  how^ever,  continued  in  his  brigade 
till  General  Sheridan  was  promoted  to  a 
division  commander  in  October,  1862 


122 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


In  resigning  his  command  to  accept  the 
appointment  as  general,  Sheridan  highly 
complimented  the  regiment.  The  regiment 
for  a  long  time,  belonged  to  the  First 
Brigade,  First  Cavalry  Division,  Army  of 
the  Cumberland.  It  took  part  in  the  great 
battles  of  Chickamauga,  Franklin  and  Nash- 
ville. In  an  official  communication  to 
Colonel  Campbell,  in  April,  1864,  W.  L. 
Elliott,  chief  of  the  cavalry  forces  in  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland,  in  giving  some 
directions  as  to  further  equipment,  adds — 
^'Having  known  the  regiment  since  its  or- 
ganization and  having  had  it  under  my  com- 
mand, I  can  testify  to  its  gallantry  and  en- 
durance. The  state  may  well  be  proud  of 
the  regiment." 

It  w^as  almost  constantly  in  active  serv- 
ice and  some  engagement  during  the  year 
1864  and  1865,  operating  mainly  in  Tennes- 
see, Georgia  and  Alabama.  It  was  mustered 
out  at  Macon,  Georgia,  August  17,  1865. 
Its  losses  in  killed,  w^ounded  and  death  by 
disease  was  three  hundred  and  thirty-eight. 

This  regiment  was  in  about  seventy  dif- 
ferent engagements  with  the  enemy.  It  is 
impracticable  to  name  only  the  most  im- 
portant. In  1862,  New  Madrid,  Island  No. 
10,  Missouri,  Siege  of  Corinth,  Boonville, 
Mississippi,  Perryville,  Kentucky,  Milton, 
Columbia  Pike,  Duck  River,  Shelbyville, 
Chickamaugua,  Dandridge,  Mossy  Creek, 
Pigeon  River,  Franklin,  Nashville,  Richland 
Creek,  Rorinth,  Capture  of  Tuscaloosa. 

Second  Cavalry. 

Company  L. 

Captain  Bazaleel  P.  Wells,  Niles;.  com- 
missioned August  24,  1861 ;  mustered  out 
October  22,  1864. 

Captain  Richard  F.  Williams,  Niles; 
commissioned  October  22,  1864;  Second 
Lieutenant,  March  i,  1864;  sergeant;  mus- 
tered out  August  17,  1865. 


First  Lieutenant  Andrew  J.  Foster^ 
Niles;  commissioned  August  24,  1861 ;  re- 
signed August  31,  1862. 

First  Lieutenant  John  Hutton,  Niles; 
commissioned  September  9,  1862;  Second 
Lieutenant,  September  2,  1861 ;  resigned 
April  9,  1864. 

Second  Lieutenant  Joseph  N.  Stevens, 
Niles;  commissioned  April  15,  1863;  First 
Sergeant;  August  24,  1861 ;  mustered  out 
October  22,  1864. 

Sergeant  Robert  S.  Longreel,  Niles;  en- 
listed September  7,  1861 ;  promoted  to  Sec- 
ond Lieutenant;  mustered  out  August   17, 

1865. 

Sergeant  William  H.  Wynne,  Niles ;  en- 
listed September  14,  1861 ;  veteran,  January 

5,  1864;  promoted  to   Second  Lieutenant; 
mustered  out  August  17,  1865. 

Mark  A.  P.  Chipman,  Niles;  enlisted 
September   7,    1861;   discharged   April    12,. 

1863. 

William  H.  Barnhouse,  Niles;  enlisted 
September  14,  1861 ;  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  October  22,  1864. 

John  Lamoure,  Niles;  enlisted  Septem- 
ber 7,  1861 ;  veteran,  January  4,  1864;  mus- 
tered out  August  17,  1865. 

Corporal  Frank  H.  Cross,  Niles ;  enlisted 
September  13,  1861 ;  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  October  22,  1864. 

Orville  D.  Carlisle,  Niles;  enlisted  Sep- 
tember 17,  1861 ;  discharged  for  disability,. 
November  4,  1862. 

Ira  Hagerty,  Niles;  enlisted  September 

6,  1861;  discharged  at  end  of  service,  Oc- 
tober 22,  1864. 

James  Schram,  Niles;  enlisted  Septem- 
ber 14,  1861 ;  sergeant;  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  October  22,  1864. 

Farrier  Freeman  Hitchcock,  Niles;  en- 
listed September  11,  1861 ;  discharged  at  end 
of  service,  October  22,  1864. 

John  Armsburgh,  mustered  out  August 
17,  1865. 

John  Bee,  died  July  i,  1862,  of  wounds 
received  at  Farmington,  Mississippi. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


123 


Harrison  L.  Baxter,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1866. 

Henry  D.  Benson,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  October  28,  1864. 

Ransom  Birdsall^  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  October  28,  1864. 

Ashley  Carhsle,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  October  28,    1864. 

David  E.  Cook,  mustered  out  December 

Nelson  W.  Corwin,  died  of  disease  at 
Farmington,  Mississippi,  July  22,  1862. 

Getson  Clark,  died  of  disease  at  Rienzi, 
Mississippi,  August  6,  1862. 

John  B.  Cisney,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, October  3,  1862. 

Nelson  W.  Crippen,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, December  22,  1862. 

Herman  Chapman,  mustered  out  May 
24,   1865. 

Augustus  Conrad,  mustered  out  August 

17,  1865. 

James  Dewitt,  discharged  for  disability, 
July  14,  1862. 

James  Dunn,  discharged  at  end  of  serv- 
ice, October  28,   1864. 

William  H.  Dodge,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, December  4,  1863. 

Delos  Ellis,  discharged  at  end  of  service, 
October  28,  1864. 

Charles  W.  Granger,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, July  16,  1862. 

Hamilton  McKean,  mustered  out  De- 
cember 5,   1865. 

Orrin  Wray,  died  in  battle  at  Gettys- 
burg, Pennsylvania,  July  3,  1863. 

Edward  Holister,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, November  2y,  1862. 

Jacob  Hand,  veteran,  enlisted  January 
8,  1864;  drowned  in  Sopsie  river,  Alabama, 
April  16,  1865. 

Albert  W.  Hayward,  transferred  to 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  February  15,  1865. 

Charles  Hudson,  veteran,  enlisted  Jan- 
uary 8,  1864;  mustered  out  August  17,  1865. 

Charles  Kennicott,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, September  15,  1862. 


William  Kelley,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  October  28,  1864. 

Joseph  M.  Lester,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  October  28,  1864. 

Civilian  S.  Lee,  mustered  out  August  17, 
1865. 

Frank  Maxwell,   mustered  out  June    19, 
1865. 

Chester  Niles,  discharged  for  disability, 
July  15,   1862. 

Benjamin  F.   Rugg,   discharged   for  dis- 
ability, July  16,  1862. 

Franklin  B.  Rice,  veteran,  enlisted  Jan- 
uary 5,  1864;  discharged  by  order,  July  4, 

1865. 

Loren  A.  Rice,  mustered  out  August  17, 
1865. 

Edgar  Sanford,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, October  20,  1862. 

Marvin  E.  Scott,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, May  14,  1862. 

John  W.  Stone,  discharged  for  disability. 
May  14,  1862. 

Franklin  Stevens,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  October  28,   1864. 

George  S.  Schram,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  October  28,  1864. 

Frank  J.  Stevens,  died  of  wounds  at 
Thompson's  Station^  March  4,  1863. 

Colonel  I.  Stephens,  died  of  disease  at 
Nashville,  December  29,  1864. 

George  Smith,  veteran,  enlisted  January 
5,  1864;  mustered  out  August  17,  1865. 

George  Shear,  veteran,  enlisted  January 
5,  1864;  mustered  out  August  17,  1865. 

Aylmer  Taggart,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, October  10,  1862. 

Anthony  Turner,  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  October  28,  1865. 

Charles  Valleau,  veteran,  enlisted  Janu- 
ary 5,  1864;  mustered  out  August  17,  1865. 

Cornelius  Young,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, August  9,  1862. 

Third  Michigan  Cavalry. 

Company  L  of  this  regiment  was  raised 
by  Captain  Thomas  H.  Botham,  in  the  sum- 


124 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


mer  of  1861,  at  St.  Joseph.  Captain  Kellogg 
was  the  first  colonel  of  the  regiment.  It 
rendezvoused  at  Grand  Rapids,  and  left  for 
the  field  November  28,  1861,  joining  the 
army  of  General  Pope^  near  New  Madrid, 
Missouri.  It  participated  in  the  captuure  of 
that  place,  and  of  Island  No.  10.  It  then 
took  an  active  part  in  the  advance  of  the 
General  Halleck's  army  on  Corinth.  It 
shortly  after  entered  upon  the  campaign  of 
General  Grant  in  Mississippi  and  served 
under  General  Rosecrans.  For  heroic  serv- 
ices at  luka,  Mississippi,  the  regiment  re- 
ceived the  special  thanks  of  General  Rose- 
crans. In  his  report  of  the  battle,  in  re- 
ferring to  this  regiment,  he  says:  ''For 
courage,  efficiency  and  successful  combats, 
I  do  not  believe  they  have  any  superiors. 
In  our  advance  on  luka,  and  during  the 
action,  they  ably  performed  their  duty." 

For  gallant  services  at  Clifton,  Missis- 
sippi, the  regiment  received  the  special 
thanks  of  the  chief  of  cavalry.  At  Wyatt's 
Ford,  the  second  brigade  of  cavalry  in  a 
severe  engagement  defeated  General  Forrest 
with  a  force  of  three  thousand. 

In  March,  1863,  the  regiment  was  reor- 
ganized, and  was  sent  to  points  west  of  the 
Mississippi  when  General  Sherman  assumed 
command  of  the  military  division  of  the 
south w-est.  It  joined  the  expedition  to 
Texas,  marching  from  Baton  Rouge,  Louis- 
ianna,  to  San  Antonio,  Texas.  It  was  mus- 
tered out  of  service  February  15,  1866,  at 
San  Antonio. 

The  regiment  during  its  service  captured 
over  two  thousand  prisoners  and  marched 
ten  thousand  eight  hundred  miles.  Its  loss 
in  killed,  wounded  and  death  by  disease  was 
four  hundred  and  fourteen. 

It  was  in  many  engagements,  only  the 
most  important  of  which  can  be  named. 

In  1862  New  Madrid,  Island  No.  10,  Farm- 
ington.  Siege  of  Corinth,  luka, 
Hatchie,  Hudsonville,  Holly 
Springs,  Oxford,   Coffeeville. 


In  1863  Brownsville,     Jackson,      Grenada, 
Wyatt's  Ford,  Byhalia. 

Third  Cavalry. 
Non-Commissioned  Staff. 

Sergeant '  Major  William  B.  Philips, 
Niles;  promoted  to  second  lieutenant;  died 
of   disease   in   Missouri,    March   25,    1862. 

Quartermaster  Sergeant  Aaron  Rowe, 
St.  Joseph;  enlisted  September  20,  1861; 
discharged  for  disability,  April  27,  1862. 

Company  L. 

Captain  Thomas  H.  Botham,  St.  Joseph; 
commissioned  September  18,  1861 ;  resigned 
June  18,  1862. 

First  Lieutenant  Monroe  G.  Carlton,  St. 
Joseph;  commissioned  September  18,  1861; 
promoted  to  captain;  resigned  June  18,  1862. 

Second  Lieutenant  Harvey  L.  Drew, 
Niles;  commissioned  August  13,  1862;  pro- 
moted to  first  lieutenant,  Company  M,  De- 
cember 20,  1862;  resigned  November  14, 
1864. 

Second  Lieutenant  Samuel  W.  Boyle, 
St.  Joseph;  commissioned  November  4, 
1864;  transferred  to  Company  D,  promoted 
to  first  lieutenant,  October  17,  1865;  mus- 
tered out  February  12,  1866. 

Sergeant  Cornelius  Williams,  St.  Jo- 
seph; enlisted  September  21,  1861;  dis- 
charged for  disability,  December  16,   1862. 

Sergeant  Theoph.  Hardenbrook,  Oron- 
oko;  enlisted  September  21,  1861 ;  veteran, 
January  19,  1864;  discharged  by  order,  Sep- 
tember 12,  1865. 

Sergeant  William  I.  Barber,  Berrien ;  en- 
listed September  20,  1861 ;  veteran,  January 
19,  1864;  discharged  for  disability,  January 
19,  1865. 

Sergeant  Thomas  Mackay,  Hagar;  en- 
listed September  22,  1861 ;  discharged  by 
order,  January  15,  1863. 

Corporal  Mike  Galvin,  Niles;  enlisted 
September  20,  1861;  discharged  at  end  of 
service,  October  24,  1864. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


12  = 


Corporal  Patrick  Daly,  St.  Joseph;  en- 
listed September  23,  1861;  discharged  for 
disability,  April  19,  1864. 

Corporal  Nelson  Patterson,  Sodus;  en- 
listed September  20,  1861 ;  veteran,  January 
19,  1864;  mustered  out  February  12, 
1866. 

Corporal  Lewis  Seymoir,  St.  Joseph ;  en- 
listed September  18,  1861;  discharged  for 
disability,  April  7,   1863. 

Corporal  Edward  R.  Foster,  St.  Joseph ; 
enlisted  September  22,  1861 ;  died  of  disease 
at  Macon,  Georgia,  August  14,  1862. 

Corporal  Jesse  Jones,  St.  Joseph ;  enlisted 
September  22,  1861 ;  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, January  14,  1863. 

Musician  Andrew  J.  Acker,  Buchanan; 
enlisted  September  39,  1861 ;  discharged  at 
end  of  service,  October  24,  1864. 

Musician  Leander  McDougal,  Sodus ;  en- 
listed September  20,  1861 ;  discharged  for 
disability,  June  15,  1862. 

Farrier  Robert  Badgely,  St.  Joseph;  en- 
listed September  18,  1861;  died  of  disease 
in  Missouri,  March  26,  1862. 

Alonzo  Avery,  died  of  disease  at  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  June  18,  1862. 

Joseph  Boudin,  died  of  disease  in  Ten- 
nessee, May  31,  1862. 

Stephen  Bailey,  veteran,  enlisted  Febru- 
ary 2,  1864;  died  of  disease  in  Aarkansas, 
November  4,  1864. 

Orrin  F.  Boyle,  discharged  for  disability, 
October,  1862. 

Lacey  Brant,  discharged  for  disability, 
September  25,  1863. 

Andrew  Bassford,  .veteran,  enlisted  Jan- 
uary 19,  1864;  mustered  out  February  12, 
1866. 

George  M.  Brant,  veteran,  enlisted  Jan- 
uary 19,  1864;  mustered  out  February  12, 
1866. 

S.  W.  Bayless,  veteran,  enlisted  January 
19,  1864;  mustered  out  February  12,  1866. 

Andrew  D.  Barnum,  veteran,  enlisted 
February  2,  1864;  mustered  out  February 
12.  1866. 


William  Blakesley,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 12,   1866. 

Nicholas  Bartling,  mustered  out  February 
12,  1866. 

Charles  D.  Case,  veteran,  enlisted  Janu- 
ary 19,  1864;  mustered  out  November  4, 
1865. 

Ezra  Dowell,  discharged  for  disability, 
October  15,  1862. 

George  J.  Davis,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, October  17,  1862. 

James  Drake,  discharged  for  disability, 
April  8,  1863. 

Louis  Eckhardt,  mustered  out  Februarv 
12,   1866. 

William  Freund,  mustered  out  February 
12,   1866. 

Philetus  Farr,  veteran,  enlisted  January 
19,  1864;  mustered  out  February  12,  1866. 

Antoine  Geraw,  mustered  out  September 
I,  1865. 

Orlando  S.  Gans,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, April  12,  1862. 

Louis  Grabfetter,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, November  21,  1865. 

John  Graw,  died  of  disease  at  Sodus, 
Michigan,  August  16,  1864. 

Jesse  Hodges,  died  of  disease  at  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  March  26,  1862. 

Francis  M.  Hardenbrook,  discharged  for 
disability,  August  i,  1862. 

John  Heath,  discharged  for  disability, 
January  30,  1863. 

Henry  Hanmer,  veteran,  enlisted  Febru- 
ary 2,  1864;  mustered  out  February  12, 
1866. 

Henry  Hoffman,  veteran,  enlisted  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1864;  mustered  out  February  12, 
1866. 

Henry  Hedrick,  veteran,  enlisted  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1864;  mustered  out  February  12, 
1866. 

Asahel  I.  Howard,  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary 12,  1865. 

F.  B.  Hardenbrook,  veteran,  enlisted 
February  2,  1864;  mustered  out  February 
12,  1866. 


126  HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 

Lewis  W.  Jones,  veteran,  enlisted  Janu-  ary  20,   1864;  mustered  out  February  12, 

ary   19,   1864;  mustered  out  February   12,  1866. 

1866.  Perry  W.  Roome^  veteran,  enlisted  Janu- 

Lewis  Lamb,  veteran,  enlisted  February  ary   19,    1864;  mustered  out  February   12, 

2,  1864;  mustered  out  February  12,  1866.  1866. 

George  W.  McCormick,  veteran,  enlisted  William  Ritchie,  veteran,  enlisted  Feb- 

January  19,   1864;  mustered  out  February  ruary  2,   1864;  mustered  out  February  12, 

12,  1866.  1866. 

John  McLellan,  veteran,  enlisted  Janu-  Elmer  L.  Ritchie^  mustered  out  Febru- 
ary  19,   1864;  mustered  out  February   12,  ary  12,  1866. 
1866.  Orrin  Roath,  discharged  at  end  of  serv- 

John  E.  Madison,  mustered  out  Febru-  ice,  October  24,   1864. 

ary  12,  1866.  Charles  D.  Stoddard,  discharged  for  dis- 

Henry  Mellen,   died  of   disease  at  New  ability,  February  16,  1862. 

Madrid,  Missouri,  April  9,  1862.  William  B.  Smith,  discharged  at  end  of 

Charles  W.   Morse,   died  of   disease  at  service,  October  24,  1864. 

St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  June  16,  1862.  Josiah     Simons,     died     of     disease     at 

Patrick  Mahan,  died  of  disease  at  Cin-  Duvall's  Bluff,  August  21,  1864. 

cinnati,  Ohio,  June  13,  1862.  Jacob  Spielman,  died  of  disease  in  Texas, 

Albert  Nichols,  mustered  out  February  August   11,    1865. 

12,  1866.  John  Stouffer,  veteran,  enlisted  January 

John  Proper,  veteran,  enlisted  January  20,  1864;  mustered  out  February  12,  1866. 

19,  1864;  mustered  out  February  12,  1866.  Gottfried  Siefert,  veteran,  enlisted  Feb- 

Joseph  Prickett,  veteran,  enlisted  Janu-  ruary  2,   1864;  mustered  out  February  12, 

ary   19,    1864;  mustered  out  February   12,  1866. 

1866.  Solomon  Safford,  veteran,  enlisted  Janu- 

Henry  C.  Plumb,  mustered  out  February  ary   19,    1864;  mustered  out  February  12, 

12,   1866.  1866. 

Michael  Pollock,  mustered  out  February  Adoniram   Strickland,   veteran,   enlisted 

12,    1866.  January  20,   1864;  mustered  out  February 

Franklin    Ryther,    died    of    wounds    in  12,  1866. 

Alabama,  July  21,  1862.  Winson   Simson,   mustered   out   Febru- 

Maurice  T.    Root,   discharged    for   dis-  ary  12,  1866. 

ability,  October  24,  1862.  John  Stearns,  mustered  out  February  12, 

Charles  D.  Roome,  discharged  for  dis-  1866. 

ability,  January  15,  1863.  John  G.   Stingee,  mustered  out  Febru- 

Abram  Rosey,  veteran,  enlisted  January  ary  12,  1866. 

19,  1864;  mustered  out  April  26,  1866.  Francis  Versaw,  veteran,  enlisted  Janu- 

Joseph  Rosey,  veteran,  enlisted  January  ary   19,    1864;  mustered  out  November  4, 

19,  1864;  mustered  out  February  12,  1866.  1865. 

Jacob  Rehl,  veteran^  enlisted  February  Delos  Vinton,  veteran,  enlisted  January 

2,  1864;  mustered  out  February  12,  1866.  19,  1864;  mustered  out  February  12,  1866. 

David  O.  Ramsey,  veteran ;  enlisted  Jan-  James  Vanderbeck,  mustered  out  Febru- 

tiary  19,  1864;  mustered  out  February  12,  ary  12,  1866. 

1866.  Philander  E.  Webbs,  mustered  out  Feb- 

Lewis  B.  Ruble,  veteran,  enHsted  Janu-  ruary  12,  1866. 

I 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


127 


John  P.  Wood,  mustered  out  February 
12,  1866. 

Christopher  WilHams,  mustered  out  Feb- 
ruary 12,  1866. 

Alfred  D.  WilHams,  missing  in  action 
at  Duvall's  Bhiff,  Arkansas,  June  22,  1864. 

Fourth  Michigan  Cavalry. 

"A  new  Thermopylae  we  found. 
On  Chickamauga's  bloody  ground ; 
And  in   that    rugged   mountain   pass, 
He    stood   our   true   Leonidas, 
The   Rock   of   Chickamauga." 

i 
This  regiment  became  famous  for  the 
capture  of  Jefferson  Davis,  together  with 
several  confederate  officers  at  Irwinsville, 
Georgia,  May  10,  1865,  by  a  detachment 
under  Lieutenant  Colonel  Pritchard.  It  was 
organized  in  July,  1862,  at  Detroit.  About 
fifty  men  were  from  Berrien  county,  main- 
ly in  Company  M,  Robert  Minty,  of  Detroit, 
was  colonel.  Emory  M.  Plimpton  was  first 
captain  of  Company  M.  The  regiment  was 
first  engaged  in  service  in  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee,  and  was  soon  assigned  to  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland.  It  took  a  promi- 
nent part  in  the  great  battle  of  Chickamau- 
ga, especially  distinguishing  itself  at  that 
famous  battle  in  support  of  General 
Thomas,  *'the  Rock  of  Chickamauga."  At 
the  battle  of  Stone  River,  Minty's  brigade 
alone  captured  one  hundred  and  ninty-two 
prisoners.  It  also  took  a  prominent  part 
in  the  great  battle  of  Chattanooga. 

The  Fourth  Regiment  composed  a  part 
of  General  Kilpatrick's  force  while  on  his 
celebrated  raid  around  the  rebel  army  then 
"defending  Atlanta.  At  Shelbyville,  Minty's 
brigade  which  was  composed  of  the  Fourth 
United  States,  Seventh  Pennsylvania,  and 
Fourth  Michigan  Cavalry  captured  six  hun- 
dred prisoners.  On  May  20,  1865,  the  sec- 
ond division  to  which  Minty's  brigade  be- 
longed captured  the  force  of  General*  How- 
ell Cobb,  consisting  of  about  two  thousand 
four  hundred  men  and  officers. 


Early  in  May,  1865,  Colonel  Pritchard 
left  Macon  with  four  hundred  and  fifty 
men  of  his  regiment  to  capture  Jefiferson 
Davis  for  which  a  reward  of  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars  was  offered.  Davis  was 
discovered  about  daybreak  while  attempting 
to  escape  from  a  tent,  disguised  in  a  wo- 
man's waterproof  with  a  shawl  on  his  head 
and  a  pail  in  one  hand.  The  first  persons  to 
detect  this  movement  and  arrest  the  party 
were  James  F.  Bullard,  of  Paw  Paw%  and 
General  Munger,  although  they  did  not 
know  who  the  person  was  at  the  time. 

The  regiment  was  mustered  out  at 
Nashville,  July  i,  1865.  The  total  loss  was 
three  hundred  and  seventy-five. 

A  full  and  complete  history  of  this  regi- 
ment is  contained  in  ^'Michigan  in  the 
War." 

This  regiment  was  in  over  one  hundred 
engagements.  Only  a  few  of  the  more  im- 
portant ones  can  be  mentioned : 

1862  Franklin,  Lavergne,   Stone  River. 

1863  Middleton,  Shelbyville,  Chickamauga. 

1864  Kingston,  Lattimer's  Mill,  Atlanta, 
Chattanooga,  Stone  Mountain,  Jones- 
boro. 

Fourth  Michigan  Cavalry 

Non-Commissioned  Staff. 

Sergeant  Major  Virgil  M.  Jones,  Niles; 
commissioned  February  2;^^  1863;  promoted 
to  second  lieutenant,  Company  E,  March 
31,  1863;  discharged  for  disability,  August 
27,  1864. 

Company  A. 

George  W.  Call,  mustered  out  August 
15,  1865. 

Albert  Killing,  mustered  out  August  15, 

1865. 

John  Peterbaugh,  died  of  disease  at 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  April  8,  1864. 

Otis   Shaw,    mustered   out   August    15, 

1865. 


128  HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 

Company  B.  Isaac    Curry,    discharged    for   disability^ 

April  22,    1863. 

Enoch  Woodbridge,  mustered  out  Aug-  Charles  E.  Durham,  discharged  for  dis- 

ust  15,  1865.  ability,  April  22,   1863. 

Thomas    Douglas,    died    of    disease    at 

Company  C.  Coloma,  Michigan,  April,  1864. 

T^..^^-^              ...           ,,           ,  Tames    Edmonds,    discharged    for    disa- 

Daniel  V.  Brown,  discharged  bv  order,  .  .1./     t                  o^ 

May  4    186-                               ^         .             ^  bihty,  June  24,  1863. 

"^     ^         ^'  J.  M.  Edwards,  discharged  for  disabil- 

^                   J.  ity  July  28,  1864. 

^     -^       *  B.  V.   Fasha,  discharged  for  disability,. 

Second  Lieutenant  Aaron  Rowe,  Niles;  September  21,  1864. 

commissioned   August    13,    1862;   resigned  Jared    N.    Gray,    discharged   by    order^ 

September  20,  1864.  May  10,  1865. 

First  Sergeant  Virgil  M.  Jones,  Niles;  Watson    Gray,    mustered    out    July    i^ 

enlisted  August  4,   1862;  promoted  to  ser-  1865. 

geant  major.  William    B.    Greene,    died    of    wounds,. 

Sergeant  Audrey  S.  Pennell,  Niles;  en-  December   17,   1862,  at  Nashville,  Tennes- 

listed  August  6,   1862;  discharged  for  dis-  see. 

ability,  January  i,  1863.  Henry  E.  Gibney,  transferred  to  Veter- 

Sergeant    George   W.    Collins,    Benton;  an's  Reserve  Corps,  April  30,  1864. 

enlisted  August  6,  1862;  mustered  out  July  Nelson  J.  Gobney,  transferred  to  Veter- 

I,  1865.  an's  Reserve  Corps,  January  15,  1864. 

Sergeant  John  H.  Phinney,  Benton,  en-  Jaffrey  Godfrey,  mustered  out  July   i^ 

listed  August  9,  1862;  discharged  by  order,  1865. 

May  26,   1865.  Bartlett  Huntover,  mustered  out  July  i,. 

Sergeant  Daniel  C.  Bickford,  Niles,  en-  1865. 

listed  August  4,  1862;  discharged  for  disa-  Samuel    Harris,    mustered   out   July    i^ 

bility,  March  26,   1863.  1865. 

Sergeant   Edwin    McOmber,    Niles,    en-  Henry  Hammond,  transferred  to  Veter- 

listed  August  5,  1862;  discharged  for  disa-  an's  Reserve  Corps,  April  30,  1864. 

bility,  January  17,  1863.  S.   C.    Irwin,   discharged   for  disability^ 

Edward     B.     Griffith,     Niles,     enlisted  January  15,  1863. 

August  6,  1862;  mustered  out  July  i,  1865.  Charles  S.  Lincoln,  discharged  for  disa- 

Sergeant  Reuben  A.  Ray,  Niles,  enlisted  bility,  December,  6,  1862. 

August  6,   1862;  discharged  for  disability,  Peter  S.  Ludwig,  transferred  to  Veter- 

July  I,  1865.  ^^'s  Reserve  Corps,  April  15,  1864. 

Homer   E.   Atkins,    died   of   disease  at  Orville    McKean,    died    of    disease  at 

Nashville,  February  24,  1865.  Nashville,  Tennessee,  December  8,  1862. 

Charles   C.   Branch,   died  of   disease  at  C.  McComber,  discharged  for  disability^ 

Murfreesboro,  May  11,  1863.  February  22,    1863. 

Seymour  Boyer,  discharged  for  disabil-  W.  W.  Mattice,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, May  5,  1863.  ity.  May  11,  1863. 

Albert    Brooks^    mustered    out   July    i,  George  N.   Marshall,  missing  in  action 

1865.  in  Georgia,  August  19,  1864. 

Barton  J.    Curtis,   discharged   for   disa-  Elisha  Martindale,  mustered  out  July  i, 

bility,  January  14,  1863.  1865. 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


129 


Andrew  B.  Norris,  died  of  disease  at 
Nashville,  May,  1864. 

Roland  Osgood,  mustered  out  July  i, 
1865. 

Austin  L.  Smith,  mustered  out  July  i, 
1865. 

Walker  Smith,  mustered  out  July  i, 
1865. 

John  Silver,  died  of  disease  at  Chatta- 
nooga, December  18,  1862. 

Seventh   Michigan   Cavalry. 

About  ninety  members  of  this  regiment 
came  from  Berrien  county,  mainly  in  Com- 
panies A  and  B.  Two  battalions,  including 
these  two  companies  left  Grand  Rapids,  the 
rendezvous,  for  the  seat  of  war,  in  Virginia, 
on  February  20,  1863.  The  Third  Bat- 
talion joined  them  in  May. 

The  regiment  was  at  once  assigned  to 
the  famous  Michigan  cavalry  brigade  com- 
manded first  by  General  Kilpatrick  and  sub- 
sequently by  General  Custer,  who  became 
its  commander  June  30,  1863.  The  great 
military  reputation  which  General  Custer 
subsequently  attained,  was  acquired  mainly 
while  he  was  in  command  of  the  Michigan 
cavalry  brigade.  This  brigade  was  com- 
posed of  the  following  Michigan  cavalry 
regiments ;  First,  Fifth,  Sixth  and  Seventh. 
The  history  of  the  brigade  is  practically  the 
history  of  the  Seventh  regiment.  All  of 
these  regiments  took  an  active  part, in  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg,  July  3,  1863. 

On  the  nineteenth  of  September,  1864, 
when  Sheridan  made  his  famous  ride  from 
Winchester,  ''twenty  miles  aw^ay,"  and  re- 
trieved the  fortunes  of  the  day,  all  these 
regiments  joined  in  the  final  charge,  and  this 
brigade  alone  captured  over  seven  hundred 
prisoners  and  seven  battle  flags. 

General  Custer  in  his  official  report, 
says:  ''Among  those  in  advance,  my  per- 
sonal attention  was  attracted  to  Colonel 
Stagg  commanding  First  Michigan,  Colonel 
Brewer,    commanding    Seventh    Michigan, 


also  Captain  Warner  of  the  same  regiment, 
( Captain  Linus  F.  Warner  was  from  Royal- 
ton  in  this  county  and  was  promoted  to  a 
major  in  October  following.  He  was  after 
the  war,  sheriff  of  this  county  for  two 
terms).  Colonel  Kidd,  commanding  Sixth 
Michigan  and  Colonel  Hastings  command- 
ing Fifth  Michigan.  Each  of  these  officers 
led  his  regiment  with  most  commendable 
valor." 

The  loss  of  the  seventh  regiment  in  this 
battle  was  eighty-one. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1864  it  became  a 
part  of  General  Sheridan's  force  on  his  cele- 
brated march  to  the  James  river.  From  this 
time  it  was  actively  engaged  wath  the  enemy, 
till  the  surrender  of  Lee  at  Appomattox, 
having  participated  in  the  capture  of  General 
EwelFs  corps  w^ith  six  thousand  prisoners  at 
Sailor's  Creek,  April  6.  After  the  close 
of  the  w^ar,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to 
cross  the  plains  and  operate  against  the  hos- 
tile Indians.  Most  of  the  regiment  was 
mustered  out  at  Fort  Leavenw^orth,  Novem- 
ber I,   1866. 

Being  engaged  with  Custer  as  com- 
mander, first  of  the  regiment  and  then  of 
the  brigade,  and  in  General  Sheridan's 
army  in  its  triumphal  march  toward  the 
close  of  the  war,  it  was  necessarily  engaged 
in  numerous  engagements,  and  received  the 
repeated  compliments  of  commanding  offi- 
cers. 

It  is  only  necessary  to  name  a  few  of 
the  most  important  engagements : 

1863  Hanover,      Va.,      Gettysburg,      Pa., 
Brandy  Station,  James  City. 

1864  Near    Richmond,    Winchester,    Ope- 
quan,  Winchester  2d. 

1865  Five  Forks,  Sailor's  Creek,  Va.,  Wil- 
low Creek,  Dakotah. 

Seventh    Michigan    Cavalry. 
Field  and  Staff. 

Major  Alexander  Walker,  Niles;  com- 
manding  captain,   October    15,    1862;   pro- 


I30 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN    COUNTY 


moted  to  major,  February  24,  1864;  dis- 
charged for  disability,  November  28,   1864. 

Major  Linus  F.  Warner,  Royalton;  com- 
missioned captain,  October  15,  1862;  pro- 
moted to  major,  October  12,  1864;  must- 
ered   out,    first   cavalry,    March   2y,    1866; 

Adjutant  Charles  O.  Pratt,  Niles;  com- 
missioned March  28,  1864;  promoted  to 
captain,  December  12,  1865;  mustered  out 
as  adjutant,  December  15,   1865. 

Non-Commissioned  Staff. 

Quartermaster  Sergeant  Charles  O. 
Pratt,  Niles;  enlisted  September  8,  1862; 
promoted  to   first   lieutenant  and   adjutant. 

Quartermaster  Sergeant  William  W. 
Brown,  Saint  Joseph,  enlisted  November  i, 
1864;  mustered  out  December  11,  1865. 

Company  A. 

Sergeant  Edwin  D.  Cook,  Pipestone,  en- 
listed September  15,  1862;  promoted  to  sec- 
ond lieutenant,  May  24,  1865;  mustered  out 
as  sergeant,  December  15,  1865. 

Sergeant  Edward  R.  Havens,  Buchanan, 
enlisted  September  12,  1862;  promoted  to 
second  lieutenant.  May  24,  1865 ;  mustered 
out    as    second    lieutenant,    December     15, 

1865. 

Sergeant  William  H.  O'Brien,  Berrien; 
enlisted  September  5,  1862;  died  in  xA^nder- 
sonville  prison,  September  13,  1864. 

Sergeant  Edward  S.  Lang,  Niles;  enlist- 
ed September  22,  1862;  died  in  rebel  prison, 
Richmond,  Virginia,  February  i,  1864. 

Corporal  Harvey  S.  Reynolds,  Berrien, 
enlisted  September  8,  1862;  taken  prisoner; 
discharged  by  order,  July  5,  1865. 

Corporal  William  S.  Graham,  Niles;  en- 
listed September  8,  1862;  mustered  out  De- 
ember  15,  1865. 

John  Alexander,  transferred  to  first  cav- 
alry; mustered  out  March  2y,  1866. 

Eli  J.   Briney,  mustered  out   December 

15, 1865. 


Edward  J.  Brickell  died  of  disease  at 
Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  August  10,  1863. 

George  Bridleman,  died  of  disease  at 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  October  19,  1862. 

Madison  Cox,  mustered  out  of  veteran's 
reserve  corps,  October  13,  1865. 

Calvin  Chester,  mustered  out  December 
IS,   1865. 

David  Fulton,  died  of  disease  at  Saint 
Louis,  June  15,  1865. 

C.  Hollis,  discharged  for  disability,  Octo- 
ber 17,  1863. 

Alexander  Lowrey,  died  of  disease  in 
Ohio,  February  14,  1863. 

E.  S.  Lenney,  died  of  disease  at  Annap- 
olis, Maryland,  June,   1864. 

Oliver  Marcott,  died  of  disease. 

N.  Matchitt,  died  in  action  at  Trevillian, 
Virginia,  May  11,   1864. 

George  B.  Matchitt,  mustered  out  Dec- 
ember 15,  1865. 

Charles  Malcolm,  mustered  out  June  7, 

1865. 

Allen  C.  Parks,  missing  in  action  at 
Cedar  Creek,  Virginia,  August  2,  1863. 

A.  L.  Reims,  discharged  for  disability, 
October  17,  1863. 

Michael  Shrowder,  died  of  disease  at 
Alexandria,  Virginia,  August  2,   1863. 

John  H.  Steady  mustered  out  December 
15,  1865. 

Spencer  N.  Sparks,  from  Veteran's  Re- 
serve Corps,  mustered  out  October  13,  1865, 

Cornelius  Sparks,  transferred  to  first 
cavalry;  mustered  out  March  10,  1866. 

James  Trumbull,  died  of  disease  at  con- 
valescent camp. 

George  W.  Vosburg,  mustered  out  Dec- 
ember 15,  1865. 

Company  B. 

Captain  Linus  F.  Warner,  Royalton; 
commissioned  October  15,  1862;  promoted 
to  major,  October  12,   1864. 

Second  Lieutenant  James  C.  Boughton, 
St.  Joseph;  commissioned  October  15,  1862; 
resigned  June  26,  1865. 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


T3r 


First  Sergeant  Riley  A.  Gregg,  Royal- 
ton;  enlisted  August  30,  1862;  promoted  to 
second  lieutenant,  Company  M,  October  23, 
1864. 

Sergeant  Ira  Enos,  Benton;  enlisted 
August  29,  1862;  discharged  by  order,  Aug- 
ust  18,    1863. 

Sergeant  Kellogg  B.  Martindale,  St. 
Joseph;  enlisted  September  29,  1862;  must- 
ered out  December  15,  1865. 

James  Barney,  from  Veteran's  Reserve 
Corps,  mustered  out  June  29,  1865. 

James  Burnett,  mustered  out  December 
15,   1865. 

John  J.  Burrows,  mustered  out  June  20, 

1865. 

John   Boughton,   mustered  out  June   3, 

1865. 

Norman  H.  Badger,  mustered  out  De- 
cember 15,  1865. 

George  Birdsay,  missing  in  action  at 
Trevillian,  Virginia,  June  11,  1864. 

Jacob  Chant,  missing  in  action  and 
gained  no  other  record. 

James  Conley,  mustered  out  December 
15,  1865. 

John  Drake,  discharged  for  disability. 

William  FI.  Erick,  transferred  to  first 
cavalry;  mustered  out  March   10,   1866. 

John  S.  Hagan,  died  of  disease,  Dec- 
ember 8,  1862. 

George  Hartsell,  died  in  Andersonville 
prison  pen,  April  2,  1864. 

James  Haskins,  died  of  wounds  in  field 
hospital,  April  7,  1865. 

Isaac  Hess,  mustered  out  May  23,  1865. 

William  Hawthorne,  mustered  out  Dec- 
ember  15,   1865. 

Caleb  L.  Hatch,  transferred  to  First  Cav- 
alry; mustered  out  March  10,  1866. 

Flamilton  Hicks,  missing  in  action  at 
Richmond,  Virginia,  March  i,  1864. 

Ebenezer  Jakeway,  died  in  Andersonville 
prison,  July  18,  1864. 

Henry  H.  Keller,  died  in  hospital  of 
wounds,  June  25,  1864. 


Joseph  FI.  Miller,  mustered  out  June  2y\ 

1865. 

Lewis  P.  McBride,  mustered  out  Decem- 
ber IS,  1865. 

Arthur  N.  Napier,  mustered  out  August 
22,  1865. 

Edwin  J.  Philips,  missing  in  action  near 
Richmond,  Virginia,  March  i,  1864. 

Josiah  Saflford,  died  of  disease  at  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  February  15,   1863. 

Mickle  Smith,  transferred  to  veteran's 
reserve  corps,  April  10,  1864. 

Charles  Stevenson,  mustered  out  Dec- 
ember 15,  1865. 

William  H.  Stevens,  transferred  to  first 
cavalry;  mustered  out  March  10,  1866. 

Frederick  Scott,  transferred  to  First 
Cavalry;  mustered  out  March  10,  1866. 

Francis  H.  VanPelt,  died  of  disease  in 
Virginia,  April  24,  1863. 

Joseph  F.  Whitaker,  died  in  Anderson- 
ville prison  pen,   April  2,   1864. 

Samuel  Whitmore,  mustered  out  Dec- 
ember 15,  1865. 

Company  C. 

George  B.  Griffith,  mustered  out  Decem- 
ber  15,   1865. 

Henry  Parmenter,  mustered  out  Decem- 
ber rs,  1865. 

Adam  Sinn,  mustered  out  December  15, 
1865. 

Company  D. 

Charles  Grisler,  died  of  disease  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. 

Wesley  Griffith,  mustered  out  December 
15,  1865. 

Company  E. 

Joseph  C.  Cassidy,  mustered  out  Dec- 
ember, 15,  1865. 

Company  H. 

William  Covert,  mustered  out  July  17, 
1865. 

( 


132 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Company  I. 

Second  Lieutenant  Edward  R.  Havens, 
Buchanan;  commissioned  June  25,  1865; 
mustered  out  December  15,  1865. 

Thomas    Mclntyre,    mustered   out   June 

7,  1865. 

Company  L. 

George  W.  Riley,  mustered  out  Decem- 
ber 8,    1865. 

Jasper   Abbe,    mustered    out   December 

8,  1865. 

Eleventh  Michigan  Cavalry. 

There  were  about  sixty  members  of  this 
regiment  from  Berrien  county.  This  regi- 
ment left  for  the  seat  of  war  in  December, 
1863.  In  the  summer  of  1864,  it  came  in 
collision  with  General  Morgan's  forces  twice 
and  defeated  them  each  time. 

In  January,  1865,  i^  marched  with  Gen- 
eral Stoneman  on  his  famous  raid  in  Vir- 
ginia. In  March,  1865,  it  joined  the  army 
of  General  Stoneman  on  his  expedition  to 
North  Carolina.  This  force  at  Salisbury, 
North  Carolina,  captured  eighteen  hundred 
prisoners  and  twenty-two  pieces  of  artil- 
lery. It  was  mustered  out  at  Nashville, 
September  22,  1865. 

The  regiment  received  the  highest  praise 
of  General  Stoneman  for  their  heroic  serv- 
ices at  various  points,  especially  at  Sandy 
Mountain,  October  3  and  4,  1864,  and  at 
Marion,  Virginia,  December  18,  1864. 

The  regiment  on  its  various  expeditions, 
destroyed  immense  amounts  of  Confederate 
property  and  captured  thousands  of  prison- 
ers. 

Its  losses  amounted  to  one  hundred  and 
forty-tw^o. 

It  w-as  in  many  engagements,  the  prin- 
cipal of  which  w^ere : 

1864  Hazel  Green,  Lexington,  Cynthiana, 
Mt.  Sterling,  Point  Burnside,  Big 
Sandy  Mountain,  Marion,  Arlington, 
Saltville. 

1865  Salisbury,  Ashville. 


Eleventh  Michigan  Cavalry. 

Field  and  Staff. 

Adjutant  Manley  S.  Rowley,  Niks;  en- 
listed September  I,  1863;  mustered  out 
August  10,  1865. 

Company  A. 

Edward  Frazer,  mustered  out  June  16,. 

1865. 

Charles  H.  Fanow,  mustered  out  Sep- 
tember 22,  1865. 

Company  I. 

Sergeant  Joel   Turner,   Watervliet,   dis- 
charged for  disability,  April  13,   1863. 
Joseph  O'Keefe,  mustered  out  July  17, 

1865. 

Company  K. 

Captain  George  M.  Wells,  Niles;  com- 
missioned August  I,  1863;  transferred  ta 
Eighth  Cavalry;  mustered  out  September 
22,  1865. 

Second  Lieutenant  Charles  H.  Palmer,. 
Niles;  commissioned  June  i,  1864;  sergeant 
October  20,  1863;  transferred  to  Eighth 
Cavalry;  mustered  out  September  22,  1865.. 

Quartermaster  Sergeant  F.  M.  Cottrell, 
Buchanan;  enlisted  September  25,  1863;. 
discharged  for  disability,  January  26,  1865. 

Commissary  Sergeant  James  E.  Good- 
man, Niles;  enlisted  October  15,  1863; 
transferred  to  Eighth  Cavalry;  promoted  to 
second  lieutenant;  mustered  out  first  ser- 
geant, September  22,  1865. 

Sergeant  James  H.  Delano,  Niles;  en- 
listed September  21,  1863;  transferred  to 
Eighth  Cavalry;  mustered  out  September 
22,  1865. 

Sergeant  Burwell  Hickman.  Three 
Oaks;  enlisted  September  2,  1863;  mustered 
out  May  29,  1865. 

Sergeant  Benjamin  F.  Ralph,  Niles;  en- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


^33 


listed  October  23,  1863;  transferred  to 
Eighth  Cavalry;  promoted  to  captain  in 
United  States  C.  T. 

Corporal  William  Martin,  North  Buf- 
falo; enlisted  September  28,  1863;  sergeant; 
transferred  to  Eighth  Cavalry;  mustered  out 
September  22,  1865. 

Corporal  C.  D.  H.  Trowbridge,  Pipe- 
stone; enlisted  September  10,  1863;  trans- 
ferred to  Eighth  Cavalry;  mustered  out 
September  22,   1865. 

Corporal  William  H.  Drew,  Niles;  en- 
listed November  2,  1863;  transferred  to  In- 
valid Corps;  mustered  out  May  18,  1865. 

Corporal  Thomas  S.  Stewart,  Pipestone, 
unlisted  September  24,  1863;  sergeant; 
transferred  to  Eighth  Cavalry;  mustered 
out  September  22,  1865. 

Corporal  James  McOmber,  Niles;  en- 
listed September  17,  1863;  mustered  out 
June  16,   1865. 

Corporal  Henry  C.  Redding,  Niles;  en- 
listed September  8,  1863;  sergeant;  trans- 
ferred to  Eighth  Cavalry ;  mustered  out  Sep- 
tember 22,  1865. 

Musican  William  C.  Winch,  Buchanan; 
enlisted  October  15,  1863;  died  in  action  at 
Saltville,  Virginia,  October  2,  1864. 

Farrier  Henry  L.  Beecroft,  Niles;  en- 
listed October  23,  1863;  transferred  to 
Eighth  Cavalry;  promoted  into  United 
States  C.  T. 

John  G.  Allen,  discharged  by  order  July 
31,    1865. 

Charles  Boyce,  transferred  to  Eighth 
Cavalry;  mustered  out  June  16,  1865. 

Moses  Binniman,  transferred  to  Eighth 
Cavalry;  mustered  out  September  22,  1865. 

James  H.  Bayes,  mustered  out  June  16, 

1865. 

Charles  E.  Cronkite,  transferred  to 
Eighth  Cavalry;  mustered  out  September 
22,  1865. 

John  B.  Culstraw,  transferred  to  Eighth 
Cavalry;  mustered  out  September  22,  1865. 

Sullivan  Clawson,  transferred  to  Eighth 


Cavalry;  mustered  out  September  22,  1865. 

Charles  Dunlap,  transferred  to  Eighth 
Cavalry;  mustered  out  September  22,  1865. 

Quincy  S.  Drew,  transferred  to  Eighth 
Cavalry;  mustered  out  September  22,  1865. 

James  A.  Donnelly,  discharged  May  20, 

1865. 

H.  B.  Emerson,  discharged  by  order, 
July  25,  1865. 

Gilbert   Green,    mustered   out   July    17, 

1865. 

William  Henry,  transferred  to  Eighth 
Cavalry;  mustered  out. 

Albert  Knappen,  missing  in  action  at 
Saltville,  Virginia,  October  2,  1864. 

George  Munjoy,  mustered  out  June  16, 

1865. 

John  McLogan,  transferred  to  Eighth 
Cavalry;  mustered  out  September  22,  1865. 

F.  Parmeter,  transferred  to  veteran's  re- 
serve corps. 

Frank  J.  Pennell,  transferred  to  Eighth 
Cavalry;  mustered  out  September  22,  1865. 

Oliver  T.  Philips,  transferred  to  Eighth 
Cavalry;  mustered  out  September  22,  1865. 

William  H.  Summers,  transferred  to 
Eighth  Cavalry ;  mustered  out  September  22, 

1865. 

Harvey  Stratton,  transferred  to  Eighth 

Cavalry,  mustered  out  September  22,  1865. 

Z.    E.    Strong,    mustered   out   July    17, 

1865. 

Isaac  Timmons,  transferred  to  Eighth 
Cavalry;  mustered  out  September  22,  1865. 

Aloysius  Tucker,  transferred  to  Eighth 
Cavalry;  mustered  out  September  22,  1865. 

Charles  Taggart,  died  of  disease  at  De- 
troit, Michigan,  March  9,   1864. 

Aylmer  Taggart,  transferred  to  Eighth 
Cavalry;  mustered  out  September  22,  1865. 

William  C.  Webb,  transferred  to 
Eighth  Cavalry;  mustered  out  October  10, 

1865. 

James  W.  Webber,  transferred  to  Eighth 

Cavalry;  mustered  out  September  22,  1865. 

Berrien  county  was  represented  in  other 

\ 


134 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Michigan    regiments,    although    in    smaller 
numbers. 

A  list  of  these  soldiers  is  given  below. 

First  Infantry. 


George  Brown^  Company  G;  discharged 
by  order,  June  lo,  1865. 

George  W.  Brown,  Company  H;  dis- 
charged by  order,  September  14,  1865. 

William  T.  Davis,  Company  K;  mus- 
tered out  July  30^  1865. 


Assistant  Surgeon  Andrew  Hobart,  Jr., 
Niles;  commissioned  August  17,  1861 ;  pro- 
moted to  surgeon,  December  10^  1862;  mus- 
tered out  at  end  of  service,  October  7,  1864. 

Henry  Merikee,  Company  D;  discharged     charged  for  disability,  December  6,  1862. 
February  7,  1862. 

James  P.  Clary,  Company  E;  died  of 
wounds,  September  12,  1862. 

William  H.  Cash,  Company  E;  died  in 
action  at  Jackson^  Mississippi,  July  11,  1863. 

Otho  Cann,  Company  E;  mustered  out 
April  27,  1865. 

Frank  Morehouse,  Company  E;  dis- 
charged for  disability. 

Ferdinand  Marchefke,  Company  E; 
veteran,  December  31,  1863;  mustered  out 
July  25,  1865. 


Tenth  Infantry. 

Charles     Quigley,     Company     G;     dis- 
for  disability,  December  6 

Thirteenth  Infantry. 

Company  B. 

Lawrence  Hand,  mustered  out  July  25,. 
1865. 

Peter   Higgins,   mustered  out  July  25^ 

1865. 

Company  C. 


Third  Infantry. 

Sergeant  James  W.  Rich,  Company  E; 
enlisted  September  24,  1864;  absent,  sick, 
at  time  of  muster  out. 


Thomas  W.   Brown,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability. May  26,  1862. 

Edward  A.  Johnson,  discharged  for  dis- 
ability. May  26,  1862. 


Company  E. 


^      ,       ^^  ^  ^     ,.    ,  .  Second  Lieutenant  Levi  Brown,   Poka- 

Randon  Keyes,  Company  E;  discnare^ed  .    .        1    -^/r      1  or 

/     \^      /      -^    ^'  ^  e^on;   commissioned   March    10,    1864;   vet- 

at  end  of  service,  March  2,  1866.  t  00^  ^1 

^^,.      A^,/ii     ^  T-  ,  eran,    anuary  18,  1864;  serg^eant;  corporal: 

Melvm  A.  Wells,  Company  E;  mustered  •        ,    t  oV 

^  ,  or-  resigned   January,    1865. 


out  September  2,  1865. 

Seventh  Infantry. 


First     Lieutenant     Stephen     Patterson, 
Company  I;  commissioned  April  20,  1864;        ^      ^^ 
died  March  29,   1865,  of  wounds  received        ^' 
at  Spottsylvania,  May  14,  1864. 


William  Morris,  mustered  out  June  8^ 

1865. 

Leander  Tallman,  mustered  out  June  8, 
1865. 

William  S.  Tallman,  mustered  out  July 


EiCxHTH  Infantry. 

Colonel   Frank  Graves,   Niles;  commis- 
sioned    May     I,     1863;     lieutenant-colonel 


Company  K. 

William   W.   Dean^   mustered  out  July 
25,  1865. 

Fourteenth  Infantry. 


Assistant  Surgeon  Alfred  Wyker^ 
August  19,  1 86 1 ;  killed  in  battle  at  Wilder-  Niles;  commissioned  November,  1862;  re- 
ness,  Virginia,  May  11,  1864.  signed  June  i,  1863. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


135 


Sixteenth  Infantry. 

Edward  Barnard,  First  Independent 
Company;  mustered  out  by  order,  January 
18,   1865. 

Horace  Garrison,  Company  H ;  mustered 
out  July  8,  1865. 

John  W.  Redding,  Company  H;  dis- 
charged by  order,  May  12,  1865. 

Joseph  White,  Company  H;  mustered 
out  July  8,    1865. 

M.  E.  Laughlin,  Company  I ;  discharged 
for  disability. 

Alfred  I.  Conklin,  Company  K;  mus- 
tered out  July  8,  1865. 

William  H.  Doane,  Company  K;  mus- 
tered out  July  8,  1865. 

Dygert's   Sharpshooters 
(Attached  to  i6th  Inf.) 

Hoel  C.  Wright,  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity, October  9,  1862. 

Twenty-seventh  Infantry. 

William  W.  Chaddore,  Company  D; 
mustered  out  July  26,  1865. 

Cephas  Earl,  Company  D;  died  of 
disease  at  Annapolis,  Maryland,  April  7, 
1865. 

David  Ostrander,  Company  D;  trans- 
ferred to  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  January 
15,  1864. 

Elias  H.  Tood,  Company  D;  died  in 
action  before  Petersburg,  Virginia,  July  30, 
1864. 

Twenty-ninth  Infantry. 

Jesse  Olmstead,  Company  H;  mustered 
out  September  6,  1865. 

Charles  Smith,  Company  H;  mustered 
out  September  6,  1865. 

Thirtieth  Infantry. 

First  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant  Stephen 
H.  Babcock,  Niles;  commissioned  April  17, 
1865 ;  second  lieutenant,  Company  A,  March 


16,  1865;  sergeant  major,  November  23, 
1864;  mustered  out  June  16,  1865. 

Captain  Henry  T.  Kimmel,  Niles;  com- 
missioned November  28,  1864;  first  lieuten- 
ant, Company  H,  Twelfth  Infantry;  mus- 
tered out  June  30,   1865. 

John  Campbell,  Company  B;  mustered 
out  June  30,  1865. 

Matthias  Hunner,  Company  B;  died  of 
disease  at  Detroit,  January  4,   1865. 

John  H.  Wilson,  Company  B;  mustered 
out  June  30,  1865. 

Company  H. 

George  O.  Bates,  Christopher  Deltman, 
Bernard  V.  FoTshee,  Theodore  Metzgef, 
Roland  Tripp,  Isaac  Welsh,  Louis  C.  Wolfe, 
mustered  out  June  30,  1865. 

Fifth  Cavalry. 

Corporal  Allen  P.  Huggins,  Niles;  en- 
listed August  14,  1862;  discharged  for  pro- 
motion, December  15,  1862. 

Sixth  Cavalry. 

George  Cornelia,  Company  A;  trans- 
ferred to  First  Cavalry;  mustered  out 
March  10,  1866. 

Theophile  Gebeau,  Company  A;  mus- 
tered out  December  8,  1865. 

Scofield  Ferrier,  Company  B;  trans- 
ferred to  First  Cavalry;  mustered  out 
March  10,  1866. 

James  Mott,  Company  G;  mustered  out 
June   17,    1865. 

George  W.  Collins,  Company  H;  trans- 
ferred to  First  Cavalry ;  mustered  out  March 
10,  1866. 

Albert  H.  Waters,  Company  L;  trans- 
ferred to  First  Cavalry ;  mustered  out  March 
10,  1866. 

Eighth  Cavalry. 

Sergeant  Major  Horace  E.  Woodbridge, 
Buchanan;  enlisted  July  20,  1865 ;  promoted 
to  second  lieutenant;  mustered  out  as  ser- 
geant, Company  M,  June  10,  1865. 


J36  HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 

Commissary  Sergeant  Allen  P.  Huggins,  Albert  Weaver,  mustered  out  July  28, 
iSFiles;  promoted  to  first  lieutenant,  Company  1865. 
C,  May  15,  1864;  transferred  as  first  lieu-  Battery  C. 
tenant  to  Company  D,  July  20,  1865;  mus- 
tered out  September  22,  1865.  Abram  Evans,  discharged  for  disability, 

Second  Lieutenant  Joseph  T.  Goodwin,  February  26,  1863. 
Niles;  commissioned  July  20,   1865;  mus- 
tered out  September  22,  1865.  Battery  D. 

John  C.   Horn,   Company  F;  mustered 

out  September  22,  1865.  Andrew   E.   Ruttan,   mustered  out  Au- 

John  Philips,  Company  F;  mustered  out  gust  3,  1865. 

September  22,   1865.  Battery  E. 

Richard  Powers,  Company  H;  mustered 

out  September  22,  1865.  Albert   S.   Bliss,   mustered  out  August 

Joseph  Pulaski^  Company  H;  mustered  30,  1865. 

out  September  22,   1865.  L.  W.  Dragon,  mustered  out  August  30, 

Gottlieb  Schroeder,  Company  H;  mus-  1865. 

tered  out  September  22,  1865.  John  Shook,  mustered  out  August  30, 

James  Price,  Company  I;  mustered  out  1865. 

September  22,  1865.  Samuel  Simpson,  mustered  out  August 

Joseph  C.   Garrison,  Company  K;  died  30,  1865. 

of  disease  in  Tennessee,  June  29,  1865.  Battery  L. 

Tenth  Cavalry.  Archelaus  Goddard,   mustered  out  Au- 

Theodore  F.  Brown,  Company  B;  mus-  ^     -j^  \  .  ^^'        ..    ^      .    ..             ^  ^^ 

,       ,  -y^j          1              o^  David  Lyon,  died  of  disease  at  Knox- 

tered  out  November  o.  i86s.  -n     -r^         /              n^ 

Ai           T3        ^^    r^               ry           ^      A  villc,  December  20,  1 863. 

Alonzo  Burnett,   Company  B;  mustered  tt          t-.-  i               ^^      i       ^  a 

,  ^^          ,              o^  Henry  Rmker,  mustered  out  August  30, 

out  November  9,  1865.  9.(\                                                       ^       o  ^ 

Charles  C.  Burnett,  Company  B;  mus-  ^'            tt      ,                 ^       1       ^    a 

,       .  ^r          1              o/-  Abram  Voorhees,  mustered  out  Aug^ust 

tered  out  November  9,  1865.  ^^                                                        ^ 

John  Kelly,  Company  B;  mustered  out  ^  '         ^'            "r  ff        a/T 

November  9,  1865.  ^ 

Lawrence   Larkins,   Company   B ;   mus-  Orson  O.  Bronson,  mustered  out  August 

tered  out  November  9,  1865.  i,  1865. 

David  McKain,   Company  B;  mustered  Edwin  D.  Batchelor,  mustered  out  May 

out  August  28,  1865.  6,  1865. 

Daniel  Redmond,  Company  B ;  mustered  William  F.  Hurlburt,  mustered  out  May 

out  August  28,  1865.  6,  1865. 

Addison  E.   Storrs^   Company  B;  mus- 
tered out  November  20,  1865.  Fourteenth  Michigan   Battery. 

T^         -.r                 X             A  First  Lieutenant  Tames  B.  Finley,  Niles; 

First  Michigan  Light  Artillery.  .    .        t   t  1            o/c             /a 

commissioned  July   i,    1864;  mustered  out 

Battery  A  ^'"'^  ''  '^^5- 

^       '  Sergeant  David  S.  Lyon,  Buchanan;  en- 
Burton   Prettyman,    mustered   out  July  listed  March  20,    1863;  died  of  disease  at 
28,  1865.  Knoxville,  December  30,  1863. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


137 


Nathan  Morlan,  died  of  disease  at  Wash- 
ington, April  28,  1864. 

Henry  F.  Summers,  died  of  disease  at 
Washington,  March  31,  1864. 

First  Engineers  and  Mechanics. 

Company  D. 

George  Scott,  discharged  by  order,  June 
6,  1865. 

Company  F. 

Addison  M.  Gustin,  mustered  out  Sep- 
tember 22,  1865. 

Reuben  F.  Gustin,  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 22,  1865. 

Berrien  county  was  quite  largely  repre- 
sented in  the  regiments  of  other  states.  A 
list  of  such  soldiers  is  given  below,  so  far 
as  can  be  obtained  from  records  accessible. 

Forty-second  Illinois  Infantry. 

Company  E. 

Captain  William  R.  Townsend,  Niks; 
commissioned  September  2^  1863;  ^^^^  lieu- 
tenant, July  22,  1861 ;  mustered  out  Janu- 
ary 23,   1865. 

First  Lieutenant  Edward  Hurson,  Ber- 
rien Springs;  commissioned  September  2, 
1863;  second  lieutenant  May  2,  1862;  ser- 
geant, July  2,  1861 ;  died  May  17,  1864. 

First  Lieutenant  Charles  Munger,  Ber- 
rien Springs;  commissioned  April  11,  1865; 
corporal  July  26,  1861 ;  mustered  out  De- 
cember 16,  1865. 

Second  Lieutenant  Byron  J.  Dart,  Ber- 
rien Springs;  commissioned  December  16, 
1865;  veteran  January  i,  1864;  sergeant; 
mustered  out  December  16,  1865. 

Corporal  Christopher  Harmon,  Berrien 
Springs;  enlisted  July  26,  1861 ;  veteran, 
January  i,  1864;  sergeant;  mustered  out 
December   16,    1865. 


Alanson  Dickerson,  Berrien  Springs ;  en- 
listed July  26,  1861 ;  discharged  for  disabil- 
ity. 

Comfort  P.  Estes,  Berrien  Springs;  en- 
listed July  26,  1861 ;  died  in  action  at  Kene- 
saw  mountain,  June  18,  1864. 

Uriah  Elliott,  Berrien  Springs;  enlisted 
September  19,  1861 ;  mustered  out  Decem- 
ber 16,  1865. 

Florimond  Evans,  Berrien  Springs;  en- 
listed September  19,  1861 ;  discharged  for 
wounds,  July  28,  1864. 

John  Leaf,  St.  Joseph;  enlisted  August 
7,  1861;  died  in  Mississippi,  July  15,  1862. 

Robert  Morony,  Berrien  Springs;  en- 
listed July  26,  1861 ;  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 16,   1864. 

Company  F. 

Sergeant  Charles  Stone,  New  Buffalo; 
enlisted  July  26,  1861 ;  died  at  luka,  Mis- 
sissippi, September  9,  1862. 

Sergeant  Ogden  H.  Paton,  New  Buffalo; 
enlisted  July  26,  1861 ;  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, July  9,   1862. 

Sergeant  David  Ledyard,  New  Buffalo; 
enlisted  July  26,  1861 ;  veteran,  January  i, 
1864;  mustered  out  December  16,  1865. 

Corporal  Samuel  H.  Davis,  New  Buf- 
falo; enlisted  July  29,  1861 ;  discharged  for 
disability,  December  18,   1862. 

Corporal  Charles  Duel,  New  Buffalo; 
enlisted  July  29,  1861 ;  discharged  for  dis- 
ability. May  28,  1862. 

Corporal  Henry  A.  Merriman,  New  Buf- 
falo; enhsted  July  26,  1861 ;  discharged  for 
disability,  September  22,  1862. 

Corporal  John  Harmon,  New  Buffalo; 
enlisted  July  26,  1861 ;  veteran,  January  i, 
1864;  mustered  out  December  16,  1865. 

Corporal  William  H.  Bowen,  New  Buf- 
falo; enlisted  August  4,  1861 ;  veteran,  Jan- 
uary I,  1864;  mustered  out  December  16, 
1865. 

Reuben  Birdsall,  New  Buffalo;  enlisted 
August  4,  1861 ;  discharged  for  disability, 
August  9,  1862. 


138 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Marion  Birdsall,  New  Buffalo;  enlisted 
August  4,  1861 ;  died  at  Big  Springs,  Mis- 
sissippi, July  15,  1862. 

George  Courser,  New  Buffalo;  enlisted 
July  26,  1861 ;  veteran,  January  i,  1864; 
absent,  sick,  at  muster  out. 

Jacob  Dingman,  New  Buffalo;  enlisted 
July  30,  1861 ;  died  in  battle  at  Chickamauga, 
September  20,  1863. 

Charles  Lohman,  New  Buffalo;  enlisted 
July  26,  1 861;  veteran,  January  i,  1864; 
mustered  out  December  16,  1865. 

John  Lieman,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted  July 
26,  1 861;  discharged  for  disability,  Febru- 
ary II,  1862. 

Charles  Ledyard,  New  Buffalo;  enlisted 
September  3,  1861;  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 16,   1864. 

Joseph  Newman,  Buchanan;  enlisted 
August  10,  1 861;  discharged  to  enlist  in 
Fourth  United  States  Cavalry,  December  3, 
1862. 

Owen  Pritchard,  New  Buffalo;  enlisted 
July  26,  1861 ;  died  at  Chicago,  Illinois,  Sep- 
tember 14,  1862. 

Stephen  E.  Randall,  New  Buffalo;  en- 
listed July  26,  1 86 1 ;  died  at  Tipton,  Mis- 
souri, December  18,  1861. 

William  D.  Russell,  New  Buffalo;  en- 
listed July  29,  1861 ;  mustered  out  Septem- 
ber 19,   1865. 

James  Scroufe,  New  Buffalo;  enlisted 
July  30,  1861 ;  died  at  Camp  Baker,  Mis- 
souri, November  2,   1861. 

Volney  Satterlee,  New  Buffalo;  enlisted 
July  26,  1861 ;  died  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
February  17,  1862. 

William  A.  J.  Topping,  New  Buffalo; 
enlisted  July  26,  1861 ;  died  at  Nashville, 
Tennessee,  January  31,  1863. 

Caleb  Topping,  New  Buffalo;  enlisted 
July  26,  1 861;  discharged  for  disability, 
February  3,  1862. 

Company  G. 

Sergeant  Edward  Aiker,  Pipestone;  en- 


listed July  29,  1861 ;  wounded;  mustered  out 
September  16,  1864. 

Peter  Narrow,  St.  Joseph;  enlisted  July 
29,  1 861;  veteran,  January  i,  1864;  mus- 
tered out  December  16,  1865. 

Carlton  L.  Bunker,  St.  Joseph;  enlisted 
July  29,  1861 ;  mustered  out  September  16, 
1864. 

N.  B.  Collins,  Pipestone;  enlisted  July 
29,  1861 ;  mustered  out  September  16,  1864. 

Hiram  A.  Chapman,  Pipestone;  enlisted 
August  4,  1861 ;  discharged  for  disability, 
February  7,   1863. 

Daniel  A.  Warrell,  Watervliet;  enlisted 
August  28,  1 861;  mustered  out  September 
16,  1864. 

Sixth  Wisconsin  Infantry. 

Smith  Young,  enlisted  June,  1861 ;  killed 
at  Antietam,   September,    1862. 

Ascher  Lane,  enlisted  June,  1861 ;  pro- 
moted sergeant;  discharged  for  disability,. 
December,  1861. 

John  Lane,  St.  Joseph,  enlisted  June,. 
1861 ;  promoted  corporal,  wounded  in  action 
at  Antietam;  discharged  for  disability,  Jan- 
uary,  1863. 

Burton  Miller,  veteran,  enlisted  June^ 
1861 ;  mustered  out  June,  1865. 

H.  S.  Purfield,  enlisted  June,  1861 ;  died 
of  disease,  Cairo,  December,  1862. 

Hiram  Whittaker,  Berrien  county,  en- 
listed June,  1 861;  killed  at  Antietam,  Sep- 
tember,   1862. 

Eighty-eighth  Illinois. 

J.  C.  Anderson,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted 
August,   1862;  mustered  out  June,  1865. 

James  Boyle,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted 
August,  1862;  mustered  out  June,  1865. 

Abram  Kelder,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted 
August,  1862;  mustered  out  June,  1865. 

Seymore  Palter,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted 
August,  1862. 

Charles  E.  Rowe,  St.  Joseph,  enlisted 
August,  1862. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


139 


Thirteenth  Indiana  Battery 

(Artillery.) 

Charles  A.  Galloway,  New  Buffalo,  en- 
listed October,  1864;  mustered  out  July, 
1865. 

Seventy-second  Illinois  Infantry. 

Jacob  Heck,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted  Au- 
gust, 1862;  died  at  Vicksburg,  Mississippi, 
October  i^   1864. 

George  Morris,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted 
August,  1862;  mustered  out  August,  1865. 

Seventy-seventh  Illinois  Infantry. 

Eben  Knight,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted  Au- 
gust, 1862;  died  July,  1863. 

Thirty-ninth  Illinois  Infantry. 

W.  W.  Spencer,  Bainbridge,  enlisted 
August,  1 861;  promoted  sergeant;  died  of 
wound  at  Philadelphia,  July,   1864. 

Band  Second  Brigade,  Third  Division, 
Ninth  Army  Corps. 

Henry  Badger,  Berrien  county,  enlisted 
May  I,  1863;  mustered  out  December  28, 
1870. 

Alfred  Bowles,  enlisted  May,  1863;  dis- 
charged July,  1865. 

Byron  Chapman,  enlisted  May,  1863;  dis- 
charged May,  1865. 

George  Claar,  Niles,  enlisted  May,  1863; 
discharged  May,  1865. 

George  Fairfield,  Niles,  enlisted  May, 
1863;  discharged  May,  1865. 

J.  W.  Griffith,  Niles,  enlisted  May,  1863. 

Thomas  M.  Hill,  Niles,  enlisted  May, 
1863. 

Charles  Richardson,  Niles,  enlisted  May, 
1863;  died  of  disease,  Nicholsville,  Ken- 
tucky, August,   1863. 

Charles  Williams,  Niles,  enlisted  May, 
1863;  discharged  May,  1865. 


Twenty-first  Indiana  Battery. 
(Artillery.) 

C.  R.  Benton,  Niles,  enlisted  January^ 
1864;  mustered  out  June,   1865. 

W.  H.  Benton,  Niles,  enlisted  January, 
1864;  mustered  out  June,  1865. 

F.  M.  Lushbaugh,  Bertrand,  enlisted 
September,  1861 ;  discharged  May^  1863. 

Philander  Pope,  Bertrand,  enlisted  Sep- 
tember, 1862;  died  at  Nashville,  Tennessee^ 
February,  1863. 

Fifty-seventh  Illinois. 

Ed.  J.  Brickell,  Niles,  'enlisted  January, 
1862. 

Seventy-third  Indiana  Infantry. 

Stanton  Wright,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted 
August,  1862. 

Orin  Bentley,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted  Au- 
gust, 1862;  mustered  out  June^  1865. 

Elihu  Bishop,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted  Au- 
gust, 1862;  mustered  out  July  i,  1865. 

Henry  Harrington,  New  Buffalo,  en- 
listed August,  1862;  mustered  out  July  i, 
1865. 

William  McGowan,  Buchanan,  enlisted 
August,  1862;  discharged  for  disability, 
March,  1863. 

John  O'Connor,  New  Buffalo;  enlisted 
August,  1862;  discharged  for  disability  Au- 
gust, 1864. 

T.  L.  Paddock,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted 
August,  1862;  discharged  April,  1863. 

Jerome  Tuttle,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted 
August,  1862;  died  at  Nashville,  November, 
1862. 

Allen  Vader,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted  Au- 
gust, 1862;  mustered  out  July,  1865. 

Daniel  Vader,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted  Au- 
gust, 1862;  mustered  out  July,  1865. 

Stanton  Wright,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted 
August,  1862. 

Eighteenth  Illinois  Infantry. 

Samuel    Trumbly,    St.    Joseph,    enlisted 


140 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


February,    1865;   mustered  out   December, 
1865. 

Twenty-third  Illinois  Infantry. 

Isaiah  Copper,  Buchanan,  enlisted  April, 
1862;  mustered  out  May,  1865. 

Isaiah  Copper,  Buchanan,  enlisted,  vet- 
eran, April,  1862. 

•     Joseph  Drawbridge,  Buchanan,  enlisted 
April,   1862;  discharged  for  disability. 

J.  W.  Drawbridge,  Buchanan,  veteran, 
enlisted  April,   1862. 

J.  C.  Fletcher,  Niles;  enlisted  April, 
1862;  promoted  second  lieutenant  February, 
1863;  promoted  captain  September,  1864; 
resigned  February,   1865. 

J.  E.  Fletcher,  Niles,  second  lieutenant; 
captain,  September,  1864;  resigned  Febru- 
ary, 1865. 

Joseph  Fox,  Niles,  enlisted  April,  1862; 
discharged  to  join  First  United  States 
Cavalry. 

Gideon  Rouse,  Buchanan,  enlisted  April, 
1862. 

One  Hundred  and  Thirty-second  Illi- 
nois Infantry. 

David  Brown,  St.  Joseph,  enlisted  May, 
1864;  mustered  out  October,  1864. 

Pierre  Druedale,  St.  Joseph,  enlisted 
May,  1864;  mustered  out  October,  1864. 

Ed.  A.  McClure,  St.  Joseph,  enlisted 
May,  1864;  mustered  out  October,  1864. 

Fourth  Illinois  Cavalry. 

Simeon  Buys,  St..  Joseph,  enlisted  Sep- 
tember, 1 861;  mustered  out  November, 
1864. 

One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh  Illi- 
nois Infantry. 

James  C.  Cartwright,  Niles,  enlisted 
February,  1865;  mustered  out  January, 
1865. 

John  Highland,  Niles,  enlisted  February, 
1865  ;  mustered  out  January,  1865. 


One     Hundred     and     Twenty-eighth 
Indiana  Infantry. 

John  Egan,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted  Janu- 
ary, 1864;  mustered  out  April,  1866. 

Charles  Myers,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted 
December,   1863;  niustered  out  July,  1865. 

John  Perkins,  New  Buffalo,  enlisted  De- 
cember, 1863;  mustered  out  June,  1865. 

One    Hundred    and    Twenty-ninth 
Indiana. 

Charles  Fessenhauer,  Bertrand,  enlisted 
January,  1864;  mustered  out  August,  1865. 

Forty- FOURTH  Illinois  Infantry. 

George  G.  Patterson,  Company  B,  en- 
listed September  3,  1861 ;  discharged  for 
disability,  March  31,  1863. 

Forty-seventh    Ohio   Infantry. 

Captain  William  R.  Townsend,  Niles, 
commissioned  September  2,  1861 ;  mustered 
out  August  II,  1865. 

Fifth  United  States  Colored  Cavalry. 

Second  Lieutenant  Henry  L.  Beecraft, 
Niles,  commissioned  August  9,  1864. 

Thirteenth  United  States  Artillery, 
(Colored  Troops.) 

Calvin  Hackley,  Pipestone,  enlisted 
March  18,  1865. 

George  M.  Works,  Pipestone,  enlisted 
March  18,  1865. 

Twelfth  United  States  Infantry  (Col- 
ored Troops.) 

Quartermaster  Sergeant  Theodore  C. 
Sachse,  Niles. 

One  Hundred  Sixteenth  United  States 
(  Colored  Troops.  ) 

Lieutenant  Colonel  George  H.  Laird, 
St.  Joseph,  commissioned  July  15,  1864. 


CHAPTER    VII 


NILES  CITY. 


Although  the  pioneers  already  men- 
tioned first  settled  within  the  present  lim- 
its of  the  city  of  Niles,  the  plat  of  the  vil- 
lage was  not  laid  out  till  1829.  The  village 
was  located  most  charmingly  on  the  banks 
of  the  St.  Joseph  river  which  now  divides 
the  city  into  two  portions,  the  larger  por- 
tion lying  on  the  east  side  and  the  smaller 
portion  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  It 
would  be  difficult  to  select  a  site  more 
picturesque  than  that  here  established  eighty 
years  ago  by  the  pioneers  of  Niles. 

In  1828,  Ephraim  Lacey,  Elijah  Lacey, 
Samuel  Walling,  Isaac  Gray,  William  Jus- 
tus and  A.  Thornberry  came  from  Rich- 
mond, Indiana,  on  a  tour  of  inspection 
through  St.  Joseph  valley,  and  decided 
to  locate  at  Niles.  In  October  of  that  year, 
Obed  P.  Lacey,  a  son  of  Ephraim,  Walling, 
and  Justus  brought  their  families  and  made 
a  permanent  location,  bringing  with  them  a 
stock  of  goods.  A  mercantile  firm  was  es- 
tablished under  the  firm  name  of  Walling 
&  Lacey.  The  customers  whose  names  ap- 
pear on  their  books  during  the  year  1828 
are  Isaac  Shuerts,  Samuel  Shuerts,  Garrett 
Shuerts,  Thomas  Thomas,  William  Justus, 
Elias  Holloway,  Lawrence  Cavenaugh,  Wil- 
liam Emmons,  William  Kirk,  Joseph 
Cruissman,  Abram  Tietsort,  William  Huff, 
John  Lybrook,  Jacob  R.  Clawson,  Francis 
Barker,   William  Wright  and  Joseph  Sim- 


merwell,  the  last  named  being  in  charge  of 
the  Carey  mission.  The  books  are  headed, 
''St.  Joseph."  This  was  the  first  store  estab- 
lished in  the  St.  Joseph  valley.  Obed  P. 
Lacey  acted  as  postmaster  until  the  regular 
appointment  of  Isaac  Gray  in  1830. 

Isaac  Gray  came  from  Richmond,  Indi- 
ana, in  1828,  and  built  a  double  house,  two 
stories  high,  of  hewn  logs,  where  he  kept  a 
store.  In  1830  he  died.  His  widow,  how- 
ever, conducted  the  store  after  his  death  with 
great  success. 

The  son,  William  B.  Gray,  who  came 
with  his  parents  in  1828,  afterwards  served 
in  the  Mexican  war  as  second  lieutenant  in 
the  First  Michigan  Infantry.  He  was  the 
first  recorder  of  the  city  of  Niles,  supervisor 
for  several  terms,  and  a  justice  of  the  peace 
for  many  years  before  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  1880.  His  widow,  a  daughter  of 
David  Gephart,  who  came  to  Niles  in  1836, 
is  now  living  in  Niles  with  her  daughter 
Kate. 

Ephraim  Lacey  and  his  sons  Elijah  and 
David  and  a  daughter  Asenath,  arrived  in 
Niles  on  April  29th,  1829.  They  built  a  log 
house  a  short  distance  north  of  the  mouth  of 
Dowagiac  Creek.  Mr.  Walling  in  1829  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  ninety  acres  of  land, 
which  included  a  considerable  tract  now  in- 
side the  city  limits  of  Niles.  At  the  same 
time  he  purchased  for  Mr.  Justus  the  land 


142 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


upon  which  the  business  portion  of  the  city 
now  stands.  Justus  conveyed  all  his  lands 
lying  south  of  Main  street  to  Elijah  Lacey. 
The  village  was  laid  out  by  Justus,  Walling 
and  the  Laceys  in  1829  and  the  plat  was  re- 
corded the  same  year.  The  village  was  des- 
ignated by  Obed  Lacey  as  Niles  after  the 
name  of  the  editor  of  the  Niles  Register,  a 
Whig  newspaper  published  at  Baltimore, 
which  was  a  favorite  journal  of  Mr.  Lacey. 

The  Laceys  soon  after  their  arrival  be- 
gan the  erection  of  a  saw  mill  which  com- 
menced operation  in  January,  1830.  A  flour 
mill  was  built  the  same  year.  Ephraim 
Lacey  was  a  native  of  Virgina  and  his  wife 
a  Quakeress.  They  lived  but  a  few  years 
after  their  settlement  in  Niles. 

Obed  P.  Lacey  became  prominent  in  the 
early  settlement  of  the  county.  He  was 
the  first  register  of  deeds  of  the  county,  in 
1 83 1,  supervisor  of  the  township  and  town 
clerk,  and  in  1843  ^  member  of  the  Legis- 
lature. He  became  the  owner  of  large  tracts 
of  land,  now  within  the  corporate  limits  of 
the  city,  but  was  subjected  to  severe  losses 
as  a  result  of  the  failure  of  the  wild  cat 
banks  and  losing  ventures  in  the  purchase 
and  sale  of  flour. 

He  was  a  man  of  strong  intellect,  a  great 
reader  and  public  spirited.  He  died  in  1844  in 
his  thirty-fourth  year.  The  Niles  Republi- 
can, in  announcing  his  death,  said :  ''By  his 
spirit  and  enterprise  in  a  great  measure, 
Niles  has  been  built  up  into  a  flourish- 
ing village."  His  wife  survived  him  and 
subsequently  married  Lion.  Thomas  Fitz- 
gerald. She  was  a  French  lady  whose 
maiden  name  was  Lucy  Pelletier,  and  a 
descendant  of  an  old  French  family  w^ho 
settled  in  Detroit  about  the  year  1700. 
Two  children  of  Obed  Lacey  and  wife  now 
live  in  Niles.  Harriet  who  married  Captain 
Thomas  G.  Wickham,  and  Miss  Fanny 
Lacey.  Mrs.  Wickham  was  born  in  Niles  in 
1834,  and  is  now  the  oldest  native  born  res- 
ident of  the  place. 

Elijah  Lacey  became  a  prominent  figure 


in  the  history  of  the  county.  He  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  first  constitutional  convention 
in  1835,  a  member  of  the  State  Senate  in 
the  years  1840,  1841  and  1861,  president  of 
the  village  of  Niles  from  1856  to  1858  and 
the  first  mayor  of  the  city  in  1859.  He  was 
universally  respected  and  honored  for  his 
sterling  qualities.  He  died  in  1862,  leaving 
a  widow  and  four  children,  Solon  and  Gran- 
ville, who  were  engaged  for  many  years  in 
the  coopering  business,  a  daughter  Hannah 
and  William  K.  The  three  first  named  chil- 
dren are  dead.  William  K.  is  now  living  in 
the  state  of  Washington,  where  he  removed 
from  Niles  about  four  years  ago.  He  was 
for  many  years  in  the  flouring  mill  business 
at  Niles.  Granville  and  his  uncle,  David 
Lacey,  were  both  members  of  the  common 
council  for  some  time.  Solon  for  many 
years  was  chairman  of  the  Republican  city 
committee. 

Morgan  Wilson  came  in  the  summer  of 
1829  and  erected  a  tannery.  Hiram  Chilson 
came  in  December  and  the  next  year  erected 
a  house  on  the  present  site  of  the  hardware 
store  of  William  Piatt.  This  house  after- 
wards became  the  ''council  house." 

In  1829  the  Laceys  erected  a  sawmill 
and  during  the  next  year  a  grist  mill.  The 
building  of  this  mill  was  an  important  event 
in  western  Michigan,  as  it  was  a  large  struc- 
ture for  those  days  and  men  came  to  assist 
in  raising  from  all  the  settlements  within 
thirty  miles  distant. 

Amanson  Huston  came  to  this  county 
in  1828  as  an  Indian  trader  and  peddler. 
In  May,  1829,  he  erected  the  first  hotel 
building  in  Niles,  originally  a  log  house, 
but  shortly  afterwards  enlarged  by  a  frame 
addition  where  the  first  term  of  the  old 
county  court  was  held  in  July,  1832,  David 
Olds  presiding.  Mr.  Huston  became  a 
colonel  in  the  Black  Hawk  w^ar  and  shortly 
after  removed  to  the  southern  states.  For 
a  time  he  had  charge  of  a  stage  line  running 
to  Detroit. 

In    1830,   his   father,   Thomas   Huston, 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


143 


then  62  years  old,  came  from  the  state  of 
New  York  with  his  wife  and  fourteen  chil- 
dren. His  son  Thomas^  while  still  in  his 
teens,  and  often  on  foot^  carried  the  mail 
between  Niles  and  St.  Joseph  before  any 
passable  road  was  built.  Thomas  for  some 
time  had  charge  of  the  ferry  at  Niles.  He 
lived  in  Niles  till  his  death  in  1896.  His 
widow  is  now  living  at  Niles  in  her  eighty- 
seventh  year,  remarkably  well  preserved 
both  physically  and  mentally,  still  active  and 
acute,  her  memory  and  hearing  practically 
unimpaired.  She  came  with  her  father,  Ira 
R.  Perkins  to  Niles  from  the  state  of  New 
York  in  1834  and  was  married  to  Thomas 
Huston  sixty-five  years  ago. 

The  sister  of  Thomas  Huston,  Melvina, 
taught  school  in  Niles  in  1832.  She  married 
David  Wilson  and  with  her  husband  re- 
moved to  St.  Joseph  shortly  after.  Another 
sister,  Clarissa,  married  Jeremiah  Ballard,  a 
prominent  citizen  and  supervisor  or  Niles 
township,  who  died  some  years  ago,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety-six  years.  The  only 
members  of  the  Huston  family  besides  Mrs. 
Thomas  Huston,  now  living  in  the  county, 
are  Mrs.  Ralph  Bahard  of  Niles,  and  Mrs. 
Harter  of  Berrien  Centre,  grandchildren  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Huston. 

In  1830  the  following  named  persons 
settled  in  Niles :  Eb^r  Griswold  and  Row- 
land Clark  from  New  York,  David  and 
Daniel  Wilson  from  Ohio,  Thomas  Dennis- 
ton  from  Prel)le  county,  Ohio,  and  Titus  B. 
Willard  and  Captain  Thomas  K.  Green  from 
New  Hampshire. 

The  first  bakery  was  started  by  Mr. 
Griswold.  The  Wilsons  established  a  tan- 
nery a  short  distance  off  the  river.  Daniel 
Wilson  soon  moved  to  St.  Joseph  and  be- 
came captain  of  the  ^'Matilda  Barney,"  the 
first  steamboat  to  navigate  the  river  as  far 
as  Niles. 

Captain  Green  in  1830  erected  a  large 
house  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  "Mich- 
igan Inn."  It  was  shortly  afterwards  con- 
'\'erted  into  a  tavern  which  became  famous 


and  was  known  as  the  ''Old  Diggins."  This 
was  the  second  hotel  in  the  village,  the  first 
hotel  erected  being  the  ''Council  House," 
established  by  Colonel  Olds.  Captain  Green 
also  built  a  store  the  same  year.  Captain 
Green's  son,  Cogswell  K.  Green,  was  a  law- 
yer, a  prominent  man  in  the  early  history  of 
the  county  and  a  member  of  the  State  Leg- 
islature in  1836,  but  returned  in  a  few  years 
to  New  Hampshire,  his  native  state. 

Thomas  Denniston  bought  a  lot  and  built 
a  house  on  the  southeast  corner  of  the  in- 
tersection of  Front  and  Sycamore  streets, 
where  he  resided  from  1830  to  the  time  of 
his  death.  He  was  a  cabinet  maker  by  trade 
and  immediately  established  his  business  in 
a  log  shop  on  Front  street.  One  of  his  chil- 
dren, Ezekiel,  is  now  living  in  Niles. 
Ezekiel  was  born  in  1827  and  was  engaged 
in  the  planing  business  for  many  years,  but 
retired  from  active  business  some  years 
since.  A  daughter,  Mrs.  Clara  Brown,  died 
last  October  in  her  seventy-seventh  year  at 
Niles. 

Mr.  Ezekiel  Denniston  is  now  the  oldest 
resident  of  the  city  of  Niles,  having  lived 
here  seventy-six  years. 

In  1 83 1  and  1832  the  following  promi- 
nent pioneers  came  to  Niles  :  Jacob  Beeson, 
William  B.  Beeson,  Dr.  E.  Winslow,  George 
W.  Hoffman,  John  B.  Reddick,  Jacob  K. 
Brown  and  Tolman  Wheeler. 

Jacob  Beeson  was  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vanit  and  emigrated  in  1829  to  St.  Joseph 
where  he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness. In  1832  he  moved  to  Niles  and  started 
a  store  in  a  portion  of  Colonel  Huston's 
tavern.  He  afterwards  formed  a  partner- 
ship in  the  mercantile  business  w^ith  his 
brother  William  and  was  also  engaged  in 
an  extensive  forwarding  and  commission 
business.  In  1857  ^^^  ^^^^^  appointed  custom 
house  collector  at  Detroit  by  President  Bu- 
chanan and  removed  to  that  city.  In  1865 
he  purchased  one  hundred  and  thirteen  acres 
south  of  the  dam  at  Niles  and  built  a  fine 
residence.     In  1867  he  sold  this  farm  to  the 


144 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Water  Power  Company,  and  again  re- 
moved to  Detroit.  In  1884  he  returned  to 
Niles  where  he  died  in  the  following  year. 
He  w^as  a  man  of  native  strength  and  ability, 
and  a  prominent  leader  of  the  Democratic 
party. 

William  B.  Beeson,  a  brother  of  Jacob, 
same  to  Niles  in  1831,  and  went  into  part- 
nership with  Dr.  E.  Winslow  in  the  prac- 
tice of    medicine.       He    shortly  afterward 
formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother  Jacob 
in  the  mercantile  business,  which  continued 
till  1849  when  William  went  to  California. 
He  returned  in  1853  and  purchased  the  stock 
of  Bacon  Wheeler  and  continued  in  mercan- 
tile business  till  his  death  in  1872.     During 
this  latter  period  he  constructed  a  fine  build- 
ing at  the  northeast  corner  of   Front  and 
Main   streets,   where  he   conducted  an   ex- 
tensive business.     He  was  a  member  of  the 
State  House  of  Representatives  in  1859  and 
president  of  the  village  in  184 1.     He  was  a 
man  of  sterling  qualities    and    highly    es- 
teemed by  the  community.     His  store  for 
years  was  the  favorite  resort  of  old  settlers. 
Lewis  H.  Beeson,  late  mayor  of  the  city 
of  Niles,  is  a  son  of  William  B.  Beeson.  The 
widow  of  William,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Sarah  Hess,  is  living  at  Grand  Rapids. 

John  B.  Reddick  came  from  Germany 
direct  to  Niles  in.  183 1,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  clothing  business.  In  1833  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Nancy  Emmons,  who  came 
from  Kentucky  in  1832.  Mr.  Reddick  died 
in  1868  at  Lawrence,  Kansas,  and  his  wifei 
in  1886.  They  had  three  children,  Louise, 
John  L.  and  William  A.,  who  are  all  now 
living.  Louise,  in  1858,  married  Mahlon  A. 
Smith,  of  Coldwater,  where  she  has  since 
lived.  She  was  born  at  Niles  in  1834  and 
is  the  mother  of  Carmi  R.  Smith,  the  pres- 
ent postmaster  of  Niles,  and  former  mem- 
ber of  the  legislature. 

John  L.  Reddick  was  born  in  1836  and 
was  engaged  for  many  years  in  the  sale  of 
lumber,  w^ood,  lime,  etc.,  at  Niles,  doing  an 
extensive  and  profitable  business. 


William  A.  Reddick  was  born  in  1843 
and  has  been  extensively  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  hardware  specialties. 

Joshua  Comley  came  in  1832  and  was 
employed  as  a  miller.  He  subsequently 
purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  in  the  north- 
east part  of  the  city  upon  a  portion  of  which 
the  Garden  City  Fan  Company  factory  is 
located.  Portions  have  been  sold  from  time 
to  time,  but  a  considerable  tract  still  remains 
unsold  and  is  owned  by  Guy  M.  La  Pierre,  a 
jew^eler  of  Niles,  whose  father  was  a  grand- 
son of  Joshua  Comley. 

Titus  B.  Willard  was  the  first  school 
teacher  in  Niles,  a  justice  of  the  peace  and 
member  of  the  Constitutional  convention  in 
1836.     He  taught  school  in  1830. 

Job  Brookfield  with  a  brother  Mahlon, 
came  in   1830  from  Canada,   although  na- 
tives of  New  York.     Job  was  a  surveyor 
and  was  interested  in  the  ferry  and  at  one 
time  owned  the  ''Pavilion,"  a  very  impos- 
ing structure  used  as  a  hotel.     This  building 
was  situated  on   the    southeast    corner    of 
Front  and  Main  streets  and  was  not  com- 
pleted  until   1834,   although  commenced  in 
1 83 1.     In   1832,  although  only  partly  con- 
structed, it  was  used  as  a  barracks  by  the 
troops  at  their  rendezvous  in  Niles  during 
the  ''Black  Hawk"  war.     The  first  person 
to  run  the  hotel  was  Colonel  Daniel  Olds. 
For  many  years  it  did  an  immense  business. 
In   1864  it  was  torn  down  by  the  owner, 
Benjamin    Frankenburg,    and    stores    were 
built  on  the  site. 

Three  brothers  of  Job  Brookfield  came 
a  few  years  after  his  settlement,  viz :  Ed- 
ward, Noah  and  James.  Noah  became  a 
prominent  surveyor  and  was  i)ostmaster  in 
1849. 

Benjamin,  Moses  and  Charles  Finch 
came  from  the  east  in  1830.  A  saw  mill 
was  built  at  the  mouth  of  the  Bertrand  creek 
by  Moses  the  same  year.  The  ferry  was 
operated  by  Benjamin  and  Moses  in  1831 
and  the  "Pavilion"  was  commenced  by 
Charles. 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


145 


In  1 83 1,  George  W.  Hoffman  brought 
a  stock  of  goods  from  New  York  to  St. 
Joseph.  He  remained  there  till  July,  1832, 
when  he  and  Jacob  Beeson  came  to  Niles 
on  foot.  He  soon  removed  his  stock  of 
goods  from  St.  Joseph  to  Niles  where  he 
located  a  store.  His  brother  Henry  B.  Hoff- 
man, then  engaged  in  mercantile  business 
in  Mackinac,  during  the  same  year  removed 
to  Niles  and  went  into  partnership  with 
George.  Henry  B.  removed  to  Davenport, 
Iowa,  in  1853,  ^^^  George  to  Detroit  in 
1857,  where  he  died  a  few  years  since. 

The  Hoffman  family  was  a  military  one 
connected  with  the  regular  army.  The 
father,  Major  William  Hoffman  made  his 
home  at  Niles  after  1839.  He  w^as  a  major 
in  the  United  States  army  during  the  Flor- 
ida war.  He  died  at  Corpus  Christi  during 
service  in  the  Mexican  war.  His  son  Satter- 
lee  was  also  in  the  Mexican  war,  and  was 
killed  at  the  battle  of  Cherubusco. 

In  1832  Harry  Flail  and  wife  came  to 
Niles  with  a  nephew,  John  Hatfield,  then  a 
child  of  six  years.  Mr.  Hall  was  a  mason 
by  trade,  but  removed  away  a  few^  years  after 
his  settlement  here.  Hatfield  remained, 
adopting  the  trade  of  his  uncle  and  has  lived 
in  Niles  from  1832  to  the  present  time.  He 
is  now  eighty  years  of  age  and  has  been  able 
to  work  at  his  trade  at  times  during  the 
past  year. 

Jacob  K.  Browm  came  to  Niles  in  1832 
and  was  a  contractor  and  builder.  Many 
of  the  best  buildings  in  Niles  at  an  early 
day  were  built  by  him.  He  was  one  of  the 
trustees  of  the  village  chosen  at  the  first  vil- 
lage election  in  1838.    He  died  in  1891. 

Four  children  are  now  living  in  Niles, 
viz. :  William  A.,  Mrs.  Thomas  Dougan, 
Mrs.  C.  E.  Fletcher,  Mrs.  Emma  Mahoney. 

Strother  M.  Beeson,  a  brother  of  Jacob 

and   William   Beeson,   w^as  a  lawyer.      He 

came  to  Niles  in   1832  but  for  some  years 

practiced  his  profession  at  South  Bend,  and 

was  not  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Berrien  county 

till   1850.     After  his  removal  to  Niles,  he 
10  i\ 


engaged  in  other  pursuits  and  accumulated 
a  considerable  fortune,  consisting  mainly  of 
real  estate  in  Iowa  and  the  city  of  Chicago. 
He  died  in  1878.  He  left  no  children  sur- 
viving, but  a  granddaughter,  Mrs.  Ann 
Purdy,  the  only  child  of  his  son,  William,  is 
now  living  in  the  east. 

Richard  P.  Barker  came  about  the  same 
time,  engaging  first  in  mercantile  business 
and  afterward  locating  about  a  mile  south 
of  the  city  of  Niles,  where  he  built  a  fine 
and  commodious  residence  on  the  bank  of 
the  river.  He  was  a  member  of  the  legis- 
lature in  1847.  H^  was  for  years  a  leader 
in  the  Democratic  party. 

William  Dougan,  a  builder  and  con- 
tractor, came  to  Niles  in  1832.  Fie  subse- 
quently married  Ann  Gray,  the  daughter  of 
Isaac  Gray,  a  merchant,  who  came  in  1830. 
Mr.  Dougan  and  J.  K.  Brown  constructed 
most  of  the  best  buildings  erected  in  Niles 
at  an  early  day.  Mr.  Dougan  died  in  1 849 
and  his  widow^  in  1898.  A  son,  Dr.  William 
T.  Dougan,  a  prominent  physician  and  a 
former  mayor  of  Niles,  is  now  living  in 
Niles. 

Dr.  Tolman  Wheeler  came  to  Niles  about 
1832,  but  removed  to  St.  Joseph  in  1835, 
and  is  referred  to  in  the  chapter  on  that 
town. 

Dr.  Erasmus  Winslow  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  at  first  but  subsequently 
practiced  his  profession.  He  was  the  first 
president  of  the  village  and  a  member  of  the 
state  constitutional  convention  of  1835.  He 
moved  to  Peru,  Illinois,  in  1843. 

Among  those  who  came  about  the  same 
time  were  Jasper  Mason,  Harrison  W.  Gris- 
wold,  Ezekiel  Redding,  J.  F.  Porter  and 
Henry  Heath. 

Mason,  a  native  of  New  York,  was  a 
merchant  and  president  of  the  village  in 
1846.  He  died  in  1848.  Griswold  was  a 
native  of  Vermont,  and  was  engaged  in  the 
grocery  and  bakery  business.  He  removed 
to  Iowa.  Redding  w^as  a  native  of  Virginia 
and  was  engaged  in  the  furniture  business. 


T46 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Porter  moved  to  St.  Joseph  shortly  after  his 
settlement  at  Niles,  and  was  a  partner  of 
Tolman  Wheeler  in  a  forwarding  and  com- 
mission business. 

A  brother  of  Tolman  Wheeler,  Bacon 
Wheeler,  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of 
Niles,  coming  in  1831.  He  became  one  of 
the  most  prominent  merchants  in  the  place 
and  was  a  man  of  fine  address  and  native 
strength  of  character.  He  removed  to  Chi- 
cago in  1853.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Niles. 

In  1833,  Nathaniel  Bacon,  a  graduate  of 
Union  College,  came  to  Niles  from  Roches- 
ter, New  York.  He  purchased  four  hundred 
acres  of  land  lying  a  mile  east  of  the  present 
city  of  Niles,  intending  to  turn  his  attention 
to  agricultural  pursuits.  In  1834  he  con- 
cluded to  open  a  law  office  and  soon  se- 
cured an  extensive  practice.  He  was  an  able 
and  learned  lawyer,  although  he  lived  on  his 
farm  till  his  death  in  1869.  He  was  pro- 
bate judge  in  1837.  In  1855  he  was  elected 
circuit  judge  of  the  second  judicial  circuit 
of  the  state,  then  comprising  four  counties. 
In  1857  he  was  again  elected  and  served  for 
six  years.  In  1866  he  was  again  elected 
and  served  till  his  death.  He  was  a  model 
judge  of  great  natural  dignity.  He  was  the 
father  of  Joseph  Bacon,  an  attorney  and  real 
estate  agent  of  Niles,  who  died  in  1882,  and 
of  Colonel  Edward  Bacon,  elsewhere  re- 
ferred to.  The  following  children  of  Judge 
Bacon  are  now  living:  Fred  N.  Bacon,  an 
attorney  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  the 
author  of  a  leading  work  on  the  ''Law  of 
Benefit  Societies";  Mrs.  Hannah  Field,  of 
San  Francisco,  California;  Mrs.  Lizzie 
Dobbin,  of  Faribault,  Minnesota;  Nathan- 
iel Bacon,  Jr.,  of  Chicago,  and  Emily 
Hoppin,  of  Yolo,  California.  Nathaniel  H. 
Bacon,  who  is  practicing  law  at  Niles,  is 
the  son  of  Joseph  Bacon.  Judge  Bacon  was 
in  politics  a  Republican  and  religiously 
an  active  member  and  elder  of  the  Presby- 
terian church. 


In  1834  and  1835  the  following  named 
persons  who  became  prominent  business  men 
came  to  Niles.  J.  C.  Larimore,  Dr.  J.  K. 
Finley,  R.  W.  Landon,  Alfred  Johnson, 
Martin  Cleland,  Benjamin  G.  Collins,  Alex- 
ander Collins,  Moses  Davis,  Dr.  James 
Lewis,  James  L.  Glenn,  Vincent  L.  Brad- 
ford, John  G.  Bond,  Major  William  Graves, 
Joseph  Mansfield,  Captain  Henry  Coolidge 
and  Harmon  D.  Gallup. 

Mr.  Larimore  came  to  Niles  from 
Steubenville,  Ohio,  in  1834.  He  was  en- 
gaged in  the  dry  goods  business  till  1838, 
when  he  opened  up  a  drug  store  at  the  south- 
west corner  of  the  intersection  of  Main  and 
Second  streets.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
strength  of  character,  of  liberal  education 
and  took  a  lead  in  all  the  activities  of  the 
place,  business,  religious  and  political.  For 
many  years  he  w^as  president  of  the  Citizens' 
National  Bank  and  an  officer  in  nearly  all 
the  leading  corporate  industries  of  Niles. 
He  was  postmaster  under  the  administration 
of  President  Harrison  from  1841  to   1845. 

Mr.  Larimore  had  several  children,  one 
of  whom,  Emma,  married  Francis  M.  Gray, 
former  mayor  of  Niles,  and  is  living  at  Niles. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Larimore  was  first  a  Whig 
and  then  a  Republican.  He  was  elder  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  almost  from  its  forma- 
tion. 

Dr.  J.  K.  Finley,  in  1835,  came  from 
Chilicothe,  Ohio,  where  he  had  practiced  his 
profession.  He  was  a  professor  of  chemistry 
and  natural  history  in  Dickinson  College, 
Pennsylvania,  for  five  years.  He  was  a 
man  of  learning  and  scientific  attain- 
ments, and  soon  obtained  an  extensive 
practice.  He  was  president  of  the  village 
in  1855.  He  removed  to  Pittsburg  in  1855, 
but  returned  to  Niles  in  1864,  where  he  lived 
till  his  death  in  1885.  He  was  universally 
esteemed  for  his  sterling  qualities.  He  left 
surviving  him  three  children,  Samuel  M., 
Margaret  and  Theodore.  The  two  former 
are  dead.     Theodore  is  editing  a  paper  in 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


147 


Greenville,  Texas.  In  politics,  Dr.  Finley 
was  a  Republican,  in  religion  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Mr.  Landon  came  from  Connecticut,  and 
was  first  employed  as  a  clerk  in  the  ware- 
house   of    Wheeler    &    Porter.  lie    became 
one  of    the    most    prominent    men    in    the 
county.     He  was  postmaster  in   1838.     In 
1842  he  was  elected  county  treasurer  and 
held  the  office  ten  years.    He  was  a  member 
of  the  state  senate  in   1863,  and  mayor  of 
the  city  four  terms.     He  was  an  extensive 
dealer  in  real  estate,   and  at  one  time  the 
largest  land  owner  in  Berrien  county,  being 
the  owner  of  several  thousands  of  acres  of 
land  in  Lake  township  alone.    His  first  wife 
was  Margaret  Gray,  the  daughter  of  Isaac 
Gray.     After  her  death,  he  married  for  his 
second  wife.  Miss  Linda  Vought,  who  sur- 
vived her  husband  and  has  been  for  several 
years  the  librarian  of  the  State  Agricultural 
College  at  Lansing.    A  son,  Lucius  H.  Lan- 
don, who  for  several  years  was  extensively 
engaged    in   the   manufacture  of   tin   plate, 
but  who  has  retired  from  business,  is  now 
living  in  Niles.     Another  son,  Worth,  was 
recorder  of  the  city  for  several  years.     He 
made  a  model  recorder  in  every  respect.     It 
was  his  custom  to  keep  a  blackboard  hung 
up  in  the  council  rooms,  with  a  detailed  state- 
ment written  out,  for  every  session  of  the 
council,   showing   exactly   what   amount   of 
money  was  on  hand  in  every  fund,  what  had 
been  appropriated  and  wdiat  expended.    The 
aldermen,  in  this  way,  had  no  excuse  for 
ignorance  of  the  financial  condition  of  the 
city,  and  of  the  amount  which  they  could 
legally  appropriate  for  any  given  purpose. 
In  1834  Martin  Cleland,  a  native  of  New 
York,  came  to  Niles,  where  he  resided  two 
years.     He  then  removed  to  a  farm  in  Bert- 
rand  township  where  he  lived  till  1858  when 
he  returned  to  Niles.    Lie  then  engaged  with 
his  sons  in  the  manufacture  of  fanning  mills 
and  safes.    His  son,  Andrew  J.  Cleland,  who 
came  with  his   father  to  Niles  in   1834,  is 
now  residing  in  Niles  in  his  eighty-fourth 


year,  well  preserved  in  mind  and  body.  In 
1862,  Andrew  purchased  the  fanning  mill 
business  and  for  many  years  conducted  an 
extensive  manufactory  of  fanning  mills, 
safes  and  other  agricultural  implements.  He 
was  for  several  years  a  member  of  the  com- 
mon council  and  prominently  connected  with 
the  political  and  business  life  of  the  city. 
He  is  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  the  county 
now  living. 

Harmon  D.  Gallup,  in  1834,  came  to 
Niles  with  his  mother,  Eunice  Gallup,  from 
Ohio.  They  remained  here  but  a  short  'time 
and  located  on  a  farm  in  Howard  township, 
Cass  county.  In  1863,  Mr.  Gallup  moved 
to  Niles  and  went  into  the  grocery  business. 
He  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  Baptist 
church.  He  died  several  years  ago.  Edgar 
H.  Gallup,  the  proprietor  of  the  music  store 
in  Niles,  is  a  son. 

George  Dougan,  a  native  of  Ireland  and 
a  carpenter  by  trade^  came  to  Niles  in  1835. 
The  late  George  W.  Dougan,  a  prominent 
merchant  and  at  one  time  mayor  of  the  city, 
was  a  son.  Another  son,  Thomas,  a  con- 
'tractor  and  builder,  is  now^  bving  in  Niles. 

James  W.  Griffin  came  from  New  York 
in  1834  and  settled  in  Niles,  but  shortly 
after  moved  west.  Two  nephews,  Samuel 
and  Robert,  located  in  Cass  county  at  an 
early  date  and  subsequently  moved  to  Niles, 
Robert  locating  upon  a  farm  about  one  mile 
southwest  of  Niles,  and  Samuel  going  into 
the  dry  goods  business  in  the  city. 

Colonel  T.  Griffin,  who  was  a  gallant 
officer  in  the  Nineteenth  regiment  during  the 
Civil  war  and  killed  at  the  battle  of  Gol- 
gotha, was  a  son  of  Samuel  and  the  father 
of  E.  C.  Griffin,  a  prominent  druggist  in 
Niles.  A  daughter  of  Samuel,  Mrs.  Lucy 
Finley,  and  a  daughter  of  Robert,  Mrs. 
Laura  Wilbur,  now  reside  in  Niles. 

Vincent  L.  Bradford,  a  laative  of  Phila- 
delphia and  a  graduate  of  Princeton,  came 
to  Niles  in  1835.  He  was  a  very  able  lawyer 
and  an  accomplished  gentleman.  He  w^as 
a  member  of  the  state  senate  in   1838-39, 


148 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


where  he  won  distinction.  In  1843  he  re- 
turned to  Philadelphia  and  for  a  long  time 
stood  at  the  head  of  the  bar  in  that  city. 
He  died  several  years  since  at  an  advanced 
age. 

The  Collins  brothers,  Benjamin,  John, 
William  and  Alexander  J.,  came  with  their 
mother  from  Delaware  in  1834.  Of  this 
family,  Alexander  J.  is  now  living  at  St. 
Joseph,  in  his  eighty-seventh  year,  with  his 
son,  Eden  D.  Collins,  a  boot  and  shoe  mer- 
chant. Until  the  past  year  he  has  been  quite 
well  and  active,  having  served  on  juries  in 
the  circuit  court  within  the  past  two  years. 
He  resided  at  Niles  till  1843,  ^^en  removed 
to  St.  Joseph.  He  went  to  California  in 
1849,  returned  to  Niles  in  1852  and  in  1867 
went  again  to  St.  Joseph,  where  he  has  since 
lived.  He  is  a  man  of  intelligence  and  his 
memory  is  still  acute.  Most  of  his  active 
life  was  spent  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business, 
which  he  learned  at  Lynn,  Massachusetts, 
where  he  was  an  apprentice  for  two  years. 
He  is  now  one  of  the  very  few  pioneers  re- 
siding in  the  county  who  came  here  at  so 
early  a  date. 

An  older  brother,  Benjamin,  shortly 
after  his  arrival  at  Niles,  opened  a  boot  and 
shoe  store,  employing  at  one  time  twelve 
shoe-makers.  In  1851,  he  commenced  the 
manufacture  of  brick.  He  died  several  years 
since,  leaving  a  son,  William  B.,  who  is  now 
living  at  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan. 

Another  brother,  John,  purchased  a  farm 
near  Niles  and  made  farming  his  occupa- 
tion.    He  died  some  years  ago. 

A  sister,  Mrs.  George  N.  Bond,  is  now 
living  in  her  eighty-ninth  year,  with  a 
daughter  in  Chicago. 

During  this  year,  William  Graves  was 
placed  in  charge  of  the  western  half  of  the 
'^Western  Stage  Company,"  and  removed  to 
Niles  from  Detroit,  to  assume  his  new  duties. 
Major  Graves  was  a  native  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. He  was  elected  secretary  of  the  state 
of  Michigan  in  1852,  was  mayor  of  the  city 
of  Niles  for  two  terms  and  treasurer  for  four 


terms.  His  son  Frank,  was  a  colonel  of 
the  Eighth  Michigan  Regiment  during  thei 
Civil  war,  and  w^as  killed  in  the  battle  of  the 
Wilderness^  in  1864,  wdiile  leading  a  charge 
against  the  enemy.  Major  Graves  himself 
died  in  1880.  He  was  a  man  of  great  nat- 
ural dignity  and  commanding  presence. 
Major  Graves'  daughter  Belle  was  married 
to  Henry  A.  Morrow,  a  distinguished  Union 
general  during  the  war,  to  whom  reference 
has  been  made  in  the  chapter  on  ''Berrien 
County  in  the  Civil  War.''  Mrs.  Morrow  is 
living  with  one  of  her  children  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, California. 

Moses  Davis  came  from  Lafayette,  In- 
diana, on  foot  and  alone  in  1834.  He  en- 
gaged in  the  business  of  manufacturing 
pumps  which  he  continued  for  about  forty 
years.  He  laid  out  an  addition  in  west 
Niles  in  1865.  He  died  about  twenty  years 
ago. 

In  1834,  Alfred  Johnson,  a  native  of 
Vermont  and  a  contractor  and  builder  came 
to  Niles  on  foot  from  his  native  state.  In 
1836,  he  built  a  house  in  which  he  lived  till 
his  death^  fifty-five  years  later.  This  house 
is  still  standing  and  is  probably  the  oldest 
building  in  Niles.  At  the  first  village  elec- 
tion, he  was  chosen  one  of  the  trustees.  In 
1837  he  married  Desire  Howe,  daughter  of 
Frederic  Howe.  Of  their  eight  children  the 
following  are  now  living :  John  F.,  Richard 
M.,  Frank  M.,  Estelle,  Mrs.  Kimmel,  Helen 
L,  who  married  Captain  John  A.  Montague; 
Mrs.  Orson  McKay  and  Charles  A.  Alfred 
Johnson  died  in  1889  and  his  widow  in  1894. 
Mrs.  Montague  and  Mrs.  Kimmel  are  now 
residing  in  Niles. 

Dr.  James  Lewis  came  from  New 
York  in  1835  and  purchased  of  Hiram  Chil- 
son  a  lot  on  the  northwest  corner  of  the  in- 
tersection of  Main  and  Second  streets  for 
eight  hundred  dollars.  In  1839  the  Arcade 
building  was  erected  of  brick.  This  build- 
ing is  now  owned  and  occupied  by  the  South- 
ern Michigan  Railway  Company  (interur- 
ban),  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  brick  struc- 


HENRY  CHAPIN. 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


149 


tures    in    Niles.     Dr.    Lewis,    by    his    will, 
devised  this  property  to  the  American  Mis- 
sionary  Association,    which   conveyed   it  to 
the  Interurban  Company.     Dr.   Lewis  dur- 
ing his  active  life  w^as  mostly  engaged  in 
the  drug  business.    He  died  many  years  ago. 
Colonel    James    L.    Glenn    came    from 
Philadelphia,     Pennsylvania,     to     Niles     in 
1835.      He  removed  to   Beardsley  Prairie, 
Cass  county,  shortly  after,  where  he  resided 
twelve  years.    He  was  sheriff  of  Cass  county 
and  member  of  the  legislature.     He  was  a 
civil  engineer  by  profession  and  in  1847  sur- 
veyed and  laid  out  the  capital  city  at  Lans- 
ing, and  was  assistant  superintendent  of  the 
Sault  Ste.  Marie  canal.  He  died  in  1875  ^^ 
Niles.     He  was  a  man  of  ability  and  old 
fashioned  courtesy. 

In  1834,  John  G.  Bond  came  from  Lock- 
port,  New  York.  He  w^as  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  but  removed  to  western  New 
York  in  181 5  and  became  one  of  the 
founders  of  Lockport. 

He  w^as  one  of  the  county  judges  of 
Niagara  county,  New  York^  and  was  always 
tnown  in  Niles  as  "Judge  Bond."  He  was 
a  genial  and  polite  gentleman  of  the  old 
school,  and  an  entertaining  conversationalist. 
The  distinguished  Swedish  novelist, 
Frederica  Bremer,  in  her  volume  on  travels 
in  this  country,  in  1844,  speaks  of  meeting 
Judge  Bond  and  makes  reference  to  his  polite 
manners  and  conversational  powders. 

His  two  sons,  George  N.  Bond  and 
Henry  Bond,  who  came  with  him,  bought 
property  in  Niles  and  laid  out  the  addition 
known  as  Bond's  Addition.  George  N.  Bond 
was  for  several  years  a  supervisor. 

A  daughter  of  Henry  Bond,  Caroline, 
lives  in  Niles  and  for  some  years  has  been 
a  teacher  in  the  public  schools. 

The  two  brothers,  George  N.  and  Henry, 
died  many  years  ago. 

Joseph  Mansfield  came  from  Ticonde- 
Toga,  New  York,  in  April,  1835.  He  was  a 
dentist,  skilled  and  learned  in  his  trade,  and 
•established  a  large  practice.     In  1866  he  re- 


moved to  a  farm  in  Benton  township  where 
he  died  in  1880.  His  son  Henry,  who  is 
a  teacher  by  profession,  and  a  daughter, 
Mrs.  Asa  Hamilton,  both  reside  in  Niles. 

Captain  Henry  Coolidge,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  came  to  Niles  in  1835.  Foi" 
many  years  he  was  a  sailor.  Shortly  after 
his  arrival  at  Niles  he  purchased  the  Carey 
mission  farm  from  the  government,  and 
tore  down  twenty-seven  buildings,  consist- 
ing mainly  of  log  cabins,  which  had  once 
been  occupied  by  the  teachers  and  employes 
of  the  mission. 

Captain  Coolidge  in  the  thirties  pur- 
chased the  steamboat  ''Matilda  Barney'  of 
the  owners,  William  Beeson  and  Erasmus 
Winslow,  and  ran  it  for  some  time  on  the 
river.  At  one  time  he  owned  all  the  flouring 
mills  in  the  county.  He  died  many  years 
ago.  A  daughter,  Sally,  who  married  Robert 
Gephart,  is  now  living  at  Niles,  and  is  still 
active  and  vigorous  in  her  seventy-ninth 
year.  Her  recollection  of  the  early  life  of 
Niles  is  still  vivid. 

Robert  Gephart  was  a  son  of  Daniel  Gep- 
hart, who  came  to  Niles  in  1836,  and  for  a 
time  kept  a  hotel.  Robert  was  engaged  for 
many  years  in  mercantile  business.  Another 
son,  Henry  Gephart,  was  a  captain  in  the 
Tw^elfth  Regiment  during  the  Civil  war,  and 
prominent  in  local  affairs.  For  many  years 
before  his  death  he  lived  on  a  farm  about 
a  mile  northeast  of  Niles. 

The  following  named  persons  came  to 
Niles  in  1836:  Benjamin  F.  Fish,  William 
G.  Person,  Henry  A.  Chapin,  George  S. 
Babcock,  Royal  T.  Twombly,  Jacob  Gelt- 
macher  and  Rodney  C.  Paine,  Dr.  Stillman 
Richardson,  Charles  Tewett  and  William 
Hurd. 

Rodney  C.  Paine  was  born  in  Connec- 
ticut in  1806,  In  1837  he  removed  to  St. 
Joseph  where  he  had  charge  of  a  branch  of 
the  Farmers'  &  Mechanics'  Bank.  In  1842, 
he  returned  to  Niles  where  he  soon  estab- 
lished a  private  bank  which  did  an  immense 
business,  and  which  he  conducted  until  his 


ISO 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


death  in  1873.  He  was  elected  county  treas- 
urer in  1836,  was  state  senator  in  1855,  pres- 
ident of  the  village  from  1848  to  1854  and 
mayor  of  the  city  in  1873,  the  year  of  his 
death. 

He  was  prominently  connected  with 
educational  work  and  was  director  of  the 
Union  school  district  continuously  for 
nearly  twenty  years.  He  was  a  man  of 
culture  and  intellectual  ability,  and  of  sterl- 
ing integrity.  Although  somewhat  aristo- 
cratic in  his  bearing,  he  was  kind  and  accom- 
modating to  poor  as  well  as  rich  and  was 
universally  esteemed  by  the  people  of  Niles. 
He  may  be  regarded  as  the  principal  factor 
in  placing  the  schools  of  Niles  in  the  front 
rank.  He  was  a  prominent  and  consistent 
member  of  the  Episcopal  church.  He  was 
originally  a  Whig  but  upon  the  dissolution 
of  that  party,  became  a  Democrat.  He  was 
never,  however,  a  bitter  partisan  and  was 
somewhat  independent  in  his  choice  of  can- 
didates for  local  office.  He  had  ten  children, 
only  one  of  wliom  is  now  living,  Frederic 
William,  engaged  in  the  banking  business  at 
Duluth,  Minnesota. 

Dr.  Stillman  Richardson,  a  native  of 
New  York,  came  to  Niles  in  1836.  Here  he 
practiced  his  profession  till  his  death  in 
1875.  He  was  a  skillful  physician  and  had 
an  immense  practice.  He  had  a  rough  ex- 
terior and  extremely  brusque  manners,  but 
w-as  kind  hearted.  Fie  made  no  attempt  to 
collect  from  his  patients  and  the  result  was 
that  he  died  poor.  His  friends,  after  his 
death,  erected  a  monument  to  his  memory 
in  Silver  Brook  cemetery.  His  wife  was  a 
leading  spirit  in  church,  temperance  and 
charitable  work. 

William  G.  Ferson,  a  native  of  Mass- 
achusetts, located  in  Niles  in  1836,  and  at 
first  purchased  goods  in  New  York  City 
which  he  sold  to  merchants  in  Niles.  In 
1838  he  went  into  partnership  in  the  mer- 
cantile business  with  Bacon  Wheeler.  He 
shortly  after  carried  on  a  store  at  Berrien 
Springs  for  a  few  years.  Returning  to  Niles, 


he  opened  up  a  dry  goods  store  which  he 
carried  on  for  many  years.  He  died  several 
years  ago  at  an  advanced  age.  He  was  a 
man  of  iron  constitution,  although  small  of 
stature,  and  was  actively  engaged  in  busi- 
ness till  a  short  time  before  his  death.  His 
widow  Caroline  (Coan)  is  now  living  in 
Niles.  Three  children  of  Mr.  Ferson  are 
now  living,  Margaret,  who  married  Theo- 
dore Finley,  now  of  Greenville,  Texas ;  Jen- 
nie, who  married  Professor  S.  E.  Miller,  of 
Michigan  City,  Indiana,  and  Nettie  Beiger, 
of  Mishawaka,  Indiana.  Mr.  Ferson  was  an 
active  member  and  ^Ider  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  and  prominent  in  the  social  and  busi- 
ness interests  of  the  place  for  sixty  years. 

Charles  Jewett,  a  native  of  Vermont,  a 
law^yer  and  a  graduate  of  Middlebury  Col- 
lege, became  a  resident  of  Niles  in  1836. 
He  was  appointed  district  attorney  the  same 
year  and  served  till  1845.  ^^  ^^^^  county 
judge  from  1848  to  1852  and  probate  judge 
from  i860  to  1864.  Two  children  survive, 
Irwin  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  a  prominent 
railroad  official,  and  Ada,  who  married  Will- 
iam E.  Jones,  of  St.  Louis,  also  a  prominent 
railroad  official. 

Royal  T.  Twombly,  a  native  of  Maine, 
who  had  been  a  sailor  on  the  ocean,  came  to 
Niles  the  same  year  (1836)  and  became 
a  prominent  dry  goods  merchant.  He  was 
state  senator  in  1853,  and  mayor  of  the  city 
in  1877.  He  was  a  jovial  man  and  fond  of 
practical  jokes.  In  1878  he  moved  to  Texas, 
where  he  died  some  years  since. 

Henry  A.  Chapin  and  his  wife  Rul^y, 
came  from  Ohio  to  Niles  in  1836,  but  re- 
moved almost  immediately  to  Edwardsburg% 
Cass  county,  where  Mr.  Chapin  engaged  in 
the  mercantile  business.  He  returned  to 
Niles  in  1846  and  carried  on  a  heavy  dry 
goods  business  for  about  twenty  years.  He 
afterwards  went  into  the  insurance  business 
Avith  his  son  Charles. 

About  the  year  1878,  mineral  lands  in 
the  upper  peninsula,  which  he  had  owned 
many  years,    were  found   to  contain   large 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


151 


veins  of  valuable:  iron  ore,  and  these  were 
leased  to  a  company,  which  at  once  began 
to  mine  and  ship  the  ore.  The  mine  proved 
to  be  a  very  valuable  one.  Mr.  Chapin  and 
his  son  became  the  owners  of  manufacturing 
industries  and  other  valuable  properties,  re- 
ferred to  elsewhere  in  connection  with  local 
history.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Republican. 
In  early  life  he  w-as  a  Methodist  but  nearly 
forty  years  before  his  death  became  a  Pres- 
byterian and  an  elder  in  tjiat  church  during" 
most  of  that  time.  He  was  one  of  the  orig- 
inal trustees  of  the  board  of  education  and 
held  the  position  for  several  years.  He  was 
a  man  of  fine  presence,  although  of  simple 
habits,  and  of  much  natural  strength  of  char- 
acter. He  died  in  1898  in  the  eighty-seventh 
year  of  his  age.  Mrs.  Chapin  died  in 
1902.  His  son,  Charles  A.  Chapin,  in  1898 
moved  to  Chicago,  where  he  now  resides. 

Jacob  Geltmacher  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia. Shortly  after  he  came  to  Niles,  he 
went  into  the  flouring  mill  business  which 
he  conducted  till  the  time  of  his  death.  He 
was  proprietor  of  the  Dacotah  mills  for 
many  years,  and  for  a  time  was  associated 
with  one  of  the  Laceys  in  the  business.  He 
was  mayor  of  the  city  in  1867.  He  died 
many  years  since. 

Benjamin  F.  Fish  came  to  Niles  in 
1836.  He  went  to  Chicago  at  a  very  early 
day  and  became  a  member  of  the  Old  Set- 
tlers' Association  of  Cook  county,  Illinois. 
He  resided  also  in  St.  Joseph  for  some  years, 
and  was  township  clerk  of  St.  Joseph  in 
184.2.  He  moved  subsequently  to  Niles  and 
was  judge  of  probate  from  1856  to  i860. 
He  was  engaged  in  the  real  estate  and  insur- 
ance busineSjS  for  many  years  before  his 
death,  wdiich  occurred  in  1906.  He  was  in 
his  eighty-seventh  year  when  he  died.  His 
widow  is  now  living  at  Niles. 

George  S.  Babcock  came  from  Genesee 
county.  New  York,  in  1837.  He  was  re- 
corder of  the  village  in  1847.  I^^  1^58  he 
removed  to  a  fine  farm  in  the  northeast  part 
of  the  city,  where  he  died  a  few  years  since, 


at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-one.  He  was 
a  typical  representative  of  the  pioneer  ele- 
ment, strong  physically  and  mentally.  Four 
children  are  now  living.  Miss  Phebe  W. 
Babcock,  Mrs.  Mary  B.  Fisher,  James  M., 
of  Niles,  and  Stephen  H.,  of  Denver,  Colo- 
rado. 

James  M.  is  the  present  supervisor  of  the 
first  ward  of  Niles  city  and  has  held  the  po- 
sition for  seventeen  terms,  nine  of  wdiich 
have  been  continuously. 

George  W.  Flatt  was  a  native  of  Mass- 
achusetts and  in  1837  settled  in  Niles,  where 
he  conducted  a  tin  shop.  He  subsequently 
went  into  the  hardware  and  agricultural  im- 
plement business,  in  which  his  sons,  Henry 
and  William  E.,  subsequently  became  inter- 
ested. He  was  a  member  of  the  common 
council  for  several  years  and  mayor  of  the 
city.  He  was  public  spirited  and  connected 
with  many  of  the  manufacturing  interests 
of  the  city,  and  a  director  of  the  Citizens' 
National  Bank.  He  died  in  1887.  Four 
children  are  now  living,  William  E.,  and 
Alonzo  of  Niles,  Mollie  Flail  of  Chicago,  and 
George,  of  Benton  Harbor. 

The  oldest  business  carried  on  at  the 
same  site  is  that  of  the  drug  business  estab- 
lished by  Joseph  C.  Larimore  in  1838,  on  the 
corner  at  the  southwest  intersection  of  Main 
and  Second  streets. 

In  1848  Henry  M.  Dean  from  New  Jer- 
sey, became  a  clerk  in  this  store  and  in  i860 
a  partner  with  Mr.  Larimore.  ]\Ir.  Dean 
subsequently  became  the  sole  owner  of  the 
business  and  about  twenty  years  ago  his  son, 
Fred  C,  became  a  partner  with  his  father. 
Henry  M.  Dean  died  in  1902.  He  w^as  a 
man  of  liberal  education  and  culture,  of  wide 
acquaintance  and  influence  and  a  leader  in 
all  the  religious,  political  and  business  activ- 
ities of  the  city.  His  judgment  was  sound 
and  his  counsel  widely  sought  after.  He 
was  mayor  of  the  city  in  1864  and  a  member 
of  the  board  of  education  for  many  years. 
He  was  an  active  and  consistent  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  church. 


^$2 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


His  widow,  whose  maiden  name  w^as 
Sarah  Coan,  is  now  living  in  Niles.  Two 
sons,  Fred  C.  and  Henry  M.,  carry  on  the 
drug  store,  estabhshed  sixty-eight  years  ago 
by  Mr.  Larimore. 

The  grocery  business  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  intersection  of  Main  and 
Fourth  streets  has  been  carried  on  for  nearly 
sixty  years.  In  1849,  Otto  Moore  came 
from  St.  Joseph,  and  established  a  grocery  at 
this  point.  In  1852  he  sold  out  his  interest 
in  the  business  and  removed  to  Chicago, 
where  he  carried  on  an  extensive  wholesale 
grocery  for  twenty  years.  His  stock  of 
goods  and  residence  were  burned  in  the  great 
fire  of  1873  and  the  next  year  he  returned  to 
Michigan  and  purchased  a  farm  about  two 
miles  south  of  the  city  where  he  resided  till 
the  time  of  his  death.  He  w^as  a  man  of 
genial  temperament  and  of  sterling  char- 
acter. Flis  widow  and  a  daughter,  Belle, 
now  reside  in  the  city.  Mr.  Moore  was  a 
native  of  Vermont  and  came  in  1843  ^^  St. 
Joseph,  where  he  engaged  in  a  mercantile 
business.  Mrs.  Moore  was  a  daughter  of 
N.  S.  Compton,  a  merchant,  who  was  one  of 
the  earliest  settlers  of  Cass  county  and  who 
removed  to  St.  Joseph  about  1843. 

In  1853,  John  and  Edgar  Woodruff, 
natives  of  New  York,  established  a  grocery 
business  at  this  site.  This  business  was  con- 
ducted by  them  in  partnership  until  the 
death  of  Edgar  and  after  his  death  by  John 
till  1897,  wdien  the  grocery  stock  was  pur- 
chased by  George  B.  Winter. 

In  1868,  the  Woodruffs  erected  a  fine 
three-story  building  w^hich  is  still  owned  by 
the  heirs  of  John  Woodruff.  John  was  a 
member  of  the  common  council  for  many 
years  and  a  man  universally  esteemed  for 
his  sterling  qualities.  He  died  in  1906, 
leaving  two  children  surviving,  Mrs.  Louise 
Jerome  and  Miss  Helen,  who  both  reside  in 
Niles. 

William  Hurd  was  a  native  of  New 
York,  who  came  to  Niles  in   1836.     Soon 


after  his  arrival  he  purchased  a  large  tract 
of  heavily  timbered  land  in  section  sixteen 
of  Niles  township  where  he  built  a  saw  mill 
and  w^as  engaged  in  the  lumbering  business 
for  many  years.  In  1857  he  moved  to  these 
lands,  where  he  lived  till  his  death  in  1876. 
He  was  a  man  of  superior  intellect  and 
thoroughly  independent,  forming  and  ex- 
pressing his  opinions  with  little  regard  to  the 
opinions  of  others.  He  was  prominently 
connected  with  early  educational  work  in 
Niles  and  was  one  of  the  first  trustees  of 
the  Union  school.  He  pertinaciously  in- 
sisted on  the  purchase  of  large  school 
grounds,  and  although  he  was  opposed  at 
first  by  the  majority  of  the  board,  finally 
converted  them  to  his  opinion.  To  his  per- 
severence  we  owe  the  selection  of  ample  and 
beautiful  grounds,  containing  the  only  nat- 
ural park  which  exists  in  the  city.  A  daugh- 
ter, Clara,  is  now  living  at  Luray,  Virginia. 

The  two  residents  of  Niles  who  have 
been  actively  engaged  in  business  the  long- 
est are  Joseph  S.  Tuttle  and  Elijah  Murray. 

Mr.  Tuttle,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
came  to  Niles  in  1848  and  worked  at  his 
trade  as  a  currier  till  1850,  when  he  en- 
gaged in  the  leather  and  hide  business  for 
himself.  He  has  been  engaged  in  this  busi- 
ness ever  since,  but  has  added  to  it  the  fur 
business.  He  is  in  his  eighty-first  year,  but 
is  still  active  and  vigorous  and  able  to  carry 
on  an  important  business,  requiring  a  num- 
ber of  hands.  He  was  for  many  years  a 
member  of  thej  school  board  and  also  a 
member  of  the  common  council. 

Elijah  Murray  came  to  Niles  in  1850 
and  in  1852  engaged  in  the  business  of 
wagon  making.  At  one  time  he  employed 
forty-five  men,  and  turned  out  over  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars  worth  of  work 
annually.  He  had  the  reputation  of  doing 
excellent  work  and  his  vehicles  were  never 
cheaply  or  poorly  constructed.  Lately  he 
has  been  engaged  in  the  business  of  repairing 
wagons  and  carriages.     He  is  over  eighty 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


153 


years  old,  but  still  actively  engaged  at  his 
occupation.  He  was  a  member  of  the  com- 
mon council  for  two  terms. 

The  oldest  in  years  of  those  who  have 
been  merchants  in  Niks  and  who  are  still 
living,  is  Stephen  Moore,  who  is  in  his 
ninety-first  year.  He  emigrated  from  New 
York  to  Kalamazoo  in  1834,  and  came  to 
Niles  where  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business.  For  many  years  he  carried  a  heavy 
stock  of  dry  goods  and  did  a  large  business. 
In  1866,  he  retired  from  mercantile  busi- 
ness and  laid  out  an  addition  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  city,  upon  a  portion  of  which  he 
now  resides  with  his  wife. 

The  oldest  physician  in  the  city  is 
Dr.  John  H.  Richardson,  although  he  has 
not  practiced  his  profession  for  many  years. 
He  was  a  Virginian  by  birth  and  came  in 
1856  to  the  city  of  Niles,  where  he  has  ever 
since  resided.  He  has  held  various  offices. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  common  council 
for  several  years,  recorder  for  six  terms, 
and  also  a  justice  of  the  peace.  His  intelli- 
gence and  courtesy  of  manners,  combined  to 
make  him  a  model  official.  He  is  now  in  his 
eightieth  year.  Fie  has  been  during  his  res- 
idence in  Niles  an  active  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  often  reading  the  church 
service. 

Some  reference  to  the  prominent  de- 
ceased attorneys  and  physicians  not  already 
mentioned  is  fitting. 

Joseph  N.  Chipman,  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont and  a  graduate  of  Middlebury  College, 
came  to  Niles  in  1836  and  resided  in  Niles 
till  his  death  in  1870.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  state  senate  in  1844,  prosecuting  attor- 
ney in  1846  and  1848,  and  a  circuit  court 
commissioner  and  a  justice  of  the  peace  for 
many  years,  both  of  wdiich  offices  he  held 
at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  had  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  fundamental  principles  of 
the  common  law  and  made  an  able  justice. 
He  died  in  1870.  A  daughter,  Laura,  is 
residing  at  Niles  and  has  been  a  teacher  in 
the  public  schools  for  several  years. 


Franklin  Muzzy  was  a  native  of  Maine 
and  a  brilliant  lawyer.  He  Vv^as  a  graduate 
of  Bow^doin  College,  studied  law  in  the  office 
of  Hannibal  Hamlin  and  in  1843  came  to 
Niles,  where  he  took  a  front  rank  as  an  at- 
torney. He  was  extremely  eccentric,  and 
remained  a  bachelor  until  hi$.  death.  He 
was  state  senator  in  1858  and  mayor  of  the 
city  for  four  years.  He  received  the  latter 
position  as  a  reward  by  the  people  for  an  ag- 
gressive fight  against  the  Michigan  Central 
Railroad  Company.  He  had  remarkable 
legal  acumen  and  sagacity,  was  a  powerful 
cross-examiner  and  had  for  many  years  an 
immense  practice.  His  powers  of  sarcasm 
and  ridicule  were  unlimited  and  these  he  em- 
ployed relentlessly  and  unmercifully.  With 
all  these  rich  endowments  which  might  have 
brought  him  high  honors  in  the  state  and 
nation,  he  was  too  aggressive  and  vindictive, 
making  bitter  enemies  in  his  own  party  and 
preventing  him  from  securing  those  posi- 
tions which  would  have  gratified  his  am- 
bition and  fulfilled  the  bright  promise  of  his 
earlier  days.  From  some  cause  originating 
perhaps  in  early  life,  he  was  inclined  to  be 
misanthropic.  He  was  originally  a  Whig, 
but  became  a  Democrat  after  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Republican  party.  He  died  in 
1878.  Mr.  Muzzy  had  many  excellent  traits 
of  character.  He  had  no  love  of  money, 
was  kind  hearted  toward  the  poor,  and  pub- 
lic-spirited. 

Edward  Bacon  was  a  son  of  Judge 
Nathaniel  Bacon,  and  was  born  in  Rochester 
in  1830.  He  graduated  at  Michigan  Univer- 
sity in  1850  and  studied  law  in  his  father's 
office.  He  enlisted  in  the  •  Sixth  Michigan 
Regiment  during  the  Civil  war  and  became  a 
lieutenant  colonel  in  the  service.  His  men- 
tal make-up  was  eccentric  and  unique  and 
in  some  of  its  phases  was  indicative  of  orig- 
inal genius  of  a  high  order.  His  intellect 
was  not  logical  and  he  was  not  a  graceful 
speaker,  but  any  defects  in  these  respects 
were  made  up  by  intuitive  perception,  great 
learning,    remarkable   memory   and   tireless 


154 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


industry.  He  was  especially  skilled  in  real 
estate  law  and  practice  and  was  largely  em- 
ployed in  important  cases.  His  brain  was 
fertile  and  suggested  all  the  points  that 
could  arise  in  a  case,  both  material  and  im- 
material. He  was  an  accomplished  lin- 
guist, being  able  to  converse  fluently  in 
French,  German  and  Spanish.  Outside  of 
his  profession,  he  was  fond  of  philosophic 
speculation,  and  his  monologues  upon  this 
branch  of  his  studies  were  interesting.  He 
w^as  remarkably  amiable  in  temperament  and 
disposition  and  universally  loved  and  es- 
teemed by  the  last  generation  of  lawyers 
who  employed  him  largely  as  counsel.  He 
died  in  1901.  Originally  he  was  a  Demo- 
crat, but  after  the  war  belonged  to  no  party, 
w^ith  Republican  proclivities,  however,  most 
of  the  time.  Religiously,  he  was  a  Presby- 
terian. He  w^as  city  attorney  for  many  years 
under  both  Republican  and  Democratic  ad- 
ministrations. His  widow^  Mrs.  Mary 
Bacon,  is  now  living  in  Niles. 

Hiram  F.  Mather  w^as  a  native  of  New 
York,  where  he  had  been  a  member  of  the 
State  Senate  before  coming  to  Niles.  He 
resided  in  Niles  from  1844  to  1853,  when  he 
removed  to  Chicago.  He  was  an  able  law- 
yer, a  graceful  speaker,  a  courteous  gentle- 
man and  highly  esteemed. 

Levi  B.  Taft  came  to  Niles  in  1849  ^^^ 
w-as  elected  prosecuting  attorney  the  same 
year.  He  was  a  partner  of  Mr.  Mather  and 
a  lawyer  of  ability.  He  removed  from  Niles 
in  1853  and  afterwards  became  a  circuit 
judge  in  Oakland  county. 

Cyrus  Dana  was  born  in  Ow^ego,  New 
York,  and  came  to  Niles  in  1838.  He  was  a 
man  of  learning  and  ability  and  acquired  an 
extensive  practice.  He  was  highly  esteemed 
for  his  sterling  cjualities  and  courteous  man- 
ners. In  politics  he  was  a  Whig,  in  religion 
a  Presbyterian.  He  died  at  Niles  in  1847. 
His  son,  Eugene  Dana,  is  living  at  Niles. 

James  Brown  w^as  a  native  of  New  York 
and  a  graduate  of  Union  College.  He  settled 
in  Niles  in  1838,  was  judge  of  probate  from 


1844  to  1852  and  prosecuting  attorney  from 

1845  ^^  185 — .  In  his  prime  he  was  an  enter- 
taining speaker,  having  a  fine  voice,  a  good 
delivery  and  an  excellent  command  of  lan- 
guage. These  cjualities  enabled  him  to  at- 
tain quite  a  practice  as  a  jury  lawyer  for  a 
time.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  had  been 
a  justice  of  the  peace  for  several  years. 

James  Sullivan,  a  native  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, in  1838  came  to  Niles,  where  he  re- 
mained three  years  and  then  removed  to 
Cass  county.  He  possessed  a  legal  and  logi- 
cal mind  of  high  order  and  for  a  time,  he 
ranked  as  one  of  the  ablest  attorneys  of 
southwestern  Michigan.  His  arguments 
before  the  court  were  models  of  clear  cut 
logic  expressed  in  the  choicest  legal  diction. 
In  later  life  he  was  troubled  with  deafness 
which  seriously  interfered  with  his  success 
as  a  trial-lawyer. 

Henry  H.  Coolidge  was  a  native  of 
Massachusetts  and  educated  by  the  avails 
of  his  own  labor,  at  Amherst  College.  He 
spent  three  years  at  Montreal  teaching  music 
and  came  to  Niles  in  1836,  wdiere  he  clerked 
in  the  dry  goods  store  of  George  W.  Hoff- 
man. He  removed  in  1837  to  Edwardsburg, 
Cass  county,  where  he  studied  law  with 
James  Sullivan,  after  having  been  engaged 
in  teaching  and  mercantile  life.  He  was 
prosecuting  attorney  of  Cass  county  in  1852. 
He  removed  to  Niles  in  1859.  In  1867  ^'^^ 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  state  consti- 
tutional convention,  in  1862  prosecuting  at- 
torney and  in  1872  circuit  judge  of  the  sec- 
ond judicial  circuit,  a  position  whicli  he  held 
six  years.  Fie  had  an  immense  practice  be- 
fore his  election  to  the  bench,  and  was  a 
man  of  great  natural  sagacity  and  force  of 
character.  He  excelled  in  the  careful  prepa- 
ration of  his  cases  before  trial  and  in  tlie  ex- 
amination of  witnesses.  He  and  his  wife 
both  died  in  1884,  he  being  seventy-nine 
years  of  age  and  having  been  actively  en- 
gaged in  practice  till  two  months  before  his 
death.  Politically,  he  w^as  a  Republican. 
Religiously,  he  w^as  an  active  member  of  the 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


■DD 


Presbyterian  church,  always  attending  and 
frequently  addressing  its  devotional  meet- 
ings when  at  home.  He  was  a  teacher  in  the 
Sunday  school  over  forty  years  and  a  con- 
stant student  of  the  Bible.  He  was  fond  of 
all  kinds*  of  sports  and  innocent  amusements. 
He  was  a  natural  musician  and  for  many 
years  taught  singing  schools  in  the  winter 
evenings. 

In  his  earlier  days  he  conversed  fluently 
in  the  PYench  language,  which  he  learned 
wdiile  teaching  among  French  families  at 
Montreal  and  he  imbibed  some  of  their  man- 
ners and  gestures  which  he  preserved 
throughout  life.  Tw^o  children  are  now^  liv- 
ing, the  writer  of  this  sketch  and  Emily, 
the  wife  of  Charles  A.  Chapin  of  Chicago. 
A  daughter,  Helen,  died  in  1903. 

George  H.  Jerome,  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  a  graduate  of  Hamilton  College, 
came  to  Niles  in  1847,  w^here  he  practiced 
his  profession  till  185 1,  when  he  moved  to 
Chicago.  In  1856,  he  removed  to  Iowa 
City,  where  he  became  the  proprietor  and 
editor  of  the  lozca  City  Republican,  the  lead- 
ing Republican  journal  of  the  state.  He  was 
peculiarly  adapted  for  this  position  and 
wrote  powerful  and  sparkling  editorials. 
After  a  few^  years,  he  returned  to  Niles  and 
in  1873  ^^^  appointed  commissioner  of  state 
fisheries.  This  position  he  held  for  many 
years. 

He  was  a  brilliant  writer  and  speaker 
and  bubbled  over  wdth  sparkling  wit  and 
repartee,  always  arousing  enthusiasm  at  his 
frequent  addresses  before  large  gatherings. 
Id  is  first  report  as  fish  commissioner  at- 
tracted general  attention,  not  only  for  its 
literary  finish  and  originality,  but  for  its 
valuable  and  timely  suggestions.  He  died 
many  years  since. 

David  Bacon  graduated  at  Jefferson  Col- 
lege, Pennsylvania,  in  1852,  came  to  Niles 
the  same  year  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1854.  In  1856,  he  was  elected  prosecuting 
attorney.  He  was  a  captain  in  the  Sixth 
Michigan   Regiment   during  the  Civil  war, 


was  seriously  wounded  at  the  battle  of 
Baton  Rouge  and  promoted  to  lieutenant- 
colonel  for  meritorious  services.  On  his  re- 
turn from  the  war  he  engaged  in  real  estate 
business  and  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  for 
eleven  years  before  his  death.  He  was  a 
man  of  rare  intelligence,  excellent  judgment 
and  a  gentleman  of  culture  and  fine  address. 

William  J.  Gilbert,  a  native  of  Vermont 
and  a  graduate  of  Middlebury  College,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  Berrien  county  in 
1870  and  lived  at  Niles  from  that  date  till 
his  death  in  1901.  He  was  recorder  tw^o 
terms,  mayor  in  1898  and  1899  and  circuit 
court  commissioner  for  many  years.  For 
several  years  he  was  a  partner  of  Mr.  Muzzy. 
He  was  a  lawyer  of  ability,  although  in- 
clined to  pursue  the  more  quiet  departments 
of  the  profession.  He  had  an  extensive  of- 
fice business,  due  to  his  sagacity,  good  judg- 
ment and  fidelity  as  a  counsellor.  A  daugh- 
ter, Julia,  now  resides  in  Niles. 

Theodore  G.  Beaver  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  who  came  to  Niles  in  1858 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1868.  For 
some  years  he  was  a  partner  with  Mr. 
Muzzy.  He  was  city  recorder  in  1864,  and 
twice  mayor  of  the  city.  He  died  in  Septem- 
ber last  in  his  seventy-second  year.  Fie  was 
a  justice  of  the  peace  for  several  years  be- 
fore his  death.  He  was  bright  and  active 
and  for  some  years  had  a  considerable  prac- 
tice. He  excelled  in  the  careful  preparation 
of  pleadings  which  he  studied  while  in  the 
office  of  Mr.  Muzzy.  He  was  also  noted  for 
his  attention  to  dress,  always  wearing  a  silk 
hat  and  always  being  neatly  and  tastily  at- 
tired. 

Worth  Landon  has  already  been  alluded 
to  as  a  model  recorder.  He  w^as  a  son  of  R. 
W.  Landon,  and  a  graduate  of  Racine  Col- 
lege. He  had  a  fine  intellect,  and  an  excel- 
lent knowdedge  of  legal  principles,  but  w^as 
modest  and  diffident,  and  preferred  the  more 
quiet  departments  of  the  profession.  He  w^as 
recorder  for  many  years  and  also  a  justice 
of  the  peace.     He  discharged  the  duties  of 


156 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


these  offices  with  great  ablHty,  fidelity  and 
conscientiousness. 

Among  the  prominent  physicians  who 
have  practiced  in  Niles  and  are  now  deceased 
were  E.  Winslow,  Andrew  J.  MiuTay,  Sam- 
uel Niles,  E.  J.  Bonine,  Jabez  Barron,  J. 
W.  Egbert,  A.  J.  Mead,  O.  P.  Horn,  Dr. 
E.  M.  Reading. 

Dr.  Winslow  was  the  first  physician 
in  Niles,  settling  there  in  183 1.  He  formed 
a  partnership  the  next  year  with  Dr.  Wil- 
liam P.  Beeson,  but  the  latter  shortly  after- 
wards abandoned  the  profession  and  went 
into  mercantile  life.  Dr.  Winslow  removed 
to  Peoria  in  1840. 

Dr.  A.  J.  Murray  is  referred  to  in  con- 
nection with  Berrien  Springs. 

Dr.  Samuel  Niles  was  an  eclectic  who 
came  from  Laporte,  Indiana,  in  1846. 
He  was  prominently  engaged  in  educational 
affairs  and  in  securing  the  adoption  of  the 
common  school  system  in  Michigan.  He 
died  in  1861. 

Dr.  Joel  Loomis  was  also  an  eclectic 
and  came  in  1848.     He  died  in  1876. 

Dr.  Jabez  Barron,  an  Englishman, 
came  to  Niles  in  1839,  where  he  practiced 
about  twenty  years.  A  brother,  Clement 
Barron,  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  almost 
thirty  years  continuously  and  was  a  skillful 
hunter  and  taxidermist  and  for  some  time 
maintained  a  very  valuable  museum  of 
stuffed  birds  and  animals.  A  sister,  Miriam, 
is  living  at  Niles. 

John  W.  Egbert,  the  son  of  one  of  the 
oldest  settlers  of  northwestern  Indiana,  prac- 
ticed medicine  for  many  years  at  Niles  and 
had  a  considerable  practice.  He  died  in 
1892.  He  devoted  himself  strictly  to  his 
profession. 

Doctor  A.  J.  Mead  first  practiced  in  Chi- 
cago and  came  to  Niles  in  1862.  He  had  a 
large  practice  and  was  a  faithful  and  devoted 
physician,  beloved  by  his  patients.  He  was 
retiring  in  his  manners  and  devoted  him- 
self strictly  to  his  profession.     He  died  in 

1883. 


Dr.  O.  P.  Horn  was  a  Virginian  who 
served  in  the  Confederate  army  during  the 
Civil  war  and  who  came  to  Niles  shortly 
after  the  close  of  the  war.  Here  he  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession  and  mar- 
ried a  daughter  of  Jacob  Geltmacher.  He 
was  an  associate  editor  of  a  Democratic 
journal  in  Niles  for  awhile  and  city  treas- 
urer and  city  physician  for  a  number  of 
years.     He  died  in  1894. 

Dr.  Evan  J.  Bonine  w^as  an  early  set- 
tler of  Cass  county,  moving  to  Cassopolis 
in  1844,  where  he  secured  a  large  practice. 
His  parents  were  Quakers.  In  1849,  he  went 
to  California.  Returning  in  1851,  he  settled 
at  Vandalia,  Cass  county.  Here  he  was 
postmaster  and  also  a  member  of  the  legis- 
lature. In  1858  he  removed  to  Niles,  where 
he  became  a  prominent  figure  in  political 
leadership.  In  1862  he  became  surgeon  of 
the  Second  Michigan  Infantry,  and  "'^or  a 
time  he  was  division  surgeon  of  the  Third 
Division  of  the  Ninth  Army  Corps.  Return- 
ing home  from  the  war,  he  resumed  his 
practice,  which  became  extensive.  He  w^as 
a  member  of  the  lower  house  of  the  legis- 
lature from  1865  to  1869  and  in  1875  again 
a  member  of  the  lower  house.  He  was 
mayor  of  the  city  for  three  terms  and  post- 
master from  1873  to  1885. 

He  was  a  natural  surgeon,  a  kind  and 
attentive  physician,  charitable  to  the  poor 
and  extremely  popular  with  all  classes.  He 
died  in  1892.  His  son,  Fred  N.,  is  a  promi- 
nent physician  and  surgeon  now  practicing 
at  Niles.  For  many  years  Dr.  E.  J.  Bonine 
was  in  partnership  with  Dr.  Simeon  Belk- 
nap, a  prominent  physician  still  living  at 
Niles. 

Dr.  E.  M.  Reading  first  settled  in 
Edwardsburg,  Cass  county,  and  removed  to 
Chicago  in  1856.  Four  years  later  he  re- 
moved to  Niles,  where  he  continued  in  prac- 
tice till  1872,  when  he  returned  to  Chicago. 
He  was  a  natural  physician,  remarkably  in- 
tuitive and  skillful  in  diagnosis  and  in  the 
detection  of  symptoms  and  had  a  large  prac- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


L57 


tice.  In  1869,  he  built  the  Reading  House, 
the  largest  and  most  imposing  business  build- 
ing in  the  city,  at  an  expense  of  nearly  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  hotel  part 
is  now  called  the  Michigan  Inn.  He  died  in 
1893,  leaving  two  sons,  Edgar  and  Arthur, 
who  are  practicing  physicians  in  Chicago. 

In  1848  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad 
was  completed  to  Niles  and  was  the  occasion 
of  grand  banquets  at  each  of  the  principal 
hotels,  at  one  of  which  Judge  Whipple  pre- 
sided and  at  the  other  Judge  Bond.  A  large 
delegation  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of 
Detroit  came  on  to  attend  the  occasion,  and 
Rev.  Dr.  Duffield,  Superintendent  Brooks, 
Judges  Whipple  and  Bond  and  others  made 
speeches.  Niles  was  the  terminus  of  the 
railroad  for  about  a  year. 

The  period  from  1865  to  1872  was  one 
of  unexampled  prosperity.  The  population 
nearly  doubled  in  seven  years.  The  year 
1868  especially  was  one  of  great  activity. 
The  building  of  the  dam  was  begun,  the  gas 
works  established,  the  iron  bridge  con- 
structed, the  Reading  House,  a  structure 
which  cost  nearly  one  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars, erected,  a  new  opera  house  commenced 
and  several  factories  started,  and  a  score  of 
three  story  brick  stores  were  erected  of  large 
dimensions.  G.  A.  Colby,  a  banker,  built  the 
imposing  residence  on  the  west  side,  known 
as  ''Castle  Rest,"  now  owned  and  occupied 
by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W,  W.  Dresden. 

J.  S.  Tuttle  and  G.  W.  Piatt  also  built 
handsome  edifices. 

A  system  of  water  works  was  finished 
in  1879.  It  was  built  by  a  private  company 
and  the  water  was  brought  from  Barren  lake, 
by  mains,  a  distance  of  about  five  miles. 
The  ownership  of  these  works  was  subse- 
quently acquired  by  Benjamin  Schneewind 
and  Benjamin  Frankenburg,  who  still  own 
them,  under  the  management  of  Captain 
Daniel  Sheehan. 

The  city  established  a  public  system  of 
water  works  in  1894.  The  water  is  fur- 
nished by  artesian  wells. 


In  1 89 1,  electric  lighting  was  introduced 
into  the  city  and  over  sixty  arc  lights  were 
established  for  lighting  the  streets.  The 
lights  were  furnished  by  a  private  company 
for  a  few  years.  In  1894  the  city  pur- 
chased the  electric  plant  and  has  since  owned 
and  operated  it  in  connection  with  the  water 
plant.  Both  the  electric  and  water  systems 
are  under  the  control  of  the  board  of  public 
works.  The  history  of  these  plants  does 
not  probably  throw  much  light  on  the  ques- 
tion of  municipal  ownership.  The  present 
board  have  instituted  some  needed  reforms 
and  curtailed  expenses. 

The  history  of  Niles  from  1873  ^o  1900 
was  one  of  stationary  life  or  decline.  With- 
in the  past  few  years,  however,  it  has  as- 
sumed new  life,  the  population  has  increased, 
new  and  important  factories  have  been  es- 
tablished, trade  has  been  augmented,  and 
every  one  has  found  the  opportunity  of 
steady  employment.  This  improvement  is 
mainly  owing  to  the  efforts  of  the  Business 
Men's  Association^  organized  in  1901. 

A  fine  feature  of  the  place  is  the  elegant 
station  ground  of  the  Michigan  Central  Rail- 
road. It  consists  of  several  acres  of  ground, 
containing  a  handsome  park,  a  conservatory 
and  extensive  flower  gardens.  These  were 
commenced  in  1891  and  the  grounds  are 
now  the  finest  of  any  railroad  station 
grounds  in  the  state. 

CHURCHES. 

( 

The  first  church  edifice  in  the  village  was 
erected  by  the  Presbyterians  in  1835  on  the 
site  of  the  present  church  building.  It  was 
a  small  frame  building  with  a  seating  capac- 
ity of  two  hundred  and  fifty  persons.  The 
church  had  been  organized  in  March,  1834, 
Rev.  Luther  Humphrey  from  Edwards- 
burg,  officiating.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev. 
Alexander  P.  Brown  of  Pittsburg,  a 
minister  of  ability  and  ripe  scholarship.  The 
present  church  edifice  was  built  in  1850.  In 
1 87 1,  it  was  thoroughly  repaired  and  some 


158 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


additions  made  at  an  expense  of  eight  thou- 
sand dollars.  Rev.  C.  E.  Marvin  is  the 
present  pastor. 

A  Methodist  mission  station  was  estab- 
lished in  Niles  as  early  as  1829.  Rev. 
Erastus  Felton  first  had  charge  of  this  mis- 
sion and  preached  once  in  four  weeks  at  the 
house  of  Wilham  Justus. 

In  1832,  a  class  was  formed  at  the  house 
of  Joshua  Comley.  This  class  subsequently 
had  its  meetings  in  the  school  house  till  the 
erection  of  a  church  building  in  1839.  The 
first  regular  pastor  appears  to  have  been 
Rev.  W.  H.  Sampson.  In  1863  the  church 
house  and  lot  which  were  situated  at 
the  corner  of  Sycamore  and  Fourth  streets, 
were  sold  to  Thomas  G.  Wickham,  and  in 
1864  the  present  edifice  was  erected  at  a 
cost  of  twelve  thousand  dollars.  The  pres- 
ent pastor  is  Rev.  R.  H.  Bready.  The  resi- 
dence of  the  presiding  elder  of  the  district, 
Dr.  D.  F.  Barnes,  is  at  Niles. 

Until  1847,  the  Catholics  of  Niles  at- 
tended church  at  Bertrand,  where  a  log 
church  had  been  built  in  1831,  supplanted 
by  a  brick  edifice  in  1837.  In  1847,  ^  mis- 
sion church  was  established  at  Niles,  and  a 
frame  church  built  by  Father  Quointel  near 
the  site  of  the  present  church  edifice.  This 
mission  was  under  the  charge  of  several 
priests  for  short  periods  until  Rev.  John 
Cappon,  a  priest  from  Belgium,  assumed 
charge  in  1859.  Father  Cappon  was  pastor 
of  the  church  till  his  death  in  1892. 

The  corner  stone  of  the  present  building 
was  laid  in  1866  and  the  building  finished 
in  1870.  The  church  is  generally  known  by 
the  name  of  St.  Marys.  The  present  pastor 
is  Rev.  Eugene  M.  Cullinane. 

The  Episcopal  church  was  organized  in 
1834  by  Rev.  James  Selking.  A  frame 
building  was  erected  in  1836  on  the  site  of 
the  present  edifice.  The  latter  was  built  in 
1858  during  the  rectorate  of  Rev.  Joseph 
F.  Phillips  and  was  enlarged  in  1873.  Mr. 
Selking  was  the  first  pastor.  The  Rev.  C. 
J.  DeCoux  is  the  present  pastor. 


The  Baptist  church  w^as  organized  in 
1 84 1.  A  church  building  was  erected  in 
1843.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Charles 
G.  Hatch.  The  present  building  was 
erected  in  1879,  at  a  cost  of  about  eight 
thousand  dollars  and  has  a  seating  capacity 
of  six  hundred.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev. 
Charles  Braithwaite. 

The  Second  Baptist  church  (African) 
was  organized  in  185 1.  Rev.  J.  W.  Hack- 
ley  was  the  first  pastor. 

The  German  United  Evangelical  church 
was  organized  in  i860.  The  first  regular 
pastor  was  Rev.  Philip  Werheim.  A 
church  edifice  w^as  erected  on  the  corner  of 
Sixth  and  Sycamore  in  1862.  In  1899  the 
present  brick  building  was  erected  at  a  cost 
of  thirteen  thousand  dollars.  The  present 
pastor  is  Rev.  Frederic  W.  Rahn. 

The  Evangelical  Association  church  was 
formed  two  years  ago.  It  has  just  com- 
pleted a  church  building  on  the  w^est  side  at 
the  corner  of  Lincoln  avenue  and  Grant 
street.     The  pastor  is  Rev.  J.  Wales. 

The  Second  Methodist  church  (African) 
was  organized  in  1888.  The  present  pastor 
is  Rev.  S.  Byrd. 

The  pastors  of  the  various  churches  gen- 
erally remained  but  a  few  years  and  then 
removed  to  other  points.  Among  the  very 
few  who  made  permanent  homes  and  died 
here,  may  be  mentioned  Rev.  Joseph  F. 
Phillips,  Rev.  John  Cappon  and  Rev.  Alfred 
D.  Eddy. 

Father  Cappon  was  born  in  Belgium  of 
French  extraction,  and  came  to  Niles  in 
1857  ^s  an  assistant  at  the  Catholic  mission, 
as  it  v/as  then  called.  In  1859  he  assumed 
sole  charge  of  the  mission  which  embraced 
other  stations  than  Niles.  He  became  the 
pastor  of  the  church  and  so  remained  till 
his  death  in  1893,  having  been  actively  en- 
gaged in  his  work  at  Niles  for  thirty-six 
years.  He  was  recognized  as  a  devout  and 
kind-hearted  priest,  faithful  and  attentive 
to  the  sick  and  was  beloved  by  his  people. 
Having  inherited  some  property  from  rela- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


1 59 


tives  in  Belgium,  he  devoted  it  all  to  the 
construction  of  new  buildings  intended  for 
school  purposes  and  for  other  church  work. 
In  1872,  Rev.  Alfred  Eddy,  then  pas- 
tor of  the  Ninth  Presbyterian  church  of 
Chicago,  accepted  a  call  from  the  Presb}^- 
terian  church  of  Niles.  He  was  a  graduate 
of  Brockton  College,  New  York.  Ele  was  a 
preacher  of  fine  oratorical  powers,  of  dra- 
matic ability  and  of  commanding  presence. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  native  strength  and 
original  force  of  character,  happy  in  anec- 
dote and  repartee  and  impressive  in  the  pul- 
pit. He  thoroug'hly  identified  himself  with 
the  community^  intending  when  he  came  to 
make  Niles  his  home  while  he  lived,  a  wish 
which  his  parishioners  were  ready  to  gratify. 
He  died  in  1883.  A  daughter,  Cora,  is  the 
wife  of  our  Congressman^  E.  L  Hamilton. 

Mr.  Phillips  became  pastor  of  Trinity 
Episcopal  church  in  1858.  He  was  a  native 
of  Maine  and  a  graduate  of  Brown  Univer- 
sity, He  was  a  fine  scholar  and  a  man  of 
great  native  strength.  His  sermons  were 
carefully  prepared  and  impressive  in 
thought  and  delivery.  He  paid  special  at- 
tention to  educational  matters  and  visited 
the  schools  frequenth^  He  was  thoroughly 
patriotic  during  the  war  and  exercised  a 
strong  influence  in  the  community  by  his 
vigorous  support  of  the  cause  of  the  Union. 
At  one  time,  hy  a  few  pertinent  questions, 
he  confounded  a  rash  speaker,  who  in  a 
large  out-door  assemblage,  was  proposing 
an  armistice  with  the  Confederates.  The 
speaker  attempted  to  evade  for  a  time,  but 
found  it  advisable  at  length  to  materially 
modify  his  ill-timed  expressions,  and  practi- 
cally collapsed.  Mr.  Phillips  died  in  1866. 
His  daughter,  Lena  B.,  who  married  Henry 
Lardner  of  Niles,  is  an  author  and  has  pub- 
lished a  small  volume  of  poems  entitled 
"'This  Spray  of  Western  Pine"  and  also  a 
volume  of  tales  and  poetry  entitled  ^^Sparks 
from  the  Yule  Log.'' 

These  productions  are  of  true  poetic 
•spirit  and  artistic  merit  and  selections  have 


been  made  for  this  work,  which  are  charm- 
ingly appropriate. 

A  son  of  Mr.  Phillips,  William,  enlisted 
in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  war  and 
died  in  the  service. 

SCHOOLS. 

The  first  school  in  Niles  was  taught  by 
Titus  B.  Willard  in  1830.  He  was  a  man  of 
abilit}^  and  a  member  of  the  first  constitu- 
tional convention  in  1835.  He  taught  in  a 
log  house  on  Main  street,  about  the  site  of 
E.  C.  Griffin's  drug"  store.  In  1836,  an 
academy  was  opened  in  which  various  higher 
branches  wxre  tauglit.  Dr.  J.  K.  Fin- 
ley,  who  had  been  a  professor  of  chemistry 
and  natural  sciences  in  Dickinson  College, 
Philadelphia,  was  one  of  the  teachers  or 
lecturers.  The  institution  was  short  lived. 
Two  popular  schools  for  young  ladies  were 
subsequently  carried  on,  one  by  Miss  Britain, 
sister  of  Calvin  Britain,  and  another  by  Miss 
Kennedy,  who  afterwards  married  Elijah 
Lacey.  Both  were  very  competent  and  suc- 
cessful   teachers. 

In  1838,  the  state  established  branches  of 
the  university  at  the  following  places :  Mon- 
roe, Tecumseh,  Niles,  White  Pigeon,  Pon- 
tiac,  Romeo  and  Detroit,  under  the  support 
of  the  state.  The  one  at  Niles  opened  in 
September,  1838,  and  Professor  Joseph 
Whiting,  an  accomplished  scholar  and  sub- 
sequently a  professor  in  the  State  Univer- 
sity, was  the  principal.  In  1846,  the  branch 
system  of  university  schools  was  abandoned. 

The  Union  school  district  under  the  free 
school  system,  was  established  in  1854.  The 
Union  school  building  was  completed  and 
opened  in  September,  1856.  The  first  prin- 
cipal was  E.  W.  Spaulding.  Subsequently 
ward  school  houses  were  built.  The  original 
trustees  chosen  in  1854  wxre  strong,  repre- 
sentative men  consisting  of  R.  C.  Paine,  H. 
A.  Chapin,  G.  W.  Hoffman,  William  Hurd, 
Samuel  Niles  and  N.  H.  Bacon.  Mr.  Paine 
was  chosen  director  and  continued  in  this 


i6o 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


position  for  nearly  twenty  years.  The  pres- 
end  superintendent  of  schools  in  the  city,  J. 
D.  Schiller,  entered  upon  his  duties  in  Sep- 
tember, 1887,  nineteen  years  ago.  During 
the  past  year  the  total  enrollment  of  pupils 
was  one  thousand  and  forty-two  and  the  en- 
rollment in  the  high  school  was  one  hundred 
and  forty-two.  The  schools  under  the  man- 
agement of  Professor  Schiller  have  attained 
a  high  degree  of  efficiency  and  the  number 
of  scholars  who  have  been  admitted  into  the 
State  University  from  our  high  school  has 
been  large. 

The  present  trustees  are  Dr.  William 
I.  Tyler,  Dr.  William  T.  Dougan,  W.  W. 
Newman,  J.  E.  French  and  Dr.  J.  D.  Greena- 
myer.  Dr.  Tyler  is  president;  Dr.  Greena- 
myer  director  and  secretary,  and  Dr.  Dou- 
gan treasurer. 

I 
1 

NILES   PUBLIC   LIBRARY. 

This  library  was  organized  in  1903, 
mainly  through  the  efforts  of  ladies  of  Niles. 
Mr.  Andrew  Carnegie  appropriated  fifteen 
thousand  dollars  for  the  building  and  citizens 
made  donations  to  the  amount  of  about 
thirty-five  hundred  dollars  for  a  site.  The 
common  council  has  made  an  appropriation 
of  fifteen  hundred  a  year  for  the  support  of 
the  library.  The  library  was  opened  for 
public  use  in  November,  1904. 

The  Ladies  Library  Association  which 
had  been  organized  some  twenty-five  years 
before,  donated  a  large  collection  of  books 
to  the  public  library  and  a  large  portion  of 
the  previous  public  school  library  was  also 
contributed.  Liberal  donations  of  books 
were  made  by  citizens.  The  present  library 
board  consists  of  Prof.  J.  D.  Schiller, 
president;  Fred  M.  Dean,  vice-president; 
Mrs.  Louise  Jerome,  treasurer;  Mrs.  W.  L 
Tyler,  secretary;  Rev.  E.  M.  Cullinane,  Eu- 
gene C.  Dana,  Miss  Alice  Quimby,  Judge 
J.  J.  Van  Riper  and  Dr.  Z.  L.  Baldwin. 

Miss  Orrill  P.  Cooliclge  is  librarian  and 
has  occupied  the  position  since  the  organiza- 


tion of  the  library.  The  number  of  volumes 
is  fifty-two  hundred  and  three.  The  number 
of  separate  individuals  who  have  taken 
books  is  nineteen  hundred  and  sixteen.  The 
total  circulation  for  the  year  ending  May 
I,  1906,  was  twenty  thousand,  four  hun- 
dred and  eighty-three  volumes.  Thirty- 
eight  magazines  are  taken  and  several  news- 
papers. A  very  valuable  addition  to  the  li- 
brary was  made  by  the  presentation  of  files 
of  Niles  newspapers,  most  of  them  bound, 
running  almost  unbroken  from  1835  ^  the 
present  time.  Messrs.  Fred  Cook  of  the 
Star  and  George  E.  Gillam  of  the  Sun 
made  the  most  extensive  donations  in  this 
department. 

The  number  of  patrons  for  so  small  a 
town  is  unusually  large  and  show^s  the  popu- 
lar interest  taken  in  the  library  by  the 
masses. 

BANKS. 

The  first  bank  was  the  ''Bank  of  Niles'^ 
and  was  organized  in  1836.  Jacob  Beeson 
was  president,  and  George  W.  Hoffman, 
cashier. 

The  Berrien  County  Bank  was  organized 
afterwards  but  the  same  year. 

Both  of  these  banks  belonged  to  the 
''Wild  Cat"  order  and  failed  in  about  three 
years.  A  reference  to  the  Wild  Cat  Banks 
is  made  elsewhere. 

In  1841  Rodney  C.  Paine  established  at 
Niles  an  agency  of  the  Farmers'  and  Me- 
chanics' Bank.  This  he  carried  on  till  1848, 
when  he  established  a  private  bank  of  his 
own,  which  he  conducted  till  his  death  in 

1873. 

The  Citizens'  National  Bank  was  estab- 
lished in  1861.  J.  C.  Larimore  was  chosen 
president  and  O.  S.  Abbott,  cashier.  Beside 
these  two  gentlemen,  the  directors  were  G. 
W.  Piatt,  J.  S.  Tuttle,  F.  M.  Gray,  M.  D. 
Matteson  and  E.  P.  Flill.  The  capital  w^as 
fifty  thousand  dollars.  The  bank  failed  in 
1800  and  went  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver. 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUiN[TY 


i6i 


None  of  the  original  officers  were  then  con- 
nected with  the  bank. 

The  First  National  Bank  w^as  organized 
in  1870  with  the  following  directors:  T.  L. 
Stevens,  David  Rough,  R.  C.  Paine,  R.  W. 
Landon  and  George  Kimmel.  Mr.  Landon 
was  chosen  president  and  Mr.  Stevens  cash- 
ier. The  capital  w^as  $100,000.  In  March, 
1 90 1,  the  bank  failed  and  w^ent  into  the 
hands  of  a  receiver.  At  the  time  of  the  fail- 
ure, none  of  the  original  officers  were  con- 
nected with  the  bank. 

Upon  the  failure  of  the  latter  bank  the 
city  was  without  any  bank  for  a  few  days. 
On  March  23,  1901,  a  new  bank  was  estab- 
lished on  the  site  of  the  Citizens'  Bank  by 
Snell  &  Company.  This  is  a  private  bank 
owned  by  Richard  Snell  and  W.  W.  New- 
man. Mr.  New^man  is  president,  Mr.  Snell 
vice-president,  and  Charles  Wood,  cashier. 

Another  bank  was  established  on  the  site 
of  the  First  National  Bank,  March,  1901. 
This  is  a  state  bank  and  the  officers  are: 
Charles  F.  Pears,  president ;  George  L.  Fau- 
rote,  vice-president,  and  Dickson  S.  Scof- 
fern,  cashier. 

MANUFACTURING   INDUSTRIES. 

The  first  saw  mill  was  erected  in  1829  by 
Ephraim  and  Elijah  Lacey.  The  first 
grist  mill  was  erected  by  them  in  1830.  In 
1847  Samuel  B.  Finley  built  the  Volant 
Flour  Mill.  In  1850  the  Depot  and  Dacotah 
flour  mills  w^ere  built  by  Elijah  and  David 
Lacey. 

In  1855  Jacob  Geltmacher  became  pro- 
prietor of  the  Dacotah  flour  mill. 

In  1868  Gilbert  A.  Colby  built  the  brick 
flour  mill  about  one  mile  north  of  the  center 
of  the  city.  This  mill  w^as  called  the  "Lin- 
den Mill." 

In  1 88 1,  the  various  mills  were  consoli- 
dated under  the  name  of  the  Niles  Milling 
Company.  E.  S.  Badger  w^as  president,  W. 
K.  Lacey,  vice-president,  and  C.  A.  Barnard, 

secretary  and  treasurer.     This  milling  com- 
11 


pany  has  been  owned  and  operated  for  sev- 
eral years  by  E.  S.  Badger. 

In  1842  a  dam  w^as  partially  built  across 
the  St.  Joseph  river  at  the  foot  of  Main 
street  by  a  company  called  the  Niles  Hy- 
draulic Company  and  Niles  Manufacturing 
Company.  A  lock  was  placed  at  the  west 
end  to  allow  the  passage  of  boats.  In  1843 
before  the  final  completion  of  the  dam  it  w^as 
partially  carried  away  by  a  flood  and  the 
w^ork  was  abandoned. 

A  dam  w^as  built  about  1857  across  the 
Dowagiac  creek,  a  short  distance  above  its 
outlet  into  the  St.  Joseph  river.  A  race 
one  hundred  rods  long  conducted  the  water 
from  the  pond  to  furnish  power  for  the  flour 
mills  of  the  Laceys  and  Geltmacher.  An- 
other race  north  was  built  to  furnish  water 
for  the  Linden  mills. 

In  1867  a  company  called  the  Niles  Man- 
ufacturing Company  w^as  organized  and 
commenced  building  the  dam  at  its  present 
site.  The  dam  was  finished  in  1871.  In 
1872  the  company  sold  their  interest  in, 
the  w  ater  power  on  the  west  side  of  the  river 
to  J.  W.  French  and  J.  B.  Millard. 

In  1872  the  Niles  Paper  Mills  purchased 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  interest  of  the 
Manufacturing  Company  in  the  water  power 
on  the  east  side.  The  interests  of  the  Niles 
Manufacturing  Company  were  purchased  in 
1877  by  the  Niles  Water  Power  Company, 
which  assumed  the  debts  of  the  former  con- 
cern. Messrs.  French  and  Millard  in  1872 
organized  the  Michigan  Wood  Pulp  Com- 
pany on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  w;hich  has 
been  in  operation  ever  since.  *Mr.  Millard 
sold  out  his  interest  many  years  since  to  Mr. 
French  and  sons.  Later  the  company  w^as 
incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  French 
Paper  Company,  the  largest  factory  in  the 
city.  It  employs  tw^o  hundred  men  .and 
twenty-five  w^omen,  has  a  business  amount- 
ing to  about  seven  hundred  and  fifty  thous- 
and dollars  per  year  and  a  pay  roll  of  one 
hundred  and  ten  thousand  dollars  per  year. 
The   company   manufactures   ground   wood 


1 62 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


pulp,  pulp  box  boards,  pulp  pie  plates  and 
book  and  lithograph  paper.  The  officers  are 
J.  W.  French,  President ;  W.  J.  Willits,  vice- 
president;  J.  E.  French,  secretary  and  F.  F. 
French,  treasurer. 

In  1872,  the  Niles  Paper  Mill  was  organ- 
ized and  started  business  on  the  east  side.  A. 
A.  Jacks  was  president  and  B.  F.  Fish, 
treasurer.  A  controlling  interest  was  sub- 
sequently acquired  by  Henry  A.  Chapin  and 
his  son,  Charles  A.  Chapin. 

The  Ohio  Paper  Company  was  organ- 
ized by  B.  C.  Faurote  and  others  of  Lima, 
Ohio,  about  1881.  The  Niles  Paper  Mill 
Company  and  the  Ohio  Paper  Company  sub- 
secpiently  became  merged  under  one  man- 
agement, and  in  1899  a  new  company  in 
place  of  the  two  former  was  incorporated,, 
called  the  Niles  Board  &  Paper  Company. 
This  company  and  the  French  Paper  Com- 
pany own  the  entire  water  power. 

The  Niles  Board  and  Paper  Company 
employ  about  ninety  men  with  a  pay  roll  of 
thirty-six  thousand  dollars  per  year.  The 
company  has  been  engaged  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  combination  wood  pulp  and  straw 
boards.  It  has  also  one  mill  for  the  manu- 
facture of  roofing  felt.  The  officers  are: 
Charles  A.  Chapin,  president ;  H.  C.  Chapin, 
secretary,  and  A.  F.  Either,  manager. 

The  Garden  City  Fan  Company  was  es- 
tablished in  Chicago  in  1879  and  removed  its 
manufacturing  plant  to  Niles  about  four 
years  ago.  It  manufactures  fans,  blowers, 
heating  and  ventilating  apparatus  by  fan 
system  and  lower  dry  kiln  apparatus  and  ac- 
cessories. It  employs  about  one  hundred 
employees.  'The  president  is  W.  W.  Green 
and  the  secretary  and  treasurer,  E.  D.  Green. 

In  1863  a  furniture  business  was  started 
by  Joseph  Skalla,  Sr.,  a  skillful  cabinet 
maker.  In  1876  the  present  Joseph  Skalla 
Furniture  Company  was  organized  by  Joseph 
Skalla,  Sr.  and  his  sons  Joseph,  Jr.,  John, 
Albert  and  Frank.  Since  the  death  of  Joseph 
Skalla,  Sr.,  and  John,  the  business  has  been 
carried  on  by  the  survivors.    The  business  in 


late  years  has  been  extensive  and  the  pro- 
duct is  sold  in  many  adjoining  states. 

The  Kompass  &  StoU  Furniture  Com- 
pany was  incorporated  in  1897  and  em- 
ploys forty-five  men.  Tliey  manufacture 
exclusively  kitchen  furniture.  The  officers 
are,  R.  F.  Kompass,  president,  and  Matthew^ 
Stoll,  secretary  and  treasurer.  Messrs. 
Kompass  and  StoU  first  established  the  fur- 
niture business  at  Buchanan,  but  moved  to 
Niles  in  1895.  Their  business  is  now  large 
and  steadily  increasing. 

The  Earl-Storms  Company  w^as  incor- 
porated in  1 89 1  by  a  number  of  Niles  citi- 
zens, the  principal  shareholders  being  B.  F. 
Earl  and  E.  B.  Storms.  In  1893  ^^^''  Earl 
became  the  sole  owner.  The  company  man- 
ufactures sewing  tables,  card  tables,  com- 
modes and  other  furniture  specialties.  The 
goods  are  almost  all  marketed  in  New  York 
city,  being  shipped  direct  in  car  loads.  The 
company  employs  from  fifteen  to  twenty- 
five  men. 

The  Reddick  Hardware  Specialties  is 
owned  by  W.  A.  Reddick.  The  business 
was  established  in  1880.  The  goods  princi- 
pally manufactured  are  wire  potato  scoops, 
liesli  forks  and  wire  doll  beds.  The  num1)er 
of  hands  employed  is  thirty-five,  wages  range 
from  five  to  twelve  dollars  per  week.  A 
considerable  export  trade  is  done  with  Eng- 
land and  Australia. 

The  National  Printing  &  Engraving 
Company  was  organized  in  Chicago  in  1876. 
In  1 90 1  the  manufacturing  plant  was  re- 
moved to  Niles  and  large  buildings  were 
erected.  This  company  makes  a  specialty 
of  theatrical  printing,  including  lithoghaph- 
ing,  wood  work  and  type  work.  It  is  the 
only  concern  in  the  United  States  which  does 
all  the  work  necessary  to  fit  out  a  theatrical 
company  complete  in  this  line. 

.The  company  employs  from  one  hundred 
to  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  hands,  some 
of  whom  are  artists  and  receive  handsome 
wages. 

The  officers  are,  E.  H.  Macoy,  president; 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


163 


J.  D.  Barton,  vice  president;  E.  H.  Macoy, 
Jr.,  secretary  and  treasurer;  Frank  R. 
Sleyer,  superintendent.  The  home  of  the 
latter  is  in  Niles. 

The  Niles  Steel  Tank  Company,  a  suc- 
cessor of  the  Freeland  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, was  organized  in  1906.  The  company 
manufactures  steel  tanks  and  is  now  increas- 
ing its  business.  The  officers  are,  L.  E. 
Wood,  president;  E.  E.  Wood,  vice-presi- 
dent, and  J.  W.  Wood,  secretary  and  man- 
ager. 

The  National  Rawhide  and  Belting  Com- 
pany was  organized  several  years  ago  and 
manufacturers  surface  tan  belts,  oak  tan 
belts  and  various  other  articles.  Recently  it 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Chicago  parties, 
who  propose  to  materially  increase  the  busi- 
ness. The  officers  are,  T.  J.  Shant,  presi- 
dent; L.  C.  Ehler,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

A  foundry  was  established  at  an  early 
day  by  W.  J.  Welling,  with  whom  was  sub- 
sequently associated  his  son,  Allison.  They 
were  engaged  for  a  short  time  in  the  manu- 
facture of  plows.  Since  the  death  of  W.  J. 
Welling,  his  son,  Allison,  has  carried  on  the 
business  on  Front  street  and  has  recently 
erected  a  large  brick  building. 

Another  important  industry  lately  intro- 
duced is  the  National  Wire  Cloth  Company, 
which  manufactures  wire  cloth. 

BUILDING   AND   LOAN   ASSOCIATIONS. 

One  of  the  most  important  industrial  fea- 
tures in  the  life  of  the  city  has  been  the  or- 
ganization and  development  of  Building 
and  Loan  Associations.  The  first  company, 
the  Niles  Building  and  Loan  Association, 
was  organized  in  1891.  Since  then  six  ad- 
ditional companies  have  been  organized  and 
all  of  them  so  far  have  been  remarkably  suc- 
cessful and  managed  with  great  economy 
and  ability.  Four  of  these  companies  have 
matured,  realizing  an  interest  income  of 
from  nine  to  ten  per  cent.  As  a  result  of 
the  organization  of  these  companies  about 


three  hundred  and  fifty  buildings,  mostly  res- 
idences, have  been  put  up  within  the  last 
fifteen  years.  The  average  duration  of  these 
companies  has  been  eleven  years.  The  losses 
incurred  have  been  trifling  and  no  other  city 
in  the  state  has  been  more  successful  in  the 
management  and  development  of  this  class 
of  companies. 

The  presidents  and  clerks  of  the  village 
of  Niles  were  as  follows : 

Presidents. 

Erasmus  Winslow   1839 

Jacob  Beeson    1840 

Wm.  B.  Beeson   1841 

Geo.    Goodman    1842 

John  K.   Finley    1843 

C.  K.  Green   1844 

Wm.  Graves 1845 

Jasper   Mason    1846 

A.  J.  Clark 1847 

R.    C.    Paine    1848-1854 

J.    K.    Finley 1855 

Elijah  Lacey    1856-1858 

Mayors  of  the  City. 

Elijah  Lacey    1859 

R.  W.  Landon 1860-1862 

H.  M.  Dean   1863 

A.  S.  Howard 1864 

R.    W.    Landon 1865 

E.   J.   Bonine 1866 

J.  Geltmacher 1867 

E.  J.  Bonine 1868 

F.  L.    Muzzy 1869-1872 

R.  C.  Paine 1873 

S.  G.  Krick   1874 

Wm.    Graves    1875-1876 

R.  T.  Twombly 1877 

G.  W.  Piatt , 1878 

S.  G.  Krick 1879 

F,  M.  Gray 1880-1881 

Benj.    Frankenberg    1882 

Cholwell  Knox 1883 

T.  G.  Beaver 1884 

W.   L    Babcock 1885-1886 

G.  W.   Dougan 1887 

E.  J.   Bonine i^ 


1 64 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


T.  G.  Beaver 1889 

O.  W.  Coolidge 1890-1891 

W.   T.   Dougan 1892 

J.   E.  French 1893 

E.  C.  Woodcock 1894-1895 

F.  W.    Richter 1896-1897 

W.   J.    Gilbert..., 1898-1899 

F.  N.    Bonine 1900 

Z.    L.    Baldwin 1901-1902 

C.    R.    Smith 1903 

(Resigned  before  expiration  of  term). 

L.    E.   Wood 1903 

(Acting  Mayor). 

L.    H.    Beeson 1904 

Matt.  Stoll    1905-1906 

Clerks. 

G.  W.   Hoffman 1839-1842 

Jas.    Brown    1843-1844 

Theo.    Fowler    1845 

David   Aitken    1846 

G.  S.  Babcock 1847 

G.    W.    Hoffman 1848 

L.  B.  Taft 1849 

W.  H.  Jones 1850 

Thos.   Fitzgerald    1852-1853 

Theo.  Fowder 1854 

T.  T.  Glenn   1855 

R.   W.   Landon    1856-1858 

Recorders. 

W.    B.    Gray 1859 

W.   C  Fish 1860-1862 

Theo.  Fowler 1863 

T.  G.  Beaver 1864 

J.    B.   Fitzgerald 1865-1868 

J.  H.  Fairchild 1869-1870 

J.   H.   Richardson 1871-1772 

E.   G.   Houghland 1873-1874 

W.   J.    Gilbert. 1875-1876 

J.   H.   Richardson 1877-1880 

Worth   Landon    1881-1886 

Geo.  Lambert 1887-1888 

Worth   Landon    1889-1892 

Z.  L.  Cooper 1893-1897 

Clerks. 

L.   J.   Morgan 1897-1905 

Carl  Whetstone   1905-1906 


The  following  is  a  list  of  the  supervisors 
of  the  city  of  Niles,  since  it  was  incorpor- 
ated: 

R.  W.  Landon 1859 

C.  L  Kellogg i860 

M.  V.  B.  Charles 1861-1864 

W.  B.  Gray 1865 

Joel  Loomis    1866 

D.  O.  Woodruff 1867-1869 

Geo.  N.   Bond 1867-1869 

W.  J.  Edwards 1870-1874 

R.  K.  Charles 1870-1871 

S.   H.   Griffin 1872 

R.   K.  Charles 1873 

J.  P.   Howktt 1874-1876 

W.  A.  Reddick 1875-1876 

J.  A.  Lambert 1877 

M.  A.  Davison 1877 

W.  A.  Reddick 1878 

Frank  Brownell   1878 

J.    C.   Brown 1879-188^ 

M.  A.  Davison 1879 

J.    P.   Hewlett 1880 

C.  L.  Barron 1881 

G.   A.   Lambert 1882-1886 

Wm.  Stone 1883 

J.  M.  Babcock 1884-1890 

J.   A.   Peck 1887-1899 

S.    S.    Beall 1891-1906 

H.   S.   Forler    1897 

J.  E.  Harder 1897 

J.   M.   Babcock 1898-1906 

W.  S.  Smith 1899-1906 

Dan'l.    Sheehan    1900- 1902 

J.  A.  Peck 1903-1906 

The  following  named  persons  have 
served  as  postmasters,  commencing  at  the 
dates  mentioned : 

Obed   P.   Lacey,   acting  postmaster..  1828 

Isaac  Gray,  commissioned 1830 

Obed  P.  Lacey 1831 

Titus  B.   Willard 1833 

Cogswell   K.    Green 1835 

Zebulon  P.  Mason . 1836 

Edwin  N.  Bridges 1837 

Rufus  W.  Landon 1838 

Jos.   C.   Larimore 1841 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


i6s 


S.  W.  B.  Chester 1845 

Noah   Brookfield 1849 

Geo.   Goodman    185 1 

W.    H.    McOmber 1853 

Francis  Quinn    1861 

Harvey  Palmer    1863 

Wm.  J.  Edwards 1867 


Edwin   S.   Jewett 1869 

Evan  J.   Bonine 1873 

Wm.  J.  Edwards 1885 

Lawson  A.  Duncan 1889 

Jas.    M.    Babcock.  . 1893 

Edwin  S.  Wilhams  (died  in  office)  .  .  1897 

Carmi  R.  Smith,  present  incumbent.  .  1903 


CHAPTKR  VIII 


NILES  TOWNSHIP. 


In  the  meantime,  while  Niles  was  begin- 
ning to  merge  into  a  small  hamlet,  the  lands 
in  the  vicinity  were  being  cleared.  The  soil 
of  the  township  is  mostly  fertile,  productive 
and  well  adapted  for  cereals.  A  large  por- 
tion was  originally  covered  with  heavy  tim- 
bered lands,  black-walnut  grew  in  abund- 
ance upon  some  lands  in  the  northwestern 
part  and  some  farmers,  whO'  kept  their  black- 
walnut  trees  till  prices  became  high,  rea- 
lized handsome  sums  from  the  sale  of  them. 
The  St.  Joseph  river,  which  runs  in  a  meand- 
ering course  through  the  township  for  a  dis- 
tance of  nearly  fifteen  miles^  is  hemmed  in 
for  considerable  of  the  way  by  high  and  pic- 
turesque bluffs,  still  covered  with  trees. 

The  first  entries  of  land  in  Berrien 
county  were  made  in  1829,  as  the  survey  of 
the  county  was  not  made  till  that  year,  and 
no  land  sold  prior  to  that  time  by  the  United 
States  government. 

The  first  entries  in  Niles  towmship  were 
made  by  the  following  named  persons.  Wil- 
liam Justus,  Elijah  Lacey,  Ephraim  Lacey, 
Stephen  and  Samuel  Salee,  Joseph  Stephens, 
John  Ritter,  Alexander  Rogers,  Jacob  Mil- 
ler, Joseph  Bertrand,  Jr.,  and  Leon  Bou- 
rasas.  Some  of  these  entries  were  made  for 
village  purposes.  It  is  also  to  be  observed 
that  the  entries  often  do  not  show  the  date 
of  actual  occupancy.  Lands  were  some- 
times occupied  long  before  the  entry  was 


made,  and  often  not  till  some  time  after- 
wards. 

Among  the  earliest  of  the  settlers  was 
Stephen  Salee,  wdio  located  in  1828  on  the 
banks  of  the  St.  Joseph  river  about  a  mile 
northwest  of  Niles.  Mr.  Salee  was  a 
Polander  who  fought  against  Napoleon  dur- 
ing his  disastrous  Russian  campaign  of  1812, 
and  came  to  this  country  shortly  after.  He 
came  to  Niles  from  Preble  county,  Ohio^ 
w^here  he  had  been  engaged  in  mercantile 
business.  His  journey  was  made  with  a 
wife  and  two  children  in  a  covered  wagon,, 
loaded  with  three  barrels  of  whiskey,  a  sack 
of  coffee  and  other  necessaries  of  those  days. 
He  built  a  large  log  cabin,  in  which  he  re- 
sided and  also  carried  on  a  store.  The  first 
wadding  in  the  township  occurred  here,  one 
William  Barlow  being  the  bridegroom  and 
Pitt  Brown,  a  justice  of  the  peace  of  Ber- 
rien township,  the  officiating  magistrate. 

Eli  Ford,  who  had  emigrated  from  Indi- 
ana to  Pokagon  Prairie  in  1826  or  1827^ 
constructed  a  flour  mill  on  Dowagiac  creek, 
in  1828,  on  the  site  of  what  was  afterwards 
known  as  the  ''Yellow  Mill."  It  was  the  first 
grist  mill  run  by  water  power,  which  was 
built  in  Berrien  county.  The  first  bolter  con- 
sisted of  a  bridal  muslin  dress  which  Mrs. 
Ford  furnished.  This  grist  mill  for  some- 
time had  a  large  patronage  of  farmers  from 
Pokagon,  Beardsley's  and  other  prairies  in 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


167 


Cass  county.  A  saw  mill  was  soon  after 
built  by  Mr.  Ford,  at  about  the  same  site. 

In  the  same  year  Cornehus  Sparks  and 
his  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Susanna 
Stevens,  located  in  section  15  in  the  bend 
of  the  river,  near  Salee.  Mr.  Sparks  was  a 
native  of  North  Carolina,,  but  emigrated  to 
Indiana  in  18 14,  where  he  lived  till  he  moved 
to  Berrien  county.    Mr.  Sparks  died  in  1862. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sparks  were  the  parents  of 
eleven  children,  three  of  whom  were  born  in 
Michigan.  Some  mention  of  this  remark- 
able family  should  be  made.  The  ages  of 
seven  of  these  children  have  ranged  from 
seventy-five  to  ninety-one  and  the  descen- 
dants of  Cornelius  Sparks  and  wife  now 
number  several  hundreds. 

Wilson  Sparks,  a  son,  enjoys  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  the  second  oldest  native 
born  resident  of  Berrien  county  now  living. 
He  was  born  in  Niles  township  April  19, 
1830,  is  now  living  at  Benton  Harbor,  and 
is  still  well  preserved  for  a^  man  of  his  age. 
He  has  resided  in  Benton  Harbor  for  twenty 
years.  He  has  a  vivid  recollection  of  the 
Indians  who  came  to  his  parents'  house  to 
trade  berries  for  something  to  eat.  Their 
papooses  Avere  tied  to  a  flat  stick.  He  states 
that  the  lot  now  occupied  by  the  Dean  drug 
store  was  once  offered  to  his  father  for  fif- 
teen dollars. 

Among  other  children  of  Cornelius 
Sparks  and  wife,  may  be  mentioned :  Joseph, 
W'ho  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  18 14 
and  died  at  Buchanan  the  past  year  in  his 
ninet3^-first  year.  He  was  a  prominent  citi- 
zen and  held  various  local  offices. 

Mary  (Parks)  wdio  died  in  1904  in  her 
eighty-fifth  year.  Ira,  who  died  in  1905 
aged  seventy-eight  years,  at  Buchanan.  His 
widow  whose  maiden  name  was  Elisabeth 
M.  Ford,  is  still  living.  Ira  Sparks  was,  like 
his  brother  Joseph,  a  prominent  citizen  and 
held  various  local  offices, 

Levi,  who  was  for  many  years  a  promi- 
nent citizen  of  the  county  and  senator  in  the 
state  legislature   in    1873,   died   in    1900   in 


his  seventy-seventh  year.  He  was  a  leader 
in  the  Republican  party  for  many  years, 
but  drifted  into  the  Greenback  party  and 
finally  became  a  Democrat.  He  was  a  forci- 
ble speaker  and  a  strong  man  in  a  political 
convention. 

Elizabeth,  who  married  Burton  Jarvis 
and  died  in  1896  in  her  seventy-fifth  year. 
Cynthia,  born  in  1834  and  died  in  1900. 
Spencer,  David  and  Anna  all  died  many 
years  ago. 

John  Kinzie,  from  Ohio,  came  to  Niles 
in  1828  and  in  1829  built  a  dam  and  saw 
mill  on  Kinzie  creek,  about  four  miles  north- 
east of  the  present  city  of  Niles.  This  was 
shortly  after  sold  to  Henry  Lardner. 

In  1829  Joseph  Stevens,  a  native  of 
North  Carolina,  located  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  section  seven.  This  was  the 
first  purchase  from  the  government,  in  the 
township.  Mr.  Stevens  subsequently  pur- 
chased two  hundred  and  forty  acres. 

In  1 83 1,  John  Hunter  located  in  section 
twenty-four.  He  died  many  years  since. 
A  daughter,  Mrs.  Samuel  Weaver,  is  living 
at  Buchanan. 

In  1 83 1  and  1832  Benjamin  Churchill, 
John  Stone  and  William  T.  Noel  settled  in 
the  township.  The  latter  was  from  Vir- 
ginia and  a  daughter  of  his  married  Jacob 
Geltmacher,  of  Niles. 

In  1832,  Hezekiah  Bradbury  and  his 
wife,  Lucy,  natives  of  Ohio,  located  in  sec- 
tion two,  south  of  Niles,  with  a  family  of 
seven  children.  The  farm  passed  to  Simeon, 
the  son  of  Hezekiah.  Simeon  lived  on  the 
farm  with  a  maiden  sister,  Sarah,  until  his 
death  in  1882.  Sarah  is  now  living  at 
Springfield,   Ohio,   in  her  ninety-fifth  year. 

Another  brother,  Diodorus,  who  came 
with  his  father,  died  in  1901.  Two  chil- 
dren are  now  living  in  this  vicinity,  Mrs. 
Amos  Foote  and  Mrs.  P.  S.  Kemper. 

In  1830,  Isaac  Griffin  moved  from  New 
York  and  located  one  mile  east  of  Niles. 
With  him  came  Henry  Starkweather,  then 
a  boy  thirteen  years  of  ag-e.     Mr.   Stark- 


1 68 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


weather  subsequently  became  a  prominent 
■farmer  and  large  land  owner  in  Niles  town- 
ship. His  death  occurred  in  1892.  His 
widow,  whose  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth 
Long,  came  to  Niles  in  1832  and  is  still 
living  here.  A  son,  Frank  Starkweather,  has 
been  a  prominent  auctioneer,  a  member  of 
the  common  council  of  Niles,  and  was  the 
Republican  nominee  for  sheriff  for  the  pres- 
ent year. 

In  1832,  Thomas  R.  Martin  settled  on 
section  five  in  the  northern  part  and  lived 
there  till  he  died.  He  was  supervisor  from 
1867  to  1871. 

In  1835,  Jacob  Lambert,  with  his  wife 
and  children,  came  from  Virginia  and  located 
on  a  farm  belonging  to  William  T.   Noel, 
north  of  Niles.     Mr.  Lambert  died  in  1856. 
His  son,  James  A.  Lambert,  is  now  living 
in  the  city  of  Niles  and  is  in  his  eighty- 
seventh  year,  still  active  and  able  to  work 
upon  his  farm  on  the  outskirts  of  that  town. 
James  moved  into  the  village  in  1850  and 
for  a  time  was  in  the  cooper  and  lumbering 
business.     In  1871  in  partnership  with  John 
Rice  and  A.  J.  Griffith,  he  went  into  the  man- 
ufacture of  wagons,  putting    up    a    large 
brick  building  on   Front  street  which  cost 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars.    The  business 
proved  a  failure  in  a  few  years.    He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  common  council  and  active 
in  local  affairs.    Mr.  Lambert  is  a  spiritual- 
ist in  religious  belief.     His  son,  George  A. 
Lambert,  is  a  prominent  attorney  of  Niles. 
In   1832  Hardy  Langston,  a  native  of 
North  Carolina,  located  on  section  twenty- 
four,  purchasing  eighty  acres  of  the  govern- 
ment and  eighty  acres    of  a  private  party. 
He  was  one  of  the  very  earliest  settlers  of  the 
St.   Joseph  valley,  having    settled    on    La 
Grange  prairie,  on  the  banks  of  the  Dowa- 
giac  creek,  in  1828.    Here  he  built  the  first 
sawmill   erected   in   Cass   county.    He  died 
many  years  since.     Five  children  are  now 
living   in   and  near   Niles,    Hiram,    Frank, 
Mary  E.  Bell,  Melvina  Bell  and  Mrs.  Duffy. 
The  Langston  children  still  own  the  land 


purchased  by  their  father  seventy-four  years 
ago. 

In    1838,    Henry   Lardner,   a   native   of 
Pennsylvania,  and  a  graduate  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania,  came  to  Niles  and 
purchased  of  Colonel  James  Glenn  the  lands 
and  water  power    at    the    intersection    of 
Dowagiac  and  Kinzie  creeks  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  the  township.    Here  in  com- 
pany with  two  cousins,  William  and  Lyn- 
ford,  he  erected  a  woolen  mill  which  they 
carried  on  for  some  years.     In  addition  to 
this  business  they  operated  a  saw  mill  which 
had  been  previously  established  at  this  site. 
Henry  Lardner  was  a  man  of  great  natural 
force  and  strength  of  character.     He  was  a 
supervisor  of  his  township  several  terms.   He 
died  in  1852.    He  was  an  active  member  and 
founder  of  the  Episcopal  church  at  Niles. 
His  son,  Henry  Lardner^  now  living  in 
the  city  of  Niles,  was  born  in  1839  ^^^  was 
for  some  years  director  of  the  Union  school 
district  of  Niles  and  has  been  identified  at 
different  times  with  manufacturing  interests. 
In   1861   he  married  Lena  B.   Phillips,   an 
author,  who  has  been  referred  to  elsewhere. 
In  1830,  Joseph  Bertrand,  son  of  the  old 
Indian  trader,  built  a  flour  mill  on  Bertrand 
creek,  now  known    as    the    ''Brandywine." 
This  was  afterwards  converted  into  a  dis- 
tillery by  William    McOmber.     This    was 
burned  down  and  a  new  one  was  re-built 
and  the  business  carried  on  for  several  years 
by  David  Gitchell. 

In  1836,  John  J.  Hamilton,  with  his  wife 
and  infant  son,  Edward  L.,  came  from  the 
state  of  New  York  and  located  on  section 
fifteen.  He  died  some  years  since  and  his 
son  Edward  in  1876.  Our  distinguished 
congressman,  E.  L.  Hamilton,  now  serving 
his  fifth  term  in  congress,  and  re-nominated 
for  the  sixth  term,  was  a  son  of  Edward. 

One  son  of  John  J.  Hamilton,  John,  is 
now  living  near  Berrien  Springs.  Another 
son,  Asa,  died  some  years  ago. 

Uriah  Stebbins  came  to  Niles  in  1839. 
Many  years  since  he  purchased  a  farm  known 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


169 


as  the  Knox  farm  about  a  mile  east  of  the 
city.  This  he  still  owns,  although  living 
now  with  his  children.  He  was  for  many 
years  the  foreman  in  the  brick  mill  of  Lacey 
&  Badger.  He  is  still  active  and  vigorous 
although  in  his  seventy-seventh  year. 

George  S.  Hoppin,  one  of  the  oldest  set- 
tlers now  living  in  the  township,  has  lived 
in  this  township  for  62  years  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  few  years  spent  in  South  Dakota 
where  he  has  a  large  farm.  His  father, 
Thaddeus  Hoppin,  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, emigrated  to  Michigan  in  1844  and 
during  the  next  year  located  upon  the  farm 
upon  which  George  S.  now  lives,  adjoining 
the  present  limits  of  the  city  of  Niles  on  the 
south.  Five  of  the  children  of  Thaddeus 
W'Cnt  to  California  over  fifty  years  ago,  viz. : 
Nathan,  Thaddeus,  Clarissa  Evarts,  John 
and  Charles.  Mrs.  Evarts  is  still  living  in 
California. 

George  S.  Hoppin  was  supervisor  of  the 
township  in  1859  and  1872.  In  1846  he  cul- 
tivated a  piece  of  land  about  a  half  mile  west 
of  his  home  upon  w^iich  an  old  fort  and  mis- 
sion had  been  located.  The  earthworks  of 
the  fort  had  not  then  been  ploughed  up  and 
old  apple  trees,  still  bearing,  were  growing 
on  the  land.  The  trunk  of  one  of  these  apple 
trees,  wdiich  he  measured,  was  three  feet  in 
diameter,  evidencing  that  the  tree  had  been 
planted  long  before  the  first  white  settlers 
came  here. 

Lewis  Storms,  a  native  of  New  York, 
came  to  Niles  in  1844  and  shortly  after  lo- 
cated on  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  fifteen 
acres  in  Niles  township  where  he  lived  till 
his  death. 

His  son,  Edmund,  w^as  supervisor  of 
Mies  township  for  several  years,  county 
treasurer  from  1887  to  1889,  and  is  now 
assistant  postmaster  in  the  city  of  Niles. 

In  1844,  Samuel  Thompson,  who  had 
been  a  grocer  in  the  city  of  Glasgow,  Scot- 
land, emigrated  from  his  native  land  and  set- 
tled in  section  thirty-three,  where  he  lived 
till    his    death   in    1882    in   his   eighty-fifth 


year.  He  w^as  a  typical  Scotchman  of  great 
native  good  sense  and  sagacity.  He  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  Farmers'  Fire 
Insurance  Company  of  Berrien  and  Cass 
counties,  and  the  president  of  it  for  many 
years.  He  held  various  local  offices  in  the 
township.  His  wife,  who  survived  him, 
lived  to  be  ninety-five  years  old.  A  son, 
Samuel  C,  also  a  native  of  Glasgow,  has 
been  a  supervisor  of  Howard,  Cass  county, 
for  many  years.  Another  son,  James  B.,  has 
been  supervisor  of  Niles  township  for  ten 
different  terms,  and  was  a  representative  to 
the  state  legislature  in  1893.  All  of  the 
Thompsons  have  been  Democrats  in  politics 
and  Presbyterians  in  religion. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  Niles  town- 
ship should  be  mentioned  Abner  Kelsey,  a 
native  of  Kentucky,  and  his  wife,  Margaret. 
Although  they  did  not  move  into  Niles  till 
1846,  they  had  settled  in  Cass  county  at  an 
early  day  and  were  pioneers  of  that  county. 
They  settled  two  and  a  half  miles  north  of 
Niles  on  their  removal  to  Berrien  county. 

The  first  election  for  township  officers 
after  the  organization  of  the  county  w^as  held 
April  2,  1832.  The  township  then  embraced 
the  whole  county.  Jacob  Beeson  was  elected 
supervisor,  Cogswell  K.  Green,  clerk, 
Thomas  K.  Green  and  Alamanson  Huston 
justices  of  the  peace,  and  Eben  Griswold 
constable.  A  few  days  later,  Griswold  re- 
signing, Joseph  Bertrand,  a  half-breed  and 
son  of  the  old  Indian  trader  at  'Tare  aux 
Vaches"  was  elected  constable  and  collector. 
Bertrand  appears  to  have  been  somewhat 
prominent  in  the  early  history  of  the  town- 
ship, but  removed  west  to  join  the  Potta- 
watomies  in  1858. 

The  following  named  persons  have  been 
supervisors  of  the  township  of  Niles : 

Jacob  Beeson   1832-1833 

Elijah  Lacey    1834 

Jasper  Mason 1835 

Wm.  F.  Noel 1836-1838 

J.   N.   Brown 1839 

O.  P.  Lacey 1840 


I/O 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Geo.  Goodman   1841 

O.  P.  Lacey 1842 

Henry  Lardner    1843 

H.  B.  Hoffman 1844 

G.  N.  Bond 1845 

Jas.  Aldrich   1846-1848 

J.    W.    Butterfield 1849-1850 

Wm.  Graves    185 1 

R.  C.  Paine 1852-1854 

D.  O.  Woodruff 1855 

Thos.    Comins    1856 

R.   W.   Landon 1857-1858 

G.    S.    Hoppin 1859 

B.  C.  Sanford i860 

Jeremiah  Ballard   1861-1865 

G.   E.  Tichenor 1866 


T.    R.    Martin 1867-1871 

G.    S.    Hoppin 1872 

W.   B.    Davis 1873-1875 

A.  J.  Star 1876-1877 

W.   B.   Davis 1878 

Puniell  Johnson 1879 

Wm.  B.  Davis 1880 

H.    A.    Edwards 1881-1883 

E.  B.   Storms 1884-1886 

E.  P.  Ely 1887 

J.   B.   Thomson.  . 1888-1892 

F.  A.  Tichenor 1893-1894 

Milton  Hatfield   1895 

F.  A.  Tichenor 1896-1898 

J.  B.  Thomson 1899-1904 

F.   C.   Franz 1905-1906 


CHAPTER  IX 


ST.  JOSEPH  TOWNSHIP  AND  CITY  OF  ST.  JOSEPH. 


The  township  of  St.  Joseph  is  triangular 
in  shape  and  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  Ben- 
ton township,  on  the  south  by  Royahon  and 
Lincoln  townships  and  on  the  west  by  Lake 
Michigan.  It  is  the  smallest  township  in 
the  county,  containing  but  a  trifle  over  seven 
sections. 

The  city  of  St.  Joseph  is  delightfully  lo- 
cated on  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  while 
the  river  surrounds  it  on  the  north  and  east. 
The  main  portion  of  the  city  is  situated  on 
an  elevated  plateau,  rising  to  a  considerable 
altitude  above  the  lake  and  river.  The 
breezes  from  the  west  w^afted  over  the  lake 
in  summer  time  materially  modify  the  tem- 
perature of  the  atmosphere  and  render  the 
place  almost  always  comfortable  in  warm 
weather.  The  great  lake,  stretching  far  be- 
yond the  horizon  of  vision,  under  the  shifting 
play  of  light  and  shade,  sun  and  cloud,  w-ith 
its  gorgeous  sunsets,  furnishes  a  panorama 
of  enchanting  views  to  the  lover  of  natural 
beauty. 

The  settlement  was  first  called  Saranac. 
In  1 83 1  it  w^as  changed  to  Newburyport  and 
in  1833  received  its  designation  ''St. 
Joseph,"  after  the  name  of  the  river.  The 
river  was  called  the  river  of  the  Miamis  by 
LaSalle,  but  the  French  missionaries  shortly 
afterwards  named  it  St.  Joseph,  after  the 
patron  saint  of  the  Catholics  of  Canada.  It 
was  not  named  as  many  have  supposed,  after 


any  person  of  that  name,  as  no  priest  or  per- 
son so  named  ever  lived  on  the  St.  Joseph 
river. 

The  present  site  of  St.  Joseph  is  where 
the  feet  of  white  men  first  trod  the  soil  of 
Berrien  county.  The  landing  of  LaSalle 
and  his  company  in  1679  ^^^^  already  been 
described. 

As  has  already  been  related  a  fort  w^as 
built  in  1690  by  La  Salle,  called  Fort  Miami. 
How  long  this  fort  existed  it  is  impossible 
to  tell  from  any  authentic  records.  The  fort 
known  as  'Tort  St.  Joseph,"  during  the 
French  occupation,  was  located  near  the 
present  site  of  the  city  of  Niles. 

A  mission  was  established  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river  among  the  Miamis,  shortly  after 
La  Salle's  arrival  and  continued  to  exist 
among  the  Pottawatomies  after  the  removal 
of  the  Miamis,  a  few  years  later.  The  mis- 
sion w^as  an  important  one. 

When  La  Salle  left  the  mouth  of  the 
river  for  the  Mississippi  he  appears  to  have 
left  a  garrison.  A  colony  of  Canadian 
French  settled  here  at  an  early  day  and  were 
here  during  the  early  part  of  Burnett's  set- 
tlement. Why  and  when  they  removed 
away  does  not  appear.  When  the  American 
settlers  arrived  they  had  disappeared.  They 
consisted  mainly  of  French  hunters  and  trap- 
pers and  assistants  of  the  mission. 

A  trading  post  appears  to  have  existed 


172 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


at  St.  Joseph  as  early  as  1763  and  probably 
much  earlier,  conducted  by  Frenchmen. 

This,  however,  was  abandoned  and  not 
resumed  till  the  advent  of  William  Burnett, 
a  native  of  New  Jersey  about  the  year  1780. 
Reference  has  been  made  to  Burnett's  settle- 
ment in  a  previous  chapter. 

William  Burnett  died  about  181 1,  leav- 
ing seven  children  by  his  wife  Kawkema,  the 
sister  of  Topinabee,  the  hereditary  chieftain 
of  all  the  Pottawatomies.  These  children 
were  all  educated  at  a  Catholic  institution 
at  Detroit.  By  the  Chicago  treaty  six  sec- 
tions of  land  lying  in  the  towns  of  Benton 
St.  Joseph  and  Sodus  were  reserved  to  these 
children.  One  of  them,  John,  continued  as 
an  Indian  trader  after  his  fathers'  death,  and 
carried  on  a  large  business.  He  died  about 
the  year  1823  heavily  in  debt.  Another  son, 
James,  acquired  title  to  what  is  called  the 
''Burnett  Orchards."  This  was  purchased 
in  1865  by  Captain  Langley  and  now  be- 
longs to  the  Langley  heirs. 

A  portion  of  the  Burnett  reserve  was 
sold  to  Judge  Benjamin  F.  Fish  by  children 
of  Nancy  Burnett,  these  children  having  in- 
herited their  mothers'  share. 

A  daughter  of  Rebecca  Burnett,  Martha, 
married  Francis  Palms,  lawyer  in  Detroit. 
Palms  acquired  a  large  fortune  which  upon 
his  death  passed  to  the  son  of  this  marriage, 
Frederic  F.  Palms,  a  millionaire  bank  presi- 
dent and  president  of  the  National  Loan  and 
Investment  Company,  located  at  Detroit. 

When  the  American  settlers  arrived,  the 
Burnetts  had  disappeared.  The  Burnett  set- 
tlement was  in  no  way  permanent  and  left 
no  considerable  marks  of  civilization. 

A  permanent  American  settlement  did 
not  commence  till  1829.  In  1828  the  Carey 
Mission  treaty  was  made  by  which  the  Potta- 
watomies ceded  to  the  United  States  govern- 
ment all  their  lands  except  about  fifty  sec- 
tions west  of  the  St.  Joseph  river  and  situ- 
ated within  the  present  limits  of  Bertrand 
Niles  and  Buchanan  townships.  Calvin 
Britain,  a  son  of  Gen.  Calvin  Britain,  of  Jef- 


ferson county,  New  York,  who  had  em- 
igrated from  New  York  to  Carey  (Niles) 
in  1827,  was  at  this  time  engaged  in 
teaching  at  the  Carey  Mission.  P'oreseeing 
the  future  importance  of  the  point  at  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  he  hastened 
to  pre-empt  land  at  this  point.  In  this  he 
was  joined  by  Augustus  Newell  and  in  1829 
the  two  pre-empted  lands  upon  which  the 
business  portion  of  St.  Joseph  is  now  built. 
Newell  at  once  built  a  log  house  on  the  bank 
of  the  river,  into  which  he  and  his  family 
moved.  Britain  was  a  single  man  and  made 
his  home  with  Newell.  This- house  was  also 
used  for  a  time  as  a  tavern.  In  1831  Newell 
built  a  pioneer  hotel  building,  near  the  pres- 
ent site  of  the  Whitcomb  House.  This  was 
the  first  hotel  erected  in  St.  Joseph  and  w^as 
called  the  ''Mansion  House."  Newell  died 
in  1832. 

In  1 83 1  Britain  laid  out  a  village  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river  and  called  it  Newbury- 
port.  In  1834  the  name  was  changed  to  that 
of  St.  Joseph,  the  name  given  to  the  early 
mission  and  to  the  river  by  the  French 
priests.  In  the  records  of  this  mission  it  is 
designated  as  far  back  as  171 2  as  ''the  mis- 
sion of  St.  Joseph  of  Lake  Michigan."  This 
name  was  given  by  the  French  priests  in 
honor  of  the  memory  of  St.  Joseph,  the  pa- 
tron saint  of  the  Catholics  of  Canada.  Major 
Britain,  shortly  after  he  settled  an  New- 
buryport,  built  a  warehouse  and  also  en- 
gaged in  the  purchase  and  sale  of  real  es- 
tate. The  village  lots  were  sold  rapidly  and 
a  flourishing  settlement  soon  grew  up. 
Major  Britain  resided  at  St.  Joseph  till  his 
death  in  1862,  and  held  many  important  of- 
ficial positions  in  the  state  and  county.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  legislative  council  of 
Michigan  territory  in  1835,  lieutenant  gov- 
ernor of  the  state  in  1852,  the  first  senator 
to  the  State  Legislature  from  this  county  in 
1835,  a  member  of  the  lower  house  in  185 1 
and  county  treasurer  for  one  term.  He 
never  married.  In  1837,  his  father.  General 
Calvin  Britain,  from  New  York,  came  to  St. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


173 


Joseph,  and  resided  there  till  his  death. 
Major  Britain's  sister  was  a  prominent 
teacher  at  an  early  day,  and  for  several  years 
had  charge  of  a  select  school  for  young  ladies 
at  Niles,  which  was  largely  attended  by 
pupils,  and  was  deservedly  popular. 

In  May,  1829,  Daniel  T.  Wilson,  who 
had  been  engaged  in  the  tannery  business  at 
Niles,  came  to  St.  Joseph  and  engaged  in 
boating  on  the  river.  He  w^as  for  several 
years  captain  of  the  ''Matilda  Barney,"  a 
steamboat  which  was  built  in  1833  and  plied 
between  St.  Joseph  and  Niles  and  occasion- 
ally went  as  far  as  South  Bend. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Wilson  also  came  the 
same  year  with  his  family,  which  included  a 
3^oung  lady  by  the  name  of  Pamelia  Ives. 
In  1829  this  lady  was  married  to  Calvin 
Bartlett,  who  had  also  moved  to  St.  Joseph 
in  1829.  This  w^as  the  first  marriage  in  St. 
Joseph  and  was  performed  by  Major  Tim- 
othy S.  Smith,  a  justice  of  the  peace  at  the 
Mansion  House. 

On  the  2 1  St  day  of  January,  1830,  a  son 
w^as  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bartlett  named 
Amos  Carroll.  Captain  Amos  Carroll  is 
now  living  near  Dayton  and  enjoys  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  the  first  white  child  born  in 
Berrien  county  who  is  now  living.  Amos 
ran  away  from  home  in  1840  and  became  a 
sailor  on  the  lakes.  He  continued  boating 
till  1882,  when  he  removed  to  a  farm  one 
mile  from  Dayton  in  this  county,  where  he 
new  resides.  In  1853  he  became  captain  of 
the  ''Magic,",  a  sailing  vessel  owned  by  the 
Ferrys  of  Grand  HaA^en.  Subbsequently  he 
became  the  captain  of  steamboats  running 
on  Lake  Michigan.  Captain  Bartlett  has 
been  a  freeholder  of  the  county  since  1852. 

Major  Timothy  S.  Smith  was  promi- 
nently connected  with  the  early  development 
of  St.  Joseph.  He  came  from  Ohio  to  Carey 
(Niles)  about  1825  and  became  a  teacher  in 
the  Carey  Mission.  In  1827  he  moved  to 
Royalton  township,  built  a  home  and  moved 
into  it  w4th  his  family.  William  Huff  also 
settled  near  Major  Smith  in  1828,  and  these 


two  men  w^ere  the  earliest  pioneers  in  the 
northern  part  of  Berrien  county.  They 
both  removed  subsequently  to  the  village  of 
St.  Joseph.  Major  Smith  removed  to  New 
Buffalo  in  a  few  years  and  was  light  house 
keeper  there  in  1839.  In  1849  h^  removed 
to  California.  Mr.  Huff  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile business  at  St.  Joseph,  built  the  Per- 
kins house  in  1840  and  was  the  first  super- 
visor of  the  township,  a  position  which  he 
held  several  terms.  He  died  in  1853  at  St. 
Joseph  and  his  family  shortly  after  removed 
to  California.  A  son,  Lucius,  is  now  living 
in  California.  He  was  born  at  or  near  St. 
Joseph  in  1830  or  1831,  and  is  one  of  the 
very  oldest  persons  now  living  who  were 
born  in  this  county. 

In  1829,  Fowler  Preston,  a  contractor 
and  builder  from  Massachusetts  settled  in 
St.  Joseph.  He  was  sheriff  of  the  county  in 
1835,  supervisor  in  1840-41  and  42  and  mar- 
shall  of  the  village  of  St.  Joseph  for  several 
terms.  He  resided  at  St.  Joseph  till  his  death 
in  1843. 

His  son,  Wallace  A.  Preston,  was  born 
at  St.  Joseph  in  1842,  and  is  still  living 
there.  He  was  president  of  the  village  in 
1850  and  mayor  of  the  city  in  1893.  He  has 
been  engaged  for  many  years  in  the  lumber 
and  planing  business. 

Mr.  Wallace  Preston  has  preserved  two 
ancient  documents  transmitted  by  his  father, 
which  are  worthy  of  mention.  One  is  a  com- 
mission signed  by  Lewis  Cass,  governor  of 
the  Territory  of  Michigan,  dated  the  23rd 
day  of  June,  1831,  appointing  Fowler  Pres- 
ton captain  in  the  militia  of  said  territory. 
The  official  oath  taken  by  Captain  Preston 
appears  on  the  back  of  the  commission, 
signed  by  him  and  administered  by  T.  S. 
Smith,  justice  of  the  peace. 

The  other  document  is  the  original  mus- 
ter roll  of  Captain  Preston's  company,  which 
is  transcribed  in  full. 

Fowler  Preston,  Captain;  Benj.  C. 
Floyt,  Lieut.;  Edward  Smith,  Ensign;  Na- 


174 


HISTORY^  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


thaniel  B.  Starkweather,  ist  Sergeant; 
Horace  Godfrey,  2nd  Sergeant;  John  Mc- 
Call,  3rd  Sergeant;  Jehiel  Enos,  4th  Ser- 
geant; Calvm  Bartlett,  ist  Corporal;  Jacob 
Shoemaker,  2nd  Corporal;  M.  P.  Bennett, 
3rd  Corporal;  Joseph  Feather,  4th  Corporal. 

Privates  enrolled  or  enlisted — Asaph  S. 
Preston,  Jeremiah  Wilson,  Amos;  Farley, 
Samuel  Farley,  Joseph  Smith,  Marcellus 
Finch,  Sylvenus  Loukers,  John  Charles, 
John  Smith,  Dan'l  Dingley,  Jas.  Galasby, 
Martin  Huffmann,  Martin  West,  Sam'l 
Sales,  Wm.  Arrison,  Jacob  Miller,  John 
Lowden,  John  La  Valley,  Clark  Jackson, 
Jos.  Brittain,  Wm.  Wilson. 

I   hereby  certify  this   list  to  be  correct 
and  the  men  not  discharged  by  me. 
Niles,  M.  T.,  June  20,  1832. 

Capt.  F.  Preston. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  besides  the  cap- 
tain, several  of  this  company  became  prom- 
inent subsequently  in  the  history  of  the 
county.  Among  them  were  Jehiel  Enos, 
Benjamin  C.  Hoyt,  Edward  Smith,  Horace 
Godfrey,  Calvin  Bartlett,  Joseph  P>ather 
and  Amos  Farley. 

It  appears  from  an  account  published  in 
a  California  paper  some  twelve  years  ago, 
that  the  first  settler  in  St.  Joseph  township 
was  Captain  Edward  Smith,  and  that  he  lo- 
cated on  the  ''Burnett  Orchard"  now  owned 
by  the  heirs  of  Captain  S.  G.  Langley. 

Captain  Smith,  according  to  this  account, 
came  from  Ohio  to  Carey  (Niles)  in  1825 
md  worked  for  a  time  for  William  Kirk.  In 
1826  he  went  to  the  fur  trading  station  of 
the  Lorillard's  at  South  Bend  and  had 
charge  of  the  business  for  two  years  when  he 
went  down  the  river  and  located  '^or  squat- 
ted" on  the  Burnett  Orchard. 

He  was  an  ensign  in  Captain  Fowler 
Preston's  company  of  militia  and  served  in 
the  Black  Hawk  war.  He  was  a  captain  of 
some  of  the  river  steamboats,  among  which 
was  the  ''Algoma."  He  went  to  California 
in  1853  and  died  there  in  1894  in  his  nine- 
tieth year. 

If  the  above  account  of  Captain  Smith's 


settlement  be  true,  he  was  the  pioneer  set- 
tler in  St.  Joseph  township  instead  of  Major 
Britain.  It  is  very  probable  however,  that 
he  came  after  Britain,  but  possibly  the  same 
year. 

Benjamin  C.  Ployt  came  from  New 
Flampshire  to  St.  Joseph  in  1829  and  en- 
gaged first  as  an  Indian  trader  in  a  log  house 
and  subsequently  in  the  mercantile  business. 
He  afterwards  established  a  bank,  which  was 
the  leading  bank  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county  for  many  years.  He  was  an  active 
and  energetic  man,  engaged  in  nearly  all  of 
the  important  enterprises  of  the  place  in  its 
early  history.  He  was  president  of  the  vil- 
lage during  six  terms  and  supervisor  of  the 
township  in  1843  ^^d  i8z|4.  He  removed  to 
Mississippi  in  1872  where  he  remained  sev- 
eral years.  He  returned  in  1892  to  St. 
Joseph  wdiere  he  died  in  1903  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-six.  At  one  time  he 
was  quite  wealthy  and  w^as  one  of  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  the  place  for  many  years. 

His  daughter,  Sophrona,  who  married  F. 
A.  Potter,  the  present  supervisor  of  the  sec- 
ond ward  of  St.  Joseph,  and  for  many  years 
a  prominent  merchant^  was  born  at  St. 
Joseph  in  1836  and  is  now  living  with  her 
husband  at  that  place. 

In  1830,  L.  L.  Johnson  settled  on  the 
lake  shore  a  mile  north  of  the  village.  Pie 
subsequently  removed  to  Wisconsin.  About 
the  same  time  came  John  Wittenmyer,  who 
became  a  prominent  merchant  of  St.  Joseph. 
He  enlisted  in  the  American  army  during 
the  Mexican  war  and  became  a  colonel.  Pie 
died  shortly  after  his  return  from  the  war. 

Dr.  Amos  S.  Amsden,  a  native  of 
New  York,  appears  to  have  been  the  first 
physician  in  the  village.  He  located  here 
in  1832  and  died  in  1849.  He  was  the  first 
justice  of  the  peace  in  the  village. 

The  first  attorney  in  St.  Joseph  was 
Thomas  Fitzgerald.  He  was  a  native  of 
Herkimer  county,  New  York,  served  in  the 
war  of  1812  and  w^as  wounded  at  the  battle 
of  Lundy's  Lane.     He  was  appointed  light- 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


175 


lioiise  keeper  at  St.  Joseph  in  1832,  when  he 
remoAxd  to  St.  Joseph.  He  resided  at  St. 
Joseph  tin  about  1847  when  he  removed  to 
Niles  where  he  died  in  1855.  He  occupied 
many  prominent  official  positions  in  the  state 
and  county.  He  was  a  member  of  the  legis- 
lature in  1838,  a  bank  commissioner  about  the 
same  time,  first  president  of  the  village  in 
1834,  subsequently  supervisor  of  the  town- 
ship, judge  of  probate  of  the  county,  and  in 
1 85 1  was  appointed  United  States  senator  to 
fill  the  vacancy  created  by  the  retirement  of 
General  Cass.  He  was  a  man  of  great  na- 
tive strength  of  character,  and  of  sterling 
cjualities  of  mind  and  heart. 

His  son,  Jerome  B.  Fitzgerald,  was  a 
prominent  attorney  and  died  at  Niles  in 
1878.  He  was  a  senator  in  the  legislature 
in  1847  while  living  at  St.  Joseph,  prosecut- 
ing attorney  in  1849  ^^^^^  recorder  of  the 
city  of  Niles  for  several  terms.  He  was  an 
able  lawyer  but  preferred  the  more  cjuiet  de- 
partments of  the  profession. 

In  1832,  Edward  P.  Deacon  from  Penn- 
sylvania and  William  McKaleb  from  Mary- 
land, came  to  St.  Joseph  and  together  built 
a  saw  mill  that  year.  In  1833  these  men 
built  a  steamboat  called  the  ''Matilda  Bar- 
ney." This  was  the  first  steamboat  which 
successfully  plied  the  river  between  St. 
Joseph  and  Niles. 

The  engine  was  built  by  Philip  P.  An- 
drews, Lever ett  Plumb  acted  as  engineer 
and  Daniel  T.  Wilson  was  captain.  The 
boat  ran  on  the  river  for  about  ten  years, 
and  did  an  immense  business.  A  boat  called 
the  Newburyport  had  been  built  in  1832, 
but  ran  aground  on  her  first  trip  at  Ber- 
rien Springs  and  was  badly  damaged. 

Deacon  shortly  after  removed  to  Boston, 
Massachusetts,  and  became  a  millionaire. 
McKaleb  in  a  few  years  returned  to  his 
native  state.  Mr.  Andrews  afterwards  lo- 
cated in  Chikaming  towmship. 

Curtis  Boughton  came  from  Ohio  in 
1832  and  settled  about  a  mile  south  of  the 
village  of  St.  Joseph  on  the  Niles  road.    For 


several  years  he  was  the  owner  and  captain 
of  vessels  which  ran  on  the  lake  between 
Chicago  and  St.  Joseph.  The  first  boat 
which  he  ran  was  the  ''Drift"  in  1833.  This 
was  followed  by  the  "Bancroft"  and  "Henry 
W.  King."  He  was  half  owner  in  the  Hie- 
cocampus  which  sunk  in  mid-lake  in  Sep- 
tember, 1868. 

He  was  a  pioneer  in  the  business  of  peach 
growing,  being  second  to  Mr.  Parmelee  as 
has  already  been  stated.  In  1849  Captain 
Boughton  set  out  one  hundred  and  thirty 
trees  of  choice  budded  fruit.  In  1852  he  set 
out  sevevacres,  purchasing  his  trees  at  Cleve- 
land. In  1855  h^  commenced  the  business 
of  shipping  peaches  and  for  several  years, 
carried  on  a  successful  business  in  this  line. 
In  1835,  he  received  as  high  as  eight  dollars 
per  basket  containing  about  three  pecks. 

Captain  Boughton  died  in  1896.  He  was 
supervisor  in  1870.  His  son,  James  C,  the 
only  surviving  child,  is  the  present  janitor 
of  the  Berrien  county  court  house. 

In  1832,  the  Kingsley  brothers,  George 
W.,  Edward  and  Benjamin,  who  were 
masons  by  trade,  came  from  Utica  and  set- 
tled in  St.  Joseph.  George  died  in  1876. 
His  widow  is  still  living  with  her  daughter 
in  Benton  Harbor.  Three  children  are  now 
living,  Edward  H.  and  Charles  E.  of  St. 
Joseph  and  Mrs.  L.  T.  Burridge  of  Benton 
Harbor.  Edward  H.  was  a  supervisor  of  the 
city  of  St.  Joseph  for  some  years  and  is  en- 
gaged in  the  furniture  business.  A  daugh- 
ter of  Benjamin  married  James  A.  Canavan. 
Edward  was  a  bachelor. 

Thomas  Conger  who  settled  in  St.  Joseph 
in  1834  was  the  second  attorney  who  came 
there.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  lawyer  of 
ability.  He  was  probate  judge  from  1834 
to  1836,  district  attorney  in  1836-57  and 
register  of  deeds  in  1842.  He  married  a 
daughter  of  Eleazer  Morton  and  in  1849 
removed  to  Sacramento,  California,  where 
he  became  a  judge. 

Joseph  W.  Brewer  came  to  St.  Joseph 
in  1834  and  engaged  in  boating.    He  was  the 


176 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


first  pilot  of  the  steamboat  ''Davy  Crockett" 
and  afterward  captain.  He  was  also  captain 
of  the  steamboats  Niles,  Indiana  and  Porter, 
was  regarded  as  a  very  safe  and  skillful 
boatman,  and  often  ran  up  the  river  as  far 
as  Three  Rivers  in  high  water.  For  a  time 
he  lived  on  a  farm  but  in  1840  settled  in  St. 
Joseph. 

He  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  continu- 
ously from  1853  till  his  death  in  1889  or  a 
period  of  thirty-six  years.  He  did  an  im- 
mense business  and  was  recognized  as  able 
and  impartial  in  the  administration  of  his 
office. 

A  daughter  is  now  living  at  St.  Joseph 
and  is  the  wife  of  Captain  J.  J.  Drake,  a 
prominent  citizen  of  that  place,  who  has  been 
referred  to  elsewhere. 

Hiram  Brown  came  from  Rochester, 
New  York,  in  1834,  as  a  representative  of 
the  firm  of  Griffith  &  Company,  merchants 
at  Rochester  who  built  a  warehouse  at  St. 
Joseph  about  this  time  and  also  the  steam- 
boat known  as  the  ''Davy  Crockett"  hereto- 
fore referred  to,  which  was  constructed  at 
Erie  in  1834.  Mr.  Brown  engaged  in  the 
forwarding  business  and  in  1834  made  the 
first  shipment  of  wheat  ever  made  to  Chi- 
cago from  St.  Joseph.  He  continued  in  the 
business  till  1848  when  he  removed  to  Chi- 
cago, where  he  lived  till  1862  when  he  re- 
turned to  St.  Joseph.  He  was  clerk  of  the 
village  for  several  years  and  collector  of  the 
port  for  about  twenty  years.     He  died  in 

1883. 

Four  children  are  now  living,  viz :  Mrs. 
Thomas  Northcote  of  Luray,  Virginia ;  Wil- 
liam Brown  of  Chicago;  Mrs.  M.  B.  Rice 
of  St.  Joseph,  and  H.  L.  Brown  of  St. 
Joseph. 

Mr.  Brown  was  a  man  of  liberal  educa- 
tion and  culture  and  frequently  contributed 
articles  to  the  newspapers  on  various  sub- 
jects. He  wrote  out  a  manuscript  of  con- 
siderable length  entitled  "Incidents  of  the 
Life  of  Hiram  A.  Brown"  which  contains  a 
description  of  St.  Joseph  as  he  found  it  when 


he  first  arrived  there  in  1834.  His  son, 
H.  L.  Brown,  has  kindly  allowed  me 
the  use  of  this  manuscript  and  I  herewith 
quote  from  it.  He  says,  "I  arrived  in  St. 
Joseph  on  the  fourth  day  of  July,  1834,  and 
found  the  place  quite  as  new  as  I  expected. 
There  was  a  small  population,  and  less  com- 
fort. There  were  twenty  or  twenty-five  fam- 
ilies in  all,  besides  a  number  of  young  men 
without  families.  The  buildings  consisted 
of  two  warehouses  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
one  of  which  I  accepted,  and  another  oc- 
cupied by  Britain  and  Hatch,  about  twenty 
buildings  occupied  as  residences^  none  of 
which  I  think  were  finished,  one  public 
house  on  the  bluff  kept  by  a  man  by  the  name 
of  Gould,  another  log  building  under  the 
bluff  kept  by  Jeremiah  Wilson;  four  small 
stores  and  one  steam  saw-mill.  There  were 
two  small  steamboats  running  on  the  St. 
Joseph  river,  the  Matilda  Barney  and  David 
Crockett,  and  the  old  steamer  Pioneer  had 
just  been  brought  round  to  run  between  St. 
Joseph  and  Chicago,  biit  it  was  wrecked  and 
went  to  pieces  about  ten  days  after  I  reached 
the  place. 

"The  road  leading  out  of  the  place  was 
next  thing  to  impassable  by  teams  and  the 
principal  means  of  ingress  and  egress  was- 
by  water,  if  by  land  on  foot  or  on  horseback. 

"There  were  also  some  three  or  four  keel 
boats  capable  of  carrying  about  twenty-five 
or  thirty  tons  each,  that  were  pushed  up  the 
river  with  poles,  manned  by  six  to  twelve 
men  each.  These  boats  used  to  ascend  as 
far  as  South  Bend  and  occasionally  farther 
up  to  Mishawaka,  Elkhart,  Mottville  and 
Constantine,  although  not  often. 

"The  bar  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  did  not 
permit  vessels  to  come  into  the  harbor  ex- 
cept a  few  of  very  light  draft.  They  came 
to  anchor  off  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  re- 
reived  and  discharged  cargoes  with  lighters. 

Between  St.  Joseph  and  Berrien  there 
were  only  five  or  six  families,  viz :  T.  S. 
Smith  at  Royalton,  John  Pike,  Jehiel  Enos, 
William  Williams  and  a  man  by  the  name 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


177 


of  Purely.  Pitt  Brown  kept  a  public  house 
at  Berrien  and  I  think  Edward  BaUinger 
had  a  small  store  there.  The  elder  Kimmel 
occupied  a  farm  now  occupied  by  the 
Shakers. 

''During  the  years  1842  to  1847  inclusive, 
a  large  amount  of  flour  was  shipped  down 
the  river  and  a  better  class  of  steamboats 
than  formerly  were  engaged  in  the  traffic, 
and  additional  keel  boats  or  barges  con- 
structed. A  large  quantity  of  flour  was  also 
floated  down  the  river  on  arks.  These  were 
cheap  and  rudely  constructed  crafts,  built 
solely  to  float  their  cargoes  down  the  river, 
when  they  were  broken  up  and  sold  for  re- 
fuse timber.  They  were  usually  built  of 
white  oak  planks  from  one  and  one 
half  to  tw^o  inches  thick,  sixteen  feet 
wide  and  forty  feet  long,  with  sides 
that  allowed  them  to  draw  about 
twenty  inches  or  two  feet  of  water 
and  capable  of  carrying  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  barrels  of  flour  each.  Two  of  these 
were  coupled  together^  one  behind  the  other, 
and  with  long  sweeps  at  each  end  were 
guided  down  the  current  of  the  river  ana 
generally  reached  their  distination  safely. 

'Tn  1836  the  work  of  putting  down  piers 
of  oak  filled  in  with  stone  commenced  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river  and  during  that  season 
the  entrance  to  the  river  became  not  only 
safe,  but  easy,  admitting  the  larger  class 
of  vessels  then  navigating  on  the  lakes.'' 

After  depicting  the  depression  which 
followed  the  financial  panic  of  1837  and  the 
collapse  of  the  '*Wild  Cat"  banks,  Mr.  Brown 
says :  ''The  entire  river  commerce  which 
had  been  the  chief  element  of  prosperity  was 
completely  destroyed,  and  for  a  period  of 
more  than  ten  years  was  totally  abandoned. 
Nearly  the  entire  population  left,  and  that 
portion  of  the  county  near  the  town  ceased 
to  attract  any  attention." 

In  this  manuscript  Mr.  Brown  recites  an 
incident  which  illustrates  the  religious  condi- 
tion of  the  people  of  St.  Joseph  during  the 

early  settlement.    In  1838  or  1839  Rev.  Hi- 
12 


ram  Kellogg  was  appointed  president  of 
Knox  college  at  Galesburg,  Illinois,  and  while: 
on  his  way  to  assume  his  duties,  stopped  at: 
St.  Joseph  over  Sunday,  arriving  by  stage  at 
the  Mansion  House  kept  by  Judge  Daniel 
Olds.  He  ascertained  that  there  was  no 
church  in  the  place,  and  moreover  found  the 
people  pitching  quoits  and  engaged  in  other 
pastimes  which  indicated  a  total  disregard 
of  the  Sabbath  day.  He  then  inquired  of  the 
landlord  if  there  was  any  person  in  the  place 
who  feared  the  Lord.  The  landlord  replied 
in  his  bluff,  off-hand  way,  ''Well,  I  guess 
not,"  but  after  a  moment's  hesitation  said, 
'T  don't  know,  but  I  think  Hiram  Brown 
fears  him  a  little."  Judge  Olds  then  directed 
Mr.  Kellogg  to  Mr.  Brown's  residence  where 
Mr.  Kellogg  narrated  the  above  incident. 
Mr.  Kellogg  made  his  home  with  Mr.  Browa 
during  the  remainder  of  his  stay  in  St. 
Joseph,  and  Sunday  afternoon  preached  in 
the  white  school  house  to  an  audience  most 
of  whom  had  not  heard  a  sermon  for  years. 

In  1834,  H^iram  Barnes  came  to  St. 
Joseph  with  his  wife  and  son,  afterward 
Captain  M.  C.  Barnes.  For  some  years  M. 
C.  Barnes  was  engaged  in  steamboating.  He 
retired  from  this  business  in  1883,  ^nd  be- 
came  engaged  first  in  the  drug  business  with 
E.  S.  Currari  and  subsequently  in  the  jewelry 
business.  In  1887  he  and  Warren  BaUin- 
ger built  the  St.  Joseph  and  Benton  Harbor 
Street  Railway.  Captain  Barnes  was  presi- 
dent and  general  manager  until  the  railway 
was  sold  to  a  Chicago  party.  Captain  Barnes 
died  during  the  past  year  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five  years. 

In  1835  Dr.  Tolman  Wheeler,  who  had 
settled  in  Niles  in  1831,  came  to  St.  Joseph. 
About  the  same  time  John  K.  Porter  also 
settled  in  St.  Joseph.  These  two  gentle- 
men went  into  partnership  in  the  forwarding 
and  commission  business  and  in  lake  and 
river  transportation.  They  owned  a  line  of 
boats  and  for  several  years  did  an  immense 
business.  Dr.  Wheeler  was  president  of 
the  village  three  terms  and  a  supervisor.    He 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


xemoved  to  Chicago  about  1850  and  died  at 
^hat  city  some  years  ago  at  an  advanced  age. 

Mr.  Porter  was  a  native  of  New  York. 
As  an  illustration  of  the  extent  of  business 
done  by  Porter  &  Wheeler,  it  may  be  stated 
that  on  April  29,  1841,  this  firm  had 
twenty-five  thousand  barrels  of  flour  and 
pork  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph  river. 
About  1850  Mr.  Porter  went  to  California 
Inhere  he  remained  three  years  and  then  re- 
turned to  his  native  state  where  he  died  in 
1866.  He  was  postmaster  of  St.  Joseph  in 
1838,  president  of  the  village  from  1837  to 
1841,  commissioner  of  internal  improve- 
ment in  1846  and  a  regent  of  the  university. 

He  was  a  man  of  great  executive  and 
business  ability.  He  was  known  as  the 
**'Boatman's  friend,"  and  was  a  man  who  was 
universally  esteemed  for  his  honesty,  gen- 
erosity, and  public  spirit. 

Among  the  early  settlers  were  Edwin 
liichardson,  J.  F.  Lord,  Robert  Hollywood, 
Daniel  Murphy,  R.  B.  Duncan,  S.  R.  Rus- 
sdl,  Asaph  Preston,  Sol.  Smith,  A.  M. 
Erownell,  William  Axtell,  Isaac  Pangborn, 
;and  also  the  Olds,  Martin,  Stewart,  and 
Johnson  families,  and  Captain  S.  G.  Lang- 

Jey. 

Mr.  Richardson  was  one  of  the  earliest 

fschool  teachers  of  the  place,  and  in  1834 
teught  in  the  first  school  house  erected  there. 
This  was  a  log  house.  Mr.  Richardson  was 
subsequently  county  register  of  deeds. 

Captain  S.  G.  Langley  was  a  native  of 
Massachusetts  and  a  sailor  on  the  ocean  till 
1832  when  he  came  to  St.  Joseph.  The  first 
-vessel  which  he  sailed  after  his  arrival  was 
the  brig  ''Napoleon.''  He  shortly  after 
sailed  the  first  propellor  on  the  lakes,  called 
the  ''C.  B.  Bachus."  He  afterwards  built 
and  partly  owned  several  steam  brigs  which 
sailed  on  the  lake.  He  purchased  of  some 
of  the  Burnett  heirs  the  lands  upon  which 
John  Burnett  settled  in  1780  and  which  is 
^ow  owned  by  the  Langley  heirs.  Captain 
Langley  died  suddenly  on  board  of  one  of 
liis  vessels,  'The  Favorite,"  in   1870.     He 


was  a  brave  and  efficient  seaman  and  received 
at  different  times  medals  as  a  token  of  ap- 
preciation of  heroic  service  in  saving  and 
rescuing  the  crews  and  passengers  of  other 
boats  which  had  been  disabled  by  storm  or 
fire.     His  widow  died  during  the  last  year. 

Daniel  Olds,  a  militia  colonel,  came  from 
Ohio  to  Niles  in  1829  and  commenced  keep- 
ing tavern  at  the  "Council  House"  in  1830. 
He  was  the  first  chief  justice  of  the  county 
court,  a  short  lived  court  of  the  pioneer  days, 
and  held  the  first  session  of  that  court  at 
Niles  in  July,  1832.  He  settled  in  St.  Joseph 
about  this  time  and  kept  the  Mansion  House. 
After  October,  1832,  the  county  court  was 
held  at  Newburyport  (St.  Joseph).  The 
list  of  grand  jurors  for  the  December  term, 
1832,  shows  the  names  of  the  following 
prominent  old  settlers  of  the  county :  A.  S. 
Amsden,  N.  B.  Starkweather,  John  Witten- 
myer,  William  Huff,  T.  C.  Abbe,  B.  Webb, 
Calvin  Bartlett,  Jehiel  Enos,  Timothy  S. 
Smith,  Benjamin  C.  Hoyt,  Amos  Farley, 
O.  P.  Lacey,  S.  Ford,  L.  Cavenaugh,  Henry 
Lemon,  Garrett  Sherrat,  Pitt  Brown,  Martin 
Hoffman.  Nearly  all  of  these  men  were 
leading,  representative  men  of  the  day. 

This  county  court  was  abolished  in  1833, 
re-established  in  1847  ^^^  finally  abolished 
in  1853. 

In  this  connection  some  reference  may 
be  made  to  the  circuit  court.  The  first  term 
of  this  court  was  held  at  St.  Joseph  in  Octo- 
ber, 1833.  Courts  were  first  held  in  the  log 
school  house.  Subsequently  they  were  held 
in  what  was  generally  known  as  the  "Old 
White  School  House,"  still  standing.  The 
first  judges  were  William  A.  Fletcher,  presi- 
dent judge;  Talman  Wheeler  and  Amos  S. 
Amsden,  associate  judges.  These  associ- 
ate judges  were  generally  known  as  side 
judges,  and  this  system  lasted  but  a  few 
years.  Judge  Fletcher  resided  in  Detroit 
and  was  a  very  able  jurist.  Fie  was  suc- 
ceeded in  1837  by  Epaphroditus  Ransom,  of 
Kalamazoo,  who  held  his  first  term  in  St. 
Joseph  in  April  of  that  year.     He  was  sub- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


179 


sequently  chief  justice  of  the  supreme  court 
of  the  state,  and  in  1848  became  governor. 
He  was  a  Democrat,  but  strongly  anti-slav- 
ery in  his  convictions,  which  he  did  not  dis- 
guise. A  son,  Major  Ransom,  now  resides 
in  St.  Joseph  and  has  been  a  member  of  the 
common  council. 

No  court  house  was  built  at  St.  Jo- 
seph, but  a  jail  was  built  in  1834  by  the 
sheriff  of  the  county,  Fowler  Preston.  This 
was  built  of  hewed  logs,  and  was  eighteen 
by  twenty  feet  in  size.  The  actual  cost  was 
$191.56. 

R.  B.  Duncan  and  John  Martin  became 
prominent  merchants  in  the  village. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  voters  of  the 
village  in  1835:  Amsden,  Axtell,  Brown 
(Hiram),  BrowneU,  Bartlett,  Britain, 
Boughton,  Conger,  Chauncey,  Duncan, 
Deacon,  Emerson,  Fitzgerald  (Thomas), 
Harris,  Hoyt,  Hough,  Hollywood,  Johnson 
(Benjamin),  Howe,  Kingsley  (George), 
Lord,  Captain  Martin,  R.  B.  Martin,  Fowler 
Preston,  A.  S.  Preston,  Pike,  Rogers,  Rich- 
ardson, Russell,  Wheeler,  Wittenmyer,  Wil- 
son (Daniel),  Pangborn,  Weaver,  Wells, 
Solomon  Smith. 

Among  the  principal  merchants  who 
came  a  few  years  later,  may  be  mentioned 
James  E.  Stevens,  J.  E.  and  J.  B.  Suther- 
land, B.  F.  King,  F.  A.  Potter,  C.  C.  Sweet, 
W.  B.  O.  Sweet,  George  and  Ed.  F. 
Piatt,  Charles  Stewart,  J.  Jacobson,  James 
Forber,  T.  T.  Ransom,  Z.  Rice  and  son, 
George  E.  Smith,  H.  M.  Zekind,  E.  C.  Pal- 
mer, E.  D.  Crane,  M.  and  A.  Shephard. 

John  Forbes  is  the  present  mayor  of 
the  city. 

For  many  years  ferry  boats  ran  between 
St.  Joseph  and  Benton  Harbor.  Then  fol- 
lowed a  horse  railroad.  A  few  years  aft- 
erward the  railway  passed  into  the  control 
of  Colonel  Worth  Bean,  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, who  had  been  previously  connected 
with  the  management  of  street  railroads. 
In  1892,  Colonel  Bean  introduced  electric- 
ity as  the  propelling  power,  and  also  furn- 


ished light  and  power  to  both  cities.  The 
new  corporation  was  called  the  St.  Jo- 
seph and  Benton  Harbor  Electric  Railway 
and  Light  Company.  The  railway  system 
was  gradually  extended  in  the  cities  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor  and  St.  Joseph  until  it  now 
embraces  about  ten  miles  of  track.  The 
company  still  furnishes  light  to  the  citizens 
of  Benton  Harbor.  For  some  years  the  en- 
terprise mejt  with  considerable  difficulties 
and  at  one  time  an  application  was  made  for 
a  receiver  by  some  of  the  stock  holders  on 
the  ground  of  its  insolvency,  but  the  credi- 
tors opposed  the  application  and  the  appli- 
cation was  denied.  The  company  survived 
its  troubles  and  has  been  successful,  the 
business  having  been  immense,  especially  in 
the  summer  time.  Colonel  Bean  recently 
disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  concern  to 
Chicago  parties.  Henry  Mason,  however, 
superintendent  under  Colonel  Bean,  retained 
the  management  under  the  new  proprie- 
tors. 

Captain  Nelson  W.  Napier  came  to 
St.  Joseph  about  1836  while  quite  young. 
He  was  a  sailor  during  all  his  active  life 
and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  was  captain  of 
a  steamboat  on  the  great  lakes.  On  Octo- 
ber 15,  1880,  the  steamer  "Alpena,"  which 
plied  between  St.  Joseph  and  Chicago  and 
which  he  commanded,  went  down  near  Hol- 
land with  a  crew  of  about  thirty  persons 
and  about  thirty  passengers  in  a  terrific  gale. 
Not  a  single  person  was  saved. 

The  following  verses  taken  from  a  poem 
written  by  Captain  Whiting  upon  the  oc- 
casion of  the  loss  of  the  Alpena  commemor- 
ate the  virtues  of  Captain  Napier : 

"A  braver  seaman  never  trod 

Supreme  upon  the  'peopled  deck ;' 
True   to    his   wife,   his   friends   and   God, 
He  perished  in  the  Alpena's  wreck." 

"Of   stalwart   frame  and  giant  mold. 

Yet   still  of  aspect  calm  and  mild, 
Confronting  danger  he  was  bold, 

Yet  gentle  as  a  loving  child."  ; 


i8o 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


The  following  children  of  Captain  Nel- 
son W.  Napier  are  now  living :  Nelson  W. 
Napier  of  St.  Joseph,  Edward  Napier  of 
San  Francisco,  Frank  and  Arthur  of  St. 
Joseph.  A  daughter,  who  died  some  years 
ago,  was  the  former  wnfe  of  Dr.  McLin,  a 
prominent  physician  of  St.  Joseph. 

The  family  is  a  sea  faring  one,  nearly  all 
of  whom  have  been  captains  or  important 
officials  of  steamboats  on  the  great  lakes. 
Frank  has  been  deputy  sheriff  and  clerk  of 
St.  Joseph. 

In  1837  Daniel  Murphy,  a  native  of  Ire- 
land, settled  in  St.  Joseph  township  and  en- 
gaged in  farming.  His  son  John  is  now 
living  on  a  farm  on  the  lake  shore  drive, 
a  short  distance  south  of  the  city,  and  has 
been  engaged  for  many  years  in  fruit  cult- 
ure. He  is  now  one  of  the  oldest  residents 
of  the  township,  having  come  with  his 
father  there   sixty-nine  years  ago. 

A  little  later  came  Warren  and  Daniel 
Chapman,  natives  of  New  Hampshire. 
Warren  Chapman  was  engaged  for  some 
years  in  the  forwarding  and  commission 
business.  He  became  a  prominent  figure  in 
the  political  history  of  the  county  and  was 
a  senator  to  the  state  legislature  from  1865 
to  1867,  two  terms.  He  was  also  supervisor 
of  the  township  for  several  years  and  presi- 
dent of  the  village.  He  was  a  man  of  abil- 
ity and  sterling  qualities. 

Daniel  Chapman  was  supervisor  of  the 
township  for  seven  years  and  judge  of  pro- 
bate for  two  terms.  He  was  a  man  of  strict 
integrity  and  natural  sagacity. 

The  commercial  importance  of  St.  Jo- 
seph began  about  1836.  The  harbor  was 
improved  by  the  government  that  year. 
Numerous  boats  of  different  kinds  began  to 
ply  on  the  river.  The  speculative  spirit  be- 
gan to  develop  and  in  1836  a  firm  of  east- 
ern capitalists,  G.  S.  Hubbard  &  Company, 
purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  lying  be- 
tween the  Paw  Paw  river  and  the  lake, 
which  they  platted  into  lots  and  called  North 
St.  Joseph.     A  large  amount  of  money  was 


expended  in  levelling  down  the  sand  hills,, 
building  docks  and  making  other  improve- 
ments. A  town  of  large  proportions  was 
contemplated  and  places  for  an  academy,  a 
court  house  and  other  public  buildings  were 
designated.  A  warehouse  and  other  build- 
ings were  built,  but  the  location  was  bad,, 
hard  times  soon  came  on  and  the  project  be- 
came a  failure.  On  the  south  side  of  the 
river,  lots  at  this  time  were  held  at  fabulous 
prices  and  the  growth  of  the  village  was  seri-^ 
ously  retarded  by  a  narrow  policy  of  high 
prices  which  drove  away  prospective  buyers, 
to  other  points. 

The  era  of  wild  cat  banks  began  at  this 
period  and  their  collapse  stopped  the  growth 
of  the  town  as  well  as  that  of  others.  The 
''Commercial  Bank,"  one  of  these  wild  cat 
banks,  was  established  in  1837,  of  which 
Talman  Wheeler  was  president.  The  bank 
went  to  pieces  in  a  short  time  and  its  bills 
were  never  redeemed. 

While  the  growth  of  the  town  was  re- 
tarded, the  commerce  on  the  lake  and  river 
seems  to  have  increased  year  by  year  till 
the  completion  of  the  Michigan  Central  rail- 
road to  Niles  in  1848.  In  1846  shipments 
from  St.  Joseph  were  as  follows : 

\ 

Barrels  flour   129,333; 

Bushels  wheat 263,1 16 

Casks  whiskey 2,721 

Lumber   (feet)    1,500,00a 

Until  1843  rnore  wheat  and  flour  were 
shipped  from  St.  Joseph  than  from  Chicago. 

The  original  western  terminus  of  the 
Michigan  Central  railroad  as  designated  by 
the  state  legislature  was  St.  Joseph.  But  in 
1846  the  state  sold  the  railroad  to  a  firm 
of  Boston  capitalists,  who  in  1847,  changed 
the  route  and  located  it  through  Niles  and 
New  Buffalo,  to  Chicago.  The  people  of 
St.  Joseph  were  seriously  disappointed  and 
a  still  further  decline  took  place.  In  1854 
the  population  was  only  703.  About  1865, 
however,   a  radical  change  occurred.     Set- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


i«r 


tiers  began  to  come  into  the  village  and  sur- 
rounding country  in  large  numbers.  The 
population  from  i860  to  1870  increased 
from  1358  to  2994.  In  the  meantime  the 
fruit  industry  had  developed  and  became 
profitable. 

In  1869  the  Chicago  and  Michigan  Lake 
Shore  Railroad  Company  was  organized. 
Seven  directors  were  elected,  Hon.  A. 
H.  Morrison,  Warren  Chapman,  B.  C. 
Hoyt,  Curtis  Boughton,  George  Bridgman, 
David  Ballentine  and  Robert  A.  Conolly. 
Mr.  Morrison  was  made  president  and  was 
the  leading  genius  in  the  enterprise,  having 
•secured  the  aid  of  James  F.  Joy,  of  Detroit, 
a  prominent  railroad  magnate.  A  large 
amount  was  donated  by  St.  Joseph  and  other 
townships  and  in  January,  1870,  the  road 
w^as  compldited  from  St.  Joseph  to  New 
Buffalo.  In  the  next  year  it  was  extended 
north  and  soon  became  a  part  of  the  Chi- 
cago &  West  Michigan  Railroad. 

Mr.  Morrison  had  charge  of  the  railroad 
for  six  years.  He  was  for  many  years 
prominent  in  political  and  industrial  life  and 
was  a  man  of  great  energy.  In  1856  he 
was  a  member  of  the  State  Senate  and  a 
member  of  the  House  in  i860.  He  was 
also  collector  and  assessor  of  internal  rev- 
enue for  the  second  district  of  Michigan. 
His  later  business  projects  proved  unprofit- 
able and  he  removed  to  Chicago  some  years 
before  his  death.  For  several  years  he  was 
a  prominent  leader  of  the  Republican  party 
in  the  county. 

A  brief  reference  to  prominent  profes- 
sional men,  who  are  deceased,  is  fitting. 

Damon  A.  Winslow  came  to  St.  Joseph 
in  1844.  Fle  devoted  himself  mainly  to 
chancery  practice  and  also  to  editorial  pur- 
suits. In  1869  he  published  a  pamphlet  con- 
taining a  short  sketch  of  St.  Joseph  history 
and  advertising  the  fruit  interests.  He  sub- 
sequently removed  to  Allegan  county  where 
he  died. 

Charles  W.  Ormsby,  a  native  of  New 
York,  came  to  St.   Joseph   in    1861.       He 


did  a  heavy  collection  and  foreclosure  busi- 
ness. He  died  at  Salt  Lake  City  in  1872. 
George  S.  Clapp  was  a  native  of  Ohio, 
a  graduate  of  Berea  College  and  came  to 
St.  Joseph  in  1862,  where  he  soon  acquired 
an  extensive  practice  in  his  profession.  He 
was  a  strong  lawyer  and  became  noted  as  a 
successful  trial  advocate.  He  was  an  all 
around  lawyer,  intimately  acquainted  with 
all  branches  of  the  law,  and  by  tireless  in- 
dustry and  ability  rose  to  the  front  rank  of 
his   profession. 

He  was  prosecuting  attorney  of  the  coun- 
ty from  1875  t^  1881  and  was  twice  a  candi- 
date for  circuit  judge  for  which  position 
he  was  eminently  qualified.  Through  the 
freaks  of  politics,  however,  which  sometimes 
are  inscrutable,  he  was  defeated. 

In  1882^  he  removed  to  Niles  where  he 
lived  till  his  death  in  1895.  He  was  at  times 
city  attorney  of  St.  Joseph  and  of  Niles. 
Politically  he  was  a  Republican.  He  was 
originally  a  Methodist  but  several  years  be- 
fore his  death  united  with  the  Presbyterian 
church  at  Niles.  He  was  fond  of  music 
and  was  for  many  years  chorister  of  church 
choirs  in  Methodist  and  Presbyterian 
churches. 

Calvin  B.  Potter^  a  native  of  New  York, 
came  to  St.  Joseph,  after  serving  in  the  Civil 
war,  in  1866.  He  was  a  man  of  original 
force  and  genius,  and  especially  excelled  in 
his  command  of  legal  diction,  being  clear, 
terse  and  happy  in  the  use  of  choice  Anglo- 
Saxon  words.  He  was  an-  able  attorney,  al- 
though sometimes  prone  to  be  too  theoretical. 
He  was  a  representative  in  the  state  legisla- 
ture in  1874  and  city  attorney  of  St.  Jo- 
seph for  a  time.  His  powers  of  sarcasm 
were  strong  and  he  occasionally  used  them 
with  telling  effect.  He  died  about  three 
years  ago  in  Salt  Lake  City.  Politically  he 
was  a  Democrat,  but  decidedly  independent 
and  courageous,  sometimes  openly  support- 
ing Republican  condidates  for  important 
positions.  Theodore  J.  De  Puy,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  came  to  St.  Joseph  in  1869. 


l82 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


He  was  a  fluent  speaker  and  quite  entertain- 
ing and  amusing  in  his  speeches  before  a 
jury.  He  removed  to  Los  Angeles,  CaH- 
fornia,  where  he  died  several  years  ago. 

The  first  physician  who  appears  to  have 
located  at  St.  Joseph  was  Dr.  B.  Y.  Boyd 
of  Kentucky,  who  came  in  1834,  but  re- 
mained but  a  few  years.  Dr.  Talman 
Wheeler  and  Dr.  Amos  G.  Amsden  were 
physicians  by  education  but  did  not  practice 
their  profession  after  locating  in  St.  Joseph. 
Both  of  these  men  engaged  in  other  pursuits 
and  were  prominently  connected  with  the 
early  history  of  St.  Joseph. 

Dr.  L.  S.  Lillibridge  came  in  1836.  He 
w^as  a  skillful  physician  and  a  supervisor  of 
the  township  in  1845.  He  removed  to  Cali- 
fornia in  1849.  Dr.  David  B.  Crane  came 
to  St.  Joseph  in  1852.  He  was  a  fine 
scholar,  an  accomplished  linguist  and  was 
called  a  "Walking  Encyclopedia." 

Dr.  Corydon  Parker  from  New  York 
came  in  1849,  ^^^^  died  after  two  years  prac- 
tice. His  brother  Dr.  Reuben  D.  Parker 
came  in  1857,  but  retired  from  active  prac- 
tice in  1 87 1.  He  accumulated  considerable 
property  in  real  estate.  He  died  about  two 
years  ago. 

Dr.  Lyman  Collins,  a  native  of  New 
York,  came  in  i860.  He  practiced  about 
ten  years  and  then  devoted  himself  mainly 
to  fruit  culture. 

The  oldest  physician  in  continuous  prac- 
tice now  residing  in  the  city  is  Dr.  A.  H. 
Scott.  In  1867  he  commenced  the  practice 
of  his  profession  at  St.  Joseph,  where  he 
soon  acquired  a  large  practice  and  reputa- 
tion as  one  of  the  most  skillful  physicians 
and  surgeons  in  southwestern  Michigan. 
He  was  president  of  the  village  for  three 
terms. 

The  oldest  practicing  attorney  is  N.  A. 
Hamilton,  who  commenced  practice  in  St. 
Joseph  in  1870.  He  has  served  four  terms 
as  prosecuting  attorney  and  two  terms  in 
the  legislature.  L.  C.  Fyfe  was  admitted 
four  years  later.     He  was  a  member  of  the 


legislature  for  two  terms,  and  has  held 
various  local  offices.  Both  of  these  gentle- 
men have  deservedly  stood  at  the  front  of 
their  profession  in  the  county. 

Early  Commerce  at  St.  Joseph  and  on 
THE  River. 

Most  of  the  main  facts  here  presented 
with  regard  to  early  navigation  centering 
at  St.  Joseph  and  on  the  St.  Joseph  river, 
are  gleaned  from  an  article  written  by  A. 
Ellis,  in  1880. 

Before  the  building  of  the  Michigan 
Central  Railroad  through  the  southern  part 
of  the  county,  the  St.  Joseph  river  was  the 
medium  of  transportation  for  merchandise 
and  agricultural  products  between  the  east 
and  southwestern  Michigan  and  northern 
Indiana.  In  the  early  history  of  the  white 
settlements,  merchandise  came  from  New 
York  City  by  the  Hudson  river  to  Albany, 
thence  by  the  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo,  and 
from  Buffalo  by  sailing  vessels  to  St.  Joseph, 
where  the  merchandise  was  loaded  into  keel 
boats,  flat  boats,  arks  and  other  craft,  pro- 
pelled by  oars  and  poles,  which  ascended 
the  river  for  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles.  In  turn  flour,  wheat  and  other 
products  were  conveyed  east  by  the  same 
route.  The  arks  were  especially  used  for 
the  transportation  of  grain  and  flour. 

It  appears  that  sailing  vessels  came  to  the 
mouth  of  the  river  as  far  back  as  Burnett's 
settlement  as  Mr.  Burnett,  in  his  account 
books,  speaks  of  a  number  of  vessels  from 
which  he  received  merchandise  and  to  which 
he  delivered  cargoes  of  furs,  hides  and  maple 
sugar.  It  appears  also  that  the  Carey  mis- 
sion received  its  supplies  from  sailing  vessels 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river.  The  amount  of 
business  done  by  these  early  boats  was  im- 
mense. By  1840  as  many  as  sixty  keel 
boats  were  traversing  the  river.  The  for- 
warding business  conducted  at  St.  Joseph 
during  these  days  was  the  most  important 
and  profitable  business  carried  on  at  that 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


185 


point.  Merchandise  was  received  for  inland 
points  as  far  distant  as  Kalamazoo.  The 
harbor  at  St.  Joseph  was  originally  difficult 
of  access.  The  St.  Joseph  river  entered  into 
the  lake  considerably  south  of  its  present 
mouth  and  near  the  light  house  on  the  bluff. 
A  sand  bar,  making  out  into  the  lake 
from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  often  pre- 
vented loaded  vessels  from  getting  into  liar- 
bor  and  lighters  were  frequently  used  to 
unload  the  cargoes  and  convey  to  land  or  to 
the  river  boats.  The  harbor  piers  were  not 
commenced  till  1836.  Steam  navigation 
commenced  about  the  year  1832.  The  first 
steamboat  was  the  ''Pioneer"  which  arrived 
by  lake  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  in  1831.  In 
1834  she  grounded  on  the  bar  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river  and  being  caught  in  a  sudden 
gale,  while  in  this  condition  broke  to  pieces. 

The  same  year  Captain  Curtis  Boughton 
employed  the  material  from  the  wreck  of  the 
'Tioneer"  and  built  the  schooner  ''Drift" 
which  he  ran  between  Chicago  and  St.  Jo- 
seph for  several  years. 

Captain  Boughton  was  afterwards  the 
owner  and  commander  of  several  lake  ves- 
sels among  which  were  the  "Bancroft"  and 
'TIenry   W.    King." 

A  side-wheel  steamer  called  the 
"Chicago"  was  built  in  1835,  and  made  regu- 
lar trips  between  Chicago  and  St.  Joseph  for 
several  years.  Then  followed  the  steamers 
"G.  W.  bale,"  the  "Huron"  and  the  "Cham- 
pion." The  latter  boat  was  commanded  by 
Captain  Edward  B.  Ward,  who  made  a 
fortune  in  the  lake  transportation  business, 
owning  a  large  number  of  boats.  Passengers 
came  from  the  east  by  stage  and  took  the 
boat  for  Chicago  and  w^estern  points  at  St. 
Joseph.  PYequently  a  dozen  stages  would 
come  into  St.  Joseph  in  one  day  loaded  with 
passengers. 

Upon  the  completion  of  the  Michigan 
Central  Railroad  to  Chicago  in  1849,  ^^^^ 
business  of  these  lake  boats  seriously  de- 
clined and  the  commerce  of  St.  Joseph  for 
several  years  was  comparatively  trivial.    The 


development  of  the  fruit  industry  subse- 
,  quently  created  a  demand  for  lake  trans- 
portation again  both  for  freight  and  pas- 
sengers. The  business  has  increased  enor- 
mously during  the  past  twenty  years.  A 
reference  to  this  business  is  made  in  con- 
nection with  the  chapter  on  Benton  Harbor^ 

During  the  prosperous  period  of  lake 
navigation,  various  boats  beside  those  named 
plied  the  lake  between  St.  Joseph  and  Chi- 
cago, and  prominent  among  the  captains  who-^ 
commanded  the  boats  were  Captain  Nelson 
W.  Napier,  Captain  S.  G.  Langley,  and" 
Captain  Amos  Bartlett. 

Many  disasters  occurred  in  the  days  of 
early  lake  navigation.  In  September,  1868^ 
the  "Hiccocampus,"  commanded  by  Captain 
Henry  Brown,  went  down  in  mid-lake.  It 
w^as  overloaded  with  a  heavy  cargo  of 
peaches,  against  wdiich  the  captain  is  said 
to  have  strenuously,  but  fruitlessly,  protested 
to  the  owners.  Some  thirty  passengers  were 
drowned  and  boat  and  cargo  destroyed. 

In  October,  1880,  the  steamer  "Alpena'" 
went  down  near  Holland,  as  has  already- 
been  related,  in  a  terrific  gale.  Not  a  single 
person  was  saved. 

In  January,  1896,  the  steamboat  "Chi- 
cora,"  a  fine  boat  belonging  to  the  Graham, 
and  Morton  Transportation  Company,  went 
down  in  a  terrific  gale  near  the  eastern 
shore  as  is  supposed.  It  was  commanded  by 
Captain  H.  M.  Napier.  There  were  only 
four  passengers,  among  whom  were  James 
Clark,  former  United  States  marshal  of  the 
western  district  of  Michigan,  sheriff  and  un- 
der sheriff  for  many  years  and  also  J.  F, 
Pearl,  a  prominent  druggist  of  St.  Joseph. 
Nothing  further  was  heard  of  the  boat,  pas- 
sengers or  crew. 

It  appears  that  ship-building  was  com- 
menced at  St.  Joseph  in  1832  by  Deacon 
&  McKaleb  and  subsequently  by  Griffith 
&  Company.  Dr.  L.  A.  Barnard  in  1832: 
built  a  fifteen-ton  sloop  at  LaGrange,  Cass 
county,  hauled  it  by  oxen  to  Niles  and  there 
launched  it  and  went  down  the  river.     It 


^^184 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


^as  called  the  ''Dart"  and  ran  between  St. 
Joseph  and  Chicago. 

The  navigation  of  the  river  by  steam- 
boats continued  about  twenty-five  years. 
The  first  steamboat  to  navigate  the  river 
was  the  ''Newburyport/'  which  ran  up  as 
far  as  Berrien  Springs.  This  was  her  only 
trip. 

The  next  boat  was  the  ''Matilda  Barney" 
a  stern-wheeler  built  by  Deacon  &  McKaleb 
at  St.  Joseph  in  1833.  This  boat  ran  for 
several  years  and  did  a  prosperous  business. 
Captain  Daniel  T.  Wilson  commanded  and 
Ebenezer  Farley  was  pilot. 

The  "Davy  Crockett"  commenced  run- 
ning on  the  river  in  1834  and  was  owned  by 
Griffith  &  Company.  Pitt  Brown  was  cap- 
tain and  Joseph  Smith  pilot.  In  1835,  after 
doing  a  prosperous  business,  she  ran  upon  a 
rock  near  Berrien  Springs,  broke  in  two  and 
sunk. 

The  "Pocahontas"  a  larger  boat  than  the 
preceding,  was  built  by  Wheeler  &  Porter, 
forwarding  merchants  at  St.  Joseph.  Eben- 
ezer Farley  commanded. 

The  "Indiana,"  built  by  Captain  John 
McMillan  in  1843,  ^^'^s  the  largest  and 
swiftest  boat  which  had  yet  run  on  the  river. 
Under  Captain  Brewer  she  often  made  the 
run  from  St.  Joseph  to  Niles  and  back  again 
to  St.  Joseph,  a  distance  of  one  hundred 
miles,  between  sunrise  and  sunset. 

The  "Algona"  was  built  by  Wheeler  & 
Porter  and  made  her  first  trip  on  the  river 
in  1845  under  Captain  Edward  Smith.  She 
was  more  costly  than  any  preceding  boat, 
but  inferior  in  power  and  speed  to  the 
^'Indiana." 

The  "Algona"  and  the  "Indiana"  gen- 
erally towed  the  keel  boats  up  the  river  to 
their  loading  places,  from  whence  upon  re- 
ceiving their  cargoes,  they  floated  back  to 
St.  Joseph. 

The  "Mishawaka"  was  built  soon  after 
the  "Algona"  and  was  commanded  by  Cap- 
tain Hamilton  Smith.  She  had  on  each  side 
two  wheels  about  five  feet  in  diameter,  and 


placed  about  sixteen  feet  apart  and  over 
these  ran  an  endless  chain  on  which  were 
fastened  the  buckets  or  paddles.  The  boat 
was  an  unusually  fast  one,  but  the  propelling 
apparatus  was  continually  getting  out  of 
order  and  broken  and  it  was  found  necessary 
on  account  of  this  fact,  to  discard  the  end- 
less chain  system  and  substitute  the  ordinary 
paddle  wheel. 

About  the  same  time  the  "Niles,"  a  side 
wheeler,  was  built  by  William  B.  Beeson, 
of  Niles,  under  command  at  first  of 
Captain  Darius  Jennings.  Captain  Jen- 
nings was  an  admirable  captain  and  a  man 
of  unusual  intelligence  and  information. 
This  boat  ran  several  years  and  was  one 
of  the  most  successful  on  the  river.  Cap- 
tain J.  W.  Brewer,  another  intelligent 
and  popular  captain,  succeeded  Captain 
Jennings. 

The  "Michigan"  was  built  shortly  after 
the  "Niles"  and  she  plied  mainly  between 
Mottville  and  St.  Joseph.  For  some  time 
she  w^as  under  the  command  of  Linus  F. 
Warner,  subsequently  a  major  in  the  Civil 
war  and  sheriff  of  Berrien  county. 

In  1849  tl^e  "Niles"  was  purchased  by 
the  Michigan  Central  Railroad  Company, 
and  this  boat  together  with  the  keel  boats 
for  two  or  three  years  brought  freight  from 
Constantine  and  lower  points  to  Niles, 
where  the  freight  was  elevated  by  steam 
power  into  the  company's  warehouse,  a 
structure  one  hundred  feet  high,  which  had 
been  built  on  the  river  bank  at  the  Niles 
bridge.  From  this  building  the  freight  was 
transferred  to  the  railroad. 

A  new  boat  was  built  about  1849  for  the 
upper  river  trade  and  named  the  "John  F. 
Porter,"  after  the  forwarding  merchant  at 
St.  Joseph,  who  was  called  by  the  river 
men  "The  Boatman's  Friend."  This  steamer 
was  one  hundred  and  eight  feet  keel,  sixteen 
feet  beam,  four  feet  hold  and  eighteen 
inches  draft  of  water,  with  two  engines  of 
forty  horse  power.  Under  command  of 
Captain  Brewer^  this  boat  plied  between  Con- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


185 


stantine  and  Niles  till  185 1,  when  the  Michi- 
gan Southern  Railway  was  completed  to 
South  Bend  and  the  upper  river  commerce 
was  practically  at  an  end.  The  boats  then 
"engaged  in  the  transportation  business  on 
the  river  were  mostly  sold  and  transferred 
to  other  rivers. 

The  ''Schuyler  Colfax,"  commanded  by 
Captain  Ezekiel  Reynolds,  ran  between 
South  Bend  and  Niles  some  time  after.  Be- 
side these  boats,  the  steamers  ''St.  Joseph," 
commanded  by  Captain  Charles  F.  Howe  and 
the  "Pilot,"  commanded  by  Capt.  John  Mc- 
Millan, ran  for  some  time  on  the  river. 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  during  the  period 
of  river  navigation^  referred  to,  the  water 
in  the  river  was  much  higher  than  at  pres- 
ent. Owing  to  the  draining  of  the  marshes 
and  the  cutting  down  of  the  forests,  sources 
of  supply  of  w^ater  have  been  cut  off  and 
any  surplus  water  has  been  carried  off  rap- 
idly instead  of  gradually. 

The  harbor  and  pier  at  St.  Joseph  have 
recently  been  greatly  improved  and  extended 
as  a  result  of  liberal  appropriations  by  Con- 
gress obtained  by  the  energy  of  a  live  con- 
gressman, E.  L.  Hamilton. 

The  south  pier  is  now  two  thousand 
six  hundred  feet  long  and  the  north  pier 
two  thousand  nine  hundred  feet  long.  The 
last  extensions  finished  within  the  past  year, 
were  one  thousand  feet  on  the  north  and 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  on  the  south 
pier. 

The  site  of  the  Lighthouse  Depot  was  es- 
tablished in  1899.  This  structure  was  built 
in  1 90 1  and  1902.  Captain  Lloyd  Clark, 
a  brother  of  the  famous  commander  of  the 
"Oregon,"  Rear  i\dmiral  C.  E.  Clark,  had 
charge  of  the  work  of  construction  and  on 
its  completion  was  appointed  custodian,  a 
position  which  he  still  holds. 

The  harbor  is  three  hundred  and  fifteen 
feet  wide  at  the  entrance  and  two  hundred 
and  sixty  feet  at  the  inner  end  of  the  piers. 
The  Chicago  and  West  Michigan  Railroad, 
through  some  bad  management,  was  allowed 


to  cross  the  river  almost  at  its  mouth.  The 
draw  bridges  are  each  about  one  hundred 
feet  long.  The  river  at  its  mouth  spreads 
into  a  basin  over  eight  hundred  feet  wide. 

The  light  house  was  established  on  the 
bluff  near  the  former  mouth  of  the  river 
in  1 83 1.  The  present  edifice  was  erected  in 
1859.  Captain  Daniel  R.  Piatt  has  been  the 
keeper  of  this  light  house  for  several  years. 

The  United  States  life  saving  station  was 
established  about  1875  as  a  volunteer  sta- 
tion. It  was  made  a  full  station  by  the  gov- 
ernment in  1879.  Captain  W.  L.  Stevens 
has  been  in  charge  of  the  station  since  No- 
vember, 1879.  At  present  there  are  seven 
surfmen  in  the  crew,  who  are  engaged  at 
service  in  drill  and  patrol  every  day  in  the 
wxek,  except  Sunday.  One  man  is  stationed 
in  the  lookout  on  the  government  pier  night 
and  day.  The  buildings  consist  of  one  large 
boat  house,  one  dwelling  house,  one  mess 
room  for  the  crew,  one  summer  kitchen  and 
one  small  boat  house.  The  station  is 
equipped  with  one  thirty-four  foot  life  boat, 
one  twenty-eight  foot  surf  boat,  two  breach 
apparatus  complete.  All  of  the  signals,  in- 
ternational code  and  the  Morse  wigwag 
signaler  are  had  by  all  the  crew. 

Churches. 

The  first  church  at  St.  Joseph  was  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  and  was  organized  in  about 
1836  by  Father  McCool,  a  prominent  Meth- 
dist  Divine  v/ho  lived  in  Cass  county.  A 
church  edifice  was  not  erected  till  1859. 
The  present  brick  building  was  built  in  1869 
at  a  cost  of  twenty-three  thousand  dollars. 
The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  D.  N.  Stafford. 

The  Catholic  Church  was  organized  in 
1849.  Services  were  first  held  in  the  school 
house  on  Ship  street  now^  used  as  a  marble 
shop.  The  present  brick  edifice  was  built 
in  1 87 1.  The  first  resident  priest  was  Rev. 
Joseph  Waterschoot,  who  commenced  his 
pastorate  in  1869.  The  present  pastor  is 
Rev.  Fr.  M.  G.  Esper. 


i86 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


The  Congregational  Church  was  estab- 
lished in  1854.  The  first  regular  pastor  of 
the  church  was  Rev.  Mr.  Osbirne,  who  be- 
came pastor  in  1858.  The  present  structure 
was  built  in  1870.  The  present  pastor  is 
Rev.  H.  S.  Roblee. 

The  German  Baptist  Church  was  or- 
ganized in  i860  with  Rev.  William  Gisman 
as  pastor.  A  frame  edifice  was  built  the  same 
year.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  C.  L. 
Marquardt. 

The  Evangelical  Association  Church  was 
organized  in  i860.  In  1868  a  brick  edifice 
which  had  been  built  by  a  Baptist  society 
was  purchased.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev. 
E.  G.  Frye. 

The  Lutheran  Church  was  organized  in 
1867  with  Rev.  John  Freitag  as  pastor.  It 
was  called  Trinity  Evangelical  Lutheran. 
Rev.  C.  Zlomke  is  pastor. 

An  Universalist  Church  was  formed 
about  1865.  The  trustees  were  Warren 
Chapman,  James  E.  Stevens,  Samuel  G. 
Langley  and  Simeon  Wilson.  The  church  in 
a  few  years  declined  and  was  finally  aban- 
doned. 

The  Episcopal  Church  was  organized 
about  1 87 1,  with  Rev.  V.  Spaulding  as  rec- 
tor.    There  is  no  rector  at  present. 

An  African  Methodist  Church  was  or- 
ganized in  1 87 1. 

A  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  was  organ- 
ized some  years  ago.  Rev.  J.  L.  Kling  is 
pastor. 

Court  House. 

We  have  seen  that  Niles  was  the  first 
county  seat.  In  1832,  however,  it  was  trans- 
ferred to  St.  Joseph  and  St.  Joseph  remained 
the  county  seat  till  1837,  when  it  was  re- 
moved to  Berrien  Springs.  About  1891  the 
prominent  citizens  of  St.  Joseph  began  to 
agitate  the  question  of  again  removing  it 
to  St.  Joseph.  An  able  committee  of  promi- 
nent citizens  and  leading  St.  Joseph  poli- 
ticians, was  appointed  to  agitate  the  matter. 
The   movement   was  conducted   with  most 


consummate  generalship.  Serious  difficul- 
ties confronted  the  committee.  The  people 
of  Benton  Harbor  were  at  first  considerably 
adverse  to  the  movement,  and  without  their 
aid  the  project  was  hopeless.  Difficulty  was 
found  among  the  supervisors.  It  required 
a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the  supervisors  to 
submit  the  question  of  removal  to  the  vote 
of  the  electors.  The  constituencies  of  more 
than  one-half  of  the  supervisors  were 
strongly  opposed  to  removal  or  to  any  con- 
sideration of  the  cjuestion.  The  supervisors 
at  first  were  strongly  opposed  to  the  sub- 
mission. But  providential  changes  and  sud- 
den conversions  occurred.  It  so  happened 
that  at  this  juncture  some  supervisors  re- 
signed their  positions,  and  most  fortunately 
for  the  St.  Joseph  people,  were  replaced  by 
the  appointment  of  men  who  were  favorable 
to  submission.  In  other  cases,  supervisors 
chose  to  vote  according  to  their  individual 
convictions  without  consulting  their  consti- 
tuents. The  result  was  that  the  board  of 
supervisors  voted  to  submit  the  question  of 
removal  to  the  electors  at  the  April  election 
of  1893. 

A  heated  and  bitter  campaign  ensued 
and  the  vote  was  very  close.  A  majority 
of  the  townships  voted  against  removal,  but 
it  was  carried  by  a  small  majority  of  the 
popular  vote.  The  vote  for  removal  was 
five  thousand  six  hundred  and  ten  and 
against  five  thousand  three  hundred  and 
sixty-eight. 

Proceedings  were  instituted  in  court  to 
prevent  the  removal  and  the  circuit  court 
held  it  illegal  and  invalid,  but  the  su- 
preme court  reversed  the  action  of  the  cir- 
cuit court.  In  December,  1894,  the  county 
seat  was  removed  to  St.  Joseph  and  the  court 
room  and  county  offices  were  located  in  Mar- 
tin's Academy  of  Music  while  the  court 
house  and  jail  were  being  constructed.  These 
were  finished  and  ready  for  occupancy  in 
February,  1896.  The  cost  of  the  court 
house,  jail  and  fixtures  was  about  seventy 
thousand  dollars. 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


187 


Library. 

The  Carnegie  Public  Library  of  St.  Jo- 
seph was  first  opened  November  11,  1894. 
The  building  inchiding  the  furniture,  fur- 
nished by  Mr.  Carnegie,  cost  thirteen  thou- 
sand five  hundred  dollars  and  the  annual 
appropriation  of  the  common  council  for 
the  support  of  the  library  is  thirteen  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars.  The  library  has  about 
three  thousand  three  hundred  volvmies  and 
the  circulation  for  the  year  ending  June, 
1906,  was  eighteen  thousand  three  hundred 
and  forty-four  volumes. 

The  present  officers  and  directors  are 
Lawrence  C.  Fyfe,  president,  Benjamin  F. 
McConnell,  secretary,  Mrs.  George  E. 
Smithy  Mrs.  Charles  Moulton,  Miss  Ellen 
Conant,  Frank  Pixley,  E.  P.  Clarke,  James 
Stone  and  Orville  Jordan. 

Librarian,  Miss  Isabella  Fyfe.  Miss  Fyfe 
has  been  librarian  from  the  organization  of 
the  library.  Although  the  interior  is  some- 
what small,  it  is  admirably  arranged  for  the 
purposes  of  a  small  library,  with  the  best 
and  latest  equipments  for  such  service,  and 
the  furniture  is  substantial  and  made  to  stand 
long  and  hard  service. 

Michigan    Children's    Home    Society. 

One  of  the  most  important  charitable 
institutions  of  the  state  is  located  at  St. 
Joseph.  This  is  the  Michigan  Children's 
Flome    Society   which   was   incorporated   in 

1893. 

The  first  officers  were  Willis  Cooper, 
president,  and  Dr.  Amos  Barlow,  superin- 
tendent, who  has  had  the  charge  and  man- 
agement of  the  institution  since  its  organi- 
zation. It  has  been  maintained  solely  by 
private  donations.  A  few  years  since,  a 
hospital  and  new  office  building  were  erected. 

Among  the  large  donations  which  have 
been  made  may  be  mentioned  those  by  Mrs. 
Henry  A.  Chapin  of  Niles,  who  donated 
two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  for  the 


building  of  the  hospital;  by  Burton  Jarvis  of 
Buchanan,  who  donated  two  thousand  dol- 
lars by  will  and  by  Judge  Benjamin  F.  Fish 
of  Niles,  who  donated  one  thousand  dollars 
by  will. 

The  institution  has  done  an  immense 
amount  of  good,  having  received  over  seven 
hundred  children,  mainly  orphans  and  chil- 
dren of  unfortunate  mothers  or  destitute 
parents,  and  placed  them  after  a  time  in  com- 
fortable homes.  Nearly  all  of  the  children 
so  provided  have  turned  out  well,  illustrat- 
ing the  fact,  although  against  old  tradition, 
that  environment  is  a  much  more  powerful 
factor  in  the  development  and  moulding  of 
character  in  infancy,   than  heredity. 

Hotels. 

Augustus  B.  Newell  erected  a  log  tav- 
ern in  1829  at  the  foot  of  the  hill.  In  1831 
he  erected  the  Mansion  House.  This  was 
followed  by  the  Michigan  House  and  the 
Perkins  House.  In  1867,  B.  C.  Hoyt  erect- 
ed a  large  brick  hotel  called  the  Hoyt  House. 
Subsequently  it  was  purchased  by  Captain 
Thomas  A.  Walker  and  his  son  William 
and  the  name  of  the  hotel  changed  to  that 
of  Lake  View.  Captain  Walker  and  his 
son  have  conducted  the  hotel  for  many 
years. 

Captain  Walker  has  served  as  supervisor 
of  the  first  ward  for  ten  successive  terms 
and  is  the  present  incumbent.  He  w^as 
chairman  of  the  board  of  supervisors  for 
several  terms.  He  has  been  a  prominent 
leader  in  the  Democratic  party  and  was  an 
officer  in  thei  twelfth  Michigan  regiment 
during'  the  Civil  war. 

In  1868  Charles  Krueger  erected  a  four 
story  brick  hotel  called  the  St.  Charles.  For 
a  number  of  years  before  1896,  a  syndicate 
owned  the  property  and  for  a  considerable 
time  it  was  closed  to  business.  In  1896, 
Alonzo  Vincent,  who  had  been  the  manager 
of  the  Benton  House  at  Benton  Harbor, 
leased   the   property   and    subsequently   be- 


i88 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


came  the  owner.  It  is  conducted  by  him- 
self and  son-in-law,  C.  E.  Blake,  and  known 
as  the  Whitcomb  Hotel.  During  the  past 
year  an  elegant  mineral  bath  house  has  been 
annexed  to  the  hotel,  with  all  modern  appli- 
ances and  has  already  been  largely  patron- 
ized. 

Mr.  Vincent  was  for  some  years  warden 
of  the  State  Penitentiary  at  Jackson  and  has 
been  a  prominent  leader  in  the  Republican 
party  in  the  county  and  a  member  of  State 
Republican  Committee  for  many  years. 

Banks. 

In  1833,  a  branch  of  the  Farmers  and 
Mechanics  Bank,  a  leading  bank  located  at 
Detroit,  was  established  under  the  manage- 
ment of  Thomas  Fitzgerald.  R.  C.  Paine 
succeeded  Mr.  Fitzgerald  in  1837,  and  in 
1 841  removed  the  agency  to  Niles. 

In  1836,  the  Commercial  Bank  was  or- 
ganized with  Tolman  Wheeler  as  president. 
This  was  a  ^Vild  cat"  bank  of  Michigan, 
lasted  only  two  or  three  years  and  failed  with 
scarcely  any  available  assets  and  with  its 
bills  worthless. 

In  1856,  B.  C.  Hoyt  established  a  bank 
in  which  his  son^  Edward  C,  soon  became 
associated  with  him.  This  bank  did  an  im- 
mense business  for  nearly  twenty  years,  but 
the  Hoyts  failed  as  a  result  of  the  finan- 
cial panic  of  1873. 

The  First  National  Bank  was  incorpor- 
ated in  1 87 1.  W.  F.  Higman  was  the  first 
president  and  Francis  Jordan,  cashier.  This 
was  followed  by  the  organization  of  a  new 
bank  called  the  Union  Banking  Company,  in 
1882,  with  Francis  Jordan,  president,  and 
Orville,  his  son,  cashier.  Mr.  Jordan  contin- 
ued as  president  for  eleven  years.  The  bank 
is  still  doing  business  with  A.  W.  Wells  as 
president,  James  Forbes,  vice  president, 
Orville  O.  Jordan,  cashier,  C.  B.  Winslow, 
assistant  cashier.  Orville  Jordan  has  been 
the  cashier  of  the  bank  since  its  organization. 

The  Commercial  National  Bank  was  or- 


ganized in  1893.  Its  present  officers  are: 
James  M.  Ball,  president;  M.  W.  Stock, 
vice-president;  A.  N.  Reece,  cashier,  and  F. 
S.  Clarke,  assistant  cashier. 

Manufacturing  Industries. 

The  first  sawmill,  as  has  been  stated,  was 
built  in  1832  by  Deacon  &  McKaleb. 

Several  manufacturing  establishments 
sprung  up  at  different  times,  which  were 
subsequently  abandoned  or  proved  unre- 
munerative.  Among  them  was  an  extensive 
plant  called  Wooden  Ware  Works  estab- 
lished by  A.  N.  Morrison  in  1878,  for  the 
manufacture  of  tubs,  pails,  broom  handles 
and  other  wooden  ware.  It  did  a  large  busi- 
ness for  a  few  years,  but  in  the  end  proved 
unprofitable  and  was  abandoned. 

The  largest  knitting  mill  in  the  state  is 
the  Cooper- Wells  factory  at  St.  Joseph.  It 
w^as  established  in  1878  by  S.  F.  Cooper  & 
Sons.  The  Coopers  sold  out  their  interest 
many  years  ago.  The  concern  was  incor- 
porated in  1889  and  Abel  W.  Wells  is  presi- 
dent. The  company  employs  four  hundred 
and  forty-seven  people  and  has  an  annual 
pay  roll  of  $190,000. 

The  largest  factory  for  building  small 
boats  and  launches  in  the  state  is  the  Trus- 
cott  Boat  Company  located  at  St.  Joseph. 
It  was  incorporated  in  1892.  The  boats  are 
sent  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  During  the 
year  1905  six  hundred  boats  were  manu- 
factured at  an  estimated  value  of  $500,000. 
The  average  number  of  employees  is  about 
two  hundred.  The  officers  are:  E.  E. 
Truscott,  president,  H.  D.  Truscott,  vice 
president,  and  James  M.  Truscott,  treas- 
urer and  general  manager. 

The  Wells-Higman  Company  manufact- 
ures fruit  baskets,  packages  and  boxes.  It 
was  established  in  1869  mainly  by  A.  W. 
Wells.  In  1889  it  was  incorporated  under 
the  name  of  the  Wells-Higman  Company. 
A.  W.  Wells  is  the  president,  and  John  Hig- 
man, secretary  and  treasurer. 


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HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


189 


The  Compound  Door  Factory  was  in- 
'  corporatecl  in  1899.  The  present  officers 
are:  John  McConnell,  president,  Frank 
Kelble,  vice  president,  Anthony  Canavan, 
secretary,  and  B.  F.  McConnell,  treasurer. 
The  company  manufactures  high  grade  ve- 
neered doors  and  also  interior  finish  for 
large  buildings  of  the  higher  grades.  It  has 
just  finished  an  eighteen  story  office  build- 
ing at  Chicago  and  employs  in  its  factory 
at  St.  Joseph  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
hands.  With  the  exception  of  the  president 
all  its  officers  live  at  St.  Joseph. 

The  A.  B.  Morse  Company  was  incor- 
porated in  1894,  with  Arthur  B.  Morse 
president,  and  M.  J.  Beckett,  secretary  and 
treasurer.  It  does  a  large  business  in  the 
printing  of  blank  books,  pamphlets,  books 
and  periodicals. 

The  Mullen  Brothers  Paper  Company 
was  incorporated  in  1895  for  the  purpose 
of  manufacturing  paper.  It  now  employs 
forty-one  people.  The  principal  lines  of 
products  are  wax  lined  paper  butter  dishes 
and  wax  lined  paper  fruit  packages,  and 
red  rosin  sized  sheathing.  John  W.  Mullen 
is  president  and  W.  Mullen,  secretary. 

Public  Utilities. 

In  1900,  a  lighting  plant  was  established 
by  the  city.  Previous  to  this  time  for  a 
number  of  years,  the  city  lighting  had  been 
furnished  by  the  Benton  Harbor  and  St. 
Joseph  Electric  Railway  and  Lighting  Com- 
pany. 

The  motive  power  of  the  city  lighting 
is  furnished  by  a  gas  producing  plant.  The 
cost  of  the  plant,  including  the  building  was 
$19,000.  The  number  of  city  lights  now 
running  with  all  night  service  is  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five.  It  appears  that  the 
system  gives  general  satisfaction  and  that 
the  annual  cost  per  lamp  with  all  night  serv- 
ice is  about  $36.00,  or  a  total  of  $4,500.00.- 

A  water  plant  was  established  by  the 
city  some  years  ago,  furnishing  water  from 
Lake  Michigan.     It  seems  to  have  been  in 


the  main  successful,   although  considerable 

losses  were  incurred  for  a  time  through  a 
faulty  system  of  bookkeeping. 

City  Officials. 

The  presidents  of  the  village  of  St.  Jo- 
seph have  been  as  follows : 

Thos.   Fitzgerald    1834 

Calvin  Britain    1835 

Thos.  Conger 1836 

J.    F.    Porter 1837-1841 

Thos.   Fitzgerald    1842 

Calvin  Britain    1843-1844 

Talman  Wheeler   1845 

Thos.  Fitzgerald   1846- 1847 

Talman  Wheeler   1848- 1849 

W.  M.  Liston 1850 

B.  C.  Hoyt 1851-1853 

J.  W.   Brewer 1854-1855 

B.   C.   Hoyt 1856-1857 

F.  I.  Parks 1858 

B.  C.  Hoyt 1859 

Oliver  Stevens   1860-1861 

B.  M.  Springstein 1862 

Oliver  Stevens   1863 

Warren  Chapman 1864- 1865 

Ed.  Kingsley    1866 

O.   W.   Oviatt 1867 

R.  B.  Duncan 1868 

J.  H.  Donaldson 1869 

O.   W.   Oviatt..  ; 1870 

J.  J.   Pearl 1871 

A.  E.   Perkins 1872 

Ed.  Pulver 1873 

A.  E.  Perkins 1874 

A.    H.    Morrison 1875 

A.  E.  Perkins 1876 

A.  K.  Webster 1877 

Geo.  E.  Smith 1878 

A.   K.   Webster 1879 

W.  A.  Preston 1880 

H.  A.  Truax 1881 

A.  H.  Scott   1882 

J.  A.  Canavan   1883-1884 

A.  H.  Scott 1885 

L.    I.    McLin 1886 

H.  M.  Zekind 1887 

L.  I.  McLin 1888-1890 

A.  H.  Scott 1891 


I  go 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Mayors  of  the  City. 

L.  I.  MicLin 1892-1893 

W.  A.   Preston    1893-1895 

H.  B.  Rosenberg 1895-1897 

John  V.  Starr   1896-1899 

A.  L.   Church 1899-1900 

N.  C.  Rice 1900-1903 

J.  V.  Starr 1903-1904 

N.  C.  Rice 1904-1905 

F.   L.   Pixley 1905-1906 

Jas.    Forbes    1906 

(Present  Incumbent). 

The  supervisors  of  St.  Joseph  township 
have  been  as  fohows : 

Wm.  Huff   1834-1836 

J.  F.  Porter 1838 

J.  F.  Lord 1839 

Fowler  Preston   1840-1842 

B.  C.   Hoyt    1843-1844 

L.   S.  LiJhbridge 1845 

Andrew   Murray    1846 

Thos.   Fitzgerald    1847 

A.   M.  Church 1848 

Talman  Wheeler    1849 

W.  M.  Lister 1850 

A.  M.  Church 1851 

A.  H.  Morrison 1852 

L.    F.   Warner 1853 

A.    H.    Morrison 1854 

D.  A.  Urmiston 1855 

Jos.  Card    1856 

F.   J.    Parks 1857 

Theo.  Pew    1858 

F.  J.   Parks 1859-1860 

A.  D.  Brown   1861 

Warren  Chapman    1862 

Dan'l  Chapman    1863-1868 

Warren  Chapman    1869 

Curtis   Boughton    1870 

Warren  Chapman    1 871 -1874 

A.  H.  Morrison 1875 

E.  M.  Edwards 1876 

A.  E.   Perkins 1877 

E.  M.  Edwards   1878-1879 

Jos.  J.  Pearl 1880 

E.  M.  Edwards 1881 

Dan'l  Chapman 1882 

A.  W.  Wells  1883 


G.   F.   Comings 1884-1887 

Chas.   Miller    1888-1891 

J.  F.  Card 1892 

G.    F.    Comings 1893 

J.  F.  Card   1894-1898 

W.  H.  Brunke 1899 

J.   M.    Miller 1900-1906 

St.   Joseph    City. 

The  supervisors  of  the  city  of  St.  Joseph 
have  been  as   follows : 

Geo.   F.    Comings 1893-1894 

Max  W.  Stock 1893-1894 

J.  A.  Freitag 1895 

E.  H.  Kingsley 1895-1899 

J.  A.  Powells 1896 

T.  A.   Walker 1897-1906 

F.  E.  Minnes 1900-1903 

Alf.    Baldry    1900 

F.   A.   Potter 1901-1906 

J.   J.   Drake 1901-1903 

E.  S.  Kelley 1904-1905 

Wm.    Kissinger 1904 

Robt.  Jones   1905-1906 

Geo.   Happ   1906 

Postmasters. 

The  office  which  is  now  St.  Joseph,  was 
established  March  10,  1829,  under  the  name 
of  Saranac.  The  name  was  changed  to  St. 
Joseph,  July  24,  1833.  The  list  of  post- 
masters for  Saranac  and  St.  Joseph  from 
March  10,  1829,  to  date,  with  dates  of  ap- 
pointment,   is   as    follows : 

Calvin  Britain   (Saranac)  .  .  .  1829 

Calvin   Britain    (St.   Joseph)  1833 

Thos.  Fitzgerald   1834 

John  F.  Porter   1838 

Thomas  Fitzgerald   1840 

Calvin  Britain   1840 

Reuben  Scott   1841 

Thos.    Fitzgerald    1843 

Geo.  K.  Smith 1845 

Chas.  C.  Sutton 1846 

Benj.    C.   Ployt 1849 

Horace  W.  Guernsey.  ......  1853 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


191 


Jas.  N.  Witherell.  ., 1861 

Fitz  H.   Stephens 1866 

Henry  W.  Gustin 1867 

Jay  J.  Drake.  . 1869 

Thos.  L.  Reynolds 1871 

Chas.  Stewart   •.  .  .  1872 


Benj.    F.    King 1876 

Leonard  J.  Merchant 1880 

Jas.  A.  Canavan 1887 

Jas.  Brooks    1890 

Jas.  A.  Canavan 1893 

Fred  A.  Woodruff   1897  to  date. 


CHAPTER    X 


BERRIEN  TOWNSHIP. 


The  first  township  in  the  county  of  Ber- 
rien to  be  settled  by  farmers  and  cleared 
to  any  considerable  extent  was  that  of 
Berrien.  It  is  naturally  one  of  the  richest 
and  most  productive  portions  of  the  county. 
The  greater  portion  of  the  land  was  origin- 
ally covered  by  thick  timber,  the  remaining 
portion  mostly  consisting  of  ''oak  open- 
ings." The  township  is  dotted  over  with 
numerous  small  lakes,  the  largest  of  which 
is  Smith's  lake.  These  features  seem  to 
have  been  attractive  to  the  earliest  settlers, 
and  to  have  led  the  early  and  rapid  devel- 
opment of  the  township  as  an  agricultural 
center. 

It  was  surveyed  by  Noah  Brookfield  in 
1826.  The  township  is  irregular  in  shape, 
being  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  St.  Jo- 
seph river,  which  runs  in  a  tortuous  and 
meandering  course  along  the  line  of  this 
boundary  for  nearly  twelve  miles.  The 
river  is  dotted  with  islands  and  hemmed  in 
by  high  and  picturesque  bluffs,  covered 
with  trees  for  a  considerable  distance. 

The  first  settlement^  as  we  have  already 
seen,  in  Berrien  township  was  made  by  John 
Johnson  in  section  twenty-nine.  He  came 
to  Niles  in  1824  and  was  first  engaged  in 
clearing  land  near  Niles  for  John  Lybrook, 
whose  sister  Johnson  married.  Johnson 
was  a  shoemaker  by  trade  and  for  a  time 
worked  at  his  trade  at  the  Carey  mission. 
He  built  a  log  house  upon  his  land  in  1827, 


and  he  and  his  wife  moved  into  it  the  same 
year.  He  lived  upon  this  farm  till  his  death 
in  1884.  The  son  of  John  Johnson,  John 
Johnson,  Jr.,  is  now  living  upon  the  farm 
which  his  father  occupied.  John  Johnson^ 
Jr.,  was  sheriff  of  the  county  in  1891-92  and 
has  been  supervisor  of  his  township.  His 
sister  Sarah  Dunbar,  of  Sodus,  was  born  in 
March,  1831.  The  other  children  of  John 
Johnson,  Sr.,  now  living,  are  Mrs.  Lydia 
Shearer,  of  Niles  township,  Mrs.  Eva  Miller 
of  Berrien  township,  and  Mrs.  Mary  Murphy 
of  Berrien  township,  the  wife  of  Erastus 
Murphy. 

Late  in  the  fall  of  1827  George  H.  Clay- 
pool,  who  had  been  living  in  Niles,  having 
gone  there  in  1827,  and  who  had  married 
a  sister  of  Johnson,  located  eighty  acres  in 
section  twenty-seven,  adjoining  lands  of 
Johnson,  and  moved  onto  it  with  his  wife. 
It  appears  that  for  nearly  two  years  the 
Johnson  and  Claypool  families  were  the 
only  white  dwellers  in  the  township.  Mr. 
Claypool  died  in  1873.  Three  children  of 
George  H.  Claypool  are  now  living:  John 
J.,  who  resides  about  a  mile  south  of  Ber- 
rien Springs,  Samuel  J.,  of  Berrien  town- 
ship, and  Mrs.  Margaret  Dean  of  Pipestone. 
In  1830,  John  Smith  and  his  brother, 
Isaac  Smith,  whose  parents  were  pioneer 
settlers  in  Kentucky,  came  from  Preble 
county,  Ohio^  and  settled  in  Berrien  town- 
ship.    John  located  ninety-six  acres  in  sec- 


^M 


MRS.  ANNA  JOHNSON 


JOHN  JOHNSON 

THE  FIRST  SETTLER  OF  BERRIEN  TOWNSHIP 
AND  THE  SECOND  PERMANENT  SET- 
TLER OF  THE  COUNTY 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


193 


tion  thirteen^  and  Isaac  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  in  section  twenty-four.  Both  of 
these  brothers  lived  upon  their  farms  till 
their  death  at  an  extreme  old  age. 

The  son  of  John,  Isaac  Smith,  is  now  liv- 
ing upon  the  land  located  by  his  father.  A 
large  body  of  very  valuable  timber  re- 
mained growing  intact  upon  this  land  till 
a  few  years  since,  a  relic  of  the  forest 
grandeur  of  olden  days  now  seldom  seen. 

The  only  son  of  Isaac  Smith,  James 
Smith,  died  in  1899,  at  the  old  homestead  of 
his  father,  leaving  a  widow,  Mrs.  Malvina 
Smith,  a  sister  of  Hon.  W.  I.  Babcock 
of  Niles,  and  three  children,  Martha,  Dr. 
Ethan  H.  and  Charles  R.  The  widow  is 
still  living  on  the  old  homestead  with  her 
son  Charles  and  daughter  Martha.  Dr. 
Ethan  H.  Smith  is  a  physician  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, California. 

Isaac  Lybrook  is  the  oldest  settler  in  the 
St.  Joseph  valley  now  living  in  Berrien 
county.  His  mother,  a  widow^  emigrated 
with  her  father,  John  Burke,  and  her  chil- 
dren, from  Preble  county,  Ohio,  in  1828  and 
located  in  Pokagon  towmship,  Cass  county, 
adjoining  the  Berrien  county  line.  In  1840 
his  mother  settled  upon  section  thirty,  Ber- 
rien township.  Mr.  Lybrook  is  still  living 
upon  this  land  and  has  added  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  to  the  original  home- 
stead. He  is  now  eighty-two  years  of  age, 
with  his  mental  faculties  still  vigorous,  and 
in  good  health  physically  for  a  man  of  his 
age.  His  recollection  of  the  Indian  vil- 
lages and  chiefs  is  vivid.  The  Pottawato- 
mies  were  in  the  habit  of  seeking  shelter  at 
night  with  their  white  friends  and  often 
came  to  his  mother's  residence,  and  staid 
over  night,  sleeping  on  the  floor  wuth  their 
feet  next  to  the  fire  place.  They  were  re- 
markably peaceable,  however,  and  were  not 
feared  by  the  settlers.  Mr.  Lybrook  knew 
the  Chief  Pokagon  well  and  speaks  in  terms 
of  praise  of  his  character  and  integrity. 

In  1829  Hugh  Marrs  of  Virginia,  with 
his    family,    started    for    Pokagon    Prairie. 

13 


After  spending  the  winter  in  Ohio  he  ar- 
rived at  Pokagon  Prairie  in  April,  1830, 
with  only  $10  in  his  pocket.  He  located 
shortly  after  eighty  acres  on  the  flat  on  the 
St.  Joseph  river,  opposite  the  Shaker  farm. 
He  was  driven  from  his  house  in  1832  by 
a  flood  and  forced  to  remove  to  the  bluff. 
After  having  owned  various  tracts  of  land 
in  the  township  he  finally  purchased  in  1856- 
the  old  Ford  farm,  near  Berrien  Springs,, 
wdiere  he  died  in  1874.  Several  of  his  chil- 
dren are  now  living  and  are  among  the 
very  oldest  settlers  of  Berrien  county.  An- 
drew M.  and  Thomas  came  with  their  par- 
ents to  Michigan  in  1830.  Andrew  M. 
Marrs,  the  oldest,  now  in  his  seventy-eighth 
year,  is  living  at  Berrien  Springs,  and  is 
still  vigorous  and  well  preserved.  He  was 
postmaster  of  Berrien  Springs  from  1897  to 
1904,  county  superintendent  of  the  poor  for 
three  years  and  justice  of  the  peace  for  some 
time.     By  trade  he  is  a  cabinet  maker. 

Although  a  native  of  Virginia,  he  has 
been  an  active  Republican  since  the  organi- 
zation of  the  party. 

Thomas  Marrs,  a  prominent  man  in  both 
state  and  county  affairs,  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia in  1829.  In  1857  he  removed  from 
Michigan  to  Missouri,  engaging  in  the  saw 
mill  business,  but  after  remaining  four  years 
was  compelled  to  leave  the  district  in  which 
he  was  living  on  account  of  his  anti-slav- 
ery opinions  and  returned  to  Berrien  county. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  State  Senate  from 
1881  to  1883,  county  agent  of  charities  for 
nine  years  and  deputy  oil  inspector  for  four 
years.  He  was  prominent  in  organizing  the 
State  Grange,  was  a  member  of  the  execu- 
tive committee  of  that  organization  for 
twenty-seven  years,  and  master  of  the  State 
Grange  from  1895  to  1901,  in  which  ca- 
pacity he  lectured  in  every  part  of  the  state. 
His  home  for  many  years  has  been  upon 
a  fine  farm,  adjoining  the  village  of  Berrien 
Center.  He  was  one  of  the  most  influen- 
tial and  effective  workers  in  building  up 
the  Republican  party  in  Berrien  county,  and 


194 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


has  discharged  the  various  duties  of  official 
and  pubHc  Hfe  imposed  upon  him,  with  sig- 
nal ability  and  honesty. 

Samuel  Marrs  was  born  in  Berrien 
township  in  1831,  and  is  the  third  oldest 
person  now  living  in  the  county  whO'  was 
torn  here.  In  his  school  boy  days  he  at- 
tended a  writing  school  taught  by  Mr. 
Cowles,  an  Indian^  who  was  an  expert  pen- 
man. In  early  life,  Mr.  Marrs  was  by 
trade  a  carpenter,  but  many  years  ago  pur- 
chased a  farm  in  section  two,  Lake  town- 
ship, and  has  devoted  himself  largely  to 
fruit  raising.  He  has  reared  a  large  family 
and  now  has  thirty-seven  grandchildren 
living.  He  has  held  various  offices  in  his 
township. 

The  other  children  of  Hugh  Marrs  now 
living  in  this  county  are :  Mrs.  Melincla 
Snow,  Elizabeth  Magill  and  .B.  Franklin 
Marrs.  William  Marrs,  born  in  1832,  is 
living  in   California. 

In  1 83 1,  Michael  Hand  and  his  nephew, 
Thomas  Hand,  came  from  Ohio,  and  each 
located  a  tract  near  the  St.  Joseph  river  on 
section  thirty.  Thomas  Hand  died  in  1844. 
Michael  Hand  was  a  member  of  the  state 
legislature  in  1853.  He  lived  upon  his  farm 
till  his  death  in  1877. 

A  son  of  Mr.  Hand,  Joseph,  now  lives 
upon  a  portion  of  the  farm  entered  by  his 
father  in  1831,  in  section  thirty. 

The  portion  in  which  Michael  Hand  set- 
tled in  1 83 1  was  a  dense  wilderness  of  thick 
timber.  He  used  to  relate  that  shortly  after 
lie  settled  upon  the  place,  he  went  out  into 
the  woods  a  few  rods  away  to  shoot  a  squir- 
rel and  shot  a  deer.  While  endeavoring 
to  drag  the  deer  home,  in  a  blinding  snow 
storm,  he  became  completely  bewildered, 
and  moved  about  hopelessly  in  a  circle  for 
about  an  hour.  The  shouts  of  his  wife, 
at  length  reached  his  ears,  and  he  then  was 
enabled  to  reach  his  home. 

In  the  fall  of  1830  Adam  Michael  came 
with  Isaac  Murphy,  then  a  youth  of  nine- 
teen years  of  age,  to  Pokagon  Prairie,  Cass 


county.  They  removed  to  Berrien  township 
in  1 83 1  and  established  a  blacksmith  shop. 
Michael  died  in  1838.  One  of  his  daughters 
married  Silas  Ireland.  Another  daughter 
married  Daniel  Lyle,  a  banker  of  Dowag- 
iac  and  is  living  at  that  place.  Religious 
services  w^ere  often  held  at  Michael's  house 
by  the  Rev.  Thomas  P.  McCoole,  a 
prominent  Methodist  minister  of  Cass 
county.  In  1834  Murphy  married  Eliza 
Jenkins,  the  daughter  of  Baldwin  Jenkins, 
already  mentioned  in  the  chapter  on  the 
early  settlement  of  the  county.  Murphy 
was  a  Virginian  by  birth.  He  and  his  wife 
both  died  in  January  1893.  They  were  the 
parents  of  thirteen  children,  of  whom  four 
are  now  living;  John  J.,  Erastus  and  Isaac, 
Jr.,  all  of  Berrien  Center,  Mrs.  Rufus  Will- 
iams and  Mrs.  Jacob  Becker  of  Pokagon, 
Cass  county. 

Erastus  is  the  secretary  of  the  Berrien 
County  Pioneers'  Association  and  has  been 
supervisor  of  his  township  for  several 
terms. 

Andrew  L.  Burke  settled  in  Berrien 
township  in  1832.  His  father,  John  Burke, 
of  Virginia,  had  moved  with  his  family  to 
Pokagon  township,  Cass  county,  in  1828, 
and  Andrew  resided  with  his  father  till  his 
removal  to  Berrien  township.  He  first  set- 
tled on  the  east  bank  of  the  St.  Joseph  river 
about  five  miles  southwest  of  Berrien 
Springs,  and  acquired  nearly  nine  hundred 
acres  practically  in  one  tract.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  state  legislature  in  1849,  ^i^^^l 
supervisor  for  several  terms.  He  died 
many  years  since. 

The  following  children  of  Mr.  Burke 
are  now  living:  Eliza  Burke,  Rebecca,  wife 
of  Thomas  DeMott,  Martha,  wife  of  Robert 
Foster,  Lilias,  wife  of  Thomas  Gillespie, 
John  Burke  who  now  resides  in  the  city  of 
Niles,  Alexander^  of  Niles  township,  An- 
drew L.  and  Dr.  Samuel  T.  Burke,  who 
both  reside  in  Chicago. 

In  1826  Eli  Ford  came  from  Pennsyl- 
vania to  Pokagon  Prairie.     In  1828  he  put 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


195 


up  a  grist  mill  in  Niles  township  on  the 
Dowagiac  river.  This  was  the  first  grist 
mill  run  by  water  power  erected  in  Berrien 
county.  In  1832  he  moved  into  Berrien  town- 
ship and  constructed  a  saw  mill  a  mile  north- 
east o>-  Berrien  Springs.  In  1833  he  built  a 
grain  w^arehouse  near  the  east  end  of  the 
present  bridge  at  Berrien  Springs.  He  was 
engaged  quite  extensively  in  lumbering.  He 
died  in  1839. 

A  son^  Christopher  Ford,  is  now  living 
at  Berrien  Springs.  He  was  born  in  1831. 
Shadrach  Ford,  from  Ohio,  located  on  Po- 
kagon  Prairie  in  1827  and  was  first  engaged 
in  trading  with  the  Indians.  He  settled  in 
Berrien  township  in  1832  and  died  in  1874. 

William  Lemon,  a  Virginia,  settled  in 
the  township  in  1831  with  a  family  of  eleven 
children.  Shortly  after  he  removed  to  Oron- 
oko  township.  He  erected  the  first  saw-mill 
in  Berrien  township  in  1832.  He  was  super- 
visor of  the  township  for  several  terms. 

Luke  Webster,  a  Virginian,  located  on 
•section  thirty-two  in  1833.    He  died  in  1841. 

James  Jenkins,  a  Virginian,  settled  in  the 
township  in  1832,  where  he  lived  till  his 
death  in  1875. 

Julius  Brown  came  from  Ohio  to  Niles 
in  1830  and  in  1832  removed  to  the  town- 
ship.     He  was  afterwards  supervisor. 

James  Gillespie  moved  from  Ohio  to 
Niles  about  1829,  when  he  was  engaged  in 
work  at  the  Carey  mission.  In  1832  he 
located  a  farm  in  Berrien  township,  and 
spent  two  years  in  boating  on  the  St.  Jo- 
seph river.  In  1834  he  went  to  Ohio  and 
assisted  his  father  and  family  in  moving  to 
Michigan.    James  died  in  1851. 

John,  a  brother,  in  1834  located  on  sec- 
tion thirty-one,  where  he  lived  till  his  death 
in  1884.  He  owned  three  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-three acres  in  one  tract  of  valuable  land. 
The  following  named  children  are  now  liv- 
ing in  Berrien  county :  Robert,  Thomas  and 
James.  In  1836,  John  Gillespie  went  to  Ohio 
and    assisted    his    brother-in-law,     Nathan 


Fitch  and  family,  in  moving  to  Berrien 
township.  Mr.  Fitch  located  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  in  section  thirty-one.  This  he 
owned  till  his  death  in  1893  ^^^  it  is  now 
owned  by  his  daughter  and  grandchildren. 
During  the  latter  part  of  his  life  he  lived  at 
Niles.  He  was  sheriff  of  the  county  from 
1855  to  1859,  ^"d  a  member  of  the  legisla- 
ture in  1863.  Two  children  are  now  living, 
Evan  L.,  and  Sarah,  who  married  John 
Burke,  of  Niles. 

In  1835,  Francis  R.  Pinnell,  a  native  of 
Virginia,  came  to  Berrien  township  in  Sep- 
tember, with  a  wife  and  eight  children.  His 
brother,  Jesse  Pinnell,  and  wife  had  set  out 
for  Michigan  in  company  with  Francis,  but 
Jesse  died  on  the  way,  leaving  a  family  of 
nine  children.  Seventeen  children  were  thus 
left  on  Francis'  hands.  The  family  was  first 
divided  up,  some  staying  with  Hugh  Marrs 
and  some  with  Mr.  Riggin,  until  a  log 
house  was  built  in  October  following.  Mr. 
Pinnell  was  a  graduate  of  Stauton  College, 
Virginia,  and  for  many  years  was  engaged 
in  teaching.  He  was  a  man  of  iron  constitu- 
tion and  was  able  to  carry  on  his  farm  and 
do  manual  labor  till  he  was  over  ninety  years 
old.  He  died  in  1881  in  his  ninety-sixth 
year,  in  Berrien  township. 

He  was  originally  a  Methodist,  licensed 
to  exhort,  but  for  the  last  twenty-five  years 
of  his  life  a  United  Brethren  preacher.  A 
son,  Thomas  C,  enlisted  in  the  Ninety-ninth 
Indiana  Infantry  and  died  in  the  service  in 
1863.  A  son  of  his,  Joseph  F.,  is  now  liv- 
ing in  Lincoln  township  near  St.  Joseph.  A 
daughter  of  Francis  R.  Pinnell,  Mrs. 
Lucinda  Groat,  is  one  of  the  oldest  residents 
of  Berrien  county  now  living.  She  came 
with  her  father  Francis  Pinnell  to  Berrien 
township  in  1835.  In  1 841  she  was  mar- 
ried to  James  Groat,  a  native  of  Canada,  who 
came  to  Pokagon,  Cass  county,  in  1838,  and 
settled  in  Berrien  township  a  few  years  later. 
Mr.  Groat  died  in  1901  in  his  eighty-fifth 
year.     Mrs.   Groat  still  resides  in  Berrien 


196 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


township  in  her  eighty-eighth  year  retaining 
her  memory  remarkably  well  and  relating 
many  of  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life. 

A  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Groat,  Cyrus  B. 
Groat,  was  for  several  years  the  head  of  the 
county  executive  board  of  school  examiners, 
corresponding  to  the  present  office  of  county 
commissioner  of  schools,  and  was  supervisor 
of  his  township  for  ten  terms,  seven  of  which 
were  in  succession.  He  is  now  the  owner  of 
a  fine  farm  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
township,  called  the  ''Shady  Nook  Farm." 
Nathan  McCoy  a  famous  deer  hunter, 
migrated  from  Virginia  in  1833,  and  the 
next  year  located  a  farm  in  Berrien  town- 
ship. 

By  the  year  1836,  the  township  had  been 
largely  settled  up,  being  the  most  populous, 
next  to  Niles  and  Bertrand,  the  latter  town- 
ship then  including  Bertrand  village,  which 
was  at  that  time  a  flourishing  settlement. 
Among  early  settlers  not  already  men- 
tioned, some  of  whom  came  earlier  than 
1836,  and  some  shortly  after,  were  T.  K. 
Clybourne,  Hiram  Hinchman,  Daniel  Lay- 
man, Joel  Layman,  Richard  McOmber, 
Henry  Rush,  Thomas  Easton^  E.  B.  Walker, 
Silas  Inland,  James  Jenkins,  Andrew  Tate, 
Julius  Brown,  Luke  Webster,  B.  D.  Rown- 
send,  John  Powers,  Ralph  Dunn. 

Mr.  Ireland  was  a  prominent  figure  in 
Berrien  county  for  fifty  years.  He  came 
to  Berrien  township  in  1839  from  Ohio  with 
only  seven  dollars  in  his  pocket.  By  pro- 
fession he  was  a  surveyor.  He,  however, 
went  into  farming  and  became  the  owner 
of  about  seven  hundred  acres  of  valuable 
land.  He  was  supervisor  for  five  years,  a 
member  of  the  legislature  in  1877,  county 
superintendent  of  the  poor  for  twelve  years 
and  held  various  other  offices.  He  married 
Matilda  Michael,  daughter  of  Adam  Michael, 
one  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  the  township, 
and  twelve  children  were  born  to  them. 

Julius  Brown  settled  in  the  township 
in  1832.  He  was  one  of  the  early  super- 
visors and  died  in  i860. 


Ralph  Dunn  came  in  1836  and  was  also 
a  supervisor,  but  removed  west  in  a  few 
years. 

Andrew  Tate  came  with  his  family  in 
1834.  His  son  John,  who  came  with  his 
father,  was  county  treasurer  from  1875  to 
1879  and  supervisor  of  his  township  eight 
years.     He  died  in  1879. 

Until  1832  the  territory  of  the  present 
town  of  Berrien  was  part  of  the  township  of 
Niles.  In  that  year  the  township  of  Ber- 
rien was  organized,  embracing  the  territory 
now  covered  by  Berrien,  Oronoko  and  Lake 
townships.  In  1837,  the  territory  now  em- 
braced in  Oronoko  and  Lake  was  detached 
and  organized  into  the  separate  township 
of  Oronoko.  The  first  election  in  Berrien 
township  was  held  in  April,  1833,  at  the 
tavern  of  Pitt  Brown  in  what  is  now  known 
as  Berrien  Springs.  Pitt  Brown  was  elected 
supervisor  and  Francis  B.   Murdock  clerk. 

The  first  birth  in  the  township  was  that 
of  Isaac  Johnson,  son  of  John  Johnson,  born 
in  1828. 

Considerable  business  was  transacted  at 
an  early  date  on  the  east  side  of  the  St.  Jo- 
seph river  opposite  Berrien  Springs.  Thomas 
L.  Stevens  kept  a  store  for  a  time  and  John 
DeField  a  tavern,  and  a  warehouse  was  built 
by  Eli  Ford  in  1833.  Mercantile  operations,, 
however,  were  soon  transferred  to  Berrien 
Springs. 

The  first  roads  laid  out  in  the  township 
were  those  leading  from  Berrien  Springs  to 
Niles  and  to  Pokagon.  Both  were  laid  out 
in  1832. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  A.  M. 
Wells  in  a  log  school  house  located  on  land 
now  owned  by  Mrs.  John  Burke  and  chil- 
dren. 

The  first  church  in  the  township  was  a 
Methodist  Episcopal  organized  in  1843.  I" 
1846  a  church  edifice  was  erected  called  Mor- 
ris Chapel. 

In  1856  a  Union  Church  was  established 
and  a  church  edifice  erected  on  the  Niles 
road  near  Long  Lake  for  the  use  of  all  re- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY  197 

ligious  denominations  alike.    Michael  Hand,  tory  was  inserted  in  the  famous  ordinance 

George  H.  Claypool  and  Andrew  L.  Burke  of  1787.     Although  Jefferson  was  not  then 

were    appointed    trustees.      The   denomina-  a  member  of  Congress,  he  had  been  the  in- 

tions  which  made  most  use  of  the  church  stigator  of  the  anti-slavery  provisions, 
building  were  the  Lutherans,  United  Breth-  It  is  probable  also  that  a  desire  to  emi- 

ren  and  Baptists.  grate  to  a'  land  where  free  labor  would  not 

The  Farmers'  Grange  has  beeri  especially  be  obliged  to  compete  with  slave  labor  had 

strong  in  this  township,  and  in  1876  a  large  its  effect  on  the  early  emigrants  from  Vir- 

Grange  Hall  was  erected  at  Berrien  Center  ginia  to  Michigan, 
costing  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  supervisors 

The    only    incorporated    village    in    the  of  the  township  of  Berrien, 
township  is  that  of  Eau  Claire  which  lies 

partly  in   Berrien  and  partly  in   Pipestone  ^^^^   Brown    1833- 1840 

townships.     The  village  of  Berrien  Center  f^^^l""^^^^^^^    Jg^^  ^g 

is  located  nearly  in  the  center  of  the  town-  \    j     -p.     ,        ^        ^^ 

ship.     Eau  Claire  had  a  population  of  three  ^'^^    Murphy*  .//./,,[,/../,  '.    1845 

liundred  and  twenty- four  in  1904,  and  Ber-  ^   j^   Burke 1846- 184.8 

rien  Center  about  one-hundred.  q^q    Murphy   1849 

The  County  Poor  Farm  was  located  in  Silas   Ireland    1850-1852 

this  township  in  1847  ^^  section  seventeen,  J.  F.  Haskins 1853 

about  one  mile  west  of  Berrien  Center.     A  Silas   Ireland    1854 

building  was  erected  the  same  year.     The  Ralph  Denn    1855 

iarm   consists    of   one    hundred    and    sixty  Silas  Ireland 1856 

acres.  P.  G.  Cuddeback 1857 

The  first  building  erected  was  destroyed  W.  S.  Maynard 1858 

by  fire  in-  1867,  and  a  large  and  commodious  E.  A.  Brown 1859 

brick  building  was  built  in  1869.  ?•  G-  Cuddeback 'q?"'q? 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  brief  account  of  g^^^^  ^^^^^^  j^ 1866" 

the  earliest  settlers  of  Berrien  township  that  j  \     '     ^    ^  ^ ^o^^  ^q^^ 

,  ^'         r  ^u  -^1  John  Tate   1867-1869 

a  large  proportion  of  them  were  either  na-  j  p  Peck  1870 

tives  of  Virginia  or  of  Virginian  descent,  t'^^^'  Layman  *  '  '  !  *. 1871 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  most  of  these  John  Tate 1872 

settlers  were  strongly  anti-slavery  in  their  j^    jyj^    Savage 1873 

convictions,  notwithstanding  their  Southern  John   Tate    1874 

origin.     This  is  partially  attributable  to  the  I.  P.  Hutton 1875- 1876 

fact  that  public  sentiment  in  Virginia  in  its  D.  H.  UUery .    1877- 1880 

palmiest     days     was     largely     anti-slavery.  John  Johnson   1881 

Nearly  all  of  its  long  line  of  illustrious  states-  C.  B.  Groat .    1882-1888 

men  were  strongly  and  openly  opposed  to  ^'  S-  Robinson 1889 

the  institution,  including  Washington,  Jef-  ^-  ^'  ™^^^ 1890-1892 

ferson  and  Madison.    It  was  largely  through  ^  '  ^J;  ^.^^l""^''^  '  '  '  '  '  '  '  '  '  '  '  *  '  *  '    Jg^^^g 

the  efforts  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  aided  by  ^-^,^^^^,^   Murphy    1900 

the  entire  Virginia  delegation  in  the  Con-  j^j^j,^  Johnson   looi 

federate  Congress,   that  the  clause  forever  Erastus   Murphy    1902- 1905 

prohibiting  slavery  in  the  Northwest  Terri-  Henry  Whalen    1906 


CHAPTER    XI 


ORONOKO  TOWNSHIP. 


This  township  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Royalton  and  Sodus,  being  separated 
from  Sodus  by  the  St.  Joseph  river,  on  the 
east  by  the  St.  Joseph  river  separating  it 
from  Berrien  township,  on  the  south  by 
Buchanan,  and  on  the  west  by  Lake.  The 
river  is  meandering  on  the  eastern  boundary 
and  is  crowned  for  much  of  the  way  by 
high  bluffs. 

The  surface  of  the  country  is  generahy 
rolHng.  There  is  very  httle  waste  land, 
nearly  all  being  capable  of  cultivation.  The 
soil  is  generally  very  fertile  and  productive. 
The  township  was  originally  covered  with 
extensive  forests  of  valuable  timber. 

The  township  remained  a  part  of  Berrien 
township  till  1837,  when  it  was  set  off  as  a 
separate  tow^nship,  embracing  the  township 
of  Lake  till  1846.  The  first  township  meet- 
ing was  held  at  the  house  of  William  St. 
John^  April  3,  1837.  At  this  meeting  Ed- 
ward Ballingee  was  elected  supervisor,  Will- 
iam F.  St.  John  clerk  and  Alexander  Turner 
treasurer. 

The  present  village  of  Berrien  Springs 
is  the  site  of  the  earliest  settlements  made 
in  the  township.  It  was  known  among  the 
first  settlers  as  Wolfs  Prairie,  after  the 
name  of  the  Prairie  upon  which  the  village 
is  situate.  This  prairie  consists  of  about 
one  thousand  acres  of  choice  land,  and  is 
delightfully  situated  near  the  bank  of  the 
St.  Joseph  river.     It  is  the  only  prairie  in 


the    county    outside    of    the    township    of 
Bertrand. 

John  Pike  was  the  first  settler.  He  was 
a  native  of  North  Carolina  and  came  to  the 
Carey  mission  at  Niles  in  1829  with  a  wife 
and  eight  children.  Here  he  sojourned  c^ 
few  weeks,  when  he  conveyed  his  family  and 
household  goods  to  Wolfe's  Prairie.  In  1832 
Pike  removed  to  Royalton  township  where 
he  died. 

A  few  months  after  the  settlement  made 
by  Pike  in  1829,  George  Kimmel  from 
Pennsylvania  visited  Wolfe's  Prairie  and  en- 
tered about  three  hundred  acres  in  the  civin- 
ity.  He  returned  to  Pennsylvania,  however, 
and  did  not  locate  upon  the  land  till  1831. 

In  1830  George  Kimmel  gave  to  his  son- 
in-law,  Francis  B.  Murdock,  of  Bedford^ 
Pennsylvania,  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  his  land  situated  on  Wolfe's  Prairie,  and 
during  that  year  Murdock  with  his  wife  and 
one  child  located  upon  this  land  and  built  a 
log  house.  Mr.  Murdock  was  a  lawyer,  and 
the  first  regular  practicing  lawyer  of  Ber- 
rien county.  He  appears  as  the  first  attorney 
upon  the  journal  of  the  circuit  court  of  this 
county.  In  1833  hje  was  appointed  judge  of 
probate.  In  1835  he  removed  to  the  south, 
and  finally  to  San  Jose,  California,  where 
he  died  in  1882.  His  son.  Major  George  H. 
Murdock,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in 
1829.  He  was  a  captain  in  the  First  Regi- 
ment of  Michigan  Sharpshooters  and  was 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


199 


promoted  to  brevet  major,  United  States 
Volunteers  for  gallant  services  at  the  battle! 
of  Spottsylvania  and  in  the  Richmond  Cam- 
paign. He  was  county  clerk  for  three  terms, 
and  for  a  time  editor  of  the  Berrien  County 
Journal.  A  daughter  of  Francis  Murdock, 
Mrs.  Clifton  Gardner,  is  now  living  at  Ber- 
rien Springs. 

George  Kimmel,  already  referred  to,  re- 
turned to  Wolfe's  Prairie  in  183 1,  wath  two 
sons  Wellington  and  John,  and  commenced 
clearing  the  farm  now  known  as  the  Shaker 
farm.     In  1833  he  brought  the  remainder  of 
his  family.     In  1832  he  built  the  first  saw- 
mill in  Oronoko  towaiship  on  Lemon  creek. 
He  acquired  about  two  thousand  acres  upon 
and   around   Wolfe's   Prairie   and   was   the 
most  extensive  land  owner  of  Berrien  county 
during   its   early   settlement.      He   gave  to 
each  of  his  daughters,  Mrs.  Susan  Kephart, 
Mrs.    Julia    A.     Dougherty,     Mrs.     Hester 
Stevens    and    Mary    Graham,    a    valuable 
farm.     Of  these  daughters,  only  one  is  now 
living,  Mrs.  Stevens,  who  now  resides  upon 
the  farm  given  to  her  by  her  father,  with 
her   daughter,    Mrs.    Gertrude   Lewis.     Mr. 
Kimmel     died    in     1849.  His    son    George 
Kimmel,  moved  to  Niles,   subsequently  be- 
came a  prominent  citizen  of  that  place  and 
was  major  of  the  Twelfth  Michigan  Regi- 
ment during  the  Civil  war.     He  was  a  skill- 
ful hunter^  but  was  killed  by  the  accidental 
discharge  of  a  gun  while  he  was  unloading 
it  from  a  wagon. 

Lawrence  Cavanaugh  settled  on  Wolfe's 
Prairie  in  1830,  but  soon  removed  to  Ber- 
rien   towniship. 

Pitt  Brown  came  from  Ohio  to  Wolfe's 
Prairie,  in  1831,  with  a  nephew,  Horace 
Godfrey.  Brown  opened  up  a  tavern  and 
established  a  ferry  on  the  river  at  this  point. 
He  was  in  command  for  awhile  of  the  ''Davy 
Crockett"  a  steamboat  wdiich  commenced 
running  between  St.  Joseph  and  Niles  in 
1834.  He  was  the  first  postmaster  in  the 
settlement,  supervisor  of  the  township  of 
Berrien  for  eight  years,  ran  a  distillery^  and 


was  also  interested  in  mercantile  business 
with  Robert  E.  Ward.    He  died  in  1842. 

Godfrey  went  to  farming,  but  subse- 
quently removed  to  Lake  township  where 
he  died. 

Lyman  A.  Barnard  emigrated  from  Ohio 
to  Cass  county  in  1828  and  for  three  or 
four  years  was  located  on  La  Grange 
Prairie.  In  1832  he  moved  to  Berrien  and 
built  a  fifteen-ton  sloop  called  the  ''Dart'^ 
and  sailed  with  it  between  St.  Joseph  and 
Chicago  for  about  a  year.  He  soon  quit  the 
lake  and  studied  medicine  and  established  a 
large  practice.  He  was  a  man  of  rare  in- 
telligence and  was  a  supervisor  of  the 
township.     He  died  in  1882. 

In  1 83 1  the  village  of  Berrien  was 
platted  by  the  proprietors  Pitt  Brown, 
Horace  Godfrey  and  Francis  B.  Murdock. 
In  1837  tl^^  county  seat  was  removed  from 
St.  Joseph  to  Berrien  where  it  remained  till 
1894  when  it  was  again  removed  to  St.  Jo- 
seph. 

In  1 83 1  Thomas  Love  and  Edward  Bal- 
lingee  came  from  Virginia  and  opened  up 
the  mercantile  business  in  a  log  house,  which 
was  located  near  the  site  of  the  old  Defield 
house.  They  subsequently  built  a  large 
frame  store  building  on  the  river  bank  at  the 
foot  of  Main  street. 

Both  of  these  gentlemen  became  promi- 
nent citizens  of  the  county.  Mr.  Ballingee 
was  the  first  supervisor  of  Oronoko  town- 
ship. In  1843  he  removed  to  Buchanan  and 
in  1844  was  supervisor.  In  1845  ^^  i'^" 
moved  to  Lake  township,  where  he  lived  till 
1850  when  he  removed  to  New  Buffalo.  He 
moved  to  Buchanan  again  in  1865  after  liv- 
ing awhile  in  California.  For  many  years 
before  his  death  he  was  a  justice  of  the  peace 
at   Buchanan. 

Mr.  Love  lived  in  Berrien  Springs  till 
1854.  He  was  engaged  in  lumbering  for 
awhile.  He  was  county  treasurer  from  1841 
to  1843,  county  clerk  from  1843  ^o  1847, 
and  county  surveyor  for  many  years.  In 
1854  he  moved  to  Avery's  Station  in  Three 


200 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


'Oaks  township,  where  he  built  a  mill.  He 
^became  a  supervisor  of  the  township  of 
'Three  Oaks  and  was  for  many  years  a  justice 
of  the  peace.  He  was  a  man  of  rare  intelli- 
gence and  excellent  judgment.  He  died 
many  years  ago. 

Dr.  Philip  Kephart  was  one  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  the  town  and  county. 
He  was  a  native  of  Maryland  and  a  physi- 
cian. While  practicing  in  the  state  of  Penn- 
sylvania, he  married  Susan  Kimmel,  daugh- 
ter of  George  Kimmel  already  referred  to. 
Dr.  Kephart  and  his  wife  came  to  Berrien 
Springs  in  1841.  Dr.  Kephart  died  in  1880 
and  his  wife  during  the  past  year.  Dr.  Kep- 
hart was  the  first  president  of  the  village  in 
1863,  and  occupied  that  position  for  eight 
terms.  He  was  recognized  as  a  skillful  phy- 
sician, a  public  spirited  citizen  and  an  up- 
right man.  He  went  into  the  mercantile 
business  in  1843  ^^^  continued  in  it  till  his 
death. 

The  following  children  are  now  living, 
Henry,  George  and  Mrs.  R.  D.  Dix  of  Ber- 
rrien  Springs  and  Walter  of  Petoskey, 
Michigan. 

Thomas  L.  Stevens  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Van  Buren  county,  having  set- 
tled in  Paw  Paw^  in  1836.  In  1839  he  moved 
to  Berrien  Springs,  and  went  into  the  mer- 
cantile business.  In  1848  he  and  R.  W. 
Landon  carried  on  a  general  store  in  part- 
nership. In  1852  he  returned  to  Paw  Paw 
where  he  engaged  in  the  milling  business  and 
subsequently  in  the  mercantile  business  and 
banking.  In  1868  he  moved  to  Niles  where 
lie  became  connected  with  the  First  National 
Bank  and  was  its  president  for  many  years 
prior  to  his  death.  Under  his  administra- 
tion the  bank  became  prosperous  and  suc- 
cessful. He  was  an  able  and  upright  man, 
courteous  and  kindly  in  his  manners  and 
tmiversally  esteemed.  In  early  life  he  mar- 
ried Hester  Stevens^  who  survived  her  hus- 
band and  is  now  living  at  Berrien  Springs. 
The  following  children  are  now  living. 
Fred    L.    of    Minneapolis,    Mrs.    Gertrude 


Lewis  of  Berrien  Springs,  William  Wirt  of 
Waterville,  Washington,  and  Edith  S.  Fitz- 
gerald of  Chicago. 

Charles  F.  Howe  resided  at  Berrien 
Springs  for  nearly  fifty  years  before  his 
death.  He  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts 
and  came  to  St.  Joseph  in  1835,  where  he 
engaged  in  sailing  on  the  lakes  for  some 
years.  In  1847  he  was  elected  county  regis- 
ter and  served  for  three  terms.  He  was  a 
very  genial  and  courteous  gentleman  of  the 
old  school,  and  highly  esteemed.  He  died 
in  1895  ^t  the  age  of  eighty-five. 

His  son  Charles  E.  was  county  clerk 
from  1869  to  1873.  In  the  Civil  war  he 
was  captain  of  Company  A,  Twelfth  Michi- 
gan Regiment,  was  breveted  major  United 
States  Volunteers  March,  1865,  ''for  gallant 
and  meritorious  services  during  the  war," 
and  appointed  acting  adjutant  general 
United  States  Volunteers,  April,  1865.  He 
is  now  living  in  Chicago. 

Charles  D.  Nichols  settled  in  Berrien 
Springs  in  1843,  ^^d  lived  there  till  last 
May,  when  he  removed  to  Petoskey  in  this 
state,  where  he  is  now  living  with  one  of  his 
children.  He  came  from  the  state  of  New 
York  with  his  parents  in  1829  to  Rolling 
Prairie,  Indiana.  Here  he  lived  till  his 
twenty-first  year  when  he  removed  to  Ber- 
rien Springs.  He  was  county  treasurer 
from  1855  to  1859  ^^d  sheriff  from  1863 
to  1865.  He  is  now  in  his  eighty- fourth 
year  still  vigorous  in  mind  and  body  and 
enjoying  good  health.  He  relates  that  on 
the  journey  of  his  people  and  himself  to  the 
w^est  in  1829,  they  passed  through  Niles  and 
that  there  were  then  only  three  houses  in 
the  place. 

Among  the  oldest  residents  of  the  town- 
ship is  George  Graham  now  in  his  eighty- 
first  year.  He  came  to  Berrien  Springs  in 
1840  and  lived  for  a  time  with  his  grand- 
father George  Kimmel.  In  1847  h^  bought 
a  farm  adjoining  the  village  and  added  to 
it  until  in  a  few  years  he  had  five  hundred 
acres  of  choice  land,  where  he  carried  on  for 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


201 


many  years  one  of  the  most  successful  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising  ranches  in  the  county. 
He  married  a  daughter  of  George  Kimmel, 
Sr.,  Mary,  who  died  a  few  years  since. 

A  brother  of  George,  James  Graham, 
came  to  Berrien  Springs  in  1846.  He  be- 
came a  prominent  merchant  and  RepubHcan 
poHtician.  He  was  sheriff  of  the  county  for 
two  terms,  under-sheriff  for  many  years,  a 
member  of  the  legislature  and  president  of 
the  village.  He  was  a  natural  political 
leader,  had  an  immense  acquaintance,  per- 
sonal influence  and  great  natural  sagacity, 
and  was  probably  the  shrewdest  manager 
on  the  floor  of  political  county  conventions, 
which  the  county  has  ever  had.  He  died 
in  1876. 

Another  brother,  Captain  John  Graham, 
w^ho  came  to  Berrien  Springs  in  1846,  has 
been  a  resident  of  Buchanan  for  about  forty 
years,  and  was  for  many  years  a  prominent 
merchant  of  the  place.  He  has  been  post- 
master of  Buchanan,  and  assistant  revenue 
collector  for  the  fourth  congressional  dis- 
trict of  Michigan.  He  is  now  one  of  the 
jury  commissioners  for  Berrien  county,  ap- 
pointed by  the  governor. 

Thomas  Lee  Wilkinson  came  to  Berrien 
Springs  ^  in  1840.  Mr.  Wilkinson  was  a 
Quaker,  but  upon  coming  west,  united  with 
the  United  Brethren  Church,  of  which  he 
was  a  leading  member.  He  was  a  cabinet- 
maker by  trade  and  carried  on  a  furniture 
shop  and  factory  till  his  death  in  1862.  His 
widow,  whose  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth 
Ann  Hagadorn,  is  still  living  in  Berrien 
Springs  at  the  age  of  eighty-four. 

The  son,  Thomas  Lee  Wilkinson,  in  con- 
nection with  Roscoe  D.  Dix,  established  an 
abstract  of  title  and  real  estate  business  in 
1876  at  Berrien  Springs,  which  has  been 
continued  ever  since.  In  1894,  Mr.  Wil- 
kinson removing  to  St.  Joseph,  the  abstract 
ofiice  was  removed  to  the  latter  place.  Mr. 
Wilkinson's  knowledge  of  some  branches  of 
real  estate  law  is  superior  to  that  of  most 
lawyers.    In  1890,  Messrs.  Dix  &  Wilkinson 


also  established  the  Berrien  Exchange  Bank 
at  Berrien  Springs,  of  which  Mr.  Dix  has 
charge. 

Roscoe  D.  Dix,  the  partner  of  Mr.  Wil- 
kinson, has  been  a  prominent  citizen  of  the 
place  for  forty  years  and  has  held  important 
state  offices.  He  came  with  his  father.  Dex- 
ter O.  Dix,  from  New  York  to  Bainbridge 
in  1852.  Roscoe  was  a  soldier  in  the  famous 
Second  Michigan  Regiment  and  was  severely 
wounded  at  the  siege  of  Knoxville  in  1863. 
In  1864,  he  was  elected  county  register  of 
deeds,  and  served  three  terms.  In  1874,  he 
was  again  elected  to  the  same  position  and 
served  two  terms.  In  1886,  he  was  elected 
commissioner  of  the  state  land  office  and 
served  two  terms.  In  1897  he  was  elected 
auditor  general  of  the  state  and  served  two 
terms.  He  has  also  been  president  of  the 
village  of  Berrien  Springs.  He  has  been 
an  active  and  influential  leader  of  the  Re- 
publican party  in  the  county.  Mr.  Dix  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  about  thirty  years  ago 
and  for  most  of  that  time  has  been  the  only 
attorney  in  the  place. 

George  H.  Murdock,  Jr.,  a  son  of  the 
late  George  H.  Murdock,  practiced  law  at 
Berrien  Springs  for  several  years,  and  was 
the  author  of  an  annual  Insurance  Digest, 
but  recently  removed  to  St.  Louis. 

Mercantile  Business. 

The  first  store  in  the  village  was  carried 
on  by  Thomas  Love  and  Edward  Ballingee 
in  1 83 1  in  a  log  house.  They  subsequently 
built  a  frame  store  at  the  west  end  of  the 
bridge. 

In  1836  or  1837,  this  firm  sold  out  to 
Andrew  J.  Murray  and  John  Wittenmyer. 
Murray  was  a  physician  who  came  from 
Pennsylvania  in  1836  and  practiced  his  pro- 
fession first  at  Berrien  Springs  and  next  at 
St.  Joseph.  He  moved  to  Niles  in  1848. 
He  was  a  man  of  liberal  education,  of  great 
native  ability  and  had  a  large  practice.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  legislature  in  1849. 


202 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Murray  and  Wittenmyer  were  followed 
by  William  G.  Person,  subsequently  a  promi- 
nent merchant  of  Niles.  He  sold  out  to 
Benjamin  D.  Townsend,  who  after  a  few 
months  sold  the  business  to  his  clerk,  James 
M.  Piatt.  Mr.  Piatt  carried  on  a  general 
store  for  over  thirty  years  and  did  a  heavy 
business.      He   died   in    1878. 

Dr.  Kephart  carried  on  a  general  store 
and  drug  store  for  many  years. 

William  Dougherty  brought  a  stock  of 
goods  to  Berrien  Springs  from  the  city  of 
Washington*  in  1838,  and  opened  up  a  gen- 
eral store.  This  he  carried  on  with  some 
interruption  till  1865  when  he  retired  from 
mercantile  life  to  a  farm  near  the  village. 

Early  Hotels. 

The  first  hotel  was  built  by  Pitt  Brown, 
in  1830  or  1 83 1,  on  the  river  bank  below 
the  hill.  He  was  a  popular  landlord  and 
his  hotel  became  famous. 

The  first  tavern  on  the  hill  was  built 
by  John  DeField.  After  Mr.  DeField's 
death,  his  widow  and  son,  John  DeField, 
carried  on  the  hotel  for  many  years.  This 
hotel  became  the  favorite  resort  of  attorneys 
for  over  forty  years. 

John  DeField  retired  from  the  hotel 
business  many  years  ago  and  is  now  living 
on  a  farm  in  Benton  township. 

The  first  saw  mill  was  erected  by  George 
Kimmel  on  Lemon  creek  in  1831. 

The  ferry  across  the  river  was  built  by 
Pitt  Brown  in  1831.  The  bridge  across  the 
river  was  not  built  till  1844. 

The  most  important  work  of  internal  im- 
provement in  the  county  is  now  under  w^ay 
at  Berrien  Springs,  where  the  preliminary 
steps  for  constructing  a  dam  and  power 
house  capable  of  developing  an  immense 
power,  have  already  been  taken. 

The  Berrien  Springs  Power  &  Electric 
Company  has  been  organized  to  build  a  dam 
at  Berrien  Springs,  Michigan,  near  the  head 
of  Pardee  Island.  The  officers  of  this  com- 
pany are  Charles  A.  Chapin,  president,  Fred 


A.  Bryan,  vice-president  and  general  man-^ 
ager,  A.  B.  Ayers,  treasurer,  and  George 
Kephart,  secretary. 

They  propose  to  build  a  dam  and  power 
house  at  Berrien  Springs  approximately 
twenty-one  feet  high  which  will  develop  con- 
tinually from  two  thousand  to  eight  thou- 
sand horse  power.  This  will  be  operated  in 
conjunction  with  the  dams  at  Buchanan, 
Michigan,  Twin  Branch,  Indiana,  and  Elk- 
hart, Indiana,  and  a  large  steam  plant  at 
South  Bend.  This  means  that  with  a  proper 
steam  relay  to  take  care  of  low  water  periods 
in  the  river,  Berrien  county  will  have  about 
eight  thousand  electrical  horse  power  de- 
veloped at  Buchanan  and  Berrien  Springs. 
To  develop  a  similar  amount  of  energy  in 
one  year  by  coal  would  require  approxi- 
mately one  hundred  and  seventy-five  thou- 
sand tons. 

In  addition  to  the  value  of  these  dams 
from  a  commercial  standpoint,  a  lake  half 
a  mile  wide  and  several  miles  long  will  be 
formed  above  Berrien  Springs,  which  will 
have  many  advantages  for  Berrien  Springs- 
from  the  resort  standpoint. 

The  above  figures  relative  to  the  equiva- 
lent amount  of  coal  which  this  water  power 
is  equal  to,  are  perhaps  a  little  above  the 
average,  but  they  represent  the  value  of  the 
river  under  a  good  stage  of  water.  The 
value  of  the  two  dams  could  be  expressed  in 
more  practical  terms  by  stating  that  the 
power  derived  from  them  is  equivalent  to 
about  fifteen  cars  of  coal  per  day  for  each 
working  day  in  the  year. 

The  interior  of  the  township  of  Oronoka 
began  to  be  settled  two  or  three  years  later 
than  ''Wolfe's  Prairie." 

In  1 83 1  Hezekiah  Flail  settled  on  the 
bank  of  the  river  north  of  the  present  vil- 
lage of  Berrien  Springs. 

In  1832  Henry  Freed  and  his  family, 
Samuel  Summers  and  Joseph  Feather  emi- 
grated from  Pennsylvania.  Freed  and  a  son,. 
Abram,  settled  in  sections  twenty-three  and 
twenty-four. 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


203 


Joseph  Feather,  who  was  a  carpenter, 
first  emigrated  from  Pennsylvania  to  St. 
Joseph  where  he  worked  for  Fowler  Pres- 
ton at  cabinet  making.  He  removed  to 
Berrien  in  183.3,  ^^^^  located  upon  a  farm 
south  of  the  village. 

William  Lemon  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Berrien  township,  and  moved  in- 
to Oronoko  in  1835,  and  purchased  the  saw 
mill  of  George  Kimmel.  He  died  in  185 1. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the 
old  settlers  and  was  supervisor  of  the  town- 
ship for  several  terms.  One  of  his  daugh- 
ters married  John  Tate,  another  Comfort 
Pennell  and  another  George  Ewalt. 

Joshua  Feather,  of  Pennsylvania,  was 
the  pioneer  of  what  is  called  the  Feather 
settlement  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  town- 
ship, where  many  of  his  descendants  still 
reside.  He  settled  on  section  seven  in  1837. 
Three  of  his  children  are  now  living,  two 
sons,  David  T.  and  Joshua,,  and  a  daughter, 
Mary  Ann.  Two  of  his  children,  John  H. 
and  Lafayette,  died  some  years  ago.  The 
names  of  the  children  of  John  H.  are  Rufus 
A.,  Franklin  P.,  Henry  A.,  Wm.  J.,  Mary 
C,  Anna  L.  French,  Adlina  A.  French, 
Julia  M.  Bliss  and  Harriet. 

The  Feathers,  together  with  other  set- 
tlers, organized  an  Evangelical  Lu'theran 
Church  in  i860,  under  the  charge  of 
Rev.  John  Boon,  and  in  1873  built  a 
church  edifice  in  the  Feather  neighborhood. 
The  Feathers  belonged  to  that  class  of  in- 
teresting people  known  as  ''Pennsylvanial 
Dutch,"  more  particularly  described  in  the 
chapter  on  Betrand  township.  The  family 
name  in  Pennsylvania  was  ''Vedder,"  but 
upon  the  removal  to  Michigan  the  name  was 
corrupted  and  changed  to  Feather.  Some 
of  the  Feathers,  on  their  arrival  in  Berrien 
county,  could  not  speak  intelligible  English. 
Other  families  of  ^'Pennsylvania  Dutch," 
besides  the  Feathers,  settled  in  Oronoko 
township  shortly  after.  These  settlers  were 
generally  thrifty  farmers  and  excellent  citi- 
zens, and  their  descendants  are  now  numer- 


ous. The  region  which  these  people  settled 
and  cleared  up  was  a  dense  forest  of  grow- 
ing timber  consisting  of  white  wood,  black 
walnut,  ash  and  other  valuable  timbers. 
The  white  woods  grew  to  an  immense  size, 
W.  A.  Feather  informed  the  writer  that 
some  years  since,  he  measured  a  white  wood 
tree  in  this  locality  which  was  fifteen  feet 
in  circumference.  As  the  tree  grows  to  a 
great  height  with  little  diminution  in  diame- 
ter, it  can  be  readily  conceived  that  the 
lumber  that  could  be  produced  from  such  a 
tree  would  at  this  time  be  worth  several  hun- 
dred dollars. 

In  1834  Abel  Garr  came  from  Indiana 
and  located  in  section  twenty-one,  nearly  in 
the  center  of  the  township.  Mr.  Garr  was 
supervisor  in  1843.  He  died  several  years 
ago.  His  widow  and  daughter,  Martha, 
now  occupy  the  place,  consisting  of  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres,  and  called  the 
''Excelsior  Grain  and  Fruit  Farm."  There 
is  still  growing  on  this  place  a  noble  forest 
of  valuable  timber,  perhaps  the  most  valua- 
ble of  any  in  the  county.  The  growing 
timber  alone  upon  this  place  is  estimated 
to  be  worth  at  least  fourteen  thousand  dol- 
lars. 

Jesse  Helmick,  known  among  the  early 
settlers  as  "Judge  Helmick,"  came  from 
Ohio  on  horseback  in  1835  and  located  in 
the  southeast  part  of  the  township.  He 
was  a  blacksmith  by  trade  and  for  some  time 
carried  on  his  calling  as  well  as  his  farm.  He 
was  an  associate  judge  of  the  county  court 
for  some  time,  and  supervisor  of  the  town- 
ship in  1847  ^^d  1848. 

In  1836  Oliver  Spaulding  came  from 
New  Hampshire  and  settled  on  section 
twenty-six.  He  came  by  way  of  the  Erie 
canal  to  Buffalo,  thence  by  steamboat  to 
Detroit,  thence  by  stage  to  the  St.  Joseph 
river.     In  i860  he  removed  to  Royalton. 

During  the  same  year,  John  and  Lewis 
Storick  came  from  Pennsylvania,  traveling 
overland. 

In   1835,   Samuel  Winslow,  his  wife,  a 


204 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


son  Ezra  and  two  daughters  came  from 
New  Hampshire  to  Oronoko  township. 
Henry  Tudor,  who  had  married  one  of  the 
daughters,  accompanied  them,  with  seven 
children. 

Wilson  located  in  the  southeastern  part 
of  the  township.  Samuel  Tudor,  a  son  of 
Henry,  located  shortly  after  in  section  twen- 
ty-four.   The  father  died  in  1836. 

Jonathan  Knight  came  from  Ohio  in 
1836.  He  was  a  chair  maker  by  trade,  but 
after  w^orking  a  few  years  at  his  trade,  lo- 
cated upon  section  eleven. 

Amos  Gray  came  into  Michigan  as  far 
back  as  1829  and  was  engaged  as  a  mill- 
wright in  northern  Indiana  and  southern 
Michigan.  In  1837  he  settled  at  Berrien 
Springs,  where  he  was  employed  as  a  car- 
penter till  1844,  when  he  removed  to  a  farm, 
where  he  lived  until  he  died.  He  was 
county  surveyor  in  1854. 

Bethuel  and  Ebenezer  Early  came  to 
Oronoko  in  1833  with  their  father.  Bethuel 
and  his  father  settled  on  a  farm,  while  Eb- 
enezer became  a  boatman  and  subsequently 
captain  of  the  *'Mishawaka"  and  other 
boats  which  ran  on  the  river. 

In  1835  a  party  of  several  emigrated 
together  from  Bedford  county,  Pennsylva- 
nia. It  included  Jacob  Statler  and  family, 
Josiah  and  Tobias  Whetstone,  Abram 
Small,  J.  G.  Schultz,  Eliza  Whetstone  and 
George  Schell.  A  son  of  Abram  Small, 
Adam,  was  supervisor  in  1847,  ^^d  settled 
in  section  sixteen.  Schultz  located  in  sec- 
tion twenty-eight  and  became  the  owner  of 
five  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  valuable 
lands.  His  descendants  still  live  on  the 
lands  purchased  by  Mr.  Schultz.  Josiah 
Whetstone  was  supervisor  for  four  terms. 

Joseph  S.  Barnard,  the  father  of  Lyman 
A.  Barnard,  emigrated  from  Ohio  to  La 
Grange  Prairie  in  1828  and  was  one  of  the 
oldest  settlers  of  that  county.  In  1833,  he 
came  to  Oronoko  and  settled  on  a  farm  sev- 
eral miles  west  of  Berrien  Springs.  In 
1832,  he  was  chosen  associate  judge  of  the 


circuit  court.  He  was  supervisor  of  the 
township  from  1840  to  1842.  He  was  a 
man  of  rare  intelligence  and  public  spirited. 
He  died  in  1852. 

Among  the  other  old  settlers  who  came 
in  the  early  thirties  were  George  Brong,  a 
blacksmith,  Stephen  Wood,  a  carpenter, 
Bun  Benton,  Jacob  Akerman,  John  Arm- 
strong, James  M.  Watson,  who  was  a  skill- 
ful engineer  and  for  many  years  a  justice 
of  the  peace. 

In  1836  George  Ewalt  and  George  Es- 
sick  came  to  the  village  from  Pennsylva- 
nia. Ewalt  was  a  carpenter  and  worked  at 
his  trade  for  a  few  years  when  he  moved 
upon  a  farm  west  of  the  village. 

Mr.  Essick  kept  a  hotel  for  a  time  and 
afterwards  became  a  tinner. 

Churches. 

The  first  church  organized  in  the  town- 
ship was  Methodist  Episcopal  and  was  or- 
ganized in  1835,  under  the  pastorate  of 
Rev.  Richard  Meek.  Worship  was  carried 
on  in  a  school  house  untill  1845  when  a 
church  edifice  was  built  in  the  village. 

A  church  of  the  United  Brethern  was  or- 
ganized in  1844.  Thomas  L.  Wilkinson 
was  the  class  leader.  It  was  a  strong  church 
at  the  outset  and  embraced  many  prominent 
settlers. 

As  the  Pennsylvania  German  element 
was  large  in  the  township  no  less  than  three 
Evangelical  Lutheran  churches  were  in  ex- 
istence at  one  time,  one  at  Berrien  Springs, 
one  in  the  Feather  settlement,  and  one  in 
the  southwest  part  of  the  township. 

The  Evangelical  Association  established 
a  church  in  1854  in  the  northwest  part  of 
the  township.  This  was  also  composed 
largely  of  persons  of  German  descent.  The 
doctrines  and  discipline  of  the  church  are 
similar  to  those  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal denomination  and  the  origin  of  this  sect 
was  due  to  a  revolt  from  Lutheranism  in 
Pennsylvania    in    1749    under    the   lead    of 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


205 


Jacob  Albright.     The  church  is  now  strong 
in  certain  parts  of  the  county. 

Supervisors  of  Oronoko  Township. 

The  following  named  persons  have 
served  as  supervisors  at  the  dates  desig- 
nated : 

Edward  Ballingee 1837 

Wm.    Lemon    1838-1839 

Jos.    S.    Barnard 1840-1842 

Abel   Card    1843 

William  Lemon   1844-1845 

G.  B.  Avery 1846 

Jesse  Helmick    1847-1848 

Wm.  Lemon 1849 

John  Garrow    1850 

Josiah   Whetstone    1851-1854 

L.  A.  Barnard 1855 


Jonathan  Knight    1856 

R.  L.  Dudley 1857-1858 

C.  F.  Howe   1859-1860 

C.  D.  Nichols 1861 

Jos.  W.  Howe 1862-1866 

Adam  Small 1867 

J.  P.  Vedder   1868-1869 

J.  W.  Howe 1870 

A.  Van  Patton 1871 

J.   W.   Howe 1872 

C.  F.  Howe  1873-1874 

Z.   Fisher    1875-1878 

Harry  Stemm    1879-1880 

Z.   Fisher    1881-1883 

Alfred  Bowles    1885 

W.  H.  Sylvester 1886-1890 

M.  S.  Bedinger   1891-1892 

Ira  R.  Stemm 1893-1906 

(Present  Incumbent). 


CHAPTER  XII 


BERTRAND. 
The  ''Deserted  Village/ 


This  village  which  now  has  a  population 
of  less  than  fifty  was  once  a  prosperous 
frontier  town  with  a  population  of  nearly 
one  thousand.  It  is  now  situated  in  the 
township  of  Niles,  but  from  the  time  of 
the  organization  of  Bertrand  township  to 
1850  it  belonged  to  the  latter,  and  its  early 
history  is  properly  connected  with  Bertrand 
township.  Its  location  was  on  the  bank  of 
the  St.  Joseph  river  four  miles  south  of 
the  present  city  of  Niles. 

Prior  to  the  organization  of  the  village 
it  was  known  by  the  French  name  of  'Tare 
aux  vaches"  or  ''cow  pasture."  In  1833, 
David  G.  Garnsey,  who  laid  out  a  portion 
of  the  Chicago  and  Detroit  road,  conceived 
the  idea  of  establishing  a  village  at  this 
point.  It  was  on  the  line  of  the  old  Indian 
trail  running  between  Chicago  and  Detroit, 
which  was  early  used  by  the  mail  and  mili- 
tary service  of  the  government,  and  subse- 
quently as  the  main  line  of  the  old  Chicago 
road. 

In  1833  a  joint  stock  association  called 
the  Bertrand  village  association  was  formed, 
of  which  the  following  named  persons  were 
stockholders:  John  M.  Barbour,  David  G. 
Garnsey,  Dr.  Ingalls  and  Ira  Converse  of 
the  state  of  New  York;  Joseph  H.  Williams 
of  Vincennes,  Indiana,  and  Joseph  Bertrand, 
the  Indian  trader,  located  at  this  point.     In 


1833,  Alonzo  Bennett,  a  surveyor  and  prom- 
inent old  settler,  made  the  survey  and  laid 
out  the  village  on  a  grand  scale  for  those 
days.  The  plat  embraced  nearly  a  mile 
square,  containing  about  one  hundred  and 
forty  blocks  and  one  thousand  and  two  hun- 
dred lots.  Mrs.  Madeline  Bertrand,  the  In- 
dian wife  of  Joseph  Bertrand,  held  the  In- 
dian title,  and  her  conset,  as  well  as  that  of 
President  Jackson,  was  obtained  for  the 
establishment  of  the  village.  The  western 
boundary  of  the  town  terminated  on  the 
bank  of  the  St.  Joseph  river.  The  streets 
running  north  and  south  were  named  after 
presidents  of  the  United  States  and  promi- 
nent national  characters.  A  rush  of  settlers 
into  the  new  village  commenced  and  in  1836 
it  contained  seven  dry  goods  stores,  three 
hotels,  three  groceries  and  a  .warehouse. 
The  buildings,  however,  were  nearly  all 
cheap  and  poorly  constructed.  The  most 
imposing  structure  was  a  large  four  story 
hotel,  known  as  the  "Steamboat  Hotel," 
erected  by  Joshua  Howell,  the  grandfather 
of  Marshall  Howell,  a  leading  attorney  of 
southwestern  Michigan,  now  residing  at 
Cassopolis.  In  a  few  years  afterward,  this 
building  was  taken  down  and  floated  on  a 
raft  to  Berrien  Springs,  where  it  was  re- 
erected  into  a  building  which  was  occupied 
for  a  long  time  by  Dr.  Philip  Kephart  as  a 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


207 


<lrug  store  and  subsequently  as  a  hotel 
•called  the  Oronoko.  ■  This  structure  was 
burned  down  a  few  months  since. 

The  village  lots  were  offered  for  sale  in 
1836,  but  instead  of  selling  them  to  the 
highest  bidder,  the  association  bid  them  in 
and  held  them  at  exhorbitant  prices.  This 
policy  on  the  part  of  the  founders,  proved 
to  be  the  beginning  of  the  downfall  of  the 
place.  Settlers  were  drawn  to  Niks  by  the 
more  liberal  spirit  of  her  people,  and  the 
ruin  was  complete  when  the  Michigan  Cen- 
tral Railroad  was  projected  through  Niles. 
John  M.  Barbour  was  a  man  of  unusual 
ability,  and  the  head  of  the  organization. 
He  removed  to  New  York  in  a  few  years 
and  became  a  prominent  judge  in  that  state. 
While  here,  however,  he  established  an  un- 
enviable reputation  as  a  grasping  speculator. 
After  the  close  of  navigation  one  year,  he 
purchased  all  the  salt  along  the  river  and 
held  it  until  he  raised  the  price  to  $12  a 
barrel. 

The  place  was  named  after  the  old  In- 
dian trader,  Joseph  Bertrand,  a  Frenchman 
from  Canada,  who  located  at  this  point 
about  the  year  1780,  and  to  whom  refer- 
ence has  been  made  in  a  previous  chapter. 

The  oldest  continuous  resident  of  the  vil- 
lage was  probably  Darwin  C.  Higbee, 
known  as  ''Squire  Higbee."  He  settled  in 
the  village  of  Bertrand  in  1833  and  lived 
there  till  his  death  in  his  ninetieth  year,  in 
1902.  He  was  postmaster  of  that  village 
for  over  fifty  years,  and  for  many  years  a 
justice  of  the  peace.  His  widow  now  lives 
at  Bertrand. 

The  first  church  edifice  erected  in  Ber- 
rien county,  after  the  Indian  missions  had 
practically  disappeared,  was  built  in  183 1,  in 
Bertrand  township.  It  was  built  of  logs 
near  the  village  of  the  Indian  Chief  Po- 
kagon.  The  pastor  in  charge  at  this  time 
was  Father  Badin,  a  French  Catholic  priest. 
In  1837  this  church  was  supplanted  by  a 
new  brick  church  edifice  erected  in  the  vil- 
lage  of   Bertrand   by  the   Catholics.      This 


building  is  still  standing,  although  the  build- 
ing has  not  been  used  for  many  years.  A 
Catholic  cemetery  was  established  on  the 
same  grounds  with  the  church  and  w^as  used 
by  the  Catholics  of  the  vicinity  till  about 
fifteen  years,  ago,  when  new  cemetery 
grounds  were  laid  out  in  Niles. 

This  ancient  church  and  burial  grounds 
are  located  in  a  handsome  grove  of  magnifi- 
cent oak  trees,  upon  a  bluff  commanding  a 
most  charming  view  of  the  St.  Joseph  river. 
The  cemetery  and  interior  of  the  church  are 
both  in  a  dilapidated  condition,  the  walls, 
however,  of  the  latter  being  intact.  The 
oldest  inscription  in  the  cemetery  which  is 
intelligible  is  that  upon  the  grave  stone  of 
Madeline  Bertrand,  who  died  in  1845,  and 
who  was  the  wife  of  Joseph  Bertrand. 

In  1884,  Father  Sorin,  who  had  founded 
the  college  of  Notre  Dame  in  1843,  ^^^^ 
South  Bend,  established  a  convent  at  Ber- 
trand for  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross.  Their 
first  home  was  a  small  frame  building,  rent- 
ed of  Mr,  Bertrand.  Their  first  work  in- 
cluded the  teaching  of  a  few  children  of  the 
neighborhood,  the  care  of  several  orphans, 
and  the  laundry  work  of  the  students  of 
Notre  Dame.  In  1845  a  new  building  was 
constructed  and  in  a  few  years  the  commun- 
ity developed  into  a  school  known  as  St. 
Mary's  Academy.  Mrs.  Stineman,  now  liv- 
ing at  Niles,  attended  this  school  about  1853. 
At  that  time  it  was  flourishing  and  attended 
by  a  large  number  of  pupils  from  the  sur- 
rounding country.  This  academy  continued 
till  1855,  when  the  buildings  occupied  by 
the  sisters  were  removed  from  St.  Mary's 
at  Bertrand,  to  the  new  St.  Mary's,  near  the 
college  of  Notre  Dame,  and  the  sisters, 
twenty-five  in  number,  were  transferred  to 
the  latter  institution.  Thus  it  will  be  seen 
that  St.  Mary's,  now  famous  as  a  great  edu- 
cational center  of  female  instruction  among 
the  Catholics,  had  its  beginning  in  the  hum- 
ble St.  Mary's  Academy  of  Bertrand.  It 
was  at  Bertrand  that  Mother  Angela,  who 
was  the  Mother  Superior  of  the  present  St. 


200 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Mary's  for  over  thirty  years,  began  her  suc- 
cessful career  in  educational  work.  After 
a  liberal  education  both  in  this  country  and 
in  France,  she  took  charge  of  St.  Mary's 
Academy  at  Bertrand  early  in  1854.  Marie 
Eliza  Gillespie,  for  such  was  the  baptismal 
name  of  Mother  Angela,  was  born  of 
Scotch-Irish  lineage,  in  Pennsylvania  in 
1824,  and  was  an  own  cousin  of  James 
Gillespie  Blaine,  with  whom  in  early  life 
she  had  been  a  school  mate.  She  was  a 
woman  of  charming  personality,  of  brilliant 
attainments,  and  is  said  to  have  strongly  re- 
sembled her  gifted  cousin  in  certain  mag- 
netic and  mental  traits  of  character. 

Bertrand  village  was  for  many  years  the 
**Gretna  Green"  of  Berrien  county.  It  is 
situated  only  about  a  mile  from  the  state 
line,  and  parties  living  in  Indiana,  desiring 
to  be  married  without  a  license  which  was 
required  in  Indiana,  hastened  in  large  num- 
bers to  a  justice  of  the  peace  at  Bertrand 
to  tie  the  nuptial  knot.  One  justice  of  the 
peace,  ''Squire  Rice,"  derived  no  inconsid- 
erable income  from  this  class  of  business 
for  several  years.  A  license  law  in  Michi- 
gan put  an  end  at  length  to  this  profitable 
industry  at  Bertrand. 

The  township  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  the  townships  of  Buchanan  and  Niles,  on 
the  east  by  the  St.  Joseph  river,  on  the  south 
by  the  state  of  Indiana,  and  on  the  west  by 
Galien.  The  township  originally  extended 
to  the  Cass  county  line  on  the  east,  but  in 
1850  that  portion  which  lies  east  of  the  St. 
Joseph  river  was  set  off  to  the  township  of 
Niles. 

A  considerable  portion  of  the  land  con- 
sists of  prairie  and  burr  oak  openings.  The 
prairie  is  known  as  Portage  prairie.  A 
narrow  belt  of  timber  cuts  into  one  portion 
of  the  prairie  and  the  smaller  portion  has 
sometimes  been  called  "Little  Portage." 
The  prairie  lands  embrace  about  three  thou- 
sand acres.  Both  the  prairie  and  burr  oak 
lands  are  very  rich  and  productive.  The 
land  lying  on  the  St.  Joseph  river,  for  a  short 


distance  is  rough  and  hilly,  but  the  surface 
of  nearly  all  the  township  is  level  or  but 
slightly  rolling.  The  amount  of  poor  land 
is  very  small.  For  many  years  Bertrand  was 
the  banner  towaiship  in  the  state  in  the  pro- 
duction of  wheat.  In  1878,  the  production 
was  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand 
bushels.  The  township  is  about  ten  miles 
long  from  east  to  west,  and  three  and  three- 
fifth  miles  wide  north  and  south.  It  em- 
braces two  ranges. 

It  was  organized  in  March,  1836,  hy 
act  of  the  legislature,  and  then  embraced 
Galien  township.  The  first  township  elec- 
tion was  held  at  Union  Hall  in  the  village 
of  Bertrand  in  April,  1836.  At  this  elec- 
tion, Frederic  Howe  was  elected  supervisor^ 
James  H.  Montgomery,  town  clerk,  Joshua 
Howell,  John  De  Armond  and  Alanson 
Hamilton,  justices  of  the  peace. 

By  the  Carey  mission  treaty  of  1828,. 
already  alluded  to,  all  but  about  five  sec- 
tions of  land  in  Bertrand  township  were  as- 
signed to  the  Pottawatomies,  embracing 
some  of  the  choicest  lands  in  Michigan.  The 
reservation  also  embraced  all  of  the  pres- 
ent township  of  Niles,  lying  south  and  west 
of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  and  eight  or  ten  sec- 
tions in  Buchanan,  in  all  containing  about 
forty-nine  sections.  Upon  this  valuable  tract 
of  land  were  collected  all  the  villages  of 
the  Pottawatomies  of  the  St.  Joseph  valley^ 
when  the  early  settlers  arrived,  except  a  few 
who  came  prior  to  1828.  These  villages  were 
quite  numerous  in  Bertrand,  and  some  of 
these  have  already  been  described.  These 
lands  were  not  open  for  sale  to  settlers  till 
after  the  treaty  of  Chicago  in  1833. 

The  first  settlement  in  the  township  ap- 
pears to  have  been  made  by  Nathan  Hat- 
field. Mr.  Hatfield  came  from  Wayne  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  to  the  Carey  mission  in  1828 
and  located  upon  Portage  prairie  in  section 
twenty,  range  seventeen,  on  the  state  line. 
The  larger  part  of  his  farm  was  in  Indiana 
but  he  built  his  house  on  the  Michigan  side, 
and  in  1829  went  back  to  his  old  home  and 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


209 


brought  back  his  family  to  his  new  residence. 
The  Indian  village  of  Pokagon  was  located 
near  his  farm.    He  died  many  years  ago. 

Milton  Hatfield,  a  former  supervisor 
and  prominent  farmer  of  Niles  township, 
who  is  now  residing  in  the  city  of  Niles,  is 
a  son  of  Nathan  Hatfield. 

The  next  settlement  made  in  the  town- 
ship was  made  in  183 1  by  Benjamin  M. 
Redding,  a  native  of  Virginia,  who,  how- 
ever, at  an  early  day  had  settled  in  Ohio. 
He  located  in  section  seven  on  the  site  of  the 
present  village  of  Dayton,  outside  of  the 
Indian  Reservation,  and  built  a  log  resi- 
dence and  saw  mill.  He  moved  into  his 
residence  with  his  family  in  1832. 

The  saw  mill  was  located  on  the  edge 
of  the  ''Galien  Woods"  and  for  some  years 
did  a  large  business.  Other  settlers  located 
afterwards  at  this  point,  and  the  place  was 
known  as  ''Redding's  Mill"  till  1848  when 
the  name  was  changed  to  Dayton.  In  1837, 
Mr.  Redding  moved  to  Niles  and  resided 
there  most  of  the  time  till  his  death  in  1877. 
He  was  eighty-six  years  old  at  the  time  of  his 
death. 

The  first  Protestant  Church  in  the  town- 
ship was  organized  at  his  house  in  1833. 
It  was  a  Methodist  society  of  which  he  was 
chosen  leader.  He  had  a  family  of  twelve 
children,  only  one  of  whom  survived  him, 
James  H.  Redding,  who  died  several  years 
since. 

The  widow  of  James,  Mrs.  Jane  Red- 
ding, died  recently  at  her  farm  near  Day- 
ton, at  an  advanced  age. 

Dav5d  Vtaderhof  and  Charles  Wells, 
natives  of  New  York,  moved  together  into 
the  township  in  1834.  Mr.  Vanderhof  set- 
tled on  section  seven,  and  for  two  or  three 
years  kept  a  store  on  his  farm.  He  died  in 
1875,  aged  over  ninety  years,  leaving  two 
children  living  in  this  county,  Thomas,  a 
resident  of  Bertrand,  and  Mrs.  J.  W.  Post, 
of  Buchanan.  Thomas  died  many  years 
ago.  Mrs.  Post  died  recently  at  an  advanced 
age. 
14 


Charles  Wells  and  his  family,  consisting 
of  a  wife  and  seven  children,  settled  on  sec- 
tion seven,  range  seventeen,  and  subse- 
quently on  section  thirteen.  The  sons  of 
Charles  Wells,  Francis  and  Joseph,  became 
prominent  land  owners  in  the  township. 
Both  of  them  died  several  years  ago.  The 
widow  of  Francis  is  still  living.  Isaac  Wells, 
another  son  of  Charles  Wells,  has  resided 
for  many  years  at  Dowagiac. 

One  settler  was  permitted  to  locate  in- 
side the  ''reservation"  before  the  Indians 
ceded  it  to  the  government.  This  was  Sam- 
uel Street,  who  was  permitted  to  select  a 
home  in  section  nine,  range  seventeen,  by 
Pokagon,  as  compensation  for  labor  per- 
formed for  the  Indians.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  state  house  of  representatives  in  1851 
and  a  supervisor  of  the  township.  He  died 
in   1861. 

John  De  Armond,  from  Ohio,  settled 
near  Dayton  in  1834.  He  kept  a  small  store 
and  carried  on  an  extensive  trade  with  the 
Indians  until  their  removal.  His  goods  were 
brought  from  Cincinnati.  Ten  days  were 
occupied  in  making  the  trip  and  ten  days  in 
returning.  He  died  many  years  since.  One 
child,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Haines  of  Walkerton, 
Indiana,  is  now  living.  Mr.  De  Armond 
was  supervisor  in  1841. 

Frederic  Howe,  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, but  a  resident  of  New  York,  in  1834, 
started  on  a  tour  with  a  horse  and  buggy, 
intending  to  locate  in  the  state  of  Illinois. 
In  passing  into  Bertrand  township  he 
became  so  much  pleased  with  the  country 
that  he  shortly  after  located  on  a  farm  in 
section  eleven,  range  eighteen.  He  brought 
his  family,  consisting  of  a  wife  and  eleven 
children,  and  settled  on  the  place  in  1835. 
A  rude  cabin  had  been  put  up  by  a  previous 
squatter.  The  fire  place  of  this  cabin  was 
made  of  split  logs,  the  chimney  of  split  stakes 
plastered  on  the  inside  with  clay,  the  roof 
of  split  shingles,  or  ''shakes"  four  feet  in 
length  and  the  floor  of  split  basswood  logs 
fastened  down  by  wooden  pins. 


210 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Mr.  Howe  was  the  first  supervisor  of  the 
township.  He  acquired  about  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  land,  but  in  his  later  years 
moved  into  the  village  of  Buchanan,  where 
lie  died  in  1864.    His  wife  died  in  1869. 

One  child  is  now  living,  Charles  F. 
Howe,  who  was  supervisor  of  the  township 
for  six  terms,  and  who  now  resides  at 
Buchanan. 

In  March,  1835,  Alanson  Hamilton,  from 
New  York,  located  in  section  seventeen, 
range  eighteen.  Later  he  lived  on  section 
six.  He  was  elected  a  justice  of  the  peace  at 
the  first  township  election  and  held  the  office 
for  fourteen  years.  He  died  in  1874.  His 
only  child  living  is  Nathaniel  A.  Hamilton, 
who  moved  into  Buchanan  in  early  life,  and 
is  now  the  oldest  continuous  resident  of  that 
village.  He  is  in  his  eighty-sixth  year,  and 
is  still  quite  active  and  vigorous.  He  is  re- 
ferred to  in  connection  with  the  sketch  of 
Buchanan. 

Samuel  Redden  settled  in  Bertrand  vil- 
lage in  1835,  ^^^  moved  to  the  west  part  of 
Bertrand  township  in  1838. 

Two  sons  are  now^  living  in  the  county, 
Samuel  W.,  who  has  been  a  prominent  mer- 
chant at  Buchanan  where  he  resides,  and 
John,  a  heavy  land  owner  in  the  western 
part  of  Bertrand  township. 

Benjamin  Franklin,  a  native  of  New 
York,  settled  in  the  township  in  1835.  A 
son  Freeman  has  been  a  supervisor,  and  is 
still  living  in  the  township.    . 

William  Batson  came  to  the  township  in 

1836. 

In  1836,  Enos  Holmes  came  from  New 
York  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
five  acres,  part  of  which  lay  in  Bertrand 
township  and  part  in  Buchanan,  but  the 
larger  part  lay  in  section  four,  Bertrand 
township.  He  shortly  after  returned  to  New 
York,  but  in  1846  again  moved  to  Michigan 
and  located  on  the  farm  which  he  purchased. 
He  died  in  1869. 

A  son,  Enos  Holmes,  is  living  in  Ber- 
trand township  and  is  a  large  land  owner. 


Another  son,  John  G.  Holmes,  was  editor 
of  the  Berrien  County  Record  for  many 
years,  but  removed  west  a  few  years  since. 

In  1838  Isaac  Faurote  located  at  Day- 
ton and  established  a  blacksmith  shop,  but 
shortly  afterwards  removed  to  Hamilton, 
Indiana. 

A  son,  George  L.  Faurote,  is  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  Niles  City  Bank  and  actively 
connected  with  its  business  at  its  office. 

Isaac  Faurote  is  now  living  at  Niles  with 
his  son. 

Among  the  exciting  events  of  the  early 
history  of  the  township  was  the  detection  of 
a  gang  of  counterfeiters,  who  made  their 
headquarters  for  business  in  the  township, 
although  their  homes  were  generally  else- 
where. The  favorite  resort  of  this  gang  was 
a  lonely  wooded  island  in  Topinabee  lake, 
afterward  called  by  the  old  settlers  ''Bogus 
Island."  An  extensive  system  of  counter- 
feiting had  been  carried  on  at  this  point  for 
some  time  before  detection.  The  leader  of 
the  gang,  Dr.  Harrison,  a  prominent  phy- 
sician of  Buchanan,was  finally  arrested,  tried 
and  convicted  for  counterfeiting  in  the  fed- 
eral courts,  with  others,  and  the  business 
was  then  broken  up. 

About  the  year  1844  the  emigration  into 
Bertrand  of  a  peculiar  and  distinct  class 
of  settlers  commenced.  It  was  that  of  the 
so-called  ''Pennsylvania  Dutch,"  who  subse- 
quently made  up  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  population  of  the  township.  Many  of 
this  class  of  settlers  when  they  came  to  Ber- 
trand were  unable  to  talk  intelligible  English 
although  their  ancestors  had  settled  in  Penn- 
sylvania at  least  a  century  before. 

The  history  of  this  class  of  people  is  pe- 
culiarly interesting.  It  consisted  of  various 
sects  of  Protestant  Germans  who  emigrated 
to  this  country  from  their  native  land  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  and  the  first 
half  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  mainly 
poured  into  the  Quaker  province.  The  first 
emigration  consisted  of  Mennonites,  who  re- 
sembled the  Quakers  strongly  in  their  re- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


211 


ligious  belief  and  customs,  and  who  were 
known  as  German  Quakers.  Then  followed 
the  Dunkers,  known  here  as  Dunkards  or 
German  Baptists.  Subsequently  a  large 
stream  of  immigration  poured  in  from  the 
Palatinate,  consisting  of  Lutherans.  At  the 
close  of  the  Revolution  one-third  of  the  pop- 
ulation of  Pennsylvania  w^as  German  or  of 
German  descent. 

These  people  mostly  went  into  the  valley 
of  the  Susquehanna  and  made  settlements 
of  their  own^  mingled  and  intermarried  with 
the  English  race  but  little,  and  developed  a 
peculiar  dialect  which  was  High  German 
with  an  odd  admixture  of  English.  This 
peculiar  language  was  not  only  spoken,  but 
printed  and  taught  in  the  schools.  The 
'"Pennsylvania  Dutch"  adhered  to  their  lan- 
guage and  habits  with  such  tenacity  that  the 
state  was  not  able  to  substitute  English 
schools  or  overthrow  the  force  of  old  habits 
till  about  sixty  years  ago. 

They  were  generally  honest  and  thrifty 
farmers  and  good  citizens.  Among  this 
class  of  settlers  in  Bertrand  the  Roughs 
were  the  most  numerous.  John  R.  Rough 
came  first.  He  was  a  native  of  Juniata 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  emigrated  in  1844 
to  Bertrand  township  w^here  he  purchased  a 
farm  upon  which  he  lived  till  his  death.  At 
the  time  of  his  death  he  was  ninety-five 
years  old. 

David  Rough,  a  native  also  of  Juniata 
county,  Pennsylvania,  emigrated  to  Bertrand 
township  in  1849  ^^^  located  in  sections 
twelve  and  thirteen.  He  became  quite 
wealthy  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1876, 
owned  nearly  twelve  hundred  acres. 

Three  children  are  now  living,  William 
R.  and  Solomon  of  Buchanan,  and  Eliza, 
wife  of  Amos  C.  House. 

William  and  Solomon  were  for  many 
years  engaged  extensively  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  wagons  at  Buchanan.  William  was 
at  one  time  president  of  the  village. 


Jacob  Rough,  a  brother  of  David,  also 
came  from  Pennsylvania,  and  settled  in  Ber- 
trand township  in  1849. 

His  son,  George  W.,  was  treasurer  of  the 
county  for  two  terms,  from  1879  ^^ 
1883,  and  has  also  been  supervisor  of  his 
township.  These  families  were  followed  by 
other  members  of  the  Rough  families  in 
Pennsylvania,  by  Amos  House,  Peter 
Womer,  Isaac  Long,  Stephen  Amy,  Daniel 
Bressler,  the  Houseworths,  the  Cauffmanns, 
A.  Leiter,  and  others. 

Three  brothers,  Charles,  Cyrus  E.  and 
Mahlon  Gillette,  settled  in  the  township  at 
an  early  day,  the  two  former  locating  in 
section  four  and  the  latter  in  section  ten. 
They  became  prominent  farmers  of  the  com- 
munity. A  son  of  Charles,  Joel,  was  super- 
visor of  the  township  for  three  terms,  county 
register  from  1893  to  1897  and  representa- 
tive to  the  state  legislature  from  1901  to 
1905.  He  resides  at  present  in  the  city  of 
Niles. 

In  1842,  four  brothers,  Stephen,  Lewis, 
Hiram  and  Charles  Baker  came  to  Bertrand 
and  located  at  what  is  known  as  ''Baker- 
town,"  a  mile  southwest  of  Buchanan.  Here 
they  built  a  saw  mill  and  a  carding  mill 
which  they  operated  for  some  time.  All  of 
them  lived  to  advanced  ages.  Charles,  the 
last  survivor,  died  a  few  months  since  at 
South  Bend. 

One  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  Bertrand 
township  now  living  is  Samuel  Messenger. 
He  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1844, 
he  came  with  his  widowed  mother  to  Berrien 
county,  where  they  located  on  Portage 
Prairie.  Here  Mr.  Messenger  acquired  a 
valuable  farm  of  about  two  hundred  acres, 
and  became  a  prosperous  and  influential 
farmer.   He  is  now  living  in  the  city  of  Niles. 

James  Badger,  a  prominent  settler  of 
Bertrand  township,  came  from  New  York 
in  1844  and  purchased  a  farm  on  Portage 
Prairie,  although  he  did  not  locate  on  it  till 


212 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


1845.  He  was  subsequently  president  of 
the  Farmers'  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  As- 
sociation and  the  Berrien  County  Agri- 
cultural Society,  and  held  various  local  of- 
fices. He  died  in  1888.  Two  children  now 
live  in  the  county,  Chester  Badger,  one  of 
the  present  county  superintendents  of  the 
poor,  and  Mrs.  Fannie  Knox. 

Among  prominent  and  early  settlers  who 
located  in  the  township  may  be  mentioned 
David  A.  Best,  Daniel  Bressler,  Patrick 
Cunan,  Archibald  Dunbar,  John  Dye,  Oliver 
Dalrymple,  Eli  and  Enoch  Egbert,  Michael 
Herkimer,  John  Keller,  Isaac  Long,  Amos 
House,  James  L.  Parent,  C.  G.  Pope,  George 
Potter,  Isaiah  Rhodes,  Moses  Shook,  G.  C. 
and  J.  B.  Stryker,  Michael  Swobe,  N.  Wil- 
son, Peter  Womer  and  William  Haslett. 

Michael  Herkimer  came  with  his  father, 
George  R.  Herkimer,  to  Bertrand  township 
from.  New  York,  at  an  early  day.  He  was  a 
prominent  man  in  the  community.  His  son, 
George  R.  Herkimer,  is  a  prominent  physi- 
cian of  Dowagiac  and  at  present  the  Demo- 
cratic candidate  for  congress  in  the  fourth 
congressional  district. 

William  Haslett  was  supervisor  of  the 
township  for  fourteen  terms,  eleven  of  which 
were  continuous. 

The  following  named  persons  have  been 
supervisors  of  the  township  of  Bertrand  dur- 
ing the  years  designated : 


Fred  A.   Howe    1836-1839 

John   Barbour    1840 

John  De  Armond 1841 

Jos.  G.  Ames 1842 

Lewis   Bryant    1843 

Samuel   Street 1844 

Abram  Ogden    1845 

F.  A.  Howe 1846-1847 

Luther  R.  Palmer 1848- 1849 

Enos   Holmes 1850-185 1 

Herman  Baker 1852-1855 

Daniel  Terrierre 1854 

William  Haslett    1855-1856 

Daniel  Terrierre 1857 

William   Haslett    1 858-1 868 

Jacob  Young    1869 

William  Haslett 1870 

Freeman   Franklin    1871-1873 

C.  F.  Howe   1874 

W.  D.  Badger 1875-1876 

Peter   Womer    1877 

J.  H.  Young   1878 

C.  F.  Howe 1879-1881 

J.  H.  Gillette   1882 

Freeman  Franklin    1883 

C.  F.  Howe 1884-1885 

Freeman  Franklin    1886 

J.  H.  Gillette 1887-188& 

Peter  Womer 1889-1891 

C.  H.  Wells  1892 

G.  W.  Rough    1893-1894 

Peter   Womer    1895-1896 

A.  F.  Howe 1897-1902 

C.  W.  Matthews   1903-1906 

(present  incumbent.) 


CHAPTER    XIII 


BUCHANAN  TOWNSHIP. 


This  township  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Oronoko  township,  on  the  east  by  Niles, 
on  the  south  by  Bertrand  and  on  the  west 
by  Weesaw.  It  contains  thirty-six  sections 
of  land,  of  which  about  four  he  east  of  the 
St.  Joseph  river.  The  surface  is  generally 
rolling  and  the  township  contains  no  large 
level  tracts  of  land.  The  soil  is  generally 
rich  and  productive  and  is  well  watered  by 
several  small  lakes  and  streams.  The  highest 
point  is  Moccasin  Blufif,  located  on  the  St. 
Joseph  river,  about  one  mile  north  of  the 
village  of  Buchanan.  When  the  first  set- 
tlers arrived,  the  village  of  one  of  the  leading 
Pottawatomie  chiefs,  Moccasin,  was  located 
on  the  flat  below  the  bluff.  Another  Indian 
village  called  Mishaquaka  was  located  just 
south  of  the  village. 

The  first  person  to  settle  in  the  township 
is  said  to  have  been  Charles  Cowles,  who 
came  to  Niles  in  1832  from  Vermont  and 
located  on  the  present  site  of  Buchanan  vil- 
lage in  1833,  where  he  erected  a  cabin.  He 
shortly  afterwards  built  a  shingle  mill  on 
McCoy's  creek.  In  1834  John  Hatfield  lo- 
cated near  Cowles  and  built  a  saw  mill  on 
the  creek.  In  1835  Cowles  and  Hatfield  sold 
their  claims  to  Dr.  C.  C.  Wallin. 

Russell  McCoy  came  from  Virginia  to 
Pokagon  Prairie  in  1829  and  in  1830  to 
the  Carey  mission.  After  working  at  the 
Mission  a  short  time  he  engaged  in  boating 
on  the  St.  Joseph  river.    In  1833  he  located 


a  claim  and  cleared  a  small  tract  of  land  at 
the  mouth  of  McCoy's  creek,  which  empties 
into  the  St.  Joseph  river  at  the  present  site 
of  the  village  of  Buchanan.  In  1834  he  and 
Hiram  Wray  built  a  log  cabin  upon  the  land 
and  in  1835  a  ^^^  mill  at  the  mouth  of  the 
creek.  He  shortly  after  moved  to  Missouri 
but  returned  in  1839.  He  engaged  in  farm- 
ing for  some  years,  then  kept  a  store  in  Bu- 
chanan and  also  a  hotel.  About  1856  he 
with  others,  bought  two  hundred  acres  on 
the  bank  of  Clear  Lake,  three  miles  west  of 
Buchanan,  and  built  a  steam  saw  mill.  He 
died  in  Buchanan  in  1873. 

Leonard  Madden  in  1835  located  a  claim 
in  section  twenty-five,  and  built  a  log  cabin. 
In  1836  he  sold  his  claim  to  Andrew  C. 
Day.  Mr.  Day  was  a  native  of  Connecticut 
and  came  to  Buchanan  in  1836.  He  worked 
on  the  saw  mill  at  the  mouth  of  the  creek 
some  time  and  in  1839  he  and  John  Hamil- 
ton erected  a  grist  mill  with  two  run  of 
stones  on  the  creek.  For  a  time  he  was 
engaged  in  mercantile  business.  In  1875, 
he,  in  connection  with  William  R.  Rough, 
and  Solomon  Rough,  established  a  wagon 
factory,  which  for  several  years  carried  on 
a  large  business  and  employed  a  large  num- 
ber of  workmen.  He  was  a  prominent  citi- 
zen and  for  many  years  one  of  the  village 
board  of  trustees.  A  daughter,  Mrs.  Mary 
Matthews,  now  lives  in  Denver,  Colorado. 

John  Hatfield  and  one  Atkins  came  to 


214 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Buchanan  in  1835  ^^^^  P^t  up  a  saw  mill.  In 
1834  Seth  S.  Sherwood,  from  New  York, 
located  one  mile  north  of  Moccasin  Bluff, 
where  he  lived  till  his  death  in  1856.  He 
was  the  first  settler  in  his  neighborhood  and 
was  the  father  of  Hon.  Alonzo  Sher- 
wood, w^ho  was  a  member  of  the  State  Leg- 
islature in  1879  and  who  then  lived  in  Wee- 
saw  tow^nship.  Our  late  county  treasurer, 
Alva  M.  Sherwood,  who  died  during  the 
past  year  while  holding  this  position,  was  a 
son  of  Alonzo  Sherwood.  The  latter  is  now 
living  in  the  state  of  Nebraska. 

John  Hamilton,  a  millwright  by  trade, 
came  from  Virginia,  in  1837,  to  Niles  and 
in  1839  moved  to  Buchanan  and  in  partner- 
ship with  Andrew  C.  Day  built  the  grist 
mill,  already  referred  to.  Mr.  Hamilton 
laid  out  the  first  village  plat  in  1842.  He 
also  built  the  first  grist  mill  in  Bertrand 
township,  southwest  of  Bertrand  village. 

T.  J.  Hunter  came  with  his  father  and 
family  in  1831  and  located  in  Niles  town- 
ship, but  moved  to  the  west  side  of  the  river 
in  1835,  locating  on  section  ten.  Among 
other  settlers  who  came  about  this  time  were 
William  Wagner,  who  built  a  saw  mill  in 
section  seven,  Levi  Sanford  and  A.  Colvin. 

John  Weaver  came  from  Ohio  in  1829 
and  located  on  the  St.  Joseph  river  in  Niles 
township.  In  1837  he  located  a  claim  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section 
twenty-eight.  His  children,  Samuel,  Esther, 
married  Russell  McCoy,  Fanny,  who  mar- 
ried Charles  Clark,  Polly,  who  married 
John  Juday,  and  David  Weaver,  all  lo- 
cated in  or  near  Buchanan.  David  Weaver 
moved  to  Dayton,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
the  mercantile  business  for  many  years. 

.  One  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  Berrien 
county  and  Buchanan  township  was  Russell 
Babcock,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  came 
to  Berrien  county  in  1828.  Llis  wife,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Margaret  Bulkley,  came 
from  Ohio  to  this  county  in  1834,  and  was 
married  to  Mr.  Babcock  in  1836  in  Bu- 
chanan.    This  was  the  second  marriage  in 


Buchanan.  They  lived  for  several  years 
after  their  marriage  in  sectioii  seven.  Mr. 
Babcock  was  one  of  the  first  to  pre-empt  land 
in  the  township.  He  subsequently  moved  to 
the  neighborhood  of  New  Troy  where  he 
died  three  years  ago  in  his  ninetieth  year. 
His  wife  is  now  living  at  New  Troy  in  her 
eighty-ninth  year.  Two  daughters,  Mrs. 
Dr.  J.  H.  Royce  and  Mrs.  Lucinda  Cox,  are 
now  living  at  New  Troy. 

In  1836  Peter  Critchet  moved  from  La 
Porte  county  to  Buchanan  and  resided  there 
till  1849,  when  he  removed  to  Galien. 

Jacob  Dragoo,  from  Virginia,  located  in 
the  township  in  1834,  but  lived  but  a  few 
years  after.  His  son,  Uel  Dragoo,  came  im 
1835  from  Virginia.  In  1844  he  bought  a 
tract  of  land  on  Moccasin  Flat.  John  F. 
Dragoo  in  1840  also  located  in  the  same 
neighborhood.  A  son  of  Uel  Dragoo,  Lib- 
erty, is  living  in  Buchanan  township. 

John  Juday,  a  tanner  by  trade,  settled 
upon  sections  seven  and  eighteen  in  1835. 
He  w^as  supervisor  in  1842,  1845  and  from 
1848  to  1 85 1.  Two  children  are  now  living,. 
Mrs.  Harvey  Haskins  and  a  son,  Harvey. 

David  Sanford  settled  in  1836  near  the 
village  of  Buchanan. 

Godfrey  Boyle  in  1835,  settled  on  sectioii 
six.  He  soon  moved  to  Lake  township  and 
is  referred  to  in  the  chapter  on  that  town- 
ship. 

Joseph  Coveney,  a  native  of  Ireland,  in 
1835,  located  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
township  where  he  subsequently  acquired 
about  six  hundred  acres  of  choice  lands.  He 
had  thirteen  children^  of  whom  several  are 
now  living.  In  his  religious  belief  he  was 
a  follower  of  Thomas  Paine.  During  his 
lifetime  he  erected  a  handsome  monument 
in  the  cemetery  at  Buchanan,  costing  about 
three  thousand  dollars,  upon  which  were  in- 
scribed some  of  his  atheistic  sentiments  in 
his  own  vigorous  language.  Some  one  de- 
faced the  monument  and  Mr.  Coveney  at- 
tributed the  act  to  the  son  of  a  minister.  He 
died  in  1894.     Two  of  his  sons,  John  Cov- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


215 


eney  and  Joseph  Coveney,  now  residing-  upon 
lands  located  by  their  father,  have  entered 
into  the  cultivation  of  fruit  extensively  and 
have  the  largest  peach  orchards  in  the  town- 
ship, each  containing  about  forty  acres. 

Darius  Jennings  emigrated  from  New 
York  at  an  early  day  to  St.  Joseph,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  boating  on  the  river  and  was 
captain  oi  the  ''Mishawaka."  In  1835,  he 
located  near  Moccasin  Bluff.  He  was  lib- 
erally  educated  and  was  supervisor  in  1838- 
39-40-43  and  1855  ^i^d  held  other  prominent 
positions  in  the  township.  He  removed  sub- 
secjuently  to  Illinois. 

Dr.  C.  C.  Wallin,  a  physician,  moved 
to  Buchanan  in  1835.  He  practiced  his  pro- 
fession there  till  1843  when  he  removed  to 
Berrien  Springs.  He  went  to  Chicago  in 
1849.  While  he  lived  in  Buchanan  he  was 
connected  with  various  industries  and  es- 
tablished a  grist  mill  at  a  very  early  date. 
He  was  the  first  supervisor  of  the  township. 
In  1836  Watson  Roe  came  from  Indiana 
and  first  settled  in  Bertrand  township. 
Shortly  after,  he  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  section  twenty-seven  in  Bu- 
chanan township.  A  few  years  later  other 
members  of  the  Roe  family  from  Indiana 
settled  in  Buchanan,  among  whom  were  Eli 
Roe,  Dr.  J.  M.  Roe,  J.  H.  Roe,  E.  J.  Roe 
and  J.  J.  Roe.  Eli  was  a  brother  of  Watson 
Roe. 

The  Roe  family  w^as  prominent  in  the 
history  of  the  village.  Dr.  J.  M.  Roe  had  an 
extensive  medical  practice. 

A.  C.  Roe,  a  prominent  attorney  of  Bu- 
chanan and  former  prosecuting  attorney  of 
the  county,  is  a  son  of  Dr.  Roe.  Several 
of  the  Roe  family  have  been  ministers  or  ex- 
horters  in  the  Christian  Church. 

The  Roes  were  a  musical  family  and 
many  years  since  several  of  them  formed  a 
glee  club  called  the  ''Roe  Family,"  which  for 
several  years  frequently  gave  concerts  and 
often  sung  at  popular  entertainments  and  on 
public  occasions,  in  Michigan  and  Indiana. 
This  club  was  deservedly  popular. 


In  1837,  Hiram  Weese  from  Indiana  lo- 
cated one  mile  northeast  of  Buchanan  on 
the  east  side  of  the  river.  In  1840  he  moved 
across  the  river  and  built  the  first  blacksmith 
shop  in  this  region.  He  also  built  a  log 
house  in  which  school  was  taught  in  1841 
and  1842  by  Angelina  Bird,  a  popular  school 
teacher  in  the  early  days.  Weese  was  post- 
master and  justice  for  some  time  and  died 
at  an  advanced  age  several  years  since. 

The  oldest  resident  of  the  village  of  Bu- 
chanan  now   living   there   is   Nathaniel    A. 
Hamilton.     He  came  with  his  father,  Alan- 
son  Hamilton,  from  the  state  of  New  York 
and  settled  in  Bertrand  township  in   1835. 
About  six  years  after  N.  A.  Hamilton  moved 
into  the  village  of  Buchanan  where  he  has 
ever  since  lived.     For  many  years  he  was  a 
prominent  and  popular  auctioneer  conduct- 
ing sales  in  all  parts  of  the  county.     He  has 
also  held  various  local  offices.    He  is  now  in 
his  eighty-sixth  year.     In  his  boyhood  days 
he  often  attended  service  at  the  old  Catholic 
Church  in  Bertrand  township  and  w^as  well 
acquainted  with  the  Indian  chief,  Pokagon. 
In    1844,    Garrett   Morris,    a   native    of 
Ohio,  came  to  Buchanan  and  built  the  first 
hotel  in  the  village,   called  the  ''American 
House."     He  had   previously  carried   on   a 
grocery  at  New  Carlisle,  Indiana,  where  he 
located   in    1837.      He  was   also   appointed 
postmaster   at   New   Carlisle   in     1840    and 
Schuyler  Colfax  was  deputy  under  him  for 
three  years.     Mr.  Morris  conducted  a  store 
also  for  some  time  at  Buchanan.     His  son,. 
John  Morris,  resides  at  Buchanan  and  until 
recently  has  been  engaged  in  the  mercan- 
tile business. 

One  of  the  oldest  residents  of  Buchanan 
who  settled  in  Berrien  county  at  a  very  early 
date  is  Homer  N.  Hathaway.  He  came 
with  his  father,  Nadah  Hamilton,  to  Ber- 
rien county  in  1842,  from  the  state  of  New 
York.  His  father  settled  in  the  southwest 
corner  of  Niles  township  (now  Buchanan) 
and  died  in  1849.  Homer  Hathaway  moved 
into  Buchanan  in  1856  and  was  engaged  for 


2l6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


many  years  in  the  threshing  business.  He 
was  village  marshal  for  many  years  and  held 
various  local  offices.  Mr.  Hathaway's  mem- 
ory, although  he  is  seventy-three  years  of 
age,  is  vivid  and  he  has  furnished  the  writer 
many  items  as  to  the  early  history  of  Bu- 
chanan. A  brother,  W.  G.  Hathaway,  is 
also  living  at  Buchanan. 

Another  old  resident  is  Myron  S.  Mead, 
who  has  lived  in  the  village  for  over  fifty 
years.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the  saw  mill 
business  for  many  years  and  was  a  former 
president  of  the  village. 

Charles  S.  Black  was  extensively  en- 
gaged for  many  years  in  the  manufacture  of 
bedsteads  and  other  furniture.  He  was 
president  of  the  village  from  1873  ^^  1876. 
He  is  now  living  at  Buchanan. 

The  first  dry  goods  store  in  the  village 
w^as  opened  in  1842  by  the  firm  of  Stanley, 
Staple  and  Twombly.  Twombly  was  then 
a  prominent  merchant  at  Niles  and  did  not 
remove  to  Buchanan. 

A  distillery  was  established  about  1840 
by  Julius  Russell,  with  whom  Charles  Clark 
was  afterward  associated.  Mr.  Clark  be- 
came a  prominent  merchant  and  was  for  sev- 
eral years  in  partnership  in  the  mercantile 
business  with  L.  P.  Alexander.  Mr.  Clark 
was  president  of  the  village  and  also  a  super- 
visor of  the  township. 

The  first  physician  in  the  place  was 
Dr.  William  C.  Harrison.  Dr.  Har- 
rison was  a  man  of  unusual  ability,  but  was 
arrested  by  the  federal  authorities  for  coun- 
terfeiting money  and  tried  and  convicted  for 
the  offense.  He  was  evidently  at  the  head 
of  a  gang  of  counterfeiters  who  for  some 
time  carried  on  an  extensive  system  of  coun- 
terfeiting. 

The  first  attorney  in  the  village  was  John 
Grove.  He  was  an  able  lawyer  and  was  a 
member  of  the  state  house  of  representa- 
tives in  1845  ^i^d  1846.  His  health  failed 
while  he  was  still  young,  and  he  died  about 
forty-five  years  ago.    His  wife  was  a  daugh- 


ter of  David  Vanderhof  and  died  recently 
at  an  advanced  age. 

The  village  of  Buchanan  was  platted  by 
John  Hamilton  in  1842  and  contained  about 
forty  acres.  The  original  village  has  been 
greatly  enlarged  by  subsequent  additions. 
The  village  was  incorporated  in  1858  and 
at  the  first  election  James  M.  Matthews  was 
chosen  president. 

Among  the  prominent  early  settlers  of 
the  village  were  Edward  Ballingee,  L.  P. 
Alexander,  and  John  D.  Ross. 

Mr.  Ballingee  came  from  Virginia  and 
located  at  Berrien  Springs  in  1833,  where  he 
carried  on  a  store  with  Thomas  Love.     In 

1833  he  moved  to  Buchanan  and  was  elected 
supervisor  and  justice  of  the  peace.  Subse- 
quently he  lived  in  Lake  township  and  at 
New  Buffalo,  and  in  1853  went  to  Califor- 
nia where  he  resided  till  1866,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Buchanan  where  he  lived  most  of 
the  time  till  his  death.  He  was  a  justice  of 
the  peace  for  many  years. 

L.  P.  Alexander  came  from  New  York 
and  settled  in  Buchanan  in  1841,  first  work- 
ing at  his  trade,  that  of  carpenter  and  joiner. 
Subsequently  he  engaged  in  carrying  on  a 
general  store  in  partnership  with  Charles 
Clark.  He  was  supervisor  of  the  township 
from  1846  to  1852.  He  again  served  in  that 
capacity  from  1861  to  1866  and  from  1871 
to  1878.  In  i860  he  was  a  member  of  the 
house  of  representatives  in  the  state  legis- 
lature, in  1867  a  member  of  the  state  con- 
stitutional convention,  and  a  member  of  the 
state  senate  in  1870.  He  was  also  for  sev- 
eral years  postmaster.  He  was  an  active 
and  influential  leader  of  the  Republican 
party. 

John  D.  Ross  was  one  of  the  earliest  set- 
tlers of  the  county.     He  came  to  Niles  in 

1834  where  he  engaged  in  blacksmithing. 
He  remained  there  but  a  short  time  and  went 
to  Hamilton,  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana, 
where  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business  till 
1847  when  he  moved  to  Buchanan  and  be- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


217 


came  engaged  in  the  same  business  with  his 
son  Frank,  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  D. 
Ross  &  Son.  In  1852,  in  partnership  with 
T.  M.  Fulton,  he  started  a  private  bank. 
Afterward,  for  a  short  time,  it  was  merged 
into  a  National  Bank.  In  1873,  the  bank 
again  became  a  private  bank  under  the  name 
of  J.  D.  Ross  &  Son.  Mr.  Ross  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  legislature  in  1855.  His  son  Frank 
carried  on  the  bank  for  several  years  after 
his  father's  death,  but  removed  west  some 
years  since. 

In  1847  James  Reynolds  and  John,  his 
brother,  established  a  store  in  Buchanan 
which  was  managed  by  James.  These  broth- 
ers had  emigrated  with  their  father  to  La 
Porte  county,  Indiana,  in  1833.  James 
Reynolds  remained  at  Buchanan  three  years 
and  then  moved  to  Dayton,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  business  for  six  years. 
In  1 86 1,  he  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land 
in  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  where  he  re- 
sided till  his  death  which  occurred  during 
the  past  year. 

He  acquired  the  ownership  of  several 
thousands  of  acres  of  land  located  in  St. 
Joseph  and  La  Porte  counties,  Indiana,  in 
Berrien  county,  Michigan,  and  also  had  im- 
portant landed  interests  in  Chicago  and 
South  Bend.  In  1853  he  was  married  to 
Nancy  Howe,  a  daughter  of  Frederic  Howe, 
one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  Bertrand 
township.  A  daughter,  Estelle,  was  married 
to  Clyde  Baker,  a  prominent  merchant  of 
Buchanan.  Another  daughter,  Clara,  who 
died  some  years  since,  was  married  to  Dick- 
son S.  Scoffern,  cashier  of  the  Niles  City 
Bank. 

Mr.  Reynolds  was  for  many  years  presi- 
dent of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Bu- 
chanan, and  was  the  first  president  of  the 
Niles  City  Bank,  in  which  his  estate  is  a 
stockholder. 

Among  the  prominent  men  of  Buchanan 
at  an  early  day,  may  be  also  mentioned  Wil- 
liam S.   Merrill,   Charles  Clark,  George  A. 


Demont,  William  Pears,  Charles  S.  Black, 
Samuel  W.  Redden. 

Mr.  Merrill  was  supervisor  of  the  town- 
ship in  1854,  judge  of  probate  from  1864 
to  1868  and  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  for 
many  years  before  his  death.  He  was  a  man 
of  ability. 

Charles  Clark  settled  in  Buchanan  in 
the  early  '40s  and  went  into  mercantile 
business.  He  was  supervisor  of  the  town- 
ship and  president  of  the  village.  For  sev- 
eral years  he  was  a  partner  of  L.  P.  Alex- 
ander in  the  dry  goods  business. 

Sanford  Smith  has  lived  in  Buchanan 
since  1847.  His  father  was  one  of  the  old- 
est residents  of  the  territory,  having  come 
into  Michigan  in  1830.  Mr.  Smith  is  now 
in  his  ninetieth  year  of  age. 

Samuel  W.  Redden  has  lived  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Buchanan  since  1859.  He  is  one  of 
the  oldest  residents  of  the  county,  having 
come  with  his  father,  in  1835,  to  Bertrand 
village.  In  1838,  his  father  moved  to  the 
western  part  of  the  township.  Mr.  Redden 
was  for  many  years  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business  and  in  the  manufacture  of  furni- 
ture.    He  is  now  in  his  seventy-ninth  year. 

Among  other  prominent  business  men 
who  were  identified  with  important  indus- 
tries in  the  village  were  William  M.  Bainton, 
George  H.  Richards,  A.  Willard,  Charles 
Black  and  H.  S.  Black.  Mr.  Bainton  at  an 
early  day  built  a  flour  mill  known  as  ''Bain- 
ton's  Mills.''  The  business  is  still  carried 
on  by  his  sons,  W.  F.  and  Charles. 

Mr.  Richards  came  to  Buchanan  in  1855, 
and  shortly  after  established,  with  others,  an 
important  factory  for  the  manufacture  of 
zinc  collar  pads,  the  first  of  its  kind  in  this 
country.  After  his  death  in  1888,  his  son, 
Joseph  L.  Richards,  carried  on  the  business 
till  his  death  during  the  past  year.  Joseph 
was  president  of  the  village  for  two  terms 
and  supervisor  of  the  township  for  several 
terms. 

One   of   the   prominent   justices   of   the 


2l8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


peace  of  the  village  in  the  early  days  was 
David  Terriere.  This  position  he  held  for 
many  years.  He  was  also  county  clerk  from 
1861  to  1863. 

In  i860  A.  Willard,  Charles  Black  and 
H.  S.  Black  started  a  factory  for  the  manu- 
facture of  furniture.  The  business  had  been 
originally  established  in  New  Buffalo  in 
1855,  but  removed  to  Buchanan  in  the  year 
stated.  In  1865  Willard  sold  his  interest 
to  Charles  Black,  but  subsequently  joined 
the  firm  again.  Charles  Black  was  presi- 
dent of  the  village  from  1873  ^^  1876.  He 
retired  from  business  some  years  ago  and  is 
now  living  at  Buchanan. 

William  Pears,  a  native  of  England,  in 
partnership  with  Solomon  Rough  and 
George  H.  Rough,  about  1868  established  a 
grist  mill  which  did  an  extensive  business. 
Subsequently  Mr.  Pears  acquired  the  ex- 
clusive ownership  of  the  mill.  He  was  presi- 
dent of  the  village  and  a  man  of  native  saga- 
city and  ability.  Charles  F.  Pears,  the  pres- 
ent president  of  the  village  and  president  of 
the  City  National  Bank  of  Niles  is  a  son  of 
William  Pears. 

Among  prominent  professional  men  who 
settled  in  Buchanan  at  an  early  day  was 
Hon.  J.  J.  Van  Riper,  who  located  in  that 
village  in  1872.  He  was  a  native  of  New 
York  and  came  with  his  father  to  La  Grange, 
Cass  county,  in  1856.  He  subsequently 
studied  law  and  practiced  at  Dowagiac  some 
years  before  locating  at  Buchanan.  He  soon 
established  a  reputation  as  an  able  lawyer 
and  secured  a  large  practice.  He  has  held 
many  important  official  positions  in  county 
and  state,  the  duties  of  which  he  has  dis- 
charged with  ability  and  fidelity. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  state  constitu- 
tional convention  in  1867,  prosecuting  at- 
torney from  1877  ^o  1 88 1,  attorney  general 
of  the  state  from  1881  to  1885,  regent  of 
the  State  University  for  six  years  and  judge 
of  probate  from  1893  to  1901.  His  home 
has  been  at  Niles  for  nineteen  years  and  he 
has  been  the  city  attorney  for  several  years. 


Among  the  prominent  deceased  attorneys 
of  Buchanan  may  be  mentioned  John 
Groves,  Emery  M.  Plimpton  and  David  E. 
Hinman. 

Mr.  Groves  was  the  first  attorney  in  the 
place  and  has  already  been  referred  to.  Mr. 
Plimpton  come  from  the  state  of  Ohio,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1853,  and  practiced 
in  Buchanan  for  the  greater  part  of  his  active 
life,  although  he  was  for  a  time  at  Niles  and 
Benton  Harbor.  He  was  a  fluent  and  en- 
tertaining speaker  and  was  always  in  demand 
in  political  campaigns.  He  had  considerable 
legal  practice  for  several  years.  He  was 
prosecuting  attorney  in  1856  and  a  member 
of  the  state  house  of  representatives  in  1868. 
In  his  younger  years  he  was  a  teacher  and 
also  taught  music. 

David  E.  Hinman  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1868,  and  had  a  large  office  business, 
due  to  the  confidence  of  the  people  in  his 
good  judgment  and  integrity.  He  was 
county  clerk  from  1873  ^^  ^"^77  ^^^  judge 
of  probate  from  1885  to  1893. 

CHURCHES. 

The  first  church  organized  in  the  village 
was  the  Methodist  Episcopal,  organized  in 
1842.  In  1853  a  brick  edifice  was  erected. 
The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Richard  Meek. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized 
in  1847.  I^  1850  a  church  edifice  was 
erected.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Porter 
B.  Parry. 

The  church  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ 
was  organized  in  1854.  The  first  edifice 
was  built  in  1859.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev. 
William  M.  Roe.  This  sect  is  commonly 
known  as  the  ''Christian"  and  sometimes 
called  ''Campellite''  after  the  name  of  the 
founder. 

The  church  of  the  United  Brethren  was 
organized  in  1846,  and  the  first  edifice 
erected  in  1849.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev. 
Joseph  Tenel. 

The  Advent  Christian  Church  was  or- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


219 


ganized  in  185 1  by  Rev.  D.  R.  Mansfield 
and  his  wife.  They  became  pastors  of  the 
church  in  1856.  This  society  became  the 
largest  of  that  denomination  in  the  west, 
and  a  religous  journal  was  started  in  1863, 
by  T.  V.  Himes  of  Boston,  a  leader  of  the 
sect,  called  the  ''Voice  of  the  West,"  which 
had  a  circulation  of  six  thousand.  In  1853 
a  division  occurred,  a  number  seceding  and 
forming  a  new  church  called  the  ''Church  of 
God."  Buchanan  became  the  headquarters 
of  the  Adventists  in  Michigan  for  a  time  but 
in  a  few  years  Mr.  Himes  removed  to  Chi- 
cago. 

MANUFACTURING  INDUSTRIES. 

A  most  important  industrial  feature  of 
the  place  is  the  electrical  power  plant  lo- 
cated on  the  St.  Joseph  river. 

In  1 89 1  and  1892  a  dam  across  the  river 
at  Buchanan  was  built  by  English  and 
Holmes,  who  were  the  promoters  of  the  pro- 
ject. 

The  dam  is  a  timber  one  of  the  gravity 
type  and  has  approximately  ten  feet  head. 
The  Beckwith  estate  purchased  it  in  '94  or 
'95  and  have  used  about  one  hundred  horse 
power  since  then  in  the  Lee  &  Porter  Axle 
Works  at  Buchanan.  In  1900  it  was  pur- 
chased by  Charles  A.  Chapin,  who  imme- 
diately had  plans  drawn  with  the  idea  of  de- 
veloping and  using  the  power.  Construction 
was  started  in  1901  and  was  completed  in 
1903. 

The  new  power  house  makes  possible  the 
development  of  a  maximum  of  about  two 
thousand  horse  powder,  while  the  minimum 
amount  of  power  available  is  considerably 
less  than  this  in  low  water  times.  The  elec- 
trical power  is  sold  locally  in  the  village  of 
Buchanan  and  the  surplus  is  transmitted  to 
South  Bend  where  it  is  sold  to  the  South 
Bend  Electric  Company.  It  is  also  trans- 
mitted to  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  where  it  is 
sold  to  the  Benton  Harbor-St.  Joe  Electric 
Railway  &  Light  Company.     The  plant  is 


now  owned  by  Charles  A.  Chapin  of  Chi- 
cago. It  is  operated  in  conjunction  with 
what  is  known  as  the  Twin  Branch  dam, 
seven  miles  above  Mishawaka  and  the  Elk- 
hart dam  at  Elkhart,  Indiana,  so  that  it  is 
now  possible  for  the  cities  of  Berrien  county 
to  have  power  transmitted  to  them  from  the 
two  dams  above  mentioned  in  Indiana  in 
wdiich  Mr.  Chapin  is  interested. 

The  largest  factory  in  the  place  is  the 
Buchanan  Cabinet  Company.  It  was  or- 
ganized in  1892  by  John  E.  Barnes,  W.  S. 
Wells  and  Alfred  Richards.  The  company 
manufactures  sideboards,  desks,  book  cases, 
kitchen  and  sewing  cabinets.  It  employs 
from  seventy  to  eighty  men.  Late  improve- 
ments and  additions  to  the  factory  have  been 
made  very  recently  and  the  company  expects 
to  employ  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  hands.  The  present  officers 
are,  John  E.  Barnes,  president;  John  M. 
Rough,  vice  president,  and  Alfred  Richards, 
secretary  and  treasurer. 

The  Zinc  Collar  Pad  Company  was 
formed  in  1870  by  Dexter  Curtis  (the  pat- 
entee), George  H.  Richards  and  Henry  Gil- 
man.  In  1878  Mr.  Richards  became  the 
sole  owner.  In  1888  Mr.  Richards  died  and 
his  son  Joseph  L.  Richards  became  the  sole 
owner  in  1902.  It  is  the  only  establishment 
of  the  kind  in  the  west  and  sales  are  made 
throughout  the  country  and  abroad  to  the 
wholesale  saddlery  trade.  Joseph  L.  Rich- 
ards died  in  1906  and  the  business  is  carried 
on  by  his  sons,  George  H.  Richards  and 
Joseph  Richards. 

The  George  Rich  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, whose  office  is  located  at  Chicago, 
has  its  factory  at  Buchanan  and  manufac- 
tures machine  shop  appliances,  mainly 
chucks,  drills  and  drill  presses.  It  employs 
about  forty  men.  M.  L.  Hanlin  is  the  man- 
ager, residing  at  Buchanan. 

A  large  nursery,  known  as  the  Jaquay 
Nurseries,  is  located  about  three  and  a  half 
miles  north  of  Buchanan.  It  consists  of 
tw^o  hundred  and  ninety-two  acres  which  ex- 


220 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


tend  to  the  St.  Joseph  river.  It  was  estab- 
lished in  1895  and  incorporated  in  March, 
1906,  as  the  'Trving  Jaquay  Company.'' 
The  stockholders  are  Irving  Jaquay,  Mrs. 
I.  J.  Stosser  and  Mrs.  Margaret  Jaquay. 
The  orchards  set  out  for  bearing  purposes 
contain  about  sixty  acres,  the  balance  being 
devoted  to  the  nursery  business.  The  com- 
pany has  been  so  far  successful  and  is  doing 
an  extensive  business. 

The  Lee  and  Porter  Manufacturing 
Company  was  organized  by  Fred  E.  Lee  and 
Henry  H.  Porter  of  Dowagiac  as  co-part- 
ners in  1894.  The  company  manufactures 
carriage  and  wagon  steel  axles  and  wire 
wheels  for  Hght  vehicles,  and  employ  on  an 
average  fifty-five  men.  The  company  has 
an  extensive  business  in  AustraHa,  New  Zea- 
land and  South  Africa.  In  1895  ^  stock 
company  was  formed.  The  present  officers 
are,  Fred  E.  Lee,  president  and  general 
manager;  H.  E.  Porter,  vice  president,  and 
J.  S.  Clary,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

The  following  named  persons  have  been 
supervisors  of  Buchanan  township  for  the 
years  designated : 

C.  C.  Wallin   1837 

Darius   Jennings    1838- 1840 

Henry  Vanderhof    1  1841 

John   Juday    1842 

Darius  Jennings 1  1843 

Edward  Ballengee 1844 

John  Juday    1845-1846 

Geo.  A.  Demont   1847 

John   Juday    1848-185 1 

Wm.  S.  Merrill 1852 

L.  P.  Alexander   1853 

W.  S.  Merrill 1854 

Darius  Jennings 1855 

John  Newton 1856 

L.  P.  Alexander   1857-1858 

Chas.   Clark    1859-1861 

John  Newton 1862 

G.  F.  Hemmingway    1863 

A.  H.  Clark ; 1864-1872 

L.  P.  Alexander   1873 

N.  B.  Collins   1874 


L.  P.  Alexander   1875-1877 

L.  P.  Fox 1878 

B.  F.  Fish   1879 

J.  W.  R.  Lister 1880 

A.  Richards   1881-1885 

L.  P.  Alexander   1886-1889 

J.  P.  Beistle 1890-1891 

G.  B.  Richards 1892-1895 

Jos.    Beistle    1896-1897 

B.  D.  Harper 1898-1899 

Jos.  Richards 1900-1903 

J.  P.  Beistle 1904 

A.  F.  Howe  1905 

J.   E.  French    .  . ; 1906 

PRESIDENTS  OF  THE  VILLAGE  OF  BUCHANAN. 

The  following  named  persons  have  been 
presidents  of  the  village  of  Buchanan  at 
the  dates  mentioned: 

Jas.  M.  Matthews .1858 

J.  D.  Ross   1859 

Daniel  Terriere    i860 

J.  D.  Ross 1861-1863 

N.  B.  Collins 1864-1865 

J.  D.  Ross    1866 

Chas.  Clark    1867-1871 

Wm.  Pears   1872 

C.  S.  Black   1873-1876 

Wm.    Pears    1877 

F.  H.  Berrick 1878 

J.  D.  Ross   ,  1879-1882 

Wm.  Osborn    1883 

D.  E.  Hinman   1884 

J.  J.  Van  Riper  .  . 1885 

J.  E.  Barnes 1886 

Geo.   Churchill    1887 

B.  D.  Harper 1888-1889 

W.   R.  Rough    1890-1892 

J.  L.  Richards   1893 

John  Rough   1894 

D.  E.  Hinman   1895 

J.  L.  Richards   1896 

E.  W.  Sanders 1897 

W.  H.  Keller 1898-1899 

M.  S.  Mead   1900 

G.  H.  Black 1901-1903 

B.  R.  Desenberg   1904 

Chas.  Pears    1905-1906 


CHAPTER    XIV 


NEW  BUFFALO  TOWNSHIP. 


This  township  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Chikaming,  on  the  east  by  Three  Oaks,  on 
the  south  by  the  state  of  Indiana  and  on  the 
west  by  Lake  Michigan.  The  soil  on  the 
shore  line  of  Lake  Michigan  is  sandy  and 
shifting,  frequently  forming  into  dunes, 
varying  in  height,  often  reaching  forty  or 
fifty  feet. 

The  present  village  of  New  Buffalo  lies 
on  the  lake  at  the  mouth  of  Galien  river. 
The  first  person  to  take  note  of  its  commer- 
cial advantages  was  Captain  Wessel  Whit- 
taker,  of  Hamburg,  New  York,  who  for 
many  years  was  a  captain  on  the  lakes. 

I  here  subjoin  a  sketch  of  the  early  set- 
tlement of  New  Buffalo,  furnished  by 
Hon.  Henry  Chamberlain  of  Three  Oaks. 
This  sketch  was  mostly  published  in  the  his- 
tory of  Berrien  and  Van  Buren  counties 
nearly  thirty  years  ago. 

"In  the  fall  of  1834,  Wessel  Whittaker 
was  in  command  of  the  schooner  "Post- 
Boy"  (partly  owned  by  Barker  and  Willard, 
of  Buffalo) .  During  a  heavy  gale  when  the 
vessel  was  liable  to  be  driven  ashore,  they 
ran  for  the  mouth  of  a  stream  now  known 
at  State  Creek.  They  w^ere  beached,  how- 
ever. The  weather  was  intensely  cold  and 
the  captain  and  crew  left  the  vessel  and 
walked  to  Michigan  City,  where  they  pro- 
cured a  conveyance,  proceeded  to  St.  Joseph, 
and  notified  the  underwriters  of  the  loss  of 
the  vessel.     While  passing  the  mouth  of  the 


Galien  river.  Captain  Whittaker,  after  study- 
ing the  surroundings,  was  impressed  with 
its  advantages  for  a  harbor.  After  trans- 
acting his  business  at  St.  Joseph,  he  visited 
the  land  office  and  entered  the  land  on  which 
the  village  of  New  Buffalo  now  stands,  and 
soon  after  proceeded  to  Buffalo,  New  York. 
He  laid  out  the  land  into  blocks  and  lots  on 
paper,  and  called  it  New  Buffalo.  He  then 
exhibited  the  plan  to  his  friends,  expatiated 
on  its  advantages,  and  persuaded  Jacob  A. 
Barker  and  Nelson  Willard,  who  were  part- 
ners in  business,  to  engage  with  him  in  the 
new  enterprise,  and  sold  to  them  the  un- 
divided one-half  interest  in  the  property  for 
fifteen  thousand  dollars,  afterwards  reduc- 
ing it  to  thirteen  thousand  dollars.  Captain 
Whittaker^  Truman  A.  Clough,  William 
Hammond  and  Henry  Bishop  started  from 
Buffalo  and  Hamburg  on  the  i8th  day  of 
March,  1833,  overland,  and  arrived  at  New 
Buffalo  the  first  week  in  April,  calling,  on 
their  way  at  Bertrand,  on  Alonzo  Bennett, 
a  surveyor  and  old  acquaintance,  and  em- 
ploying him  to  go  with  them  and  survey 
the  village.  Henry  Bishop,  afterwards  of 
Kalamazoo,  was  a  clerk  in  the  employ  of 
Barker  and  Willard,  and  was  sent  by  them 
to  manage  their  interests.  A  log  cabin,  fif- 
teen feet  by  twenty-four  feet,  was  first  built, 
at  the  corner  of  Whittaker  avenue  and  Mer- 
chant street,  north  of  Seaman's  square. 
Along  one  side  of  the  cabin,  pine  brush  was 


222 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


laid  for  a  bed,  and  a  fireplace  was  built  in 
one  corner.  A  road  was  then  cut  through 
from  the  lake  to  Talbot's  mill,  a  distance  of 
about  five  miles  from  whence  lumber  was 
procured.  Some  lime  was  burned  from  marl 
found  a  short  distance  from  this  mill.  Whit- 
taker  &  Company  erected  a  frame  building 
for  a  store  and  warehouse,  on  lot  number 
one,  at  the  foot  of  Whittaker  avenue.  In 
this  building  was  placed  a  stock  of  goods. 
Another  building  was  erected  adjoining, 
with  an  alley  between.  In  this  latter  build- 
ing Mr.  Whittaker  put  a  tenant,  Mr.  Cum- 
mings  and  wife^  who  opened  their  house  for 
entertaining  travelers.  A  sign  was  painted 
on  a  rough  board  by  Mark  Beaubien,  since 
of  Chicago,  representing  a  man  holding  a 
horse,  and  also  a  decanter  and  glasses.  Soon 
after  this,  Russel  Goodrich,  Truman  A. 
Clough,  Dr.  Reuben  Pierce,  Myel  Pierce, 
Simeon  Pierce,  Moses  G.  Pratt,  and  Festus 
A.  Holbrook  came  by  vessel  from  Buffalo, 
and  soon  bought  lots.  Building  commenced 
rapidly.  Russel  Goodrich  bought  block 
twelve,  and  erected  a  hotel  on  lot  two. 
Whittaker  built  a  house  for  his  family,  on 
block  twenty-four,  lots  seven  and  eight,  near 
a  spring  of  good  water,  by  the  west  ravine 
that  runs  through  the  town  plat  north  and 
south.  Moses  G.  Pratt  built  on  lot  two, 
block  eleven.  Dr.  Reuben  Pierce  built 
on  the  corner  of  Barker  and  Merchant 
streets,  on  block  twenty-three  and  lots  one 
and  two;  Simeon  Pierce,  on  block  twenty- 
three,  adjoining;  Thatcher  Abbott,  a 
brother-in-law  of  Whittaker,  adjoining,  on 
the  same  block  and  on  lot  five;  F.  A.  Hol- 
brook and  Alonzo  Bennett,  both  on  block 
thirteen.  The  family  of  Mr.  Whittaker, 
consisting  of  his  wife  and  four  children, 
under  the  care  of  William  Ratcliff  came  from 
Hamburg,  by  Lake  Erie,  to  Detroit,  where 
they  procured  a  team,  and  proceeded  thence 
overland,  arriving  at  New  Buffalo  in  June, 

1835. 

*'Mr.   Ratcliff  carried  the  first  mail  to 

Michigan  City,  and  Moses  G.  Pratt  drove 


the  first  stage  and  mail  wagon  through  to 
that  place.  At  this  time  there  wevt  a  num- 
ber of  others  gathered  in  the  new  settle- 
ment, some  unmarried.  Their  occupations 
were  as  follows :  A.  Bennett,  surveyor ; 
Henry  Bishop,  clerk;  T.  A.  Clough,  specu- 
lator; R.  Goodrich,  hotel  keeper;  Hender- 
son, F.  A.  Holbrook,  Mundle,  Doty,  Dun- 
ham, A.  and  E.  McClure,  Ezra  Stoner  and 
Washburn  were  carpenters;  Haight,  plas- 
terer; R.  Pierce,  physician;  S.  Pierce  and  J. 
Hixson,  sailors;  Pratt,  teamster;  Whittaker 
&  Willard,  proprietors;  Ira  P.  Warner, 
agent.  The  lots  were  valued  and  sold  at 
from  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  to  three 
hundred  dollars  each,  one-third  down.  In 
the  summer  and  fall  of  1833  important  ac- 
cessions were  made  to  the  settlement  in  the 
persons  of  James  Little  and  Jacob  Gerrish, 
of  Boscawen,  New  Hampshire;  Richard  L. 
Phillips  of  Erie  county.  New  York,  a  na- 
tive of  England;  and  in  the  spring  of  1836, 
of  Francis  and  Joseph  G.  Ames  and  Alvin 
Emery,  of  Canterbury,  New  Hampshire; 
and  Ezra  Stoner  of  Frederick  county,  Mary- 
land. A  demand  for  the  improvement  of  the 
harbor  was  soon  started.  Meetings  were 
held  and  many  speeches  made,  but  the  usual 
delay  followed  this  action.  * 

''During  the  year  1835,  Whittaker,  Mc- 
Givens  &  Company,  built  a  mill  on  section 
one,  on  the  south  branch  of  the  Galien  river. 
At  the  time  of  their  preparation  for  this  mill, 
they  were  warned  by  Governor  Mason  to  ap- 
pear at  Niles  and  assist  in  the  retention  of 
the  ten-mile  strip  along  the  Ohio  line.  Mr. 
Whittaker  informed  the  Governor  that  he 
should  arm  his  men  with  handspikes  on  the 
day  set,  w^hich  he  did.  He  was  also  inter- 
ested in  a  mill  at  State  Creek,  owned  by  the 
State  Creek  Mill  Company. 

'In  March,  1836,  the  township  was  or- 
ganized, and  the  first  election  held  at  Good- 
rich's hotel.  In  this  year  also,  Isaac  O. 
Adams,  a  native  of  Newburyport,  Massa- 
chusetts, but  last  from  White  Piegon,  E.  T. 
Clark,  and  Timothy  Harris  built  a  house  on 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


223 


lot  ten,  block  five  which  was  known  as 
Bachelor's  Hall,  and  w^hich  afterwards  be- 
came famous  as  a  convivial  headquarters. 
The  building  remained  until  it  was  re- 
moved to  make  way  for  the  railroad. 

'Tn  the  fall  of  1837,  the  Virginia  Land 
Company,  composed  mostly  of  natives  of 
Virginia,  but  the  majority  of  whom  lived  in 
LaPorte,  Indiana,  purchased  six  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  land,  and  laid  it  out  into  lots, 
Joshua  R.  C.  Brown  coming  there  to  reside 
as  agent.  The  members  of  the  company 
were  David  Robb,  Dr.  G.  A.  Rose, 
Courtlandt  Strong,  DeWitt  Strong,  Major 
John  Lemons,  Joshua  R.  C.  Brown,  Daniel 
Brown,  James  Whittam,  and  Jacob  Haas. 

'The  books  of  Mr.  Whittaker  for  1837, 
from  wdiich  these  facts  are  gleaned,  give  the 
prices  at  that  time,  which  may  be  of  intesest : 
Potatoes,  75  cents;  oats,  $1 ;  corn,  $1.50; 
butter,  375^  cents;  bacon  16  2-3  cents; 
board  $3.50  per  w^eek;  salt,  $7  per  barrel; 
beef,  6  cents  per  pound,  by  the  quarter; 
whisky,  41  cents  per  gallon,  by  the  barrel, 
and  75  cents  at  retail;  team-work,  $4  per 
day;  common  labor,  $1  per  day.  Between 
the  dates  of  May  22  and  July  26,  in  1837, 
95  consecutive  entries  occur  of  stage-fare 
charged  varying  from  $4  to  $12.  This  en- 
try also  occurs;  Schooner  Oregon  left  New 
Buffalo  with  2358  bushels  of  oats,  1246 
bushels  to  be  delivered  in  Milwaukee  bay; 
also  delivered  23 J4  bushels  of  corn.  Left 
New  Buffalo  in  April,  and  delivered  oats  at 
Milwaukee  from  the  ist  to  the  loth  of  May, 
1837.  Hiram  and  Solomon  Gould  were 
charged  for  use  of  lighter  and  labor  in  June^ 
1837.  They  owned  a  mill  at  New  Troy, 
rafted  their  lumber  down  the  river,  and 
shipped  to  Chicago  from  the  former  place. 

*'Not  far  from  this  time  Lieutenant  T. 
B.  W.  Stockton,  of  the  regular  army,  was 
sent  by  the  war  department  to  examine  as 
to  the  feasibility  of  constructing  a  harbor 
at  New  Buffalo,  and  the  report  of  the  navy 
department  was  received  May  i,  1838.  Lieu- 
tenant  Berrien  and  Lieutenant   Rose  were 


sent  soon  after  to  make  a  survey,  and  re- 
ported favorably.  A  lighthouse  was  built 
in  1839. 

'Tn  June,  1837,  Elder  Hascall  preached 
in  the  dining  room  of  Mr.  Goodrich's  hotel, 
and,  as  the  bar-room  was  near,  some  of  the 
party  were  often  thirsty,  and  retired  for 
a  few  moments. 

*'The  panic  of  1837  had  a  depressing 
effect  upon  New  Buffalo,  as  well  as  upon 
the  whole  country,  but  the  company  strug- 
gled along,  firm  in  the  faith  that  the  plan 
w^as  essential  to  the  w^ell  being  of  the  uni- 
verse. Prices  ruled  high,  no  help  came,  and 
in  the  winter  of  1842-43  but  two  families 
were  residents  of  the  place,  Jacob  Gerrish 
and  Russell  Goodrich.  But  the  spring  found 
a  respectable  number  in  the  village,  and 
from  twenty  to  thirty  votes  were  cast  at  the 
election.  About  1840  the  effect  of  specula- 
tion ceased,  and  money  became  very  scarce. 
About  the  only  thing  that  brought  money 
into  the  country  was  non-resident  taxes. 
Inhabitants  took  contracts  for  building  roads 
at  their  own  prices.  The  business  of  the 
country  was  carried  on  by  barter  and  credit. 
About  1844  the  schooner  'Saranac'  was  built 

by  Joseph  Oates  and iVustin ;  in  1845 

the  sloop  'Buffalo,'  by  Amos  Johnson;  and 
in  1855,  the  schooner  'Ellen  Pike,'  by 
Alonzo  Bennett. 

''About  1844,  George  W.  Allen,  of  La- 
Porte,  Indiana,  purchased  the  interest  of 
Barker  &  Willard,  and  spent  a  large  sum  of 
money  in  improving  a  road  from  New  Buf- 
falo to  Springville,  Indiana.  They  built 
a  grain  warehouse,  sixty  by  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  and  four  stories  high,  on  the 
north  fraction  of  section  nine,  near  the  foot 
of  Willard  street,  hoping  to  make  this  an 
important  shipping  point  for  Indiana  grain. 
During  the  same  year  Alonzo  Bennett, 
Tliomas  Comins,  and  J.  R.  C.  Brown  bought 
several  thousand  cords  of  wood,  at  sixty- 
tw^o  and  a  half  cents  per  cord,  wdiich  was 
lightered  out  and  delivered  to  vessels  for  the 
Chicago  market ;  but  even  at  this  low  cost 


224 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


the  business  did  not  prove  successful.  This 
wood  was  beech  and  maple  and  cut  at  places 
two  or  three  miles  away  from  the  docks 
where  it  was  delivered.  Most  of  it  was  hauled 
on  wagons  by  oxen.  Such  was  the  condi- 
tion of  the  roads  that  a  half  cord  made  a 
good  load  for  one  yoke  of  oxen.  Choppers 
received  twenty-five  cents  a  cord  for  cutting 
and  teamsters  thirty-seven  and  a  half  cents 
for  hauling.  By  working  long  days  the 
latter  earned  about  one  dollar  a  day. 

Real  Estate  in  New  Buffalo  in    1836 

"Upon  the  purchase  of  the  land  on  which 
New  Buffalo  is  situated  by  Captain  Wessel 
Whittaker,  in  1843,  he  proceeded  to  plat  it, 
and  induced  Jacob  A.  Barker  and  Nelson 
Willard,  of  Buffallo,  New  York,  to  invest 
with  him  as  before  mentioned. 

''On  May  31,  1836,  a  division  and  valu- 
ation of  the  lots  was  made. 

''The  seventy-nine  lots,  located  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  village,  belonging  to  Mr. 
Willard  were  valued  at  twenty-nine  thous- 
and five  hundred  and  twenty  dollars.  The 
prices  of  a  few  of  the  lots  are  given : 

"Lot  2,  in  block  3,  $500;  lot  5,  in  block 
13,  $275;  lot  12  in  block  16,  $500;  lot  7,  in 
block  22,  $600;  lot  2,  in  block  28,  $800; 
water-lot  ^^,  $900;  lot  8,  in  block  B,  $375; 
lot  7,  in  block  C,  $475;  lot  7,  in  block  K, 
$300.  Water-lots  Nos.  18,  22,  25,  26,  29 
and  30,  belonging  to  Mr.  Barker,  were  valued 
at  $1,000  each. 

"In  1837,  Russell  Goodrich  was  offered 
in  cash  ten  thousand  dollars  for  block  twelve. 
At  this  time  there  were  on  the  premises  a 
frame  house  of  two  stories  about  forty-five 
by  twenty-five  feet,  and  a  small  frame  stable. 
"The  lands  purchased  by  the  Virginia 
Land  Company  in  1837  were  as  follows  :The 
west  half  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion II,  northeast  quarter  of  section  10,  east 
half  of  southeast  quarter  of  section  10,  south- 
west quarter  of  section   10,   and  southeast 


quarter  of  section  9.  These  lands  were 
platted  and  divided  into  blocks  and  were 
held  for  many  years.  When  Mr.  Barker 
sold  out,  in  1844,  the  lands  of  the  Virginia 
Company  were  mostly  in  the  hands  of  the 
original  proprietors;  the  only  lands  in  the 
village  that  were  sold  in  the  early  days  by 
Mr.  Willard,  with  a  few  exceptions,  Avere 
the  lands  that  were  allotted  in  the  division 
of  1836  to  Mr.  Whittaker.  Of  the  eight 
hundred  acres,  originally  laid  out  and  plat- 
ted, seven-eights  in  1844  were  in  the  hands 
of  the  original  proprietors. 

"About  1842-43  the  prices  were  from 
$5  to  $25  a  lot,  and  upon  the  location  of  the 
railroad  they  advanced  to  from  $100  to 
$500;  but  upon  the  extension  of  the  railroad 
to  Chicago,  a  depreciation  followed.  Upon 
the  incoming  of  the  Chicago  and  Michigan 
Lake  Shore  Railroad,  prices  again  advanced. 
Farming  lands  in  New  Buffalo  township 
sold  at  from  $2.50  to  $5  per  acre;  in  1850, 
about  $5  per  acre;  in  1856,  about  $15 ;  from 
1863-70,  from  $iO'  to  $40." 

The  township  was  organized  in  1836  and 
a  township  election  held  at  Goodrich's  tav- 
ern in  the  spring  of  that  year.  Alonzo  Bur- 
nett was  elected  supervisor  and  Henry 
Bishop  clerk. 

In  1839,  a  light  house  was  built  but  the 
harbor  was  not  improved  to  any  consider- 
able extent  till  1847  when  the  Michigan 
Central  Railroad  Company  commenced  ex- 
pensive improvements.  The  appropriations 
of  the  government  were  small,  most  of  the 
work  in  improving  the  harbor  being  done 
by  the  railroad  company.  In  1849  the 
Michigan  Central  Railroad  was  completed 
to  New  Buffalo,  which  was  the  western 
terminus  of  the  road  for  about  a  year  and  a 
half.  During  this  period  New  Buffalo  was 
a  point  of  great  activity.  Steamers  plied 
between  Chicago  and  New  Buffalo  and  con- 
veyed passengers  arriving  from  the  east  by 
the  railroad,  across  the  lake.  Upon  the 
completion  of  the  railroad  to  Chicago,  the 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


225 


harbor  was  practically  abandoned  and  has 
ceased  to  be  of  any  utility  for  over  fifty 
years. 

In  1870,  the  Chicago  &  Western 
Michigan  Railroad  was  completed  from 
Pentwater  to  New  Buffalo.  This  road  after- 
wards passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Pere 
Marquette  Company,  which  continued  it  to 
Chicago. 

The  plat  of  the  village  was  laid  out  on 
a  grand  scale  by  Nelson  Willard,  J.  A. 
Barker,  Wessel  Whittaker  and  Russell 
Goodrich  in  1835.  The  village  was  incor- 
porated in  1836  and  embraced  about  a  sec- 
tion and  a  half  of  land,  fronting  on  Potta- 
watomie lake  on  the  north. 

The  first  president  of  the  village  was 
Alonzo  Bennett.  In  1840  the  village  cor- 
poration lapsed,  but  was  again  incorporated 
in  1869  when  Sadler  Butler  was  elected 
president. 

The  men  who  were  prominent  in  the 
early  settlement  of  New  Buffalo  were  men 
of  energy  and  ability,  who  expected  to  see  a 
second  Buffalo  arise  upon  the  southeastern 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  Captain  Wessel 
Whittaker  was  a  man  of  generous  nature 
and  great  perseverance.  He  died,  however, 
within  six  or  seven  years  after  the  settlement 
of  the  town. 

Alonzo  Bennett  was  one  of  the  most 
prominent  men  of  the  county  in  the  pioneer 
days.  He  was  a  native  of  Vermont  and 
moved  to  Niles  in  1833.  He  was  a  skillful 
surveyor  and  during  the  same  year  was  em- 
ployed by  the  Bertrand  village  association 
to  lay  out  the  village  of  Bertrand.  In  1835, 
the  proprietors  of  the  New  Buffalo  tract  of 
land  employed  him  to  survey  the  village  of 
New  Buft'alo.  Mr.  Bennett  then  made  that 
place  his  home  and  Avas  the  first  supervisor 
of  the  township  in  1836.  In  1838  he  was 
elected  county  clerk  and  served  three  terms. 
In  1842,  he  was  elected  to  the  legislature. 
For  the  greater  portion  of  the  latter  part 
of  his  life  he  was  in  the  express  and  drug 
business.  He  was  also  largely  employed  in 
IS 


conveyancing.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1840,  but  never  devoted  himself  to  active 
practice.  He  was  a  careful  and  methodical 
man  and  of  natural  sagacity.  He  died  sev- 
eral years  since  at  an  advanced  age. 

Jacob  Gerrish  was  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire.  In  1835,  he  emigrated  to  New 
Buffalo  and  built  a  house  and  blacksmith 
shop.  With  several  others,  he  purchased 
large  tracts  of  land  at  high  figures,  upon 
which  he  suffered  severe  losses.  He  was 
president  of  the  village  in  1838  and  held 
various  local  offices.     He  died  in  1858. 

Richard  L.  Phillips,  an  Englishman  by 
birth,  came  to  New  Buffalo  in  1835.  He  be- 
came a  prominent  merchant  in  the  place  and 
a  supervisor  of  the  township.  He  died  in 
1868. 

Joseph  G.  Ames,  a  native  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, in  company  with  his  brother,  Francis, 
settled  in  New  Buffalo  in  1836.  Soon  after 
in  connection  with  Nelson  Willard  and  Ezra 
Stoner,  he  purchased  a  mill  at  New  Troy, 
which  was  located  in  the  heart  of  the  best 
thick  timbered  land  and  did  an  immense  busi- 
ness. In  1839  or  1840  he  retired  from  this 
business  and  located  on  a  farm  in  Bertrand 
township  where  he  lived  till  1850  w^hen  he 
returned  to  New  Buffalo.  In  1854  he 
moved  to  Three  Oaks  where  he  became  a 
partner  with  Henry  Chamberlain  in  the  mer- 
cantile business.  He  was  supervisor  of  Wee- 
saw  in  1838,  of  Bertrand  in  1842,  county 
commissioner  in  1844  ^"d  the  first  post- 
master of  Three  Oaks.     He  died  in  1855. 

Among  other  prominent  men  who  helped 
to  found  New  Buffalo^  were  Russell  Good- 
rich, Henry  Bishop,  Isaac  O.  Adams,  E.  B. 
Pressey,  Simeon  Pierce,  Richard  Peckham, 
Dwight  Plympton. 

Goodrich,  who  had  been  a  tavern  keeper 
at  Hamburg,  New  York,  went  into  the  same 
business  at  New  Buffalo.  His  son,  Albert 
E.,  became  the  manager  and  proprietor  of 
the  famous  Goodrich  line  of  steamers  which 
plied  on  Lakes  Michigan  and  Superior. 

Pierce  was  the  owner  of  a  small  sloop 


226 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


which  sailed  between  Chicago  and  New  Buf- 
falo. Pressey  was  the  first  light  house 
keeper  and  had  a  small  chair  factory.  Peck- 
ham  was  a  carpenter  and  also  engaged  in 
:making  grain  cradles.  Adams  was  a  native 
'of  Massachusetts  and  an  educated  and  gen- 
ial gentleman  who  possessed  a  considerable 
library.  He  engaged  in  farming  and  set 
out  a  large  orchard  which  proved  a  failure. 
In  1833,  he  moved  to  Chicago.  Mr.  Plymp- 
ton  was  engaged  in  fishing  and  was  one  of 
•the  postmasters  of  the  village. 

Among  those  who  settled  early  in  the 
township  were  Festus  A.  Holbrook,  Hale 
E.  Crosby,  Thomas  Maudlin,  Doctor  R. 
Pierce,  Thomas  Comins,  and  Joshua  Brown. 

Mr.  Holbrook  settled  on  a  farm  in  New 
Buffalo  township.  He  lived  to  be  nearly 
ninety-five  years  of  age.  Hale  E.  Crosby 
was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire  and  came  to 
INTew  Buffalo  in  1844.  He  brought  with  him 
a  stock  of  merchandise  and  went  into  part- 
nership with  Jacob  Gerrish  and  Mr.  Crosby's 
father-in-law,  Moses  Chamberlain.  Mr. 
Chamberlain  had  located  on  a  farm  within 
the  present  limits  of  Three  Oaks,  in  1843. 
After  his  arrival,  Mr.  Crosby  had  the  man- 
agement of  the  store.  Subsequently  he 
engaged  in  farming  and  became  a  promi- 
nent man  in  the  township.  He  was  elected 
supervisor  in  1853  and  served  five  consecu- 
tive terms.  In  1857,  h^  ^^^^  ^  member  of  the 
legislature.  In  1886,  he  removed  to  Three 
Oaks,  where  he  died  several  years  ago.  His 
wife  was  a  sister  of  Hon.  Henry  Cham- 
berlain of  Three  Oaks,  whom  Mr.  Crosby 
had  married  in  New  Hampshire  prior  to  his 
coming  to  Michigan. 

Dr.  Reuben  Pierce  was  the  first  phy- 
isician  of  New  Buffalo^  but  moved  away  to 
Indiana  about  1840.  A  son,  R.  W.  Pierce, 
became  a  leading  physician  at  Buchanan. 

Mr.  Maudhn  was  a  farmer  and  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  the  township.  He  died  some 
years  since  at  a  great  age. 

Brown  was  a  Virginian  who  came  to 
New  Buffalo  in  1837  and  subsequently  kept 


a  hotel  for  many  years,  in  the  village.     He 
died  in  1862. 

About  the  year  1850,  a  large  German  im- 
migration to  New  Buffalo  commenced. 
More  than  one-half  of  the  residents  of  the 
township  are  Germans  by  birth  or  by  descent. 
Among  those  who  were  prominent  in  the 
German  settlement  were  George  Weimer, 
Fred  Gerdes,  C.  H.  Schultz  and  J.  C. 
Schwenck,  all  of  whom  were  native  Ger- 
mans. Mr.  Weimer  was  an  insurance  agent 
and  conveyancer  and  was  supervisor  of  the 
township  for  several  years.  He  removed  to 
Illinois  about  twenty  years  ago.  Mr.  Gerdes 
carried  on  a  dry  goods  and  grocery  store 
for  years  and  was  also  supervisor  of  the 
tow^nship.  Mr.  Schultz  has  been  supervisor 
for  five  terms  and  has  also  been  a  justice  of 
the  peace  and  conveyancer  for  many  years. 
His  son,  C.  J.  Schultz,  is  the  present  county 
treasurer  and  was  also  supervisor  for  sev- 
eral terms. 

Churches. 

The  first  church  organized  in  New  Buf- 
falo was  called  the  Union  Church  of  wdiich 
Moses  Chamberlain  and  Jacob  Gerrish  were 
the  principal  promoters.  In  1848  this  was 
changed  to  a  Congregational  Church  which 
shortly  after  removed  its  place  of  holding 
services  to  Three  Oaks. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  or- 
ganized in  1847  at  the  school  house  by  Rev. 
R.  Meek  of  Niles. 

The  German  Evangelical  Church  was  or- 
ganized in  1858  by  Rev.  Charles  Haas. 

The  Baptist  Church  was  organized  in 
1876  by  Rev.  R.  H.  Spafford. 

The  Catholic  Church  was  organized  in 
1858  and  a  church  edifice  built.  This  was 
a  mission  church  for  some  years,  under  the 
charge  of  Father  Cappon  of  Niles. 

Supervisors  of  New  Buffalo  Township. 

The  following  named  persons  have  been 
supervisors  of  this  township: 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


22J 


Alonzo  Bennett    1837- 1838 

Reuben  Pierce    • ,  .  .    1839 

Thos.  Comins 1840 

Echamal   Ryther    1 841 -1842 

I.  O.  Adams 1843 

Levi    Paddock    1844 

Henry  Chamberlain 1845 

Valentine  Burnett    1846 

Henry   Chamberlain    1847- 1848 

R.  L.  Phillips 1849  • 

I.   O.  Adams    1850 

Henry   Chamberlain    1851 

Alonzo  Bennett    1852 

H.  E.  Crosby 1853-1857 

J.  M.  Patten   1858 

Alonzo   Bennett    1859 

J.  M.  Goodrich    i860 

Philip  Edinger 1861 

A.  I.  Phillips 1862 

R.  S.  Phillips 1863 


A.  I.  Phillips   1864 

Geo.  Weimer   ,  1873-1875 

Alonzo  Bennett    1876 

Geo.  Weimer   1877-1878 

Fred  Gerdes   1879 

J.  M.  Glavin  .' 1880 

Fred  Gerdes   1881 

C.  H.  Schultz    1882-1883 

J.  M.  Glavin 1884-1887 

Franklin   Gowdy    1888 

J.  C.  Schwenck   1889-1893 

J.  J.  Deuell 1894 

J.  M.  Glavin    1895-1896 

Franklin   Gowdy    1897 

J.   M.   Glavin    1898 

J.  C.  Schwenck   1899 

C.  J.  Schultz   1900-1903 

C.  H.   Schultz    1904-1905 

J.  C.  Schwenck   1906 


CHAPTER    XV 


WATERVLIET  TOWNSHIP. 


Watervliet    is  the    northeast    township 
and  contains  thirty-six  sections  of  land.     It 
is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Van  Buren  coun- 
ty, on  the  east  by  Cass  county,  on  the  south 
by  Bainbridge  township  and  on  the  west  by 
Hagar  tow^nship.     The  surface  of  the  coun- 
try is  generally  level.    It  was  originally  cov- 
ered largely  with  heavy  timber.     The  popu- 
lation of  this  township  has  of  late  increased 
rapidly  and  it  now  ranks  second  in  popula- 
tion, being  exceeded  only  by  Benton  town- 
ship.   Nearly  all  the  early  settlers  came  from 
the  state  of  New  York:     Paw  Paw  river 
runs  through  it,  and  the  largest  inland  lake 
in  the  county,  Paw  Paw  lake,  is  also  located 
wholly  within  its  limits.     It  has  two  flour- 
ishing   villages,    Watervliet    and     Coloma, 
which  are  the  center  of  considerable  trade. 
The  fruit  industry  had  developed  into  great 
magnitude,   and  large  peach  and  apple  or- 
chards are  common.     Some  of  these  will  be 
described  hereafter. 

The  first  settlement  in  the  township  was 
made  at  a  place  which  came  to  be  known 
among  the  pioneers  as  the  ^^Shingle  Dig- 
gings," located  on  the  bank  of  the  Paw  Paw 
river  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  above 
the  site  of  the  present  village  of  Coloma. 
The  spot  was  so  named  because  it  became 
the  seat  of  an  extensive  industry  in  making 
shingles.  In  1832  Job  Davis  of  Cass  county 
located  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  on  sec- 
tion twenty-one,  near  Coloma,  for  the  pur- 


pose of  furnishing  lumber  and  shingles  for 
the  St.  Joseph  market.     He  began  the  con- 
struction of  a  dam  and  saw  mill,  but  for  some 
reason  before  finishing,  concluded  to  aban- 
don his  enterprise  and  sold  out  his  claims  to 
Griffith,  Hoyt  &  Hatch,  a  lumber  firm,  man- 
aged by  B.  C.  Hoyt,  a  St.  Joseph  merchant. 
This  firm,  however,  in  a  short  time  failed, 
after  having  projected  a  scheme  of  building 
a  new  town  at  this  point.     In  the  meantime 
Levi  Ballengee  had  built  a  large  boarding 
house  near  the  site  of  the  projected  town,ex- 
pecting  to  board  the  men  employed  by  Grif- 
fith, Hoyt  &  Hatch.    Upon  the  failure  of  this 
firm,    Ballengee   concluded  to   go   into  the 
business   of  shingle  making    himself.       In 
1834,  one  Gilson  from  Chautauqua  county. 
New  York,  traveling  through  Michigan  on 
his  way  to  Chicago,  learned  that  Ballengee 
wanted  a  shingle  maker,  visited  Ballengee 
and  entered  into  a  partnership  with  him  in 
the  shingle  making  business.     In  1835  Gil- 
son  brought  his  family  from  New  York  and 
W'Cnt   into  business   for  himself,   employing 
quite  a  force  of  men.    In  1837  he  purchased 
one  million  three  hundred  thousand  shingles 
at  one  time  and  employed  about  twenty  In- 
dians in  running  the  shingles  down  the  river 
and  landing  on  the  dock. 

Others  followed  Ballengee  and  Gilson, 
among  them  Ramsey  Christy,  Hiram  Orms- 
by,  Isaac  Youngs,  Erastus  Baunes,  Henry 
H.    Sutter.     A  flourishing  settlement  soon. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


229 


grew  up.  In  1837  a  school  was  established 
and  taught  by  Mary  Youngs,  a  daughter  of 
one  of  the  shingle  makers. 

In  1838  the  material  for  shingles  had 
become  exhausted,  and  the  shingle  makers 
left  the  settlement  for  other  points.  The 
^'Shingle  Diggings''  was  abandoned  and  be- 
came a  thing  of  the  past 

In  1833  the  firm  of  Sumner  &  Wheeler 
put  up  a  saw  mill  on  Mill  creek.  About 
this  time  the  firm  of  Smith  &  Merrick  of  Jef- 
ferson county,  New  York,  acquired  large 
tracts  of  land  in  Watervliet,  Bainbridge  and 
Hagar  townships  and  in  1836,  Jesse  Smith, 
a  member  of  the  firm,  came  to  Watervliet  to 
secure  the  clearing  of  these  tracts,  bringing 
Avith  him  several  laborers.  Smith  built  a 
saw  mill  and  also  bought  that  previously 
erected  by  Sumner  &  Wheeler.  He  soon  re- 
turned to  New  York,  leaving  Israel  Kellogg 
to  take  charge  of  the  lands  of  the  firm.  In 
the  same  year,  1836,  the  firm  sent  out  Isaac 
Moffatt  with  thirty-two  Frenchmen,  to  clear 
their  lands.  Moffatt  at  once  erected  a  store, 
built  a  dam  and  grist  mill.  The  mills  were 
rented  to  one  Crocker  and  the  main  work 
engaged  in  by  Moffatt  was  the  clearing  of 
the  lands.  In  1848  Smith  &  Merrick  sold 
out  their  entire  mill  property  to  Isaac  N. 
Swain,  a  native  of  Jefferson  county.  New 
York.  Mr.  Swain  also  purchased  about 
one  thousand  acres  in  the  vicinity.  Subse- 
cjuently  Mr.  Swain  sold  the  mills,  but  was 
obliged  to  take  them  back,  the  purchasers, 
having  been  seriously  crippled  by  a  serious 
flood  in  1858  which  w^ashed  away  the  dam 
and  damaged  the  mills,  and  rendered  them 
unable  to  pay  the  purchase  price.  In 
1863  the  firm  of  Sw^ain,  Olney  &  Fisher  was 
formed.  Fisher  sold  out  his  interest  to 
George  Parsons  and  William  Baldwin  and 
a  new  firm  was  formed  under  the  name  of 
Swain,  Olney  &  Company.  In  1874  Par- 
sons withdrew  from  the  firm. 

The  saw  mill  for  many  years  did  the 
most  extensive  lumber  business  of  any  in  the 
county.      In   1870  it  employed  about  forty 


men  and  was  capable  of  sawing  thirty  thous- 
and feet  of  lumber  in  a  day.  The  first  store 
established  in  Watervliet  was  opened  in  1836 
by  Isaac  Moffatt.  This  subsequently  passed 
into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Swain,  who  sold  it 
in  1874  to  Parsons  &  Baldwin. 

Among  the  persons  who  accompanied 
Isaac  Moffatt  to  Watervliet  in  1836,  was 
Moses  Osgood,  who  settled  in  Watervliet 
township  near  Coloma  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. He  died  in  1876.  He  appears  to  have 
been  the  first  permanent  pioneer  farmer  of 
the  township. 

Stephen  R.  Gilson  and  Gilson  Osgood 
erected  a  saw  mill  upon  "Tannery  Creek," 
in  1849.  Gilson  Osgood,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
had  emigrated  to  Watervliet  in  1841  and 
located  a  farm  near  that  of  his  brother, 
Moses  Osgood.  He  was  for  some  time  an 
•  agent  for  the  firm  of  Smith  &  Merrick.  His 
saw  mill  was  on  the  site  of  the  present  vil- 
lage of  Coloma,  and  he  soon  opened  a  store, 
and  a  settlement  soon  grew  up.  There  was 
little  money  in  circulation  at  that  time  and 
store  goods  were  exchanged  for  farm  pro- 
ducts. The  new  settlement  was  appropriately 
called  "Dickerville,"  and  this  remained  the 
name  of  the  place  till  1855,  when  it  was 
changed  to  Coloma.  In  1858  Mr.  Osgood 
opened  up  a  hotel  in  Coloma  known  as  the 
''Osgood  House."  He  w^as  the  first  super- 
visor of  the  township. 

Alonzo  and  Austin  Beaman  came  from 
New  York  to  Watervliet  and  settled  on  ad- 
joining farms  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county,  in  1842.  Alonzo  was  supervisor  in 
1852.  Austin  died  in  1874  and  Alonzo  re- 
moved in  a  few  years  to  Iowa. 

In  1844  and  1845,  James  I.  Redding, 
Simeon  Hawks,  Garrett  Ingraham,  Ives 
Wallingford,  Ira  Wilks,  Abram  Coleman, 
Grain  Valentine,  Harvey  Kingsbury,  Wil- 
liam Duvall  and  John  Merrifield,  moved  into 
the  township. 

John  Merrifield,  a  native  of  New  York, 
settled  in  the  township  in  1844.  He  died 
in  1 85 1.     His  sons,  William  N.  Merrifield 


230 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


and  S.  P.  Merrifield,  still  reside  in  Water- 
vliet  and  both  have  been  supervisors  of  the 
township.  S.  P.  Merrifield  in  early  life  was 
a  teacher  and  afterwards  an  ordained  minis- 
ter of  the  Universalist  Church. 

The  first  physician  who  practiced  his 
profession  in  the  township  was  Dr.  J.  H. 
Crawford,  who  lived  upon  a  farm  near  Co- 
loma.  He  remained  but  a  short  time,  re- 
turning to  his  former  home  in  Ohio. 

The  first  physician  to  engage  in  practice 
in  Watervliet  village  was  Dr.  J.  H.  Wheeler, 
who  located  there  in  1845.  He  was  super- 
visor in  1847  and  from  1858  to  i860.  He 
had  a  large  practice. 

Dr.  H.  M.  Marvin  of  Coloma  is  the  old- 
est practicing  physician  in  the  county.  He 
came  to  Coloma  in  1855  and  has  practiced 
his  profession  there  ever  since. 

James  H.  Marvin  was  a  resident  of  Co- 
loma for  most  of  the  time  for  fifty  years. 
For  a  short  time  he  was  station  agent  of  the 
C.  &  W.  M.  Railroad  Company  at  New 
Buffalo.  He  was  supervisor  of  the  town- 
ship of  Watervliet  for  eight  terms,  the  first 
term  commencing  in  1862.  He  has  held 
various  other  local  offices  and  has  been  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  business  as  a  justice 
of  the  peace  and  notary  public. 

Another  physician.  Dr.  William  A. 
Baker,  came  to  Coloma  in  1868  and  is  now 
Hving  there.  He  was  supervisor  of  the  town- 
ship in  1885  and  a  representative  in  the  State 
Legislature  in  1887  and  1889.  He  was  the 
main  promoter  and  organizer  of  the  railroad 
which  was  built  from  Coloma  to  Paw  Paw 
Lake. 

The  oldest  resident  of  Watervliet  now 
Hving  is  Elias  T.  Spencer,  who  is  in  his 
ninety-first  year. 

A  number  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Watervliet  and  Coloma,  who  have 
been  active  in  promoting  the  industries  of 
their  towns,  are  still  living.  Among  them 
may  be  mentioned  George  Parsons,  William 
A.  Baldwin,  William  H.  Ball,  Emelius  J. 
Wolcott.      Mr.    Parsons   and  Mr.   Baldwin 


both  came  to  Watervliet  in  1865, , purchas- 
ing one-half  interest  in  the  saw  mill  and  grist 
mill  previously  owned  by  Swain,  Olney  & 
Company,  and  also  a  half  interest  in  the 
mercantile  business  of  that  firm.  After  their 
purchase,  they  were  the  managers  of  the 
important  business  interests  of  the  firm.  In 
1876,  the  firm  of  Parsons  &  Baldwin  ac- 
quired the  ownership  of  these  various  in- 
dustries. Since  1892  they  have  been  en- 
gaged in  the  banking  business.  For  some 
years  the  firm  of  Swain,  Olney  &  Company 
conducted  the  largest  lumbering  businesses 
in  Berrien  county.  Mr.  Baldwin  has  beea 
supervisor  of  the  township  for  five  terms. 
Mr.  Parsons  has  been  prominently  connected 
with  State  Sunday  school  work. 

Edward  Brant  is  now  a  resident  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor^  but  made  his  home  for  over 
forty  years  in  Watervliet,  where  he  settled 
in  the  '60s.  He  was  supervisor  of  the  town-^ 
ship  for  three  terms.  He  acquired  by  his 
own  industry  and  sagacity,  several  hundred 
acres  of  land  in  the  township,  and  is  now  a 
heavy  land  owner.  A  few  years  since,  he 
moved  to  Benton  Harbor,  where  built 
the  ''Benton  House,"  the  largest  and  most 
heavily  patronized  hotel  in  the  county.  This 
he  still  owns,  although  managed  by  his  son- 
in-law,  Fred  B.  Collins,  the  late  popular 
sheriff  of  Berrien  county.  Mr.  Brant  was 
mayor  of  Benton  Harbor  one  term. 

W.  W.  Allen  came  to  Bainbridge  with 
his  widowed  mother  in  1848.  In  1861  he 
removed  to  Watervliet  where  for  several 
years  he  carried  on  a  heavy  mercantile  busi- 
ness, subsequently  known  as  the  ''Centennial 
Store." 

The  bank  in  Coloma  was  established  in 
1896  by  Sawyer  Ball  and  William  H.  Ball,, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Ball  &  Son. 

Sawyer  Ball,  a  native  of  Massachusetts^ 
located  in  Niles  in  1861,  but  shortly  after- 
wards removed  to  Coloma.  He  was  super- 
visor of  Watervliet  township  in  1873.  Af- 
ter his  death  the  business  was  carried  on  by 
his  widow  and  son,  William  H.  Ball.     The 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


231 


latter  was  supervisor  of  the  township  from 
1893  to  1895  inclusive. 

In  1892,  George  E.  Dudley  and  W.  E. 
Syms  of  Mt.  Holyoke,  Massachusetts,  es- 
tablished a  paper  factory  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  choice  writing  and  book  paper.  It 
was  one  of  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  west. 
Extensive  buildings  were  built  and  for  a 
number  of  years  the  company  employed  a 
large  force  of  employees.  The  mill  has  of 
late  years  been  practically  suspended. 

The  Methodist  Church  in  Watervliet  vil- 
lage was  organized  in  1846.  That  in  Co- 
loma  was  organized  about  the  year  1844. 
The  first  pastor  of  both  churches  was  Rev. 
A.  C.  Shaw.  In  1869  a  church  edifice  was 
erected  at  Watervliet  and  one  at  Coloma  in 

1879. 

The     first     Congregational     Church     in 

Watervliet   w^as   organized   in    1853.      Rev. 

W.  H.  Osborn  was  the  first  pastor. 

The  Christian  Church  was  organized  at 
Coloma  in  1857  and  the  first  pastor  was 
Elder  B.  I.  Curtis. 

The  largest  apple  orchard  in  Berrien 
county  is  situated  in  Watervliet  township  and 
is  owned  by  Robert  H.  Sherwood.  It  is  the 
second  largest  in  the  state.  The  apple  or- 
chard covers  three  hundred  acres  and  con- 
tains over  14.000  trees.  Peach,  plum  and 
pear  trees  are  interspersed  and  were  planted 
to  fill  the  time  before  the  apples  should  begin 
bearing.  There  are  17,000  peach  trees, 
7,200  plum  trees  and  5,000  pear  trees.  The 
apple  trees  are  mostly  eight  years  old.  About 
2,000  trees  were  planted  in  1871  and  1876, 
and  for  the  past  fifteen  years  have  produced 
upon  an  average,  about  one  barrel  per  tree. 
The  first  orchards  were  set  out  by  the  father 
of  Mr.  Sherwood,  Harvey  C.  Sherwood,  who 
came  to  Watervliet  township  from  Onon- 
daga county,  New  York,  in  1864,  and  pur- 


chased four  hundred  acres  on  the  shore  of 
Paw  Paw  Lake.  In  1885,  he  was  a  senator 
in  the  State  Legislature  and  was  the  Demo- 
cratic candidate  for  congress  in  this  dis- 
trict at  one  time.  He  was  a  man  of  liberal 
education  and  ability.  His  son  Robert,  al- 
ready referred  to,  was  educated  at  Oberlin 
College.  The  farm  owned  by  him  is  known 
as  ''Lake  View."  Harvey  D.  Sherwood 
died  several  years  since. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  supervis- 
ors of  Watervliet  township : 


Gilson  Osgood   1846 

J.  H.  Wheeler   . 1847- 

Alonzo  Beaman    1850 

E.  L.  Kellogg   1851 

Alonzo  Beaman   1852 

Jas.    Paul    1853 

C.   H.   Bostick    1854 

Alonzo  Beaman   1855 

E.  L.  Kellogg   1856 

N.  J.  Black    1857 

J.  H.  Wheeler 1858- 

Wm.    Brown    1861 

Jas.  H.  Marvin    1862- 

E.  L.  Kellogg    1864 

Jas.  H.  Marvin   1865- 

Wm.  N.  Merrifield   1871 

Jos.  W.  Weimer    1872 

Sawyer  Ball   1873 

S.  P.  Merrifield 1877- 

Wm.  M.  Baldwin    1879 

S.  P.  Merrifield   1880 

Wm.  M.  Baldwin   1881- 

S.  D.  Walden    1883- 

W.  A.  Baker   1885 

Edward  Brant   •  •  1886- 

W.  H.  Ball    1893- 

Wm.  M.  Baldwin  1896- 

W.  A.  Baker  1898 

C.  B.  Pratt  .1899- 

A.  J.  Baker 19^^- 


1849 


1 86a 
1863, 
187a 

1878 


lH^2 
1884 

1 88a 
189s 

IS97 

190a 
1906 


CHAPTER    XVI 


BENTON  AND  BENTON  HARBOR. 


The  township  of  Benton  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  Hagar  township,  on  the  east 
by  Bainbridge,  on  the  south  by  Sodus  and 
on  the  west  by  St.  Joseph.  The  northwest 
section  of  the  township  touches  Lake  Mich- 
igan. It  is  now  the  richest  and  most  popu- 
lous township  in  the  county.  It  has  no  in- 
corporated villages,  and  but  one  small  un- 
incorporated hamlet,  Millburg.  It  was  orig- 
inally mostly  covered  by  heavy  forests  of 
hard  timber,  including  some  pine.  It  is  well 
watered  by  Paw  Paw  river  and  Blue  and  Ox 
creeks.  Some  low  and  swampy  lands  adjoin 
these  streams,  but  most  of  them  have  been 
drained  and  put  under  cultivation.  The 
township  is  thickly  populated,  and  largely 
divided  into  small  holdings  devoted  to 
fruit  culture.  It  is  in  the  heart  of  the  ''peach 
belt"  and  a  large  portion  of  it  is  practically 
a  fruit  garden. 

The  city  of  Benton  Harbor,  located 
mainly  in  the  original  township  of  Benton, 
was  not  laid  out  until  i860  and  the  village 
w^as  not  incorporated  till  1869,  but  it  has  be- 
come the  wealthiest  and  most  populous  city 
in  the  county. 

The  settlement  of  the  township  was  not 
made  itill  much  later  than  that  of  many 
other  townships.  In  1845  the  population 
w^as  only  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven.  Its 
most  rapid  increase  of  population  was  be- 
tween i860  and  1870,  during  which  period 


its  population  trebled.     The    early    settlers 
were  mainly  from  the  state  of  New  York. 

The  first  settlement  in  Benton  township 
was  made  by  Jehiel  Enos  in  1834.  He  was 
a  native  of  Chenango  county.  New  York. 
In  young  manhood  he  was  a  teacher  in  his 
natis^e  state,  and  also  became  a  practical 
surveyor.  In  1825  he  came  to  Ann  Arbor, 
in  this  state,  where  he  assisted  Lucius  Lyon, 
deputy  United  States  surveyor.  In  1829  he 
was  engaged  with  Mr.  Lyon  in  surveying  the 
southern  portion  of  Berrien  county.  In  1831 
he  came  to  St.  Joseph,  remained  one  year 
and  then  located  a  farm  in  Royalton  tow^n- 
ship.  In  1834  he  removed  to  the  village  of 
Millburg.  Here  he  remained  two  years  and 
in  1836  began  clearing  and  farming  on  sec- 
tion thirteen  of  Benton  township,  where  he 
lived  till  the  time  of  his  death.  In  1835  he 
and  Amos  Amsden  of  St.  Joseph  platted  the 
village  of  Millburg,  a  portion  of  the  plat  be- 
ing in  Bainbridge  township.  He  was  super- 
visor of  his  township  for  several  years  and 
county  surveyor  from  1841  till  1845.  ^^^ 
1846  he  was  elected  as  a  member  of  the 
State  Legislature  upon  the  Democratic  ticket. 
In  1856  he  became  a  Republican  upon  the 
organization  of  the  Republican  party  and  in 
that  year  was  again  elected  a  member  of  the 
Legislature.  A  daughter,  Mrs.  Helen  Wood- 
ruff, resides  at  Benton  Harbor.  Mr.  Enos 
was  a  man  of  great  native  strength  and  in- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


233 


fluence  and  a  prominent  leader  in  the  Re- 
publican party. 

In  1836  James  H.  Enos  and  his  brothers 
Ira,  Roswell  and  Joseph,  cousins  of  Jehiel 
Enos,  came  from  New  York  and  located  first 
in  Benton  township.  James  H.  settled  soon 
in  Bainbridge  and  became  a  supervisor  of 
that  township.  Ira  Enos  remained  in  Ben- 
ton township  and  is  now  the  oldest  living 
resident  of  that  township.  He  is  now  in  his 
eighty-seventh  year.  He  was  a  carpenter  by 
trade,  and  assisted  his  brother  James  in 
building  and  running  the  first  saw  mill  at 
Millburg  in  1836. 

In  1836,  Eleazer  Morton  located  on  sec- 
tions eighteen  and  twenty.  Mr.  Morton 
was  born  in  Massachusetts,  but  in  early  life 
removed  to  Syracuse,  New  York,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  salt.  In  the 
fall  of  1835  he  removed  with  his  family,  con- 
sisting of  wife  and  ten  children,  to  St. 
Joseph,  where  they  passed  the  winter.  While 
here  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  sections  eighteen  and  twenty  and  in 
1836  built  a  tavern  on  the  territorial  road  on 
his  farm  on  section  eighteen,  which  he  made 
his  homestead.  He  set  out  an  orchard  in 
1840  and  shipped  peaches  to  Chicago  in 
1845,  foi'  which  he  received  one  dollar  per 
bushel.  His  shipment  was  the  second  made 
in  the  county.  He  wrote  articles  frequently 
upon  social  and  economic  questions  which 
were  published' in  the  press,  and  also  pub- 
lished a  volume  entitled  ''Morton's  .Guide 
to  True  Happiness."     He  died  in  1864. 

His  son,  Henry  C.  Morton,  who  came 
with  his  father  to  Michigan  in  1835,  was 
born  in  New  York  in  1817  and  became  one 
of  the  original  founders  of  Benton  Harbor. 
In  1863  he  was  a  member  of  the  Legislar 
ture.  He  was  also  a  leading  promoter  in  the 
enterprise  of  constructing  the  Benton  Har- 
bor canal,  which  was  the  foundation  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor's  future  commercial  supremacy. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  public 
spirit  and  universally  esteemed  for  his  sterl- 


ing qualities.  He  was  a  Republican  politi- 
cally and  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  in- 
fluential leaders  of  the  party  in  the  county. 

A  daughter  of  Eleazer  Morton,  Caroline, 
married  a  lumber  merchant  of  Chicago,  S. 
G.  Howard,  and  is  now  living  in  that  city 
in  her  eightieth  year. 

The  son  of  Mr.  Morton,  Stanley  J.  Mor- 
ton, was  one  of  the  original  members  of  the 
firm  of  Graham,  Morton  Si  Company,  and 
subsequently  treasurer  and  secretary  of  the 
Graham  &  Morton  Transportation  Com- 
pany. This  important  position  he  still  holds. 
He  is  also  prominently  connected  with  sev- 
eral of  the  leading  industries  of  the  city^ 

In  1835,  James  Dalton,  John  London 
and  Joseph  Caldwell  settled  in  Benton  town- 
ship. The  two  former  shortly  after  moved 
away.  Mr.  Caldwell  located  a  site  on  Paw 
Paw  river  as  early  as  1834  and  built  upon  it 
in  1835.  He  subsequently  purchased  about 
five  hundred  acres  more  in  Benton  and 
Hagar  townships.  His  son,  Joseph,  is  the 
present  supervisor  of  Hagar  township. 

In  1835,  Benjamin  Johnson,  a  black- 
smith by  trade,  with  his  wife  and  family, 
came  from  Ohio  to  St.  Joseph  where  they  re- 
mained two  years.  In  1837,  Mr.  Johnson 
and  his  family  settled  upon  section  fourteen 
in  Benton  township  where  Mr.  Johnson  lived 
till  his  death.  Two  daughters,  Lucy,  who 
married  John  Wilkinson  of  St.  Joseph,  and 
Drusilla,  who  married  Captain  Thomas  A. 
Walker  of  the  Lake  View  Hotel  at  St.  Jo- 
seph, are  now  living  at  St.  Joseph. 

In  1837,  James  Higbee,  a  native  of  New 
York,  but  then  a  resident  of  Ohio,  located 
on  section  fourteen,  where  he  died  many 
years  since.  His  son,  James  F.  Higbee, 
came  with  his  father.  After  farming  for 
many  years,  James  F.  moved  into  the  village 
of  Benton  Harbor.  He  constructed  the  Hig- 
bee hotel  in  1877  and  still  owms  it.  He  was 
one  of  the  commissioners  selected  to  super- 
intend the  construction  of  the  Benton  Har- 
bor canal  and  w^as  the  first  president  of  the 


234 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Northern  Berrien  County  Agricultural  So- 
ciety. He  is  living  at  Benton  Harbor,  and 
is  still  active  in  his  eighty-ninth  year. 

Phineas  Pearl,  a  pioneer  of  Benton  town- 
ship, who  lived  to  be  ninety-five  years  old, 
was  a  native  of  Vermont,  but  moved  to  Jef- 
ferson county.  New  York,  in  early  life.  In 
1840  he  moved  with  his  family  to  Benton 
township  and  settled  on  section  twenty-five. 
He  was  supervisor  of  the  township  from 
1842  to  1846.  He  was  a  man  of  iron  con- 
stitution and  preserved  his  physical  and  men- 
tal faculties  intact  until  shortly  before  his 
death.  His  two  sons,  Warren  H.  and  Lewis 
W.,  located  farms  near  their  father.  War- 
ren H.  Pearl  became  a  prominent  farmer  in 
the  township,  acquiring  about  three  hundred 
acres,  including  lands  in  adjoining  town- 
ships. His  home  farm  was  in  section  twenty- 
six.  He  died  several  years  ago.  Irvin  R. 
Pearl,  under  sheriff  by  appointment  of 
Sheriff  Tennant,  and  a  very  capable  officer, 
who  died  recently  while  in  office,  was  a  son 
of  Warren. 

Lewis  W.  Pearl  was  born  in  181 5  in  the 
state  of  New  York.  In  1841  he  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Ben- 
ton township  and  in  1843  was  married  to 
Juliette  Enos,  a  daughter  of  James  Enos, 
a  pioneer.  In  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company 
B  of  the  Twelfth  Michigan  Infantry,  as  a 
private.  By  rapid  promotion  through  var- 
ious grades  he  became  major  of  the  regiment 
and  served  until  1866,  when  he  returned  to 
his  farm.  Mr.  Pearl  is  still  living  upon  the 
farm  upon  which  he  first  located,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-one  years,  but  with  his 
mental  faculties  well  preserved,  and  is  still 
physically  active  and  able  to  do  work  on  his 
farm.  He  is  the  oldest  pioneer  of  the 
northern  portion  of  the  county  now  living. 
For  nine  years  he  was  supervisor  of  his 
township  and  for  a  time  chairman  of  the 
board. " 

About  the  same  period,  Ebenezer  Jake- 
way  and  his  sons,  Elmer  and  James  H.,  lo- 
cated on  sections  twenty-four  and  twenty- 


five.  Ebenezer  acquired  nearly  four  hundred 
acres  and  Elmer  and  James  about  two  hun- 
dred acres  each.  The  present  supervisor  of 
Benton  township,  James  J.  Jake  way,  is  a 
son  of  James  H.  Jakeway.  Mrs.  James  H. 
Jake  way  was  a  daughter  of  Phineas  Pearl. 

Lot  Sutherland  of  Broome  county.  New 
York,  settled  in  section  twenty-seven  in  1840 
and  lived  there  till  his  death. 

A  son,  Lewis,  who  came  with  his  father 
from  New  York,  is  now  living  at  Benton 
Harbor  in  his  seventy-sixth  year.  In  1853, 
he  moved  from  Bainbridge  into  Benton 
township  and  became  the  owner  of  large 
tracts  of  valuable  land.  Lately  he  has  re- 
sided in  the  city  of  Benton  Harbor.  His 
sons,  Darwin,  Lot  and  Sterling,  are  large 
land  owners  in  Benton  township  and  have 
devoted  themselves  extensively  to  fruit  cul- 
ture. 

John  D.  Bury  also  located  at  about  the 
same  time  a  large  tract  of  land  in  section 
ten.  He  died  several  years  since.  His  chil- 
dren, John  and  Elsie,  are  living  upon  ther 
land  entered  by  their  father. 

The  following  persons  located  shortly 
after:  Teddy  McCrone,  Daniel  Olds, 
Charles  Chauncy,  Thomas  Closson,  Elijah 
Jennings,  Dennis  and  Patrick  Murphy,  A. 
B.  Leeds,  David  O.  Woodruff,  Jacob  Van 
Horn,  George  W.  Hess,  Selden  Hull  and 
Charles  Hull. 

David  O.  Woodruff,  a  native  of  New 
York,  located  in  section  thirty  upon  a  farm 
of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres.  In  1849 
he  went  to  California.  Returning  to  Michi- 
gan a  few  years  after,  he  settled  in  Niles 
where  he  continued  to  live  till  his  death.  Pie 
was  president  of  the  Berrien  County  Agri- 
cultural Society  for  several  years  and  a  sup- 
ervisor of  both  the  township  and  city  of 
Niles.  He  was  a  man  of  extensive  informa- 
tion and  of  genial  and  courteous  manners. 
His  daughter,  Jennie,  married  E.  C.  Griffin^ 
a  prominent  druggist  of  Niles. 

A.  B.  Leeds  settled  upon  sections  twenty- 
eight  and  twenty-nine.    He  was  county  reg- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


235 


ister  from  1859  to  1865  and  judge  of  pro- 
bate from  1877  to  1885.  He  was  very  polite 
in  his  manners  and  was  universally  esteemed. 

As  has  already  been  said,  the  township- 
is  largely  devoted  to  fruit.  It  is  thickly  set- 
tled by  an  enterprising  and  intelligent  class 
of  citizens  and  in  the  production  of  fruit  it 
takes  the  lead. 

The  largest  peach  orchard  of  bearing 
trees  in  the  county  is  located  in  Benton  town- 
ship. It  is  owned  by  Roland  Morrill  and  is 
situated  in  section  sixteen.  It  consists  of 
ninety  acres  of  bearing  peach  trees.  The 
following  named  persons  have  orchards  con- 
taining from  thirty-five  to  forty  acres  of 
bearing  peach  trees :  Darwin  Sutherland, 
Lot  Sutherland,  James  Jakeway,  Juan  Hess 
and  A.  Culby.  Others  have  orchards  nearly 
as  large. 

The  first  township  election  was  held  at 
Millburg  in  1841  when  Ephraim  Mann  was 
elected  supervisor;  James  F.  Higbee,  treas- 
urer; Jehiel  Enos,  clerk;  Phineas  Pearl  and 
Jacob  Van  Horn,  justices  of  the  peace. 

The  village  of  Bronson's  Harbor  was  laid 
out  in  i860  by  Henry  C.  Morton,  Sterne 
Bronson,  M.  G.  Lamport,  B.  C.  Lewis,  Mar- 
tin Green  and  Charles  Hull.  The  rapid 
growth  and  development  of  this  place  illus- 
trates w^hat  can  be  accomplished  by  a  few 
resolute,  unselfish  and  public-spirited  men, 
w^ho  are  willing  to  incur  personal  risk  and 
sacrifice  in  energetic  work  for  the  public 
good. 

The  first  lot  was  sold  for  sixty  dollars  on 
six  years'  time.  The  second  lot  was  sold  for 
fifty  dollars  on  five  years'  time.  The  village 
w^as  first  called  Bronson's  Harbor  after 
Sterne  Bronson,  who  wdth  a  few  others  first 
conceived  the  plan  of  building  a  town  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river,  and  of  connecting  it 
with  Lake  Michigan  by  a  canal.  He  re- 
moved from  Elkhart,  Indiana,  to  Benton 
Harbor  in  1857  and  purchased  two  hundred 
acres  upon  which  the  city  of  Benton  Harbor 
is  now  located.  His  sons,  Rufus  Bronson 
and  Allen  Bronson^  also  located  lands  here. 


In  i860  at  a  public  meeting  of  the  citizens 
of  Bronson's  Harbor,  Sterne  Bronson, 
Henry  C.  Morton  and  Charles  Hull  were 
appointed  as  an  executive  committee  to  raise 
subscriptions  for  the  dredging  of  a  canal 
from  the  lake  to  the  village.  These  persons 
each  donated  large  tracts  of  land  for  the  pur- 
pose. They  encountered  serious  obstacles, 
but  took  charge  of  the  enterprise  and  w-ere 
finally  successful.  The  canal  was  constructed 
by  Martin  Green  and  finished  in  1862.  It 
was  originally  twenty-five  feet  wide  and 
eight  feet  deep,  but  it  was  enlarged  in  1868. 
The  offices  of  the  Lake  Transportation 
Companies  were  soon  transferred  from  St. 
Joseph  to  the  Harbor  and  the  Harbor  be- 
came the  head  and  center  of  steamboat  nav- 
igation on  the  lake. 

The  first  business  building  in  the  Har- 
bor was  not  erected  till  i860.  This  was  oc- 
cupied as  a  grocery  by  Fred  Shallinger. 

In  1865  the  name  of  the  village  w^as 
changed  to  Benton  Harbor.  In  1866  the 
village  was  organized  under  the  general  law 
and  at  the  election  that  year  Samuel  Mc- 
Griegan  was  elected  president. 

In  1869  the  village  was  incorporated  un- 
red  a  special  act  of  the  Legislature,  intro- 
duced by  A.  B.  Riford,  then  a  member  of  the 
Legislature  and  resident  attorney  of  Benton 
Harbor.  By  this  act,  about  one-half  of  the 
corporate  limits  of  the  village  was  in  the 
town  of  Benton  and  the  other  one-half  in 
the  town  of  St.  Joseph.  In  1871  the  village 
was  made  a  port  of  entry  and  Mr.  Riford 
was  appointed  collector  of  customs. 

The  first  steamboat  navigation  company 
organized  in  the  village  was  that  of  Green, 
Allen  &  Company.  This  company  was  suc- 
ceeded by  that  of  Graham,  Morton  &  Com- 
pany. The  firm  of  H.  W.  Williams  &  Com- 
pany, also  engaged  in  the  business  about  the 
same  time. 

The  first  attorney  in  the  place  was  A.  B. 
Riford,  a  native  of  Indiana,  who  settled  in 
Benton  Harbor  in  1865.  He  was  a  repre- 
sentative to  the  State  Legislature  from  1871 


236 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


to  1875  ^^d  postmaster  from  1877  to  1884. 

He  was  an  active  and  influential  citizen 
and  was  instrumental  with  Messrs. 
Thresher,  Morton  and  others  in  blocking  the 
attempt  of  President  Morrison  to  run  the 
Chicago  &  West  Michigan  Railroad  a  mile 
away  from  the  center  of  the  town. 

He  died  while  holding  the  position  of 
postmaster.  His  widow,  Mrs.  Hattie  B. 
Riford,  now  living  in  Benton  Harbor,  sue- 
ceeded  her  husband  in  the  office  and  held  it 
for  five  years.  Ira  W.  Riford,  a  prominent 
attorney  of  Benton  Harbor  and  lately  prose- 
cuting attorney  of  the  county,  is  a  son  of  A. 
B.  Riford. 

The  first  physician  to  locate  in  the  place 
was  Dr.  John  Bell,  the  ^'beloved  physi- 
cian'' of  Benton  Harbor.  Shortly  after 
graduating  in  the  medical  department  of  the 
University  of  New  York  he  came  to  Ben- 
ton Harbor  and  began  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession in  1862.  He  was  eminently  skill- 
ful both  as  a  physician  and  surgeon  and  soon 
secured  an  immense  practice.  He  was  natur- 
ally kind  hearted  and  charitable,  thoroughly 
honest,  public-spirited  and  generous,  and 
won  a  deep  hold  in  the  affections  of  the  peo- 
ple. 

In  1889  ^^^  Benton  Harbor  Improvement 
Association,  a  company  organized  to  develop 
the  business  interests  of  the  place  and  to  se- 
cure factories,  was  established  and  he  was 
elected  president,  a  position  which  he  held 
till  about  the  time  of  his  death. 

This  organization  as  a  factor  in  securing 
the  rapid  development  of  the  town,  ranks 
next  to  the  building  of  the  canal.  In  pro- 
moting the  objects  of  the  association.  Dr. 
Bell  was  subjected  to  considerable  personal 
sacrifice  and  loss  of  property.  He  was  mayor 
of  the  city  in  1896-97.  His  widow,  Mrs. 
Annetta  (Hopkins)  Bell  is  still  living  in 
Benton  Harbor.  His  brother,  George  M., 
now  a  prominent  physician  of  Benton  Har- 
bor, was  for  many  years  a  partner  with 
Dr.  John  Bell,  both  in  professional  prac- 
tice and  in  the  drug  store  business. 


Sterne  Bronson,  already  alluded  to  as 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  village  of  Bron- 
son's  Harbor,  was  a  man  of  public  spirit 
and  indomitable  energy  and  perseverance. 
His  sons,  Allen  and  Rufus,  became  leading 
and  influential  men  in  the  community. 
Sterne  Bronson  died  in  1876.  Allen  died  a 
few  years  since.  Rufus  moved  to  South 
Haven  a  few  years  ago  and  is  now  residing 
there. 

Among  those  who  were  also  prominent 
in  the  early  industries  of  the  town  were  Sal- 
mon F.  Heath  and  William  E.  Higman,  who 
established  the  first  bank  in  the  place.  A 
son  of  Mr.  Heath,  Edward  W.,  for  several 
years  carried  on  quite  an  extensive  business 
of  ship  and  boat  building  at  Benton  Harbor 
and  was  regarded  as  an  expert  craftsman  in 
that  line. 

The  development  of  Benton  Harbor  did 
not  commence  till  a  very  late  day  as  com- 
pared with  other  cities  and  villages  of  Ber- 
rien county,  and  several  who  were  prominent 
pioneers  in  the  early  life  and  industries  of 
the  place  are  still  living.  Among  these  may 
be  mentioned  Captain  John  Robinson,  pres- 
ident of  the  Farmers'  and  Merchants'  Bank. 
Joseph  P.  Thresher  elsewhere  referred  to. 
Albert  R.  Nowlen,  a  prominent  fruit  grower 
and  owner  of  real  estate  in  the  city.  R.  M. 
Jones,  formerly  a  prominent  dry  goods  mer- 
chant. Captain  James  McDonald,  a  lumber 
merchant.  J.  Stanley  Morton,  elsewhere  re- 
ferred to.  W.  P.  Robbins,  a  lumber  mer- 
chant. S.  G.  Antisdale,  United  States  cus- 
ton  collector.  Seeley  McCord,  an  extensive 
fruit  grower.  Dr.  George  M.  Bell,  the 
oldest  physician  in  the  place,  now  living. 
Alonzo  W.  Plummer,  an  attorney  and  exten- 
sive real  estate  agent.  I.  W.  Conkey, 
formerly  a  banker.  Myron  Hinckley,  a  man- 
ufacturer of  fruit  packages.  George  F.  Son- 
ner,  formerly  a  prominent  dry  goods  mer- 
chant. James  F.  Higbee  and  Lewis  Suth- 
erland, both  of  whom  have  elsewhere  been 
referred  to. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY  2^,7 

Commerce.  Crates  of  berries 679,680 

.     Baskets  of  peaches   1,125,729 

Benton  Harbor  for  many  years  has  been      Baskets  of  grapes   1,160,425 

the  principal  center  of  lake  commerce  on  the  Half-bush. -baskets  of  fruit   ....         82,847 

eastern  shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  Bush.-crates   muskmelons    130,142 

In    1 87 1,  it  was  made  a  port  of  entry      Bush.-baskets   peaches    381,469 

and  A.  B.  Riford  appointed  collector  of  cus-  ^^^'^^'  ^^  ^^^  ^  ^^^er  fruits.  .         48,249 

toms.     In    1875,  the  Graham  and  Morton  Four  railroads  connect  with  Benton  Har- 

Transportation  Company,  a  partnership  firm  bor,  viz ;     The  Pere  Marquette,  the  C.   C. 

composed  of  John  H.   Graham,  J.  Stanley  c.  &  St.  L.  (Big  Four),  Indiana,  Illinois  & 

Morton,  Andrew  Crawford  and  James  Fax-  Iowa  Railroad  and  the  Milwaukee,  Benton 

ton,  was  organized.     In  1881,  this  business  Harbor  &  Columbus. 

was  merged  into  a  stock  corporation  known  The  Pere  Marquette  was  originally  built 

as  the  Graham  and  Morton  Transportation  as  the  Chicago  and  West  Michigan  and  com- 

Company.     The  first  president  chosen  was  menced  running  its  trains  into  Benton  Har- 

Mr.    Graham   and   Mr.    Morton  was  made  bor  in  1870. 

secretary  and    treasurer.     These   gentlemen  .     The  other  roads  have  been  built  within 

still  retain  these  positions.  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years. 

During  the   present   year   the   company  During  the  past  two  years,  shipments  of 

has  run  the  following  passenger  boats  be-  fruit  by  rail  have  increased  enormously  while 

tween   Benton  Harbor  and  Chicago :     Str.  the  boats  have  had  an  immense  traffic.     The 

City  of  Benton  Harbor,  Str. City  of  Chicago,  amount  of  fruit  transported  by  rail  is  esti- 

The  ''City  of  Benton  Harbor"  has  a  length  mated  to  have  been   during  the  past  two 

of  two  hundred  and  sixty-six  feet  and  a  ton-  years  much  larger  than  that  by  boat, 
age  of  twelve  hundred  and  eighty-six.     The 

''City  of  Chicago'-'  has  a  length  of  two  hun-  Library. 
dred  and  forty  feet  and  a  tonnage  of  four-  The  common  council  of  the  city  of  Ben- 
teen  hundred  and  forty.  ton  Harbor,  with  a  spirit  of  enterprise  and 

The  company  runs  boats  on  two  other  sagacity  characteristic  of  the  town,  estab- 

di visions,  known  as  the  Holland  and  Lake  lished  a  public  library  in  1899,  some  years 

Superior  divisions.      The   amount  of  both  before    Andrew    Carnegie    commenced    his 

freight  and  passenger  traffic  on  these  boats  system  of  donations  for  public  libraries.    An 

named  has  been  immense  during  the  past  annual  appropriation  of  one  thousand  dollars 

year.  was  made  for  the  maintainance  of  the  li- 

The  Benton  Transit  Company  was  in-  brary  and,  until   1903,   rented  rooms  were 

corporated  in  1899  with  Fred  A.  Hobbs  of  used. 

Benton  Harbor  as  secretary  and  treasurer  In  1902  a  donation  from  Mr.  Carnegie 
and  R.  C.  Britain  of  Saugatuck  as  general  of  twenty  thousand  dollars  was  secured,  con- 
manager.  The  boat  running  from  Benton  ditioned  upon  an  annual  appropration  of 
Harbor  is  called  the  "Frank  Woods.''  Its  two  thousand  dollars  from  the  common 
traffic  consists  mainly  in  the  conveyance  of  council  which  was  promptly  voted.  The 
freight.  building  w^as   completed   in    1903   and   cost 

The  shipments  of  fruit  made  by  boats  about  twenty-one  thousand    eight    hundred 

from  Benton  Harbor  and  St.  Joseph  have  dollars.    The  first  librarian  was  Miss  Louise 

assumed  gigantic  proportions.  Bailey,    who   resigned   in   April   last,   Mrs. 

In  the  year  1905,  these  shipments  were  Emma  Cole  is  the  present  librarian.     The 

as  follows:  library    contains    forty- four    hundred    and 


238 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


eight  books.  The  books  in  circulation  dur- 
ing the  last  fiscal  year  numbered  thirty-three 
thousand  nine  hundred  and  eighty-three. 
The  number  of  patron's  cards  issued  was 
thirty-five  hundred.  The  present  officers 
are:  President,  George  F.  Sonner;  secre- 
tary, A.  P.  Cady;  librarian,  Emma  Cole; 
directors,  George  F.  Sonner,  E.  A.  Hoff- 
mann, W.J.  Cady,  J.  N.  Klock,  I.  W.  Riford, 
A.  P.  Cady,  H.  V.  Tutton,  Fred  S.  Hopkins, 
W.  E.  Sheffield.  The  president  and  secre- 
tary have  remained  unchanged  since  the  or- 
ganization of  the  library. 

Benton  Harbor  Hospital. 

A  further  instance  of  the  liberality  and 
-enterprise  of  the  people  of  this  city  is  found 
in  the  establishment  of  the  Benton  Harbor 
hospital  within  the  past  year. 

It  is  now  being  built  at  a  cost  including 
the  site  of  from  fifteen  thousand  to  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  The  amount  necessary  to 
establish  the  hospital  was  obtained  by  private 
donations. 

George  F.  Sonner  subscribed  five  thou- 
sand dollars,  Albert  M.  Nolan  one  thousand 
dollars,  sixty-one  citizens  one  hundred  each, 
twenty-two  citizens  fifty  dollars  each  and 
the  balance  necessary  was  obtained  by 
smaller  subscriptions  and  entertainments. 

A  private  hospital  called  ''Mercy  Hospi- 
taF'  was  established  in  1897  by  Dr. 
Henry  V.  Tutton,  an  eminent  physician  and 
surgeon  of  Benton  Harbor.  Dr.  Tut- 
ton subsequently  turned  over  the  hospital 
to  a  board  of  trustees  for  the  public  benefit, 
retaining  only  his  operating  rooms  which 
liave  been  open  to  all  surgeons. 

Summer  Resorts. 

The  largest  and  most  beautiful  summer 
single  resort  in  the  county  is  Higman  Park, 
located  on  Lake  Michigan  in  Benton  town- 
ship, a  mile  west  of  Benton  Harbor.  It  is 
owned  by  John  Higman  and  his  son  Arthur. 
It  was  established  several  years  since.  The 
park  consists  of  about  two  hundred  acres. 


The  Paw  Paw  river  has  been  connected  with 
the  park  by  digging  a  channel  from  the  river 
a  distance  of  three  thousand  feet.  Two 
large  launches  run  to  St.  Joseph,  either  by 
the  Paw  Paw  and  St.  Joseph  rivers  or  by 
the  lake  in  calm  weather.  Automobiles  are 
also  used  for  conveyances.  The  park  is  situ- 
ated on  high  bluffs,  handsomely  wooded  with 
large  native  trees.  Located  upon  this  park 
are  twenty-six  summer  homes  costing  from 
fifteen  hundred  to  twenty  thousand  dollars,  a 
hotel,  casino,  a  water  and  sewer  system, 
electric  lighting  plant,  and  fine  golf  links. 
Extensive  fruit  orchards  are  connected  with 
the  park. 

Another  popular  summer  resort  estab- 
lished many  years  ago  is  the  Eastman 
Springs,  situated  in  Benton  township,  ad- 
joining the  city.  It  is  located  in  a  romantic 
natural  park  and  contains  a  large  number  of 
native  springs.  It  contains  a  hotel,  several 
cottages  and  a  bath  house.  It  is  operated 
by  a  company  known  as  the  Eastman  Springs 
Company,  and  the  lands  connected  with  the 
enterprise,  consists  of  about  one  hundred 
acres. 

Churches. 

The  earliest  church  which  appears  to 
have  been  organized  in  Benton  township  was 
a  Methodist  one  at  Millburg,  which  after 
a  time  became  extinct.  Shortly  after  the 
Church  of  Christ  or  Christians  was  estab- 
lished and  in  1868  a  permanent  organization 
was  effected.  The  first  pastor  was  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Hurd.  A  frame  church  was  built  in 
1870. 

The  first  Baptist  Church  in  Benton  Har- 
bor was  organized  in  1868,  although  the 
denomination  had  previously  worshipped 
first  in  a  building  called  Brown's  Chapel  at 
Pleath's  corners  and  then  in  a  brick  build- 
ing afterwards  sold  to  the  Evangelical  As- 
sociation. 

A  brick  edifice  was  erected  at  Benton 
Harbor  in  1869,  the  building  committee 
being  S.  F.  Heath,  E.  St.  John  and  J.  P. 


FRED  B.  COLLINS 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


239 


Thresher.  The  building  cost  sixteen  thous- 
and dollars.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  A.  E. 
Simons.  After  the  denomination  located  at 
Benton  Harbor  permanently,  Rev.  J.  G. 
Portman  became  the  first  pastor.  The  pres- 
ent pastor  is  Rev.  H.  D.  Osborne. 

The  Congregational  Church  was  organ- 
ized in  1866.  A  church  edifice  was  built 
in  1868  and  this  was  the  first  meeting  house 
in  the  township  of  Benton.  The  present 
pastor  is  Rev.  William  J.  Cady. 

The  Methodist  Church  was  organized  in 
1868.  A  handsome  brick  church  edifice  was 
erected  in  1870  at  a  cost  of  sixteen  thousand 
five  hundred  dollars,  but  this  building  was 
struck  by  lightning  in  June,  1875,  ^^d  near- 
ly destroyed.  In  1880  a  smaller  structure 
was  erected  and  subsequently  the  present 
large  edifice.     Rev.  J.  I.  Hill  is  now  pastor. 

An  Episcopal  Church  was  organized 
many  years  ago.  It  has  no  regular  pastor, 
but  Rev.  M.  S.  Woodruff  officiates  once  a 
month. 

The  Universalist  Church  was  organized 
in  1870.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Louisa 
Haight 

The  Presbyterian  Church  w^as  organized 
in  1892.  The  present  church  edifice  was 
completed  in  1894.  The  present  pastor  is 
Rev.  Elisha  Hoffmann. 

The    Evangelical     Association     Church 

was  established  in .    The  present  pastor 

is  Rev.  J.  S.  Deabler. 

The  St.  John's  Catholic  Church  was  es- 
tablished in  1890  and  its  present  edifice 
erected  in  1892.  A  beautiful  piece  of  land 
called  ^^Calvary"  consisting  of  ten  acres  just 
outside  of  the  city  limits,  and  a  parochial 
residence  are  connected  wath  the  church. 

The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Father  D. 
Mulcahy. 

There  are  a  large  number  of  religious 
organizations  at  Benton  Harbor  which  have 
been  established  in  later  years.  The  denomi- 
nations are  as  follows :  Christian  Science, 
Benai  Israel  Synagogue,    Church  of    God, 


Christian,  Rescue  Mission,  Seventh  Day  Ad- 
ventist,  Zion  Tabernacle,  and  Christian 
Catholic. 

Benton  Harbor  College. 

This  institution  was  first  organized  in 
1886  as  the  normal  and  collegiate  institu- 
tute.  In  1892  it  was  incorporated  as  Benton 
Harbor  College.  It  has  special  departments 
in  pedagogy,  music,  art  and  business  and 
has  been  noted  for  the  thorough  preparation 
of  students  for  the  profession  of  teaching. 
Its  annual  enrollment  of  students  in  all  de- 
partments has  lately  ranged  from  three 
hundred  to  four  hundred.  It  has  no  endow- 
ment fund  but  has  been  successfully  main- 
tained for  twenty  years,  and  has  prepared 
a  large  number  of  students  for  admission  to 
the  State  University  with  which  it  enjoys 
affiliated  relations.  The  executive  board  at 
present  consists  of  the  following  officers: 
President,  G.  J.  Edgcumbe;  secretary,  J.  H. 
Niz;  treasurer,  F.  A.  Hobbs,  and  the  fol- 
lowing additional  members  :  CM.  Edick, 
J.  S.  Caldwell,  Dr.  G.  M.  Bell. 

The  faculty  consists  of  sixteen  profess- 
ors including  the  president.  Dr.  Edgcumbe 
and  Dr.  W.  B.  Parker,  vice-president. 

Hotels. 

The  first  hotel  in  the  place  was  the 
'^American,"  built  by  Rufus  Bronson  in 
1 86 1  and  for  some  time  operated  by  him. 

The  Gartley  House  was  built  in  1870  by 
Samuel  McGuigan. 

The  Colfax  House  was  built  a  few  years 
after. 

These  hotels  have  been  supplanted  by 
the  "Benton"  and  "Higby"  House.  The 
*'Benton"  is  the  largest  hotel  in  the  place  and 
has  been  owned  for  many  years  by  Edward 
Brant.  His  son-in-law,  Fred  ColHns,  the 
late  popular  sheriff  of  the  county,  is  the 
present  manager. 


240 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Banks. 

'  The  first  bank  established  in  the  place 
was  a  private  bank,  started  in  1875  by  W. 
E.  Higman,  James  Baley  and  S.  F.  Heath. 

A  national  bank  was  organized  in  1890 
called  the  First  National  Bank.  Several 
years  since  the  bank  failed  and  went  into  the 
hands  of  a  receiver.  None  of  the  depositors 
however  lost  any  money. 

The  Farmers'  and  Merchants'  Bank  was 
organized  in  1888  with  the  following  offi- 
cers: John  Robinson,  president;  R.  M. 
Jones,  vice-president,  and  Charles  Foster, 
cashier.  These  gentlemen  have  continued 
in  their  offices  till  the  present  time,  and  were 
original  organizers  of  the  bank. 

The  Benton  Harbor  State  Bank  was  or- 
ganized in  1899.  The  present  officers  are 
H.  D.  Poole,  president;  G.  M.  Valentine, 
vice-president;  William  Rupp,  cashier;  B. 
F.  Wells,  assistant  cashier. 

Each  of  the  banks  has  a  savings  depart- 
ment. 

The  total  amount  of  deposits  in  the  banks 
at  Benton  Harbor  in  September  last  was 
over  one  million  five  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars. 

Michigan  State  Naval  Brigade. 

In  1899  the  fourth  division  of  this  bri- 
gade was  organized  at  Benton  Harbor.  It 
consists  of  forty-four  men.  The  officers  are 
C.  K.  Farmer,  lieutenant  commanding;  J. 
H.  Pound,  lieutenant,  junior  grade;  C.  D. 
Woodin,  ensign;  J.  D.  Stewart,  ensign  and 
assistant  engineer. 

Manufacturing  Industries. 

The  Spencer  &  Barnes  Company  was  in- 
corporated in  1895  ^^d  manufactures  bed- 
room furniture  of  both  medium  and  fine 
grades,  consisting  of  dressing  cases,  chiffon- 
iers, toilet  tables  and  bedsteads  in  sets  of 
mahogany,    birds-eye   maple   and   cjuartered 


oak.  They  employ  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  men  and  turn  out  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars  worth  of  furniture  annually. 

The  officers  are  J.  E.  Barnes,  president ; 
B.  H.  Spencer,  vice-president,  and  M.  L. 
Spencer,  secretary  and  treasurer.  J.  E. 
Barnes  and  B.  H.  Spencer  commenced  their 
business  at  Buchanan  thirty-one  years  ago, 
but  removed  to  Benton  Harbor  about  four- 
teen years  ago. 

The  Metal  Sectional  Furniture  Com- 
pany, another  important  manufacturing  com- 
pany, manufactures  a  high  grade  of  steel 
filing  cabinets.  The  plant  has  been  recently 
established  and  intends  to  enlarge  its  work- 
ing capacity,  but  already  employs  about  one 
hundred  men.  The  company  has  now  fifteen 
acres  of  ground. 

During  the  past  year  a  Law  and  Order 
League  has  been  established  at  Benton  Har- 
bor. Owing  to  its  efforts,  the  liquor  laws 
with  regard  to  the  closing  of  saloons  on  the 
Sabbath  and  at  late  hours,  have  been  strictly 
enforced,  and  any  attempt  to  make  the  city 
an  '^open  town"  on  Sundays  has  been  effect- 
ually suppressed.  The  majority  of  the  sa- 
loon keepers  have  been  disposed  to  accept  the 
situation  in  good  faith.  In  view  of  the  fact 
that  Benton  Harbor  is  the  largest  place  in  the 
county,  it  is  entitled  to  great  credit  for  the 
vigorous  enforcement  of  these  most  import- 
ant laws^  and  the  fact  of  enforcement  is  an 
emphatic  testimonial  to  the  high  character 
and  sagacity  of  its  citizens. 

Another  fact  worthy  of  mention  is  the 
spirit  of  obedience  to  the  requirements  of 
the  law  with  regard  to  the  finances  of  the 
city.  A  complete,  lucid  and  accurate  system 
of  book-keeping  has  been  conducted  by  the 
clerks  for  several  years,  and  in  this  way  the 
city  has  been  protected  from  that  waste  and 
extravagance  which  has  occurred  in  other 
cities  and  which  has  led  to  serious  losses  and 
confusion  of  funds  which  the  authorities 
were  unable  to  disentangle. 

A  peculiar  colony  of  people  called  tlie 
House  of  David  under  the  lead  of  Benjamin 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


241 


and  Mary  Purnell  was  established  a  few 
years  since  in  Benton  township  a  short  dis- 
tance east  of  the  city  of  Benton  Harbor. 
The  corporate  name  of  the  association  is  as 
follows :  ''Benjamin  and  Mary  Purnell, 
the  Israelite  House  of  David,  the  Church  of 
the  New  Eve,  the  Body  of  Christ."  Large 
tracts  of  land  have  been  purchased  and  large 
and  commodious  buildings  erected.  The 
colony  already  numbers  several  hundred, 
and  has  been  constantly  increasing.  The 
people  of  the  colony  share  everything  in 
common.  It  is  claimed  that  it  is  a  religious 
and  communistic  association  based  on  the 
general  principle  of  each  member  contribut- 
ing all  his  possessions,  labor  and  earnings  to 
a  common  stock  in  which  all  members  share 
alike.  It  is  claimed  that  Benjamin  and  Mary 
jointly  constitute  the  seventh  angel  or  mes- 
senger recorded  in  Revelations  as  delivering 
the  final  message  on  earth ;  that  the  members 
of  this  association  are  the  elect  people  and 
that  they  will  finally  number  one  hundred 
and  forty-four  thousand. 

These  people  now  own  about  one  thous- 
and acres  of  land  and  they  have  devoted 
their  attention  largely  to  the  culture  of  fruit 
as  well  as  grain,  having  a  dozen  orchards 
upon  their  lands.  They  also  have  various 
trades  represented  in  their  establishments. 
They  have  already  erected  a  cannery  and 
drying  house,  a  carpenter  shop,  a  coach  fac- 
tory, a  tailor  shop,  and  a  steam  laundry. 
They  have  sent  into  the  market  in  one  day 
over  one  thousand  bushels  of  peaches.  They 
have  three  brass  bands  and  two  orchestras, 
and  have  already  established  a  zoological 
garden  containing  a  large  number  of  birds 
and  animals  from  Africa  and  South  Amer- 
ica. 

The  buildings  are  lighted  with  electricity 
furnished  by  an  electric  plant  owned  and 
operated  by  the  association. 

The  people  have  the  reputation  of  being 
thrifty  farmers  and  keep  their  grounds  at- 
tractive. The  future  of  this  association  may 
be  looked  upon  with  some  curiosity  and  in- 


terest, as  this  is  the  first  purely  communistic 
organization  established  in  Berrien  county. 
The  writer  of  this  sketch  regrets  that  at  this 
time  he  is  unable  to  furnish  any  statement 
of  the  religious  tenets  taught  by  this  asso- 
ciation. 

The  supervisors  of  Benton  Harbor  have 
been  as  follows: 

Wm.  Randall    1893 

John  Seel   1893 

I.  W.  Dow 1894 

B.  R.   Stearns    1894-1895 

O.  A.  Hipp   1895-1898 

Luther    Hemingway    1896- 1898 

E.  L.  Rouse 1897 

S.  M.  Austin   li 

C.  Rooms   i^ 

H.   D.   Poole    1899-1901 

Jas.  Talmage   1899-1900 

W.  Deaner   1900 

H.   B.  Volheim 1901 

M.  V.  Buchanan   1901-1902 

S.  H.  Kelly   1902 

John  Clark   1902 

S.  M.  Austin   1902 

C.   A.  Jerrue    1903 

L.   Hemingway    1903-1904 

W.   H.   Quilliams    1903-1904 

C.  K.  Farmer    1904 

S.  M.  Austin   1904 

Louis   Jerrue    1905 

S.  S.  Daigneau   1905-1906 

H.  D.  Poole 1905-1906 

E.  J.  Stevens   1905 

O.  P.  Hipp 1906 

J.  E.  Barnes   1906 

The  following  is  a  complete  list  of  the 
names  of  the  supervisors  of  Benton  town- 
ship. No  township  officers  were  elected  till 
1841. 

Ephraim  P.  Mann 1841 

Phineas   Pearl    1842-1846 

Jehiel   Enos    1847-1850 

Lewis  W.  Pearl 1851-1853 

Jehiel    Enos    1854 

Lewis  W.   Pearl    1855-1856 

Alex.  B.  Leeds   1857-1858 


242 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Lewis  W.  Pearl 1859-1861 

Jehiel    Enos    1862 

Samuel   McGuigan    1863- 1864 

J.  H.  Hoag   1865-1868 

Samuel   Jackson    1869- 1870 

W.  L.  George   1871-1874 

S.  L  Van  Camp 1875-1878 

W.  L.  George   1879-1880 

Chas.  A.  Spencer t88i 

John  C.  Lawrence 1882- 1890 

Sanders  L.  Van  Camp   1 891 -1896 

Henry  A.  Rackliffe 1897- 1899 

John  C.  Lawrence T900-1901 

Wm.  A.  Rose    1902 

J.  J.  Jakway    1903-1906 

The  presidents  and  clerks  of  the  village 
of  Benton  Harbor  have  been  as  follows : 

Presidents. 

Samuel   McGuigan 1866- 1867 

Jos.    Riford    1868-1870 

J.  C.  Ingham 1871 

I.   C.   Abbott    1872 

Sterne  Bronson    1873 

John   Thomas    1874-1875 

J.  C.  Ingham 1876-1877 

J.  W.  Leslie 1878 

H.  L.  Pitcher 1879 

Clerks. 

K.   Babcock    1866-1867 

H.  S.  Harris    1868-1869 

A.  B.  Riford   1870 

H.  H.  Kidd   T871 

Alonzo  Plummer   T872 

E.  D.  Cooke    1873-1875 

H.  L.   Pitcher   1876-1878 

G.  M.  Valentine 1879 

The  mayors  and  city  clerks  have  been  as 
follows : 

Mayors. 

Ered  A.  Hobbs   1891 

B.  R.  Stearns 1892 

Alonzo  Plummer   1893 

OsTOod  Fifield  1894-1895 


John  Bell    1896-1897 

Edward  Brant    1898 

A.  H.  Rowe 1899 

H.  A.  Foeltzer 1900-1901 

I.  W.  Conkey 1902 

R.   B.   Gillette    1903-1905 

Monroe  Morrow^    1906 

Clerks. 

S.  C.  Sharpe   i8gi 

J.  A.  Crawford   1892-1895 

Henry   Rowe    1896 

R.  P.  Chaddock 1897-1901 

W.  J.  Banyon    1902-1906 

POSTMASTERS. 

The  following  named  persons  have  been 
postmasters : 

Henry  C.  Morton   1866- 1873 

J.  P.  Thresher 1873-1877 

A.  B.  Riford   1877-1884 

Hattie  B.  Riford  (wife  of  A.  B.)  1884-1889 

L.   M.  Ward    1889-1893 

R.   I.  Jarvis    1893-1896 

Edgar  Nichols   1896-1897 

H.  R.  Huntington 1897-1901 

John  T.  Owen    1901 

(to  present  time.) 

The  names  of  the  present  physicians  of 
Benton  Harbor,  are  as  follows : 


F.  R.  Belknap, 
W.  C.  Bastar, 
J.  C.  Bostwick, 

F.  E.  Brady, 

G.  M.  Bell, 
C.  B.  Chapin, 
Lelia  S.  French, 
N.  A.  Herring, 
H.  C.  Hill, 


F.  M.  Kerry, 
C.  M.  Ryno, 
W.  R.  Ryno, 
C.  N.  Sow^ers, 
R.  B.  Tabor, 
E.  R.  Taylor, 
H.  V.  Tutton, 
B.  G.  Watson. 


The  attorneys  of  Benton  Harbor  are : 

Geo.  W.  Bridgman,  City  Attorney, 
William  H.  Andrews, 
A.  P.  Cady, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


243 


F.  H.  Ellsworth,  Probate  Judge, 

V.  M.  Gore,  President  Board  of  Educa- 


tion, 


H.  S.  Gray, 
F.  L.  Hammond, 
W.  P.  Harvey, 
W.  C.  Hicks, 
N.  G.  Kennedy, 
S.  H.  Kelley, 


Alonzo  Plummer 

Harry  A.  Plummer, 

I.  W.  Riford, 

M.  A.  Seitz,  C.  C.  Commissioner, 

H.  L.  Southworth, 

J.  J.  Sterling, 

G.  M.  Valentine, 

A.  Weldon,  Justice  of  the  Peace, 

H.  S.  Whitney,  Justice  of  the  Peace. 


CHAPTER    XVII 


BAINBRIDGE. 


The  township  of  Bainbridge  is  bounded 
on  the  north  by  WatervHet,  on  the  east  by 
Cass  county,  on  the  south  by  Pipestone  and 
on  the  west  by  Benton.  It  is  six  miles  square 
and  contains  thirty-six  sections  of  land. 

Two  streams  of  emigration  mainly  fur- 
nished the  early  settlement  and  development 
of  this  township.  The  first  were  settlers 
from  New  York  and  mainly  from  two  coun- 
ties, Jefferson  and  Livingston.  The  second 
was  the  German  settlement  commencing 
about  1840  and  occupying  mainly  the 
northern  portion  of  the  township.  These 
German  settlers  who  are  living,  and  their 
descendants,  constitute  nearly  one^half  of 
the  present  population.  This  was  the  earliest 
German  settlement  in  the  county  and  prob- 
ably the  earliest  in  this  state.  The  first 
actual  settlement,  however,  was  made  by 
Canadian  Frenchmen. 

Bartholomew  Sharrai  with  his  wife,  five 
sons,  Peter,  Luke,  Tenos,  Louis,  and  Bar- 
tholomew, Jr.,  and  three  daughters,  Louisa, 
Catherine  and  Mary,  came  from  Canada 
about  1833  and  located  in  section  eight. 
The  men  spent  a  portion  of  the  time  in  culti- 
vating their  lands  and  a  portion  of  it  boat- 
ing on  the  St.  Joseph  river.  A  log  shanty 
was  soon  afterwards  built  near  the  Sharrai 
place  by  one  Ruleau,  another  Canadian,  who 
stocked  it  with  whiskey  and  called  it  a 
tavern.  A  grandson  of  Bartholomew 
Sharrai,  Sr.,  John  W.  Sharrai,  is  the  present 


owner   of   the   ^*Ox   Bow   farm"   in   Sodus 
township. 

J.  H.  Enos  and  his  two  brothers,  Ros- 
well  and  Joseph,  came  to  Bainbridge  in  1836 
and  J.  H.  bought  the  Ruleau  place  and  put 
up  a  saw  mill  at  Millburg.  His  brothers 
worked  awhile  for  him  but  shortly  left  the 
township,  Joseph  moving  into  Benton  and 
Roswell  into  St.  Joseph. 

In  1835  the  territorial  road  from  De- 
troit to  St.  Joseph  was  constructed  through 
Bainbridge.  Enos  kept  a  tavern  on  the  ter- 
ritorial road,  where  daily  stages  between 
Detroit  and  St.  Joseph  halted.  Mr.  Enos 
was  the  first  postmaster  in  the  township  and 
held  important  positions  in  the  township  for 
the  next  fourteen  years.  In  1850  he  moved 
to  Benton  township. 

In  1835  Martin  Tice,  in  company  with  a 
man  named  Griffin,  came  from  the  east  by 
water  to  Detroit  and  by  foot  from  Detroit 
to  Berrien  county.  Tice  located  in  section 
seventeen  in  Bainbridge  on  the  line  of  the 
territorial  road  which  he  was  engaged  in  con- 
structing. 

About  the  same  time  John  P.  Davis 
built  a  tavern  opposite  Tice's  house.  The 
travel  carried  on  by  the  daily  stages  at  that 
time  was  large  and  furnished  considerable 
business  for  these  pioneer  taverns.  Davis 
lived  but  a  short  time  and  the  tavern  passed 
successively  to  Ezra  C.  King,  C.  C.  Sutton, 
S.  R.  Gilson  and  A.  R.  Pinney.       In  1841 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


245 


this  tavern  was  replaced  by  a  large  and  con- 
venient frame  building.  It  is  reported  that 
frequently  one  hundred  people  took  break- 
fast at  this  tavern  in  the  height  of  the  busi- 
ness season. 

Before  1835  the  firm  of  Smith  and  Mer- 
rick of  the  state  of  New  York,  who  were 
extensive  land  owners  in  New  York  and 
Michigan,  had  purchased  large  tracts  of  land 
in  Bainbridge  township.  In  1836  a  com- 
pany of  seventeen  men  who  were  engaged  in 
clearing  timber  land  in  Niagara  county, 
New  York^  for  that  firm,  were  induced  to 
go  to  Bainbridge  and  assist  in  clearing  the 
lands  owned  by  Smith  and  Merrick.  They 
walked  from  Detroit  to  Bainbridge,  where 
Dr.  N.  B.  Moffatt,  who  had  been  sent  on 
in  advance  to  look  after  the  interests  of  the 
firm,  took  charge  of  them  and  established 
them  in  some  log  houses  which  he  had  al- 
ready built  for  their  accommodation.  Among 
these  men  were  Joseph  Matrau  and  George 
Wilder.  A  large  amount  of  clearing  was 
done  by  them  in  the  northen  part  of  the 
township.  About  the  same  time  Stillman 
Wood,  Stephen  R.  Shephard  and  James 
Wilder  also  engaged  in  clearing  for  Smith 
&  Merrick. 

Most  of  the  men,  when  the  clearing  had 
been  finished,  left  for  other  western  points, 
but  Wood,  Wilder  and  Shephard  located 
upon  lands  they  had  assisted  in  clearing. 
Matrau,  after  an  absence  of  two  or  three 
years,  returned  in  1839  and  settled  in  section 
twenty-eight.  In  1850  he  removed  to  section 
fourteen.  His  son,  Edward  N.,  still  owns 
the  farm  located  by  his  father,  although  he 
has  recently  moved  to  Watervliet.  The 
latter  was  supervisor  of  the  township  for  six 
years. 

In  1836,  Samuel  McKeyes  from  New 
York,  came  to  Berrien  county,  and  pur- 
chased sixteen  tracts  of  land  each  containing 
eighty  acres,  or  in  all  twelve  hundred  and 
eighty  acres.  Six  of  these  tracts  were  in 
Bainbridge  and  upon  one  of  these  he  located. 
Mr.  McKeyes  became  the  second  supervisor 


of  the  township  in  1838,  was  a  justice  of  the 
peace  for  several  years  and  was  generally 
known  as  ''Squire  McKeyes.''  In  1838, 
Jabez  Knapp  from  Jefferson  county,  New 
York,  a  ship  carpenter  by  trade,  located  in 
the  township.  For  a  number  of  years,  how- 
ever, he  followed  his  trade  at  St.  Joseph, 
leaving  his  sons  to  manage  the  farm. 

In  1837  Levi  Woodruff  from  Broome 
county.  New  York,  located  in  section  ten. 
Levi  Woodruff  was  supervisor  in  1840,  and 
died  in  1862.  A  son  of  Levi,  Newton  Wood- 
ruff, located  near  his  father  at  the  same  time. 
Newton  Woodruff  was  supervisor  of  the 
township  in  1848-185 1-1872,  and  a  member 
of  the  house  of  representatives  in  the  State 
Legislature  in  1865.  He  lived  upon  his 
farm  in  Bainbridge  till  his  death  in  1880. 

His  son,  A.  N.  Woodruff,  was  a  member 
of  the  Legislature  in  1865,  superintendent  of 
the  State  Public  School  at  Coldwater,  and 
has  been  chairman  of  the  Republican  county 
committee  for  many  years.  He  is  now  en- 
gaged in  real  estate  and  insurance  business 
at  Watervliet. 

Another  son  of  Levi,  Henry  Woodruff, 
first  located  in  Bainbridge  but  subsequently 
located  in  Watervliet  and  died  in  1895.  His 
son,  Fred  A.  Woodruff,  was  county  clerk 
from  1893  ^^  1897?  ^^d  is  now  holding  his 
third  term  as  postmaster  at  St.  Joseph. 

Rev.  Simeon  Woodruff,  a  brother  of 
Levi,  and  a  Presbyterian  minister,  moved 
to  Bainbridge  shortly  after  the  settlement  of 
his  brother.  He  organized  a  Congregational 
Church,  which  was,  however,  shortly  after 
merged  with  the  Congregational  Church  of 
Coloma. 

The  Congregational  Church  at  Bain- 
bridge was  one  of  the  earliest  churches  es- 
tablished in  the  northern  part  of  Berrien 
county.  Simeon  shortly  after  returned  to 
the  east. 

Another  son  of  Levi,  Asaph,  lived  on 
Bainbridge  till  1888  when  he  removed  to 
Benton. 

Wallace    Tabor    came    from    Jefferson 


246 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


county,  New  York,  in  1831.  He  remained 
but  a  short  time  and  went  to  Chicago,  where 
he  was  engaged  as  a  brick  mason.  In  1833 
he  returned  to  Bainbridge  where  he  located 
and  Hved  till  his  death.  He  married  a  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  McKeyes.  His  son,  Ernest 
Tabor,  is  the  proprietor  of  a  popular  sum- 
mer resort  in  Sodus  township,  on  the  banks 
of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  which  he  established 
in  1 89 1.  It  is  the  present  terminus  of  the 
Interurban  road  leading  south  from  Benton 
Harbor.  Two  other  sons,  Horace  and  Carle- 
ton,  are  prominent  farmers  in  Sodus  and 
Pipestone. 

Among  prominent  settlers  who  came 
somewhat  later  wtre  Thomas  J.  West,  Dex- 
ter O.  Dix,  Kayus  Haid,  W.  L.  George. 

Mr.  West  was  supervisor  of  the  township 
in  1869  and  a  representative  to  the  State 
Legislature.  He  was  a  good  speaker,  and 
a  man  of  culture  and  ability. 

Dexter  O.  Dix  came  from  New  York, 
was  supervisor  at  different  times  and  a  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  for  many  years.  Hon. 
Roscoe  D.  Dix  of  Berrien  Springs  is  a  son. 

W.  L.  George  came  with  his  parents  to 
St.  Joseph  from  New  York,  in  1841.  When 
quite  young  he  engaged  in  service  on  the 
lakes  and  was  finally  promoted  to  the  posi- 
tion of  captain  of  the  Miami,  which  plied  be- 
tween Chicago,  St.  Joseph  and  Muskegon. 
He  went  to  California  in  1849.  Returning 
he  settled  in  Bainbridge  and  was  supervisor 
in  1852.  In  1867  he  removed  to  Benton 
township  and  subsequently  to  Benton  Har- 
bor where  he  engaged  in  the  boot  and  shoe 
business.  He  was  a  supervisor  of  the  town- 
ship for  six  years,  and  deputy  oil  inspector 
of  this  district  for  several  years.  He  was 
a  man  of  ability  and  a  leader  in  the  Repub- 
lican party  of  the  county. 

The  southwestern  portion  of  Bainbridge 
is  known  as  Penn  Yann. 

In  1836,  Simeon  Brant,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  came  to  Bainbridge  with  his 
wife  and  eleven  children.     His  son,  Nathan- 


iel Brant,  then  twenty-one  years  of  age,  set- 
tled in  Pipestone  township  in  1838.  He  also 
had  eleven  children.  The  descendants  of 
Simeon  Brant  now  living  in  Bainbridge  and 
neighboring  townships    are   very   numerous 

Brant  was  followed  by  Francis  Johnson,. 
Joseph  Griffin,  and  Ethamar  Adams.  In 
1839  Daniel  Sutherland  settled  on  sections 
thirty-three  and  thirty-four. 

In  1844  a  large  colony  came  from  Jef- 
ferson county.  New  York,  including  Joseph 
and  Albert  Vincent,  and  their  families, 
Henry  Vincent,  the  Boyers,  Spencers,  Har- 
rises, Bishops,  and  Spinks,  and  some  others, 
making  in  all  eighteen  families,  which  set- 
tled in  the  southwestern  portions  of  Bain- 
bridge. 

Numerous  descendants  of  these  families 
are  now  residing  in  Bainbridge  and  other 
parts  of  the  county,  several  of  whom,  are 
mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Most  of  these  pioneers  had  large  fami- 
lies, and  this  colony  added  materially  to  the 
population. 

Asa  Bishop  and  wife  had  a  family  of 
eleven  children.  A  son,  J.  K.  Bishop,  who 
lived  to  be  seventy-nine  years  old  and  was 
a  prominent  citizen  of  the  township,  died 
recently. 

Of  the  Vincents,  Joseph  and  Albert 
came  in  1844,  and  two  other  brothers, 
Horace  and  John,  came  shortly  after. 

Alonzo  Vincent,  a  proprietor  of  the 
Whitcomb  Hotel  at  St.  Joseph,  and  warden 
of  the  State  Penitentiary  for  several  years, 
is  a  son  of  Albert  Vincent. 

It  is  to  be  remarked  that  when  the  first 
settlers  arrived,  a  considerable  portion  of 
Bainbridge  consisted  of  "oak  openings;'' 
the  trees  grew  large,  at  considerable  distance 
from  each  other.  The  settlers  at  once  gir- 
dled the  trees,  ploughed  and  cultivated  the 
land  and  raised  a  crop  of  grain  the  first 
season. 

The  fruit  industry  has  of  late  years  ma- 
terially  increased.        Most  of  the   farmers- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


247 


have  peach  orchards,  ranging  from  five 
acres  to  twenty  acres.  Small  fruits  and  ber- 
ries are  raised  in  abundance. 

In  1836,  David  Byers  and  wife  and  John 
Byers,  a  nephew,  from  Livingston  county, 
New  York,  located  in  Bainbridge  township. 
Mr.  Byers  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  town- 
ship. David  Byers  is  claimed  to  have  in- 
troduced the  peach  industry  into  Berrien 
c^^unty.  In  1840^  he  went  to  New  York  and 
brought  back  with  him  one  hundred  peach 
trees,  a  portion  of  which  he  gave  to  John. 
In  1843  ^^^^  trees  yielded  their  first  fruit 
and  the  product,  amounting  to  forty  bushels, 
w^as  sold  at  St.  Joseph  to  the  steward  of 
Captain  Ward's  steamer  for  one  hundred 
dollars.  John  Byers  was  subsequently  sup- 
ervisor of  the  towaiship. 

In  1 84 1,  the  German  immigration  into 
the  township  commenced.  It  was  the  earliest 
German  settlement  in  the  county  and  formed 
the  nucleus  of  a  large  German  colony.  It 
is  estimated  that  one  half  of  the  residents  of 
Bainbridge  are  of  German  ancestry.  Most 
of  them  at  first  settled  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  township.  This  German  settlement 
w^as  fovuided  in  1841  by  eight  Germans  and 
their  families  who  had  emigrated  from  the 
Fatherland  in  1840  and  first  settled  in  Cin- 
cinnati. Their  names  were  Michael  Humph- 
rey, Peter  Humphrey,  Jacob  Krieger,  Dan- 
iel Krieger,  Peter  Schmitberger^  Christian 
Heffner,  Jacob  Kniebes  and  Peter,  his  son. 
They  were  attracted  by  the  advertisement  of 
Smith  &  Merrick,  the  great  land  ow^ners. 
They  traveled  from  Cincinnati  by  teams. 
The  Humphreys  located  shortly  after  in 
Watervliet,  but  the  remainder  purchased 
lands  of  Smith  &  Merrick  in  Bainbridge. 

In  1847,  these  settlers  were  joined  by 
another  colony  which  came  direct  from  Ger- 
many. The  names  of  these  colonists  were 
Adam  Hofer,  Andrew  Kaunzman,  William 
Dukesherer,  Charles  Knoff,  Christopher 
Reichebach  and  Michael  Humphrey.  These 
persons    and   their    families   made   the   trip 


from  Buffalo  to  St.  Joseph  in  the  steamer 
"Phoenix." 

Within  a  year,  followed  David  Scherer, 
Jacob  Herman,  Adam  Pole,  Daniel  and 
Lawrence  Koob,  David  Friday,  Michael 
Christ,  Nicholas  Kebler,  Adam  Schrumer 
and  others. 

Shortly  after  came  the  Webers,  Haids^ 
Aundts,  Buhlingers,  Denners  and  others. 
During  a  period  of  five  or  six  years,  the 
German  emigration  was  large  and  it  will  be 
impracticable  to  give  all  the  names  of  these 
settlers. 

Many  of  these  Germans  or  their  de- 
scendants, became  prominent  in  the  town- 
ship. Kayus  Haid  was  a  large  land  owner 
and  supervisor  in  1867  and  1868.  Nearly 
all  of  the  present  residents  of  German  an- 
cestry w^ere  born  in  the  township  and  are 
distinctively  American,  in  language  and 
habits. 

Churches. 

The  first  church  organized  in  the  town- 
ship was  the  Methodist  Episcopal,  estab- 
lished in  1846.  Services  were  first  held  at 
the  red  school  house  at  Spink's  Corners. 

The  Protestant  Methodist  Church  was 
organized  in  1865  and  held  services  also 
at  the  red  school. 

A  Baptist  Church  was  organized  in  1869. 

These  three  denominations  joined  in 
erecting  a  Union  Church  edifice  at  Spink's 
Corners  in  1869,  each  denominatiou  holding 
services  at  different  times. 

The  Christians  formed  an  organization 
at  an  early  day  but  did  not  erect  a  building 
till  1869,  when  a  large  and  commodious 
building  was  built  in  the  w^estern  part  of  the 
township.     The  church  became  prosperous. 

Four  churches  were  established  by  the 
Germans.  The  Lutherans  built  a  church 
edifice  in  1851,  the  Catholics  in  i860,  the 
Evangelical  Ecclesiastical  in  1856,  and  the 
German  Baptist  in  1871, 

The  first  township  election  was  held  in 


-1248 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


-April,  1837,  when  J.  B.  Ransom  was  elected 
supervisor  and  J.  H.  Enos,  clerk. 

Supervisors  of  the  township  have  been 
chosen  as  follows: 

J.  B.  Ransom 1837 

Samuel   McKeyes    1838- 1839 

Levi   Woodruff    1840 

Adam   Proutz 1841 

Israel  Kellogg   1842 

Jas.  H.  Enos 1843 

Israel  F.  Lyman   1844 

W.  L.  George   1845 

I.  F.  Lyman 1846 

W.  L.  George   1847 

Newton  R.  Woodruff 1848 

A.  F.  Stiles    1849 

Samuel   McKeyes    1850 

N.  R.  Woodruff   1851 

W.  L.  George 1852-1853 


D.  O.  Dix   1854 

W.  L.  George   1855-1856 

Chas.  Kent 1857 

W.  L.  George 1858-1859 

Chas.  C.  Kent   i860 

D.  O.  Dix   1861 

W.  L.  George   1862 

Chas.  C.  Kent 1863 

N.  B.  Harrington   1864-1865 

John  Byers 1866 

Kayus  Haid 1867-1868 

Thos.  J.  West 1 869- 1 870- 1 87 1 

N.   R.  Woodruff   1872 

Chas.  C.  Kent   1873 

Juan  M.  Guy 1874-1875 

Chas.  C.  Kent 1876- 1877- 1878- 1879 

J.  M.  Guy 1880-1882 

A.  N.  Woodruff   1883-1884 

G.   F.  Stewart    1885-1896 

E.  N.  Matrau   1897-1902 

H.  E.  Olds 1903-1906 


CHAPTKR    XVIII 


PIPESTONE. 


This  is  a  full  township  containing  thirty- 
six  sections  and  is  perfectly  square  in  form. 
It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Bainbridge, 
on  the  east  by  Cass  county,  on  the  south  by 
Berrien  and  on  the  west  by  Sodus. 

About  one-tenth  of  the  township  was 
originally  covered  with  swamps,  the  eastern 
portion  containing  a  large  one  called  the 
^^Big  Meadowy"  covering  nearly  one  thou- 
sand acres.  These  swamps  have  been  mostly 
drained  and  the  land  reclaimed  and  made 
productive. 

The  township  in  its  native  state  was 
mostly  covered  with  heavy  forests  of  thick 
timber,  the  soil  being  generally  a  clay  loam 
very  rich  and  productive. 

It  seems  to  be  equally  adapted  for  the 
production  of  grain  or  fruit.  The  theory 
that  the  lake  shore  alone  is  adapted  for  the 
culture  of  fruit,  seems  to  be  disproved  by  the 
history  of  this  township  in  recent  years,  as 
it  has  lately  produced  large  yields  of  apples 
and  peaches  and  is  rapidly  taking  a  front 
rank  in  the  cultivation  of  these  fruits.  Large 
orchards  have  l)een  set  out  within  the  past 
ten  years  with  remarkable  success. 

The  first  settler  in  the  township  was 
James  Kirk,  a  native  of  Virginia.  His 
brother  William  Kirk  was  the  second  settler 
in  the  county,  having  moved  to  Carey 
(Niles)  from  Virginia  in  1824. 

Actuated  by  the  reports  of  his  brother  as 
to  the  prospects  of  the  new  country,  James 


Kirk  emigrated  from  Virginia  to  Niles  with 
his  family  in  1833.  Here  he  settled  and 
lived  for  four  years.  In  April,  1837,  with 
his  family  he  moved  into  Pipestone  in  a  lum- 
ber wagon,  drawn  by  oxen.  He  located  in 
section  twenty  about  one  mile  northeast  of 
Hartman.  The  family  at  this  time  consisted 
of  a  w^ife  and  seven  children.  Their  first 
habitation  was  a  cloth  tent,  remote  from  any 
sign  of  civilization  by  many  miles.  The  next 
structure  was  a  pole  shanty,  followed  subse- 
quently by  a  comfortable  log  cabin. 

A  daughter,  Mary  Ellen,  born  in  1837, 
was  the  first  w^hite  child  born  in  the  town- 
ship. She  afterwards  married  William  Pen- 
land  of  Royalton.  A  son  of  James  A.  Kirk, 
James  A.  Kirk,  is  now  living  in  Pipestone 
township  and  was  born  at  Niles  iu  1835.  He 
has  lived  continuously  in  the  township  of 
Pipestone  for  seventy-one  years. 

The  next  settler  was  Dr.  Morgan  Enos, 
w4io  moved  from  Bainbridge  township  iri 
the  fall  of  1837  and  settled  on  sections 
eighteen  and  nineteen.  This  point  was  long 
known  as  ''Shanghai  Corners"  and  was  so 
named  as  is  claimed,  because  Dr.  Enos 
w^as  the  first  person  to  import  Shanghai 
chickens  into  'the  township  in  the  ''Shanghai 
fever"  days.  Dr.  Enos  was  the  only  phy- 
sician in  the  region  of  his  settlement  for 
many  years  and  acquired  an  extensive  prac- 
tice. He  died  in  1868.  He  was  supervisor 
for  tw^o  terms. 


2sO 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


The  third  settler  was  Robert  Ferry,  a 
native  of  Ireland,  who  came  to  this  country 
in  1835  and  located  at  Niles  in  1836.  In 
1837  he  settled  in  section  twenty-seven, 
where  he  lived  alone,  being  a  bachelor  till 
1839,  when  he  married  Joanna,  a  daughter 
of  Jacob  Ridenour,  a  pioneer  of  Cass  county. 
Mr.  Ferry  accumulated  a  large  property, 
owning  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1876, 
ten  hundred  and  forty  acres,  mostly  of  valu- 
able lands. 

The  following  named  children  are  now 
living  in  Pipestone :  Robert,  William  and 
Thomas.  Each  of  these  sons  own  large  and 
valuable  farms  in  the  township.  Another 
son,  Joseph,  who  married  Fredericka,  a 
daughter  of  Hon.  N.  V.  Lovell,  died  three 
years  since,  owning  a  large  farm  in  section 
twenty-seven.  Another  son,  John,  is  living 
at  Charlotte,  Michigan. 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  same  year 
(1837)  the  following  named  persons  set- 
tled in  the  township:  Nathaniel  Brant, 
Crawford  Hazard,  Elijah  Pratt,  William 
Boughton,  Stephen  Smith,  and  Loren 
Marsh. 

The  first  wedding  in  the  township  was 
that  of  Brant  who  married  Martha  Hazard, 
a  daughter  of  Crawford  Hazard,  in  1840, 
the  wedding  ceremony  being  performed  by 
David  S.  Rector^  a  justice  of  the  peace  of 
Sodus. 

The  first  death  in  the  township  was  that 
of  Loren  Marsh,  who  died  shortly  after  his 
settlement. 

In  1838,  David  Puterbaugh  removed 
from  Berrien  township  to  Pipestone.  Dur- 
ing the  summer  for  many  years,  he  boated 
on  the  St.  Joseph  river,  leaving  his  farm  in 
charge  of  his  brother  Abram. 

In  the  same  year  Joab  Enos,  a  brother 
of  Dr.  Enos,  moved  into  the  township. 
Shortly  after  his  settlement,  he  and  William 
Boughton  laid  out  a  village  called  Pipestone, 
subsequently  known  as  * 'Shanghai."  Only 
a  few  lots  were  sold,  but  a  postoffice  was 
established  in   1846,  and  later  a  store  was 


opened  by  John  Garrow.  About  the  same 
time  Dr.  Enos  put  up  a  sawmill  at  the  vil- 
lage. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  and  well 
known  early  settlers  of  the  township  was 
James  F.  Haskins. 

He  was  a  native  of  New  York  but  re- 
moved to  Peoria  county,  Illinois,  in  1843. 
In  1844  he  removed  to  Pipestone  township 
and  cleared  a  large  tract  of  heavy  timbered 
land.  In  1877  he  settled  at  Shanghai  Cor- 
ners, where  he  continued  to  live  till  his  death 
in  1894.  He  was  a  very  positive,  original 
and  energetic  character,  was  originally  a 
Democrat,  subsequently  an  active  Republi- 
can and  for  some  years  before  his  death  a 
Prohibitionist.  He  was  supervisor  of  the 
township  for  eight  terms  and  was  chairman 
of  the  board  of  supervisors  for  several  terms. 
He  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  over  thirty- 
five  years,  continuously.  He  was  a  popu- 
lar administrator  of  estates  and  handled 
them  with  sagacity  and  scrupulous  honesty. 
The  following  children  are  now  living  in 
Berrien  county :  Mrs.  Eliza  Chase  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  Mrs.  C.  D.  Jennings  of  St.  Jo- 
seph, C.  W.  Haskins  of  Pipestone,  and  A. 
W.  Haskins  of  Oronoko.  Both  boys  served 
in  the  Civil  war,  C.  H.  being  wounded  at 
Port  Hudson. 

Another  prominent  character  of  the 
township  and  county  was  William  Smyth 
Farmer,  a  native  of  New  York.  He  was 
engaged  in  a  general  mercantile,  grain  and 
lumber  business  in  his  native  state,  before 
removing  to  Michigan.  In  1848  he  settled 
near  the  site  of  the  present  village  of  Eau 
Claire,  which  he  helped  to  organize.  He 
settled  in  the  midst  of  a  dense  forest  and 
acquired  in  a  few  years  over  sixteen  hun- 
dred acres,  of  w^hich  one  thousand  acres  he 
cleared  and  put  into  cultivation.  In  1864 
he  was  a  supervisor  of  his  township  and  in 
1867  was  elected  a  member  of  the  State 
Constitutional  Convention.  He  was  orig- 
inally a  Whig,  but  became  an  active  Repub- 
lican on  the  organization  of  that  party.     He 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY  251 

was  an  active  member  of  the  Methodist  purposes  to  different  kinds  of  fruit.  The 
Church  and  a  leading  man  in  estabhshing  company  owns  nearly  one  thousand  acres,  a 
and  improving  the  Crystal  Springs  camp  portion  of  which  is  used  for  nursery  pur- 
grounds  near  Sumnerville.  poses.     The  orchard  proper  contains  about 

The  first  sawmill  in  the  township  appears  thirty   thousand   peach   trees,   ten   thousand 

to  have  been  built  by  Joab  and  Morgan  Enos  plum  trees,  eight  thousand  pear  trees,  five 

on  Pipestone  creek,  near  Pipestone  village,  thousand    cherry    trees    and    five    thousand 

The  first  grist  mill  was  erected  in  1847  by  apple  trees.     This  orchard  is  elsewhere  re- 

B.  A.  Pemberton,  on  lands  now  occupied  by  ferred  to  in  the  chapter  on  fruit  culture,  and 

the  West  Michigan  nurseries.  is  owned  by  the  West  Michigan  Nurseries. 

A  better  one  was  shortly  after  erected  The  following  named  persons  have  been 

at  Shanghai  Corners  by  two  Enos  brothers  supervisors  of  the  township  of  Pipestone  at 

and  R.  L.  Webster.  the  dates   designated. 

The   first   school    in   the   township   was 

taught  by  one  George  Lundy,  a  teacher  who  i'    .  *  p  i^^~  ^j" 

had  come  from  New  York.  The  children  of  j^-^^^  "^^ ' "_ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;  \^f^-'  ^ ' 

James  Kirk  and  Robert  Ferry  attended  this  £    Farley  18^^ 

school.  ^  S^  j^   Trowbridge  *. '.  *. '. '. '.  *.  *  * .' .'  * .  1854 

The  first  church  organized  in  the  town-  Morgan    Enos    1855 

ship  was   Methodist.      It  originated   in   re-  R.  E.  Hull   1856 

ligious  services  held  at  the  home  of  James  D.    Ely .    1857 

Kirk    in    1837,    by    Rev.    T.    P.    McCoole.  Morgan    Enos    1858 

Services  were  held  there  once  in  about  four  C.  E.  Straight   1859 

wrecks,  for  ten  years.     A  class  was  not  or-  -^-  J-    J^^ttle    i860 

ganized,  however,  till  1847,  when  religious  J'    falter    1861 

services  were  held  at  the  Shanghai  school  ^'  g    g^^^^i; ^o^^ 

house.     In  1867  the  society  built  an  excel-  .y    ^    ^   ^  r.J^ 

lent  structure  near  the  village.  g/  Scrackengast  ■;::■.::::::■.:    '1865 

A   public   hall,   costmg  tw^elve   hundred  q    g    Bouoditon  1867 

dollars,  was  built  in  the  southern  part  of  the  1    p    Haskins    1868-187-^ 

township  in  1877,  which  has  been  used  for  J.  H.   Conkling   1874-1875 

religious     services    by    various     denomina-  J.  H.  Matthews 1876- 1877 

tions.  Miles  Davis    1878-1879 

The  village  of  Eau  Claire  was  incorpor-  Philip  Dewitt   1880 

ated  in  1891  and  at  the  last  census  contained  J.  H.  Haskins   1881-1882 

a  population  of  three  hundred  and  eighteen.  Miles  Davis 1883- 1884 

It  is  situated  in  two  townships,  Berrien  and  Anson  Lewis 1885- 1888 

Pipestone.     The  main  business  street  run-  Milton   Preston    1889-1890 

ning  east  and  west  is  the  boundary  line  be-  ^'  ^'  -^'armer 1891 

tween  the  two  townships.  Wm^ ^Haskins Is^^'ll^^' 

The  largest  orchard  in  the  county  is  lo-  ^       ^j^^^'  '"^ .:::::::::::::    J896-I899 

cated  m  this  township.     It  consists  of  over  ^    ^    j^^^^    1900-1906 

five  hundred  acres  set  out  for  fruit  bearing  (present  incumbent  ) 


CHAPTER    XIX 


WEESAW. 


The  township  of  Weesaw  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  Lake,  on  the  east  by  Buchanan, 
on  the  south  by  Gahen  and  on  the  west  by 
Three  Oaks  and  Chikaming.  It  was  or- 
ganized in  1837.  A  large  portion  of  the 
township  was  originally  thickly  timbered 
with  heavy  growth  of  beech,  maple,  ash, 
basswood,  whitewood  and  black  walnut.  The 
whitewood  was  abundant  and  of  fine  qual- 
ity. A  large  amount  of  black  walnut  also 
grew  in  some  portions  of  the  township.  The 
soil  is  generally  rich  and  productive.  A 
portion  of  the  township  was  originally  low 
and  marshy  but  most  of  this  has  been  re- 
claimed by  an  extensive  system  of  drainage, 
and  put  into  cultivation.  Some  portions  are 
of  sandy  loam,  but  the  soil  is  well  adapted 
for  the  production  of  grain  or  fruit.  It  is 
w^ell  watered  by  the  Galien  river  and  its  va- 
rious branches  and  tributaries,  coursing 
through  nearly  every  part  of  the  township. 
Saw  mills  were  established  on  these  streams 
at  an  early  date  and  before  any  considerable 
settlements  were  made. 

No  permanent  settlements  were  made  till 
about  1836.  The  first  settlers  were  Phineas 
Stratton,  Joseph  G.  Ames,  Timothy  Atkins, 
Solomon,  Hiram  and  William  Gould,  Ezra 
Stoner,  Samuel  Garwood,  Charles  Mc- 
Cracken,  Sidney  S.  Ford  and  Alanson  and 
John  Pidge. 

Mr.  StVatton  appears  to  have  been  the 
first  person  who  went  to  farming.     He  was 


a  native  of  New  York  and  located  in  sec- 
tion seven  in  1836. 

Most  of  the  earliest  settlers  did  not  live 
on  farms  at  first,  but  worked  at  the  mills  lo- 
cated at  New  Troy  and  lived  near  them. 

About  the  year  1836,  Solomon  and 
Hiram  Gould  purchased  a  piece  of  land  and 
built  a  saw  mill  on  the  present  site  of  the 
village  of  New  Troy.  This  was  the  first 
mill  built  in  the  township.  This  was  known 
as  the  North  mill.  During  the  same  year 
Nelson  Willard,  Joseph  G.  Ames  and  Ezra 
Stone  purchased  an  undivided  half  of  the 
land  and  water  power  owned  by  the  Goulds 
and  built  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  a 
mill  which  was  called  the  ''South  Mill." 

Mr.  Ames  became  a  prominent  man  in 
the  county.  He  had  emigrated  from  New 
Hampshire  to  New  Buffalo  in  1836,  from 
whence  he  moved  to  New  Troy.  Pie  was 
elected  a  commissioner  of  roads  in  1837,  ^^^ 
supervisor  of  Weesaw  in  1839.  He  retired 
from  the  mill  business  in  1839  o^  1840. 
Further  reference  is  made  to  him  in  con- 
nection with  the  history  of  New  Buffalo. 

Ezra  Stoner  w^as  the  first  township  clerk 
in  1837,  but  remained  in  the  township  but  a 
short  time. 

The  village  of  New  Troy  was  platted 
in  1837.  The  lots  were  divided  between  the 
Goulds,  Willards,  Stoner  and  Ames,  the 
mill  property  being  owned  in  common,  al- 
though each  party  retained  its  own  site.    The 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


253 


mill  property  was  soon  abandoned,  the  own- 
ers shortly  after  the  erection  of  the  mill  re- 
moving to  other  parts.  This  property  after- 
wards came  into  the  possession  of  Luman 
Northrup  and  Francis  Finnegan.  A  long 
series  of  litigation  ensued  over  the  title  to 
the  property,  which  continued  till  the  final 
purchase  by  Ambrose  and  Thomas  Morley, 
who  erected  a  new  mill  in  1853  on  the  site 
of  the  Gould  mill. 

Luman  Northrup  was  a  prominent  and 
eccentric  character  of  the  early  days.  He 
came  from  Hamburg,  New  York,  to  New 
Buffalo  in  1836.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
natural  shrewdness  and  mental  ability  and 
successfully  practiced  law  before  justices  of 
the  peace,  although  never  admitted  to  the 
bar,  and  having  little  education.  He  died 
about  1868. 

Francis  Finnegan  was  also  a  well  known 
'^pettifogger"  a  name  given  to  persons  who 
practiced  before  justices  of  the  peace,  and 
who  were  not  admitted  to  the  bar.  At  an 
early  date  he  removed  to  the  northern  part 
of  the  county. 

Charles  McCracken,  already  referred  to, 
settled  in  New  Troy  about  1836  and  was 
town  clerk  in  1844.  Some  years  afterward 
he  disappeared  from  New  Troy  mysteriously 
and  has  never  since  been  heard  from.  His 
wife  is  now  living  at  Galien  in  this  county 
in  her  eighty-eighth  year.  A  son,  Charles 
McCracken,  now  resides  in  the  northern  part 
of  Buchanan  township,  and  was  born  in  New 
Troy.  William  W.  McCracken,  late  county 
treasurer,  and  now  deputy  clerk  of  Berrien 
county,  is  a  son  of  Charles  McCracken. 

In  1840,  Pitt  J.  Pierce,  a  native  of  New 
York,  settled  in  Weesaw  township  and  com- 
menced clearing  a  farm  upon  lands  which 
are  the  present  site  of  the  village  of  New 
Troy.  This  farm  appears  to  have  been  the 
first  of  importance  in  that  portion  of  the 
township.  Mr.  Pierce  acquired  a  valuable 
farm  of  320  acres  and  also  engaged  in  lum- 
bering. Pie  died  a  few  years  since  at  an 
advanced  age.     His  son,  George  Pierce,  was 


a  supervisor  for  many  years.  Another  son, 
Arnold,  was  for  many  years  a  prominent 
merchant  and  for  a  time  in  partnership  with 
his  brother  George,  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness. 

A  brother  of  Pitt  Pierce,  William,  lo- 
cated in  the  township  about  the  same  time 
and  became  a  prominent  farmer  and  also 
conve3^ancer  and  advocate  in  justices' 
courts. 

Alpheus  Hill,  a  native  of  Connecticut, 
located  first  in  New  Troy  in  1840,  remov- 
ing in  1846  to  HilFs  Corners,  a  hamlet  near 
the  present  site  of  Glendora.  Mr.  Hill  made 
the  first  clearing  at  Hill's  Corners.  His  son 
Edward  carried  on  the  first  store  at  New 
Troy  and  soon  after  kept  a  tavern.  A  post- 
office  was  started  in  1854  at  Hill's  Corners 
with  William  S.  Pierce  as  postmaster.  This 
was  abandoned  many  years  ago. 

Among  the  pioneers  who  settled  near 
Hill's  Corners  shortly  after  1840  were  Will- 
iam Strong,  Henry  Searles,  Samuel  Wash- 
burn, Hiram  Wells,  and  George  Brong.  AIT 
of  these  were  farmers  except  Brong,  who 
carried  on  a  blacksmith  shop. 

In  1840,  Matthew  M.  Paddock  of  New 
York,  located  two  hundred  acres  in  section 
thirty-four  and  built  a  house  upon  it. 
Ephriam  Murdock  also  settled  in  section 
thirty-four  in  1842.  Robert  Eaton,  subse- 
quently a  county  surveyor,  shortly  after 
settled  in  section  thirty-five.  The  lands  in 
the  township  were  mostly  owned  by  non- 
residents till  about  the  year  1848.  At  about 
that  date  lands  began  to  be  sold  largely  to 
actual  settlers,  and  the  population  began  to 
increase  rapidly. 

Among  those  who  came  about  this  time, 
were  two  brothers,  Comfort  and  Union  Pen- 
nell,  who  emigrated  from  New  York  and 
settled  in  Weesaw  in  1849,  in  the  north- 
western part  of  the  township. 

B.  F.  Pennell  was  supervisor  of  the  town- 
ship from  1850  to  1858,  with  the  exception 
of  the  year  1853,  and  treasurer  of  the  county 
from  i860  to  1868.     He  subsequently  pur- 


254 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


chased  a  large  farm  known  as  the  ^^Shaker 
Farm''  near  Berrien  Springs,  where  he  died 
several  years  ago. 

Union  Pennell  was  for  many  years  treas- 
urer of  Weesaw  township  and  also  a  justice 
of  the  peace. 

Ambrose  Morley  and  Thomas  Morley, 
natives  of  New  York,  came  to  New  Troy  in 
1852.  They  established  a  new  saw  mill 
in  1853  ^^  the  site  of  the  old  Gould  mill. 
Ambrose  also  erected  other  saw  mills  in 
the  township  and  in  1868  a  grist  mill  at  New 
Troy.  In  1891  the  grist  mill  was  remodelled 
by  his  son,  F.  H.  Morley,  and  became  a 
roller  mill,  which  has  had  an  extensive  busi- 
ness. 

Somewhat  later,  Alonzo  Sherwood  pur- 
chased two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Wee- 
saw  and  also  two  hundred  and  forty  acres 
in  Lake  township.  This  farm  was  called  the 
Oak  Grove  farm.  On  this  farm  he  established 
a  saw  mill  and  from  this  mill  a  horse  rail- 
road was  built  to  Brown's  station  on  the 
line  of  the  Chicago  &  West  Michigan  Rail- 
road, and  continued  from  thence  to  Brown's 
Pier  on  the  lake.  For  several  years  a  large 
lumbering  business  was  carried  on  at  this 
point. 

Mr.  Sherwood  was  a  son  of  Seth  Sher- 
w^ood,  who  settled  in  Niles  township  in  1834, 
and  was  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  the 
county.  Alonzo  was  supervisor  of  Weesaw 
township  for  two  terms  and  a  member  of 
the  legislature  from  1879  to  1881. 

Several  years  since,  he  moved  to  Ne- 
braska where  he  is  now  living. 

Early  Churches. 

The  first  church  organized  in  the  town- 
ship appears  to  have  been  the  Baptist.  This 
was  organized  in  1845.  ^  church  edifice 
was  built  in  1854.  The  membership  of  the 
original  church  was  made  up  of  a  large 
number  of  prominent  families  of  the  neigh- 


borhood,  and    from    townships    adjoining. 

A  Methodist  Episcopal  class  was  formed 
at  an  early  day  at  New  Troy  and  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Morley  of  Portage  Prairie,  preached 
occasionally  at  that  point  as  early  as  1840. 
No  regular  organization  was  effected,  how- 
ever, till  some  years  later  and  a  church  edi- 
fice was  not  built  till  1863. 

The  following  persons  have  been  super- 
visors of  Weesaw  township  at  the  dates  des- 
ignated : 

Jos.  G.  Ames 1839 

Jas.  Edson    1841 

W.  H.  Gould   1842 

Wm.   Burns    1843 

W.  H.  Gould 1844-1848 

B.  M.  Lyon   1849 

B.  F.  Pennell 1850-1852 

S.  M.  Washburn   1853 

Benj.  F.  Pennell   1854-1858 

T.  A.  Haskins   1859 

Benj.  F.   Pennell    i860 

Jas.  M.  Price 1861 

C.  L.  A.  Hawkins 1862 

Union  Pennell    1863 

Jas.  M.  Price   1864 

Levi  Logan    1865-1866 

E.  P.  Morley 1867-1868 

Alonzo   Sherwood    1869- 1870 

B.  C.  Sandford   1871-1872 

Geo.    Pierce    1873 

E.  P.  Morley 1874-1875 

Geo.    Pierce    1876-1878 

J.  F.  Beckwith 1879 

A.  J.  Norris 1880-1884 

C.  J.   Smith    1885 

Clayton  Smith    1886 

Peter  Smith    1887 

J.  A.  Babcock    1888 

L.  H.  Kempton 1889-1892 

C.  H.  Norris   1893-1894 

L.  H.  Kempton   1895 

Clayton  Smith   1896-1897 

J.  A.  Babcock   1898-1899 

F.  A.  Norris    1900-1901 

J.   A.   Penwell    1902-1906 

(present  incumbent.) 


CHAPTER    XX 


LAKE  TOWNSHIP. 


This  township  has  the  most  area  of  any 
township  in  the  county,  with  the  exception 
of  Niles,  which  is  of  about  the  same  size. 
It  contains  about  forty-two  sections  of  land. 
It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Lincoln  and 
a  small  portion  of  Royalton,  on  the  east  by 
Oronoko,  on  the  south  by  Weesaw  and 
Chikaming  and  on  the  west  by  Lake  Michi- 
gan. Its  southern  boundary  is  over  eight 
miles  long. 

The  character  of  the  soil  is  diversified. 
Along  the  lake  are  high  sand  dunes  and  east 
•of  these  is  a  plain  of  sandy  lands,  and  ad- 
joining this  a  belt  of  rich  and  fertile  soil. 
Running  through  the  township  from  the 
southwest  to  northeast  was  originally  an 
immense  swamp  called  the  ''Big  Meadow,'^ 
several  miles  wide  in  portions.  This 
meadow  practically  divided  the  township  in- 
to tw^o  sections.  It  has  been  mostly  drained 
and  many  of  the  most  productive  farms 
were  originally  a  part  of  the  ''Big  Meadow.'^ 

That  portion  of  the  township  which  ad- 
joins Oronoko  was  ahvays  dry  and  the  soil 
was  naturally  rich  and  productive.  The 
township  in  a  state  of  nature  was  covered 
with  extensive  forests  of  valuable  timber, 
and  for  many  years  buying  or  selling  logs 
and  lumber  was  the  principal  business  of 
most  of   the  inhabitants. 

That  portion  wdiich  lies  west  of  the  "Big 
Meadow''  was  settled  very  late,  nearly  all 
the  early  settlements  for  many  years  hav- 


ing been  made  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the 
township. 

As  late  as  1880  the  township  contained 
only  five  hundred  and  fifty  people.  About 
the  year  1890,  however,  emigration  began 
to  pour  in.  In  ten  years  the  population  was 
doubled  and  the  prices  of  land  more  than 
doubled.  Portions  of  the  township  are 
densely  populated,  and  being  rapidly  divid- 
ed up  into  small  fruit  farms.  The  popula- 
tion is  now  nearly  three  thousand. 

The  immigration  lately  has  been  largely 
German.  Immense  amounts  of  berries  are 
produced,  especially  strawberries,  in  the 
culture  of  which  Lake  township  leads  all 
others. 

The  township  was  a  part  of  Oronoko  till 
1846.  The  first  township  election  was  held 
at  the  house  of  Benjamin  Lemon  in  April, 
1846,  wdien  only  eighteen  votes  were  polled. 
Bradley  M.  Pennell  was  elected  supervisor, 
Comfort  Pennell,  clerk,  and  Benjamin 
Lemon  and  Daniel  Phillips,  justices  of  the 
peace. 

The  woods  between  the  great  meadow 
and  the  lake  were  formerly  the  favorite 
roaming  grounds  of  numerous  deer.  David 
Smith,  a  famous  hunter  of  the  locality,  is 
said  to  have  killed  over  sixty  deer  in  these 
woods  during  one  winter. 

The  township  has  two  villages,  neither 
of  w^hich  is  incorporated,  Bridgman  and 
Baroda.      The    former    w^as    laid    out    by 


256 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


George  W.  Bridgman  in  1871  and  the  lat- 
ter upon  the  construction  of  the  "Vandaha" 
railroad  which  runs  through  Baroda. 

The  first  permanent  settler  so  far  as  we 
can  ascertain  was  John  Harner,  who  set- 
tled in  section  twenty-five  near  the  Oronoko 
line  about  the  year  1834. 

His  children  now  living  are  Michael, 
John,  Levi  and  Mrs.  Joshua  Feather. 

That  portion  of  the  township  which  lies 
west  of  the  great  meadow  was  not  settled 
till  much  later  than  the  portion  which  lies 
east.  The  first  settler  west  of  the  meadow 
appears  to  have  been  William  Daker,  but  at 
what  date  is  not  known. 

In  1836  or  1837,  Godfrey  Boyle  located 
in  Lake  township.  Mr.  Boyle  was  a  Ger- 
man who  had  emigrated  to  this  country  in 
183 1.  In  1835  he  bought  a  piece  of  land 
one  mile  north  of  Niles  which  he  occupied. 
He  shortly  after  moved  to  Lake  township, 
where  he  bought  a  piece  of  land  from  the 
government.  Later  he  removed  to  Oronoko 
township  where  he  acquired  a  farm  of  two 
hundred  acres  upon  which  he  lived  till  his 
death  in  1862.  Mr.  Boyle  had  served  in 
early  life  in  the  German  army  in  the  cam- 
paigns against  Napoleon. 

Thomas  Phillips  settled  in  the  northeast 
part  of  the  township  in  1836  and  lived  upon 
this  farm  till  his  death  in  1846. 

In  1837,  Phillips  sold  the  mill  site  on 
Hickory  creek  on  his  land  to  Peter  Ruggles 
and  Erastus  Munger,  who  at  once  erected 
a  saw  mill.  This  was  on  section  two.  The 
mill  afterwards  passed  to  Ruggles  and  was 
known  as  the  Ruggles'  Mill.  Peter  Ruggles 
was  supervisor  in  1843. 

Henry  Lemon,  who  married  a  daughter 
of  Ruggles,  settled  in  section  three  in  1839 
on  which  he  lived  till  his  death  in  1875. 

Benjamin  Lemon  settled  in  section  twen- 
ty-four in   1842. 

Edward  Ballingee  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  Lake  township  and  also  one  of 
the  earliest  settlers  of  Berrien  county.  He 
moved  into  the  southeastern  part  of  Lake 


township  in  1845  and  lived  there  till  1850 
when  he  moved  to  New  Buffalo  and  finally 
moved  to  Buchanan.  Reference  is  made  to 
him  further  in  the  chapter  on  Buchanan. 

Bradley  M.  Pennell  settled  on  section 
twenty-four  in  1843.  He  was  the  first  super- 
visor of  the  township  elected  in  1846.  He 
subsequently  removed  to  Buchanan.  Com- 
fort Pennell  settled  on  section  twelve  in 
1844,  subsequently  removing  to  Berrien. 
He  was  also  a  supervisor  of  Lake  township. 

In  1836,  John  B.  Nixon,  a  native  of 
South  Carolina,  came  with  his  son,  John  H. 
Nixon,  a  young  man  seventeen  years  old,  to 
Michigan  and  remained  about  six  months^ 
when  he  returned  home.  In  1842  he  brought 
his  family  with  him  and  his  son,  John  FL 
Nixon,  located  in  Berrien  Springs  in  1852 
where  he  resided  till  1855,  when  he  moved 
to  Lake  township.  He  was  supervisor  in 
1882. 

John  B.  Nixon,  a  son  of  John  H.,  is  the 
present  supervisor  of  the  township  and  has 
held  the  position  three  terms. 

In  1841,  Horace  Godfrey,  a  native  of 
Vermont,  and  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  of 
Berrien  county,  settled  in  section  twenty- 
five,  near  the  Oronoko  line,  and  lived  there 
till  his  death. 

He  had  first  settled  in  Niles  township  in 
1829,  coming  on  foot  by  an  Indian  trail 
from  Detroit,  and  for  two  years  ran  the  old 
log  mill  on  Dowagiac  creek,  the  site  of  the 
so-called  ''Yellow  Mill,"  erected  shortly  aft- 
erwards. In  1 83 1,  he  moved  to  Berrien 
Springs,  where,  in  company  with  his  uncle^ 
Pitt  Brown,  and  Frances  Murdock,  he  laid 
out  the  original  village  of  Berrien  Springs. 
He  died  in  1879. 

Two  children  are  now  living,  Mrs.  Jacob 
B.  Ullery,  now  residing  at  Niles,  and  Japhet 
Godfrey,  of  Riverside,  California.  The  lat- 
ter, prior  to  his  removal  to  California,  had 
lived  many  years  at  Buchanan  where  he  car- 
ried on  the  hardware  business. 

A  prominent  man  in  the  history  of  the 
township  was   George  W.   Bridgman,   who 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY  257 

came  from  Massachusetts,  in  1855,  and  lo-  Harbor,  is  a  son  of  George  Bridgman.       A 

cated  at  the  present  site  of  Bridgman  in  1856.  daughter,   Mrs.    Sarah   E.   Ackerman,  •  now 

In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  formed  a  part-  lives  on  the  old  homestead  at  Bridgman. 
nership  with  Warren  Howe  and  Charles  F.  Norman  E.  Landon  was  also  a  prominent 

Howe,    called   the   ^'Charlotteville     Lumber  man  in  the  township.     He  was  a  native  of 

Company,"  which  constructed  a  large  steam  Connecticut  and  settled  in  Lake  township  in 

saw  mill  at  a  cost  of  twenty  thousand  dol-  1858.     His  brother  Rufus,  of  Niles,  at  that 

lars,  a  short  distance  west  of  the  present  vil-  time  owned   most  of  the   ''Big   Meadow." 

lage  of  Bridgman.    This  point  was  known  as  Norman  was  supervisor  of  his  township  for 

Charlotteville,   and  was  distant  from  Lake  nineteen  terms.     His  first  term  was  in  1859 

Michigan  about  one  mile.     A  railroad  track  and  his  last  term  in  1892. 
was  built  from  the   mill    to  the  lake,  where  it  Dr.  John  H.  Royce  was  a  prominent  phy- 

connected  with  a  pier  five  hundred  feet  long,  sician  for  many  years  and  had  an  extensive 

A    railway   was   also   constructed    into   the  practice.     His  widow  is  now  living  at  New 

forest  in  different  directions,  making  a  track  Troy.     She  was  a  teacher  for  many  years, 
of  about  seven  miles  in  length.    The  rolling  The  village  of  Bridgman  is  the  center  of 

stock  consisted  of  an  engine  and  thirty-three  the  strawberry  business.     The  nurseries  of 

cars.     The  mill,  improvements  and  rolling  A.  L.  Baldwin,  Charles  Whitten  and  F.  L. 

stock  cost  over  sixty  thousand  dollars  and  Ackerman  are  devoted  mainly  to  the  pro- 

the  mill  had  a  capacity  of  twenty-five  thou-  duction    of    strawberry    plants,    which    are 

sand  feet  per  day  and  seventy  men  were  em-  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  country,  often  a 

ployed  in  the  business  connected  with  the  car  load  of  these  plants  are  shipped  from 

mill.    Schooners  conveyed  the  lumber  manu-  this    point    in    a    day.     The    township    of 

factured    from    the    pier   to    Chicago.      An  Lake  produces  more  strawberries  than  any 

enormous  business  was  done  for  a  few  years,  other  township,  and  the  erea  set  out  to  this 

In  1863  ^h^  "^ill  w^s  destroyed  by  fire.    Two  fruit  has  been  rapidly  increasing  for  several 

mills  were  built  upon  the  site  but  both  were  years.     It  is  claimed  by  fruit  men  that  the 

burned  down,  the  last  in   1870.     By   1863  soil  is  especially  adapted  for  raising  choice 

the  lumbering  business  had  declined  on  ac-  strawberries. 

count  of  the  cutting  down  of  the  best  timber  The  first  church   in  the  township  was 

and  mills  subsequently  built  were  of  much  Methodist  and  was  organized  in  1846  at  a 

less  capacity.     Saw  mills  were  put  up  subse-  school  house  in  the  southeast  part  of  the 

quently  but  the  fire  proved  destructive,  no  township.     A  church  was  subsequently  es- 

less  than  four  mills  having  been  destroyed  tablished  at  Bridgman's.     In  1850  a  United 

by  fire  between  1870  and  1878.  Brethren    Church    was    organized    in    the 

The  village  of  Charlotteville  was  the  seat  eastern  part  of  the  township. 
of   considerable  business  for   several  years  The  following  is  a  list  of  supervisors  of 

and  was  named  after  Charlotte,  wife  of  one  Lake  township  from  the  date  of  its  organiza- 

of  the  proprietors.  tion  in  1846. 

Mr.  Bridgman  was  active  in  securing  the 

building  of  the  Chicago  and  West  Michigan  Bradley  M.  Pennell 1846 

Railroad  along  the  lake  shore  in  1869  and  Comfort  Pennell    1847-1848 

0  J  •    .1     1  ^x  1  i^  J      i.  Peter  Ruggles    1840 

1870  and  in  the  latter  year  platted  out  a  new  ^^^^^^^  ff^^^^jj    ^^^^ 

village  called  Bridgman  s,  located  a  half  mile  Abner   Sanders  18^1-18^-^ 

east  of  Charlotteville.  E.  P.  Morley *.'.*'.  *.  *. '. '. '. '. '.    1854 

Mr.  Bridgman  died  in  1895.    George  W.  Marcus   Hand    185  5- 1856 

Bridgman,  a  prominent  attorney  of  Benton  Bennett   Heathman    1857 


258 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Marcus  Hand    1858  N.  E. 

Norman  E.  Landon 1859- 1860  J.  H. 

E.  P:  Morley 1861-1862  N.  E. 

B.  M.  Pennell   1863  C.  H. 

E.  P.  Morley  1864  N.  E. 

N.  E.  Landon  1865-1866  C.  M. 

D.  S.  Evans 1867-1868  O.  P. 

Franklin  Weston   1869  C.  M. 

Isaac  Hatheway    1870-1872  O.  A. 

N.  E.  Landon 1873-1874  C.  M. 

Wm.   Williams    1875-1876  J.  B. 

N.  E.  Landon 1877  B.  S. 

M.  B.  Hauser   1878  J.  B. 


Landon   1879-1881 

Nixon 1882 

Landon   1883-1885 

Whitcomb 1886 

Landon   1887-1892 

Smith   1893-1894 

Miller 1895-1896 

Smith   1896-1900 

E.  Baldwin 1901 

Smith   1902 

Nixon   1903 

Bedortha 1904 

Nixon  1905-1906 


CHAPTER    XXI 


THE  EARLY  HISTORY  OF  ROYALTON  AND  LINCOLN. 


The  township  of  Royalton  was  organ- 
ized in  1835.  It  then  included  territory  now 
occupied  by  Royalton,  Lincoln  and  Sodus. 
Sodus  was  annexed  to  Pipestone  in  1842. 
Lincoln  was  not  organized  till  1868,  when 
a  portion  was  detached  from  Royalton. 

Royalton,  as  now  constituted,  is  irregu- 
lar in  shape  and  contains  about  nineteen  sec- 
tions. The  St.  Joseph  river  separates  it 
from  Sodus,  running  for  the  most  part  in 
a  northwesterly  direction.  Royalton  being 
on  the  left  bank.  It  is  bounded  on  the  south 
by  Oronoko  and  Lake,  on  the  west  by  Lin- 
coln and  St.  Joseph,  on  the  north  by  St. 
Joseph  and  the  river  which  separates  it  from 
Benton  and  Sodus.  It  practically  borders 
on  six  different  townships.  Lincoln  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  St.  Joseph,  on  the 
east  by  Royalton,  on  the  south  by  Lake  and 
on  the  west  by  Lake  Michigan. 

The  soil  is  generally  very  rich  and  pro- 
ductive. The  Interurban  which  enters  the 
township  at  Arden  near  the  southeast  corner 
and  runs  through  the  township  in  a  north- 
westerly course  for  about  six  miles,  passes 
through  fruit  orchards  and  grape  vineyards 
for  nearly  the  whole  distance  on  almost  a 
level.  The  township  is  noted  especially  for 
its  production  of  grapes,  in  which  it  stands 
next  to  St.  Joseph  and  about  equal  to  Ben- 
ton. It  also  raises  large  quantities  of  straw- 
berries, raspberries  and  blackberries.  In 
proportion  to  its  area,  it  probably  raises  as 


large  a   quantity  of  berries   as   any  town- 
ship. 

The  first  settler  of  Oronoko  was  the  first 
settler  of  Royalton.  This  was  John  Pike, 
who  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina  and  who 
settled  on  Wolf's  Prairie  (Berrien  Springs) 
in  1829.  In  1832  he  removed  to  Royalton 
where  he  located  with  his  wife  and  six  chil- 
dren in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  present 
township.  He  subsequently  acquired  about 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  the  town- 
ship, and  subsequently  removed  to  Iowa 
where  he  died  in  1859  in  his  eighty-eighth 
year. 

His  son  William  Pike,  who  came  with 
his  father,  located  when  of  age,  in  section 
seven,  where  he  lived  most  of  the  time  till 
his  death. 

The  next  settler  was  Jehiel  Enos,  then 
a  bachelor,  who  came  to  Michigan  in  1829, 
and  in  1832  located  land  adjoining  that 
of  John  Pike.  He  removed  to  Benton  town- 
ship in  1834,  where  he  became  the  first  set- 
tler, and  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  in 
the  early  history  of  the  county.  He  is  re- 
ferred to  more  specially  in  connection  with 
the  early  settlement  of  Benton  township. 

In  1835  Josephus  Gard,  a  native  of  New 
York,  who  had  removed  to  Ohio,  however, 
in  early  life,  located  upon  the  Enos  farm. 
Mr.  Gard,  on  removing  from  Ohio,  had  first 
settled  in  Cass  county  in  1830,  and  the  Gard 
family  became  prominent  in  the  history  of 


26o 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


both  Berrien  and  Cass  counties.     Josephus 
Gard  died  many  years  ago. 

One  son  of  Josephus,  Jonathan,  remained 
in  Cass  county.  Another  son,  Joseph,  moved 
to  Berrien  county  in  1834  where  he  located 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  near  St.  Jo- 
seph. His  first  wife  died  shortly  after  his 
settlement  and  he  subsequently  married 
Laura  Farley,  the  daughter  of  Amos  Far- 
ley, one  of  the  first  settlers  of  St.  Joseph,  he 
having  located  there  in  1829.  Joseph  Gard 
conducted  a  tannery  for  a  time,  but  was 
mainly  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
was  a  man  of  ability  and  died  in  1873.  His 
wife  died  in  1878. 

Their  only  surviving  child,  John  F. 
Gard,  was  supervisor  of  the  township  of  St. 
Joseph  for  several  terms  and  was  elected 
county  treasurer  in  1900.  He  died  in  1902, 
while  in  office.  He  was  an  expert  book- 
keeper and  a  man  of  financial  sagacity. 

In  1 83 1,  Theodore  C.  Abbe  and  his 
brother,  A.  G.  Abbe,  of  Oswego,  New  York, 
settled  in  the  township,  coming  with  a 
widowed  mother  and  one  younger  brother. 
They  sailed  from  Oswego  to  Detroit,  where 
they  purchased  an  ox  team  and  lumber 
wagon  and  drove  to  Niles.  From  this  point 
A.  G.  drove  the  oxen  to  Royalton  village, 
while  the  rest  of  the  family  sailed  down  the 
river  in  a  pirogue  or  canoe.  Theodore  died 
about  the  year  1836.  A.  G.  then  became  a 
boatman  on  the  river  and  also  worked  at 
his  trade  as  a  carpenter  till  1847,  when  he 
located  upon  a  farm  in  Royalton.  He  was 
supervisor  of  his  township  two  terms  and 
treasurer  three  terms. 

Samuel  Danforth  in  1837,  left  Genessee 
county,  New  York,  for  Michigan,  with  two 
children  in  a  wagon,  but  found  the  roads 
so  bad  that  after  proceeding  some  distance, 
abandoned  the  wagon  and  in  company  with 
his  children  walked  to  Niles^  a  distan^ze  of 
about  one  hundred  miles. 

In  1836  he  settled  in  Royalton  and  lived 
there  till  his  death  in  1858. 

In  1833  Clark  Pennell  built  a  log  house 


on  the  St.  Joseph  and  Niles  road  and  car- 
ried on  a  tavern.  It  was  afterwards  sup- 
planted by  a  frame  building  and  was  known 
as  the  ''Buckhorn  Tavern,''  a  famous  hos- 
telry of  the  pioneer  days  and  a  favorite  rest- 
ing place  for  travelers.  About  1836  it  passed 
into  the  hands  of  David  M.  Dunn,  the  first 
supervisor  of  the  township,  who  was  the 
proprietor  for  several  years.  The  tavern 
was  called  the  "Buckhorn"  because  the  front 
was  decorated  with  a  pair  of  buck  horns, 
placed  there  by  W.  H.  Tryon,  a  famous  deer 
hunter. 

In  1834,  Rowland  Tryon  and  his  sons 
William  H.  and  John,  natives  of  Connecti- 
cut, located  in  section  twenty-nine.  The 
father  died  in  1875  at  the  advanced  age  of 
ninety- four  years.  William  became  a  promi- 
nent fruit  grower,  for  sometime  carried  on 
a  general  store,  and  held  several  township 
offices.  He  was  noted  as  a  skillful  and  suc- 
cessful hunter.  He  once  engaged  in  a  hunt 
for  forty  days  in  which  he  killed  thirty-seven 
deer,  sixteen  coons,  six  wild  turkeys  and  col- 
lected nine  swarms  of  bees. 

In  1834,  David  Shearer,  a  native  of 
North  Carolina,  emigrated  from  Ohio, 
where  he  had  lived  for  some  years,  with  his 
family  consisting  of  a  wife  and  thirteen  chil- 
dren, and  located  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  section  nineteen.  His  son  EH  and 
A.  J.  Briney,  who  had  accompanied  the  fam- 
ily from  Ohio,  located  lands  adjoining. 
There  were  no  settlers  nearer  than  five  miles 
distant.  They  journeyed  from  Ohio  in  four 
two-horse  wagons.  They  went  to  mill  to 
Prairie  Ronde  in  Kalamazoo  county,  thirty- 
five  miles  distant. 

The  following  children  of  Eli  Shearer 
are  now  living.  Mrs.  A.  J.  Penland,  Mrs. 
Margaret  Arnold,  Daniel^  and  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Stevens. 

Two  children  of  Jacob  Shearer  are  now 
living.  William  H.  Shearer  and  Mrs.  Sarah 
Peters.  William  H.  is  now  living  on  the 
farm  purchased  by  his  father  of  the  govern- 
ment in  1839. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


261 


Five  children  of  Andrew  Shearer  are  liv- 
ing, William  A.,  Alexander,  Charles,  Mrs. 
Sarah  Bradford  and  Mrs.  Mary  Newel. 

In  1834,  David  Ball  settled  in  the  town- 
ship, but  in  1839  sold  out  and  removed  to  a 
foreign  state. 

In  1835,  A.  J.  Briney,  William  Milten- 
berger  and  William  Baumgartner^  all  from 
Ohio,  settled  in  the  township. 

In  1839,  Robert  Hollywood  purchased 
the  farm  of  David  Ball  in  section  thirteen. 
Hollywood  was  an  Irishman  by  birth  and  a 
linen  bleacher  by  trade,  but  emigrating  to 
this  country  in  1820,  became  a  sailor.  He 
first  sailed  on  the  lakes^  and  afterwards  on 
the  river  St.  Joseph,  being  captain  for  a  time 
on  the  ''Davy  Crockett."  After  purchasing 
the  Ball  farm  he  lived  on  it  till  his  death  in 
1 85 1.  His  son,  Robert  T.,  now  lives  upon 
a  portion  of  the  farm  purchased  by  his  father 
in  1839. 

Among  the  prominent  settlers  who  came 
later  may  be  mentioned  James  Carleton, 
John  Bort,  and  George  H.  Scott.  All  of 
them  came  to  Michigan  at  an  early  date. 
Mr.  Carleton  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts 
and  emigrated  to  Barry  county,  in  this  state, 
in  1840.  In  1854  he  located  in  Royalton 
township,  where  he  lived  till  his  death  in 
1872.  He  was  supervisor  of  the  township 
ironi  i860  to  1864.  A  son,  Albert  H.  Carle- 
ton, living  at  present  in  St.  Joseph,  was 
supervisor  of  Royalton  township  from  1877 
to  1880. 

John  Bort  moved  in  i8z|4  from  Herkimer 
county.  New  York,  to  Niles  township,  where 
he  located  with  his  wife.  He  remained  here 
but  a  short  time  and  purchased  a  farm  in 
Lincoln  township.  This  he  sold  and  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty- four 
acres  in  Royalton  upon  which  he  lived  till 
Ws  death.  He  was  engaged  extensively  in 
raising  fruit  and  was  the  first  person  to  en- 
gage largely  in  the  culture  of  strawberries. 
His  farm  in  Lincoln  contained  one  hundred 
and  forty-four  acres.  This  he  bought  for 
twenty-two  hundred  dollars  and  sold  in  1865 


for  twenty-two  thousand  dollars.  He  died 
in  1903  in  his  ninety- fourth  year.  He  be- 
longed to  a  long-lived  family  of  thirteen 
children  born  to  his  parents,  all  but  three 
of  whom  lived  to  be  over  ninety  years  old. 
Two  of  his  children  are  now  living  in  this 
county,  Fayette  M.  and  Harry  G.  both  of 
Royalton.  Harry  G.  is  the  present  super- 
visor of  Royalton  township. 

George  H.  Scott,  a  native  of  Vermont, 
came  to  St.  Joseph  in  1837,  with  a  brother, 
Reuben.  They  engaged  in  various  enter- 
prises, conducting  a  hardware  store,  a 
grocery  and  a  saw  mill  and  at  one  time 
owned  and  operated  two  vessels  on  the  lake. 
About  the  year  i860  he  purchased  a  farm 
in  Royalton  township  where  he  lived  for 
arbout  twenty-five  years.  He  died  in  1896. 
A  son,  George  M.,  lives  in  Royalton  township 
and  a  daughter  Emma  is  the  wife  of  N.  A. 
Hamilton,  a  prominent  attorney  of  St.  Jo- 
seph. Mr.  Scott  was  postmaster  for  some 
years  at  Royalton,  and  held  various  local 
offices. 

A  considerable  number  of  Germans  set- 
tled in  the  township  at  a  later  date.  Among 
the  most  prominent  of  them  was  Henry 
Ashoff.  He  received  a  good  education  in 
that  country  which  takes  the  lead  in  educa- 
tional requirements,  Prussia,  of  which  he 
was  a  native.  He  came  to  America  in  1853, 
to  St.  Joseph  in  1854  and  married  a  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  Gard  in  1855.  Mr.  Gard  gave 
him  eighty  acres  in  section  twenty,  to  which 
Mr.  Ashoff  made  additions.  He  was  super- 
visor of  his  township  for  nine  years  and  held 
various  local  offices.  He  was  an  active, 
honest  and  intelligent  citizen  and  a  promi- 
nent leader  in  the  Evangelical  Association 
Church.    He  died  many  years  since. 

An  association  has  been  formed  in  this 
township  for  the  benefit  of  fruit  growers 
called  the  ''Scottdale  Fruit  Association''  of 
which  the  following  are  the  officers :  Presi- 
dent and  manager,  Fred  Geisler;  salesman, 
W.  H.  Shearer;  secretary  and  treasurer, 
Arthur  Carleton. 


262 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


The  electors  of  Royalton  in  the  spring 
election  of  1906,  voted  to  appropriate  thirty 
thousand  dollars  for  the  building  of  roads. 
Already  several  miles  of  macadamized  road 
have  been  built. 

The  township  of  Lincoln  was  a  part  of 
Royalton  until  the  year  1867  and  its  early 
history  is  so  mingled  with  that  of  Royalton 
that  it  is  difficult  to  separate  the  early  his- 
tory of  one  from  that  of  the  other.  Early 
settlers  of  Royalton  had  lands  which  were 
situate  within  the  present  limits  of  Lincoln, 
and  often  moved  their  residence  from  what 
is  now  Royalton  to  the  latter.  A  brief  state- 
ment, however,  of  some  of  the  earliest  settle- 
ments made  within  the  present  limits  of  Lin- 
coln, will  be  made. 

The  town  of  Lincoln  is  fractional,  being 
about  two  and  one-half  miles  wide  on  the 
south.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  St. 
Joseph,  on  the  east  by  Royalton,  on  the 
south  by  Lake  and  on  the  west  by  Lake 
Michigan. 

The  eastern  portion  of  the  township  ly- 
ing on  the  borders  of  Royalton,  is  naturally 
rich  and  productive.  Hickory  creek  runs 
across  the  township  in  a  northerly  direction, 
and  the  land  west  of  this  creek  was  naturally 
sterile  and  poor.  Pine  forests  originally 
grew  near  the  lake.  This  land,  however,. 
has  been  made  remunerative  by  fruit  culti- 
vation. A  considerable  portion  lying  along 
Hickory  creek  was  swampy  but  nearly  all 
of  it  has  been  drained,  reclaiming  quite  an 
area  of  land. 

The  township  is  densely  populated,  be- 
ing largely  divided  up  into  small  holdings, 
and  presenting  almost  the  appearance  of  a 
continuous  village,  with  fruit  gardens  in  the 
rear  of  the  residences.  Of  late  years  there 
has  been  a  large  influx  of  Germans  and  other 
foreign  races.  The  land  has  been  largely 
devoted  to  fruit  raising  especially  of  all  kinds 
of  berries  for  which  the  soil  appears  es- 
pecially adapted.  Peaches  are  also  raised 
in  abundance. 


In  the  western  part  of  the  township  is  a 
series  of  ponds  or  lagoons  about  a  mile  and 
a  half  long,  connected  with  Lake  Michigan, 
called  the  ''Grand  Marias"  or  great  marsh. 

A  remarkably  early  settlement  was  made 
in  the  extreme  northern  part  of  the  town- 
ship in  1827  by  Major  Timothy  Smith. 
Major  Smith  had  been  a  teacher  in  the  Carey 
mission  and  leaving  there  in  1827  he  sought 
a  home  in  an  unbroken  wilderness,  years  be- 
fore the  government  had  opened  any  lands 
for  sale,  and  before  any  survey  had  been 
made.  He  became  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and 
was  supervisor  of  the  township  of  Royalton 
from  1837  to  1843.  He  was  very  corpulent 
and  a  practical  joker.  He  was  appointed 
light  hovi§t  keeper  in  1840  and  lived  in  the 
county  till  1853,  when  he  removed  to  Cali- 
fornia, where  he  died  many  years  ago. 

William  Huff  settled  near  Major  Smith 
in  1828,  but  shortly  after  moved  into  the 
village  of  Newburyport  (St.  Joseph),  where 
he  engaged  in  mercantile  business  and  built 
a  hotel.  He  was  the  first  supervisor  of  St. 
Joseph  township  and  held  the  office  for  three 
or  four  terms.     He  died  in  1845. 

In  1835  or  1836,  Major  Smith,  Hiram 
Brown  and  others  laid  out  a  village  in  the 
western  part  of  the  township,  but  the  project 
was  abandoned  before  any  successful  settle- 
ment was  made. 

No  settlements  were  made  after  those  of 
Major  Smith  and  Mr.  Huff  for  some  years, 
and  this  part  of  the  township  was  settled 
very  slowly.  The  village  of  Stevensville 
was  platted  and  laid  out  by  Thomas  Stevens^ 
a  prominent  banker  of  Niles,  who  owned  a 
large  tract  of  land  in  the  vicinity.  An  addi- 
tion was  made  by  A.  D.  Brown.  The  vil- 
lage was  incorporated  in  1893,  and  has  a 
population  of  two  hundred  and  fifty.  The 
first  store  in  the  village  was  carried  on  by 
William  M.  Smith.  The  first  physician  was 
Dr.  J.  N.  Percell.  The  first  church  was  the 
Methodist,  which  was  established  in  1847 
by  Gould  Parish  and  others. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


263 


Supervisors  of  Lincoln  Township. 

The  following  named  persons  have  been 
supervisors  of  the  township  at  the  dates 
designated. 

J.  A.  Parrish   1868 

L.  W.  Archer   1869 

A.  D.  Brown 1870-1879 

A.  O.  French 1880 

J.  S.  Beers 1886-1887 

Alex.   Haliday   1888-1895 

W.  J.  Diemer   1896-1898 

Alex.  Haliday   1899-1904 

Frank  P.  Cupp   1905-1906 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  supervisors 
of  Royalton  township. 

David  M.  Drum   1835-1836 

T.  S.  Smith 1837-1843 

Samuel  Fulton 1844-1845 


John  Witherell 1846-1847 

Samuel  Fulton 1848 

Albert  G.  Abbe 1849 

Samuel  Fulton 1850 

P.  W.  Webb 1851 

Richard  Brown    1852 

Samuel   Davis    1853 

Wm.  Stevens   1854 

A.  G.  Abbe   185s 

N.  W.  Thompson 1856-1859 

Jas.  Carleton   1860-1864 

D.  N.  Brown 1865 

O.  D.  Parsons 1866 

Henry  Ashoff    1867-1872 

J.  S.  Beers   1873 

Henry  Ashoff    1874-1876 

A.  H.  Carleton   1877-1880 

Henry  Ashoff    1881-1883 

J.  H.  Slover 1884-1888 

J.  M.  Miller 1889 

E.  L.  Cromer 1890-1899 

S.  B.  Miners   1900-1904 

Harry  Bort    1905-1906 


CHAPTER    XXII 


SODUS. 


The  township  of  Sodus  is  irregular  in 
form  and  contains  only  about  twenty-one 
sections  of  land.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Benton,  on  the  east  by  Pipestone  and  a 
small  part  of  Berrien,  on  the  south  by  the  St. 
Joseph  river,  and  on  the  west  by  the  river 
and  also  for  about  a  mile  by  Benton.  The 
river  separates  it  from  Royalton  and  Or- 
onoko. 

The  land  is  generally  rich  and  produc- 
tive, and  equally  adapted  for  raising  grains 
or  fruit.  The  surface  is  generally  level.  Of 
late  years  fruit  culture  has  been  an  import- 
ant industry  and  the  production  of  apples 
and  peaches  has  been  very  large. 

For  many  years  the  township  was  a  part 
of  Pipestone  and  it  was  not  till  1859  that 
it  was  erected  into  a  separate  township. 
The  first  township  election  was  held  at  the 
Rector  school  house  in  April,  i860,  at  which 
R.  S.  Carpenter  was  elected  supervisor,  R. 
E.  Hull,  clerk,  and  James  Trowbridge,  treas- 
urer. 

The  first  actual  and  permanent  settlers 
were  the  Rectors,  although  two  men  by  the 
name  of  Scott  and  Palmer  had  made  a  small 
clearing,  but  after  a  brief  sojourn  they  moved 
away.  In  1836  James  B.  Larue  of  St.  Jo- 
seph built  a  saw  mill  on  Pipestone  creek,  but 
did  not  move  into  the  township  till  1841.      , 

In  1835  William  H.  and  David  Rector, 
who  resided  in  the  town  of  Sodus,  New 
York,  came  to  St.  Joseph  and  engaged  in 


the  business  of  boating  on  the  river.  They 
disliked  the  business,  however,  and  before 
the  end  of  the  year  returned  to  their  native 
state.  In  the  next  spring  they  again  came 
to  Michigan,  bringing  their  brother  Hiram. 
Arriving  at  Buffalo,  on  their  trip  to  Michi- 
gan, in  company  with  two  other  men,  they 
took  charge  of  a  keel-boat  called  the  *'Niles" 
which  was  being  towed  to  St.  Joseph  by  a 
steamer.  Shortly  after  leaving  Buffalo  a 
violent  storm  arose,  during  which  the  keel- 
boat  broke  loose  from  the  steamer  towing 
her  and  drifted  helplessly  for  about  one  hun- 
dred miles.  When  the  storm  subsided  the 
the  five  men  rowed  the  boat  with  their  oars 
safely  into  port  at  Cleveland.  Upon  their 
arrival  at  St.  Joseph,  they  went  into  boat- 
ing again  on  the  river.  David,  however, 
soon  left  this  business  and  worked  for  Larue 
three  years  at  the  saw  mill  of  the  latter  on 
Pipestone  creek.  In  1839  he  located  upon 
a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in 
section  fourteen,  which  he  had  entered  in 

1837. 

In  1836  the  father,  David  Rector,  came 
from  Sodus,  New  York,  with  the  rest  of  the 
family  to  St.  Joseph.  The  next  year  he 
moved  into  the  township  and  settled  upon  a 
tract  adjoining  that  of  his  son,  David. 
Here  he  lived  till  his  death  in  1862. 

Hiram  lived  with  his  father  a  few  years, 
when  he  settled  in  section  twenty-two. 

David  Rector,  Jr.,  married  Sarah  Tabor 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


265 


in  1843.  Mr.  Rector  was  called  upon  to 
name  the  township  at  its  organization  and 
gave  it  the  name  of  his  native  town  in  New 
York,   Sodus. 

William  H.  Rector  lived  in  St.  Joseph 
till  1842,  when  he  settled  upon  a  farm  near 
that  of  his  father.  He  lived  upon  this  farm 
till  his  death  in  1878.  His  first  purchase 
was  a  forty-acre  tract  in  section  fifteen  from 
Charles  Palmer,  who  traded  it  to  Rector 
for  a  gun  and  an  old  horse. 

Mr.  Larue,  who,  as  has  been  stated,  built 
a  sawmill  on  Pipestone  creek  as  early  as 
1836,  was  then  a  lumber  merchant  in  St. 
Joseph,  to  which  place  he  had  moved  from 
New  Jersey  in  1835.  He  was  the  first  super- 
visor of  Pipestone  township  (then  includ- 
ing Sodus),  and  held  the  office  from  1842 
to  1848.  In  1850  he  emigrated  to  Califor- 
nia, where  he  died  many  years  ago. 

The  growth  of  the  township  after  its 
first  settlement  was  slow,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  the  land  was  nearly  all  owned  by  specu- 
lators who  held  it  for  a  number  of  years  at 
figures  so  high  as  to  keep  away  many  pur- 
chasers. The  population  of  both  Pipestone 
and  Sodus  numbered  only  two  hundred  and 
seventy-seven  in  1845,  and  it  was  not  till 
after  1850  that  any  considerable  number  of 
settlers  located  in  the  township. 

In  1840  Joseph  W.  Brewer,  who  lived  at 
St.  Joseph,  and  was  a  steamboat  captain  on 
the  river,  settled  in  section  sixteen.  He 
lived  here  but  a  few  years  when  he  returned 
to  St.  Joseph.  At  about  the  same  time  Ebe- 
nezer  Farley  settled  in  section  sixteen,  but 
spent  most  of  his  time  boating  on  the  river. 
He  was  a  son  of  Amos  Farley,  who  settled 
at  St.  Joseph  in  1830  and  removed  to  Oro- 
noko  township  in  1833.  He  moved  to  Cali- 
fornia in  1854. 

In  1841,  James  McDougall  of  New 
York  and  Francis  Versaw,  a  French  Cana- 
dian, together  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  acres  on  the  St.  Joseph  river. 
McDougall  subsequently  moved  to  Ne- 
braska.    Versaw  at  an  early  date  located  at 


Green  Bay,  Wisconsin,  where  he  was  an 
agent  of  the  American  Fur  Company.  In 
1835  he  moved  to  St.  Joseph  and  followed 
the  business  of  boating  till  his  settlement 
in  Sodus.  A  son  of  Francis  Versaw,  James, 
is  now  living  on  the  farm  located  by  his 
father.  A  brother  of  Francis,  Luke,  settled 
in  Sodus  in  1845. 

Among  the  pioneers  who  settled  the 
township,  between  1840  and  1845,  were 
Peter  Shook,  S.  H.  Salpaugh,  I.  W. 
Chadwick,  Abner  Buckman,  James  F.  Has- 
kins,  Hiram  Ryther,  George  Keigley,  John 
B.  Rush,  Wallace  Tabor. 

Among  the  prominent  settlers  who  came 
somewhat  later  were  Jesse  Hemingway, 
Luther  Hemingway,  the  Ganos,  F.  F.  King, 
R.  M.  Hogue,  Josephus  Fisher. 

Luther  Hemingway  was  supervisor  of 
the  township  in  1871,  but  subsequently 
moved  to  Benton  Harbor  where  he  is  now 
living.  He  was  county  surveyor  for  many 
years. 

F.  F.  King  was  supervisor  for  ten  terms 
and  Josephus  Fisher  for  twelve  years. 

Two  popular  summer  resorts  on  the 
river  have  been  located  in  Sodus,  one  called 
the  Sebago  and  the  other  Tabors.  The  Se- 
bago  was  established  on  a  charming  site 
in  1895  by  J.  J.  Theiss.  A  commodious 
hotel  was  erected  and  subsequently  a  con- 
siderable number  of  cottages  were  built. 

About  two  miles  above  Sebago  is  Ta- 
bor's Resort,  which  is  owned  and  conducted 
by  Ernest  Tabor.  This  point  has  been  for 
some  weeks  the  southern  terminus  of  the 
interurban  railroad  running  south  from 
Benton  Harbor.  It  is  now  being  extended 
to  Eau  Claire. 

Churches. 

The  Christian  Church  was  organized  at 
the  Mt.  Pleasant  church  by  Elder  William 
Roe,  of  Buchanan,  in  1867,  and  was  a 
strong  and  vigorous  church  at  the  outset. 
The  first  elders  were  Josephus  Fisher  and  C. 
T.  Hogue. 


266 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


The  Sodus  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
was  organized  in  1858.  Services  were  orig- 
inally held  at  the  Tabor  school  house. 

The  United  Brethren  Church  was  organ- 
ized at  the  Rector  school  house  in  186 1.  A 
church  edifice  was  erected  in  1869. 

Another  Methodist  church  was  organ- 
ized in  1877. 

In  1855  a  church  was  organized  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  township  called  the 
Church  of  God.  This  appears  to  have  been 
the  earliest  religious  organization  in  the 
township.  In  1871  it  built  an  edifice,  call- 
ing it  the  Union  Church. 

The  following  named  persons  have  been 
supervisors  of  Sodus  township  at  the  dates 
mentioned  : 


S.  B.  Carpenter i860 

Josephus  Fisher  . .    1861-1868 

Fred  F.   King    1869 

Josephus  Fisher   1870 

Luther   Hemingway    1871 

F.  F.   King    1872-1875 

R.  M.  Hogue 1876-1877 

Orson  Ingalsber   . 1878-1880 

Josephus  Fisher 1881-1882 

F.  F.  King 1883 

Josephus  Fisher   1884 

F.  F.  King 1885-1886 

C.  C.  Bell 1893 

R.  M.  Hogue 1892 

C.  C.  Bell 1887-1891 

F.  F.  King 1894-1895 

C.  M.  King   1896-1900 

Jos.  Miller   1902 

L.  M.  Hogue 1903-1904 

Gerald  Handy   1905-1906 


CHAPTER    XXIII 


THREE  OAKS  TOWNSHIP. 


A  portion  of  the  items  contained  in  the 
sketch  of  this  township  has  been  gleaned 
from  memoranda  kindly  furnished  by  Hon. 
Henry  Chamberlain  of  Three  Oaks. 
Mr.  Chamberlain  has  prepared  a  mass  of  in- 
teresting* manuscript  relating  to  the  early 
settlement  of  the  southwestern  portion  of 
Berrien  county,  only  a  small  portion  of 
which  has  ever  been  published.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  the  matter  prepared  by  him  may 
yet  be  published. 

The  township  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Chikaming,  on  the  east  by  Weesaw  and 
Galien,  on  the  south  by  the  state  of  Indiana, 
and  on  the  west  by  New  Buffalo.  It  was  a 
part  of  the  township  of  New.  Buffalo  till 
1856,  when  it  was  set  apart  into  a  separate 
township  by  the  board  of  supervisors.  The 
name  of  the  township  was  derived  from  that 
given  to  the  postoffice  by  Henry  Chamber- 
lain in  1854.  The  name  was  suggested  to 
Mr.  Chamberlain  by  the  fact  that  three 
white  oak  trees  stood  near  the  site  of  the 
postoffice,  and  so  near  together  as  to  give 
the  impression  when  in  full  leaf  of  being  one 
tree. 

The  territory  was  originally  covered  by 
dense  forests  of  valuable  timber,  consisting 
of  maple,  beech,  cherry,  ash,  sycamore, 
whitewood,  oak,  elm,  hickory,  basswood, 
black  walnut  and  other  varieties.  There  was 
but  little  marsh,  mainly  existing  in  the 
northeast  part  of  the  township.     The  soil 


was  generally  rich  and  fertile  and  well 
adapted  for  the  production  of  corn  and 
wheat.  Deer  were  abundant  during  a  por- 
tion of  the  period  of  early  settlement.  The 
severe  winter  of  1843  nearly  exterminated 
them,  but  they  again  became  plentiful  in  a 
few  years.  It  is  stated  that  during  the  years 
1854  and  1855  three  hundred  deer  were 
killed  within  a  radius  of  about  five  miles,  of 
which  the  present  village  of  Three  Oaks  was 
the  center.  R.  B.  Goit,  who  lived  just  over 
the  state  line,  killed  twenty-seven  in  the  fall 
and  winter  of  1854-55.  The  number  de- 
creased, till  they  disappeared  shortly  after 
the  close  of  the  Civil  war.  During  the  per- 
iod of  the  early  settlement  black  bear  were 
occasionally  seen,  and  large  gray  wolves 
were  numerous  before  1843.  Wolves  were 
commonly  caught  in  steel  traps  or  wolf  pens. 
Mink  were  numerous,  otters  and  wild  cats 
of  a  large  size  were  occasionally  found  and 
muskrats  and  skunks  were  abundant;  all  of 
these  animals  were  generally  captured  by 
traps.  Raccoons  were  sometimes  abundant 
and  sometimes  scarce.  Foxes  and  porcu- 
pines were  occasionally  found. 

The  trees  which  originally  grew  in  the 
woods  in  the  southwest  portion  of  the  coun- 
ty were  generally  large.  Mr.  Chamber- 
lain has  made  some  memoranda  of  those  of 
the  largest  which  he  saw  himself,  or  con- 
cerning which  he  derived  accurate  informa- 
tion. 


268 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


All  of  these  were  perfect  in  form  and 
adapted  for  lumber  or  timber. 

A  white  oak  in  New  Buffalo  township 
was  fifteen  feet  in  circumference  and  the 
first  limb  about  seventy  feet  from  the 
ground.  The  Martins  cut  from  an  oak 
growing  in  Three  Oaks,  seventy  railroad 
ties,  a  part  of  which  were  switch  ties  twelve 
feet  long  and  twelve  feet  face. 

A  walnut  tree  in  Three  Oaks  township 
was  twenty-five  feet  in  circumference.  A 
white  ash  in  the  same  township  was  about 
four  feet  in  diameter. 

Large  whitewood  trees  were  common, 
often  being  three  or  four  feet  in  diameter. 
One  in  Weesaw  was  over  five  feet  in  diame- 
ter and  cut  six  twelve  foot  logs. 

S.  D.  Hammond  cut  five  hundred  cords 
of  wood  (bodies  and  limbs)  on  three  and 
three-quarters  acres  in  sections  eleven,  eight 
and  twenty.  Silas  Sawyer  from  ten  acres 
in  sections  lo,  7  and  20,  cut  off  and  sawed 
four  hundred  thousand  feet  of  whitewood. 
The  value  of  this  lumber  at  this  time  would 
be  about  $24,000..  Four  twelve- foot  white- 
wood  logs  drawn  to  the  mill  by  Zachariah 
Kinne  of  Galien  township,  and  cut  from 
one  tree,  made  four  thousand  thirty-one  feet 
board  measure.  From  a  whitewood  tree 
about  four  feet  at  the  butt,  he  cut  six  twelve- 
foot  and  one  ten-foot  logs. 

William  H.  Valentine  of  Three  Oaks, 
had  a  hollow  black  walnut  tree  growing  on 
his  premises,  which  measured  twenty-nine 
and  one-half  feet  in  circumference.  He  also 
reported  that  he  had  sawed  another  which 
was  sounds  and  which  was  six  feet  in  di- 
ameter at  the  butt,  and  that  he  obtained  four 
twelve-foot  logs.  The  sassafras  tree  as  we 
generally  see  it  is  small  and  diminutive. 
Mr.  Chamberlain  speaks  of  having  seen  the 
stump  of  one  which  measured  four  feet 
across  and  from  which  three  twelve-foot 
logs  had  been  taken.  A  grove  of  these 
trees  grew  in  Chikaming  township  in  which 
they  grew  from  eighteen  to  twenty-five 
inches  in  diameter. 


Black  ash  grew  to  a  diameter  of  thirty- 
six  inches;  red  oak,  forty-two  inches;  hick- 
ory, four  feet;  maple,  three  and  one-half 
feet;  basswood  (linden),  three  and  one-half 
to  four  feet;  sycamore,  four  feet.  Hollow 
sycamores  were  occasionally  found  six  to 
eight  feet  in  diameter. 

I  have  given  these  interesting  memor- 
anda for  the  purpose  of  illustrating  the  char- 
acter, enormous  production  and  value  of  the 
timber  products  of  the  county.  Similar 
products  of  the  forest  existed  in  most  of  the 
townships  of  the  county  at  an  early  day. 
The  value  of  the  timber  today,  even  if  a 
tenth  part  could  have  been  preserved,  would 
amount  to  a  sum  which  would  appear  fabu- 
lous. But  the  lands  were  denuded  of  the 
most  valuable  timber  many  years  ago.  It 
is  a  singular  fact  that  of  the  numerous  men 
who  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  county,  in  the  days 
when  timber  was  plenty,  few  succeeded  in 
making  the  business  profitable,  and  most  of 
them  failed  or  became  embarrassed.  The 
lumber  was  sold  at  prices  which  seem  to  us 
absurdly  cheap.  Choice  whitewood  lumber 
which  today  brings  $60  per  thousand,  was 
sold  at  from  $8  to  $10  per  thousand.  But 
''low  prices"  was  not  so  much  the  cause  of 
loss  to  the  lumbering  men,  as  attempts  at 
speculation  handling  too  much  timber,  finan- 
cial panics  and  engaging  in  too  many  enter- 
prises at  once. 

The  first  settler  in  the  township  was 
Richard  Love  a  native  of  Ohio.  In  1835 
he  purchased  land  in  section  twenty-four 
and  settled  upon  it.  He  died  many  years 
ago.  Descendants  still  live  upon  the  lands 
originally  occupied  by  Mr.  Love. 

In  1836  Sylvester  Shedd,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  who  resided  for  a  few 
years,  however,  in  New  York,  emigrated 
with  his  wife  and  children  to  Michigan  and 
located  in  section  twenty-three  of  Three 
Oaks  township.  Mr.  Shedd  had  been  a  sol- 
dier in  the  war  of  181 2.  He  devoted  him- 
self to  agricultural  pursuits  in  his  new  home, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


269 


and  died  in  1866.  His  wife  died  in  1875. 
Two  sons,  Erasmus  N.  Shedd  and  Harry  H. 
Shedd,  who  emigrated  from  New  York  with 
their  parents,  became  prominent  farmers  in 
the  township.  Erasmus  was  for  several 
years  a  justice  of  the  peace. 

The  following  named  persons  settled  in 
the  township  shortly  after  the  settlement  of 
Mr.  Shedd.  John  Hatfield,  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, P.  G.  Magness  of  North  Carolina, 
Vincent  Nash  and  Enoch  Lewis,  both  of 
Virginia,  Levi  Paddock  of  New  York,  Jo- 
seph Love  and  Robert  R.  Larue  of  Tennes- 
see, William  Hammond,  and  John  Love,  a 
son  of  Joseph  Love.  Joseph  Love  was  a  man 
of  considerable  native  ability,  but  deficient 
in  education.  He  became  involved  in  some 
petty  litigation  and  was  not  satisfied  with 
the  decisions  of  the  justices.  Desirous  of 
being  elected  to  the  office  of  justice  of  the 
peace,  he  broached  the  subject  to  one  of  his 
neighbors.  His  neighbor  replied:  "You 
may  know  law  enough,  Uncle  Joe,  but  you 
cannot  read  or  write."  ''No  matter  about 
that,"  replied  Uncle  Joe,  ''Jake  (his  son) 
can  read  and  John  can  write  and  I  can  judge 
them  all  like  the  d — 1."  The  people,  how- 
ever, did  not  relish  the  idea  of  Uncle  Joe 
being  justice,  and  he  was  defeated. 

Moscs  Chamberlain,  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  made  a  trip  to  southwestern 
Michigan,  visited  New  Buffalo  and  pur- 
chased five  quarter  sections  or  about  eight 
hundred  acres  of  land  located  within  the 
present  limits  of  the  townships  of  New  Buf- 
falo, Three  Oaks  and  Chikaming.  He  did 
not,  however,  settle  in  the  community  at 
that  time.  In  1843,  he  and  his  wife 
Rebecca  (Abbott)  and  three  children, 
Henry,  William  and  Elizabeth,  emigrated 
from  New  Hampshire  to  New  Buffalo. 
Here  he  went  into  the  mercantile  business 
with  Jacob  Gerrish,  a  cousin  of  Mrs.  Cham- 
berlain. He  continued,  however,  in  the 
mercantile  business  but  a  short  time.  In 
1844  Hale  E.  Crosby,  a  son-in-law  of  Mr. 
Chamberlain,   came   from   New   Hampshire 


with  a  stock  of  merchandise  and  took  charge 
of  the  business.  Mr.  Chamberlain  disposed 
of  his  interest  in  the  store  the  same  year 
and  moved  into  section  fifteen.  Three  Oaks 
township,  where  he  erected  the  first  frame 
house  built  in  the  township.  He  died  in 
1866.  He  was  a  man  of  great  native 
strength  of  character,  public  spirited,  phil- 
anthrophic,  and  of  sterling  qualities  of  mind 
and  heart.  He  was  strongly  anti-slavery  in 
his  convictions  and  in  1844  voted  for  James 
G.  Birney,  the  abolition  candidate  for  presi- 
dent. Upon  the  organization  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  he  identified  himself  wdth  that 
party.  He  was  a  Congregationalist,  and 
was  prominent  in  the  early  organization  of  a 
Congregational  Church  at  New  Buffalo, 
subsequently  transferred  to  Three  Oaks. 

His  son,  Henry  Chamberlain,  well 
known  throughout  the  county  and  state,  is 
now  living  at  Three  Oaks.  He  was  nine- 
teen years  of  age  when  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  New  Buffalo  in  1843.  He  re- 
mained in  New  Buffalo  till  1850  and  was 
elected  supervisor  in  1845,  just  as  he  had 
attained  his  majority.  He  was  supervisor 
of  that  township  for  three  terms.  In 
1850,  he  had  an  offer  to  furnish  two 
thousand  cords  of  wood  at  seven  shil- 
lings and  six  pence  per  cord  to  be  deliv- 
ered at  the  cars  on  the  side  track  where 
the  village  of  Three  Oaks  now  stands.  This 
offer  he  accepted.  At  this  time,  he  owned 
lands  at  this  point  and  while  furnishing 
wood  under  the  conract,  was  enabled  to 
clear  his  land  without  additional  expense. 
In  1854  he  and  Joseph  G.  Ames,  erected  a 
store  at  this  point  and  commenced  selling 
goods.  This  was  the  starting  point  of  the 
village  of  Three  Oaks,  and  the  place  was 
first  known  as  Chamberlain's  station.  The 
first  plat  of  the  village  was  made  by  Mr. 
Chamberlain  in  1857. 

Mr.  Chamberlain  has  continued  to  live 
in  the  village  from  1850  to  the  present  time. 
He  is  now  in  his  eighty-third  year,  vigor- 
ous in  mind  and  body.     For  many  years  his 


270 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


life  was  one  of  great  activity.  He  was  en- 
gaged in  an  extensive  mercantile  business 
for  nearly  twenty-five  years  and  at  the  same 
time  the  owner  of  large  improved  farms  in 
the  vicinity,  the  cultivation  of  which  he  sup- 
erintended. At  one  time  he  was  the  owner 
of  about  three  thousand  acres  and  is  still 
the  owner  of  a  large  and  valuable  tract 
of  land  southeast  of  the  village.  He  super- 
vised the  clearing  of  over  a  thousand  acres, 
doing  a  part  of  the  work  himself.  Mr. 
Chamberlain  is  one  of  the  most  prominent 
and  well  known  men  of  the  state.  In  early 
life  he  became  identified  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  although  nearly  all  of  his  near 
relatives  were  of  an  opposite  political  faith. 
He  was  supervisor  of  Three  Oaks  township 
for  six  terms,  and  in  1849,  ^  niember  of  the 
legislature.  In  1868  and  1870  he  was  the 
Democratic  candidate  for  Congress  in  the 
Fourth  district.  In  1874  he  was  candidate 
for  governor  of  the  state  and  was  defeated  at 
the  election  by  only  six  thousand  votes.  He 
also  received  in  the  legislature,  the  vote  of 
the  Democratic  members  for  United  States 
Senator,  three  different  times.  He  was  emi- 
nently qualified  to  fill  any  of  the  positions 
named  with  credit  and  ability.  He  was  for 
many  years  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of 
Agriculture. 

William  Chamberlain,  a  younger  brother 
of  Henry,  was  nine  years  old  when  his  par- 
ents came  to  Three  Oaks.  Upon  arriving 
of  age,  he  carried  on  farming  at  the  old 
homestead  till  1864,  when  he  moved  into 
the  village  of  Three  Oaks  and  went  into 
the  mercantile  business  with  his  brother, 
Henry.  He  was  elected  president  of 
the  village  at  its  first  election  in  1868,  and 
was  subsequently  supervisor  of  the  town- 
ship. He  was  a  member  of  the  State  House 
of  Representatives  in  1871  and  1873  and  of 
the  State  Senate  in  1879  and  1881.  He  was 
president  pro  tem  of  the  last  body  in  1879. 

In  1893,  he  was  appointed  to  the  im- 
portant position  of  warden  of  the  State  Peni- 
tentiary at  Jackson  and  held  this  oflSce  from 


1893  till  his  death.  He  was  well  fitted  to  dis- 
charge the  duties  of  this  office.  For  many 
years  before  his  appointment  he  had  been 
frequently  a  member  of  boards  and  of  legis- 
lative committees  which  supervised  or  in- 
vestigated our  penal  and  charitable  institu- 
tions and  had  become  intimately  conversant 
with  their  management  and  needs.  While 
holding  the  office  he  became  a  prominent 
figure  at  the  annual  meetings  of  the  wardens 
of  the  United  States,  as  the  reports  of  these 
meetings  abundantly  testify.  He  was  a  man 
whose  private  life  was  beyond  reproach  and 
was  universally  esteemed  by  the  community 
in  which  he  lived  for  his  sterling  qualities. 
While  he  held  some  important  official  posi- 
tions from  the  time  he  became  of  age  till  his 
death,  and  was  recognized  as  a  leader  in  the 
Republican  party,  he  belonged  to  no  faction 
and  obtained  recognition  purely  by  his 
merits. 

In  1855,  Samuel  Hess  started  the  first 
shoe  shop  in  Three  Oaks.  He  was  a  native 
of  Switzerland  and  his  father,  John  Hess, 
had  settled  on  a  piece  of  land  in  Three  Oaks 
township  in  1852. 

Samuel  carried  on  a  shoe  store  for  many 
years  and  also  was  engaged  in  carrying  on 
a  farm  near  town.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
energy  and  industry  and  became  a  prominent 
man  in  the  township  and  county.  He  was 
supervisor  for  three  terms  and  was  a  justice 
of  the  peace  for  nearly  thirty  years.  In 
1868,  he  was  elected  county  treasurer  and 
filled  the  office  for  three  terms. 

His  nomination  for  that  position  by  the 
Republican  county  convention  in  1868  was 
in  a  certain  sense  accidental,  as  he  was  not 
a  candidate  for  the  position  till  after  the 
convention  had  actually  assembled.  A  refer- 
ence to  this  occurrence  may  not  be  out  of 
place,  as  an  illustration  of  the  fact  that 
nominations  have  been  made  at  county  con- 
ventions without  any  preparation  whatever. 

As  the  writer  of  this  sketch  was  entering 
the  gate  of  the  court  house  yard  at  Berrien 
Springs  in  the  fall  of  1868,  to  attend  the 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


271 


afternoon  session  of  the  Republican  county- 
convention  which  had  been  formally  organ- 
ized in  the  forenoon,  he  was  met  by  the  dele- 
gates from  Three  Oaks  who  requested  him 
to  present  the  name  of  Samuel  Hess  as  a 
candidate  for  nomination  for  the  office  of 
register  of  deeds.  Mr.  Coolidge  informed 
them  that  this  he  could  not  do,  as  he  had 
pledged  himself  to  support  Roscoe  Dix  for 
the  position.  The  delegates  replied  that  they 
did  not  expect  to  nominate  Mr.  Hess,  but 
that  they  wished  to  have  his  name  launched 
before  the  convention  with  reference  to  sub- 
stantial recognition  in  the  future.  Mr. 
Coolidge  then  suggested  that  Mr.  Hess  have 
his  name  presented  for  nomination  as  county 
treasurer.  Mr.  Hess,  upon  consultation,  ac- 
cepted the  suggestion.  A  ticket  had  been 
carefully  arranged  and  slips  prepared  for  a 
strong  and  popular  candidate  for  treasurer, 
who  appeared  certain  of  nomination.  Mr. 
Coolidge  urged  the  nomination  of  Mr.  Hess 
upon  the  ground  that  he  was  eminently 
competent  to  fill  the  position  and  that  being 
competent,  his  nomination  would  be  a  timely 
recognition  of  the  German  element.  He  was 
followed  by  William  K.  Sawyer  of  Three 
Oaks  and  others,  urging  especially  the  lat- 
ter point.  This  point  caught  the  convention 
and  Mr.  Hess  was  triumphantly  nominated 
to  the  surprise  of  himself  and  his  friends. 
The  nomination  appeared  to  the  leaders  at 
the  time  to  throw  matters  into  confusion,  as 
well-made  plans  and  geographical  considera- 
tions were  somewhat  upset.  However  no 
harm  was  done  Mr.  Hess  being  elected,  made 
an  admirable  officer,  and  served  three  con- 
secutive terms,  giving  universal  satisfaction. 
James  L.  McKee  was  a  native  of  Mis- 
sissippi. In  1854  he  came  with  his  parents 
to  Three  Oaks,  and  commenced  clerking  for 
Henry  Chamberlain,  and  subsequently  be- 
came a  partner  of  the  latter  in  the  mercantile 
business.  He  has  continued  in  this  business 
ever  since,  having  first  been  a  partner  with 
Mr.  Chamberlain,  then  with  E.  K.  Warren 
and  lastly  with  E.  H.  Vincent.     Since  the 


death  of  the  latter  in  1893,  he  has  carried 
on  the  business  alone.  Mr.  McKee  has  been 
supervisor  of  the  township  for  five  terms, 
president  of  the  village  and  was  a  member 
of  the  State  House  of  Representatives  from 
1885  to  1889.  Politically  Mr.  McKee  is  a 
Democrat,  religiously,  an  active  member  of 
the  Congregational  Church. 

The  recent  growth  and  prosperity  of 
Three  Oaks  is  largely  due  to  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Warren  Featherbone  factory  by 
E.  K.  Warren  in  1884.  Mr.  Warren  dis- 
covered that  the  quill  of  a  turkey  was  pre- 
ferable to  whalebone  in  the  construction  of  a 
dress-stay  and  commenced  that  year  to  manu- 
facture the  article  in  the  village.  The  busi- 
ness of  this  institution  has  developed  into 
mammoth  proportions.  Branch  factories 
have  been  established  at  different  times  at 
Chicago,  Porter,  Middleville  and  other 
places,  and  distributing  offices  established 
in  New  York,  Boston,  Philadelphia,  Chicago 
and  San  Francisco.  The  business  is  also 
operated  in  Europe.  The  official  head- 
quarters of  the  business,  however,  are  at 
Three  Oaks,  where  Mr.  Warren  resides. 
The  home  factory  at  that  place  employes 
from  two  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred 
and  fifty  hands.  Recently  a  handsome  three 
story  office  building  has  been  constructed 
of  brick,  stone  and  marble,  richly  furnished 
and  finished.  It  is  the  most  elegant  office 
building  in  the  county.  The  extent  of  the 
business  now  carried  on  throughout  the 
world  is  immense.  Mr.  Warren,  the  orig- 
inal inventor  of  the  process  used  by  the 
factory,  in  the  manufacture  of  its  product, 
is  the  son  of  a  Congregational  minister, 
Walter  Warren  of  Vermont,  who  came  to 
Michigan  as  a  home  missionary  in  1858. 
Edward,  on  coming  to  Three  Oaks,  clerked 
for  Henry  Chamberlain  and  subsequently  en- 
gaged himself  in  the  mercantile  business  till 
his  establishment  of  the  Featherbone  factory. 
He  has  been  a  prominent  figure  in  the  com- 
munity. He  has  served  as  supervisor  of  the 
township  and  as  president  of  the  village. 


272 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


While  prominent  in  business  and  official 
affairs,  he  is  perhaps  best  known  by  his  con- 
nection with  Sunday  school  work.  He  has 
been  president  of  the  county  Sunday  School 
Society,  chairman  of  the  State  Executive 
Committee,  chairman  of  the  World's  Execu- 
tive Committee  and  president  of  the  World's 
Sunday  School  Convention.  In  1905,  he  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  holding  a  world's  Sunday 
school  convention  at  Jerusalem.  His  pro- 
ject was  carried  out  under  his  supervision, 
and  a  convention  was  held  at  Jerusalem  at- 
tended by  fifteen  hundred  delegates. 

Since  1899,  the  village  of  Three  Oaks 
has  had  no  saloon.  In  that  year  Mr.  Warren 
offered  to  pay  into  the  village  treasury  an- 
nually, the  sum  of  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars,  the  amount  of  the  saloon  license 
money  going  to  the  village,  so  long  as  no 
license  for  saloons  should  be  given.  Since 
that  time,  saloons  have  been  prohibited,  and 
Mr.  Warren  has  annually  paid  two  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  into  the  village  treasury. 
Among  the  early  settlers  of  Three  Oaks 
township,  were  Fred  Ruhlow,  John  Abram, 
Sherwood  Martin,  Gilbert  B.  Avery, 
Thomas  Love,  William  H.  Valentine,  Sam- 
uel P.  Webb  and  Asa  H.  Jacobs. 

The  three  Martins  were  brothers  and  na- 
tives of  New  Jersey.  They  settled  in  Ber- 
rien county  about  1847.  Isaac  W.  Martin, 
son  of  Sherwood,  was  supervisor  in  1872 
and  1873. 

Gilbert  Avery,  a  native  of  Connecticut, 
was  for  twenty  years  a  master  mechanic  of 
the  Michigan  Central  Railroad.  In  1854, 
he  and  Thomas  Love  built  a  steam  saw  mill 
in  the  northeast  part  of  the  township  on  the 
line  of  the  railroad.  The  station  at  this  point 
was  for  many  years  called  "Avery's  Station" 
and  an  extensive  lumbering  business  was 
done  here  for  several  years. 

Mr.  Love  was  one  of  the  foremost  men 
of  the  county,  and  one  of  its  earliest  settlers. 
He  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  came  in 
1 83 1  to  Berrien  Springs,  where  he  engaged 
in  mercantile   business   with   Edward  Bal- 


lingee.  He  was  county  clerk  from  1843  ^^ 
1847,  county  treasurer  from  1841  to  1843, 
supervisor  of  Three  Oaks  in  1857  and  1858 
and  county  surveyor  from  1875  to  1877,  and 
a  justice  of  the  peace  for  many  years  before 
his  death.  He  was  a  man  of  native  ability 
and  extensive  information. 

Henry  H.  Pike  ettgaged  in  mercantile 
business  with  J.  M.  K.  Hilton  for  some  years. 
Mr.  Pike  subsequently  moved  to  Niles  where 
he  built  a  hotel  called  the  'Tike  House,"  well 
known  as  a  favorite  resort  of  commercial 
travelers.  This  he  carried  on  for  several 
years,  but  subsequently  established  a  hotel 
at  Topinabee  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
state,  where  for  many  years  he  carried  on 
a  profitable  business. 

Dr.  Hiram  B.  Wilcox,  a  physician,  who 
had  practiced  in  Indiana  for  over  twenty- 
five  years,  settled  in  the  village  of  Three 
Oaks  in  i860  and  had  an  extensive  practice 
for  many  years. 

Levi  Paddock  settled  within  the  limits 
of  the  township  before  1840.  He  was  a  man 
of  great  physical  strength  and  was  super- 
visor of  New  Buffalo  township  in  1844.  He 
removed  subsequently  to  Indiana^  where  he 
died  some  years  since,  in  his  ninetieth  year. 

Among  men  who  settled  somewhat  later 
than  the  foregoing,  and  who  were  prominent 
in  the  community,  were  Thomas  C.  Bradley, 
Samuel  W.  Chamberlain,  Dr.  J.  D.  Greena- 
myer,  William  H.  Breece,  Dr.  O.  Churchill, 
R.  B.  Goit,  Samuel  H.  Martin  and  William 
K.  Sawyer. 

Mr.  Bradley  was  an  extensive  land  owner 
and  at  one  time  a  supervisor  of  the  township, 
Samuel  W.  Chamberlain,  who  was  a  cousin 
of  Henry  Chamberlain^  engaged  iri  mer- 
cantile business  for  some  years,  and  was  a 
man  of  ability.  Dr.  J.  D.  Greenamyer,  com- 
menced the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Three  Oaks,  but  removed  to  Niles  in  1876, 
where  he  has  had  a  large  practice  ever  since. 
W.  W.  Breece  was  the  first  attorney  in  the 
place  and  practiced  there  several  years.  He 
was  prosecuting  attorney  of  the  county  in 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


273 


1875-76.  He  removed  to  Michigan  City, 
Indiana,  many  years  since.  Mr.  Goit  was  a 
prominent  grocer.  Dr.  Churchill  settled  in 
Three  Oaks  nearly  forty  years  ago  and  has 
been  a  druggist  nearly  all  that  time,  besides 
practicing  his  profession.  W.  K.  Sawyer 
was  a  cabinet  maker  by  trade,  but  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  many  years  ago.  For  a  few 
years  he  lived  at  St.  Joseph  and  was  a  justice 
of  the  peace  for  many  years.  Latterly  he  has 
lived  at  Three  Oaks. 

S.  N.  Martin  for  many  years  kept  a  livery 
and  was  also  engaged  in  other  pursuits.  He 
was  supervisor  in  1872  and  1873.  Messrs. 
S.  W.  Chamberlain,  Breece  and  Dr.  Greena- 
myer  were  also  supervisors. 

The  township  has  a  large  population  of 
Germans  by  birth  or  descent.  They  are 
mostly  farmers.  It  is  estimated  that  three- 
fifths  of  the  rural  population  are  of  German 
origin.  The  first  German  settlers  were  Jacob 
Houser,  Joseph  Streble,  Max  Wetzer^  Jacob 
Ruhlow.    These  men  settled  at  an  early  day. 

Churches. 

A  Union  Church  was  organized  in  New 
Buffalo  in  1844  by  Moses  Chamberlain  and 
others.  In  1848,  it  was  converted  into  a 
Congregational  Church  and  was  transferred 
subsequently  to  Three  Oaks.  In  1870  a 
church  edifice  w^as  erected.  The  church  has 
always  been  a  strong  one  with  many  active 
and  intelligent  members. 

A  Methodist  Church  was  organized  at 
Spring  creek  school  house  about  1850.  In 
1867  a  church  was  organized  at  the  village 
of  Three  Oaks  and  a  brick  edifice  put  up  in 
1878. 

A  Baptist  Church  was  organized  in  1867 
in  Chikaming  township,  but  was  transferred 
to  Three  Oaks  subsequently,  and  a  church 
built  at  the  latter  place  in  1870. 


A  United  German  Evangelical  Church 
was  organized  in  1866  and  a  church  edifice 
built  in  1877. 

A  church  of  the  Disciples  was  organized 
in  1868. 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  township  a 
considerable  settlement  of  Hollanders  was 
made  some  years  since,  and  these  people  or- 
ganized a  Dutch  Reformed  Church. 

The  following  named  persons  have  been 
supervisors  of  Three  Oaks  township  for  the 
years  designated. 

Henry    Chamberlain    1856 

Thos.    Love    1857-1858 

Henry  Chamberlain 1859 

J.   L.   Hicks    i860 

T.  C.   Bradley   1861 

Henry    Chamberlain    1862 

J.  L.  McKie 1863-1864 

S.  W.  Chamberlain 1865 

Henry  Chamberlain 1866 

Samuel  Hess    1867-1868 

T.  L.  McKie 1869 

J.  M.  K.  Hilton 1870 

E.  K.  Warren   1871 

I.  W.  Martin 1872-1873 

J.  D.  Greenamyer    1874 

Peter  Strehle    ^. 1875-1876 

W.  H.  Breese   1877-1878 

J.  L.  McKie 1879-1880 

Wm.  H.  Chamberlain 1881 

C.  W.  Conner   1882 

Samuel  Hess 1883 

E.  H.  Vincent   1884 

S.  H.  Martin 1885-1886 

R.  H.  Vincent 1887-1893 

W.  C.  Hall    .  , 1894-1895 

D.  H.  Beeson 1896 

E.  S.  Heckman   1897-1900 

Isaiah  Rynearson .1901 

E.  S.  Heckman 1902 

G.  L.  Stevens 1903-1905 

E.  S.  Heckman   . 1906 


CHAPTER    XXIV 


CHIKAMING  TOWNSHIP. 


Chikaming  township  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  Lake,  on  the  east  by  Weesaw,  on 
the  south  by  Three  Oaks  and  New  Buffalo, 
and  on  the  west  by  Lake  Michigan.  This 
township  was  a  part  of  New  Buffalo  till 
1856  when  it  was  erected  into  a  separate 
township.  The  name  "Chikaming"  is 
Indian,  and  means  ''lake.''  A  large  portion 
of  the  township  especially  the  northern  por- 
tion, was  originally  heavy  timbered  with 
whitewood,  ash,  beech,  maple  and  other 
woods.  In  the  southern  part  white  and 
black  oak  grew  largely. 

For  several  years  the  lands  were  owned 
pricipally  by  non-residents  and  mill  owners 
in  other  townships.  Among  those  who  made 
original  entries  of  government  lands  to  any 
considerable  extent  in  the  township,  were 
George  Kimmel,  Sherwood  &  Company, 
Moses  Chamberlain,  Calvin  Britain  and  Vin- 
cent L.  Bradford. 

The  largest  grapery  in  the  state  is  lo- 
cated in  this  township.  It  is  owned  by  the 
Lakeside  Vineyard  Company  and  is  located 
in  sections  21  and  28,  upon  the  lands  belong- 
ing to  this  company,  five  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-five acres  having  already  been  set  out  to 
grapes.  This  enterprise  is  elsewhere  re- 
ferred to  in  the  chapter  on  fruit  culture. 

Along  the  lake  shore  the  soil  is  sandy, 
but  a  considerable  portion  has  been  devoted 
to  the  culture  of  fruit  and  made  remuner- 
ative. 


The  first  person  who  actually  settled  in 
the  township  was  Luman  Northrup  of  Ham- 
burg, New  York,  who  had  settled  in  New 
Buffalo  in  1836  and  was  collector  there  in 
1839.  In  1840,  he  located  in  section  twenty- 
three  and  built  a  cabin  and  saw  mill.  This 
mill  he  operated  for  about  twenty  years  when 
he  sold  it  to  Henry  H.  Pike.  His  residence 
most  of  the  time,  however,  subsequently  was 
at  New  Troy.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
natural  strength  and  sagacity,  and  practiced 
law  before  justices  of  the  peace.  He  died 
about  the  year  1868. 

The  next  person  to  settle  in  the  township 
was  Richard  Peckham,  who  had  emigrated 
from  New  York  and  settled  in  New  Buffalo 
in  1842.  During  the  following  year  he  lo- 
cated in  section  twenty,  in  Chikaming  town- 
ship. He  was  supervisor  of  the  township 
in  1857  and  1870.  For  four  or  five  years 
he  manufactured  grain  cradles  and  rakes, 
the  factory  being  located  at  New  Buffalo. 

In  1836,  Moses  Chamberlain  of  New 
Hampshire,  made  a  trip  to  southern  Michi- 
gan and  visited  New  Buffalo.  While  there 
he  purchased  five  quarter  sections  of  land 
located  within  the  present  limits  of  Chika- 
ming and  Three  Oaks.  Three  of  these  were 
situate  in  Chikaming  in  sections  fourteen  and 
twenty.  No  settlement,  however,  was  made 
on  these  lands  till  1840  when  Henry  Cham- 
berlain, a  son  of  Moses,  now  living  at  Three 
Oaks,  located  in  section  twenty  and  built  a 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


275 


cabin.  Mr.  Chamberlain  lived  there  about 
one  year.  Further  reference  will  be  made 
to  Moses  Chamberlain  and  his  family  in  con- 
nection with  the  chapter  on  Three  Oaks,  with 
whose  early  settlement  and  history  they  were 
most  prominently  connected. 

Henry  Chamberlain  has  written  a  sketch 
of  his  first  visit  to  these  lands  which  he  has 
kindly  furnished  me.  As  it  gives  a  clear  idea 
of  the  condition  of  the  country  at  the  time 
and  of  the  timber  which  then  grew  in  the 
forests  of  Chikaming,  I  here  subjoin  his 
sketch. 

''Father  was  the  owner  of  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  twenty;  the  southeast 
•quarter  of  section  fourteen;  and  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  twenty-three,  town- 
ship seven,  range  twenty. 

''On  the  24th  day  of  September,  1844, 
my  brother-in-law.  Hale  E.  Crosby,  David 
H.  Cotrill,  who  that  summer  came  from  Ver- 
mont to  New  Buffalo,  and  myself,  went  land 
looking.  We  went  with  Richard  Peckham, 
who  had  a  small  clearing  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  section  twenty,  township  seven, 
range  twenty,  near  the  lake  shore.  A  flat 
bottomed  boat,  about  twenty  feet  long  and 
five  feet  beam,  towed  by  a  horse  which  was 
ridden  by  a  boy,  was  the  means  of  transporta- 
tion. A  tow  line  one  hundred  feet  or  more  in 
length,  was  the  connection  between  the  horse 
and  the  boat,  the  boat  being  kept  the  proper 
distance  out  from  shore  by  a  long  steering 
oar.  This  boat  was  owned  by  Mr.  Jacob 
Gerrish  and  was  used  for  transporting,  when 
there  was  need  and  the  lake  was  smooth, 
products  to  and  merchandise  from  Michi- 
gan City  and  other  points  a  short  distance 
along  the  shore.  We  arrived  at  Peckham's 
before  noon,  helped  unload  the  lumber,  and 
took  dinner  with  him  in  his  log  cabin.  There 
was  a  small  clearing  on  the  place  and  an 
orchard  which  had  been  set  three  years  be- 
fore. Peckham  was  a  bachelor,  a  native  of 
New  York  State^  about  forty  years  of  age. 
He  did  not  live  on  the  place,  but  was  there 
a  part  of  the  cropping  season.     He  had  a 


shop  at  New  Buffalo  and  his  principal  busi- 
ness was  the  manufacture  of  grain  cradles. 
"After  dinner  we  made  a  start,  Mr. 
Crosby  carrying  the  knapsack  with  the  food, 
Mr.  Cotrill  the  axe,  and  I  my  rifle  for  which 
I  found  no  use.  We  followed  the  north  line 
of  section  twenty  to  the  northeast  corner, 
and  thence  went  down  the  east  line  for  a  half 
mile.  Returning,  we  went  east  on  the  north 
line  of  sections  twenty-one  and  twenty-two. 
This  was  a  difficult  line  to  follow  as  it  had 
not  been  reblazed  since  the  government  sur- 
vey in  1826,  and  it  required  care  to  find  the 
old  blazes.  When  at  the  southeast  corner 
of  section  fifteen,  we  found  the  line  between 
sections  fourteen  and  fifteen  had  been  newly 
blazed  by  some  land  looker.  We  followed  it 
north  to  the  north  line.  On  section  fifteen, 
I  think  it  was  the  southeast  quarter,  we  for 
the  first  time  saw  a  grove  of  poplar  trees. 
Standing  in  one  place  we  counted  within 
sight,  fifty-two  large  trees.  They  were  from 
twenty-four  to  thirty-six  inches  in  diameter, 
and  would  average  three  to  four  twelve-foot 
logs  to  the  tree.  Cotrill,  who  had  had  some 
experience  as  an  estimator  of  timber, 
thought  there  was  enough  timber  to  make 
fifty  thousand  feet  of  boards  on  less  than 
a  half  acre.  We  retraced  our  steps  to  the 
corner  and  then  went  south  on  the  line  be- 
tween sections  twenty-two  and  twenty-three, 
and  took  a  view  of  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  twenty-three.  The  land  seemed  fair. 
There  was  but  little  saw  timber  on  this  line 
north  of  the  river.  Once  in  a  while  we  saw 
a  good  ash,  oak^  or  poplar,  and  there  were 
some  black  walnut  trees  on  the  river  bot- 
toms. When  we  came  to  the  river,  we 
divested  outselves  of  our  clothing  and  waded 
through  the  stream.  When  we  reached  the 
bluff  on  the  south  bank,  it  was  nearly  dark, 
and  we  were  preparing  to  camp  for  the  night. 
I  had  heard  that  there  was  a  house  on  this 
section,  but  did  not  know  its  location.  While 
we  were  discussing  the  matter  I  noticed  an 
indistinct  trail  and  suggested  that  we  follow 
it  as  far  as  we  could  before  dark.    We  did 


2/6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


so  and  soon  saw  the  outlines  of  a  clearing 
ahead  of  us.  Reaching  it  with  some  diffi- 
culty, we  discovered  a  log  cabin,  but  no  one 
answ^ered  our  hail.  The  latch  string  was  out 
and  we  opened  the  door  and  entered.  We 
kindled  a  fire,  dug  some  potatoes,  got  some 
pork  from  the  barrel  and  cooked  and  ate  our 
supper.  There  were  two  good  beds  and 
everything  was  neat  and  clean.  We  retired, 
and  in  the  morning  got  our  breakfast  and 
left  for  our  day's  work.  Before  our  de- 
parture^ however,  we  left  a  shingle  on  which 
we  wa'ote  of  our  doings.  This  was  the  resi- 
dence of  Lumon  Northrop,  on  the  southwest 
corner  of  section  twenty-three,  and  it  was 
the  only  house  in  what  is  now  the  township 
of  Chikaming,  the  Peckham  shanty  only  ex- 
cepted. 

''We  then  went  east  on  the  south  line  of 
sections  twenty-three  and  twenty-four  until 
we  struck  the  New  Buffalo  and  New  Troy 
road.  The  land  looked  well,  and  while  there 
were  no  groves  of  saw  timber,  there  were 
many  good  trees  scattered  all  along  this  line. 

''The  Troy  road,  as  we  called  it,  com- 
menced at  the  village  of  New  Buffalo  and 
follow^ed  along  south  of  the  river,  crossing 
the  south  branch  near  the  south  end  of  sec- 
tion six,  township  eight,  range  twenty; 
thence  northeasterly  and  northerly  to  New 
Troy;  and  thence  to  Berrien  Springs,  the 
county  seat.  It  was  brushed  out  all  the  way 
and  the  timber  in  the  center  was  cut  away. 
The  streams  were  bridged  with  logs  or 
puncheons,  and  nearly  half  the  distance  was 
corduroyed.  No  part  of  this  road  west  of 
Troy  is  now  in  use  with  the  exception  of  less 
than  a  mile  from  the  center  of  section 
eighteen,  township  seven,  range  nineteen  to 
New  Troy.  We  then  went  north  along  the 
road  to  New  Troy  where  we  found  a  few 
houses,  mostly  unoccupied,  and  tw^o  saw  mills 
which  were  out  of  repair.  There  were  two 
or  three  houses  on  the  road  near  Troy,  the 
only  one  which  I  can  recall,  having  been 
that  of   Phineas   E.    Stratton. 

"At  Troy  we  ate  our  lunch.     We  had 


taken  enough  from  home  to  last  until  our 
return  and  as  we  had  had  two  meals  at 
Northrop's  we  were  well  supplied.  It  had 
been  our  intention  to  have  gone  to  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  fourteen^  township 
seven,  range  twenty,  but  as  the  river  was  in 
the  w^ay,  we  abandoned  it. 

'"The  tracing  of  the  old  lines  which  had 
not  been  re-blazed,  was  slow  work ;  often  we 
made  not  more  than  a  mile  in  an  hour. 
Some  one  reading  this  account  may  not  un- 
derstand the  method  of  marking  section  lines 
and  corners.  For  their  benefit,  I  will  briefly 
describe  it: 

"The  lines  w^ere  run  by  a  compass  and 
measured  with  a  chain.  At  the  section  cor- 
ners, a  tree  standing  on  each  section  was 
marked  with  a  marking  iron.  If  it  was  a 
smooth  tree  like  the  beach,  it  was  done  on 
the  bark;  if  not,  the  bark  was  cut  away  ta 
the  wood.  The  marks  were  like  the  follow- 
ing: S.  27,  T.  7,  S.  R.  20  W.;  S.  28,  T.  7, 
S.  R.  20,  W. ;  S.  34,  T.  7,  S.  R.  20  W. ; 
Sec.  35,  T.  7,  S.  R.  20  W.  This  indi- 
cated sections  2J,  28,  34  and  35,  township 
7  south,  range  20  west.  A  stake  was  placed 
at  the  true  corner  and  witnessed  by  a  cut  at 
the  roots  of  two  trees.  The  stakes  were  gen- 
erally decayed  at  this  time.  The  section  lines 
were  known  by  the  blazes  on  the  trees ;  that 
is,  on  all  trees  near  the  line,  a  piece  of  bark 
was  cut  out  on  each  side.  It  most  cases  these 
had  grown  over  and  scars  only  wxre  left. 
If  a  tree  was  on  the  true  line,  it  was  called 
a  sight  tree  and  three  small  notches  were  cut 
on  each  side.  The  half  mile  post,  indicating 
quarter  sections  w^as  found  by  the  mark  on  a 
tree  near  to  it, — ^  S. 

"We  started  for  New  Buffalo,  following 
the  Troy  road.  The  w^eather  was  very  fine. 
It  had  been  a  dry  fall  up  to  this  time,  and 
these  favorable  conditions  continued  until 
the  17th  of  the  next  January,  with  mild 
sunny  days  and  no  freezing  nights. 

"Walking  as  fast  as  w^e  could,  in  due 
time  we  reached  the  house  of  William  Ham- 
mond on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section: 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


277 


thirty-four,  township  seven,  range  twenty. 
He  had  a  comfortable  log  house  and  barn 
and  a  clearing  of  forty  acres  well  fenced, 
all  of  which  had  been  plowed.  Upon  reach- 
ing this  house  we  were  very  thirsty  and 
Hammond  sent  his  boy  to  a  spring  for  water. 
It  was  clear,  cold  and  sparkling.  I  drank  a 
dipper  full  before  stopping  to  taste  and  then 
spoiled  eggs  was  what  I  thought  of — it  was 
sulphur  water. 

''On  our  way  home  we  passed  only 
one  house,  which  was  on  section  one,  town- 
ship eight,  range  twenty-one,  until  we  neared 
the  village  of  New  Buffalo.  Although  we 
were  tired,  it  had  been  a  long  and  a  pleasant 
tramp. 

'The  stream,  and  the  timber  which  wc 
had  seen  impressed  Cotrill,  and  the  next  year 
Tic  purchased  the  north  half  of  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  twenty-three,  town- 
ship seven,  range  twenty.  Soon  after  he 
built  a  saw  mill  which  under  different  own- 
ers, continued  in  use  until  say  about  1865. 
It  was  once  burned  down  and  rebuilt.  In 
later  years  it  was  generally  known  as  the 
Northrop  Mill." 

Alfred  Ames,  a  native  of  Vermont,  came 
to  New  Buffalo  in  1843.  I^^  1844  he  com- 
menced clearing  a  piece  of  land  in  section 
thirty,  where  he  built  a  cabin  and  commenced 
to  live  w^th  his  wife  the  next  year.  The 
farm  which  he  cultivated  was  afterwards 
known  as  the  "Clay  Bank."  Mr.  Ames  was 
a  prominent  man  and  held  various  local  of- 
fices in  the  township  of  New  Buffalo  which 
then  included  Chikaming.     He  died  in  1864. 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Ames,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Mary  Fisher,  was  an  authoress 
•of  some  note  and  for  many  years  contributed 
articles  both  in  poetry  and  prose  for  maga- 
zines and  journals  of  the  day.  The  first 
school  in  the  township  was  taught  by  Mrs. 
Ames  at  the  house  of  her  husband  in  the 
year  1847. 

In  1845,  WilHam  Miller,  a  native  of 
Ohio,  settled  on  section  thirty.  His  son,  John 
C.  Miller,  became  a  prominent  man  in  the 


community,  was  supervisor  for  five  terms 
and  elected  a  member  of  the  State  House  of 
Representatives  in  1862.  He  died  a  few 
years  since. 

Other  settlers  who  located  in  the  town- 
ship about  the  same  time  were  Truman  A. 
Clough,  George  Garland,  Zalmon  Desbro, 
Arnold  Pratt,  Richmond  Horton  and  Tobias 
Ray.  Mr.  Ray  built  a  saw  mill  on  what  w^as 
known  as  Ray's  creek  about  1847. 

P.  B.  Andrews,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, located  in  Chikaming  about  1841.  He 
had  settled  at  St.  Joseph  at  a  very  early  day 
and  was  a  machinist  and  engineer.  In 
1832  he  built  the  engine  for  the  steamboat 
"Newburyport,"  the  first  steamboat  which 
ascended  the  St.  Joseph  river.  About  185 1, 
Mr.  Andrews  and  J.  C.  Miller  built  a  steam 
saw  mill  on  section  three.  This  mill  was 
operated  by  them  till  about  i860. 

Between  1847  and  1854  three  brothers, 
John  W.,  James  and  Joseph  N.  Wilkinson, 
all  natives  of  Virginia,  came  to  New  Buffalo. 
James  was  a  physician  and  practiced  his  pro- 
fession at  that  village.  Joseph  and  John  set- 
tled in  Chikaming  and  the  Wilkinson  broth- 
ers went  into  the  lumbering  business  in  1854 
and  built  a  steam  saw  mill  in  section  nineteen 
with  a  pier  six  hundred  feet  long  running 
into  Lake  Michigan.  Subsequently,  other 
piers  were  built  known  as  Greenbush  and 
Pike  piers  and  also  a  horse  railroad  running 
into  the  woods.  An  immense  business  was 
carried  on  for  several  years  at  this  point 
which  was  known  as  Wilkinson's  station. 
The  company  made  purchases  of  land  until 
it  had  acquired  twenty-five  hundred  acres  of 
land  and  for  several  years  employed  from 
fifty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  hands,  most 
of  whom  were  engaged  in  the  woods.  The 
place  was  afterwards  known  as  "Lakeside." 
About  the  year  1854  Silas  Sawyer,  of 
Ohio,  built  a  steam  saw  mill  near  the  site 
of  the  station  now  known  as  Sawyer.  He 
was  a  man  of  determined  energy  and  for  a 
few  years  he  did  an  extensive  and  profitable 
business  but  became  embarrassed  during  the 


278 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


financial  panic  of  1857  ^^d  suffered  heavy 
losses.  In  1873  he  moved  to  Dallas,  Texas. 
He  was  the  first  supervisor  of  Chikaming 
township. 

Shortly  after  John  F.  Gowdy  and  Frank 
Gowdy,  natives  of  New  York,  settled  in 
the  southwest  corner  of  the  township.  While 
living  in  Chikaming,  Franklin  Gowdy  was 
extensively  engaged  in  getting  out  wood  and 
lumber  and  shipping  to  the  Chicago  mar- 
ket. The  Gowdys  in  connection  with  others, 
built  a  large  pier  near  the  New  Buffalo  line 
to  facilitate  the  shipping  and  handling  of 
wood  and  lumber,  and  a  mill  was  built  at  the 
same  time.  This  point  was  called  Union 
Pier.  In  1861  Franklin  Gowdy  purchased  a 
large  tract  of  land  in  New  Buffalo  town- 
ship a  short  distance  south  of  Union  Pier 
and  made  that  his  home.  Mr.  Gowdy  be- 
came prominent  in  the  history  of  New  Buf- 
falo and  was  supervisor  of  the  township  for 
several  terms,  and  has  held  various  local 
offices.  He  is  now  residing  upon  his  farm 
in  the  northwest  part  of  New  Buffalo  town- 
ship. Dr.  F.  M.  Gowdy,  a  prominent  phy- 
sician of  St.  Joseph,  is  a  son. 

In  1862,  Clement  Goodwin  and  his 
nephew,  Richard  M.  Goodwin,  settled  in 
Chikaming  and  erected  a  saw  mill  and  brick 
store  at  Union  Pier.  In  connection  with 
the  pier,  a  horse  railroad  was  built  into  the 
woods.  Clement  Goodwin  died  about  1871, 
and  the  business  was  subsequently  carried 
on  by  Richard  M.  In  addition  to  his  other 
business,  the  latter  carried  on  the  manufact- 
ure of  handles,  at  Union  Pier.  Richard  Good- 
win became  one  of  the  most  prominent  men 
of  the  township  and  was  supervisor  in  1893. 

In  1 86 1  Oliver  R.  Brown  erected  a 
steam  sawmill  in  section  two  and  for  sev- 
eral years  carried  on  an  extensive  business. 
This  was  near  the  present  site  of  Sawyer. 
A  horse  railroad  was  built  by  Brown  to  the 
Fuller  Pier  on  the  lake  at  the  edge  of  Lake 
township. 

About  1856  two  brothers,  John  M.  and 
Edmund   Glavin,   natives   of   Ireland,   pur- 


chased farms  and  settled  in  the  township. 
John  had  been  liberally  educated  in  the  sci- 
ence of  civil  engineering  and  previous  to 
his  settlement  in  Chikaming,  had  been  em- 
ployed as  a  civil  engineer  by  various  rail- 
road companies.  He  was  supervisor  of 
Chikaming  for  three  terms.  In  1865  he 
moved  to  the  northern  part  of  New  Buffalo 
township  where  he  lived  till  his  death  a  few 
years  since.  He  was  a  man  of  ability  and 
energy  and  held  various  important  official 
positions;  He  was  supervisor  of  New  Buf- 
falo for  eight  terms,  county  surveyor  for 
three  terms  and  a  representative  to  the  state 
legislature  from   1866  to   1868. 

His  brother  Edmund  acquired  large 
tracts  of  land,  owning  over  eight  hundred 
acres  at  the  time  of  his  death^  which  oc- 
curred about  two  years  since.  He  was  a 
justice  of  the  peace  and  also  town  treasurer 
for  many  years. 

The  eastern  portion  of  the  township  was 
not  settled  till  much  later  than  the  portion 
which  lies  near  the  lake.  It  remained  a 
wilderness  except  as  it  was  penetrated  by 
lumbermen,  till  about  i860. 

During  that  year  Albert  Drew  purchased 
four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  sections- 
twenty-five  and  twenty-six.  Mr.  Drew  was 
born  in  Cass  county  of  this  state  in  1834 
and  was  a  son  of  one  of  the  earliest  pion- 
eers of  that  county.  He  studied  law  in  his 
early  years  but  was  never  admitted  to  the 
bar.  He  acquired,  however,  quite  a  reputa- 
tion as  a  practitioner  before  justices'  courts. 
He  lived  on  his  farm  till  his  death  a  few 
years  since.  He  was  a  man  of  native  ability 
and  held  various  official  positions.  He  was 
supervisor  of  the  township  for  eight  terms 
and  county  surveyor  for  four  years. 

His  brother-in-law,  Charles  C.  Sherill, 
settled  in  the  township  in  1861.  He  was  a 
prominent  man  for  some  years  in  the  com- 
fnunity  but  did  not  live  in  the  township  for 
many  years.  He  was  a  treasurer  of  the  town- 
ship for  seven  years.  A  son,  Marcus  L.,  was 
supervisor  in  1883. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


279 


Captain  W.  A.  Keith  has  been  a  prom- 
inent man  in  the  community.  He  was  first 
elected  supervisor  in  1872  and  has  held  the 
position  for  eleven  different  terms.  He  was 
elected  a  representative  to  the  state  legis- 
lature in  1882.  He  is  still  living  upon  his 
farm. 

In  1864  Patrick  Gleason,  a  native  of 
Canada,  located  on  section  twenty-nine, 
where  he  lived  till  his  death  a  few  years 
since,  at  an  advanced  age.  His  son,  John 
Gleason,  became  a  prominent  man  in  the 
community  and  has  been  supervisor  for 
three  terms. 

Among  others  who  were  prominent  in 
the  early  history  of  the  township  were 
George  Montague,  Oliver  P.  Newkirk,  D. 
Van  Nordstrand,  Truman  Clough,  B.  J. 
Rogers,  G.  A.  Orris,  F.  and  J.  Pulsifer, 
Horace  Wilcox,  H.  P.  Nourse.  Some  of 
these  parties  remained  in  the  township  but 
a  short  time. 

Churches. 

The  Union  Pier  Baptist  Church  was  or- 
ganized in  1869  and  consisted  of  members 
of  the  Wilkinson  and  Gowdy  families  and 
some  others. 

An  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  was 
organized  about  the  same  time  in  the  south- 
east corner  of  the  township,  and  a  church 
edifice  built  in  1869.  The  church  member- 
ship was  composed  of  German  families  of 
the  township  of  Chikaming,  Three  Oaks 
and  Weesaw.  This  church  is  still  in  exist- 
ence. 

The  township  was  mostly  a  dense  wild- 
erness till  about  forty  years  ago.    The  most 


rapid  increase  of  population  was  between 
i860  and  1870,  during  which  period  the  pop- 
ulation trebled.  A  considerable  German  ele- 
ment settled  in  the  southeastern  portion 
thirty  or  forty  years  ago.  The  southwest 
portion  of  the  township  is  thickly  settled  and 
divided  up  into  small  holdings.  Consider- 
able attention  has  been  given  of  late  years  to 
fruit  culture. 

The  following  named  persons  have  been 
supervisors  of  Chikaming  township  at  the 
dates  designated. 

Silas  Sawyer    1856 

Richard  Peckham    1857 

J.  C.  Miller   1858 

Geo.  Montague 1859-1860 

J.  C.  Miller   1861-1862 

J.  M.  Glavin    1863-1865 

J.  A.  Wilkinson 1866 

J.  C.  Miller   1867-1868 

O.  P.  Newkirk 1869 

Richard   Peckham    1870 

O.  P.  Newkirk    1871 

W.  A.   Keith    1872 

A.  L.  Drew   1873-1879 

D.  Van  Nordstrand   1880 

W.  A.  Keith 1881 

John  Gleason    1882 

M.  L.  SherriU   1883 

A.  L.  Drew   1884 

W.  A.  Keith   1885-1890 

John  Gleason   1891-1892 

R.  M.  Goodwin   1893 

R.  P.  Hoadley 1894-1895 

W.  A.  Keith   1896-1898 

E.  J.  Willard 1899-1902 

M.  D.  Franklin .    1903 

Clarence  Wilkinson   1904 

Daniel  Zeiger    19^5 


CHAPTER    XXV 


GALIEN  TOWNSHIP. 


The  township  of  Galien  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  Weesaw  township,  on  the  east 
by  Bertrand,  on  the  south  by  the  state  of 
Indiana  and  on  the  west  by  Three  Oaks. 

The  township  originally  belonged  to  Ber- 
trand  township,  but  was  detached  and  an- 
nexed to  Weesaw  in  1837.  I^  1844  it  was 
erected  into  a  separate  township,  and  at  the 
township  election  that  year,  William  Burns 
was  chosen  supervisor,  Daniel  Bellinger, 
clerk,  and  Samuel  Garwood,  treasurer. 

The  township  is  w^ell  watered  by  the 
Galien  river  and  various  branches  of  that 
stream.  The  surface  was  originally  covered 
by  a  magnificent  forest  of  thick  timber,  con- 
sisting mainly  of  whitewood,  black  walnut, 
ash,  beech  and  maple.  The  trees  grew  to  a 
large  size  and  the  ''Galien  Woods"  became 
famous  in  the  early  days  for  its  timber  re- 
sources. This  dense  forest  of  valuable  tim- 
ber spread  into  the  adjoining  townships  of 
Weesaw,  Three  Oaks,  Chikamln^  and  New 
Buffalo,  and  constituted  the  most  extensive 
forest  of  valuable  timber  in  the  county. 

The  lands  in  the  township  were  largely 
owned  by  mill  proprietors  in  other  townships 
before  permanent  settlement  to  any  consid- 
erable extent  was  made,  and  the  population 
developed  slowly  till  after  the  year  1850. 
The  population  in  1845  was  only  141. 

The  township  has  one  village,  Galien, 
which  lies  at  the  intersection  of  the  Michigan 
Central  Railroad  and  what  has  been  known 


as  the  Vandalia  Railroad.  The  latter  road 
has  lately  passed  into  the  control  of  the  Van- 
derbilt  system  and  is  practically  a  part  of  the 
Michigan  Central.  The  village  was  incor- 
porated in  1879  and  has  a  population  of 
over  four  hundred. 

The  first  actual  settlers  in  the  township 
appear  to  have  been  John  P.  Johnson,  Sam- 
uel Garwood  and  Jas.  H.  Wilson.  Johnson 
settled  in  sections  19  and  20  in  1834  and  was 
a  prominent  man  in  the  early  settlement  of 
the  township,  but  removed  to  Iowa  at  an 
early  day.  Garwood  settled  in  section  11 
sometime  prior  to  1836.  A  small  lake  in 
the  northeast  part  of  that  section  was  named 
after  him  ''Garwood  Lake."  He  was  the 
first  treasurer  of  the  township.  He  also  re- 
moved to  Iowa  at  an  early  day. 

James  H.  Wilson,  a  native  of  Virginia, 
came  to  Galien  and  settled  in  section  i  in 
1836.  In  the  following  year  he  built  a  saw- 
mill on  his  lands.  This  was  the  first  sawmill 
built  in  the  township  and  for  many  years 
this  mill  did  an  extensive  business.  Mr. 
Wilson  died  several  years  since  at  an  ad- 
vanced age.  He  was  the  treasurer  of  the 
township  for  seven  terms. 

James  Edson  settled  in  section  13  in 
1836.  The  first  township  election  was  held 
at  his  house  in  1844.  William  Burns  lo- 
cated in  section  1 1  shortly  after  and  became 
the  first  supervisor  of  the  township. 

Alvin  Emery  settled  in  section  22  at  a 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


281 


very  early  day  and  built  a  sawmill  on  Sopes 
creek.  He  was  supervisor  in  1845.  ^ 
brother,  Moses  Emery,  settled  in  the  town- 
ship at  about  the  same  time. 

John  Unrugh  settled  in  the  township 
about  the  same  time. 

Peter  Critchett,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
settled  in  Buchanan  township  in  1836.  In 
1840  he  located  in  section  4,  Galien  town- 
ship, where  he  lived  till  he  removed  to  Galien 
village  in  1883. 

William  Huston  settled  in  the  township 
in  1840.  He  lived  but  a  few  years  after  his 
first  settlement.  A  son  Richard  is  now  liv- 
ing. 

In  1844,  only  forty-four  votes  were  cast 
at  the  presidential  election.  About  this  time 
the  township  began  to  be  more  thickly 
settled. 

In  1847,  four  brothers  from  Ohio,  Asher, 
Noah,  David  and  Alison  Spicer,  all  settled 
in  the  township.  A.  G.  Spicer  was  at  one 
time  the  owner  of  320  acres  in  section  seven, 
which  E.  K.  Warren,  of  Three  Oaks,  now 
owns. 

In  1849  or  1850  William  Valentine,  with 
his  family,  came  from  New  York  and  set- 
tled in  Laporte  county,  Indiana,  near  the 
state  line.  In  the  next  year  he  moved  to 
section  nineteen,  in  Galien  township,  where 
he  built  a  sawmill.  He  lived  here  till  his 
death  in  1875.  He  was  supervisor  in  1856. 
His  widow,  Samantha  Valentine,  is  now  re- 
siding with  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Brown,  at  Co- 
loma,  and  is  ninety-five  years  of  age. 

A  son  of  William  Valentine,  William 
H.,  located  in  Three  Oaks  township  a  few 
years  after  his  father's  settlement  and  still 
resides  here.  Another  son,  George  M.,  is  a 
prominent  attorney  of  Benton  Harbor,  and 
former  prosecuting  attorney.  The  other 
children  of  William  Valentine  living  in  the 
county  are  Andrew  P.,  of  Berrien  Springs; 
Mrs.  Nancy  J.  Brown,  of  Coloma,  and  Mrs. 
Julia  Jeffries^  of  Three  Oaks. 

In  1849,  George  Partridge,  a  native  of 
New  Plampshire,  settled  in  section  11.     He 


subsequently  removed  to  the  village  of 
Galien  and  for  many  years  carried  on  a  gen- 
eral store.  He  was  a  prominent  man  in  the 
community  and  supervisor  of  the  township 
for  several  terms. 

Henry  Smith,  a  native  of  Ohio,  settled 
in  the  township  in  1845,  ^^^^  supervisor  in 
1849,  ^^d  shortly  afterwards  removed  to 
Oregon. 

The  following  named  persons  settled  at 
an  early  day :  Perry  Noggle,  D.  D.  Hinman 
and  W.  K.  White.  Noggle  located  in  sec- 
tion 1 1  and  was  supervisor  for  several  years. 
Dr.  Hinman  was  a  physician  located  in  the 
village,  and  also  a  supervisor  of  the  town- 
ship. White  w^as  a  farmer  who  located  in 
section  9,  and  was  also  supervisor  at  one 
time. 

The  village  of  Galien  was  laid  out  by 
George  A.  Blakeslee  in  1861,  and  was  in- 
corporated in  1879.  Mr.  Blakeslee,  who  was 
the  founder  of  the  village,  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  came  to  the  township  of 
Galien  in  1853.  Here  he  operated  a  saw 
mill  on  the  present  site  of  the  village  in  what 
was  then  a  dense  forest.  Shortly  after- 
wards he  established  a  store  of  general  mer- 
chandise. He  purchased  several  thousand 
acres  of  land  in  the  vicinity.  This  land 
was  heavily  timbered  and  furnished  logs 
for  Mr.  Blakeslee's  sawmill.  For  sev- 
eral years  he  was  eng'aged  in  the  manufact- 
ure of  handles,  manufacturing  over  one  mil- 
lion five  hundred  thousand  handles  per  year. 
He  was  the  president  of  the  village,  for 
many  years  continuously  from  its  organiza- 
tion, and  a  prominent  leader  of  the  Republi- 
can party  in  the  county.  He  was  a  man  of 
great  native  strength  of  character  and  en- 
ergy. He  died  in  1890.  Edwin  A.  Blakes- 
lee, senator  in  the  State  Legislature  from 
1897  to  1 90 1,  and  now  a  member  of  the 
State  Board  of  Pardons,  is  a  son  of  George 
A.  Blakeslee. 

In  1880  George  A.  Blakeslee  established 
a  banking  business  conducted  by  himself  and 
son  in  connection  with  the  store.    This  busi- 


282 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


ness  has  been  carried  on  in  recent  years  by 
Edwin  A.  Blakeslee  and  Charles  A.  Clark, 
who  married  a  daughter  of  George  A. 
Blakeslee.  Mr.  Clark  is  now  serving  his 
sixth  term  as  supervisor,  and  has  been  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  supervisors. 

Among  some  of  the  prominent  men  who 
settled  early  in  the  township  were  Capt.  S. 
A.  Denison,  Andrew  Shearer,  Timothy 
Smith,  Capt.  B.  R.  Stearns,  Albert  Clark, 
Henry  Renberger  and  Cyrus  Thurston. 

Albert  Clark  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts and  settled  in  Galien  in  1863.  He  was 
a  man  of  ability  and  supervisor  in  1867.  He 
died  in  1893.  Charles  A.  Clark,  previously 
referred  to,  is  a  son. 

Captain  Denison  was  an  officer  in  the 
Union  army  during  the  Civil  war  and  lo- 
cated upon  a  farm  in  Galien  township  short- 
ly after  the  close  of  the  war.  Here  he  lived 
till  his  death  about  two  years  ago.  He  was 
supervisor  from  1871  to  1875. 

B.  R.  Stearns  was  an  officer  in  the 
Twelfth  Michigan  Regiment  during  the 
Civil  war  and  shortly  after  its  close  settled 
in  Galien,  first  locating  on  a  farm.  He  sub- 
sequently kept  a  hotel  in  the  village  and  en- 
gaged in  other  pursuits.  He  was  supervisor 
from  1877  ^^  1887,  sheriff  of  the  county 
from  1887  to  1 89 1,  and  a'  representative  to 
the  State  Legislature  in  1879. 

Andrew  Shearer  settled  in  the  village  of 
Galien  at  an  early  date  and  engaged  in  the 
business  of  shoe  making.  He  is  still  living 
in  the  village.  He  was  supervisor  from 
1897  to  1900,  and  has  held  various  local 
offices. 

Cyrus  Thurston  settled  in  the  township 
in  1855,  and  was  prominent  in  the  organi- 
zation of  the  church  of  the  ''Latter  Day 
Saints.''  For  many  years  he  taught  school, 
farming  in  the  summer  and  teaching  in  the 
winter.  In  early  life  he  had  attended  the 
State  Normal  School.  He  died  a  few  years 
since  at  an  advanced  age. 

Henry  Renberger  settled  in  the  town- 
ship in    1 85 1,  living  upon  a   farm  till  his 


death  in  1876.     J.  A.  Renberger,  a  former 
supervisor  of  the  township,  is  a  son. 

Zachariah  Kinne,  a  native  of  New  York, 
located  in  the  township  in  1865  and  became 
a  heavy  land  owner,  acquiring  about  six 
hundred  acres.  He  was  an  ordained  min- 
ister of  the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church,  al- 
though he  seldom  preached. 

The  first  steam  sawmill  in  the  township 
was  built  by  Clapp  &  Cheney  in  185 1.  In 
1853,  this  passed  into  the  hands  of  George 
A.  Blakeslee.  The  Wolverine  Handle  Fac- 
tory was  first  started  by  the  firm  of  Smith 
&  Montross  in  the  mill  of  Mr.  Blakeslee. 
In  1868,  Richard  Montross,  a  member  of 
that  firm,  built  a  factory  for  the  manufact- 
ure of  handles.  For  many  years  this  es- 
tablishment did  a  heavy  business  employing 
over  forty  hands.  Mr.  Montross  is  still  liv- 
ing at  Galien. 

CHURCHES. 

The  church  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints 
was  established  at  Galien  by  George  A. 
Blakeslee,  shortly  after  his  settlement.  They 
believe  in  the  teachings  of  Joseph  Smith  and 
original  Mormanism,  but  repudiate  the  doc- 
trines of  Brigham  Young  and  do  not  coun- 
tenance polygamy.  They  have  no  affilia- 
tion with  the  so-called  Mormons  of  Salt 
Lake  City.  Mr.  Blakeslee  for  many  years 
prior  to  his  death  had  the  entire  charge  of 
the  finances  of  this  denomination  and  occa- 
sionally preached. 

The  Church  of  the  Disciples  was  organ- 
ized in  1859  by  Rev.  William  Roe. 

The  German  Lutheran  Church  was  or- 
ganized in  1866. 

A  class  in  the  Methodist  Church  was  or- 
ganized in  the  village  in  1871. 

The  following  persons  have  been  super- 
visors of  the  township  of  Galien  at  the  dates 
designated : 

Wm.   Burns    1844 

Alvan  Emery   1845 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


283 


Wm.   Burns    1846 

Alvan  Emery 1847 

Henry  Smith    1849 

J.  P.  Johnson 1850-1852 

Perry  Noggle 1853-1855 

D.  D.  Hinman 1856-1858 

Perry   Noggle    1859-1860 

Geo.  Partridge   1861 

Perry   Noggle    1862-1863 

Geo.    Partridge    1864 

W.  K.  White 1865 

Geo.  Partridge 1866 

Albert  Clark 1867 


W.  K.  White 1868 

Geo.    Partridge    1869-1870 

S.  A.  Denison   1871-1875 

Geo.  Partridge  1876 

B.  R.  Sterns 1877-1887 

Melvin    Smith    1888 

Hiram  Russ 1889 

Melvin    Smith    1890 

J.  A.  Renberger 1891 

Timothy  Smith    1892-1894 

E.  A.  Blakeslee 1895-1896 

Andrew  Shearer    1897-1900 

Chas.  A.  Clark    1901-1906 


CHAPTKR   XXVI 


HAGAR. 


This  township  is  situated  in  the  north- 
west part  of  the  county,  and  is  small  in  area, 
containing  only  about  twenty  sections.  It 
is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Van  Buren 
county,  on  the  east  by  Watervliet,  on  the 
south  by  Benton  and  on  the  west  by  Lake 
Michigan.  The  lake  bends  in  'to  the  east- 
ward about  four  miles  from  its  southw^est 
to  its  northwest  corner. 

It  was  originally  a  portion  of  St.  Joseph 
township,  but  was  set  off  as  a  separate  town- 
ship in  1846.  It  was  the  latest  township  to 
be  settled  up  and  as  late  as  1854  contained 
but  269  inhabitants.  Its  history  must  nec- 
essarily be  brief. 

Emigration  began  to  pour  in  between 
i860  and  1870,  and  between  these  two 
periods,  its  population  was  doubled.  In  late 
years,  it  has  gone  into  fruit  culture  exten- 
sively, and  one  of  the  largest  orchards  in 
the  county  is  situated  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  township  owned  by  William  Mueller. 

At  the  first  township  election  in  April, 
1846,  Alfred  Sensebaugh  was  elected  su- 
pervisor; William  C.  Allen,  clerk;  William 
Scott,  treasurer,  and  Rosswell  Curtis,  jus- 
tice of  the  peace. 

The  township  is  noted  for  having  had 
but  two  supervisors  for  the  last  twenty- 
seven  years,  with  the  exception  of  one  year. 
E.  L.  Kingsland  served  from  1879  to  1893 
continuously.  J.  S.  Caldwell  has  served 
from  1893  to  the  present  time,  with  the  ex- 


ception of  the  year  1901.  Mr.  Kingsland 
had  previously  served  four  years,  making 
in  all  nineteen  terms. 

The  first  person  who  located  in  the  town- 
ship was  Henry  Hawley,  a  Canadian,  who, 
in  the  spring  of  1839,  entered  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  in  section  twxnty-three  and 
lived  on  it  with  his  family  but  a  short  time. 
He  became  dissatisfied  and  left  the  county 
before  making  any  improvements  except 
building  a  log  cabin. 

The  first  permanent  settler  was  Charles 
Lamb,  of  Vermont,  who  located  on  section 
twenty-three  in  the  summer  of  1839.  He 
died  in  1846.  In  the  wanter  of  1839,  Ma- 
thias  Farnum,  who  had  settled  in  St.  Joseph 
in  1836,  and  worked  at  his  trade  as  a  car- 
penter and  builder,  located  in  section  thir- 
teen. He  ran  a  sawmill  for  a  few  years  in 
Van  Buren  county,  where  he  had  purchased 
three  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  He 
lived  for  a  few  years  in  Benton  Harbor,  but 
returned  to  his  farm  some  years  before  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1884. 

Mr.  Farnum  and  Alex.  Fitch  built  a 
steam  sawmill  in  the  forties.  This  w^as  the 
first  sawmill  in  the  township  and  for  many 
years  the  only  one. 

James  Bunday,  from  Ohio,  w^as  the  third 
settler  who  located  in  section  fourteen  in 
1 83 1.  A  log  school  house  was  built  upon 
his  lands  shortly  after  his  settlement.  This 
was  afterwards  svipplanted  by  a  good  struct- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


285 


lire  known  as  the  ''Bunclay  School  House." 
This  school  was  the  only  one  in  the  town- 
ship for  several  years.  Mr.  Bunday  lived 
on  his  farm  till  his  death  in  1872. 

The  next  settler  was  William  McCrea 
who  settled  in  1838  in  St.  Joseph.  In  1841 
he  located  in  section  fourteen,  Hagar  town- 
ship. He  lived  here  till  1849  when  he  was 
killed  by  the  fall  of  a  tree. 

The  daughter  of  Mr.  McCrea,  Mary 
Jane,  who  married  Thomas  Muldoon,  was 
the  first  white  child  born  in  Hagar.  She 
was  born  in  May,  1841.  Alfred  Sense- 
baugh  came  shortly  after.  He  was  a  minis- 
ter and  the  first  supervisor  of  the  township. 
In  1845,  Isaac  Finch  moved  to  Hagar  with 
his  family  among  which  were  his  sons, 
Isaac,  Jr.,  and  Alexis,  who  purchased  lands. 
Isaac  Finch  died  in  1853. 

About  this  period,  A.  S.  Bishop,  Philip 
Farney,  Benjamin  Harris,  Uriah  Harris, 
Asabel  Hayes,  Sylvanus  Cook,  Stephen 
Cook,  J.  T.  Wisner,  Jeremiah  Smith,  Ros- 
well  Curtis,  James  Stewart,  William  Scott, 
and  Robert  Merriford  settled  in  the  town- 
ship. 

Mr.  Bishop  w^as  a  native  of  New  York, 
first  settled  in  Bainbridge  township,  but  re- 
moved to  Hagar  in  1848.  He  became  a 
prominent  man  in  the  township  and  was  su- 
pervisor for  several  terms. 

Stephen  Cook  acquired  a  large  tract  of 
land  and  became  supervisor  of  the  township. 

Scott  and  Hayes  were  supervisors. 

! 

CHURCHES. 

The  first  church  organized  in  the  town- 
ship was  the  Methodist  Episcopal  which  was 
established  in  1859.  The  Congregational- 
ists  combined  w^ith  them  for  some  time,  a 
Methodist  minister  preaching  part  of  the 
time  and  a  Congregationalist  minister  at 
other  times. 

A  Free  Will  Baptist  Church  was  organ- 
ized in  1863,  which  after  a  few  years  seems 
to  have  been  dissolved. 


A  Christian  Church  was  organized  in 
1877  by  Rev.  Reason  Davis. 

The  first  school  teacher  in  the  township 
was  Matilda  Irwin,  who  taught  in  1844  in 
a  log  school  house,  subsequently  supplanted 
by  a  good  structure  known  as  the  Bunday 
school  house. 

The  largest  fruit  orchard  in  Hagar  ana 
one  of  the  largest  in  the  county  is  located  in 
the  northwest  part  of  the  county  and  is 
owned  by  William  Mueller.  The  whole 
farm  consists  of  five  hundred  and  sixty-five 
acres,  of  which  one  hundred  and  sixty  are 
fruit  bearing.  There  are  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  peach  bearing  trees,  ten 
acres  in  grapes  and  the  remainder  in  apples, 
pears,  plums  and  cherry  trees. 

Among  the  prominent  men  who  came 
later,  but  resided  in  the  township,  should  be 
mentioned  E.  L.  Kingsland  and  Josiah  Cald- 
well. 

E.  L.  Kingsland  moved  into  Hagar  in 
1865,  but  began  work  there  by  labor  for 
Stephen  Cook  for  $14.00  a  month.  He  sub- 
sequently purchased  the  farm  of  Cook  and 
still  owns  it.  Mr.  Kingsland  was  supervi- 
sor of  the  township  from  1867  to  1870  and 
from  1879  t^  1893,  ^^  nineteen  terms  alto- 
gether. For  several  years  he  was  chairman 
of  the  Board  of  Supervisors.  He  was  the 
county  superintendent  of  schools  from  1871 
to  1875,  serving  two  terms.  He  was 
elected  to  the  State  House  of  Representa- 
tives in  1892  and  re-elected  in  1894.  He 
was  liberally  educated  and  has  been  a  promi- 
nent leader  of  the  Republican  party  in  the 
county.     He  is  now  residing  in  St.  Joseph. 

Josiah  Caldwell,  the  present  supervisor, 
has  also  held  that  position  for  many  terms, 
from  1893  to  1900  and  froni  1902  to  the 
present  time. 

His  father,  Joseph  Caldwell,  was  one  of 
the  earliest  pioneers  of  Berrien  county,  pur- 
chasing a  piece  of  land  on  the  Paw  Paw 
river  in  Benton  township  in  1834  and  locat- 
ing on  it  in  1835.  He  acquired  some  six 
hundred  acres  in  Benton  and  Hagar  towai- 


286 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


ships.  Josiah  Caldwell  many  years  ago 
moved  upon  a  portion  of  his  father's  land  in 
Hagar  and  has  been  a  representative 
farmer  and  fruit  grower. 

The  following  have  been  supervisors  of 
Hagar  township  : 

A.  Sinsebaugh 1847 

Wm.  Scott   1848 

I.  K.  Finch 1849-1852 

Geo.  Johnson   1853-1855 

Asabel  Hays 1856 

G.  S.  Andrews 1857 

Sprague  Bishop 1858-1863 

Stephen   Cook    1864 

Albert   Swift    1866 

E.  L.  Kingsland   1867-1870 

H.  N.  Sheldon 1871 

G.  S.  Andrews 1872 

H.  N.  Sheldon 1873 

A.  S.  Bishop   1874 

H.  N.  Sheldon 1875 

DeWitt   Guy    1876-1878 

E.  L.  Kingsland   1879-1893 

J.  S.  Caldwell   1893-1900 

F.  M.  Eaman 1901 

J.  S.  Caldwell   1902-1906 

ORVILLE  W.  COOLIDGE,  the  author 
of  the  historical  sketch  in  this  volume,  was 
born  at  Edwardsburg,  Cass  county,  Michi- 
gan, October  9,  1839.  He  graduated  in  the 
literary  department  of  Michigan  University 
in  1863  and  at  the  Cambridge  Law  School 
in  1865.  In  the  latter  year  he  went  into  the 
practice  of  his  profession  with  his  father, 
Henry  H.  Coolidge.  In  1870  he  was  elected 
prosecuting  attorney  of  Berrien  county.  In 
1890  and  1 89 1  mayor  of  the  city  of  Niles, 
and  in  1893  judge  of  the  second  judicial 
circuit  of  Michigan.  He  was  subsequently 
re-elected  in  1899  and  1905  and  is  now  serv- 
ing his  third  term. 

In  1867  he  was  married  to  Katie,  daugh- 
ter of  Moses  Pettengill,  a  prominent  marble 
dealer  in  Niles.  Three  children  were  born 
to  this  union,  all  of  whom  are  now  living, 
viz. :  Claudine,  who  has  been  a  teacher ; 
Clarence,  who  is  an  attorney  in  Chicago; 
and  Orrill,  who  is  the  present  librarian  of 
the  Carnegie  library  in  Niles. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Coolidge  were  early 


pioneers  of  western  Michigan.  Henry  H. 
Coolidge,  the  father,  was  born  in  Leominster 
county,  Massachusetts,  and  was  educated  at 
Amherst  College.  From  1833  to  1836  he 
taught  music  at  Montreal.  In  the  latter 
year  he  came  to  Niles  and  clerked  for  a  time 
in  the  dry  goods  store  of  G.  W.  Hoffmann. 
During  the  next  year  he  removed  to  Ed- 
wardsburg, Cass  county,  and  w^as  married 
to  Sarah  A.  Mead,  the  daughter  of  Henry 
Mead,  who  had  emigrated  from  Chautauqua 
county,  New  York,  tO'  Beardsley's  Prairie  in 
1837.  Subsequently  Mr.  Coolidge  studied 
law  and  became  prosecuting  attorney  of 
Cass  county  in  1852.  In  1859  he  removed 
to  Niles.  In  1867  ^^  was  chosen  a  member 
of  the  State  constitutional  convention,  and 
in  1872  circuit  judge  of  the  Second  judicial 
circuit  of  Michigan.  The  latter  position  he 
held  for  six  years,  when  he  resigned  and 
resumed  his  practice,  which  he  continued 
till  a  few  weeks  before  his  death  in  1884. 
His  widow  died  a  few  months  after. 

Three  children  survived :  Orville  W., 
Helen  E.,  who  died  in  1903,  and  Emily  M., 
who  married  Charles  A.  Chapin,  now  of 
Chicago. 

Henry  H.  Coolidge  was  a  man  of  great 
native  strength  and  force  of  character.  As 
a  lawyer  he  excelled  in  the  careful  prepara- 
tion of  his  cases  for  trial  and  was  never 
taken  by  surprise.  He  had  an  immense 
practice  before  he  occupied  the  bench.  As  a 
judge  he  acquired  the  respect  and  esteem  of 
the  attorneys  by  his  ability  and  impartiality, 
and  by  his  courtesy  tO'  the  members  of  the 
bar.  He  was  a  Republican  politically,  and 
was  a  delegate  .to  the  convention  under  the 
oaks  at  Jackson  in  1854  when  the  Repub- 
lican party  was  first  organized. 

He  was  an  active  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  for  forty-five  years,  always 
attending  and  frequently  addressing  its  de- 
votional meetings  when  at  home.  He  was 
a  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school  and  for  many 
years  before  his  death  had  a  large  Bible 
class  of  adults. 

He  was  fond  of  music,  having  for  many 
years  taught  music.  In  his  earlier  years  he 
conversed  fluently  in  the  French  language, 
which  he  learned  while  teaching  among 
French  families  at  Montreal. 


(D,  ^Y\r:^.r-JLA. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


287 


JOHN  E.  DE  MOTT.  John  E.  De 
Mott  is  a  prominent  and  well  known  early 
settler,  who  has  been  a  witness  of  the  coun- 
ty's developement  from  a  pioneer  epoch  in 
its  history  to  the  present  day  of  progress  and 
prosperity,  and  as  the  years  have  gone  by 
he  has  contributed  to  the  sum  total  of  busi- 
ness advancement  through  his  connection 
with  farming  interests.  He  resides  on  sec- 
tion seven,  Niles  township,  where  he  has  a 
g-ood  farm  property.  His  birth  occurred  in 
Orleans  county,  New  York,  August  11, 
1830.  His  father,  Thomas  De  Mott,  a  na- 
tive of  Madison  county.  New  York,  was 
born  March  4,  1800,  and  was  of  French  de- 
scent. A  farmer  by  occupation,  he  devoted 
his  entire  life  to  the  tilling  of  the  soil  and 
removed  from  his  native  county  to  Orleans 
county,  New  York,  where  he  died  on  the 
30th  of  December,  1861,  when  in  his  sixty- 
second  year.  He  married  Miss  Lucy  Worth, 
a  native  of  New  York,  born  March  5,  1798. 
She  lived  to  be  about  forty-eight  years  of 
age,  passing  away  on  the  loth  of  June,  1846. 
They  were  married  March  12,  1828,  and  be- 
came the  parents  of  five  children,  three  of 
whom  reached  adult  age. 

John  E.  De  Mott  is  the  only  member  of 
the  family  now  living.  He  was  reared  in  his 
native  state,  acquired  his  education  in  the 
district  schools  and  in  an  academy,  and  thus 
having  more  than  the  ordinary  school  privi- 
lege, he  afterward  engaged  in  teaching 
school,  entering  upon  the  active  work  of  the 
profession  when  about  nineteen  years  of  age. 
In  1849  1^^  came  west  and  taught  school  in 
Berrien  county,  being  one  of  the  early  edu- 
cators of  this  part  of  the  state.  He  after- 
ward returned  to  his  native  place  and  was 
married  on  the  6th  of  April,  1853,  to  Miss 
Catherine  Herkimer,  a  daughter  of  Jacob 
and  Mary  (Swobe)  Herkimer.  Mrs.  De 
Mott  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  New 
York,  and  was  a  distant  relative  of  General 
Herkimer  of  Revolutionary  fame  and  one 
of  the  distinguished  citizens  of  the  Empire 
state.  Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  De  Mott  remained  residents  of  Orleans 
county.  New  York,  until  1855,  when  they 
removed  to  Berrien  county,   Michigan,   lo- 


cating first  on  Portage  Prairie,  where  they 
remaining  for  a  year.  They  afterward 
lived  upon  a  rented  farm  in  Niles  township 
and  about  1861  Mr.  De  Mott  bought  the 
farm  where  he  now  lives.  He  engaged  in 
teaching  school  in  the  winter  months  for 
about  five  years  and  was  thus  early  associated 
with  the  educational  development  of  this 
part  of  the  state.  The  summer  seasons  were 
devoted  to  the  work  of  the  fields  and 
throughout  the  intervening  years  he  has 
continued  his  agricultural  pursuits  and  is 
now  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  well  improved  land,  his  being  the 
banner  farm  of  the  township.  He  has  added 
to  his  possessions  from  time  to  time  as  his 
financial  resources  have  increased  and  he  has 
carried  on  his  farm  work  in  keeping  with 
modern  ideas  of  progress  and  improvement 
in  agricultural  lines. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  De  Mott  have  been 
born  eight  children :  Thomas  E.,  a  promi- 
nent farmer  of  Niles  township;  Luella  J. 
and  Lizzie  C,  both  of  whom  are  deceased; 
Anna  B.,  the  wife  of  Henry  L.  Sanford,  of 
Oswego  county.  New  York ;  Lucy  Mary,  de- 
ceased; Mary  Alice,  the  wife  of  George  M. 
Rowlee,  a  farmer  of  Niles  township;  Lottie, 
the  wife  of  Charles  E.  Fisk,  of  Chicago ;  and 
Harry  J.,  also  of  Niles  city.  All  were  born 
in  Berrien  county  with  the  exception  of 
Thomas,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Orleans 
county.  New  York,  before  the  parents  re- 
moved to  Michigan. 

Mr.  De  Mott  has  been  closely  identified 
with  the  work  of  making  Berrien  county 
what  it  is  today  and  has  resided  within  its 
borders  for  about  a  half  century.  He  and  his 
wife  are  well  known  as  worthy  pioneer  citi- 
zens here  and  they  have  celebrated  their 
fifty-third  wedding  anniversary.  They  are 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Bu- 
chanan, Michigan,  in  which  Mr.  De  Mott  has 
served  as  elder  and  trustee,  and  in  the  work 
of  the  church  he  has  taken  an  interested 
and  helpful  part,  doing  all  in  his  power  to 
promote  its  growth  and  extend  its  influence. 
He  votes  with  the  Democracy  and  served  as 
supervisor  by  appointment.  He  has  also 
been  school  inspector  and  public  affiairs  are 


288 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


to  him  a  matter  of  deep  interest  and  concern, 
he  manifesting  at  all  times  a  public-spirited 
citizenship  that  promoted  active  co-operation 
in  measures  for  the  general  good. 

MITCHEL  ALEXANDER,  living  on 
section  six,  Niles  township,  where  he  has  a 
good  farming  property,  was  born  in  Bucks 
county,  Pennsylvania,  May  lo,   1831.     His 
father,  A.  M.  Alexander,  was  also  a  native 
of  that  county,  born  in  the  year   1799,  of 
Scotch  parentage,   his    grandfather    having 
been  a  native  of  Scotland.     On  leaving  the 
Keystone   state   he   removed   to   Vermilion 
county,  Indiana,  and  afterward  became  a  res- 
ident of  Miami  county,  Ohio,  where  he  lived 
until  coming  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  in 
1845.   He  located  in  Buchanan  township  and 
in  the  latter  part  of  his  life  devoted  his  ener- 
gies to  farming  but  was  a  wagon-maker  by 
trade  and  follow^ed  that  pursuit  in  his  earlier 
years.    He  married  Sarah  Ann  Van  Pelt,  a 
native  of  Trenton,  New  Jersey,  born  in  1799, 
and  a  daughter  of  Joshua  and  Frances  Van 
Pelt.     The  death  of  A.   M.  Alexander  oc- 
curred in  1899  when  he  was  in  his  ninetieth 
year,   and   his   wiie  passed  away   in    1881, 
when  in  her  eighty-second  year.     They  were 
the  parents  of  nine  children,  three  sons  and 
six  daughters,  of  whom  two  died  in  infancy. 
Mitchel  Alexander  was  a  youth  of  about 
fourteen  years  when  he  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  Berrien  county  and  his  education  was 
continued   in  the   district  schools   of   Niles 
township.    He  remained  at  home  until  after 
he  had  attained  his  majority  and  the  occupa- 
tion of  farming  became  very  familiar  to  him, 
as  he  assisted  in  the    work    of    field    and 
meadow.    On  the  15th  of  October,  1858,  he 
made  arrangements  for  having  a  home  of  his 
own  by  his  marriage  to  Miss  Rosina  Snyder, 
who  was  born  at  what  is  now   Buchanan 
township,   September  4,     1836.       She  is  a 
daughter   of  John  and   Phebe    (Maddren) 
Snyder,  very  early  settlers  of  southwestern 
Michigan.     Her  father  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  her  mother  in  North  Carolina 
and  their  marriage  was  celebrated  at  White 
Water,  Indiana.     It  was  in  the  year  1828 
that  Mr.  Snyder  came  to  Berrien  county  and 
entered  land  on  what  is  now  section  two. 


Buchanan  township.  This  county  was  then 
an  almost  unbroken  wilderness,  in  which 
there  were  large  tracts  of  timber  land 
through  which  no  roads  had  been  cut,  while 
the  streams  were  unbridged  and  the  work  of 
civilization  and  development  scarcely  begun. 
Mr.  Snyder  soon  removed  his  family  to  the 
farm,  where  he  built  a  log  house  and  in  true 
pioneer  style  began  life,  sharing  in  the  hard- 
ships, privations,  experiences  and  pleasures 
incident  to  a  settlement  upon  the  frontier.  He 
continued  to  give  his  attention  to  general  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  for  many  years  with  the 
result  that  he  developed  a  good  farm  prop- 
erty, upon  which  he  remained  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years. 
His  wife  was  seventy-eight  years  of  age  at 
the  time  of  her  demise.  In  their  family  were 
ten  children^  six  daughters  and  four  sons,  all 
of  whom  reached  adult  age  and  were  mar- 
ried. Mrs.  Alexander  w^as  the  fourth  of  the 
ten  children.  She  has  been  a  life-long 
resident  of  Berrien  county  and  has  been 
familiar  with  its  history  in  the  different 
phases  of  development  and  growth  for  many 
years. 

At  the  time  of  their  marriage,  the  young 
couple  located  in  a  little  log  house  just  west 
of  their  present  home  in  what  is  now  Bu- 
chanan township.  They  remained  there  for 
seven  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he 
traded  his  farm  for  the  place  which  is  now 
his  home  and  the  only  move  that  he  has  ever 
made  is  when  he  took  up  his  abode  on  this 
farm  in  1866.  His  time  and  labors  have 
been  devoted  untiringly  to  the  development 
and  cultivation  of  his  land  and  as  a  farmer 
he  is  energetic  and  enterprising,  making  a 
good  property  through  his  close  application 
and  untiring  effort. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alexander  have  no  chil- 
dren of  their  own  but  have  reared  a  niece. 
The  present  farm  comprises  seventy-seven 
acres  of  land,  which  is  rich  and  productive^ 
having  been  brought  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat 
where  national  issues  are  involved,  but  at 
local  elections  casts  an  independent  ballot. 
Fifty-five  years  have  come  and  gone  since 
he  located  in  Berrien  county  and  many 
changes   have   been   wrought   ]>y   time   and 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


289 


man.  He  has  borne  his  full  share  in  the 
work  of  agricultural  progress  and  as  the  re- 
sult of  his  untiring  effort  is  now  a  substan- 
tial farmer  with  good  property  interests  that 
yield  him  a  comfortable  living. 

GEORGE  HANLEY  is  a  prominent  and 
successful  farmer  living  on  section  27,  Buch- 
anan township.  He  was  born  in  Tompkins 
county,  New  York,  December  25,  1843.  His 
father,  Peter  Hanley,was  a  native  of  Ireland, 
where  he  remained  until  about  twenty-two 
years  of  age.  He  married  then  and  came  to 
America  in  1836,  attracted  by  the  broader 
business  opportunities  and  advantages  of 
the  new  w^orld.  Hoping  to  benefit  his  finan- 
cial condition  he  bade  adieu  to  friends  and 
native  country  and  sailed  for  New  York. 
He  located  in  Tompkins  county  of  the  Em- 
pire state,  where  he  followed  farming  until 
he  made  his  way  westward  in  1848,  at  which 
time  he  located  in  Fulton  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  dying  at 
the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  His  wife,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Nancy  Judge,  was 
also  a  native  of  Tompkins  county,  New 
York,  and  her  last  days  were  passed  in  Ohio, 
she  being  sixty-four  years  of  age  at  the  time 
of  her  demise.  By  her  marriage  she  has  be- 
come the  mother  of  ten  children,  one  daugh- 
ter and  nine  sons,  but  only  five  of  the  num- 
ber reached  years  of  maturity,  while  four 
are  living  at  this  writing,  in  the  summer  of 
1906. 

George  Hanley,  the  fourth  child  and 
fourth  son  in  the  family,  was  seven  years  of 
age  when  his  parents  removed  to  Fulton 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  resided  until  seven- 
teen years  of  age.  In  that  time  he  acquired 
a  good  public  school  education.  When  a 
youth  of  seventeen  he  enlisted  in  behalf  of 
his  country  in  October,  1861,  as  a  member 
of  Company  A,  Sixty-seventh  Ohio  Volun- 
teen  Infantry,  joining  the  army  as  a  private. 
Fie  served  until  the  close  of  the  war  and  was 
promoted  to  sergeant.  His  military  experi- 
ence brought  his  much  arduous  service.  He 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  Winchester,  Vir- 
ginia, under  Generals  Shield  and  Jackson, 
and  on  the  13th  of  April,  1862,  was  in  the 
engagement  at  Mount  Jackson,  Virginia, 
19 


and  the  4th  of  July  of  the  same  year  he  met 
the  enemy  in  battle  at  Harrison's  Landing; 
was  at  Morrison's  Island,  South  Carolina, 
July  10,  1863 ;  at  Fort  Wagner,  South  Caro- 
lina, July  18,  1863;  at  Chester  Station,  Vir- 
ginia, May  10,  1864;  Bermuda  Hundred, 
Virginia,  July  19  and  20,  1864;  and  in  the 
charge  in  front  of  Petersburg  in  1865.  The 
same  year  he  took  part  in  the  engagement  at 
Sailor's  Creek  and  was  in  many  lesser  bat- 
tles. After  the  surrender  of  Lee  he  was 
mustered  out  on  the  9th  of  May,  1865.  He 
never  sustained  a  wound  although  he  was  in 
many  hotly  contested  engagements  and  at 
the  close  of  the  war  but  seven  of  his  com- 
pany of  one  hundred  and  ten  men  returned. 
Mr.  Hanley  served  for  four  years  and  two 
months  and  the  only  time  that  he  was  ofi 
active  duty  was  two  weeks  spent  at  Craney 
Island,  Virginia.  With  this  exception  he 
was  on  daily  duty  during  the  war  and  was 
never  neglectful  of  any  task  assigned  him. 
An  intrepid  soldier,  brave  and  fearless,  he 
made  a  splendid  military  record.  He  re-en- 
listed in  October,  1863,  in  the  same  com- 
pany and  regiment  and  at  the  close  of  the 
war  he  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan, 
in  1865.  He  bought  a  farm  in  Niles  towai- 
ship  at  the  bend  of  the  river,  two  miles  from 
Buchanan,  where  he  spent  tw-enty  years,  de- 
voting his  time  and  energies  to  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  In  1885  he  sold  out  and 
bought  another  farm  three  miles  northwest 
of  Buchanan,  on  which  he  lived  for  about 
fourteen  years.  He  then  purchased  his  pres- 
ent farm,  on  which  he  located.  He  still  owns 
the  farm  north  of  Buchanan,  however,  and 
thus  has  two  valuable  properties  in  this 
county. 

On  the  nth  of  August,  1868,  Mr.  Han- 
ley was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Matilda 
Broceus,  a  daughter  of  Abram  and  Abigail 
(Smith)  Broceus,  and  who  w^as  born  in 
Buchanan  township,  Berrien  covmty,  July  12, 
1850.  Her  parents  were  among  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  Berrien  county,  coming  from 
Ohio,  but  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
They  had  ten  children,  six  daughters  and 
four  sons,  all  of  wdiom  reached  manhood 
or  womanhood.  All  lived  to  be  married 
and  the  first  death  in  the  family  occurred  in 


290 


HISTORY  OF   EERRIEN   COUNTY 


1903,  when  Mrs.  Rough  passed  away  at  the 
age  of  fifty-five  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Han- 
ley  have  two  children:  Gertrude,  now  the 
wife  of  F.  E.  Newberry,  of  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri; and  Fred,  who  married  lola  Magnus, 
of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri. 

Mr.  Hanley  is  a  member  of  William  Par- 
rett  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Buchanan.  His  resi- 
dence in  Berrien  county  covers  forty-two 
years  and  during  this  period  he  has  largely 
followed  agricultural  pursuits,  becoming 
recognized  as  one  of  the  enterprising  and 
progressive  farmers  of  his  community.  He 
now  was  fifty-six  acres  where  he  lives  and 
one  hundred  acres  on  his  farm  north  of  town 
and  his  property  interests  are  proof  of  a  life 
of  thrift  and  enterprise,  for  he  had  little  cap- 
ital when  he  started  out  on  his  own  account. 
In  matters  of  citizenship  he  has  ever  dis- 
played the  loyalty  that  characterized  his  con- 
duct when  as  a  soldier  on  southern  battle- 
fields he  followed  the  old  flag. 

FREDERICK  C.  FRANZ,  numbered 
among  the  prominent  farmers  of  Niles 
township,  where  he  is  also  serving  as  sup- 
ervisor, makes  his  home  on  section  two, 
where  he  owns  ninety  acres  of  richly 
cultivated  land.  This  constitutes  a  val- 
uable property  but  does  not  embrace  all 
of  his  realty  holdings,  as  he  is  the  owner  of 
one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  Mason 
county,  Michigan.  It  was  upon  the  farm 
where  he  now  lives  that  his  birth  occurred, 
his  natal  day  being  January  8,  1871.  His 
father,  John  G.  Franz,  was  a  native  of  Ger- 
many and  came  to  America  in  the  year  1855, 
settling  in  Berrien  county  in  1865,  at  which 
time  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Pipestone  town- 
ship. There  he  cleared  and  cultivated  a  tract 
of  land  which  he  purchased  from  a  Mr.  Lan- 
don.  After  three  years,  however,  he  sold 
out  and  spent  the  succeeding  year  in  Berrien 
township.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  located  in  Niles  township,  settling  on  a 
farm  'which  is  now  the  home  of  his  son, 
Frederick,  and  there  he  spent  his  remaining 
days,  his  death  occurring  when  he  was  about 
sixty-two  years  of  age.  In  early  manhood 
he  wedded  Miss  Barbara  Smith,  also  a  na- 
tive of  Germany.     She  is  still  living  and  of 


the  seven  children,  four  sons  and  three 
daughters,  born  of  this  marriage,  six  are 
yet  living. 

Frederick  C.  Franz,  the  sixth  child  and 
third  son  of  the  family,  was  reared  upon  the 
old  farm  homestead  and  acquired  a  common- 
school  education.  He  also  studied  German 
and  for  some  time  attended  the  select  school 
in  Berrien  Center.  When  not  busy  with  his 
text-books  his  attention  was  given  to  the 
labors  of  the  fields  and  he  became  familiar 
with  all  the  work  of  farming  from  the  time 
of  early  spring  planting  until  after  crops 
were  harvested  in  the  late  autumn. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  Mfe's 
journey  Mr.  Franz  chose  Miss  Bertha  M. 
Dean,  to  whom  he  was  married  on  the  17th 
of  April,  1895.  Her  parents  were  George 
and  Julia  (Ward)  Dean.  Mrs.  Franz  was 
also  born  in  this  county  and  pursued  a  pub- 
lic-school education.  Five  .  children  have 
been  born  of  this  marriage,  Ruth,  Lucile, 
Dean,  Julia  and  Mildred,  all  of  whom  are 
yet  under  the  parental  roof.  The  family 
home  stands  upon  a  good  tract  of  land  of 
ninety  acres  situated  on  section  two,  Ber- 
rien township,  which  was  once  in  possession 
of  Mr.  Franz's. father  and  in  addition  to  this 
property  he  owns  one  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  in  Mason  county,  Michigan.  In  his 
farm  work  he  is  practical,  accomplishing  re- 
sults with  methods  which  neither  seek  nor 
require  disguise. 

Mr.  Franz  is  a  Democrat  in  his  poll  deal 
views  and  has  taken  an  active  and  helpful 
interest  in  the  work  of  the  party,  regarding 
it  the  duty  as  well  as  the  privilege  of  every 
American  citizen  to  uphold  the  principles  in 
which  he  believes  and  which  he  deems  of  the 
greatest  value  to  the  government.  He  has 
been  called  to  a  number  of  township  offices, 
being  chosen  clerk  for  three  years,  while  in 
1905  he  was  elected  township  supervisor 
and  re-elected  in  1906,  so  that  he  is  now  fill- 
ing the  position.  He  has  ben  connected  with 
the  Farmers'  Institute,  of  which  he  served  as 
president  for  two  years  and  as  secretary  for 
two  years.  He  has  frequently  been  called  to 
administrate  estates,  and  thus  the  confidence 
and  trust  of  the  public  is  indicated.  A  life- 
long resident  of   Niles  township  he   is  re- 


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HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


291 


garded  as  one  of  its  leading  citizens  and  is 
a  man  of  genuine  worth,  valuing  his  own 
self-respect  and  the  esteem  of  his  fellow- 
men  more  than  wxalth,  fame  or  position. 

LUCAS  BEYRER  was  for  a  long 
period  connected  with  agricultural  inter- 
ests in  Niles  township,  and  is  one  of 
the  worthy  citizens  that  Germany  has  fur- 
nished to  the  new  world.  He  was  born  in 
Wurtemberg,  on  the  6th  of  January,  1833. 
His  father,  Lucas  Beyrer,  Sr.,  was  also  a 
native  of  Germany,  and  in  the  year  1856  the 
family  emigrated  to  America,  becoming  resi- 
dents of  Bertrand  township,  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  where  Lucas  Beyrer  carried  on 
general  farming. 

Lucas  Beyrer  spent  the  period  of  his 
minority  in  the  fatherland,  acquiring  his  ed- 
ucation there,  and  in  1851,  when  about 
eighteen  years  of  age,  he  crossed  the  At- 
lantic from  Germany  to  the  new  world,  for 
he  had  heard  favorable  reports  concerning 
America  and  its  prospects  and  resolved  to 
try  his  fortune  here.  He  first  worked  by  the 
month  for  different  farmers  and  from  his 
wages  he  saved  some  money  until  he  had  a 
sum  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  purchase  a 
farm  in  Bertrand  township,  Berrien  county, 
Michigan.  This  he  did  and  began  farming 
on  his  own  account. 

Having  made  arrangements  for  a  home 
of  his  own,  Mr.  Beyrer  was  married  in  1861 
to  Miss  Catherine  Schultz,  who  was  born  in 
Bayern,  Germany,  August  20,  1835,  ^^^^  ^^  ^ 
daughter  of  Frederick  and  Sophia  (Nieb) 
Schultz,  who  were  also  natives  of  that  coun- 
try and  came  to  America  in  1871,  locating  in 
Bertrand  township,  Berrien  county.  At  the 
time  of  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beyrer 
located  in  Bertrand  township,  where  he  be- 
gan farming  and  day  after  day  he  performed 
such  duties  and  labors  as  devolved  upon  him, 
until  he  had  transformed  his  land  into  a 
very  productive  tract,  from  which  he  annu- 
ally harvested  good  crops.  He  was  thus  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  about  1875,  when  he 
sold  out  and  purchased  the  place  where  Mrs. 
Beyrer  now  resides.  All  his  life  was  given 
to  agricultural  pursuits  and  he  was  practical 
as  well  as  progressive  in  his  methods,  per- 


forming labor  that  resulted  in  the  acquire- 
ment of  a  good  property.  He  died  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1904,  leaving  his  family  in  comfor- 
table financial  circumstances. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beyrer  were  born  six 
children  :  Mary,  who  is  now  in  Kalamazoo ; 
Katherine,  the  wife  of  Charles  A.  Rogers, 
a  resident  of  Cass  county,  Michigan ;  Louisa, 
the  wife  of  Henry  Kehrer,  whose  home  is  in 
Van  Buren  county,  Michigan;  Minnie  and 
Sarah,  both  at  home;  and  William  G.,  an 
electrician  living  in  Wilmette,  Illinois.  All 
were  born  in  Berrien  county.  The  family 
has  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  of  cultivable  land 
and  ten  acres  of  timber  in  Berrien  township. 
They  are  all  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  at  Niles,  and  are  interested  in  the 
moral  progress  and  development  as  well  as 
in  the  material  advancement  of  the  commun- 
ity. Mr.  Beyrer  was  well  known  in  the 
county  and  was  identified  with  its  early 
history.  He  served  for  six  months  in  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion  but  throughout  the 
remainder  of  his  residence  in  America  was 
identified  with  farming  interests  and  be- 
came known  as  an  active  and  substantial 
agriculturist  whose  labors  resulted  in  suc- 
cess, so  that  his  family  was  left  in  comfort- 
able circumstances. 

HENRY  C.  MORTON,  was  closely  con- 
nected with  the  movements,  measures  and 
plans  resulting  in  progress  in  Benton  Har- 
bor and  Berrien  county  and  witnessed  the 
development  of  the  city  from  a  tiny  hamlet 
of  primitive  environments  to  one  of  the 
thriving  metropolitan  centers  of  the  state, 
with  all  the  conveniences  of  modern  life. 
He  was  instrumental  in  projecting  and 
building  the  Benton  Harbor  ship  canal  and 
likewise  contributed  of  his  time  and  means 
to  the  development  and  successful  establish- 
ment of  many  other  important  enterprises. 
He  thus  came  to  be  recognized  as  one  of  the 
valued  and  prominent  residents  of  Benton 
Harbor  and  was  so  widely  and  favorably 
known  that  his  death  came  as  a  personal 
bereavement  to  the  large  majority  of  his 
fellow  townsmen  in  the  city  and  county  of 
his  residence. 

Born  in  New  York  in  181 7,  he  was  a 


292 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


son  of  Eleazer  Morton,  who  in  1842  owned 
the  only  house  on  the  east  side  of  the  river 
on  the  present  site  of  Benton  Harbor.  This 
was  a  log  tavern  and  its  proprietor,  then  in 
the  prime  of  life,  was  one  of  the  most  prom- 
inent men  in  the  county — a  man  whose 
counsel  was  sought  by  all  his  neighbors — a 
man  of  commanding  presence,  strict  integ- 
rity and  strong  will.  He  was  also  an  author 
of  some  note  and  for  years  a  correspondent 
of  the  New  York  Tribime.  He  assisted  all 
who  came  to  him  in  distress,  but  woe  to 
the  man  who  abused  his  hospitality.  All 
passenger  traffic  from  as  far  east  as  De- 
troit passed  his  door — for  Benton  Harbor 
was  the  terminus  of  the  Territorial  road. 

It  was  in  the  year  1834  that  Eleazer 
Morton  removed  with  his  family  from  Ohio 
to  Michigan,  remaining  for  about  a  year  in 
Kalamazoo.  Henry  C.  Morton  was  then 
seventeen  years  of  age.  There  was  no 
wagon  road  at  that  time  to  Lake  Michigan, 
but  the  following  year  congress  appropriated 
twenty  thousand  dollars  and  opened  the 
road  from  Detroit  to  St.  Joseph.  The  fam- 
ily remained  in  St.  Joseph  that  winter  and 
in  the  spring  of  1835  came  to  Benton  Har- 
bor, building  a  large  log  house  in  the  woods. 
At  that  time  there  was  not  an  inhabitant  in 
Hagar,  Sodus  or  Pipestone  townships  and 
only  two  families  in  Benton  township. 

Upon  reaching  manhood  Henry  C.  Mor- 
ton became  interested  with  his  father  in  the 
development  of  Benton  Harbor  and  from 
that  time  until  his  later  years  he  was  an  im- 
portant factor  in  its  material  growth  and 
progress,  generously  donating  large  amounts 
of  money  for  every  improvement  of  im- 
portance and  in  several  instances  aiding  St. 
Joseph  financially  in  times  of  stringency. 
In  1866  he  was  appointed  postmaster  of 
the  village  of  Benton  Harbor  and  Stanley 
Morton,  then  a  boy,  acted  as  mail  carrier 
between  Benton  Harbor  and  St.  Joseph. 
The  following  year  Charles  Hubbard  was 
appointed  postmaster  but  died  before  receiv- 
ing his  commission  and  H.  C.  Morton  was 
reappointed.  He  continued  in  the  office, 
with  his  son  Stanley  as  deputy,  until  April, 
1873,  when  he  resigned.  In  the  meantime 
he   had   removed   the   office  to   a   business 


block  which  he  had  erected.  Among  the 
most  notable  improvements  with  which  he 
was  identified  was  the  building  of  the  ship 
canal.  The  idea  was  suggested  at  that  time 
by  Sterne  Bronson,  and  Charles  Hull  was 
also  concerned  in  the  project.  These  three 
men  worked  harmoniously  and  indefatiga- 
bly,  receiving  little  or  no  encouragement 
from  their  fellow  townsmen  but  by  their 
heroic  efforts  they  made  Benton  Harbor, 
one  mile  inland,  a  great  shipping  point.  To 
Mr.  Morton,  more  than  to  the  others,  is  due 
the  credit  for  this  great  work.  In  the  ac- 
complishment of  his  object  he  never  wav- 
ered but  spent  his  fortune  and  some  of  the 
best  years  of  his  life  for  the  work  and  it  is 
fitting  that  his  son,  J.  Stanley  Morton,  of 
the  Graham-Morton  Transportation  Com- 
pany, should  now  be  reaping  the  benefit  of 
his  father's  labors  in  the  utilization  of  the 
canal  for  shipping  purposes. 

Henry  C.  Morton  did  not  stop  his  work 
for  the  benefit  of  the  city  and  county  when 
the  canal  was  completed  but  directed  his 
energies  into  other  lines.  He  did  effective 
work  in  securing  the  extension  of  the  West 
Michigan  (Pere  Marquette)  Railway  to 
Benton  Harbor.  He  was  also  one  of  the 
largest  factors  in  securing  the  Cleveland, 
Cincinnati,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Railroad, 
making  munificent  donations  thereto.  He 
was  also  instrumental  in  building  the  first 
swing  bridge  across  the  St.  Joseph  river  at 
its  mouth.  He  was  also  a  promoter  of  jour- 
nalism here. 

Mr.  Morton  gave  his  early  political  al- 
legiance to  the  Whig  party  and  on  its  disso- 
lution joined  the  ranks  of  the  new  Republi- 
can party  of  which  he  was  an  earnest  ad- 
vocate. He  was  elected  to  the  state  legis- 
lature in  1862,  but  declined  to  again  become 
a  candidate.  His  ambition  was  not  in  the 
line  of  office  holding  and  he  filled  no  other 
positions  save  that  of  postmaster.  He 
preferred  to  do  his  public  service  as  a  pri- 
vate citizen  and  no  official  has  ever  labored 
more  effectively  and  beneficially  for  the  wel- 
fare and  substantial  progress  of  the  county. 
In  early  manhood  Mr.  Morton  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Josephine  Stan- 
ley, and  unto  them  were  born  four  children,. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


293 


but  only  one  is  now  living,  J.  Stanley  Mor- 
ton, with  whom  the  father  spent  his  last 
years,  the  wife  and  mother  having  passed 
away  in  1859.  -f'he  family  home  was  built 
by  Eleazer  Morton  more  than  a  half  cen- 
tury ago  and  is  therefore  one  of  the  oldest 
landmarks  of  the  city.  Mr.  Morton  died  in 
May,  1895,  ^t  the  age  of  seventy-eight 
years,,  and  many  there  were  who  mourned 
the  loss  of  a  trusted,  loved  and  honored 
friend,  while  his  death  marked  the  passing 
of  one  of  the  county's  most  valued  pioneer 
residents.  He  left  the  indelible  impress 
of  his  individuality  upon  the  public  life  and 
his  efforts  were  followed  by  tangible  results 
and  his  influence  and  his  labors  were  far- 
reaching  and  beneficial. 

J.  STANLEY  MORTON  is  the  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  Graham-Morton 
Transportation  Company — a  name  familiar 
to  all  residents  of  the  middle  west,  being  al- 
most synonymous  with  steamboat  traffic  on 
the  Great  Lakes.  He  has,  moreover,  been 
connected  with  various  enterprises  of  direct 
and  permanent  benefit  to  Benton  Harbor 
and  the  name  of  Morton  has  been  associated 
with  the  city's  substantial  development  and 
progress  from  early  days,  his  grandfather, 
Eleazer  Morton,  having  been  one  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor's  pioneers. 

J.  Stanley  Morton  spent  his  boyhood 
days  in  Benton  Harbor,  and  was  a  student 
in  the  public  schools  between  the  ages  of 
six  and  fifteen  years.  He  then  entered  bus- 
iness life,  in  which  he  was  destined  to 
achieve  success,  not  because  of  any  fortu- 
nate combination  of  circumstances  or  ad- 
vantageous environments,  but  because  of 
close  application  and  the  exercise  of  his  na- 
tive talents  supplemented  by  a  laudable  am- 
ition.  When  a  youth  of  fifteen  he  accepted 
a  clerkship  in  a  general  store,  where  he  re- 
mained for  four  years  and  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  he  engaged  in  the  drug  business, 
opening  a  store  which  he  conducted  suc- 
cessfully until  1873,  when  he  sold  out.  He 
soon  became  interested  in  the  steamboat 
business,  which  is  one  of  the  important  in- 
dustries of  Benton  Harbor  because  of  its 
proximity  to  the  lake,   affording  excellent 


opportunities  for  marine  traffic.  He  entered 
into  partnership  with  John  H.  Graham 
under  the  firm  name  of  Graham,  Morton  & 
Company.  In  1880  the  name  of  the  firm 
was  changed  to  the  Graham  &  Morton 
Transportation  Company  and  as  such  car- 
ried on  an  extensive  business  both  in  pas- 
senger and  freight  traffic  until  1893.  In 
that  year  Mr.  Morton  retired  from  the  com- 
pany, in  which  for  several  years  prior  to  his 
withdrawal  he  had  served  as  secretary  and 
treasurer.  Later  with  others  he  became  in- 
terested in  the  Excelsior  Gas  Company,  of 
which  he  was  also  secretary  and  treasurer. 
For  several  years  he  was  vice-president  of 
the  First  National  Bank,  of  Benton  Harbor, 
and  has  been  identified  with  various  enter- 
prises of  the  city,  which  have  contributed 
to  general  commercial  prosperity  as  well  as 
to  individual  success.  He  has  keen  insight 
into  business  opportunities  and  conditions 
and  has  used  his  advantages  in  the  best  pos- 
sible way.  He  was  vice-president  of  the 
Stevens  &  Morton  Lumber  Company,  was 
treasurer  of  the  Alden  Canning  Company, 
one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Benton  Harbor 
Improvement  Company  and  financially  and 
officially  interested  with  a  number  of  other 
business  concerns.  He  later  returned  to 
the  steamboat  business  and  is  now  the  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  Graham-Morton 
Transportation  Company,  which  has  a  num- 
ber of  passenger  and  freight  boats  upon  the 
lakes  and  is  doing  a  most  extensive  and 
profitable  business. 

On  the  2 1  St  of  June,  1871,  Mr.  Morton 
was  married  to  Miss  Carrie  Heath,  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  a  daughter  of  Salmon  F.  and 
Julia  Heath.  In  politics  Mr.  Morton  is  a 
Republican  and  fraternally  is  connected 
with  Lake  Shore  Lodge,  No.  298,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.  He  is  very  enterprising  and  public- 
spirited,  having  the  welfare  of  the  city, 
county  and  state  at  heart  and  co-operating 
in  every  legitimate  enterprise  that  tends  to 
promote  public  progress.  His  money  and 
influence  are  freely  given  in  this  direction 
and  his  business  interests,  too,  have  been 
of  a  nature  that  have  contributed  to  the  up- 
building and  substantial  development  of  his 
native  city.    He  has  a  very  wide  and  favor- 


294 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


able  acquaintance  in  Benton  Harbor  and 
Berrien  county,  the  circle  of  his  friends  be- 
ing almost  co-extensive  with  the  circle  of 
his  acquaintance.  Noting  his  descent  from 
one  of  the  earliest  pioneer  families,  we  find 
in  the  grandfather  the  frontiersman;  in  the 
father,  the  founder;  in  the  son,  the  pro- 
moter. A  typical  representative  of  present- 
day  progress,  he  is  a  figure  containing,  in 
potency  at  least,  the  stanch  qualities  of  his 
two  rugged  forbears — that  prompted  the 
grandfather  to  leave  the  east  for  the  frontier 
and  cause  the  father  to  institute  new 
methods  and  establish  new  projects.  His 
own  power  to  group  and  co-ordinate  has 
made  him  a  man  of  affairs  and  yet  he  has 
also  found  time  to  cultivate  graces  subtler 
than  those  of  commercialism. 

JONAS  H.  HOLDEN,  who,  as  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Beeson  &  Hol- 
den,  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  cul- 
tivation of  peppermint,  having  about  three 
hundred  acres  devoted  to  the  raising  of  that 
herb,  was  born  in  Cornwall,  Ontario,  on  the 
6th  of  February,  i860.  His  father,  George 
R.  Holden,  was  a  native  of  Rutland,  Ver- 
mont, and  remained  in  that  locality  until 
about  twenty-five  years  of  age.  He  was 
married  at  Fort  Jackson  in  St.  Lawrence 
county,  New  York,  and  afterward  went  to 
Canada,  where  he  resided  for  a  few  months, 
during  which  time  the  birth  of  our  subject 
occurred.  He  afterward  returned  to  New 
York  and  thence  went  to  Manteno,  Illinois, 
in  1863.  He  moved  to  Three  Oaks,  Berrien 
county,  in  1865,  where  he  resided  until  1870, 
going  from  there  to  Michigan  City,  Indiana, 
and  afterward  returning  to  Three  Oaks. 
He  owned  a  half  interest  in  a  featherbone 
factory  in  connection  with  E.  K.  Warren 
and- was  thus  identified  with  the  productive 
industries  of  this  part  of  the  county.  A 
jeweler  by  trade,  he  followed  that  business 
from  the  time  he  first  left  Three  Oaks  until 
he  returned,  having  learned  the  trade  in  this 
place  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Fred  War- 
ren, a  brother  of  E.  K.  Warren.  He  died 
at  Toronto,  Ontario,  September  4,  1904,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  His  wife,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  E.  Trask, 


was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  county.  New 
York,  and  now  resides  in  Jacksonville,  Flor- 
ida, at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  Jonas  H. 
Holden  is  the  eldest  of  their  four  children, 
the  others  being  De  Etta,  the  wife  of  H.  W. 
Cook,  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania;  Ninah 
May,  the  wife  of  A.  G.  Cummer,  of  Jack- 
sonville, Florida,  and  John  P.,  of  Toronto^ 
Canada. 

Jonas  H.  Holden  was  only  about  four 
weeks  old  when  his  parents  removed  from 
Cornwall,  Ontario,  to  St.  Lawrence  county^ 
New  York,  and  three  years  later  they  arrived 
in  Manteno,  Illinois,  reaching  there  in  1863. 
They  spent  two  years  in  this  city,  and  after- 
ward went  to  Three  Oaks,  Michigan,  where 
Mr.  Holden  continued  to  make  his  home  for 
about  seven  years.  He  acquired  a  high 
school  education  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years  took  up  the  trade  of  a  jeweler,  which 
he  followed  until  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
He  then  came  to  Three  Oaks,  where  he  has 
made  his  home  continuously  since.  His  father 
became  interested  in  a  featherbone  fac- 
tory and  Mr.  Holden  of  this  review  accepted 
a  position  in  the  factory  and  became  general 
superintendent,  acting  in  that  capacity  con- 
tinuously until  about  two  years  ago,  when 
he  severed  his  connection  with  manufactur- 
ing interests  and  turned  his  attention  to  ag- 
ricultural pursuits,  his  specialty  being  the 
raising  of  peppermint,  in  connection  with  D. 
H.  Beeson,  under  the  firm  style  of  Beeson 
&  Holden.  They  have  about  three  hundred 
acres  in  Galena  and  Weesaw  townships  de- 
voted to  the  cultivation  of  that  plant,  which 
has  become  an  important  industry  and  is 
bringing  to  them  a  very  gratifying  financial 
return,  for  their  product  finds  a  ready  sale 
on  the  market. 

In  1885  Mr.  Holden  was  married  to  Miss 
Matilda  Caroline  Haring,  a  native  of  Mich- 
igan City,  Indiana,  and  a  daughter  of  August 
Haring.  This  union  has  been  blessed  with 
four  children:  Leona  H.,  who  is  now  at- 
tending St.  Mary's  school  at  Notre  Dame, 
Indiana;  Mary  E.,  a  student  in  the  same  in- 
stitution; Kenneth  H.  and  Arthur  J.  H.,  who 
are  students  in  the  schools  at  Three  Oaks. 
Mr.  Holden  has  a  fine  home  in  the  village, 
which  he  erected  in  1876,  and  its  hospitality 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


295 


is  greatly  enjoyed  by  the  many  friends  of 
the  family,  who  occupy  an  enviable  position 
in  social  circles  here.  Mr.  Holden  has  given 
his  support  to  the  Republican  party  since 
age  conferred  upon  him  the  right  of  fran- 
chise. He  belongs  to  the  Congregational 
Church,  in  the  work  of  which  he  takes  an 
active  and  helpful  interest,  and  he  is  also  a 
valued  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  and  the  Masonic  fraternity,  be- 
longing to  the  blue  lodge  in  Three  Oaks  and 
the  commandery  at  Niles.  In  his  life  he  ex- 
emplifies the  beneficent  spirit  of  the  craft, 
being  in  thorough  sympathy  v/ith  its  teach- 
ings and  tenets.  He  has  always  been  a  busy 
man,  giving  unfaltering  attention  to  the 
duties  of  an  active  business  career,  and  as 
the  years  have  gone  by  he  has  prospered  in 
his  undertakings,  becoming  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial residents  of  the  village,  in  which  he 
has  made  his  home  from  early  manhood. 

WILLIAM  BECHT,  who  is  living 
in  Watervliet  township  not  far  from  the 
village  of  Coloma,  was  born  at  'The 
Hemlocks,"  his  father's  home  in  Van  Buren 
county,  Michigan,  on  the  28th  day  of 
December,  i860.  He  is  a  son  of  Christian 
and  Louise  Amelia  (Mitchell)  Becht,  who 
were  natives  of  Germany  and  came  to  the 
United  States  fifty-two  years  ago.  Making 
his  way  w^estward,  the  father  worked  in  a 
sawmill  and  was  thus  early  identified  with 
the  lumber  interests  of  the  state,  which  con- 
stituted the  first  important  course  of  living 
to  the  settlers  in  Michigan.  His  first  home 
'The  Hemlocks"  was  given  in  payment  of 
a  doctor  bill,  for  his  wife  was  ill  for  twenty- 
six  years.  He  enlisted  in  the  service  of  the 
Union  army  of  the  Civil  war  and  remained 
with  the  army  for  three  years.  He  was 
injured  by  a  horse  falling  upon  him  while 
fording  a  river.  After  removing  from  Van 
Buren  to  Berrien  county,  he  settled  on  a 
tract  of  land  of  thirty  acres  west  of  Coloma, 
building  a  little  board  cabin  there.  He  is 
a  shoemaker  by  trade  and  has  since  followed 
that  business,  yet  making  his  home  upon 
his  farm  near  Coloma.  His  wife  passed 
away  March  18,  1905,  in  the  seventy-third 
year  of  her  age,  while  Mr.   Becht  has  at- 


tained the  advanced  age  of  seventy-five  years. 
His  wife  was  an  invalid  for  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  century  and  required  constant 
attention,  her  daughter  Lucy  acting  as  her 
nurse.  She  also  had  charge  of  the  house 
from  the  age  of  ten  years  and  sacrificed  her 
own  pleasure  and  prospects  in  life  for  the 
care  of  her  mother  and  the  younger  chil- 
dren of  the  family.  There  were  nine  chil- 
dren born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Becht,  all  of 
whom  are  yet  living. 

William  Becht,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  remained  at  home  until  fifteen 
years  of  age,  after  which  he  was  employed 
by  J.  D.  Emery  two  summers,  and  then  be- 
gan working  for  H.  W.  Williams.  He  was 
employed  in  the  lumber  woods,  rafting  logs 
down  the  river  and  also  working  in  a  saw- 
mill for  six  years.  His  time  w^as  thus  spent 
until  his  marriage  which  important  event  in 
his  life  occurred  on  the  first  of  January, 
1885,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss 
Clara  Brant,  a  daughter  of  Edward  and 
Martha  Brant,  mention  of  whom  is  made 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  Mr.  Becht  was  em- 
ployed by  Mr.  Brant  for  three  years,  after 
which  he  rented  the  Brant  farm  until  he 
purchased  the  property,  comprising  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  land.  He  also  operates  another 
farm  of  two  hundred  acres  from  Mr.  Brant, 
who  lives  in  Benton  Harbor,  having  charge 
of  the  interests  of  his  father-in-law  in  this 
part  of  the  county.  In  his  agricultural  pur- 
suits he  is  enterprising,  active  and  progres- 
sive and  is  devoting  his  attention  to  the  rais- 
ing of  corn,  cattle  and  hogs.  He  also  has 
twenty  acres  planted  to  peaches,  plums  and 
apples,  and  in  addition  there  is  an  old 
orchard  upon  the  place.  He  keeps  eleven 
cows,  also  has  high  grades  of  horses  as  well 
as  cattle.  In  his  business  he  is  meeting  with 
creditable  success  and  his  close  application 
and  enterprise  constitute  the  basis  of  his 
prosperity. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Becht  has  been  born 
a  son,  Lincoln  Edward  Becht,  who  is  now 
twelve  years  of  age.  In  his  political  affilia- 
tions Mr.  Becht  is  a  Democrat  but  without 
aspiration  for  office.  He  displays  in  his  life 
many  of  the  strong  and  commendable  traits 
of  character  of  his  German  ancestry  and  at 


^g6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


^he  same  time  has  a  progressive  spirit  and 
^eady  adaptability  which  have  ever  marked 
the  American  people.  The  success  he  has 
v^on  is  due  entirely  to  his  own  labor  and  an 
analyzation  of  his  history  shows  that  he  has 
placed  his  dependence  upon  the  safe  and  sure 
qualities  of  determination  and  industry. 
He  has  never  trusted  to  chance  or  any  for- 
tunate combination  of  circumstances  and 
through  earnest  labdr  has  won  a  creditable 
position  as  an  agriculturist  of  Berrien  county. 

HENRY  EMLONG,  living  on  section 
four,  Lake  township,  has  through  the 
exercise  of  industry,  perseverance  and 
'keen  business  judgment  developed  a  well 
improved  and  profitable  farm.  He  was 
born  in  Toledo,  Ohio,  May  3,  1858,  and 
when  twelve  years  of  age  was  brought 
to  Lake  township  by  his  parents,  Henry  and 
Fannie  (Mathews)  Emlong,  the  father  a 
native  of  Germany,  born  near  Alsace,  while 
the  mother  was  a  native  of  Switzerland. 
With  their  respective  parents  they  came  to 
America  and  were  married  in  Toledo,  Ohio, 
where  they  resided  until  about  1870,  when 
they  came  with  their  family  to  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  where  they  spent  their 
remaining  days.  Mr.  Emlong  passed  away 
at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years  and  his  wife 
when  seventy-two  years  of  age.  In  their 
family  were  ten  children,  of  whom  four  died 
in  Toledo  and  six  became  residents  of  Ber- 
rien county,  namely :  Emma  and  Mary,  now 
deceased;'  Henry,  of  this  review;  Charles, 
who  is  living  in  Lincoln  township;  John,  of 
Lake  township ;  and  Hartwell. 

Brought  to  this  county  when  a  lad  of 
twelve  years,  Henry  Emlong  was  reared  on 
his  father's  farm  and  in  his  youth  began 
working  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand,  being 
thus  employed  for  about  ten  years,  making 
his  home,  however,  with  the  family.  He 
now  owns  a  farm  of  eighty  acres.  Twenty- 
three  years  ago  he  purchased  forty  acres  and 
has  since  added  another  forty-acre  tract  just 
across  the  road,  so  that  he  now  has  eighty 
acres  situated  on  sections  four  and  five  Lake 
township.  Of  this,  sixty-five  acres  is  under 
cultivation.  He  has  given  his  attention  to 
the  raising  of  fruit  and  grain  and  has  a  well 


developed  farm  property.  He  has  erected  a 
good  residence  and  substantial  barn  and  has 
made  many  other  excellent  improvements 
which  add  to  the  value  and  attractive  appear- 
ance of  the  place.  In  all  of  his  farm  work 
he  is  progressive  and  enterprising  and  his 
efforts  have  resulted  in  the  acquirement  of 
a  gratifying  measure  of  success. 

Mr.  Emlong  was  married  on  the  twenty- 
second  of  December,  1886,  to  Miss  Mary 
Myer,  who  was  born  in  Lake  township,  Aug- 
ust 24,  1867,  a  daughter  of  George  Henry 
and  Margaret  (Bachman)  Myer,  who  were 
natives  of  Germany.  They  came  to  this 
country  in  early  life  and  were  married  in 
Michigan.  The  father  died  at  the  age  of 
fifty-nine  years,  but  the  mother  is  still  liv- 
ing and  now  makes  her  home  with  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Emlong.  Unto  our  subject 
and  his  wife  has  been  born  four  children: 
Pearl  Mae,  Clyde  Edward,  Ralph  Raymond 
and  Viola  Edythe. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Emlong  is  an 
earnest  Republican  and  for  eighteen  years 
has  served  as  school  treasurer.  He  belongs 
to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Bridg- 
man  and  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp,  as- 
sociations which  indicate  much  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  man  and  the  principles  which 
permeate  his  life  and  shape  his  conduct,  mak- 
ing him  a  respected  and  valued  resident  of 
Lake  township. 

FRANCIS  A.  DANIELS.  When  the 
tocsin  of  war  sounded  and  men  from  all 
parts  of  the  country  and  in  all  walks  of  life 
responded  to  the  call  of  the  Union,  Francis 
A.  Daniels  was  among  the  number  who  of- 
fered his  services  to  the  government  arid  fol- 
lowed the  stars  and  stripes  on  southern  bat- 
tlefields. His  last  days  were  spent  on  sec- 
tion six  and  seven,  Wesaw  township,  where 
he  owned  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  eight 
acres  known  as  the  Maple  Grove  farm.  In 
his  demise  the  county  lost  one  of  its  most 
valued  and  respected  citizens.  He  was  born 
near  Detroit,  Michigan,  August  14,  1839, 
and  passed  away  at  New  Troy,  May  3,  1889. 
He  was  a  son  of  James  and  Isabel  Daniels 
and  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of 
seven  children.     Reared  to  farm  life  near 


CO 

O 
< 

Ph 

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JU^/}^^  ^y^.^^, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


297 


Detroit,  he  lost  his  parents  when  still  a 
young  lad  of  about  thirteen  years.  When 
fifteen  years  of  age  he  went  to  Freeport, 
Illinois,  and  lived  with  a  brother  for  several 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
removed  to  Forestor,  Iowa.  He  had  en- 
gaged in  clerking  in  a  store  with  his  brother 
in  Illinois  and  also  assisted  in  the  operation 
of  a  flour  mill  and  he  contiued  in  the  latter 
business  in  Iowa  until  he  enlisted  for  ser- 
vice in  the  Civil  war,  joining  the  Ninth  Iowa 
Infantry  as  a  member  of  Company  A.  He 
was  at  the  front  for  about  one  year  with  the 
division  under  Gen.  Curtis  and  participated 
in  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge  and  in  other  en- 
gagements. He  sustained  a  bullet  wound  in 
the  arm  and  contracted  heart  disease,  by  rea- 
son of  which  physical  troubles  he  was  dis- 
charged. He  then  returned  to  the  north, 
making  his  home  at  Oak  Park,  Illi- 
nois, now  a  suburb  of  Chicago,  and 
he  was  married  at  River  Forest  an- 
other suburb  on  the  west  side  of  the 
metropolis.  Subsequently  he  was  em- 
ployed in  his  brothers  sawmill  at  Ford  River, 
Michigan,  for  a  year  and  lived  in  Chicago 
for  two  years,  where  he  conducted  a  store. 
Becoming  ill  he  removed  to  New  Troy,  Mich- 
igan, where  he  continued  the  operation  of  a 
sawmill.  Turning  his  attention  to  general 
agricultural  pursuits,  he  purchased  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  eight  acres  on  section  six, 
Wesaw  township  and  continued  actively  in 
its  operation  until  his  death,  the  Maple  Grove 
farm  becoming  one  of  the  valuable  proper- 
ties of  this  part  of  the  countv. 

Mr.  Daniels  was  married  in  1863  to  Miss 
Mary  A.  Steele,  who  was  born  in  Chicago, 
her  father  at  that  time  being  sherifif  of  Cook 
county.  Her  natal  day  was  September  8, 
1840,  and  she  lived  in  Chicago  and  at  River 
Forest  until  her  marriage.  Her  parents  were 
Ashbel  and  Harriett  (Dawley)  Steele,  the 
former  a  native  of  Connecticut  and  the  lat- 
ter of  England.  The  father  spent  his  boy- 
hood days  in  the  state  of  his  nativity  and 
afterward  removed  to  Rochester,  New  York, 
where  he  was  married.  Subsequently  he 
went  to  Chicago  in  1833  ^^d  spent  his  re- 
maining days  in  that  city  and  in  the 
suburban    town    of     River     Forest.      His 


political  allegiance  in  early  life  was  given 
to  the  Whig  party,  and  he  was  a  rec- 
ognized leader  in  its  ranks  and  was  serv- 
ing as  sheriff  of  Cook  county  at  the  time 
of  the  birth  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Dan- 
iels. He  also  held  other  public  offices, 
the  duties  of  which  were  discharged  with 
promptness  and  fidelity.  He  found  condi- 
tions very  primitive  in  Chicago  at  the  time  of 
his  removal  there.  Hotel  accommodations 
were  very  poor  and  there  were  few  good 
buildings  to  rent.  He  erected  a  number  of 
good  homes  there,  which  he  afterward  sold. 
He  build  twelve  in  one  year,  which  was  con- 
sidered an  extensive  building  business  for 
those  days.  In  his  family  were  eight  daugh- 
ters and  two  sons,  Mrs.  Daniels  being  the 
seventh  daughter  and  seventh  child. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daniels  were  born 
six  children :  Flora  A.,  now  the  wife  of  L. 
A.  Addison,  of  Chicago;  Clara  Louise,  the 
wife  of  Solomon  McKeen,  of  the  same  city; 
Eunice,  the  wife  of  Charles  Peterson  of 
Chicago;  George,  who  operates  the  home 
farm;  John  H.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven 
years;  and  Emma  J.,  the  wife  of  Peter  J. 
Pierce  of  California. 

Mr.  Daniels  was  a  resident  of  Berrien 
county  from  1868  until  his  demise.  The 
Grand  Army  post  of  New  Troy  was  named 
in  his  honor,  showing  the  regard  in  which 
he  was  held  by  his  comrades  of  the  war.  In 
politics  he  was  a  Republican  but  not  active 
as  an  office  seeker,  although  he  was  deeply 
interested  in  the  success  of  the  principles  of 
the  party.  He  was  an  earnest  worker,  how- 
ever, in  the  Methodist  church  and  acted  as 
class  leader  for  many  years  and  was  trustee 
at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  a  man  who 
stood  high  in  public  regard,  for  he  was 
worthy  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  towns- 
men and  lived  a  life  characterized  by  all  that 
is  commendable  in  man's  relations  with  his 
fellowmen.  His  widow  still  owns  the  Maple 
Grove  farm  and,  like  her  husband,  enjoys 
in  New  Troy  and  the  surrounding  commun- 
ity the  warm  friendship  of  many  with  whom 
she  has  become  acquainted. 

JOHN  BELL,  M.  D.  When  the  name 
of  Dr.  John  Bell  was  added  to  the  roll  of 


298 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


honored  dead  Benton  Harbor  lost  her  "best 
beloved  citizen"  and  Berrien  county  her 
most  distinguished  member  of  the  medical 
fraternity.  Known  and  honored  for  many 
years  as  a  citizen  of  virtue,  integrity  and 
manly  strength,  such  were  his  leading  char- 
acteristics that  his  friends  may  well  feel 

''This  was  a  man;  take  him  for  all  in  all, 
I  shall  not  look  upon  his  like  again." 

He  entered  life  in  Milton,  Halton  county, 
Ontario,  September  25,  1840.  His  father, 
Joseph  Bell^  was  a  native  of  England, 
whence  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Canada 
in  early  life  and  there  followed  the  occupa- 
tion of  farming,  so  that  the  son  was  reared 
to  agricultural  pursuits.  His  education 
was  gained  in  the  grammar  school  of  his 
native  city  and,  ambitious  for  further  in- 
tellectual advancement  and  progress,  he  en- 
tered the  Toronto  University,  wherein  he 
completed  a  full  course  in  medicine.  Think- 
ing to  find  better  business  opportunities 
across  the  border,  Dr.  Bell  located  for  prac- 
tice in  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  in  1861,  and 
from  that  time  until  his  death,  covering  a 
period  of  forty-one  years,  he  was  an  able 
member  of  the  medical  fraternity  of  Ber- 
rien county  and  moreover  a  man  whose 
kindly  spirit,  generous  impulses  and  broad 
humanitarian  principles  endeared  him  to  all 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  After  prac- 
ticing medicince  for  two  years  in  St.  Jo- 
seph, ambitious  to  attain  a  still  higher  de- 
gree of  proficiency,  he  matriculated  in  the 
medical  department  of  the  University  of 
New  York  City,  where  for  two  years  he  con- 
tinued his  studies,  the  degrees  of  Doctor 
of  Medicine  and  Bachelor  of  Medicine  be- 
ing conferred  upon  him  by  that  institution. 

Returning  to  Michigan,  Dr.  Bell  opened 
an  office  in  Benton  Harbor,  where  for  thirty- 
eight  years  he  continued  in  active  practice. 
During  his  younger  days  his  opportunities 
for  obtaining  a  theoretical  knowledge  of 
medicine  were  the  best  obtainable  and  he 
availed  himself  to  the  utmost  of  every  op- 
portunity. His  thorough  education  together 
with  a  comprehensive  system  of  reading, 
which  he  kept  up  to  the  day  when  he  was 
stricken  with  his  last  illness,  made  him  a 
successful   physician.     Unlike  many  physi- 


cians who  cease  their  scientific  reading  after 
they  reach  middle  age,  he  continued  a  close, 
earnest  and  discriminating  student  of  his 
profession,  constantly  broadening  his  knowl- 
edge and  promoting  his  efficiency,  so  that  the 
demand  for  his  professional  service  continu- 
ally increased  and  he  ranked  as  the  fore- 
most member  of  the  medical  fraternity  in 
Berrien  county.  He  held  membership  in 
the  Berrien  County  Medical  Society  and  the 
Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  before 
which  body  he  often  appeared  in  the  dis- 
cussion of  questions  of  vital  interest  to  the 
profession.  He  was  also  for  a  long  period 
a  prominent  member  of  the  American  Med- 
ical Society. 

Moreover,  Dr.  Bell  was  a  business  man 
of  enterprise  and  keen  foresight  and  through 
his  close  and  active  identification  with 
various  business  interests  he  contributed  in 
substantial  measure  to  the  grow^th  and  ma- 
terial progress  of  the  city.  At  the  time  of 
his  death  he  was  connected  with  two  busi- 
ness enterprises  of  importance,  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  George  M.  Bell  &  Com- 
pany, druggists  of  Benton  Harbor,  and  also 
the  owner  of  a  half  interest  in  the  Bell 
Opera  House.  At  a  time  when  it  seemed  that 
the  need  of  the  city  for  an  opera  house  was 
greater  than  any  other  municipal  need  he 
undertook  the  task  of  meeting  this  want  and 
associated  with  George  A.  Mills  erected  the 
Bell  Opera  House,  which  stands  as  a  mon- 
ument to  his  enterprise  and  his  devotion  to 
Benton  Harbor. 

It  is  said  that  no  citizen  among  those 
who  followed  the  pioneers  and  founders  of 
the  town  took  as  deep  and  helpful  an  inter- 
est in  Benton  Harbor's  welfare  as  did  Dr. 
Bell.  He  was  continually  suggesting  meth- 
ods for  its  improvement  and  he  had  the 
ability  to  combine  and  co-ordinate  plans  and 
forces  with  the  result  that  successful  accom- 
plishment was  achieved.  For  a  time  the 
city  seemed  at  a  standstill,  or  in  fact  suf- 
fered a  period  of  retrogression.  In  the  fall 
of  1890  there  were  one  hundred  and  twenty 
empty  houses  in  Benton  Harbor,  and  a  pub- 
lic meeting  was  called  for  the  purpose  of 
instituting  a  plan  that  would  secure  new 
manufacturing  plants  for  the  city  and  thus 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


299 


promote  its  growth.  Twenty  men  organ- 
ized what  was  known  as  the  Benton  Har- 
bor Improvement  Association,  each  pledging 
one  thousand  dollars,  which  was  paid  in 
notes  and  the  notes  cashed  at  the  bank.  With 
this  twenty  thousand  dollars  factory  bonuses 
were  contracted  to  the  amount  of  eighty 
thousand  dollars.  A  special  election  was 
called  and  the  citizens  voted  fifty  thousand 
dollars  to  be  used  in  paying  these  bonuses 
contracted,  but  the  will  of  the  people  was 
thwarted  by  an  injunction  secured  by 
Charles  H.  Godfrey  on  the  ground  that  pub- 
lic enterprises  could  not  be  encouraged  from 
the  public  purse.  The  improvement  asso- 
ciation was  thus  made  bankrupt  with  a  debt 
of  sixty  thousand  dollars  against  it.  A 
meeting  of  the  stockholders  was  called  to 
consider  the  situation.  There  was  no  law 
which  bound  the  men  as  individuals  to  pay 
the  debts  of  the  corporation,  but  Dr.  Bell, 
J.  S.  Morton,  J.  H.  Lee,  A.  R.  Nowlen  and 
Peter  English  declared  that  the  debt  must 
be  paid  in  full,  as  the  credit  of  the  city  .was 
at  stake.  None  of  these  men  wevt  at  that 
time  able  to  put  up  twelve  thousand  dol- 
lars without  restraining  their  resources  and 
their  credit,  but  they  kept  faith  with  the 
manufacturers  and  paid  the  money.  One 
who  knew  Dr.  Bell  w^ell,  in  speaking  of  what 
he  did  in  this  connection,  said  :  "The  paying 
out  of  that  twelve  thousand  dollars  made 
Dr.  Bell  a  poor  man  and  he  never  recov- 
ered from  the  financial  stress.  He  lived 
very  economically  and  never  took  a  vaca- 
tion. I  often  have  asked  why  he  did  not 
get  away  and  rest  but  he  would  always  re- 
ply, T  am  in  debt  and  must  work.'  "  George 
A.  Mills,  long  a  partner  of  Dr.  Bell,  said: 
*'Dr.  Bell  is  a  man  that  few  of  us  really 
appreciate.  You  couldn't  get  to  know  him 
well  in  four  or  five  years.  When  you  come 
to  know  him  twenty  years  and  have  business 
relations  with  him,  then  you  learn  his  true 
w^orth.  Much  has  been  said  since  his  death 
concerning  his  character  but  the  half  has 
not  yet  been  told.  It  would  take  a  long 
time  to  tell  of  all  the  good  that  man  has 
done.  Few  people  know  that  it  was  Dr. 
Bell  personally  who  secured  the  Milwaukee, 
Benton   Harbor  &   Columbus   Railway   for 


Benton  Harbor.  No  one  besides  Dr.  Bell 
had  much  faith  in  the  project.  But  he  stuck 
by  it  in  his  characteristic  manner  and  the 
road  came  here.  That  is  only  one  thing  he 
did  in  public  life.  It  would  take  years  to 
tell  all  the  good  that  he  did  in  his  private 
life.  Most  of  it  we  will  probably  never 
know.'' 

Dr.  Bell  was  also  closely  associated  with 
the  political  progress  of  the  city.  He  was 
a  stalwart  Republican  but  never  aggressive, 
and  he  never  suffered  from  the  bitter  at- 
tacks of  an  opposing  party,  for  such  was 
his  private  life  and  his  devotion  to  his  honest 
belief.  He  was  not  an  office  seeker  and 
whenever  he  filled  a  position  of  political 
preferment  it  was  at  the  earnest  request  of  a 
great  majority  of  the  citizens.  In  1877  he 
was  chosen  by  popular  suffrage  president 
of  the  village,  and  twenty  years  later  was 
elected  mayor  by  a  handsome  majority,  fill- 
ing the  office  so  acceptably  that  he  w^as  re- 
elected for  the  succeeding  year,  giving  the 
city  a  practical  and  business-like  adminis- 
tration with  due  regard  to  conservatism  in 
public  expenditures  without  neglect  for  pub- 
lic progress.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he 
was  president  of  the  city  board  of  health. 
He  was  a  man  of  keen  insight  and  realized 
the  possibilities  of  the  city,  foreshadowing 
these  in  the  address  which  he  delivered  to 
the  council  upon  his  retirement  from  the 
office  of  chief  executive.  He  said  :  *^While 
Benton  Harbor  is  at  present  of  no  great 
magnitude,  we  have  the  nucleus  of  what  is 
destined  to  be  a  city  of  fifty  thousand  people 
in  a  few  years.  Our  position  on  the  lake, 
our  railroad  facilities  and  other  very  im- 
portant advantages  lead  me  to  this  claim 
and  it  is  not  only  my  opinion  but  also  the 
opinion  of  many  others.  I  cannot  but  advise 
the  incoming  city  council  to  bear  this  in 
mind  and  whatever  they  may  be  called  upon 
to  do,  always  hold  in  view  the  probabilities 
of  the  hereafter.  *  *  *  There  is  one 
paramount  subject  that  should  engross  the 
attention  of  the  incoming  council.  I  refer  to 
the  water  supply  of  our  city.  We  are  well 
aware  of  the  insufficient  amount  of  water, 
and  something  should  be  done  very  soon  to 
remedy  it,  to  make  the  supply  sufficient  for 


300 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


our  present  needs  and  also  to  prepare  for 
the  future.  It  may  require  the  expenditure 
of  considerable  money.  It  is  not  probable 
that  a  sinking  fund  could  be  maintained  to 
liquidate  the  water  bonds  when  matured 
and  it  is  my  opinion  it  is  not  advisable  to 
attempt  it.  Let  future  generations  pay  off 
that  indebtedness,  but  see  to  it  that  we  have 
sufficient  and  good  water  for  city  require- 
ments.'' He  also  expressed  himself  very 
strongly  on  the  question  of  city  lighting  and 
also  concerning  the  indebtedness  of  the  city. 
During  the  campaign  much  had  been  said 
by  the  rival  party  concerning  the  debt  which 
hung  over  the  city.  Dr.  Bell  stated  that 
although  the  city  was  bonded  to  the  extent 
of  one  hundred  and  forty  thousand  dollars 
at  that  time,  the  income  from  the  improve- 
ments causing  the  bonds  to  be  issued  was 
meeting  all  expenses  of  the  bonds,  paying 
off  a  portion  of  them  and  would  in  due  time 
pay  the  bonds  and  other  expenses  and  return 
a  revenue  to  the  city.  This  has  been  the 
case  in  many  instances.  ''The  person  who 
would  make  a  statement  derogatory  to  the 
city  finances,  through  the  public  press,  to  go 
broadcast  through  the  country,  is  no  friend 
to  the  city,"  said  he  in  righteous  indignation 
over  the  attacks  that  had  been  made  upon 
his  beloved  city,  for  the  good  of  which  he 
had  labored  the  best  part  of  his  life.  "When 
we  commenced  doing  business  two  years  ago 
there  was  a  floating  debt  against  the  city  of 
eight  thousand  dollars.  During  the  two 
years  you  have  paid  this  off  together  with 
bonds  and  other  indebtedness  coming  due, 
amounting  in  all  to  twenty-three  thousand 
five  hundred  dollars,  and  this  has  been  done 
without  any  increase  in  taxation.  *  *  * 
From  the  day  my  lot  was  cast  here  up  to 
the  present  moment  when  I  lay  down  an 
authority  given  to  me  without  my  desire  or 
solicitation  and  accepted  at  my  own  pe- 
cuniary loss  and  personal  discomfort,  I  have 
done  what  I  could  for  Benton  Harbor — 
days  of  earnest  work  and  such  financial  as- 
sistance as  I  could  afford  have  been  at  the 
service  of  this  community.  Together  with 
the  older  citizens,  many  of  whom  have 
passed  away,  I  labored  to  start  our  little 
town  at  the  end  of  the  ditch  and  have  shared 


in  the  pride  of  our  newer  inhabitants  of  the 
development  of  that  little  town  into  a  city. 
Of  the  burdens  which  our  continual  growth 
has  forced  upon  us,  I  have  borne  my  share 
without  complaint." 

While  progressive  in  citizenship  and  in 
business  and  while  holding  friendship  in- 
violable, his  best  traits  of  character  were 
reserved  for  his  own  fireside,  and  in  De- 
cember, 1867,  when  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Anetta,  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Hannah  (Dickinson)  Hopkins,  of 
Trumansburg.  New  York,  he  entered  upon 
an  ideal  married  relation.  He  was  a  man 
of  most  kindly  and  generous  spirit.  The 
poor  and  needy  found  in  him  a  friend  and 
he  did  not  hesitate  to  give  his  professional 
service  even  when  he  knew  that  no  re- 
muneration would  be  received.  He  was 
valued  in  fraternal  circles.  He  held  mem- 
bership with  Lake  Shore  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.,  St.  Joseph's  Council,  R.  &  S.  M.,  Calvin 
Brittian  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Malta  Com- 
mandery,  K.  T.  He  was  also  a  member  of 
the  fienton  Harbor  lodge  of  Elks,  one  of  the 
charter  mem'bers  of  Bell  Lodge,  Knights  of 
Honor,  to  which  organization  his  name  was 
given,  and  he  became  one  of  the  highest 
ranking  Knights  of  Pythias  in  the  world. 
He  joined  that  organization  soon  after  its 
inception  and  labored  untiringly  for  its  ad- 
vancement. In  1898  he  received  from  the 
major  general  of  the  supreme  lodge,  uni- 
form rank  of  the  order,  the  appointment  as 
brigadier  general  and  surgeon  general  of  the 
supreme  body.  He  was  the  highest  rank- 
ing surgeon  in  the  order  in  the  entire  world 
and  a  few  other  officers  in  the  order  preceded 
him  in  rank.  He  served  several  terms  as 
master  of  the  blue  lodge  and  was  one  of  the 
best  informed  Masons  in  Michigan.  It  is 
said  that  he  did  more  in  behalf  of  fraternity 
than  any  other  man  in  Berrien  county. 

The  death  of  Dr.  Bell  came  after  a  brief 
illness,  on  the  29th  of  December,  1901. 
During  his  illness  the  foremost  specialists  of 
the  west  were  called  in  consultation  but 
nothing  could  be  done  to  prolong  his  life. 
He  underwent  severe  suffering  without  a 
word  of  complaint  and  in  his  dying  hours 
his  thought  was  more  for  his  family  than 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


301 


for  himself.  His  remains  lay  in  state  in 
the  opera  house,  where  hundreds  of  his 
fellow  citizens  passed  by  the  casket  to  pay 
their  last  tribute  of  respect  to  one  whom 
they  had  long  known  and  honored,  and  the 
funeral  cortege  was  one  of  the  most  impos- 
ing ever  seen  in  Berrien  county.  The  opera 
house  was  suitably  decorated,  the  prosce- 
nium arch  and  boxes  being  draped  in  black, 
while  the  orchestra  pit  was  covered  with  a 
solid  bank  of  flowers.  Perhaps  no  better 
indication  of  the  character  of  Dr.  Bell  could 
be  given  than  the  words  of  the  funeral 
eulogy  as  pronounced  by  the  Rev.  W.  P. 
French,  who  said :  ''There  have  been  many 
deaths  in  this  city  of  prominent  citizens  in 
the  past  but  never  one  that  has  been  more 
deeply  deplored  than  that  of  the  man  whose 
loss  we  mourn  today,  and  if  ever  I  desired 
talent  of  eulogy  it  is  on  this  occasion,  that 
I  might  be  capable  of  properly  placing  be- 
fore you  and  of  paying  a  fitting  tribute  to 
the  memory  of  Benton  Harbor's  most 
highly  esteemed  and  best  beloved  citizen, 
Dr.  John  Bell.  But  I  cannot  do  this.  I 
can  only  hint  at  a  few  of  the  many  com- 
mendable traits  of  his  magnificent  charac- 
ter. Now  I  have  little  sympathy  with  that 
sentimentality  that  defies  either  the  living 
or  the  dead  but  there  are  characters  which 
bear  the  closest  scrutiny  and  the  severest 
tests,  which  have  been  tried  in  the  furnace 
and  been  proven  true,  which  have  been 
weighed  in  the  balance  and  have  not  been 
found  wanting,  which  have  been  declared 
sterling  by  general  consent.  These  we  love 
and  prize,  and  such  was  the  man  whose  loss 
we  mourn  today.  There  was  a  beauty,  a 
charm  about  his  character  and  life  that  won 
the  hearts  of  all.  This  is  why  it  is  there  is 
such  a  general  expression  of  sorrow  at  his 
death.  I  say  general,  for  it  is  confined  to 
no  class  of  our  citizens,  both  old  and  young, 
rich  and  poor  alike  feel  that  they  have  sus- 
tained a  personal  loss.  It  is  as  if  the  sorrow 
of  death  had  entered  every  home.  Strong 
men  wept  when  they  learned  of  his  death. 
Many  tears  have  been  shed  by  people  who 
do  not  ordinarily  weep  over  the  death  of 
any  outside  of  their  own  home  circle,  but 
all  through  these  two  cities  and  the  county 


where  he  was  known,  persons  that  perhaps 
the  deceased  never  suspected  cherished  such 
kindly  regard  and  esteem  for  him,  have 
given  expression  to  their  feelings  of  deepest 
sorrow.  Dr.  Bell  was  indeed  a  remarkable 
man,  possessing  a  character  complete  and 
symmetrical  in  all  its  parts.  In  the  first 
place  he  was  a  truthful  man.  He  had  the 
highest  regard  for  his  word.  Of  him  it 
can  truly  be  said  his  word  was  as  good  as  his 
bond.  As  one  said  to  me  before  I  became 
intimately  acquainted  with  the  deceased, 
what  Dr.  Bell  tells  you,  you  can  believe, 
and  I  have  found  this  statement  true.  He 
always  spoke  the  truth  in  all  his  dealings 
with  his  fellowmen,  and  his  example  in  this 
particular  is  worthy  of  imitation  and  is  a 
stern  rebuke  to  the  falsehoods  and  shams 
practiced  by  too  many.  Dr.  Bell  never  lost 
friends  by  being  two-faced.  There  were  no 
subterfuges,  no  double  dealings  in  his  con- 
duct, but  he  gained  the  confidence  of  all 
by  always  speaking  the  truth.  Again  Dr. 
Bell  was  an  honest  man.  There  is  abroad 
in  this  materiahstic  money-getting  age  a 
prevalent  idea  that  success  in  accumulating 
property  is  the  thing  to  be  attained.  Hence, 
when  a  man  dies  the  question  is  asked,  what 
was  he  w^orth?  By  this  is  meant,  what  was 
his  financial  standing,  for  how  large  an 
amount  could  he  draw  his  check?  The 
world  has  too  little  to  do  with  questions  as 
to  the  methods  by  which  this  success  was 
reached.  Dr.  Bell  did  not  believe  in  or  act 
on  this  principle.  He  was  a  man  of  thor- 
ough honesty,  a  man  in  whom  the  business 
public  and  all  had  confidence.  He  jealously 
guarded  his  reputation  in  this  particular  by 
meeting  promptly  all  his  obligations,  and 
on  one  occasion  at  least  he  even  drew  upon 
his  own  resources  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
seriously  inconvenience  himself  financially, 
to  protect  the  credit  of  his  city.  Again  Dr. 
Bell  had  a  kind,  tender  and  loving  heart. 
No  one  in  need  who  called  upon  him  was 
ever  denied  or  turned  empty  handed  away, 
and  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  he  re- 
sponded any  hour  of  the  day  or  night  to  the 
calls  of  the  poor  as  promptly  as  to  those 
of  the  rich  and  I  venture  the  assertion  that 
on  his  books  today  are  thousands  of  dollars 


302 


HISIORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


he  never  attempted  to  collect  because  he 
knew  the  persons  were  unable  to  pay.  He 
believed  in  and  practiced  the  golden  rule, 
which  teaches  brotherhood  broader  than  all 
human  dogma,  deeper  than  all  isms  and 
lasting  as  eternity.  Dr.  Bell  was  also  a  man 
of  genuine  public  spirit.  He  was  always 
ready  to  do  service  in  the  public  behalf  with- 
out compensation  other  than  the  conscious- 
ness of  duty  performed.  No  man  in  the 
history  of  this  city  ever  did  more  to  build 
up  or  took  a  greater  pride  in  Benton  Har- 
bor. Mother  never  loved  her  child  with 
fonder  affection  than  he  cherished  for  his 
beautiful  home  city.  It  was  a  love,  too,  that 
did  not  evaporate  in  mere  sentiment  of 
good  wishes  for  its  prosperity  while  he  self- 
ishly hoarded  and  attended  strictly  to  his 
own  duties,  but  with  time  and  money  worked 
and  gave  to  beautify  and  improve  it.  Dr. 
Bell  was  also  very  largely  what  we  term  a 
self-made  man,  and  in  this  his  life  has  a  les- 
son for  our  young  men  today.  The  days 
so  often  spent  by  thoughtless  and  indolent 
young  men  in  idleness,  trashy  reading  or 
other  forms  of  dissipation,  he  with  energy 
and  application  devoted  to  study,  laying  with 
painstaking  earnestness,  perseverance,  the 
foundation  of  that  sturdy  indomitable  char- 
acter which  in  later  life  placed  him  in  the 
front  rank  of  his  profession.  And  with  all 
he  was  ever  the  perfect  gentleman,  genial 
and  courteous  in  his  conversation  and  inter- 
course with  others,  polished  in  his  manner, 
intelligent,  educated,  refined  and  affable. 
No  w^onder  then  the  community  is  in  tears 
for  the  loss  of  one  whose  noble  life  and  char- 
acter endeared  him  to  the  hearts  of  all  who 
knew  him." 

GEORGE  M.  BELL,  M.  D.,  practicing 
along  modern  scientific  lines  in  Benton  Har- 
bor, was  born  in  Milton,  Halton  county,  in 
the  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  September 
9,  1848,  his  parents  being  Joseph  and  Mary 
(Teetzel)  Bell.  His  childhood  days  were 
passed  in  Canada,  where  he  acquired  his 
elementary  education.  At  the  age  of  fifteen 
years  he  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan, 
and  after  completing  his  more  specific- 
ally    literary     education    he     began     read- 


ing medicine  under  the  direction  and 
in  the  office  of  his  brother.  Dr.  John 
Bell,  a  practitioner  of  Benton  Har- 
bor. As  a  further  preparation  for  his  chosen 
calling  he  matriculated  in  the  medical  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  Michigan  at 
Ann  Arbor  in  1869  and  there  pursued  his 
studies  with  perseverance  and  arder.  He 
was  graduated  from  that  institution  in  the 
spring  of  1870  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine,  and  during  the  following  year  he 
pursued  a  course  of  lectures  in  the  Chicago 
Medical  College,  from  which  he  was  also 
graduated.  The  winter  of  1874-5  he  at- 
tended Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College, 
New  York,  from  which  institution  he  was 
graduated  in  1875.  He  has  had  every  ad- 
vantage which  thorough  training  can  give, 
and  is  a  man  of  broad  and  thorough  erudi- 
tion in  the  line  of  his  chosen  calling. 

Dr.  Bell  entered  upon  the  practice  of 
his  chosen  profession  in  Benton  Harbor, 
where  he  has  since  continued,  and  although 
he  is  a  general  practitioner  he  has  given  spe- 
cial attention  to  the  diseases  of  children.  He 
has  been  surgeon  for  the  Big  Four  Railroad 
Company  for  fifteen  years  and  has  been  a 
member  of  the  board  of  pension  examiners 
since  1886.  He  is  also  surgeon  to  the  Ben- 
ton Harbor  &  St.  Joseph  Electric  Railway 
system.  Since  the  death  of  his  brother.  Dr. 
John  Bell,  he  has  conducted  alone  the  drug 
store  which  they  had  carried  on  together  for 
so  many  years.  He  has  long  been  recog- 
nized as  holding  a  foremost  position  among 
the  physicians  and  surgeons  of  southwestern 
Michigan,  where  his  eminent  abilities  and 
broad  knowledge  are  universally  recognized 
and  admired.  He  is  one  of  the  most  devoted 
disciples  of  the  science  of  therapeutics  and 
has  not  only  won  from  his  profession  the 
laurels  of  success  but  has  also  been  instru- 
mental in  affecting  advancement  along  lines 
of  scientific  medical  practice.  His  studies 
have  been  extensive  and  thorough  and  it  has 
ever  been  his  aim  to  keep  abreast  with  every 
advancement  made  in  the  profession. 

In  May,  1876,  Dr.  Bell  was  married  to 
Miss  Anna  Nichols,  a  daughter  of  Edgar 
and  Anna  Nichols,  formerly  of  New  York. 
Mrs.  Bell  was  born  in  San  Antonio,  Texas, 


GEORGE  M.  BELL 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


303 


and  they  now  have  one  son,  John  Bell.  So- 
cially Dr.  Bell  is  a  Mason,  belonging  to  Lake 
Shore  Lodge,  No.  298,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Cal- 
vin Brittian  Chapter,  No.  56,  R.  A.  M.,  at 
St.  Joseph;  the  Knights  of  Honor,  and  the 
Maccabees.  In  politics  he  is  independent. 
It  is  well  that  his  profession  has  deep  in- 
terest for  him,  as  it  leaves  him  little  leisure 
time  for  public  service  or  social  enjoyments, 
yet  he  is  a  man  of  genial  natrre  whose 
friends  are  many.  In  his  practice  he  has 
been  very  successful  and  his  life  record  is 
another  proof  of  the  statement  of  Goethe 
that  ''merit  and  success  go  linked  together." 

JOHN  SHAFER  was  numbered  among 
the  worthy  citizens  that  the  fatherland 
furnished  to  Berrien  county.  His  birth 
occurred  in  Wittenberg,  Germany,  Janu- 
ary I,  1844.  His  parents  were  John 
and  Jacobina  (Boyle)  Shafer,  natives  of 
Germany.  They  came  to  the  United  States 
with  their  two  children  about  1845  ^^^^  made 
their  way  direct  to  Lake  township,  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  where  they  spent  their 
remaining  days.  The  father  became  one  of 
the  extensive  property  owners  of  the  locality 
and  was  worth  at  one  time  sixty  thousand 
dollars.  He  was  a  leading  and  influential 
resident  of  the  community  and  belonged  to 
that  class  of  representative  men  who  while 
promoting  individual  success  also  advance 
the  general  prosperity.  In  the  family  were 
nine  children :  Anna,  deceased ;  John,  of 
this  review ;  Mrs.  Katherine  Kramer,  of  St. 
Joseph;  William,  who  has  passed  away  and 
whose  life  record  is  given  elsewhere  in  this 
volume;  Mrs.  Eva  Reck,  of  Lake  towaiship; 
Levi,  who  is  living  in  Oronoko-  township; 
Gottlieb,  of  Oronoko;  Mrs.  Mary  Feather; 
and  Mrs.  Olive  Myers,  of  Lake  township. 

John  Shafer  was  only  three  years  of  age 
when  brought  by  his  parents  to  America, 
the  family  home  being  established  in  Lake 
township,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  The  occupation  to  which  he  was 
reared  he  chose  as  a  life  work  and  w^as 
always  connected  with  farming  interests. 
He  owned  two  farms,  comprising  one  hun- 
dred acres  in  the  home  place  on  section 
twenty-four  and  eighty  acres  a  half  mile  dis- 


tant on  section  twenty-three,  Lake  township. 
He  personally  conducted  both  places  for 
general  farming  purposes,  carrying  on  the 
work  with  the  aid  of  his  sons.  He  was  prac- 
tical in  all  that  he  did  and  was  a  very  in- 
dustrious^ hard-working  man.  He  started 
wdth  only  fifty  acres  of  wood  land  that  his 
father  gave  him  but  his  diligence  and  enter- 
prise enabled  him  to  add  to  his  property  and 
as  the  years  went  by  he  gained  a  place  among 
the  substantial  residents  of  this  part  of  the 
state.  During  the  'ast  nine  years  of  his  life, 
however,  he  was  an  invalid  and  his  sons 
operated  the  farm. 

Mr.  Shafer  was  united  in  marriage,  July 
II,  1872,  to  Miss  Mary  Rymer,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  four  children :  Fred, 
who  cultivates  the  old  home  place;  Laura, 
the  wife  of  Melvin  Boyle,  of  Buchanan; 
Almeda,  the  w^ife  of  George  Brady,  of  Oro- 
noko; and  John,  of  Lake  township.  After 
losing  his  first  wafe,  Mr.  Shafer  was  mar- 
ried in  1889  to  Miss  Sarah  J.  Fleisher,  a 
native  of  Center  county,  Pennsylvania. 

Mr.  Shafer  voted  with  the  Democracy 
but  did  not  take  a  very  active  part  in  public 
affairs,  preferring  to  concentrate  his  ener- 
gies upon  his  business  interests.  As  stated, 
he  became  the  owner  of  two  valuable  farms 
and  his  success  was  largely  attributable  to  his 
own  labors.  He  was  a  kind-hearted  man  and 
his  good  qualities  made  him  well  liked  by 
all.  He  died  May  12,  1906,  and  for  many 
years  to  come  his  memory  will  be  cherished 
by  those  who  were  associated  with  him  and 
knew  him  well  in  the  active  affairs  of  this 
life. 

JOHN  B.  NIXON  was  born  Decem- 
ber 5,  1856,  in  a  log  house  on  the 
farm  on  section  twenty-seven.  Lake  town- 
ship, on  which  he  still-  makes  his  home. 
He  is  a  grandson  of  John  B.  Nixon.  His 
paternal  great-grandfather,  John  Nixon,  Sr., 
was  a  native  of  Scotland  and  when  a  young 
man  came  to  the  United  States,  after  which 
he  was  married  in  South  Carolina  to  Chris- 
tina Gregory.  He  was  a  carpenter  and  mill- 
wright, following  those  pursuits  throughout 
his  business  life  and  for  many  years  he  made 
his  home  in  New  Jersey,  where  his  death 


304 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


occurred.    His  son,  John  B.  Nixon^,  was  born 
in  South  Carolina,  November  17,  1789,  and 
in  his  youth  went  with  his  parents  to  New 
Jersey,  where  he    was  married    to    Nancy 
Peck.    Subsequently  he  removed  to  Conners- 
ville,  Indiana,  and  in   1836    came    to    this 
county,  casting  in  his  lot  with  its  pioneer  resi- 
dents.    He  followed  the  trade  of  shoe-mak- 
ing during  the  greater  part  of  his  life  and 
died  at  Berrien  Springs,  October  31,  1847. 
His  son,  John  H.  Nixon,  was  born  in  Con- 
nersville,  Indiana,  August  24,  1819,  and  in 
1836,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  came 
to  Berrien  county  with  his  father,  walking 
the  entire  distance.     He  purchased  what  is 
known  as  the  old  home  farm  and  spent  his 
remaining  days  thereon,  it  being  his  place 
of  residence  from  1855  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  on  the  first  of  June,    1905.      He 
had  here  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land,   constituting  a  well  developed  and  a 
highly  improved  property.    He  was  a  mason 
by  trade  and  followed  that  pursuit  to  some 
extent  in  early  days.     He  assisted  in  erect- 
ing the  first  brick  building  in  St.  Joseph — 
the  Hoyt  Bank — and  in  his  later  years  his 
attention  was  confined  to  farming  operations. 
He  and  his  sons  cleared  the  home  farm  and 
placed  it  under  cultivation.     In  politics  he 
was  a  stanch  Democrat  for  many  years  but 
his  early  political  support  was  given  to  the 
Whig  party.    He  was  always  active  in  polit- 
ics and  held  a  number  to  township  offices, 
serving  as   supervisor,   treasurer,   township 
clerk  and  in  other  positions  of  public  trust. 
He  wedded  Mary  O.  Keef,  who  was  born 
in  Ireland  near  Dublin,  December  13,  1824, 
and  died  in  this  county,  February  28,  1903. 
She  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  nine  years 
with  her  parents,  settling  first  in  Camden, 
New  Jersey.     Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.   Nixon 
were  born  eight  children:    Mills  H.,  who  is 
living  in  Holland,  Michigan;  Mary  L.,  who 
died  unmarried;  Lewis    B.,  a    resident    of 
South  Bend,  Indiana;  John  B.,  of  this  re- 
view; Charles  M.,  Henry,  Frank  and  Dick, 
all  of  whom  are  now  deceased,  although  all 
lived  to  years  of  maturity. 

John  B.  Nixon  was  reared  amid  pioneer 
environments,  remaining  with  his  parents  on 
the  home  farm  until  1882,  when  at  the  age 


of  twenty-six  years  he  left  the  parental  roof 
and  removed  to  Chikaming  township,  where 
he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land,  upon  which 
he  resided  for  about  five  years.  He  then 
went  to  New  Troy,  where  he  engaged  in 
general  merchandising  for  about  five  years 
and  also  acted  as  postmaster  during  that  time 
under  the  administration  of  President  Cleve- 
land. On  selling  out  his  store  he  returned 
to  his  present  farm,  whereon  he  has  since 
resided,  having  here  seventy  acres  of  the 
original  homestead  on  the  southeast  quarter 
of  section  twenty-seven,  Lake  township.  He 
has  a  fine  brick  residence  which  was  erected 
in  1880,  and  which  was  the  first  brick  dwell- 
ing to  be  built  in  the  township.  His  place 
is  devoted  to  general  farming  purposes,  and 
the  raising  of  fruit  and  stock  are  made  special 
features  of  his  business.  The  orchards  and 
fields  are  kept  in  excellent  condition  and 
everything  about  his  place  indicates  his  care- 
ful supervision  and  his  excellent  business 
methods. 

Mr.  Nixon  was  married  in  1879  to  Miss 
Mary  English,  a  native  of  this  county,  and 
unto  them  was  barn  a  daughter,  Inez,  now 
the  wife  of  Harry  Castleman,  a  resident  of 
Benton  Harbor.  For  his  second  wife  Mr. 
Nixon  chose  Miss  Sarah  Collier,  to  whom 
he  was  married  in  1894.  She  is  a  native  of 
this  county  and  a  daughter  of  R.  D.  Collier. 
Two  children  grace  this  union :  Valeria  and 
Grace  May. 

Since  age  conferred  upon  him  the  right 
of  franchise,  Mr.  Nixon  has  given  his  sup- 
port to  the  Democracy.  He  was  appointed 
supervisor  four  years  ago  and  at  the  next 
regular  election  was  defeated  for  that  office, 
but  has  been  elected  twice  since  that  time,  so 
that  he  is  now  serving  for  the  third  term 
and  he  is  giving  to  his  constituents  a  most 
capable  service.  He  has  also  been  highway 
commissioner  for  one  year,  was  drain  com- 
missioner five  years  and  served  for  one  year 
to  fill  out  a  vacancy  in  the  office  of  justice 
of  the  peace.  Fraternally  he  is  connected 
with  the  Independent  Ordor  of  Odd  Fellows 
and  in  the  county  where  his  entire  life  has 
been  passed  he  is  widely  and  favorably 
known. 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


305 


MRS.  HELEN  VAIL,  who  occupies 
a  beautiful  home  in  the  southern  part 
of  St.  Joseph  and  has  a  fifty  acre  farm 
in  Berrien  county  devoted  to  the  rais- 
ing of  pears,  has  spent  her  entire  Hfe  in 
this  portion  of  the  state.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  Russell,  who  became  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  this  section  of  Michigan  and 
for  many  years  was  closely  identified  with 
the  work  of  upbuilding  and  development. 
He  was  born  in  Oxford,  Chenango  county, 
New  York,  and  w^as  about  thirty-two  years 
of  age  when  in  1835  he  came  to  Michigan, 
hoping  to  find  in  the  west  better  business 
opportunities  than  he  enjoyed  in  the  east. 
He  was  a  tailor  by  trade  and  located  at  St. 
Joseph,  where  he  set  up  a  shop.  The  town 
then  lay  all  along  the  flats  below  the  hill 
along  the  old  channel  of  the  river  and  was 
but  a  small  village  but  was  favorably  situ- 
ated and  he  believed  that  a  good  future  lay 
before  it.  Mr.  Russell  continued  to  work 
at  the  tailor's  trade  until  that  line  of  business 
was  superceded  by  ready  made  clothing  es- 
tablishments. In  the  early  days  he  had  an 
excellent  trade  drawn  from  the  best  class 
of  citizens  of  this  locality  and  his  life  was 
characterized  by  industry,  perseverance  and 
enterprise. 

Little  was  known  concerning  the  ances- 
tral history  of  the  family.  In  1839,  Mr. 
Russell  was  married  in  this  county  to  Miss 
Rebecca  Jennings,  a  daughter  of  Elijah  and 
Hester  (Henderson)  Jennings.  From  1837 
until  1839  ^^'-  Rwssell  was  the  operator 
of  the  old  ferry  which  afforded  the  only 
means  of  travel  across  the  St.  Joseph  river. 
Afterward  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Benton 
township,  carrying  on  its  cultivation  and  im- 
provement until  his  death,  which  occurred 
when  Mrs.  Vail  was  only  ten  years  of  age. 
Mr.  Russell  had  reached  the  age  of  seventy 
years  when  called  to  his  final  rest.  His 
widow  survived  him  several  years,  dying 
about  1873.  Mr.  Russell  was  closely  con- 
nected Avith  the  early  business  interests  of 
St.  Joseph  and  is  yet  well  remembered  by 
many  of  the  old  settlers.  He  was  one  among 
those  who  laid  the  foundation  for  the  present 
prosperity  and  progress  of  the  county  and 

he  stood  as  the  champion  of  all  the  progres- 
20 


sive  movements  which  contribute  to  general 
development.  In  this  family  were  four  chil- 
dren. 

Mrs.  Helen  Vail,  now  the  only  member 
of  the  family  living  in  Berrien  county,  was 
born  in  St.  Joseph  and  attended  the  little 
old  red  schoolhouse  between  the  ages  of  five 
and  fifteen,  years,  being  instructed  by  Mr. 
Hawdey,  who  was  one  of  the  old  noted 
teachers  of  this  city.  The  school  contained 
but  one  room  and  w^as  a  private  institu- 
tion. It  stood  in  the  rear  of  the  present 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  many 
of  the  children  of  an  early  day  pur- 
sued their  education  there.  In  the  same 
school  Mrs.  Doctor  Parker  taught  for  a 
number  of  years.  Mrs.  Vail  began  teach- 
ing at  the  age  of  twenty  years  in  the  country 
schools  and  for  four  years  was  one  of  the 
capable  and  successful  educators  of  the 
county.  At  the  same  time  Mrs.  Sarah 
Springstein  and  Mrs.  George  Smith  were 
also  teachers. 

On  the  29th  of  November,  1866,  Helen 
Virginia  Russell  gave  her  hand  in  marriage 
to  Elijah  S.  B.  Vail,  who  was  born  in  New- 
York  city,  September  30,  1821,  and  was  a 
representative  of  an  old  English  family.  His 
mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Nancy 
Totten,  and  in  1855  Mr.  Vail  removed  to 
LaCrosse,  Wisconsin,  where  he  purchased 
land  and  was  engaged  in  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness for  a  number  of  years.  In  1864  h^ 
came  to  St.  Joseph  to  engage  in  fruit  raising 
and  the  growing  of  trees,  becoming  agent 
for  various  nurseries  of  the  east.  He  pur- 
chased land  and  devoted  his  attention  to 
horticultural  pursuits,  having  sixty  acres  on 
the  lake  shore,  all  of  which  he  planted  to 
fruit,  making  a  specialty  of  peaches  at  a 
time  when  big  prices  w^ere  received  for  that 
crop.  The  yellows,  however,  took  the  or- 
chard about  1 87 1  or  1872.  He  had  planted 
about  one  half  of  his  land  to  pears  and  after 
the  peaches  were  destroyed  set  out  the  re- 
mainder to  pears.  His  place  became  a  noted 
pear  farm  and  in  fact  he  was  one  of  the  larg- 
est pear  growers  on  the  lake  shore.  His 
life  w^as  devoted  to  the  raising  of  fruit.  He 
made  a  close  study  of  pears,  continually  im- 
proving  upon   the   fruit   raised   and   in   ex- 


3o6 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


hibits  he  easily  carried  off  the  honors  for 
variety  and  choice  fruits.  He  set  out  ten 
thousand  pear  trees  of  various  varieties.  He 
never  lacked  faith  in  this  section  of  the 
country  and  his  own  work  demonstrated  its 
possibilities  in  fruit  production.  He  was 
very  sanguine  concerning  this  region  as  a 
horticultural  center  and  gave  his  preference 
to  pears.  He  also  again  planted  peaches 
after  it  was  demonstrated  that  they  could  be 
raised.  His  farm  was  very  favorably  located 
along  the  border  of  Lake  Michigan  and  pre- 
sented a  splendid  appearance  because  of  the 
well  kept  condition  of  the  orchards  and  the 
fine  fruits  produced.  He  always  found  a 
ready  sale  on  the  market  for  his  crops,  which 
were  packed  with  greatest  care  and  were 
therefore  shipped  in  excellent  condition. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vail  were  born  two 
sons  and  a  daughter:  Alfred  T.,  who  is 
living  in  St.  Joseph ;  Grace,  who  is  with  her 
mother;  and  Paul  R.^also  at  St.  Joseph.  Mr. 
Vail  was  an  enthusiastic  Democrat  in  his 
political  views.  He  was  reared  in  the  faith 
of  the  Whig  party,  but  in  early  manhood 
joined  the  ranks  of  the  Democracy  and  was 
an  earnest  and  capable  political  worker.  He 
stood  as  a  high  type  of  the  successful  horti- 
culturist of  Berrien  county,  proving  the 
value  of  this  section  of  the  state  as  a 
fruit  producing  center  and  by  capable 
management  of  his  individual  interests 
acquired  a  gratifying  competence.  He 
passed  away  March  i8,  1886,  and  there- 
by the  community  lost  a  progressive  busi- 
ness man,  his  neighbors  a  faithful  friend 
and  his  family  a  devoted  husband  and 
father.  Mrs.  Vail  still  retains  fifty  acres 
of  the  old  home  property  extending  along 
the  lake  shore  and  continues  in  the  cultiva- 
tion of  pears.  She  has  erected  a  beautiful 
home  in  the  south  part  of  St.  Joseph  and  is 
here  residing.  She  represents  one  of  the  old 
pioneers  families  of  the  county  and  her  en- 
tire life  has  here  been  passd,  so  that  she  has 
a  wide  acquaintance,  while  her  many  good 
qualities  of  heart  and  mind  have  gained  her 
a  large  circle  of  warm  friends. 

ABIJAH  BIRDSEY,  a  resident  of 
St.  Joseph  township,  is  one  of  the  vener- 


able citizens  of  Berrien  county,  having 
passed  the  eighty-seventh  milestone  on 
life's  journey.  He  is  moreover  entitled  to 
special  mention  in  this  volume  because  of  an 
honorable  and  upright  business  career  and 
by  reason  of  the  fact  that  he  was  one  of  the 
early  fruit  growers  of  this  locality.  He  was 
born  in  Seneca  county,  New  York,  near 
Waterloo,  on  the  7th  of  May,  1819,  and 
is  descended  from  Connecticut  ancestry,  the 
Birdsey  family  having  removed  from  the 
Charter  Oak  state  to  New  York.  When 
twenty-one  years  of  age  Abijah  Birdsey  was 
married  to  Miss  Jane  Ann  Curtis,  and  four 
children  w^ere  born  unto  them  in  New  York. 
Mrs.  Birdsey  lived  for  twenty-six  years  after 
her  marriage  and  died  in  St.  Joseph. 

It  was  in  the  year  1852  that  Mr.  Bird- 
sey located  upon  his  present  farm.  His 
wife's  father,  Daniel  Curtis,  had  come  to 
Michigan  in  1850,  settling  in  Royalton,  and 
his  death  occurred  in  1853,  soon  after  the 
arrival  of  our  subject  and  his  family.  Mr. 
Birdsey  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  for 
which  he  paid  eighteen  hundred  dollars  cash. 
This  tract  lay  along  the  Niles  road  three  and 
a  half  miles  southeast  of  St.  Joseph  and 
near  the  St.  Joseph  river.  It  is  now  in  St. 
Joseph  township  at  Royalton  Heights.  As 
the  years  have  passed  Mr.  Birdsey  has  added 
to  his  property  until  he  now  has  one  hundred 
and  ninety  acres  in  the  home  farm.  He  has 
purchased  new  land  at  low  prices  and  has 
placed  nearly  all  of  it  under  cultivation.  He 
has  been  extensively  engaged  in  horticul- 
tural pursuits  and  he  sold  to  one  man  off  of 
an  eight-acre  tract  of  land  peaches  to  the 
value  of  fourteen  hundred  dollars.  Curtis 
Boughton  of  St.  Joseph  was  about  the  first 
man  to  grow  peaches  successfully  in  Michi- 
gan and  Doctor  Collins  was  also  one  of  the 
pioneer  fruit  growlers.  Their  success  led 
others  to  engage  in  the  same  enterprise  and 
the  various  peach  raisers  found  the  business 
a  profitable  one  until  the  yellows  cleaned  out 
the  orchards.  When  Mr.  Birdsey  met  with 
this  reverse  in  his  business  career  he  turned 
his  attention  to  the  production  of  apples. 
Later  he  again  set  out  peaches,  but  the  prices 
have  never  been  as  good  as  they  formerly 
were.    He  has  sold  eight  hundred  barrels  of 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


307 


apples  in  a  single  season.  In  later  years 
he  has  grown  hay  and  has  also  engaged  in 
dairying  and  general  farming.  He  has  put 
up  one  hundred  tons  of  hay  per  year  and  he 
keeps  eighteen  cows  for  dairy  purposes.  His 
son  operates  the  farm  at  the  present  time. 
Mr.  Birdsey  has  always  confined  his  atten- 
tion to  his  farm  and  be  built  his  present  home 
about  twenty-eight  years  ago.  This  remains 
one  of  the  handsome  and  desirable  residences 
of  the  county  and  he  has  a  splendidly  de- 
veloped farm  property,  everything  about  his 
place  indicating  his  thrift  and  enterprise  and 
his  careful  supervision. 

As  before  stated,  Mr.  Birdsey  lost  his 
first  wufe  after  they  had  been  married  twenty- 
six  years.  She  left  three  sons  and  three 
daughters :  George  W.,  who  enlisted  for 
service  in  the  Civil  war  and  died  in  Libby 
prison  after  having  been  confined  there  for 
several  months,  during  which  time  he  suf- 
fered all  the  privations  and  horrors  of  prison 
life  in  the  south;  Phoebe,  the  wife  of  Lucius 
Vesey,  a  carpenter  and  joiner  residing  in 
St.  Joseph  township;  Lafayette,  who  was  a 
livery  man  of  Benton  Harbor  and  died  at  the 
age  of  fifty  years,  leaving  a  widow  and  two 
children;  Sarah,  the  wife  of  Charles  Bort, 
a  painter  residing  in  St.  Joseph;  Lillie,  the 
wife  of  William  Howland,  who  is  serving 
on  the  police  force  of  St.  Joseph ;  and  Adel- 
bert,  who  was  born  and  reared  on  the  home 
farm  which  he  now  operates.  He  married 
Miss  Rose  Martin  and  has  three  children  by 
that  marriage  and  one  son  by  his  first  mar- 
riage. Abijah  Birdsey  of  this  review  chose 
for  his  second  wife  Miss  Matilda  Whittaker, 
who  passed  away  about  twelve  years  ago. 
He  has  since  married  Mrs.  Sarah  Sisson,  of 
Chicago,  whom  he  wedded  ten  years  ago. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Birdsey 
is  a  Republican,  giving  unfaltering  support 
to  the  party,  but  has  never  had  aspiration 
for  office,  preferring  to  concentrate  his  ener- 
gies upon  his  business  pursuits.  He  has  lived 
in  the  county  for  more  than  a  half  century 
and  has  therefore  witnessed  much  of  its 
grow^th  and  development  as  its  forest  lands 
have  been  converted  into  fine  fields  and 
orchards  and  as  the  work  of  industrial  and 
commercial  development  has  been  carried 
forward  in  the  towns  and  cities.    He  has  ever 


been  interested  in  what  has  been  accom- 
plished and  at  the  same  time  he  has  carried 
forward  his  private  business  affairs  in  a  man- 
ner to  insure  success,  being  for  many  years 
a  prosperous  fruit  grower  of  the  country. 
He  is  now  living  retired,  leaving  the  active 
work  of  the  farm  to  his  son,  while  at  a  vener- 
able age  he  is  enjoying  a  well-merited  rest. 

WARREN  A.  SMITH,  M.  D.,  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  medicine  and 
surgery  at  Berrien  Springs  in  accord- 
ance with  modern,  scientific  ideas,  is  a 
native  of  Berrien  township,  where  his 
life  record  began  on  the  28th  of  October, 
1876.  His  father,  W.  B.  Smith,  was  born 
in  Cass  county,  Michigan,  and  was  a  son  of 
George  Smith,  who  came  to  this  state  from 
Delaware  at  an  early  day.  He  was  one  of 
three  brothers  who  settled  in  Milton  town- 
ship, becoming  a  pioneer  resident  of  Cass 
county.  After  living  there  for  a  number  of 
years,  W.  B.  Smith  removed  to  Berrien 
county,  settling  in  Berrien  township  in  1875. 
He  married  Miss  Maria  Walker,  who  was 
born  in  this  county  and  is  a  representative 
of  one  of  its  old  and  prominent  families,  her 
parents  being  Joseph  and  Catherine  Walker, 
who  during  an  early  epoch  in  the  develop- 
ment of  this  portion  of  the  state  took  up 
their  abode  in  Berrien  county.  Her  mother 
lived  to  the  very  advanced  age  of  ninety- 
seven  years.  Her  father^  Joseph  Walker, 
was  born  in  England  and  crossed  the  Atlantic 
from  that  country  to  Canada,  where  he  was 
married.  He  settled  in  Canada  and  after- 
ward removed  to  Ohio,  whence  he  later 
came  to  Michigan.  His  wife  was  born  in 
Ireland.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  B.  Smith  still 
survive  and  reside  upon  a  farm  in  Berrien 
township,  being  worthy  farming  people  of 
that  community.  In  their  family  were  two 
sons  and  a  daughter. 

Dr.  Smith,  the  eldest  child,  was  reared 
to  farm  life  and  at  the  usual  age  began  ac- 
quiring a  knowledge  of  the  common  branches 
of  English,  learning  as  a  student  in  the  dis- 
trict schools.  Later  he  entered  the  high 
school  at  Berrien  Springs,  from  w^hich  he 
was  graduated  in  1897,  and,  determining  up- 
on the  practice  of  medicine  as  a  life  work. 


3o8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


in  1899,  he  entered  Hahnemann  College,  of 
Chicago,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
the  class  of  1903.  The  same  year  he  located 
for  practice  at  Berrien  Springs.  He  had 
read  medicine  for  a  year  under  Dr.  UU- 
rey,  at  Niles,  before  entering  college,  and 
his  thorough  preparation  made  him  well 
fitted  for  the  arduous  and  important  duties 
which  devolved  upon  the  conscientious  phy- 
sician. He  has  been  in  practice  here  for 
three  years  and  his  patronage  has  steadly 
grown  in  volume  and  importance. 

Dr.  Smith  was  married  in  1905  to  Miss 
Maud  Hoopenganer,  a  native  of  Indiana 
and  a  daughter  of  J.  C.  Hoopenganer, 
of  Berrien  Springs.  The  young  couple  oc- 
cupy an  enviable  position  in  social  circles 
and  have  a  wide  and  favorable  acquaintance 
in  this  locali'ty.  Dr.  Smith  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  and  Odd  Fellows  fraterni- 
ties. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  His 
practice  is  making  greater  and  greater  de- 
mands upon  his  time  and  energies,  for  his 
professional  service  is  regarded  as  of  much 
value  throughout  the  community. 

ELMER  H.  WRIGHT,  whose  farm 
on  section  thirty-five,  Three  Oaks  town- 
ship, has  been  his  place  of  residence 
since  1867,  was  born  in  Volney,  Oswego 
county,  New  York,  March  24,  1834,  and 
is  a  representative  of  old  families.  He 
descended  from  English  ancestry  in  both  the 
paternal  and  maternal  lines.  His  grand- 
father, Smith  Wright,  was  born  in  New  Jer- 
sey, whence  he  removed  to  New  York  state, 
where  he  followed  farming  until  his  death. 
Elmer  H.  Wright's  parents  were  Louis  and 
Ann  Maria  (Hubbell)  Wright,  the  former 
a  native  of  New  York,  and  the  latter  of  Con- 
necticut. The  mother  passed  away  in  Os- 
wego county.  New  York,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
five  years,  while  his  father's  death  occurred 
in  Berrien,  Michigan,  when  he  was  ninety- 
three  years  of  age.  In  their  family  were 
six  sons  :  Oscar,  deceased ;  Elmer  H. ;  Carl- 
ton, who  is  living  in  Colorado;  Almond,  of 
Three  Oaks;  Sylvester,  of  New  York;  and 
Chester,  of  Colorado. 

Elmer  H.  Wright  remained  a  resident 
of   his   native   county   until  he   was   about 


thirty-one  years  of  age.  His  father  was  a 
cooper  by  trade  and  when  he  became  large 
enough  he  also  learned  that  pursuit  and 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  barrels  of  all 
kinds.  He  likewise  followed  farming  and 
his  early  years  were  a  period  of  industry  and 
enterprise.  When  he  was  twenty-two  years 
of  age  he  was  married  and  began  farming  on 
a  tract  of  timber  land.  He  cut  and  cleared 
away  the  trees  and  continued  to  engage  in 
farming  and  coopering  in  the  east  until  his 
removal  to  Michigan,  where  he  arrived  in 
1865.  He  left  home  on  the  26th  of 
December,  and  arrived  at  Three  Oaks  in 
January,  1866.  He  has  resided  in  Three 
Oaks  township  continuously  since.  In  1867 
he  built  a  home  in  Three  Oaks,  which  he 
exchanged  for  his  farm  of  eighty  acres  on 
section  thirty-five,  Three  Oaks  township. 
He  afterward  sold  twenty  acres  to  his  son, 
and  now  has  a  well  improved  farm  of  sixty 
acres.  This  was  all  covered  with  timber 
when  it  came  into  his  possession,  but  he 
cleared  away  the  trees,  took  out  the  stumps, 
plowed  the  land  and  in  due  course  of  time 
harvested  good  crops.  He  has  also  engaged 
in  the  raising  of  stock  in  addition  to  general 
farming.  Whatever  he  undertakes  he  car- 
ries forward  to  successful  completion  and 
his  farm  is  the  visible  evidence  of  his  life  of 
enterprise  and  thrift. 

On  the  2d  of  September,  1856,  Mr. 
Wright  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary 
Eliza  Barrett,  who  was  born  in  Cortland 
county,  New  York,  September  2,  1835,  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Eliza  (Farr)  Bar- 
rett, the  former  a  native  of  Madison  county, 
New  York,  and  the  latter  of  Cortland  county, 
that  state.  They  w^ere  farming  people  and 
spent  their  last  days  in  Oswego  county,  New 
York.  The  children  of  Elmer  H.  Wright 
and  wife  are  Orla,  Nellie  and  Verner,  all 
now  living,  and  William,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  three  months.  Orla,  who  is  now^  liv- 
ing in  Oceana  county,  Michigan,  was  mar- 
ried at  Three  Oaks,  Michigan,  to  Mary  In- 
gersoll,  now  deceased,  by  whom  he  had  two 
children,  Bert  and  Hattie.  He  was  again 
married,  to  Miss  Tillie  Jensen,  by  whom  he 
has  the  following  children.  Fay,  Nellie, 
and  babv.     Nellie,  wife  of  Rodney  P.  Hoad- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


309 


ly,  of  Chikaming,  Berring  county,  Michi- 
gan, has  three  children,  Rodney,  Fred  and 
MabeL  Verner  Hves  on  a  farm  adjoining 
his  father's  farm,  comprising  twenty  acres 
of  the  old  homestead.  He  was  born  upon 
the  old  home  farm  May  30,  1874,  and  was 
married  at  Three  Oaks,  Michigan,  February 
14,  1895,  to  Amelia  Wangerin,  by  whom  he 
has  two  children,  Howard  and  Earl. 

Mr.  Wright  has  been  a  believer  in  Re- 
publican principles  since  voting  for  John  C. 
Fremont,  and  votes  for  the  candidate  of 
the  party.  He  holds  membership  in  the  Con- 
gregational church  at  Three  Oaks.  His 
residence  in  Three  Oaks  township  covers 
forty  years  and  he  has  therefore  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance, being  held  in  warm  regard  by 
the  friends  who  know  him  and  who  are 
acquainted  with  his  excellent  business 
methods  and  social  qualities. 

JOHN  C.  HOO'PENGANER  is  the 
genial  and  popular  proprietor  of  Hotel 
Berrien  and  his  business  enterprise  and 
ability  are  well  known  in  Berrien  Springs 
and  to  the  traveling  public.  He  was 
born  in  Steuben  county,  Indiana,  amidst 
the  beautiful  lake  region,  on  the  22d  of 
February,  1858.  His  father,  J.  J.  Hooper- 
ganer,  was  a  native  of  Tuscarawas  county, 
Ohio,  and  became  one  of  the  early  residents 
of  Steuben  county,  Indiana.  He  still  sur- 
vives and  now  makes  his  home  with  his  son 
John.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Ellen  Brown.  She,  too,  was  a  native  of 
Ohio  and  she  passed  away  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six  years.  In  their  family  wxre 
three  sons,  who  still  survive. 

John  C.  Hoopenganer  of  this  review  was 
the  second  son  and  was  reared  in  Butler, 
Indiana,  from  the  age  of  seven  years,  acquir- 
ing his  education  in  the  schools  there.  After 
putting  aside  his  text-books  he  became  con- 
nected with  the  drug  business  in  Butler,  con- 
tinuing therein  until  1886,  when  he  came  to 
Berrien  Springs  and  purchased  the  Hotel 
Berrien  of  which  he  has  since  been  proprie- 
tor, covering  a  period  of  two  decades.  He 
has  made  this  a  hostelry  worthy  of  the 
public  patronage  and  it  has  found  favor  with 
the  traveling  public  because  of  the  earnest 


and  effective  efforts  which  he  puts  forth 
to  please  his  patrons  and  administer  to  their 
comfort. 

In  1888,  Mr.  Hoopenganer  was  married 
to  Miss  Mary  Hastings,  a  daughter  of  James 
Hastings,  and  unto  them  have  been  born  two 
sons,  John  and  Charles.  By  a  former  mar- 
riage Mr.  Hoopenganer  had  two  daughters : 
Maud,  now  the  wife  of  Dr.  Warren  A. 
Smith;  and  Millie,  who  is  assistant  post- 
mistress at  Berrien  Springs. 

Politically  Mr.  Hoopenganer  is  a  Demo- 
crat, active  and  influential  in  the  local  ranks 
of  his  party,  and  for  some  time  served  as  one 
of  the  village  trustees.  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Odd  Fellows  society  at  Berrien 
Springs  for  four  years  and  has  taken  an  ac- 
tive part  in  its  public  affairs,  relating  to  its 
material  progress  and  advancement  along 
those  lines  of  life  which  lead  to  good  citizen- 
ship or  which  promote  the  social  interests 
of  the  community. 

GUY  C.  MARS,  postmaster  of  Ber- 
rien Springs,  was  born  in  Berrien  town- 
ship, April  30,  1 87 1,  and  is  the  young- 
est of  six  children,  three  sons  and  three 
daughters,  born  unto  Andrew  W.  and 
Susan  (Kimmel)  Mars,  who  became  resi- 
dents of  this  county  in  1831.  The  son  was 
reared  in  Berrien  Springs  and  after  attend- 
ing the  high  school  spent  one  year  as  a  stu- 
dent in  the  law  department  of  the  Michigan 
University  at  Ann  Arbor.  He  was  with  the 
Michigan  Central  Railroad  Company  as  sur- 
veyor for  three  years,  and  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  Spanish- American  war  enlisted  in  the 
army  as  a  member  of  Company  I,  Thirty- 
third  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry,  of  which 
he  was  made  corporal.  He  was  in  the  ser- 
vice for  four  months,  half  of  which  time  was 
spent  in  active  duty  in  Cuba.  Following  his 
return  home  Mr.  Mars  was  assistant  post- 
master of  Berrien  Springs  under  his  father 
for  six  years,  and  in  March,  1905,  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  by  President  Roosevelt, 
being  the  incumbent  of  the  office  at  the  pres- 
ent time  and  giving  a  public-spirited  and 
satisfactory  administration. 

On  the  23d  of  September,  1901,  Mr. 
Mars  was  married  to  Miss  Edna  Kessler,  a 


3IO 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


daughter  of  Keleon  and  Flora  (Fisher)  Kes- 
sler,  a  pioneer  family  of  Berrien  county. 
Mrs.  Mars  was  born  in  Berrien  township, 
and  they  have  one  son,  Guy  Allan.  In  social 
circles  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mars  occupy  an  envi- 
able position,  having  a  wide  and  favorable 
acquaintance  in  the  village  and  throughout 
the  surrounding  district.  Mr.  Mars  has  al- 
ways been  a  stanch  advocate  of  Republican 
principles.  The  first  office  he  ever  held 
was  that  of  clerk  of  Oronoko  township, 
while  in  1900  he  was  census  enumerator. 
Fraternally  he  is  conected  with  the  Indepen- 
dent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at  Berrien 
Springs  and  with  the  Modern  Woodmen,  and 
is  popular  with  the  brethren  of  those  organi- 
zations. 

HENRY  KEPHART.  The  name  of 
Kephart  has  figured  in  conection  with  the 
commercial  interests  of  Berrien  Springs 
since  1843,  when  the  present  drug  business 
of  which  Henry  Kephart  is  now  proprietor 
was  established  and  all  through  the  passing 
years  the  name  has  been  a  synonym  for  com- 
mercial integrity  as  well  as  business  activity 
and  enterprise.  Mr.  Kephart,  now  the  senior 
partner  in  the  store,  was  born  in  Berrien 
Springs,  May  26,  1847,  ^^^  comes  of  Swiss 
ancestry.  The  family  was  founded  in 
America,  however,  at  an  early  period  in  the 
colonization  of  the  new  world,  and  the 
paternal  grandfather,  a  resident  of  Mary- 
land, there  followed  the  miller's  trade.  His 
son.  Dr.  Philip  Kephart,  was  born  in 
Maryland,  in  which  state  he  spent  his  boy- 
hood and  youth,  coming  thence  to  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  in  1842.  He  studied  and 
practiced  medicine  and  on  locating  in  Ber- 
rien Springs  he  also  established  a  store  for 
the  sale  of  dry  goods  and  drugs.  Soon  after 
his  arrival  here  he  gave  up  the  actice  practice 
of  medicine  to  devote  his  attention  to  his 
commercial  interests  and  continued  active  in 
the  business  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  when  he  was  in  his  seventy- 
third  year.  He  was  a  prominent  and  influ- 
ential factor  in  public  life  and  was  the  first 
president  of  the  village  of  Berrien  Springs. 
He  did  much  to  establish  the  early  policy  of 
the    state   and   to    promote    its    substantial 


growth  and  improvement,  and  he  may  well 
be  named  and  honored  with  the  founders  of 
the  town.  He  married  Miss  Susan  Kimmel, 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  a  daughter  of 
George  Kimmel,  who  was  also  born  in  the 
Keystone  state  and  was  of  German  descent,. 
Mrs.  Kimmel  was  reared  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  in  Michigan  gave  her  hand  in  marriage 
to  Dr.  Kephart,  whom  she  survived  for 
a  number  of  years,  passing  away  March  i, 
1906,  in  her  eighty- fourth  year.  In  the 
family  were  ten  children,  all  of  whom 
reached  adult  age. 

Henry  Kephart,  the  fourth  member  of 
the  family  and  the  second  son,  was  reared  in 
Berrien  Springs.  He  has  been  a  life-long 
resident  of  this  town,  and  in  its  public 
schools  acquired  his  early  education,  which 
was  supplemented  by  study  in  Kalamazoo 
and  in  a  commercial  college  in  Chicago.  Be- 
ing thus  well  trained  for  the  duties  of  a  mer- 
cantile career  he  joined  his  father  in  busi- 
ness and  was  admitted  to  a  partnership  in 
1874.  This  relation  was  continued  until  the 
death  of  his  father,  when  his  brother  Walter 
became  a  partner  and  remained  in  the  firm 
for  about  six  years,  when  Henry  Kephart 
bought  him  out  and  became  sole  proprietor. 
This  was  in  1886  and  Mr.  Kephart  continued 
alone  in  business  until  1903,  when  he  ad- 
mitted his  son  Phillip  to  a  partnership  under 
the  present  firm  style  of  Henry  Kephart  & 
Son.  This  commercial  establishment  has 
ever  maintained  a  foremost  place  in  mer- 
cantile circles  in  Berrien  Springs.  It  is  the 
oldest  established  business  of  the  town,  hav- 
ing had  a  continuous  existence  from  1843, 
and  Phillip  Kephart  is  of  the  third  genera- 
tion in  the  ownership  and  control  of  the  busi- 
ness. He  is  a  graduate  of  the  pharmacy 
department  of  the  State  University  at  Ann 
Arbor,  and  was  also  graduated  in  the  Era 
course  in  pharmacy  in  New  York  city. 

In  1876,  Henry  Kephart  was  married 
to  Miss  Ellen  R.  Northrope,  a  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Caroline  (Smith)  Northrope,  of 
Portage  county,  Ohio.  She  was  born  in 
Portage  county,  January  i,  1854,  and  when 
six  years  of  age  was  brought  to  Berrien 
county,  Michigan.  Her  education  was  ac- 
quired in  a  private  school  in  Rochester,  New 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


311 


York,  and  she  is  a  lady  of  superior  culture 
and  refinement.  Two  sons  were  born  of  this 
marriage:  Philip,  who  is  in  partnership 
with  his  father;  and  Lewis  E.,  now  studying 
civil  engineering  at  Purdue  University  in 
Indiana. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Kephart 
has  been  a  life-long  Republican  and  has 
served  as  president  of  the  village  council 
and  also  of  the  school  board  for  many  years. 
He  is  active  and  influential  in  public  affairs 
and  his  influence  is  ever  found  on  the  side 
of  progress,  improvement  and  reform.  He 
belongs  to  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen  and  in  fraternal  as  well  as  in  busi- 
ness and  social  circles  occupies  an  enviable 
position.  He  is  one  of  the  best  known  men 
of  Berrien  Springs  and  his  business  integ- 
rity and  honor,  combined  with  his  personal 
w^orth  makes  him  one  of  its  most  popular 
and  honored  citizens. 

WILLIAM  DESTER,  proprietor  of 
a  livery  stable  at  Berrien  Springs,  was 
born  in  Paris,  Stark  county,  Ohio,  Aug- 
ust 6,  1833.  His  father,  Jacob  Dester, 
was  native  of  Germany,  and  when  a 
young  man  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Amer- 
ica, locating  in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  where 
he  followed  the  trade  of  shoemaking  that  he 
had  learned  prior  to  his  emigration  to  the 
new  w^orld.  He  came  to  Michigan  in  1842, 
settling  in  Oronoko  township,  three  miles 
north  of  Berrien  Springs,  upon  a  farm  which 
was  then  but  slightly  improved  but  which 
he  brought  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
He  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits 
for  a  long  period,  his  labors  attended  wath 
excellent  results,  and  he  died  at  the  venerable 
age  of  about  eighty-two  years.  In  early 
manhood  he  wedded  Elizabeth  Kogel,  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  the  wedding  being  cele- 
brated in  Stark  county,  Ohio.  She  too,  lived 
to  a  very  advanced  age,  being  in  her  eighty- 
sixth  year  at  the  time  of  her  demise.  There 
were  two  daughters  in  the  family :  Julia, 
the  wife  of  Jacob  Bechtal,  of  Berrien 
Springs ;  and  Josephine,  now  deceased. 

William  Dester,  the  youngest  child  and 
only  son,  was  nine  years  of  age  at  the  time 
of  his  parents  removal  from  Ohio  to  Berrien 


county.  He  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm 
in  Oronoko  township  and  pursued  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools,  his  time  being 
divided  between  the  work  of  the  schoolroom, 
the  pleasures  of  the  playground  and  the 
duties  of  the  fields  upon  the  home  place.  He 
assisted  in  the  farm  work  until  after  the  in- 
auguration of  the  Civil  war,  when,  the  fires 
of  patriotism  burning  brightly  in  his  breast, 
he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  C, 
Twenty-fifth  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry 
in  1862.  He  served  as  a  private  until  the 
close  of  the  w^ar  in  1865  and  participated  in 
a  number  of  important  engagements  and  mil- 
itary movements.  He  was  detailed  for  spec- 
ial duty  at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  while 
on  the  Georgia  campaign  he  became  ill  and 
was  taken  to  a  hospital  at  Knoxville,  Ten- 
nessee, where  he  remained  until  the  war  was 
brought  to  a  successful  termination. 

Mr.  Dester  then  returned  to  his  home  at 
Berrien  Springs  in  August,  1865,  and  for  a 
time  was  upon  his  father's  farm.  Later  he 
established  a  grocery  store  in  Berrien 
Springs,  which  he  conducted  for  eighteen 
years  and  he  was  also  in  the  lumber  business 
for  five  years.  In  1901  he  purchased  the 
livery  barn  of  J.  C.  Wycoff,  and  has  since 
remained  its  owner,  conducting  a  large  busi- 
ness which  by  reason  of  its  extent  and  im- 
portance is  also  very  profitable. 

On  the  15th  of  December,  1866,  Mr. 
Dester  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ellen 
Warner,  a  daughter  of  Major  L.  F.  and 
Elizabeth  Warner,  and  a  native  of  St. 
Joseph,  Michigan.  Her  father  was  an  early 
settler  of  Sister  Lakes,  this  state.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dester  have  three  children :  Linus 
W. ;  Arthur,  who  married  Bertha  Ocker, 
and  reside  in  Laporte,  Indiana;  and  Maud, 
who  is  at  Saginaw.  She  is  blind  and  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Lansing  school  for  the  blind. 
At  the  present  time  she  is  teaching  in  the 
sewing  department  of  the  institution  for  the 
blind  at  Saginaw\ 

Mr.  Dester  is  a  Democrat  and  keeps  well 
informed  on  the  political  issues  and  questions 
of  the  day.  He  was  treasurer  of  his  town- 
ship for  two  terms  and  was  postmaster  un- 
der President  Cleveland  for  four  years.  He 
has  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  trus- 


312 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


tees  and  in  other  local  offices  in  the  village, 
and  no  trust  reposed  in  him  has  ever  been 
betrayed  in  the  slightest  degree.  On  the  con- 
trary he  has  proven  a  competent  and  faith- 
ful officer^  never  neglectful  of  any  duty  de- 
volving upon  him.  He  belongs  to  the  Ma- 
sonic lodge  at  Berrien  Springs,  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen  and  to  Kil- 
patrick  Post,  No.  39,  G.  A.  R.,  and  has  filled 
all  of  the  chairs  in  the  first  named.  A  resi- 
dence of  fifty-four  years  in  Berrien  county 
entitles  him  to  rank  with  its  early  settlers, 
and  his  identification  with  many  business  in- 
terests and  progressive  public  movements 
have  made  him  a  leading  resident  of 
Berrien  Springs,  wdiile  his  genuine  per- 
sonal worth  entitles  him  to  the  regard  wdiich 
is  uniformly  extended  to  him  by  his  fel- 
lowmen. 

1 
DANIEL  G.  W.  GAUGLER.  Each 
community  has  its  enterprising  citizens — 
men  who  are  recognized  as  the  leaders  in 
commercial  life  and  activity  of  the  town, 
whose  business  capacity  and  enterprise  con- 
stitute an  important  element  in  the  growth 
and  proseprity  of  the  community  which  they 
represent.  Such  a  man  in  Berrien  Springs 
is  Daniel  G.  W.  Gaugler,  who  is  conducting 
an  undertaking  and  furniture  business.  He 
was  born  in  Snyder  county,  Pennsylvania, 
August  17,  1836,  and  was  the  tenth  in  order 
of  birth  in  a  family  of  eleven  children,  seven 
sons  and  four  daughters,  all  of  whom 
reached  adult  age,  while  four  sons  and  one 
daughter  are  yet  living.  The  father,  Wil- 
liam Gaugler,  was  a  native  of  Montgomery 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  served  as  a  pri- 
vate in  the  war  of  181 2,  while  his  father, 
George  Gaugler,  also  a  native  of  Montgom- 
ery county,  and  of  Holland  descent,  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  William 
Gaugler  w^as  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Margaret  Eyer,  who  was  likewise  a  native 
of  Montgomery  county,  Pennsylvania.  She 
was  born  July  4,  1801,  and  was  of  Holland 
lineage.  The  death  of  William  Gaugler  oc- 
curred in  Snyder  county,  Pennsylvania,  in 
1870,  when  he  was  seventy-seven  years  of 
age,  and  his  wife  died  on  the  9th  of  July, 


1890,   at  the  advanced  age  of   eighty-nine 
years. 

Daniel  G.  W.  Gaugler  was  reared  in  his 
native  state,  where  the  public  schools  af- 
forded him  fair  educational  privileges.  He 
hved  in  Pennsylvania  until  after  his  mar- 
riage, which  occurred  in  1858,  the  lady  of 
his  choice  being  Miss  Elizabeth  Ott,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  Ott.  A  week 
later  the  young  couple  left  the  east  and  came 
to  Berrien  Springs,  Michigan,  where  they 
arrived  on  the  5th  of  August,  1858.  The 
father  made  the  first  brick  for  the  county 
buildings  at  that  place.  In  i860  he  pur- 
chased a  small  tract  of  land  of  eighty  acres, 
of  which  about  six  acres  had  been  cleared 
and  he  then  g'ave  his  attention  to  general 
farming  until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
war,  when  he  enlisted  on  the  12th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1 86 1,  as  a  member  of  Company  I, 
Twelfth  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry.  He 
joined  the  army  as  a  private  and  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  corporal  and  sergeant, 
being  discharged  as  first  sergeant.  He  served 
for  four  years,  one  month  and  one  day,  or 
until  the  close  of  hostilities.  Although  he 
w^as  never  wounded  he  sustained  a  sunstroke, 
which  caused  blindness  for  five  months,  be-^ 
ing  unable  to  see  at  the  time  that  he  returned 
to  his  home.  Pie  was  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh, 
the  seige  of  Vicksburg,  the  battle  of  Little 
Rock  and  many  other  engagements,  which 
proved  the  strength  of  the  Union  arms  and 
contributed  to  the  final  successes  which 
eventually  attended  the  northern  forces.  He 
saw  four  years'  service  without  a  wound 
nor  w^as  he  ever  taken  prisoner.  He  made  a 
most  excellent  military  record  for  bravery 
and  fidelity  and  when  the  war  was  over  was 
honorably  discharged  at  Detroit. 

Mr.  Gaugler  on  being  mustered  out  went 
to  Pennsylvania  and  afterward  to  Elmira, 
New  York,  whence  he  made  his  way  again 
to  Berrien  Springs.  Here  he  was  appointed 
postmaster  by  Andrew  Johnson,  the  ofiice 
coming  to  him  unsolicited.  In  1870  he  es- 
tablished a  furniture  and  undertaking  busi- 
ness, in  which  he  has  since  continued  with 
excellent  success.  He  carries  a  well  selected 
line  of  furniture,   and  his  undertaking  de- 


^/72'^'^-t.^;^^^2/i^ 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


313 


partment.  is  equally  well  equippeci.  His 
store  is  tasteful  in  its  arrangement,  and  his 
progressive  business  methods,  his  keen  dis- 
cernment and  enterprise,  combined  with  his 
earnest  efforts  to  please  hi3  custgmers,  have 
secured  him  a  constantly  growing  and  grati- 
fying trade. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gaugler  have  been 
born  nine  children:  Frank  O.,  at  home; 
Herman  E.,  who  is  located  at  Straw,  Mon- 
tana; Gordon,  at  home;  Rena  B.,  the  wife 
of  A.  O.  T.  Anstenius,  of  Chicago;  and 
Adessa,  at  home;  the  other  children  are  de- 
ceased. Mr.  Gaugler  is 'a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity  and  Kilpatrick  Post,  No. 
39,  G.  A.  R.,  in  which  he  has  filled  all  of 
the  chairs.  He  has  been  a  member  of 
the  township  board  of  trustees,  was  town- 
ship clerk  for  four  years  and  has  held 
other  local  offices,  taking  an  active  and 
helpful  interest  in  public  affairs.  He  is  one 
of  the  charter  members  of  the  Evangelical 
church,  and  has  labored  earnestly  for  its 
growth  and  the  extension  of  its  influence, 
contributing  also  generously  to  its  support. 
He  assisted  in  organizing  the  Odd  Fellows 
lodge  and  became  one  of  the  original  mem- 
bers of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
thus  figuring  actively  in  fraternal  circles. 
What  he  has  done  for  the  county  has  been 
clone  from  public-spirited  measures  and  with- 
out desire  for  personal  preferment  or  honor. 
His  efforts  have  been  effective  and  far-reach- 
ing and  during  a  residence  of  forty-eight 
years  in  this  section  of  the  state  he  has  al- 
ways Ijeen  recognized  as  a  valued,  prominent 
and  representative  citizen. 

/ 

HON.  EDWARD  L.  HAMILTON 
was  born  in  Niles  township,  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  December  9,  1857.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools,  and  read  law  in 
the  office  of  Judge  Henry  H.  Coolidge,  be- 
ing admitted  to  the  bar  in  1884.  He  con- 
tinued in  the  active  practice  of  his  profession 
until  his  election  to  the  fifty-fifth  congress 
in  1896.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  re- 
elected to  the  fifty-sixth,  fifty-seventh,  fifty- 
eighth  and  fifty-ninth  congresses. 

As  a  member  of  the  insular  committee 
Mr.   Hamilton  assisted  in   framing  the  act 


for  government  of  the  Philippine  Islands, 
also  was  actively  connected  with  legislation 
relating  to  Porto  Rico,  and,  as  a  member  of 
the  committee  on  territories  assisted  in  fram- 
ing the  organic  actof  the  territory  of  Hawaii. 
Subsequently,  as  chairman  of  t^ie  committee 
on  the  territories,  he  introducea  and  had 
charge  of  the  bill  to  enable  the  people  of 
Oklahoma  and  Indian  Territory  to  become  a 
state  to  be  known  as  the  state  of  Oklahoma, 
and  the  people  of  Arizona  and  New  Mexico 
to  become  a  state  to  be  known  as  the  state 
of  Arizona,  which  bill  became  a  law  June 
16,  1906. 

In  addition  to  statehood  legislation  this 
committee  also  has  general  jurisdiction  of 
legislation  relating  to  the  territories  of  Ari- 
zona, New  Mexico,  Oklahoma,  Indian  Ter- 
ritory, Hawaii  and  Alaska,  and  among  other 
important  bills  reported,  a  bill  to'  provide  a 
delegate  for  Alaska  which  became  a  law  dur- 
ing the  first  session  of  the  fifty-ninth  con- 
gress. 

During  Mr.  Hamilton's  service  in  con- 
gress speeches  delivered  by  him  on  the  tariff, 
on  trusts  and  on  the  money  question  have 
been  printed  by  the  Republican  national 
committee  for  campaign  purposes,  one  of 
them  to  the  number  of  four  million  copies. 
So  far  as  Mr.  Hamilton's  efforts  on  behalf 
of  the  fourth  district  of  Michigan  are  con- 
cerned, he  has  obtained  for  its  three  harbors, 
St.  Joseph  and  Benton  Harbor,  South 
Haven  and  Saugatuck,  appropriations  ag- 
gregating practically  a  million  dollars,  being 
by  several  times,  more  than  the  total  sum 
appropriated  for  them  in  their  entire  history 
prior  to  1896. 

Immediately  following  the  inauguration 
of  the  rural  free  delivery  of  mail  by  the  gov- 
ernment, in  1897,  Mr.  Hamilton  secured  the 
establishment  of  experimental -routes  in  the 
fourth  district,  which  was  one  of  the  first 
in  the  state  to  secure  such  service.  There  is 
now^  complete  service  in  the  six  counties  of 
the  district  with  tw^o  hundred  and  forty-three 
routes. 

It  has  been  Mr.  Hamilton's  unvarying 
practice  throughout  his  service  to  give 
prompt  and  thorough  consideration  to  cor- 
respondence and  to  the  detais  of  his  work  as 


314 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


a  representative,  and  he  has  entirely  aban- 
doned the  practice  of  his  profession  to  that 
end.  He  has  given  his  best  efforts  to  the 
needs  of  an  intelHgent  and  progressive 
constituency. 

JOHN  H.  SPARKS,  a  lumber  mer- 
chant, of  the  firm  of  J.  H.  Sparks  & 
Son,  carrying  on  business  at  Berrien 
Springs,  was  born  in  Buchanan  township, 
on  the  5th  of  May,  1844.  His  father, 
Spencer  Sparks,  was  a  native  of  Indiana, 
born  near  Richmond,  and  was  a  youth  of 
thirteen  years  when  he  came  to  Berrien 
county  with  his  parents,  Cornelius  and  Susan 
Sparks,  in  the  year  1828.  They  were  pio- 
neer settlers  of  this  portion  of  the  state. 
Berrien  county  had  not  yet  been  organized 
but  was  a  part  of  Cass  county.  The  timber 
was  uncut,  the  land  uncultivated,  the  streams 
unbridged  and  the  work  of  development  and 
progress  scarcely  begun.  The  Sparks  fam- 
ily were  identified  with  the  early  history  of 
the  county  in  reclaiming  it  for  the  purpose  of 
civilization  and  in  laying  broad  and  deep  the 
foundation  for  its  later  development  and  im- 
provement. 

Spencer  Sparks  was  largely  reared  in  this 
county  and  was  here  married  to  Miss  Sarah 
Hunter,  who  was  born  near  Columbus,  Ohio, 
and  came  to  Berrien  county  in  the  year  1832. 
Following  their  marriage  the  young  couple 
began  their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm  in  Bu- 
chanan township,  which  Mr.  Sparks  had 
entered  from  the  government,  going  on 
horseback  to  Kalamazoo  to  secure  his  title. 
He  and  his  bride  settled  upon  this  farm  and 
with  characteristic  energy  he  began  its  de- 
velopment and  improvement.  After  culti- 
vating it  for  some  years,  however,  he 
sold  the  property  and  bought  another 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres, 
which  he  improved,  making  it  his  home 
throughout  his  remaining  days,  his  death 
occurring  when  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  fifty-six  years.  His  wife  long  survived 
him  and  was  about  seventy-six  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  her  demise.  In  their  family 
were  five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  one  daughter  died  at  the  age 
of  sixteen  years,  while  only  the  sons  are  now 


living.  One  of  these  is  Spencer  Frank 
Sparks  of  this  county,  who  is  mentioned  on 
another  page  of  this  work,  as  is  William  D. 
Sparks. 

John  H.  Sparks,  the  eldest  son  and  third 
child  of  the  family,  was  reared  upon  the  old 
homestead  and  remained  under  the  parental 
roof  through  his  minority,  acquiring  his 
education  in  the  district  schools  and  in  the 
public  schools  of  Albion,  Michigan.  When 
a  young  man  he  bought  a  tract  of  land  near 
Benton  Harbor  and  was  engaged  there  in 
the  fruit  business  for  a  few  years.  He  then 
sold  out  and  bought  land  in  Niles  township 
at  the  bend  of  the  river,  making  his  home 
there  for  about  six  years.  In  1882  he  came 
to  Berrien  Springs,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided, and  in  1884  he  established  his  lumber 
business  which  he  has  since  conducted,  being 
now  one  of  the  representative  and  enterpris- 
ing business  men  of  the  village.  He  carries 
a  large  and  well  selected  stock  of  lumber  and 
building  materials  and  has  a  liberal  patron- 
age, which  makes  the  business  which  he 
annually  transacts  of  considerable  import- 
ance in  bringing  a  desirable  income.  He  also 
engaged  in  the  coal  business  for  some  four 
or  five  years. 

In  1873  Mr.  Sparks  was  married  to  Miss 
Lurinda  Roberts,  a  native  of  Ohio  and  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Hester  Roberts. 
They  now  have  two  children:  Claude  R., 
who  is  in  business  with  his  father ;  and  Nina, 
at  home. 

Mr.  Sparks  votes  with  the  Republican 
party  and  has  held  a  number  of  local  ofllices 
to  which  he  has  been  called  by  the  vote  of 
his  fellow  townsmen.  He  has  been  a  life- 
long resident  of  Berrien  county,  having  been 
identified  with  its  interests  for  sixty-two 
years,  while  the  name  of  Sparks  has  figured 
in  connection  with  its  development  and  pro- 
gress for  almost  eight  decades. 

BENSON  BROTHERS,  editors  and 
proprietors  of  the  Era  published  at  Ber- 
rien Springs,  are  well  known  representa- 
tives of  journalism  in  Berrien  county. 
George  R.  Benson  was  born  May  23, 
1868,  in  the  village  in  which  he  still 
makes  his  home.     The  father,  Joel  Benson, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


315 


was  a  native  of  Broome  county,  New  York, 
where  he  was  reared  to  the  age  of  twenty 
years,  when  he  left  the  Empire  state  and  be- 
came a  resident  of  Ohio,  removing  thence  to 
Michigan  about  1850.  He  located  at  Ber- 
rien Springs,  where  he  carried  on  business  as 
a  cabinet-maker  and  later  he  removed  to  St. 
Joseph,  Michigan,  where  he  spent  about 
fifteen  years.  There  he  owned  and  con- 
ducted a  lumber  mill,  and  on  the  expiration 
of  that  decade  and  a  half  he  returned  to  Ber- 
ring  Springs  and  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness, enjoying  in  well  earned  rest  the  fruits 
of  his  former  toil.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil 
war  patriotism  and  loyalty  were  manifest  by 
his  enlistment  and  active  service  with  the 
Twelfth  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry,  with 
which  he  remained  as  a  private  for  two  years. 
His  residence  in  this  county  covered  more 
than  a  half  century  and  he  passed  away 
September  4,  1905.  His  wife,  who  in  her 
maidenhood  was  Miss  Catharine  P.  Miller, 
was  a  native  of  New  York,  where  she  spent 
her  girlhood  days.  She  died  when  about 
sixty-six  years  of  age.  In  the  family  were 
four  sons  :  Thomas  C,  of  Berrien  Springs ; 
Joel  L,  who  died  in  infancy;  George  R. ;  and 
Dewey  M. 

George  R.  Benson  was  reared  in  Ber- 
rien Springs  to  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  and 
entering  the  public  schools  at  the  usual  age, 
passed  through  successive  grades  until  he 
completed  the  high  school  course  by  gradua- 
tion in  the  class  of  1887.  He  afterward 
worked  in  the  old  Journal  office  until  he  ob- 
tained a  better  position  at  St.  Joseph  in  the 
office  of  the  St.  Joseph  Republican.  He  was 
also  employed  on  the  St.  Joseph  Press,  act- 
ing as  foreman  in  that  office  for  five  years. 
He  ran  the  first  paper  through  the  printing 
press  there  and  was  a  factor  in  the  success- 
ful conduct  of  that  then  newly  established 
journal.  He  also  worked  in  Chicago  a  short 
time  and  was  employed  in  various  offices  in 
five  or  six  different  states.  Returning  to 
Benton  Harbor  he  became  foreman  on  the 
Banner-Register  for  a  year  and  a  half,  on  the 
expiration  of  which  period  he  became  a 
dealer  in  bicycles  in  St.  Joseph,  doing  a  good 
business  during  the  popularity  of  the  wheel. 
Later,  spending  some  time  in  Galatin,  Ten- 


nessee, he  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business 
and  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Spanish-Amer- 
ican war  he  went  to  Nashville,  Tennessee, 
where  he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company 
M,  First  Tennessee  Volunteer  Infantry, 
with  which  he  became  a  sergeant.  He  served 
in  the  Philippine  Islands  and  was  in  the  army 
for  two  years.  On  th  expiration  of  that  per- 
iod he  returned  to  Berrien  Springs,  and  in 
April,  1 901,  in  connection  with  his  brother 
Dewey,  purchased  the  Era  from  Fred  Mc- 
Omber.  They  have  since  edited  the  paper, 
wdiich  has  a  liberal  circulating  and  adver- 
tising patronage. 

On  the  26th  of  February,  1891,  George 
R.  Benson  was  married  to  Miss  Bertha  A. 
Elliott,  a  native  of  Canada,  and  a  daughter 
of  Jacob  and  Mary  Elliott.  Unto  them  were 
born  five  children,  G.  Royal,  Joel  Harry, 
Hazen  Miller,  Cora  Leota  and  Helen  Kath- 
ryn. 

Mr.  Benson  is  one  of  the  enterprising 
men  of  the  county,  whose  leadership  in  pub- 
lic affairs  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  his 
fellow  townsmen  have  frequently  selected 
him  for  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He 
has  been  constable  for  five  years  and  mar- 
shal of  the  village  for  one  year.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  society  at  Ber- 
rien Springs  and  is  now  deputy  grand  mas- 
ter of  the  lodge.  Fie  also  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees  at  St.  Joseph  and 
he  is  well  known  in  fraternal,  business  and 
political  circles.  His  influence  is  given  on 
the  side  of  progress  and  improvement  and  in 
his  editorial  capacity  and  in  private  Hfe  he 
stands  as  the  champion  of  much  that  is  bene- 
ficial to  the  county. 

GEORGE  N.  OTWELL,  superintend- 
ent of  the  Berrien  Springs  public  schools 
and  recognized  in  educational  circles  as 
a  foremost  representative  of  the  system 
of  public  instruction  in  southwestern 
Michigan,  was  born  on  the  3d  of  Aug- 
ust, 1875,  on  a  farm  about  three  and  a 
half  miles  southwest  of  Three  Oaks.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  Emory  Otwell,  was  a 
native  of  Ohio,  and  became  one  of  the  pio- 
neer settlers  of  Laporte  county,  Indiana. 
He  afterward  removed  to  Stark  county,  In- 


3i6 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


diana,  but  subsequently  again  located  in  La- 
porte  county.  His  son,  James  M.  Otwell, 
father  of  George  N.  Otwell,  was  born  in  In- 
diana, where  he  remained  to  the  age  of  thir- 
teen years,  when  he  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  their  removal  to  Three  Oaks  town- 
ship, Berrien  county,  Michigan.  Here  he 
was  reared  upon  the  farm  on  which  his  son 
George  N.  w^as  born,  and,  having  arrived  at 
years  of  maturity,  he  was  married  in  Berrien 
county  to  Miss  Mary  J.  Monroe,  a  daughter 
of  Robert  and  Electa  (Crouch)  Monroe. 
Mrs.  Otwxll  was  born  in  Yates  county,  New 
York,  and  there  spent  her  girlhood  days. 
By  her  marriage  she  became  the  mother  of 
six  children,  of  whom  tw^o  died  in  infancy, 
while  four  still  survive,  namely :  Fannie 
E.,  the  W'ife  of  Edwin  W.  Mayes,  of  Three 
Oaks;  Byron  J.,  living  in  New  Buffalo, 
Michigan;  George  N.;  and  Nellie  G.,  the 
wife  of  William  Kramer,  of  Three  Oaks, 
Michigan. 

George  N.  Otwell,  the  third  child  and 
second  son  of  the  family,  was  reared  upon  the 
old  homestead  near  Three  Oaks  and  attended 
the  district  schools  of  that  township.  Sub- 
sequently he  entered  upon  a  course  of  study 
in  the  high  school  at  Three  Oaks  and  was 
there  graduated  with  the  class  of  1893.  Sub- 
sequently he  was  graduated  from  the  scien- 
tific department  of  the  Northern  Indiana 
Normal  College,  at  Valparaiso,  and  later 
was  a  student  in  the  literary  department  of 
the  Michigan  State  University,  at  Ann  Ar- 
bor. He  w^as  thus  qualified  by  broad  edu- 
cational advantages  for  a  professional 
career.  He  taught  his  first  school  in  Har- 
bert,  Berrien  county,  where  he  remained  for 
two  years,  and  for  three  years  he  was  a 
teacher  in  the  village  schools  of  Three  Oaks. 
He  then  became  principal  of  the  schools  at 
Stevensville,  Michigan,  where  he  remained 
for  five  years,  and  in  the  fall  of  1903  he  ac- 
cepted the  superintendency  of  the  schools  at 
Berrien  Springs. 

In  1904  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
county  board  of  school  examiners  and  is  now 
acting  in  that  capacity.  He  is  recognized 
as  an  able  educator,  and  by  the  professional 
public  is  accorded  a  prominent  position  in 
the  profession  to  which  he  is  devoting  his 


time,  energies  and  talents.  His  political 
allegiance  is  given  to  the  Republican  party. 
He  is  a  valued  representative  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows, Lake  Lodge,  No.  43,  the  Masonic 
lodge  at  Bcjrrien  Springs  and  the  Royal 
Arch  chapter  at  St.  Joseph,  Michigan. 

FRANK  STARKWE.\THER,  whose 
home  on  section  eight,  Niles  township, 
stands  in  the  midst  of  a  good  farm, 
is  now  controlling  four  hundred  and 
twenty-five  acres  of  rich  and  productive  land, 
and  is  also  well  knowai  throughout  the  coun- 
ty as  an  auctioneer.     He  is  one  of  Michi- 

ran's  native  sons,  although  his  birth  did  not 
occur  within  the  boundary  lines  of  Berrien 
county.  It  was  on  the  ist  of  October,  1858, 
in  Mason  tow^nship,  Cass  county,  that  he 
first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day,  his 
parents  being  Henry  and  Elizabeth  (Long) 
Starkweather.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
Cayuga  county,  New  York,  and  when  quite 
young  lost  his  parents.  When  he  was  about 
fourteen  years  of  age  he  came  to  Niles,  Mich- 
igan, wnth  Isaac  Griffin,  with  w^hom  he  lived 
until  he  attained  his  majority,  the  occupation 
of  farming  claiming  his  time  and  energies, 
and  throughout  his  entire  life  his  labors  were 
given  to  the  task  of  tilling  the  soil  and  car- 
ing for  the  crops.  On  the  13th  of  February, 
1844,  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Long,  a 
native  of  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  born 
May  28,  1824,  and  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Elizabeth  (Aiken)  Long,  the  former  a 
native  of  Virginia  and  the  latter  of  Ken- 
tucky.   On  coming  to  Michigan  they  located 

in  Ontwa  township,  Cass  county,  in  1844, 
there  remaining  for  about  four  years.  Sub- 
sequently they  took  up  their  abode  in  Mason 
township  upon  a  farm  of  their  own.  In  1869 
they  removed  to  Niles  township,  Berrien 
county,  where  for  a  long  period  Mr.  Stark- 
weather carried  on  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits. At  length,  however,  he  removed  to 
Niles  city,  where  he  lived  for  one  year  prior 
to  his  death,  which  occurred  when  he  was 
seventy-four  years  of  age.  In  his  religious 
faith  he  was  connected  with  the  Society  of 
Friends.  Mrs.  Starkweather  still  survives 
her  husband  and  is  now  residing  with  her  son 
Frank.     In  the  family  were  four  children : 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


317 


May,  who  died  in  childhood;  Edwin,  who 
died  at  an  early  age;  Emma,  who  passed 
away  when  twenty-one  years  of  age;  and 
Frank,  of  this  review. 

Mr.  Starkweather,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  record,  is  the  only  one  of  the  chil- 
dren now  living.  He  was  reared  in  Berrien 
county  from  the  age  of  ten  years,  and  after 
acquiring  his  preliminary  education  in  the 
country  schools  he  attended  the  North- 
western University,  at  Evanston,  Illinois. 
He  was  a  resident  of  Niles  city  for  eight 
years,  or  until  1905,  when  he  removed  to 
his  present  farm.  While  in  Niles  he  was  en- 
gaged in  dealing  in  agricultural  implements. 
He  has  also  carried  on  auctioneering  since 
1898  and  continues  in  business  in  addition  to 
general  farming.  Everything  about  his  place 
is  well  improved  and  he  is  now  in  control 
of  four  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  of 
land,  which  he  placed  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation. 

On  the  17th  of  January,  1882,  Mr. 
Starkweather  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Cora  D.  Warner,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Francis 
M.  and  Mary  Ann  (Cannon)  Warner,  and 
a  native  of  New  York.  There  her  girlhood 
days  were  passed.  By  her  marriage  she  has 
become  the  mother  of  four  children,  Roy 
L.  and  Grace  Doris,  living,  and  Clinton  J- 
and  Evan  Warner,  both  deceased  when 
young. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Starkweather 
has  been  a  life-long  Republican,  and  for  fif- 
teen years  he  has  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
political  affairs  of  Berrien  county,  support- 
ing its  principles  and  fighting  its  battles.  At 
the  primary  election  of  September  4,  1906, 
he  was  nominated  for  the  office  of  sheriff  of 
Berrien  county  over  five  opponents  for  the 
nomination.  For  two  terms  he  served  as 
treasurer  of  Niles  township  and  was  also 
alderman  of  the  Second  ward.  He  has  taken 
an  active  interest  in  public  affairs,  serving  as 
highway  commissioner  and  whether  in  office 
or  out  of  it,  he  is  always  loyal  to  the  best 
interests  of  the  community.  Fraternally  he 
is  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  belonging  to  the  local 
organizations  of  those  orders  in  Niles. 


J.  SHERLOCK  ALLEN  of  Berrien 
Springs,  was  born  in  Winchester  county, 
Virginia,  June  12,  1873,  his  parents  be- 
ing Luman  and  Julia  (Ellis)  Allen,  who 
were  likewise  natives  of  the  Old  Domin- 
ion. The  father  was  a  prominent  lawyer 
for  the  Hamilton  &  Dayton  Railroad 
and  other  large  corporations.  He  removed 
to  Chicago  and  won  a  notable  position  at  the 
bar  of  that  city,  having  a  large  and  distinct- 
ively representative  clientele  there.  He  died 
at  the  age  of  forty-six  years. 

J.  Sherlock  Allen  was  educated  at  Re- 
nack,  France,  where  he  pursued  a  general 
course  and  was  graduated  in  1893.  In  that 
year  he  came  into  possession  of  a  large  prop- 
erty in  Virginia  and  went  to  his  native  state, 
where  he  remained  for  two  years.  He  then 
located  in  Chicago  and  had  charge  of  the 
large  estate  of  his  father  in  that  city.  He 
also  became  a  real  estate  dealer  in  associa- 
tion with  his  other  business  interests.  In 
1896  he  came  to  Berrien  Springs,  purchasing 
what  was  formerly  the  county  seat  property, 
which  he  remodeled,  converting  the  old 
court  house  into  an  assembly  hall.  He  also 
remodeled  the  old  jail  and  residence  and 
now  has  a  fine  property.  He  has  since  been 
engaged  in  contracting  and  is  a  prominent 
and  representative  business  man  of  the  com- 
munity, with  keen  foresight  and  sound  judg- 
ment. In  community  affairs  he  has  figured 
prominently  and  is  a  recognized  leader  in 
the  ranks  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  served 
as  president  of  the  village  for  two  terms  and 
has  been  deputy  sheriff  for  three  terms,  also 
filling  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace.  His 
political  service  has  been  most  acceptable  to 
the  general  public,  his  duties  having  been 
performed  with  promptness  and  fidelity. 

In  1903  Mr.  Allen  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Maud  Fink,  a  daughter  of 
Captain  John  Fink,  of  Wheeling,  West  Vir- 
ginia. She  was  also  born  in  the  Old  Do- 
minion, and  like  her  husband  is  well  known 
in  Berrien  Springs,  where  the  hospitality 
of  the  best  homes  is  freely  and  cordially  ex- 
tended them.  Mr.  Allen  has  attained  the 
thirty-second  degree  of  the  Scotish  Rite  in 
Masonry,  and  he  is  well  known  in  this 
county. 


318 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


ABEL  W.  WELLS.  A  residence  of 
nearly  forty  years  has  identified  Mr.  Wells 
in  a  foremost  manner  with  the  manufactur- 
ing, business  and  civic  life  of  St.  Joseplt  He 
helped  actively  to  lay  the  foundation  of  this 
city's  advancement  as  a  manufacturing  cen- 
ter. Since  1879  he  has  been  bending  his 
energies  to  building  up  a  great  knitting  in- 
dustry, and  in  that  year  the  firm  of  Cooper, 
Wells  &  Company  began  in  a  modest  way 
a  career  of  very  unusual  permanence  and 
success.  Cooper,  Wells  &  Company's  knit 
goods  products  are  known  to  the  retail 
trade  throughout  the  country,  and  the  pros- 
perity of  the  firm  is  part  of  the  prosperity  of 
St.  Joseph,  creating  employment  for  many 
persons  and  bringing  in  wealth  from  many 
sources. 

Mr.  Wells,  who  has  been  president  of 
the  Cooper,  Wells  &  Company  since  1895, 
was  born  in  Prescott  county,  Ontario,  Sep- 
tember 6,  1840.  His  parents,  A.  W.  and 
Hannah  (Cass)  Wells,  were  both  natives 
of  the  Dominion,  but  later  came  to  the 
United  States  and  died  in  the  state  of  Min- 
nesota. 

Spending  the  first  twenty-six  years  of 
his  life  in  his  native  country,  where  he 
studied  in  the  Canadian  schools,  Mr.  Wells 
took  up  his  residence  in  the  United  States 
in  1866  and  two  years  later  came  to  St. 
Joseph.  Almost  at  once  he  commenced  the 
manufacture  of  fruit  packages.  The  demand 
for  this  class  of  goods  has  expanded  enor- 
mously since  Mr.  Wells  came  here,  register- 
ing the  growth  of  the  fruit  business,  and  it 
is  noteworthy  that  Mr.  Wells  has  continued 
in  this  line  of  manufacture  from  the  year  of 
his  arrival  here.  To  the  people  of  St.  Jo- 
seph the  Wells,  Higman  &  Company's 
plant  is  a  very  familiar  and  valuable  in- 
dustry. The  concern  is  almost  national  in 
extent  and  importance.  It  keeps  about  two 
hundred  and  fifty  operatives  on  its  pay 
rolls,  and  its  annual  business  is  estimated 
at  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 
Mr.  Wells  has  been  at  the  head  of  the  com- 
pany since  1868.  Besides  the  local  plant  at 
St.  Joseph  he  is  interested  in  extensive  man- 
ufactories at  Memphis  and  Greenfield, 
Tennessee,     Vicksburg,     Mississippi,     Fort 


Valley  and  Macon,  Georgia,  Crystal  Springs, 
Alabama,  and  Tyler,  Texas. 

The  establishment  of  the  knitting  and 
woolen  mills  at  St.  Joseph  was  very  largely 
the  result  of  the  enterprise  of  the  St.  Joseph 
Improvement  and  Benefit  Association,  an 
organization  of  citizens  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  business  and  industrial  affairs 
of  the  town,  of  which  Mr.  Wells  was  the 
first  president  at  the  formation  of  the  asso- 
ciation in  1877.  On  the  burning  of  the 
Woolen  Mills  and  Knitting  Plant  at  Niles 
in  the  following  February  those  concerned 
in  that  business  were  induced  to  locate  the 
plant  at  St.  Joseph.  Temporary  quarters 
were  installed  in  the  King  building  and  be- 
fore the  end  of  the  summer  the  plant  was 
in  operation  in  a  new  building.  S.  T.  Cooper 
and  sons  at  first  owned  the  business,  but  in 
the  latter  part  of  1879  Mr.  Wells  came  into 
the  concern,  bringing  both  capital  and  busi- 
ness ability,  and  from  that  time  the  company 
has  been  under  its  present  name.  The  com- 
pany was  incorporated  in  1889  by  A.  W. 
Wells,  Willis  W.  Cooper,  H.  C.  Ward  and 
George  D.  Mayo,  with  capital  stock  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  Mr. 
Wells  being  elected  president  and  Mr. 
Cooper  secretary  and  treasurer.  In  1894  Mr. 
Cooper  sold  his  stock  to  Mr.  Wells  and  Mr. 
Mayo,  and  since  that  change  Mr.  Wells  has 
been  president  and  general  manager. 

February  25,  1903,  fire  destroyed  the 
main  building  and  office,  causing  a  loss  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  dol- 
lars with  forty-two  thousand  dollars  insur- 
ance. But  the  success  of  the  business  was 
so  substantial  that  even  before  this  calamity 
plans  had  been  formed  to  enlarge  with  new 
buildings,  and  a  new  plant  was  begun  with 
hardly  a  month's  delay  and  was  in  operation 
by  August  lOth  following.  The  building 
is  three  stories,  covering  ground  area  two 
hundred  and  twenty-seven  by  sixty-seven 
feet,  and  is  equipped  with  the  best  inven- 
tions for  the  manufacture  of  its  lines  of 
'Tron  Clad"  woolen,  cotton  and  merino  fab- 
rics, together  with  lisle  thread:,  lace  and 
stripe  effects. 

To  be  at  the  head  of  such  an  industry 
carries  a  responsibility  and  honor  which  are 


^.rf^,p^£„^^ 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


319 


well  discharged  and  well  merited  by  such  a 
man  as  Mr.  Wells,  who.  has  spent  forty  years 
of  his  life  in  the  persistent  and  energetic 
pursuit  of  business  success.  The  volume  of 
business  has  grown  wonderfully  under  his 
control.  The  plant  gives  employment  to 
four  hundred  and  seventy-five  persons,  also 
twenty-two  traveling  salesmen.  The  annual 
business  is  worth  eight  hundred  thousand 
dollars. 

In  1883  the  Union  Banking  Company  of 
St.  Joseph  was  organized  and  since  1893 
Mr.  Wells  has  been  president  of  this  insti- 
tution, one  of  the  well  known  and  strong 
financial  concerns  of  the  county. 

It  seems  that  with  the  weighty  cares  of 
these  business  interests  Mr.  Wells  would 
have  little  opportunity  for  anything  else. 
And  yet  he  has  been  one  of  the  stanchest 
Republicans  of  Berrien  county  for  a  great 
many  years,  has  served  his  county  on  the 
board  of  supervisors,  and  has  helped  secure 
the  welfare  of  education  as  a  member  of  the 
city  school  board. 

January  28,  1868,  the  same  year  of  his 
coming  to  St.  Joseph,  Mr.  Wells  married 
Miss  Melvina  B.  Gates,  also  a  native  of  Can- 
ada. They  have  three  children  living.  The 
two  daughters  are  Cornelia  E.  and  Clara.  J. 
Ogden,  the  son,  was  a  member  of  the  Roose- 
velt Rough  Riders  during  the  Spanish  war, 
enlisting  while  in  Harvard  College,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1901.  Since  return- 
ing home  he  has  been  an  invaluable  assist- 
ant of  his  father  and  has  thoroughly  mas- 
tered the  details  of  the  business,  being  vice 
president  and  assistant  manager  of  the 
Cooper,  Wells  &  Company. 

In  view  of  what  Mr.  Wells  has  accom- 
plished in  the  world  of  business,  it  is  of  in- 
terest to  add  that  he  began  life  without  any 
unusual  advantages  in  the  way  of  inherit- 
ance or  family  position.  Shrewd  but  honest, 
capable  and  exceedingly  industrious,  he  has 
followed  in  the  path  of  successful  men  and 
gained  a  position  that  none  could  justly 
envy. 

WILLIAM  F.  BULLARD,  M.  D., 
was  born  in  Connersville,  Fayette  county, 
Indiana,  May  30,  1848.  His  paternal 
grandfather,    a    native    of    Massachusetts, 


was  of  French  descent.  The  father, 
Henry  Bullard,  also  born  in  Massachu- 
setts, removed  to  the  middle  west  about 
1830,  settling  in  Fayette  county,  Indiana,  as 
one  of  its  pioneer  residents.  He  was  the 
promoter  of  industrial  life  in  that  section 
of  the  state,  where  he  engaged  in  the  con- 
duct of  a  woolen  manufactory.  He  removed 
from  Carthage,  Ohio,  to  Connersville,  In- 
diana, and  about  1868  became  a  resident  of 
Quincy,  Illinois,  where  he  spent  his  remain- 
ing days,  passing  away  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
five  years.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Martha  Wardwell,  was  a  native  of 
Ohio,  born  in  Oxford.  She  lived  to  be 
seventy-six  years  of  age  and  was  the  seventh 
child  in  a  family  of  five  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  the  Doctor  was  the  third  child 
and  second  son. 

Reared  in  his  native  county  to  the  age  of 
eighteen  years  Dr.  Bullard  acquired  his  early 
education  in  the  district  schools  and  after- 
ward attended  the  high  school  at  Conners- 
ville. When  about  twenty  years  of  age  he 
took  up  the  study  of  medicine  in  his  native 
place  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  George 
Chitwood,  who  assisted  him  in  his  reading 
for  about  three  years.  |  He  pursued  his  first 
course  of  lectures  at  the  Cincinnati  Medical 
College  and  practiced  for  one  year  in  Car- 
roll county,  Indiana.  He  then  continued  his 
college  course  and  was  graduated  in  1880 
from  the  Medical  College  of  Indiana,  at  In- 
dianapolis. He  then  returned  to  Cutler,  Car- 
roll county,  where  he  resumed  practice,  re- 
maining there  for  about  two  years.  On  the 
expiration  of  that  period  he  went  to  Pyr- 
mont  in  the  same  county,  and  in  1885  came 
to  Berrien  Springs,  where  he  has  since  been 
located,  enjoying  a  large  and  growing 
practice. 

In  1878  Dr.  Bullard  was  married  to 
Miss  Lucy  A.  Geer,  a  daughter  of  Harrison 
C  Geer,  of  Battle  Creek,  Michigan,  where 
she  was  born  and  reared.  There  is  one 
daughter  of  this  marriage:  Edna  B.,  the  wife 
of  Edward  Vander  Hoof,  of  Eau  Claire, 
Michigan. 

Dr.  Bullard  is  now  the  oldest  prac- 
ticing physician  in  Berrien  Springs,  his  con- 
nection with  the  profession  here  covering  a 
period  of  twenty-one  years.    He  is  a  member 


320 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN    COUNTY 


of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
and  the  Patricians.  He  likewise  belongs  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  is  well 
known  in  the  county.  He  has  been  a  life- 
long Republican  and  has  served  on  the  vil- 
lage board  for  several  terms,  also  on  the 
school  board  and  as  health  officer  for  many 
years.  He  is  well  qualified  in  his  profession 
for  he  keeps  in  touch  with  modern  progress 
through  reading  and  investigation  and  his 
experience  has  made  him  an  able  physician, 
successfully  coping  with  the  intricate  prob- 
lems which  continually  confront  the  medical 
practitioner. 

WILLIAM  H.  GRAHAM,  a  prominent 
farmer  of  Berrien  Springs,  was  born  in 
the  house  which  is  still  his  home  his 
natal  day  being  June  26,  1853.  He  is 
the  second  son  and  eldest  living  child 
of  George  and  Mary  (Garrow)  Graham, 
and  was  reared  on  the  place  where  he  now 
resides,  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth 
being  unmarked  by  any  event  of  special  im- 
portance. Having  mastered  the  branches 
taught  in  the  common  schools,  he  afterward 
attended  Albion  College  and  Notre  Dame 
University,  and  was  thus  well  equipped  by 
liberal  educational  advantages  for  the  im- 
portant duties  of  an  active  business  career. 
Returning  to  Berrien  county  he  continued 
farming  on  the  old  homestead  and  has  long 
been  numbcTed  among  the  representative 
and  prominent  agriculturists  of  this  part  of 
the  state. 

In  1 88 1,  Mr.  Graham  was  married  to 
Miss  Laura  Piatt,  a  daughter  of  J.  M.  and 
Aurelia  Piatt.  She  was  born  in  Berrien 
Springs,  her  father  having  come  to  this 
county  from  Massachusetts  at  an  early  day. 
He  was  one  of  its  pioneer  residents  and  en- 
gaged in  merchandising,  conducting  a  large 
and  important  business  at  Berrien  Springs, 
drawing  his  trade  from  many  sections  of  the 
county.  He  was  closely  identified  with  the 
early  development  and  progress  of  this  por- 
tion of  the  state  and  was  a  leading  and  in- 
fluential man,  whose  business  activity  and 
enterprise  entitled  him  to  rank  with  those 
citizens  who  were  founders  of  the  present 
prosperity  and  upbuilding  of  Berrien  county. 
He  died  w^hen  about  fifty  years  of  age.  Mrs. 


Graham  is  the  second  in  a  family  of  four 
children,  three  daughters  and  one  son,  and 
after  acquiring  her  preliminary  education  in 
the  common  schools  here,  continued  her  stud- 
ies in  Massachusetts.  There  is  one  son  by 
this  marriage,  George,  who  is  now  engaged 
in  the  grocery  business  in  Berrien  Springs. 
Mr.  Graham  has  been  a  life-long  resident 
of  Berrien  county  and  has  always  followed 
agricultural  pursuits,  in  which  he  has  found 
ample  opportunity  to  exercise  his  native  tal- 
ents and  his  energy  and  give  scope  to  his 
laudable  ambition,  which  is  one  of  his 
salient  characteristics.  He  is  a  Republican 
and  takes  an  active  interest  in  affairs  relat- 
ing to  the  public  good. 

i 
FRANK  RHOADES,  a  prominent 
farmer  residing  on  section  twenty- four, 
Bertrand  township,  employing  methods 
in  the  cultivation  of  his  place  that  re- 
sult in  large  harvests,  was  born  in  White 
county,  Indiana,  October  i,  1866,  and  is  the 
eldest  child  of  Solomon  and  Elizabeth  ( New- 
ton) Rhoades.  The  father,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Indiana 
and  throughout  his  business  career  has  fol- 
lowed farming  but  now  resides  in  Kos- 
ciusko county,  Indiana,  where  he  is  enjoy- 
ing a  well  earned  rest.  His  wife  is  a  native 
of  Indiana,  and  is  of  English  descent.  In 
the  family  wxre  ten  children,  all  of  whom 
reached  adult  age  and  with  one  exception 
all  are  yet  living. 

Frank  Rhoades  was  reared  in  Kosciusko 
county,  Indiana,  and  at  the  usual  age  entered 
the  district  schools,  where  he  mastered  the 
common  branches  of  English  learning. 
Later  he  spent  some  time  as  a  student  in  the 
graded  schools  of  Mentone,  Indiana,  and 
for  four  years  he  engaged  in  teaching  in 
that  state,  entering  upon  the  active  work 
of  the  profession  when  eighteen  years  of 
age  and  continuing  to  the  age  of  twenty- 
tw^o.  He  then  came  to  Michigan,  settling 
in  Bertrand  township,  Berrien  county,  where 
he  has  since  been  engaged  in  farming  and 
the  same  spirit  of  understanding  and  deter- 
mination which  characterized  his  work  in 
the  schoolroom  has  made  him  a  successful 
agriculturist. 

On   the    13th   of    February,    1889,    Mr. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


321 


Rhoades  secured  a  companion  and  helpmate 
for  life's  journey  by  his  marriage  to  Miss 
Martha  C.  Cauffman,  a  daughter  of  James 
and  Elizabeth  (Leiter)  Cauffman.  She  was 
born  in  Bertrand  township,  October  31, 
1867,  and  has  spent  her  entire  life  within  its 
borders.  By  her  marriage  she  has  become 
the  mother  of  one  daughter,  Roxy  R.  who 
was  born  July  6,  1890,  deceased,  and  one 
son,  Jay  A.,  who  was  born  November  15, 
1 89 1,  in  Bertrand  township. 

Mr.  Rhoades  exercises  his  right  of  fran- 
chise in  support  of  the  men  and  measures 
of  the  Democracy,  and  as  every  true  Ameri- 
can citizen  should  do,  takes  an  active  interest 
in  the  welfare  and  growth  of  the  party  which 
he  believes  promotes  the  best  interests  of  the 
nation.  He  was  township  clerk  for  two 
terms  and  served  on  the  school  board  for 
some  time.  He  has  also  been  school  in- 
spector for  the  last  six  or  eight  years  and  the 
cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a  stalwart 
champion.  He  and  his  wife  belongs  to  the 
Union  Brethren  church.  In  a  life  of  busi- 
ness activity  he  has  been  guided  by  a  spirit 
of  consideration  for  others  in  harmony  with 
principles  of  conduct  which  neither  seek  nor 
require  disguise. 

GEORGE  P.  CRANSON.  The  agricul- 
tural interests  of  Niles  township  find  a 
worthy  representative  in  George  P.  Cran- 
son,  an  active  and  respected  farmer  living 
on  section  twelve.  He  is  a  native  son  of  the 
Empire  state,  having  been  born  in  Allegany 
county,  New  York,  May  25,  1857.  His 
father,  Sylvester  H.  Cranson,  was  likewise 
a  native  of  New  York,  and  was  there  reared 
and  educated.  The  occupation  of  farming 
was  his  life  work,  and,  leaving  the  east,  he 
came  to  Michigan  at  an  early  day,  locating 
first  in  Jackson  county.  However,  he  after- 
ward returned  to  the  Empire  state,  where 
he  remained  for  about  six  years,  when  he 
again  came  to  Michigan,  locating  once  more 
in  Jackson  county,  in  1858.  There  he  lived 
for  two  years,  and  in  1870  became  a  resident 
of  Milton  township,  Cass  county,  where  he 
died  in  1877.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Jennetta  Peck,  and  was  also  a  native 
of  New  York.    She  passed  away  prior  to  the 


death  of  her  husband,  for  she  died  in  Milton 
township,  Cass  county,  in  1875.  This 
worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  are  yet  living :  Charles, 
who  resides  in  Howard  township,  Cass 
county;  Flora  E.,  the  wife  of  Elmer  Butts, 
of  Niles  township,  who  is  mentioned  on 
another  page  of  this  work;  Arthur  V.,  who 
is  a  resident  of  South  Bend,  Indiana ;  and 
George  P.,  of  this  review. 

The  youngest  of  the  family,  George  P. 
Cranson,  was  only  nine  months  old  when 
brought  to  Michigan  and  was  a  youth  of 
fourteen  when  he  removed  with  his  parents 
from  Jackson  to  Cass  county,  being  reared 
in  Milton  township.  He  pursued  his  studies 
in  the  district  schools  of  that  township, 
where  he  mastered  the  branches  of  learning 
that  well  qualified  him  for  lifers  practical 
and  responsible  duties.  He  remained  at 
home  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when 
he  took  charge  of  the  farm  in  Milton  town- 
ship and  since  that  time  has  been  farming  on 
his  own  account. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  life's 
journey  Mr.  Cranson  chose  Miss  Mary  A. 
Hicks,  to  whom  he  was  married  on  the  loth 
of  December,  1884,  a  daughter  of  Richard 
V.  and  Catherine  (Ullery)  Hicks.  Mrs. 
Cranson  was  born  in  Milton  township,  Cass 
county,  Michigan,  March  29,  1863,  and. was 
educated  in  the  common  schools  and  Ed- 
wardsburg  and  Niles  high  schools.  She 
is  a  member  of  the  L.  O.  T.  M.  Hive, 
No.  39,  located  at  Niles,  Michigan.  The 
young  couple  continued  to  reside  in  Mil- 
ton township,  Cass  county,  and  Mr.  Cranson 
devoted  his  time  and  energies  to  general 
farming  there  until  1894,  when  he  removed 
to  the  farm  whereon  he  now  resides,  situ- 
ated on  section  twelve,  Niles  township,  Ber- 
rien county.  Here  he  has  one  hundred  and 
fifteen  acres  of  good  land,  which  is  devoted 
to  general  farming,  and  his  place  presents 
a  neat  and  thrifty  appearance,  showing  his 
careful  supervision  and  practical  methods. 
He  raises  the  crops  best  adapted  to  soil  and 
climate,  has  good  fruit  upon  his  place  and 
everything  indicates  that  the  owner  is  a 
man  of  enterprise  and  accomplishes  what  he 
undertakes.  ' 


32^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cranson  have  been 
born  six  children :  Hattie,  who  is  a  milHner, 
residing"  in  South  Bend,  Indiana;  Jessie, 
Jeanette,  Leonard,  Marie  and  Ester,  all  of 
home.  Mr.  Cranson  has  been  a  resident  of 
Niles  township  for  about  twelve  years  and 
has  been  almost  a  life-long  resident  of  Mich- 
igan. He  is  well  known  in  both  Berrien 
and  Cass  counties  and  substantial  qualities 
and  admirable  characteristics  have  won  him 
the  friendship  and  high  regard  of  those  with 
whom  business  or  social  relations  have 
brought  him  in  contact.  Since  age  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  right  of  franchise  he  has 
supported  the  Republican  party  and  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees 
at  Niles.  He  has  always  taken  an  active 
part  in  public  afifairs  and  recognizing  op- 
portunities for  the  promotion  of  the  com- 
munity's good  he  has  withheld  his  support 
from  no  movement  which  is  calculated  to 
prove  of  general  benefit. 

CHARLES  H.  TAUBE,  successfully 
engaged  in  fruit  growing  in  Benton  town- 
ship near  Benton  Harbor,  was  born  in 
Prussia  on  the  2d  of  July,  1856,  and 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1882.  He 
was  reared  in  his  native  land,  where  his  edu- 
cational privileges  were  somewhat  limited. 
The  pupils  were  taught  to  read  in  the  Bible, 
but  the  curriculum  was  very  abbreviated. 
After  putting  aside  his  textbooks  Mr.  Taube 
wished  to  get  into  trade,  but  wages  were  so 
small  that  he  soon  recognized  the  fact  that 
it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  get  ahead 
financially.  When  twenty  years  of  age  he 
was  examined  for  the  army,  but  was  not 
taken  for  active  service  for  two  years  there- 
after, when  he  was  accepted,  for  two  years. 
This  did  not  fill  his  entire  military  term, 
however,  and  he  was  later  called  forth  for 
six  months'  service  at  the  formation  of  a  new 
army.  His  life  at  this  time  was  a  strenuous 
one  and  he  saw  hard  service,  but  won  credits 
for  his  conduct  and  capability.  In  the  fall 
he  left  the  army,  after  which  he  worked  in 
the  pine  timber,  cutting  wood.  It  was  about 
this  time  that  he  began  to  hear  considerable 
of  America,  its  possibilities  and  prospects. 
He  had  an   aunt   living  near  Stevensville, 


Michigan,  who  wrote  him  to  come  to  the 
United  States.  His  father  had  even  agreed 
that  he  might  come  to  America  before  he 
went  into  the  army,  but  he  was  refused  a 
pass  by  the  military  officials,  so  that  he  after- 
ward took  the  matter  into  his  own  hands  and 
left  the  country  without  the  military  consent. 
He  had  saved  barely  enough  to  reach  the 
United  States  and  had  but  forty  cents  re- 
maining w^hen  he  joined  his  aunt  in  the  new 
world.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  brother 
William,  then  sixteen  years  of  age.  At  that 
time  the  latter  had  never  been  as  far  away 
from  home  as  the  next  village.  The  year  of 
their  emigration  was  1882.  After  a  month 
spent  with  his  uncle  Mr.  Taube  secured  work 
at  clearing  land,  being  thus  employed  for 
three  months.  That  fall  he  went  into  the 
lumber  camp  in  northern  Michigan  and 
worked  again  by  the  month  with  Professor 
Cummings  on  the  lake  shore  drive.  He  was 
thus  employed  at  various  kinds  of  labor  for 
four  years  or  until  the  time  of  his  marriage 
in  the  fall  of  1886,  when  he  had  saved  over 
five  hundred  dollars.  He  then  determined 
to  establish  a  home  of  his  own  and  enter  upon 
an  independent  business  career. 

It  was  at  that  time  that  Mr.  Taube  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Matilda  Krause, 
a  daughter  of  Charlie  Krause  of  Royalton, 
Michigan,  who  came  from  West  Prussia  to 
the  new  world  in  the  spring  of  1882.  For 
a  year  after  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Taube  remained  in  Benton  Harbor,  being 
engaged  at  mason  work  in  the  employ  of 
Will  Newlon,  who  recognized  his  skill  and 
ingenuity  with  tools  and  desired  him  to  learn 
the  mason's  trade,  but  he  found  that  he  pre- 
ferred farm  work  and  has  since  given  his 
attention  to  agricultural  and  horticultural 
pursuits. 

In  the  spring  of  1888,  Mr.  Taube  pur- 
chased his  present  farm,  first  buying  thirty- 
eight  and  three-fourth  acres  of  land,  for 
which  he  paid  fifty-five  dollars  per  acre. 
Only  one  acre  had  been  cleared  and  a  crop  of 
beans  could  not  be  grown  thereon.  There 
was  a  small  house  on  the  place  which  be- 
came the  home  of  the  family  and  with  char- 
acteristic energy  Mr.  Taube  then  began  the 
improvement  of  the  property.     He  paid  six 


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EDWARD  BRANT 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


323 


hundred  dollars  down  in  cash,  but  most  of 
this  was  borrowed  from  his  brother.  He 
worked  out  for  two  or  three  years  in  order 
to  gain  necessary  money  that  would  enable 
him  to  provide  for  his  weekly  expenses  and  in 
the  meantime  cleared  his  own  land  as  he 
found  opportunity.  His  brother  remained 
with  him  for  five  years  and  they  were  as- 
sociated in  their  work.  In  the  third  year 
after  purchasing  his  farm  Mr.  Taube  made 
payment  upon  the  place  from  the  sale  of 
strawberries,  onions  and  other  products.  He 
cleared  two  hundred  and  thirty-four  dollars 
from  an  acre  and  a  quarter  which  was 
planted  to  strawberries  and  he  felt  that  he 
had  made  a  good  start  when  in  the  third 
year  he  was  thus  enabled  to  discharge  much 
of  the  indebtedness  on  his  place.  Inside  of 
five  years  he  had  his  farm  all  paid  for  by 
the  sale  of  strawberries  and  other  crops.  Be- 
lieving in  the  value  of  Michigan  as  a  fruit 
producing  state,  he  set  out  one  thousand 
peach  trees  as  soon  as  he  had  land  cleared, 
Mr.  Morley  letting  him  have  his  nursery 
stock  without  immediate  payment.  This 
was  paid  for,  however,  the  same  year  by  his 
sale  of  strawberries.  His  neighbors  termed 
him  the  ''crazy  Dutchman"  for  going  deeper 
into  debt  to  buy  peach  trees,  but  soon  they 
saw  that  his  trees  brought  him  a  good  in- 
come, for  they  were  in  bearing  condition  and 
yielded  good  crops  which  found  a  ready  sale 
on  the  market. 

Mr.  Taube  has  worked  earnestly  and  per- 
sitently  in  order  to  make  a  start.  He  often 
burned  brush  at  twelve  o'clock  at  night  and 
he  led  a  most  strenuous  life  while  clearing 
and  developing  his  farm.  His  place  is 
pleasantly  situated  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
from  Benton  Harbor  on  the  lake  shore  drive 
and  he  erected  his  present  residence  in  1895. 
This  is  a  modern  home  with  steam  heat  and 
was  all  paid  for  when  it  was  completed.  He 
has  since  loaned  some  money  and  has  also 
invested  in  Benton  Harbor  property  in  the 
business  district,  from  which  he  derives  a 
good  income.  He  has  been  fortunate  in  his 
investments  and  in  his  business  affairs  has 
always  conducted  his  interests  along 
straightforward  lines  and  has  met  with  well 
deserved  and  gratifying  prosperity. 


Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Taube  have  been 
born  six  children :  Henry,  who  was  a  stud- 
ent in  Benton  Harbor  college;  Emma,  who 
also  attended  that  school;  Ella;  Willie; 
Mabel;  and  Chester.  The  children  all  are 
making  good  progress  in  school,  the  eldest 
daughter  having  already  graduated  from 
Benton  Harbor  College,  while  his  second 
daughter  is  a  student  there.  They  are  pur- 
suing the  study  of  music  and  are  doing  well 
in  that  art.  Mr.  Taube  is  not  the  only  mem- 
ber of  his  family  that  came  to  America,  for 
his  brother  William,  who  accompanied  him 
and  who  lived  with  him  for  five  years,  is 
now  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm  in  Lincoln 
township.  Another  brother,  Bert  Taube, 
also  came  to  the  new  world  and  worked  with 
our  subject  for  six  years  but  is  now  a  farmer 
of  Hagar  township.  In  1904,  Charles  H. 
Taube  returned  to  his  native  land  to  see  his 
father  and  mother,  making  the  trip  in  com- 
pany with  his  elder  brother  and  he  visited 
many  of  the  scenes  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth,  but  he  has  a  very  decided  perference 
for  America  as  a  place  of  residence  and  is 
most  loyal  to  its  institutions  and  business 
opportunities.  He  was  reared  in  the  Luth- 
eran faith  and  when  a  society  of  that  denomi- 
nation was  started  at  Benton  Harbor  he  and 
his  family  joined  it.  He  donated  fifty  dol- 
lars for  a  church  lot  and  did  much  for  the 
promotion  of  the  cause,  but  trouble  arose 
over  the  salary  of  the  minister,  who  when  he 
could  not  collect  his  salary  brought  suit 
again  Mr.  Taube,  who,  however,  won  the 
case.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Taube  has  with- 
drawn from  the  church.  He  is  well  known 
in  this  county,  where  for  many  years  he  has 
been  a  prominent  representative  of  horticul- 
tural pursuits.  He  has  never  had  occasion 
to  regret  his  determination  to  seek  a  home 
in  the  new  world,  for  he  has  here  found  good 
business  opportunities  and  through  their 
utilization  has  become  a  prosperous  citizen. 

EDWARD  BRANT,  to  whom  has 
been  vouchsafed  an  honorable  retirement 
from  an  active  business  career  by  reason 
of  the  fact  that  through  his  former 
activity  and  well  directed  labor  he  has 
achieved     a     handsome     competence,     has 


324 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


contributed  in  a  substantial  measure  to  the 
commercial  prosperity  and  business  activity 
in  Berrien  county.  Carrying  forward  to  a 
successful  completion  whatever  he  under- 
takes, his  wise  counsel  and  executive  force 
have  proven  a  strong  directing  influence  in 
various  business  interests.  Mr.  Brant  is  a 
native  of  Ohio,  where  his  birth  occurred  in 
1845.  He  was  brought  to  Michigan  by  his 
parents^  Mason  and  Almira  (Tobias) 
Brant,  who  settled  on  a  tract  of  govern- 
ment land  in  Ionia  county.  In  1849,  dur- 
ing the  excitement  attendant  upon  the  dis- 
covery of  gold  in  California,  Mason  Brant 
left  his  family  upon  the  farm  which  he  had 
partially  cleared,  and  joined  the  rush  of 
pioneers  across  the  plains  to  the  Pacific 
coast,  where  he  died  after  three  years  of 
pioneer  adventure  in  the  gold  fields. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred 
to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  Edward 
Brant  in  the  days  of  his  childhood  and 
youth.  He  worked  in  the  fields  through  the 
summer  months  and  pursued  his  studies  at 
the  district  school  during  the  winter,  vary- 
ing the  monotony  of  a  steady  pursuit  of 
knowledge  with  intervals  of  wood-chopping 
and  excursions  into  the  surrounding  forests 
after  deer  and  other  wild  game.  During  this 
formative  period  of  his  young  life  he  was 
living  with  his  mother,  who  ably  cared  for 
her  children  after  the  dea'th  of  the  father. 

After  attaining  to  man's  estate  he  turned 
his  attention  to  the  lumber  business  in  Mich- 
igan and  for  thirty  years  was  successfully 
engaged  in  this  industry,  which  is  one  of  the 
leading  sources  of  the  state's  wealth.  Mr. 
Brant  thoroughly  acquainted  himself  with 
every  branch  of  the  lumber  trade,  and  his 
excellent  judgment  of  the  value  of  timber, 
as  well  as  the  ready  adaptability  which  he 
manifested  in  controlling  a  business  concern, 
led  to  his  signal  success.  His  operations  in 
this  field  included  a  saw-mill  at  Covert, 
Michigan,  and  a  tract  of  land  in  Watervliet 
township,  Berrien  county,  from  which  tie 
cut  the  timber  and  cleared  the  brush  until 
he  now  owns  a  farm  containing  three  hun- 
dred acres  of  the  finest  land  in  the  fruit 
belt.  Later,  settling  in  Benton  Harbor,  he 
has  dealt  to  a  considerable  extent  in  reaj- 


estate  and  is  now  the  owner  of  valuable 
property  here.  His  operations  in  real-estate 
have  been  characterized  by  safe  and  con- 
servative investments  and  he  receives  a 
large  income  from  the  buildings  which  be 
owns  in  this  city.  In  1890  he  built  the 
Hotel  Benton,  which  at  the  time  of  its  con- 
struction was  the  finest  hostelry  in  south- 
western Michigan.  He  leased  it  for  a  period 
of  five  years  to  Alonzo  Vincent,  who  then 
removed  to  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  and  took 
charge  of  the  Hotel  Whitcombe.  The  Hotel 
Benton  has  since  remained  under  the  man- 
agement of  Mr.  Brant  and  his  son-in-law, 
ex-sheriff  Collins,  who  is  elsewhere  repre- 
sented in  this  work.  Into  other  fields  of 
activity  Mr.  Brant  has  extended  his  efiforts. 
He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Farm- 
ers &  Merchants'  Bank  of  Benton  Harbor 
and  has  been  one  of  its  directors  from  the 
beginning.  He  yet  holds  stock  in  this  insti- 
tution and  his  well  known  ability  as  a  con- 
servative financier  has  been  instrumental  in 
making  it  a  paying  concern. 

He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Benton  Harbor  &  St.  Joseph  Electric  Rail- 
way Company,  acted  as  a  member  of  its  di- 
rectorate for  several  years  and  at  one  time 
w^as  a  heavy  stockholder.  In  fact,  there  are 
few  enterprises  in  this  locality  that  have  not 
felt  the  stimulus  of  Mr.  Brant's  personality, 
and  although  he  is  now  practically  living  re- 
tired from  the  active  control  of  business  in- 
terests, he  is  yet  financially  connected  with 
several  of  importance.  He  possesses  untir- 
ing energy,  is  quick  of  perception,  forms  his 
plans  readily  and  is  determined  in  their  exe- 
cution. Making  good  use  of  his  oppor- 
tunities, he  has  prospered  from  year  to  year,, 
conducting  all  matters  of  business  carefully 
and  successfully,  displaying  in  all  his  acts 
an  aptitude  for  successful  management. 

Mr.  Brant  was  married  in  Watervliet 
township  to  Miss  Martha  J.  Carpenter,  a 
native  of  Canada,  and  they  have  become  the 
parents  of  four  children :  Mason ;  Carrie, 
who  is  the  wife  of  William  Becht  and  has 
one  child,  Lincoln;  Ida  M.,  the  wife  of 
Fred  B.  Collins,  by  whom  she  has  one  child, 
Hallie  Bell;  and  Myrtle,  deceased.  Mr. 
Brant  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


325 


and  is  an  exemplary  representative  of  the 
craft,  being  always  true  to  its  teachings  and 
in  sympathy  with  its  principles.  His  political 
support  is  given  to  the  Democratic  party 
and  wdienever  he  has  permitted  his  name  to 
be  used  on  the  ballot  representing  his  party's 
principles  and  his  own  convictions,  the  peo- 
ple, irrespective  of  political  affiliation, 
have  testified  their  confidence  in  his  judg- 
ment and  their  esteem  of  his  unique  person- 
ality by  giving  the  Democratic  ticket  their 
eager  support.  For  several  terms  he  was  a 
supervisor  of  Watervliet  township.  He  has 
alw^ays  been  a  helpful  factor  in  political 
work  in  the  city  and  for  one  term  served  as 
mayor  of  Benton  Harbor.  His  administra- 
tion was  characterized  by  conservative  ex- 
penditure of  the  city's  funds  and  a  liberal 
enforcement  of  laws  which  had  produced 
unnecessary  hardship  for  the  business  inter- 
ests of  the  city,  through  strict  enforcement 
by  previous  administrations.  Any  measure 
for  the  betterment  of  the  city,  either  finan- 
cially or  otherwise,  receives  his  endorse- 
ment and  he  opposes  strongly  any  move- 
ment which  is  inimical  to  the  best  interests 
of  the  community.  His  position  upon  any 
question  is  never  an  equivocal  one,  for  he 
is  firm  in  support  of  his  honest  convictions. 
He  has  not  permitted  the  accumulation  of 
a  competence  to  effect  in  any  w^ay  his  atti- 
tude toward  those  less  successful  than  he 
and  has  always  a  cheerful  word  and  a  pleas- 
ant smile  for  those  wath  whom  he  comes  in 
contact. 

DARWIN  B.  SUTHERLAND,  who 
is  engaged  in  fruit  growing  and  truck 
farming  in  Benton  township,  was  born 
in  this  township.  May  16,  1869.  His  birth- 
place being  on  the  farm  on  which  he 
now  resides  on  section  36.  He  is 
a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  pioneer 
families  of  the  county.  His  paternal  grand- 
parents were  Lot  and  Lydia  (Bliss)  Suther- 
land, the  former  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
He  spent  his  earlier  life  in  New  York  and 
in  1836  came  to  Michigan,  settling  in  Kal- 
amazoo, where  he  lived  for  four  years,  on 
the  expiration  of  which  period  he  removed  to 
Bainbridge   township,    Berrien    county,    his 


home  being  near  Millburg.  There  he  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  farming  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1873.  His  wife, 
however,  passed  away  shortly  after  their  ar- 
rival in  Michigan  and  the  father  reared  the 
family  of  eight  children,  three  of  whom  are 
yet  living.  He  voted  with  the  Democracy. 
It  is  to  this  family  that  Lewis  Suther- 
land, father  of  our  subject  and  a  resident  of 
Benton  Harbor,  belonged.  He  was  born  in 
Barker,  Broome  county,  New  York,  Febru- 
ary 28,  1 83 1,  and  he  arrived  in  Michigan 
in  1836  and  in  Berrien  county  in  1842,  thus 
casting  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers. 
He  attended  the  first  school  in  Bainbridge 
township,  the  building  being  erected  of  logs. 
He  also  aided  in  the  difficult  task  of  develop- 
ing a  new  farm  and  throughout  his  active 
business  career  carried  on  general  agricul- 
tural pursuits  and  fruit  raising.  He  gave 
much  attention  to  horticulture,  finding  this 
to  be  a  profitable  enterprise  and  for  many 
years  was  known  as  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful farmers  and  fruit-growers  in  the  com- 
munity. He  continued  to  reside  upon  his 
farm  until  1901,  when  he  removed  to  Ben- 
ton Harbor  and  purchased  his  present  fine 
home  on  Superior  street.  He  owned  four 
hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  in  Benton 
township,  which  he  has  divided  among  his 
sons.  He,  too,  votes  with  the  Democracy, 
and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Universalist 
church.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  to  the  Order  of  the  Eastern 
Star  and  in  1902  he  built  the  Masonic  Tem- 
ple at  Benton  Harbor.  He  is  also  one  of  the 
directors  of  the  State  Bank  at  Benton  Har- 
bor and  these  interests  bring  him  a  good  in- 
come. He  was  married  in  i860  to  Miss 
Matilda  A.  Howard,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  S. 
Howard,  of  Ohio,  who  came  to  Michigan  at 
an  early  day  and  followed  farming.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Sutherland  had  a  family  of  six 
children:  Sterling,  a  successful  fruit- 
grower of  Benton  township,  who  owns 
eighty  acres  of  land;  Darwin  B.,  of  this  re- 
view; Lott  F.,  a  farmer  and  fruit  grower 
of  Benton  township ;  Addie,  the  wife  of  Rod- 
ney C.  Pearl ;  and  two  children  who  died  in 
early  life. 

Darwin  B.  Sutherland  was  educated  in 


326 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


the  district  schools,  in  the  Benton  Harbor 
high  school  and  in  Benton  Harbor  College 
and  was  thus  well  qualified  by  liberal  intel- 
lectual training  for  life's  practical  duties. 
He  taught  school  three  years  in  the  home 
district  but  gave  up  the  profession  of  teach- 
ing to  follow  the  life  of  a  farmer  and  fruit 
grower  and  is  now  successfully  and  actively 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  and  in  rais- 
ing vegetables  for  the  city  markets.  He  has 
made  a  specialty  of  melons  and  has  about 
fifty  acres  set  out  to  peaches,  of  which  thirty- 
seven  acres  are  in  bearing.  He  also  has 
seventeen  acres  planted  to  apples,  of  which 
eight  acres  are  in  the  old  orchard  and  nine 
acres  in  an  orchard  four  years  old.  He  pur- 
chases excellent  nursery  stock  and  annually 
harvests  good  crops,  his  products  finding  a 
ready  sale  on  the  market  because  of  superior- 
ity in  size^  quality  and  flavor. 

Mr.  Sutherland  was  married  on  the  22d 
day  of  December,  1897,  to  Miss  Lulu  Lewis, 
who  was  born  in  Keeler  township,  Van 
Buren  county,  Michigan,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  Lawrence  and  Mary  Lewis.  Mr.  Suther- 
land holds  liberal  religious  views  and  in 
politics  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  un- 
faltering in  his  advocacy  of  the  party.  He 
is  now  serving  as  township  treasurer  of  Ben- 
ton township  and  at  all  times  he  is  loyal  to 
the  duties  of  citizenship,  taking  an  active 
interest  in  whatever  tends  to  promote  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  his  native  county. 

WARNER  M.  BALDWIN,  of  the 
firm  of  Parsons  &  Baldwin  at  Water- 
vliet,  has  for  years  figured  most  promi- 
nently in  business  circles  in  this  county 
and  his  name  is  a  synonym  not  only  for 
extensive  operations  but  also  for  business  in- 
tegrity and  honor  that  call  forth  the  admira- 
tion and  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  has 
been  associated.  He  was  born  in  Monroe 
county.  New  York,  near  Rochester,  in  De- 
cember, 1840,  and  acquired  his  education  in 
a  local  academy.  From  the  age  of  fifteen 
years  he  has  been  dependent  upon  his  own 
resources  and  whatever  success  he  has 
achieved  is  attributable  entirely  to  his  labors 
and  perseverance.  In  1855  he  made  his  way 
from  New  York  to  Detroit,  Michigan,  and 
secured  a  clerkship  in  the  wholesale  grocery 


house  of  Parsons  &  Johnson,  where  he  re- 
mained for  seven  years.  His  fidelity  and 
ability  won  him  recognition  from  the  mem- 
bers of  the  firm  and  about  1864  he  came  to 
Watervliet  in  company  with  his  former  em- 
ployer, George  Parsons,  with  whom  he  en- 
tered the  lumber  business.  They  purchased 
a  half  interest  in  an  extensive  business  al- 
ready established,  and  until  1874  Mr.  Bald- 
win attended  to  the  outside  business  for  the 
firm,  buying  logs  and  supervising  the  manu- 
facture of  lumber.  The  extent  of  the  opera- 
tions carried  on  by  the  firm  made  his  service 
of  great  importance  and  he  became  one  of 
the  well  known  representatives  of  the  lumber 
interests  in  this  section  of  Michigan.  In 
1874  the  firm  was  dissolved  and  Mr.  Parsons 
and  Mr.  Baldwin  secured  the  outside  prop- 
erty, comprising  over  one  thousand  acres  of 
land.  Mr.  Baldwin  then  directed  his  atten- 
tion to  the  improvement  of  this  property 
and  its  development  into  good  farms.  The 
land  lies  in  Van  Buren  and  Berrien  counties 
and  he  has  a  home  farm  close  to  the  village 
of  Watervliet,  where  stock  growing  and 
breeding  are  its  principal  features.  He 
breeds  thoroughbred  stock,  including  horses, 
cattle,  hogs  and  sheep,  and  makes  frequent 
exhibits  of  his  stock  at  state  fairs,  where  he 
has  won  many  premiums.  The  Hillside 
Farm,  by  which  name  the  property  has  be- 
come prominent,  is  now  breeding  horses,, 
making  a  specialty  of  heavy  draft  horses  and 
roadsters.  The  firm  of  Parsons  &  Bald- 
win also  became  owners  of  a  store  when  the 
lumber  company  was  dissolved.  This  store 
had  been  conducted  by  the  company  and  fell 
to  the  present  firm  as  a  part  of  their  share 
of  the  business.  They  were  associated  with 
its  management  for  thirty  years,  conducting 
it  successfully  until  1893,  when  it  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  in  which  year  the  private 
banking  institution  of  Parsons  &  Baldwin 
was  established  at  Watervliet,  Mr.  Parsons 
having  charge  of  the  bank,  while  Mr.  Bald- 
win gives  his  supervision  to  the  farming  and 
stock  raising  interests.  He  has  also  en- 
gaged in  the  sale  of  carriage  horses  and  has 
continued  to  manage  the  farming  and  stock 
business  since  the  establishment  of  the  bank. 
In  his  business  career  he  has  wrought  along 
modern  lines,  has  broadened  the  field  of  his 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Z^7 


activity  as  opportunity  has  offered,  has  care- 
fully utilized  the  advantages  that  have  come 
to  him  and  through  keen  discernment,  sound 
judgment  and  unfaltering  diligence  has 
gained  a  position  of  prominence  in  the  county 
that  makes  him  one  of  the  representative 
business  men  of  this  section  of  the  state. 

Moreover  Mr.  Baldwin  has  been  prom- 
inent and  influential  in  public  affairs.  He 
has  held  all  of  the  township  offices  and  has 
been  postmaster  and  supervisor,  filling  the 
latter  position  for  two  terms,  and  has  at  two 
different  times  declined  the  nomination  for 
state  representative.  His  political  allegiance 
is  given  to  the  Republican  party  and  he  has 
frequently  been  a  delegate  to  its  conventions. 
He  is  also  an  untiring  worker  in  church  and 
Sunday  school.  He  has  visited  various  sec- 
tions of  the  United  States  and  Canada  and 
is  a  well  informed  man,  not  so  abnormally 
developed  in  any  line  as  to  become  a  genius 
but  with  the  sound  judgment,  broad  outlook 
and  enterprise  of  the  well  balanced  business 
man,  who  is  thoroughly  in  touch  with  the 
spirit  of  the  times,  whose  progress  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  world's  advancement  and  who 
in  the  midst  of  active,  extensive  and  onerous 
business  cares,  has  not  been  neglectful  of 
the  higher,  holier  duties  of  life  which  bring 
consideration  for  one's  fellowmen  and  de- 
velop character. 

ALBERT  NEWTON.  When  the  tocsin 
of  war  sounded  and  men  from  all  walks  of 
life,  from  the  farms,  the  shops,  the  offices 
and  the  counting  rooms,  flocked  to  the  stand- 
ard of  the  nation,  Albert  Newton  was  among 
those  who  donned  the  blue  uniform  and 
aided  in  defense  of  the  Federal  government. 
To  such  men  the  country  owes  a  debt  of  grat- 
itude which  can  never  be  repaid.  The  soldier, 
too,  given  equal  advantages  and  conditions 
with  others  may  always  be  counted  upon  as 
a  most  faithful  citizen  in  times  of  peace,  for 
he  has  known  what  it  is  to  defend  his  coun- 
try and  the  flower  of  patriotism  has  grown 
so  strong  within  him  that  it  cannot  be  sup- 
pressed. Mr.  Newton  was  but  a  young  man 
when  he  served  his  country  upon  southern 
battlefields  and  since  that  time  has  largely 
engaged  in  farming  in  Berrien  county,  now 


A  native  of  Lake  county,  Ohio,  he  was 
born  on  the.  4th  of  October,  1845.  His  per- 
ents  were  Richard  T.  and  Deborah  (Manly) 
Newton.  The  mother  died  when  her  son 
Albert  was  only  four  or  five  years  old  and 
the  father  afterward  married  Rebecca 
Huntoon,  a  sister  of  Giles  Bartlett  Huntoon, 
late  of  Watervliet,  who  had  come  to  Michi- 
gan in  company  with  Thomas  Lamb  and 
Richard  Newton,  driving  from  Ohio  to 
Watervliet  about  1850.  The  same  year 
Richard  Newton  secured  land  on  section 
seventeen,  Watervliet  township,  a  half  mile 
west  of  Paw  Paw  lake  and  a  mile  north  of 
where  Coloma  now  stands.  The  present 
Christian  church  is  built  on  that  eighty 
acre  tract.  At  the  time  it  came  into  his  pos- 
session there  was  a  small  clearing  and  he  paid 
eight  hundred  dollars  for  the  farm.  He  then 
began  to  clear  the  place,  cut  the  timber  from 
about  thirty  acres  and  converted  it  into  lum- 
ber. Here  he  made  his  home  until  his  death, 
carrying  on  general  agricultural  pursuits  un- 
til August,  1864,  when  he  passed  away  at 
the  age  of  forty-five  years.  His  widow  after- 
ward became  the  wife  of  Thomas  Brittle  and 
died  about  six  years  ago  when  seventy-three 
years  of  age.  Unto  Richard  Newton  and  his 
second  wife  was  born  a  daughter,  ^  who  is 
now  living.  He  had  four  children  of  his  first 
marriage  and  all  yet  survive,  namely : 
Sarah  Ann,  who  is  the  widow  of  Charles 
Lamb  and  lives  in  Watervliet;  Edward  O. 
Newton,  residing  in  Idaho ;  Fannie,  the  wife 
of  Silas  Kettell,  of  Coloma;  and  Albert,  of 
this  review.  The  father  was  many  times 
called  to  serve  in  public  office  by  the  vote  of 
his  fellow  to^vnsmen,  who  recognized  his 
worth  and  ability.  His  political  allegiance 
was  given  to  the  Republican  party. 

Albert  Newton  in  early  life  acquired  a 
public  school  education  and  afterward 
learned  the  mason's  trade,  which  he  followed 
for  a  few  years.  He  was,  however,  only 
eighteen  years  of  age  when  on  the  31st  of 
December,  1863,  he  responded  to  the  coun- 
try's call  for  troops  and  joined  the  Union 
army  as  a  member  of  Company  C,  Nine- 
teenth Michigan  Infantry.  His  brother, 
Edward  O.  Newton,  had  enlisted  at  the  or- 
ganization of  the  regiment  and  served  until 


making  his  home  in  Watervliet  township,  the  close  of  the  war.    Albert  Newton  joined 


.^28 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


the  regiment  at  McMinnville,  Tennessee, 
^and  was  with  the  Twentieth  Army  Corps. 
He  continued  with  his  command  until  the 
close  of  hostilities.  After  the  last  battle  of 
General  Sherman's  forces  they  marched  tO' 
Washington  and  participated  in  the  Grand 
Review.  Mr.  Newton  w^as  soon  afterward 
transferred  to  the  Tenth  Michigan  Veteran 
Volunteers  and  sent  to  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
where  he  was  mustered  out  in  July,  1865, 
receiving  an  honorable  discharge  at  Jack- 
son, Michigan,  on  the  5th  of  August  fol- 
lowing. The  first  battle  in  which  he  par- 
ticipated was  at  Resaca  and  he  had  his  can- 
teen shot  away. 

When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his 
services  Mr.  Newton  returned  to  his  home 
and  in  the  meantime  his  father  had  died,  in 
August,  1864.  He  began  working  in  a 
sawmill,  where  he  was  employed  until  his 
marriage  on  the  31st  of  December,  1865,  the 
lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Rosella  Spar- 
ling, who  w^as  born  July  23,  1847,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Eli  and  Teresa  (Cilly)  Spar- 
ling, who  came  from  Pennsylvania  to  the 
west.  The  father  was  of  Welsh  descent  and 
on  removing  to  Michigan  settled  on  a  farm 
at  the  west  end  of  Paw  Paw  lake.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Newton  were  schoolmates  in  their 
childhood  days.  Soon  after  their  marriage  he 
took  charge  of  the  Sparling  farm  and  his 
father-in-law  died  three  or  four  years  later, 
while  the  mother  passed  away  several  years 
afterward.  All  of  the  children  of  that  fam- 
ily are  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Newton  fell  heir 
to  the  place,  which  had  been  school  land  and 
Mr.  Newton  continued  to  make  the  pay- 
ments on  the  property  to  the  state.  At  the 
time  of  their  marriage  only  eight  or  nine 
acres  had  been  cleared  and  he  now  has 
forty-five  acres  under  cultivation.  This  is 
a  valuable  and  productive  tract  situated  on 
Paw  Paw  lake  and  is  devoted  to  general 
farming.  For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Newton  kept  summer  boarders,  but  her 
death  occurred  from  cancer  March  5,  1897, 
when  she  was  in  her  fiftieth  year,  she  being 
the  last  surviving  member  of  the  Sparling 
family.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newton  were 
born  a  son  and  daughter:  Clarence  La- 
fayette Newton,  who  resides  near  his  fath- 
er's home,  conducts  the  farm  and  also  keeps 


summer  boarders.  He  is  likewise  superin- 
tendent of  the  Union  Ice  &  Coal  Company, 
which  puts  up  large  quantities  of  ice  each 
season,  cutting  it  from  Paw  Paw  lake.  The 
plant  now  has  a  storage  capacity  of  more 
than  seventeen  thousand  tons.  He  married 
Mattie  S.  Beard  of  Chicago  and  they  have 
two  children:  Harold  B.  and  Edna  May. 
Caroline  Millicent  Newton  is  acting  as  her 
father's  housekeeper,  having  had  full  charge 
of  the  home  since  twelve  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Newton  is  a  member  of  Garfield 
Post,  No.  30,  G.  A.  R.,  and  has  attended 
the  national  encampments  at  Denver  and 
Chicago.  He  is  now  a  past  commander  of 
his  post  and  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  but 
has  refused  all  offices,  preferring  to  concen- 
trate his  attention  and  energies  upon  his 
business  affairs  and  as  the  years  have  gone 
by  he  has  prospered  in  his  undertakings  until 
he  is  now  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farming 
property. 

URIAH  HARRIS,  deceased,  who  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Berrien  county 
and  made  his  home  at  Coloma,  was  born 
in  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  and  from 
early  childhood  was  reared  in  Cayuga 
county,  New  York.  When  twenty-two 
years  of  age  he  was  married  to  Polly  Leon- 
ard and  with  his  wife  and  one  child  removed 
to  Ohio,  settling  in  Morgan  county.  They 
traveled  life's  journey  together  for  about 
twenty  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  Mrs. 
Harris  was  called  to  her  final  rest.  Mr.  Har- 
ris was  later  married  in  Ohio  to  Miss  Phebe 
Wilkes,  who  was  born  in  New  York  and  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  years  was  taken  to  Ohio 
by  her  parents,  in  which  state  she  was  mar- 
ried when  twenty-six  years  of  age. 

In  1850  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harris  came  to 
Michigan,  where  they  had  relatives  living, 
an  uncle  being  Nathan  Wilkes,  who  resided 
near  Watervliet.  Mr.  Harris  purchased  one 
hundred  and  eighteen  acres  of  land,  a  part 
of  which  is  now  included  within  the  village 
limits  of  Coloma.  It  had  been  entered  from 
the  government  by  Israel  Kellogg  and  was 
a  new  place  with  only  a  few  acres  cleared 
and  developed.  Deer  were  plentiful,  being 
often  seen  in  the  forest.     The  farm  w4iich 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


329 


Mr.  Harris  secured  has  been  continuously  in 
possession  of  the  family  and  remained  his 
place  of  residence  until  his  death.  He 
brought  about  eighty  acres  of  the  land  under 
cultivation,  clearing  away  the  trees  and  plac- 
ing the  fields  under  the  plow,  after  which  he 
gathered  good  harvests.  His  old  home  stood 
about  a  half  mile  west  of  the  present  resi- 
dence and  in  what  is  now  the  city  limits  of 
Coloma.  There  was  no  village  here  at  the 
time,  though  a  sawmill  had  been  built. 
When  the  new  town  was  started  it  was  called 
Dickerville  and  the  name  of  Coloma  was 
suggested  by  S.  R.  Gilson  after  his  return 
from  California,  where  he  had  spent  some 
time  in  a  nice  little  place  of  the  name  of  Co- 
loma. Mr.  Harris  confined  his  attention 
largely  to  his  farm  work,  although  he  could 
engaged  in  blacksmithing  and  at  carpenter- 
ing. He  also  made  children's  shoes  and  was 
very  handy  in  many  ways.  In  fact  he  could 
do  almost  any  mechanical  work  and  what- 
ever he  did  was  accomplished  in  a  capable 
manner,  for  he  believed  that  what  was  worth 
doing  at  all  was  worth  doing  well.  It  was 
this  trait  of  character  which  largely  led  to 
his  success  in  the  business  world. 

Mr.  Harris  w^as  the  father  of  eighteen 
children.  Five  sons  were  born  of  his  first 
marriage  and  came  to  Michigan — Benjamin, 
Abraham,  Uriah,  Isaac,  and  Samuel,  also 
two  daughters,  Sarah  and  Anna.  In  the 
second  family  there  were  six  who  reached 
mature  years  and  four  are  now  living.  The 
youngest  son  of  the  first  marriage,  Samuel 
Harris,  is  also  living,  making  his  home  in 
Hagar  township.  Of  the  second  family 
Polly  is  the  wife  of  John  J.  Brooks,  of 
Watervliet  towaiship.  Phebe  is  the  widow 
of  B.  F.  Osgood,  of  Coloma.  Hannah  is 
the  wife  of  C.  J.  Mason  and  Levinia  is  the 
wife  of  A.  H.  Sutton,  who  is  residing  on  the 
old  Harris  homestead.  Squire  Harris  died 
in  1866  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years.  Har- 
riet married  Harrison  Branch  and  died  at 
the  age  of  fifty-six  years. 

The  death  of  Uriah  Harris  occurred  in 
September,  1865,  when  he  had  reached  the 
age  of  eighty- four  years,  his  birth  having 
occurred  March  10,  1782.  His  widow  sur- 
vived him  until  1881,  passing  away  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six  years.     Throughout  his 


entire  life  in  Michigan  he  resided  upon  the 
old  homestead.  He  was  a  stanch  Republi- 
can and  was  a  member  of  the  United  Breth- 
ren church.  All  who  knew  him  respected 
him  for  his  sterling  worth  and  he  well  de- 
serves mention  among  the  prominent  pioneer 
settlers  who  aided  in  developing  the  county. 
Of  his  children  Levinia  was  married 
September  i,  1868,  to  A.  H.  Sutton  and 
they  occupy  part  of  the  old  home  farm.  Mr. 
Sutton  was  born  in  Lawrence,  Van  Buren 
county,  Michigan,  December  3,  1846,  and 
came  to  Berrien  county  two  years  before 
their  marriage.  He  was  a  harness  maker 
and  worked  at  that  trade  for  eleven  years 
but  finally  turned  his  attention  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits  and  was  engaged  in  general 
farming, *fruit  raising  and  dairying.  He  has 
twelve  acres  planted  to  fruit,  mostly  peaches. 
Mrs.  Sutton  conducted  a  good  business  as 
a  carpet  weaver  for  several  years,  weaving 
about  one  thousand  yards  of  carpet  annually 
and  doing  the  entire  business  in  this  line  for 
the  community.  Mr.  Sutton  was  the  second 
mayor  of  Coloma  and  for  six  years  remained 
in  that  office,  giving  capable  service  as  chief 
official  of  the  town.  In  politics  he  is  a  Re- 
publican and  for  six  years  served  continu- 
ously as  constable.  He  is  one  of  the  valued 
and  active  workers  in  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows  and  has  represented  his 
local  lodge  in  the  grand  lodge.  He  is  also 
active  in  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp  and 
in  the  Patrician  order. 

GEORGE  STRONG,  proprietor  of 
Strong's  Summer  Home  on  Paw  Paw 
lake,  is  conducting  a  resort  well  worthy 
of  the  liberal  patronage  which  is  ac- 
corded him.  It  is  pleasantly  located  two 
and  a  half  miles  northeast  of  Coloma  and 
is  equipped  with  the  modern  conveniences 
and  accessories  which  contribute  to  the  com- 
fort and  pleasure  of  a  sojourn  in  the  coun- 
try through  the  hot  summer  months,  and  in 
its  management  Mr.  Strong  displays  ex- 
cellent business  ability.  He  was  born  in 
Hancock  county,  Illinois,  near  Laharpe, 
October  17,  1843.  His  father  w^as  a  native 
of  Massachusetts  and  was  a  follower  of  Jo- 
seph Smith,  the  Mormon  leader,  whom  he 
joined  in  Hancock  county,  Illinois.     When 


230 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


the  Mormons  went  west  he  remained  in  IIH- 
nois,  settHng  in  Knox  county,  that  state, 
when  his  son  George  was  eight  years  of  age. 
He  still  retains  connection  with  the  Reor- 
ganized Church  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints. 
He  married  Miss  Laura  Woodward,  the 
wedding  being  celebrated  in  Vermont.  In 
1875  they  were  brought  to  Michigan  by 
their  son  George  and  both  died  of  paralytic 
strokes  within  thirty  minutes  of  each  other. 
They  were  laid  to  rest  side  by  side  in  the 
cemetery  at  Coloma. 

George  Strong  remained  at  home  in 
Knox  county,  Illinois^  until  nineteen  years 
of  age,  and  in  August,  1863,  came  to  Michi- 
gan, making  his  way  to  Coloma,  where  he 
had  relatives  living,  Jesse  Woodward  be- 
ing his  uncle.  Mr.  Strong  worked  at  haul- 
ing lumber  and  logs  in  the  woods  for  two 
years,  receiving  seventeen  dollars  per  month 
for  the  first  year  and  twenty  dollars  per 
month  for  the  second  year.  Later  he  worked 
on  the  Paw  Paw  river,  rafting  logs  and  lum- 
ber. He  would  secure  logs  at  the  village  of 
Paw  Paw,  twenty  miles  to  the  east  and  prob- 
ably eighty  miles  by  way  of  the  river.  He 
worked  by  the  day  or  by  contract.  The  lum- 
ber would  be  rafted  at  Watervliet  and  taken 
to  St.  Joseph,  where  it  would  be  pulled  out 
of  the  river.  Thirteen  seasons  were  thus 
spent  by  Mr.  Strong,  who  is  a  typical  repre- 
sentative of  the  lumber  men  of  the  early  day, 
whose  labors  were  instrumental  in  clearing 
the  land;  leading  to  its  ultimate  cultivation 
and  development. 

Industry  and  economy  enabled  Mr. 
Strong  to  secure  the  capital  wherewith  he 
purchased,  on  Paw  Paw  lake,  in  1868, 
eighty-five  acres  of  land^  for  which  he  paid 
twelve  hundred  dollars.  It  was  covered 
with  whitewood  and  ash.  He  would  cut  this 
off  at  odd  times,  while  otherwise  engaged 
with  business  interests,  and  since  1869  he 
has  made  his  home  upon  this  place  with  the 
exception  of  four  years  spent  in  California. 
He  has  now  almost  the  entire  amount  under 
cultivation,  and  the  place  is  well  improved. 
About  nine  or  ten  years  ago  he  began  to 
accommodate  summer  boarders,  and  about 
one-half    of    his    lake    front  is    laid    out 


out  in  cottage  property,  extending  for  a  half 
mile  along  the  water,  and  the  place  is  known 
as  Strong's  Summer  Home.  The  land  is 
devoted  to  general  farming  and  good  crops 
of  grain  and  fruit  are  raised.  It  was  in  1876 
that  hd  went  to  California,  returning  in 
1880. 

On  the  2d  of  July,  1865,  Mr.  Strong  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Pleuma  Wood- 
ward, a  daughter  of  Jesse  Woodward,  and 
they  have  a  family  of  four  children  who 
have  reached  mature  years.  Of  this  num- 
ber Cora  is  the  wife  of  Blazy  Silhenek,  of 
Coloma;  Adelia  became  the  wife  of  Elmer 
Bean  and  died  in  1899,  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
three  years;  Grace  was  the  wife  of  Fred 
Welch  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-five 
years,  after  having  taught  school  for  a  few 
years  prior  to  her  marriage.  Harvey  is  at 
home.  Mrs.  Adelia  Bean  left  two  children, 
the  younger  son,  George,  being  an  infant. 
He  has  since  lived  with  his  grandparents 
as  does  the  older  son,  Willie,  who  is  now 
sixteen  years  of  age. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Strong  is  a 
stalwart  Republican,  unswerving  in  support 
of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  party.  For 
forty  years  he  has  been  a  stanch  and  faith- 
ful advocate  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  true 
to  its  tenets  and  its  teachings  and  he  also 
belongs  to  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees 
Tent  and  to  the  Christian  church,  finding  in 
these  connections  the  incentive  and  stimulus 
for  the  development  of  those  traits  which 
produce  character  worthy  of  respect  and 
prompt  actions  that  are  honorable. 

JOHN  R.  WALLACE,  none  of  the 
capable  business  men  of  southwestern  Michi- 
gan whose  energy  and  genius  have  left  an 
impress  upon  the  rapid  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  this  part  of  the  state  are  deserving 
of  more  honorable  mention  than  is  John  R. 
Wallace,  whose  business  advancement  was 
based  upon  thorough  understanding  of  the 
work  which  he  undertook,  upon  close  appli- 
cation and  merit  which  deserved  recognition 
and  gained  it.  Keen  and  clear  headed,  al- 
ways busy,  always  careful  and  conservative 
in  financial  matters,  moving  slowly  but  surely 


^s<^ 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


331 


in  every  transaction,  he  had  few  superiors 
in  the  steady  progress  which  invariably 
reaches  the  objective  point. 

Mr.  Wallace  was  a  native  of  Scotland, 
born  in  Dundee  on  the  7th  of  March,  1835. 
His  parents,  John  and  Mary  (Reid)  Wal- 
lace, were  also  natives  of  that  country,  where 
they  continued  to  reside  until  about  1841, 
when,  thinking  to  enjoy  better  opportunities 
and  advantages  in  the  new  world,  they  per- 
fected arrangements  to  leave  their  native 
land  and  came  to  America.  Accordingly 
they  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  made  their 
way  into  the  interior  of  the  country,  settling 
in  Wayne  county,  Michigan.  Previously 
John  Wallace  had  learned  the  engineer's 
trade  and  he  continued  to  follow  that  pur- 
suit in  Michigan,  living  the  life  of  an  honest, 
industrious  mechanic,  who  could  be  counted 
upon  for  straightforward  dealing  and  for 
unremitting  diligence. 

John  R.  Wallace  was  a  youth  of  six 
years  at  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  fam- 
ily in  Michigan  and  he  entered  the  common 
schools  of  Wayne  county,  where  he  received 
instruction  in  reading,  writing,  arithmetic, 
grammar  and  geography.  His  educational 
privileges,  however,  were  very  limited,  yet 
in  the  school  of  experience  he  learned  valu- 
able lessons  that  made  him  as  the  years 
passed  a  well  informed  man  of  sound  judg- 
ment and  practical  knowledge.  He  read 
broadly,  thought  deeply  and  had  the  ability 
to  assimilate  the  knowledge  that  he  acquired. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  entered  upon 
an  apprenticeship  to  the  machinist's  trade 
and  after  completing  his  term  of  indenture 
he  followed  that  pursuit  for  several  years. 
Each  step  in  his  business  career  was  an  on- 
ward one  and  was  carefully  and  thought- 
fully made.  When  he  ceased  to  be  a  general 
machinist  he  secured  a  position  as  engineer 
on  the  lakes  on  a  vessel  that  made  periodical 
trips  between  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  and  Chi- 
cago and  also  between  Buffalo,  Detroit  and 
Chicago.  Later  he  was  an  engineer  on  the 
propeller  Montezuma.  He  also  placed  the 
machinery  on  the  Lady  Franklin,  the  Otta- 
wa, the  Favorite  and  other  lake  vessels  and 
acted  at  different  times  as  chief  engineer 
on  each  of  these.     With  increased  responsi- 


bility came  also  greater  remuneration,  and 
the  careful  husbanding  of  his  financial  re- 
sources made  it  possible  for  Mr.  Wallace 
to  join  with  Mr.  Edwards  in  building  the 
John  T.  Edwards,  a  tug,  on  which  he  acted 
as  chief  engineer.  He  likewise  filled  the 
position  of  engineer  at  the  Lee  &  Wells  grist- 
mill for  a  time.  Enlarging  the  field  of  his 
labors  from  time  to  time  as  he  found  op- 
portunity, in  1886  Mr.  Wallace  joined  Cap- 
tain M.  C.  Barnes  in  the  conduct  of  a  tug 
and  towing  business,  which  they  operated 
very  successfully,  owning  the  tugs  John  T. 
Edwards,  Daisy  Lee  and  Miranda.  '  The  last 
named,  however,  was  renamed  the  Louis  D. 
Wallace  in  honor  of  his  eldest  son.  Mr. 
Wallace  was  also  interested  in  the  schooner, 
Lizzie  Doak,  his  partners  in  this  being  Cap- 
tain Robert  Jones  and  Captain  Barnes.  As 
lumber  was  and  is  one  of  the  chief  products 
of  Michigan  and  the  boats  were  necessarily 
connected  with  the  transportation  of  this 
commodity  Captain  Wallace  gradually 
gained  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the 
lumber  industry  and  subsequent  to  the 
formation  of  his  partnership  connection  with 
Captain  Barnes  they  more  and  more  largely 
concentrated  their  energies  upon  this  line 
of  trade,  becoming  well  known  as  lumber 
merchants  of  southwestern  Michigan.  They 
were  associated  in  business  until  the  28th 
of  January,  1882,  when  the  partnership  was 
dissolved,  Mr.  Wallace  continuing  in  charge 
of  the  lumber  business,  while  Captain  Barnes 
took  the  tugs.  The  former  started  out  upon 
an  independent  venture  on  a  small  scale, 
dealing  in  lumber,  coal  and  wood,  but  he 
enlarged  the  field  of  his  operations  as  he 
found  it  possible,  and  by  perseverance,  close 
application  and  careful  management  of  all 
details  he  succeeded  in  building  up  a  trade 
which  was  hardly  second  to  any  in  his  line 
in  southwestern  Michigan.  He  became 
widely  known  in  this  connection  and  his  suc- 
cess made  him  one  of  the  prosperous  resi- 
dents of  the  state. 

Mr.  Wallace  became  a  resident  of  St. 
Joseph,  Michigan,  in  1863,  and  as  a  com- 
panion and  helpmate  for  life's  journey  he 
chose  Miss  Alice  McMahon,  to  whom  he 
was  married  in  Chicago  in  March  of  1862. 


3Z^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


She  was  born  in  Detroit,  Michigan,  and  was 
a  daughter  of  James  McMahon,  a  native  of 
Ireland.  This  marriage  was  blessed  with 
thirteen  children.  In  order  of  birth  those 
living  are:  Louis  D.,  William,  Maud,  James, 
Alexis  J.,  Edith  A.,  Roy  F.,  Dudley  B., 
John  and  Alice  V.  Three  of  the  brothers, 
Dudley,  William  and  Roy  F.,  are  partners 
in  a  successful  mercantile  enterprise  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor  and  are  mentioned  on  another 
page  of  this  work. 

While  developing  extensive  and  im- 
portant trade  relations  in  the  field  of  lum- 
ber operations  Mr.  Wallace  also  extended  his 
efforts  to  other  lines  and  became  the  owner 
of  considerable  real  estate,  making  judicious 
investments  in  property,  which  won  him  a 
gratifying  financial  return.  He  was  also  one 
of  the  organizers  of  the  Union  Banking 
Company  of  St.  Joseph,  served  as  its  vice 
president  and  was  one  of  its  directors  for  a 
number  of  years.  He  was  likewise  treasurer 
of  the  St.  Joseph  Building  and  Loan  Asso- 
ciation for  several  years  and  various  interests 
felt  the  stimulus  of  his  enterprise  and  keen 
discernment.  In  public  affairs  he  was  not 
without  influence  and  his  aid  often  proved 
a  valuable  factor  in  advancing  the  welfare 
of  his  home  community.  He  served  as  treas- 
urer of  St.  Joseph  township  in  1875-6,  was 
one  of  the  trustees  of  the  village  of  St.  Jo- 
seph and  at  all  times  gave  unfaltering  sup- 
port to  the  Republican  party.  His  life,  too, 
exemplified  the  teachings  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, his  membership  being  in  Occidental 
Lodge,  No.  56,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  in  which 
he  was  an  active  worker.  He  always  kept 
well  informed  upon  matters  of  general  in- 
terest and  his  opinions  were  frequently 
sought  because  of  their  value,  owing  to  his 
keen  insight  into  any  situation  and  his  fair 
judgment,  which  was  particularly  free  from 
personal  bias.  His  success  may  well  be  as- 
scribed  to  close  application  and  untiring  in- 
dustry, for  all  that  he  gained  was  the  result 
of  his  own  labors.  His  pleasant  genial  man- 
ner won  him  friends  wherever  he  went, 
haughtiness  and  ostentation  finding  no  part 
in  his  composition.  His  career  forcibly  il- 
lustrates what  may  be  accomplished  by  de- 
termination and  energy  in  a  land  where  all 
avenues  are  open  and  exertion  is  untram- 


melled.    His  death  occurred  on  the  17th  of 
February,   1905. 

DUDLEY  B.  WALLACE,  by  the  con- 
sensus of  public  opinion,  is  classed  with  the 
leading  men  and  merchants  of  Benton  Har- 
bor. He  is  an  extremely  busy  and  success- 
ful merchant,  who  has  made  good  use  of  his 
opportunities  and  has  prospered  from  year 
to  year,  conducting  all  business  matters  care- 
fully and  successfully,  and  in  all  his  acts  dis- 
playing an  aptitude  for  successful  manage- 
ment. He  is  moreover  a  young  man  and 
one  of  Michigan's  native  sons.  His  years, 
however,  have  seemed  no  bar  to  his  progress, 
and  his  position  in  the  commercial  world  is 
such  as  many  a  man  of  twice  his  years  might 
well  envy.  Spending  his  boyhood  days  in 
his  parents'  home  in  St.  Joseph,  Michigan, 
he  began  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
there  at  the  usual  age.  After  his  school  life 
was  ended  he  joined  his  brothers,  William  G. 
and  Roy  F.  Wallace,  in  the  organization  of 
the  firm  of  Wallace  Brothers  and  opened  a 
general  store  in  Benton  Harbor  for  the  sale 
of  notions,  hardware,  etc.  Their  advertise- 
ments state  that  they  carry  ''almost  every- 
thing," and  one  can  well  accept  the  state- 
ment when  seeing  their  large  double  store 
on  Pipestone  street  with  its  extensive  stock 
of  goods.  It  is  well  located  in  the  center  of 
the  business  district,  and  from  the  beginning 
the  brothers  have  met  with  a  large  measure 
of  success.  They  are  progressive  men,  keep- 
ing in  touch  with  the  modern  trend  of 
progress  in  the  commercial  world,  and  in 
their  work  they  prove  that  they  fully  under- 
stand and  appreciate  the  two  old  and  time 
tried  maxims,  ''Honesty  is  the  best  policy" 
and  'There  is  no  excellence  without  labor." 

On  the  8th  of  May,  1904,  in  Benton 
Harbor,  Dudley  B.  Wallace  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Irene  Beddo,  who  was  born 
in  Austin,  Illinois,  but  has  spent  the  greater 
part  of  her  life  in  Benton  Harbor.  William 
G.  Wallace  married  Miss  Bertha  Scott,  of 
St.  Joseph,  and  has  one  child.  They  reside 
in  that  city,  but  Dudley  B.  and  Roy  F.  Wal- 
lace are  residents  of  Benton  Harbor.  The 
latter  married  lola  Hummiston,  of  St.  Jo- 
seph, and  has  one  child,  Victoria. 

When  age  conferred  the  right  of  fran- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


333 


chise  upon  Dudley  B.  Wallace  he  supported 
the  men  and  pledged  to  uphold  Republican 
principles,  for  he  believes  firmly  in  the  plat- 
form and  the  policy  of  that  party.  He  was 
a  charter  member  of  St.  Joseph  lodge,  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.,  of  St.  Joseph,  but  was  demitted 
to  Lake  Shore  lodge  of  Benton  Harbor. 
While  he  has  never  sought  to  figure  prom- 
inently in  public  afifairs  as  an  office  holder, 
there  is  no  man  who  takes  a  more  genuine 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  Benton  Harbor 
and  its  upbuilding  than  does  Mr.  Wallace. 
Mentally  he  has  grown  to  be  very  strong 
without  becoming  a  great  student  of  books. 
He  is  quick  of  apprehension,  and  intricate 
business  affairs  he  comprehends  in  a  mo- 
ment. He  is  recognized  as  an  able  business 
man  of  southwestern  Michigan,  his  indom- 
itable energy  and  unbounded  perseverance 
winning  him  prosperity  among  Benton  Har- 
bor's substantial  citizens,  and  while  he  has 
advanced  his  individual  interests  he  has 
also  done  much  toward  promoting  the  gen- 
eral welfare. 

JOHN  J.  WINN,  JR.,  filling  the 
position  of  township  clerk,  is  an  ener- 
getic and  enterprising  farmer  living  on 
section  eight,  Niles  township.  His  entire 
life  has  been  passed  in  this  county,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Berrien  township,  Feb- 
uary  17,  1870.  His  father,  John  Winn,  is 
a  native  of  Germany  and  came  to  America 
when  sixteen  years  of  age,  while  his  resi- 
dence in  Michigan  covers  a  period  of  about 
forty  years.  He  now  makes  his  home  in 
Niles  township,  and  is  one  of  the  well  known 
citizens  of  his  part  of  the  county.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Fannie  Foster,  a  native  of  Niles 
township,  whose  parents  were  early  settlers 
of  this  county,  casting  in  their  lot  with  the 
pioneer  residents  when  much  of  the  land  was 
still  unimproved  and  the  work  of  develop- 
ment had  scarcely  been  begun.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Winn  have  been  born  two  sons, 
the  elder  being  George  F.  Winn. 

John  J.  Winn  w^as  reared  under  the  par- 
ental roof  and  acquired  his  education  in  the 
Northern  Indiana  Normal  School  at  Val- 
paraiso, where  he  pursued  a  business  course 
and  won  a  diploma.  He  w^as  thus  well  quali- 
fied   to    undertake    the    practical    and    re- 


sponsible duties  which  come  to  one  in  the 
course  of  an  active  and  successful  business 
career.  He  has  been  a  life-long  farmer  and 
is  the  owner  of  eighty  acres  of  land  on  sec- 
tion eight,  Niles  township,  devoted  to  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits.  The  fields  are 
well  tilled  and  everything  about  the  place  is 
kept  in  good  condition  and  the  owner  is 
therefore  meeting  with  good  success  in  his 
undertakings. 

On  the  1 8th  of  October,  1899,  Mr.  Winn 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary 
Pauline  Graham,  a  daughter  of  George  and 
Elizabeth  Graham,  who  removed  from 
Canada  to  Indiana  and  thence  to  Niles, 
Michigan.  Mrs.  Winn  was  born  in  Toronto, 
Canada,  September  6,  1875,  and  she  had 
three  brothers  and  two  sisters,  all  of  whom 
were  born  in  that  country.  She  was  four- 
teen years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  parents' 
removal  to  the  Hoosier  state,  and  was  nine- 
teen years  of  age  when  she  came  to  Niles. 
Her  early  education  was  acquired  in  the 
schools  of  Laporte,  Indiana,  and  after  pur- 
suing a  teacher's  course  in  Benton  Harbor 
she  engaged  in  teaching  school  for  seven 
years  in  Indiana  and  Michigan,  spending 
four  years  as  a  teacher  in  the  St.  Joseph  Val- 
ley school,  in  Niles  township,  one  year  in 
district  No.  11,  Niles  township,  and  two 
years  in  Laporte  county,  Indiana.  The  home 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Winn  has  been  blessed  with 
one  daughter,  Frances  Lucile. 

Mr.  Winn  has  taken  an  active  interest 
in  political  matters  and  by  his  ballot  en- 
dorses the  principles  of  Democracy.  He 
was  elected  township  clerk,  serving  for  two 
terms  and  was  afterward  elected  township 
treasurer,  in  which  he  also  served  for  two 
terms.  Again  in  1905  he  was  chosen  clerk 
and  w^as  re-elected  in  1906,  so  that  for  a 
number  of  years  he  has  been  in  the  office  and 
at  all  times  has  proven  a  capable  and  trust- 
worthy official.  He  belongs  to  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  fraternity  in  Niles  and  is  well 
known  in  the  county  because  of  the  fact  of 
his  long  residence  here  and  by  reason  of  his 
activity  in  business  and  his  prominence  in 
local  political  circles.  Over  the  record  of 
his  official  career  and  his  private  life  there 
falls  no  shadow  of  wrong  or  suspicion  of 
evil. 


334 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


DR.  GEORGE  S.  GREEN,  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  in 
Berrien  Springs,  was  born  in  Burlington, 
Calhoun  county,  on  the  2d  of  March,  1876. 
His  father.  Dr.  George  H.  Green,  formerly 
a  resident  of  Marshall,  Michigan,  was  born 
in  New  York,  and  was  graduated  from  the 
State  University  at  Ann  Arbor.  He  was 
descended  from  General  Green  of  Revolu- 
tionary fame  and  the  family  comes  of  Eng- 
lish lineage.  Throughout  his  active  profes- 
sional career  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
medicine  and  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in 
death  at  the  age  of  sixty-two.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Emma  E. 
Spaulding,  is  still  a  resident  of  Marshall. 
In  the  family  were  three  children,  of  whom 
Dr.  Green  of  this  review  is  the  eldest.  The 
others  are :  Grove,  who  is  a  druggist  in  Mar- 
shall, Michigan;  and  Wade,  a  practicing  at- 
torney of  New  York  city. 

Dr.  Green  of  this  review  supplemented 
his  elementary  education  by  study  in  Albion 
College,  and  later  attended  the  Detroit  Col- 
lege of  Medicine,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated in  1897.  Having  carefully  prepared 
for  the  profession  he  located  for  practice  the 
same  year  in  Niles,  where  he  remained  for 
two  years,  and  in  1899  he  came  to  Berrien 
Springs,  where  he  has  since  remained.  Here 
a  liberal  practice  has  been  accorded  him,  for 
he  soon  demonstrated  his  ability  to  success- 
fully cope  with  the  intricate  problems  which 
continually  confront  the  physician  in  his 
efforts  to  restore  health  and  prolong  life. 
His  practice  both  in  extent  and  importance 
is  scarcely  surpassed  by  that  of  any  physi- 
cian of  the  county.  He  makes  a  specialty 
of  gynecology  and  surgery  and  is  particu- 
larly proficient  in  these  lines.  He  holds 
membership  in  the  Berrien  County  Medical 
Society,  and  fraternally  is  connected  with 
the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

HENRY  E.  THURSTON,  the  oldest 
freight  conductor  on  the  Pere  Marquette 
Railroad,  making  his  home  in  New  Buffalo, 
is  a  native  of  St.  Joseph  county,  Michigan, 
born  on  the  25th  of  February,  1859.  His 
parents  were  Washington  and  Harriet 
(Plimpton)  Thurston,  the  former  a  native 
of  New  York  and  the  latter  of  Connecticut. 


They  came  to  New  Buffalo  in  early  life  and 
were  married  here,  subsequent  to  which  time 
they  became  residents  of  St.  Joseph  county, 
but  both  spent  their  last  years  in  this  coun- 
ty, the  mother  departing  this  life  when  only 
forty-one  years  of  age,  while  Mr.  Thurston 
reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six 
years.  The  Plimptons  were  of  a  pioneer 
family  of  this  state  and  the  Thurstons  also 
came  at  an  early  day.  The  father  of  our 
subject  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  in  fol- 
lowing that  pursuit  was  closely  connected 
with  the  building  operations  and  material 
improvement  of  this  section  of  Michigan. 
In  his  family  were  six  children:  Charles, 
now  a  resident  of  New  Buffalo;  Henry  E., 
of  this  review;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Alonzo 
Chubb,  who  is  living  in  LaCrosse,  Wiscon- 
sin :  Clara,  the  wife  of  George  Meadimber, 
of  South  Bend,  Indiana;  William,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years;  and  Clar- 
ence, who  died  in  infancy. 

Henry  E.  Thurston  spent  the  first  eight 
years  of  his  life  on  the  old  homestead  farm 
and  then  accompanied  his  father  on  his  re- 
moval to  New  Buffalo  in  1867.  Here  he 
has  resided  continuously  since.  He  was  in 
school  until  thirteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
started  out  to  earn  his  own  living,  being 
first  employed  in  a  stave  and  furniture  fac- 
tory. He  occupied  a  position  there  until  he 
went  upon  the  railroad  when  about  twenty 
years  of  age,  being  first  employed  as  engine 
wiper.  Later  he  was  given  a  position  as  a 
machinist  and  subsequently  was  made  fore- 
man of  the  round  house.  Owing  to  his 
health,  however,  he  gave  up  the  mechanical 
part  of  railroading  and  accepted  a  position 
as  brakeman,  in  which  capacity  he  served 
for  a  time  and  was  then  promoted  to  con- 
ductor. He  is  now  the  oldest  freight  con- 
ductor on  the  Pere  Marquette  Railroad  and 
has  also  run  some  passenger  trains.  He 
has  for  twenty-six  years  been  in  the  employ 
of  this  railroad  and  no  higher  testimonial 
could  be  given  of  able  and  faithful  service 
than  the  fact  that  he  has  so  long  been  re- 
tained in  the  employ  of  a  corporation  which 
permits  of  no  inefficiency  on  the  part  of  its 
representatives,  demanding  capable  and 
prompt  service  from  all. 

On   the   23d   of   December,    1878,    Mr. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


335 


Thurston  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Anna  M.  Lexo,  a  native  of  New  Buffalo, 
Michigan,  in  which  place  she  has  always  re- 
sided. Her  parents,  Henry  and  Sophia 
(Gertz)  Lexo,  were  of  German  birth  and 
parentage  and  were  married  in  the  father- 
land. Four  children  have  been  born  unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thurston :  Harriett,  who  is 
at  home;  Frederick,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Minnie,  at  home;  and  Olive,  who  was 
burned  to  death  when  only  six  years  of  age. 
Mr.  Thurston  owns  a  good  residence  prop- 
erty on  Barton  street,  where  he  and  his  fam- 
ily are  comfortably  located.  He  exercises 
his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men 
and  measures  of  the  Republican  party  and 
his  fellow  townsmen,  recognizing  his  worth, 
have  frequently  called  him  to  local  office. 
He  has  served  on  the  village  council  for  six 
years  and  was  a  member  of  the  board  of 
education  for  nine  years.  He  was  also  town- 
ship clerk  for  one  term  and  deputy  sheriff 
for  one  term  under  Ben  Sterns.  In  his  fra- 
ternal relations  he  is  a  Mason,  having  be- 
come a  member  of  the  blue  lodge  at  Three 
Oaks.  He  is  also  connected  with  the  Mac- 
cabees Tent,  No.  239,  at  New  Buffalo,  and 
with  the  Order  of  Railway  Conductors. 
Mr.  Thurston  is  well  known  in  New  Buffalo 
and  along  the  line  of  the  Pere  Marquette 
road,  over  which  he  has  made  so  many  trips. 
He  is  indeed  trustworthy,  never  faltering 
in  the  performance  of  the  duties  which  de- 
volve upon  him  in  this  connection  and  he 
has  the  entire  confidence  of  the  corporation 
which  he  represents  and  the  good  will  of  the 
general  public,  with  which  he  has  been 
brought  in  contact  through  his  business  re- 
lations. 

ARTHUR  HANSLER,  engaged  in 
general  farming  on  section  21,  Niles  town- 
ship, owns  and  occupies  a  tract  of  land  of 
sixty  acres  constituting  a  well  improved 
property.  He  is  one  of  the  native  sons  of 
the  county,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Niles  city,  on  the  nth  of  April,  1867.  His 
father,  John  G.  Hansler,  was  a  native  of 
Germany,  and  when  about  fourteen  years 
of  age  came  tO'  America.  He  located  in 
Berrien  county  and  when  he  had  arrived  at 
years  of  maturity  he  was  married  to  Miss 


Dorothea  Ranft,  likewise  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, whence  she  came  to  the  United 
States  with  her  parents  in  her  early  girl- 
hood days.  John  G.  Hansler  departed  this 
life  in  1883,  wdien  about  forty-nine  years  of 
age,  and  the  mother  died  in  1896.  There 
were  eight  children  born  of  their  marriage, 
of  whom  one  died  in  infancy,  while  the 
others  reached  adult  age.  All  were  born 
in  Niles,  where  the  family  home  was  main- 
tained for  a  considerable  period,  Mr.  Hans- 
ler being  engaged  in  business  as  a  hardware 
merchant  in  that  city  for  several  years. 

Arthur  Hansler  was  the  fifth  child  and 
fourth  son  in  the  family,  and  was  reared  in 
Niles,  entering  the  public  schools  at  the 
usual  age  and  passing  through  successive 
grades  until,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he 
put  aside  his  text-books  and  entered  his 
father's  store.  There  he  learned  the  tin- 
ner's trade  and  after  his  father's  death  he 
and  his  brother  John  carried  on  the  business 
for  about  three  years.  In  1887  Arthur 
Hansler  went  to  California,  locating  at 
Pomona,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for 
about  a  year.  He  then  engaged  in  the  hard- 
ware, tinning  and  plumbing  business  on  his 
own  account  in  partnership  with  his  two 
brothers,  John  and  Frank  H.  and  H.  P. 
Wilkinson,  the  firm  still  being  Hansler 
Brothers  &  Company.  This  relation  was 
maintained  for  twelve  years  and  a  success- 
ful business  was  conducted.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  Arthur  Hansler  sold  his 
interest  in  the  business  and  returned  to 
Niles.  For  a  year  he  was  not  actively  con- 
nected with  business  interests  but  in  1899 
he  bought  a  farm  on  section  14,  Niles  town- 
ship, on  which  he  located.  He  erected  a  new 
house  and  for  three  and  a  half  years  devoted 
his  energies  to  the  improvement  and  culti- 
vation of  the  land,  carrying  on  general 
farming.  He  then  sold  out  and  returned  to 
California,  where  he  again  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business  at  Riverside  in  partner- 
ship with  his  brother  John.  This  continued 
for  a  year,  when  he  sold  out  to  his  brother 
and  came  again  to  Berrien  county,  locating 
in  Niles,  where  he  resided  until  1906,  when 
he  purchased  the  farm  upon  which  he  now 
resides.  He  has  made  five  different  trips 
to    California    and    is    thoroughly    familiar 


336 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


with  the  western  country  and  its  prospects. 
His  farm  comprises  sixty  acres  of  land 
which  has  been  brought  under  a  high  state 
of  cuhivation  and  is  well  improved  with 
good  farm  machinery,  substantial  buildings 
and  modern  equipments.  In  addition  to  this 
property  he  also  owns  a  business  block  in 
Niles  known  as  the  Van  Gorder  Block. 

It  was  October  lo,  1897,  that  the  mar- 
riage of  Arthur  Hansler  and  Miss  Ida  Pfeil 
was  celebrated.  She  was  born  in  Niles 
township  October  6,  1876,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Eva  (Nieb)  Pfeil,  one 
of  the  old  settlers  of  Berrien  county.  One 
son  graces  this  marriage,  Lester  Arthur. 
The  parents  occupy  an  enviable  position  in 
social  circles  and  the  hospitality  of  the  best 
homes  of  this  part  of  the  county  is  freely 
and  graciously  accorded  them.  In  politics 
Mr.  Hansler  is  a  stalwart  Democrat,  al- 
though somewhat  independent  in  his  politi- 
cal views  where  local  issues  are  involved, 
casting  his  ballot  for  candidates  rather  than 
party.  He  possesses  the  enterprising  spirit 
which  has  been  the  dominant  factor  in  the 
upbuilding  of  the  middle  west  and  through 
a  life  of  well  directed  activity  has  become 
one  of  the  substantial  residents  of  his  native 
county. 

ANDREW  CRAWFORD,  deceased, 
made  a  notable  record  as  one  who  advanced 
from  a  humble  financial  position  to  rank 
among  the  millionaire  residents  of  Chicago 
and  Berrien  county.  Beginning  at  the  very 
lowest  round  of  the  financial  ladder  he 
steadily  climbed  upward.  Honored  and 
respected  be  all^  he  occupied  an  en- 
viable position  in  legal  and  business 
circles  and  the  admiration  which  was 
uniformly  accorded  him  came  in  recognition 
not  only  of  his  success  but  also  of  the 
straightforward  business  methods  which  he 
ever  followed.  Possessed  of  strong  mental- 
ity, developing  his  latent  powers  through  en- 
terprise, perseverance  and  the  utilization  of 
opportunity,  he  at  length  gained  a  place 
among  the  foremost  lawyers  of  the  Chicago 
bar,  and  in  later  years  when  wealth  had 
crowned  his  efforts  he  became  connected 
with  the  interests  of  Berrien  county  through 


the  establishment  of  a  beautiful  summer 
home  on  the  lake  shore  drive  near  St.  Joseph. 
His  life  record  began  on  the  ist  of  Decem- 
ber, 183 1,  near  Kilmarnock,  Ayreshire, 
Scotland,  and  was  ended  on  the  21st  of  No- 
vember, 1900,  his  death  being  occasioned  by 
heart  failure  while  he  was  sitting  in  his  Chi- 
cago office.  He  was  the  third  son  of  An- 
drew and  Janet  (Hay)  Crawford.  His 
father  was  for  many  years  manager  of  the 
Duke-Portland  coal  mines,  and  his  mother 
was  a  member  of  the  well  known  Hay 
family. 

Andrew  Crawford  was  reared  under 
strict  Scotch  Presbyterian  influences,  and  at 
fifteen  years  of  age  secured  a  position  in  the 
mines.  He  had  begun  the  study  of  Latin 
and  French  prior  to  this  time  and  he  took 
up  the  study  of  civil  engineering  and  sur- 
veying. His  efficiency  is  indicated  by  the 
fact  that  at  the  end  of  the  first  year  he  won 
promotion.  He  afterward  went  to  London, 
England,  and  in  November,  1852,  he  sailed 
for  America.  The  vessel  on  which  he  took 
passage  headed  for  the  Azores,  where  it  laid 
up  for  repairs,  and  boarding  another  steamer 
Mr.  Crawford  continued  on  his  way  to  the 
American  metropolis,  where  he  arrived  Feb- 
ruary 25,  1853.  He  had  not  one  cent  in  his 
pocket  on  landing  and  he  sold  his  Scotch 
overcoat  in  order  to  have  some  ready  cash. 
He  afterward  went  to  Philadelphia  and  New 
Jersey  and  was  employed  as  assistant  man- 
ager for  a  railroad  construction  gang  at  a 
salary  of  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  per  day.  He 
eagerly  availed  himself  of  every  opportunity 
for  advancement  and  his  business  ability,  en- 
terprise and  willingness  soon  won  recogni- 
tion and  led  to  his  promotion  from  time  to 
time.  He  was  for  a  period  in  New  Orleans 
and  he  arrived  in  Chicago  when  it  contained 
less  than  sixty-six  thousand. 

Mr.  Crawford  was  married  in  Geneseo^ 
Illinois,  in  1857,  to  Miss  Sarah  Louise  Bax- 
ter of  that  place,  whose  father  was  an  old 
Cape  Cod  sea  captain.  In  Chicago  Mr. 
Crawford  entered  upon  the  study  of  law 
and  after  preliminary  reading  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  at  Geneseo  in  i860.  The  same 
year  he  became  a  naturalized  American  citi- 
zen.    In  entering  upon  the  active  practice 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


337 


of  his  profession  in  Geneseo  he  became  recog- 
nized as  an  able  member  of  the  bar  there 
and  also  became  a  leader  in  political  circles. 
In  1868  he  was  elected  on  the  Republican 
ticket  to  represent  Henry  county  in  the  state 
senate,  where  he  served  for  four  years.  He 
was  a  student  of  the  signs  of  the  times,  kept 
thoroughly  informed  concerning  the  great 
political  issues  and  questions  of  the  day  and 
left  the  impress  of  his  individuality  upon  the 
political  history  of  Illinois.  He  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  government  a  trustee  to  in- 
vestigate the  state  institutes  and  in  1872 
was  chosen  a  delegate  to  the  Republican 
national  convention  which  met  at  Philadel- 
phia. He  was  well  fitted  for  political  leader- 
ship having  excellent  executive  ability,  keen 
foresight  and  that  ready  understanding  of 
conditions  wdiich  enabled  him  to  capably 
direct  working  forces. 

In  1873  Mr.  Crawford  removed  to  Chi- 
cago, and  in  1877  became  one  of  the  incor- 
porators, and  later  the  vice  president  of  th(^ 
Western  Indiana  Railroad.  At  the  bar  he 
made  rapid  advancement,  his  clientage  stead- 
ily increasing  in  volume  and  importance,  and 
in  1886  he  became  attorney  for  Charles  T. 
Yerkes  and  the  street  railway  interests,  of 
which  that  gentleman  had  control.  His  legal 
services  w^ere  confined  to  large  corporation? 
and  he  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  promi- 
nent corporation  lawyers  of  the  city.  About 
thirty-five  years  prior  to  his  death  he  made 
real-estate  investments  in  Michigan  and  be- 
came associated  with  Mr.  Graham  in  vessel 
and  dock  ownership,  the  business  being  con- 
ducted under  the  name  of  the  Graham  & 
Morton  Transportation  Company,  Mr. 
Crawford  being  the  financial  head  of  the 
concern.  About  seventeen  years  ago  he  de- 
cided to  establish  a  summer  home  in  Michi- 
gan and  purchased  at  Royalton  Heights  a 
tract  of  land,  on  which  he  erected  a  palatial 
country  residence,  three  and  half  miles  from 
St.  Joseph.  From  that  time  forward  he 
spent  the  summers  in  his  Michigan  home, 
although  he  continued  active  in  the  practice 
of  law  in  Chicago  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
and  as  the  result  of  his  distinguished  ability 
in  his  profession  and  his  judicious  invest- 
ments he  was  at  the  time  of  his  demise  one 
22 


of  the  millionaire  residents  of  the  metropolis. 
After  coming  to  America  he  made  but  one 
visit  to  his  old  home  in  Scotland,  greatly 
preferring  the  United  States  as  a  place  of 
residence. 

In  his  religious  faith  Mr.  Crawford  was 
a  Unitarian.  He  passed  away  November 
21,  1900,  and  his  remains  were  interred  at 
Geneseo,  Illinois,  where  he  had  continued  his 
support  of  many  movements  for  the  general 
good.  He  was  a  liberal  contributor  to  the 
support  of  the  church  there  and  retained  his 
membership  there.  He  was  also  very  gen- 
erous in  his  contributions  to  various  schools 
and  charitable  institutions  and  was  a  man 
of  liberal  spirit,  whose  benefactions  were 
many. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crawford  were  born 
the  following  named:  Richard  C. ;  Jessie  C, 
the  wife  of  Burdette  C.  Barnes,  of  Chicago ; 
Daisy  C,  the  wife  of  T.  G.  Milsted,  of  New 
York  city;  Lucy  C,  the  wife  of  Frank  P. 
Graves,  formerly  of  Benton  Harbor,  a  prac- 
ticing attorney  with  offices  now  in  St.  Jo- 
seph and  Chicago;  and  Andrew  H.  Mr. 
Crawford  was  devoted  to  the  welfare  of  his 
family  and  found  his  greatest  delight  in  pro- 
viding comforts  and  luxuries  for  his  wife 
and  children.  He  deserves  classification  with 
the  men  of  marked  business  ability,  who  may 
w^ell  be  termed  captains  of  finance.  In  his 
entire  business  career  there  was  not  one 
esoteric  phase,  for  his  interests  were  man- 
aged with  due  regard  to  the  rights  of  others 
and  his  brilliant  success  was  achieved 
through  the  exercise  of  his  native  talents  as 
manifest  in  the  able  practice  of  law  and  in 
the  judicious  placing  of  his  investments. 
Mrs.  Crawford  now  resides  during  the  sum- 
mers at  her  beautiful  home  on  the  lake  shore 
drive  two  miles  and  a  half  south  of  St.  Jo- 
seph. 

JAMES  F.  SKINNER,  a  retired 
farmer  living  in  Berrien  Springs,  was  in 
former  years  an  active  and  successful  rep- 
resentative of  agricultural  interests  in  this 
county.  He  was  born  in  Elkhart  county, 
Indiana,  near  Jimtown,  December  14,  1848. 
His  father,  Aaron  Skinner,  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,   where  he  remained  through 


33^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


the  period  of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  while 
in  early  manhood  he  made  his  way  to  In- 
diana, locating  in  Elkhart  county,  where  he 
was  married.  He  wedded  Miss  Eliza  Potter, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  there  began  their 
domestic  life  upon  a  farm,  Mr.  Skinner  not 
•only  carrying  on  the  work  of  the  fields 
but  also  operating-  a  sawmill  in  that  locality. 
In  1850  he  removed  near  South  Bend,  in 
St.  Joseph  county,  and  in  1862  took  up  his 
abode  in  the  city,  retiring  from  active  busi- 
ness life.  He  was  sixty-nine  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  his  demise,  while  his  wife 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine.  They 
were  the  parents  of  five  children,  three 
daughters  and  two  sons,  all  of  w^hom 
reached  adult  age.  These  are  Lucinda, 
Mattie,   Elizabeth,  James   F.   and  William. 

James  F.  Skinner  was  reared  in  and  near 
South  Bend,  having  been  but  two  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  his  parents'  removal  to 
St.  Joseph  county.  He  was  educated  in  the 
village  schools  and  at  Notre  Dame  Univer- 
sity. At  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  however, 
he  put  aside  all  personal  considerations  in 
-order  to  respond  to  his  country's  call  and 
enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  C,  One 
Hundred  and  Fifty-fifth  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry,  with  which  he  served  for  six 
months,  or  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

On  the  2d  of  April,  1867,  Mr.  Skinner 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Adah  Slon- 
ecker,  who  was  born  in  Indiana,  and  in  her 
early  girlhood  was  taken  to  Berrien  Springs 
by  her  parents.  Her  education  was  acquired 
at  St.  Joseph,  Michigan.  The  young  couple 
began  their  domestic  life  near  St.  Joseph, 
but  after  a  short  period  removed  to  South 
Bend,  where  they  remained  for  two  years. 
They  then  took  up  their  abode  upon  a  farm 
in  Bainbridge  township  and  afterward  in 
Oronoko  township,  w^here  Mr.  Skinner  car- 
ried on  general  agricultural  pursuits  until 
1894.  He  afterward  engaged  in  the  shoe 
business  for  about  two  years  in  Berrien 
Springs,  and  selling  out  he  retired  from  ac- 
tive business  life,  since  which  time  he  has 
enjoyed  a  well  earned  rest.  He  is  still  the 
owner  of  eighty  acres  of  good  land  two 
miles  from  Berrien  Springs  and  this  brings 
him   a  desirable   income.      Throughout   his 


business  career  he  has  been  active  and  ener- 
getic, manifesting  keen  discernment  and  en- 
terprise in  the  control  of  his  agricultural  and 
commercial  interests.  These  cjualities  are 
essential  factors  to  success  and  have  brought 
him  a  gratifying  measure  of  prosperity. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Skinner  have  been 
born  four  daughters  and  three  sons;  Olus, 
a  shoe  man  of  Berrien  Springs ;  Loy,  who  is 
living  on  the  old  homestead ;  Zella,  the  wife 
of  Alvin  Stover,  a  resident  farmer  of  Oro- 
noko township;  Arda,  the  wife  of  Claude 
Sparks,  a  lumber  dealer  at  Berrien  Springs ; 
Nola,  the  wife  of  Charles  Collins,  of  New^- 
castle,  Indiana;  Nie,  a  carpenter  by  trade; 
and  Orfa,  who  is  assistant  cashier  in  the 
bank  at  Berrien  Springs. 

Mr.  Skinner  in  his  study  of  the  political 
issues  and  questions  of  the  day  has  been  led 
to  give  a  stalwart  support  to  the  principles 
of  the  Republican  party,  which  he  believes 
are  most  conducive  to  good  government. 
He  takes  an  active  interest  in  the  work  of 
the  party,  doing  all  he  can  to  promote  its 
growth  and  insure  its  success.  He  has 
served  as  village  trustee  and  as  highway 
commissioner,  and  matters  relating  to  the 
public  welfare  are  always  of  interest  to  him 
and  elicit  his  commendation  and  support. 

GEORGE  S.  HOPPIN,  an  old  settler 
residing  on  section  two,  Niles  township,  was 
born  in  New  York,  June  24,  1825.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  Samuel  Hoppin,  was 
a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  of  Eng- 
lish descent.  He  married  but  died  in  early 
manhood.  His  son,  Thaddeus  Hoppin,  also 
a  native  of  Massachusetts,  became  a  farmer 
by  occupation  and  followed  that  pursuit 
throughout  his  entire  life.  He  removed 
from  New  England  to  New  York  about 
1820,  and  in  1844  came  to  Michigan,  set- 
tling in  Berrien  county.  Here  the  residue 
of  his  days  were  passed  and  he  departed 
this  life  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  His 
political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  Whig 
party  and  he  held  some  local  offices  while 
residing  in  New  York.  His  religious  faith 
was  indicated  by  his  membership  in  the 
Presbyterian  church,  in  the  work  of  which 
he  took  an  active  and  helpful  part.    He  mar- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


339 


ried  Miss  Tamer  Daniels,  a  native  of  Hing- 
ham,  Massachusetts,  and  a  daughter  of  John 
Daniels,  who  was  a  native  of  Boston.  John 
Hancock  and  John  Adams  were  among  his 
patrons  and  their  names  appear  on  his 
books.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Hoppin  lived 
to  be  about  ninety  years  of  age,  and  in  Ber- 
rien county  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thaddeus  Hoppin 
were  highly  esteemed  people.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  nine  children,  six  sons  and  three 
daughters,  all  of  whom  reached  mature 
years  but  only  two  are  now  living,  the  sister 
being  Mrs.  Clarissa  Everts,  the  widow  of 
A.  M.  Everts,  of  Woodland,  California. 

George  S.  Hoppin,  the  seventh  child  and 
fourth  son,  is  the  only  representative  of  the 
family  in  Berrien  county.  He  came  with 
his  parents  to  this  county  in  1844,  being  at 
that  time  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  took 
charge  of  the  farm  whereon  he  now  resides, 
cleared  away  the  timber  and  brush,  placed 
the  fields  under  the  plow  and  has  improved 
the  farm,  transforming  it  into  an  excellent 
property.  As  a  companion  and  helpmate  for 
life's  journey  he  chose  Miss  Dora  King, 
whom  he  wedded  in  1875.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Dorcas  King  and  was  born  in  Lyons, 
New  York.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoppin 
have  been  born  four  children :  Clair,  now 
the  wife  of  Charles  E.  White,  of  Niles; 
George  S.,  who  is  employed  in  a  bank  at 
Detroit;  John  E.,  who  is  living  in  Ann  Ar- 
bor; and  Rose,  at  home.  In  1883  Mr.  Hop- 
pin went  to  South  Dakota  and  purchased  a 
farm  in  Brown  county,  which  he  improved, 
remaining  thereon  for  eight  years,  during 
which  period  he  placed  under  cultivation  a 
section  of  land  and  added  many  buildings. 
He  still  owns  this  place  and  has  made  many 
trips  to  his  Dakota  property,  probably  cov- 
ering the  distance  between  his  ranch  in  the 
northwest  and  his  home  in  Michigan  thirty 
times.  In  this  county  he  owns  one  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  of  good  land,  a  part  of 
which  was  once  comprised  in  the  old  farm 
homestead.  He  has  erected  all  of  the  build- 
ings here  and  the  well  improved  appearance 
of  his  place  is  indicative  of  the  care  and 
labor  bestowed  upon  it. 

In  politics  Mr.  Hoppin  has  been  a  life- 
long Republican,  taking  an  active  interest  in 


the  party,  its  growth  and  its  success.  He 
served  as  supervisor  of  Niles  township  for 
several  terms  and  has  also  been  school  offi- 
cer. He  has  belonged  to  the  Presbyterian 
church  for  a  half  century  or  more  and  has 
filled  a  number  of  its  offices,  doing  all  in  his 
power  to  promote  its  growth  and  extend  its 
influence.  He  is  one  of  the  oldest  settlers 
in  the  county  now  living,  having  for  sixty- 
two  years  made  his  home  within  its  borders. 
Since  his  arrival  he  has  been  identified  with 
the  agricultural  interests  of  Berrien  county 
and  has  done  much  for  its  promotion  along 
these  lines. 

DR.  E.  S.  DODD,  a  pioneer  physician 
of  Buchanan  and  now  the  oldest  practitioner 
of  the  city  in  years  of  continuous  connection 
therewith,  claims  Virginia  as  the  state  of 
his  nativity,  having  been  born  in  Franklin 
county,  on  the  4th  of  January,  18 19.  His 
father,  Isaac  Dodd,  also  a  native  of  the  Old 
Dominion,  was  of  English  and  Scotch  de- 
scent. He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and 
also  learned  and  followed  the  blacksmith's 
trade.  Leaving  the  south  in  1836,  he  re- 
moved to  Laporte  county,  Indiana,  locating 
in  its  northern  district,  where  he  became 
well  known  as  one  of  the  pioneer  black- 
smiths and  agriculturists.  In  1873  he  re- 
moved to  Kansas,  where  he  died  in  his 
eighty-fourth  year.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Agnes  Clark,  was  bom 
near  Raleigh,  North  Carolina,  and  lived  to 
be  about  sixty-six  years  of  age.  In  their 
family  were  eight  children,  all  of  whom 
reached  manhood  and  womanhood. 

Dr.  Dodd,  the  second  in  order  of  birth, 
is  the  only  one  now  living.  He  was  about 
eighteen  years  of  age  when  he  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  removal  from  Virginia 
to  Laporte  county,  Indiana.  It  was  in  the 
fall  of  1835  that  he  arrived  in  Goshen, 
driving  a  four  horse  team  across  the  coun- 
try for  a  distance  of  seven  hundred  miles. 
He  had  attended  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  place  and  afterward  became  a 
student  in  the  schools  of  Michigan  City. 
Putting  aside  his  text-books  he  engaged  in 
the  cabinet-making  business  in  Laporte 
county  until  about  1847,  when  he  took  up 


340 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


the  study  of  medicine  and  attended  lectures 
in  Laporte  in  1847-48.  In  the  fall  of  the 
latter  year  he  resumed  his  studies  in  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  and  was  graduated  in  1849 
from  the  Eclectic  Medical  College.  The 
same  year  he  located  for  practice  in  Wabash, 
Indiana,  where  he  was  actively  connected 
with  his  profession  until  the  fall  of  1850, 
when  he  removed  to  Terracoupee,  St.  Jo- 
seph county,  Indiana,  continuing  in  practice 
there  until  the  spring  of  1859.  In  Febru- 
ary of  that  year  he  located  in  Buchanan, 
where  he  has  remained  continuously  since, 
covering  a  period  of  forty-seven  years.  In 
1873  he  embarked  in  the  drug  business  in 
partnership  with  his  son,  I.  L.  H.  Dodd,  and 
the  enterprise  is  still  conducted  under  the 
firm  style  of  Dodd  &  Son.  As  a  practi- 
tioner of  medicine  and  surgery  Dr.  Dodd 
has  enjoyed  a  large  measure  of  success  and 
as  the  years  have  passed  has  kept  in  touch 
with  the  progress  of  the  profession,  readily 
adopting  new  and  improved  methods,  while 
at  the  same  time  he  has  been  slow  to  dis- 
card the  old  and  time-tried  processes  whose 
value  and  worth  have  been  proven  through 
actual  experience. 

In  1850  Dr.  Dodd  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Sophronia  McKinney,  who 
died  in  1875.  They  were  the  parents  of 
four  children :  I.  Leroy  H.,  the  present 
county  register  of  deeds,  of  Berrien  county 
and  a  member  of  the  drug  firm  of  Dodd  & 
Son;  Roselda  J.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
eleven  years;  Clara  A.,  of  Kalamazoo;  and 
Charles  S.  M.,  who  died  when  thirty-two 
years  of  age.  In  1891  Dr.  Dodd  was  mar- 
ried to  Mrs.  Jennie  Champ. 

In  the  year  1840  Dr.  Dodd  cast  his  first 
presidential  vote  for  William  Henry  Harri- 
son and  has  voted  at  each  presidential  elec- 
tion since  that  time.  He  remained  a  Whig 
until  the  dissolution  of  the  party,  when  he 
joined  the  ranks  of  the  new  Republican 
party,  supporting  each  candidate  at  the  head 
of  its  ticket  to  the  present.  He  has  been 
examiner  for  many  insurance  companies  but 
has  never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of 
office  seeking.  For  many  years  a  faithful 
and  devoted  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  he  is  also  a  worthy  exemplar 


of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  his  membership 
being  with  the  lodge  at  Buchanan.  A  resi- 
dent of  the  city  for  forty-seven  years  and 
one  of  its  pioneer  physicians,  he  is  well 
known  in  the  town  and  surrounding  coun- 
try as  a  man  of  genuine  personal  worth  in 
all  life's  relations.  A  man  of  unswerving 
integrity  and  honor,  one  who  has  a  perfect 
appreciation  of  the  higher  ethics  of  life,  he 
has  gained  and  retained  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  his  fellowmen  and  is  distinctively 
one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  thriving 
town  of  Buchanan,  with  whose  interests  he 
has  so  long  been  identified.  His  memory 
compasses  the  most  wonderful  history  of 
the  world's  development,  for  he  has  passed 
the  eighty-seventh  milestone  on  life's  jour- 
ney. He  has  witnessed  the  advent  of  the 
railroad,  the  telegraph  and  the  telephone,, 
and  in  early  days  he  made  the  long  trip  from 
Virginia  with  wagon  across  the  country, 
traveling  after  the  primitive  manner  of  the 
times.  He  has  watched  with  interest  the 
advantages  and  improvements  that  time  and 
men  have  wrought  and  has  rejoiced  in  what 
has  been  accomplished. 

ERNEST  L.  RANFT,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, who  landed  in  New  York  with  only 
a  shilling  in  his  pocket,  and  began  life  in 
Berrien  county  in  a  little  log  cabin,  is  now 
one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  Niles  town- 
ship, living  on  section  22,  where  he  owns 
a  valuable  and  well  improved  farm.  He 
may  truly  be  called  a  self-made  man,  for 
all  that  he  now  possesses  has  been  acquired 
through  his  own  efforts,  and  his  life  history 
illustrates  the  fact  that  in  this  country,  where 
effort  is  unhampered  by  caste  or  class,  labor 
finds  its  sure  and  just  reward. 

Ernest  L.  Ranft  first  opened  his  eyes  to 
the  light  of  day  in  Saxony,  Germany,  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1834,  and  was  reared  in  his  na- 
tive country  to  the  age  of  nineteen  years. 
For  eight  years  he  was  a  pupil  in  the  schools 
of  that  country,  after  which  he  was  vari- 
ously employed  until  he  came  to  America. 
The  favorable  reports  which  he  heard  con- 
cerning business  conditions  and  opportuni- 
ties in  the  new  world  led  him  to  seek  a  home 
in  America  and  he  came  alone  to  the  United 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


341 


States  in  1854,  stopping  first  in  New  York, 
where  he  remained  for  two  years.  He  came 
to  this  coimty  in  1856  and  took  up  his  abode 
in  Niles,  and  with  the  passing  of  years  he 
has  made  a  creditable  position  for  himself 
in  business  circles  as  a  representative  of  the 
agricultural  interests  of  the  county. 

Before  leaving  New  York  Mr.  Ranft 
w^as  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  Mar- 
garet Miller,  also  a  native  of  Saxony,  Ger- 
many. She  came  to  America  on  the  same 
ship  on  which  her  future  husband  crossed 
the  Atlantic.  The  year  after  their  arrival 
in  Michigan  Mr.  Ranft  w^orked  by  the  day 
or  job  and  the  following  year  he  bought  the 
land  whereon  he  now  resides.  There  were 
no  improvements  on  the  place  at  that  time 
and  he  built  a  little  log  cabin,  fourteen  by 
twenty-four  feet.  He  then  began  clearing 
the  place  and  as  the  timber  was  cut  down  he 
plowed  the  fields  which  ultimately  brought 
forth  rich  harvests.  He  has  erected  all  the 
buildings  upon  the  place,  including  a  sub- 
stantial residence,  good  barns  and  sheds,  has 
built  fences,  has  set  out  an  orchard  and  has 
added  all  modern  equipments.  Everything 
about  the  place  is  indicative  of  a  progressive 
as  well  as  practical  management  and  for 
fifty  years  Mr.  Ranft  has  here  made  his 
home,  the  farm  being  proof  of  a  life  of  thrift 
and  enterprise. 

As  the  years  have  gone  by  the  home  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ranft  has  been  blessed  with 
six  children :  George  A.,  Doretta,  Matilda, 
Louise,  Annie  and  Harry,  all  of  whom 
were  born  upon  the  home  farm. 

Mr.  Ranft  has  been  a  life-long  agricult- 
urist and  a  successful  one,  and  he  now 
owns  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  rich 
land,  forty  of  wdiich  lies  within  the  corpo- 
ration limits  of  the  city  of  Niles,  and  upon 
this  stands  a  good  bank  barn.  He  certainly 
deserves  much  credit  for  what  he  has  ac- 
complished as  his  success  is  due  entirely  to 
his  own  labors  and  the  assistance  of  his  es- 
timable wife,  w^ho  has  indeed  been  a  worthy 
helpmate  to  him.  Almost  penniless  when 
he  arrived  in  the  new  world,  he  has  stead- 
ily progressed  along  the  road  of  useful  and 
persistent  endeavor  and  his  labors  have  been 
crowned  with  a  most  satisfactory  rew^ard. 


In  politics  a  Democrat  since  he  became  a 
naturalized  American  citizen,  he  has  figured 
in  local  political  circles  as  a  leader  and 
worker  and  for  eight  years  he  served  as  con- 
stable of  his  township,  while  for  two  years 
he  was  drain  commissioner  and  for  twenty- 
four  years  justice  of  the  peace.  He  filled 
the  office  of  highway  commissioner  for  three 
years  and  for  many  years  has  been  almost 
continuously  in  office,  discharging  his  duties 
with  a  promptness  and  fidelity  which  leaves 
no  room  for  question  concerning  his  public- 
spirited  and  loyal  citizenship.  He  is  now 
peach  tree  inspector  for  the  city  of  Niles. 
He  has  taken  a  most  active  and  helpful  in- 
terest in  public  afifairs  and  the  county  has 
profited  by  his  labors  on  behalf  of  the  gen- 
eral public.  He  belongs  to  the  United 
Workmen  Lodge  at  Niles  and  to  the  Ger- 
man church.  He  was  instrumental  in  se- 
curing the  services  of  the  first  minister  for 
this  church  and  his  son  was  the  first  to  be 
baptized  into  this  church.  He  rejoices  in 
civic  development  and  is  now  accounted 
one  of  the  honored  and  prominent  residents 
of  the  county. 

GEORGE  H.  BLACK.  This  is  an  age 
of  invention,  and  America  is  the  exponent 
of  the  spirit  of  the  age.  No  country  has 
made  such  rapid  progress  as  the  United 
States  in  the  line  of  utilitarian  invention  and 
the  products  of  the  sons  of  the  new  w^orld 
have  largely  revolutionized  business  condi- 
tions and  labor.  George  H.  Black  of  Buch- 
anan is  well  known  as  an  inventor  and  man- 
ufacturer of  various  useful  devices,  which 
have  brought  him  a  wade  acquaintance  in 
business  circles,  not  only  in  Michigan  but  in 
other  parts  of  the  country  as  well.  His  life 
record  began  in  Ashburnham,  Massachu- 
setts, March  25,  1853.  His  father,  Horace 
Black,  was  a  native  of  Putney,  Vermont, 
and  was  a  furniture  maker  by  occupation. 
In  the  year  1859  he  came  westward  to  Ber- 
rien county,  Michigan,  settling  in  New  Buf- 
falo, where  he  engaged  in  the  furniture  busi- 
ness for  some  time,  producing  the  first  round 
cornered  bedstead  made  in  the  state.  These 
bedsteads  were  manufactured  from  black 
walnut.     Mr.  Black  remained  at  New  Buf- 


342 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


falo  for  two  years  and  then  came  to  Buch- 
anan, where  he  continued  in  the  manufact- 
ure of  furniture,  being  closely  associated 
with  the  productive  industries  of  the  town. 
He  died  at  the  very  venerable  age  of  eighty- 
six  years,  while  his  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Harriet  Petts,  and  was  a 
native  of  Fitzwilliam,  New  Hampshire, 
lived  to  be  ninety-two  years  of  age.  In  the 
family  were  eight  children,  five  daughters 
and  three  sons,  one  of  w^hom  died  in  child- 
hood, while  the  others  are  still  living. 

George  H.  Black  is  the  seventh  child  and 
third  son,  and  was  in  his  fourth  year  when 
he  came  with  his  parents  to  this  state.  When 
a  youth  of  six  years  he  became  a  resident  of 
Buchanan  and  his  youth  was  here  passed, 
his  education  being  acquired  in  the  public 
schools.  He  became  connected  with  the  fur- 
niture manufacturing  business  when  ten 
years  of  age  as  an  assistant  to  his  father, 
and  learned  the  business  from  the  founda- 
tion upward,  becoming  familiar  with  the 
trade  in  all  its  departments  and  gaining 
much  proficiency  as  the  years  passed  by  until 
he  was  known  as  an  expert  workman.  He 
was  associated  with  his  brother  for  some 
time,  or  until  1884,  when  he  began  the  man- 
ufacture of  the  "Queen  of  the  Garden"  hand 
cultivator,  which  he  is  still  manufacturing. 
He  is  the  patentee  and  proprietor,  as  well  as 
manufacturer  of  this  useful  device.  In  ad- 
dition he  is  also  manufacturing  typewriter 
desks,  stands,  racks  for  magazines,  news- 
papers and  music,  and  tables  of  various 
kinds.  He  now  employs  eight  men,  and 
the  factory  has  a  capacity  of  from  twenty- 
five  to  thirty  men.  As  the  output  of  the 
factory  is  now  being  shipped  to  various 
parts  of  the  country  the  business  is  having  a 
substantial  and  well  merited  growth. 

Mr.  Black  has  resided  continuously  in 
Buchanan  since  i860,  or  for  a  period  of 
forty-six  years,  and  has  taken  an  active  and 
helpful  interest  in  the  place  and  its  devel- 
opment.^ He  is  a  stanch  Republican  and 
that  he  is  a  leading  and  influential  citizen  is 
indicated  by  the  fact  that  he  was  elected  and 
served  for  three  years  as  mayor.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  the  council  for  four  years 
and  has  been  zealous  in  his  devotion  to  the 


public  good  and  his  faithful,  effective  and 
far-reaching  effort  to  promote  civic  virtue 
and  pride  and  to  uphold  the  legal  and  moral 
status  of  the  community.  Socially  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees 
and  is  welt  known  throughout  the  county  as 
a  prominent,  reliable  and  honorable  business 
man,  whose  interests  are  of  direct  benefit  to 
the  city  as  well  as  a  source  of  individual 
income. 

EDGAR  F.  GARLAND,  president  of 
the  village  board  of  Berrien  Springs,, 
and  well  fitted  for  leadership  by  rea- 
son of  his  devotion  to  the  general  good 
and  his  natural  business  capacity  and 
enterprise,  was  born  in  Cedar  county,  Iowa, 
August  21,  1857.  His  father,  Horace  Gar- 
land, was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire  and 
became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Cedar 
county,  Iowa,  where  he  took  up  his  abode 
in  1855.  He  removed  from  that  state  to 
Michigan  in  1863,  locating  at  Benton  Har- 
bor. There  he  engaged  in  general  farming 
and  fruit  raising  for  a  number  of  years  but 
died  in  Kansas  at  the  age  of  sixty-three 
years.  He  had  in  the  meantime  removed 
from  Michigan  to  California,  and  later  had 
taken  up  his  abode  in  the  Sunflower  state. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Catharine  Webster,  was  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire  and  died  about  i860.  There 
were  two  sons  in  the  family,  Horace  being 
a  resident  of  Bainbridge  township,  Berrien 
county. 

Edgar  F.  Garland,  the  younger  son,  was 
about  six  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Ber- 
rien county,  Michigan,  with  his  parents.  He 
was  reared  near  Bentor  Harbor  and  attended 
the  district  schools,  while  later  he  became  a 
student  in  the  high  school  at  Benton  Harbor. 
He  then  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  ac- 
count and  the  success  that  he  has  achieved 
is  attributable  entirely  to  his  own  labors. 
For  ten  years  he  operated  a  farm  for  the 
Northwestern  Life  Insurance  Company,  of 
Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  this  land  being  lo- 
cated in  Benton  township.  He  afterward 
for  five  years  operated  a  farm  for  William 
Hamilton  near  Benton  Harbor,  and  about 
1890  he  came  to  Berrien  Springs,  where  he 


<©.e^  ^^2x2^<^>^^.^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


345 


purchased  a  part  of  what  is  know  as  the  Col- 
lege farm.  Selling  this  place  he  located  on 
a  farm  where  he  now  resides  and  for  some 
time  he  has  owned  this  property.  He  has 
a  fine  fruit  farm  of  ten  acres  inside  the  cor- 
porate limits  of  Berrien  Springs  and  eight 
and  a  quarter  acres  adjoining,  but  just  out- 
side the  corporation. 

He  has  made  most  of  the  improvements 
upon  the  place  and  it  is  a  valuable  property, 
from  which  he  annually  gathers  a  large  fruit 
crop.  He  secures  only  the  best  nursery 
stock  and  his  orchards  are  now  in  excellent 
bearing  condition. 

In  1886  Mr.  Garland  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Anna  King,  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Anna  King,  of  Benton  township.  Mrs. 
Garland  was  born  in  Chicago,  and  by  her 
marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  two 
children,  Walter  and  Allen,  both  at  home. 
In  his  political  views  Mr.  Garland  is  an  earn- 
est Republican,  stanchly  advocating  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  party  and  keeping  well  in- 
formed on  the  questions  of  the  day.  He  is 
recognized  as  a  leader  in  its  local  ranks,  and 
the  confidence  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow 
townsmen  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  he  is 
now  serving  as  president  of  the  village  board, 
to  which  ofiice  he  was  chosen  by  popular 
suffrage.  He  has  been  identified  with  the 
interests  of  Berrien  county  for  forty-three 
years  and  is  well  known  in  the  neighborhood 
as  a  man  fully  worthy  the  respect  which  is 
uniformly  accorded  him. 

A.  D.  YOUNG.  The  student  of  history 
cannot  carry  his  investigations  far  into  the 
annals  of  Berrien  county  without  learning 
that  the  Young  family  was  established  here 
at  a  very  early  epoch  in  the  development  of 
the  county,  seventy  years  having  come  and 
gone  since  Cornelius  and  Hannah  (Hamil- 
ton) Young,  grandparents  of  A.  D.  Young, 
came  from  the  state  of  New  York  and  cast 
in  their  lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Niles 
township,  Berrien  county.  Cornelius  Young 
purchased  land  which  he  converted  into  a 
good  farm,  and  the  family,  in  the  early  days 
shared  in  all  the  hardships  and  privations 
incident  to  the  establishment  of  a  home  on 


the  frontier,  far  removed  from  the  com- 
forts and  advantages  of  the  older  civiliza- 
tion of  the  east.  There  for  many  years  lived 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young,  as  representative 
farming  people  of  the  community,  and  they 
aided  in  laying  the  foundation  for  later-day 
improvement  and  progress  in  this  county. 

Their  son,  John  H.  Young,  born  in  New 
York,  came  to  Berrien  county  with  his  par- 
ents in  1836,  long  before  the  state  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Union,  and  was  reared  amid 
pioneer  environment  upon  the  home  farm 
in  Niles  township.  Educational  facilities 
were  limited  but  he  had  ample  opportunity 
to  become  familiar  with  farm  work  and  the 
arduous  task  of  developing  new  land.  He 
was  married  in  Niles  township  to  Miss  Delia 
Snow,  a  native  of  Vermont,  who  was 
brought  to  this  county  when  a  maiden  of 
eight  summers  by  her  parents,  Orrin  and 
Emily  (Brigham)  Snow,  who  also  located 
in  Niles  township,  where  their  daughter  was 
reared.  Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  John  H.  Young  located  on  a  farm  in 
Niles  township,  where  for  many  years  he 
carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits,  be- 
coming one  of  the  prosperous  farmers  of 
the  locality.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  now 
living  in  the  city  of  Niles,  the  former  at 
the  age  of  seventy-nine  years,  the  latter  at 
the  age  of  seventy-five.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  seven  children,  of  whom  two  died  in 
infancy,  while  five  are  still  living  in  1906. 

A.  D.  Young,  the  second  child  and  the 
eldest  now  living,  was  born  on  the  old  fam- 
ily homestead  in  Niles  township,  September 
25,  1854,  and  was  there  reared.  At  the 
usual  age  he  began  his  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  the  neighborhood  and  contin- 
ued his  studies  in  the  schools  of  Niles,  while 
his  practical  training  at  farm  labor  was  re- 
ceived under  the  direction  of  his  father  as 
he  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  fields.  He 
was  married  March  13,  1879,  to  Miss  Mat- 
tie  Storms,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  and  Lydia 
(Baker)  Storms.  She  is  the  youngest  of 
three  children  and  the  only  daughter.  She 
was  born  in  the  house  in  which  she  now 
lives,  August  19,  1857,  and  was  reared  upon 
this  farm,  her  father  having  come  from  New 


344 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


York,  while  her  mother  was  reared  in  this 
county  from  the  age  of  one  year.  Her  birth 
occurred  in  Indiana. 

At  the  time  of  their  marriage  Mr. 
Young  and  his  bride  located  on  a  farm  in 
Niles  township,  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of 
the  tow^n  and  after  a  year  and  a  half  'they 
removed  to  their  present  place  west  of  Niles. 
Here  they  have  one  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  of  land,  constituting  a  valuable  and 
well  developed  tract  of  land.  Mr.  Young 
carries  on  general  farming  and  is  also  en- 
gaged in  the  dairy  business,  and  both 
branches  are  proving  profitable,  showing 
him  to  be  a  man  of  diligence,  enterprise  and 
sound  business  judgment. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young  have  become  the 
parents  of  five  children :  Arthur,  John, 
Harry,  Homer  and  Lyle,  and  all  are  still 
at  home.  In  his  political  affiliations  Mr. 
Young  is  a  Republican,  in  thorough  sym- 
pathy with  the  principles  of  the  party,  and 
in  its  w^ork  he  has  taken  an  active  interest, 
contributing  to  the  forward  movement 
which  results  in  political  victories.  He  has 
served  as  deputy  oil  inspector  for  Berrien 
and  Cass  counties,  under  appointment  of 
Governor  Pingree,  but  has  not  sought  office 
as  a  reward  for  party  fealty.  He  is  a  char- 
ter member  of  Modern  Woodmen  Camp, 
No.  900,  and  a  worthy  representative  of  the 
order.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  descended 
from  prominent  old  pioneer  families  of  the 
county  and  in  this  part  of  the  state  where 
their  entire  lives  have  been  passed  they  en- 
joy the  warm  regard  of  many  friends. 

HON.  JAMES  B.  THOMSON,  who  in 
public  office  has  made  an  excellent  record  as 
a  citizen  of  unquestioned  loyalty  to  the  gen- 
eral good  and  of  progressive  methods  for 
the  betterment  of  his  town  and  county,  re- 
sides on  section  32,  Niles  township,  and  is 
numbered  among  the  prominent  old  settlers 
of  this  part  of  the  state,  for  he  has  lived 
in  Niles  township  for  more  than  a  half  cen- 
tury. He  was  born  August  19,  1853,  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  resides,  and  is  of  Scotch 
lineage.  His  father,  Samuel  Thomson, 
was  a  native  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  and  was 
born  in  1798.     He  remained  in  the  land  of 


hills  and  heather  until  after  his  marriage, 
Miss  Lillian  Atkins  becoming  his  wife.  She 
was  also  born  in  Glasgow.  Mr.  Thomson 
was  a  weaver  by  trade  and  became  a  land 
surveyor  and  merchant,  conducting  a  store 
about  five  miles  out  of  Glasgow.  He  also 
acted  as  magistrate  and  was  thus  connected 
with  various  interests  in  his  native  country. 
The  favorable  reports  which  he  heard  con- 
cerning America  and  its  opportunities  led 
him  to  the  new  world  in  1844.  He  located 
on  the  farm  where  his  son  James  now  re- 
sides. At  that  time  there  was  a  log  cabin 
on  the  place  and  a  small  portion  of  the  land 
had  been  brought  under  cultivation.  With 
characteristic  energy  he  began  its  further 
improvement  and  development  and  as  the 
years  went  by  he  shared  in  the  usual  hard- 
ships and  privations  of  pioneer  life  and  later 
enjoyed  the  benefits  of  his  own  labor  as 
manifest  in  a  highly  improved  farm  that  re- 
turned him  a  good  income.  He  continued 
to  devote  his  time  and  energies  to  farming 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  Christ- 
mas day  of  1882.  He  was  a  life-long  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  his 
Christian  faith  permeated  his  entire  career 
and  made  him  straightforward  and  honor- 
able in  all  of  his  relations  of  life.  He  voted 
with  the  Democracy  and  served  as  justice 
of  the  peace  and  in  other  local  offices,  the 
duties  of  which  were  promptly  and  faith- 
fully performed.  His  wife  survived  him  for 
a  long  period  and  died  on  the  13th  of 
March,  1900,  at  the  very  advanced  age  of 
ninety-eight  years.  There  were  eight  chil- 
dren in  the  family,  all  of  whom  reached 
manhood  or  womanhood  but  only  three  of 
the  number  are  now  living,  the  brother  of 
our  subject  being  Samuel  C.  Thomson,  who 
resides  in  Howard  township,  Cass  county, 
where  he  follows  farming.  Agnes  B.  Thom- 
son makes  her  home  in  Niles  city. 

James  B.  Thomson  was  the  youngest  of 
the  eight  children.  No  event  of  special  im- 
portance occurred  to  vary  for  him  the  rou- 
tine of  farm  life  in  his  boyhood  days.  He 
was  reared  upon  the  old  homestead  farm 
where  he  now  resides  and  here  he  has  spent 
his  life,  his  attention  being  given  to  gen- 
eral   agricultural    pursuits.      As    the    years 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


345 


went  by  he  more  and  more  largely  aided  in 
the  work  of  the  fields  from  the  time  of  early 
spring  planting  until  the  crops   were   har- 
vested in  the  late  autumn.     He  was  edu- 
cated in  district  school  No.  6,  in  Niles  town- 
ship,   and   after  attaining  his   majority   he 
cared  for  his  parents,   thus  repaying  them 
by  filial  devotion  for  the  care  and  love  which 
they  bestowed  upon  him  in  his  youth.     In 
December,    1893,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Julia  Herkimer,  a  daughter  of  Michael  and 
Jane  Herkimer.     She  was  born  in  Bertrand 
township,  Berrien  county,  her  people  being 
early  settlers  of  this  part  of  the  state,  cast- 
ing in  their  lot  with  its  pioneer  residents. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomson  has  been  born 
a   son,    Thomas   H.,    whose   birth   occurred 
June  24,  1895.     The  family  home  is  a  com- 
fortable and  attractive  residence  situated  on 
section   32,    Niles   township,   and   here   Mr. 
Thomson    owns    one    hundred    and    eighty 
acres  of  land,  which  is  devoted  to  general 
farming.     His  fields  are  well  tilled  and  re- 
spond readily  to  the  care  and  improvement 
which  are  bestowed  upon  them,  thus  making 
his  property  a  valuable  and  productive  farm. 
Mr.   Thomson  is,  moreover,   recognized 
as  a  leader  in  political  circles,  being  a  stanch 
advocate    of    Democratic    principles.       He 
does  all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  growth 
and  insure  the  success  of  the  party.     The 
first  public  office  that  he  ever  filled  was  that 
of   school    inspector,   and    in    1887   he   was 
elected   supervisor,    serving   for   five   years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  was  re- 
elected and  he  has  been  chosen  to  the  ofifice 
for  five  years.    He  was  elected  the  the  State 
Legislature  in  1892,  representing  the  second 
district  of  Berrien  county.     At  that  time  he 
was  filling  the  office  of  supervisor  but  he 
resigned.     He  was  once  more  elected  super- 
visor, in  1898,  and  served  until  1904,  mak- 
ing an  incumbency  in  that  office  of  eleven 
years  in  Niles  township.     No  higher  testi- 
monial  of   capable   service   could   be  given 
than  the  fact  that  he  has  been  again  and 
again  elected  by  popular  suffrage,  and  when 
a  member  of  the  general  assembly  he  made 
a  creditable  record  as  one  who  places  the 
general   good   before,  personal   aggrandize- 
ment and  desires  rather  the  welfare  of  the 


state  at  large  than  the  advancement  of  in- 
terests which  benefit  but  few.  Fraternally 
he  is  connected  with  the  Royal  Arcanum 
and  the  Maccabees  and  his  religious  faith  is 
indicated  by  his  membership  in  the  Presby- 
terian church  at  Niles.  He  has  a  very  wide 
acquaintance  in  Berrien  county,  having  been 
a  life-long  resident  here,  and  the  circle  of 
his  friends  is  almost  co-extensive  with  the 
circle  of  his  acquaintance,  for  his  career  has 
been  characterized  by  a  loyal  citizenship,  by 
honesty  in  business  and  by  fidelity  to  duty  in 
every  relation  of  life. 

AARON  CLARK,  a  representative 
of  a  pioneer  family  of  Berrien  county 
and  now  engaged  in  farming  on  section 
29,  Niles  township,  was  born  in  Mont- 
gomery county,  Ohio,  August  23,  1855. 
His  father,  David  Clark,  was  a  native 
of  Maryland  and  was  there  reared,  after 
which  he  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he 
maintained  his  residence  until  he  came  to 
Michigan  in  1868.  At  that  time  he  settled 
in  Buchanan  township,  Berrien  county,  and 
was  engaged  in  farming  up  to  the  time  of  his 
demise.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Elizabeth  Wise,  was  also  a  native 
of  Maryland  and  she,  too,  has  passed  away. 
There  were  thirteen  children  in  the  family, 
only  seven  of  whom  are  now  living. 

Aaron  Clark  was  the  twelfth  in  order  of 
birth  and  is  the  youngest  surviving  member 
of  the  family.  He  was  a  youth  of  thirteen 
years  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Michigan  and  upon  the  homestead  farm  in 
Buchanan  township  he  was  reared,  assist- 
ing in  its  early  development  and  improve- 
ment. He  also  worked  in  a  sawmill  in  Bu- 
chanan for  about  six  years  and  was  early 
trained  to  habits  of  industry,  economy  and 
perseverance — qualities  which  have  been 
essential  factors  in  his  later  success. 

In  1884  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Aaron  Clark  and  Miss  Harriet  Pears,  a 
daughter  of  John  W.  Pears.  She  was  born 
in  London,  England,  where  she  remained  to 
the  age  of  fourteen  years,  when,  with  her 
parents,  she  came  to  the  United  States,  the 
family  home  being  established  in  Buchanan 
township,  Berrien  county,  Michigan.     Fol- 


346 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


lowing  their  marriage  Mr.  Clark  and  his 
bride  took  up  their  abode  in  Buchanan, 
where  they  remained  for  six  years  and  then 
removed  to  the  Judson  farm  in  Niles  town- 
ship. There  for  a  time  Mr.  Clark  carried 
on  general  agricultural  pursuits  and  later  he 
rented  the  Pears  farm  for  eight  years.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  purchased 
a  farm  in  Niles  township  on  section  six, 
and  when  he  sold  that  property  he  bought 
the  place  on  which  he  now  resides,  known  as 
the  Blake  farm  and  comprising  fifty-one 
acres  of  land.  In  addition  to  this  property 
he  cultivates  seventy  acres,  which  he  rents. 
He  carries  on  general  farming  and  his  fields 
are  well  developed,  while  the  utmost  care 
and  precision  are  manifest  in  the  manage- 
ment of  his  property  interests.  He  is  prac- 
tical in  all  that  he  does  and  as  the  years  have 
gone  by  his  persistency  of  purpose  and  in- 
domitable energy  have  been  the  means  of 
bringing  him  a  gratifying  competence. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  has 
been  blessed  with  two  sons :  Elmer  E.,  who 
was  born  in  Buchanan  township,  July  lo, 
1886;  and  Frederick,  born  July  12,  1888. 
Both  are  still  under  the  parental  roof  and  as- 
sist their  father  in  his  farm  labor.  Mr. 
Clark  has  been  a  resident  of  Berrien  county 
for  thirty-six  years  and  has  always  been  the 
champion  of  progressive  public  movements. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  taking  an  active 
interest  in  the  growth  of  the  party  and  its 
successes,  and  wherever  known  he  is  held  in 
high  esteem  because  of  his  loyalty,  his  hon- 
est convictions  and  his  reliability  in  business 
transactions. 

ORVILLE  CURTIS,  M.  D.  who 
after  careful  and  thorough  preparation  is 
engaged  in  the  successful  conduct  of  a 
large  practice  in  medicine  and  surgery 
in  Buchanan,  was  born  in  Ballston,  Sara- 
toga county.  New  York,  April  18,  1867. 
His  father,  Albert  S. '  Curtis,  was  a  na- 
tive of  the  same  county  and  a  farmer 
by  occupation.  He  is  now  residing  at 
Round  Lake,  New  York,  but  his  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Anna  M. 
Betts  and  was  born  in  Saratoga  county  in 
1833,  passed  away  May  3,  1906.     In  their 


family  were  four  children,  two  daughters 
and  two  sons :  Nettie,  deceased ;  Dr.  P.  C. 
Curtis,  living  at  Round  Lake,  New  York; 
Harriet  M.,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Baldwin,  of 
Niles,  Michigan;  and  Dr.  Orville  Curtis. 

The  youngest  of  the  four  children,  Dr. 
Curtis  of  this  review,  was  reared  in  his  na- 
tive county  and  began  his  education  in  a 
private  school  at  Burnt  Llills,  New  York. 
He  afterward  attended  the  Troy  Confer- 
ence Academy  at  Poultney,  Vermont,  and 
the  University  of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor. 
Llis  specific  preparation  for  his  profession 
was  made  in  Albany  Medical  College,  New 
York,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the 
class  of  1893,  and  thereafter  he  practiced 
for  sixteen  months  in  Albany  Hospital  and 
for  eight  months  in  St.  Mary's  Hospital  in 
New  York,  during  which  time  he  added 
broad  practical  training  and  experience  to 
his  theoretical  knowledge.  He  likewise  con- 
tinued in  private  practice  to  some  extent  in 
the  metropolis  of  the  east,  and  in  1896  came 
to  Buchanan,  where  for  the  past  decade  he 
has  been  in  active  practice  as  one  of  the  more 
successful  representatives  of  the  profession. 
His  learning  is  wide,  his  judgment  sound 
and  his  effort  as  a  practitioner  was  attended 
with  gratifying  results  when  viewed  from 
both  a  professional  and  financial  standpoint. 

In  1904  Dr.  Curtis  was  married  to  Miss 
Susan  Butler,  a  daughter  of  Charles  A.  and 
Anna  (Dick)  Butler,  and  a  native  of  Bu- 
chanan, Michigan.  Highly  esteemed,  they 
occupy  an  enviable  position  in  social  circles, 
enjoying  the  hospitality  of  many  of  the 
best  homes  of  Berrien  county  and  the  sur- 
rounding country.  Dr.  Curtis  is  identi- 
fied with  many  of  the  social  organizations  of 
Buchanan,  including  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  lodge  and  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
having  attained  the  Knight  Templar  degree 
as  a  member  of  the  commandery  at  Niles. 
He  is  a  Republican  and  a  member  of  the 
school  board  at  Buchanan,  while  for  four 
years  he  served  on  the  city  council  and  took 
an  active  part  in  public  affairs  as  a  sup- 
porter of  progressive  measures  of  reform 
and  development.  In  the  line  of  his  profes- 
sion he  is  connected  with  the  Berrien  County 
Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical 


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HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


347 


Association  and  he  is  examiner  for  most  of 
the  lodges  at  Buchanan.  Laudable  ambi- 
tion, which  is  the  spur  of  all  endeavor,  has 
been  manifest  throughout  his  professional 
career,  and  broad  reading  and  continued  re- 
search have  promoted  his  efficiency  until 
the  consensus  of  public  opinion  is  altogether 
favorable  regarding  his  ability  and  accom- 
plishments. 

JOHN  GARWOOD,  one  of  the  farm- 
ers of  Niles  township,  who  is  alert  and 
enterprising  in  his  business  interests,  re- 
sides on  section  ii.  He  was  born  in 
the  neighboring  state  of  Indiana,  the 
place  of  his  nativity  being  St.  Joseph  county 
and  the  date  of  his  birth  April  2^,  1840. 
The  great-grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
a  native  of  England.  The  family  was 
founded  in  America  by  three  brothers  who 
came  to  the  United  States,  while  one  re- 
mained in  England  and  never  married.  His 
paternal  grandfather  was  Stacy  Garwood, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio  and  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  He  married  and  spent  his  en- 
tire life  in  Ohio,  devoting  his  energies  to  the 
tilling  of  the  soil.  Abner  Garwood,  father 
of  our  subject,  was  born  in  the  Buckeye 
state  and  became  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana.  He  had, 
however,  in  the  meantime,  taken  up  his 
abode  in  Pokagon  township,  Cass  county, 
whence  he  removed  to  the  Hoosier  state. 
He  was  a  pioneer  in  this  section  of  the 
country  and  aided  in  the  work  of  transform- 
ing the  wilderness  into  a  richly  cultivated 
district  supplied  with  all  the  evidences  of  a 
modern  civilization.  He  carried  on  farm- 
ing as  a  life  work  and  died  in  the  eighty- 
fifth  year  of  his  age.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Cruse,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Delaware  and  was  of  Irish  and 
Scotch  lineage.  They  were  married  in  Ohio 
and  Mrs.  Garwood  lived  to  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-three years.  In  the  family  were  ten 
children,  of  whom  John  was  the  sixth  in  the 
order  of  birth  and  the  third  son. 

Reared  in  the  county  of  his  nativity, 
John  Garwood  spent  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  the  usual  manner  of 
farmer   lads,   his   time  occupied  with   such 


duties  and  pleasures  as  were  consistent  with 
his  years.  At  the  age  of  twenty-nine  he  went 
to  Kansas,  locating  in  Cloud  county,  where 
he  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  improving  the  same  by  breaking 
prairie,  cultivating  the  fields,  planting  hedge 
fences  and  adding  other  equipments.  He  re- 
mained there  for  eighteen  years  engaged 
in  general  farming,  feeding  his  corn  to  hogs. 
During  this  time  his  land  greatly  appreciated 
in  value  and  on  his  removal  from  the  state 
he  sold  his  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  for  forty-five  hundred  dollars,  while 
the  sale  of  that  property  netted  him  sixteen 
hundred  dollars.  Returning  from  the  west 
he  again  located  in  St.  Joseph  county,  In- 
diana, but  soon  afterward  came  to  Niks 
township,  Berrien  county,  and  purchased 
the  farm  whereon, he  now  resides.  He  has 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  but  rents  his 
land  to  his  son-in-law,  while  he  is  practically 
living  retired  from  active  business  cares. 

On  the  13th  of  November,  1865,  Mr. 
Garwood  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Lucinda  Rupe,  and  they  have  one  daughter, 
Sarah  E.^  who  is  now  the  wife  of  Joseph 
Webber,  and  has  three  children,  Jessie, 
Marie  and  Arthur. 

Mr.  Garwood  has  now  been  a  resident  of 
Berrien  county  for  twenty  years,  during 
which  period  he  has  gained  a  wide  acquaint- 
ance and  enjoys  the  favorable  regard  of 
many  friends.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican 
where  national  issues  are  involved  but  casts 
an  independent  local  ballot,  supporting  the 
candidates  whom  he  thinks  best  qualified  for 
the  discharge  of  the  business  of  city  and 
county.  He  holds  membership  in  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  at  Niles,  and  has 
been  one  of  its  officers  for  nineteen  years, 
acting  as  trustee  and  in  other  official  posi- 
tions. He  has  also  been  steward  and  his 
connection  with  church  work  covers  a  per- 
iod of  thirty  years.  He  has  been  untiring 
in  his  labors  to  promote  its  growth  and  ex- 
tend its  influence  and  his  life  has  been  in 
constant  harmony  with  his  professions. 

DAVID  SCHERER  is  one  of  the 
native  vSons  of  Berrien  county  whose  life 
record    proves    the    attractiveness    of    this 


348 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


district  as  a  place  of  residence,  for  he 
has  always  remained  within  its  borders, 
enjoying  its  opportunities  and  profiting  by 
the  business  conditions  here  afforded.  He 
was  born  March  8,  1849,  on  the  farm  where 
he  now  lives,  his  parents  being  David  and 
Magdalena  (Arent)  Scherer,  who  were  na- 
tives of  Prussia.  They  came  to  America  in 
1846,  accompanied  by  Karl  Scherer,  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  who  died  in  1849. 
Seven  children  had  been  born  to  them  in  the 
old  country.  One  sister,  Mrs.  Mary  Heff- 
ner,  the  wife  of  Christian  Heffner,  had  been 
in  this  country  for  six  years.  Later  a  brother, 
David  Scherer,  came  to  the  United  States 
and  went  to  Indiana.  After  reaching  Ber- 
rien county  David  Scherer,  Sr.,  purchased 
the  present  homestead  farm,  comprising  one 
hundred  and  ten  acres  of  land  lying  on  the 
north  township  line  and  unimproved,  being 
covered  with  a  native  growth  of  timber.  In 
the  midst  of  the  forest  Mr.  Scherer  built  a 
log  cabin,  in  which  he  lived  and  died,  pass- 
ing away  in  i860,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years. 
The  widow  and  her  younger  children  re- 
mained on  the  farm  and  carried  on  the  work 
there.  She  erected  a  frame  residence  there 
in  1863  ^^d  made  it  her  home  until  called 
to  her  final  rest  on  the  7th  of  September, 
1873,  when  she  had  reached  the  age  of 
sixty-seven  years  and  three  months.  The 
members  of  her  family  were  as  follows : 
Peter,  a  farmer  of  Bainbridge  township,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years;  Jacob, 
:who  spent  his  life  on  the  old  homestead 
farm  and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-three 
years;  Louisa,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Charles  Russell  and  passed  away  at  the  age 
of  twenty-nine;  Charley;  Carrie,  who  mar- 
ried Stephen  Boyle  and  died  in  Benton  Har- 
bor March  31,  1906,  in  her  seventieth  year; 
Henrietta,  the  wife  of  Charles  Krieger,  of 
Chicago;  Elizabeth,  the  widow  of  Joseph 
Hadlow,  now  residing  at  Benton  Harbor; 
David,  of  this  review ;  and  John,  a  farmer  of 
Watervliet  township. 

David  Scherer,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  remained  at  home  during  his 
mother's  life  and  was  her  main  assistant 
on  the  farm  after  his  father's  death,  which 
occurred  when  he  was  but  eleven  years  of 


age.  In  early  youth  he  became  familiar 
with  hard  toil  and  his  unremitting  labor 
was  a  valuable  element  in  the  successful  im- 
provement of  the  fields.  He  was  married 
February  20,  1873,  ^^  Miss  Louisa  Arent, 
a  daughter  of  Frank  Arent,  of  Lake  town- 
ship, Berrien  county.  Prior  to  his  mother's 
death  he  had  purchased  the  interest  of  the 
other  heirs  in  the  old  home  property  and 
he  has  since  added  an  adjoining  tract  of 
forty  acres  and  a  valuable  piece  of  timber 
land.  In  1878  he  built  a  large  bank  barn, 
and  in  1888  erected  the  residence  which  was 
built  at  a  cost  of  five  thousand  dollars.  It 
is  a  large  twelve-room  brick  house  finished 
throughout  in  hard  wood  and  is  altogether 
one  of  the  best  and  most  attractive  homes 
in  Bainbridge  township.  It  occupies  a  fine 
location,  commanding  an  excellent  view  of 
the  surrounding  country.  The  farm  is 
largely  devoted  tO'  horticultural  pursuits, 
there  being  sixteen  hundred  peach  trees 
upon  the  place  and  three  acres  of  apple 
trees.  In  addition  to  the  care  of  his  or- 
chards Mr.  Scherer  is  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  is  also  a  breeder  of  Poland 
China  hogs.  He  likewise  holds  property  in 
Benton  Harbor  and  in  Watervliet  and  has 
thus  made  judicious  investments  until  he  is 
today  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the 
community. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scherer  have  been 
born  eight  children :  Frank  D.,  who  is  mar- 
ried and  is  a  merchant  at  Springport,  Michi- 
gan; Rosa,  the  wife  of  Frank  Heffner,  of 
Watervliet;  Minnie,  who  is  engaged  in 
clerking  in  Watervliet;  Carrie,  the  wife  of 
John  Klipp,  of  Watervliet;  George  W.,  who 
is  engaged  in  general  merchandising  at 
Francisco,  Michigan;  Arthur  J.,  who  is 
clerking  in  a  drug  store  in  Benton  Harbor; 
Harry  G.  and  Clyde  C,  both  at  home. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Scherer  is  a 
Democrat  with  independent  tendencies,  vot- 
ing for  the  man  whom  he  regards  as  best 
qualified  for  office  at  local  elections  but  cast- 
ing a  party  ballot  for  national  candidates. 
Fraternally  he  is  conn^ected  w^ith  Coloma 
tent  of  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  From 
an  early  age  he  has  been  dependent  upon 
his  own   resources,   leading  a  busy,  useful 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


349 


and  honorable  life,  and  his  dihgence  and 
perseverance  have  constituted  him  one  of  the 
prosperous  farmers  of  Bainbridge  township. 

W.  E.  HOADLEY  is  one  of  the  native 
sons  of  Niles  township,  Berrien  county,  his 
birth  occurring  on  section  twenty-eight, 
January  29,  1864.  His  father,  Jared 
Hoadley,  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  and 
after  residing  for  some  time  in  Indiana 
removed  from  that  state  to  Berrien  coun- 
ty. His  first  visit  to  this  county  was 
made  in  1837,  and  he  became  one  of  its 
earliest  settlers.  He  taught  school  for  a 
short  time  and  then  went  to  Elkhart,  Indi- 
ana, where  he  engaged  in  merchandising  for 
about  four  years.  He  afterward  returned  to 
Berrien  county  and  became  the  proprietor 
of  a  warehouse  at  Niles,  which  he  conducted 
for  some  years  before  the  railroad  was  built 
to  the  town.  Later  he  purchased  a  farm  on 
section  twenty-eight,  Niles  township,  and 
devoted  his  remaining  days  to  general  ag- 
ricultural pursuits.  He  w^as  born  in  181 7 
and  reached  the  advanced  age  of  seventy- 
eight  years,  passing  away  in  1895.  He  was 
twice  married,  his  first  union  being  wdth  a 
Miss  Houghland,  by  whom  he  had  three  chil- 
dren, two  daughters  and  a  son :  Rodney, 
W'ho  is  living  in  the  county ;  Anna,  deceased ; 
and  Kate,  the  wife  of  Charles  Brandess,  of 
Wisconsin.  After  Mr.  Hoadley  lost  his  first 
wife  he  married  Miss  Susan  Ashcraft,  a  na- 
tive of  New  York,  w^ho  came  to  Michigan 
with  her  parents  wdien  about  tw^elve  years 
of  age.  By  the  second  marriage  there  is  a 
son  and  two  daughters,  the  sisters  of  our 
subject  being  Mary,  who  is  a  teacher  in  the 
schools  of  Logansport,  Indiana ;  and  Louise, 
the  wife  of  William  Gillett,  who  is  residing 
on  the  old  homestead  in  Niles  township. 

W.  E.  Hoadley  is  the  eldest  of  the  three 
children  of  the  fathers'  second  marriage  and 
was  reared  in  his  native  tow^iship,  obtain- 
ing his  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Niles.  In  1896  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Effie  Dickey,  a  daughter  of  B.  F.  and  Ella 
(Stow^e)  Dickey.  Mrs.  Hoadley  w^as  born 
in  Ohio  and  was  brought  to  Berrien  county 
by  her  parents  when  about  seven  years  of 
age.     Her  preliminary  education,   acquired 


in  the  public  schools  of  Niles^  w^as  supple- 
mented by  study  in  the  Northern  Indiana 
Normal  School,  at  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  and 
later  she  engaged  in  teaching  for  a  number 
of  years  in  the  public  schools  of  Niles.  In 
1897  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoadley  removed  to 
Echo,  Oregon,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
merchandising.  He  also  served  as  post- 
master of  that  town  and  conducted  a  ware- 
house. He  remained  on  the  Pacific  coast 
for  about  three  years  and  then  returned  to 
Berrien  county,  after  which  he  took  up  his 
abode  on  the  farm  where  he  now  makes  his 
home.  He  has  ninety-three  acres  of  land, 
w^hich  is  devoted  to  the  production  of  the 
crops  best  adapted  to  the  soil  and  climate. 
He  again  visited  the  Pacific  coast  in  1905, 
spending  six  months  in  Los  Angeles,  Cali- 
fornia. 

Mr.  Hoadley  gives  his  political  alle- 
giance to  the  Democracy  and  served  as  town- 
ship clerk  of  Niles,  also  as  township  treas- 
urer for  two  years  and  in  other  local  posi- 
tions. Socially  he  is  connected  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  at  Niles. 

JOHN  M.  ROUCH,  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  in  Buchanan,  was  born 
in  Dauphin  county,  Pennsylvania,  July  15, 
1840,  and  has  found  in  the  business 
conditions  of  the  west  opportunities  which 
he  sought  and  which  through  their  utili- 
zation have  led  to  substantial  results. 
He  comes  of  an  old  family  of  the  east.  His 
ancestry  can  be  traced  back  to  Germany  in 
1642,  and  from  the  fatherland  at  a  very 
early  period  in  the  colonization  of  the  new 
w^orld  representatives  of  the  name  came  to 
America  and  took  up  their  abode  in  Penn- 
sylvania. It  was  in  that  state  that  Henry 
Rouch,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  and 
reared.  He  was  married  there  to  Miss 
Eliza  Zering,  also  a  native  of  Pennsylvania. 
Her  father  was  of  German  descent,  while 
her  mother  was  of  English  lineage.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Rouch  made  their  home  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  became  the  parents  of  five  sons 
and  two  daughters,  but  the  daughters  died 
in  early  life  and  one  son  when  about  six 
years  of  age,  while  the  other  four  reached 
manhood. 


350 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


John  M.  Rouch  is  the  third  child  and 
third  son.  He  was  reared  in  Pennsylvania, 
his  native  place,and  came  to  Berrien  county 
in  1866.  He  first  worked  at  anything  that 
he  could  get  to  do,  being  employed  to  some 
extent  at  the  carpenter's  trade  but  all  the 
time  watching  for  broader  opportunities  and 
better  advantages  and  showing  himself 
worthy  of  such  by  his  continued  industry 
and  close  application. 

In  1869  he  chose  a  companion  and  help- 
mate for  life's  journey,  being  married  in 
that  year  to  Miss  Susan  Bressler,  a  daughter 
of  Daniel  and  Martha  (Hock)  Bressler, 
who  was  born  in  Perry  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  was  reared  in  Michigan.  She 
came  with  her  parents  to  Berrien  county,  lo- 
cating in  Bertrand  township,  and  at  the  time 
of  the  marriage  of  the  young  couple  they 
settled  upon  a  farm  in  Bertrand  township, 
Mr.  Rouch  following  general  agricultural 
pursuits  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1883  he 
engaged  in  the  timber  and  lumber  business, 
and  in  1890  removed  to  Buchanan,  where  he 
has  since  made  his  home,  his  time  being  de- 
voted to  the  same  line  of  trade.  He  also 
has  an  interest  in  the  Buchanan  Cabinet 
Company,  manufacturing  cabinets  and  is  its 
vice  president.  His  lumber  yard  is  large  and 
well  stocked  and  his  thoroughly  reliable  bus- 
iness methods  and  earnest  desire  to  please 
those  who  give  him  their  trade  have  secured 
for  him  a  liberal  and  constantly  growing 
patronage. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rouch  have  been 
born  two  daughters:  Lulu,  now  the  wife 
of  John  Fydell,  of  Buchanan;  and  Ada,  at 
home.  The  family  are  well  and  favorably 
known  in  Buchanan  and  this  part  of  the 
county.  Mr.  Rouch  is  a  Republican,  whose 
allegiance  has  been  given  to  the  party  since 
age  conferred  upon  him  the  right  of  fran- 
chise. For  two  years  he  has  served  as  treas- 
urer of  Bertrand  township  and  has  also  been 
a  member  of  the  council  of  Buchanan.  The 
fact  that  Bertrand  township  usually  gives  a 
Democratic  majority  and  that  Mr.  Rouch 
was  elected  township  treasurer  by  a  majority 
of  thirty-seven  upon  the  Republican  ticket, 
is  strong  evidence  of  his  personal  popularity 
as  w^ell  as  of  the  confidence  reposed  in  him 


by  his  fellow  townsmen.  He  has  been  a  res- 
ident of  Berrien  county  for  forty  years  and 
is  a  successful  and  reliable  business  man  and 
a  progressive,  faithful  citizen  who  is  well 
known  in  the  township. 

ALEXANDER  EMERY,  an  attorney 
at  law,  also  engaged  in  horticultural 
pursuits,  makes  his  home  on  section  24, 
Bertrand  township.  A  native  of  Canada, 
he  was  born  on  the  9th  of  October, 
1 841,  and  came  to  the  United  States  at  the 
age  of  five  years  with  his  mother,  the  fam- 
ily home  being  established  in  Boone  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  first  attended  school.  He 
there  remained  until  eighteen  years  of  age, 
when,  in  i860,  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Ga- 
lien,  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  entering  the 
employ  of  G.  A.  Blakesley  as  bookeeper 
and  lumber  inspector.  He  was  first  em- 
ployed for  about  three  years,  after  which  he 
went  to  Ypsilanti,  Michigan,  where  he  spent 
two  years  as  a  student  in  the  State  Normal 
School.  He  had  realized  the  value  of  edu- 
cation as  a  preparation  for  a  successful  busi- 
ness career  and  to  this  end  he  continued  his 
studies  in  the  Normal  with  the  result  that  he 
returned  to  Galien  well  qualified  for  many 
responsible  duties.  He  again  entered  the 
employ  of  G.  A.  Blakesley  in  the  office  and 
store,  being  connected  with  him  for  eleven 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
went  to  Flint,  Michigan,  where  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  and  entered  upon  the  prac- 
tice of  law,  having  previously  prepared  for 
the  examination  by  a  comprehensive  course 
of  reading.  From  1879  until  1881  he  was 
engaged  in  practice  at  Flint,  and  in  1884 
removed  to  Buchanan,  where  he  continued 
in  active  practice  for  nineteen  years.  He 
still  retains  his  office  there  but  in  1903  lo- 
cated on  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides 
on  section  twenty-four,  Bertrand  township. 
He  still  gives  considerable  attention  to  his 
law  practice  and  has  a  good  clientage  but 
is  now  devoting  his  time  to  his  fine  fruit 
farm,  having  a  splendid  place,  with  good 
buildings,  including  a  commodious  resi- 
dence and  substantial  barns.  The  place  is 
called  Emerycroft  and  is  improved  with  all 
modern    equipments.      As    a    horticulturist 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


351 


Mr.  Emery  is  demonstrating  his  business 
versatility,  and  one  looking  upon  his  fine 
place  with  its  splendid  orchards  would  im- 
agine that  his  time  and  thought  throughout 
his  entire  business  career  had  been  given  to 
fruit  raising. 

March  30,  1864,  occurred  the  marriage 
of  Alexander  Emery  and  Miss  Eliza  Blakes- 
ley,  a  daughter  of  G.  A.  and  Lydia  (Alcott) 
Blakesley  and  a  native  of  Illinois,  born  in 
Kane  county  November  10,  1848.  Four 
children  have  graced  this  marriage :  Georgia, 
who  is  superintendent  of  the  woman's  de- 
partment of  the  Massachusetts  Mutual  Life 
Insurance  Company,  with  headquarters  at 
Detroit,  Michigan ;  Alda,  the  wife  of  W.  A. 
Magoon,  of  Sandusky,  Ohio;  and  Daisy, 
the  wife  of  F.  F.  Rough,  a  prominent  farmer 
of  Bertrand  township.  The  eldest  child, 
Adelbert,  died  at  the  age  of  eleven  years. 

Mr.  Emery  is  unfaltering  in  his  alle- 
giance to  the  Republican  party  and  has  been 
a  close  and  earnest  student  of  the  questions 
and  issues  of  the  day.  His  life  has  been 
crowned  with  success  and  is  another  illus- 
tration of  the  fact  that  energy  and  determi- 
nation will  bring  to  a  successful  solution  dif- 
ficult business  problems. 

JAMES  W.  DIXON,  to  whom  has 
been  vouchsafed  a  rest  from  further  la- 
bor in  recognition  of  his  activity  and  en- 
terprise in  former  years,  was  at  one 
time  closely  associated  with  agricultural  in- 
terests and  still  lives  upon  his  farm  on  sec- 
tion thirty-two,  Niles  township.  He  was 
born  in  Cayuga  county.  New  York,  Septem- 
ber I,  1823.  His  father,  Thomas  Dixon,  a 
native  of  Washington  county,  New  York, 
was  there  reared  and  afterward  removed  to 
Cayuga  county  about  18 10,  spending  his  re- 
maining days  there.  He  was  of  Irish  de- 
scent and  he  passed  away  in  his  eighty- 
eighth  year.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Lydia  Wheedon,  was  a  native  of 
Vermont  and  lived  to  be  about  seventy-five 
years  of  age.  In  the  family  of  this  worthy 
couple  were  eight  children,  who  reached 
adult  age,  but  only  two  are  now  living,  the 
brother  of  our    subject    being    David    W. 


Dixon,  who  resides  in  Battle  Creek,  Michi- 
gan. 

James  W.  Dixon,  the  sixth  member  of 
the  family  was  reared  in  his  native  county 
to  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  attended 
the  common  schools,  also  spending  three 
months  as  a  student  in  Auburn  Academy, 
New  York.  He  came  to  Michigan  in  1845, 
first  locating  in  Cass  county,  where  he  re- 
sided for  two  years,  during  which  period 
he  engaged  in  teaching  school.  He  then 
came  to  Berrien  county  and  was  engaged  in 
teaching  in  Buchanan.  Later,  however,  he 
returned  to  New  York,  where  he  remained 
for  two  and  a  half  years,  when  he  again 
came  to  Berrien  county  and  once  more  was 
identified  with  the  educational  interests  of 
this  part  of  the  state,  being  one  of  the  cap- 
able early  teachers  of  the  county.  In  1852 
he  went  to  California  by  way  of  New  York 
city,  landing  at  San  Francisco.  He  spent 
two  and  a  half  years  on  the  Pacific  coast, 
largely  engaged  in  mining  and  then  returned 
by  way  of  the  Panama  route  and  New  York 
city  to  Niles  township,  Berrien  county.  He 
then  purchased  the  farm  whereon  he  now 
resides  and  has  here  made  his  home  con- 
tinuously since,  covering  a  period  of  more 
than  a  half  century. 

About  the  time  he  purchased  this  farm 
Mr.  Dixon  secured  a  companion  and  help- 
mate for  life's  journey  by  his  marriage  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1855,  to  Miss  Louisa  Young,  a 
daughter  of  Cornelius  Young,  and  a  native 
of  Cayuga  county.  New  York.  They  trav- 
eled life's  journey  happily  together  for  al- 
most forty  years,  when  Mrs.  Dixon  was 
called  to  her  final  rest  in  1894.  She  was  the 
mother  of  five  children :  Clarence,  who  is 
now  living  in  Berrien  township;  Wallace, 
who  makes  his  home  in  Canada;  Charles, 
who  is  in  the  employ  of  the  United  States 
government  and  is  now  located  at  Amherst- 
burg,  Canada;  Dr.  Oscar  C.  Dixon,  who 
is  a  prominent  physician  at  Kaysville,  Utah ; 
and  Hattie^  the  wife  of  Charles  E.  Post,  re- 
siding upon  the  old  homestead  farm. 

Mr.  Dixon  has  been  a  resident  of  Ber- 
rien county  for  fifty-two  years  and  has  been 
closely  identified  with  its  development  and 


352 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


progress,  standing  for  improvement  along 
all  lines  which  lead  to  local  advancement. 
He  has  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  and  at  one  time  owned  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres.  For  many  years  he  was 
closely  associated  with  the  active  work  of 
the  fields  but  has  now  retired  from  business 
cares,  the  income  from  his  property  being 
sufficient  to  enable  him  to  enjoy  the  com- 
forts of  life  in  well  earned  rest.  He  has 
been  a  stalwart  Republican  since  the  organ- 
ization of  the  party  and  has  held  local  of- 
fices, including  that  of  justice  of  the  peace. 
He  also  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  church 
at  Niles  and  his  life  has  been  permeated  by 
religious  principles,  which  promote  consider- 
ation for  one's  fellowmen  and  justice, 
truth  and  right  in  all  life's  relations. 

CHARLES  F.  PEARS.     The  business 
interests   of   Buchanan   find   an   active   and 
worthy  representative  in  Charles  F.  Pears, 
the  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank,  and 
he  is  also  president  of  the  Niles  City  Bank, 
at  Niles.     He  is  thus  closely  associated  with 
financial  interests  in  Berrien  county  and  Ijis 
name  figures  prominently  in  moneyed  cir- 
cles, his  course  making  him  valued  and  re- 
spected by  all.     He  was  born  November  5, 
1868,  in  the  city  where  he  still  resides.    His 
father,  William  Pears,  was  a  native  of  Eng- 
land,  where  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  were  passed.     He  came  to  America 
when  about  thirty-five  years  of  age,  making 
his  way  to  Buchanan,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  general  milling  business  for  a  number  of 
years.     He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of 
the  old  First  National  Bank  at  Buchanan 
and  was  its  president  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  died  in  his  sixty-seventh  year  and  the 
community  thereby  lost  one  of  its  valued 
and  representative  citizens,  his  activity  hav- 
ing contributed  to  the  industrial  and  finan- 
cial prposperity  of  the  town.     His  opinions 
were  also  an  influencing  factor  in  public  life 
and  he  served  as  president  of  the  village. 
His  wife,  who  in  her  maidenhood  bore  the 
name  of  Emma  Whitehead,  is  still  living. 
In  the  family  were  two  children,  Charles  F. 
and  Ida,  the  latter   the    wife    of  T.  F.  H. 
Spreng. 

Charles  F.  Pears  was  the  younger  of  the 


children  and  the  only  son.  The  common 
schools  afforded  him  his  educational  privi- 
leges and  his  boyhood  and  youth  passed 
without  event  of  special  importance,  his  at- 
tention being  given  to  the  pleasures  of  the 
playground  and  the  duties  of  the  school- 
room. During  the  greater  part  of  his  life 
he  has  been  interested  in  the  banking  busi- 
ness and  has  also  been  connected  with  the 
grain  trade  as  a  buyer  and  shipper.  He  is 
now  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  at 
Buchanan  and  president  of  the  Niles  City 
Bank.  Thoroughly  conversant  with  the 
banking  business  in  all  of  its  departments  he 
is  continually  enlarging  the  scope  of  his 
activity  in  this  direction  and  his  name  is  an 
honored  one  upon  commercial  paper. 

Mr.  Pears  is  also  prominent  and  influen- 
tial in  public  life  and  gives  unfaltering  sup- 
port to  the  Republican  party,  being  in 
thorough  sympathy  with  the  policy  of  this 
great  political  organization.  He  has  served 
as  a  member  of  the  village  board  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  and  is  now  president  of  the 
board.  As  an  executive  officer  he  is  con- 
stantly studying  out  new  methods  for  the 
improvement  of  the  village  and  stands  for 
reforms  and  progress  in  municipal  affairs 
as  well  as  for  civic  development. 

Mr.  Pears  married  Miss  Lura  Roe,  a 
daughter  of  E.  J.  and  Susan  (Witter)  Roe. 
Three  children  have  been  born  unto  them, 
Donald,  Richard  and  Gale.  Mr.  Pears  is  a 
member  of  the  Elks  lodge  of  Dowagiac,  and 
he  and  his  wife  are  prominent  socially  and  a 
large  circle  of  friends  attests  their  personal 
worth  and  the  regard  in  which  they  are  uni- 
formly held.  Mr.  Pears  is  a  business  man  of 
marked  energy  and  determination  and  dis- 
criminating judgment.  He  carries  for- 
ward to  completion  whatever  he  undertakes 
and  rarely  if  ever  fails  to  attain  a  high  meas- 
ure of  success.  Moreover  he  is  thoroughly 
reliable  and  trustworthy  in  his  dealings  and 
his  life  record  proves  that  prosperity  and 
an  honored  name  may  be  gained  sim- 
ultaneously. 

1 
J 

JOHN  J.  SUM  RILL,  extensively  en- 
gaged in  the  cultivation  of  fruit  in  Bain- 
bridge  township  and  a  member  of  one 
of  the  old  pioneer  families  of  the  county, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


353 


the  name  of  Sumrill  having  been  closely 
associated  with  its  history  through  a 
long  period,  was  born  in  Kosciusko  county, 
Indiana,  August  26,  1854.  His  parents 
John  and  Martha  (Huffman  ) Sumrill,  were 
both  natives  of  Ohio,  born  in  Stark  county, 
where  they  were  reared  and  married.  Im- 
mediately afterward  they  removed  to  Indi- 
ana, where  Mr.  Sumrill  had  previously  lived 
with  his  first  wife.  He  was  a  hunter  and 
went  to  that  State  on  account  of  the  oppor- 
tunities for  securing  game  amid  its  forests 
and  upon  its  wild  prairies.  He  largely  lived 
among  the  Indians,  who  were  then  more 
numerous  in  Indiana  than  the  white  settlers 
and  his  name  became  associated  with  various 
early  events  which  left  an  impress  upon 
the  history  of  that  State.  He  assisted  in 
building  the  Pittsburg  &  Fort  Wayne  Rail- 
road and  made  his  home  about  a  mile  from 
Etna  Green  and  west  of  Warsaw,  Indiana. 
In  1862  he  came  to  Michigan,  where  lived 
his  brother-in-law,  Lewis  Burg,  father  of 
John  Burg,  whose  sketch  is  given  else- 
where in  this  work.  Mr.  Sumrill  paid  two 
thousand  dollars  for  a  farm  one  mile  east 
of  Bainbridge  Center  and  about  1864  or 
1865  ^^^  purchased  the  farm  upon  which  his 
son,  John  J.  Sumrill,  now  resides,  compris- 
ing eighty  acres  of  land.  At  that  time  only 
a  few  acres  had  been  cleared.  He  drove 
from  Indiana  tO'  Michigan  in  a  prairie 
schooner,  crossing  Dowagiac  swamp.  Some 
of  the  logs  that  covered  the  swamp  consti- 
tuting the  corduroy  road  were  found  float- 
ing and  men  had  to  go  in  advance  to  see 
that  the  wagon  could  cover  the  route.  Upon 
reaching  Keeler,  however,  they  struck  the 
old  territorial  road,  upon  whicli  their  own 
farm  bordered.  There  lay  in  this  district 
a  very  bad  road  between  Mr.  Sumrill's 
home  and  that  of  his  brother-in-law,  Mr. 
Burg.  Mr.  Sumrill  devoted  his  entire  life 
to  his  farm,  although  many  difficulties  and 
obstacles  impeded  his  progress.  During  the 
second  year  after  his  arrival  rheumatism 
disabled  him  and  for  over  a  year  he  was 
unable  to  do  any  manual  work.  His  wife 
was  ill  for  three  years  because  of  the  ex- 
posure and  hardships  of  pioneer  life.  Later 
Mr.  Sumrill  was  obliged  to  walk  on  crutches 
and  spent  one  year  in  bed  with  a  broken  leg. 

23 


All  this  necessitated  the  incurring  of  much 
indebtedness  for  doctor  bills  and  there  were 
many  discouragements  to  confront  the  pio- 
neer family.  On  account  of  the  lather's  in- 
valid condition  the  wife  and  boys  did  most 
of  the  clearing  but  notwithstanding  their 
earnest  efforts  made  slow  progress.  In  the 
course  of  time,  however,  the  eighty  acres  of 
land  was  cleared  and  placed  under  cultiva- 
tion. At  a  meeting  in  the  old  Byers  school- 
house  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sumrill  were  con- 
verted and  joined  the  P>ee  Methodist 
church,  continuing  in  active  connection 
therewith  until  called  to  their  final  rest.  The 
father  died  July  3,  1896,  in  his  seventy- 
sixth  year,  while  his  wife  passed  away  May 
7,  1896,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  In 
their  family  were  five  children,  two  of  whom 
died  in  Indiana.  The  others  are :  John  J., 
of  Bainbridge  township;  Alice,  the  wdfe  of 
Herbert  Decker,  at  Sister  Lakes,  Van  Buren 
county,  and  William,  who  lives  at  Keeler. 
John  J.  Sumlrill,  now  the  only  living 
representative  of  the  family  in  Berrien 
county,  continued  at  home  to  the  age  of 
nineteen  years  and  aided  in  the  arduous  task 
of  clearing  and  developing  new  land.  He 
was  then  married  on  the  14th  of  December, 
1873,  to  Miss  Eliza  Peters,  daughter  of  John 
and  Laura  Peters,  of  Bainbridge  township. 
Mrs.  Sumrill  was  born  in  this  township, 
where  her  mother  still  lives  in  her  eighty- 
ninth  year.  The  daughter  was  but  eight- 
een years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  mar- 
riage. In  the  succeeding  autumn  Mr.  Sum- 
rill worked  for  Martin  Byers  and  thence  at 
farm  labor  and  took  jobs  from  Balaam 
Dodge  in  cutting  timber,  rails,  ties,  etc.  At 
the  time  of  his  marriage  his  possessions 
consisted  of  a  gun,  a  violin  and  five  dollars 
in  money.  The  next  spring  he  w^orked  for 
Samuel  Sykes  at  twenty  dollars  per  months 
boarding  himself.  He  continued  in  that 
employ  for  six  months,  having  his  house 
rent,  a  cow  and  garden  free.  In  the  fall  he 
bought  sixteen  acres  of  land  in  Keeler  town- 
ship for  five  hundred  dollars.  He  had  but 
twenty-five  dollars  to  pay  down  and  his 
father  signed  a  note  for  the  balance.  It 
w^as  a  tract  of  timber  in  the  midst  of  which 
stood  a  log  cabin.  He  sold  the  wood  at  sev- 
enty-five cents  per  cord  on  the  ground  and 


354 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


he  worked  out  in  order  to  gain  the  money 
to  provide  a  Hving  for  himself  and  family. 
Clearing  the  land  after  much  arduous  la- 
bor, he  set  out  the  place  to  apples,  pears  and 
other  fruit  and  grew  berries  among  the  trees. 
In  those  days  in  a  season  he  would  sell  fruit 
and  berries  to  the  value  of  about  four  hun- 
dred dollars  and  honey  at  from  twenty-five 
to  one  hundred  dollars,  keeping  between 
fifty  and  one  hundred  colonies  of  bees.  Dur- 
ing the  years  which  he  conducted  his  apiary 
he  placed  on  sale  nine  thousand  seven  hun- 
dred and  twenty-two  pounds  of  honey,  sell- 
ing nearly  one  thousand  pounds  in  a  single 
year.  He  also  made  and  sold  bee  hives,  ax- 
handles  and  other  things  that  enabled  him 
to  use  his  timber.  In  the  early  days  he 
purchased  a  team  and  harness  from  Morgan 
Matrau.  This  was  before  he  began  to  grow 
berries  although  he  had  already  set  out  apple 
orchards.  His  first  crate  of  strawberries  sold 
on  the  Chicago  market  for  five  dollars.  As 
the  years  passed  by  he  cultivated  his  or- 
chards and  small  fruit  and  thus  made  prog- 
ress on  the  little  tract  of  land  of  sixteen 
acres.  He  also  built  a  house  at  the  cost  of 
eight  hundred  dollars,  collecting  his  material 
at  various  places  and  building  the  stone  wall 
for  the  cellar  himself  although  he  had  never 
done  work  of  this  kind  before.  He  also  did 
his  own  plastering  and  practically  built  the 
house.  The  same  year  he  sold  berries  ofif 
the  little  place  to  the  amount  of  four  hun- 
dred dollars.  In  about  twenty  years  he  found 
that  he  had  made  a  good  living  and  had 
become  the  possessor  of  a  comfortable  com- 
petence. From  his  apple  orchards  his  sales 
in  one  season  amounted  to  nine  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars.  He  remained  upon  that 
farm  until  the  fall  of  1900,  when  he  pur- 
chased the  interest  of  the  other  heirs  in  his 
father's  old  homestead  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship. This  he  has  largely  planted  to  fruit, 
including  apples,  pears  and  peaches  and 
about  nine  acres  to  small  fruit.  It  produced 
over  one  thousand  dollars  worth  of  fruit  in 
1905.  The  land  is  well  adapted  to  general 
fruit  raising  and  the  farm  is  proving  a 
profitable  one. 

Mr.  Sumrill  became  connected  with  a 
class  of  fourteen  in  the  Free  Methodist 
meetings,    wdiich    were   held   at    the    Byers 


schoolhouse  but  were  merged  later  into  the 
Keeler  Society,  four  miles  distant.  He  soon 
manifested  deep  interest  and  ability  in 
preaching  the  gospel  and  for  sixteen  years 
he  has  occupied  a  place  in  the  ministry.  He 
refused  a  regular  pastorate  until  about  two 
years  ago,  when  he  took  the  Bainbridge 
and  Pipestone  circuit  with  two  churches,  one 
in  Bainbridge  and  another  with  about  a 
dozen  families  elsewhere.  Mr.  Sumrill  is  a 
Prohibitionist,  active  in  the  advancement  of 
the  party,  and  he  stands  for  all  that  tends  for 
the  betterment  of  his  fellowmen  and  pro- 
motes moral  progress. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sumrill  have  been 
born  eight  children:  Anthony  Floyd,  who 
was  a  mechanic  and  architect  at  Kalamazoo, 
Michigan,  died  December  14,  1905,  at  the 
age  of  thirty-one  years,  leaving  a  wife  and 
two  sons,  Anthony  Floyd  and  Donald  Paul 
Sumrill.  Nora  Ann  is  the  wife  of  Oliver 
Adams,  of  Keeler,  Van  Buren  county,  and 
they  have  two  children,  Wesley  and  Isa- 
belle.  Vesta  Belle  is  the  wife  of  Vivian  F. 
Zeller,  of  Keeler  township,  and  they  have 
two  children,  Ivan  V.  and  Gerald  S.  Floy 
Eliza  is  the  wife  of  Bert  Hiler,  of  Bain- 
bridge township,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Frances  M.  Nina  Elmira,  R.  V.,  John  Ed- 
ward and  Oliver  Amos  are  all  at  home.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Sumrill  are  most  worthy  people 
and  in  a  review  of  his  life  record  there  is 
much  to  be  found  that  is  commendable.  He 
is  a  man  of  honorable  purpose,  giving  un- 
faltering allegiance  to  whatever  he  believes 
to  be  right  and  is  at  all  times  true  to  his 
honest  convictions. 

DAVID  WOLF,  following  farming  on 
section  i,  Niles  township,  is  also  engaged  in 
gardening,  having  fifteen  acres  devoted  to 
the  raising  of  vegetables  for  the  market.  A 
native  of  Germany,  he  was  born  on  the  29th 
of  July,  1854,  and  spent  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  that  country,  there  re- 
maining until  twenty-seven  years  of  age. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  and  in  addi- 
tion to  the  common  branches  of  learning 
studied  Latin  and  French.  He  was  an  apt 
scholar,  readily  mastering  the  tasks  assigned 
him.  During  his  minority  he  remained  with 
his  parents  and  in  fact  continued  with  them 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


355 


until  twenty-four  years  of  age,  when  he 
learned  the  business  of  gardening  in  hot 
houses  at  Wurtemberg.  Attracted  by  the 
broader  opportunities  of  the  new  world  he 
came  to  America  in  1881  and  made  his  way 
direct  to  Niles.  Here  he  was  on  a  farm  dur- 
ing the  first  year,  and  also  worked  as  an  em- 
ploye in  a  paper  mill  for  five  years.  In  1888 
he  purchased  the  place  where  he  now  lives, 
known  as  the  old  H.  Coan  farm.  At  once  he 
began  its  further  development  and  improve- 
ment and  is  still  engaged  in  gardening, 
which  he  has  followed  for  about  eighteen 
years  with  reasonable  success.  He  has  fifteen 
acres  of  land  well  cultivated  and  his  products 
are  early  placed  upon  the  markets.  His 
vegetables  are  always  first  class  and  he  there- 
fore finds  a  ready  sale  for  what  he  produces. 

In  1882  Mr.  Wolf  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Sophia  Mangold,  a  native  of 
Germany,  and  they  have  become  the  parents 
of  eight  children :  Marie,  now  the  wife  of 
John  Shand,  of  North  Adams,  Massa- 
chusetts ;  Sophia,  the  wife  of  Fred  Lobaugh, 
of  South  Bend;  Clara,  Elsa,  Bertha,  Ernest, 
Helen  and  Frank,  all  at  home. 

Mr.  Wolf  votes  with  the  Democracy  and 
is  active  in  the  local  ranks  of  his  party,  la- 
boring untiringly  for  its  success  and  the 
adoption  of  its  principles.  He  has  served 
as  school  director  in  the  district  in  which  he 
lives  and  be  takes  an  active  interest  in  pub- 
lic affairs.  For  twenty-five  years  he  has 
been  a  resident  of  the  county,  where  he  is 
widely  and  favorably  known.  He  will  soon 
make  the  long  trip  to  Wurtemberg,  his  na- 
tive land,  the  first  time  he  has  visited  the 
''Fatherland"  since  he  came  to  America. 

JOHN  A.  CART,  living  on  section  i, 
Niles  township,  is  classed  with  the  repre- 
sentative agriculturists  of  his  community, 
and  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-five 
acres  has  been  brought  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation  through  his  labors.  His  birth 
occurred  in  Elkhart  county,  Indiana,  Decem- 
ber 15,  1859.  His  father,  Christopher  Cart, 
was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  became  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  Elkhart  county.  His 
name  was  closely  associated  with  many  of 
the  events  of  early  importance  in  that  lo- 

V 


cality.  He  was  the  first  man  to  bring  a 
barrel  of  coal  oil  into  the  little  town  of  New 
Paris.  By  occupation  he  was  a  farmer  and 
his  entire  life  was  devoted  to  the  tilling  of 
the  soil.  He  lived  to  the  age  of  forty-seven 
years.  The  Cart  family  comes  of  Enghsh 
lineage.  The  mother  of  our  subject  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Maggie  McDowell,  was 
a  native  of  Greenbrier  county,  Virginia,  and 
went  to  Elkhart  county,  Indiana,  with  her 
parents  in  her  girlhood  days.  Her  people 
were  early  settlers  there  and  on  the  226.  of 
March,  1841,  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage 
to  Christopher  Cart. 

Their  only  child,  John  A.  Cart,  was 
1  eared  and  educated  in  Elkhart  county,  and 
lived  in  New  Paris,  Indiana,  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  He  started  out  in  life  on 
his  own  account  when  a  youth  of  fifteen 
and  began  working  on  what  is  now  the  Big 
Four  Railroad.  On  attaining  his  majority 
he  went  to  Kansas^  making  his  home  in 
Marion  county,  where  he  worked  on  a  stock 
farm,  remaining  there  for  five  years.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  returned 
to  Elkhart  county,  Indiana,  and  was  em- 
ployed by  the  day  and  month  for  a  time.  As 
the  years  passed  his  diligence  and  persis- 
tency of  purpose  were  manifest  in  that  his 
financial  resources  were  increased,  gaining 
him  a  start  in  the  business  world.  At  the 
time  of  his  marriage  he  located  on  the  farm 
where  he  now  resides,  at  first  purchasing 
fifty  acres  of  land,  to  which  he  has  added 
until  he  now  has  one  hundred  and  thirty-five 
acres  of  well  improved  land,  on  which  are 
good  buildings.  He  has  displayed  a  laud- 
able ambition  to  attain  to  the  best  in  all 
that  relates  tO'  farm  work  and  is  regarded  as 
a  successful  agriculturist  who  has  made 
steady  and  substantial  advancement  since 
coming  to  Berrien  county. 

In  1887,  Mr.  Cart  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mattie  Blanchard,  of  Howard 
township,  Cass  county.  They  have  resided 
in  Berrien  county  for  eighteen  years  and  Mr. 
Cart  has  been  deeply  interested  in  all  that 
pertains  to  its  upbuilding  and  progress.  In 
politics  he  has  been  a  life-long  Republican. 
Wherever  known  he  is  held  in  high  esteem 
because  he  is  loyal  to  the  principles  which 


356 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


govern  upright  manhood,  which  mark  for 
success  in  the  business  world  and  which  pro- 
mote good  citizenship. 

OTIS   W.    BALLARD,   an   old   settler 
whose  active  participation   in  the   work  of 
general  progress  and  in  events  which  pro- 
mote public  improvement  makes   him  well 
entitled  to  representation  in  this  volume,  now 
resides  on  section  34,  Niles  township.  He  is  a 
native  of  the  Empire  state,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in   Lebanon,   Madison   county,   on 
the  2 1  St  of  December,  1833.  His  father,  Jere- 
miah Ballard,  was  also  a  native  of  Madison 
county.   New  York,   where  he  was  reared. 
By  occupation  he  was  a  farmer  and  in  the 
year  1852  he  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michi- 
gan, locating  on  a  farm  where  his  son  Otis 
now  resides.     He  died  in  his  ninetieth  year. 
The  ancestry  of  the  family  can  be  traced 
back  to  William  Ballard,  who  came  from 
England  to  America  in  1650.     He  was  the 
father  of  Jeremiah  Ballard  and  the  grand- 
father of  Jeremiah   Ballard,  Jr.,   who  was 
born  in   Salem,    Massachusetts.     The    last 
named  was  the  father  of  Dane  Ballard,  who 
was  born  in  Salem,  Massachusetts  and  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation.     His  son,  Samuel 
Ballard,  became  the  father  of  our  subject 
and  in  early  manhood  he  wedded  Clarissa 
Huston,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Madison 
county,  New  York,  w^hile  her  father,  Thomas 
Huston,  w^as  born  in  England.     Like  her 
husband,  Mrs.  Ballard  spent  her  remaining 
days  in  Berrien  county,  where  she  died  in 
her  seventy-fourth  year.     There  w^ere  four 
children   in   her   family,   three   sons   and   a 
daughter,   all  of  whom  reached  adult  age. 
Thomas  S.  Ballard,  the  eldest,  was  born  in 
Madison  county.  New  York,  and  after  re- 
siding for  a  time  in  Berrien  county  went 
to  Texas  but  subsequently  returned  to  Ber- 
rien county.     Later  he  was  a  resident  of 
New  Buffalo,  Michigan,  for  some  time,  but 
eventually  again  took  up  his  abode  in  Niles 
city,    where   his   death    occurred   in     1861. 
Milton   M.   Ballard,   the  second    son,    was 
born   in   Madison  county,   New  York,   and 
came  with  the  family  to  Michigan  in  1852. 
He  married  Miss    Ellen    J.    Chapman,    a 
daughter  of  Arvin  Chapman  and  located  on 
the  old  homestead,  where  he  carried  on  gen- 


eral farming.  He  was  associated  with  his 
brother  Otis  in  his  farming  operations  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  21st  of 
December,  1871.  His  wadow  is  still  living 
and  there  were  four  children  of  the  family, 
as  follows:  Edward  M.,  who  died  in  1890; 
Fred,  a  contractor  and  builder  in  Berwyn, 
Illinois;  Harry,  who  wedded  May  Thomas,, 
of  Decatur,  Michigan,  and  resides  upon  a 
part  of  the  old  homestead  property  of  Otis 
Ballard ;  and  Ralph,  who  was  born  in  Niles 
township,  Berrien  county,  July  5,  1870,  and 
was  married  in  1898  to  Mary  Huston,  a 
daughter  of  Oliver  Huston,  of  Andover, 
South  Dakota. 

Otis  W.  Ballard,  the  youngest,  spent 
the  first  nineteen  years  of  his  life  in  the  state 
of  his  nativity  and  then  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  in  1852.  He  had  acquired  his 
education  in  the  common  and  select  schools 
and  since  coming  to  this  state  he  has  re- 
sided continuously  upon  the  same  farm,  de- 
voting his  time  and  energies  to  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  the  dairy  business. 
He  is  now  quite  successfully  engaged  in  the 
dairy  business  in  connection  with  his  neph- 
ews and  for  this  purpose  they  keep  twenty- 
five  cows.  Mr.  Ballard's  farm  comprises  one 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land  adjoining 
Niles  city  and  it  is  a  rich  and  fertile  tract, 
the  fields  producing  good  crops,  while  ex- 
cellent pasture  is  afforded  for  the  stock. 
Mr.  Ballard  is  well  known  in  this  part  of 
the  state,  having  been  a  resident  of  Niles 
township  for  fifty-four  years,  during  which 
period  he  has  been  closely  identified  with 
its  growth  and  development.  Mr.  Ballard 
and  his  nephews,  Harry  and  Ralph,  are  oper- 
ating in  partnership  the  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  acres  and  in  addition  are 
conducting  a  dairy  business  which  is  now  a 
large  and  profitable  industry.  His  life  has 
been  characterized  by  activity  and  useful- 
ness and  his  careful  control  of  business  in- 
terests has  made  him  one  of  the  propserous 
residents  of  Niles  township.  Moreover  he 
deserves  mention  in  this  volume  as  one  wdio 
from  pioneer  times  has  been  a  witness  of  the 
growth  and  development  of  this  part  of  the 
state,  having  for  fifty-four  years  resided 
upon  the  farm  which  is  yet  his  home.     He 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


357 


has  seen  the  forests  cut  down  and  the  land 
converted  into  rich  fields  whereon  are  an- 
nually gathered  abundant  harvests.  He 
has  seen  roads  opened  up,  bridges  built,  the 
telegraph  and  telephone  introduced  ,  while 
enterprises  of  all  kinds  have  been  established 
in  the  towns  and  cities  and  thus  the  work 
of  progress  and  improvement  has  been  car- 
ried steadily  forward  until  the  county  today 
with  its  splendid  advancement  bears  little 
resemblance  to  the  locality  in  which  Mr. 
Ballard  arrived  more  than  a  half  century  ago. 

J.    A.    GARLAND,    M.    D.,    who    in 

the  successful  practice  of  his  profession 
has  demonstrated  his  broad  knowledge  of 
medical  principles  and  approved  methods  of 
the  healing  art,  was  born  in  Peoria, 
Illinois,  June  15,  1871,  and  is  the  only 
child  of  Asa  and  Marietta  (McClelland) 
Garland.  The  father,  a  native  of  Glas- 
gow, .  Scotland,  spent  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  that  country  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica when  about  thirty  years  of  age.  He  was 
married  in  Peoria,  Illinois,  in  1869,  to  Miss 
Marietta  McClelland,  who  was  born  in  this 
country  but  was  of  Scotch  lineage.  His 
death  occurred  March  i,  1871,  and  his 
widow,  still  surviving  him,  resides  with  Dr. 
Garland. 

In  the  public  and  high  schools  of  Chicago 
Dr.  Garland  continued  his  studies  and  sup- 
plemented his  preliminary  education  by  pro- 
fessional training  in  the  Northwestern  Uni- 
versity, being  graduated  from  the  medical 
department  in  1895.  He  afterward  pursued 
post  graduate  w^ork  in  Chicago  for  a  year 
and  in  June,  1896,  came  to  Buchanan,  since 
which  time  he  has  continued  in  active  prac- 
tice with  a  patronage  that  is  constant  grow- 
ing in  volume  and  importance.  The  public 
opinion  concerning  his  ability  is  generally 
favorable  and  his  skill  has  been  demonstrated 
in  his  successful  care  of  many  intricate 
cases  and  his  solution  of  many  difficult 
medical  problems. 

On  the  27th  of  November,  1901,  Dr. 
Garland  wedded  Miss  Gertrude  Friesleven, 
who  was  born  in  Chicago,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  Justus  Friesleven,  a  native  of  Germany. 
Dr.  Garland  has  been  a  Mason  for  ten  years, 
belonging  to  the  blue  lodge,  and  is  also  con- 


nected with  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen.  His  political 
allegiances  is  given  to  the  Republican  party 
and  for  many  years  he  has  served  as  town- 
ship health  officer.  In  the  line  of  his  pro- 
fession his  membership  relations  are  with  the 
Berrien  County  Medical  Society,  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley  Medical  Association,  the  Amer- 
ican Medical  Association  and  the  Red  Cross 
Society,  and  he  is  neglectful  of  no  profes- 
sional duty  but  maintains  a  high  standard 
of  ethics  as  a  representative  of  the  medical 
fraternity. 

THEODORE  METZGER  carries  on 
general  farming  on  section  29,  Niles  town- 
ship, where  he  owns  and  operates  one 
hundred  and  three  acres  of  good  land. 
He  dates  his  residence  in  this  county 
since  1858,  at  which  time  he  took  up 
his  abode  upon  the  farm  which  is  now 
his  home.  He  was  born  in  St.  Joseph 
county,  Indiana,  December  18,  1847,  ^nd 
comes  of  German  lineage,  in  both  the  pa- 
ternal and  maternal  lines.  His  father,  Ferd- 
inand Metzger,  was  a  native  of  Germany 
and  came  to  America  when  about  twenty- 
four  years  of  age,  locating  in  St.  Joseph 
county,  Indiana.  After  his  arrival  in  the 
new  world  he  followed  the  business  of  re-- 
pairing  clocks  but  later  located  on  a  farm  in 
St.  Joseph  county,  where  he  carried  on  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits  for  some  time.  His 
last  days,  however,  w^ere  passed  in  Bertrand 
township,  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  where 
he  died  when  about  forty-eight  years  of  age. 
His  wife,  who  in  her  maidenhood  bore  the 
name  of  Barbara  Santley,  was  also  born  in 
Germany  and  lived  to  be  about  forty-five 
years  of  age.  Their  marriage  was  blessed 
with  four  children. 

Theodore  Metzger,  the  youngest  child, 
was  only  about  one  year  old  at  the  time  of 
the  father's  death  and  was  left  an  orphan 
at  the  early  age  of  three  years.  He  was 
then  reared  by  his  uncle,  John  Metzger,  in 
St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  and  is  indebted 
to  the  public  schools  of  that  locality  for  the 
educational  privileges  he  received.  In  1863, 
at  about  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  the 
country  was  in  the  throes  of  rebellion,  he 
offered  his  services  to  the  government,  en- 


358 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


listing  in  Company  H,  Seventeenth  Michi- 
gan Volunteers,  and  his  regiment  was  as- 
signed to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  He 
was  in  the  old  Seventeenth  Regiment  for 
about  six  months.  He  then  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany H,  of  the  Thirtieth  Michigan  Regi- 
ment and  was  in  service  till  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  received  his  honorable  discharge 
June  23,  1865,  and  returned  to  his  home. 
Mr.  Metzger  remained  with  his  uncle  until 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  began  rail- 
roading as  brakeman  on  the  Michigan  Cen- 
tral Railroad.  He  was  afterward  employed 
by  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad,  acting  as  fire- 
man for  a  time,  while  later  he  won  promo- 
tion to  the  position  of  engineer.  For  three 
years  he  was  thus  connected  with  the  Lake 
Shore  and  Northw^estern  Railroads  and  he 
spent  altogether  about  eight  years  in  the 
railroad  service  but  was  obliged  to  aban- 
don that  occupation  on  account  of  impaired 
eyesight.  Accordingly  he  sought  other 
business  interests  and  turned  his  attention 
to  farming  in  St.  Joseph  county,  where  he 
rented  land  for  a  time.  In  1888  he  removed 
to  the  farm  on  section  twenty-nine,  Niles 
township,  where  he  now  resides  and  in  the 
interim  he  has  successfully  carried  on  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits.  He  has  been  en- 
gaged in  threshing  for  about  twenty-three 
years  and  has  one  of  the  best  outfits  for 
this  purpose  in  the  county  or  state.  The 
farm  comprises  one  hundred  and  three  acres 
and  is  devoted  to  the  production  of  general 
crops,  such  as  are  best  adapted  to  soil  and 
climate. 

In  1884  Mr.  Metzger  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Addie  Metzger,  and  they 
have  six  living  children,  while  they  lost  their 
eldest  son,  Clarence.  The  others  are  Gene- 
vieve, Florence,  Theodore,  Lawrence,  Marie 
and  Edith,  all  of  whom  are  still  under  the 
parental  roof.  Mr.  Metzger  votes  with  the 
Democracy  and  is  an  ardent  champion  of 
party  principles  and  policy.  He  has  served 
as  highway  commissioner  of  Niles  town- 
ship but  otherwise  has  held  no  public  office, 
preferring  to  devote  his  undivided  attention 
to  his  business  affairs,  which  claim  from  him 
close  application  and  energy  and  which  in 
return  yield  him  a  gratifying  annual  in- 
come. 


MRS.  POLLY  YERINGTON  re- 
sides in  Bainbridge  township,  and  is  the 
widow  of  George  W.  Yerington,  who 
was  classed  with  the  leading  citizens  of 
this  part  of  the  state  for  many  years. 
He  was  born  September  29,  1842,  and 
died  September  24,  1905,  his  loss  being 
deeply  regretted  throughout  the  community 
where  he  was  so  widely  and  favorably 
known..  .His  parents  were  John  and  Laura 
(Vester)  Yerington,  both  natives  of  New 
York,  whence  they  removed  to  Ohio.  Their 
son  George  was  born  near  Findlay,  Ohio, 
whence  he  came  to  Michigan,  but  after  three 
years  here  passed  he  removed  to  Iowa.  In 
about  1858,  however,  the  mother  with  her 
four  children  returned  to  Michigan,  where 
her  brother-in-law,  Edwin  Yerington,  was 
living,  making  his  home  in  Benton  town- 
ship, where  his  family  still  resides.  Mrs. 
Laura  Yerington  having  lost  her  husband, 
afterward  became  the  wife  of  James 
Brewster,  who  lived  in  Bainbridge  township. 
She  survived  to  the  age  of  sixty  years.  Her 
four  children  were  George  W. ;  Lydia  Ann, 
who  became  the  wife  of  Balaam  Dodge; 
Emma,  the  wife  of  Ed.  Disbrow,  of  Ban- 
gor, Michigan;  and  Angeline,  the  wife  of 
Joseph  Marion,  of  Battle  Creek,  this  state. 

George  Yerington,  reared  under  the  pa- 
rental roof,  w^ent  to  Michigan  and  afterward 
to  Iowa  with  his  parents,  and  with  his 
mother  returned  to  Berrien  county.  At  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  feeling  that  his 
first  duty  was  to  his  country,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  D,  of  the  Western  Sharpshooters, 
and  served  throughout  the  period  of  hos- 
tilities, receiving  an  honorable  discharge  at 
the  close  of  the  war.  He  always  kept  in 
touch  with  his  regiment  by  attending  its 
various  reunions.  This  was  a  noted  military 
organization,  of  which  Alonzo  Vincent, 
later  warden  of  the  State  penitentiary,  and 
others  were  members.  Fourteen  of  his  old 
comrades  of  the  company  to  which  he  be- 
longed attended  his  funeral  and  acted  as  his 
pallbearers.  When  at  the  front  he  was  a 
brave  and  loyal  soldier,  never  faltering  in 
the  performance  of  any  military  duty  as- 
signed him,  and  he  thus  nobly  aided  in  de- 
fense of  the  stars  and  stripes. 

Returning  to  the  north,  Mr.  Yerington 


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HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


359 


was  married  March  4,  1866,  to  Miss  Polly 
Wise,  a  sister  of  H.  M.  and  Samuel  Wise, 
and  a  half  sister  of  Balaam  Dodge.     She 
was  born  in  Bainbridge  township  and  was 
married    just    before    reaching   the   age    of 
twenty-one  years.    Her  parents  were  George 
and  Mary  (Yund)  Wise.     The  latter  was  a 
daughter  of  Solomon  and  Polly    (Shafer) 
Yund,   and  was  born  in  Columbia  county, 
Pennsylvania,    January    17,     1818.     When 
seven    years    of   age    she   accompanied    her 
parents    on    their    removal    to    Livingston 
county,  New  York,   and  on  Christmas  day 
of  1836  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to 
George  Wise.     In  1843,  with  their  four  chil- 
dren, they  took  passage  on  a  canal  boat  for 
Rochester  and  for  Buffalo,  New  York,  and 
while  enroute  their  eldest  daughter,  Katie, 
then  five  years  of  age,  was  killed  by  a  low 
bridge.     They  proceeded  to  Erie,   Pennsyl- 
vania, where  they  were  joined  by  Mr.  Wise's 
parents,    Leonard   and   Barbara   Wise,   and 
two   sisters,   Lucetta  and  Sallie,   also  John 
Lewis,    a    brother-in-law,    and    his    family. 
They  started  for  Detroit,  going  by  way  of 
Mackinac  and  Chicago  and  crossed  the  lake 
on  the  steamer  Champion,  Captain  Eben  B. 
Ward  commanding,  to  St.  Joseph,   Michi- 
gan, and  thence  proceeded  to  Keeler  town- 
ship,   Van    Buren    county,    where   they   re- 
mained for  a  summer.     In   1843  M^-   ^^^^ 
Mrs.  Wise  took  up  their  abode  in  Bainbridge 
township,   Berrien  county,  where  his  death 
occurred  October  i,  1895,  while  Mrs.  Wise 
passed  away  July  3,  1906,  at  the  very  ad- 
vanced    age    of     eighty-eight    years,     five 
months  and  sixteen  days. 

Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Yerington  lived  for  forty  years  upon  the 
farm  where  the  widow  now  resides.  When 
they  took  up  their  abode  there  it  w^as  all  cov- 
ered with  timber  save  that  a  small  clearing 
had  been  made  and  a  little  cabin  had  been 
built,  in  which  they  resided  until  the  pres- 
ent residence  was  erected  two  or  three  years 
later.  Mr.  Yerington  placed  seventy  acres 
of  his  land  under  cultivation,  and  in  order  to 
clear  the  fields  he  burned  much  valuable  tim- 
ber. He  personally  did  the  hard  work  in- 
cident to  preparing  the  fields  for  the  plow 
and  placing  them  under  cultivation  and  al- 
ways led  a  very  active  life.     For  thirty-five 


37^ears  he  was  the  principal  thresher  in  this 
vicinity,  using  at  first  an  old  horse  power 
engine,  later  a  portable  engine  and  subse- 
quently a  traction  engine.  In  this  work  he 
covered  a  wide  area,  doing  much  threshing 
in  Silver  Creek  township,  Van  Buren  county, 
as  well  as  in  various  parts  of  Berrien  county. 
He  threshed  for  different  farmers  for  nearly 
thirty  years. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yerington  were  born 
two  sons  and  a  daughter,  George,  now  in 
Keeler,  and  Horace,  in  Bainbridge,  w^hile 
Ada  Ann  is  the  wife  of  C.  J.  Pitcher,  of 
Sisters  Lakes.  Mr.  Yerington  belonged  to 
the  Odd  Fellows  Society  of  Keeler  and  his 
funeral  services  were  conducted  under  the 
auspices  of  that  order.  Rev.  Silkwood  of 
Keeler  officiating.  His  remains  were  in- 
terred in  Bainbridge  cemetery.  He  trav- 
eled life's  journey  for  almost  sixty-three 
years  and  was  very  active  and  enterprising, 
moreover  he  was  straightforward  and  relia- 
ble in  all  his  dealings.  His  life  entitled  him 
to  the  respect  which  was  uniformly  given 
him  and  he  left  to  his  family  an  untarnished 
name.  His  widow  yet  remains  upon  the  old 
homestead,  renting  her  fields.  Her  residence 
is  on  the  old  territorial  road  ten  miles  east 
of  Benton  Harbor,  situated  in  a  picturesque 
district,  well  adapted  to  the  raising  of  fruit 
and  grain,  so  that  the  countryside  presents 
a  most  attractive  picture  of  fertility. 

GEORGE  W.  NOBLE  is  a  man  of 
action  rather  than  of  theory,  and  his 
spirit  of  enterprise  and  determination  are 
constantly  manifest  in  the  conduct  of  his 
business  interests  in  Buchanan,  where 
he  is  well  known  as  a  merchant,  carrying  a 
stock  of  clothing,  boots  and  shoes  and  men's 
furnishing  goods.  Born  in  Albion,  New 
York,  on  the  9th  of  October,  1842,  he  is 
a  son  of  William  Noble,  also  a  native  of 
Albion  and  a  grandson  of  James  Noble. 
The  paternal  great-grandfather,  was  Joseph 
Noble,  who  came  to  this  country  with  Gen- 
eral John  Burgoyne.  William  Noble  was  a 
farmer  and  mechanic  and  in  the  year  1871 
came  to  Michigan,  settling  in  Ann  Arbor, 
where  he  engaged  in  contracting  and  build- 
ing, erecting  some  of  the  university  build- 
ings in  that  city.     His  death  occurred  there 


r36o 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


when  he  was  sixty-three  years  of  age.  His 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Polly 
D.  Bragg,  was  born  in  Monroe  county, 
New  York,  and  was  reared  in  Orleans 
county,  that  state.  She  is  now  eighty-five 
years  of  age  and  still  makes  her  home  at 
Ann  Arbor.  In  the  family  were  three  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  a  daughter,  of  whom 
the  last  named  died  at  the  age  of  three  years. 
The  brother,  A.  L.  Noble,  became  a  promi- 
nent business  man  of  Ann  Arbor  and  died 
in  1894. 

George  W.  Noble,  who  was  the  eldest 
of  the  family,  was  reared  in  the  place  of  his 
nativity  and  acquired  his  preliminary  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools,  after  which 
he  attended  the  Genesee  College.  He  came 
to  Michigan  in  1863,  locating  first  in  Van 
Buren  county,  where  he  engaged  in  teach- 
ing school  for  three  years,  when,  abandon- 
ing the  profession,  he  directed  his  energies 
to  the  field  of  commercial  pursuits,  and  in 
1865  purchased  an  interest  in  a  shoe  busi- 
ness in  Paw  Paw.  Selling  out  there  in  1868 
he  removed  to  Buchanan  and  established 
his  present  store,  which  he  has  conducted 
successfully  for  the  past  thirty-eight  years, 
being  the  oldest  business  man  in  the  town. 
He  now  carries  a  large  and  well  selected 
line  of  clothing,  men's  furnishing  goods, 
boots  and  shoes,  and  is  one  of  the  leading 
representatives  of  business  interests  here, 
his  enterprising  spirit  and  determination 
combined  with  close  application,  enabling 
him  to  carry  forward  to  successful  com- 
pletion whatever  he  undertakes.  He  also 
has  a  store  in  Niles. 

In  November,  1864,  Mr.  Noble  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ophelia  A.  Ross, 
a  daughter  of  Samuel  G.  and  Phebe  Ross, 
who  were  natives  of  Orleans  county,  New 
York.  They  have  two  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters:  Walter  A.,  who  is  conducting  his 
father's  branch  store  at  Niles;  Lillian  E., 
the  wife  of  H.  E.  Starrett,  of  Oak  Park, 
Illinois;  George  W.,  who  is  engagfed  in  the 
lumber  business  at  Evanston,  Illinois,  and 
who  married  Clara,  daughter  of  Albert  G. 
Lane  of  that  place;  and  Winifred  M.,  the 
wife  of  Fred  Setchell,  of  Chicago.  Mr. 
Noble  is  accorded  a  position  of  prominence 
in  the  public  life  of  Buchanan,  and  for  eight 


years  served  as  postmaster  under  appoint- 
ment of  Presidents  McKinley  and  Roosevelt. 
During  his  connection  with  commercial  in- 
terests here,  covering  a  period  of  nearly 
forty  years,  he  has  gained  and  maintained 
a  high  reputation  for  business  integrity.  His 
views  upon  questions  of  public  policy  are 
pronounced  and  his  influence  may  always  be 
counted  upon  in  behalf  of  good  government 
and  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  the 
home  people. 

THOMAS  F.  HOUSWERTH,  who 
devotes  his  time  and  energies  to  general 
agricultural  pursuits  and  makes  his  home  on 
section  eighteen,  Bertrand  township,  is  one 
of  the  worthy  citizens  that  Indiana  has 
furnished  to  her  neighboring  state  of  Michi- 
gan. He  was  born  in  Bristol,  April  24, 
1872,  and  is  one  of  the  two  sons  of  William 
and  Sarah  (Meiser)  Houswerth,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Re- 
moving to  the  middle  west  the  father  set- 
tled in  Elkhart  county,  Indiana,  about  1866, 
and  in  1875  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michi- 
gan. He  is  now,  however,  residing  in  Bris- 
tol, Indiana,  but  his  wife  passed  away  in 
1893.  They  had  two  sons,  and  Albert  is 
now  a  resident  of  South  Bend. 

Thomas  F.  Houswerth  was  but  three 
years  old  when  brought  by  his  parents  from 
Indiana  to  Berrien  county,  and  upon  the 
home  farm  in  Bertrand  township  was  reared. 
He  attended  the  common  schools  of  the 
neighborhood,  and  when  not  busy  with  his 
text-books,  his  time  w^as  largely  occupied 
in  farm  labor,  so  that  he  early  became  famil- 
iar with  the  duties  that  devolve  upon  the 
agriculturist  in  his  care  of  the  fields  and  of 
the  stock.  He  has  made  farming  his  life 
work  and  has  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  on  which  he  cultivates  various 
cereals  and  also  makes  a  specialty  of  rais- 
ing potatoes,  the  soil  being  especially  adapted 
for  the  production  of  this  tuber. 

On  the  25th  of  February,  1896,  Mr. 
Houswerth  was  married  to  Miss  Zelma 
Dempsey,  a  daughter  of  Wesley  and  Libbie 
(Dakin)  Dempsey.  She  was  born  in  Bert- 
rand tow^nship,  Berrien  county,  where  her 
parents  located  at  an  early  day.  In  the  fam- 
ily are  two  children,  Ernest  and  Fern.   Both 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


361 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Houswerth  have  many  warm 
friends  in  the  community  and  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance. They  are  members  of  the  Evan- 
geHcal  church  and  his  poHtical  allegiance 
is  given  to  the  Democracy.  His  life  has  not 
been  marked  by  events  of  exciting"  interest 
but  has  been  characterized  by  a  devotion 
to  duty  in  all  relations  which  makes  him 
worth  the  confidence  and  good  will  which 
are  uniformly  extended  to  him. 

JOHN  J.  HASTINGS,  deceased,  was 
one  of  the  old  settlers  of  Niles  township, 
and  the  history  of  the  early  days  demands 
that  he  be  given  representation,  for  he  took 
an  active  part  in  the  pioneer  development 
and  progress.  A  native  of  Ireland,  he  came 
to  America  when  a  young  man  and  was 
about  t\venty  years  of  age  when  he  arrived 
in  Berrien  county.  He  was  married  to  ]\Tiss 
Margaret  McCue,  and  they  began  their 
domestic  life  upon  a  farm  in  Niles  township, 
where  they  lived  for  many  years,  rearing  a 
family  of  eight  children.  Throughout  the 
period  of  his  residence  here  Mr.  Hastings 
carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits  and 
he  aided  in  reclaiming  the  wild  land  for  the 
purposes  of  civilization.  He  shared  in  all 
the  hardships  and  privations  incident  to  pio- 
neer Hfe  and  the  progress  in  keeping  with 
the  spirit  of  advancement,  which  has 
wrought  great  changes  in  Michigan.  He 
w^as  about  sixty-five  years  of  age  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  while  his  wife  passed  away 
when  about  fifty  years  of  age.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  John  J.  Hastings  were  born  the 
following  named  children :  Nellie,  Mary, 
Bessie,  Thomas,  Lawrence,  Lloyd,  Paul  and 
Marearet. 

Thomas  Hastings,  the  eldest  son  of  the 
family,  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  farm 
in  Niles  township,  on  the  29th  of  April, 
1885.  He  was  reared  and  educated  in  his 
native  place,  obtaining  his  education  in  the 
country  schools.  About  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  was  inherited  by  him 
and  the  other  members  of  the  family,  and 
Thom  J.  Hastings  has  charge  of  the  farm, 
while  his  sisters  engage  in  teaching.  He  car- 
ries on  general  agricultural  pursuits,  raising 
both  grain  and  stock  and  the  home  is  on 
section   24,   Niles  tow^nship,    where  all  his 


brothers  and  sisters  were  born.  The  family 
are  communicants  of  the  Catholic  church 
in  Niles  and  are  highly  esteemed  in  the 
community  where  so  many  years  have  been 
spent  by  them.  The  family  has  figured  in 
connection  with  the  development  and  pro- 
gress of  this  part  of  the  state  since  pioneer 
times,  and  Thomas  Hastings,  as  well  as  his 
father,  bears  an  excellent  reputation  as  an 
enterprising  agriculturist. 

BENJAMIN  F.  BUTZBACH,  of  the 
Battlement  Drug  Company  of  Benton  Har- 
bor, was  born  in  Bainbridge  township,  Ber- 
rien county  in  1871.  He  is  classed  with 
the  wide-awake  and  enterprising  young 
business  men  of  the  city  and  has  attained 
to  a  position  of  prestige  in  commercial  cir- 
cles through  his  own  unaided  eflforts.  As 
the  name  indicates,  he  is  of  German  lineage. 
His  father,  Philip  H.  Butzbach,  was  born  in 
Germany  in  1828  and  came  to  America 
when  twenty  years  of  age.  He  was  a  son 
of  Henry  Butzbach,  who  crossed  the  At- 
lantic after  the  emigration  of  his  son  Philip, 
and  spent  his  last  days  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship, Berrien  county,  upon  the  old  homestead 
farm,  where  he  died  when  more  than  seventy 
years  of  age.  Philip  H.  Butzbach  settled  in 
Bainbridge  township,  where  he  took  up  a 
tract  of  government  land,  comprising  one 
hundred  and  eight  acres,  which  was  entirely 
wild  and  unimproved.  This  was  during  the 
pioneer  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  county 
and  like  his  neighbors  he  performed  the 
arduous  task  of  clearing  and  cultivating  new 
land.  He  placed  most  of  that  property 
under  the  plow  and  he  now  has  a  fine  fruit 
orchard  of  twenty  acres,  raising  all  kinds 
of  fruit  including  apples  and  peaches,  which 
he  ships  in  large  quantities.  He  planted  the 
orchard  himself  and  it  is  now  in  excellent 
bearing  condition.  His  fields,  too,  are  pro- 
ductive, yielding  good  crops  and  he  is  still 
accounted  one  of  the  successful  farmers  of 
this  county,  in  which  he  has  made  his  home 
for  almost  six  decades.  Great  changes  have 
occurred  during  this  period  by  reason  of  the 
building  of  the  railroads,  the  introduction 
of  the  telegraph  and  telephone  and  also  of 
improved  machinery  which  facilitates  the 
work   in   various   departments   of    business 


362 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


life.  He  married  Miss  Blondine  Harmon,  a 
native  of  Germany,  who  came  from  the 
fatherland  and  settled  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship, Berrien  county,  in  pioneer  times.  Mrs. 
Butzbach  is  still  living  and  has  for  many 
years  traveled  life's  journey  w4th  her  hus- 
band. They  have  reared  a  family  of  thirteen 
children,  of  whom  two  have  passed  away. 
Those  w^ho  yet  survive  are  Jacob ;  Elizabeth, 
the  wife  of  Jacob  Friday;  Henry;  Louise, 
the  wife  of  Charles  Christian;  George; 
Lydia,  the  wife  of  Peter  Christian,  and  a 
brother  of  her  sister's  husband;  Philip  H.; 
Anna,  the  wife  of  E.  L.  Miller;  Mary,  the 
wife  of  George  Morlock;  Benjamin  F. ;  and 
Albert. 

Benjamin  F.  Butzbach  is  the  tenth  in 
order  of  birth  of  the  surviving  members  of 
the  father's  family.  He  was  reared  upon 
the  old  homestead  and  one  can  picture  him 
as  a  farmer  boy  attending  the  district 
schools,  interested  in  his  lessons  and  equally 
interested  in  the  games  of  the  playground. 
In  the  summer  months  as  he  grew  in  strength 
and  age  his  time  was  demanded  for  the  ser- 
vice of  the  fields.  His  early  educational 
privileges  were  supplemented  by  study  in 
Benton  Harbor  College,  of  which  he  is  a 
graduate  of  the  class  of  1891.  His  taste 
was  for  a  commercial  rather  than  an  agri- 
cultural career  and  following  the  completion 
of  his  college  course  he  accepted  a  clerkship 
in  the  drug  store  of  George  M.  Bell  &  Com- 
pany. No  higher  testimonial  of  his  active 
service  and  faithfulness  to  duty  could  be 
given  than  the  statement  of  the  fact  that  he 
remained  in  the  employ  of  that  firm  for 
eleven  years,  leaving  it  to  engage  in  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account,  when,  in  1902  he 
purchased  an  interest  in  the  Battlement 
Drug  Company  of  Benton  Harbor  and  be- 
came manager  of  the  store,  which  he  has 
since  successfully  conducted.  He  has  made 
his  place  of  business  an  attractive  one  to  the 
general  public  by  reason  of  the  neat  and 
tasteful  appearance  of  the  store,  his  straight- 
forward business  dealings,  his  earnest  de- 
sire to  please  and  his  uniform  courtesy  to 
his  patrons. 

In  1902,  in  Benton  Harbor,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Butzbach  and  Miss  Ada 
Whitely,    of   Muskegon,    Michigan.      They 


are  well  known  in  the  social  circles  of  the 
city  and  the  number  of  their  friends  is  con- 
stantly increasing  as  the  number  of  their 
acquaintances  grow.  In  his  political  views 
Mr.  Butzbach  is  a  Republican  but  Vvn'thout 
aspiration  for  office.  Matters  of  local  pro- 
gress, however,  are  of  deep  interest  to  him 
and  he  is  never  remiss  in  the  faithful  per- 
formance of  the  duties  of  citizenship. 

ELMER  E.  ROUSE.  From  humble 
clerkship  have  come  some  of  the  most  promi- 
nent merchants  of  the  country  and  it  is  not 
an  unusual  thing  in  an  American  common- 
wealth for  a  man  to  rise  from  a  humble 
position  to  rank  with  the  leaders  in  com- 
mercial pursuits,  political  circles  or  in  those 
walks  of  life  wherein  are  developed  the  in- 
tellectual forces  of  a  community.  Elmer  E. 
Rouse  belongs  to  that  class  of  men  who 
have  planned  their  own  advancement  and 
have  accomplished  it  in  spite  of  discourage- 
ments and  opposition.  He  is  a  native  of 
Minnesota,  his  birth  having  ocd;u'rred  in 
Eden  Prairie  in  1862.  He  represents  one 
of  the  old  families  of  the  state,  his  father 
Philander  H.  Rouse,  having  been  born  in 
Saline  township,  Washtenaw  county,  Michi- 
gan, w^here  in  early  life  he  followed  the 
occupation  of  farming,  but  afterward  lived 
in  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin,  and  subse- 
quently carried  on  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits in  Benton  township,  Berrien  county, 
He  married  Miss  Flora  Bell,  a  native  of  Al- 
bany, New  York.  His  death  occurred  in  Ben- 
ton Harbor  in  1900,  when  he  was  sixty-nine 
years  of  age,  but  his  widow  still  survives 
and  now  makes  her  home  in  Wisconsin. 
In  their  family  were  ten  children,  seven  of 
whom  are  living:  Belden,  a  resident  of 
Kalamazoo,  Michigan;  Elmer  E.,  of  this 
review;  Howard  M. ;  Winthrop  B.,  who  re- 
sides in  Benton  Harbor,  Michigan;  Myrtle, 
the  wife  of  F.  J.  Hendershot,  of  Marblehead, 
Missouri,  w^ho  is  principal  of  a  school  there, 
while  his  wife  is  the  musical  instructor  in 
the  same  school;  Charlotte,  who  married 
Herman  Stopple  and  resides  in  Walworth, 
Wisconsin;  and  Roscoe  R.,  also  making  his 
home  in  Walworth. 

Elmer  E.  Rouse  was  reared  in  Minne- 
sota to  the  age  of  two  years,  and  then  in 


^^.:^f-i^^  /X^^<-^^^^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


363 


Wisconsin  till  ten  years  of  age,  and  then 
came  to  Michigan,  completing  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  Washtenaw  county.  He 
clerked  in  a  drug  store  in  Saline  township, 
Washtenaw  county,  spending  six  years  in 
that  way^  after  which  he  came  to  Benton 
Harbor  in  1888,  being  employed  as  a  clerk 
in  a  drug  store  in  this  city  for  two  years. 
In  1 89 1  he  engaged  in  the  drug  business  on 
his  own  account  as  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Lowe  &  Rouse,  having  a  store  at  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Pipestone  streets,  where 
the  Red  Cross  drug  store  is  now  located. 
He  continued  in  this  business  for  seven  or 
eight  years  and  in  the  summer  of  1898  he 
embarked  in  the  manufacture  of  ice  cream 
for  the  trade  on  a  small  scale.  In  this  busi- 
ness he  has  since  continued  and  has  ex- 
tended the  field  of  his  activity  by  including 
the  manufacture  of  soft  drinks.  He  like- 
wise deals  in  all  kinds  of  soda  fountain  sup- 
plies and  from  a  small  beginning  has  de- 
veloped a  well  equipped  plant  for  the  suc- 
cessful conduct  of  a  business  that  is  now  the 
largest  of  its  kind  in  southwestern  Michi- 
gan. He  noted  the  demands  of  his  trade 
and  set  to  work  to  meet  these  and  has  car- 
ried forward  his  business  undertakings 
along  lines  that  have  been  entirely  satis- 
factory to  his  patrons  and  have  brought  him 
gratifying  prosperity. 

Mr.  Rouse  has  been  married  twice.  In 
1889,  in  Benton  Harbor,  he  w^edded  Miss 
Florine  Winans,  a  daughter  of  the  late 
Dr.  Richard  Winans.  She  died  on  the  5th 
of  December,  1900^  at  the  age  of  forty  years, 
leaving  two  children,  Carrie  Belle  and  Mon- 
tello  E.,  both  of  w^hom  were  born  in  Benton 
Harbor.  In  May,  1902,  in  this  city,  Mr. 
Rouse  was  again  married,  his  second  union 
geing  with  Ida  M.  Brooks,  a  daughter  of 
Dr.  \ViIliam  E.  Brooks,  D.  D.,  of  Benton 
Harbor. 

Mr.  Rouse  belongs  to  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  fraternity  and  to  the  Maccabees 
Tent  .  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and 
was  supervisor  for  two  years,  while  for  one 
year  he  served  as  treasurer  of  Benton  town- 
ship. In  his  business  life  there  have  been  no 
especially  helpful  conditions,  and  in  fact  he 
has  had  to  formulate  his  own  plans  and  carry 
them  forward  without  any  assistance.     His 


life,  however,  proves  what  intelligence,  dili- 
gence and  probity  may  accomplish  in  the 
way  of  success  in  life. 

GEORGE  BRIDGEFORD  is  a  vet- 
eran of  the  Union  Army  who,  when  the 
tocsin  of  w^ar  was  sounded,  offered  his 
services  to  the  government  and  ably  de- 
fended the  stars  and  stripes,  making  a 
most  creditable  military  record.  He  re- 
sides in  Bainbridge  township,  where  he  is 
now  engaged  in  general  farming  and  fruit- 
raising.  His  birth  occurred  in  West  Sparta, 
Livingston  county,  New  York,  September 
10,  1839,  and  in  the  fall  of  1857,  when  a 
youth  of  eighteen  years  he  came  with  the 
family  to  Michigan,  their  destination  being 
Bainbridge  township,  while  the  following 
year  they  located  upon  the  farm  which  is 
still  his  home.  His  parents  were  George  and 
Catherine  (Wise)  Bridgeford,  the  latter  a 
sister  of  George  Wise,  a  well  known  pioneer 
resident  of  Bainbridge  township.  The  father 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  on  section  25,  Bainbridge  town- 
ship, and  began  the  development  of  a 
farm,  wdiich  he  continued  to  cultivate  suc- 
cessfully until  his  later  years.  He  died  in 
1876,  in  his  eighty-second  year,  and  thus 
passed  away  one  of  the  early  settlers  and  re- 
spected citizens  of  his  locality.  His  son, 
George  Bridgeford,  Jr.,  and  his  brother 
William,  who  had  but  one  arm,  bought  the 
home  place,  which  was  all  covered  with  tim- 
ber when  it  came  into  their  possession.  They 
paid  for  this  tract  three  dollars  and  a  half 
per  acre.  Their  mother  had  died  when  our 
subject  was  a  young  lad  and  there  was  an- 
other son  in  the  family,  Henry  Bridgeford, 
who  was  reared  by  his  grandparents  after 
his  mother's  death.  He,  too,  became  a  sol- 
dier of  the  Civil  war,  serving  in  the  same 
company  and  regiment  as  Mr.  Bridgeford  of 
this  review,  and  he  died  in  the  hospital  at 
Rome,  Georgia,  when  but  twenty-four  years 
of  age. 

George  Bridgeford  and  his  brother  reso- 
lutely undertook  the  task  of  clearing,  de- 
veloping and  cultivating  their  land,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  enlistment  for  service  in  the 
Civil  war  they  had  thirty  acres  under  culti- 
vation.   On  the  23d  of  September,  1861,  at 


364 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


President  Lincoln's  first  call  for  troops  to 
serve  for  three  years,  he  ofifered  his  serv- 
ices to  the  government,  beheving  that  his 
first  duty  was  to  his  country.  He  therefore 
put  aside  all  business  and  personal  consid- 
erations and  joined  Company  B,  of  the 
Sixty-sixth  Illinois  Sharpshooters,  being 
constantly  on  duty  with  his  company  until 
the  expiration  of  its  term  of  service.  On 
the  9th  of  May,  1864,  he  was  wounded  on 
the  skirmish  line  before  the  battle  of  Resaca, 
a  musket  ball  piercing  his  right  side.  He 
was  sent  to  the  hospital  and  finally  was 
transferred  to  the  hospital  at  Jeffersonville, 
Indiana,  where  he  remained  for  three 
months.  As  soon  as  he  had  sufficiently  re- 
covered his  health  he  rejoined  his  regiment 
at  Atlanta  and  was  with  that  command  on 
the  march  to  the  sea.  He  also  participated 
in  the  Carolina  campaign  and  went  to  Wash- 
ington, where  he  took  part  in  the  grand  re- 
view, the  most  celebrated  military  pageant 
ever  seen  on  the  western  hemisphere.  His 
first  term  of  enlistment  having  expired  he 
had  veteranized  with  the  same  company  and 
he  remained  a  faithful,  loyal  and  valorous 
advocate  of  the  Union  cause  until  the  war 
was  ended  and  the  country  no'  longer  needed 
his  service. 

Mr,  Bridgeford  then  returned  to  the 
home  farm  and  lived  with  his  brothers  and 
sisters  upon  this  place.  His  brother  Will- 
iam died  December  20,  1900,  in  his  seventy- 
fifth  year.  There  were  ten  children  in  the 
father's  family,  but  only  two  ever  married. 
Those  who  remained  upon  the  home  farm 
were  William,  George,  Susan  and  Amanda, 
and  the  last  named  died  upon  the  old  home- 
stead at  the  age  of  forty-five  years.  The 
sister  Susan  is  now  living  with  her  brother 
George,  acting  as  his  housekeeper.  The 
farm  comprises  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven  acres  of  land,  all  of  which  is  now 
owned  by  George  Bridgeford  of  this  review, 
who  has  purchased  the  interest  of  the  other 
heirs.  He  has  about  one  hundred  acres 
under  cultivation  and  thirty-seven  acres  in 
a  second  growth  of  timber.  The  farm  was 
all  originally  covered  with  heavy  timber, 
which  he  sold  to  the  amount  of  four  thou- 
sand dollars,  although  he  lost  twelve  hun- 


dred dollars  of  this.  He  now  rents  his  fields, 
while  he  devotes  himself  to  building  fences. 
He  has  rebuilt  over  three  miles  of  fence 
since  his  brother's  death.  Before  his  broth- 
er's death  all  their  business  interests  were 
in  partnership,  but  Mr.  Bridgeford  of  this 
review  is  now  sole  owner  of  the  farm,  which 
is  a  valuable  and  productive  property. 

In  his  political  views  he  is  a  pronounced 
Republican,  keeping  well  informed  on  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  He  has 
never  been  called  on  to  serve  on  the  jury, 
has  never  had  a  lawsuit,  nor  has  he  ever 
been  sued  nor  sued  any  man.  His  life  has 
been  devoted  to  the  farm  and  yet  in  all 
matters  of  citizenship  he  is  as  true  and  loyal 
to  his  country  as  when  he  followed  the  old 
flag  upon  the  battlefields  of  the  south. 

FRANK  H.  PLATT,  one  of  the  native 
sons  of  Berrien  county,  is  a  practical  and 
successful  business  man,  connected  with  in- 
surance interests  in  Benton  Harbor.  His 
birth  occurred  in  Niles,  February  19,  1861. 
His  father,  George  W.  Piatt,  Jr.,  is  also 
a  native  of  Niles  and  now  makes  his  home 
in  Benton  Harbor.  The  mother  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Jane  E.  Crandall  and  was 
born  in  New^  York.  In  the  family  were  three 
children,  of  whom  two  are  living,  the  sister 
of  our  subject  being  Mrs.  Eva  Huntington. 
For  a  number  of  years  the  father  was  en- 
gaged in  the  hardware  business  at  St. 
Joseph  and  Benton  Harbor,  but  is  now  living 
a  retired  life  in  Benton  Harbor,  where  he 
and  his  wife  occupy  a  pleasant  home  in  the 
enjoyment  of  the  fruit  of  his  former  labor. 

The  paternal  grandfather,  George  W. 
Piatt,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Michi- 
gan. He  was  born  in  Pittsfield,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  his  ancestors  for  many  genera- 
tions were  natives  of  the  old  Bay  state. 

In  the  public  schools  of  St.  Joseph,  Mich- 
igan, Frank  H.  Piatt  acquired  his  prelimi- 
nary education,  which  was  supplemented  by 
study  in  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Commercial 
College  at  Chicago,  Illinois,  from  which  in- 
stitution he  was  graduated  in  1878.  He 
then  engaged  as  city  buyer  with  a  wholesale 
carriage  and  hardware  house  in  Chicago, 
which  he  thus  represented  for  two  years, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


365 


and  upon  his  return  to  Benton  Harbor  he 
assisted  his  father  in  the  hardware  business 
from  1882  until  1889.  He  afterward  en- 
gaged in  other  business  pursuits  for  some 
time,  and  in  1890  he  became  a  member  of 
the  Benton  Harbor  MilHng  Company,  of 
which  he  was  afterward  made  secretary  and 
treasurer.  He  was  one  of  the  incorporators 
of  the  company  which  was  organized  in  1887 
with  George  B.  Tatman  as  president  and 
Norman  Sage  as  vice  president.  In  1896 
Mr.  Piatt  organized,  with  others,  the  Patri- 
cians, an  insurance  and  fraternal  order, 
which  was  incorporated  with  the  following 
officers :  W.  C.  Hicks,  president ;  R.  J. 
Jarvis,  vice  president;  Frank  PI.  Piatt,  sec- 
retary and  A.  N.  Woodruff,  treasurer. 
These  gentlemen  still  occupy  their  respective 
positions  and  the  business  of  the  company 
has  continually  grown  and  has  been  securely 
established  upon  a  safe  and  paying  basis. 

Mr.  Piatt  has  been  married  twice.  On 
the  17th  of  July,  1885,  in  Benton  Harbor, 
he  wedded  Miss  Jennie  Kingsly,  who  was 
born  in  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  and  died  July 
17,  1887,  leaving  one  son,  George  Fern- 
leigh.  Her  father  was  George  W.  Kingsly, 
of  St.  Joseph.  On  the  25th  of  October, 
1890,  Mr.  Piatt  was  married  to  Wilhelmina 
Meech,  a  daughter  of  George  and  Mary  J. 
Meech  and  a  native  of  New  York.  There 
were  two  children  born  of  this  union,  but 
one  has  passed  away,  the  living  daughter 
being  Helen  Marie,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Benton  Harbor. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Piatt  is  a 
stalwart  Republican  and  fraternally  is  prom- 
inent, being  a  valued  member  of  the  Masonic 
and  Knights  of  Pythias  lodges  in  Benton 
Harbor,  the  Court  of  Honor,  the  Royal 
Arcanum  and  the  Maccabees.  Early  realiz- 
ing that  truth  as  set  forth  centuries  ago  by 
the  old  Greek  philosopher,  *'Earn  thy  re- 
ward; the  gods  give  naught  to  sloth,"  Mr. 
Piatt  has  w^orked  persistently  and  energetic- 
ally and  in  his  business  career  has  made  a 
creditable  name  as  well  as  gained  a  desirable 
competence.  Moreover  he  has  developed  a 
character  which  is  worthy  of  the  esteem  and 
confidence  of  his  fellow  men,  which  are 
uniformly  given  him  throughout  Benton 
Harbor  and  wherever  he  is  known. 


FRED  R.  BELKNAP,  M.  D.,  practic- 
ing along  modern  scientific  lines,  has  gained 
more  than  local  reputation  by  reason  of  his 
active  and  effective  service  in  connection 
with  investigation  of  sanitary  conditions 
and  the  articles  wdiich  he  has  written  upon 
these  subjects.  He  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Michigan  state  board  of  health  and  in 
all  his  public  work  has  been  actuated  by  a 
spirit  of  definite  and  immediate  service- 
ableness. 

Dr.  Belknap  was  born  in  Rochester,  Ver- 
mont, on  the  27th  of  November,  1862.  Plis 
father.  Dr.  Simeon  Belknap,  was  a  native 
of  the  village  of  Barnard,  Windsor  county, 
Vermont,  born  October  16,  1837.  His  an- 
cestors on  the  paternal  side  emigrated  from 
England  to  America  at  an  early  period  in 
the  colonization  of  the  new  world  and  made 
settlement  in  the  Green  Mountain  state, 
where  Seymour  Belknap,  grandfather  of  Dr. 
Belknap  of  this  review,  and  Simeon  Belk- 
nap, the  great-grandfather,  opened  their  eyes 
to  the  light  of  day.  Thus  for  several  gen- 
erations the  family  was  represented  in  Ver- 
mont. Seymour  Belknap  married  Miss 
Lydia  Campbell,  a  daughter  of  Sylvanus 
Campbell,  who  was  a  native  of  Vermont 
but  came  of  Scotch  lineage. 

Dr.  Fred  Rice  Belknap,  whose  name  in- 
troduces this  review,  spent  the  first  ten  years 
of  his  life  in  the  state  of  his  nativity,  and 
in  1873  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
removal  to  Michigan,  the  family  home  be- 
ing established  in  Niles.  He  was  afforded 
liberal  educational  privileges,  receiving  his 
Bachelor  of  Science  degree  from  the  Nor- 
wich University  at  Northfield,  Vermont,  and 
his  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  from  the 
Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College  of  New 
York  city.  Following  his  graduation  from 
that  institution  he  spent  one  year  abroad, 
taking  special  work  in  the  line  of  his  pro- 
fession at  the  Hygenic  Institute  and  Uni- 
versity at  Berlin,  Germany,  and  at  the  Lon- 
don School  of  Gynecology.  He  also  visited 
clinics  and  colleges  in  other  European  cities, 
where  he  had  the  advantage  of  study  under 
the  most  eminent  physicians  and  surgeons 
of  the  old  w^orld.  At  a  meeting  of  the  board 
of  trustees  at  the  Norwich  University  in 
July,  1898,  the  degree  of  Master  of  Science 


366 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


was  conferred  upon  Dr.  Belknap.  In  his 
profession  he  has  won  notable  distinction 
not  only  by  reason  of  his  success  in  practice 
but  also  by  reason  of  his  research  and  in- 
vestigation, the  outcome  of  which  has  been 
given  to  the  world  in  valuable  scientific 
papers.  He  is  practical  in  all  that  he  does 
in  the  sickroom  and  moreover  he  possesses 
the  tastes  and  habits  of  a  scholar.  The 
great  questions  of  social,  economic  and  polit- 
ical interest  have  awakened  his  deepest  at- 
tention. He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Mich- 
igan Political  Science  Association  and  of 
the  Kalamazoo  Academy  of  Medicine^  is  a 
member  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion and  has  been  president  of  several  local, 
political  and  other  organizations.  He  now 
holds  a  commission  as  first  lieutenant  is- 
sued by  the  governor  of  Vermont.  Dr. 
Belknap  was  appointed  by  Governor  Pin- 
gree,  of  Michigan,  on  the  28th  of  April, 
1897,  serving  as  a  member  of  the  board  of 
health  for  six  years,  since  which  time  he 
has  taken  an  active  part  in  the  board  of  edu- 
cational work,  especially  along  the  line  of 
sanitary  conventions  held  in  various  parts 
of  the  state  under  the  auspices  of  the  board. 
He  has  written  several  papers  upon  the 
question  of  public  health,  the  most  recent 
of  which  is  one  entitled  Healthy  Homes, 
which  was  read  at  the  sanitary  convention 
of  Tawas  City,  Michigan,  in  January,  1898, 
in  which  he  deals  with  the  sanitary  location, 
construction  and  care  of  the  home.  His 
time  as  a  member  on  the  state  board  of 
health  expired  on  the  ist  of  February,  1903. 

In  April  of  the  preceding  year  Dr.  Belk- 
nap removed  from  Niles  to  Benton  Harbor, 
where  he  has  practiced  continuously  since, 
becoming  the  successor  of  the  late  Dr.  John 
Bell,  who  was  one  of  the  oldest  among  the 
leading  physicians  of  the  city.  Dr.  Belknap 
has  been  accorded  a  liberal  practice,  his  repu- 
tation having  preceded  him,  while  his  ability 
has  been  demonstrated  in  his  methods  ^  of 
handling  important  cases  entrusted  to  him. 

On  the  26th  of  December,  1888,  occurred 
the  marriage  of  Dr.  Belknap  and  Miss 
Mabel  Brown,  a  native  of  Vermont  and  a 
daughter  of  Halsey  Brown,  who  is  a  promi- 
nent citizen  of  the  Green  Mountain  state. 
The  w^edding  was  celebrated  in  Northfield, 


Vermont,  and  has  been  blessed  with  one 
son,  Robert  B.  Belknap,  who  was  born  in 
Niles.  The  doctor  and  his  wife  are  ac- 
corded a  prominent  social  position  in  Ben- 
ton Harbor.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican 
and  fraternally  is  connected  with  the  Ma- 
sons, Knights  of  Pythias,  Maccabees  and 
Woodmen.  Possessed  of  a  studious  nature 
and  laudable  ambition  he  has  made  constant 
progress  in  the  line  of  his  profession  and  his 
life  has  been  one  of  eminent  service  crowned 
with  professional  honors  and  success. 

MILTON  THOMPSON  CAREY,  M. 
D.,  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and 
surgery  in  Benton  Harbor,  was  born  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1867.  His  father,  Dr. 
Milton  Thompson  Carey,  Sr.,  was  born  in 
Shelby  county,  Ohio,  and  prepared  for  his 
profession  as  a  student  in  the  Medical  Col- 
lege of  Ohio,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
as  a  member  of  the  class  of  185 1.  Through- 
out his  entire  professional  career  he  re- 
mained in  Ohio  and  his  splendid  qualifica- 
tions and  devotion  to  his  chosen  calling  made 
him  one  of  the  most  successful  members  of 
the  medical  fraternity  in  his  part  of  his 
state.  His  patronage  was  extensive  and  he 
was  thus  enabled  to  leave  his  family  a  large 
estate  when  in  1901,  at  the  age  of  seventy 
years,  he  was  called  to  his  final  rest.  At 
the  time  of  the  Civil  war  he  had  espoused 
the  cause  of  the  Union  and  went  to  the  front. 
At  the  battle  of  Shiloh  at  Pittsburg  Land- 
ing, he  was  captured  and  was  confined  in 
prison  for  some  time.  He  served  as  surgeon 
of  the  Forty-second  Ohio  Infantry  with  the 
rank  of  major  and  rendered  valuable  aid  to 
the  ill  and  wounded  soldiers  of  that  com- 
mand. When  the  war  was  over  he  returned 
to  his  native  state,  locating  at  Cincinnati, 
Hamilton  county,  where  he  successfully 
practiced  for  many  years.  He  was  also  ac- 
tive and  influential  in  community  affairs 
and  served  as  coroner  of  the  county  both 
before  and  after  the  war.  He  married  Miss 
Cornelia  Burnet,  who  was  born  in  Mount 
Pleasant,  Ohio,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
sixty-four  years.  In  the  family  were  four 
children,  one  of  whom  has  now  passed  away. 
Those  still  living  are:  Mrs.  D.  T.  Wil- 
liams, a  resident  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  Mrs. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


367 


Lydia  K.  Davis,  who  makes  her  home  in 
Boston,  Massachusetts;  and  Milton  T.,  of 
this  review. 

In  his  boyhood  days  Dr.  Carey  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor  was  a  pubHc  school  student  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  prepared  for  a  life 
of  service  in  behalf  of  his  fellow  men  by  a 
thorough  course  of  study  in  the  Medical  Col- 
lege of  Ohio,  of  which  he  is  an  alumnus  of 
1888.  His  father  had  graduated  from  the 
same  school  thirty-seven  years  before.  Dr. 
Carey  located  for  practice  in  his  native  city, 
where  he  remained  until  1902,  when  on  ac- 
count of  the  health  of  his  wife  he  removed 
to  Michigan,  settling  in  Benton  Harbor.  He 
has  a  well  equipped  office  here  for  scientific 
practice  and  he  is  thoroughly  in  touch  with 
modern  thought  concerning  the  principles 
and  practices  of  medicine  and  surgery.  His 
judgment  is  seldom,  if  ever,  at  fault  in  his 
diagnosis  of  a  case  or  in  foretelling  the  out- 
come of  disease.  With  a  conscientious 
sense  of  the  obligation  that  devolves  upon 
the  physician  he  has  performed  his  profes- 
sional labors  and  his  efforts  when  viewed 
from  both  a  scientific  and  financial  stand- 
point have  been  gratifying. 

Dr.  Carey  finds  pleasure  and  recreation 
in  the  management  of  his  excellent  fruit 
farm,  which  he  purchased  in  1896.  It  com- 
prises thirty  acres  of  land  at  what  is  called 
Twelve  Corners  in  Hagar  township,  and 
here  he  has  fine  orchards  which  almost  each 
year  yield  bountiful  crops.  He  also  has  a 
fine  poultry  house,  which  is  fitted  up  in 
modern  style  and  he  raises  some  of  the  best 
breeds  of  poultry.  He  is  also  a  great  lover 
of  dogs  and  has  at  his  home  forty-five  or 
more  valuable  thoroughbred  dogs.  He  also 
breeds  them  and  obtains  high  prices  for 
them.  His  kennels  contain  greyhounds, 
Pomeranine,  fox  terriers,  Chihuahua  (a 
Mexican  breed)  and  French  and  Russian 
poodles,  all  of  fine  pedigree. 

In  September,  1902,  Dr.  Carey  was  mar- 
ried at  Fishkill  Landing,  New  York,  to  Miss 
Dolly  Watson,  who,  however,  was  a  native 
of  the  west.  They  occupy  a  prominent  social 
position  and  the  social  functions  of  their 
own  home  are  greatly  enjoyed  by  many 
friends.  In  politics  Dr.  Carey  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  was  recognized  as  a  leader  in  party 


ranks  in  Cincinnati,  where  he  held  various 
offices  of  trust,  but  since  his  removal  to 
Michigan  has  largely  left  political  service 
to  others,  however,  keeping  well  informed 
on  all  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  clay. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Knights  f  Pythias 
fraternity  at  Cincinnati  and  in  the  line  of  his 
profession  he  is  connected  with  Ohio  Medi- 
cal Society,  the  Alumni  Association  of  the 
Ohio  Medical  College^  and  is  a  member  of 
the  American  Medical  Association.  His 
is  a  well  rounded  nature,  not  so  abnormally 
developed  in  any  direction  as  to  become  a 
genius  and  yet  showing  that  strength  of 
character  and  firm  purpose  which  assures 
success  in  any  undertaking  and  proves  a 
valuable  factor  in  public  as  well  as  private 
life. 

CHARLES  NEWTON  SOWERS, 
physician  and  surgeon  of  Benton  Harbor, 
was  born  in  Corsica,  Pennsylvania,  Novem- 
ber 10,  1859,  his  parents  being  Franklin  H. 
and  Susan  (McDonald)  Sowers.  The  father, 
a  native  of  Armstrong  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, died  in  Oceana  county,  Michigan,  in 
October,  1901,  in  his  seventy-fifth  year.  He 
possessed  natural  mechanical  ingenuity  and 
became  a  carpenter  and  contractor.  In  1864 
he  removed  from  the  Keystone  state  to 
Michigan,  and  on  arriving  in  this  state  he 
purchased  a  farm  in  Van  Buren  county,  af- 
ter which  he  carried  on  general  agricultural 
pursuits  in  connection  with  his  business  as  a 
contractor.  He  resided  upon  that  farm  until 
1882,  when  he  retired,  spending  his  remain- 
ing days  upon  a  farm  at  Hart,  Oceana  coun- 
ty, Michigan.  He  was  very  active  in  town- 
ship affairs,  served  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board,  was  also  supervisor,  school  inspector 
and  township  health  officer.  In  his  political 
views  he  was  a  stalwart  Republican,  and  his 
activity  in  behalf  of  public  progress  was  a 
tangible  element  in  general  development  and 
improvement.  His  wife,  who  was  born 
in  Jefferson  county,  Pennsylvania,  is  still 
living,  making  her  home  with  a  daughter  in 
Cass  county,  Michigan,  and  also  spending  a 
part  of  her  time  with  her  other  children.  In 
the  family  were  five  children,  of  whom  four 
are  yet  living:  Mrs.  Alice  Wheaton,  who 
resides  in    Cass    county,    Michigan;    Mrs. 


368 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Elizabeth  Yund,  whose  home  is  at  Three 
Rivers,  Michigan;  Charles  Newton;  and 
Samuel  E.,  a  farmer  of  Oceana  county. 

Dr.  Sowers  of  this  review  was  only  five 
years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Michigan  with 
his  parents.     He  was  reared  to  manhood  in 
Hamilton,  Van  Buren  county,  where  he  at- 
tended the  district  schools,  and  was  also  a 
public  school  student  in  Decatur,  Michigan. 
He  afterward  engaged  in  teaching  in  Van 
Buren  county  and  followed  the  same  profes- 
sion in  Oceana  county,  subsequent  to  the  re- 
moval of  the  family  to  that  district.     He 
likewise  served  as    county    school    commis- 
sioner  for  three  succeeding  terms,  on  the 
expiration  of  which  period  he  resigned  in 
order  to  become  a  student  in  the  University 
of  Michigan.     He  then  entered  the  literary 
department,  having  pursued  this  course  as 
a  preparation  for  his  more  advanced  profes- 
sional training.     Matriculating  in  the  medi- 
cal   department,    he    pursued    the    regular 
course  and  was   graduated  in  June,    1893, 
from  the  medical  department  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan. 

On  leaving  college  Dr.  Sowers  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  surgeon  in  the  iron  mines 
at  Lamore,  Virginia,  where  he  remained 
for  several  months,  after  which  he  returned 
to  Michigan  and  entered  into  partnership 
with  Dr.  G.  O.  Switzer.  They  located  at 
Pentwater,  Michigan,  where  they  remained 
for  a  year,  and  in  the  spring  of  1895,  Dr. 
Sowers  came  to  Benton  Harbor,  where  he 
opened  his  ofifice.  He  has  met  with  much 
success  in  his  practice,  which  has  constantly 
grown  in  volume  and  importance,  as  he  has 
become  recognized  as  a  most  able  member 
of  the  profession.  He  belongs  to  the  Ber- 
rien County  Medical  Association,  of  which 
he  formerly  served  as  president,  and  he  is 
likewise  a  member  of  the  Michigan  State 
Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical 
Association. 

Dr.  Sowers  was  married  in  1897,  in 
Pentwater,  Michigan,  to  Miss  Homaria  A. 
Bouton.  She  was  born  in  Pentwater.  They 
are  prominent  socially  here  and  Dr.  Sowers 
is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason.  He  also  has 
membership  relations  with  the  Woodmen  of 
America  and  in  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 


His  entire  life  has  been  devoted  to  profes- 
sional labor,  wherein  merit  and  ability  ob- 
tain advancement,  progress  being  gained 
through  no  other  methods..  He  has  ever 
been  a  deep  and  earnest  student  of  the  prin- 
ciples and  practices  of  medicines  since  de- 
termining upon  this  calling  as  a  life  work 
and  his  close  adherence  to  a  high  standard 
of  professional  ethics  has  won  him  the  un- 
qualified regard  of  his  brethren  of  the  medi- 
cal fraternity. 

GEORGE  J.  EDGCUMBE,  A.  M.,  Ph. 
D.,  principal  of  the  Benton  Harbor  College 
and  Normal  and  widely  known  as  one  of  the 
capable  educators  of  southwestern  Michigan, 
was  born  near  Plymouth,  England,  on  the 
17th  of  November,  1844,  a  son  of  William 
and  Eliza   (Jayne)    Edgcumbe.     His  early 
youth  was  passed  in  the  place  of  his  nativity, 
where  he  enjoyed    exceptional    educational 
advantages,  his  studies  being  carried  on  with 
some  of  the  most  noted  teachers  of  Eng- 
land as  his  preceptors.      He  was  an    apt, 
earnest   and   thorough   student  and   availed 
himself  to  the  utmost  of  his  opportunities, 
thus  acquiring  through  diligence  and  study 
in  his  youth  a  broad  knowledge,  not  only 
of  the  text-books   that  were  placed   in  his 
hands,   but   also   of  historical   subjects   and 
general  topics  of  interest.  Pie  was  graduated 
from  Toronto  University  in  1875,  and  later 
from  the  Wesleyan  University  in   Illinois, 
which  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  Ph. 
D.     At  the  age  of  six  years  he  had  been 
brought  by  his  parents  to  America,  the  fam- 
ily   home    being   established     in     Toronto, 
Canada. 

in  1876  Professor  Edgcumbe  came  to 
Michigan,  locating  at  Deerfield,  Lenawee 
county,  where  he  engaged  in  teaching  school 
for  five  years.  Later,  in  1883,  he  came  to 
Benton  Harbor  and  accepted  the  superin- 
tendency  of  the  city  schools,  in  which  capa- 
city he  continued  to  serve  for  three  years. 
While  occupying  that  position  he  effected 
many  improvements  in  the  character  of  the 
branches  taught,  as  w^ell  as  in  the  methods 
of  instruction,  and  succeeded  in  placing  the 
schools  upon  a  substantial  and  most  grati- 
fying basis.     Realizing  the  need  of  instruc- 


i 


^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


369 


ttoii  along  other  lines  than  those  taught  in 
the  pubhc  schools,  that  the  young  people 
might  be  trained  through  special  prepara- 
tion for  the  different  walks  of  life  in  which 
they  might  gain  a  livelihood,  he  founded,  in 
1886,  the  Benton  Harbor  Normal  and  Col- 
legiate Institute,  which  he  conducted  with  a 
constantly  increasing  attendance  until  1892, 
when  the  school  was  incorporated  under  the 
name  of  the  Benton  Harbor  College  and 
Normal.  The  incorporators  were  G.  J. 
Edgcumbe,  Seeley  McCord,  George  M.  Val- 
entine, Rev.  S.  H.  Edgcumbe,  Rev.  E.  B. 
Patterson,  S.  A,  Bailey  and  James  Baley. 
These  gentlemen  also  became  the  directors 
of  the  institution.  Mr.  McCord  had  been 
connected  with  Mr.  Edgeumcbe.in  the  con- 
duct of  the  Benton  Harbor  Normal-  and 
Collegiate  Institute  from  1886  until  the  in- 
corporation, and  was  active  in  the,  establish- 
ment and  management  of  the  latter  institu- 
tion. Mr.  Edgcumbe  was  chosen  president 
and  Mr.  McCord  secretary  and  treasurer. 
At  the  present  writing,  in  1906,  the  officers 
are  :  George  J.  Edgcumbe,  president ;  J.  H. 
Niz,  secretary;  and  Fred  A.  Hobbs,  treas- 
urer. These  gentlemen,  together  with  J.  C. 
Caldwell,  C.  M.  Edick  and  Dr.  George  M. 
Bell,  constitute  the  board  of  directors.  The 
school  is  most  thoroughly  organized  and  has 
made  rapid  strides  in  the  lines  of  advance- 
ment and  improvement  from  the  beginning. 
There  are  now  normal,  kindergarten,  col- 
legiate, business,  elocution,  music,  fine  arts, 
stenographic  and  preparatory  departments, 
in  all  of  which  there  are  a  large  number  of 
students  enrolled.  The  character  of  the 
school  may  be  understood  at  once  from 
the  fact  that  it  is  one  of  the  regularly 
accredited  preparatory  schools  to  the  state 
university  in  all  courses.  Its  building  is 
a  fine,  large  structure,  pleasantly  located, 
and  is  well  prepared  to  meet  the  de- 
mands for  education  along  special  lines,  fit- 
ting the  student  for  further  collegiate  work 
or  for  the  duties  of  a  practical  business 
career.  From  the  beginning  the  school  has 
been  popular  and  has  made  consecutive  pro- 
gress, its  enrollment  being  continually  en- 
larged, its  facilities  extended  and  its  meth- 
ods of  instruction  improved.     Its  students 

24 


have  been  admitted  without  examination  to 
all  courses  of  the  Michigan  University, 
Wellesley  College,  Northwestern  University 
and  other  famous  institutions  of  learning. 
Beginning  with  the  academic  year  of  1892-3 
the  institution  has  been  conducted  under  its 
collegiate  charter.  The  institution  is  de- 
pendent entirely  upon  its  merits  for  exis^ 
tence  and  without  endowment  save  that  o£ 
energy  and  integrity  its  continued  support 
depends  upon  nothing  but  skillful  manage- 
ment and  superior  facilities.  Its  large  en- 
rollment therefore  is  ample  evidence  of  Its 
efficiency.  There  is  an  excellent  corps  of 
teachers  employed,  each  thorough  in  his  par- 
ticular department  and  the  work  done  is 
most  satisfactorily. 

In  1876  Professor  Edgcumbe  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Victoria  C.  Bolster,  a  native  of 
Canada,  who  has  charge  of  the  kindergar- 
ten department  of  the  college,  having  pre- 
viously prepared  herself  for  this  special  line 
of  work.  She  is  a  very  capable  woman,  of 
good  intellectual  endowments  and  literary 
culture,  and  her  great  personal  interest  in 
the  little  ones  who  come  under  her  instruc- 
tion make  her  a  most  successful  teacher. 

In  his  political  views  Professor  Edg- 
cumbe is  a  Republican.  He  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  are 
deeply  interested  in  the  moral  development 
and  aesthetic  and  social  culture  of  the  com- 
munity as  well  as  its  intellectual  develop- 
ment. They  have  seven  times  crossed  the 
ocean  and  while  visiting  many  points  of 
historic,  modern  and  scenic  interest  have 
also  attended  lectures  and  visited  schools 
and  colleges  abroad,  keeping  in  thorough 
touch  with  the  various  lines  of  intellectual 
work.  Professor  Edgcumbe  has  given  to 
Benton  Harbor  an  institution  of  learning  of 
which  the  city  has  every  reason  to  be  proud, 
and  his  labor  has  been  of  direct  benefit  to 
many  hundreds  of  students  who  have  come 
under  his  instruction. 

M.  G.  METRAS  is  a  well  known 
resident  of  Bainbridge  township.  He  has 
usually  been  known  by  the  name  of  Mer- 
ritt^  G.  Metras  but  because  of  the  con- 
fusion occasioned  by  the  fact  that  his  uncle 


270 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


bears  the  same  name  he  has  again  taken  the 
name  by  which  he  was  christened,  MaGloire 
Metras.  He  was  born  at  St.  Remi,  near 
Montreal,  Canada,  September  i,  1835.  His 
father,  Peter  Metras,  was  born,  hved  and 
died  in  Canada  and  represented  one  of  the 
early  French  families  there.  Three  of  his 
brothers,  Joseph,  Paul  and  Mitchell,  set- 
tled in  Berrien  county.  There  were  eight 
brothers  altogether  in  the  family  and  they 
were  patriots,  active  in  the  Revolution  of 
1837-8,  because  of  which  some  of  the  num- 
ber emigrated  from  Canada  to  the  United 
States.  Joseph  Metras  came  in  1836,  set- 
tling in  Berrien  county,  where  he  spent  his 
remaining  days.  Mitchell  Metras  arrived 
in  1838,  locating  in  the  same  locality,  and 
later  Paul  Metras  came  and  settled  as  a 
neighbor  to  his  brother  Joseph.  Subse- 
quently he  removed  to  Watervliet,  where  he 
passed  away.  The  last  survivor  of  the  three 
brothers  was  Paul  Metras,  who  died  when 
about  seventy-three  years  of  age,  Mitchell 
having  passed  away  first,  while  Joseph  died 
at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  Of  the 
eight  brothers  in  the  family  the  youngest 
at  the  time  of  death  was  sixty  years  of  age, 
while  the  eldest  reached  the  age  of  eighty- 
four  years. 

M.  G.  Metras,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  remained  a  resident  of  Canada 
to  the  age  of  nineteen  years.  He  attended 
school  at  St.  Edwards,  where  he  pursued  a 
classical  course  and  studied  Latin  and  Eng- 
lish. He  began  teaching  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enteen, having  charge  of  a  primary  school 
in  his  parish.  His  last  year  in  college  was 
devoted  to  the  mastery  of  the  English  lan- 
guage, whereby  he  prepared  himself  for 
American  citizenship.  He  came  to  Michigan 
in  1854,  settling  in  Berrien  county.  His  of- 
fice, however,  in  the  United  States  was  as 
bookkeeper  for  a  railroad  company  in  Indi- 
ana. The  college  at  Notre  Dame  offered  to 
allow  him  to  pursue  a  course  of  study  in 
that  institution  if  he  would  teach  classes  in 
French  but  he  wished  to  become  an  active 
factor  in  business  circles  and  he  declined 
the  ofifer.  He  acted  as  bookkeeper  for  a 
railroad  contractor  for  two  years,  or  until 
the  contract  was  completed  for  the  building 


of  the  line  between  Plymouth  and  Laporte, 
Indiana.  He  received  forty  dollars  per 
month  and  his  board  for  his  services  and 
was  favored  by  the  contractor,  who  was  a 
French-Canadian,  and  he  becoming  dis- 
abled gave  the  supervision  of  the  work  there 
to  Mr.  Metras  for  a  period  of  six  months. 
He  thus  had  fifty  Irishmen  under  his  charge 
when  but  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He 
saved  his  money,  invested  it  in  property  in 
South  Bend,  Indiana,  and  lived  there  for 
two  years.  In  1858  he  returned  to  Berrien 
county  and  purchased  the  land  upon  which 
he  now  resides.  The  contractor  by  whom 
he  was  employed  wished  him  tO'  come  to  the 
west  in  connection  with  railroad  building, 
but  not  desiring  to  do  this  he  decided  to  lo- 
cate upon  his  farm,  comprising  eighty  acres 
of  land  on  section  28,  Bainbridge  township, 
for  w^hich  he  had  paid  ten  dollars  per 
acre.  Of  this  tract  twenty  acres  had 
been  cleared  but  no  buildings  had  been 
erected.  In  March,  1858,  he  took  up  his 
abode  thereon,  built  a  plank  house  and  has 
since  lived  upon  the  farm.  His  home  w^as 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1859,  together  with  all 
its  contents,  save  the  clothing  which  the 
family  wore.  With  characteristic  energy, 
however,  he  erected  a  new  residence  and 
resolutely  undertook  the  task  of  developing 
and  improving  a  good  farm.  In  1857  his 
father  visited  him  and  induced  him  later  to 
return  to  Canada,  which  he  did  in  the  fall  of 

1 864,  but  returned  to  Michigan  about  May  i, 

1865,  and  again  took  up  his  abode  upon  his 
farm.  The  home  property  in  Canada 
amounted  to  about  six  thousand  dollars, 
which  he  would  have  inherited  had  he  re- 
mained, but  even  with  that  prospect  he  pre- 
ferred to  leave  his  native  country  and  come 
again  to  his  farm  in  Michigan.  He  soon 
began  to  raise  fruit  here,  planting  sixteen 
or  seventeen  acres  to  peaches,  which  had 
just  begun  to  bear  when  the  yellows  de- 
stroyed the  trees.  He  had  also  set  out  ap- 
ples, however,  so  that  he  had  an  income 
from  his  fruit  and  subsequently  he  planted 
more  peach  orchards.  As  his  financial  re- 
sources increased  he  also  began  to  buy  more 
land,  adding  to  his  original  purchase  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres,  one  hundred  and 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


371 


thirty-five  acres,  in  Pipestone,  township, 
while  the  home  farm  comprises  one  hun- 
dred and  tw^enty  acres  in  Bainbridge  tow^n- 
ship.  He  has  improved  all  of  his  land,  hav- 
ing placq:!  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  alto- 
gether under  cultivation.  On  his  home  place 
he  has  about  fifty-five  acres  in  fruit,  includ- 
ing peaches,  apples,  pears  and  grapes.  In 
1905,  wdien  the  apple  crop  was  a  partial 
failure,  his  sales  amounted  to  seventeen  hun- 
dred and  seventy-six  dollars  and  his  entire 
sales  of  fruit  were  over  forty-three  hundred 
dollars.  His  farm  lies  nine  miles  east  and 
south  of  Benton  Harbor  and  is  an  excellent 
property. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Metras  has 
been  classed  as  a  Democrat  but  is  not 
strictly  partisan.  Imbued  with  a  love  of  his 
adopted  country  he  has  great  admiration  for 
Lincoln,  Garfield,  Sumner  and  other  promi- 
nent leaders  in  public  life.  He  became  a 
follow^er  of  Greeley  in  1872  and  he  now^ 
gives  his  support  to  either  Republican  or 
Democratic  candidates  as  he  sees  fit,  being 
independent  in  politics  as  well  as  in  religion. 
He  has  reared  his  family,  how^ever,  wdthin 
the  church,  being  a  liberal  Catholic.  Mr. 
Metras  has  served  as  justice  of  the  peace 
for  eight  years,  and  for  six  years  w^as  towai- 
ship  clerk,  in  both  positions  discharging  his 
duties  so  as  to  win  the  commendation  of  all 
concerned. 

Mr.  Metras  was  married  at  South  Bend, 
Indiana,  in  1856^  to  Miss  Mary  ].  Lacase, 
a  niece  of  the  contractor  wdth  whom  he 
worked  on  first  coming  to  the  United  States. 
She  w^as  born  at  Rochester,  New  York,  of 
Canadian  parents,  and  by  their  marriage 
they  have  had  a  family  of  three  sons  and 
four  daughters  :  Louise  Josephine ;  Euphons- 
ine;  L.  H.,  who  has  engaged  in  teaching 
for  six  years,  being  five  years  superintend- 
ent of  the  schools  at  Hartford,  Michigan, 
wdiile  at  the  present  writing  he  is  following 
his  profession  in  the  State  of  Washington; 
Ellen,  at  home;  Elmer,  who  is  living  on  his 
father's  farm  in  Pipestone  township;  and 
Alphonse  and  Emma,  also  at  home.  All 
were  born  upon  the  home  farm  in  Bain- 
bridge township.  Mr.  Metras  is  a  worthy 
representative  of  that  class  of  American  citi- 


zens who,  though  born  across  the  border, 
have  been  attracted  by  business  opportunities 
to  the  United  States  with  its  livelier  compe- 
tition and  advancement  more  quickly  se- 
cured. Here  he  has  found  ample  scope  for 
his  industry,  ambition  and  energy,  his 
dominant  qualities,  and  as  the  years  have 
gone  by  he  has  made  an  excellent  record  as 
a  business  man  and  citizen. 

JOHN  C.  BOSTICK,  M.  D.,  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  in  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  was  born  in  Indiana  in  1858. 
His  father,  Dr.  Charles  H.  Bostick,  for  many 
years  a  practicing  physician,  was  born  in 
Batavia,  New  York,  in  1826,  and  died  in 
Manton,  Michigan,  in  1891.  He  was  a  grad- 
uate of  the  Eclectic  Medical  Institute  at  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  of  the  class  of  1856,  and  lo- 
cated for  practice  in  Indiana,  wdiere  he  re- 
mained for  some  time,  when  on  account  of 
ill  health  he  came  to  Michigan,  settling  upon 
a  farm  near  New  Troy.  The  outdoor  life 
proved  beneficial,  and  when  he  had  recup- 
erated he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  New  Troy,  wdiere  he  continued 
his  w^ork  until  retiring  from  business  life  he 
removed  to  Manton,  where  his  remaining 
days  were  passed.  He  married  Miss  Sarah 
A.  Merrifield,  who  w^as  born  in  New  York 
and  came  w4th  her  parents  to  Michigan  in 
1845,  ^he  family  setthng  at  what  is  now 
called  Coloma,  Berrien  county.  In  the  fam- 
ily of  Dr.  Charles  H.  and  Sarah  A.  Bos- 
tick W'Cre  ten  children,  but  six  of  the  num- 
ber have  been  called  from  this  life.  Those 
who  still  survive  are:  Mrs.  F.  R.  Atw^ood, 
a  resident  of  Montrose,  South  Dakota ;  John 
C,  of  this  review;  Charles  H.,  who  is  living 
in  Manton,  Michigan;  and  Lihian,  the  wife 
of  H.  G.  Hutzler,  of  the  same  city. 

Dr.  Bostick  was  reared  to  manhood  at 
New  Troy,  Michigan,  where  he  acquired  his 
early  education,  passing  through  successive 
grades  until  he  had  become  a  high  school 
student  and  graduated  there.  When  it  be- 
came necessary  that  he  make  choice  of  a  life 
work  he  determined  to  engage  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  and  followed  his  preliminary 
reading  by  study  in  Bennett  Medical  Col- 
lege at  Chicago,  Illinois,  from  which  he  was 


Z7^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


graduated  with  the  class  of  1881.  He  then 
opened  an  office  in  Manton,  where  he  prac- 
ticed with  much  success  until  1892,  when 
seeking  a  still  broader  field  of  labor  he  came 
to  Benton  Harbor  and  opened  an  office. 
Those  who  know  him — and  he  has  a  wide 
acquaintance — recognize  his  high  standing 
in  professional  circles.  He  is  well  informed 
concerning  the  principles  of  the  medical 
science  and  he  engages  in  general  practice, 
but  makes  a  specialty  of  the  use  of  electricity 
in  his  work. 

Dr.  Bostick  was  married  in  1884,  in 
Coldwater,  Michigan,  to  Miss  Clara  L. 
Saunders,  who  was  born  in  that  city.  They 
now  have  two  sons :  J.  Glenn  and  Harold 
G.,  both  of  whom  are  natives  of  Manton. 
Dr.  Bostick  is  a  Republican  but  without  po- 
litical aspiration.  He  holds  membership  in 
Lake  Shore  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Malta 
Commandery,  K.  T.,  both  of  Benton  Har- 
bor, and  also  in  the  chapter  of  St.  Joseph, 
Michigan.  He  likewise  affiliates  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Maccabees  and  the 
Modern  Woodmen.  During  the  years  of 
his  practice  he  has  closely  studied,  keeping 
in  touch  with  the  progress  of  the  medical 
fraternity,  whose  rapid  advancement  ^  has 
been  unsurpassed  in  any  line  of  professional 
activity  and  investigation. 

CAPTAIN  SAMUEL  BOUGHTER, 
who  won  his  title  by  valiant  service  in  the 
Civil  war,  is  now  a  conductor  for  the  Big 
Four  Railroad  Company  and  one  of  the 
trusted  representatives  of  that  corporation. 
His  birth  occurred  in  Carlisle,  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  1835,  his  parents  being  Samuel 
and  Mary  Jane  (Byers)  Boughter,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  the  Keystone  state 
and  died  there  during  the  early  youth  of 
their  son  Samuel.  In  his  boyhood  days 
Captain  Boughter  pursued  his  education  in 
one  of  the  old-time  log  school  houses  at 
Carlisle,  Pennsylvania,  and  when  eighteen 
years  of  age  he  w^ent  to  Indiana,  where  he 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  following  that 
pursuit  until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
war.  He  had  watched  with  interest  the  pro- 
gress of  events  in  the  south,  had  noted  the 
threatening   attitude   Oif   the   slave  holding 


states  and  his  patriotic  spirit  was  aroused 
by  the  attempt  to  overthrow  the  Union.  Ac- 
cordingly in  1 86 1  he  joined  Company  F  of 
the  Twelfth  Indiana  Infantry  as  a  private 
for  one  year's  service.  On  the  expiration 
of  that  period  he  re-enlisted  in  the  same  reg- 
iment, which  was  then  re-organized,  once 
more  entering  the  ranks,  but  in  May,  1862, 
he  was  promoted  on  the  field  to  first  lieu- 
tenant in  recognition  of  meritorious  service 
in  battle.  In  June,  1862,  he  was  appointed 
captain  of  his  company  and  in  May,  1865^ 
he  was  brevetted  major.  His  second  term 
of  enlistment  was  for  three  years,  and  he 
continued  at  the  front  until  June,  1865,  when 
the  war  having  ended  he  was  mustered  out 
at  Indianapolis  at  the  close  of  hostilities. 
He  made  a  creditable  record  as  a  soldier,  do- 
ing his  full  duty  at  all  times  and  under  all 
circumstances  and  his  own  bravery  and 
loyalty  often  inspired  the  members  of  his 
company  to  deeds  of  valor  and  heroism. 

When  the  war  was  over  Captain  Bough- 
ter went  to  Warsaw,  Indiana,  and  worked 
as  a  shoveler  on  the  grade  of  the  Cincinnati, 
Wabash  &  Michigan  Railroad,  now  a  part 
of  the  Big  Four  system,  which  was  then  be- 
ing built.  He  continued  in  construction 
work  for  four  years,  when  he  received  an 
appointment  to  the  position  of  freight  con- 
ductor, running  between  Anderson  and 
Goshen,  Indiana.  He  remained  in  that  ca- 
pacity until  January,  1880,  when  in  an  ac- 
cident he  was  crippled.  On  the  23rd  of 
August,  1880,  he  was  appointed  passenger 
conductor,  which  position  he  still  fills,  hav- 
ing remained  continuously  with  the  com- 
pany, and  since  1884  he  has  made  his  home 
in  Benton  Harbor.  He  is  one  of  the  oldest 
employes  in  years  of  continued  service  for 
the  Big  Four  Railroad  Company  and  has  the 
entire  confidence  and  trust  of  those  whom 
he  represents.  In  his  service  he  is  ever 
courteous  and  obliging  to  the  patrons  of  the 
road  and  has  won  many  friends  among  those 
who  regularly  travel  over  his  route. 

In  1866  Captain  Boughter  was  married, 
in  Goshen,  Indiana,  to  Miss  Mary  H.  Er- 
vin,  a  native  of  that  state.  They  have  two 
children:  William  E.,  who  was  born  in 
Warsaw,  Indiana,  and  married  Mrs.  Jessie 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


373 


(Kelly)  Ormich,  of  Benton  Harbor;  and 
Elizabeth  C,  who  was  also  born  in  War- 
saw. Captain  Boughter  has  never  seen  rea- 
son to  transfer  his  allegiance  from  the  Re- 
publican party  since  he  gave  to  it  his  first 
presidential  vote  when  age  conferred  upon 
him  the  right  of  franchise.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  lodge,  No.  73,  at  Warsaw, 
Indiana,  also  the  Grand  Army  Post  at  that 
place  and  the  Elks  lodge.  No.  544,  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor.  His  record  has  been  a  credit- 
able one  and  his  military  service  is  a  chapter 
in  his  life  history  of  which  he  has  every  rea- 
son to  be  proud.  In  business  affairs,  too,  he 
has  been  notably  prompt  and  reliable  and  is 
a  man  who  has  displayed  many  excellent 
traits  of  character,  making  him  worthy  of 
the  esteem  and  confidence  of  all  who  have 
regard  for  sterling  worth. 

FRANK  B.  MOORE,  a  dry  goods  mer- 
chant of  Benton  Harbor,  whose  business 
career  has  been  one  of  continuous  advance- 
ment, was  born  in  Michigan  in  1867.  His 
paternal  grandfather  was  William  Moore, 
a  native  of  Scotland,  who,  on  crossing  the 
Atlantic  took  up  his  abode  in  Canada,  His 
son,  William  J.  Moore,  was  born  m  Scot- 
land and  was  a  young  lad  at  the  time  of  the 
emigration  of  the  family  to  America.  The 
voyage  was  made  upon  a  sailing  vessel  and 
he  was  reared  to  manhood  in  Canada,  where 
he  remained  until  after  the  close  of  the  Civil 
war,  when  he  came  to  Michigan,  settling  in 
Huron  county.  A  carpenter  by  trade,  he 
afterward  became  a  contractor  and  builder 
and  followed  that  pursuit  in  the  eastern  part 
of  Michigan.  He  married  Miss  Elsie  Smith, 
who  died  when  forty-seven  years  of  age, 
and  the  death  of  Mr.  Moore  occurred  when 
he  was  seventy  years  of  age.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  six  children,  of  whom  five  are  liv- 
ing :  Mrs.  Elizabeth  McKinney,  who  resides 
in  Spokane,  Washington;  Mrs.  Agnes  Hol- 
setin,  a  resident  of  Port  Hope,  Michigan; 
Mrs.  Elsie  Bisbee,  who  is  also  living  in  Port 
Hope;  Frank  B.,  of  Benton  Harbor;  and 
Hira  C,  a  resident  of  Columbiaville,  Mich- 
igan. 

Frank  B.  Moore  pursued  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  Port  Hope  and  in  Berrien 


University  School,  and  when  he  had  put 
aside  his  text-books  to  enter  upon  an  active 
business  career  he  accepted  the  position  of 
bookkeeper  in  the  employ  of  W.  R.  Staf- 
ford, of  Port  Hope.  He  also  had  charge  of 
the.  docks  of  that  firm,  with  which  he  con- 
tinued for  five  years.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years  he  served  as  town  clerk  of  his 
township  and  was  recognized  as  one  of  the 
representative  young  men  of  his  commun- 
ity. He  afterward  became  buyer  and  man- 
ager of  the  William  Peters  large  general 
store  at  Columbus,  Michigan,  where  he  con- 
tinued for  five  years,  after  which  he  was 
with  L.  F.  Burdick  at  Sturgis,  Michigan, 
having  charge  of  the  dry  goods  department 
for  three  years.  Later  he  went  to  Flint, 
Michigan,  where  he  was  wath  E.  Trump  and 
in  1898  he  came  to  Benton  Harbor  as  buyer 
for  Enders  &  Company.  He  had  charge  of 
the  dry  goods  department  of  that  house  for 
three  years,  and  in  1901  he  became  a  partner 
in  the  firm  of  Moore  &  Rowe,  which  rela- 
tion was  maintained  for  a  year,  when  the 
firm  became  Enders,  Moore  &  Company. 
They  also  own  a  branch  store  in  St.  Joseph, 
Michigan,  and  carry  on  a  general  dry  goods 
business,  theirs  being  one  of  the  most  reli- 
able houses  in  the  twin  cities.  Mr.  Moore  has 
had  more  than  twenty  years  experience  in 
the  business  life  and  displays  keen  discrimi- 
nation and  unfaltering  enterprise.  He  read- 
ily recognizes  the  possibilities  of  a  situation 
and  carefully  directs  his  efforts  along  lines 
which  prove  resultant  factors  in  the  control 
of  important  and  successful  business  ven- 
tures. He  has  made  an  enviable  reputation 
for  upright  dealing  and  occupies  today  a 
prominent  place  in  social  circles  in  the  twin 
cities. 

In  1892  in  Flint,  Michigan,  Mr.  Moore 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ida  Finley, 
a  native  of  Flint,  of  this  state.  Unto  them 
have  been  born  two  children :  Estella  A., 
whose  birth  occurred  in  Columbiaville, 
Michigan,  in  1893,  and  Beatrice  A.,  born 
in  Benton  Harbor  in  1903.  The  parents 
hold  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  Mr.  Moore  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  bodies  and  also  has  membership  re- 
lations with  the  Maccabees  and  the  Modern 


374 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Woodmen.  His  political  allegiance  is  given 
to  the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  man  of 
broad  capabilities  as  his  business  history  in- 
dicates. At  all  times  he  is  approachable  and 
patiently  listens  to  whatever  a  caller  may 
have  to  say,  is  ever  courteous  and  is  at-  all 
times  a  gentleman  in  the  truest  and  best 
sense  of  the  term.  He  cares  not  for  noto- 
riety nor  is  there  about  him  the  least  shadov^ 
of  mock  modesty.  Of  fine  address  and 
thorough  culture  he  occupies  an  enviable  po- 
sition in  social  as  well  as  commercial  circles 
and  he  has  the  happy  faculty  of  winning  and 
retaining  friends. 

EUGENE  L.  KRIEGER,  D..  V.  S., 
who,  well  qualified  for  the  practice  of  vet- 
erinary surgery,  is  meeting  with  success  in 
his  chosen  field  of  endeavor,  was  born  in 
Bainbridge  township,  Berrien  county,  in 
1876.  He  comes  of  German  lineage.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  Jacob  Krieger,  was 
born  on  the  Rhine  in  Germany  and  was  there 
married  to  Katherine  Heffner,  a  daughter 
of  Christian  Heffner,  who  died  in  Bain- 
bridge, Michigan,  at  the  very  venerable  age 
of  ninety-four  years.  Subsequent  to  his 
marriage  Jacob  Krieger  crossed  the  Atlantic 
and  made  his  way  to  this  state,  settling  in 
Bainbridge  township,  Berrien  county,  where 
he  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneers  and 
cleared  a  tract  of  wild  land,  which  he  trans- 
formed into  a  very  productive  farm  and 
which  still  remains  in  possession  of  the  fam- 
ily. The  year  of  his  arrival  in  Michigan 
was  1843,  ^^d  he  continued  his  identifica- 
tion with  agricultural  interests  here  up  to 
the  time  of  his  demise,  which  occurred  in 
1880,  when  he  was  sixty-one  years  of  age. 
His  life  was  a  serviceable  one,  for  not  only 
did  he  provide  a  profitable  living  for  his 
family  but  also  through  the  conduct  of  his 
private  business  interests  he  contributed  to 
the  general  improvement  of  the  locality  in 
which  he  lived. 

Charles  W.  Krieger,  father  of  Dr. 
Krieger,  was  born  in  Bainbridge  township 
in  1850  and  is  now  living  in  Kalamazoo 
county.  His  entire  life  has  been  given  to 
agricultural  pursuits.  He  married  Miss 
Henrietta  Buhlinger,  who  was  born  in  Bain- 


bridge township  and  died  there  in  1886  at 
the  age  of  thirty-four  years.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Simon  and  Kate  (Wagner) 
Buhlinger  and  her  mother  was  a  daughter 
of  Jacob  Wagner,  who  was  an  old  settler 
of  the  county.  Simon  Buhlinger  came  from 
Germany  to  Michigan  when  it  was  still 
largely  a  wild  and  unimproved  district  and 
took  up  land  in  the  midst  of  the  green  forest. 
He  then  began  to  clear  away  the  trees  and 
brush  and  in  course  of  years  developed  a 
good  farm.  His  home  was  also  in  Bain- 
bridge township,  where  he  continued  to  make 
his  home  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1882,  when  he  had  reached  the 
age  of  sixty-five  years. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  Dr.  Krieger  is 
descended  from  two  of  the  worthy  pioneer 
families  of  the  county.  He  was  an  only 
child  and  was  reared  in  the  place  of  his  na- 
tivity, spending  his  boyhood  days  under  thet 
parental  roof,  where  he  was  trained  to  habits 
of  industry,  while  in  the  district  schools  he 
acquired  his  more  specifically  literary  edu- 
cation. During  the  periods  of  vacation  he 
worked  in  the  fields  and  continued  upon  the 
farm  until  1893,  when  he  came  to  Benton 
Harbor,  thinking  to  find  urban  life  more 
congenial.  Here  he  entered  the  employ  of 
Antis  Brothers,  grocers  of  this  city,  with 
whom  he  continued  for  some  time.  In  1900, 
however,  he  became  a  student  in  the  veter- 
inary college  at  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan, 
and  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1902,  after 
which  he  opened  an  office  and  began  practice 
in  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  has  continued 
since  with  constantly  increasing  success.  He 
is  well  qualified  for  his  chosen  profession, 
and  his  work  has  been  satisfactory  to  his  pa- 
trons as  well  as  a  good  source  of  remunera- 
tion. 

In  1898  in  Benton  Harbor,  Dr.  Krieger 
was  married  to  Miss  Susie  D.  Rogers,  who 
was  born  in  Sodus  township  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  H.  Rogers.  Her  mother  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Jerusha  Rector  and  was 
a  daughter  of  Daniel  Rector  of  Sodus 
township.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Krieger  have  three 
children :  Lois  M.,  Genevieve  May  and  Vic- 
tor Eugene,  all  born  in  Benton  Harbor. 
The  Doctor  gives  his  political  support  to  the 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


375 


Republican  party  and  the  men  who  are 
pledged  to  uphold  its  principles  and  in  his 
fraternal  relations  he  is  connected  with  Ben- 
ton Harbor  Lodge,  No.  32,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  be- 
ing in  hearty  sympathy  with  its  purposes 
and  exemplifying  in  his  life  its  underlying 
principles. 

DANIEL  GREEN.  The  growth  and 
development  of  any  town  or  city  depends 
upon  the  number,  variety  and  importance  of 
its  business  interests,  and  the  men  who  are 
the  real  promoters  and  upbuilders  of  a  towai 
are  those  who  are  at  the  head  of  its  com- 
mercial and  industrial  interests.  This  class 
includes  Daniel  Green,  who  is  now  carrying 
on  the  largest  draying  and  transfer  business 
of  Benton  Harbor.  He  is  moreover  owner 
of  a  fruit  farm  adjoining  the  city  limits,  and 
in  the  management  of  this  property  is  also 
meeting  with  a  satisfactory  reward.  His 
birth  occurred  in  the  western  part  of  Eng- 
land in  1847,  l^is  parents  being  Daniel  and 
Elizabeth  (Hamley)  Green,  who  spent  their 
entire  life  in  England.  In  their  family 
were  four  children,  but  Daniel  Green  was 
the  only  one  who  came  to  Michigan.  His 
youth  was  passed  in  his  native  country, 
where  he  acquired  his  education,  and  then 
on  attaining  his  majority  he  came  to  the  new 
world.  Prior  to  his  emigration,  however, 
he  went  to  sea,  first  as  cook  and  afterward 
as  seaman,  sailing  before  the  mast  upon  the 
high  seas  for  seven  years.  He  came  to 
Michigan  in  1869,  settling  in  Benton  Har- 
bor, where  he  secured  employment  in  the 
sawmill  of  Martin  Green  &  Company,  while 
later  he  worked  for  J.  H.  Graham,  working 
on  the  circular  saw  for  thirteen  years.  At 
first  he  had  only  a  one  horse  dray  and  did 
express  and  transfer  work  of  all  kinds.  It 
was  difficult  to  make  a  start,  but  by  perse- 
verance and  energy  he  gradually  overcame 
all  difficulties  in  his  path  and  has  worked  his 
way  steadily  upward  by  his  perseverance  and 
determination,  until  he  is  now  conducting 
the  largest  draying  and  transfer  business  in 
the  city.  Recently  he  has  admitted  his  sons, 
Hart  and  Thomas,  to  a  partnership  under 
the  firm  name  of  Green  &  Company,  and 
they  now   are  practically  managers  of  the 


business,  relieving  their  father  of  much  care 
and  responsibility  in  this  direction. 

In  1 87 1  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mn 
Green  and  Miss  Berece  Wood,  who  was  born 
in  Niles,  Michigan.  They  now  have  four 
children,  all  born  in  Benton  Harbor,  namely : 
Hart;  Thomas,  who  married  Mildred  O. 
Stearns,  of  Berrien  Springs,  Michigan; 
Berece  Jane;  and  Margaret. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Green  is  an 
earnest  Democrat,  and  upon  the  election  of 
Mayor  Gillette  to  the  position  of  chief  exec- 
utive of  Benton  Harbor  Mr.  Green  was  ap- 
pointed street  commissioner,  which  office  he 
has  filled  continuously  since  with  satisfac- 
tion to  all  concerned.  In  all  matters  of  pub- 
lic progress  he  is  interested,  and  his  co- 
operation has  been  given  to  various  plans 
and  measures  for  the  general  good.  He  has 
always  led  a  busy  and  useful  life,  character- 
ized by  integrity  as  well  as  industry,  and  he 
is  much  esteemed  for  his  reliability  and  ad- 
mired for  what  he  has  accomplished.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Knights  of 
Honor,  and  is  also  a  third  degree  Mason. 

MUNROE  H.  MORROW,  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Morrow  &  Stone,  leading 
grocers  of  Benton  Harbor,  was  born  in  Mor- 
ristown,  New  Jersey,  August  19,  1855.  His 
parents,  William  T.  and  Margaret  (Carey) 
Morrow,  were  also  natives  of  New  Jersey 
and  the  former  was  of  Irish  descent,  while 
the  latter  was  of  Scotch  lineage.  They  con- 
tinued their  residence  in  the  east  until  1861^ 
when  they  removed  to  Michigan,  settling  in 
Lincoln  township,  Berrien  county,  at  a 
place  which  was  then  called  Royalton.  The 
father  entered  a  claim  in  the  midst  of  the 
dense  forest  and  there  began  the  improve- 
ment of  a  farm,  which  he  cleared  and  culti- 
vated until  as  the  years  passed  by  he  had 
become  the  owner  of  a  verv  productive  and 
valuable  tract  of  land.  To  its  further  cul- 
tivation and  improvement  he  directed  his 
energies  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  when  he  was  seventy-four  years  of 
age,  while  his  wife  passed  away  at  the  age 
of  sixty-nine  years.  They  were  the  parents 
of  fourteen  children,  of  whom  eight  are  yet 


376 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


living:  James  W.,  who  resides  in  St. 
Joseph,  Michigan,  married  Miss  Vina 
Archer,  a  daughter  of  L.  W.  Archer  and 
they  have  five  children :  Florence  Ollie, 
Arthur^  Eleanor,  Ray  and  Ethel.  Matilda, 
the  second  member  of  the  family,  is  the  wife 
of  Rev.  W.  J.  H.  Carlisle,  who  resides  at 
Shelby,  Michigan,  and  they  have  four  chil- 
dren: Frank,  Eleanor,  Ethel  and  Normal. 
Hattie  is  the  wife  of  Norman  LaMunion,  a 
resident  of  Lincoln  township,  Berrien  coun- 
ty,  and  they  have  three  children,   Maude, 


M.  H.  MORROW 
Berrien  County,   Michigan 

Laura  and  Monroe.  Jennie  is  the  wife  of 
Amos  Rowe,  a  resident  of  Benton  Harbor, 
and  their  children  are:  Fred,  Frank,  Wil- 
liam and  Carrie.  Emeline  is  the  wife  of  Gil- 
bert Edson,  who  is  living  at  Berrien  Springs, 
Michigan,  and  they  have  three  children: 
Walter,  Gilberta  and  Arthur.  William  E. 
wedded  Mary  Archer,  a  daughter  of  L.  W. 
Archer,  of  Lincoln  township,  now  resides 
in  Benton  Harbor,  and  their  four  children 
are:  Dwight,  Clyde,  Howard  and  Frank. 
Munroe  H.  is  the  next  of  the  family.  Frank 
married   Fannie    Stone,    resides    in    Benton 


Harbor  and  has  two  children,  Gladys  and 
Wesley.  One  son  of  the  family,  Wilbur  F., 
now  deceased,  married  Josephine  Baird,  and 
had  four  children:  Kate,  Carrie,  Irvin  and 
Fred.  The  other  members  of  the  Morrow 
family  died  in  childhood.  The  eldest  brother 
J.  W.  Morrow,  served  for  four  years  as  a 
soldier  of  the  Civil  war,  enlisted  as  a  private 
of  Company  B,  Twelfth  Michigan  Volun- 
teer Regiment,  and  left  the  army  with  the 
rank  of  sergeant. 

Munroe  H.  Morrow  was  a  young  lad  of 
about  six  years  when  he  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  Berrien  county.  He  was  reared  in 
Lincoln  township  and  as  opportunity  af- 
forded attended  the  district  schools  or  the 
home  neighborhood.  At  the  age  of  fourteen 
years  he  came  to  Benton  Harbor,  where  he 
also  attended  school  and  he  afterw^ard  pur- 
sued one  years'  course  of  study  in  a  New 
Jersey  business  college,  subsequent  to  which 
time  he  returned  to  Benton  Harbor  and  ni 
1874  became  an  active  factor  in  its  com- 
mercial circles  by  establishing  the  firm  of 
Morrow  &  Rowe,  restaurant  and  bakery 
proprietors,  for  three  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  Mr.  Morrow  entered  the  dry 
goods  business,  in  which  he  continued  for 
seven  years.  He  next  formed  a  partnership 
with  Charles  E.  Stone  under  the  firm  style 
of  Morrow  &  Stone  and  they  opened  a  first 
class  retail  grocery  and  bakery  at  106 
Water  street,  where  they  are  now  conduct- 
ing a  fine  business.  Their  store  is  well 
stocked,  is  neat  and  tasteful  in  its  arrange- 
ments and  a  good  line  of  goods  is  carried, 
while  the  prices  are  reasonable  and  the  busi- 
ness methods  are  such  as  would  bear  close 
investigation  and  scrutiny. 

In  1 88 1  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Morrow  and  Miss  Nettie  A.  Stone,  a 
daughter  of  Ansel  Stone.  They  have  two 
children :  Georgie  E.  and  Wade  Hampton. 
The  former  is  a  graduate  of  the  Benton  Har- 
bor college  and  also  of  the  National  Park 
Seminary  in  Washington,  D.  C,  where  she 
pursued  a  literary  course. 

Mr.  Morrow  votes  with  the  Democracy 
and  is  conversant  with  the  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day,  so  that  he  is  enabled  to 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


377 


support  his  position  by  intelligent  argument. 
He  was  alderman  from  the  third  ward  for 
two  terms  and  exercised  his  official  preroga- 
tives in  support  of  all  measures  for  the  good 
of  the  city.  He  has  taken  a  very  active  and 
helpful  part  in  city  affairs  and  April  6,  1906, 
was  elected  mayor  of  Benton  Harbor  by 
one  hundred  and  six  majority,  while  the  city 
is  normally  Republican  by  seven  hundred 
majority.  He  is  giving  to  the  city  a  con- 
sistent business  administration.  In  the  Mr- 
sonic  fraternity  he  has  taken  the  degrees  of 
Lake  Shore  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Calvin 
Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  Malta  Commandery,  K. 
T.  and  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  also  has 
membership  relations  with  the  Maccabees 
and  the  Elks.  He  is  a  thorough  business 
man,  alert  and  enterprising,  and  has  kept 
in  touch  with  the  trend  of  modern  commer- 
cial progress. 

NATHANIEL  A.  HERRING,  M.  D., 
to  whom  by  public  opinion  is  accorded  a  posi- 
tion of  prominence  in  professional  circles 
in  Benton  Harbor,  was  born  in  Indiana  in 
1856.  His  father.  Dr.  Frederick  Herring, 
is  a  physician,  long  honored  as  a  practitioner 
and  leading  citizen  of  Goshen,  Indiana. 
Even  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-three 
years  he  still  maintains  office  hours  and  en- 
joys a  lucrative  office  practice. 

Dr.  Herring  of  this  review  acquired  his 
early  education  in  the  city  schools  of  Goshen 
and  further  continued  his  more  specifically 
literary  course  in  the  Indiana  State  Univer- 
sity at  Bloomington.  After  two  years  spent 
in  that  institution  he  began  preparation  for 
the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery,  and  in 
1880  was  graduated  from  the  Bennett  Medi- 
cal College  of  Chicago.  He  is  now  a  mem- 
ber of  the  alumni  association  of  his  alma 
mater  of  the  State  Eclectic  Medical  and  Sur- 
gical Society  and  of  the  National  Eclectic 
Medical  Association.  Dr.  Herring  practiced 
his  profession  for  seventeen  years  -in  Indi- 
ana, and  in  1897  located  in  Benton  Harbor, 
where  he  has  spent  all  of  his  time  except 
when  pursuing  post  graduate  work.  He  has 
taken  that  means  to  broaden  his  efficiency 
and  promote  his  knowledge.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1905  he  pursued  a  special  course  in 


eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat  work  in  the  Chi- 
cago Eye,  Ear,  Nose  and  Throat  College 
and  is  now  giving  special  attention  to  dis- 
eases along  those  lines.  As  a  general  prac- 
titioner he  is  also  well  qualified  and  his 
ability  is  recognized  in  the  liberal  patronage 
which  the  public  accords  him  and  also  in 
the  esteem  of  his  fellow  practitioners. 

Dr.  Herring  was  married  in  1881  to 
Miss  Lucy  Wright,  of  Bremen,  Indiana, 
who  died  in  1902.  One  son  was  born  unto 
them,  Fred  J.,  who  is  now  a  student  at  Pur- 
due University.  Dr.  Herring  was  again 
married,  in  1903,  his  second  union  being 
with  Miss  Ella  M.  Parrett,  of  Benton  Har- 
bor. He  is  a  member  of  Lake  Shore  Lodge, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Calvin  Brittain  Chapter, 
R.  A.  M.  and  also  of  Malta  Commandery, 
Knights  Templar  of  Benton  Harbor. 

CLAUDIS  B.  CHAPIN,  M.  D.,  who 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession  has  given 
evidence  of  thorough  understanding  of  the 
principles  of  the  medical  science,  is  now 
classed  with  the  leading  representatives  of 
the  medical  fraternity  at  Benton  Harbor. 
He  is  a  native  son  of  Pennsylvania,  born  in 
1872.  His  paternal  grandfather,  Fletcher 
Chapin,  was  a  native  of  Vermont  and  a 
representative  of  an  old  New  England  fam- 
ily that  was  established  in  America  at  an 
early  period  in  the  colonization  of  the  new 
world.  Dr.  John  F.  Chapin,  father  of  our 
subject,  was  likewise  born  in  the  Green 
Mountin  state  and  prepared  for  the  practice 
of  medicine  as  a  student  in  Jefferson  Medi- 
cal College  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class 
of  1 86 1.  He  has  for  many  years  been  an 
active  representative  of  the  profession  in 
Schoolcraft,  Kalamazoo  county,  Michigan, 
where  he  is  still  actively  and  successfully  en- 
gaged in  his  chosen  field  of  labor.  He  has 
resided  there  continuously  since  1879-  ^^d 
his  position  as  both  a  physician  and  citizen 
is  a  prominent  one.  He  wedded  Miss  Mary 
Bidleman,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  she 
is  also  yet  living. 

Dr.  Chapin  of  this  review,  their  only 
child,  acquired  his  early  education  in  Kala- 
mazoo,  Michigan,   and  afterward  attended 


378 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


the  State  Agricultural  College,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Bache- 
lor of  Science.  Still  later  he  entered  the 
University  of  Michigan  and,  matriculating 
in  the  medical  department  completed 
regular  course  of  study  there  in  1897,  at 
which  time  the  degree  of  M.  D.  was 
conferred  upon  him.  He  afterward  spent 
three  or  four  years  at  Pontiac  Asylum  and 
later  pursued  a  post  graduate  course  in  New 
York  city.  In  1900  he  located  for  practice 
in  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  has  met  with 
much  success  and  is  now  enjoying  a  liberal 
patronage,  which  is  indicative  of  the  trust 
and  confidence  reposed  in  his  professional 
ability  by  the  general  public. 

In  1900  Dr.  Chapin  was  married  in 
Pontiac,  Michigan,  to  Miss  Lucile  B.  Brace, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  that  city,  her  par- 
ents being  Chauncy  and  Mary  Brace.  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Chapin  now  have  one  daughter, 
Mary  Plelen,  born  in  Benton  Harbor  in 
1901.  Fraternally  Dr.  Chapin  is  connected 
with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  is  also  a 
Knight  Templar  Mason.  His  political  alle- 
giance is  given  to  the  Republican  party,  but 
he  has  little  leisure  time  for  political  work 
even  had  he  ambitions  in  that  direction.  He 
is  highly  esteemed  both  in  his  profession 
and  socially  and  his  genial  companionable 
nature  has  gained  him  many  friends,  while 
the  value  of  his  professional  service  is  ap- 
preciated by  many  patrons. 

JAMES  J.  MILLER,  whose  intense 
and  well-directed  activity  has  been  an  im- 
portant element  in  the  public  life  and  inter- 
ests of  Benton  Harbor  as  well  as  in  his  pri- 
vate business  affairs,  is  a  native  of  Canada, 
born  in  1854.  His  early  education  was  there 
acquired  and  he  came  to  Michigan  at  the 
age  of  thirteen  years.  His  parents  were 
Angus  and  Flora  (Black)  Miller. 

Owing  to  the  limited  financial  circum- 
stances of  the  family  James  J.  Miller  found 
it  necessary  to  provide  for  his  own  support 
when  quite  a  young  lad,  and  in  Canada 
worked  for  two  dollars  per  month  and  his 
board.  From  his  earnings  he  at  length 
saved  enough  to  take  him  to  Michigan,  hav- 
ing  determined   to   remove  to   the  United 


States,  for  he  believed  that  he  might  have 
better  business  opportunities  across  the 
border.  Accordingly  he  made  his  way  to 
Bay  City  and  secured  employment  in  a  meat 
market  at  a  salary  of  fifteen  dollars  per 
month.  Gradually  he  was  advanced  and  his 
wages  increased  as  he  displayed  efficiency 
and  trustworthiness,  and  when  his  earnings 
had  brought  to  him  sufficient  capital  he  em- 
barked in  business  on  his  own  account^ 
opening  a  meat  market  in  Gladstone,  Michi- 
gan, where  he  carried  on  business  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  Moreover  he  was  very  active 
and  influential  in  town  affairs  there  and  did 
much  to  mold  public  thought  and  opinion. 
His  fellow  citizens,  recognizing  his  worth 
and  ability,  called  him  to  various  positions 
of  trust  and  honor.  He  was  chosen  the  first 
president  of  the  village  board  upon  its  or- 
ganization and  following  the  incorporation 
of  Gladstone  as  a  city  he  was  elected  its 
first  mayor,  serving  for  two  terms  in  that 
office.  He  gave  to  the  new  city  a  public- 
spirited,  practical  and  beneficial  adminis- 
tration. He  had  been  active  in  securing  the 
city  organization  and  his  efforts  in  behalf 
of  the  public  welfare  were  far-reaching  and 
beneficial.  He  had  affiliated  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  but  he  placed  the  general  good 
before  partisanship  and  the  welfare  of  the 
community  above  personal  aggrandizement. 
In  1891  Mr.  Miller  removed  to  Benton  Har- 
bor after  disposing  of  his  business  in  Glad- 
stone and  in  this  city  established  a  meat 
market,  which  he  continued  for  ten  years.  He 
then  sold  out  and  joined  Seeley  McCord  in 
the  establishment  of  a  brick  and  tile  factory 
conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  McCord, 
Miller  &  Company.  The  Benton  Harbor 
Brick  and  Tile  Company  was  incorporated 
in  March,  1904,  with  Mr.  Miller  as  presi- 
dent, treasurer  and  general  manager.  They 
manufacture  brick  and  tile  and  have  a  capac- 
ity of  about  four  or  five  million  brick  per 
year  and  two  million  tile.  This  is  one  of 
the  important  productive  industries  of  the 
city,  employment  being  furnished  to  from 
forty  to  sixty  men,  and  the  product  is  shipped 
to  all  parts  of  the  state.  It  has  become  a 
profitable  enterprise  owing  to  the  careful 
direction  of  its   manager,    who    has    been 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


379 


watchful  of  every  indication  pointing  to  suc- 
cess and  has  displayed  keen  discernment  in 
the  control  of  the  plant. 

In  Benton  Harbor  Mr.  Miller  has  also 
become  recognized  as  a  prominent  and  in- 
fluential citizen,  and  for  the  past  ten  years 
has  been  and  still  is  a  member  of  the  board 
of  public  works,  acting  thereon  since  its 
establishment.  He  has  been  president  of  the 
board  and  was  trustee  for  nine  years.  He 
is  also  a  member  and  director  of  the  Benton 
Harbor  Development  Company.  Any 
movement  or  plan  for  the  benefit  of  the  city 
receives  his  co-operation  and  endorsement. 
His  insight  is  penetrative,  his  labors  practi- 
cal and  his  work  has  therefore  proved  an 
element  in  the  best  interests  of  Benton  Har- 
bor. Prominent  in  Masonic  circles,  he  be- 
longs to  the  lodge  of  this  city,  to  the  Chapter 
and  Commandery  in  Benton  Harbor,  Michi- 
gan, and  he  is  also  connected  with  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Pleasantly 
situated  in  his  home  life,  he  was  married 
in  1876  in  Bay  City,  Michigan,  to  Miss 
Lydia  R.  Powell,  a  native  of  that  place  and 
they  have  four  living  children :  James  M., 
Charles  A.,  Flora  B.  and  Fred  McK.  In  a 
review  of  the  life  record  of  Mr.  Miller  we 
find  perhaps  that  his  dominant  quality  has 
been  his  unremitting  diligence  and  upon 
this  he  has  builded  the  superstructure  of  his 
success.  Making  his  own  way  in  the  world 
from  early  boyhood,  he  has  developed  all 
his  latent  powers  and  resources  and  his  con- 
centration of  purpose  and  laudable  ambi- 
tion have  enabled  him  to  progress  where 
men  of  less  resolute  purpose  have  fal- 
tered. 

DANIEL  HUNT,  who  is  engaged  in 
the  grocery  business  in  Benton  Harbor,  is 
a  native  of  Wales,  born  on  the  4th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1846.  He  was  the  youngest  in  a  family 
of  ten  children  and  the  only  one  of  the  num- 
ber who  ever  came  to  America.  His  parents 
were  Daniel  and  Mary  (Williams)  Hunt, 
the  former  a  native  of  Wales,  England,  and 
the  latter  of  the  country  of  Wales.  The 
paternal  grandparents  were  William  and 
Mary  Hunt,  both  of  English  parentage. 
William  Hunt  removed  to  the  little  rock- 


ribbed  country  of  Wales,  where  he  and  his 
son  Daniel  spent  their  remaining  days.  The 
latter  died  in  1870  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
seven  years,  while  his  wife  survived  until 
1889,  passing  aw^ay  at  the  very  advanced 
age  of  eighty-two  years. 

Daniel  Hunt,  the  subject  of  this  review^ 
was  reared  in  the  land  of  his  nativity,  and 
when  twenty-one  years  of  age  crossed  the 
ocean  to  the  new  world,  for  he  had  heard 
favorable  reports  concerning  business  con- 
ditions and  opportunities  here  and  resolved 
to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  United  States. 
Accordingly  in  1867  he  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica, settling  first  in  Brazil,  Indiana,  where 
he  lived  for  twenty-five  years.  During  the 
first  ten  years  he  was  employed  at  the 
Brazil  Furnace  Coal  Mines  as  stationary 
engineer,  and  then  with  the  capital  which 
he  had  saved  from  his  earnings  he  embarked 
in  business  on  his  own  account  in  1877  as  a 
grocer  at  Brazil,  Indiana.  He  continued 
in  the  business  there  until  he  came  to  Ben- 
ton Harbor  in  1892..  Here  he  established  a 
grocery  store,  which  he  has  since  conducted 
with  a  growing  trade  that  has  been  very 
gratifying  and  satisfactory.  In  community 
affairs  he  has  ever  been  deeply  interested 
and  while  living  in  Brazil  was  instrumental 
in  securing  the  establishment  of  the  court- 
house there.  He  was  likewise  influential 
in  the  movement  for  building  the  courthouse 
at  St.  Joseph,  and  while  living  in  Brazil, 
Indiana,  he  served  for  six  years  as  alderman. 
For  four  years  he  has  occupied  a  similar 
position  in  Benton  Harbor  and  is  an  active 
worker  in  the  city  council,  serving  on  vari- 
ous important  committees  and  doing  much 
to  promote  public  welfare  and  progress  here. 
His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Re- 
publican party  and  he  is  stalwart  in  advocacy 
of  its  principles,  but  he  places  the  general 
good  before  partisan  measures  and  the  wel- 
fare of  his  community  before  personal  ag- 
grandizement. 

On  the  5th  of  May,  1870,  in  Brazil,  In- 
diana, occurred  the  marriage  of  Daniel  Hunt 
and  Miss  Anna  Williams,  who  was  born  in 
Wales,  England.  They  now  have  two  chil- 
dren :  Charles  D.,  who  was  born  in  Brazil, 
Indiana,  February  5,   1880;  and  Anna  A.,. 


38o 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


born  in  Brazil  in  1889.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunt 
are  highly  esteemed  citizens  of  Benton  Har- 
bor and  are  active,  earnest  and  helpful 
workers  in  the  Baptist  church.  He  has 
served  as  one  of  the  deacons  of  the  church 
of  that  denomination  since  coming  to  this 
city  and  he  is  also  its  treasurer.  His  life 
has  been  actuated  by  a  spirit  of  direct  and 
immediate  serviceableness,  and  while  he  does 
not  lack  that  laudable  ambition  which 
prompts  earnest  efifort  in  business  affairs  re- 
sulting in  success  he  does  not  regard  the 
acquirement  of  wealth  as  the  ultimate  aim 
and  object  of  his  life.  On  the  contrary  he 
gives  of  his  time  in  influence  for  the  further- 
ance of  movements  for  moral  progress  and 
belongs  to  that  class  who  uphold  the  political 
and  legal  status  of  the  community. 

HELMATH  A.  FOELTZER  is  well 
known  in  business  and  political  circles  in 
Benton  Harbor,  where  he  is  now  conducting 
a  large  tailoring  establishment,  while  at  the 
same  time  he  finds  opportunity  to  assist  in 
measures  of  public  progress,  manifesting  a 
deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  commun- 
ity and  his  life  has  manifested  a  spirit  of 
direct  and  immediate  serviceableness.  In 
the  composite  fabrics  of  our  national  exist- 
ence the  German  element  has  been  an  impor- 
tant one  and  it  is  of  this  element  that  Mr. 
Foeltzer  is  a  representative.  His  birth  oc- 
curred in  the  fatherland  in  1861,  and  when 
four  years  of  age  he  was  brought  to  America 
by  his  parents.  He  is  a  son  of  Ludwig  and 
Dora  (Hackbusch)  Foeltzer,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Germany.  About  1865  the 
father  brought  his  family  to  the  new  world, 
settling  in  Wisconsin,  where  he  followed  his 
trade  of  tailoring,  which  he  had  learned  in 
his  native  country. 

He  died  at  the  age  of  forty-eight  years 
and  is  yet  survived  by  his  widow,  who  still 
makes  her  home  in  Wisconsin.  In  the  fam- 
ily were  six  children,  of  whom  Helmath  A. 
is  the  first  in  order  of  birth.  The  others 
are:  Albert,  who  now  resides  in  Kansas; 
Mrs.  S.  E.  Burnham,  who  is  living  in  Wis- 
consin; Otto,  also  of  Kansas;  Mrs.  O.  Jur- 
geuson,  whose  home  is  in  Wisconsin;  and 
Louis,  who  resides  in  Ludington,  Michigan. 


Devoting  his  early  boyhood  to  the  ac- 
quirement of  an  education  in  the  schools  of 
Wisconsin,  Helmath  A.  Foeltzer  afterward 
left  home  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years  to 
become  a  factor  in  business  life.  He  had 
previously  learned  the  tailor's  trade  and  for 
several  years  he  was  engaged  at  his  trade 
in  various  states,  after  which  he  came  to 
Benton  Harbor,  Michigan,  in  February, 
1892,  here  he  established  his  present  tailor- 
ing business  and  has  enjoyed  a  large  and 
profitable  trade,  securing  a  liberal  patronage 
from  the  best  class  of  citizens — a  fact  which 
is  evidence  of  his  good  work  and  reliable 
business  methods.  He  has  kept  in  touch 
with  modern  ideas  concerning  the  business 
and  goods  purchased  at  his  establishment  are 
a  guarantee  of  style  and  workmanship. 

In  1884  in  Belvidere,  Illinois,  Mr.  Foelt- 
zer was  married  to  Miss  Lillie  Dale,  who 
was  born  in  New  York,  but  was  reared  in 
the  city,  where  the  wedding  was  celebrated. 
They  have  one  child,  H.  Arthur,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  Belvidere.  Mr.  Foeltzer  is  a 
stanch  Republican,  recognized  as  one  of  the 
leading  representatives  of  the  party  in  Ber- 
rien county  and 'his  devotion  to  the  general 
good  is  a  matter  of  recognition  by  all.  He 
served  as  alderman  from  the  third  ward  in 
1899  ^^d  was  mayor  of  the  city  in  1890  and 
1 89 1,  being  endorsed  by  the  Democrats  at 
the  last  election  and  therefore  having  no 
opposition.  It  was  a  merited  tribute  to  his 
public  spirit  and  his  active  and  practical  ser- 
vice in  behalf  of  the  city's  welfare.  He  gave 
an  administration  characterized  by  reform, 
improvement  and  progress  and  his  private 
life,  business  interests  and  political  service 
have  been  free  from  criticism.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Lake  Shore  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of 
Benton  Harbor,  and  also  of  Malta  Com- 
mandery  of  this  city,  while  his  relations  with 
capitular  Masonry  connect  him  with  Calvin 
Brittain  Chapter,  No.  44,  R.  A.  M.,  of  St. 
Joseph.  He  also  belongs  to  the , Knights  of 
Pythias  fraternity  and  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks.  The  favorable 
regard  in  which  he  is  held  by  his  brethren 
of  these  organizations  also  extends  to  other 
circles,  for  he  is  uniformly  esteemed  wher- 
ever known. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


381 


JAMES  W.  LUCAS,  who  has  been  en- 
gaged in  business  in  Benton  Harbor  as  a 
coal  dealer  since  1899,  was  born  in  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  in  1868,  his  parents  be- 
ing Isaac  W.  and  Maria  (Hallett)  Lucas. 
The  father,  a  native  of  Salem,  Massachus- 
etts, came  from  the  old  Bay  state  to  Michi- 
gan with  his  parents,  Israel  and  Emma 
Lucas,  who  settled  in  Berrien  county  before 
the  Civil  w^ar.  The  father  was  a  Congrega- 
tional clergyman  and  became  one  of  the 
early  ministers  of  St.  Joseph,  Michigan, 
aiding    to    build    the    first    church    of    that 


7^^^^ 


J.    W.    LUCAS 

Berrien  County,    Michigan 

denomination  there.  It  is  still  standing,  a 
monument  to  his  consecrated  effort  in  be- 
half of  the  cause  of  Christianity.  His  son, 
Isaac  W.  Lucas,  was  reared  in  Michigan 
and  in  early  manhood  he  accepted  a  posi- 
tion as  bookkeeper  in  St.  Joseph.  Subse- 
quently he  went  to  Grand  Rapids,  where  he 
was  similarly  employed  for  many  years,  but 
he  now  makes  his  home  in  California.  His 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Maria 
Hallett,  was  born  in  England  and  came  with 
her  parents  to  Michigan  at  a  very  early  age. 


Unto  this  marriage  were  born  five  children, 
of  whom  four  are  living :  Elton  E. ;  James 
W. ;  Frank  B.,  who  is  living  in  California; 
and  Ray  F.,  also  living  in  California. 

James  W.  Lucas  acquired  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  Grand  Rapids  and 
in  early  manhood  he  engaged  in  business  as 
an  inspector  of  lumber  for  twelve  years. 
In  1887  he  came  to  Benton  Harbor,  where 
he  has  since  made  his  home  and  in  1899  he 
embarked  in  the  coal  trade,  in  which  he 
has  been  very  successful.  He  has  large  coal 
pockets  here  and  many  teams  for  delivering 
the  fuel,  and  his  business  is  now  extensive 
and  profitable  for  it  has  ever  been  conducted 
along  lines  of  the  strictest  and  most  un- 
swerving honor. 

In  1895  i^  Benton  Harbor  Mr.  Lucas 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Clara  Alli- 
son, who  was  born  in  this  city  and  is  a 
daughter  of  David  and  Ruth  (Springer) 
Allison,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania. Their  social  position  is  an  enviable 
one,  for  the  hospitality  of  the  best  homes  in 
this  city  is  cordially  extended  to  them.  Mr. 
Lucas  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  of  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks  and  the  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees.  His  political  allegiance  is 
given  to  the  Republican  party,  but  while 
he  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day  he  has  never  sought  or  de- 
sired office.  He  is  a  genial,  companionable 
gentleman  and  association  with  him  means 
pleasure. 

ALVAH  P.  CADY,  a  strong  and  cap- 
able menber  of  the  Berrien  county  bar,  w^as 
born  in  Ottawa  county,  Michigan,  in  1865. 
His  paternal  grandfather,  Calvin  B.  Cady, 
was  a  native  of  Vermont  and  married  a  Miss 
Judson.  At  an  early  day  he  left  New  Eng- 
land and  removed  to  the  state  of  New  York, 
where  he  followed  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing. His  son,  James  F.  Cady,  was  born  in 
Steuben  county.  New  York,  October  21, 
18 19,  and  was  there  reared  and  educated, 
coming  to  Michigan  when  a  young  man. 
This  was,  however,  prior  to  his  marriage, 
which  occurred  in    1847,   ^^^^   Silence   P. 


382 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Hard  becoming  his  wife.  She  was  born  in 
New  York,  August  20,  1829,  and  came  to 
Michigan  with  her  parents  about  1840.  Mr. 
Cacly  was  a  merchant  tailor,  following  that 
business  throughout  his  entire  life,  and  his 
energy  and  capability  found  fruition  in  a 
large  and  profitable  business.  He  died  in 
Ottawa  county,  Michigan,  June  18,  1876, 
w4iile  his  wife  survived  until  August  9, 
1894,  passing  away  in  Benton  Harbor.  In 
their  family  were  eight  children,  Alvah  P. 
Cady  being  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth. 
Those  still  living  are  as  follows :  P.  Philip, 
who  is  living  in  Pipestone,  Minnesota;  Mrs. 
E.  F.  Tuxberry,  a  resident  of  Ottawa  county, 
Michigan;  Rev.  William  J.  Cady,  who  is 
pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church  in 
Benton  Harbor;  Alvah  P.,  of  this  review; 
Rev.  George  L.  Cady,  who  was  formerly 
pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church  in  this 
city  and  is  now  preaching  for  that  denomina- 
tion in  Dubuque,  Iowa;  and  Mrs.  Mayme 
Haydon,  living  in  Tacoma,  Washington. 

Alvah  P.  Cady  acquired  his  early  edu- 
cation in  a  preparatory  school  in  Massa- 
chusetts and  later  attended  Olivet  College 
in  Michigan,  from  which  he  won  the  B.  S. 
degree  in  the  class  of  1890.  He  afterward 
entered  the  law  department  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan  and  won  the  degree  of 
L.L.  B.  upon  his  graduation  in  the  class 
of  1894.  He  then  entered  upon  the  practice 
of  law  in  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  has  re- 
mained continuously  since,  and  his  clientage 
has  constantly  increased.  On  the  ist  of 
January,  1902,  be  formed  a  law  partnership 
with  William  H.  Andrews,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Cady  &  Andrews,  and  this  relation 
has  since  been  maintained.  He  is  careful 
in  analysis,  is  constantly  adding  to  his 
knowledge  of  the  law  and  prepares  his  cases 
with  provident  care.  His  legal  learning,  his 
analytical  mind  and  the  readiness  with  which 
he  grasps  the  points  in  an  argument  all  com- 
bine to  make  him  a  strong  and  capable  mem- 
ber of  the  bar. 

In  1892,  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  Mr.  Cady 
was  married  to  Mrs.  Grace  Whitney  nee 
Warner.  They  have  two  children:  Helen 
Grace  and  Evelyn  Warner,  both  born  in 
Benton  Harbor.     In  community  affairs  Mr. 


Cady  is  deeply  and  helpfully  interested,  and 
is  an  active  worker  in  the  ranks  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  doing  everything  in  his  power 
in  campaign  seasons  to  secure  the  adoption 
of  Republican  principles.  He  was  largely 
instrumental  in  securing  the  establishment 
of  the  Carnegie  public  library,  was  appointed 
a  member  of  the  board  and  has  since  served 
as  its  secretary.  Pie  is  a  trustee  of  the  Con- 
gregational church  of  Benton  Harbor,  of 
which  his  brother  George  was  formerly 
pastor,  while  his  brother,  Rev.  William  J. 
Cady,  is  now  pastor.  In  his  private  life  he 
is  distinguished  by  all  that  marks  the  true 
gentleman.  To  the  intellectual  qualities 
with  which  he  was  endowed  by  nature  he 
has  added  the  discipline  and  embellishments 
of  culture  and  is  one  of  the  esteemed  and 
honored  residents  of  Benton  Harbor. 

BYRON  L.  HALL,  conducting  a  steam- 
fitting  and  hardware  business  in  Benton 
Harbor,  is  a  native  of  Saratoga  Springs, 
New  York,  born  in  1852.  His  education 
was  acquired  in  Orleans  county,  New  York, 
and  after  putting  aside  his  text-books  he  be- 
gan preparation  for  practical  service  in  the 
work-a-day  world  by  learning  the  steam- 
fitter's  trade  in  the  Empire  statp.  The  year 
1885  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Michigan,  at 
which  time  he  settled  in  Benton  Harbor,  fol- 
lowing his  trade  as  a  journeyman  for  some 
time.  In  1890  he  established  himself  in  busi- 
ness as  a  steam  fitter  and  plumber  and  found 
that  his  capable  service  won  him  a  growing 
patronage  that  extended  his  financial  re- 
sources so  that  he  was  gradually  enabled  to 
add  to  his  establishment  a  line  of  stoves  and 
general .  hardware.  In  1897  he  removed  to 
his  present  location  on  Pipestone  street, 
wdiere  he  has  an  excellent  and  well  equipped 
hardware  store  and  steamfitting  establish- 
ment, carrying  a  large  and  well  selected 
stock  of  shelf  and  heavy  hardware,  to- 
gether with  all  the  appliances  needed  for  the 
installment  of  steamfitting  and  plumbing 
plants  or  for  repair  work  along  those  lines. 
He  gives  close  attention  to  his  business,  re- 
garding no  detail  as  too  unimportant  for 
his  supervision,  and  his  application  and 
earnest  endeavor  have  been  salient  features 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


383 


in  his  success.  In  1900  he  purchased  ten 
acres  of  land  and  set  out  a  fruit  orchard 
just  outside  the  city  hmits,  raising  all  kinds 
of  fruit,  including  peaches,  grapes  and  ber- 
ries. He  has  built  a  residence  upon  his  place 
since  it  came  into  his  possession  and  has  an 
attractive  home  which  enables  him  to  enjoy 
all  of  the  comforts  of  country  life  as  well 
as  the  convenience  of  city  life.  He  has  al- 
ways been  a  hard-working,  conscientious 
man,  upright  in  his  dealings  and  his  busi- 
ness record  proves  that  success  and  an 
honored  name  may  be  won  simultaneously. 
In  1874  at  Clarendon,  Orleans  county, 
New  York^  occurred  the  marriage  of  Byron 
L.  Hall  and  Miss  Eva  G.  Wyman,  who  was 
born  in  that  village.  They  have  four  chil- 
dren :  Jessie  S. ;  Morris  J.,  w^ho  is  in  busi- 
ness with  his  father;  Lena  E. ;  and  Ross  B. 
Mr.  Hall  is  a  Republican,  and  his  fellow 
townsmen  recognizing  his  worth  and  ability 
have  called  him  to  the  office  of  alderman, 
representing  the  third  ward  in  the  city  coun- 
cil for  two  years.  His  fraternal  relations 
connect  him  with  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen,  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America  and  the  Patricians. 

EDWARD  B.  CRYAN  is  proprietor 
of  a  meat  market  in  Benton  Harbor  and  is 
regarded  as  a  worthy  accession  to  the  busi- 
ness ranks  of  the  city.  He  is  yet  a  young 
man,  but  his  fellow  townsmen  recognize  in 
him  the  possession  of  those  cjualities  of  en- 
terprise, laudable  ambition  and  determina- 
tion which  w^ork  for  success  in  business  af- 
fairs and  in  public  interests  as  well.  He  was 
born  in  Stratford,  Canada,  in  1879.  His 
father,  John  Cryan,  a  native  of  England, 
was  brought  to  America  when  nine  years 
of  age  by  his  parents,  Patrick  and  Ella 
Cryan,  who  settled  in  Canada.  He  was 
reared  to  the  occupation  of  farming,  which 
he  followed  in  the  Dominion  until  1896, 
when  he  came  to  Michigan,  settling  in  Ben- 
ton township,  Berrien  county,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  farm.  For  several  years  he  con- 
tinued its  cultivation  and  improvement,  but 
is  now  living  a  retired  life,  making  his  home 
in    Benton    Harbor.      His    wife    bore    the 


maiden  name  of  Mary  Carroll  and  was  born 
in  Canada.  They  have  become  the  parents 
of  seven  children,  of  whom  Edward  B.  is 
the  fourth  in  order  of  birth.  The  family 
record  is  as  follows :  Joseph,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  conduct  of  a  meat  market  on 
Water  street  in  Benton  Harbor;  Charles, 
a  resident  of  Stratford,  Canada ;  Mrs.  Annie 
Taggry,  living  in  Canada;  Edward  B.,  of 
this  review;  Mrs.  Winnie  Hauser,  whose 
home  is  in  St.  Joseph,  Michigan ;  and  Frank 
and  Mary,  who  are  residents  of  Benton  Har- 
bor. 

Edward  B.  Cryan  began  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Canada  and  continued  his 
studies  in  Benton  Harbor  after  coming  to 
Michigan  with  his  parents.  He  entered  bus- 
iness life  as  a  farm  hand  in  the  employ  of 
Samuel  Stewart  of  Benton  towmship,  and 
later  went  to  New  York  city,  where  he  was 
employed  in  a  meat  market,  becoming 
thoroughly  conversant  with  the  business. 
After  a  year  spent  in  the  east  he  returned  to 
Benton  Harbor,  where  he  secured  employ- 
ment in  the  meat  market  of  W.  F.  Summer- 
ville  until  that  gentleman  sold  out,  when  Mr. 
Cryan  entered  the  employ  of  E.  A.  Blackler, 
proprietor  of  a  meat  market,  with  whom  he 
continued  until  1902,  when  he  purchased  the 
store  of  his  employer  and  embarked  in  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account  as  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Cryan  Brothers.  He  gave  his  broth- 
ers a  start  until  they  were  able  to  engage  in 
business  for  themselves.  At  the  present 
time  Mr.  Cryan  is  sole  owner  of  the  market, 
which  he  is  conducting  successfully.  It  is 
well  equipped  with  an  excellent  refrigerat- 
ing plant  and  all  facilities  for  the  care  and 
preservation  of  the  meats  and  he  carries  a 
good  stock,  so  that  he  is  able  to  meet  the 
w^ishes  of  his  patrons,  who  are  continually 
growing  in  number.  He  started  out  in  busi- 
ness on  a  small  scale,  but  today  has  a  splen- 
did trade  and  is  carrying  on  a  very  remuner- 
ative business. 

Mr.  Cryan  exercises  his  right  of  fran- 
chise in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of 
the  Republican  party,  to  which  he  has  given 
his  support  since  attaining  his  majority. 
The  greater  part  of  his  life  has  been  passed 


384 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


in  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  is  well  known 
as  a  reliable  business  man  and  enterprising 
citizen. 

LOUIS  W.  MILBOURNE.  On  the  rec- 
ord of  business  enterprises  of  Benton  Har- 
bor mention  should  be  made  of  the  commer- 
cial interests  of  Louis  W.  Milbourne,  who  is 
engaged  in  dealing  in  harness,  sleighs  and 
carriages  and  who  along  modern  business 
lines  has  so  directed  his  efforts  that  he  has 
found  the  path  leading  to  successful  ac- 
quirement. His  birth  occurred  in  Eaton 
county,  Michigan,  in  i860.  His  father, 
Peter  Milbourne,  a  native  of  Ohio^  is  yet 
living  at  Eaton  Rapids,  Michigan,  where  he 
follows  the  occupation  of  farming.  He  re- 
moved from  ithe  Buckeye  state  to  Eaton 
county  about  thirty-five  or  forty  years  ago 
and  purchased  an  improved  tract  of  land, 
upon  which  he  has  since  made  his  home,  his 
attention  being  given  to  its  further  cultiva- 
tion and  development.  He  married  Caro- 
line Roth^  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  three 
children:  Etta  May,  of  Saginaw,  Michi- 
gan; Louis  W.,  of  this  review;  and  Elmer 
E.,  who  resides  in  Eaton  Rapids. 

Louis  W.  Milbourne  was  reared  upon 
the  home  farm  and  early  in  life  learned  the 
harness  making  trade,  entering  upon  an  ap- 
prenticeship to  the  business  in  Eaton  Rapids 
when  eighteen  years  of  age.  There  he  con- 
tinued in  that  line  of  activity  until  about 
eight  years  ago,  when  he  came  to  Benton 
Harbor  and  entered  the  employ  of  W.  C. 
Hovey,  a  harness  maker,  with  whom  he  con- 
tinued for  about  three  years.  In  1900  he 
engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account  on 
Pipestone  street  and  two  years  ago  he  pur- 
chased Mr.  Hovey's  business  and  has  since 
been  located  on  east  Main  street,  where  he 
is  now  engaged  in  the  manufacture  and  sale 
of  harness.  He  carries  all  kinds  of  kindred 
goods  besides  a  large  variety  of  sleighs,  car- 
riages and  wagons  and  he  has  built  up  a  fine 
business.  Public  opinion  is  undivided  con- 
cerning his  methods  and  ability  in  business 
life,  for  the  former  are  commendable  and  all 
acknowledge  the  latter.  He  is  recognized 
as  a  man  of  keen  discrimination  and  enter- 
prise who  has  learned  that  the  road  to  wealth 


is  not  a  royal  one,  for  the  path  is  barred  by 
obstacles  which  must  be  overcome  by  de- 
termined and  earnest  purpose  if  the  goal  of 
prosperity  would  be  reached. 

In  1905  Mr.  Milbourne  was  married  in 
Benton  Harbor  to  Miss  Dora  Babcock,  a 
daughter  of  Charles  Babcock,  and  their  re- 
cently established  home  is  noted  for  its 
pleasing  and  gracious  hospitality,  which  is 
enjoyed  by  the  many  friends  w4iom  they 
have  won  during  their  period  of  residence 
here.  Mr.  Milbourne  exercises  his  right  of 
franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  meas- 
ures of  the  Republican  party  and  he  holds 
fraternal  relations  with  the  Elks  and  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  In  manner 
he  is  courteous  and  pleasant,  winning  friends 
by  his  genial  disposition  and  honorable 
character  which  commands  the  respect  of 
all.  He  is  public-spirited  in  an  eminent  de- 
gree and  during  the  years  of  his  residence 
here  has  given  his  support  to  whatever  is 
calculated  to  promote  the  general  welfare. 

ALBERT    ROSS    ARFORD.     A  Hfe 
of  service  has  made  Albert   Ross   Arford 
a    representative    and    respected    citizen  of 
Benton    Harbor.      While   he    is    not   with- 
out that  laudable  ambition   to  achieve  suc- 
cess   and    thereby    enjoy    the    honors    and 
amenities    of    life,    he     does     not    regard 
the  acquirement  of  wealth  as  the  chief  end 
and  aim  of  his  existence,  and  has  put  forth 
effective  and  earnest  effort  for  public  inter- 
ests and  the  moral  development  as  well  as 
for  the  growth  of  his  individual  business  af- 
fairs.    A  young  man,  he  is  an  active  factor 
in  the  life  of  Benton  Harbor  and  stands  for 
all  that  is  true,  good,  beautiful  and  elevating 
in  life.     He  was  born  in  Daviess  county, 
Indiana,  in  1872,  and  is  a  son  of  Frank  B. 
Arford,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Ohio  and 
who  died  in  Indiana  in  January,   1901,  at 
the  age  of   forty-seven  years.     He  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  always  following  that 
pursuit  in  order  to  provide  for  his  family. 
He  wedded  Miss  Jane  Wilson,  also  a  native 
of  Ohio  and  her  death  occurred  in  Indiana 
in  1895  when  she  was  forty-three  years  of 
age.     In  their  family  were  six  children :  Al- 
bert Ross;  Mrs.  Mary  Winklepleck,  a  resi- 
dent of  Indiana;  Mrs.  Carrie  France,  who  is 


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HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


385 


living  in  Indiana;  Roland  D.,  of  the  same 
state;  Mrs.  Lillian  Krieger,  a  resident  of 
Bainbridge  township;  and  Ralph  R.,  who  re- 
sides in  Indiana. 

Albert  R.  Arford  was  reared  in  the  town 
of   Odon,   Indiana,   where  he  attended  the 
public    schools,    supplementing    his    earlier 
educational  advantages  by  a  course  in  West- 
field  College  in  Illinois,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1896. 
At   Hammond,    Indiana,    he   was   identified 
with  the  work  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association   for  one  year  and  in  the  early 
part   of   1890  he  came  to  Benton   Harbor, 
where  he  became  general   secretary  of  the 
Young  Men's   Christian  Association,   accu- 
pying  the  position  until  the  latter  part  of 
1897,   when  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Phoenix    Accident    Association.     His  time 
was    thus    passed     for    three    years,     dur- 
ing which  period  he  acted   as  cashier  and 
assistant  auditor.     When  the  office  was  re- 
moved to  Detroit  he  with  others  organized 
the  Workingmen's  Mutual  Protective  Asso- 
ciation,   a    health    and    accident    organiza- 
tion  with    insurance   principles,    which   was 
later    incorporated    with   the    following   of- 
ficers:     Frank  Wittrick,  president;   M.   A. 
Price,  vice  president;  M.  F.  Hinkly,  treas- 
urer; Albert  R.  Arford,  secretary;  and  E. 
C.     Bowlby    as    general    manager    of    the 
agencies.     This  business  was  established  in 
1901   and  has  been  very  successful,  owing 
largely  to  the  business  capacity,  organizing 
force  and  executive  ability  of  Mr.  Arford. 
In   1 901   occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Arford  and  Miss  Mabel  E.  Geer,  who  was 
born  in  this  state.     The  wedding  was  cele- 
brated in  Benton  Harbor  and  there  has  been 
born  upon  them  a  daughter,   Katherine  F. 
The  parents  hold  membership  in  the  Con- 
gregational church  and  Mr.  Arford,  deeply 
interested  in  religious  work  and  the  moral 
development  of  his  community,  has  taken  a 
most    helpful    part    in    the    various    church 
activities,    serving   at   the   present   time    as 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school,  which 
position  he  has  held  for  the  past  five  years 
and  also  as  one  of  the  officers  of  the  Berrien 
County  Sunday  School  Association.     He  is 
a  Republican  in  politics  and  is  public-spirited 
and  progressive  in  an  eminent  degree. 


25 


ELISHA     INGRAHAM,      living     in 
Bainbridge    township,    at    Spink's    Corners, 
is   now   living  a  retired  life   but   for   many 
years    devoted    his    time    and    attention    to 
general  agricultural  pursuits.     Spink's  Cor- 
ners    was     settled     by     the     three     Spink 
brothers,    Orson,   John    and    Samuel  Spink, 
who     lived      in      the      neighborhood      for 
many  years.     Elisha  Ingraham  was  born  in 
Jefferson  county.  New  York,  September  15, 
1830,   his   parents  being  Jarrett  and   Polly 
(Pitman)   Ingraham,  who  in  1844  came  to 
Berrien  county.     Their  daughter  Susan,  the 
wife   of   Joseph   Vincent,    had    already   be- 
come  a    resident    of    Bainbridge   township. 
Her  husband  was  a  brother  of  Albert  Vin- 
cent, father  of  Alonzo  Vincent,  and  Horace 
Vincent,  another  brother,   likewise  lived  in 
this     locality.      Jarrett     Ingraham     was     a 
cooper  by  trade  and  was  very  handy  with 
tools.      He  secured   land  north   of  what  is 
now  Coloma  and  spent  three  years  clearing 
a  farm.     He  then  traded  that  property  for  a 
new  farm  in  Bainbridge  township,  east  of 
Spink's  Corners,  where  he  spent  his  remain- 
ing days.      His   life   there   was   devoted   to 
making  the  farm  a  valuable  and  attractive 
property  but  his  labors  were  not  continued 
long,    he   passed   away   in   July,    185 1,    be- 
ing then   seventy-four   years   of   age.      His 
widow    survived    him    until    the     i8th    of 
August,  1872,  and  died  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years.     In  the  family  were  eleven  chil- 
dren,  ten   of  whom  reached  years  of  ma- 
turity,   and    Elisha    Ingraham    is    probably 
now  the  only  one  living.    His  brother,  Minot 
Ingraham,  died  two  or  three  years  ago  at 
Coloma,  where  he  is  remembered  as  a  well 
known  merchant  and  hotel  man.     He  had 
two  sons,  Solon  and  Lyman.     Mark  Ingra- 
ham died  at  the  old  homestead  when  about 
thirty-four  years  of  age.     Lucy  M.  became 
Mrs.    Davidson,   and   after   living  near   St. 
Joseph  for  a  few  years  removed  to  Kansas. 
Polly  became  the  wife  of  Abner  Woodw^ard, 
of    Watervliet    township,    and    died    when 
about  fifty  years  of  age.      Her  son,   Oren 
Woodward,  is  proprietor  of  a  summer  re- 
sort on  Paw  Paw  Lake.     Susan,  who  be- 
came Mrs.  Vincent,  lived  and  died  in  Bain- 
bridge township,   passing  away  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  more  than  eighty  years.    She 


386 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


lost  her  two  sons,  Jarrett  and  Merrick,  both 
of  whom  died  while  serving  in  the  United 
States  Army.  Lydia  was  married  in  New 
York  to  a  Mr.  Shippey,  who  died,  and  she 
afterward  became  the  wife  of  George  Collis. 
They  came  to  Bainbridge,  bringing  with 
them  her  children  by  her  first  marriage,  and 
Charles  Shippey  still  lives  in  Bainbridge 
township,  while  her  grandson,  Collis  Rol- 
and is  living  in  Benton  Harbor.  One 
of  her  daughters,  Lydia,  died  in  Benton 
Harbor  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  She 
was  the  widow  of  John  Sutherland,  of  Pipe- 
stone township. 

Elisha  Ingraham  was  at  home  until  his 
father  died.  He  was  at  that  time  twenty- 
two  years  of  age,  and  he  continued  to  live 
with  his  mother  until  her  demise.  Elisha  was 
married  September  15,  1859— the  twenty- 
ninth  anniversary  of  his  birth — to  Miss 
Helen  Sedgwick,  a  daughter  of  Stephen 
and  Mariamne  (Easton)  Sedgwick.  She 
was  born  in  Jefferson  county,  New  York, 
and  in  her  childhood  days  accompanied  her 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Wisconsin,  while 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  she  came  to 
Bainbridge  township,  Berrien  county.  She 
was  twenty- four  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
her  marriage.  She  had  begun  teaching 
school  when  only  fourteen  years  of  age  in 
Wisconsin,  and  taught  nearly  every  year 
until  her  marriage,  being  thus  engaged  for 
a  time  in  Bainbridge  and  in  Fairplain. 

Mr.  Ingraham  purchased  the  interest  of 
the  other  heirs  in  the  old  home  property, 
which  in  1873  he  exchanged  for  his  present 
farm,  which  is  pleasantly  and  conveniently 
located  one-half  mile  west  of  Spink's  Cor- 
ners. It  was  settled  by  a  Mr.  Marshall,  but 
Mr.  Ingraham  placed  much  of  it  under  cul- 
tivation. It  comprises  one  hundred  acres 
and  has  been  devoted  to  the  raising  of  grain 
and  hay,  and  to  some  extent  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  apples.  He  continued  actively  in 
the  management  and  conduct  of  the  farm 
until  1906,  when  he  rented  it  and  is  now  liv- 
ing at  the  Corners,  enjoying  a  well  earned 
rest. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ingraham  have  been 
born  four  daughters:  Mary,  at  home; 
Emma,  the  wife  of  Myron  C.  Merrill,  who 


is  living  near  Spink's  Corners;  Ella,  the 
wife  of  Curtis  L.  Andrews,  who  has  been 
engaged  in  merchandising  at  Spink's  Cor- 
ners for  several  years;  and  Grace,  the  wife 
of  Forry  Nichols,  who  is  living  on  her 
father's  farm.  In  his  political  views  Mr. 
Ingraham  is  a  stanch  Prohibitionist,  never 
faltering  in  his  allegiance  to  the  party,  for 
he  is  a  strong  temperance  man  and  he  be- 
lieves that  the  temperance  question  is  the 
most  important  one  to  the  country.  His 
life  has  been  one  of  activity,  crowned  with 
success.  He  has  lived  in  this  part  of  the 
state  from  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  or  for 
a  period  of  six  decades^  and  has  watched 
with  interest  those  events  which  have  formed 
decades  in  the  annals  of  this  part  of  the 
state.  He  has  also  contributed  to  its  ma- 
terial progress  and  as  the  years  have  gone 
by  has  achieved  the  success  which  now  en- 
ables him  to  rest  retired  from  further 
labor. 

DR.  BERTON  G.  WATSON,  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Benton  Har- 
bor, where  he  is  also  recognized  as  a  man 
of  influence  and  prominence  in  the  commun- 
ity affairs,  was  born  in  Lake  City,  Minne- 
sota, in  1864.  His  father,  Joseph  H.  Wat- 
son, was  a  native  of  Clarion  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, born  in  1830,  and  on  leaving  the 
Keystone  state  he  made  his  way  westward 
to  Illinois,  settling  in  Mercer  county,  whence 
he  afterward  removed  to  Minnesota.  Sev- 
eral years  later  he  came  to  Michigan,  where 
he  arrived  in  1867.  He  was  a  carpenter  by 
trade  and  for  many  years  engaged  in  build- 
ing operations.  Subsequently  he  purC:hased 
a  farm  in  Benton  township,  Berrien  county, 
rhere  he  now  lives,  having  an  excellent  fruit 
farm  on  Fair  Plain  near  Benton  Harbor. 
This  is  in  the  center  of  the  famous  fruit 
belt  of  Michigan  and  his  products,  being  of 
excellent  quality,  find  a  ready  sale  on  the 
market.  His  political  allegiance  is  given 
to  the  Republican  party  and  he  has  held  va- 
rious offices  of  trust  in  Benton  township, 
including  the  office  of  highway  commissioner 
and  supervisor.  His  aid  can  always  be 
counted  upon  to  further  progressive  public 
movements  and  his  position  as  a  citizen  and 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


387 


business  man  is  a  prominent  one.  He 
wedded  Miss  Mary  Grow,  a  native  of  New 
York,  who  is  now  seventy- four  years  of  age. 
In  her  early  womanhood  she  engaged  in 
teaching  school  in  Albion,  New  York.  By 
her  marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  five 
children,  but  only  two  are  now  living :  Lake 
J.,  who  was  the  first  white  male  child  born 
in  Lake  City,  Minnesota,  and  now  resides 
upon  the  old  home  farm  with  his  parents; 
and  Berton  G. 

Dr.  Watson  was  brought  from  his  na- 
tive state  to  Michigan  in  early  boyhood  and 
pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Berrien  county  and  in  the  high  schools  at 
Benton  Harbor^  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  the  class  of  1884.     He  then  entered 
the  Bennett  Eclectic    Medical    College    at 
Chicago,   Illinois,   to  prepare  for  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  and  surgery,  which  he  had 
determined  to  make  his  life  work,  and  after 
thorough  reading  he  completed  his  course  by 
graduation  in  the  class  of  1888.     Dr.  Wat- 
son entered  upon  active  practice  in  Auburn, 
Indiana,  where  he  remained  for  five  years 
and  then  in  1893,  returend  to  Michigan,  set- 
tling in  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  has  con- 
tinued  in   practice  with  gratifying  success. 
His    efforts    to    allevia'te    human    suffering, 
check   the    ravages   of   disease   and   restore 
health  have  been  attended  with  gratifying 
results   w^hen   viewed   from   both   a   profes- 
sional and  financial  standpoint,  and  the  med- 
ical  fraternity,   accords  him  confidence,   re- 
spect and  prominence  because  of  his  close 
adherence  to  a  high  standard  of  professional 
ethics. 

Dr.  Watson  votes  with  the  Republican 
party,  and  in  1900  was  a  candidate  for 
mayor  against  I.  W.  Conley,  who  defeated 
him  by  a  small  majority.  He  has  taken  an 
active  part  in  political  work^  doing  effective 
service  for  his  party  in  the  campaigns  and, 
keeping  well  informed  on  the  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day,  is  ever  able  to  support  his 
position  by  intelligent  argument. 

Dr.  Watson  was  married  in  1889  in 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  to  Miss  Lillie  Cleveland, 
who  was  born  in  the  city  where  the  marriage 
was  celebrated.     They  now  have  four  chil- 


dren :  Hazel  M.,  who  was  born  in  Auburn, 
Indiana,  and  is  fifteen  years  of  age ;  Bernice 
G.,  who  was  born  in  Benton  Harbor  and  is 
twelve  years  of  age;  Louise  J.,  aged  seven 
years,  also  a  native  of  Benton  Harbor;  and 
Joseph  C,  who  was  born  in  this  city  two 
years  ago.  Dr.  Watson  belongs  to  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity,  in  which  he  has  attained 
high  rank  and  is  now  a  Shriner.  He  is  also 
connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the 
Elks  and  the  Odd  Fellows,  being  a  valued 
representative  of  these  organizations,  and 
in  thdir  membership  he  has  many  warm 
friends.  A  well  informed  man,  he  is  pos- 
sessed of  broad  general  information  and  in 
his  nature  there  is  nothing  narrow  or  con- 
tracted. He  has  a  spirit  that  while  devoted 
to  his  resident  community  is  liberal  enough 
to  recognize  and  appreciate  advancement 
and  progress  in  any  part  of  the  world. 

JOHN  SCHAIRER,  of  Benton  Harbor 
IS  an  example  of  the  self-made  American 
citizen  and  his  history  also  illustrates  the 
progress  that  an  ambitious  foreigner  can 
make  in  this  country  of  unbounded  oppor- 
tunities. His  success  is  due  to  his  own 
energy  and  the  ideal  which  his  ambition 
placed  before  him.  He  was  born  in  Germany 
in  1848  and  is  a  son  of  Englebert  and  Olive 
(Winston)  Schairer,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  Gemany  and  died  in  that  country  be- 
fore the  emigration  of  their  son  John  to  the 
new  world.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation  and  for  sixteen  years  was  a 
soldier  in  the  German  army.  In  the  family 
were  nine  children,  but  only  three  are  liv- 
ing :  George,  who  is  now  living  in  Wiscon- 
sin ;  Terrance,  a  resident  of  New  York ;  and 
he  whose  name  introduces  this  review. 

John  Schairer  came  to  America  with 
his  brother  and  two  sisters  in  1866,  being 
at  that  time  about  eighteen  years  of  age. 
He  settled  first  in  Rochester,  New  York* 
where  he  worked  for  the  firm  of  Bausch  & 
Lomb,  the  noted  manufacturers  of  eye 
glasses  and  spectacles.  After  some  time  in 
their  employ  he  came  to  Michigan,  settling 
m  Bainbridge  township,  Berrien  county, 
where  he  worked  on  a  farm  for  two  years. 


388 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


He  next  went  to  Wisconsin,  where  he 
worked  on  the  river,  pushing  logs.  He  was 
also  employed  in  sawmills,  his  time  being 
thus  passed  from  1868  until  1877.  In  the  lat- 
ter year  he  came  to  Benton  Harbor,  where  he 
was  employed  for  a  year,  after  which  he  en- 
gaged in  the  restaurant  and  bakery  business 
for  a  short  time.  Subsequently  he  became  a 
wholesale  dealer  in  beer  and  is  now  car- 
rying on  the  business,  bottling  beer  and 
soft  drinks.  He  has  prospered  in  this  under- 
taking, his  trade  having  steadily  grown  un- 
til it  has  now  reached  large  and  profitable 
proportions.  He  has  also  a  fine  fruit  farm 
in  St.  Joseph  township  of  eight  acres  and 
raises  all  kinds  of  small  and  large  fruit. 
His  business  plant  and  his  farm  and  other 
property  are  the  visible  evidence  of  his  life 
of  thrift  and  industry. 

In  1874  Mr.  Schairer  was  married  in 
St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  to  Miss  Olive  Her- 
man, w^ho  was  born  in  Bainbridge,  this 
county.  They  have  become  the  parents  of 
ten  children,  nine  of  whom  are  living.  The 
two  eldest  were  born  in  Wisconsin,  while  the 
others  were  all  born  in  Benton  Harbor.  The 
family  record  is  as  follows:  Lizzie,  the 
wife  of  Thomas  Gibbons;  Olive,  who  died 
about  eleven  years  ago  when  eighteen  years 
of  age;  George;  Dora,  the  wife  of  Fred 
Null,  by  whom  she  has  two  children,  John 
and  Raymond;  John;  Carrie,  the  wife  of 
Nelson  McLain;  Annie;  Genevieve  and 
Joseph,  twins ;  and  James. 

Mr.  Schairer  is  a  member  of  the  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  also 
of  the  Catholic  Knights.  He  was  alderman 
of  Benton  Harbor  before  it  was  incorporated 
as  a  city,  holding  the  position  for  six  years, 
was  street  commissioner  for  one  term  during 
the  same  period,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  Citizens  State 
Bank  of  Benton  Harbor  during  the  time  of 
its  existence.  He  is  one  of  the  active  men 
of  Benton  Harbor  in  his  business  affairs. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  interested  and 
active  in  the  work  of  the  party.  Success  in 
any  walk  of  life  is  an  indication  of  earnest 
endeavor  and  persevering  effort  and  these 
characteristics  Mr.  Schairer  possesses  in  an 
eminent  degree. 


EDWARD  BRAMMALL,  proprietor 
of  a  large  plumbing  and  heating  establish- 
ment, which  he  is  now  carrying  on  with 
much  success  in  Benton  Harbor,  is  a  native' 
of  England,  born  on  the  17th  of  October, 
1849.  He  spent  the  first  five  years  of  his 
life  in  his  native  land  and  in  1859  came  to 
America  with  his  parents,  John  N.  and  Sarah 
(Evans)  Brammall,  who  on  crossing  the  At- 
lantic to  the  United  States  settled  first  in 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  Bram- 
mall returned  to  her  native  country  after  a 
year  and  there  her  death  occurred.  Mr. 
Brammall  carried  on  a  business  as  a  con- 
tractor and  builder  in  this  country,  and  on 
leaving  Philadelphia  went  to  Jackson,  Ten- 
nessee. Following  the  outbreak  of  the  war 
between  the  north  and  the  south  he  made  his 
way  to  Chicago.  He  was  drafted  for  ser- 
vice in  the  rebel  army,  but  not  being  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  spirit  of  secession  he  escaped 
northward  to  Chicago,  where  he  became 
identified  with  the  building  interests,  carry- 
ing on  business  as  a  contractor  up  to  the  time 
of  his  demise,  which  occurred  in  1865,  when 
he  was  fifty-four  years  of  age. 

Edward  Brammall  of  this  review  pur- 
sued his  education  in  the  various  localities 
where  his  father  resided,  completing  his 
course  in  Chicago,  after  which  he  learned 
the  tinsmith's  trade,  following  the  business 
in  that  city  until  his  removal  to  Benton  Har- 
bor, where  he  arrived  in  1869  when  a  young 
man  of  about  twenty  years.  He  here  con- 
tinued to  work  at  his  trade,  entering  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Colby-Hinkly  Company,  while 
subsequently  he  was  with  the  firm  of  Brun- 
son  &  Winans  until  they  sold  out,  at  which 
time  Mr.  Brammall  purchased  the  Lamport 
hardware  business  in  December,  1874.  He 
then  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count as  a  hardware  merchant  until  1888. 
He  has  gradually  retired  from  that  line 
of  trade,  having  converted  his  store  into 
the  plumbing  and  heating  establishment 
which  he  now  carries  on,  enjoying  large  and 
gratifying  success.  He  has  also  added  mill 
supplies  and  he  is  now  one  of  the  oldest 
merchants  in  his  line  in  the  city.  He 
thoroughly  understands  the  trades  which  he 
represents  and  is  qualified  to  do  satisfactory 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


3^9 


work  in  installing  plumbing  and  heating 
plants.  His  patronage  has  become  exten- 
sive and  his  laudable  ambition  and  strong 
determination  have  enabled  him  to  build  up 
a  good  business. 

In  1874,  in  Benton  Harbor,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Brammall  and  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Sullivan  of  this  city.  They  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  church  and  are  people 
of  the  highest  responsibility,  to  whom  is  ac- 
corded respect  as  well  as  social  prominence. 
In  politics  Mr.  Brammall  is  a  Republican 
and  his  first  vote  was  cast  in  this  city.  He 
belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  frater- 
nity, the  Masonic  lodge  and  the  Maccabees 
tent.  He  has  also  taken  the  degrees  of  the 
chapter  and  commandery  of  the  York  rite 
and  attained  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the 
Scottish  rite  and  likewise  has  crossed  the 
sands  of  the  desert  with  the  nobles  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  particularly  active 
in  the  Maccabees  tent,  in  which  he  has 
served  as  commander  for  three  years.  His 
life  has  been  one  of  continuous  activity,  in 
which  he  has  been  accorded  due  recognition 
of  labor,  and  today  he  is  numbered  among 
the  substantial  citizens  of  his  county.  His 
interests  are  thoroughly  identified  with  those 
of  his  adopted  city,  and  at  all  times  he  is 
ready  to  lend  his  aid  and  co-operation  to  any 
movement  calculated  to  benefit  this  section 
of  the  county  or  advance  its  development. 

SELIM  B.  ELLSWORTH,  D.  D.  S., 
whose  well  equipped  office  and  superior  abil- 
ity makes  him  a  leading  representative  of 
the  dental  profession  in  Benton  Harbor,  was 
born  in  Prince  Edward  county,  Ontario, 
Canada,  in  1834,  the  place  of  his  nativity  be- 
ing in  Picton  township.  He  is  the  eldest  in 
a  family  of  eight  children,  six  sons  and  two 
daughters,  but  is  the  only  one  living  in  Ber- 
rien county.  His  parents  were  Arthur  and 
Dinah  (Spencer)  Ellsworth.  The  former 
was  born  in  Canada,  where  he  spent  his  en- 
tire life,  following  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing as  a  means  of  support  for  his  family.  He 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years, 
while  his  wife  reached  the  age  of  seventy- 
three  years. 

Dr.   Ellsworth  was  reared  to  manhood 


in  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  took  up  the 
study  of  dentistry  at  Picton  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Dr.  Henry  T.  Wood,  a  practicing 
dentist  of  that  place,  who  was  vice  president 
of  the  board  of  licenses,  a  board  organized 
to  pass  upon  the  qualifications  of  those  who 
desired  to  become  members  of  the  profes- 
sion. Dr.  Ellsworth  remained  with  Dr. 
Wood  for  four  years  and  then  went  to  New 
York,  where  he  practiced  for  a  year.  In 
1866  he  came  to  Michigan,  first  settling  at 
Schoolcraft,  Kalamazoo  county,  where  he 
opened  an  office  and  continued  in  practice 
for  almost  twenty  years.  In  the  latter  part 
of  1885  he  removed  to  Benton  Harbor, 
where  he  has  practiced  with  success  con- 
tinuously since.  His  office  is  well  equipped 
with  the  most  modern  scientific  instruments 
and  appliances  for  the  successful  conduct 
of  dental  work  and  he  keeps  in  touch  with 
the  advancement  made  by  the  profession, 
so  that  in  his  practice  he  gives  uniform  satis- 
faction. 

On  the  ist  of  January,  1868,  in  School- 
craft, Dr.  Ellsworth  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Eliza  S.  Collins,  who  was 
born  in  Geneva,  New  York.  They  became 
the  parents  of  three  children,  but  all  have 
passed  away.  Dr.  Ellsworth  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  fraternity  in  Picton  in 
1865  and  was  a  charter  member  of  the 
Knights  Templar  Commandery  of  Benton 
Harbor.  He  first  became  connected  with 
Chivalric  Masonry  at  Three  Rivers,  Michi- 
gan, and  has  been  prominent  and  active  in 
the  work  of  the  craft.  He  was  master  of 
the  lodge  at  Schoolcraft,  also  high  priest 
of  the  chapter  there  and  is  a  member  of  the 
council  at  St.  Joseph.  He  now  affiliates 
with  Lake  Shore  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  at 
Benton  Harbor  and  is  a  member  of  the  East- 
ern Star.  Dr.  Ellsworth  has  been  a  close 
and  earnest  student  of  sociological,  eco- 
nomic and  political  questions,  and  he  en- 
dorses the  principles  of  socialism,  prohibi- 
tion and  spiritualism. 

SPENCER  B.  VAN  HORN,  a  dry 
goods  merchant  of  Benton  Harbor,  was  born 
in  Benton  township  on  the  15th  of  March, 
1847,  his  parents  being  Jacob  and  Euphemia 


390 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


(Kinsey)  Van  Horn,  natives  of  New  Jersey. 
The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and 
in  1835  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan, 
casting  in  his  lot  with  the  early  pioneer  set- 
tlers who  braved  the  dangers  and  difficul- 
ties of  life  on  the  frontier  in  order  to  estab- 
lish homes  for  themselves  and  families. 
When  he  first  came  to  Michigan  he  worked 
for  a  Mr.  LaRue  in  a  sawmill,  being  em- 
ployed in  that  way  for  about  two  years  and 
then  turned  his  attention  to  the  tilling  of 
the  soil.  He  located  on  a  farm  four  and  a 
half  miles  east  of  Benton  Harbor,  and  there 
he  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits, 
placing  his  fields  under  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation and  at  the  same  time  raising  stock. 
He  was  thus  identified  with  farming  for 
about  thirty  years,  when  in  1865  he  took  up 
his  abode  in  Benton  Harbor,  where  for 
about  three  years  he  conducted  a  boot  and 
shoe  business,  continuing  in  that  line  of 
trade  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  this  city  in  1868,  when  he  was 
fifty-eight  years  of  age.  In  his  family  were 
four  children,  of  whom  the  two  oldest  were 
born  in  New  Jersey  and  the  others  in  this 
county.  Three  of  the  number  are  now  liv- 
ing, namely:  Mrs.  Sarah  DeWitt  Guy,  of 
Benton  township;  Mrs.  Maria  Barnum,  who 
is  living  in  the  same  township;  and  Spencer 
B.,  of  this  review.  The  eldest  son,  Charles 
M.  Van  Horn,  was  a  soldier  of  the  Civil 
war,  enlisting  in  response  to  the  president's 
call  for  aid  as  a  member  of  Company  B, 
Twelfth  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry.  He 
joined  the  army  as  second  sergeant  and  at 
Pittsburg  he  contracted  a  severe  cold  and 
was  taken  to  the  hospital,  w^here  he  died  of 
pneumonia.  The  mother  of  these  children 
died  in  Hagar  township,  this  county,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-five  years,  having  long  sur- 
vived her  husband. 

Spencer  B.  Van  Horn  spent  the  first 
eighteen  years  of  his  life  upon  the  old  home- 
stead farm  and  became  familiar  with  the 
practical  duties  of  tilling  the  soil  and  caring 
for  the  crops.  He  attended  the  district 
schools  and  afterward  continued  his  studies 
in  the  St.  Joseph  high  school  for  two  years. 
His  first  venture  in  the  business  world  was 
as  a  clerk  in  the  employ  of  Alvin  Burridge, 


of  Benton  Harbor,  and  subsequently  he  was 
employed  by  George  Rice.  Later  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  firm  of  Pitcher  &  Jones, 
remaining  with  the  latter  for  two  years,  af- 
ter which  he  was  employed  by  H.  M.  Zeki- 
nal,  of  St.  Joseph.  He  was  economical  and 
industrious,  and  his  close  attention  to  his 
employers'  interests  won  him  promotion 
to  positions  of  responsibility,  bringing  with 
them  good  remuneration.  By  saving  his 
earnings  he  was  at  length  enabled  to  embark 
in  business  on  his  own  account,  and  in  1878 
he  established  a  dry  goods  store  in  Benton 
Harbor,  which  he  has  since  continued,  his 
connection  with  mercantile  interests  cover- 
ing a  period  of  almost  three  decades.  In 
fact  his  is  one  of  the  best  known  and  most 
popular  mercantile  establishments  in  Ben- 
ton Harbor  and  he  carries  a  large  and  well 
selected  line  of  goods,  making  careful  pur- 
chases in  order  to  meet  the  varied  tastes  of 
his  patrons. 

On  the  1st  of  November,  1876,  Mr.  Van 
Horn  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Julia 
Ogden,  of  Benton  Harbor,  a  daughter  of 
Stansbery  and  Ruth  A.  Ogden,  early  resi- 
dents of  this  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Horn 
now  have  one  daughter,  Lucy  O.,  who  was 
born  in  Benton  Harbor  and  is  the  wife  of 
Raymon  D.  Haynes. 

Mr.  Van  Horn  belongs  to  Lake  Shore 
Lodge,  No.  298,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Calvin  Brit- 
tain  Chapter,  No.  ']2,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Malta 
Commandery,  K.  T.  He  likewise  affiliates 
with  the  Maccabees,  while  his  political  sup- 
port is  given  to  the  Republican  party.  Upon 
that  ticket  he  was  elected  alderman  for  the 
second  ward  and  by  re-election  was  con- 
tinued in  the  position  for  several  years, 
serving  as  a  member  of  the  first  city  council 
after  the  incorporation  of  Benton  Harbor 
under  city  government.  He  has  long  fig- 
ured prominently  in  business  circles  here 
and  he  finds  an  appropriate  place  in  the  his- 
tory of  those  men  of  business  and  enterprise 
whose  force  of  character,  sterling  integrity 
and  good  sense  in  the  mangement  of  com- 
plicated affairs  have  contributed  in  an  emi- 
nent degree  to  the  development  of  the  city. 
His  career  has  not  been  promoted  by  acci- 
dent or  luck,  by  wealth  or  family  or  infiu- 


MRS.  EDWIN  W.  YOUNG 


EDWIN  W.  YOUNG 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


391 


ential  friends.  On  the  contrary  he  is  a  self- 
made  man  in  the  broadest  sense  of  the  term, 
being  both  the  architect  and  builder  of  his 
own  fortunes. 

EDWIN    WALLACE    YOUNG,    liv- 
ing   in     Bainbridge     township,     has     vivid 
recollections     of     pioneer     times     and     the 
conditions  which  existed  here  in  early  days 
when  this  section  of  Michigan  was  regarded 
as  a  frontier  district.     In  his  boyhood  days 
he  shot  wild  turkeys  in  the  locality  but  he 
was  never  an  enthusiastic  sportsman  of  that 
character.      His   birth   occurred  in   Ellicott, 
Chautauqua    county,    New    York,    July    8, 
1830,     his     parents     being    Isaac    M.    and 
Betsey  (Gilson)  Young.   The  father  was  the 
son  of  a  Scotch-Irishman  and  served  in  the 
w^j  of  1812.     His  home  was  in  Chautauqua 
county,  New  York,  whence  his  son,  Isaac  M. 
Young,  removed  to  in  early  manhood.     He 
was  married  in  that  county  or  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  his  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Betsey  Gilson,  spent  her  girlhood 
days.  The  year  1837  witnessed  their  removal 
from   the  Empire   state  to  Berrien   county, 
Michigan,  one  brother,  Stephen  R.   Gilson, 
having  already  come  to  this  county  in  1836 
and  settled  on  Paw  Paw  river  between  Colo- 
ma  and  Watervliet  at  what  was  known  as 
Shingle  diggings,  in  company  with  Hiram 
Ormsby,  Rumsey  Christie  and  a  Mr.  Barnes. 
They  all  were  engaged  in  splitting  and  shav- 
ing shingles.      The  Pottawattomie  Indians 
were  camped  close  by  and  the  settlement  was 
in  ihe  midst  of  a  region  entirely  wild  and 
unimproved.    Isaac  Young  spent  one  year  at 
Shingle  Diggins,  shaving  shingles.    He  then 
removed  to  the  Territorial  road  near  Bain- 
bridge Center,  and  at  that  time  Watervliet, 
Bainbridge  and   Pipestone   townships  were 
all  one.     It  required  twO'  days  to  hold  the 
election  in  order  that  the  voters,   forty  in 
number,  might  get  to  the  polling  place,  which 
was  a  log  cabin  kept  by  Mrs.  Davis,  and 
was  tw^o  miles  east  of  Millburg.     In  this  lo- 
cality  Isaac   Young   spent    one   year    as    a 
farmer  and  in  the  spring  of  1839  he  built  a 
log  house  in  the  woods  on  an  eighty-acre 
tract    of    land    on    section    ten,    Bainbridge 


township.     There  were  no  roads  near  his 
house  and  the   work  of  improvement   and 
development  seemed  scarcely  begun.    Often- 
times large  droves  of  deer  could  be  seen 
making  their  way  to  a  salt  lick  and  in  fact 
those  animals  were  more  common  then  than 
rabbits  at  present.     To  the  west  of   Isaac 
Young's  home  lived  Levi  Woodruff,  while 
the  nearest  neighbor  on  the  west  was  Sam- 
uel McKeyes.     The  first  frame  barn  in  this 
locality  was   on   McKeyes'    farm   and   was 
built  about   1840.     Settlers  throughout  the 
community  for  ten  miles  around  were  in- 
vited, also  men  from  St.  Joseph,  in  order  to 
.  get  enough  men  to  aid  in  putting  up  the 
frame.  Mr.  McKeyes  and  Mr.  Woodruff  had 
resided  in  this  locality  for  two  years  at  the 
time  that   Mr.    Young   took   up  his   abode 
there.     He  built  a  log  house  and  continued 
to  make  shingles,  the  sale  of  which  provided 
him  with  funds  necessary  for  his  expenses 
and  also  enabled  him  to  pay  for  his  land, 
which  was  largely  cleared  by  his  sons.     He 
continued  to  reside  upon  the  old  homestead 
farm,  which  he  there  developed,  making  it 
his  place  of  residence  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death.      He   cleared   altogether  sixty   acres 
of  land,  and  in  1858  he  erected  the  house 
which    is    still    standing,    his    son,    E.    W. 
Young,  doing  the  carpenter  work.     After 
living  for  a  few  years  upon  this  farm  Isaac 
Young  ceased  to  make  shingles  and  devoted 
himself  to  the  tihing  of  the  soil.     He  died 
in  his  eightieth  year,  his  wife  having  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years.    In  those 
early  days  Bainbridge  was  the  name  given 
to  all  three  of  the  townships  before  they  were 
separated.     In  the  family  of  Isaac  Young 
there  were  seven  children,  who  reached  adult 
age,  while  two  died  in  childhood.     Stephen 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years.  Mary 
became  the  wife  of  Henry  Selter,  they  being 
the  first  couple  married  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship, and  her  death  occurred  when  she  was 
thirty-seven  years   of  age.      Lucy  married 
Joseph  Enos,  who  had  a  sawmill  at  Mill- 
burg, and  she  died  on  the  old  homestead 
when  thirty-seven  years  of  age.     Her  hus- 
band went  to  California  in  1850  and  died 
there  a  year  later.     Samuel  Young  died  at 


392 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


the  age  of  forty  years.  Gideon  passed  away 
at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years.  Edwin  W. 
was  the  next  of  the  family.  Clarissa  be- 
came the  wife  of  Jack  Pike  and  died  at  the 
age  of  fifty-five  years.  Eben  and  Morgan 
both  died  in  childhood. 

Edwin  W.  Young,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  review,  was  only  nine  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  the  father's  removal  to 
the  old  farm  homestead,  and  when  twelve 
years  of  age  he  began  earning  his  own  liv- 
ing by  working  out  through  the  summer 
months.  His  boyhood  days  were  mainly 
spent  on  the  farm  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
years  he  drove  seven  yoke  of  oxen  to  break 
land,  but  his  father  put  a  stop  to  this,  as  it 
proved  too  hard  for  him.  He  became  an 
expert  teamster,  however,  and  his  services 
in  this  direction  were  always  in  demand.  His 
educational  advantages  were  quite  meager, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  there  was  only  a  short 
three  months'  session  of  school  each  year. 
Throughout  the  remainder  of  the  year  he 
was  busy  in  the  work  of  the  farm,  clearing 
or  cultivating  the  fields,  and  he  remained 
with  his  father  until  after  he  had  attained 
his  majority.  He  then  started  to  work  for 
others  and  after  a  year  and  a  half  turned 
his  attention  to  carpentering.  Subsequently 
he  engaged  in  business  as  a  contractor  and 
builder  for  ten  years,  spending  one  season 
in  St.  Joseph,  but  the  greater  part  of  the 
time  in  the  country.  He  erected  a  number 
of  buildings  which  are  still  standine.  Even 
after  he  began  farming  he  still  continued 
contracting  to  some  extent,  but  following 
his  mother's  death  he  returned  to  the  old 
homestead,  of  which  he  had  charge  for  some 
time.  His  father  retired  from  active  life  but 
continued  to  live  with  his  son  Edwin.  The 
latter  bought  out  the  interest  of  the  other 
heirs  in  the  old  home  property  and  has  ex- 
tended the  boundaries  of  the  farm  by  addi- 
tional purchase  until  he  owned  one  hundred 
and  ninety-three  acres  of  valuable  land.  He 
placed  over  one  hundred  acres  under  culti- 
vation, developing  it  from  the  original  tim- 
ber tract.  He  still  owns  twenty  acres  cov- 
ered with  timber,  although  he  sold  the 
original  forest  growth  for  six  hundred  dol- 
lars.    The  second  growth   shows  red  oak 


trees  two  feet  in  diameter.  The  road  or 
street  was  called  Deacon  street  in  honor  of 
Deacon  Levi  Woodruff,  although  originally 
known  as  Oak  Openings  from  the  fact  that 
it  was  free  from  underbrush.  In  his  farm- 
ing operations  Mr.  Young  has  mainly  pro- 
duced general  crops,  although  to  some  ex- 
tent he  has  engaged  in  dairying  and  fruit- 
raising  and  he  has  sold  hundreds  of  barrels 
of  apples  from  his  place  and  also  has  gath- 
ered large  peach  crops.  He  was  for  several 
years  known  as  a  prominent  horseman  and 
bred  some  noted  roadsters.  For  some  years 
now  he  has  rented  his  farm,  but  continues  to 
live  upon  his  place,  having  erected  a  new 
house,  which  he  now  occupies. 

Mr.  Young  was  married  on  the  27th  of 
September,  1857,  at  Coloma,  by  Elder  Kel- 
logg, a  Methodist  Episcopal  minister,  to 
Miss  Elmira  Sutherland,  the  youngest  of 
eight  children  whose  parents  were  Lott  and 
Mercy  (Bliss)  Sutherland.  She  was  born 
in  Broome  county.  New  York,  March  7, 
1835,  ^^d  was  brought  to  Michigan  when  a 
year  old.  Further  mention  of  the  family  is 
made  in  connection  with  the  sketch  of  Lewis 
Sutherland.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young 
have  been  born  the  following  named :  Ida, 
the  wife  of  Robert  Ernsberger,  who  is  oper- 
ating a  farm  adjoining  the  old  homestead; 
Charles  L.,  who  is  a  member  of  the  Young 
&  Peck  Company,  merchants  of  Benton  Har- 
bor ;  and  William  I.  Young,  a  blacksmith 
at  South  Haven,  Michigan. 

E.  W.  Young  is  a  Republican  in  his 
political  views.  His  father,  Isaac,  was 
originally  a  Whig  but  joined  the  Republican 
party  on  its  organization.  He  is  likewise  a 
member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  Society  and  his 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Universalist  church. 
Few  men  have  more  intimate  or  accurate 
knowledge  of  pioneer  experience  and  condi- 
tions in  Berrien  county  in  the  years  when 
this  section  of  the  state  was  emerging  from 
a  wild  and  unsettled  region  into  one  of  rich 
fertility  and  possibilities.  He  relates  many 
interesting  incidents  of  the  early  days  and 
as  an  honored  early  settler  and  successful 
business  man  and  a  worthy  representative 
of  one  of  the  early  families  who  well  de- 
serves mention  in  this  volume. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


393 


CHARLES  K.  FARMER,  ex-city  treas- 
urer of  Benton  Harbor,  is  accounted  as  one 
of  the  alert  and  enterprising  business  men, 
being  a  representative  of  real  estate  inter- 
ests and  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Merwin  & 
Farmer.  He  has  furthermore  been  con- 
nected with  other  business  enterprises  which 
have  demonstated  his  ability  and  which 
have  felt  the  beneficial  stimulus  of  his  co- 
operation and  keen  business  insight.  His 
birth  occurred  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  on 
the  25th  of  November,  1861,  his  parents 
being  Francis  V.  and  Sarah  (Van  Ness) 
Farmer,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  New 
Jersey  and  are  now  deceased. 

In  the  city  of  his  nativity  Mr.  Farmer 
acquired  his  education,  and  in  1887,  then  a 
young  man  of  twenty-five  years,  came  to 
Michigan.  While  in  New  York  he  had  oc- 
cupied a  business  position  with  the  Butterick 
Company,  the  noted  pattern  manufacturing 
house.  He  had  also  occupied  a  position 
with  the  Anchor  Line  Steamship  Company 
and  had  subsequently  gone  upon  the  road  as 
a  traveling  salesman,  representing  a  rail- 
way supply  house  of  New  York.  In  this 
capacity  he  traveled  all  over  the  United 
States,  representing  that  house  for  ,three 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
resigned  his  position  to  accept  the  position 
of  purchasing  agent  for  the  Valley  Railroad 
Company  at  Cleveland,  Ohio.  He  after- 
ward returned  to  New  York  and  took  charge 
of  the  New  York  office  of  the  Leatheroid 
Manufacturing  Company,  manufacturers  of 
mill,  railroad  and  electric  supplies.  He  oc- 
cupied that  position  for  some  time,  or  until 
failing  health  caused  him  to  resign.  He 
then  came  to  Michigan  and  for  five  years 
was  engaged  in  a  general  store  at  Hartman, 
Berrien  county,  during  which  time  he  was 
called  to  public  office,  being  elected  clerk  of 
Pipestone  township.  He  filled  the  office  for 
one  term  and  also  acted  as  supervisor  of  the 
township  for  one  term.  He  afterward  went 
to  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  fruit,  produce  and  commission  busi- 
ness with  L.  F.  Adams  &  Company,  subse- 
quent to  which  time  he  engaged  in  news- 
paper work.     He  remained  for  two  years 


in  Indianapolis,  and  upon  his  return  to 
Michigan  settled  in  Benton  Harbor. 

In  1895  Mr.  Farmer  was  appointed  sup- 
erintendent of  the  Seymour  Transporta- 
tion Company,  running  a  steamboat  line  be- 
tween Benton  Harbor  and  Chicago,  which 
position  he  held  until  the  company  went 
out  of  business  two  years  later.  He  then 
engaged  with  the  Graham  &  Morton  Trans- 
portation Company  as  purser,  occupying 
that  position  on  various  steamboats  of  its 
line  until  the  Wolverine  Sugar  Factory  was 
established  in  Benton  Harbor,  when  he  be- 
came one  of  its  first  employes.  He  had 
charge  of  the  office  of  the  company  and  re- 
mained with  the  house  until  the  factory  was 
removed  to  Canada  three  years  later,  when 
he  resigned  and  accepted  his  old  position  as 
purser  with  the  Graham  &  Morton  Trans- 
portation Company,  again  serving  in  that 
capacity  for  two  years.  He  then  once  more 
resigned  to  enter  the  drug  business  as  a 
partner  in  the  Red  Cross  Drug  Company 
in  Benton  Harbor.  The  directors  of  the 
Linden  Cereal  Company,  manufacturers  of 
cereal  coffee,  wished  him  to  accept  a  position 
as  manager  of  that  company,  which  he  did, 
acting  in  that  capacity  until  the  15th  of 
Septmber,  1903,  when  he  resigned  and  pur- 
chased  a  third  interest  in  a  real  estate  busi- 
ness, conducted  under  the  firm  style  of  Hub- 
bard, Merwin  &  Farmer,  but  wdiich  has  since 
been  succeeded  by  Merwin  &  Farmer.  They 
are  the  leading  real  estate  brokers  of  the 
city  and  are  conducting  an  extensive  busi- 
ness. 

In  1883,  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  Mr. 
Farmer  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Athenaise  Mitchell,  a  native  of  North  Caro- 
lina, and  unto  them  were  born  three  children, 
of  whom  two  are  living:  Marie,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  Brooklyn,  New  York;  and 
Louise,  who  was  born  in  Benton  Harbor. 
Mr.  Farmer  is  a  member  of  the  various  Ma- 
sonic bodies  of  this  city,  also  of  the  Royal 
Arcanum,  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and 
the  Patricians.  In  politics  he  has  ever  been 
a  stalwart  Republican  and  is  now  serving 
for  the  second  term  as  treasurer  of  Benton 
Harbor,    to    which    position    he    was    first 


394 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


elected  in  1904.  He  has  taken  a  very  active 
interest  in  military  affairs,  joining  the  naval 
reserves  of  Benton  Harbor  in  1899.  This 
organization  is  known  as  the  Fourth  Divi- 
sion State  Naval  Brigade,  which  w^as  organ- 
ized through  his  efforts.  He  enlisted  in  the 
ranks  and  after  holding  all  the  non-com- 
missioned offices  of  the  division  was  elected 
Ensign.  Later  he  resigned  to  accept  the  po- 
sition of  lieutenant,  junior  grade,  and  that 
position  he  also  resigned  to  accept  the  com- 
mand of  the  division,  which  is  his  present 
connection  with  the  organization.  Mr. 
Farmer  is  a  typical  citizen  of  the  middle 
west,  exemplifying  in  his  life  the  spirit 
which  has  led  to  the  rapid  upbuilding  of  this 
section  of  the  country.  In  his  business  he 
has  made  continuous  advancemenjt,  being 
constantly  watchful  of  his  opportunities  and 
ever  manifesting  a  recognition  of  the  fact 
that  success  depends  upon  merit.  In  politi- 
cal circles  he  has  been  public  spirited, 
placing  the  general  good  before  partisan 
measures  and  the  welfare  of  his  community 
before  self  aggrandizement.  He  is  popular 
in  business,  social,  political  and  military  cir- 
cles and  is  greatly  esteemed  by  all  who  know 
him. 

JULIUS  E.  DUNBAR,  who  is  engaged 
in  business  in  Benton  Harbor  as  proprietor 
of  a  meat  market,  was  born  in  New  York  in 
1856.  His  father,  Jonathan  Arnold  Dunbar, 
was  a  native  of  the  same  state  and  spent  his 
last  days  in  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  passed 
away  in  1899.  He  came  to  Michigan  in 
1855,  settling  at  Eau  Claire,  Berrien  county. 
There  he  secured  forty  acres  of  land  in  Ber- 
rien township,  one  mile  south  of  Pipestone 
township.  He  engaged  in  farming  for  forty- 
four  years,  and  last  year  his  son,  Julius  E. 
Dunbar,  shipped  six  thousand  baskets  of 
grapes  from  this  place — the  first  from  the 
vines.  After  living  in  Pipestone  township 
for  a  brief  period  the  father  settled  at  Eau 
Claire,  where  he  purchased  land  and  made 
his  home  until  he  came  to  Benton  Harbor. 
This  was  about  1889  and  he  spent  his  re- 
maining days  in  quiet  retirement  from 
further  labor  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 
In  early  manhood  he  had  wedded  Harriet 


Patton,  w^ho  still  survives  her  husband  and 
now  makes  her  home  with  her  son,  Julius  E. 
Dunbar,  who  is  the  only  surviving  member 
of  the  family  save  the  mother.  She  was  born 
in  Connecticut  and  by  her  marriage  became 
the  mother  of  two  sons  and  a  daughter,  but 
the  daughter  died  in  infancy.  The  elder 
brother,  William  Steuben  Dunbar,  was  born 
in  New  York  and  in  his  early  manhood  was 
a  cattle  buyer,  representing  a  firm  in  St. 
Joseph,  Michigan.  He  traveled  all  over  this 
county,  buying  cattle  for  the  meat  markets 
owned  by  the  firm  by  whom  he  was  em- 
ployed. Subsequently  he  engaged  in  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account  at  St.  Joseph  and 
Benton  Harbor,  continuing  in  the  conduct 
of  his  market  for  about  seven  years  and  car- 
rying on  both  a  wholesale  and  retail  trade. 
Subsequently  he  became  interested  in  the 
manufacture  of  fertilizers  in  St.  Joseph  and 
later  was  engaged  in  the  produce  business, 
dealing  in  all  kinds  of  vegetables  and  fruits, 
which  he  sold  to  the  wholesale  trade  and  in 
car  load  lots.  At  the  time  of  the  Cuban  war 
he  went  south  and  shipped  supplies  of  all 
kinds  to  the  soldiers  at  Savannah,  Georgia. 
On  account  of  ill  health  he  spent  two  winters 
in  Florida  and  two  or  three  winters  in 
Georgia  and  at  this  time  purchased  three 
hundred  acres  of  land  in  Alabama,  on  which 
he  set  out  ten  thousand  peach  trees.  This 
was  in  1900.  In  the  winter  of  1903,  while 
taking  care  of  his  peach  trees,  he  became  ill 
and  never  again  fully  recovered  his  health. 
He  returned  home,  however,  to  St.  Joseph, 
Michigan,  where  he  died  in  1904.  He  was 
quite  extensively  engaged  in  the  produce 
business,  shipping  peaches  by  car  load  lots 
and  was  in  a  fair  way  to  become  famous  by 
reason  of  his  extensive  shipments  of  peaches 
and  other  fruit.  His  son,  Edward  F.,  now 
cares  for  the  orchard  left  by  the  father.  He 
had  married  Alice  Frost,  of  Eau  Claire, 
Michigan,  who  makes  her  home  in  St. 
Joseph.  Three  children  were  born  unto 
them:  Lulu,  the  wife  of  George  Karrick; 
Edward  F. ;  and  Roxie. 

Julius  E.  Dunbar  was  reared  to  farm  life, 
acquired  his  early  education  in  the  district 
schools  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years 
joined  his  brother  at  St.  Joseph,  Michigan, 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


395 


remaining  in  his  employ  for  four  years.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  Andrew  Patterson  pur- 
chased the  business  of  the  brother  and  Juhus 
E.  Dunbar  remained  with  him  through  the 
succeeding  year.  He  then  came  to  Benton 
Harbor  and  began  in  the  meat  business  on 
his  own  account  on  West  Main  street,  where 
he  soon  secured  a  good  trade,  remaining  at 
that  situation  for  five  years.  Later  he  ad- 
mitted Edward  White  to  a  partnership  under 
the  firm  style  of  Dunbar  &  White.  They 
opened  a  market  on  Pipestone  street,  where 
they  remained  for  four  years,  enjoying  a 
constantly  increasing  and  profitable  trade,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  Mr.  Dunbar  sold  out 
to  Mr.  White  and  agreed  not  to  go  into  busi- 
ness for  a  year.  He  then  re-entered  the  em- 
ploy of  Andrew  Patterson  in  St.  Joseph, 
where  he  remained  until  the  expiration  of  the 
year  agreed  upon,  after  which  he  purchased 
Rowe  Brothers  store  on  Pipestone  street  in 
Benton  Harbor,  where  he  is  now  located. 
This,  transfer  of  property  occurred  in  1890 
and  Mr.  Dunbar  has  since  been  a  prosperous 
business  man  of  this  city^  now  having  the 
largest  meat  trade  in  Benton  Harbor.  His 
office  is  well  equipped  with  a  refrigerating 
plant  and  with  every  facility  for  the  suc- 
cessful conduct  of  his  business  and  he  car- 
ries a  good  grade  of  meats,  so  that  his  trade 
is  constantly  increasing  and  when  once  pat- 
ronage is  given  to  him  he  can  count  upon 
the  retention  of  the  trade.  Mr.  Dunbar  votes 
with  the  Republican  party,  and  though 
neither  seeking  nor  desiring  office  he  is  in- 
terested in  the  city's  good  and  is  an  active 
worker  in  behalf  of  general  progress  and  im- 
provement, his  labors  being  far-reaching  and 
beneficial.  He  belongs  to  the  Modern  Wood- 
men camp  and  the  Maccabees  tent  and  al- 
though not  a  member  of  the  church  he  con- 
tributes liberally  to  the  support  of  the  Con- 
gregational church,  of  which  his  wife  is  a 
member.  He  was  married  December  10, 
1885,  to  Miss  Anna  G.  Forbes,  a  native  of 
Benton  Harbor,  and  this  union  has  been 
blessed  with  six  children :  Wallace  A.  and 
Harriet  A.,  both  born  in  Benton  Harbor; 
Erma,  born  in  St.  Joseph;  Lois,  Josephine  B. 
and  Raymond  J.,  all  born  in  this  city.  Mr. 
Dunbar  is  a  genial  man  of  social  disposition, 


always  having  a  friendly  word  for  those 
with  whom  he  comes  in  contact,  and  the 
circle  of  his  friends  is  almost  co-extenslve 
with  the  circle  of  his  acquaintance.  During 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  he  has  lived  ni 
Berrien  county  and  has  become  recognized 
as  a  man  of  liberal  and  progressive  views, 
who  has  made  an  untarnished  record  and 
unspotted  reputation  as  a  business  man. 

SAMUEL  E.  DAIGNEAU,  the  man- 
ager and  principal  stockholder  of  the  Daig- 
neau  Laundry  at  Benton  Harbor,  was  born 
in  Vermont  in  1852  and  when  but  two  years 
of  age  was  brought  to  Michigan  by  his  par- 
ents, John  M.  and  Vitlie  M.  (Dion)  Daig- 
neau,  both  of  whom  were  of  French  ancestry. 
Upon  coming  to  Michigan  they  settled  at 
Battle  Creek,  where  the  father  followed  the 
mason's  trade.  Subsequently  he  removed  to 
the  province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  but  after- 
ward returned  to  Michigan,  and  in  1902 
came  to  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  now  re- 
sides. In  his  family  were  five  children, 
Samuel  E.,  Charles  L.,  Mrs.  Dora  Hindman, 
Mrs.  Alma  Armitage  and  Clififord  E.  Daig- 
neau. 

Samuel  E.  Daigneau  acquired  his  early 
education  in  the  schools  of  Battle  Creek  and 
also  at  the  French  schools  in  the  east.  In 
early  life  he  learned  the  trade  of  broom- 
making,  which  he  followed  until  his  arrival 
in  Benton  Harbor  in  1891.  Here  he  pur- 
chased the  small  plant  of  the  Tibbetts 
Laundry  and  has  by  hard  work,  energy  and 
thrift  established  a  large  and  growing  pat- 
ronage. In  fact  he  has  the  most  extensive 
and  best  equipped  laundry  in  southwestern 
Michigan,  supplied  with  the  latest  improved 
machinery  and  all  modern  accessories  for  the 
successful  conduct  of  a  business  of  this  char- 
acter. He  is  a  thorough  going  business  man, 
wide-awake  and  progressive  and  at  the  same 
time  thoroughly  reliable  in  all  his  business 
transactions.  In  January,  1903,  he  incor- 
porated his  business  under  the  name  of  the 
Daigneau  Laundry,  admitting  his  son  and 
his  father  to  a  partnership.  This  is  a  close 
concern,  no  stock  being  held  outside  of  the 
family,  and  Mr.  Daigneau  of  this  review  is 
the  principal  stockholder  and  also  the  active 


396 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


manager  of  the  business.  A  liberal  patron- 
age has  been  secured  and  the  efforts  of  the 
house  to  do  satisfactory  work  have  resulted 
in  the  establishment  of  a  business  that  is 
now  large  and  profitable.  In  addition  to 
his  other  business  interests  he  is  one  of  the 
executive  committee  of  the  Benton  Harbor 
Development  Company. 

On  the  31st  of  December,  1874,  Mr. 
Daigneau  was  married  in  Hillsdale,  Michi- 
gan, to  Miss  Carrie  Stone  of  that  place,  a 
daughter  of  George  Stone.  They  now  have 
one  son,  Floyd  E.  Daigneau,  who  was  born 
in  Hillsdale,  Michigan,  married  Minnie  Belle 
Felts  and  is  associated  with  his  father  in 
buisness.  In  community  affairs  Mr.  Daig- 
neau is  interested  to  the  extent  of  giving 
hearty  and  valuable  co-operation  to  various 
movements  for  the  general  good.  He  was 
for  some  time  a  member  of  the  board  of 
public  works,  was  alderman  of  the  second 
ward  of  the  city  and  is  now  one  of  the  city 
supervisors.  His  political  allegiance  is 
given  to  the  Republican  party,  and  he  re- 
gards it  the  duty  as  well  as  the  privilege  of 
every  American  citizen  to  uphold  the  princi- 
ples which  he  deems  of  greatest  good  in  pro- 
moting the  general  welfare.  He  has  also 
been  willing  to  contribute  of  his  time  and 
means  to  undertakings  that  would  increase 
the  prosperity  of  the  city  and  add  to  the 
comfort  of  its  inhabitants^  and  he  has  gained 
the  favorable  regard  of  the  large  majority 
of  his  fellow  townsmen  during  the  period 
of  his  residence  in  Benton  Harbor. 

ELDEN  C.  HARNER,  who  since  1902 
has  been  engaged  in  the  real  estate  and  in- 
surance business  in  Benton  Harbor  with 
growing  success  that  has  already  made  him 
a  leading  representative  of  this  line  of  activ- 
ity, was  born  near  Berrien  Springs,  Michi- 
gan, in  1881.  He  is  a  son  of  Augustus  A. 
Harner  and  a  grandson  of  Michael  Harner, 
The  latter  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and 
came  to  Michigan  in  1837,  when  this  part 
of  the  state  was  a  wild  and  unimproved  dis- 
trict. He  secured  from  the  government  a 
large  tract  of  land  of  six  hundred  acres  in 
Berrien  township,  which  at  that  time  was  all 
covered  with  dense  timber.     No  roads  had 


been  laid  out  and  there  were  only  Indian 
trails  to  guide  the  traveler  or  settler  as  he 
made  his  way  through  the  forests  or  across 
the  prairies.  Mr.  Harner  cleared  the  greater 
part  of  his  land  and  thus  contributed  in  sub- 
stantial measure  to  the  subjugation  of  the 
wild  district  and  its  reclamation  for  the  pur- 
poses of  civilization.  He  was  one  of  the 
earliest  settlers  of  the  county  and  has  left 
the  impress  of  his  individuality  for  good 
upon  the  work  of  public  improvement. 

Augustus  A.  Harner,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  upon  the  old  family  home- 
stead which  was  developed  by  his  father  west 
of  Berrien  Springs.  He  assisted  in  the  work 
of  the  fields  there,  performing  much  of  the 
arduous  labor  incident  to  the  improvement 
of  a  new  farm.  Having  arrived  at  years  of 
maturity  he  married  Miss  Charlotte  Van 
Patten,  whose  birth  occurred  upon  a  farm 
west  of  Berrien  Springs  in  Berrien  township, 
her  father  being  Aaron  Van  Patten,  who  was 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  that  locality.  He 
came  to  the  west  from  New  York  and  cleared 
a  large  tract  of  land,  so  that  he,  too,  was  an 
important  factor  in  general  progress  here. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Augustus  A.  Harner 
were  born  two  children,  the  eldest  being 
Edna,  now  the  wife  of  Carl  Pennell,  of  Ber- 
rien Springs,  by  whom  she  has  one  child, 
Letha. 

Elden  C.  Harner,  the  only  son  of  the 
family,  acquired  a  district-school  education 
and  afterward  continued  his  studies  in  the 
Berrien  Springs  high  school,  from  which  he 
was  graduated.  He  next  became  a  student 
in  the  state  normal  school  at  Ypsilanti, 
where  he  completed  his  course  by  graduation 
in  1900.  He  then  taught  in  the  Benton 
Harbor  high  school  for  a  year^  after  which 
he  engaged  in  the  real  estate  and  insurance 
business,  opening  an  office  in  I90'2.  Here 
he  has  built  up  a  good  clientage  and  has 
thoroughly  informed  himself  concerning 
realty  values,  so  that  he  is  qualified  to  bring 
to  his  patrons  a  knowledge  of  property  which 
they  desire,  or  to  effect  sales  where  one 
wishes  to  dispose  of  realty. 

Mr.  Harner  was  married  in  1902  to  Miss 
Mary  Comstock  of  Ypsilanti,  a  daughter  of 
Charles  Comstock  of  that  city.     They  are 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


397 


prominent  socially  and  the  hospitality  of 
many  of  the  best  homes  of  Benton  Harbor 
is  freely  accorded  them.  In  politics  Mr. 
Harner  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  now  serving 
as  a  member  of  the  county  board  of  school 
examiners.  He  is  a  young  man  of  strong 
intellectual  force  and  of  acquired  ability, 
ambitious  and  energetic,  and  his  laudable 
determination  to  win  success  has  been  one 
of  the  salient  and  commendable  features  in 
his  business  career. 

FRANK  D.  CONGER  has  been  con- 
nected at  various  times  with  varied  interests 
of  Benton  Harbor  and  is  now  a  factor  in 
the  financial  affairs  and  successful  manage- 
ment of  the  Hopper  Stationery  Company. 
His  life  is  a  living  illustration  of  what  ability, 
energy  and  force  of  character  can  accomplish 
and  his  city  and  state  have  been  enriched 
by  his  example,  for  it  is  to  such  men  that 
the  west  owes  its  prosperity,  its  rapid  pro- 
gress and  advancement.  Benton  Harbor  has 
certainly  profited  by  his  efforts  here,  for  he 
belongs  to  that  class  of  representative  Amer- 
ican men  who,  while  advancing  individual 
interests  also  promote  in  large  measure  the 
public  good. 

A  native  of  the  middle  west,  his  birth 
occurred  in  Illinois  in  1848,  his  parents  be- 
ing Lorentus  and  Mary  (Hurd)  Conger. 
He  came  from  Illinois  to  Michigan  thirty- 
seven  years  ago,  and  was  married  to  Elia 
M.  Riford  the  same  year.  He  purchased 
here  a  fruit  farm,  part  of  which  had  belonged 
to  his  wife's  father.  He  became  owner  of 
twelve  acres,  which  was  then  situated  in  the 
country  some  distance  from  Benton  Harbor, 
but  with  the  growth  of  the  city  it  has  be- 
come the  center  of  the  town  and  upon  this 
tract  Mr.  Conger  has  erected  eight  dwelling 
houses  with  all  modern  improvements.  It 
is  called  Conger's  addition  and  is  one  of  the 
desirable  residence  portions  of  Benton  Har- 
bor. Mr.  Conger  also  owns  other  real  estate 
known  as  the  Riford  and  Morton  addition. 
At  one  time  he  sold  his  original  farm,  but 
later  he  purchased  it  again  and  made  the 
improvements  designed  above.  The  Conger 
addition  is  located  at  the  corner  of  Pipestone 


street  and  Vineyard  avenue,  and  will  always 
remain  as  a  monument  to  the  thrift  and  en- 
terprise of  the  subject  of  this  review.  Mrs. 
Conger  had  charge  of  the  building  of  these 
houses,  drew  the  plans  and  superintended 
their  construction.  She  is  a  lady  of  keen 
insight,  excellent  business  ability  and  artistic 
taste. 

Along  many  other  lines  Mr.  Conger  has 
contributed  to  the  general  welfare  and  up- 
building of  Berrien  county,  being  a  man  of 
resourceful  business  ability,  whose  efforts 
have  touched  many  lines  of  activity.  He  was 
proprietor  of  the  first  exclusive  shoe  store 
in  Benton  Harbor  and  was  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  boots.  Later  he  entered  the 
banking  business  and  subsequently  became 
connected  with  the  Graham  &  Morton  trans- 
portation enterprise,  being  for  twenty  years 
the  confidential  clerk  with  that  company, 
He  is  now  interested  in  the  business  of  the 
Hopper  Stationery  Company,  having  a  large 
plant  in  Benton  Harbor.  In  fact  this  is  one 
of  the  leading  industries  of  the  county,  its 
payroll  being  perhaps  the  largest  in  the  city. 
The  company  has  many  plants  throughout 
the  United  States,  but  Mr.  Conger  is  inter- 
ested in  only  the  one  in  Benton  Harbor. 

In  1869  occurred  the  marriage  of  Frank 
D.  Conger  and  Miss  Elia  M.  Riford,  the 
wedding  being  celebrated  in  the  first  church 
ever  built  in  the  city,  her  father  drawing 
the  lumber  for  the  construction  of  this  house 
of  worship.  Her  parents  were  Joseph  and 
Mary  (Burridge)  Riford  and  the  mother 
traces  her  ancestry  back  to  royalty  in  Europe. 
Her  father,  Joseph  Riford,  was  born  near 
Montpelier,  Vermont,  in  18 10,  and  died  in 
1884  at  th^  ag^  of  seventy- four  years.  He 
removed  from  the  Green  Mountain  state  to 
Indiana  and  while  living  there  represented 
his  district  in  the  state  legislature.  Thirty- 
nine  years  ago  he  came  to  Benton  Harbor, 
being  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  place. 
He  was  instrumental  with  others  in  securing 
the  building  of  the  canal  and  was  one  of  the 
principle  promoters  of  the  city's  progress 
and  improvement,  being  interested  in  all 
plans  for  its  development  and  substantial 
upbuilding.     Unto  Mr.  and    Mrs.    Conger 


398 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


have  been  born  three  children,  but  only  one 
is  now  living,  Alta  C,  who  has  one  child, 
Elia  M.  Conger. 

Mr.  Conger  votes  with  the  Republican 
party  and  at  one  time  served  *as  city  treasurer, 
but  has  never  been  a  politican  in  the  sense 
of  office  seeking.  He  is  a  brother  of  the 
Hon.  Edwin  H.  Conger,  who  has  a  national 
reputation.  He  has,  however,  never  sought 
to  figure  prominently  in  public  affairs,  pre- 
ferring to  concentrate  his  energies  upon  local 
business  interests  and  finding  ample  op- 
portunity for  the  exercise  of  his  talents  in 
the  duties  of  the  work-a-day  world.  He  is 
a  self-made  man  in  the  fullest  sense  of  that 
term,  his  prosperity  in  life  being  due  to  in- 
dustry and  integrity.  In  everything  pertain- 
ing to  the  upbuilding  of  Benton  Harbor  he 
takes  an  active  part  and  is  a  liberal  contrib- 
utor to  the  enterprises  which  insure  its  pro- 
gress. The  business  policy  which  he  has 
maintained  has  brought  him  prosperity.  He 
is  methodical  and  systematic  and  the  plans 
which  he  has  pursued  commend  themselves 
to  the  judgment  and  respect  of  all. 

STEPHEN  V.  BURDICK  has  had 
an  eventful  career  fraught  with  many 
interesting  incidents  because  of  his  early 
operations  in  lumber  pursuits  and  his 
trip  to  California  in  search  of  gold  soon 
after  the  discovery  of  the  precious  metal 
on  the  Pacific  coast.  He  is  now  occu- 
pying a  pleasant  home  in  Hagar  township, 
Berrien  county,  and  has  passed  the  age  of 
seventy-nine  years.  He  was  born  at  Sum- 
herhill,  Cayuga  county,  New  York,  on  the 
1 8th  of  July,  1827.  His  father,  Daniel 
Bur  dick,  was  a  descendant  of  one  of  the 
passengers  on  the  Mayflower  and  the  family 
had  its  origin  in  Wales.  Representatives  of 
the  name  settled  in  Cayuga  county  soon  after 
the  Revolutionary  war,  although  Daniel 
Burdick  was  born  in  Vermont.  He  was 
reared,  however,  in  the  Empire  state,  and 
was  married  to  Miss  Charlotte  Steward. 
Daniel  Burdick  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming  as  a  life  work  and  upon  the  old 
homestead  Stephen  V.  Burdick  was  reared 
to  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  He  was  a 
youth  of  ten  summers  when  the  parents  re- 


moved to  Lake  county,  Ohio,  where  he  at- 
tended the  academy.  When  eighteen  years 
of  age  he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  ac- 
count, working  by  the  month.  He  made  his 
way  to  the  pine  woods  of  Wisconsin,  and 
acted  as  cook  in  a  lumber  camp  in  the 
pineries.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age 
he  returned  home  and  in  the  meantime  had 
saved  from  his  earnings  sufficient  capital  to 
enable  him  to  make  a  start  in  business  life. 
With  this  he  went  to  Van  Buren  county, 
Michigan,  in  1848,  and  purchased  a  tract  of 
wild  land  near  Decatur.  He  took  his  par- 
ents with  him  and  made  a  home  for  them  on 
his  place.  There  he  carried  on  farming 
until  1850,  when,  attracted  by  the  gold  ex- 
citement on  the  Pacific  coast,  he  went  to 
California,  where  he  spent  one  summer,  tak- 
ing his  outfit  from  home.  On  the  trip,  while 
at  Fort  Laramie,  he  had  his  team  stolen  and 
with  only  his  trunk  left  he  worked  his 
passage  as  far  as  Salt  Lake  City.  There 
he  left  his  employer  and  secured  work  in  that 
city  for  a  short  time,  being  employed  in  a 
blacksmith  shop,  where  he  cut  bolts  for 
Brigham  Young's  carriage.  He  had  known 
Young  at  Kirkland,  Ohio,  and  had  attended 
school  with  some  of  his  children  and  on 
reaching  Salt  Lake  Ci'ty  he  renewed  his  ac- 
quaintance with  the  Mormon  leader.  While 
there  he  met  Jim  Blair,  of  Ohio,  and  helped 
him  to  drive  his  ox  team  to  California,  pay- 
ing him  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  to 
carry  him  through  to  Placerville,  California. 
While  five  men  of  the  party  were  on  guard 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  camp  taking 
care  of  the  cattle,  they  were  attacked  by 
twenty-five  Indians,  who  succeeded  in  se- 
curing thirteen  head  of  cattle.  They  were 
running  them  off  tO'  the  mountains  when  the 
five  men  started  in  pursuit  and  a  fight  oc- 
curred, and  after  the  original  five  were  re- 
inforced by  other  officers  from  the  camp 
they  killed  or  drove  off  the  Indians  and  re- 
covered the  stock.  Mr.  Burdick;  however, 
was  wounded  with  an  arrow  in  the  side,  a 
wound  that  troubled  him  for  two  years. 

The  company  with  whdch  he  traveled 
was  made  up  of  thirteen  Irish  and  twelve 
Americans.  As  soon  as  the  Irish  could  get 
liquor  a  fight  was  started  among  them.    Mr. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


399 


Blair,  was  in  command  of  the  party,  and 
Mr.  Burdick  attempting  to  part  two  of  the 
combatants  one  by  one  the  others  of  the 
party  were  ah  drawn  into  the  quarrel  until 
the  entire  number  became  mixed  up  in  it. 
The  Americans,  however,  drew  their  revolv- 
ers and  the  Irish  were  thus  scattered.  As 
soon  as  the  Irish  gave  up,  peace  was  declared 
and  the  remainder  of  the  trip  was  resumed 
without  further  incident  of  this  character. 

Mr.  Burdick  remained  for  six  years  in 
California.  For  a  time  he  conducted  a 
bakery  at  Volcano,  and  during  the  remain- 
der of  the  time  was  engaged  in  mining  and 
prospecting.  He  met  with  success  until  the 
mountain  fever  disabled  him  but  he  returned 
with  more  than  average  results.  On  the 
return  trip  he  rode  a  mule  across  the  plains. 
This  was  in  the  summer  of  1856,  and  he 
made  his  way  to  his  farm  in  Van  Buren 
county,  Michigan. 

On  the  8th  of  April,  1857,  Mr.  Burdick 
was  married  in  that  county  to  Miss  Philena 
M.  Tucker,  who  was  born  in  Dryden,  La- 
peer county,  Michigan,  and  when  two  years 
of  age  w^as  taken  by  her  parents  to  Van 
Buren  county.  Her  father  was  a  wood  con- 
tractor on  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad, 
located  at  Decatur. 

Mr.  Burdick  remained  for  six  years  in 
his  farm  and  then  returned  to  California  in 
1862,  making  the  trip  for  the  improvement 
of  his  health.  He  spent  four  years  on  the 
coast,  his  wife  joining  him  there  in  1863. 
He  was  engaged  in  mining,  as  before,  with 
fair  success,  and  in  1866  he  again  came  to 
Michigan,  locating  once  more  upon  his  old 
farm  in  Van  Buren  county.  There  he  con- 
tinued to  reside  for  four  years,  when  he 
sold  out.  His  mother  had  died  in  1858,  and 
his  father  passed  away  in  1872,  dying  near 
Coloma,  in  Berrien  county. 

In  1870  Mr.  Burdick  of  this  review  had 
removed  tO'  his  present  farm  in  Hagar  town- 
ship. The  timber  had  been  cut  off,  but  he 
had  to  clear  the  place  of  stumps  and  he  be- 
gan farming  upon  forty  acres  of  new  land. 
He  has  since  devoted  his  attention  to  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits  and  he  now  owns 
one  hundred  acres  of  rich  and  productive 
land,  his  home  being  on  the  original  tract. 


His  first  house  was  a  plank  structure  and 
the  present  dwelling  was  erected  about 
twenty  years  ago.  It  stands  in  a  fine  loca- 
tion and  his  entire  farm  is  now  under  cul- 
tivation. He  carries  on  general  agricul- 
tural pursuits  and  to  some  extent  raises 
fruit.  He  has  laid  about  two  hundred  rods 
of  tiling  all  on  forty  acres,  about  half  of 
the  tract  having  been  formerly  considered  of 
no  value,  but  today  it  is  the  best  land  he  has. 
He  paid  as  high  as  fifty  dollars  per  acre, 
owing  to  the  fruit  prospects.  He  has  done 
some  lumbering  by  the  job  but  the  greater 
part  of  his  time  and  energies  have  been  de- 
voted to  general"  agricultural  pursuits  dur- 
ing his  residence  in  Michigan,  and  he  has 
here  valuable  property  interests.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Republican  but  has  never  sought  or 
desired  ofhce,  preferring  to  give  his  undi- 
vided attention  to  his  business  affairs. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burdick  have  been 
born  six  children :  May  M.,  who  is  now  the 
widow  of  J.  Brown  and  lives  in  Aberdeen, 
Mississippi ;  Nettie,  the  wife  of  M.  L.  Brant, 
of  Bainbridge  township;  Kate  C,  the  wafe 
of  Gaylord  E.  Frisbie,  of  Pearl  Grange ;  Ed- 
ward S.,  who  is  living  in  Hagar  township; 
Lillie  Belle,  who  is  a  twin  sister  of  Edward 
and  is  with  her  sister  in  Aberdeen,  Missis- 
sippi, doing  fine  needlework;  and  Harry  A., 
who  is  upon  the  home  farm.  In  her  early 
womanhood  Mrs.  Burdick  taught  school  in 
Van  Buren  county,  and  also  followed  that 
profession  while  residing  in  California, 
teaching  in  all  for  about  six  years.  The 
eldest  daughter  fitted  herself  for  teaching 
and  for  seventeen  years  followed  that  pro- 
fession, being  for  three  years  connected 
with  the  schools  of  Benton  Harbor,  one  year 
being  spent  as  a  teacher  in  the  high  school. 
She  is  a  graduate  of  the  State  Normal 
School  at  Ypsilanti  and  holds  a  first  grade 
life  certificate. 

The  history  of  Mr.  Burdick  if  written 
in  detail  would  furnish  many  a  thrilling 
chapter  of  unusual  incidents  and  adventure, 
for  he  has  experienced  all  the  hardships  of 
pioneer  life  and  has  moreover  intimate 
knowledge  of  the  experiences  which  came 
to  the  early  seekers  of  gold  in  California  as 
they  made  the  long  and  arduous  trips  across 


400 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


the  plains  and  over  the  mountains  to  the 
Pacific  coast,  and  delved  for  the  precious 
metal  in  the  placer  mines  of  the  Golden 
state.  In  more  recent  years  his  'time  has 
been  devoted  to  farming  and  his  labors 
have  resulted  in  the  acquirement  of  an  ex- 
cellent property  from  which  he  derives  a 
good  annual  income. 

ANDREW  M.  SPINK  is  a  representa- 
tive of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  Ber- 
rien county  and  for  more  than  sixty  years 
the  name  has  figured  in  connection  with 
material  progress  and  substantial  develop- 
ment in  this  part  of  the  state.  He  was  born 
on  the  old  family  homestead  in  Bainbridge 
township  in  1850.  His  father  had  located 
there  a  number  of  years  before  and  the  place 
was  called  in  his  honor  Spink's  Corner.  He 
is  a  son  of  Oresmas  Spink,  who  was  born  in 
Jefiferson  county,  New  York,  whence  he 
came  westward  to  Michigan,  arriving  in  Ber- 
rien county  in  1844.  He  was  left  an  orphan 
when  very  young  and  in  consequence  noth- 
ing is  known  concerning  the  early  ansectral 
history  of  the  family.  On  removing  to 
Michigan  he  was  accompanied  by  his  broth- 
ers, John  and  Samuel,  who  also  took  up  their 
abode  in  Bainbridge  township.  These  chil- 
dren were  left  in  destitute  circumstances  up- 
on the  death  of  their  parents  and  the  hope 
of  finding  better  business  opportunities  led 
them  to  seek  a  home  in  Michigan,  where 
Oresmas  Spink  found  the  advantages  which 
he  sought.  He  settled  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship and  from  that  time  to  the  present  has 
been  a  respected  citizen  of  the  community. 
He  began  to  clear  his  land  and  yet  carries 
on  general  farming,  having  placed  his  fields 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  so  that  they 
respond  readily  to  the  care  and  labor  which 
he  bestows  upon  them,  yielding  rich  harvests 
annually.  He  married  Harriet  Bishop,  who 
was  born  in  Watertown,  New  York,  a  daugh- 
ter of  A.  Bishop,  also  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  Bainbridge  township.  Mr.  Spink 
attained  the  venerable  age  of  seventy-five 
years  and  in  his  community  was  widely 
known.  In  the  family  were  eight  children, 
of  whom  Andrew  M.  Spink  is  the  youngest. 
Four  are  now  living,  the  others  being  :  Hora- 


tio A.,  who  resides  in  Chicago;  Mrs.  Helen 
Dix,  who  is  living  on  the  old  homestead; 
and  Edwin  S.,  who  resides  in  Benton  Har- 
bor. One  son  of  the  family,  Frank  Spink, 
was  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war.  He  enlisted 
as  a  private  in  the  Nineteenth  Michigan 
Volunteer  Infantry  and  was  assigned  to  duty 
with  Company  B,  serving  in  that  regiment 
until  killed  at  the  battle  of  Dalton,  Georgia, 
on  the  I4tb  of  May,  1864. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred 
to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  Andrew 
M.  Spink  in  his  boyhood  days.  At  the  usual 
age  he  entered  the  district  schools  and  when 
his  attention  was  not  occupied  by  his  text- 
books his  services  were  needed  upon  the 
farm,  so  that  he  early  became  familiar  with 
the  work  of  the  fields.  He  followed  farming 
until  about  thirty-five  years  of  age,  when, 
thinking  that  he  would  find  other  pursuits 
more  congenial  and  remunerative,  he  came 
to  Benton  Harbor  in  1885  and  engaged  in 
business  for  himself,  establishing  a  bakery 
and  restaurant  on  East  Main  street.  He  con- 
tinued in  this  trade  for  a  year,  after  which 
he  entered  the  employ  of  a  Chicago  house, 
for  which  he  bought  and  sold  fruit  in  car 
load  lots.  In  that  business  he  continued  five 
years  with  good  success,  after  which  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  real  estate  and 
insurance  business  under  the  firm  name  of 
Kreiger  &  Spink.  Later  the  firm  became 
A.  M.  Spink  &  Brother  and  subsequently 
George  S.  Bassett  was  admitted  to  a  partner- 
ship under  the  firm  style  of  Bassett  &  Spink. 
These  gentlemen  have  since  conducted  a  gen- 
eral real  estate  and  fire  insurance  business, 
also  loan  money  on  mortgages  and  have  se- 
cured a  good  clientage.  They  are  well  versed 
on  realty  values  and  have  negotiated  some 
important  property  transfers. 

In  1872,  in  Bainbridge  township,  Mr. 
Spink  was  married  to  Miss  Elvira  Mary 
Lewis,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Lewis,  who 
came  from  Williams  county,  Ohio,  to  Michi- 
gan and  settled  in  Bainbridge  township. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spink  have  been  born 
three  children,  all  natives  of  Bainbridge 
township.  Ada  A.,  the  eldest,  is  now  the 
wife  of  Harry  Dilley,  of  Berrien  Springs, 
this  county  and   they  have  three  children. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


40  r 


Lillian,  Raymond  and  Milford,  aged  respec- 
tively seven,  five  and  two  years.  Lewis  F. 
Spink  married  Pearl  Adams  and  resides  in 
Benton  Harbor.  Glennie  H.  still  resides 
with  his  father  and  completes  the  family. 
Mr.  Spink  gives  his  political  adherence  to 
the  Republican  party,  and  is  well  informed 
on  questions  of  the  day,  but  is  without  aspira- 
tion for  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  office. 
A  worthy  native  son  of  the  county,  he  has 
ever  stood  for  good  citizenship  and  with 
public  progress  the  name  of  Spink  has  long 
been  associated.  His  good  qualities  have 
gained  him  strong  friendships. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  CASE  is  one  of 
the  venerable  citizens  of  New  Buffalo  and 
has  passed  the  eighty-seventh  milestone  of 
life's  journey,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Cambridge,  Washington  county,  New  York, 
on  the  30th  of  March,  1819.  His  paternal 
grandmother  was  a  French  Huguenot,  who 
was  banished  from  Canada  and  walked  all 
the  way  from  that  country  to  Rhode  Island 
when  about  sixteen  years  of  age.  The  par- 
ents, William  and  Sophia  (Blackman)  Case, 
were  natives  of  Rhode  Island  and  New  York 
respectively  and  both  died  in  the  Empire 
state,  the  former  passing  away  at  the  age 
of  eighty-six  years  and  the  latter  at  the  very 
advanced  age  of  ninety-three  years.  In  their 
family  were  eight  sons  and  three  daughters, 
as  follows :  Isaac,  Joe  Russell,  Charles  and 
Werdin,  all  deceased;  William  Henry,  of 
this  review ;  Rhoda,  of  Iowa ;  Nancy,  who  is 
living  in  Kansas;  Martha,  whose  home  is  in 
Cattaraugus  county.  New  York;  Martin,  a 
twin  brother  of  John,  both  now  deceased; 
and  Sidney,  who  died  in  Nebraska. 

William  Henry  Case,  the  second  in  order 
of  birth,  was  about  two  years  old  when  his 
parents  removed  to  Onondaga  county,  New 
York,  where  he  spent  two  years.  The  family 
afterward  lived  for  two  years  in  Allegany 
county  and  when  he  was  eight  years  of  age 
removed  to  Cattaraugus  county,  where  he 
resided  until  1841.  He  lived  in  the  midst 
of  the  wilderness  in  the  western  part  of  the 
state  and  attended  the  old  time  schools 
which  were  held  in  log  buildings.  In  1840 
he  was  married  in  New  York  to  Miss  Sybil 

26 


Hulett  Howe,  w^hose  birth  occurred  in  Onon- 
daga county,  New  York,  in  1821,  her  parents 
being  Parley  and  Deborah  (Hulett)  Howe, 
natives  of  Massachusetts. 

In  1841,  with  his  wife  and  baby,  Mr. 
Case  started  westward  for  Wisconsin,  locat- 
ing first  in  Walworth  county.  He  drove  a 
team  of  horses  from  Cattaraugus  county, 
New  York,  and  was  about  five  weeks  in 
making  the  trip.  He  pre-empted  eighty  acres 
of  land  from  the  government,  having  one 
year  to  pay  for  this.  He  engaged  in  splitting 
oak  rails  at  one  dollar  per  hundred  in  order 
to  get  money  to  pay  for  his  land  and  meet 
his  daily  living  expenses.  He  put  the  entire 
eighty  acres  under  fence  and  the  greater  part 
of  it  under  cultivation,  but  after  living  upon 
that  property  for  six  years  he  lost  it  and  by 
way  of  the  lakes  returned  to  New  York.  He 
again  took  up  his  abode  in  Cattaraugus 
county,  where  he  remained  until  the  fall  of 
1856,  when  he  went  to  St.  Clair  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  spent  two  years  engaged  in 
farming.  He  afterward  resided  for  two 
years  upon  a  farm  in  Warren  county,  Indi- 
ana, and  in  1863  came  to  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 
Settling  on  a  farm  in  New  Buffalo  township, 
he  devoted  his  energies  to  the  cultivation  of 
the  fields  and  the  improvement  of  the  prop- 
erty until  1884,  when  he  retired  to  private 
life.  He  is  now  enjoying  well-earned  rest, 
having  for  many  years  been  an  active  and 
energetic  agriculturist  and  through  his  labors 
he  accumulated  the  competence  that  now  en- 
ables him  to  spend  his  remaining  days  in  the 
enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Case  were  born  the 
following  named :  Henry  Harlan,  who  en- 
listed in  1 86 1  as  a  member  of  Company  E, 
Ninth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  died 
of  typhoid  fever  at  Redman,  Kentucky. 
Marvin,  a  practicing  physician  at  Attica,  In- 
diana, who  enlisted  in  1862  as  a  member  of 
Company  D,  Eighty-sixth  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war;  Amanda  Augusta,  the  wife  of  William 
H.  Sigler,  of  Kansas;  Nancy  Jane,  the 
widow  of  Melvin  Lyon,  of  Salem,  Michigan ; 
Lina,  the  widow  of  Albert  W.  Tanner;  and 
Americus  William,  who  died  in  1877  while 


402 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


studying  for  the  ministry.  Mr.  Case  also 
has  many  grandchildren  and  great-grand- 
children. 

In  his  political  views  he  was  originally 
a  Whig  and  for  many  years  has  given  his 
support  to  the  Republican  party.  His  first 
presidential  ballot  was  cast  for  William 
Henry  Harrison  and  he  voted  for  Fremont 
and  for  Lincoln,  since  which  time  he  has 
never  failed  to  cast  his  vote  for  the  nominees 
at  the  head  of  the  Republican  ticket.  He 
holds  membership  in  the  Baptist  church  and 
has  served  as  one  of  its  deacons.  His  life 
has  been  honorable  and  upright  characterized 
by  manly  principles,  by  righteous  living,  by 
good  deeds  and  by  thorough  reliability  in 
business  affairs.  His  worth  and  work  have 
made  him  respected  by  all  who  know  him 
and  he  certainly  deserves  mention  in  the  his- 
tory of  New  Buffalo  and  Berrien  county, 
being  one  of  its  most  venerable  citizens. 

GEORGE  HORN,  now  living  retired  in 
New  Buffalo,  was  born  near  Hamburg,  Ger- 
many, September  13,  1824,  his  parents  be- 
ing John  and  Hannah  (Hennings)  Horn, 
who  spent  their  entire  lives  in  that  country. 
The  father,  who  was  born  in  1783,  died  in 
1868  after  devoting  his  life  to  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  In  the  family  were  five 
children:  Peter,  who  died  in  Germany; 
John,  who  came  to  America  after  the  arrival 
of  his  brother  George  and  died  in  Berrien 
county;  Christian  and  Margaret,  who  passed 
away  in  Germany ;  and  George  of  this  review. 

When  only  six  years  of  age  George  Horn 
lost  his  mother,  but  continued  to  spend  his 
boyhood  and  youth  within  his  father's  home. 
He  attended  school  until  fifteen  or  sixteen 
years  of  age  and  then  learned  the  trade  of 
bricklayer,  which  he  followed  for  some 
time  or  until  twenty-four  years  of  age,  when 
thinking  that  he  might  have  better  business 
opportunities  and  advantages  in  the  new 
world  he  came  to  the  United  States  in  1848, 
sailed  from  Hamburg  to  New  York.  He 
was  six  weeks  on  the  water  and  made  ^  the 
trip  with  a  colony  of  German  emigrants  who 
located  in  Wisconsin,  forming  the  settlement 
of  New  Holstein  in  the  midst  of  the  wilder- 
ness. After  two  weeks  there  passed,  how- 
ever,  Mr.  Horn  made  his  way  to  Detroit, 


Michigan,  and  afterward  to  Kalamazoo,  this 
state.  He  was  employed  on  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad  for 
about  two  years.  In  the  meantime  he  pur- 
chased a  land  warrant  in  Wisconsin  and, 
going  there,  he  disposed  of  his  property  in 
that  state,  after  which  he  returned  to  Ber- 
rien county  and  worked  on  other  railroads. 
In  185 1  he  was  married  and  settled  in  New 
Buffalo,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 

Mr.  Horn  was  joined  in  w^edlock  to  Mrs. 
Helen  Miller  Sefkein,  a  widow,  who  had 
two  children.  Three  children  were  born  of 
this  marriage,  but  all  died  in  infancy.  Fol- 
lowing his  marriage  Mr.  Horn  conducted  a 
hotel  in  New  Buffalo  until  1859,  after  which 
he  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
school  land  near  the  town  on  section  16. 
All  was  woodland,  which  Mr.  Horn  cleared 
from  the  timber  and  placed  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  giving  his  undivided  at- 
tention to  general  agricultural  pursuits  and 
in  the  improvement  of  his  property  until  the 
death  of  his  wife  in  1892.  He  afterward  sold 
his  farm  and  took  up  his  abode  in  New  Buf- 
falo. Right  after  his  wife's  death  he  made 
a  trip  to  San  Francisco  but  returned  shortly 
and  has  since  lived  in  Berrien  county.  He 
has  built  a  half  dozen  houses  here  and  sold 
them,  realizing  a  good  financial  return  from 
his  investment. 

Mr.  Horn  votes  with  the  Republican 
party.  In  1864  he  was  drafted  for  service  in 
the  Civil  war  but  sent  a  substitute,  to  whom 
he  paid  one  thousand  dollars.  He  served  as 
township  treasurer  for  a  number  of  terms 
and  in  matters  of  citizenship  has  been  pro- 
gressive and  helpful,  doing  all  in  his  power 
to  advance  the  general  good.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  church. 
When  he  landed  in  America  he  was  in  debt 
but  now  lives  upon  the  interest  of  his  money. 
As  the  years  have  gone  by  he  has  won  suc- 
cess because  he  has  worked  untiringly  and 
persistently  and  in  the  evening  of  his  life 
he  receives  the  veneration  and  respect  w^hich 
should  ever  be  accorded  to  those  who  have 
traveled  far  on  life's  journey. 

DWIGHT  WARREN,  a  real  estate 
dealer  and  loan  agent  at  Three  Oaks,  is  an 
honored  veteran  of  the  Civil  war  and  one 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


403 


whose  citizenship  at  all  times  has  been  char- 
acterized by  a  loyalty  that  is  above  question, 
was  born  in  Bath,  Steuben  county,  New 
York,  March  21,  1831.  His  father,  Phineas 
Warren,  was  a  native  of  Vermont  and  spent 
his  life  in  the  G  reen  Mountain  state  and 
New  York.  He  was  a  successful  farmer  and 
also  became  w^ell  known  as  a  manufacturer. 
He  commanded  the  Ninety-sixth  Regiment 
of  the  New  York  State  Militia,  and  came  of 
a  family  that  has  a  splendid  military  record. 
His  father,  Phineas  Warren,  was  a  major 
of  the  Twenty-fourth  Regiment  in  the  war 
of  1 8 12,  and  his  father,  Jonathan  Warren, 
was  a  captain  of  the  Seventh  Vermont  Regi- 
ment in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  Thus 
four  successive  generations  of  the  family 
held  commissons  as  officers  in  military  ser- 
vice of  the  war.  The  ancestry  of  the  family 
can  be  traced  back  to  1060,  when  William 
the  Conqueror  went  from  Normandy  and 
took  possession  of  the  English  isle.  One  of 
the  family  was  a  captain  in  the  English  army 
and  the  family  was  founded  in  America  in 
1630.  In  the  maternal  line  Mr.  Warren  is 
also  descended  from  an  old  New  England 
family.  His  mother  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Mary  Ann  F.  Bean,  and  was  a  native  of 
New  Hampshire.  Her  father,  Isaac  Bean, 
Avas  a  prominent  merchant  of  that  state,  but 
was  ruined  by  the  embargo  act  and  removed 
from  New  Hampshire  to  New  York.  Unto 
Phineas  and  Mary  A.  Warren  were  born 
seven  daughters  and  two  sons,  Dwight  War- 
ren being  the  third  in  order  of  birth.  All 
were  natives  of  Bath,  New  York. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of 
Dwight  Warren  we  present  to  our  readers 
the  life  record  of  one  who  is  widely  and 
favorably  known  in  this  county.  He  re- 
mained a  resident  of  his  native  city  until  the 
fall  of  1865,  and  remained  upon  the  home 
farm  until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  He 
attended  the  common  schools  to  the  age  of 
thirteen  years,  during  the  period  w^hen  the 
teachers  ^'boarded  round"  in  the  homes  of 
their  pupils.  When  a  youth  of  fourteen  Mr. 
Warren  began  rafting  on  the  Susquehanna 
and  Coshocton  rivers,  and  also  rafted  at 
times  on  the  canals.  He  was  thus  engaged 
in  connection  with  farm  work  up  to  the  time 
of  his  marriage.     He  left  home  on  attain- 


ing his  majority  with  nothing  but  an  ax, 
and  his  limited  financial  resources  rendering 
immediate  employment  a  necessity,  he  se- 
cured a  job  at  chopping  cord  wood.  In  the 
following  spring — the  year  1852 — he  began 
railroading,  and  making  his  way  westward 
to  Michigan  he  there  saw  the  old  plank 
roads,  at  which  time  the  city  of  Grand 
Rapids  was  in  its  infancy.  He  made  the  trip 
in  order  to  see  the  country  and  went  to  Madi- 
son, Wisconsin,  where  the  railroad  ended. 
He  afterward  traveled  on  foot  from  that 
point  to  where  the  town  of  Ironton  now 
stands.  Later  he  returned  and  made  his  way 
into  Michigan,  traveling  on  foot  and  by 
stage.  He  engaged  in  rafting  to  some  ex- 
tent and  on  various  occasions  came  in  con- 
tact with  the  Indians  but  always  found  them 
friendly  because  he  treated  them  w^ell.  In 
1857  he  located  in  Lowell,  Michigan,  and 
began  work  on  the  construction  of  the  De- 
troit &  Milwaukee  Railroad.  After  three 
days  he  was  made  foreman,  buying  and  sell- 
ing for  the  company  and  also  letting  con- 
tracts for  the  work.  Subsequently  he  re- 
turned to  his  old  home  in  New  York,  where 
he  remained  until  after  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  war. 

His  patriotic  spirit  being  aroused  by  the 
continued  attempt  of  the  south  to  overthrow 
the  Union,  Mr.  Warren  enlisted  at  Bath, 
New  York,  August,  1862,  as  a  private  of 
Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first 
New  York  Volunteer  Infantry.  On  the  27th 
of  October,  following,  he  w^as  appointed 
orderly  sergeant  and  went  to  Camp  Elmira, 
New  York,  where  he  remained  until  the  ist 
of  November.  Mr.  Warren,  together  with 
several  other  members  of  the  command  was 
taken  ill  with  typoid  fever  and  for  six  weeks 
«uffered  from  that  disease.  He  then  re- 
joined his  regiment,  sailing  from  New  York 
in  January,  1863.  They  encountered  a 
severe  storm  at  sea  off  Cape  Hatteras  and 
were  eight  days  in  making  the  trip  from 
New  York  to  Key  West.  Several  passengers 
died  on  the  journey  and  Mr.  Warren  nar- 
rowly escaped  with  his  life.  The  troops 
landed  at  Fort  Taylor,  Key  West,  and  after 
three  days  started  for  New  Orleans  by  boat, 
encountering  another  severe  storm  during 
that  voyage.    They  reached  their  destination 


404 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


in  safety,  however,  and  the  regiment  was 
stationed  at  Baton  Rouge  and  attached  to 
the  Ninteenth  Army  Corps,  Third  Brigade, 
First  Division.  On  the  14th  of  March,  1863, 
they  made  a  stand  at  Port  Hudson  and  wit- 
nessed the  blowing  up  of  the  ship  Mississippi 
on  board  of  which  was  Admiral  Dewey  of 
Manila  fame.  In  May  they  made  a  general 
attack  on  Port  Hudson.  Mr.  Warren  was 
under  fire  during  the  entire  seige  at  that 
place  and  was  also  in  the  second  engage- 
ment at  Bayou  La  Fourche.  On  the  30th  of 
July,  1863,  owing  to  disability,  he  was  hon- 
orably discharged  and  in  August  returned  to 
his  home. 

Mr.  Warren  remained  at  Bath,  New 
York,  until  March,  1864,  when  he  went 
to  Jersey  City,  New  Jersey,  where  he 
took  charge  of  the  stockyards  for  the 
firm  of  Beech  &  McPherson,  continuing 
there  until  July.  He  then  gave  up  his 
position,  which  was  a  fine  one,  and  re- 
turned home  in  order  to  aid  in  organiz- 
ing Company  C  of  the  One  Hundred 
and  Eighty-ninth  New  York  Infantry,  with 
which  he  went  out  as  second  lieutenant.  The 
command  was  sent  to  Washington  and  he 
afterward  participated  in  the  engagements 
at  Hatcher's  Run,  Weldon  Railroad  and  the 
eight  days'  raid,  which  was  almost  a  con- 
stant skirmish.  In  December  the  troops 
went  into  camp  and  on  the  28th  of  March 
following  broke  camp  in  the  last  campaign 
against  Lee.  This  embraced  the  engage- 
ments at  Skunk's  Hollow,  Lewis'  Farm, 
Gravelly  Run  and  Five  Forks.  In  January, 
1865,  Mr.  Warren  was  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  first  lieutenant  and  in  this  capacity  com- 
manded his  company  as  captain  for  some 
time.  He  participated  in  the  engagement 
at  Appomattox,  and  was  at  this  time  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Second  Brigade,  First  Division, 
Fifth  Army  Corps,  the  division  that  received 
the  surrender  of  Lee's  army,  received  the 
captured  property  and  paroled  the  prisoners. 
He  afterward  participated  in  the  Grand 
Review  at  Washington,  D.  C.  It  was 
a  memorable  occasion  never  to  be  for- 
gotten by  any  who  witnessed  it,  for 
thousands  of  victorious  Union  soldiers 
marched  through  the  streets  of  the  city, 
cheered  by  the  watching  crowds,  and  across 


Pennsylvania  avenue  hung  a  banner  which 
read  ''there  is  one  debt  that  we  can  never 
pay,  that  is  the  debt  we  owe  the  soldier." 
Lieutenant  Warren  was  mustered  out  at 
Washington  and  with  a  most  creditable  mili- 
tary record  returned  to  his  home. 

In  the  fall  of  1865  he  again  made  his  way 
to  the  middle  west,  his  destination  at  that 
time  being  Princeton,  Illinois.  For  two 
years  he  engaged  in  farming  in  that  locality 
and  subsequently  removed  to  Galesburg,. 
Michigan,  where  for  two  years  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  implement  business.  He  also 
conducted  a  similar  enterprise  in  La  Porte, 
Indiana,  for  two  years  and  in  November, 
1870,  came  to  Three  Oaks,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  For  about  ten  years  there- 
after he  devoted  his  attention  to  the  sale  of 
fruit  trees  and  he  also  opened  a  lumber  camp 
for  E.  K.  Warren,  whom  he  represented  as 
foreman  for  two  and  a  half  years.  In  1890 
he  was  appointed  postmaster  and  served  in 
that  position  for  four  and  a  half  years,  since 
which  time  he  was  engaged  in  real  estate 
operations  arid  in  loaning  money.  He  also 
hal  a  fruit  farm  which  brought  him  a  good 
return.  His  life  has  been  one  of  industry 
and  enterprise  and  his  business  interests 
have  been  capably  conducted. 

On  the  1 8th  of  November,  1852,  in  Bath, 
New  York,  Mr.  Warren  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Angeline  Grant,  who  was  born 
in  New  York,  June  14,  1830,  and  died  De- 
cember 30,  1900.  Her  father,  Steven  Grant, 
was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812,  and  was 
a  native  of  Maine.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Warren  have  been  born  two  daughters: 
Mrs.  Alice  D.  Perry,  living  in  Three  Oaks; 
and  Mrs.  Jennie  L.  Russell,  whose  home  is 
in  Fort  Collins,  Colorado. 

Mr.  Warren  is  an  earnest  Republican, 
and  for  thirty-four  years  has  served  as  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  while  his  present  term  will 
continue  for  two  years  longer.  His  deci- 
sions have  been  strictly  fair  and  impartial 
and  his  capability  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that 
he  has  so  long  been  retained  in  office.  He 
has  also  been  notary  public  for  a  number 
of  years.  He  is  prominent  in  the  county  con- 
ventions of  his  party  to  which  he  is  fre- 
quently a  delegate  and  he  has  also  been  a 
delegate  to  the  national  convention.     He  is. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


405 


ci  member  of  the  Loyal  Legion,  Detroit 
Commandery,  being  the  only  man  eligible 
for  membership  from  Three  Oaks  township. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Protective 
Tariff  League  and  was  one  of  the  five  hun- 
dred present  at  the  New  York  banquet  when 
McKinley  and  Bliss  addressed  the  gathering. 
At  one  time  he  was  a  member  of  the  national 
finance  committee  of  Washington.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Grand  Army  post  at  Three  Oaks, 
of  which  he  is  the  organizer  and  was  the 
first  commander,  serving  in  that  capacity 
for  fourteen  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
•department  staff,  has  also  served  on  the 
National  staff  and  is  one  of  the  distinguished 
representatives  of  the  order  in  Michigan, 
having  a  very  wide  acquaintance  among  his 
old  army  comrades  in  this  sta'te.  He  is  es- 
pecially proud  of  the  fact  that  he  commanded 
his  company  at  the  battle  of  Five  Forks, 
April  I,  1865.  His  religious  faith  is  indi- 
cated by  his  membership  in  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  in  which  he  has  served  as  a 
deacon  for  eight  years.  He  owns  a  fine  lot 
on  Main  street  and  five  dwellings  in  Three 
Oaks.  He  has  built  a  number  of  houses  here 
and  has  thus  contributed  in  substantial  meas- 
ure to  the  improvement  and  upbuilding  of 
the  district.  He  likewise  has  a  fine  fruit 
orchard  and  garden  and  his  property  brings 
him  a  good  return.  As  a  real  estate  man  he 
has  handled  considerable  valuable  property 
and  negotiated  many  important  transfers. 
In  a  review  of  his  life  there  will  be  found 
many  elements  worthy  of  emulation  and 
commendation  and  his  entire  public  service 
has  been  actuated  by  a  spirit  of  fidelity  to 
duty  and  by  a  trustworthiness  that  none  can 
question.  He  is  indeed  an  honored  veteran 
of  the  Civil  war,  yet  he  was  no  more  loyal 
to  his  country  in  the  days  of  strife  than  he 
has  been  in  days  of  peace. 

EDWIN  F.  PLATT,  who  was  a  life- 
long and  honored  resident  of  Berrien  county, 
was  born  in  Niles,  September  10,  1850,  and 
died  in  St.  Joseph  on  the  7th  of  June,  1905. 
His  parents,  George  W.  and  Mary  Elizabeth 
Piatt,  came  from  Massachusetts  to  Niles 
about  1834,  and  the  father,  engaging  in  the 
hardware  trade,  was  one  of  the  oldest  mer- 
chants in  that  line  in  Berrien  county.     His 


business  interests  were  developed  in  accord- 
ance with  the  growth  and  upbuilding  of  this 
section  of  the  state  and  a  liberal  patronage 
was  accorded  him  in  recognition  of  his  en- 
terprise, diligence  and  earnest  desire  to 
please  his  patrons.  Moreover,  he  figured 
prominently  in  community  affairs,  wielding  a 
wide  influence  and  aiding  in  molding  public 
thought  and  action.  He  served  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board  and  the  cause  of 
education  profited  by  his  efforts  in  its  be- 
half. He  was  one  of  the  aldermen  of  the 
city  and  also  mayor  of  Niles,  and  he  exer- 
cised his  official  prerogatives  for  the  advance- 
ment of  his  town  along  lines  of  substantial 
improvement.  Coming  to  the  west  he 
traveled  from  Massachusetts  across  the 
countrv  in  the  primitive  manner  of  the  times 
and  w^as  closely  associated  with  the  pioneer 
development  of  Berrien  county. 

Edwin  F.  Piatt  attended  the  high  school 
at  Niles  after  passing  through  the  consecutive 
course  of  the  primary  and  intermediate  de- 
partments. He  pursued  a  general  course, 
including  Latin  and  German,  and  was  grad- 
uated in  the  class  of  1865  at  the  compara- 
tively early  age  of  fifteen  years.  He  re- 
ceived business  training  in  Bryant  &  Strat- 
ton  Commercial  College,  in  Milwaukee,  Wis- 
consin, from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1867  or  1868,  and  he  then  entered  mercantile 
circles  as  a  dealer  in  hardware.  Removing 
to  St.  Joseph  in  1869  he  became  a  factor  in 
business  life  and  was  one  of  the  leading 
hardware  merchants  of  Berrien  county,  con- 
tinuing in  that  department  of  trade  up  to 
the  time  of  his  demise.  He  had  a  well  ap- 
pointed store  and  a  large  patronage,  and  his 
life  record  with  its  successes  was  another 
proof  of  the  old  adage  that  "honesty  is  the 
best  policy."  He  was  also  interested  in  the 
St.  Joseph  Building  Association  and  was  for 
six  years  its  secretary.  He  was  also  a  stock- 
holder and  director  in  the  Commercial 
National  Bank,  and  a  stockholder,  director 
and  vice  president  of  the  Lakeside  Vineyard 
Company.  He  thus  extended  his  efforts  to 
various  fields  of  business  activity,  in  all  of 
which  his  wise  judgment  proved  a  valued 
factor  in  resultant  prosperity. 

In  the  midst  of  a  useful,  active  and  busy 
career  in  commercial  and   financial  circles 


4o6 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Mr.  Piatt  also  found  time  for  public  work, 
and  in  1878  and  1879  was  treasurer  of  St. 
Joseph  township,  to  which  position  he  was 
elected  on  the  Republican  ticket.  He  served 
as  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  when 
this  city  was  a  mere  village  and  for  five 
years  he  was  a  member  of  the  school  board. 
At  the  time  of  his  demise  he  was  a  member 
of  the  library  board  and  he  never  failed  to 
put  forth  effective  and  earnest  effort  in  any 
of  these  official  capacities  for  the  substantial 
growth  and  the  intellectual,  esthetic,  politi- 
cal and  moral  progress  of  his  community. 
He  was  a  stanch  Republican,  giving  effective 
support  to  the  party. 

On  the  4th  of  September,  1876,  in  Chi- 
cago, Mr.  Piatt  was  married  to  Miss  Ada 
Napier,  a  daughter  of  Captain  Joseph  A. 
Napier.  Her  father  was  appointed  harbor 
master  of  Chicago  in  1851,  and  served  in 
that  capacity  for  two  years.  He  is  a  grand 
old  man,  who  for  a  long  period  was  a  lake 
captain  and  he  has  in  his  possession  a  gold 
watch  which  was  given  to  him  by  the  citi- 
zens of  Chicago  for  saving  the  lives  of  peo- 
ple from  the  steamer  Merchant  in  1854.  In 
1878  he  was  appointed  life  saving  captain 
at  St.  Joseph  and  while  in  that  position  he 
rendered  distinguished  service  on  the 
Schooner  Ithaca.  For  his  rescuing  work  he 
w^as  awarded  a  gold  medal  in  recognition  of 
'his  bravery,  and  on  the  loth  of  October, 
1877,  he  was  instrumental  in  saving  the  lives 
of  the  crew  on  the  D.  G.  Williams.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Piatt  was  born  one  daughter, 
Mrs.  Sadie  A.  Piatt  Greening,  whose  birth 
occurred  April  19,  1878. 

At  the  time  of  his  demise  a  local  paper 
in  speaking  of  his  fraternal  relations  said: 
''Mr.  Piatt  was  prominent  in  lodge  circles. 
He  belongs  to  eleven  secret  societies  as 
follows :  St.  Joseph  Lodge,  under  dispensa- 
tion, F.  &  A.  M.,  Calvin  Brittain  Chapter, 
No.  y2^  R.  A.  M.,  St.  Joseph  Council,  No. 
44,  R-  &  S.  M.,  all  of  St.  Joseph;  Malta 
Commandery,  No.  44,  K.  T.,  of  Benton  Har- 
bor; DeWitt  Clinton  Consistory,  A.  A. 
S.  R.  (32d  degree),  and  Saladin  Temple, 
A.  A.  O.  N.  M.  S.,  of  Grand  Rapids;  Amer- 
ica Chapter  No.  234,  O.  E.  S.,  Golden  Rule 
Shrine  No.  13,  O.  W.  S.  J.,  St.  Joseph 
Lodge,  No.  541,  B.  P.  O.  E.,  St.  Joseph 


Valley  Tent,  No.  628,  K.  O.  T.  M.,  St. 
Joseph;  Prudential  Lodge,  No.  171,  A.  O. 
U.  W.,  Benton  Harbor.  He  carries  insur- 
ance in  the  two  latter  orders  as  well  as  in- 
surance in  some  old  line  companies.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  Mr.  Piatt  was  holding  the 
offices  of  High  Priest  in  Calvin  Brittain 
Chapter,  Treasurer  of  St.  Joseph  Council, 
and  Treasurer  of  Malta , Commandery.  Mr. 
Piatt  served  with  much  credit  and  shares 
in  the  honors  with  the  rest  of  his  brothers  . 
as  a  member  of  that  committee  that  so  hand- 
somely furnished  the  beautiful  new  Masonic 
Temple  lately  dedicated  in  this  city.  Mr. 
Piatt  also  gave  time  and  voice  in  the  efforts 
towards  the  consolidation  of  Occidental  and 
Pomona  lodges  and  it  is  the  sincere  regret 
of  all  Masons  that  he  could  not  have  lived 
to  have  seen  at  least  the  final  act  of  the 
drama  which  was  consummated  on  Tues- 
day evening,  June  13,  1905,  when  new  of- 
ficers were  elected  and  Grand  Master  John 
Rawson  of  Grand  Rapids,  was  present  to  in- 
stall and  officially  set  in  motion  St.  Joseph 
Lodge,  No.  437,  F.  &  A.  M.  Mr.  Piatt's 
is  the  fifth  death  since  the  two  lodges 
consolidated.''  He  left  behind  him  an  un- 
tarnished record.  He  was  faultless  in 
honor,  fearless  in  conduct  and  stainless  in 
reputation,  and  though  he  never  sought  wide 
spread  notoriety  in  his  home  community  he 
was  a  force  for  good  and  a  valued  factor  in 
community  interests. 

The  funeral  services  took  place  Sunday 
afternoon  at  2:30  o'clock,  June  11,  1905, 
Dr.  A.  H.  Scott,  a  life-long  and  intimate 
friend  of  Mr.  Piatt  and  past  worshipful 
master  of  Old  Occidental  lodge  conducting 
the  services.  Malta  Commandery  acted  as 
escort.  This  was  the  largest  Masonic  fun- 
eral ever  held  in  Berrien  county,  it  being 
estimated  that  one  thousand  Masons  at- 
tended, and  it  required  more  than  an  hour 
to  pass  through  the  house. 

C.  H.  FARNUM,  late  of  Hagar 
township,  was  born  in  St.  Joseph,  Michi- 
gan, July  15,  1839,  and  died  August 
5,  1901.  His  parents  were  Matthias  and 
Dime  (Finch)  Farnum.  The  father  lo- 
cated in  St.  Joseph  in  1836,  and  was  a  car- 
penter and  builder^  who  was  closely  asso- 


,fY,^cu^t^M''t^*^^'P^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


407 


ciated  with  the  substantial  improvement  of 
the  city  in  early  days.  In  1840  he  located 
in  Hagar  township  and  worked  at  his  trade 
as  w^ell  as  also  operating  the  farm.  In  1856 
he  bought  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  in  Van  Buren  county,  upon  which  he 
erected  a  water  mill,  operating  it  for  three 
years.  In  1866  he  removed  to  Benton  Har- 
bor but  finally  returned  to  Hagar  township, 
where  he  died  in  the  year  1884.  He  was 
thus  closely  associated  with  the  industrial 
and  commercial  interests  of  the  county  and 
through  his  business  activity  and  his  co- 
operation in  many  movements  for  the  gen- 
eral good  he  aided  in  laying  broad  and  deep 
the  foundation  for  the  present  progress  and 
prosperity  of  the  county.  After  coming  to 
St.  Joseph  he  was  married  in  that  city  to 
Miss  Dime  Finch,  whose  parents  were  pio- 
neer settlers  of  that  part  of  the  state.  They 
became  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  who 
reached  adult  age.  Those  living  in  1906 
are  Evermont,  of  Benton  Harbor,  and  Isaac, 
whose  home  is  in  Hagar  township. 

C.  H.  Farnum,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  was  born  in  Benton  township, 
where  he  continued  to  make  his  home  until 
after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  when, 
in  1 86 1,  he  enlisted  for  service  in  Company 
D,  Twelfth  Michigan  Infantry,  under  cor- 
mand  of  General  Logan.  At  the  end  of 
eleven  months  he  was  honorably  discharged 
but  ever  afterward  suffered  from  ill  health 
in  consequence  of  the  exposure  and  hard- 
ships incident  to  his  service. 

After  his  return  home  Mr.  Farnum  was 
married  in  1864  to  Miss  Eliza  P.  Dickin- 
son, a  daughter  of  Robert  Dickinson.  He 
provided  for  his  family  through  agricul- 
tural and  horticultural  labor  and  became 
the  owner  of  a  forty-acre  form  in  Hagar 
township,  four  miles  north  of  Benton  Har- 
bor and  within  a  mile  of  the  lake  shore.  He 
hewed  out  this  farm  in  the  midst  of  the 
forest,  clearing  awav  the  trees  and  bringing 
the  land  into  cultivable  condition.  Here  he 
engaged  in  raising  fruit  and  planted  good 
orchards,  giving  his  attention  only  to  the  cul- 
tivation of  the  best  varieties  of  fruits.  His 
efforts  therefore  were  attended  with  success 
and  he  gained  a  very  comfortable  com- 
petence. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Farnum  never  had  any 
children  of  their  own  but  reared  an  adopted 
daughter,  Margaret  Belle  Opfel,  who  was 
an  orphan  when  at  the  age  of  nine  years 
she  came  to  live  with  them,  making  her 
home  with  them  until  her  marriage  tO'  M. 
F.  Easterbrook,  a  farmer  and  stockman  of 
Carroll  county,  Illinois.  She  has  four  chil- 
dren, Farnum,  Monterville,  Eugene,  Mar- 
garet Mary,  and  a  baby  girl.  Mrs.  Easter- 
brook was  provided  with  excellent  edu- 
cational advantages  and  is  a  graduate 
of  Benton  Harbor  College.  After  com- 
pleting her  course  there  she  taught  music 
for  two  years,  and  is  a  lady  of  culture  and 
refinement,  owing  to  the  excellent  ad- 
vantages which  were  given  her  by  her  fos- 
ter parents. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Farnum,  being  in 
poor  health  and  wishing  something  else  to 
do  beside  carrying  on  his  farm,  leased  a 
boat  and  began  running  between  Benton 
Harbor  and  Chicago.  This  was  the  second 
line  plying  between  the  two  ports,  and  it 
was  subsequently  purchased  from  Mr.  Far- 
num. How^ever,  the  possibility  for  the  sec- 
ond line  of  boats  had  been  established  and 
this  was  the  forerunner  of  what  is  now- 
known  as  the  Benton  Transit  Company.  His^ 
farm  w^ork  was  conducted  through  the  as- 
sistance of  hired  help.  He  did  much  for  the 
development  of  the  fruit  industry  of  this  lo- 
cality. When  he  brought  his  bride  to  his 
farm  they  came  into  the  woods  and  took  up 
their  abode  upon  property  upon  which  not 
a  stick  of  timber  had  been  cut.  Mr.  Far- 
num cleared  the  land  and  placed  almost  the 
entire  tract  under  cultivation,  devoting  it 
to  fruit.  His  ambition  and  resolution  was 
great  but  he  was  afflicted  with  rheumatism 
of  the  heart  and  so  was  restricted  in  his 
labors.  The  first  house  which  he  erected 
is  still  standing  as  a  landmark  of  the  early 
days.  After  he  had  carried  on  business  suc- 
cessfully in  this  county  for  a  number  of 
years  Mr.  Farnum  removed  to  California, 
where  he  spent  a  year  and  on  his  return  he 
erected  his  present  handsome  residence.  He 
did  much  of  the  work  himself,  having  work- 
ed with  his  father  at  the  carpenter's  trade  in 
early  life  and  possessing  much  mechanical 
ability.     In  his  social  relations  Mr.  Farnum 


4o8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


was  an  Odd  Fellow  and  also  a  member  of 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  while 
politically  he  was  a  Republican.  He  served 
for  some  years  as  master  of  the  Grange.  At 
length  he  passed  away,  August  5,  1901,  and 
his  death  was  the  occasion  of  deep  regret  to 
those  who  had  been  associated  with  him  in 
business,  or  in  citizenship,  or  in  social  re- 
lations, for  he  displayed  many  good  quali- 
ties that  endeared  him  to  those  who  knew 
him. 

Mrs.  Farnum  was  born  in  Berrien 
county  May  2,  1838,  and  with  the  exception 
of  the  year  passed  in  California,  had  spent 
her  entire  life  in  Berrien  county.  She  was 
born  on  the  old  Dickinson  homestead  on 
Paw  Paw  river,  where  her  brother,  Arthur 
Dickinson,  now  resides,  and  she  has  a  very 
wide  circle  of  friends  in  the  county. 

WILLIAM  W.  GREEN.  This  name  at 
once  suggests  a  power  in  manufacturing  cir- 
cles in  Berrien  county,  for  Mr.  Green  is  at 
the  head  of  the  Garden  City  Fan  Company, 
controlling  the  largest  enterprise  of  this  char- 
acter in  the  country.  The  day  of  small  un- 
dertakings seems  to  have  passed,  and  in  the 
control  of  large  concerns  are  men  of  master 
minds,  of  limitless  ability,  of  sound  judg- 
ment and  keen  discrimination.  Their  pro- 
gressiveness  must  not  only  reach  the  bounds 
that  others  have  gained  but  must  even  pass 
beyond  into  new  and  broader  untried  fields 
of  operation  but  an  unerring  foresight  and 
sagacity  must  make  no  mistake  by  venturing 
on  uncertain  ground,  thus  continually  guard- 
ing the  business  until  it  takes  leadership  in 
a  certain  line  and  the  men  who  are  at  its 
head  are  deservedly  eminent  in  the  world 
of  industrial  enterprise. 

William  W.  Green,  president  of  the 
Garden  City  Fan  Company,  was  born  in 
Massachusetts  in  1839,  a  son  of  William  W. 
and  Lucina  (Lewellyn)  Green.  The  pater- 
nal grandfather,  Henry  Green,  was  a  native 
of  Massachusetts  and  a  Revolutionary 
soldier,  who  valiantly  fought  for  indepen- 
dence of  the  nation  when  the  yoke  of  British 
tyranny  had  become  too  heavy  to  be  borne 
longer.  He  was  descended  from  one  of 
the  passengers  on  the  Mayflower,  so  that  the 
family  has  figured  in  the  history  of  New 


England  from  the  days  of  its  earliest  set- 
tlement. 

William  W.  Green  when  only  a  year  old 
was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Genesee  county, 
New  York,  where  he  was  reared  upon  a 
farm,  early  becoming  familiar  with  the 
duties  and  labors  incident  to  the  work  of 
the  fields.  He  attended  the  district  schools 
in  the  neighborhood  and  after  acquiring  his 
education  in  that  manner  began  learning  the 
carpenter's  trade  in  Genesee  county.  He  was 
subsequently  employed  as  a  journeyman  in 
New  York  until  he  went  to  the  oil  regions 
of  Pennsylvania,  where  he  followed  carpen- 
tering for  a  time  when  he  removed  to 
Janesville,  Wisconsin.  He  there  for  five 
years  engaged  in  contracting  and  build- 
ing, erecting  a  number  of  houses  and 
other  structures.  On  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  removed  to  Chicago, 
just  after  the  great  fire  swept  over  the 
city  in  1871.  There  he  continued  success- 
fully in  contracting  and  building  for  eight 
years.  The  city  rose  Phoenix-like  from  the 
ashes  and  there  was  great  demand  for  ser- 
vice along  building  lines.  Throughout  his 
entire  life  Mr.  Green  had  displayed  consider- 
able inventive  as  well  as  mechanical  ingenu- 
ity and  in  1879  he  established  in  Chicago  on 
a  small  scale  a  business  conducted  under  the 
name  of  the  Garden  City  Fan  Company  for 
the  manufacture  of  exhausts,  fans  and  blow- 
ers. These  were  of  his  own  invention.  He 
soon  found  that  there  was  a  good  demand 
for  the  output  and  the  business  constantly 
grew.  It  was  incorporated  under  the  present 
name  in  1881  with  W.  W.  Green  as  presi- 
dent and  his  son  and  only  child,  E.  D.  Green, 
as  secretary  and  treasurer.  Mr.  Green  is 
the  inventor  and  patentee  of  all  the  devices 
manufactured  by  the  firm.  The  business 
grew  rapidly  and  in  1902  the  company  looked 
around  for  a  site  for  a  manufacturing  plant 
and  eventually  purchased  five  acres  of  land 
near  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad  tracks 
in  Niles.  The  same  year  they  erected  here 
an  extensive  plant,  the  largest  of  its  kind 
in  the  west.  It  was  planned  by  W.  W.  Green 
in  all  of  its  details  and  comprises  five  build- 
ings joined  together  in  wings,  one  of  which 
is  one  hundred  and  forty  by  forty  feet,  a 
second  one  hundred  and  fifty  by  forty  feet, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


409 


a  third  one  hundred  and  ten  by  forty  feet, 
with  a  shipping  wing  fifty  by  fifty  feet  and 
a  boiler  room  and  heating  room  thirty  by 
forty  feet.  With  the  exception  of  the 
foundry  the  entire  building  is  a  two-story 
structure.  The  company  owns  the  building 
and  utilizes  all  except  a  very  small  portion 
of  it.  In  addition  to  the  space  above  men- 
tioned there  is  a  pattern  room  thirty  by 
thirty  feet.  About  one  hundred  workmen 
are  employed,  mostly  skilled  labor.  The 
works  and  foundry  are  situated  at  Niles, 
while  the  main  office  is  at  No.  42  South 
Clinton  street,  Chicago,  E.  D.  Green,  having 
charge  in  that  city,  while  W.  W.  Green  at- 
tends personally  to  the  manufacturing  plant. 
After  purchasing  the  ground  at  Niles  they 
discovered  they  had  good  molding  sand  on 
the  property  which  has  proven  to  be  very 
valuable  and  has  made  a  large  saving  for 
them.  The  company  has  agencies  in  New 
York,  San  Francisco,  Portland,  Oregon, 
Minneapolis,  St.  Louis,  London,  England 
and  Christiana,  Norway.  They  maufacture 
ventilating  fans,  exhaust  fans  and  blowers, 
hot  blasts  for  heating  and  dry  kilns  and 
positive  blowers  and  the  output  of  the  factory 
is  extensive,  shipments  being  made  to  all 
parts  of  the  country  and  to  foreign  lands 
as  well. 

Mr.  Green  exercises  his  right  of  fran- 
chise in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of 
the  Republican  party.  He  belongs  to  the  Ma- 
sonic lodge  at  Janesville,  Wisconsin,  and  has 
many  social  acquaintances  who  entertain  for 
him  high  regard.  Mr.  Green  is  at  all  times 
genial  and  approachable,  never  hedging 
himself  about  with  a  reserve  such  as  many 
men  do  who  work  their  way  upward  from 
an  humble  position  to  one  of  affluence.  The 
spirit  of  self-help  is  the  source  of  all  genuine 
worth  in  the  individual  and  this  truth  is 
abundantly  verified  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Green, 
steadily  pursuing  his  way,  undeterred  by 
obstacles  and  difficulties  in  his  path  he  has 
achieved  a  prosperity  of  which  he  has  every 
reason  to  be  proud.  Steady  application,  care- 
ful study  of  business  methods  and  plans  to 
be  followed,  close  attention  to  details  com- 
bined with  an  untiring  energy  directed  by 
a  discriminating  judgment — these  are  the 
traits  of  character  which  have  brought  him 


success  and  made  him  a  foremost  representa- 
tive in  industrial  interests  in  southwestern 
Michigan. 

CHARLES  D.  STUART,  of  Hagar 
township,  Berrien  county,  is  a  native  of 
Madison  county,  New  York,  having  been 
born  in  De  Ruyter,  on  the  30th  of  December, 
1849.  I^  his  childhood  days  his  parents  re- 
moved with  their  family  to  Chautauqua 
county,  New  York.  The  father,  A.  B. 
Stuart,  was  a  chair  maker  by  trade  and  on 
removing  to  the  west  settled  in  Gratiot 
county,  Michigan.  He  afterw^ard  engaged 
in  teaching  in  Wisconsin  and  other  states. 
His  wife  died  w^hen  her  son  Charles  was  but 
three  years  of  age.  In  1858  his  father  be- 
came foreman  of  the  Industrial  School, 
at  Lansing,  Michigan,  and  was  thus  en- 
gaged until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war, 
at  which  time  he  offered  his  services  to  the 
government,  becoming  a  captain  of  Com- 
pany B,  Berdan's  United  States  Sharp- 
shooters. He  was  with  the  army  for  four- 
teen months,  when  on  account  of  disabil- 
ity he  was  honorably  discharged.  He  then 
began  the  manufacturue  of  chairs  in  Lan- 
sing, Michigan,  where  he  carried  on  his  en- 
terprise from  1863  until  1869,  removing  in 
the  latter  year  to  Otsego,  Allegan  county. 

Charles  D.  Stuart  acquired  a  public 
school  education  and  in  his  boyhood  days 
spent  much  of  his  time  in  his  father's  shop, 
where  he  thoroughly  acquainted  himself 
with  the  business  in  principle  and  detail,  and 
at  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  became  a  part- 
ner with  his  father  in  the  conduct  of  the 
factory.  At  the  end  of  two  years  time  they 
sold  out  to  Grand  Rapids  parties,  in  whose 
employ  he  was  until  1873,  when  the  firm 
of  Stuart,  Hale  &  Company  was  organized 
and  began  business  at  Otsego,  Michigan. 
After  five  years  Mr.  Stuart  and  his  father 
became  proprietors  of  the  business,  which 
was  conducted  under  the  name  of  A.  B.  & 
C.  D.  Stuart  for  several  years,  or  until  the 
son  purchased  the  father's  interest,  A.  B. 
Stuart  making  his  home  in  Otsego  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1894,  when  he  was 
seventy-two  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Stuart  of  this  review  was  closely  as- 
sociated with  the  industrial  interests  of  Ot- 


410 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


sego  until  1891.  Although  he  suffered  losses 
by  fires,  his  business  grew  steadily  and  rap- 
idly and  was  developed  along  modern  busi- 
ness lines.  At  length  having  opportunity  to 
dispose  of  his  interests  advantageously  Mr. 
Stuart  in  1891  sold  his  business  in  Otsego, 
the  power  being  purchased  by  the  Bardeen 
Paper  Company,  which  built  its  No.  2  and 
No.  3  mills  on  the  site  of  Mr.  Stuart's  old 
chair  factories  on  the  Kalamazoo  river. 

About  that  time  Spencer  &  Barnes  were 
planning  to  locate  at  Benton  Harbor  and 
Mr.  Stuart  became  a  partner  with  them  and 
was  associated  with  the  firm  ior  five  years 
under  the  style  of  Spencer,  Barnes  &  Stuart, 
they  building  the  present  furniture  factory 
of  The  Spencer  &  Barnes  Company.  When 
five  years  had  passed  he  sold  out,  but  dur- 
ing that  period  he  had  purchased  a  tract  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  covered  with 
timber,  which  he  cleared  off,  converting  it 
into  lumber.  In  1896  he  went  to  Grand 
Rapids,  where  he  remained  for  four  years. 
In  the  meantime  he  had  transformed  his 
land  into  a  farm  and  since  1901  he  has  made 
this  place  his  summer  home.  It  comprises 
a  quarter  section,  one  half  mile  from  Lake 
Michigan,  in  Hagar  township,  and  two  miles 
north  of  Riverside.  It  is  upland  and  he  is 
making  it  largely  a  fruit  farm.  He  has 
placed  all  of  the  improvements  here  since 
1 89 1,  when  the  tract  was  covered  solidly 
with  timber.  Now  about  one  hundred  acres 
are  under  cultivation,  including  about  fifty 
acres  of  fruit,  while  about  sixty  acres  of 
timber  land  remains.  He  has  met  with  fair 
success  in  his  agricultural  and  horticultural 
pursuits,  owning  now  a  valuable  property, 
which  will  increase  year  by  year  in  value  as 
his  orchards  come  into  bearing. 

In  April,  1876,  Mr.  Stuart  was  united 
in  marriage,  at  Otsego,  Michigan,  to  Miss 
Orpha  A.  Eaton,  of  Otsego.  She  was  born 
in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  In  his  political  views 
Mr.  Stuart  holds  himself  independent  of 
party  ties.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity and  is  a  Knight  Templar  and  also  a 
Scottish  Rite  Mason.  Mr.  Stuart  finds 
favorite  recreation  in  hunting  and  fishing. 
He  has  led  a  busy  life,  in  which  in  former 
years  there  w^as  little  leisure  but  now  he 
finds  opportunity   for  pleasurable  interests, 


having  disposed  of  the  productive  industries 
which  claimed  so  much  of  his  time  and  en- 
ergies in  former  years. 

WARREN  S.  PEARL,  who  is  engaged 
in  general  farming  and  fruit-raising  in  Ben- 
ton township,  is  a  representative  of  one  of 
the  old  and  most  prominent  families  of  Ber- 
rien county,  the  name  of   Pearl  being  in- 
separably  associated  with  its  history.      He 
was  born  in  Essex  county.  New  York,  near 
Fort  Ticonderoga,  April  14,  1850,  his  par- 
ents  being   Simon   and   Marion    (Wright) 
Pearl,  who  were  likewise  natives  of  Essex 
county.     The  father  was  a  son  of  a  brother 
of  Phineas  Pearl,  noted  as  the  pioneer  set- 
tler of  Berrien  county.     When  Warren  S. 
Pearl  was  but  six  years  of  age  his  parents 
removed  to  Dodge  county,  Wisconsin,  and 
in  the  spring  of     1865    came    to    Berrien 
county.     Phineas  Pearl  and  his  family  had 
separated    in    New    York.      In    Wisconsin 
Simon  Pearl  met  a  lady  from  Berrien  county 
who  told  him  of  the  family  of  Phineas  Pearl 
here  and  he  came  to  Michigan  to  determine 
whether  or  not  these  people  were  his  rela- 
tives.    Here  he  not  only  found  the  family 
relations  which  he  sought  but  also  was  so 
well  pleased  with  the  country  and  its  pros- 
pects that  he  decided  to  remove  from  Wis- 
consin to  Michigan.     In  the  spring  of  1865 
therefore   he  came  to   this   state   and   pur- 
chased the  present  home  of  Warren  S.  Pearl 
from  his  uncle,  Phineas  Pearl.     It  was  then 
new  land  of  eighty  acres,  of  which  only  a 
small  clearing  had  been  made.     It  lies  along 
the  Bainbridge  township  line  but  is  in  Ben- 
ton township  on  Britain  avenue,  about  six 
miles  east  of  Benton  Harbor.     Ten  acres  of 
the  land  had  been  cleared  when  it  came  into 
possession  of  Simon  Pearl,  who  resolutely 
undertook  the  task  of  developing  and  culti- 
vating the  farm.     Later  he  sold  that  prop- 
erty and  purchased  land  from  George  Pearl, 
a  son  of  Phineas  Pearl.     This  was  at  Pearl 
Grange  and  there  he  spent  his  last  years, 
living  a  neighbor  to  his  uncle  Phineas,  who 
resided  at  the  present  residence  of  Arthur 
Pearl.     Simon  Pearl  was  for  many  years  an 
enterprising     agriculturist,      who     labored 
earnestly  to  till   the  soil  and  cultivate  his 
crops  and  as  the  years  passed  his  labors  were 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


411 


rewarded  by  the  transformation  of  his  land 
into  a  very  valuable  and  productive  farm. 
He  died  thereon  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight 
years,  while  his  wife  passed  aw^ay  on  the 
old  homestead  several  years  before.  In 
their  family  were  four  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, four  of  whom  are  living:  Curtis,  who 
is  sexton  of  the  Crystal  Springs  cemetery 
at  Benton  Harbor;  Frances,  the  wife  of 
William  Maynard,  of  Bainbridge  township; 
Mary,  the  wife  of  Loren  Snyder,  who  owns 
her  father's  old  place  at  Pearl  Grange;  and 
Warren  S.,  of  this  review.  In  his  early 
life  Simon  Pearl  had  learned  and  followed 
the  carpenter's  trade  and  to  some  extent  did 
work  along  that  line  for  many  years,  but  his 
life  was  chiefly  given  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits. In  politics  he  was  a  stalwart  Repub- 
lican and  was  ever  a  man  of  honest  convic- 
tions, faithfully  upholding  the  principles  in 
which  he  believed  so  that  he  commanded 
the  respect,  confidence  and  good  will  of  all 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 

Warren  S.  Pearl  was  fifteen  years  of  age 
on  the  day  that  President  Lincoln  was  as- 
sassinated. He  is  indebted  to  the  public 
school  system  of  the  county  for  the  educa- 
tional privileges  that  he  enjoyed  in  his  youth 
and  he  received  ample  training  at  farm  labor 
upon  his  father's  place,  where  he  remained 
until  twenty-five  years  of  age,  when  he  made 
preparations  for  having  a  home  of  his  own 
by  his  marriage  to  Miss  Flora  Kent,  a  sister 
of  C.  C.  Kent,  of  Spink's  Corners.  She 
was  born  in  Bainbridge  township  and  has  al- 
w^ays  lived  in  this  county.  By  this  marriage 
there  is  one  daughter,  Effie,  now  the  wife  of 
Harvey  Krieger,  of  Bainbridge,  by  whom 
she  has  three  children. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Warren  S.  Pearl  started 
out  in  life  together  with  only  twenty  acres 
of  land,  which  he  still  continues  to  own  and 
farm.  Fie  has,  however,  added  to  his  pos- 
sessions until  now  he  owns  ninety  acres  in 
Bainbridge  township.  He  carries  on  gen- 
eral farming  and  fruit-raising,  dividing  his 
time  about  equally  to  the  two  branches  of 
his  business.  The  greater  part  of  his  life 
has  been  spent  in  this  county,  where  the  name 
of  Pearl  is  synonymous  with  good  citizen- 
ship, with  business  activity  and  reliability, 


and  with  all  those  qualities  which  go  to  make 
up  an  honorable  manhood. 

FRANKLIN  HOWARD,  the  owner  of 
Fair  View  farm  in  Benton  township,  Ber- 
rien county,  was  born  in  Wabasha  county, 
Minnesota,  September  11,  1869,  his  parents 
being  Laconius  M.  and  Harriet  (Converse) 
Howard.  The  father  was  a  brother  of  Far- 
ley, Sterling,  John  and  Harley  Howard,  all 
pioneer  settlers  of  Benton  township  and 
Farley  Howard  was  the  father  of  Mrs. 
Franklin  Howard. 

The  subject  of  this  review  spent  the 
days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  his  na- 
tive county,  being  reared  and  educated  in 
Minnesota.  He  was  married  on  the  6th  of 
June,  1889,  to  Miss  Addie  Howard,  who 
was  a  double  cousin,  her  mother  being  Mrs. 
Diantha  (Converse)  Howard,  a  sister  of 
Harriet  Converse.  In  early  childhood  they 
were  acquainted  and  later  were  separated, 
but  Mr.  Howard  of  this  review  came  to 
Michigan  the  winter  before  their«marriage. 
Mrs.  Howard  was  born  on  the  present  farm, 
spending  her  girlhood  days  here.  Her  father, 
Farley  Howard,  died  August  i,  1886,  and 
the  mother  afterward  remained  upon  the 
farm.  Two  years  after  their  marriage  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Franklin  How^ard  returned  to  the 
old  homestead  and  purchased  the  property 
from  the  other  heirs,  thus  coming  into  pos^ 
session  of  the  place  in  1891.  Six  years  ago 
Mr.  Howard  built  his  present  residence  and 
has  a  well  improved  farm,  equipped  with  all 
modern  accessories  and  conveniences  for  the 
raising  of  fruit.  He  has  thirty-three  out  of 
forty  acres  planted  to  fruit  and  the  orchard 
set  out  fifty  years  ago  is  still  in  bearing.  He 
has  now  about  one  thousand  apple  trees  and 
he  also  has  pears,  peaches  and  plums.  The 
sales  from  fifty-six  old  apple  trees  amounted 
in  one  season  to  six  hundred  and  fourteen 
dollars.  He  is  strictly  a  commercial  grower. 
He  plants  only  fruit  of  the  best  varieties 
and  his  business  is  proving  a  profitable  one, 
for  he  thoroughly  understands  the  best 
methods  of  caring  for  the  orchard  and  also 
for  the  crop  as  it  ripens. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.   Howard  has  been 
born  a  daughter,  Irma,  who  at  the  age  of 


412 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


sixten  years  is  a  student  in  Benton  Harbor 
College.  Mr.  Howard  is  a  Republican  and 
he  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp. 
His  time  and  attention,  however,  are  largely- 
demanded  by  his  horticultural  interests  and 
the  control  of  his  farm,  which  is  pleasantly 
and  conveniently  located  about  six  and  a 
fourth  miles  southeast  of  Benton  Harbor. 

It  will  be  interesting  in  this  connection 
to  note  something  more  of  the  history  of 
Farley  Howard,  father  of  Mrs.  Franklin 
Howard.  He  was  generally  called  Fulton 
Howard.  His  birth  occurred  June  6,  1830, 
in  Ellisburg,  Jefferson  county,  New  York, 
his  parents  being  Joseph  and  Purley  (Frank- 
lin) Howard.  His  boyhood  and  youth  was 
passed  in  the  state  of  his  nativity  and  his 
education  was  acquired  there  in  the  public 
schools.  Having  arrived  at  years  of  matur- 
ity he  was  married  in  Maysville,  New  York, 
on  the  3rd  of  November,  1830,  to  Miss 
Diantha  Converse,  whose  sister  Harriet 
later  married  Laconius  Howard,  a  brother 
of  Farley  •Howard.  Another  brother,  Ster- 
ling Howard,  had  already  come  to  Berrien 
county  and  John  Howard,  still  another 
brother,  came  at  the  same  time  as  Farley 
Howard  and  his  wife.  At  one  time  there 
were  five  brothers  and  a  sister  of  this  fam- 
ily living  in  the  county,  namely:  Sterling, 
Squire,  John,  Harley,  Farley  and  Mrs. 
Susanne  Snyder,  the  wife  of  Warren  Sny- 
der. After  ten  or  fifteen  years,  however, 
all  the  family  removed  to  other  localities 
except  the  sister  and  John  and  Farley  How- 
ard. Sterling  Howard  went  to  Idaho,  Har- 
ley to  Kansas  and  Squire  to  California.  Mrs. 
Warren  Snyder,  however,  lived  and  died 
here,  passing  away  at  the  age  of  fifty-six 
years.  John  Howard  was  the  father  of  Mrs. 
Frank  McKindley,  of  Benton  township  and 
died  here  in  middle  life. 

On  coming  to  Michigan,  Farley  How- 
ard, after  looking  over  the  country  to  some 
extent,  made  purchase  of  a  tract  of  land  for 
w^hich  he  paid  three  dollars  per  acre.  It  was 
in  the  midst  of  the  green  woods  and  was 
covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  timber.  His 
first  house  was  a  log  structure,  which  he  con- 
tinued to  occupy  until  the  present  residence 
was  erected.  He  at  once  began  to  clear  and 
cultivate  his  land  and  in  the  course  of  time 


plowed  fields  were  returning  good  crops. 
His  brother,  Sterling,  paid  the  expenses  of 
his  journey,  so  that  he  was  in  debt  when  he 
began  life  here  and  he  bought  his  land  on 
time.  In  early  years  he  worked  out  for 
others,  but  as  the  months  passed  by  he  was 
enabled  to  discharge  his  financial  obligations 
and  give  his  attention  to  the  improvement  of 
his  own  farm,  which  in  course  of  years  be- 
came a  valuable  property. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howard  were  born 
eight  children,  of  whom  one  died  at  the  age 
of  twelve  years.  Four  of  the  number  are 
now  living,  namely:  Foster,  a  resident  of 
Benton  township;  J.  D.,  of  Benton  Harbor; 
Nettie,  the  wife  of  W.  F.  Howard,  a 
brother  of  Franklin  Howard,  living  in  Pipe- 
stone township  and  Mrs.  Franklin  Howard 
of  Benton  township.  One  daughter,  Edith, 
died  at  the  age  of  twelve  years.  Alice,  the 
eldest  of  the  family,  became  the  wife  of 
Charles  Moore,  of  Pipestone  and  died  at  the 
age  of  forty-four  years.  Mary  became  the 
wife  of  John  Anthony,  of  Benton  township, 
and  died  at  the  age  of  forty-two  years. 

Farley  Howard  and  his  wife  were  mem- 
bers of  the  United  Brethren  church.  His 
death  occurred  on  the  ist  of  August,  1886. 
In  later  years  Mrs.  Howard  has  been  an 
adherent  of  the  faith  as  understood  by  the 
Christian  or  Disciples  church.  She  is  well 
read,  especially  in  the  Bible  and  she  is  a 
constant  reader  of  one  of  the  church  papers, 
the  Christian  Standard.  She  has  lived  upon 
one  farm  for  fifty-five  years  and  is  now 
seventy-four  years  of  age,  a  most  estimable 
lady,  loved  and  esteemed  by  all  who  know 
her. 

FRANK  Z.  DYE,  a  retired  farmer  re- 
siding in  Niles,  was  born  at  Seneca  Falls, 
New  York,  in  1850.  The  father,  John  G. 
Dye,  was  born  in  New  York  in  1813,  and 
died  in  Niles  in  1895,  when  about  eighty- 
two  years  of  age.  He  removed  from  the 
Empire  state  to  Michigan  in  1856  with  his 
wife  and  children,  settling  in  Bertrand  town- 
ship, Berrien  county,  where  he  purchased 
a  farm,  but  soon  afterward  sold  that  prop- 
erty and  invested  in  a  much  better  farm  on 
the  Chicago  road  in  the  same  township. 
That  property  was  located  two  miles  south- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


413 


west  of  Niles,  and  there  Mr.  Dye  carried  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits  up  to  the  time 
that  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death. 
His  work  produced  good  results.  He  annu- 
ally harvested  rich  crops  and  the  sale  of  his 
farm  products  brought  him  gratifying  suc- 
cess. He  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Ann 
Brooks,  a  native  of  New  York,  in  which 
sta'te  the  wedding  was  celebrated.  She 
died  upon  the  old  farm  homestead  in 
Berrien  county  in  1872,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-five  years.  Of  their  five  children 
all  were  born  in  New  York  and  four 
are  now  living.  Charles  H.,  the  eldest 
of  the  family,  who  died  February  12,  1903, 
at  the  age  of  sixty  years,  was  a  prominent 
and  influential  business  man.  At  the  time 
of  the  Civil  war,  responding  to  the  country's 
call  for  aid,  he  enlisted  in  186 1  as  a  private 
of  Company  F,  Twelfth  Michigan  Volunteer 
Infantry  and  served  throughout  the  period 
of  hostilities,  being  mustered  out  with  the 
rank  of  first  lieutenant.  He  made  a  splen- 
did record  as  a  soldier,  displaying  valor  and 
loyalty  upon  all  occasions.  Following  the 
close  of  hostilities  he  went  to  Kansas,  where 
he  was  engaged  with  his  brother  Otis  M.,  in 
the  hotel  business  as  proprietor  of  the  Eagle 
Hotel  in  Humboldt,  Allen  county.  They 
successfully  conducted  this  enterprise  for 
some  time,  when  they  sold  out  and  engaged 
in  the  wholesale  and  retail  grocery  trade, 
under '  the  name  of  Dye  Brothers,  having 
branch  stores  also  at  Wellington  and  Inde- 
pendence. In  this  line  the  brothers  con- 
tinued for  some  time,  when  they  sold  out  and 
went  to  the  Indian  Territory,  where  they 
engaged  in  the  cattle  business  as  members 
of  the  firm  of  Dye  Brothers.  They  con- 
tinued in  that  enterprise  for  only  a  short 
time,  however,  when  on  account  of  the  ill- 
ness of  the  wife  of  Charles  H.  Dye  he  sold 
his  interests  in  this  place  and  returned  to 
Buchanan,  Michigan,  where  his  wife  died. 
Subsequently  he  went  to  Syracuse,  Kansas, 
and  was  engaged  alone  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness there.  His  first  wife  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Alice  Terriere  and  was  born  in  Bu- 
chanan, Michigan.  They  had  three  chil- 
dren, all  born  in  Kansas,  namely:  Belle, 
now  the  wife  of  S.  P.  Sadler,  of  Texas,  by 
whom   she  had  two   daughters,   Irene  and 


Gladys;  Jennie  T.;  and  Clarence  E.,  who 
makes  his  home  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where 
he  is  an  express  messenger  for  the  Adams 
Express  Company  on  the  Louisville  &  Nash- 
ville Railroad.  While  living  in  Syracuse, 
Kansas,  Charles  H.  Dye  was  married  to 
Miss  Malvina  Cooke,  of  Bowling  Green, 
Kentucky.  Later  he  disposed  of  his  hard- 
ware business  in  Kansas  and  went  to  north- 
western Texas,  locating  in  the  Panhandle 
district,  where  in  connection  with  his  brother 
Otis  he  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  business 
for  two  years.  He  then  sold  out  and  re- 
moved to  Gallatin,  Tennessee,  where  his 
death  occurred.  His  widow  is  still  living 
there.  There  were  no  children  by  his  sec- 
ond marriage. 

Otis  M.  Dye,  the  second  member  of  the 
family  of  John  G.  Dye,  came  w4th  his  par- 
ents to  Michigan  in  1856  and  during  the 
period  of  the  Civil  war  was  in  the  quarter- 
master's department  at  Duvall's  Bluff,  Ar- 
kansas. After  the  war  he  went  to  Kansas 
with  his  brother  Charles  and  as  stated  above 
they  conducted  the  Eagle  hotel  at  Hum- 
boldt, Allen  county,  which  proved  a  success- 
ful venture  for  several  years.  Later  they 
conducted  a  wholesale  and  retail  grocery 
business  and  following  their  venture  in  the 
grocery  business  in  Texas,  Otis  M.  Dye  be- 
came western  manager  for  the  Showwalter 
Mortgage  Company  of  Boston,  Massachu- 
setts, with  headquarters  at  Omaha,  Ne- 
braska. He  represented  that  firm  for  ten 
years,  after  which  he  assisted  in  organizing 
the  First  National  Bank  at  Arlington,  Ne- 
braska, and  was  its  cashier  for  several  years. 
Subsequently  he  went  to  Texas,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in  connec- 
tion with  his  brother  Charles.  Later  he  re- 
turned to  Nebraska,  where  he  is  now  living 
retired.  He  married  Alida  M.  Mead,  of 
Niles,  Michigan.  John  C.  Dye,  the  third 
member  of  the  father's  family,  came  with 
his  parents  to  Michigan  and  is  now  living 
on  a  farm  in  Bertrand  township,  Berrien 
county.  He  wedded  Ella  Sinclair,  of  Niles, 
and  of  their  three  children  two  are  living — 
Luther  S.  and  Bessie  G.  Alma  J.  Dye,  the 
youngest  of  the  family,  is  the  wife  of  A.  F. 
Bither,  who  is  represented  elsewhere  in  this 
work. 


414 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Frank  Z.  Dye,  who  was  the  fourth  mem- 
ber of  the  family,  was  a  Httle  lad  of  only 
about  six  years  when  brought  by  his  parents 
to  Michigan.  He  was  reared  upon  the  home 
farm  in  Berrien  county  and  attended  school 
in  Niles.  He  early  became  familiar  with  the 
duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the 
agriculturist  and  throughout  his  entire  life 
has  carried  on  general  farming  pursuits. 
In  connection  with  his  brother,  John  C.  Dye, 
he  purchased  a  farm  in  Bertrand  township, 
which  they  conducted  together  for  several 
years,  when  Mr.  Dye  of  this  review  sold 
out  to  his  brother,  who  is  still  living  upon 
the  property.  Frank  Z.  Dye  then  pur- 
chased the  old  homestead  upon  which  he  fol- 
lowed farming  until  1904,  when  he  sold  that 
property  and  bought  ten  acres  of  land  in  the 
city  of  Niles,  bordering  the  St.  Joseph  rivef, 
This  was  a  part  of  the  old  Bond  home- 
stead and  is  one  of  the  earliest  plats 
of  land  to  be  settled,  in  Niles.  He  and 
all  of  his  four  brothers  have  been 
stanch  Republicans  and  are  pubHc-spirited 
men.  He  has  been,  quite  successful  in 
his  business  operations  and  is  much 
esteemed  for  his  genuine,  personal  worth. 
He  represents  one  of  the  old  and  prominent 
families  of  the  county  and  his  interest  in 
community  affairs  is  that  of  a  public-spirited 
citizen  who  gives  active  co-operation  to 
many  movements  for  the  general  good. 

PROFESSOR  JOHN  DOWLING 
SCHILLER,  superintendent  of  schools  in 
Niles,  is  one  of  the  prominent  educators  of 
this  section  of  Michigan  and  has  done  much 
to  advance  the  cause  of  public  instruction  in 
this  state.  He  acquired  his  early  education 
in  the  district  schools  of  Alexander,  New 
York,  and  later  entered  the  Genesee  and 
Wyoming  Academy,  where  in  the  pursuance 
of  an  academic  course  he  was  fitted  for  col- 
lege. He  remained  in  that  institution  for  a 
year  following  the  completion  of  the  regular 
course  in  order  to  take  the  first  year's  work 
in  Rochester  University,  where-  he  com- 
pleted his  collegiate  course.  In  1869  he 
came  to  Michigan,  settling  at  Albion,  where 
lie  organized  the  Union  school.  In  the  fol- 
lowing year  the  board  of  education  of  Jack- 
son appointed  him  principal  of  one  of  the 


schools  of  that  city,  which  position  he  filled 
continuously,  capably  and  successfully  for 
nineteen  years,  when,  in  1887,  he  again  re- 
signed to  accept  the  superintendency  of  the 
schools  of  Niles.  Here  he  has  since  re- 
mained and  under  his  guidance  the  system 
of  public  instruction  has  been  greatly  im- 
proved. In  June,  1887,  Hillsdale  College 
bestowed  upon  him  the  degree  of  Master  of 
Arts.  He  is  thoroughly  interested  in  his 
work  and  has  a  faculty  of  inspiring  pupils 
and  teachers  with  much  of  his  own  zeal  and 
interest.  He  is  frequently  called  upon  to 
lecture  before  teachers'  institutes  and  asso- 
ciations. He  has  given  much  attention  to 
the  study  of  pedagogy,  psychology  and  child 
study  and  fully  realizes  the  fact  that  the 
work  of  an  educator  is  not  merely  the  in- 
struction of  classes  in  certain  principles  of 
knowledge  but  his  adaptation  to  the  needs 
of  the  individual  pupil  and  the  preparation 
of  the  student  for  life's  practical  and  re- 
sponsible duties.  The  schools  of  Niles  un- 
der his  direction  give  evidence  of  scientific 
management  and  marked  progressiveness. 

Professor  Schiller  has  one  son,  Guy  B., 
who  is  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Mich- 
igan of  the  class  of  1900,  and  is  now  in  the 
employ  of  the  government  as  superintendent 
of  schools  in  the  Philippine  Islands.  The 
father  belongs  to  Niles  Commandery,  K.  T., 
and  also  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge, 
and  has  held  high  offices  in  both.  He  is  a 
Baptist  in  his  religious  faith  and  is  deeply  in- 
terested in  every  line  of  work  tending  to  a 
liberal  education,  broad  knowledge  and  an 
adoption  of  high  moral  principles. 

HON.  SAM  H.  KELLEY,  a  member 
of  the  bar  of  Benton  Plarbor  and  a  represen- 
tative of  his  district  in  the  state  legislature 
has  left  and  is  leaving  the  impress  of  his 
individuality  upon  the  legal  records,  the 
business  development  and  political  history 
of  the  state.  He  was  born  in  Marion, 
Grant  county,  Indiana,  on  the  27th  of 
March,  1861,  and  in  both  the  paternal  and 
maternal  lines  he  is  descended  from  ancestry 
represented  in  prominent  political  positions. 
His  father,  Henry  S.  Kelley,  of  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri,  is  a  distinguished  lawyer,  who  for 
sixteen  years  was  judge  of  the  twenty-ninth 


i^<^£MAJ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


415 


judicial  circuit,  composed  of  Andrew,  Atchi- 
son, Holt  and  Nodaway  counties,  Missouri. 
He  is  moreover  well  known  as  the  author 
of  various  works  on  law.  In  1884  he  pub- 
lished a  treatise  on  the  law  relating  to  the 
powers,  duties,  rights  and  liabilities  of  exec- 
utors. In  1892  he  published  a  treatise  on 
criminal  law  following  a  previous  volume  of 
the  same  subject  issued  in  1881.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Adelia  Harlan,  a  daughter  of  Hon. 
Andrew  J.  and  Delilah  (Hendricks)  Har- 
lan, the  former  born  in  181 5  and  the  latter 
in  1822.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harlan  are 
still  living  in  Savannah,  Missouri,  and  he  is 
the  only  survivor  of  the  thirty-first  congress. 
He  has  also  served  in  the  legislatures  of 
three  different  states,  acting  as  speaker  in 
two  of  them. 

Sam  H.  Kelley  was  only  five  years  of 
age  when  taken  by  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval from  Indiana  to  Savannah,  Missouri, 
where  he  acquired  his  preliminary  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools.  He  afterward 
entered  the  State  University  of  Missouri  at 
Columbia,  which  institution  he  attended  from 
1877  to  1880.  He  then  engaged  in  teach- 
ing in  the  district  schools  in  1881,  and  in 
1882  he  received  an  appointment  to  the  po- 
sition of  adjudicator  of  claims  in  the  United 
States  treasury  department  at  Washington, 
D.  C,  which  place  he  continued  to  fill  until 
November,  1885,  when  he  resigned  to  be- 
come chief  clerk  of  the  United  States  land 
office  at  Wakeeney,  Kansas.  While  in 
Washington  he  took  up  the  study  of  law 
and  was  graduated  from  Columbian  Uni- 
versity Law  School  in  the  class  of  1884. 
In  November,  1886,  he  resigned  his  position 
in  the  land  office  and  purchased  the  Scott 
County  Nezvs  of  Kansas,  a  Republican  pa- 
per, which  he  continued  to  publish  until 
1889,  when  he  removed  to  St.  Joseph,  Mis- 
souri, and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law 
there,  remaining  an  active  member  of  the 
profession  until  1893,  when  he  came  to  Ben- 
ton Harbor.  He  has  since  been  a  represen- 
tative of  the  bar  of  Berrien  county  and  he 
soon  won  distinction  and  a  notable  place  as 
one  of  its  strongest  and  most  capable  mem- 
bers. He  is  remarkable  among  lawyers  at 
this  bar  for  the  wide  research  and  provident 
care  with  which  he  prepares  his  cases.    His 


logical  grasp  of  facts  and  of  law  applicable 
to  them,  as  well  as  his  untiring  industry, 
have  been  potent  elements  in  his  success. 
In  the  argument  of  a  case  he  exhibits  a  re- 
markable clearness  of  expression  and  ade- 
quate and  precise  diction  which  enables  him 
to  make  others  understand  not  only  the  sal- 
ient points  of  his  argument  but  also  able  to 
clearly  understand  the  very  fine  analytical 
distinctions  which  differentiate  one  legal 
principle  from  another. 

Mr.  Kelley  is  equally  well  known  as  a 
political  leader  in  Michigan  in  the  ranks  of 
the  Republican  party.  He  has  figured  prom- 
inently in  Republican  circles  since  coming  to 
the  state  and  w^as  for  twelve  years  a  mem- 
ber of  the  central  county  committee  and  for 
a  long  period  was  chairman  of  the  Repub- 
lican city  committee  of  Benton  Harbor.  He 
acted  as  supervisor  for  the  second  ward  for 
one  term  to  fill  the  vacancy  occasioned  by 
the  resignation  of  Benton  R.  Stearns.  He 
was  secretary  of  the  Missouri  Republican 
Association  in  Washington,  D. C,  .in  1884, 
and  his  close  study  of  the  political  issues 
and  questions  of  the  country  and  his  under- 
standing of  political  possibilities  and  meth- 
ods have  enabled  him  to  so  direct  his  efforts 
as  to  contribute  in  substantial  measure  to 
Republican  successes.  At  the  present  time 
he  is  a  prominent  and  valued  member  of 
the  county  central  committee  and  he  won 
recognition  of  his  party  in  his  election  to 
the  state  legislature  to  represent  the  first 
district  of  Berrien  county  in  the  session  of 
1905-6.  He  received  a  vote  of  thirty-two 
hundred  and  twenty-nine  against  twenty- 
two  hundred  and  sixty-nine  for  Alexander 
Haliday,  the  Democratic  candidate.  Taking 
his  place  as  a  member  of  the  house  he  be- 
came at  once  an  active  worker  and  has  been 
connected  with  much  important  construc- 
tive legislation.  In  igo6  he  was  re-elected 
as  a  member  of  the  legislature.  He  gives  to 
each  question  which  comes  up  for  settle- 
ment his  earnest  and  thoughtful  considera- 
tion and  when  once  his  course  is  decided 
upon  nothing  can  swerve  him  from  the  path 
which  he  belives  to  be  right.  No  one  ques- 
tions his  devotion  to  the  interests  of  his 
county  and  the  commonwealth  at  large,  for 
at  all  times  he  is  actuated  by  a  spirit  of  un- 


4i6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


compromising  loyalty  to  the  welfare  of  his 
home  community  and  his  state. 

Mr.  Kelley  was  married  in  1887  ^^  Miss 
Julia  Graham,  a  daughter  of  George  and 
Mary  Graham,  of  Berrien  Springs,  Michi- 
gan, in  which  place  her  birth  occurred.     She 
died,  however,  at  Benton  Harbor  on  the  8th 
of  October,  1900,  leaving  three  daughters : 
Adelia,  Louise  and  Daisy.     On  the  24th  of 
June,  1903,  Mr.  Kelley  was  again  married, 
his  second  union  being  with  Effie  Wallace, 
of  Lawrence,  Van  Buren  county,  Michigan, 
a  daughter  of  Seymour  and  Frances  Wal- 
lace.    Honored  and  respected  in  every  class 
of  society,  Mr.   Kelley  has  for  some  time 
been  a  leader  in  thought  and  action  in  the 
public  life  of  Berrien  county.     He  is  widely 
and  favorably  known  throughout  the  state, 
his  abilities  well  fitting  him  for  leadership  in 
political,  legal  and  social  circles.    The  terms 
progress  and  patriotism  might  be  considered 
the  keynote  of  his  character,  for  throughout 
his  career  he  has  labored  for  the  improve- 
ment of  every  line  of  business  or  public  in- 
terest with  which  he  has  been  associated  and 
at  all  times  has  been  actuated  by  a  fidelity 
to  his  country  and  her  welfare. 

HENRY  H.  HAMANN,  who  owns  a 
farm  on  section  11,  New  Buffalo  township, 
was  born  in  this  township,  February  27, 
1868,  his  parents  being  August  and  Mary 
(Garber)  Hamann,  who  were  natives  of 
Mecklenburg  and  were  there  married.  They 
came  direct  to  New  Buffalo  on  crossing  the 
Atlantic  to  the  new  world  and  still  reside 
upon  the  old  home  place,  comprising  eighty 
acres  of  good  land  in  New  Buffalo  town- 
ship. Their  family  numbers  five  children: 
Ernest,  who  is  living  at  Three  Oaks; 
Charles,  who  makes  his  home  in  Michigan 
City;  Henry  H.,  of  this  review;  Augusta, 
the  wife  of  Ernest  Kruger;  and  William, 
who  is  with  his  parents. 

Henry  H.  Hamann  was  reared  to  farm 
life,  early  beginning  work  in  the  fields, 
while  in  the  public  schools  he  obtained  his 
education.  He  continued  under  the  parental 
roof  until  twenty-two  years  of  age,  living 
on  a  farm  southeast  of  the  village.  He  next 
went  to  Michigan  City,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed in  car  work  for  about  two  years  and 


on  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  came  to 
New  Buffalo,  being  employed  on  the  Pere 
Marquette  Railroad  for  two  years  in  the 
yards,  becoming  foreman  there.  In  April,. 
1903,  he  located  upon  his  present  farm^ 
which  he  had  purchased  six  years  before. 
It  comprises  eighty  acres  on  section  11  and 
Mr.  Hamann  has  made  many  improvements 
here,  keeping  his  building  and  fences  in  ex- 
cellent repair.  Fruit  growing  is  the  main 
feature  of  his  farm,  but  he  also  carries  on 
general  farming,  raising  various  kinds  of 
grain.  He  annually  harvests  good  crops  of 
both  grain  and  friut  and  for  his  products 
finds  a  ready  sale  on  the  market. 

On  the  20th  of  May,  1891,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  Mr.  Hamann  and 
Miss  Anna  Schult,  who  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, June  17,  1870,  and  came  to  the 
United  States  when  twelve  years  of  age  with 
her  parents,  Fred  and  Lena  (Helms)  Schult, 
both  of  whom  reside  in  this  county.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hamann  have  three  sons,  Edwin, 
Harry  and  Carl. 

The  political  allegiance  of  Mr.  Hamann 
was  given  to  the  Democracy  for  some  years, 
but  he  now  largely  votes  the  Republican 
ticket,  although  he  is  somewhat  independent 
in  his  political  views.  He  holds  membership 
in  the  German  Lutheran  church  and  is  a 
man  of  upright  principles  and  manly  con- 
duct, whose  good  qualities  have  gained  for 
him  warm  and  favorable  regard.  His  life 
has  been  one  of  activity,  in  which  he  has 
made  good  use  of  his  opportunities  and  the 
fact  that  he  is  now  the  owner  of  a  valuable 
farm  property  indicates  a  life  of  industry 
and  well-directed  labor. 

SYLVESTER  B.  KIMBALL,  whose 
actions  have  during  his  life  been  such  as  to 
distinctively  entitle  him  to  a  place  in  this 
publication  as  a  representative  resident  of 
Berrien  county,  is  now  practically  living  re- 
tired in  Benton  Harbor.  His  birth  occurred 
in  New  York  in  1843.  His  father,  Benoni 
Kimball,  was  born  in  Vermont  in  1814  and 
was  a  brick  maker  by  trade,  following  that 
pursuit  throughout  his  active  business  career, 
first  in  the  employ  of  others  and  then  on  his 
own  account.  He  served  as  a  soldier  in  the 
Mexican  war  and  subsequent  to  this  time  re- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


417 


moved  from  the  Empire  state  to  Michigan, 
taking  up  his  abode  in  Jackson  county  in 
1849.  There  he  engaged  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  brick,  conducting  a  brickyard  near 
the  state  prison  there.  He  afterward  re- 
moved to  Brooklyn,  Jackson  county,  where 
he  again  estabhshed  a  brickyard  and  sub- 
sequently he  took  up  his  abode  in  Hillsdale 
county,  where  he  also  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  brick.  At  a  subsequent  date  he 
purchased  a  farm  in  Jefferson  township, 
Hillsdale  county,  and  on  leaving  that  place 
removed  to  Laporte  county,  Indiana,  where 
he  again  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
brick.  He  next  went  to  Carlisle  Hill,  where 
he  conducted  a  similar  enterprise  and  after- 
ward farmed  forty  acres  near  Winamac, 
Indiana,  where  he  continued  to  make  his 
home  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  Close  ap- 
plication and  earnest  purpose  constituted 
the  salient  features  in  his  career  and  won 
him  a  gratifying  measure  of  success.  He 
was  married  in  the  east  to  Miss  Ruth  A. 
Fairfield,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  died 
in  1846  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years. 
There  were  two  children  of  that  marriage, 
Walter  F.  and  Sylvester  B.,  both  residents 
of  Benton  Harbor.  After  losing  his  first 
wife  Mr.  Kimball  wedded  Nancy  Mclntyre, 
who  is  still  living  in  Benton  Harbor.  They 
had  five  children,  Charles,  Lewis,  Baird, 
Fred  and  Francis.  The  father's  death  oc- 
curred in  Winamac,  Indiana,  in  1888,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-four  years. 

Sylvester  S.  Kimball  accompanied  his 
father  on  his  various  removals  until  he  set- 
tled in  Jefferson  township,  Hillsdale  coun- 
ty. He  and  his  brother  Walter  F.  then  en- 
listed for  service  in  the  Civil  war.  The 
brother  became  a  member  of  the  First  Michi- 
gan Engineers  and  Mechanics,  a  volunteer 
regiment  being  attached  to  Company  H, 
for  three  years.  He  was  born  in  New  York 
in  1840  and  was  therefore  in  the  early  twen- 
ties when  he  joined  the  army.  After  serv- 
ing for  about  two  years  he  was  wounded  at 
the  battle  of  Perryville  on  the  8th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1862,  two  minie-balls  piercing  his  left 
chest.  One  entered  his  right  breast  and  four- 
teen years  afterward  was  taken  out  of  his 
arm.  The  other  entered  his  left  breast  and 
is  now  in  his  back.     He  was  in  the  hospital 

27 


at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  for  about  two 
months.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he  lived 
in  Iowa  for  twenty  years  and  since  1887 
he  has  made  his  home  in  Benton  township, 
where  he  now  owns  and  cultivates  a  farm. 

Sylvester  B.  Kimball  enlisted  in  1862  in 
the  Eighteenth  Michigan  Regiment  as  a  pri- 
vate of  Company  F  for  three  years'  service. 
He  remained  with  the  army  for  only  eight 
months,  however,  when  he  was  discharged 
at  Lexington,  Kentucky,  on  account  of  ill- 
ness. On  the  15th  of  March,  1865,  he  re- 
enlisted  as  a  private  of  Company  I,  which 
participated  in  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea 
and  the  campaign  under  that  intrepid  leader 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  w^as  mus- 
tered out  at  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  in  1865, 
by  general  order  of  the  war  department. 
When  his  military  service  had  ended  Mr. 
Kimball  went  to  Traverse  county,  Michi- 
gan, and  was  driver  on  the  mail  wagon  from 
Traverse  City  to  Benzona.  He  also  took  up 
a  homestead  in  Traverse  county.  He  drove 
the  mail  wagon  for  a  year  and  then  went  to 
Lansing,  Michigan,  where  he  buried  his 
wife.  Subsequently  he  removed  to  Laporte, 
Indiana,  where  he  worked  with  his  father  for 
a  time  in  the  brick  manufacturing  business. 
He  next  went  to  Goldfield,  Iowa,  where  he 
continued  for  seven  years  and  in  1875  he 
came  to  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  accepted 
the  position  of  foreman  with  the  Watkins 
Brick  Manufacturing  Company,  serving  in 
that  capacity  for  three  years.  He  then  pur- 
chased a  brick  yard,  which  he  conducted  un- 
der the  name  of  Kimball's  Brickyard  and  the 
business  proved  a  profitable  venture  but  on 
account  of  ill  health  he  was  obliged  to  aban- 
don this  enterprise  and  purchased  the  home 
which  he  now  occupies  on  the  Territorial 
road.  He  was  commissioned  notary  public 
in  1886  and  has  since  continued  to  serve  in 
that  capacity.  He  was  also  justice  of  the 
peace  for  eight  years  and  during  that  time 
not  a  case  was  ever  reversed  against  his  de- 
cision. 

Mr.  Kimball  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza 
Harris  of  Benton  township  and  has  one 
child,  S3dvanus  B.,  who  was  born  in  Benton 
Harbor.  By  a  former  marriage  Mr.  Kim- 
ball had  one  son,  George  E.,  who  is  engaged 
in  the  transfer  business  in  Benton  Harbor 


4i8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


under  the  name  of  KimbalFs  Transfer  Line. 
In  politics  Mr.  Kimball  is  a  stalwart 
Republican  and  while  living  in  Iowa  served 
as  township  clerk.  In  this  state  he  has  been 
notary  public  and  justice  of  the  peace  as  be- 
fore mentioned^  and  his  public  service  has 
given  entire  satisfaction.  He  is  vice  presi- 
dent of  the  Chicago  Fraternal  League  and 
he  is  a  member  of  Benton  Harbor  Lodge, 
No.  132,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  he  was  finan- 
cial secretary  for  two  years.  He  also  belongs 
to  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  is  a 
member  of  George  H.  Thomas  Post,  No.  14, 
at  Benton  Harbor.  He  was  a  true  and  faith- 
ful soldier  in  the  dark  days  of  the  Civil  war 
and  has  been  equally  loyal  in  citizenship  in 
times  of  peace.  His  career  has  not  been 
filled  with  thrilling  incidents  and  yet  prob- 
ably no  biography  published  in  this  volume 
can  serve  as  a  better  illustration  to  young 
men  of  the  power  of  honesty,  integrity  and 
perseverence  in  insuring  success. 

WILLIAM  L.  BRUCE.  The  growth 
of  a  city  depends  upon  the  aggregate  en- 
deavor of  its  business  men  and  each  individ- 
ual who  faithfully  performs  his  daily  duties 
and  exercises  his  talents  to  the  extent  of  his 
ability,  thus  accomplishing  the  maximum  re- 
sult possible,  is  a  factor  in  the  development 
and  progress  of  the  community  which  he  rep- 
resents. William  L.  Bruce,  engaged  in  the 
furniture  trade,  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
leading  business  men  of  Benton  Harbor. 
His  birth  occurred  in  Shelbyville,  Indiana, 
in  1 87 1.  His  father,  John  T.  Bruce,  was 
a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  spent  the  last  five 
years  of  his  life  in  Benton  Harbor,  after  re- 
siding for  a  considerable  period  in  Indiana. 
He  married  Miss  Sally  Ely,  who  was  born 
in  Ohio  and  who  died  about  twelve  years  ago 
at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years.  Mr.  Bruce, 
however,  survived  his  wife  until  August  18, 
1905,  when  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years  he 
was  called  to  his  final  rest.  They  had  one 
daughter,  who  is  now  Mrs.  R.  P.  Adams,  a 
resident  of  Chicago,  Illinois. 

William  L.  Bruce,  the  only  son,  ac- 
quired his  preliminary  education  in  Indiana 
and  completed  his  studies  in  Missouri.  Dur- 
ing his  early  business  career  he  acted  as  clerk 
for  three  years  in  a  hotel  in  Kansas  City  and 


subsequently  he  conducted  the  Pacific  Hotel 
for  four  years  in  the  same  city.  He  then 
w^ent  to  Chicago  and  was  manager  for  the 
Ditner  Catering  Company  for  three  years, 
following  which  he  came  to  Benton  Harbor 
in  1900  and  conducted  a  restaurant  at  East- 
man Springs  in  Benton  township  through 
the  summer  season.  In  the  fall  of  the  same 
year  he  entered  into  partnership  with  C.  E. 
Stone  under  the  firm  name  of  Bruce  &  Stone 
and  opened  a  furniture  and  crockery  busi- 
ness at  Benton  Harbor.  Mr.  Bruce,  how- 
ever, is  sole  manager  of  the  business  and  the 
store  has  become  well  known  to  the  purchas- 
ing public  as  the  ''yellow  front."  He  car- 
ries a  large  and  carefully  selected  line  of  fur- 
niture of  various  grades  and  also  crockery 
ware.  He  has  the  qualifications  of  a  good 
salesman,  which,  combined  with  his  enter- 
prise and  laudable  ambition  to  achieve  suc- 
cess, have  enabled  him  to  develop  one  of  the 
good  business  enterprises  of  the  city  and  se- 
cure a  large  patronage. 

In  1893,  i^^  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  Mr. 
Bruce  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Inez 
M.  Cummings,  who  was  born  in  Missouri 
and  has  one  child,  John  Lovell,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  Chicago  and  who  is  now  six 
years  of  age.  In  his  political  views  Mr. 
Bruce  is  a  Democrat.  He  belongs  to  Lake 
Shore  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  to  Calvin 
Brittain  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  at  St.  Joseph, 
and  also  to  the  Malta  Commandery,  No.  44, 
K.  T.,  at  Benton  Harbor.  For  the  past  two 
years  he  has  been  custodian  of  the  building 
of  the  Masons  at  Benton  Harbor  and  is  one 
of  the  stewards  of  the  lodge.  He  also  be- 
longs to  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Or- 
der of  Elks  and  the  Modern  Woodmen 
camp. 

STEPHEN  M.  AUSTIN  is  proprietor 
of  a  restaurant  and  bakery  in  Benton  Har- 
bor and  thorough  understanding  of  modern 
business  methods  and  utilization  of  oppor- 
tunities has  led  to  his  present  gratifying  suc- 
cess. He  was  born  in  New  York  in  1848, 
a  son  of  Eber  and  Cordelia  (Lovell)  Aus- 
tin, both  of  whom  were  natives  of  New 
York.  The  father  came  to  Michigan  in 
1855,  settling  in  St.  Joseph,  where  he 
w^orked  in  the  sawmills.  Later  he  removed  to 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


419 


a  farm  in  Hagar  township,  where  he  cleared 
forty  acres  of  land  from  the  dense  forest 
and  he  is  still  engaged"  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits upon  that  tract.  His  wife  passed  away 
when  sixty-four  years  of  age.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  five  children,  of  whom  four  are  yet 
living,  namely:  Stephen  M.;  Elvira; 
Mrs.  Emma  Brace,  who  resides  upon  the 
old  home  farm  in  Hagar  township ;  and  Mrs. 
Julia  Pratt,  also  living  in  that  township. 

Stephen  M.  Austin  attended  school  in  St. 
Joseph,  being  a  student  in  the  old  school- 
house  wdiich  is  now  used  for  a  city  hall.  He 
w^as  also  a  student  in  the  district  schools  of 
Hagar  township.  Thinking  to  find  commer- 
cial pursuits  more  congenial  than  agricul- 
tural life  he  embarked  in  business  in  1878  as 
a  grocer,  conducting  his  store  for  one  year 
on  Pipestone  street  in  Benton  Harbor.  In 
1879  1^^  purchased  a  lot  on  East  Main 
street,  where  he  is  now  located  and  erected 
a  good  business  block,  which  he  still  owns. 
Here  he  opened  a  stock  of  staple  and  fancy 
groceries  and  carried  on  business  in  that 
line  until  1884,  when  he  sold  his  stock  and 
leased  the  store.  Four  years  later,  however, 
he  re-entered  the  grocery  trade  but  in  1896 
again  sold  out  and  in  place  of  the  grocery 
established  a  restaurant  and  bakery,  which 
he  has  since  conducted  with  much  success, 
furnishing  employment  to  a  number  of  men 
in  both  branches  of  the  business,  his  pay- 
roll amounting  to  sixty  dollars  per  w^eek 
outside  of  board  for  his  help.  He  serves  reg- 
ular meals  and  caters  to  the  best  trade  of  the 
city,  and  has  a  w^ell  kept,  clean  and  attrac- 
tive restaurant,  in  which  he  serves  goo.d 
and  wholesome  food  as  well  as  all  of  the 
delicacies  of  the  season.  His  bakery  is  well 
equipped  with  every  modern  appliance  for 
carrying  on  the  business  and  he  has  teams  to 
deliver  goods  to  all  parts  of  the  city. 

In  1879  in  Benton  Harbor  Mr.  Austin 
was  married  to  Miss  Katherine  Saunders,  a 
native  of  New  York.  They  attend  the  Uni- 
versal] st  Church  and  Mr.  Austin  is  a  Demo- 
crat in  his  political  views,  active  in  the  local 
work  of  the  party,  his  opinions  carrying 
w^eight  in  its  councils.  He  has  served  as 
alderman  from  the  fourth  ward,  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  public  works  for  one 
term  and  has  been  supervisor  for  four  terms. 


He  is  likewise  a  member  of  Benton  Harbor 
Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  is  connected  with  the 
Elks;  the  Patricians,  of  which  he  has  been 
chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  for  the 
past  four  years ;  and  the  Maccabees.  In  the 
last  named  organization  he  has  held  various 
offices  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  attend  the 
grand  lodg-e  as  a  delegate  when  the  order 
was  established  in  Benton  Harbor.  In  all  of 
his  business  career  there  has  naught  been 
said  against  his  honesty  of  purpose  and  the 
success  that  he  has  achieved  is  due  not  to 
any  financial  combination  of  circumstances 
but  to  genuine  merit  and  earnest  purpose, 
resulting  from  untiring  industry. 

OSCAR  DAMON,  living  in  Hagar 
township,  is  one  of  the  honored  pioneer 
settlers  of  the  county  and  is  familiar 
with  the  entire  history  of  development 
of  this  part  of  the  state.  The  people 
of  the  present,  enjoying  the  advantages 
which  civilization  has  brought,  cannot  real- 
ize the  conditions  that  confronted  the  pio- 
neer settler  a  half  century  or  more  ago.  At 
the  time  Mr.  Damon  arrived  he  lived  among 
the  Indians,  who  still  regarded  this  part  of 
the  state  as  their  hunting  ground.  There 
were  no  railroads  and  few  white  settlers  had 
penetrated  into  this  region  to  plant  the  seeds 
of  civilization  here.  The  district  w^as  cut 
off  from  the  older  settlements  of  the  east  by 
dense  forests  that  grew  in  their  primeval 
strength  and  the  rivers  were  unbridged  and 
the  only  roads  were  the  old  Indian  trails. 

Mr.  Damon  is  a  native  of  Freclonia, 
Pomfret  township,  Chautauqua  county,  New 
York,  his  birth  having  occurred  on  the  20th 
of  March,  1826.  His  father,  Martin  Damon, 
was  a  native  of  Vermont  and  died  when  the 
son  was  but  nine  years  of  age.  The  mother, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Eliza  Norton,  was 
born  in  Fredonia,  and  died  when  Oscar  Da- 
mon was  but  a  lad  of  seven  years.  He  made 
his  home  with  different  families  until  fifteen 
years  of  age,  when,  having  an  aunt  in  Ohio, 
he  walked  to  that  state.  He  remained  in 
Ohio  and  Pennsylvania  until  twenty  years 
of  age  and  worked  at  farm  labor  and  other 
kindred  employment  until  his  marriage.  He 
here  broke  steers,  matched  them  and  sold 
them  at  a  profit  and  this  gave  him  his  start. 


420 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


On  the  2 1  St  of  September,  before  he 
was  twenty  years  of  age,  Mr.  Damon  was 
married  to  Miss  Kate  Stevens,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania.  The  wedding  was  celebrated 
in  1845  ^^d  during  the  next  seven  years 
they  resided  in  Ohio  and  in  the  Keystone 
state,  Mr.  Damon  being  largely  employed 
at  farm  labor  by  the  day  and  month.  At- 
tracted by  the  opportunities  of  the  west, 
however,  he  came  to  Michigan  in  1852,  set- 
tling on  section  twenty-three,  Hagar  town- 
ship, Berrien  county,  trading  his  Ohio  prop- 
erty for  the  land  which  he  secured  in  Michi- 
gan. There  was  not  a  stick  cut  upon  the 
place.  All  was  wild  and  unimproved,  but 
with  characteristic  energy  he  began  the  de- 
velopment of  a  farm.  He  purchased  a  team 
of  young  horses  and  built  a  hewed  log  house 
upon  his  place.  He  then  began  to  clear  his 
land  and  as  this  did  not  bring  him  in  any 
ready  money  he  began  to  trap,  making 
wooden  traps.  He  soon  found  that  he  could 
realize  considerable  money  from  the  occu- 
pation and  he  hunted  deer,  fox,  otter,  mink 
and  other  animals  whose  skin  could  be 
utilized  as  a  marketable  commodity.  He 
has  made  as  much  as  one  hundred  dollars 
per  month  in  trapping,  and  this  made  him  a 
living,  while  in  the  summer  months  he  de- 
voted his  attention  to  clearing  his  land. 
He  has  lived  upon  his  farm  for  fifty-four 
years  and  owns  eighty  acres,  which  he  has 
cleared  and  brought  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  He  burned  up  valuable  timber, 
although  he  sold  some  at  three  dollars  per 
thousand  in  the  boom  at  St.  Joseph.  He 
has  kept  up  his  trapping  to  the  present  time, 
following  it  now  more  as  a  source  of  recrea- 
tion than  for  profit.  Even  though  now  well 
advanced  in  years  he  makes  his  way  annu- 
ally into  the  forests  and  has  been  gone  from 
home  two  weeks  at  a  time,  living  in  a  tent. 

Mr.  Damon  is  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  work  of  progress  that  has  been  carried 
on  in  his  part  of  the  state.  He  erected  his 
own  home  about  thirty-five  or  thirty-six 
years  ago  and  it  is  therefore  one  of  the  old 
landmarks  of  the  county.  The  first  settle- 
ment in  Hagar  township  was  upon  the  farm 
which  he  now  occupies  and  Mr.  Holly  lo- 
cated here  sixty-seven  years  ago,  at  which 
time  he  built  a  cabin  near  a  spring.     He 


lived  among  the  Indians  for  there  were  no 
white  settlers  in  the  locality  at  that  time. 
At  length  he  sold  the  property  to  James 
Proctor,  who  intended  to  dam  the  Paw  Paw 
in  order  to  establish  a  mill.  It  was  of  Mr. 
Proctor  that  Mr.  Damon  purchased  the 
farm.  In  those  early  days  he  would  find 
many  bee  trees,  finding  three  swarms  of 
bees  in  a  single  day.  The  first  child  born 
in  Hagar  township  was  Mary  Jane  McCray, 
who  is  now  more  than  sixty  years  of  age  and 
is  still  living  in  this  township.  She  married 
a  Mr.  Muldoon  and  is  now  a  widow.  Her 
father  was  killed  by  the  falling  of  a  tree. 
As  the  years  went  by  Mr.  Damon  gave  his 
time  and  energies  to  general  agricultural 
pursuits  and  later  began  the  cultivation  of 
fruit.  He  has  grown  peaches  for  many 
years,  making  a  start  in  this  way  by  bring- 
ing peach  pits  with  him  from  Pennsylvania. 
He  has  also  grown  berries  and  started  his 
straw^berry  beds  with  a  wild  strawberry.  He 
has  continued  in  the  work  until  he  has 
grown  acres  of  strawberries  from  a  single 
plant  to  start  with.  He  gave  his  berry  the 
name  of  Queen  and  as  the  years  passed  gath- 
ered a  large  amount  of  fruit,  each  year  find- 
ing a  ready  sale  for  it  on  the  market.  While 
cultivating  his  fields  and  orchards  in  the 
summer  seasons  he  has  spent  the  winter 
months  in  trapping. 

On  the  23d  of  January,  1882,  Mr. 
Damon  was  married  to  Miss  Ida  Schuster,  a. 
daughter  of  Andrew  and  Martha  Jane 
(Austin)  Schuster,  and  a  native  of  Roches- 
ter, New  York.  During  her  infancy  she 
was  brought  by  her  parents  to  Hagar  town- 
ship and  has  lived  all  her  life  within  two 
miles  of  her  present  home.  Her  father  cut 
out  a  farm  there  in  the  midst  of  the  forest 
and  is  still  residing  in  Hagar  township  on 
the  lake  shore.  His  wife  died  in  February, 
1905,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  The 
daughter  Ida  was  but  eighteen  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  her  marriage.  There  have 
been  three  children  born  of  this  union : 
Eliza  is  the  wife  of  John  Maile,  of  Benton 
Harbor,  who  is  head  burner  in  Miller's 
brickyard,  and  they  have  one  child,  Ida. 
Julia  is  the  wife  of  Will  Perry,  a  farmer  of 
Hagar  tow^nship  and  they  have  one  child, 
Pearl.     Mrs.    Perry  had   a  daughter  by   a. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


421 


former  marriage,  Ida  Mardell  Cowell,  who 
is  now  living  with  her  grandparents,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Damon.  Oscar  D.,  twenty  years 
•of  age,  married  Elva  King,  a  daughter  of 
De  GoHer  King,  of  Benton  towaiship,  and 
they  Hve  on  the  King  farm.  All  of  them 
married  well  into  good  families. 

Mr.  Damon  is  an  advocate  of  the 
Democracy  but  is  not  strictly  partisan,  oc- 
casionally voting  for  the  men  of  the  op- 
posite party  where  local  questions  are  in- 
volved. He  has  always  been  a  strong 
temperance  man  and  uses  neither  tobacco 
nor  liquor.  He  is  well  known  in  this  part  of 
the  state  and  is  a  notable  figure  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  pioneer  life  and  of  trapping 
interests,  which  were  in  early  days  the  chief 
source  of  living  to  the  settlers.  Not  from 
hearsay  but  as  a  matter  of  actual  experience 
can  he  relate  many  interesting  tales  of  early 
life  in  Michigan,  concerning  the  time  when 
the  pioneer  blazed  the  way  for  the  settlers 
who  afterward  came  to  gather  the  results 
but  have  follow^ed  the  utilization  of  the  nat- 
ural resources  of  the  state — the  lumber  and 
mineral  interests  and  the  agricultural  pos- 
sibilities. Mr.  Damon  has  himself  kept  pace 
with  the  uniform  progress  in  farming  and 
fruit-raising  circles  and  as  the  years  have 
^one  by  has  secured  a  good  home  in  this 
way. 

WAKEMAN  RYNO,  M.  D.  has  since 
1 89 1  actively  engaged  in  practice  in  Benton 
Harbor  and  is  recognized  as  an  able  member 
of  the  profession.  Moreover  he  has  dis- 
played a  love  of  scientific  research  and  is 
a  gentleman  of  considerable  literary  talent, 
as  is  manifested  in  his  writings.  He  was 
born  in  Ovid,  New  York,  in  1849,  and  came 
to  Michigan  with  his  parents  when  but  seven 
years  of  age.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
John  Stites  Ryno,  was  born  in  Westfield, 
New  Jersey,  and  died  in  1825  when  his  son, 
John  Boice  Ryno,  was  but  four  years  of  age. 
The  latter  was  born  in  Ovid,  Seneca  county. 
New  York,  April  2,  1821,  and  in  185 1,  when 
thirty  years  of  age,  disposed  of  his  property 
in  the  Empire  state,  trading  it  for  a  quarter 
section  of  wald  land  in  Hagar  township, 
Berrien  county,  Michigan,  now  known  as 
Pottawatomie   Park.     He  was  married   in 


1847  "^  New  York  to  Miss  Sabra  Garrett,  a 
daughter  of  James  H.  Garrett,  of  Trumans- 
burg,  New  York.    The  family  took  up  their 
abode  upon  the   newly   acquired   Michigan 
property  in    1856,   and   there  resided  until 
1859,  when  Mr.  Ryno  exchanged  his  wild 
land  for  an  improved  farm  a  half  mile  south 
of  Coloma  in  Watervliet  township.     He  was 
a  blacksmith  by  trade,  having  learned  the 
business  when  but  seventeen  years  of  age. 
He  followed  that  calling  until  i860,  when  an 
accident  caused  him  the  loss  of  one  eye  and 
he  then  abandoned  his  trade  and  concentrated 
his  energies  upon  the  work  of  general  farm- 
ing.     His    early    political    allegiance    was 
given  to  the  Democratic  party,  but  at  the 
time  Lincoln  was  made  the  candidate  of  the 
newly  organized  Republican  party  he  became 
one  of  his  stanch  supporters  and  ever  after- 
ward continued  to  affiliate  with  that  great 
political  organization.     He  never  aspired  to 
public  office,  but  was  interested  in  any  plan 
or  movement  calculated  to  benefit  his  town- 
ship, county  or  state.     He  was  a  wide  reader 
and   discriminating   student   and   kept   well 
informed  on  all  questions  of  the  day,  politi- 
cal or  otherwise.    He  regarded  it  as  the  duty 
as  well  as  the  privilege  of  every  citizen  to 
cast  his  ballot  in  support  of  measures  which 
he  believed  would  best  promote  good  govern- 
ment and  he  never  failed  to  make  his  way 
to  the  polls  on  election  day.     There  were 
many   sterling   traits   in   his   character,    in- 
cluding his  loyalty  in  citizenship,  his  reli- 
ability in  business  affairs  and  his  fidelity  in 
friendship.     He  died  upon  the  home  farm 
in  Watervliet  township  on  the  i8th  of  April, 
1900,  when  seventy-nine  years  of  age.    He 
had  survived  his  wife  for  several  months, 
her  death  having  occurred  in  1899.    In  their 
family   were   seven   children,     as    follows: 
Wakeman ;  Belden  S. ;  who  is  living  in  Colo- 
ma; Suydam  B.,  also  a  resident  of  Coloma; 
Mrs.  Henry  Archer,  who  is  living  in  Chi- 
cago ;  Mrs.  John  K.  Brown,  of  Hagar  town- 
ship, Berrien  county;  Mrs.  John  Hames,  of 
Chicago ;  and  Smith,  who  is  living  in  Coloma. 
In  the  district  schools  at  Coloma,  Wake- 
man  Ryno  acquired  his  early  education  and 
later  continued  his  studies  in  New  York. 
Subsequently,  having  determined  upon  the 
practice  of  medicine  as  a  life  work,  he  began 


422 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


preparation  for  that  calling  by  matriculating 
in  the  University  of  Michigan  and  was 
graduated  from  the  medical  department  with 
the  class  of  1872.  He  then  practiced  for 
nineteen  years  in  Coloma,  after  which  he 
sought  a  broader  field  of  labor,  removing  to 
Benton  Harbor  in  1891.  Here  he  opened  an 
office  and  has  since  practiced  with  much 
success.  In  1874  he  pursued  post  gradu- 
ate work  in  Bellevue  Hospital  in  New  York 
city  and  he  has  kept  in  touch  with  the 
onward  march  of  the  profession  through  his 
persual  of  medical  journals  and  the  contri- 
butions to  medical  literature  which  appeared 
from  time  to  time  and  are  accepted  as 
authority  upon  such  subjects.  He  maintains 
a  high  standard  of  professional  ethics  and 
in  his  practice  is  actuated  not  only  by  a 
laudable  desire  for  personal  gain  but  also 
by  a  broad  humanitarian  spirit  and  deep 
interest  in  his  profession. 

In  January,  1875,  Dr.  Ryno  was  mar- 
ried in  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  to  Miss 
Hannah  Jane  Rose,  *  who  was  born  in 
Hagar  township  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Wallace  Rose,  who  was  a  veteran  of 
the  Civil  war  and  was  held  as  a  prisoner 
at  Libby,  where  he  died.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Ryno  have  become  the  parents  of  one 
son,  Corydon  Mott,  who  was  born  in  Coloma 
and  has  been  liberally  educated.  He  is  a 
graduate  of  Rutgers  College  of  New  Jersey 
of  the  class  of  1898  and  is  numbered  among 
the  alumni  of  Yale  College  of  1891.  He 
completed  a  course  in  the  medical  depart- 
ment there  in  that  year,  after  which  he  spent 
one  year  in  Europe  upon  his  wedding  jour- 
ney, having  been  married  on  the  i6th  of 
July,  1902,  to  Miss  Ida  Eder,  of  Chicago, 
Illinois.  They  have  an  interesting  daughter, 
Dorothea,  now  two  years  of  age.  Dr.  C. 
M.  Ryno  is  practicing  with  his  father  in 
Benton  Harbor  and  the  firm  is  an  especially 
strong  one. 

In  his  political  views  Dr.  Ryno  is  an 
earnest  and  stalwart  Republican.  He  was 
for  twelve  years  a  member  of  the  board  of 
health  and  for  three  years  a  member  of  the 
board  of  education  of  Benton  Harbor  and 
his  co-operation  can  always  be  counted  upon 
for  the  furtherance  of  progressive  public 
movements   in   his   adopted   city.     He   has 


been  very  successful  in  his  practice,  accumu- 
lating a  comfortable  competence.  Each  year 
he  makes  a  trip  to  Florida  and  he  spent  the 
winter  of  1905-6  in  that  sunny  climate,  be- 
ing enabled  to  leave  the  north  by  reason  of 
the  fact  that  his  son  assumes  the  manage- 
ment and  relieves  him  of  the  care  of  their 
practice.  Dr.  Ryno  is  a  man  of  scholarly 
attainments  and  strong  native  intellectuality. 
He  has  always  devoted  much  of  his  leisure 
to  reading  and  research  on  historical  and 
scientific  as  well  as  professional  lines  and  he 
is  now  preparing  a  historical  and  genealogi- 
cal work  upon  the  Paw  Paw  valley  and  like- 
wise has  in  progress  of  compilation  a  gene- 
alogical record  of  the  Ryno  family. 

WILLIAM  S.  MORLEY.  Only  four 
residents  of  Berrien  county  have  longer  re- 
sided within  its  borders  than  William  S. 
Morley  and  no  history  of  this  part  of  the 
state  would  be  complete  without  the  record 
of  this  worthy  and  honored  pioneer  settler, 
who  has  now  passed  the  eighty-fourth  mile- 
stone on  life's  journey.  He  was  born  in  the 
township  of  Burns  in  Allegany  county,  New 
York,  August  19,  1822.  His  father,  Wil- 
liam Morley,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  near 
Harrisburg  in  1796  and  when  a  young  man 
went  to  New  York,  being  married  in  Alle- 
gany county,  that  state.  He  was  an  Episco- 
palian minister  and  also  followed  the  occu- 
pation of  farming.  His  mother  lived  to  the 
very  advanced  age  of  one  hundred  and  five 
years,  while  his  sister  Betsy  reached  the  age 
of  one  hundred  and  two  years.  His  last 
days  were  spent  in  New  Troy,  Berrien 
county,  where  he  departed  this  life  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six  years.  In  early  manhood 
he  had  wedded  Miss  Jane  Carroll,  who  was 
born  in  New  York  and  died  in  Berrien 
county  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  In 
their  family  were  five  sons :  John,  who  died 
in  1871;  Thomas  O.,  who  enlisted  in  the 
Union  army  in  1862  and  died  while  in  the 
United  States  service;  William  S.,  of  this 
review;  Ambrose,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five  years;  and  Louis  W.,  a  practic- 
ing physician  of  Nebraska. 

William  S.  Morley  spent  the  first  eight 
years  of  his  life  in  the  state  of  his  nativity 
and  then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


423 


removal  to  Marion  county,  Indiana,  where 
they  remained  for  two  years.  In  1832  the 
family  settled  on  Portage  Prairie  in  Ber- 
trand  township,  this  county,  at  which  time 
there  were  more  Indians  that  white  settlers. 
The  family  home  was  established  in  the 
woods  on  the  Carey  Mission  reserve  almost 
immediately  after  the  g-overnment  had  com- 
pleted its  survey.  The  trip  was  made  from 
New  York  down  the  Allegany  river  to  Mays- 
ville,  Kentucky,  and  thence  by  steamboat  to 
Madison,  Indiana,  which  at  that  time  was 
the  capital  of  the  state.  From  that  city  they 
proceeded  to  a  point  twelve  miles  north  of 
Indianapolis,  journeying  by  wagon^  and  after 
two  years  passed  in  Marion  county  they  con- 
tinued on  their  way  to  the  territory  of  Michi- 
gan. On  reaching  a  beautiful  country  there 
they  decided  to  locate  and  the  father  gave 
one  hundred  dollars  for  a  claim  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  in  Bertrand  township 
which  had  been  entered  by  Eli  Grice.  Upon 
this  farm  William  S.  Morley  remained  until 
twenty-two  years  of  age. 

Starting  out  in  life  on  his  own  account, 
he  had  as  his  capital  good  health,  an  axe 
and  fifty  dollars  in  money  after  he  had  paid 
the  minister's  fee,  for  he  won  a  companion 
and  helpmate  for  life's  journey  by  his  mar- 
riage on  the  1 2th  of  May,  1844,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Loan,  who  was  born  in  Licking 
county,  Ohio,  November  5,  1827,  and  came 
to  Berrien  county  with  her  parents  in  1835. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  William  and  Mary 
(Bashford)  Loan,  the  former  a  native  of 
Scotland  and  the  latter  of  Ohio. 

The  young  couple  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  a  farm  and  Mr.  Morley  operated 
a  breaking  team  through  the  summer  of 
1844.  In  that  way  he  made  enough  money 
to  pay  for  the  team,  after  which  he  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  land  in  Lake  town- 
ship and  took  up  his  abode  thereon.  He  as- 
sisting in  organizing  the  township  in  1846. 
Two  years  were  devoted  to  farm  labor,  after 
which  he  was  engaged  on  the  construction 
work  of  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad  until 
1848  and  assisted  in  running  the  first  con- 
struction train  through.  After  a  time  he  sold 
his  property  in  Lake  township  and  in  1849 
went  to  Wisconsin,  where  he  purchased  a 


land  warrant  for  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land.  He  lived  there  for  nearly  two 
years  and  prospered  in  his  business  there, 
returning  with  one  thousand  dollars  in 
money.  This  he  invested  in  Michigan  prop- 
erty, purchasing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  one  mile  north  of  New  Troy.-  Here 
he  lived  for  two  years  or  until  1854,  when 
he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Iowa,  where  he 
purchased  about  a  section  of  land.  There  he 
carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits  for 
ten  years  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  disposed  of  his  property  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  in  1865  returned  to  Michigan, 
purchasing  a  farm  in  Wesaw  tow^nship, 
upon  which  he  has  resided  continuously  since. 
Lie  has  ninety  acres  of  land  here  in  the  home 
place,  wdiich  is  operated  by  his  son,  who  has 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in 
the  same  township,  eighty  acres  being  on 
section  twenty  and  eighty  acres  on  section 
twenty-eight.  Mr.  Morley  has  bought  and 
sold  many  farms  and  his  business  deals  have 
usually  proved  profitable,  bringing  to  him  a 
comfortable  income.  In  all  of  his  business 
transactions  he  has  been  thoroughly  reliable 
and  he  bears  an  honorable  name  in  business 
circles. 

In  1902  Mr.  Morley  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  passed  away 
on  the  3rd  of  October  of  that  year.  Eight 
children  have  been  born  of  their  marriage : 
Ambrose,  who  is  living  in  Buchanan;  Mary 
Jane,  the  wafe  of  C.  O.  Rose,  of  North  Da- 
kota; Alzina  L.,  the  wife  of  William  Cole- 
man, of  Bertrand  township;  Cordelia  Ellen, 
the  wife  of  James  O.  Cromwell,  of  Okla- 
homa; James  B.,  who  is  living  upon  the 
home  farm  with  his  father;  Hannah  Eliza- 
beth, the  widow  of  William  Metcalf ,  of  Van- 
couver, British  Columbia;  Harriet  E.,  the 
wife  of  John  Kelly,  of  Dumont,  Iowa;  and 
William  LL,  who  operates  the  home  farm  and 
also  a  good  farm  of  his  own,  giving  his  at- 
tention to  the  supervision  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  of  land  altogether.  He  has 
taken  swamp  land  and  converted  it  into  a 
fine  farm  and  is  one  of  the  active,  enterpris- 
ing and  prosperous  agriculturists  of  the 
community.  Mr.  Morley  also  has  thirty- 
two    grandchildren     and    thirty-six    great- 


^424 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


grandchildren  and  the  Morleys  hold  annual 
reunions  here,  which  are  delightful  occa- 
sions and  keep  up  the  family  spirit. 

In  his  political  views  William  S.  Mor- 
ley  has  been  a  life-long  Democrat,  casting 
his  first  presidential  ballot  for  James  K. 
Polk.  He  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  in 
Wesaw  township  for  six  years  and  was  also 
justice  of  the  peace  in  Iowa  for  ten  years. 
He  has  likewise  acted  in  other  official  posi- 
tions and  has  held  some  school  offices.  Long 
a  devoted  and  faithful  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Protestant  church,  he  has  been  active 
in  its  work  for  thirty-five  years  and  has 
been  ordained  one  of  its  elders.  He  has 
also  been  a  stalwart  champion  of  the  tem- 
perance cause  and  he  belongs  to  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Only  four 
people  in  all  Berrien  county  have  longer  re- 
sided within  its  borders.  When  he  arrived 
here  in  1832  there  were  only  three  build- 
ings in  South  Bend,  Indiana,  and  the  village 
of  Buchanan  and  the  city  of  Benton  Harbor 
had  not  been  founded.  He  did  considerable 
hunting  in  his  younger  days  arid  has  killed 
all  kinds  of  wild  animals  that  haunted  the 
forest  here  save  panthers,  which  he  frequent- 
ly saw.  Many  days  he  hunted  with  the  In- 
dians and  he  went  through  all  of  the  hard- 
ships, trials  and  experiences  of  pioneer  life. 
He  retains  very  vivid  recollections  of  the 
early  days  and  relates  many  interesting  inci- 
dents of  pioneer  times  when  the  work  of 
civilization  had  scarcelv  been  besfun  here. 
At  long  distances  were  seen  log  cabins  and 
little  clearings,  but  the  greater  part  of  the 
county  was  still  covered  with  the  native  for- 
est growth  and  gave  little  promise  of  future 
development. 

WILLIAM  W.  EAST.  It  is  the  enter- 
prise and  character  of  the  citizens  who  enrich 
and  develop  a  community,  bringing  into  ef- 
fective action  the  enterprising  spirit  which 
has  wrought  the  wonderful  development  of 
this  country.  Among  the  men  of  energy,  de- 
termination and  capability  who  are  classed 
foremost  with  the  representative  citizens  of 
Buchanan  is  numbered  William  W.  East,  of 
the  Pears-East  Grain  Company,  and  in  the 
face  of  such  opposition  and  competition  as 
always    meets    one   in   the   business    world 


he  has  worked  his  way  upward  until  he  is 
now  in  control  of  a  profitable  trade. 

Mr.  East  is  one  of  Michigan's  native 
sons,  having  been  born  in  Vandalia,  Cass 
county,  on  the  28th  of  October,  1858.  His 
father,  J.  S.  East,  a  native  of  Muncie,  In- 
diana, removed  to  Cass  county,  Michigan, 
with  his  parents,  James  and  Anna  East,  in 
his  boyhood  days,  and  was  there  reared. 
He  was  married  in  Laporte,  and  in  Novem- 
ber, 1869,  removed  to  Niles,  this  county. 
By  occupation  he  was  a  miller  and  for  many 
years  followed  that  pursuit  as  a  source  of 
livelihood  for  himself  and  family.  He  was 
respected  as  an  active,  energetic  business 
man  and  one  thoroughly  reliable  in  his  trade 
transactions.  His  widow  is  still  living  and 
makes  her  home  in  Buchanan.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  four  children,  of  whom  one,  a 
daughter,  died  in  infancy.  Charles  W.  East, 
another  member  of  the  family,  is  now  en- 
gaged in  the  milling  business  in  Buchanan, 
and  James  F.,  a  motorman,  residing  in 
South  Bend,  Indiana. 

William  W.  East,  the  youngest,  was 
about  nine  years  of  age  when  he  accompa- 
nied his  parents  on  their  removal  from  Cass 
county  to  Niles,  where  he  was  reared  and 
educated,  continuing  his  studies  through 
successive  grades  until  he  was  graduated 
from  the  high  school  of  Niles  in  1878.  He 
afterward  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  Ber- 
rien county  for  about  two  years  and  was 
bookkeeper  in  a  store  in  Niles,  an  em- 
ploye in  the  J.  M.  Wells  grocery  and  crock- 
ery establishment,  which  is  conducted  on 
both  a  wholesale  and  retail  plan.  Mr.  East 
continued  in  that  service  for  about  three 
years,  when  he  became  owner  of  a  half  in- 
terest in  a  grocery  store  in  connection  with 
M.  L.  Harter.  This  relation  was  main- 
tained for  three  years,  on  the  expiration  of 
which  period  Mr.  East  sold  out  and  in  1886 
came  to  Buchanan.  Here  he  accepted  a 
clerkship  in  a  grocery  store,  in  wdiich  he 
continued  for  three  years,  when  he  went  to 
Elkhart,  Indiana,  and  was  employed  by  J. 
J.  Hoffman  for  about  a  year.  Subsequently 
in  Chicago  he  had  charge  of  the  books  of  the 
Cairo  Lumber  Company  for  eighteen 
months,  or  until  the  failure  of  the  house, 
after  which  he  was  with  Peter  Van  Schaack 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


425 


&  Sons,  wholesale  druggists,  having  charge 
of  the  books  until  the  financial  panic  of  1893. 
He  then  secured  a  position  with  Lyon,  Pot- 
ter &  Company,  with  whom  he  continued  for 
about  a  year,  and  in  1894  he  returned  to 
Buchanan,  where  with  his  father  he  pur- 
chased a  half  interest  in  a  fruit  farm,  which 
he  still  retains.  He  has  built  a  good  home 
on  the  place  and  it  is  a  productive  farm, 
yielding  fine  fruits  in  season.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1904,  Mr.  East  took  charge  of  the  books 
of  the  Hatch-Cutter  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, which,  however,  failed  a  few  months 
later,  but  he  continued  to  serve  as  book- 
keeper until  the  business  was  closed  out  by 
the  receiver.  He  then  entered  the  employ 
of  the  C.  Bishop  Grain  Company,  with 
which  he  was  connected  for  three  years,  and 
on  the  expiration  of  that  period,  in  1899,  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  C.  F.  Pears  and 
bought  out  the  Bishop  Grain  Company.  The 
new  firm  of  the  Pears-East  Grain  Company 
is  conducting  a  wholesale  grain  and  seed 
business  and  has  secured  a  liberal  patronage, 
making  extensive  annual  sales. 

In  December,  1884,  Mr.  East  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Julia  B.  Toll,  a  sister 
of  D.  H.  Toll,  of  Niles,  Michigan.  They 
have  one  son,  Walter  J.,  who  is  assistant 
cashier  of  the  branch  house  of  Armour  & 
Company,  at  Kalamazoo,  Michigan. 

Mr.  East  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  is 
now  serving  for  the  second  year  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  city  council  of  Buchanan,  in  which 
capacity  he  exercises  his  prerogative  in 
support  of  many  progressive  movements 
that  tend  to  promote  reform  and  improve- 
ment in  this  city.  He  is  chairman  of  the 
finance  committee,  and  is  a  director  and 
treasurer  of  the  Buchanan  Building  &  Loan 
Association.  He  also  belongs  to  two  fra- 
ternal societies.  Without  any  special  advan- 
tages at  the  outset  of  his  career  he  has 
worked  persistently  and  energetically  and 
has  achieved  gratifying  success,  being  held 
in  high  esteem  by  reason  of  what  he  has  ac- 
complished and  the  methods  he  has  pursued. 

PHAY  A.  GRAFFORT,  editor  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  Buchanan  Argus,  was  born  in 
St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  April  8,  1879. 
His  father,  Lawrence  GrafTort,  also  a  native 


of  that  county,  is  a  shoemaker  and  harness- 
maker  by  trade,  and  is  now  engaged  in  busi- 
ness in  Buchanan.  He  married  Lavina  Rit- 
tenhouse,  also  a  native  of  Indiana,  who  died 
in  the  year  1898.  There  were  nine  children 
in  the  family,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this 
review  is  the  eldest.  He  was  reared  in  St. 
Joseph  county  and  pursued  a  common- 
school  education  to  the  age  of  thirteen  years, 
when  he  entered  a  printing  office  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  ''devil."  He  thoroughly  mastered 
the  business  in  principle  and  detail,  gaining 
a  practical  knowledge  of  the  work  in  all  of 
its  departments.  For  a  year  and  a  half  he 
worked  for  twenty-five  cents  per  week.  He 
began  the  trade  in  the  office  of  the  North 
Liberty  Boon,  at  North  Liberty,  where  he 
remained  for  about  a  year,  after  which  he 
became  connected  with  the  Nezus  of  the  same 
place.  He  spent  five  years  at  Walkerton, 
Indiana,  with  the  Independent,  and  after- 
ward went  to  Jonesboro,  Indiana,  where  he 
remained  for  some  years.  In  1898  he  came 
to  Buchanan  and  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Buchanan  Record,  with  which  he  was  con- 
nected for  three  years,  when,  in  1901,  he 
purchased  the  Buchanan  Argus,  of  which 
paper  he  is  now  proprietor  and  editor.  It 
is  an  excellent  country  newspaper,  devoted 
to  the  dissemination  of  general  and  local 
news,  well  edited  and  carefully  arranged 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  artisan.  In  con- 
nection with  its  publication  he  does  all  kinds 
of  job  printing,  and  a  mail  order  business 
as  well  and  his  patronage  is  extensive  and 
constantly  increasing. 

In  1899  Mr.  Graffort  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mattie  Scott,  a  daughter  of 
George  and  Sarah  Scott,  of  Buchanan.  The 
young  couple  are  well  known  here,  occupy- 
ing an  enviable  position  in  social  circles, 
while  the  hospitality  of  their  own  home  is 
greatly  enjoyed  by  their  many  friends.  Mr. 
GrafTort  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men camp,  of  which  he  is  a  worthy  adviser. 
He  publishes  his  paper  as  an  independent 
sheet  and  personally  entertains  views  in  har- 
mony with  Republican  principles  and  is  ac- 
tive in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of 
the  party.  He  is  now  serving  for  his  sec- 
ond term  as  village  clerk  and  is  one  of  the 
enterprising  young  men  of  Buchanan. 


426 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


JOHN  W.  BEISTLE.  Judged  from 
the  standpoint  of  loyal  citizenship  in  days  of 
peace  and  days  of  war,  John  W.  Beistle  well 
deserves  mention  in  a  volume  devoted  to  the 
representative  men  of  Berrien  county  and, 
moreover,  his  record  in  business  would  alone 
entitle  him  to  prominent  mention,  for 
through  persistency  of  purpose  and  exercise 
of  his  native  talent  he  has  become  one  of 
the  capitalists  of  Buchanan,  where  he  is  now 
well  known  as  vice-president  of  the  First 
National  Bank  and  as  a  landholder  whose 
acreage  is  extensive  and  valuable. 

A  native  of  Pennsylvania,  John  W.  Beis- 
tle was  born  in  Snyder  county,  on  the  17th 
of  July,  1843,  ^i^d  is  of  German  lineage,  his 
paternal  grandfather,  Phillip  Beistle,  hav- 
ing been  born  in  Germany,  whence  he  came 
to  America,  founding  the  family  in  the 
Keystone  state.  His  son,  John  P.  Beistle, 
was  also  a  native  of  Snyder  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, and,  becoming  a  resident  of  Ber- 
rien county,  here  spent  his  last  days,  his 
death  occurring  when  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  seventy-five  years.  His  wife,  who  in 
her  maidenhood  was  Miss  Elizabeth  Collins, 
was  also  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  while 
her  parents  were  born  in  Scotland.  She 
died  in  Buchanan,  Michigan,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-four  years.  John  W.  Beistle  was  the 
eldest  son  and  third  child  in  a  family  of  six 
children  born  unto  John  P.  and  Elizabeth 
Beistle,  all  of  whom  reached  adult  age. 

In  the  place  of  his  nativity  John  W. 
Beistle  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  and  his  education  was  obtained  in 
the  public  schools.  He  was  a  young  man 
of  only  nineteen  years  when  in  response  to 
his  country's  call  for  troops  he  enlisted  for 
service  in  the  Civil  war,  becoming  a  private 
of  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
first  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry  in 
1862.  He  served  with  that  command  for 
nine  months  and  then  re-enlisted  in  the  Two 
Hundred  and  Eighth  Regiment  of  Pennsyl- 
vania Volunteers,  with  whom  he  continued 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  participated 
in  many  sanguinary  conflicts  which  contrib- 
uted to  the  sum  total  of  victories  that 
crowned  the  Union  arms  and  was  always 
faithful,  brave  and  loyal.  He  took  part  in 
the   battle   of   Antietam,   one  of  the   most 


hotly  contested  of  the  early  battles  of  the 
war,  and  in  the  engagement  at  Fredericks- 
burg was  wounded,  being  struck  by  a  piece 
of  shell,  and  was  also  wounded  in  the  left  leg 
by  a  minie  ball  at  Chancellorsville,  Vir- 
ginia. He  was  in  the  hospital  at  Windmill 
Point  for  some  time.  His  time  expiring  in 
May  following  he  then  veteranized  and  con- 
tinued with  his  regiment  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  taking  part  in  many  battles,  includ- 
ing Petersburg,  Fort  Steadman,  Hatches' 
Run  and  others,  being  also  present  at  the 
time  of  General  Lee's  surrender  at  Appomat- 
tox. He  also  participated  in  the  Grand  Re- 
view in  Washington, — the  most  celebrated 
military  pageant  ever  seen  on  the  western 
hemisphere,  where,  suspended  across  Penn- 
sylvania avenue  in  the  capital  city  was  a 
banner  bearing  the  inscription  ''The  only 
debt  which  the  country  cannot  pay  is  the 
debt  of  gratitude  which  she  owes  to  her  sol- 
diers.'' 

Mr.  Beistle  received  his  honorable  dis- 
charge at  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  in 
1865,  and  then  returned  to  his  old  home  in 
Snyder  county.  He  afterward  worked  in  a 
sawmill  at  Selinsgrove,  in  Snyder  county, 
and  in  1866  took  up  the  study  of  dentistry, 
which  he  afterward  practiced  in  that  town 
until  1 87 1,  when  he  came  to  Michigan,  lo- 
cating at  Berrien  Springs.  There  he  opened 
an  office  and  continued  in  active  practice 
until  1878,  when  he  removed  to  Buchanan 
and  for  a  number  of  years  was  a  successful 
and  able  representative  of  his  profession  in 
this  town.  He  soon  built  up  a  large  practice, 
which  was  accorded  him  until  his  retirement 
from  active  connection  with  the  profession 
in  1890.  In  the  meantime  other  business 
interests  were  making  heavy  demands  upon 
his  time  and  attention.  He  had  purchased 
a  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Wesaw  township, 
Berrien  county,  to  which  he  has  since  added 
until  he  now  owns  about  six  hundred  acres 
of  valuable  land  in  that  township.  Fie  also 
has  one  hundred  acres  in  Bertrand  township 
and  about  fifteen  dwellings  in  the  village  of 
Buchanan,  together  with  real  estate  in  South 
Bend,  Indiana,  so  that  his  property  holdings 
are  extensive  and  valuable.  He  has  also 
been  vice-president  of  the  First  National 
Bank   of  Buchanan   for  about  seven   vears 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


427 


and  is  thus  closely  associated  with  the  finan- 
cial interests  of  the  county.  His  invest- 
ments have  been  judiciously  placed,  arguing 
well  for  his  keen  business  discernment,  and 
his  property  interests  now  return  him  a 
splendid  income. 

Mr.  Beistle  has  been  married  tw^ice.  He 
first  wedded  Phoebe  A.  Long,  a  daughter  of 
Isaac  and  Susanna  (Rough)  Long,  who 
were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  came  to 
Berrien  county  during  the  pioneer  epoch  in 
its  history.  Mrs.  Beistle  was  born  in  Ber- 
trand  township,  this  county,  in  1852,  and 
died  in  1878,  leaving  three  children  :  Elmer, 
a  practicing  dentist  of  South  Bend,  Indiana ; 
Jennie,  the  wife  of  Ralph  Jennings,  of  Paw 
Paw,  Michigan,  who  is  engaged  in  farming 
and  loaning  money;  and  Clay,  who  is  prac- 
ticing dentistry  in  Schoolcraft,  Michigan. 
The  sons  are  graduates  of  the  dental  depart- 
ment of  the  Michigan  State  University,  at 
Ann  Arbor.  After  losing  his  first  wife  Mr. 
Beistle  married  Miss  Amanda  Burrus,  who 
was  born  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  a  daughter 
of  James  and  Jeannette  (Holmes)  Burrus, 
who  came  to  this  county  in  1855,  locating 
first  on  Terra  Coupe  prairie,  St.  Joseph 
county,  Indiana.  Mrs.  Beistle  was  an  in- 
fant at  that  time  and  her  girlhood  days  were 
passed  in  the  county  in  which  she  now  makes 
her  home. 

Mr.  Beistle  is  a  stalwart  Democrat  but 
cast  his  presidential  ballot  for  Abraham  Lin- 
coln in  1864.  He  has  been  treasurer  and 
clerk  of  Buchanan  township,  and  matters  of 
local  advancement  and  national  progress  are 
causes  dear  to  his  heart.  He  has  embraced 
his  opportunity  for  contributing  to  general 
development  and  stands  for  municipal  de- 
velopment and  civic  virtue.  Affiliated  with 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  he  belongs  to  the 
lodge  at  Buchanan  and  the  chapter  and  com- 
mandery  at  Niles.  Pie  also  holds  member- 
ship relations  with  William  Perrott  Post, 
No.  22^  G.  A.  R.,  at  Buchanan,  of  which  he 
has  several  times  served  as  commander, 
while  in  its  work  he  takes  an  active  and 
helpful  part.  He  was  reared  in  the  Luth- 
eran church  and  now  attends  the  Methodist 
church.  Reading  between  the  lines  of  this 
review  one  may,  by  reasoning  from  effect 
back  to  cause,  determine  the  motive  power 


which  has  prompted  his  course  in  life.  He 
has  had  high  ideals  of  citizenship,  has  con- 
formed his  professional  and  financial  inter- 
ests to  a  high  standard  of  business  ethics, 
and  has  displayed  toward  others  the  justice 
and  consideration  which  he  desires  for  him- 
self, and  thus  his  life  has  commanded  a 
measure  of  confidence  and  good  will  that 
places  him  with  those  citizens  whose  virtue 
and  prosperity  give  rank  to  the  community 
which  he  represents. 

JOHN  GREENFIELD.  Few  man  have 
achieved  more  enviable  or  more  gratifying 
success  in  the  development  of  farming  in- 
terests than  has  John  Greenfield  of  Benton 
township,  wdio  has  also  done  much  to  im- 
prove city  property  in  Benton  Harbor.  Sel- 
dom at  error  in  matters  of  business  judg- 
ment, he  has  worked  diligently,  realizing 
that  persistency  and  industry  constitute  the 
basis  of  all  desirable  success.  He  was  born 
in  Brantford  township,  in  Ontario,  Canada, 
March  9,  1846,  a  son  of  Edward  and  Mar- 
garet (Thompson)  Greenfield,  the  former  a 
native  of  Devonshire,  England,  and  the  lat- 
ter of  Scotland.  They  became  residents  of 
Canada  in  early  life  and  were  married  in 
Ontario.  The  father  cleared  and  developed 
a  new  farm  in  that  country  and  there  he 
died  of  smallpox  when  only  forty-eight 
years  of  age.  John  Greenfield  was  at  that 
time  a  lad  of  eleven  years  and  was  the  third 
in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  six  children. 

From  that  time  afterward  John  Green- 
field had  charge  of  the  farm  and  the  support 
of  the  family  and  though  the  burden  was  a 
•  heavy  one  for  young  shoulders'  he  faithfully 
performed  the  duties  that  devolved  upon 
him,  owang  to  his  father's  death:  He  con- 
tinued upon  the  old  homestead  until  twenty- 
three  years  of  age,  when,  in  1869,  he  left 
Canada  and  made  his  way  to  Kansas,  set- 
tling on  school  land  in  Nemaha  county,  and 
he  took  out  his  naturalization  papers  in 
Seneca,  that  county,  in  October,  1872. 
He  remained  in  that  state  for  eight 
years,  which  covered  the  period  of  the 
grasshopper  plague,  and  it  has  been  said 
that  he  was  the  only  Greenfield  in  that 
county  that  they  did  not  eat.  He,  how- 
ever,    had     a    field    of    corn    which     the 


428 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


grasshoppers  devoured  in  two  hours.     This 
was  in   1874.     In  the  spring  of   1875  Mr. 
Greenfield  engaged  in  breaking  prairie,  be- 
ing superior  to  almost  any  other  settler  in 
Kansas  in  pioneer  days'.     He  drove  eight 
oxen,    four    yoke    abreast,    and    they    were 
hitched  like  horses  with  lines.     He  broke 
sod  with  a  thirty-six  inch   plow   and  was 
called  upon  to  exhibit  the  plan  of  turning 
the  sod  to  excursionists  of  St.  Joseph,  Mis- 
souri.     He   turned   over   sod    like   turning 
over  a  carpet.    The  following  year,  1876,  he 
sacrificed  his  interest  in  Kansas,  exchang- 
ing   his    farm    there    for    land    comprising 
forty  acres  on  Highland  avenue,  two  miles 
east  of  Benton  Harbor,  and  assumed  a  three 
hundred  dollar  mortgage,  but  later  he  found 
that  the  interest  and  principal  amounted  to 
nine  hundred  dollars.     In  those  early  days 
he  worked  at  anything  that  would  give  him 
a   start.      He   drove   oxen   in    Canada   and 
broke   over   a    thousand   acres    of   land    in 
Kansas.     After  coming  to  Michigan  he  be- 
gan the  arduous  task  of  developing  his  farm 
here  and  paid  off  the  nine-hundred-dollar 
indebtedness  inside  of  three  years.     He  set 
out  his  land  to  fruit  and  in  the  course  of 
a  short  time  was  deriving  a  good  income 
from  the  place.     He  then  added  forty  acres 
where  he  now  lives,  his  home  being  on  Ter- 
ritorial road.     He  paid  for  this  property  in 
three  years  by  selling  wood  and  the  place 
still    has    considerable    timber    on    it.     His 
next  purchase  was  a  forty-acre  tract  not  far 
distant,  for  which  he  paid  twenty-four  hun- 
dred   dollars   and   which   was   already   im- 
proved.    It  had  been  planted  to  fruit  and 
he  has  since  set  out  more  fruit  until  he  has 
twenty-five  acres  of  the  tract  devoted  to  tht 
cultivation    of    small    fruit.     He    has    also 
raised  peaches  on  quite  an  extensive  scale 
but  with   small   fruits  paid   for  the  place. 
After  the  peaches  began  to  come  in  he  be- 
gan to  invest  his  surplus  capital  in  Benton 
Harbor  property,  which  he  has  been  improv- 
ing.   He  erected  his  present  home  six  years 
ago,  it  being  a  good  house  on  Territorial 
road,    two   miles   east   of    Benton    Harbor. 
Here  he  ^  has   a  fine   farm,    splendidly   im- 
proved with  modern  equipments  and  the  or- 
chards yield  him  large  crops  annually.     He 
has  built  both  business  blocks  and  residences 


on  Sixth  and  Territorial  streets  and  has 
made  a  success  in  both  his  farming  opera- 
tions and  his  property  investments. 

In  Ontario,  in  1872,  Mr.  Greenfield  w^as 
married  and  his  wife  died  in  Kansas.  About 
two  years  later  he  was  married  in  that  state 
to  Miss  Mattie  Downey,  who  was  an  Illi- 
nois girl  and  went  to  Kansas  with  an  uncle. 
They  have  had  no  children  of  their  own,  but 
from  the  age  of  two  years  have  reared  an 
adopted  daughter,  Carrie  M.  She  was  pro- 
vided with  excellent  educational  advantages, 
having  attended  the  Benton  Harbor  College. 
She  then  taught  two  years,  after  which  she 
pursued  a  business  course  in  Ferris  Insti- 
tute at  Big  Rapids,  Michigan.  She  mar- 
ried Christian  Williams,  who  died  two  years 
later.  She  is  now  owner  and  manufacturer 
of  the  Spencer  Patent  Bluing  Paddle,  with 
headquarters  in  Chicago.  Mrs.  Greenfield 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church.  In 
his  political  views  Mr.  Greenfield  is  a  stanch 
Republican  but  not  a  politician.  However, 
he  served  as  drain  commissioner  for  two 
years  and  a  half  and  carried  out  the  plans 
for  public  improvement  in  this  line  per- 
fectly. He  is  a  home  man  of  strongly  do- 
mestic tastes  and  finds  his  greatest  enjoy- 
ment at  his  own  fireside.  He  has  made  a 
study  of  the  details  of  fruit  culture  and  few 
men  are  better  informed  concerning  the  best 
methods  of  raising  fruit  in  this  section  of 
the  state  than  is  Mr.  Greenfield,  whose 
labors  have  been  attended  with  a  very 
gratifying  measure  of  prosperity.  He  started 
out  in  life  empty-handed  and  his  finances 
were  extremely  meager  when  he  came  to 
Michigan,  but  in  the  years  which  have  since 
come  and  gone  he  has  worked  his  way  up- 
ward, and  his  life  demonstrates  what  may 
be  accomplished  by  strong  and  determined 
purpose. 

JOHN  C.  DICK.  Many  states  of  the 
Union  have  furnished  their  representatives 
to  Michigan  but  no  more  worthy  residents  of 
Berrien  county  can  be  found  than  those  who 
claim  Virginia  as  the  state  of  their  nativity. 
Mr.  Dick  is  a  son  of  the  Old  Dominion,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Winchester,  Fred- 
erick county,  on  the  25th  of  June,  1843. 
The  family  is  of  Scotch  lineage  and  was 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


429 


founded  in  America  by  the  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  who  estabhshed  his  home  in 
Virginia.  His  son,  Lewis  Dick,  was  also 
a  native  of  Winchester  and  became  a  me- 
chanic by  occupation.  After  leaving  Vir- 
ginia he  spent  six  years  in  Kentucky  and 
subsequently  resided  in  Indiana,  whence  he 
came  to  Michigan  in  1857,  locating  in  New 
Buffalo.  He  remained  a  resident  of  this 
county  for  more  than  a  third  of  a  century 
and  died  in  Buchanan  in  1894  at  the  vener- 
able age  of  eighty-one  years.  His  wife,  who 
in  her  maidenhood  was  Octavia  Carter,  was 
born  in  Virginia  and  was  of  English  lin- 
eage. She  died  in  Laporte,  Indiana,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1857.  There  were  seven  children, 
four  daughters  and  three  sons,  all  of  whom 
are  living  at  this  writing:  Mary  E.,  the 
wife  of  Gustave  Willard;  John  C,  whose 
name  introduces  this  review ;  Lewis  E.,  who 
resides  in  Mishawaka,  Indiana;  William  I., 
living  in  Marion,  Indiana;  Anna  C,  the 
widow  of  Charles  E.  Butler,  of  Buchanan, 
who  was  killed  in  July,  1881 ;  Emma  S.,  the 
wife  of  Squire  Vinton,  of  West  Point,  Mis- 
sissippi; and  Ida  F.,  the  wife  of  E.  M.  Biggs, 
of  Portland,  Oregon. 

John  C.  Dick,  the  eldest  son  and  second 
child  in  his  father's  family,  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  various  removals,  and  in 
1858  became  a  resident  of  New  Buffalo, 
Michigan.  He  learned  the  printer's  trade 
in  Laporte,  Indiana,  and  followed  that  pur- 
suit for  some  time,  or  until  about  1872.  He 
was  also  engaged  as  bookkeeper  for  some 
time.  During  the  last  year  of  the  Civil  war 
he  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Union  and  aided 
in  the  military  service  of  his  country.  He 
has  lived  continuously  in  Buchanan  since 
1872  and  has  been  prominent  and  influen- 
tial in  public  life  and  official  service  here. 
He  has  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  and 
notary  public,  and  for  a  considerable  period 
has  been  engaged  in  the  fire  insurance  busi- 
ness. He  writes  a  large  amount  of  insurance 
each  year  and  is  a  prominent  representative 
of  this  department  of  business  activity.  His 
political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Democ- 
racy, and  in  1880  he  was  a  candidate  for 
the  position  of  county  clerk.  In  1892  he  was 
a  candidate  for  judge  of  the  probate  court 
and   again  in    1904.      He  served   for   four 


years  as  postmaster  under  President  Cleve- 
land and  in  the  various  offices  to  which  he 
has  been  elected  he  has  proven  most  capa- 
ble, discharging  his  duties  with  ability  and 
fidelity  that  argue  well  for  his  public-spirited 
citizenship.  He  is  a  member  of  William 
Perrett  Post,  No.  2.2^  G.  A.  R.,  and  Buch- 
anan Lodge,  No.  75,  I.  O.  O.  F.  Anything 
which  tends  to  promote  civic  development 
or  those  movements  which  are  a  matter  of 
civic  virtue  and  pride  receives  his  endorse- 
ment, and  he  has  long  been  accounted  an  in- 
fluential factor  in  public  life  of  the  village 
in  which  he  makes  his  home. 

ALBERT  A.  WORTHINGTON.  Ac- 
tive in  the  movements  which  contribute  to 
public  progress  and  development  in  Buch- 
anan and  an  influential  factor  in  the  advance- 
ment of  many  measures  which  are  of  direct 
benefit  to  the  city,  Albert  A.  Worthington 
is  well  known  as  a  prominent  attorney  and 
as  postmaster.  He  is  one  of  Michigan's  na- 
tive sons  and  displays  the  spirit  of  enter- 
prise which  has  been  the  dominant  factor  in 
the  growth  of  the  middle  west.  His  birth 
occurred  in  Battle  Creek  on  the  ist  of  May, 
1857.  His  father,  Henry  Worthington, 
was  a  native  of  Agawam  Corners,  Massa- 
chusetts, but  was  reared  in  Ohio,  and  be- 
came a  resident  of  Michigan  about  1840, 
when  the  state  was  still  under  territorial 
rule.  He  was  a  minister  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  in  pioneer  days  aided 
largely  in  the  moral  development  and  pro- 
gress of  various  communities,  contributing 
in  substantial  measure  toward  the  work  of 
planting  the  seeds  of  a  Christian  civilization 
upon  the  frontier.  He  remained  a  resident 
of  Michigan  until  he  was  called  to  his  re- 
ward, passing  away  July  10,  1881,  in  the 
sixty-seventh  year  of  his  age.  In  early 
manhood  he  had  wedded  Jane  Mills,  wdio 
was  probably  a  native  of  Calhoun  county, 
Michigan,  and  their  union  was  blessed  with 
four  children,  three  sons  and  a  daughter, 
of  whom  Albert  A.  is  the  youngest. 

Reared  amid  the  refining  influences  of 
a  cultured  home,  Albert  A.  Worthington  of 
this  review  continued  his  education  until  he 
had  become  a  high  school  student,  and  de- 
termined upon  the  practice  of  law  as  a  life 


430 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


work  he  began  studying  with  that  end  in 
view  in  Buchanan  in  1877,  his  preceptor 
being  J.  J.  Van  Riper.  Alter  thorough  pre- 
liminary reading  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
June  16,  1879,  in  Berrien  Springs,  and  lo- 
cated for  practice  in  Buchanan^  where  he 
entered  into  partnership  with  his  former  pre- 
ceptor, Mr.  Van  Riper,  who  was  then  prose- 
cuting attorney,  and  he  afterward  became 
attorney  general  of  Michigan.  In  1887  Mr. 
Van  Riper  removed  to  Niles,  Michigan, 
since  which  time  Mr.  Worthington  has  been 
alone  in  practice.  He  is  a  lawyer  of  con- 
siderable ability,  being  a  close  and  discrimi- 
nating student  of  the  principles  of  jurispru- 
dence, while  in  his  application  therein  to  the 
points  in  issue  he  is  seldom  at  error.  He 
presents  his  cause  in  clear,  cogent  and  logi- 
cal manner  and  his  citation  of  authorities 
and  his  correct  conclusions  never  fail  to 
leave  an  impress  on  the  minds  of  judge  and 
jury.  These  qualities  have  gained  him  a 
large  and  gratifying  clientage,  making  his 
legal  business  one  of  distinctively  represen- 
tative importance. 

Mr.  Worthington  was  married  in  1882 
to  Miss  L.  E.  Van  Riper,  daughter  of  J.  J. 
Van  Riper,  and  a  position  of  leadership  in 
social  circles  is  accorded  them,  while  the  hos- 
pitality of  the  best  homes  of  Buchanan  is 
freely  extended  to  them. 

Mr.  Worthington  has  been  a  life-long 
Republican,  and  at  one  time  served  as  clerk 
of  Buchanan  township.  In  1894  he  was 
nominated  for  prosecuting  attorney  but  did 
not  accept  the  nomination.  On  the  6th  of 
March,  1906,  he  was  appointed  postmaster 
of  Buchanan,  and  while  capably  discharging 
the  duties  of  the  position  he  also  faithfully 
performs  the  tasks  which  devolve  upon  him 
in  connection  with  a  large  law  practice.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  in 
which  he  has  taken  the  third  degree  of  the 
Blue  Lodge  and  he  is  a  charter  member  of 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen, 
also  holding  membership  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  His  residence  in 
Buchanan  covers  a  period  of  three  decades, 
during  which  time  he  has  been  closely  asso- 
ciated with  its  intellectual,  social  and  moral 
progress.  He  is  identified  with  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church,  is  active  in  its  work 


and  has  served  as  president  of  its  board  of 
trustees.  His  name  is  synomous  with  busi- 
ness honor  and  with  loyalty  in  citizenship. 
He  is  a  man  firm  in  support  of  his  honest 
convictions  and  while  according  to  others 
the  privilege  of  forming  an  unbiased  opinion 
he  retains  for  himself  the  same  right. 

W.  A.  PALMER,  who  is  engaged  in 
the  real  estate  and  insurance  business  in 
Buchanan,  was  born  in  Parish,  Oswego 
county,  New  York,  August  ^^j^  1842,  and  is 
the  youngest  of  a  family  of  four  children, 
whose  parents  were  Squire  and  Fannie 
(Goit)  Palmer.  The  father,  a  native  of 
Oswego  county.  New  York,  was  a  brother 
of  Professor  A.  B.  Palmer,  being  of  the 
faculty  of  the  University  of  Michigan. 
Squire  Palmer  was  reared  in  Otsego  county, 
New  York,  and  died  in  Parish,  that  state, 
April  22^  1853,  when  sixty-two  years  of  age. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  Benjamin  Pal- 
mer, was  likewise  a  native  of  New  York, 
was  of  English  descent  and  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was 
born  in  New  York,  and  died  in  Parish  in 
1855,  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years.  There 
were  four  children  in  the  family:  Millie 
Ann,  the  widow  of  Marcus  Rulison,  who 
died  in  1867;  Angeline,  who  was  the  wife 
of  Daniel  Savage,  of  Three  Oaks,  Michi- 
gan, and  died  in  1902;  and  Austin,  Avho 
died  in  1846. 

W.  A.  Palmer,  the  youngest  of  the  fam- 
ily, was  only  twelve  years  of  age  when  he 
came  to  Berrien  county.  He  remained  a 
resident  of  Three  Oaks  township  until  1862, 
after  which  he  spent  two  years  in  Hudson 
township,  Laporte  county,  Indiana.  In  1871 
he  came  to  Buchanan,  his  business  connec- 
tion being  that  of  general  agent  for  Bort 
Moody  &  Sons,  of  Lockport,  New  York.  In 
the  fall  of  1879  he  opened  his  present  ofifice 
and  has  since  conducted  a  real  estate  and 
insurance  business  with  excellent  success, 
having  a  large  clientele  in  both  departments. 
He  has  negotiated  many  important  realty 
transfers  and  is  thoroughly  informed  con- 
cerning property  values  in  this  part  of  the 
country,  so  that  he  is  enabled  to  aid  his 
clients  in  making  judicious  investments  and 
profitable  sales. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


431 


On  the  1 2th  of  September,  1862,  Mr. 
Palmer  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Hulda  A.  Hinman,  a  sister  of  the  late  Judge 
Hinman,  of  Buchanan.  .  She  was  born  near 
Rochester,  New  York,  and  with  her  parents 
came  to  Michigan,  the  journey  westward 
being  made  with  ox  teams  in  1844,  when  she 
was  but  an  infant.  Her  father  took  up  his 
abode  upon  a  farm  in  Hudson  township, 
Laporte  county,  Indiana,  where  Mrs.  Pal- 
mer spent  her  girlhood  days.  She  died 
April  16,  1873,  leaving  a  daughter^  Grace 
who  is  now  a  resident  of  Chicago. 

Mr.  Palmer  has  been  a  life-long  Repub- 
lican, active  in  the  interests  of  the  party  and 
doing  all  in  his  power  to  promote  its  growth 
and  insure  its  success.  He  served  as  under- 
sheriff  through  appointment  of  James  R. 
Clark,  from  1880  until  1884,  ^i^d  for  four 
years  was  deputy  under  sheriff  Benton  R. 
Sterns,  and  two  years  under  Charles  Whit- 
comb.  At  the  same  time  he  was  acting  as 
deputy  United  States  marshal  under  James 
Monroe,  and  for  four  years  filled  the  same 
office  under  James  R.  Clark.  For  fourteen 
years  he  acted  as  game  and  fish  warden  of 
the  state  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  city 
council  of  Buchanan  for  six  years.  He  has 
always  taken  an  active  interest  in  public  af- 
fairs and  has  exercised  his  official  preroga- 
tives for  law  and  order,  for  progress  and  im- 
provement, for  substantial  development  and 
for  civic  virtue.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  his  membership  being  in  the  lodge 
at  Buchanan.  His  residence  here  covers 
thirty-four  years  and  he  is  well  known  not 
only  in  the  county  but  also  in  many  parts  of 
the  state,  especially  in  southwestern  Michi- 
gan, where  his  capably  conducted  business 
interests  and  official  service  have  gained  for 
him  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  fel- 
low men. 

ALONZO  F.  HOWE,  secretary  of  the 
Farmers'  Mutual  Insurance  Company  of 
Berrien,  Van  Buren  and  Cass  counties,  and 
a  resident  of  Buchanan,  was  born  in  Ber- 
trand  township,  Berrien  county,  November 
10,  1862.  He  represents  one  of  the  old 
pioneer  families  of  this  portion  of  the  state, 
his  paternal  grandfather,  Frederick  Howe, 
having  come  from  New  England  to  Michi- 


gan at  an  early  epoch  in  the  develop- 
ment of  this  locality.  He  settled  in  Ber- 
trand  township  and  secured  land  from  the 
government.  There  he  aided  in  planting 
the  seeds  of  civilization  wdiich  have  ripened 
and  borne  fruit  in  later  years  in  the  present 
advancement  and  progress  of  the  county. 
His  son,  Frederick  A.  Howe,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  was  reared  in  Michigan  upon 
the  frontier,  and  was  married  in  Bertrand 
township  to  Miss  Sarah  A.  Smith,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Smith,  who  came  from  Penn- 
sylvania to  the  middle  west  and  settled  in 
South  Bend,  Indiana,  in  1843,  ^^^^^  remov- 
ing to  Bertrand  township,  Berrien  county. 
Mrs.  Howe  w^as  born  in  the  Keystone  state 
in  1836,  and  was  a  little  maiden  of  only 
seven  summers  when  she  became  a  resident 
of  this  county.  She  is  still  living  and  is  one 
of  the  worthy  pioneer  women  of  this  por- 
tion of  Michigan,  where  she  has  lived  for 
almost  two-thirds  of  a  century.  By  her 
marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  three 
sons,  one  of  whom  has  passed  away,  while 
George  E.  Howe  is  now  residing  in  Kala- 
mazoo, Michigan. 

Alonzo  F.  Howe  and  his  mother  are  the 
only  ones  living  in  Berrien  county.  He  was 
reared  upon  the  old  homestead  farm  in 
Bertrand  township,  and  various  tasks  con- 
nected with  the  development  and  cultivation 
of  the  land  were  assigned  him  from  time  to 
time  as  his  years  and  strength  increased. 
After  attaining  his  majority  he  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  in  the  stock  business 
until  1903,  wdien  he  came  to  Buchanan  and 
retired  from  agricultural  interests  save  for 
the  supervision  which  he  gave  to  his  farm. 
He  was  president  of  the  Farmers'  Mutual 
Fire  Insurance  Company  from  February, 
1904,  until  December,  1905,  and  at  a  later 
date  was  appointed  secretary  of  the  company 
to  fill  a  vacancy.  He  acted  in  that  capacity 
until  February,  1906,  wdien  he  was  elected 
to  the  office,  which  position  he  is  now  filling 
and  in  this  connection  he  is  giving  capable 
service,  bringing  new  business  discernment 
and  enterprise  to  bear  upon  the  onerous  and 
important  duties  which  devolve  upon  him  in 
this  connection.  He  has  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred acres  in  Bertrand  township. 

Mr.  Howe  was  married  on  the  15th  of 


432 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


March,  1903,  to  Mrs.  Anna  M.  Glover,  nee 
Simmons.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  his  poHtical 
procHvities  and  active  in  the  local  ranks  of 
the  party.  He  holds  membership  with 
Buchanan  Lodge,  No.  68,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  in  the  line  of  official  service  has  made  a 
creditable  record.  He  filled  the  office  of- 
supervisor  of  Bertrand  tov^nship  from  1897 
until  1902,  and  was  elected  supervisor  of 
Buchanan  in  1905.  He  was  also  township 
clerk  for  two  terms  in  Bertrand  township 
and  was  chosen  chairman  of  the  county 
board  of  supervisors  in  1902.  His  interest 
in  public  affairs  is  that  of  a  citizen  of  know^n 
devotion  to  the  general  good  and  his  zeal 
in  behalf  of  public  progress  has  been  a  con- 
spicuous and  valuable  factor  in  the  work  of 
development  and  improvement.  He  has  been 
a  life-long  resident  of  Berrien  county  and 
has  carried  forward  the  work  which  was  in- 
stituted by  his  grandfather  and  continued 
by  his  father  from  pioneer  times  down  to 
the  present  time,  so  that  the  name  of  Howe 
is  a  respected  one  in  Berrien  county,  stand- 
ing always  for  good  citizenship. 

WILLIAM  C.  KIMBEL,  filling  the  po- 
sition of  postmaster  at  Glendora,  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  enterprising  young  men 
of  the  town  and  in  the  discharge  of  his  offi- 
cial duties  is  giving  a  public-spirited  and 
satisfactory  administration.  He  is  a  son 
of  Martin  W.  and  Harriet  (Weller)  Kim- 
bel,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Snyder 
county,  Pennsylvania.  They  reside  in  Glen- 
dora and  their  son  William  makes  his  home 
with  them.  He  was  only  about  two  years 
of  age  when  they  removed  from  the  Key- 
3tone  state  to  New  Troy,  Berrien  county, 
and  about  six  years  ago  they  came  to  Glen- 
dora, where  they  have  since  remained.  His 
education  was  acquired  in  the  common 
schools  and  in  Benton  Harbor  Commercial 
College.  About  ten  years  ago  he  began 
merchandising  at  New^  Troy  and  six  years 
ago  removed  the  business  to  Glendora.  He 
continued  successfully  and  actively  in  this 
line  until  June  14,  1905,  when  he  sold  the 
store  to  his  father  and  is  now  giving  his 
entire  attention  to  the  duties  of  postmaster, 
to  which  office  he  was  appointed  on  the  loth 
of   April,    1901.      He   has   served   continu- 


ously since  by  re-appointment  and  is  prov- 
ing a  most  capable  and  efficient  officer.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Gleaners 
at  Glendora,  and  with  the  Knights  of  the 
Maccabees  at  New  Troy.  As  is  indicated 
by  his  official  service,  he  is  an  advocate  of 
the  Republican  party  and  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ers in  its  local  ranks. 

WILLIAM  M.  PARRISH,  who  in 
former  years  was  actively  and  successfully 
identified  with  commercial  interests  but  is 
now  practically  living  retired  at  his  old  home 
in  Lincoln  township,  is  one  of  Berrien  coun- 
ty's native  sons,  his  birth  having  occurred 
near  Morris  Chapel  in  the  vicinity  of  Niles, 
December  16,  1842.  His  parents  were 
Gould  and  Mary  (Archer)  Parrish,  the 
former  a  native  of  Canada,  and  the  latter 
of  Vermont.  They  were  married  in  New 
York  in  1833,  although  the  father  was 
reared  from  boyhood  near  Sandusky,  Ohio. 
In  1837  he  became  a  resident  of  Niles, 
where  he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade 
and  for  some  years  he  was  closely  associated 
with  building  operations  in  Berrien  county. 
He  aided  in  building  the  first  bridge  and  the 
first  court  house  at  Berrien  Springs,  and 
finally,  turning  his  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits^  in  1844  he  settled  upon  his  farm 
in  the  southeastern  part  of  Lincoln  township. 
There  his  attention  was  given  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  soil  for  about  eight  years,  when, 
in  1852,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold 
on  the  Pacific  coast,  he  made  an  overland 
trip  to  California  with  a  party  of  Berrien 
county  men  and  spent  three  years  in  that 
state.  He  did  not  meet  with  the  success  he 
had  anticipated,  however,  and  returned  to 
Michigan,  his  family  having  remained  in 
Berrien  Springs  during  his  absence  in  the  far 
west.  Again  he  took  up  farming  and  con- 
tinued to  devote  his  energies  to  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  until  his  demise,  which  oc- 
curred on  the  3rd  of  March,  1895.  His 
wife  passed  away  on  the  13th  of  June  fol- 
lowing, and  like  her  husband,  w^as  in  her 
eighty-fifth  year.  They  had  traveled  life's 
journey  together  as  man  and  wife  for  about 
sixty-two  years,  their  mutual  iove  and  con- 
fidence increasing  as  time  passed  by.     The 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


43S' 


farm  which  Mr.  Parrish  owned  comprised 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  which 
he  cultivated  and  improved  but  at  a  more 
recent  date  he  sold  eighty  acres,  his  son  Wil- 
liam having  purchased  the  homestead  about 
ten  years  prior  to  the  demise  of  the  father. 
A  life-long,  zealous  and  devoted  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  Gould 
Parrish  became  a  local  preacher  and  w^as 
thus  identified  with  the  denomination  for 
fifty  years,  taking  the  greatest  interest  in 
church  work.  The  family  numbered  eleven 
children,  as  follows :  James  A.,  a  car- 
penter, now  living  at  Everett,  Washing- 
ton; Edith  B.,  the  wife  of  L.  Heming- 
way, formerly  county  surveyor  and  civil 
engineer  now  living  in  Benton  Harbor ;  Wil- 
liam M.,  of  this  review;  Arza  G.,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  forty-two  years  at  Emerson, 
Iowa,  where  he  was  editing  a  paper,  and 
who  was  also  a  minister  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church,  having  previously 
preached  in  Frankfort,  Michigan;  Theresa, 
the  wife  of  Henry  Williamson,  of  Grand 
Rapids;  Ezra  B.,  who  was  a  minister  and 
attorney-at-law  in  Iowa  and  had  been  prin- 
cipal of  the  school  at  Malvern,  that  state, 
his  entire  life  being  devoted  to  professional 
labors  until  he  passed  away  at  the  age  of 
forty  years ;  Adelaide,  the  widow  of  William 
Applegate,  and  a  resident  of  Benton  Har- 
bor; and  four  who  died  when  young:  Wil- 
liam P.,  born  in  1838,  died  when  six  weeks 
old;  Mary,  born  in  1839,  died  when  two 
weeks  old;  Franklin  G.,  born  in  1840,  died 
in  1848;  and  Martha  A.,  born  in  1852,  died 
in  1870. 

William  M.  Parrish,  reared  on  the  old 
homestead  in  Berrien  county,  largely  de- 
voted his  time  and  energies  to  the  duties  of 
the  school  room  and  the  work  of  the  fields 
until  he  enlisted  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years 
as  a  soldier  in  defense  of  the  Union  cause. 
It  was  in  November,  1861,  that  he  joined 
Company  K,  of  the  Twelfth  Michigan  In- 
fantry, serving  for  seventeen  months.  He 
was  captured  at  Shiloh  and  was  held  as  a 
prisoner  for  more  than  seven  months  at 
Montgomery,  Alabama,  and  Macon,  Geor- 
gia, after  which  he  was  paroled  and  ex- 
changed at  Camp  Chase,  subsequent  to 
which  time  he  was  honorably  discharged. 
28 


His  brother,  James  A.,  had  a  similar  experi- 
ence and  was  discharged  at  the  same  time. 
Because  of  the  parole  neither  were  able  to 
return  to  the  regiment  and  Mr.  Parrish 
again  made  his  way  to  the  old  home  farm. 
He  had  had  a  varied  and  eventful  military 
experience  and  was  not  yet  twenty-one  years 
of  age  when  he  again  reached  home. 

On  attaining  his  majority  Mr.  Parrish 
married  Miss  Mary  E.  Whipple,  who  was- 
born  in  the  vicinity  of  Elgin,  Illinois, . 
and  was  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Lorenzo^ 
Whipple,  of  the  Lake  River  conference* 
of  Illinois,  who  died  in  Michigan  in 
1895,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years. 
Mr.  Parrish  bought  a  farm  in  Lincoln 
township,  which  was  new  land  and  after 
improving  it  for  five  or  six  years  he 
sold  it.  In  1875  he  went  to  St.  Joseph, 
where  he  clerked  for  two  and  a  half 
years  in  a  grocery  store,  and  in  1877  1^^  es- 
tablished a  general  store  in  Stevensville^ 
where  as  a  partner  of  J.  E.  Corrigan  he 
erected  a  business  block.  They  put  in  a 
branch  store  at  Baroda,  and  continued  in 
business  successfully  together  until  1895, 
when  the  partnership  was  dissolved,  Mr. 
Parrish  retaining  the  Baroda  store,  wdiile 
Mr.  Corrigan  took  the  Stevensville  store. 
Mr.  Parrish  continued  as  a  merchant  in 
Baroda  for  five  years  longer,  or  until  1900, 
when  he  sold  out,  after  continuous  connec- 
tion with  mercantile  life  covering  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  century,  save  for  a  brief  in- 
terval of  two  years.  He  found  this  a  satis- 
factory source  of  income  and  devoted  his 
time  and  energies  assiduously  to  the  business 
until  failing  health  caused  him  to  withdraw. 
He  has  since  lived  retired  at  Stevensville, 
where  he  has  a  neat  residence.  In  1885  ''^^ 
purchased  the  old  home  farm  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  Lincoln  township  wdiich  was 
once  owned  and  occupied  by  his  father. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parrish 
has  been  blessed  with  two  sons,  Herbert  L. 
and  Alphonso  G.,  both  of  whom  were  form- 
erly in  the  store  with  their  father.  The 
elder  son  is  now  a  traveling  salesman  living 
at  Benton  Harbor,  while  Alphonso  is  a  trav- 
eling salesman  for  a  Detroit  house.  Mr. 
Parrish  is  a  stalwart  Republican  and  has 
frequently  been  a  delegate  to  the  conven- 


434 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


tions  of  his  party.  He  served  as  postmaster 
for  seven  years,  beginning  in  1878  and  retir- 
ing from  the  office  at  the  time  of  President 
Cleveland's  election.  He  was  also  township 
treasurer  for  some  time  and  he  has  frequent- 
ly been  a  delegate  to  the  conventions  of  his 
party,  where  his  opinions  are  often  a  decisive 
factor  in  shaping  its  policy.  He  belongs  to 
A.  W.  Chapman  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  fra- 
ternally is  connected  with  the  Masons  and 
the  Odd  Fellows,  while  his  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
Through  a  long  and  active  business  career 
he  made  a  splendid  record  for  reliability  and 
enterprise  and  through  his  close  application 
and  persistency  of  purpose  he  advanced  from 
a  humble  financial  position  to  one  of  afflu- 
ence. 

BENAJAH  HIATT  SPENCER,  con- 
nected with  one  of  the  leading  pro- 
ductive industries  of  Benton  Harbor, 
is  now  extensively  and  successfully 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  furniture  and 
his  business  interests  are  of  a  character 
which  contribute  to  the  general  development 
and  prosperity  as  well  as  to  individual  suc- 
cess. The  welfare  of  any  community  de- 
pends upon  its  commercial  and  industrial 
activity  and  the  real  upbuilders  and  pro- 
moters of  a  town  are  those  who  establish 
and  successfully  control  important  business 
interests.  Mr.  Spencer  may  therefore  well 
be  classed  among*  the  representative  men  of 
Benton  Harbor  and  as  such  we  present  the 
record  of  his  life  to  our  readers. 

A  native  of  Indiana,  his  birth  occurred 
in  Wayne  county  on  the  21st  of  March, 
1845.  His  paternal  grandfather,  David 
Spencer,  was  born  April  19,  1791,  and  re- 
moved from  Ohio  to  Wayne  county,  Indi- 
ana, at  an  early  epoch  in  the  development 
and  improvement  of  the  latter  district.  He 
married  Miss  Leah  Pickering,  who  was 
born  in  Ohio,  July  4,  1796,  and  they  both 
passed  away  in  the  '50s,  the  grandfather's 
death  occurring  on  the  25th  of  September, 
1858,  while  his  wife  died  August  30,  1853. 
In  their  family  were  eight  children,  of  whom 
Nathan  Spencer,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
the  fourth  in  order  of  birth.  He  was  born 
in  Zanesville,  Ohio,  April  20,  1820,  and  on 


the  28th  of  March,  1844,  was  married  in 
Indiana  to  Miss  Louisa  Hiatt,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  that  State  on  the  29th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1822.  Mr.  Spencer  had  become  a  resi- 
dent of  Indiana  in  his  boyhood  days,  accom- 
panying his  parents  on  their  removal  west- 
ward. He  w^as  reared  to  the  occupation  of 
farming  and  throughout  his  entire  life  fol- 
lowed that  pursuit,  whereby  he  provided 
a  good  living  for  his  family.  He  died  Jan- 
uary 25,  1892,  when  in  the  seventy-second 
year  of  his  age,  and  his  widow  passed  away 
on  the  15th  of  November,  1899.  In  their 
family  were  seven  children,  of  whom  six 
are  yet  living,  as  follows:  Benajah  H. ; 
Joseph  Henry,  who  was  born  in  Milton,  In- 
diana; Mrs.  Viola  Griffith;  Jerome;  Mrs. 
Alveretta  Steed;  and  Charles. 

Benajah  Hiatt  Spencer  was  reared  in 
Milton,  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  spending 
his  youth  upon  a  farm  and  acquiring  his 
education  in  the  district  schools.  He  con- 
tinued under  the  parental  roof  until  1863 
and  on  leaving  home  went  to  Illinois,  where 
he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  for  several 
months.  He  was  ambitious,  however,  to 
secure  a  position  in  a  factory  and  was  of- 
fered one  at  New  Troy,  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  where  the  manufacture  of  broom 
handles  was  carried  on.  He  left  the  train 
at  what  was  known  as  Avery  Station  and 
had  to  travel  six  miles  north  to  New  Troy. 
The  roads  were  so  impassable  and  the  coun- 
ty so  new  that  he  had  to  walk  this  dis- 
tance, leaving  his  trunk  at  Avery  Station 
wath  the  intention  of  sending  for  it  the  next 
day.  He  could  get  no  team  to  make  the 
trip,  however,  on  account  of  the  condition 
of  the  roads,  so  he  made  a  sled  and  w^ent 
for  the  trunk  himself,  traveling  through  the 
forest.  It  was  on  the  i8th  of  December, 
1863,  that  he  made  the  trip  back  to  New 
Troy.  The  roads  had  frozen  in  the  mean- 
time and  he  was  thus  able  to  haul  his  sled. 
He  remained  at  that  place  until  the  follow- 
ing June,  when  the  factory  was  removed  to 
Avery  Station  and  he  continued  to  work 
there  until  1865.  On  the  ist  of  March  of 
that  year,  however,  he  went  to  Mishawaka, 
Indiana,  where  he  secured  employment  in  a 
furniture  factory  as  wood  turner,  continu- 
ing to  fill  the  position  until  October  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


435 


same  year.  He  then  secured  employment  in 
Buchanan,  Michigan,  working  for  C.  S.  and 
H.  S.  Black,  with  whom  he  continued  for 
six  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  spent  about  two  years  in  the  service  of 
the  Buchanan  Manufacturing  Company,  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  furniture,  but 
was  ambitious  to  enter  business  on  his  own 
account  so  that  his  labors  might  more  di- 
rectly benefit  himself.  Therefore  on  the 
20th  of  July,  1872,  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  Jacob  Allen  under  the  firm  name 
of  Spencer  &  Allen  and  opened  a  retail  fur- 
niture store  and  also  a  shop  for  job  work. 
In  October  of  the  same  year  Mr.  Allen  sold 
his  interest  in  the  business  to  Augustus 
Willard  and  the  firm  became  Spencer  & 
Willard,  this  relationship  being  maintained 
until  December,  1874,  when  Mr.  Willard 
was  succeeded  by  J.  E.  Barnes  and  the  firm 
style  of  Spencer  &  Barnes  was  assumed. 
They  continued  at  Buchanan,  Michigan, 
their  business  constantly  increasing,  and  at 
length  its  proportions  caused  them  to  estab- 
lish a  plant  elsewhere.  They  chose  Benton 
Harbor  as  the  scene  of  their  new  industry 
and  in  1891  erected  their  present  plant  in 
this  city.  The  same  year  C.  D.  Stuart  was 
admitted  to  a  partnership  and  the  firm  name 
became  Spencer,  Barnes  &  Stuart.  They 
enlarged  the  business  from  time  to  time,  in- 
creasing their  facilities  to  meet  the  growing 
demands  of  the  trade,  which  reached  large 
proportions.  After  Mr.  Barnes  became  in- 
terested they  gradually  entered  the  field  of 
wholesale  trade  and  more  and  more  largely 
directed  their  energies  to  the  manufacture 
of  furniture,  theirs  becoming  an  important 
commercial  and  industrial  enterprise. 

In  1896  Mr.  Stuart  withdrew  from  the 
firm,  and  the  business  was  incorporated 
under  the  name  of  the  Spencer  &  Barnes 
Company,  with  J.  E.  Barnes  as  president, 
B.  H.  Spencer  vice  president,  and  Mary  L. 
Spencer,  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  firm 
manufactures  all  kinds  of  bedroom  furni- 
ture of  high  and  medium  grades  and  is  con- 
ducting a  very  profitable  enterprise,  em- 
ployment being  now  furnished  to  one  hun- 
dred employes.  The  output  finds  a  ready 
sale  on  the  market  because  of  the  excellence 
of  the  product,  the  reasonable  prices  and  the 


well  known  reliability  of  the  house.  The 
manufactured  product  includes  fine  mahog- 
any, birds-eye  maple  and  quarter-sawed  oak 
bedroom  furniture. 

On  the  9th  of  July,  1865,  Mr.  Spencer 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Betsy  Ann 
Glidden,  who  was  born  May  17,  1846,  in 
Stephenson  county,  Illinois,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Greenleaf  and  Mary  J.  (Ames)  Glid- 
den. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spencer  have  become  the 
parents  of  five  children.  Ada  is  now  the 
wife  of  O.  K.  Monson,  of  Chicago,  Illinois, 
and  has  two  sons,  Laurence  and  Robert. 
Mary  L.  is  the  second  of  the  family.  Alice 
E.  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Shaw,  of  Oneida, 
Illinois.  Irven  E.  married  Ruth  Robbins, 
and  Jean  W.  completes  the  family. 

Mr.  Spencer  votes  with  the  Republican 
party  and  has  endorsed  its  principles  since 
age  conferred  upon  him  the  right  of  fran- 
chise. He  is  a  self-made  man  and  one  of  the 
enterprising  citizens  of  the  county.  From  an 
humble  financial  position  he  has  worked  his 
way  steadily  upward  to  one  of  affluence  and 
has  made  a  business  record  which  any  man 
might  be  proud  to  possess,  for  it  has  ever 
been  characterized  by  strict  and  unswerving 
integrity  and  by  fidelity  to  all  the  principles 
which  govern  honorable  manhood  and  un- 
flagging industry.  The  record  of  the  self- 
made  man  is  the  one  which  the  American 
citizen  holds  in  greatest  honor,  for  it  is  in- 
dicative of  force  of  character,  of  keen  busi- 
ness discernment  and  of  genuine  personal 
merit.  In  community  affairs  Mr.  Spencer 
is  deeply  interested  and  has  ever  manifested 
a  public  spirited  devotion  to  the  general 
good.  He  is  esteemed  in  public  and  private 
life,  in  business  and  social  relations,  and  his 
many  friends  find  him  a  companionable, 
genial  gentleman. 

EBENEZER  P.  MORLEY.  The  name 
Morley  has  been  a  prominent  one  in  Berrien 
county  for  more  than  sixty  years,  and  it  is 
as  a  pioneer  record  that  the  biography  of 
the  above  named  is  preserved  in  this  work 
by  Mrs.  Maria  A.  Jones,  of  Galien,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  Morley  and  herself  one  of  the 
esteemed  residents  of  that  part  of  the  county. 

Ebenezer  P.  Morley  was  born  in  Susque- 
hanna county,   Pennsylvania,  in  18 14,  and 


436 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


was  reared  and  gained  his  schooling  in 
Onondaga  county,  New  York,  where  he  met 
and  married  Alzina  Lansing.  She  was  born 
in  Onondaga  county  July  24,  1822,  and  their 
marriage  was  celebrated  August  8,  1840. 
They  lived  for  a  time  in  Susquehanna 
county  and  again  in  Onondaga  county, 
and  in  1845  joined  the  great  movement  of 
settlers  to  the  lands  of  southern  Michigan. 
Crossing  Lake  Erie  by  sail  boat  and  com- 
pleting the  journey  along  one  of  the  great 
highways  by  wagon,  they  located  in  Lake 
township,  Berrien  county,  and  there  entered 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  section  thirty-five. 
The  first  tree  felled  on  that  land  was  cut  by 
Mr.  Morley.  Here  he  lived  a  number  of 
years,  until  his  first  wife  died  in  1862,  and 
in  1864  he  married  Mrs.  Isabel  Russell,  of 
Burlington,  Iowa,  and  in  1866  moved  to 
New  Troy,  in  Wesaw  township,  where  he 
lived  until  his  death  October  2y^  1882.  He 
was  a  farmer  and  surveyor,  and  in  the  latter 
capacity  did  much  work  in  Berrien  county. 
He  served  as  supervisor  from  Lake  and  We- 
saw townships,  being  in  that  ofiice  altogether 
for  twelve  years,  and  was  a  justice  of  the 
peace  many  years.  He  was  a  stanch  Demo- 
crat and  in  religion  a  Spiritualist. 

By  his  first  marriage  Mr.  Morley  was 
the  father  of  ten  children,  of  whom  Mrs. 
Maria  A.  Jones  was  the  first.  The  others 
were:  Harriet  A.  Wilhams,  of  Ohio;  and 
Helen  N.  Adams,  of  Wesaw  township,  being 
twins  and  natives  of  Onondaga  county, 
New  York;  Charles  E.,  of  Wesaw  township; 
Alvin,  of  WiCsaw;  Henrietta  Spaulding,  of 
Kansas;  Horace  L.,  of  Wesaw;  Mary  Hen- 
derson and  Adelaide  A.,  deceased;  and 
Stephen  Douglas,  of  Ohio.  The  two  chil- 
dren of  Mr.  Morley's  second  marriage  were 
Eliza  J.  Kelly,  of  W.esaw  township,  and 
Edgar  Poe,  of  Nebraska. 

Maria  A.  Morley  was  born  in  Susque- 
hanna county,  Pennsylvania,  March  26, 
1843,  spent  a  short  part  of  her  childhood  in 
New  York,  and  in  1845  came  to  Berrien 
county,  which  has  been  her  home  for  sixty 
years.  By  her  first  mariage  on  November 
6,  1864,  she  became  the  wife  of  Gottlieb 
Hagley,  who  was  born  in  Wurtemberg, 
Germany,  December  i,  1839,  and  came  to 
Michigan    with    his    parents    when    twelve 


years  old.  He  died  February  11,  1889,  the 
father  of  six  children,  namely :  Alice  L., 
wife  of  John  F.  Painter,  of  Wesaw  town- 
ship; Nellie  M.^  wife  of  Stephen  A.  Norris, 
of  Michigan  City,  Indiana;  Alma  B.,  wife 
of  Edwin  A.  Brodbeck,  of  Wesaw  township ; 
Warren  A.,  on  the  Hagley  farm  in  Wesaw 
township;  Elda  E.,  wife  of  Clarence  Reu- 
barger,  of  Niles;  and  Festus  G.,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  nine  months. 

Mrs.  Hagley  married,  March  16,  1892, 
William  J.  Jones,  who  died  near  Berrieu 
Springs  June  30,  1896.  He  was  born  in 
Portage  county,  Ohio,  March  12,  1839,  and 
was  a  school  teacher  and  farmer,  having  the 
unusual  record  of  having  taught  forty-three 
terms  of  schools.  His  four  sons  by  a  pre- 
vious marriage  all  live  in  Chicago.  There 
was  no  issue  by  the  second  marriage. 

RAYMOND  B.  GILLETTE,  mayor  of 
Benton  Harbor  and  one  of  the  prominent 
representatives  of  business  interests  here, 
has  made  a  record  that  is  in  many  respects 
notable.  A  man  of  good  natural  ability,  his 
success  in  business  has  been  uniform.  He 
has  persevered  in  the  pursuit  of  a  persistent 
purpose  and  has  gained  the  most  satisfactory 
reward.  A  native  of  Little  York,  Cortland 
county.  New  York,  his  birth  occurred  on 
the  25th  of  May,  1865,  his  parents  being 
Sylvanus  N.  and  Martha  (Beebee)  Gillette, 
who  were  also  natives  of  the  Empire  state.. 
The  father  was  an  inventor,  possessing  a 
mechanical  turn  of  mind  and  was  greatly 
interested  in  machinery.  He  had  but  limited 
educational  privileges,  yet  he  became  a  well 
informed  man,  being  throughout  his  entire 
life  a  great  reader  and  student.  His  atten- 
tion was  entirely  taken  up  with  new  ideas 
concerning  inventions,  many  of  wdiich  he 
patented,  but  he  did  not  possess  the  practical 
business  discernment  and  power  for  capable 
management  which  leads  to  the  acquirements 
of  capital.  Because  of  his  inventive  genius 
and  the  concentration  of  his  energies  upon 
the  working  out  of  new  ideas  along  mechani- 
cal lines  it  became  necessary  that  Mrs.  Gil- 
lette provide  for  her  family,  and  when  her 
son,  Raymond  B.,  was  a  small  boy  she  went 
to  Missouri,  locating  on  a  farm  there.  Mr. 
Gillette  passed  away  at  the  age  of  eighty- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


437 


one,  but  his  widow  is  still  living,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-one,  and  now  makes  her 
home  in  Benton  Harbor.  In  the  family  were 
eight  children,  of  whom  six  are  living.  One 
son,  Willie,  entered  the  Union  army  from 
New  York  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years, 
and  was  captured  and  taken  as  a  prisoner  to 
Andersonville,  where  he  died.  Those  living 
are  as  follows :  Mrs.  Helen  J.  Dayton  is  the 
wife  of  George  W.  Dayton,  a  Civil  war  vet- 
eran, and  she  is  closely  connected  with  the 
auxiliary  work  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic;  Charles  is  living  in  Kansas  City, 
Missouri;  Herbert  resides  in  Grand  Rapids 
and  is  vice-president  of  the  Gillette  Roller 
Bearing  Company;  Walter  and  Wallace, 
twins,  the  former  living  in  Los  Angeles, 
California,  and  the  latter  in  Albion,  Mich- 
igan. 

Raymond  B.  Gillette  accompanied  his 
mother  on  her  removal  to  Missouri,  but  later 
went  to  Auburn,  New  York,  where  he  at- 
tended the  public  schools,  subsequently  con- 
tinuing his  studies  in  the  normal  school,  and 
was  for  a  time  a  student  in  Little  York,  his 
native  city.  He  gave  his  attention  to  his 
studies  through  the  winter  months  and  in 
the  summer  season  worked  on  a  farm,  thus 
providing  for  his  own  support.  At  the  age 
of  fifteen  years,  with  two  of  his  brothers  and 
his  mother,  he  came  to  Michigan,  settling  in 
Manistee,  which  was  then  the  center  of  the 
great  pine  industry  of  the  state,  from  there 
he  entered  the  Valparaiso  (Indiana)  busi- 
ness college,  and  after  completing  a  course 
in-  bookkeeping  entered  the  employ  of  R.  G. 
Peters,  who  was  one  of  the  leading  lumber- 
men of  that  time.  His  close  application, 
earnest  purpose  and  unremitting  diligence 
won  him  quick  recognition,  and  he  was 
placed  in  the  general  offices,  at  first  as  pay- 
master, which  was  a  position  of  importance 
since  the  company  employed  about  fifteen 
hundred  men.  Subsequently  he  became  con- 
fidential cashier  and  had  charge  of  the  sales 
department  of  the  Peters  Salt  and  Lumber 
Company.  When  the  pine  became  scarce 
and  the  company  began  cutting  other  lumber 
they  decided  to  establish  a  distributing  yard 
at  Benton  Harbor,  Michigan,  and  Mr.  Gil- 
lette was  placed  in  that  city,  where,  on  the 
:23rd    of    February,    1897,    he   incorporated 


what  is  known  as  the  Peters  Lumber 
and  Shingle  Company,  with  R.  G.  Peters 
as  president,  H.  W.  Carey  vice  president, 
and  R.  B.  Gillette,  as  secretary  and  man- 
ager. The  business  has  since  been  car- 
ried on  successfully  at  this  point.  From  a 
most  humble  position  in  the  employ  of  Mr. 
Peters,  Mr.  Gillette  has  gradually  worked 
his  way  upward  until  he  is  today  one  of  the 
most  prominent  moving  factors  in  the  con- 
trol of  an  extensive  business.  His  labor, 
keen  discernment  and  business  capacity  have 
constituted  a  strong  directing  force  and  have 
been  an  essential  element  in  the  success 
which  has  attended  the  firm.  Mr.  Gillette 
is  a  man  of  resourceful  business  ability  and 
has  not  confined  his  efforts  to  one  line  but 
on  the  contrary  has  extended  his  labors  to 
other  fields  of  activity.  He  is  financially  in- 
terested in  and  is  secretary  of  the  Gillette 
Roller  Bearing  Company  of  Grand  Rapids, 
Michigan,  and  also  vice  president  and  treas- 
urer of  the  Cheboygan  Railroad  Company, 
of  which  he  was  one  of  the  promoters  upon 
its  organization  about  two  years  ago.  This 
company  is  now  building  a  line  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  Michigan,  extending  for  sixty 
miles  from  Cheboygan  to  Petoskey.  He  is 
also  interested  in  the  Grand  Rapids  Acci- 
dent and  Health  Insurance  Company  of 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  and  is  secretary 
and  treasurer  of  the  Lakewood  Lumber 
Company  of  Lakewood,  Michigan.  In  busi- 
ness affairs  he  is  energetic,  prompt  and  nota- 
bly reliable.  Tireless  energy,  keen  percep- 
tion, honesty  of  purpose  and  a  genius  for 
devising  and  executing  the  right  thing  at  the 
right  time  are  perhaps  his  chief  character- 
istics. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Gillette  is  a 
stalwart  Republican,  and  has  been  deeply 
interested  in  the  success  and  growth  of  his 
party.  He  served  as  a  member  of  the  County 
Central  Committee  while  living  in  Manistee 
and  since  coming  to  Benton  Harbor  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  politics  here.  Shortly 
after  his  arrival  here  he  was  appointed  to  fill 
out  an  unexpired  term  occasioned  by  the 
death  of  an  alderman  from  the  first  ward, 
and  at  the  following  regular  election  he  was 
chosen  to  that  position.  On  the  expiration 
of   his  term  in  that  office  he  received  the 


438 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


nomination  for  mayor  of  Benton  Harbor, 
and  was  elected  by  the  largest  majority  ever 
given  any  candidate  for  the  office.  He  is 
now  serving  for  the  third  term  and  was 
nominated  by  acclamation  before  the  last 
election.  He  has  always  received  very  large 
majorities,  indicative  of  his  personal  popu- 
larity and  the  tuiqualified  confidence  re- 
posed in  him  by  his  fellow  townsmen.  He 
wished  to  retire  from  office  on  the  expiration 
of  his  second  term,  but  his  friends  protested 
so  vigorously  against  it  that  he  was  obliged 
to  again  accept  the  nomination.  His  ad- 
ministration has  stood  the  test  of  time.  He 
is  not  given  to  making  large  promises  which 
he  cannot  keep,  but  he  is  watchful  of  every 
opportunity  for  improving  the  city's  wel- 
fare and  his  tmderstanding  of  possibilities 
and  needs  is  penetrative  and  practical.  He 
has  introduced  measures  for  reform  and 
progress  and  has  brought  to  bear  in  the  dis- 
charge of  his  public  duties  the  same  single- 
ness of  purpose  and  concentration  of  energy 
that  mark  his  private  business  interests. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  prominent  Mason,  active 
in  the  order,  in  which  he  has  attained  the 
thirty-second  degree  ■  of  the  Scottish  Rite. 
He  is  also  a  charter  member  of  the  Elks 
lodge  at  Benton  Harbor. 

Mr.  Gillette  has  one  daughter,  Gladys  J. 
by  a  former  marriage,  and  in  1898  was  mar- 
ried to  Janet  J.  Stows,  of  Indianapolis,  Indi- 
ana, who  has  one  son,  Dwight  George.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gillette  occupy  a  prominent  social 
position  and  the  cordial  and  generous  hospi- 
tality of  their  own  home  is  greatly  enjoyed 
by  their  many  friends.  Mr.  Gillette  is  al- 
was  courteous,  kindly  and  affable  and  those 
who  know  him  personally  have  for  him 
warm  regard.  His  business  career  has  been 
marked  by  steady  advancement.  As  has 
been  truly  remarked,  after  all  that  may  be 
done  for  a  man  in  the  way  of  giving  him 
early  opportunities  for  obtaining  the  require- 
ments which  are  sought  in  the  schools  and  in 
books  he  must  essentially  formulate,  de- 
termine and  give  shape  to  his  own  character, 
and  this  is  what  Mr.  Gillette  has  done. 
Through  his  unfaltering  diligence  his  care- 
ful study  of  business  situation  and  his  practi- 
cal methods  in  shaping  conditions  to  his  own 
ends  he  has  gained  a  gratifying  measure  of 


prosperity.  Moreover  his  life  is  exemplary 
in  all  respects,  and  he  has  ever  supported 
those  interests  which  are  calculated  to  uplift 
and  benefit  humanity,  while  his  own  high 
moral  worth  is  deserving  of  the  highest  com- 
mendation. 

JOHN  D.  BURY.  No  history  of  Ber- 
rien county  would  be  complete  without  men- 
tion of  John  D.  Bury,  for  years  a  prominenr 
and  honored  resident  here.  He  came  in 
pioneer  times,  one  of  the  fearless  strivers  for 
the  ever  receding  west,  fascinating  for  its 
untried  dangers  as  for  its  possibilities.  He 
was  one  of  the  sturdy,  brave  men  who 
fought  and  toiled  and  hoped  and  realized  in 
varying  measure,  leading  a  life  whose  story 
has  never  nor  will  be  adequately  told  be- 
cause words  cannot  reproduce  the  expe- 
riences which  were  common  to  the  lot  of  all 
pioneers  who  faced  the  hardships  and  dan- 
gers of  the  frontier. 

The  Bury  family  is  of  English  lineage. 
His  father,  John  Colebrook  Bury,  was  born 
in  Cheapside,  London,  on  the  6th  of  March,. 
1765,  and  was  educated  in  Dublin,  Ireland. 
In  his  native  country  he  wedded  Dorothea 
Sherwood,  who  died  in  England,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  three  children.  John 
Colebrook  Bury  afterward  came  to  the  new 
world,  settling  in  Canada,  where  for  a  time 
he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine. 
Later,  however,  he  turned  his  attention  to 
the  w^ork  of  a  stone  mason,  carpenter  and 
millwright.  In  Pennsylvania  he  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Eliza- 
beth Traver,  and  it  was  after  this  that  he 
sent  for  the  three  children  of  his  first  mar- 
riage to  come  to  the  United  States. 

It  was  while  his  parents  were  living  in 
Pennsylvania  that  the  subject  of  this  review 
was  born  on  the  i8th  of  August,  1804,  and 
was  given  the  name  of  John  Darling  in  honor 
of  one  of  his  father's  old  classmates.  When 
he  was  a  small  boy  his  parents  removed  to 
Kent  county,  Canada,  settling  in  Ontario, 
where  John  C.  Bury  built  the  Malcolm  Mills, 
which  became  the  scene  of  a  local  war  in 
18 1 2.  He  was  for  many  years  a  prominent 
representative  of  industrial  life  in  his  sec- 
tion of  Canada,  and  there  died  at  the  vener- 
able age  of  eighty-five  years. 


^(T^Pt  C/    ^C/^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


439 


The  educational  privileges  which  John 
DarHng  Bury  received  were  very  Hmited. 
He  attended  school  for  only  six  months  and 
possessed  only  a  spelling  book,  yet  he  picked 
up  a  fair  common  school  education  through 
experience,  observation  and  reading.  He 
was  always  interested  in  questions  relating 
to  the  welfare  of  his  community  and  the 
country  at  large,  and  he  increased  in  knowl- 
edge as  well  as  in  wealth  as  the  years  went 
by.  He  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth  in 
a  family  of  fourteen  children,  all  born  within 
twenty-three  years.  He  remained  a  resident 
of  Canada  from  his  early  boyhood  days  un- 
til 1835,  and  he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own 
account  with  a  capital  of  but  fifty  cents  and 
an  axe  helve.  With  the  fifty  cents  he  bought 
an  axe  blade,  and  thus  equipped  started  out 
to  hew  his  fortune.  In  early  manhood  he 
married  Miss  Martha  Freeman  Green,  also 
a  representative  of  an  old  English  family. 
She  was  born  on  the  24th  of  August,  18 10, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of  three  children 
when  they  came  to  Michigan.  The  year  of 
his  arrival  was  1835,  at  which  time  he  took 
up  w^ork  in  St.  Joseph,  which  was  then  a 
little  village  situated  on  the  flats,  the  town 
having  not  yet  been  extended  to  the  high 
blufif.  During  the  first  season  Mr.  Bury 
was  employed  at  work  on  the  government 
docks,  earning  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  per 
day  and  his  board,  so  that  in  the  fall  he 
was  enabled  tO'  secure  a  deed  tO'  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  government  land,  his 
patent  being  signed  by  Martin  Van  Buren, 
then  president  of  the  United  States.  That 
land  became  his  homestead  in  1837,  and  he 
held  it  under  the  original  patent  until  his 
death.  It  is  still  in  possession  of  the  fam- 
ily. In  1836  he  was  again  in  the  govern- 
ment employ,  and  in  1837  he  brought  his 
family,  consisting  of  his  wife,  a  daughter 
and  two  sons  to  his  new  home  in  Berrien 
county,  Michigan. 

Unto  John  and  Martha  (Green)  Bury 
were  born  eleven  children,  but  only  three  of 
the  number  reached  years  of  maturity,  and 
the  wife  and  mother  passed  away  on  the  27th 
of  August,  1858,  at  the  age  of  forty-eight 
years.  Mr.  Bury's  second  marriage  was  with 
Miss  Fanny  Byers,  and  was  celebrated  in 


Bainbridge  tow^nship,  this  county,  on  the 
1 8th  of  August,  i860.  She  was  born  Sep- 
tember 12,  1825,  in  Livingston  county,  New 
York,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
rien  county  would  be  complete  without  men- 
to  Berrien  county  two  years  prior  to  her 
marriage  to  visit  her  father's  brothers' 
Tobias  and  Henry  Byers,  both  of  Van  Buren 
county,  and  David  Byers  of  Berrien  county. 
The  old  Bury  homestead  is  situated  three 
and  a  half  miles  east  of  Benton  Harbor  on 
Pear  avenue.  Mr.  Bury  added  to  his  orig- 
inal purchase,  extending  the  boundaries  of 
his  farm  until  it  embraced  two  hundred  and 
sixty-four  acres  of  land,  of  which  he  placed 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  under  cultiva- 
tion. He  planted  his  first  orchard  in  1840, 
and  some  of  the  old  trees  are  still  in  bear- 
ing. He  had  good  improvements  upon  his 
farm,  including  a  substantial  house  and  three 
barns.  As  his  financial  resources  increased 
he  invested  largely  in  Berrien  county  prop- 
erty, becoming  the  owner  of  eleven  hundred 
and  twenty-one  acres  of  land,  most  of  which 
lay  in  Benton  township.  He  bought  this  at 
an  early  period  in  the  development  of  the 
county,  the  highest  price  w^hich  he  paid  for 
it  being  ten  dollars  per  acre.  He  made  the 
purchase  between  the  years  of  1837  and 
1858,  this  being  about  the  last  tract  of  gov- 
ernment land  to  be  had  in  the  county.  The 
only  land  bought  of  the  government  by  J. 
H.  Bury  was  the  homestead  in  1837.  Four 
hundred  acres  of  the  fifteen  hvuidred  acres 
stated  was  Canadian  land.  In  the  work  of 
early  development  and  improvement  he  took 
an  active  and  helpful  part,  aiding  in  sub- 
duing the  wilderness  and  settling  the  fron- 
tier. He  was  a  man  of  quiet  tastes,  had 
no  expensive  habits,  and  he  was  thus  enabled 
to  accumulate  a  handsome  fortune  as  the 
years  passed  by.  Moreover  his  labors  were 
of  direct  and  permanent  good  to  the  county. 
He  helped  erect  some  of  the  first  buildings 
in  St.  Joseph.  He  was  thoroughly  reliable 
in  his  friendships  and  honorable  in  his  busi- 
ness relations.  He  became  thoroughly 
American  in  spirit  and  loyally  devoted  to 
American  customs  and  institutions.  He  was 
prominent  and  influential  in  public  life  in 
various  ways,  serving  as  township  treasurer 


440 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


for  three  terms,  as  supervisor  and  in  other 
local  offices.  In  his  political  affiliations  he 
was  always  a  loyal  Democrat,  unfaltering 
in  his  advocacy  of  the  party,  but  was  not  a 
politician  in  the  usual  sense  of  office  seek- 
ing. He  was  reared  a  Presbyterian,  and 
although  he  did  not  become  a  member  of 
the  church  he  lived  an  upright  moral  life, 
and  his  influence  was  a  valuable  factor  for 
good  and  for  progress  along  various  lines 
leading  to  substantial  improvement  in  the 
county.  He  exemplified  in  his  life  many 
of  the  sterling  principles  of  Christianity, 
was  considerate  of  his  friends,  reliable  in 
business  and  straightforward  at  all  times, 
and  in  his  family  circle  was  a  devoted  hus- 
band and  father. 

The  three  children  of  the  first  marriage 
who  reached  mature  years  were  Elizabeth, 
Freeman  and  George.  The  eldest  became 
the  second  wife  of  Joseph  Caldwell,  who  in 
early  life  came  from  England  to  America, 
and  in  pioneer  times  in  this  county  pur- 
chased land  north  of  Benton  Harbor  on  the 
Paw  Paw  river.  Mrs.  Caldwell  died  at  the 
age  of  thirty-three  years.  Freeman  Bury, 
born  in  1832,  makes  his  home  in  Benton 
township,  where  he  has  lived  since  1837. 
George,  born  in  1834,  served  throughout 
the  Civil  war  and  afterward  removed  to 
Minnesota,  where  he  remained  for  some 
time,  while  later  report  of  his  death  was  re- 
ceived. The  children  of  the  second  mar- 
riage were:  Clellen  B.,  John  D.  and  Elsie 
I.  Clellen  Byers  Bury  was  reared  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farm  lads,  and  is  now  a 
representative  farmer  of  Benton  township, 
making  a  specialty  of  the  cultivation  of 
melons.  The  daughter,  Elsie,  owns  a  farm 
on  the  Territorial  road,  where  she  has  erected 
a  handsome  modern  residence.  Mr.  Bury 
continued  in  close  connection  with  business 
and  public  interests  in  the  county  for  about 
forty-seven  years.  He  was  not  only  one 
of  the  pioneer  settlers  but  also  belonged  to 
that  type  of  the  builder  and  organizer  who 
followed  the  trail  blazed  by  the  early  pioneer. 
He  passed  away  November  15,  1882,  when 
seventy-eight  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Fannie 
Byers  Bury,  after  the  death  of  her  husband, 
removed  to  Benton  Harbor,  where  she  made 
her  home  until   her  death  on   the  6th   of 


April,  1904.  She  was  a  loving  and  devoted 
wife  and  mother,  whose  many  good  deeds 
proved  her  life  was  nobly  lived. 

JOHN  V.  PHILLIPS,  the  only  at- 
torney at  New  Buffalo,  or  in  New  Buffalo 
township,  was  born  in  Ontario  county,  New 
York,  his  birthplace  being  in  the  township 
of  Bethel,  while  his  natal  date  is  February 
17,  1824.  He  has  therefore  passed  the 
eighty-second  milestone  on  life's  journey 
and  his  has  been  an  active  and  honorable 
career,  in  which  he  has  merited  and  enjoyed 
the  good  will  and  trust  of  his  fellowmen. 
His  father,  Jerome  Phillips,  was  born  in 
Saratoga,  New  York,  and  spent  his  last 
years  in  the  home  of  his  son,  John  V. 
Phillips,  at  New  Buffalo,  where  he  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven.  He 
had  followed  farming  as  a  life  work  and  was 
an  energetic,  enterprising  man.  He  had 
lost  his  mother  when  in  his  infancy  and  was 
left  an  orphan  by  the  father's  death  when 
eight  years  of  age.  That  he  became  a  suc- 
cessful and  prosperous  man  was  due  entirely 
to  his  own  labors  and  as  the  years  passed  by 
he  displayed  unremitting  diligence  and  per- 
severance. He  married  Anna  Vanarsdall, 
who  was  born  in  New  Jersey  and  died  in 
Berrien  county  at  the  advanced  age  of 
seventy-eight  years.  In  their  family  were 
eight  children,  of  whom  John  V.  is  the  sec- 
ond and  the  only  one  now  living.  The 
others  are :  Isaac  M.,  who  resided  at  Ridge- 
way,  Niagara  county,  New  York ;  Margaret, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years; 
Abram  L,  w^ho  spent  his  last  days  in  Three 
Oaks,  Michigan;  Mrs.  Mary  J.  Dean,  who 
died  leaving  a  family;  Jerome,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  five  years ;  William ;  and  Lyman 
T.  The  last  named  served  in  the  Civil 
war,  enlisting  at  President  Lincoln's  first 
call  for  seventy-five  thousand  volunteers. 
He  served  with  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
first  New  York  Infantry  and  was  killed  at 
the  Battle  of  the  Wilderness.  He  had  first 
enlisted  at  Laporte,  Indiana,  for  three 
months'  service  and  on  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  went  to  his  old  home  in  New  York 
and  enlisted  from  there,  continuing  at  the 
front  until  he  gave  his  life  as  a  sacrifice  to 
his  country. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


441 


John  V.  Phillips  was  a  little  lad  of  only 
three  summers  when  his  parents  removed 
to  Monroe  county,  New  York,  settling  three 
miles  west  of  Rochester.  After  three  years 
they  went  to  Shelby,  Orleans  county.  New 
York,  where  they  resided  until  185 1,  and 
Mr.  Phillips  was  thus  reared  upon  a  farm, 
early  becoming  familiar  with  the  duties  and 
labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist. 
He  completed  his  education  in  the  Middle- 
port  Academy  in  Niagara  county,  New 
York,  after  which  he  successfully  engaged  in 
teaching  school  for  fourteen  years,  devoting 
thirteen  years  to  that  profession  in  New 
York  and  one  year  in  Michigan.  In  1856 
he  came  to  New  Buffalo  with  his  wife  and 
one  child  and  has  resided  here  continuously 
since.  He  was  married  in  1850  to  Miss 
Louisa  M.  Salisbury,  who  was  born  October 
2y,  1827,  in  New  York,  and  died  October 
28,  1905.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Gardner 
and  Polly  Salisbury,  and  the  children  born 
of  this  marriage  are  as  follows :  Mary  E., 
who  was  a  successful  teacher  for  twelve 
or  fourteen  years  and  died  in  the  fall  of 
1905,  leaving  a  husband  and  two  children; 
Emma  A.,  who  was  drowned  in  the  river  at 
New  Bufifalo  when  eighteen  years  of  age; 
Edward  J.,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan  and  is  a  practicing  at- 
torney of  Chicago;  and  Inez  M.,  the  wife 
of  Walter  C.  Weed,  of  New  Buffalo.  All 
of  the  children  were  provided  with  excellent 
educational  privileges. 

A  few  years  after  his  marriage  Mr. 
Phillips  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  one  of 
his  lower  limbs  and  this  necessitated  his 
abandonment  of  farming.  He  then  began 
the  manufacture  of  furniture  at  New  Buffalo, 
in  which  he  continued  until  after  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  Civil  war.  Subsequently  he 
took  up  the  study  and  practice  of  law,  which 
he  continued  by  himself  and  also  under  the 
direction  of  a  lawyer  at  Niles,  Michigan. 
He  has  remained  in  practice  here  continu- 
ously since  and  is  the  only  attorney  of  New 
Buffalo  township.  He  has  also  bought  and 
sold  considerable  real  estate,  and  at  one  time 
was  the  owner  of  large  and  valuable  prop- 
erty interests,  but  has  disposed  of  much  of 
his  property  to  his  children.  In  his  political 
views  he  is  an  earnest  Republican,  having 


supported  the  party  since  casting  his  first 
presidential  ballot  for  John  C.  Fremont, 
since  which  time  he  has  supported  each  can- 
didate at  the  head  of  the  ticket.  He  was 
justice  of  the  peace  for  eighteen  consecutive 
years  and  he  has  attended  all  of  the  county 
and  district  conventions  of  his  party,  doing 
all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  growth  and 
secure  the  adoption  of  Republican  principles. 
He  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Quaker 
church  or  Society  of  Friends  but  is  not  a 
member.  He  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows 
lodge  at  New  Buffalo  and  his  wife  was  a 
member  of  the  Episcopal  church  here.  Dur- 
ing a  long  residence  in  Berrien  county  Mr. 
Phillips  has  commanded  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  his  fellowmen  by  reason  of  an 
honorable  business  and  professional  career, 
and  whatever  success  he  has  achieved  is 
attributed  entirely  to  his  own  labors,  for 
he  started  out  in  life  without  financial  as- 
sistance, placing  his  dependence  in  the  safe 
and  substantial  qualities  of  energy,  determi- 
nation and  honest  effort. 

AUGUST  F.  BLIESMER.  The  Teu- 
tonic race  has  been  an  important  element  in 
the  civilizing  influence  of  the  world.  The 
sons  of  the  fatherland  have  gone  to  every 
section  of  the  globe,  carrying  with  them  the 
spirit  of  enterprise  and  determination  which 
have  ever  been  manifest  in  their  native 
country  and  which  have  done  much  for 
progress  and  improvement  elsewhere.  Mr. 
Bliesmer  is  among  the  representatives  of 
the  German-American  citizenship  of  the 
United  States.  His  birth  occurred  in 
Holstein,  Germany,  November  13,  1837, 
his  parents  being  Peter  and  Wilhelmina 
(Westfall)  Bliesmer,  who  were  likewise 
natives  of  that  country.  The  father 
served  in  the  German  army  and  died  in 
early  manhood.  The  mother  came  to  the 
new  world  after  the  arrival  of  her  son  Aug- 
ust, and  died  in  Laporte,  Indiana,  about  a 
year  ago.  In  their  family  were  four  chil- 
dren :  Markus  H.,  who  was  engaged  in  the 
shoe  business  in  Laporte,  Indiana,  but  died 
about  a  year  ago ;  Frederick,  who  also  passed 
away  in  Laporte;  August  F.,  of  this  review; 
and  Anna,  the  wife  of  Christ  Brandt,  of 
Laporte. 


442 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


August  F.  Bliesmer  spent  the  first 
twenty-two  years  of  his  Hfe  in  his  native 
country  and  was  a  student  in  school  until 
fifteen  years  of  age.  He  afterward  learned 
tha  shoemaker's  trade  and  in  accordance 
with  the  laws  of  his  native  country  he  served 
for  three  years  in  the  German  army.  In 
1 88 1,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty-four 
years,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic,  making  the 
voyage  in  the  fall.  He  did  not  tarry  on  the 
Atlantic  coast,  however,  but  proceeded  at 
once  into  the  interior  of  the  country,  set- 
tling in  Laporte,  Indiana,  where  his  grand- 
father resided.  He  worked  on  the  railroad 
for  a  year  and  a  half,  after  which  he  removed 
to  New  Buffalo,  Berrien  county,  Michigan, 
and  established  a  shoe  store,  manufacturing 
shoes  for  the  local  trade  and  also  carrying 
ready  made  goods.  He  has  continued  as 
a  shoe  merchant  of  this  place  since  with  the 
exception  of  two  years  spent  in  Laporte, 
Indiana,  where  he  was  connected  with  his 
brother  in  the  conduct  of  a  shoe  store.  He 
now^  handles  a  well  selected  line  of  shoes, 
men's  furnishing  goods  and  jewelry.  He 
has  a  large  stock  and  the  tasteful  arrange- 
ment of  his  stock  combined  with  reasonable 
prices  and  straightforward  business  dealings 
have  secured  to  him  a  gratifying  patronage 
and  made  him  one  of  the  prosperous  mer- 
chants of  the  village. 

Mr.  Bliesmer  is  independent  in  politics. 
He  was,  how^ever,  elected  tow^nship  treas- 
urer and  is  now  serving  for  the  third  term 
in  that  position.  At  the  first  election  he 
was  the  nominee  of  the  Republican  party 
and  at  the  last  two  elections  has  been  nomi- 
nated by  the  Democracy.  Both  parties 
recognize  his  ability  for  office  and  his 
promptness  and  efficiency  in  the  discharge 
of  his  duties.  He  has  held  various  village 
offices  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  board 
of  education  for  the  past  nine  years,  the 
public  schools  finding  in  him  a  warm  friend- 
In  New  Buffalo,  on  the  24th  of  April, 
1884,  Mr.  Bliesmer  was  married  to  Miss 
Caroline  Mess,  a  native  of  New  Buffalo 
and  a  daughter  of  Peter  Mess.  Three  chil- 
dren grace  this  union :  Lawrence,  Olga  and 
August.  The  parents  are  members  of  the 
German  Evangelical  church  and  Mr.  Blies- 
mer belongs  to  Lodge  No.  84,  I.  O.  O.  F., 


and  to  Lodge  No.  231,  K.  O.  T.  M.  The 
hope  that  led  him  to  seek  a  home  in  the 
new  world  has  been  more  than  realized,  for 
in  this  country  he  found  the  advantages 
which  he  sought  and  by  their  utilization 
has  steadily  worked  his  w^ay  upward  until 
he  is  now  in  control  of  a  gratifying  business 
and  is  ranked  among  the  enterprising  mer- 
chants and  progressive  citizens  of  the  village 
in  which  he  resides. 

DR.  HENRY  V.  TUTTON,  physi- 
cian and  surgeon,  founder  of  Mercy 
Hospital  and  alsO'  figuring  prominently 
in  local  political  circles  and  in  pub- 
lic affairs  in  Benton  Harbor,  has  come 
to  be  recognized  as  one  of  the  representa- 
tive men  of  the  city,  his  activity  touching 
many  lines  of  general  interest  and  improve- 
ment. He  was  born  in  Tunkhannock,  Penn- 
sylvania, in  1858,  a  son  of  George  S.  and 
Sarah  (Henry)  Tutton.  The  father,  w^ho 
was  born  in  England,  became  a  prominent 
lawyer  of  Pennsylvania  and  a  distinguished 
citizen  of  that  state,  representing  his  dis- 
trict in  the  general  assembly  and  otherwise 
molding  public  thought  and  action.  He 
possessed  also  more  than  ordinary  musical 
talent.  His  death  occurred  in  Pennsylvania 
in  1866,  when  he  was  forty-eight  years  of 
age,  while  his  wife,  who  was  born  in  1827, 
survived  him  until  1895.  In  their  family 
were  four  children :  Mrs.  Bertha  Keller,  who 
is  living  in  Denver,  Colorado;  Charles  H., 
a  civil  eng-ineer,  residing  at  Buffalo,  New 
York;  Arthur  W.,  a  contractor  of  Buffalo; 
and  Henry  V. 

In  the  state  of  his  nativity  Dr.  Tutton 
spent  a  portion  of  his  youth  and  then  re- 
moved to  Blairstown,  New  Jersey,  where  he 
supplemented  his  early  education  by  a 
course  in  the  collegiate  institute  of  that  city. 
He  had  previously  been  a  student  in  the  in- 
stitute at  Easton,  Pennsylvania,  pursuing 
his  academic  work  as  a  preparation  for  a 
collegiate  course,  but  in  the  financial  panic 
that  swept  over  the  country  culminating  in 
what  has  since  been  known  in  history  as 
Black  Friday,  his  family  met  with  financial 
reverses,  and  Dr.  Tutton  was  thereby  unable 
to  pursue  a  college  course  as  he  had  antici- 
pated.    In  1877  he  started  westward^  mak- 


HENRY  V.  TUTTON 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


443 


ing  his  way  to  Michigan  and  for  a  time 
was  engaged  in  farming  in  Pipestone  town- 
ship. He  possessed  a  studious  nature,  how- 
ever, and  was  ambitious  to  acquire  an  educa- 
tion and  to  progress  along  hues  of  intel- 
lectual development.  He  therefore  utilized 
all  of  his  leisure  hours  for  study  and  read- 
ing until  he  had  prepared  himself  for  col- 
legiate work.  Determining  upon  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  as  a  profession,  he  entered 
the  Chicago  Medical  College,  which  w^as 
founded  by  Dr.  N.  S.  Davis  at  Chicago, 
Illinois,  and  from  that  institution  was  grad- 
uated in  1882. 

Dr.  Tutton  at  once  located  for  practice 
at  South  Bend,  Indiana,  where  he  remained 
for  two  years,  and  in  1886  he  came  to  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  where,  he  established  himself  in 
practice.  He  has  met  with  much  success 
and  is  now  making  a  specialty  of  surgery, 
devoting  much  of  his  time  to  that  branch 
of  the  profession.  He  is  highly  esteemed 
by  his  brethren  of  the  medical  fraternity  as 
well  as  by  the  general  public,  the  concensus 
of  opinion  being  very  favorable  concerning 
his  skill  and  capability.  He  is  the  author 
of  all  of  the  laws  pertaining  to  health  in  the 
laws  and  rules  of  the  board  of  health,  having 
drawn  and  drafted  most  of  the  measures 
pertaining  to  that  body.  His  patronage  has 
steadily  grown  in  volume  and  importance 
and  in  connection  with  his  large  practice  he 
founded,  in  1899,  the  Mercy  Hospital  at 
Benton  Harbor,  which  for  five  years  he  con- 
ducted successfully  on  his  own  account.  He 
then  turned  it  over  to  the  board  of  trustees. 
This  is  one  of  the  creditable  institutions  of 
the  city.  In  his  private  practice  he  directs 
his  efforts  along  modern  scientific  lines, 
keeping  in  touch  with  the  most  advanced 
thought  of  the  profession,  his  experience 
and  reading  constantly  broadening  his 
knowledge  and  promoting  his  efficiency. 

Dr.  Tutton  is  also  regarded  as  a  repre- 
sentative citizen  of  Benton  Harbor  because 
of  his  activity  along  lines  relating  directly 
to  the  city^s  management  and  its  public  in- 
terests. He  acted  as  alderman  for  the 
Third  ward  for  two  years  and  was  the  first 
health  officer  of  the  city  at  the  time  when 
the  position  was  instituted  when  the  village 
was    incorporated   under   city   government. 


For  three  years  he  filled  that  position.  He 
is  also  one  of  the  directors  of  the  city 
library.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to 
the  Republican  party  and  he  is  chairman  of 
the  Republican  city  committee  at  this  time. 
He  does  everything  in  his  power  to  insure 
the  success  and  promote  the  growth  of  his 
party  and  at  the  same  time  is  too  broad- 
minded  to  sacrifice  general  interests  to  par- 
tisan measures.  He  is  affiliated  with  the 
Masonic  bodies,  also  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
of  which  he  is  past  chancellor,  and  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Dr.  Tutton 
is  a  man  of  strong  native  mentality  and 
broad  intellectual  acquirements  and  in  his 
consideration  of  public  affairs  is  penetrative 
and  practical.  His  labors,  both  profession- 
ally and  of  a  public  nature,  have  been 
crowned  with  success  and  Benton  Harbor 
claims  him  as  one  of  its  representative  and 
honored  men. 

PETER  FREDERICK  MESS,  to 
whom  has  been  vouchsafed  a  well-earned 
retirement  from  active  labor,  is  now  living 
in  New  Buffalo  in  the  enjoyment  of  rest 
from  arduous  business  cares.  For  many 
years  he  led  a  very  active  life  and  his  dili- 
gence and  perseverance  were  crowned  with 
a  very  desirable  measure  of  prosperity.  He 
was  born  in  the  city  of  Oldenburg  in  Hol- 
stein,  Germany,  September  9,  1838,  and 
there  resided  for  twenty-eight  years.  His 
parents  were  Jacob  and  Louisa  (Vicker- 
man)  Mess,  who  spent  their  entire  lives  in 
Denmark,  or  in  that  section  which  at  one 
time  belonged  to  the  Danish  king  but  after- 
ward became  a  part  of  Germany.  They  died 
when  their  son  Peter  was  only  fourteen 
years  of  age.  In  their  family  were  six  chil- 
dren, four  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom 
Peter  is  the  eldest.  Two  brothers,  William 
and  Dielloff,  came  to  the  United  States  and 
the  latter  died  in  New  Buffalo  but  the 
former  is  now  living  in  South  Dakota. 

Peter  F.  Mess  acquired  his  education  in 
schools  of  his  native  country  to  the  age  of 
sixteen  years.  He  afterward  sailed  the 
ocean  for  fifteen  years  on  a  merchantman 
and  visited  many  ports  on  the  eastern  hemis- 
phere and  also  sailed  to  various  United 
States  harbors.     In  1864  he  enlisted  in  Den- 


444 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


mark's  marine  service  for  war  against  Ger- 
many. It  was  in  that  war  that  Denmark 
lost  the  part  of  the  cotmtry  in  which  our 
subject  was  born.  He  was  a  man  of  thirty 
years  when  he  determined  to  try  his  for- 
tune in  the  United  States,  saihng  for  New 
York  in  1868.  He  at  once  made  his  way 
westward,  bound  for  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
but  his  funds  gave  out  before  reaching  that 
destination  and  necessity  compelled  him  to 
locate  at  Laporte,  Indiana.  He  remained 
there  for  some  time  and  was  first  employed 
at  farm  labor  for  three  months.  He  after- 
ward came  to  New  Buflfalo,  Berrien  county, 
and  was  employed  on  the  harbor.  He  after- 
ward aided  in  building  the  Chicago  &  Lake 
Shore  and  West  Michigan  Railroad,  now  the 
Pere  Marquette  Railroad,  and  when  this 
task  was  completed  secured  a  position  as 
brakesman  on  the  road.  Not  long  after- 
ward, however,  he  was  married  and  took 
up  his  abode  in  New  Buffalo,  where  he  has 
resided  continuously  since.  He  continued 
in  the  railroad  service  as  boiler  maker  and 
car  repairer  for  twenty  years,  becoming  the 
head  man  or  foreman  of  the  work.  He  was 
thus  actively  associated  with  industrial  in- 
terests of  the  community  for  a  long  period 
and  in  this  way  gained  a  start  in  life.  In 
1876  he  purchased  a  saloon,  but  employed 
others  to  conduct  the  business,  which  he 
carried  on  for  twenty-six  years.  For  some 
time  now  he  has  been  retired  from  active 
business  cares  and  is  enjoying  a  well-earned 
rest  in  a  pleasant  home  in  New  Buffalo. 
As  the  years  have  gone  by  he  has  made 
judicious  investments  in  real  estate  and  now 
owns  three  good  business  blocks  on  Main 
street,  which  he  erected  and  which  stand  as 
a  monument  to  his  enterprise  and  labor. 

Mr.  Mess  was  married  in  1870  in  New 
Buffalo  to  Mrs.  Lizzie  Timm,  who  was  born 
in  Mecklenburg,  Germany,  in  1846,  and 
came  to  the  United  States  with  her  par- 
ents in  childhood.  She  was  a  widow  at  the 
time  of  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Mess  and  she 
died  in  New  Buffalo  in  1896. 

Mr.  Mess  belongs  to  the  German  Luth- 
eran church  and  gives  his  political  sup- 
port to  the  Republican  party,  having  advo- 
cated its  principles  since  becoming  an  Amer- 
ican citizen.    He  has  held  many  of  the  minor 


township  and  village  offices  and  has  always 
been  found  faithful  to  every  trust  reposed 
in  him.  He  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows 
society  in  New  Buffalo  and  is  also  a  member 
of  the  German  Working  Society.  He  found 
in  the  new  world  good  business  opportunities 
and  in  this  country  where  labor  is  un- 
hampered by  caste  or  class  he  has  steadily 
worked  his  way  upward  and  is  now  in  pos- 
session of  a  comfortable  competence  and 
property  interests  which  return  to  him  a 
very  gratifying  income. 

ABRAM  DEUEL,  who  is  engaged  in 
general  farming  on  section  20,  New  Buffalo 
township,  was  born  in  Niagara  county.  New 
York,  October  6,  1852,  and  is  a  representa- 
tive of  one  of  the  old  families  of  that  state. 
His  paternal  grandfather,  Abram  Deuel, 
spent  his  entire  life  in  New  York  and  the 
father,  Abner  H.  Deuel,  was  a  native  of 
Dutchess  county.  New  York,  born  March 
2,  181 1.  He  continued  to  reside  in  the  Em- 
pire State  until  his  removal  to  Michigan, 
when  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  a  farm  in 
New  Buffalo  township,  Berrien  county,  giv- 
ing his  attention  to  general  agricultural 
pursuits  here  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1884,  when  he  was  about 
eighty-three  years  of  age.  In  his  political 
faith  he  was  a  Republican  and  in  religious 
belief  was  a  Friend  or  Quaker.  He  died 
upon  the  old  homestead  in  a  community 
where  he  had  long  resided  and  where  all 
who  knew  him  respected  him  for  his  genuine 
worth.  In  early  manhood  he  wedded  Jane 
Duncan,  a  daughter  of  David  Duncan.  She 
was  born  in  Canada,  August  21,  1816,  and 
died  April  30,  igo6.  The  marriage  of  the 
parents  was  celebrated  in  Canada  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  six  children :  Charles, 
who  is  living  in  northern  Michigan ;  Joseph, 
of  New  Buffalo  township;  William  Austin, 
who  is  living  in  Denver,  Colorado;  Hannah, 
the  wife  of  Lyman  Barnes,  of  Virginia; 
David  Titus,  whose  home  is  in  Shelby, 
Michigan;  and  Abram. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of 
Abram  Deuel  we  present  to  our  readers  the 
life  record  of  one  who  is  widely  known  in 
New  Buffalo  township  and  Berrien  county, 
for  he  has  resided  here  continuously  since 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


445 


the  spring  of  i860,  having  come  with  his 
parents  from  New  York  to  Michigan  when 
but  eight  years  of  age.  He  has  through 
the  passing  years  made  his  home  on  a  farm 
of  eighty  acres  on  section  20,  New  Buffalo 
township,  where  he  is  now  carrying  on  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits,  raising  the  cereals 
best  adapted  to  soil  and  climate  and  keeping 
his  farm  in  excellent  condition  by  reason 
of  the  care  and  labor  which  he  bestows  upon 
the  fields. 

In  1905  Mr.  Deuel  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Jennie  Isham,  who  w^as  born 
in  Laporte  county,  Indiana,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  and  Nervina  (Benson)  Isham, 
the  former  a  native  of  Michigan  and  the 
latter  of  Indiana.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Deuel  have  been  born  two  children^  Ralph 
How^ard  and  Marian. 

Mr.  Deuel  exercises  his  right  of  franchise 
in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
Republican  party,  with  which  he  has  affili- 
ated since  age  conferred  upon  him  the  voting 
privilege.  He  has  served  as  a  school  officer 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  the  cause  of 
education  finds  in  him  a  warm  and  stalwart 
friend,  whose  efforts  in  its  behalf  are  practi- 
cal and  resultant.  He  belongs  to  New  Buf- 
falo lodge,  No.  84,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  is  a 
faithful  follower  of  the  teachings  of  that 
organization. 

CHRISTIAN  TIMM.  The  farming 
interests  of  Berrien  county  find  a  worthy 
representative  in  Christian  Timm,  whose 
home  is  on  section  21,  New  Buffalo  town- 
ship, where  he  is  devoting  his  time  and 
energies  to  general  agricultural  pursuits, 
working  persistently  and  energetically  to 
provide  a  comfortable  living  for  himself  and 
family.  He  was  born  in  the  township  where 
he  still  resides  on  the  12th  of  October,  1861, 
and  has  spent  his  entire  life  here.  His  father 
w^as  Christian  Timm,  a  native  of  Mecklen- 
burg, Germany,  who  died  in  Berrien  county 
on  the  1 2th  of  August,  1902,  at  the  ripe 
old  age  of  eighty-two  years.  In  early  man- 
hood he  wedded  Miss  Sophia  Singnets,  also 
a  native  of  Mecklenburg,  and  in  the  year 
185 1  he  came  to  the  United  States  with  his 
wife  and  two  children.  They  did  not  tarry 
on  the  Atlantic  coast  but  came  at  once  to 


Berrien  county,  settling  in  New  Buffalo, 
where  the  father  spent  his  remaining  days. 
He  had  followed  teaming  in  Germany,  but 
in  the  new  w^orld  turned  his  attention  to 
general  agricultural  pursuits  and  continued 
to  till  the  soil  for  many  years  or  until  his 
life's  labors  w^ere  ended  in  death.  He  had 
served  in  the  German  army  for  two  years. 
In  America  he  was  a  loyal  citizen,  interested 
in  all  that  pertained  to  the  welfare  of  his 
adopted  country  and  local  progress  and  im- 
provement. His  wife  died  on  the  12th  of 
April,  1899,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years. 
In  their  family  w^ere  three  children^  but 
Elizabeth  and  Charles  are  now  deceased, 
leaving  Christian  Timm  the  only  surviving 
member  of  the  family. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred 
to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  Christian 
Timm  in  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth. 
At  the  usual  age  he  entered  the  public  schools 
and  continued  his  studies  until  about  six- 
teen years  of  age^  after  which  he  w^orked  at 
farm  labor.  He  w^as  also  employed  on  the 
railroad  for  a  year  or  two.  He  was  engaged 
in  farming  continuously  with  the  exception 
of  the  two  years  spent  on  the  railroad  and 
has  seventy-seven  acres  on  section  16  and 
21,  New  Buffalo  township,  his  home  being 
on  the  latter  section.  He  makes  a  specialty 
of  the  production  of  fruit  and  has  fine  or- 
chards, from  w^hich  he  annually  harvests 
good  crops.  He  also  carries  on  general 
farming  and  everything  about  his  place  is 
neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance,  showing  his 
careful  supervision  and  enterprise.  He  is 
practical  in  his  judgment  of  business  con- 
ditions and  his  energy  has  been  a  strong 
factor  in  his  success. 

On  the  8th  of  December,  1878,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  Christian  Timm  and 
Miss  Carrie  Batzell,  who  was  born  in  New 
Buffalo,  March  29,  1862,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  Augustus  and  Carrie  (Bliss)  Batzell,  the 
former  a  native  of  Hesse,  Germany,  and 
the  latter  of  France.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Timm 
have  become  the  parents  of  a  son  and  daugh- 
ter: William,  who  married  February  3, 
1906,  Myrtle  Howard  and  lives  at  Grand 
Rapids,  a  fireman  on  the  Pere  Marquette 
Railroad;  and  Lena,  the  wife  of  John  B. 
Sterns,    of    Springville    township,    Laporte 


446 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


county,  Indiana.     They  have  one  child,  Wil- 
liam Sterns. 

Since  age  conferred  upon  him  the  right 
of  franchise  Mr.  Timm  has  given  his  politi- 
cal allegiance  to  the  Democracy,  but  has 
never  been  an  aspirant  for  office.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and 
to  the  Lutheran  Church  and  his  life  is  thus 
characterized  by  principles  which  every- 
where command  respect  and  admiration.  He 
is  well  known  in  this  community,  where  his 
entire  life  has  been  passed  and  where  he 
so  directed  his  efforts  as  to  win  the  good 
will  and  confidence  of  his  fellowmen  and 
at  the  same  time  gain  a  gratifying  measure 
of  success  in  his  business. 

JOHN  H.  ROHDE  is  the  owner  of  a 
well  improved  and  valuable  farm  on  section 
21,  New  Buffalo  township.  He  is  a  native 
of  Holstein,  Germany,  born  on  the  i6th  of 
August^  1844,  and  his  parents,  Lex  and 
Marie  (Renn)  Rohde,  spent  their  entire 
lives  in  that  country.  Unto  them  were  born 
seven  children :  Annie,  who  is  now  living 
in  Chicago ;  Margaret,  a  resident  of  Chicago; 
Mary,  whose  home  is  in  Seattle,  Washing- 
ton; Emma  and  Wilhelm,  also  of  Chicago; 
and  Heinrich,  who  is  yet  living  at  the  old 
family  home  in  Holstein.  There  were  also 
several  children  in  the  family  who  died  in 
early  life. 

John  H.  Rohde,  the  eldest  child  and  the 
immediate  subject  of  this  review,  was  reared 
to  farm  labor  and  at  the  usual  age  of  six 
years  entered  the  public  schools,  wherein  he 
continued  his  studies  until  sixteen  years  of 
age.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in  1866, 
when  a  young  man  of  twenty-two  years, 
making  the  journey  alone.  From  the 
Atlantic  coast  he  made  his  way  direct  to 
Chicago,  Illinois,  and  during  the  first  two 
years  of  his  residence  in  this  country  worked 
as  a  general  laborer,  principally  being  em- 
ployed in  the  lumber  yards.  He  then  began 
teaming,  which  he  followed  for  five  years 
in  the  employ  of  others,  after  which  he  be- 
gan teaming  on  his  own  account  and  found 
this  a  profitable  business,  having  seven  or 
eight  teams.  He  is  still  engaged  in  the 
business,  although  his  son  now  has  charge 
of  it.    Ten  years  ago  Mr.  Rohde  purchased 


his  present  farm^  comprising  one  hundred 
and  forty-seven  acres  of  rich  and  produc- 
tive land.  He  employed  others  to  operate 
it  until  about  five  years  ago,  when  he  located 
thereon  and  has  since  carried  on  farming  on 
his  own  account.  He  has  a  well  improved 
place  wnth  good  buildings,  furnishing  ample 
shelter  for  grain  and  stock.  He  has  spent 
over  tw^o  thousand  dollars  in  improving  the 
property  and  now  has  an  excellent  farm. 
His  attention  is  given  to  the  cultivation  of 
the  fields  and  he  raises  good  crops,  for  which 
he  finds  a  ready  sale  on  the  market.  His 
whole  time  is  now  given  to  general  agricul- 
tural pursuits. 

In  1877  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Rohde  and  Miss  Rosa  Verch,  a  native  of 
Prussia.  They  had  two  children,  Henry 
of  Chicago,  and  Josephine.  For  his  second 
wife  Mr.  Rohde  chose  Anna  Donath,  a  na- 
tive of  Prussia,  who  came  to  America  with 
her  parents  in  1873.  Fi^^  children  grace 
this  marriage:  John,  of  Chicago;  Anna; 
Walter,  at  home;  Emma;  and  Arthur. 
Since  becoming  a  naturalized  American  citi- 
zen Mr.  Rohde  has  given  his  political  sup- 
port to  the  Republican  party,  and  is  inter- 
ested in  local  progress  and  national  advance- 
ment, displaying  the  sterling  traits  of  char- 
acter which  lead  to  business  success  and  also 
gain  the  recognition  of  those  who  have  re- 
gard for  uprightness  and  integrity  in  busi- 
ness affairs.  He  has  prospered  as  the  years 
have  gone  by  and  is  now  in  possession  of  a 
good  property,  from  which  he  derives  an 
excellent  annual  income. 

THEODORE  SPADING.  In  New 
Buffalo  township  there  is  a  large  percentage 
of  citizens  of  German  birth  or  of  German 
parentage  and  they  have  founded  here  a 
community  of  substantial,  enterprising  peo- 
ple, who,  planting  the  seeds  of  civilization 
as  developed  by  the  Teutonic  race,  have 
made  this  one  of  the  progressive  sections  of 
Berrien  county  and  western  Michigan.  Mr. 
Spading  of  this  review  was  born  in  Prussia, 
Germany,  on  the  6th  of  August,  1833,  and 
was  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family 
of  seven  children,  whose  parents  were 
Charles  and  Caroline  (Behling)  Spading, 
who  spent  their  entire  lives  in  the  father- 


JAMES  F.  HIGBEE 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


447 


land.  Of  the  children, of  the  family  Fred 
is  now  deceased ;  Fredericka  is  the  second  in 
order  of  birth;  Marie,  Sophia  and  Caroline 
are  all  residents  of  Germany;  Theodore  is 
the  next  younger;  and  Carl  is  living  in  St. 
Joseph,  Michigan.  There  were  also  four 
other  children  who  died  in  early  life. 

In  the  schools  of  his  native  country  Mr. 
Spading  of  this  review  acquired  his  educa- 
tion, pursuing  his  studies  until  fifteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  learned  the  miller's  trade. 
He  followed  that  pursuit  for  fifteen  years, 
employed  in  different  places  as  a  millwright 
and  flour  maker.  He  traveled  for  seven  or 
eight  years,  working  as  a  journeyman  and 
then^  hoping  to  enjoy  better  business  oppor- 
tunities in  the  new  world,  made  arrange- 
ments to  leave  the  fatherland  and  came  to 
America.  In  1861  he  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  Canada,  after  wdiich  he  removed  to  Wayne 
county,  Michigan,  settling  near  Dearborn. 
In  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  however,  he 
came  to  Berrien  county  and  purchased  his 
present  farm  in  New  Buffalo  township,  be- 
coming the  owner  at  that  time  of  forty 
acres  on  section  15.  Later  he  added  forty 
acres  and  again  another  tract  of  eighty  acres, 
so  that  he  now  has  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  New  Buffalo  township  and  in  addi- 
tion forty  acres  just  across  the  boundary 
line  in  Indiana.  It  was  woodlaud  when  he' 
made  the  purchase,  but  he  has  placed  most 
of  it  under  cultivation  and  he  occupies  a 
good  brick  residence  which  he  built.  He 
is  giving  his  attention  to  general  farming, 
placing  his  fields  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation and  harvesting  therefrom  good  crops. 
He  is  practical  and  progressive  in  his 
methods  and  his  work  is  carried  on  in  ac- 
cordance with  modern  ideas  of  progressive 
farming. 

Mr.  Spading  was  married  in  Canada  in 
1 86 1  to  Miss  Fredericka  Zorn,  a  native  of 
Prussia,  Germany,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  fourteen  children,  of  whom  six 
are  now  deceased,  although  nine  reached 
years  of  maturity,  Charles  having  died  at 
the  age  of  nineteen  years.  The  other  mem- 
bers of  the  family  are  Ida,  the  wife  of 
Rudolph  Timm,  a  resident  of  Michigan 
City ;  Robert,  who  is  living  in  Iowa ;  Frank, 


of  Minnesota;  Rosa,  the  wife  of  Albert 
Barth,  who  makes  his  home  near  Chicago; 
Albert  and  Ernest,  both  of  Iowa;  Caroline, 
the  wife  of  Dowerick  Ludwig,  of  Michi- 
gan City;  and  Herman,  who  is  engaged  in 
railroading  in  the  west. 

Mr.  Spading  votes  with  the  Democracy 
where  national  issues  are  involved  but  at 
local  elections  casts  an  independent  ballot, 
regarding  only  the  capability  of  the  candi- 
date and  his  fitness  for  office.  He  belongs 
to  the  German  Lutheran  church  and 
throughout  an  active  business  life  has  dis- 
played sterling  qualities,  his  integrity  and 
trustworthiness  proving  important  elements 
in  his  business  success  in  addition  to  his 
untiring  effort  and  perseverance.  He  has 
now  resided  in  Berrien  county  for  forty 
years,  witnessing  many  changes  here  as  the 
county  has  been  reclaimed  for  the  purpose 
of  civilization  and  transformed  from  a  com- 
paratively wild  and  unimproved  district  into 
one  of  rich  fertility,  in  which  the  work  of 
agricultural  and  horticultural  development 
is  carried  steadily  forward,  while  the  towns 
and  cities  are  alive  with  all  of  the  commercial 
and  industrial  interests  which  have  been  the 
factors  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  older  east. 

JAMES  F.  HIGBEE.  No  state  can 
boast  of  a  more  heroic  band  of  pioneers  than 
Michigan.  In  their  intelligence,  capability 
and  genius  they  are  far  above  the  pioneers 
of  the  eastern  states,  and  in  their  daring  and 
heroism  they  were  equal  to  the  Missouri 
and  Arkansas  argonauts.  Their  persever- 
ance, hardships  and  (earnest  labors  have  re- 
sulted in  establishing  one  of  the  foremost 
of  any  of  the  republics  in  America,  the  pos- 
sibilities of  which  are  as  great  as  those  pos- 
sessed by  any  of  her  sister  states.  The 
band  of  pioneers  is  fast  passing  away  and 
yet  here  and  there  remains  one  who  has 
been  an  active  factor  in  the  early  d^evelop- 
ment  and  progress  of  Michigan  and  who 
lives  a  revered  patriarch  of  his  community, 
his  memory  forming  a  connecting  link  be- 
tween the  primitive  past  and  the  progressive 
present.  Such  a  man  is  James  F.  Higbee, 
a  retired  farmer,  now  residing  in  Benton 
Harbor,   He  came  to  southwestern  Michigan 


448 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


during  the  early  epoch  in  its  development 
and  has  since  been  a  witness  of  the  many 
changes  that  have  occurred. 

A  native  of  Benton  township,  Ontario 
county,  New  York,  Mr.  Higbee  was  born  on 
the   7th  of   May,    18 18,   and  is   descended 
from  the  English  nobility,   tracing  his  an- 
cestry back  in  direct  line  to  the  Prince  of 
Orange.     His  grandfather,  James  Higbee, 
was  a  native  of  New  York,  in  which  state 
James  Higbee,  Jr.,   father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  and  reared.     Having  arrived  at 
years  of  maturity,  he  wedded  Miss  Mary 
Finton  and  on  coming  west  to  Michigan  es- 
tablished his  home  in  Berrien  county,  where 
he  resided  until  called  to  the  home  beyond. 
James  F.  Higbee  was  a  youth  of  eight- 
een years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents 
on  their  removal  to  this  state.    He  acquired 
a  practical  education  in  the  common  schools 
and  for  six  months  was  a  student  in  the 
high    school    at    Niles.     In    the    spring    of 
1839  he  went  to  Louisa  county,  Iowa,  and 
there  assisted  in  the  early  pioneer  develop- 
ment, spending  the  summer  months  in  break- 
ing prairie  land  for  three  dollars  per  acre. 
During  the  winter  seasons  for  two  years  he 
engaged  in  teaching  school  and  was  thus 
connected   with   the   material   advancement 
and  intellectual  progress  of  the  community. 
In  the  fall  of  1841,  however,  he  returned  to 
Michigan  and  secured  an  unimproved  farm 
in  this  county,  where  he  made  his  home  con- 
tinuously for  about  forty-four  years  or  until 
March,  1885,  when  he  took  up  his  abode  in 
Benton  Harbor.    He  has  since  dealt  in  real- 
estate  here,  and  in  1887  he  erected  the  Hig- 
bee Hotel.     His  name  is  closely  interwoven 
with  the  annals  of  this  section  of  the  state, 
for  he  has  not  only  witnessed  its  develop- 
ment but  has  been  an  active  participant  in 
many  of  the  events  which  have  molded  its 
course  and  shaped  its  policy.     He  was  one 
of  the  commissioners  appointed  to  superin- 
tend the  construction  of  the  Benton  Harbor 
canal  and  rendered  efficient  service  in  car- 
rying forward  to  successful  completion  this 
plan. 

On  the  30th  of  September,  1841,  oc- 
curred the  marriage  of  James  F.  Higbee  and 
Miss  Mary  Lewin,  who  was  born  in  Ohio, 
and   at   the   age    of  (eleven   years   went   to- 


Louisa  county,  Iowa,  with  her  parents,  John 
A.  and  Salome  Lewin.  They  traveled  life's 
journey  together  for  more  than  a  half  cen- 
tury and  were  then  separated  by  the  death 
of  the  wife  in  1895.  Unto  them  have  been 
born  nine  children,  of  whom  six  are  living : 
Amanda  M.,  the  wife  of  William  Hill; 
Mary  A.,  who  married  W.  H.  Pike  and  is 
deceased;  John  Calvin;  Nancy  J.,  the  wife 
of  John  D.  Thompson;  Emily  H.,  the  wile 
of  James  M.  Cunningham;  Ida  J.,  who  mar- 
ried Henry  C.  Lain;  Eliza,  deceased;  Cap- 
itula  L.,  and  Perry,  deceased. 

In  November,  1841,  Mr.  Higbee  took 
his  bride  to  his  farm  in  the  midst  of  the 
forest  in  Benton  township  and  they  began 
their  domestic  life  in  a  little  log  cabin.  He 
had  not  a  single  dollar  and  they  had  to  go 
in  debt  in  order  to  secure  provisions  enough 
to  carry  them  through  the  coming  year. 
Flour  and  pork  were  very  higdi  and  all  dry 
goods  and  other  merchandise  brought  what 
now  seems  exorbitant  prices.  The  young 
couple,  however,  possessed  stout  hearts  and 
willing  hands  and  although  their  capital  was 
extremely  limited  they  were  determined  to 
make  a  good  home  and  Mr.  Higbee  began 
clearing  the  fields.  It  was  an  arduous  task,  so 
that  his  life  was  a  strenuous  one  in  those 
early  days,  but  labor  eventually  finds  its 
true  reward,  and  such  has  been  the  case 
with  Mr.  Higbiee.  He  found  that  the  soil 
produced  bountifully  when  carefully  culti- 
vated. His  first  crop  constituted  four  hun- 
dred bushels  of  potatoes  raised  from  a  single 
acre  and  which  he  sold  the  next  spring  at 
one  dollar  per  bushel.  From  four  acres 
planted  to  corn  he  gathered  about  two  hun- 
dred bushels,  which  he  sold  for  seventy-five 
cents  per  bushel.  He  also  raised  about 
fifteen  bushels  of  spring  wheat.  The  first 
year  by  rigid  economy  Mr.  Higb<ee  was  able 
to  have  a  balance  of  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars.  Thus  he  struggled  on,  his  capital 
increasing  year  by  year  until  the  hardships 
and  privations  of  pioneer  life  have  given 
way  before  the  comforts  of  an  advancing 
civilization.  In  those  early  days  there  were 
wdld  bears  and  wolves,  which  were  very 
troublesome,  committing  many  depredations 
in  the  farmyards.  On  on^  occasion  Mr.  Hig- 
bee succeeded  in  capturing  in  a  trap  the  king 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


449 


leader  of  the  wolves  and  the  others  fled 
from  the  district.  He  found  great  pleasure 
in  hunting  and  had  ample  opportunity  to 
indulge  his  love  of  the  sport.  He  frequently 
tells  of  his  first  experience  in  shooting  a 
deer.  HjC  raised  his  gun,  fired  and  the  deer 
felL  He  then  jumped  on  the  prostrate  ani- 
mal with  the  intention  of  cutting  its  throat, 
but  before  he  had  done  so  the  deer  had 
brought  up  his  hind  feet  and  had  caught 
them  in  the  side  of  his  clothing,  tearing  his 
garments  to  shreds.  While  the  experience 
was  a  little  painful,  yet  to  him  the  suffering 
was  of  far  less  moment  than  the  important 
question  of  how  to  reach  home  minus  cloth- 
ing. The  difficulty,  however,  was  solved 
by  finding  some  thorns  which  he  used  for 
pins  to  fasten  together  the  remaining 
shreds  of  his  garments.  That  was  not  his 
last  deer  hunt,  however,  for  in  the  early 
days  it  was  no  unusual  thing  to  find  a  dish 
of  venison  upon  the  pioneer  table.  Indians 
were  numerous  in  those  sections  of  Michi- 
gan and  were  often  very  troublesome,  com- 
mitting thefts  and  constantly  menacing  the 
property  and  lives  of  the  white  men.  The 
years  went  by  and  pioneer  conditions  passed 
away,  as  the  country  became  thickly  settled 
and  this  region  was  reclaimed  for  the  uses 
of  the  white  race.  Mr.  Higbee  continued 
his  labors  at  farming  with  untiring  energy 
and  persistence  and  as  the  years  went  by  he 
added  to  his  capital  and  possessions  until 
he  had  a  valuable  and  well  improved  tract 
of  land,  while  at  the  present  time  his  pos- 
sessions are  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  enjoy 
a  well  earned  rest  in  Benton  Harbor. 

Politically  a  stalwart  Republican  he 
gives  his  influence  to  the  party  and  is 
deeply  interested  in  its  success.  He  served 
as  the  first  treasurer  of  his  township,  hold- 
ing th(e  office  for  several  terms.  He  was  also 
justice  of  the  peace  for  several  terms  and 
often  was  the  incumbent  in  three  or  four 
offices  at  the  same  time,  the  duties  of  which 
he  discharged  with  the  same  fidelity  and  loy- 
alty that  he  manifested  in  the  care  of  his  pri- 
vate business  interests.  He  was  for  many 
years  notary  public  and  whether  in  office  or 
out  of  it  he  always  gave  hearty  co-operation 
to  every  movement  for  the  welfare  of  Berrien 
county.     It  was  Mr.  Higbee  who  purchased 

29 


the  ground  and  erected  the  buildings  wher^^ 
in  was  held  the  first  agricultural  fair  of  Ber- 
rien county,  and  for  four  successivje  terms 
he  was  president  of  its  board  of  directors. 
The  splendid  success  of  the  fair  was  due  to 
his  efforts  more  than  to  the  labors  of  any 
other  man.  He  has  always  stood  as  the 
champion  of  progress  and  improvement, 
and  Berrien  county  acknowledges  its  indebt- 
edness to  him  for  his  far-reaching  labors  in 
its  behalf.  During  the  period  of  the  Civil 
war  he  was  commissioned  captain  of  a  com- 
pany, which  was  forrri^d  in  St.  Ives,  Michi- 
gan, in  1864,  but  on  account  of  serious  ill- 
ness in  his  family  he  was  unable  to  take  the 
command  and  the  war  closed  before  he 
found  it  possible  to  leave  home,  owing  to 
the  conditions  that  existed  in  his  own  house- 
hold. 

For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Higbee  chose 
Sarah  E.  Glover,  a  daughter  of  James  and 
Elizabeth  (Dozier)  Glover,  to  whom  he  was 
married  September  15,  1896.  His  second 
wife  was  born  in  St.  Charles,  Missouri.  Her 
father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  spent 
much  of  his  life  in  Wisconsin.  He  was  born, 
however,  in  Maryland  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight  years  went  to  Missouri,  where 
he  had  a  large  farm  of  two  hundred  acres. 
His  wife  was  a  native  of  Lexington,  Ken- 
tucky, and  her  father  was  a  prominent  phy- 
sician of  that  state.  Mr.  Glover  served  as 
a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812  under  command 
of  Commodore  Perry. 

In  his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Higbee  is 
a  Mason,  belonging  to  Lake  Shore  Lodge, 
No.  298,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He  holds  member- 
ship in  the  Christian  church  as  did  his  first 
wife,  and  is  interested  in  the  promotion  of 
moral  development  in  the  county.  He  has 
now  passed  the  eighty-sixth  milestone  on 
life's  journey  and  is  one  of  the  most  vener- 
able and  honorable  citizens  of  Berrien 
county.  Looking  back  over  the  past  and 
noting  the  conditions  which  were  to  be  met 
here  in  the  early  days,  the  county  certainly 
owes  a  d)ebt  of  gratitude  to  those  who 
braved  the  hardships  and  privations  of  pio- 
neer life  and  promoted  the  moral,  intel- 
lectual and  material  advancement  of  this 
portion  of  the  state.  The  work  of  the  hardy 
pioneers    is    nearly    complete.     Thev    have 


450 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


helped  to  build  an  empire  which  is  an  ex- 
cellent monument  to  their  labors,  but  though 
they  are  one  by  one  passing  away  their 
memory  will  forever  remain  green  among 
the  friends  who  have  loved  them  and  aj)- 
preciated  their  efforts.  In  the  life  record  of 
James  F.  Higbee  we  find  a  rare  combination 
of  man's  best  qualities.  He  possesses  in  a 
high  degree  practical  business  sagacity, 
charity  for  the  sfiortcomings  of  others,  gen- 
erosity to  those  less  favoned  than  himself 
and  is  withal  the  soul  of  honor  and  hon- 
esty. He  has  known  but  one  method  in 
business  or  politics — straightforwardness 
and  open  dealing  and  a  genial,  courteous 
manner  has  readily  won  and  retained  the 
confidence  and  friendship  of  those  with 
whom  he  has  been  associated  through  the 
long  years  of  his  residence  in  Berrien 
county. 

FRITZ  L.  KLESS,  devoting  his  time 
and  energies  to  general  agricultural  pursuits 
on  section  14,  New  Buffalo  township,  was 
born  in  the  village  of  New  Buffalo,  Berrien 
county,  on  the  9th  of  April,  1857,  and  has 
spent  his  entire  time  in  this  township,  his 
attention  throughout  the  period  of  his  busi- 
ness career  being  given  to  general  farming. 
He  is  a  son  of  Fritz  Kless,  Sr.,  who,  as  the 
name  indicates,  was  of  German  birth,  hav- 
ing first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day 
in  Mecklenburg  on  the  19th  day  of  April, 
1827.  He  spent  his  youth  in  his  native 
country  and  in  1855  came  to  the  new  world, 
being  then  a  young  man  of  twenty-eight 
years.  He  did  not  tarry  on  the  Atlantic 
coast  but  made  his  way  at  once  into  the  in- 
terior of  the  country  and  took  up  his  abode 
in  Berrien  county.  He  spent  his  remaining 
days  here  upon  a  farm  and  died  in  1897 
when  in  the  seventieth  year  of  his  age.  He 
was  drafted  for  service  with  the  Union 
army  near  the  close  of  the  Civil  war  and 
was  a  member  of  Company  G,  Ninth  Michi- 
gan Regiment.  His  political  views  were  in 
accord  with  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party  and  his  religious  faith  was  that  of  the 
Lutheran  church.  He  w^as  married  in  Ger- 
many to  Miss  Sophia  Roder,  also  a  native  of 
Mecklenburg,  born  March   13,    1820.     She 


survived  her  husband  for  about  eight  years, 
passing  away  September  9,  1905.  Fritz  L> 
Kless  of  this  review  is  their  only  child.  He 
has,  however,  a  half  sister,  Mary  Kruger,  of 
New  Buffalo,  who  was  born  of  the  mother's 
first  marriage. 

The  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  were 
quietly  passed  by  Mr.  Kless,  who  has  al- 
ways lived  in  New  Buffalo  township,  spend- 
ing the  greater  part  of  his  life  upon  the 
farm  which  is  now  his  home.  It  was  taken 
as  timber  land  and  had  to  be  cleared  before 
it  could  be  cultivated.  Most  of  it,  however, 
is  now  under  cultivation.  There  is  a  good 
house  upon  the  place  and  substantial  out- 
buildings for  the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock. 
Mr.  Kless  was  associated  with  his  father  in 
business  in  the  development  of  the  fields 
and  in  stock  raising  and  in  his  business  in- 
terests has  been  attended  with  gratifying 
success.  He  now  has  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  situated  on  sections  13 
and  14,  his  home  being  on  the  latter  sec- 
tion. Everything  about  his  place  is  neat 
and  thrifty  in  appearance  and  substantial 
in  character  and  he  is  a  reliable  and  ener- 
getic business  man,  ambitious  for  success 
and  thus  working  untiringly  toward  that 
end. 

On  the  20th  of  December,  1904,  Mr. 
Kless  married  Miss  Alma  Guener,  who  was 
born  in  Germany  and  came  to  the  United 
States  with  her  parents  a  short  time  before 
her  marriage.  One  child  has  been  born  of 
this  union,  Fritz,  whose  birth  occurred  on 
the  24th  of  February,  1906.  Mr.  Kless 
votes  with  the  Republican  party,  and, 
as  every  true  American  citizen  should  do, 
keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day,  so  that  he  is  able  to  cast 
an  intelligent  ballot  and  give  a  reason  for 
the  political  faith  that  is  in  him.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Lutheran  church  at  New  Buf- 
falo and  his  name  is  on  the  membership 
rolls  of  New  Buffalo  Lodge,  No.  84,  I.  O. 
O.  F.  Having  always  resided  in  the  town- 
ship which  is  now  his  home,  he  is  well 
known  here  and  has  gained  many  friends 
who  esteem  him  for  the  possession  of  those 
qualities  which  work  for  upright  manhood 
and  for  good  citizenship. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


451 


JOHN    C     SCHWENK,    residing    in 
New  Buffalo  township  on  section  19,  where 
he  owns  a  well  improved  and  valuable  farm 
property,    his    total    acreage    amounting    to 
three   hundred   acres,   is   one  of  the  native 
sons   of   New   York,    his   birth   having  oc- 
curred in  Erie  county  about  six  miles  from 
the  city  of  Buffalo,  on  the  19th  of  August, 
1849.      The   old   home   place,    however,    is 
now    included   within   the   corporate   limits 
of  that  city.     His  parents,  John  and  Eliza- 
beth   (Reuss)    Schwenk,    were    natives    of 
Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  and  were  there; 
reared  and  married,  after  which  they  sailed 
for   the   United   States.        They   landed   at 
New   Orleans    in    1848,    at   the   time  of   a 
cholera  epidemic  there,  and  Mr.  Schwenk  be- 
came ill  with  the  disease,  but  recovered.  He 
afterward  proceeded  northward  to  Chicago 
by  boat  and  found  the  site  of  the  present 
metropolis  nothing  but  a  mud  hole,  which 
to  him  seemed  so  unattractive  and  distaste- 
ful that  he  would  not  remain  there  and  went 
instead   to   Buffalo,    New   York.      He   had 
learned  in  early  life  the  trades  of  a  cooper 
and  brewer  and  soon  after  reaching  Buffalo 
he  turned  his  attention  to  farming,  remain- 
ing there  for  five  years.     On  the  expiration 
of   that  period   he   went   to   Grand   Island, 
New  York,  and  in  1857  he  came  to  Michi- 
gan, settling  in  Berrien  county.     He  com- 
menced life  here  in  the  timber  with  sixty- 
four  acres  of  land,  and  for  some  time  con- 
ducted a  boarding  house  and  saloon.      He 
also  handled   much  timber   and  his   varied 
business  interests  brought  him  a  good  liv- 
ing.     He  continued  to  make  his   home  in 
Berrien   county  until  his   death,   which  oc- 
curred September  22,    1869,  when  he  was 
forty-nine   years   of   age,    his   birth   having 
occurred  April    16,    1820.        In  his   family 
were  ten  children  :    John  C,  of  this  review ; 
Philipena,  the  wife  of  Jacob  L.  Edinger,  of 
New  Buffalo  township;  Henry  C,  who  con- 
trols extensive  business  interests  and  trav- 
els quite  largely,  being  now  on  the  Pacific 
coast,    although    his    home    is    in    Berrien 
county;  Mary,  who  died  in  1864;  Elizabeth; 
Louisa ;  Robert ;  George ;  Jacob,  who  is  con- 
ducting   a    saloon    in    New    Buffalo;    and 
Emma,  who  married  and  died,  leaving  three 


children,  her  eldest  son  now  living  with 
John  C.  Schwenk  of  this  review.  The 
mother  of  our  subject,  who  was  born  June 
28,   1828,  still  resides  in  this  county. 

John  C.  Schwenk  came  to  New  Buffalo 
with  his  parents  in  1857,  the  family  reach- 
ing their  destination  on  the  20th  of  June. 
He  has  resided  continuously  since  in  New 
Buffalo  township,  his  parents  settling  on  a 
farm  four  miles  southeast  of  the  town,  their 
place  being  in  the  midst  of  the  forest,  not 
even  a  road  having  been  laid  at  that  time. 
Being  the  eldest  of  ten  children  it  was 
necessary  that  he  assist  in  the  support  of 
the  family  and  in  providing  for  his  own 
wants,  and. when  only  ten  years  of  age  he 
began  driving  oxen.  He  aided  in  the  ar- 
duous task  of  clearing  his  father's  land  and 
developing  a  new  farm,  upon  which  he  re- 
mained until  the  fall  of  1864,  when  his 
father  took  up  his  abode  in  the  town,  while 
Mr.  Schwenk  of  this  review  continued  to 
operate  the  farm.  Four  children  of  the 
family  had  died  of  scarlet  fever  on  the  farm 
and  one  died  in  New  Buffalo,  all  passing 
away  within  a  year.  Following  the  removal 
of  the  family  to  New  Buffalo,  John  C. 
Schwenk  remained  alone  on  the  farm,  keep- 
ing bachelor's  hall  until  the  winter,  when 
he,  too,  took  up' his  abode  in  the  town.  He 
handled  timber  for  his  father,  who  was 
making  shipments  to  Chicago.  The  fathei 
died  in  the  year  1869.  His  mother  and  un- 
cle had  just  returned  from  a  visit  to  Europe 
at  the  time  of  the  father's  death  and  John 
C.  Schwenk  then  took  his  mother  onto  the 
farm,  comprising  one  hundred  and  ten  acres 
of  land.  He  continued  to  cultivate  and  im- 
prove that  property  until  his  marriage.  His 
mother  still  survives  and  is  yet  living  in 
New  Buffalo. 

Mr.  Schwenk  had  eighty  acres  of  timber 
land  which  his  father  had  given  him  and 
which  he  cleared  and  improved.  He  bought 
an  additional  one  hundred  and  ten  acres, 
where  he  now  resides  on  section  19,  New 
Buffalo  township.  He  also  has  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  acres  on  section  24  of  the  old 
homestead  and  eighty  acres  in  Indiana, 
where  his  eldest  son  now  resides,  so  that 
his  total  holdings  comprise  three  hundred 


452 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


acres,  all  of  which  is  under  cultivation  with 
the  exception  of  a  small  tract  of  ten  acres. 
Mr.  Schwenk  has  cleared  the  entire  amount 
and  has  a  well  improved  and  valuable  place, 
giving"  his  attention  to  general  farming  and 
the  raising  of  stock.  He  also  has  three 
acres  of  apples  upon  his  place  and  his  or- 
chard is  a  productive  one,  returning  him 
good   crops. 

Mr.  Schwenk  was  married  in  1872  to 
Miss  Barbara  Gropp,  who  was  born  in  San- 
dusky, Ohio,  June  5,  1848,  a  daughter  of 
Frederick  and  Barbara  Gropp,  who  were  na- 
tives of  Baden,  Germany,  and  on  coming  to 
the  United  States  settled  in  Ohio,  whence 
they  afterward  removed  to  Indiana  and  later 
to  Michigan,  spending  their  last  days  in 
Berrien  county.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Schwenk  were  born  two  sons :  Charles  F., 
who  is  residing  on  his  father's  farm  in  In- 
diana ;  and  John  R.,  at  home. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Schwenk  has 
been  a  lifelong  Democrat  and  is  now  serv- 
ing his  ninth  term  as  supervisor  of  the 
township.  He  had  filled  the  office  for  five 
terms,  after  which  he  resigned  and  took  a 
trip  to  Louisiana,  where  he  spent  the  winter. 
Following  his  return  he  was  again  chosen  to 
the  office  and  is  now  at  this  time  serving 
for  the  fourth  consecutive  term.  He  was 
township  treasurer  for  three  terms  and 
commissioner  for  five  years.  For  thirty- 
five  consecutive  years  he  has  been  school 
director  of  district  No.  4.  He  has  served 
as  delegate  to  the  various  county  conven- 
tions and  has  done  all  in  his  power  to  pro- 
mote the  growth  and  insure  the  success  of 
his  party.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  the 
Maccabees  Tent,  No.  231,  at  New  Buffalo, 
and  he  was  reared  in  the  Lutheran  faith 
and  helped  to  build  the  church  in  New  Buf- 
falo, but  is  not  a  member.  He  has  been 
honorable  and  straightforward  in  all  his 
business  dealings  and  has  labored  diligently 
and  energetically  to  win  success  that  he 
might  provide  his  family  with  a  comforta- 
ble living.  He  has  prospered  in  his  under- 
takings and  as  the  years  have  gone  by  he 
has  also  enjoyed  to  the  full  extent  the  re- 
spect  and  trust  of  his  fellowmen,  as  has 
been  manifest  by  the  many  times  in  which  he 
has  been  elected  to  public  office. 


JOHN  STUCK.  The  attractiveness 
of  Berrien  county  as  a  place  of  residence 
is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  many  of  her 
native  sons  have  remained  here  and  have 
become  successful  business  men.  Among 
this  number  is  John  Stuck,  who  was  born 
February  2y,  1859,  on  the  farm  on  which 
he  now  resides  on  section  12,  New  Buffalo 
township.  Here  he  has  made  his  home 
throughout  his  entire  life,  giving  his  atten- 
tion to  general  agricultural  pursuits,  and 
his  carefully  directed  business  labors  are 
resulting  in  the  acquirement  of  very  desira- 
ble prosperity.  He  is  the  son  of  Hans  Stuck, 
who  was  born  in  Holstein,  Germany,  in 
1833,  and  came  when  a  young  man  alone  to 
America,  being  at  that  time  about  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  He  made  his  way  direct  to 
New  Buffalo  and  spent  his  remaining  days 
upon  a  farm  in  Berrien  county,  passing  away 
here  when  sixty-eight  years  of  age.  He 
owned  sixty  acres  of  land,  which  he  placed 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  becoming 
one  of  the  active  and  energetic  agricultur- 
ists of  the  communtiy.  His  political  allegi- 
ance was  given  to  the  Democracy,  and  he 
belonged  to  the  Lutheran  church.  He  was 
married  in  this  county  to  Miss  Lena  Friece, 
who  was  born  in  Holstein  in  1843  ^^^d  came 
to  the  United  States  in  early  womanhood, 
spending  her  remaining  days  here,  her 
death  occurring  when  she  was  forty 
years  of  age.  In  the  family  were  eight 
children :  Henry,  now  a  resident  of  Peoria, 
Illinois;  John,  of  this  review;  Anna  and 
Charles,  both  deceased;  Mary,  the  wife  of 
Henry  Forsome,  of  Chicago;  Ellen,  the 
wife  of  Frank  Swartz,  of  South  Bend,  Indi- 
ana; Rosa,  of  Virden,  Illinois;  and  Louisa, 
deceased. 

Mr.  Stuck,  whose  name  introduces  this 
record,  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of 
farm  lads,  giving  his  attention  to  the  work 
of  the  fields  through  the  summer  months, 
while  in  the  winter  seasons  he  acquired  his 
education  in  the  public  schools.  After  leav- 
ing school  he  gave  his  entire  attention  to 
the  work  of  the  home  farm  and  eventually 
bought  forty  acres  of  the  old  homestead  on 
section  12,  New  Buffalo  township.  In  ad- 
dition to  this  he  owns  eighty  acres  on  sec- 
tion 7,  and  thirty  acres  on  section  18  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


453 


same  township,  so  that  his  landed  possessions 
aggregate  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres.  He 
carries  on  general  farming,  raising  various 
cereals,  and  he  has  upon  his  place  good 
buildings  and  modern  equipments,  using  the 
latest  improved  machinery  in  the  care  of 
the  fields  and  the  harvesting  of  the  crops. 
He  has  altogether  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land  under  cultivation  and  his  farm 
is  very  productive.  In  1888  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Stuck  and  Miss  Dora 
Schultz,  who  was  born  in  Mecklenburg, 
Germany,  and  came  to  the  United  States 
with  her  parents  when  eighteen  years  of 
age.  Her  father  is  Frederick  Schultz,  of 
Indiana.  Three  children  grace  this  mar- 
riage :  Fred,  Irving  and  Edna,  all  yet  with 
their  parents. 

Mr.  Stuck  has  always  supported  the 
Democracy,  but  has  not  been  a  politician 
in  the  sense  of  office  seeking.  He  served 
for  four  years  as  a  school  officer  but  other- 
wise has  held  no  public  or  political  positions, 
preferring  to  concentrate  his  energies  up- 
on business  affairs,  in  Avhich  he  has  met 
wdth  signal  success.  He  belongs  to  New 
Buffalo  Lodge,  No.  84,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and 
holds  membership  in  the  Lutheran  church, 
and  the  tenets  of  the  society  and  the  teach- 
ings of  the  church  are  permeating  influences 
in  his  life,  making  him  a  man  of  upright 
character  and  genuine  worth. 

THOMAS  H.  MARTIN,  who  for 
twenty-eight  years  was  proprietor  of  the 
Martin  House  at  Three  Oaks,  is  now  living 
retired,  for  his  activity  in  former  years  se- 
cured to  him  a  goodly  bank  account,  so 
that  his  income  is  sufficient  to  enable  him 
to  enjoy  a  well-earned  rest.  He  was  born 
near  Brantville,  Ontario,  Canada,  on  the 
loth  of  February,  1844,  and  was  only  four 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  father's 
death.  With  his  widowed  mother  he  then 
removed  to  St.  Lawrence  county,  New 
York,  the  family  home  being  established 
near  Ogdensburg.  He  was  the  fifth  in  order 
of  birth  in  a  family  of  six  children,  two 
sons  and  four  daughters.  His  brother, 
James,  became  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war, 
enlisting  in  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and 
Thirteenth    Illinois    Infantry,    and   died    at 


Memphis,  Tennessee,  while  in  the  service 
of  his  country. 

Between  the  ages  of  four  and  ten  years 
Thomas  H.  Martin  resided  with  his  wid- 
owed mother  in  St.  Lawrence  county.  New 
York,  near  Ogdensburg,  and  then  went  to 
Batavia,  Illinois,  where  he  resided  for  seven 
years  or  until  after  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  w^ar  in  1861.  He  then  removed  to 
Furnaceville,  Indiana,  with  his  mother  and 
was  principally  employed  as  a  teamster  un- 
til he  enlisted  in  the  Union  army  in  August, 
1862,  becoming  a  member  of  Company  A, 
One  Hundred  and  Thirteenth  Illinois  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  under  command  of  Col. 
George  B.  Hoag.  He  participated  in  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  in  the  engagement  at 
Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  and  in  a  fight  south 
of  Memphis,  Tennessee,  beside  many  others 
of  minor  importance.  He  served  altogether 
for  two  years  and  ten  months  and  w^as  taken 
prisoner  at  Eastport,  Tennessee,  after 
which  he  remained  for  six  months  in  the 
rebel  military  prison  at  Cahaba,  Alabama. 
He  continued  with  his  command  until  hon- 
orably discharged  on  the  6th  of  June,  1865. 
when  with  a  most  creditable  military  rec- 
ord he  returned  to  his  home  in  Indiana. 

When  the  war  was  over  and  the  coun- 
try no  longer  needed  his  aid  Mr.  Martin  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  the  Hoosier  state,  hav- 
ing purchased  a  tract  of  land  while  in  the 
army.  There  he  carried  on  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  until  1872,  when  he  came 
to  Three  Oaks.  He  afterward  engaged  in 
teaming  for  two  years  for  the  firm  of  Ben- 
nett Brothers  in  connection  with  the  mill 
and  when  that  period  had  passed  he  estab- 
lished a  boarding  house  and  conducted  a 
boarding  house  and  a  hotel  for  twenty- 
eight  years,  but  about  two  years  ago  sold 
the  Martin  House,  of  which  he  had  so  long 
been  proprietor  and  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness life  to  enjoy  a  well-earned  rest.  He 
ow^ns  a  good  home  on  Main  street  and  also 
has  two  buildings  which  he  rents  and  which 
return  to  him  a  good  income. 

On  the  7th  of  September,  1867,  was 
celebrated  the  marriage  of  Thomas  H.  Mar- 
tin and  Miss  Rosa  Siberts,  who  w^as  born 
in  Ohio,  December  4,  1842.  They  have  no 
children  of  their  own,  but  have  reared  two. 


454 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Mr.  Martin  votes  with  the  RepubHcan  party, 
having  given  to  it  his  allegiance  since  age 
conferred  upon  him  the  right  of  franchise. 
He  is  a  public  spirited  citizen,  interested  in 
local  progress  as  well  as  national  advance- 
ment, and  his  co-operation  has  been  given 
to  many  measures  that  have  had  direct  bear- 
ing upon  the  welfare  and  upbuilding  of  this 
locality.  He  has  become  very  widely  known 
in  his  business  career  and  was  a  popular 
landlord,  whose  efforts  to  add  to  the  com- 
fort of  his  guests  made  his  hostelry  a  fav- 
ored one  with  the  traveling  public.  In 
citizenship  he  has  been  as  loyal  to  his  coun- 
try as  when  he  followed  the  stars  and  stripes 
upon  southern  battlefields  and  in  all  life's 
relations  he  has  gained  warm  friendships 
that  have  made  him  one  of  the  respected 
residents  of  this  part  of  the  county. 

JOSEPH  MULHOLLAND,  who  since 
1896  has  resided  on  his  present  farm  on 
section  10,  New  Buffalo  township,  was  born 
in  county  Tyrone,  near  Dublin,  Ireland, 
December  24,  1842,  his  parents  being  John 
C.  and  Isabelle  (Miller)  Mulholland,  who 
left  their  native  country  and  crossed  the 
Atlantic  to  Toronto,  Canada,  when  their  son 
Joseph  was  about  a  year  old.  Both  died 
when  he  was  five  years  of  age,  passing  away 
within  six  weeks  of  each  other.  They  had 
five  children ;  Robert,  now  residing  in  Ohio ; 
John  C.  and  Rachel,  both  deceased;  Jo- 
seph, of  this  review;  and  James,  who  w^as 
a  soldier  in  the  same  regiment  to  which  his 
brother  Joseph  belonged.  He  served  for 
three  years  and  was  then  discharged  but 
the  hardships  and  rigors  of  war  had  under- 
mined his  health  and  he  died  soon  after- 
ward. 

At  their  death  the  parents  left  five  young 
children  and  two  years  later  all  went  to 
live  with  an  uncle,  John  Dunlap,  of  Ken- 
ton, Ohio.  Mr.  Mulholland  of  this  review 
was  therefore  reared  upon  a  farm  in  the 
Buckeye  state,  where  he  remained  until  after 
the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  when  his 
patriotic  spirit  being  aroused  he  responded 
to  the  country's  call  for  aid  and  joined  the 
boys  in  blue  of  Company  A,  Eighty-second 
Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  command 
of  Colonel  Robinson.     He  took  part  in  thir- 


ty-three important  engagements  during  the 
four  years  of  his  service,  including  the  bat- 
tles of  Gettysburg,   Chattanooga,  Chancel- 
lorsville,  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run  and 
in  the  march  under  General  Sherman  from 
Atlanta  to  the  sea.     He  afterward  proceeded 
northw^ard  through  the  Carolinas  and  Vir- 
ginia and  took  part  in  the  grand  review  at 
Washington,    D.    C,    wdiere    thousands    of 
Union  soldiers  with  victory  perched  on  their 
banners  marched  past  the  stand  on  which 
the  president  and  other  distinguished  states- 
men were  standing  to  cheer  the  return  of 
the  army.       At  Gettysburg  he  was  knocked 
dow^n  but  was  not  seriously  wounded,  but 
he  permanently  injured  his  back  in  tearing 
up   a   railroad  in   South   Carolina  and  has 
suffered  therefrom  continuously  since.     Af- 
ter serving  for  three  years  he  veteranized 
with   most   of   the   company   and   regiment 
and   participated   in   every   engagement  ex- 
cept  one   of   the   thirty-four   in   which   the 
regiment  took  part  and  was  prevented  from 
doing  so  on  that  occasion  by  an  attack  of 
typhoid  fever.     He  was  always  a  brave  and 
loyal  soldier,  never  faltering  in  the  perform- 
ance of   any   duty   that   was   assigned   him 
whether  it  called  him  to  the  lonely  picket 
line  or  stationed  him  in  the  midst  of  danger 
on  the  firing  line. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Mulholland  returned 
to  his  old  home  in  Ohio  and  two  years  later 
was  married.  He  went  to  Kansas  in  1871, 
settling  in  Mitchell  county,  where  he  home- 
steaded  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  before 
the  county  was  organized.  In  fact  he  as- 
sisted in  organizing  the  county  and  the 
towmship  of  Solomon  Rapids  where  he  re- 
sided. He  was  one  of  a  committee  of  nine 
that  acted  as  a  vigilance  committee  that  ran 
down  the  famous  outlaw  Bender.  Mr.  Mul- 
holland continued  to  live  in  Kansas  until 
after  the  grasshopper  scourge  of  1874,  when 
all  crops  were  completely  destroyed  and  he 
then  returned  to  Ohio.  He  engaged  in 
farming  in  the  latter  state  until  1881,  wdien 
he  removed  to  northern  Michigan,  settling 
in  Osceola  county.  There  he  lived  for  sev- 
enteen years  and  in  1896  came  to  Berrien 
county,  taking  up  his  abode  upon  the  farm 
which  has  since  been  his  place  of  residence. 
He  has  here  eighty  acres  of  section  10  ad- 


^yY^Zur^Y.  JJ^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


455 


joining  the  corporation  limits  of  New  Buf- 
falo. He  has  erected  and  improved  the 
buildings  upon  the  place,  has  cleared  the 
land  and  transformed  it  into  productive 
fields  from  which  he  annually  harvests  good 
crops.  He  now  has  a  well  improved  and 
attractive  property,  which  in  its  thrifty  ap- 
pearance indicates  his  careful  supervision 
and  enterprise. 

On  the  28th  of  September,  1867,  Mr. 
Mulholland  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Mary  J.  Eastman,  who  was  born  in  Lima, 
Ohio,  March  7,  1847,  ^  daughter  of  Jona- 
than O.,  and  Rachel  Ann  (Huston)  Mul- 
holland, both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Ohio.  They  were  of  American  birth  and 
their  respective  families  had  lived  in  the 
United  States  for  five  generations,  the  fore- 
fathers on  both  sides  arriving  in  colonial 
days. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mulholland  have 
been  born  six  children :  Mrs.  Anna  Isa- 
belle  Warner,  who  is  living  in  Niles;  Carrie 
Amelia,  of  San  Antonio,  Texas;  Rachel 
Ida,  the  wife  of  Rev.  B.  F. .  Fowler,  a 
preacher  of  the  United  Brethren  church, 
now  at  Waterloo,  Michigan;  John  C,  a  trav- 
eling man  representing  a  Chicago  house; 
Ada  J.,  a  school  teacher  of  Berrien  county; 
and  Mary  Frances,  who  is  also  engaged  in 
teaching  school. 

Mr.  Mulholland  votes  with  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  He  cast 
his  first  presidential  ballot  for  Abraham  Lin- 
coln in  1864  and  has  since  supported  each 
nominee  at  the  head  of  the  ticket.  He 
served  for  one  term  as  justice  of  the  peace, 
was  highway  commissioner  two  terms  in 
New  Buffalo  township  and  also  held  the  same 
office  while  living  in  Northern  Michigan, 
w^here  he  served  for  three  terms.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  society 
at  New  Buffalo,  also  the  Rebekah  lodge, 
and  Post  No.  315,  G.  A.  R.,  thereby  main- 
taining pleasant  relations  with  his  old  army 
comrades.  His  life  has  been  one  of  activi- 
ty, directed  by  sound  judgment  and  stim- 
ulated by  a  laudable  ambition  for  success 
and  as  the  years  have  gone  by  he  has  made 


a  creditable  place  in  business  circles  and  is 
now  in  possession  of  a  good  farm. 

HARVEY  J.  CAMPBELL.  The  in- 
dustrial life  of  Benton  Harbor  finds  a 
worthy  representative  in  Harvey  J.  Camp- 
bell, who  is  now  connected  with  its  manu- 
facturing interests  as  a  member  of  the 
Campbell  &  Naylor  Garment  Company, 
manufacturers  of  overalls  and  men's  fur- 
nishing goods.  He  was  born  in  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri,  in  1854,  a  son  of  Charles  W.  and 
Sarah  (Jones)  Campbell.  The  father  died 
at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years,  but  the 
mother  is  still  living.  The  former  was  a 
prominent  wholesale  dry  goods  merchant 
of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  for  many  years, 
carrying  on  an  extensive  business,  but 
eventually  he  retired  from  trade  some  years 
prior  to  his  death  and  spent  his  last  days  in 
Florida.  In  the  family  were  seven  children, 
of  whom  five  are  yet  living. 

Harvey  J.  Campbell,  the  leldest  son  and 
the  only  one  now  living  in  Berrien  county, 
pursued  his  education  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  city  and  on  attaining  his  majority 
he  entered  business  life  as  an  employe  in  a 
wholesale  dry  goods  establishment  there. 
He  had  pursued  Kis  education  in  the  public 
schools,  passing  through  successive  grades 
until  he  had  completed  the  high  school 
course.  Following  his  entrance  into  busi- 
ness life  he  became  connected  with  John  S. 
Lemon  under  the  firm  name  of  John  S. 
Lemon  &  Company,  which  relation  was 
maintained  for  some  time,  after  which  Mr. 
Lemon  withdrew  in  order  to  engage  in  the 
banking  business  in  St.  Joseph.  In  1896 
Mr.  Campbell  left  that  city  and  went  to  St. 
Paul,  Minnesota,  where  he  remained  for 
two  years,  also  engaged  in  the  wholesale 
dry  goods  business.  Removing  to  Chi- 
cago, he  became  indentified  with  the  whole- 
sale dry  goods  house  of  J.  V.  Farwell  & 
Company,  who  were  also  large  manufactur- 
ers of  overalls.  This  company  established  a 
factory  in  Benton  Harbor,  of  which  Mr. 
Campbell  was  made  manager  and  so  con- 
tinued until  the  spring  of  1904,  when  the 
business  was  closed  out.  At  that  time  Mr. 
Campbell  joined  William  D.   Naylor,  who 


456 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


was  formerly  superintendent  of  the  factory 
of  J.  V.  Farwell  &  Company  in  Benton 
Harbor,  in  the  estabHshment  of  the  present 
Campbell  &  Naylor  Garment  Company, 
manufacturers  of  overalls  and  men's  fur- 
nishings in  Benton  Harbor.  They  are  con- 
ducting business  in  the  old  Farwell  factory 
and  that  their  trade  has  reached  extensive 
proportions  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that 
they  now  furnish  employment  to  from  sixty 
to  seventy  operatives.  Their  trade  is  con- 
stantly growing  and  has  already  become  an 
important  industry  of  Benton  Harbor. 

In  1880,  in  Winchester,  Virginia,  Mr. 
Campbell  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Denny, 
a  native  of  the  Old  Dominion.  They  have 
resided  in  Benton  Harbor  since  1900  and 
have  won  for  themselves  an  enviable  posi- 
tion in  social  circles.  Mr.  Campbell  is  a 
Democrat  in  his  political  views  but  has 
neither  time  nor  inclination  for  office,  pre- 
ferring to  devote  his  undivided  attention  to 
his  businjess  affairs.  A  man  of  strong  in- 
dividuality and  indubitable  probity,  he  has 
attained  a  due  measure  of  success  in  the 
affairs  of  life  and  is  today  a  leading  repre- 
sentative of  the  productive  industries  of  Ber- 
rien county.  He  possesses,  moreover,  a 
genial  and  social  nature  and  is  most  appre- 
ciative of  the  amenities  which  go  to  make 
up  the  sum  of  human  happiness. 

W.  K.  WHITEHEAD,  a  retired  farm- 
er living  in  Three  Oaks,  was  born  in  Mor- 
ris county.  New  Jersey,  on  the  12th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1829,  and  there  made  his  home  for 
about  thirty  years.  His  parents  were  David 
and  Mary  (King)  Whitehead.  The  father, 
a  native  of  Manchester,  England,  came  to 
the  United  States  when  eighteen  years  of 
age  with  one  brother.  He  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  in  New  Jersey  and  was 
a  gardener,  dependent  upon  that  business 
for  the  income  wherewith  he  met  his  daily 
expenses.  He  died  at  the  venerable  age  of 
eighty-six  years,  while  his  wife  passed  away 
in  New  Jersey  at  the  age  of  forty  years. 
She  was  born  in  that  state  and  had  always 
resided  there.  Her  mother  was  a  sister  of 
General  Grant's  father,  so  that  she  and  the 
general  were  own  cousins.  W.  K.  White- 
head was  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  seven 


children,  the  other  six  being :  Caroline,  the 
deceased  wife  of  William  Jones;  Elma,  the 
widow  of  Charles  Overton  and  a  resident 
of  Albany,  New  York ;  David,  who  is  living 
in  New  Jersey;  Mrs.  Harriet  Roberts,  a 
resident  of  Norwalk,  Connecticut;  Mar- 
garet, who  married  George  Raymond,  of 
Norwalk,  Connecticut;  one  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

William  K.  Whitehead  began  his  educa- 
tion at  the  usual  age  and  continued  his  stud- 
ies to  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  when  he  be- 
gan providing  for  his  own  living  as  an  em- 
ploye in  the  Dover  Iron  Works,  Dover,  New 
Jersey.  He  acted  in  various  capacities  in 
connection  with  that  industry  and  contin- 
ued his  residence  in  New  Jersey  until  1850, 
when  he  went  to  California  by  way  of  the 
isthmus  route.  He  spent  about  four  years 
mining  on  the  Pacific  coast  and  then  re- 
turned on  a  visit  to  New  Jersey.  He 
crossed  the  isthmus  at  the  time  the  railroad 
was  being  built,  it  having  been  constructed 
a  part  of  the  way  on  the  return  trip.  Again 
taking  up  his  abode  in  New  Jersey  he  was 
once  more  employed  in  the  iron  works  un- 
til he  came  to  Michigan  in  1876.  Settling 
in  Three  Oaks,  he  has  since  made  his  home 
here.  He  purchased  a  general  store,  which 
he  conducted  with  a  partner  for  a  time  but 
later  he  purchased  his  partner's  interests  and 
carried  on  business  alone  for  about  eighteen 
years.  He  was  one  of  the  wide  awake  and 
enterprising  merchants  of  the  town,  having 
a  good  establishment,  in  which  he  carried  a 
well  selected  line  of  goods  and  thereby 
gained  a  liberal  support.  At  length  he  sold 
out  and  bought  seventy  acres  of  land  about 
one  mile  from  town.  Locating  thereon,  he 
gave  his  attention  to  general  agricultural 
pursuits  for  some  time,  but  in  March,  1906, 
sold  his  farm  and  returned  tO'  the  town, 
where  he  is  now  living  a  retired  life,  having 
justly  earned  the  rest  which  he  is  now  en- 
joying. 

In  i860  Mr.  Whitehead  was  married  to 
Miss  Mary  Alice  Searing,  who  was  born  in 
New  Jersey  February  i,  1837,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Phoebe  (Martin) 
Searing,  who  were  likewise  natives  of  New 
Jersey.  Unto  them  were  born  two  children : 
Margaret  Elma,  the  wife  of  Rev.  LT.Weldon 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


457 


of  Elsie,  Michigan,  who  is  a  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  they  have 
two  children,  Alice  M.  and  William  W. ;  and 
William  S.,  living  in  Boise  City,  Idaho, 
where  he  is  engaged  in  the  drug  and  fruit 
business,  also  dealing  in  live  stock.  He  has 
two  children,  Donald  S.  and  Alice  R. 

Mr.  Whitehead  belongs  to  the  Metho- 
dist church  and  is  deeply  interested  in  its 
work  and  progress.  His  political  support 
is  given  to  the  Republican  party.  He  has 
now  passed  the  seventy-sixth  milestone  on 
life's  journey  and  and  well  merits  the  rest 
which  has  been  vouchsafed  to  him.  In  the 
management  of  his  property  interests  and 
business  affairs  he  has  displayed  excellent 
ability  and  enterprise  and  has  gained  there- 
by a  comfortable  competence,  being  now  a 
substantial  citizen  of  Three  Oaks.  He  has 
lived  here  continuously  for  thirty  years, 
which  has  given  ample  opportunity  to  the 
public  to  judge  of  his  worth  and  qualifica- 
tions and  the  consensus  of  opinion  is  very 
favorable. 

r 

DIX  H.  BEESON,  proprietor  of  a  drug 
store  at  Three  Oaks,  was  born  one  mile 
west  of  Cassopolis,  in  Cass  county,  Michi- 
gan, May  I,  1863,  his  parents  being  Ben- 
jamin F.  and  Jennie  E.  (Banks)  Beeson,  the 
father  a  native  of  Richmond,  Indiana,  and 
the  mother  of  Chenango  county,  New  York. 
Benjamin  F.  Beeson  was  taken  to  Cass 
county  in  his  infancy  and  for  many  years 
was  a  farmer  there,  devoting  his  time  and 
energies  to  general  agricultural  pursuits  un- 
til his  demise,  which  occurred  in  1896,  when 
he  was  sixty-four  years  of  age. 

His  widow  still  survives  him  and  now 
makes  her  home  in  Goshen,  Indiana,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-nine  years.  In  their  family 
were  three  children :  Mrs.  Grace  Ashley, 
living  in  Goshen;  Dix  H.,  of  this  review; 
and  Otis  J.,  also  living  in  Goshen,  where 
he  is  engaged  in  the  drug  business. 

Dix  H.  Beeson  was  reared  in  the  usual 
manner  of  farm  lads,  working  in  the  fields 
through  the  summer  months,  while  in  the 
winter  seasons  he  attended  the  public 
schools  and  thus  acquired  a  good  practical 
education.  He  was  for  a  time  a  student 
in  Hillsdale  College,  and  when  a  young  man 


of  twenty-two  years  he  removed  from  his 
native  county  to  Berrien  county,  where  he 
arrived  in  the  fall  of  1885.  Locating  at 
Three  Oaks,  he  was  engaged  in  the  cream- 
ery business  for  three  years  as  an  employe, 
and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  invest- 
ed the  capital  which  he  had  saved  from  his 
earnings  in  the  drug  store,  which  he  is  still 
conducting.  He  was  first  located  three  doors 
south  of  his  present  place  of  business  but 
.  later  purchased  the  building  in  which  he 
is  now  conducting  his  store  and  to  which 
he  removed  four  years  ago.  It  is  a  two- 
story  frame  structure,  ninety  by  twenty-four 
feet.  Until  the  last  year  Mr.  Beeson  has 
devoted  considerable  time  to  farming,  and 
is  the  owner  of  five  hundred  acres  of  valua- 
ble land  in  connection  with  Jonas  H.  Hol- 
den.  This  is  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of 
peppermint,  and  the  experiment  is  proving 
a  very  profitable  one.  Mr.  Beeson  also 
owns  a  branch  store  at  New  Buffalo,  and 
is  meeting  with  success  in  his  mercantile 
ventures,  having  a  liberal  patronage  in  both 
places. 

In  1885  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Dix  H.  Beeson,  and  Miss  Ella  J.  James,  a 
native  of  Elkhart,  Indiana,  and  a  daughter 
of  Edward  K.  and  Katharine  (McFarren) 
James.  They  have  three  children,  Paul, 
Lois  and  Helen.  Mr.  Beeson  votes  with 
the  Republican  party,  and  has  served  as 
supervisor  of  his  township  for  one  term. 
He  has  also  been  township  treasurer  for 
several  terms  and  a  member  of  the  village 
council.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the 
board  of  education,  and  the  public  schools 
have  found  in  him  a  warm  and  stalwart 
friend,  who  has  put  forth  effective  effort  in 
their  behalf.  He  regards  a  public  office  as  a 
public  trust  and  has  been  most  loyal  to  the 
confidence  reposed  in  him  through  his  offi- 
cial service.  He  belongs  to  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  also  to  the  Ma- 
sonic lodge,  and  his  brethren  of  these  fra- 
ternities regard  him  as  a  man  worthy  their 
entire  confidence  and  respect.  In  business 
life  he  has  placed  his  dependence  not  upon 
speculation  or  upon  any  fortunate  combina- 
tion of  circumstances,  but  has  relied  upon 
energy  and  close  application  to  bring  to  him 
the  success  which  he  is  now  enjoying  and 


4S8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


which  has  made  him  one  of  the  substantial 
and  representative  residents  of  this  part  of 
the  county. 

JOSEPH  J.  DEUEL.  There  are  in  Jo- 
seph J.  Deuel  many  characteristics  that 
render  him  a  representative  citizen  of  Ber- 
rien county  and  one  well  worthy  of  mention 
among  the  leading  agriculturists  of  this  part 
of  the  state.  His  life  record  began  in  Nor- 
wichville,  Oxford  county,  Ontario,  Canada, 
on  the  25th  of  September,  1839.  His 
father.  Abner  H.  Deuel,  was  a  native  of 
Dutchess  county.  New  York,  and  was  mar- 
ried to  Jane  Duncan,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  the  same  county.  The  wedding  cere- 
mony, however,  was  celebrated  in  Ontario, 
Canada,  and  about  three  years  after  their 
marriage  they  returned  to  the  Empire  state. 
In  the  spring  of  i860  they  came  to  New 
Buffalo,  where  their  remaining  days  were 
passed,  both  departing  this  life  here.  The 
father  died  in  1893  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-three  years  and  the  mother  passed 
away  in  1906  at  the  extreme  old  age  of 
ninety  years.  In  their  family  were  six  chil- 
dren. Charles,  who  served  in  the  Forty- 
second  Illinois  Infantry  in  the  Civil  war,  is 
now  living  in  Elmira,  Michigan.  Joseph 
J.  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth.  William 
A.,  who  was  also  a  defender  of  the  Union 
cause  in  the  Civil  war,  is  now  living  in  Den- 
ver, Colorado,  and  is  general  superintend- 
ent of  the  Moffet  Railroad  System.  He  has 
been  continuously  with  the  railroad  service 
since  he  left  the  army,  beginning  on  the 
Union  Pacific  in  1867.  He  was  first  brakes- 
man, afterward  promoted  to  conductor  and 
later  became  division  superintendent  of  the 
same  line.  He  was  afterward  general  sup- 
erintendent of  the  Rio  Grande  Railroad  and 
later  returned  to  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad 
but  is  now  connected  with  the  Moffet  Sys- 
tem as  general  superintendent.  The  only 
interruption  to  his  railroad  service  was  four 
years  spent  in  the  position  of  sheriff  of  Hall 
county,  Nebraska.  Hannah  M.  is  the  wife 
of  Lyman  Barnes,  of  Virginia.  David  is  a 
resident  of  Shelby,  Michigan.  Abraham 
Deuel  is  represented  on  another  page  of  this 
work. 

Joseph  J.  Deuel,  whose  name  introduces 


this  review  was  only  about  a  year  old  when 
his  parents  removed  to  Niagara  county. 
New  York,  where  he  remained  to  the  age 
of  ten  years,  when  he  returned  to  the  old 
home  in  Ontario,  there  living  with  an  aunt 
until  twenty  years  of  age.  On  the  21st  of 
April,  i860,  his  father  came  to  New  Buf- 
falo and  Mr.  Deuel  joined  his  parents  here, 
residing  in  New  Buffalo  township  on  the  old 
homestead,  two  miles  from  the  village  of 
New  Buffalo.  He  carried  the  first  mail  bag 
from  New  Buffalo  to  St.  Joseph,  going  on 
foot,  this  being  about  1862,  and  he  carried 
on  foot  for  a  time,  then  on  horseback  and 
later  by  stage.  He  gave  his  attention  to 
farm  work  until  the  outbreak  of  hostilities 
between  the  north  and  the  south  when  his 
patriotic  spirit  was  aroused  and  he  enlisted 
in  Berrien  county  on  the  7th  of  March,  1864, 
as  a  member  of  Company  E,  Twelfth  Michi- 
gan Volunteer  Infantry,  under  Captain  Bos- 
tic  of  Niles.  The  command  was  sent  to  Lit- 
tle Rock,  Arkansas,  and  operated  on  the 
White  and  Red  rivers.  Mr.  Deuel  partici- 
pated in  the  engagements  at  Clarendon  and 
took  part  in  long  marches  and  many  minor 
military  movements.  He  became  quarter- 
master's clerk  and  was  honorably  discharged 
at  Camden,  Arkansas,  in  March  1866.  He 
then  hired  out  to  the  United  States  govern- 
ment at  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per 
month  as  quartermaster,  commissary  clerk, 
and  chief  clerk,  continuing  in  the  govern- 
ment employ  until  the  4th  of  July,  1866, 
when  he  returned  to  his  old  home  in 
Michigan. 

Mr.  Deuel  had  a  little  farm  which  he 
had  purchased  at  the  time  of  his  marriage 
and  he  took  up  the  work  of  improving  and 
cultivating  it.  The  place  comprised  fifty- 
three  acres  of  rich  land  and  in  addition  to 
its  improvement  Mr.  Deuel  also  worked  at 
carpentering  and  contracting,  being  thus 
identified  with  building  operations  during 
the  greater  part  of  his  life.  Selling  his 
farm,  he  removed  to  New  Buffalo  and 
became  connected  with  the  New  Buffalo 
Land  Improvement  Company.  He  has 
about  six  hundred  acres  of  land  on  the  lake 
shore,  which  is  owned  by  Floyd  R.  Per- 
kins, of  Chicago.  Mr.  Deuel  taking  charge 
and    operating    it    for    Mr.    Perkins.      He 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


459 


has  laid  out  a  park  of  four  acres  here, 
which  is  a  fine  place  bordering  Lake  Beaver 
and  the  river.  There  are  natural  springs 
and  in  the  park  are  a  number  of  deer.  Mr. 
Deiiel  has  also  started  extensive  fish  ponds 
here  and  has  about  forty-five  thousand  fish, 
including  trout  and  some  gold  fish.  Mr. 
Deuel  also  looks  after  various  real  estate  in- 
terests. The  company  has  a  sixty  acre  lease 
of  land  on  which  they  are  making  the  ex- 
periment of  developing  a  paint  factory, 
brickyard  and  pottery,  fine  brick  being  made 
from  the  soil. 

On  the  2nd  of  February,  1862,  Mr. 
Deuel  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Hunt, 
who  was  born  in  New  Buffalo  township, 
August  19,  1844,  and  is  a  daughter  of  David 
M.  and  Hannah  (Holbrook)  Hunt.  The 
father  was  born  near  Lafayette,  Indiana, 
and  the  mother  near  Buffalo,  New  York, 
and  both  spent  their  last  days  in  Boyne 
City,  Charlevoix  county,  Michigan,  Mrs. 
Hunt  passing  away  when  only  twenty- 
six  years  of  age,  while  Mr.  Hunt  departed 
this  life  in  1895  at  the  advanced  age  of 
seventy-seven  years.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Deuel  have  been  born  four  children :  Agnes 
M.,  the  wife  of  Jared  K.  Quantrell,  of 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan ;  David  Abner,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  four  and  a  half  years; 
Marietta,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  and  a 
half  years;  and  Jacob  Morris,  of  Boyne 
Falls,  Michigan.  Mr.  Deuel  was  a  Repub- 
lican, and  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot 
for  Abraham  Lincoln,  but  during  the  past 
twelve  years  has  given  his  political  allegi- 
ance to  the  Democracy.  He  was  super- 
visor of  his  township  for  one  year,  and 
treasurer  for  two  years  and  for  a  number 
of  terms  has  been  justice  of  the  peace,  ren- 
dering fair  and  impartial  decisions  in  the  dis- 
charge of  his  duties.  He  has  filled  nearly 
all  of  the  township  offices  and  has  been  an 
able  official.  He  w^as  a  member  of  Minor 
Pratt  Post,  G.  A.  R.  until  it  was  discontin- 
ued, and  in  times  of  peace  he  is  as  loyal  in 
citizenship  as  when  he  followed  the  old  flag 
upon  southern  battlefields.  A  man  of  good 
business  ability  and  enterprise,  he  is  now 
carefully  directing  the  real  estate  interests 
in  his  care  and  is  developing  a  most  attract- 
ive resort  in  New  Buffalo  township. 


ALEXANDER  HALLIDAY,  residing 
in  Lincoln  township,  is  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, his  birth  having  occurred  in  Berwick- 
shire, near  the  English  border,  on  the  24th 
of  June,  1842.  His  parents  were  Audreys 
and  Helen  (Redpath)  Halliday,  and  his 
paternal  grandfather  was  Alexander  Halli- 
day, Sr.,  who  had  two  sons  in  the  ministry 
of  the  Episcopal  church,  laboring  in  be- 
half of  the  cause  of  Christianity  in  England 
and  Scotland.  The  year  1844  witnessed  the 
arrival  of  Andrew  Halliday  and  his  father 
in  Norfolk  county,  Ontario,  where  he  se- 
cured large  tracts  of  land.  His  attention 
was  then  given  to  agricultural  pursuits  up 
to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
wdien  he  was  fifty-six  years  of  age.  His 
wife  long  survived  him  and  died  at  the  old 
homestead  in  Canada,  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-five  years.  Mr.  Halliday  has  no 
brothers  or  sisters  in  the  United  States,  but 
has  three  brothers  and  two  sisters  living  in 
Canada.  His  brother  Robert  died  in  Cali- 
fornia five  years  ago. 

Alexander  Halliday  of  this  review  spent 
his  youth  in  his  parents'  home,  was  educat- 
ed in  the  public  schools  of  Canada  and  in 
early  life  learned  the  millwright's  trade, 
which  he  followed  for  a  few  years.  When 
tw^enty-two  years  of  age  he  went  to  Kan- 
kakee, Illinois,  where  he  worked  as  a  mill- 
wright and  carpenter.  He  began  a  contract- 
ing business  there,  in  which  he  continued 
for  eight  years,  or  until  1870,  when  he 
came  to  Berrien  county  with  the  intention 
of  engaging  in  the  production  of  peaches, 
which  were  bringing  high  prices  at  that 
time.  He  bought  raw  land  near  Lake  Michi- 
gan about  two  miles  from  Stevensville,  for 
which  he  paid  one  hundred  and  ten  dollars 
per  acre.  It  was  destitute  of  improvements. 
Prices  had  become  greatly  inflated  with  the 
discovery  of  Michigan's  fruit  raising  pos- 
sibilities and  improved  land  sold  for  five 
hvmdred  dollars.  Mr.  Halliday  invested  his 
money  in  property,  secured  his  land  and  set 
out  peach  orchards  but  when  the  trees  were 
coming  into  bearing  the  yellows  destroyed 
them  and  all  of  Berrien  county  and  south- 
ern Michigan  were  left  without  peach  or- 
chards. He  then  began  growing  berries 
until  it  was  possible  to  once  more  engage  in 


460 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


the  cultivation  of  peaches,  when  for  a 
second  time  he  set  out  his  orchard.  He  now 
has  forty  acres  planted  to  fruit  and  his 
place  is  an  indication  that  he  is  one  of  the 
leading  horticulturists  of  the  county.  He 
has  erected  a  handsome  home,  commanding 
a  fine  view  of  the  lake  for  miles  southward 
to  the  Indiana  bluffs.  In  the  rear  a  fine 
view  of  the  country  may  be  obtained,  with 
its  outlying  farms  and  orchards,  even  across 
the  St.  Joseph  river.  In  fact  his  home  is 
splendidly  located  and  constitutes  one  of  the 
attractive  farm  properties  of  Berrien  county. 

Mr.  Halliday  exercises  his  right  of  fran- 
chise in  support  of  the  men  and  measures 
of  the  Democracy,  and  his  fellow  townsmen, 
recognizing  his  worth  and  ability,  have  fre- 
quently called  him  to  public  office.  He  has 
served  for  two  years  as  tax  collector,  also 
as  township  treasurer,  and  for  fourteen 
years  was  township  supervisor,  during 
which  time  the  county  seat  was  removed 
from  Berrien  Springs  to  St.  Joseph.  He 
was  also  a  member  of  the  building  commit- 
tee at  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the  new 
court  house.  In  all  these  relations  he  has 
proved  a  capable  official  and  one  whose  de- 
votion to  the  general  good  has  resulted  most 
beneficially  to  the  county.  Lincoln  has  al- 
ways been  a  Republican  township,  and  the 
fact  that  Mr.  Halliday  has  so  long  been  con- 
tinued in  office  is  incontrovertible  proof  of 
his  ability  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  and 
the  confidence  and  trust  reposed  in  him  by 
his  fellow  townsmen.  He  has  frequently 
attended  the  state  conventions  of  his  party 
as  a  delegate  and  he  stands  firm  in  support 
of  its  principles,  yet  he  has  not  been  a  poli- 
tician in  the  sense  of  office  seeking.  The 
honors  which  he  has  had  in  this  direction 
have  come  to  him  largely  unsolicited  and  he 
was  at  one  time  named  as  the  candidate  of 
his  party  for  the  office  of  sheriff. 

In  1869  Mr.  Halliday  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Maggie  Doyle,  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  who  for  some  years  en- 
gaged in  teaching  in  the  Keystone  state  and 
in  Illinois,  spending  a  part  of  that  time  in 
the  College  of  St.  Anne.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Halliday  have  no  children  of  their  own  but 
reared  an  adopted  son,  Charles,  who  be- 
came a  member  of  their  household  at  the  age 


of  five  years  and  remained  with  them  until 
his  death,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years. 
Mr.  Halliday  is  a  very  prominent  Mason, 
who  has  taken  the  degrees  of  the  York  and 
Scottish  rites  and  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  and 
in  his  life  he  exemplifies  the  beneficent  spirit 
of  the  craft.  He  has  also  displayed  many 
of  the  sterling  traits  of  his  Scottish  ances- 
try, possessing  the  determination  and  per- 
sistency of  purpose  which  have  made  the 
Scotch  a  thrifty  and  prosperous  race.  Al- 
though he  has  met  some  reverses  and  obsta- 
cles in  his  business  career  in  Berrien  county 
he  has  through  his  persistency  of  purpose 
and  laudable  ambition  gained  a  place  among 
the  substantial  horticulturists  and  respect- 
ed citizens  of  the  township. 

JAMES  H.  FLOOD,  of  Hagar  town- 
ship, was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now 
lives  in  March,  1854.  His  father  was  Wil- 
liam Flood,  a  pioneer  of  this  township,  who 
was  born  in  County  Cavan,  Ireland,  where 
he  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth. 
In  1847  he  came  to  America,  resolved  to 
test  the  truth  of  the  reports  which  he  heard 
concerning  the  business  opportunities  and 
advantages  of  the  new  world.  He  hoped 
that  he  might  more  readily  acquire  a  com- 
petence than  in  his  native  country  and 
crossed  the  Atlantic  with  the  intention  of 
coming  to  Wisconsin,  but  meeting  an  old 
countryman  in  St.  Joseph  he  decided  to  re- 
main in  Berrien  county.  This  was  in  the 
year  1847.  The  traveler  of  today  cannot 
realize  the  conditions  which  he  faced  at 
that  time,  for  much  of  the  land  was  still 
covered  with  its  native  growth  of  timber  and 
there  were  few  cultivated  tracts.  The 
streams,  too,  were  unbridged  and  the  work 
of  reclaiming  the  district  for  the  uses  of  the 
white  race  had  scarcely  been  begun.  Mr. 
Flood  secured  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  in  Hagar  township,  which  was  cov- 
ered with  fine  timber,  much  of  it  being  cut 
for  the  best  timbers  used  in  building  the 
harbor  of  St.  Joseph.  He  sold  considerable 
timber  and  ties  and  carried  on  the  work  of 
improving  and  cultivating  his  property  un- 
til he  had  placed  about  one  hundred  acres 
under  cultivation.  As  he  prospered  in  his 
undertakings  he  bought  several  other  tracts 


(^^t^^^;^!^  (^^^u-^t^^t^t^^^t-^^^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


461 


which  he  gave  to  his  children  while  he  still 
lived.  Soon  after  the  war  he  erected  the 
present  residence  which  still  stands  upon 
the  old  homestead.  He  was  married  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two  years  to  Miss  Rose 
Lynch,  also  a  native  of  Ireland.  In  his 
political  views  he  w^as  a  Democrat,  giving 
his  support  to  the  party  from  the  time  that 
.he  became  a  naturalized  American  citizen. 
His  death  occurred  in  August,  1876.  His 
widow  afterward  acted  as  administratrix  of 
his  estate.  She  survived  her  husband  until 
January  8,  1900,  when  she,  too,  was  called 
to  her  final  rest.  She  had  continued  to  op- 
erate the  farm  for  some  years  after  his 
death,  giving  personal  supervision  to  the 
property  and  its  development.  Their  son 
Patrick  was  a  farmer,  who  carried  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  this  district  and  died 
at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  John,  another 
son  of  the  family,  was  a  sailor  for  thirty- 
five  years.  James  and  Thomas  remained 
upon  the  old  homestead  farm  for  some  time 
and  Thomas  now  lives  in  Chicago,  but  his 
business  interests  are  still  in  Berrien  county. 

James  H.  Flood,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  has  passed  his  entire  life  on  the 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  was  reared  to  farm 
labor,  spending  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  under  the  parental  rooi  .  The  public 
schools  afforded  him  his  educational  priv- 
ileges and  after  he  had  entered  upon  his 
business  life  he  and  his  brother  Thomas 
operated  a  sawmill  at  Riverside  for  a  time. 
They  also  improved  land  in  different  lo- 
calities and  after  about  twenty  years  he  pur-, 
chased  his  brother's  interest  and  has  since 
carried  on  general  farming.  He  now  con- 
tinues to  live  upon  the  old  homestead.  He 
has  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  county, 
comprising  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
which  is  very  valuable  and  a  richly  product- 
ive tract.  Upon  it  are  good  buildings  aud  all 
modern  equipments,  and  in  fact  none  of 
the  accessories  of  a  rnodel  farm  are  here 
lacking. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Flood  is  a 
Democrat  of  the  old  type,  believing  in  sound 
principles  and  honest  dealing  in  politics  as 
well  as  in  business  life.  He  is  a  man  firm  in 
the  honest  convictions,  true  to  the  light  as  he 
sees  it  under  all  circumstances  and  is  one 


of  the  substantial  citizens,  his  fellowmen  re- 
cognizing his  many  genuine  and  admirable 
qualities  in  giving  him  therefore  their  high 
respect. 

JOSEPH  TENNANT,  sheriff  of 
Berrien  county,  has  been  connected  with 
this  office  for  a  number  of  years 
through  his  incumbency  in  his  present 
position  or  as  deputy,  and  is  an  officer  in 
whom  his  fellow  townsmen  repose  trust  and 
confidence,  recognizing  that  he  will  defend 
to  the  best  of  his  ability  the  rights  and 
liberties  of  all.  '  He  was  born  in  Glasgow, 
Scotland,  September  22,  1846,  and  was  but 
five  years  of  age  when  brought  to  America 
by  his  parents,  WilHam  and  Rachel  (Mc- 
Faddyen)  Tennant,  both  of  who  are  now 
deceased.  The  father  died  when  his  son 
Joseph  was  but  sixteen  years  of  age.  He 
had  settled  in  this  county  in  what  is  now  the 
village  of  Eau  Claire,  in  Berrien  township, 
when  it  had  but  a  small  population  and 
much  of  the  land  was  at  that  time  un- 
claimed and  uncultivated.  His  labor  proved 
an  important  factor  in  the  development  of 
that  part  of  the,  county,  where  he  made  his 
home  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  In  the 
family  were  /eleven  children,  but  only  six  of 
the  number  came  to  America,  and  three  of 
these  are  still  living,  namely:  W.  James,  a 
resident  of  Oceana  county,  Michigan;  Mrs. 
Mary  Evans,  who  is  living  in  the  same 
county;  and  Jos\eph,  of  this  review. 

Upon  his  father's  farm  in  Berrien  town- 
ship Joseph  Tennant^  spent  his  childhood 
days  and  pursued  his  education  in  what  was 
known  as  Farmer's  Schoolhouse  in  Berrien 
township,,  mastering  the  branches  of  learn- 
ing usually  "taught  in  such  institutions.  He 
worked  upon  the  farm  from  the  time  of  early 
spring  planting  until  crops  were  harvested  in 
the  late  autumn  and  throughout  the  re- 
mainder of  the  year  pursued  his  studies.  He 
continued  in  farm  labor  until  the  establish- 
ment of  the  village  of  Eau  Claire,  when,  in 
the  new  town,  he  began  buying  grain  for  the 
Niles  Milling  Company,  which  he  repre- 
sented for  six  years.  He  had  charge  of  the 
grain  elevator  for  that  firm  and  also  bought 
wheat  there.  In  the  meantime  he  was  called 
to  public  service  by  his  fellow  townsmen. 


462 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


who  recognized  his  worth  and  abiHty  and 
his  djsvotion  to  the  pubhc  good.  He  was 
justice  of  the  peace  in  Berrien  county  for 
twenty-four  years,  and  no  higher  testimonial 
of  his  capabihty  could  be  given  than  the 
fact  that  he  was  so  long  retained  in  office, 
his  decisions  being  strictly  fair  and  impartial 
so  that  he  ''won  golden  opinions  from  all 
sorts  of  people."  At  the  same  time  he  was 
agent  for  agricultural  implements  and  con- 
ducted business  as  a  grain  buyer.  Once 
more  he  was  called  to  public  office  how- 
ever, w^hen  appointed  deputy  sheriff,  serving 
first  under  James  Clark  and  afterward 
under  Sheriff  B.  R.  Stearns  for  four  years. 
He  was  likewisie  deputy  under  Sheriff  E.  H. 
Ferguson  for  four  years  and  for  a  similar 
period  under  Fred  B.  Collins,  and  then  in 
1904  was  elected  to  the  office  of  sheriff, 
which  position  he  is  now  filling,  so  that  his 
connection  with  the  position  will  cover  on 
the  expiration  of  his  present  term  about 
twenty  years.  He  has  discharged  his  duties 
fearlessly  and  his  nature  awakens  a  feeling 
of  safety  among  law-abiding  citizens  and  is 
a  menace  to  all  who  do  not  hold  themselves 
amenable  to  law  and  order.  He  is  prominent 
in  politics  and  his  personal  popularity  and 
the  confidence  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow 
citizens  are  indicated  by  the  fact  that  he  w^as 
elected  on  the  Democratic  ticket  by  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  majority,  while  the  nor- 
mal majority  of  the  county  is  about  sixteen 
hundred  Republican. 

Mr.  Tennant  was  married  to  Miss 
Eleanor  Miller,  a  daught^er  of  Humphrey 
Miller,  of  Ohio,  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren, Mollie,  Hale  and  Nettie.  The  elder 
daughter,  now  Mrs.  Winter,  has  one  child, 
Eleanor.  The  younger  daughter,  Mrs.  Net- 
tie Fryetag,  is  now  liivng  in  Napoleon, 
Ohio,  and  has  two  children,  Catherine  and 
Louisa.  The  son  Hale  is  a  graduate  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor  College,  also  of  the  University 
of  Michigan  in  1905,  as  B.  S.,  and  is  now 
truant  officer  of  Berrien  county. 

Mr.  Tehnant  belongs  to  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  is  also  an  ex- 
emplary representative  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, the  Maccabees  tent  and  the  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.     He  is 


much  esteemed  throughout  the  county  as  a 
man  of  good  principles  and  exemplifies  in 
his  life  the  strong  and  sterling  character- 
istics of  his  Scottish  ancestry,  representing 
a  race  of  people  long  noted  for  their  in- 
tegrity, fidelity  to  duty  and  their  tenacity 
in  pursuing  a  course  which  they  believe  to 
be  right. 

THOMAS  P.  FLOOD,  living  in  Hagar 
township,  owns  valuable  property  interests 
and  has  a  beautiful  summer  home  here,  while 
his  winter  residence  is  at  No.  173  North 
Paulina  street,  Chicago.  He  was  born  on 
the  old  farm  homestead  near  Riverside,  Ber- 
rien county,  on  the  26th  of  August,  1858, 
and  was  connected  with  his  brother  James 
and  his  mother  in  the  ownership  and  the  con- 
duct of  valuable  farming  interests  until  about 
three  years  ago.  He  is  a  son  of  William 
Flood,  who  is  mentioned  on  another  page  of 
this  work  in  connection  with  the  history  of 
James  H.  Flood. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred 
to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  him  in 
his  boyhood  and  youth.  He  attended  the 
public  schools  and  aided  in  the  conduct  and 
management  of  the  property  left  by  the 
father.  On  the  29th  of  October,  1903,  he 
was  married  in  Chicago,  to  Miss  Margaret 
E.  Weldon,  of  that  city,  who  was  born  in 
New  Jersey,  but  was  reared  and  educated  in 
Chicago.  In  her  girlhood  she  pursued  a 
business  course  in  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Busi- 
ness College  of  that  city.  By  her  marriage 
she  has  become  the  mother  of  two  children, 
Rosemary  and  Ellen.  During  the  past  three 
years  Mr.  Flood  has  made  his  home  in  Chi- 
cago in  the  winter  months,  while  in  the  sum- 
mer seasons  he  comes  to  Berrien  county  and 
spends  the  hot  period  of  the  year  at  a  beauti- 
ful summer  home  on  the  lake  shore.  This  is 
situated  in  Hagar  township,  w^here  he  owns 
fifteen  acres,  constituting  one  of  the  delight- 
ful summer  homes  of  this  part  of  the  state. 
He  owns  three  farms  in  Flagar  township, 
together  with  residence  property  in  Benton 
Harbor  and  his  invested  interests  here  return 
him  an  excellent  income.  In  his  political 
view^s  he  is  a  Democrat,  advocating  principles 
expounded  by  Grover  Cleveland.    He  repre- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


463 


sents  one  of  the  old  and  prominent  families 
of  the  county  and  is  widely  known  here,  hav- 
ing an  extensive  circle  of  warm  friends. 

CHRISTIAN  MILLER.  Among  the 
worthy  residents  of  Berrien  county  of 
foreign  birth  is  numbered  Christian  Miller, 
a  native  of  the  province  of  Saxony,  Germany, 
born  September  12,  1836.  Reared  and  edu- 
cated in  his  native  country  he  was  married 
in  1857,  to  Miss  Anna  Sophia  Weber,  who 
was  likewise  a  native  of  Saxony,  born  Feb- 
ruary 9,  1839.  It  was  in  war  times — in  the 
year  1861 — that  Christopher  Miller  became 
a  resident  of  Chicago.  He  had  been  a  coal 
miner  in  Germany,  and  afterward  worked 
for  three  months  on  a  farm.  Subsequently 
he  learned  the  cooper's  trade,  which  he  fol- 
lowed in  Chicago  for  three  years  during  the 
period  of  the  Civil  war.  He  had  been  in 
this  country  for  a  year  when  he  was  joined 
by  his  wnfe.  In  1866  they  removed  to  Michi- 
gan, and  Mr.  Miller  purchased  twenty  acres 
of  land  in  the  midst  of  the  forest.  So  dense 
was  the  timber  that  he  had  to  cut  a  road  to 
his  new  possession.  He  built  a  house  of 
rough  boards  and  it  was  necessary  to  clear 
a  space  on  which  to  erect  a  little  structure. 
For  forty  years  Mr.  Miller  has  remained 
upon  his  place,  carrying  forward  the  work 
of  cultivation  and  improvement  as  the  years 
have  gone  by  and  as  he  cleared  away  the 
timber  and  prepared  the  land  for  the  plow 
he  determined  to  give  part  of  his  attention 
to  horticultural  pursuits  and  planted  peach 
orchards.  For  his  first  twenty  acres  of  land 
he  paid  five  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars, 
which  he  had  saved  from  his  earnings  as  a 
cooper  in  Chicago.  He  worked  by  the  piece 
there  and  earned  good  wages.  After  coming 
to  Michigan  in  1866  he  returned  to  Chicago 
on  one  or  two  occasions  in  order  to  make 
money  at  his  trade  that  he  might  thereby 
be  enabled  to  continue  his  farm  work.  He 
cleared  his  first  five  acres  in  four  weeks  and 
paid  for  the  plowing  with  a  double  barrelled 
gun.  After  returning  from  Chicago  he 
cleared  six  acres  of  land  for  a  home,  taking 
out  the  grubs,  his  wife  assisting  him  in  this 
work.  He  paid  one  hundred  dollars  for  a 
wagon  and  twenty-nine  dollars  interest 
thereon.    Times  were  hard  and  money  scarce 


in  early  days  but  he  persevered  in  his  under- 
takings and  in  the  course  of  years  his  labors 
were  crowned  with  success.  In  early  days 
he  raised  very  fine  peaches,  which  brought 
a  high  price  on  the  market.  As  his  financial 
resources  permitted  he  bought  more  land 
from  time  to  time  until  he  became  the  owner 
of  eighty  acres,  which  he  still  retains.  He 
has  cleared  it  all  and  has  about  forty  acres 
planted  to  fruit,  peaches  being  his  principal 
crop  although  he  has  made  considerable 
money  from  pears. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  have  been 
born  six  children:  Augusta  A.,  the  wife  of 
William  Dunn,  a  merchant  at  Derby,  Michi- 
gan; Eba,  the  wife  of  Rev.  Frederick  Ewald, 
a  minister  of  the  Evangelical  church,  at 
Elkhart,  Indiana;  Minnie,  the  wife  of  Fred 
Schroeder,  of  Royalton;  Martha,  the  wife 
of  Charles  Johnson,  of  Stevensville ;  Anna, 
the  wife  of  William  Schneider,  a  section  boss 
at  New  Bufifalo  on  the  Michigan  Central 
Railroad ;  and  Frank,  who  is  assisting  in  the 
operation  of  the  home  farm. 

Mr.  Miller  is  a  Mason,  belonging  to  the 
lodge  and  chapter  and  is  also  connected  with 
the  Grange.  He  and  his  wife  hold  member- 
ship in  the  Evangelical  Association  and  are 
most  prominent  and  worthy  people  of  Lin- 
coln township.  A  self-made  man  Mr.  Miller 
owes  his  success  entirely  to  his  own  efforts 
and  the  assistance  of  his  estimable  wife,  who 
has  indeed  been  a  helpmate  to  him.  She 
aided  him  in  his  cooper  work,  in  the  arduous 
task  of  clearing  a  farm  and  hauled  ties  to 
St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  where  they  were  sold. 
In  former  years  theirs  was  a  strenuous  exist- 
ence but  now  they  have  a  good  farm  prop- 
erty which  has  been  brought  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  which  yields  to  them 
a  good  financial  return  because  of  the  well 
kept  orchards  and  the  fine  variety  of  fruit 
raised.  They  have  never  had  occasion  to 
regret  their  determination  to  seek  a  home  in 
America,  for  in  this  country  where  effort 
is  unhampered  by  caste  or  class  they  have 
made  steady  advancement  to  a  place  among 
the  substantial  residents  of  Berrien  county. 

FRED  G.  BRIGGS,  living  on  section  19, 
Wesaw  township,  where  he  is  devoting  his 
time  and   energies   to  general   agricultural 


464 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


pursuits,  is  numbered  among  the  worthy  citi- 
zens that  Ohio  has  furnished  to  Berrien 
county,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  York 
township,  Medina  county,  January  5,  1865. 
His  father,  Giles  Briggs,  was  born  in 
Schenectady  county,  New  York,  on  the  isth 
of  December,  1824,  and  was  a  son  of  Giles 
and  Katharine  (Putnam)  Briggs,  the  former 
a  native  of  New  York  and  the  latter  of  Penn- 
sylvania. In  their  family  were  twelve  chil- 
dren, including  Giles  Briggs,  Jr.,  who  when 
a  small  boy  of  about  twelve  years  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  removal  from  the  . 
Empire  state  to  Ohio.  He  was  a  resident 
of  Medina  county  for  a  long  period  and  in 
the  spring  of  1865  came  to  Michigan,  where 
he  resided  continuously  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  on  the  19th  of  December,  1885. 
He  prospered  in  his  business  undertakings 
and  left  a  farm  of  seventy  acres.  His  politi- 
cal allegiance  was  given  to  the  Democracy 
and  his  religious  faith  was  that  of  the  Meth- 
odist church,  in  which  he  held  membership. 
He  wedded  Miss  Mary  Louisa  Broadbeck, 
who  was  born  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  April  19, 
183s,  a  daughter  of  Frederick  and  Christina 
Magdalena  (Annamas)  Broadbeck,  who 
were  natives  of  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  and 
whose  family  numbered  twelve  children. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Giles  Briggs  were  born 
four  children:  Orra  Deen,  the  wife  of  Al- 
bert Hinchman,  a  resident  farmer  of  We- 
saw  towaiship;  Mary  Christina,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  twelve  years ;  Fred  G.,  of  this  re- 
view; and  William  Benjamin,  who  is  also 
living  in  Wesaw  township. 

Fred  G.  Briggs  was  only  about  three 
months  old  when  brought  by  his  parents  to 
Michigan,  the  family  homestead  being  es- 
tablish in  Wesaw  township  near  the  farm 
upon  which  the  subject  of  this  review  now 
resides.  Throughout  his  entire  life  he  has 
been  connected  with  general  agricultural 
pursuits,  having  been  reared  to  the  occupa- 
tion of  farming,  for  in  his  youth  he  assisted 
in  the  labors  of  the  fields  when  not  occupied 
with  the  duties  of  the  schoolroom.  He  is 
today  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  of  rich  land  in  section  19,  Wesaw 
township,  where  he  has  made  his  home  for 
twelve  years.  He  has  erected  all  of  the  build- 
ings upon  the  place  and  has  a  well  improved 


property,  which  returns  to  him  good  harvests 
because  of  the  care  and  labor  he  bestows 
upon  the  fields.  Everything  is  done  in  a 
practical  and  progressive  manner  and  the 
work  is  followed  by  excellent  financial  re- 
sults. 

On  the  2nd  of  December,  1891,  Mr. 
Briggs  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Orpha  Carpenter,  who  was  born  in 
Buchanan  township,  July  9,  1865,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Marcus  and  Martha  A.  (Lape)  Car- 
penter, natives  of  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Briggs  have  become  the  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren :  Terry  Arthur,  Glenn  A.,  Ruth  Mary, 
Raymond  C.,  Marie  and  Lee  Kenneth. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Briggs  is  a 
Democrat  but  without  aspiration  for  office. 
He  holds  membership  in  the  Christian 
church  at  Three  Oaks  and  is  well  known  in 
the  community  where  he  resides  as  a  man  of 
genuine  personal  worth,  while  in  his  busi- 
ness career  he  has  displayed  those  traits 
which  are  worthy  of  emulation,  his  industry 
and  enterprise  being  the  salient  features  of 
his  prosperity. 

W.  A.  D.  ROSE,  living  in  Benton  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Rosshire  in  the  highlands 
of  Scotland,  August  14,  1843,  and  was 
reared  in  his  native  village  to  the  age  of 
nineteen  years.  In  early  boyhood  he  at- 
tended school  and  when  about  twelve  and 
a  half  years  of  age  he  went  into  a  lawyer's 
office,  where  he  acted  as  clerk  for  about  seven 
years.  Two  years  more  were  devoted  to  the 
study  of  law  and  with  another  two  years' 
study  he  would  have  been  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  Edinburgh,  Crossing  the  Atlantic 
to  the  new  world  in  1862,  he  made  his  way 
to  Oxford  county,  Ontario,  Canada,  where 
he  spent  five  years.  On  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  went  to  California,  where 
he  remained  for  five  years,  mainly  devoting 
his  attention  to  the  dairy  business  in  that 
state.  He  then  returned  to  Canada,  and 
for  two  years  was  engaged  in  selling  goods 
at  Seaforth. 

Mr.  Rose  came  to  Michigan  to  engage 
in  the  lumber  trade  at  Big  Rapids  and  spent 
two  years  in  the  manufacture  of  shingles. 
He  was  then  superintendent  of  a  lumber 
business  at  Hungerford  for  twelve  years  and 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


465 


for  seven  years  at  Deer  Lake,  having  also 
charge  of  the  kimber  woods.  He  became 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  lumber  trade 
in  all  of  its  departments  and  he  had  a  con- 
tract for  staking  the  mill,  having  from  sev- 
enty-five to  one  hundred  men  in  his  employ 
with  from  two  hundred  and  fifty  to  three 
hundred  men  over  whom  he  had  supervision. 
In  this  business  he  continued  for  seven  years 
until  the  logging  was  completed,  when  he 
came  to  Benton  Harbor  to  establish  a  lum- 
ber trade  as  a  wholesale  dealer.  He  began 
business  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the 
present  Peters  Lumber  Company,  and  he  was 
thus  engaged  until  the  financial  panic  of  1893 
which  swept  over  the  country,  when  his  busi- 
ness became  involved,  as  did  that  of  thou- 
sands of  others.  He  then  purchased  his 
present  farm  of  forty-eight  acres  on  the  lake 
shore  road  two  and  a  half  miles  north  of 
Benton  Harbor.  This  is  an  old  landmark, 
being  tlie  Parmelee  farm.  The  present 
house  was  lighted  up  for  the  first  time  on 
the  night  after  General  Lee's  surrender  in 
April,  1865.  It  is  one  of  the  old  fruit  farms 
of  the  comity,  the  entire  place  being  devoted 
to  fruit,  including  peaches,  pears  and  apples. 
He  has  sold  fruit  to  the  value  of  four  thou- 
sand dollars  in  one  season  and  is  a  com- 
mercial grower.  The  business  is  proving 
very  satisfactory  and  he  annually  harvests 
good  crops  from  his  orchards.  His  resi- 
dence stands  in  plain  view  of  Lake  Michigan, 
less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  shore 
upon  a  natural  building  site  and  thus  com- 
manding a  broad  outlook  over  the  water  and 
the  surrounding  country. 

Mr.  Rose  was  married  to  Miss  Isabella 
Monroe,  who  was  born  of  Scotch  parentage 
in  Canada.  They  now  have  a  family  of  two 
sons  and  a  daughter:  James  M.,  who  is  as- 
sistant cashier  in  the  Merchant's  Bank  of 
Benton  Llarbor;  George  W.,  a  mechanical, 
mining  and  electrical  engineer,  who  pursued 
a  course  in  the  Agricultural  College  at 
Lansing;  and  Daisy  Gordon,  at  home. 

Mr.  Rose  is  a  Republican,  stanch  in  his 
advocacy  of  the  party ^  which  he  has  sup- 
ported since  he  became  a  naturalized  Ameri- 
can citizen.  He  has  served  as  supervisor 
and  has  always  been  an  advocate  of  good 
roads  and  has  done  much  to  improve  the  pub- 
30 


lie  highways.  He  was  reared  in  the  faith, 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  but  is  not  identi- 
fied with  any  denomination.  Fraternally,, 
however,  he  is  a  Mason  and  has  attained  the 
Knight  Templar  degree.  He  is  now  the 
owner  of  a  good  farm  which  is  proving  valu- 
able owing  to  the  care  and  labor  which  he 
bestows  upon  it,  his  horticultural  pursuits 
bringing  to  him  a  gratifying  income. 

WILBUR  FISK  BEHEL  is  now  occu- 
pying a  beautiful  home,  'TaVinia  Lodge" 
at  Fair  Plain,  Berrien  county,  but  for  many 
years  has  been  a  well  known  contractor  and 
builder,  his  business  being  largely  in  Chi- 
cago and  other  leading  cities  of  the  coun- 
try. His  operations  have  been  extensive 
and  moreover  he  has  become  widely  known 
and  gained  the  approval  of  many  through 
his  strong  and  stalwart  opposition  to  the 
domination  of  the  trades  unions,  believing 
that  the  American  citizen  has  the  right  to 
employ  the  men  whom  he  desires  and  not 
be  dictated  to  by  those  who  are  in  his  serv- 
ice. Mr.  Behel  was  born  in  Mifilin,  Penn- 
sylvania, June  II,  1842,  and  in  1857,  when 
a  youth  of  fifteen  years,  removed  to  Earl- 
ville,  Illinois,  in  company  with  his  father, 
Jacob  Beliel,  who  was  a  mechanic  and  was 
also  well  known  as  an  inventor  of  agricul- 
tural implements.  His  knotter  was  placed 
in  use  by  Manna  and  adopted  by  McCor- 
mick  and  other  companies  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  reapers  and  farm  imple- 
ments. This  devise  is  still  in  use  today. 
As  early  as  1846  he  invented  a  patent  wind- 
mill which  he  sold  through  Ohio,  Pennsyl- 
vania and  as  far  west  as  St.  Joseph,  Mis- 
souri. He  kept  an  account  of  his  travels, 
the  little  volume  being  still  in  possession 
of  his  son,  Wil1)ur  F.  Behel  of  this  review 
Although  the  trip  did  not  prove  a  financial 
success  Mr.  Behel  continually  visited  church 
services  and  prayer  meetings  and  thus  gave 
his  support  to  the  moral  progress  of  the 
communities  in  which  he  tarried.  As  early 
as  i860  he  w^orked  out  a  machine  whereby 
electricity  w^as  used  for  power.  Many  of 
his  inventions  contain  splendid  ideas,  some 
of  which  have  been  used  in  later  years,  but 
he  did  not  make  a  fortune  out  of  his  inven- 
tions.    In   Illinois  he  became  a  contractor 


466 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


and  architect.  At  an  early  day  he  built 
bridges  and  later  gave  his  attention  to  the 
work  of  a  patent  solicitor,  devoting  the  last 
fifteen  years  of  his  life  to  such  work  and 
being  recognized  in  Washington  as  an  ex- 
pert in  this  line.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy- two  years. 

Wilbur  Fisk  Behel  pursued  his  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  and  on  the  nth 
of  June,  1 86 1,  the  nineteenth  anniversary 
of  his  birth,  he  enlisted  for  service  as  a 
member  of  Company  D,  Twenty-third  Illi- 
nois Infantry.  This  company  was  formed 
at  Earlville  and  formed  a  part  Colonel  Mul- 
ligan's Irish  brigade,  the  entire  regiment 
being  Irish  with  the  exception  of  Company 
D.  Mr.  Behel  enlisted  without  his  parents' 
consent  and  with  his  command  went  to  Jef- 
ferson City,  Missouri,  whence  he  started 
on  the  march  across  the  country  to  Lexing- 
ton. There  the  regiment  was  captured  after 
a  nine  days'  siege  by  General  Price.  This 
was  one  of  the  memorable  sieges  of  the  war 
and  with  the  exception  of  the  engagement 
at  Wilson's  Creek  was  the  fiercest  battle 
of  the  war  up  to  that  time.  The  Union 
troops  were  paroled  the  next  morning, 
whence  they  marched  on  foot  to  Hannibal, 
Missouri,  and  were  thence  sent  to  Chicago, 
where  they  were  exchanged.  After  a 
month  spent  in  the  latter  city  Mr.  Behel  re- 
enlisted  in  the  same  regiment  and  was  sent 
to  Wheeling,  West  Virginia.  He  took  part 
in  the  West  Virginian  campaign  and  re- 
mained in  that  state  during  much  of  the  per- 
iod of  the  war.  He  received  promotion,  be- 
coming first  sergeant  major.  On  the  expir- 
ation of  his  second  term  of  enlistment  he 
was  mustered  out  and  returned  to  Chicago, 
where  he  assisted  in  raising  a  regiment  to 
aid  Canada,  but  the  purpose  was  abandoned 
and  Mr.  Behel  turned  his  attention  to  car- 
pentering. 

In  1865  he  was  connected  with  the  sash, 
door  and  blind  manufactory  on  the  west 
side  as  superintendent  and  remained  with 
that  company  and  its  successor,  the  Goss  & 
Phillips  Manufacturing  Company,  for  six- 
teen years,  being  rrianager  for  the  latter  un- 
til 1886,  when  he  purchased  the  business. 
He  continued  thus  a  factor  in  productive 
industries  of  Chicago  for  ten  years,  or  until 


1896,  employing  one  hundred  and  fifty  men 
and  doing  a  business  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  dollars  per  year.  They  made 
a  specialty  of  interior  finishing  work  and 
took  contracts  for  interior  finishings  in 
many  homes,  including  some  of  the  palatial 
residences  of  Chicago,  among  the  number 
being  that  of  Potter  Palmer.  In  1896  Mr. 
Behel  closed  out  the  factory  but  continued 
as  a  contractor  and  builder  and  as  a  general 
builder  and  still  represents  this  line  of  busi- 
ness activity.  For  thirty  years  he  has  been 
interested  in  the  great  questions  concerning 
the  unions  and  trade  relations  and  has  been 
actively  concerned  in  various  strikes  that 
have  been  inaugurated  by  the  carpenters.  In 
the  great  building  strike  of  1900  he  was 
chairman  of  the  executive  committee  and 
vice  president  of  the  building  contractors' 
council,  which  was  organized  to  oppose  the 
attempted  domination  of  the  building  trades 
council.  When  the  Grand  Army  Encamp- 
ment was  held  in  Chicago  in  1900  he  was 
the  lowest  bidder  on  a  certain  piece  of  work 
for  the  erection  of  seats  from  which  to  view 
the  parade.  The  contract  was  awarded  to 
him,  but  the  managers  of  the  encampment 
refused  to  sign  the  contract  as  he  refused  to 
agree  to  use  only  union  labor.  The  city 
council  set  aside  ten  thousand  dollars  to 
build  seats  for  the  spectators.  When  he  re- 
fused to  employ  only  union  labor  other  par- 
ties refused  to  sign  the  contract,  whereon 
he  demanded  that  the  contract  be  signed 
by  tw^elve  o'clock,  else  he  would  secure  an 
injunction  restraining  them  from  using  the 
money.  This  brought  them  to  terms  and 
the  contracts  w^ere  signed  by  five  o'clock. 
Mr.  Behel  had  five  days  to  build  seats  on 
Michigan  avenue  for  twenty  thousand  peo- 
ple. He  built  these  in  four  days  with  non- 
union workmen,  using  twenty-five  car  loads 
of  lumber  or  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
feet.  Even  then  the  labor  was  hampered  by 
union  crowds,  who  did  everything  possible 
to  impede  the  progress  of  the  work.  After 
the  Encampment  he  secured  the  contract  for 
the  wreckage  of  seats  which  stood  in  the 
street  and  hindered  the  parade  of  the  labor 
unions.  They  offered  inducements,  even  to 
removing  the  seats  without  cost  if  he  would 
allow  the  removal  in  time  for  the  parade, 


/t^lA-i.4My[yOU      '^     ^  oLi'^iy^^f*^f''^0^ 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


467 


but  he  refused  to  do  this  and  the  Hne  of 
march  had  to  change  its  course.  His  firm 
stand  so  aroused  the  opposition  of  the  union 
leaders  that  many  threats  were  made  against 
him  and  for  months  he  was  constantly 
shadowed  by  detectives  whom  he  employed 
for  the  purpose.  At  one  time  another  man 
resembling  him  was  slugged  and  nearly 
killed.  When  the  mistake  was  learned  the 
union  leaders  apologized  and  paid  the  hos- 
pital expenses  of  the  other  man. 

Mr.  Behel  had  the  contract  for  the  in- 
terior finishing  of  Marshall  Field's  new 
store.  The  labor  troubles,  however,  became 
so  bad  that  he  decided  to  finish  the  work 
with  non-union  labor.  Almost  constant  war- 
fare was  indulged  in  for  weeks  but  he  w^on 
in  the  end.  He  was  associated  in  this  work 
with  Mr.  O'Brien,  and  he  and  O'Brien  with 
thirty  detectives  were  at  one  time  followed 
by  a  crowd  of  two  thousand  men.  Inside  ot 
a  week,  however,  they  had  three  hundred 
non-union  men  ,at  work  in  the  building 
which  was  finished  with  non-union  labor. 
While  Mr.  Behel  had  persevered  in  his  de- 
termination to  hire  the  men  whom  he  de- 
sired and  not  to  be  dictated  to  by  any  trades 
union  the  worry  has  told  upon  his  constitu- 
tion and  his  Michigan  home  affords  him 
chance  for  rest  and  recuperation. 

In  1900  he  bought  at  Fair  Plain  a  tract 
of  land  and  in  seven  weeks  in  the  spring  of 
1 901  his  present  beautiful  home  was 
erected.  He  had  previously  taken  large 
building  contracts  in  Little  Rock  and  Pine 
Bluff,  Arkansas,  and  in  many  other  places 
in  the  country.  He  would  spend  his  win- 
ters in  Chicago  but  now  he  is  spending  both 
the  winter  and  summer  seasons  at  his  beauti- 
ful home  on  the  bluff  of  St.  Joseph  river. 
He  rented  the  old  Spink  resort  property  and 
removed  to  Michigan  and,  as  stated,  his 
home  was  built  the  spring  of  1901,  and  was 
called  LaVinia  Lodge  in  honor  of  his 
daughter. 

In  December,  1866,  in  Chicago,  Mr. 
Behel  was  married  to  Miss  Julia  Moody,  a 
native  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  who  came 
west  in  early  life  and  was  educated  in  a 
high  school  of  Chicago.  The  members  of 
their  family  are  as  follows :  Vernon  W.,  is 
an  architect  of  Chicago  and  is  married  and 


has  two  children,  Wilbur  and  Wesley.  La- 
vinia  was  a  student  at  Lake  Forest  Uni- 
versity of  Illinois,  was  highly  educated  in 
vocal  and  instrumental  music  and  also  pos- 
sessed considerable  artistic  skill,  which  was 
especially  shown  in  china  painting.  She 
died  February  5,  1900,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three  years.  Ruth  Beatrice,  the  youngest  of 
the  family,  died  at  four  and  a  half  years. 
Mrs.  Behel  is  an  artist,  painting  in  oil  and 
china  and  her  home  is  beautifully  decorated 
with  her  own  and  her  daughter's  w^ork. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Behel  were  for  many 
years  members  of  the  First  Baptist  church 
of  Chicago,  in  which  Mr.  Behel  served  for 
a  long  period  as  Sunday  school  superintend- 
ent. For  sixteen  years,  while  manager  for 
Goss  &  Phillips,  Mr.  Behel  never  took  but 
one  week  off  from  his  work.  He  has  been 
devoted  to  business,  never  doing  anything 
in  a  half  hearted  way,  and  as  the  years 
have  gone  by  he  has  become  prominent  in 
building  circles  in  the  middle  west.  He  has 
won  a  large  measure  of  prosperity  and  well 
deserves  the  rest  which  he  enjoys  in  his 
Michigan  home. 

HIRAM     A.     EDWARDS,     is     one 

of  the  old  settlers  of  Berrien  county, 
who  for  forty-seven  years  has  made 
his  home  within  its  borders.  He  resides  on 
section  2,  Niles  township,  where  he  has 
one  hundred  and  ten  acres  of  rich  and  pro- 
ductive land  that  yields  to  him  good  crops 
and  makes  him  onje  of  the  successful  farm- 
ers of  the  locality. 

The  life  record  of  Mr.  Edwards  began 
in  Jefferson  county.  New  York,  May  30, 
1836.  His  paternal  grandfather  was  a  na- 
tive of  New  York  City  and  became  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  following  that  pursuit 
throughout  his  business  career.  He  died  in  , 
his  native  state  at  the  age  of  eighty-one 
years.  Well  known  for  his  reliability  and 
progressiveness  in  citizenship  in  times  of 
peace,  he  was  also  a  soldier  in  the  war  of 
181 2  and  thus  further  manifested  his  loy- 
alty to  the  country. 

John  W.  Edwards,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Saratoga  county.  New  York, 
and  he  too  followed  farming.  He  was  also 
proprietor  of  a  hotel  in  the  east  and  about 


468 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


1867  he  came  to  Michigan,  locating  in 
Niles.  He  died  in  his  seventy-sixth  year  in 
Rochester,  New  York.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Anne  Brigham,  was  a 
native  of  Massachusetts.  She  was  about 
seventy-six  years  of  age  at  tlie  time  of  her 
death.  In  the  family  were  six  children,  of 
whom  one  died  in  infancy,  while  the  o'thers 
reached  adult  age  and  are  still  living. 

Hiram  A.  Edwards  was  the  fourth  child 
and  second  son  and  w^as  reared  in  his  na- 
tive state.  He  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and  in  Belleville  Academy.  On  the 
17th  of  September,  1856,  he  married  An- 
gelina Dickey,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  F. 
Dickey.  She  was  born  in  New  York,  Feb- 
ruary 10,  1839,  and  was  there  reared.  In 
October,  1856,  Mr.  Edwards  removed  to 
Henry  County,  Illinois,  locating  on  the 
prairie,  where  he  opened  up  and  improved 
a  farm,  there  residing  until  May,  1859, 
when  he  made  a  visit  to  New  York.  In 
July  of  the  sam^e  year  he  became  a  resident 
of  Niles  township,  Berrien  county,  and  the 
following  year  took  up  his  abode  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  resides.  He  has 
grubbed  out  more  than  forty  acres  of  the 
place,  has  improved  the  property  in  many 
ways  and  for  forty  years  has  resided  here, 
giving  his  time  and  labors  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  land  and  the  production  of  the 
crops.  He  has  one  hundred  and  ten  acres 
which  constitutes  a  good  farm  and  he  is 
justly  classed  with  the  representative  agri- 
culturists of  the  community. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edwards  have  been 
born  nine  children :  William  F.,  a  special 
chemist  in  the  mines  of  Idaho;  Fred  B.,  at 
home;  Elmer  E.,  who  is  living  at  Grand 
Ledge,  Michigan;  Anna  E.  and  Alice  M., 
both  deceased;  Kate  H.,  the  wife  of  A.  H. 
.Hopkins,  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  who 
is  librarian  there;  Stella  FL  and  Eugene  D., 
both  deceased ;  and  Mary  E.,  at  home.  The 
wife  and  mother  died  in  1899. 

Mr.  Edwards  is  one  of  the  old  settlers 
of  Berrien  county  and  has  been  identified 
with  the  work  of  making  the  county  what 
it  is  today.  He  votes  with  the  Democracy 
and  was  supervisor  of  his  township  for  five 
years,  while  for  four  years  he  has  been  town 
treasurer.      He   is   now   a   member   of   the 


board  of  review,  wdth  which  he  has  been 
connected  for  a  long  period,  and  he  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  public  affairs  as  a 
useful  and  progressive  citizen,  thoroughly 
imbued  with  a  public-spirit  that  recognizes 
and  utilizes  possibilities.  Mr.  Edwards  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  at  Niles, 
belonging  to  St.  Joseph  Valley  Lodge,  also 
the  chapter  and  the  council,  at  Niks.  In 
the  w^ork  of  the  organization  he  has  taken 
a  deep  interest  and  is  a  worthy  exemplar  of 
the  craft.  For  five  years  he  served  as  mas- 
ter of  the  lodge,  for  a  similar  period  as  high 
priest  of  the  chapter  and  was  master  of  the 
council  for  fifteen  years.  He  is  one  of  the 
prominent  Masons  of  the  county  and  his 
efforts  in  behalf  of  the  organization  have 
been  far-reaching  and  effective.  He  still 
carries  on  the  work  of  the  home  farm,  al- 
though he  has  now  reached  the  Psalmist's, 
allotted  span  of  three  score  years  and  ten. 
In  all  relations  of  life  he  has  been  esteemed 
for  his  devotion  to  duty  and  his  genuine 
personal  worth,  and  he  w^ell  deserves  honor- 
able mention  in  this  volume. 

HIRAM  WILSON,  engaged  in  raising 
fruit  and  asparagus  at  St.  Joseph,  was  born 
in  this  city  June  10,  1850.  His  father, 
Simeon  C.  Wilson,  was  a  native  of  Canaan, 
New  Hampshire^  born  November  21,  181 8, 
and  his  boyhood  and  youth  were  passed  in 
the  old  Granite  state,  where  he  acquired  his 
education.  Coming  to  Michigan  at  an  early 
day  he  was  married  in  St.  Joseph  on  the 
twenty-third  anniversary  of  his  birth — in  the 
year  1841 — to  Miss  Lydia  C.  Kingsley,  who 
was  born  in  Sw^ansea,  Massachusetts,  Feb- 
ruary 17,  1822.  About  1840,  when  eighteen 
years  of  age,  she  came  to  Berrien  county 
with  her  parents,  Barton  and  Lorane  (Paul) 
Kingsley,  who  settled  in  St.  Joseph.  Within 
the  year  they  passed  away,  there  being  only 
eight  days  difference  in  the  time  of  their 
deaths. 

During  the  long  years  of  his  residence  in 
this  county  Mr.  Wilson  was  identified  wn'th 
many  business  enterprises.  In  1850  he  w^ent 
to  California,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of 
gold  on  the  Pacific  coast.  Following  his  re- 
turn he  conducted  a  hotel  in  1853  at  the 
corner  of  State  and  Ship  streets.     It  was 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


469 


called  the  American  and  was  the  only  hotel 
in  St.  Joseph  at  that  time.  In  January,  1856, 
he  removed  to  what  is  known  as  the  old 
Wilson  homestead  in  the  south  part  of  the 
city  and  here  resided  continuously  until  his 
demise,  although  at  different  times  he  made 
trips  elsewhere.  While  in  California  he  had 
gotten  the  idea  of  a  grout  building  and  in 
1852  he  erected  his  residence  in  accordance 
with  that  plan.  The  home  still  stands  in  as 
good  preservation  as  in  the  beginning  and 
is  one  of  the  landmarks  of  this  part  of  the 
county.  The  residence  was  erected  in  oc- 
tagonal form  with  pillars  at  each  corner,  ex- 
tending from  the  ground  to  the  roof.  The 
rooms  are  also  octagonal  and  the  building 
was  constructed  upon  a  plan  made  by  Mr. 
Wilson.  The  house  is  most  convenient  in 
its  arrangement  and  became  one  of  the 
notable  architectural  features  of  the  locality. 
It  continued  to  be  his  home  for  twenty 
years.  He  was  also  a  great  entertainer, 
keeping  open  house  and  friend  and  stranger 
alike  enjoyed  his  hospitality.  In  1859  he 
visited  Pike's  Peak,  but  three  years  before 
this  time  had  located  upon  his  present  farm. 
He  cleared  all  of  the  tract  and  planted  it  to 
fruit,  mostly  apples,  but  he  did  not  live  to 
gather  crops  from  his  orchards.  About  the 
time  of  the  Civil  war  he  was  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business,  in  which  he  continued  for 
lour  or  five  years,  being  located  at  the  cor- 
ner now  occupied  by  Sopker's  clothing  store. 
He  also  owned  quite  a  tract  of  land  in  the 
heart  of  St.  Joseph,  which  is  now  valued  at 
thousands  of  dollars.  This  he  exchanged 
about  1868  for  thirty  acres  south  of  St.  Jo- 
seph and  there  made  his  home. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  deeply  interested  in 
everything  that  pertained  to  the  welfare  and 
progress  of  the  community  and  co-operated 
in  many  movements  for  the  general  good, 
giving  his  active  aid  and  support  to  all  plans 
that  were  formulated  to  advance  the  gen- 
eral welfare.  He  attended  the  Universalist 
church  and  aided  in  building  a  brick  house 
of  worship  but  the  congregation  never  had 
a  resident  pastor.  He  was  a  man  of  do- 
mestic tastes,  finding  his  greatest  pleasure 
at  his  own  fireside  in  the  midst  of  his  fam- 
ily. He  was  also  a  great  reader  and  kept 
well    informed    on    all    current    questions. 


All  who  knew  him  respected  him  for  his 
genuine  worth,  his  reliability  in  business, 
his  kindliness  and  congeniality.  He  stood 
as  a  high  type  of  the  worthy  pioneer  settler, 
whose  efforts  were  of  lasting  benefit  to  the 
community.  He  passed  away  February  22, 
1874,  and  his  widow  long  survived  him,  re- 
siding at  the  old  home,  her  death  there  oc- 
curring September  28,  1899. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simeon  C.  Wilson 
were  born  five  children,  of  whom  two  died 
in  early  youth,. while  three  reached*  mature 
years,  these  being  Jeremiah,  Hiram  and 
Angle,  who  is  the  wife  of  William  Howard 
and  resides  at  the  old  home.  Jeremiah  re- 
mained upon  the  farm  with  his  brother  and 
sister  and  never  married.  He  died  about 
four  months  after  the  mother's  death,  when 
fifty-five  years  of  age.  He  was  a  very  promi- 
nent Odd  Fellow,  active  in  the  work  of  the 
order  and  passed  all  of  the  chairs  in  the 
local  lodge.  He  also  spent  two  years  as 
conductor  on  the  railroad  before  his  father 
died. 

Hiram  Wilson  was  born  in  St.  Joseph 
during  the  father's  absence  in  Cali- 
fornia and  the  old  home  in  which  his  birth 
occurred  is  still  standing.  He  has  always 
lived  upon  the  farm  and  his  life  has  been 
devoted  to  general  agricultural  and  horti- 
cultural pursuits.  He  and  his  brother  wished 
to  keep  the  family  intact  and  did  so  even 
after  the  sister  was  married,  no  division 
occurring  until  subsequent  to  the  mother's 
death,  when  the  property  was  divided,  the 
sister  receiving  the  home  and  five  acres  of 
land,  while  Hiram  came  into  possession  of 
fifteen  acres  and  Jeremiah  of  ten  acres. 

Hiram  Wilson  was  married  at  the  age 
of  twenty  years  to  Miss  Hattie  Myers,  a 
native  of  Vermont,  who  died  in  1884  leaving 
two  sons,  Harry  and  Ralph,  both  of  whom 
are  in  Chicago.  The  latter  is  an  expert 
chef  and  the  former  is  with  Sears  &  Roe- 
buck in  the  office  of  the  paper  manufactur- 
ing department.  Two  years  after  losing  his 
first  wife  Mr.  Wilson  married  Eva  Hugh- 
son,  whose  family  has  resided  in  St.  Joseph 
for  thirty  years.  Her  father,  Joseph  Hugh- 
son,  was  a  photographer  of  this  city  and 
her  brother  now  conducts  the  business.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  has  been  born  a  daugh- 


470 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


ter,  Frances,  who  graduated  from  the  high 
school  of  St.  Joseph  in  the  class  of  1906  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  years  and  she  has  won 
considerable  local  note  as  a  debater. 

Mr.  Wilson  owns  twenty  acres  of  land 
all  planted  to  fruit  and  asparagus  and  an- 
nually harvests  good  crops  of  each,  receiv- 
ing therefrom  a  good  financial  return  as 
they  find  a  ready  sale  on  the  market.  His 
business  interests  are  carefully  conducted 
and  his  practical  methods  are  resultant  fac- 
tors in*his  success.  In  politics  he  is  a  Re- 
publican and  is  now  serving  as  alderman  in 
St.  Joseph. 

JOHN  H.  STOVER.  One  of  the  well 
improved  farm  properties  of  Royalton  town- 
ship is  owned  by  John  H.  Stover,  and  in 
his  business  career  he  has  won  very  gratify- 
ing success,  being  the  architect  and  builder 
of  his  own  fortune.  He  was  born  in  Center 
county,  Pennsylvania,  May  30,  1846.  His 
parents  were  Samuel  and  Catherine 
(Warntz)  Stover.  The  father  was  a  shoe- 
maker by  trade,  and  died  in  Pennsylvania, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years. 

In  his  youth  John  H.  Stover  learned  the 
harness  maker's  trade,  serving  a  two  years' 
apprenticeship,  after  which  he  worked  as  a 
joiner  at  Millheim,  Pennsylvania,  for  three 
years.  The  succeeding  two  years  were 
spent  as  a  partner  with  his  former  employer, 
Michael  Ziglerm,  and  he  then  entered  upon 
an  active  business  career,  carrying  on  a  simi- 
lar line  of  business  at  the  same  place  for 
about  seven  years,  or  until   1870. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Stover  had  estab- 
lished a  home  of  his  own  through  his  mar- 
riage, on  the  5th  of  October,  1862,  to  Miss 
Sarah  C.  Plotner.  Her  parents  were  Sam- 
uel and  Sarah  Plotner,  farming  people  of 
Center  county,  Pennsylvania,  who  came  to 
Michigan  with  their  son-in-law,  Mr.  Stover, 
in  1870.  He  purchased  a  farm  for  Mr. 
Plotner  in  Cass  county  and  operated  it  for 
him.  The  Plotners  remained  in  that  county, 
but  in  1878  Mr.  Stover  decided  to  remove 
to  Berrien  county  and  rented  the  old  Tudor 
homestead,  while  in  1890  he  purchased  his 
present  place,  which  adjoins  the  Tudor  place 
and  which  he  continually  operated  for 
the  past  sixteen  years.    It  was  originally  the 


Odell  farm,  ten  miles  from  St.  Joseph  on 
the  Niles  road.  It  borders  the  St.  Joseph 
river  and  the  South  Bend  Interurban  Rail- 
road passes  through  it.  It  was  first  im- 
proved by  Greenlief  Odell,  who  sold  the 
place  and  left  for  Dakota.  It  contained 
one  hundred  and  eight  acres  of  land,  to 
which  Mr.  Stover  has  added  forty-three  and 
a  half  acres  adjoining,  and  he  likewise  owns 
fifty-five  acres  of  St.  Joseph  river  bottom 
land.  He  is  engaged  in  the  raising  of  grain, 
to  which  his  fields  are  well  adapted  and  he 
annually  harvests  good  crops. 

In  1899  Mr.  Stover  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  very 
suddenly  from  heart  failure  on  the  4th  of 
May  of  that  year.  She  had  become  the 
mother  of  ten  children,  all  of  whom  were 
living  at  the  time  of  her  death.  In  the 
family  were  seven  sons  and  three  daughters : 
Samuel,  a  carpenter  by  trade,  now  carrying 
on  business  as  a  contractor  in  Royalton; 
William,  of  Royalton  township;  Edward,, 
at  home;  Eugene,  a  farmer  of  Berrien 
township;  George,  Ray  and  Clarence, 
all  at  home;  Virginia,  the  wife 
of  Emil  Metzger,  of  Royalton;  Cora, 
and  Edith.  Cora  became  the  wife  of 
Albert  Metzger,  who  died  March  31,  1900, 
while  her  death  occurred  June  4,  1900.  They 
died  within  two  months  of  each  other^ 
and  their  son,  Emerson,  thirteen  years  of 
age,  has  since  his  mother's  death  been  a 
member  of  Mr.  Stover's  family,  while  their 
daughter,  Grace  Metzger,  of  whom  Mr. 
Stover  is  guardian,  is  staying  in  this  vi- 
cinity. Edith  Stover  is  now  the  wife  of 
John  Warskow,  of  Royalton  township.  On 
the  1 8th  of  December,  1900,  John  H.  Stover 
was  again  married,  his  second  union  being 
with  Mrs.  Josephine  Bort,  nee  Williams. 
One  of  her  daughters,  Jennie,  became  a 
member  of  the  family  and  in  Mr.  Stover's 
home  was  married  to  Clayton  Heim. 

Mr.  Stover  has  filled  a  number  of  offices 
while  living  in  Cass  and  also  in  Berrien 
counties.  In  1881  he  was  elected  township 
treasurer  and  later  was  for  five  successive 
terms  township  supervisor.  He  was  also 
justice  of  the  peace  for  a  number  of  years. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and  has  been 
a    delegate    to  local  and  state  conventions^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


471 


For  thirty-five  years  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Odd  Fellows  Society,  has  passed  all 
of  the  chairs  of  the  local  lodge  and  has 
been  representative  to  the  grand  lodge.  He 
was  also  a  member  of  the  Grange  and  is 
identified  with  Grace  church  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Association  at  Arden.  He  feels  a 
deep  interest  in  the  material,  political,  in- 
tellectual and  moral  progress  of  his  com- 
munity and  is  known  as  a  champion  for 
truth,  good  and  right  in  all  life's  relations. 
In  1896  he  erected  a  fine  new  barn,  thor- 
oughly first  class  in  its  equipment  and  ar- 
rangement. The  structure  includes  a  gran- 
ary and  is  w^orth  about  twenty-five  hundred 
dollars.  He  has  also  cleared  some  of  his 
land,  so  that  it  is  largely  under  cultivation 
and  his  farming  interests,  being  carefully 
conducted,  are  bringing  him  an  excellent 
financial  return. 

ALFRED  O.  FRENCH;  of  Lincoln 
township,  was  born  in  Mentor,  Ohio,  No- 
vember 6,  1843,  ^  son  of  Ransom  and  Re- 
becca (Farley)  French,  the  latter  a  sister 
of  Captain  Eben  Farley,  wdio  in  the  early 
days  was  a  captain  of  a  St.  Joseph  river 
steamboat,  and  died  in  California.  Her 
father  was  a  sympathizer  with  the  United 
States  at  the  time  of  the  w^ar  of  1812.  He 
was  living  in  Canada  and  the  indications 
were  that  he  would  be  forced  to  serve  in 
the  British  army.  He  resolved  that  if  he 
must  go  to  war  it  would  be  with  the  Ameri- 
can forces,  so  he  sold  his  property  in  Can- 
ada and  removed  to  the  Green  Mountain 
state.  Ransom  and  Rebecca  French  came 
to  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  in  1831  with  their 
respective  families  and  w^ere  married  in  that 
city.  They  lived  at  St.  Joseph  and  subse- 
quently at  Niles  and  at  Sturgis  Prairie.  Mr. 
French  drove  into  St.  Joseph  the  first  two- 
horse  team  ever  taken  through  the  streets  of 
that  city.  In  later  years  he  took  his  family 
to  Ohio,  and  wdien  their  son,  Alfred  O., 
was  but  a  young  lad  of  less  than  one  year 
they  returned  to  Ox  Bow  Prairie  in  St. 
Joseph  county,  Michigan.  Later  Mr.  French 
bought  the  Sturgis  foundry  and  machine 
shops  and  remained  at  that  place  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  185 1,  when  he  was 
forty-one  years  of  age.     He  left  a  widow 


and  six  children,  the  eldest  son  being 
about  thirteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
his  demise.  Mrs.  French  remained  in 
Sturgis,  where  she  reared  her  family.  In 
1854  her  eldest  son,  Edwin,  w^ent  to  Cali- 
fornia in  company  with  Captain  Eben  Far- 
ley and  neither  ever  returned.  In  1861 
Mrs.  French  with  her  remaining  three  chil- 
dren came  to  Royalton  and  settled  in  what 
is  now  Lincoln  township.  Her  son  Eben 
enlisted  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  in 
defense  of  the  Union  and  became  a  lieuten- 
ant in  Company  C,  of  the  Fourth  Michigan 
Infantry,  wdiile  subsequently  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  captain  of  Company 
A,  of  the  same  regiment.  His  health  was 
shattered  by  his  army  service  and  he  died 
in  California  about  1878.  Mrs.  French  and 
her  remaining  children  remained  on  the 
lake  shore,  five  miles  south  of  St.  Joseph, 
and  there  she  lived  until  1869.  A  daughter 
of  the  family  died  in  August,  1861,  so  that 
one  daughter,  Mary,  was  left  with  the 
mother.  In  1869  Mrs.  French  removed  to 
California,  wdiere  she  spent  her  remaining 
days,  passing  away  about  1877.  The  eldest 
daughter,  Clymena,  had  gone  to  California 
in  i860  as  a  teacher,  having  previously  fol- 
lowed that  profession  in  Berrien  county. 
While  living  on  the  coast  she  w-as  married 
and  there  she  spent  her  remaining  days. 
The  other  daughter,  Mary,  was  married  in 
California,  losing  her  husband  there  and 
afterward  returning  to  Michigan,  now^  mak- 
ing her  home  in  Montmorency  county,  this 
state. 

Alfred  O.  French  accompanied  his 
mother  on  her  various  removals  during  the 
period  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  and  in 
August,  1862,  when  eighteen  years  of  age, 
he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for 
troops  to  crush  out  the  rebellion  in  the  south, 
and  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  C, 
Twenty-fifth  Regiment  of  Michigan  In- 
fantry. Three  companies  were  raised  in 
Berrien  county.  Company  C  being  formed 
at  Berrien  Springs.  They  rendezvoused  at 
Kalamazoo  and  saw  active  service  in  Ken- 
tucky, Tennessee  and  Georgia.  With  the 
Twenty-third  Army  Corps  he  went  to  At- 
lanta under  General  Thomas  and  returned 
under   General   Thomas   in   the   movement 


472 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


against  General  Hood  in  Tennessee.  He 
was  afterward  transferred  and  participated 
in  the  engagements  at  Wilmington,  North 
Carolina  and  Goldsboro,  where  he  rejoined 
Sherman's  forces.  He  served  for  three 
years  without  a  furlough  and  was  continu- 
ously with  his  company  except  for  one  year, 
when  he  was  detailed  to  act  as  headquarters 
guard  for  General  Cooper.  He  was  finally 
discharged  from  the  hospital  at  New  York 
City  and  reached  home  ahead  of  his  regi- 
ment. He  was  in  the  battles  of  Nashville, 
Mossy  Creek,  Tennessee,  and  Kingston, 
Tennessee,  and  was  at  General  Cooper's 
headquarters  at  the  time  of  the  Atlanta 
campaign.  He  displayed  bravery  and  valor 
upon  the  field  of  battle  equal  to  that  of 
many  a  veteran  of  twice  his  years  and  made 
a  most  honorable  military  record. 

During  his  absence  his  mother  remained 
on  the  farm  and  when  she  went  to  California 
Mr.  French  continued  in  this  county,  an^l 
was  married  on  the  i8th  of  November,  1869, 
to  Miss  Lavercia  Martin,  a  daughter  of 
George  N.  Martin,  who  was  one  of  the  pio- 
neer sawmill  men  on  Hickory  creek,  his 
mill  being  located  two  miles  north  of  Stev- 
ensville.  Mrs.  French  was  born  at  Elkhart, 
Indiana,  in  1842,  and  was  raised  in  Lincoln 
township,  there  remaining  until  her  mar- 
riage. The  young  couple  began  their  do- 
mestic life  upon  the  farm  which  his  mother 
had  occupied  and  there  lived  until  1872, 
growing  peaches  until  the  disasters  caused 
by  the  yellows  to  the  orchards  in  Berrien 
county  in  1873  and  1874.  Mr.  French  had 
made  considerable  improvement  upon  his 
place  of  twenty  acres,  which  he  cleared, 
planting  nearly  the  entire  amount  to  fruit. 
In  1872  he  went  to  Bangor,  Van  Buren 
county,  Michigan,  spending  three  and  a  half 
years  in  a  general  store.  On  the  expiration 
of  that  period  he  returned  to  Lincoln  town- 
ship, where  he  had  another  tract  of  land 
which  he  cultivated  and  improved  for  ten 
years.  In  1885  he  came  to  his  present  farm, 
settling  on  the  old  military  road  between 
Detroit  and  Chicago  and  one  mile  south- 
east of  Stevensville.  Here  he  has  ninety 
acres,  of  which  he  has  cleared  sixty-five 
acres  and  placed  it  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.     In  1886  he  erected  his  home  in 


the  midst  of  the  green  woods  but  now  it  is 
surrounded  by  a  fine  clearing'  and  the  place 
is  one  of  the  neat  and  thrifty  farms  of  the 
county.  The  different  parts  of  the  farm  are 
devoted  to  fruit  and  grain  raising  as  the 
soil  is  adapted  thereto,  and  in  his  business 
affairs  Mr.  French  is  meeting  with  success. 
Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been 
born  two  sons :  George,  a  carpenter  now  in 
Los  Angeles,  California;  and  Alfred  O.,  a 
fireman  on  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad,  living 
at  Elkhart,  Indiana.  They  also  lost  one  son. 
Ransom,  who  died  in  1890  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years.  A  stalwart  Republican  in 
his  political  views  Mr.  French  has  l^een 
called  to  various  public  oflices,  the  duties  of 
wdiich  have  been  promptly  and  faithfully 
performed  by  him.  In  November,  1896,  he 
was  elected  county  register  of  deeds  and 
took  up  the  work  of  the  office  in  the  follow- 
ing January.  He  was  then  re-elected  in  the 
fall  of  1898  and  served  for  four  consecutive 
years.  He  had  previously  been  township 
supervisor  and  township  clerk.  He  is  very 
active  in  party  w^ork  and  is  well  known  iji 
the  local  and  state  conventions  of  his  party, 
where  his  counsel  is  often  sought  as  re- 
gards some  political  question  or  influencing 
method  of  the  party.  He  maintains  pleas- 
ant relations  with  his  old  army  comrades 
through  his  membership  in  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic,  and  his  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Owing 
to  his  father's  early  death,  in  his  youth  he 
was  deprived  of  many  of  the  advantages 
which  most  boys  enjoy,  but  he  has  neverthe- 
less in  an  active  business  career  worked  his 
way  steadily  upward  and  his  strong  purpose 
and  unfaltering  perseverance  have  enabled 
him  to  win  success  in  spite  of  obstacles  and 
difficulties,  while  in  public  life  his  devotion 
to  the  general  good  has  been  recognized  in 
the  various  honors  that  have  been  conferred 
upon  him. 

HARRY  BORT,  filling  the  office  of 
supervisor  of  Royalton  township,  is  a  citi- 
zen whose  devotion  to  the  general  good  has 
been  manifest  in  many  tangible  ways.  He 
is  leading  an  active  business  life  and  at  the 
present  time  is  converting  the  old  Bort  home- 
stead into  a  fine  fruit  farm.     He  was  born 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


473 


on  the  Lake  Shore  drive  south  of  St.  Jo- 
seph,  October  7,    1858.     His   father,  John 
Bort,  became  a  resident  of  Berrien  county 
in  1852,  removing  to  Michigan  from  Her- 
kimer  county,    New   York,    where   he   was 
born  November  25,  1810.     His  parents  were 
John  and  Barbara   (Hart)   Bort,  and  were 
of  German  birth  and  descent.     On  the  2nd 
of  January,  1850,  John  Bort,  father  of  our 
subject,   was  married  in  Herkimer  county, 
New  York,  to  Miss  Sophronia  Getman,  who 
was  hkewise  a  native  of  that  county.     She 
was  his  second  wife.     On  the  loth  of  Octo- 
ber,  1832,  he  had  wedded  Marietta  Smith, 
who  died  February  i,  1848.    The  chikh^en  of 
the  first  union  were  as  follows :  Otis  S.,  who 
is  a  horse  trainer  at  Brooklyn,  New  York; 
Sophronia,     living     in     Gloversville,     New 
York;  Mary  Jane,  who  died  in  1871,  when 
about  thirty  years  of  age;  and  Charles,   a 
painter  of  St.  Joseph,  Michigan.     Unto  the 
second  marriage  were  born  four  sons:  Al- 
bert  W.,    who   is   engaged   in  the   painting 
trade  in  Chicago;  Fayette  M.,  a  farmer  of 
Royalton  township;  Harry,  of  this  review; 
and  Edgar  G.,  a  contractor  at  Seattle,  Wash- 
ington.     There  were  also  two  children,   J. 
Edward  and  Marietta,  who  died  while  liv- 
ing in   Niles.      As  before   stated,   the  year 
1852    witnessed    the   arrival   of   John    Bort 
and  his  family  in  Berrien  county.  They  made 
their  way  to  Niles  township,  where  he  car- 
ried  on   farming  until    1857,   when   he   lo- 
cated on  the  old  Hanly  farm  south  of  St. 
Joseph.     There  he  began  to  grow  peaches, 
being  the  pioneer  in  that  line  of  business  in 
his  part  of  the  county.     He  called  his  place 
the   Model   Fruit   Farm,  and   was  the  first 
to  raise  peaches  successfully.     He  was  also 
the  first  to  cultivate  strawberries  in  this  vi- 
cinity and  he  transformed  his  property  'into 
a  fine  fruit  farm  whereon  he  was  extensively 
engaged  in  horticultural  pursuits.     He  paid 
twenty-two    hundred    dollars    for   one   hun- 
dred and  forty-four  acres  of  land  extending 
to  the  lake.      The  place  was  then  covered 
with  oak  grubs  but  he  at  once  began  to  clear 
and  improve  it  and  placed  thirty-three  acres 
under    cultivation.       Owing    to    the    work 
which  he  placed  upon  his  farm  and  the  ap- 
preciation of  land  values  in  the  county  he 
was  enabled  to  sell  his  property  for  ten  times 


what  he  paid  for  it.  He  built  a  good  resi- 
dence on  the  site  of  the  present  home  of 
Mrs.  Hanly,  three  miles  south  of  St.  Jo- 
seph and  lived  upon  that  place  until  the 
close  of  the  Civil  war.  He  realized  big 
prices  for  his  fruit  crops  and  sold  his  own 
fruit,  mainly  shipping  it  to  the  Chicago  mar- 
ket. In  1865  he  purchased  in  Royalton 
township  two  farms,  one  of  ninety  acres  and 
the  other  of  seventy-four  acres,  a  part  of 
which  was  cleared.  He  paid  sixty-five  dol- 
lars per  acre  for  the  home  place  but  there 
was  no  building  upon  it  at  that  time.  He 
erected  the  present  residence  about  1866  and 
he  devoted  the  remainder  of  his  life  to  the 
development  and  improvement  of  these 
farms,  wdiich  adjoin.  In  his  later  years  he 
settled  up  his  business  affairs  and  lived  re- 
tired during  the  last  fifteen  years  of  his  life, 
enjoying  a  rest  which  he  had  truly  earned 
and  richly  deserved.  Fie  retained  his  faculties 
largely  unimpaired  until  he  had  passed  the 
ninetieth  milestone  on  life's  journey  and  was 
a  very  active,  energetic  man.  He  served  as 
justice  of  the  peace  and  highway  commis- 
sioner and  in  all  positions  of  public  trust 
was  found  loyal  as  w^ell  as  able.  His  political 
allegiance  was  given  to  the  Democracy.  In 
his  earlier  years  he  was  connected  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  enjoyed 
more  than  local  repute  as  a  singer.  He  as- 
sisted in  organizing  the  church  at  Royalton 
township  and  was  one  of  its  active  and 
earnest  members  until  his  later  years.  He 
was  one  of  thirteen  children,  ten  of  whom 
lived  to  be  more  than  ninety  years  of  age. 
He  was  the  last  survivor  of  the  family  and 
passed  aw^ay  December  7,  1903,  in  his  nine- 
ty-fourth year. 

Harry  Bort,  who  was  reared  to  man- 
hood on  the  old  home  farm,  pursued  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  and  when 
about  twenty-two  years  of  age  took  charge 
of  the  farm,  since  which  time  his  energies 
have  been  given  to  general  agricultural  and 
horticultural  pursuits.  On  the  3d  of  June, 
1880,  he  sought  a  companion  and  helpmate 
for  life's  journey  through  his  marriage  to 
Miss  Hannah  Kneibes,  a  daughter  of  Chris- 
tian and  Elizabeth  (Dukesherer)  Kneibes, 
and  a  native  of  Bainbridge  tow^nship,  where 
she   was   married   at   the   age   of   eighteen 


474 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


years.  Her  father  died  when  she  was  only 
seven  years  of  age,  and  her  mother  after- 
ward married  Henry  Ashoff  and  removed 
to  Royalton  township,  when  Mrs.  Bort  was 
only  ten  years  old.  Mr.  Ashoff  died  in  De- 
cember, 1884,  but  his  widow  is  now  living 
with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Bort. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bort  have  been  born 
nine  children :  Sylvia,  the  wife  of  Charles 
Dukesherer,  of  Coloma;  Alice  Dorleska, 
the  wife  of  Nicholas  Johann;  Carl,  Dora, 
Chester,  Harry,  Forest,  Gladys  and  Millard, 
all  at  home. 

Mr.  Bort  has  purchased  the  interest  of 
the  other  heirs  in  the  old  home  property, 
which  he  has  devoted  to  general  farming, 
but  he  is  now  converting  the  place  into  a 
fruit  farm,  whereon  he  is  extensively  en- 
gaged in  raising  pears,  apples,  grapes  and 
berries.  He  has  recently  sold  thirty-five 
acres  of  this  land.  His  farm  is  pleasantly 
and  conveniently  situated  five  and  a  half 
miles  directly  south  of  St.  Joseph  and  the 
orchards  and  vineyards  show  his  careful 
supervision.  He  is  supplying  the  place 
with  only  the  best  nursery  stock  and  has 
ample  promise  for  future  success  as  a  horti- 
culturist. 

Active  and  influential  in  community  af- 
fairs, Mr.  Bort  has  for  a  number  of  years 
occupied  various  township  offices.  He  gives 
his  political  allegiance  to  the  Democracy, 
and  often  receives  the  endorsement  of  his 
Republican  friends,  for  he  lives  in  a  town- 
ship where  the  two  parties  are  about  evenly 
divided.  He  served  as  township  clerk  for 
nine  years,  w^as  justice  of  the  peace  for  two 
terms,  and  in  1905  was  elected  supervisor 
after  filling  out  an  unexpired  term  several 
times.  In  1906  he  was  re-elected  to  that 
office,  so  that  he  is  now  serving  for  the  sec- 
ond term.  He  advocated  the  good  roads 
movement  when  his  township  voted  bonds, 
and  Royalton  will  soon  have  some  of  the 
best  highways  to  be  found  in  the  country. 
Mr.  Bort  fraternally  is  connected  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen  and  his  wife  with  the 
Royal  Neighbors.  They  are  both  highly 
esteemed  and  the  hospitality  of  their  pleas- 
ant home  is  greatly  enjoyed  by  their  many 
friends.  Active  and  progressive  in  citizen- 
ship,   straightforward   and    diligent   in   his 


business  career,  and  trustworthy  at  all  times 
the  regard  of  Harry  Bort  is  such  as  to  make 
him  worthy  of  representation  among  the 
leading  citizens  of  the  county. 

FRED  GEISLER,  living  in  Royalton 
township,  was  born  December  2^^,  i860,  and 
is  of  German  lineage.  His  parents,  John 
and  Susan  (Schairer)  Geisler,  were  both 
natives  of  Nassau,  where  they  were  mar- 
ried. They  came  to  the  United  States  about 
1852  and  took  up  their  abode  at  St.  Joseph, 
Michigan,  where  Mr.  Geisler  was  employed 
at  loading  vessels.  He  afterward  went  to 
Bainbridge  towmship,  where  he  w^orked  for 
a  year  and  then  bought  thirty  acres  of  land 
now  included  in  the  farm  belonging  to  his 
son  Fred.  About  six  or  eight  years  later 
he  added  ninety-five  acres  adjoining,  so  that 
his  farm  comprises  altogether  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  acres.  The  tract  was  all 
wild  and  unimproved  when  he  purchased  it 
but  he  cut  away  the  trees  from  a  space  large 
enough  to  build  thereon  a  log  cabin  and 
later  he  continued  the  further  development 
and  improvement  of  that  place.  His  son 
Fred  was  born  in  the  log  cabin  and  lived 
upon  the  home  farm  until  thirty  acres  of  th(^ 
land  had  been  w^ell  improved.  The  father 
was  in  poor  health,  so  that  the  mother  had 
charge  of  the  task  of  clearing  and  cultivat- 
ing the  land,  wdiich  she  did  with  the  assist- 
ance of  her  three  elder  sons,  clearing  it  all  of 
indebtedness.  She  sold  cord  wood,  and  in  six 
or  eight  years  bought  ninety-five  acres  more. 
She  also  cleared  that  tract  and  sold  cord 
wood  therefrom.  She  also  secured  some 
money  through  the  sale  of  blackberries, 
which  she  picked,  and  so  utilized  every  pos- 
sible means  in  order  to  gain  a  living  for  her 
family.  Her  children  were  trained  to  habits 
of  industry,  economy  and  honesty  and  W'Cre 
of  much  assistance  to-  her  in  carrying  on 
the  work  of  developing  and  improving  the 
farm.  A  schoolhouse  was  built  at  the  south 
end  of  the  farm  and  near  by  a  church,  and 
the  Geislers  were  among  the  original  mem- 
bers of  the  Evangelical  church.  After 
about  tw^enty  years  suffering  the  husband 
and  father  passed  away  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
five  years,  while  the  wife  and  mother  sur- 
vived him  to  the  age  of  seventy-two  years. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


475 


She  is  entitled  to  great  credit  for  what  she 
accomphshed  in  the  way  of  developing  the 
farm  and  rearing  her  family.  She  built  an 
excellent  home  with  other  good  buildings 
upon  the  place,  thus  making  her  farm  one 
of  the  best  in  Royalton  township.  The  work 
of  tilling  the  soil  was  carried  on  vigorously 
and  energetically  under  her  guidance,  and  as 
the  result  of  her  careful  supervision  and 
keen  discernment  in  business  affairs  success 
rewarded  her  efforts,  and  her  farm  property 
became  one  of  the  best  in  the  community. 
She  also  lived  to  see  her  family  well  settled 
in  life  and  seven  of  her  children  survive 
her,  although  one  died  on  the  ocean  while 
the  parents  were  crossing  the  Atlantic  to 
the  new  world.  Those  still  living  are : 
Charlie,  a  resident  of  Royalton;  Henry,  a 
farmer  of  Bainbridge  living  in  Benton  Har- 
bor; Philip,  a  resident  of  Derby;  John,  of 
Royalton ;  Clara,  the  wife  of  Adam  Sinn,  of 
Royalton;  Fred,  of  this  review;  and  Libbie, 
the  wife  of  Frank  Brunkey,  of  Royalton. 
Of  this  family  William  worked  for  several 
years  for  Dr.  Hall  at  Royalton  township, 
and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years, 
while  Kate  died  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  Mrs. 
Geisler's  mother  came  from  Germany  with 
her  and  made  her  home  in  Berrien  county 
with  her  daughter  until  her  death,  which 
was  occasioned  by  typhoid  fever,  when  she 
was  eighty-four  years  of  age.  It  was  at  the 
same  time  that  William  and  Kate  passed 
away,  all  dying  within  three  weeks  of  each 
other. 

Fred  Geisler  was  early  trained  to 
habits  of  industry  and  economy.  It 
was  necessary  for  him  to  early  be- 
gin work  in  the  fields  and  he  re- 
mained at  home  until  nineteen  years  of 
age,  operating  the  farm  in  connection  with 
the  mother.  His  brother  John  then  rented  the 
place  and  Fred  Geisler  was  employed  by  his 
brother  for  four  or  five  years  on  the  farm. 
After  John  purchased  a  farm  Fred  Geisler 
rented  the  old  homestead  and  thus  entered 
upon  an  active  business  venture.  As  a  com- 
panion and  helpmate  for  life's  journey  he 
chose  Miss  Alice  Sinn,  who  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 1 8,  i860,  a  daughter  of  Adam  Sinn, 
Sr.,  now  deceased,  and  a  sister  of  Adam 
Sinn,  Jr.^  who  married  Clara  Geisler.    Mrs. 


Alice  Geisler  was  born  on  the  old  farm 
homestead  in  Royalton  township,  on  the  St. 
Joseph  river,  and  was  twenty-four  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  her  marriage. 

Mr.  Geisler  of  this  review  continued  to 
rent  the  old  home  farm,  then  comprising 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres,  for  tw^o 
years,  or  until  his  younger  sister  w^as  mar- 
ried. He  afterward  rented  the  Adelaide 
Smith  farm  for  three  years,  having  also 
a  thirty-acre  farm  from  his  mother's  old 
homestead.  When  three  years  had  passed  by 
he  bought  eighty  acres  of  land  of  Mrs. 
Smith,  having  to  incur  indebtedness,  how- 
ever, in  order  to  make  the  purchase.  Seeing 
that  grain  raising  would  scarcely  pay  for  the 
place  he  decided  to  plant  it  to  fruit  trees 
and  secured  trees  to  the  value  of  four  hun- 
dred dollars.  He  had  to  go  still  deeper  in 
debt  to  do  this,  and  in  order  to  live  until 
the  orchards  could  come  into  bearing  he 
conducted  a  dairy  business  and  at  first  began 
supplying  Mr.  Abbey  with  milk  at  fourteen 
cents  per  gallon,  for  which  purpose  he  kept 
seventeen  cows.  In  two  years  he  bought 
out  a  milk  route,  rented  more  land,  which 
he  used  for  pasture,  and  for  four  years  con- 
tinued actively  and  successfully  in  the  dairy 
business,  although  he  was  six  miles  from  St. 
Joseph.  His  trade  steadily  increased,  for  to 
his  customers  he  supplied  the  best  milk, 
using  the  greatest  care  in  handling  it.  He 
therefore  enjoyed  the  best  trade  in  St.  Jo- 
seph and  the  extent  and  importance  of  his 
business  as  a  dairyman  enabled  him  to  pay 
for  his  farm,  while  his  present  home  was 
built  from  the  proceeds  of  the  milk  business. 
In  the  meantime  his  fruit  came  into  bearing, 
so  he  sold  out  his  dairy  and  devoted  hi^ 
entire  attention  to  fruit.  He  has  sixty-five 
acres  planted  to  fruit,  making  a  specialty 
of  grapes,  although  he  also  raises  peaches, 
apples,  pears,  plums  and  small  fruit.  He 
has  made  a  success  in  this  line  and  is  well 
pleased  with  the  fruit  business  and  its  pos- 
sibilities. He  has  also  added  to  his  prop- 
erty until  he  now  has  one  hundred  and  six- 
teen acres  of  land  bordering  the  Niles  road 
on  one  side,  while  the  interurban  railroad 
passes  along  another  side. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geisler  has 
been  blessed  with  a  son  and  two  daughters : 


476 


HISTORY  OF  ^  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Alvin  F.,  who  is  now  attending  the  Stewart 
Business  University  at  Big  Rapids,  Michi- 
gan ;  Ada  LoulHa  and  Stella  Ahce. 

Mr.  Geisler  has  been  a  stalwart  Repub- 
lican since  age  conferred  upon  him  the  right 
of  franchise,  and  has  frequently  been  a  dele- 
gate to  county  conventions  of  his  party. 
He  is  deeply  interested  in  its  success  and 
growth  and  has  done  everything  in 
his  power  for  the  promotion  of  its 
influence  and  the  desired  results.  His 
attention,  however,  is  mainly  given  to 
fruit-raising  interests,  and  about  four 
years  ago,  with  several  others  of  the 
prominent  fruit-growers  in  this  section  of 
the  county,  he  formed  the  Scottdale  Fruit 
Association,  since  wdiich  time  their  products 
have  been  handled  to  better  profit  than  here- 
tofore. This  scheme  is  being  extended,  tak- 
ing in  other  shipping  stations  and  is  proving 
of  material  benefit  to  the  horticulturists. 

ALEXANDER  H.  SCOTT,  Jr.,  M.  D., 
one  of  the  most  able  physicians  and 
surgeons  of  St.  Joseph,  whose  reputa- 
tion is  not  limited  by  the  confines 
of  the  county  but  extends  throughout 
the  southern  peninsula,  was  born  in  School- 
craft, Kalamazoo  county,  Michigan,  Sep- 
tember 19,  1840.  His  father,  Alexander 
Scott,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Columbus,  Ohio, 
and  in  1837  became  a  resident  of  Michigan. 
William  Sherman,  the  great-grandfather  of 
Dr.  Scott,  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812. 
His  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Julia  Hatch,  was  born  in  V»ermont.  Fol- 
lowing his  removal  to  Michigan,  Alexander 
Scott,  Sr.,  engaged  in  merchandising  and 
was  widely  recognized  as  one  of  the  most 
prominent  and  successful  business  men  of 
Schoolcraft. 

Dr.  Scott  pursued  his  early  education 
in  Schoolcraft  and  subsequently  attended 
the  Agricultural  College  at  Lansing.  De- 
termining upon  the  practice  of  medicine  as 
a  life  work  he  began  reading  under  the  di- 
rection of  Drs.  Bolivar  and  Barnum,  of 
Schoolcraft,  and  matriculated  as  a  student  in 
the  medical  department  of  the  University  of 
Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor,  from  which  he 
was    graduated   in    March,    1867.      In   the 


meantime,  however,  he  had  given  four  years 
to  the  service  of  his  country. 

In  1 86 1,  aroused  by  a  spirit  of  patriotic 
ardor  and  loyalty.  Dr.  Scott  enlisted  as  a 
member  of  Company  C,  Sixth  Michigan 
Infantry,  Colonel  F.  W.  Curtenius  com- 
manding. He  served  first  as  color  sergeant 
and  afterward  as  hospital  steward.  He  was 
transferred  to  the  Eleventh  Army  Corps, 
and  was  afterward  assigned  to  the  Eighty- 
third  Regiment  of  United  States  Troops, 
serving  as  first  lieutenant  and  regimental 
quartermaster.  From  Governor  Blair  he 
received  the  appointment  to  the  position  of 
assistant  surgeon  of  the  United  States  Hos- 
pital at  Camden,  Arkansas,  where  he  re- 
mained until  the  8th  of  March,  1866,  thus 
terminating  four  years'  active  duty  in  be- 
half of  the  Union  cause.  After  leaving  the 
army  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine,  pur- 
suing his  professional  course  as  previously 
indicated,  and  following  his  graduation  he 
located  for  practice  in  St.  Joseph,  where  he 
engaged  upon  an  extremely  successful  prac- 
tice. He  has  recognition  throughout  this 
section  of  the  State  as  a  physician  of  great 
knowledge,  thoroughness  and  skill.  He  has 
genuine  love  for  his  work  both  from  a  sci- 
entific and  humanitarian  standpoint,  and  he 
is  an  active  member  of  the  Michigan  Med- 
ical Society  and  the  American  Medical 
Association.  He  practices  along  the  most 
modern,  scientific  lines,  keeping  in  touch 
with  the  progress  of  the  profession  through 
broad  reading  and  study,  and  his  ready 
adaptability  and  the  analytical  turn  of  his 
mind  enables  him  to  quickly  associate  a 
needed  remedial  agency  with  the  disease 
under  consideration. 

On  the  14th  of  February,  1869,  Dr. 
Scott  was  married  to  Miss  Lydia  M.  Cran- 
dall,  of  Binghamton,  New  York,  a  daughter 
of  Robert  Crandall,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Bella  S.,  born  May  16,  1871.  In  his  political 
views  Dr.  Scott  is  a  stalwart  Republican 
and  is  a  recognized  leader  in  Republican 
ranks.  He  has  been  honored  with  some  local 
offices,  though  his  professional  duties  leave 
him  little  opportunity  for  political  work  or 
office  holding.  He  was  trustee  of  St.  Joseph 
for  three  terms,  and  gave  to  the  city  a  pub- 


<^. 


r^    Q-^>^,^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


477 


lie-spirited  and  business-like  administration 
as  mayor  in  1890  and  1891.  Prominent  in 
Masonry,  he  belongs  to  Occidental  Lodge, 
No.  56,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  which  he  was 
worshipful  master  for  seventeen  years.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  Calvin  Britain  Chapter, 
No.  y2,  R.  A.  M.,  St.  Joseph  Council,  R.  & 
S.  M.,  and  Malta  Commandery,  No.  12,  K. 
T.  He  has  likewise  attained  the  thirty-sec- 
ond degree  in  the  Scottish  Rite  in  DeWitt 
Chnton  consistory,  and  is  a  noble  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine,  with  membership  in  Saladin 
Temple.  Dr.  Scott  is  a  man  admired  by  all 
who  know  him  by  reason  of  his  professional 
attainments  and  skill,  and  his  hearty  sym- 
pathy with  those  interests  for  high  and  noble 
aspirations  of  nature. 

CHRISTIAN  MEYER,  whose  resi- 
dence in  Berrien  county  covers  forty-nine 
years  and  who  has  long  been  known  as  a 
leading  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  likewise 
figures  prominently  in  public  affairs  as  a 
man  of  intluence  and  public-spirited  citizen- 
ship, serving  at  the  present  time  as  justice 
of  the  peace.  He  makes  his  home  on  section 
28,  Niles  township,  where  he  has  a  well  im- 
proved farm.  His  birth  occurred  in  Ger- 
many, on  the  loth  of  July,  1843,  ^^^s  parents 
being  Phillip  and  Elizabeth  (Neib)  Meyer, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  father- 
land. Phillip  Meyer  died  in  Germany,  after 
which  Christian  ]\Ieyer  with  his  mother 
came  to  America  in  1857,  when  a  youth  of 
fourteen  years.  They  made  their  way  di- 
rect to  Berrien  comity  and  settled  on  sec- 
tion 21,  Niles  township. 

Christian  Meyer  started  out  in  life  on 
his  own  account  when  about  sixteen  years 
of  age,  working  by  the  month  as  a  farm 
hand,  and  as  the  years  have  gone  by  he  has 
labored  earnestly  and  conscientiously  in  the 
achievement  of  success.  Whatever  success 
he  has  enjoyed  is  attributable  entirely  to 
his  own  labors  and  careful  management. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  life's 
journey  Mr.  Meyer  chose  Miss  Mary  Neib, 
whom  he  wedded  February  26,  1867.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  Christian  Neib,  one  of  the 
early  residents  of  this  part  of  the  state.  The 
young  couple  began  their  domestic  life  on 
section  21,  Niles  township,  where  Mr.  Meyer 


rented  land  for  a  year,  and  then,  with  the 
money  he  had  saved  from  his  earnings  he 
bought  forty  acres.  Living  in  a  little  log 
cabin  he  took  up  the  active  work  of  devel- 
oping and  cultivating  his  fields  for  fourteen 
years,  when  he  sold  that  property  and  pur- 
chased a  part  of  the  farm  upon  which  he 
now  resides.  As  his  financial  resources 
have  increased  he  has  extended  its  bound- 
aries and  has  added  to  the  place  until  he 
now  owns  one  hundred  and  fifteen  acres, 
which  is  well  improved.  He  has  erected  all 
of  the  buildings  here,  including  a  substan- 
tial residence  and  good  barns.  He  has  also 
put  up  fences  and  has  one  of  the  finest  farms , 
in  the  township,  its  splendid  appearance  be- 
ing proof  of  his  life  of  industry,  enterprise 
and  well  directed  activity. 

In  addition  to  the  cultivation  of  crops 
best  adapted  to  soil  and  climate  he  is  also 
engaged  in  the  breeding  of  horses  and  is 
the  owner  of  a  thoroughbred  Percheron 
stallion.  Hero,  which  is  a  dapple  grey, 
weighing  sixteen  hundred  and  forty  pounds. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meyer  have  been 
born  eight  children :  John,  who  is  now  living 
in  Portland,  Oregon;  Sarah,  the  wife  of 
William  Linsenmier,  whose  home  is  in  Niles 
township;  Edward;  Ida,  deceased;  William, 
in  Niles  township;  Charlie,  who  married 
Maggie  Wurz ;  and  Sophia  and  Clarence, 
who  are  yet  under  the  parental  roof.  The 
family  have  a  wide  acquaintance  in  this  part 
of  the  county  and  the  hospitality  of  many  of 
the  best  homes  in  Niles  township  is  freely 
and  graciously  accorded  them.  Mr.  Meyer 
has  been  a  resident  of  Berrien  county  for 
forty-nine  years,  and  interested  in  its  prog- 
ress and  development,  he  has  given  substan- 
tial aid  to  many  measures  for  the  general 
good.  He  votes  with  the  Democracy  and 
was  in  1902  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  to 
which  office  he  was  re-elected  in  1906  and  is 
now  holding  the  position,  his  decisions  be- 
ing strictly  fair  and  impartial  and  winning 
for  him  "golden  opinions  from  all  sorts  of 
people.'' 

CHARLES  E.  SABIN,  justice  of  the 
peace,  notary  public  and  insurance  agent  in 
Buchanan,  was  born  in  Steuben  county,  In- 
diana, June  6,  1837,  and  was  the  only  child 


478 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


of  Eliliu  and  Lucy  (Eaton)  Sabin,  the 
former  a  native  of  Jamaica,  Vermont,  and 
the  latter  of  Massachusetts.  The  father  was 
reared  in  the  Green  Mountain  state  and  be- 
came a  teacher  by  profession.  He  died  when 
his  son  Charles  was  but  six  years  of  age, 
and  the  mother  passed  away  when  about 
forty-two  years  of  age. 

Charles  E.  Sabin  was  reared  in  Steuben 
county,  Indiana,  acquiring  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  and  a  seminary.  He 
entered  upon  his  business  career  as  a  dry 
goods  clerk  in  Orland,  Steuben  county,  and 
was  thus  engaged  until  after  the  outbreak  of 
the  Civil  war,  when  his  patriotic  spirit  was 
aroused  and  he  offered  his  services  to  the 
government,  enlisting  in  September,  1861, 
as  a  member  of  Company  A,  Twenty-ninth 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry.  In  three  months 
he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  sergeant- 
orderly  and  was  afterward  hospital  steward. 
He  served  for  about  three  years  and  the  first 
active  engagement  in  which  he  participated 
was  at  Shiloh,  Tennessee,  in  April,  1862. 
He  was  afterward  at  Corinth  and  subse- 
quently took  part  in  several  smaller  battles. 
He  was  in  the  engagement  at  Stone  River 
on  the  31st  of  December,  1862,  and  the 
I  St,  2d  and  3d  of  January,  1863;  in  the 
battle  of  Chickamauga,  i8th,  19th  and 
20th  of  September,  1863,  and  in  many 
others  of  lesser  importance.  He  was  all  the 
time  in  active  service  and  while  on  the  march 
one  night  his  left  eye  was  injured  so  that  he 
lost  the  sight.  In  October,  1864,  he  was 
honorably  discharged  by  reason  of  disability. 
He  was  disabled  through  an  injury  to  the 
right  knee,  which  afterward  caused  his  leg  to 
be  amputated,  after  more  than  three  years 
of  active  and  valorous  service. 

Mr.  Sabin  returned  to  Orland,  Indiana, 
his  native  place,  and  was  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising there.  He  continued  in  active 
connection  with  commercial  pursuits  there 
until  April,  1889,  when  he  came  to  Buchanan 
and  began  farming.  He  has  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Buchanan  town- 
ship, w^iich  he  now  rents  and  which  returns 
him  a  good  income.  He  has  been  a  justice 
of  the  peace  for  about  twelve  years  and  his 
decisions  have  been  strictly  fair  and  impar- 
tial,  being  based    upon   the   evidence,    the 


law  and  the  equity  of  the  case.  He  is  also 
notary  public  and  in  addition  to  his  public 
service  he  is  engaged  in  the  insurance  busi- 
ness, representing  some  of  the  substantial 
companies. 

On  the  24th  of  February,  1868,  Mr. 
Sabin  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Au- 
relia  A.  Long,  a  daughter  of  George  and 
Henrietta  Long,  and  a  native  of  Williams 
countv,  Ohio.  This  union  was  blessed  with 
two  children  who  are  yet  living,  and  they 
have  also  lost  a  son,  Frank  E.,  who  was 
killed  in  a  railroad  accident  at  Alexander, 
Louisiana.  The  surviving  members  of  the 
family  are  Charles  Harry,  now  living  in 
New  Mexico;  and  Clara,  at  home. 

Mr.  Sabin  is  a  member  of  William  Par- 
rott  Post,  No.  22,  G.  A.  R.,  in  which  he 
has  filled  most  of  the  chairs.  He  has  been 
identified  with  the  organization  since  1867 
and  very  active  therein,  serving  as  com- 
mander of  the  post  at  different  times.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge  at  Bu- 
chanan and  the  Royal  Arch  degree  at  Cen- 
terville,  Michigan,  and  is  also  identified 
with  the  Eastern  Star  lodge  at  Buchanan. 
His  political  allegiance  has  always  been 
given  to  the  Republican  party  and  he  has 
taken  an  active  interest  in  its  work.  He  has 
taken  the  state  census  and  also  the  United 
States  census  for  Buchanan  township.  His 
first  official  service  in  connection  with  poli- 
tics was  as  one  of  the  clerks  of  election  at 
the  time  that  Fremont  was  candidate  for 
president.  Mr.  Sabin  was  only  a  boy  at  that 
time.  He  has  since  held  ofhce  for  a  long 
period  and  his  fidelity  to  duty  stands  as  an 
unquestioned  fact  in  his  career. 

HENRY  J.  RUSH,  living  on  section 
19,  Chikaming  township,  where  he  is  con- 
ducting the  Lake  View  resort,  is  a  native 
resident  of  Berrien  county,  having  been  born 
in  Sodus  township,  on  the  5th  of  June, 
1862.  His  paternal  grandfather,  Henry 
Rush,  became  an  early  settler  of  this  part 
of  the  state,  and  died  at  Berrien  Springs. 
His  son,  John  B.  Rush,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  West  Virginia,  and  was 
about  nine  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his 
parents'  removal  to  Michigan,  when  they 
settled  at  Berrien  Springs,  becoming  early 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


479 


residents  of  this  county.  John  B.  Rush  spent 
the  greater  part  of  his  hfe  as  a  farmer  in 
this  state.  He  married  Miss  Mahala 
Reams,  who  was  born  in  Berrien  county, 
where  her  entire  Hfe  was  passed.  Their 
union  was  blessed  with  seven  children : 
Hulda  J.,  the  wife  of  George  Price,  who  is 
living  upon  the  old  homestead  farm  in 
Sodus  township;  Useba  B.,  of  Illinois; 
Nancy  J.,  the  wife  of  John  Aylsworth,  of 
Chikaming  township;  Ida  E.,  also  in  Illi- 
nois; Henry  J.,  of  this  review;  William  R., 
who  makes  his  home  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship ;  and  Almeda,  the  wife  of  Frank  Brock, 
of  Illinois. 

Henry  J.  Rush,  living  upon  the  home 
farm  in  his  boyhood  days,  assisted  in  its  de- 
velopment until  twenty  years  of  age,  when 
he  went  west  for  three  years,  and  then  came 
to  his  present  place  of  residence,  where  he 
has  three  and  one-half  acres  upon  the  lake 
front.  This  farm  is  used  for  the  entertain- 
ment of  summer  boarders  and  he  also  owns 
a  farm  of  thirty-five  acres  on  section  29, 
Chikaming  township.  He  was  also  at  one 
time  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  property 
of  one  hundred  acres,  which  he  sold  to  a 
vineyard  company  about  three  years  ago  He 
is  now  proprietor  of  the  Lake  View  resort, 
which  he  has  conducted  for  three  years,  his 
entire  time  and  attention  being  given  to  the 
entertainment  of  summer  boarders,  which 
he  has  found  a  successful  business  enter- 
prise. He  has  a  fine  place  on  the  lake  and 
there  is  an  excellent  bathing  beach,  together 
wnth  beautiful  grounds  and  many  attractions 
which  furnish  rest,  recreation  and  pleasure 
to  the  summer  visitor  who  leaves  the  city 
to  enjoy  the  comforts  of  a  rural  existence 
during  the  hot  summer  months. 

In  1887  Mr.  Rush  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  S.  Miranda  Hoadley,  who  was 
born  in  Pipestone  township,  this  county, 
April  14,  1867,  a  daughter  of  Nelson  and 
Sarah  (Sorell)  Ploadley,  who  were  among 
the  early  residents  of  this  part  of  the  state. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rush  have  no  children  of  their 
own  but  have  an  adopted  son,  Elvin. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Rush  is  a 
Democrat,  and  is  now  serving  as  highway 
commissioner  for  the  fifth  year,  three  terms 
l)eing  consecutive.     He  has  also  been  treas- 


urer of  the  school  board  for  sixteen  years 
and  is  a  champion  of  many  movements  and 
measures  for  the  interests  of  the  school  and 
for  the  general  progress  and  upbuilding  of 
the  county.  Socially  he  is  connected  with 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at 
Three  Oaks.  His  time  and  attention,  how- 
ever, are  largely  concentrated  upon  his  busi- 
ness affairs  and  by  his  capable  management 
and  unfaltering  industry  he  has  gained  a 
place  among  the  substantial  residents  of  this 
part  of  the  state. 

FRANK  A.  STRYKER.  In  business 
and  political  circles  Frank  A.  Stryker  is 
well  known,  serving  at  the  present  writing, 
in  1906,  as  deputy  sheriff  of  the  county, 
and  at  the  same  time  carrying  on  active  busi- 
ness interests  as  a  farmer  and  florist.  A 
native  of  New  York,  he  was  born  in  Niles^ 
Cayuga  county,  on  the  6th  of  April,  1853. 
His  parents  were  Garret  C.  and  Ancenette 
(Chamberlain)  Stryker,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Cayuga  county.  The  paternal 
grandfather,  Abraham  Stryker,  was  born  in 
Adams  county,  Pennsylvania,  while  his 
father,  Abraham  Stryker,  Sr.,  was  a  native 
of  New  Jersey  and  became  one  of  the  pio- 
neer residents  of  the  Keystone  state,  whence 
he  afterward  removed  to  New  York,  be- 
coming a  resident  upon  the  frontier  there. 
The  maternal  grandfather,  Samuel  Chamber- 
lain, was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  where  his 
father  had  settled  at  an  early  day,  removing 
to  that  state  from  Virginia.  It  was  in  the 
year  1864  that  Garret  C.  Stryker  came  to 
Berrien  county,  Michigan,  settling  in  Ber- 
trand  township,  where  he  died  in  June,  1890. 
In  the  family  were  four  sons  and  three 
daughters. 

Frank  A.  Stryker,  the  eldest,  w^as  a 
youth  of  eleven  3rears  when  he  came  with 
his  parents  to  Berrien  county,  the  remainder 
of  his  minority  being  passed  upon  the  home 
farm  in  Bertrand  township,  where  he  at- 
tended the  district  schools  during  the  winter 
months,  the  summer  seasons  being  devoted 
to  active  farm  labor.  When  he  attained  his 
majority  he  began  teaching  school,  having 
charge  of  a  school  in  the  Harding  district 
in  Niles  township.  For  thirteen  years  he 
followed  that  profession  during  the  fall  and 


48o 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


winter  months,  while  in  the  summer  sea- 
sons he  was  connected  with  the  task  of  cuhi- 
vating  and  developing  the  fields.  As  a  com- 
panion and  helpmate  for  life's  journey  he 
chose  Miss  Mary  F.  Derby,  whom  he  wedded 
on  the  15th  of  March,  1881.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Reuben  and  Dorlesca  (Prine) 
Derby,  and  was  born  in  Cayuga  county, 
New  York,  where  her  girlhood  days  were 
passed. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Stryker  lo- 
cated on  a  farm  in  Bertrand  township,  where 
he  remained  for  two  years  and  then  re- 
moved to  the  George  Hoppin  farm,  in  Niles 
township.  He  subsequently  went  to 
Muskegon,  Michigan,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business  for 
a  year  and  a  half,  returning,  on  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period,  to  the  old  homestead  in 
Bertrand  township,  Berrien  county,  whereon 
he  lived  for  about  four  years.  He  then 
came  to  Buchanan,  and  he  taught  his  last 
term  of  school  in  Indiana,  while  residing  in 
Buchanan.  Being  appointed  express  agent 
at  this  place,  he  continuously  filled  the  posi- 
tion until  1898,  when  he  resigned  and  pur- 
chased his  present  home,  since  which  time 
he  has  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  flowers 
and  the  raising  of  fruit.  In  this  connection 
he  is  well  known,  as  the  products  of  his 
greenhouses  and  orchards  are  of  superior 
quality  and  attractiveness  and  thus  find  a 
ready  sale  on  the  market. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stryker  have  been 
born  a  son  and  daughter.  The  former, 
Clarence  D.  Stryker,  is  bookkeeper  and  as- 
sistant cashier  for  the  Jewell  Belting  Com- 
pany, of  Chicago,  wdiile  Ethel  A.,  a  musician 
of  more  than  ordinary  ability,  is  at  home. 

Mr.  Stryker  has  taken  an  active  interest 
in  public  affairs  and  as  the  champion  of 
Democracy  is  well  known  as  a  leader  in  the 
party  ranks.  He  was  chairman  of  the  board 
of  school  inspectors  and  served  as  justice 
of  the  peace  while  in  Bertrand  township. 
He  was  member  of  the  city  council  of  the 
town  of  Buchanan  at  the  time  the  water- 
works were  installed,  was  a  member  of  the 
county  board  of  school  examiners  in  1892-3. 
He  was  appointed  county  drain  commis- 
sioner in  1903  and  entered  upon  the  duties 
of  the  office  in  1904,  serving  until  the  26th 


of  September,  1905.  He  was  appointed 
deputy  sheriff  in  October  of  the  same  year 
and  he  is  now  filling  this  position.  He  is  a 
past  master  in  the  Masonic  fraternity  and 
a  master  in  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen  at  Buchanan.  Fle  is  likewise  a 
member  of  the  International  Congress  at 
Dowagiac.  He  is  well  known  in  Berrien 
county  and  has  always  taken  an  active  in- 
terest in  public  affairs,  while  his  co-opera- 
tion in  many  movements  having  direct  bear- 
ing upon  the  welfare  of  the  community  has 
been  beneficial  and  far-reaching. 

RICHARD  M.  GOODWIN.  No  man 
in  Chikaming  township  is  held  in  higher 
regard,  or  more  justly  deserves  the  respect 
of  his  fellowmen  than  Richard  M.  Goodwin, 
who  lives  on  section  25.  He  was  born  in 
Ulysses  township,  Tompkins  county,  New 
York,  October  19,  1828,  and  spent  the  first 
twelve  years  of  his  life  in  the  vicinity  of 
Goodwin's  Point,  which  place  was  named  in 
honor  of  his  grandfather,  the  Rev.  Richard 
Goodwin,  who  was  a  farmer  and  local 
preacher  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
He  owned  a  fine  farm  on  Cayuga  Lake,  New 
York,  and  died  in  the  E2mpire  state  when 
about  eighty  years  of  age.  The  family  is 
of  English  lineage  although  there  are  strains 
of  Scotch,  Irish  and  German  blood  inter- 
mingled. His  father,  Charles  E.  Goodwin, 
was  born  at  Goodwin's  Point,  in  Tompkins 
county,  in  1798,  and  died  at  Aurora,  Illi- 
nois, at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years.  Pie 
wxnt  to  California  in  1849,  attracted  by  the 
discovery  of  gold  on  the  Pacific  slope,  and 
spent  eleven  years  in  that  state.  He  made 
a  fortune  in  the  gold  mines  but  lost  it 
through  speculation.  At  times  he  was  suc- 
cessful and  at  times  had  hard  luck,  and  on 
four  or  five  different  occasions  he  v^as  the 
possessor  of  considerable  wealth  which  he 
made  through  the  manipulation  of  big  busi- 
ness propositions.  Pie  became  a  farmer  and 
was  also  a  captain  on  the  Erie  canal  and 
the  St.  I^wrence  river  in  his  younger  days. 
He  engaged  in  speculating  in  wheat  and 
realized  both  profits  and  losses  in  his  ven- 
tures in  that  direction.  At  length  he  became 
a  resident  of  Illinois. 

Charles   E.   Goodwin    was    married    to 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


48  r 


Miss  Maria  Miller,  who  was  born  near  Troy, 
New  York,  about  1800,  and  was  married 
in  1829.  Her  death  occurred  in  Aurora, 
Illinois,  when  she  was  seventy-four  years  of 
age.  In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple 
were  seven  children,  of  whom  four  lived  to 
maturity :  Richard  M. ;  Irving  C,  now  de- 
ceased; Mrs.  Pauline  Douglas;  Edwin,  who 
has  passed  away;  Catherine,  who  died  aged 
fifteen  years;  and  two  who  died  in  infancy. 
Mr.  Goodwin  of  this  review  was  a  youth 
of  twelve  years  when,  in  1840,  Jie  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  removal  to 
Aurora,  Illinois.  He  remained  a  resident 
of  Kane  county  for  about  twenty-five  years 
and  acquired  a  common-school  education. 
After  putting  aside  his  textbooks  he  was 
connected  with  his  father  in  the  operation 
of  a  flouring  mill  and  later  was  with  his 
uncle  in  a  general  store  at  Aurora,  clerking 
for  several  years.  He  afterward  became  a 
partner  in  the  firm  of  C.  H.  Goodwin  & 
Company^  and  about  i860  he  purchased  an 
interest  in  the  Snyder  mill  at  North  Aurora. 
At  a  later  day  he  engaged  in  dealing  in  lum- 
ber, wood,  etc.,  for  about  eight  years,  en- 
joying a  good  patronage  in  that  line.  On 
the  expiration  of  the  period  mentioned, 
however,  he  sold  his  business  and  purchased 
the  Douglas  farm  about  two  miles  south  of 
the  city  hall  and  just  outside  the  corporation 
limits  of  Aurora.  He  afterward  sold  that 
property  and  invested  his  money  with  his 
tuicle,  C.  H.  Goodwin,  at  Union  Pier  in  Ber- 
rien county,  Michigan,  about  1870.  Here 
he  bought  cord  wood  and  hard  wood  lum- 
ber on  an  extensive  scale,  having  a  tramway 
track  about  three  and  a  half  miles  long. 
They  had  a  pier  six  hundred  feet  long  and 
a  hundred  and  thirty-five  ton  schooner 
named  the  W.  H.  Hawkins  and  a  general 
store,  also  a  sawmill  and  blacksmith  shop, 
and  thus  conducted  various  business  inter- 
ests at  that  point,  employing  from  twenty 
to  one  hundred  men  according  to  the  season 
and  the  nature  of  their  business  operations. 
They  bought  timber  land  which  they  cleared 
and  then  sold  the  land  to  settlers,  who  wished 
it  for  farming  purposes.  They  handled  from 
one  thousand  to  fifteen  hundred  acres  of  land 
and  the  partnership  continued  between  the 
uncle  and  nephew^  until  the  former's  death 


on  the  nth  of  July,  1871.  For  several  years 
thereafter  Mr.  Goodwin  was  in  partnership 
with  his  cousin,  Francis  Goodwin  Gowdy, 
and  at  length  their  interests  were  divided. 
Later  Richard  M.  Goodwin  turned  his  at- 
tention to  the  manufacture  of  handles,  con- 
ducting the  factory  successfully  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  but  at  length  the  business  was 
moved  to  Antigo,  Wisconsin,  where  Mr. 
Goodwin  was  in  partnership  with  John  A. 
Thursby  for  a  number  of  years,  retaining 
his  residence,  however,  in  Michigan.  He 
has  a  fine  home  which  was  built  in  1873 
and  stands  on  the  bank  of  Lake  Michigan  in 
the  midst  of  a  beautiful  grove.  He  has  about 
sixty  acres  of  land,  and  about  half  of  it  he 
has  allowed  to  grow  up  to  timber  again. 
Some  of  it  has  become  summer  home  prop- 
erty, many  Chicago  people  having  cottages 
on  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan  for  many 
miles. 

In  1873  occurred  the  marriage  of 
Richard  M.  Goodwin  and  Mrs.  Mary  Miller 
King,  who  was  born  at  Painted  Post, 
Steuben  county,  New  York,  July  20,  1838, 
a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Mc- 
Burney)  Miller,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and 
New  York  respectively.  Unto  this  marriage 
there  were  born  three  children,  of  whom 
Robert  Miller,  the  eldest,  died  at  the  age  of 
four  months.  William  R.,  who  was  a  grad- 
uate of  the  Agricultural  College,  at  Lansing, 
Michigan,  of  the  class  of  1897,  having  com- 
pleted the  course  in  engineering  and  in  the 
mechanical  department^  was  a  civil  engineer 
and  was  engaged  in  railroad  construction, 
at  the  time  of  his  death  being  in  the  employ 
of  the  Chicago  &  North  Western  Railroad 
Company.  He  passed  away  December  i, 
1902,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  his 
birth  having  occurred  on  the  i6th  of  July, 
1877.  The  daughter.  Belle  M.,  is  the  only 
child  living.  While  actively  operating  in 
building  interests  here,  Mr.  Goodwin  and 
his  uncle  built  and  gave  to  the  Pere  Mar- 
quette Railroad  the  depot  at  Union  Pier.  In 
1873,  when  he  was  w^ell  oflf,  he  built  his 
present  fine  home,  sparing  no  expense  in 
finishing  it  in  the  finest  woods.  Soon  after- 
ward he  deeded  this  home  to  his  wife.  No  ' 
man  in  Berrien  county  enjoys  in  larger  de- 
gree the  confidence  and  trust  of  his  fellow 


4.8:: 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


citizens,  his  business  integrity  being  above 
xeproach.  His  political  allegiance  has  been 
^iven  to  the  Republican  party  since  he  cast 
a  ballot  for  John  C.  Fremont  in  1856,  and 
he  has  done  everything  in  his  power  to  pro- 
mote Republican  successes.  He  once  served 
as  supervisor  of  his  township  but  has  prac- 
tically declined  all  political  honors  save  that 
of  township  treasurer,  in  which  position  he 
remained  for  about  six  years.  He  was  also 
justice  of  the  peace  for  four  years  and  a 
member  of  the  school  board  for  about  twenty 
years.  He  has  been  a  director  of  the  Ber- 
rien County  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
pany for  the  past  eight  years,  representing 
New  Buffalo,  Three  Oaks  and  Chikaming 
townships.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason,  be- 
longing to  Three  Oaks  lodge,  and  was  at 
one  time  a  member  of  the  Grange  for  a 
number  of  years.  He  and  his  family  attend 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  at  all 
times  his  life  has  been  actuated  by  honorable 
principles  and  he  has  exemplified  a  close 
adherence  to  a  high  standard  of  business 
ethics. 

GEORGE  W.  ROUGH,  who  car- 
ries on  general  farming  on  section  7, 
Bertrand  township,  the  appearance  of 
liis  place  indicating  the  character  of 
his  work  and  his  progressive  spirit 
as  an  agriculturist,  is  a  native  son  of  Penn- 
sylvania, his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Juanita  county  on  the  4th  of  July,  1843. 
His  father,  Jacob  Rough,  became  a  resident 
of  Bertrand  township,  Berrien  county,  May 
28,  1849.  H^  ^^^  purchased  his  farm  in 
1848  and  the  following  year  he  removed 
his  family  to  his  new  home,  hoping  that  the 
change  would  prove  a  benefit  financially. 
He  married  Miss  Nancy  Imhoff,  also  a  na- 
tive of  Bennsylvania,  and  they  reared  their 
five  children  on  a  farm  in  Michigan,  all 
reaching  manhood  or  womanhood  and  all 
married  and  had  families  of  their  own. 

George  W.  Rough  is  the  youngest  of  the 
five  children  and  the  only  representative  of 
the  family  now  living.  He  was  in  his  sixth 
year  when  he  was  brought  to  Bertrand 
township,  and  for  fifty-seven  years  has  lived 
in  the  same  house,  the  place  being  therefore 
'endeared  to  him  through   the   associations 


of  his  boyhood  as  well  as  those  of  later  man- 
hood. Not  another  man  in  the  county  has 
so  long  inhabited  a  single  dwelling.  The 
home  is  one  of  the  old  landmarks  of  Bert- 
rand township  and  has  been  a  mute  witness 
of  the  many  changes  that  have  been  wrought 
as  man  has  labored  to  transform  the  county 
from  a  wild  and  unimproved  region  into 
one  of  rich  fertility,  (equipped  with  all  of  the 
evidences  of  an  advanced  modern  civiliza- 
tion. Mr.  Rough  has  taken  an  active  inter- 
est in  public  affairs  and  is  a  Republican  in 
his  political  views.  The  township,  how- 
ever, is  largely  Democratic,  yet  in  the  fall 
of  1878  Mr.  Rough  was  elected  county 
treasurer  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  the 
office  the  following  year,  acting  in  that  ca- 
pacity for  four  years.  He  proved  a  worthy 
custodian  of  that  public  office,  and  his  ad- 
ministration of  the  duties  of  the  office  was 
characterized  by  unfaltering  loyalty.  He  was 
also  supervisor  of  Bertrand  township  for 
two  years.  For  a  long  period  he  was  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  this 
portion  of  the  county  and  has  a  valuable 
place  of  two  hundred  and  ten  acres,  but 
rents  his  land  to  his  son,  while  he  is  prac- 
tically living  retired. 

Mr.  Rough  has  been  married  twice.  He 
first  wedded  Melinda  Broceus,  and  unto 
them  were  born  six  children:  Nettie  J.,  now 
the  wife  of  Joseph  Arney,  of  South  Bend ; 
Fannie  A.,  the  wife  of  Albert  Rhoades,  of 
Bertrand  township;  Ida,  the  wife  of  Isaac 
Lybrook,  of  Berrien  Springs;  Emery  J., 
who  married  Nettie  Wyman,  of  Bertrand 
township;  Elmer  E.,  a  twin  brother  of 
Emery,  who  is  managing  the  home  farm ; 
Myrtle  M.,  the  wife  of  Kirk  W.  Perley,  of 
South  Bend,  Indiana.  The  mother  of  these 
children  died  February  10,  1904,  and  on  the 
2d  of  May,  1905,  Mr.  Rough  wedded  Juliet 
Baird,  of  Buchanan. 

Mrs.  Rough  is  a  native  of  Illinois — the 
''Banner  State" — born  near  Lewiston,  Ful- 
ton county,  Oct.  9,  1851,  and  she  and  her 
twin  sister,  Mrs.  M.  S.  Mead,  of  Buchanan, 
are  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  four  children, 
one  son  and  three  daughters,  born  unto 
John  C.  and  Mary  (Litchfield)  McClel- 
land. All  of  these  children  are  living. 
Besides  Mrs.  Rough  and  Mrs.  Mead   there 


o^  fs^^s  J^<^^^^ 


y^cUU^iplti     Jr^  ^Icr-f-i ^J? 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


483 


are:  Mrs.  D.  J.  Allen,  a  resident  of  Los 
Angeles,  California;  Millard  F.,  a  resident 
of  the  city  of  Chicago,  is  in  the  employ  of 
the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  Railroad 
Company,  having  been  employed  by  that 
company  for  twenty-one  years,  and  is  now 
conductor  on  one  of  the  passenger  trains. 
He  is  married.  In  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  in  a  fraternal  s^ense  is  a  member 
of  the  O.  R.  C.  He  is  the  youngest  in  the 
McClelland  family.  Father  McClelland  was 
a  native  of  New  Jersey,  born  in  Paterson 
in  1810,  and  died  in  1865.  He  was  a  cap- 
tain on  a  steamboat  a  number  of  years  on 
the  Illinois  river.  Politically  he  was  a 
Douglas  Democrat,  and  he  was  a  member  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  while  he  and  his  good  wife 
were  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Mother  McClelland  was  born  in 
Coshocton  county,  Ohio,  in  1830,  and  died 
in  1886.  She  was  an  educated  lady  and 
took  up  the  study  of  medicine,  having  been 
the  first  lady  physician  in  the  state  of  Illi- 
nois. She  was  very  successful  in  her  chosen 
profession.  Mrs.  George  Rough  was  reared 
in  her  native  state  and  educated  in  a  pri- 
mary and  intermediate  sense  in  the  public 
schools,  then  taking  a  four  years'  course  in 
the  Chautauquan  School.  She  fitted  herself 
as  an  educator  in  music,  both  in  vocal  cul- 
ture and  instrumental.  She  was  a  tutor  in 
Everett  College  in  Fresno,  California,  for 
six  years.  She  is  a  lady  of  more  than  or- 
dinary training,  well  fitted  to  grace  her 
home  circle,  and  a  most  worthy  assistant  and 
helpmeet  to  her  husband  in  their  hospitable 
home. 

Prominent  in  Masonry,  Mr.  Rough  be- 
longs to  the  Blue  Lodge  at  Buchanan  and 
also  to  the  Eastern  Star  there.  He  likewise 
affiliates  with  the  council,  chapter  and  com- 
mandery  at  Niles,  thus  taking  all  of  the  de- 
grees of  the  York  rite.  He  has  crossed  the 
sands  of  the  desert  with  the  Nobles  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine  at  Grand  Rapids  and  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  both  at  Niles.  During  the 
time  that  he  was  serving  as  county  treas- 
urer he  became  a  charter  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
encampment,   and  also  joined  the   Ancient 


Order  of  United  Workmen  at  Berrien 
Springs,  assisting  in  organizing  the  lodge 
there,  in  which  he  served  as  receiver.  He 
has  been  a  delegate  to  the  state  conventions 
and  representative  to  the  different  grand 
lodges  and  is  a  worthy  and  valued  member 
of  these  organizations,  exemplifying  in  his 
life  the  beneficent  spirit  upon  which  they 
are  founded.  He  believes  thoroughly  in  the 
principles  and  rules  of  conduct  which  they 
inculcate  and  in  his  life  has  been  true  to 
their  teachings.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rough  are 
devout  members  of  the  Evangelical 
church  called  'The  Portage  Prairie  Evan- 
gelical Church,''  and  which  has  one  of  the 
best  Sunday  schools  in  the  county,  and  in 
which  both  are  teachers. 

CHARLES  F.  HOWE.  Through  many 
years  of  an  active  business  career  Charles 
F.  Plowe  was  engaged  in  farming  but  is 
now  living  retired  in  Buchanan,  the  compe- 
tence which  he  acquired  in  former  years  be- 
ing sufficient  to  enable  him  to  now  enjoy  rest 
from  further  labor.  He  was  born  in  Cort- 
land county.  New  York,  March  22,  1832. 
His  father,  Frederick  Howe,  was  a  native 
of  Massachusetts,  and  removed  from  New 
York  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  in  1835, 
locating  in  Bertrand  township,  among  the 
earliest  settlers  who  were  subduing  the  wil- 
derness and  extending  the  frontier.  He 
bought  several  claims  and  improved  his  land, 
transforming  wild  uncultivated  tracts  into 
rich  fields,  from  which  he  annually  garnered 
abundant  harvests.  About  i860  he  built 
the  brick  house  now  occupied  by  Charles 
F.  Howe,  and,  locating  therein,  he  died  in 
his  seventy-sixth  year.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Polly  Bliss,  was  a  native 
of  Massachusetts  and  lived  to  be  seventy- 
eight  years  of  age.  As  pioneer  people  they 
were  closely  identified  with  the  early  history 
of  Berrien  county  and  aided  in  establishing 
its  policy  at  that  day.  Mr.  Howe  owned  a 
large  tract  of  land  at  one  time,  mostly  in 
Bertrand  township.  He  was  an  influential 
resident  of  the  community  and  filled  various 
township  and  county  offices,  to  which  he  was 
called  by  the  vote  of  his  fellow  townsmen 
who  recognized  his  worth  and  ability.  He 
was  in  office  at  the  time  the  old  courthouse 


484 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


was  built  at  Berrien  Springs,  acting  as  su- 
pervisor and  was  appointed  on  the  building 
committee.  This  committee  borrowed  money 
of  the  state  in  order  to  build  the  courthouse. 
His  son,  Charles  F.  Howe,  was  in  office 
when  the  board  discharged  this  indebted- 
ness to  the  state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frederick 
Howe  have  become  the  parents  of  twelve 
children,  who  reached  adult  age. 

The  subject  of  this  review,  the  only  sur- 
viving member  of  the  family,was  three  and  a 
half  years  old  when  he  came  to  this  county. 
He  was  reared  in  Bertrand  township  amid 
pioneer  scenes  and  environments  and  shared 
with  the  family  in  the  hardships  and  priva- 
tions of  frontier  life.  His  education  was 
obtained  in  the  early  schools  of  the  county 
and  he  remained  at  home  up  to  the  time  of 
his  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  in  Octo- 
ber, 1858,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss 
Lucy  Crowfoot,  a  daughter  of  Osmond  D. 
and  Maria  (Sampson)  Crowfoot.  Mrs. 
Howe  was  born  at  Truxton,  Cortland  coun- 
ty. New  York,  July  7,  1837,  and  had  the 
advantage  of  educational  privileges  m 
Homer  Academy  in  that  county.  She  after- 
ward engaged  in  teaching  school  in  New 
York,  in  Indiana  and  in  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  devoting  seven  years  to  that  pro- 
fession. She  became  a  resident  of  Berrien 
county  when  nineteen  years  of  age,  remov- 
ing to  this  locality  in  order  to  teach  in  the 
public  schools  here  and  was  thus  occupied 
until  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Mr. 
Howe. 

The  young  couple  began  their  domestic 
life  on  the  old  Frederick  Howe  homestead 
in  Bertrand  township,  where  they  resided 
continuously  until  1897,  when  they  removed 
to  Buchanan,  taking  up  their  abode  in  the 
old  home  which  was  built  by  his  father  m 
i860.  They  have  become  the  parents  of 
five  children.  Osmond,  born  in  1859,  mar- 
ried Fannie  Long,  and  is  now  living  m 
Lansing,  Michigan.  Fie  is  a  graduate  of 
the  Agricultural  College  of  that  city  and  is 
now  in  the  employ  of  the  state.  Frederick 
is  a  prominent  farmer  of  Bertrand  township 
mentioned  on'  another  page  of  this  work. 
Harry  B.,  born  in  1865,  is  at  home,  assistant 
cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Bu- 
chanan, Michigan,  also  assistant  postmaster 


in  that  city.  Lulu  C,  born  in  1872,  is  the 
wife  of  Bryan  Treat,  of  Buchanan.  May, 
born  in  1877,  is  the  wife  of  Bird  Lister,  of 
Washington  Heights,   Chicago. 

Mr.  Howe  gave  his  early  political  al- 
legiance to  the  Democracy  but  in  more  re- 
cent years  has  been  a  stalwart  Republican. 
He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  political 
and  other  questions  affecting  the  welfare 
and  progress  of  his  community  and  for  three 
years  has  served  as  township  supervisor  of 
Bertrand.  He  was  for  nine  years  superin- 
tendent of  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Fire  In- 
surance Company,  and  he  is  interested  in 
all  that  pertains  to  progress  for  the  agricul- 
turist and  for  the  community  at  large.  His 
residence  in  the  county  covers  seventy-one 
years,  few  men  having  so  long  been  a  wit- 
ness of  its  growth  and  development.  He 
has  been  identified  with  the  making  of  the 
county,  standing  ever  for  its  interests  which 
work  for  material,  intellectual,  social  and 
moral  progress.  Flis  influence  is  always  on 
the  side  of  right  and  order  and  he  is  a  man 
of  genuine  personal  worth,  who  is  re- 
spected by  all  with  whom  he  has  been 
brought  in  contact.  He  is  now  living  retired 
in  Buchanan,  surrounded  by  the  comforts 
and  some  of  the  luxuries  of  life,  which 
have  been  secured  through  his  kindly  and 
well  directed  efforts  in  former  years. 

ISAIAH  RYNEARSON,  residing  in 
Three  Oaks,  where  for  many  years  he  was 
closely  connected  with  commercial  and  in- 
dustrial interests,  was  born  near  Castine  in 
Darke  county,  Ohio,  January  2,  1844.  His 
parents  were  Barnet  and  Ann  (Drake)  Ry- 
nearson.  The  father  was  born  in  1796  near 
the  boundary  line  between  Pennsylvania  and 
New  Jersey  and  when  quite  young  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  Ohio.  He  was  a  son 
of  Nicholas  Rynearson,  a  native  of  New 
Jersey  and  a  farmer  by  occupation,  who  on 
removing  to  Ohio  with  his  family  settled 
in  Warren  county.  He  died  at  the  age  of 
fifty-six  years.  His  son,  Barnet  Rynear- 
son, was  reared  in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  and 
was  there  married,  the  lady  of  his  choice 
being  Miss  Ann  Drake,  who  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania  in  1803  and  went  to  the  Buck- 
eye state  at  an  early  day  with  his  parents.. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


485 


Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ry- 
nearson  removed  to  Darke  county,  Ohio, 
about  1830  and  there  remained  until  the 
fall  of  1864,  when  they  came  to  Berrien 
county,  Michigan.  The  father  died  at  Bu- 
chanan when  ninety  years  of  age  and  the 
mother  departed  this  life  in  that  place  at  the 
extreme  old  age  of  ninety-three  years. 
Throughout  his  entire  life  Mr.  Rynearson 
had  carried  on  the  occupation  of  farming. 
He  was  a  Methodist  in  religious  belief  from 
early  life  until  his  death  and  his  faith  was 
exemplified  in  his  daily  conduct  and  in  his 
honorable  and  straightforward  relations 
with  his  fellowmen.  His  political  allegiance 
W'as  given  to  the  Whig  party  until  its  disso- 
lution, when  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  new 
Republican  party.  Unto  him  and  his  wiie 
were  born  fifteen  children,  seven  daughters 
and  eight  sons.  Mr.  Rynearson  of  this  re- 
view was  the  youngest  of  the  sons  who  lived 
to  mature  years  and  five  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters of  the  family  are  yet  living.  Three 
brothers,  Peter,  Jefferson  and  Josiah,  served 
in  the  Civil  war  as  defenders  of  the  Union 
cause  and  Peter  was  also  a  soldier  of  the 
Mexican  war. 

The  other  member  of  the  family  who  dis- 
played his  loyalty  upon  southern  battlefields 
was  Isaiah  Rynearson  of  this  review.  He 
had  been  reared  upon  the  home  farm  in  Ohio 
until  eighteen  years  of  age,  early  becoming 
familiar  with  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall 
to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist,  while  in  the 
winter  seasons  he  mastered  the  branches  of 
learning  taught  in  the  public  schools.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen,  however,  he  could  no 
longer  content  himself  at  the  plow  when  the 
fires  of  patriotism  burned  bright  wathin  his 
breast  and  accordingly,  in  1862,  he  enlisted 
as  a  member  of  Company  B,  One  Hundred 
and  Tenth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  vmder 
Capt.  David  B.  Langston.  He  participated 
in  the  three  days'  engagement  at  Win- 
chester, Virginia,  and  joined  the  army  of 
the  Potomac  after  the  battle  of  Gettysburg. 
He  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Brandy  Sta- 
tion, Mine  Run  and  the  Wilderness  and  in 
the  second  day  of  the  fight  at  the  last  named 
place,  on  the  5th  of  May,  1864,  he  lost  his 
left  leg.  He  was  then  sent  to  the  general 
hospital  at  Washington,  where  he  was  hon- 


orably discharged  on  the  2d  of  November, 
1864.  He  made  a  great  sacrifice  for  his 
country  and  was  always  found  as  a  loyal 
and  valorous  defender  of  the  Union  cause. 
Certainly  the  nation  owes  to  these  soldier 
boys  a  debt  of  gratitude  which  can  never  be 
repaid. 

After  being  mustered  out  Mr.  Rynear- 
son returned  to  his  old  home,  where  he  re- 
mained for  a  week.  His  parents,  how^ever, 
had  in  the  meantime  been  to  Buchanan, 
Michigan,  and  purchased  a  farm,  so 
that  Mr.  Rynearson  of  this  review 
came  with  them  to  Berrien  county  on 
their  removal  here.  He  learned 
the  shoemaker's  trade,  which  he  followed 
for  fourteen  years,  spending  ten  years  of 
that  time  in  Buchanan  and  four  years  in 
Three  Oaks.  He  also  worked  at  the  jew- 
eler's trade  with  his  brother  and  followed 
it  for  four  or  five  years  in  Three  Oaks,  still 
doing  some  work  in  that  line.  He  has  been 
very  active  in  public  affairs,  taking  a  help- 
ful part  in  movements  which  pertain  to  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  the  community. 
His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Re- 
publican party,  which  he  has  supported 
since  attaining  his  majority  and  for  about 
fourteen  years  he  has  served  as  village  clerk 
of  Three  Oaks.  He  has  also  been  township 
clerk  most  of  the  time  since  1886,  and  in 
1 90 1  he  was  elected  supervisor  of  his  town- 
ship and  refused  a  nomination  for  a  second 
term. 

In  1866  Mr.  Rynearson  was  married  to 
Miss  Lena  A.  Logan,  who  was  born  in  Bu- 
chanan, this  county,  on  the  9th  of  June, 
1847,  and  died  on  the  15th  of  April,  1886. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mar- 
garet Logan  and  by  her  marriage  she 
became  the  mother  of  one  son, 
Ward  L.  Rynearson,  w^ho  is  living  in  Ly- 
ons, New  York,  where  he  is  foreman  of  the 
mail  bag  factory.  On  the  i8th  of  April, 
1887,  Mr.  Rynearson  was  again  married, 
his  second  union  being  with  Grace  A.  Mc- 
Carten,  who  was  born  in  Garwis,  Ontario, 
March  8,  1856,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Margaret  McCarten.  They  have  become 
the  parents  of  the  following  named :  W.  J., 
who  is  a  graduate  of  the  village  school ;  Ed- 
ward   B.,    who    has    also    completed    the 


486 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


course  in  the  village  schools ;  Nellie  Frances ; 
Elton  Q. ;  Esther  G.,  and  Ernest  J.,  twins; 
and  Margaret,  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Rynearson  is  a  member  of  Charles 
Woodruff  Post,  No.  85,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Three 
Oaks,  which  he  joined  on  its  organization. 
He  also  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen 
Camp  and  for  twenty  years  has  been  a  com- 
municant of  the  Catholic  church.  During 
the  long  period  of  his  residence  in  this 
county,  covering  more  than  forty  years,  he 
has  so  lived  as  to  enjoy  the  respect  and  good 
will  of  his  fellO'wmen  and  has  made  an  ex- 
cellent record  in  public  office,  displaying  the 
same  spirit  of  fidelity  and  good  citizenship 
that  he  manifested  when  on  southern  bat- 
tlefields he  followed  the  old  flag. 

ALFRED  R.  HALL,  living  on  a  farm 
on  section  2,  Berrien  township,  and  thor- 
oughly acquainted  with  the  varied  knowl- 
edge which  is  possessed  by  the  farmer  who 
successfully  conducts  his  business,  raising 
good  crops  year  after  year,  was  born  in  Ber- 
rien Springs,  Michigan,  March  25,  1869. 
His  father,  Dr.  Edward  Hall,  was  a  native 
of  England  and  when  only  seven  years  of 
age  was  brought  to  America,  first  living  in 
Indiana  and  other  states  prior  to  his  re- 
moval to  Michigan.  He  settled  in  Berrien 
Springs  about  1861,  and  having  prepared 
for  the  medical  profession  he  engaged  in 
practice  here  for  several  years.  At  length 
he  bought  a  farm  in  Royalton  township 
about  1870,  and  for  thirty  years  thereafter 
was  activel  engaged  in  its  development 
and  improvement.  About  1900  he  retired 
from  business  life  and  is  now  located  in  St. 
Joseph,  Michigan,  enjoying  a.  rest  which 
he  has  truly  earned  and  richly  deserves.  In 
early  manhood  he  wedded  Miss  Catherine 
Roe,  a  daughter  of  William  Roe,  who  was 
born  in  Indiana.  She,  too,  still  survives 
and  is  living  with  her  husband  in  St.  Jo- 
seph. In  their  family  were  seven  children, 
six  of  whom  are  living. 

Alfred  R.  Hall  was  the  sixth  in  order 
of  birth  and  the  fourth  son.  He  was  reared 
in  Royalton  township  and  was  educated  in 
the  common  schools.  His  boyhood  and 
youth  were  quietly  passed,  for  he  remained 
at  home,  assisting  in  the  farm  work  up  to 


the  time  of  his  marriage,  which  important 
event  in  his  life  was  celebrated  on  the  3d 
of  November,  1897,  the  lady  of  his  choice 
being  Miss  Florence  G.  Hinman,  a  daughter 
of  David  E.  Hinman,  now  deceased,  who 
was  a  prominent  attorney  of  Buchanan. 
Mrs.  Hall  was  born  in  Buchanan  and  edu- 
cated in  the  city  schools.  Following  their 
marriage  the  young  couple  located  upon  a 
farm  in  Buchanan  township,  and  in  1903 
Mr.  Hall  bought  a  farm  of  seventy  acres 
whereon  he  now  resides.  He  engages 
in  general  farming  and  in  fruit  rais- 
ing, making  a  specialty  of  the  latter, 
setting  out  many  fruit  trees.  He  now 
has  about  thirty-five  hundred  trees  up- 
on his  place  and  usually  gathers  good  crops. 
He  has  thoroughly  acquainted  himself  with 
the  best  methods  of  caring  for  the  tree, 
uses  only  the  best  nursery  stock  and  as  the 
years  have  gone  by  has  found  that  his  or- 
chards are  a  profitable  source  of  income. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hall  have  been  born 
three  children,  Margaret,  Lawrence  and 
Edith.  Mr.  Hall  is  a  Republican  and  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  at  Bu- 
chanan. Those  who  know  him — and  his  ac- 
quaintance is  a  wide  one — entertain  for  him 
the  warm  regard  which  is  uniformly  extend- 
ed in  recognition  of  kindliness,  geniality 
and  consideration  for  others.  Moreover  he 
is  found  to  be  reliable  in  business  and  in  the 
conduct  of  his  interests  is  working  along 
lines  which  show  that  he  has  thoroughly 
acquainted  himself  with  modern  methods  of 
agriculture  and  of  horticulture. 

JOHN  KRAMER,  who  since  1871  has 
made  his  home  in  the  village  of  Three  Oaks, 
was  born  in  the  northeastern  part  of  Prus- 
sia, Germany,  on  the  9th  of  August,  1845,. 
and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Lena  (Gilhorn) 
Kramer,  in  whose  family  were  children,  as 
follows:  Mrs.  Sophia  Gilon,  living  in 
Three  Oaks;  Lena,  whose  home  is  in  Illi- 
nois ;  Cain,  of  Three  Oaks ;  Marie,  who  died 
in  Three  Oaks ;  and  two  who  died  in  Prussia. 

John  Kramer  remained  upon  a  farm  in 
his  native  country  until  twenty-six  years 
of  age.  He  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and  early  became  familiar  with  the 
duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


487 


agriculturist,  working  in  the  fields  from  the 
time  of  early  spring  planting  until  crops 
were  harvested  in  the  late  autumn.  Think- 
ing to  better  his  financial  condition  in  the 
new  world,  favorable  reports  of  business  op- 
portunities having  reached  him  in  his  native 
land,  he  bade  adieu  to  home  and  friends 
and  sailed  for  America.  He  was  accom- 
panied by  his  wife  and  one  child,  and  made 
his  way  direct  to  Three  Oaks,  where  he  has 
resided  continuously  since.  He  has  a  farm 
of  seventy  acres,  which  he  oversees,  while  he 
has  worked  at  general  labor  in  the  village, 
and  whatever  successes  he  has  achieved  and 
enjoyed  are  due  to  his  perserverance  and 
ready  adaptability. 

It  was  in  the  year  1870  that  Mr.  Kra- 
mer was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emma 
Hammel,  also  a  native  of  Prussia,  born 
March  7,  1850,  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Lena  (Pepper)  Hammel,  who  came  to 
America  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kramer.  Unto 
our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born 
six  children :  Flora,  the  wife  of  Ed  Grid- 
ley,  of  Three  Oaks;  Clara,  who  married  J. 
M.  Fullich  and  is  living  in  Kalamazoo, 
Michigan;  William,  of  Three  Oaks;  Paul, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  five  years;  John  C, 
who  makes  his  home  in  Three  Oaks;  and 
Wallan,  who  is  with  her  parents. 

Since  becoming  a  naturalized  American 
citizen  and  studying  the  questions  and  is- 
sues which  divide  the  two  great  political 
parties,  Mr.  Kramer  has  given  his  support 
to  the  Democracy,  but  is  without  political 
aspirations  for  himself.  He  is  most  loyal 
in  his  allegiance  to  the  stars  and  stripes, 
few  native  born  sons  displaying  greater  fi- 
delity to  the  old  flag.  He  belongs  to  the 
German  Lutheran  Church  and  is  well  known 
in  the  village  in  which  for  thirty-five  years 
he  has  made  his  home. 

JAMES  EDGAR  FRENCH,  whose 
business  life  has  gained  him  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance in  Michigan,  while  his  genuine, 
personal  worth  has  made  for  him  many 
friends  throughout  the  state,  is  now  living 
in  Buchanan  and  is  serving  as  supervisor 
of  Buchanan  township,  being  thus  active 
in  community  afifairs.  He  was  born  in 
Onondaga    county,  New    York,  September 


2,  1838,  and  was  the  seventh  son  and  four^ 
teenth  child  in  a  family  of  fifteen  children, 
numbering  seven  sons  and  eight  daughters. 
Thirteen  of  the  family  reached  adult  age, 
while  three  are  still  living.  The  father, 
Titus  T.  French,  was  born  and  reared  in 
Vermont,  and  when  a  young  man  removed 
from  the  Green  Mountain  state  to  St.  Law- 
rence county.  New  York,  where  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Betsy  Thayer, 
who  was  born  in  'Massachusetts  and  was 
reared  in  the  place  of  her  nativity  to  the  age 
of  fifteen  years.  At  a  later  date  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
French  removed  to  Onondaga,  New  York,, 
and  the  year  1856  witnessed  their  arrival 
in  Michigan,  at  which  time  they  located  in 
Buchanan  township,  Berrien  county,  where 
Mr.  French  carried  on  general  farming.  He 
was  a  substantial  and  trustworthy  citizen,, 
whose  life  was  one  of  usefulness,  activity 
and  honor.  He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
eight  years  in  the  faith  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  which  he  had  been  a  deacon  for 
more  than  forty  years  and  one  of  its  most 
active  and  helpful  members.  His  wife 
passed  away  when  sixty-seven  years  of  age. 
The  surviving  members  of  the  family  are : 
Mittie  C,  now  widow  of  David  Fisk,  and 
a  resident  of  Cassopolis,  Michigan;  James 
Edgar,  of  this  review;  and  Darius,  who  is 
living  in  Cassopolis. 

James  Edgar  French  spent  the  first  six- 
teen years  of  his  life  in  the  Empire  state  and 
then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  Berrien  county,  Michigan.  He  be- 
gan his  education  in  the  schools  of  his  na- 
tive county  and  continued  his  studies  for 
one  term  after  the  removal  to  the  west.  His 
youth,  however,  was  largely  a  period  of 
earnest  toil  for  he  began  working  on  the 
farm  when  only  nine  years  of  age  and  re- 
mained at  home  up  to  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage, assisting  his  father  in  the  improve- 
ment and  development  of  the  farm  property. 
In  i860  he  was  imited  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Harriet  J.  Parrish,  who  was  born  in  Ber- 
rien county,  Michigan,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Archibald  Parrish.  She  was  reared,  how- 
ever, by  Frederick  Howe,  of  Bertrand 
township,  Berrien  county. 

At  the  time  of  their  marriage  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  French  located  on  the  old  farm  home- 


-488 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Istead  in  Buchanan  township  and  he  took 
care  of  his  parents  until  their  demise.  For 
about  seven  years  he  carried  on  general 
agricultural  pursuits  in  Bertrand  township, 
and  in  1868  he  turned  his  attention  to  the 
grocery  business  in  Buchanan,  conducting 
the  same  until  1870.  He  then  sold  out  and 
engaged  with  Kellogg  &  Barrett,  of  Chi- 
cago, as  a  traveling  salesman,  his  territory 
being  Michigan.  He  sold  groceries  through- 
out this  state  and  was  with  the  firm  for 
seven  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  per- 
iod he  formed  a  business  relation  with 
Warder,  Bushnell  &  Glessner,  manufac- 
turers of  reapers  and  mowers,  continuing 
with  that  firm  for  eight  years,  during  which 
time  he  traveled  in  Michigan  and  Illinois. 
He  next  represented  the  Economist  Plow 
Company  at  South  Bend,  Indiana,  traveling 
in  Michigan  for  two  years,  after  which  he 
became  general  agent  for  the  firm,  opening 
up  the  territory  in  seventeen  different  states 
of  the  union  for  this  company.  He  was 
with  the  house  for  fourteen  years  and  for 
one  year  was  with  the  Syracuse  Plow  Com- 
pany, so  that  altogether  he  was  upon  the 
road  as  a  traveling  salesman  for  thirty 
years.  He  was  state  agent  for  Michigan  for 
fourteen  years,  and  general  agent  for  ten 
years,  and  at  length  resigned  his  position  on 
account  of  the  ill  health  of  his  wife.  For 
five  years  he  was  connected  with  the  marble 
business  at  Buchanan  in  partnership  with  a 
Mr.  Beistle.  Alert  and  energetic,  he  pos- 
sesses excellent  business  qualifications, 
sound  discrimination  and  keen  judgment 
and  his  efforts  have  always  resulted  in  suc- 
cess, for  he  overcomes  any  difficulty  and 
obstacle  in  his  path. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  French  have  been 
born  two  children :  Mabel  A.,  who  is  now 
the  wife  of  Frank  W.  Bosworth,  a  merchant 
carrying  on  business  at  Plymouth,  Indiana; 
and  George  Walter,  who  is  an  engineer  and 
resides  at  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  French  have 
as  valuable  relics  an  old  teapot,  which  is 
over  a  century  old,  and  also  a  spinning 
wheel  over  sixty  years  old  on  which  Mrs. 
French  spun  in  her  girlhood  days. 

Mr.  French  has  been  a  life-long  Re- 
publican, casting  his  first  presidential  ballot 
for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  i860,  since  which 


time  he  has  voted  for  each  nominee  at  the 
head  of  the  ticket.  He  has  taken  an  active 
interest  in  Republican  politics,  earnestly  de- 
siring the  success  of  the  party,  yet  always 
declining  to  hold  office  himself.  However, 
he  consented  to  become  a  candidate  for  the 
office  of  supervisor  in  1906  and  was  elected 
by  a  majority  of  ninety-nine  over  Democ- 
ratic and  Prohibition  candidates.  He  is  now 
serving  also  as  a  member  of  the  village 
council  as  a  capable  official  with  due  appre- 
ciation for  the  duties  and  responsibilities 
which  devolve  upon  him.  He  belongs  to  the 
Masonic  lodge  in  Buchanan,  exemplifying 
in  his  life  the  beneficent  spirit  of  the  craft. 
His  residence  in  Berrien  county  covers  a 
half  century  and  he  is  hardly  less  widely 
known  in  other  parts  of  the  state.  A  genial 
manner,  social  and  courteous  disposition 
and  genuine  personal  worth  have  gained 
him  many  friends  wherever  he  has  gone 
and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  to 
our  readers  the  record  of  his  life. 

THOMAS  LYON,  deceased,  who  was 
a  resident  of  Benton  Harbor,  was 
born  in  Spittlefield,  Perthshire,  Scot- 
land on  the  22d  of  May,  1837,  and  died 
September  27,  1895,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
eight  years  and  four  months.  He  was 
reared  in  his  home  town  in  a  well-to-do 
family  amid  an  atmosphere  of  culture  and 
refinement.  He  was  carefully  trained  as  to 
the  value  of  integrity,  industry  and  morality, 
his  people  being  of  the  Presbyterian  faith, 
and  the  children  were  imbued  with  prin- 
ciples of  righteous  living.  He  acquired  his 
education  in  his  native  country  and  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  years  came  to  America  in 
company  with  his  father.  They  made  their 
way  to  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  but  the 
father  soon  afterward  returned  to  Scotland. 
He  had  come  to  America  to  buy  land  in  or- 
der that  his  son  might  engage  in  farming, 
but  Thomas  Lyon  did  not  care  for  agricul- 
tural pursuits.  The  father  therefore  re- 
turned to  Scotland,  where  he  had  another 
son  living,  and  remained  a  resident  of  the 
land  of  hills  and  heather  until  old  age,  when 
he  was  called  to  his  final  rest.  As  his  son 
Thomas  was  averse  to  following  the  life  of 
an  agriculturist  he  did  not  leave  him  any 


THOMAS  LYON 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


489 


property  and,  thrown  upon  his  own  re- 
sources, Mr.  Lyon  of  this  review  resolutely 
set  to  the  task  of  providing  for  his  own  sup- 
port and  winning  a  competence.  In  a  short 
time  he  secured  a  position  as  fireman  on  a 
steamboat  and  later  became  an  engineer,  act- 
ing as  such  on  different  vessels  or  as  a  mill 
engineer.  He  came  to  Benton  Harbor  with 
the  firm  of  Wright  Brothers,  who  estab- 
lished the  washboard  factory  and  who 
placed  Mr.  Lyon  in  charge  of  the  engine 
room.  He  continued  to  act  as  engineer  in 
that  factory  for  some  time  and  afterward 
went  to  Graham's  mill  as  engineer.  He  also 
ran  the  ''Berrien,"  a  vessel  belonging  to  the 
Graham  Company  and  making  trips  between 
Chicago  and  Grand  Haven,  Michigan.  He 
w^as  thus  engaged  after  his  marriage,  but 
his  wife  objected  to  his  life  on  the  water 
and  he  therefore  gave  up  the  position  and 
secured  a  place  as  engineer  of  an  electric 
light  plant  at  South  Chicago.  While  thus 
engaged  he  sustained  an  electric  shock  from 
a  dynamo.  He  did  not  feel  any  serious 
effect  therefrom  for  a  year  and  a  half,  when 
it  began  to  show  itself,  for  he  would  fall  if 
he  attempted  to  stand,  and  from  that  time 
forward  he  was  confined  to  his  home,  his 
death  finally  resulting  from  the  electric 
shock  which  he  had  sustained  six  years 
before. 

Mr.  Lyon  was  married  on  the  15th  of 
February,  1861,  in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin, 
to  Miss  Henrietta  Zillman,  who  was  then  a 
young  lady  of  seventeen  years.  She  was 
born  near  Berlin,  Germany,  and  came  to 
America  at  the  age  of  three  years,  being 
reared  in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  in  the 
home  of  her  father,  William  Zillman,  who 
was  one  of  the  foremost  brick  manufactur- 
ers of  Milwaukee,  and  was  educated  in  the 
Lutheran  schools.  She  still  survives  her 
husband  and  is  well  known  in  Benton  Har- 
bor. Mr.  Lyon  had  purchased  ten  acres  of 
land  on  the  bluff  north  of  the  city  and  later 
bought  another  tract  adjoining  along  the 
Paw  Paw  river,  extending  on  to  the  bluff 
overlooking  the  valley  and  city.  This  made 
abou't  sixty-seven  acres,  wdiich  he  planted 
to  fruit,  giving  his  attention  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  his  orchards.  Since  his  death  Mrs. 
Lyon  has  platted  and  sold  all  of  the  land 


but  three  acres.  There  are  now  five  homes 
occupying  sites  on  this  tract  and  she  has 
also  sold  a  portion  of  the  land  to  the  beet 
sugar  company.  She  has  likewise  built  a 
residence  for  her  own  use  on  the  high  bluff, 
which  commands  an  excellent  view  of  the 
surrounding  country.  In  addition  to  this 
property  she  owns  one  hundred  and  ten 
acres  of  good  land  in  Pipestone  township, 
where  her  daughter  lives.  This  is  a  stock 
and  grain  farm  upon  which  there  is  also 
some  fruit. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lyon  was  born  but 
one  child,  Jeanette,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Charles  Thompson,  also  a  native  of  Scot- 
land. Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  have 
been  born  eight  children. 

Mrs.  Lyon  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church,  becoming  one  of  its  original  sup- 
porters in  Benton  Harbor.  She  has  ever 
since  taken  an  active  and  helpful  part  in 
its  work  and  her  labors  in  ics  behalf  have 
been  effective  and  far  reaching.  Mr.  Lyon 
remained  in  the  old  Presbyterian  church  in 
which  he  had  been  reared.  He  was  a  man 
of  domestic  tastes,  devoted  to  his  home  and 
family  and  when  not  occupied  with  busi- 
ness cares  he  found  his  greatest  enjoyment 
at  his  own  fireside.  He  read  quite  exten- 
sively, keeping  w^ell  posted  on  all  events  of 
current  interest  and  keeping  abreast  with 
the  times  in  all  respects.  His  life  was  one 
of  untiring  activity,  and  while  he  was  left 
without  inheritance  he  depended  upon  his 
own  business  capacity  and  strong  determina- 
tion to  gain  a  good  living  and  win  a  com- 
fortable measure  of  success.  He  thereby 
displayed  considerable  strength  of  char- 
acter and  his  enterprise  and  courageous 
spirit  were  most  commendable. 

EMORY  J.  GLIDDEN  is  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Glidden  Brothers,  general  mer- 
chants at  Lakeside,  where  he  is  also  serving 
as  postmaster.  He  has  made  a  creditable 
business  record,  winning  a  gratifying 
measure  of  success  and  also  an  untarnished 
name  through  his  straighforward  methods. 
His  birth  occurred  in  Porter  township,  Van 
Buren  county,  April  16,  1863,  and  he  there 
resided  until  he  became  a  resident  of  Ber- 
rien   county   in    1873.      His   parents    were 


490 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Stephen  M.  and  Harriett  L.  (Raub)  Glid- 
den,  natives  of  New  York.  The  father  is 
still  living,  making  his  home  with  his  son 
Emory,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  but  the 
mother  passed  away  in  1904,  when  seventy 
years  of  age.  In  their  family  were  six  chil- 
dren :  Asa  C,  who  is  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Glidden  Brothers  and  has  charge  of  the 
grocery  and  meat  market  owned  by  the  firm 
at  Michigan  City;  Martha  Belle,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  twelve  years;  Orin  S.,  who  is 
engaged  in  business  as  a  proprietor  of  a 
bakery  at  Michigan  City;  Hattie,  the  wife 
of  M.  L.  Wiese,  of  Oklahoma;  and  Robert 
Franklin,  who  is  also  a  member  of  the  firm. 
The  three  brothers,  Emory,  Asa  and  Frank, 
carry  on  extensive  business  interests  under 
the  firm  style  of  Glidden  Brothers. 

As  before  stated,  Emory  J.  Glidden,  re- 
mained a  resident  of  his  native  county  until, 
at  the  age  of  ten  years,  he  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Berrien  county, 
locating  at  Harbert  in  this  township.  After 
a  year  he  became  a  resident  of  Lakeside, 
where  he  has  now  lived  for  thirty-two  years. 
In  the  winter  months  he  attended  school 
and  thus  acquired  a  fair  English  education, 
while  in  the  summer  seasons  he  was  trained 
to  farm  labor.  Four  years  ago  he  became 
connected  with  mercantile  interests,  joining 
his  brothers,  who  had  established  the  busi- 
ness two  years  before.  The  store  was  started 
six  years  ago  by  Orin  S.  Glidden,  who  a 
year  later  admitted  his  brother  Frank  to  a 
partnership,  while  after  two  years  Emory 
J.  Glidden  became  one  of  the  owners.  They 
conduct  not  only  a  general  store  at  Lake- 
side but  also  an  extensive  business  in  Michi- 
gan City.  All  four  of  the  brothers  were 
in  business  for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  Orin  S.  Glidden  retired  and  established 
a  bakery  business  at  Michigan  City,  where 
he  has  since  continued.  Mr.  Glidden  of  this 
review  is  an  active  factor  in  the  successful 
management  of  the  general  mercantile  store 
at  Lakeside,  where  they  carry  an  extensive 
and  well  selected  stock  and  are  now  enjoying 
a  good  patronage.  They  also  own  a  good 
farm  in  the  vicinity  of  Lakeside  and  derive 
therefrom  a  most  gratifying  income. 

In  1890  occurred  the  marriage  of  Emory 
J.  Glidden  and  Miss  Carrie  E.  Gibson,  who 


was  born  near  Racine,  Wisconsin,  and  came 
to  Berrien  county  with  her  parents,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  John  S.  Gibson.  This  union  has  been 
blessed  with  one  daughter,  Ruth.  The  par- 
ents are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  and  in  his  political  views  Mr. 
Glidden  is  an  earnest  Republican,  having 
supported  the  party  since  age  conferred  upon 
him  the  right  of  franchise.  He  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  three  years  ago  to  suc- 
ceed his  brother  Orin  upon  his  removal  to 
Michigan  City.  The  business  methods  of  the 
house  of  which  he  is  a  partner  are  such  as 
will  bear  the  closest  investigation  and 
scrutiny,  neither  seeking  nor  requiring  dis- 
guise, and  the  firm  is  now  enjoying  an  ex- 
tensive and  well  merited  trade. 

SAMUEL  W.  REDDEN,  who  is  now 
living  retired  in  Buchanan,  owes  his  suc- 
cess to  his  own  well  directed  efforts  and 
may  truly  be  called  a  self-made  man,  merit- 
ing all  the  praise  which  the  term  implies. 
He  has  now  almost  reached  the  eightieth 
milestone  on  life's  journey,  having  been  born 
near  Dover,  in  Kent  county,  Delaware,  on 
the  1 2th  of  November,  1827.  His  paternal 
grandfather  was  born  in  Ireland  and  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier.  He  came  to  America 
when  a  young  man,  locating  in  Delaware. 
His  father,  Samuel  Redden,  also  a  native 
of  Delaware,  came  to  Berrien  county  in  Sep- 
tember, 1835,  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  its 
pioneer  settlers,  for  at  that  time  the  work  of 
improvement  and  development  had  scarcely 
been  begun.  There  were  still  large  tracts 
of  land  covered  with  the  native  timber  or 
as  yet  uncultivated,  while  many  of  the  now 
thriving  towns  and  villages  had  not  yet 
sprung  into  existence.  Samuel  Redden  lo- 
cated in  Bertrand  township^  where  he  pur- 
chased land  and  in  connection  with  his  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits  he  also  carried  on 
carpentering  and  merchandising  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Bertrand.  His  capable  direction  of 
his  business  affairs  and  his  economy  and  dili- 
gence made  him  a  prosperous  citizen  and 
he  became  a  large  landowner  of  the  county. 
His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah 
Curtis,  was  a  native  of  Delaware  and  was  of 
Swedish  lineage.  She  lived  to  be  about 
forty-four  years  of  age.    In  the  family  were 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


491 


seven  children,  all  of  whom  reached  adult 
age  save  two. 

Samuel  W.  Redden,  the  second  child  and 
eldest  son,  was  only  about  seven  years  of 
age  when  the  family  came  to  Berrien  county. 
His  youth  was  passed  in  Bertrand  township, 
where  he  early  became  familiar  with  the 
duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the 
agriculturist.  He  shared  in  the  hardships 
and  privations  incident  to  pioneer  life  and 
obtained  his  education  in  such  schools  as 
were  common  at  that  period.  In  early  life 
he  engaged  in  farming  on  his  own  account 
and  in  1853,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of 
gold  in  California,  he  crossed  the  plains  to 
the  Pacific  coast  with  ox  teams  in  company 
with  Julius  Cathcart,  Charles  Graves,  Judge 
Ballenger,  John  Ballenger,  Jason  Ingersol, 
Euree  Dragoo  and  Dr.  Dragoo.  They 
started  on  the  20th  of  March  and  were  upon 
the  w^ay  until  the  7th  of  September,  when 
they  arrived  at  Diamond  Springs,  about  one 
and  a  half  miles  from  Placerville,  California. 
Mr.  Redden  began  the  search  for  the  precious 
metal  and  remained  on  the  Pacific  coast  until 
October,  1859,  when  he  returned  by  way  of 
the  water  route  and  the  Isthmus  of  Panama. 

On  again  reaching  this  county  Mr.  Red- 
den located  in  Buchanan,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  grocery  business,  opening  one  of  the 
first  grocery  houses  of  the  city.  He  con- 
tinued in  this  line  of  trade  until  1864,  when 
he  returned  to  the  farm,  where  he  remained 
through  the  summer  and  fall.  He  then  again 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business  and  later 
turned  his  attention  to  the  dry  goods  trade, 
which  he  carried  on  for  several  years.  He 
was  at  different  times  associated  with  part- 
ners and  he  carefully  managed  his  com- 
mercial interests  so  that  a  very  desirable 
competence  resulted  from  his  labors.  He 
continued  actively  in  trade  until  about  1886, 
when  he  retired  and  has  since  enjoyed  a 
well  earned  rest. 

Mr.  Redden  was  married  October  21, 
1868,  to  Miss  Sophia  Eraser,  a  daughter  of 
Alexander  Eraser.  They  have  two  children : 
Charles  Eraser,  a  traveling  salesman,  now  re- 
siding in  New  York  city ;  and  Zula,  at  home, 
a  graduate  of  Buchanan  high  school. 

Mr.  Redden  figured  prominently  for 
many  years  in  the  business  life  of  Buchanan, 


and  contributed  in  large  measure  to  its  com- 
mercial jprosperity.  He  was  one  of  the  pro- 
moters of  the  Citizens  Bank,  at  Niles,  and 
he  owns  much  property  in  Buchanan.  His 
pohtical  allegiance  has  always  been  given  to 
the  Democracy.  His  residence  in  Berrien 
county  dates  from  1835,  therefore  covering 
a  period  of  more  than  the  allotted  Psalmist's 
span  of  three  score  years  and  ten.  He  has 
therefore  witnessed  the  greater  part  of  its 
growth  and  the  changes  which  time  and  man 
have  wrought  as  a  wild  and  unimproved  dis- 
trict has  been  converted  into  a  region  of 
rich  fertility  supplied  with  all  evidences  of 
industrial,  agricultural  and  commercial 
progress.  Throughout  an  active  business 
career  he  has  maintained  a  reputation  that 
classes  him  with  the  respected  and  sub- 
stantial residents  of  the  county. 

DR.  AUGUST  WILLIAM  BIRK- 
HOLZ  whose  life  work  has  been  of  a  nature 
to  render  him  a  benefactor  to  mankind,  has 
with  a  full  realization  of  the  duties  and  ob- 
ligations of  man  to  his  fellowmen  so  directed 
his  labors  that  hundreds  have  been  benefited 
thereby.  His  reputation  as  a  healer  has  gone 
abroad  throughout  the  land  and  from  all 
sections  of  the  country  patients  have  come  to 
him  and  been  healed.  He  has  been  spoken 
of  as  ''a  man  of  destiny,"  and  it  seems  that 
because  of  his  marvelous  gifts  nature  in- 
tended that  he  should  devote  his  time, 
energies  and  talents  to  the  work  which  he 
is  now  doing. 

A  native  of  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  he 
was  born  on  the  21st  of  April,  1856,  and 
is  a  son  of  August  and  Caroline  (Youre) 
Birkholz,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Prussia,  Germany.  The  mother  had  been 
previously  married  and  had  lost  her  first  hus- 
band and  three  children  of  cholera  while  liv- 
ing in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin.  She  after- 
ward married  Mr.  Birkholz,  who  came  to 
this  country  a  single  man,  crossing  the  At- 
lantic about  1854.  Their  wedding  was  cele- 
brated in  1855  ^^d  in  order  to  provide  for 
his  family  Mr.  Birkholz  gave  his  attention 
to  farming.  He  died  at  New  Buffalo,  Eeb- 
ruary  26,  1905,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight 
years  and  his  widow  still  survives,  now  mak- 
ing her  home  with  her  son,  Dr.  Birkholz, 


492 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


at  the  very  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years. 
In  the  family  were  four  children,  namely: 
Dr.  Birkholz,  of  this  review;  Gustave,  a 
traveling  salesman  representing  a  Chicago 
house;  Julius,  who  died  in  childhood;  and 
Amel,  a  fruit  grower  of  New  Buffalo. 

Dr.  Birkholz  was  only  three  years  of  age 
when  his  parents  removed  to  St.  Joseph, 
Michigan,  where  he  resided  until  thirteen 
years  of  age,  during  which  period  he  at- 
tended the  public  schools.  The  family  after- 
ward located  on  a  farm  in  Chikaming  town- 
ship, where  he  continued  to  reside  until 
twenty  years  of  age,  and  during  that  period 
he  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade,  which  he 
followed  for  two  years  in  St.  Joseph.  He 
afterward  went  to  Saugatuck,  Michigan,  and 
for  ten  years  devoted  his  time  and  energies 
to  fishing.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  removed  to  New  Buffalo  and  continued 
as  a  fisherman  for  five  years,  subsequent  to 
which  time  he  went  to  Annapee,  Wisconsin, 
where  he  continued  in  the  same  business  for 
three  years.  He  next  located  at  Two  Rivers, 
Wisconsin,  where  he  continued  as  a  fisher- 
man for  two  years. and  then  went  upon  the 
road  as  a  traveling  salesman,  representing 
a  wholesale  house  in  Grand  Rapids. 

About  that  time  Dr.  Birkholz  began  the 
investigation  of  spiritualism  in  Grand  Rapids 
and  was  told  by  the  spirits  that  he  would  be- 
come a  master  of  the  healing  art.  After 
three  years  the  spirits  told  him  they  wanted 
him  as  a  healer.  He  treated  John  Rennehan, 
an  attorney  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  cured  him 
of,  a  stiff  leg  after  he  had  not  walked  for 
three  years.  Thus  he  made  his  start.  Mr. 
Rennehan,  being  a  prominent  attorney,  gave 
Dr.  Birkholz  good  reputation  and  he  has 
continued  as  a  healer  to  the  present  time  with 
constantly  growing  success.  He  has  devoted 
his  time  exclusively  to  healing,  first  in  Grand 
Rapids,  where  he  remained  for  a  year,  then 
in  Detroit  for  a  year,  in  Chicago  for  four 
years,  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  for  one  year,  and 
is  now  residing  on  his  fine  farm  in  New  Buf- 
falo township  temporarily  to  recuperate.  His 
farm  comprises  three  hundred  and  forty 
acres  on  the  state  line  in  New  Buffalo  town- 
ship and  in  Indiana.  This  is  conducted  as  a 
stock  farm  and  he  also  has  a  fruit  farm  of 
twenty  acres  adjoining  the  corporation  limits 


of  New  Buffalo.  He  has  a  beautiful  home 
in  New^  Buffalo  which  he  erected,  it  being 
the  finest  home  in  the  village  and  indeed  one 
of  the  finest  in  the  county.  Dr.  Birkholz 
has  made  all  that  he  has  since  taking  up  his 
spirit  work  and  he  is  advised  in  his  healing 
by  the  spirit  of  Dr.  J.  R.  Newton,  the  once 
famous  healer. 

In  1876  Dr.  Birkholz  was  married  to 
Miss  Marion  Shuler,  who  was  born  in 
Luxemburg,  Germany,  April  15,  1857,  and 
came  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents 
when  only  a  year  old.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Mausen)  Shuler 
and  by  her  marriage  has  become  the  mother 
of  five  children :  Grace,  who  is  now  the  wife 
of  Henry  Siegmund,  of  New  Buffalo  town- 
ship; Nora,  the  wife  of  Edward  Rowe  of 
New  Buffalo;  Mamie,  the  wife  of  William 
Behler  of  New  Buffalo ;  Henry,  of  the  same 
place,  married  Mary  Leathers,  daughter  of 
Bertha  Bawda,  and  Arthur,  at  home.  Dr. 
Birkholz  is  now  enabled  to  surround  his  fam- 
ily with  many  of  life's  comforts  and  luxuries 
owing  to  the  success  which  he  has  made  as  a 
healer.  He  has  been  blessed  bountifully  in 
temporal  things  as  well  as  in  the  power  which 
enables  him  to  cure  disease.  A  contemporary 
biographer  has  said :  ''He  has  possessed  the 
power  he  is  now  manifesting  so  abundantly 
since  his  boyhood  days,  and  even  when  a 
boy  could  relieve  pain  by  the  'laying  on  of 
his  hands.'  He  commenced  the  work  of  heal- 
ing in  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  where  he 
successfully  treated  many  thousands.  Then 
he  removed  to  the  city  of  Detroit,  where  he 
remained  a  year,  treating  on  an  average  of 
about  a  hundred  patients  daily,  the  most 
of  whom  had  been  given  up  by  the  attending 
physicians  to  die  and  pronounced  incurable 
before  visiting  Dr.  Birkholz,  as  may  be  seen 
by  reading  the  testimonials — nearly  all  of 
which  were  stated  to  the  representatives  of 
newspapers  that  were  desirous  of  noting  in 
their  publications  the  'marvelous'  things  that 
occurred — which  are  but  the  very  few  of 
the  many  thousands  treated  and  cured  by  Dr. 
Birkholz.  It  must  be  remembered  that  this 
manner  of  treatment  and  healing  is  'too  good 
to  be  believed,'  and  very  few  accept  of  it  till 
all  hope  has  fled  of  recovery  under  the 
ordinarv  manner  of  treatment  with  medicine 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


493 


and  surgery.  But,  as  men  and  women  are 
becoming  educated  in  the  'best  methods' 
of  restoring  health,  they  are  abandoning 
*pill,  powder  and  the  scalpeF  and  seeking 
health  where  it  may  be  found.  Dr.  Birkholz 
holds  none  of  his  methods  in  secret,  but 
courts  investigation  from  the  ablest  medical 
practitioners  in  the  country  as  well  as  from 
members  of  psychical  research  societies  and 
all  scientific  societies  that  have  a  desire  to 
advance  in  a  knowledge  of  truth  and  the  up- 
lifting and  advancement  of  the  human  race. 
Dr.  Birkholz  holds  that  one  'demonstrated 
fact^  is  worth  many  thousand  'theories'  that 
have  never  been  demonstrated.  His  methods 
are  based  upon  demonstrable,  scientific  prin- 
ciples. It  is  not  easily  understood  by  the 
'uninitiated'  who  have  given  this  line  of 
'truth'  but  little,  if  any,  consideration;  be- 
cause it  is  only  by  long  and  continued  re- 
search that  one  becomes  master  of  the  truth 
of  the  'fine  forces.'  To  those  who  have  given 
psychic  laws  careful  and  long  consideration, 
the  manner  employed  by  Dr.  Birkholz  for 
the  healing  of  disease  is  and  will  be  readily 
understood;  and  to  such  does  Dr.  Birkholz 
court  earnest  investigation,  with  the  assur- 
ance that  right  conclusions  will  be  reached. 
Incredulity,  caused  from  lack  of  knowledge 
of  certain  laws,  incredulity  that  judges  with- 
out a  hearing,  that  biased,  prejudiced  feel- 
ing possessed  by  many  who  rather  'make  a 
dollar'  than  to  give  one  thought  along  the 
line  of  human  progression,  it  is  that  prefers 
solace  in  'ignorance'  than  to  give  considera- 
tion to  'scientific  principles'  that  will  bring 
to  the  human  race  health  and  happiness.  By 
the  daily  exercise  of  this  wonderful  'gift' 
possessed  by  Dr.  Birkholz,  the  power  to  heal 
is  daily  increasing  and  it  is  a  common  occur- 
rence for  men  and  w^omen  to  be  brought  to 
him  on  stretchers  and  rise  at  his  touch  and 
walk  away,  or  to  come  to  him  on  crutches, 
pronounced  incurable  by  the  ablest  physicians 
in  the  land,  and  drop  the  crutches  and  leap 
for  joy  when  touched  by  the  doctor.  Can- 
cers, that  the  most  skilled  physicians  gave 
up  and  pronounced  incurable,  and  which  they 
at  the  very  best  impede  but  for  a  season,  are 
cured  under  the  magic  touch  of  this  great 
instrument  of  heaven." 


JOHN  S.  GIBSON  is  a  self-made  man, 
who  has  been  identified  with  various  busi- 
ness interests  but  is  now  largely  living  re- 
tired, making  his  home  at  Lakeside  in  Chik- 
aming  township.  He  has  displayed  unfalter- 
ing energy  and  perseverance  in  his  business 
career  and  has  carried  forward  to  success- 
ful completion  whatever  he  has  undertaken. 
He  was  born  in  Loudon,  New  Hampshire, 
September  24,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Jedediah 
T.  and  Hettie  (Rollins)  Gibson,  also  na- 
tives of  New  Hampshire.  Becoming  resi- 
dents of  the  west  about  1838,  they  settled 
in  Kenosha  county,  Wisconsin,  making  the 
journey  by  team  from  their  old  home  in 
the  Granite  state  to  the  Erie  canal,  proceed- 
ing over  that  waterway  to  Buffalo,  by  boat 
to  Detroit  and  thence  across  the  country  with 
teams  to  their  destination,  being  about  six 
weeks  on  the  way.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gib- 
son spent  their  remaining  days  in  Wiscon- 
sin, where  the  father  died  in  1849,  ^^  the  age 
of  forty-nine  years,  while  the  mother  reached 
the  very  advanced  age  of  ninety  years.  He 
was  engaged  in  buying  and  selling  cattle 
in  New  Hampshire  but  after  his  removal 
to  the  w^est  turned  his  attention  to  the  lum- 
ber business  in  Wisconsin.  In  their  family 
were  six  children :  Mrs.  Mary  Jane  Mygatt, 
now  deceased ;  Mrs.  Caroline  Lathrop  Crane, 
living  in  Chicago ;  Mrs.  Harriett  Holman,  of 
Chikaming  township;  John  S.,  of  this  re- 
view ;  Genevieve,  who  died  in  childhood ;  and 
Francis  A.,  of  Wisconsin. 

John  S.  Gibson  was  a  little  lad  of  only 
five  years  when  his  parents  started  for  the 
west.  He  accompanied  them  on  the  six 
weeks  journey  to  Wisconsin  and  remained 
a  resident  of  that  state  until  1855,  when  he 
went  to  Minnesota,  where  he  remained  for 
three  years.  He  then  returned  to  the  Bad- 
ger state  and  lived  within  its  borders  until 
1 87 1,  when  he  came  to  Berrien  county,  Mich- 
igan. His  time  and  energies  were  devoted 
to  farming  until  after  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  war,  when,  in  1862,  he  was  drafted 
for  service  but  he  could  not  pass  the  physical 
examination,  being  rejected  on  account  of  a 
poor  knee.  He  afterward  worked  for  the 
railroad  for  three  years  at  the  shop  in  Ra- 
cine, Wisconsin,  acting  first  as  night  watch- 


494 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


man  and  afterward  as  switchman  for  two 
years.  He  then  began  work  at  the  carpen- 
ter's trade,  which  he  had  previously  learned 
and  he  was  identified  with  building  opera- 
tions up  to  the  time  of  his  removal  to  Michi- 
gan in  1871.  He  built  his  present  home  in 
Lakeside  in  1873,  ^^^  "^^^  since  occupied 
it.  Here  he  has  devoted  considerable  at- 
tention to  agricultural  pursuits  and  owns 
now  two  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land, 
which  returns  to  him  a  good  annual  income. 
At  one  time  he  owned  four  hundred  acres, 
but  has  since  sold  half  of  this.  Soon  after 
coming  to  Berrien  county  he  purchased  a 
sawmill  of  Mr.  Wilkinson,  and  operated  it 
for  about  ten  years  in  the  manufacture  of 
lumber.  He  then  sold  the  plant.  In  the 
meantime,  however,  he  had  purchased  tim- 
ber land,  from  which  he  cut  the  trees  and 
sawed  the  lumber,  shipping  it  across  the  lake 
to  the  city  markets,  after  which  the  land  was 
utilized  for  farming  purposes.  He  still  owns 
about  one  hundred  acres  of  timber  land  and 
his  property  lies  on  sections  19,  20  and  22, 
Chikaming  township.  For  many  years  Mr. 
Gibson  was  an  active  and  energetic  factor 
in  business  life  in  this  section  of  the  county 
but  during  the  past  year  he  has  retired, 
merely  supervising  his  fifteen-acre  orchard 
and  his  investment.  He  was  empty  handed 
when  he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  ac- 
count and  he  has  made  all  of  his  property 
through  his  persistency  of  purpose,  un- 
tiring energy  and  straightforward  business 
methods. 

In  1855  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Gibson  and  Miss  Ann  Jones,  who.  was  born 
in  England  in  August,  1834,  and  who  be- 
came a  resident  of  Burlington,  Wisconsin, 
at  the  age  of  nine  years,  in  company  with 
her  parents,  Matthew  and  Mary  Jones.  For 
more  than  a  half  century  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gib- 
son have  now  traveled  life's  journey  to- 
gether, and  as  the  years  passed  their  mar- 
riage was  blessed  with  a  family  of  five  chil- 
dren, namely :  Arvilla,  now  the  wife  of  John 
C.  Morgan,  a  resident  of  Traverse  City; 
William,  who  is  living  in  Three  Oaks ;  Car- 
rie, the  wife  of  Emory  J.  GHdden,  who  is 
postmaster  and  a  leading  merchant  at  Lake- 
side;  Emily,  who  died  in  childhood;  and 


Frances,   the  wife  of  C.^  J.   McCarron,   of 
Chicago. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Gibson  is  a 
Republican,  who  has  supported  the  party 
since  casting  his  ballot  for  Fremont  in  1856. 
For  four  years  he  was  justice  of  the  peace, 
has  been  township  clerk  for  one  term  and 
highway  commissioner  for  one  term.  He 
was  also  postmaster  of  Lakeside  for  nine- 
teen years  and  the  postoffice  was  established 
through  his  efforts  about  1878.  He  then 
continued  in  charge  as  postmaster  through 
the  succeeding  nineteen  years,  occupying 
that  position  through  Cleveland's  adminis- 
tration although  he  is  a  stalwart  Republi- 
can. Mr.  Gibson  has  now  passed  the  sev- 
enty-third milestone  on  life's  journey  and  his 
has  been  a  useful,  active  and  honorable 
career,  in  which  unfaltering  purpose  and 
strong  determination  supplemented  by  un- 
flagging diligence  have  been  the  strong  ele- 
ments in  his  success.  He  has  made  good 
use  of  his  opportunities  and  as  the  years 
have  passed  has  achieved  a  measure  of  pros- 
perity that  now  enables  him  to  live  retired, 
enjoying  not  only  the  comforts  of  life  but 
also  the  respect  and  good  will  of  those  who 
are  familiar  with  his  history. 

PETER  GORDON,  engaged  in  general 
farming  on  section  25,  Chikaming  town- 
ship, is  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Columbia  county.  New 
York,  July  ir,  1836.  He  is  a  son  of  Peter 
and  Margaret  (Wheeler)  Gordon,  the 
former  born  in  New  York  city,  and  the  lat- 
ter in  Columbia  county,  where  they  were 
married.  Both  spent  their  last  days  in  Mich- 
igan, passing  away  in  Genesee  county.  Peter 
Gordon  was  the  second  in  the  family  num- 
bering five  daughters  and  two  sons  and  he 
accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal 
to  Onondaga  county.  New  York,  and  later 
to  Cortland  county.  New  York.  There  he 
remained  until  about  twenty  years  of  age, 
when  he  became  a  resident  of  Genesee  coun- 
ty, Michigan,  arriving  in  the  year  1856.  He 
established  his  home  there  and  made  it  his 
place  of  residence  until  1890,  when  he  took 
up  his  abode  in  Benton  Harbor,  where  he 
resided  until  about  four  years  ago,  when  he 


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HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


495 


located  on  his  present  farm.  He  has  owned 
farm  land  since  the  age  of  twenty-one  years, 
and  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  has  en- 
gaged in  building  operations  as  a  carpenter 
and  joiner.  While  in  Benton  Harbor  he 
owned  a  fruit  farm.  He  learned  his  trade 
of  his  father  and  followed  it  in  Three  Oaks, 
and  by  reason  of  good  workmanship  secured 
a  liberal  patronage.  Business  and  personal 
considerations,  however,  were  put  aside  by 
him  in  1862,  when  he  responded  to  the  coun- 
try's call  for  aid,  enlisting  at  Flint,  Michi- 
gan, as  a  member  of  Company  H,  First 
Michigan  Engineers.  He  took  part  in  sev- 
eral engagements  and  a  number  of  skir- 
mishes while  building  and  repairing  bridges. 
He  served  for  over  three  years  and  was  ever 
faithful  to  the  duties  that  devolved  upon 
him  in  that  connection.  Four  years,  ago 
Mr.  Gordon  located  at  his  present  place  of 
residence,  having  twenty  acres  on  the  lake.- 
This  is  a  fine  place,  well  improved  and 
equipped  with  all  modern  accessories,  and 
all  the  improvements  here  are  the  work  of 
his  hands.  He  has  erected  good  buildings, 
has  cleared  His  land  and  has  brought  it  under' 
a  high  state  of  cultivation.  " 

Mr.  Gordon  has  been  married  three 
times.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he 
wedded  Mary  Decker,  who  died  a  short  time 
afterward.  Nine  years  later  he  was  joined 
in  wedlock  to  Miss  Frances  E.  Begole,  a 
niece  of  Governor  J.  W.  Begole,  of  Michi- 
gan. There  were  three  children  of  that  mar- 
riage, two  of  whom. died  in  infancy,  while 
one  is  yet  living,  Charles,  wlio  is  an  under- 
taker at  Massillon,  Ohio.  He  is  married  and 
lias  two  children,  Julian  Francis  and  Allen 
Owen.  In  1901  Mr.  Gordon  was  again  mar-* 
ried,  at  which  time  Mrs.  Mary  Gordon,  a 
widow  of  his  cousin,  became  his  wife.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  Josiah  and  Elizabeth  (Grim- 
mitt)  Steadman,  natives  of  New  York  and 
England  respectively. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Gordon  is  a 
stalwart  Republican,  which  party  he  has 
stanchly  supported  since  the  Civil  war.  He 
served  as  sheriff  of  Genesee  county  for  seven 
years,  has  been  drain  commissioner  and  has 
held  a  number  of  "minor  offices,  including 
that  of  township  treasurer  of  St.  Joseph 
township.     He  has  also  been  treasurer  of 


Chikaming  township  and  was  the  first  Re- 
publican to  be  elected  in  this  township  in 
fifteen  years.  He  was  likewise  justice  of 
the  peace  in  St.  Joseph  township  for  four 
years  and  in  all  of  the  offices  which  he  has 
filled  he  has  discharged  his  duties  so 
promptly,  faithfully  and  effectively  that  he 
has  won  uniform  commendation.  He  holds 
membership  in  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public and  thus  maintains  pleasant  relations 
with  his  old  army  comrades,  and  he  is  also 
a  Mason,  both  fraternal  relations  being 
maintained  in  Genesee  county.  His  life  has 
been  active  and  useful  and  his  business 
methods  and  principles  have  always  been 
honorable  and  straightforward. 

JOHN  J.  BROOKS,  residing  in 
Watervliet  township,  where  he  owns 
and  operates  a  good  fruit  farm,  was 
born  in  Burlington,.  Vermont,  on  the  24th 
of  June,  1829,  and  spent  his  „early  youth 
upon  his  father's  farm.  When  twenty  years 
of  age  he  went  to  Massachusetts  in  order 
that  he  might  gain  a  better  wage  than  could 
be  secured  at  farm  labor  in  his  native  state. 
He  turned  his  attention  to  the  carpenter's 
trade,  which  he  followed  for  many  years.  In 
1857  he  came  from  Massachusetts  to  Michi- 
gan, settling  at  Paw  Paw,  where  he  worked 
in  the  factories  and  subsequently  began  car- 
pentering and  building  at  Watervliet.  He 
was  also  for  a  time  at  Dowagiac,  Michigan, 
and  was  thus  identified' with  building  opera- 
tions in  the  southern  part  of- the' state. 

Mr.  Brooks  was  married  in  Watervliet 
to  Miss  Eveline  Redding,  who  died  at 
Dowagiac  after  three  years  of  happy  mar- 
ried life,  leaving  a  little  daughter,  Minnie 
E.,  then  nine  months  oldi  She  is  now  the 
wife  of  James  Herring,  who  operates  the 
Brooks  farm.  They  have  three  children : 
Margaret  E.,  John  P.  and  Lyle  J.  Mr. 
Brooks  also  had  an  adopted  son,  Willie 
Fisher,  who  lived  with  him  for  seven  or 
eight  years  and  is  now  in  Watervliet.  On 
the  30th  of  April,  1865,  Mr.  Brooks  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Lincoln,  the  widow  of 
Charles  Lincoln,  who  died  as  the  result  of 
his  military  experience  just  two  weeks  after 
reaching  home.     They  had  been  married  in 


496 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


1 853. at  Coloma.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  born  in 
Jackson  county,  this  state,  was  a  shoe- 
maker by  trade  and  had  served  as  head 
sawyer  in  a  sawmill.  In  1856  he  removed 
to  a  farm  which  was  then  in  the  midst  of 
the  forest  and  began  hewing  out  the  fields. 
His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  E. 
Harris  and  is  a  daughter  of  Uriah  S.  and 
Phoebe  (Wilkes)  Harris.  She  was  born  in 
Morgan  county,  Ohio,  and  had  been  brought 
to  Coloma,  Michigan,  in  1850.  Her  father, 
who  was  a  farmer  of  Coloma,  that  village 
having  been  built  on  a  part  of  his  farm, 
there  made  his  home  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1865.  In  addition  to  his  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Brooks,  three  others  of  the  family 
are  now  in  Berrien  county,  namely:  Mrs. 
Phoebe  Osgood,  Mrs.  Levinia  Sutton  and 
Samuel  Harris.  The  Indians  cleared  the 
first  ten  acres  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  farm  and 
he  paid  for  the  labor  by  work  at  the  bench 
on  rainy  days  and  nights.  He  had  placed 
twenty-five  acres  under  cultivation  when  he 
enlisted  for  service  in  the  Civil  war  and  he 
gave  his  life  in  defense  of  his  country  just 
as  surely  as  the  men  who  were  killed  upon 
the  battlefields, 

Mr.  Brooks  has  added  forty  acres  to 
the  farm  which  he  cleared  and  on  which  he 
built  a  house  that  he  gave  to  his  daughter. 
The  Brooks  farm  extends  from  the  road  a 
half  mile  north  to  Paw  Paw  Lake.  Beach- 
wood  Point,  which  is  a  summer  resort  cov- 
ered with  cottages,  was  once  a  portion  of 
this  farm.  Quite  a  tract  of  his  land  still  lies 
along  the  lake  front  and  has  been  platted 
for  building  purposes.  The  farm  is  also 
situated  between  the  two  towns  of  Coloma 
and  Watervliet,  being  about  a  mile  and  a 
quarter  distant  from  each. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Brooks  was 
originally  a  Whig  and  later  he  became  a 
Republican,  but  for  years  has  been  a  stanch 
and  unfaltering  advocate  of  the  Prohibition 
party.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Water- 
vliet, Mrs.  Brooks  having  been  identified 
with  this  denomination  at  Coloma  and  Wa- 
tervliet for  fifty-six  years.  For  some  years 
after  her  first  marriage,  however,  she  was  a 
member  of  the  Congregational  church.  Mr. 
Brooks  has  passed  the  seventy-seventh  mile- 


stone on  life's  journey  and  is  yet  a  well- 
preserved  man,  retaining  his  mental  facul- 
ties largely  unimpaired.  He  has  long  lived 
in  the  county  and  has  been  closely  identified 
with  its  building  interests  and  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  has  worked  earnestly  and  per- 
sistently as  the  years  have  gone  by  and  his 
labors  have  been  attended  with  a  measure 
of  success  that  is  indicative  of  his  strong 
purpose  and  careful  management. 

B.  O.  ERICSSON,  M.  D.,  practicing 
along  modern  scientific  lines,  is  the  only 
representative  of  the  medical  fraternity  in 
New  Buffalo.  He  has  an  excellent  and  lu- 
crative patronage  in  this  part  of  the  county 
and  his  thorough  and  correct  understanding 
of  the  principles  of  the  medical  science  is 
demonstrated  in  the  excellent  results  which 
have  attended  his  labors.  He  was  born  in 
Abo,  Finland,  November  3,  1865,  and  was 
the  third  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of 
five  children.  His  parents  were  Martin  and 
Johanna  (Lundgren)  Ericsson,  who  re- 
moved from  Sweden  to  Finland  after  their 
marriage.  The  father  was  cashier  of  a  bank 
there  and  was  a  prominent  business  man  of 
the  town  in  which  he  made  his  home.  His 
death  occurred  in  Finland  but  his  widow 
still  survives.  One  son  of  the  family  came 
to  America  and  resided  in  California  for 
seventeen  years,  after  which  he  returned  to 
his  native  country. 

Dr.  Ericsson  is  therefore  the  only  rep- 
resentative of  the  family  in  the  United  States 
and  came  from  Finland  to  the  new  world  in 
1892.  He  had  been  provided  with  excel- 
lent educational  privileges  in  his  native  coun- 
try, having  completed  the  course  in  the  ly- 
ceum  of  Abo,  after  which  he  entered  the 
University  of  Helsingfors  in  1885.  In  order 
to  perfect  himself  in  his  chosen  calling  he. 
matriculated  in  Jefferson  Medical  College 
at  Philadelphia,  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  the  class  of  1897.  Lie  afterward  put 
his  theoretical  knowledge  to  the  practical 
test  by  active  service  in  the  Moses  Taylor 
Hospital  at  Scranton,  Pennsylvania,  where 
he  remained  for  about  a  year,  during  which 
time  he  was  ambulance  surgeon  with  the 
Railroad  and  Mine  Hospital.  Subsequently 
he  went  to  Moscow,   Pennsylvania,   where 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


497 


he  continued  in  active  practice  until  1899, 
when  he  removed  to  North  Dakota,  where 
he  spent  about  two  years.  In  the  fall  of  1901 
he  came  to  New  Buffalo,  where  he  has  since 
remained  in  active  and  successful  practice, 
being  the  only  physician  here.  He  has  a 
splendidly  equipped  office  with  all  modern 
apparatus,  including  the  electric  and  X-ray 
machines.  He  has  made  a  close  and  dis- 
criminating study  of  the  principles  of  the 
profession,  is  correct  in  their  adaptation  and 
is  very  careful  in  the  diagnosis  of  a  case, 
being  seldom,  if  ever,  at  error  in  matters  of 
professional  judgment.  Dr.  Ericsson  was 
married  in  Scran  ton,  Pennsylvania,  in  1900 
to  Miss  Nettie  Coleman  and  unto  them  have 
been  born  two  children,  Elizabeth  and 
Emma  Jermyn,  but  the  later  died  in  in- 
fancy. Both  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ericsson  have 
a  wide  and  favorable  acquaintance  here, 
the  hospitality  of  the  best  homes  being 
freely  accorded  them.  He  has  made  a 
success  since  locating  for  practice  in  New 
Buffalo  and  his  devotion  to  his  profession 
stands  as  one  of  the  commendable  character- 
istics of  his  practice.  He  finds  in  the  faith- 
ful performance  of  each  day's  duty  inspir- 
ation and  courage  for  the  work  of  the  suc- 
ceeding day  and  his  labors  have  been  at- 
tended with  a  measure  of  success  that 
classes  him  with  the  leading  members  of 
the  medical  fraternity  in  Berrien  county. 

CHARLES  EDWARD  WHITTEN,  a 
leading  nurseryman  at  Bridgman,  Michi- 
gan, with  a  business  which  in  extent  and 
volume  indicates  his  position  as  one  of  the 
foremost  representatives  of  this  department 
of  commercial  activity  in  Berrien  county, 
was  born  in  Hamilton  township,  Van  Buren 
county,  this  state,  on  the  23d  of  July,  i860. 
He  is  descended,  however,  from  one  of  the 
oldest  families  of  Maine.  His  paternal 
great-grandfather,  Joshua  Whitten,  was 
one  of  thirteen  sons  who  were  prominent  in 
the  Pine  Tree  state.  The  paternal  grand- 
parents were  David  and  Mary  A.  (Rhodes) 
Whitten.  The  latter  was  a  descendant  of 
Lord  Rhodes,  in  whose  honor  Rhode  Island 
was  named.  By  her  marriage  she  became 
the  mother  of  three  children.  Joshua 
Whitten,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 

32 


Rhode  Island,  April  28,  1837,  ^^d  with  his 
parents  removed  to  Vermont,  where  he  lost 
his  father.  He  afterward  became  a  resident 
of  Van  Buren  county,  Michigan,  and  lived 
for  some  time  at  Paw  Paw.  When  fifteen 
years  of  age  he  began  learning  the  cabinet 
maker's  trade  at  Marshall,  Michigan,  and 
when  twenty  years  of  age  he  w^as  married 
to  Lydia  Ann  Cook,  a  native  of  Canada  and 
a  daughter  of  William  J.  and  Katharine 
(Dunbar)  Cook,  who  were  natives  of  New 
York.  Mrs.  Whitten  now  resides  in  South 
Bend,  Indiana,  but  Joshua  Whitten  passed 
away  in  February,  1904.  Following  their 
marriage  they  settled  at  Lawrence,  Michi- 
gan, where  he  was  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  furniture.  In  i860  he  went  on 
a  trip  to  California  but  returned  within  a 
year  and  removed  to  Niles,  Michigan,  where 
he  worked  at  his  trade  until  he  took  up  his 
abode  in  Lake  township  in  1867.  He  con- 
ducted a  tannery  until  1869  in  connection 
with  his  brother  and  brother-in-law  under 
the  firm  style  of  Webster,  Whitten  &  Com- 
pany. Subsequently  he  follow^ed  the  car- 
penter's trade  until  1873  and  then  bought 
a  small  farm  and  entered  the  fruit  business. 
He  was  one  of  the  pioneer  horticulturists  of 
this  part  of  the  state,  setting  out  the  first 
small  fruits  in  this  section.  He  continued 
successfully  in  the  business  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death  and  did  much  to  promote  the 
horticultural  interests  of  Michigan,  now  one 
of  the  most  famous  fruit  growing  states  of 
the  Union.  He  and  his  wife  were  members 
of  the  Congregational  church  and  politi- 
cally he  was  a  Republican.  He  held  some 
school  offices  and  the  cause  of  education  al- 
ways found  in  him  a  w^arm  and  stalwart 
friend.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joshua  Whitten  had 
a  family  of  five  children,  of  whom  three  are 
still  living:  Lilly  E.,  the  wife  of  O.  A.  Jef- 
feries,  of  South  Bend,  Indiana;  Charles  Ed- 
ward of  this  review;  and  Herbert  W.,  who 
is  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Michigan 
and  is  now  a  professor  of  Greek  and  Latin. 
Charles  Edward  Whitten  was  but  a 
young  lad  when  his  parents  removed  from 
Van  Buren  county  to  Niles,  Michigan,  and 
in  1866  became  residents  of  Lake  township. 
Since  1867  he  has  resided  in  the  same  vil- 
lage and  since  1882  upon  his  present  farm. 


498 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


which  comprises  fifty  acres  on  section  19, 
Lake  township.  This  is  operated  as  a  nur- 
sery known  as  the  C.  E.  Whitten  nursery. 
He  conducts  an  expensive  mail  order  busi- 
ness with  a  catalogue  as  a  means  of  intro- 
ducing his  goods  to  the  public,  having  no 
traveling  representatives  upon  the  road.  He 
has  built  up  a  good  trade  and  now  ships  to 
all  parts  of  the  United  States  and  Canada. 
Only  seven  acres  of  the  land  was  cleared 
when  he  purchased  the  farm  in  1882  but 
he  has  transformed  it  into  a  valuable  prop- 
erty, making  it  a  model  nursery  character- 
ized by  neatness  and  thrift  in  every  depart- 
ment. He  produces  the  best  nursery  stock 
and  he  has  upon  his  place  a  fine  home  which 
he  erected,  together  with  other  large,  com- 
modious and  substantial  buildings. 

In  September,  1883,  Mr,  Whitten  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Cornelia  B. 
Hebb,  who  was  born  in  Lake  township  and 
is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  C.  and  Angelina 
(Smith)  Hebb,  who  were  natives  of  Ver- 
mont and  Ohio.  Her  paternal  grandparents 
came  from  England.  Mrs.  Whitten  is  a 
graduate  of  the  St.  Joseph  high  school  and 
engaged  in  teaching  until  her  marriage. 
Three  children  have  been  born  of  this  union : 
Thomas  Joshua,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twO' 
and  a  half  years;  Winifred  Elinor;  and 
Roger  Charles.  The  daughter  is  a  graduate 
of  the  St.  Joseph  high  school  and  is  now  a 
student  in  Ypsilanti  Normal. 

The  parents  are  members  of  the  Congre- 
gational church,  in  the  work  of  which  they 
take  an  active  and  helpful  part.  Mr.  Whit- 
ten has  served  as  deacon  and  trustee  of  the 
church  and  has  filled  the  office  of  church 
clerk  since  1883.  He  belongs  to  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  camp  and  has  always  stood 
for  progress  and  improvement  in  local  af- 
fairs. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  For 
the  past  twelve  years  he  has  been  school 
moderator,  has  been  chairman  of  the  board 
and  was  a  stalwart  champion  of  the  move- 
ment for  the  building  of  a  new  school  house. 
He  believes  in  advancement  in  all  lines  of 
life  that  relate  to  material,  intellectual,  so- 
cial and  moral  progress,  and  his  influence 
is  ever  on  the  side  of  justice,  truth  and 
honor. 


JOHN  P.  RAU,  living  on  section  6, 
New  Buffalo  township,  wdiere  he  gave  his 
time  and  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits 
for  many  years  but  is  now  practically  re- 
tired, w^as  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  on 
the  2 1st  of  February,  1832,  and  has  there- 
fore passed  the  seventy-fourth  milestone  on 
life's  journey.  His  parents  were  John  and 
Ursula  (Endres)  Rau,  who  spent  their  en- 
tire lives  in  the  fatherland.  In  their  family 
were  six  sons  and  two  daughters,  who 
reached  years  of  maturity  and  were  all  liv- 
ing when  John  P.  Rau,  the  youngest  of 
the  family,  left  his  native  country.  Sixteen 
children  w^ere  born  to  the  parents,  but  four 
of  the  number  died  in  early  life.  A  brother, 
Joseph,  and  a  sister,  Barbara,  came  to  the 
United  States. 

Mr.  Rau  of  this  review  remained  a  resi- 
dent of  Germany  until  he  attained  his  ma- 
jority. At  the  age  of  four  years  he  went 
to  live  with  a  Catholic  priest,  with  whom  he 
remained  until  twelve  years  of  age  and  he 
acquired  a  good  education  in  Latin  and  Ger- 
man, pursuing  his  studies  until  eighteen 
years  of  age.  His  father  conducted  a  farm 
and  also  operated  a  brewery  and  hotel  and 
for  some  time  John  P.  Rau  was  his  assistant 
in  these  lines  of  business.  He  learned  the 
coopers  and  brewer's  trades  in  early  life 
and  followed  those  pursuits  in  the  fatherland 
until  he  made  arrangements  to  come  to 
America.  His  father  was  comfortably  sit- 
uated financially  and  furnished  Mr.  Rau  the 
means  with  w^hich  to  come  to  the  United 
States.  He  made  the  voyage  alone  and  in 
New  York  joined  an  uncle,  who  was  con- 
ducting several  breweries.  The  year  1853 
witnessed  his  arrival,  and  for  a  year  he  re- 
mained with  an  uncle.  He  afterward  spent 
one  season  working  on  the  Erie  canal  and 
later  engaged  in  steamboating  on  the  lakes 
from  Buffalo,  eventually  reaching  Chicago. 
After  taking  up  his  abode  in  the  latter  city 
he  worked  for  two  years  in  a  wholesale  and 
retail  establishment  and  then  came  to  Michi- 
gan on  a  hunting  expedition.  Being  pleased 
with  this  district  he  decided  to  remain,  and 
about  that  time  was  married  in  Three 
Oaks  township.  He  worked  in  sawmills  for 
some  time,  being  thus  connected  with  lum- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


499 


ber  manufacturing  until  after  the  outbreak 
of  the  Civil  war.  In  1864  he  enlisted  for 
active  service  as  a  member  of  Company  E, 
Twelfth  Michigan  Infantry,  under  Captain 
Borstick  and  Colonel  Graves.  He  did  scout 
duty  until  taken  ill,  when  he  was  sent  to 
the  general  hospital  at  Duvall's  Bluff,  Ar- 
kansas, in  1865.  He  received  an  honorable 
discharge  in  July  of  the  same  year,  after 
which  he  returned  to  Michigan,  making  his 
way  to  Greenbush,  where  he  was  engineer 
in  a  sawmill.  In  the  fall  of  that  year,  how- 
ever, he  came  to  his  present  farm  on  sec- 
tion 6,  New  Buffalo  township.  Here  he  has 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  and 
his  sons  have  forty  acres  on  section  6  and 
section  i.  When  he  took  possession  of  the 
property  it  was  a  tract  of  timber  land,  but 
with  characteristic  energy  he  began  to  clear 
and  improve  it  and  has  placed  the  entire 
amount  under  cultivation  save  about  forty 
acres,  which  is  still  covered  with  timber. 
He  has  made  all  of  the  improvements  here 
and  now  has  a  valuable  farm  property.  For 
many  years  he  was  actively  engaged  in  the 
work  of  the  fields  but  has  given  over  the 
farm  work  to  his  sons  and  merely  super- 
vises his  place,  while  enjoying  a  well-earned 
rest  from  arduous  labor.  He  is  a  man  of 
good  business  ability,  of  marked  industry 
and  unfaltering  diligence  and  these  have 
been  the  qualities  which  have  won  him  suc- 
cess. 

About  185s,  in  Three  Oaks,  Mr.  Rau 
was  married  to  Miss  Eliza  Richner,  who 
was  born  in  Switzerland  in  1835  and 
started  to  the  United  States  with  her  par- 
ents. Her  mother,  however,  died  on  the 
ocean,  while  making  the  voyage  to  the  new 
world.  Her  father,  Jacob  Richner,  con- 
tinued his  journey  to  the  United  States. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rau  have  been  born  the 
following  children :  John,  who  went  to 
California  about  twenty-five  years  ago,  aft- 
erward went  to  Alaska  but  has  not  been 
heard  from  in  several  years;  Mrs.  Ella 
Evans,  who  is  a  resident  of  Iowa;  and  Jo- 
seph and  Edward,  who  are  at  home.  They 
also  lost  one  child,  Eliza,  their  first  born, 
who  died  in  infancy  at  Three  Oaks. 

Mr.    Rau    votes    with    the    Republican 


party.  In  July,  1906,  he  was  elected  school 
treasurer  of  district  No.  5,  Chikaming  and 
New  Buffalo  townships.  He  has  served  as 
school  inspector  but  has  never  desired  of- 
fice, as  he  has  always  preferred  to  give  close 
and  unremitting  attention  to  his  business 
affairs,  in  which  he  has  met  with  success. 
Coming  to  the  United  States  with  little 
capital,  he  has  worked  his  way  steadily  up- 
ward and  is  now  in  possession  of  a  good 
farming  property,  which  is  the  visible  evi- 
dence of  his  life  of  thrift  and  enterprise. 
He  is  now  enjoying  well-earned  rest,  leav- 
ing the  farm  work  to  his  sons  and  the  prop- 
erty returns  a  good  financial  income  that  en- 
ables him  to  secure  all  of  the  good  financial 
income  that  enables  him  to  secure  all  of  the 
comforts  and  some  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 

GEORGE  L.  STEVENS,  a  veteran  of 
the  Civil  war,  equally  loyal  in  citizenship 
as  in  times  of  peace,  is  one  of  the  enterprising 
business  men  of  the  village  of  Three  Oaks, 
being  indentified  with  various  enterprises 
here.  He  is  now  engaged  in  dealing  in 
wool,  seeds  and  grain,  to  which  business  he 
has  devoted  his  energies  for  the  past  six- 
teen years.  He  was  born  in  Mason  town- 
ship, Cass  county,  Michigan,  June  30,  1847, 
his  parents  being  David  R.  and  Eleanor  E., 
(Roberts)  Stevens,  the  former  a  native  of 
Oswego  county,  and  the  latter  of  Oneida 
county.  New  York.  They  came  to  Michi- 
gan with  their  respective  parents  about 
1835,  and  settled  in  Cass  county,  where  they 
became  acquainted  and  were  married  in  Ma- 
son township.  For  many  years  the  father 
there  devoted  his  life  to  general  agricul- 
tural pursuits.  At  the  time  of  their  mar- 
riage they  began  housekeeping  in  the  midst 
of  the  green  woods.  The  paternal  grand- 
father, Lyman  Stevens,  had  entered  land 
from  the  government  and  upon  his  claim 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  David 
Stevens  gave  his  time  and  energies  to  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits  and  reached  the 
ripe  old  age  of  seventy-six  years,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  1822.  His  w4fe  was 
born  in  1827.  In  their  family  were  three 
children:  Harriet  E.,  the  wife  of  John 
Ashley,  of  Concordia,  Kansas;  George  L., 


500 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


of  this  review;  and  John  L.,  who  is  Hving 
upon  the  old  homestead  farm  in  Mason 
township,   Cass  county. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred 
to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  George 
L.   Stevens  in  his  boyhood  days.      He  re- 
mained on  the  old  homestead  until  twenty- 
two  years  ago  and  his  mother  still  resides 
there.     She  is  now  the  head  of  five  genera- 
tions.    The  home  place  comprises  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  and  through  the  period 
of  his  youth  and  early  manhood  George  L. 
Stevens  gave  his  time  and  energies  to  the 
cultivation  and   development  of  the  fields. 
At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war,  however,  when 
a  youth  of  seventeen  years,  he  put  aside  all 
personal   considerations   and   with   patriotic 
zeal  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  aid, 
enlisting  as  a  member  of  Company  A,  Sec- 
ond Michigan  Cavalry.     The  regiment  was 
assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland 
and  he  proceeded  as  far  south  as  Macon, 
Georgia.      After   one  year's   active   service 
he  returned  to  the  farm,  where  he  resided 
until   twenty-two   years   ago,    when   he   re- 
moved  from   Cass   county   to   Three   Oaks 
and  established  the  first  creamery  here.     He 
organized  the  Three  Oaks  Creamery  Com- 
pany, and  was  connected  therewith  for  four 
years  as  owner.     On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  sold  out  and  turned  his  attention 
to  dealing  in  grain,   wool  and  seeds.     He 
has  now  been  engaged  in  this  line  of  trade 
for  sixteen  years  and  has  built  up  a  good 
business,     which    is    proving    a    profitable 
source  of  income.     He  was  also  a  director 
of  the  Three  Oaks  Bank  for  four  years  and 
is  a  man  of  sound  business  judgment  and 
keen    discrimination,    who    recognizes    and 
improves   his   opportunities   and  has  there- 
fore made  steady  progress.     He  owns  two 
good  business  houses  in  the  village  and  also 
his  residences  in  the  town. 

In  Ohio,  in  1870,  George  L.  Stevens  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Harriet  E.  Beals, 
who  was  born  in  Cuyahoga  county,  near  the 
city  of  Cleveland,  in  1846,  a  daughter  of 
Abner  and  Jane  (Shepard)  Beals.  Her 
grandfather  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution- 
ary war,  lived  to  the  remarkable  old  age  of 
one  hundred  and  eighteen  years,  and  died 
in  Cuyahoga  county,  Ohio.     Unto  Mr.  and 


Mrs.  Stevens  has  been  born  a  daughter^ 
Gertrude,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  Morris 
McGawn,  of  Three  Oaks,  and  they  have 
two  children,  Ethel  E.,  and  Alice  G. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Stevens  is  a 
stalwart  Republican,  having  given  his  sup- 
port to  the  party  since  age  conferred  upon 
him  the  right  of  franchise.  He  has  served 
as  supervisor  of  his  township  for  three- 
terms  and  is  now  filling  the  office  of  town- 
ship treasurer.  He  has  also  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  town  council  for  two  terms  and 
as  a  public  official  has  exercised  his  preroga- 
tives for  the  support  of  all  progressive  pub- 
lic measures.  He  is  active  in  the  party 
councils  and  conventions  and  his  influence 
has  been  of  no  restricted  order  in  local  party 
ranks.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  iakes  a  helpful  interest  in  its 
work  and  has  held  various  offices  therein. 
He  has  also  been  an  office  holder  in  Charles 
Woodruff  Post,  No.  85,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Three- 
Oaks,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees  and  the  Modern  Woodmen 
camp.  In  these  organizations  he  is  a  valued 
representative,  and  is  in  hearty  sympathy 
with  the  teachings  and  tenets  of  the  differ- 
ent fraternities  which  are  based  upon  mutual 
helpfulness  and  brotherly  kindness.  Hav- 
ing spent  his  entire  life  in  southwestern 
Michigan  he  has  a  wide  acquaintance,  and 
during  the  twenty-two  years  of  his  residence 
in  Three  Oaks  has  become  known  as  a  sub- 
stantial and  representative  citizen,  making 
steady  progress  toward  the  objective  point 
of  success  by  reason  of  his  determination 
and  capable  methods. 

JACOB  M.  SCHWENK,  proprietor  of 
a  saloon  and  livery  business  in  New  Buf- 
falo, was  born  in  the  village  where  he  now 
makes  his  home  February  11,  1865,  his  par- 
ents being  John  and  Elizabeth  (Reuss) 
Schwenk,  who  were  natives  of  Germany. 
In  their  family  were  ten  children,  of  whom 
Jacob  M.  is  the  ninth  in  order  of  birth.  He 
resided  in  his  native  village  until  after  his 
father's  death  and  then  w^ent  to  what  be- 
came known  as  the  old  homestead  farm, 
where  his  brother  now  resides.  He  lived 
upon  the  farm  for  about  two  years  with  his 
mother  and  stepfather,  Jacob  Hiler,  and  they 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


5or 


removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Bainbridge,  this 
county,  Hving  with  the  family  there  until 
the  return  of  his  mother  and  her  second  hus- 
band to  New  Buffalo.  Mr.  Schwenk  then  at- 
tended school  here.  Subsequently  he  made 
his  home  with  his  older  brother,  John,  on 
the  farm  and  largely  gave  his  attention  to 
general  farm  work  between  the  ages  of  eight 
and  seventeen  years.  He  afterward  went 
to  Missoula  county,  Montana,  where  he 
joined  an  uncle  and  engaged  in  farming  there 
one  season.  He  afterward  took  six  head  of 
horses  and  went  to  Rocky  Grade,  after  which 
he  assisted  in  grading  on  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  under  Fish,  Bask  &  Com- 
pany. He  was  thus  engaged  for  a  few 
months  and  continued  to  work  for  that  com- 
pany for  some  time.  Subsequently  he  was 
employed  in  the  Eclipse  livery  barn  for  a 
year^  after  which  he  again  aided  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad. 
He  next  went  to  Butte  City,  Montana,  and 
drove  teams  for  a  mining  company  for  a 
few  months.  He  did  teaming  on  various 
lines  for  big  enterprises  in  those  days  and 
spent   about   four   years   in   the   northwest. 

December  25,  1885,  Mr.  Schwenk  re- 
turned to  Michigan.  For  a  number  of 
months  he  was  ill  with  fever,  after  which  he 
worked  for  his  brother  in  a  lumber  camp  for 
one  season.  Subsequently  he  went  to  La- 
porte  county,  Indiana,  settling  in  Spring- 
field township,  where  he  rented  his  brother's 
farm,  which  he  conducted  for  a  year.  He 
then  came  to  New  Buffalo  township  and 
rented  a  farm  wdiicli  he  operated  on  the 
shares,  devoting  his  time  and  energies  to 
general  agricultural  pursuits  until  1892.  In 
the  spring  of  that  year  he  entered  his  pres- 
ent business,  opening  a  saloon,  in  which  he 
had  a  partner  for  one  year.  Since  then  he 
has  been  alone  in  the  saloon  business,  which 
he  is  now  carrying  on.  He  has  also  for  the 
past  ten  years  conducted  a  first  class  livery 
stable,  having  a  large  barn,  forty  by  eighty 
feet.  It  is  a  cement  structure  and  was 
-erected  in  1895.  Mr.  Schwenk  also  owns 
the  building  in  which  he  carries  on  his  saloon 
and  a  cottage  w^hich  he  occupies. 

On  the  2 1  St  of  January,  1891,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  Jacob  M.  Schwenk 
and  Miss  Lily  Susan,  who  was  born  in  this 


county,  a  daughter  of  Stephen  and  Mary 
Ann  Susan.  Two  children  graced  this  mar- 
riage:  Mamie  Ethel,  now  at  home;  and 
Clara,  who  died  in  infancy. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Schwenk 
has  always  been  a  Democrat,  active  in  the 
work  of  the  party  and  doing  everything  in 
his  power  to  advance  its  growth  and  secure 
its  success.  At  one  time  he  served  as  trustee 
of  the  village.  He  belongs  to  Lodge  No.  84, 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  to  the  Evangelical  Lutherai . 
church.  His  life  has  been  one  of  activity 
and  his  labor  has  been  the  basis  of  the  suc- 
cess that  he  has  enjoyed.  He  had  no  special 
advantages  in  his  youth,  but  early  came  to 
a  realization  of  the  fact  that  enterprise  and 
diligence  constitute  a  safe  foundation  upon 
which  to  build  the  superstructure  of  pros- 
perity. 

PROSPER  O.  BOWE,  who  is  the 
owner  of  valuable  and  productive 
farming  interests  in  Watervliet  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Clayton,  Jefferson 
county.  New  York,  March  26,  1842,  his 
parents  being  Horace  and  Susan  (Clark) 
Bowe.  The  family  is  of  French  descent, 
which  has  been  represented  in  Connecticut 
through  many  generations.  The  grandfather 
soon  after  the  war  of  181 2  removed  from 
New  England  to  Clayton,  New  York,  where 
he  died  at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty  years. 
The  postoffice  there  w^as  named  for  an 
uncle,  Prosper  Bowe,  who  died  at  Minne- 
apolis, Minnesota,  in  his  one  hundredth 
year.  Horace  Bowe,  who  was  born  in  Con- 
necticut in  1802,  became  a  resident  of  Wa- 
tertown.  New  York,  in  1848,  and  in  1855 
removed  to  Michigan,  where  he  had  many 
old  friends  living.  He  settled  in  Bain- 
bridge  township,  Berrien  county,  and  in 
1862  took  up  his  abode  at  Bangor.  His  last 
two  years  were  spent  in  the  home  of  his  son, 
Prosper  O.  Bowe,  where  he  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy-seven  years.  His  wife  died  in 
1882,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years,  after 
they  had  traveled  life's  journey  together  as 
man  and  wife  for  almost  six  decades.  All 
three  of  their  sons  served  in  the  Civil  war 
as  defenders  of  the  Union  cause.  Seth  Bowe, 
who  died  in  1905,  was  a  member  of  Com- 
pany D,  Sixty-sixth  Illinois  Sharpshooters, 


S02 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


and  Gilbert  was  likewise  a  member  of  the 
same  company. 

Prosper  O.  Bowe  spent  the  first  eight- 
een years  of  his  life  in  his  father's  home, 
and  on  the  17th  of  October,  1861,  enlisted 
for  service  in  the  Union  army.  General 
Fremont  ordered  a  regiment  of  sharpshoot- 
ers to  be  composed  of  a  company  from  each 
of  the  western  states,  and  Mr.  Bowe  joined 
the  company  from  Michigan.  This  was  or- 
ganized and  drilled  at  Benton  Barracks. 
They  were  armed  with  Demicks  target 
shooting  rifles  and  later  they  armed  them- 
selves with  the  Henry  sixteen  shooters.  The 
company  was  attached  to  the  famous  Sixty- 
sixth  Illinois  Sharpshooters  and  with  his 
command  Mr.  Bowe  participated  in  the  en- 
gagement at  Fort  Donelson,  Shiloh  and 
the  advance  on  Corinth.  He  re-enlisted  at 
Pulaski,  Tennessee,  took  part  in  the  Atlanta 
campaign  and  was  with  Sherman  on  the 
celebrated  march  to  the  sea.  He  was  also 
at  Bentonville,  North  Carolina^  and  in  the 
movements  which  led  up  to  the  close  of  the 
war,  after  which  he  marched  to  Washing- 
ton to  take  part  in  the  Grand  Review.  For 
twenty-two  years  Company  D,  which  was 
made  up  of  Michigan  men,  has  held  its  an- 
nual re-unions  in  the  yard  surrounding  Mr. 
Bowe's  home.  The  company  was  com- 
manded by  Captain  Andrews,  who  was 
killed  in  the  Atlanta  campaign.  Of  the  one 
hundred  and  eighty-six  men  that  joined  the 
company  as  recruits  at  its  organization 
twenty-nine  of  them  met  at  Mr.  Bowe's 
home  in  1905,  and  again  in  1906.  During 
two  months  of  his  military  service  he  was 
held  as  a  prisoner  of  war  at  Jackson,  Missis- 
sippi, and  he  experienced  all  of  the  hard- 
ships, dangers  and  privations  which  were 
meted  out  to  the  soldier. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Bowe 
located  at  Coloma,  Michigan,  where  for  five 
years  he  was  engaged  in  the  operation  of  a 
sawmill.  In  1867  he  began  to  purchase 
land,  buying  sixty-four  acres,  to  which  he 
has  added  from  time  to  time  until  he  now 
owns  two  hundred  acres  in  one  body  which 
borders  Paw  Paw  lake  and  Paw  Paw  river 
within  a  half  mile  of  the  lake  front.  All  of 
this  is  now  platted  and  over  fifty  cottages 
have  been  built  upon  it,  nearly  all  of  which 


have  been  sold.  This  tract  is  known  as 
Bowe's  Landing  and  it  commands  a  splendid 
view  of  the  lake,  afifording  a  broader  view 
of  Paw  Paw  lake  than  any  place  which  bor- 
ders that  body  of  water.  This  section  of 
the  state  is  southwestern  Michigan's  most 
popular  summer  resort,  visited  annually  by 
thousands  of  tourists.  The  lake  has  a  shore 
line  of  twenty  miles,  though  it  has  a  straight 
stretch  of  but  three  miles  of  water.  Mr. 
Bowe  carries  on  general  farming  and  fruit 
raising,  and  is  also  engaged  in  stock  raising 
and  in  dairying.  He  has  erected  a  hand- 
some modern  residence  on  a  point  of  land 
commanding  the  finest  view  of  the  lake  and 
surrounding  country.  It  is  modern  in  all 
respects  and  is  one  of  the  most  desirable 
and  beautiful  homes  in  the  county.  The 
farm  produces  splendid  crops  of  wheat  and 
other  grains,  and  fine  fruit  is  also  raised 
here,  so  that  in  his  business  affairs  Mr. 
Bowe  is  meeting  with  very  desirable  pros- 
perity. 

On  the  7th  of  February,  1864,  while 
home  on  a  furlough  granted  him  after  his 
re-enlistment  for  service  in  the  Civil  Avar, 
Mr.  Bowe  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Jane  Boyer,  a  daughter  of  Austin  and 
Adelia  (Wetmore)  Boyer,  also  of  Clayton^ 
New  York.  Her  people  were  old  friends  of 
the  Bowe  family  in  the  east.  In  1844  her 
father  came  to  Michigan  and  was  prominent 
and  influential  in  public  affairs  for  many 
years.  He  served  as  justice  of  the  peace 
and  held  other  offices.  In  1852  he  went  to 
California,  where  he  remained  for  four 
years.  He  was  a  very  active  man,  and  in 
Michigan  carried  on  ship  carpentering.  For 
some  time  he  lived  in  Kansas  and  in  1879 
again  went  to  California,  where  he  engaged 
in  mining  and  in  the  conduct  of  a  lumber 
business.  His  last  years  were  passed  in 
the  home  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Bowe,  where 
he  died  November  6,  1893,  while  his  wife 
survived  until  July  21,  1899. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bowe  have  been 
born  the  following  named :  Anna  E.  is  the 
wife  of  Frank  Hunt,  a  merchant  at  Water- 
vliet.  Harriet  is  the  wife  of  W.  C.  Spreen, 
postmaster  and  merchant  at  Watervliet; 
Mary  M.,  the  wife  of  Byron  Pierce,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Pierce  &  Son,  hardware 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


503 


merchants  of  Watervliet.  Lizzie,  who  was 
a  student  in  the  normal  school  at  Ypsilanti, 
was  the  wife  of  C.  L.  Weaver,  a 
teacher  at  Eau  Claire,  Michigan.  He 
was  a  teacher  in  the  Alva  Normal 
School  at  Alva,  Oklahoma,  and  his 
wife  taught  for  eight  years  in  Wat- 
ervliet, having  charge  of  the  first  primary. 
For  two  years  she  was  a  teacher  in  the 
country  schools.  She  died  at  Alva,  Okla- 
homa, November  i,  1904,  leaving  a  son, 
Malcolm  B.,  who  since  his  mother's  death 
has  been  with  his  grandparents.  Myrtle  is 
the  wife  of  W.  E.  Johnson,  who  operates 
the  Bowe  farm.  Nellie  and  Julia  are  at 
home.  Lucy  is  the  wife  of  Louis  Kime,  a 
carpenter  and  architect  at  Hartford,  Michi- 
gan. Nellie  taught  school  for  seven  years 
in  Watervliet  and  spent  some  time  in  Okla- 
homa, being  there  at  the  time  of  her  sister's 
death.  All  the  family  possess  natural  musi- 
cal talent  and  taste.  Mr.  Bowe  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Garfield  Post,  No.  ^o^  G.  A.  R.,  at 
Coloma,  of  which  he  is  a  past  commander, 
and  he  has  attended  the  national  reunions 
at  Detroit,  Washington  and  Milwaukee. 
His  has  been  a  most  creditable  military  rec- 
ord. His  citizenship  has  been  characterized 
by  the  same  loyalty  and  fidelity  which 
marked  his  course  when  on  southern  battle- 
fields he  defended  the  Union  cause.  In 
business  he  has  been  reliable  and  energetic 
and  is  today  one  of  the  prosperous  represen- 
tatives of  agricultural  and  horticultural  in- 
terests, with  a  fine  property  which  is  the  vis- 
ible evidence  of  his  life  of  thrift  and  in- 
dustry. 

DR.  FREDERICK  F.  SOVEREIGN  is 
one  of  the  prominent  and  distinguished  rep- 
resentatives of  Berrien  county,  living  at 
Three  Oaks.  He  is  recognized  as  an  able 
representative  of  the  profession  and  more-  ^ 
over  is  a  leader  in  political  circles,  having 
served  his  district  in  the  state  senate,  wdiere 
his  devotion  to  the  interests  of  his  constit- 
uents and  of  the  commonwealth  at  large 
stood  as  an  unquestioned  fact  in  his  career. 
A  native  of  Indiana,  he  was  born  in  Bristol, 
Elkhart  county,  on  the  27th  of  August, 
1846.  His  father,  Lewis  H.  Sovereign,  was 
born  in  Simcoe,  Ontario,  in  18 12,  and  be- 


came a  resident  of  Bristol,  Indiana,  in  1842, 
when  that  part  of  the  state  was  largely  an 
unimproved  region.  He  was  married  there 
to  Miss  Flora  Cathcart,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  Indiana,  July  4,  1820.  Both  have  now 
passed  away,  the  father  having  departed  this 
life  in  Michigan  City  in  1886,  while  his  wife 
died  in  Chicago  in  1895.  He  had  resided  at 
Bristol  for  twenty  years  and  at  Valparaiso, 
Indiana,  for  nine  years,  and  spent  his  re- 
maining days  in  Michigan  City.  He  was  a 
graduate  of  Queens  College,  Ontario,  and 
afterward  of  the  Pennsylvania  University, 
at  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  and  for  many 
years  was  recognized  as  an  able  physician  of 
Indiana,  keeping  abreast  with  the  progress 
of  the  profession  and  rendering  valuable  aid 
to  his  fellowmen  in  the  restoration  of  health 
through  the  application  of  effective  remedial 
agencies.  In  his  family  were  three  children, 
of  whom  Dr.  Sovereign  of  this  review  is  the 
eldest.  The  second  son,  Allen  J.,  is  now  as- 
sistant superintendent  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad,  at  Staples,  Minnesota.  The 
daughter,  Jessie,  is  the  wife  of  J.  H.  Snyder, 
assistant  superintendent  of  the  Michigan 
Central  Railroad  at  Detroit. 

Dr.  Sovereign  of  this  review  remained 
in  Bristol,  Indiana,  until  his  sixteenth  year 
and  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  vil- 
lage schools.  In  1862  he  removed  to  Val- 
paraiso with  his  parents  and  was  a  student  in 
the  Northern  Indiana  Normal  School  from 
1862  until  January,  1864.  At  a  later  date 
he  enlisted  for  active  service  in  the  Civil 
w^ar  and  became  a  member  of  Company  C, 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth  Indiana  In- 
fantry, under  command  of  Captain  Goodwin 
and  Colonel  Sweet.  His  regiment  was  at- 
tached to  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  and 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  on  the  ex- 
piration of  his  term  of  service  he  re-enlisted, 
becoming  a  member  of  Company  B,  One 
Hundred  and  Fifty-first  Indiana  Infantry. 
In  September,  1865,  he  was  mustered  out, 
the  war  having  ended.  He  had  rendered 
valuable  aid  to  his  country  and  with  a  credit- 
able military  record  returned  to  his  home. 
He  then  re-entered  college  and  was  gradu- 
ated in  June,  1866,  after  which  he  began 
preparation  for  his  chosen  profession,  ma- 
triculating in  Rush  Medical  College,  at  Chi- 


^o4 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


xago,  in  October  of  that  year.  He  pursued 
the  regular  three  years'  course  there  and  was 
graduated  in  February,  1869.  He  began 
practice  in  Michigan  City  with  his  father, 
remaining  there  until  July,  1874,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Three  Oaks,  where  he  has  prac- 
ticed continuously  since,  having  therefore 
during  almost  a  third  of  a  century  been  a 
member  of  the  medical  fraternity  here,  en- 
joying a  large  practice,  his  business  con- 
stantly growing  in  volume  and  importance 
as  the  years  have  gone  by.  He  has  always 
kept  abreast  with  the  progress  of  the  medical 
fraternity  in  its  efforts  to  solve  the  intricate 
problems  connected  with  the  position  and  is 
interested  in  all  that  promises  to  bring  to 
man  a  solution  of  the  complex  mystery  which 
we  call  life. 

On  the  28th  of  October,  1869,  Dr. 
Sovereign  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Anna  M.  Rhinhart,  a  native  of  Cass  county, 
Michigan,  born  in  1846.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  Samuel  Rhinhart,  a  pioneer  resident  of 
Cass  county.  They  had  one  daughter,  Alice 
J.,  now  a  resident  of  Lansing,  Michigan. 
The  wnfe  and  mother  passed  aw^ay  April  26, 
1902,  and  on  the  27th  of  September,  1905, 
Dr.  Sovereign  was  again  married,  his  sec- 
ond union  being  with  Miss  Ella  Horn,  of 
New  Buffalo  township.  The  family  home 
is  a  fine  brick  residence  on  Main  street, 
which  was  erected  by  Dr.  Sovereign  in  1890. 
He  has  also  built  two  other  buildings  here 
which  he  rents  and  which  return  to  him  a 
good  income. 

In  his  political  views  Dr.  Sovereign  has 
always  been  a  stalwart  Republican  and  cast 
his  first"  presidential  ballot  for  General  Grant 
in  1868.  He  has  been  township  clerk  and 
school  inspector,  and  since  1883  has  served 
as  a  member  of  the  board  of  education.  He 
has  long  been  recognized  as  a  leader  of  his 
party  and  further  political  honors  awaited 
him,  for  in  the  fall  of  1900  he  was  elected 
to  the  state  senate,  where  he  rendered  such 
signal  and  able  service  that  he  was  re-elected 
in  1902.  He  gave  careful  consideration  to 
each  question  which  came  up  for  settlement 
and  stood  as  an  able  defender  of  the  best 
interests  of  the  commonwealth,  making  a 
creditable  record  as  a  legislator,  his  devotion 
to  the  interests  of  his  constituents  standing 


as  an  unquestioned  fact  in  his  political 
record.  He  is  also  active  in  local  politics 
and  is  a  man  of  influence  in  his  community. 
Socially  Dr.  Sovereign  is  a  Mason,  having 
attained  high  rank  in  the  order.  He  belongs 
to  the  blue  lodge  at  Three  Oaks  and  to  the 
chapter  and  commandery  at  Niles,  and  has 
attained  the  thirty-second  degree  in  the  Con- 
sistory at  Grand  Rapids,  where  he  is  also 
connected  with  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  like- 
wise belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  and  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees, 
and  is  a  popular  and  valued  representative 
of  these  various  organizations.  Few  men 
have  a  wider  acquaintance  in  this  part  of  the 
county  and  none  are  more  favorably  known 
than  Dr.  Sovereign,  whose  prominence  in 
political,  professional  and  social  circles  is 
the  direct  result  of  his  capability  and  genuine 
worth. 

DR.  WILLIAM  L.  HELKIE,  engaged 
in  the  general  practice  of  medicine  and  sur- 
gery, and  also  interested  in  various  manu- 
facturing enterprises,  possesses  good  busi- 
ness ability  as  well  as  professional  skill.  He 
was  born  in  Essex,  Ontario,  July  9,  1870, 
and  w^as  reared  to  farm  life,  his  parents  be- 
ing Charles  and  Mary  Ann  (Vodden)  Hel- 
kie,  who  were  likewise  natives  of  Ontario. 
The  father  was  of  German  lineage,  how- 
ever, while  the  mother  was  of  English  de- 
scent, and  they  are  still  residents  of  Essex. 
In  their  family  were  nine  children,  six  sons 
and  three  daughters,  of  whom  the  Doctor 
was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth  and  eight  of 
the  number  are  now  living,  all  being  resi- 
dents of  Ontario  with  the  exception  of  Dr. 
Helkie  of  this  review  and  Mrs.  A.  B.  Cooper 
of  Detroit,  Michigan. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  Dr. 
Helkie  we  present  to  our  readers  the  life 
record  of  one  who  is  widely  and  favorably 
known  here  by  reason  of  his  professional 
ability  and  his  many  admirable  personal 
traits.  He  was  reared  to  farm  life,  making 
the  old  homestead  his  home  until  about  1892, 
during  which  time  he  attended  the  high 
school  of  his  native  city.  He  was  engaged 
in  teaching  for  three  consecutive  years  in 
the  country  schools  and  in   1892   went  to 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


505 


Detroit,  taking  out  naturalization  papers. 
In  the  same  year  he  entered  the  Detroit  Col- 
lege of  Medicine,  and  completed  his  course 
in  1895.  During  his  senior  year  he  was 
appointed  house  physician  of  St.  Mary's 
Hospital,  and  acted  in  that  capacity  until 
he  came  to  Three  Oaks  in  May,  1895.  Here 
he  entered  upon  general  practice  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Kalamazoo  Academy  of  Med- 
icine and  of  the  Berrien  County  and  State 
Medical  Societies.  He  keeps  in  touch  with 
the  progress  of  the  profession  through  con- 
stant reading  and  research^  and  his  labors 
have  been  of  direct  benefit  to  his  fellowmen 
as  the  years  have  gone  by,  a  liberal  patron- 
age being  accorded  him.  He  is  likewise  in- 
terested in  various  manufacturing  enter- 
prises, some  of  which  are  located  in  Philadel- 
phia, Pennsvlvania,  and  others  in  Kala- 
mazoo, Michigan. 

Dr.  Helkie  was  married  in  Three  Oaks, 
in  1896,  to  Miss  Parla  Belle  Sheldon,  a  na- 
tive of  Kansas,  and  a  daughter  of  Rev. 
James  Blakeslee  Sheldon,  a  minister  of  the 
Presbyterian  church,  who  died  in  Kansas, 
after  which  his  widow  came  to  Michigan 
with  her  three  children.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hel- 
kie have  no  children  of  their  own  but  have 
an  adopted  son,  Donald  Lawrence.  The 
family  occupy  a  pleasant  residence,  which  is 
owned  by  Dr.  Helkie,  who  also  has  some 
good  business  property  in  town.  His  politi- 
cal support  is  given  to  the  Republican  party, 
and  as  every  true  American  citizen  should 
do,  he  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions 
and  issues  of  the  day.  He  has  the  same 
loyalty  for  the  stars  and  stripes  which  is 
manifest  by  those  who  were  born  under  the 
folds  of  the  American  banner,  and  his  in- 
terest in  community  affairs  is  deep  and  sin- 
cere, leading  to  active  co-operation  in  many 
measures  for  the  general  good.  He  is  identi- 
fied with  a  number  of  local  fraternal  orders 
and  is  also  a  consistent  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational church. 

CHARLES  CLOSE  is  numbered  among 
the  pioneers  of  Three  Oaks  and  Berrien 
county,  having  arrived  in  the  county  in  the 
fall  of  1855.  I^  ft^  years  that  have  come 
and  gone  through  judicious  investment, 
profitable  sales  and  through  untiring  indus- 


try and  enterprise  he  became  one  of  the  most 
substantial  farmers  in  all  the  county  and  is 
now  living  retired,  enjoying  at  his  pleasant 
home  in  Three  Oaks  the  fruits  of  his  former 
toil.  He  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  De- 
cember 20,  1834,  and  is  a  son  of  Peter  and 
Caroline  (Hecker)  Close,  who  spent  their 
entire  lives  upon  a  farm  in  Baden.  In  their 
family  were  four  children :  Christian, 
Charles,  Emma  and  Caroline,  but  Charles  is 
the  only  one  who  ever  came  to  America. 
Attracted  by  the  opportunities  of  the  new 
world  and  possessing  perhaps  a  more  ad- 
venturous spirit  than  the  other  members  of 
the  family,  he  sailed  for  the  United  States 
in  1854  when  a  young  man  of  nineteen.  He 
was  anxious  to  enjoy  the  opportunities  which 
he  had  heard  might  be  secured  in  the  new 
world  and  he  settled  in  Sandusky  City,  Ohio, 
where  he  engaged  in  general  labor  for  six 
months.  He  then  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
where  he  also  spent  six  months  and  later 
took  up  his  abode  in  Laporte,  Indiana, 
whence  he  afterward  came  to  Berrien  coun- 
ty, in  the  fall  of  1855.  Here  he  worked  at 
farm  labor  in  the  employ  of  others  for  a 
time,  but  when  his  diligence  and  frugality 
had  brought  him  sufficient  capital  he  made 
purchase  of  a  farm  of  his  own,  which  he 
afterward  traded  for  town  property.  He 
has  recently  sold  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres.  He  has  now  a  farm  of  two  hundred 
acres  in  Three  Oaks  township  and  at  one 
time  he  had  about  six  hundred  acres  of  valu- 
able land.  All  that  he  has  possessed  has  been 
acquired  through  his  own  efforts  and  he  is 
certainly  one  of  the  successful  self-made 
men.  He  owns  his  own  home  and  four  other 
dwellings  in  Three  Oaks  and  for  six  years 
has  resided  in  the  town,  in  the  enjoyment 
of  a  well-earned  rest.  For  a  long  period 
he  was  actively  engaged  in  general  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  placing  his  land  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  adding  to  his  prop- 
erty as  his  financial  resources  increased.  The 
income  derived  therefrom  now  enables  him 
to  live  retired,  surrounded  by  the  comforts 
and  many  of  the  luxuries  which  go  to  make 
life  worth  living. 

Mr.  Close  was  married  in  1863  to  Miss 
Caroline  Cablin,  who  was  born  in  Baden, 
Germany,  on  the  15th  of  December,   1846, 


5o6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


and  came  to  the  United  States  with  her  par- 
ents when  nine  years  of  age.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  George  and  Minnie  CabHn,  and  by  her 
marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  five  chil- 
dren:  Charles  A.,  who  is  a  teacher  in  De- 
troit Agricultural  College;  Fred,  w4io  is  liv- 
ing near  Bay  City,  Michigan;  Emma,  the 
wife  of  Ernest  Hamann^  of  Three  Oaks; 
Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Howard  Shelley,  liv- 
ing in  Michigan  City;  and  John,  who  owns 
and  operates  a  fine  barber  shop,  the  best 
in  Three  Oaks. 

Mr.  Close  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political 
views  and  has  served  on  the  village  council 
and  also  as  a  member  of  the  school  board. 
He  belongs  to  the  A.  U.  V.,  a  German  so- 
ciety. His  life  has  been  one  of  untiring 
activity,  crowned  with  success,  and  his 
record  proves  what  may  be  accomplished  by 
determination  and  earnest  purpose  in  a  land 
where  labor  is  not  hampered  by  caste  or 
class. 

WILLIAM  SHAFER,  who  spent  his 
entire  life  in  Lake  township,  was  born  on 
the  nth  of  October,  1848,  and  throughout 
the  intervening  years  was  connected  with 
agricultural  interests.  His  parents  were 
John  and  Jacobina  (Boyle)  Shafer,  natives 
of  Germany.  They  came  to  the  United 
States  with  their  two  children  about  1845 
and  made  their  way  direct  to  Lake  township, 
Berrien  county,  Michigan,  where  they  spent 
their  remaining  days.  The  father  became 
one  of  the  extensive  property  owners  of  the 
locality  and  was  worth  at  one  time  sixty 
thousand  dollars.  He  was  a  leading  and  in- 
fluential resident  of  the  community  and  be- 
longed to  that  class  of  representative  men 
who  while  promoting  individual  success  also 
advance  the  general  prosperity.  In  the  fam- 
ily were  nine  children :  Anna^  deceased ; 
John,  who  has  passed  away  and  whose  life 
record  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  volume; 
Mrs.  Katharine  Kramer,  of  St.  Joseph; 
William,  of  this  review ;  Mrs.  Ena  Reck,  of 
Lake  township;  Levi,  who  is  living  in 
Oronoko  township;  Gottlieb,  of  Oronoko 
township;  Mrs.  Mary  Feather;  and  Mrs. 
Olive  Myers,  of  Lake  township. 

William  Shafer  spent  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth  under  the  parental  roof, 


no  event  of  special  importance  occurring  up 
to  the  time  of  his  marriage^  which  was  cele- 
brated in  1873,  Miss  Emma  Hyatt  becoming 
his  wife.  She  was  born  in  Lake  township, 
October  17,  1850,  and  has  always  resided 
here.  Her  parents  were  Clayton  and  Nancy 
(Heathman)  Hyatt,  natives  of  New  York 
and  Ohio  respectively.  They  were  married 
in  the  latter  state  and  drove  from  Ohio  to 
Michigan  with  ox  teams  in  1843,  spending 
their  remaining  days  in  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try. They  had  a  family  of  nine  children : 
James  R.,  living  in  Montana;  Morris,  who 
died  in  Kansas;  Emma,  now  Mrs.  Shafer; 
Mrs.  Alice  Lemon  of  this  township;  Mrs. 
Bertha  Bellingham  of  Cass  county ;  Mrs.  Ida 
Boswell  of  Royalton,  Michigan;  Benjamin, 
who  is  living  in  Lake  township;  William  of 
Kalamazoo;  and  Mrs.  Olive  Kennicott  of 
Williamsburg,   Michigan. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage  William 
Shafer  removed  to  the  farm  upon  which  his 
widow^  now  resides,  having  sixty  acres  of 
land  on  section  13,  Lake  township.  He  also 
owned  tw^o  other  farms,  one  of  forty  acres 
on  section  22  and  a  third  of  eighty  acres  on 
section  25,  Lake  township.  His  real  estate 
also  included  two  dwellings  in  Baroda  and  a 
business  block  in  that  towm,  together  with 
four  dwellings  in  St.  Joseph.  At  the  time 
of  his  marriage,  however,  he  started  with 
only  forty  acres,  which  was  in  the  midst  of 
the  woods.  Scarcely  a  furrow  had  been 
turned  or  an  improvement  had  been  made 
upon  the  place,  but  with  characteristic  energy 
he  began  its  further  development  and  as  the 
years  passed  brought  the  farm  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  As  his  financial  re- 
sources increased  he  invested  more  and  more 
largely  in  land  and  three  years  prior  to  his 
death  he  built  the  present  fine  residence 
which  stands  upon  the  farm.  He  owed  his 
success  entirely  to  his  own  efforts  and  the 
assistance  of  his  estimable  wife.  He  followed 
general  farming,  carefully  controlling  his 
business  affairs,  and  his  watchful  manage- 
ment and  enterprise  proved  the  basis  upon 
which  he  builded  his  success.  He  was  very 
quiet  and  retiring  in  disposition,  devoted 
to  his  family  and  to  his  friends,  w^iose  com- 
panionship lie  greatly  enjoyed. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.   Shafer  were  born 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


507 


three  children,  two  sons  and  a  daughter :  Al- 
bert ].,  who  is  living  in  Lake  township;  Ida 
L.,  the  wife  of  Augustus  Nelson  of  this 
township;  and  William  B.,  who  resides  upon 
the  home  farm  wath  his  mother.  He  is  mar- 
ried and  now  has  charge  of  the  home  place. 
In  his  political  views  William  Shafer 
-was  a  stalwart  Democrat,  but  the  honors  and 
emoluments  of  office  had  no  attraction  for 
him.  He  held  membership  with  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at  Baroda. 
He  was  recognized  as  a  good  neighbor  and 
a  devoted  husband  and  father.  He  held 
high  ideals  and  was  a  man  of  moral  standing 
in  the  community.  He  lived  a  very  active 
and  useful  life  and  his  diligence  continued 
almost  up  to  the  hour  of  his  death.  He  had 
been  busy  through  the  morning  and  came 
into  dinner.  About  an  hour  later  he  passed 
away,  on  the  226.  of  December^  1902.  His 
death  was  the  occasion  of  deep  and  wide- 
spread regret,  for  all  who  knew  him  re- 
spected him,  while  those  who  came  within 
the  closer  circle  of  his  acquaintance  gave  to 
him  warm  and  enduring  friendship. 

W.  E.  MUTCHLER,  conducting  a 
market  in  Buchanan,  was  born  in  Buchanan 
township,  this  county,  on  the  26th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1876,  his  parents  being  Charles  and 
Sarah  (Behner)  Mutchler,  in  whose  family 
of  eight  children  he  was  the  fifth  in  order 
of  birth.  His  father,  a  native  of  Ohio,  gave 
his  attention  to  farming  upon  his  removal 
from  the  Buckeye  state  to  Michigan,  his 
home  being  in  Buchanan  township,  where 
he  secured  and  operated  a  good  tract  of 
land. 

W.  E.  Mutchler  was  reared  upon  the  old 
homestead  farm,  no  event  of  special  im- 
portance occurring  to  vary  the  routine  of 
such  a  life  for  him  in  his  boyhood  days. 
His  attention  was  given  to  the  labors  of  the 
fields,  his  early  education  w^as  acquired  in 
the  district  schools  and  he  continued  his 
studies  in  the  high  school  at  Buchanan. 
When  not  busy  with  his  text-books  he 
worked  in  the  fields  and  followed  farming 
until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  came 
to  the  city,  living  with  Dr.  Henderson  for 
some  time.  He  was  employed  in  the  axle 
works   for  about  five  years^  being  a  con- 


tractor in  making  a  part  of  the  machinery. 
In  1902  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  butch- 
ering business  and  is  now  conducting  a  first 
class  market,  wherein  he  has  secured  a  lib- 
eral trade.  He  carries  a  good  line  of  meats 
and  puts  forth  earnest  effort  to  please  his 
patrons. 

On  the  nth  of  June,  1898,  Mr.  Mutch- 
ler was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Allison,  a 
daughter  of  Miss  Elizabeth  Allison,  of 
Buchanan.  Unto  them  has  been  born  one 
child,  Cecil  Marguerite.  Mr.  Mutchler  is  a 
Democrat  in  his  political  views  but  is  without 
aspiration  for  office,  preferring  to  devote  his 
time  and  energies  to  business  afTairs,  which 
are  being  capably  conducted  and  are  bring- 
ing him  a  desirable  and  merited  measure  of 
success.  He  has  always  lived  in  Berrien 
county  and  is  a  typical  son  of  Michigan. 

FRANK  L.  FULKERSON,  residing 
on  section  14,  Niles  township,  filling  the 
position  of  township  treasurer,  is  a  na- 
tive of  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana.  He 
was  born  October  26,  1859,  his  parents 
being  Lewis  and  Mary  A.  (Stringer) 
Fulkerson.  The  father,  a  native  of  New 
York,  became  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  and  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  farming  in  order 
to  provide  for  his  family.  He  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  His  wife,  a 
native  of  Ohio,  was  a  young  girl  at  the  time 
of  her  parents'  removal  to  Indiana.  She 
lived  to  the  age  of  sixty-five  years  and  be- 
came the  mother  of  nine  children,  four 
daughters  and  five  sons,  one  of  whom  died 
in  infancy,  while  the  others  reached  adult 
age. 

Frank  L.  Fulkerson  was  the  fifth  child 
and  third  son  of  the  family  and  was  reared 
and  educated  in  St.  Joseph  county,  his  boy- 
hood days  being  passed  in  Clay  township, 
where  he  attended  the  district  schools.  Sub- 
sequently he  became  a  student  in  Notre 
Dame  College.  Following  the  completion 
of  his  education  he  worked  in  a  factory  un- 
til about  thirteen  years  ago,  when  he  turned 
his  attention  to  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits and  has  since  carried  on  farming.  He 
now  owns  seventy-eight  acres  of  land  on 
section  14,  Niles  township,  having  taken  up 


5o8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


his  abode  here  in  1893.  Everything  about 
his  place  is  well  improved  and  he  is  largely 
engaged  in  the  growing  of  fruit,  having 
thoroughly  acquainted  himself  with  the  best 
methods  of  producing  fruit  in  this  locality, 
so  that  his  labors  are  attended  with  excel- 
lent results. 

On  the  1 6th  of  June,  1881,  Mr.  Fulker- 
son  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ida  A. 
Weaver,  a  daughter  of  Adam  and  Mary 
(Rockhill)  Weaver,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  Ohio.  They  settled  in  Indiana  in 
1859,  becoming  residents  of  St.  Joseph 
county.  Mrs.  Fulkerson  was  born  in 
Springfield,  Clark  county,  Ohio,  August  31, 
1859,  and  was  only  six  weeks  old  at  the 
time  of  the  parents'  removal  to  Indiana. 
She  was  reared  in  South  Bend  and  acquired 
her  education  in  the  public  schools.  Follow- 
ing their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fulkerson 
resided  in  South  Bend  for  about  fourteen 
years  and  then  came  to  Berrien  county  in 
1893,  since  which  time  they  have  remained 
at  their  present  home.  They  have  reared 
one  son,  Oren  A. 

Since  coming  to  Berrien  county  Mr. 
Fulkerson  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
affairs  relating  to  the  welfare  and  upbuild- 
ing of  the  community.  He  is  identified  with 
the  Democracy  and  has  held  a  number  of 
local  offices.  He  has  served  as  school  direc- 
tor and  in  1905  and  again  in  1906  was 
elected  township  treasurer,  so  that  he  is  the 
present  incumbent  in  the  position.  He  is 
well  known  in  the  county,  taking  an  active 
and  helpful  interest  in  those  things  which 
promote  good  citizenship  and  uphold  the 
legal  and  political  status  of  the  community. 
Diligence  is  one  of  his  salient  characteristics 
and  has  been  the  basic  element  to  his 
success. 

ELLIS  S.  ROE,  president  of  a  hard- 
ware mercantile  firm,  of  Buchanan,  is  a  na- 
tive son  of  this  city,  born  February  3,  1864, 
and  his  life  is  another  illustration  of  the  fact 
that  success  depends  upon  a  thorough  un- 
derstanding and  mastery  of  a  certain  line 
of  business  and  close  application  and  that 
quality  which  in  modern  parlance  is  known 
as  commercial  sense.  He  has  made  a  cred- 
itable record  in  the  business  of  the  com- 


munity and  belongs  to  that  class  upon  whom 
general   progress   depends. 

Eli  Roe,  the  grandfather  of  Ellis  S.  Roe, 
was  a  native  of  Ohio^  whence  he  removed  to 
St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  where  occurred 
the  birth  of  Eli  J.  Roe,  whose  native  place 
was  about  five  miles  north  of  South  Bend. 
The  latter  became  a  successful,  all  around 
business  man  and  manufacturer,  who  owned 
and  operated  at  one  time  seven  sawmills. 
He  cut  all  of  the  trees  and  timber  used  in  the 
construction  of  the  first  ten  miles  of  the  St. 
Joseph  Valley  Railroad.  A  pioneer  of  Mich- 
igan, he  came  to  what  is  now  Buchanan  in 
1854  and  located  sawmills  in  the  midst  of 
the  forest  and  became  one  of  the  first  repre- 
sentatives of  the  lumber  trade  in  this  part 
of  the  country.  He  was  one  of  the  prominent 
promoters  and  upbuilders  of  Berrien  county 
and  continued  in  active  life  to  the  benefit 
of  his  personal  interests  and  the  general 
community  as  well,  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1894,  when  he  was 
sixty-two  years  of  age.  He  married  Miss 
Susan  Witter,  a  native  of  St.  Joseph  county, 
Indiana,  and  now  a  resident  of  Buchanan. 
The  wedding  was  celebrated  in  1855,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  three  daughters 
an(5  five  sons,  all  of  whom  are  living  at  this 
writing,  the  eldest  being  fifty  years  of  age 
and  the  youngest  twenty-five  years,  Ellis 
S.,  however,  being  the  fourth  child  and  third 
son. 

In  the  city  of  his  nativity  Ellis  S.  Roe 
was  reared  and  began  his  education,  which 
was  supplemented  by  study  in  Northern  Indi- 
ana Normal  School^  at  Valparaiso,  being 
graduated  from  the  business  department  in 
the  class  of  1883.  In  the  same  year  he  be- 
came connected  with  his  father  in  the  lum- 
ber trade  and  so  continued  for  a  year  at 
Buchanan.  In  fact  he  was  associated  with 
lumbering  interests  from  early  youth,  hav- 
ing begun  work  in  the  mill  when  only  twelve 
years  of  age  and  he  ran  an  engine  when  only 
ten  years  old.  He  also  worked  on  a  farm 
in  Buchanan  township  in  early  life  and  his 
youth  was  largely  a  period  of  untiring  activ- 
ity and  industry.  The  hardware  company, 
of  which  he  is  now  the  president,  was  es- 
tablished in  1884,  and  in  1885  he  was  given 
an  interest  in  the  business.     He  had  charge 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


509 


of  the  undertaking  from  the  beginning, 
which  for  a  time  was  conducted  under  the 
name  of  Roe  Brothers  until  1891.  In  that 
year  there  was  a  partnership  formed  by  Mr. 
Roe  and  H.  F.  Kingery,  which  relation  was 
terminated  in  1893,  Mr.  Roe  purchasing  his 
partner's  interest.  Since  that  time  he  has 
been  sole  proprietor  and  in  the  interim  the 
business  has  been  doubled  in  both  the  amount 
of  stock  carried  and  in  sales.  He  has  to 
some  extent  changed  the  line  of  his  opera- 
tions, having  ceased  to  deal  in  farm  imple- 
ments and  added  a  stock  of  horse  goods  and 
plumbing.  He  has  enjoyed  for  many  years 
a  large  and  growing  trade  and  the  enterprise 
is  one  of  the  leading  business  concerns  of 
the  county. 

On  the  2d  of  November,  1887,  Mr.  Roe 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  May  Tich- 
enor,  a  daughter  of  George  and  Anna 
(Blake)  Tichenor.  Two  children  grace  this 
union,   Fred   T.   and   Mildred. 

Mr.  Roe  is  a  stanch  Republican,  thor- 
oughly conversant  with  the  issues  and  ques- 
tions of  the  day  and  with  the  policy  and 
purposes  of  the  party.  He  is  a  Mason,  who 
has  attained  the  Knight  Templar  degree  and 
he  is  connected  with  the  Eastern  Star,  the 
Woodmen,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks  and  the  Knights  of  the  Macca- 
bees. He  is  a  prominent  factor  in  all  enter- 
prises and  interests  with  which  he  is  asso- 
ciated. His  is  a  natural  discrimination  as 
to  business  affairs  and  interests  relating  to 
the  general  development,  and,  well  fitted  for 
leadership,  he  has  left  and  is  leaving  the 
impress  of  his  individuality  upon  the  public 
good. 

D.  L.  BOARDMAN.  The  growth  and 
upbuilding  of  any  community  depends  upon 
its  industrial  and  commercial  interests  and 
thus  they  who  are  the  real  founders  and 
upbuilders  of  a  city  are  the  leading  and  ener- 
getic business  men.  To  this  class  in  Buch- 
anan Mr.  Boardman  is  assigned  by  the  con- 
sensus of  public  opinion.  He  is  engaged  in 
dealing  in  dry  goods  and  carpets  and  is  en- 
joying a  profitable  trade. 

A  native  of  Cattaraugus  county,  New 
York,  he  was  born  March  15,  1864.  His 
father,   Lorin   Boardman,  was  a  native  of 


Vermont,  a  son  of  Tirnothy  Boardman,  who 
was  born  in  England.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Olive  Bur- 
bank,  and  was  also  a  native  of  the  Green 
Mountain  state.  In  the  family  were  five 
children,  three  of  whom  reached  years  of 
maturity. 

D.  L.  Boardman,  the  youngest  of  the 
family,  was  reared  in  the  place  of  his  nativity 
and  supplemented  his  early  educational  priv- 
ileges, afforded  by  the  common  schools,  by 
study  in  Chamberlain  Institute,  at  Ran- 
dolph^ New  York.  He  taught  school  for 
four  years  and  then  entered  upon  his  busi- 
ness career  in  the  capacity  of  a  clerk  in  a 
large  store  at  Three  Oaks,  Michigan.  This 
was  in  1889,  and  he  served  there  for  about 
two  years,  when,  in  1891,  he  opened  his 
present  business  at  Buchanan  in  partnership 
with  Louis  Wehrle  as  a  dealer  in  dry  goods 
and  carpets.  This  relation  was  maintained 
for  five  years,  on  the  expiration  of  which 
period  Mr.  Buchanan  bought  out  his  part- 
ner's interest  and  afterward  conducted  the 
business  alone.  In  1902,  however,  he  sold 
his  commercial  interests  in  Buchanan  and 
went  to  the  west,  locating  in  Wyoming, 
where  he  engaged  in  dealing  in  hardware  and 
mining  supplies.  He  remained  only  a  year, 
however,  after  which  he  returned  to  Buch- 
anan, although  he  still  has  an  interest  in 
the  Wyoming  business.  Upon  his  return 
to  this  city  he  purchased  the  store  of  which 
he  had  formerly  been  proprietor  and  which 
he  is  now  successfully  conducting,  having 
a  large  trade.  He  carries  an  extensive  and 
well  selected  line  of  goods  for  a  town  of  this 
size  and  his  reliable  business  methods  and 
earnest  desire  to  please  his  customers  have 
secured  him  a  large  and  growing  patronage. 

In  1 89 1  Mr.  Boardman  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Kate  Sherrill,  a  daughter 
of  C.  C.  Sherrill,  of  Brandon,  Florida.  Mr. 
Boardman  has  been  a  resident  of  Buchanan 
for  fifteen  years  and  is  the  oldest  dry  goods 
merchant  in  town.  In  politics  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat and  has  taken  an  active-  interest  in  the 
work  of  the  party.  He  served  as  township 
treasurer  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  town 
council.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  the  Modern  Woodmen  Camp  and 
to     the     Presbyterian    church — ^associations 


Sio 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


which  indicate  much  of  the  character  of  the 
man  and  the  upright  principles  which 
permeate  his  Hfe  and  estabhsh  his  conduct. 

WASHINGTON  A.  SMITH,  who  was 
a  resident  of  Benton  township  and  a  notable 
figure  here,  possessing  marked  traits  of  char- 
acter, was  for  a  considerable  period  one  of 
the  successful  fruit  growers  of  the  county. 
He  read  broadly,  thought  deeply  and  formed 
an  individual  opinion  of  all  that  he  studied. 
He  was  a  disciple  of  nature,  enjoying  its 
every  phase  and  with  great  appreciation  of  its 
beauty.  Having  read  the  Bible  extensively 
he  was  not  sectarian  but  accepted  the  golden 
rule  as  a  guide  for  life. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Bedford,  Penn- 
sylvania, February  8,  1824,  his  parents  being 
Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (Putnam)  Smith,  who 
were  natives  of  Maryland.  When  their  son 
was  nine  years  of  age  they  removed  from 
Pennsylvania  to  Columbiana  county,  Ohio, 
and  Mr.  Smith  acquired  his  education  in 
Oberlin,  Ohio.  Taking  up  the  study  of  law, 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  old  Indian 
Council  House  at  Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio, 
and  entered  upon  active  practice,  remaining 
a  member  of  the  bar  at  Bryan,  Ohio,  for 
thirteen  years.  In  the  meantime  he  had 
heard  so  much  of  Michigan  that  he  de- 
termined to  live  in  this  state  and  his  health 
finally  decided  him  to  remove  to  this  state 
in  order  to  secure  a  change  of  climate  and 
he  purchased  a  farm,  which  at  that  time  had 
but  ten  acres.  He  built  his  house  a  year 
before  removing  his  wife  to  this  county  and 
located  on  Lake  Michigan.  It  was  the  house 
which  he  occupied  up  to  the  time  of  his  death 
but  he  added  to  it  and  improved  it  until  it 
became  one  of  the  best  farm  residences  in 
the  county,  commanding  a  fine  view  of  Lake 
Michigan. 

Mr.  Smith  was  married  on  the  ist  of 
July,  1859,  in  Amberg,  Michigan,  to  Miss 
Theresa  Mary  Holzer,  who  was  born  in 
Augsburg,  Bavaria,  on  the  9th  of  March, 
1842.  They  removed  from  Bryan,  Williams 
county,  Ohio,  to  Michigan,  in  1862,  and  set- 
tled on  a  farm  about  three  miles  north  of 
Benton  Harbor.  Here  Mr.  Smith  engaged 
in  business  as  a  commercial  grower  of  fruit 
and  became  well  known  as  a  leading  horti- 


culturist and  a  worker  in  various  horticul- 
tural societies.  On  his  arrival  he  set  out 
peach  trees  and  other  fruits.  Fifty  acres 
of  his  farm  bordered  the  lake  and  his 
orchards  were  thus  rendered  free  from  frost. 
He  delighted  in  his  farm,  finding  great 
pleasure  in  its  cultivation  and  improvement 
and  became  a  close  student  of  fruit  and  its 
possibilities  in  this  portion  of  the  country. 
He  w^as  one  of  the  best  educated  men  of 
Berrien  county.  He  possessed  keen  in- 
tellectuality and  an  analytical  mind,  was  well 
versed  in  law  and  became  equally  en- 
thusiastic as  a  student  of  horticultural  sub- 
jects. He  delighted  in  nature  in  its  various 
phases  and  his  life  after  coming  to  Michigan 
w^as  amid  his  flowers,  his  plants  and  his 
orchards.  From  the  budding  springtime  un- 
til the  late  autumn  he  took  the  greatest  de- 
light in  everything  that  grew  and  there  was 
in  his  nature  the  kindly  element  and  ap- 
preciation that  are  ever  cultivated  in  those 
who  live  near  to  nature's  heart. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  were  born 
four  children :  Edwin  A.^  who  is  now  living 
in  South  Dakota;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Frank 
Burdick,  of  Sodus  township;  Fanny  B.,  at 
home;  and  Karl  A.,  who  married  Lucy  El- 
mer, of  Vermont,  and  conducts  the  home 
farm. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Smith  was  a 
stalwart  Republican  until  1872,  when  he 
became  a  Democrat.  He  was  an  enthusiastic 
anti-slavery  man  prior  to  and  during  the 
period  of  the  Civil  war:  He  frequently  at- 
tended the  conventions  of  his  party  and  was 
a  candidate  for  the  legislature  at  the  time  of 
Cleveland's  election  but  suffered  defeat.  He 
was  very  active  as  a  stump  speaker  up  to 
that  time  and  was  strong  and  forceful  in 
argument  and  logical  in  his  deductions.  He 
always  held  the  attention  of  his  hearers  and 
many  times  brought  conviction  to  their 
minds.  He  was  active  as  a  member  of  the 
Grange  and  the  County  Agricultural  Society. 
He  held  membership  with  no  church  nor  fra- 
ternity but  was  a  close  student  of  the  Bible. 
In  later  life  he  announced  the  golden  rule 
as  his  faith.  He  enjoyed  an  argument  on 
religion  or  politics  and  was  always  able  to 
present  his  side  of  the  question  with  clear- 
ness and  force.     He  liked,  too,  a  game  of 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTRY 


51J 


chess,  checkers,  or  cards  but  particularly  the 
first  mentioned,  deh'ghting  in  the  skill  which 
it  called  forth.  His  reading  was  largely 
historical,  scientific  and  solid  nature.  He 
read  the  New  York  Tribune  for  many  years, 
or  until  after  Horace  Greeley's  campaign  and 
death,  and  subsequently  he  became  a  sub- 
scriber to  the  Chicago  Times.  He  gauged 
men  according  to  what  they  read.  He  was 
himself  a  constant  reader,  his  reading  cover- 
ing a  wide  range  and  he  was  particularly 
familiar  with  the  plays  of  Shakespeare.  His 
wife,  too,  had  enjoyed  good  educational  ad- 
vantages in  her  girlhood  days  but  was  mar- 
ried in  early  life,  being  but  seventeen  at  the 
time  she  gave  her  hand  to  Mr.  Smith.  For 
four  years  prior  to  his  death  Mr.  Smith  was 
an  invalid  but  retained  his  mental  faculties 
to  the  last,  passing  away  February  10,  1903. 
He  was  buried  in  Crystal  Springs,  where 
a  simple  but  handsome  block  of  marble  marks 
his  last  resting  place.  He  never  believed 
in  show,  his  life  being  entirely  free  from 
ostentation  and  his  many  good  qualities  won 
him  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  with  whom 
he  was  associated. 

GENERAL  LYMAN  M.  WARD,  liv- 
ing on  a  small  farm  near  Benton  Harbor, 
is  numbered  among  the  honored  residents  of 
Berrien  county.  His  life  record  began  in 
Cattaraugus  county,  New  York,  October  5, 
1836.  His  father,  Rev.  Abel  C.  Ward,  was 
a  son  of  John  Ward  and  both  were  natives 
of  Connecticut.  Rev.  Abel  C.  Ward  was  a 
Congregational  minister  and  died  in  Fond 
du  Lac,  Wisconsin,  in  1869.  His  wife,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Esther  Dibble,  was 
born  in  Massachusetts  and  die  at  Oshkosh, 
Wisconsin,  in  1893.  I^^  their  family  were 
six  children. 

General  Ward,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  was  reared  in  Genesee  county, 
New  York,  until  fifteen  years  of  age  and  later 
attended  the  high  school  and  the  academy 
at  Fond  du  Lac.  He  read  law  but  put  aside 
his  law  books  in  order  to  respond  to  the  coun- 
try's need,  enlisting  at  Lincoln's  first  call 
for  three  months'  troops  and  becoming  a 
member  of  Company  I,  First  Wisconsin  In- 
fantry. On  the  expiration  of  that  term  he 
re-enlisted   as   a   member   of   Company   A, 


Fourteenth  Wisconsin  Infantry,  which  regi- 
ment was  sent  to  the  Army  of  the  Ten- 
nessee. In  1862  he  was  made  a  major  of  his 
regiment  and  was  promoted  to  lieutenant 
colonel  and  eventually  was  commissioned 
colonel  of  the  Fourteenth  Wisconsin.  He 
commanded  a  brigade  for  two  years  and  was 
brevetted  brigadier  general.  Throughout 
the  entire  period  of  his  active  service  he  was 
with  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  and  his  pro- 
motions are  indications  of  his  splendid  mili- 
tary cjualities  and  his  unfaltering  loyalty 
to  the  cause  which  he  espoused.  The  history 
of  the  Fourteenth  Wisconsin  is  the  history 
of  his  army  service  and  included  participa- 
tion in  many  important  battles  and  move- 
ments. 

The  3^ear  1866  witnessed  the  arrival  of 
General  Ward  in  Benton  Harbor  and  he  has 
been  a  prominent  and  influential  factor  in 
public  life  here.  In  1879  and  1880  he  repre- 
sented his  district  in  the  state  legislature, 
having  been  elected  on  the  Republican  ticket. 
He  gave  careful  consideration  to  each  ques- 
tion which  came,  up  for  settlement  and  was 
connected  w-ith  much  important  legislation 
that  was  enacted  during  that  period.  He  was 
appointed  by  President  Harrison  to  the  posi- 
tion of  postmaster  of  Benton  Harbor  and 
his  continuation  in  the  office  extended  over 
five  years.  Five  years  ago  he  located  on 
his  present  farm  just  north  of  Benton  Har- 
bor, which  he  had  previously  purchased.  He 
had  occupied  it  before  and  he  now  makes 
his  home  thereon,  devoting  his  time  and 
energies  to  fruit  growing.  His  place  com- 
prises seventeen  acres  and  he  raises  excellent 
crops  of  peaches  and  other  fruits.  Six  years 
ago  the  place  netted  him  thirty-two  hundred 
dollars.  The  winter  previous  the  fruit  in 
other  parts  of  the  county  w^ere  killed  by  the 
severe  w^eather,  but  General  Ward's  trees 
escaped  and  he  was  able  to  sell  his  fruit  at 
high  prices,  that  being  the  banner  year  in 
his  net  profits.  He  is  also  a  breeder  of  ducks 
and  Ancona  chickens,  Mrs.  Ward  being  a 
fancier  of  fine  chickens. 

On  the  13th  of  June,  1880,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  General  Ward  and 
Miss  Nellie  T.  Child,  of  Benton  Harbor,  who 
was  a  native  of  New  York.  She  is  very 
enthusiastic  over  the  raising  of  chickens  and 


512 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


has  done  excellent  work  in  this,  direction. 
General  Ward  is  now  living  retired  from 
former  activities,  occupying  his  attractive 
little  farm  a  mile  north  of  the  city.  His 
life  has  been  one  of  enterprise  and  industry 
and  of  prominence  and  influence.  He  has 
been  the  leading  factor  in  many  movements 
relating  to  the  general  welfare  and  has  dis- 
played the  same  loyal  and  public-spirited 
citizenship  which  he  manifested  when  on 
southern  battle  fields  he  defended  the  old 
flag.  *  He  is  still  a  man  of  soldierly  bearing 
and  yet  keeps  well  informed  on  the  ques- 
tions of  public  moment,  standing  for 
progress  and  improvement  in  matters  of 
local  interest  as  well  as  those  pertaining  to 
the  national  welfare. 

GEORGE  WRIGHT,  now  deceased, 
was  a  worthy  pioneer  settler  of  Berrien  coun- 
ty, who  for  a  long  period  was  a  representa- 
tive of  its  horticultural  interests,  a  leading 
source  of  income  here.  He  was  born  in  Clay- 
ton, Jefferson  county,  New  York,  August 
ID,  1832,  his  parents  being  Daniel  and  Mary 
Ann  (Wilder)  Wright,  both  of  whom  were 
also  natives  of  Jefferson  county.  The  son 
remained  in  Clayton  until  seventeen  years 
of  age,  when,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of 
gold  in  California,  he  went  to  the  Pacific 
coast  in  company  with  others,  making  his 
way  to  the  mines,  and  for  three  years  he 
was  engaged  in  prospecting  with  fair  suc- 
cess. The  Australian  gold  excitement  drew 
him  to  that  country,  where  he  spent  three 
years.  He  camped  out,  doing  his  own  cook- 
ing and  in  his  search  for  the  precious  metal 
he  met  with  a  fair  measure  of  success.  He 
then  returned  to  his  old  home  in  New  York. 
His  mother  had  died  when  he  was  but  six 
years  of  age  and  he  had  been  reared  by  a 
step-mother.  He  could  get  a  letter  but  once 
a  year,  owing  to  the  few  vessels  which  made 
the  trip  between  the  United  States  and  the 
Australian  ports.  His  father^  supposing  him 
dead,  not  having  heard  from  him  in  such 
a  long  time,  sold  his  property  in  New  York 
and  came  to  Michigan.  The  Wilder  family 
was  already  in  Michigan,  Mr.  Wright's 
grandfather,  Simpson  Wilder,  having  lo- 
cated in  Millburg,  Berrien  county,  among 
the  first  pioneers  of  this  section  of  the  state. 


so  when  Daniel  Wright,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, sold  his  property  in  the  east  he  also 
came  to  Michigan.  A  daughter,  Caroline,, 
had  also  come  and  lived  with  her  grand- 
father. She  was  engaged  in  teaching  here 
in  pioneer  times  and  she  later  married  Nel- 
son Newlan,  late  of  Benton  Harbor.  Her 
son  is  William  Newlan,  the  well  known  real 
estate  dealer  of  Benton  Harbor. 

When  George  Wright  was  on  his  way 
to  Michigan  after  visiting  his  old  home  in 
New  York  he  read  in  the  Niles  paper  of  his 
father's  death,  reaching  Millburg  a  few  days 
after  his  father  had  been  laid  to  rest.  After 
looking  about  the  country  to  some  extent 
Mr.  Wright  purchased  the  farm  which  is 
still  in  possession  of  his  family.  After  ar- 
riving here,  however,  he  devoted  some  time 
to  teaching.  He  had  devoted  his  leisure  and 
evening  hours  to  study  in  his  little  cabin 
while  engaged  in  mining  and  had  thus  ac- 
quired a  good  knowledge  which  qualified 
him  for  educational  work.  He  taught  school 
in  the  Pearl  district  and  also  at  Spinks  Cor- 
ners, and  his  sister  Caroline,  who  were  the 
only  two  surviving  members  of  the  family, 
lived  upon  his  farm  and  both  were  early 
school  teachers  of  the  county,  aiding  in  the 
intellectual  development  of  this  section  of 
the  state  in  pioneer  times.  During  the 
Pike's  Peak  excitement  in  1859,  ^I^-  Wright 
joined  a  company  going  from  Berrien  county 
to  Colorado.  They  made  their  way  to  St. 
Joseph,  Missouri,  and  were  there  preparing 
to  start  across  the  plains,  but  some  of  the 
company  became  ill  and  others  discouraged 
and  they  turned  back,  all  except  Mr.  Wright, 
who  secured  a  school  in  Missouri.  The  next 
year  he  went  on  foot  across  the  plains  with 
a  pack  on  his  back  to  Pike's  Peak.  Even- 
tually he  reached  Denver  and  thence  pro- 
ceeded southward  to  the  gold  digging,  but 
he  failed  to  find  a  prospect  that  suited  him, 
so  he  w^orked  by  the  day  in  the  mines  at 
Central  City,  Colorado.  He  was  absent 
from  Michigan  for  about  six  years,  during 
which  time  he  received  good  returns  for  his 
labor  in  the  west. 

In  the  spring  of  1864,  Mr.  Wright  re- 
turned to  Berrien  county.  In  the  meantime 
his  sister,  Caroline,  had  married  and  on  the 
27th  of  November,  1864,  Mr.  Wright  was 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


513 


married  in  Millburg  to  Miss  Eliza  J.  Hess 
of  that  place  and  a  daughter  of  George  W. 
Hess,  who  is  mentioned  on  another  page  of 
this  work  in  connection  with  the  sketch  of 
Juan  Hess.  The  young  people  had  been 
acquainted  before  Mr.  Wright  went  to 
Colorado  and  they  became  engaged  through 
correspondence  during  his  absence.  Mr. 
Wright  had  by  this  time  twenty  acres  of  land 
cleared  and  planted  to  fruit  and  had  already 
built  a  plank  house  upon  his  place.  He  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school  at  Pearl,  through 
the  next  winter  living  upon  his  own  farm 
after  which  he  devoted  his  undivided  at- 
tention to  clearing,  cultivating  and  improv- 
ing his  eighty  acres  of  land.  Finally  he 
placed  it  all  under  cultivation  and  he  kept 
setting  out  fruit  trees  until  he  had  thirty 
acres  devoted  to  peaches  and  apples.  Later 
he  replaced  his  apple  orchards  with  peaches, 
having  thirty  acres  in  peaches,  for  which  he 
obtained  high  prices  on  the  market  and  thus 
made  considerable  money.  He  was  thus  en- 
gaged extensively  and  successfully  in  the 
cultivation  of  that  fruit  until  1872-3,  when 
his  orchards  were  destroyed  by  the  yellows. 
Several  years  passed  and  as  soon  as  he  saw 
that  peaches  could  be  again  grown  profit- 
ably he  set  out  forty  acres  to  that  fruit  and 
continued  raising  peaches  until  they  became 
his  staple  crop.  His  returns  were  good  and 
for  3^ears  he  was  also  an  extensive  melon 
grower,  in  w^hich  branch  of  his  business 
satisfactory  results  were  obtained.  His  life 
was  devoted  to  his  farm  and  the  improve- 
ment of  his  place  and  he  became  well  known 
as  one  of  the  leading  horticulturists  of  his 
part  of  the  coimty.  His  residence  is  situated 
four  miles  from  the  postoffice  in  Benton  Har- 
bor on  Brittain  avenue  and  five  miles  from 
Lake  Michigan.  The  elevation  is  such  that  a 
fine  view  is  gained  of  St.  Joseph  and  Benton 
Harbor  and  the  interesting  country  which 
surrounds  them.  They  can  also  see  the  lake 
vessels  coming  and  going  and  the  place  has 
been  appropriately  named  Grand  View,  for 
it  commands  a  splendid  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding country  with  its  orchards,  vine- 
yards and  cultivated  fields.  In  1887  he 
erected  the  present  large  residence  that 
stands  upon  the  farm.    It  is  a  brick  dwelling. 


containing  fourteen  rooms  and  is  one  of  the 
best  country  homes  in  the  county. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wright  were  born 
four  daughters.  Georgiana,  who  was  form- 
erly a  teacher,  is  now  the  wife  of  Charles 
Canfield,  who  lives  upon  a  farm  adjoining 
the  old  homestead  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren, Harold  and  Alice.  Mary  L.  and  Alta- 
vine  are  at  home.  Winefred  is  principal  of 
the  Lincoln  school  in  St.  Joseph.  Mrs. 
Wright  and  her  daughters  still  reside  upon 
the  farm  and  are  making  a  success  of  the 
business.  Mrs.  Wright  began  teaching  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  years  and  followed  that 
profession  each  year  until  her  marriage, 
making  in  all  fifteen  terms  in  Berrien  coun- 
ty, having  charge  of  schools  in  Benton  and 
Bainbridge  townships.  Her  parents  had 
twelve  children,  of  whom  ten  were  teachers, 
all  in  Berrien  county.  Her  mother  was  also 
a  teacher  before  her  marriage,  so  that  the 
family  have  done  an  important  work  in  pro- 
moting the  educational  interests  of  this  part 
of  the  state. 

Mr.  Wright  died  March  15,  1905,  after 
an  illness  of  four  years,  though  all  through 
that  period  he  superintended  his  business  in- 
terests. His  remains  were  interred  in  Mill- 
burg cemetery.  He  was  identified  with  no 
church  nor  fraternity,  but  was  a  good  Bible 
student  and  contributed  to  the  support  of 
and  attended  the  services  of  various 
churches.  He  had  been  reared  in  the  strict 
Baptist  faith  but  was  liberal  in  his  views. 
His  early  political  allegiance  was  given  to 
the  Democracy,  but  during  the  winter  which 
he  spent  in  Missouri  he  became  a  champion 
of  the  Republican  party  and  continued  one 
of  its  supporters  until  his  death.  He  took 
an  active  interest  in  educational  questions, 
served  as  school  inspector  and  did  all  in  his 
power  to  advance  the  cause  of  education  in 
the  county.  He  was  familiar  with  the  his- 
tory of  Berrien  county  from  pioneer  times 
and  did  much  to  promote  its  improvement  at 
an  early  day.  As  the  years  passed  by  he 
kept  in  touch  with  the  progress  made  in  fruit 
culture  and  was  long  acknowledged  one  of 
the  leading  horticulturists  of  his  community, 
who  not  only  thoroughly  understood  the  best 
methods  of  raising  fruit  but  at  the  same  time 


2>3 


514 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


managed  the  financial  part  of  his  business 
so  as  to  gain  a  comfortable  competence  and 
leave  to  his  family  an  excellent  property. 

CLAUS  H.  SCHULTZ,  has  been 
a  leader  in  the  German  settlement 
at  New  Buffalo,  Berrien  county,  and 
his  influence  has  been  felt  as  a  moving 
factor  in  business  life  and  political  inter- 
ests, his  entire  career  being  characterized 
by  an  allegiance  to  those  principles  which 
everywhere  command  respect  and  confidence. 
He  was  born  in  Holstein,  Germany,  on 
the  29th  of  September,  1842,  a  son  of  Glaus 
Henry  and  Mary  (White)  Schultz,  also 
natives  of  Germany.  The  mother  died  when 
her  son  Glaus  was  only  four  years  of  age 
and  the  father  married  again  before  coming 
to  the  United  States.  There  were  two  sons 
and  three  daughters  of  the  first  marriage 
but  no  children  were  born  to  the  sec- 
ond union.  The  members  of  the  family 
were:  Detlof,  who  served  in  the  Ninth  In- 
diana Infantry  for  the  first  three  months  of 
the  war  and  was  disabled,  his  death  oc- 
curring later  in  Indiana;  Johanna,  who  re- 
sides at  Rolling  Prairie,  Indiana;  Sophia, 
the  wife  of  Ghristopher  Freeze  also  of 
Rolling  Prairie,  who  was  a  soldier  of  the 
Civil  war,  serving  in  the  same  company  with 
the  subject  of  this  review;  Glaus  H. ;  and 
Lena,  the  wife  of  John  Rickert,  who  makes 
his  home  in  Laporte,  Indiana. 

Glaus  H.  Schultz  spent  the  first  seven 
years  of  his  life  in  his  native  country  and 
then  came  to  the  United  States  with  his 
father  in  1849  ^"  ^he  sailing  vessel  Anna 
Mary,  which  was  nine  weeks  and  four  days 
in  making  the  voyage  from  Hamburg  to 
New  York.  The  family  located  at  Buffalo, 
New  York,  where  they  remained  for  three 
years  and  thence  came  to  New  Buffalo, 
Berrien  county,  Michigan,  about  1852. 
Here  Mr.  Schultz  of  this  review  has  re- 
sided since,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
years.  He  acquired  his  education  in  the 
common  schools,  after  which  he  turned  his 
attention  to  farming,  following  that  pur- 
suit in  the  midst  of  a  district  covered  with 
stumps,  for  this  had  been  a  timber  tract 
and  the  trees  had  been  cut  down  in  order 
that  the  farmer  might  plant  his  grain  and 


cultivate  his  crops.  When  eighteen  years 
of  age  Mr.  Schultz  learned  the  trade  of 
blacksmithing  at  Laporte,  Indiana,  and  fol- 
lowed it  continuously  until  1862,  when  he 
enlisted  for  service  in  the  Union  army,  en- 
rolling his  name  at  Laporte  on  the  4th  of 
August,  1862,  as  a  member  of  Gompany  B, 
Seventy-third  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry. 
He  served  under  Golonel  Hathaway  and 
Gaptain  G.  G.  Gladwin.  He  was  engaged 
in  the  battles  at  Lexington,  Kentucky,  Ren- 
ville, Kentucky,  Gumberland  Gap,  Stone 
River,  Murfreesboro,  and  was  wounded  by 
grape  shot,  resulting  in  the  fracture  of 
three  ribs  on  the  left  side.  On  account  of 
his  injuries  he  was  in  the  hospital  at  Nash- 
ville for  seven  months,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  his  regiment,  but  he  was  not  able 
to  carry  his  equipment.  He  had  the  closest 
calls  not  in  battle  but  in  skirmishes,  at  Lar- 
kinsville,  Alabama,  on  the  14th  of  April, 
1865,  and  in  a  big  skirmish  on  the  24th  of 
the  same  month  when  seven  Union  men 
were  attacked  by  eighty  rebels  and  it  was 
with  difficulty  that  Mr.  Schultz  and  his  com- 
panions managed  to  extricate  themselves 
from  the  dangerous  position  in  which  they 
had  been  placed.  He  served  for  three 
years  as  a  loyal  and  able  defender  of  the 
Union  cause  and  was  then  honorably  dis- 
charged at  Nashville  and  mustered  out  at 
Indianapolis,  Indiana,  in  July,  1865. 

Mr.  Schultz  returned  home  with  a  most 
creditable  military  record  and  for  a  year 
thereafter  engaged  in  farming.  He  then 
went  to  Laporte,  Indiana,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed as  a  clerk  in  a  confectionery  store. 
Subsequently  he  bought  a  grocery  store, 
which  he  conducted  for  three  or  four  years 
and  about  that  time  he  was  married  and 
returned  to  Michigan,  where  he  began  farm- 
ing, giving  his  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits for  four  years.  He  was  then  obliged 
to  abandon  that  business  on  account  of  the 
difficulty  which  he  experienced  on  account 
of  the  wounds  that  he  had  sustained  in 
battle. 

Taking  up  his  abode  in  New  Buffalo,  Mr. 
Schultz  here  began  the  manufacture  of  or- 
namental rustic  work  for  floral  purposes. 
He  also  grew  and  raised  wild  grasses  and 
imported  flowers  and  grasses.  He  continued 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


515 


in  the  business  for  twenty-four  years  on  an 
extensive  scale,  his  products  being  sold  in 
all  of  the  states  of  the  Union.  He  sold  to 
the  wholesale  trade  and  in  job  lots,  having 
a  good  patronage  in  Chicago  and  other 
large  cities.  He  employed  from  ten  to  fif- 
teen men  and  carried  on  a  profitable  busi- 
ness, being  a  leading  representative  of  the 
industrial  and  commercial  interests  of  his 
town. 

Since  retiring  from  the  trade  Mr. 
Schultz  has  filled  a  number  of  local  posi- 
tions of  honor  and  trust.  His  political  sup- 
port has  always  been  given  to  the  Repub- 
lican party,  and  he  has  filled  nearly  all  of 
the  township  offices.  He  was  justice  of  the 
peace  for  twenty-eight  consecutive  years 
and  his  decisions  were  strictly  fair  and  im- 
partial, winning  him  high  commendation. 
He  served  as  supervisor  of  his  township  in 
1883  and  1884  and  again  in  1904  and  1905. 
He  has  been  township  derk  and  treasurer 
for  a  number  of  terms  and  the  confidence 
reposed  in  him  has  been  well  placed,  as  is 
proven  by  the  capable,  prompt  and  reliable 
manner  in  which  he  has  discharged  his 
duties.  In  April,  1868,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Claus  H.  Schultz  and  Miss 
Anna  M.  Hoick,  who  was  born  in  Holstein, 
Germany,  October  8,  1843,  ^^^  in  1865 
came  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents, 
John  and  Anna  Hoick.  The  children  of  this 
marriage  are:  Carl  J.  Schultz,  who  is  now 
filling  the  position  of  county  treasurer  and 
makes  his  home  in  St.  Joseph;  Mary,  the 
wife  of  W.  W.  Dickinson,  of  Salt  Lake 
City,  Utah,  who  is  purchasing  agent  for 
the  Michigan  Central  and  New  York  Cen- 
tral railroad  lines;  Henry  D.,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  insurance  business  at  Los  An- 
geles, California,  and  is  a  graduate  of  Kala- 
mazoo College,  having  thus  prepared  for  the 
Baptist  ministry ;  Emma  C,  who  is  a  gradu- 
ate of  music  and  is  now  teaching  piano  in 
Oak  Park,  Illinois.  All  of  the  sons  have 
had  college  educations  and  have  thus  been 
well  equipped  for  life's  practical  and  re- 
sponsible duties. 

Mr.  Schultz  was  at  one  time  owner  of 
ninety  acres  # f  land  and  also  had  several 
farms,  but  sold  them.  He  now  has  about 
thirteen   acres   planted   largely  to  peaches. 


and  in  addition  he  owns  village  property, 
including  residences  and  public  buildings. 
His  interest  in  community  affairs  is  deep 
and  sincere  and  has  been  manifest  by  active 
co-operation  in  many  movements  for  the 
general  good.  He  served  as  president  ot 
the  village  for  a  number  of  years  until  he 
declined  to  longer  accept  the  ofiice  and  dur- 
ing his  incumbency  he  gave  a  public-spir- 
ited administration,  doing  all  in  his  power 
to  promote  the  general  welfare.  He  belongs 
to  St.  John's  Evangelical  Lutheran  church, 
and  has  been  both  president  and  secretary 
of  the  congregation,  filling  the  former  posi- 
tion since  1873.  He  was  at  one  time  a 
member  of  Minor  Pratt  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and 
was  its  first  commander.  The  post  has 
ceased  to  exist  owing  to  the  few  members 
in  this  part  of  the  county.  Since  1867  he 
has  been  identified  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  he  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  No.  231,  at  New 
Buffalo).  His  name  is  closely  associated 
with  the  material  progress  and  political  ad- 
vancement of  the  community  and  an  investi- 
gation into  his  life  History  shows  many 
elements  that  are  worthy  of  emulation.  He 
has  ever  had  due  regard  for  high  and  honor- 
able principles  and  he  awakens  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  his  fellowmen  by  his 
allegiance  thereto.  Lie  is  a  man  of  influence 
among  the  German-American  citizens  and 
belongs  to  that  class  of  the  sons  of  the 
fatherland  who  have  proven  a  valued  acqui- 
sition to  the  citizenship  of  the  new  world. 

EDSON  BUSHNELL  JEWETT  is  one 
of  the  leading  fruit  farmers  of  Benton  coun- 
ty, living  near  Benton  Harbor.  He  owns 
the  ''Grand  View"  farm  comprising  forty- 
nine  acres  and  bordering  the  Paw  Paw  river 
and  also  has  another  farm  of  thirteen  acres 
on  the  lake  shore  devoted  to  fruit,  making 
a  specialty  of  apples,  peaches  and  plums. 
Jn  his  horticultural  pursuits  he  has  met  wath 
gratifying  measure  of  success  and  his  in- 
dividual labors  have  resulted  in  making  him 
a  substantial  citizen  of  his  adopted  county. 
Mr.  Jewett  is  a  native  of  New  England, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Weybridge, 
Vermont,  June  11,  1837.  He  was  there 
reared  upon  a  farm  near  the  ancestral  home 


5i6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


of  the  family,  for  he  is  descended  from  some 
of  the  first  settlers  of  Weybridge.  His  pa- 
ternal grandfather,  Colonel  Thomas  Jewett, 
lived  in  the  Green  Mountain  state  in  colonial 
days  and  accepted  the  sword  of  Colonel 
Baum  at  the  surrender  of  the  British  at  the 
battle  of  Bennington.  The  family  has  been 
prominent  in  public  life  for  many  years. 
One  of  the  number^  Judge  Charles  Jewett, 
was  late  judge  of  the  circuit  court  over  which 
Judge  Coolidge  now  presides  and  was  an 
uncle  of  E.  B.  Jewett  of  this  review.  An- 
other member  of  the  family  is  John  G.  Saxe, 
the  poet,  a  son  of  the  only  sister  of  Philo 
Jewett,  the  father  of  our  subject.  Philo 
Jewett  became  one  of  the  extensive  and 
prosperous  farmers  of  Weybridge,  as  was  his 
father.  Colonel  Thomas  Jewett,  and  uncles  of 
our  subject  were  also  closely,  actively  and 
successfully  connected  with  agricultural  pur- 
suits there.  Solomon  Jewett,  one  of  the 
uncles,  was  an  importer  of  fine  sheep,  while 
Samuel  Jewett,  a  brother  of  our  subject,  was 
an  extensive  breeder  of  high  grade  sheep 
at  Independence,  Missouri. 

Edson  Bushnell  Jewett  was  reared  to 
farm  life,  early  becoming  familiar  with  the 
duties  of  cultivating  the  soil  and  caring  for 
the  stock.  He  acquired  a  public  school  edu- 
cation and  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years 
was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Gillette,  of 
Bridgeport,  Vermont,  a  daughter  of  Reuben 
Gillette,  a  farmer  and  sheep  breeder,  who 
was  not  only  well  known  as  a  successful 
business  man  but  also  as  a  public  officer  in 
Bridgeport.  He  was  the  son  of  Reuben 
Gillette,  who  captured  a  sword  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary war  which  is  now  in  possession  of 
Mrs.  Jewett.  He  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  church  in  Bridgeport,  locating  there 
on  its  first  settlement.  He  went  to  Vermont 
from  Massachusetts,  while  his  wife  was  from 
Connecticut  and  was  a  daughter  of  Lord 
Talbot  of  England.  Mrs.  Jewett  is  the  only 
survivor  of  her  father's  family.  She  was 
the  youngest  of  six  children,  all  of  whom 
reached  mature  years  but  all  have  now 
passed  away.  Mrs.  Jewett  engaged  in  teach- 
ing school  for  a  time  prior  to  her  marriage. 
Following  the  wedding  Mr.  Jewett  began 
farming  on  the  old  Gillette  homestead,  for 
his  father-in-law  died  a  short  time  prior  to 


the   marriage  and   his   mother-in-law   soon 
afterward.    He  continued  to  conduct  the  old 
Gillette  farm  of  two  hundred  acres  at  Bridge- 
port,   Vermont,    for   several   years,   but    in 
1876   came   to   Michigan   and   took  up   his 
abode  on  a  farm  near  Benton  Harbor.     He 
as  well  as  his  father  had  loaned  money  on 
farms  in  Michigan  and  had  thus  come  into 
possession   of  the  property.      Mr.   Jewett's 
uncle,  Judge  Jewett,  induced  them  to  come 
to  the  west  and  live  upon  one  of  the  farms, 
which  they  had  secured  under  the  mortgage. 
This  first  farm  was  situated  along  the  lake 
shore  and  Mr.  Jewett  retained  his  residence 
thereon  until  the  spring  of  1894,  after  which 
he  lived  for  three  years  in  Benton  Harbor, 
when  he  secured  his  present  farm,  just  north 
of  the  city  and   adjoining  the  corporation 
limits.    It  comprises  forty-nine  acres  of  land 
and  is  known  by  the  name  of  Grand  View. 
It  borders  the  Paw  Paw  river  and  is  im- 
proved with  a   large  and   substantial   resi- 
dence, good  barns  and  other  modern  equip- 
ments.    It  is  the  old  Dr.  Winans  property 
and  is  one  of  the  valuable  tracts  of  land  in 
the  vicinity  of  Benton  Harbor.     In  addition 
to  this  Mr.  Jewett  owns  a  tract  of  thirteen 
acres  on  the  lake  shore.     His  farm  is  de- 
voted to  horticultural  pursuits,  his  specialty 
being  apples,  peaches  and  plums  and  from 
an  orchard  of  four  and  a  half  acres  in  1905 
he    sold    nearly    nine    hundred    bushels    of 
peaches  and  has  in  other  years  produced  as 
much.     The  fruit  industry  has  proven  quite 
satisfactory  as  a  source  of  income  and  in 
addition   to  his  horticultural   interests  Mr. 
Jewett  is  engaged  in  keeping  cows  and  other 
stock.     He  sets  out  trees  from  time  to  time 
so  as  to  keep  his  orchards  in  excellent  con- 
dition and  his  time  and  energies  are  devoted 
to  the  farm,  for  he  finds  this  a  congenial 
pursuit  as  well  as  a  good  source  of  income. 
Unto  Mr.  and   Mrs.   Jewett  have  been 
born  two  daughters.    Eliza  Sophronia  is  the 
wife  of  Charles  Wing,  of  Bridgeport,  Ver- 
mont, who  now  owns  the  old  Gillette  farm 
and  is  there  engaged  in  the  dairy  business. 
They  have  two  sons  and  a  daughter.     Lucy 
H.   is  the  wife  of  George  H.   Burwell,   a 
cement  manufacturer  of  Lansing,  Michigan. 
His  father,  Henry  C.  Burwell,  deceased,  was 
from  Bridgeport,  Vermont,  and  was  a  notedl 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


517 


and  extensive  importer  of  French  and 
Austrian  Merino  sheep.  He  was  widely 
known  all  over  the  United  States  in  this 
connection  and  won  more  prizes  and  honors 
as  a  breeder  of  fine  sheep  than  any  other 
importer  in  the  country.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bur- 
well  have  three  daughters. 

Mrs.  Jewett  is  a  granddaughter  of  a 
Revolutionary  officer  who  served  for  five 
years  in  the  struggle  for  independence  and 
the  daughter  of  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  181 2, 
her  father  having  participated  in  the  battle 
of  Plattsburg.  Both  received  pensions  from 
the  government.  Mrs.  Jewett  is  therefore 
entitled  to  membership  in  the  Daughters  of 
the  American  Revolution  but  has  not  con- 
nected herself  with  the  organization. 

In  his  political  views  Mr,  Jewett  is  a 
Republican,  stanch  and  earnest  in  support 
of  the  party  since  casting  his  first  presidential 
l3allot  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  but  he  has  never 
sought  or  desired  political  preferment  as  a 
reward  for  party  fealty.  Throughout  his  en- 
tire life  he  has  been  connected  with  agri- 
cultural and  horticultural  interests  and  mani- 
fests excellent  business  capacity  in  the  man- 
agement of  his  farms. 

JOHN  C.  LAWRENCE,  living  in  Ben- 
ton township,  Berrien  county,  his  home  be- 
ing on  the  Territorial  road  about  two  miles 
east  of  Benton  Harbor,  was  born  in  War- 
ren county,  Ohio,  August  24,  1843.  I^ 
1857  he-  was  brought  to  this  county  by  his 
parents,  Daniel  and  Jane  (Crawford) 
Lawrence.  The  father  was  born  in  Canada 
and  was  of  English  parentage.  Crossing 
the  border  into  the  United  States,  he  be- 
came a  resident  of  Cincinnati  and  was  mar- 
ried in  Ohio  to  Miss  Jane  Craw^ford,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  Warren  county,  that  state, 
her  people  having  lived  in  Ohio  from  an 
•early  day.  Her  father  was  of  English  line- 
age, while  her  mother  was  from  Ireland. 
Daniel  Lawrence  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade 
and  later  learned  and  followed  the  shoemak- 
er's trade.  Subsequently  he  turned  his  at- 
tention to  farming  and  in  1857,  on  coming 
ing  to  Michigan,  he  purchased  the  present 
home  of  John  C.  Lawrence  on  the  Territorial 
road  near  Benton  Harbor.  The  land  was 
only  partially   cleared   and   upon  the  place 


w^as  a  frame  house  but  few  other  improve- 
ments. He  paid  sixteen  hundred  dollars  for 
eighty  acres.  With  characteristic  energy  he 
began  the  further  development  and '  culti- 
vation of  the  farm  and  lived  in  the  original 
home  until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the 
6th  of  August,  1887,  when  he  had  reached 
the  age  of  eighty-two  years,  eleven  months 
and  sixteen  days.  His  wife  had  passed 
away  March  17,  1886,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
five  years,  one  month  and  seventeen  days. 
In  his  political  views  Mr.  Lawrence  was  a 
Democrat  and  kept  well  informed  on  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  In  the 
family  were  four  sons  and  four  daughters, 
seven  of  whom  reached  years  of  maturity, 
while  two  sons  and  two  daughters  are  yet 
living,  but  only  two  of  the  number  are  now 
residents  of  Berrien  county,  namely :  John 
C,  of  this  review;  and  his  sister,  Juditha 
the  wife  of  John  Osborn,  of  Sodus  town- 
ship. Of  the  others  Samuel  died  in  North 
Dakota;  Margaret  became  the  wife  of 
James  Silver  and  died  in  Benton  Harbor; 
William,  whose  whole  life  was  spent  upon 
the  home  farm  in  Benton  township,  there 
died  April  8,  1905,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
nine  years;  Robert  is  a  practicing  physician 
at  Hartford,  Michigan,  and  for  some  years 
was  a  teacher.  Hadassah  is  the  wife  of 
John  G.  Withey,  a  fruit  grower  of  Santa 
Clara  county,  California. 

John  C.  Lawrence  came  to  Michigan 
when  a  youth  of  fourteen  years.  When  a 
boy  he  was  shot  in  the  right  hand,  causing 
him  the  loss  of  the  member.  His  early  edu- 
cation was  acquired  in  the  public  schools 
and  he  attended  the  district  schools  ot  St. 
Joseph,  later  continued  his  studies  in  South 
Bend,  Indiana,  and  also  studied  in  the 
Northern  Indiana  College,  pursuing  a 
normal  course.  When  nineteen  years  of  age 
he  began  teaching,  receiving  a  first  grade 
certificate.  He  first  had  charge  of  the  school 
in  his  home  district.  He  taught  altogether 
for  twenty-four  consecutive  years  and  with 
the  exception  of  three  terms  spent  the  en- 
tire time  in  Benton  township,  while  all  of 
his  teaching  was  done  in  Berrien  county. 
He  taught  in  Benton  Harbor  in  1868  at  a 
time  when  there  were  but  two  teachers 
in  the  schools  there,  the  assistant  being  Miss 


5i8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Alma  Bowman.  At  length  Mr.  Lawrence 
was  elected  commissioner  of  schools  and  in 
that  capacity  had  to  visit  each  school  in  the 
county  twice  a  year  to  settle  school  diffi- 
culties when  the  township  inspectors  failed 
to  do  so.  He  received  a  salary  as  commis- 
sioner of  twelve  hundred  dollars  per  year 
and  that  service  closed  his  connection  with 
the  schools.  While  acting  in  that  capacity 
he  held  teachers'  institutes  each  summer. 
He  retired  from  office  in  1900  and  in  1901 
was  elected  township  supervisor  after  previ- 
ous service  in  the  office,  making  his  incumb- 
ency on  the  board  of  supervisors  cover  a 
period  of  eleven  years.  He  has  also  served 
for  two  years  as  township  treasurer  and  thus 
has  been  long  connected  with  the  official 
service.  In  1891  the  law  was  changed, 
whereby  the  county  school  commissioner 
was  appointed  by  the  board  of  supervisors 
and  Mr.  Lawrence  received  the  appoint- 
ment. He  acted  as  a  member  of  the  board  of 
of  supervisors  nine  years  in  Benton  town- 
ship, when  he  resigned  and  for  two  years 
filled  the  position  of  commisioner.  In  that 
capacity  he  had  two  assistant  examiners  and 
conducted  all  the  examinations  whereby  the 
teachers  were  licensed  to  enter  the  profes- 
sion. Through  all  these  years  Mr.  Law- 
rence resided  at  the  old  home  where  he  still 
resides.  He  served  as  a  member  of  the 
county  board  of  school  examiners  from  1882 
until  1 89 1,  at  which  time  there  were  three 
members  of  the  board,  his  associates  being 
C.  B.  Groat  and  Henry  C.  Crosby,  the 
former  of  Berrien  township  and  the  latter 
of  New  Buffalo.  These  gentlemen  were 
members  of  the  board  as  long  as  it  existed 
and  all  licenses  to  teach  were  issued  by  the 
board. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Lawrence  is 
a  stalwart  Republican,  attends  the  conven- 
tions of  his  party  and  takes  an  active  inter- 
est in  its  work.  He  has  been  carrying  on 
the  work  of  the  home  farm,  he  and  his 
brother  William  being  the  owners  of  the 
property  and  at  the  latter' s  death  he  became 
his  heir.  They  were  partners  all  their  life 
and  with  the  exception  of  three  months  al- 
ways lived  together.  Mr.  Lawrence  is  now 
engaged  in  fruit  growing,  having  fourteen 
acres  planted  to  fruit.     His  cousin,  Jeanette 


Greeley,  has  acted  as  his  housekeeper  for 
ten  years.  Mr.  Lawrence  belongs  to  Ben- 
ton Lodge,  No.  132,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  he 
has  served  as  secretary,  and  he  is  also  con- 
nected wath  the  Rebekah  degree  of  that 
order.  His  interest  in  the  schools  and  his 
labors  in  their  behalf  have  been  effective 
and  far  reaching  and  he  has  long  been  rec- 
ognized as  a  stalwart  champion  of  the  cause 
of  education.  In  his  fruit  raising  interests 
he  is  well  known  and  is  meeting  with  very 
gratifying  success  in  this  work. 

H.  L.  GERSONDE  resides  at  his  home 
on  Jakway  avenue  in  Fair  Plain,  which  is 
one  of  the  most  attractive  residences  in  that 
part  of  the  county.  He  has  been  the  owner 
of  his  present  fine  farm  since  1882  and  is 
here  engaged  extensively  in  raising  fruit, 
devoting  his  attention  to  grapes,  pears,  ap- 
ples, cherries  and  berries.  His  orchards  are 
in  excellent  condition  and  everything  about 
his  place  indicates  his  careful  supervision  and 
his  thorough  understanding  of  the  business. 

Mr.  Gersonde  is  a  native  of  Prussia, 
where  his  birth  occurred  on  the  6th  of  April, 
1845.  A  fact  of  which  due  recognition  is 
not  usually  accorded  in  connection  with  the 
agricultural  and  horticultural  history  of  the 
state  is  that  its  development  in  this  direction 
is  in  so  large  a  measure  due  to  those  who 
have  had  their  nativity  in  or  trace  their 
lineage  to  the  great  empire  of  Germany. 
Among  those  who  left  the  fatherland  to 
identify  themselves  with  American  life  and 
institutions,  w^ho  have  pushed  their  way  to 
the  front  and  who  are  a  credit  alike  to  the 
land  of  their  birth  and  that  of  their  adoption 
is  Mr.  Gersonde.  After  spending  the  first 
twenty-five  years  of  his  life  in  his  native 
country  he  came  to  the  United  States  in  the 
spring  of  1870.  He  had  acquired  his  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  Germany  and  had 
served  an  apprenticeship  to  the  wagonmak- 
er's  trade  in  early  life.  He  served  for  three 
years,  or  from  1865  until  1868,  as  a  soldier 
in  the  regular  army  during  the  Austro- 
Prussian  war  and  participated  in  the  most 
important  engagement  of  that — the  battle  of 
Koennig-Graetz.  It  was  this  engagement 
which  decided  the  result  of  the  war.  Dur- 
ing his  service  Mr.  Gersonde  was  connected 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


519 


with  the  infantry  and  after  retiring  from 
military  Hfe  he  worked  at  his  trade  of  wagon 
making  for  about  two  years.  In  the  mean- 
time he  had  friends  who  had  come  to  Amer- 
ica and  were  Hving  in  St.  Joseph,  Michigan, 
so  that  when  he  determined  to  seek  a  home 
and  fortune  in  the  new  world  he  made  his 
way  direct  from  the  Atlantic  seaboard  to 
the  western  shore  of  this  state  and  has  since 
been  connected  with  Berrien  county.  Twelve 
years  later  his  sister  came  to  the  county  and 
her  last  days  were  spent  here.  She  was  the 
wife  of  Martin  Kasischke.  A  brother, 
Henry,  came  to  the  United  States  in  1892, 
but  after  eight  years  returned  to  Germany. 

Herman  L.  Gersonde,  after  reaching 
America,  was  employed  for  two  years  at 
farm  labor  near  St.  Joseph,  after  which  he 
began  work  a't  the  wagon  making  trade, 
which  he  followed  in  St.  Joseph,  in  Niles  and 
in  Benton  Harbor  from  1871  until  1879  and 
during  two  years  of  that  time  he  was  en- 
gaged in  business  on  his  own  account.  In 
the  latter  year  he  disposed  of  his  business 
connections  in  Berrien  county  and  went  to 
Kansas.  He  purchased  land  in  Ellsworth 
county,  upon  which  not  a  furrow  had  been 
turned  or  an  improvement  made.  Soon, 
however,  he  began  to  break  the  prairie  sod 
and  built  thereon  a  house,  but  he  lost  his 
crops  through  the  chinch  bugs.  This  oc- 
curred for  two  years,  so  that  he  naturally  be- 
came discouraged  and,  believing  that  he 
might  enjoy  better  opportunities  at  his  old 
home  in  Michigan,  he  again  came  to  Ber- 
rien county. 

Resuming  work  at  his  trade,  Mr.  Ger- 
sonde  followed  wagon  making  from  1880 
until  1882,  when  with  the  money  he  had 
saved  from  his  labors  he  purchased  his  pres- 
ent farm  in  Fair  Plain.  A  part  of  this  had 
been  owned  by  Mr.  Heath  and  the  remainder 
was  purchased  from  Elmer  Jakway.  He 
has  here  twenty-seven  acres  of  land,  on 
which  he  has  erected  a  good  home  and  barn. 
He  has  twenty-four  acres  in  fruit,  ten  acres 
being  planted  to  peaches  and  five  acres  to 
grapes.  He  raises  a  variety  of  pears,  apples, 
cherries  and  berries  and  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful as  a  horticulturist.  In  1905  he  sold 
seventeen  hundred  bushels  of  peaches  and 
six   thousand   baskets   of   grapes    from   his 


place.  He  has  been  quite  successful  in  his 
undertakings,  all  of  which  has  resulted  from 
untiring  labor  and  enterprise.  He  had  to 
clear  some  of  his  land,  which  lies  along  the 
bluff  of  the  St.  Joseph  river.  The  house 
stands  on  Jakway  avenue  in  Fair  Plain  and 
his  home  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  vicinity. 
In  the  winter  of  1901  his  house  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  It  had  just  been  rebuilt  and 
remodeled  and  everything  was  in  fine  shape. 
The  loss  amounted  to  twelve  hundred  dol- 
lars above  all  insurance.  With  characteristic 
energy  he  rebuilt  and  the  present  house  cost 
three  thousand  dollars.  His  son  was  liv- 
ing in  the  house  at  the  time  and  did  not  save 
even  a  pair  of  shoes.  The  farm  is  one  of 
the  best  developed  fruit  farms  in  the  locality 
and  he  grows  entirely  for  the  market.  His 
orchards  are  in  excellent  condition,  being 
clean  and  neat  in  appearance  and  the  fruit 
produced  upon  the  farm  commands  excel- 
lent prices  because  of  its  size  and  quality. 
Mr.  Gersonde  makes  it  his  aim  to  purchase 
only  the  finest  nursery  stock  and  produce 
fine  qualities  of  fruit  and  has  made  a  close 
study  of  the  needs  of  the  trees  as  to  soil, 
climate  and  nourishment. 

In  1873,  i^  Benton  Harbor,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  H.  L.  Gersonde  and 
Miss  Albertina  Bauschke,  a  daughter  of  Carl 
Bauschke,  a  representative  farmer  of  Benton 
township,  who  came  to  the  United  States  at 
the  age  of  fifteen  years.  Mrs.  Gersonde  rep- 
resents the  Bauschke  family  and  is  a  cousin 
of  the  Bauschke  Brothers,  Albert  and  Lewis, 
of  Benton  Harbor.  Her  parents  were  also 
from  Prussia  and  her  father  was  a  black- 
smith by  trade,  but  after  coming  to  Berrien 
county  purchased  a  farm  in  Benton  town- 
ship lying  on  Pipestone  street  about  two 
miles  south  of  Benton  Harbor.  His  atten- 
tion was  there  afterward  given  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits  and  the  family  has  long  been 
prominent  in  the  county  and  the  name  well 
known  here.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gersonde 
have  been  born  three  children  who  are  yet 
living  and  they  lost  one  in  infancy.  Their 
daughter  Nellie  is  now  the  wife  of  Frank 
Gustafson,  a  contractor  and  builder  of  St. 
Joseph.  Benjamin  is  a  musician  who  is  now 
studying  music  in  Boston.  He  was  formerly 
a  member  of  the  Fair  Plain  band  and  is  a 


^20 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


fine  clarinet  player.  Bertha,  the  youngest  of 
"the  family,  is  a  stenographer  employed  in 
Benton  Harbor. 

Mr.  Gersonde  is  a  Republican  in  his 
political  views  but  without  aspiration  for  of- 
fice, preferring  to  give  his  time  and  energies 
to  his  business  interests.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  German  Baptist  church  at  St.  Joseph 
and  served  for  twenty-one  consecutive  years 
as  church  secretary  and  for  fifteen  or  six- 
teen years  as  trustee.  He  takes  an  active 
interest  in  church  work  and  does  all  in  his 
power  to  promote  its  growth  and  advance  its 
welfare.  He  has  met  with  some  hardships 
and  difficulties  since  coming  to  America,  but 
altogether  has  had  a  successful  career  and 
although  he  was  in  limited  financial  circum- 
stances when  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  he  is 
today  one  of  the  substantial  fruit  growers 
of  the  county  with  a  business  that  provides 
him  with  manv  of  the  comforts  and  luxuries 
of  life. 

J.  E.  STEVENS  is  a  retired  merchant, 
vessel  owner  and  lumberman  of  Berrien 
county.  For  many  years  he  conducted  the 
most  extensive  business  of  any  man  in  Ber- 
rien county  and  his  realty  possessions  were 
greater.  Through  his  individual  efforts  he 
contributed  in  large  and  substantial  measure 
to  the  progress  and  prosperity  of  the  county. 
Following  the  advent  of  the  early  pioneers 
who  blazed  the  way  of  civilization  there  came 
a  type  of  the  builder  and  organizer,  the  man 
of  genius  who,  finding  the  magic  realm 
opened,  forthwith  became  its  exploiter  to  its 
vast  renown  and  his  own  large  profit,  coin- 
ing its  wealth  of  minerals,  lumber,  cattle 
and  grain.  It  is  to  this  class  that  Mr. 
Stevens  belongs,  as  for  many  years  he  was 
ranked  with  its  most  prominent  business 
men.  He  is  now  living  retired  upon  a  good 
farm  on  the  Paw  Paw  river  three  miles  from 
Benton  Harbor. 

A  native  of  New  York,  he  was  born  in 
Brownsville,  Jefferson  county,  on  the  26th  of 
July,  1823.  His  father,  Oliver  Stevens,  was 
born  in  Canada  and  died  when  his  son  James 
was  only  six  years  of  age.  He  was  living 
in  Canada  at  the  time  of  the  war  of  1812 
and  was  warned  to  appear  armed  and 
equipped  ready  for  duty  against  the  United 


States.  Instead  he  and  a  companion  cut 
logs,  made  an  outfit  and  reached  the  Amer- 
ican shore  just  ahead  of  their  pursuers.  They 
went  to  Brownsville,  New  York,  where  Mr. 
Stevens  entered  the  employ  of  General  Cal- 
vin Brittain,  who  with  the  rank  of  general 
was  serving  in  the  American  army  in  the 
second  war  with  England,  being  stationed  at 
Sacketts  Harbor.  Mr.  Stevens  began  work- 
ing as  a  farm  hand  for  General  Brittain 
and  later  married  the  general's  daughter, 
Miss  Sarah  Brittain.  The  Brittain  family 
afterward  became  prominent  and  influential 
in  Berrien  county  and  Brittain  avenue  in 
Benton  Harbor  was  so  named  in  honor  of 
Major  Calvin  Brittain,  who  was  one  of  the 
principal  owners  of  the  town  of  St.  Joseph, 
which  as  a  surveyor  he  platted.  He  had 
come  to  Michigan  about  1835  and  taken  up 
his  abode  in  St.  Joseph,  from  which  point 
he  operated  extensively  in  business  affairs. 
He  located  much  land  in  the  county  and  be- 
came a  wealthy  man.  Moreover  he  was  very 
active  and  influential  in  public  life,  exerting 
strong  influence  in  public  thought  and 
opinion.  He  was  called  to  represent  his  dis- 
trict in  the  legislature  and  was  also  sent  to 
congress,  taking  an  active  part  in  the  deliber- 
ations which  occurred  in  the  council  cham- 
bers of  the  nation  during  his  term  of  serv- 
ice. Esteemed  by  all,  he  honored  the  state 
which  honored  him  and  he  accomplished 
much  good  in  behalf  of  his  community  and 
the  commonwealth  at  large.  For  many  years 
he  remained  a  resident  of  Berrien  county, 
his  death  occurring  at  his  home  in  Benton 
Harbor  at  the  end  of  Brittain  avenue.  For 
many  years  he  was  engaged  in  buying  and 
shipping  wood  to  Chicago  and  was  for  a 
long  period  the  most  prominent  representa- 
tive of  this  line  of  business.  He  had  lost 
much  of  his  property,  however,  at  the  time 
of  his  death  owing  to  a  kindly  spirit  which 
had  prompted  him  to  accommodate  others  in 
a  financial  way  through  the  signing  of 
papers.  He  was  about  sixty-two  or  sixty- 
three  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  demise 
and  his  remains  were  interred  in  St.  Jo- 
seph. His  father,  General  Brittain,  also  died 
in  this  county,  passing  away  when  about 
eighty  years  of  age.  Up  to  the  last  he  re- 
tained a  military  aspect,  showing  his  early 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


521 


connection  with  the  army  and  at  all  times 
he  commanded  the  esteem  and  confidence  of 
those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 

Oliver  Stevens,  father  of  our  subject,  re- 
mained upon  the  home  farm  near  Browns- 
ville, New  York,  for  some  time  and 
there  developed  a  good  property,  working 
earnestly  and  persistently  in  the  effort  to 
transform  his  land  into  productive  fields.  In 
fact  his  untiring  energy  at  length  under- 
mined his  liealth.  He  reared  a  family  of 
six  children,  but  J.  E.  Stevens  of  this  re- 
view was  the  only  one  who  reached  mature 
years  and  is  now  living.  Two  of  his  broth- 
ers, Oliver  and  Calvin  Stevens,  also  spent 
a  few  years  in  Berrien  county  at  an  early 
day.  In  1852,  however,  Mr.  Stevens  of  this 
review  sent  his  brother  Calvin  to  California, 
where  he  was  later  killed  by  a  runaway 
team.  Oliver  Stevens  engaged  in  clerking 
for  his  brother,  J.  E.  Stevens,  in  St.  Joseph 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1864. 

J.  E.  Stevens  remained  upon  the  old 
home  farm  in  New  York  until  1842,  when 
he  came  to  the  west  and  began  working  for 
Major  Calvin  Brittain  in  a  warehouse  on  the 
river,  dealing  in  grain  which  came  from 
points  as  far  away  as  Kalamazoo,  Cassopolis 
and  other  towns  in  that  section  of  the  state. 
At  that  time  Wheeler  and  Porter  also  had  a 
warehouse.  Mr.  Stevens  would  ship  grain 
to  the  Buffalo  market  and  became  quite  an 
extensive  dealer  in  that  commodity.  He  con- 
tinued in  the  warehouse  from  July  until  Sep- 
tember, receiving  grain,  salt  and  other 
products.  On  the  2d  of  September,  1842, 
while  loading  the  brig  Indiana  with  flour 
from  the  third  story  he  would  fasten  hooks 
onto  the  barrels  and  thus  swing  them  onto 
the  boat,  but  an  accident  occurred  whereby 
he  fell  to  the  deck  of  the  vessel  and  broke 
his  right  knee.  For  seven  weeks  he  lay  in 
bed  unable  to  move.  He  spent  the  succeed- 
ing winter  at  Niles  with  an  aunt,  Clarissa 
Brittain,  the  major's  sister,  who  was  con- 
ducting the  Niles  Female  Seminary.  He 
afterward  returned  to  St.  Joseph  in  April, 
1843,  making  this  trip  on  a  sleigh.  During 
the  winter  he  clerked  for  Major  Brittain  and 
then  became  ill  with  fever,  which  ended  his 
work  for  several  months.  During  the  suc- 
ceeding winter  he  worked  for  his  board  in 


a  drug  store  and  in  the  spring  of  1844  he 
purchased  a  stock  of  goods  on  one  year's 
time  without  paying  a  cent  down.  He  was 
entirely  unfamiliar  with  merchandising  but 
his  determined  spirit  and  resolute  will  en- 
abled him  to  engage  in  this  line  of  business. 
As  opportunity  offered  he  increased  his 
stock.  He  had  no  credit  and  at  that  time 
there  were  no  wholesale  stores  in  Chicago. 
He  went  to  Chicago  to  buy  goods.  He  had 
no  money,  but  after  questioning  one  of  the 
partners  he  was  allowed  to  have  goods  to 
the  value  of  two  or  three  hundred  dollars, 
an  agreement  being  made  as  to  when  he 
should  pay  for  the  same.  Finally  he  went 
to  New  York  without  even  a  recommenda- 
tion. He  wanted  groceries  and  the  first 
wholesale  house  which  he  entered  sold  him 
the  bill  of  goods  that  he  desired  on  credit 
and  its  proprietor  took  him  to  a  boot  and 
shoe  house,  introduced  him  to  the  owner  and 
vouched  for  him.  He  got  what  he  wanted 
there  and  afterward  went  to  a  dry  goods 
house.  He  found  no  difficulty  in  securing  all 
the  goods  he  desired,  for  he  was  a  man  who 
inspired  confidence  and  never  betrayed  it. 
Soon  he  had  secured  a  first  class  stock  and 
he  met  the  payments  on  time.  He  kept  in- 
creasing his  stock  and  soon  New  York  mer- 
chants offered  him  six  months  credit,  while 
Boston  merchants  offered  him  eight  months 
credit  or  a  year.  Eastern  men  in  going  to 
Chicago  would  make  the  journey  by  way  of 
St.  Joseph  and  visit  him  at  this  point.  He 
was  induced  by  a  Boston  merchant-  to  buy 
in  that  city  and  he  continued  in  the  general 
mercantile  business  for  several  years  with 
excellent  success.  In  1846,  however,  he  sold 
out  his  old  stock  and  purchased  a  large  stock 
of  whiskey  at  twenty  cents  per  gallon  which 
was  delivered  at  St.  Joseph.  He  then  char- 
tered a  vessel,  loaded  it  with  whiskey,  beans, 
crackers  and  other  commodities  and  made 
his  way  to  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  where  he  ex- 
pected to  get  one  dollar  per  gallon  for  the 
whiskey,  but  found  that  he  could  not  sell  it 
at  all.  Later  he  sold  it  by  taking  county 
orders  but  this  venture  proved  unprofitable. 
Mr.  Stevens  afterward  engaged  in  clerk- 
ing for  John  E.  Sullivan  in  St.  Joseph,  and 
later  George  Scott  &  Company,  having  just 
bought  a  stock  of  dry  goods,  sold  him  the 


522 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


entire  stock  at  cost.  Thus  he  once  more 
became  connected  with  merchandising  in 
Berrien  county.  Various  dealers  in  wood 
gave  orders  on  him  and  success  attended  the 
new  venture,  so  that  in  the  first  season  he 
paid  for  his  stock.  His  trade  increased 
rapidly  and  he  sold  goods  there  until  1870. 
In  that  year  he  began  to  build  vessels  and 
establish  lumber  yards  in  Milwaukee  and 
Chicago.  He  also  sent  vessels  loaded  with 
lumber  to  Racine  and  Kenosha,  where  he 
traded  his  cargo  for  wagons.  He  handled 
all  of  the  lumber  from  ten  or  twelve  saw- 
mills and  would  furnish  money  to  operate 
these  in  the  winter,  taking  the  output  of  the 
mills  in  the  summer.  The  business  proved 
very  successful  and  he  made  money  rapidly. 
He  became  one  of  the  most  prominent  lum- 
ber dealers  of  western  Michigan,  his  opera- 
tions being  very  extensive  in  this  line.  In 
1862,  in  company  with  others,  he  built  the 
propeller  Favorite  at  a  cost  of  fifty-six  thou- 
sand dollars.  This  he  ran  for  two  years, 
carrying  fruit  between  St.  Joseph  and  Chi- 
cago. This  also  proved  a  profitable  busi- 
ness and  in  two  years  he  distributed  twenty- 
four  thousand  dollars  to  stockholders.  Mr. 
Stevens  was  the  treasurer  of  the  company, 
with  John  T.  Edwards  as  its  president  and 
later  Mr.  Edwards  sold  his  interest  for  forty 
thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Stevens  purchased 
the  Lady  Franklin  for  twenty-five  thousand 
dollaars  and  another  boat  for  twelve  thou- 
sand dollars  to  supply  the  Chicago  trade. 
Another  company  built  three  vessels  in  Buf- 
falo, which  they  ran  to  Chicago  in  opposition 
to  Mr.  Stevens,  who  was  finally  induced  to 
join  the  other  company,  placing  his  two  ves- 
sels in  the  combined  business.  It  was  repre- 
sented that  all  of  the  vessels  were  free  of 
mortgage.  During  the  first  year  Mr.  Stevens 
made  sixty  thousand  dollars  clear  but  later 
he  learned  that  the  vessels  put  into  the  com- 
pany by  his  partners  were  mortgaged  for 
forty-two  thousand  dollars.  This  and  sim- 
ilar experiences  with  men  in  whom  he  had 
trusted  compelled  him  to  go  into  bankruptcy. 
He  gave  Marshall  Field  of  Chicago  a  deed 
for  five  thousand  acres  of  timber  land  in 
Wisconsin  worth  sixty  thousand  dollars  to 
secure  Field  (who  was  an  old  time  friend) 
for  twelve  thousand  dollars.  Field  having  as- 


sumed to  pay  others  with  himself.  The  en- 
tire amount  of  Mr.  Stevens  indebtedness  was 
twelve  thousand  dollars  and  it  was  agreed 
that  Mr.  Field  would  keep  the  land  until  he 
could  sell  to  advantage,  when  the  surplus 
would  be  paid  to  Mr.  Stevens.  After  about 
ten  years  the  latter  learned  that  the  land  had 
been  sold.  He  called  upon  Field,  who  re- 
ferred him  to  his  partner,  Leiter,  who  dis- 
claimed any  knowledge  of  the  business  but 
referred  him  to  Higinbotham,  who  oflfered 
him  ten  thousand  dollars.  Knowing  some- 
thing of  the  value  of  the  land  Mr.  Stevens 
refused  to  settle  for  this  amount,  but  two 
years  later  settled  for  seven  thousand  dol- 
lars. Afterward  he  learned  the  timber  alone 
had  been  sold  for  one  hundred  and  twenty 
thousand  dollars  and  they  were  selling  the 
land  at  ten  dollars  per  acre.  In  consequence 
of  such  a  transaction  Mr.  Stevens  does  not 
have  a  very  high  regard  for  the  ''merchant 
prince''  of  Chicago  and  his  business  in- 
tegrity. 

Now  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years  Mr. 
Stevens  is  living  retired  from  business  upon 
a  good  farm  on  the  Paw  Paw  river,  a  short 
distance  from  Benton  Harbor.  It  is  a  well 
known  fact  that  the  real  upbuilders  of  a  town 
or  community  are  those  who  promote  its 
business  activity  and  enterprise,  who  estab- 
lish commercial  or  industrial  interests  and 
who  engage  in  large  trade  transactions.  All 
this  Mr.  Stevens  has  done  and  he  may  well 
be  classed  among  the  founders  and  pro- 
moters of  Berrien  county. 

O.  P.  WOODWORTH.  The  value  of 
local  newspapers  in  the  upbuilding  of  the 
best  interests  of  the  community  is  univer- 
sally conceded.  The  rule  is  that  good  papers 
are  found  in  good  towns,  inferior  papers  in 
towns  of  stunted  growth  and  uncertain  fu- 
ture. It  is  not  so  much  a  matter  of  size 
as  of  excellence  and  of  adaptability  to  the 
needs  of  its  locality.  These  conditions 
given,  in  an  appreciative  and  progressive 
community,  the  size  of  the  paper  will  take 
care  of  itself  in  a  way  usually  satisfactory 
to  the  publishers  and  patrons,  and  this  as- 
sertion has  been  verified  in  the  history  of 
the  Buchanan  Record,  of  which  O.  P.  Wood- 
worth  is  editor.     He  is  meeting  with  sue-- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


523 


cess  in  the  publication  of  this  journal  and 
the  community  is  being  benefited  also 
thereby. 

Mr.  Woodworth  was  born  in  Buchanan, 
July  4,  1869.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
Samuel  Woodworth,  was  a  native  of  New 
York,  while  his  son  Oscar  A.  Woodworth, 
father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Erie, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1822.  The  latter  came  to 
Buchanan  some  time  in  the  '30s  and  was 
captain  on  keel  boats  on  the  St.  Joseph  river 
for  a  considerable  period.  By  trade  he  was 
an  iron  molder,  but  turned  his  attention  to 
other  pursuits.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil 
war  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Union  and 
served  as  a  soldier  in  defense  of  the  govern- 
ment. His  death  occurred  when  he  was  in 
his  sixty-second  year.  In  early  manhood 
he  married  Lenora  J.  Fox,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
whose  people  came  from  Vermont.  She 
was  born  in  1833,  in  Mentor,  Ohio,  and 
lived  to  be  about  sixty-two  years  of  age. 
By  her  marriage  she  became  the  mother  of 
four  children,  a  daughter  and  three  sons, 
all  of  whom  are  now  living:  Fannie  L., 
now  the  wife  of  V.  M.  Baker,  of  Baker- 
town,  Berrien  county,  Michigan ;  A.  A.,  who 
is  living  in  St.  Joseph,  Michigan;  W.  J.; 
and  O.  P.,  of  this  review. 

The  youngest  of  the  four  children,  O. 
P.  Woodworth,  was  reared  in  Buchanan  and 
educated  in  the  public  schools.  When  about 
sixteen  years  of  age  he  put  aside  his  text 
books  and  took  up  the  printing  trade,  start- 
ing in  as  "devil"  at  a  time  when  hand  print- 
ing presses  were  in  use.  He  was  employed 
in  various  offices  until  1896,  when  he 
established  a  job  office  in  Buchanan  and 
thus  began  an  independent  business  venture. 
In  1899  he  commenced  the  publication  of 
the  Buchanan  Argus  in  partnership  with 
T.  F.  Cox^  and  in  1900  he  purchased  his 
partner's  interest  and  carried  on  the  paper 
alone  for  about  a  year.  He  then  sold  out 
to  the  present  owner,  P.  A.  Graffort.  Mr. 
Woodworth  later  spent  about  a  year  upon 
the  road,  and  in  1903  he  became  associated 
with  the  Buchanan  Record,  being  made  edi- 
tor the  following  year.  The  Record  is  the 
oldest  paper  in  the  county,  having  been  es- 
tablished in  1866.     It  is  a  semi-weekly  and 


has  a  good  circulation  throughout  the 
county. 

In  1 891  Mr.  Woodworth  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Anna  M.  Clark,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  T.  Clark,  of  Howard  town- 
ship, Cass  county,  Michigan.  Three  chil- 
dren grace  this  marriage,  Nada,  Marshall 
and  Max.  Since  age  conferred  upon  him 
the  right  of  franchise  Mr.  Woodworth  has 
been  a  stalwart  Republican,  and  has  served 
as  township  clerk  of  Buchanan  township  for 
four  years.  He  has  also  been  a  member  of 
the  village  school  board  two  years  and  its 
treasurer  for  one  year,  and  he  has  served  as 
a  member  of  the  Republican  county  central 
committee  for  about  eight  years,  his  opin- 
ions often  being  a  decisive  factor  in  its  party 
councils.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the  Modern  Woodmen  and  is  its  presiding 
officer  at  this  writing,  in  1906.  His  entire 
life  has  been  passed  in  Buchanan  with  the 
exception  of  about  a  year  passed  in  Niles, 
and  that  many  of  his  stanchest  friends  are 
those  who'  have  known  him  from  his  boy- 
hood to  the  present  time  is  an  indication  of 
a  life  well  lived. 

Since  the  above  was  compiled  Mr.  Wood- 
worth  has  contemplated  retiring  from  the 
editorship  of  the  Record  and  will  take  a 
position  on  the  road  for  the  J.  W.  Butler 
Paper  Company  of  Chicago.  This  is  on  ac- 
count of  his  health. 

HON.  HENRY  CHAMBERLAIN, 
whose  name  is  inseparably  interw^oven 
with  the  history  of  Berrien  county, 
whose  life  has  been  actuated  by  hon- 
orable principles  and  guided  by  manly 
conduct,  whose  name  has  become  synony- 
mous with  honor  and  to  whom  has  been 
vouchsafed  eighty-one  years  of  usefulness 
and  activity — such  is  the  man  whose  record 
claims  the  attention  of  the  historian,  and 
yet  is  is  with  hesitancy  that  one  essays  the 
task  of  preparing  his  history.  It  is  not  a 
difficult  undertaking  to  set  forth  the  salient 
facts  but  a  mere  statement  or  outline  would 
be  considered  inadequate  in  marked  degree 
by  all  of  those  men  who  have  been  associated 
with  Mr.  Chamberlain  and  have  come  under 
the  influence  of  his  upright  life  and  high 


5^4 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


ideals.  We  therefore  turn  to  the  ancestry 
to  find  from  what  stock  he  sprang 
and  learn  that  he  comes  of  a  family  that 
was  established  in  Massachusetts  in  early 
colonial  days.  The  name  of  Samuel  Cham- 
berlain appears  upon  the  early  records  of 
the  Massachusetts  Bay  colony.  Representa- 
tives of  the  name  lived  in  Massachusetts, 
while  the  parents,  grandparents  and  great- 
grandparents  made  their  homes  in  the 
vicinity  of  Concord,  New  Hampshire. 
Jacob  Chamberlain,  born  in  1691,  probably 
at  Maiden,  Massachusetts,  was  a  son  of 
John  Chamberlain,  and  a  grandson  of  Ed- 
mund Chamberlain,  of  Chelford,  Massa- 
chusetts. Edmund  came  from  England, 
and  was  therefore  the  progenitor  of  the 
family  in  the  new  world.  Samuel  Cham- 
berlain, great-grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  a  resident  of  New  Hampshire.  His 
son,  Samuel  Chamberlain,  served  as  a  lieu- 
tenant in  the  war  for  independence.  Sam- 
uel Chamberlain  and  his  son  Moses  both 
were  in  service  as  substitutes  for  a  short 
period  during  the  Revolutionary  war.  Sev- 
enteen of  Mr.  Chamberlain's  ancestors 
served  in  the  colonial  wars.  Jacob  Cham- 
berlain, previously  mentioned,  born  in  1691, 
died  in  1734.  He  married  Abigail  Hasey, 
who  was  born  in  1695,  and  died  in  1793. 
Samuel  Chamberlain,  son  of  Jacob  and  Abi- 
gail (Hasey)  Chamberlain,  was  born  in 
1724,  and  died  in  1802.  He  married  Mar- 
tha Mellen,  who  was  born  in  1730,  and  died 
in  1820.  Her  ancestry  can  be  traced  back 
to  Simon  Mellen,  a  son  of  Richard  Mellen. 
Simon  Mellen  was  born  in  1640,  and  died  in 
1694. 

Moses  Chamberlain,  a  son  of  Samuel 
and  Martha  (Mellen)  Chamberlain,  was 
born  in  1757,  ^^d  died  in  181 1.  He  was 
the  grandfather  of  Henry  Chamberlain  of 
this  review.  He  married  Rebecca  Abbot, 
who  was  born  in  1760,  and  died  in  1846. 
She  had  two  half  brothers  and  two  own 
brothers,  all  of  whom  served  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  and  three  of  them  died  in 
service. 

Moses  Chamberlain,  son  of  Moses  and 
Rebecca  (Abbot)  Chamberlain,  of  Loudon, 
New  Hampshire,  was  born  in  1792,  and  de- 
parted this  life  in  1866.     He  married  Mary 


Foster,  who  was  born  in  1797,  and  passed 
away  in  1870.  She  was  a  daughter  of 
Abiel  and  Susanah  (Moore)  Foster.  Her 
father  was  born  in  1773,  and  died  in  1846, 
while  his  wife  was  born  at  Canterbury,  New 
Hampshire,  April  9,  1775,  and  died  June 
22,  1853.  Her  grandfather,  Rev.  Abiel 
Foster,  was  a  resident  of  Canterbury,  New 
Hampshire,  and  for  eighteen  years  w^as  a 
member  of  congress  under  the  confedera- 
tion and  constitution.  In  the  maternal  line 
the  ancestry  can  be  traced  back  to  Rev.  Na- 
thaniel Rogers,  who  went  to  Ipswich,  Mas- 
sachusetts, in  1836,  and  was  the  first  min- 
ister there.  His  son,  John  Rogers,  was  also 
a  minister  here  and  was  the  second  presi- 
dent of  Harvard  University.  His  ^on,  John 
Rogers  II,  also  engaged  in  preaching  the 
gospel  at  Ipswich,  Massachusetts,  and  was 
the  father  of  Samuel  Rogers,  who  was  like- 
wise a  public  officer  and  a  man  of  affairs. 
It  was  his  daughter  Mary  who  became  the 
wife  of  Rev.  Abiel  Foster,  mentioned  above. 
Thomas  Dudley,  another  ancestor,  was 
eighth  governor  or  deputy  governor  of  the 
colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay  from  1630  un- 
til 1 65 1.  He  was  connected  with  Revolu- 
tionary fame. 

The  marriage  of  Moses  Chamberlain 
and  Mary  Foster  was  celebrated  June  18, 
1 81 7,  at  which  time  Mr.  Chamberlain  was 
a  '"trader"  at  Pembroke,  New  Hampshire, 
where  he  had  lived  for  a  year  or  more.  The 
old  familly  residence  there,  which  was  built 
by  the  father  in  1820,  is  still  standing  in  an 
excellent  state  of  preservation.  The  chil- 
dren born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chamberlain 
were:  Mary  Foster,  born  November  3,  1818, 
married  Hale  E.  Crosby  at  Concord,  New 
Hampshire,  November  i,  1838.  Mellen 
was  born  June  4,  1821.  He  was  a  gradu- 
ate of  Dartmouth  College  and  Harvard  Law 
School;  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in 
Boston,  Massachusetts,  in  1848;  was  chief 
justice  of  the  municipal  court  of  that  city 
for  some  years;  was  librarian  of  the  Boston 
city  library  from  1876  to  1890,  when  he  re- 
signed; member  of  the  Massachusetts  house 
and  senate;  gave  the  Boston  city  library  a 
large  and  valuable  collection  of  autographs 
and  manuscripts;  wrote  many  valuable  his- 
torical works.     Henry  was  born  March  17, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


525 


1824.  Elizabeth,  born  October  18,  1826, 
was  married  October  18,  1849.  William, 
born  February  7,  1834,  on  coming  to  Michi- 
gan lived  on  the  farm  with  his  father  until 
1864,  when  he  came  to  the  village  of  Three 
Oaks,  where  he  became  a  partner  with  his 
brother  Henry,  still  owning  the  homestead 
farm,  which  he  continued  to  manage  until 
his  death  in  1902.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Michigan  house- of  representative  in  1871 
and  1873  and  the  senate  in  1879  and  1881, 
and  held  many  public  positions.  He  was 
warden  of  the  Michigan  State  prison  at 
Jackson  from  1893  until  his  death. 

Henry  Chamberlain,  born  at  the  old 
homestead  in  Pembroke,  New  Hampshire, 
March  17,  1824,  was  educated  in  the  district 
schools  near  by,  but  his  opportunities  were 
limited,  owing  to  the  methods  of  instruction 
and  the  text-books — the  Peter  Parley  books 
— which  were  then  in  use.  When  he  was 
but  a  babe  his  mother,  in  1825,  took  him  to 
Concord,  a  distance  of  six  miles,  to  see  Gen- 
eral Lafayette,  who  was  then  making  a  tour 
of  the  United  States,  and  in  after  years  she 
related  to  him  that  the  General  took  the 
baby  hand  in  his  and  said :  ''He  is  a  fine 
boy."  The  General  stopped  at  the  tavern 
over  night  in  the  vicinity  of  Chamberlain's 
home. 

In  1820  his  father  built  a  new  store,  and 
that  he  took  an  advance  step  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  he  determined  to  cease  his 
traffic  in  spiritous  liquors,  which  at  that  time 
every  trader  dealt  in.  Mr.  Chamberlain  re- 
members as  one  of  the  "important"  events 
of  his  life  his  visit  to  a  menagerie  in  1831. 
In  1833  he  obtained  his  father's  reluctant 
consent  to  go  to  Concord  to  see  General 
Jackson,  Van  Buren  and  a  part  of  his  cab- 
inet. The  father  had  been  a  federalist  and 
was  a  Whig  and  therefore  had  no  sympathy 
with  the  Democratic  party,  and  Mr.  Cham- 
berlain says  that  he  was  disappointed  in 
General  Jackson,  having  heard  him  so  often 
denounced,  that  he  had  formed  an  opinion 
that  he  was  somewhat  like  the  lion  or  the 
tiger  that  he  had  seen  in  the  menagerie.  In 
1834  the  family  were  visited  by  Stephen  S. 
Foster,  who  afterward  became  famous  as 
an  anti-slavery  man  and  who  was  a  second 
cousin  of  Mrs.  Moses  Chamberlain.    He  dis- 


cussed the  question  of  anti-slavery  with  Mr. 
Chamberlain,  and  the  next  day  the  latter 
announced  himself  as  a  supporter  of  the 
anti-slavery  cause.  Such  was  the  feeling 
in  the  north  at  that  time  that  the  minister 
took  Mr.  Chamberlain  to  task,  saying  that  he 
was  consorting  with  infidels  in  denouncing 
an  institution  which  was  permitted  by  the 
constitution  and  the  Bible,  though  Moses 
Chamberlain  stood  firm  in  his  support  of  the 
principle  which  he  believed  to  be  right.  Some 
of  his  neighbors  then  shunned  him  and  he 
lost  prestige  in  the  community  where  he  had 
long  been  regarded  as  a  most  prominent  and 
influential  citizen.  In  1835  he  had  an  offer 
to  dispose  of  his  store  and  homestead,  and 
in  the  fall  of  that  year  contracted  a  part- 
nership with  a  townsman  who  owned  a  store 
in  Seneca  county,  Ohio.  He  therefore  re- 
moved to  that  place  and  as  the  accommo- 
dations for  the  family  were  somewhat  lim- 
ited Henry  Chamberlain  of  this  review  went 
to  the  home  of  his  maternal  grandfather, 
where  in  the  outdoor  life  of  the  farm  he 
developed  a  sturdiness  and  robust  constitu- 
tion at  variance  with  his  former  condition 
of  health. 

In  the  spring  of  1836  Moses  Chamber- 
lain made  a  trip  through  southern  Michi- 
gan to  New  Buffalo,  where  some  of  his 
wife's  cousins  had  settled  in  the  fall  of  1835. 
There  he  purchased  five  quarter  sections  of 
government  land  in  New  Buffalo  township 
but  now  in  the  townships  of  Three  Oaks 
and  Chikaming.  In  the  summer  he  re- 
turned to  New  Hampshire,  and  in  August 
commenced  business  at  Concord  as  a  trader, 
Henry  Chamberlain  and  his  elder  brother 
acting  as  clerks,  and  wdien  the  elder  brother 
started  for  college  Henry  Chamberlain,  at 
the  age  of  thirteen,  became  senior  clerk.  He 
acted  in  that  capacity  until  sixteen  years  of 
age,  when,  in  1840,  he  w^ent  to  Ashby,  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  took  charge  of  a  country 
store  for  his  brother-in-law.  He  made  a 
success  of  the  business,  which  he  conducted 
until  the  spring  of  1841,  when  he  returned 
home  and  spent  two  terms  as  a  student  at 
Pembroke.  He  was  afterward  in  his 
father's  store  until  August,  1843,  when  he 
determined  to  go  to  Michigan.  It  required 
five  days'  travel  to  reach  Cleveland,  Ohio, 


526 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


and  after  visiting  there  with  relatives  for  a 
brief  period  he  took  a  steamboat  for  Chicago, 
where  he  arrived  seven  days  later,  and  after 
two  days'  travel  by  wagon  reached  New 
Buffalo  on  the  7th  of  October,  1843.  The 
winter  brought  many  hardships  and  trials  to 
the  family  who  were  thus  located  on  a 
frontier,  and  on  the  1 6th  of  January,  1844, 
Mr.  Chamberlain,  his  father  and  a  carpenter 
went  to  section  fifteen,  township  eight,  south 
of  range  twenty  west.  New  Buffalo  town- 
ship, where  they  put  up  a  shed,  which  they 
occupied  until  they  cleared  a  place  for  a 
house  sixteen  by  twenty-four  feet,  when 
they  erected  a  pioneer  dwelling.  In  the 
meantime  the  father  had  established  a  store 
at  New  Buffalo.  Henry  Chamberlain  re- 
mained at  home  working  at  chopping  wood 
and  clearing  the  land  until  October,  and 
later  aiding  in  clearing  other  tracts.  In 
February,  1845,  he  went  to  New  Buffalo, 
where  he  worked  at  making  grain  cradles 
and  also  at  loading  vessels  with  wood  and 
timber.  At  the  April  election  that  year  he 
was  chosen  supervisor  and  served  for  that 
and  three  succeeding  years,  being  elected  the 
first  term  by  a  majority  of  one  vote  and  at 
last  term  by  a  unanimous  vote.  From  the 
fall  of  1845  ^^i^til  the  spring  of  1848  he  as- 
sisted in  the  usual  labor  incident  to  clearing 
and  developing  a  new  farm  and  at  a  later 
date  took  charge  of  a  stock  of  merchandise 
in  the  village  of  New  Buffalo  for  the  firm 
of  Stewart  &  Adams,  who  were  contractors 
for  grading  on  the  Michigan  Central  Rail- 
road. He  not  only  led  an  active  business 
life  but  was  also  a  factor  in  community  af- 
fairs, and  in  November  of  that  year  was 
chosen  to  represent  Berrien  county  in  the 
state  legislature,  attending  the  second  ses- 
sion of  the  general  assembly  after  the  re- 
moval qf  the  capital  to  Lansing.  Mr. 
Chamberlain  is  now  the  only  survivor  of 
the  state  officers  or  members  of  the  legisla- 
ture of  that  year  and  also  the  only  survivor 
of  the  members  who  formed  the  Michigan 
State  Agricultural  Society,  at  which  meet- 
ing he  acted  as  secretary. 

Returning  from  Lansing  Mr.  Chamber- 
lain was  engaged  in  work  on  the  home  farm 
until  January,  1850,  when  it  was  decided 
that  he  had  better  go  to  section  two,  then 


New  Buffalo  township,  and  make  a  clearing. 
This  was  the  present  site  of  the  village  of 
Three  Oaks.  He  took  a  contract  to  put  on 
the  cars  four  thousand  cords  of  steamboat 
wood.  The  cars  had  been  run  on  the  rail- 
road from  April,  1849,  but  there  was  only 
one  house  on  the  line  of  the  railroad  between 
Dayton  and  New  Buffalo,  a  distance  of  six- 
teen miles.  Mr.  Chamberlain,  with  four 
men,  on  the  loth  of  January,  1850,  took  pos- 
session of  a  little  log  shanty,  which  had  been 
built  upon  section  two  and  then  began  the 
task  of  erecting  a  substantial  log  house  which 
work  was  completed  in  the  course  of  a  few 
weeks.  For  fifty-five  years  Mr.  Chamber- 
lain has  here  made  his  home.  He  began  the 
arduous  task  of  clearing  the  land  and  within 
four  years,  sixty  acres  of  timber  had  been 
cut  and  most  of  the  tract  was  cleared. 

An  important  event  in  his  life  occurred 
in  January,  1851,  when  he  married  Sarah 
Jane  Nash,  and  in  the  following  November 
their  first  child,  Henry  Nash  Chamberlain, 
was  born,  being  the  first  child  born  in  the 
present  limits  of  the  village  of  Three  Oaks. 
The  wife  and  mother  died  in  June,  1852,  and 
in  November,  1856,  Mr.  Chamberlain 
wedded  Rebecca  Van  De  Vanter  Ames,  who 
died  in  1896.  They  had  three  children: 
Mary,  now  the  wife  of  E.  K.  Warren;  Re- 
becca B.,  the  wife  of  Lee  Chamberlain,  of 
Los  Angeles,  California;  and  Paul  Mellen, 
who  is  professor  of  mechanical  engineering 
in  Lewis  Institute,  in  Chicago. 

Mr.  Chamberlain  continued  active  in 
business  and  in  public  life  as  well.  In  1851 
he  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  and  in 
1852  was  chosen  supervisor  of  New  Buffalo 
township.  In  the  following  year  he  was 
appointed  mail  agent  on  the  route  from  De- 
troit to  Chicago,  which  position  he  resigned 
in  August,  1855.  In  1854  he  had  turned 
his  attention  to  merchandising,  having  in 
company  with  Joseph  G.  Ames  built  the 
house  and  store  on  lot  eight  (now  the  Wood- 
land House)  and  the  eastern  portion  of  the 
warehouse,  now  the  Michigan  Central 
freight  office.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  they 
opened  up  a  stock  of  merchandise  and  fol- 
lowing the  death  of  Mr.  Ames  in  August, 
1855,  Mr.  Chamberlain  became  sole  owner 
of  the  buildings  and  stock.     For  a  quarter 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


527 


of  a  century  thereafter  he  was  a  leading  mer- 
chant of  Three  Oaks.  He  admitted  his 
cousin,  Samuel  W.  Chamberlain,  to  a  part- 
nership, the  store  being*  conducted  under  the 
firm  style  of  Chamberlain  &  Company  until 
1 86 1,  and  in  the  meantime  the  business  was 
removed  from  this  first  location  to  a  new 
store  in  1858,  where  it  was  first  continued 
as  Chamberlain  &  Company,  and  afterward 
under  the  name  of  Henry  Chamberlain  until 
March,  1864,  at  which  time  the  firm  of 
Chamberlain,  McKie  &  Company  was  or- 
ganized, with  J.  L.  McKie  and  William 
Chamberlain  as  partners  of  Henry  Chamber- 
lain. This  partnership  continued  until 
March,  1868.  The  various  succeeding  firms 
had  been  Chamberlain  &  Company,  Henry 
Chamberlain,  McKie  &  Warren,  Chamber- 
lain &  Churchill  and  Chamberlain,  Warren 
&  Hatfield  until  1880,  when  Mr.  Chamber- 
lain sold  his  interest  and  retired.  In  the 
meantime  he  had  given  more  attention  to 
clearing  land  and  farming  and  to  the  dis- 
charge of  his  official  duties  than  to  merchan- 
dising. Few  men  of  the  community  have 
done  more  to  reclaim  the  wild  and  unim- 
proved districts  and  convert  them  into  cul- 
tivable tracts  of  land  than  has  Mr.  Chamber- 
lain. In  1885  he  sold  his  homestead  farm 
of  six  hundred  acres  to  Edward  K.  War- 
ren, and  in  1887-8  erected  his  present  resi- 
dence at  the  corner  of  Ash  and  Oak  streets. 
In  1882  he  began  clearing  the  farm,  which 
he  now  owns  on  sections  12  and  13.  He 
has  cleared  and  put  under  cultivation  more 
than  a  thousand  acres  of  land  in  the  present 
township  of  Three  Oaks,  doing  the  actual 
work  himself  in  the  early  days,  while  in 
later  years  the  task  was  carried  on  under 
his  personal  supervision.  Shortly  after  the 
Michigan  Central  Railroad  was  built 
through  his  portion  of  the  state  a  side  track 
was  put  in  at  Three  Oaks  and  trains  stopped 
here.  There  was  no  town,  however,  and  the 
place  was  designated  as  Chamberlain's  side 
tracks.  In  1854  Mr.  Chamberlain  applied 
for  the  establishment  of  a  postofifice  here  and 
asked  that  it  be  known  by  the  name  of 
Three  Oaks,  because  of  three  famous  great 
oak  trees  that  stood  on  his  place.  The  town- 
ship of  Three  Oaks  was  detached  from  New 
Buffalo  in  1856  and  upon  his  request  was 


given  its  present  name.  Mr.  Chamberlain 
was  chosen  the  first  supervisor  and  one  of 
the  justices  of  the  peace,  acting  in  the  lat- 
ter capacity  for  three  or  more  terms,  and 
also  serving  as  supervisor  for  a  number  of 
years  after  1856.  In  1864  he  was  a  candi- 
date for  the  state  senate  on  the  Democratic 
ticket,  and  in  1868  and  1870  he  was  a  can- 
didate for  governor,  and  in  1874  and  in 
1876  again  for  congress.  As  history  re- 
cords, the  Democratic  party  is  in  the  minority 
in  Michigan  and  yet  at  all  times  Mr.  Cham- 
berlain has  received  a  large  and  flattering 
vote  in  excess  of  that  usually  given  to  the 
candidates  of  the  Democracy.  He  has  three 
times  received  the  votes  of  his  party  for 
the  United  States  senate,  and  though  he  has 
filled  various  local  offices  and  been  his 
party's  nominee  for  positions  of  state  and 
national  political  preferment  he  has  never 
but  once  sought  a  nomination  for  any  office. 
He  has  held  the  commission  as  notary  pub- 
lic since  1846  and  was  a'  member  of  the 
state  board  of  agriculture  from  1883  until 
1889  and  again  from  1891  until  1897.  He 
has  attended  almost  all  of  the  local  and 
state  conventions  of  his  party  for  over  a 
half  century,  has  three  times  been  a  delegate 
of  the  national  Democratic  convention  and 
has  attended  two  others.  Mr.  Chamberlain 
has  seen  and  shaken  hands  with  every  gov- 
ernor of  Michigan  except  Steven  T.  Mason, 
who  died  before  Mr.  Chamberlain  came  to 
the  state,  and  has  had  a  personal  acquaint- 
ance with  most  of  them.  He  has  known 
every  congressman,  senator  and  representa- 
tive since  the  organization  of  the  state  in 
1846,  with  the  exception  of  one,  who  died 
before  he  came.  This  fact  would  perhaps  be 
true  of  no  other  resident  now  living  in 
Michigan.  He  was  grand  master  of  Masons 
in  Michigan  in  1872,  and  this  he  counts  the 
greatest  honor  that  has  been  conferred  upon 
him.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find  any  one 
in  all  the  commonwealth  who  has  a  wider, 
more  intimate  or  more  accurate  knowledge 
of  Michigan,  its  development  and  progress 
along  material  and  political  lines  than  has 
Mr.  Chamberlain.  He  has  written  a  portion 
of  the  history  of  the  village,  township  and 
adjoining  country.  He  has  addressed  three 
thousand  letters  at  one  sitting  from  memory 


528 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


without  reference  to  a  list  and  made  no  mis- 
take in  tlie  name  of  the  person  or  the  post- 
office.     He  has  a  most  remarkable  memory 
and  has  been  spoken  of  as  a  ''walking  ency- 
clopedia of  information  on  Michigan  s  his- 
tory."     While  a   stanch   Democrat  he  has 
been  invited  by   Republican  legislatures   to 
address  them  and  has  delivered  many  public 
speeches    at   state   fairs.      The   occasion   of 
the  eightieth  anniversary  was  fittingly  cele- 
brated by  his  friends  of   many   years  and 
many  have  spoken  of  him  in  words  that  well 
voice  the  public  opinion.     ''When  you  have 
known   a   man   for  nearly   fifty   years   and 
during     much     of     that     time     have     had 
close      relations      with      him,        both      in 
time  of    prosperity    and     adversity;   have 
become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  his  busi- 
ness methods;  have  seen  in  what  manner  he 
has  met  and  dealt  with  the  vicissitudes  of 
a  lifetime,  you  feel  that  you  may  speak  of 
him    with    full    assurance    that    you    know 
whereof  you  speak.     My  acquaintance  with 
Mr.  Chamberlain  began  on  the  17th  day  of 
April,  1855,  in  the  village  of  Three  Oaks, 
or,   what  has  since  become  the  village   of 
Three  Oaks ;  it  was  then  only  a  sidetrack  on 
the  Michigan  Central  Railroad,  with  an  al- 
most  unbroken   forest   closely   surrounding 
it  on  all  sides.     A  few  pioneers  were  then 
located  here  and  in  this  vicinity — most  of 
them  are  long  since  gone.     Mr.  Chamber- 
lain was  then  looked  upon — as  he  is  today 
— as  a  man  possessed  of  all  the  knowledge 
necessary    for  any   of   the   emergencies   of 
life.     Those  of  the  early  settlers  who  yet 
remain  will  recall  that  his  advice  was  sought 
and    freely    given   at   all   times.      Many   a 
knotty  problem  incident  to  the  acquisition  of 
a  home  in  a  new  country  by  the  man  from 
Bavaria    or    Mecklenberg    have    been    pre- 
sented to  him  for  solution  and  his  solution 
has  stood  the  test  of  years.     Many  a  pio- 
neer of  his  descendants  holds  his  farm  today 
by  a  deed  written  by  Mr.  Chamberlain  or  by 
his  dictation,  and  rests  in  the  assurance  that 
it  is  written  right  and  that  his  title  is  good. 
Further  than  that  and,  yet  more  important, 
is  the  fact  that  while  like  all  strong  and 
positive  men,  there  have  been  at  times  those 
who    have    entertained    opinions    dififering 


from  his,  yet  he  has  through  all  these  years 
retained  the  esteem,  respect  and  confidence 
of  his  neighbors,  religiously,  morally  and 
financially.  He  has  set  a  business  example 
and  instituted  business  methods  which  have 
been  of  material  advantage  to  all  his  suc- 
cessors. In  spite  of  his  unfavorable  location 
geographically  and  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
the  political  party  to  which  he  belongs  has 
been  the  minority  party  in  the  state  for 
more  than  a  generation,  he  enjoys  a  wider 
political  distinction  and  his  ability  is  more 
generally  recognized  than  that  of  many  men 
who  have  held  the  best  offices  within  the 
gift  of  the  people  of  the  state.  So  he  comes 
to  his  eightieth  birthday  which  we  celebrate 
today,  and  sees  the  erstwhile  wilderness  filled 
with  a  prosperous  and  happy  people,  the 
descendants  of  those  who  in  the  earlier  years 
he  so  materially  assisted  in  securing  homes ; 
and  they  are  all  his  friends.  He  has  lived, 
too,  to  see  the  full  realization  of  the  oft- 
repeated  prayer  of  his  good  old  Puritan 
father  in  the  days  of  old,  that  this  wilderness 
might  some  time  blossom  as  the  rose.  Three 
Oaks,  March  17,  1904.  J.  L.  McKie."  Other 
words  bearing  testimony  of  his  position  in 
public  regard  and  the  esteem  in  which  he  is 
held  by  those  long  associated  with  him  were 
penned  on  the  occasion  of  the  eightieth  anni- 
versary of  his  birth  and  from  the  pen  of 
Ada  Simpson  Sherwood  came  the  following : 

"Hail  to  the  pioneer! 

To  the  many  who  leads  the  way, 

W^ho  opens  an  untried  road, 

And  heralds  a  better  day; 

Who,  from  the  marshes  wild 

And  the  forest  grim  and  old, 

Rears  the  village,  and  plants  the  farm 

With  fields  of  waving  gold. 

All  honor  to  the  man 
Whose  efforts  bless  the  race. 
Who  in  the  hearts  of  men 
Wins  an  exalted  place; 
Who  in  the  foremost  ranks 
Of  progress  takes  a  stand, 
And  to  the  cause  that's  just 
E'er  lends  a  helping  hand. 

All  praise  to  the  man  of  deeds. 
To  the  man  of  achievement  rare, 
Who  in  life's  field  of  toil 
Faithfully  bears  his  share; 
Who  through  the  mists  of  years. 
And  the  glow  of  the  setting  sun, 
Can  view  a  purpose  grand 
And  a  noble  work  well  done. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


529 


Honor  and  love  and  praise 
To  the  crown  of  eighty  years. 
Wrought  with  toil  and  pain, 
Studded  with  griefs  and  tears, 
Brightened  with  hope  and  joy, 
Love  and  friendship  true. 
O  crown  of  eighty  years, 
Shining  with  golden  hue! 

Honor  and  love  and  praise 
To  the  legacy  of  years. 
The  good  their  labors  wrought 
Other  hearts  now  cheers. 
With  greetings  loving  and  warm 
Kind  friends  would  tribute  pay 
To  the  crown  of  eighty  years 
Which  circles  his  brow  today." 

March  17,  1904. 

LOTT  F.  SUTHERLAND.  The  name 
of  Sutherland  has  been  closely  associated 
with  Berrien  county  and  its  prominence 
from  pioneer  times.  His  father  was  among 
the  pioneers  who  set  out  for  the  ever  reced- 
ing west  and  aided  in  subduing  the  land  and 
extending  the  frontier.  He  was_^one  of  the 
sturdy,  grave  men  who  fought  and  toiled 
and  hoped  and  who  realized  in  varying 
measure  the  hope  that  led  them  to  this  sec- 
tion of  the  country.  He  aided  in  making 
the  country  known  for  its  vast  possibilities 
and  for  many  years  was  closely  associated 
with  its  development  but  is  now  living  re- 
tired. He  dates  his  residence  in  Michigan 
from'  1838  and  in  Berrien  county  from  1842. 
He  was  born  in  Barker,  Broome  county, 
New  York,  on  the  28th  of  February,  1831, 
and  was  a  son  of  Lott  and  Lydia  (Bliss) 
Sutherland.  The  grandfather  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation  and  spent  his  earlier  life  in 
the  Empire  state,  when  in  1836  he  came  to 
Michigan,  settling  in  Kalamazoo.  After 
four  years  he  came  to  Berrien  county,  lo- 
cating in  Bainbridge  township  near  Mill- 
burg,  where  he  followed  farming  until  his 
death  in  1873.  His  wife  passed  away 
shortly  after  their  arrival  in  Michigan  and 
the  father  reared  their  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  are  now  living.  He 
voted  with  the  Democracy  but  was  never 
active  in  politics. 

Lewis  Sutherland,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  reared  and  educated  upon  the  fron- 
tier, pursuing  his  studies  in  a  log  school- 
house.  He  assisted  in  the  farm  work,  aid- 
ing in  the  arduous  task  of  developing  new 

fields  and  caring  for  the  crops  and  through- 
34 


out  his  active  business  career  he  carried  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits  and  fruit  rais- 
ing. Becoming  convinced  of  the  adaptabil- 
ity of  the  county  for  horticultural  pursuits, 
he  began  raising  various  kinds  of  fruits  and 
this  proved  to  him  a  profitable  business.  He 
continued  to  reside  upon  the  farm  until 
1 901,  when  he  removed  to  Benton  Harbor 
and  purchased  his  present  fine  home  on  Su- 
perior street.  He  was  the  owner  of  about 
four  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  in  Ben- 
ton township,  which  he  has  now  divided 
among  his  sons.  A  few  of  the  old  time  set- 
tlers can  remember  the  conditions  which  ex- 
isted in  this  part  of  the  state  at  the  time  of 
Mr.  Sutherland's  arrival  here.  Only  at  rare 
intervals  could  be  found  a  tract  of  land  that 
had  been  placed  under  the  plow.  Wild  ani- 
mals roamed  through  the  forest  and  herds 
of  deer  and  many  kinds  of  lesser  game  were 
seen.  A  wonderful  transformation  has  been 
wrought  since  those  early  days,  for  the  trav- 
eler today  sees  little  or  none  of  the  native 
forest  but  finds  instead  well  cultivated  or- 
chards, bearing  their  fruits  in  season  and 
the  change  is  due  to  the  enterprise  and  la- 
bors of  such  men  as  Lewis  Sutherland.  In 
i860  he  married  Matilda  A.  Howard,  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  S.  Howard,  of  Ohio, 
who  came  to  Michigan  at  an  early  day  and 
here  followed  farming.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sutherland  have  been  born  six  children: 
Sterling,  who  is  represented  on  another  page 
of  this  work;  Darwin  B.,  largely  engaged 
in  the  cultivation  of  peaches  in  this  county; 
Lott  F.,  of  this  review;  Mrs.  Addie  E. 
Pearl;  and  two  children  who  died  in  youth. 

Lewis  Sutherland,  while  practically  re- 
tired from  business  cares^  is  a  director  in 
the  State  Bank  of  Benton  Harbor.  In  1902 
he  built  the  Masonic  Temple  of  Benton  Har- 
bor and  has  been  an  active  representative 
of  Masonry  since  1852.  He  belongs  to  the 
Uni/ersalist  church  and  has  been  a  cham- 
pion of  many  progressive  measures.  His 
ballot  supports  the  Democracy  and  he  has 
served  as  highway  commissioner  and  as 
school  director.  He  is  numbered  today 
among  the  honored  and  prominent  pioneer 
settlers  of  the  county. 

Lott  F.  Sutherland  was  born  on  the  old 
family  homestead  at  Pearl  Grange  in  Ben- 


530 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


ton  township,  May  i6,  1871.  No  event 
of  special  importance  occurred  to  vary  the 
routine  of  farm  Hfe  for  him  in  his  youth, 
for  he  worked  in  the  fields  through  the  peri- 
ods of  vacation  and  during  the  school  year 
pursued  his  studies,  thus  becoming  equipped 
for  life's  practical  and  responsible  duties. 
He  remained  upon  the  old  homestead  farm 
until  tw^enty-six  years  of  age  and  when 
twenty-two  years  of  age  he  was  married 
to  Miss  Lena  V.  Conklin,  a  daughter  of 
Josiah  Conklin,  of  Hartford,  Van  Buren 
county,  Michigan.  She  was  born  in  Hart- 
ford but  was  largely  reared  in  Benton  Har- 
bor, where  she  completed  her  education  by 
a  high  school  course. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Lott  F. 
Sutherland  located  upon  the  old  homestead 
which  he  operated  in  connection  with  his 
father  for  several  years,  after  which  he  re- 
moved to  his  own  farm,  purchasing  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-two  acres  of  rich  and  pro- 
ductive land  in  Benton  township.  He  had 
previously  become  owner  of  the  greater  part 
of  this  property  and  it  was  partially  im- 
proved. All  is  under  cultivation  and  about 
seventy  acres  is  planted  to  fruit,  for  he  en- 
gages quite  extensively  in  the  raising  of 
peaches,  apples  and  pears,  his  orchards  be- 
ing mostly  young  trees.  He  sold  over  six- 
teen hundred  barrels  of  apples  in  one  sea- 
son and  thirty-two  of  thirty-three  hundred 
bushels  of  peaches  in  a  season.  The  soil  is 
well  adapted  for  the  purpose  for  which  it  is 
used  and  Mr.  Sutherland  is  among  those 
who  have  made  this  section  of  the  state  a 
splendid  fruit  producing  center,  for  fruit 
raising  is  now  one  of  the  chief  sources  of 
income  in  Berrien  county.  He  has  made  a 
close  study  of  the  needs  of  the  trees  as  to 
soil,  climate  and  nourishment  and  has  se- 
cured the  nursery  stock  best  adapted  to  this 
district,  so  that  he  has  now  good  orchards 
in  fine  bearing  condition. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sutherland  have 
been  born  three  children,  Iva,  Hazel  and 
Leah.  Mr.  Sutherland  is  a  Mason  and  be- 
longs to  Pearl  Grange.  His  political  al- 
legiance is  given  to  the  Democracy,  but  he 
has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  office,  pre- 
ferring to  give  undivided  attention  to  his 
business  affairs.     He  is  a  worthy  represen- 


tative of  the  well  known  and  prominent 
pioneer  family  and  as  such  and  by  reason 
of  his  genuine  personal  worth  deserves  men- 
tion in  this  volume. 

STERLING  L.  SUTHERLAND,  who 
is  well  known  as  one  of  the  leading 
fruit  growers  of  Berrien  county,  his 
home  beings  in  Benton  township,  where 
he  has  eighty  acres  of  land,  was 
born  in  this  county  on  the  23d  of 
February,  1861,  and  is  the  eldest  of  the  six 
children  w^hose  parents  were  Lewis  and  Ma- 
tilda A.  Sutherland.  The  father  is  now  liv- 
ing retired  in  Benton  Harbor  after  giving 
many  years  to  general  agricultural  and  hor- 
ticultural pursuits.  He  dates  his  residence 
in  Michigan  from  1836  and  in  Berrien 
county  from  1840.  He  was  born  in  Barker, 
Broome  county.  New  York,  on  the  28th  of 
February,  1831,  and  was  a  son  of  Lott  and 
Lydia  (Bliss)  Sutherland.  The  grand- 
father was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  spent 
his  earlier  life  in  the  Empire  state,  when 
in  1836  he  came  to  Michigan,  settling  in 
Kalamazoo.  After  four  years  he  came  to 
Berrien  county,  locating  in  Bainbridge 
township  near  Millburg,  where  he  followed 
farming  until  his  death  in  1873.  His  wife 
passed  away  shortly  after  their  arrival  in 
Michigan  and  the  father  reared  their  family 
of  eight  children,  three  of  whom  are  now 
living.  He  voted  with  the  Democracy  but 
was  never  active  in  politics. 

Lewis  Sutherland,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  reared  and  educated  upon  the  frontier, 
pursuing  his  studies  in  a  log  schoolhouse. 
He  assisted  in  the  farm  work,  aiding  in 
the  arduous  task  of  developing  new  fields 
and  caring  for  the  crops  and  throughout  his 
active  business  career  he  carried  on  general 
agricultural  pursuits  and  fruit  raising.  Be- 
coming convinced  of  the  adaptability  of  the 
county  for  horticultural  pursuits,  he  began 
raising  various  kinds  of  fruits  and  this 
proved  to  him  a  profitable  business.  Fie 
continued  to  reside  upon  the  farm  until  1901, 
w^hen  he  removed  to  Benton  Harbor  and 
purchased  his  present  fine  home  on  Superior 
street.  He  was  the  owner  of  about  four 
hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  in  Benton 
township,  which  he  has  now  divided  among 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


531 


his  sons.  A  few  of  the  old  time  settlers 
can  remember  the  conditions  which  existed 
in  this  part  of  the  state  at  the  time  of  Mr. 
Sutherland's  arrival  here.  Only  at  rare  in- 
tervals could  be  found  a  tract  of  land  that 
had  been  placed  under  the  plow.  Wild  ani- 
mals roamed  through  the  forest  and  herds 
of  deer  and  many  kinds  of  lesser  game 
were  seen.  A  wonderful  transformation 
has  been  wrought  since  those  early  days,  for 
the  traveler  today  sees  little  or  none  of  the 
native  forest  but  finds  instead  well  culti- 
vated orchards,  bearing  their  fruits  in  sea- 
son and  the  change  is  due  to  the  enterprise 
and  labors  of  such  men  as  Lewis  Suther- 
land. In  i860  he  married  Matilda  A.  How- 
ard, a  daughter  of  Joseph  S.  Howard,  of 
Ohio,  who  came  to  Michigan  at  an  early 
day  and  here  followed  farming.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Sutherland  have  been  born  six 
children:  Sterling,  of  this  review;  Darwin 
B.,  largely  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of 
peaches  in  this  county;  Lott  F.,  a  farmer 
and  fruit  grower  of  Benton  township;  Mrs. 
Addie  Pearl;  and  two  children  who  died 
in  youth. 

Lewis  Sutherland,  while  practically  re- 
tired from  business  cares,  is  a  director  in  the 
State  Bank  of  Benton  liarbor.  In  1902  he 
built  the  Masonic  Temple  of  Benton  Harbor 
and  has  been  an  active  representative  of 
Masonry  since  1852.  He  belongs  to  the  Uni- 
versalist  church  and  has  been  a  champion 
of  many  progressive  measures.  His  ballot 
supports  the  Democracy,  and  he  has  served 
as  highway  commissioner  and  as  school  di- 
rector. .  He  is  numbered  today  among  the 
honored  and  prominent  pioneer  settlers  of 
the  county. 

Sterling  L.  Sutherland  remained  at 
home  until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  He 
pursued  the  greater  part  of  his  education 
in  the  common  district  schools  but  was  also 
for  two  winters  a  student  in  the  high  school 
in  Benton  Harbor.  He  early  became  famil- 
iar with  farm  labor  in  its  various  depart- 
ments gaining  that  practical  knowledge 
which  has  been  the  source  of  his  success  in 
later  years. 

After  reaching  man's  estate  Mr.  Suth- 
erland was  married  on  the  28th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1 88 1,  to  Miss  Elma  D.  Pearl,  a  daugh- 


ter of  Major  Pearl.  He  settled  on  a  farm  at 
Pearl  Grange  upon  land  belonging  to  his 
father  and  he  also  worked  his  father's  farm 
for  three  years,  the  two  places  adjoining. 
His  father  then  gave  him  forty  acres  of 
land  which  was  comprised  in  the  old  Ripley 
farm  on  Brittain  avenue,  where  he  at  once 
began  the  task  of  clearing  and  developing 
his  place,  ditching  and  draining  it  and  erect- 
ing thereon  good  buildings.  He  lived  there 
for  seven  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time 
he  purchased  his  present  farm  comprising 
eighty  acres  located  on  the  township  line 
and  situated  about  six  miles  from  Benton 
Liarbor.  It  adjoins  the  old  homestead  and 
is  known  as  the  old  Jonathan  Rose  farm, 
Mr.  Rose  having  converted  it  from  a  tract 
of  wild  land  into  a  good  farm  property. 
Mr.  Sutherland  has  cleared  thirty  acres  of 
this  land  and  now  all  is  under  cultivation. 
He  rebuilt  the  barn  in  1891  and  erected  a 
new  house  in  1905.  It  is  a  modern  struct- 
ure, thoroughly  up-to-date  in  every  partic- 
ular and  constitutes  one  of  the  fine  coun- 
try residences.  It  contains  ten  rooms,  is 
heated  with  a  furnace  and  supplied  with 
many  modern  equipments  and  in  fact  is  one 
of  the  best  homes  of  the  county.  Mr.  Suth- 
erland is  devoting  his  time  and  energies 
to  the  cultivation  of  fruit,  although  he  raises 
hay  and  grain  to  some  extent.  Pie  makes 
a  specialty,  however,  of  peaches,  plums  and 
apples,  all  of  which  he  has  set  out  himself. 
He  has  fifteen  acres  planted  to  young  apple 
trees,  one  thousand  peach  trees,  seventeen 
hundred  pear  trees  and  one  hundred 
plum  trees.  From  a  peach  orchard 
of  six  acres  he  sold  in  1905  fruit  to 
the  value  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars. 
Pie  is  now  planting  six  acres  to  grapes,  so 
that  he  will  soon  have  one  half  of  this  land 
in  fruit.  The  land  is  especially  suited  for 
the  production  of  pears,  plums  and  grapes 
and  in  1905  he  gathered  five  hundred  bask- 
ets of  grapes  from  forty-eight  plants.  Dur- 
ing the  summer  season  his  fruit  farm  is  cer- 
tainly a  most  attractive  place  with  its 
splendid  crops  of  fine  fruit.  He  plants  only 
the  best  varieties  and  his  fruit  therefore  in 
size,  quality  and  flavor  is  unsurpassed  and 
finds  a  ready  sale  on  the  market,  command- 
ing high  prices. 


532 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Mr.  Sutherland  in  1892  was  called  upon 
to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  first  wife,  who  died 
on  the  nth  of  January  of  that  year,  leav- 
ing two  sons,  one  of  whom  died  the  same 
year.  The  other,  Era  L.,  is  still  living  at 
the  age  of  fourteen.  On  the  21st  of  Sep- 
tember, 1892,  Mr.  Sutherland  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss 
Sarah  Archer,  a  daughter  of  Dovis  Archer, 
township  treasurer  of  Pipestone  township. 
It  was  in  that  township  that  Mrs.  Suther- 
land was  born  and  her  entire  life  has  been 
passed  in  this  county. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Suther- 
land is  a  Democrat,  unfaltering  in  his  ad- 
vocacy of  the  principles  of  the  party  and 
has  frequently  been  sent  as  a  delegate  to 
county  conventions  and  takes  an  active  in- 
terest in  local  elections.  He  is  a  Mason,  be- 
longing to  Lake  Shore  lodge,  six  residents 
of  his  neighborhood  taking  the.  degrees  of 
the  lodge  in  the  winter  of  1905-6.  He  is 
also  an  Odd  Fellow,  having  been  identified 
with  the  order  since  he  attained  his  major- 
ity, and  he  has  passed  all  of  the  chairs  in 
Benton  Lodge,  No.  132.  He  is  likewise  con- 
nected with  the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur.  Mr. 
Sutherland  has  always  lived  in  Benton 
township  and  is  well  known  to  its  citizens, 
by  whom  he  is  held  in  high  regard,  enjoy- 
ing the  friendship  of  many  with  whom  busi- 
ness and  social  relations  have  brought  him 
in  contact.  Work,  persistent,  earnest,  in- 
defatigable work,  has  been  the  key  that  has 
unlocked  for  him  the  portals  of  success, 
making  him  one  of  the  substantial  fruit 
raisers  of  Benton  township. 

January  24,  1898,  Mr.  Sutherland  left 
Michigan  for  Alaska,  where  he  remained 
several  months  returning  home  March  29, 
1899. 

ROBERT  PULLEN.  In  a  history  of 
the  men  of  the  past  and  present  who  have 
contributed  to  the  development  and  upbuild- 
ing of  Berrien  county  mention  should  be 
made  of  Robert  Pullen,  who  for  many  years 
was  connected  with  the  development  of  the 
fruit  industry  of  this  section  of  the  state. 
He  was  born  in  Kent,  England,  May  i,  1829, 
and  when  he  passed  away  on  the  nth  of 
December,  1904,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 


years  his  death  was  the  occasion  of  deep  and 
wide-spread  regret.  He  was  reared  to  man- 
hood in  his  native  country,  learning  the 
shoemaker's  trade  in  early  life.  He  came 
to  America  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years, 
landing  at  New  York,  after  which  he  worked 
at  his  trade  in  Syracuse,  New  York,  for  a 
time.  Subsequently  he  took  up  his  abode- 
near  Rochester  and  about  a  year  later  was 
married  there  to  Miss  Lizzie  Tyler,  also 
a  native  of  England.  They  had  been  friends 
in  that  country  and  had  become  engaged 
prior  to  their  emigration  to  the  new  world. 
Mrs.  Pullen  crossed  the  Atlantic  with  her 
parents  and  soon  after  she  gave  her  hand  in 
marriage  to  Robert  Pullen,  they  came  to 
the  middle  west,  settling  first  in  Racine,  Wis- 
consin, where  Mr.  Pullen  worked  at  the  shoe- 
maker's trade.  After  a  happy  married  life 
of  five  years  the  wife  passed  away,  leaving 
a  daughter,  Lizzie,  then  four  years  of  age.. 
She  was  reared  by  her  grandparents  in  Wis- 
consin but  often  visited  in  Berrien  county 
and  since  her  father's  death  has  made  her 
home  at  Fair  Plain. 

Mr.  Pullen  afterward  returned  to  Syra- 
cuse, New  York,  and  at  Brighton,  near 
Rochester,  where  he  had  first  married,  he^ 
was  again  married,  on  the  9th  of  February, 
1864,  his  second  union  being  with  Mary 
Bounds,  a  native  of  Northamptonshire,  Eng- 
land, who  came  to  the  United  States  with 
her  parents,  William  and  Ann  (Powell) 
Bounds,  who  settled  in  Brighton  when  she 
was  seven  years  of  age.  Both  her  father  and 
mother  died  at  Poplar  Grove,  Illinois,  the. 
former  passing  away  in  February,  1904,  and 
the  latter  only  six  days  later.  Mr.  Bounds, 
was  eighty-eight  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
his  demise,  while  his  wife  had  reached  the 
age  of  eighty-six  years.  They  had  removed 
to  Illinois  soon  after  their  daughter's  mar- 
riage and  for  a  long  period  were  residents 
of  that  state.  The  year  1904  was  fraught 
with  much  sadness  for  Mrs.  Pullen,  for  not 
only  did  her  parents  pass  away  in  February 
but  a  brother  at  Appleton,  Wisconsin,  died 
about  the  middle  of  the  year  and  her  hus- 
band in  the  latter  part  of  the  year.  From 
the  age  of  seven  years  until  her  first  mar- 
riage Mrs.  Pullen  Hved  in  Brighton.  She 
married  George  Pullen,  a  younger  brother^ 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


533 


of  Robert  Pullen,  and  within  two  years  he 
-enlisted   for   service  in   the  Civil   war   and 
was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  the  Wilder- 
ness,   the   injuries   causing   his   death   four 
years  later.  He  served  in  the  army  for  nearly 
two  years.     He  left  his  wife  and  one  son 
'George  E.   Pullen,   six  months  old,   at  his 
father's  home  when  he  went  to  the  front. 
After  their  marriage  in  1864  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
George  Pullen   removed  to   Poplar  Grove, 
Illinois,  and  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of 
a  grain  farm  there  in  connection  with  his 
brother,    Frank.      In    1867,    however,    the 
property  there  was  sold  and  Frank  Pullen 
came  to  Michigan  to  secure  a  fruit  farm. 
The  same  year  Robert  Pullen  came  and  pur- 
chased a  farm  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of 
peaches.     This  property  lay  in  Fair  Plain 
and   later   was   exchanged   for  the   present 
Tiome  of  his  widow  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
original  farm.     Here  Mrs.   Pullen  still  re- 
sides and  she  has  ten  acres  of  land  on  Col- 
fax avenue,  Fair  Plain.     Robert  Pullen  also 
invested  in  other  land  and  devoted  his  at- 
tention to  fruit  growing.     For  many  years 
he  engaged   in  the  raising  of  peaches,  but 
later  the  crop  was  taken  by  the  yellows  and 
lie  grew^  berries.     Subsequently,  however,  he 
gave  considerable  attention  to  grapes  and 
again  set  out  peaches,  his  fruit  growing  in- 
terests proving  a  success  from  a  financial 
standpoint.    He  looked  after  his  business  in- 
terests up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  employ- 
ing hired  help,  however,  to  do  the  active 
work  in  the  orchards.    He  found  the  climate 
conditions  and  society  satisfactory  at  his  new 
home  and  was  always  interested  in  the  wel- 
fare of  the  county.     He  greatly  enjoyed  his 
w^ork,  bringing  to  it  a  zeal  and  energy  which 
were  salient  features  in  his  success. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Pullen  was  a 
Republican  but  had  no  inclination  to  seek 
public  office,  his  time  and  attention  being 
devoted  to  his  home  and  to  other  duties.  He 
became  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  in 
early  life,  but  later  was  identified  with  the 
Second  Adventist  Society,  although  there 
was  no  organization  of  that  denomination  in 
Benton  Harbor.  His  connection  with  the 
church,  however,  continued  for  twenty  years 
and  he  left  one  thousand  dollars  to  that  so- 
ciety to  be  used  in  the  Advent  Christian  Bap- 


tist Publication  at  Mendota,  Illinois,  to  ad- 
vance Christian  work.  Unto  Robert  Pullen 
and  his  second  wife  were  born  no  children, 
but  Mrs.  Pullen  has  a  son.  Rev.  George  E. 
Pullen,  who  is  now  a  minister  of  the  Second 
Adventist  Christian  Church  and  resides  at 
Fair  Plain.  He  is  secretary  of  the  Western 
Advent  Christian  Publication  Association 
and  is  a  regular  weekly  contributor  to  the 
paper,  Our  Hope,  He  married  Ella  Harris, 
of  Berrien  county,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren, Ray  and  Hazel.  Mrs.  Pullen  has  taken 
part  in  various  church  activities  and  for 
many  years  she  and  her  husband  devoted  one 
tenth  of  their  income  to  the  church  work. 
She  has  a  pleasant  home  and  is  a  popular 
lady,  esteemed  for  her  many  excellent  traits 
of  heart  and  mind.  In  all  his  life  Mr.  Pullen 
was  straightforward  in  his  dealings  and  hon- 
orable in  his  relations  with  his  fellowmen, 
while  in  his  family  he  was  devoted  to  the 
welfare  and  happiness  of  his  household.  To 
his  friends  he  was  considerate  and  kindly 
and  while  carefully  and  successfully  con- 
ducting his  business  interests  he  at  the  same 
time  developed  a  character  which  made  him 
a  man  of  w^orth,  respected  by  all  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact. 

FRANK  PULLEN.  The  Gables,  the  at- 
tractive home  of  Frank  Pullen,  is  one  of  the 
best  residences  of  Fair  Plain  and  is  indicative 
of  the  spirit  of  enterprise  and  progress  which 
are  dominant  factors  in  the  life  and  work  of 
the  owner,  who  has  valuable  fruit  farming 
interests  in  Benton  township.  He  was  born 
at  Tenterdon,  County  Kent,  England,  about 
fifty  miles  south  of  London,  on  the  2d  of 
December,  1834.  In  his  boyhood  he  served 
an  apprenticeship  at  the  shoemaker's  trade, 
working  at  the  start  for  a  few  shillings  per 
week.  When  he  had  completed  his  ap- 
prenticeship he  was  employed  as  a  journey- 
man in  various  towns  in  England,  but  am- 
bitious to  enjoy  the  best  possible  advantages 
he  determined  to  seek  a  home  in  America, 
thinking  that  he  might  have  superior  busi- 
ness opportunities  in  this  country.  In  his 
native  land  he  received  from  three  to  five 
dollars  per  week,  from  which  he  had  to  pay 
all  of  his  expenses  and  it  took  him  two  or 
three  years  to  save  the  funds  to  meet  the  ex- 


534 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


penses  of  his  passage  to  America  on  a  sail- 
ing vessel,  which  was  thirty-two  days  in 
making  the  voyage  in  the  spring  of  1854. 
He  landed  at  New  York  city  with  but 
meagre  capital  and  after  reaching  his  destina- 
tion— Brighton,  New  York, — he  had  but  one 
shilling  left.  He  worked  for  six  months 
as  a  journeyman  at  the  shoemaker's  trade 
and  also  was  employed  in  a  nursery.  In  the 
fall  of  the  same  year  he  made  his  way  west- 
ward to  Racine,  Wisconsin,  by  way  of  the 
lakes  and  secured  employment  as  a  shoe- 
maker, but  the  following  spring  removed  to 
a  farm.  He  remained  for  sometime  in  Wis- 
consin and  also  visited  Illinois,  working  as 
he  could  find  opportunity  until  1864.  In 
that  year  he  re- visited  New  York  and  in 
1865  he  came  to  Michigan  and  purchased 
five  acres  of  land  which  was  covered  with 
stumps.  He  had  a  brother-in-law  who  had 
visited  this  state  and  it  was  his  report  that 
led  Frank  Pullen  to  come  to  Berrien  county. 
He  paid  one  hundred  and  forty  dollars  for 
his  land.  It  was  then  thought  that  fruit 
growing  could  not  be  profitably  followed  to 
any  great  extent  here.  Mr.  Pullen  made  a 
small  payment  on  his  farm,  but  had  to  incur 
an  indebtedness  to  secure  the  property.  He 
erected  a  little  dwelling  and  planted  his  land 
to  small  fruits.  Finally  he  set  it  out  to 
peaches,  but  the  yellows  destroyed  his 
orchard.  He  lived  upon  that  place  on  the 
St.  Joseph  side  of  the  river  for  three  or 
four  years,  after  which  he  secured  his  pres- 
ent land  at  Fair  Plain,  it  being  set  out  to 
fruit  at  that  time.  He  continued  to  own  the 
former  place  about  two  miles  distant  and 
finally  planted  it  to  fruit,  after  which  he  sold 
it  for  less  than  he  had  paid  for  it.  Subse- 
quently he  bought  ten  acres  of  land  border- 
ing the  river  at  six  hundred  dollars,  which 
he  afterward  sold  for  three  thousand  dol- 
lars. This  farm  he  planted  to  berries  and 
grapes  and  both  yielded  big  crops  which 
brought  good  prices  and  thus  he  gained  a 
position  of  affluence.  During  the  same  time 
he  invested  in  twenty  acres  of  land  on  Napier 
avenue,  for  which  he  paid  two  thousand  dol- 
lars and  which  he  still  owns.  This  has  re- 
peatedly paid  him  in  large  crops  of  black- 
berries, peaches  and  grapes.  His  different 
tracts  of  land  have  brought  good  returns 


and  altogether  he  has  prospered  as  the  years 
have  gone  by.  After  operating  the  river 
place  for  twenty  years  he  sold  it  for  three 
thousand  dollars.  His  home  place  is  set  out 
to  peaches  and  grapes  and  he  has  grown 
for  commercial  purposes.  When  the  peaches 
were  destroyed  by  the  yellows  people  were 
very  despondent,  but  it  was  soon  found  that 
berries  could  be  profitably  raised  and  many 
of  the  horticulturists  gave  their  attention  to 
the  small  fruits  until  peaches  again  became 
a  profitable  crop.  Mr.  Pullen  operates  his 
own  farm,  giving  to  it  his  personal  attention. 
He  has  also  invested  to  some  extent  in  real 
estate  and  has  loaned  money.  He  has  erected 
his  present  home,  a  fine  residence  known  as 
The  Gables,  which  is  one  of  the  best  in  Fair 
Plain. 

Mr.  Pullen  was  married  in  Wisconsin  to 
Miss  Mary  Tyler.  with  whom  he 
traveled  life's  journey  happily  together  for 
thirty  years,  when  she  died  in  Fair  Plain. 
They  had  no  children  who  reached  adult  age. 
His  second  wife,  wdio  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Helen  Scribner  Ricks,  was  a  native  of 
Hampshire,  England,  and  Mr.  Pullen  re- 
turned to  that  country  for  her.  He  was 
formerly  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church 
and  his  wife  was  reared  in  the  Episcopal 
church,  but  neither  are  now  sectarians.  In 
his  political  views  Mr.  Pullen  is  a  Repub- 
lican, but  does  not  seek  or  desire  office,  pre- 
ferring to  give  his  attention  to  his  business 
affairs,  which  are  now  bringing  to  him  a  very 
desirable  income. 

CLARENCE  D.  BIRKHOLM,  of  Fair 
Plain,  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now 
lives  on  the  St.  Joseph  river  about  two  and 
a  half  miles  south  of  Benton  Harbor,  his 
natal  day  being  July  7,  1876.  His  father 
was  Captain  Emil  Birkholm  and  his  mother 
Mrs.  J.  Birkholm.  The  father  was  a  native 
of  Denmark  and  when  twelve  years  of  age 
became  a  sailor.  He  followed  the  sea  for 
twelve  years,  during  which  time  he  visited 
almost  every  country  on  the  face  of  the  globe 
and  seven  times  i^ounded  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  He  was  in  several  shipwrecks  and 
had  many  narrow  escapes  on  various  occa- 
sions. After  becoming  a  resident  of  Amer- 
ica he  was  connected  with  the  fishing  trade 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


535 


and  was  also  a  sailor  on  the  lakes.  It  was  in 
the  latter  capacity  that  he  came  to  Benton 
Harbor  and  here  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  James  Stevens  in  the  lake  coast  traffic 
and  became  owner  and  captain  of  a  boat  run- 
ning- up  the  St.  Joseph  river.  In  the  mean- 
time he  purchased  land  but  continued  sail- 
ing for  a  considerable  period.  Finally,  how^- 
ever,  he  gave  his  attention  to  clearing  and 
developing  his  property  and  built  a  pleasant 
little  home  in  which  he  resided  for  thirty 
3'^ears  or  more,  although  he  was  absent  much 
of  the  time  on  other  business  duties.  At  in- 
tervals he  w^ould  sail  again  upon  the  lakes 
and  was  thus  engaged  until  within  a  short 
time  prior  to  his  death.  The  year  before 
he  died  he  w^as  captain  of  the  Starlight,  a 
three  masted  yacht.  He  died  at  Benton  Har- 
bor at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years  and  his 
widow  is  still  living  in  Fair  Plain.  He  was 
one  of  the  well  known  characters  of  this  part 
of  the  state,  his  connection  with  lake  and 
river  traffic  bringing  him  wide  acquaintance. 
Unto  him  and  his  wife  were  born  ten  chil- 
dren, who  were  reared  at  the  family  home 
at  Fair  Plain. 

Clarence  D.  Birkholm  was  next  to  the 
youngest  in  this  family.  He  remained  with 
his  mother  until  he  was  married.  She  had  a 
fruit  farm  and  he  assisted  her  in  gathering 
the  fruit  and  in  caring  for  the  place.  At  the 
early  age  of  eighteen  he  began  to  buy  fruit 
on  the  streets  and  would  buy  orchards  from 
time  to  time.  He  continued  in  the  business 
up  to  the  present  time  for  himself.  Nine 
years  ago  he  purchased  his  present  farm, 
which  was  his  father's  old  home,  and  has 
since  devoted  the  land  to  horticultural  pur- 
suits. He  has  it  all  reset  and  it  is  devoted 
to  peaches,  pears  and  grapes.  The  farm  has 
given  very  satisfactory  returns,  especially 
in  grapes,  and  he  has  bought  in  some  seasons 
large  quantities  of  fruit,  valued  at  more  than 
forty  thousand  dollars. 

Mr.  Birkholm  was  married  on  the  4th 
of  October,  1899,  to  Miss  Helen  Gross,  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Mary  (Pender) 
Gross.  Mrs.  Birkholm  was  born  in  Ten- 
nessee, where  her  father  died  of  yellow  fever. 
In  her  girlhood  days  she  was  brought  to 
Benton  Harbor,  where  her  mother  spent  her 
last  days  and  here  the  daughter  was  reared 


becoming  a  seamstress^  which  pursuit  she 
followed  until  her  marriage.  There  are 
three  children  of  this  union :  George  J.,  John 
F.  and  Marian. 

Mr.  Birkholm  is  a  Republican  in  his 
political  views  and  is  active  in  party  conven- 
tions, wherein  his  opinions  carry  weight.  He 
has  always  kept  well  informed  on  questions 
and  issues  of  the  day  and  has  held  some  local 
offices  in  St.  Joseph  township,  serving  al- 
most continuously  in  positions  of  public  trust 
since  attaining  his  majority.  In  1905  he 
was  township  treasurer.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  church  of  Benton  Harbor  and 
holds  membership  with  the  Gleaners.  He 
has  recently  erected  a  nice  residence  on  his 
farm  and  his  land  extends  back  to  the  bluff, 
commanding  a  beautiful  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding country. 

DR.  BURTON  D.  GIDDINGS,  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery 
in  Niles,  where  at  the  present  writing  he  is 
serving  as  city  physician  and  city  health  of- 
ficer, was  born  in  Edinburg,  Portage  county, 
in  the  northeastern  part  of  Ohio,  which  is 
known  as  the  Western  Reserve,  in  1873,  and 
although  a  young  man  he  has  already  at- 
tained a  creditable  position  in  the  pro- 
fessional ranks  in  this  part  of  Michigan.  His 
father,  John  R.  Giddings,  is  also  a  native 
of  Ohio,  who  has  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming  for  many  years  and  has  been  identi- 
fied with  various  interests  in  his  native  state. 
He  married  Julia  E.  Gano,  also  a  native  of 
Ohio,  where  they  are  still  living.  In  their 
family  w^ere  three  children,  two  sons  and  a 
daughter,  of  whom  Burton  D.  and  Lyle 
Clinton  are  still  living. 

Dr.  Giddings  of  this  review  supple- 
mented his  early  education  by  study  in 
Hiram  College  in  Ohio,  in  which  institution 
James  A.  Garfield  was  once  a  student  and 
later  president  of  the  college.  Dr.  Giddings 
then  followed  school  teaching  for  a  period 
and  in  the  World's  Fair  year  w^ent  to  Idaho. 
He  afterward  attended  the  University  of 
Idaho  for  a  year  and  then  taught  school  near 
Spokane  Falls,  Washington.  In  1895  h^ 
returned  to  Ohio  and  became  inspector  for 
an  extensive  bicycle  establishment  in  Cleve- 
land, occupying  that  position  for  two  years. 


^36 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


He  then  spent  one  summer  sailing  on  the 
Great  Lakes,  following  this  pursuit  largely 
on  account  of  his  health,  which  had  become 
somewhat  impaired.  In  the  meantime  he 
had  devoted  his  leisure  hours  largely  to  the 
study  of  medicine,  and  after  his  retirement 
from  the  lakes  he  went  to  Chicago,  where 
he  carried  on  his  studies  in  a  practical  way. 
There,  however,  he  became  ill  with  typhoid, 
while  a  student  at  the  Bennett  Medical  Col- 
lege, and  was  somewhat  delayed  in  his  prep- 
aration for  the  profession.  He  attended  the 
Bennett  Medical  College  for  a  period  of 
three  years  and  then  entered  the  Hahnemann 
Medical  College  mainly  because  of  superior 
clinical  facilities,  from  which  he  won  the 
degree  of  M.  D.  on  the  i6th  of  January, 
1903. 

Dr.  Giddings  located  for  practice  in 
Hinchman,  Michigan,  where  he  remained 
for  only  a  brief  period,  coming  in  the  same 
year  to  Niles,  where  he  entered  into  part- 
nership with  Dr.  Z.  L.  Baldwin,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Baldwin  &  Giddings,  this  re-< 
lation  being  continued  until  August,  1905, 
when  the  partnership  was  dissolved.  Dr. 
Giddings  has  since  practiced  alone  with  ex- 
cellent success,  being  the  regular  family 
physician  in  many  households.  He  is  also 
city  physician  and  city  health  officer  of  Niles, 
having  been  appointed  to  the  latter  position 
in  April,  1905,  and  he  is  examining  physi- 
cian for  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  the  Maccabees, 
holding  membership  in  the  local  organiza- 
tions of  these  orders  in  Niles.  He  likewise 
belongs  to  Berrien  County  Lodge,  No.  6, 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  at  Niles.  His  political  support 
is  given  to  the  Republican  party,  and  he 
keeps  well  informed  on  all  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day  but  has  no  aspiration  for 
office  aside  from  the  line  of  his  profession. 

Dr.  Giddings  was  married  in  1900  in 
Chicago,  Illinois,  to  Miss  Lavinia  S.  Har- 
per, who  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  and 
at  the  time  of  their  marriage  was  a  trained 
nurse,  having  graduated  from  the  Bennett 
Hospital  training  class  of  Chicago.  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Giddings  have  won  many  friends 
during  their  residence  in  Niles  and  receive 
the  esteem  which  is  uniformly  accorded  in 
recognition     of    intelligence     and     genuine 


worth.  With  a  sense  of  conscientious  obli- 
gation regarding  his  profession  he  has  in  his 
chosen  field  of  labor  faithfully  performed 
each  duty,  maintaining  a  high  standard  of 
professional  ethics  and  has  made  a  credit- 
able name  as  a  representative  of  the  medical 
fraternity. 

SAMUEL  J.  QUADE  is  the  owner  of 
one  of  the  most  desirable  properties  along 
the  St.  Joseph  river.  Lying  in  the  great 
Bend,  it  has  a  long  water  frontage  and  is  a 
sightly  place,  splendidly  situated  for  a  resort 
or  country  residence.  Here  Mr.  Quade  is 
devoting  his  attention  to  horticultural  pur- 
suits with  excellent  results.  He  was  born 
in  the  city  of  Buffalo,  New  York,  on  the  30th 
of  December,  1856,  and  was  reared  in  the 
city.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  finisher, 
varnisher  and  gilder,  serving  a  regular  ap- 
prenticeship and  thoroughly  mastering  the 
business.  He  worked  in  Buffalo  as  a 
journeyman  until  1881,  when  he  came  to  the 
middle  west,  settling  in  Chicago,  where  he 
was  employed  until  1899.  He  acted  at  dif- 
ferent times  as  foreman  in  several  finishing 
departments  in  which  a  number  of  men  were 
employed  under  his  supervision.  In  1889 
he  came  to  Benton  Harbor  and  did  finishing 
work  on  the  Graham  block,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1890  he  purchased  his  farm  in  Fair  Plain. 
Each  spring,  however,  from  1891  until  1900, 
he  had  charge  of  the  boat  finishing  work  on 
the  Graham  and  Morton  line  of  vessels.  His 
farm  is  part  of  the  old  Elmer  J.  Jakway 
tract  of  land  in  the  bend  of  the  St.  Joseph 
river  two  miles  south  of  Benton  Harbor  and 
about  one  half  of  his  forty-two  acre  tract  is 
planted  to  fruit.  He  makes  a  specialty  of 
peaches  and  grapes  and  has  sold  as  high  as 
two  thousand  bushels  of  peaches  in  a  single 
season.  No  fruit  was  upon  the  place  when 
he  purchased  the  land  and  all  has  been  set 
out  by  him.  His  orchards  and  vineyards  are 
now  in  excellent  condition,  for  he  has  pur- 
chased good  nursery  stock  and  has  carried 
on  his  work  along  progressive  lines  in  keep- 
ing with  the  most  advanced  ideas  of  horti- 
culture. 

On  the  20th  of  May,  1878,  Mr.  Quade 
was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  M.  Ermeling, 
who  was  born  in  Chicago.    They  now  have 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


537 


seven  children :  Bertha,  who  is  a  saleslady  in 
Marshall  Field's  dry  goods  house  in  Chi- 
cago; Martha^  the  wife  of  Benjamin  F.  Ber- 
tram, of  Franklin,  Texas;  Ella,  at  home; 
Samuel  J.,  in  Texas;  Minnie,  Herbert  and 
Edward,  also  with  their  parents. 

Mr.  Quade  is  active  and  prominent  in 
Masonic  circles  and  is  an  exemplary  repre- 
sentative of  Lake  Shore  lodge  of  Benton 
Harbor.  He  was  made  a  master  Mason  on 
the  2d  of  October,  1900,  and  he  passed  all 
of  the  chairs  and  was  elected  worshipful 
master  in  1905,  so  that  he  is  at  present  ''in 
the  east."  He  has  taken  the  degrees  of  the 
York  Rite,  belonging  to  the  chapter,  council 
and  commandery,  and  both  he  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Eastern  Star.  In  politics 
he  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  has  served  as 
justice  of  the  peace  and  school  inspector,  and 
is  frequently  a  delegate  to  the  Republican 
conventions.  His  life  has  been  one  of  un- 
tiring business  activity  crowned  with  a  de- 
sirable measure  of  success  and  with  an  early 
realization  of  the  value  of  labor  and  persever- 
ance he  has  worked  on  steadily  year  after 
year  until  he  is  now  owner  of  a  good  prop- 
erty, which  annually  returns  to  him  a  gratify- 
ing income. 

JOSEPH  RICHARDS,  living  at  Fair 
Plain,  where  he  is  successfully  engaged  in 
horticultural  pursuits,  was  born  in  County 
Cornwall,  England,  November  6,  1848,  and 
his  youth  was  spent  as  a  farm  lad  upon  the 
old  homestead  belonging  to  his  father,  who 
was  extensively  engaged  in  farming.  The 
son  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  but  had  little  op- 
portunity for  acquiring  an  education  after 
he  reached  the  age  of  ten  years.  In  1870 
he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America,  making 
his  way  to  Ontario,  Canada,  where  he 
worked  out  until  the  spring  of  1871,  when 
he  came  to  Benton  Harbor,  where  his 
brother,  W.  H.  Richards^  was  engaged  in 
contracting  and  building.  He  was  one  of 
the  early  contractors  of  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try and  for  a  time  was  connected  with  build- 
ing operations  in  Chicago,  after  which  he 
came  to  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  still  re- 
sides. 

Follow^ing  his  removal  to  Michigan,  Jo- 


seph Richards  engaged  in  cultivating  land 
now  within  the  city  limits  and  thereon  raised 
fruit  and  vegetables.  He  afterward  became 
a  solicitor  for  a  Chicago  buyer,  purchasing 
fruit  on  the  streets  of  Benton  Harbor  for 
fifteen  years.  For  one  year  he  was  engaged 
in  the  grocery  trade  in  partnership  with 
John  Herr  and  then  became  an  independent 
fruit  buyer  with  experiences  similar  to  that 
of  the  average  man  in  this  line  of  business. 
Gradually  his  financial  resources  were  in- 
creased and  in  1891  he  came  to  his  present 
farm  in  Fair  Plain  at  the  corner  of  Napier 
and  Fair  Plain  avenue.  He  owns  ten  acres 
of  land  w^hich  was  a  part  of  the  old  Napier 
farm  and  has  devoted  it  to  fruit  raising, 
making  a  specialty  of  peaches.  He  also 
keeps  summer  boarders,  having  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty  boarders  during  the 
summer  season.  The  place  is  known  as  the 
Richards  resort  and  has  become  popular,  be- 
ing now  well  patronized  through  the  sum- 
mer months.  Mr.  Richards  is  a  commercial 
grower  of  fruit  and  his  products  find  a  ready 
sale  on  the  market. 

In  Benton  Harbor  occurred  the  marriage 
of  Joseph  Richards  and  Miss  Helen  Noe,  a 
daughter  of  Elzever  and  Mary  (Crittenden) 
Noe,  who  came  to  Michigan  when  their 
daughter  was  eleven  years  of  age  from  Sum- 
mit county,  Ohio,  where  her  birth  occurred. 
Locating  at  Fair  Plain,  the  father  cleared 
and  developed  the  farm  now  owned  by  R. 
C.  Thayer.  After  residing  thereon  for 
twenty  years  he  removed  to  Benton  Harbor. 
He  had  conducted  a  wagon  shop  on  his  farm 
and  later  continued  in  the  same  line  of  busi- 
ness in  Benton  Harbor,  being  well  remem- 
bered there  as  a  representative  of  industrial 
interests.  He  died  in  1893  at  the  age  of 
seventy-two  years  and  his  widow  passed 
away  three  years  later  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
seven  years.  The  members  of  their  family 
were :  Helen,  now  Mrs.  Richards ;  Anna,  the 
wife  of  John  Herr;  Leverett,  who  had  been 
engaged  in  the  wagon  making  business  with 
his  father  in  Benton  Harbor  and  died  at 
the  age  of  thirty  years ;  and  Clara,  the  wife 
of  Frank  Wilkinson,  of  St.  Joseph. 

Mrs.  Richards  was  educated  at  Fair 
Plain  and  taught  school  for  a  short  time. 
By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother 


538 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN    COUNTY 


of  six  children :  Clara  Jane,  who  attended 
the  high  school  and  also  the  state  normal, 
has  for  seven  years  been  engaged  in  teach- 
ing in  the  schools  of  St.  Joseph.  James 
Arthnr,  a  graduate  of  the  high  school,  is 
an  electrician  and  also  a  farmer  .living  at 
home.  May  was  married  April  14,  1906, 
to  Harry  Mess  of  Fair  Plain,  and  is  now^ 
resident  of  Chicago.  Lncy  P.,  a  graduate 
of  the  high  school  and  a  student  at  Kinder- 
garten Institute,  Chicago,  is  also  engaged 
in  teaching.  Elizabeth,  a  high  school  grad- 
uate, is  at  home.  Charles  is  still  attending 
school.  The  parents  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  in  politics 
Mr.  Richards  is  independent  with  Prohi- 
bition tendencies.  He  has  no  use  for  the 
saloon  but  at  elections  votes  for  the  party 
whereby  he  thinks  the  best  results  can  be 
secured.  His  success  is  attributable  to  his 
wife's  efforts,  for  he  started  out  in  life  empty 
handed  and  whatever  prosperity  he  has 
achieved  is  attributable  entirely  to  her  w^ell- 
directed  labors. 

WILLIAM  P.  VAN  NAMEE,  for 
many  years  an  enterprising  and  successful 
farmer  of  Benton  township,  was  born  near 
Watertown  in  St.  Lawrence  county.  New 
York,  September  9,  1842,  and  died  on  the 
6th  of  July,  1903.  The  years  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  were  spent  in  his  native  lo- 
cality and  his  educational  privileges  were 
those  afforded  by  the  public  schools.  He 
remained  at  home  until  after  the  inaugura- 
tion of  the  Civil  war,  when  his  patriotic  spirit 
being  aroused  he  responded  to  the  country's 
call  for  aid  and  became  a  member  of  Com- 
pany C,  Twentieth  New  York  Cavalry,  be- 
ing one  of  six  brothers  who  served  in  the 
army.  He  continued  with  his  command  for 
nearly  four  years  and  was  then  honorably 
discharged.  On  one  occasion  his  horse  fell 
through  a  bridge  and  in  the  fall  Mr.  Van 
Namee  was  so  injured  that  his  health  was 
ever  afterward  affected.  He  was  sergeant 
of  his  company  and  his  service  was  largely 
in  Virginia,  his  regiment  being  a  part  of 
Buell's  army.  He  had  a  wide  experience 
and  underwent  the  usual  hardships  of  war 
when  the  soldier,  putting  aside  all  the  com- 
forts of  home,  meets  difficulties  and  dangers 


upon  the  battlefield,  and  in  camp  life  is 
denied  those  things  which  are  commonly  re- 
garded as  essential  to  comfort  and  welfare. 
The  injury  which  he  sustained  through  the 
giving  way  of  the  bridge  caused  him  to  be 
honorably  discharged,  and  in  March,  1865, 
he  returned  to  his  home. 

On  the  1 2th  of  October,  1866,  Mr.  Van 
Namee  was  married  to  Miss  Fannie  L.  Pearl, 
a  daughter  of  Warren  and  Minerva  E. 
(Randall)  Pearl,  of  Benton  township,  who 
resided  near  Pearl  Grange.  They  were 
among  the  early  pioneer  settlers  of  the  lo- 
cality. The  paternal  grandfather  of  Mrs. 
Van  Namee  had  cut  a  farm  out  of  the  heavy 
timber,  near  the  present  site  of  Pearl 
Grange.  Warren  Pearl  was  born  at  Little 
Falls,  New  York,  and  was  a  son  of  Phineas 
Pearl,  who  became  the  first  settler  in  his 
part  of  the  country  when  he  removed  from 
the  east  to  Michigan.  The  journey  west- 
w^ard  was  made  in  a  coach  which  he  had  built 
himself  when  a  young  man.  Warren  Pearl 
was  a  young  man  at  the  time  of  the  removal 
to  the  west.  He  was  married  in  1847,  ^^ 
St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  to  Miss  Randall,  who 
was  then  living  with  an  uncle,  James  Ran- 
dall, a  ship  carpenter  at  that  place.  Later 
her  mother  came  on  from  Canada  and  lived 
in  Millburg  until  her  death.  About  the 
time  of  his  marriage  Warren  Pearl  took  up 
a  tract  of  wild  land  near  his  father's  place 
and  after  working  for  a  time  at  ship  carpen- 
tering in  St.  Joseph  he  began  the  work  of 
developing  and  improving  a  farm.  He 
hewed  out  his  fields  in  the  midst  of  a  dense 
forest  and  met  all  the  difficulties  and  ob- 
stacles of  pioneer  life,  but  persevered  in  his 
labors  and  in  due  course  of  time  gathered 
rich  harvests,  wdiere  formerly  were  seen  the 
tall  forest  trees.  With  several  others  he 
made  the  trip  overland  to  California,  the 
party  numbering  several  people  from  this 
locality,  including  Keyes  Hade,  Sterling 
Howard  and  Simeon  Wilson,  of  St.  Joseph. 
He  spent  four  years  in  California  and  upon 
his  return  built  a  sawmiill  on  his  farm,  it 
standing  near  the  southern  edge  of  his  prop- 
erty. His  was  the  principal  mill  of  the  vicin- 
ity and  he  sawed  much  of  the  timl^er  cut  in 
this  part  of  the  state.  He  disposed  of  his 
cut  largely  to  carriage-making  firms.     The 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


539 


country  was  covered  with  oak,  hickory  and 
whitewood  timber  and  for  many  years  the 
lumber  industry  was  a  very  important  one 
here.  As  the  land  was  cleared  Mr.  Pearl 
cultivated  his  fields  and  in  course  of  time  de- 
veloped one  of  the  best  farms  in  Benton 
township.  In  the  early  days  he  grew  peaches 
before  the  yellows  largely  destroyed  crops, 
but  finally  the  disease  carried  off  his 
orchards.  On  the  same  ground  is  now  to  be 
found  one  of  Roland  Morrill's  celebrated 
orchards.  The  present  Pearl  cemetery  is 
where  his  first  peach  orchard  stood.  This 
cemetery  was  set  off  by  Mr.  Pearl  on  the 
occasion  of  the  first  death  in  his  own  fam- 
ily. Others  desired  a  burial  place  in  the 
same  tract  of  land  and  he  finally  platted  the 
cemetery,  which  now  bears  his  name.  For 
many  years  he  was  an  active  and  enterpris- 
ing resident  of  this  part  of  the  state,  his 
labors  being  a  factor  in  its  early  develop- 
ment and  improvement.  He  aided  in  the 
reclamation  of  the  wild  land  and  in  the  ex- 
tension of  the  frontier  and  his  work  proved 
of  direct  and  permanent  good.  He  died 
June  10.  1883,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years 
and  one  month,  while  his  wife,  who  was 
born  in  Prescott,  Canada,  September  24, 
1826,  died  April  21,  1882,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-five  years  and  six  months.  In  his  fam- 
ily were  six  wdio  reached  maturity,  namely : 
Fannie  L.,  now  Mrs.  Van  Namee;  Ellen  L., 
wdio  became  the  wife  of  Roland  Morrill  and 
died  wdien  about  forty  years  of  age ;  Gilbert, 
who  owned  and  operated  a  large  farm  in 
Kansas,  where  he  died  wdien  about  thirty 
years  of  age,  leaving  one  child.  May  Pearl, 
who  is  now  the  wife  of  Aubrey  Sutherland, 
of  Benton  Harbor;  James  Warren,  who  is 
a  civil  engineer  residing  in  Benton  Harbor; 
Irving  Randall,  wdio  was  the  owner  of  a 
part  of  the  old  homestead  and  died  in  No- 
vember, 1905  ;  and  Nancy  B.,  the  wife  of 
Harry  Ely,  of  Benton  Harbor. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Van  Namee 
worked  for  ten  years  for  his  father-in-law 
in  connection  with  the  operation  of  the  saw- 
mill and  the  placing  of  the  product  on  the 
market.  He  hauled  lumber  to  St.  Joseph 
when  the  road  to  that  city  lay  across  the 
bottoms  and  was  little  more  than  a  cause- 
way, the  water  in  the  case  of  storms  often 


beating  up  over  the  road  and  even  as  high 
as  the  wagon  bed.  Indeed  Mrs.  Van  Namee 
remembers  crossing  the  road  when  the 
w^ater  came  into  the  wagon  bed.  After  ten 
years  spent  upon  the  farm  Mr.  Van  Namee 
purchased  a  part  of  the  present  farm,  to 
which  he  afterward  added.  With  deter- 
mined purpose  he  set  to  work  to  clear  his 
land,  making  it  a  very  desirable  property, 
which  he  transformed  into  a  fine  home. 
Considerable  fruit  has  been  set  out  here  and 
the  land  is  also  well  adapted  to  general 
farming.  A  part  of  the  old  homestead  is 
now  leased  to  Roland  Morrill,  a  brother-in- 
law  of  Mrs.  Van  Namee. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Namee  were 
born  three  children :  Claude  W.,  born  May 
16,  1869;  Jessie  M.,  who  was  born  June  20, 
1872,  and  is  the  wife  of  J.  Rogers,  of 
Seneca  county,  Ohio,  w^ho  is  now  living  in 
Benton  Harbor;  and  Pearlie,  who  was  born 
August  24,  1877,  and  is  now  the  wife  of 
William  Gilbert,  who  operates  the  Van 
Namee  farm.  By  this  marriage  there  have 
been  born  four  children :  Carl  William, 
James  B.,  Fannie  E.  and  Jessie  A.  Gilbert. 

Mr.  Van  Namee  worked  persistently 
and  energetically  year  after  year,  making 
the  most  of  his  opportunities  and  putting 
forth  his  efforts  along  well  directed  lines 
of  labor  until  a  gratifying  measure  of  suc- 
cess was  accorded.  He  was  thus  enabled 
to  leave  his  family  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances and  Mrs.  Van  Namee  is  the  owner 
of  an  attractive  and  valuable  farm,  which 
was  once  the  old  Pearl  homestead.  She  is 
a  representative  of  one  of  the  oldest  fam- 
ilies of  the  county  and  the  circle  of  her 
friends  is  an  extensive  one,  for  she  has  a 
very  wide  acquaintance  here. 

ERNEST  VANDERVEER,  one  of  the 
energetic  and  successful  farmers  of  Berrien 
county,  owns  an  excellent  property  consti- 
tuting a  very  fine  farm.  It  is  improved 
with  good  buildings  and  in  its  midst  stands 
an  attractive  country  residence.  The  prin- 
cipal industry  of  this  county  is  fruit  raising 
and  to  this  business  Mr.  Vanderveer  gives 
his  attention.  He  was  born  on  the  old 
family  homestead  in  Benton  township.  May 
24,    1865,    his    parents    being    James    and 


540 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Nancy  C.  (Young)  Vanderveer,  who  were 
married  in  Battle  Creek,  Michigan,  about 
1850.  He  is  a  representative  of  one  of 
the  old  Knickerbocker  families  of  New 
York,  his  ancestors  having  come  from  Hol- 
land to  America  in  colonial  days.  James 
Vanderveer,  the  father,  was  born  in  Mont- 
gomery county.  New  York,  and  about  1848 
made  his  way  westward  to  Battle  Creek, 
Michigan,  being  then  a  lad  with  no  capital 
but  possessing  strong  purpose  and  an  earn- 
est determination  to  win  success.  In  the 
course  of  a  few  years  he  found  it  possible 
to  engage  in  business  on  his  own  account 
and  for  five  years  he  was  connected  with  the 
hardware  trade  in  Battle  Creek,  carrying 
a  large  and  carefully  selected  stock  valued 
at  forty  thousand  dollars.  On  one  occasion 
he  went  to  New  York  city  to  buy  goods  and 
while  there  his  store  was  destroyed  by  fire 
and  because  of  a  flaw  in  the  policy  the  in- 
surance company  refused  to  pay  him  his 
insurance  and  the  loss  therefore  was  very 
heavy.  Being  forced  to  begin  life  anew, 
Mr.  Vanderveer  than  came  to  Berrien 
county  and  purchased  a  small  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres,  formerly  the 
Sterling  Howard  property.  He  at  once  be- 
gan to  clear  and  cultivate  the  fields  and  in 
the  course  of  time  was  gathering  good  har- 
vests. After  raising  grain  for  some  time  he 
began  raising  peaches  and  later  turned  his 
attention  to  the  cultivation  of  apples,  carry- 
ing on  that  business  on  an  extensive  scale. 
Although  he  was  in  debt  when  he  came  to 
this  county  he  regained  more  than  he  had 
lost  in  Battle  Creek  and  not  only  discharged 
all  indebtedness  but  became  the  owner  of 
very  valuable  property  interests.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  home  place  he  owned  three  or 
four  other  farms,  which  were  operated  un- 
der his  immediate  supervision.  He  voted 
with  the  Republican  party,  but  the  extent 
and  importance  of  his  business  interests  left 
him  little  time  for  political  work,  although 
he  served  in  several  minor  offices.  His 
death  occurred  May  5,  1901,  and  his  widow 
is  now  living  with  her  son,  William  N.  Of 
their  eight  children  only  four  are  living: 
John;  William  N.,  who  is  represented  else- 
where in  this  work;  Ernest,  of  this  review; 
and  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  John  Downing. 


Ernest  Vanderveer  was  reared  upon  the 
old  family  homestead  in  Benton  township 
and  early  gained  practical  experience  con- 
cerning the  work  of  the  fields  and  of  the  or- 
chards. His  early  educational  privileges, 
afforded  by  the  common  schools,  were  sup- 
plemented by  one  year's  study  in  the  North- 
ern Indiana  Normal  School  at  Valparaiso 
and  he  afterward  engaged  in  teaching  for 
four  years  in  Bainbridge  and  Benton  town- 
ships, spending  two  years  of  that  time  in  the 
home  district. 

On  the  I  St  of  January,  1889,  Mr.  Van- 
derveer was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Ethel  Barrett,  of  Benton  township,  a 
daughter  of  G.  W.  Barrett,  now  of  Benton 
Harbor.  For  a  year  after  his  marriage  Mr. 
Vanderveer  continued  teaching  and  then 
lived  upon  his  father's  farm,  and  later  gave 
supervision  to  his  present  farm  and  one  at 
Grange  Hall.  He  removed  to  his  present 
place  of  residence  in  1895,  this  being  just 
across  the  road  from  the  farm  owned  and 
occupied  by  his  brother,  W.  N.  Vanderveer. 
He  has  put  all  of  the  improvements  upon 
the  property  and  has  cleared  about  one  half 
of  the  sixty  acres.  He  grows  fruit,  having 
twenty  acres  planted  to  orchards,  twelve 
acres  being  in  peaches  and  in  1905  he  sold 
twenty-five  hundred  bushels  from  his  place. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vanderveer  has  been 
born  one  son,  James  G.  Mr.  Vanderveer 
belongs  to  Pearl  Grange,  in  which  he  has 
passed  all  of  the  chairs  and  is  the  present 
secretary.  He  is  also  affiliated  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  His  life  is 
actuated  by  a  spirit  of  enterprise  and  strong 
determination  and  his  painstaking  and  pro- 
gressive methods  are  manifest  in  the  excel- 
lent appearance  of  his  farm.  Each  year 
after  the  season's  crops  are  upon  the  market 
he  with  several  others  goes  to  the  northern 
peninsula  on  a  hunting  expedition  and  thus 
he  finds  rest  and  recreation  after  the  labors 
of  the  year. 

WILLIAM  N.  VANDERVEER,  who 
won  a  medal  at  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Ex- 
position at  St.  Louis  for  an  exhibit  of 
apples,  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  foremost 
fruit  raisers  of  Benton  township  and  Ber- 
rien county,  carrying  on  his  business  along 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


541 


modern  scientific  lines  and  through  practical 
means  and  measures. 

His  father,  James  Vanderveer,  was  born 
in  Montgomery  county,  New  York,  and  was 
descended  from  Holland  ancestors,  who 
were  among  the  old  Knickerbocker  families 
of  the  Empire  state.  About  1848,  he  came 
alone  to  Michigan,  although  but  a  boy,  and 
made  his  way  to  Battle  Creek,  where  later 
he  was  connected  with  the  hardware  trade 
for  five  years.  During  his  residence  there 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Nancy  C.  Young, 
also  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  the  wed- 
ding being  celebrated  about  1850.  He  was 
very  prosperous  for  some  time  in  the  con- 
duct of  his  mercantile  interests  in  Battle 
Creek  and  carried  a  stock  valued  at  forty 
thousand  dollars,  but  when  in  New  York 
city  buying  goods  for  his  store  it  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  and  the  insurance  company 
refused  to  pay  him  a  cent  of  insurance  be:- 
cause  of  a  flaw  in  the  policy.  He  then  came 
to  Benton  township,  Berrien  county,  and 
purchaser  a  small  farm  of  eighty  acres, 
formerly  the  John  Downing  property.  This 
is  an  old  landmark  on  the  county  and  in 
the  early  days  was  known  as  the  Sterling 
Howard  farm.  James  Vanderveer  at  once 
began  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of 
the  property,  devoting  his  attention  in  the 
earlier  years  to  the  raising  of  grain  and  later 
to  the  production  of  apples.  He  also  owned 
other  farms,  operating  three  or  four  farms 
himself,  having  land  near  Coloma  as  well 
as  in  Benton  township.  He  was  indeed  an 
earnest  and  indefatigable  worker  and  good 
business  man  and  in  his  farming  operations 
he  prospered,  becoming  quite  successful  and 
accumulating  an  estate  greater  than  that 
which  he  lost  in  Battle  Creek.  During  his 
last  years  he  lived  retired.  He  continued 
a  resident  of  Berrien  county  for  about  forty 
years  and  was  respected  for  what  he  accom- 
plished and  by  reason  of  his  genuine  per- 
sonal worth.  He  was  a  man  of  marked  in- 
dividuality and  force  of  character  and 
though  the  fire  and  its  consequent  loss  was 
enough  to  discourage  a  man  of  much  reso- 
lution of  spirit  he  nevertheless  in  determined 
manner  set  to  work  to  retrieve  his  loss 
and  built  up  a  good  estate  for  his  family. 
He  died  May  5,   1901,  respected  and  hon- 


ored by  all  who  knew  him  and  his  widow 
still  survives,  now  making  her  home  with 
her  son,  William  N.  In  their  family  were 
eight  children,  four  of  whom  reached  ma- 
ture years,  namely:  John,  William  N., 
Ernest  and  Elizabeth,  the  last  named  being 
the  wife  of  John  Downing.  The  father  was 
a  Republican  and  held  minor  offices.  He 
took  a  deep  interest  in  the  success  and 
growth  of  his  party  and  delighted  in  the 
progress  made  by  the  county  along  all  lines 
of  substantial  and  permanent  improvement. 
He  was  very  practical  in  all  of  his  methods 
and  far  sighted  and  sagacious  in  his  busi- 
ness affairs.  He  made  excellent  improve- 
ments upon  the  home  property  and  after  de- 
voting his  attention  to  the  production  of 
grain  for  a  number  of  years  he  turned  his 
attention  to  horticultural  pursuits,  raising 
first  peaches  but  afterward  engaging  in  the 
production  of  apples  on  an  extensive  scale. 

William  N.  Vanderveer  was  born  upon 
the  old  family  homestead,  April  19,  1861, 
and  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until 
he  had  attained  his  majority,  attending  the 
Benton  Harbor  high  school  and  also  the 
Valparaiso  Normal  College,  where  he  pur- 
sued a  commercial  course  and  bookkeeping. 
He  worked  with  his  father  and  made  the 
present  improvements  on  eighty  acres  of 
land.  This  is  his  present  home  place,  on 
which  is  a  fine  orchard.  He  has  about 
twenty  acres  in  fruit,  fifteen  acres  being 
planted  to  peaches  and  in  his  horticultural 
pursuits  he  has  met  with  satisfactory  re- 
sults. He  sold  one  thousand  barrels  of  ap- 
pels  in  one  year  and  in  the  year  1905  sold 
sixteen  hundred  bushels  of  peaches.  He 
also  grows  melons,  and  the  products  of  his 
place  find  a  ready  sale  on  the  market  because 
of  size,  quality  and  flavor.  He  has  erected 
upon  his  farm  fine  buildings  including  a 
very  commodious  and  comfortable  residence, 
substantial  barns  and  outbuildings.,  for  the 
shelter  of  grain,  fruit  and  stock.  No  higher 
testimonial  of  his  fine  fruit  could  be  given 
than  the  fact  that  he  won  a  bronze  medal 
of  award  for  a  display  of  apples  at  the 
Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  at  St.  Louis 
in  1904. 

On  the  6th  of  June,  1888,  Mr.  Vander- 
veer was  married  to  Miss  Fannie  M.  Baker, 


.542 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


a  daughter  of  Jabez  Baker,  formerly  of 
Coloma  and  a  native  of  Adrian,  Michigan. 
Unto  them  were  born  three  daughters  and 
one  son,  but  Florence  died  at  the  age  af 
fifteen  years.  The  others  are  Ruth,  Edith 
and  John.  Mr.  Vanderveer  votes  with  the 
Democracy  and  is  in  thorough  sympathy 
with  the  principles  of  the  party,  but  takes 
no  active  interest  in  political  work,  concen- 
trating his  energies  upon  his  business  af- 
airs,  which  are  bringing  him  a  gratifying 
measure  of  success.  He  has  always  lived 
in  this  county  and  is  widely  know^n.  In  his 
dealings  he  is  found  thoroughly  reliable  and 
his  perservance  and  energy  constitute  ele- 
ments in  his  life  record  well  worthy  of 
emulation. 

CHARLES  A.  SPENCER  is  a  promi- 
nent representative  of  horticultural  inter- 
ests in  Berrien  county.  His  thorough  under- 
standing of  the  business  combined  with  his 
close  application  and  indefatigable  energy 
have  made  him  a  prosperous  fruit  grower. 
He  resides  in  Benton  township  on  section 
25,  his  farm  bordering  Napier  avenue  and 
also  the  boundary  line  of  Bainbridge  town- 
ship. A  native  of  New  York,  he  was  born 
in  Clayton  township,  Jefferson  county,  on 
the  nth  of  May,  1830,  his  parents  being 
Sidney  and  Asenath  (Davis)  Spencer.  The 
father  was  a  native  of  Washington  county. 
New  York,  and- a  son  of  John  Spencer,  a 
farmer    by    occupation.  Mrs.     Asenath 

Spencer  was  born  in  Oneida  county,  New 
York.  They  were  married  in  the  Empire 
state,  where  they  continued  to  reside  until 
1844,  wdien  they  came  to  Michigan.  Jason 
Spencer,  a  brother  of  Sidney  Spencer,  was 
then  living  in  Bainbridge  township,  where 
he  had  made  his  home  for  two  years,  and  it 
was  through  the  reports  that  he  gave  con- 
cerning this  part  of  the  country  that  the  lat- 
ter was  induced  to  come  to  Michigan.  He 
settled  on  section  19,  Bainbridge  township, 
paying  six  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land.  Upon 
this  tract  was  a  log  house  and  twenty  acres 
had  been  broken.  Sidney  Spencer  lived  in 
that  house  for  a  number  of  years  in  true  pio- 
neer style,  sharing  in  the  hardships  and  trials 
incident  to  life  on  the  frontier.     He  had  to 


go  in  debt  for  about  one  half  of  his  place 
and  Charles,  his  eldest  son,  worked  out  as 
a  farm  hand  in  order  to  help  pay  for  the  old 
homestead.  With  characteristic  energy 
Sidney  Spencer  began  the  task  of  cultivat- 
ing and  improving  his  land,  clearing  alto- 
gether about  eighty  acres  and  making  this 
one  of  the  best  homes  in  the  township.  He 
continued  to  reside  thereon  until  his  last 
years  and  his  death  occurred  in  the  home  of 
his  son,  Charles  A.  Spencer,  on  the  8th  of 
April,  1890,  when  he  was  in  the  eighty- 
eighth  year  of  his  age.  He  had  survived  his 
wife  for  about  seven  years.  His  early  po- 
litical allegiance  was  given  to  the  Dem- 
ocracy and  upon  its  organization  he  joined 
the  ranks  of  the  new  Republican  party,  with 
which  he  continued  to  affiliate  until  his  de- 
mise. He  was  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  Bain- 
bridge township  for  many  years,  acting  in 
that  capacity  when  the  office  was  an  import- 
ant one.  At  all  times  he  was  loyal  to  the 
public  welfare  and  his  co-operation  could 
be  counted  upon  to  further  many  move- 
ments for  the  general  good.  His  views  on 
the  c|uestion  of  religion  were  those  set  forth 
by  Swedenborg  and  he  became  one  of  the 
followers  of  that  religious  leader  when  there 
were  only  three  or  four  of  the  faith  in  the 
township.  He  was  a  great  reader  and  was 
always  ready  to  discuss  the  truths  of  the 
Bible  and  of  religious  doctrines.  His  wife 
was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  her  father  was  a  minister  of 
that  denomination.  In  their  family  were 
five  children,  of  whom  .  three  are  living ; 
Charles  A.,  whose  name  introduces  this  re- 
view; Romelia,  the  widow  of  Samuel  Hen- 
drickson;  and  Mary  S.,  the  wife  of  Milton 
Johnston,  of  Portage,  Wisconsin.  The  eld- 
est daughter,  Melissa,  was  the  wife  of  Dr. 
John  Terry  and  died  in  1899  at  the  age  of 
seventy-two  years.  The  other  son  of  the 
family,  Wallace  Spencer,  was  graduated 
from  tile  State  University  of  Michigan  in  the 
class  of  1 86 1  and  during  the  Civil  war  he 
enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  G,  Thirty- 
ninth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  became  ser- 
geant, was  wounded  in  battle  and  died  of 
gangrene  a  few  weeks  before  the  expiration 
of  his  three  years'  term  of  service  when 
twenty-seven  years  of  age. 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


543 


Charles  A.  Spencer  spent  the  first  four- 
teen years  of  his  life  in  the  state  of  his  na- 
tivity and  then  accompanied  his  parents, on 
their  removal  from  New  York  to  Michigan. 
He  continued  to  reside  with  his  parents  un- 
til he  had  attained  his  majority,  assisting 
at  times  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm  and 
at  other  times  working  as  a  farm  laborer 
in  order  to  assist  his  father  in  making  the 
payments  upon  the  land  which  he  had  pur- 
chased. When  he  was  twenty-one  years  of 
age  his  father  still  owed  tw^o  hundred  dol- 
lars upon  the  place  and  later  Mr.  Spencer 
of  this  review  paid  it  for  him.  In  the  fall 
of  1 85 1,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold 
in  California,  he  bade  adieu  to  home  and 
friends  and  started  for  the  Pacific  coast, 
joining  a  company  of  eleven  men  from 
Bainbridge  township,  who  made  the  journey 
by  way  of  Lake  Nicaragua.  On  reaching 
his  destination  he  went  into  the  mines  at 
Auburn,  California,  on  the  American  river, 
and  prospected  and  mined  with  moderate 
success.  He  remained  for  four  years  in 
that  far  w^estern  country  and  then  returned 
home  with  enough  to  pay  for  one  hundred 
acres  of  land.  During  the  last  year  of  his 
residence  in  California  he  had  been  engaged 
in  lumbering.  Of  the  ten  companions  who 
went  with  him  from  Bainbridge  towmship 
all  returned  sooner  or  later.  So  far  as  is 
known  but  one  other  is  now^  living.  Most 
of  those  who  returned  purchased  land  and 
became  agriculturists  of  the  community. 
Charles  A.  Spencer,  having  sent  his  money 
back  home,  his  father  invested  it  for  him 
in  a  farm  in  Bainbridge  township. 

In  August,  1855,  he  arrived  in  Berrien 
county  after  a  four  years'  residence  on  the 
Pacific  coast  and  in  1856  he  was  married 
and  began  farming  on  his  own  account.  He 
lived  in  Bainbridge  township  until  1866, 
when  he  purchased  the  present  farm  in  Ben- 
ton townships  two  miles  distant.  It  was 
but  a  small  tract  of  land  to  which 
he  afterward  added  sixty  acres  of  im- 
proved land,  and  he  likewise  bought 
forty  acres  near  the  old  home  place.  He 
now  owns  forty-six  acres  in  his  home  place 
and  seventeen  acres  in  another  tract.  The 
land  has  risen  greatly  in  value  and  he  now 
owns  a  very  desirable  farm.     He  has  nearly 


fifty  acres  of  this  land  under  cultivation  and 
has  given  his  attention  to  general  agricult- 
ural pursuits  and  to  the  raising  of  berries, 
which  he  followed  more  largely  when  his 
children  were  at  home.  He  also  planted  a 
peach  orchard,  but  after  one  crop  the  trees 
had  to  be  taken  up.  Recently,  however, 
he  has  set  out  another  peach  orchard  and 
he  now  has  an  apple  orchard  of  ten  acres 
which  has  given  him  a  liberal  income  almost 
each  year.  The  farm  is  well  improved  with 
modern  equipments  and  in  its  excellent  ap- 
pearance indicates  the  careful  supervision 
of  the  owner,  wdio  is  a  very  progressive 
man,  having  always  made  the  most  of  his 
opportunities. 

In  April,  1856,  Mr.  Spencer  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  E.  Dix,  who 
died  in  March,  1885,  leaving  five  children. 
Minnie,  the  eldest,  is  the  wife  of  John  T. 
Vanderveer,  who  resides  near  Coloma,  this 
county.  Edmond  Dix  is  residing  in  Minne- 
apolis, Minnesota,  where  he  is  conducting 
a  marble  business.  Arminta  is  the  wife  of 
John  Kelley,  of  Mount  Pleasant,  Michigan, 
a  professor  in  the  state  normal,  who  form- 
erly engaged  in  teaching  in  Berrien  county, 
while  his  wife  was  also  a  teacher  in  this 
county  for  a  few  years.  Nettie  is  the  wife 
of  H.  A.  Wells,  a  linotype  operator  in  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  and  Wallace  is  living  in  Mo- 
ravia, Iowa.  On  the  ist  of  March,  1888, 
Mr.  Spencer  w^as  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Ellen  Martin,  of 
Bainbridge  township,  who  was  born  in  New 
York  and  for  nearly  fifteen  years  engaged 
in  teaching  in  Ohio  and  Michigan,  being  in 
Fremont,  Ohio,  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war. 
In  1880  she  came  to  Berrien  county  from 
Illinois,  although  she  had  previously  lived 
in  Berrien  county.  She  taught  in  Bain- 
bridge towaiship  and  also  in  Clare  county, 
Michigan,  her  experience  as  a  teacher  cov- 
ering about  fifteen  years,  during  much  of 
the  time  being  connected  wnth  the  district 
schools.  She  attended  teachers'  institutes 
in  Ohio  and  Michigan  and  after  teaching  for 
several  years  became  a  student  in  the  North- 
ern Indiana  Normal  School  at  Valparaiso. 

The  Spencer  home  is  one  of  the  desira- 
ble ones  of  the  county  and  its  hospitality  is 
greatly    enjoyed    by    many    friends.       Mr. 


544 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Spencer  is  a  supervisor  of  Benton  township 
which  position  he  has  filled  for  several  years. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  at  all 
times  he  has  been  interested  in  the  welfare 
of  the  county  and  its  substantial  improve- 
ment. For  more  than  sixty  years  he  has 
lived  in  this  part  of  the  state,  save  for  the 
brief  period  spent  in  California,  and  he  has 
therefore  witnessed  almost  its  entire  growth 
and  development,  having  seen  its  changes 
from  pioneer  conditions  to  its  present  state 
of  advancement  and  improvement. 

LOUIS  A.  KING,  M.  D.,  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  in  Baroda  and  Lake 
township,  was  born  in  Memphis,  Tennessee, 
September  21,  1869,  the  only  child  of  Ben- 
jamin and  Elizabeth  L.  (Wynose)  King. 
His  parents  died  of  yellow  fever  in  the  year 
1878,  and  Dr.  King  was  reared  in  Nash- 
ville, Tennessee,  by  strangers.  He  remained 
a  resident  of  that  city  until  seventeen  years 
of  age  and  in  the  meantime  he  learned  the 
printer's  trade,  which  he  followed  in  several 
places  for  a  period  of  seven  or  eight  years. 
He  afterward  went  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
and  ambitious  to  acquire  a  better  education 
than  he  had  previously  enjoyed  he  entered 
the  high  school,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated. Determining  to  make  the  practice 
of  medicine  his  life  work,  he  then  entered 
the  Michigan  College  of  Medicine  and  Sur- 
gery at  Saginaw  and  completed  the  course 
with  the  class  of  1903.  He  has  since  engaged 
in  practice  and  has  also  done  post-graduate 
college  work.  He  added  to  his  theoretical 
training  broad  practical  experience  by  serv- 
ice in  the  hospital  at  Saginaw  while  pursuing 
his  studies  there.  He  spent  between  two 
and  three  years  in  college  and  was  after- 
ward for  eighteen  months  in  the  Klondike, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession  and  in  prospecting.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Saginaw  and  soon  afterward  lo- 
cated in  Baroda,  where  he  took  up  his  abode 
in  1903.  Here  he  has  a  good  general  prac- 
tice which  he  draws  from  the  surrounding 
county  as  well  as  the  town,  and  his  pro- 
fessional skill  and  ability  are  recognized  by 
reason  of  the  excellent  results  that  have  fol- 
lowed his  professional  labors. 


On  the  isth  of  May,  1899,  Dr.  King 
was  married  to  Miss  Victoria  Bell  Glide- 
well,  a  native  of  Marion  county,  Indiana, 
and  a  daughter  of  Leander  and  Nancy  H. 
(Hightshire)  Glidewell,  who  was  like- 
wise born  in  Indiana.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  King 
now  have  one  child,  Robert  Warner,  born 
May  28,   1905. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Dr.  King  is  a 
Democrat,  but  without  aspiration  for  office,, 
although  he  has  served  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  education  and  as  health  officer  of 
Lake  township.  Fraternally  he  is  connected 
with  Baroda  Lodge,  No.  435,  I.  O.  O.  F.,, 
and  in  the  line  of  his  profession  he  is  a 
member  of  the  County,  State  and  American 
Medical  Associations.  He  is  a  very  amiable 
man,  who  makes  friends  of  all  with  whom 
he  comes  in  contact.  He  speaks  German 
as  well  as  English  and  this  is  of  much  as- 
sistance to  him  in  his  work.  He  has  an  un- 
usually large  practice  for  a  town  of  this  size 
and  in  fact  his  professional  duties  make  con- 
stant demand  upon  his  time  and  energies, 
leaving  him  little  leisure. 

OSCAR  D.  SNYDER  is  a  representa- 
tive of  one  of  the  prominent  and  honored 
pioneer  families  of  Berrien  county  and  his 
life  record  is  in  harmony  with  that  of  his 
father,  Sherwood  Snyder,  who  was  one  of 
the  valued  and  representative  citizens  of  this 
part  of  the  state.  A  sketch  of  the  father  is 
given  elsewhere  on  another  page  of  this 
work.  Oscar  D.  Snyder  was  born  on  the 
old  family  homestead  in  Benton  township 
on  the  1st  of  September,  1868,  and  the  pub- 
lic schools  afforded  him  his  educational  priv- 
ileges. He  was  married  on  the  22d  of 
August,  1893,  to  Miss  Viola  Sinn,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Adam  and  Sophia  (Miller)  Sinn, 
both  of  whom  died  during  the  early  girl- 
hood of  their  daughter.  They  were  natives 
of  Germany,  having  come  from  the  Rhine 
country  to  the  new  world  and  their  mar- 
riage was  celebrated  in  Chicago.  They  ar- 
rived in  the  United  States  early  in  the  '50s 
and  were  married  in  1854.  In  1858  they 
settled  in  Royalton,  Michigan,  where  their 
son,  Adam  Sinn,  now  resides.  Their 
daughter,    Viola,    was    born    December    9, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


545 


1873,  and  was  reared  by  her  sister,  Mrs. 
Sophia  Butzbach,  who  was  then  hving  in 
Benton  township. 

Oscar  Snyder  is  a  stalwart  ReptibHcan, 
interested  in  the  success  of  his  party  and  in- 
flexible in  his  adherence  to  its  principles, 
though  he  has  never  sought  or  desired  pub- 
lic office,  preferring  to  concentrate  his  ener- 
gies upon  his  business  affairs.  He  has 
grown  stock  and  fruit  and  he  now  has  fif- 
teen acres  planted  to  peaches  and  a  vineyard 
of  eight  acres.  From  a  six  acre  patch  of 
grapes — three  year  old  Concords — he  sold 
in  1905  eleven  thousand  five  hundred  and 
seventeen  baskets  of  grapes  at  an  average 
price  of  about  twelve  cents  per  basket.  In 
all  of  his  work  he  is  very  practical  and  is  a 
leading  representative  of  horticultural  in- 
terests in  the  county.  The  old  residence  of 
the  Snyder  family  built  in  1871  by  his 
father  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  best 
country  homes  in  the  county.  The  lum- 
ber, all  of  which  is  white  wood,  was  cut  off 
of  the  place  and  planed  out  by  hand.  The 
house  was  erected  in  a  substantial  manner 
and  is  today  one  of  the  first  class  homes  of 
this  section  of  the  county.  It  is  today  the 
residence  of  Oscar  D.  Snyder  and  it  is  not 
only  an  attractive  dwelling  but  is  also  justly 
celebrated  for  its  warm  hearted  hospitality. 
The  farm  is  known  as  Cherry  Lawn. 

HIAL  ALDEN,  residing  in  Benton 
township,  w^here  he  is  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  fruit  raising,  is  a  representa- 
tive of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  promi- 
nent families  of  New  England,  tracing  his 
ancestry  in  direct  line  back  to  John  Alden, 
who  came  to  America  on  the  Mayflower, 
landing  at  Plymouth  Rock.  Jason  Alden, 
father  of  our  subject,  was  born  at  Plymouth 
Rock,  Massachusets,  and  when  fifteen  years 
of  age  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  the  state  of  New  York,  settling  in 
Jefferson  county.  There  he  met  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Charlotte  Barrett,  who  was  a 
teacher,  and  among  her  pupils  was  Major 
Lewis  Pearl,  one  of  the  honored  pioneer 
residents  of  Benton  township. 

Hial  Alden  was  born   in  the  town   of 

Theresa  Falls,  Jefferson  county,  New  York, 
35 


on  the  28th  of  November,  1829,  and  there 
acquired  his  early  education,  spending  his 
boyhood  days  on  his  father's  farm.  In  the 
fall  of  1843  he  came  to  Michigan  with  his 
parents.  They  left  New  York  bound  for 
Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  and  were  passeng- 
ers on  a  sail  boat  for  three  weeks  between 
the  ports  of  Buffalo  and  Detroit.  They 
landed  at  the  latter  place  and  drove  with 
teams  across  the  state  to  Berrien  county. 
They  knew  that  the  Pearl  family  lived  in 
this  county  and  were  induced  thereby  to 
make  their  way  to  this  portion  of  the  state. 
When  in  the  vicinity  of  Millburg,  which 
was  the  old  stage  house,  they  learned  of  the 
whereabouts  of  the  Pearl  family  and  also 
of  an  uncle  of  Mr.  Alden  who  resided  in 
the  same  neighborhood.  Mr.  Alden  rented 
a  house  of  a  Mr.  Hess  in  Millburg.  That 
same  winter  his  father  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  a  mile  north 
of  Millburg,  where  the  family  home  was 
mamtained  for  five  years.  A  log  cabin  had 
been  built  upon  the  place  and  about  seven 
or  eight  acres  had  been  cleared,  but  other- 
wise the  entire  tract  was  wild  and  unim- 
proved. After  five  years  Mr.  Alden  de- 
cided to  go  on  to  Wisconsin,  which  had 
been  his  destination  when  he  left  New  York, 
but  events  had  changed  the  course  of  his 
travel  and  brought  him  to  Michigan.  He 
did  not  like  the  prairie  country  of  Wiscon- 
sin, however,  so  he  returned  to  this  state 
and  secured  land,  upon  which  his  son  Hial 
now  resides.  All  was  dense  forest  and  there 
was  not  a  track  through  the  woods  for  a 
mile  or  more.  Warren  Pearl  had  started  a 
clearing,  but  there  was  no  settler  to  the 
south  or  west  or  north  to  the  Territorial 
road.  To  reach  St.  Joseph  the  Alden 
family  had  to  go  around  through  Mill- 
burg and  down  the  Territorial  road, 
which  was  on  the  old  stage  road.  There 
was  no  road  leading  to  the  west  until  Pipe- 
stone road  was  reached,  a  distance  of  two 
miles,  and  it  was  two  years  before  a  road 
had  been  opened  to  the  St.  Joseph  river. 
The  family  home  was  situated  about  three 
and  one-half  miles  from  the  Stimpson  mill, 
and  thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  pioneer 
family  had   to   depend   largely   upon   their 


546 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


own  exertions  for  all  that  they  might  enjoy 
in  their  frontier  home.  The  comforts 
wv^hich  come  to  others  as  a  matter  of  course 
:and  are  easily  obtained  by  purchase  had  to 
be  developed  by  them  through  the  utiliza- 
tion of  the  various  instruments  and  facili- 
ties with  which  nature  had  surrounded  them. 
Theirs  was  indeed  a  typical  pioneer  home 
•of  Michigan,  the  little  cabin  being  built 
in  the  midst  of  a  dense  forest.  There  was 
an  intense  and  solemn  quiet  in  the  woods 
and  only  a  short  distance  from  the  home 
one  could  imagine  that  they  were  miles  and 
miles  from  any  habitation  or  sign  of  civili- 
zation. Mr.  Alden  purchased  his  land  at 
three  dollars  per  acre,  making  the  purchase, 
however,  on  the  installment  plan.  This  farm 
has  since  remained  the  old  family  home- 
stead, 

Hial  Alden  purchased  a  part  of  the  farm 
in  connection  with  his  father  and  in  the 
early  years  of  his  residence  here  he  not  only 
assisted  in  the  development  of  the  home 
property  but  also  worked  on  the  Reynolds 
farm,  which  was  opened  by  three  boys.  In 
the  early  days  he  also  engaged  in  boat  build- 
ing, his  first  work  being  on  the  construction 
of  four  boats  for  the  Illinois  canal.  He 
also  aided  in  the  building  of  thirteen  boats 
to  be  used  on  the  Illinois  canal  by  William 
Brown,  of  St.  Joseph.  The  Reynolds  boat- 
yard was  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  and 
the  Brown  shipyard  was  at  the  present  site 
of  the  depot  of  the  Pere  Marquette  Railroad 
in  St.  Joseph.  Mr.  Alden  continued  to  work 
for  two  years  in  the  shipyards  and  after- 
wards was  employed  on  the  pier  at  St.  Jo- 
seph, Major  Lewis  Pearl  acting  as  foreman 
of  the  job.  This  w^as  government  work 
and  was  an  arduous  and  diificult  task.  All 
this  time  Hial  Alden  used  every  opportun- 
ity to  assist  in  clearing  the  farm  and  as 
he  could  accumulate  ten  or  fifteen  dollars 
he  would  deposit  it  as  part  payment  for  the 
land.  In  this  way  he  and  his  father  pur- 
chased sixty-two  acres  of  land.  They  were 
associated  in  agricultural  interests  up  to  the 
time  of  the  father's  death,  which  occurred 
in  1888,  when  he  was  eighty-eight  years  of 
age.  He  was  a  w^ell  preserved  man,  enjoy- 
ing good  health  up  to  his  last  days.    He  had 


for  three  years  survived  his  wife,  wdio  died 
at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  For  eleven 
years  prior  to  her  demise  she  was  blind.  In 
their  family  were  two  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, the  brother  of  our  subject  being  James 
Alden,  who  served  for  three  years  in  the 
Civil  war  and  died  a  few  years  afterward 
at  the  age  of  thirty  as  the  result  of 
his  army  experience.  Of  the  two  sisters 
Angeline  married  Lathrop  Smith  and  died 
when  about  sixty-five  years  of  age,  while 
Caroline  became  the  wife  of  Sherw^ood 
Snyder  and  died  at  the  age  of  thirty  years. 

Hial  Alden,  the  only  survivor  of  the 
family,  was  married  May  4,  1856,  in  Niles 
to  Miss  Lydia  Wynes,  a  daughter  of  Barney 
and  Caroline  (Loveland)  Wynes.  She  was 
born  in  Vernon,  Oneida  county.  New  York, 
and  was  married  at  the  age  of  twenty  years. 
After  retaining  their  business  interests  in 
connection  for  some  time  Hial  Alden  and 
his  father  divided  their  land,  so  that  each 
had  a  farm  and  the  former  afterward  pur- 
chased his  sisters'  interests  and  thus  became 
owner  of  the  old  homestead,  though  later 
he  sold  part  of  this  to  his  son.  He  and  his 
wife  tenderly  cared  for  his  parents  during 
their  last  years,  thus  repaying  them  by  filial 
devotion  for  the  attention  and  care  which 
they  bestowed  upon  him  in  his  youth. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hial  Alden  have 
been  born  four  sons  and  three  daughters  who 
are  yet  living  and  they  also  lost  two  chil- 
dren in  infancy.  Those  wdio  yet  survive 
are :  William,  who.  owns  a  part  of  the 
Thorn  farm;  Fred,  who  is  connected  with 
the  life  saving  station  at  St.  Joseph; 
Arthur,  a  farmer  of  Pipestone;  Ola, 
a  farmer  and  fruit  grower  and  buyer  of 
Sodus  township;  Carrie,  the  widow  of  Lon 
Peters,  of  Benton  Harbor;  Annie,  the 
widow  of  George  Jordan,  a  son  of  Francis 
Jordan,  an  early  banker  of  St.  Joseph,  her 
home  being  now  in  Chicago;  and  Emma, 
the  wife  of  Clarence  Landis.  They  reside 
upon  the  old  homestead  with  her  parents. 

The  Alden  farm  is  a  valuable  property, 
pleasantly  situated  about  five  miles  south- 
east of  Benton  and  borders  Napier  avenue. 
For  many  years  Mr.  Alden  has  devoted  his 
attention  to  general  farming  and  fruit  grow- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


547 


ing  and  he  now  has  about  eleven  hundred 
peach  trees  upon  his  place.  He  has  now 
passed  the  seventy-sixth  milestone  on  life's 
journey,  but  still  gives  supervision  to  his 
agricultural  and  horticultural  interests.  As 
one  of  the  pioneer  residents  of  the  county 
he  certainly  deserves  mention  in  this  vol- 
ume, having  witnessed  the  great  changes 
which  have  occurred  as  this  section  of  Mich- 
igan has  emerged  from  pioneer  conditions 
and  taken  on  all  the  improvements  and  evi- 
dences of  an  advanced  civilization.  His 
mind  forms  a  connecting  link  between  the 
primitive  past  and  the  progressive  present 
and  he  is  classed  with  the  honored  pioneer 
residents  of  this  part  of  the  state. 

JOHN  B.  STOUFFER  is  an  honored 
veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  who  proved  his 
loyalty  to  his  country  upon  many  a  south- 
ern battlefield.  The  soldiers  of  that  long 
and  sanguinary  struggle  are  fast  passing 
away  and  only  a  few  are  left  now  to  tell  the 
tale  of  arduous  service  in  defense  of  the 
Union,  but  while  memory  remains  to  the 
American  people  these  brave  boys  in  blue 
will  have  the  gratitude  of  a  grateful  and 
enlightened  people  for  the  service  which 
they  did  for  their  country  in  the  darkest 
hour  of  her  history.  Mr.  Stouffer  is  now 
Hving  in  Benton  township,  Berrien  county, 
where  he  is  extensively  and  successfully  en- 
gaged in  fruit  raising,  being  a  recognized 
leader  in  the  ranks  of  the  men  who  are  suc- 
cessfully following  this  business  in  the 
county. 

A  native  of  Canal  Dover,  Tuscarawas 
county,  Ohio,  Mr.  Stouffer  was  born  on  the 
27th  of  June,  1842,  his  parents  being  Daniel 
and  Rebecca  (Harman)  Stouffer.  The 
father  was  born  in  Hagerstown,  Maryland, 
in  1808.  The  mother  was  a  native  of  Ohio. 
She  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Daniel 
Stouffer  in  1839.  Daniel  Stouffer  was  a 
shoemaker  and  farmer,  and  continued  a  resi- 
dent of  the  Buckeye  state  until  1851,  when, 
after  a  three  years'  residence  in  Zanesville, 
Indiana,  he  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michi- 
gan. His  wife's  brother,  Jacob  Harman, 
had  settled  in  this  county  in  1853,  having 
come  here  with  the  Stump  family.     He  pur- 


chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land 
from  a  Mr.  Marshall,  a  large  land  owner, 
for  six  dollars  and  a  quarter  per  acre.  It 
was  a  tract  of  wilderness,  not  a  stick  of 
timber  having  been  cut  nor  an  improvement 
made.  The  first  house  was  built  of  planks 
in  the  style  called  at  that  time  an  ark  and 
used  on  the  St.  Joseph  river  for  floating 
grain  down  from  Constatine  and  Three  Riv- 
ers. The  land  lay  south  of  Benton  Harbor 
and  the  old  road  ran  through  the  farm,  but 
at  quite  a  distance  west  of  the  present  line. 
The  present  Pipestone  road  was  laid  out  by 
road  commissioners  about  forty-five  years 
ago,  but  the  old  Pipestone  road  had  been 
made  many  years  ago.  Daniel  Stouffer  be- 
gan the  improvement  and  development  of 
this  farm  and  continued  the  work  of  culti- 
vation for  a  number  of  years,  but  eventually 
the  original  tract  of  the  quarter  section  was 
cut  up  into  very  small  tracts,  about  thirty 
acres  of  the  place  being  now  in  possession 
of  J.  B.  Stouffer  of  this  review.  Daniel 
Stouffer  cleared  and  improved  about  thirty 
acres  of  his  original  purchase  and  he  did 
all  the  work  of  cutting  the  timber  and  pre- 
paring the  lumber  himself.  His  life  was 
one  of  untiring  activity  and  his  labor  proved 
a  valuable  element  in  the  early  development 
and  progress  of  this  part  of  the  county. 
Both  he  and  his  wafe  were  among  the  origi- 
nal members  of  the  Church  of  God  and  w^re 
active  in  its  work  until  called  to  their  final 
rest.  Mr.  Stouffer  passed  away  on  the  i6th 
of  August,  1889,  and  was  survived  for 
about  eight  years  by  his  wafe,  who  was  born 
in  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  in  1820,  and  died 
May  19,  1897.  They  had  been  married  in 
1839,  and  had  thus  traveled  life's  journey 
together  for  a  half  century.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  six  children,  of  whom  four  reached 
years  of  maturity:  Elizabeth,  who  is  the 
wife  of  William  Thomas  and  resides  in 
Sodus  township,  this  county;  John  B.,  of 
this  review ;  George,  who  went  to  California 
in  early  life  and  is  supposed  to  be  living  in 
that  state;  and  Lydia  Ann,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Burwell  P.  Carmichael,  of  Sodus 
township,  and  died  in  Florida  about  a  year 
and  a  half  ago. 

John  B.  Stouffer  has  resided  in  Berrien 


548 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


township  from  the  age  of  twelve  years,  hav- 
ing come  with  his  parents  to  this  part  of  the 
state  in  1854.  He  continued  to  reside  upon 
the  old  homestead  until  1861  and  the  first 
school  which  he  attended  had  a  session  of 
two  months,  the  teacher  boarding  round 
among  the  pupils.  Among  his  first  teach- 
ers were  a  Mr.  Adams,  J.  M.  Guy  and 
Fundy  Shoddy,  the  two  latter  still  living. 
Mr.  Stouffer  well  remembers  attending  a 
meeting  to  arrange  for  a  local  school. 
Those  early  institutions  of  public  instruc- 
tion were  primitive,  as  were  the  conditions 
of  life  in  all  departments  here,  but  they 
proved  an  excellent  foundation  upon  which 
to  rear  the  present  superstructure  of  pub- 
lic education.  Mr.  Stouffer  continued  to 
aid  in  the  work  of  the  fields  through  the 
summer  months  until  after  the  inauguration 
of  the  Civil  war,  when  in  April,  1861, 
roused  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism  at  the  at- 
tempt of  the  south  to  overthrow  the  Union, 
he  enlisted  for  service  under  command  of 
Captain  Webb  Edmunds,  who,  however, 
was  drowned  in  the  St.  Joseph  river  two 
months  later  and  who  had  been  a  military 
graduate  from  West  Point.  The  company 
therefore  was  not  mustered  in,  and  on  the 
23rd  of  September,  1861,  Mr.  Stouffer 
again  enlisted,  this  time  becoming  a  mem- 
of  Company  L,  Third  Michigan  Cavalry, 
which  rendezvoused  at  Grand  Rapids  and 
was  attached  to  the  First  Brigade,  Second 
Division,  Sixteenth  Army  Corps.  On  the 
Sth  of  December,  1864,  he  was  promoted 
from  the  rank  of  corporal  to  that  of  quarter- 
master sergeant,  and  on  the  nth  of  April, 
1865,  became  first  sergeant.  He  did  active 
duty  at  New  Madrid,  Island  No.  10,  Cor- 
inth, Bay  Spring,  luka,  Corville,  Hatch- 
ie's  Run,  the  three  engagements  at  Holly 
Springs,  the  battle  of  Tallahoochie  river, 
Lumkin's  Mill,  Oxford,  Coffeeville,  Brown- 
ford,  the  Ripley  raid,  Orizaba,  Ellistown, 
Lacona  river,  two  engagements  at  Lamar, 
Purdy,  Jack's  Creek,  Tullahoma,  Jacinto, 
Rienzi,  Water  Valley,  Brownsville,  Bolivar 
and  many  other  skirmishes.  He  was  alto- 
gether in  forty  engagements.  On  the  3rd  of 
July,  1863,  his  horse  was  shot  from  under 
him  at  Lamar,  Mississippi,  and  he  lay  within 


the  enemy's  lines  all  day,  but  at  night  suc- 
ceeded in  making  his  escape.  His  regiment 
according  to  official  reports  captured  more 
than  twenty-one  hundred  men  in  excess  of 
the  capture  of  any  other  Michigan  regiment 
and  they  traveled  over  twenty  thousand 
miles. 

On  the  19th  of  January,  1864,  Mr. 
Stouffer  was  honorably  discharged  on  the 
expiration  of  his  three  years'  term,  but  he 
veteranized  at  LaGrange,  Tennessee,  and 
rejoined  his  old  command.  He  was  then 
granted  a  thirty  days'  furlough,  which  he 
spent  at  home,  and  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged at  Jackson,  Michigan,  on  the  i6th 
of  March,  1866,  having  been  mustered  out 
at  San  Antonio,  Texas,  on  the  12th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1866,  his  regiment  having  been  sent 
to  the  Lone  Star  state  in  August,  1865. 
His  grandfather  had  been  a  soldier  in  the 
war  of  18 12  artd  his  great-grandfather  in 
the  Revolutionary  war,  and  with  the  blood 
of  military  ancestors  in  his  veins,  his  own 
spirit  aroused  by  intensely  patriotic  feelings, 
he  at  once  became  an  advocate  of  the 
Union  cause  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
war  and  remained  a  loyal  defender  of  the 
government  and  all  it  represented  until 
after  the  close  of  hostilities.  Of  the  origi- 
nal sixty-one  men  who  enlisted  in  the  com- 
pany in  1 86 1,  only  sixteen  of  the  number  re- 
turned with  the  company  in  1866  and  but 
one  other  is  still  living  in  this  section  of 
Benton  county.  Mr.  Stouffer  was  never 
wounded  nor  disabled,  although  he  was 
often  in  battles  where  the  bullets  fell  thick 
as  hail  stones.  He  still  has  his  last  muster- 
ing out  report  to  the  government,  for  it  was 
not  sent  owing  to  an  ink  blot.  As  sergeant 
he  had  to  keep  the  muster  roll  and  make  up 
the  reports.  Since  the  close  of  the  war  Mr. 
Stouffer  has  attended  several  re-unions,  in- 
cluding four  national  encampments  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  thus  he 
has  kept  in  touch  with  his  old  army  com- 
rades, taking  great  delight  in  meeting  with 
those  who  wore  the  blue  uniform  upon  the 
battlefields  of  the  south. 

In  1866  Mr.  Stouffer,  having  returned 
from  the  war,  purchased  land  and  has  since 
given   his    attention   to   farming   and    fruit 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


549 


raising.  He  now  has  thirty  acres,  consti- 
tuting a  fine  fruit  farm  on  Pipestone  road, 
also  a  seventeen  acre  farm  near  by  and 
thirty  acres  in  Bainbridge  township  devoted 
to  fruit  with  over  one  thousand  peach  trees 
upon  the  home  farm.  He  also  has  an  apple 
orchard,  pears  and  other  fruits  and  he  origi- 
nated the  Stouffer  Favorite  strawberry, 
which  for  years  was  considered  the  finest 
berry  grown  and  on  the  market.  He  has 
continually  striven  to  improve  his  fruit  in 
size,  quality  and  flavor  and  his  efforts  have 
been  attended  with  excellent  results,  his  be- 
ing one  of  the  finest  fruit  farms  of  this  part 
of  the  county. 

On  the  nth  of  October,  1868,  Mr. 
Stouffer  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Mary  C.  Doxsee,  a  daughter  of  Nelson 
Doxsee,  of  Benton  township,  who  was  born 
in  Mansfield,  Ohio.  In  their  family  wxre 
five  children,  but  three  of  the  number  died 
of  diphtheria  in  early  life.  The  two  yet 
living  are :  Ada,  now  the  wife  of  William 
Rush,  of  Bainbridge  township;  and  William 
Stouffer,  who  married  Inez  Peters  and  oper- 
ates the  home  farm. 

In  days  of  peace  as  well  as  in  days  of 
war  Mr.  Stouffer  has  been  a  valued  and 
representative  citizen,  standing  as  a  high 
type  of  American  manhood.  He  made  a 
splendid  military  record  during  the  Civil 
w-ar  and  at  all  times  he  has  been  loyal  to 
his  country  and  her  welfare.  His  interest 
in  public  affairs  of  the  community  has  been 
deep  and  sincere  and  his  co-operation  can 
be  counted  upon  as  a  factor  in  general  im- 
provement. 

ANSON  F.  BITHER,  manager  for  the 
Niles  Board  and  Paper  Company,  at  Niles, 
Michigan,  has  advanced  from  an  humble  po- 
sition to  a  place  of  prominence  in  industrial 
circles.  Nothing  is  impossible  to  him  who 
wills  to  win  and  allows  no  thought  of  de- 
feat to  find  lodgment  in  his  mind,  and  this 
statement  finds  abundant  verification  in  the 
life  records  of  such  men  as  Mr.  Bither. 

A  native  of  New  York,  he  was  born  in 
Albany,  February  12,  1846,  a  son  of  John 
and  Frances  (Spath)  Bither.  The  father, 
born  in  Germany,  learned  the  weaver's  trade 


in  his  native  land  and  in  1830  came  to 
America,  settling  in  Albany,  New  York, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  paper  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  Later 
in  life  he  removed  to  a  farm  in  Columbia 
county.  New  York,  and  retired  from  active 
connection  with  industrial  interests.  His 
wife  died  in  1870. 

Anson  F.  Bither,  the  eldest  of  a  family 
of  eight  children,  spent  his  boyhood  days 
in  Albany  and  Chatham,  New  York,  where 
he  attended  school  for  a  short  time,  but  at 
the  early  age  of  eleven  years  he  became  an 
employe  in  a  paper  mill  in  the  Empire  state, 
where  he  remained  until  twenty  years  of 
age,  gradually  w^orking  his  way  upward  as 
he  thoroughly  mastered  the  different  duties 
entrusted  to  him.  In  1866  he  w^nt  to  Wis- 
consin, settling  in  Beloit,  where  he  built  the 
Beloit  Strawboard  Company's  works,  after 
which  he  remained  for  two  years  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Rock  River  Paper  Company  of 
Beloit  which  was  connected  with  the  Beloit 
Strawboard  Company.  Later  he  worked 
for  the  same  company  in  Marshall,  Michi- 
gan, and  for  six  years  conducted  an  exten- 
sive and  profitable  business  in  the  manu- 
facture and  sale  of  roofing,  carpet  lining  and 
building  paper,  the  output  of  the  house  be- 
ing quite  large.  For  two  years  Mr.  Bither 
was  located  at  Ypsilanti,  Michigan,  where 
he  was  employed  by  the  Michigan  Paper 
Company,  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
manila  paper.  In  1878  he  came  to  Niles  to 
accept  the  superintendency  of  the  Niles  Pa- 
per Mill  Company,  which  position  he  filled 
until  its  consolidation  with  the  Ohio  Paper 
Company,  since  which  time  he  has  been 
manager,  and  it  is  now  known  as  the  Niles 
Board  and  Paper  Company.  Through  his 
carefully  directed  labors  the  business  of  the 
house  has  been  largely  increased,  better  facil- 
ities for  conducting  the  business  have  been 
secured,  improved  machinery  has  been  in- 
troduced and  the  entire  business  systematized 
and  managed  with  the  idea  of  producing 
maximum  results  with  minimum  expendit- 
ure of  time  and  money — which  is  the  basis 
of  all  success.  Mr.  Bither's  thorough 
understanding  of  the  business  in  all  of  its 
departments  has  enabled  him  to  accomplish 


550 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


this  result  and  he  regards  no  detail  of  the 
business  as  too  unimportant  to  receive  his 
personal  attention,  if  it  is  needed. 

While  his  business  duties  require  his  al- 
most undivided  attention  Mr.  Either  main- 
tains an  intelligent  interest  in  public  af- 
fairs and  gives  his  support  to  all  enter- 
prises originated  on  behalf  of  the  com- 
munity in  general.  He  has  served  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Building  and  Loan  Association 
and  he  personally  owns  much  valuable  real 
estate  in  Niles,  beside  other  desirable  prop- 
erty, and  through  well  directed  business  in- 
terests has  accumulated  a  competency. 

Mr.  Bither  was  married,  in  1869,  to 
Miss  Rachel  Mangold,  of  Chicago,  a  daugh- 
ter of  George  H.  Mangold,  and  they  have 
two  children :  Fred  H.  and  Bernice  M.,  the 
former  being  superintendent  of  the  Allegan 
Paper  Mills.  Mr.  Bither  is  a  member  of 
Berrien  County  Lodge,  No.  6,  I.  O.  O.  F., 
also  Encampment  No.  3,  at  Niles,  and  is 
likewise  connected  with  the  Select  Knights. 
In  politics  he  is  an  earnest  and  unfaltering 
Republican,  and  has  been  elected  to  various 
offices  of  trust  and  responsibility  on  that 
ticket.  He  served  for  four  years  as  alder- 
man from  the  third  ward  and  manifests 
a  spirit  of  patriotism  in  his  devotion  to  the 
general  good.  Starting  out  in  life  on  his 
own  account  at  the  early  age  of  eleven 
years,  his  course  has  been  one  of  steady  pro- 
gress and  he  has  now  reached  the  plane  of 
affluence. 

L.  KELLY  is  the  owner  of  a  valuable 
fruit  farm  of  eighty-nine  acres,  on  which 
he  raises  fruit  of  all  kinds.  The  place  is 
situated  in  Benton  township  not  far  from 
Benton  Harbor  and  is  a  well  developed 
property.  Investigations  into  his  methods 
show  that  he  is  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  science  of  horticulture  and  his  labors 
have  resulted  in  the  harvesting  of  splendid 
fruit  crops  annually.  He  was  born  in  Har- 
wichport,  Massachusetts,  on  the  12th  of 
October,  1855,  and  is  a  son  of  Moses  C.  and 
Adelia  A.  (Nickerson)  Kelly.  The  father, 
a  native  of  Massachusets,  was  a  sailor  who 
lived  and  died  in  the  east.  The  maternal 
grandfather,    Elhanah   Nickerson,    came   to 


Michigan  wnth  the  subject  of  this  review  and 
settled  first  in  St.  Joseph,  where  he  lived  for 
a  short  time,  after  wdiich  he  purchased  the 
farm  upon  which  Mr.  Kelly  now  resides. 
He  and  Dr.  Reuben  Parker  took  up  one 
thousand  acres  of  land,  which  they  gradu- 
ally sold  as  the  country  became  more  and 
more  thickly  settled.  At  the  time  they  lo- 
cated here,  however,  the  farm  was  in  the 
midst  of  the  forest  and  there  was  only  one 
store  at  Benton  Harbor,  showing  that  the 
work  of  improvement  and  development  had 
been  scarcely  begun. 

Mr.  Kelly  has  resided  upon  his  present 
farm  since  1862.  Pie  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools,  being  but  seven  years  of 
age  when  brought  by  his  grandfather  to 
Michigan.  He  completed  his  educational 
course  in  the  high  school  at  St.  Joseph, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1875,  since  which  time  he  has  car- 
ried on  fruit  farming,  raising  all  kinds  of 
fruit.  His  trees  are  in  excellent  bearing 
condition  and  he  utilizes  the  most  advanced 
methods  to  keep  his  soil  productive  and  thus 
secure  the  best  of  crops.  By  reason  of  the 
improvements  that  he  has  placed  upon  the 
property  the  land  has  greatly  appreciated 
in  value  until  it  is  now  worth  about  five 
hundred  dollars  per  acre. 

In  1880  Mr.  Kelly  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Jennie  Rosevelt,  a  daughter 
of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (White)  Rosevelt. 
Two  children  were  born  of  that  union.  Car- 
roll L.,  now  at  home;  and  Lila,  deceased. 
After  losing  his  first  wife  Mr.  Kelly  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with 
Miss  Ada  Baker,  to  whom  he  was  married 
on  the  9th  of  January,  1901.  Her  parents 
were  Dr.  P.  A.  and  Belinda  Baker.  The 
family  have  a  pleasant  and  attractive  home 
which  stands  in  the  midst  of  a  valuable 
fruit  farm  of  eighty-nine  acres.  His  or- 
chards are  in  excellent  condition  and  the 
high  grades  of  fruit  which  he  produces 
bring  to  him  a  very  satisfactory  financial  re- 
turn annually. 

Mr.  Kelly  votes  independently,  nor  is 
he  an  office  seeker.  In  his  religious  faith 
he  is  a  spiritualist  and  fraternally  he  is  con- 
nected   with    the    Modern    Woodmen    of 


0 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


551 


America.  He  has  witnessed  many  changes 
during  his  residence  in  the  county  as  the 
fruit  industry  has  developed,  supplanting 
the  old  lumber  industry  which  in  the  early 
days  was  successfully  prosecuted  in  this 
part  of  the  state.  He  stands  as  a  typical 
representative  of  horticultural  interests  and 
his  labors  have  been  attended  with  a  grati- 
fying measure  of  prosperity. 

JOHN  B.  JERUE,  proprietor  of  Wal^ 
nut  Grove  farm  on  section  8  of  Galien  town- 
ship, and  one  of  the  wealthy  men  of  Berrien 
county,  was  born  at  St.  Michel,  thirty 
miles  south  of  Montreal,  Canada,  June  4, 
1849.  Ii'^  1855  his  parents  left  Canada,  and 
by  way  of  St.  Lawrence  river  and  the  Erie 
Canal,  train  to  Niles,  and  wagon  to  King's 
Landing,  arrived  at  their  destination  in  this 
county.  The  family  lived  on  rented  farms 
in  Sodus  township  a  number  of  years,  until 
the  father  made  a  purchase  of  a  small  farm 
of  fifteen  acres  in  that  township. 

Mr.    Jerue   lived   with   his    father   until 
his  marriage,   April   13,    1876,  and  two  or 
three  years  later  came  to  Galien  township. 
Mr.  Jerue  has  been  very  successful  in  his 
farming  enterprises  and  is  one  of  the  ex- 
tensive land  owners  of  the  county.     A  num- 
ber of  years  ago  he  bought  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  in  Galien  township  for 
fifteen  hundred  dollars,  and  the  same  tract 
with    its    first-class    improvements    is    now 
worth  several  times  that  amount.     His  Ber- 
rien county  lands  now  comprise  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty-seven  acres,   in  Galien  and 
Three  Oaks  townships,  besides  two  village 
lots  in  Galien.     He  has  made  mint  culture 
one  of  the  profitable  features  of  his  farm, 
having  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres   de- 
voted to  peppermint  growing  and  from   it 
distils  a  valuable  quantity  of  mint  oil.     In 
1897  or    1898  he  shipped   thirty-three  car- 
loads of  cabbage  to  New  Orleans,  and  he  has 
visited  the  city  three  times.     His  cattle  and 
sheep,  his  substantial  farm  buildings  and  all 
the  improvements  show  his  ability  as  a  busi- 
ness farmer.    In  politics  Mr.  Jerue  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, and  his  church  affiliation  is  with  the 
Catholic  church  at  Three  Oaks. 

Mr.   Jerue's   parents   were   Francis  and 


Mary  (Fortchv)  Jerue,  both  of  them  na- 
tives of  the  District  of  Montreal.  The 
mother  died  in  1891,  at  the  age  of  seventy, 
while  the  father  is  still  living  in  Sodus  town- 
ship, aged  eighty-six  years.  Their  seven 
children  are:  Frank,  of  Galien  township; 
Mary  P^onger,  of  Benton  Harbor;  Bosilla, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty;  John  B. , 
Adolphus,  of  Benton  Harbor;  Sovereign,  oi 
Sodus;  and  one  that  died  in  infancy. 

By  his  first  wife,  whose  maiden  name 
was  P^lora  France,  a  native  of  Galien  town- 
ship, Mr.  Jerue  had  six  children,  namely: 
May,  deceased;  Lucretia,  deceased;  Francis^ 
Clara,  Milton  and  Henry.  In  November, 
1 90 1,  Mr.  Jerue  married  Emma  Keefer,  also 
a  native  of  Galien  township,  and  their  twa 
children  are  John  and  Mary. 

L.  G.  MOULTON.     Among  the  promi- 
nent residents  of  Benton  Harbor  well  de- 
serving of  mention  among  the  representa- 
tive citizens  of  Berrien  county  is  numbered 
L.  G.  Moulton,  who  was  formerly  identified 
with  mercantile  interests  in  this  city  and  is 
today  the  owner  of  a  valuable   fruit  farm 
adjoining   Benton    Harbor.        He   came   to 
Michigan  when  the  site  of  this  city  was  en- 
tirely  covered   by   a   fruit   orchard.         His 
birth    occurred    in    Genesee    county.    New 
York,  on  the  30th  of  May,  1835,  his  parents 
being  Daniel  and   Pauline   (Riddle)    Moul- 
ton.    The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion and  removed  from  New  York  to  Illi- 
nois at  an  early  period  in  the  development 
of  the  latter  state.     There  he  not  only  en- 
gaged  in  general   agricultural  pursuits   but 
also  operated  a  sawmill.     He  reared  a  fam- 
ily   of    ten    children,    nine    sons    and    one 
daughter,  L.  G.  Moulton  being  the  only  one 
now  living. 

When  a  young  lad  Mr.  Moulton  of  this 
review  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
emigration  westw^ard  and  spent  his  youtli 
largely  in  Illinois.  He  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  and  in  1859  he  came  to 
Michigan,  settling  first  in  St.  Joseph,  where 
he  remained  for  a  few  years,  when  he  re- 
moved to  his  present  pkce  of  residence  ia 
Benton  township  near  the  town  of  Benton, 
Harbor.     On  locating  in  St.  Joseph  he  pur- 


552 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


chased  a  hardware  store,  which  he  con- 
ducted for  about  three  years,  but  in  1862  a 
disastrous  fire  destroyed  this  store,  causing 
him  a  loss  of  about  three  thousand  dollars 
worth  of  property.  Removing  to  the  farm 
he  has  since  carried  on  the  cultivation  of 
fruit  in  the  center  of  the  fruit  belt  of  Michi- 
gan, No  state  in  the  Union  produces  finer 
fruit  than  can  be  raised  in  this  locality  and 
Mr.  Moulton  has  always  been  a  leader  in 
the  work,  never  following  in  the  beaten 
paths  that  others  have  traveled,  but  seeking 
out  new  methods  and  embracing  every  op- 
portunity for  advancing  his  business  inter- 
ests. He  has  always  raised  fruit  of  the  fin- 
est quality  and  size  and  the  products  of  his 
farm  have  found  a  ready  sale  on  the  market. 
He  now  owns  twenty  acres  of  land  worth 
over  four  hundred  dollars  per  acre  and  ad- 
joining Benton  Harbor  on  the  south.  He 
cleared  and  improved  the  place  and  trans- 
formed his  farm  into  a  splendid  orchard. 
When  he  came  to  Berrien  county  the  entire 
site  of  Benton  Harbor  was  an  orchard  and 
he  has  witnessed  many  changes  that  have 
occurred  here  as  the  city  has  grown  and 
developed  and  as  it  has  progressed  along 
modern  lines,  making  this  one  of  the  rich 
sections  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Moulton  has  been  married  twice. 
He  first  wedded  Miss  Lavena  Plumb  and 
unto  them  was  born  a  son,  Chester  O.,  who 
is  now  a  telegraph  operator  in  Chicago.  In 
1853  Mr.  Moulton  was  again  married,  his 
second  union  being  with  Miss  Mary  Day,  a 
daughter  of  Henry  Day,  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, wdio  with  his  family  removed  to  Illi- 
nois, settling  upon  a  farm  there.  There 
have  been  four  children  born  of  the  second 
marriage:  Emily,  Ella,  Caroline  and  Ad- 
die,  all  yet  living. 

Mr.  Moulton  now  has  a  fine  home  on 
his  fruit  farm,  it  being  one  of  the  attractive 
residences  of  Benton  township  and  his 
splendidly  improved  property  is  an  indica- 
tion of  an  active  and  well-spent  life.  He 
cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Zachary 
Taylor  and  since  the  organization  of  the  Re- 
publican party  has  been  one  of  its  stanch 
and  inflexible  advocates.  He  belongs  to  the 


Masonic  fraternity  and  was  instrumental  in 
establishing  the  Union  League  in  St.  Jo- 
seph, this  being  the  first  organization  of 
the  kind  in  this  part  of  the.  state.  For  two 
years  he  served  as  its  president.  He  has 
now  passed  the  eighty-first  milestone  on 
life's  journey  and,  looking  back  over  the 
past  in  a  review  of  his  career,  one  notes 
many  salient  elements  that  are  commenda- 
ble. He  has  worked  earnestly  and  persist- 
ently and  his  business  affairs  at  all  times 
have  been  characterized  by  integrity  and 
straightforward  dealing. 

JAMES  J.  WEIR,  M.  D.,  a  most  suc- 
cessful practicing  physician  and  surgeon 
now  living  in  Millburg,  was  born  in  Carroll 
county,  Ohio,  November  25,  1838,  the  place 
of  his  birth  being  near  Minerva.  His  par- 
ents, William  and  Elizabeth  (Irwin)  Weir, 
were  both  natives  of  Ireland  and  leaving 
that  country  they  sailed  for  the  United 
States  in  1825,  making  their  way  from  the 
Atlantic  coast  to  Carroll  county,  Ohio, 
where  they  took  up  their  abode.  The  father 
followed  farming  and  died  at  the  venerable 
age  of  eighty-seven  years,  while  his  wife 
passed  away  at  a  comparatively  early  age, 
her  death  occurring  when  she  was  but  thir- 
ty-five. Mr.  Weir  was  a  successful  agri- 
culturist, carefully  directing  his  business 
interests,  so  that  as  the  years  passed  he  won 
a  gratifying  measure  of  prosperity. 

James  J.  Weir  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Carroll  county,  Ohio,  and 
afterward  attended  the  Warren  Collegiate 
Institute  at  Warren,  Illinois,  also  the  Ec- 
lectic Medical  College  of  Cincinnati.  De- 
termining upon  the  practice  of  medicine  as 
a  life  work,  he  carefully  prepared  for  his 
chosen  calling  and  following  his  graduation 
in  1878  he  opened  an  office  for  practice  at 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  where  he  re- 
mained for  one  year.  He  afterward  pract- 
iced at  Edmore,  Montcalm  county,  Michi- 
gan, for  three  years  and  then  removed  to 
Kalamazoo.  Subsequently  he  took  up  his 
abode  in  Dowagiac,  where  he  continued  in 
practice  for  two  years  and  later  he  located 
in   Millburg,   where   he   has   since   resided. 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


553 


He  has  a  very  fine  practice,  being  the  only 
physician  in  Benton  township  outside  of 
Benton  Harbor. 

Dr.  Weir  has  been  married  twice.  In 
1864  he  wedded  Margaret  Davis  and  unto 
them  were  born  six  children :  James  H., 
who  is  engaged  in  business  in  Grand  Rap- 
ids; B.  Vern,  a  painter  by  trade;  Cora  P., 
who  is  now  in  Detroit;  and  three  deceased, 
one  who  died  in  childhood,  one  died  aged 
nine  years,  and  another  aged  six  months.  In 
1900  Dr.  Weir  was  again  married,  his  sec- 
ond union  being  with  Mrs.  Alta  Enos.  They 
have  a  pleasant  home  in  Millburg,  Benton 
township,  and  their  residence  stands  in  the 
midst  of  a  fine  lawn  of  four  lots,  which  is 
well  kept,  making  theirs  one  of  the  attract- 
ive places  in  the  town.  Dr.  Weir  has  built 
up  a  very  fine  practice,  his  professional  du- 
ties making  constant  demand  upon  his  time 
and  attention  until  he  has  almost  more  than 
he  can  do.  He  has  served  as  health  officer 
for  four  years  and  he  has  kept  in  constant 
touch  with  the  progress  made  by  the  medical 
fraternity  as  investigation,  research  and  ex- 
periment have  broadened  the  knowledge  of 
its  representatives  and  promoted  their  effi- 
ciency. His  labors  are  attended  with  ex- 
cellent results,  for  he  is  very  careful  in  the 
diagnosis  of  his  case  and  correct  in  his 
application  of  his  knowledge  to  the  needs 
of  his  patients.  In  his  political  views  he 
is  a  stalwart  and  earnest  Republican,  and 
fraternally  is  connected  with  the  Masonic 
Order,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  the  Be- 
nevolent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and 
the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  He  has 
gained  the  favorable  regard  of  his  brethren 
of  the  profession  and  the  consensus  of  pub- 
lic opinion  concerning  him  both  socially  and 
professionally  is  entirely  favorable. 

JOPIN  GLEESON.  The  subject  of 
this  review  is  a  well  known  farmer  of  Chik- 
aming  township,  Berrien  county,  whose  skill 
and  ability  in  his  chosen  calling  are  plainly 
manifest  in  the  well  tilled  fields  and  neat 
and  thrifty  appearance  of  his  place.  He 
was  born  in  the  city  of  Hamilton,  Canada, 


on  the  9th  of  April,  1850,  a  son  of  Patrick 
Gleeson,  a  native  son  of  Ireland.  He  was 
married  in  his  native  country  to  Johanna 
Dwyer,  a  native  of  the  same  place  as  her 
husband,  and  about  1848  they  emigrated 
to  Canada,  where  the  wife  and  mother  died 
in  1856,  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine  years. 
The  father  afterward  came  to  Berrien 
county,  and  here  the  remainder  of  his  life 
w^as  passed,  his  death  occurring  in  Chika- 
ming  towaiship  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight 
years.  He  w^as  a  blacksmith  and  machinist 
by  trade,  following  those  occupations  in  his 
early  life,  but  after  coming  to  Michigan  he 
engaged  in  farming.  Three  children  were 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gleson — John,  whose 
name  introduces  this  review;  Maggie,  the 
deceased  wife  of  John  Sweeney;  and  Wil- 
liam J.,  a  resident  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska. 
In  1862  Mr.  Gleeson  accompanied  his 
father  on  his  removal  to  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  and  for  thirty-five  years  he  has 
resided  on  his  present  home  farm,  which 
consists  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
fertile  and  well  tilled  land  on  sections  28 
and  29.  This  land  was  purchased  of  Jacob 
Beeson,  of  Niles,  and  at  that  time  was  cov- 
ered with  a  dense  growth  of  timber,  but 
with  the  assistance  of  his  father  Mr.  Gleeson 
has  cleared  the  entire  place  and  has  placed 
the  same  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
He  is  a  defender  of  the  principles  of  the 
Democratic  party.  For  four  years  he  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  the  office  of  township 
supervisor,  for  four  years  was  highway  com- 
missioner, two  years  township  treasurer, 
and  ten  years  a  school  officer,  facts  which 
attest  his  great  popularity  and  the  confidence 
of  the  people  in  his  capability  and  trust- 
w^orthiness.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  H. 
T.  A.,  of  which  he  served  as  secretary  for 
thirteen  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Cath- 
olic church  at  Three  Oaks. 

CAPTAIN  JAMES  McDONALD  was 
born  in  Canada  on  the  30th  of  June,  1845, 
and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Isabella  (Leach) 
McDonald.  The  father  was  a  native  of 
Scotland  and  possessed  all  of  the  sterling 
characteristics   of   that   race.        For   many 


554 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


years  he  conducted  a  hotel,  but  about  1843 
brought  his  family  to  America,  settling  at 
Port  Colborne,  Canada,  where  occurred  the 
birth  of  his  son  James.  He  purchased  a 
hotel  there  and  continued  its  active  manage- 
ment up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1844. 
His  widow  subsequently  removed  with  her 
family  to  Buffalo,  New  York,  and  in  1852 
came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  settling 
on  a  farm  in  Benton  township.  A  year  later 
she  went  to  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  with  her 
children  and  afterward  took  up  her  abode 
in  Sodus  township,  where  her  remaining 
days  were  passed,  her  death  there  occurring 
when  she  had  reached  the  very  advanced 
age  of  eighty-six  years. 

Captain  McDonald  spent  his  youth  in 
St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  where  he  secured  his 
education,  but  his  school  privileges  were 
somewhat  limited  and  in  the  school  of  ex- 
perience he  has  learned  many  valuable  les- 
sons. At  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  be- 
came a  sailor  and  spent  some  time  on  Lakes 
Michigan,  Erie  and  Huron,  continuing  on 
the  w^ater  altogether  for  twenty-three  years. 
He  worked  his  w^ay  steadily  upward  and 
for  fifteen  years  was  master  of  a  vessel.  He 
began  upon  the  lakes  as  steward  and  served 
in  successive  positions  until  he  became 
master  of  a  vessel.  He  continued  to  run 
a  schooner  between  Benton  Harbor  and  Chi- 
cago and  was  noted  for  making  quick  trips. 
In  fact  he  has  the  record  of  making  the 
fastest  time  upon  the  lakes  by  a  boat  of  that 
character.  In  1872  he  ran  the  schooner 
Cynthia  Gordon  and  made  thirty  round 
trips  in  sixty  days  in  succession,  carrying 
lumber  and  other  freight.  He  continued  in 
business  until  1880,  when  he  sold  the 
schooner  and  retired  from  the  lakes.  He 
then  turned  his  attention  to  the  lumber  busi- 
ness and  was  the  first  to  ship  a  carload  of 
lumber  into  any  yard  in  St.  Joseph  or  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  the  cargo  being  white  pine  from 
the  north,  which  he  sold  to  the  firm  of  Wal- 
lace &  Barnes.  He  also  shipped  the  first 
carload  of  lumber  from  the  north  to  Captain 
N.  Robbins.  By  this  time  he  was  buying 
and  selling  lumber  by  the  cargo  but  shortly 
afterward,  in  1880,  he  established  a  lumber- 
yard in  Benton  Harbor,  forming  a  partner- 


ship with  A.  S.  and  W.  O.  Packard,  under 
the   firm   name   of    McDonald,    Packard   & 
Company.     They  conducted  a  wholesale  and 
retail  lumber  business  in  this  city  and  Cap- 
tain McDonald  was  connected  with  the  trade 
for  seven  years,  when  he  sold  out  and  em- 
barked in  business  as  an  independent  dealer. 
Later  he  admitted  P.  W.  Van  Denser  to  a 
partnership  under  the  firm  style  of  McDon- 
ald &  Van  Denser,  this  relation  being  main- 
tained for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time    Captain   McDonald   bought   his    part- 
ner's interest  and  continued  alone  until  1898. 
He  later  formed  a  partnership  with  Samuel 
McGuigan    under    the    firm   name   of    Mc- 
Guigan  &  McDonald,  and  they  not  only  con- 
tinued in  the  lumber  trade  but  also  built  the 
McGuigan  &  McDonald  Block  in  the  center 
of   the   city.        This   is  a  three-story  brick 
structure    seventy-five  by   eighty   feet   with 
stores  on  the  ground  floor  and  offices  above. 
Captain  McDonald  is  a  man  of  resource- 
ful business  ability,  who  has  been  quick  to 
recognize  and  improve  business  opportuni- 
ties in  the  line  of  real  estate  building  and 
dealing.     He  is  now  the  owner  of  much  val- 
uable realty  in  Benton  Harbor,  including  a 
number  of  dwellings.     Pie  continued  in  the 
lumber  trade,  the  firm  of  McGuigan  &  Mc- 
Donald carrying  on  business  where  the  Pen- 
insular   Lumber    Company    now    conducts 
their    yard.       In   1901    Captain  McDonald 
bought  his  partner's  interest  and  in  1903  re- 
moved his  lumberyard  to  a  point  on  South 
Pipestone  street,  where  he  continues  to  carry 
on  a  large  business,  having  been  very  suc- 
cessful.    His  patronage  in  this  line  is  very 
extensive,     the    trade    having    long    since 
reached    large    and    profitable    proportions. 
He  has  also  built  or  been  interested  in  the 
erection  of  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  dwell- 
ings in  Benton  Harbor  which  have  contrib- 
uted in  large  measure  to  the  development 
and  improvement  of  the  city.     His  opera- 
tions as  a  speculative  builder  have  been  of 
direct  and  permanent  good  to  Benton  Har- 
bor as  well  as  a  source  of  individual  profit 
and  he  is  widely  recognized  as  one  of  the 
most  enterprising  and  capable  business  men 
here. 

On   the   29th   of   November,    1870,    oc- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


555 


curred  the  marriage  of  Captain  McDonald 
and  Miss  Ann  E.  Rector,  a  daughter  of 
WilHam  H.  Rector,  a  native  of  Berrien 
county.  They  now  have  three  children : 
Flora  Isabelle,  who  was  born  in  St.  Jo- 
seph ;  William  R.,  who  was  born  in  Benton 
Harbor  and  is  principal  of  a  school  at  San 
Francisco,  California;  and  Ora  M.,  who  was 
born  in  Sodus  township,  Berrien  county, 
and  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  L.  Frank  Ray,  of  St. 
Joseph.  Captain  McDonald  and  his  family 
attend  the  Methodist  church  and  he  belongs 
to  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  Modern  Wood- 
men and  Elks  lodges.  He  votes  with  the 
Republican  party  and  in  1896  served  as 
alderman  from  the  second  ward  but  he  pre- 
fers to  do  his  public  service  as  a  private 
citizen,  finding  many  opportunities  to  put 
forth  aid  in  behalf  of  general  progress  and 
improvement. 

HARRIS  S.  WHITNEY,  practicing  at 
the  bar  of  Berrien  county,  has  gained  recog- 
nition as  an  able  attorney  of  broad  legal 
learning,  who  in  the  trial  of  his  case  shows 
correct  application  of  his  knowledge  to  the 
points  in  litigation.  He  was  born  in  Canada 
in  1870  and  is  a  son  of  Edward  R.  and 
Mary  J.  (Harris)  Whitney.  The  father 
was  a  farmer  and  lumberman.  He  partici- 
pated in  the  Fenian  Raids  in  Canada  and 
served  as  captain  of  a  company.  He  was 
ahvays  interested  in  military  affairs  and 
ever  kept  well  in  formed  on  questions  con- 
cerning such  matters.  He  was  a  son  of 
Ebenezer  and  Charlotte  (Parker)  Whit- 
ney. The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a 
daughter  of  Peter  and  Frances  (Mitchell) 
Harris. 

Harris  S.  Whitney  came  to  Michigan 
in  1890,  settling  in  Benton  Harbor,  where 
his  education  was  acquired,  his  preliminary 
studies  being  supplemented  by  a  course  in 
the  Benton  Harbor  College,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1898.  He 
thus  gained  a  broad  literary  knowledge  to 
serve  as  the  foundation  upon  which  to  rear 
the  superstructure  of  professional  learning 
and,  having  determined  upon  the  practice 
of  law  as  a  life  work,  he  became  a  student 
in  the  office  and  under  the  direction  of  W. 


C.  Hicks,  of  Benton  Harboi.  He  afterward 
took  the  examination  before  the  state  board 
of  examiners,  wdiereby  he  secured  his  ad- 
mission to  the  bar  in  1900.  Locating  for 
practice  in  Benton  Harbor,  he  has  met  with 
a  fair  measure  of  success  for  a  man  of  his 
years,  having  a  good  clientage  connecting 
him  with  considerable  important  litigation. 
His  devotion  to  his  clients'  interests  is  prov- 
erbial and  he  prepares  his  cases  with  great 
thoroughness  and  care.  It  is  the  work  done 
in  the  courtroom — the  public  addresses  to 
court  and  jury  and  the  cross  examination 
wdiich  impresses  the  general  public,  but  the 
real  work  of  the  lawyer  is  done  in  his  office 
in  the  preparation  of  his  case,  in  the  mar- 
shalling of  his  facts  and  in  ascertaining  the 
law  applicable  thereto.  In  this  task  Mr. 
Whitney  shows  unfaltering  diligence  and 
his  comprehensive  research  is  evidenced 
by  the  results  which  he  wins  in  the  court- 
room. 

Interested  in  political  questions,  Mr. 
Whitney  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues 
of  the  day  and  gives  his  allegiance  to  the 
Republican  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Republican  city  committee  and  also  the 
county  central  committee,  acting  in  the  lat- 
ter capacity  for  two  years.  He  was  also  a 
member  of  the  Young  Men's  Republican 
Club  during  the  two  campaigns  in  which 
William  McKinley  was  presidential  nomi- 
nee. He  is  secretary  of  the  Berrien  County 
Bar  Association,  and  has  just  been  selected 
justice  of  the  peace,  commission  to  take 
effect  July  4,  1906.  Mr.  H.  S.  Whitney 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  April  15,  1906. 
Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  Lake  Shore 
Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Benton  Harbor. 

In  1902  Mr.  Whitney  was  married  in 
this  city  to  Miss  Dora  B.  Rackliff,  a  daugh- 
ter of  H.  A.  Rackliff,  who  was  formerly 
register  of  deeds  of  Berrien  county.  They 
have  one  child,  Robert  A.,  born  in  this 
city.  Earnest  effort,  close  application  and 
the  exercise  of  his  native  talents  have  won 
Mr.  Whitney  considerable  prestige  as  a 
lawyer,  and  his  legal  learning,  his  analytical 
mind  and  the  readiness  with  which  he  grasps 
the  points  in  an  argument  combine  to  make 
him  a  capable  representative  of  the  bar. 


556 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


GEORGE  A.  PARREN.  One  of  the 
honored  residents  of  Berrien  county,  George 
A.  Parren,  is  a  native  of  Chikaming  town- 
ship, his  birth  occurring  on  the  4th  of  No- 
vember, 1869,  and  in  this  portion  of  the 
State  his  entire  Hfe  has  been  passed.  He  is 
a  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Tatro)  Parren, 
natives  respectively  of  Quebec  and  IlHnois. 
The  mother's  death  occurred  in  this  town- 
ship when  she  had  reached  the  age  of  about 
thirty-eight  years,  but  the  father  is  still  liv- 
ing, making  his  home  on  a  farm  in  this 
township.  They  became  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  namely:  Joseph,  who  makes 
his  home  in  Wesaw  township;  George  A., 
whose  name  introduces  this  review ;  Charles, 
a  resident  of  the  state  of  Washington;  Al- 
bert, of  Chikaming  township ;  Henry,  whose 
home  is  in  Benton  Harbor ;  Agnes,  at  home ; 
and  William. 

The  old  farm  in  Chikaming  township 
continued  as  the  home  of  George  A.  Parren 
until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  the 
educational  training  which  he  received  in  its 
schools  was  supplemented  by  an  attendance 
at  Notre  Dame,  South  Bend,  for  one  year. 
He  entered  on  his  business  career  as  a  clerk 
in  a  store  at  Sawyer,  where  he  remained 
for  one  year,  going  thence  to  St.  Joseph, 
where  a  similar  period  of  time  was  spent, 
and  for  the  following  three  years  he  was  a 
resident  of  Three  Oaks.  He  subsequently 
became  the  proprietor  of  a  general  store  in 
Dayton,  but  after  one  year  there  he  removed 
to  Three  Oaks,  where  for  about  seven  years 
he  was  numbered  among  the  leading  general 
merchants.  After  spending  one  season  on 
a  farm  he  took  up  his  abode  in  St.  Joseph, 
and  there  for  a  time  was  engaged  in  the 
fuel  business,  while  during  the  succeeding 
year  he  was  the  proprietor  of  a  general  store 
in  Sawyer.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
Mr.  Parren  located  on  his  present  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  on  sec- 
tion II,  Chikaming  township.  Most  of 
the  improvements  now  seen  upon  this  place 
are  the  work  of  Mr.  Parren,  including  all 
the  buildings  and  most  of  the  clearing.  In 
addition  to  his  general  farming  operations 
he  is  also  extensively  engaged  in  stock  rais- 


ing, buying  and  shipping  cattle  by  the  car 
load  lots.  He  is  now  erecting  a  residence  in 
Three  Oaks,  where  he  will  spend  the  winter 
months,  while  the  summers  will  be  passed 
at  his  farm. 

Mr.  Parren  was  married  May  10,  1892, 
to  Miss  Mary  Slieler,  a  native  of  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  and  a  daughter  of  Hiram 
and  Mary  Sheler.  Their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  three  children — Vera,  Opal  and 
George.  Mr.  Parren  gives  his  political  sup- 
port to  the  Democratic  party,  and  for  five 
consecutive  years  he  served  as  the  clerk 
of  Three  Oaks  township,  while  for  one  year 
he  held  the  same  office  in  Chikaming  town- 
ship. He  is  a  gentleman  of  excellent  educa- 
tion, is  broad-minded  and  patriotic,  and 
merits  the  genuine  regard  which  everyone 
accords  him. 

EDWARD  CLARK  SISSON,  assist- 
ant secretary  and  assistant  general  manager 
of  the  Peter  Lumber  Company  of  Benton 
Harbor,  was  born  in  Spring  Lake,  Ottawa 
county,  Michigan,  on  the  12th  of  September 
1872.  His  father,  George  D.  Sisson,  was 
a  native  of  Ohio  and  coming  to  Michigan, 
became  connected  with  the  lumber  industry 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  state.  He  lived 
for  about  one  year  in  Benton  Harbor,  where 
he  was  also  connected  with  the  lumber  busi- 
ness. His  death  occurred  in  1898,  when  he 
had  reached  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years, 
and  he  is  still  survived  by  his  wife,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Margaret  E. 
Clark.  She  was  bom  in  Elgin,  Scotland, 
and  is  now  living  with  her  son,  Edward 
C,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  In  the 
family  of  this  worthy  couple  were  seven 
children,  of  whom  five  are  yet  living :  Wil- 
liam H.,  who  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Wis- 
consin, and  is  now  residing  in  Indiana, 
where  he  is  connected  with  the  lumber  trade; 
Edward  C. ;  George  D.,  who  was  born  at 
Spring  Lake,  Michigan,  and  is  now  living 
in  Indianapolis,  where  he,  too,  is  connected 
with  the  lumber  business;  Georgia  S.,  the 
widow  of  James  Campbell;  and  Jessie,  the 
wife  of  Major  R.  B.  Gillette,  who  is  repre- 
sented on  another  page  of  this  volume.  All 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


557 


three  ai  the  sons  have  followed  in  their 
father's  footsteps  in  business  hfe,  becoming 
connected  with  the  lumber  trade. 

At  the  usual  age  Edward  Clark  Sisson 
entered  the  public  schools  in  his  native  city, 
where  he  mastered  the  elementary  branches 
of  learning.  Later  he  became  a  student  in  the 
schools  of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  passing 
through  successive  grades  until  he  had  com- 
pleted the  high  school  course.  He  after- 
ward attended  a  business  college  in  that 
city  and  on  putting  aside  his  text  books  he 
entered  upon  his  business  career  as  an  em- 
ploye in  the  wholesale  department  of  the 
dry  goods  house  of  Spring  &  Company  at 
Grand  Rapids,  acting  in  that  capacity  for 
two  years.  Later  he  began  working  for  the 
Chicago  &  Western  Michigan  Railroad  in 
the  auditing  department,  his  connection  with 
the  corporation  continuing  for  seven  years, 
after  which  he  went  to  Indianapolis,  Indi- 
ana, and  joined  his  father  in  the  lumber 
business  there.  They  w^ere  thus  associated 
until  1898,  the  year  of  the  father\s  death, 
after  which  Mr.  Sisson  entered  into  the 
business  relations  with  the  Peter  Lumber 
Company,  of  Benton  Harbor,  of  which  he 
was  assistant  secretary  and  assistant  gen- 
eral manager.  The  Peter  Lumber  Com- 
pany sold  out  their  business  May  15,  igo6, 
and  Mr.  Sisson  and  W.  C.  Hovey  organized 
the  Hovey  &  Sisson  Lumber  Company, 
wholesale  dealers  in  lumber.  He  has  put 
forth  strenuous  and  effective  effort  for  the 
development  and  growth  of  the  business, 
and  his  labors  are  an  important  factor  in  its 
success.  From  his  boyhood  days  to  the 
present  time  he  has  been  largely  connected 
with  the  lumber  trade,  having  gained  con- 
siderable knowledge  of  the  business  in  his 
youth  through  association  with  his  father. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Sisson  is  an 
earnest  Republican,  very  active  in  the  work 
of  the  party,  doing  everything  in  his  power 
to  promote  its  growth  and  insure  its  suc- 
cess. It  was  he  who  nominated  Judge 
Coolitz  at  the  last  election  for  judge  of  the 
circuit  court.  In  1905  Mr.  Sisson  was  ap- 
pointed to  fill  out  the  unexpired  term  of 
Dr.  Cole,  deceased,  in  the  office  of  alderman, 
and  in  the  spring  of   1906  he  was  elected 


alderman  from  the  first  ward.  His  inter- 
est in  public  affairs  has  been  manifest  in  the 
tangible  effort  for  the  general  good  and,  in 
all  of  his  public  work  as  in  his  business  inter- 
ests he  is  intensely  practical  and  far-sighted, 
lie  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity  and 
has  attained  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the 
Scottish  rite  and  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Mystic  vShrine  at  Grand  Rapids.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity, 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  h^ellows,  the 
braternai  Order  of  Eagles,  the  Knights  of 
the  Maccal)ees  and  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks,  and  in  the  last  named 
lias  served  for  the  past  two  years  as  exalted 
ruler.  He  is  a  favorite  with  his  brethren 
of  these  organizations  and  his  interest  in 
their  work  is  of  a  helpful  and  beneficial 
nature. 

THOMAS  LEE  WILKINSON,  who 
is  engaged  in  the  abstract  business  in  St. 
Joseph,  was  born  in  Berrien  Springs,  this 
county,  on  the  7th  of  November,  1855. 
His  father,  Thomas  Lee  Wilkinson  was 
born  near  Germantown,  Pennsylvania,  and 
is  descended  from  Quaker  ancestry.  He 
removed  from  his  native  state  to  Michigan 
in  the  year  1840.  He  was  married  there  to 
]\iiss  Elizal)eth  Ann  Hagadorn,  a  native  of 
Allegany  county.  New  York,  who  is  still 
living,  having  for  many  years  survived  her 
liusbraid,  who  died  in  1862  at  the  age  of 
foity-seven  years.  Mr.  Wilkinson  was  a 
cabinet-maker  by  trade  and  in  the  early 
days  manufactured  furniture.  He  had  a 
large  shop  employing  several  men,  and  made 
most  of  the  furniture  used  in  central  Berrien 
county  from  1840  to  i860.  Walnut  and 
cherry  were  used  exclusively  in  making 
good  furniture  in  those  days,  and  the  for- 
ests around  Berrien  Springs  furnished  an 
abundance  of  these  woods.  In  their  family 
were  eight  children. 

Thomas  Lee  Wilkinson  was  only  about 
eight  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  father's 
demise.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  place,  and  in  1876  be- 
came a  partner  in  the  abstract  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  Dix  &  Wilkinson, 
opening  what    was    known  as    the    Berrien 


SS8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


County  Abstract  Office.  This  office  was 
removed  to  St.  Joseph  in  1894  and  Mr.  Wil- 
kinson is  still  connected  with  this  line  of 
business.  In  1890  in  Berrien  Springs,  in 
connection  wdth  Roscoe  D.  Dix,  he  estab- 
lished a  private  bank  called  the  Berrien 
Exchange  Bank,  which  is  still  con- 
ducted, at  the  same  time  carrying  on  the 
abstract  office  in  St.  Joseph.  Mr.  Dix  re- 
sides in  the  former  place  looking  after  the 
banking  interests  there,  while  Mr.  Wilkin- 
son has  control  of  the  business  in  St.  Jo- 
seph. Both  branches  are  proving  a  source 
of  profit  and  are  factors  in  business  circles 
in  the  two  cities. 

On  the  1st  of  November,  1893,  in  Ber- 
rien Springs,  Mr.  Wilkinson  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Adeline  Graham,  a  daugh- 
ter of  George  Graham  of  that  place.  Unto 
them  were  born  three  children:  Phyllis, 
who  was  born  in  Berrien  Springs  and  is 
eleven  years  of  age;  Frances,  who  was  born 
in  Berrien  Springs  and  is  seven  years  of 
age;  and  Mary  Elizabeth,  who  was  born  in 
St.  Joseph  and  is  three  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Wilkinson  votes  with  the  Republi- 
can party,  but  is  without  aspiration  for  of- 
fice, although,  as  every  true  American  citi- 
zen should  do,  he  keeps  well  informed  on 
the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows at  Berrien  Springs,  also  to  the  Wood- 
men camp,  and  the  Maccabees  tent  at  that 
place,  while  in  St.  Joseph  he  has  member- 
ship relations  with  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks.  His  entire  life  has 
been  passed  in  this  county,  and  while  there 
have  been  no  exciting  chapters  in  his  life 
history  he  belongs  to  that  class  who  uphold 
the  local  and  political  status  of  the  commu- 
nity and  whose  aid  and  co-operation  can 
be  counted  upon  to  further  progressive  pub- 
lic measures,  while  in  business  circles  he  is 
thoroughly  reliable  and  just. 

JOHN  BURKHART,  engaged  in  the 
real  estate  and  insurance  business  in  Three 
Oaks  and  also  serving  as  justice  of  the  peace 
and  notary  public,  has  been  a  valued  factor 
in  community  affairs,  standing  as  a  repre- 
sentative   of    progress    and     improvement 


along  all  substantial  lines.  He  was  born 
in  Lebanon  county,  Pennsylvania,  on  the 
nth  of  August,  1 841,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Christina  (Hahn)  Burkhart,  who  were 
natives  of  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  in  which 
country  they  were  reared  and  married.  The 
year  following  their  marriage  they  came  to 
the  United  States  and  established  their  home 
in  Pennsylvania,  where  they  spent  their  re- 
maining days,  both  passing  away  in  Schuyl- 
kill, when  seventy-nine  years  of  age.  Mr. 
Burkhart  w^as  five  years  her  husband's  ju- 
nior and  survived  him  for  that  length  of 
time.  In  their  family  w^ere  six  sons: 
Christian,  now  deceased;  John,  of  this  re- 
view; Charles,  who  was  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Bull  Run^  while  serving  in  the  Union 
army;  Fred,  who  for  four  years  was  a  sol- 
dier of  the  Civil  war;  Mathias,  of  Pennsyl- 
vania; and  Adam,  who  is  also  living  in 
Pennsylvania. 

John  Burkhart  was  reared  on  the  old 
home  farm  in  Pennsylvania  to  the  age  of 
twelve  years  and  his  parents  removed  to 
Schuylkill  Haven,  that  state,  settling  in  Pine 
Grove,  where  he  remained  until  seventeen 
years  of  age.  Thinking  to  have  better  busi- 
ness opportunities  in  the  west,  and  ambi- 
tious to  attain  success,  he  made  his  way  to 
South  Bend,  Indiana,  where  he  began  work 
as  a  farm  hand.  He  was  thus  employed  for 
about  two  years  prior  to  his  marriage,  and 
for  one  year  after  his  marriage. 

Mr.  Burkhart  was  married  at  South 
Bend,  April  28,  1861,  to  Mrs.  Susanna 
Goodwin  Hatfield,  who  was  born  in  Mary- 
land, about  fifteen  miles  south  of  Baltimore, 
in.  1829,  the  widow  of  James  H.  Hatfield 
and  a  daughter  of  George  and  Susan  (Pap- 
let)  Goodwin.  She  had  five  children  by 
her  first  marriage,  four  of  whom  lived  to 
maturity,  while  three  are  now  living.  The 
record  of  the  family  is  as  follows :  Emeline, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  nine  years;  Carrie, 
the  wife  of  William  H.  Holden,  of  Bellview, 
Michigan;  Abram  A.,  deceased;  John,  liv- 
ing in  Three  Oaks  township;  and  James  H., 
who  is  president  and  general  manager  for 
the  Kalamazoo  Corset  Company,  at  Kala- 
mazoo, Michigan.  Unto  .  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Burkhart  have  been  born  two  children  but 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


559 


Olive  died  in  1883,  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
years,  and  the  Hving  daughter,  Anna  B.,  is 
now  the  wife  of  Charles  O.  Hess,  of  Three 
Oaks. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Burkhart 
w^orked  for  two  years  in  a  meat  market  in 
South  Bend,  and  afterward  located  on  a 
farm  on  Portage  Prairie,  four  miles  north 
of  South  Bend,  where  he  rented  land  until 
1869,  there  carrying  on  general  agricultural 
pursuits.  In  that  year  he  removed  to  Walk- 
erton,  Indiana,  where  he  resided  for  a  year 
on  a  farm.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  removed  to  a  farm  four  miles  north  of 
Laporte,  and  on  the  19th  of  January,  1871, 
he  took  up  his  abode  at  Three  Oaks,  Michi- 
gan, where  he  has  since  resided.  For  one 
and  a  half  years  he  engaged  in  farming  and 
then  purchased  a  half  interest  in  a  meat 
market  in  connection  with  William  H. 
White,  conducting  the  business  under  the 
firm  name  of  Burkhart  &  White  for  tw^o 
years.  He  then  purchased  his  partner's  in- 
terest and  continued  in  business  alone  until 
1885,  when  he  admitted  his  son-in-law  to  a 
partnership  under  the  firm  style  of  Burkhart 
&  Fless.  They  were  associated  until  March, 
1905,  when  Mr.  Burkhart  sold  out  and  has 
since  conducted  his  present  real  estate  and 
insurance  business,  wTiting  considerable  in- 
surance each  year  and  also  negotiating 
many  realty  transfers.  He  is  likewise  just- 
ice of  the  peace  and  notary  public.  He  has 
been  honored  with  a  number  of  local  of- 
fices, serving  as  constable  for  twelve  years. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace 
for  twenty  years,  and  in  April,  1906, 
was  elected  for  the  succeeding  four 
years.  He  discharges  the  duties  of  the 
office  with  strict  regard  for  the  law 
and  equity  and  his  service  has  won  him  the 
commendation  of  all  interested  in  justice 
and  good  government.  He  has  likewise 
served  on  the  village  council  for  two  years 
and  every  trust  reposed  in  him  has  been 
faithfully  executed. 

Mr.  Burkhart  is  a  prominent  Mason  and 
belongs  to  the  Elks  lodge  in  Michigan  City, 
holding  a  life  membership  with  that  organi- 
zation. He  also  belongs  to  the  A.  U.  V., 
a  German  association,  of  which  he  has  been 


treasurer  for  fifteen  years,  and  for  the  past 
four,  years  he  has  been  president  of  the  Anti- 
Horse  Thief  Association  of  this  county. 
Mr.  Burkhart  owns  two  business  places  and 
six  dwellings  in  the  heart  of  the  village  and 
has  made  every  dollar  that  he  possesses.  His 
life  has  been  indeed  an  industrious  one  and 
from  the  age  of  seventeen  years  he  has  de- 
pended entirely  upon  his  own  resources, 
working  persistently  and  earnestly,  knowing 
that  diligence  and  perseverence  are  a  safe 
basis  upon  which  to'  build  success.  What- 
ever he  undertakes  he  carries  forward  to 
completion  and  his  life  record  contains 
many  elements  worthy  of  emulation,  show- 
ing what  may  be  accomplished  through  de- 
termination and  force  of  character. 

JUDSON  SAWIN,  deceased,  was  for 
a  long  period  a  respected  and  valued  resi- 
dent of  Three  Oaks  township.  He  was  born 
in  Middlefield,  Otsego  county,  New  York, 
December  4,  1816,  his  parents  being  Rev. 
Benjamin  and  Sabra  (Holman)  Sawin.  The 
father,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  was  the 
first  Baptist  clergyman  in  Laporte,  Indiana, 
and  devoted  over  fifty  years  to  preaching 
the  gospel,  his  life  of  zeal  and  consecra- 
tion making  him  a  prominent  representative 
of  the  Baptist  clergy,  and  one  whose  labors 
were  of  far-reaching  benefit  to  his  fellow- 
men.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts and  both  died  at  Laporte,  Indiana.  In 
their  family  were  nine  children. 

Judson  Sawin  remained  upon  the  home 
farm  with  his  parents  until  sixteen  years  of 
age,  w^hen  he  left  Otsego  county.  New  York, 
and  removed  to  Aurora,  that  state,  not  far 
from  Buffalo.  There  he  continued  until 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  went  with 
his  parents  to  Laporte,  Indiana,  where  he  re- 
sided for  twenty-five  years.  For  a  number 
of  years  he  was  connected  with  his  brother- 
in-law,  Levi  Jones,  in  the  operation  of  a 
planing  mill  under  the  firm  style  of  Sawin 
&  Jones.  Prior  to  this  time,  however,  he 
and  his  brother  were  engaged  in  the  wagon 
and  buggy  business  quite  extensively  in 
Laporte  and  later  devoted  their  attention 
to  the  building  of  freight  cars  for  the  Michi- 
gan Southern  &  Northern  Indiana  Railroad, 


56o 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


as  the  line  was  then  called.  While  in  Buf- 
falo, New  York,  he  had  studied  law  with 
his  brother  and  w^as  connected  at  different 
times  with  a  number  of  legal  cases.  As  the 
years  passed  and  he  successfully  carried  on 
his  business  affairs  in  Laporte  he  made  ju- 
dicious investment  there  and  owns  consid- 
erable property  in  Laporte  county  but  lost 
heavily  by  going  security  for  friends.  It 
was  this  that  caused  him  to  close  out  his 
business  in  Indiana  and  remove  to  the  farm 
on  section  15,  Three  Oaks  township,  taking 
up  his  abode  there  in  1863.  Berrien  county 
thereby  gained  a  valued  citizen,  and  for 
forty  years  he  carried  on  general  agricult- 
ural pursuits.  He  had  eighty  acres  in  the 
home  place,  also  owned  one  hundred  and 
fifty-five  acres  on  section  17,  and  likewise 
had  eighty  acres  near  the  village  of  Three 
Oaks.  At  one  time  he  owned  nearly  four 
hundred  acres  of  land  in  this  locality.  All 
this  indicates  the  success  which  attended 
his  efforts  and  the  excellent  business  quali- 
ties which  he  displayed  in  the  conduct  of 
his  business  affairs.  He  was  watchful  of 
opportunity  and  as  indolence  and  idleness 
were  utterly  foreign  to  his  nature  he  worked 
resolutely  and  persistently  to  achieve  suc- 
cess and  retrieve  the  losses  that  he  had  ex- 
perienced while  in  Indiana.  He  became  one 
of  the  representative  agriculturists  of  his 
community  and  his  business  integrity  stood 
as  an  unquestioned  fact  in  his  career. 

Mr.  Sawin  was  married  in  Laporte,  In- 
diana, in  1 861,  to  Miss  Barbara  Carrier, 
who  was  born  near  Strasburg,  France, 
August  4,  1844.  She  came  to  the  United 
States  when  nine  years  of  age  with  her  par- 
ents, David  and  Barbara  Carrier,  the  fam- 
ily home  being  established  at  Crown  Point, 
Indiana,  whence  they  afterward  removed  to 
Laporte.  Her  father  and  mother  were  both 
natives  of  France  and  spent  their  last  years 
in  Three  Oaks,  Michigan.  The  marriage 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sawin  was  blessed  with 
seven  children :  John,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  eleven  years;  George,  who  died  when 
twenty-two  years  of  age;  Benjamin,  of 
Three  Oaks  township;  Julia,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Henry  Hoffer,  a  resident  of  Chicago; 
Louisa,  the  wife  of  Irving  Annable,  of  La- 


porte county,  Indiana;  Bessie,  the  wife  of 
Rov  Foster,  their  home  being  upon  the  farm 
with  her  mother ;  and  Frank,  who  is  in  Chi- 
cago in  the  government  employ,  being  in  the 
appraiser's  office  in  the  customs  house. 

Mr.  Sawin  was  deeply  interested  in  pol- 
itics and  in  the  great  questions  which  af- 
fect the  welfare  of  State  and  nation.     He 
studied  closely  the  condition  of  needs  in  the 
south  relating  to  slavery  and  long  prior  to 
the  Civil  war  was  a  pronounced  advocate 
of  abolition  and  took  great  interest  in  the 
feet  the  welfare  of  state  and  nation.      He 
stood  for  justice,  for  truth  and  right,  and 
desired  honesty   and  progress  in  public  as 
well  as  in  private  affairs.     His  early  polit- 
ical allegiance  was  given  to  the  Whig  party, 
while    later    he    supported    the    Republican 
party,  afterward  the  Democratic  party  and 
eventually  the  People's  party.       He    never 
feared   to  announce  his   honest   convictions 
and  support  the  principles  in  which  he  be- 
lieved and  was   a  man  whose  integrity  of 
purpose  was  never  questioned.     He  was  a 
strong  believer  in  Christianity  although  not 
a   church   member.      He   did   not   base   his 
views  upon  dogma  or  creed  but  he  believed 
in  the  eternal  principles  of  truth,  justice  and 
mercy  and  of  the  rig'ht  of  any  individual  to 
interpret  Bible  teaching  for  himself.       He 
was  always  a  student,  reading  broadly  and 
thinking  deeply,  and  was  moreover  a  fine 
linguist.     He  came  of  an  intellectual  family, 
having  one  sister  who  was  a  poetess  and  a 
brother   who  also   possessed   great   literary 
merit  and  wrote  considerably.     He  had  two 
uncles   who'  were  ministers   of  the   gospel, 
while    his    brother    Albert    was    a    leading 
lawyer  of  Buffalo,  New  York,  who  served 
as  prosecuting  attorney  of  the  city,  and  died 
at  the  age  of  forty-nine  years  from  over- 
work.    Fortunate  is  the  man  who  has  back 
of  him   an  ancestry  honorable   and   distin- 
guished, and  happy  is  he  if  his  lines  of  life 
are  cast  in  harmony  therewith.     In  person, 
in  talents  and   in  character  Judson   Sawin 
was  a  worthy  scion  of  his  race,  having  the 
strong    intellectual    force    and    discernment 
characteristic  of  his  people.  He  was  a  man 
whom  to  know  was  to  respect  and  honor, 
and  his  death,  which  occurred  April  3,  1903, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


561 


removed  from  Berrien  county  one  of  its  val- 
ued and  representative  citizens.  His  widow, 
a  most  estimable  lady,  still  resides  upon  the 
old  homestead  and  has  many  friends  in  this 
part  of  the  state. 

ROBERT  GUSHING  THAYER,  of 
Fair  Plain,  Benton  township,  is  a  fair  repre- 
sentative of  the  fruit  growing  interests  of 
Berrien  county — the  most  important  in- 
dustry of  this  portion  of  the  state.  He  was 
born  in  Turner,  Oxford  county,  Maine,  on 
the  25th  of  September,  1833,  and  for  forty 
years  lived  in  the  Pine  Tree  state.  The 
Thayer  family  was  established  in  the  Mass- 
achusetts colony  in  1630  and  in  the  paternal 
line  Mr.  Thayer  is  a  direct  descendant  of 
John  Alden  of  the  ^'Mayflower."  His 
mother  was  a  member  of  the  Gushing  fam- 
ily that  was  founded  in  America  in  1638 
and  therefore  claims  equal  antiquity  as  well 
as  prominence  with  the  Thayer  family.  The 
Gushing  family  was  established  in  Maine  in 
1802  and  about  the  same  time  the  Thayers 
went  to  that  portion  of  New  England. 

Robert  Gushing  Thayer  was  reared 
upon  a  farm,  obtaining  the  usual  country 
school  education  and  later  he  engaged  in 
teaching  for  a  short  time.  His  father  went 
to  Galifornia  about  1857  and  died  there  in 
1858.  He  left  Robert  G.  Thayer,  his  only 
son,  in  charge  of  the  farm.  Later  the  farm 
was  sold  because  of  the  poor  health  of  our 
subject,  who  then  entered  a  hardware  store. 
In  response  to  the  country's  call  for  troops 
he  enlisted  in  1861  as  a  member  of  Gom- 
pany  F,  First  Maine  Volunteer  Infantry,  en- 
listing in  April  at  the  first  call  for  troops. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  first  company 
raised  in  Maine,  and  the  command  was  sent 
to  Meridian  Hill  at  Washington,  where  it 
remained  until  the  expiration  of  its  term 
of  service  of  three  months.  He  then  again 
enlisted  in  December,  1 861,  as  a  member  of 
Gompany  B,  United  States  Engineers,  and 
did  active  service  in  Virginia  in  the  Mc- 
Glellan  peninsular  campaign.  On  the  22d 
of  October,  1862,  he  was  discharged  for 
disability.  He  afterward  returned  to  Maine 
but  continued  in  the  government  employ 
two  years  as  receiver  of  materials  at  Fort 

36 


Gorges  in  Portland  Harbor.  For  seven 
years  he  was  in  the  government  service,  and 
then  sought  a  home  in  the  middle  west. 

It  was  on  the  last  day  of  1873  that  Mr. 
Thayer  arrived  in  this  state.  He  had  no 
relatives  nor  acquaintances  in  Michigan  and 
knew  the  state  only  as  a  fruit  country. 
Wishing  to  devote  his  attention  to  horti- 
cultural pursuits  he  purchased  where  he  now 
lives  in  July  previous  to  his  arrival,  choos- 
ing Fair  Plain  as  the  most  desirable  region 
for  the  purpose  to  which  he  wished  to  put 
his  farm.  He  invested  in  thirty-eight  and 
a  half  acres  and  has  since  carried  on  fruit 
raising,  growing  grapes,  peaches,  pears,  ap- 
ples and  cherries.  Upon  his  farm  he  has 
erected  an  excellent  modern  residence  and 
his  is  one  of  the  fine  country  homes  of  the 
locality. 

On  the  26th  of  March,  1865,  Mr. 
Thayer  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  De- 
borah L.  Whitman,  who  died  May  13,  1869. 
He  was  married  again  on  the  12th  of  May, 
1 87 1,  in  Maine,  to  Miss  Zilpha  M.  Prince, 
who  died  June  9,  1893.  His  third  wife 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Gelia  Barker, 
whom  he  wedded  on  the  3rd  of  October, 
1894.  There  was  one  son  born  of  the  sec- 
ond marriage,  who  reached  maturity,  Paul, 
whose  birth  occurred  October  16,  1875,  and 
wdio  now  resides  near  the  father's  home.  He 
married  Miss  Dora  Robinson. 

Mr.  Thayer  cast  his  first  presidential 
ballot  for  John  G.  Fremont  and  has  stood 
firm  in  his  support  of  the  Republican  party 
since  that  time  but  at  local  elections  where 
no  issue  is  involved  he  votes  independently. 
He  was  raised  in  the  Masonic  lodge  forty- 
five  years  ago  and  now  belongs  to  Lake 
Shore  lodge,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Eastern  Star.  He  also  be- 
longs to  George  H.  Thomas  Post,  No.  14,. 
G.  A.  R.,  and  his  wife  is  connected  with 
the  Ladies  of  the  G.  A.  R.  In  matters  of 
citizenship  he  has,  by  loyalty,  morality  and 
temperance  won  the  respect  and  esteem  uni- 
formly extended  to  him. 

FRANGIS  HENRY  MORLEY,  who 
for  the  past  twenty-five  years  has  been  en- 
gaged in  the  operation  of  a  flouring  mill 


562 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


at  New  Troy,  is  a  well  known  representa- 
tive of  the  industrial  life  of  this  community 
and  has  made  a  creditable  business  record. 
He  was  born  in  New  Troy,  Wesaw  town- 
ship, June  28,  1853,  a  son  of  Ambrose  A. 
Morley,  whose  birth  occurred  in  New  York, 
November  7,  1825.  He  was  a  son  of  Will- 
iam Morley,  also  a  native  of  New  York, 
who  came  to  Michigan  as  a  pioneer  resident 
and  died  in  Berrien  county  at  an  advanced 
age.  In  his  family  were  four  sons  :  John 
C,  deceased;  William  S.,  of  Wesaw  town- 
ship; Ambrose  A.;  and  Dr.  Lewis  W.  Mor- 
ley, who  is  located  in  Iowa. 

Coming  here  with  his  parents,  Ambrose 
A.  Morley  located  on  the  prairie  near  Bu~ 
chanan,  and  about  1852  or  1853  located  at 
New  Troy,  where  he  established  the  mill- 
ing business  wdiich  is  still  carried  on  under 
the  family  name.  He  built  the  mill  now 
owned  and  operated  by  his  son,  Francis  H., 
to  w^hom  he  sold  the  property  about  thirty 
years  ago.  He  previously  went  to  the  west, 
where  he  remained  for  three  years,  after 
which  he  returned  and  retired  from  active 
business  life,  spending  his  remaining  days 
in  the  enjoyment  of  a  well-earned  rest.  He 
was  closely  associated  with  the  lumber  in- 
terests of  the  state  for  many  years  and  won 
success  in  that  undertaking,  having  extensive 
interests  along  that  line.  He  was  also  con- 
nected with  agricultural  pursuits  in  the 
county,  and  through  his  well-directed  efforts 
accumulated  a  competence  that  enabled  him 
in  his  later  years  to  rest  from  further  toil. 
In  politics  he  was  a  stanch  Democrat  but  he 
never  sought  nor  cared  for  office.  He  passed 
away  in  1900,  having  spent  the  last  years  of 
his  life  in  the  home  of  his  son.  In  early 
manhood  Ambrose  A.  Morley  was  married 
to  Miss  Cordelia  Carroll,  who  was  born  in 
New  York,  near  Nunda,  and  died  in  this 
county  in  1875,  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine 
years.  There  were  five  children  of  that 
marriage,  namely:  Francis  H.,  of  this  re- 
view; Thomas,  who  is  living  in  Wesaw 
township;  Aliston  A.,  of  Oregon;  Frank 
D.,  living  in  Galien  township;  and  Lodell 
Jane  Dunham,  deceased. 

Francis  Henry  Morley  was  reared  under 
the  parental  roof  and  has  always  resided  in 


New  Troy.  Throughout  his  entire  life  he 
has  been  connected  with  milling  interests  in 
the  operation  of  a  saw  and  flouring  mill.  He 
has  been  identified  with  the  manufacture  of 
flour  for  the  past  quarter  of  a  century  and 
the  mill  has  a  daily  capacity  of  fifty  barrels. 
The  plant  is  equipped  with  good  machinery 
and  the  product  is  of  excellent  quality,  so 
that  the  output  finds  a  ready  sale  on  the  mar- 
ket. Mr.  Morley' s  broad  experience  in  the 
business  and  his  thorough  understanding  of 
the  trade  w^ell  qualify  him  to  carry  on  a 
profitable  enterprise  and  he  is  accounted  one 
of  the  foremost  business  men  of  New  Troy. 

In  1876  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Morley  and  Miss  Emily  Smith,  who 
was  born  in  Indiana  in  1854,  a  daughter  of 
Peter  and  Elizabeth  Smith.  Her  father, 
Peter  Smith,  was  born  in  Salem  county, 
New  Jersey,  June  9,  1830,  a  son  of  Samuel 
and  Sarah  (Smith)  Smith,  who  were  also 
natives  of  New  Jersey.  The  latter  died 
when  her  son  was  only  about  three  years 
old,  while  Samuel  Smith  died  in  1869  ^^ 
the  advanced  age  of  seventy-three  years.  In 
1 85 1  Peter  Smith  wedded  Elizabeth  Ann 
Huffer,  who  was  born  in  Fountain  county, 
Indiana,  December  14,  1834,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Katharine  (Shafer)  Huffer,  na- 
tives of  Ohio.  Mrs.  Smith  w^as  only  four 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  father's 
death,  and  was  left  an  orphan  at  the  age 
of  sixteen. 

When  only  five  years  of  age  Peter  Smith 
accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal 
from  New  Jersey  to  Warren  county,  Ohio, 
where  they  lived  for  twelve  years,  when  the 
family  went  to  Fountain  county,  Indiana, 
and  there  he  was  married.  Tie  came  to 
Berrien  county  on  the  23d  of  January,  1865, 
and  locating  in  Wesaw  township  has  resided 
continuously  upon  his  farm  here  with  the 
exception  of  a  period  of  sixteen  months.  He 
has  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on 
sections  2  and  11.  When  he  came  there 
were  about  fifteen  acres  cleared  on  section 
2  and  eighty  acres  of  the  home  farm  on  sec- 
tion II.  Now  the  entire  place  is  under  cul- 
tivation except  about  ten  acres  and  he  has 
added  good  buildings  and  developed  a  well 
improved  property.     His  life  has  been  one 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


563 


of  hard  work  and  the  success  he  has  achieved 
is  due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts.  In  pohtics 
he  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  and  for  two 
terms  served  as  supervisor  of  his  township 
and  was  treasurer  for  two  years.  Unto 
him  and  his  wife  have  been  born  six  chil- 
dren :  Sarah,  the  wife  of  John  Hatfield,  of 
Three  Oaks  tow^nship;  Emily,  the  wife  of  F. 
H.  Morley,  of  New  Troy;  Tamsen,  the  wife 
of  Horace  Morley,  of  Wiesaw  township; 
Laura  ,the  wife  of  F.  O.  Hall,  of  Muskegon ; 
Clayton,  of  Wesaw  township;  and  Charles, 
who  is  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Glen- 
dora.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morley 
has  been  blessed  with  four  children :  Lin- 
wood,  Floyd  H.,  Hazel  D.  and  Dean. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Morley  is  a 
stalwart  Democrat,  which  party  he  has  sup- 
ported throughout  his  entire  life.  Fie  is  at 
present  township  clerk  and  has  filled  the 
office  at  intervals  for  twenty-five  years.  He 
has  also  been  a  member  of  the  school  board 
for  a  quarter  of  a  century  and  the  cause  of 
education  has  found  in  him  a  warm  and 
stalwart  friend.  There  is  a  fine  school  in 
Troy,  and  Mr.  Morley  does  everything  in 
his  power  to  advance  its  interests.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  Mason,  belonging  to  the 
lodee  at  Three  Oaks,  and  he  also  affiliates 
with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
at  Glendora.  His  entire  life  has  been  passed 
in  this  locality  and  his  friends  are  almost 
as  numerous  as  his  accpiaintances,  showing 
that  he  has  so  lived  as  to  merit  the  esteem 
and  good  will  of  all  with  whom  he  has  come 
in  contact. 

LOUIS  HEISE.  Almost  all  nations  of 
the  world  have  sent  their  representatives  to 
the  United  States  but  none  are  more  loyal 
to  this  republic  than  those  furnished  by 
Switzerland,  for  the  liberty  loving  people 
of  the  Alps  believe  in  the  republican  princi- 
ples which  permeate  this  government  and 
are  very  loyal  to  the  welfare  and  best  in- 
terests of  their  adopted  country.  To  this 
class  belongs  Louis  Heise,  who  was  born  in 
Canton  Schlutheim,  Switzerland,  on  the 
15th  of  May,  1849,  and  when  five  years  of 
age  was  brought  to  the  United  States  by 
his   parents,   Mr.  and  Mrs.   Samuel  Heise. 


The  father,  who  was  born  December  31, 
1 8 19,  died  in  Berrien  county  on  the  29th 
of  July,  1905,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years 
and  seven  months.  He  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1852.  In  his  native  country  he 
followed  the  trade  of  basket  making  and 
also  carried  on  farming  and  after  coming  to 
the  new  world  he  directed  his  energies  to 
general  agricultural  pursuits.  Although  he 
was  a  poor  man  at  the  time  of  his  arrival 
he  w^as  in  comfortable  circumstances  at  the 
time  of  his  demise,  having  become  the 
OAvner  of  an  excellent  farm  property,  which 
is  now  the  home  of  Louis  Heise.  His  wife 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Heise,  died  in  this  county 
at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  In  their 
family  were  four  children :  Lana,  the  wife 
of  William  Freiberg,  of  Chicago;  Elizabeth 
Vetterly;  Louis  of  this  review;  and  Annie, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years. 

When  the  family  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
the  new  world  they  made  their  way  direct 
to  Chicago,  where  they  remained  for  a  short 
time  and  thence  came  to  Berrien  county  in 
1854.  Louis  Heise  accompanied  his  parents 
and  has  since  lived  upon  the  farm  which  is 
now  his  home.  Here  he  has  ninety  acres 
of  land  on  section  9,  Three  Oaks  township, 
which  was  taken  up  by  his  father  as  w^ood- 
land  before  the  road  had  been  cut  through. 
In  his  youth  he  assisted  in  the  arduous  task 
of  clearing  away  the  trees  and  developing 
the  fields  and  as  the  years  have  gone  by  he 
has  continued  in  the  work  of  improving  his 
property  until  his  entire  place  is  now  well 
cultivated  and  he  has  successfully  engaged 
in  general  farming.  Dairying  is  also  a  feat- 
ure of  his  business  and  for  this  purpose  he 
keeps  a  number  of  high  grade  cows.  His 
farm  work  is  carefully  managed  and  he  is 
practical  in  all  his  undertakings,  accomplish- 
ing results  which  indicate  his  dilligence  and 
23erseverance.  In  1873  Mr.  Heise  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Lusso, 
who  was  born  in  Mecklenberg,  Germany,  on 
the  loth  of  June,  1850,  and  was  brought  to 
the  United  States  by  her  parents  when  a 
maiden  of  sixteen  summers,  the  family 
home  being  established  in  Three  Oaks.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Dora  (Pet- 
schow)     Lusso,    natives    of    Mecklenberg. 


564 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Their  last  days,  however,  were  spent  in  Ber- 
rien county,  Michigan,  the  father  reaching 
the  advanced  age  of  seventy-six  years,  while 
his  wife  passed  away  when  about  seventy- 
three  years  of  age.  They  were  the  parents 
of  seven  children^  of  whom  Mrs.  Heise 
the  youngest.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Heise 
have  been  born  nine  children:  Annie,  who 
who  died  when  three  months  old;  Lana, 
who  died  when  twenty-nine  years  of  age; 
Elizabeth,  a  twin  sister  of  Lana,  who  is  at 
home;  Edith^,  also  at  home;  John  and  Sam- 
uel, twins,  the  former  now  employed  in  Kal- 
amazoo, while  the  latter  died  seven  years 
ago  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years;  Will,  also 
at  home ;  Alice,  at  home ;  and  Edward,  who 
completes  the  family. 

Mr.  Heise  possesses  the  traits  of  his  na- 
tive country,  industry  being  his  dominant 
characteristic,  while  sound  judgment  in 
business  affairs  have  contributed  to  the  de- 
sirable results  which  have  crowned  his  ef- 
forts. He  has  lived  upon  this  farm  for 
fifty-two  years  and  the  place  indicates  his 
careful  supervision  and  practical  manage- 
ment. Moreover  he  has  not  only  contributed 
to  the  agricultural  development  of  the  coun- 
ty but  has  witnessed  its  growth  and  improve- 
ment from  an  early  decade  in  its  develop- 
ment and  as  the  years  have  gone  by  has  seen 
many  remarkable  changes  as  the  district  has 
been  converted  from  a  wilderness  into  homes 
of  a  prosperous,  contented  people.  He  votes 
with  the  Democracy  and  his  religious  faith 
is  indicated  by  his  membership  in  the  Ger- 
man Lutheran  church. 

J.  L.  RICHARDS,  who  was  prominent 
among  the  far-seeing,  energetic  and  success- 
ful business  men  of  Buchanan,  and  whose 
labors  formed  a  large  and  important  de- 
ment in  the  promotion  of  the  city's  progress 
along  industrial  and  commercial  lines,  was 
well  known  as  proprietor  of  a  business  con- 
ducteci  under  the  name  of  the  Zinc  Collar 
Pad  Company. 

Mr.  Richards  was  a  native  of  Marietta, 
Ohio,  born  March  2,  1848,  and  was  only 
six  years  old  when  brought  by  his  parents 
to  Buchanan,  Michigan.  Here  he  was 
reared,    while   his   education   was    acquired 


in  the  public  schools.  The  business  which 
he  owned  and  controlled  was  established  in 
1870  by  his  father,  George  H.  Richards  and 
Dexter  Curtis.  The  enterprise  was  con- 
ducted only  a  short  time,  when  the  present 
name  was  assumed  but  the  original  firm 
name  was  Curtis,  Oilman  &  Richards.  Soon 
after  the  organization  Mr.  Oilman  sold  his 
interest  to  Mr.  Curtis,  and  after  the  death 
of  Oeorge  H.  Richards  the  business  was 
carried  on  as  the  property  of  Mr.  Curtis  and 
the  Oeorge  H.  Richards  estate.  In  1894, 
however,  J.  L.  Richards,  of  this  review,  pur- 
chased Mr.  Curtis'  interest,  and  in  1902  he 
bought  the  interest  of  the  other  heirs  in  the 
business,  thus  becoming  sole  proprietor.  He 
is  engaged  extensively  in  the  manufacture 
of  zinc  collar  pads  and  the  output  of  the 
factory  is  sent  all  over  the  United  States 
and  to  various  parts  of  the  old  world,  hav- 
ing recently  made  a  shipment  to  Sweden  and 
Oermany.  This  enterprise  advertises  Bu- 
chanan more  than  any  other  business  in  the 
town  and  is  a  leading  productive  industry  of 
Berrien  county,  which  is  constantly  being  de- 
veloped along  progressive  lines  and  in  har- 
mony with  modern  ideas  of  business  pro- 
gress. Mr.  Richards  was  also  one  of  the  or- 
ganizers of  the  Buchanan  Wagon  Company, 
which  was  formed  about  1872,  and  acted  as 
manager  for  some  time,  his  connection  with 
the  firm  continuing  for  five  years. 

Mr.  Richards  was  always  more  or  less 
active  and  influential  in  public  life,  figuring 
prominently  in  political  circles.  He  was 
postmaster  of  Buchanan  under  President 
Cleveland's  first  administration  but  at  length 
resigning  the  office  he  went  to  Kansas  City 
to  take  charge  of  the  Kansas  City  territory 
for  the  Minneapolis  Harvesting  Company. 
He  had  remained  there  for  only  a  brief 
period,  however,  when  he  was  called  home 
on  account  of  his  father's  illness  and  fol- 
lowing the  death  of  the  father,  Mr.  Richards 
took  charge  of  the  business  with  which  he 
was  connected  continuously  until  his  death. 
Other  public  offices  were  conferred  upon 
him,  and  he  served  as  township  treasurer 
and  as  supervisor  for  three  different  terms. 
He  was  also  a  member  of  the  town  council 
and  for  several  terms  Avas  president  of  the 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


565 


village.  His  interest  in  public  affairs  never 
abated  in  the  slightest  degree  and  on  the  con- 
trary as  he  recognized  opportunities  for  ad- 
vancement he  gave  more  and  more  earnest 
co-operation  to  the  movements  which  prove 
of  direct  benefit  to  the  community. 

On  the  25th  of  June,  1873,  Mr.  Richards 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Myra  Smith, 
a  daughter  of  George  W.  and  Myra  Smith. 
She  was  born  in  New  York  city,  and  after 
residing  for  a  time  in  Chicago,  came  to 
Niles.  Her  father  was  the  builder  of  the 
Colby  House  at  Niles  and  was  a  prominent 
and  influential  factor  in  business  circles  for 
a  considerable  period.  Mrs.  Richards  passed 
away  February  12,  1905,  leaving  three  chil- 
dren :  Daisy,  now  the  wife  of  E.  P.  Bene- 
dict, a  resident  of  Milwaukee;  George  and 
Joseph,  who  are  associated  with  their 
father  in  business.  Mr.  Richards  had  long 
been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 
His  residence  in  Buchanan  covered  fifty- 
two  years,  during  which  time  he  was  closely 
identified  with  the  interests  of  the  town.  He 
stood  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  business 
men  of  this  section  of  the  county  and  through 
the  ability  to  quickly  discern  and  improve 
an  opportunity  as  the  years  passed  by  his 
name  became  synonymous  with  industrial 
activity,  honor  and  success,  for  he  ever  con- 
ducted his  affairs  in  harmony  with  a  high 
standard  of  commercial  ethics.  At  the  time 
of  his  death  the  following  memorial  notice 
appeared  in  one  of  the  local  papers : 

*'The  people  of  Buchanan  and  vicinity 
are  deeply  mourning  the  death  of  one  of 
their  most  esteemed  and  most  popular  citi- 
zens, which  occurred  very  suddenly  Mon- 
day evening  at  5  130  o'clock,  when  the  spirit 
of  Joseph  Richards  took  its  flight. 

''Mr.  Richards  had  been  to  the  ceme:- 
tery  in  the  afternoon  in  his  automobile  and 
experienced  a  little  trouble  pumping  up  the 
tire,  over  exerted  himself.  Upon  his  home 
coming,  having  placed  his  machine  in  the 
shelter,  he  went  to  the  house  and  complained 
of  being  ill.  The  housekeeper  asked  if  she 
should  summon  the  physician,  whereupon 
Mr.  Richards  remarked  that  he  would  be 
all  right  in  a  short  time  and  went  to  lie 
clown.    The  housekeeper,  nevertheless,  noted 


a  sudden  change  and  immediately  sum- 
moned the  family  physician,  Dr.  Garland, 
and  also  the  two  sons,  George  and  Joe  from 
the  Pad  factory.  The  doctor  hastened  to 
the  home  and  found  his  patient  suffering  in- 
tensely with  neuralgia  of  the  heart  and  about 
five  minutes  after  the  sons  arrived  Mr.  Rich- 
ards passed  away. 

''The  doctor  informs  us  that  he  had  not 
been  well  for  some  time  but  had  not  regarded 
him  as  in  serious  danger,  but  by  over  exer- 
tion had  brought  on  the  attack  which  so  sud- 
denly caused  his  death. 

"Perhaps  no  other  citizen  in  the  village 
has  held  more  offices  of  public  trust  than  our 
fellow  townsman.  In  1893,  ^^  h^l^  the  of- 
fice of  village  president;  during  the  admin- 
istration of  President  Cleveland  he  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  and  has  held  other  prom- 
inent places  as  village  clerk,  trustee,  super- 
visor, member  of  the  board  of  review  and 
has  always  worked  earnestly,  desirous  of 
seeing  the  village  rise  and  prosper. 

"We  are  unable  to  tell  with  how  great 
sadness  the  news  was  spread  and  with  how 
great  regret  we  mourn  his  untimely  death." 

JOSEPH  GRIFFITH,  deceased,  was 
for  many  years  a  respected  citizen  of  Ber- 
rien county.  He  was  born  in  Kent  county, 
Delaware,  October  16,  1828.  His  father, 
Levi  Griffith,  was  also  a  native  of  Delaware 
and  came  to  Michigan  in  1833,  locating  in 
what  is  now  Milton  township,  Cass  county. 
At  that  time  the  state  was  still  under  Ter- 
ritorial government  and  Cass  county  was  a 
frontier  district,  in  which  the  work  of  sub- 
jugating the  wilderness  had  scarcely  been 
begun. 

Joseph  Griffith  was  but  four  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  his  parents'  removal  to 
the  wxst  and  amid  the  usual  environments 
and  hardships  of  pioneer  life  he  was  reared, 
remaining  at  home  until  about  fifteen  years 
of  age.  During  that  period  he  assisted  in 
the  work  of  clearing  and  developing  the 
land,  as  his  years  and  strength  permitted, 
and  on  leaving  home  he  went  to  Niles, 
where  he  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship  to 
the  mason's  trade  under  the  direction  of 
William  Collins.     He  followed  the  business 


566 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


for  a  number  of  years,  or  until  1853,  when 
he  turned  his  a^.tention  to  merchandising  in 
Greenville,  Michigan,  where  he  carried  on 
the  business  for  thirty  years,  having  a  well 
appointed  store  and  enjoying  a  good  trade. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  became 
a  traveling  salesman  and  v/as  upon  the  road 
for  eleven  years  as  representative  for 
Cooper,  Wells  &  Company.  He  was  one  of 
the  most  trusted  salesmen  of  the  house  and 
did  a  good  business.  In  1885,  retiring  from 
commercial  pursuits,  he  located  upon  a  farm, 
where  Mrs.  Griffith  now  makes  her  home  on 
section  17,  Niles  township.  There  he  en- 
gaged in  general  agricultural  pursuits  until 
his  death,  giving  personal  supervision  to  the 
cultivation  and  improvement  of  his  land. 
Whatever  he  undertook  he  carried  forward 
to  successful  completion,  possessing  sound 
judgment  and  keen  discrimination  and 
labored  untiringly  for  the  best  interests  of 
the  community. 

On  August  4,  1853,  Mr.  Griffith  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Esther  Truitt,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Peter  and  Isabella  (McNett)  Truitt, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Delaware, 
in  which  state  they  were  reared  and  mar- 
ried. They  came  to  Michigan  in  1831,  lo- 
cating in  the  territory  many  years  before 
the  admission  of  Michigan  as  a  State  into 
the  Union.  Their  home  was  in  what  is 
now  Milton  township,  Cass  county,  and  there 
in  a  pioneer  log  cabin — such  a  home  as  was 
common  at  that  time — Mrs.  Griffith  was 
born  on  the  9th  of  December,  1832.  She 
was  the  second  daughter  of  the  second  mar- 
riage of  Peter  Truitt,  who  was  married  four 
times  and  was  the  father  of  twelve  children. 
Mrs.  Griffith  was  reared  in  Milton  township, 
Cass  county,  and  attended  the  Fay  school, 
one  of  the  early  schools  of  that  locality. 
Her  father,  Peter  Truitt,  built  a  schoolhouse 
about  a  half  mile  from  his  home  for  the 
benefit  of  the  district,  and  later  a  brick 
schoolhouse  w^as  erected  about  a  mile  north 
of  his  home.  There  Mrs.  Griffith  was  grad- 
uated on  completion  of  the  course.  She  was 
married  in  Niles,  on  the  4th  of  August, 
1853,  by  the  Rev.  Bryant,  a  Presbyterian 
minister,  to  Joseph  Griffith,  who  had  recently 
established  himself  in  business  in  Greenville. 


They  took  up  their  abode  in  that  town,, 
wdiere  they  remained  for  a  long  period,  and 
in  1882  they  removed  to  Buchanan,  this 
county,  while  in  1890  they  became  residents 
of  Niles,  and  in  1895  located  on  the  farm 
wdiere  Mrs.  Griffith  now  resides.  They  be- 
came the  parents  of  tvvo  daughters :  Effie 
M.,  now  a  teacher  in  Escanaba,  Michigan; 
and  Edna  J.,  the  wife  of  J.  B.  Quick,  a  resi- 
dent of  Seattle,  Washington. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Griffith  occurred  on 
the  28th  of  December,  1905,  when  he  was  in 
his  seventy-seventh  year.  He  had  long  been 
a  stanch  Democrat  in  politics  and  he  took  an 
active  interest  in  public  affairs,  holding  var- 
ious local  offices  in  Greenville.  In  1853  he 
became  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity 
and  for  many  years  was  identified  with  the 
order,  thoroughly  acquainting  himself  with 
the  teachings  and  principles  of  the  craft, 
with  which  he  was  in  hearty  sympathy.  Pie 
attained  the  Knight  Templar  degree  and 
was  a  worthy  exemplar  of  the  commandery. 
He  belonged  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  in  which  he  held  office  and  his  life 
was  ever  upright,  his  actions  manly  and  sin- 
cere, and  his  entire  record  w^as  worthy  of 
emulation.  He  left  to  his  family  a  comfor- 
table property  and  also  the  priceless  heritage 
of  an  untarnished  name.  Mrs.  Griffith, 
still  occupying  the  home  farm,  has  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-six  acres  of  land,  which 
she  rents.  She,  too,  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  at  Niles,  and 
has  been  identified  with  this  denomination 
for  over  forty  years. 

BENJAMIN  C.  GEYER,  devoting  his- 
time  and  energies  to  general  agricultural 
pursuits  on  section  18,  Niles  township,  is  a 
reliable  business  man  and  an  able  farmer, 
who  owes  his  success  largely  to  his  own 
well-directed  efforts.  He  has  a  tract  of  land 
of  ninety  acres  that  is  splendidly  improved. 
His  birth  occurred  in  St.  Joseph  county,  In- 
diana, May  25,  1862.  His  father,  J.  M. 
Geyer,  was  a  native  of  Germany  and  when 
about  twelve  years  of  age  came  to  America, 
locating  in  Indiana.  He  made  the  voyage 
in  company  with  his  parents,  who  established 
their  home  in  St.  Joseph  county,  and  having 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


567 


arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  J.  M.  Geyer 
was  married  in  that  county  to  Miss  Phoebe 
Cole,  a  native  of  Ohio.  In  1867  he  removed 
to  Niles  township,  Berrien  county,  where  he 
died  at  the  age  of  forty-nine  years.  His 
widow,  surviving  him  for  some  time,  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years.  There 
were  eleven  children  in  their  family,  ten 
of  whom  reached  adult  age. 

Benjamin  C.  Geyer  is  the  sixth  child  and 
was  in  his  sixth  year  at  the  time  of  the  re- 
moval of  the  family  to  this  county.  He  is 
now^  the  only  living  representative  of  the 
family  in  Berrien  county  or  in  Michigan  and 
he  was  reared  upon  the  old  family  home- 
stead where  he  yet  resides.  No  events  of 
special  importance  occurred  to  vary  the  rou- 
tine of  farm  life  for  him  in  his  boyhood 
days,  his  attention  being  given  to  the  labors 
of  the  fields  through  the  summer  months, 
while  in  the  winter  seasons  he  attended  the 
public  schools.  In  early  manhood  he  wedded 
Rhoda  C.  Calvin,  who  became  the  mother  of 
two  sons,  Floyd  and  Ebern,  the  former  now 
deceased,  while  the  latter  attended  school  at 
Buchanan  and  is  now  a  student  at  Notre 
Dame.  The  wife  and  mother  passed  away 
and  Mr.  Geyer  afterward  wedded  Miss 
Mary  McNally  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Mc- 
Nally  and  a  native  of  Niles,  Michigan. 

Following  his  first  marriage  Mr.  Geyer 
lived  upon  the  Calvin  farm  in  Niles  town- 
ship, where  he  now  resides.  Fie  has  always 
carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits  and 
is  an  industrious  farmer,  whose  ninety 
acres  of  well-improved  land  indicate  thei 
careful  supervision  and  practical  methods 
of  the  owner  in  their  appearance.  In  politics 
he  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  is  active  in 
the  interests  of  the  party.  He  belongs  to 
the  Woodmen  camp  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  of  Buchanan — asso- 
ciations which  indicate  much  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  man  and  the  motives  which 
prompt  his  actions. 

MILTON  J.  BLISS,  interested  in  gen^ 
eral  farming  on  section  18,  Niles  township, 
was  born  three  miles  southw^est  of  Buchanan 
in  Buchanan  township,  Berrien  county,  his 
natal  day  being  January    28,     1870.      His 


father,  DeBert  Bliss,  was  a  native  of  New 
York  and  was  reared  in  the  Empire  state 
until  1864,  when  he  came  to  Michigan  with 
his  parents,  Hiram  and  Anna  (Ross)  Bliss, 
who  located  on  the  farm  where  the  birth  of 
Milton  J.  Bliss  occurred.  The  grandpar- 
ents were  not  long  permitted  to  enjoy  their 
new  home,  for  they  passed  away  soon  after 
their  arrival.  DeBert  Bliss  was  married  in 
Buchanan  township  in  1865  to  Miss  Nancy 
Smith,  a  native  of  New  York  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  Smith.  For  some  time  Mr. 
Bliss  engaged  in  farming  in  Buchanan 
towaiship  and  afterward  removed  to  Bu- 
chanan, where  he  lived  for  a  year.  He  then 
purchased  the  farm  upon  which  Benjamin 
Geyer  now  resides,  while  later  he  sold  that 
property  and  bought  the  place  upon  which 
Milton  J.  Bliss  now  makes  his  home.  There 
he  continued  to  reside  up  to  the  time  of  his 
demise,  which  occurred  in  1887,  when  he 
was  fifty-one  years  of  age,  for  he  was  born 
in  1836.  In  politics  he  was  a  life-long  Re- 
publican, unfaltering  in  his  advocacy  of  the 
party,  and  did  all  in  his  power  to  promote  its 
growth  and  insure  its  success.  A  man  of 
deep  public  spirit,  he  took  an  active  interest 
in  affairs  relating  to  the  general  upbuilding 
and  improvement  of  the  county  and  was 
known  as  a  valued  citizen.  Mrs.  Bliss  is  still 
living  and  resides  in  New  Mexico.  The 
children  of  that  marriage  were  Anna  and 
Milton  J.,  the  former  the  wife  of  Joseph 
Geyer,  of  New  Mexico. 

Milton  J.  Bliss,  the  only  son  and  the 
only  one  of  the  family  still  living  in  Michi- 
gan, was  reared  in  Niles  township,  being 
but  two  years  old  when  his  parents  removed 
to  this  township.  He  spent  his  youth  upon 
the  farm  which  is  yet  his  home,  working  in 
the  fields  through  the  summer  months,  while 
in  the  winter  seasons  he  attended  the  dis- 
trict school.  He  began  working  in  the  fields 
when  but  eleven  years  of  age,  putting  in 
twenty-two  acres  of  wheat  unassisted.  He 
has  been  a  life-long  farmer  and  the  early 
practical  experience  which  he  obtained  has 
been  of  immense  value  to  him  as  he  has 
continued  the  business  on  his  own  account. 
His  farm  comprises  ninety-six  acres  of  land, 
which  is  rich  and  productive,  and  he  carries 


568 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


on   general    farming,   his   labors   being   at- 
tended with  very  desirable  success. 

On  the  9th  of  June,  1891,  Mr.  Bliss  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Julia  Feather, 
a  daughter  of  John  H.  Feather,  who  was 
born  in  Oronoko  township,  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  October  15,  1869,  and  was  there 
reared.  Her  people  were  early  settlers  of 
the  county,  having  arrived  in  1836.  They 
were  the  first' white  people  living  within  six 
miles  of  Berrien  Springs,  but  there  were 
many  Indians  in  the  locality  and  wild  ani- 
mals were  numerous-^conditions  which  in- 
dicated that  the  district  was  a  pioneer  set- 
tlement and  that  little  had  yet  been  done  to 
subdue  the  wilderness  and  extend  the 
frontier.  Mr:  and  Mrs.  Bliss  have  become 
the  parents  of  one  son,  Lloyd  F.,  who  is  at- 
tending school  and  who  was  born.  July  4, 
1895.  Mr.  Bliss  has  always  voted  with  the 
Republican  party  and  when  twenty-four 
years  of  age  he  joined  the  Modern  Wood- 
men camp"  at  Buchanan,  with  which  he  has 
since  been  identified.  He  has  always  lived 
in  this  county  and  its  interests  are  dear  to 
his  heart.  ^  He  manifests  a  public-spirited 
citizenship  in  regard  to  all  matters  pertaining 
to  local  progress  and  to  national  advance- 
ment as  well,  and  in  citizenship,  in  business 
affairs  and  in  private  life  he  has  made  a 
creditable  record. 

NICHOLAS  DICKERMAN  is  the 
owner  of  a  fine  farm  just  outside  the  corpora- 
tion limits  of  Three  Oaks,  and  there  is  en- 
gaged in  the  raising  of  vegetables  for  the 
market,  his  products  being  sold  principally 
in  the  village.  He  was  born  in  Calumet, 
now  a  suburb  of  Chicago,  September  15, 
i860,  and  has  been  a  resident  of  Three  Oaks 
since  1867,  when  he  came  to  Berrien  county 
with  his  parents,  William  and  Dena 
(Slotama)  Dickerman,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Holland.  The  father  was  mar- 
ried twice  in  his  native  country,  and  in  the 
year  1852,  coming  to  the  United  States,  he 
made  his  way  westward  to  Chicago.  For  a 
time  he  resided  at  Grand  Haven,  Michigan, 
but  returned  to  Calumet,  south  of  Chicago, 
where  both  he  and  his  wife  passed  away,  the 
death  of  Mr.  Dickerman  occurring  when  he 


was  ninety  years  of  age,  while  his  wife 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years. 
In  their  family  were  three  children,  but  their 
son  Nicholas  was  the  only  one  who  reached 
adult  age. 

Nicholas  Dickerman  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  Berrien  county  in  1868,  and  has  since, 
resided  on  his  present  farm  in  Three  Oaks 
township,  comprising  sixty-nine  and  a  half 
acres  of  land^  which  lies  on  sections  2,  34  and 
35.  This  is  known  as  ''the  vegetable  farm" 
and  is  an  excellent  and  productive  tract  of 
land  lying  just  outside  the  corporation  limits 
of  Three  Oaks  and  devoted  to  the  produc- 
tion of  vegetables  of  all  kinds,  for  which  he 
finds  a, ready  sale,  owing  to  the  superior  size 
and  quality  of  the  products  which  he  raises 
and  because  of  the  fact  that  fhey  are  early 
placed  upon  the  market. 

On  the  19th  of  May,  1885,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Nicholas  Dickerman  and  Miss 
Minnie  Bekema,  who  was  born  in  Holland. 
She  came  with  her  parents  to  Chicago  when 
fifteen  years  of  age,  and  it  was  there  that 
Mr.  Dickerman  made  her  acquaintance.  Fler 
father,  Walter  Bekema,  was  born  in  Gron- 
ingen,  Holland,  September  15,  1838,  and 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1881,  making 
his  way  to  Chicago,  accompanied  by  his  wife 
and  two  children.  He  resided  for  three 
years  in  that  city  but  is  now  living  in  Kala- 
mazoo, Michigan.  He  married  Lovina 
Lewis,  also  a  native  of  Groningen,  Holland, 
and  her  death  occurred  in  Kalamazoo  in 
1893,  when  she  was  sixty-four  years  of  age. 
In  the  family  were  two  children :  Minnie, 
now  Mrs.  Dickerman,  who  was  born  in  Hol- 
land, December  27,  1867;  and  Walter,  who 
died  in  1897,  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine 
years.  Ten  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dickerman,  three  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy, and  those  living  are  Lovina,  in  the 
millinery  business  at  Three  Oaks,  Dena, 
William,  Elizabeth,  Walter,  Frederick  and 
Henry.  Mr.  Dickerman  has  an  exception- 
ally fine  farm  home.  About  four  years  ago 
his  dwelling  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  all 
of  the  buildings  have  been  replaced  since 
that  time,  making  this  a  splendidly  im- 
proved property  equipped  with  all  modern 
conveniences  and  accessories.     His  political 


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HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


569 


allegiance  is  given  to  the  Republican  party, 
and  he  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Congregational  church.  They  are  well 
known  in  this  community  and  occupy  an 
enviable  position  in  social  circles,  while  the 
hospitality  of  their  own  home  is  greatly  en- 
joyed by  all  who  know  them. 

WILLIAM  E.  FILE,  a  prominent 
farmer  residing  on  section  10,  Niles  town- 
ship, is  numbered  among  the  native  sons  of 
the  county,  having  first  opened  his  eyes  to 
the  light  of  day  in  Berrien  township  on  the 
3d  of  September,  i860.  His  father,  Peter 
File,  came  to  Berrien  county  from  Ohio, 
and  settled  in  Berrien  township,  being  then 
about  twenty-five  years  of  age.  He  married 
in  that  township  Miss  Adeline  Webster,  a 
native  of  Virginia,  who  in  her  early  girl- 
hood days  came  to  Michigan  with  her  par- 
ents and  was  reared  in  this  county.  Her 
people  were  pioneer  settlers  here  and  the 
father  died  in  Berrien  township  when  fifty- 
six  years  of  age,  while  the  mother  also  passed 
away  wdien  about  the  same  age.  In  their 
family  were  thirteen  children,  of  whom  Wil- 
liam E.  is  the  eighth  in  order  of  birth  and 
the  second  son. 

Reared  in  his  native  township,  W.  E. 
File  acquired  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  and  remained  at  home  until  he  at- 
tained his  majority,  assisting  in  the  work 
of  the  home  farm.  Thus  he  acquired  a 
knowledge  that  proved  practical  and  bene- 
ficial to  him  when  he  started  out  in  life  on 
his  own  account. 

March  i,  1883,  Mr.  File  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Cox,  a  daughter 
of  Church  and  Elizabeth  (Dean)  Cox,  the 
father  born  in  Ohio  and  the  mother  in 
New  York.  Mrs.  File  was  born  May  10, 
1864,  and  was  reared  upon  the  farm,  where 
she  and  her  husband  now  reside.  Following 
their  marriage  they  lived  for  about  a  year 
and  a  half  on  the  old  File  homestead  in  Ber- 
rien township  and  then  located  upon  the 
place  where  they  have  since  remained,  Mr. 
File  devoting  his  attention  to  the  tilling  of 
the  soil.  In  plowing,  planting  and  harvest- 
ing the  years  pass  and  his  labors  have  re- 
sulted in  the  careful  improvement  and  de- 


velopment of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  rich  land  on  section  10,  Niles  township. 
He  is  persevering  and  energetic  and  as  the 
years  go  by  they  bring  him  a  fair  measure 
of  success  as  the  just  return  for  his  labor. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  File  have  been  born 
six  children,  of  whom  four  are  now  living: 
Georgia  and  Leslie,  the  second  and  third  in 
order  of  birth  respectively,  being  both  now 
deceased.  Those  still  living  are  Alva  R., 
Russell,  Joe  and  Tina. 

Mr.  File  has  been  a  life-long  Republi- 
can, giving  loyal  support  to  the  party  since 
age  conferred  upon  him  the  right  of  fran- 
chise, and  in  its  work  he  is  deeply  and  help- 
fuUy  interested.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  File 
are  members  of  the  South  Berrien  Center 
Union  church  in  Berrien  township;  both  are 
connected  with  the  Knights  of  the  Macca- 
bees at  Niles  and  have  long  been  residents 
of  this  county,  where  they  have  many 
friends.  Mr.  File  has  taken  an  active  part 
in  public  affairs  and  an  analyzation  of  his 
record  displays  many  good  traits  of  char- 
acter whereby  he  is  justly  entitled  to  the 
esteem  in  which  he  is  uniformly  held. 

SPENCER  F.  SPARKS  has  for  more 
than  a  half  century  been  a  resident  of  Ber- 
rien county,  and  in  fact  is  numbered  among 
its  native  sons.     He  now  resides  on  section 
17,   Niles  township,  and  was  born  in   Bu- 
chanan  township,    June    30,     1850.       His 
father,    Spencer    Sparks,    was    a   native   oi 
Wayne  county,  Indiana,  where  he  remained 
to  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  when,  in  the 
fall  of  1828,  he  came  to  Berrien  county  with 
his  parents,   Cornelius  and   Susanna     (Ste- 
phens)   Sparks,  who  were  early  settlers  in 
Berrien  county.  They  located  in  Niles  town- 
ship, wdiere  they  remained  three  years  and 
then  removed  to  what  is    now    Buchanan 
township,  the  grandfather  purchasing    land 
from  the  government  at  one  dollar  and  a 
quarter  per  acre.    He  undertook  the  arduous 
task  of   developing  and   improving  a   new 
farm  and  resided  thereon  up  to  about  1856, 
and  then  lived  in  Buchanan  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  on  the  old  homestead 
when  he  was  seventy-six  years  of  age.    His 
son,  Spencer    Sparks,    was  reared    in    Bu- 


570 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


chanan  township  from  the  age  of  thirteen 
years  and  shared  with  the  family  in  the  hard- 
ships and  privations  incident  to  pioneer  Hfe 
amid  the  environments  of  the  frontier.  He 
was  married  in  1839  to  Miss  Sarah  Hunter, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Martha  Hunter, 
w^ho  came  to  this  county  in  1832.  Mrs. 
Sparks  was  born  near  Columbus,  Ohio,  and 
her  grandfather  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
that  city,  assisting"  in  laying  it  out.  Mrs. 
Spencer  Sparks  came  to  Berrien  county 
with  her  parents  when  about  sixteen  years 
of  age,  and  after  her  marriage  she  went 
with  her  husband  to  a  farm  in  what  is  now 
Buchanan  township,  where  they  remained 
for  ten  years.  They  afterward  located  in 
what  was  Niles  township  but  which  became 
Buchanan  township  a  short  time  ago.  There 
as  farming  people  they  spent  their  remain- 
ing days,  the  father  passing  away  at  the  age 
of  fifty-six  years,  while  the  mother  died 
when  about  seventy-eight  years  of  age. 
They  were  among  the  pioneer  residents  of 
that  locality  and  were  actively  identified  wath 
the  early  history  of  the  county.  Mr.  Sparks 
took  a  helpful  part  in  promoting  general 
progress  and  improvement.  He  labored 
earnestly  and  persistently  for  the  public  wel- 
fare and  was  highly  regarded  by  all  who' 
knew  him. 

In  the  family  were  six  children,  four  of 
whom  reached  adult  age.  Spencer  F. 
Sparks,  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth  and  the 
youngest  son,  was  reared  in  Niles  township 
and  acquired  his  education  in  the  district 
schools  of  the  same  locality.  He  remained 
at  home  through  the  period  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth,  assisting  in  the  work  of  the  farm 
when  not  occupied  with  the  labors  of  the 
schoolroom.  He  was  married  in  1879  to 
Miss  Clare  Burke,  a  daughter  of  Andrew 
L.  Burke,  of  Berrien  township,  where  Mrs. 
Sparks  was  born  and  reared.  Her  people 
came  to  Michigan  in  1828,  locating  in  Cass 
county,  and  there  lived  amid  pioneer  en- 
vironments for  about  eight  years,  when,  in 
1836,  the  father  removed  with  his  family  to 
Berrien  county.  For  about  nineteen  years, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sparks  traveled  life's  journey 
happily  together  and  were  then  separated 
by  the  death  of  the  wife  in   1898.     Two 


daughters  had  been  born  of  this  marriage^ 
Lilias  and  Ruth  J.,  both  at  home. 

Mr.  Sparks  has  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
acres.  He  has  been  a  life-long  agricultur- 
ist, becoming  acquainted  with  the  work  of 
the  fields  in  early  boyhood  and  continuing 
his  labors  along  that  line  to  the  present  time. 
Where  national  issues  are  involved  he  votes 
with  the  Republican  party  but  at  local  elec- 
tions casts  an  independent  ballot.  He  is  well 
known  in  this  county,  where  he  has  lived  for 
about  fifty-five  years,  remaining  a  resident 
here  from  his  infancy  to  the  present  time. 
Berrien  county  is  therefore  endeared  to  him 
from  the  associations  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  as  well  as  those  of  later  manhood, 
and  he  has  found  in  its  business  conditions 
the  opportunity  for  advancement  and  has 
labored  persistently  to  make  for  himself  a 
place  among  the  substantial  residents  of  his 
county. 

M.  E.  HARGER  is  a  successful  farmer 
whose  life  is  another  proof  of  the  fact  that 
success  comes  as  the  result  of  legitimate  and 
well  directed  effort,  guided  by  sound  busi- 
ness judgment.  He  is  living  on  section  23, 
Niles  township,  and  is  a  native  of  Lorain 
county,  Ohio,  born  September  29,  1853. 
His  father,  William  Harger,  was  a  native 
of  Massachusetts  and  was  there  reared. 
When  a  young  man  he  went  to  Ohio,  where 
he  learned  the  tanner's  trade.  Fie  was  mar- 
ried in  Lorain  county  to  Miss  Charlotte 
French,  a  native  of  Virginia,  who  was 
reared,  however,  in  Ohio.  Her  father  was 
Henry  French,  who  was  descended  from 
New  England  ancestry,  although  several 
generations  of  the  family  had  lived  in  the 
south.  At  the  time  of  their  marriage  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Harger  located  on  a  farm  in  the 
town  of  Columbia,  and  in  1854  came  to 
Michigan,  locating  near  Pokagon,  in  Cass 
county.  They  lived  there  for  several  years, 
when  they  removed  to  Pipestone  township, 
Berrien  county,  where  they  spent  their  re- 
maining days,  the  mother  passing  away  at 
the  age  of  fifty-seven  years.  The  father  af- 
terward departed  this  life  in  his  eighty- 
eighth  year,  in  the  home  of  his  son,  M.  E. 
Harger.     In  their  family  were  six  children, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


571 


four  daughters  and  two  sons,  and  by  a 
former  marriage  the  father  had  two  chil- 
dren, a  son  and  a  daughter,  the  former  hav- 
ing died  while  in  the  service  of  his  country 
during  the  Civil  war.  Laura  became  the 
wafe  of  Jonathan  Hartsell  and  resides  at 
Glendora,  in  Berrien  county,  Michigan. 
The  children  of  the  second  marriage  are: 
Clara,  the  wife  of  John  Burbank,  of  Bu- 
chanan, this  county,  where  he  is  serving  as 
drain  commissioner;  Eliza,  deceased;  M. 
E.,  of  this  review;  Adelbert,  who  has 
passed  away;  Flora,  the  wife  of  Wilfred 
Young,  of  Berrien  township ;  and  Sarah,  the 
wiit  of  Clyde  Young,  of  Eau  Claire,  Mich- 
igan. 

M.  E.  Harger,  the  third  child  and  eldest 
son  of  the  family,  was  only  about  eight 
months  old  wdien  his  parents  brought  him  to 
Michigan.  Most  of  his  life  has  been  spent 
in  this  county.  He  w^as  educated  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  and  remained  at  home  through 
the  period  of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  assist- 
ing in  the  labors  of  the  home  farm  until  he 
had  attained  his  majority.  Resolving  to 
engaged  in  general  agricultural  pursuits  on 
his  own  account  he  then  rented  a  farm  in 
Niles  township  belonging  to  Frank  Mc- 
Clung.  He  also  rented  a  farm  from  Mrs. 
Orton  in  the  same  tow^nship. 

On  the  30th  of  March,  1881,  Mr.  Flar- 
ger  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Inez  D. 
Young,  a  daughter  of  John  H.  and  Delia 
(Snow^)  Young,  She  w^as  born  in  Niles 
township,  her  parents  being  among  the  early 
settlers  of  Berrien  county. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Harger 
located  on  a  farm  where  he  now  lives,  and 
in  1 88 1  he  bought  fifty-three  acres  of  land 
in  partnership  with  his  brother-in-law,  Wal- 
ter D.  Young.  In  1883  he  purchased  Mr. 
Young's  interest  in  the  fifty-three  acres  and 
has  been  adding  to  his  farm  from  time  to 
time  until  he  now  has  one  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  finely  improved  land,  where- 
on he  is  carrying  on  general  agricultural 
pursuits  and  dairying,  his  fields  being  highly 
tilled.  He  keeps  from  fifteen  to  thirty  cows 
and  he  has  been  very  successful  as  a  farmer 
and  dairyman,  the  products  of  the  dairy 
finding  a  ready  sale  on  the  market  becausei 


of  the  excellence  of  quality,  while  his  field 
products  are  also  easily  disposed  of. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harger  have  been 
born  five  children :  Blanch  Delia  is  the  wafe 
of  O.  C.  Waltsgott,  of  South  Bend,  Indiana, 
wdio  is  eng'aged  in  the  insurance  business 
there.  Claud  Walter  married  Lulu  L. 
Starr  of  Niles  township,  Michigan,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  V.  Starr,  and  they  have  a  little 
son,  Marvin  Lee,  the  only  grandchild  in  the 
Harger  home.  Carroll  Y.  is  attending  school 
at  the  Michigan  University,  at  Ann  Arbor, 
taking  a  course  in  civil  engineering.  Flor- 
ence, who  is  living  in  South  Bend,  Indiana, 
is  a  bookkeeper  and  stenographer.  Reginald 
is  a  student  in  Niles  city  high  school. 

Mr.  Harger  has  spent  most  of  his  life 
in  Berrien  county.  He  is  a  Democrat  and 
has  been  justice  of  the  peace  for  about  eight 
years,  while  in  public  life  he  has  taken  active 
interest  in  those  things  relating  to  the  gen- 
eral progress  and  improvement.  He  has  a 
W'Cll  improved  farm  and  all  of  the  buildings, 
wdiich  have  been  erected  by  him,  stand  as 
monuments  to  his  life  of  thrift  and  enter- 
prise. All  that  he  possesses  has  been  ac- 
quired through  his  own  labors  and  as  the 
years  have  gone  by  he  has  become  one  of 
the  substantial  and  valued  farmers. 

DR.  L.  E.  PECK,  physician  and  sur- 
geon of  Buchanan,  was  born  in  Berrien  Cen- 
ter, Berrien  county,  October  16,  1870,  and 
is  one  of  the  eleven  children  born  unto  John 
F.  and  Angeline  (Stober)  Peck.  The 
father  w^as  born  in  Dauphin  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  became  a  resident  of  Michigan 
in  1866.  He  had  previously  served  as 
chaplain  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Seventy- 
seventh  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry 
for  about  two  years  and  on  removing  to  the 
west  he  settled  in  Berrien  towmship,  where 
he  purchased  a  farm  which  for  some  years 
he  cultivated  and  improved.  He  is  now  liv- 
ing retired  in  Buchanan  in  the  enjoyment  of 
a  rest  which  he  has  truly  earned  and  richly 
deserves.  His  wife  is  a  native  of  Lebanon 
county,  Pennsylvania.  By  their  marriage 
they  became  the  parents  of  eleven  children 
who  reached  adult  age.  One  of  the  num- 
ber died  at  the  age  of  thirty-seven  years, 


572 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


while    the    remainder,    five    sons    and    five 
daughters,  are  still  living. 

Dr.  Peck,  the  tenth  child  and  youngest 
son  of  the  family,  was  reared  in  his  native 
township  to  the  age  of  about  fifteen  years, 
when  his  parents  removed  to  Buchanan  and 
he  continued  his  education  in  the  public 
schools,  while  later  he  had  the  benefit  of  in- 
struction in  the  Northern  Indiana  Normal 
School,  at  Valparaiso.  The  profession  of 
medicine  attracting  him  with  its  opportuni- 
ties, he  entered  upon  preparation  for  the 
practice,  and,  matriculating  in  the  Michigan 
State  University,  at  Ann  Arbor,  he  was 
there  graduated  from  the  medical  depart- 
ment in  1894.  He  then  located  at  New  Buf- 
falo in  Berrien  county  in  1895,  ^^^d  con- 
tinued in  active  practice  there  until  his  re- 
moval to  Buchanan  in  1896.  Here  he  has 
practiced  continuously  since  with  a  con- 
stantly growing  patronage  that  is  indicative 
of  his  skill  and  ability  as  acknowledged  by 
the  public  and  as  proven  in  his  professional 
labors. 

Happy  in  his  home  relations  Dr.  Peck 
was  married  in  1895  to  Miss  Maud  Mow- 
rey,  a  daughter  of  Hiram  and  Ann  Mowrey. 
She  was  born  in  Buchanan  and  they  have 
two  daughters  and  two  sons,  Alene,  Doris, 
Edwin  and  Hubert.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Peck 
have  many  warm  friends  in  Buchanan  and 
other  parts  of  the  county,  and  their  own 
pleasant  home  is  noted  for  its  generous  and 
warm  hearted  hospitality.  The  Doctor  is 
examiner  for  many  of  the  fraternal  societies 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen 
camp.  He  is  well  known  as  a  stanch  Re- 
publican and  is  now  serving  as  health  offi- 
cer of  Buchanan  township. 

ELMER  BUTTS,  living  on  section  17, 
Niles  township,  gives  his  time  and  energies 
to  general  farming  and  has  a  valuable  tract 
of  land  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-eight 
acres.  He  was  bom  in  Lawton,  Michigan, 
September  17,  1852.  His  father,  Jacob 
Butts,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and 
canue  with  his  parents  to  Michigan  when  a 
young  man.  He  was  reared  in  Van  Buren 
county,  this  state,  and  afterward  removed 
to  Cass  county,  settling  in  Milton  township. 


where  he  was  engaged  in  farming.  He 
wedded  Miss  Mary  Jane  Truitt,  who  was 
born  in  Delaware  and  came  to  Cass  county 
with  her  father,  Peter  Truitt,  in  1831,  be- 
ing at  that  time  an  infant.  She  was  there- 
fore reared  in  Cass  county  and  she  lived  to 
be  sixty-seven  years  of  age,  while  Jacob 
Butts  was  fifty- four  years  of  age  at  the  time 
of  his  death.  In  their  family  were  seven 
children,  five  sons  and  two  daughters,  of 
whom  five  reached  adult  age  and  are  yet  liv- 
ing. 

Elmer  Butts  of  this  review  is  the  eldest 
child  and  was  reared  in  Milton  township, 
Cass  county,  acquiring  his  education  in  the 
public  schools.  He  remained  at  home  until 
twenty-two  years  of  age  and  during  that 
period  gained  intimate  knowledge  of  the  best 
methods  of  carrying  on  the  farm,  for  he  as- 
sisted in  the  work  of  the  fields  and  in  all  de- 
partments of  farm  labor. 

On  the  30th  of  March,  1876,  Mr.  Butts 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Flora 
Cranston,  a  daughter  of  Sylvester  H.  and 
Jenette  (Peck)  Cranston.  Her  parents  were 
born  in  New  York  and  came  to  Michigan 
about  1847,  locating  in  Jackson  county. 
Mrs.  Butts  was  a  granddaughter  of  Dennis 
Cranston,  one  of  the  pioneer  residents  of 
Jackson  county,  while  the  grandfather  of 
our  subject  was  a  pioneer  of  Cass  county 
and  thus  both  represent  old  families  of  this 
part  of  the  state.  Her  parents  removed  to 
Cass  county  in  1871,  settling  in  Milton 
township.  The  father  was  a  teacher  as  well 
as  farmer,  giving  his  life  to  the  dual  occupa- 
tion. There  were  four  children  in  his  fam- 
ily, all  of  whom  are  yet  living.  Mrs.  Butts, 
who  is  the  second  child,  was  born  in  Jack- 
son county,  Michigan,  May  18,  185 1,  and 
there  spent  her  girlhood  days,  while  the 
common  schools  provided  her  with  her  early 
educational  privileges  and  later  she  attended 
the  Grass  Lake  high  school  and  a  select 
school.  For  one  year  she  engaged  in  teach- 
ing prior  to  her  marriage. 

Elmer  Butts  located  on  the  farm  where 
he  now  lives  April  17,  1876,  and  has  made 
many  substantial  improvements  on  the 
place.  He  has  brought  his  fields  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  and  has  kept  his 


ZACHARIAH  PLUMMER 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


573 


buildings  in  good  repair.  He  rented  the 
farm  at  first  and  was  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  in  debt  when  he  took  up  his  abode 
here,  but  his  frugality,  industry  and  perse- 
verance enabled  him  to  conquer  all  difficul- 
ties and  overcome  all  obstacles  in  his  path 
and  steadily  he  has  worked  his  way  upward, 
adding  to  his  possessions  as  the  years  have 
gone  by.  At  one  time  he  was  the  owner  of 
three  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  valuable 
land  and  he  now  owns  a  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-eight  acres.  He  is  carry- 
ing on  general  farming  and  the  fields  are 
well  tilled  yielding  rich  harvests,  which 
bring  to  him  a  substantial  income. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butts  were  born  two 
sons :  A.  Lloyd,  who  is  now  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, California;  and  Dr.  E.  Rolla,  a  dentist 
who  is  practicing  in  Three  Oaks,  Michigan. 
He  married  Grace  French,  a  daughter  of 
Willard  French,  of  Portage  Prairie,  Michi- 
gan. 

Mr.  Butts  has  been  a  resident  of  this 
county  for  thirty-years  and  is  therefore 
largely  familiar  with  its  history,  being  an  in- 
terested witness  of  its  development  during 
this  period.  He  is  an  active  Republican, 
thoroughly  in  sympathy  with  the  principles 
of  the  party,  and  is  now  serving  as  highway 
commissioner  in  Niles  township.  For 
many  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
school  board  and  the  cause  of  education 
finds  in  him  a  warm  friend.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum  for  many 
years  and  is  well  known  in  the  county  as 
one  whose  interest  in  public  affairs  has 
been  manifest  by  tangible,  active  and  help- 
ful co-operation  for  the  general  good. 

ZACHARIAH  PLUMMER  was  an 
honored  veteran  of  the  Civil  war  and  for 
many  years  was  connected  with  agricultural 
interests  in  Berrien  county,  following  that 
pursuit  up  to  the  time  of  his  demise.  His 
birth  occurred  in  Jay  county,  Indiana^  Octo- 
ber 30,  1848,  his  parents  being  Charles  F. 
and  Ann  (Hardy)  Plummer,  the  former  a 
native  of  Ohio  and  the  latter  of  Jay  county, 
Indiana.  The  father  is  still  living,  making 
his  home  at  Plymouth,  Indiana,  but  the 
mother  died  at  Niles,   Michigan,   in   1879. 


In  their  family  were  but  two  sons,  Zacha- 
riah  and  William,  the  latter  now  a  resident 
of  Plymouth,  Indiana. 

Mr.  Plummer  of  this  review^  spent  the 
days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  under  the 
parental  roof,  and  when  not  quite  fifteen 
years  of  age  he  offered  his  services  to  the 
government  in  defense  of  the  Union  cause, 
enlisting  on  the  19th  of  September,  1863, 
as  a  member  of  Company  B,  Eleventh  In- 
diana Cavalry,  with  which  he  served  continu- 
ously until  mustered  out  on  the  24th  of  No- 
vember, 1865.  He  re-enlisted  in  the  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-sixth  Indiana  Cavalry 
and  served  for  some  time  after  the  close  of 
the  war.  He  lost  two  horses,  one  being 
shot  from  under  him,  while  one  was 
drowned.  He  went  through  the  usual  hard- 
ships and  experiences  of  military  life  and 
for  three  days  at  one  time  was  without  food, 
while  for  seven  days  he  subsisted  on  corn 
alone,  being  separated  from  his  regiment  at 
that  time.  When  his  military  life  was  ended 
he  returned  to  his  old  home  in  Indiana,  and 
in  1870  came  with  his  parents  to  Berrien 
count V,  Michigan,  settling  on  a  farm  near 
Niles.  He  was  married  in  1876,  at  Niles, 
and  with  his  bride  located  on  a  farm  in  that 
locality,  in  which  he  lived  until  1881,  when 
he  purchased  property  in  Wesaw  township. 
He  then  took  up  his  abode. upon  that  place 
and  resided  on  it  until  about  three  years 
prior  to  his  death,  when  he  retired  to  New 
Troy.  He  died  here- March  2,  1906,  when 
in  the  fifty-eighth  year  of  his  age.  His  en- 
tire life  had  been  devoted  to  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  and  for  fourteen  years  he 
had  operated  the  Alva  Sherwood  farm,  com- 
prising three  hundred  acres  of  rich  land 
in  Wesaw  township.  In  his  business  affairs 
he  was  always  thoroughly  reliable  and  enter- 
prising, and  he  accomplished  much  through 
his  capable  management  and  unfaltering 
diligence. 

Mr.  Plummer  was  married  in  1876  to 
Miss  Eva  Ingleright,  who  was  born  in 
Buchanan  township,  January  17,  1859,  and 
has  always  resided  in  this  county.  She  is 
a  daughter  of  William  and  Sylva  (Fuller) 
Ingleright,  who  came  to  Berrien  county 
from  North  Adams,   Massachusetts.     Mrs. 


574 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Plummer  came  to  Michigan  at  the  age  of 
twenty-six  years  with  her  mother  and  two 
brothers.  Her  father  was  born  in  1826  in 
Buchanan  township,  Michigan,  and  died 
September  13,  1904.  He  was  a  son  of  John 
and  Maria  Ingleright,  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, who  came  as  children  with  their  par- 
ents to  this  county  and  were  among  its  first 
settlers.  William  Ingleright  was  married 
to  Miss  Sylva  Fuller,  who  was  born  April 
12,  1830,  and  died  in  this  county,  July  8, 
1900.  In  their  family  were  four  children: 
Henry,  who  is  now  living  in  Benzie  county, 
Michigan;  Mrs.  Plummer;  Arthur,  who  re- 
sides in  Buchanan  township ;  and  Mrs.  Maria 
Gonder,  of  Benzie  county. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Plummer  was 
a  stalwart  Republican,  but  never  sought  or 
desired  public  ofifice.  He  held  membership 
in  Frank  A.  Daniels  Post,  No.  437,  G.  A. 
R.,  at  Troy,  with  which  he  became  identified 
in  1 88 1.  As  a  soldier  he  was  faithful  and 
loyal,  and  the  same  qualities  were  manifest 
throughout  his  entire  business  career  and  in 
all  the  relations  of  life.  Those  who  knew 
him  respected  and  honored  him,  and  he  w^as 
true  to  all  the  duties  of  citizenship  and  to 
home  ties  as  wxll.  His  death  therefore  was 
the  occasion  of  deep  and  wide-spread  re- 
gret among  those  wdio  had  come  to  know 
and  esteem  him. 

WILLIAM  BLAKE,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  the  county,  has  through  many 
years  watched  the  changes  that  have  oc- 
curred here,  as  homes  have  been  established, 
farms  improved,  towns  founded  and  busi- 
ness interests  developed.  He  resides  on  sec- 
tion 17,  Niles  township,  and  through  a  long 
period  has  been  connected  with  agricultural 
and  horticultural  pursuits.  Fie  was  born 
in  Kosciusko  county,  Indiana,  November 
14,  1840.  His  grandfather,  William  Blake, 
Sr.,  was  a  resident  of  Greenbrier,  Virginia, 
and  was  of  English  descent.  His  father, 
John  Blake,  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and 
there  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth,  becoming,  however,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Indiana.  In  the  year  1846  he 
arrived  in  Berrien  county  and  located  two 
and   a  half  miles   south   of  the  village   of 


Buchanan,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. There  he  resided  until  he  sold  out  in 
1865.  ITe  then  removed  to  Niles  tOAvn- 
ship,  Vv^here  he  remained  for  a  short  time, 
after  which  he  returned  to  the  village  of 
Buchanan,  where  his  wife  died.  He  after- 
w^ard  made  his  home  with  his  children  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  Vvdien  he  was 
sixty-seven  years  of  age.  He  was  associ- 
ated with  the  early  history  of  Berrien  county 
and  his  efforts  and  interests  were  of  a  char- 
acter that  contributed  to  the  sum  total  of 
progress  and  improvement  which  have  made 
the  county  what  it  is  today. 

In  1850,  he  made  the  trip  to  California 
during  the  gold  fever,  making  his  way  by 
oxteam  across  the  plains,  and  returned  home 
via  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  He  made 
about  five  thousand  dollars  in  gold  and  be- 
sides sent  home  money  for  the  purchase  of 
a  farm.  The  trip  across  the  plains  took 
about  six  months. 

His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ara- 
minda  Hague,  and  was  a  native  of  Ohio. 
She  died  in  Buchanan,  when  about  sixty 
years  of  age.  In  their  family  were  six  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  three  daughters,  five  of 
whom  reached  adult  years.  Mr.  Blake  is 
the  fourth  child  and  third  son  and  was  six 
years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Berrien 
county,  locating-  south  of  Buchanan  about 
two  and  a  half  miles.  He  lived  upon  his 
father's  farm  until  he  had  attained  his 
majority  and  assisted  in  the  development 
and  cultivation  of  the  land,  bringing  it  under 
a  high  state  of  improvement.  On  attaining 
his  majority  he  removed  to  Niles  township, 
where  he  bought  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  on  sections  7  and  8.  Taking 
up  his  abode  thereon  he  continued  its  further 
cultivation  for  a  time  and  wdien  he  sold  that 
property  he  bought  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  on  section  18  of  the  same  township. 
There  he  lived  until  he  disposed  of  the 
farm  and  turned  his  attention  to  the  milling 
business  in  Buchanan  but  in  that  venture 
he  lost  his  money  and  his  farm,  for  wdiich 
he  had  been  offered  twelve  thousand  dol- 
lars. He  afterward  worked  for  one  year  for 
the  Lacey  Milling  Company,  when  he  again 
began  farming  and  logging,   following  the 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


575 


latter  pursuit  in  the  winter.  He  bought 
timber,  which  enabled  him  to  engage  in  the 
lumber  business  and  when  he  had  somewhat 
retrieved  his  lost  possessions  he  purchased, 
in  1877,  ^he  farm  upon  which  he  now  lives. 
It  is  one'  of  the  finest  farms  of  the  county, 
splendidly  improved  and  devoted  largely  to 
the  raising  of  fruit.  He  has  about  three 
thousand  peach  trees,  all  of  which  he  set 
out  himself.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  the 
production  of  peaches,  although  for  some- 
time— for  six  or  eight  years — he  w^as  en- 
gaged in  the  raising  of  strawberries,  rasp- 
berries and  blackberries.  He  is  now  plant- 
ing and  setting  out  forty  acres  of  later 
peach  trees.  His  farm  comprises  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  very  valuable  land,  more  than 
twenty  acres  of  which  is  in  fruit,  being  de- 
voted to  peaches,  apples  and  plums.  Mr. 
Blake  is  an  enterprising  agriculturist  and  is 
thoroughly  familiar  with  the  business,  hav- 
ing made  a  close  study  of  the  best  methods 
of  raising  fruit,  so  that  his  opinions  are 
largely  regarded  as  authority  on  such  mat- 
ters. 

In  1864  Mr.  Blake  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Diantha  L.  Mead,  a  daughter 
of  Robert  and  Emily  (Jones)  Mead.  She 
died  in  1901,  leaving  four  children:  Robert 
J.,  a  resident  of  Buchanan,  who  is  a  show- 
man, handling  dogs  and  ponies;  Hittie,  the 
wife  of  W.  H.  Stout,  residing*  with  her 
father  upon  the  home  farm;  Arlie  May,  the 
wife  of  Charles  Ropper,  of  South  Bend, 
Indiana;  and  Frederick,  who  wath  his 
brother  is  engaged  in  the  show  business. 

Mr.  Blake  has  been  a  resident  of  the 
county  tor  sixty  years  and  is  well  known 
within  its  borders.  Fie  votes  with  the  Re- 
publican party,  which  he  has  supported  since 
its  organization,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Adventist  church.  Interested  in  all  that 
pertains  to  the  material,  intellectual  and 
moral  progress  of  his  community,  he  has 
withheld  his  co-operation  from  no  move- 
ments calculated  to  advance  the  general 
welfare  but  on  the  contrary  is  widely  knowai 
as  a  helpful  and  progressive  pioneer  citizen. 

JACOB  E.  ENDERS.  The  business 
interests  of  St.  Joseph  find  an  enterprising 


and    worthy    representative    in    Jacob     E. 
Enders,    who   is   engaged   in  the   drygoods 
trade  in  this  city.     He  is  a  native  son  of 
Michigan  and  a  typical  representative  of  her 
interests,  possessing  the  alert  and  enterpris- 
ing spirit  which  has  been  the  strong  element 
in  the  development  and  substantial  progress 
of  this   section  of  the  country.      liis  birth 
occurred  in  Watervliet,   Berrien  county,  in 
1864,   and  he  comes   of   German   ancestry. 
His  father,  Adam  Enders,  was  born  in  Ger- 
many in  1826  and  after  spending  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  his  native  country  and 
acquiring  his  education  in  the  schools  there 
he   came   to  America  about    1852,   when  a 
young  man   of  twenty-six  years.      Making 
his   way  to   Michigan   he   settled   in   Bain- 
bridge  township,  Berrien  county  about  one 
mile  from  Millburg,  wdiile  later  he  removed 
to  a  farm  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  the 
village  of  Coloma,  in  Watervliet  township. 
There  he   purchased   eighty  acres   of   land, 
which  was  wild  and  uncultivated,  but  he  at 
once  began  to  clear  away  the  timber   and 
place  the  fields  under  the  plow.     There  he 
lived  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  his  atten- 
tion being  given  to  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits, and  the  well  improved  appearance  of 
the   farm   indicate   his   careful   and   earnest 
labor.      He  died  in  1892  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
foiu*   years,    five   months   and   eleven   days. 
His  farm  is  still  in  possession  of  the  family 
and  he  left  to  them  not  only  a  good  property 
but  also  an  untarnished  name,  for  in  all  his 
business  dealings  he  w^as  just  and  honorable. 
His   wife,    who  bore   the   maiden   name   of 
Terrecia   Solomon,   was  born   in   Germany. 
They  were  acquainted  in  the  fatherland  and 
were  married  three  years  after  coming  to 
the  new  world.     Mrs.  Enders  still  survives 
her  husband  and  at  the  age  of  eighty-three 
years  enjoys  good  health,  making  her  home 
in  this  country,  where  she  has  now  lived  for 
more  than  half  a  century.     In  their  family 
were  ten  children,   seven    sons    and    three 
daughters,  and  eight  of  the  number  are  yet 
living.     Those  who  have  passed  away  are : 
Henry  who  died  at  the  age  of  six  years; 
and    Katherine,   who  died   when   forty-two 
years  of  age.     Those  still  living  are :  'Caro- 
line, the  wife  of  George  S.  LaMore,  of  Eau 


576 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Claire,  Berrien  county;  John  Adam,  who 
resides  on  a  farm  near  the  village  of 
Coloma;  William  Frederick,  who  is  living 
on  a  farm  within  a  mile  of  the  old  home- 
stead ;  Jacob  E.^  whose  name  introduces  this 
record;  Daniel,  who  resides  upon  the  old 
homestead  farm,  which  his  father  purchased 
fifty- four  years  ago;  Joseph  L,  who  is  living 
in  Benton  Harbor  and  is  sole  owner  of  the 
clothing  house  conducted  under  the  firm 
name  of  Hipp,  Enders  &  Arey;  Mary  M., 
twin  sister  of  Joseph,  who  is  the  wife  of 
George  Kenney,  a  resident  of  Baroda, 
Michigan;  and  Samuel,  who  is  living  in  St. 
Joseph,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  clothing 
business. 

Upon  the  old  homestead  farm  in  Water- 
vliet  township  Jacob  E.  Enders  was  born  and 
reared.    At  the  usual  age  he  entered  the  dis- 
trict schools  and  there  he  mastered  the  ele- 
mentary branches  of  learning^   while  later 
he  continued  his  studies  in  Valparaiso,  In- 
diana.     In   his  boyhood  days   he   did  such 
work  upon  the  home  farm  as  his  age  and 
strength  permitted  and  upon  leaving  school 
he  worked  for  William  Edwards  in  Benton 
Harbor,    spending   one   year   as   a  grocery 
clerk.     On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
returned  to  the   farm,   where  he  remained 
for  some  time  and  was  then  offered  a  posi- 
tion by  the  firm  of  Jones  &  Sonner,  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  where  he  acted  as  a  clerk  for 
two  years  or  until  the  firm  went,  out  of  busi- 
ness.    He  next  entered  the  employ  of  O. 
B.  Hipp,  a  clothing  merchant,  with  whom 
he  continued  for  a  year,  and  in  1891  he  en- 
gaged in  business  on  his  own   account  in 
Benton  Harbor,  opening  a  store  in  the  Hotel 
Benton  block  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Enders   &   Fifield.      They   engaged   in   the 
clothing    business    exclusively    and    subse- 
quently  removed   their  store  to   the  Jones 
and  Sonner  Block.     Here  they  extended  the 
field  of  their  operations  by  adding  to  their 
clothing  stock  various  other  lines  of  goods, 
thus  opening  a  department  store.     At  this 
time  a  change  in  the  ownership  occurred, 
the  firm  becoming  Enders  &  Young,  which 
relation  was  maintained  for  eight  years,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  Mr.  Enders  sold  out 
to  his  partner.    He  then  came  to  St.  Joseph, 


Michigan,  where  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  E.  W.  Moore,  under  the  firm  style  of 
Enders  &  Moore.  They  engaged  in  the  dry 
goods  business,  in  which  they  have  con- 
tinued to  the  present  time,  having  a  well 
appointed  store,  which  has  become  a  favor- 
ite with  the  purchasing  public.  Mr.  Enders 
is  also  one  of  the  largest  stockholders  in 
the  firm  of  Enders,  Moore  &  Company,  of 
Benton  Harbor,  dealers  in  dry  goods  and 
kindred  lines.  He  is  also  interested  exten- 
sively in  the  Boston  Store  in  Watervliet, 
conducted  under  the  name  of  Enders  & 
Giesler.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  he  is  one 
of  the  leading  merchants  in  the  county,  be- 
ing an  important  representative  of  the  com- 
mercial interests. 

In  1888,  in  Benton  Harbor,  Mr.  Enders 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ada  Belle 
Blake,  who  was  born  in  Coloma,  Michigan, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  George  Blake.     They 
attend  the  Methodist  church  and  are  promi- 
nent in  the  social  circles  of  the  city,  while 
Mr.    Enders   is  a   valued   representative   of 
various   fraternal  organizations,  being  now 
a    Mason,    Elk,    Woodman,    Maccabee    and 
Patrician.     His  political  views  accord  with 
the  Republican  principles,  but  he  is  without 
aspiration    for   office,    his    business     affairs 
making  full  claim  upon  his  time  and  atten- 
tion.    It  may  seem  trite  to  those  familiar 
with  his  history  to  say  that  he  has  risen  un- 
aided   from   a    humble   position   to    one   of 
prominence  and  influence  in  commercial  cir- 
cles, but  in  a  history  that  will  descend  to 
future  generations  it  is  but  just  to  record 
that  he  has  made  a  record  that  any  business 
man   might  be   proud   to  possess,    winning 
the  admiration  and  respect  of  his  contem- 
poraries.     He    never    makes    engagements 
that  he  does  not  meet,  nor  incur  any  obli 
gation  that  he  does  not  promptly  discharge, 
and  while  his  success  is  gratifying,  it  is  also 
creditable,   because  of  the   straightforward 
business  methods  he  has  ever  pursued. 

EDWARD  C.  McCOLLUM,  engaged 
in  the  livery  business  in  Buchanan,  was 
born  in  the  township  of  the  same  name  in 
Berrien  county,  July  14,  1877.  His  father, 
Everett   McCollum,    is   still   living,   making 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


577 


his  home  with  his  son  Edward,  who  in  his 
boyhood  days  attended  the  pubhc  schools 
of  Buchanan,  passing-  through  successive 
grades  until  he  was  graduated  from  the 
high  school  in  the  class  of  1897.  The  same 
year  he  engaged  in  the  livery  business  in 
connection  with  his  father  and  in  1903  be- 
came sole  proprietor  and  has  since  con- 
ducted the  barn.  He  now  has  a  well 
equipped  stable,  having  a  number  of  good 
horses  and  vehicles  of  different  kinds  and 
his  earnest  efforts  to  please  his  patrons  com- 
bined with  a  straighforward  dealing  has 
secured  him  a  good  patronage. 

In  1899  Mr.  McCollum  was  married  to 
Miss  Estella  M.  Mitchell,  a  daughter  of 
Eli  and  Mary  (Conrad)  Mitchell,  a  native 
of  Buchanan  township.  They  now  have 
one  son,  Clayton  E.  Mr.  McCollum  is  a 
constable  and  is  connected  with  the  Republi- 
can party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  the  Maccabees,  of  Buchanan,  and  is  in- 
terested in  all  matters  of  local  importance 
to  the  extent  of  giving  hearty  and  helpful 
co-operation  to  many  movements  for  the 
general  good. 

GEORGE  FOSTER,  who  is  engaged 
in  farming  on  section  5,  Niles  township, 
was  born  on  the  farm  which  is  still  his 
home,  his  natal  day  being  May  3,  i860.  He 
is  the  filth  in  a  family  of  six  children,  of 
whom  four  reached  mature  years,  their 
parents  being*  George  and  Margaret  (John- 
son) Foster.  The  father  was  born  in 
County  Down,  Ireland,  and  at  the  age  of 
twelve  years  came  to  America.  He  settled 
first  in  Richmond,  Indiana,  whence  he  re- 
moved to  Niles  township,  Berrien  county. 
In  this  township  he  married  Miss  Margaret 
Johnson,  a  daughter  of  John  Johnson,  one 
of  the  pioneer  farmers  of  Berrien  county. 
They  located  on  section  9,  Niles  township, 
this  being  the  present  homestead  place  of 
their  son,  George  Foster.  For  a  long  period 
the  father  devoted  his  energies  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits  upon  this  farm  but  his  last 
days  were  spent  in  the  city  of  Niles,  where 
he  passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-four 
years,  while  his  wife  departed  this  life  at 
the  age  of  sixty-five  years. 


George  Foster,  whose  name  introduced 
this  review,  was  reared  upon  the  old  home- 
stead, acquiring  his  education  in  the  dis- 
trict schools,  while  in  the  summer  months 
he  aided  in  the  labors  of  the  fields.  He  also 
had  the  further  advantage  of  instruction  in 
the  St.  Joseph  Valley  schools  and  during 
the  periods  of  vacation  he  worked  in  the 
fields,  assisting  in  the  labors  of  the  home: 
farm,  his  efforts  being  a  valuable  element 
in  the  care  and  cultivation  of  the  property, 
which  is  now  well  improved  and  valuable. 

December  18,  1889,  Mr.  Foster  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nellie  Clark,  a 
daughter  of  Sidney  and  Alice  (Vander- 
burg)  Clark.  Mrs.  Foster  was  also  k>rn 
in  Niles  township  and  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated there,  attending  the  district  schools 
and  also  the  schools  of  Niles  City.  Mr. 
Foster  brought  his  bride  to  the  old  home- 
stead, where  he  has  spent  his  entire  life  and 
where  they  have  resided  continuously  since 
1889,  l^^i'^  rearing  their  family  of  two  chil- 
dren, Eliza  and  Georgie.  Mr.  Foster  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of 
the  township  and  has  a  valuable  farm  of  tw^o 
hundred  acres  well  cultivated  and  capably 
managed.  He  carefully  controls  his  busi- 
ness affairs  and  his  industry  and  energy  are 
bringing  him  a  measure  of  success  that  is 
very  gratifying.  He  is  also  agent  for  the 
Dodd  &  Struthers  Lightning  Rod  Company, 
of  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  having  the  general 
agency  for  this  locality. 

Mr.  Foster  is  a  prominent  Mason  at 
Niles,  and  he  belongs  to  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  fraternity,  the  Knights  of  the  Mac- 
cabees and  to  the  Masonic  lodge,  all  of  Niles. 
In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Democrat,  and 
for  two  years  served  as  treasurer  of  Niles 
township.  No  trust  reposed  in  him  has 
ever  been  betrayed  in  the  slightest  degree. 
He  is  loyal  to  the  precepts  which  develop 
honorable  manhood  and  patriotic  citizen- 
ship and  is  well  known  in  the  county  where 
he  has  spent  his  entire  life  and  where  he 
has  so  lived  as  to  gain  the  uniform  confi- 
dence of  his  fellowmen. 

WILLIAM  D.  SPARKS  is  one  of  the 
leading  old  settlers  of  the  county,  his  home 


578 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


being  on  section  i,  Buchanan  township. 
His  birth  occurred  in  this  township,  Novem- 
ber 17,  1845,  and  as  he  has  remained  con- 
tinuously in  the  county  his  residence  here 
covers  a  period  of  sixty-one  years.  He  rep- 
resents one  of  the  prominent  old  famihes 
that  was  estabhshed  here  when  Berrien 
county  was  largely  a  frontier  district. 

The  name  Sparks  is  of  English  origin 
and  the  family  was  founded  in  America  be- 
fore the  Revolutionary  war.  The  early 
progeniters  of  Mr.  Sparks  were  from  North 
Carolina.  Mr.  Sparks  was  a  Whig  politic- 
ally, and  both  he  and  his  wife  were  members 
of  the  Adventist  church.  Both  died  in 
Buchanan  township.  The  paternal  grand- 
father, Cornelius  Sparks,  possessing  a  reso- 
lute, courageous  spirit  that  enabled  one  to 
cope  with  the  difficulties  of  the  frontier, 
made  his  way  to  Berrien  county  with  his 
family  in  1828  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the 
earliest  settlers  of  Niles  township.  Soon 
afterward  he  settled  on  what  is  now  sec- 
tion 12,  Buchanan  township,  where  he  pur- 
cliased  land.  The  family  included  Spencer 
Sparks,  father  of  our  subject,  who  was  born 
near  Richmond,  Indiana,  in  181 5,  and  who 
was  reared  upon  the  old  farm  homestead  on 
section  12,  Buchanan  township,  sharing  with 
the  family  in  the  hardships  and  privations 
incident  to  frontier  life  and  enjoying  many 
pleasures  such  as  are  common  only  on  the 
frontier.  The  forests  were  uncut  and  roads 
had  not  yet  been  cut  through  the  timber  and 
many  places  where  are  now  found  good 
highw^ays  w^ere  unknown.  Indians  w^ere 
still  in  the  neighborhood  and  there  was 
ample  opportunity  to  indulge  a  love  of 
hunting  and  fishing,  as  there  was  con- 
siderable wnld  game  in  the  forests  and 
the  streams  abounded  with  many  speci- 
mens of  the  finny  tribe.  Having  ar- 
rived at  years  of  maturity,  Spencer  Sparks 
was  married  in  Buchanan  township,  to  Miss 
Sarah  Hunter,  who  was  born  near  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  in  181 5,  and  came  to  this  county 
in  1833,  settling  in  Buchanan  township. 
Mr.  Sparks  died  in  1872,  the  fifty-fifth  year 
of  his  age  and  his  widow,  long  surviving 
him,  passed  away  in  1894,  her  seventy- 
eighth  year.     Her  grandfather  had  a  land 


warrant  of  the  site  of  Columbus,  Ohio, 
which  was  given  to  him  by  the  government. 
The  Indians  were  plentiful  in  Michigan 
when  Mrs.  Sparks  first  came  to  this  state. 
They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  all 
of  whom  grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood, 
wdiile  three  are  now  living:  John  H.,  of 
Berrien  Springs;  S.  F.,  of  Niles  township; 
and  William  D.,  of  this  review. 

Mr.  Sparks  wose  name  introduces  this 
record  was  the  fourth  child  and  was  reared 
in  Buchanan  township  upon  the  place  where 
he  now  lives.  This  was  a  part  of  Niles 
towaiship  until  some  time  in  the  '90s.  His 
education  was  acquired  in  the  district 
schools  and  he  was  early  trained  to  farm 
labor,  working  in  the  fields  from  the  time 
of  early  spring  planting  until  crops  w^ere 
harvested  in  the  late  autumn.  January  5, 
1894,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Martha  Arm- 
strong, who  was  born  in  Berrien  Springs, 
Michigan,  January  12,  1850,  the  eighth  in 
a  family  of  nine  children  born  to  John  and 
Lydia  (Small)  Armstrong.  Only  three  of 
the  children  are  now  living.  Mr.  Armstrong 
was  a  native  of  Delaw^are,  born  in  18 13. 
He  went  to  the  Pacific  slope  during  the  gold 
fever  and  never  returned.  Mrs.  Armstrong 
was  born  in  Mercersburg,  Pennsylvania, 
January  15,  1818,  and  died  June  10,  1888. 
She  was  reared  in  her  native  state.  She 
was  a  kind  and  loving  mother,  and  her  deeds 
of  kindness  will  not  be  forgotten.  She  was 
a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  church. 
Mrs.  Sparks  was  reared  in  her  native 
county  and  educated  there.  She  has  been 
a  worthy  and  helpful  wife  to  her  husband 
in  the  establishment  of  their  nice  home. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sparks  located  upon  the  old  homestead. 
He  now  has  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  good  land  in  Buchanan  township  and 
forty  acres  in  Niles  township.  His  place  is 
well  improved  with  modern  accessories  and 
conveniences  and  the  fields  have  been 
brought  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
He  is  practical  in  his  methods  and  progres- 
sive in  his  ideas  and  has  never  been  slow  to 
adopt  new  methods  which  promise  tO'  be  of 
benefit  to  the  agriculturist  in  his  efforts  to 
improve  the  fields.     He  has  been  a  life-long 


14 
< 

u 

E 
O 

CO 

Q 
< 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


579 


resident  of  Berrien  county  and  has  not  only 
labored  for  his  individual  success  as  a 
farmer  but  has  also  put  forth  effective  effort 
for  general  improvement.  His  political 
allegiance  has  always  been  given  to  the 
Republican  party.  The  Sparks  family  is 
one  of  the  oldest  in  the  county  and  has  been 
represented  here  through  four  successive 
generations,  the  name  standing  ever  for 
good   citizenship  and  for  business  honesty. 

JOHN  CLARK  is  well  known  in  Ber- 
rien county,  where  for  more  than  a  half  cen- 
tury he  has  been  connected  with  agricultural 
and  horticultural  pursuits,  while  in  public 
affairs  he  has  figured  prominently,  wielding 
a  wide  and  beneficial  influence  in  lines  of 
public  thought  and  action  resulting  in  gen- 
eral progress  and  improvement.  While  still 
owning  a  valuable  farm  in  the  county,  from 
which  he  derives  a  good  income,  he  now 
makes  his  home  in  Benton  Harbor. 

Mr.  Clark  was  born  in  Loraine  county, 
Ohio,  October  14,  1838.  His  father. 
Orange  Clark,  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, born  in  Berkshire  county,  and  was 
about  thirteen  years  of  age  when  his  par- 
ents removed  to  the  state  of  New  York.  He 
was  married  there  to  Miss  Charlotte  Wash- 
burn, a  native  of  that  state,  and  they  resided 
in  New  York  until  about  1831,  when  they 
removed  to  Lorain  county,  Ohio,  where 
they  continued  to  make  their  home  untd 
1854.  That  year  witnessed  their  arrival  in 
Pipestone  township,  now  Sodus  township, 
Berrien  county,  Michigan,  where  they  spent 
their  remaining  days,  the  father  dying  at  the 
age  of  sixty-eight  years  and  the  mother 
when  sixty-nine  years  of  age.  In  their 
family  were  five  sons  and  five  daughters,  all 
of  whom  reached  adult  age.  Five  were  born 
in  New  York  and  five  in  Ohio.  Of  this 
family  John  Clark  is  the  ninth  child  and 
fourth  son. 

He  w^as  fifteen  years  of  age  at  the  time 
of  the  removal  of  his  parents  from  Ohio  to 
Michigan,  previous  to  which  time  he  had 
attended  the  district  schools  of  his  native 
county.  As  their  home  was  only  eight  miles 
from  Oberlin,  Ohio,  many  of  the  teachers 
w^ere  students  from  Oberlin  College,  and  the 


advantages  enjoyed  by  the  children  of  the 
district  w^ere  thereby  of  a  superior  order  to 
those  usually  afforded  in  a  country  school. 
For  two  winters  Mr.  Clark  was  a  student  in 
the  district  schools  of  this  county  and  spent 
two  years  as  a  student  in  Niles,  after  vvhich 
he   engaged   in   teaching   for  five   terms   in 
Berrien  county.      His  first  school  was  two 
miles  from  Niles,  in  the  Thomson  district, 
and  his  third  term  was  at  Pipestone,  while 
for  one  term  he  was  teacher  in  the  home  dis- 
trict.    He  taught  his  first  term  in  the  winter 
of    1859-60,   and   in   August,    1861,   he   re- 
sponded to   the  country's  call   for  aid,   en- 
listing as  a  member  of  Company  A,  Elev- 
enth Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry,  as  a  pri- 
vate.    He  served  for  three  years  in  the  same 
company   and    participated    in    many    hard- 
fought  battles,  including  the  sanguinary  con- 
flicts at  Stone  River  and  Chickamaug'a.    In 
the  latter  he  was  wounded  and,  being  left 
on  the  field,  was  taken  prisoner.     The  tenth 
day  after  the  battle  he  was  paroled  and  taken 
to  the  hospital   at   Chattanooga.      He   was 
wounded  in  September  and  the  last  of  Octo- 
ber he  was  granted  a  thirty  days'  furlough 
and  was  taken  to  St.   Mary's  Hospital,   at 
Detroit,  Michigan,  where  he  remained  until 
the  following  February.     He  was  then  sent 
to  his  regiment,  but  after  two  weeks   was 
sent  to  Camp  Chase,  Columbus,  Ohio,  where 
he  arrived  on  the  i6th  of  March,  1864.     On 
the  20th  of  May  the  government  ordered  an 
exchange    of    prisoners,    after    which    Mr. 
Clark  joined  his  regiment  at  Kenesaw  Moun- 
tain, remaining  with  his  command  from  that 
time  until  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  serv- 
ice.    He  was  honorably  discharged  Septem- 
ber 30,  1864,  -^fter  serving  for  three  years, 
one  month  and  six  days,  and  suffering  all 
the  hardships  and  rigors  of  war.     Mr.  Clark 
had  three  brothers  in  the  service,  Don  A., 
who  was  wounded  before  August,  1864,  and 
died  of  wounds  December  25,   1864,  Theo- 
dore and  L.  N. 

When  mustered  out  Mr.  Clark  returned 
to  Berrien  county  and,  settling  in  Pipestone 
township,  rented  land  for  a  year.  He  then 
located  on  his  farm  on  section  8  of  that 
township,  and  improved  the  place.  He  now 
owns  one   hundred   and   sixty-seven  and  a 


58o 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


half  acres  of  valuable  land,  from  which  he 
derives  a  good  income,  but  since  1896  he  has 
made  his  home  in  Benton  Harbor.  In  that 
year  he  was  elected  county  treasurer  and 
filled  the  office  for  four  years  ^  with 
credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  con- 
stituents. He  has  also  been  township  clerk, 
township  superintendent  of  schools,  town- 
ship school  inspector,  highway  commissioner 
and  justice  of  the  peace,  and  has  made  a 
most  commendable  record  as  a  public  official, 
standing  for  opposition  to  misrule  in  public 
office  and  discharging  his  duties  with  the 
utmost  fidelity,  precision  and  accuracy. 

On  the  23d  of  March,  1865,  Mr.  Clark 
was  married  to  Miss  Helen  Webster,  a 
daughter  of  Robert  L.  and  Aurelia  Web- 
ster. Mrs.  Clark  is  a  native  of  Hillsdale 
county,  Michigan,  and  for  ten  years  prior  to 
her  marriage  taught  school  in  this  county. 
Her  parents  were  both  born  in  Maine,  and 
came  to  Michigan  about  1837  and  to  Berrien 
county  in  1848.  Both  died  in  Pipestone 
township,  the  father  at  the  age  of  sixty-six 
years,  and  the  mother  when  a  little  more 
than  eighty-one.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  are 
the  parents  of  two  sons :  Lowell,  of  Denver, 
is  in  the  employ  of  the  government,  in  the 
quarantine  department  of  the  bureau  of  ani- 
mal industry,  in  which  capacity  he  has  juris- 
diction over  the  three  states  of  Nebraska, 
Wyoming  and  Colorado,  making  his  head- 
quarters at  Denver;  Glenn  is  farming  the 
old  homestead. 

Mr.  Clark  has  been  identified  with  the 
agricultural  and  horticultural  interests  of 
this  county  for  fifty-two  years  and  has  taken 
an  active  interest  in  its  material  progress  as 
well  as  in  the  advancement  of  his  individual 
interests.  He  followed  the  admonition  of  the 
Greek  philosopher  who,  centuries  ago,  said : 
*'Earn  thy  reward;  the  gods  give  naught 
to  sloth."  He  has  labored  persistently  and 
diligently  and  his  present  rest  from  active 
business  cares  is  therefore  well  merited.  His 
interest  in  the  matters  of  public  moment  has 
been  manifest  by  tangible  support  of  every 
movement  instituted  for  the  general  good. 
He  belongs  to  Benton  Harbor  Post,  G.  A. 
R.,  of  which  he  has  been  commander,  and 
he'is  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  Ber- 


rien County  Grange,  which  he  assisted  in  or- 
ganizing. He  believes  in  united  effort  for 
the  common  good,  as  is  manifest  in  the 
Grange  and  other  movements  and  individ- 
ually and  in  co-operation  with  others  he  has 
put  forth  effective  effort  for  the  welfare  ol 
the  county  in  which  he  has  made  his  home 
from  boyhood  days. 

JAMES  WHALEN,  representing  the 
farming  interests  of  Niles  township,  his 
home  being  on  section  4,  is  a  native  of  Ire- 
land, the  date  of  his  birth  being  September 
14,  1850.  His  father,  Wiilliam  Whalen, 
also  a  native  of  the  Green  Isle  of  Erin,  came 
to  America  in  1850,  at  which  time  he  took 
up  his  abode  on  Ed  Hamilton's  farm  on 
section  12,  Niles  township.  He  bought  the 
place  whereon  his  son  James  now  resides 
in  1857  and  continued  to  devote  his  time 
and  energies  to  it  until  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  when  he  was  about 
fifty-five  years  of  age.  He  married  Cather- 
ine Hunt,  also  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  died 
in  Niles  city,  when  about  twenty-five  years 
of  age.  After  losing  his  first  wife  Mr. 
Whalen  was  married  again,  his  second  union 
being  with  Mary  Burns,  unto  whom  was. 
born  a  son,  William,  who  is  now  residing 
upon  a  part  of  the  old  farm  homestead  with 
his  mother. 

James  Whalen  of  this  review  is  the 
eldest  of  the  two  sons  of  the  father's  mar- 
riage, his  brother  John  being  now  a  resident 
of  Colorado.  The  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  were  passed  in  the  usual  manner  of 
farm  lads  on  the  old  homestead,  and  as  his 
age  and  years  increased  he  aided  more  and 
more  largely  in  the  work  of  the  home  place. 
He  was  less  than  a  year  old  when  his  par- 
ents brought  him  to  Berrien  county,  and 
at  the  usual  age  he  became  a  pupil  in  the 
district  schools  of  Niles  township,  pursuing 
his  studies  for  about  three  months  in  the 
year,  the  remainder  of  the  time  being  given 
to  farm  labor.  He  remained  at  home  until 
of  age,  assisting  in  the  farm  work  and  at 
different  times  he  has  followed  various  em- 
ployments, including  brick  making.  He 
also  learned  distilling,  which  he  followed  for 
some  time.     The  greater  part  of  his  Hfe,, 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


581 


liowever,  has  been  given  to  farm  labor  and 
he  is  an  enterprising  agriculturist,  thorough- 
ly practical  in  his  methods  and  accomplish- 
ing whatever  he  undertakes.  He  nov^  has 
an  excellent  property  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  and  the  land  has  been  brought 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  has 
carried  on  general  farming  and  his  business 
methods  have  always  been  straightforward 
and  reliable,  so  that  his  fellow  townsmen 
have  marked  trust  in  his  business  integrity 
as  well  as  enterprise. 

On  the  14th  of  December,  1882,  Mr. 
Whalen  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs. 
Mary  A.  Johnson,  a  daughter  of  Michael 
O'Brien,  who  was  born  in  Piketon,  Ohio, 
but  was  reared  in  Kentucky.  Seven  chil- 
dren have  graced  this  marriage,  Catherine, 
Max,  Eva,  Forest,  Gordon,  Gertrude  and 
Grace,  all  of  whom  were  born  upon  the 
farm  and  in  the  house  where  Mr.  Whalen 
now  resides.  There  has  been  no  death  in 
the  family  for  twenty-five  years. 

Mr.  Whalen  has  been  a  life-long  resi- 
dent of  Niles  township  and  has  been  closely 
identified  with  its  upbuilding  and  progress, 
taking  great  interest  in  what  has  been  ac- 
complished and  feeling  manifest  pleasure  in 
its  substantial  improvement.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Democrat  in  his  endorsement  of  the 
principles  of  the  party  but  at  local  elections 
votes  an  independent  ballot,  supporting  the 
candidate  whom  he  thinks  best  qualified  for 
ofiice  regardless  of  political  views  and  affili- 
ation. He  has  been  school  director  for  about 
twenty  years  and  has  taken  an  active  inter- 
est in  public  affairs,  the  cause  of  education 
finding  in  him  an  especially  warm  friend. 
He  has  been  identified  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century  and  is  now  a  member  of  Berrien 
Lodge  No.  6.  He  is  likewise  a  Master 
Mason,  holding  membership  in  St.  Joseph 
Valley  Lodge,  No.  4,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  at 
Niles.  Thoroughly  in  sympathy  with  the 
principles  and  purposes  of  these  organiza- 
tions he  exemplifies  in  his  life  the  beneficent 
spirit  which  has  its  root  in  a  desire  for 
mutual  and  helpful  and  brotherly  kind- 
ness. 


HORACE  J.  ADAMS.  The  farming 
interests  of  Niles  township  find  a  worthy 
representative  in  Horace  Adams,  who  is 
living  on  section  10.  A  native  of  New 
York,  he  was  born  in  Genesee  county  on 
the  29th  of  March,  1834,  and  was  of  Eng- 
lish descent  in  the  paternal  line.  His  father, 
Horace  Adams,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Oswego 
county.  New  York,  and  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  He  devoted  his  entire  life  to 
tilling  the  soil  and  for  a  considerable  period 
was  a  resident  of  Genesee  county,  New 
York,  where  he  passed  away,  when  about 
sixty-five  years  of  age.  The  mother  of  our 
subject,  Betsy  Coy,  born  in  Genesee  county, 
New  York,  also  died  when  sixty-five  years 
of  age.  Both  the  father  and  mother  were 
twice  married,  and  from  the  first  marriage 
of  the  father  there  were  four  children,  while 
the  mother  by  her  first  marriage  had  one 
child.  By  the  second  marriage  there  were 
seven  children,  and  with  one  exception  all 
reached  manhood  or  womanhood. 

Horace  Adams  of  this  review  was  the 
second  child  born  unto  Horace  and  Betsy 
(Coy)  Adams,  and  was  reared  in  the  place 
of  his  nativity,  acquiring  his  education  in 
the  common  schools.  He  remained  at  home, 
assisting  in  the  farm  work  and  in  1865  he 
went  to  Ohio,  where  he  entered  the  services 
of  the  Fort  Wayne  Railroad,  with  which  he 
was  connected  for  about  a  year.  In  1865 
he  bought  the  farm  whereon  he  now  resides 
and  about  1866  he  came  to  Berrien  county. 
Here  he  has  resided  continuously  since  and 
has  followed  general  farming,  having  now 
one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  acres  of  good 
land.  All  of  the  improvements  thereon  he 
has  made  and  the  farm  is  now  a  valuable 
property. 

Mr.  Adams  was  married  in  this  county 
about  1868  to  Miss  Lottie  Ford,  a  daughter 
of  John  Ford,  and  they  have  two  children: 
Emma,  now  the  wife  of  Edwin  Bair,  of 
Niles  township  and  Charles,  who  is  living 
with  his  father.  Mr.  Adams  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Niles  township  for  about  forty- 
three  years  and  has  been  closely  associated 
with  its  history,  for  his  interest  in  matters 
relating  to   the   general   welfare   has   been 


S82 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


manifest  in  tangible  effort  for  the  public 
good.  He  has  held  various  local  offices  in 
his  township  and  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen. 

ROBERT  A.  WALTON,  a  prominent 
farmer  residing  on  section  g,  Niles  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Sussex  county,  Delaware, 
on  the  nth  of  November,  1832,  and  is  a 
son  of  Joseph  and  Eliza  Ann  (Houston) 
Walton,  who  were  also  natives  of  Sussex 
county.  In  their  family  w^ere  seven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Robert  A.  Walton  was  the 
third  son  and  fifth  child.  In  the  year  1836 
the  father  brought  his  family  to  Michigan, 
becoming  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Cass 
county,  for  the  work  of  improvement  and 
development  had  scarcely  been  begun  when 
he  located  here.  He  took  up  his  abode  in 
Howard  township,  where  he  purchased  a 
tract  of  land,  but  he  was  not  long  permitted 
to  enjoy  his  new  home,  for  he  was  killed 
by  the  falling  of  a  tree  in  1838,  being  at 
that  time  about  thirty-three  years  of  age. 
His  widow  lived  to  be  eighty-three  years 
of  age  and  passed  away  in  1886.  After 
losing  her  first  husband  she  became  the  wife 
of  O.  Albert  and  had  one  child  by  that  mar- 
riage, Henry  C,  who  was  killed  in  the  Civil 
war  while  defending  the  Union  cause. 
There  were  three  sons  and  four  daughters 
of  the  first  marriage,  six  of  whom  reached 
adult  age. 

Robert  A.  Walton  was  only  about  four 
years  old  when  brought  by  his  parents  to 
Michigan.  He  was  reared  in  Howard  town- 
ship about  two  miles  from  Niles  city,  just 
over  the  line  in  Cass  county.  He  worked 
by  the  month  at  farm  labor,  attending  the 
district  schools  in  the  winter,  while  the  sum- 
mer seasons  were  devoted  to  the  tilling  of 
the  soil  and  other  farm  work.  After  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  his  patriotic  spirit 
being  aroused,  he  offered  his  services  to  the 
government,  enlisting  in  186 1  as  a  member 
of  Company  F,  Twelfth  Michigan  Volun- 
teer Infantry.  He  joined  the  army  as  a  pri- 
vate but  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  ser- 
geant and  for  one  year  served  as  corporal. 
He  was  with  his  command  for  two  years 
and  then  re-enlisted  in  the  same  company 


and  regiment,  serving  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Pitts- 
burg Landing,  Little  Rock  and  other  im- 
portant engagements  and  was  wounded  by 
a  shell  in  the  right  shoulder.  He  was  con- 
tinuously on  active  duty  with  the  exception 
of  about  six  months  spent  in  the  hospital 
and  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  in 
February,  1866,  having  made  a  most  credit- 
able military  record. 

When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his 
aid  Mr.  Walton  returned  to  Berrien  county 
and  was  married  in  1866  to  Miss  Melvina 
Ribble,  a  daughter  of  Christopher  and  Mary 
(Sparks)  Ribble.  She  was  born  in  Ber- 
rien county,  Michigan.  Her  people  were 
old  settlers  of  the  county.  Mr.  Walton 
located  first  in  Wesaw  towaiship,  where  he 
bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land. 
The  following  spring  he  sold  out,  locating 
on  the  place  where  he  now  lives.  He  re- 
moved into  a  log  house  and  in  true  pioneer 
style  began  life  in  this  section  of  the  state. 
He  is  now  the  owner  of  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-nine  acres,  one  of  the  valu- 
able farm  properties  of  the  county,  equipped 
with  all  modern  accessories  and  conveni- 
ences. There  are  good  barns  upon  the 
place,  a  substantial  residence  and  all  mod- 
ern equipments.  About  1892  Mr.  Walton 
purchased  another  tract  of  land  of  eighty 
acres  and  has  now  in  all  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty-nine  acres.  He  is  one'  of  the  repre- 
sentative agriculturists  of  the  community, 
having  since  the  close  of  the  Civil  war  given 
his  entire  time  and  attention  to  general 
farming  with  the  result  that  he  has  pros- 
pered as  the  years  have  gone  by. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walton  have  been 
born  six  sons.  Byron  A.  is  now  a  promi- 
nent lawyer  of  Webster,  South  Dakota. 
Jay  E.  is  engaged  in  the  jewelry  business  in 
Niles.  Herbert  F.  is  operating  the  old  home 
farm.  Roy  H.  is  a  rural  mail  carrier  and 
news  dealer  of  Niles.  Dwight  M.  is  with 
the  Studebaker  Wagon  Company  at  South 
Bend,  and  Arthur  is  associated  with  his 
brother  Roy.  None  of  the  sons  have  ever 
used  tobacco  in  any  form  or  strong  drink 
of  any  kind  and  the  parents  have  reared  a 
family  indeed  creditable  to  their  name. 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


583 


Mr.  Walton  is  a  member  of  Frank 
Graves  Post,  No.  64,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Niles, 
and  he  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  in  which  he  has  served  as  trustee 
for  many  years  and  for  a  long  period  as 
steward.  lie  has  taken  a  very  active  and 
liejpful  part  in  church  work  and  his  life  has 
been  honorable  and  upright.  In  politics  he 
is  a  strong  Repuljlican  and  holds  equally 
pronounced  views  on  the  temperance  ques- 
tion^ believing  in  the  prohibition  of  the 
liquor  traffic.  He  is  well  known  in  the 
county  where  he  has  lived  for  so  many 
years  and  is  highly  regarded  as  a  citizen  of 
worth  and  intelligence,  who  stands  as  a 
champion  of  justice,  truth  and  right. 

WILLIAM  SHEARER  is  one  of  the 
old  settlers  of  Berrien  county  and  is  widely 
knoAMi  as  a  prominent  citizen,  enjoying  in 
full  measure  the  confidence  and  good  will 
to  which  he  is  entitled  by  a  well  spent  life. 
His  home  is  on  section  16,  Niles  township, 
where  he  has  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  excellent  land.  He  was  born  in  Carroll 
county,  Ohio,  January  12,  1832.  His 
father,  John  H.  Shearer,  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania^  whence  he  removed  to  Ohio 
and  afterward  to  Indiana,  locating  in  St. 
Joseph  county.  In  1853  he  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Berrien  township,  Berrien  county, 
and  locating  on  a  farm  he  there  lived  to  the 
age  of  seventy-four  years.  His  father  was 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  was  of  Ger- 
man descent.  John  H.  Shearer  w^as  united 
in  marriage  to  Margaret  Baker,  who  was 
likewise  born  in  the  Keystone  state  and  was 
of  German  lineage.  She  Ijved  to  be  about 
seventy-six  years  of  age.  By  her  marriage 
she  became  the  mother  of  six  sons  and  three 
daughters,  all  of  whom  reached  adult  years, 
but  only  four  are  now  living. 

William  Shearer,  the  fourth  child  and 
fourth  son,  was  reared  in  Ohio  until  about 
fifteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  Indi- 
ana, settling  in  St.  Joseph  county.  He  was 
about  twenty-one  years  of  age  when  he 
came  to  Berrien  county,  and  in  the  country 
schools  he  had  acquired  his  education,  gain- 
ing a  good  knowledge  of  the  common 
branches  of  learning  which  fit  one  for  life's 


daily  duties.  He  remained  at  home  until 
twenty-three  years  of  age  and  then  estab- 
lished a  home  of  his  own  by  his  marriage. 

It  was  October  22,  1857,  that  Mr. 
Shearer  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss 
Lydia  Johnson,  a  native  of  this  county  and 
a  daughter  of  John  Johnson,  who  was  one 
of  the  pioneer  settlers  here,  having  located 
in  Berrien  county  when  there  was  nothing 
but  a  fort  on  the  present  site  of  Niles.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Shearer  began  their  domestic  life 
in  Niles  township,  where  he  purchased  a 
farm.  He  has  cleared  thirty  acres  of  this 
land,  the  place  comprising  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  which  he  has  transformed  in- 
to a  valuable  property.  The  fields  are  pro- 
ductive and  he  annually  harvests  good  crops. 
Everything  about  the  place  is  indicative  of 
his  careful  supervision  and  his  labors  have 
been  of  the  most  practical  and  progressive 
character.  He  has  been  engaged  in  thresh- 
ing for  many  years,  beginning  the  business 
before  he  was  tw^enty-one  and  following  it 
continuously  to  the  present.  There  is  no 
man  in  the  county  who  has  done  as  much 
threshing  as  Mr.  Shearer,  and  he  operated 
the  first  engine  in  this  section  of  the  county. 
He  has  thus  become  well  known  in  agricul- 
tural circles  and  has  numbered  among  his 
patrons  for  many  years  a  number  of  the 
leading  farmers  in  this  portion  of  the  state. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shearer  have  been 
born  six  children :  Minnie,  now  the  wife  of 
J.  I.  Skinner,  of  Little  Rock,  Arkansas; 
Emma  and  Ettie,  both  deceased;  Belle,  the 
wife  of  Guy  Irwin,  of  the  Indian  Territory; 
Nellie,  who  is  the  widow  of  William  House, 
and  is  a  stenographer  in  the  employ  of  the 
Studebaker  Company,  of  South  Bend;  and 
Gertrude,  a  music  teacher,  residing  at  home. 
Mr.  Shearer  has  been  identified  with  the 
interests  of  Berrien  county  during  the  long 
years  of  his  residence  here.  His  early  polit- 
ical allegiance  was  given  to  the  Whig  party, 
and  when  the  Republican  party  was  formed 
he  joined  its  ranks  and  has  since  been  one 
of  its  stahvart  advocates.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Free  Baptist  church  for 
about  forty  years  and  for  a  long  period  has 
been  one  of  its  deacons  and  has  taken  a 
most  active  and  helpful  part  in  its  work. 


584 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


His  life  has  been  honorable,  his  actions 
tnanly,  and  in  all  his  relations  he  has  been 
sincere  and  trustworthy.  The  years  have 
brought  him  a  goodly  measure  of  success, 
which  he  owes  entirely  to  his  own  diligence 
and  earnest  effort. 

EDGAR  L.  SNUFF  is  a  prominent 
farmer  residing  on  section  lo,  Niles  town- 
ship, and  the  years  have  brought  him  a  good 
return  for  his  labor  in  the  fields.  He  was 
born  in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  May  i,  1851. 
His  father,  George  Snuff,  a  native  of  the 
same  county,  arrived  in  Berrien  county  in 
1864.  He  was  a  son  of  Isaac  Snuff,  who 
was  supposed  to  have  been  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, while  the  great-grandfather  of  our 
subject  was  born  in  Germany,  and  was  the 
founder  of  the  family  in  the  new  world. 
George  Snuff  upon  his  arrival  in  Berrien 
county  took  up  his  abode  on  section  18, 
Niles  township,  where  he  remained  for  a 
year,  and  in  1865  he  located  on  section  3 
of  the  same  township,  where  he  died  in  his 
seventy-fifth  year.  His  political  allegiance 
was  given  to  the  Democracy.  In  early  man- 
hood he  wedded  Catharine  Cook,  a  native 
of  New  Jersey,  and  a  daughter  of  Anthony 
Cook,  who  was  born  in  England,  and  on 
coming  to  America  settled  in  New  Jersey, 
where  he  resided  for  a  time.  Later  he  re- 
moved to  Warren  county,  Ohio,  where  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  Snuff,  was  reared.  She  is 
still  living  and  resides  upon  the  old  home- 
stead on  section  3,  Niles  township.  By  her 
marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  six  chil- 
dren, four  sons  and  two  daughters,  but  only 
three  are  now  living,  namely :  Nana  J.,  the 
wife  of  Wilber  F.  Long,  of  Grand  Rapids, 
Michigan;  Edgar  L. ;  and  John  W.,  who  is 
residing  on  section  3,  Niles  township. 

Edgar  L.  is  the  second  child  and  eldest 
son  in  his  father's  family  and  was  about 
thirteen  years  of  age  when  his  parents  left 
the  Buckeye  state  and  came  to  Berrien 
county,  Michigan.  The  remainder  of  his 
youth  was  therefore  passed  upon  the  old 
homestead  place  on  section  3,  Niles  town- 
ship.  His  early  education  was  acquired  in 
the  district  schools  and  he  afterward  at- 
tended a  select    school    in    Niles.     He    re- 


mained at  home  until  he  attained  his  major- 
ity, assisting  in  the  work  of  the  fields  and 
then  sought  a  companion  and  helpmate  for 
life's  journey,  being  married  February  18, 
1875,  to  Miss  Sarah  Foster,  a  daughter  of 
George  and  Margaret  (Johnson)  Foster. 
Mr.  Foster  was  born  in  County  Down,  Ire- 
land, December  2^,  181 7,  and  died  Novem- 
ber I,  1 89 1.  Mrs.  Foster  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia, August  5,  1823,  and  died  June  26, 
1888.  Both  are  interred  in  Niles  cemetery. 
Mrs.  Snuff  was  born  in  Niles  township, 
February  4,  1855,  where  she  spent  her  girl- 
hood days.  Mr.  Snuff  operated  his  father's 
farm  for  some  time  and  eventually  bought 
the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  Flere  he 
owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land, 
of  which  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  is 
situated  on  section  10,  and  forty  acres  on 
section  11,  Niles  township.  He  carries  on 
general  farming  and  his  wife  also  owns  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  ad- 
joining his  place.  In  his  work  he  is  practi- 
cal and  his  efforts  are  attended  with  a  meas- 
ure of  success  that  makes  him  one  of  the 
substantial  residents  of  his  community. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snuff  have  been 
born  two  children  who  are  yet  living,  and 
they  also  lost  one  child.  The  son,  Clyde  J., 
one  of  the  successful  teachers  in  North  Da- 
kota, was  educated  in  South  Bend,  and  at 
the  Valparaiso  Normal.  Edith  M.  is  the  wife 
of  David  Walker,  who  resides  upon  her 
mother's  farm.  Mr.  Snuff  votes  with  the 
Democracy  on  questions  relating  to  the  weal 
or  woe  of  the  nation  but  casts  an  indepen- 
dent ballot  at  local  elections.  He  belongs 
to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
at  Niles  and  he  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  Rebekah  lodge.  He  is  well  known 
in  the  county  where  for  forty-two  years  he 
has  made  his  home. 

JOHN  J.  FOSTER,  a  prominent 
farmer  and  old  settler  living  on  section  3, 
Niles  township,  was  born  in  this  township, 
July  13,  1852.  His  father,  George  Foster, 
was  a  native  of  Ireland  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica when  twelve  years  of  age  with  his  par- 
ents, Robert  and  Margaret  Foster,  who 
took  up  their  abode  in  Niles  township  at  a 


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HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


58; 


very  early  epoch  in  the  history  of  Berrien 
county.  Upon  the  old  homestead  farm  there 
amid  pioneer  environments  and  surround- 
ings George  Foster  was  reared,  and  when 
he  had  arrived  at  years  of  maturity  he  was 
married  in  Niles  township  to  Miss  Mar- 
garet Johnson,  who  was  born  in  Virginia, 
and  was  a  daughter  of  John  Johnson,  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Berrien  county,  close- 
ly identified  with  the  pioneer  history  of  this 
section  of  the  state.  Following  their  mar- 
riage Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Foster  located 
in  Niles  township,  where  the  father  engaged 
in  farming.  Flis  entire  life  was  devoted  to 
that  occupation  and  he  became  known  as 
•one  of  the  enterprising  agriculturists  of  his 
community.  He  died  in  the  seventy-fifth 
year  of  his  age,  while  his  wife  passed  away 
when  about  sixty-seven  years  of  age.  They 
were  the  parents  of  nine  children. 

John  J.  Foster  is  the  fourth  child  and 
second  son  of  the  family  and  was  reared 
and  educated  in  Niles  township.  He  ac- 
quired a  common-school  education  and  re- 
mained at  home,  assisting  in  the  work  of  the 
farm,  until  twenty-six  years  of  age.  One 
summer  he  engaged  in  butchering.  He 
afterward  bought  a  tract  of  land  of  one 
hundred  and  forty  acres  on  section  10,  Niles 
township,  and  locating  thereon  made  it  his 
home  for  about  twelve  years,  during  which 
time  he  carried  on  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits. He  then  traded  that  property  for  the 
farm  upon  which  he  now  resides  and  he  has 
added  to  it  until  he  now  has  in  the  home 
place  two  hundred  and  sixty-three  acres  of 
rich  and  productive  land.  He  also  bought 
another  farm  in  Berrien  township  which  he 
traded  for  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  on  section  15,  Niles  township,  so  that 
he  now  owns  altogether  four  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  well  improved  land.  He 
rents  some  of  his  land  and  he  makes  a 
specialty  of  raising  stock  as  well  as  tilling 
the  fields.  He  has  been  very  successful  and 
all  that  he  possesses  has  been  acquired 
through  his  vmfaltering  labor.  He  has  in- 
deed been  a  hard  working  man  and  his  life 
demonstrates  that  energy  will  unlock  the 
portals  of  success. 

Mr.   Foster  was  married  November  9, 


1880,  to  Miss  Barbara  B.  Livengood,  who 
was  born  in  Elkhart  county,  Indiana,  and 
was  a  school  teacher.  They  have  three 
children,  Fred  L.,  Zoe  and  George  Ray. 

Mr.  Foster  is  one  of  the  prominent  resi- 
dents of  Berrien  county  connected  with 
agricultural  interests.  He  has  aided  in  mak- 
ing the  county  what  it  is  today.  He  has 
seen  many  of  its  most  thriving  towns  and 
cities  developed  from  cross  roads  villages 
and  has  watched  the  growth  of  the  county 
as  the  wild  land  has  been  converted  into 
rich  farms,  while  here  and  there  churches 
and  schools  have  been  built  and  industrial, 
manufacturing  and  commercial  interests 
have  been  introduced  into  the  towns.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  keeping  well  in- 
formed on  the  issues  of  the  day  and  inter- 
ested in  the  work  of  the  party,  yet  without 
aspiration  for  office.  His  time  and  labor 
has  been  devoted  entirely  to  his  farming 
interests  and  he  has  justly  won  the  some- 
what hackneyed  but  ever  expressive  title  of 
a  ''self-made  man,"  and  his  life  has  been  an 
exemplification  of  the  fact  that  success 
comes  as  the  legitimate  result  of  persever- 
ance, energy  and  industry. 

CHESTER  P.  PHELPS,,  living  in  St. 
Joseph  township,  is  the  owner  of  a  good  farm 
devoted  to  the  raising  of  fruit.  He  makes 
a  specialty  of  peaches  and  in  this  connec- 
tion has  become  well  known,  being  classed 
with  the  leading  horticulturists  of  the  county. 
ITe  came  to  Michigan  from  the  east,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Johnstown,  Fulton 
county.  New  York,  on  the  i6th  of  December, 
1832.  Fie  was  reared  to  manhood  upon  the 
home  farm  of  his  parents,  Chester  and  Sally 
(Powell)  Phelps,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  Connecticut.  In  early  life  they  re- 
moved from  New  England  to  the  Empire 
state,  where  the  father  engaged  in  business 
as  a  tanner.  Chester  P.  Phelps  entered  the 
fields  at  an  early  age  and  performed  such 
service  as  his  years  and  strength  permitted. 
He  thus  became  familiar  with  the  task  of 
plowing,  planting  and  harvesting  and  he  was 
at  home'until  twenty-four  years  of  age.  His 
early  education  was  acquired  in  the  common 
schools  and  his  diffidence  kept  him  from  at- 


586 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


tending  high  schools.  He  was  rather  in- 
chned  to  the  study  and  practice  of  medicine, 
being  ahvays  interested  in  anything  pertain- 
ing to  the  science,  his  procHvity  in  this  di- 
rection causing  his  playmates  to  style  him 
Doctor  in  his  boyhood  days.  The  practice 
of  surgery,  however,  was  obnoxious  to  him 
and  it  w^as  undoubtedly  this  that  caused 
him  to  give  up  the  idea  of  becoming  a 
jDhysician. 

When  twenty-four  years  of  age  Mr. 
Phelps  was  married  to  Miss  Alice  Browm, 
who  was  a  neighbor  girl  and  schoolmate. 
He  began  operating  the  farm  belonging  to 
his  wife's  father,  David  N.  Brown,  who  was 
a  manufacturer  of  mittens  and  gloves  in  the 
east,  and  he  also  owned  the  tract  of  land  of 
which  Mr.  Phelps  now  took  charge. 

While  on  a  trip  selling  the  products  of 
his  factory  Mr.  Brown  visited  Michigan 
and,  seeing  a  tract  of  land  with  which  he 
was  well  pleased,  he  purchased  this  and  it 
constitutes  a  part  of  what  is  now  knowm  as 
the  Phelps  farm.  It  contained  one  hundred 
acres  and  extended  from  the  road  to  the 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  It  was  originally 
covered  with  timber  and  lies  about  four  miles 
south  of  St.  Joseph,  bordering  on  the  lake. 
Mr.  Brown  came  to  this  county,  as  did  his 
brother,  Oren  Brown.  Others  of  the  party 
were  Mr.  Phelps,  Lorenzo  Nickerson  and 
Zemira  Nickerson,  both  of  whom  were  rel- 
atives of  Mr.  Brown.  The  one  hundred-acre 
farm  was  then  divided  into  five  tracts.  Mr. 
Brown  devoted  his  attention  to  the  cultiva- 
tion and  improvement  of  his  land  and  lived 
thereon  for  twenty  years  or  more,  his  last 
days  being  spent  in  Berrien  county.  He  was 
prominent  in  public  life,  serving  as  super- 
visor of  Royalton  township  for  a  time  and 
taking  an  active  part  in  matters  relating  to 
the  general  welfare  and  improvement  of  the 
community.  Oren  Brown  developed  a  farm, 
which  he  afterward  sold  and  then  removed 
to  California.  Later  he  returned  to  Ne- 
braska and  finally  again  came  to  Michigan, 
settling  in  Oceana  county,  where  he  died." 
Lorenzo  Nickerson  sold  his  property  and 
removed  to  Wisconsin,  where  his  last  days 
were  spent.  Zemira  Nickerson  also  devel- 
oped a  good  farm  and  is  now  living  in 
Louisiana. 


Chester  P.  Phelps  paid  fifteen  dollars 
per  acre  for  his  land.  In  1861  he  built  his 
present  residence,  which  he  has  occupied 
since  June,  1862.  He  has  given  his  entire 
attention  to  his  horticultural  interests,  de- 
veloping his  property  into  a  fruit  farm.  It 
was  about  the  time  that  he  settled  thereon 
that  Michigan  was  becoming  recognized  as 
a  good  fruit  producing  state  and  he  deter- 
mined to  follow  that  pursuit.  He  planted 
his  farm  to  peaches  and  the  crop  proved  very 
successful  for  a  time,  but  at  length  his  trees 
were  destroyed  by  the  yellows  ui  1870  and 
1 87 1.  He  had  no  peaches  then  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  but  finally  replanted  his  land  to 
peaches,  wdiich  are  now  his  main  fruit,  tie 
has,  however,  grown  other  kinds  of  fruit 
and  has  shipped  from  his  place  horticultural 
products  of  the  finest  kind.  For  years 
Michigan  peaches  surpassed  his  expectations, 
but  in  later  years  the  returns  were  not  so 
good.  He  has  sold  berries  for  almost  noth- 
ing and  again  at  big  prices.  In  fact,  he  has 
run  the  entire  scale  of  failure  and  success 
in  his  fruit  crops,  but  in  the  majority  of  cases 
has  been  able  to  gain  a  good  living  from  his 
orchards  and  believes,  taking  everything  into 
consideration,  that  Michigan  is  the  best 
country  in  which  he  has  lived  and  he  re- 
gards his  proximity  to  the  lake  as  a  most 
desirable  feature  of  residence  here. 

For  a  long  time  Mr.  Phelps  took  no 
active  part  in  public  afi'airs  and  would  accept 
no  public  office.  He  was  in  those  days  a  resi- 
dent of  Lincoln  township.  Finally  he  was 
persuaded  to  accept  the  candidacy  for  town- 
ship treasurer,  but  was  defeated  for  the 
office,  the  township  being  strongly  Demo- 
cratic, while  he  is  a  stanch  Republican.  How- 
ever, he  was  elected  to  that  office  two  years 
afterward,  when  St.  Joseph  township  was 
organized.  He  has  served  on  the  township 
committee  of  the  Republican  party  since 
the  township  was  organized  and  in  this  way 
has  contributed  to  local  successes.  Fie,  how- 
ever, prefers  not  to  engage  actively  in 
political  work  and  has  refused  to  become  a 
candidate  upon  an  independent  ticket.  His 
allegiance  has  been  given  to  the  Republican 
party  since  1856  and  he  has  voted  at  each 
presidential  election,  nor  has  he  ever  been 
ashamed  of  the  record  made  Ijy  any  candi- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


587 


date  whom  he  has  helped  to  elect.  He  knows 
that  mistakes  have  at  times  been  made  and 
will  continue  to  be  made  as  long  as  all  men 
are  fallible,  but  he  knows,  too,  that  history 
has  proven  that  the  Republican  party  is  the 
party  of  reform  and  progress  and  that  under 
its  guidance  the  country  has  made  rapid 
strides  in  many  ways.  Mr.  Phelps  was  a 
member  of  the  Grange  for  a  number  of  years 
and  served  as  its  secretary  for  a  consider- 
able period.  He  believes  firmly  in  the  value 
of  the  order  and  has  greatly  appreciated 
what  has  been  accomplished  thereby.  The 
Grange  had  been  allowed  to  run  down,  but 
he  and  others  took  hold  of  the  movement 
and  made  it  a  success  and  the  agricultural 
community  has  profited  by  the  work  done 
through  this  organization. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Phelps  have  been 
born  two  sons.  David  R.,  now  an  enterpris- 
ing farmer  and  fruit  buyer,  is  living  upon 
the  old  homestead  farm.  He  married  Miss 
Cora  A.  Smith,  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren:  Orla  L.,  Alice  L.  and  Chester  L. 
Arthur  H.  Phelps  also  resides  upon  the  old 
homestead  farm  and  has  a  fine  farm  near 
by  which  he  owns  and  operates  in  connec- 
tion with  his  brother  David  R.  His  wife 
was  Emma  Bauman.  David  R.  Phelps  was 
engaged  in  teaching  music  for  a  number  of 
years.  The  wdfe  and  mother,  Mrs.  Phelps, 
died  August  14,  1888.  This  worthy  couple 
had  traveled  life's  journey  together  for 
about  thirty  years,  sharing  wdth  each  other 
its  joys  and  sorrows,  its  adversity  and  pros- 
perity, and  theirs  had  been  a  congenial  rela- 
tion. Mr.  Phelps  has  remained  true  to  her 
memory,  having  never  married  again.  Like 
his  wife,  he  has  devoted  his  time  to  his  fam- 
ily and  has  regarded  his  farming  interests 
as  a  means  to  an  end  that  has  enabled  him 
to  provide  a  comfortable  living  for  those  de- 
pendent upon  him.  He  has  always  carried 
on  farming  interests  and  since  coming  to 
Michigan  his  attention  has  been  given  in 
greater  degree  to  the  cultivation  of  fruit  than 
to  grain.  He  is  among  those  who  have  won 
for  Berrien  county  its  splendid  reputation 
as  a  fruit  center  and  thus  advanced  its  source 
of  income.  He  has  worked  earnestly  and 
persistently  and  his  labors  have  made  him 
one  of  the  county's  substantial  residents. 


JAMES  M.  BEALL,  who  is  engaged  in 
general  farming  on  section  24,  Niles  town- 
ship, is  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  best 
methods  of  carrying  on  his  life  work,  and 
his  labors  have  resulted  in.  the  acquirement 
of  a  comfortable  competence,  tie  was  l3orn 
in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  April  25,  1828, 
and  his  father,  Nathaniel  Beall,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Bourbon  county,  Kentucky,  where 
he  remained  until  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
There  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Talbot,  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia,  who  had  gone  to  Wayne 
county  with  her  parents  in  her  early  girl- 
hood days.  She  was  born  in  Grayson  coun- 
ty, West  Virginia,  and  was  reared  in  In- 
diana. Nathaniel  Beall  continued  a  resident 
of  Wayne  county  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred January  11,  1845.  His  widow  after- 
ward removed  to  Niles  and  made  her  home 
with  Dr.  Bonine,  her  son-in-law,  with  whom 
she  continued  up  to  the  time  of  her  demise, 
which  occurred  in  her  eighty-second  year. 
She  was  the  mother  of  nine  children,  all  of 
whom  reached  adult  age  and  five  of  the  fam- 
ily are  still  living. 

James  M.  Beall  is  the  eldest  son  now  sur- 
viving. He  was  reared  in  Wayne  county  to 
the  occupation  of  farming  and  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  acquired  his  education.  There 
he  was  married  in  1854  to  Miss  Eliza  N. 
Dalloff,  a  native  of  Preble  county,  Ohio, 
where  she  was  reared.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  Thomas  and  Sophronia  (Plaggot)  Dall- 
off. The  young  couple  began  their  domestic 
life  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  where  they 
lived  for  two  years  and  then  removed  to  Car- 
roll county,  Missouri,  locating  on  the  farm 
which  Mr.  Beall  and  his  brother  purchased 
in  partnership.  It  embraced  four  hundred 
and  eighty  acres  of  land.  In  i860  he  was 
called  to  Ohio  to  settle  up  the  estate  on  ac- 
count of  the  death  of  his  wdfe's  father  and 
remained  a  resident  of  Ohio  until  1864. 
That  year  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  and  he  purchased  the 
place  where  he  now  resides.  Here  he  has 
lived  continuously  since  and  has  transformed 
his  land  into  productive  fields,  from  which 
he  harvests  good  crops.  He  now^  has  one 
hundred  and  three  acres  of  land  well  im- 
proved and  is  still  carrying  on  the  farm. 
In  his  business  he  is  energetic,  carrying  for- 


S88 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


ward  to  successful  completion  whatever  he 
undertakes,  and  his  labors  are  bringing  him 
well  merited  success. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beall  have  been  born 
six  children,  five  of  whom  are  yet  living: 
Forest,  who  was  born  July  4,  1855,  is  now 
station  agent  of  the  Great  Northern  Rail- 
road, at  Deer  River,  Itasca  county,  Minne- 
sota. Willard  is  deceased.  Frank  P.,  born 
in  1859,  is  living  in  Niles.  Bertha  D.  is  at 
home.  Minnie  M.  is  the  wife  of  John  Pale- 
thorpe,  of  Kokomo,  Indiana.  James  M.  is 
an  engineer  of  Michigan  City. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Beall  is  a 
Democrat,  who  has  supported  the  party  since 
attaining  his  majority  and  is  recognized  as 
one  of  its  stalwart  and  active  advocates.  He 
was  at  one  time  justice  of  the  peace  and 
has  held  local  offices  in  the  township.  He 
has  taken  an  active  part  in  public  affairs  and 
is  well  known  in  the  county  where  he  has 
lived  for  over  forty-two  years.  He  has  been 
closely  identified  with  its  interests  and  with- 
held his  co-operation  from  no  movement  for 
the  general  good. 

EDWARD  VETTERLEY.  Among 
those  who  were  once  active  in  business  life 
in  Berrien  county  but  have  now  been  called 
to  their  final  rest  was  numbered  Edward 
Vetterley,  a  man  respected  for  his  genuine 
personal  worth,  his  industry  and  reliability 
in  business  affairs  and  his  exemplification  of 
public-spirited  citizenship.  He  was  born  in 
Wagenhausen,  a  village  in  Switzerland,  on 
the  iSth  of  September,  1833,  and  in  the  year 
1849  his  parents  sailed  with  their  family  for 
America,  there  being  three  sons  and  a 
daughter.  After  a  few  years  passed  in  New 
York  they  came  westward  to  Michigan, 
settling  in  Three  Oaks,  and  at  a  later  date 
the  parents  resided  with  their  son,  Edward 
Vetterley.  The  farm  was  taken  up  as  wood- 
land by  Edward  Vetterley  and  his  brother 
John.  In  the  meantime  he  had  acquired  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  and  shared 
with  the  family  in  all  of  the  experiences  and 
hardships  of  pioneer  life.  After  securing 
the  claim  Edward  Vetterley  and  his  brother 
John  cleared  the  land  and  placed  it  under 
cultivation  with  the  aid  of  their  father.  The 
farm  has  good  buildings  and  is  today  a  well 


improved  property.  During  the  life-time 
of  Edward  Vetterley  it  was  largely  devoted 
to  stock-raising  and  large  numbers  of  fine 
stock  were  shipped  from  this  farm  to  the 
markets.  At  the  present  time,  however,  the 
land  is  devoted  to  the  growing  of  grain.  In 
his  earlier  manhood  Mr.  Vetterley  was  for 
twelve  years  a  section  boss  on  the  Michigan 
Central  Railroad  but  with  this  exception 
always  devoted  his  time  and  energies  to  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  and  stock-raising,  in 
which  he  continued  up  to  the  time  of  his  de- 
mise. He  was  the  owner  of  one  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  the  present  farm,  Mrs. 
Vetterley  having  added  forty  acres  since  his 
death,  so  that  the  place  is  comprised  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  very  rich  and 
productive  land  all  in  one  body. 

On  the  13th  of  June,  1869,  Edward  Vet- 
terley was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Heusi,  who  was  born  in  Schlutheim,  in 
the  canton  of  Schaffausen,  Switzerland, 
September  7,  1847,  ^^^d  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1854  with  her  parents  who  settled 
in  Three  Oaks.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Sam- 
uel and  Elizabeth  (Bacchtel)  Fleusi,  who 
were  also  natives  of  the  locality  in  Switzer- 
land in  which  their  daughter  was  born. 
Coming  to  the  United  States  when  their 
daughter  was  only  seven  years  of  age,  they 
established  their  home  in  Three  Oaks  town- 
ship, where  they  remained  until  they  passed 
froni  this  life.  The  father  always  devoted 
his  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits,  thus 
providing  for  his  family.  He  lived  to  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years,  while  his 
wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
three  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  three 
daughters  and  a  son :  Mrs.  Lana  Freiberg, 
who  died  leaving  four  children,  her  youngest 
son  being  reared  by  Mrs.  Vetterley;  Eliza- 
beth, who  is  now  Mrs.  Vetterley;  Louis,  of 
Three  Oaks  township;  and  Anna,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  four  years.  The  marriage  of 
our  subject  and  his  wife  was  blessed  with 
four  children  :  Edward  J.,  who  died  in  1899 
in  his  twenty-ninth  year,  leaving  one  son. 
Clarence;  Mary,  the  wife  of  William 
Schraeder,  of  Three  Oaks;  Albert,  who  is 
operating  the  home  farm  for  his  mother; 
and  Emma,  who  is  in  Kalamazoo. 

Mr.   Vetterley  acquainted  himself  with 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


589 


the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day,  gave  his 
poHtical  support  to  the  Democracy,  but  had 
no  aspiration  for  office.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  German  Evangehcal  church  from 
1849  until  his  death  and  Hved  a  Hfe  in  con- 
sistent harmony  with  his  professions.  He 
was  widely  known  and  esteemed  for  good 
qualities  which  everywhere  commanded  re- 
spect and  confidence,  and  in  his  business  re- 
lations he  was  never  known  to  take  advant- 
age of  the  necessities  of  his  fellowmen,  but 
placed  his  dependence  upon  the  sure  and 
substantial  qualities  of  persistent  labor, 
guided  by  sound  judgment  and  established 
by  strict  business  integrity. 

CHARLES  HENRY  MITCHELL, 
living  in  Benton  township,  is  one  of  the  na- 
tive sons  of  Berrien  county,  his  birth  having 
occured  in  St.  Joseph  on  the  4th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1852.  His  parents  were  Michael  J.  and 
Catherine  (Gough)  Mitchell.  The  father 
was  born  on  the  island  of  Heligoland  in  the 
North  sea  and  the  mother's  birth  occurred 
at  Mentor,  Ohio.  In  his  boyhood  days 
Michael  J.  Mitchell  became  a  sailor  and  was 
upon  the  high  seas  for  a  number  of  years 
but  afterward  became  a  sailor  on  the  Great 
Lakes.  He  took  up  his  abode  in  St.  Joseph 
about  1848  and  was  at  diflferent  times  mas- 
ter of  various  vessels  which  sailed  from  that 
port.  In  the  year  1856  he  was  sailing  as  a 
captain  of  the  schooner  Kansas  owned  by 
the  firm  of  Springstein  &  Brewer,  of  St. 
Joseph  and  the  boat  went  down  ofif  Grand 
Haven  on  the  22d  of  November  of  that  year, 
at  which  time  Captain  Mitchell  w^as  about 
forty-five  years  of  age.  He  left  his  widow 
in  very  comfortable  circumstances,  so  that 
she  did  not  find  it  very  difficult  to  rear  her 
four  children.  She  remained  for  some  years 
with  her  family  in  St.  Joseph  and  afterward 
married  Wendlyn  Pfaff.  She  is  a^ain  a 
widow  and  is  now  living  in  Benton  Harbor 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three  years. 
The  four  children  of  the  first  marriage  are : 
John,  who  died  when  eleven  years  of  age, 
after  his  father's  death;  Carrie,  the  wife  of 
George  Smith,  of  Chicago;  Charles  H.,  of 
this  review;  and  Emma,  who  is  the  widow 
of  Thomas  Butler  of  Benton  Harbor  and 
lives  with  her  mother. 


When  Charles  H.  Mitchell  was  twenty- 
two  years  of  age  the  family  traded  property 
for  the  present  farm  at  Twelve  Corners. 
This  was  in  1874  and  it  remained  the  moth- 
er's home  for  eighteen  years,  since  which 
time  she  has  lived  in  Benton  Harbor.  In 
early  life  Mr.  Mitchell  of  this  review  became 
a  wood-worker  by  trade  and  was  employed 
in  a  sash,  door  and  blind  factory  until  1874, 
since  which  time  he  has  lived  upon  his  pres- 
ent farm,  comprising  thirty-six  acres  of  land. 
He  has  since  purchased  sixty  acres,  so  that 
his  holdings  now  comprise  ninety-six  acres 
in  two  tracts.  There  is  a  tract  of  twenty 
acres  next  to  his  homeplace  and  forty  acres 
a  half  mile  distant.  Fruit  has  been  his  prin- 
cipal source  of  income  and  he  makes  a  spe- 
cialty of  the  raising  of  apples  and  peaches, 
having  about  fifty-five  acres  planted  to  fruit. 
He  has  sold  as  high  as  sixteen  hundred  bar- 
rels of  apples  and  four  thousand  bushels  of 
peaches  in  a  single  season.  He  is  well 
known  as  a  horticulturist  and  his  opinions 
regarding  fruit-raising  are  largely  received 
as  authority  in  this  locality.  For  thirty-two 
years  he  has  devoted  himself  to  the  farm 
and  its  splendid  condition  has  resulted  from 
his  careful  efforts,  untiring  application  and 
unfaltering  diligence.  In  1900  he  erected  a 
handsome  residence,  which  is  one  of  the 
most  attractive  homes  between  Benton  Har- 
bor and  Coloma.  It  is  built  in  modern  style 
of  architecture,  is  commodious  and  supplied 
with  all  modern  equipments.  He  has  water- 
works upon  the  place  and  the  water  is  piped 
to  the  house.  He  uses  the  latest  improved 
facilities  for  carrying  on  the  work  of  the 
farm  and  is  well  known  as  a  fruit-raiser  and 
shipper.  He  bought  out  the  interest  of  the 
other  heirs  in  the  home  property  and  has 
confined  his  attention  to  the  farm,  planting 
well  selected  varieties  of  fruit,  so  that  he 
now  raises  some  of  the  best  apples  and 
peaches  produced  in  the  county.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Berrien  County  Horticultural 
Society  and  is  interested  in  all  that  pertains 
to  fruit-growing. 

On  the  7th  of  November,  1894,  Mr. 
Mitchell  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Theodore  Kipfer,  who  was  born  in  Menard 
county,  Illinois,  where  they  were  married. 
She  is  of  French  lineage,  being  descended  in 


590 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


the  paternal  line  from  an  old  Alsace-Lor- 
raine family.  Her  father  was  for  many  years 
a  merchant  of  Petersburg-,  Illinois,  and  died 
when  his  daughter  was  sixteen  years  of  age. 
Her  mother  is  still  living,  now  making  her 
home  in  Cincinnati.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mitchell 
have  become  the  parents  of  two  sons,  Ray 
and  Wallace. 

In  politics  Mr.  Mitchell  is  a  stanch 
Democrat  and  has  been  nominee  for  various 
offices  but  the  township  is  strongly  Repub- 
lican. He  is  a  master  of  Twelve  Corners 
Grange,  No.  700,  becoming  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  this  organization  sixteen  years  ago. 
He  believes  this  to  be  an  important  educa- 
tional factor  and  does  all  in  his  power  to 
promote  its  growth.  He  is  also  connected 
with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
of  Coloma.  His  entire  life  has  been  passed 
in  this  county  and  as  a  representative  of 
industrial  and  horticultural  interests  he  has 
made  an  excellent  business  record. 

GILBERT  HUTCHINSON,  living  in 
St.  Joseph,  has  done  much  to  advance  agri- 
cultural and  horticultural  interests  in  this 
part  of  the  state.  In  fact  he  has  been  a  pio- 
neer in  inaugurating  new  methods  and  the 
community  at  large  has  benefited  by  his  ef- 
forts, for  it  has  been  seen  that  his  plans 
were  practical  and  that  good  results  have 
followed  his  labors.  He  was  born  in 
Orange,  Orange  county,  Vermont,  February 
22^  1849,  and  was  but  eleven  years  of  age 
when  he  was  left  an  orphan  by  the  death  of 
his  parents.  When  a  youth  of  sixteen  he 
began  learning  the  brick  mason's  trade,  serv- 
ing a  three  years'  apprenticeship,  receiving 
one  hundred  dollars  for  his  first  year's  serv- 
ice, one  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars 
for  the  second  year  and  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  for  the  third  year  in  addition  to 
his  board  and  at  the  end  of  the  term  he  was 
given  a  hundred  dollar  bill.  He  served  his 
apprenticeship  in  St.  Johnsbury,  Caledonia 
county,  Vermont,  and  worked  for  the  same 
man  eight  years  at  carpentering  and  brick 
work.  His  brother-in-law,  a  Mr.  Chubb, 
and  his  brother  were  engaged  in  this  line  of 
business  and  employed  from  twenty  to  fifty 
men. 

In  1875  Mr.  Hutchinson  disposed  of  his 


interests  in  the  east  and  came  to  Michigan, 
making  the  change  on  account  of  his  health. 
Mr.  Hutchinson  had  been  in  Michigan  and 
his  family  were  already  here,  so  he  made  his 
way  to  the  middle  west  and  purchased  a 
tract  of  land  in  the  south  part  of  the  town, 
comprising  fifteen  acres  which  was  all  run 
down.  There  were  old  peach  trees  upon  the 
place  which  he  had  to  pull  out.  He  largely 
reset  the  orchard  to  pears,  which  have  been 
his  main  crop  since  that  time.  The  whole 
tract  is  devoted  to  fruit  culture  and  he  has 
continued  to  carry  on  the  farm  since  his  ar- 
rival in  Berrien  county,  although  for  eight 
years  he  has  lived  in  the  village  on  the  lake 
shore.  In  addition  to  his  fifteen  acres  he  has 
a  tract  of  ten  acres  set  out  to  Bartlett  pears. 
He  has  made  a  close  study  of  the  pear  tree, 
its  needs  and  possibilities  for  development 
and  cultivation.  He  was  the  first  man  in 
Michigan  to  cut  back  or  ''head"  back  the 
pear  trees,  an  idea  that  was  ridiculed  by 
nurserymen  and  fruit-growers,  but  which 
has  since  been  adopted  l3y  prominent  mem- 
bers of  the  horticultural  society  and  has  also 
been  advocated  by  state  lecturers.  Mr. 
Hutchinson  adopted  this  plan  as  a  result  of 
experiment  and  observation  and  it  has 
proven  very  successful.  He  was  also  the 
first  man  to  fit  up  a  wheel  cart  to  spray  the 
trees  with.  At  first  his  barrel  was  set  on 
a  steamboat.  He  also  fitted  up  a  power 
pump  before  every  seeing  such  a  device  in 
use.  Owing  to  his  active,  progressive  and 
practical  methods  his  crop  has  exceeded  his 
expectation  and  he  has  realized  better  prices 
than  other  fruit-growers,  as  he  produces 
better,  finer  and  larger  fruit. 

Mr.  Hutchinson  was  married  in  1870, 
in  Vermont,  to  Miss  Ella  V.  Currier,  and 
they  have  a  son  and  daughter :  Arthur  Cur- 
rier, who  married  Florence  Griffin  and  is  as- 
sistnig  in  operating  the  old  home  farm ;  and 
Chattie  Fidelia,  the  wife  of  F.  D.  Yoder, 
of  St.  Joseph. 

Mr.  Hutchinson  is  a  Mason,  interested 
in  the  work  of  the  order  and  is  a  worthy 
follower  of  the  teachings  and  tenets  of  the 
craft.  He  is  now  king  of  Royal  Arch  chap- 
ter and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knight 
Templar  commandery  and  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine.     He  does  not  believe  in  following 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


59^ 


old  methods  when  there  is  an  opportunity 
for  improvement,  either  in  social  or  business 
life — a  fact  which  has  been  demonstrated 
in  his  business  career — and  he  is  a  leading 
representative  of  the  fruit  raising  interests 
which  have  gained  fame  for  Berrien  county 
throughout  the  United  States. 

HENRY  L.  KING,  who  owns  valuable 
farms  devoted  to  horticultural  pursuits  in 
Benton  township,  represents  one  of  the  old 
pioneer  families  of  this  section  of  the  state. 
His  father,  George  D.  King,  was  born  in 
Jefferson  county.  New  York  and  came  to 
Michigan  in  the  fall  of  1843  ^^ith  his  wife 
and  two  children,  Eunice  and  Henry  L.,  the 
latter  being  then  but  three  years  of  age, 
his  birth  having  occurred  on  the  27th  of 
January,  1841,  in  New  London,  Ohio.  It 
was  there  that  George  D.  King  was  married 
to  Miss  Susan  Williams,  a  native  of  New 
York.  Her  parents  had  removed  to  Michi- 
gan and  this  it  was  that  decided  Mr.  King 
to  come  to  this  state.  He  traded  his  Ohio 
land  for  eighty  acres  of  land  in  the  woods  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  the  Territorial  road 
and  about  the  same  distance  south  of  the 
Watervliet  road.  He  cut  a  road  across  from 
one  highway  to  the  other  in  order  to  get 
from  the  Stanley  neighborhood  to  the  mill 
at  Millburg.  He  was  the  first  man  to  settle 
in  the  locality  where  he  established  his  home. 
There  was  no  one  to  the  east  or  west  of  him 
and  no  one  south  nearer  than  Millburg  or 
north  nearer  than  Stanley,  a  distance  of  a 
mile  and  a  half.  He  settled  on  his  land  in 
the  spring  of  1844,  taking  up  his  residence 
in  a  log  house  and  bravely  meeting  the  hard- 
ships, privations  and  dangers  incident  to 
pioneer  life.  From  that  time  on  he  gave  his 
attention  to  clearing  his  farm,  cutting  out 
the  timber,  making  staves,  etc.,  and  as  the 
years  passed  by  he  transformed  the  land 
into  productive  fields.  His  father,  Henry 
King,  of  Ohio,  assisted  him  to  some  extent. 
George  D.  King  made  farming  his  business 
for  many  years  but  spent  the  last  twenty 
years  of  his  life  in  St.  Joseph,  where  he  died 
at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  As  time 
had  passed  he  had  extended  the  boun- 
daries of  his  property  until  his  aggregate  in- 
terests amounted  to  four  hundred  and  forty 


acres  in  different  parts  of  the  county,  this 
land  being  comprised  in  four  farms.  He 
made  improvements  upon  the  different  places 
and  owing  to  his  efforts  about  two  hundred 
acres  were  cultivated  and  a  marked  transi- 
tion from  the  wild  forests  to  improved  fields 
was  carried  on.  He  had  one  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  in  his  home  farm  and  the  attrac- 
tive appearance  of  his  place  indicated  his 
careful  supervision  and  practical  and  pro- 
gressive methods.  He  built  a  plank  house 
as  soon  as  he  could  and  it  is  still  in  use  after 
fifty  years,  being  one  of  the  old  landmarks 
of  the  county  which  has  stood  as  a  mute 
vvitness  of  many  changes  that  have  occurred 
and  many  events  which  have  shaped  the 
history  and  molded  the  policy  of  this  part 
of  the  state.  Mr.  King  also  owned  valuable 
timber  land  in  the  county  which  he  sold  to 
Mr.  McGuigan  to  cut  into  lumber.  He 
made  money  by  buying  cheap  land  which  he 
would  hold  until  he  could  get  a  considerable 
advance  in  price.  He  lived  economically, 
saving  his  money  and  thus  in  the  course  of 
years  he  became  a  well-to-do  citizen  and  was 
enabled  in  his  last  years  to  enjoy  rest  from 
further  business  cares.  Henry  L.  King  had 
but  very  limited  educational  privileges,  for 
he  was  busy  from  an  early  age.  When  but 
a  boy  he  hauled  staves  to  St.  Joseph,  where 
they  were  used  in  the  manufacture  of  bar- 
rels. George  D.  King,  not  only  made  a  liv- 
ing but  also  considerable  surplus  money  out 
of  the  timber  which  was  convertetd  into 
spokes,  staves  and  ties  and  also  some  lumber 
was  manufactured.  His  life  was  devoted  to 
the  farm  until  he  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness. He  lost  several  thousand  dollars 
through  trusting  to  the  honest}^  of  other 
men.  He  had  business  transactions  with 
one  man  to  the  amount  of  six  thousand  dol- 
lars without  even  taking  a  note  from  him. 
He  would  purchase  timber  land  from  people 
who  made  certain  claims  for  it,  believing 
them  to  be  honest.  Notwithstanding  his 
losses  in  this  direction  he  was  w^orth  fully 
twenty  thousand  dollars  at  his  death.  His 
wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of  eighty-one 
years. 

In  their  family  were  six  children  and 
with  one  exception  all  are  now  living,  a  sis- 
ter, Eunice,  who  became  the  wife  of  Merzy 


592 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Gustine,  having  died  at  the  age  of  fifty  years. 
Those  who  still  survive  are:  Henry  L.,  of 
this  review ;  George  D.,  a  farmer  residing  at 
Mauston,  Wisconsin;  De  Loss,  who  is  liv- 
ing in  Benzie  county,  Michigan;  De  Golier, 
who  resides  upon  the  old  homestead ;  and  De 
Witt,  who  is  also  living  in  Benzie  county, 
Michigan.  The  father  was  a  Whig  in  his 
political  affiliation  in  early  life  and  upon  the 
dissolution  of  that  party  joined  the  ranks  of 
the  new  Republican  party.  He  was  very 
active  in  politics,  never  missing  an  oppor- 
tunity to  vote  and  though  he  did  not  seek  or 
desire  political  preferment  for  himself  his 
activity  was  that  of  a  public-spirited  and 
loyal  citizen.  Two  of  his  sons,  George  and 
Henry  L.,  were  soldiers  of  the  Union  army 
in  the  Civil  war. 

Henry  L.  King,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  remained  at  home  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  after  which  he  returned  to 
Ohio.  Following  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
war  he  enlisted  at  New  London,  Ohio,  in 
the  Eighty-seventh  Ohio  Infantry  for  three 
months'  service.  He  was  captured  at  Har- 
per's Ferry  but  was  immediately  exchanged 
and  returned  to  Ohio.  There  he  re-enlisted 
in  1863  as  a  member  of  Company  G, 
Twelfth  Ohio  Infantry  under  Captain 
Graves,  at  which  time  he  joined  his  regi- 
ment. His  brother  George  enhsted  at  the 
same  time.  In  the  spring  of  1864  he  was 
sent  to  join  the  command  of  General  Steele 
at  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  and  was  dis- 
charged with  his  regiment  in  1865. 

When  the  war  was  over  Henry  L.  King 
returned  to  his  home  and  was  married  the 
following  year,  1866,  to  Miss  Esther  Law- 
rence, a  cousin  of  John  Lawrence  and  a 
daughter  of  Richard  and  Elizabeth  (Sim- 
onds)  Lawrence,  who  had  come  from  Can- 
ada before  the  war  and  lived  in  this  vicinity. 
Her  father  died  while  serving  in  the  United 
States  army  and  her  mother,  who  long  sur- 
vived, passed  away  at  the  very  advanced 
age  of  ninety  years.  She  had  lived  with  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  King. 

It  was  in  the  spring  of  1866  that  Mr. 
King  began  to  clear  his  tract  of  land  of 
forty  acres,  which  had  been  given  to  him  by 
his  father.  He  has  since  lived  upon  this 
place  and  has  transformed   it  into  a  very 


valuable  farm.  He  also  worked  up  the  tim- 
ber and  this  gave  to  him  a  living  while  he 
cleared  the  land.  He  also  has  a  tract  of 
forty  acres  near  by,  but  has  made  his  home 
upon  the  original  forty  acres  for  four  de- 
cades, his  attention  being  given  to  general 
agricultural  pursuits.  In  all  that  he  does 
he  is  practical  and  he  works  persistently  and 
with  determination  to  make  the  most  of  his 
farm  and  gather  therefrom  good  crops. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  King  have  been  born 
six  children.  Herman,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-eight  years,  was  a  veterinary  sur- 
geon of  Grank  Rapids,  having  graduated 
from  the  Detroit  Veterinary  College,  after 
which  he  was  getting  a  good  start  in  prac- 
tice when  he  died.  Nellie  is  the  wife  of  Dr. 
Leonard  C.  Conkey,  a  veterinary  surgeon  of 
Grand  Rapids.  Cuba  is  at  home.  Elmo  is 
a  veterinary  surgeon  at  Lake  View,  Michi- 
gan. Myrtle  is  the  wife  of  Flarry  Wyman, 
of  Benton  Harbor.    Bert  is  also  at  home. 

Mr.  King's  study  of  the  political  issues 
and  questions  of  the  day  has  led  him  to  give 
unfaltering  support  to  the  Republican  party 
since  age  conferred  upon  him  the  right  of 
franchise  and  yet  he  has  never  sought  or 
desided  office  for  himself,  preferring  to  con- 
centrate his  time  and  energies  upon  his  bus- 
iness affairs.  Formerly  he  was  identified 
with  George  H.  Thomas  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  at 
Benton  Harbor  and  he  manifests  the  same 
loyalty  in  citizenship  in  times  of  peace  that 
he  displayed  when  in  times  of  war  he  fol- 
lowed the  old  flag  upon  the  battle-fields  of 
the  south. 

JOSHUA  ELLS,  of  Benton  Harbor, 
was  born  in  Harpersfield,  Delaware  county, 
New  York,  September  10,  1826,  and  has 
therefore  reached  the  age  of  eighty  years. 
When  a  young  child  he  was  taken  by  his 
parents  to  Ulysses,  Tompkins  county,  New 
York,  where  he  remained  until  fourteen 
years  of  age,  and  during  the  nine  years  of 
that  time  his  father,  Elihu  Ells,  was  keeper 
of  the  poor  farm.  At  the  age  of  fourteen 
Joshua  Ells  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  to  Huron  county,  Ohio,  the 
family  settling  in  Fairfield  township  in  the 
village  of  Fairfield,  which  was  then  called 
Steamburg.     They  located  on  a  new  farm 


> 
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C/2 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


59J 


on  which  a  small  clearing  had  been  made, 
and  there  the  parents  lived  and  died,  the 
father  passing  away  in  1861  at  the  age  of 
seventy-nine  years,  while  his  widow  re- 
mained there  until  she  reached  the  age  of 
eighty-four  years. 

Joshua  Ells  remained  at  home  until 
twenty-six  years  of  age.  He  was  the  young- 
est son  in  a  family  of  five  sons  and  seven 
daughters  and  was  the  ninth  in  order  of 
birth.  He  is  now  the  only  one  living.  One 
of  his  sisters  died  in  1903  and  another  a  few 
days  later.  His  eldest  brother,  Benjamin, 
was  for  a  long  time  a  resident  of  Niles, 
Michigan,  and  died  at  Albion. 

When  twenty-six  years  of  age  J5shua 
Ells  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account. 
He  had  but  a  yoke  of  cattle.  For  two  and 
a  half  years  he  was  engaged  in  grading  on 
a  railroad  in  Ohio  and  at  the  end  of  that  time 
secured  a  position  as  brakeman  on  the  Lake 
Shore  and  Michigan  Southern  Railroad,  his 
run  being  from  White  Pigeon  to  Chicago. 
He  started  in  the  railroad  service  in  a  humble 
capacity,  but  gradually  worked  his  way  up- 
ward and  afterward  was  made  conductor, 
about  1853  or  1854,  thus  serving  for  a  year 
and  a  half.  He  then  returned  to  Chillicothe, 
Ohio,  and  was  there  given  charge  of  a 
freight  train  as  conductor  on  the  Cincinnati 
&  Marietta  road,  which  he  had  helped  to 
grade  some  years  before.  After  several 
months  he  was  made  passenger  conductor 
and  his  connection  with  this  road  covered  a 
period  of  three  years. 

In  March,  1858,  Mr.  Ells  removed  to  St. 
Joseph,  Missouri,  making  the  trip  by  way  of 
the  Missouri  river.  He  expected  to  buy  a 
farm  but  was  not  pleased  with  the  country 
and  returned  to  Michigan,  arriving  at  St. 
Joseph,  this  state,  in  December,  1858.  He 
had  heard  of  the 'great  fruit  possibilities  here 
from  an  old  schoolmate  and  friend,  G.  W. 
Hopkins,  who  had  given  him  accounts  of 
the  splendid  fruit  crops  here  produced.  In 
company  with  Mr.  Hopkins  Mr.  Ells  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
bordering  the  Paw  Paw  river  on  the  south 
and  extending  to  within  one  hundred  rods 
of  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  It  was  both 
bottom  land  and  upland  and  the  place  is 
pleasantly  located  within  a  half  mile  of  Ben- 


38 


ton  Harbor  and  a  mile  and  a  half  of  St.  Jo- 
seph. It  was  covered  with  grubs  and  a  thick 
growth  of  underbrush,  there  being  but  a 
small  clearing  on  the  place.  There  was, 
however,  a  fair  house.  Later  the  property 
was  divided  between  Mr.  Ells  and  the  Hop- 
kins brothers,  giving  each  about  forty  acres. 
In  the  winter  of  his  arrival  here  Mr.  Ells 
took  up  his  abode  upon  the  farm  and  has 
resided  here  continuously  since,  covering  a 
period  of  forty-eight  years.  He  has  placed 
his  land  under  cultivation,  transforming  it 
into  a  very  valuable  and  productive  place. 
In  i860,  in  connection  with  Mr.  Hopkins,  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  where  the  Israelites  now  live  near  the 
Brittain  sawmill.  He  cut  off  the  timber  and 
operated  the  mill  for  four  or  five  years.  He 
still  continued  to  clear  his  farm  and  as  the 
timber  and  brush  was  cleared  away  he  set 
out  fruit  trees,  mainly  apples  and  peaches. 
He  was  meeting  with  splendid  success  as  a 
horticulturist  at  the  time  when  the  yellows 
first  appeared,  sweeping  off  everything  from 
his  orchards  as  well  as  throughout  this  sec- 
tion of  the  country.  He  had  prospered  up 
to  this  time,  a  third  of  a  bushel  basket  of 
fine  peaches  bringing  three  dollars.  After 
his  peach  trees  were  destroyed  he  raised  ber- 
ries for  several  years,  but  later  began  to  set 
out  peaches  again  until  he  now  has  a  fine 
peach  orchard  of  about  ten  acres.  He  also 
has  many  fine  varieties  of  plums,  pears  and 
cherries  and  he  has  cleared  from  his  fruit 
several  hundred  dollars  above  expenses  in  a 
season.  He  has  carried  on  his  work  as  a 
commercial  grower,  devoting  himself  to  his 
farm  and  his  prosperity  is  attributed  en- 
tirely to  his  own  well-directed  efforts  and 
persistency  of  purpose  coupled  with  sound 
judgment  and  a  thorough  understanding  of 
the  business  of  raising  fruit.  His  home 
stands  on  a  fine  hill  overlooking  the  Paw 
Paw  and  St.  Joseph  valleys  and  the  cities 
of  Benton  Harbor  and  St.  Joseph.  It  also 
commands  a  view  of  the  harbor  of  Lake 
Michigan  with  its  outgoing  and  incoming 
vessels  and  indeed  occupies  a  most  at- 
tractive location.  This  residence  was  built 
in  1867  and  has  since  been  occupied  by 
Mr.  Ells.  ^ 

On  the   1 2th  of  May,   1870,  was  cele- 


594 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


brated  the  marriage  of  Joshua  Ells  and 
Miss  Catherine  Welch,  of  Utica,  New  York, 
who  had  lived  with  a  sister  in  Benton  Har- 
bor. Unto  them  a  son  was  born  March  25, 
1876,  to  whom  they  gave  the  name  of 
Howard  Raymond  Ells.  He  is  now  a 
farmer  and  also  clerk  in  a  factory  and  lives 
at  home. 

In  his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Ells  is  an 
Odd  Fellow,  having  been  identified  wnth  the 
lodge  since  its  organization  at  Benton  Har- 
bor. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  is 
interested  in  the  party  but  is  without  aspira- 
tion for  office.  He  is,  however,  to  be  de- 
pended upon  to  aid  any  movement  for  the 
benefit  of  the  community  or  to  promote  pub- 
lic progress.  He  assisted  largely  in  work 
and  money  in  securing  a  highw^ay  across 
the  bottoms  of  the  Paw  Paw  to  Benton  Har- 
bor, a  distance  of  a  half  mile,  and  the  build- 
ing of  the  bridge  in  connection  therewith. 
Martin  Green,  who  dredged  the  ship  canal 
to  Benton  Harbor  from  the  St.  Joseph  river, 
was  to  build  a  sawmill.  To  get  logs  from 
the  Paw  Paw  river  it  w^as  necessary  to  cut 
a  channel  from  the  head  of  the  canal,  for 
the  river  emptied  a  long  distance  below. 
Mr.  Ells  and  others  interested  themselves 
in  the  movement  of  building  the  highway 
and  raised  six  hundred  dollars  by  subscrip- 
tion and  also  thirteen  hundred  dollars  to 
build  a  bridge.  In  this  manner  the  dirt 
from  the  channel  was  thrown  onto  the  road- 
way, making  a  fine  road,  which  is  now  one  of 
Benton  Harbor's  favorite  driveways,  lead- 
ing as  it  does  to  Higman  Park,  which  bor- 
ders Mr.  Ells'  land.  This  work  certainly 
showed  a  most  public-spirited  devotion  to 
the  general  good  and  Mr.  Ells  deserves 
much  credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished 
in  this  connection.  His  house  commands  the 
finest  view  near  Benton  Harbor  and  his 
farm  is  most  attractive  in  its  appearance, 
showing  well  kept  orchards,  good  buildings 
and  modern  equipments.  He  has  worked 
earnestly  and  persistently  and  though  there 
bave  been  some  hardships  and  difficulties 
lie  has  overcome  these  by  determined  pur- 
pose and  resolute  will  and  is  now  one  of 
the  substantial  and  respected  fruit  growers 
of  the  community. 


GEORGE  OLSEN,  now  residing  in  St. 
Joseph,  was  born  in  Norway,  February  26, 
1840.  His  parents  died  within  two  years  of 
each  other,  leaving  five  children  who  then 
became  scattered.  George  Olsen  was  but 
twelve  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  this 
country  with  his  parents  who  settled  in  Mil- 
waukee, Wisconsin,  and  at  an  early  age  was 
thrown  upon  his  own  resources,  he  has  since 
depended  upon  his  labors  and  enterprise  and 
whatever  success  he  has  achieved  is  attribu- 
table entirely  to  his  capable  management 
and  business  talent.  He  worked  for  two 
years  as  a  clerk  in  a  store  and  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  years  went  to  Manitowoc,  where  he 
learntd  to  shave  shingles  by  hand.  He  spent 
two  years  there,  after  which  he  went  to 
Green  Bay,  Wisconsin,  where  he  remained 
until  1862,  shaving  shingles  by  the  thous- 
and. Later  at  Stevens  Point,  and  still  later 
with  the  capital  which  he  had  managed  to 
save  from  his  earnings  he  with  others  es- 
tablished a  lumber  and  shingle  mill  at  Green 
Bay,  where  he  continued  for  nineteen  years. 
His  business  grew  rapidly  until  he  became 
one  of  the  leading  manufacturers  of  shingles 
in  the  state  of  Wisconsin.  He  had  at  first 
only  about  a  thousand  dollars  to  invest  and 
in  order  to  secure  more  capital  he  took  in 
partners  so  as  to  establish  three  mills  on  the 
Little  Suamico  river,  sixteen  miles  north  of 
Green  Bay.  These  mills  were  known  as  the 
John  Peters  &  Company,  George  Olsen  & 
Company  and  Olsen^  Winans  &  Company. 
The  output  of  these  mills,  according  to  the 
Fort  Howard  Monitor,  was  as  high  as 
seventy-two  million  shingles  in*  one  year. 
This  was  in  1876.  Thus  the  business  grew 
from  one  small  shingle  mill  until  it  ex- 
ceeded any  other  enterprise  of  similar  char- 
acter in  the  state.  The  three  mills  employed 
an  aggregate  of  three  hundred  men  and  the 
annual  business  amounted  to  more  than  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Olsen  con- 
tinued in  the  trade  for  nineteen  years.  In 
1870  the  third  mill  was  purchased  and  put 
in  operation  and  the  constantly  developing 
trade  reached  mammoth  proportions,  the 
output  of  the  three  mills  being  greater  than 
that  of  any  other  firm  or  enterprise  in  this 
line  of  business  in  Wisconsin.     Mr.  Olsen 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


595 


had  charge  of  each  of  the  three  mills  in  the 
order  in  which  they  were  erected  and  the 
annual  output  was  from  one  hundred  and 
fifty  to  two  hundred  thousand  shingles  per 
day.  For  many  years  the  business  was  suc- 
cessfully conducted  but  through  trusting  too 
implicitly  in  the  honesty  of  others  Mr.  Olsen 
sustained  very  heavy  losses. 

In  1885  therefore  he  turned  his  attention 
to  other  fields  of  labor  and  came  to  St. 
Joseph.  His  brother,  Ole  Olsen,  was  al- 
ready a  resident  of  this  place  and  liking  the 
country,  George  decided  to  remain.  He 
soon  bought  a  thirty-three  acre  tract  of 
land  on  Lake  Michigan,  two  miles  from  St. 
Joseph.  The  land  was  largely  run  down 
and  he  had  to  drain,  tile  it  and  set  out  new 
trees.  His  brother's  experience  proved  of 
benefit  to  him,  for  he  showed  Mr.  Olsen 
w^hat  to  do,  told  him  what  varieties  of  fruit 
to  plant  and  he  began  the  cultivation  of 
blackberries,  to  which  he  gave  his  attention 
for  six  or  eight  years.  He  afterward  set  out 
peaches  but  later  set  out  grapes  and  pears 
and  his  farm  was  practically  devoted  to  these 
two  fruits.  He  has  sold  thirty-three  thous- 
and baskets  of  grapes  from  about  twenty 
acres  and  has  sold  twenty-two  hundred  cases 
of  blackberries  in  a  single  season.  He  knew 
nothing  of  fruit  culture  or  even  farming 
when  he  took  up  the  work  but  his  brother 
had  had  wide  experience.  He  paid  six  thous- 
and dollars  for  his  thirty-three  acre  tract  of 
land,  which  has  since  greatly  appreciated  in 
value  and  he  recently  sold  the  farm  at  a  high 
figure.  He  had  added  to  the  house,  built 
barns  and  other  necessary  buildings  and  had 
store  room  for  forty  thousand  baskets.  The 
city  water  was  in  his  home  and  everything 
about  his  place  was  most  conveniently  ar- 
ranged for  carrying  on  the  business.  For 
several  years  he  has  handled  the  grapes  of 
The  Lake  Shore  Grape  Association,  about 
one  hundred  carloads  from  the  Hilltop  sta- 
tion, which  is  near  his  home. 

Mr.  Olsen  was  married  on  the  21st  of 
December,  1862,  at  Little  Suamico,  Wiscon- 
sin, to  Miss  Julia  E.  Peters,  who  was  born 
at  Summer  Hill,  Cayuga  county.  New  York, 
December  21,  1844,  and  was  taken  to  Wis- 
consin when  a  child  of  six  years.  There  she 
was    married   on   her   eighteenth   birthday. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Olsen  have  no  children  of  their 
own  but  adopted  an  eight-year-old  girl, 
Margaret,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  Herman 
Loefler  and  has  two  children,  Charles  and 
Adeline,  aged  five  and  four  years  respec- 
tively. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Olsen  is 
a  stalwart  Republican  and  his  religious 
views  is  a  Methodist.  He  is  serving  as 
trustee  of  the  church  in  St.  Joseph  and  he 
takes  an  active  interest  in  many  progressive 
measures  relating  to  the  city's  welfare.  In 
1906  he  built  a  handsome  residence  in  St. 
Joseph  and  though  in  former  years  he  met 
with  heavy  reverses  he  is  again  in  comforta- 
ble financial  circumstances.  He  possesses 
the  strong  and  salient  characteristics  of  the 
Norwegian  people,  including  the  ready 
adaptability  and  unfaltering  industry  which 
has  always  marked  the  people  of  Norway. 
In  the  face  of  discouragement  which  would 
have  utterly  disheartened  many  a  man  of 
less  resolute  spirit  he  set  to  work  to  retrieve 
his  losses  and  has  made  a  creditable  place 
and  an  honorable  name  in  business  circles. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  WELLS,  de- 
ceased, who  is  spoken  of  by  the  many  friends 
with  whom  he  was  associated  in  his  life- 
time as  the  *'soul  of  honor  and  business  in- 
tegrity," left  his  family  not  only  a  comfort- 
able property  but  also  an  untarnished  name 
and  his  life  record  contains  many  lessons 
which  are  well  worth  of  emulation.  He  was 
born  at  Utica,  New  York,  on  the  14th  of 
July,  1848.  In  the  paternal  line  the  an- 
cestry of  the  family  is  traced  back  to  the 
crusaders,  authentic  records  giving  the 
family  history  back  to  794,  when  repre- 
sentatives of  the  name  lived  in  England. 
They  were  people  of  high  rank  in  Normandy 
and  in  England,  being  closely  connected 
with  William  the  Conqueror.  At  an  early 
period  in  the  colonization  of  the  new  world, 
representatives  of  the  name  came  to  Amer- 
ica, where  their  descendants  have  lived  since 
the  first  settlement  of  New  England.  Gov- 
ernor Thomas  Wells,  of  Weathersfield, 
Connecticut,  was  among  the  number. 

Alfred  Lee  Wells,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  proprietor  of  the  Utica  cotton  mills  at 
Utica,  New  York  and  was  also  a  prosperous 


596 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


dry  goods  merchant.  He  married  Sarah 
Griswold  Sill,  of  Lyme,  Connecticut,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Sill,  who  served  as  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war  and  the 
short  sword  which  he  carried  from  Lyme 
to  the  war  is  now  in  possession  of  Mrs. 
Wells.  Her  husband  was  a  member  of  the 
Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  belong- 
ing to  the  Chicago  chapter  by  virtue  of  the 
ancestral  history  of  his  maternal  grand- 
father. The  Sills  were  of  equally  remote 
ancestry,  having  been  among  the  original 
ancestors  of  Lyme,  Connecticut,  and  the  old 
Sill  homestead,  which  has  stood  for  two 
hundred  years  is  still  in  possession  of  the 
family. 

William  H.  Wells  was  a  youth  of  four- 
teen years  when  he  came  to  the  middle  west, 
making  his  way  to  Rockford,  Illinois.  When 
still  a  boy  he  went  to  Chicago,  where  he 
learned     the     business     of     manufacturing 
stained  glass  and  making  steady  progress 
along  that  line  he  at  leng'th  established  the 
old  firm  of  Wells  Brothers,  manufacturers 
of  stained   glass.     They  employed  various 
artists  and  skilled  workmen  and  met  with 
gratifying  success   for  a  time  but  suffered 
various    reverses,    including    heavy    losses, 
which  came  to  them  through  fire.     How- 
ever, with  characteristic  energy  they  rebuilt 
the  plant   and   within  a   week  were   again 
doing  business.     William  H.   Wells,   how- 
ever, applied  himself  so  closely  to  the  work 
that   nervous   prostration    followed  and   he 
was  compelled  to  retire  from  that  field  of 
activity.     In  the  meantime  he  had  secured 
land  near  St.  Joseph,  taking  it  in  payment 
for  a  stock  of  goods.     He  purchased  the 
present  Wells  home,  in  which  he  installed 
his  parents,   who  occupied    it    for    twelve 
years.     In  1884  Mr.  Wells  sold  his  business 
interests   in   Chicago  and    retired    to    this 
home.     Later  he  bought  additional  land  and 
gave  his  attention  to  the  management   of 
the  farm,  the  outdoor  life  proving  greatly 
beneficial,   so  that  he  regained  his  health. 
Desiring  to  again  enter  commercial  circles 
in  Chicago,  about  1889  or  1890  he  opened 
an  office  in  that  city  and  embarked  in  the 
real   estate  business,   being  located   in   the 
Tacoma  Building.     He  had  owned  property 
in  the  city  which  he  now  improved  and  he 


continued  in  active  connection  with  real- 
estate  interests  there  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  on  the  ist  of  June,  1900.  His  last 
real  estate  deal  was  the  sale  of  an  eight 
hundred  acre  tract  of  land  on  the  northwest 
side  of  the  city.  He  operated  quite  exten- 
sively in  property  and  transferred  some  un- 
sightly vacant  tracts  into  good  property  dis- 
tricts. For  seven  years  he  was  afflicted  with 
nervous  trouble  and  he  died  at  what  is  still: 
known  as  the  Wells  home  in  St.  Joseph 
township.  He  owned  the  place  for  thirt}r 
years  and  at  the  time  of  his  demise  he  was- 
laid  to  rest  in  a  lot  in  the  cemetery  at  St. 
Joseph,  which  he  had  selected  on  the  last 
drive  which  he  made  with  his  wife. 

Mr.  Wells  was  married  in  Chicago,  Sep- 
tember 5,  1876,  to  Miss  Lizzie  Powers,  who^ 
was  born  in  Waterford,  Ireland,  and  in  her 
infancy  was  brought  to  the  United  States. 
She  traces  her  ancestry  back  to  the  Irish 
kings  and  her  father  was  descended  from: 
the  native  Norman  invaders,  the  French 
name  being  de  la  Poer  (Power).  Her 
mother  was  Anna  Fitzgerald,  a  descendant 
of  Lord  Edward  Fitzgerald.  Her  father 
was  a  merchant,  who  died  in  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri. The  daughter  was  educated  in  the 
Visitation  convent  in  that  city.  Her  par- 
ents both  died  when  she  was  very  youngs 
and  she  afterward  made  her  home  with  W. 
J.  Quan,  a  wholesale  grocer  of  Chicago^, 
whose  wife  was  her  mother's  sister. 

Mr.  Wells  was  devoted  to  his  business 
interests  and  sought  no  position  of  political 
or  public  perferment.  He  was  a  warm 
friend  of  Judge  Grinnell,  of  Chicago,  who 
spoke  of  Mr.  Wells  as  the  soul  of  honor. 
He  was  devoted  to  his  wife,  the  relation  be- 
tween them  being  a  most  congenial  one 
and  his  most  pleasant  hours  were  passed  in 
his  own  home.  They  spent  the  winter 
months  traveling  in  Old  Mexico  and  south- 
ern countries.  Mrs.  Wells,  since  her  hus- 
band's death  spends  her  winters  with  her 
sister,  Mrs.  Hanley,  at  Aiken,  South 
Carolina.  Mr.  Wells  was  reared  in 
the  Presbyterian  faith  but  never  united' 
with  the  church,  while  his  wife  was 
reared  in  the  Catholic  faith.  He  pos- 
sessed untiring  activity  and  energy  and' 
his     industry    and     ambition     undoubtedly- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


597 


hastened  his  death  because  of  the  close  at- 
tention which  he  gave  to  his  business  af- 
fairs. Whatever  he  undertook  he  carried 
forward  to  successful  completion  and  he 
was  never  known  to  take  advantage  of  the 
necessities  of  another  in  any  trade  transac- 
tion. His  character  was  developed  along 
lines  that  ever  command  trust  and  good  will 
-and  by  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact 
through  business  or  social  relations  he  was 
held  in  high  esteem. 

PETER    D.    DUKESHERER  is  con- 
ducting Maplehurst,  a  fruit  farm  on  Pipe- 
stone street  in  Benton  township.     He  more- 
over has  extensive  fruit  raising  interests  in 
Texas  and  is  a  business  man  of  marked  en- 
terprise and  ability,   who  eagerly  embraces 
every    opportunity     for    advancement    and 
through  laudable  ambition  and  energy  has 
worked  his  way  steadily  upward  to  a  posi- 
tion   of   affluence.      His    birth   occurred    in 
Bainbridge    township,    Berrien    county,    on 
the  5th  of  November,  1871,  his  parents  be- 
ing John  and  Katherine  (Arnt)  Dukesherer. 
The   father   is   still   living  and    makes    his 
home  with  his  son  Peter,    who    spent    his 
-early  boyhood  days  under  the  parental  roof 
and    acquired    his    education    in   the   public 
schools.    At  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  how- 
ever, he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  ac- 
count and  began  clerking  for  G.  W.  Piatt, 
a  hardware  merchant,  in  whose  employ  he 
remained    for   three   years.      He    spent  the 
succeeding  three  years  in  the  employ  of  C. 
and  J.  Shearer,  clothing  merchants,  and  was 
afterward  for  twelve  years  with  the  Enders 
&   Young   Company,   of   which   he   became 
a    stockholder    on    its    organization    and   at 
that  time  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  depart- 
ment.     His   business  .  enterprise,    executive 
force  and  capable  management  contributed 
in  substantial  measure  to  the  success  of  this 
.business  and  he  continued  with  the  firm  un- 
til  about   four  years   ago,     when    he    dis- 
posed of  his  interest.     He  then  came  to  his 
present  farm  and  assumed  its  active  man- 
agement.    This  is  the  old  Sorder  place  and 
is  now  known  as  Maplehurst.      It  borders 
Pipestone  street  at  Border's  Corners  and  is 
one  mile  south  of  the  city  limits  of  Benton 
Harbor.     It  contains  one  hundred  and  forty 


acres  of  rich  and  productive  land  which  re- 
sponds readily  to  the  care  and  cultivation 
bestowed  upon  it.  For  many  years  it  was 
owned  by  Samuel  McGuigan  and  was  by 
him  given  to  his  cousin's  daughter. 

On  the  1 6th  of  November,  1897,  Mn 
Dukesherer  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Fanny  Fern  Stewart,  a  daughter  of  Samuel 
Stewart,  who  was  a  cousin  of  Samuel  Mc- 
Guigan, one  of  the  prominent,  old-time  set- 
tlers of  the  county.  This  farm  was  for  a 
long  time  the  home  of  Mr.  Stewart  and  Mr. 
McGuigan  and  the  latter  deeded  the  prop- 
erty to  Mr.  Stewart's  daughter,  whose  at- 
tention as  a  girl  was  almost  entirely  given 
to  caring  for  the  comfort  of  her  father  and 
Mr.  McGuigan.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dukesherer  has  been  blessed  with  two 
children,  Helen  and  Robert. 

About  a  year  ago  Mr.  Dukesherer  pur- 
chased a  stock  and  fruit  ranch  in  Robert- 
son county,  Texas,  where  he  spent  two  win- 
ters. This  place  is  in  the  famous  peach  belt 
in  that  state  and  he  is  setting  out  a  large 
orchard.  It  has  been  successfully  proven 
that  the  district  is  an  excellent  peach  pro- 
ducing center  and  most  of  his  farm  will  be 
devoted  to  fruit.  His  place  in  this  county 
is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  here 
he  has  a  fine  orchard  and  well  cultivated 
fields.  He  is  also  raising  draft  horses  and 
roadsters,  and  the  various  branches  of  his 
business  are  proving  profitable,  being  care- 
fully conducted.  In  his  political  allegiance 
Mr.  Dukesherer  is  a  stalwart  Republican 
and  has  often  been  a  delegate  to  the  conven- 
tions of  his  party  but  has  never  sought  or 
desired  office,  preferring  to  give  undivided 
attention  to  his  business  affairs,  in  which  he 
has  met  with  well  merited  success.  He  has 
made  an  enviable  record  both  as  a  merchant 
and  farmer  and  he  has  a  very  wide  acquaint- 
ance in  the  county  where  his  entire  life  has 
been  passed  and  where  he  has  so  directed  his 
efforts  in  social  and  business  circles  as  to 
win  the  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  has 
come  in  contact. 

JOHN  F.  CARD,  an  active  citizen  of 
Berrien  county  throughout  his  entire  life, 
was  connected  with  business,  social  and  fra- 
ternal interests  here.     His  birth  occurred  in 


598 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


St.  Joseph  township,  Berrien  county,  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1845,  ^^^d  his  Hfe  record  was  ended 
in  death  on  the  5th  of  February,  1902.  His 
father,  Joseph  Card,  came  from  Ohio  to 
Michigan  and  engaged  in  farming  in  this 
county.  The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Laura  Fairley,  came  of  Puritan 
stock,  the  ancestry  of  the  family  being 
traced  back  to  the  year  1624. 

John  F.  Card  as  a  farmer  boy  attended 
the  country  schools  and  pursued  a  commer- 
cial course  in  Bryant  &  Stratton  Commer- 
cial College,  of  Chicago,  Illinois.  Thus 
well  equipped  for  the  responsibilities  of  a 
business  life  he  accepted  a  position  as  clerk 
in  the  office  of  A.  H.  Morrison,  collector  of 
internal  revenue  at  St.  Joseph,  with  whom 
he  remained  until  June,  1866.  He  then  re- 
sumed farming  but  afterward  secured  the 
position  of  bookkeeper  with  the  firm  of 
Dickinson,  Leach  &  Company,  of  Chicago. 
He  followed  farming  for  several  years  and 
subsequently  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Chi- 
cago, Michigan  &  Lake  Shore  Railroad, 
now  Pere  Marquette.  He  had  charge  of 
the  Morrison  dock  until  1880,  when  he  took 
charge  of  the  steamer  John  A.  Dix  and  so 
continued  throughout  the  remainder  of  his 
business  career.  In  all  the  relations  of  his 
business  life  Mr.  Gard  was  found  thoroughly 
trustworthy  and  reliable  as  well  as  indus- 
trious and  enterprising. 

On  the  6th  of  June,  1869,  ^^^  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  John  F.  Gard  and  Miss 
Josephine  Taff,  of  St.  Joseph,  who  was 
born  in  Ohio.  They  became  the  parents  of 
four  children,  Minerva,  Mable  and  John  J. 
and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Gard 
was  always  deeply  interested  in  the  cause  of 
education,  served  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board  for  twelve  years  and  for  two  years  as 
school  inspector.  He  was  also  highway 
commissioner  for  twelve  years  and  super- 
visor for  two  years,  and  in  these  various 
official  capacities  discharged  his  duties  in 
prompt  and  capable  manner.  He  gave  un- 
faltering allegiance  to  the  Republican  party, 
putting  forth  every  effort  in  his  power  for 
its  growth  and  success  and  acts  as  secre- 
tary of  the  Republican  County  Central 
Committee.  He  was  a  prominent  member 
of  the   Masonic   fraternity,   identified   with 


Pomona  Lodge,  No.  28,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of 
which  he  was  master  for  ten  years,  and  also 
served  as  its  secretary.  He  likewise  held 
membership  in  Calvin  Brittain  Chapter,  No. 
22,  R.  A.  M.,  of  which  he  was  high  priest. 
He  exemplified  in  his  daily  life  the  bene- 
ficient  spirit  of  the  craft,  which  is  based 
upon  mutual  helpfulness  and  brotherly  kind- 
ness, and  in  all  life's  relations  he  was  true 
to  high  ideals,  commanding  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  his  fellowmen  by  reason  of  his 
genuine  personal  worth.  In  his  death  the 
community  lost  a  valued  citizen,  his  asso- 
ciates a  faithful  friend  and  his  family  a  de- 
voted husband  and  father. 

JOHN  HIGMAN  is  well  known  in 
southwestern  Michigan  and  in  other  busi- 
ness districts  of  the  country  as  secretary 
and  treasurer  of  the  Wells,  Higman  Com- 
pany. It  would  seem  trite  to  those  familiar 
with  his  history  to  say  that  he  is  a  man 
who  has  risen  from  comparative  obscurity 
to  rank  among  the  prosperous  residents  of 
Berrien  county  but  it  is  just  to  say  that  his 
is  a  record  which  any  man  might  be  proud 
to  possess,  for  by  the  improvement  of  the 
opportunities  with  which  he  has  been  sur- 
rounded he  has  gained  a  place  in  connec- 
tion with  productive  industries  that  has  won 
for  him  the  admiration  and  respect  of  his 
contemporaries.  He  has  never  made  en- 
gagements that  he  has  not  met  nor  incurred 
obligations  that  he  has  not  promptly  dis- 
charged and  through  strict  conformity  to 
a  high  standard  of  commercial  ethics  he  has 
made  an  unassailabe  reputation  in  business, 
at  the  same  time  winning  the  gratifying 
prosperity  which  is  the  merited  reward  of 
earnest,  persistent  and  honorable  effort. 

Mr.  Higman  was  born  in  Caton,  Steuben 
county.  New  York,  March  i,  1853,  his  par- 
ents being  John  and  Clarissa  (Brown)  Hig- 
man. The  father  was  a  farmer  and  an  en- 
terprising man.  The  son  spent  his  youth 
in  his  native  state  and  when  a  young  man 
of  twenty  years  came  to  St.  Joseph,  Michi- 
gan, accepting  a  position  as  clerk  in  the 
First  National  Bank,  of  which  his  brother 
was  then  president.  Desirous  to  engage  in 
business  on  his  own  account  he  eagerly 
availed  himself  of  every  opportunity  for  en- 


MRS.  ABRAHAM  J.  KNISELY 


ABRAHAM  J.  KNISELY 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


599 


gaging  in  his  present  line  of  trade  by  form- 
ing a  partnership  with  A.  W.  Wells,  H.  C. 
Ward  and  W.  W.  Cooper  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  fruit  baskets  and  boxes,  an  industry 
which  is  a  very  important  one  because  of  the 
prominence  of  Berrien  county  as  a  fruit 
producing  center.  Mr.  Higman  took  charge 
of  the  sales  department  and  was  upon  the 
road,  representing  the  house  for  some  time. 
In  1883  he  purchased  Mr.  Cooper's  interest 
and  soon  the  management  of  the  business, 
which  was  continued  under  the  original  style 
until  1899,  when  it  was  organized  as  a  stock 
company,  known  as  the  Wells-Higman  Com- 
pany, of  which  Mr.  Higman  was  chosen 
secretary  and  treasurer.  This  company  now 
owns  and  operates  four  basket  plants,  one 
in  Memphis,  a  second  in  Greenfield,  Ten- 
nessee, and  a  third  in  Traverse  City,  Michi- 
gan, in  addition  to  the  one  at  St.  Joseph.  A 
new  branch  has  recently  been  established  in 
the  south.  The  Traverse  City  plant  is  an 
important  one,  furnishing  employment  to 
two  hundred  men  and  altogether  the  busi- 
ness of  the  company  has  reached  mammoth 
proportions,  the  output  being  very  extensive. 
Mr.  Higman  takes  great  interest  in  the  work, 
has  thoroughly  acquainted  himself  with  the 
business  in  principle  and  detail,  and  in  his 
active  management  shows  keen  discernment 
and  marked  executive  force,  combined  with 
a  thorough  understanding  of  trade  condi- 
tions. He  also  owns  dock  property  on  the 
St.  Joseph  river,  is  the  owner  of  Higman 
Park  and  has  large  real  estate  interests  in 
Sioux  City,  Iowa,  and  in  Minneapolis, 
Minnesota.  His  business  affairs  thus  cover 
a  wide  scope  and  the  extent  and  importance 
of  his  various  interests  indicate  his  superior 
ability  and  bring  him  a  large  and  gratifying 
measure  of  prosperity. 

In  1877  Mr.  Higman  was  married  to 
Miss  Metta  B.  Barlow,  and  they  have  a  fam- 
ily of  six  daughters  and  two  sons.  Mr.  Hig- 
man has  done  effective  work  for  the  public 
good  and  the  cause  of  education  has  been 
principally  promoted  through  his  earnest  ef- 
forts in  its  behalf.  Many  of  his  business 
interests  have  had  direct  bearing  upon  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  this  part  of  the 
county.  He  was  at  one  time  secretary  and 
treasurer   of    Plank's    Tavern,    which     was 


afterward  sold  and  is  today  known  as  Hotel 
St.  Joe.  He  gave  much  time  to  secure  the 
building  of  the  Vandalia  road  from  St.  Jo- 
seph, and  for  two  years  was  president  of  the 
Board  of  Trade  of  this  city.  For  ten  years 
he  has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board. 
He  has  also  been  chairman  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  the  Baptist  church  at  Benton 
Harbor,  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school,  and  while  he  has  conducted  extensive 
business  interests  he  has  never  been  neglect- 
ful of  his  duties  of  citizenship  nor  of  those 
higher  interests  which  form  man's  relations 
to  his  fellowmen.  He  has  always  been  ready 
to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  those  less  fortunate 
than  himself  and  to  alleviate  and  ameliorate 
the  hard  conditions  of  life.  By  force  of  his 
native  ability  and  steady  perseverance  he  has 
raised  himself  to  a  position  of  worth  and 
value.  His  life  history  illustrates  in  a 
marked  degree  what  may  be  accomplished  by 
well  directed  efforts  and  a  strict  adherence 
to  correct  business  principles. 

ABRAHAM  JACKSON  KNISELY, 
living  at  Fair  Plain  in  St.  Joseph  township, 
Berrien  county,  was  born  in  Meadville,  Penn- 
sylvania, January  17,  1833.  His  father, 
Christian  Knisely,  was  a  native  of  the  Key- 
stone state  and  of  Swiss  ancestry.  He 
learned  and  followed  the  cabinet-maker's 
trade,  thus  providing  for  his  family.  He 
married  the  widow  Derickson,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Ann  Patch,  a  relative  of  Samuel 
Patch,  famous  for  his  prowess  at  jumping. 

When  five  years  of  age  Abraham  J. 
Knisely  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  Dayton,  Ohio,  where  his  father 
conducted  a  cabinet  shop.  Dayton  remained 
their  home  for  a  number  of  years,  and  the 
son  attended  the  common  schools  there  and 
also  a  private  school  taught  by  the  firm  of 
Stevens  &  Edwards.  One  of  his  early  teach- 
ers was  Edwin  H.  Hood,  who  afterward  with 
D.  W.  Noble  established  a  book  store  in 
Indianapolis,  Indiana,  and  Mr.  Knisely  be- 
came a  clerk  in  that  store,  remaining  there 
for  two  or  three  years.  He  was  an  extensive 
reader,  embracing  every  opportunity  for 
gathering  information  in  this  way,  and  he 
also  attended  Allegheny  College  at  Mead- 
ville,  Pennsylvania.     That  was  his  native 


6oo 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


town,  and  he  had  relatives  Hving  there  during 
the  period  of  his  college  course.  The  school 
is  conducted  under  the  auspices  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  and  Mr.  Knisely 
spent  two  years  there  studying  mathematics, 
Latin  and  other  branches,  but  because  of  his 
limited  financial  resources  he  had  to  abandon 
his  collegiate  course.  He  pursued  a  course 
in  bookkeeping  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  and  then  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  bookkeeper  in  a  dry 
goods  store  there.  He  afterward  went  to 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  also  kept  books, 
and  in  addition  he  had  to  keep  account  of  the 
men's  time  and  pay  them  their  wages.  These 
were  the  men  employed  by  the  county  com- 
missioners to  build  the  insane  asylum  at 
Carthage.  Mr.  Knisely  continued  in  the  posi- 
tion for  two  years,  living  in  Cincinnati  with 
one  of  the  commissioners. 

In  1856  he  went  to  Chicago  to  take  part 
in  the  organization  of  the  Chicago  South 
Branch  Dock  Company.  In  this  enterprise 
were  interested  men  from  Cincinnati,  Rhode 
Island,  Virginia  and  Chicago,  and  Mr. 
Knisely  became  one  of  the  incorporators  of 
the  business.  They  purchased  one  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  of  land  on  the  south  branch 
of  the  Chicago  river,  near  the  present  head 
of  the  drainage  canal.  The  land  was  oc- 
cupied by  the  last  state  fair  of  Illinois. 
Slips  for  vessels  were  dug  one  hundred  feet 
wide  and  with  fifteen  feet  of  water,  and  the 
material  excavated  proved  excellent  brick- 
making  material,  so  that  yards  were  estab- 
lished for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing 
brick.  Mr.  Knisely  was  secretary  of  the  com- 
pany from  the  beginning,  and  also  acted  as 
agent  of  the  company  for  a  time.  While  im- 
provements were  being  made  he  began  the 
manufacture  of  brick,  and  retained  his  con- 
nection with  the  company  for  ten  years.  He 
leased  land  from  the  company,  and  at  the 
same  time  made  excavations  for  them.  Later, 
in  connection  with  the  foreman,  he  patented 
a  brick-making  machine,  and  then  installed 
what  is  known  as  the  Monitor  machine,  turn- 
ing out  eighty  thousand  brick  per  day  with 
four  machines,  and  employing  eighty  men. 
Meanwhile  he  also  began  to  manufacture  on 
the  Dupont  slip  between  Halsted  and  Union 
streets.  He  built  the  docks  for  the  Dupont 
Slip  Company,  and  used  the  excavated  ma- 


terial for  brick  manufacturing.  He  remained 
there  until  the  Dupont  slip  was  worked 
through,  and  this  time  in  connection  with 
that  spent  with  the  other  company,  cov- 
ered about  fifteen  years.  It  was  while 
working  on  the  Dupont  slip  that  the 
great  Chicago  fire  occurred  and  brought 
a  great  demand  for  brick,  so  that  he  sold 
three  million  bricks  to  the  board  of  public 
works  at  thirteen  dollars  per  thousand.  This 
was  the  greatest  season  he  ever  had.  In  the 
meantime  he  invested  in  land  in  Austin, 
where  he  commenced  the  erection  of  a  brick 
yard,  but  the  financial  panic  of  1873  which 
swept  over  the  country  stopped  his  opera- 
tions. His  land  has  since  been  platted  into 
town  property. 

In  1877  Mr.  Knisely  decided  to  come  to 
Michigan.  While  engaged  in  brick  manu- 
facturing he  purchased  land  ten  miles  north 
of  St.  Joseph  on  the  lake  shore.  The  greater 
part  of  his  wood  was  cut  and  shipped  to  his 
Chicago  yards.  He  still  owns  the  place,  com- 
prising one  hundred  and  ninety  acres.  It  is 
in  a  favorable  location,  with  over  a  mile  of 
lake  shore  frontage.  He  located  on  his  pres- 
ent farm  on  Napier  avenue,  Fair  Plain,  in 
1877,  and  has  since  resided  here,  the  home 
being  about  two  miles  south  of  Benton  Har- 
bor. When  he  settled  here  the  land  was  cov- 
ered with  stumps,  but  he  at  once  began  to 
clear  and  develop  the  farm  and  has  remodeled 
and  enlarged  his  house,  the  place  being 
known  as  White  Pines,  for  pines  have  been 
set  out  about  the  residence,  and  this  is  now 
one  of  the  most  attractive  places  in  the  lo- 
cality, possessing  many  features  of  beauty. 
Mr.  Knisely  has  here  nineteen  acres  all  in 
fruit,  mostly  raising  grapes.  However,  he 
has  raised  other  kinds  of  fruit,  and  now  has 
a  variety  of  choice  trees  on  his  place.  His 
plan  in  selling  has  been  to  grade  his  fruit 
carefully  and  place  his  name  upon  his  pack- 
ages, so  that  one  might  be  sure  of  the  quality 
of  fruit  purchased. 

On  the  29th  of  January,  1857,  ^^• 
Knisely  was  married  in  Cincinnati  to  Miss 
Rebecca  Hasting  Sampson,  whom  he 
had  met  in  Cincinnati  and  who  was 
a  native  of  that  city.  Her  father 
was  one  of  the  stockholders  of  the 
Chicago    South    Branch    Dock    Company, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


60 1 


but  remained  in  Cincinnati,  Mr.  Knisely  rep- 
resenting his  interests  in  Chicago.  Unto  our 
subject  and  his  wife  were  born  ten  children, 
of  whom  two  sons  and  a  daughter  are  hv- 
ing,  namely:  William  S.  Knisely,  a  steam 
engineer  and  electrician  at  Chicago  Heights ; 
Abraham  Lincoln  Knisely,  professor  of 
chemistry  in  the  University  of  Oregon  at 
Corvallis,  Oregon,  and  also  state  chemist; 
and  Nellie,  who  was  educated  in  Fair  Plain 
and  in  a  college  at  Benton  Harbor,  and  is 
now  at  home.  The  second  son  attended  the 
Fair  Plain  school,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Ben- 
ton Harbor  College,  of  the  University  of 
Michigan  and  of  Cornell  University.  He 
spent  four  years  in  the  Geneva  experiment 
station  at  Geneva,  New  York,  has  been  pro- 
fessor of  chemistry  in  Oregon  for  six  years 
and  lectures  extensively  all  over  Oregon  on 
soils  and  fertilizers.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knisely 
have  also  lost  two  daughters  :  May,  who  mar- 
ried Frank  M.  Kelley,  of  Fair  Plain,  and 
died  in  1905,  leaving  a  son,  Lafayette  K.  ; 
and  Annie,  who  was  graduated  from  Benton 
Harbor  and  was  a  teacher.  She  died  in  early 
w^omanhood.  The  other  children  died  in 
early  youth. 

Mr.  Knisely  cast  his  first  presidential  bal- 
lot for  John  C.  Fremont,  and  has  voted  for 
each  standard  bearer  of  the  Republican  party 
since  that  time,  but  at  local  elections  casts 
his  vote  free  from  party  ties.  He  believes  in 
selecting  the  best  man  for  the  local  office 
without  regard  to  party  affiliation.  He  also 
believes  in  holding  primary  elections  and  that 
the  candidate  should  be  the  people's  choice, 
not  the  choice  of  a  party  machine.  He  has 
attended  at  different  times  the  Presbyterian, 
Universalist,  Unitarian  and  Swedenborgian 
churches,  and  is  now  a  believer  in  the  Spir- 
itualist faith,  having  two  grown  daughters 
on  the  other  side  from  whom  he  receives 
communications.  He  believes  in  the  upbuild- 
ing and  the'growth  of  character  and  that  the 
gauge  of  a  man  is  the  credit  to  be  placed 
to  his  account  for  his  deeds  and  not  for  his 
beliefs.  He  is  much  interested  in  mechanical 
progress,  and  is  a  reader  of  the  Scientific 
American.  He  well  remembers  the  first  ex- 
hibit of  the  telegraph  in  Dayton,  where  a  man 
claimed  he  could  send  messages  by  wire. 
Many  of  the  audience  were  skeptical  even 


after  this  was  done,  however.  Mr.  Knisely 
has  taken  deep  interest  in  the  progress  that 
has  been  made  along  the  lines  of  mechanical 
invention,  and  has  ever  kept  informed  con- 
cerning the  work  done  in  this  direction. 

WILLIAM  RICHARDS  LYON,  a 
lawyer  of  the  St.  Joseph  bar,  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Genoa,  Cayuga  county  New 
York,  May  6,  1834.  His  father,  Moses 
Lyon,  was  a  native  of  Greenwich,  Connecti- 
cut, born  April  2,  1790,  and  was  a  son  of 
Deacon  Caleb  Lyon,  a  gunsmith,  who  made 
and  repaired  guns  for  the  American  soldiers 
in  the  Revolutionary  war.  In  1798,  when 
a  youth  of  eight  years,  Moses  Lyon  accom- 
panied his  father's  family  on  their  removal 
to  Genoa,  New  York,  where,  during  the 
greater  part  of  his  life,  he  followed  the  oc- 
cupation of  farming.  He  married  Miss 
Laura  Riggs,  who  was  born  at  Ballston, 
near  Saratoga,  New  York,  January  i,  1798. 
a  daughter  of  Miles  and  Suse  (Taylor) 
Riggs.  Miles  Riggs  was  the  son  of  Margaret 
Ressequie,  who  was  a  descendant  of  the 
Hugenots  and  Puritans.  She  lived  to  be  one 
hundred  and  two  years  of  age.  Early  in  the 
nineteenth  century  Miles  Riggs  removed 
with  his  family  to  Groton,  Tompkins  county, 
New  York,  where  his  daughter  Laiu-a  on  the 
3d  of  October,  1826,  gave  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage to  Moses  Lyon. 

William  Richards  Lyon  acquired  his 
preliminary  education  in  the  public  schools 
and  prepared  for  college  at  Cortland  Acad- 
emy, in  the  village  of  Homer,  New  York, 
subsequent  to  which  time  he  entered  Will- 
iams College  in  September,  1854,  and  was 
graduated  therefrom  with  the  class  of  1858. 
For  four  years  or  more  after  leaving  col- 
lege he  engaged  in  teaching  at  various  in- 
tervals in  Ithaca  Academy  in  New  York 
and  at  Jackson  and  St.  Joseph,  Michigan. 
Other  periods  were  devoted  to  the  study  of 
law  and  in  the  winter  of  i860  he  attended 
law  lectures  in  the  University  of  Michigan. 
He  was  admitted  to  practice  by  the  circuit 
court  of  Berrien  county  in  1863,  and  soon 
afterward  opened  an  office  in  St.  Joseph 
where  he  continued  as  a  member  of  the  Ber- 
rien county  bar  until  1881,  when  he  removed 
to  Chicago,  where  he  practiced  for  six  years. 


602 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


In  1887,  however,  he  returned  to  St.  Joseph, 
where  he  has  since  remained.  He  has  a  com- 
prehensive knowledge  of  the  principles  of 
jurisprudence  and  displays  intimate  knowl- 
edge of  the  precedent  as  well.  He  is  logical 
in  his  deductions,  forceful  in  his  arguments 
and  strong  in  his  oratory,  and  moreover, 
he  prepares  his  cases  with  great  thorough- 
ness and  care.  In  1872  he  was  elected  cir- 
cuit court  commissioner  for  a  period  of  two 
years.  He  has  had  no  political  aspirations 
outside  of  the  strict  path  of  his  profession 
but  has  always  affiliated  with  the  Republican 
party,  casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for 
Abraham  Lincoln  in  i860. 

On  the  3d  of  November,  1864,  Mr.  Lyon 
was  married  to  Miss  Frances  E.  Jones,  of 
St.  Joseph,  a  daughter  of  Hiram  Jones,  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  this  city,  and  Char- 
lotte Ann  (Elliss)  Jones,  who  was  born  at 
Nottingham,  England.  In  1855  Mr.  Lyon 
joined  the  college  church  of  William  Col- 
lege, in  Massachusetts,  and  subsequently 
placed  his  membership  in  the  Congregational 
church  at  St.  Joseph  with  which  he  is  still 
identified.  He  is  interested  in  matters  per- 
taining to  the  material,  intellectual  and  moral 
progress  of  his  adopted  city  and  his  efforts 
have  been  an  eventful  factor  in  advance- 
ment along  those  lines. 

CHARLES  H.  WHITCOMB,  who 
since  1873  has  been  a  resident  of  Berrien 
county,  identified  with  its  farming  and  lum- 
bering interests,  claims  New  England  as  the 
place  of  his  nativity,  having  been  born  in 
Ashby,  Massachusetts,  August  4,  1844.  His 
parents  were  Paul  H.  and  Hannah  M. 
(Bent)  Whitcomb,  the  former  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  The  son  acquired  his  educa- 
tion in  the  district  schools  of  Massachusetts, 
and  when  he  had  completed  his  course  of 
studies  worked  at  farm  labor  until,  ambitious 
for  greater  success  than  he  could  achieve  in 
the  fields,  he  went  to  Boston  in  1869,  where 
he  was  connected  with  a  grocery  and  provi- 
sion house.  Thinking  that  he  might  have 
still  better  opportunities  in  the  middle  west 
he  came  to  Berrien  county  in  1873,  ^^^  has 
since  remained  within  its  borders,  his  time 
and  energies  being  devoted  to  farming  and 
lumbering.    His  business  interests  have  been 


carefully  directed,  for  he  is  a  man  of  keen 
discernment  and  clear  insight  and  moreover 
has  displayed  marked  enterprise  in  carrying 
forward  his  business  affairs. 

Community  interests  awaken  his  atten- 
tion and  many  movements  for  the  public 
good  have  received  his  earnest  endorsement. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  has  served 
in  various  offices  to  which  he  has  been  called 
by  the  vote  of  his  fellow  townsmen.  He  has 
been  both  supervisor  and  treasurer  of  Lake 
township,  and  for  four  years  served  as 
deputy  sheriff,  while  in  1892  he  was  elected 
to  the  office  of  sheriff,  in  which  capacity  he 
was  an  excellent  custodian  of  the  public 
peace  and  a  menace  to  lawbreakers  by  rea- 
son of  the  assiduous  attention  which  he  gave 
to  the  discharge  of  the  duties  that  devolved 
upon  him  in  that  connection. 

In  1883  Mr.  Whitcomb  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Ella  Wallace,  of  Bridg- 
man,  Michigan.  They  have  a  pleasant  home 
in  St.  Joseph  and  its  hospitality  is  greatly 
enjoyed  by  their  many  friends.  Mr.  Whit- 
comb started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account 
as  a  farm  hand,  and  has  steadily  worked  his 
way  upward,  climbing  the  ladder  of  success. 

CHARLES  W.  ORMSBEE,  deceased, 
was  a  member  of  the  Berrien  county  bar, 
practicing  in  St.  Joseph.  His  birth  occurred 
in  Paris,  Oneida  county,  New  York,  on  the 
24th  of  August,  1 83 1,  his  parents  being 
James  and  Harriett  (Simmons)  Ormsbee. 
The  father  was  a  mechanic  and  farmer.  A 
daughter  of  the  family,  Philena,  a  sister  of 
Charles  Ormsbee,  is  living  at  the  age  of 
eighty-nine  years  and  is  enjoying  splendid 
health,  and  her  mental  faculties  are  still 
bright  and  alert. 

Charles  W.  Ormsbee  acquired  his  ad- 
vanced education  in  Hamilton  College,  at 
New  York,  being  graduated  from  the  law 
department  in  the  class  of  1854.  Lie  prac- 
ticed law  in  Clinton,  Oneida  county,  and  af- 
terw^ard  in  Belmont,  New  York,  and  the 
year  1861  witnessed  his  arrival  in  the  mid- 
dle west,  at  which  time  he  located  in  South 
Bend,  Indiana.  He  afterward  removed  to 
St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  where  he  opened  a 
law  office  and  continued  in  active  practice 
with  excellent  success.     His  mind  was  ana- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


603 


lytical,  logical  and  inductive  and  he  was  re- 
garded as  a  strong  and  able  reasoner,  who 
presented  his  cause  with  great  clearness  and 
force.  He  w^as  connected  with  much  nota- 
ble litigation  tried  in  the  courts  of  his  dis- 
trict and  he  served  as  circuit  court  commis- 
sioner. His  political  allegiance  was  given 
to  the  Republican  party,  of  whose  principles 
he  was  a  stanch  and  stalwart  champion  and 
he  always  kept  well  informed  on  the  ques- 
tions and  issues  which  divide  the  two  great 
political  organizations. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1854,  in  Bridge- 
water,  Oneida  county,  New  York,  Mr. 
Ormsbee  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  L. 
Luce,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  two 
daughters.  Flora  E.  and  Mabel  H.  Orms- 
bee, born  in  1859  and  1870  respectively.  In 
his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Ormsbee  was  a 
Mason  and  his  religious  faith  was  indicated 
by  his  membership  in  the  Congregational 
church.  He  died  in  Salt  Lake  City,  in 
1 87 1.  In  every  community  where  he  had 
resided  his  death  was  the  occasion  of  deep 
regret,  for  wherever  he  was  known  he  won 
warm  friends  who  esteemed  him  not  only 
for  his  legal  talents  and  powers  but  also 
for  the  possession  of  those  traits  of  char- 
acter which  in  every  land  and  clime  com- 
mand respect  and  good  will.  He  held  to 
high  ideals  and  used  practical  means  in 
working  to  better  ends  and  wherever  he 
was  known  he  gained  the  friendship  of  those 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 

WILLIAM  BARNES  CHURCH,  is 
the  oldest  dry  goods  merchant  in  St.  Joseph 
in  years  of  continuous  connection  with  this 
line  of  trade.  There  is  no  esoteric  phase  in 
his  life  history.  On  the  contrary  his  busi- 
ness record  is  one  which  will  bear  the  clos- 
est investigation  and  scrutiny,  as  it  has  been 
through  close  application  and  determined 
purpose  that  he  has  made  advancement,  en- 
larging the  scope  of  his  activities  as  oppor- 
tunity has  offered  and  making  good  use  of 
his  advantages  at  all  times.  He  is  one  of 
the  native  sons  of  the  city  in  which  he  now 
resides,  his  birth  having  here  occurred  on 
the  14th  of  August,  1 86 1.  His  parents 
were  William  and  Cynthia  (Barnes) 
Church,  and  the  father,   a  veteran  of  the 


Civil  war,  served  as  a  captain  in  the  Fourth 
New  York   Heavy  Artillery  in   defense  of 
the  Union.     Coming  to  the  west  he  settled 
in   St.    Joseph,    Michigan,   and   in  this   city 
his  son,  William  B.  Church,  was  reared  and 
educated,  mastering  the  branches  of  learn- 
ing taugiit  in  the  common  schools.     Owing 
to  his  father's  death,  however,  he  left  school 
before   the  time   of   graduation   and  began 
providing  for  his  own  support.     He  entered 
the  business  world  as  a  salesman  in  a  drug 
store  and  subsequently  occupied  a  clerkship 
in  a  dry  goods  store.    Following  this  he  was 
employed  in  a  hardware  store,  and  as  the 
years  passed  he  carefully  hoarded  his  earn- 
ings and  as  the  result  of  his  frugality  and 
industry  acquired  capital  sufficient  to  enable 
him  to  engage  in  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count.     He    then    purchased    a    dry    goods 
store  in  St.  Joseph  and  has  now  been  in  this 
line  of  business  longer  than  any  other  dry 
goods  merchant  of  the  city.     He  has  a  care- 
fully selected   stock,   carrying  a  good   line, 
and    his    trade    has    grown   proportionately 
with  the  growth  of  the  city.     He  now  has  a 
very  liberal  share  of  the  public  patronage 
and  his  place  is  among  the  foremost  mer- 
chants of  Berrien  county,  the  consensus  of 
public  opinion  being  favorable  regarding  his 
business  ability  and  worth. 

Interested  in  community  affairs  Mr. 
Church  withholds  his  support  from  no  plan 
or  movement  for  the  public  good  and  has 
given  tangible  aid  to  many  interests  which 
have  worked  for  practical  reform  and  pro- 
gress. Regarding  it  the  duty  as  well  as  the 
privilege  for  every  American  citizen  to  cast 
his  ballot  where  he  deems  most  conducive 
to  good  government,  he  is  a  stanch  cham- 
pion of  the  Republican  party,  and  upon  that 
ticket  was  elected  to  the  office  of  township 
treasurer.  On  the  8th  of  September,  1886, 
in  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  Mr.  Church  wedded 
.  Miss  Grace  Blakeslee  Ward,  whose  mother 
came  to  this  country  from  England  when 
eight  years  of  age,  while  the  Ward  family 
was  established  in  Berrien  county  in  1865. 
Two  children  grace  this  marriage,  Henry 
Ward  and  Bernice  Claire,  born  in  1887  and 
1889  respectively.  The  parents  hold  member- 
ship in  the  Methodist  church  and  are  deeply 
interested  in  its  various  activities,  contrib- 


6o4 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


ating  generously  to  its  support  and  doing 
all  in  their  power  to  promote  its  growth  and 
extend  its  influence.  In  all  life's  relations 
Mr.  Church  has  made  a  creditable  record 
and  from  among  the  ranks  of  quiet,  per- 
severing, yet  prominent  citizens — prominent 
on  account  of  what  he  has  done  in  commer- 
cial circles — there  is  no  man  more  deserv- 
ing of  mention  in  a  volume  of  this  char- 
acter than  William  B.  Church. 

FRED  W.  COOK,  well  known  as  editor 
of  the  Niles  Daily  Star,  was  born  in  the  city 
of    Niles,    March    22,    1859.      His    father, 
Darius  B.  Cook,  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Con- 
necticut, and  passed  away  at  Niles  at  the  age 
of  eighty-six  and  a  half  years.     He  became 
a  journeyman  printer  in  New  York  city  in 
early  life  and  on  removing  to  the  west  set- 
tled at  Detroit,  Michigan,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed as  a  compositor  in  the  office  of  the 
Detroit  Free  Press  until    1838.      He   then 
started  to  Chicago  with  an  ox-team  and  an 
old  Washington  hand  press  on  his  wagon, 
but  he  did  not  carry  out  his  determination 
to  become  identified  with  the  printing  busi- 
ness in  Chicago,  for  on  arriving  at  Kalama- 
zoo,   Michigan,    he    determined    to   remain 
there  and  followed  his  trade,  doing  his  print- 
ing on  the  hand  press.     He  was  thus  en- 
gaged until  the  spring  of   1842,  when  he 
came  to  Niles  and  established  a  weekly  paper 
called     the     Niles    Republican,      and      of 
which     he     was     editor     and     proprietor 
for    twenty-four    years.      It    was    one    of 
the    early    journals    of    this    part    of    the 
state    and     in    connection    with    its    pub- 
lication Mr.  Cook  engaged  in  job  printing. 
His  son,  Fred  W.  Cook,  now  has  a  file  of 
all  the  papers  published  by  his  father.     He 
also    printed  ^  many    campaign    documents. 
Later  the  Niles    Republican    was    merged 
into  the  Niles  Democrat,  and  after  selling 
out   Mr.   Cook   established  another  weekly 
paper  called  the  Niles  Mirror.    He  also  did 
job  work  until  his  death  and  for  many  years 
was  a  most  prominent  representative  of  the 
printing  interests   of  Berrien  county.      He 
was  conservative  in  his  political  belief  but 
was  an  earnest  champion  of  all  measures  and 
movements  which  he  believed  would  promote 
public  welfare  and  progress.     Throughout 


the  community  where  he  made  his  home  he 
was  greatly  esteemed.  He  married  Miss 
Jane  Wadhams,  who  was  born  in  Connecti- 
cut and  died  in  1889  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
one  years.  In  their  family  were  three  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  a  daughter — Frank  D., 
who  is  now  living  in  New  York  city ;  Emma, 
the  wife  of  Perry  Griffin,  of  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania;  and  Fred  W. 

Reared  in  the  city  of  his  nativity  Fred 
W.  Cook  attended  the  public  schools  eight 
years.     When  only  five  years  old  he  could 
set  type,   for  he  always  availed  himself  of 
every  opportunity  to  go  to  his  father's  print- 
ing office  and  was  deeply  interested  in  the 
work.     At  a  very  early  age  he  began  learn- 
ing  the   trade   under   the   direction    of   his 
father  and  when  a  young  man  of  only  seven- 
teen years  he  became  the  publisher  of  the 
Niles  Mirror  and  after  his  father's  death  the 
owner,    continuing   the    publication    of    the 
paper  for  some  time,  when  he  sold  out.     On 
the  24th  of  March,  1886,  he  issued  the  first 
copy  of  the  Niles  Daily  Star,  the  first  daily 
to  be  published  in  Berrien  county.     He  has 
never  missed  an  issue  up  to  the  present  time, 
covering  a  period  of  twenty-two  years.     He 
has  been  very  successful  in  conducting  this 
publication  and  owns  the  building  and  all 
its  contents,  having  a  well  equipped  news- 
paper plant.     The  character  of  the  paper  is 
indicated  by  the  liberal  patronage  accorded 
it.     It  has  a  good  circulation  and  advertis- 
ing patronage  and  from  the  beginning  the 
enterprise  has  proven  a  profitable  venture. 
On  the  25th  of  September,   1878,  Mr. 
Cook  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Flaherty, 
who  was  born  in  Niles,   Michigan.     They 
have  two  sons,  Fred  D.,  who  is  conducting 
a  job  printing  office,  having  a  plant  in  con- 
nection with  his   father's  newspaper  estab- 
lishment, and  who  married  Martha  Heiser 
of  South  Bend,  and  is  living  in  Niles.  Harry 
W.,  living  in  New  York  city,  is  engaged  in 
the  wholesale  tea  and  coffee  business.     Both 
were  born  in  Niles. 

Mr.  Cook  is  independent  in  politics  but 
has  no  aspiration  for  public  office.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
the  order  of  Patricians  and  the  Owls.  He 
has  always  made  his  home  in  Niles  and 
throughout  his  entire  life  has  been  connected 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


605 


with  the  newspaper  business,  in  which  con- 
nection as  well  as  a  private  citizen,  he  has 
been  the  champion  of  progressive  public 
measures. 

SHERWOOD  SNYDER,  deceased,  was 
a  worthy  pioneer  resident  of  Berrien  county, 
who  resided  in  Benton  township.  He  was 
born  in  Ellisburg,  Jefferson  county.  New 
York,  on  the  ist  of  July,  1822,  and  died  at 
his  home  in  this  county  on  the  8th  of  March, 
1905,  when  in  his  seventy-third  year.  His 
parents  were  Richard  and  Ruth  (Sherwood) 
Snyder,  both  of  whom  spent  their  last  years 
with  their  son  and  passed  away  in  Benton 
township. 

Mr.   Snyder  of  this  review  was  reared 
on  his  fathers  farm  and  from  an  early  age 
depended  upon  his  own  labor  for  a  living. 
When  about  thirteen  or  fourteen  years  of 
age  he  drove  a  horse  on  the  Erie  canal  be- 
tween Troy  and  Buffalo,  New  York,  spend- 
ing the  summer  months  for  five  or  six  years 
in  this  way,  while  in  the  winter  seasons  he 
worked  out  in  the  employ  of  different  men. 
He    had    no    educational    privileges    in    his 
youth,   but  after  attaining  his  majority  he 
attended  school  for  two  winter  seasons  and 
in  the  school  of  experience  he  learned  many 
valuable  lessons,  making  him  a  practical  busi- 
ness man.     In  early  manhood  he  began  sail- 
ing upon  the  lakes  and  acted  as  second  mate 
for  a  season  or  two,  making  all  the  different 
points  on  the  chain  of  Great  Lakes.     Dur- 
ing that  period  he  entered  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  in  Illinois,  which  he  held 
for  three  years.     Later  he  came  to  Berrien 
county   to   look   over   the   country,    having 
heard  favorable  reports  concerning  this  lo- 
cality.   This  was  in  1850  and  Phineas  Pearl, 
a  land  agent,  sought  to  induce  him  to  make 
investments  here.     He  decided  to  do  so  and 
secured  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  where 
his  son   Loren   now   resides  adjoining  the 
Phineas  Pearl  homestead,  for  which  he  paid 
three  dollars  per  acre.     His  cash  capital  at 
that  time  consisted  of  only  ten  dollars,  but 
he  made  arrangements  to  make  payments  at 
regular    intervals     until    the     indebtedness 
should  be  discharged.    For  one  season  more 
he  continued  as  a  sailor  and  then  settled  upon 
his  land,  his  first  house  being  a  log  structure. 


It  was  a  typical  pioneer  home  and  there 
he  installed  his  family,  while  he  turned  his 
attention  to  the  development  and  cultiva- 
tion of  the  fields.  After  about  twenty  years 
on  this  place  he  built  a  home  on  an  adjoin- 
ing farm,  where  his  son  Oscar  now  lives 
and  he  added  to  his  original  tract  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres,  thus  making  a  valu- 
able farm  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres. 
It  was  covered  with  timber,  which  he  cleared 
away  and  in  course  of  time  the  sunlight  fell 
upon  plowed  fields  and  brought  forth  rich 
harvests  as  the  result  of  the  spring  planting. 
He  cleared  altogether  and  placed  in  cultiva- 
tion about  two  hundred  and  forty  acres.  His 
timber  was  cut  at  the  Warren  Pearl  sawmill 
and  was  shipped  to  market  by  way  of  St. 
Joseph.  He  also  sold  logs  and  railroad  ties 
and  for  sometime  that  was  his  entire  busi- 
ness. Later  he  gave  his  attention  chiefly  to 
raising  stock,  breeding  short-horn  cattle  and 
the  crops  which  he  raised  were  principally  fed 
to  his  stock. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Snyder  was  a 
stalwart  Republican.  He  always  attended 
elections  and  supported  the  men  pledged  to 
uphold  the  principles  of  the  party,  yet  he 
was  never  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office 
seeking.  On  one  occasion  he  was  elected 
supervisor  but  failed  to  qualify,  not  wishing 
to  enter  public  office.  His  life  was  devoted 
to  the  improvement  of  his  farm,  which  was 
pleasantly  located  about  six  miles  from  the 
city.  He  was,  however,  never  remiss  in  the 
duties  of  citizenship  and  did  much  for  the 
material  prosperity  and  improvement  of  his 
part  of  the  county.  He  helped  to  lay  out  and 
build  nearly  all  of  the  roads  in  his  vicinity 
and  his  labors  were  attended  with  good  re- 
sults, both  in  behalf  of  the  public  welfare  and 
as  regarded  his  private  business  interests. 

Mr.  Snyder  was  married  in  Benton  town- 
ship  to  Miss  Caroline  Alden,  a  native  of  that 
township  and  a  sister  of  Hial  Alden,  who 
is  mentioned  on  another  page  of  this  work. 
Their  wedding  was  celebrated  on  the  15th 
of  May,  1855,  and  they  traveled  life's 
journey  together  for  about  fifteen  years, 
when  on  the  loth  of  January,  1871,  Mrs. 
Snyder  was  called  to  her  final  rest.  For  his 
second  wife  Mr.  Snyder  chose  Mrs.  Martha 
Clark,  a  widow^  who  yet  survives  him.     His 


6o6 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


family  numbered  eight  children:  Marvin, 
who  is  living  upon  the  old  homestead ;  Deette, 
the  wife  of  Curtis  Pearl,  of  Benton  Harbor; 
Menzo^  a  farmer  residing  in  Benton  town- 
ship ;  Eliza,  who  became  the  wife  of  Wallace 
Rector  and  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-five 
years ;  Charlie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-two years ;  Florence,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  two  years ;  Oscar,  who  is  living  upon  the 
old  homestead  farm;  and  Loren..  The  last 
named  was  born  October  26,  1869,  and  ob- 
tained his  education  in  the  public  schools. 
He  remained  under  the  parental  roof  up 
to  the  time  of  his  marriage,  which  was  cele- 
brated on  the  13th  of  September,  1889,  the 
lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Mary  Pearl, 
a  daughter  of  Simon  Pearl  and  a  sister  of 
Curtis  Pearl,  who  married  a  sister  of  Loren 
Snyder.  Simon  Pearl  was  a  nephew  of 
Phineas  Pearl  and  a  son  of  James  Pearl  and 
was  born  at  Ticonderoga,  New  York.  He 
was  married  in  the  Empire  State  and  with 
his  wife  and  four  children  came  to  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  in  1865.  He  settled  a 
mile  and  a  half  south  of  Millburg  in  Benton 
township,  and  his  son,  Warren  Pearl,  still 
lives  upon  a  part  of  the  old  family  home- 
stead farm  there.  His  wife  died  when  their 
daughter  Mary  was  only  six  years  of  age. 
Simon  Pearl  afterward  purchased  a  farm  on 
Napier  avenue  near  Pearl  cemetery  and  there 
he  lived  until  called  to  his  final  rest,  his 
death  occurring  March  23,  1902,  when  he 
was  seventy-eight  years  of  age.  His  second 
wife,  Mrs.  Olive  Wright  Orcutt,  was  a  sister 
of  his  first  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Marion  Wright.  His  second  wife  is  still 
living,  making  her  home  in  Wabash,  Indiana, 
with  a  daughter,  Mrs.  O.  D.  Moore.  Mrs. 
Snyder  after  acquiring  her  education  ob- 
tained a  teacher's  certificate  but  never  fol- 
lowed the  profession  owing  to  her  early  mar- 
riage. Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Loren  Snyder 
have  been  born  seven  children:  Clarence, 
Charlie,  Garrett,  Ernest,  Warren,  Lucy  and 
Sherwood.  The  family  circle  yet  remains 
unbroken  and  all  are  still  under  the  parental 
roof. 

Loren  Snyder  has  followed  in  his  father's 
political  footsteps  and  is  a  stalwart  Repub- 
lican. He  owns  eighty  acres  of  the  home- 
stead farm,  which  is  one-half  of  the  original 


tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  Mrs. 
Snyder  also  owns  her  father's  homestead, 
the  corners  of  the  two  places  adjoining.  Mr. 
Snyder  devotes  his  attention  largely  to  the 
cultivation  of  fruit,  having  fifty  acres  thus 
utilized,  forty  acres  being  planted  to  peaches. 
The  crop  was  very  large  in  the  season  of 
1905,  his  sales  amounting  to  four  thousand 
bushels  of  peaches.  He  is  practical  in  all 
of  his  work,  methodical  in  his  business  in- 
terests and  in  the  careful  conduct  of  the  busi- 
ness he  is  meeting  with  well-merited  success. 

JETHER  L.  JOHNSON,  deceased,  was 
for  many  years  connected  with  agricultural 
interests  in  Berrien  county  and  in  this  direc- 
tion contributed  in  substantial  measure  to 
its  development  and  material  progress.  He 
aided  in  making  it  what  it  is  today — one  of 
the  rich  agricultural  and  horticultural  dis- 
tricts of  the  state  and  his  business  methods 
and  principles  were  based  upon  strict  and 
unswerving  integrity  and  unfaltering  dili- 
gence. The  birth  of  Mr.  Johnson  occurred 
in  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  in  1823,  and  he 
came  to  Berrien  county  with  his  parents, 
Benjamin  and  Margaret  (Murphy)  John- 
son, at  an  early  age.  Both  his  father  and 
mother  were  natives  of  Maryland  and  be- 
came pioneer  residents  of  Berrien  county, 
settling  in  St.  Joseph,  where  they  resided 
for  twO'  years.  They  then  removed  to  a 
farm,  upon  which  they  spent  their  remaining 
days  and  were  people  of  the  highest  re- 
spectability. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  the  eldest  of  six  chil- 
dren and  was  reared  to  manhood  in  this 
county,  acquiring  a  practical  education  in 
the  common  schools.  He  was  trained  to 
farm  work  from  early  boyhood  and  followed 
in  the  footsteps  of  his  father,  giving  his 
attention  to  general  agricultural  pursuits 
throughout  his  entire  business  career.  He 
married  Miss  Margaret  J.  Smith,  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Ohio 
and  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Berrien 
county,  Michigan.  He  could  speak  the 
Indian  language,  which  was  a  valuable  ac- 
complishment at  that  time,  for  there  were 
large  numbers  of  Pottawatomie  Indians  in 
the  county  in  those  early  days.  He  did 
much    trading    with    the    Indians    and    his 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


607 


knowledge  of  their  tongue  therefore  proved 
very  useful.  He  was  but  a  small  boy  when 
he  settled  in  Royalton  township  with  his 
father,  Major  Timothy  Smith,  who  was  a 
veteran  of  the  war  of  1812.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Johnson  had  no  children  of  their  own,  but 
they  reared  and  educated  two  boys,  Eugene 
Barrows  and  Joseph  F.  Pearl,  the  latter  a 
nephew  of  Mr.  Johnson.  He  was  on  board 
the  ill-fated  steamer  Chicora,  which  was  lost 
on  Lake  Michigan  in  1895.  He  was  cross- 
ing the  lake  as  a  passenger  when  in  a  terrible 
storm  the  steamer  sank  with  all  on  board. 
They  also  raised  a  girl  to  womanhood  who 
is  married  and  living  in  Europe  at  the  pres- 
ent time. 

Subsequent  to  his  marriage  Mr.  John- 
son located  on  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  which 
he  had  previously  purchased.  It  was  a  tract 
of  dense  forest  land,  which  he  cleared  after 
years  of  hard  work.  He  also  cleared  an- 
other tract  of  forty  acres  and  in  his  business 
displayed  unremitting  diligence,  push  and 
perseverance.  His  methods  were  always 
practical  as  well  as  progressive  and  he  trans- 
formed his  land  into  a  very  productive  place, 
which  annually  yielded  to  him  good  crops 
and  thus  provided  him  with  a  comfortable 
hving. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Johnson  was  a 
Republican.  He  took  a  deep  interest  in  the 
success  of  his  party  and  in  movements  for 
the  general  good  as  well.  He  belonged  to 
the  Masonic  fraternity  of  St.  Joseph  and 
also  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
He  took  an  active  interest  in  educational 
matters  and  did  effective  service  for  the 
cause  of  education  while  a  member  of  the 
school  board  of  his  district.  He  was  not 
connected  in  membership  relations  with  any 
church,  but  was  a  liberal  supporter  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  to  which  his  wife  be- 
longs. He  enjoyed  the  unqualified  esteem 
of  the  entire  community  and  though  he  lived 
a  quiet  and  uneventful  life  his  record  was 
characterized  by  many  sterling  qualities  that 
might  well  serve  as  a  source  of  inspiration 
and  emulation  to  others.  He  died  in  1899 
respected  by  all  who  knew  him  and  many  felt 
a  sense  of  personal  loss  when  he  was  called 
to  his  final  rest. 


MISS  RETTA  HOLLETT  is  conduct- 
ing one  of  the  leading  mercantile  establish- 
ments of  Three  Oaks.  There  is  much 
written  about  ''self-made  men"  and  much 
credit  is  due  them  for  what  they  accom- 
plished, alone  and  unaided,  but  before  them 
does  not  lie  the  obstacles  and  difficulties 
which  a  woman  encounters  in  the  business 
world,  and  the  record  of  a  successful  busi- 
ness woman  is  certainly  worthy  of  the  ad- 
miration and  respect  of  all.  In  the  village 
of  Three  Oaks  Miss  Hollett  has  made  for 
herself  a  most  creditable  position  and 
achieved  a  measure  of  prosperity  of  w^hich 
she  has  every  reason  to  be  proud. 

Her  life  record  began  on  a  farm  north  of 
Buchanan,  in  Berrien  county,  February  20, 
1854.     She  is  the  eldest  child  of  Amos  and 
Mary  C.    (Cooper)   Hollett.     Her  paternal 
grandparents  removed  from  New  York  to 
Ohio  at  an  early  period  in  the  development 
of  the  latter  state,  and  Amos  Hollett  was 
there    born.      Coming    to    Michigan    at    a 
pioneer  epoch  in  the  history  of  Berrien  coun- 
ty, he  resided  here  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in   1875,  when  he  was  forty-nine 
years  of  age.     His  wife  was  born  in  Buch- 
anan township,  and  has  spent  her  entire  life 
in  Berrien  county,  now  making  her  home 
with  her  daughter  Retta,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
nine  years.    Her  people  were  among  the  first 
settlers  of  the  county  and  aided  in  the  early 
development  and  cultivation  of  this  part  of 
the  state.     In  the  family  of  Amos  and  Mary 
C.  Hollett  were  seven  children,  three  daugh- 
ters   and    four    sons,    as    follows:    Refta; 
Michael,  who  was  a  farmer  in  this  county 
and  is  now  deceased ;  Asa,  a  resident  farmer 
of  Three  Oaks  township;  Wilham,  who  has 
been  employed  by  his  sister  Retta  for  the 
past  fourteen  years;  Mary,   deceased;  Jay, 
who  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Chickaming 
township;  and  Anna,  who  died  in  infancy. 
Miss  Hollett  spent  the  first  eight  years 
of  her  life  on  the  old  family  homestead^,  and 
then  removed  with  her  parents  to  a  farm  six 
miles  northeast  of  Three  Oaks,  where  her 
girlhood  days  were  passed  and  her  educa- 
tion acquired  in  the  district  schools  of  the 
neighborhood.     She  came  to  the  village  of 
Three    Oaks    twenty-eight    years    ago    and 


oo8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


learned  the  milliner's  trade,  after  which  she 
engaged  in  clerking  for  E.  K.  Warren  for 
about  six  years.  She  then  resolved  to  en- 
gage in  business  on  her  own  account  and 
opened  a  millinery  and  dry  goods  store 
on  a  small  scale  in  Galien,  which  she  con- 
ducted for  about  fifteen  months,  when  she 
sold  out.  She  then  returned  to  Three  Oaks 
and  was  employed  as  a  clerk  by  Chamber- 
lain, Warren  &  Hatfield  for  four  or  five 
years,  when  she  purchased  an  interest  in  the 
business,  becoming  a  partner  in  the  firm  of 
Chamberlain,  Hollett  &  Bradley,  which  con- 
nection was  continued  for  a  year.  For  a 
short  time  the  firm  was  afterward  Hollett 
&  Bradley,  after  which  Miss  Hollett  pur- 
chased her  partner's  interest,  took  the  stock 
and  conducted  the  business  under  her  own 
name.  She  has  been  sole  proprietor  for 
the  past  fourteen  years— years  marked  by 
continual  growth  and  prosperity  in  business. 
When  she  took  the  old  stock  she  went  into 
debt  for  about  ten  thousand  dollars.  She 
had  a  single  store  room,  but  now  she  oc- 
cupies two  large  double  stores,  two  stories 
in  height,  and  employs  five  clerks  through- 
out the  year.  The  stores  are  adjoining  and 
have  connecting  doorways.  One  store  is 
devoted  to  furniture,  carpets,  millinery,  etc., 
and  the  other  to  dry  goods,  boots  and  shoes. 
She  carries  a  large  stock,  carefully  selected 
and  many  a  town  of  larger  size  would  re- 
gard this  as  a  most  creditable  mercantile  en- 
terprise. Miss  Hollett  seems  to  possess 
natural  ability  as  a  merchant.  When  a 
child  her  chief  amusement  was  to  *'play 
store,"  and  from  early  womanhood  she  has 
been  connected  with  trade  interests,  con- 
stantly enlarging  the  field  of  her  activities 
until  today  one  of  the  leading  mercantile  en- 
terprises of  Three  Oaks  stands  as  a  monu- 
ment to  her  enterprise,  business  ability  and 
force  of  character.  She  carefully  studies 
trade  conditions  and  notes  the  signs  of  the 
times  in  the  business  world,  keeps  a  thor- 
oughly modern  stock,  and  through  her 
earnest  eflfort  to  please  her  customers  and 
her  straightforward  business  methods  and 
reasonable  prices  she  has  gained  a  volume 
of  business  which  makes  her  establishment 
a  leading  commercial  enterprise  of  the  town. 
She   is    a   member   of   the    Congregational 


church  and  is  most  widely  known  in  this 
part  of  the  county,  where  she  has  many 
warm  friends.  She  is  in  fact  very  popular,. 
her  social  qualities  as  well  as  her  business, 
characteristics  winning  her  very  favorable 
regard. 

R.  CLARKE  ALLEN,  M.  D.,  is  one  of 
the  younger  representatives  of  the  medical 
fraternity  in  St.  Joseph  but  his  years  do 
not  seem  a  bar  to  his  progress  nor  success 
for  he  has  already  attained  a  position  in  the 
ranks  of  the  medical  fraternity  that  many 
an  older  practitioner  might  well  envy  and  it 
does  not  require  the  gift  of  prophecy  to 
enable  one  to  predict  a  successful  future  for 
him.  He  was  born  in  Breckinridge,  Mis- 
souri, in  1878,  and  is  a  son  of  the  Rev.  James 
Allen,  who  was  born  in  England  and  came 
to  America  at  an  early  age,  acquiring  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  the  east.  De- 
termining to  devote  his  life  to  the  active 
work  of  the  ministry  he  became  a  Methodist 
clergyman  and  has  always  followed  his  holy 
calling,  being  now  pastor  of  the  church  in 
Centerville,  Michigan,  where  he  has  labored 
zealously  for  the  belief  which  he  entertains. 
He  married  Miss  Minnie  Clarke,  a  native  of 
Canada,  who  died  on  the  14th  of  February, 
1894,  in  northern  Michigan,  when  forty- 
five  years  of  age.  By  their  marriage  had 
been  born  four  children,  of  whom  Dr.  Allen 
is  the  youngest.  One  has  now  passed  away 
and  the  other  surviving  members  of  the 
family  are:  Mrs.  S.  W.  Rose,  who  is  liv- 
ing in  St.  Joseph;  Rittenhouse  and  Mrs. 
Charles  Rittenhouse,  whose  home  is  in  De- 
troit, Michigan. 

In  his  early  boyhood  days  Dr.  Allen  ac- 
companied his  parents  on  their  removal  from 
Missouri  to  Michigan  and  acquired  his  pre- 
liminary education  in  the  schools  of  Traverse 
City.  His  father  in  accordance  with  the  cus- 
tom of  the  Methodist  church  was  stationed 
at  different  points  in  pastoral  work  and  thus 
Dr.  Allen's  education  was  not  pursued  con- 
secutively in  one  place.  He  attended  school 
for  a  time  in  Detroit  and  then  having  the 
determination  to  enter  upon  the  practice  of 
medicine  as  a  life  work  he  began  prepara- 
tion for  this  calling  as  a  student  in  the  De- 
troit Medical  College,  from  which  he  was 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


609 


graduated  in  the  class  of  1904.  Immediately 
afterward  he  went  to  Harbor  Springs,  Mich- 
igan, but  in  the  fall  of  that  year  came  to  St. 
Joseph.     It  seems  that  he  has  made  no  mis- 
take in  his  choice  of  a  location,  for  he  has 
succeeded  to  the  practice  of  Dr.  D.  N.  Bar- 
rett here  and  has  met  with  most  flattering 
success  during  the  short  period  of  his  resi- 
dence in  Berrien  county.  He  engages  in  gen- 
eral practice,  and  is  thoroughly  conversant 
with  modern  methods  employed  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  medical  fraternity.     He  is  now 
serving  as  health  officer  and  city  physician  of 
St.  Joseph  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  County 
and  State   Medical    Societies   and  the   Na- 
tional Medical  Association.     At  the  present 
writing  he  is  serving  as  vice  president  and 
general  secretary  of    the    Berrien    County 
Medical  Society.  He  has  won  the  favorable 
regard  of  his  brethren  of  the  fraternity  and 
his  ability  in  his  chosen  calling  has  been  put 
to  the  test  in  many  difficult  cases,  in  which 
he  has  rendered  a  correct  diagnosis  and  fol- 
lowed methods  that  led  to  the  result  which 
the  physician  is  always  striving  to  attain — 
the  restoration  of  health.     Dr.  Allen  belongs 
to  the  F.  &  A.  M.,  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks  and  the  Fraternal  Order  of 
Eagles.     He  is  a  popular  young  man,  whose 
unfailing   courtesy,   genialty   and  deference 
for  the  opinions  of  others  have  gained  him 
favorable  regard  and  his  circle  of  friends 
is  constantly  increasing. 

REV.  DENNIS  OWEN  MULCAHY, 
priest  of  St.  John's  Catholic  Church  at  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  was  born  in  Kingston,  New 
York,  March  4,  1856,  a  son  of  James  and 
Margaret  (Manning)  Mulcahy,  both  of 
whom  were  natives. of  Ireland,  the  former 
born  at  White  Church,  County  Cork,  and  the 
latter  at  Skibbereen,  in  the  same  county. 
James  Mulcahy  came  to  America  in  1849  ^^ 
company  with  a  brother  of  the  lady  whom 
he  afterward  made  his  wife.  She  crossed 
the  Atlantic  in  1852  and  though  they  had 
been  born  and  reared  almost  neighbors  they 
had  never  met  until  they  became  acquainted 
in  the  new  world,  their  marriage  being  cele- 
brated in  Kingston,  New  York.  After 
reaching  this  country  James  Mulcahy  and 
his  companion  worked  in  the  stone  quarries 


at  Kingston  and  the  former  became  an  ex-' 
pert  workman,  commanding  large  wages. 
He  saved  his  money  and  afterward  came 
west  with  his  brother  Thomas,  settling  at 
Hazelton,  Shiawassee  county,  Michigan, 
where  both  purchased  farms.  James  Mul- 
cahy then  turned  his  attention  to  the  im- 
provement of  his  land,  which  he  continued  to 
cultivate  and  develop  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1885  when  he  was 
fifty-eight  years  of  age.  His  wife  died  in 
1890  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  In  their 
family  were  ten  children,  who  reached  adult 
age. 

Rev.  Mulcahy,  the  only  member  of  the 
family  now  living  in  Berrien  county,  was 
reared  to  manhood  in  Shiawassee  county, 
Michigan,  and  pursued  his  early  education 
in  the  district  schools,  while  later  he  at- 
tended the  high  school  at  Flint,  this  state, 
being  graduated  therefrom  in  the  class  of 
1879.  He  afterward  entered  the  Sandwich 
Assumption  College  at  Ontario,  Canada, 
where  he  remained  for  six  years  or  until  his 
graduation  in  1885.  He  then  continued  his 
studies  in  St.  Mary's  Seminary  at  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  and  afterward  completed  his 
course  at  Mount  St.  Mary's  at  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  where  he  finished  his  theological 
studies  and  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood 
on  the  9th  of  March,  1900,  at  St.  Alberta's 
Church  at  Detroit,  Michigan,  by  the  Right 
Rev.  John  S.  Foley,  now  bishop  of  that  dio- 
cese. 

Rev.  Mulcahy,  following  his  ordination, 
went  as  assistant  to  the  Very  Rev.  Dean  O. 
Brian  of  St.  Augustus  Church  at  Kalama- 
zoo, Michigan,  and  later  was  appointed  to 
take  charge  of  St.  Agatha's  Church  at  Gage- 
town,  Huron  county,  Michigan,  in  June, 
1 89 1.  After  remaining  at  that  place  for 
thirteen  months  the  bishop  promoted  him  to 
the  charge  of  St.  Mary's  Church  at  Paw 
Paw,  Michigan,  and  he  remained  there  from 
1892  until  October  i,  1895,  when  on  account 
of  his  successful  efforts  and  ability  he  was 
transferred  to  Benton  Harbor,  Michigan,  to 
take  charge  of  St.  John's  Catholic  Church 
m  this  place.  The  church  was  heavily  in 
debt  and  otherwise  hampered  in  its  work, 
but  the  earnest  and  untiring  labors  of  Father 
Mulcahy  have  cleared  the  church  of  all  in- 


6io 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


debtedness  and  it  is  now  in  splendid  finan- 
cial condition.  It's  different  societies  are  in 
good  working  order  and  St.  John's  Catholic 
Church  is  now  a  potent  influence  in  the 
moral  development  of  the  community. 
Father  Mulcahy  is  highly  esteemed  by  his 
parishioners,  who  have  aided  him  willingly 
and  cheerfully  in  his  struggle  to  put  the 
church  where  it  is  today  and  he  is  esteemed 
as  well  by  all  the  citizens  of  Benton  Harbor 
of  other  denominations  with  whom  he  has 
come  in  contact.  Through  his  efforts  the 
church  has  acquired  ten  acres  of  land,  which 
has  been  converted  into  what  is  now  known 
as  Calvary  cemetery.  His  zeal  and  conse- 
cration in  his  work  and  his  untiring  efforts 
have  been  productive  of  much  good  and  he 
is  one  of  the  strong  representatives  of  the 
Catholic  church  in  southwestern  Michigan. 

GEORGE  F.  SONNER  was  born  in 
Ohio  in  1837,  his  parents  being  William  and 
Annie  (Caley)  Sonner,  the  former  a  native 
of  Virginia  and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  The 
father  removed  from  the  Old  Dominion  to 
Ohio  at  an  early  date  in  its  development 
and  improvement  and  in  the  schools  of  that 
state  his  son,  George  F.  Sonner,  acquired  his 
preliminary  education,  which  was  supple- 
mented by  further  study  at  the  South  Salem 
(Ohio),  Academy.  Subsequent  to  the  war' 
he  continued  his  education  in  Washington- 
Jefferson  College  in  Pennsylvania,  but  in  the 
meantime  all  personal  considerations  had 
been  put  aside  that  he  might  aid  his  country 
in  her  dark  hour  of  peril.  He  enlisted  in 
1 86 1  in  the  Sixtieth  Ohio  Infantry  as  the 
first  sergeant  of  Company  A,  joining  the 
army  for  a  year,  and  on  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  re-enlisted  in  the  Second 
Ohio  Heavy  Artillery,  in  which  he  was 
made  second  lieutenant.  Thirty  days  later 
he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain  and 
so  continued  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Dur- 
ing the  first  year  of  his  connection  with  the 
Union  army  he  was  in  the  Shenandoah  val- 
ley of  Virginia  and  drove  the  rebel  General 
Jackson  and  his  army  nearly  to-  Richmond, 
Virginia,  but  he  escaped  at  the  battle  of 
Cross  Keys,  and  by  way  of  Richmond  joined 
Lee's  army  at  Antietam  and  took  prisoners 


later  the  troops  at  Harper's  Ferry,  to  which 
place  they  returned  before  battle  at  An- 
tietam. He  was  mustered  out  of  the  Sixtieth 
at  Columbus,  Ohio,  following  the  cessation 
of  hostilities.  At  the  time  of  the  assassina- 
tion of  President  Lincoln  he  was  stationed  at 
Fort  Saunders  at  Knoxville,  Tennessee, 
where  he  fired  the  national  salute  as  a  mili- 
tary token  of  respect  and  honor  to  the 
martyred  president. 

On  his  return  from  the  war,  Captain 
Sonner  located  in  Highland  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  secured  the  position  of  station 
agent  at  Linden,  also  having  charge  of  the 
express  business  there.  He  was  likewise 
postmaster  of  the  town  and  remained  there 
for  some  time,  after  which  he  went  to 
Knoxville,  Tennessee,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  business  as  a  wholesale  and  retail 
grocery  merchant  until  April,  1875.  In 
that  year  he  came  to  Benton  Harbor  and  ac- 
cepted a  position  of  bookkeeper  for  the  Ing- 
ham &  Leslie  Company  (later  was  and  is 
the  Colby-Hinkley  Company),  with  whom 
he  continued  for  a  year.  On  the  expiration 
of  that  period  he  purchased  the  store  of 
Eugene  Hipp  and  entered  into  partnership 
as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Pitcher,  Jones  & 
Sonner.  While  continuing  his  interests  in 
that  store  he  became  an  Indian  trader  and 
went  west  to  the  Black  Hills  district,  where 
he  continued  in  business  for  four  years,  meet- 
ing with  many  trials  and  unusual  experi- 
ences during  his  residence  in  the  northwest. 
On  his  return  to  Benton  Harbor  he,  in  com- 
pany wnth  Mr.  Jones  bought  the  interest  of 
Mr.  Pitcher.  The  firm  then  became  Jones  & 
Sonner.  The  firm  had  been  very  successful 
and  Captain  Sonner  had  also  prospered  in 
his  undertakings  in  the  Black  Hills  district. 
Later  he  bought  wdiat  is  now  the  Jones  and 
Sonner  block  at  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Pipestone  streets.  He  also  owns  much  other 
real  estate,  having  made  judicious  invest- 
ment in  realty  and  is  one  of  the  prosperous 
and  influential  citizens  of  Benton  Harbor. 

Mr.  Sonner  is  deeply  interested  in  church 
affairs  and  is  a  liberal  supporter  of  charita- 
ble and  benevolent  movements.  He  belongs 
to  the  Congregational  church,  in  which  he 
is  serving  as  a  trustee  and  has  been  superin- 


^^   ^^..c^ 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


6fi 


tendent  of  the  Sunday  school  for  many 
years.  He  is  president  of  the  pubHc  hbrary 
board  and  vice-president  of  the  new  hospital 
to  which  he  gave  $5,000  in  1901,  mak- 
ing the  hospital  a  success  in  construction, 
and  the  people  give  Captain  Sonner  credit 
for  making  it  (the  new  hospital)  possible, 
as  the  old  board  tried  hard  for  years  to  get 
it,  the  old  hospital  being  much  too  'small. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

JAMES  JAKWAY,  who  is  filling  the 
office  of  supervisor  of  Benton  township  and 
is  well  known  as  a  fruit  grower  of  Berrien 
county,    makes    his   home   about    six    miles 
southeast    of   the    city   of    Benton    Harbor, 
where  he  has  valuable  and  well  improved 
property.     He  was  born  in  the  house  where 
he  now  lives,  his  natal  day  being  May  20, 
1863.    His  parents  were  James  H.  and  Mary 
(Pearl)  Jakway,  the  latter  a  sister  of  Major 
Lewis   and    Warren    Pearl.      The    paternal 
grandfather,  Stephen  Jakway,  was  a  native 
of   Onondaga  county,   New  York,   the  old 
home  of  the   family  being  at  the  head  of 
Skaneateles   lake.     On  leaving  the  Empire 
State  he  came  direct  to  Michigan^  arriving 
in  Berrien  county  about  the  same  time  the 
Pearl  family  was  established  here.     His  son 
James  H.  Jakway  was  at  that  time  a  youth 
of  about  sixteen  years.     The  family  home 
was  established  in  the  village  of  Millburg  on 
the  territorial  road  and  comprised  the  prop- 
erty now  owned  by  Mrs.  Hoag.    At  one  time 
the  farm  was  owned  by  Elmer  Jakway,  an 
older  brother  of  James   H.  Jakway.     The 
grandfather,  Stephen  Jakway,  invested  quite 
largely  in  lands,  making  judicious  purchases 
from  time  to  time,  his  possessions  including 
the  present  home  farm  of  our  subject.     He 
was  closely  associated  with  the  early  develop- 
ment and  progress  of  the  county  and  con- 
tributed   to    the    substantial    improvement, 
which  has  constituted  a  safe  foundation  upon 
which  to  build  the  present  progress  and  pros- 
perity of  this  part  of  the  state.      In  addi- 
tion to  his  son  previously  mentioned  there 
were  others  in  the  family.     William,  one  of 
the  number,  is  now  living  at  New  Carlisle, 
Indiana.     Stephen  and  Thomas  both  went  to 
California  during  the  excitement  over  the  dis- 


covery of  gold  there.  Elmer  was  noted  as  a 
money-maker.  He  had  various  interests  in- 
cluding mills  and  lands  and  it  seemed  that 
everything  he  touched  or  became  interested 
ni  prospered.  In  addition  to  his  agricultural 
and  industrial  interests  in  Berrien  county 
he  also  owned  sailing  vessels  with  yards  in 
Chicago.  Plis  enterprise,  activity  and  busi- 
ness discernment  proved  an  important  factor 
m  the  material  prosperity  of  the  county  as 
well  as  his  individual  success.  During  his 
later  years  he  lived  in  Benton  Harbor  and 
m  his  old  age  he  was  blind.  None  of  his 
sons  are  now  living  in  Berrien  county. 

James  H.  Jakway,  father  of  our  subject, 
spent  the  first  sixteen  years  of  his  life  in  the 
Empire  State  and  then  came  with  his  par- 
ents   to   Michigan.      In   early  manhood   he 
wedded   Miss   Mary  Pearl,   a   daughter  of 
Phmeas  Pearl,  who  was  the  first  settler  of  the 
southeastern  part  of  Benton  township  and 
the  head  of  the  Pearl  family  in  the  county. 
He,  too,   was  prominent  and  influential  in 
community  affairs  and  he  acted  as  agent  for 
lands   of  non-resident   citizens.      James   H. 
Jakway  received  a  tract  of  land  from  his 
father.     In  early  life  he  had  been  engaged  in 
the  sawmill   business,   operating  for  others 
and  later  he  had  a  mill  of  his  own  on  Blue 
creek.    He  likewise  operated  the  mill  belong- 
ing to  Warren  Pearl  in  the  same  vicinity 
and  he  cut  the  timber  from  his  own  farm, 
including  some  of  the  best  white  wood  lum- 
ber ever  grown.  For  many  years  he  was  thus 
associated  in  the  lumber  industry  of  Michi- 
gan and  in  the  meantime  he  cleared  and  im- 
proved his  own  farm.     The  present  house 
erected   in    1861    was   built   by   timber   cut 
by  himself  on  his  own  place  and  the  old  barn 
was  constructed  of  similar  lumber.     The  old 
Pearl  schoolhouse  built  of  white  wood  planks 
is  still  in  use,  being  a  tenement  house  upon 
the  Jakway  farm.     It  was  in  this  house  that 
James  Jakway  of  this  review  attended  school. 
This   is  made  of  hewed   white   wood   logs 
with  a  solid  frame  and  is  one  of  the  pioneer 
structures  that  still  remains  as  a  mute  wit- 
ness of  the  great  changes  which  have  oc- 
curred from  the  era  of  development  down  to 
the  present  time.     The  farm  of  James  H. 
Jakway  comprised  one  hundred  acres  which 


6l2 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


he  placed  under  a  good  state  of  cultivation, 
carrying  on  his  agricultural  interests  in  addi- 
tion to  his  milling  business.  He  was  likewise 
prominent  and  influential  in  community  af- 
fairs and  took  an  active  and  helpful  part  m 
promoting  the  welfare  and  development  of 
his  township.  His  early  political  allegiance 
was  given  to  the  Republican  party,  while 
later  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  Greenback 
party  and  he  frequently  attended  county  con- 
ventions. He  was  one  of  the  early  members 
of  the  Grange  and  he  likewise  held  mem- 
bership in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at 
Spinks  Corners.  He  was  twice  married, 
his  first  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Mary  Pearl,  dying  when  her  son  James,  their 
youngest  child,  was  but  four  years  of  age. 
There  were  several  children  by  that  mar- 
riage. For  his  second  wife  James  H.  Jakway 
chose  Mrs.  Olive  Grossman  nee  Taylor,  who 
was  a  war  widow,  her  first  husband  havmg 
given  his  life  for  the  Union  cause  in  the  Civil 
war.  There  was  one  child  born  of  the  sec- 
ond marriage. 

James  Jakway  was  reared  upon  the  old 
homestead  farm  and  supplemented  his  early 
educational  privileges  by  study  in  the  State 
Agricultural  College  at  Lansing,  Michigan. 
He  obtained  his  father's  consent  to  enter  that 
institution    and  therefore    worked    out    by 
the  month  as  a  farm  hand  in  the  summer, 
spending  the  winter  season  in  the  lumber 
woods  so  that  in  the  succeeding  spring^  he 
might  be  enabled  to  pursue  his  collegiate 
course.    He  devoted  three  years  to  study  at 
Lansing  and  during  that  time  spent  a  short 
time  each  year  in  teaching.    He  paid  his  own 
way  in  college  and  the  elemental  strength 
of  his  character  was   shown  in  this  way. 
After  three  years  he  w^ent  to   California, 
w^here  he  remained,  however,  for  less  than  a 
year.     He  then  returned  home  to  aid  his 
father  and  resumed  the  profession  of  teach- 
ing in  Berrien  county,  which  he  followed  for 
about  twelve  years,   spending   about  eight 
months  each  year  in  this  way.     His  educa- 
tional work  was  done  principally  in  Berrien 
and  in  Van  Buren  counties  and  for  a  time 
he  was  connected  with  the  graded  schools  at 
Kendall,  Michigan,  where  his  wife  was  his 
assistant. 


Mr.  Jackway  wedded  Miss  Nettie  Clos- 
son,  who  was  educated  in  Benton  Harbor 
and  is  a  daughter  of  George  W.  Closson,  a 
real-estate  dealer  of  that  city.     She  taught 
both  before  and  after  her  marriage  and  was 
a   capable   educator.      After   following  the- 
teacher's   profession   for   twelve   years  Mr. 
Jakway  returned  to  the  farm.    While  teach- 
ing he  had  spent  some  time  in  a  commission 
house  and  had  also  spent  two  years  upon 
the  road  buying  fruit.    He  purchased  the  old 
homestead  property  of  his  father,  later  set- 
tling with  the  heirs,  and  he  now  owns  one- 
hundred  and   four  acres  of  rich   and  pro- 
ductive land  in  the  home  place  and  ninety 
acres  on  Paw  Paw  river,  which  he  has  im- 
proved.   This  is  a  hay  and  grain  farm,  while^ 
the  home  property  is  devoted  to  horticul- 
tural  pursuits.     While  he  raises  all  kinds 
of  fruit  he  makes  a  specialty  of  peaches  and 
berries,  having  fifty  acres  planted  to  peaches 
and  twelve  acres  to  berries.  His  pear  orchard 
also  covers  twenty  acres  and  the  fruit  shipped 
from  his  farm  is  of  fine  size  and  quality. 
His  land  slopes  well  to  the  south,  with  ample 
elevation  and  a  few  acres  are  retained  as  a 
sugar  bush.     The  gross  sales  of  his  fruit 
amount  from  six  to  seven  thousands  dollars- 
annually  and  the  actual  expense  of  produc- 
tion and  shipment  are  about  one-half  of  that 
sum,  so  that  he  is  now  conducting  a  pros- 
perous   business.      He    is    thoroughly   con- 
versant with  the  best  methods  of  producing 
fine  fruit  and  his  is  one  of  the  farms  which 
contribute  to  the  splendid  reputation  which 
Berrien  county  bears  as  the  center  of  the 
fruit  belt  of  Michigan. 

On  the  9th  of  July,  1888,  Mr.  Jakway 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nettie  Clos- 
son, and  unto  them  have  been  born  two 
daughters,  Clara  and  Beatrice.  The  home  is 
pleasantly  located  about  six  miles  southeast 
of  Benton  Harbor  and  theirs  is  one  of  the 
desirable  country  residences  of  the  county. 
In  his  social  affiliation  Mr.  Jakway  is  a 
Mason  and  is  also  connected  with  the  Odd 
Fellows  and  with  the  Grange.  In  his  politi- 
cal views  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  now  serv- 
ing for  the  fourth  year  as  township  super- 
visor in  a  strong  Republican  township. 
There  are  about  seven  hundred  Republican! 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


613 


voters  in  the  township  and  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  Democrat  voters,  but  the  per- 
sonal regard  entertained  for  Mr.  Jakway 
and  the  trust  reposed  in  his  loyalty  and  fidel- 
ity in  citizenship  have  been  the  source  of  his 
retention  in  an  office  which  he  is  most  cap^ 
ably  filling.  His  plan  has  been  to  scale  the 
valuation  on  a  fair  percentage.  He  is  the 
first  Democratic  supervisor  of  his  township 
since  the  war.  The  board  is  evenly  divided, 
there  being  sixteen  Democrats  and  sixteen 
Republicans.  His  policy  has  resulted  in  a 
reduction  of  percentage  of  taxation,  making 
:a  saving  of  fourten  hundred  dollars  in  state 
and  county  taxation  for  one  year  in  Benton 
township.  He  brings  to  his  public  duties 
the  same  keen  discrimination  and  business 
sagacity  which  are  manifest  in  the  control 
of  his  private  interests,  and  that  the  value 
of  his  public  service  is  recognized  is  shown 
by  that  fact  that  he  is  now  serving  for  the 
fourth  year  in  the  office  of  supervisor.  He 
has  a  wide  acquaintance  in  the  county  where 
his  entire  life  has  been  passed  and  where 
he  has  so  directed  his  efforts  as  to  win  signal 
success  in  business  and  the  uniform  regard 
of  his  fellowmen. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  SEITZ,  a  pro- 
duce commission  merchant  of  Benton  Har- 
bor, is  a  native  son  of  the  middle  west 
whose  life-record  is  typical  of  the  pro- 
gress and  rapid  development  which  has 
ever  characterized  this  section  of  the 
country.  He  w^as  born  in  Dupage  county, 
Illinois,  on  the  19th  of  September,  1854, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  William  Seitz. 
As  the  name  indicates,  the  family  is  of 
German  lineage  and  the  father  was  born 
in  Baden,  Germany,  in  1819.  Ambitious  to 
improve  his  condition  and  enjoy  better  op- 
portunities than  were  afforded  in  the  old 
world,  Mr.  Seitz  came  to  America  alone 
when  a  youth  of  seventeen  years,  settling 
first  in  Pennsylvania,  w^here  for  a  time  he 
worked  at  anything  that  he  could  find  to 
do.  Realizing  the  value  of  skilled  labor  he 
afterward  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  in 
Pennsylvania  and  followed  that  pursuit  as 
a  journeyman  in  the  Keystone  state  until 
l^is  marriage,  which  occurred  in  1845.     He 


then  made  his  way  westward  to  Illinois,  lo- 
cating in  Dupage  county,  where  he  carried 
on  carpentering  until  his  labor  had  brought 
him  capital  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  pur- 
chase a  farm.  He  accordingly  invested  in 
land  in  Dupage  county  and  continued  its 
improvement  until  1855,  when  he  returned 
to  Pennsylvania,  spending  the  succeeding 
thirteen  years  in  that  state.  He  afterward 
went  again  to  Illinois,  where  his  remaining 
days  were  passed,  his  death  occurring  when 
he  had  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
six  years.  He  married  Miss  Caroline 
Schuster,  who  was  born  in  Alsace  province, 
in  France,  now  a  part  of  Germany  and  with 
her  parents  came  to  America  when  fifteen 
years  of  age,  the  family  settling  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  after  her  marriage  her  parents 
came  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seitz  to  the  mid- 
dle west.  Mrs.  Seitz  died  at  the  venerable 
age  of  seventy-nine  years,  about  one  year 
prior  to  her  husband's  demise.  In  their 
family  were  three  children,  one  of  whom 
has  now  passed  away.  The  living  are : 
Charles,  a  resident  of  Dupage  county,  Illi- 
nois; and  William  H.,  of  this  review. 

Upon  the  home  farm  in  his  native 
county  William  Henry  Seitz  spent  much 
of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  He  attended 
school  for  a  short  time  in  Pennsylvania  and 
after  returning  to  Illinois  wath  his  parents 
in  1868  he  again  became  a  public  school 
student.  The  periods  of  vacation  were  de- 
voted to  farm  labor  and  he  was  thus  en- 
gaged until  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he 
began  learning  the  trade  of  cheese-making 
in  Illinois.  He  was  thus  employed  for  two 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  accepted 
a  position  as  manager  for  a  cheese  and  but- 
ter factory  at  Barber's  Corner,  in  Will 
county,  Illinois,  while  later  he  was  at  Lock- 
port,  Illinois,  where  he  continued  for  three 
years. 

About  that  time  Mr.  Seitz  was  married, 
in  1879,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Smoke,  who  was 
born  in  Royalton  township^  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  W.  Smoke, 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  locality, 
coming  from  eastern  Ohio  to  the  Wolver- 
ine state.  Following  his  marriage  Mr. 
Seitz  made  his  home  in  Illinois  until  the 


6i4 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


fall  of  1881,  when  he  removed  to  Michigan 
and  purchased  the  old  homestead  of  his 
father-in-law  at  Royalton.  In  the  follow- 
ing spring  he  built  a  cheese  factory,  which 
he  operated  for  two  years.  He  then  re- 
moA'^ed  to  Pipestone  township,  where  he  es- 
tablished a  creamery  and  conducted  both 
the  cheese  factory  at  Royalton  and  the 
creamery  in  Pipestone  township  for  a  year. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  sold  the 
former  and  the  following  year  disposed  of 
his  creamery.  Pie  then  removed  to  Benton 
Harbor,  where  he  became  a  wholesale  dealer 
in  butter  and  cheese,  securing  the  products 
which  he  handled  from  the  creamery  and 
cheese  factory,  of  which  he  had  formerly 
been  proprietor.  A  year  later,  because 
of  the  failure  of  the  party  to  whom  he 
had  sold,  to  successfully  conduct  the 
creamery  he  returned  to  Pipestone  town- 
ship and  again  took  charge  of  the  plant 
there.  While  thus  engaged  he  went  to 
Stockton,  Minnesota,  where  he  erected  a 
creamery,  which  he  operated  for  two  years, 
when  he  disposed  of  the  business  to  his 
brother-in-law.  Later  he  gave  up  the  cheese 
factory  and  concentrated  his  energies  upon 
the  cultivation  of  peaches  upon  his  farm  at 
Royalton.  In  1897  he  once  more  came  to 
Benton  Harbor,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
produce  commission  business  under  the 
firm  name  of  Brown  &  Seitz,  which  connec- 
tion was  continued  for  a  year,  when  Mr. 
Seitz  purchased  Mr.  Brown's  interest  and 
later  sold  a  half  interest  to  Eugene  Roninger, 
the  firm  becoming  Seitz  &  Roninger,  which 
continued  for  three  years.  They  then 
consolidated  with  the  firm  of  Butzbach  & 
Schaus,  who  were  engaged  in  the  same  busi- 
ness. Later  Mr.  Schaus  became  a  member 
of  the  firm  and  the  produce  commission 
business  has  since  been  controlled  by  the 
firm  Seitz,  Schaus  &  Roninger.  This  is  the 
leading  commission  house  of  the  kind  and 
the  business  is  now  extensive  and  profitable. 
Mr.  Seitz  is  not  only  progressive  and 
energetic  in  business  affairs  but  also  in  his 
connection  with  community  interests  as  well. 
He  has  represented  the  second  ward  on  the 
board  of  city  aldermen  for  two  terms.  He 
was  master  of  the  Berrien  County  Grange 


for  two  terms  and  a  member  of  the  Farm- 
ers' Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company,  of 
which  he  served  as  director  for  three  years. 
His  political  allegiance  has  always  been 
given  to  the  Republican  party.  He  is  very 
prominent  in  fraternal  circles,  being  a  val- 
ued representative  of  various  organizations. 
He  belongs  to  Lake  Shore  Lodge,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.,  and  the  Ladies  Court  of  the  Eastern 
Star  at  Benton  Harbor.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
in  which  he  is  a  past  noble  grand,  is  pre- 
late of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity, 
and  is  also  connected  with  the  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees  and  the  Elks. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seitz  have  been  born 
four  children;  Millard  A.  and  Maurice  W., 
both  born  in  Illinois;  Elsie  C,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  Royalton  township,  Berrien 
county;  and  Mabel  N.,  also  born  upon  the 
farm.  The  sons  are  both  graduates  of  the 
University  of  Michigan  and  now  practic- 
ing law. 

Mrs.  Seitz  died  in  Benton  Harbor  May 
21,  1903,  and  June  30,  1905,  Mr.  Seitz  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  B.  O.  Johnson, 
of  Benton  Harbor.  The  family  have  a 
pleasant  home  and  the  members  of  the 
household  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  so- 
cial circles.  That  he  has  achieved  success 
in  a  comparatively  short  space  of  time  is 
due  to  unremitting  diligence  and  close  ap- 
plication. He  has  been  neglectful  of  no  de- 
tail of  his  business  but  has  used  his  talents 
and  energies  to  the  best  of  his  ability  and 
as  the  years  have  gone  by  has  made  steady 
progress  until  he  is  today  at  the  head  of 
the  leading  produce  commission  business 
of  Benton  Harbor. 

JOHN  M.  ALLMENDINGER.  A 
record  of  unremitting  business  activity  and 
reliability  entitles  John  M.  Allmendinger  to 
the  confidence  which  is  uniformly  accorded 
him  by  the  public  in  business  matters  and 
his  unfaltering  diligence  has  been  the 
source  of  well-merited  success.  He  was 
born  in  Montgomery  county,  New  York, 
June  3,  1845,  ^  son  of  John  M.  and  Mary 
M.  (Frank)  Allmendinger,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  in 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


615 


which  country  they  were  reared  and  mar- 
ried. They  crossed  the  Atlantic  about  1845, 
settHng  in  Montgomery  county,  New  York 
and  later  removed  to  Little  Falls,  Herkimer 
county.  The  father  was  a  contractor  and 
also  had  a  stone  quarry. 

John  M.  Allmending-er  was  reared  at 
Little  Falls,  receiving  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  there  and  Little  Falls  Acad- 
emy. When  quite  young  he  started  out  to 
earn  his  own  living  and  in  1867,  when 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  he  came  to  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  wdiere  he  taught  school 
for  one  winter.  Later  he  began  contract- 
ing in  pile  driving  and  built  the  foundation 
for  the  lile  saving  station  at  St.  Joseph  and 
warehouse  and  docks  for  E.  A.  Graham. 
He  has  built  all  the  docks  at  St.  Joseph  and 
Benton  Harbor  since  1867  with  the  single 
exception  of  a  portion  'of  the  Big  Four 
dock.  Fie  also  took  a  contract  for  dredging 
for  the  Vandalia  Railroad.  He  has  done 
most  of  the  pile  driving  on  the  docks  of  St. 
Joseph  and  Benton  Harbor  and  also  drove 
the  piles  for  the  foundation  for  the  old  iron 
bridge  at  Niles  for  the  city  of  Niles  and  for 
the  bridge  between  St.  Joseph  and  Benton 
Harbor,  and  for  the  Napier  bridge.  He 
went  to  Texas  to  work  on  the  construction 
of  a  railroad  there,  but  on  account  of  ill 
health  remained  for  only  two  months  in 
the  south,  after  which  he  returned  and  re- 
sumed his  former  business  here.  He  has 
built  many  bridges  for  the  Chicago  &  West 
Michigan  Railroad,  now  part  of  the  Pere 
Marquette  system  and  has  continued  in  the 
business  successfully  up  to  the  present  time. 
In  connection  with  Martin  Green,  under 
whose  direction  he  learned  the  busniess  of 
pile  driving,  he  built  the  schooner  Cora, 
which  he  sailed  for  a  short  time.  Later 
they  built  the  J.  M.  Allmendinger,  a  steam 
lumber  barge,  which  they  used  in  carrying 
freight  on  the  lakes,  finding  this  a  success- 
ful business.  Throughout  his  active  career 
Mr.  Allmendinger  has  made  steady  ad- 
vancement and  is  held  in  high  esteem  for 
his  reliability,  his  promptness  in  the  execu- 
tion of  all  contracts  and  his  fidelity  to  the 
spirit  as  well  as  to  the  letter  of  the  law  in 
all  of  his  business  transactions. 


In  1868  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Allmendinger  and  Miss  Rosanna  Farnum, 
of  Benton  Harbor,  who  died  in  1874.  Ten 
years  later,  on  the  9th  of  January,  1884,  he 
wedded  Georgiana  Hamlin,  a  daughter  of 
Almanza  and  Laura  (Brunson)  Flamlin. 
They  have  two  children,  John  M.  and  Vere 
H.,  aged  respectively  twenty  and  eighteen 
years  and  both  natives  of  Benton  Flarbor. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Allmendinger 
is  a  Republican,  active  in  support  of  the 
party  and  well  informed  concerning  the 
questions  and  issues  which  divide  the  two 
great  political  organizations  of  the  country. 
He  was  trustee  of  Benton  Harbor  for  six 
years,  also  harbor  master  for  two  years  and 
alderman  of  the  third  ward  for  one  year, 
serving  as  a  member  of  the  first  board  of 
aldermen  at  the  time  of  the  incorporation 
of  the  city.  He  is  a  public-spirited  man  in 
the  fullest  sense  of  that  term,  willing  to 
assist  in  any  enterprise  for  the  betterment 
of  Benton  Harbor  and  its  interests.  He 
belongs  to  Lake  Shore  Lodge,  No.  298,  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.,  Calvin  Brittain  Chapter,  No. 
J2,  R.  A.  M.,  of  St.  Joseph  and  Malta 
Commandery,  No.  44,  K.  T.  of  Benton 
Harbor.  He  has  thus  attained  high  rank 
in  Masonry  and  is  a  worthy  exemplar  of 
the  craft.  Fie  attends  the  Congregational 
church  of  wdiich  his  wife  is  a  member. 
His  record  is  that  of  a  man  who  by  his 
unaided  efforts  has  worked  his  way  upward 
to  a  position  of  affluence.  His  life  has  been 
one  of  industry  and  perseverance  and  the 
systematic  and  honorable  business  methods 
which  he  has  followed  have  won  him  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  many.  Without 
the  aid  of  influence  or  wealth  he  has  risen 
to  a  position  among  the  prominent  resi- 
dents of  this  part  of  the  state  and  his  native 
genius  and  acquired  ability  are  the  stepping- 
stones  on  which  he  mounted. 

ANDREW  KRAMER,  who  is  engaged 
in  merchandising  in  St.  Joseph  and  the 
junior  member  of  the  firm  of  Kramer  & 
Kramer,  dealers  in  hardware  and  also  con- 
ducting a  sheet  metal  and  roofing  business, 
was  born  in  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  in  1873. 
His     father,     J.     H.     Anthony  Kramer,   is 


^6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


among  the  men  of  foreign  birth  who  have 
sought  in  the  broader  opportunities  of  the 
new  world  the  advantages  denied  them  in 
their  own  countries  and  have  found  here 
opportunity  for  advancement  in  recognition 
of  abihty  and  enterprise.  He  was  born  in 
Prussia,  Germany,  January  12,  1850,  and 
when  but  three  years  of  age  lost  his  father, 
after  which  he  came  with  his  mother  to 
the  new  world.  They  settled  first  in  Fort 
Wayne,  Indiana,  where  his  boyhood  days 
were  passed  and  he  attained  his  majority. 
He  learned  in  early  manhood  the  trade  of  a 
tinner  which  he  followed  at  different  places 
as  a  journeyman  in  working  in  Indiana  and 
Michigan  until  he  came  to  St.  Joseph  in 
1899.  Here  he  was  again  employed  at 
journeyman  labor  until  February,  1903, 
when  he  was  joined  by  his  son,  Andrew 
Kramer,  in  the  formation  of  the  present 
partnership  of  the  firm  of  Kramer  & 
Kramer  and  today  this  is  one  of  the  strong 
business  houses  of  this  city.  He  married 
Miss  Katherine  Ehram,  who  was  born  in 
Ohio  and  they  now  have  four  children, 
Andrew,  Otto,   Eleanore  and  Clara. 

Andrew  Kramer  spent  the  first  six 
years  of  his  life  in  his  native  city  and  then 
accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal 
to  Reading,  Michigan,  remaining  at  home 
there  for  six  or  seven  years.  He  next  went 
to  Coldwater,  Branch  county,  Michigan, 
where  he  acquired  much  of  his  education. 
He  has  learned  many  valuable  lessons  in  the 
school  of  experience  and  he  early  came  to 
a  realization  of  the  fact  that  labor  is  the 
basis  of  all  desirable  and  honorable  success. 
He  first  began  earning  his  livelihood  by 
working  as  a  clerk  in  a  hardware  store  in 
Coldwater,  where  he  was  employed  until 
1892,  when  he  began  clerking  for  E.  F. 
Piatt  at  St.  Joseph,  Michigan.  Thus  he 
was  again  connected  with  the  hardware 
business  and  he  occupied  that  position  until 
1903,  when,  as  before  stated,  he  joined  his 
father  in  the  establishment  of  a  business, 
which  has  since  been  attended  with  a  grati- 
fying measure  of  success.  Both  are  able 
workmen,  thoroughly  familiar  with  the 
trade  and  now  in  addition  to  handling  a 
large  and  well  selected   line  of   shelf  and 


heavy  hardware  they  do  sheet  metal  work 
of  all  kinds,  gravel  roofing  and  cornices. 
They  have  secured  a  good  business  in  the 
three  years  of  their  connection  with  indus- 
trial and  commercial  interests  in  St.  Joseph 
and  are  recognized  as  enterprising  mer- 
chants, thoroughly  trustworthy  in  their 
dealings  and  conducting  their  store  along 
lines  of  modern  progress. 

In  1896  occurred  the  marriage  of  An- 
drew Kramer  and  Miss  Mary  L.  Freund, 
a  daughter  of  William  and  Barbara  Freund, 
of  St.  Joseph,  in  which  city  the  wedding  was 
celebrated.  They  now  have  three  children, 
Elsie,  Mildred  and  Andrew.  Mr.  Kramer 
votes  with  the  Republican  party  and  he  is 
connected  with  Eagles,  the  Elks  and  the 
woodmen.  The  family  attend  the  German 
Lutheran  church  of  St.  Joseph  and  have 
won  many  friends  during  their  residence 
here.  The  prominent  characteristics  of  Mr. 
Kramer  were  manifest  in  the  energetic  man- 
ner in  which  he  entered  business  life.  De- 
termination, self-reliance  and  undaunted  per- 
severance are  found  to  be  salient  elements 
in  his  career  in  an  analyzation  of  his  work. 
He  is  popular  and  his  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances honor  him  for  his  virtues  and  genu- 
ine worth. 

JOHN  VINCENT  STARR,  an  archi- 
tect of  St.  Joseph,  whose  skill  and  talent  in 
the  line  of  his  profession  have  contributed 
in  substantial  measure  to  the  improvement 
and  beauty  of  the  city,  is  also  well  known 
in  connection  with  public  affairs  here  and  in 
office  has  given  proof  of  loyal  and  public- 
spirited  citizenship.  He  was  born  in  Green- 
castle,  Indiana,  in  1857,  and  is  a  son  of 
Isaiah  Starr,  who  was  born  in  Union 
county,  Indiana,  and  died  in  1903  at  the  age 
of  seventy-two  years.  His  life  was  devoted 
to  general  agricultural  pursuits  and  he  care- 
fully conducted  business  affairs,  placing  his 
fields  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
adding  modern  improvements  to  his  proper- 
ty. He  married  Elizabeth  Crabb,  who  was 
born  in  Indiana  and  died  in  1904  at  the 
age  of  seventy-one  years.  In  their  family 
were  seven  sons  and  five  of  the  number  are 
now  living. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


617 


John  Vincent  Starr,  the  eldest  surviving 
member,  is  the  only  one  who  resides  in  Ber- 
rien county,  his  brothers  being  residents  of 
Missouri.      He   was    reared    upon   the   old 
home  farm  in  his  native  state  and  at  the 
usual  age  became  a  student  in  the  district 
schools,   wherein  he  mastered  the  common 
branches   of   English   learning.      He   after- 
ward attended  the  Danville  Normal  School 
and  the  Northern  Indiana  Normal   School 
at  Valparaiso,  being  thus  well  equipped  by 
thorough  training  for  life's  practical  and  re- 
sponsible duties.     At  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years  he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  ac- 
count and  went  to  the  west,  where  he  fol- 
lowed carpentering,  at  the  same  time  devot- 
ing his  leisure  hours  to  the  study  of  archi- 
tecture.    He  worked  in  many  western  cities 
at  his  trade  and  as  time  passed  became  more 
proficient  in  the  profession  to  which  he  now 
gives  much  of  his  attention.     In   1891   he 
came  to   St.   Joseph,   where   he  carried  on 
business   as   an   architect   and   builder   until 
1895,  when  he  retired  altogether  from  active 
building  operations  and  has  since  given  his 
entire  attention  to  the  profession  of  archi- 
tecture.    He  prepared  plans  for  the  present 
Masonic  Temple  in  St.  Joseph  and  also  in 
Benton  Harbor  and  for  many  other  public 
buildings  and  private  residences  throughout 
the   county.      He  has   also    done    work   in 
Texas  and  other  states  and  has  been  very 
successful,  being  recognized  as  an  able  rep- 
resentative of  his  calling.    He  is  thoroughly 
conversant  with  the  great  scientific  princi- 
ples  which   underlie   his   work   and   at   the 
same  time  possesses  an  artistic  nature  which 
enables   him    to   produce   attractive    results 
combined  with  utility — which  is  the  secret 
of  every  home  noted  for  its  beauty  and  com- 
fort.     The  public  buildings  which   he  has 
planned  are  often  regarded  as  an  adornment 
to  the  localities  in  which  they  are  situated 
and  various  evidences  of  the  skill  of  Mr. 
Starr  are  now  found  in  Berrien  county. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Starr  is  an 
earnest  Democrat.  He  has  made  a  close 
study  of  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day 
and  is  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  princi- 
ples of  the  party  which  he  supports  by  hi§ 
ballot.     He  has  also  been  recognized  as  a 


leader  in  its  local  ranks  and  his  prominence 
in  the  public  life  of  St.  Joseph  is  indicated 
by  the  fact  that  he  has  four  times  been 
chosen  as  chief  executive  of  the  city,  to 
which  he  has  given  a  public-spirited  and 
progressive  administration,  manifesting  in 
the  discharge  of  his  official  duties  the  same 
keen  discrimination  and  close  application 
which  have  characterized  his  private  busi- 
ness afTairs.  He  was  first  chosen  mayor  in 
1896,  was  re-elected  in  1897,  again  in  1898 
and  then  after  an  interval  of  several  terms 
was  once  more  chosen  for  the  office  in  1903. 
He  has  been  identified  with  many  of  the 
improvements  of  St.  Joseph,  both  in  an 
official  and  business  way.  Socially  he  is 
connected  with  the  Masons,  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  and  the  Fraternal  Order  of 
Eagles. 

Mr.  Starr  was  married  in  1883  i^ 
Greencastle,  Indiana,  to  Cordelia  Reeves  of 
that  city  and  they  had  two  children.  Lulu 
and  Edgar  L.,  both  of  whom  were  born  in 
Nebraska,  where  Mr.  Starr  was  making  his 
home  at  the  time  of  their  birth.  The  daugh- 
ter is  the  wife  of  C.  W.  Harger,  of  Niles, 
Michigan.  In  1899,  in  Denver,  Colorado, 
Mr.  Starr  wedded  Nettie  M.  Fosdick,  a 
native  of  Michigan  and  they  have  a  wide 
and  favorable  acquaintance  in  St.  Joseph, 
the  hospitality  of  many  of  the  best  homes 
being  cordially  extended  to  them.  Mr. 
Starr  is  a  man  of  strong  and  earnest  pur- 
pose, stalwart  in  the  support  of  his  honest 
opinions  and  in  his  official  life  as  well  as 
his  business  career  has  made  a  creditable 
record,  having  the  full  confidence  of  his  fel- 
low townsmen  who  have  active  appreciation 
for  his  earnest  and  beneficial  efforts  in  be- 
half of  the  city. 

EDWARD  J.  WITT,  M.  D.,  physician 
and  surgeon  of  St.  Joseph,  was  born  in 
Chicago,  Illinois,  on  the  nth  of  August, 
1870,  and  acquired  his  early  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin, 
and  of  his  native  city.  He  spent  his  boy- 
hood days  in  Milwaukee  and  followed  the 
acquirement  of  his  literary  education  by 
preparation  for  the  practice  of  medicine  and 


6i8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


surgery,  becoming  a  student  in  the  Rush 
Medical  College  of  Chicago,  while  for  a 
time  he  was  also  with  Dr.  Frank  Allport  of 
that  city,  who  was  his  preceptor  before  he 
entered  upon  his  collegiate  work.  He  began 
the  active  practice  of  his  chosen  calling  in 
Chicago,  but  remained  there  for  only  a 
short  time,  after  which  he  removed  to  Mich- 
igan, locating  at  Baroda,  where  he  spent 
one  year.  In  1898  he  came  to  St.  Joseph 
and  has  practiced  here  with  much  success 
for  the  last  eight  years,  having  enjoyed  a 
large  patronage.  He  is  well  qualified  in 
both  branches  of  the  profession,  being  suc- 
cessful as  a  surgeon  as  well  as  a  physician 
and  in  his  work  he  has  demonstrated  his 
power  to  successfully  cope  with  the  intricate 
problems  which  continually  confront  the 
practitioner.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ber- 
rien County  Medical  Society,  Michigan 
State  Medical  Society  and  American  Medi- 
cal Association,  and  thus  he  keeps  in  touch 
with  the  trend  of  thought  and  investigation 
of  the  medical  fraternity. 

In  Chicago,  in  1897,  Dr.  Witt  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Christina  H. 
MacKenzie,  who  w^as  born  in  Tuscola,  Illi- 
nois. They  now  have  two  children,  Ed- 
ward Donald  and  Doris,  both  of  whom  were 
born  in  St.  Joseph.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Witt  are 
members  of  the  Congregational  church  and 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Blue  Lodge  of  Masons 
at  St.  Joseph  and  also  of  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Knights 
of  the  Maccabees  and  the  Woodmen  of 
America.  He  is  independent  in  his  political 
views  but  in  community  interests  takes  an 
active  and  helpful  part  and  at  the  present 
time  is  serving  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board  of  St.  Joseph.  Matters  pertaining  to 
the  public  welfare  elicit  his  deep  and  earnest 
attention  and  his  aid  can  be  counted  upon 
as  a  co-operant  factor  for  the  public  good. 
His  excellent  preparation  for  his  profession 
makes  him  thoroughly  reliable  in  the  most 
difficult  cases  and  under  the  most  trying 
circumstances.  He  is  very  careful  in  diag- 
nosis and  in  his  practice  gives  evidence,  rea- 
lizing fully  the  obligations  that  devolve  up- 
on him  in  connection  with  his  chosen  field 
of  labor. 


It  will  be  interesting  in  this  connection 
to  note  something  of  the  family  history  of 
Dr.  Witt,  who  comes  of  German  lineage. 
His  father,  Charles  Witt,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, is  still  living  and  now  makes  his 
home  in  Chicago.  He  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  America  about  1865  and  settled  in  the 
western  metropolis.  Being  a  carpenter  by 
trade,  he  became  connected  with  building 
operations  in  Chicago  and  afterward  in  Mil- 
waukee, engaged  in  both  places  as  a  con- 
tractor. Later  he  settled  in  Chicago  and 
for  many  years  was  connected  with  the  con- 
structional work  of  the  public  schools  of  the 
city  and  in  various  institutions  of  that  char- 
acter are  now  seen  evidences  of  his  skill. 
In  more  recent  years  he  has  retired  from 
active  business  and  is  now  enjoying  well 
earned  rest.  He  married  Miss  Anna  Selau, 
also  a  native  of  Germany  and  now  living 
with  her  husband  in  Chicago.  She  came  to 
America  one  year  after  his  arrival  and  their 
marriage  was  celebrated  in  this  country,  al- 
though their  troth  was  plighted  before  he 
left  the  fatherland.  In  their  family  were 
six  children;  Edward  J.;  Elizabeth,  the 
wife  of  E.  S.  Hurst,  a  resident  of  Chicago; 
Anna,  the  wife  of  John  J.  Shayer,  also  of 
Chicago;  Emma,  the  wife  of  George 
Mackey,  likewise  of  that  city;  and  Charles 
and  Alfred,  both  of  Chicago. 

LEWIS  SUTHERLAND,  of  Benton 
Harbor,  a  retired  farmer  and  horticulturist, 
dates  his  residence  in  Michigan  from  1836 
and  in  Berrien  county  from  1840.  A  few 
of  the  old  time  settlers  can  remember  the 
conditions  which  existed  in  this  part  of  the 
state  at  that  time.  Only  at  rare  intervals 
could  be  found  a  tract  of  land  that  had  been 
placed  under  the  plow.  The  forests  were 
uncut  and  in  their  midst  roamed  various 
kinds  of  wild  animals.  There  were  also 
herds  of  deer  and  many  kinds  of  lesser  game. 
The  rivers  were  unbridged  and  only  here 
and  there  had  a  road  been  cut  through  the 
forest.  A  wonderful  transformation  has 
been  wrought  since  that  time,  for  the  traveler 
today  sees  little  or  none  of  the  native  forests, 
but  finds  in  its  place  well  cultivated  orchards 


0>layC^^    (£  ^^iJfZ;udc^yjL 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


619 


bearing  their  fruit  in  season  and  proving  a 
vast  source  of  revenue  to  the  county. 

Mr.  Sutherland,  who  is  now  retired  after 
many  years  of  active  connection  with  busi- 
ness interests,  was  born  in  Barker,  Broome 
county.  New  York,  on  the  28th  of  February, 
1 83 1,  his  parents  being  Lot  and  Lydia 
(BHss)  Sutherland.  The  father  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  spent  his  earlier 
life  in  the  Empire  State.  He  came  to  Mich- 
igan in  1836,  settling  at  Kalamazoo,  where 
he  lived  for  four  years,  after  which  he  came 
to  Berrien  county,  locating  in  Bainbridge 
township  near  Millburg,  where  he  followed 
the  occupation  of  farming  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1873.  His  wife, 
however,  had  passed  aw^ay  shortly  after  their 
arrival  in  Michigan  and  the  father  had  reared 
his  family  of  eight  children,  three  of  whom 
are  now  living.  His  political  support  was 
given  to  the  Democracy,  but  he  was  never 
active  in  politics. 

Lewis  Sutherland  is  familiar  with  all  of 
the  pioneer  experiences  of  Berrien  county, 
living  here  when  this  district  was  a  frontier 
region.  He  attended  the  first  school  of  Bain- 
bridge township,  the  'little  temple  of  learn- 
ing" being  a  log  building.  He  can  rememlDer 
seeing  a  drove  of  twxnty-five  deer  pass  by 
the  schoolhouse.  The  methods  of  instruc- 
tion were  as  primitive  as  was  the  school 
building  and  its  furnishings,  but  in  the  school 
of  experience  he  has  learned  many  valuable 
lessons.  His  training  at  farm  labor  was  not 
meager,  for  at  an  early  age  he  assisted  in 
the  arduous  task  of  developing  the  new  fields 
and  caring  for  the  crops.  Throughout  his 
active  business  career  he  has  carried  on  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits  and  fruit-raising. 
Early  coming  to  a  realization  of  the  special 
adaptability  of  the  county  to  horticulture  he 
began  raising  various  kinds  of  fruits  and 
this  proved  to  him  a  profitable  source  of  in- 
come. He  has  performed  the  difficult  task 
of  clearing  land,  has  turned  the  first  furrows 
on  many  a  field  and  as  the  years  went  by  he 
reaped  a  good  financial  return  for  his  labors, 
owing  to  the  productiveness  of  the  soil  and 
his  capable  business  methods.  He  continued 
to  reside  upon  the  farm  until  1901  when  he 
removed  to  Benton  Harbor  and  purchased 


his  present  fine  home  on  Superior  street. 
He  was  the  owner  of  about  four  hundred 
acres  of  valuable  land  in  Benton  township, 
w^hich  he  has  now  divided  among  his  sons. 
In  i860  he  was  married  to  Miss  Matilda  A. 
Howard,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  S.  Howard, 
of  Ohio,  who  came  to  Michigan  at  an  early 
day  and  here  followed  farming.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Sutherland  have  been  born  six 
children :  Sterling,  a  successful  fruit  grower 
of  Benton  township,  who  owns  eighty  acres 
of  land;  Darwin  B.,  who  is  also  engaged  in 
horticultural  pursuits,  largely  devoting  his 
attention  to  the  cultivation  of  peaches;  Lott 
F.,  a  farmer  and  fruit  grower  of  Benton 
township ;  Addie,  who  married  Rodney  C. 
Pearl,  and  two  children  who  died  in  youth. 
While  Mr.  Sutherland  is  not  actively  con- 
nected with  any  business  enterprise  at  the 
present  time  he  is  yet  a  director  in  the  State 
Bank  of  Benton  Harbor.  In  1902  he  built 
the  Masonic  Temple  of  Benton  Harbor,  be- 
ing deeply  interested  in  Masonry,  having 
become  a  member  of  the  craft  in  1852.  He 
has  been  most  loyal  to  its  teachings  and 
tenets  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  He 
belongs  to  the  Universalist  Church  and  has 
been  a  champion  of  many  progressive  pub- 
lic movements.  He  has  always  been  a  warm 
friend  of  the  cause  of  education  and  was 
instrumental  in  establishing  some  of  the 
earlier  schools  of  the  county,  w^hile  for  many 
years  he  served  as  a  school  director  and  for 
three  years  was  highw^ay  commissioner.  His 
political  allegiance  has  long  been  given  to 
the  Democracy.  In  the  midst  of  an  active 
life  he  has  ever  found  opportunity  to  assist 
in  any  movement  for  the  general  w^elfare  and 
his  labors  have  been  effective  and  far  reach- 
ing. 

ROLAND  F.  TABER,  who  is  now 
practically  living  a  retired  life  in  Benton 
Harbor,  was  formerly  closely  identified  with 
agricultural  and  horticultural  interests.  He 
is  a  native  son  of  Berrien  county,  having 
been  born  in  Bainbridge  township  in  1847. 
He  represents  an  old  family  of  New  York. 
His  grandfather,  Jonathan  Taber,  was  for 
many  years  a  resident  of  the  Empire  state. 


620 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


He  there  married  Rebecca  Thomas  and  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  '30s  came  to  Michigan, 
setthng  in  Berrien  county.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  died  in  Sodus  township,  the  former  at 
the  age  of  eighty- four  years,  the  latter  when 
eighty  years  of  age.  He  was  numbered 
among  the  defenders  of  the  United  States 
in  the  second  war  with  England  and  was 
granted  a  pension  in  recognition  of  his  ser- 
vices, for  which  he  also  received  a  land  war- 
rant that  he  exchanged  for  a  farm,  but  it 
is  not  known  where  the  land  was  located. 

John  T.  Taber,  son  of  Jonathan  Taber 
and  father  of  Roland  F:  Taber,  was  born 
in  New  York  in  1812  and  when  a  young 
man  of  twenty  years  made  his  way  west- 
ward to  Chicago,  Illinois,  where  he  located 
in  1832.  There  he  learned  and  followed 
the  blacksmith's  trade,  but  after  about  four 
or  five  years  spent  in  that  city  came  to 
Michigan,  settling  in  Bainbridge  township, 
Berrien  county.  There  he  purchased  a  farm 
and  in  connection  with  its  cultivation  he 
conducted  a  blacksmith  shop  for  many 
years,  erecting  the  first  smithy  in  his  town- 
ship. H6  lived  a  life  of  industry  and  enter- 
prise and  was  a  respected  resident  of  his 
community.  In  Chicago  he  had  married 
Miss  Ellen  Foley,  a  relative  of  Bishop 
Foley,  of  Detroit,  Michigan.  Her  death 
occurred  in  this  county  in  1848  when  she 
was  but  thirty-two  years  of  age,  while  Mr. 
Taber,  long  surviving  her,  reached  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-four  years,  passing 
away  in  Sodus  township.  In  their  family 
were  four  children,  of  whom  Roland  F. 
Taber  is  the  youngest.  His  sister,  Mrs. 
Mary  E.  Bowman,  is  the  widow  of  Dr.  John 
D.  Bowman  and  resides  in  Benton  Harbor. 
His  two  brothers,  Foley  J.  and  Adelbert  R., 
were  soldiers  of  the  Civil  war,  the  former 
enlisting  as  a  private  of  Company  K,  Sec- 
ond Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry,  with 
which  he  served  throughout  the  period  of 
hostilities.  Adelbert  R.  Taber  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  K,  Twelfth  Michigan  In- 
fantry, but  died  at  Niles,  Michigan,  while 
the  regiment  encamped  before  orders  had 
been  given  to  proceed  to  the  front.  Fol- 
lowing the  death  of  his  first  wife  the  father 
married  Amanda  Bragg  and  they  had  sev- 


eral children,  of  whom  two  are  living :  Ella, 
now  Mrs.  Nathanson,  a  resident  of  San 
Francisco,  California;  and  A.  Rolla,  now 
living  in  Texas.  The  mother  of  these  chil- 
dren died  in  Michigan  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
five  years. 

Roland  F.  Taber  when  but  five  years  of 
age,  his  mother  having  died  in  the  mean- 
time, went  to  live  in  Benton  township  with 
an  uncle,  Jonas  Inman,  who  was  an  early 
settler  of  that  township.  He  was  reared 
upon  the  uncle's  farm  and  acquired  his 
education  in  the  district  schools.  Early  in 
life  he  began  farming  on  his  own  account 
and  as  his  labor  and  careful  management 
brought  him  capital  he  kept  adding  to  the 
same  until  he  had  sufficient  to  purchase  the 
old  homestead.  To  this  he  added  from  time 
to  time  as  his  financial  resources  increased 
and  in  the  earlier  years  of  his  residence 
there  he  carried  on  general  farming,  culti- 
vating the  cereals  best  adapted  to  soil  and 
climate,  but  later  he  directed  his  labors 
more  largely  to  horticultural  pursuits,  plant- 
ing peach  and  pear  trees  and  all  kinds  of 
fruit.  The  soil  and  climate  seemed  especi- 
ally adapted  for  this  work  and  Mr.  Taber 
was  very  prosperous.  He  also  raised  vege- 
tables for  the  city  markets.  At  the  present 
time  he  owns  forty  acres  of  land,  the  greater 
part  of  which  is  planted  to  orchards.  It  lies 
in  Benton  township  and  is  a  very  productive 
tract.  About  twelve  years  ago  he  removed 
to  Benton  Harbor  in  order  to  provide  his 
children  with  better  educational  privileges, 
but  he  still  gives  personal  supervision  to  the 
operation  and  improvement  of  his  fruit 
farm  in  the  summer  months. 

Mr.  Taber  has  held  many  offices  of  pub- 
lic trust,  his  fellow  townsmen  recognizing 
his  worth  and  ability  and  therefore  calling 
him  to  such  positions.  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board  for  twenty-one  years 
and  has  done  effective  service  in  advancing 
the  interests  of  the  cause  of  education.  For 
eighteen  years  he  has  acted  as  school  direc- 
tor, for  six  years  has  been  justice  of  the 
peace  and  for  three  terms  commissioner  of 
highways. 

In  1 87 1,  Mr.  Taber  was  united  in  mar- 
riage in  Galesburg,  Illinois,  to  Miss  Melissa 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


621 


E.  Burriclge,  who  was  a  native  of  Indiana 
and  who  died  in  February/  1905,  at  the  age 
of  fifty-three  years  when  they  had  traveled 
hfe's  journey  together  for  more  than  a  third 
of  a  century.  They  had  two  children: 
Roland  B.,  now  a  successful  practicing  phy- 
sician of  Benton  Harbor;  and  Lizzie  M., 
the  wife  of  James  P.  Kakebeeke,  of  Benton 
Harbor. 

Mr.  Taber  is  a  member  of  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  has  a  wide 
acquaintance  in  the  county  where  his  entire 
life  has  been  passed  and  where  he  has  so 
directed  his  labors  as  to  win  signal  success 
through  his  undertakings.  In  all  life's  rela- 
tions he  has  been  found  reliable  and  trust- 
worthy and  he  commands  the  respect  and 
good  will  of  all  who  know  him. 

REV.     FATFIER    MICHAEL 
GEORGE  ESPER,  pastor  of  St.  Joseph's 
Church  at  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  was  born 
in  Greenfield,  Wayne  county,  this  state,  on 
the  19th  of  February,  1865,  a  son  of  Jacob 
and  Katherine  (Horger)  Esper,  the  former 
a  native  of  Germany,  born  in   1831,  while 
the  latter  was  a  native  of  Detroit,  Michigan, 
born  in  1835.     Tlie  father  followed  the  oc- 
cupation of  farming  as  a  means  of  liveli- 
hood throughout  his  entire  business  career 
and  died   in  Detroit  on  the   14th  of   May, 
1905,   while  his   wife  passed  away  in  that 
city  September  21,  1882,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
seven  years.     In  their  family  were  fourteen 
children,    of   whom   seven    are    yet    living: 
John,  who    makes    his    home    in    Detroit; 
Mary,  the  wife  of  Peter  Theison,  of  that 
city;  Michael  George,  and  Peter,  twins,  the 
latter  a  priest  of  the  church  at  Brown  City, 
Michigan;  Elizabeth,  who  is  known  as  Sis- 
ter Mary  Michael  and  is  located  at  Adrain, 
Michigan,     belonging     to     the     Dominican 
order ;  Anthony,  who  is  living  in  St.  Joseph, 
where  he  is  janitor  of  the  church  and  who 
married   Ella  May  Henn,  of  Brown   City, 
Michigan;  and  George,  who  is  a  student  at 
Sandwich,     Canada,     preparing     for     holy 
orders. 

Father  Esper  of  this  review  was  reared 
in  his  native  city  to  the  age  of  eighteen 
years  and  then  supplemented  his  early  edu- 


cation by  study  in  the  St.  Francis  College 
at   Milwaukee,     Wisconsin.      He  afterward 
went  to  Baltimore,  Maryland,  where  he  at- 
tended  St.   Mary's   Seminary  and  he  com- 
pleted his  studies  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  at  St. 
Mary's  College,  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated wath  the  class  of  1894.     In  the  same 
year  he  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  and 
after   taking  holy   orders   was   stationed  at 
Detroit,  Michigan,  as  assistant  priest  at  the 
Sacred   Heart  Church,   where  he  remained 
for  three  years.     He  was  afterward  trans- 
ferred to  Croswell  as  pastor  of  St.  Patrick's 
Church,  where  he  labored  earnestly  for  five 
years  and  in   1902  he  came  to  St.  Joseph, 
Michigan,    taking    charge    of    St.  Joseph's 
Roman     Catholic     Church     at    this    place. 
When    he    located    here    the    church    was 
heavily    in    debt,    having    incurred  financial 
obligations   to  the  extent  of  five  thousand 
dollars,  but  through  his  able  financing,  his 
consecrated  efforts  and  his  unfaltering  de- 
votion to  the  work  which  he  undertook  he 
has   now   discharged   the   indebtedness    and 
has  also  made  improvements  to  the  church 
property  to  the  value  of  nine  thousand  dol- 
lars.    The  church  has  been  organized  in  its 
different  offices  and  societies  and  is  doing  an 
excellent   work    in   the   community,    Father 
Esper  taking  a  helpful  part  in  advancing  the 
temporal  as  well  as  spiritual  interests  of  his 
parishioners.      He   is    a   broad-minded   and 
public-spirited   citizen   as   well   and   is   con- 
stantly  alert   for   the   best   interests   of  his 
people  and  for  the  community  at  large. 

HENRY  BURTON,  a  representative  of 
agricultural  interests  in  Pipestone  township 
but  making  his  home  in  Benton  Harbor,  was 
born  in  Pipestone  township,  Berrien  county, 
in  the  year  1847.  His  father,  James  Bur- 
ton, was  a  native  of  England  and  remained 
in  that  land  until  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
when  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new 
world,  settling  in  Susquehanna  county, 
Pennsylvania.  He  followed  farming  in  that 
portion  of  the  country  until  about  1835, 
when  he  came  to  Terrecopee,  Indiana,  where 
he  located  upon  a  farm  for  a  few  years, 
thence  to  Michigan,  establishing  his  home 
upon  a  farm  bordering  the  St.  Joseph  river 


622 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


in  Pipestone  township.  He  purchased  a 
tract  of  land  in  the  midst  of  the  green  woods, 
near  Hartman  Station,  becoming  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  the  locality.  Not  a  furrow 
had  been  turned  or  an  improvement  made 
upon  the  place  and  he  at  once  began  to  clear 
away  the  timber  and  prepare  the  fields  for 
the  plow.  The  arduous  labor  made  his  life 
a  strenuous  one,  but  he  continued  in  his  work 
until  he  had  cleared  and  cultivated  eighty 
acres  of  land,  which  is  still  in  possession  of 
the  family.  He  bore  all  the  hardships  and 
trials  usually  incident  to  life  on  the  frontier. 
There  were  no  roads  through  the  forests  at 
that  time  and  wild  animals  w^ere  frequently 
seen,  while  various  kinds  of  game  could  be 
had  in  abundance.  There  w^ere  pleasures 
too  that  are  unknown  at  the  present  time  and 
these  proved  a  welcome  alternative  to  the 
hard  labor  of  the  farm,  which  came  as  new 
land  was  transformed  from  its  primitive 
condition  into  richly  cultivated  fields.  He 
wedded  Miss  Mary  Patterson,  who  was  born 
in  the  same  neighborhood  in  England  in 
wdiich  her  husband's  birth  occurred.  Both 
have  now  passed  away,  Mr.  Burton's  death 
having  occurred  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Pipestone  township  in  1857  when  he  was 
fifty-seven  years  of  age,  while  his  wife  died 
in  the  same  township  in  1877  ^^  ^^^  ^S^  ^^ 
sixty-three  years,  having  survived  him  for 
two  decades.  They  were  the  parents  of 
nine  children,  but  only  four  are  now  living : 
William,  a  resident  of  Benton  Harbor; 
Henry  and  Jane,  twins,  the  latter  the  wife  of 
T.  W.  Jones,  a  resident  of  Eau  Claire,  Ber- 
rien county;  and  Edwin,  w^ho  is  living  on 
the  old  homestead.  One  son,  the  Rev.  Rob- 
ert Patterson  Burton,  attended  the  North- 
eastern Normal  School  at  Valparaiso,  In- 
diana, and  afterward  the  United  Brethren 
Seminary  at  Dayton,  Ohio,  where  he  pre- 
pared for  the  active  work  of  the  ministry,  to 
which  he  devoted  his  life  for  thirty  years, 
preaching  the  gospel  according  to  the  teach- 
ings of  the  United  Brethren  church.  He 
spent  much  of  his  time  in  Indiana  and  was 
very  active  and  earnest  in  his  holy  calling, 
his  influence  being  a  potent  element  in  the 
moral  development  of  every  community  in 
which  he  resided.     He  died  November  23, 


1903,  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years  and  his 
memory  is  yet  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of 
many  who  knew  him  and  who  gave  him 
their  respect  and  love  because  of  his  up- 
right life  and  helpful  work.  He  married 
Sarah  Thomas,  who  still  survives  him  and 
they  had  three  children :  Lenore,  Mabel 
and  Blanche. 

Henry  Burton,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  was  reared  upon  the  old  fam- 
ily homestead  in  Pipestone  township  and 
attended  the  district  schools.  Early  in  life, 
he,  too,  entered  the  ministry  and  for  eight 
years  was  pastor  of  the  Christian  church  in 
Plattsville,  Wisconsin.  He  also  engaged  in 
preaching  the  gospel  at  Georgetown,  Wis- 
consin, and  at  Benton  Harbor.  At  length 
retiring  from  the  ministry,  he  is  now  giving 
his  attention  to  the  supervision  of  a  farm  in 
Pipestone  township,  at  Hartman,  his  early 
experience  at  farm  labor  well  acquainting 
him  with  the  w^ork  and  thoroughly  equipping 
him  for  the  practical  and  successful  man- 
agement of  his  agricultural  interests. 

In  1875,  in  Ohio,  Mr.  Burton  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Laura  E.  McHenry,  a 
native  of  the  Buckeye  state.  They  have  no 
children  of  their  own,  but  have  adopted  a 
son,  Willie  A.  Mr.  Burton  formerly  gave 
his  political  adherence  to  the  Republican 
party,  but  believing  the  temperance  question 
with  all  its  attendant  considerations  to  be 
the  most  important  issue  before  the  people 
he  now  gives  his  ballot  to  the  Prohibition 
party.  He  stands  for  all  that  is  just,  true 
and  right  between  man  and  his  fellowmen 
and  his  entire  life  has  been  actuated  by  high 
principles  and  worthy  motives. 

MRS.  OLIVE  A.  EDINBOROUGH, 
who  resides  in  Hagar  township,  is  the 
widow  of  Thomas  Edinborough,  who  was 
born  in  England  in  1830,  and  came  to  the 
United  States  when  but  two  years  old,  hav- 
ing been  brought  to  this  country  by  his  par- 
ents. His  father  died  soon  afterward  in 
Ohio,  and  the  mother  with  her  two  sons  and 
a  daughter  came  to  Michigan,  settling  in 
St.  Joseph  about  1835,  making  the  trip  with 
the  family  of  Joseph  Caldwell.  In  Berrien 
county  she  secured  a  small  tract  of  land  and 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


623 


here  she  afterward  married  Robert  Dickin- 
son, and  became  the  mother  of  a  family 
that  included  Arthur  Dickinson,  who 
is  now  living  on  the  old  Dickin- 
son homestead  in  Benton  township.  Mrs. 
Dickinson  continued  to  reside  in  this  county 
until  her  demise,  which  occurred  when  she 
was  sixty  years  of  age.  The  three  children 
of  her  first  marriage  were  William,  Mary 
and  Thomas  Edinborough.  Of  this  number, 
William  owned  a  farm  adjoining  his  brother 
Thomas'  property  and  developed  it  into  a 
productive  tract  of  land,  which  he  continued 
to  cultivate  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
on  that  place  when  he  was  forty  years  of 
age.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Ruth  Clawson,  survived  him  for  ten  or 
fifteen  years.  He  left  three  children ;  Frank 
Edinborough,  who  is  in  Valparaiso,  Indi- 
ana; Millie,  the  wife  of  Richard  McDowell; 
and  Jessie,  the  wife  of  De  Forest  McDowell, 
a  half  brother  of  Richard,  and  a  resident  of 
Osceola  county,  Michigan.  Mary  Edin- 
borough became  the  wife  of  David  McKen- 
zie,  a  sailor,  who  died  a  few  years  later. 

Thomas  Edinborough,  like  his  brother 
and  sister,  remained  with  the  mother  on  the 
Dickinson  farm  after  her  second  marriage 
and  was  trained  to  farm  labor.  In  1854, 
when  twenty-four  years  of  age,  he  was 
joined  in  w^edlock  to  Miss  Olive  A.  Yerring- 
ton,  of  Benton  Flarbor,  a  daughter  of  Ed- 
win and  Olive  (Thomas)  Yerrington,  who 
were  born,  reared  and  married  in  Jefferson 
county,  New  York,  and  came  to  Michigan 
when  their  daughter  Olive  was  -a  little 
maiden  of  nine  summers,  arriving  in  the  year 
1843.  Ii^  their  family  at  that  time  were 
four  children.  Mr.  Yerrington  secured  land 
on  what  is  now  Highland  avenue,  three  and 
a  half  miles  east  of  Benton  Harbor.  There 
he  hewed  out  a  farm,  which  at  the  time  of 
his  purchase  was  covered  with  heavy  tim- 
ber. There  was  a  plank  house  upon  the 
place,  but  hardly  a  tree  had  been  cut  or  an 
improvement  made,  and  he  continued  the 
work  of  clearing  and  developing  until  he 
had  a  fine  farm  of  forty  acres.  Upon  that 
place^  both  he  and  his  wife  spent  their  re- 
maining days,  his  death  occurring  when  he 
was  seventy  years  of  age,  while  his  wife 
survived  him  for  some  time,  lacking  but  a 


few  months  of  being  eighty-seven  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  her  demise.    She  had  lived 
upon  her  farm  for  sixty  years  and  was  one 
of  the  last  surviving  members  of  the  orig- 
inal band  of  early  pioneer  settlers,  who  did 
so  much  to  plant  the  seeds  of  civilization  in 
the  west  and  develop  good  farms  here.     In 
the  Yerrington  farmily  were  thirteen  chil- 
dren,  ten   of  whom   reached  mature  years, 
while  nine  are  still  living.     Of  this  number 
there   are  seven   daughters   and   two  sons: 
Charles,  a  resident  of  Bainbriclge;  James  O., 
who  resides  on  the  old  homestead ;  Theresa^ 
the  wife  of  William  Stover,  who  is  living 
in   Canada;   Roxy,  wdio  is    the    widow    of 
George   Schoonover  and   makes   her   home 
in  Canada;  Mrs.  Celestine  Watson,  a  widow 
living   in    Canada;    Elizabeth,    the   wife   of 
William  Burdick,  of  Sodus  township;  Belle, 
the  wife  of  James  Watson,  of  Sodus  town^ 
ship;    and    Viola,    who    married     William 
Phillips  and  is  living  in  Watervliet.     The 
other  member  of  the  family  is  Olive,  now 
Mrs.  Edinborough.     At  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage Mr.  Edinborough  had  a  log  house  to 
which  to  take  his  bride  and  about  ten  or 
twelve  acres  of  his  land  had  been  cleared. 
She  has  since  lived  upon  the  farm,  making 
her  home  here  from  1854,  or  for  fifty-two 
years.       Mr.     Edinborough     continued    the 
work  of  cultivating  and  improving  the  prop- 
erty until  failing  health  caused  him  to  seek 
a  change  of  climate,  and  he  went  to  Cali- 
fornia, where  he  spent  several  months  but 
the  change  did  not  prove  beneficial  and  he 
passed  away  there   in    1875.      His  remains 
were  brought  home  and  his  grave  was  made 
in   the   Hagar   cemetery.      Throughout   his 
business  career  he  devoted  his  energies  to 
agricultural  and  horticultural  pursuits,  hav- 
ing half  of  his  land  under  cultivation,  de- 
voted to  the  raising  of  fruit  and  grain. '  He 
had  been  a  sufferer  from  asthma  for  twenty 
years  and  because  of  this  was  rejected  when 
he  offered  his    aid  to  the  government  at  the 
time  of  the  Civil  war.     His  political  alle- 
giance was  given  to  the  Democracy  and  he 
always  kept  well  informed  on  the  questions 
and  issues  of  the  day,  so  that  he  was  able 
to  support  his  position  by  intelligent  argu- 
m.ent.     Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  Ben- 


624 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


ton  Harbor,  and  his  life  was  at  all  times 
upright  and  honorable. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edinborough  were 
born  two  sons  and  three  daughters  :  Emma, 
the  wife  of  Fred  McKee,  who  is  living  in 
Benton  township;  Warren,  who  spent  his 
life  on  a  farm  save  for  a  short  time  when 
he  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in 
Benton  Harbor,  and  he  passed  away  at  the 
age  of  twenty-six  years;  Dora,  who  is  the 
widow  of  George  Caldwell;  Charles,  who 
operates  the  home  farm;  and  Daisy,  the  wife 
of  E.  C.  Allen,  of  Hagar  township.  Of  this 
family  Charles  has  spent  his  life  with  his 
mother  and  from  the  age  of  seventeen  years 
has  been  engaged  in  carrying  on  the  farm 
work.  His  elder  brother,  Warren,  died 
when  about  twenty-six  years  of  age,  and  the 
father  also  having  passed  away,  upon 
Charles  devolved  the  task  of  cultivating  and 
improving  the  property.  He  resolutely  un- 
dertook the  work  which  he  has  since  carried 
forward  to  successful  completion.  He  is  a 
fruit-grower,  having  about  half  of  his  farm 
devoted  to  peaches,  pears  and  grapes. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  1888,  Mr.  Edin- 
borough was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Amelia  Miller,  the  daughter  of  William  Mil- 
ler, of  Benton  township,  and  they  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  three  children,  Arthur, 
Minnie  and  Thomas.  Charles  Edinborough 
devotes  his  entire  time  to  the  farm  and  his 
undivided  attention  has  resulted  in  the  ac- 
quirement of  good  success,  so  that  he  is  now 
in  possession  of  a  comfortable  competence 
and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  substantial 
citizens  of  the  community. 

CLELLEN  B.  BURY,  a  representative 
farmer  of  Benton  township,  who  makes  a 
specialty  of  the  cultivation  of  melons  and 
is  successfully  conducting  his  business  in- 
terests, was  born  on  the  old  family  home- 
stead in  this  township,  June  17,  1862.  His 
father,  John  D.  Bury,  at  one  time  a  repre- 
sentative agriculturist  of  the  township,  was 
born-  August  18,  1804,  and  died  at  the  old 
homestead,  November  15,  1882,  when  sev- 
enty-eight years  of  age.  His  birth  occurred 
in  Pennsylvania  and  his  parents  were  John 
Colebrook  and  Elizabeth  (Travers)  Bury. 
The  father  was  born  at  No.  52  West  Cheap- 


side,  London,  March  6,  1764,  and  in  his 
native  country  he  was  married  to  Dorothea 
Sherwood,  who  died  in  England.  He  then 
came  to  the  United  States,  where  he  was  for 
a  time  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine. 
Later,  however,  he  turned  his  attention  to 
the  millwright's  trade.  He  was  married  in 
Pennsylvania  to  Elizabeth  Travers,  and  in 
that  state  their  son,  John  D.,  was  born. 
When  he  was  a  small  boy  they  removed  to 
Kent  county,  Canada,  settling  in  Ontario, 
where  John  C.  Bury  built  the  Malcolm  Mills, 
which  became  the  scene  of  a  local  war  in 
1812.  John  Colebrook  Bury  was  for  many 
years  a  prominent  representative  of  indus- 
trial life  in  his  section  of  Canada,  and  there 
died  at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty-six 
years. 

John  D.  Bury  was  the  sixth  in  order  of 
birth  in  a  family  of  fourteen  children,  all 
born  within  twenty-two  years.  He  remained 
a  resident  of  Canada  from  his  early  boy- 
hood days  until  1835,  when  he  came  to 
Michigan,  settling  in  St.  Joseph.  During 
the  first  season  he  was  employed  at  work 
on  the  government  docks,  earning  a  dollar 
and  a  quarter  per  day  and  board,  so  that  in 
the  fall  he  was  enabled  to  secure  a  deed  to 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  govern- 
ment land,  his  patent  being  signed  by  Presi- 
dent Van  Buren.  That  land  became  his 
homestead  in  1837  and  he  held  it  under  the 
original  patent  until  his  death.  It  is  still  in 
possession  of  the  family.  In  1836  he  was 
again  in  the  government  employ  and  in 
1837  he  brought  his  family,  consisting  of 
his  wife,  daughter  and  two  sons,  to  his  new 
home  in  Berrien  county. 

He  had  been  married  in  Canada  to  Miss 
Martha  Green,  who  was  born  on  the  24th 
of  August,  1810,  and  died  on  the  27th  of 
August,  18581,  at  the  age  of  forty-eight 
years.  She  was  the  mother  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  only  three  reached  years  of 
maturity.  His  second  marriage,  to  Miss 
Fannie  Byers,  was  celebrated  in  Bainbridge 
township,  August  18,  i860.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (Shanks) 
Eyers  and  was  born  September  12,  1825, 
in  Livingston  county,  New  York.  She  had 
come  to  Berrien  county  two  years  prior  to 
her  marriage  to  visit  her  father's  brothers, 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Tobias  Byers,  of  Van  Buren  county,  Henry 
Byers,  also  of  that  county,  and  David  Byers, 
of  Berrien  county.      Mrs.   Fannie    (Byers) 
Bury,  following  the  death  of  her  husband, 
removed  to  Benton  Harbor,  and  died  later 
at  the  home  of  her  son  Clellen  on  the  6th  of 
April,   1904.     There  were  three  children  of 
that   marriage:    Clellen    B.,    John   D.,    and 
Elsie  I.     The  three  children  of  the  first  mar- 
riage who  reached  mature  years  were  Eliza- 
beth,   Freeman  and  George.     Elizabeth  be- 
came the  second  wife  of  Joseph  Caldwell, 
who   in   early   life   came    from    England   to 
America  and  in  pioneer  times  in  this  county 
purchased  land  north  of  Benton  Harbor  on 
the  Paw  Paw  river.     Mrs.  Caldwell  died  at 
the    age    of    thirty-three    years.      Freeman 
Bury,  born  in  1832,  makes  his  home  in  Ben- 
ton township,  where  he  has  lived  since  1837. 
George,    born    in    1834,    served   throughout 
the    Civil   war   and   afterward    removed   to 
Mn.inesota,  where  he  remained  some  time, 
while  later  report  of  his  death  was  received 
The    old    Bury    homestead    is    situated 
three  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Benton  Harbor 
on  the  Territorial  road.     Mr.   Bury  owned 
there  two  hundred  and  sixty-four  acres  of 
land,  of  which  he  placed  one  hundred  and 
sixty    acres    in    cultivation.       He    planted 
his  first  orchard  in   1837  and  some  of  the 
old  trees  are  still  bearing.      He  had  good 
miprovements   upon   his    farm,    including  a 
substantial  house  and  three  barns.     As  his 
financial    resources    increased    he    invested 
largely  in  Berrien  county  property,  becom- 
ing the  owner  of  fifteen  hundred  acres  of 
land,  most  of  which  lay  in  Benton  township. 
He  bought  this  at  an  early  period  in  the 
development  of  the  county,  the  highest  price 
which  he  paid  for  it  being  ten  dollars.     He 
made  the  purchase  prior  to  1853  save  for  one 
hundred   and  twenty   acres   bought   in  that 
year,  this  being  about  the  last  tract  of  gov- 
ernment land  to  be  had  in  the  county.     In 
the  work  of  early  development  and  improve- 
ment he  took  an   active  and   helpful  part, 
aiding    in     subduing    the    wilderness     and 
settling-  the  frontier.     He  was  also  prom- 
inent   and    influential    in     public     life    in 
many    other    ways,     serving    as    township 
treasurer  for  three  terms,  as  supervisor  and 


625 

in  other  local  offices.  In  his  political  affilia- 
tion he  was  a  Democrat,  but  was  not  a  poli- 
tician in  the  usual  sense  of  office  seeking. 
He  was  reared  a  Presbyterian  and  altliough 
he  did  not  become  a  member  of  the  church 
he  lived  an  upright  moral  life  and  his  in- 
fluence was  a  valued  factor  for  good  and 
for  progress  along  various  lines  leading  to 
substantial  improvement  in  the  county,  'fiis 
second  wife  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church.  She  was  a  noble  woman,  devoted 
to  her  family  and  she  left  her  impress  for 
good  upon  the  community  in  which  she 
lived. 

Clellen  Byers  Bury,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  review,  was  reared  in  the  usual 
manner  of   farm   lads  of   the   period.      He 
worked   in   the  fields   through   the   summer 
months  and  in  the  winter  seasons  attended 
the  public  schools.     He  continued  at  home 
until  twenty-three  years  of  age,  when  he  was 
married.     The  father  divided  the  old  home- 
stead with  his  children  and  later  Mr.  Bury  of 
this  review  secured  his  present  farm,  which  is 
pleasantly  located  about  four  and  a  half  miles 
southeast  of  Benton  Harbor  and  about  three 
miles    from   the   old   home   property.      The 
tract  had  been  secured  by  his  father  in  1850, 
the  purchase  price  being  six  hundred  and 
fifty   dollars    for   one   hundred   and   twenty 
acres.     Clellen  B.  Bury  has  made  good  im- 
provements  here.      He  erected   his   present 
brick  residence  in  1886,  has  built  good  barns 
and  outbuildings  for  the  shelter  of  grain  and 
stock  and  has  placed  his  fields  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.     He  is  well  known  as 
an  extensive  raiser  of  melons,  having  from 
five  to  eight  acres  planted  to  this  crop  and 
selling   from    one    thousand    to   twenty-five 
hundred  cases  annually.     In  fact  he  is  one 
of  the  largest  Osage  melon  raisers  in  the 
township,   having  devoted   his   attention   to 
this  product  for  many  years. 

On  the  28th  of  November,  1885,  Mr. 
Bury  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss'  Rose 
M.  Walker,  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Han- 
nah Walker.  She  was  born  in  Berrien  town- 
ship and  her  death  occurred  August  is 
1903,  one  son,  Byron,  being  left  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  the  mother.  On  the  12th  of 
April,  1905,  Mr.  Bury  was  again  married 


626 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


his  second  union  being  with  CaroHne 
Sherer,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  C.  and  Louisa 
Sherer,  of  Benton  township. 

In  his  pohtical  views  Mr.  Bury  is  an 
earnest  Democrat,  taking  an  active  interest 
in  the  party  and  attending  the  conventions. 
He  does  not  seek  office,  however,  preferring 
to  give  his  attention  to  his  business  affairs. 
His  labors  are  well  conducted  and  in  all  of 
his  business  methods  he  is  practical  and 
energetic,  winning  success  by  reason  of  his 
close  application  and  untiring  enterprise 
rather  than  through  any  fortunate  combina- 
tion of  circumstances. 

F.  M.  WITBECK.  In  the  face  of  dif- 
ficulties and  unadvantageous  surroundings 
that  would  utterly  have  discouraged  many 
a  man  of  less  resolute  spirit  F.  M.  Witbeck 
has  built  up  a  business  which  is  now  large 
and  profitable,  being  at  the  head  of  the  Wit- 
beck  Hardware  Company,  of  Millburg.  His 
business  career  is  alike  creditable  and  hon- 
orable and  may  well  serve  as  a  source  of  in- 
spiration and  encouragement  to  others, 
showing  what  may  be  accomplished  when 
one  has  the  will  to  do.  A  native  of  New 
York,  he  was  born  in  Vienna,  Oneida  coun- 
ty, on  the  4th  of  September,  1859,  and  was 
only  eight  years  of  age  when  he  became  a 
resident  of  Jackson,  Michigan,  the  family 
removing  to  the  middle  west.  His  father 
died  in  that  locality.  The  son  spent  his  boy- 
hood days  on  the  farm  but  not  wishing  to 
follow  the  plow  as  a  life  work  he  soon  be- 
came connected  with  the  implement  trade, 
being  employed  in  that  line  of  business  at 
Mason,  Michigan.  Later  he  sold  hardware 
specialties  on  the  road,  carrying  a  grip  for 
twelve  years.  He  traveled  to  some  extent 
after  coming  to  Millburg  and  establishing 
the  business  here.  It  was  in  the  spring  of 
1899  that  he  opened  his  present  store,  hav- 
ing but  a  small  stock  of  hardware,  which  he 
purchased  on  credit.  He  added  agricul- 
tural implements  until  he  was  soon  carrying 
a  large  and  well  selected  line  of  hardware, 
agricultural  implements  and  other  mercan- 
tile features  of  a  similar  nature.  He  has  en- 
larged his  stock  from  time  to  time  until  he 


now  owns  an  extensive  and  well  equipped 
store.  The  first  year  he  did  business  in  his 
barn  and  in  the  open  air.  The  next  year 
he  built  a  small  place  on  a  back  street  and 
remained  there  for  six  years.  He  then  re- 
moved the  entire  business  to  Benton  Har- 
bor, where  he  remained  for  a  time,  when  he 
sold  out  and  went  to  Coloma.  He  then 
purchased  an  interest  in  a  hardware  store 
there,  taking  a  former  clerk  into  partner- 
ship but  after  a  brief  period  he  bought  out 
his  partner  and  also  started  a  plant  on  his 
present  location.  He  built  the  first  fall  in 
Millburg  and  continued  to  manage  both 
stores  until  1897,  when  he  brought  the  Co- 
loma stock  to  Millburg,  built  an  addition 
to  the  store  here  and  combined  the  two  busi- 
nesses. His  efforts  were  appreciated  by  the 
people  and  his  patronage  soon  increased. 
However,  his  stock  of  goods  was  destroyed 
the  same  night  as  the  Chicago  theatre  fire 
with  a  loss  of  several  thousand  dollars,  the 
amount  being  five  thousand  over  all  insur- 
ance. However,  with  characteristic  energy 
he  immediately  rebuilt  and  his  present  stock 
of  goods  occupies  every  inch  of  the  building. 
The  building  is  fifty-four  by  eighty  feet 
and  is  divided  into  three  stores.  He  now 
carries  a  stock  valued  at  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars and  his  annual  sales  reach  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars.  The  first  year  his  sales, 
however,  did  not  exceed  five  hundred  dol- 
lars. 

Mr.  Witbeck  has  worked  his  way  up- 
ward from  small  beginnings.  He  started 
out  on  his  own  account  without  a  dollar  to 
clerk  in  a  hardware  store  in  early  life  and 
when  he  began  business  on  his  own  account 
he  traded  his  gold  watch  for  a  silver  watch 
and  with  the  cash  difference  and  a  horse  and 
buggy  he  began  business.  Grass  grew  in 
the  streets  of  the  town  and  in  fact  there 
was  no  inducement  in  Millburg  but  his 
energy  and  push,  his  judicious  advertising 
and  his  recognition  of  possibilities  have  pro- 
duced results.  He  has  given  close,  personal 
attention  to  the  business  and  he  now  carries 
a  very  extensive  and  well  selected  stock  of 
hardware,  farm  implements,  wagons,  bug- 
gies  and  wire   fencing.      He  employs   five 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


men  by  the  year,  one  hauling  goods  from 
Benton  Harbor,  while  one  salesman  is  on 
the  road  selling  goods. 

In  addition  to  this  property  Mr.  Wit- 
beck  has  a  thirty-acre  farm  at  the  village 
and  he  is  a  stockholder  in  the  creamery. 
For  two  years  he  advocated  the  establish- 
ment of  such  an  enterprise  but  could  not  get 
encouragement  from  the  farmers,  but  he) 
took  up  the  work,  creating  an  interest  and 
invited  seventy-five  men  to  attend  a  meet- 
ing. He  had  an  expert  to  speak  upon  the 
business  and  show  what  might  be  done,  af- 
ter which  he  sold  stock  and  has  helped  to 
make  the  enterprise  a  very  successful  one. 
Millburg  is  a  village  about  five  miles  from 
Benton  Harbor  and  off  the  railroad.  At 
the  time  he  moved  here  there  seemed  to  be 
httle  inducement  for  anybody  to  wish  to 
locate  here  and  especially  establish  a  busi- 
ness. Mr.  Witbeck  had  the  necessary  force 
and  determination  and  time  has  proven  the 
wisdom  of  his  choice. 

At  Millburg,  on  the  14th  of  May,  1887, 
occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Witbeck  and 
Miss  Minnie  R.  Gifford,  a  daughter  of  one 
of  the  leading  residents  of  the  county,  Henry 
L.  Gififord,  who  was  a  pioneer  farmer  of 
Millburg  and  died  here  when  his.  daughter, 
Mrs.  Witbeck,  was  a  young  girl.  Her 
mother,  Mrs.  R.  C.  Gifford,  still  survives 
and  is  now  living  with  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
Witbeck,  who  was  only  seventeen  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  her  marriage.  They  have 
become  the  parents  of  two  children:  Ray, 
aged  fifteen  years;  and  Erma,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  three  years. 

Mr.  Witbeck  is  a  Republican  but  is  not 
active  in  party  work.  He  belongs  to  Puritan 
Lodge,  No.  17,  K.  P.,  of  Benton  Harbor,  to 
the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  of  Millburg, 
to  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  at  Bain- 
bridge,  and  to  the  Michigan  Knights  of  the 
Grip.  He  is  president  of  the  Working  Men's 
Mutual  Protective  Association  of  Benton 
Harbor  and  is  its  executive  ofiicer.  He  is 
also  one  of  the  state  board  of  Agricultural 
Implement  Dealers'  Association.  In  busi- 
ness affairs  he  is  energetic,  prompt  and 
notably  reliable.  His  chief  characteristics 
are  tireless  energy,  his  keen  perception,  his 


62y 

honest  purpose  and  his  genius  for  devising 
and  executing  the  right  thing  at  the  right 
time.  While  he  has  achieved  success  he  also 
belongs  to  that  class  of  representative  Amer- 
ican citizens  who  promote  the  general  pros- 
perity while  advancing  individual  interests. 

A.  J.  SCOFIELD.  Among  the  enter- 
prising and  wide-awake  business  men  of 
Berrien  county  now  conducting  a  general 
mercantile  establishment  in  Millburg,  where 
he  has  a  well  equipped  store  and  is  enjoying 
a  constantly  increasing  trade  is  numbered 
A.  J.  Scofield,  who  is  a  native  of  New  York 
and  the  years  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  were 
passed  without  event  of  special  importance. 
In  early  life,  however,  he  became  connected 
with  railroad  interests,  securing  a  position 
in  his  boyhood  on  the  New  York  Central. 
For  twenty-eight  years  he  was  on  the  Lake 
Shore  and  Michigan  Southern  Railroad. 
He  began  in  the  humble  capacity  of  a  brake- 
man  but  worked  his  way  upward  and  for 
fourteen  years  ran  a  passenger  train  between 
Chicago  and  Elkhart. 

Leaving  the  road,   Mr.   Scofield  turned 
his  attention  to  mercantile  interests  and  in 
March,    1896,   established  his  present  busi- 
ness in  Millburg.     The  trade  has  increased 
each  year  and  he  has  met  with  gratifying 
success.     He  started  with  a  stock  valued  at 
only  five  hundred  dollars  but  the  sales  the 
first  year  amounted  to  twenty-five  hundred 
dollars.     He  now  has  a  store    twenty    by 
seventy  feet,  which  he  erected  and  with  this 
enlarged  capacity  his  store  is  now  crowded, 
while  his  sales  amounted  to  fifteen  thousand 
dollars  in  1905.    He  carries  a  large  and  well 
selected  line  of  general  merchandise  and  his 
brother,  Frank  Scofield,  has  been  associated 
with  him  since  he  began  the  business.     His 
success   has   been   most   gratifying,    for   on 
coming  to  Millburg  he  had  no  expectations 
of  obtaining  so  soon  so  large  an  increase  in 
business.     His    trade    extends    into    Ben'ton 
Harbor,  for  he  receives  many  orders  from 
that  city  over  the  phone  and  he  keeps  a  de- 
livery wagon  constantly  on  the  road.     Close 
and  unremitting  attention   is  given  to  the 
trade  by  Mr.  Scofield,  whose  business  abil- 
ity and  executive  force  are  widely  acknowl- 


628 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


edged.  He  is  watchful  of  every  opportunity 
pointing  to  success  and  has  so  utihzed  his  op- 
portunities that  he  is  now  a  prosperous  mer- 
chant. He  beheves  in  doing  a  straight  busi- 
ness and  is  thoroughly  reliable  at  all  times, 
his  integrity  standing  as  an  unquestioned 
fact  in  his  career. 

Mr.  Scofield's  removal  to  the  middle  west 
was  not  a  premeditated  affair.  In  fact  he 
came  to  Berrien  county  on  a  visit  but  was  so 
well  pleased  with  the  district  that  he  de- 
cided to  remain.  In  the  year  1863  he  and 
his  wife  made  their  way  from  New  York 
to  Elkhart,  Indiana,  but  in  a  few  months  re- 
turned to  Syracuse,  New  York.  It  was  not 
long,  however,  before  both  were  desirous 
of  going  back  to  the  west  and  their  removal 
followed  and  was  attended  with  a  feeling  of 
entire  satisfaction.  Mr.  Scofield  lost  his 
wife  about  thirteen  years  ago.  He  is  a 
Knight  Templar  Mason  and  has  also  at- 
tained the  thirty-second  degree  of  the  Scot- 
tish rite.  His  life  has  been  one  of  activity 
and  industry,  resulting  in  very  desirable  suc- 
cess and  his  business  interests  are  now  prof- 
itable and  are  continually  growing. 

MRS.  FANNY  BERRY,  living  in  Ben- 
ton township,  has  a  wide  and  favorable  ac- 
quaintance in  Berrien  county.  She  was 
born  in  Sheboygan  county,  Wisconsin, 
March  31,  1848.  Her  father.  Christian  de 
la  Porte,  was  a  descendant  of  a  prominent 
French  family  and  a  native  of  Germany. 
His  father  was  a  French  refugee,  who  fled 
from  France  at  the  time  of  the  revocation  of 
the  edict  of  Nantes,  who  belonged  to  the 
nobility,  and  the  name  signifies  before  the 
door.  The  family  was  wealthy  prior  to  the 
troubles  which  led  them  to  leave  their  na- 
tive country.  Christian  de  la  Porte  married 
Augusta  D'odzauer  and  in  1845  o^  1^46 
crossed  the  Atlantic  to  New  York,  where  he 
remained  for  six  weeks,  after  which  he  re- 
moved to  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin.  He  was 
a  highly  educated  man  of  superior  mentality 
and  energy  and  served  as  pastor  of  the  Re- 
formed Lutheran  church  and  as  a  teacher 
in  the  Reformed  Lutheran  school  in  Mil- 
waukee. He  also  secured  a  position  as  a 
teacher   in  the  parochial   schools  but   after 


devoting  some  time  to  educational  work  re- 
moved to  a  claim  in  Sheboygan  county  for 
the  benefit  of  his  health.  It  was  upon  that 
farm  that  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Berry,  was 
born  and  when  she  was  six  years  of  age  the 
father  removed  with  his  family  to  the  city  of 
Sheboygan.  There  he  lived  on  a  small  farm 
but  resumed  teaching  and  preaching  as  such 
demands  were  made  upon  his  time  and  ener- 
gies along  those  lines.  When  his  daughter, 
Mrs.  Berry,  w^as  sixteen  years  of  age  the 
family  removed  to  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan, 
where  her  father  again  took  up  the  work  of 
teaching  which  he  followed  in  public  and 
private  schools.  He  also  taught  music  for 
five  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  re- 
turned to  Plymouth,  Wisconsin,  where  he 
lived  retired  until  his  death.  His  last  years 
were  passed  among  his  flowers,  in  which  he 
took  great  delight.  He  lived  with  his  chil- 
dren and  departed  this  life  at  the  venerable 
age  of  seventy-eight  years,  leaving  his  fam- 
ily the  priceless  heritage  of  an  untarnished 
name  and  the  memory  of  many  noble  deeds 
and  good  works. 

Mrs.  Berry  acquired  her  education  in  the 
schools  taught  by  her  father.  She  was  mar- 
ried at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  to  Nich- 
olas Berry,  who  was  born  in  Fishkill, 
Dutchess  county  New  York.  He  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  after  their  mar- 
riage engaged  in  farming  for  three  years, 
when  he  removed  to  Berlin,  Wisconsin. 
Subsequently  he  went  to  Manistee,  Michi- 
gan, where  he  worked  in  sawmills  and  in 
December,  1891,  removed  to  Benton  Har- 
bor. Mrs.  Berry  had  read  of  this  county 
being  a  great  fruit  section  and  urged  by  her 
mother,  who  lived  with  her  and  her  daugh- 
ter Augusta,  who  was  at  that  time  a  student 
in  Benton  Harbor  College,  having  been  di- 
rected to  the  college  by  a  friend,  Alice  Reed, 
formerly  of  Benton  Harbor,  but  then  of 
Manistee,  Mrs.  Berry  decided  to  remove  to 
Berrien  county.  At  that  time  she  was  doing 
janitor  work  in  the  Congregational  church 
and  also  the  Baptist  church,  to  which  Mrs. 
Reed  belonged  and  while  Mrs.  Berry's 
daughter  Augusta  was  a  member  of  the 
choir  of  the  latter  church. 

After  reaching  Benton  Harbor  the  fam- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


ily  secured  some  rooms,  in  which  they  be- 
gan keeping  house,  Mr.  Berry  working  for 
Mr.  Rose  in  laying  the  tramway  to  Peter's 
lumberyard.     They  soon  began  to  do  gard- 
ening on  a   small   scale,   raising  cucumbers 
and  strawberries  and  after  a  short  time  they 
secured  a  home,  rented  a  larger  tract  of  land 
and    Mrs.    Berry    began    keeping    summer 
boarders.      They  rented   the  Bronson   farm 
on   Colfax  avenue  and   while  the  work  of 
general  farming  was  carried  on  Mrs.  Berry 
continued   to  keep   boarders   there   for  two 
years.      About   that    time   her   son   Ottmar 
became  ill  of  typhoid  fever  and  required  her 
constant   attention   for   seven    weeks.      Her 
mother   also   died   while  they  lived   on  the 
Bronson  place.      The  first  land  which  they 
had  was  five  acres  of  bottom  land  on  the 
Lake  Shore  drive  across  the  Paw  Paw  river. 
Mrs.  Berry  superintended  the  farming  of  this 
place  for  several  years,  engaged  in  'garden- 
ing, also  conducted  a  dairy  business  and  kept 
summer  boarders.      In    the    meantime    she 
built  the  present  house  and  barn.     Here  she 
made  money  through  the  production  of  veg- 
etables,  which   she  sold   in   Benton   Harbor 
and  St.  Joseph.     Two  years  ago  she  rented 
the  Henry  Minor  farm  of  one  hundred  acres 
two  miles  south  of  St.  Joseph.     There  she 
kept  from  seven  "to  sixteen  cow^s  and  in  ad- 
dition to  carrying  on  the  dairy  business  she 
also  continued  to  engage  in  gardening  on  a 
more  extensive  scale  than  ever  before.     Af- 
ter living  upon  the  Minor  farm  for  two  years 
in  the  spring  of  1906,  she  rented  the  Mur- 
ray Stewart  farm  three  miles  southeast  of 
Benton  Harbor  and  comprising  one  hundred 
and  fifty-eight  acres   of    land,    which    she 
leased  for  five  years.     She  keeps  about  thirty 
cows   for   dairy  purposes   and   is   operating 
fifteen  acres  of  land  or  more  in  gardening, 
while  the  remainder  is  devoted  to  general 
farming  and  to  fruit-raising. 

The  family  numbers  two  children:  Au- 
gusta, who  has  remained  with  her  mother 
and  is  acting  as  housekeeper;  and  Ottmar, 
now  a  man  of  twenty-eight  years,  who  is  his 
mother's  main  dependence,  managing  the 
active  work  of  the  fields  and  orchards. 
While  it  was  the  fruit-raising  interests  that 
niduced  the  family  to  come  to  this  county 
and  all  have  enjoyed  the  seasons  of  blossom- 


629 

ing  and  of  harvest  and  are  pleased  with  the 
climate  here,  the  fruit-growing  has  not  pre- 
dominated in  their  business,  for  their  atten- 
tion has  been  given  more  largely  to  garden- 
ing and  dairying.     Mrs.  Berry  sends  to  the 
St.  Joseph  creamery  route  the  products  of 
her  dairy  and  also  the  Twin  City  creamery. 
She  and  her  daughter  are  members  of  the 
Congregational    church.      The    latter.    Miss 
Augusta,  keeps  up  her  music  and  has  taught 
music  to  some  extent.    She  was  also  a  school 
teacher  in  Mason  county  for  two  years,  act- 
ing as  a  governess  in  Manistee.      For  five 
weeks  recently  Mrs.  Berry  lay  in  the  hospi- 
tal, having  a  tumor  removed  and  it  was  this 
operation  that  encouraged  the  building  of  a 
new  hospital.     She  agitated  the  subject  and 
her    influence    carried    considerable    weight 
in   securing  the  new  institution.      She  is  a 
lady  of  excellent  business  qualifications,  of 
keen  discernment  and  unfaltering  enterprise, 
and  certainly  deserves  much  credit  for  what 
she  has  accomplished  in  a  business  way. 

BERNARD     THEODORE      SELLS. 
Berrien  county  is  one  of  the  chief  fruit  pro- 
ducing centers  of  the  great  Mississippi  val- 
ley and  gives  excellent  opportunity  to  those 
who  desire  to  engage  in  horticultural  pur- 
suits.    Mr.  Sells  is  the  owner  of  some  of  the 
fine  orchards  of  this  part  of  the  state,  hav- 
ing about  eighteen  acres  in  peaches,   eight 
acres  in  grapes,  pears  and  cherries  and  five 
acres  in  apples.     He  also  raises  berries  and 
his  methods  have  been  so  practical  and  pro- 
gressive that  he  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
leading  horticulturists  of    Berrien    county, 
his  home  being  in-  Benton  township.     He  was 
born  in  Planover,  Germany,  May  11,   1842, 
and  in  the  year  1858  came  to  the  United 
States   just   before   he   was   old   enough   to 
enter  the  army  or  be  liable  for  military  ser- 
vice.    He  remained  in  Washington,  D.  C, 
from  i860  until  1865  and  was  in  the  govern- 
ment service.    He  afterward  went  with  Cap- 
tain J.  M.  Moore  and  Miss  Clara  Barton,  of 
the  Red  Cross  Society  to  act  as  cook  for  the 
company  that  was  engaged  in  preparing  a 
government  cemetery.     He  afterward  spent 
two   years   near    Chambersburg,     Pennsyl- 
vania, and  later  went  to  Chicago,  Illinois, 
where  he  met  Captain  Nelson  Napier.     He 


630 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


there  left  the  boat  on  which  he  was  em- 
ployed in  order  to  work  on  the  captain's 
fruit  farm  and  later  he  poined  the  survey- 
ing party  on  the  West  Michigan  Railroad, 
now  the  Pere  Marquette,  in  the  survey  of 
the  line  between  St.  Joseph  and  New  Buf- 
falo. He  also  helped  lay  the  rails  between 
St.  Joseph  and  Nunica.  Subsequently  he 
gave  his  attention  to  the  conduct  of  a  saloon 
and  he  remained  in  St.  Joseph  until  he  es- 
tablished a  dairy  business  with  only  two 
cows.  He  began  to  deliver  the  milk  in  St. 
Joseph  and  there  built  up  a  good  business 
and  continually  added  to  his  herd  until  he 
owned  thirty  cows.  He  at  first  delivered  milk 
by  hand  for  two  and  a  half  years.  He  paid 
twenty-five  dollars  for  his  first  horse  and 
eleven  dollars  for  his  first  wagon.  He  gave 
undivided  attention  to.  his  business  affairs 
and  thereby  made  steady  progress.  He  fin- 
ally traded  his  dairy  for  thirty  acres  of  land 
two  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Benton  Harbor 
and  devoted  the  succeeding  years  to  fruit- 
raising. 

On  the  expiration  of  that  period  Mr. 
Sells  sold  his  property  and  bought  his  pres- 
ent place  in  Benton  township,  comprising 
sixty-seven  and  a  half  acres  on  Territorial 
road,  three  miles  east  of  Benton  Harbor,  for 
which  he  paid  fifty-five  hundred  dollars. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  within  sixteen  years 
after  he  embarked  in  the  dairy  business  with 
only  two  cows  he  had  so  prospered  that  he 
was  enabled  to  pay  fifty-five  hundred  dol- 
lars for  a  farm.  He  then  started  in  the 
dairy  business  here  with  fifteen  cows.  The 
farm  had  been  rented  and  was  much  run 
down  and  he  resumed  the  dairy  business 
mainly  in  order  to  give  time  to  build  up  the 
land  and  prepare  it  for  cultivation.  He  con- 
ducted the  dairy  for  nine  years,  selling 
Its  products  in  Benton  Harbor  and  he  also 
increased  the  number  of  cows  to  thirty. 
During  this  period  he  transformed  his  land 
into  a  very  fertile  tract,  which  he  set  out  to 
peaches  and  that  he  has  prospered  in  his  un- 
dertakings as  a  horticulturist  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  in  1905  his  crop  amounted  to 
three  thousand  bushels  of  peaches.  He  has 
about  eighteen  acres  planted  to  peaches  and 
eight  acres  to  grapes,  pears  and  cherries. 
He  also  has  an  apple  orchard  of  five  acres 


and  raises  all  kinds  of  berries.  His  sales 
for  1905  amounted  to  twenty-five  hundred 
dollars. 

Mr.  Sells  was  married  in  St.  Joseph  ta 
Miss  Amelia  Johnson,  a  Swedish  girl,  who 
has  indeed  been  a  faithful  companion  and 
helpmate  to  him  on  life's  journey.  They 
have  become  the  parents  of  seven  children : 
Sarah,  who  is  the  wife  of  Jesse  Martindale, 
a  resident  of  Breckenridge,  Michigan; 
Belle,  the  wife  of  Frank  Peters,  who  is  liv- 
ing at  Fruitport,  Michigan;  Jessie,  who  is 
in  the  silk  mill  at  Belding,  this  state; 
Arthur,  at  home;  May,  also  in  the  silk  mill 
at  Belding;  and  Harry  and  Clarence,  at 
home,  assisting  their  father  in  the  work  of 
the  farm.  In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Sells 
is  a  Democrat  and  as  every  true  American 
citizen  should  do,  keeps  well  informed  on  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day,  but  he  does 
not  seek  office,  preferring  to  give  his  un- 
divided attention  to  his  business  affairs  and 
his  life  record  proves  what  can  be  accom- 
plished by  strong  determination  and  unfal- 
tering industry.  He  certainly  deserves 
much  credit,  for  he  has  worked  his  way 
steadily  upward  to  a  prominent  position 
among  the  horticulturists  of  the  county. 

G.  F.  MULLIKEN,  was  born  in  Belvi- 
dere,  Illinois,  January  13,  1867,  a  son  of 
John  B.  and  Emma  A.  (Batcheldor)  Mulli- 
ken.  The  father  was  born  in  New  York  in 
1837  and  died  in  Detroit,  Michigan,  in  1892. 
The  mother,  a  native  of  Vermont,  was  also- 
born  in  1837  and  now  makes  her  home  in 
Detroit. 

G.  F.  MuUiken  began  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Detroit  and  in  1886 
entered  the  Michigan  Military  Academy,, 
where  he  spent  two  years,  becoming  a  stu- 
dent in  the  University  of  Michigan  in  1888. 
He  was  graduated  therefrom  in  1892  with 
the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  and  in  Jan- 
uary, 1893,  came  to  St.  Joseph,  where  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  Cooper,  Wells  &  Com- 
pany. He  is  one  of  the  stockholders  and 
since  October,  1894,  has  been  treasurer. 
This  is  the  leading  industrial  concern  of  Ber- 
rien county  and  a  prominent  factor  in  the 
manufacturing  interests  of  southwestern 
Michigan.     The  extent  and  importance  of 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


631 


the  enterprise  is  too  well  known  to  need 
further  comment  here  and  the  fact  of  its 
success  indicates  that  its  officers  are  men  of 
superior  business  ability,  keen  insight  and 
executive  force. 

In  December,  1893,  Mr.  Mulliken  was 
married  to  Miss  Lyda  B.  Procter,  of  St. 
Joseph,  and  unto  them  have  been  born  two 
children.  Harold  P.  and  Lilian.  In  his 
political  views  Mr.  Mulliken  is  a  Republican, 
interested  in  the  growth  and  success  of  the 
party  and  from  1903  until  1905  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  city  council  of  St.  Joseph,  while 
at  the  present  writing  he  is  a  member  of  the 
board  of  public  works.  He  stands  as  a  high 
type  of  the  American  citizen,  alert  and  en- 
terprising, with  ready  recognition  of  busi- 
ness conditions  and  opportunities  and  with 
a  capacity  for  successful  management  that 
enables  him  to  use  and  improve  the  advant- 
ages which  are  open  to  all  in  the  commercial 
world. 

ISAAC  J.  HO  AG,  now  deceased,  was  at 
one  time  an  enterprising  farmer  of  Berrien 
county.  He  was  born  in  the  state  of  New 
York  in  1824  and  died  in  1874,  at  the  age 
of  fifty  years.  He  lost  his  father  when  he 
was  very  young  and  largely  depended  upon 
his  own  resources  from  that  time.  He  be- 
came a  well  read  man,  working  his  own  way 
through  school.  While  attending  high  school 
he  served  as  janitor  and  he  continued  his 
course  therein  until  he  had  completed  the 
high  school  work  by  graduation.  He  came 
to  Michigan  in  an  early  day  and  settled  in 
the  vicinity  of  Millburg,  where  he  became 
a  pioneer  business  man  and  also  taught  school 
for  a  time.  He  conducted  a  nursery,  hand- 
ling all  kinds  of  trees,  but  making  a  specialty 
of  peach  trees,  for  the  climate  and  soil  of 
Michigan  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  culti- 
vation of  that  fruit.  He  had  previously  lived 
in  Battle  Creek,  Michigan,  for  a  few  years 
and  then  came  to  Berrien  county.  Through- 
out the  period  of  his  residence  here  he  was 
engaged  in  the  nursery  business  and  his 
labors  resulted  in  the  acquirement  of  a  com- 
fortable competence. 

In  1858  Mr.  Hoag  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Elizabeth  Meech^  whose  peo- 


ple were  of  Puritan  descent.  Her  mother 
in  the  paternal  line  came  from  ancestors  who 
crossed  the  Atlantic  on  the  Mayflower  in 
1620.  Mrs.  Hoag's  great-great-grandfather 
came  over  on  the  Mayflower.  Her  parents 
were  Braddock  and  Elizabeth  (Hutchinson) 
Meech.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoag  were  born 
three  children :  Samuel,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  forty- four  years; Alice, the  wife  of  Adolph 
Reickle,  who  is  employed  by  the  Graham  & 
Morton  steamship  line;  and  Lillian  S.,  de- 
ceased. 

In  connection  with  his  other  business  in- 
terests Mr.  Hoag  dealt  in  real  estate,  mak- 
ing some  very  judicious  purchases  and 
profitable  sales.  In  politics  he  was  a  Re- 
publican, recognized  as  a  stalwart  supporter 
of  the  party,  and  for  a  number  of  years  he 
served  as  supervisor.  He  also  acted  as 
school  officer  and  was  earnest  in  his  ad- 
vocacy of  all  measures  for  the  general  good. 
In  1874  he  was  called  to  his  final  rest, 
his  death  being  deeply  regretted  by  many 
friends  as  well  as  his  immediate  family.  His 
widow  still  survives  him  and  is  now  the 
owner  of  one  hundred  acres  of  land  near 
.Millburg,  constituting  a  finely  improved 
property,  upon  which  are  good  buildings 
and  all  the  accessories  of  a  model  farm. 

THEODORE  LITTLESON,  residing 
in  Benton  township^  where  he  is  engaged 
in  fruit-growing,  was  born  in  Sweden  on 
the  24th  of  November,  1861.  His  father, 
Richard  Littleson,  was  an  Englishman  by 
birth  and  spent  some  time  in  Australia.  He 
was  married  in  Melbourne  to  Miss  Kath- 
erine  Swanson,  a  Swedish  girl.  There  was 
a  cholera  epidemic  in  that  country  and  he 
started  back  with  his  young  wife  but  after 
leaving  Australia  became  ill  of  cholera  and 
died.  Mrs.  Littleson  continued  on  her  way 
to  Sweden  and  a  few  weeks  after  reaching 
her  home  her  son  Theodore  was  born.  When 
he  was  about  ten  years  of  age  his  mother 
and  her  second  husband  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  America  and  became  residents  of  Chi- 
cago, where  she  still  resides,  being  about 
seventy-five  years  of  age. 

Theodore  Littleson  remained  in  Chicago 
through  the  period  of    his    boyhood    and 


<632 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


youth  and  entered  upon  his  business  career 
as  an  errand  boy  in  a  grocery  store.  He 
afterward  became  a  salesman  and  gradually 
he  worked  his  way  upward  until  as  the  re- 
sult of  his  industry  and  economy  he  w^as  en- 
abled in  1883  to  engage  in  business  on  his 
own  account.  He  opened  a  grocery  store 
in  Chicago  and  continued  in  that  line  for 
seventeen  years,  meeting  with  very  desirable 
success.  He  started  out  in  life  with  limited 
capital  but  his  energy,  close  application  and 
laudable  ambition  enabled  him  to  steadily 
w^ork  his  way  upward.  In  1893  in  company 
with  a  partner,  John  C.  Rice,  of  Chicago, 
he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  about  two 
and  a  half  miles  east  of  Benton  Harbor  and 
in  1900  he  decided  to  make  this  place  his 
home.  He  then  bought  his  present  farm  on 
Blue  Creek,  two  and  three-quarter  miles 
east  of  Benton  Harbor  on  the  Watervliet 
road.  This  is  the  old  Calkins  farm  and  con- 
tains thirty-two  acres.  It  is  all  devoted  to 
fruit-raising,  including  peaches,  pears, 
plums  and  apples  and  most  of  the  trees  were 
set  out  by  Mr.  Littleson.  He  secures  well 
selected  nursery  stock  and  is  growing  some 
fine  fruit.  He  has  erected  on  his  farm  a 
very  commodious  and  pleasant  residence 
and  made  other  improvements.  His  is  one 
of  the  neatest  homes  along  the  entire  road 
and  he  is  now  devoting  his  attention  largely 
to  his  farm.  His  labors  have  resulted  in 
making  the  land  very  productive,  although 
it  was  in  a  run  down  condition  when  it  came 
into  his  possession.  He  finds  that  the  coun- 
ty comes  up  to  his  expectation  as  a  fruit  pro- 
ducing center  and  he  is  fully  identified  with 
its  horticultural  interests.  In  fact  he  has  in- 
duced others  to  come  from  Chicago,  through 
his  efforts,  several  men  who  are  now  prom- 
inent as  horticulturists  having  been  led  to 
establish  homes  here.  Among  these  is  Vic- 
tor Faulkenau,  formerly  a  Chicago  con- 
tractor, who  is  his  nearest  neighbor  and  was 
an  old  customer  of  Mr.  Littleson's  in  Chi- 
cago. 

In  1887  Mr.  Littleson  was  ujiited  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Lena  Hanson,  of  Chicago.  In 
his  political  views  Mr.  Littleson  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  never  fails  to  cast  his  ballot  in 
support  of  the  men  and    measures    of    the 


party  but  does  not  seek  office  for  himself. 
He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Luth- 
eran church  and  he  belongs  to  the  National 
Union,  is  also  a  Mason  in  Chicago  and  an  Elk 
in  Benton  Harbor.  For  years  he  gave  un- 
remitting attention  to  his  business,  laboring 
assiduously  to  develop  his  commercial  in- 
terests but  now  he  is  taking  life  more  easy 
and  he  greatly  enjoys  his  work  as  a  fruit- 
grower. In  his  undertakings  he  has  pros- 
pered owing  to  his  intense  and  well  directed 
activity  and  has  now  valuable  property  in- 
terests in  this  county. 

THOMAS  HOLLINRAKE,  a  farmer 
of  Bainbridge  township,  well  known  in 
Masonic  and  political  circles,  having  ex- 
erted wide  and  beneficial  influence  in  both^ 
was  born  in  Haywood,  Lancashire,  Eng- 
land, August  14,  1837.  He  was  a  son  oi  a 
foreman  of  a  cotton  mill,  and  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  began  to  operate  a  loom  in  the  mill 
of  which  his  father  had  charge.  lie  worked 
at  the  loom  as  long  as  he  remained  in  Eng- 
land but  believing  that  he  might  have  better 
business  opportunities  elsewhere  he  made 
arrangements  to  leave  his  native  land  and 
came  to  the  United  States  in  October,  1858, 
induced  to  take  this  step  by  a  widowed  aunt, 
then  living  in  Michigan.  He  had  intended 
to  go  to  Australia,  but  instead  came  to 
America  to  operate  a  farm  belonging  to  his 
aunt,  who  was  the  widow  of  John  Walton, 
a  pioneer  settler  of  Berrien  county.  She 
had  lived  in  the  United  States  for  seven- 
teen years  and  her  farm  was  near  the  place 
upon  which  Mr.  Llollinrake  now  resides. 
He  cultivated  and  improved  the  land  for 
her  for  four  years,  or  until  the  time  of  his 
marriage,  which  important  event  in  his  life 
was  celebrated  on  the  28th  of  August,  1864, 
Miss  Arzelia  Vincent  becoming  his  wife. 
She  was  a  cousin  of  Alonzo  Vincent,  late 
warden  of  the  state  prison,  and  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  Vincent,  of  Bainbridge.  She  was 
born  in  Clayton,  Jefferson  county,  New 
York,  in  1840,  and  was  brought  to  this 
county  in  1844. 

About  a  year  after  his  marriage  Mr. 
Hollinrake  began  working  in  a  sawmill  for 
Warren  Pearl,  and  in   1866  he  purchased 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


633 


forty  acres  of  wild  land  whereon  he  now  re- 
sides.    It  was  then  all  covered  with  heavy 
timber  and  he  began  to  clear  away  the  trees 
and  prepared  the  land   for  the  plow.     He 
sold    the   timber,    which   gave    him    capital 
with  which  to  continue  his  farm  work.     He 
not  only  cultivated  his  fields  but  also  worked 
at   clearing  land   and   cutting  out  ties   and 
at    different   times    was   employed    in   saw- 
mills,  being  thus   employed   for  ten   years. 
His  time  was  thus  occupied  but  when  a  dec- 
ade was  passed   he  concentrated  his   ener- 
gies upon  his  farming  interests  and  has  since 
devoted   his   attention  entirely   to   his   agri- 
cultural pursuits.    He  has  owned  other  lands 
outside  of  his  home  property  and  he  now 
has  sixty  acres.     He  has  cleared  altogether 
about  eighty  acres  from  the  wild  timber  and 
has  thus  contributed  in  substantial  manner 
to   the   development  and    progress     of    the 
county.     His  own  land  is  devoted  to  general 
farming.     It  is  a  level  tract  requiring  drain- 
age and  he  has  laid  two  or  three  miles  of 
tiling  upon  it,  so  that  it  has  been  made  very 
productive  and  yields  excellent  crops.     Mr. 
Hollinrake  is  also  a  noted  sheep  shearer  and 
for  forty  years  has  carried  on  that  business, 
his    neighbors    always    depending   upon   his 
services  at  the  shearing  season. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hollinrake  have 
been  born  seven  children:  Cecelia  Hollin- 
rake, the  eldest,  died  at  the  age  of  one  year. 
Hartley  is  a  wheat  grower  of  Cass  county, 
North  Dakota.  Joseph  is  operating  the 
home  farm.  His  wife  was  Irene  McKyes, 
who  died  five  years  ago,  after  a  happy  mar- 
ried life  of  seven  years,  leaving  two  sons, 
Vineus  and  Eldon.  Joseph  Hollinrake  has 
always  given  his  attention  to  farm  work. 
Seth  P.  HolHnrake,  the  fourth  member  of 
the  family,  is  a  railroad  station  agent  at 
Caryville,  Florida.  When  seventeen  years 
of  age  he  went  to  Floridia,  where  he  joined 
his  uncle,  Flartley  Hollinrake,  the  only 
brother  of  his  father  in  the  United  States. 
He  was  a  railroad  man  in  Florida  and  it  was 
through  him  that  Seth  P.  Hollinrake  gained 
an  acquaintance  of  the  business  which  he 
IS  now  following.  Lillian  Hollinrake,  at 
home,  was  for  twelve  years  a  teacher  in  the 
schools  of  Berrien  county.     She  was  former- 


ly a  student  in  Benton  Harbor  College  and 
in  Ferris  Institute  at  Big  Rapids,  Michigan, 
and  she  taught  for  eleven  consecutive  years, 
being   for   one   year  principal   of   the   high 
school  at  Shanghai,  Michigan.     Lutie  May 
is  the  wife  of  Harland  Hoadley,  at  Frank- 
lin, Texas.     William  E.  Hollinrake  is  sup- 
erintendent of  the  prison  school  and  assis- 
tant hall  master  in  the  state  penitentiary  at 
Jackson,  Michigan.     He  was  also  a  teacher 
for  a  number  of  years  in  Berrien  county  and 
was   called    to   his   present   position   by  the 
late  warden,  Alonzo  Vincent.     Mrs.  HolHn- 
rake,   the    mother   of    these    children,    died 
January    2y,     1906,     after    traveling    life's 
journey  for  nearly  forty-two  years  with  her 
husband.     Her  life  was  devoted  to  her  home 
and  her   family  and  she  was   a  most  able 
helpmate   to   Mr.    Hollinrake.      Her   kindly 
disposition    and    generous   spirit   made   her 
popular  with  her  many  friends  and  by  filial 
love  and  devotion  she  gave  to  her  parents  a 
home   for   several   years,   both   dying  while 
members    of    her    household,     her     father, 
Joseph  Vincent,  being  more  than  ninety-two 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death.     He 
was  a  life-long  farmer  and  was  one  of  the 
last  survivors  of  the  early  settlers  of  Ber- 
rien county. 

Mr.  Hollinrake  is  a  Republican  in  his 
political  views  and  has  served  as  highway 
commissioned  for  ten  years.  He  has  been 
a  delegate  to  the  Republican  county  conven- 
tions for  twenty  years  and  for  a  long  period 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Republican  county 
committee.  He  has  often  been  made  chair- 
man by  the  township  delegation  and  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  strong  and  influen- 
tial men  of  the  party  in  his  locality.  He  has 
frequently  served  as  delegate  to  the  state 
conventions  but  though  he  wielded  a  wide 
influence  in  political  circles  he  has  never 
sought  or  desired  office  for  himself.  He  is, 
however,  deeply  interested  in  the  questions 
of  the  day  and  always  keeps  well  informed 
on  the  issues  wdiich  divide  the  two  great 
parties,  so  that  he  is  enabled  to  support  his 
position  by  intelligent  argument  and  is  al- 
ways found  well  equipped  to  parry  a  politi- 
cal attack.  He  belongs  'to  Bainbridge  Lodge, 
No.  63,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  he  is  a  past 


634 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


noble  grand,  and  forty  years  ago  he  became 
a  charter  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge  at 
Watervliet.  In  these  organizations  he  is  a 
valued  representative,  being  true  and  loyal 
to  the  basic  elements  upon  which  they  are 
founded.  He  finds  great  pleasure  in  fishing 
and  it  is  to  him  a  source  of  delightful  rest 
and  recreation.  Mr.  Hollinrake  is  a  man 
whose  honesty  of  purpose  is  never  called  in- 
to question  and  his  political  opponents  en- 
tertain for  him  the  warmest  respect,  owing 
to  his  fidelity  to  his  honest  convictions.  In 
business  affairs  he  is  reliable  as  well  as 
energetic  and  he  has  never  had  occasion  to 
regret  his  determination  to  seek  a  home  in 
the  new  world,  for  here  he  has  found  and 
improved  good  business  opportunities  lead- 
ing to  prosperity. 

LOUIS  S.  HAMILTON,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  plumbing  and  steam-heating 
business  in  Niles,  where  he  has  worked  up 
a  good  trade  until  his  business  has  now 
reached  gratifying  proportions,  bringing  to 
him  a  desirable  financial  return,  is  a  native 
son  of  Niles  and  a  representative  of  one 
of  the  old  families  of  the  county.  His 
paternal  grandparents  came  to  Michigan  in 
the  early  '40s,  settling  in  Berrien  county, 
w4iere  Asa  D.  Hamilton  was  born  in  1844. 
He  was  reared  to  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing, which  he  followed  as  a  life  work.  He 
wedded  Mary  E.  Fowler,  a  native  of  Min- 
nesota, and  they  became  the  parents  of 
two  sons,  the  younger  being  Asa  Frank 
Hamilton,  who  was  born  in  Niles  in  1878. 
The  mother  is  still  living,  but  the  father 
died  in  1898,  at  the  age  of  fifty- four  years. 
The  brother  of  our  subject  married  Mary 
Lauterbach  and  resides  in  Niles,  Michigan. 

Louis  S.  Hamilton,  born  in  1869,  en- 
tered the  public  schools  at  the  usual  age  and 
was  promoted  to  consecutive  grades  until 
he  had  become  a  high  school  student.  He 
also  attended  the  commercial  college  at 
Angola,  Indiana,  from  which  institution  he 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1884,  when 
about  fifteen  years  of  age.  He  then  fol- 
lowed farming  for  about  five  years,  when 
at  the  age  of  twenty,  thinking  to  find  other 
business  pursuits  more  congenial,  he  began 
learning  the  plumbing  trade  in  Niles  and 


followed  it  as  a  journeyman  until  1903^ 
when  he  entered  into  partnership  with  James 
Hatch,  under  the  firm  style  of  Hatch  & 
Hamilton,  which  relationship  continued 
until  1905,  when  Mr.  Hamilton  purchased 
his  partner's  interest*  and  -has  since  been 
alone,  continuing  with  the  business  w:ith 
marked  success.  He  is  an  expert  workman 
in  his  line,  having  thoroughly  mastered  the 
business  both  in  principle  and  detail,  and 
the  excellent  service  which  he  has  rendered 
his  patrons  has  secured  him  a  continuance 
of  trade  from  those  who  have  once  given 
him  their  business  support. 

In  1892,  in  Niles,  Mr.  Hamilton  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Gertrude  Shee- 
han,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Sheehan.  Six 
children  grace  this  union,  all  born  in  Niles, 
namely:  Asa  D.,  Lawrence,  Margaret  G., 
Frances,  Mary  Gertrude  and  Ruth.  The 
family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken  by  the 
hand  of  death.  The  family  home  is  a  hos- 
pitable one,  a  cordial  welcome  being  ex- 
tended to  their  many  friends.  The  family 
attend  the  Catholic  church  and  Mr.  Hamil- 
ton gives  his  political  support  to  the  Repub- 
lican party.  Like  all  true  American  citi- 
zens should  do,  he  keeps  well  informed  on 
the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day  but  he 
is  without  political  aspiration,  preferring  to 
concentrate  his  attention  upon  the  upbuild- 
ing of  a  business  which  will  enable  him  to 
acquire  a  competence  and  provide  liberally 
for  his  family.  He  belongs  to  the  Indepen- 
dent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Wood- 
men of  America  and  is  in  hearty  sympathy 
with  the  purposes  and  plans  of  those  orders. 

GEORGE  A.  MILLS,  a  general  con- 
tractor of  Benton  Harbor,  was  born  in 
Rochester,  New  York,  on  the  12th  of  De- 
cember, 1859.  His  father,  John  C.  Mills, 
was  born  in  Scotland  in  1807  and  inherited 
habits  of  industry  from  a  long  line  of  an- 
cestry. In  1832  he  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  America,  settling  first  in  Kingston,  Can- 
ada, in  1832.  Subsequently  he  removed  to 
Rochester,  New  York,  where  he  engaged 
in  buying  fruit,  which  he  shipped  to  By- 
town,  now  Ottawa,  at  a  day  prior  to  the 
erection  of  the  Parliament  buildings  there. 
In  fact  he  was  the  first  to  ship  fruit  to  the 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


635 


Ottawa  market.  He  continued  in  business 
for  a  long  time  and  died  when  on  a  visit  to 
Canada  in  1889,  when  eighty-two  years  of 
age.  In  his  native  country  he  had  learned 
and  followed  the  weaver's  trade  but  during 
his  residence  in  the  new  world  was  con- 
nected with  the  production  and  sale  of  fruit. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Martha  Labar,  was  of  French  descent,  born 
in  Vermont  and  her  death  occurred  in 
Rochester,  New  York,  when  she  was  sixty- 
four  years  of  age.  In  the  family  of  this 
worthy  couple  were  four  children,  of  whom 
three  are  now  living;  Frank  H.,  deceased; 
Robert  W. ;  George  A. ;  and  Sarah,  the  wife 
of  Charles  Worvey. 

George  A.  Mills  acquired  his  education 
in  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  at  the  age 
of  eighteen  years  went  to  sea,  shipping  be- 
fore the  mast.  He  made  a  trip  covering 
two  years  upon  a  merchant  vessel  which 
sailed  on  both  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific 
oceans.  He  went  on  voyages  to  foreign 
lands  as  a  sailor,  visiting  the  East  and  West 
Indies,  Australia,  China,  and  other  coun- 
tries. On  his  return  home  to  Rochester, 
New  York,  he  engaged  in  mason  work  until 
his  removal  from  the  Empire  state  to  the 
middle  west.  He  first  went  to  Minneapolis, 
Minnesota,  where  he  was  employed  at 
mason  work  for  two  years.  In  1884  he 
came  to  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  engaged 
in  general  contracting.  As  the  years  dem- 
onstrated his  capability  his  patronage  in- 
creased both  in  volume  and  importance  and 
he  has  erected  many  of  the  good  business 
blocks  and  residences  of  this  city.  He  was 
also  the  builder  of  the  Catholic  church  and 
other  public  edifices  and  was  successfully 
engaged  in  contracting  about  twenty-two 
years.  In  1900  he  built  the  Bell  Opera 
House  in  Benton  Harbor.  He  also  erected 
the  Mills  Block  on  Pipestone  street  in  Ben- 
ton Harbor.  In  1903  he  admitted  his  son, 
Arthur  H.  Mills,  to  a  partnership  and  the 
business  is  now  carried  on  under  the  name 
of  Mills  &  Son. 

Mr.  Mills  has  been  married  twice.  He 
first  wedded  Miss  Fannie  E.  Haines,  who 
was  born  in  Rochester,  New  York,  and  was 
a     daughter     of     Edward     and     Charlotte 


Haines.  There  were  two  children  born  of 
this  union :  Arthur  H.,  who  married  Dessa 
Kimball,  of  Michigan  City,  by  whom  he  has 
two  children,  Donald  and  Evyline;  and 
Robert  G.  For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Mills 
chose  Edith  Tillotson,  of  Eaton  county, 
Michigan,  by  whom  he  has  three  children: 
Jim  and  Jack,  twins,  who  were  born  upon 
the  farm  in  Hagar  township  which  was  at 
that  time  owned  by  Mr.  Mills,  and  Mildred 
who  was  born  at  120  Cherry  street.  He  has 
since  sold  that  farm  but  is  now  the  owner 
of  a  fruit  farm  in  Benton  township  south 
of  the  city. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Mills  has  al- 
ways been  a  stalwart  Demecrat  and  is  now 
serving  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  build- 
ing inspectors  in  this  city.  He  is  a  very 
prominent  Mason,  belonging  to  Lake  Shore 
Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Calvin  Brittain  Chap- 
ter, R.  A.  M.,  St.  Joseph  Council,  No.  44, 
R.  &  S.  M.,  and  Malta  Commandery,  K. 
T.  He  has  likewise  taken  the  thirty-second 
degree  of  the  Scottish  Rite  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Mystic  Shrine  at  Grand  Rapids. 
He  also  affiliates  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias.  His  eldest  son,  Arthur,  is  very 
prominent  and  active  in  Masonry  and  is  the 
youngest  man  in  this  part  of  Michigan  to 
have  taken  the  consistory  degrees,  and  is 
a  member  of  all  the  Masonic  bodies  up  to 
the  thirty-third  degree. 

FRANK  BRACELIN,  a  member  of  the 
Berrien  county  bar,  practicing  in  St.  Joseph, 
where  he  is  also  filling  the  office  of  justice 
of  the  peace,  was  born  in  Watson  township, 
Allegan  county,  Michigan,  on  the  28th  of 
July,  1846.  He  comes  of  Irish  ancestry, 
his  father,  Daniel  Bracelin,  having  been 
born  in  county  Donegal,  Ireland,  whence  at 
the  age  of  twenty  years  he  came  to  America, 
attracted  by  the  broader  business  oppor- 
tunities of  the  new  world.  In  his  native 
land  he  had  learned  and  followed  the 
weaver's  trade  but  in  the  new  world  became 
identified  with  agricultural  interests,  set- 
tling in  Essex  county.  New  York,  where 
he  engaged  in  general  farming  until  his 
removal  to  Michigan  in  1835.  He  took  up 
his  abode  in  Kalamazoo  county,  and  after- 


636 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


ward  removed  to  Allegan  county,  where  he 
follow^ed  farming  throughout  his  remaining 
days,  passing  away  in  1865,  when  about 
sixty  years  of  age.  In  early  manhood  he 
had  wedded  Miss  Nancy  McLaughlin,  who 
was  also  a  native  of  Ireland,  where  her 
girlhood  days  were  passed.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  that  country  and  on  the  following 
day  started  for  the  United  States,  crossing 
the  Atlantic  as  passengers  on  a  sailing  ves- 
sel which  was  nine  weeks  in  making  the 
voyage,  dropping  anchor  in  the  harbor  of 
Quebec,  Canada,  whence  they  crossed  the 
boundary  line  into  the  United  States  and 
established  their  home  in  New  York.  As 
the  years  passed  by  ten  children  were  added 
to  the  household,  of  whom  Frank  Bracelin 
was  the  youngest  and  the  only  one  now  liv- 
ing in  Berrien  county. 

Upon  the  home  fami  Frank  Bracelin  re- 
mained until  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  dur- 
ing that  period  acquired  his  preliminary 
education  in  the  public  schools,  while  subse- 
quently he  attended  the  Pine  Grove  Semi- 
nary, at  Allegan,  Michigan.  He  remained 
for  three  years  as  a  student  there,  qualify- 
ing for  the  profession  of  teaching,  after 
which  he  followed  that  calling  for  two 
terms.  Matriculating  in  the  University  of 
Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor,  he  was  a  student 
in  the  law  department  from  the  fall  of  1866 
until  the  spring  of  1868,  when  he  was  grad- 
uated with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws 
and  soon  afterw^ard  was  admitted  to  the 
Michigan  bar  in  Allegan  county.  In  1868 
he  located  for  practice  in  Muskegon,  Mich- 
igan, where  he  continued  as  an  active  repre- 
sentative of  the  profession  until  1878.  He 
then  located  at  White  Lake,  in  Montague 
Village,  Muskegon  county,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  publication  of  a  newspaper 
called  the  Montague  Lumberman.  This  he 
conducted  while  carrying  on  his  law  prac- 
tice, winning  Success  both  as  a  journalist 
and  attorney.  He  was  recognized  as  one  of 
the  prominent  business  men  and  also  as  one 
of  the  important  factors  in  public  life  in 
his  community,  and  his  devotion  to  the  gen- 
eral good  found  recognition  in  his  election 
to  the  presidency  of  the  village  board  for 
a  term  of  two  years.     He  also  served  for 


three  years  on  the  board  of  school  examiners 
of  Muskegon  county  and  retained  his  resi- 
dence there  until  1890,  when  he  removed  to 
Menominee,  in  the  upper  peninsula. 

Mr.  Bracelin  continued  in  the  practice 
of  law  at  Menominee  until  he  came  to  Ber- 
rien county  in  the  fall  of  1897.  He  located 
first  in  Benton  Harbor  but  after  a  short 
time  removed  to  St.  Joseph  in  the  fall  of 
that  year,  and  has  practiced  here  continu- 
ously since,  with  the  exception  of  a  brief 
period  of  three  years  spent  as  a  traveling 
salesman.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  returned  to  his  profession,  which  he  is 
now  following  with  success.  In  1904  he 
was  elected  justice  of  the  peace. 

On  the  20th  of  December,  1871,  in 
Monterey,  Michigan,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Bracelin  and  Miss  Eliza 
Helena  Van  Middlesworth.  They  have 
five  children.  Gertrude  E.,  is  the  wife  of 
John  O.  Davis,  a  member  of  the  Miller- 
Davis  Printing  Company,  of  Minneapolis, 
Minnesota,  and  they  have  one  child,  Dor- 
othy. Grace  Evelynne  is  the  wife  of  Robert 
M.  Ankeny,  of  the  firm  of  Wyman,  Part- 
ridge &  Company,  of  Minneapolis,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Robert  B.  Genevieve  Eliza- 
beth and  Vera  Flelena  are  at  home.  Frank, 
who  married  Bessie  Hilderbrand,  of  Niles, 
Michigan,  is  now  manager  of  the  telephone 
company  at  Anoka,  Minnesota. 

Mr.  Bracelin  votes  with  the  Democracy 
and  is  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  princi- 
ples of  that  great  party  organization.  In 
the  Masonic  fraternity  he  has  taken  the  de- 
grees of  the  lodge,  chapter  and  command- 
ery  and  he  holds  membership  relations  with 
the  Maccabees,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and 
the  Odd  Fellows.  His  social  qualities — a 
genial  nature  and  kindly  disposition — com- 
bined with  his  ability  in  the  line  of  his  pro- 
fession have  made  him  a  representative  and 
respected  citizen  of  St.  Joseph. 

JOSEPH  W.  FRENCH.  Perhaps  no 
citizen  has  done  more  for  Three  Rivers  in 
the  line  of  material  development  and  pros- 
perity than  has  Joseph  W.  French,  who  for 
many  years  was  numbered  among  its  most 
prominent   and   progressive    residents,    and 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


637 


now  makes  his  home  in  Niles.  He  may  well 
be  termed  one  of  the  founders  of  the  city, 
for  he  has  been  the  promoter  of  a  number 
of  its  leading  enterprises  and  the  growth 
and  development  of  a  city  always  depends 
upon  its  commercial  and  industrial  activity. 
His  connection  with  any  undertaking  in- 
sures a  prosperous  outcome  of  the  same,  for 
it  is  in  his  nature  to  carry  forward  to  suc- 
cessful completion  whatever  he  is  associated 
with.  He  has  w^on  for  himself  a  reputation 
as  a  careful  man  of  business  and  in  his  deal- 
ings is  known  for  his  prompt  and  honorable 
methods,  which  have  won  him  the  deserved 
and  unbounded  confidence  of  his  fellowmen. 
Now  he  has  practically  retired  from  busi- 
ness and  since  1905  has  been  a  resident  of 
Niles. 

A  native  of  Connecticut,  Joseph  W. 
French  was  born  in  Oxford  township,  New 
Haven  county,  June  8,  1833,  ^  ^^^^  ^^  David 
and  Elizabeth  (Wooster)  French,  who  were 
likewise  natives  of  the  Charter  Oak  State. 
The  mother  died  at  Three  Rivers,  Michi- 
gan, at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years,  having 
long  survived  her  husband,  who  passed 
away  in  Connecticut  at  the  age  of  fifty  years. 
In  their  family  were  five  children,  of  whom 
four  are  living. 

Joseph  W.  French,  the  third  member 
of  the  family  and  the  only  one  now  residing 
in  Berrien  county,  was  reared  in  Connecti- 
cut and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years  started 
out  in  life  on  his  own  account,  since  which 
time  he  has  depended  entirely  upon  his  own 
resources,  and  the  splendid  business  record 
which  he  has  made  is  therefore  very  credit- 
able. He  taught  school  for  one  winter  in 
his  native  town  and  afterward  went  to  live 
with  an  uncle  at  Deep  River,  Connecticut, 
where  he  remained  for  five  years,  complet- 
ing his  education  there  at  the  high  school. 
He  afterward  learned  the  trade  of  making 
paper  boxes  and  also  became  a  polisher  of 
ivory  combs.  In  1854  he  came  to  Michigan, 
settling  at  Three  Rivers,  where  he  pur- 
chased an  interest  in  the  manufacturing 
business,  devoted  to  the  manufacture  of 
spokes  and  carriage  material,  also  ax  han- 
dles. Two  years  later  he  began  the  manu- 
facture of  wagons,  carriages,  omnibuses  and 


hearses,  and  in  this  enterprise  was  asso- 
ciated with  Julius  D.  Shailer,  of  Boston, 
Massachusetts.  The  firm  was  J.  W.  French 
&  Company  and  they  carried  on  a  very  ex- 
tensive manufacturing  enterprise,  which 
brought  a  gratifying  measure  of  success. 
Mr.  French  w^as  thus  connected  with  trade 
interests  until  1857,  when  he  closed  out  the 
business  and  turned  his  attention  to  the 
manufacture  of  paper.  In  1854  Julius  D. 
Shailer,  in  connection  with  his  associates, 
had  erected  a  paper  mill  at  Three  Rivers, 
having  purchased  the  water  power  there  and 
a  large  amount  of  real  estate.  Mr.  Shailer 
appointed  Mr.  French,  with  power  of  at- 
torney, manager  of  all  his  (Shailer's)  busi- 
ness interests.  Previous  to  this  Mr.  Shailer 
sold  a  half  interest  to  Bradner,  Smith  &  Com- 
pany, of  Chicago.  In  1861  Bradner,  Smith 
&  Company  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the 
business  of  J.  W.  French  &  Company,  man- 
ufacturers of  wagons,  carriages,  etc.  In 
1865  Mr.  French  bought  the  entire  interests 
of  Mr.  Shailer  at  Three  Rivers  and  organ- 
ized the  J.  W.  French  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, manufacturers  of  paper.  He  owned 
one-half  of  all  the  capital  stock  and  the 
other  half  was  owned  by  Bradner,  Smith 
&  Company,  of  Chicago.  In  1872  Bradner, 
Smith  &  Company,  in  connection  with  Mr. 
French,  purchased  a  third  interest  in  the 
water  power  at  Niles,  having  previously 
manufactured  the  first  wood  pulp  at  Three 
Rivers.  This  was  the  first  wood  pulp  made 
west  of  New  York.  It  was  after  that  time 
that  the  paper  mill  was  built  at  Niles.  In 
1885  Mr.  French  bought  out  Bradner,  Smith 
&  Company  and  organized  a  new  company 
knowm  as  the  Three  Rivers  Paper  Company. 
Mr.  French  retained  the  greater  part  of  all 
the  stock  and  was  elected  president  of  the 
company,  with  Willard  W.  French  as  gen- 
eral superintendent,  F.  J.  French  as  treas- 
urer and  J.  E.  Scott  and  Mrs.  J.  W.  French 
as  directors.  On  retiring  from  the  wagon 
and  carriage  making  business  Mr.  French 
began  the  manufacture  of  printing  paper, 
erecting  a  plant  and  carrying  on  a  very  ex- 
tensive business  for  twenty  years.  Prior 
to  that  time  Mr.  French  had  become  inter- 
ested in  flour  mills  in  Three  Rivers,  continu- 


638 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


ing  his  connection  therewith  until  the  de- 
struction of  the  plant  by  fire.  He  was  also 
a  contractor  and  builder  of  the  Michigan 
Air  Line  from  Jackson  to  South  Bend  by 
way  of  Niles,  and  as  long  as  he  was  a  resi- 
dent of  Three  Rivers  he  was  a  director  of 
the  Michigan  Central  system.  As  before 
stated,  in  1872,  in  connection  with  the  firm 
of  Bradner,  Smith  &  Company,  of  Chicago, 
while  they  were  together  as  the  J.  W.  French 
Manufacturing  Company,  they  organized 
the  Michigan  Wood  Pulp  Company  and  pur- 
chased a  third  of  the  water  power  at  Niles. 
They  erected  here  a  plant  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  ground  wood  pulp  and  Mr.  French 
also  became  president  of  this  company.  In 
1880  the  paper  mills  were  erected  and  were 
continuously  operated  until  1905,  when  the 
charter  having  expired  a  new  company  was 
formed  under  the  style  of  the  French  Paper 
Company,  the  stockholders  being  Mr. 
French  of  this  review  and  his  sons.  Mr. 
French  became  president,  W.  J.  Willits,  vice- 
president,  F.  J.  French,  treasurer  and  J.  E. 
French,  secretary.  Theirs  is  one  of  the 
largest  industries  of  Berrien  county,  em- 
ploying two  hundred  and  fifty  skilled  work- 
men, and  the  plant  is  operated  night  and 
day.  Mr.  French  was  also  one  of  the  or- 
ganizers of  the  Marinette  Paper  Company, 
of  Wisconsin,  of  which  he  became  a  large 
stockholder.  He  also  organized  the  com- 
pany which  established  a  paper  mill  at  Tip- 
pecanoe, Indiana,  and  became  general  man- 
ager of  that  business. 

Mr.  French  is  a  man  of  resourceful  busi- 
ness ability,  displaying  ready  recognition  of 
ppportunities  and  utilizing  advantages  to 
the  best  purpose.  He  organized  the  Manu- 
facturers' National  Bank  at  Three  Rivers, 
of  which  he  became  the  vice-president, 
while  J.  B.  Willard  was  president.  On  sell- 
ing his  interest  in  that  enterprise  he  organ- 
ized the  Three  Rivers  National  Bank,  of 
which  he  became  president,  and  on  dispos- 
ing of  his  stock  therein  he  organized  the 
First  State  Bank  of  Three  Rivers,  of  which 
he  became  vice-president,  while  his  nephew, 
W.  J.  Willits  was  president.  This  bank  is 
still  being  conducted  and  is  in  a  flourishing 


condition.  Mr.  French  has  retired  from 
the  institution  and  disposed  of  his  stock.  His 
connection  with  various  banking  interests 
has  made  him  well  known  as  a  financier  and 
he  stands  today  among  those  who  have 
wielded  a  wide  influence  in  commercial,  in- 
dustrial and  financial  circles.  It  has  been 
said  that  a  man  who  each  week  pays  out  of 
liis  coffers  hundreds  of  employes  does  much 
more  for  the  country  than  he  who  leads 
army  forces  into  battle.  This  Mr.  French 
has  done  and  has  contributed  in  substantial 
measure  to  the  business  development  and 
prosperity  of  the  state  as  well  as  to  indi- 
vidual success.  He  has  always  been  just  in 
his  treatment  of  his  employes  and  while  de- 
manding faithful  and  efficient  service  he  has 
in  return  given  a  good  wage  and  has  pro- 
moted those  in  his  employ  as  opportunity 
has  offered,  thus  recognizing  able  and  loyal 
work.  For  almost  a  half  century  he  was 
connected  with  every  enterprise  that  had 
bearing  upon  the  business  development,  the 
welfare,  progress  and  prosperity  of  Three 
Rivers  and  in  addition  to  his  various  cor- 
porate interests  he  also  owns  extensive  coal 
lands  in  Virginia,  having  twenty-two  hun- 
dred acres  and  operates  coal  mines  and  man- 
ufactures coke  in  the  town.  He  made  his 
home  in  Three  Rivers  until  1904  and  in 
the  latter  part  of  that  year  went  to  Cali- 
fornia. Upon  his  return  to  Michigan  he 
settled  in  Niles,  where  he  now  resides.  He 
has  recently  erected  a  comfortable  and  pal- 
atial residence  in  which  to  spend  his  remain- 
ing days.  It  is  built  in  a  most  attractive 
style  of  architecture  and  its  furnishings  in- 
dicate a  refined  and  cultured  taste  combined 
with  the  evidences  of  wealth  and  comfort. 
Mr.  French  was  happily  married  in  1856 
at  Deep  River,  Connecticut,  to  Miss  Emily 
J.  Wright,  a  native  of  that  city.  They  have 
three  sons :  Willard  W.,  living  at  Three 
Rivers,  Michigan,  married  Alice  Blakesley, 
of  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  and  they  have 
four  children,  Joseph  W.,  Edward  B.,  Ed- 
win V.  and  Alice  Mabel.  Frank  J.,  living  at 
Niles  and  interested  in  the  French  Paper 
Mills,  was  married  to  Miss  Minnie  Craw^- 
ford,  of  Boston,  Massachusetts.    They  have 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


639 


two  children,  Aline  and  Natilie.  Joseph  E., 
the  youngest  son,  is  living  in  Niles  and  is 
represented  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Mr.  French  is  a  Republican,  and  for 
three  years  was  president  of  the  city  council 
at  Three  Rivers,  Michigan.  His  attention, 
however,  has  been  largely  given  to  his  busi- 
ness .interests  without  aspiration  for  office 
and  he  may  well  be  classed  among  the  ''cap- 
tains  of  industry''  in  Michigan,  his  labors 
being  an  important  factor  in  making  this 
state  a  great  productive  center.  He  has 
been  closely  associated  with  its  important 
material  industries  and  his  efforts  have  been 
discerningly  directed  along  wxU  defined 
lines  of  labor  that  always  reach  the  object- 
ive point.  A  man  of  distinct  and  forceful 
individuality,  of  broad  mentality  and  most 
mature  judgment,  he  has  left  and  is  leaving 
his  impress  upon  the  industrial  world.  While 
not  active  in  the  management  of  any  enter- 
prise which  he  aided  to  establish  and  con- 
duct, he  yet  gives  supervision  to  his  invested 
interests  and  for  years  he  was  a  capable 
factor  in  the  development  of  the  natural 
resources  of  the  state,  contributing  in  large 
measure  to  its  material  prosperity  as  well 
as  to  his  individual  success.  His  business 
methods,  too,  have  made  him  an  honorable 
record  and  he  stands  foremost  in  that  class 
of  men  whose  careers  excite  the  admiration 
and  win  the  respect  of  their  contemporaries. 

JAMES  E.  HARDER,  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  war  living  in  Niles,  was  born  in  New 
York  in  1844.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
William  N.  Harder,  married  a  Miss  Smith 
and  had  a  large  family  of  sons,  including 
William  N.  Harder,  Jr.,  who  was  born  in 
the  state  of  New  York  in  1797.  For  many 
years  he  remained  there,  coming  to  Michi- 
gan in  1858,  at  which  time  he  settled  upon 
a  farm  of  two  hundred  acres  about  three 
miles  from  Niles.  This  he  cleared  and  im- 
proved, transforming  what  was  once  a  wild 
tract  into  a  place  of  rich  fertility  and  pro- 
ductiveness. He  followed  general  farming 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1865,  when  he  was  about  sixty-eight 
years  of  age.  In  New  York  he  had  mar- 
T*ied  Miss  Jane  Eliza  Horton,  who  was  born 


in  that  state  in  1801,  and  died  in  1885,  ^^ 
the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  In  the  family 
were  nine  children,  seven  sons  and  two 
daughters. 

James  E.  Harder,  the  youngest  of  the 
family  and  the  only  one  now  living  in  Ber- 
rien county,  spent  the  first  fourteen  years 
of  his  life  in  the  state  of  his  nativity  and 
then  came  with  his  parents  to  Michigan. 
His  education,  began  in  the  schools  of  New 
York,  was  continued  in  Michigan,  and  he 
completed  his  course  in  Kalamazoo  College, 
where  he  pursued  a  commercial  course,  thus 
being  qualified  for  life's  practical  and  re- 
sponsible duties.  He  taught  school  for  a 
number  of  years  and  under  the  old  system 
of  public  instruction  acted  as  superinten- 
dent of  schools  in  Howard  township,  Cass 
county,  Michigan.  Later  he  came  to  Niles 
and  retiring  from  educational  work  engaged 
in  the  conduct  of  a  mercantile  enterprise, 
handling  agricultural  implements,  coal, 
wood  and  other  commodities  under  the  firm 
name  of  Harder  &  Haynes.  He  conducted 
the  business  for  six  or  seven  years  and  later 
went  upon  the  road  as  a  traveling  sales- 
man, representing  a  carriage  and  buggy 
house.  To  that  work  he  gave  his  attention 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  is  now  engaged 
in  dealing  in  milk  and  has  a  large  route  in 
Niles,  having  secured  many  patrons  from 
among  the  best  class  of  citizens.  He  does 
not  keep  cows  himself  but  buys  the  milk 
which  he  retails  throughout  the  city. 

At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Harder 
responded  to  the  country's  call  for  aid  in 
1864,  enlisting  as  a  private  of  Company  C, 
Fifteenth  Michigan  Infantry,  with  which  he 
served  until  mustered  out  after  the  cessation 
of  hostilities  at  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  in 
August,  1865.  The  regiment  was  attached 
to  Sherman's  army  but  entering  the  services 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  war,  did  not 
see  much  duty  on  the  active  field  of  battle. 
Mr.  Harder  also  had  two  brothers  who 
were  soldiers  of  the  Civil  war,  but  both  are 
now  deceased.  Tunis  S.  Harder  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Seventeenth  Michigan  Infantry, 
while  John  N.  joined  Company  E  of  the 
Twelfth  Michigan  Infantry,  which  company 
was  formed  at  Niles.     On  one  occasion  he 


640 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


was  taken  prisoner  but  later  was  exchanged. 
Afterward  he  was  appointed  a  United  States 
detective  for  the  army  and  was  located  at 
Memphis,  Tennessee. 

Following  his  return  home  from  the  war 
Mr.   Harder  was  married  in   1867  to  Miss 
Euphrina    Abbe,    who  was    born    in    Van 
Buren  county,  Michigan,  and  died  in  1871, 
leaving  a  son,  William  N.  Harder,  who  was 
born  in  Niles  and  married  Margaret  Gow. 
William   Harder   was    for  fifteen   years   at 
Washington,    D.   C,  as  an  employe  in  the 
pension  department  and  for  some  years  was 
a   pension   examiner,     located    at     Marion, 
Ohio.     While  in  Washington  he  studied  law 
and     was     graduated    from    the    National 
Washington  Law^  School.    He  went  to  Mar- 
ion,  Ohio,   how^ever,   as   pension   examiner, 
but  when  his  term  of  office  had  expired  he 
entered  upon  the  active  practice  of  law  at 
that  place  and  is  still  located  there  as  an 
able  member  of  the  bar.      In   1876  James 
E.   Harder  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Florence  Cleland,  who  w^as 
born  in  Niles  and  is  a  daughter  of  Andrew 
J.  Cleland,  who  is  still  living  at  the  age  of 
eighty-four   years,   making   his   home   with 
Mr.    Harder.      He  came  from   New   York 
state  of  Michigan  as  one  of  the  first  se'ttlers 
in  this  part  of  the  state  and  has  for  years 
been  a  witness  of  the  development  and  pro- 
gress that  have  wrought  a  wonderful  trans- 
formation here.     Three  children  have  been 
born    of    Mr.     Harder's  second  marriage: 
Worth  C,  who  was  born  in  Niles  and  is  a 
newspaper  reporter  connected  with  the  Min- 
neapolis   Tribune;    J.     Harrold,   who    was 
born  in  Niles  and  is  a  newspaper  reporter 
on  the  Niles  Star;  and  Florence,  who  was 
born  in  Niles  and  is  yet  with  her  parents. 
The  family  attend  the  Presbyterian  church, 
take  an  active  interest  in  its  work  and  are 
accounted   helpful   members.      Mr.    Flarder 
has  served  as  elder  since  1877  and  has  done 
all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  growth  and 
extend  the  influence  of  the  church.     He  like- 
wise belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  to 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  to  the 
Royal  Arcanum.     His  political  allegiance  is 
given   to  the   Republican   party.      He  was 
supervisor  of  the  third  ward  at  Niles  and 


at  the  present  writing  is  alderman  for  that 
ward,  so  that  he  is  now  serving  on  the  city 
council.  He  exercises  his  official  preroga- 
tives in  support  of  all  measures  that  he 
deems  of  public  benefit  and  is  a  thoroughly 
reliable  business  man  whether  in  citizenship 
or  in  business  life. 

REV.  CHARLES  ACER,  for  many 
years  a  minister  of  the  Baptist  denomination 
but  now  living  retired  from  the  more  active 
pastoral  duties,  although  his  zeal  and  in- 
terest in  the  work  has  never  abated,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Albany,  New  York,  and  a  son  of  C. 
C.  and  Elizabeth  (Bradshaw)  Ager,  the 
former  a  native  of  Windsor,  Vermont,  and 
the  latter  of  the  Empire  state. 

Rev.  Ager  spent  his  early  boyhood  days 
upon  his  father's  farm  and  thus  became  fa- 
miliar with  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall 
to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist  through  prac- 
tical experience  in  the  work  of  the  fields. 
He  was  a  student  in  the  schools  of  Albany 
and  also  of  the  academy  at  Schoharie  Court 
House.      Subsequently   he   entered    Colgate 
University,   from  which  institution  he  w^as 
graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1856. 
His  entire  life  has  been  devoted  to  educa- 
tional work  either  from  the  schoolroom  or 
from  the  pulpit,  and  in  every  community  in 
which  he  has  lived  he  has  contributed  to  the 
intellectual  and  moral  progress  of  his  fellow 
citizens.      Following  his  graduation  he  ac- 
cepted the  position  of  teacher  in  the  Union 
schools  of  Cassopolis,   Michigan,   where  he 
remained  during  1858  and  1859,  acting  as 
principal  of  the  high  school  there.     In  the 
latter  year  he  went    to    Goshen,    Indiana, 
where  he  entered  upon  the  active  ministerial 
work    as    pastor    of    the    Goshen    Baptist 
Church.     In  i860  he  was  ordained  as  a  min- 
ister of  the  gospel,  his  first  pastorate  being 
at  Goshen,  Indiana,  where  he  remained  for 
three  and  a  half  years.     He  then  went  to 
South   Bend,   Indiana,   wdiere   he   continued 
for  three  years  and  on  the  expiration  of  that 
period  be  removed  to  Aurora,   Indiana,  to 
accept  a  call  from  the  Baptist  Church  of  that 
place,  where  he  continued  for  thirteen  years, 
doing  much  in  the  work  of  the  cause  and 
winning  the  entire  love  and  trust  of  his  peo- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


641 


pie  and  of  many  other  denominations  as 
well.  He  then  resigned  to  accept  the  pas- 
torate of  the  church  in  Goshen,  Indiana, 
where  he  had  begun  his  ministerial  work  and 
the  second  period  of  his  residence  there  cov- 
ered three  years.  In  1881  he  came  to  Niles, 
where  he  has  since  resided,  and  from  1883 
until  February,  1889,  he  supplied  the  pulpit 
of  the  Baptist  Church  at  Cassopolis,  but 
continued  to  make  his  home  in  this  city.  It 
was  an  exceptionally  pleasant  task  for  him 
to  minister  to  those  who  had  in  years  before 
been  his  pupils  in  the  high  school  at  Cass- 
opolis.  He  has  now  retired  from  active 
ministerial  duties  although  he  occasionally 
preaches  and  he  yet  displays  in  his  dis- 
courses the  fervor  and  zeal  of  his  younger 
days.  The  spirit  of  piety  and  earnestness 
in  the  cause  of  religion  has  ever  been  among 
his  prominent  characteristics  and  has  been 
an  important  factor  in  his  success  as  a 
pastor. 

Rev.  Ager  was  married  on  the  25th  of 
November,  1858,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Sherrill, 
who  was  born  in  New  York  but  at  the  time 
of  her  marriage  was  living  in  Niles.  She  is 
a  daughter  of  Marcus  and  Amanda  M.  Sher- 
rill. Unto  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Ager  has  been 
born  a  daughter,  Katharyne,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Dr.  A.  O.  Ullrey,  a  prominent  physician 
in  Niles.  On  the  28th  of  July,  1901,  Mrs. 
Ager  departed  this  life  after  a  long  ill- 
ness, lamented  by  a  large  circle  of  friends 
and  acquaintances.  On  the  29th  of  October, 
1903,  Mr.  Ager  married  Mrs.  Eloise  F. 
Hutton,  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Jane 
Mendenhall,  of  Pokagon  township.  Ber- 
rien county,  Michigan,  a  family  noted 
among  the  pioneers  of  Berrien  county. 
Their  home  is  the  center  of  a  cultured 
society  circle,  in  which  intelligence  and 
true  worth  are  given  their  due  prominence. 
While  Mr.  Ager  has  never  been  very  active 
in  political  work  yet  he  has  formed  his  own 
opinions  from  reading  and  investigation  and 
recognizes  that  it  is  the  duty  as  well  as  the 
privilege  of  every  American  citizen  to  sup- 
port the  measures  which  he  deems  will  prove 
of  greatest  benefit  to  the  country.  He  there- 
fore gives  his  influence  and  ballot  to  the  Re- 
publican party.  He  is  highly  esteemed 
41 


throughout  Berrien  county  and  wherever 
known.  He  is  a  man  of  broad  scholarly  at- 
tainments and  humanitarian  principles  and 
has  ever  manifested  a  spirit  of  deep  human 
sympathy  and  helpfulness  that  has  won  him 
the  regard  and  esteem  of  his  fellowmen  and 
has  been  a  potent  element  in  his  efforts  to 
uplift  his  fellow  men. 

GEORGE  E.  FLOWER  is  proprietor 
of  a  department  store  which  he  established  in 
1897  at  Niles.  It  would  be  a  credit  to  a 
city  of  much  larger  size  and  is  an  indication 
of  the  enterprising  spirit,  business  capacity 
and  broad  outlook  of  the  owner.  Mr.  Flower 
is  yet  a  young  man  and  has  attained  a  nota- 
ble success  for  one  of  his  years.  He  was 
born  in  London,  England,  in  1870  and  when 
but  four  years  of  age  was  brought  to  Amer- 
ica by  his  parents  who  settled  in  Toronto,. 
Canada,  where  the  son  pursued  his  education 
in  the  public  schools.  In  1890,  when  a 
young  man  of  twenty  years,  he  crossed  the 
border  into  ''the  states"  and  made  his  way 
to  Springfield,  Ohio,  becoming  manager 
there  of  the  cloak  department  in  a  large  re- 
tail dry  goods  house.  He  had  previously 
had  some  experience  in  merchandising,  hav- 
ing been  employed  in  a  dry  goods  store  in 
Canada,  before  removing  to  Ohio.  He  had 
acted  for  three  years  as  manager  of  a  branch 
store  in  Toronto,  Canada.  He  remained  in 
Springfield,  Ohio,  for  a  year  and  then  went 
to  Cleveland,  where  he  became  manager  of 
the  cloak  department  of  the  firm  of  Bailey 
&  Company.  He  next  made  his  way  west 
of  the  Mississippi,  settling  at  Keokuk,  Iowa, 
where  he  accepted  the  position  of  man- 
ager of  the  cloak  department  of  a  large 
house  here.  He  was  afterward  made 
manager  of  the  dry  goods  store  by  the  same 
firm,  continuing  at  Keokuk  for  three  years, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  he  went  to  Mon- 
mouth, Illinois  and  became  manager  of  the 
dry  goods  business  of  John  C.  Allen,  con- 
tinuing at  the  head  of  the  establishment  for 
a  year.  Every  change  had  been  one  in  ad- 
vance and  year  by  year  he  added  to  his  capi- 
tal through  his  industry  and  economy  until 
he  had  acquired  a  sum  sufficient  to  justify 
his  embarkation  in  business  on  his  own  ac- 


^42 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


count.  In  the  fall  of  1897  he  came  to  Niles, 
Michigan,  and  opened  a  department  store. 
This  is  a  large  establishment  for  a  city  of 
this  size.  He  carries  a  large  line  of  goods, 
each  department  being  well  equipped  and 
has  successfully  conducted  his  enterprise  to 
the  present  time,  his  trade  steadily  growing 
until  it  has  reached  extensive  and  profitable 
proportions.  He  is  widely  and  justly  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  progressive  and  enter- 
prising merchants  of  Niles.  He  has  a  large 
and  varied  business  training,  is  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  demands  of  the  trade, 
and  while  keeping  in  touch  with  modern 
business  methods  he  is  found  to  be  thor- 
oughly trustworthy  in  all  his  dealings.  The 
position  which  he  has  won  in  commercial 
circles  here  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  was 
honored  with  election  to  the  position  of  sec- 
retary of  the  Business  Men's  Association. 
He  is  taking  a  very  active  and  helpful  part 
in  its  work  and  also  contributes  to  the  wel- 
fare of  the  city  along  other  lines,  his  co-oper- 
ation being  given  to  many  movements  for 
the  general  good  and  for  public  progress. 
He  is  now  vice  president  of  the  Prosperity 
Building  &  Loan  Association  and  president 
of  the  Security  Loan  &  Building  Association, 
w^hich  have  been  essential  features  in  the 
development  and  improvement  of  Niles.  He 
votes  with  the  Republican  party  and  could 
undoubtedly  win  various  offices  had  he  as- 
piration in  that  direction.  He  was  offered 
"the  nomination  of  mayor  but  refused,  pre- 
ferring to  concentrate  his  time  and  attention 
upon  his  business  affairs  and  the  perform- 
ance of  public  service  in  the  capacity  of  a 
private  citizen. 

Mr.  Flower  was  married  October  10, 
1903,  in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  to  Miss  Emma 
Weess,  who  was  born  in  Keokuk,  and  their 
attractive  home  is  justly  celebrated  for  its 
■gracious  hospitality.  Mr.  Flower  is  a  genial, 
courteous  gentleman,  a  pleasant,  entertain- 
ing companion  and  has  made  stanch  and  ad- 
Tniring  friends  among  all  classes.  As  an 
energetic,  upright  and  conscientious  mer- 
chant and  a  gentleman  of  attractive  social 
qualities  he  stands  high  in  the  estimation 
of  the  entire  community. 


SALMA  BARMORE,  who  is  con- 
ducting a  drug  business  which  he  estab- 
lished in  1904  and  who  has  been  connected 
with  commercial  interests  in  Niles  since 
1898,  was  born  in  Laporte  county,  Indiana, 
his  natal  year  being  1849.  When  a  little 
lad  of  three  summers  he  was  brought  to 
Michigan  by  his  parents  who  settled  in  Bu- 
chanan. He  is  a  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Mary 
(Tate)  Barmore,  the  former  a  native  of 
New  York  and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  Nathaniel 
Barmore  learned  and  followed  the  black- 
smith's trade,  giving  his  attention  to  that 
pursuit  to  some  years  after  his  removal  to 
Buchanan,  but  later  he  turned  his  attention 
to  agricultural  pursuits  which  continued  to 
occupy  his  time  and  attention  until  he  re- 
tired from  active  business  life.  He  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy-eight  years  and  his  wife 
passed  away  in  1850. 

Salma  Barmore  acquired  his  education 
in  Buchanan  in  the  district  schools  near  his 
father's  farm.  Not  desiring,  however,  to 
engage  in  agricultural  pursuits  as  a  life  work 
he  sought  to  secure  a  position  in  the  store 
of  William  Osborn,  a  druggist  of  Buchanan, 
entering  his  employ  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
years  and  remaining  with  him  continuously 
for  eight  or  nine  years,  a  fact  which  indi- 
cates his  trustworthiness  and  capable  service. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  went 
upon  the  road  as  a  traveling  salesman,  rep- 
resenting a  Chicago  drug  house  for  two 
years.  He  then  returned  to  Buchanan  and 
engaged  in  the  conduct  of  a  drug  store  on 
his  own  account,  being  thus  associated  with 
its  trade  interests  for  twelve  years.  In  1898 
he  came  to  Niles  and  for  five  years  was  in 
the  employ  of  F.  W.  Richter,  proprietor  of 
a  drug  store,  at  the  end  of  which  time,  in 
1904,  he  established  his  present  drug  busi- 
ness, which  he  is  now  conducting.  He  car- 
ries a  full  and  complete  line  of  drug  and 
sundry  goods  and  the  neat  and  tasteful  ar- 
rangement of  the  store  combined  with  his 
reliable  methods  are  bringing  him  a  large 
and  gratifying  patronage. 

In  Buchanan,  Michigan,  in  1876,  Mr. 
Barmore  was  married  to  Miss  Martha  E. 
Richards,  a  daughter  of  George  H.  Rich- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


643 


ards,  of  Buchanan.  They  have  an  adopted 
daughter,  Thursa.  Mr.  Barmore  and  his 
family  attend  the  Presbyterian  church.  He 
is  prominent  in  the  Masonic  order  in  which 
he  has  taken  the  degrees  of  the  lodge,  chap- 
ter, council  and  commandery,  thus  gaining 
the  highest  rank  in  Masony.  He  is  also 
connected  with  the  Knights  of  the  Macca- 
bees. His  interest  in  the  political  issues  and 
questions  of  the  day  has  led  him  to  give 
earnest  and  unfaltering  support  to  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  while  in  Buchanan  he 
served  as  township  clerk  for  two  years,  as 
township  treasurer  for  one  term  and  as  a 
member  of  the  city  council  for  two  terms  of 
two  years  each.  He  has  resided  continu- 
ously in  Michigan  since  1852,  covering  a 
period  of  more  than  half  a  century,  and  he 
has  therefore  witnessed  many  changes 
which  have  occurred  in  this  extended  period 
as  pioneer  conditions  have  given  way  before 
advancing  civilization.  He  is  alert  and  en- 
terprising in  his  business  affairs  and  equally 
progressive  in  public  interests  and  is  ac- 
counted a  valued  addition  to  commercial 
circles  in  Niles. 

CHARLES  M.  MONTAGUE,  now 
successfully  conducting  a  hardware  store, 
has  by  the  careful  and  judicious  use  of  the 
advantages  which  have  come  to  him  won  a 
place  among  the  leading  merchants  of  Niles. 
''Opportunity  is  hard  to  find  and  easy  to 
lose,"  so  runs  the  old  Japanese  maxim,  and 
with  a  realization  of  this  Mr.  Montague  has 
used  his  chances  to  work  his  way  upward. 
He  was  born  in  Niles  in  1876,  the  only 
child  of  John  A.  and  Helen  I.  (Johnson) 
Montague.  The  mother,  who  is  still  living, 
was  born  in  this  city  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Alfred  W.  Johnson  of  Niles.  The  father, 
wdio  was  born  in  Conneautville,  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  1 84 1,  died  in  Niles  in  1903.  He 
was  reared  in  Crawford  county,  of  the  Key- 
stone state,  and  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
war  he  responded  to  the  country's  first  call 
for  aid,  enlisting  in  1861  as  captain  of  Com- 
pany B,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-seventh 
Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry,  with 
which  he  served  until  the  close  of  hostili- 
ties.    He  was  in  many  hotly  contested  bat- 


tles and  engagements,  the  most  important 
of  which  was  the  battle  of  Antietam.  After 
the  war  he  had  charge  for  some  years,  as 
superintendent,  of  the  mail  delivery  in 
Washington,  D.  C.  In  1867  he  came  to 
Michigan,  settling  in  Niles,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  the  hardware  business,  first  as 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  Krick  &  Montague 
and  shortly  afterward  alone,  having  pur- 
chased his  partner's  interest.  He  then  con- 
ducted his  store  for  some  time,  but  after- 
vvard  sold  out  his  stock  of  hardware  and 
engaged  in  the  sale  of  buggies,  carriages 
and  agricultural  implements  for  several 
years.  Later  he  again  entered  mercantile 
circles  as  proprietor  of  a  hardware  store, 
which  he  conducted  carefully  and  success- 
fully until  his  death,  which  occurred  when 
he  was  about  sixty-two  years  of  age.  In 
his  political  views  he  was  a  Republican  and 
while  he  always  avoided  public  office  he  was 
interested  in  the  welfare  of  Niles  and  the 
county  and  as  a  private  citizen  labored  for 
the  public  good. 

Charles  M.  Montague  mastered  the 
studies  taught  in  the  primary  and  grammar 
grades  of  the  public  schools,  also  attended 
the  high  school  and  later  became  a  student 
in  Notre  Dame  University  in  Indiana. 
After  leaving  school  he  engaged  in  clerking 
for  three  years  in  his  father's  hardware 
store  and  then  became  teller  in  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Niles,  where  he  remained 
for  four  years  or  until  the  failure  of  the 
bank.  He  afterward  became  assistant  to 
the  receiver  and  continued  to*  act  in  that 
capacity  until  1903,  when  on  account  of  the 
death  of  his  father  he  resigned  to  take 
charge  of  the  hardware  business  and  other 
affairs  of  the  estate.  He  has  since  con- 
ducted the  store  and  watchful  of  opportu- 
nities pointing  to  success  has  managed  the 
business  so  as  to  make  it  one  of  the  profit- 
able and  thriving  commercial  concerns  of 
Niles.  He  now  carries  a  good  line  of  shelf 
and  heavy  hardware  and  is  doing  a  nice 
business,  and  is  also  a  retail  coal  dealer. 
This  does  not  altogether  represent  the  ex- 
tent of  his  business  interests,  however,  for 
he  is  a  director  of  the  National  Rawhide  & 
Belting  Company  of  Niles  and  is  secretary 


644 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


and  director  of  the  Security  Loan  &  Build- 
ing Association  of  Niles,  this  being  the  old- 
est institution  of  this  character  in  the  city. 
Mr.  Montague  has  been  married  twice. 
He  first  wedded  Helen  M.  Quimby,  a  sister 
of  Charles  S.  Quimby^  who  is  mentioned 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  His  present  wife, 
Jessie  A.  Worth,  is  a  native  of  Holyoke, 
Massachusetts.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Montague 
attend  the  Episcopal  church  and  he  is  a 
prominent  Mason  belonging  to  the  blue 
lodge,  chapter,  council  and  commandery  at 
Niles  and  to  the  Mystic  Shrine  at  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan.  In  politics  he  is  a  stal- 
wart Republican  where  national  issues  are 
involved,  but  at  local  elections  votes  an  in- 
dependent ticket,  considering  only  the  capa- 
bility and  trustworthiness  of  the  candidate 
and  supporting  all  measures  which  he  deems 
will  prove  of  public  benefit.  He  is  a  young 
man  well  known  in  Niles^  his  native  city, 
and  has  made  for  himself  a  creditable  place 
and  reputation  in  business  circles,  while  his 
friends  are  almost  as  numerous  as  his  ac- 
quaintances. 

WILLIAM  CHAMBERLAIN,  whose 
name  is  on  the  roll  of  Berrien  county's  hon- 
ored dead,  having  in  his  life  won  distinction 
as  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  represent- 
ative citizens  of  this  part  of  the  state,  not 
only  controlled  important  business  interests 
but  was  also  a  factor  in  political  life  and 
a  promoter  of  varied  and  important  move- 
ments that  had  direct  bearing  upon  the  ma- 
terial, intellectual,  social  and  moral  progress 
of  his  section  of  the  state.  He  was  born 
in  Pembroke,  New  Hampshire,  on  the  7th 
of  February,  1834,  and  is  descended  from 
one  of  the  old  colonial  families  of  Massa- 
chusetts. The  name  of  Samuel  Chamber- 
lain appears  upon  the  early  records  of  the 
Massachusetts  Bay  colony.  Representa- 
tives of  the  name  lived  in  Ipswich  and  Bos- 
ton, Massachusetts,  while  the  parents,  grand- 
parents and  great-grandparents  made  their 
homes  in  the  vicinity  of  Concord,  New 
Hampshire.  Jacob  Chamberlain,  born  in 
1691,  probably  at  Maiden,  Massachusetts, 
was  a  son  of  John  Chamberlain,  and  a 
grandson  of  Edward  Chamberlain,  of  Chel- 


ford,  Massachusetts.  Edward  came  from 
England,  and  was  therefore  the  progenitor 
of  the  family  in  the  new  world.  Samuel 
Chamberlain,  great-grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  a  resident  of  New  Hampshire.  His 
son,  Samuel  Chamberlain,  served  as  a  lieu- 
tenant in  the  war  for  independence.  Sam- 
uel Chamberlain  and  his  son  Moses  were 
both  in  service  as  substitutes  for  a  short 
period  during  the  Revolutionary  war.  Sev- 
enteen of  Mr.  Chamberlain's  ancestors 
served  in  the  colonial  wars.  Jacob  Cham- 
berlain, previously  mentioned,  born  in  1691, 
died  in  1734.  He  married  Abigail  Hasey,. 
who  was  born  in  1695,  and  died  in  1793. 
Samuel  Chamberlain,  son  of  Jacob  and  Abi- 
gail (Hasey)  Chamberlain,  was  born  in 
1724,  and  died  in  1802.  He  married  Mar- 
tha Mellen,  who  was  born  in  1730,  and  died 
in  1820.  Her  ancestry  can  be  traced  back 
to  Simon  Mellen,  a  son  of  Richard  Mellen. 
Simon  Mellen  was  born  in  1640,  and  died 
in  1694. 

Moses  Chamberlain,  a  son  of  Samuel 
and  Martha  (Mellen)  Chamberlain,  was- 
born  in  1757,  and  died  in  181 1.  He  was  the 
grandfather  of  William  Chamberlain  of  this 
review.  He  married  Rebecca  Abbot,  who 
was  born  in  1760,  and  died  in  1846.  She 
had  two  half  brothers  and  two  own  brothers,, 
all  of  whom  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
war  and  three  of  them  died  in  service. 

Moses  Chamberlain,  son  of  Moses  and 
Rebecca  (Abbot)  Chamberlain,  of  Loudon, 
New  Hampshire,  was  born  in  1792,  and  de- 
parted this  Hfe  in  1866.  He  married  Mary 
Foster,  who  was  born  in  1797,  and  passed 
away  in  1870.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Abiel 
and  Susanah  (Moore)  Foster.  Her  father 
was  born  in  1773,  and  died  in  1846,  while  his 
wife  was  born  at  Canterbury,  New  Hamp- 
shire, April  9,  1775.  Rev.  Foster  was 
a  resident  of  Canterbury,  New  Hampshire, 
and  for  eighteen  years  was  a  member  of 
congress  under  the  confederation  and  con- 
stitution. In  the  maternal  line  the  ancestry 
can  be  traced  back  to  the  Rev.  Nathaniel 
Rogers,  who  went  to  Ipswich,  Massa- 
chusetts, in  1636,  and  was  the  first  minister 
there.  His  son,  John  Rogers,  was  also  a 
minister  here  and  was  the  second  president: 


/^f     ^  (v^^^^'^^^^^cW^u.^  » 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


645 


of  Harvard  University.  His  son,  John 
Rogers  II,  also  engaged  in  preaching  the 
.gospel  at  Ipswich,  Massachusetts,  and  was 
the  father  of  Samuel  Rogers,  who  was  like- 
wise a  public  ofificer  and  a  man  of  affairs. 
It  was  his  daughter  Mary  who  became  the 
wife  of  Rev.  Abiel  Foster,  mentioned  above. 
Thomas  Dudley,  another  ancestor,  was 
either  governor  or  deputy  governor  of  the 
colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay  from  1630 
until  1 65 1.  He  was  connected  with  Revolu- 
tionary fame. 

The  marriage  of  Moses  Chamberlain  and 
Rebecca  Abbot  was  celebrated  June  18, 
181 7,  at  which  time  Mr.  Chamberlain  was 
a  "trader"  at  Pembroke,  New  Hampshire, 
where  he  had  lived  for  a  year  or  more.  The 
old  family  residence  there  which  was  built 
by  the  father  in  1820  is  still  standing  in  an 
excellent  state  of  preservation.  The  chil- 
dren born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chamberlain 
were:  Mary  Foster,  born  November  3,  1818, 
married  Hale  E.  Crosby  at  Concord,  New 
Hampshire,  November  i,  1838.  Mellen 
was  born  June  4,  1821.  He  was  a  grad- 
uate of  Dartmouth  College  and  Harvard^* 
Law  School ;  commenced  the  practice  of  law 
in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  in  1848;  was 
•chief  justice  of  the  municipal  court  of  that 
city  for  some  years;  was  librarian  of  the 
Boston  city  library  from  1876  to  1890,  when 
he  resigned;  member  of  the  Massachusetts 
house  and  senate ;  gave  to  the  Boston  city 
library  a  large  and  valuable  collection  of 
autographs  and  manuscripts;  wrote  many 
valuable  historical  works.  Henry  w^as  born 
March  17,  1824.  Elizabeth,  born  October 
18,  1826,  was  married  October  18,  1849. 
William  of  this  review  was  the  next  mem- 
ber of  the  family.  Extended  mention  of 
his  brother,  Henry  Chamberlain,  the 
founder  of  Three  Oaks,  is  made  on  another 
page  of  this  work. 

William  Chamberlain  was  only  about 
nine  years  of  age  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  from  New  England 
to  New  Buffalo,  Michigan.  He  acquired  a 
common-school  education,  spending  about 
three  months  each  year  in  the  mastery  of 
the  common  branches  of  English  learning 
until  seventeen  years  of  age.  He  afterward 
worked  upon  the  home  farm  until  twenty- 


seven  years  of  age,  but  in  the  meantime  en- 
gaged to  some  extent  in  buying  and  selling 
stock.  In  1864  he  removed  to  Three  Oaks 
and  became  a  factor  in  its  mercantile  life 
as  a  dealer  in  hardware  and  general  mer- 
chandise. He  also  handled  wool,  grain  and 
produce.  The  business  was  conducted  suc- 
cessively by  the  firms  of  Chamberlain,  Mc- 
Kie  &  Company,  Chamberlain  &  Company, 
Chamberlain  &  Churchill,  Chamberlain  & 
Hatfield,  Chamberlain,  Warren  &  Hatfield, 
and  from  1864  until  1890  Mr.  Chamberlain 
thus  continued  active  in  business.  He  also 
made  banking  a  feature  of  his  enterprise 
and  was  president  of  the  bank.  Moreover 
he  promoted  various  other  business  inter- 
ests which  have  had  direct  and  important 
bearing  upon  the  development  and  substan- 
tial progress  of  Three  Oaks.  He  was  con- 
nected with  the  Warren  Featherbone  Whip 
Company  and  the  Warren  Featherbone  Cor- 
set Company.  He  was  the  first  to  buy  and 
ship  cattle  and  hogs  from  this  place. 

Mr.  Chamberlain  was  married  in  March, 
1857,  in  Canterbury,  New  Hampshire,  to 
Miss  Caroline  S.  Chamberlain,  a  cousin.  She 
was  born  in  Canterbury,  October  29,  1834, 
her  parents  being  John  and  Mary  (Clough) 
Chamberlain,  natives  of  the  old  Granite 
State,  in  which  they  spent  their  entire  lives. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chamberlain  of  this  re- 
view were  born  three  sons  and  four  daugli- 
ters :  Alice,  the  wife  of  James  H.  Hatfield, 
president  of  the  Kalamazoo  Corset  Com- 
pany; Grace  A.,  the  wife  of  Daniel  Tellier, 
a  mechanic  of  Kalamazoo,  Michigan ;  Moses 
Abbott,  who  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years 
was  a  page  in  the  Michigan  senate  and  died 
at  the  age  of  fifteen  years;  Lucy  Florence, 
the  wife  of  Fred  Parsons,  of  Bridgeport, 
Connecticut,  where  he  is  engaged  in  real  es- 
tate and  other  business  operations;  Carrie 
E.,  the  wife  of  Dr.  E.  L.  McCann,  a  prac- 
ticing physician  of  Chicago;  William 
Oliver,  a  traveling  salesman;  and  Benjamin, 
at  home. 

Mr.  Chamberlain  was  regarded  for  many 
years  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  in- 
fluential residents  of  the  county.  He  held 
all  of  the  township  offices  save  that  of  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  and  treasurer.  He  was 
county  superintendent  of  the  poor  from  1861 


646 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


until  1880  and  postmaster  of  Three  Oaks 
from  1870  until  1872.  In  the  latter  year 
he  was  elected  to  represent  his  district  in  the 
lower  house  of  the  state  legislature  and  by 
re-election  held  the  office  for  three  success- 
ive terms  and  upon  his  retirment  from  that 
position  was  elected  in  1878  to  the  state 
senate,  serving-  as  president  pro  tem  in  1879. 
In  1 88 1  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the 
committee  to  prepare  a  revision  of  the  tax 
laws  and  was  a  member  of  the  board  of 
control  of  the  state  prison  from  1885  u^^^il 
1 89 1.  On  the  6th  of  April,  1893,  he  was 
appointed  warden  of  the  prison  and  was 
known  throughout  the  United  States  as  a 
model  officer  of  a  penal  institution.  He  be- 
came a  member  of  the  national  prison  con- 
gress and  the  national  congress  of  correc- 
tion and  charities  and  was  also  a  member 
and  president  of  the  state  association  of 
superintendents  of  the  poor.  For  twelve 
years  he  was  a  member  of  the  executive 
committee  of  the  State  Agricultural  Society 
and  for  two  years  acted  as  its  president. 
His  public  service  was  most  commendable, 
characterized  by  an  unfaltering  devotion  to 
duty  and  close  study  of  the  methods  that 
would  best  promote  the  work  entrusted  to 
him.  He  cast  his  first  vote  for  Governor 
Brigham  in  1854  and  from  that  time  for- 
ward was  a  stanch  advocate  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  a  member  of  the  Michigan 
Club.  When  only  nine  years  of  age  he 
carried  the  mail  on  horseback  from  New 
Buffalo  to  Michigan  City,  riding  along  the 
beach,  as  there  was  no  road.  He  was  a 
great  reader,  keeping  abreast  with  the  signs 
of  the  times  and  with  the  progress  of  mod- 
ern thought,  and  for  some  time  he  kept  the 
township  library  in  his  home.  He  did 
everything  in  his  power  to  advance  the  in- 
tellectual progress  of  the  community  and 
also  stood  for  moral  development  and  up- 
building. He  helped  organize  the  Congre- 
gational Church  at  Three  Oaks,  worked  un- 
tiringly for  its  development  and  upbuilding 
and  was  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school  in  the  village.  In  fact  he  founded 
the  first  Sunday-school  and  was  the  first 
deacon  of  the  Congregational  Church.  He 
led  a  life  of  great  activity  and  he  was  the 
second  layman  that  was  ever  made  a  mod- 


erator of  the  state  association  of  his  church. 
He  owned  the  original  farm  of  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  which  had  formerly 
belonged  to  his  father  and  retained  it  in  his 
possession  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  His 
life  was  honorable,  his  actions  manly  and 
sincere.  He  was  fearless  in  conduct,  stain- 
less in  reputation  and  his  political  service 
and  his  business  career  were  alike  creditable, 
honorable  and  beneficial  to  Berrien  county. 
Mrs.  Chamberlain  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  her  husband  on  the  7th 
of  November,  1901,  and  the  feeling  of  regret 
was  uniform  throughout  the  entire  com- 
munity, for  his  life  had  been  one  of  such 
worth  as  to  render  him  a  citizen  whose  use- 
fulness was  universally  acknowledged.  Mrs. 
Chamberlain  shared  with  him  in  all  of  his 
church  work  and  was  the  president  of  the 
first  missionary  society  in  Three  Oaks.  She, 
too,  was  deeply  interested  in  political  ques- 
tions and  her  influence  was  undoubtedly  a 
factor  in  her  husband's  successes.  She  is 
an  exceptionally  bright  and  entertaining 
woman,  keeping  in  touch  with  the  trend  of 
modern  thought  and  her  influence  has  been 
most  effective  and  far  reaching  in  promoting 
the  intellectual  and  moral  progress  of  this 
portion  of  the  state.  She  occupies  a  fine 
home  on  South  Main  street  and  is  esteemed 
by  all  who  know  her. 

LESTER  G.  AND  LESLIE  W.  PLATT 
constitute  the  firm  of  Drs.  L.  G.  and  L.  W. 
Piatt,  dental  practitioners  of  Niles.  They 
are  native  sons  of  this  city  born  in  1877. 
As  twins  they  were  closely  associated  in  all 
of  their  pleasures  and  interests  in  boyhood 
in  their  school  life  and  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  time  in  their  professional  career. 
Their  father,  William  E.  Piatt,  was  born 
in  Niles,  Michigan,  in  1843,  ^  f^^t  which  in- 
dicates that  the  family  was  established  in 
this  city  in  pioneer  days.  The  paternal 
grandfather,  George  W.  Piatt,  was  born  in 
Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  and  removed  from 
New  England  to  Michigan  at  an  early  per- 
iod in  the  settlement  of  this  part  of  the 
state.  Pie  was  a  tinsmith  by  trade  and  on 
coming  to  Niles  established  a  hardware  bus- 
iness, which  he  conducted  very  successfully 
until  a  short  time  prior  to  his  death,  when 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


647 


he  turned  the  business  over  to  his  three  sons. 
Henry  C,  Wilham  E.  and  Alonzo  W. 
Piatt.  They  continued  in  the  conduct  of  the 
enterprise  under  the  firm  style  of  Piatt 
Brothers  until  the  death  of  Henry  C.  Piatt 
in  1892,  when  William  E.  Piatt  became  sole 
proprietor  and  has  since  managed  the  store 
successfully,  his  labors  resulting  in  the  ac- 
quirement of  a  handsome  competence. 

William   E.    Piatt   was   educated   in  the 
schools  of  this  city  and  received  his  busi- 
ness  training   under   his   father's   direction, 
early  entering  the  store,  with  which  he  has 
since   been    continuously   connected.        The 
name  of  Piatt  is  therefore  an  old  and  hon- 
ored one  in  trade  circles  in  Niles.     William 
E.  Piatt  was  married  to  E.  J.  Deniston,  who 
was  also  born  in  this  city  and  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Alfred  Deniston,  a  native  of  Niles, 
whose  parents   came   to   Berrien   county  in 
1830  and  took  up  their  abode  in  this  place. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  E.  Piatt  have 
been  born  four  children^  of  whom  three  are 
yet  living.     The  eldest,  Ralph  D.,  was  born 
in  Niles  in  1870,  is  a  commercial  traveler, 
now  making  his  home  in  Pueblo,  Colorado. 
He  married  Anna  C.   Henkle,  of  Goshen, 
Indiana,    and    has    three    sons,    Raymond, 
Charles  and  William.  Piatt. 

At  the  usual  age  Leslie  W.  and  Lester 
G.  Piatt  became  students  in  the  public 
schools  of  Niles,  wherein  they  continued 
their  studies  through  successive  grades  until 
they  w^ere  graduated  from  the  Niles  high 
school  in  the  class  of  1895.  They  became 
students  in  the  University  of  Ann  Arbor, 
matriculating  in  the  dental  department, 
from  which  they  were  graduated  wdth  the 
class  of  1898.  Thus  qualified  for  their 
chosen  profession  Leslie  W.  Piatt  went  to 
Marion,  Indiana,  where  he  practiced  until 
1905,  when  he  came  to  Niles  and  formed 
a  partnership  with  his  brother  Lester  G. 
The  latter  also  practiced  in  Marion  and 
Summitville,  Indiana,  but  returned  to  his 
native  city  in.  1902  and  practiced  alone  until 
his  brother  joined  him  in  1905.  They  have 
sincef  built  up  a  very  extensive  business. 
Both  young  men  are  progressive  and  thor- 
oughly understand  their  profession.  They  ^ 
are  thoroughly  familiar  wath  modern  meth- 


ods and  keep  in  touch  with  the  advance  of 
the  profession.  Lester  G.  Piatt  now  makes 
a  specialty  of  operative  dentistry,  while 
Leslie  W.  Piatt  makes  a  specialty  of  crown, 
bridge  and  plate  work,  and  thus  the  labors 
of  one  ably  supplement  the  labors  of  the 
other. 

Dr.  L.  G.  Piatt  was  married  December 
27,  1905,  in  Niles  to  Miss  Gayl  King,  a 
native  of  Chicago.  Dr.  L.  W.  Piatt  was 
married  November  30,  1905,  at  Piqua,  Ohio, 
to  Miss  Edith  Gould,  a  native  of  St.  Louis, 
Missouri.  They  are  both  members  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity  and  Lester 
G.  Piatt  also  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fratern- 
ity. In  the  city  of  their  birth  they  are  pop- 
ular both  socially  and  professionally  and 
have  a  very  extensive  circle  of  warm 
friends. 

THEODORE  GILBERT  BEAVER, 
\vho  as  a  lawyer  and  leader  in  Democratic 
circles  has  enjoyed  more  than  local  reputa- 
tion, is  now  practically  living  retired  in 
Niles,  although  filling  the  office  of  justice 
of  the  peace.  In  years  gone  by  he  was  con- 
nected with  much  important  litigation  in 
the  middle  west  and  gained  a  position  of 
distinctive  preferment  at  the  bar. 

A  native  of  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Beaver 
was  born  in  L^nion  county,  in  1834,  a  son 
of  Jesse  and  Mary  Ann  (Swartz)  Beaver. 
The  father,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
March  8,  181 1,  was  a  merchant  and  shipper 
on  the  bays  and  canals,  having  boats  on 
both  in  the  days  when  the  greater  part  of 
the  transportation  was  made  over  the  water- 
w^ays  of  the  country.  Later  he  became  con- 
nected with  the  iron  and  coal  industry  in 
Danville,  Pennsylvania,  thus  aiding  in  the 
development  of  the  natural  resources  of  the 
state,  and  some  years  prior  to  his  death  he 
retired  from  active  business  cares  and  spent 
his  remaining  days  in  the  enjoyment  of  a 
rest  which  was  truly  earned  and  richly  de- 
served, continuing  to  live  in  Danville  until 
called  to  his  final  rest.  He  wedded  Mary 
Ann  Swartz,  who  was  born  in  Berks  county^ 
Pennsylvania,  July  2,  181 3,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  Dr.  Andrew  Swartz,  who  was 
a  prominent  physician    of    Mifflin    county^ 


^648 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


^Pennsylvania,  and  died  there  in  1847.  The 
•death  of  Jesse  Beaver  occurred  in  Danville, 
Pennsylvania,  December  2,  1892,  when  he 
he  was  eighty-one  years  of  age,  and  his  wife 
passed  away  January  i,  1903,  at  Danville, 
when  in  her  eightieth  year. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beaver  were  the  parents 
of  ten  children,  five  sons  and  five  daughters, 
all  of  whom  are  living  at  this  writing  in 
1906,  namely:  Theodore  G.,  of  this  review; 
Margaret  E.,  the  wife  of  John  K.  Kramer, 
of  Lewisburg,  Pennsylvania ;  Thomas  W. ; 
Jane  W.,  the  widow  of  Wilson  Gerhardt, 
of  Pennsylvania;  Charles;  Marion,  the 
widow  of  John  Gaskin,  of  Danville,  Penn- 
sylvania; Jesse;  Clara;  Emma,  the  wife  of 
John  R.  Rote,  of  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania; 
and  J.  Andrew. 

Theodore  G.  Beaver  was  educated  in 
Pennsylvania  under  private  tutors  and  in 
private  schools  and  academies.  He  was  al- 
ways an  earnest  student  and  his  scholarly 
tastes  and  habits  have  characterized  his  en- 
tire life.  His  literary  education  completed, 
he  went  to  Chicago  and  while  looking 
around  in  order  to  secure  a  good  place  to 
study  law  in  a  lawyer's  office,  he  came  to 
Niles  on  a  visit  and  here  met  the  late  Frank- 
lin Muzzy,  who  at  that  time  was  one  of  the 
prominent  lawyers  practicing  at  the  bar  of 
southern  Michigan.  On  the  ist  of  January, 
1859,  he  entered  Mr.  Muzzy's  office  as  a 
student  and  under  his  direction  read  law 
until  1862,  when  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  of  Berrien  county.  He  practiced  in 
Niles  until  the  ist  of  January,  1869,  when 
he  removed  to  Chicago,  where  he  gained  a 
large  and  distinctively  representative  client- 
age. He  was  often  in  different  federal 
courts  of  the  United  States  in  all  parts  of 
the  middle  west,  acting  as  advocate  for  the 
defense  or  prosecution  in  many  important 
criminal  suits  and  also  in  many  large  bank- 
rupt cases,  etc.  He  won  a  wide  reputation 
for  skill  and  ability  in  the  presentation  of 
his  cause,  and  his  strong  argument  and  log- 
ical deductions  indicated  thorough  prepara- 
tion and  familiarity  with  the  principles  of 
the  law.  He  remained  in  Chicago  for  about 
three  years  or  until  after  the  great  fire  of 
October  9,  1871,  when  his  office  and  prop- 


erty were  destroyed  by  fire.  Because  of  this 
loss  and  also  by  reason  of  his  wife's  ill 
health,  he  returned  to  Niles,  where  he  re- 
sumed the  practice  of  law,  in  which  he  con- 
tinued actively  until  1898,  having  a  large 
clientage  that  connected  him  with  the  most 
important  litigation  tried  in  the  courts  of 
his  district.  In  1899  he  was  elected  justice 
of  the  peace,  which  position  he  is  now  fill- 
ing, and  his  comprehensive  knowledge  of 
the  law  makes  him  an  able  judge  of  this 
court. 

This  is  not  the  only  office  that  Mr. 
Beaver  has  filled,  for  he  has  twice  been 
mayor  of  Niles,  elected  first  in  1884  and 
again  in  1889,  his  administrations  being 
characterized  by  all  that  marks  the  faithful 
official  who  regards  a  public  office  as  a  pub- 
lic trust  and  places  the  general  good  before 
the  aggrandizement  of  self.  He  was  also 
recorder  of  the  city  in  1863.  He  is  a  stanch 
Democrat,  active  in  support  of  the  princi- 
ples of  the  party.  In  the  last  election  he 
made  the  race  for  congress  as  the  Demo- 
cratic candicate,  and  polled  a  large  vote  but 
could  not  overcome  the  normal  Republican 
majority. 

Judge  Beaver  was  married  in  Niles,  in 
1863,  to  Miss  Frances  Mary  Twombly,  who 
was  born  in  1843,  ^^^  is  a  daughter  of  the 
Hon.  Royal  T.  Twombly,  of  Maine.  Mrs. 
Beaver  died  in  Niles  in  1876,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-three  years.  Two  children  were  born 
of  this  union :  Theodora  B.,  who  was  born 
in  Chicago  and  is  the  wife  of  William  E. 
Vanderlyn,  of  Wisconsin,  by  whom  she  has 
one  son,  Charles  Theodore;  and  Frank 
Twombly,  who  was  born  in  Chicago,  Illi- 
nois, and  is  editor  of  a  newspaper  at  Joliet, 
Illinois.  He  married  Maud  Scliultz«in  Chi- 
cago. 

Mr.  Beaver  is  a  prominent  Mason,  hav- 
ing attained  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the 
Scottish  Rite.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Royal  Arcanum  and  has  taken  a  very  prom- 
inent part  in  the  work  of  the  Maccabees 
order,  being  now  a  past  grand  commander. 
He  has  also  held  various  offices  in  Masonry. 
Mr.  Beaver  is  an  orator  of  more  than 
usual  power  and  ability,  and  this  gift  was 
one  of  the  elements  of  his  success  as  a  trial 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


049 


lawyer.  It  has  also  made  him  a  popular 
campaign  speaker  and  he  took  the  stump 
when  Thomas  A.  Hendricks  was  candidate 
for  governor  of  Indiana.  He  also  has  ad- 
dressed many  other  public  meetings,  espe- 
cially in  the  order  of  Maccabees,  and  is  an 
earnest,  fluent  speaker,  his  public  utterances 
showing  a  readiness  of  thought  and  mastery 
of  the  subject  under  discussion. 

ADEN  M.  EMERSON,  city  treasurer  of 
St.  Joseph,  is  one  of  the  representative 
young  men  of  Berrien  county  and  has  for 
several  years  past  been .  an  active  w^orker 
and  leader  in  local  political  circles.  He  was 
born  in  Coloma,  in  Watervliet  township, 
Berrien  county,  on  the  25th  of  August, 
1878  and  is  the  elder  of  the  tw^o  sons  born 
unto  Clark  and  Margaret  (McCray)  Em- 
erson, who  are  yet  residents  of  Coloma. 
The  younger  son  is  Ralph  W.  Emerson. 

Aden  M.  Emerson  was  reared  in  Minne- 
sota to  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  also 
acquired  much  of  his  education  there,  but 
later  attended  the  Benton  Harbor  College, 
where  he  pursued  a  commercial  course  and 
was  thus  fitted  for  the  arduous  duties  of 
business  life.  He  was  graduated  in  the 
class  of  1900  and  immediately  afterward 
became  a  factor  in  business  circles,  entering 
the  employ  of  the  Truscott  Manufacturing 
Company  of  St.  Joseph.  In  1901  he  be- 
came bookkeeper  for  the  Union  Ice  &  Coal 
Company,  of  which  Brown  Brothers  are 
proprietors,  and  has  remained  with  them  to 
the  present  time.  In  1905  he  was  elected 
city  treasurer  of  St.  Joseph,  which  office  he 
is  now  filling  in  connection  with  the  duties 
of  his  business  position.  He  is  a  progres- 
sive young  man^  of  positive  character,  in- 
domitable energy  and  strong  in  his  views. 

Mr.  Emerson  votes  with  the  Democratic 
party,  and  upon  that  ticket  was  chosen  to 
his  present  position.  He  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  to  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  is  vice- 
grand  in  the  latter  organization  at  the  pres- 
ent time.  He  was  happily  married  in  1904 
in  St.  Joseph  to  Miss  Nora  Matz,  who  was 
born  in  this  city  and  they  now  have  one  child, 
Edwin  Matz,  whose  birth  occurred  here  in 


1905.     They  attend  the  Evangelical  church 
and  are  well  known  in  this  city. 

EDWIN  IRVIN  BACKUS,  D.  D.  S., 
successfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  dental 
surgery  in  St.  Joseph,  is  a  native  son  of 
Michigan,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Mil- 
ton township,  Cass  county,  in  1870.  He  is 
a  representative  of  one  of  the  pioneer  fami- 
lies of  this  state.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
Abijah  P.  Backus,  was  born  in  the  state  of 
New  York,  whence  he  emigrated  westward, 
taking  up  his  abode  in  Cass  county  at  an 
early  period  in  the  development  of  the  lat- 
ter district.  He  found  a  forest  region,  in 
the  midst  of  w^hich  he  cleared  and  improved 
a  farm,  and  the  development  of  his  success 
of  such  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  the 
town  hall  of  Milton  is  now  located  on  part 
of  the  land  which  he  cleared  and  cultivated. 
Upon  the  old  family  homestead  there  his 
son.  Dr.  Harvey  R.  Backus,  was  born  and 
reared,  spending  his  boyhood  days  amid 
pioneer  surroundings  and  watching  wath  in- 
terest the  county  as  it  emerged  from  fron- 
tier conditions  and  took  on  all  of  the  ad- 
vantages and  evidences  known  to  eastern 
civilization.  In  his  youth  he  assisted  in  the 
farm  labor,  but  thinking  to  find  other  pur- 
suits more  congenial  he  studied*  medicine 
when  a  young  man  and  for  a  time  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He 
watched  with  interest  the  progress  of  events 
preceding  the  inauguration  of  the  Civil  war 
and  his  patriotic  spirit  being  aroused  he 
offered  his  professional  aid  to  his  country 
and  became  hospital  steward,  being  attached 
to  the  Twelfth  Michigan  Volunteer  Infan- 
try, which  w^as  organized  at  Niles.  He 
continued  at  the  front  through  the  period 
of  hostilities  and  afterward  followed  farm- 
ing, being  a  factor  in  the  agricultural  de- 
velopment of  his  native  county  for  a  long 
period.  He  died  on  the  2gth  of  August, 
1904,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  leaving 
his  family  an  honored  name.  His  widow, 
who  in  her  maidenhood  was  Miss  Mollie 
Brown,  is  still  living. 

Dr.  Edwin  Irvin  Backus  was  reared 
upon  the  old  homestead  farm,  which  had 
been  cleared  by  his  grandfather,  to  the  age 


650 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


of  twelve  years  and  then  went  to  Iowa, 
where  he  worked  on  a  farm  owned  by  an 
uncle,  his  father's  brother.  He  was  thus 
employed  for  seven  years,  when,  prompted 
by  the  call  of  the  west  to  young  men  of 
enterprise  and  ambition,  he  went  to  Oregon, 
where  for  a  short  time  he  was  employed 
as  a  clerk  in  a  hotel.  However,  feeling  bet- 
ter pleased  with  the  advantages  and  busi- 
ness conditions  of  the  middle  section  of  our 
country  he  returned  to  the  Mississippi  valley 
and  made  his  way  to  South  Bend^  Indiana, 
where  he  entered  upon  the  study  of  den- 
tistry. After  preliminary  work  in  that  di- 
rection he  attended  the  Ann  Arbor  Dental 
College  in  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  and  was 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1894.  He  then 
located  for  practice  in  St.  Joseph,  where  he 
has  since  remained  and  his  success  is  well 
knowni  to  his  fellow  townsmen,  who  accord 
him  position  of  prominence  in  the  ranks  of 
the  dental  fraternity  in  Berrien  county. 

In  1893,  in  South  Bend,  Indiana,  Dr. 
Backus  was  married  to  Miss  Nellie  F.  Mor- 
gan, who  was  born  in  South  Bend  and  they 
now  have  one  child,  Edna  Mae,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  St.  Joseph.  The  doctor 
and  his  family  attend  'the  Methodist  church 
and  he  is  interested  in  whatever  is  calcu- 
lated to  promote  the  moral,  intellectual  and 
social  as  well  as  material  progress  of  his 
community.  His  political  views  are  given 
to  the  Republican  party,  and  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  lodge,  the  Maccabees 
tent  and  the  Elks  lodge.  He  has  added  to 
his  natural  ability  for  his  profession  a  sin- 
cere love  of  his  work  without  which  the 
greatest  success  cannot  be  achieved.  He  is 
also  w^ell  poised,  is  a  man  of  keen  discrimi- 
nation, prompt  in  action  and  his  excellent 
preparation  makes  him  thoroughly  reliable 
in  all   professional  work. 

EBEN  D.  COLLINS,  who  is  engaged 
in  business  as  a  shoe  merchant  in  St.  Joseph, 
was  born  in  Niles,  Michigan,  in  1852,  and 
is  descended  from  one  of  the  old  families  of 
Delaware.  His  paternal  grandfather,  Thomas 
Collins,  was  born  in  Milford,  Kent  county, 
Delaware,  about  1785,  passing  away  in  1824 
when  only  thirty-nine  years  of  age,  and  was 
a  brick  mason  and  plasturer  by  trade.     He 


married  Miss  Sophia  Kennedy,  whose  birth 
occurred  near  Dover,  Delaware.  His  widow 
long  survived  him,  dying  in  Niles,  Michigan, 
in    1852,    aged    seventy-two   years.      Their 
son,  James  Alexander  Collins,  father  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Milford,  Delaware,  on 
the  loth  of  January,  1820,  and  is  now  living 
in  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  having  passed  the 
eighty-sixth  milestone  on  life's  journey.    He 
was  reared  in  the  place  of  his  nativity  until 
twelve  years  of  age  and  then  came  with  his 
mother  to  Michigan,  his  father  having  died 
when  the  son  was  a  little  lad  of  four  years. 
He  attended  school  in  Niles  and  afterward 
learned  the  trade  of  shoemaking  from  his 
brother,    who    was    a    practical  shoemaker. 
He  later  worked  at  the  bench  for  several 
years  and  in   1840  went  to  Massachusetts 
with   a   view    of    learning   the   business   of 
manufacturing  fine  shoes.     He  remained  for 
a  year  and  a  half  in  New  England  and  then 
returned  to  Niles,  Michigan,  in  the  fall  of 
1842.     In  the  spring  of  the  following  year 
he  came  to  St.  Joseph  and  entered  business 
life  in  this  place  as  a  shoemaker,  being  the 
first   really   expert   shoemaker   of  the  city. 
He  located  on  water  street  below  the  bluff 
and  conducted  his  shop  there  until  the  spring 
of  1848,  when  ill  health  forced  him  to  re- 
tire from  the  business  of  shoemaking.     He 
afterward  engaged  in  general  trade  on  the 
same   street  which   was  then  the  principal 
business  thoroughfare  of   St.   Joseph.     He 
handled  dry  goods  and  other  commodities 
on  the  present  site  of  the  St.  Joseph  Iron 
Works,    where    he    continued    until    1849, 
when,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
California,  he  joined  a  party  en  route  for 
the  Pacific  coast,  making  the  overland  trip,, 
which   a   long  and  tedious   one,   the  party 
traveling  slowly  over  the  long  stretches  of 
hot  sand  and  through  the  mountain  passes. 
Eventually,  however,  their  eyes  were  glad- 
dened by  the  sight  of  the  green  valleys  of 
California  and  Mr.  Collins  made  his  way  to 
the   mining   regions,    where   he    spent    two 
years  in  search  of  the  precious  metal  or  in 
following  other  business  pursuits.     On  the 
expiration   of   that   period   he   returned   toi 
Michigan   and  again   settled   in    Niles.      In 
1852    he    purchased    a    farm    about    three 
miles  northeast  of  that  place,  known  as  the 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Kirk    farm,    comprising   one    hundred    and 
twenty  acres,  a  portion  of  which  had  been 
cleared.     It  was  one  of  the  first  farms  that 
was  settled  in  the  neighborhood  and  he  re- 
mained there  for  two  years,  after  which  he 
returned  to  Niles  and  resumed  work  at  the 
shoemaker's  trade,  which  he  followed  until 
1857.      I^^   the   great  financial  panic   which 
swept  over  the  country  in  that  year,  he  like 
many  thousands  of  others  was  forced  to  sus- 
pend business.     In   1859  he  removed  to  a 
farm    at   the   northeast    corner    of    Berrien. 
Lake    in    Howard   towmship,    Cass    county, 
Michigan,  about  four  miles   from  Niles,  a 
place  which  is  now^  quite  famous  as  a  sum- 
mer resort.     There  he  remained  until  1866, 
wdien  he  came  to  St.  Joseph  and  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  brick,  his  yard  being  lo- 
cated  about   two   miles   south   of   the   city, 
There   he   continued   in   business   for   three 
years,    after   which  he  removed  to  a   fruit 
farm  about  five  miles  south  of  St.  Joseph 
and  for  twenty-five  years  he  was  a  resident 
of  that  neighborhood.     He  had  a  fruit  or- 
chard of  fifty  acres,  raising  and  shipping  all 
kinds  of  fruit  and  the  assiduous  care  and  at- 
tention which  he  gave  to  the  business  ena- 
bled him  to  raise  fruit  of  fine  size  and  qual- 
ity and  secure   for  it  a  ready  sale  on  the 
market.     His  life  has  been  one  of  earnest 
and   unremitting   industry   until   within   re- 
cent years.     In  1890  he  took  up  his  abode  in 
St.  Joseph  and  in  1891  his  wife  died  at  the 
age  of  sixty-seven  years,  since  which  time 
he  has  lived  retired.     His  early  political  al- 
legiance was  given  to  the  Democracy  but 
he  afterward  joined  the  ranks  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  is  now  one  of  its  stanch  ad- 
vocates. 

In  early  manhood  James  A.  Collins  was 
married  to  Miss  Susan  Greenleaf,  a  native 
of  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  and  a  daughter  of 
John  G.  and  Sarah  (Tillotson)  Greenleaf, 
the  former  born  in  Haverhill,  Massachu- 
setts, and  the  latter  in  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Collins  were  married  in  1843  ^^d  they  be- 
came the  parents  of  three  children,  of  whom 
two  sons  are  now  living,  the  elder  being 
James  G.,  who  was  born  in  St.  Joseph  in 
1844  and  has  been  three  times  married,  his 


present  wife  having  borne  the  maiden  name 
of  Anna  McManus. 

Eben  D.  Collins  acquired  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  Niles,  Michigan,  and  in 
early  manhood  went  upon  the  road  as  trav- 
eling salesman,  representing  the  house  of 
J.  H.  Lee  &  Company  of  Boston,  Massa- 
chusetts. He  was  at  that  time  nineteen 
years  of  age  and  he  continued  to  travel  for 
the  firm  for  about  twenty  years  or  until 
1 90 1.  He  was  one  of  the  most  trusted 
representatives  of  the  house,  building  up  a 
large  trade  for  the  firm  which  he  represented 
and  winning  many  friends  for  himself 
among  his  patrons  by  reason  of  his  genial 
disposition,  his  unfailing  courtesy  and  his 
straightforward  business  methods.  While 
still  upon  the  road  he  established  in  1891 
a  shoe  store  in  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  and 
in  1 90 1  he  retired  altogether  from  the  road 
and  has  since  given  his  undivided  attention 
to  the  control  of  his  store  in  this  city.  He 
has  been  very  successful  and  enjoys  a  large 
patronage,  so  that  his  annual  sales  have 
reached  a  gratifying  figure.  The  business 
is  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  E.  D. 
Collins  &  Company  but  the  subject  of  this 
review  is  the  sole  proprietor. 

Mr.  Collins  was  married  in  1885  to  Miss 
Ida  E.  Fitzsimmons,  of  Coloma,  Berrien 
county,  and  they  now  have  one  son,  Andrew 
D.  Collins,  who  was  born  in  Lincoln  town- 
ship, this  county,  and  is  now  a  student  in 
Oberlin  College  at  Oberlin,  Ohio.  Mr. 
Collins  is  .  a  valued  representative  of  the 
Masonic,  Woodmen  and  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  fraternities.  In  politics  he  is  in- 
dependent but  is  never  remiss  in  the  du- 
ties of  citizenship  and  his  aid  and  co- 
operation can  be  counted  upon  to  further 
any  measure  for  the  general  good.  He  is 
public-spirited  in  an  eminent  degree  and  in- 
terested in  the  growth  and  progress  of  his 
city  and  yet  is  broad  minded  enough  to 
recognize  and  appreciate  what  is  being  ac- 
complished in  other  sections  of  the  country. 
Through  travel  he  has  gained  broad  cul- 
ure  and  experience  and  wide  general  in- 
formation and  he  is  justly  classed  with  the 
prominent  and  popular  residents  of  St. 
Joseph. 


652 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


REUBEN  D.  PARKER,  M.  D,  de- 
ceased, who  through  many  years  of  an 
active  professional  career  was  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine,  but  in  1880  retired 
from  that  calHng,  his  supervision  being 
thereafter  given  to  his  invested  interests, 
maintained  his  residence  in  St.  Joseph  from 
an  early  day.  He  passed  the  seventy-eighth 
milestone  on  life's  journey,  having  been  born 
in  Lima  township,  Livingston  county.  New 
York,  on  the  31st  of  August,  1821,  and 
was  descended  from  English  ancestry,  his 
paternal  grandfather  being  Joseph  Parker. 
He  served  as  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary 
war,  as  did  the  maternal  grandfather  of  Dr. 
Parker.  His  parents  w^ere  Elisha  B.  and 
Alice  (Davis)  Parker,  the  former  a  native 
of  Vermont,  and  the  latter  of  New  York. 
In  his  youth  the  father  learned  the  trade 
of  a  carpenter  and  joiner  and  for  some  years 
was  identified  with  building  operations.  In 
1829  he  came  with  his  wife  and  family  to 
Michigan,  settling  in  Washtenaw  county, 
about  twelve  miles  from  Ann  Arbor,  where 
as  a  pioneer  he  aided  in  the  early  develop- 
ment and  improvement  of  that  portion  of 
the  state.  He  was  widely  recognized  as 
an  influential  citizen  there  and  one  whose 
labors  proved  a  factor  in  shaping  the  his- 
tory of  the  county  during  its  formative 
period.  His  death  occurred  in  1839,  after 
which  his  widow  removed  to  Niles. 

In  a  family  of  five  children,  three  sons 
and  two  daughters.  Dr.  Parker  was  the  sec- 
ond in  order  of  birth.  He  was  reaped  to 
farm  life  and  attended  a  district  and  after- 
ward a  select  school.  His  literary  course 
completed  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine 
under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Markham,  and 
subsequently  continued  his  reading  with  Dr. 
Olds  as  his  preceptor.  Having  gained  com- 
prehensive knowledge  of  the  principles  of 
medical  science  at  that  day,  he  then  opened 
an  office  for  practice  in  Washtenaw.  His 
collegiate  course  was  pursued  in  the  West- 
ern Medical  University  at  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1845.  On 
forming  a  partnership  with  Dr.  Mathews 
he  conducted  a  general  practice  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Redford,  Michigan,  from  1846  until 
1852.  From  Redford,  Wayne  county,  Mich- 


igan, he  removed  to  St.  Joseph  in  January, 
1852,  and  as  a  physician  and  surgeon  be- 
came well  known  here,  being  accorded  a 
liberal  practice,  which  increased  year  by 
year  as  he  demonstrated  his  worth  in  his 
profession.  He  always  kept  abreast  with 
the  advancement  made  in  the  science  of 
medicine  and  was  an  able  and  learned  prac- 
titioner until  1880^  when  he  retired  from 
active  connection  with  the  profession  and 
afterward  devoted  his  time  to  the  super- 
vision of  his  extensive  invested  interests. 
As  the  years  passed  he  judiciously  placed 
his  surplus  capital  in  real-estate  and  busi- 
ness enterprises  and  he  became  the  owner 
of  considerable  valuable  property,  which  re- 
turned him  an  income  that  supplied  him 
with  all  life's  comforts  and  many  of  its 
luxuries. 

Dr.  Parker  was  married  on  the  23d  of 
December,  1869,  to  Miss  Clarinda  Searles, 
who  was  born  in  Wales,  Erie  county.  New 
York,  August  10,  1833,  a  daughter  of 
Stephen  and  Mary  (Cobb)  Searles,  and 
they  have  an  adopted  daughter,  Effie  May. 
In  his  political  affiliation  Dr.  Parker  was 
long  a  stalwart  advocate  of  Republican  prin- 
ciples. He  served  for  two  years  as  trustee 
of  St.  Joseph  and  was  chosen  to  fill  import- 
ant official  positions,  and  whether  in  office 
or  out  of  it  he  stood  for  all  that  was  pro- 
gressive in  citizenship.  He  belonged  to  that 
class  of  men  who  wield  a  power  which  is 
all  the  more  potent  from  the  fact  that  it  is 
moral  rather  than  political  and  is  exerted 
for  the  public  weal  rather  than  for  personal 
ends.  A  resident  of  Michigan  throughout  al- 
most his  entire  life,  or  for  a 
period  of  seventy-seven  years,  few 
men  within  its  borders  were  more 
familiar  with  its  history  and  the  events 
which  shaped  its  course  and  find  record  upon 
its  annals.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
one  of  the  most  venerable  and  honored  resi- 
dents of  Berrien  county  and  its  history 
would  be  incomplete  without  record  of  his 
life.  He  passed  away  at  his  home  in  St. 
Joseph,  April  13,  1900. 

JAMES  W.  ISBELL,  proprietor  of  the 
Twin  City  Boiler  Works  at  St.  Joseph,  was 


^c/^yi^^^^,^ 


a^/l)g/t--Ly^  , 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


653 


born  in  White  Pigeon,  St.  Joseph  county, 
Michigan,  in  1857.  His  father,  James  M. 
Isbell,  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  now 
resides  in  Muskegon,  Michigan.  He  is  a 
carpenter,  who,  having  mastered  his  trade, 
has  become  a  contractor  and  builder  and  is 
thus  identified  with  business  interests  in  the 
city  where  he  makes  his  home.  He  married 
Miss  Caroline  Weaver,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, who,  when  twelve  years  of  age,  came 
to  America,  settling  first  in  Pennsylvania. 
She  is  also  living,  and  of  the  seven  children 
born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Isbell,  three  now 
survive,  namely:  James  W.,  Edmund  and 
Ella. 

James  W.  Isbell  was  reared  in  Muske- 
gon, to  which  place  his  parents  removed 
when  he  was  a  little  lad  of  six  years.  When 
he  had  mastered  the  branches  of  learning 
taught  in  the  public  schools  he  began  learn- 
ing the  more  difficult  lessons  of  experience, 
being  apprenticed  to  a  boiler  maker  and 
after  mastering  the  business  he  followed  it 
as  a  journeyman  until  1896,  when  he  came 
to  St.  Joseph.  The  following  year  he  estab- 
lished the  Twin  City  Boiler  Works,  of 
which  he  is  sole  proprietor.  This  is  one  of 
the  important  industrial  concerns  of  the  city 
and  he  manufactures  all  kinds  of  boilers, 
smoke  stacks  and  other  iron  devices.  From 
the  beginning  of  his  residence  here  his  suc- 
cess has  been  uniform  and  rapid.  He  has 
ever  been  a  hard-working  and  frugal  man 
and  has  earned  what  he  possesses  through 
his  own  labors  and  capable  management, 
showing  that  prosperity  is  not  a  matter  of 
genius  but  is  the  outcome  of  clear  judg- 
ment, experience  and  indefatigable  labor. 
As  the  years  have  gone  by  he  has  found  op- 
portunity possible  to  place  a  part  of  his 
capital  elsewhere  than  in  his  business  and 
has  erected  a  nice  two-story  brick  residence 
on  State  street.  He  built  this  two  years 
ago  and  it  is  now  his  home. 

In  1878  in  Muskegon,  Michigan,  Mr. 
Isbell  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Jen- 
nie Essenburg,  a  native  of  Kalamazoo, 
Michigan,  and  unto  them  have  been  born 
three  children,  Nellie,  Carrie  and  Helen,  all 
natives  of  Muskegon.  Mr.  Isbell  and  his 
family   attend   the   Baptist   church   and  his 


political  faith  is  indicated  by  the  ballot 
which  at  every  election  he  deposits  in  sup- 
port of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  is  a  Mason  and  Elk  and  he 
also  holds  membership  relations  with  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  He  early  real- 
ized the  fact  that  this  is  a  work-a-day  world 
and  that  there  is  no  royal  road  to  wealth, 
that  success  if  it  be  honorably  attained  must 
come  out  of  close,  earnest  and  self-denying 
effort,  therefore  he  has  worked  persistently 
and  energetically  and  his  position  in  indus- 
trial circles  is  now  a  creditable  one. 

NATHANIEL  H.  BACON  is  a  repre- 
sentative in  the  third  generation  of  the 
Bacon  family  in  law  practice  at  Niles  and 
the  name  has  ever  been  an  honored  one  in 
the  profession.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
Judge  Nathaniel  Bacon,  w^as  a  native  of 
Ballston  Springs,  New  York,  born  in  July, 
1802.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Union  College 
of  the  class  of  1824  and  subsequently  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  New  York  bar  in  his  native 
state.  He  practiced  law  in  Rochester,  New 
York,  for  several  years  and  then  came  to 
Michigan,  settling  near  Niles  in  the  fall  of 
1833.  Berrien  county  was  then  a  pioneer 
district,  which  was  just  being  opened  up 
for  agricultural  interests  with  as  yet  little 
commercial,  industrial  or  professional  im- 
portance. It  was  the  intention  of  Judge 
Bacon  to  devote  his  time  and  energies  to 
agricultural  pursuits  and  for  that  reason  he 
purchased  land  a  short  distance  east  of  the 
city  of  Niles.  Locating  upon  that  property 
he  continued  to  own  it  and  make  it  his  home 
untl  his  demisei,  which  occurred  in  Septem- 
ber, 1869.  However,  the  continual  calls 
which  were  made  upon  him  for  his  profes- 
sional services  induced  him  to  open  an  office 
in  Niles  in  the  fall  of  1834,  and  he  con- 
tinued in  the  active  practice  of  law  in  Ber- 
rien county  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  with 
the  exception  of  the  period  which  he  spent 
upon  the  bench.  In  1837  he  became  pro- 
bate judge  of  the  county  and  in  1855  he 
was  elected  circuit  judge  of  Berrien  county, 
which  at  that  time  covered  a  large  district. 
He  served  upon  the  circuit  bench  for  eight- 
een years  and  was  ex-officio  judge  of  the  su- 


654 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


preme  court.      He  was   re-elected   in    1857 
and    in    1866    was    elected    to    fill    a    va- 
cancy caused  by  the  death  of  Judge  Smith. 
Again  in  the  spring  of  1869  he  was  elected 
for  the  full  term  but  he  died  in  the  following 
September.     By  the  governor  of  Michigan 
he  was  appointed  to  the  position  of  judge 
of  the  supreme  bench  to  fill  the  vacancy  oc- 
casioned by  the  death  of  Judge  Whipple. 
His  positions  indicate  strong  mentality  and 
careful  analysis,  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
law  and  an  unbiased  judgment.     The  legal 
profession  demands  a  high  order  of  ability 
together  with  a  rare  combination  of  talent, 
learning,  tact,  patience  and  industry.     The 
successful  lawyer  and  the  competent  judge 
must  be  a  man  of  well  balanced  intellect, 
thoroughly  familiar  with  the  law  and  prac- 
tice, possessing  keen  analytical  power  and  a 
self   control    that   will   enable   him    to   dis- 
charge the  duties  of  his  ofifice  w^'th  impar- 
tiality and  equity.     That  Judge  Bacon  was 
such   a  man    is   a   generally   acknowledged 
fact.     Prior  to  his  elevation  to  the  bench  he 
had  practiced  successfully  in  Berrien  county 
for  a  number  of  years.    He  had  a  clear  and 
comprehensive  mind,  displayed  great  influ- 
ence with  the  court  as  an  advocate  and  was 
remarkably  successful  before  a  jury.    When 
he  appeared  before  a  jury  his  manner  seemed 
to  say,  ''Gentlemen  of  the  jury  I  expect  by 
a  calm  and  dispassionate  statement  of  facts 
and  the  law  to  convince  you  that  I  am  right 
in  what  I  may  say  to  you,"  and  his  calm  and 
cool  manner  before  the  jury  always  told  in 
his  favor  in  the  case.     In  addressing  a  jury 
he  seemed  to  be  unconscious  that  any  other 
person  was  in  the  room.     He  gained  a  high 
place  in  his  profession  by  hard  work  and 
by   evincing  his   ability  to  fill   the   position 
with  which  he  was  entrusted. 

Joseph  S.  Bacon,  son  of  Judge  Bacon, 
and  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  at  Balls- 
ton  Springs,  New  York,  near  Rochester, 
and  was  brought  to  Michigan  when  about 
two  years  old  by  his  parents.  Determining 
to  follow  in.  the  professional  footsteps  of  his 
father  he  took  up  the  study  of  law  and 
practiced  in  Niles  for  twenty  years  or  more, 
making  a  lasting  impression  upon  the  bar 


by  his  legal  ability  and  by  the  individuality 
of  a  personal  character.  He  died  in  1882 
at  the  age  of  fifty  years  and  is  still  survived 
by  his  widow,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Harriet  Holley.  She  was  born  in  Ver- 
mont and  is  now  living  in  Niles  at  the  age 
of  seventy.  In  their  family  were  five  chil- 
dren, of  whom  four  are  yet  living:  Ger- 
trude E.,  now  the  wife  of  George  H.  Shel- 
don, a  resident  of  Rock  Island,  Illinois ;  An- 
geline,  the  wife  of  Frederick  Crosby,  of 
Niles;  Nathaniel  H.,  of  this  review;  and 
Florence,  the  wife  of  Adolph  Panhurst,  of 
Niles. 

Nathaniel  H.  Bacon,  th  third  in  order  of 
birth,    was    born    in    Niles,    December    12, 
1867,  pursued  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  Niles  and  for  three  years  attended  the 
Shattuck    Military    School    in    Minnesota. 
He    afterward    entered    the    University    of 
Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor  and  was  graduated 
from  the  law  department  with  the  class  of 
1 89 1.    He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  the  same 
year  and  has  since  practiced  successfully  in 
Niles.     Whether  inherited  tendency  or  en- 
vironment or  natural  predilection  had  most 
to  do  with  his  chosen  profession  cannot  be 
definitely    determined.      Probably   each   ele- 
ment entered  in  but  at  all  events  it  is  a  fact 
easily  discernible  that  his  choice  of  a  life 
work  was  a  wise  one,   for  in  a  profession 
where  advancement  depends   entirely  upon 
individual  merit  he  has  made  for  himself  a 
creditable   name.      He   has   manifested    the 
same  diligence  and  enterprise  which  are  de- 
manded   in    every    department   of    business 
life.     His  devotion  to  the  interests  entrusted 
to  him  is  proverbial  and  he  now  has  a  large 
and    distinctively     representative     clientele. 
He  has  held  the  positions  of  circuit  court 
commissioner  and  justice  of  the  peace.    His 
political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Republi- 
can party  and  he  is  a  strong  and  able  ad- 
vocate of  its  principles. 

Mr.  Bacon  was  married  in  1904  in  Niles 
to  Miss  Kate  Gerberich,  a  daughter  of  Da- 
vid Gerberich  of  this  city.  They  attend  the 
Presbyterian  church  and  are  prominent  so- 
cially, having  an  extensive  circle  of  friends 
here. 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


655 


W.  IRVING  BABCOCK  has  wielded 
wide  influence  on  public  thought  and  action 
in  Berrien  county.  He  makes  his  home  in 
Niles,  where  he  is  now  serving  as  justice  of 
the  peace.  For  a  long  period,  however,  he 
has  been  a  prominent  factor  in  political  cir- 
cles and  his  opinions  have  carried  weight 
in  the  councils  of  the  Republican  party. 
Born  in  New  York,  in  the  year  1833,  he  ac- 
quired his  early  education  in  Troy,  that 
state,  and  later  attended  the  Schoharie  Col- 
legiate Institute.  When  he  had  completed 
his  own  literary  education  he  taught  school 
in  the  state  of  New  York  for  several  years 
and  followed  various  other  pursuits.  He 
was  thus  engaged  until  after  his  marriage, 
which  event  was  celebrated  in  the  Empire 
state  in  1858,  Miss  Ruth  W.  Hitchcock  of 
Havana,  New  York,  becoming  his  wife. 

In  the  year  of  their  marriage  the  young 
couple  came  to  Michigan,  settling  first  in 
Van  Buren  county,  where  Mr.  Babcock  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  also  in  the  purchase 
and  sale  of  farm  lands.  He  likewise  estab- 
lished a  lumber  business  and  conducted  a 
retail  lumberyard  in  Niles  for  twenty-five 
years,  his  own  connection  therewith  indi- 
cating his  success  and  the  creditable  posi- 
tion which  he  occupied  in  trade  circles.  He 
also  prospered  in  his  farming  operations  and 
in  his  real  estate  dealing.  On  retiring  from 
the  lumber  trade  he  gave  his  attention  to 
the  fire  insurance  business  in  Niles,  which 
he  conducted  for  some  time  but  eventually 
sold  out. 

In  1902  Mr.  Babcock  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  justice  of  the  peace,  which  position 
he  is  now  filling.  He  has  always  been  a 
stalwart  Republican  since  the  organization 
of  the  party  and  has  been  recognized  as  an 
able  and  earnest  worker  in  its  behalf.  He  has 
been  alderman  from  the  third  ward  in  the 
city  council  of  Niles  for  two  terms  and  was 
also  mayor  of  the  city  for  two  terms,  giving 
a  public-spirited,  business-like  administra- 
tion, characterized  by  reform  and  improve- 
nient.  In  1887  he  was  chosen  to  represent 
his  district  in  the  state  senate  and  was  re- 
elected in  1889.  While  a  member  of  that 
law-making  body  he  was  recognized  as  an 
active   worker   on   the   floor  of   the  upper 


house  and  was  associated  with  considerable 
important  constructive  legislation.  Mr. 
Babcock  has  always  been  active  in  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity,  having  been  initiated  into 
the  order  in  Niles  lodge  a  number  of  years 
ago.  He  has  served  as  master  of  St.  Joseph 
Lodge,  No.  4,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  has  been  high 
priest  of  St.  Joseph  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  and 
eminent  commander  of  Niles  Commandery, 
No.  12,  K.  T.  In  fact  he  has  filled  various 
offices  in  different  branches  of  the  order  and 
the  highest  Masonic  orders  awarded  by  the 
state  were  given  to  him,  when,  in  1890,  he 
was  chosen  grand  master  of  the  grand  lodge 
of  Michigan.  He  has  been  identified  with 
the  school  board  of  Niles  and  has  been  very 
active  in  its  behalf  and  of  affairs  of  the  city, 
relating  to  its  improvement,  advancement 
and  substantial  upbuilding.  In  political 
thought  and  action  he  has  always  been  inde- 
pendent, carrying  out  his  honest  views  with- 
out fear  or  favor  and  yet  doing  much  effect- 
ive work  for  his  party  and  for  the  common- 
wealth at  large. 

RUDOLPH  F.  KOMPASS,  well 
known  in  connection  with  manufacturing 
interests  in  Niles,  is  the  senior  partner  in 
the  Kompass  &  Stoll  Company,  furniture 
manufacturers.  His  life  record  began  in 
i860,  the  place  of  his  nativity  being  the  city 
of  London,  Ontario,  Canada.  He  comes, 
however,  of  German  lineage,  his  father, 
Frederick  W.  Kompass,  having  been  born 
in  Germany,  but  in  1854  crossed  the  At- 
lantic to  America,  settling  first  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio.  He  afterward  went  to  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, where  he  was  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  furniture.  He  continued  a  resi- 
dent of  Ontario  to  the  time  of  his  demise, 
wdiich  occurred  when  he  was  fifty- four  years 
of  age.  It  was  following  his  removal  to 
Canada  that  he  was  married  to  Miss  Jo- 
hanna Schultz,  also  a  native  of  Germany. 
She  survived  him  for  a  number  of  years  and 
died  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven. 

Rudolph  F.  Kompass  is  the  eldest  of  a 
family  of  eight  children  and  the  only  one 
living  in  the  United  States.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  in 
early  manhood  learned  the  cabinet-maker's 


656 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


trade,   which  he  followed  in  Canada  until 
1885.     In  that  year  he  crossed  the  border 
into  the  United  States,  hoping  to  enjoy  its 
better   trade   conditions,   resulting   from   its 
greater  competition  and  advancement  more 
quickly  secured.     He  went  to  Grand  Rapids 
and  there  worked  in  the  furniture  factory 
in  which  Mathew  Stoll  was  also  employed. 
They  became  acquainted  and  have  since  re- 
mained fast  friends,  while  in  more  recent 
years   they   have   been   business    associates. 
Mr.    Kompass   spent   two  years   in    Grand 
Rapids  and  then  went  to  Buchanan  at  the 
same  time  Mr.  Stoll  did.    They  secured  em- 
ployment in  the  same  factory  there  and  to- 
gether they  went  to  Rochester,  New  York, 
where  they  were  employed  in  a   furniture 
factory  for  two  years.     They  had  also  pre- 
viously spent  two  years  in  Buchanan.     On 
returning  from  the  Empire  state  to  Michi- 
gan they  again  located  in  Buchanan  and  en- 
tered   into    partnership    relations    together 
with  George  Stone  under  the  firm  style  of 
Kompass,    Stone    &    Stoll.      They    opened 
a     furniture    manufacturing    establishment 
which  they  conducted  successfully  for  two 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  Mr.  Kom- 
pass and  Mr.  Stoll  purchased  Mr.  Stone's 
interest  and  the  firm  of  Kompass  &  Stoll 
was  then  organized  and  has  since  had  a  con- 
tinuous existence.       They  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  furniture  in  Buchanan  un- 
til 1895,  when  they  purchased  land  in  Niles 
and  erected  their  present   factory.       They 
have  a   splendidly   equipped  plant   supplied 
with  all  modern  machinery  and  appliances 
for  the  conduct  of  their  business.  They  con- 
tinued to  manufacture  furniture  until  1900, 
since   which   they   have   conceintrated   their 
energies  upon  the  manufacture  and  sale  of 
kitchen  cabinets  made  from  their  own  de- 
signs.    They  have  eighteen  different  styles 
of  cabinets  and  sell  only  to  the  trade.   These 
are  made  of  select  white  maple  finished  in 
the  natural  color  of  the  wood  and  for  con- 
venience  of   arrangement    and   equality   of 
workmanship   are  unsurpassed.      This   has 
become  an  important  industrial  concern  of 
Niles,  furnishing  employment  to  over  forty 
skilled    workmen,    while  the  house  is  also 
represented  upon  the  road  by  a  number  of 


traveling  salesmen.  The  relation  between 
employers  and  employe  has  always  been 
harmonious  because  of  their  just  and  gener- 
ous treatment  of  those  in  their  service,  to 
whom  they  pay  a  good  wage.  They  are 
also  quick  to  recognize  capability  and  fidel- 
ity and  to  advance  their  men  as  opportunity 
offers. 

Mr.  Kompass  was  married  in  1895  in 
Buchanan  to  Miss  Lillie  A.  Burber  and  they 
have  one  son,  Fred  B.,  who  was  born  in 
Niles,  Michigan.  In  his  political  views  Mr. 
Kompass  is  a  stalwart  Democrat,  active  in 
the  work  of  the  party,  being  recognized  as 
one  of  the  leaders  in  the  local  ranks.  In  1904 
he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  board  of 
public  works  of  Niles.  He  belongs  to  Bu- 
chanan lodge  of  Odd  Fellows,  to  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  at  Niles  and  has 
a  genial,  social  nature  which  renders  him 
popular  with  the  brethren  of  these  organi- 
zations. He  is  always  willing  to  accord  to 
any  one  the  courtesy  of  an  interview  and  at 
the  same  time  he  is  never  neglectful  of  busi- 
ness interests,  being  a  thorough-going  bus- 
iness man,  alert  and  enterprising,  who  has 
thoroughly  mastered  his  trade  and  is  capa- 
bly conducting  an  enterprise  of  which  he 
is  one  of  the  founders.  He  is  a  man  of 
pleasing  address,  of  courteous  manner  and 
unquestioned  integrity  and  yet  has  withal 
that  practical  common  sense  which  never 
runs  to  extremes.  His  life  has  been  well 
spent  and  his  honorable  and  useful  career  is 
worthy  of  emulation. 

GEORGE  E.  CORELL,  conducting  a 
general  insurance  and  real  estate  business 
in  Niles,  was  born  in  Bertrand  township, 
Berrien  county,  Michigan,  in  1874.  The 
ancestral  history  of  the  family  is  traced 
back  many  generations.  The  paternal 
great-grandfather,  Abraham  Corell,  Sr., 
was  born  in  New  Jersey,  whence  he  re- 
moved to  Albany  county,  New  York.  There 
in  1875  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
Miller,  who  was  of  Knickerbocker  descent. 
In  the  year  181 9  they  removed  to  Livings- 
ton county.  New  York,  where  they  re- 
mained until  1837,  when  they  went  to  Erie 
county,    Pennsylvania.      In    1853   Abraham 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


'0/ 


Corell  became  a  resident  of  Iowa,  where  he 
died  in  1857,  when  eighty-six  and  a  half 
years  of  age. 

Abraham  Corell,  Jr.,  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Albany  county.  New 
York,  August  ID,  1815,  and  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Livingston 
county.  In  1837,  when  twenty-two  years  of 
age,  he  went  to  Erie  county,  Pennsylvania, 
and  there  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  he  was 
married  on  the  loth  of  February,  1839,  to 
Miss  Ann  Elizabeth  Brownell,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  Washington  county,  New  York, 
November  i,  18 18.  When  seven  years  of 
age,  however,  she  removed  with  her  parents 
to  Chautauqua  county,  New  York,  and  aft- 
erward to  Erie  county,  Pennsylvania.  Her 
parents  were  from  Rhode  Island  and  her 
father,  Benjamin  Brownell,  was  a  descend- 
ant of  Ethan  Allen,  the  noted  patriot  leader 
in  the  Revolutionary  war,  who  was  com- 
mander of  a  regiment  of  ''Green  Mountain 
Boys"  and  won  the  famous  battle  of  Ti- 
conderoga.  In  March,  1850,  Abraham 
Corell,  Jr.,  came  with  his  family  to  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  and  here  died  December 
23,  1883,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years, 
three  months  and  thirteen  days.  His  widow 
survived  him  for  some  time.  He  displayed 
many  sterling  characteristics  and  was  widely 
known  as  a  kind  friend  and  upright  citizen. 
In  his  family  were  eleven  children,  five  sons 
and  six  daughters,  seven  of  whom  reached 
adult  age. 

George  A.  Corell,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Erie  county,  Pennsylvania,  near 
Girard,  March  2,  1846,  and  was  the  fourth 
child  and  eldest  son  in  the  father's  family. 
He  was  but  four  years  of  age  at  the  time 
of  his  parents'  arrival  in  Berrien  county  and 
he  acquired  his  education  in  the  schools  of 
Niles,  remaining  under  the  parental  roof 
until  twenty-two  years  of  age.  He  then 
started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account.  On 
the  23d  of  December,  1873,  he  chose  as  a 
companion  and  helpmate  for  life's  journey 
Miss  Morna  Alice  Gragg,  a  daughter  of 
Mortimer  David  and  Hester  Ann  (Cronkite) 
Gragg.  The  father  was  born  in  Jefferson 
county.  New  York,  and  his  wife,  also  a  na- 
tive of  the  Empire  state,  was  of  German 


descent.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gragg  had  a  family 
of   seven   children,    Mrs.    Corell   being  the 
third  child  and  third  daughter.     She  was 
born  in  Niles,  September  13,  1851,  and  was 
educated  in  the  public   schools  of   Berrien 
county,  where  she  still  makes  her  home.    By 
her  marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  five 
children,    two    sons    and    three    daughters, 
namely,      George      E.,      Horace      B.,      F. 
Genevieve,  Delia  L.  and  Mary  Alice.     The 
father  of  George  E.  Corell  w^as  a  carpenter 
by  trade,  beginning  that  business  when  twen- 
ty-three yaers  of  age  and  continuing  therein 
for  seven  years.      He  later  turned  his   at- 
tention to  farming  and  in  addition  to  en- 
gaging in  the  raising  of  cereals  he  also  met 
prosperity  as  a  stock-raiser.     He  had  a  fine 
farm  of  eighty  acres,  in  addition  to  which 
he  operated  his  mother's  home  property  of 
ninety-six  acres.     He  was  also  interested  in 
national  and  local  politics  and  co-operated  in 
many   movements    for   the   Welfare  of   his 
community.     He  voted  with  the  Republican 
party  and  in  1893  served  as  highway  com- 
missioner.     He  was   a   liberal   and   broad- 
minded  man  and  public-spirited  citizen,  w4io 
won  many  friends   who  esteemed  him   for 
his  genuine  personal  worth  and  devotion  to 
the  public  good.     He  died  in  the  year  1905, 
after  a  residence  of  a  half  century  in  the 
county,  and  thus  passed  away  one  of  the 
worthy,  pioneer  citizens. 

George  E.  Corell,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  review  w^as  reared  upon  the  home 
farm  and  attended  school  in  Niles.  He  later 
worked  on  a  dairy  farm  for  a  short  time 
and  subsequently  went  to  Benton  Harbor, 
where  he  entered  the  grocery  establishment 
of  Morrow  &  Stone,  being  thus  employed 
in  1897  and  i8g8.  In  the  latter  year  he  en- 
listed for  service  in  the  Spanish-American 
war,  becoming  a  private  of  Company  I, 
Thirty-third  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry, 
for  three  years,  or  during  the  period  of  hos- 
tilities. With  his  regiment  he  went  to  Cuba, 
where  he  remained  for  two  months  and  at 
the  battle  of  Santiago  his  regiment  was  on 
the  left  wing  of  General  Shafter's  army. 
Returning  home  at  the  close  of  hostilities 
he  was  ill  for  a  year  caused  by  exposure 
and  disease  contracted  at  the  front.     Later 


42 


658 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


he  became  connected  with  the  fire  and  hfe 
insurance  and  real  estate  business  and 
formed  a  partnership  with  C.  A.  Simonds 
under  the  firm  name  of  Simonds  &  Corell, 
which  relation  was  maintained  until  1902, 
when  Mr.  Corell  purchased  his  partner's  in- 
terest. He  also  purchasied  the  insurance 
business  of  W.  I.  Babcock,  and  has  since 
continued  successfully  alone  representing 
both  fire  and  life  insurance  companies,  as 
well  as  real  estate  interests. 

In  October,  1901,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Corell  and  Miss  Florence 
Beebe,  a  native  of  Vicksburg,  Michigan,  the 
ceremony  being  performed  in  Douglas,  this 
state.  Politically  Mr.  Corell  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  for  one  term  served  as  a  member 
of  the  city  council  as  alderman  from  the 
third  ward.  He  has  attained  high  rank  in 
Masonry,  belonging  to  the  lodge,  chapter, 
council  and  commandery  at  Niles.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Royal  Arcanum  and 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  arid  in  Ma- 
sonic bodies  has  held  various  offices.  He  is 
a  young  man  who  has  displayed  good  busi- 
ness ability  in  the  management  of  his  office 
and  its  kindred  interests  and  he  made  a 
creditable  military  record  by  his  service  in 
the  Spanish- American  war. 

EDMON  ALFRED  GRAHAM.  The 
name  of  Graham  figures  prominently  in  con- 
nection with  steamboat  navigation  on  the 
Great  Lakes,  and  with  the  development  and 
successful  conduct  of  this  business  the  name 
of  Edmon  Alfred  Graham  was  associated. 
A  man  of  marked  business  enterprise  and 
keen  discernment  he  carefully  directed  his 
labors  and  won  success  and  a  position  of 
prominence  that  made  him  one  of  the  fore- 
most representative  citizens  of  Berrien 
county.  A  native  of  Laporte  county,  Indiana, 
he  was  born  November  14,  1841.  His  par- 
ents, John  and  Lucinda  (Nichols)  Graham, 
w^ere  natives  of  the  state  of  New  York,  and 
were  of  English  descent.  The  father  with 
his  family  crossed  the  country  in  a  large 
covered  wagon  from  New  York  to  Indiana, 
and  for  the  first  time  heard  a  car  whistle 
in  the  Maumee  valley.  They  met  many 
Indians  w^hile  making  the  long  journey  and 


they  established  their  home  in  a  pioneer  dis- 
trict, aiding  in  reclaiming  that  region  for 
the  purposes  of  civilization.  The  death  of 
the  father  occurred  March  26,  1875. 

Edmon  A.  Graham's  boyhood  days  were 
passed  without  event  of  special  importance 
to  vary  the  routine  of  life  for  him.  He  at- 
tended school  at  Elkhart,  Indiana,  and  pur- 
sued a  general  course  at  Benton  City,  Iowa. 
In  1864  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business, 
wdiich  he  conducted  along  practical,  enter- 
prising lines.  His  father  had  owned  and 
operated  a  sawanill,  the  first  plant  of  its  kind 
in  possession  of  the  family  being  in  Lincoln 
township  and  known  as  Graham  Mill.  The 
father  had  also  become  owner  of  timber 
land,  which  was  purchased  by  the  son,  who 
thus  came  into  possession  of  five  hundred 
acres,  from  which  he  cut  the  timber,  sawing 
it  in  his  mill  and  converting  it  into  a  mar- 
ketable product  for  the  lumberyards  of  the 
cities.  Subsequently  he  sold  a  portion  of 
his  land  to  German  emigrants  who  became 
residents  of  this  part  of  the  state.  For  a 
considerable  period  Mr.  Graham  continued 
the  operation  of  his  sawmill  and  the  manu- 

.  facture  of  lumber.  He  was  a  lover  of  good 
horses  and  he  also  kept  good  stock.  In  the 
meantime  he  became  connected  with  the 
steamboat  business,  his  first  boat  being  the 
Union,  of  which  he  became  owner  in  1870. 
In  1879  he  built  the  steamer  May  Graham, 

=  w^hich  is  still  used  on  the  St.  Joseph  river. 
In  1882  he  removed  to  St.  Joseph  and  pur- 
chased dock  property  of  A.  H.  Morrison. 
His  property  holdings  make  him  the  heaviest 
taxpayer  in  Berrien  county.  In  addition  to 
his  dock  property,  of  which  he  is  sole  owner, 
he  also  had  many  residences  and  business 
blocks  and  other  real-estate  in  St.  Joseph 
and  elsewdiere.  He  owned  the  Postoffice 
Block,  the  Evening  Press  Block,  called  the 
Preston  and  Stock  Block,  an  eighty-acre 
timber  tract  near  Berrien  and  what  is  known 
as  the  Ox  Bow  Bend  on  the  river.  He  was 
also  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  Union 
Bank.  His  business  career  was  marked  by 
consecutive  advancement  and  steady  prog- 
ress. In  early  manhood,  entering  actively 
into  connection  with  the  lumber  interests,  a 
leading  industry  of  Michigan,  he  was  ever 


Qyi^c^^ 


^^^^^4^yy^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


659 


watchful  of  opportunities  for  enlarging  the 
scope  of  his  business  and  extended  his  ef- 
forts into  various  departments  of  industrial 
and  commercial  activity,  wherein  his  sound 
judgment  and  keen  business  discrimination 
were  continually  demonstrated  in  the  suc- 
cess which  he  has  achieved.  He  was  seldom 
if  ever  at  error  in  matters  of  business  judg- 
ment, readily  solved  complex  problems  and 
with  determined  purpose  carried  forward 
to  successful  completion  whatever  he  un- 
dertook. He  early  displayed  conspicuously 
the  traits  of  character  which  made  his  life 
brilliantly  successful,  and.  from  the  begin- 
ning of  his  business  career  until  its  close  a 
splendid  prosperity  was  steadily  his. 

Neglectful  of  none  of  the  duties  relative 
to  good  citizenship,  Mr.  Graham  labored 
effectively  and  earnestly  for  the  welfare  and 
upbuilding  of  his  adopted  city,  and  in  1884 
was  elected  to  serve  as  alderman  of  St. 
Joseph.  He  was  a  devoted  adherent  of  the 
Republican  Club  and  a  warm  admirer  of  the 
party  leaders.  He  presented  to  the  Com- 
mercial Club  a  magnificent  picture  of  Presi- 
dent McKinley.  He  held  membership  in 
this  club  and  with  Burnett  Lodee  No.  iq, 
I.  O.  O.  F. 

On  the  20th  of  June,  1869,  Mr.  Graham 
was  married  to  Edwina  C.  Bunker,  of  Hagar 
township,  a  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and  Mary 
Bunker.  Her  father  was  a  soldier  of  the 
Civil  war,  and  was  supposed  to  have  been 
taken  to  Libby  prison,  and  perhaps  died 
there,  for  he  was  never  heard  from  again. 
Mrs.  Graham  was  born  September  17,  1848, 
in  a  house  at  Royalton  Heights  which  has 
since  fallen  into  the  St.  Joseph  river.  Her 
mother  died  when  she  was  only  seven  years 
of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Graham  have  but 
one  child,  May  Belle,  who  was  born  August 
5,  1873,  and  was  married  November  7,  1804 
to  William  H.  Hull. 

Without  extraordinary  pecuniary  or 
family  advantages  to  aid  him  at  the  outset 
of  his  career  E.  A.  Graham  gained  for  him- 
self a  place  among  the  prominent  business 
men  of  Michigan.  It  is  true,  that  like  other 
business  men,  he  may  not  have  found  all 
the  days  equally  bright.  Indeed  in  his  com- 
mercial   experience   he    saw   the   gathering 


clouds  that  threatened  disastrous  storms,  but 
his  rich  inheritance  of  energy  and  pluck  en- 
abled him  to  turn  defeat  into  victory  and 
promised  failures  into  brilliant  successes. 
His  strict  integrity,  business  conservatism 
and  judgment  were  always  so  universally 
recognized  that  he  enjoyed  public  confidence 
to  an  enviable  degree  and  naturally  this 
brought  to  him  a  success  that  made  a  steady 
increase  in  his  business.  His  investments 
were  so  judiciously  placed  that  his  property 
holdings  easily  placed  him  among  the 
heaviest  in  Berrien  county.  While  it  is  true 
that  his  chief  life  work  was  that  of  a  re- 
markably successful  business  man,  the  range 
of  his  activities  and  the  scope  of  his  influ- 
ence reached  far  beyond  this  special  field. 
He  belonged  to  that  class  who  wield  a  power 
which  is  all  the  more  potent  from  the  fact 
that  it  is  moral  rather  than  political  and  is 
exercised  for  the  public  weal  rather  than  for 
personal  ends.  He  passed  away  at  his  home 
in  St.  Joseph,  June  2,  1904. 

HENRY  LARDNER,  who  is  actively 
associated  with  farming  interests  in  Berrien 
county  and  makes  his  home  in  Niles,  repre- 
sents one  of  the  early  families  of  this  part 
of  the  state,  the  name  being  closely  asso- 
ciated with  its  material  progress  and  also 
with   its   development   along  all   lines   per- 
taining to  good  citizenship  and  public  ad- 
vancement.     His    birth    occurred    in    Niles 
occurred  in  Niles  township  in  1839  and  he 
comes  of  English  ancestry.     He  is  a  son 
of  Henry  Lardner  and  a  grandson  of  Cap- 
tain John  Lardner.     The  latter  was  born  in 
Philadelphia,      Pennsylvania,      representing 
one  of  the  old  families  that  was  established 
in   the   Keystone  state  during  the   colonial 
epoch  in  its  history.  He  was  a  man  of  con- 
siderable wealth  for  those  days  and  the  mili- 
tary spirit  was  strong  within  him,  for  when 
the  country  became   involved   in  war  with 
England   he  joined   the   First   Philadelphia 
Troop  and  served  as  captain  of  the  company 
in  the  Revolutionary  war.     The  troops  with 
which  he  was  associated  acted  as  body-guard 
to  General  Washington,  and  nine  of  his  de- 
scendants have  been  members  of  that  troop. 
Later  he  served  as  a  soldier  in  the'  war  of 


66o 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


1812  and  thus  rendered  valuable  aid  to  his 
country  in  two  of  the  most  important  wars 
in  which  the  country  was  engaged. 

Henry  Lardner,  St.,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject,   was   born   in    Philadelphia,    Pennsyl- 
vania, in  1804,  and  was  there  reared.     He 
studied  medicine  in  the  Pennsylvania  Uni- 
versity, from  which  institution  he  was  grad- 
uated, intending  to  become  a  practicing  phy- 
sician, but  removing  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  he 
changed  his  plans  and  there  engaged  m  the 
wholesale   grocery   business.      He   came  to 
Michigan  in  1836,  settling  four  miles  north 
of  Niles  on  the  Dowagiac  road,  his  home 
being  on  the  east  half  of  section  12,  Niles 
township.     He  purchased  land  there  which 
was  covered  with  timber.    He  at  once  began 
to  clear  and  improve  this  and  not  only  de- 
voted his  attention  to  farming  pursuits  but 
also  established  and  operated  a  carding  mill 
and    sawmill,    carrying  on   business   along 
those  lines  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1852.     He  was  a  very  active  factor  m 
the  early  affairs  of  the  county,  contributing 
in  substantial  measure  to  the  work  of  re- 
clamation   whereby     Berrien    county     was 
transformed  from  a  wild  region  into  a  tract 
of  rich  fertility  with  here  and  there  thriving 
towns  and  villages   containing  various  in- 
dustrial, commercial  and  manufacturing  in- 
terests.'    Mr.   Lardner  was  also   active  m 
public  life  and  held  various  township  of- 
fices  including  that  of  supervisor.     He  was 
held' in  highest  esteem  by  all  who  knew  him, 
and  he  had  many  warm   friends  who  re- 
garded him  as  a  man  of  genuine  worth  and 
of  unfaltering  integrity— a  reputation  which 
he  justly  merited.      In  early  manhood  he 
wedded  Mary  Ann  Keys,  the  marriage  be- 
ing celebrated   in   Cincinnati,   Ohio,  which 
was  her  native  city.    She  died  upon  the  farm 
in  Niles  township  at  the  age  of  nmeteen 
years,  Henry  Lardner  being  their  only  child. 
Other  branches  of  the  family  were  repre- 
sented in  Berrien  county  during  the  pioneer 
epoch  in  its  history.     Lynford  Lardner,  a 
nephew  of  Captain  John  Lardner,  came  from 
Philadelphia,    Pennsylvania,    to    Michigan 
with  his  brother  William,  and  settled  in  Ber- 
rien county  in  1836.    The  work  of  improve- 
ment and  progress  had  scarcely  been  begun 


here,   only  here  and  there  had   the  hardy 
frontiersmen  penetrated  into  the  forest  to 
make  a  clearing  and  establish  a  home.    The 
two  cousins  settled  on  farms  adjoining  the 
property  of  Henry  Lardner,  Sr.,  and  also 
cleared  the  land   and  developed  the  fields. 
Both  William  and  Lynford  Lardner  were 
also  interested  in  the  saw  and  carding  mills 
with   their   cousin,   Henry,    and   were   thus 
factors  in  the  early  development  of  this  part 
of    the    state.      Subsequently    Lynford    re- 
moved to  Iowa  and  afterward  went  to  Cali- 
fornia,   where    his    death    occurred.      His 
brother,  William  Lardner  removed  to  the  city 
of  Niles  and  there  died.     He  has  two  sons 
who  are  now  living  in  Wisconsin,  and  one 
in  Chicago.     There  was  also  a  brother  of 
Henry  Lardner,  Sr.— Lawrence  S.  Lardner 
by    name — who    came    from    Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania,  to  Michigan  in  1848  and  took 
up  land  adjoining  the  property  of  his  rela- 
tives.    He  was  thus  interested  in  the  early 
agricultural   progress    of   the    county   until 
about  1868,  when  he  went  to  Wisconsin  with 
his  family.     Four  of  his  children  are  now 
living,  one  son  being  in  California,  one  son 
and  one  daughter  in  Brooklyn,  New  York, 
and  one  son  at  Big  Rapids,  Michigan. 

Henry  Lardner,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  was  educated  in  the  district 
schools  of  Niles  and  in  Philadelphia,  Penn- 
sylvania, thus  acquiring  a  good  knowledge 
of  those  branches  of  learning  which  qualify 
one  for  the  responsible  duties  of  life.  He 
was  reared  amid  pioneer  surroundings  and 
environments  and  his  memory  goes  back  to 
the  time  when  much  of  this  part  of  the  state 
was  in  a  primitive  condition  just  as  it  came 
from  the  hand  of  nature.  There  were  in  his 
boyhood  days  many  log  cabins  scattered  here 
and  there  throughout  the  county  and  there 
were  still  great  stretches  of  unbroken  forests. 
After  completing  his  education  he  (Lardner) 
became  a  clerk  for  the  Ohio  Life  Insurance 
&  Trust  Company  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  re- 
maining with  that  corporation  until  1857, 
when  the  financial  panic  which  swept  over 
the  country  in  that  year  caused  its  failure. 
Mr.  Lardner  then  returned  to  the  old  home- 
stead in  Niles  township,  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  whereon  he  continued  to  follow 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


66 1 


farming,  having  become  familiar  with  that 
pursuit  in  his  early  boyhood  days.  He  was 
married  in  Niles  in  1861  to  Miss  Lena  B. 
Phillips,  the  wedding  ceremony  being  per- 
formed by  her  father  the  Rev.  Joseph  S. 
Phillips,  who  was  rector  of  Trinity  Episco- 
pal Church  at  Niles  from  1858  until  1866. 
In  the  latter  year  his  death  occurred.  The 
potency  of  his  influence  as  a  factor  in  moral 
development  was  widely  acknowledged  and 
his  memory  yet  remains  as  a  blessed  benedic- 
tion to  many  who  knew  him.  His  wife  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Eliza  Ann  Thomp- 
son, was  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  Mr. 
Lardner  took  his  bride  to  the  old  homestead 
farm,  whereon  he  continued  to  reside  until 
1866,  when  he  returned  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  banking  and  stock 
brokerage  business  for  five  years.  He  gave 
up  that  business,  however,  in  1871  and  re- 
turned to  Niles,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home. 

In  1872  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  wood-stave  baskets  made  by  machinery, 
continuing  in  the  business  until  1876.  Later 
by  reason  of  his  previous  experience  in  the 
life  insurance  business  he  was  employed  by 
the  Equitable  Trust  Company  as  its  assistant 
overseer  of  agencies,  having  supervision 
throughout  the  western  states  and  also  look- 
ing after  the  different  property  interests  of 
that  corporation.  He  covered  the  territory 
from  Indiana  to  Kansas  from  Kentucky  to 
northern  Michigan  and  continued  in  the  busi- 
ness for  six  years  but  as  this  work  demanded 
that  he  spend  much  of  his  time  upon  the  road 
in  travel  he  resigned  and  returned  to  Niles, 
where  he  has  since  given  his  attention  to 
general  agricultural  pursuits. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lardner  have  been 
born  nine  children,  of  whom  six  are  yet  liv- 
ing: William  P.,  who  married  Ruhamah 
Finley  and  resides  in  Duluth,  Minnesota; 
Henry,  who  is  of  the  third  generation  of 
that  name  in  line  of  direct  descent,  who  mar- 
ried Katherine  Muntz  of  Niles,  by  whom  he 
has  four  children— Ellen  W.,  Frederick  W., 
George  E.  and  Katherine;  Lena,  Reginald, 
Anna  and  Ringgold  W.,  all  of  whom  are  at 
home.  The  parents  are  devoted  and  earnest 
members  of  the  Trinity  Episcopal  Church  of 


Niles,  in  which  Mr.  Lardner  has  served  as 
vestryman  for  many  years.  He  contributes 
generously  to  the  support  of  the  church  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  do  all  in  their  power 
to  extend  its  influence  and  promote  its 
growth.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and 
has  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council 
for  two  or  three  terms,  acting  as  alderman 
of  the  third  ward. 

Few  men  are  more  familiar  with  the  his- 
tory of  Berrien  county  than  Henry  Lardner, 
whose  birth  occurred  on  the  old  farm  home- 
stead here  more  than  two-thirds  of  a  century 
ago.  During  much  of  this  time  he  has  lived 
in  the  county,  his  mind  forming  a  connecting 
link  between  the  modern  era  of  prosperity 
and  the  days  when  the  settlers  bore  many 
hardships  and  privations  incident  to  pioneer 
,  life.  The  name  of  Lardner  has  ever  been 
a  synonym  for  good  citizenship  and  for 
genuine,  moral  worth  in  this  county  and  in 
these  respects  Henry  Lardner  is  a  worthy 
scion  of  his  race. 

ORRIN  E.  DIX,  living  at  Spink's  Cor- 
ners, where  his  time  and  energies  are  de- 
voted to  general  farming,  was  born  July  7, 
1848,  in  Chili,  Monroe  county,  New  York, 
and  in  1852  was  brought  to  Michigan  by 
his  parents,  who  located  in  the  spring  of 
1853  upon  the  farm  upon  which  he  yet  re- 
sides. He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools, 
remained  upon  the  home  farm  until  his  mar- 
riage and  operated  it  for  some  time  prior 
to  that  event. 

At  the  age  of  thirty-three  years  Mr.  Dix 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Julia  Stiles, 
nee  Crossman.  She  died  six  years  later, 
leaving  two  children,  Olive  and  Isabel,  both 
of  whom  were  educated  at  Spring  Arbor  in 
Jackson  county.  They  also  attended  the 
Ferris  Institute  at  Big  Rapids  and  are  now 
engaged  in  teaching.  Both  are  living  at 
home  with  their  father.  Having  lost  his 
first  wife,  Mr.  Dix  was  again  married  on 
the  1 6th  of  June,  1890,  his  second  union  be- 
ing with  Lazetta  Collis,  the  widow  of  John 
H.  Collis,  and  a  daughter  of  Charles  F. 
Barnes,  who  died  while  in  the  United  States 
service.  She  was  born  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship, representing  one  of  the  old  families  of 


662 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


that  county.  Her  parents  were  pioneer  set- 
tlers here,  locating  in  this  section  of  the 
state  in  the  '40s.  They  came  to  the  west 
from  Broome  county,  New  York.  Mr. 
Barnes  died  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania, 
from  a  wound  sustained  in  the  battle  of 
Shiloh.  Mrs.  Barnes  was  thus  left  a  widow 
with  five  daughters,  whom  she  carefully 
reared  and  lived  to  see  settled  in  life.  Her 
maiden  name  was  Amanda  Sutherland,  and 
she  was  a  sister  of  William,  Bushrod  and 
John  Sutherland.  Her  daughter,  Mrs. 
Charles  Shippey,  is  now  living  on  the  old 
homestead.  Mrs.  Dix  was  first  married  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years  and  went  to  her 
husband's  home  in  Bainbridge  township, 
where  she  lived  until  his  death.  By  that 
marriage  she  has  one  living  child,  Rolan  B. 
Collis,  who  resides  at  Benton  Harbor.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Dix  now  occupy  the  house  which 
was  formerly  the  home  of  his  parents  and 
they  are  well  known  people  here,  represent- 
ing early  pioneer  families. 

JOHN  H.  COLLIS,  deceased,  was  at 
one  time  well  known  in  Benton  Harbor  and 
Berrien  county.  He  was  a  native  of  the 
state  of  New  York  and  came  to  this  county 
in  his  boyhood  days  with  his  parents,  George 
and  Lydia  (Ingerham)  Collis,  the  former  a 
native  of  England  and  the  latter  a  sister  of 
Elisha  Ingerham.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George 
Collis  took  up  their  residence  near  Spink's 
Corners  and  the  mother  died  later  in  Benton 
Harbor.  The  father  afterward  removed  to 
California,  where  he  died  when  more  than 
eighty  years  of  age.  He  left  four  children, 
John  H.  Collis,  whose  son,  Rolan  Collis,  of 
Benton  Harbor,  is  now  the  only  representa- 
tive of  the  family  in  Berrien  county.  John 
H.  Collis  was  for  many  years  identified  with 
agricultural  interests.  He  was  reared  here 
to  the  occupation  of  farming  and  always  car- 
ried on  general  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
was  a  respected  citizen  of  his  community  and 
his  death  was  the  occasion  of  deep  regret 
to  his  many  friends  as  well  as  to  his  imme- 
diate family. 

EZRA  BRANT,  representing  one  of  the 
prominent  and  well  known  pioneer  families 


of  Berrien  county,  was  born  November  17,. 
1873,  in  the  house  which  he  yet  occupies, 
and  w^as  the  second  of  the  four  children  of 
Daniel  and  Nancy  Jane  (Kennedy)  Brant. 
The  father  was  a  native  of  Rochester,  New 
York,  and  in  early  manhood  he  married 
Marietta  Hazzard,  who  was  born  in  Ellis- 
burg,  New  York,  but  they  were  married  in 
Benton  township,  Berrien  county,  about 
1840.  Daniel  Brant  when  eighteen  years  of 
age  had  driven  a  yoke  of  oxen  from  Roches- 
ter to  Pokagon  township,  Cass  county,  where 
his  father,  Simeon  Brant,  had  already  set- 
tled. Edward  Brant's  father,  who  died  en- 
route  from  California,  was  a  cousin  of  Dan- 
iel Brant,  and  further  mention  of  the  fam- 
ily is  made  on  another  page  of  this  work. 
The  family  is  in  fact  a  prominent  one  of 
Berrien  county,  having  numerous  repre- 
sentatives who  have  been  active  and  in- 
fluential in  business  circles  and  in  public 
affairs.  Daniel  Brant  remained  a  resident 
of  Pokagon  township  until  all  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  family  removed  to  Bainbridge 
township,  cutting  the  road  through  the 
forests  for  miles.  Simeon  Brant  secured  a 
claim  constituting  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  31,  while  Daniel's  place  was  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  32,  and 
Artaxerses  Brant  took  the  east  half  of  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  31.  Nathaniel 
Brant  obtained  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 32,  and  thus  altogether  they  secured  the 
four  corners.  Nearly  all  of  this  land  is  still 
in  possession  of  members  of  the  Brant  fam- 
ily, although  Nathaniel  Brant  is  the  only  one 
of  the  original  owners  now  living.  Simeon 
Brant,  the  father,  died  at  the  old  homestead 
at  a  very  advanced  age,  while  Artaxerses 
Brant  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 
years,  and  Daniel  passed  away  at  the 
old  home  when  sixty-six  years  of  age. 
Artaxerses  Brant  had  one  son  in  Ma- 
son county  and  three  grandchildren.  The 
children  of  Jerome  Brant  are  still  on  the 
old  homestead.  Nathaniel  Brant  resides 
upon  his  old  home  place,  which  has  now 
been  in  his  possession  for  many  years. 

Daniel  Brant,  father  of  our  subject, 
placed  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  his  homestead  under  cultivation.    He  like^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


663 


wise  secured  and  improved  two  other  tracts 
of  land  of  eighty  and  eighty-five  acres  re- 
spectively, and  he  also  had  two  houses  in 
Benton  Harbor  at  the  time  of  his  death.    He 
likewise    owned    one    hundred    and    twenty 
acres  of  land  in  Pipestone  township,  which 
he  improved,  and  he  gave  a  farm  to  each  of 
his  children/ amounting  to  over  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land.     He  placed  more 
than  two  hundred  acres  of  land  under  culti- 
vation and  thus  contributed  in  large  meas- 
ure to  the  substantial  development  and  re- 
clamation of  this  part  of  the  state.     His  wife 
was  a  fine  business  woman  and  he  largely 
attributed    to   her   influence   and   assistance 
the  success  which  he  has  achieved.     She  died 
about   fifteen   years   prior   to   the   death   of 
her  husband,  being  about  fifty  years  of  age 
when  she  passed  away.     They  had  traveled 
life's  journey  together,  however,  for  many 
years,   for  she  was  but  seventeen  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  their  marriage.     Her  life 
was   devoted   to   her   family   and   although 
never  very  strong  or  robust  she  was  am- 
bitious and  energetic  and  her  capable  man- 
agement of  the  household  affairs  and  the 
assistance    and    encouragement    which    she 
rendered  her  husband  were  valued  factors 
in  their  prosperity.     They  became  the  par- 
ents of  seven  children,  as  follows:  Lafay- 
ette died  on  Ship  Island,  New  Mexico,  while 
in   the   United    States   service,    having   left 
high  school  in  St.  Joseph  in  order  to  enlist. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Sixth  Michigan  In- 
fantry and  passed  away  when  twenty-two 
years  of  age.     Francis  is  living  in  Pipestone 
townshfp.      Marion   reside3   in   Bainbridge 
township  on  land  given  him  by  his  father. 
Henry   is   a   resident   of   Fountain,    Mason 
county,  Michigan.     Lucretia    married  John 
Harmon,  and  lives  in  Seattle,  Washington. 
Rosella  married  William  Burnett,  of  Bain- 
bridge, and  resides  at  Spokane,  Washington. 
Having  lost  his  first  wife  Daniel  Brant  was 
married  to  Miss  Nancy  Kennedy,  who  sur- 
vives him  and  is  yet  living  in  Benton  Har- 
bor.    Their  children  are  :      Sherman ;  Ezra, 
the  subject  of  this  review;  Lillie,  the  wife 
of   William   Denneke,    of   Benton   Harbor; 
and  Roy. 

Ezra  Brant,  after  spending  his  entire  life 
tipon  the  home  farm  with  the  exception  of 


one    year,    now    owns    the    old    homestead 
property  which  was  for  many  years  in  pos- 
session of  his  father,  Daniel  Brant  and  which 
was  settled  in  1836.     It  comprises  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  and  is  a  very  valuable 
tract.      He  has  about  sixty-seven   acres  in 
fruit,   forty  acres   in  peaches,   six  acres   in 
grapes  and  nine  acres  in  apples,  of  which 
five  acres  have  been  in  bearing  for  fifty-six 
years.     He  also  has  three  acres  in  raspber- 
ries and  an  acre  and  a  half  in  strawberries, 
and  five  acres  in  pears.     All  of  his  fruit  is 
profitable,    for    he    gathers    annually    good 
crops.     In  1905  he  raised  eighteen  hundred 
bushels  of  peaches  and   forty-eight  barrels 
of  apples.    His  business  is  continually  grow- 
ing and  in  connection  with  fruit-raising  he 
has  engaged  in  general  farming.     He  pur- 
chased his  place  with  five  separate  purchases 
and  has  now  an  extensive  and  valuable  tract 
of  land  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
well  adapted  for  the  purposes  for  which  it 
is  used. 

On  the  22d  of  July,  1896,  Mr.  Brant 
was  married  to  Miss  Floy  G.  Moore,  a 
daughter  of  William  Moore  of  Sodus  town- 
ship, and  now  living  in  Benzie  county,  Mich- 
igan. Mrs.  Brant  was  born  in  Sodus  town- 
ship, and  by  her  marriage  has  become  the 
mother  of  two  sons  and  a  daughter,  Ellis 
Ezra  and  Russel  Jaleb  and  Violet  Orene. 
Mr.  Brant  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most 
enterprising  young  business  men  of  the  town- 
ship, alert  and  energetic,  brooking  no  ob- 
stacles that  can  be  overcome  by  determined, 
persistent  and  honorable  labor. 

WILLIAM  CAMFIELD  was  the  pio- 
neer in  the  spraying  of  fruit  trees  in  Ber- 
rien county.  He  began  this  work  twenty 
years  ago  and  demonstrated  that  it  was  fol- 
lowed by  such  excellent  results  that  tlie 
custom  soon  came  into  general  use.  He  has 
long  been  known  as  one  of  the  prominent 
and  successful  fruit-growers  of  this  portion 
of  the  state  and  now  lives  in  Hagar  town- 
ship, where  he  has  valuable  property.  He 
was  born  in  County  Norfolk,  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, October  9,  1832,  and  was  reared  to 
manhood  in  that  country,  He  remained 
at  home  until  his  marriage,  which,  however, 
was  celebrated  before  he  was  twenty  years 


^664 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


of  age.  The  lady  of  his  choice  was  Miss 
Sarah  M.  Ferguson,  and  they  removed  from 
Norfolk  county  to  Walsingham,  on  Long 
Point  Bay,  an  arm  of  Lake  Erie,  where  Mr. 
Camfield  improved  two  farms.  He  there 
resided  until  the  spring  of  1866,  when  he 
came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan.  He  had 
a  brother,  Leavitt  Camfield,  who  had  been 
a  resident  of  St.  Joseph  for  two  years  at 
that  time  and  was  engaged  in  blacksmith- 
ing.  William  Camfield  had  a  contract  to 
put  in  wood  which  he  was  piling  on  the  bank 
of  Lake  Erie,  when  a  freshet  swept  it  into 
the  lake  and  he  thus  lost  three  thousand 
cords.  This  left  him  without  financial  re- 
sources and  in  this  condition  he  came  to 
Michigan.  Here  he  cleared  a  part  of  a  farm 
for  his  brother,  the  tract  lying  just  north  of 
Benton  Harbor,  and  upon  that  place  Leavitt 
Camfield  made  his  home  until  his  death, 
which  was  occasioned  by  the  kick  of  a  horse. 
He  erected  the  octagonal  brick  house  a  mile 
and  a  quarter  north  of  Benton  Harbor, 
which  is  one  of  the  landmarks  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  county. 

In  1867  William  Camfield  located  on  his 
present  farm,  first  purchasing  seven  acres 
where  he  lives  on  the  border  of  Hagar  and 
Benton  townships,  three  and  a  half  miles 
north  of  the  city  of  Benton  Harbor.  He 
erected  here  a  log  house  and  for  thirty- 
eight  years  has  resided  continuously  upon 
this  place.  As  his  financial  resources  have 
increased  he  has  added  to  his  farm  until 
it  now  comprises  twenty-nine  and  a  half 
acres.  He  started  in  debt  for  the  seven 
acres,  for  which  he  paid  seven  hundred  dol- 
lars, and  in  addition  he  owed  two  hundred 
dollars.  His  seven  acres  was  all  covered 
with  timber  and  he  had  to  cut  a  road  to 
get  to  it,  making  the  road  along  the  town 
line.  Two  years  later  he  paid  one  thousand 
dollars  for  five  acres  adjoining.  This  was 
planted  to  berries.  He  worked  energetic- 
ally, persistently  and  capably  in  the  devel- 
opment and  care  of  his  property  and  the 
year  1873  found  him  free  from  debt.  He 
then  arranged  to  purchase  sixty  acres  of 
land  for  nine  thousand  dollars  in  company 
with  his  son-in-law.  This  he  had  also  pur- 
chased on  time.     It  was  planted  to  peaches 


but  the  yellows  took  his  trees  and  in  two 
years  he  let  the  property  revert  to  the  origi- 
nal owner,  losing  two  thousand  dollars  on 
the  deal.  He  then  engaged  in  lumbering, 
in  which  he  continued  for  seven  years.  He 
got  out  the  lumber  and  timber  for  The  Lora, 
the  first  steamboat  that  was  built  in  this  lo- 
cality, selecting  the  timber  in  the  woods. 
It  was  cut  and  hewed  by  him,  after  which 
it  was  sawed.  He  would  take  contracts  for 
lumbering  and  at  times  kept  several  teams, 
having  as  high  as  seventy  one  winter.  He 
employed  a  number  of  choppers  and  some- 
times boarded  his  men.  One  winter  he 
cleared  one  hundred  and  fourteen  acres  of 
heavy  timber  at  Sister  Lakes  fifteen  miles 
from  Benton  Harbor.  Half  of  this  was  sent 
to  Benton  Harbor  and  the  remaining  half 
to  Dowagiac.  In  his  lumbering  operations 
he  prospered  and  in  the  meantime  he  oper- 
ated his  little  farm  of  twelve  acres,  and  also 
turned  his  attention  to  dealing  in  fruit.  He 
would  purchase  fruit  on  the  trees  and  in  one 
season  paid  four  thousand  dollars  for 
peaches  on  the  trees.  He  bought  fruit  in 
this  way  from  fifteen  to  twenty  years  and 
generally  met  with  success  in  this  under- 
taking. He  added  more  land  from  time  to 
time,  buying  in  small  tracts  and  for  one  tract 
of  five  acres  paid  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars.  It  is  eighteen  years  since  he  bought 
a  ten-acre  tract  in  Benton  township  opposite 
his  present  farm  for  eight  hundred  dollars, 
and  eighteen  years  ago  he  married  his  pres- 
ent wife.  He  deeded  to  his  son  by  his  first 
wife  fifteen  acres  of  land,  but  three  years 
later  he  paid  him  twenty-three  hundred  dol- 
lars for  this  same  tract.  This  gives  him 
now  twenty-nine  and  a  half  acres  near  Lake 
Michigan.  It  is  all  high-grade  fruit  land, 
unsurpassed  by  any  in  the  county  and  de- 
voted to  the  raising  of  fruit,  including  ap- 
ples, pears,  peaches,  cherries  and  grapes. 
He  has  sold  his  apple  crop  for  fifteen  hun- 
dred dollars  in  a  single  season.  In  1905 
he  had  over  thirteen  hundred  dollars  clear 
income  above  all  expenses  of  operation.     In 

1903  he  took  in  three  thousand  dollars,  in 

1904  fourteen  hundred  dollars  and  in  1905 
two  thousand  dollars,  clearing  one  thousand 
dollars   above   all   expenses.     He   makes   a 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


665 


specialty  of  Dutchess  apples,  the  trees  be- 
ing worth  one  hundred  dollars  apiece  and  if 
his  entire  farm  were  covered  with  trees  as 
^ood  as  his  one  hundred  trees  of  this  va- 
riety, it  would  pay  an  interest  on  a  basis  of 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Cam- 
field  has  great  faith  in  a  brilliant  future  for 
this  section  of  the  country  as  a  fruit  belt  and 
has  often  expressed  himself  that  *'this  coun- 
try is  the  best  place  for  a  live  man  but  the 
poorest  for  a  dead  one  to  be  in."  He  is 
growing  for  commercial  purposes  and  his 
orchards  are  in  excellent  condition,  being 
cared  for  along  modern  progressive  meth- 
ods. Formerly  Mr.  Camfield  engaged  quite 
extensively  in  raising  berries,  having  seven 
hundred  dollars  worth  of  berries  picked  in 
a  single  day  in  1874,  and  for  a  time  he  was 
known  as  the  berry  king  of  the  county.  He 
was  the  pioneer  in  the  process  of  spraying 
trees,  beginning  this  twenty  years  ago  in  or- 
der to  exterminate  the  codling  moth  on  ap- 
ple trees.  The  result  surprised  all  and  the 
second  year  he  sprayed  for  several  other 
fruit-growers  of  the  community.  Leading 
men  said  after  the  crop  was  harvested  that 
he  had  added  six  hundred  dollars  to  their 
profits.  One  man  said  an  hour's  work  of 
this  kind  in  his  orchard  paid  him  one  hun- 
dred dollars.  One  man  refused  to  pay  for 
spraying,  saying  that  it  had  hurt  several 
trees.  Mr.  Camfield  therefore  bought  the 
man's  crop  for  five  hundred  dollars  less  the 
spraying  bill  and  a  few  weeks  after  the 
spraying  was  done  he  sold  the  orchard  for 
fifteen  hundred  dollars,  thus  clearing  one 
thousand  dollars.  His  efforts  in  this  direc- 
tion being  so  successful  he  was  then  sought 
to  write  articles  for  papers  as  to  the  benefit 
of  spraying  and  is  considered  an  authority 
upon  the  subject. 

In  July,  1887,  Mr.  Camfield  lost  his  first 
wife  after  they  had  lived  together  for  thirty- 
four  years.  On  the  31st  of  December,  1888, 
he  married  Miss  Exilea  C.  Gordon,  who  was 
reared  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  but  was 
visiting  her  sister  in  Berrien  county.  Her 
family  are  of  French  lineage.  Her  father 
owned  an  island  in  Lake  Champlain,  on 
which  she  was  born  and  by  reason  of  that 
fact  she  was  named  Exilea.  She  was  reared, 
however,  in  Brooklyn.    Her  father  v/as  part 


owner  of  a  vessel  on  Lake  Champlain. 
Coming  to  the  west  to  visit  she  met  Mr. 
Camfield  while  in  Berrien  county  and  gave 
him  her  hand  in  marriage.  Two  children 
have  been  born  unto  them :  John  Nellis, 
nine  years  of  age;  and  Victor  Newton, 
three  years  of  age.  By  his  first  marriage 
Mr.  Camfield  had  seven  children.  Two 
sons,  Charles  E.  and  Fred  Lorenzo,  are 
fruit-growers  of  this  vicinity.  George  Al- 
len is  a  farmer  of  Mason  county.  Alexa  is 
the  wife  of  John  McKenzie,  of  Hagar  town- 
ship.   The  others  are  deceased. 

Mr.  Camfield  gives  his  entire  time  and 
attention  to  the  supervision  of  his  fruit- 
raising  interests  and  in  operating  the  place 
employs  two  or  three  men.  In  his  political 
views  he  is  a  Republican  and  rather  inde- 
pendent. His  efforts  have  been  a  practical 
demonstration  of  the  value  of  this  district  as 
a  fruit  producing  center  and  his  success  has 
been  the  direct  result  of  his  untiring  labors. 

FREDERICK  A.  HOBBS.  There  is 
particular  satisfaction  in  reverting  to  the 
life  history  of  the  honored  and  leading  citi- 
zen whose  name  initiates  this  review,  for  he 
has  attained  to  a  position  of  distinctive 
prominence  in  the  thriving  city  in  which  he 
makes  his  home.  He  is  not  a  witness  of 
the  trend  of  events,  but  is  making  history 
through  the  establishment  and  control  of 
business  interests  on  which  rest  the  progress 
and  upbuilding  of  any  community.  His 
birth  occurred  in  Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  No- 
vember 26,  1859.  His  paternal  grand- 
grandfather  was  Robinson  Hobbs,  of  Eng- 
lish descent.  The  father,  Thomas  F.  Hobbs, 
was  a  native  of  Maine  and  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  In  connection  with  the  tilling 
of  the  soil,  however,  he  carried  on  business 
as  a  contractor  and  builder,  in  which  he 
continued  up  to  the  time  of  his  demise  in 
1901,  when  he  was  seventy  years  of  age. 
Having  removed  from  the  east  he  became  a 
resident  of  Indiana,  and  at  a  later  date  took 
up  his  abode  in  Benton  Harbor.  His  wife 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Hulda  Creal  and 
was  born  in  Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  while  at 
the  present  writing  she  makes  her  home  in 
Chicago,  Illinois.  By  her  marriage  she  be- 
came the  mother  of  four  children :  Mrs.  Rob- 


666 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


ert  A.  Smythe;  Mrs.  F.  R,  Gilson;  Mrs. 
Willard  S.  Bracken,  who  is  living  in  Chi- 
cago and  is  a  vocahst  of  well  known  ability ; 
and  Frederick  A.  The  maternal  grand- 
father, Anthony  Creal,  was  a  native  of  the 
Empire  State,  but  became  one  of  the  pio- 
neer residents  of  Indiana,  where  he  settled 
in  1820. 

Frederick  A.  Hobbs,  although  a  native 
of  Indiana,  was  reared  in  Dewitt,  Clinton 
county,  Iowa,  and  his  early  education,  ac- 
quired in  the  public  schools  there,  was  sup- 
plemented by  further  study  in  Davenport, 
Iowa.  Returning  to  his  home  in  Dewitt  he 
was  engaged  in  clerking  in  the  postoffice 
of  that  city  and  in  a  general  merchandise 
store  for  several  years,  and  in  1885  he  came 
to  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  Closely  associated  with  interests 
and  interprises,  he  has  had  direct  and  per- 
manent effect  upon  the  development  and 
prosjDcrity  of  the  community.  Soon  after  his 
arrival  here  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in 
the  Palladium,  a  newspaper,  in  the  owner- 
ship of  which  he  was  connected  with  the  late 
F.  R.  Gilson  for  three  and  a  half  years,  at 
the  expiration  of  which  period  he  sold  out 
to  his  partner.  The  paper  had  been  origin- 
ally published  only  as  a  weekly,  but  the  firm 
of  Hobbs  &  Gilson  established  also  a  daily 
issue,  which  proved  a  successful  venture  and 
is  still  published  by  an  incorporated  com- 
pany which  purchased  the  paper  following 
the  recent  death  of  Mr.  Gilson. 

After  his  retirement  from  the  newspaper 
field  Mr.  Hobbs  engaged  in  the  retail  coal 
business  and  later  continued  in  the  same 
trade  save  on  a  wholesale  scale.  He  first 
became  the  successor  of  the  firm  of  Stearns 
&  Mott,  coal  merchants,  and  conducted  the 
business  alone  for  four  or  five  years, 
after  which  it  was  incorporated 
under  the  name  of  the  Benton  Har- 
bor Fuel  Company  in  1893,  with  Mr. 
Hobbs  as  president  and  treasurer,  Thomas 
T.  Hobbs  as  vice-president,  and  Clar- 
ence Warner  as  secretary.  William  H. 
Poundstone  has  succeeded  Mr.  Warner  as 
secretary,  but  the  vice-presidency  has  re- 
mained vacant  since  the  death  of  its  first 
incumbent  in  1901.    The  business  has  grown 


to  six  or  seven  times  its  original  proportions 
and  is  one  of  the  paying  commercial  enter- 
prises of  the  city.  Mr.  Hobbs,  however,  has 
not  concentrated  his  energies  entirely  upon 
this  one  line.  In  fact  he  has  been  a  close  ob- 
server of  business  indications  and  possibili- 
ties and  to  various  fields  has  extended  his 
efforts  w4th  good  results.  In  1891  he  became 
interested  in  the  Michigan  Salt  Association, 
which  handles  salt  in  car  load  lots.  This 
company  owns  salt  warehouses  in  St.  Jo- 
seph and  Benton  Harbor  and  has  spurs  on 
the  Big  Four  and  Michigan  Central  Rail- 
roads, thus  furnishing  excellent  transporta- 
tion facilities.  They  ship  one  hundred  thou- 
sand barrels  of  salt  per  year.  In  1895  Mr. 
Hobbs  embarked  in  the  wholseale  flour  busi- 
ness, in  which  he  is  still  interested  in 
addition  to  the  above  mentioned  concerns. 
Besides  owning  considerable  stock  in  the 
salt  company  he  is  its  active  agent.  In  1889 
he  organized  the  Benton  Transit  Company, 
connected  therein  with  Captain  R.  C.  Brit- 
ton.  The  business  was  incorporated  the 
same  year  with  William  G.  Newland  as 
president,  Captain  R.  C.  Britton  vice-presi- 
dent and  general  manager,  and  Frederick 
A.  Hobbs  as  secretary  and  treasurer.  Cap- 
tain Britton  died  in  October,  1904,  and  Mr. 
Newland  withdrew  from  the  firm,  leaving 
Mr.  Hobbs  as  active  manager  of  the  com- 
pany, which  makes  a  specialty  of  carrying 
fruit  in  season  to  Chicago.  The  enterprise 
has  proved  a  remunerative  one,  the  business 
having  reached  extensive  and  profitable  pro- 
portions. In  connection  with  others  Mr. 
Hobbs  organized  the  Michigan  Lake  Sand 
Company,  which  was  incorporated  in  1905, 
with  Frederick  A.  Hobbs  as  president,  John 
J.  Eager,  of  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  as  sec- 
retary, and  William  H.  Poundstone  as 
treasurer.  On  the  7th  of  June,  1906,  he 
was  elected  president  of  the  Michigan  and 
Indiana  Retail  Coal  Association,  which  now 
has  eleven  hundred  members. 

On  the  24th  of  May,  1882,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Hobbs  and  Miss  Nettie 
Stephenson,  of  Dewitt,  Iowa,  where  the 
wedding  was  celebrated.  She  was  born  in 
Virginia,  is  a  daughter  of  George  Stephen- 
son and  is  of  English  descent.     Three  chil- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


667 


dren  grace  this  union :  Laura  and  Edith,  who 
were  born  in  Iowa;  and  Fred  S.,  whose  birth 
occured  in  Benton  Harbor. 

In  his  pohtical   views   Mr.   Hobbs  is   a 
Repubhcan  and  for  six  years  served  as  chair- 
man of  the  Repubhcan  city  central  commit- 
tee.   When  the  city  was  incorporated  he  be- 
came its  first  mayor,  in   1891,   serving  for 
one  term.     He  had  been  town  clerk  under 
the   village   administration   and   he   is   now 
treasurer  of  the  Republican  county  central 
committee  .  His  labors  in  behalf  of  the  party 
are  recognized  as  of  value  because  he  brings 
to  this  work  the  same  keen  discernment  and 
spirit   of  enterprise   which   characterize  his 
private  business  affairs.     He  belongs  to  the 
Knights     of     Pythias     fraternity     and    the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  in 
both  of  wdiich  he  has  been  honored  with  of- 
fice,  representing  both  in  the  grand  lodge 
and  serving  as  the  first  presiding  officer  in 
the  Elks  lodge.    He  is  one  of  the  trustees 
in  the  Universalist  Church  and  is  active  in 
its  work.     In  manner  he  is  never  ostenta- 
tious, but  he  possesses  that  true  worth  which 
cannot  be  hid  and  which  is  always  recog- 
nized by  people  of  superiority.     He  indeed 
deserves  mention   among  the   most  promi- 
nent of  Benton  Harbor's  business  men  and 
representative    citizens    and    should    find    a 
place  in  the  history  of  the  leading  residents 
of  Berrien  county,  whose  force  of  character, 
sterling  integrity,  control  of  circumstances 
and  whose  marked  success   in  establishing 
important    industries    have    contributed    in 
such  an  eminent  degree  to  the  solidity  and 
progress  of  the  city  in  which  he  makes  his 
home.     His  life  has  been  manly,  his  actions 
sincere  and  he  has  left  the  impress  of  his 
individuality    upon   the   annals   of    Berrien 
county. 

JAMES  FLOOD,  deceased,  was  one  of 
the  enterprising  agriculturists  of  Berrien 
county,  who  long  devoted  his  energies  to  the 
tilling  of  the  soil  in  this  part  of  the  state 
and  resided  in  Hagar  township,  having  come 
to  America  in  1848.  He  made  his  way  to 
this  county  with  his  brother  William,  and 
being  unmarried  remained  with  his  brother 
until  1852,  when  he  bought  land  on  section 


34  of  the  same  township,  becoming  the 
owner  of  sixty-five  acres,  which  was  entirely 
wild  and  unimproved.  It  lay  along  the  Paw 
Paw  river  and  he  began  the  arduous  task  of 
clearing  and  cultivating  it.  Two  years  later 
his  sister  Mary  also  came  to  the  United 
States  from  Ireland,  her  native  land,  and 
made  her  way  to  Michigan,  where  she  acted 
as  housekeeper  for  her  brother  James  until 
her  death,  which  occurred  in  1872. 

James  Flood  never  married,  and  his 
housekeeper  for  many  years  was  his  niece, 
Jane  Frances  Flood,  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Rose  Flood.  When  only  three  years  of 
age  she  went  to  live  with  her  uncle  and 
aunt,  James  and  Mary  Flood.  Later  she 
returned  to  her  mother's  home  but  after  two 
years  again  took  up  her  abode  with  her  aunt 
and  uncle,  and  continued  to  live  with  Mr. 
Flood  until  his  demise.  She  was  eighteen 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  aunt's  death, 
and  she  then  took  charge  of  the  house  and 
gave  her  attention  to  her  uncle's  interests 
and  the  management  of  his  home:. 

James  Flood  cleared  about  twenty-five 
acres  of  the  original  sixty-five  acres  and  also 
another  tract  of  forty  acres  and  he  added  to 
his  first  purchase  until  at  the  time  of  his 
death  he  owned  about  two  hundred  acres  of 
good  land.  He  willed  the  homestead  to  his 
niece,  Jane,  while  the  remainder  of  his  prop- 
erty went  to  other  relatives.  He  was  ener- 
getic and  enterprising  and  carried  forward 
to  successful  completion  wdiatever  he  under- 
took. In  his  political  views  he  was  a  Demo- 
crat. He  was  called  to  various  local  posi- 
tions of  honor  and  trust,  serving  as  justice 
of  the  peace  and  highway  commissioner. 
In  the  latter  ofhce  he  laid  out  many  of  the 
township  roads  and  he  continued  in  public 
life  for  many  years,  doing  effective  and  help- 
ful service  for  the  general  welfare.  He  w^as 
an  active  member  of  the  Catholic  church  at 
St.  Joseph,  and  died  in  that  faith  February 
8,  1887,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years. 
He  had  lived  a  life  of  uprightness  and  honor 
and  had  enjoyed  to  the  full  extent  the  re- 
spect and  good  will  of  his  fellowmen. 

EDWARD  BRODRICK,  one  of  the 
progressive  and  energetic  farmers  of  Hagar 


668 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


township,  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  New 
York,  on  the  i6th  of  February,  1851,  and 
when  six  years  of  age  was  taken  by  his  par- 
ents to  Keeler  township.  Van  Buren  county, 
Michigan.  In  the  fall  of  i860  the  family  re- 
moved to  Bainbridge  township,  Berrien 
county,  where  his  parents,  James  and  Brid- 
get (Costello)  Brodrick,  spent  their  remain- 
ing days.  They  were  both  natives  of  Coun- 
ty Galway,  Ireland,  and  after  coming  to 
Berrien  county  the  father  owned  a  good 
farm  and  made  his  home  thereon  for  many 
years,  carefully  cultivating  and  improving 
the  property  up  to  the  time  of  the  death  of 
his  wife.  His  last  years  were  spent  at  the 
home  of  his  son,  Edward  Brodrick,  and  he 
departed  this  life  on  the  8th  of  September, 
1880,  when  more  than  seventy-five  years  of 
age,  having  survived  his  wife  for  six  years, 
as  her  death  occurred  on  the  ist  of  Decem- 
ber, 1874. 

Edward  Brodrick  was  reared  under  the 
parental  roof,  spending  much  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  Michigan  amid  the  sur- 
roundings and  environments  of  pioneer  life. 
On  attaining  his  majority  he  was  married 
on  the  28th  of  February,  1876,  to  Miss  Jane 
Frances  Flood,  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Rose  Flood.  She  was  only  three  years  of 
age  when  she  went  to  live  with  her  uncle 
and  aunt,  James  and  Mary  Flood,  but  though 
she  afterward  returned  to  her  mother  for 
two  years,  she  again  took  up  her  abode 
upon  her  uncle's  farm  and  after  her  aunt's 
death  she  took  charge  of  the  household,  be- 
ing then  a  young  lady  of  eighteen  years. 

Following  their  marriage  Edward  Brod- 
rick and  his  wife  went  to  his  father's  farm 
in  Bainbridge  township,  where  they  lived 
for  two  years,  leaving  her  sister  Ellen  as 
housekeeper  for  her  uncle,  James  Flood,  but 
at  the  end  of  that  time  they  returned  to  Mr. 
Flood's  farm,  Mr.  Brodrick  working  with 
him  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Flood.  In  the 
meantime,  however,  in  1880,  he  had  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  land  from  Mrs.  E. 
Hoag,  and  he  now  has  one  hundred  and  five 
acres  in  the  home  place  and  eighty  acres  a 
half  mile  distant.  The  latter  tract  had  been 
the  homestead  of  Patrick  Flood,  and  Mr. 
Brodrick  purchased  the  interest  of  the  other 


heirs  in  the  property,  his  wife  having  in- 
herited a  part  of  it.  The  present  home  of 
the  Brodricks  was  erected  in  war  times  by 
Mr.  Flood  but  it  has  been  rebuilt  and  mod- 
ernized by  Mr.  Brodrick,  and  is  now  one  of 
the  desirable  and  attractive  residences  of 
Hagar  township.  He  has  about  forty  acres 
in  the  home  place  and  thirty-five  acres  in 
his  other  farm  planted  to  fruit,  making 
seventy-five  acres  in  all  thus  utilized.  Of 
this  twenty-five  acres  is  set  out  to  peaches 
and  the  sale  of  his  fruit  has  in  some  years 
amounted  to  five  thousand  dollars. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brodrick  have  been 
born  nine  children,  seven  of  whom  are  yet 
living:  Mary  Jane,  a  'twin  (the  other  died  in 
infancy),  the  wife  of  James  F.  Hickey,  of 
Hagar  township;  William  H.,  at  home; 
Rose  Belle,  the  wife  of  D.  J.  Laviolette,  of 
Hagar  township;  Peter,  deceased;  Edward 
Charles,  Frances  Agnes  and  James  Leo,  all 
at  home;  and  Helen  Julia,  who  completes 
the  family.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brodrick 
were  reared  in  St.  John's  Catholic  Church, 
in  Benton  Harbor.  He  gives  his  political 
allegiance  to  the  Democracy  and  is  an  active, 
energetic  business  man,  carefully  conducting 
important  farming  and  fruit-raising  inter- 
ests with  the  result  that  excellent  success  is 
attending  his  labors. 

ALLEN  M.  RANDALL.  The  produc- 
tion of  peaches,  apples  and  berries  claims  the 
time  and  attention  of  Allen  M.  Randall,  one 
of  the  successful  horticulturists  of  Bain- 
bridge township.  He  was  born  May  i, 
1842,  in  Wallaceburg,  Ontario,  Canada,  and 
was  only  six  years  of  age  when  he  came  to 
the  United  States  with  his  uncle,  James  1. 
Randall,  who  brought  him  to  St.  Joseph. 
His  uncle  was  a  ship  carpenter  at  St.  Joseph. 
When  eight  years  of  age,  in  the  spring  of 
1850,  Allen  M.  Randall  went  to  live  with 
H.  C.  Morton,  with  whom  he  remained  for 
three  years.  He  then  entered  the  employ  of 
William  B.  Sutherland,  while  his  brother, 
William  Randall,  lived  with  Warren  Pearl. 
For  five  years  Mr.  Randall  continued  in  the 
employ  of  Mr.  Sutherland  and  found  a  good 
home  there.  He  had  also  found  a  good 
home  with  Mr.  Morton.     Mrs.  Sutherland 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


669 


was  a  most  competent  woman  and  her  care- 
ful guidance  and  assistance  proved  of  the 
utmost  value  to  him  as  well  as  the  business 
training  which  he  received  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Mr.  Sutherland.  When  sixteen  years 
of  age  he  began  working  by  the  month  as 
a  farm  hand,  and  devoted  the  winter  seasons 
to  the  acquirement  of  an  education  in  the 
public  schools,  which  he  attended  until  nine- 
teen years  of  age.  During  this  period  he 
regarded  the  Sutherland  home  as  his. 

After  the  country  became  involved  in  the 
Civil  war  Mr.  Randall  enlisted  in  1862,  in 
response  to  President  Lincoln's  call,  becom- 
ing a  recruit  of  Company  D,  Sixty-sixth 
Illinois  Western  Sharpshooters.  He  reached 
the  regiment  at  Corinth,  Mississippi,  and 
participated  in  the  battles  of  luka  and  of 
Corinth.  He  continued  with  that  command 
until  1863,  when  he  was  detailed  to  the 
quartermaster's  department  and  was  given 
charge  of  a  train  of  the  Fourth  Division  of 
the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps  under  General 
John  A.  Logan.  He  had  about  two  hundred 
teamsters,  twenty  wagonmasters,  six  black- 
smiths and  others  under  his  command,  the 
entire  force  numbering  about  three  hundred. 
He  was  often  in  the  closest  quarters  but  by 
quick  action  went  through  without  the  loss 
of  arms  or  the  loss  of  men.  He  was  re- 
tained in  that  position  from  the  beginning 
of  the  Atlanta  campaign  until  after  the  army 
reached  Washington  and  participated  in  the 
grand  review  in  the  capital  city.  Mr.  Ran- 
dall arrived  in  Michigan  in  July,  1865. 

Mr.  Randall  and, his  brother  William 
sold  goods  in  Millburg  for  a  period  of  fif- 
teen years,  beginning  in  1865.  They  also 
operated  a  sawmill  and  grist  mill  and  other 
industries  a  part  of  the  time.  All  of  his 
children  were  born  during  their  residence 
in  Millburg. 

In  1891,  Mr.  Randall  returned  to  the 
Sutherland  farm  and  was  afterward  for 
three  years  engaged  in  the  conduct  of  a 
dairy  near  Benton  Harbor.  He  later  again 
turned  to  the  Sutherland  farm,  where  he  is 
now  living,  the  place  comprising  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-five  acres  of  rich  and  pro- 
ductive land.  He  also  has  eighty  acres  in 
Benton  township,  and  he  has  given  eighty 
acres  to  his  children.    Upon  the  home  place 


he  has  forty  acres  devoted  to  the  raising  of 
peaches  and  apples  and  twenty  acres  to  ber- 
ries. He  is  continually  setting  out  other 
fruit.  He  is  now  well  known  as  a  leading 
horticulturist  of  the  county  and  his  fruit 
sales  have  amounted  to  three  thousand  dol- 
lars in  a  single  season.  He  also  has  upon 
his  place  from  five  to  ten  acres  of  melons. 
Much  of  his  fruit  is  young  and  all  of  it  has 
been  set  out  within  twelve  years.  In  his 
business  affairs  Mr.  Randall  is  very  practi- 
cal and  at  the  same  time  progressive  and  has 
met  with  excellent  success,  working  his  way 
steadily  upward.  He  well  deserves  that  oft 
misused  term  *'a  self-made  man,"  for  his 
prosperity  has  resulted  entirely  from  his 
own  earnest  and  honorable  labors. 

On  the  13th  of  January,  1870,  Mr.  Ran- 
dall was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ade- 
laide M.  Sutherland,  a  daughter  of  William 
Sutherland.  She  was  born  on  the  farm 
where  she  now  lives  on  the  29th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1846,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  fe\\^ 
years  has  always  resided  upon  this  place. 
She  represents  one  of  the  old  prominent 
and  honored  families  of  Berrien  -county. 
The  representatives  of  the  name  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state  were  Lott  and  David  Suth- 
erland, and  a  third  brother,  Justus  Suther- 
land, who  resided  in  Allegan  county.  David 
Sutherland  came  with  his  sons  from  New 
York  and  spent  three  years  near  Kalamazoo. 
He  located  the  sons  upon  property  in  this 
portion  of  the  state  and  died  soon  after- 
ward. His  sons  were  William,  Bushrod, 
John  and  George,  of  whom  Bushrod  resided 
in  this  vicinity,  while  John  made 'his  home 
in  Pipestone  township,  and  George  settled 
near  Kalamazoo.     All  are  now  deceased. 

William  Sutherland,  the  other  member 
of  the  family,  married  Jerusha  Barnard. 
She  was  born  in  New  York,  belonged  to  one 
of  the  old  families  of  New  Hampshire,  and 
died  on  the  farm  in  Bainbridge  township. 
William  Sutherland  spent  the  greater  part 
of  his  life  upon  the  farm  which  is  now  the 
home  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Randall,  and 
was  a  well  known  and  enterprising  agri- 
culturist of  the  community.  He  had  added 
to  the  old  place  from  time  to  time  and  had 
invested  in  other  land  as  opportunity  offered 
until  he  owned  about  five  hundred  acres  and 


670 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


had  placed  nearly  the  entire  amount  under 
cultivation.     He  carried  on  general  farming 
and  his  life  was  devoted  to  his  private  busi- 
ness affairs.    He  was  a  very  hospitable  man, 
always  ready  to  extend  the  courtesies  of  his 
home  to  those  who  visited  him,  and  he  was 
helpful  and  generous  to  the  needy.  Although 
he  did  not  belong  to  any  church  he  displayed 
the  sterling  characteristics  of  Christianity  in 
an  upright  and  honorable  life.      The  farm 
road   near   the   house   is   lined   with    sugar 
maple  trees  which  have  stood  there  for  fifty- 
four  years.    When  he  was  preparing  to  build 
those  trees  were  set  out  and  are  now  among 
the  finest  in  the  township.  The  farm  borders 
Pipestone    township   and    is    pleasantly    lo- 
cated eleven  miles  southeast  of  Benton  Har- 
bor and  seven  miles  north  of  Eau  Claire. 
Mr.  Sutherland  was  a  man  of  much  natural 
mechanical  ingenuity  and  skill,  being  very 
handy  with  the  use  of  tools,  so  that  he  was 
?ble  to  do  almost  all  of  the  work  of  that  na- 
ture on  his  farm.     He  made  ox  yokes  and 
ax  handles  and  his  efficiency  in  this  direction 
proved  an  important  element  in  the  success- 
ful management  of  his  property.     Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  William  Sutherland  have  passed 
aw^ay   and   their   remains  were   interred   in 
Pen  Yan  cemetery.    He  died  in  April,  1883, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years,  having  for 
four  years   survived  his   wife,   who  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Randall  have  been 
born  eight  children :  Allen  W.,  who  is  on 
the  homestead;  Myra  P.,  who  died  in  child- 
hood; Dan  T.,  also  on  a  part  of  the  old 
homestead;  Ella  E.,  who  married  Ernest 
Cribbs,  w^ho  is  a  veterinary  surgeon  and  liv- 
eryman at  Watervliet;  Ida  B.,  the  wife  of 
Willard  Cribbs,  who  is  living  on  the  old 
Cribbs  homestead;  James  L,  at  home;  Jes- 
sie v.,  a  teacher  in  the  high  school  at  Water- 
vHet;  and  Albert  M.,  at  home. 

Mr.  Randall  gives  his  political  support 
to  the  Republican  party  and  was  a  candidate 
for  the  nomination  for  county  sheriff  in 
1900  and  1902,  but  was  defeated.  His  life 
has  been  well  spent  and  his  activity  and  en- 
terprise have  been  crowned  with  a  measure 
of  success  that  makes  him  a  leading  citizen 
of  Berrien  county.    The  special  pride  of  Mr. 


and  Mrs.  Randall  is  the  one  that  neither  of 
their  sons  nor  two  sons-in-law  use  strong 
drink  nor  tobacco  in  any  form. 

THEODORE   N.    PERRY,    living  on 
section  14,  Hagar  township,  has  kept  pace 
with  the  uniform  progress  made  by  horti- 
culturists of  this  great  fruit  belt  of  Michigan 
and  is  today  the  owner  of  a  vajuable  and 
productive   fruit   farm,    his   specialty   being 
peaches  and  pears.    He  is  one  of  the  worthy 
citizens  that  the  Empire  state  has  furnished 
to   Michigan,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Athens,  Green  county,  New  York,  June  11, 
1844.    He  is  a  son  of  Peter  Perry  and  a  rep- 
resentative of  one  of  the  old  families  of  New 
York.     His  ancestors  received  a  land  grant, 
thus  becoming  owners  of  several  thousand 
acres  and  they  were  among  the  early  Knick- 
erbockers   who    resided    in  the  eastern  sec- 
tion of  the  Empire  state.     The  family  in  its 
successive   generations   has   stood   for   pro- 
gress and  development  along  business  lines 
and  in  citizenship  and  its  record  for  loyalty 
is  also  commendable.     The  paternal  great- 
grandfather was  killed  in  the  Revolutionary 
war  and  the  grandfather,   Nicholas  Perry, 
served  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  181 2.  Hav- 
ing arrived  at  years  of  maturity  Peter  Perry 
married  Hannah  Brandow,  also  of  Athens, 
New  York,  and  a  representative  of  one  of 
the   old    families.      His   death   occurred   in 
Athens   from  cholera  in   1849.     He  left  a 
widow  with  six  children  dependent  upon  her 
for  support.      She  reared  her   family  near 
Athens  and  Catskill-and  to  the  best  of  her 
ability  provided  for  her  children. 

After  he  was  ten  years  of  age  Theodore 
N.  Perry  lived  with  various  families  and  did 
many  tasks  which  were  assigned  to  him  in 
order  to  thus  pay  for  his  board  and  clothing. 
He  was  a  young  man  of  but  seventeen  years 
when  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for 
troops.  His  patriotic  spirit  was  aroused  and 
true  to  the  military  spirit  of  his  ances- 
tors he  offered  his  services  to  the 
government,  joining  Company  I,  Forty- 
fourth  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry 
on  the  14th  of  September,  1861.  He 
served  under  Colonel,  afterward  Gen- 
eral, J.  C.  Rice,  who  was  subsequently  killed 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


671 


in  an  engagement.  The  regiment  was  at- 
tached to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  the 
first  engagement  in  which  Mr.  Perry  par- 
ticipated was  the  siege  of  Yorktown.  His 
first  battle  was  at  Hanover  Court  House 
and  he  participated  altogether  in  seventeen 
battles.  He  continued  with  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  and  on  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  service  veteranized  in  the  same  com- 
mand. He  was  several  times  hit  with  spent 
balls  and  was  wounded  at  Spottsylvania 
Courthouse  on  the  13th  of  May,  1864,  by  a 
musket  ball,  which  incapacitated  him  for 
further  duty  .for  a  time,  so  that  he  was  in 
the  hospital  and  at  home  for  six  weeks.  On 
a  certain  charge  his  command  was  driven 
back  and  captured  but  in  three  hours  was 
re-captured  by  General  Stoneman's  guard. 
During  the  latter  part  of  the  war  he  guarded 
rebel  prisoners  at  City  Point  and  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Washington  until  honorably  dis- 
charged on  the  4th  of  September,  1865,  after 
about  four  years'  active  service.  He  had  be- 
come sergeant  and  much  of  the  time  acted 
as  first  sergeant.  He  was  a  faithful  soldier, 
never  faltering  in  the  performance  of  any 
duty  and  his  valor  and  loyalty  were  unques- 
tioned. 

When  hostilities  had  ceased  and  his  ^id 
was  no  longer  needed  Mr.  Perry  came  at 
once  to  the  middle  west,  arriving  in  Chicago, 
Illinois,  in  1865.  The  next  fall  he  removed 
to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  and  entered 
the  employ  of  A.  J.  Knisely,  for  whom  he 
worked  for  a  year,  cutting  cord  wood  for 
use  in  Mr.  Knisely's  brickyard  in  Chicago. 
When  his  labors,  economy  and  enterprise 
had  brought  him  some  capital,  Mr.  Perry  in 
1869  purchased  his  present  farm,  which  was 
then  all  covered  wath  heavy  timber.  It  is 
situated  one  mile  from  Lake  Michigan  and 
he  sold  the  best  saw  timber  from  his  place. 
His  idea  was  to  get  at  the  soil  and  transform 
the  land  into  productive  fields.  He  has  lived 
at  his  present  location  continuously  since 
1869  ^^d  built  his  home  in  1872.  Later  he 
added  another  tract  of  land,  which  he  has 
also  cleared,  thus  bringing  sixty  acres  under 
cultivation.  He  has  also  cleared  land  for 
others  and  found  it  a  profitable  source  of  in- 
come. For  a  long  period  he  has  engaged  in 
fruit  farming,  making  a  specialty  of  peaches 


and  pears  and  his  is  an  ideal  location  for 
raising  fruit.  He  has  kept  up  with  the  times, 
making  a  study  of  fruit  culture  and  his 
opinions  are  largely  regarded  as  authority 
upon  questions  connected  with  the  cultiva- 
tion and  improvement  of  peaches  and  pears. 
He  now  has  about  one  thousand  pear  trees 
upon  his  place.  His  farm  has  required  his 
constant  time  and  attention  and  his  labors 
have  been  rewarded  with  good  crops. 

On  the  loth  of  February,  1870,  Mr. 
Perry  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary 
E.  Bacon,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  was 
married,  however,  in  Hagar  township,  Ber- 
rien county.  They  have  two  children: 
Amy  A.,  the  wiie  of  Harry  F.  Anderson,  of 
Chicago;  and  William,  who  married  Julia 
Damon,  a  daughter  of  Oscar  Damon,  who 
is  represented  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Mr.  Perry  exercises  his  right  of  fran- 
chise in  support  of  the  men  and  measures 
of  the  Democracy  and  always  attends  the 
conventions  of  his  party.  He  is  always  sent 
as  a  delegate,  being  thus  honored  for  thirty 
years.  Though  his  party  is  in  minority  in 
this  township  he  has  been  continuously  the 
incumbent  in  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace 
for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  being  elected  at 
each  successive  election,  although  the  town- 
ship has  a  normal  Republican  majority  of 
about  sixty,  his  elections  indicating  his  per- 
sonal popularity,  his  capability  in  office  and 
the  confidence  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow- 
men.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason,  belonging 
to  the  lodge  at  Coloma  and  was  a  charter 
member  of  George  H.  Thomas  Post,  G.  A. 
R.  He  is  active  in  Riverside  Grange,  in 
which  he  has  served  as  master  and  has  also 
been  a  delegate  to  the  State  Grange.  At  all 
times  and  under  all  circumstances  he  is  as 
loyal  to  his  country  and  her  welfare  as  when 
he  followed  the  stars  and  stripes  upon  the 
battlefields  of  the  south. 

NATHANIEL  M.  BRANT  is  one  of 
the  venerable  citizens  of  Berrien  county,  his 
home  being  in  Bainbridge  towaiship.  He  is 
still  a  hearty  man  although  he  has  passed 
the  ninety-first  milestone  on  life's  journey, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Macedon,  Gene- 
see county,  New  York^  on  the  12th  of  March, 
181 5.     His  parents  were  Simeon  and  Sarah 


672 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


(Herndon)  Brant.  The  father  was  born 
near  Rhode  Island,  and  was  married  in 
Genesee  county,  New  York,  whither  he  had 
gone  as  a  boy  with  his  parents.  His  mother, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Phoebe  Loetz, 
was  a  native  of  England,  and  his  father  was 
probably  born  in  that  country.  Simeon  Brant 
served  for  one  year  as  a  soldier  of  the  war 
of  1812,  and  after  his  discharge  re-enlisted 
for  further  military  service.  Later  in  life 
he  received  two  land  warrants  in  recogni- 
tion of  the  aid  which  he  had  rendered  to  the 
government  during  the  dark  period  of  hos- 
tility with  England. 

The  year  1836  witnessed  the  arrival  of 
the  Brant  family  in  Michigan.  The  west- 
ward trip  was  made  across  the  country  with 
two  yoke  of  oxen,  and  the  father  was  ac- 
companied by  three  sons  and  a  daughter, 
namely:  Nathaniel,  John  Daniel,  Augustus 
and  Malvina.  Two  other  sons,  Artaxerses 
and  Van  Rensselaer,  came  later,  and  the 
Brant  family  has  figured  for  many  years  in 
the  public  life  of  this  part  of  Michigan, 
especially  in  subjugating  the  wilderness  and 
extending  the  frontier.  The  father,  Simeon 
Brant,  settled  on  the  east  half  of  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  31,  Bainbridge  town- 
ship, while  his  son,  Nathaniel,  secured  as  a 
claim  the  west  half  of  the  northwest  half 
of  section  32;  Daniel,  the  west  half  of  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  32;  while  Au- 
gustus settled  in  Pipestone  township.  Three 
years  later  Artaxerses  Brant,  who  had  first 
taken  up  his  abode  at  Three  Rivers,  came 
to  Bainbridge  township  and  secured  the  east 
half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  31. 
The  daughter,  Malvina,  married  Oliver  Sur- 
rell,  and  they  settled  in  Hagar  township, 
but  later  removed  to  Pipestone  township, 
where  they  lived  and  died.  The  members 
of  the  family,  however,  lived  in  one  locality 
and  did  an  important  part  in  the  work  of 
development  and  improvement  there. 

Simeon  Brant  had  come  to  the  west  ex- 
pecting to  enter  land  near  Benton  Harbor 
but  on  reaching  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  he 
became  ill  and  while  there  he  purchased  the 
eighty  acres  on  which  he  settled,  without 
.laving  seen  the  property.  Nathaniel  Brant 
had  joined  the  family  at  that  place,  having 


proceeded  that  far  by  boat,  after  which  they 
drove  across  the  state  to  their  destination. 
Some  days  there  would  be  twenty-five  or 
thirty  families  in  the  caravan  as  they  traveled 
along  but  each  going  to  their  destination 
they  would  perhaps  by  night  all  be  scattered. 
The  Brants  followed  the  Chicago  turnpike 
that  extended  through  Niles  as  far  as  Edin- 
burg,  after  which  they  started  for  Pokagon 
prairie  and  the  Indian  Lake.  From  Indian 
Lake  they  had  to  cut  their  way  through  the 
north  eight  miles  and  to  the  Territorial  road^ 
then  proceeded  west  on  that  road  to  within 
a  mile  of  Millburg,  not  far  from  the  Davis 
Junction.  From  that  point  they  proceeded 
two  and  a  half  miles  south  to  the  land  which 
Mr.  Brant  had  purchased.  There  he  located 
section  corners  and  in  that  way  located  the 
land  they  sought.  They  probably  reached 
their  destination  in  November,  with  snow 
on  the  ground,  and  immediately  afterward 
a  log  cabin  was  built.  There  w^ere  no  settlers 
north  of  them  to  Millburg,  a  dis'tance  of  five 
miles.  Mr.  LeRue  had  a  mill  on  Pipestone 
creek,  three  or  four  miles  to  the  southwest, 
while  to  the  south  stretched  an  unbroken 
wilderness  and  also  to  the  east.  It  was  about 
three  years,  then  settlers  began  to  come  read- 
ily of  this  section  of  the  state.  Artemus 
Stickney  was  about  the  first  to  locate  as  a 
near  neighbor  of  the  Brant  family.  Lott 
Sutherland  and  his  brother^  the  father  of 
Lewis  Sutherland,  were  the  first  to  settle 
east  of  the  Brant  family. 

In  the  midst  of  the  forest  Simeon  Brant 
hewed  out  a  farm,  clearing  and  cultivating 
his  land,  and  transforming  the  place  into 
rich  fields.  There  he  carried  on  general 
agricultural  pursuits  until  his  wife's  death, 
after  which  he  went  to  Illinois  with  his  son 
Nathaniel,  and  passed  aw^ay  at  the  age  of 
eighty-four  years.  Daniel  Brant  lived  and 
died  on  his  home  place,  and  his  son  Ezra 
is  now  on  the  old  homestead.  Artaxerses 
Brant  spent  his  life  on  the  homestead  which 
he  commenced  to  develop  about  the  time  his 
father  secured  property  here,  together  with 
his  brothers,  Daniel  and  Nathaniel.  He  was 
the  eldest  of  the  family. 

Nathaniel  M.  Brant,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  review,  secured  his  land  in  1844, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


^7Z 


and  has  since  lived  thereon.  He  was  mar- 
ried on  the  29th  of  April,  1840,  in  Pipestone 
township,  to  Miss  Martha  Hazzard,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Crawford  Hazzard,  who  had  also 
come  to  Berrien  county  in  1836  from  Sack- 
etts  Harbor,  New  York,  settling  first  at 
Watervliet  and  later  in  Pipestone  township. 
For  four  years  after  their  marriage  Nathan- 
iel M.  Brant  and  his  wife  lived  in  Pipestone 
township,  and  in  1844,  removed  to  his  pres- 
ent farm  whereon  he  has  now  resided  for 
sixty-two  years.  His  life  has  been  passed 
in  Michigan  from  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years.  He  started  in  business  on  his  own 
account  with  eighty  acres  but  through  his 
well  directed  energy  and  business  capacity 
he  became  the  owner  of  two  hundred  acres 
in  the  old  homestead,  also  two  hundred  acres 
in  Pipestone  township,  forty  acres  in  Hagar 
township  and  forty  acres  in  Watervliet  town- 
ship. He  has  practically  given  all  this  away, 
however,  but  has  kept  a  life  lease  on  his 
home  place  of  eighty  acres.  He  has  assisted 
each  of  his  children  to  gain  a'  farm  and  has 
been  most  generous  with  his  sons  and  daugh- 
ters. In  his  business  career  he  has  prospered, 
because  he  was  diligent  and  energetic,  and 
he  now  well  merits  the  rest  that  is  vouch- 
safed to  him.  His  wife  died  in  May,  1901, 
after  they  had  traveled  life's  journey  hap- 
pily together  for  sixty  years.  She  had  bten 
mdeed  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate 
to  him  on  life's  journey.  In  their  family 
were  eight  sons  and  three  daughters.  The 
daughters  were  Laura,  Phoebe  and  Ann, 
but  none  are  now  living.  The  sons,  how- 
ever, still  survive.  These  are  Wesley 
C. ;  Warren ;  Dudley,  who  resides  upon  a 
part  of  the  farm  originally  owned  by  his 
grandfather,  Simeon  Brant;  Philander,  who 
lives  upon  a  farm  adjoining  his  father's 
place ;  Newton,  living  near  Spinks  Corners ; 
Orval,  who  makes  his  home  on  a  part  of  the 
old  farm  property;  Oscar,  who  had  forty 
^cres  of  the  old  homestead,  and  died  when 
a  young  man  of  thirty-two  or  thirty-three 
years ;  Barney,  who  resides  on  the  homestead 
and  with  him  his  father  lives. 

Mr.  Brant  is  one  of  the  most  venerable 
citizens  of  the  entire  county,  and  few,  if  any, 
have  more  intimate  knowledge  of  the  early 

43 


history  of  this  section  of  the  state  and  of 
conditions  which  here  existed  at  the  time 
of  the  arrival  of  the  Brant  family  in  1836. 
The  forests  were  uncut,  the  streams  un- 
bridged  and  roads  were  not  yet  laid  out. 
The  Indians  were  far  more  numerous  than 
the  white  settlers,  and  Nathaniel  Brant  en- 
gaged in  trading  with  them,  buying  furs, 
etc.  He  also  hunted  deer  and  other  wild 
game  and  did  some  trapping,  and  he  helped 
cut  out  all  the  roads  which  were  made  in 
those  early  days.  During  his  first  year  in 
Pipestone  towmship,  he  worked  for  Dr. 
Enons  and  took  forty  acres  of  land  for  his 
pay.  His  wife  lived  within  a  half  mile  of 
the  place  and  thus  they  become  acquainted. 
Mr.  Brant  also  bought  and  shipped  shingles 
to  Chicago,  and  bought  cattle,  sheep,  horses 
and  other  live  stock.  He  worked  energetic- 
ally and  persistently  year  after  year  and  was 
well  known  as  a  successful  business  man 
and  a  typical  representative  of  the  early 
days.  In  politics  he  has  given  his  support 
to  the  Republican  party  and  he  is  yet  a  hale 
and  hearty  man  although  he  is  now  ninety- 
one  years  of  age. 

GEORGE  E.  SMITH,  residing  in  St. 
Joseph,  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  a 
public  officer  whose  efficient  service  has  been 
free  from  unfavorable  criticism,  and  a  busi- 
ness man  whose  activity  and  honesty  stand 
as  unquestioned  facts  in  his  career.  He  is 
now  extensively  interested  in  dairy  farming 
in  Berrien  county  and  was  formerly  con- 
nected with  its  fruit-raising  industry.  Mr. 
Smith  is  a  native  of  Connecticut,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Stamford  on  the  24th 
of  March,  1838,  and  he  represents  one  of 
the  old  and  prominent  families  of  New  Eng- 
land. His  ancestors  located  in  Connecti- 
cut in  colonial  days  and  his  grandfather, 
Lieutenant  Josiah  Smith,  who  was  born  in 
that  state,  did  valiant  service  in  behalf  of 
the  colonists  during  the  period  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary war,  proving  a  loyal  patriot.  He 
lived  to  enjoy  for  many  years  the  liberty 
tor  which  he  had  fought,  and  both  he  and 
his  wife  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
seven. 

Josiah  Smith,  Jr.,  father  of  our  subject, 


674 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


was  born  in  Connecticut,  and  throughout  his 
entire  Hfe  followed  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing in  his  native  state.  Although  he  never 
sought  to  figure  prominently  in  public  af- 
fairs he  developed  an  upright  character 
that  won  him  the  unqualified  regard  of  his 
fellow  citizens.  He  married  Betsey  Lock- 
wood,  who  was  born  in  Connecticut  and  w-as 
a  daughter  of  Daniel  Lockwood.  Mr.  Smith 
departed  this  life  in  January,  1883,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-five  years,  having  long  sur- 
vived his  wife,  who  died  at  the  age  of  forty- 
six  years.  In  their  family  were  six  children  : 
Charles,  who  is  living  in  Denver,  Colorado; 
George  E.,  of  this  review;  William  M.,  also 
of  St.  Joseph;  Frank  H.,  who  makes  his 
home  in  Connecticut;  Sarah,  who  is  living 
at  White  Plains,  New  York;  and  Jennie, 
who  makes  her  home  in  Stamford,  Connecti- 
cut. 

George  E.  Smith  spent  his  boyhood  days 
on  his  father's  farm  and  during  the  summer 
months  was  trained  to  the  work  of  the  fields. 
He  gave  much  time  to  his  studies,  possessing 
scholarly  tastes  and  habits,  and  after  at- 
tending the  common  schools  he  continued 
as  a  student  in  a  private  boarding  school  for 
some  time.  Upon  putting  aside  his  text- 
books he  aided  his  father  for  ten  years  but 
it  was  his  desire  to  travel  and  gain  the 
broad  culture  and  information  which  cannot 
be  obtained  in  any  other  way  save  through 
contact  with  dififerent  peoples  in  their  native 
countries.  As  soon  therefore  as  he  was  able 
to  do  so  he  left  home  and  traveled  exten- 
sively throughout  the  United  States  and 
Canada  and  also  visited  Cuba.  In  August, 
1 86 1,  he  came  to  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  and 
here  engaged  in  business  as  a  dealer  in  gro- 
ceries and  hardware,  carrying  on  his  store 
profitably  for  twelve  months,  when,  in  1862, 
he  gave  up  his  business,  putting  aside  all 
business  and  personal  considerations  that 
he  might  aid  his  country. 

The  blood  of  Revolutionary  ancestors 
flowed  in  his  veins  and  the  spirit  of  patriot- 
ism was  strong  within  him.  He  enlisted  in 
August,  1862,  as  a  member  of  Company  B, 
Seventh  Michigan  Cavalry,  in  which  he 
served  as  quartermaster  sergeant  for  about 
two  years,  during  wdiich  time  he  participated 


in  many  of  the  hard-fought  engagements 
of  the  Civil  war.  Among  the  most  san- 
guinary conflicts  in  which  he  took  part  were 
those  at  Gettysburg,  Hagerstown,  Cold  Har- 
bor, the  Wilderness,  Cedar  Creek  and 
numerous  other  engagements  of  minor  im- 
portance. At  the  battle  of  Cedar  Creek  he 
was  wounded  and  again  in  the  battle  of  the 
Wilderness,  but  his  injuries  did  not  prove 
very  serious  and  as  soon  as  possible  he  re- 
turned to  his  place  in  the  ranks.  In  June, 
1864,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  first 
lieutenant  and  was  assigned  to  duty  with 
Company  A  of  the  same  regiment.  On  the 
expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment  and 
following  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  mus- 
tered out  at  Jackson,  Michigan,  in  1865,  re- 
turning home  with  a  most  honorable  and 
creditable  military  record.  He  had  never 
faltered  in  his  loyalty  to  the  Union  cause 
but  had  valiantly  defended  the  stars  and 
stripes  where  the  leaden  hail  fell  thickest. 

Returning  to  St.  Joseph  George  E.  Smith 
engaged  in  merchandising  in  this  city  for  a 
number  of  years  and  was  also  a  factor  in 
other  departments  of  business  activity,  oper- 
ating a  saw^mill  and  dealing  in  lumber.  He 
likewise  became  interested  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  fruit  baskets,  an  enterprise  which  he 
conducted  successfully  until  1894,  when  he 
sold  out.  He  has  been  watchful  of  business 
opportunities  and  through  the  utilization  of 
these  has  won  a  place  among  the  substantial 
residents  of  the  county.  He  now  owns  a 
dairy  farm  in  St.  Joseph  township,  upon 
which  he  has  quite  a  herd  of  Holstein  cat- 
tle. He  is  carrying-  on  the  business  exten- 
sively but  makes  his  residence  in  St.  Joseph. 
At  one  time  he  was  largely  engaged  in  fruit 
growing.  In  addition  to  his  dairy  farm  he 
has  various  interests,  having  made  judicious 
investment  in  dififerent  business  concerns 
and  he  is  widely  recognized  as  one  of  the 
leading  men  of  St.  Joseph.  Resourceful  in 
his  methods  he  carries  forward  to  successful 
completion  whatever  he  undertakes,  realiz- 
ing that  the  present  and  not  the  future  holds 
his  opportunity. 

While  carefully  controlling  commercial, 
industrial  and  agricultural  interests  Mr. 
Smith  has  at  the  same  time  been  a  co-operant 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


6/: 


factor  in  the  public  life  of  St.  Joseph  and  his 
well  known  devotion  to  the  general  good  has 
led  to  his  selection  for  several  positions  of 
public  trust.  He  was  president  of  the  vil- 
lage board  before  the  incorporation  of  the 
city  and  was  identified  for  more  than  six- 
teen years  with  the  school  board,  acting  as 
its  secretary  during  much  of  that  time.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  city  council  and  was 
on  the  board  of  public  works  for  a  number 
of  years.  His  official  prerogatives  have  ever 
been  exercised  for  general  improvement  and 
in  all  that  he  does  in  office  he  manifests  the 
same  practical  spirit  and  keen  insight  that 
have  characterized  his  business  undertakings. 
He  votes  with  the  Democracy,  and  is  in 
thorough  sympathy  with  the  principles  of  the 
party,  but  he  ever  placed  the  general  good 
before  partisanship  and  the  advancement  of 
community  interests  before  personal  ag-^ 
^randizement. 

In  1868,  in  St.  Joseph,  Mr.  Smith,  was 
married  to  Miss  Belle  Chapman,  who  was 
born  in  Newmarket,  Rockingham  county, 
New  Hampshire.  They  have  two  children, 
Olive  C.  and  Warren  C.  The  latter  is  a 
railroad  engineer  and  the  former  is  the  wife 
of  William  D.  Stover,  of  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, and  has  one  child,  Carolyn  C,  who 
was  born  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  Mr. 
Smith  is  a  member  of  St.  Joseph  lodge  of 
Masons  and  he  attends  the  Universalist 
Church.  He  has  prospered,  accumulating 
a  competence  and  at  the  same  time  winning 
a  most  enviable  reputation  for  honesty  and 
fair  dealing.  To  a  student  of  human  nature 
there  is  nothing  of  greater  interest  than  to 
examine  into  the  life  of  a  self-made  man 
and  analyze  the  principles  which  he  has 
followed,  the  methods  he  has  pursued,  to 
know  what  means  he  has  employed  for  ad- 
vancement and  to  study  the  plans  which  have 
given  him  prominence,  enabling  him  to  pass 
on  the  highway  of  life  many  who  have  had  a 
more  advantageous  start.  In  the  history  of 
Mr.  Smith  there  is  de«p  truths  of  thought 
and  if  one  desires  he  may  profit  by  the  ob- 
vious lessons  herein  contained. 

LEWIS  D.  HARRIS,  living  in  Hagar 
township,  was  born  in  Morgan  county,  Ohio, 
November  14,  1834,  his  parents  being  Ben- 


jamin and  Ruth  (Wilkes)  Harris,  who  were 
natives  of  New  York.  They  were  married, 
however,  in  Ohio,  having  removed  to  that 
state  with  'their  parents,  subsequent  to  the 
war  of  1812.  The  Harris  family  were  pio- 
neer settlers  of  Morgan  county,  Ohio,  liv- 
ing forty  miles  from  Marietta,  which  was  the 
oldest  settlement  in  Ohio  and  where  the 
Moundbuilders  lived  in  pre-historic  days, 
evidences  of  their  workmanship  being  found 
in  many  of  the  mounds  which  exist  in  that 
part  of  the  state.  When  the  family  made 
their  way  from  New  York  to  Ohio  they 
rafted  lumber  down  the  Allegheny  river  to 
the  Ohio  and  their  household  goods  and 
families  were  also  on  board  the  raft,  their 
families  making  the  trip  together.  Some  of 
them  proceeded  on  down  the  river  and  set- 
tled in  Missouri  and  the  Harris  family  lost 
track  of  them  until  after  the  Civil  war,  w^hen 
they  were  found  through  advertising.  Ben- 
jamin Harris  aided  in  clearing  up  new  land 
in  Ohio  and  was  actively  associated  with 
the  early  pioneer  developmen  of  that  part  of 
the  state.  In  1850  he  removed  to  Michigan, 
wishing  to  secure  government  land  or  prop- 
erty that  w^as  to  be  had  at  a  cheap  figure. 
His  wife  had  relatives  in  Berrien  county  and 
it  was  this  which  induced  him  to  come  to 
this  part  of  the  state.  He  entered  a  claim 
on  section  12,  Hagar  township,  W'here  his  son 
Lewis  now  resides,  securing  one  hundred 
and  thirty-two  acres,  which  he  transformed 
from  a  wild  tract  into  one  highly  cultivated 
and  improved.  During  the  last  two  or  three 
years  of  his  life  he  lived  retired,  enjoying 
a  well  earned  rest.  His  death  occurred 
March  16,  1901,  when  he  was  eighty-nine 
years  of  age.  His  entire  life  had  been  de- 
voted to  agricultural  pursuits,  which  he  fol- 
lowed according  to  pioneer  methods  and  in 
keeping  with  the  more  advanced  ideas  of 
farming  that  came  in  later  years.  In  his 
family  were  six  sons  and  two  daughters  but 
only  three  are  now  living:  Lewis  D.,  of 
this  review;  Joseph  B.  W.,  who  is  living  in 
Hagar  township;  and  George,  whose  home 
is  in  Watervliet  township. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred 
to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  Lewis 
D.  Harris  in  his  boyhood  days.  He  shared 
with  the  family  in  the  experiences  and  trials 


676 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


of  a  frontier  existence  and  aided  in  .the  ardu- 
ous task  of  developing  a  new  farm,  follow- 
ing the  removal  of  the  family  to  Michigan. 
^e  remained  at  home  until  twenty-six  years 
of  age,  when  he  was  married  and  then  set- 
tled in  the  woods  on  an  eighty-acre  tract  of 
land.  He  cut  the  first  stick  of  the  heavy 
timber  on  that  farm,  which  was  also  in 
Hagar  township  and  he  placed  between  fifty 
and  sixty  acres  of  the  land  under  cultivation. 
He  sold  white  wood  logs  on  the  bank  of  the 
river,  receiving  four  dollars  for  one  thous- 
and feet  of  ash  and  two  and  one-half  dollars 
for  white  wood.  His  winters  were  devoted 
to  clearing  the  land  and  placing  his  lumber 
on  the  market  and  the  summer  seasons  were 
given  to  the  task  of  cultivating  crops.  About 
twenty-eight  years  ago  he  returned  to  the 
old  homestead.  He  sold  his  original  farm 
and  later  bought  out  the  interest  of  the  other 
heirs  in  the  home  property,  which  comprises 
one  hundred  and  thirty-two  acres  of  land. 
His  father  was  alone,  needing  care  and  he 
gave  to  him  a  good  home  during  his  remain- 
ing days.  He  has  since  carried  on  general 
farming  and  to  some  extent  has  engaged  in 
raising  fruit.  His  place  is  located  a  mile 
and  a  half  from  Lake  Michigan,  which, 
however,  is  in  sight  of  his  home  and  he  leads 
a  busy,  useful  and  active  life  in  the  care  and 
improvement  of  his  property,  having  placed 
many  of  the  buildings  upon  his  farm. 

In  i860  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years 
Mr.  Harris  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret 
Shriver,  of  Watervliet  township,  who  was 
born  in  Canada  and  came  to  Berrien  county 
in  early  womanhood.  Her  death  occurred  in 
1896  after  they  had  traveled  life's  journey 
together  as  man  and  wife  for  thirty-six  years. 
They  had  three  children :  Minnie,  now  liv- 
ing in  Chicago;  Charles  Benjamin,  who  re- 
sides in  North  Dakota;  and  Gerildia,  who 
is  the  wife  of  George  E.  Martin.  They  live 
on  the  home  farm  with  her  father,  Mrs. 
Martin  acting  as  his  housekeeper.  Mr.  Mar- 
tin is  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  the  fields. 
They  have  three  children,  Irving,  Lena  and 
Ruth. 

Many  years  ago  Mr.  Harris  was  made  a 
member  of  the  board  of  control  and  was 


afterward  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  in 
which  office  he  has  continued  to  the  present 
time,  being  re-elected  at  each  successive 
election.  He  is  alive  to  the  interests  of  the 
party,  attends  its  conventions  and  his  opin- 
ions carry  weight  in  its  councils.  He  is 
respected  as  a  man  of  sterling  purpose,  of 
genuine  worth  and  honorable  life  and  well 
deserves  mention  in  this  volume. 

BARNEY  HAZZARD  BRANT.  No 
student  of  history  can  carry  his  investiga- 
tions far  into  the  annals  of  Berrien  county 
without  becoming  aware  of  the  fact  that  the 
Brants  were  among  its  first  settlers,  and 
that  from  pioneer  times  down  to  the  present 
they  have  been  factors  in  the  development 
which  has  been  carried  on  along  agricultural 
and  horticultural  lines.  Barney  Hazzard 
Brant  is  a  worthy  representative  of  the  name, 
which  has  now  been  known  here  through 
four  generations,  he  being  connected  with  the 
third  generation.  He  was  born  on  the  place 
where  he  now  lives,  September  i,  1868,  and 
was  the  youngest  member  of  the  family  of 
Nathaniel  M.  Brant,  who  is  mentioned  else- 
where in  this  work.  His  whole  life  has  been 
spent  on  the  old  homestead.  His  father 
divided  the  property  when  Barney  H.  Brant 
was  twenty  years  of  age,  and  he  took  charge 
of  sixty-five  acres,  which  he  has  since  culti- 
vated, save  that  he  has  sold  off  twenty  acres. 
He  still  retains  the  forty-five  acres,  of  which 
about  twenty  acres  is  set  out  tO'  fruit.  He 
also  grows  melons,  tomatoes  and  other  vege- 
tables, which  he  sells  on  the  market.  He 
has  sold  six  hundred  bushels  of  peaches  in 
a  season,  and  the  trees  are  largely  new,  hav- 
ing been  set  out  by  himself.  Industry  and 
enterprise  are  numbered  among  his  strong 
and  salient  characteristics,  and  he  carries 
forward  to  successful  completion  whatever 
he  undertakes,  being  a  man  of  strong  and 
determined  purpose  and  of  good  business 
qualifications. 

On  the  4th  of  April,  1889,  Mr.  Brant 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  Es- 
tella  Garrison,  of  Pipestone,  a  daughter  of 
Elihu  and  Helen  Garrison.  She  was  only 
sixteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  mar- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


677 


xiage.  They  lost  their  eldest  child,  Roscoe, 
in  infancy,  but  had  a  daughter,  Hazel  Helen, 
now  eleven  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Brant  is  a  Republican,  usually  vot- 
ing for  the  party  but  advocates  strong  pro- 
hibition principles.  He  is  school  inspector. 
He  is  well  known  in  the  community  where 
he  resides,  having  spent  his  entire  life  here 
and  is  recognized  as  an  enterprising  and 
prosperous  business  man. 

FRED  McKEE,  living  in  Benton  town- 
ship, was  born  at  Sacketts  Harbor,  in  Jef- 
ferson countyj  New  York,  on  the  27th  of 
October,  1853.  In  1869,  when  a  youth  of 
sixteen  years,  he  arrived  in  Michigan,  mak- 
ing his  way  to  Cass  county.  He  came  with 
his  father,  Martin  V.  McKee,  and  his  step- 
mother, and  the  family  home  was  established 
near  Dowagiac,  where  they  died.  Mr.  Mc- 
Kee mother  died  when  he  was  2  months'  old. 

Fred  McKee  remained  at  home  for  two 
years  after  the  arrival  of  the  family  in  Michi- 
gan, and  has  since  been  in  Berrien  county. 
He  was  dependent  upon  his  own  resources 
from  the  age  of  eighteen  years  and  what- 
ever success  he  has  achieved  is  due  entirely 
to  his  own  labors,  his  perseverance  and  his 
determination.  As  a  companion  and  help- 
mate for  life's  journey  he  chose  Miss  Emma 
B.  Edinborough,  a  daughter  of  Mrs.  Olive 
Edinborough,  who  is  represented  on  another 
page  of  this  work.  The  marriage  was  cele- 
brated on  the  28th  of  March,  1875,  and 
after  his  marriage  Mr.  McKee  spent  one  year 
in  California  in  company  with  his  wife's 
father.  After  two  years  spent  on  the  old 
home  farm  in  Cass  county  he  removed  on 
his  present  farm  on  Highland  avenue,  Ber- 
rien county,  about  four  miles  east  of  Benton 
Harbor.  He  had  here  twenty  acres  of  land, 
half  of  which  was  cleared  and  he  has  added 
to  the  original  tract  until  he  now  has  fifty- 
five  acres  all  in  one  body.  He  has  cleared 
fifteen  acres  of  the  land,  the  remainder  hav- 
ing already  been  cleared,  and  his  attention 
is  given  to  the  growing  of  corn  and  fruit, 
having  about  twenty  acres  in  orchards.  He 
raises  a  variety  of  tree  fruit,  including 
peaches,  pears  and  cherries,  and  the  annual 
sale  of  his  fruit  amounts  to  about  one  thous- 
and dollars.     Since  locating  upon  this  place 


he  has  devoted  his  attention  to  his  farm, 
cultivating  fields,  from  which  he  has  gathered 
good  harvests  and  caring  for  his  orchards  in 
practical  manner  that  has  resulted  in  harvest- 
ing large  crops.  He  has  erected  first  class 
buildings  upon  his  place,  including  a  large 
and  substantial  barn  and  his  home  is  pleas- 
antly and  conveniently  located  near  Benton 
Harbor,  so  that  the  advantages  of  the  city 
are  easily  obtainable,  while  those  of  rural 
life  may  be  enjoyed  at  all  times. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McKee  have  been 
born  two  daughters :  Beulah,  now  the  wife 
of  Harry  B.  Blandford,  who  resides  upon 
a  farm  adjoining  the  McKee  place;  and 
Mary,  the  wife  of  A.  J.  Wetmore,  who  is 
living  on  the  farm  with  her  father.  In  his 
political  views  Mr.  McKee  is  a  Republican 
but  does  not  consider  himself  bound  by  party 
ties  and  occasionally  votes  for  the  candidates 
of  the  Democracy.  He  holds  membership 
with  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men and  in  a  review  of  his  life  record  it  will 
be  found  that  his  has  been  a  busy  and  useful 
life,  in  which  he  has  not  feared  that  labor- 
ious attention  to  details  so  necessary  to  suc- 
cess in  any  undertaking.  He  has  never  al- 
lowed any  thought  of  failure  to  enter  his 
mind  but  has  made  steady  progress  and  as 
the  years  have  come  and  gone  has  achieved 
creditable  success,  having  now  a  well  im- 
proved farm  property. 

WILMER  M.  PRATT,  whose  activity 
in  political  circles  and  business  enterprise 
makes  him  one  of  the  representative  resi- 
dents of  Benton  township,  is  living  in  Hagar 
township  not  far  from  Benton  Harbor.  He 
was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania, 
May  24,  1858,  his  parents  being  William 
and  Elizabeth  (King)  Pratt.  The  father 
was  born  among  the  Green  Mountains  in  the 
state  of  Vermont,  while  the  mother's  birth 
occurred  in  Philadelphia,  in  which  city  they 
were  married.  He  had  removed  to  Phila- 
delphia when  nineteen  years  of  age  and  there 
he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he 
follow^ed  for  a  time,  eventually,  becoming  a 
contractor.  Failing  health,  however,  forced 
him  to  seek  a  change  and  in  i860  he  went  to 
Omaha  but  returned  to  this  section  of  the 
country  in  order  to  have  the  benefit  of  the 


678 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


bracing  climate  occasioned  by  the  proximity 
of  Lake  Michigan.    Making  his  way  to  Ben- 
ton township,  he  purchased  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  but  in  order  to  be  still 
closer  to  the  lake  he  purchased  twenty  acres 
on  the  bluff  and  his  summers  were  mostly 
spent  on  the  lake  shore.     He  continued  to 
engage  in  contracting  and  building  for  some 
time,  meeting  with  an  accident  which  pre- 
vented him  from  engaging  in  farming.    He, 
however,  developed  a  farm  of  eighty  acres 
and  made  a  first  class  home,  where  he  lived 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  21st 
of  January,  1904,  when  he  was  eighty-two 
years  of  age.     The  doctors  of  Philadelphia 
said  that  he  could  not  live  if  he  remained  in 
that  city  and  he  came  to  the  middle  west  and 
was    greatly    benefited    by    the    change    of 
climate  and  lived  to  a  ripe  and  useful  old 
age.     He  was  active  in  public  affairs  and 
the  cause  of  education  found  in  him  a  warm 
friend,    who    did    effective   service    for   the 
general  public  as  a  school  official.    He  served 
as  a  member  of  the  school  board  in  his  dis- 
trict for  forty  years,  or  until  about  eighty 
years  of  age.     During  the  last  five  years  of 
his  life  he  was  totally  blind.     He  survived 
his  wife  for  only  three  years,  her  death  oc- 
curring when  she  was   about   seventy-four 
years  of    age.     They    had    traveled    life's 
journey  together  as  man  and  wife  for  a  half 
century  and  in  their  family  were  five  sons: 
Horace  B.,  who  is  living  near  Riverside  in 
Hagar  township ;  William  M.,  of  this  review ; 
Arthur  M.  and  Orson  B.,  twins,  the  former 
residing  in   Riverside  and  the   latter   near 
Twelve   Corners;  and  Adelbert   G.,   whose 
home  is  near  Hinchman,  in  Berrien  county. 
Wilmer  M.   Pratt  was  a  young  lad  at 
the  time  of  the  removal  of  the  family  to  the 
west  and  he  remained  under  the  parental 
roof  until  twenty-two  years  of  age.     His 
education  was  acquired  in  the  public  schools 
and  by  watching  and  assisting  his  father  he 
gained  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  carpen- 
ter's trade.    When  twenty-two  years  of  age 
he  began  to  manufacture  apple  barrels,  learn- 
.  ing  coopering  of  his  brother  who  had  prev- 
iously   manufactured    suet    barrels.     They 
were  partners  in  this  enterprise  for  ten  years 
and  supplied  all  the  barrels  used  in  Hagar 


township,   making  twelve  thousand  barrels 
in  a  singe  year.     This  proved  a  profitable 
business   and   with   the   capital   thereby   ac- 
quired Wilmer  M.  Pratt  made  his  first  pur- 
chase of  land,   becoming  owner  of  twenty 
acres  near  Riverside.    It  was  new  land  cov- 
ered with  timber.     He  built  thereon  and  in 
eight  years  placed  the  tract  under  cultivation 
and  improved  it  with  good  buildings.     He 
then  sold  and  bought  his  present  farm,  which 
is  the  old  homestead  of  Joseph  Dickerson. 
He  has  made  excellent  improvements  here 
and  has  eighty  acres  a  half  mile  from  Lake 
Michigan,  lying  to  the  north  and  west  in 
Hagar  township.    He  has  continued  to  clear 
the  land  until  it  is  now  all  under  cultivation 
and  he  has  here  a  valuable  fruit  farm  of  over 
seventy  acres  already  set  to  fruit.     He  has 
planted  peach  orchards    to    the    extent    of 
thirty  acres,  while  eight  acres  are  devoted 
to  the  raising  of  grapes,  twelve  acres  to 
pears,   three  acres  to  cherries  and  the   re- 
mainder to  apples.     He  has  planted  all  but 
ten  acres  of  the  farm  and  is  still   setting 
out  new  trees.     In  one  year  he  sold  four 
thousand  bushels  of  peaches  and  his  sales 
amount  to  about  five  thousand  dollars  an- 
nually.    He  employs  four  men  to  aid  him 
in  the  care  of  his  orchards  and  his  crops  and 
he  has  one  of  the  best  fruit  farms  in  this 
part  of  the  state.      He  keeps  in  touch  with 
the  State  Agricultural  College  as  to  what 
is  done  in  the  line  of  horticultural  develop- 
ment.    He  is  also  one  of  the  officers  of  the 
State  Horticultural  Society  and  is  active  in 
all  that  works  for  advancement  and  improve- 
ment in  fruit  culture.     His  results  have  ex- 
ceeded his  expectations  and  he  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  prominent  fruit-growers 
in  Berrien  county  and  has  firm  faith  in  the 
future  of  this  district  as  a  fruit-producing 
center.     He  realizes  that  the  work  in  becom- 
ing more  and  more  a  profession,  while  study 
and  investigation  have  acquainted  its  farmers 
with  the  great  scientific  principles  that  under- 
lie the  work,   while  broad  experiment  and 
labor  are  adding  more  and  more  largely  to 
the  practical  knowledge.     He  makes  it  his 
plan  to  sell    everything    that    he    produces 
under  his  own  name.     He  harvests  his  own 
crop,  the  packing  being  done  under  his  per- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


679 


sonal  supervision  and  direction  and  his  fruit 
arrives  upon  the  city  markets  in  excellent 
condition  and  finds  a  ready  sale  for  it  is 
produced  from  excellent  varieties  of  nursery 
stock. 

Mr.  Pratt  was  married  on  his  present 
farm  in  the  house  which  he  now  occupies,  in 
1 88 1,  to  Miss  Nellie  Bartram,  who  was  a 
sister  of  Mr.  Dickerson,  who  formerly 
ow^ned  the  farm.  She  died  in  1894  leaving 
five  children :  Charles  A.,  who  is  a  gradu- 
ate of  the  State  Agricultural  College  and 
is  now  associated  with  his  father  in  business ; 
Burr  B.,  a  student  in  the  State  Agricultural 
College;  Joseph  M.,  who  is  a  student  in  Pro- 
fessor Edgecombe's  College;  Helen  C.  and 
Genevieve,  who  are  with  their  father.  In 
1900  Mr.  Pratt  was  again  married,  his  sec- 
ond union  being  with  Miss  Abbie  Bartram, 
the  younger  sister  of  his  first  wife  and  they 
have  two  children,  Henry  B.  and  Isadore. 

Mr.  Pratt  is  an  active  working  Repub- 
lican but  does  not  aspire  to  office.  He  re- 
gards it  the  duty  as  well  as  the  privilege, 
however,  to  exercise  his  right  of  franchise 
in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  in  which 
he  believes  and  he  co-operates  in  many  pro- 
gressive movements  that  have  resulted  bene- 
ficially to  the  county.  Otherwise  his  undi- 
vided attention  is  given  to  his  business  af- 
fairs, which  are  bringing  him  success  and 
which  have  already  gained  for  him  a  promi- 
nent name  in  horticultural  circles. 

JOSEPH  R.  HEMENWAY,  living  in 
Benton  township,  owns  and  cultivates  a  fruit 
farm  which  is  pleasantly  situated  three  miles 
east  of  Benton  Harbor  on  Highland  avenue. 
He  was  born  in  Greenville,  Ontario,  on  the 
22d  of  July,  1843.  His  father,  Harris 
Hemenway,  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  and 
married  Miss  Hannah  Wood,  of  New  York. 
They  removed  from  the  east  to  Michigan. 
Joseph  R.  Hemenway  had  spent  a  portion 
of  his  youth  in  Vermont  among  his  relatives 
and  after  returning  to  Canada  came  at  once 
to  Michigan.  His  father  settled  in  Ogemaw 
county,  and  there  devoted  his  energies  to 
agricultural  pursuits.  Mr.  Hemenway  of 
this  review  remained  in  Detroit,  where  he 


worked  at  the  millwright's  trade.  After 
spending  ten  years  in  that  city  he  returned 
to  Ottawa,  Ontario,  where  he  built  a  mill 
and  placed  it  in  operation,  continuing  as 
foreman  thereof  for  eight  years.  This  was 
one  of  the  large  mills  of  that  place,  the  out- 
put being  seventy-five  million  feet  of  lumber 
annually.  His  position  was  therefore  an 
important  and  responsible  one  but  he  was 
well  qualified  for  the  work  which  he  under- 
took and  gave  excellent  satisfaction  as  fore- 
man. Eventually  he  returned  to  Detroit, 
and  in  1895  came  to  Berrien  county  in  order 
to  give  his  daughters  the  benefit  of  educa- 
tional privileges  here.  In  1896  he  purchased 
his  present  farm  of  ten  acres  situated  three 
miles  east  of  Benton  Harbor  on  Highland 
avenue.  It  is  devoted  to  fruit  growing.  He 
raises  various  varieties  of  fruit  which  he 
has  found  profitable  and  agreeable,  enjoy- 
ing his  business  now  as  well  as  anything  he 
has  ever  done.  He  began  with  no  experi- 
ence in  this  line  but  his  ready  adaptability 
and  enterprise  have  enabled  him  to  thorough- 
ly understand  the  work  and  conduct  it  along 
practical  lines  resulting  in  success.  He 
transformed  an  old  house  into  a  comfortable 
residence  and  now  has  a  well  improved  prop- 
erty. 

Mr.  Plemenway  was  married  in  Ontario^ 
at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years  to  Miss  Agnes 
McCulley,  who  was  also  born  in  Ontario. 
In  their  family  were  three  daughters :  Eva 
A.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Fred  Washburn  and 
resides  upon  a  farm  near  her  father's  place; 
Belle,  the  wife  of  Frank  Washburn,  who  is 
also  a  farmer  in  this  county;  and  Lillie,  the 
wife  of  Arthur  Phillips,  a  resident  farmer 
of  Benton  township.  Mr.  Hemenway  and 
his  wife  are  now  again  alone  as  they  were 
when  they  started  out  together  but  their 
daughters  reside  near  by.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Republican,  keeping  well  informed  on  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day  but  he  has  no 
desire  for  office,  preferring  to  devote  his 
energies  to  his  business  affairs,  his  farm 
claiming  the  greater  part  of  his  time  and  at- 
tention, and  in  its  management  he  has  met 
with  good  success,  having  valuable  orchards 
upon  his  place. 


68o 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


EUGENE  C.  DANA,  who  for  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century  was  telegraph  operator  at 
Niles,  during  which  time  he  won  an  ex- 
tensive circle  of  friends^  is  now  devoting 
his  life  to  literary  and  professional  labors. 
He  is  a  native  son  of  Niles,  having  been  born 
in  this  city  in  1844.  His  father,  Cyrus 
Dana,  was  a  native  of  New  York,  in  which 
state  he  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth,  acquiring  his  education  while  still  in 
the  east.  Coming  to  Michigan  in  1836, 
when  this  state  was  still  under  territorial 
rule,  he  settled  in  Niles,  where  he  entered 
upon  the  practice  of  the  profession  of  law, 
forming  a  partnership  under  the  firm  style 
of  Green  &  Dana,  and  they  continued  in 
practice  at  Niles  for  many  years,  Mr.  Dana 
being  recognized  as  one  of  the  brilliant  mem- 
bers of  the  bar  of  this  part  of  the  state. 
In  those  early  times  he  would  ride  to  court 
in  a  carriage.  The  country  was  then 
sparsely  settled  and  there  were  no  railroads. 
Cases  were  argued  with  much  fervor  and 
there  were  many  brilliant  displays  of  ora- 
tory in  the  courts  of  that  period.  Mr.  Dana 
was  recognized  as  an  able  and  learned  lawyer 
and  secured  a  good  clientage.  He  married 
Elizabeth  Stockwell,  who  was  born  in  Troy, 
New  York,  and  died  six  months  prior  to  the 
death  of  her  husband  in  1847.  ^^  their 
family  were  five  children  but  only  two  are 
living,  the  daughter  being  Susan  E.,  now 
the  wife  of  E.  L.  Tuttle,  of  Santa  Barbara, 
California. 

Eugene  C.  Dana  attended  school  in  vari- 
ous places,  although  his  education  in  the 
schoolroom  was  limited  to  about  five  years' 
attendance.  He  has,  however,  always  been 
an  earnest  and  discriminating  student  and 
has  become  a  well  informed  man,  of  schol- 
arly attainments  largely  in  advance  of  many 
college  bred  men.  He  has  read  extensively, 
pondered  earnestly  and  thought  deeply, 
keeping  in  touch  with  the  advance  of  mod- 
ern thought.  While  still  in  his  teens  he 
entered  the  United  States  revenue  service 
during  the  period  of  the  Civil  war  and  while 
thus  engaged  saved  quite  a  little  sum  of 
money  from  his  earnings,  so  that  at  the  age 
of  twenty  years  he  was  enabled  to  purchase 
an  interest  in  a  newspaper,  the  Niles  Repub- 


lican, becoming  associated  in  this  enterprise 
with  Major  Duncan.  On  account  of  his 
health,  however,  he  afterward  gave  up  the 
work  and  took  up  the  study  of  telegraphy, 
becoming  an  operator  on  the  Michigan  Cen- 
tral Railroad.  He  was  located  at  various 
points  on  the  line,  acting  first  as  night  oper- 
ator and  afterward  as  day  operator.  Finally 
the  order  came  for  him  to  take  charge  of 
the  Western  Union  telgraph  office  at  Niles, 
the  business  of  which  had  become  greatly 
disordered  through  mismanagement  by  his 
predecessors.  Mr.  Dana  continued  as  chief 
operator  at  Niles  in  the  Western  Union  of- 
fice for  twenty-five  years  and  soon  brought 
order  out  of  chaos  in  the  affairs  entrusted  to 
him  and  successfully  managed  the  interests 
of  the  position  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  He 
had  hoped  to  become  a  writer  and  indeed 
has  written  for  the  press  many  letters  of  his 
travels  in  New  Mexico  and  on  the  Pacific 
coast  but  his  close  application  to  the  key- 
board and  the  demands  thus  made  upon  his 
mental  forces  rendered  it  impossible  for  him 
to  devote  more  attention  to  mental  work. 
However,  he  now  has  in  his  possession  many 
manuscripts  which  he  has  written  and  at 
the  present  time  since  his  retirement  from 
the  telegraph  office  he  has  given  his  atten- 
tion to  literary  and  professional  work. 
While  acting  as  operator  he  made  many 
friends  and  acquaintances  all  over  the  world 
and  was  in  continuous  correspondence  with 
eighty  or  more  people,  including  many 
celebrities  in  different  parts  of  the  world. He 
is  today  a  man  of  brilliant  education,  well 
versed  on  many  subjects^  and  his  repartee 
of  ready  wit  and  clear  and  logical  thought 
have  made  him  a  favorite  toastmaster,  his 
services  in  this  direction  being  sought  for 
many  banquets.  He  has  on  various  oc- 
casions acted  in  that  capacity  for  the  order 
of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  which  he  is  a 
member,  and  he  has  served  as  keeper  of  the 
records  and  seal,  acting  in  that  capacity 
for  fourteen  years.  He  is  likewise  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Elks  lodge  at  South  Bend,  In- 
diana. For  almost  thirty  years  he  has  con- 
ducted a  campaign  glee  club,  himself  pos- 
sessing a  fine  voice  and  considerable  rhetor- 
ical power  so  that  on  many  occasions  he 


/Qu^oL^iyv>J^  /^cj/^^t/U/   *dcl<iL 


(SLAA^Ct . 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


68i 


has  acted  in  theatricals.  As  a  reader  he  has 
been  in  demand  and  has  done  good  work  at 
banquets  here  and  elsewhere,  his  specialty 
being  dialect  recitations,  as  he  is  rather  an 
adept  in  five  or  six  dialects. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Dana  is  an 
earnest  Republican,  always  voting  to  up- 
hold the  principles  of  that  party,  and  from 
the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  has  been  a  de- 
voted member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
He  has  a  very  wide  acquaintance  in  Niles 
and  throughout  the  county,  and  the  circle 
of  his  friends  is  an  extensive  one,  the  rich 
resources  of  his  mind  awakening  the  ad- 
miration and  interests  of  his  fellowmen  and 
rendering  him  a  most  companionable  gen- 
tleman. 

MORGAN  W.  MATRAU  still  resides 
in  Bainbridge  township,  where  he  was  born 
April  29,  1847.  His  parents  were  Joseph 
and  Amanda  (Woodruff)  Matrau,  the  latter 
a  daughter  of  Deacon  Levi  Woodruff,  a  dis- 
tinguished and  pioneer  settler  of  this  section 
of  the  state.  Joseph  Ma'trau  was  also  one 
of  the  early  residents  of  this  part  of  Michi- 
gan and  was  married  here  to  Amanda  Wood- 
ruff. He  had  come  to  Berrien  county  from 
the  district  of  Montreal,  Canada,  and  he 
went  to  Chicago  when  it  was  a  little  hamlet, 
crossing  thence  to  Michigan  in  order  to  get 
a  home.  He  first  had  gone  near  the  village 
of  Pen  Yan  in  Bainbridge  township,  and  it 
was  there  that  his  son  Morgan  was  born. 
When  the  boy  was  five  or  six  years  of  age 
his  parents  removed  to  another  farm  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  same  township,  where 
the  father  cleared  and  developed  a  tract  of 
land  of  eighty  acres.  His  life  was  devoted 
to  farming  and  thus  he  provided  a  comfort- 
able living  for  his  family.  Mr.  Matrau  be- 
came a  Methodist  but  his  wife  became  a 
member  of  the  Congregational  church,  in 
which  she  had  been  reared  and  of  which  her 
father,  Deacon  Levi  Woodruff  was  a  promi- 
nent representative  in  this  part  of  the  state. 
Mr.  Matrau  passed  away  when  about  seven- 
ty-two years  of  age  and  his  wife  had  de- 
parted this  life  in  her  seventy-third  year. 
In  their  family  were  five  children:  Henry 
M.,  of  Norfolk,  Nebraska;  Rev.  Frank  Mat- 


rau, an  Episcopal  minister  of  Saginaw, 
Michigan;  Morgan  W.,  of  this  review;  Ed- 
ward, who  is  living  in  Watervliet ;  and  Lucy, 
the  wife  of  William  Cook,  of  Bainbridge 
township.  Captain  Matrau  enlisted  for  three 
months'  service  in  the  Civil  war  and  on  the 
expiration  of  that  period  re-enlisted  and  con- 
tinued at  the  front  until  the  close  of  hostili- 
ties. His  brother  Frank  was  also  a  soldier 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  war. 

Morgan  W.  Matrau,  spending  his  boy- 
hood days  upon  the  home  farm,  became 
deeply  interested  when  a  lad  in  his  teens  in 
the  progress  of  events  in  the  south  when  hos- 
tilities were  being  carried  on  in  that  section 
of  the  country.  He  had  two  brothers  at 
the  front  and  when  but  seventeen  years  of 
age  he,  too,  enlisted,  becoming  a  member 
of  Company  B,  Twelfth  Michigan  Infantry 
in  1864.  He  largely  served  in  the  west,  be- 
ing under  command  of  General  Steele  in 
Arkansas,  and  he  was  ever  loyal  and  faith- 
ful to  the  duties  that  devolved  upon  him  in 
this  connection. 

On  the  2d  of  November,  1870,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  Mr.  Matrau  and  Miss 
Amelia  Byers,  a  daughter  of  David  and 
Eliza  Ann  (Miller)  Byers,  who  were  pio- 
neer residents  of  Michigan,  having  in  1840 
removed  from  Cayuga  county.  New  York, 
to  this  state.  Mr.  Byers  helped  organize 
Bainbridge  township.  He  was  a  justice  of 
the  peace  and  married  the  first  couple  to  be 
married  in  the  township,  who  were  Henry 
Selter  and  Mary  Youngs.  The  mother  was 
a  native  of  that  county,  while  the  father  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania.  His  sister  Mattie  al- 
so accompanied  them  to  Michigan  and  re- 
mained here  until  her  life  was  ended  in 
death.  David  Byers  settled  on  a  farm  on  the 
Territorial  road,  bordering  the  county  line 
about  twelve  miles  east  of  Benton  Harbor. 
He  kept  open  house  for  the  entertainment  of 
travelers,  his  being  one  of  the  landmarks  of 
pioneer  times.  His  place  was  situated  in 
the  midst  of  the  forest  and  there  he  erected 
a  residence,  which  is  still  standing,  and  is 
one  of  the  oldest  houses  of  that  section  of 
the  country.  It  is  a  landmark  there  and  has 
been  a  mute  witness  of  the  changes  that 
have  occurred  and  the  methods  which  have 


682 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


been  engaged  in  carrying  forward  the  work 
of  improvement  and  progress.  His  family 
were  all  reared  in  that  house  and  there  he 
died  March  24,  1874,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine 
years.  His  wife  survived  until  February 
29,  1904,  and  retained  her  faculties  to  the 
last  although  she  reached  the  very  advanced 
age  of  eighty-seven  years,  ten  months  and 
twelve  days.  She  was  a  very  active  and  de- 
voted member  of  a  church  association  known 
as  the  Mennonites.  In  the  family  were  two 
daughters :  Melissa,  the  wife  of  I.  N.  Selter, 
of  Benton  Harbor ;  and  Amelia,  the  wife  of 
Morgan  W.  Matrau.  She  was  born  upon 
the  old  homestead  farm  where  she  still  lives. 
This  marriage  has  been  blessed  with  six 
daughters  and  one  son,  namely:  Edith,  the 
wife  of  William  Docktor,  of  Bainbridge; 
Alta,  the  wife  of  John  Fernham,  of  Bain- 
bridge; Katie,  the  wife  of  Elbert  Kaiser,  of 
Bainbridge;  Olive,  the  wife  of  A.  H.  Peters, 
of  the  same  township;  Lida,  the  wife  of  Fred 
Seel,  of  Bainbridge  township;  A.  B.,  who 
married  Blanch  Palmer  and  operates  the 
home  farm;  and  Eva,  who  is  still  with  her 
parents. 

Mr.  Matrau  has  today  the  compass  his 
father  carried  for  his  guide  through  the 
wilderness  when  only  footpaths  were  used 
and  in  many  places  not  those.  St.  Joseph 
was  their  market  place.  His  father  would 
carry  a  small  pail  of  butter  twelve  miles  to 
get  a  pence  a  pound.  Deer,  wolves  and  wild 
turkeys  were  plenty  and  his  father  being  a 
fine  marksman  the  family  never  was  with- 
out wild  meat  of  some  kind  to  eat.  He  also 
has  the  tin  reflector  his  mother  set  before 
the  fireplace  and  baked  her  bread  in.  For 
years  she  did  all  her  cooking  by  the  fire- 
place. Later  they  built  a  clay  oven  and  he 
heard  his  mother  tell  what  fine  bread  the 
old  clay  oven  baked.  She  would  fill  up  the 
oven  with  wood ;  when  burned  up,  wash  out 
the  ashes,  then  fill  with  bread,  cake,  pie,  pud- 
ding and  bake  at  the  same  time.  His  father 
many  times  made  the  remark  that  bread  had 
a  much  better  flavor  then  than  nowadays 
baked  in  the  steel  range.  The  large  spin- 
ning wheel  and  small  flax  wheel  his  mother 
used  are  also  in  his  opssession.  She  taught 
his  sisters  and  himself  to  spin  wool  on  the 


large  wheel  and  saved  a  rack  of  tow  with 
the  intentions  of  teaching  them  to  spin  tow 
on  the  small  wheel,  but  did  not  as  that 
seemed  more  difficult. 

His  mother's  younger  days  were  spent  in 
industry  for  of  a  family  of  ten,  she  the  only 
daughter  and  nine  brothers.  She  and  her 
mother  spun  and  made  both  wool  and  linen 
apparel,  such  as  aprons,  dresses,  underwear, 
table  linens,  toweling,  bedticks,  sheets,  pil- 
low slips,  men's  wear,  shirts,  pants,  vests, 
coats,  etc.  She  united  with  the  Mennonite 
church  at  an  early  age  and  lived  a  consist- 
ent Christian  life.  Her  mother  died  here 
February  23,  1883,  nearly  ninety-two  years 
of  age.  Morgan  saw  a  herd  of  twenty-two 
deer  pass  by  his  father's  door  in  his  re- 
memberance. 

Mr.  Matrau  was  one  of  the  first  in  Michi- 
gan to  breed  Shropshire  sheep.  He  adver- 
tised and  exhibited  his  flock  and  raises  a 
large  number  of  fine  sheep,  being  one  of  the 
promoters  of  this  industry  in  Michigan,  be- 
coming widely  known  in  this  connection. 
At  one  time  he  owned  about  three  hundred 
acres  of  land  but  much  of  this  has  been 
given  to  his  children,  to  whom  he  has  been 
a  most  generous  father.  He  has  lived  a  life 
of  marked  business  activity  and  enterprise 
and  his  success  has  come  to  him  as  the  mer- 
ited reward  of  his  labor.  In  politics  he  has 
been  a  stanch  and  stalwart  Republican,  un- 
faltering in  his  allegiance  to  the  party  and 
its  principles.  For  twenty  years  he  has  been 
a  devoted  member  of  the  Christian  church 
and  devotes  much  of  his  time  to  reading  the 
Bible,  of  which  he  has  been  a  constant  stud- 
ent for  thirty-six  years.  His  life  is  per- 
meated with  its  teachings  and  is  in  harmony 
with  its  principles  and  the  men  who  know 
him  respect  him  because  of  his  fidelity  to  his 
honest  convictions  and  his  straightforward 
dealings  in  all  his  business  relations. 

LEWIS  VALENTINE  has  developed 
a  very  desirable  farm  with  excellent  im- 
provements in  Benton  township,  where  he 
has  a  commodious  residence  amid  attractive 
surroundings.  The  farm  in  its  neat  and 
thrifty,  appearance  indicates  his  careful  sup- 
ervision  and   progressive  methods   and   his 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


683 


work  has  ever  been  of  a  practical  nature, 
producing-  excellent  results.  A  native  of  the 
neighboring  state  of  Indiana,  he  was  born 
in  Eel  River  township,  Allen  county,  on  the 
19th  day  of  October,  1840.  In  1856  the 
family  removed  to  Iowa.  His  parents  were 
John  and  Susanna  (Peters)  Valentine.  The 
father  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  was  married  in 
that  state.  Removing  to  Indiana  he  became 
the  third  settler  of  Eel  River  township,  Al- 
len county,  and  in  fact  when  he  took  up  his 
abode  there  he  did  not  know  of  but  one  other 
settler  in  the  entire  township.  He  continued 
his  residence  there,  aiding  in  the  pioneer  de- 
velopment and  settlement  of  the  district 
until  1856,  when  he  removed  to  Knoxville, 
Iowa,  where  he  resided  for  three  years.  The 
same  year,  however,  the  government  took 
the  land  out  of  the  market  and  in  1859  Mr. 
Valentine  returned  to  his  old  farm  in  Indi- 
ana, where  he  spent  his  remaining  days, 
passing  away  there  when  not  quite  seventy 
years  of  age.  His  eldest  sister  is  eighty- 
six  years  of  age,  and  his  brother,  Jackson 
Valentine,  eighty-two  years  of  age,  still  re- 
sides in  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana. 

Lewis  Valentine  returned  to  the  s'tate  of 
his  nativity  with  his  parents.  He  was  six- 
teen years  of  age  when  they  went  to  Iowa, 
and  while  in  that  state  he  began  to  learn 
the  brick  mason's  trade,  which  he  afterward 
followed  in  Indiana,  w^orking  for  some  time 
at  that  occupation  in  Fort  Wayne  and  in 
Kendallville.  He  was  thus  employed  until 
his  marriage,  which  important  event  in  his 
life  was  celebrated  on  the  3d  of  July^  1864. 
He  had  served  for  one  year  as  a  soldier  of 
the  Civil  war,  having  enlisted  in  response  to 
the  first  call  for  troops  to  aid  in  crushing  out 
the  rebellion  in  its  incipiency.  He  was  not 
accepted  at  that  time,  however,  and  after- 
ward enlisted  for  one  year's  service  in  re- 
sponse to  President  Lincoln's  second  call 
for  volunteers.  He  joined  Company  F,  of 
the  Twelfth  Indiana  Infantry,  and  was  soon 
afterward  mustered  into  the  United  States 
service  doing  active  military  duty  in  Mary- 
land and  Virginia.  He  was  largely  em- 
ployed in  the  Shenandoah  valley,  the  regi- 
ment being  mainly  engaged  in  holding  the 
front  and  keeping  the  rebels  from  making 


an  advance  on  Washingtorr.and  other  points 
to  the  north.  On  the  expiration  of  his  term 
of  service  he  returned  to  his  home.  He  had 
suffered  much  from  the  exposure,  hardships 
and  rigors  of  war  and  his  health  being  im- 
paired he  did  not  re-enlist. 

On  the  3d  of  July,  1864,  Mr.  Valentine 
was  married  in  Bryan,  Ohio,  to  Miss  Cyn- 
thia Ellen  Loveridge,  who  was  born  in 
Knox  county,  Ohio,  near  Mount  Vernon. 
He  continued  to  work  at  his  trade  at  Ken- 
dallville for  a  time,  and  afterward  engaged 
in  contracting  as  a  brick  mason  at  Bryan. 
He  continued  there  and  at  Kendallville  until 
1877,  when  he  went  to  Berrien  county, 
Michigan.  At  that  time  there  was  not  a 
building  on  the  place  on  which  he  now 
makes  his  home.  He  exchanged  property 
in  Indiana  for  land  in  this  county  and  there- 
by became  the  owner  of  thirty-three  acres, 
which  was  partially  cleared,  but  all  around 
him  were  large  timber  tracts.  His  farm  now 
borders  Highland  avenue  and  is  pleasantly 
pleasantly  and  conveniently  located  about 
three  miles  from  Benton  Harbor.  It  is  de- 
voted to  fruit  growing,  although  formerly 
he  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  berries  and 
later  in  the  raising  of  peaches.  He  has 
worked  to  some  extent  at  his  trade  and  spent 
one  year  as  a  contractor  in  Wichita,  Kansas, 
after  first  coming  to  Michigan,  but  his  at- 
tention is  now  largely  given  to  his  farming 
and  fruit-raising  interests  and  he  has  de- 
veloped a  very  desirable  property,  on  which 
are  excellent  improvements.  His  home  is  a 
large  and  pleasant  residence  situated  in  the 
midst  of  fine  land  and  everything  about  the 
place  is  neat  and  attractive  in  appearance. 
He  built  the  house,  laying  every  brick  him- 
self. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Valentine  have  been 
born  the  following  named :  Edgar  Meade, 
who  was  employed  in  the  paper  mill 
at  Watervliet,  and  was  drowned  there  when 
thirty-two  years  of  age.  Maude  G.  died  at 
the  age  of  fifteen  years.  M.  Winnie  died 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  years.  Coze  L.  is  a 
mechanic,  machinist  and  farmer.  Zulu  May, 
at  home,  was  graduated  on  the  completion 
of  the  business  course  in  Benton  Harbor 
College  and  is  now  a  student  of  music. 


684 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Mr.  Valentine  exercises  his  right  of 
franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  meas- 
ures of  the  RepubHcan  party.  He  voted  for 
Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864  ^^^  has  cast  a 
ballot  at  each  presidential  election  since  that 
time,  always  supporting  the  men  and  meas- 
ures of  the  Republican  party.  Socially  he 
is  connected  with  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen.  He  has  worked  persist- 
ently and  energetically  year  after  year  and 
in  any  analyzation  of  his  life  record  it  will 
be  seen  that  his  perseverance  has  enabled  him 
to  overcome  the  difficulties  and  obstacles  in 
his  path  and  eventually  win  the  success 
which  is  now  crowning  his  labors. 

JOHN  MORGAN,  deceased,  who  for 
many  years  was  a  resident  of  Bainbridge 
township,  where  he  engaged  in  general  ag- 
ricultural pursuits,  was  born  in  Rochester, 
New  York,  on  the  26th  of  September,  1819. 
His  father  was  Michael  Morgan,  also  a  na- 
tive of  New  York,  where  he  wooed  and  won 
Miss  Margaret  Reaves.  She,  too,  was  born 
in  the  Empire  state,  and  their  last  days  were 
spent  in  Michigan,  their  home  being  in  Fen- 
tonville,  at  the  time  of  their  demise. 

John  Morgan  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
years  became  a  sailor  on  the  lakes  under  his 
uncle,  Captain  Morgan,  and  so  continued  for 
four  years.  He  then  engaged  in  driving  a 
stage  in  New  York  and  gradually  worked 
his  way  westward,  going  to  St.  Joseph  as 
a  stage  driver.  There  he  met  Miss  Emma 
Sutherland  in  the  hotel  where  she  worked. 
Mr.  Morgan  continued  to  drive  a  stage  from 
St.  Joseph  to  Kalamazoo  for  a  time  and  af- 
terward worked  for  Hiram  Wheeler  in  a 
warehouse  for  about  nine  and  a  half 
years.  He  was  then  married  on  the 
28th  of  February,  1847,  to  Miss  Suth- 
erland, whose  acquaintance  he  had  previ- 
ously formed,  the  wedding  ceremony 
being  performed  by  Tobias  Byers, 
justice  of  the  peace.  Mr.  Morgan  continued 
to  work  for  several  years  for  Mr.  Wheeler, 
and  with  the  money  which  he  saved  from 
his  earnings  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land, 
whereon  he  made  some  improvements  and 
there  built  a  log  house.  In  the  spring  of 
1849,  he  and  other  Berrien  county  men  to 


the  number  of  eight,  organized  a  company 
and  started  for  California,  outfitting  with 
ox  teams  and  a  yoke  of  cows.  They  started 
from  St.  Joseph  on  the  nth  of  March,  made 
the  long  journey  across  the  prairies  of  the 
Mississippi  valley,  the  hot  sandy  plains  of 
the  west  and  through  the  mountain  passes, 
reaching  San  Francisco  on  the  22d  of  Sep- 
tember. They  lost  one  of  their  company  by 
name  Enos,  but  the  others  of  the  party 
reached  their  destination  in  safety.  Mr. 
Morgan  was  the  last  survivor  of  that  com- 
pany, his  death  occurring  on  the  26th  of 
April,  1900.  He  remained  in  California  for 
three  and  a  half  years.  Upon  his  return  in 
1852  he  brought  back  with  him  one  thous- 
and dollars  and  the  following  spring  he  in- 
vested in  eighty  acres  of  land  additional. 
His  wife  had  remained  upon  the  home  place 
with  her  one  daughter  during  the  absence  of 
her  husband  in  California,  and  upon  his  re- 
turn he  devoted  himself  to  clearing  the  farm 
and  placing  the  soil  under  cultivation. 
There  was  at  that  time  no  market  for  timber 
but  later  he  sold  the  timber  for  ties,  cutting 
valuable  timber  and  using  it  in  that  way. 
Out  of  a  tract  of  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  he  cleared  one  hundred  and  seventy 
acres  and  placed  it  under  cultivation.  He 
erected  three  different  houses  upon  his  place, 
the  third  and  last  one  having  been  built  in 
The  second  one  had  been  destroyed 


by  fire  but  stood  on  the  same  foundation  as 
the  home  that  is  now  found  upon  the  farm. 
In  1893  Mr.  Morgan  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the 
loth  of  February  of  that  year.  She  had  been 
a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate  to  him 
on  life's  journey  and  had  carefully  reared 
her  family  of  seven  children,  namely : 
Helen,  who  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Bradley, 
a  photographer,  at  Buchanan,  Michigan; 
Charles,  living  in  Sodus  township;  George, 
whose  home  is  in  Pipestone  township ;  Mer- 
ritt,  deceased;  Clara,  who  died  in  1888,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-six  years;  Edwin  and 
Chloa,  both  of  whom  are  on  the  farm.  One 
son,  Merritt,  was  lost  on  the  Chicora.  His 
life  was  passed  mainly  on  the  farm  but  in 
1893  he  became  steward  on  the  Bradshaw 
and  thus  served  for  two  years,  after  which 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


68= 


he  became  steward  on  the  Chicora  and  served 
all  of  that  season.  The  vessel  was  lost 
January  21,  1895,  with  all  on  board. 

John  Morgan  was  a  stanch  Democrat 
in  his  political  views.  His  life  was  largely 
eventful  in  its  experiences,  embracing  a  resi- 
dence in  Michigan  during  pioneer  times,  as 
well  as  in  California  during  the  early  days 
of  mining  excitement  there.  Following  his 
return  to  this  state  he  performed  the  ardu- 
ous task  of  developing  a  farm  property  in 
the  midst  of  the  forest,  hewing  out  the  fields 
in  heavy  timbered  regions,  and  as  the  years 
went  by  he  achieved  the  success  which  made 
him  one  of  the  substantial  agriculturists  of 
the  community.  His  long  residence  here 
made  him  widely  known  and  he  reached  an 
advanced  age,  being  about  eighty  years  and 
six  months  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  demise. 

THOMAS  GRANGER.  It  is  the  boast 
of  Great  Bri>tain  that  the  sun  never  sets  upon 
her  possessions,  she  who  may  claim  with 
equal  pride  that  her  children  are  numbered 
among  the  valued  citizens  of  almost  every 
section  of  the  globe,  where  they  have  been 
effective  factors  in  planting  the  seeds  of  civ- 
ilization or  in  carrying  forward  the  work  of 
general  progress.  Thomas  Granger,  one  of 
the  sons  of  England,  was  born  in  the  town- 
ship of  Cottingham,  in  Cambridgeshire, 
March  26,  1838.  There  he  grew  to  man- 
hood, no  event  of  special  importance  occur- 
ring to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  him 
in  his  boyhood  days,  when  his  time  was  de- 
voted to  play,  work  and  the  duties  of  the 
schoolroom.  When  twenty-four  years  of 
age,  however,  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth 
V.  Whiting.  He  had  been  reared  to  farm 
life,  although  he  had  two  older  brothers  who 
took  up  trades.  Mr.  Granger,  however,  pre- 
ferred outdoor  life  and  for  thirteen  years  he 
was  in  the  employ  of  one  man,  engaged  at 
general  farm  labor  and  caring  for  fruit.  He 
was  thirty- four  years  of  age,  when,  in  1872, 
he  determined  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  new 
world  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  United 
States,  making  his  way  from  the  seaport  into 
the  interior  of  the  country.  He  located  first 
at  Chicago.  It  was  his  wish  to  get  land  and 
engage  in  farming  on  his  own  account,  but 


he  had  only  money  enough  to  bring  him  to 
Illinois.  There  he  worked  for  about  a  year, 
and  in  1873  he  came  to  Berrien  county.  He 
had  met  John  T.  Wisner,  of  Hagar  town- 
ship, who  was  looking  for  a  man  to  care  for 
his  place.  For  a  year  Mr.  Granger  was 
employed  on  Mr.  Wisner's  farm  and  then 
rented  it  for  two  years.  During  that  time  he 
prospered  in  his  labors  and  at  the  end  of  that 
period  purchased  fifteen  acres  of  land,  where 
he  now  resides.  It  had  been  ^'deviled"  with 
but  little  cleared.  It  was  covered  with 
stumps  and  there  was  a  log  shanty  upon  the 
place.  He  had  incurred  an  indebtedness  of 
three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  in  order  to 
secure  the  property  and  he  had  no  teams 
with  which  to  do  the  farm  work.  In  fact, 
he  possessed  nothing  but  a  pair  of  willing 
hands  and  a  strong  determination.  As  soon 
as  a  little  house  could  be  built  he  moved  on 
to  the  farm  and  he  worked  out  for  two  or 
three  years  in  the  summer  months 
in  order  to  gain  money  with  which 
to  meet  the  expense  necessary  to  pro- 
vide for  his  family  and  carry  on  his 
own  farm  work.  He  cleared  his  own 
land  as  much  as  possible  in  the  winter  sea- 
son and  he  planted  strawberries  which  were 
soon  in  bearing  condition  and  gave  him  an 
income.  Living  frugally  and  economically 
he  paid  for  his  land  and  then  began  to  buy 
more  land  in  five  different  pieces,  thus  add- 
ing to  his  holdings  until  he  now  has  sixty 
acres.  Much  of  this  land  was  in  a  swamp 
and  he  had  to  make  ditches  to  drain  it  and 
get  rid  of  the  water  on  account  of  the  flat, 
level  condition.  He  has  carried  forward  the 
work  of  improvement  and  cultivation  until 
the  entire  place  is  now  in  fine  condition  and 
is  regarded  as  a  valuable  farm  prop- 
erty. He  has  depended  upon  berries 
as  his  chief  crop  and  has  sold  over 
seventeen  hundred  crates  in  a  single 
season.  His  entire  life  has  been  de- 
voted to  the  farm  and  he  has  gained  the  suc- 
cess which  comes  as  a  direct  and  sure  re- 
ward of  persistent,  earnest  labor. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Granger  have  been 
born  two  sons.  Francis  W.,  the  elder,  is  a 
farmer  on  the  Lake  Shore  drive  in  Hagar 
township,  where  he  has  fifty  acres  of  land 


686 


HISTORY -OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


bordering  on  Lake  Michigan.  H,e  married 
Attila  Vergusen.  Arthur  Edward  Granger, 
now  operating  the  home  farm,  wedded  Mrs. 
EHzabeth  Woodly,  the  widow  of  Frank 
Woodly,  and  by  her  first  marriage  she  had 
three  children,  Roy,  Guy,  and  Wilham. 

Mr.  Granger  is  a  RepubHcan,  always 
supporting  the  party  since  becoming  a  nat- 
uralized American  citizen.  He  has  the  sub- 
stantial qualities  of  the  English  race,  includ- 
ing the  ready  adaptability,  the  quick  insight 
into  business  conditions  and  the  perseverance 
which  enables  him  to  continue  in  the  line  of 
work  marked  out  until  he  has  attained  suc- 
cess therein. 

JOHN  MARTINDALE,  whose  home 
stands  on  the  brow  of  a  bluff  thirty-three 
feet  high,  commanding  a  fine  view  of  the 
surrounding  country,  his  place  being  about 
three  and  a  quarter  miles  from  Benton  Har- 
bor and  near  the  Paw  Paw  river,  is  now  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  horticultural  pursuits. 
He  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  on  the  5th 
of  April,  1839,  and  the  following  year  his 
parents  remove  to  Buffalo,  New  York, 
whence  in  1849  they  came  to  Berrien  coun- 
ty, Michigan.  The  father,  William  Mar- 
tindale,  located  upon  the  farm  which  is  now 
occupied  by  his  son  John  in  Benton  town- 
ship. Here  he  lived  until  his  death  and  had 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  con- 
stituting one  of  the  good  farms  of  the  lo- 
cality. He  was  in  poor  health,  however,  for 
thirty  years,  so  that  the  actual  work  of  de- 
veloping and  improving  the  place  had  to  be 
left  to  others.  He  passed  away  at  the  age 
of  seventy-six  years.  His  wife  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Alice  Lake  and  was  born 
and  reared  in  New  York.  She  survived  her 
husband  for  about  eight  years.  In  their 
family  were  five  children,  who  reached  adult 
age:  Lydia,  who  married  Corneal  Ding- 
man  and  died  at  the  age  of  fifty  years; 
Phoebe  Ann,  the  wife  of  Cash  Williams,  a 
farmer  residing  in  Watervliet  township; 
John,  of  this  review;  William,  who  i^  also 
living  in  Benton  township;  and  Thomas, 
who  is  with  his  brother  John. 

When  a  youth  of  seventeen  years  John 
Martindale  arrived  in  this  county  and  upon 


him  largely  devolved  the  arduous  task  of 
developing  a  new  farm.  He  assumed  the 
indebtedness  which  was  upon  the  place  and 
purchased  the  interest  of  the  other  heirs  in 
the  home  property,  which  he  at  once  began 
to  further  develop  and  improve.  When  a 
young  man  of  twenty-four  years  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Laura  Jane  Jakeway,  a 
daughter  of  Solomon  Jakeway,  of  New 
York,  and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Benton 
township,  whose  old  farm  laid  south  of  Mill- 
burg,  the  family  home  being  established 
there  in  1847,  when  Mrs.  Martindale  was 
a  small  child.  Following  his  marriage 
John  Martindale  began  to  clear  and  culti- 
vate a  forty  acre  tract  of  land  which  was 
situated  in  the  midst  of  the  forest  and  ad- 
joined his  father's  place.  He  had  twelve 
acres  of  this  cleared  when  his  father  died 
and  he  took  the  old  homestead,  his  mother 
living  with  him  as  long  as  she  lived.  He 
has  since  placed  his  entire  eighty  acres  under 
cultivation  and  has  a  well  developed  prop- 
erty, which  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appear- 
ance and  indicates  his  careful  supervision. 
His  groves  contain  about  three  thousand 
peach  trees  and  he  has  four  acres  planted  to 
grapes,  pears,  cherries  and  plums,  making 
in  all  about  twenty-five  acr^s  in  fruit.  This 
work  has  given  entire  satisfaction,  because 
he  has  harvested  good  crops,  for  which  he 
has  found  a  ready  sale  on  the  market.  The 
place  is  watered  by  a  spring  and  is  well 
adapted  for  dairying  purposes.  For  twelve 
years  Mr.  Martindale  kept  forty  cows  for 
dairy  purposes  but  this  confined  him  so 
closely  to  his  business  that  he  abandoned  it, 
and  turned  his  attention  to  the  cultivation 
of  fruit.  The  increase  in  the  price  of  feed 
also  led  him  to  retire  from  dairying,  for  he 
found  that  he  could  make  no  money  thereby. 
He  has  erected  his  present  home,  thus  re- 
placing one  that  was  burned.  His  house 
stands  on  the  brow  of  a  thirty-three  foot 
bluff,  overlooking  a  fine  bottom  pasturage 
of  over  thirty  acres,  and  the  house  is  con- 
veniently situated  about  three  and  a  quarter 
miles  from  Benton  Harbor. 

After  a  happy  married  life  of  twenty- 
eight  years  Mr.  Martindale  was  called  upon 
to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  leav- 


WILLIAM  FREESTONE 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


687 


ing  three  children :  Jesse  Eugene,  now  a 
f:\rmer  of  Michigan;  Alma,  who  is  the  wife 
o^'  Willard  Ware,  of  Berrien  county;  and 
Claude,  a  mechanic,  living  in  St.  Joseph. 
For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Martindale  chose 
Ida  Anderson,  who  had  first  married  John 
Petefson  and  who  was  killed  in  the  Well's 
basket  factory  at  St.  Joseph.  She  came  to 
this  county  in  1871  and  on  the  6th  of  March, 
1882,  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Mr. 
Martindale.  They  have  one  daughter, 
Laura,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  John  Benson 
and  her  husband  operates  her  father's  farm. 
There  is  one  child  by  this  marriage,  Edith 
May,  now  two  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Martin- 
dale had  two  sons  by  her  first  marriage,  Al- 
bert and  Benny  Peterson,  both  in  Benton 
Harbor.  They  were  reared  by  Mr.  Martin- 
dale as  his  own  children  and  the  two  families 
have  lived  together  in  the  utmost  harmony. 
Mr.  Martindale  is  a  Republican,  but  though 
he  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day  he  has  never  sought  office, 
preferring  to  concentrate  his  time  and  ener- 
gies upon  his  business  affairs. 

WILLIAM  FREESTONE,  president 
and  general  manager  of  the  Freestone  Pickle 
Company  at  Benton  Harbor,  is  a  self-made 
man  who,  without  any  extraordinary  family" 
or  pecuniary  advantages  at  the  commence- 
ment of  life  has  battled  earnestly  and  ener- 
getically and  by  indomitable  courage  and 
integrity  has  achieved  both  character  and 
fortune.  By  sheer  force  of  will  and  untir- 
ing effort  he  has  worked  his  way  upward 
and  is  numbered  amoiig  the  leading  men  of 
southwestern  Michigan. 

A  native  of  Rochester,  New  York,  he 
was  born  in  the  year  1840,  and  in  his  in- 
fancy was  taken  by  his  parents,  Thomas 
and  Grace  Freestone,  to  Chicago,  now  the 
metropolis  of  the  west,  then  a  small  city 
which  only  three  years  before  had  been  in- 
corporated. His  father  was  a  native  of 
Northamptonshire,  England,  and  fojlowing 
his  marriage  emigrated  with  his  wife  to 
the  new  world,  settling  in  Rochester,  New 
York,  where  he  continued  to  reside  until 
his  removal  west.  William  Freestone  passed 
his  boyhood    days   amid   the  environments 


wdiich  have  developed  a  great  city  on  the 
western  prairie  and  he  became  imbued  with 
much  of  the  spirit  of  enterprise  and  progress 
that  have  led  tO'  the  upbuilding  of  Chicago. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  and  then 
learned  the  plasterer's  trade.  He  mastered 
and  followed  the  business  until  the  outbreak 
of  the  Civil  war,  when,  his  patriotic  nature 
being  aroused  in  response  to  the  country's 
call  for  aid,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  of  Com- 
pany G,  Thirty-seventh  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry.  He  served  for  three  years  and 
was  under  the  command  of  General  John 
C.  Black,  participating  in  some  notable  en- 
gagements, including  the  battles  of  Pea 
Ridge  and  Prairie  Grove  and  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg.  Every  military  duty  imposed 
upon  him  was  faithfully  performed  and  his 
loyalty  to  the  cause  was  above  question. 

Following  the  close  of  hostilities  Mr. 
Freestone  returned  to  Chicago,  where  he 
engaged  upon  a  new  field  of  business  activ- 
ity by  becoming  an  employe  of  the  Squire 
Dingee  Company,  pickle  manufacturers, 
with  whom  he  continued  until  1885,  during 
which  time  he  gained  a  close  and  intimate 
knowledge  of  the  business  both  in  principle 
and  detail.  When  the  business  was  incor- 
porated in  1885  h^  became  financially  inter- 
ested therein^  and  has  since  been  identified 
with  similar  enterprises.  In  1893  he  became 
a  resident  of  Benton  Harbor  as  resident 
partner  and  manager  of  the  plant  of  the 
Squire  Dingee  Company  at  this  place.  The 
plant  had  been  established  in  1891,  and  Mr. 
Freestone  was  connected  therewith  until  the 
Freestone  Pickle  Company  was  established 
and  incorporated  in  1903  with  William 
Freestone  as  president  and  general  man- 
ager; Wilbert  D.  Freestone,  vice-president 
and  treasurer;  and  G.  W.  Larkworthy,  sec- 
retary. This  company  was  organized  under 
the  laws  of  Michigan  with  a  paid  up  capital 
of  fifty  thousand  dollars  and,  having  pur- 
chased the  business  of  the  Squire  Dingee 
Company,  is  now  engaged  extensively  in  the 
manufacture  of  vinegar  and  as  growers 
and  packers  of  pickles.  In  Benton  Harbor 
they  have  an  extensive  plant,  comprising  five 
buildings,  covering  three  acres  of  ground, 
and  their  output  is  over-  seventy-fivie  thou- 


688 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


sand  bushels  of  pickles  annually^  An  ex- 
tensive force  of  workmen  are  employed  dur- 
ing the  season  and  about  seventeen  people 
throughout  the  remainder  of  the  year,  ren- 
dering the  enterprise  one  of  particular  value 
to  the  community  by  affording  employment 
to  a  large  number  and  thus  placing  in  cir- 
culation a  large  aggregate  wage.  Branch 
houses  have  also  been  established  at  Bangor, 
Sawyer,  Pullman,  Baroda,  Bridgman  and 
Pearl,  and  all  are  being  operated  extensively 
and  successfully.  The  output  is  sent  through- 
out the  United  States  and  Canada,  and  the 
industry  is  one  of  material  benefit  to  Benton 
Harbor  and  Berrien  county. 

William  Freestone  has  been  married 
twice.  He  first  wedded  Miss  Adelaide 
Dingee,  who  died  in  Chicago  in  1883.  Of 
the  three  children  of  that  union  two  are 
living:  Wilbert  D.,  who  is  associated  with 
his  father  in  business  and  is  represented 
elsewhere  in  this  work;  and  Adelaide,  now 
the  wife  of  Leonard  H.  Smith,  of  Benton 
Harbor,  by  whom  she  has  four  children, 
Adelaide,  Percy,  Ethel  and  Wilbert,  all  born 
in  this  city.  In  1885  William  Freestone 
was  again  married,  his  second  union  being 
with  Miss  Matilda  Anderson,  of  Chicago, 
and  to  them  have  been  born  five  children, 
who  are  yet  living,  Florence,  Wallace, 
Walter,  Carl  and  Theodore. 

William  Freestone  is  a  member  of 
George  H.  Thomas  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  and  is  affiliated  with  all  of  the 
Masonic  bodies  of  this  city.  In  his  political 
views  he  is  a  Republican,  and  as  every  broad 
minded  citizen  should  do,  keeps  in  touch 
with  the  political  problems  and  issues  of  the 
day  but  is  without  aspiration  for  office.  He 
is  broad  gauged  and  liberal  in  all  of  his 
views  and  has  been  a  man  of  action  rather 
than  theory.  He  has  worked  and  demon- 
strated rather  than  argued  and  debated  and 
his  labors  with  their  attendant  results  have 
demonstrated  the  possibilities  for  success- 
ful accomplishment  without  the  assistance 
of  capital  as  a  moving  force  at  the  outset 
of  ones  career.  As  the  years  have  gone  by 
he  has  won  prosperity,  owing  to  his  earnest 
and  unremitting  diligence,  and  today  he  is 


in  possession  of  a  comfortable  income  re- 
sulting from  well  invested  capital. 

WILBERT  D.  FREESTONE.  In  the 
business  world  today,  with  its  constantly 
changing  conditions  and  rapid  development, 
opportunity  is  continually  presented  to  him 
who  has  the  ability  to  recognize  his  chance 
and  improve  it.  Among  the  more  recently 
developed  enterprises  of  Berrien  county  is 
that  of  the  Freestone  Pickle  Company,  at 
Benton  Harbor,  of  which  Wilbert  D.  Free- 
stone is  vice  president  and  treasurer.  He  is 
thus  prominently  connected  with  one  of  the 
leading  industrial  enterprises  of  southwest- 
ern Michigan  and  his  labors  have  contributed 
in  no  small  degree  to  the  success  of  the 
undertaking.  He  has  wrought  along  modern 
business  lines  and  has  employed  the  ''merit 
system"  in  relation  to  business  affairs,  the 
company  winning  its  extensive  and  grow- 
ing patronage  because  of  the  excellence  of 
its  product  and  its  unassailable  reputation 
for  reliability  in  all  trade  transactions. 

Mr.  Freestone  is  a  native  of  Chicago, 
Illinois,  where  he  was  born  in  November, 
1868.  He  is  of  English  lineage,  his  pa- 
ternal grandparents,  Thomas  and  Grace 
Freestone,  of  Northamptonshire,  England, 
having  become  the  founders  of  this  family 
in  America  on  their  removal  to  Rochester, 
New  York.  Their  son,  William  Freestone, 
born  in  that  city  in  June,  1840,  was  in  his 
infancy,  taken  by  his  parents  to  Chi- 
cago and  after  acquiring  a  public  school 
education  and  learning  and  following  the 
plasterer's  trade  for  some  time  he  served 
for  three  years  in  the  Civil  war,  returning 
to  his  home  to  become  connected  with  a 
line  of  business  in  which  he  is  still  interested 
and  in  which  he  has  gained  a  large  and 
gratifying  success.  He  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Squire  Dingee  Pickle  Company,  be- 
coming a  stockholder  therein  in  1885,  and 
the  resident  partner  and  manager  of  the 
business  in  Benton  Harbor  in  1893.  Ten 
years  later  the  business  was  purchased  by 
the  present  company. 

William  Freestone  was  married  to  Ade- 
laide Dingee,  and  Wilbert  D.  Freestone  is 


WILBERT  D.  FREESTONE 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


689 


the  elder  of  their  two  Hving  children.  At 
the  usual  age  he  became  a  student  in  the 
public  schools  of  Chicago  and  when  still  quite 
a  young  lad  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Squire  Dingee  Company,  manufacturers  of 
vinegar  and  pickles,  with  headquarters  in 
Chicago,  but  with  plants  in  different  parts 
of  the  middle  west.  This  company  had 
been  organized  in  Chicago  in  1858,  and  in 
1 89 1  established  a  branch  house  in  Benton 
Harbor.  On  entering  the  employ  of  the 
company  Wilbert  D.  Freestone  was  assigned 
to  duty  in  the  pickle  factory  at  Woodstock, 
Illinois,  where  he  thoroughly  acquainted 
himself  with  the  business  in  every  depart- 
ment. In  1 89 1  he  became  one  of  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  company  in  Benton  Har- 
bor, the  plant  having  been  established  here 
in  1 89 1.  The  business  was  incorporated 
and  thus  conducted  until  1903,  when  it  was 
sold  to  the  Freestone  Pickle  Company,  which 
in  that  year  was  established  and  incorpo- 
rated, with  William  Freestone  as  president 
and  general  manager;  Wilbert  D.  Freestone, 
vice  president  and  treasurer;  and  G.  W. 
Larkworthy,  secretary.  This  company  was 
organized  under  the  laws  of  Michigan  with 
a  paid  up  capital  of  fifty  thousand  dollars. 
They  purchased  the  business  of  the  Squire 
Dingee  Company  and  are  now  engaged  ex- 
tensively in  the  manufacture  of  vinegar  and 
also  growers  and  packers  of  pickles.  In 
Benton  Harbor  they  have  an  extensive  plant, 
comprising  five  buildings,  covering  three 
acres  of  ground,  with  well  known  appliances 
for  carrying  on  a  factory  of  this  kind.  The 
output  is  over  seventy-five  thousand  bushels 
of  pickles  annually  and  they  employ  an  ex- 
tensive force  during  the  season  and  about 
seventeen  people  throughout  the  remainder 
of  the  year.  Not  only  does  the  company 
manufacture  vinegar  and  pickles  but  also 
grows  cucumbers  on  an  extensive  scale  and 
buys  large  quantities  in  advance  of  the  sea- 
son. In  addition  to  the  plant  at  Benton 
Harbor  there  are  branch  plants  at  Bangor, 
Sawyer,  Pullman,  Baroda,  Bridgman  and 
Pearl,  and  the  first  mentioned  is  nearly  as 
large  as  the  Benton  Harbor  plant,  while  all 
the  others  are  but  little  smaller.  They  send 
their  product  throughout  the  United  States 
44 


and  Canada  and  the  business  has  become  one 
of  the  leading  productive  enterprises  of  Ber- 
rien county.  It  has  now  assumed  extensive 
proportions  and  is  not  only  a  source  of 
profit  to  the  individual  stockholders  but  also 
contributes  to  the  general  prosperity  through 
the  employment  given  to  many  and  through 
furnishing  a  market  to  producers. 

In  1893  Wilbert  D.  Freestone  was  mar- 
ried in  Elgin,  Illinois,  to  Miss  Stella  Gup- 
till,  and  unto  them  have  been  born  three 
children,  Ruth,  Harold  and  Virgene,  all 
born  in  Benton  Harbor.  Mr.  Freestone  is  a 
member  of  Lake  Shore  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Macca- 
bees, all  of  Benton  Harbor,  and  in  his 
political  views  is  a  stalwart  Republican. 
Recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  business 
men  of  southwestern  Michigan  he  is  alert 
an  enterprising,  his  capability  enabling  him 
to  successfully  solve  intricate  business  prob- 
lems and  to  promote  to  successful  comple- 
ton  whatever  he  undertakes. 

GEORGE  GRIFFIN.  Many  modern 
improvements  are  found  upon  the  valuable 
farming  property  of  George  Griffin  in  Bain- 
bridge  township,  showing  that  he  is  a  man 
of  enterprise  and  progressive  spirit.  He 
was  born  in  Butler  county,  Ohio,  near  Mid- 
dletown,  April  25,  1854,  and  in  1865,  when 
a  youth  of  about  eleven  years,  came  to  Ber- 
rien county  with  his  parents,  William  and 
Martha  (Burgess)  Grififin.  The  father  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  the  mother  in 
Virginia,  and  they  were  married  in  Ohio. 
The  father  was  the  owner  of  eighty  acres 
of  land,  which  he  secured  from  the  govern- 
ment in  1854.  It  lay  in  Pipestone  township 
and  was  covered  with  heavy  timber  when  it 
came  mto  his  possession  but  he  began  at 
once  to  cut  down  the  trees  and  clear  away 
the  brush  and  stumps  and  in  the  course  of 
time  plowed  and  planted  the  fields  and  other- 
wise improved  the  property.  He  lived  for 
six  years  upon  that  place  but  had  cleared  ofif 
several  acres  at  the  time  of  his  demise.  He 
left  a  widow  with  seven  children,  the  eldest 
of  whom  were  William  H.  and  George  Grif- 
fin, aged  respectively  seventeen  and  fifteen 
years.    They  took  up  the  task  which  was  laid 


690 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


down  by  the  father  and  continued  to  culti- 
vate and  improve  the  property,  the  mother 
rearing  her  family  there.  She  still  survives 
and  now  makes  her  home  with  her  eldest 
son,  William  H.  Griffin,  in  Pipestone  town- 
ship. 

George    Griffin    continued    to    aid    his 
mother  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
left   home   and  began  working  as  a   farm 
hand,  being  thus  employed  for  two  years. 
He  was  married,   however,   at  the  age  of 
nineteen  years,  on  the  27th  of  November, 
1873,   to   Miss   Elizabeth   Glass,    who   was 
about  the  same  age.     They  were  neighbors, 
having  known  each  other  for  many  years. 
Their  first  purchase  of  land  comprised  but 
five  acres,  which  Mr.  Griffin  afterward  sold, 
and  in  1876  he  bought  his  present  farm  in 
Bainbridge   township   originally   owned   by 
Mr.  Burnette.     It  was  covered  with  grubs 
and  with  the  original  timber  and  he  paid 
twenty-five  dollars   for   the   property.      No 
clearing  had  been  made  and  the  place  com- 
prised thirteen  acres,  to  which  he  has  since 
added  twenty  acres,  so  that  he  now  has  a 
good  property  of  thirty-three  acres.    All  this 
has  been  converted  into  a  cultivable  tract,  al- 
though  at   least   twelve   acres   was   swamp 
land  when  it  came  into  his  possession.     He 
drained  this,  spending  about  three  hundred 
dollars  in  tiling  and  drainage  and  it  is  now 
very  valuable.    This  is  a  fruit  farm  of  about 
twenty-five  acres,  having  all  been  set  out  to 
fruit,  including  grapes,  peaches,  apples  and 
cherries.     He  sold  five  thousand  baskets  of 
grapes  in  one  season.     He  finds  that  fruit 
can  be  grown  very  satisfactorily  and  has  de- 
voted thirty  years  to  his  farm,  making  it  a 
valuable    property    for    the    production    of 
fruit.     He  has  good  building  on  a  natural 
elevation  or  building  site,  and  the  farm  is 
w^ell  equipped  for  the  care  of  his  fruit.     He 
also  owns  eighty  acres  of  land  in  the  fruit 
belt  in  Mason  county,  and  he  deserves  much 
credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished,  as  he 
started  out  in  life  empty-handed,  depending 
entirely  upon  his  own  resources,  his  success 
resulting  from  his  frugality,  enterprise  and 
diligence  and  the  assistance  of  his  estimable 
wife. 

Unto  Mr.   and  Mrs.   Griffin  have  been 


born  nine  children,  Dora,  Christina,  Mary, 
John,  Alma,  Emma,  Pearl,  Willie  and  Ina, 
but  only  the  two  youngest  are  now  at  home. 
Mr.  Griffin  votes  with  the  Democracy  and 
fraternally  is  connected  with  Bainbridge 
Lodge,  No.  363,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  at  Bainbridge 
Center.  He  was  brought  to  this  county  dur- 
ing his  infancy,  and  has  always  lived  here. 
Thrust  upon  his  own  resources  at  an  early 
age,  he  assisted  his  mother  in  his  youth  and 
established  a  home  of  his  own  when  a  com- 
paratively young  man.  As  the  years  have 
gone  by  he  has  labored  diligently  and  his 
business  career  has  been  crowned  with  a  suc- 
cess which  is  gratifying  and  commendable, 
showing  what  may  be  accomplished  by  ear- 
nest, persistent  labor. 

BURR  BARTRAM  lives  on  section  6, 
Benton  township.  His  home  is  one  of  the 
best  located  farms  of  the  county,  being  three 
miles  north  of  Benton  Harbor  and  less  than 
a  mile  from  Lake  Michigan.  It  is  a  splen- 
didly improved  property,  indicating  his 
careful  supervision  and  practical  methods 
and  in  its  care  he  is  leading  a  life  of  industry 
and  frugality,  being  now  well  known  as  a 
representative  fruit-grower  of  the  commun- 
ity. He  was  born  in  Erie  county,  New 
York,  September  6,  1853,  his  parents  being 
Henry  and  Ketura  S.  (Hogeland)  Bartram. 
The  mother  was  of  German  birth,  and  died 
when  her  son  Burr  was  only  three  years  of 
age.  The  father  was  of  English  lineage  and 
after  losing  his  firs't  wife  married  Mrs.  Free- 
love  (Mclntyre)  Davis.  He  met  death  in 
1864,  being  killed  while  at  work  on  a  bridge 
which  he  was  building  under  contract.  In 
1867  his  widow  removed  to  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  with  her  five  young  children.  A 
daughter  of  her  former  marriage  was  Han- 
nah Davis,  who  had  already  come  to  Ber- 
rien county  to  teach  school.  After  follow- 
ing that  profession  for  a  time  here  she  mar- 
ried Joseph  Dickinson,  who  was  a  son  of 
Robert  Dickinson,  and  a  brother  of  Arthur 
Dickinson.  She  had  lived  in  Hagar  town- 
ship at  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  her  mother 
in  the  county.  Some  six  months  later  Burr 
Bartram,  then  a  boy,  followed  his  step- 
mother to  this  state.    She  purchased  a  small 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


691 


place  and  thereon  reared  her  family.  She  is 
still  living  in  Hagar  township,  spending 
much  of  her  time  with  her  children. 

Burr  Bartram  attended  the  public  schools 
and  was  also  a  student  in  Hillsdale  College. 
When  nineteen  years  of  age  he  began  teach- 
ing, with  the  expectation  of  later  pursuing 
a  college  course,  and  after  teaching  for  a 
time  in  Hagar  township  he  attended  the  Val- 
paraiso Normal  School  under  Professor 
Brown,  and  continued  to  teach  for  seven 
years,  mainly  in  Hagar  township  and  all  the 
time  in  Berrien  county.  He  was  either  in 
school  as  a  student  or  teacher  for  a  number 
of  years  through  the  winter  seasons,  while 
in  the  summer  months  he  worked  at  farm 
labor. 

On  the  28th  of  April,  1880,  Mr.  Bartram 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Clara  E. 
Eaman,  a  daughter  of  James  M.  and  Eliza- 
beth (Cook)  Eaman.  Her  father,  who  set- 
tled in  this  county  in  1868,  is  still  a  resident 
of  Hagar  township.  Mrs.  Bartram  was 
born  in  Dexter,  Washtenaw  county,  Michi- 
gan, and  was  a  neighbor  of  Mr.  Bartram  in 
her  girlhood  days.  They  began  their  do- 
mestic life  upon  a  farm.  His  first  purchase 
made  him  owner  of  eight  acres,  for  which  he 
went  in  debt.  His  house  was  a  frame  struc- 
ture, which  he  occupied  until  1896,  when  he 
erected  his  present  commodious  residence. 
In  a  short  space  of  time  he  had  cleared  his 
farm  of  all  indebtedness  and  has  added  to 
the  property  in  later  years  until  he  has  thirty- 
three  acres  in  one  body,  all  devoted  to  fruit- 
raising.  His  sales  run  nearly  two  thous- 
and dollars  annually  and  sometimes  reach 
twenty-five  hundred  dollars.  He  grows 
purely  for  commercial  purposes,  and^  since 
1880  has  devoted  his  attention  in  undivided 
manner  to  his  farm.  His  home  is  one  of  the 
best  located,  being  three  miles  north  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor  and  less  than  one  mile  from 
Lake  Michigan.  In  his  orchards  are  found 
fine  varieties  of  trees  and  usually  good  crops 
are  gathered  each  vear. 

Mr.  Bartram  is  a  Republican  but  has 
never  aspired  to  public  office  or  public  hon- 
ors. He  belongs  to  Lake  Shore  Lodge,  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Benton  Harbor,  and  to  Cal- 
vin Brittain  Chapter,  at  St.  Joseph. 


PORTER  E.  BRANT,  living  in  Bain- 
bridge  township,  was  born  in  Hagar  town- 
ship,  Berrien  county,  on  a  farm  north  of 
the  Paw  Paw  river,  March  3,  1843,  his  par- 
ents being  Daniel  and  Marietta  (Hazzard) 
Brant.     The  father  was  a  native  of  Roch- 
ester, New^  York,  and  the  mother  of  Ellis- 
burg,  that  state,  but  they  were  married  in 
Benton    township,    Berrien     county,     about 
1840.    The  mother  had  been  one  of  the  early 
teachers  of  the  county,   following  the  pro- 
fession up  to  the  time  of  her  marriage.    Her 
home  was  in  Pipestone  township,  and  she 
was  a   daughter   of  Crawford   Hazzard,   a 
pioneer  resident  of  that  township.     Daniel 
Brant  when  eighteen  years  of  age  had  driven 
a  yoke  of  oxen  from  Rochester  to  Pokagon 
township,  where  his  father,  Simeon  Brant, 
had  already  settled.    Edward  Brant's  father, 
who  died  enroute   from   California,   was  a 
cousin  of   Daniel   Brant  and   further  men- 
tion of  the  family  is  made  on  another  page 
of  this  work.    The  family  is  in  fact  a  promi- 
nent one  in  Berrien  county,  having  numerous 
representatives  who  have  been  active  and  in- 
fluential in  business  circles  and  in  public  af- 
fairs.    Daniel  Brant  remained  a  resident  of 
Pokagon  township  until  all  of  the  members 
of  the  family  removed  to  Bainbridge  town- 
ship, cutting  the  road  through  the  forests 
for  miles.     Simeon  Brant  secured  a  claim 
constituting  the  southeast  quarter  of  section 
31,  while  baniel's  place  was  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  32,  and  Artaxerses  Brant 
took  the  east  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  31.     Nathaniel  Brant  obtained  the 
northwest  quarter  of   section   32   and   thus 
altogether  they  secured  the    four    corners. 
Nearly  all  this  land  is  still  in  possession  of 
members    of    the    Brant    family,    although 
"Nathaniel  Brant  is  the  only  one  of  the  origi- 
nal owners  now  living.     Simeon  Brant,  the 
father,  died  at  the  old  homestead  at  a  very 
advanced  age,  while  Artaxerses  Brant  died 
at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years,  and  Daniel 
passed  away  at  the  old  home  when  sixty-six 
years  of  age.    Artaxerses  Brant  had  one  son 
in  Mason  county  and  three  grandchildren. 
The  children  of  Jerome  Brant  are  still  on 
the  old  homestead.    Nathaniel  Brant  resides 


692 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


upon  his  old  home  place,  which  has  how  been 
in  his  possession  for  many  years. 

Daniel    Brant,    father    of    our    subject, 
placed  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  his  homestead  under  cultivation.    He  like- 
wise secured  and  improved  two  other  tracts 
of  land  of  eighty  and  fifty-one  acres  respec- 
tively, and  he  also  had  two  houses  in  Ben- 
ton Harbor  at  the  time  of  his  death.     He 
likewise   owned   one   hundred   and   twenty 
acres  of  land  in  Pipestone  township,  which 
he  improved,  and  he  gave  a  farm  to  each  of 
his  children,  amounting  to  over  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land.     He  placed 
more  than  two  hundred  acres  of  land  under 
cultivation  and  thus  contributed    in    large 
measure  to  the  substantial  development  and 
reclamation  of  this  part  of  the  state.     His 
wife  was   a   fine   business   woman   and   he 
largely  attributed  to  her  influence  and  assis- 
tance the  success  which  he    has    achieved. 
She  died  about  fifteen  years  prior  to  the 
death  of  her  husband,  being  about  fifty  years 
of  age  when  she  passed  away.     They  had 
traveled  life's  journey  together,  however,  for 
many  years,  for  she  was  but  seventeen  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  their  marriage.     Her 
life  was  devoted  to  her  family  and  although 
never  very  strong  or  robust  she  was  ambi- 
tious and  energetic  and  her  capable  manage- 
ment of  the  household  affairs  and  the  assis- 
tance and  encouragement  which  she  rendered 
her  husband  were  valued   factors   in  their 
prosperity.      They   became   the   parents   of 
seven  children,  of  whom  Porter  E.  is  the 
second  in  order  of  birth.     The  others  are  as 
follows :     Lafayette  died  on    Ship    Island, 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  while  in  the  United  States 
service,  having  left  high  school  in  St.  Joseph 
in  order  to  enHst.     He  was  a  member  of  the 
Sixth  Michigan  Infantry  and  passed  away 
when  twenty-two  years  of  age.     Francis  is 
living  in  Pipestone  township.     Marion  re- 
sides in  Bainbridge  township  on  land  given 
him  by  his  father.     Henry  is  a  resident  of 
Fountain,    Mason   county,    Michigan.      Lu- 
cretia  married  John  Harmon,  and  lives  in 
Seattle,  Washington.    Rosella  married  Wil- 
liam Burnett,  of  Bainbridge,  and  resides  at 
Spokane,  Washington.    Having  lost  his  first 
wife  Daniel  Brant  was    married    to    Miss 


Nancy  Kennedy,  who  survives  him  and  is- 
yet  living  in  Benton  Harbor.  Their  chil- 
dren are:  Sherman;  Ezra,  who  resides  on 
the  old  homestead  in  Bainbridge  township; 
Lillie,  the  wife  of  William  Denneke,  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor;  and  Roy. 

Porter  E.  Brant  was  born  in  Hagar 
township,  while  his  father  was  residing  there 
temporarily,  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
shingles  in  order  to  earn  a  living  for  his 
family.  '  He  followed  that  pursuit  through 
a  number  of  seasons,  as  it  provided  him  with 
ready  money.  He  secured  three  hundred 
acres  of  land  in  Hagar  township  known  as 
Dansdiggins  and  located  on  the  shore  of 
Lake  Michigan.  From  his  place  he  here 
hauled  shingles  to  Niles,  where  they  could 
be  marketed.  Under  the  parental  roof 
Porter  E.  Brant  spent  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth,  and  when  eighteen  years  of 
age  he  began  providing  for  his  own  support, 
working  six  years  by  the  month,  receiving 
thirteen  dollars  per  month  for  two  years, 
fourteen  dollars  per  month  for  a  year,  and 
afterward  twenty-two  and  thirty  and  twenty- 
two  dollars  per  month  for  the  ensuing  years. 
He  never  saved  less  than  fifty  dollars  from 
Iiis  wages  for  a  single  season  and  with  the 
capital  he  acquired  through  his  own  labor 
and  frugality  he  was  enabled  to  purchase 
when  twenty-three  years  of  age  the  forty- 
acre  farm  whereon  he  now  resides,  his  father 
having  previously  secured  it. 

At  that  time  Porter  E.  Brant  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Harriet  I.  Moore,  the  wedding 
ceremony  being  performed  on  the  30th  of 
October,  1866.  Her  parents  were  George 
and  Mary  (Beagle)  Moore,  and  she  was 
living  in  the  home  of  Daniel  Brant  when  she 
gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Porter  E. 
Brant.  They  have  since  lived  upon  the 
same  farm,  covering  a  period  of  forty  years. 
When  this  place  came  into  his  possession 
Mr.  Brant  had  to  cut  a  road  a  half  mile  in 
order  to  reach  his  farm.  It  was  covered 
with  the  original  growth  of  timber,  not  a 
stick  having  been  cut  nor  an  improvement 
made  but  though  he  realized  that  an  arduous 
task  lay  before  him,  he  resolutely  set  to  work 
clearing,  cultivating  and  improving  the  land. 
He  cut  poles  in  order    to    make    a    shanty 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


693 


twelve  by  twenty-four  feet  and  in  this  he 
lived  for  about  five  years,  or  until  he  was 
able  to  build  a  part  of  his  present  home.  He 
has  since  made  two  additions  to  the  original 
building  and  now  has  a  comfortable  resi- 
dence, which  stands  in  the  midst  of  a  well 
developed  farm  property.  He  now  owns  one 
hundred  and  nine  acres  of  rich  and  pro- 
ductive land  all  in  the  home  farm  and  he 
has  likewise  given  away  seventy  acres  of 
land  to  his  children,  who  live  near  him.  He 
has  placed  more  than  eighty  acres  of  land 
under  cultivation  and  now  has  one  of  the 
best  farms  in  the  township,  lacking  in  none 
of  the  equipments  and  accessories  of  a  model 
farm  property.  As  soon  as  he  got  his  land 
ready  he  set  out  apples  and  has  now  apple 
orchards  covering  eighteen  acres.  He  lost 
eight  acres  of  peaches  which  were  destroyed 
by  the  yellows  but  as  soon  as  it  showed  that 
they  could  be  grown  again  he  once  more  set 
out  peach  trees.  He  has  kept  about  eighteen 
acres  in  fruit  of  all  kinds  and  each  kind  that 
he  has  raised  has  paid  him.  His  apples  have 
brought  him  over  one  thousand  dollars  in 
a  single  season,  selling  over  one  thousand 
barrels  of  apples  in  one  year,  while  his  sales 
of  peaches  have  amounted  to  between  six 
hundred  and  one  thousand  dollars  annually. 
He  has  placed  his  dependence  largely  upon 
his  fruit  crops  but  in  addition  he  has  also 
raised  tomatoes  for  canning  for  twenty-two 
years,  selling  them  to  the  canning  factory 
and  between  four  and  six  acres  planted  to 
that  vegetable  have  yielded  him  from  fifty 
to  sixty  dollars  per. acre.  In  all  his  farm 
work  he  has  followed  practical  methods, 
which  have  resulted  beneficially,  as  he  has 
now  a  very  valuable  farm. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brant  have  been 
born  four  children:  Jesse  C,  who  resides 
upon  an  adjoining  farm;  Ella  M.,  the  wife 
of  Everett  Brant,  also  living  on  a  farm  near 
by;  Clara  B.,  the  wife  of  Frank  Gilbert,  of 
Pipestone  township;  and  Maud  E.,  at  home. 
There  is  seven  years  difference  between  the 
birth  of  each  child  and  the  succeeding  one. 
The  married  son  and  daughters  have  re- 
ceived farms  from  their  father  and  are  com- 
fortably located. 

Porter  E.  Brant  is  a  Democrat,  and  has 


served  in  several  local  offices  although  living 
in  a  Republican  township,  a  fact  which  indi- 
cates his  personal  popularity  and  the  confi- 
dence reposed  in  him  by  his  fellowmen.  He 
belongs  to  the  Union  United  Brethren 
church  in  Pipestone  township,  and  is  a 
prominent  representative  of  a  worthy  pio- 
neer family,  his  entire  life  having  been  passed 
in  Berrien  county,  covering  a  period  of  more 
than  sixty-three  years.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Odd  Fellows  and  has  filled  all  the 
chairs  in  his  lodge.  He  was  the  eighth 
member  to  join  his  lodge  which  now  num- 
bers nearly  one  hundred.  The  name  of 
Brant  is  inseparably  associated  with  the  his- 
tory of  agricultural  and  horticultural  de- 
velopment here  and  as  the  years  have  gone 
by  the  younger  generation  have  continued 
the  work  that  was  begun  by  their  fathers 
and  grandfather  and  bear  an  excellent  repu- 
tation for  business  activity  and  reliability. 

CAPTAIN  J.  J.  BAKER,  a  traveling 
representative  of  the  Cleveland  Stone  Com- 
pany, devoting  about  four  months  each  year 
to  that  business,  gives  the  remainder  of  his 
time  to  the  supervision  of  his  property  in- 
terests in  Benton  Harbor  and  Berrien 
county,  where  since  1891  he  has  invested 
extensively  and  profitably.  He  was  born  on 
Grand  Island,  below  Buffalo,  on  the  17th 
of  August,  1844.  This  island  belonged  to 
New  York  state.  His  parents,  however, 
removed  to  Canada,  his  father  becoming 
superintendent  of  the  shipyards  at  Black 
Rock.  Captain  Baker  of  this  review  w^as  at 
that  time  about  ten  years  of  age.  He  at- 
tended school  for  eight  or  ten  years,  and 
when  but  a  boy  went  upon  the  lakes  as  a 
sailor,  being  thus  engaged  for  some  time. 
He  afterward  turned  his  attention  to  the 
manufacture  of  fanning  mills  and  when  he 
disposed  of  the  business  sold  out  to  good 
advantage.  He  acted  as  superintendent  of 
his  own  manufacturing  plant  and  when  he 
disposed  of  it  he  returned  to  the  lakes  as  a 
mate  and  later  became  captain.  He  sailed 
as  captain  of  seven  different  vessels  and  was 
part  owner  of  some  of  them.  During  this 
period  he  made  his  home  either  in  Detroit, 
Michigan,  or  Otsego,  New  York.    He  sailed 


694 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


as  master  for  eighteen  years  and  .  made 
money  in  this  way,  receiving  a  high  percen- 
tage for  the  cargoes  carried.  He  became 
well  known  to  lake  men  and  was  a  popular 
representative  of  the  marine  service.  He 
was  very  careful  at  all  times  and  never  lost 
a  vessel. 

In  1870  Captain  Baker  left  the  lakes  and 
became  agent  of  the  Lake  Huron  Stone 
Company,  at  Chicago,  establishing  grind- 
stone yards  there.  The  business  was  started 
on  a  large  scale  and  supplied  all  the  ship- 
ping trade  of  the  west.  He  opened  in  the 
same  line  of  trade  in  Chicago  for  himself 
and  continued  for  five  or  six  years,  when 
he  sold  out.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  became  connected  with  the  Cleveland 
Stone  Company  as  superintendent  for  a  time 
and  as  salesman  of  grindstones.  He  is  still 
connected  with  the  company,  which  has 
eleven  quarries  in  Ohio  besides  others  else- 
where. He  spends  about  four  months  of 
the  year  on  the  road  in  Wisconsin  and  Min- 
nesota, also  visiting  the  leading  towns  in 
Nebraska,  Kansas  and  Missouri.  He  like- 
wise makes  business  trips  to  Canada  and 
New  York,  visiting  the  jobbers  and  placing 
the  products  of  the  Cleveland  Stone  Com- 
pany upon  the  market.  He  is  well  known  to 
the  trade  and  controls  a  good  patronage. 

In  1 89 1  Mr.  Baker  began  to  be  inter- 
ested in  Benton  Harbor  property  and  to  in- 
vest in  farm  lands  in  this  locality.  He  has 
since  made  his  home  at  his  present  place  of 
residence  two  and  a  half  miles  north  of 
Benton  Harbor.  He  has  invested  in  three 
or  four  farms  in  this  vicinity  and  when  not 
upon  the  road  he  spends  his  time  upon  the 
home  place.  He  is  now  building  in  the  city 
of  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  has  considerable 
proper'ty  and  in  his  real  estate  interests  he 
has  made  judicious  investments  and  good 
sales. 

Captain  Baker  was  married  in  Chicago, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-six  years,  to  Catherine 
Cavanaugh,  who  died  on  the  29th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1904,  at  their  home  in  Benton  Harbor. 
She  was  a  lady  of  strong  domestic  tastes, 
devoted  to  her  home  and  her  family  and  the 
circle  of  her  friends  was  an  extensive  one. 


She  had  one  child :    Catherine,  by  this  mar- 
riage. 

Captain  Baker  is  widely  known  in  Ber- 
rien county  and  at  many  points  along  the 
lakes  and  in  various  ports  to  wdiich  he  sailed 
when  in  command  of  different  vessels.  His 
life  has  been  altogether  a  very  active  one 
and  viewed  from  any  standpoint  he  is  a 
strong  man,  strong  in  his  honor  and  good 
name  and  in  what  he  has  accomplished. 
Fearless  and  outspoken  he  does  not  follow 
any  given  course  because  it  is  from  policy 
but  because  he  believes  it  to  be  the  right 
thing  to  do. 

JOHN  DEMPSTER  HILL,  a  veteran 
of  the  Civil  war,  and  one  of  the  early  resi- 
dents of  Berrien  county,  now  makes  his  home 
in  Bainbridge  township.  He  was  born  in 
Jefferson  county,  New  York,  June  19,  1839^ 
and  is  a  son  of  Amos  and  Ursula  (Wheeler) 
Hill,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Jefferson 
county,  where  the  family  settled  about  Revo- 
lutionary times.  In  1854  they  came  to 
Michigan.  Mr.  Hill  had  followed  farming 
in  the  east,  and  on  reaching  Berrien  county 
he  located  on  section  29,  Bainbridge  town- 
ship, three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  Spink's 
Corners.  He  bought  eighty  acres  of  land 
covered  with  stumps  and  timber.  The  best 
timber  was  cut  and  for  it  he  received  six 
hundred  dollars.  Clearing  the  land,  he 
placed  the  entire  farm  under  cultivation  and 
built  good  buildings  upon  the  place.  There 
he  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits 
for  some  time  but  eventually  sold  that  prop- 
erty and  bought  another  farm  of  eighty 
acres,  of  which  he  cleared  forty  acres.  In 
his  later  years  he  retired  to  a  small  house, 
in  which  he  spent  his  remaining  days  in  the 
enjoyment  of  richly  merited  rest,  passing 
away  June  16,  1892,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-six  years.  He  had  survived  his  wife 
for  about  nine  years.  They  traveled  life's 
journey  together  for  fifty-five  years,  shar- 
ing with  each  other  its  joys  and  sorrows,  and 
the  adversity  and  prosperity  which  checker 
the  careers  of  all. 

In  their  family  were  nine  children,  eight 
of   whom   reached   mature  years;   Alonzo,. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


695 


who  died  in  childhood;  Edward,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years;  Allen,  who 
died  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  this  be- 
ing the  year  of  the  arrival  of  the  family  in 
Michigan;  John  D.,  of  this  review;  William 
H.,  of  Bainbridge  township;  Frederick,  who 
served  with  the  Sixty-sixth  Illinois  Sharp- 
shooters and  was  killed  in  the  second  battle 
of  Corinth,  his  grave  being  made  on  the  bat- 
tleground in  the  government  cemetery; 
Mary,  the  wife  of  George  Herrington,  of 
Bainbridge ;  Adeline,  wdio  died  at  the  age  of 
twelve  years;  and  Caroline,  twin  sister  of 
Adeline,  and  the  wife  of  Henry  Thompson, 
of  Millburg.  The  family  was  well  repre- 
sented in  the  Civil  war,  for  the  subject  of 
this  review  was  also  a  member  of  the  regi- 
ment to  which  his  brother  Frederick  be- 
longed. 

John  Dempster  Hill  when  but  four  years 
of  age  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  Ontario,  Canada,  the  family  home 
being  established  near  Kingston,  where  they 
lived  for  eight  years,  when  they  returned  to 
Wayne  county.  New  York.  In  1854  they 
came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  John  D. 
Hill  driving  a  team  through  for  his  father 
from  Wayne  county.  He  left  home  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  years,  starting  out  in  life  on 
his  own  account.  He  secured  his  present 
farm  in  i860  and  at  once  began  its  cultiva- 
tion and  improvement.  It  was  covered  with 
the  original  timber.  It  had  ten  acres  cleared 
and  ready  for  wheat,  however,  when  Mr. 
Hill  in  the  fall  of  1861  enlisted  for  service 
in  the  Civil  war,  becoming  a  member  of 
Company  D,  Sixty-sixth  Illinois  Sharp- 
shooters. His  brother  Frederick  later  joined 
the  regiment  on  the  field  and  was  killed  at 
Corinth,  Mississippi,  on  the  4th  of  October, 
1862.  He  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  government 
cemetery  made  on  the  battlefield  there,  and 
his  brother  John  has  re-visited  the  place. 
He  was  killed  on  the  advance  made  by  the 
opening  of  the  battle  on  the  second  day,  and 
w^as  but  nineteen  years  of  age  at  the  time 
of  his  demise.  It  was  the  second  battle  in 
which  he  had  participated,  for  he  had  been 
under  fire  at  luka.  John  D.  Hill  of  this 
review  went  to  the  front  with  his  regiment 
and  the  records  of  that  command  also  con- 
stitute the  record  of  his  military  service,  for 


he  was  in  all  of  the  battles  with  the  Sixty- 
sixth  Illinois  Sharpshooters  save  one.  He 
was  never  captured  nor  wounded  and  practic- 
ally saw  all  of  the  service  of  the  regiment 
which  included  many  marches  and  cam- 
paigns, in  addition  to  the  skirmishes  and 
battles.  When  the  war  was  ended  he  was 
discharged  with  his  regiment  in  Washing- 
ton and  participated  in  the  grand  review,  on 
which  occasion  there  was  displayed  in  the 
streets  of  the  capital  an  immense  banner 
bearing  the  significant  words  ^^The  only  debt 
which  the  nation  cannot  pay  is  the  national 
debt  which  she  owes  to  her  victorious  Union 
soldiers."  Many  times  since  then  Mr.  Hill 
has  met  with  his  regiment  in  reunions,  two 
being  held  at  Paw  Paw  Lake,  and  one  at 
Leadersburg,  Indiana.  These  have  been 
very  enjoyable  occasions,  as  he  has  renewed 
acquaintances  with  those  with  whom  he 
marched  and  messed  and  with  whom  he 
faced  the  enemy's  fires.  He  is  now  a  mem- 
ber of  George  H.  Thomas  Post,  G.  A.  R., 
Benton  Harbor. 

On  his  return  from  the  war  Mr.  Hill 
came  again  to  his  farm,  and  now  has  the 
entire  sixty  acres  under  cultivation.  The 
place  lies  in  Bainbridge  township  and  is  well 
located  for  the  raising  of  fruits,  with  good 
exposure  to  the  sun.  He  has  twenty  acres 
planted  to  fruit,  mainly  peaches,  pears  and 
apples  and  has  sold  thirty-five  hundred 
bushels  of  fruit  in  a  year,  averaging  about 
eighty-five  cents  per  bushel.  The  land  lies 
high  and  he  has  never  lost  but  one  crop  on 
account  of  frosts  late  in  the  spring.  He 
carries  on  general  farming  in  addition  to  the 
cultivation  of  fruit.  His  present  home  was 
erected  in  1868,  and  he  has  since  added  to 
it  and  improved  it.  It  stands  on  an  eminence 
or  natural  building  site,  commanding  a  fine 
view.  St.  Joseph  can  be  seen  in  the  distance, 
lying  about  nine  miles  away,  while  Benton 
Harbor  can  be  seen  seven  miles  away.  Mr. 
Hill  has  purchased  a  lot  of  other  land  and 
now  owns  a  fine  farm  in  addition  to  his  home 
place. 

On  the  1 6th  of  March,  1867,  Mr.  Hill 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Josephine 
S.  Lewis,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Louisa 
(Bishop)  Lewis,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Erie  county.  New  York.    Mrs.  Lewis  was 


.696 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


''eight  years  of  age  when  brought  by  her  par- 
ents to  this  county,  while  Mr.  Lewis  was 
twenty-two  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his 
arrival.  They  were  married  in  1848,  and 
Mrs.  Hill  is  their  eldest  child,  having  been 
born  in  1849.  They  settled  a  half  mile  north 
of  Millburg,  and  for  many  years  were  resi- 
dents of  Bainbridge  township,  but  have  now 
passed  away,  Mrs.  Lewis  dying  in  1881, 
while  Mr.  Lewis  departed  this  life  on  the 
1 6th  of  February,  1906,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
three  years.  "Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  has 
been  born  a  daughter,  Loa,  the  wife  of  Frank 
J.  Lewis,  who  is  her  second  cousin,  and  is 
a  farmer  and  peach  grower,  residing  in  this 
locality.  Mrs.  Hill's  maternal  grandfather 
well  remembered  the  war  of  181 2,  seeing 
soldiers  in  New  York  who  were  engaged  in 
that  struggle  and  his  mother  made  mush  for 
them.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lewis  came  to  his 
locality  in  1865,  and  continued  to  reside  here 
until  called  to  their  final  rest  and  Mrs.  Hill 
now  owns  part  of  their  homestead.'  Our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife  are  both  representatives  of 
old  and  prominent  pioneer  families  of  this 
county  and  enjoys  the  warm  esteem  of  all 
who  know  them. 

MATTHEW  STOLL.  In  an  analyza- 
tion  of  the  life  record  of  Matthew  StoU  it 
will  be  seen  that  he  has  depended  upon  no 
outside  aid  or  influence  for  advancement  in 
the  business  world  but  has  placed  reliance 
upon  safe  and  sure  qualities  of  close  appli- 
cation and  indefatigable  energy,  winning 
success  as  honorable  as  it  is  creditable.  He 
is  now  a  partner  of  the  Kompass  &  Stoll 
Company  of  Niles,  manufacturers  of  kitchen 
cabinets,  and  the  business  has  become  a  lead- 
ing enterprise  of  the  city. 

He  is  one  of  Michigan's  native  sons, 
having  been  born  in  Ann  Arbor  in  1861.  His 
father,  David  Stoll,  was  a  native  of  Ham- 
burg, Germany,  and  came  to  America  in 
1847,  settling  in  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan.  He 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Michigan  Central 
Railroad  Company,  continuing  in  that  serv- 
ice ^  for  thirty-three  years,  during  which 
peiiod  he  never  lost  a  day's  time.  He  was 
for  many  years  boss  of  a  section  gang  and 
was    a    hard-working,    conscientious    man. 


ever  faithful  to  his  duty  to  the  corporation 
by  which  he  was  employed  as  is  well  indi- 
cated by  his  long  continued  service.  He 
reached  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-seven 
years,  passing  away  in  1902.  His  wife  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Flora  Weidman,  and 
was  born  in  Hamburg,  Germany,  where  they 
were  married  ere  their  emigration  to  the 
new  world.  They  had  a  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren, of  whom  eight  are  yet  living.  The 
mother  .passed  away  in  1892,  when  fifty-six 
years  of  age. 

Matthew  Stoll  was  the  second  son  and 
is  the  only  one  now  living  in  Berrien  coun- 
ty. He  pursued  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Ann  Arbor  and  at  an  early  age 
began  to  earn  his  own  living  by  working  in 
a  furniture  factory  in  that  city,  where  he 
learned  the  trade  of  a  furniture  finisher. 
When  seventeen  years  of  age  he  went  to 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  where  he  followed 
his  trade  in  different  furniture  factories, 
spending  eight  years  in  that  city. 
There  he  gradually  worked  his  way 
upward,  promotion  coming  to  him  in 
recognition  of  his  faithful  service  and  ca- 
pable workmanship,  and  during  the  latter 
part  of  that  time  he  was  manager  of  a  fac- 
tory. He  afterward  went  to  Buchanan, 
Michigan,  where  he  entered  the  service  of 
the  Buchanan  Furniture  Company,  having 
charge  of  the  finishing  room  for  two  years. 
He  afterward  went  to  Rochester,  New  York, 
where  he  was  employed  in  the  same  capacity 
in  a  furniture  factory  for  about  two  years, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  he  returned  to 
Buchanan,  Michigan,  and  there  entered  into 
partnership  with  Rudolph  F.  Kompass  and 
George  Stone,  under  the  firm  style  of  Kom- 
pass, Stone  &  Stoll.  They  began  the  manu- 
facture of  furniture,  in  which  they  continued 
for  two  years,  and  on  the  expiration  of  that 
period  Mr.  Stoll  and  Mr.  Kompass  pur- 
chased Mr.  Stone's  interest,  continuing  in 
the  manufacture  of  furniture  under  the  firm 
name  of  Kompass  &  Stoll.  They  remained 
at  Buchanan  until  1895,  when  they  pur- 
chased land  at  Niles,  built  their  present  fac- 
tory and  equipped  it  with  all  modern  im- 
provements and  appliances  for  successfully 
carrying  on  the  business.     It  is  an  excellent 


Z^^:^^^^/^^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


697 


plant  and  they  here  continued  in  the  general 
manufacture  of  furniture  until  1900,  since 
which  time  they  have  made  a  specialty  of 
manufacturing  kitchen  cabinets.  In  this 
they  have  been  very  successful  and  their 
product  is  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  United 
States.  They  employ  forty  skilled  work- 
men in  their  factory  besides  various  men  on 
the  road,  who  are  selling  the  output  of  the 
house  to  the  trade.  They  manufacture  eight- 
een different  styles  of  kitchen  cabinets  after 
their  own  patterns  and  these  articles  of  fur- 
niture are  models  of  convenience  and  dis- 
play the  excellent  workmanship  which  has 
always  been  characteristic  of  the  products  of 
the  firm.  The  firm  has  always  maintained 
the  policy  of  straightforward  dealing  and 
for  the  excellence  of  its  products  that  have 
gained  for  it  a  most  enviable  reputation  in 
trade  circles,  and  the  business  has  constantly 
grown  until  it  has  reached  extensive  propor- 
tions. 

Mr.  Stoll  was  married  in  1888,  in  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  to  Miss  Hattie  Leitelt, 
and  unto  them  have  been  born  two  chil- 
dren, Charles  D.  and  Arthur  F.,  both  born  in 
Buchanan.  Mr.  Stoll  gives  his  political 
allegiance  to  the  Democracy,  and  he  is  more- 
over an  active  factor  in  public  life  here.  He 
was  alderman  of  the  Fourth  ward  of  Niks 
and  in  1905  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city 
and  re-elected  in  1906,  which  position  he  is 
now  filling.  He  has  given  to  Niles  a  busi- 
ness-like, practical  and  yet  progressive  ad- 
ministration, having  studied  closely  the  pub- 
lic needs  and  possibilities.  He  exercises  his 
official  prerogatives  in  support  of  every 
measure  which  he  deems  will  prove  of  prac- 
tical public  benefit  and  his  course  has  been 
highly  commended  by  his  many  supporters. 
He  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fra- 
ternity, to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica and  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  He 
is  a  self-made  man  who  has  been  the  archi- 
tect of  his  own  fortunes  and  has  builded 
wisely  and  well.  One  secret  of  his  success 
is  undoubtedly  duQ  to  the  fact  that  he  has 
continued  in  the  line  of  business  in  which  he 
embarked  as  a  young  tradesman,  continually 
progressing  in  efficiency  and  skill  in  that  di- 


rection until  he  is  thorough  master  of  the 
trade  and  capably  directing  the  labors  of 
others.  He  has  ever  displayed  great  energy 
and  adaptability  in  his  work,  and  in  his  lite 
record  has  manifested  many  of  the  sterling 
traits  of  his  German  ancestry. 

BENJAMIN  J.  EAMAN  recognized 
as  an  authority  on  grape  culture  in  Berrien 
county,  has  for  nine  years  carried  on  farm- 
ing in  Hagar  township,  on  which  he  now 
resides.  He  is  the  youngest  of  the  living 
children  of  James  M.  Eaman,  and  was  born 
October  29,  1864,  at  Pinckney,  Michigan. 
In  his  youth  he  remained  at  home,  attending 
the  public  schools  and  college  at  Benton 
Harbor,  and  was  early  trained  to  habits  of 
industry,  enterprise  and  honesty,  which  qual- 
ities in  later  years  have  borne  good  fruit. 

On  the  226.  of  October,  1898,  Mr.  Ea- 
man was  married  to  Miss  Lydia  M.  Deleau, 
a  native  of  Belgium,  born  in  the  town  of 
Charleroi.  In  her  girlhood  days  she  was 
brought  to  Watervliet,  Michigan,  and  had 
resided  in  Hagar  township  for  eleven  years 
before  her  marriage.  Her  parents  were 
John  B.  and  Isabelle  (Le  Page)  Deleau, 
both  of  whom  are  still  residents  of  this  coun- 
ty. Mrs.  Eaman  was  married  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years  and  has  become  the  mother 
of  two  daughters,  Susie  B.  and  Marie  L. 

Since  his  marriage  Mr.  Eaman  has  en- 
gaged in  fruit-raising  and  has  thirty  acres 
devoted  wholly  to  horticultural  pursuits. 
He  raises  grapes,  peaches,  apples  and  pears 
and  his  gross  income  is  about  three  thousand 
dollars  annually.  He  keeps  abreast  of  the 
times  and  w^orks  up  trade  in  select  fruits. 
He  has  a  label  of  Fairview  fruits  for  all  that 
he  ships  and  this  label  is  a  synonym  for  the 
quality  of  the  fruit  which  he  handles,  en- 
abling him  to  command  the  best  market 
prices  in  Chicago.  He  is  experimenting  in 
select  lines  and  has  been  particularly  success- 
ful in  the  production  of  grapes,  raising  Con- 
cord, Worden,  Moore's  Early  and  others. 
He  has  studied  so  closely  the  subject  of  grape 
culture  and  has  been  so  successful  in  his 
undertakings  that  his  opinions  are  regarded 
as  authority  upon  this  subject.     For  nine 


698 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


years  he  has  carried  on  tlie  farm  which  is 
now  his  home  and  has  brought  it  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation. 

JAMES  M.  EAMAN,  Hving  in  Hagar 
township,  has  made  his  home  in  Berrien 
county  since  1870.  He  was  born  at  Port 
Byron,  Cayuga  county,  New  York,  Decem- 
ber 14,  18 18.  His  father,  PhilHp  Eaman, 
was  also  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  and 
was  of  German  parentage,  the  ancestors  of 
the  family  having  located  in  Greene  coun- 
ty. New  York,  at  an  early  day.  In  the 
spring  of  1836  Phillip  Eaman  with  his  fam- 
ily of  three  sons  and  three  daughters  re- 
moved westward  to  Michigan,  settling  at 
Putnam,  Livingston  county,  where  he  re- 
sided until  his  death,  which  occurred  when 
he  was  sixty-five  years  of  age.  His  wife 
was  Rachel  Snyder,  who  survived  him  for 
five  or  six  years. 

James  M.  Eaman  was  in  his  eighteenth 
year  at  the  time  of  the  removal  of  the  family 
to  this  state.  He  had  engaged  in  teaching 
school  in  New  York  and  had  attended  an 
academy  there.  He  taught  through  the  win- 
ter seasons  for  six  or  eight  terms  in  Michi- 
gan and  attended  the  academy  at  Ann  Ar- 
bor, while  in  the  summer  months  he  worked 
at  farm  labor.  In  1843  he  established  a 
store  at  Pinckney,  Livingston  county,  Mich- 
igan, and  later  engaged  in  business  at  Dex- 
ter, Washtenaw  county.  During  a  portion 
of  the  time  he  was  operating  a  flouring  mill 
at  Pinckney,  Michigan,  and  in  1870  he  came 
from  Dexter  to  Berrien  county.  He  was  a 
brother-in-law  of  Daniel  Cook,  of  St. 
Joseph,  a  fruit-grower  who  had  followed  the 
business  for  several  years,  and  who  had 
married  Mr.  Eaman's  sister.  Daniel  Cook's 
nephew,  Stephen  Cook,  had  already  settled 
in  Hagar  township  and  it  was  through  his 
representations  and  influence  that  in  1870 
James  Eaman  bought  land  on  the  lake  shore 
not  far  from  the  Cook  farm.  There  he  be- 
gan to  grow  fruit  and  to  this  undertaking 
devoted  his  time  and  attention  for  twenty- 
six  years,  since  which  time  he  has  lived  re- 
tired with  his  son,  B.  J.  Eaman. 

In  the  year  1843  James  M.  Eaman  was 
married  to  Elizabeth  C.  Cook,  a  daughter  of 


Henry  Cook,  of  Homer,  Michigan,  who  was 
one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  what  became 
known  as  Cook's  Prairie,  in  Calhoun  coun- 
ty, this  state.  Mrs.  Eaman  died  at  Pinck- 
ney, Michigan,  and  for  his  second  wife  Mr. 
Eaman  chose  Susan  Emeline  Young,  of 
Pinckney,  who  was  a  teacher  in  a  select 
school  at  that  place,  and  a  graduate  of  the 
State  Normal  School,  at  Ypsilanti,  having 
been  one  of  its  first  students.  She  came  to 
Berrien  county  with  her  husband  and  died 
upon  the  old  homestead  farm  March  23, 
1896.  They  were  married  July  14,  1863^ 
and  had  therefore  traveled  life's  journey  to- 
gether for  almost  a  third  of  a  century.  The 
children  of  Mr.  Eaman's  first  marriage  were 
as  follows :  Ellen  M.,  who  is  living  in 
Henry  township;  Harriet  L.,  who  is  living 
with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Bartram;  Frank  M., 
who  owns  the  old  homestead;  Julia  A.,  the 
wife  of  Dr.  I.  R.  Dunning,  of  Benton  Har- 
bor; John  C,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
five  years ;  Clara  E.,  the  wife  of  Burr  Bart- 
ram, of  Benton  township;  and  Lizzie  C, 
the  wife  of  R.  B.  Owens,  of  Redlands,  Cali- 
fornia. By  the  second  marriage  there  is  one 
son,  Benjamin  J.,  whose  sketch  is  given 
above. 

For  more  than  thirty  years  Mr.  Eaman 
has  lived  at  his  present  place,  which  was 
formerly  the  home  of  Asahel  Flays,  who 
built  the  house  and  made  the  first  improve- 
ments upon  the  property.  This  is  one  of  the 
superior  fruit  farms  of  the  region,  and  be- 
ing close  to  the  lake  is  free  from  frost.  Mr. 
Eaman  made  his  place  an  excellent  property 
owing  to  the  improvements  which  he  placed 
upon  it  and  he  remained  active  in  its  de- 
velopment and  improvement  for  many  years. 
In  politics  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  after- 
ward a  Freesoiler,  and  cast  a  ballot  for  James 
G.  Birney,  the  abolition  candidate.  When 
the  Republican  party  was  formed  early  in 
1854  to  prevent  the  further  extension  of 
slavery  he  joined  its  ranks  and  has  since 
been  a  stanch  supported  thereof.  He  at- 
tended the  "prohibition"  convention  at 
Jackson  and  helped  nominate  Kingsley 
Bingham  for  governor.  Soon  after  another 
convention  was  held  "under  the  oaks"  at 
Jackson,  which  used  the  word  Republican 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


699 


as  its  name  and  they  also  nominated  Bing- 
ham, who  was  elected.  Mr.  Eaman  has  since 
been  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the  Republican 
party  and  though  not  an  office  seeker  he  has 
served  for  several  years  in  school  offices. 
He  is  a  strong  temperance  man,  upholding 
temperance  principles  through  precept  and 
example  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  Sons 
of  Temperance  and  other  organizations  of 
like  character.  In  his  boyhood  days  at  home 
he  pledged  himself  to  support  temperance 
principles  and  practices  and  has  always  done 
so.  He  is  a  well  read  gentleman  of  pleasant 
manner,  who  though  now  eighty-eight  years 
of  age  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions 
and  issues  of  the  day  and  in  spirit  and  inter- 
ests seems  yet  in  his  prime.  His  life  has 
been  active,  his  motives  honorable,.his  actions 
manly  and  sincere  and  these  standard  traits 
of  character  made  his  life  one  well  worthy 
of  emulation. 

WILLIAM  H.  HILL,  living  at  Spink's 
Corners,  in  Bainbridge  township,  is  a  rep- 
resentative of  one  of  the  old  colonial  fami- 
lies of  New  York.  He  was  born  in  Jefferson 
coun'ty,  that  state,  June  3,  1840,  his  parents 
being  Amos  and  Ursula  (Wheeler)  Hill, 
both  of  whom  were  native  of  Jefferson  coun- 
ty, where  the  family  settled  about  Revolu- 
tionary times.  In  1858  they  came  to  Michi- 
gan. Mr.  Hill  had  followed  farming  in  the 
east  and  on  reaching  Berrien  county  he  lo- 
cated on  section  29,  Bainbridge  township, 
three-quaiters  of  a  mile  from  Spink's  Cor- 
ners. He  bought  eighty  acres  of  land  cov- 
ered with  stumps  and  timber.  The  best  tim- 
ber was  cut  and  for  it  he  received  six  hun- 
dred dollars.  Clearing  the  land,  he  placed 
the  entire  farm  under  cultivation  and  built 
good  buildings  upon  the  place.  There  he 
carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits  for 
some  time  but  eventually  sold  that  property 
and  bought  another  farm  of  eighty  acres, 
of  which  he  cleared  forty  acres.  In  his  later 
years  he  retired  to  a  small  house,  in  which 
he  spent  his  remaining  days  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  richly  merited  rest,  passing  away 
June  16,  1892,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-six  years.  He  had  survived  his  wife 
for  about  nine  years.     They  traveled  life's 


journey  together  for  tifty-five  years,  sharing 
with  each  other  its  joys  and  sorrows  and  the 
adversity  and  prosperity  that  checker  the 
careers  of  all. 

In  their  family  were  nine  children,  eight 
of  whom  reached  mature  years :  Alonzo, 
who  died  in  childhood;  Edward,  w^ho  died 
at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years;  Allen,  who 
died  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  this  be- 
ing the  year  of  the  arrival  of  the  family  in 
Michigan;  John  Dempster,  who  is  living  in 
Bainbridge  township;  William  H.,  of  this 
review ;  Frederick,  who  served  with  the  Six- 
ty-sixth Illinois  Sharpshooters  and  was  killed 
in  the  first  battle  of  Corinth,  his  grave  being 
made  on  the  battleground  in  the  government 
cemetery;  Mary,  the  wife  of  George  Her- 
rington,  of  Bainbridge;  Adeline,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  twelve  years;  and  Caroline, 
twin  sister  of  Adeline,  and  the  wife  of  Henry 
Thompson,  of  Millburg.  The  family  was 
well  represented  in  the  Civil  war,  for  John 
D.  was  also  a  member  of  the  regiment  to 
which  his  brother  Frederick  belonged. 

William  H.  Hill  spent  the  first  eighteen 
years  of  his  life  in  the  state  of  his  nativity 
and  then  came  with  the  family  to  Michigan. 
He  remained  at  home  until  he  had  attained 
his  majority  and  in  fact  boarded  at  home  un- 
til two  years  thereafter.  He  then  began  to 
improve  his  present  farm,  which  was  also 
covered  with  '*grubs."  He  paid  one  thousand 
dollars  for  eighty  acres  of  land  and  con- 
tinued the  cultivation  and  improvement  of 
the  place  vmtil  he  has  the  entire  farm  under 
cultivation  with  twenty-five  acres  planted  to 
fruit,  of  which  twenty  acres  is  devoted  to 
peaches.  The  land  is  well  located  for  this 
purpose.  He  has  also  grown  melons  and 
has  sold  from  seven  hundred  to  one  thous- 
and crates  per  year,  while  the  peach  crop 
has  been  from  one  thousand  to  three  thous- 
and bushels  per  year  for  ten  years.  He 
has  prospered  in  his  undertakings  for  the 
products  of  his  farm  have  been  of  superior 
quality  and  have  commanded  high  market 
prices.  His  financial  resources  thus  increas- 
ing, he  has  aided  each  of  his  sons  in  securing 
farms  and  has  helped  each  to  build  thereon. 
He  erected  his  own  residence  in  1875.  It 
is  a  handsome  brick   structure,   containing 


yoo 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


ten  rooms,  and  is  one  of  the  best  homes  in 
Bainbridge  township,  pleasantly  located  a 
half  miles  east  of  Spink's  Corners. 

On  the  22d  of  February,  1865,  William 
H.  Hill  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Amanda  M.  Higbee,  a  daughter  of  J.  F. 
Higbee,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this 
work.  She  was  born  in  Benton  township, 
and  was  twenty-three  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  her  marriage.  This  union  has  been 
blessed  with  the  following  named :  Lennie 
B.,  who  w^as  a  teacher  in  Berrien  county  for 
seven  years,  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
five;  Willie  J.;  Mary  U. ;  Charlie  Ames; 
James  F. ;  Ida  I. ;  Carrie  L,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; George  D.,  who  has  been  a  teacher 
in  this  county;  Tola  L. ;  Clinton  B. ;  and 
Marguerite.  All  of  the  living  children  are 
now  at  home  or  are  located  near  by.  Mr. 
Hill  has  provided  his  children  with  good 
educational  privileges  and  assisted  them  to 
the  extent  of  his  ability,  helping  those  who 
have  left  the  parental  roof  to  secure  good 
farms  and  homes.  In  politics  he  is  a  Bryan 
Democrat  but  has  warm  admiration  for 
President  Roosevelt.  Coming  to  this 
county  a  young  man,  ambitious,  enterpris- 
ing and  determined,  he  has  worked  his  way 
steadily  upward,  brooking  no  obstacles  that 
could  be  overcome  by  earnest,  persistent  ef- 
fort. As  the  years  have  gone  by  he  has 
gained  a  gratifying  measure  of  prosperity 
and  is  now  one  of  the  substantial  citizens 
of  his  part  of  the  county,  with  valuable 
property  interests  which  indicate  a  well 
spent  life. 

ISAAC  A.  BONINE,  who  after  long 
and  successful  connection  with  horticultural 
interests  in  Berrien  county  is  now  practic- 
ally living  retired  in  Niles,  although  he  gives 
some  attention  to  the  supervision  of  estates, 
was  born  in  Cass  county,  Michigan,  in  1853. 
He  represents  one  of  the  pioneer  families 
of  the  s'tate.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
Isaac  Bonine,  was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  in 
which  state  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Tal- 
bert,  who  was  also  born  in  Tennessee.  They 
emigrated  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  soon 
after  their  marriage  and  were  among  the 
first  settlers  of  that  locality.       Mr.  Bonine 


was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  also  owned 
and  operated  a  grist,  saw  and  oil  mill,  being 
thus  closely  associated  with  industrial  as 
well  as  agricultural  interests  of  Wayne 
county.  About  1843  he  went  with  his  fam- 
ily to  Cass  county,  Michigan,  finding  at  that 
time  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness,  in 
which  the  work  of  improvement  had  scarcely 
been  begun.  There  he  spent  his  last  days, 
passing  away  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
four  years,  and  his  wife  died  in  the  same 
county.  They  were  members  of  the  Society 
of  Friends  and  took  an  active  and  helpful 
interest  in  the  work  of  the  church. 

James  E.  Bonine,  their  son,  and  the 
father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  and  became  a  resident  of 
Cass  county  during  the  early  period  of  its 
pioneer  development.  He  lived  a  life  of 
great  activity,  energy  and  usefulness  and 
became  the  owner  of  sixteen  hundred  acres 
of  land,  a  portion  of  which  was  prairie, 
while  eight  hundred  acres  of  this  he  cleared. 
The  property  is  still  in  possession  of  his 
family.  He  was  the  leading  banker  of  Cass 
county  for  many  years,  and  his  interests  are 
still  carried  on  by  the  estate.  He  married 
Miss  Sarah  Bogue,  a  native  of  Ohio,  who 
still  survives  him  at  the  age  of  eighty  years 
and  makes  her  home  in  Niles.  His  last 
days  were  spent  in  Niles,  where  he  died  in 
1898  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  He 
was  widely  recognized  as  a  man  of  excel- 
lent business  ability  and  enterprise,  being 
pre-eminently  a  man  of  affairs  and  one  who 
wielded  a  wide  influence.  Upon  his  land  he 
established  what  is  known  as  Bonine  Park, 
consisting  of  a  tract  of  sixty  acres,  which 
he  stocked  with  buffaloes  and  elk.  This 
tract  is  still  kept  up  and  although  there  are 
now  no  buffaloes  there  are  still  quite  a  large 
number  of  elk.  He  followed  farming  on 
a  very  extensive  scale  and  possessed  busi- 
ness discernment  and  judgment  that  were 
rarely  if  ever  at  fault.  He  was  very  active 
in  township  and  county  affairs  and  his  in- 
fluence was  ever  on  the  side  of  progress, 
reform  and  improvement.  In  1866  he  re- 
moved from  his  farm  to  Niles,  but  later  re- 
turned to  Cass  county.  His  last  days,  how- 
ever, were  passed  in  Niles.     In  the  family 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


701 


were  three  children :  Mary,  the  wife  of  Dr. 
W.  T.  Dougan  of  Niles;  Isaac  A.,  of  this 
review ;  and  Elvia  B.,  the  wife  of  N.  B. 
Hammond,  of  Sheldon,  North  Dakota. 

Isaac  A.  Bonine  was  reared  to  manhood 
on  the  old  homestead  in  Cass  county, 
where  he  attended  school.  He  also  pursued 
his  studies  in  Niles  during  the  period  of  the 
family  residence  in  this  city  between  1866 
and  1872.  He  attended  the  high  school  in 
Niles  and  at  one  time  was  a  student  in  the 
schools  of  Adrian,  Michigan.  Returning 
to  the  old  homestead  he  followed  farming, 
being  closely  identified  with  agricultural  in- 
terest until  about  fourteen  years  ago.  He 
had  a  large  orchard  of  thirty-five  acres 
which  was  set  out  by  himself  and  father. 
He  also  planted  two  hundred  chestnut  trees, 
which  have  been  in  bearing  during  the  last 
fifteen  years  and  are  a  very  profitable  source 
of  income.  In  all  his  agricutural  work 
he  was  progressive,  keeping  in  touch  with 
modern  advancement.  About  fourteen  years 
ago,  however,  he  retired  from  farming  and 
took  up  his  abode  in  Niles,  where  he  now 
makes  his  home.  He  gives  some  attention 
to  the  supervision  of  estates  but  practically 
lives  retired,  possessing  a  comfortable  com- 
petence. He  is  president  of  the  Buchanan 
Power  Company. 

In  1872  Mr.  Bonine  was  married  in 
Niles  to  Miss  Alice  Wilkinson,  who  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  but  has  spent  the 
greater  part  of  her  life  in  this  city,  her  par- 
ents being  Lewis  F.  and  Ruth  (Clark) 
Wilkinson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bonine  have  one 
child,  James  G.,  who  was  born  in  Niles  and 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons College  of  Chicago,  also  of  the  Chi- 
cago University  and  of  Hahnemann  Med- 
ical College  of  Chicago.  He  is  now  prac- 
ticing his  profession  in  that  city.  He  mar- 
ried Margaret  Gage,  a  native  of  Niles  and 
a  daughter  of  Eli  Gage.  They  have  two 
children,  James  E.  and  Margaret,  both  born 
in  Chicago. 

Mr.  Bonine  exercises  his  right  of  fran- 
chise in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of 
the  Republican  party  but  has  never  had 
aspiration   for  office.     He  is,  however,  in- 


terested in  the  welfare  of  his  city  and  county 
and  his  co-operation  can  be  counted  upon 
as  a  factor  in  the  work  of  general  develop- 
ment and  improvement.  He  has  a  wide  and 
favorable  acquaintance  in  the  county,  pos- 
sessing those  traits  of  character  which  com- 
mand respect  and  confidence  and  win  warm 
and  endearing  friendships. 

FRANK  H.  ELLSWORTH,  serving 
for  the  second  term  as  judge  of  probate 
of  Berrien  county  resides  in  Benton  Harbor. 
He  was  born  in  Lexington,  Michigan,  Sep- 
tember I,  1867,  a  son  of  Edward  W.  and 
Lucetta  (Beardsley)  Ellsworth.  The  father 
was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  in  1837,  while 
the  family  were  temporarily  residing  in  the 
Dominion,  and  the  mother  is  a  native  of 
New  Jersey,  whence  she  came  to  Michigan 
with  her  parents  in  her  early  girlhood.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Edward  W.  Ellsworth  have  for 
many  years  been  residents  of  Marlette, 
Michigan. 

Judge  Ellsworth  obtained  a  common 
school  education  and  also  attended  Olivet 
and  Alma  College.  He  began  the  study  of 
law  on  the  ist  of  October,  1888,  at  Marlette 
in  the  office  of  D.  S.  McClure,  at  that  time 
judge  of  probate  of  Sanilac  county.  After 
the  admission  of  Judge  Ellsworth  to  the  bar 
in  1 89 1  he  removed  to  Detroit,  and  pursued 
a  course  in  the  Detroit  College  of  Law, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class 
of  1893.  Locating  in  Benton  Harbor  in 
the  spring  of  that  year  he  was  actively  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  profession  until 
the  fall  of  1900,  when  he  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  judge  of  probate  of  Berrien  county 
by  a  majority  of  twelve  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-five, and  after  four  years'  capable  and 
satisfactory  service  he  was  re-elected  in 
1904  by  an  increased  majority  of  twenty- 
eight  hundred  and  sixty-four.  Politically 
he  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  but  the  men  of 
both  parties  give  him  their  earnest  endorse- 
ment by  reason  of  the  capable  manner  in 
which  he  has  discharged  his  official  duties. 

On  the  30th  of  December,  1903,  Judge 
Ellsworth  was  married  to  Miss  Minnie 
Grace  King,  of  Ligonier,  Indiana. 


702 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


BENJAMIN  F.  EARL,  occupying  a  po- 
sition of  prominence  in  business  circles  in 
Niles  as  owner  of  one  of  the  large  productive 
industries  and  commercial  interests  of  the 
city,  conducting  business  as  a  manufacturer 
of  furniture  specialties,  and  dealer  in  lumber 
tmder  the  firm  style  of  the  Earl-Storm  Man- 
ufacturing Company,  is  a  self-made  man, 
who,  without  special  family  or  pecuniary 
advantages  at  the  outset  of  his  career  has 
worked  his  way  steadily  upward  from  a 
humble  position  to  one  of  affluence.  A  na- 
tive son  of  Michigan,  he  was  born  in  Cass 
county  in  1853.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
Rufus  Earl,  removed  from  New  York  to 
Michigan  in  1835  and  took  up  land  from  the 
government  east  of  Berrien  Lake,  which  he 
cleared  and  improved,  there  following  farm- 
ing until  his  death.  His  son,  Averil  Earl,  fa- 
ther of  our  subject,  was  born  in  New  York, 
near  Buffalo,  and  came  with  his  parents  to 
Michigan  in  1835.  He  was  for  many  years 
identified  with  general  agricultural  pursuits 
in  Cass  county  and  was  there  married  to 
Elva  L.  Mosher,  native  of  Erie  county,  New' 
York,  who  came  to  Michigan  with  her  par- 
ents, Mr.  and  Mrs.  Zebediah  Mosher,  who 
also  settled  in  Cass  county,  establishing 
their  home  in  Wayne  township.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Averil  Earl  were  born  three  sons 
and  three  daughters,  and,  those  still  living 
are :  Alice,  the  wife  of  Robert  T.  Atwood ; 
Albert  E. ;  and  Benjamin  F.  The  father  died 
at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years. 

Benjamin  F.  Earl  pursued  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Cass  county  and 
there  learned  the  wood-turning  trade.  He 
was  also  employed  in  the  woolen  mills  as  a 
carder  and  in  1880  he  came  from  Cass  coun- 
ty to  Niles,  where  he  entered  the  employ  of 
Solomon  G.  Krick,  a  wagon  manufacturer, 
in  whose  service  he  remained  for  five  years. 
With  the  capital  he  had  acquired  through  his 
own  labors  and  economy  he  then  embarked 
in  business  on  his  own  account  in  1886  as  a 
manufacturer  of  furniture  specialties,  while 
later  he  extended  the  scope  of  his  labors  by 
dealing  in  lumber.  In  1890  the  business 
was  incorporated  under  the  firm  name  of 
the    Earl-Storm    Manufacturing    Company, 


with  Benjamin  F.  Earl  as  general  manager 
and  E.  B.  Storm,  secretary  and  treasurer. 
The  company  built  the  present  plant  in  that 
year  and  the  business  w^as  thus  conducted 
until  1892,  when  Mr.  Earl  purchased  the 
interest  of  his  partners  and  has  since  been 
alone  in  the  conduct  of  the  enterprise,  which, 
however,  is  carried  on  under  the  same  name. 
From  the  beginning  the  success  of  this  con- 
cern has  been  uniform  and  rapid  and  Mr. 
Earl  has  now  built  up  a  very  large  and 
lucrative  business  through  his  own  energy, 
careful  management  and  practical  methods. 
He  is  also  identified  as  a  stockholder  and  di- 
rector with  three  building  and  loan  asso- 
ciations of  Niles,  organized  by  residents  of 
the  city.  A  number  of  skilled  workmen  are 
employed  in  his  establishment  and  the  busi- 
ness has  reached  extensive  and  profitable 
proportions.  It  is  a  monument  to  the  labor 
and  enterprise  of  the  owner  whose  business 
career  is  such  as  any  man  might  be  proud 
to  possess. 

Mr.  Earl  was  married  in  1875  i"  Dow- 
agiac,  Cass  county,  Michigan,  to  Miss  Ma- 
tilda A.  Philips,  who  was  born  in  Illinois 
but  spent  her  early  life  in  Michigan.  This 
union  has  been  blessed  with  eleven  children, 
ten  of  whom  are  yet  living,  namely :  Elva, 
the  wife  of  E.  Daniel  Williams ;  George  W. ; 
Bruce  F.,  who  married  Eleanor  Smith,  of 
Buchanan,  Michigan;  Mary,  Bessie,  Russell, 
John,  Dorothy,  William  McKinley  and 
Theodore  Roosevelt,  all  at  home.  Mr.  Earl 
and  his  family  attend  the  Methodist  Church. 
His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Re- 
pubHcan  party,  and  he  stands  fearlessly  in 
support  of  his  honest  convictions.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  city  council  from  the 
Third  ward  for  four  years  and  was  the 
chairman  of  the  board  which  built  the  water- 
works in  Niles,  also  chairman  of  the  commit- 
tee on  waterworks  in  the  city  council  at  that 
time.  He  was,  for  ten  years,  under  sheriff 
of  Berrien  county.  His  interests  in  public 
affairs  is  deep  and  sincere  and  his  course  in 
public  office  has  been  characterized  by  an 
unfaltering  devotion  to  the  general  good  and 
a  spirit  of  loyalty  and  patriotism.  He  is  in- 
deed one  of  the  foremost  residents  of  Niles, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


703 


progressive  and  enterprising,  and  his  life 
history,  judged  by  his  poHtical,  business  or 
private  record,  is  indeed  commendable. 

WILLIAM  WEES,  who  was  a  farmer 
and  honored  pioneer  settler  of  Berrien 
county  but  is  now  deceased,  was  born  in 
the  province  or  Quebec,  Canada,  December 
7,  1829,  and  died  at  his  home  in  Benton 
Harbor  on  the  loth  of  July,  1905.  His  par- 
ents were  Peter  and  Joyce  (Brown)  Wees. 
The  mother  came  from  England  to  America 
with  her  parents  when  twelve  years  of  age. 
Peter  Wees  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and 
died  at  the  age  of  forty-two  years.  In  the 
family  were  five  sons,  four  of  whom  came 
from  Canada  to  the  United  States,  while 
Thomas  is  still  living  in  the  dominion.  John, 
Robert  and  Wesley  Wees  all  settled  in  Cali- 
fornia and  John  is  still  living,  making  his 
liome  at  San  Bernardino. 

William  Wees  was  reared  to  manhood 
upon  a  farm  in  his  native  country  and  ac- 
quired a  good  common-school  education.  In 
the  summer  months  he  was  carefully  trained 
to  the  work  of  the  fields,  so  that  when  he 
started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account  he 
had  good  practical  experience  to  aid  him. 
On  the  26th  of  February,  1850,  William 
Wees  was  united  in  marriage  at  Dresden, 
Ontario,  to  Miss  Isabelle  Randall,  who  was 
born  in  Quebec,  Canada,  November  i,  1830. 
In  1853  she  came  to  Berrien  county,  visit- 
ing her  mother,  who  was  then  living  ni  Mill- 
burg,  where  she  had  resided  for  a  year.  A 
sister,  Minerva  Randall,  became  the  wife  of 
Warren  H.  Pearl,  a  brother  of  Major  Pearl, 
who  had  settled  near  Pearl  Grange.  Isa- 
belle Randall  also  had  an  uncle,  Joseph  Ran- 
dall, living  in  St.  Joseph,  where  he  owned 
and  conducted  a  shipyard,  being  a  ship 
builder  by  trade.  He  was  a  pioneer  settler 
of  the  county,  coming  here  when  St.  Joseph 
was  a  small  village  standing  on  the  bottom 
land.  The  year  of  his  arrival  was  not  later 
than  1840  and  he  took  an  active  part  in  the 
early  development  of  this  portion  of  the 
state.  Soon  after  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
California,  however,  he  removed  to  the 
Pacific  coast,  where  he  is  yet  remembered 
ty  the  old  vessel  men. 


William  Wees  in  early  life  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade  and  followed  that  pursuit 
m  Berrien  county,  helping  to  build  the  War- 
ren Pearl  mill,  also  the  Samuel  McWiggins 
mill  and  the  Randall  mill.  He  likewise 
aided  in  the  erection  of  some  of  the  early 
houses  of  the  county  and  a  number  of  the 
old  buildings  are  still  standing  as  monu- 
ments to  his  skill  and  handiwork.  *  When 
his  capital  permitted,  however,  he  bought 
land,  becoming  owner  of  a  tract  about  four 
miles  southeast  of  Benton  Harbor.  Upon 
the  place  was  a  log  cabin,  in  which  he  lived 
for  two  years,  when  he  replaced  the  pioneer 
home  by  a  small  frame  building,  living 
therein  until  the  erection  of  the  present 
house  about  twenty  years  ago.  He  at  first 
had  fifty-eight  acres  of  land,  to  which  he 
added  as  his  financial  resources  increased 
until  he  owned  seventy-eight  acres,  constitut- 
mg  a  good  farm,  for  the  land  was  placed 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  In  1880 
he  invested  in  Kansas  land,  which  he  later 
sold  to  good  advantage.  In  1864  he  went  to 
California,  where  he  devoted  two  years  to 
placer  mining  with  satisfactory  results.  Re- 
turning then  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan, 
he  gave  undivided  attention  to  his  farm  and 
afterward  set  out  a  valuable  orchard,  plant- 
ing thirty  acres  to  peaches,  but  he  lost  his 
trees  through  the  yellows  and  therefore  set 
out  apple  trees. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wees  were  born 
the  following  children :  Elva,  now  the  wife 
of  A.  A.  Morrill,  living  in  AVallin,  Michi- 
gan; James  Lowell,  who  resides  at  Silver 
City,  Idaho,  where  for  twenty  years  he  has 
been  engaged  in  placer  mining  with  good 
success;  William  Bruce,  of  Benton  Harbor, 
who  for  fifteen  years  traveled  in  the  interests 
of  a  fruit  buying  firm,  traveling  from 
Florida  to  Maine,  but  is  now  operating  in 
Washington  and  Oregon;  Cynthia,  the  wife 
of  William  McKindley,  a  resident  farmer  of 
Benton  township;  Henry,  a  fruit  buyer  of 
Benton  Harbor,  also  dealing  in  gasoline  en- 
gines; Mina  Belle,  who  is  living  at  home 
with  her  mother  in  Benton  Harbor  and  is 
a  graduate  of  the  normal  college.  She  has 
been  a  successful  teacher,  having  taught  in 


704 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


the  graded  schools  in  St.  Clair  and  in  St. 
Joseph,  Michigan. 

In  his  political  affiHation  Mr.  Wees  was 
a  Democrat.  He  was  a  charter  member  of 
Pearl  Grange  and  was  interested  in  all  mat- 
ters of  local  progress  and  improvement.  At 
his  death  his  remains  were  interred  in  the 
Pearl  cemetery,  which  stands  on  the  original 
farm  of  Warren  Pearl.  He  was  a  fine  rifle 
shot  and  annually  in  company  with  Major 
Pearl  and  others  took  trips  to  northern 
Michigan  for  the  purpose  of  hunting.  He 
found  great  enjoyment  in  this  sport  and  it 
proved  an  excellent  source  of  recreation.  Mr. 
Wees  well  deserves  representation  in  this 
volume  as  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  set- 
tlers of  the  county  and  one  whose  success 
in  life  is  attributable  to  his  earnest  labor  and 
careful  management. 

ANDREW  M.  HAWKS,  a  representa- 
tive of  the  farming  interests  of  Watervliet 
township,  was  born  on  a  part  of  the  farm  on 
which  he  now  lives  and  near  his  present  resi- 
dence, his  natal  day  being  September  13, 
1 85 1.  His  parents  were  Agur  and  Martha 
(Baldwin)  Hawks,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  New  York.  The  father  came  to 
Michigan  with  his  parents,  Simeon  and  Patty 
(Beeman)  Hawks,  who  located  a  mile  and 
a  half  east  of  Watervliet  and  the  farm  upon 
which  they  took  up  their  abode  remained 
the  old  homestead.  Both  died  after  a  resi- 
dence here  of  more  than  twenty  years.  One 
of  their  sons,  Timothy  Hawks,  is  still  liv- 
ing, as  well  as  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Martha 
Bridges,  of  Van  Buren  county,  Michigan. 
Following  his  marriage  Agur  Hawks  se- 
cured government  land,  upon  which  he 
turned  the  first  furrows,  developing  a  good 
farm,  pleasantly  situated  about  three  miles 
north  of  Watervliet.  As  the  years  passed 
his  business  affairs  increased  in  extent  and 
importance  and  he  became  one  of  the  largest 
farmers  of  Watervliet  township,  making  his 
home  upon  his  farm  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  about  six  years  ago,  when  he  had 
reached  the  venerable  age  of  seventy-seven 
years.  He  was  a  man  of  good  business 
ability  and  of   marked   enterprise   and   his 


careful  management  of  his  interests  brought 
him  success.  His  widow,  who  was  three 
years  his  junior,  survived  him  for  only  eight 
months,  his  death  occurring  June  3,  190 1, 
while  his  wife  passed  away  February  20, 
1902.  In  their  family  were  the  following 
children :  Andrew  M. ;  Amelia,  the  wiie  of 
Jacob  Hogaboom,  of  Van  Buren  county; 
and  Viola,  the  wife  of  Frank  Burbank  Hart- 
ford, living  on  the  old  homestead. 

Andrew  M.  Hawks  was  reared  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farm  lads,  early  becoming 
familiar  with  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall 
to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  He  mastered 
the  branches  taught  in  the  public  schools 
and  remained  at  home  up  to  the  time  of  his 
marriage,  which  occurred  when  he  was  twen- 
ty-five years  of  age,  while  his  wife  was  but 
sixteen  years  of  age.  She  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Nettie  McConnell,  and  was  a  resi- 
dent of  Van  Buren  county,  Michigan.  The 
young  couple  began  their  domestic  life  upon 
the  farm  which  is  still  their  home.  A  few 
patches  had  been  cleared  but  the  most  of  it 
was  still  uncultivated.  Mr.  Hawks  now  has 
one  hundred  and  ten  acres  of  rich  and 
productive  land  in  the  extreme  northeast 
corner  of  Berrien  county  on  section  i, 
Watervleit  township,  four  miles  north  of  the 
city  of  Watervliet.  He  now  has  eighty  acres 
of  the  land  under  cultivation.  For  some 
years  he  helped  his  father  on  the  home  place 
and  now  his  energies  are  concentrated  upon 
the  further  development  and  improvement  of 
his  own  home  farm.  He  has  many  modern 
equipments  here,  including  the  latest  im- 
proved machinery  and  he  is  successfully  en- 
gaged in  general  farming. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hawks  have  been 
born  seven  children :  Ervie,  who  is  engaged 
in  farming  in  Bangor  township,  Van  Buren 
county;  Fern,  the  wife  of  Merrill  Hunt,  of 
Covert,  Van  Buren  county;  Horace,  who  is 
living  in  Hartford,  Michigan;  Mattie,  the 
wife  of  Morris  Hunt,  of  Van  Buren  coun- 
ty; Stella,  Ernest  and  Carrie,  all  at  home. 

Mr.  Hawks  exercises  his  right  of  fran- 
chise in  support  of  the  men  and  measures 
of  the  Democracy  but  has  never  been  an  of- 
fice  seeker,   preferring  to   devote   his   time 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


705 


and  energies  to  his  business  affairs,  in  which 
he  has  met  with  signal  success.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Adventist  Society. 

WILLIAM  C.  DOCKTER,  Hving  in 
Bainbridge  township,  where  the  principal 
part  of  his  homestead  is  devoted  to  the  culti- 
vation of  a  variety  of  fruits,  is  an  able  horti- 
culturist, thoroughly  conversant  with  the 
business,  which  he  carries  on  in  accordance 
with  modern  scientific  ideas.  He  was  born 
in  Bainbridge  township,  April  18,  1865,  his 
parents  being  Christian  and  Mary  E. 
(Weber)  Dockter,  the  former  a  native  of 
Alsace,  France,  and  the  latter  of  Germany. 
They  were  married,  however,  in  Bainbridge 
township,  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  Mrs. 
Dockter  having  come  to  Michigan  at  the 
age  of  eight  years  with  her  father,  Charles 
Weber,  who  was  a  pioneer  resident  of  Bain- 
bridge township.  Her  brothers,  Charles  and 
Jacob  Weber,  still  reside  in  the  same  town- 
ship. Having  attained  womanhood,  Mary 
E.  Weber  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to 
Christian  Dockter,  and  when  their  son  Will- 
iam was  three  years  old  the  father  bought 
the  farm  upon  which  William  Dockter  now 
resides.  It  was  then  a  tract  of  timber  land 
but  no  clearing  had  been  made  and  there- 
fore in  the  midst  of  the  forest  he  hewed  out 
his  farm,  placing  his  land  under  cultivation 
until  where  once  stood  the  dense  trees  of  the 
forest  were  seen  waving  fields  of  grain.  He 
placed  about  fifty  acres  under  the  plow  and 
erected  a  good  residence  and  barn,  which  is 
still  standing.  His  life  was  one  of  activity 
and  enterprise,  crowned  by  successful  ac- 
complishment and  he  continued  to  super- 
intend his  farming  operations  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  i8th 
of  October,  1905,  when  in  his  seventy-sixth 
year.  His  wife  died  in  1888,  at  the  age  of 
forty-four  years.  In  the  family  were  eight 
children,  of  whom  two  died  in  early  life, 
while  Carrie  became  the  wife  of  Adam  Elgos 
and  passed  away  at  the  age  of  twenty-three 
years.  The  others  of  the  family  were:  Al- 
fred, who  owns  a  part  of  the  old  homestead 
in  Bainbridge  township;  Ella  E.,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  eighteen  years;  Amanda,  the 
wife  of  Joseph  Kiser,  of  Bainbridge; 
45 


Charles,  who  is  living  near  the  old  home- 
stead; Emma,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eight 
years;  and  Lucy,  who  passed  away  when 
three  years  of  age. 

Reared  under  the  parental  roof  William 
C.  Dockter  assisted  in  the  arduous  task  of 
clearing  and  developing  new  land  and  gave 
his  father  the  benefit  of  his  services  until 
he  reached  the  age  of  twenty  years,  when  he 
began  to  work  by  the  month,  thus  provid- 
ing for  his  own  support  for  eight  seasons. 
He  was  married  on  the  27th  of  November 
to  Miss  Edith  May  Matrau,  a  daughter  of 
Morgan  W.  Matrau,  w^ho  is  mentioned  on 
another  page  of  this  volume.  Before  his 
marriage  Mr.  Dockter  had  charge  of  the  old 
homestead.  His  father  settled  his  business 
affairs  before  his  death,  dividing  the  old 
home  between  William  and  Alfred,  and  the 
former  has  added  a  forty-acre  tract  to  his 
inheritance,  so  that  he  now  has  a  valuable 
property  of  eighty  acres.  The  principal  part 
of  his  home  place  is  in  fruit.  He  raises,  ap- 
ples, pears,  plums  and  other  fruit  and  is  a 
well  known  horticulturist,  whose  labors  are 
crowned  with  merited  and  gratifying  suc- 
cess. He  has  made  extensive  improvements 
upon  his  place  and  it  is  one  of  the  attractive, 
modern  homes  of  the  township. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dockter 
was  blessed  with  a  son  and  daughter,  Roy 
W.  and  Ruth  Amelia,  aged  respectively  nine 
and  three  years.  Mr.  Dockter  is  a  member 
of  the  Odd  Fellows  society  at  Bainbridge,  in 
which  he  has  passed  all  of  the  chairs,  and  he 
has  likewise  been  a  representative  to  the 
grand  lodge,  while  both  he  and  his  wife  are 
connected  with  the  order  of  Rebekahs.  Iii 
the  community  where  he  has  always  lived 
his  acquaintance  is  wide  and  he  is  held  in 
very  favorable  regard,  for  investigation  into 
his  history  shows  that  the  course  he  has  fol- 
lowed has  ever  been  an  honorable  and 
straightforward  one  and  that  his  business 
life  has  been  characterized  by  a  close  ad- 
herence to  a  high  standard  of  commercial 
ethics. 

HORACE  W.  GARLAND,  starting  out 
in  life  for  himself  at  the  age  of  twenty-two 
years,   is   now   numbered   among   the   sub- 


7o6 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


stantial  farmers  of  Bainbfidge  to\vnship, 
having  a  good  property  well  equipped  with 
modern  conveniences  and  accessories.  He 
was  born  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  March 
5,  1855,  his  parents  being  Horace  and  Cath- 
erine Garland,  the  former  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire.  The  family  was  founded  in 
America  by  five  brothers,  who  came  from 
England  and  settled  at  Rye,  New  Hamp- 
shire. Horace  Garland,  Sr.,  was  a  fruit- 
raiser,  and  on  leaving  .New  England  re- 
moved to  Iowa  in  1855.  After  eight  years 
he  came  to  Berrien  county  in  1863  and  set- 
tled one  mile  south  and  a  mile  east  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor.  There  he  engaged  in  farming 
until  he  removed  to  California,  where  for 
three  years  he  remained  at  Petaluma.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  went  to 
Kansas,  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days. 
He  secured  about  forty  acres  of  land  near 
Benton  Harbor  and  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
residents  of  this  section  of  the  state.  His 
wife  died  in  Iowa,  leaving  two  children: 
Horace;  and  Edgar  Garland,  of  Berrien 
Springs,  who  is  president  of  that  vil- 
lage. He  sold  his  farm  near  Berrien 
Springs,  where  the  Adventist  College  now 
stands,  for  ten  thousand  dollars.  He  is  now 
comfortably  situated  in  life  and  is  living 
retired  in  Berrien  Springs,  having  a  compe- 
tence sufficient  to  supply  him  with  all  of  the 
comforts  and  luxuries  of  life  without  re- 
course to  further  labor.  He  ow^ns  several 
buildings  in  Berrien  Springs  and  these  return 
to  him  a  good  rental.  A  half  sister  of  the 
family  is  still  living. 

Horace  W.  Garland,  spending  the  days 
of  his  boyhood  and  youth  under  the  parental 
roof,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
and  gained  practical  experience  in  farm  labor 
through  the  assistance  which  he  rendered 
in  the  care  and  cultivation  of  the  fields. 
When  twenty-two  years  of  age  he  was  mar- 
ried toMissFloraKirkpatrick,a  daughter  of 
P.  C.  Kirkpatrick,  a  well  known  farmer  of 
this  county,  who  had  come  from  Iowa  to 
Michigan.  Mr.  Kirkpatrick  and  Mr.  Gar- 
land removed  from  this  state  to  Texas,  and 
after  a  year  spent  in  that  state  and  in  Hot 
Springs,  Arkansas,  Mr.  Garland  went  to 
Kansas,  settling  in  Harper  county  in  1879. 


He  proved  up  a  claim  of  government  land 
and  continued  his  residence  in  Kansas 
for  fifteen  years.  He  also  went  to 
Oklahoma,  where  he  opened  up  a  farm  and 
during  the  fifteen  years  mentioned  he  made 
considerable  progress  in  business  life,  his 
financial  resources  increasing  as  the  result 
of  his  careful  management  and  discrimina- 
tion in  business  afifairs.  While  living  in 
Kansas  his  wife  died  and  in  1894  he  re- 
turned to  Michigan,  while  two  years  later 
he  located  on  his  present  farm  near  Spink's 
Corners  in  Bainbridge  township,  securing 
eighty  acres  of  land  about  half  of  which 
is  set  out  to  fruit,  there  being  thirty  acres 
planted  to  peaches,  grapes  and  berries.  Mr. 
Garland  sold  goods  in  the  tow^n  of  Harper, 
Kansas,  for  nine  years.  He  went  to  that 
state  when  it  was  largely  a  new  and  un- 
developed region  and  he  lived  in  a  sod  house 
without  doors  or  windows.  His  attention  in 
later  years  has  been  devoted  to  fruit-raising 
and  he  is  a  horticulturist  with  good  orchards, 
to  the  care  of  which  he  gives  his  supervision. 
He  secures  the  best  nursery  stock  and  the 
fruit  which  is  shipped  from  his  place  is  noted 
for  its  excellent  size,  quality  and  flavor. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Garland  were  the  parents 
of  four  daughters  and  one  son :  Carrie,  now 
the  wife  of  Charles  Bishop,  of  Benton  town- 
ship; Lillian,  the  wife  of  Harry  Grossman, 
of  Bainbridge ;  Florence,  who  wedded  Ruben 
Sutherland  of  Pipestone  township;  Ollie, 
the  wife  of  Ed.  Chivis,  of  Bainbridge  town- 
ship; and  Fred,  at  home.  Mr.  Garland  has 
been  again  married,  his  second  union  being 
with  Mary  Line,  of  Ohio.  He  exercises  his 
right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men 
and  measures  of  the  Republican  party  but 
the  honors  and  emoluments  of  office  have 
had  no  attraction  for  him.  His  life  has  been 
somewhat  eventful  in  its  experiences  in  the 
west  and  the  southwest  and  he  is  familiar 
with  all  that  goes  to  make  up  a  frontier 
existence,  for  in  pioneer  days  in  Kansas  he 
contributed  to  the  early  development  and 
progress  of  the  locality  in  which  he  lived. 
He  is  now  concentrating  his  energies  upon 
horticultural  pursuits  in  the  care  and  man- 
agement of  his  farm  here,  and  although  his 
residence  in  Berrien  county  has  not  been  con- 


.^yhuc^^^n^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


707 


tinuous  he  was  first  brought  to  the  county  in 
1863  and  with  the  passing  years  has  been 
an  interested  witness  of  its  grow^th  and  de- 
velopment and  the  changes  which  have  here 
occurred. 

HENRY  PETERS,  a  resident  farmer  of 
Bainbridge  township,  was  born  in  Water- 
vliet  this  county,  on  the  nth  of  February, 
1852.  His  parents  were  John  and  Laura 
(Burroughs)  Peters.  The  father,  who  was 
born  on  Deer  Island,  Canada,  died  in  1864 
from  wounds  sustained  in  the  battle 
of  New  Hope  Church  while  defending  the 
Union  cause,  thus  giving  his  life  to  his 
country.  The  mother  was  left  with  ten  chil- 
dren. She  kept  the  family  together,  provid- 
ing for  her  sons  and  daughters  as  best  she 
could  and  doing  a  mother's  full  part  by  them. 
One  of  her  sons,  Marcus  de  Lafayette,  was 
a  soldier  in  the  same  company  and  regiment 
as  his  father.  Six  of  the  number  are  yet 
living,  four  being  still  in  Berrien  county, 
and  the  mother  now  resides  in  Bainbridge, 
in  the  eighty-ninth  year  of  her  age,  her  home 
being  upon  the  old  farm  upon  which  she 
settled  in  1856.  For  a  half  century  she  has 
lived  upon  this  farm  and  has  been  an  inter- 
ested witness  of  the  changes  that  have  oc- 
curred in  the  county.  She  is  a  well  preserved 
woman  and  can  read  without  difficulty,  her 
eyesight  being  still  very  keen. 

Henry  Peters  remained  at  home  until 
he  attained  his  majority,  although  he  Avas 
employed  at  farm  labor  from  the  age  of 
twelve  years.  His  education  was  acquired 
in  the  common  schools  but  his  privileges  in 
that  direction  were  somewhat  limited  as  it 
was  necessary  for  him  to  enter  business  life. 
He  spent  two  years  in  Kansas,  going  to  that 
state  in  1872,  where  for  a  time  he  hunted 
bujffalo.  He  then  returned  to  Michigan  and 
in  1876  he  went  to  Texas,  where  he  re- 
mained for  a  year  and  a  half,  spending  that 
time  hunting  on  the  buffalo  range.  He  was 
also  employed  as  a  cowboy  there  for  a  time. 

In  the  fall  of  1880  Mr.  Peters  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Phoebe  Jane  Casner, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  was  reared  in 
Indiana,  and~in  her  childhood  days  she  came 
to  Michigan.    They  spent  one  year  at  Covert, 


afterward  lived  upon  his  mother's  farm  and 
in  1882  came  to  their  present  farm.  It  was 
wild  land,  on  which  only  a  few  acres  had 
been  cleared.  Much  of  it  was  low  land, 
well  adapted  to  the  raising  of  corn,  of  which 
he  annually  harvested  large  crops.  He  now 
has  fifty-five  acres  and  has  cleared  about 
twenty-five  acres.  There  is  a  creek  which 
runs  through  the  place  and  drains  the  low 
land  which  is  not  only  well  suited  for  the 
production  of  grain  but  for  celery  as  well. 
This  creek  is  fed  by  hundreds  of  springs 
and  the  farm  borders  a  beautiful  inland  lake. 
About  three  years  ago  Mr.  Peters  erected  a 
large  residence  and  has  since  entertained 
summer  boarders,  his  place  being  con- 
veniently and  pleasantly  located  twelve  miles 
east  of  Benton  Harbor. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peters  have  been 
born  five  children :  Edna,  the  wife  of  W.  L. 
Hall,  of  Hamilton  township.  Van  Buren 
county ;  Walter,  a  carpenter  at  Sister  Lakes ; 
Charley;  Earl;  and  Irvin. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Peters  is  a 
Republican.  Three  generations  of  the  fam- 
ily have  settled  in  this  county  and  the  name 
has  always  been  synonymous  with  good  citi- 
zenship as  well  as  with  activity  and  success- 
ful accomplishment  in  agricultural  circles. 
The  work  which  his  father  instituted  in 
pioneer  times  he  has  carried  forward,  and 
although  he  started  out  in  life  empty-handed 
dependent  entirely  upon  his  own  resources 
he  is  now  in  possession  of  a  good  farm  prop- 
erty, w^hile  the  annual  sales  of  his  products 
bring  him  a  desirable  income. 

ALBERT  RUSSELL  NOWLEN,  who 
has  been  the  promoter  of  much  of  the  im- 
provement which  has  been  carried  on  in 
Benton  Harbor,  w^as  born  in  Durham,  Scho- 
harie county,  New  York,  October  19,  1831, 
his  parents  being  Ira  and  Sophia  (Toles) 
Nowlen.  His  paternal  grandfather,  Joshua 
Nowlen,  was  a  resident  of  Connecticut,  and 
Ira  Nowlen  removed  to  New  York,  settled 
upon  a  farm  in  Schoharie  county,  where  he 
remained  for  some  time,  or  until  he  removed 
to  Otsego  county.  His  last  years  were 
passed  in  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  died 
at  the  age  of  seventy.    On  coming  to  Michi- 


7o8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


gan  he  secured  land  where  Albert  R.  Nowlen 
now  resides  and  was  engaged  in  the  raising 
of  fruit.  His  wife  died  here  at  the  age  of 
sixty-five  years.  In  their  family  were  five 
children :  Addison  J.,  who  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  in  Benton  Harbor  and  in 
Chicago  but  is  now  living  retired;  Almira 
F.,  the  wife  of  Archibald  Shaw,  of  New 
York;  Albert  Russell,  of  this  review;  Vic- 
toria S.,  the  wife  of  John  McCoy,  a  stock 
grower  living  in  Kansas;  and  Louisa,  who 
died  when  about  thirty-five  years  of  age. 

Albert  R.  Nowlen  of  this  review  was 
reared  under  the  parental  roof,  acquiring  a 
common  school  education,  and  when  twenty- 
two  years  of  age  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah 
Jane  Pratt,  a  native  of  New  Jersey.  His 
father  at  the  time  of  his  marriage  gave  him 
the  old  home  farm,  which  he  cultivated  for 
three  years.  He  then  removed  to  Oneonta, 
New  York,  where  his  father  lived  for  two 
years  and  in  1859  made  his  way  westward 
to  Boone  county,  Illinois,  to  sell  nursery 
stock  for  a  cousin,  who  was  a  grower  of  such 
stock  in  that  state.  Mr.  Nowlen  thus  spent 
two  years.  In  the  meantime  he  purchased 
land  in  Iowa  but  never  located  thereon. 

His  attention  being  attracted  to  Michi- 
gan on  account  of  his  fruit  growing  inter- 
ests, he  secured  land  on  Empire  avenue  out- 
side of  the  village  where  William  Hamilton 
now  resides.  He  at  first  had  forty  acres, 
of  which  twenty-five  acres  had  been  cleared. 
One  acre  was  planted  to  peach  trees,  which 
w^ere  then  thirteen  years  old.  He  had  but 
one  thousand  dollars  and  had  to  go  in  debt 
to  the  amount  of  two  thousand  dollars  in 
order  to  secure  the  place.  He  at  once  be- 
gan planting  fruit,  set  out  peach  trees  and 
also  small  fruit,  having  six  acres  each  of 
strawberries,  blackberries  and  raspberries. 
Finally  he  set  out  the  entire  farm  to  fruit 
and  continued  its  cultivation  for  a  consider- 
able period  or  until  he  sold  it  for  six  thou- 
sand dollars  to  William  Hamilton.  In  the 
meantime  the  yellows  had  begun  to  destroy 
the  orchards.  He  built  the  house  which  is 
now  standing,  it  being  at  that  time  the  best 
one  south  of  the  village. 

In  company  with  Dr.  John  Bell,  Mr. 
Morton  and  Captain  Lee,  Mr.  Nowlen  pur- 


chased considerable  land  and  organized  the 
Benton  Harbor  Improvement  Association,, 
his  associates  in  this  enterprise  being  Dr. 
John  Bell,  Captain  J.  H.  Lee,  J.  Stanley 
Morton  and  Peter  English.  The  last  named, 
however,  retired  after  a  short  time  but  the 
others  continued  in  the  company.  This  asso- 
ciation purchased  several  tracts  of  land 
which  it  sold^  inducing  several  manufactur- 
ers to  locate  here  and  establish  business  en- 
terprises. The  company  would  donate  lo- 
cations and  give  bonuses.  Some  of  these 
enterprises  proved  failures.  In  one  instance 
they  donated  the  location  and  sixteen  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  association  bought  land 
which  they  platted  and  sold,  Mr.  Nowlen 
devoting  his  entire  time  to  the  interests  of 
the  company  until  its  affairs  were  wound  up. 
Since  the  dissolution  of  the  association  he 
and  Captain  Lee  have  purchased  the  Mc- 
Allister addition  and  built  a.  numbfer  of 
houses  thereon.  The  old  homestead,  too, 
has  been  divided  into  lots  and  many  good 
houses  have  been  erected  there,  Mr.  Nowlen 
supplying  the  funds  to  H.  M.  Smith,  a  con- 
tractor, who  builds  and  sells  the  dwellings. 
This  is  a  very  desirable  residence  section  of 
the  town.  Mr.  Nowlen  is  also  a  stock- 
holder in  the  State  Bank,  and  through  his 
land  and  property  operations  has  contributed 
in  very  substantial  measure  to  the  improve- 
ment and  upbuilding  of  Benton  Harbor. 
After  his  father's  death  he  secured  the  old 
homestead  and  erected  his  present  residence 
at  No.  245  Broadway. 

Mr.  Nowlen  was  married  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two  years  in  Plainfield,  New  Jersey, 
to  Miss  Sarah  Jane  Pratt,  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  they  lived  together  until  her 
death  in  March,  1897.  In  the  family  were 
three  children :  Russell,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-two  years;  Ida  N.,  who  is  the 
widow  of  Royce  Allen,  and  she  and  her 
family  of  six  children  are  living  with  her 
father,  two  of  the  children  being  now  stu- 
dents in  Oberlin  College  of  Ohio;  and  Bert, 
who  is  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  at 
Benton  Harbor,  his  yard  being  located  on 
the  old  site  of  the  firm  of  Morton  &  Stevens, 
one  of  the  pioneer  lumber  firms  of  this  part 
of  the  state. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


709 


Mr.  Nowlen  was  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  Congregational  church  and  served 
as  one  of  its  trustees  until  recent  years,  and 
has  been  a  deacon  since  its  organization.  He 
donated  an  organ  valued  at  thirty-five  hun- 
dred dollars  to  the  church.  He  has  done 
much  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  church  and 
its  work  here,  being  one  of  its  prominent 
and  influential  members.  In  1906  he  gave 
one  thousand  dollars  to  the  new  hospital  of 
Benton  Harbor.  In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart 
Republican,  and  has  refused  all  local  of- 
fices, though  frequently  solicited  to  serve  in 
such  positions.  He  has  preferred  to  do  his 
public  service  as  a  private  citizen  and  his 
efforts  in  behalf  of  Benton  Harbor  have 
been  far  reaching  and  beneficial.  The 
founders  of  a  state  or  the  builders  of  a  city 
are  not  merely  the  men  who  handle  the 
reins  of  government  and  control  the  public 
policy  but  are  those  who  carry  civilization 
into  hitherto  wild  regions,  who  develop  the 
natural  resources  of  the  state  and  who  be- 
come builders  and  organizers  of  business 
interests.     Such  a  man  is  Mr.  Nowlen. 

HON.  THOMAS  JEFFERSON 
WEST,  deceased,  who  was  one  of  the  dis- 
tinguished and  prominent  citizens  of  Ber- 
rien county,  successfully  conducting  agricul- 
tural interests  and  wielding  a  wide  influence 
in  public  affairs,  represented  his  district  in 
the  state  legislature,  while  his  opinions  were 
a  decisive  factor  in  many  questions  of  pub- 
lic moment.  He  died  October  21,  1896, 
and  the  county  thereby  lost  one  of  its  men 
of  sterling  worth.  He  was  born  in  Wayne 
county.  New  York,  May  22,  1831,  and 
when  four  years  of  age  was  brought  to  Mich- 
igan by  his  parents  who  settled  in  Kalamazoo 
county.  His  father,  John  West,  became  a 
farmer  of  Charleston  township,  where  he 
successfully  cultivated  his  land,  but  his  last 
years  were  spent  in  the  home  of  his  son, 
Thomas  J. 

Upon  the  home  farm  Mr.  West  of  this 
review  was  reared  and  his  early  attention 
w^as  supplemented  by  study  in  Kalamazoo 
College.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  years  he 
began  teaching,  which  profession  he  fol- 
lowed for  eleven  years  in  the  winter  months 


in  Kalamazoo  and  Calhoun  counties.  When 
he  sought  a  companion  and  helpmate  for 
life's  journey  he  chose  Miss  Martha  M. 
Williamson,  and,  successful  in  his  wooing, 
they  were  married  in  Charleston  township 
April  17,  1852.  She  was  a  daughter  of 
Daniel  and  Katherine  Williamson,  and  was 
born  in  Tioga  county.  New  York,  whence 
at  the  age  of  three  years  she  was  brought  to 
Michigan,  the  family  Jiome  being  established 
at  Port  Huron  and  later  in  Charleston  town- 
ship, Kalamazoo  county,  where  they  were 
neighbors  of  the  West  family.  An  early 
friendship  ripened  into  love  and  she  was 
married  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  The 
young  couple  resided  for  a  time  in  Calhoun 
county,  after  which  they  returned  to  the  old 
West  farm  in  Kalamazoo  county,  in  1865 
they  arrived  in  Berrien  county  and  Mr.  West 
purchased  the  farm  in  Bainbridge  township, 
upon  which  his  widow  now  resides,  it  being 
located  eight  miles  east  of  Benton  Harbor 
on  Territorial  road,  which  highway  also  led 
past  their  Kalamazoo  county  home,  sixty- 
five  miles  further  east.  The  tract  which  Mr. 
West  secured  in  Berrien  county  was  partially 
improved  and  he  soon  devoted  it  to  the  rais- 
ing of  a  variety  of  fruit.  His  attention  was 
largely  given  to  peaches  first  until  the  yel- 
lows destroyed  his  trees.  From  1875  until 
1878  he  was  engaged  in  the  conduct  of  a 
general  store  at  Coloma,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  his  farm,  and  in  1893  erected  the 
present  residence.  A  few  years  later,  after 
successfully  conducting  his  farm,  he  turned 
the  care  of  his  place  over  to  his  son  Fred  and 
retired  from  active  business  life.  The  place 
is  now  devoted  to  the  raising  of  fruit  with 
seventy  acres  thus  utilized,  forty-five  acres 
being  devoted  to  peaches,  while  the  re- 
mainder is  given  to  apples  and  grapes.  In 
his  business  affairs  Mr.  West  was  active, 
energetic  and  far-sighted  and  his  laudable 
ambition  and  close  application  were  the 
strong  elements  in  his  success. 

A  man  of  influence  well  fitted  for  leader  - 
ship  by  reason  of  his  devotion  to  the  gen- 
eral good  and  his  intimate  and  accurate 
knowledge  of  political  issues,  questions  and 
possibilities,  he  became  a  recognized  leader 
in  the  ranks  of  the  Republican  party,  and 


7IO 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


in  1872  was  elected  upon  that  ticket  to  repre- 
sent his  district  in  the  state  legislature.  He 
served  capably  and  creditably,  and  in  1874 
was  re-elected.  He  was  much  interested  in 
certain  legislative  acts,  especially  the  one  con- 
cerning the  division  line  between  St.  Joseph 
and  Benton  Harbor,  and  he  left  the  impress 
of  his  individuality  upon  the  legislative  his- 
tory of  the  commonwealth.  He  also  served 
for  several  years  as  township  supervisor  and 
was  interested  in  everything  pertaining  to 
the  welfare  and  upbuilding  of  his  township 
and  county.  He  was  an  enthusiastic  mem- 
ber of  the  Grange  and  was  a  faithful  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at 
Spink's  Corners.  His  life  was  useful  and 
honorable.  It  was  never  a  negative  quantity 
but  was  always  an  influencing  force  for  good, 
as  he  stood  as  a  stalwart  defender  of  justice, 
truth,  right  and  progress. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  West  were  born 
three  children :  Pratt  W.,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  nineteen  years;  Franklin  H.,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years;  and  Fred 
L.  The  last  named  pursued  a  commercial 
course  in  Valparaiso  Normal  School 
and  since  attaining  his  majority  has 
conducted  the  home  farm,  which  at 
one  time  contained  two  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  but  his  father  sold  a 
portion  of  it  and  it  now  comprises  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres.  He  is  engaged  in 
raising  grass,  grain  and  hay,  as  well  as 
fruit,  and  he  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Berrien  County  Horticultural  Society,  in 
which  he  is  now  serving  on  the  executive 
committee.  He  married  Miss  Anna  E.  Mor- 
ton, by  whom  he  had  two  children,  Martha 
Winifred  and  Hermie  L.  His  present  wife 
was  Dorothy  O.  Wilder,  of  Berrien  county, 
who  is  a  graduate  nurse.  Mrs.  Thomas  J. 
West  also  survives  and  the  family  is  a  prom- 
inent one  in  the  community,  occupying  an 
enviable  position  in  social  circles. 

REV.  EDWARD  FREDERICK 
STRICKLAND,  a  man  of  broad  scholarly 
attainments  and  keen  intellectuality,  devoted 
a  third  of  a  century  to  the  work  of  the  min- 
istry as  a  representative  of  the  Baptist  de- 
nomination. 


Dr.  Strickland  is  a  native  of  England,, 
was  born  in  London,  in  the  year  1820,  and 
acquired  his  early  education  in  the  schools 
of  Scotland.  He  is  also  a  graduate  of  the 
Metaphysical  College  in  Boston,  Massachu- 
setts, graduating  in  November,  1868.  The 
late  Rev.  George  C.  Laurimore,  D.  D.,  of 
New  York,  and  Dr.  Strickland  were  baptized 
at  the  same  time  in  1856,  by  Dr.  Everts  at 
Walnut  Street  Church  in  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky. His  last  charge  was  at  Des  Moines, 
Iowa,  where,  in  1890,  he  retired  from  the 
active  work  of  the  ministry.  He  had 
preached  with  much  success,  laboring  zeal- 
ously and  effectively  for  the  benefit  of  his 
fellowmen,  so  that  his  efforts  were  of  no 
restricted  order,  his  influence  proving  a 
potent  element  for  good  in  every  community 
in  which  he  lived  and  labored.  An  earnest, 
fluent  and  forceful  speaker  he  impressed  his 
hearers  with  the  deep  truths  which  he  uttered 
and  which  he  presented  to  them  in  clear, 
logical  form,  appealing  strongly  to  both  the 
intellectual  and  spiritual  nature  of  his  audi- 
tors. In  1890  he  came  to  Benton  Harbor 
and  purchased  property  on  the  bluff  over- 
looking Colfax  avenue.  Here  he  has  since 
lived. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  1852,  Rev.  Strick- 
land was  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  matri- 
mony to  his  present  wife,  who  was  born  in 
Nottingham,  England,  and  is  a  most  faithful 
helpmate  to  her  husband  in  his  church  work, 
while  their  congeniality  of  tastes  has  made 
their  married  life  most  companionable. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  six  chil- 
dren :  Edwin,  born  in  London,  England. 
Fannie  Eva,  born  in  Jeffersonville,  Indiana, 
is  the  wife  of  Major  Conlin,  of  the  United 
States  army  and  now  lives  at  Detroit,  Michi- 
gan. Agnes,  born  in  Bedford^  New  York, 
became  the  wife  of  Frederick  H.  Denman, 
of  Battle  Creek,  Michigan.  Nellie  R.  Strick- 
land, born  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  is  the  wife  of 
Robert  Conners,  of  New  York.  Mabel 
Dacon,  born  in  Northville,  Michigan,  is  the 
wife  of  George  Mack,  of  Boston,  Massachu- 
setts. Ethel  Ann,  born  February  21,  1875, 
at  Chelsea,  Massachusetts,  is  the  wife  of  Mr. 
John  Edwards,  of  England.  Dr.  Strickland 
has  always  been  a  deep  student  not  only  of 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


711 


theology  but  of  social  and  economic  ques- 
tions affecting  the  welfare  of  the  race^,  and 
is  a  man  of  broad,  scholarly  attainments.  He 
has  now  passed  the  eighty-fifth  milestone  on 
life's  journey  and  the  years  of  his  active 
and  earnest  labor  in  the  ministry  are  crowned 
with  well  earned  ease. 

Rev.  Dr.  Strickland  was  prelate  of  Malta 
commandry,  Benton  Harber,  from  its 
foundation,  as  a  mark  of  the  Sir  Knights' 
appreciation  of  his  work  they  unanimously 
elected  him  associate  prelate  with  remittance 
of  dues  and  fees  during  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  Dr.  Strickland  is  the  oldest  Knight 
Templar  holding  the  honorable  office  of  as- 
sociate prelate  in  the  state. 

SIMEON  BELKNAP,  M.  D.,  one  of 
the  capable  members  of  the  medical  fra- 
ternity of  Michigan,  now  practicing  in  Niles, 
was  born  in  Barnard,  Windsor  county,  Ver- 
mont, October  16^  1837,  and  comes  of  Eng- 
lish and  Scotch  ancestry,  the  early  repre- 
sentatives of  the  name  in  America  having 
crossed  the  Atlantic  during  the  colonization 
period  of  the  new  world.  They  made  set- 
tlement in  Connecticut,  where  Simeon 
Belknap,  grandfather  of  Dr.  Belknap  of  this 
review  was  born,  and  when  about  twenty- 
one  years  of  age  moved  to  Randolph,  Ver- 
mont, where  Seymour  Belknap,  his  father, 
first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day. 
Thus  for  several  generations  the  family  was 
represented  in  Vermont.  Seymour  Belknap 
married  Miss  Lydia  Campbell,  a  daughter  of 
Sylvanus  Campbell,"  and  was  a  native  of 
Vermont  and  of  Scotch  lineage. 

Dr.  Simeon  Belknap  spent  his  early  boy- 
hood days  in  the  state  of  his  nativity  and 
prepared  for  college  as  a  student  in  the  school 
at  Newburg,  Vermont.  Upon  the  comple- 
tion of  his  literary  course  he  entered  upon 
the  study  of  medicine  which  he  carried  on 
under  the  preceptorship  of  Dr.  Huntington 
of  Rochester,  Vermont,  vmtil  he  matriculated 
in  the  medical  department  of  the  State  Uni- 
versity of  Vermont.  He  therein  pursued 
the  regular  course  and  was  graduated  in  the 
class  of  i860,  subsequent  to  which  time  he 
spent  one  year  in  a  hospital  at  Boston, 
Massachusetts,      thus      supplementing      his 


theoretical  training  by  broad  and  varied  ex- 
perience. He  then  located  for  practice  in 
Rochester,  Vermont,  entering  into  partner- 
ship with  his  former  preceptor.  Dr.  M.  W. 
Huntington.  They  conducted  a  large  prac- 
tice there  but,  attracted  by  the  west  with  its 
broader  possibilities,  Dr.  Belknap  came  to 
Michigan  in  1873,  settling  in  Niles,  where 
he  built  up  an  extensive  and  lucrative  prac- 
tice. For  eleven  years  he  was  a  partner  of 
the  late  Dr.  E.  J.  Bonine  under  the  firm 
name  of  Bonine  &  Belknap  and  on  the  disso- 
lution of  that  partnership  he  entered  into 
business  relations  with  his  son,  Fred  R. 
Belknap.  To  his  profession  he  brings  a  well 
trained  mind,  great  physical  endurance  and 
abilities  of  an  unusually  high  order.  His 
talents,  both  native  and  acquired,  entitle  him 
to  prominence  in  the  ranks  of  the  medical 
fraternity  and  his  labors  have  been  an  im- 
portant element  for  good  in  the  localities 
in  which  he  has  resided. 

Dr.  Simeon  Belknap  was  married  in  1861 
at  Rochester,  Vermont,  to  Miss  Addie  M. 
Rice,  who  was  a  resident  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
although  the  state  of  her  nativity  is  Ver- 
mont. She  was  born  in  1840.  Her  father, 
Uriah  Rice,  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  and  for  many  years  filled  the 
position  of  superintendent  of  schools  there. 
Unto  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Belknap  were  born  two 
sons,  Dr.  F.  R.  Belknap  of  Benton  Harbor 
and  Simeon  Belknap,  Jr.,  who  lives  in  Niles, 
Michigan.  In  the  line  of  his  profession  he 
is  connected  with  the  American  Medical  As- 
sociation to  which  he  has  belonged  since 
1855  and  since  1880  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Kalamazoo  Academy  of  Medicine.  He 
was  also  a  member  of  the  Pan  American 
Medical  Congress  and  was  United  States 
Pension  examiner  and  surgeon  appointed  in 
1876,  but  during  President  Cleveland's  ad- 
ministration he  was  removed  for  political 
reasons  and  was  out  of  office  for  four  years. 
When  the  Republicans  again  came  into 
power  he  was  re-appointed  and  has  filled 
the  position  to  the  present  time,  acting  all 
of  the  time  as  secretary  of  the  board  of  Niles. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  National  As- 
sociation of  Railway  Surgeons,  is  also 
a     member    of    the     Big    Four     Railway 


712 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Surgeons  Association  and  is  physician  and 
surgeon  for  the  Big  Four  Railroad,  the  In- 
terurban  Railroad  and  surgeon  for  the  Mich- 
igan Central  Railroad.  He  still  makes  his 
home  in  Niles  but  in  1898  was  called  upon 
to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on 
the  22d  of  June  of  that  year.  Dr.  Belknap 
still  practices  his  profession  and  through- 
out the  years  of  his  active  connection  with 
the  medical  fraternity  has  kept  abreast  with 
the  advancement  that  has  been  continuously 
made  as  investigation  and  research  have 
broadened  the  knowledge  and  promoted  the 
efficiency  of  the  members  of  the  medical  fra- 
ternity. 

JOHN  F.  WILSON.  Among  the 
younger  business  men  of  St.  Joseph  is  num- 
bered John  F.  Wilson,  who  is  conducting  a 
bakery  here.  He  is  one  of  the  native  sons 
of  this  city,  his  birth  having  occurred  on 
the  2d  of  January,  1874.  His  father,  John 
W.  Wilson,  was  born  in  New  York  on  the 
1 6th  of  November,  1832,  and  was  one  of  a 
large  family.  During  his  boyhood  days  his 
parents  removed  to  Michigan,  settling  in 
Warren,  Macomb  county,  where  he  was 
reared  to  manhood.  In  1855,  in  company 
with  Thomas  Rimes  of  St,  Joseph,  he  came 
to  this  city  in  a  fishing  smack,  which  left 
port  at  a  point  on  Lake  St.  Clair.  For  sev- 
eral years  he  folow^ed  the  business  of  fish- 
ing. In  1865  he  turned  his  attention  to  the 
bakery  business  on  Ship  street,  where  the 
Zordell  harness  shop  is  now  located.  Subse- 
quently he  removed  to  the  Preston  building 
and  there  purchased  from  John  Wilkinson 
a  bakery  and  restaurant  business  conducted 
in  the  Wilkinson  Hall,  a  frame  building  on 
State  street,  where  now  stands  the  Martin 
Block.  When  this  building  was  torn  down 
Mr.  Wilson  removed  to  a  building  located 
on  the  site  of  the  John  Kibler  Block  and 
afterward  to  a  building  just  across  the  street, 
which  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  September, 
1 90 1.  A  few  years  ago,  however,  the  stock 
was  removed  to  the  Economy  Block  and  Mr. 
Wilson  retired  from  active  business  at  that 
time,  being  succeeded  by  his  son,  John  F. 
Wilson.  He  was  for  many  years  a  promi- 
nent and  enterprising  business  man  of  the 


city  and  his  name  is  closely  associated  with 
the  early  commercial  development  here. 
John  W.  Wilson  was  married  in  St.  Joseph 
on  the  2 1  St  of  August,  i860,  to  Miss  Susan 
Maria  Olds,  and  unto  them  were  born  five 
sons  and  a  daughter.  In  community  affairs 
Mr.  Wilson  was  actively  interested,  rejoicing 
in  the  advancement  made  by  his  adopted  city 
and  assisting  in  as  far  as  possible  in  the 
work  of  public  improvement  and  upbuilding. 
He  creditably  served  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  city  aldermen  from  the  first  ward 
for  two  years,  beginning  in  April,  1899.  He 
led  a  life  of  well  directed  activity  and 
actuated  by  a  spirit  of  service  in  behalf  of 
his  family  and  his  community.  He  died 
January  25,  1903,  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him.  The  members  of  the  family  are : 
Hurlbut  O.,  a  resident  of  St.  Joseph;  W.  L. ; 
Mrs.  John  Eklund,  who  is  living  in  this 
city;  John  F. ;  Charles  E.,  who  resides  in 
White  Cloud,  Michigan,  and  Harry  Lee, 
whose  home  is  in  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan. 

John  F.  Wilson  was  reared  in  St.  Joseph, 
where  he  has  spent  his  entire  life.  His  edu- 
cation was  largely  acquired  in  the  public 
schools  here  although  he  also  pursued  a  com- 
mercial course  in  Benton  Harbor  College. 
At  an  early  age  he  entered  the  employ  of 
his  father  and  learned  the  bakery  business, 
which  he  mastered  both  in  principle  and  de- 
tail. He  continued  with  his  father  until  the 
latter's  retirement  from  business  life,  when 
he  became  his  successor  and  is  now  proprie- 
tor of  a  good  bakery.  His  business  has  con- 
stantly grown  and  he  has  now  a  gratifying 
trade.  He  is  respected  by  all  not  alone  be- 
cause of  the  success  he  has  achieved  but 
also  by  reason  of  the  straightforward,  hon- 
orable methods  that  he  has  ever  followed. 

In  1898  in  the  city  of  his  nativity  Mr. 
Wilson  was  married  to  Miss  Dora  A.  Foltz, 
who  was  born  in  Bremen,  Indiana.  They 
have  one  child,  John  Charles,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  St.  Joseph,  October  26,  1905. 
Mr.  Wilson  is  independent  in  his  political 
views.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity 
and  has  taken  the  various  degrees  up  to  and 
including  those  of  the  council.  He  is  like- 
wise connected  with  the  Eastern  Star  and  his 
name  is  one  of  the  membership  rolls  of  the 


ELI  A.  GRIFFIN 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


713 


Elks  lodge  and  the  Maccabees  tent.  He  has 
many  warm  friends  in  Berrien  county  and  is 
best  liked  where  best  known. 

EDWIN  C.  GRIFFIN.  Various  busi- 
ness interests  have  claimed  the  attention  and 
co-operation  of  Edwin  C.  Griffin,  who  be- 
longs to  that  class  of  representative  Ameri- 
can men,  who  while  advancing  individual 
success  also  contribute  to  the  public  pros- 
perity. He  is  now  proprietor  of  a  drug 
store  which  has  been  conducted  continuously 
in  Niles  since  1883  ^^'^d  who  has  varied  busi- 
ness investments,  while  at  the  same  time  he 
finds  opportunity  to  support  progressive 
public  movements. 

Mr.  Griffin  was  born  in  Niles  in  1857 
and  is  the  only  child  of  Eli  A.  and  Harriet 
M.  (Nichols)  Griffin.  The  father  was  born 
at  Poplar  Ridge,  New  York,  in  1833,  and 
was  a  son  of  Samuel  H.  and  Maria  B. 
(Culver)  Griffin,  both  natives  of  the  Em- 
pire state,  the  former  born  in  Dutchess 
county.  In  their  family  were  five  children, 
of  whom  two  died  in  infancy  in  New  York, 
while  only  one  is  yet  living,  namely,  Mrs. 
Lucy  G.  Finley,  who  was  married  in  1862 
to  Thomas  J.  Finley.  They  had  two  chil- 
dren :  Ruhamah,  the  wife  of  William  P. 
Lardner;  and  Belle,  who  married  Frank 
Landon,  but  both  are  now  deceased.  They 
left  a  son  Worth  F.  Landon,  who  lives  in 
Chicago. 

Eli  A.  Griffin  was  the  eldest  of  the  five 
children  in  his  father's  family.  He  was  en- 
gaged in  the  dry  goods  business  in  Niles, 
Michigan,  at  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  war  and  in  1861  he  responded  to  the 
country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  in  Com- 
pany A,  Sixth  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry. 
He  became  captain  of  his  company  May  19, 
1869,  served  in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and 
went  with  Sherman  on  the  celebrated  march 
to  the  sea;  was  wounded  in  action  May  27, 
1863;  resigned  on  account  of  wounds  July 
17,  1863;  was  made  major  Nineteenth 
Michigan  Infantry  October  22,  1863,  lieu- 
tenant colonel  April  20,  1864;  died  June 
16,  1864,  of  wounds  received  in  action  at 
Golgotha  Church,  Georgia,  June  15,  1864, 
while  commanding  the  regiment,  being  at 
that   time  about  thirty-three  years   of  age. 


He  had  married  Harriet  M.  Nichols,  who 
was  born  in  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts  and 
long  survived  him,  passing  away  in  1889,  ^^ 
the  age  of  sixty-two  years. 

Edwin  C.  Griffin  was  reared  in  Niles 
and  began  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
here  but  afterward  attended  the  high  school 
at  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1875.  He 
then  went  to  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  be- 
came a  student  in  the  College  of  Pharmacy 
and  was  graduated  therefrom  in  the  class  of 
1879.  In  the  meantime,  in  1878,  he  passed 
the  examination  before  the  New  Jersey 
board  of  pharmacy  and  while  still  in  school 
he  acted  as  manager  of  a  drug  store  at 
Camden,  New  Jersey,  owned  by  Mr.  Lee, 
who  was  the  secretary  of  the  secretary  of  the 
State  Board  of  Pharmacy,  of  New  Jersey. 
Mr.  Griffin  continued  as  manager  for  two 
years.  He  now  holds  diplomas  from  Illi- 
nois and  Michigan,  having  passed  the  ex- 
amination before  the  board  of  pharmacy  of 
those  states  as  well  as  New  Jersey.  Fol- 
lowing his  graduation  he  went  to  Chicago, 
Illinois,  where  he  had  charge  of  the  Hyde 
Park  Pharmacy  for  a  year.  Subsequetnly 
he  went  to  Colorado,  where  he  remained  for 
two  years,  conducting  a  large  drug  store  at 
Durango.  He  owned  several  stores  while 
in  Colorado,  going  to  Del  Norte  and  later 
to  Durango,  while  subsequently  he  pur- 
chased a  stock  of  goods  and  went  by  team 
to  New  Mexico.  He  sold  the  first  bill  of 
goods  in  Durango  and  as  there  was  no  build- 
ing in  the  town  to  be  had  he  opened  his 
store  in  a  tent.  He  continued  in  business 
on  the  line  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
Railroad  to  the  termination  of  its  track  and 
then  proceeded  by  team  for  a  distance  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  selling  his 
goods  from  place  to  place.  He  eventually 
reached  New  Mexico  and  disposed  of  his 
stock  at  Trespiedras  or  Three  Rocks.  In 
1883  after  a  varied  career  as  a  pioneer  mer- 
chant of  the  west  he  returned  to  Niles  and 
in  that  year  opened  a  drug  store,  which  ha 
has  since  conducted  with  gratifying  success. 
He  carries  a  large  line  of  goods  and  has  a 
well  appointed  store,  neat  and  attractive  in 
its  appearance  by  reason  of  his  careful  man- 
agement. He  is  always  reliable  and  straight- 


714 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


forward  in  his  dealings  and  has  a  fhorough 
and  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  drug 
business  and  of  the  use  of  the  different  rem- 
edial agencies  by  reason  of  his  study  and  be- 
cause of  a  varied  experience.  He  is  also 
interested  and  actively  associated  with  the 
Building  and  Loan  Association  of  Niles,  of 
which  he  is  financial  secretary  and  treasurer. 
He  is  also  a  director  of  three  other  building 
and  loan  associations  all  of  this  city. 

Mr.  Griffin  was  married  in  Niles  in  1884 
to  Miss  Jennie  W.  Woodruff,  a  daughter  of 
D,  O.  Woodruff,  an  early  settler  of  Berrien 
county,  Michigan.  They  have  two  children, 
Harriet  C.  and  Jeanne,  both  born  in  Niles. 
The  family  attend  the  Episcopal  church  and 
are  prominent  in  social  circles.  Mr.  Griffin 
has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  city  af- 
fairs and  at  present  time  is  serving  on  the 
board  of  public  works.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican  and  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  pub- 
lic progress  have  never  been  limited  to  party 
allegiance,  for  he  has  given  his  co-operation 
to  various  measures  and  movements  for  the 
public  good.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  holding  membership  in  the  lodge, 
council,  chapter  and  commandery,  in  all  of 
w^hich  he  has  held  various  offices.  He  is 
now  and  has  been  for  the  past  fifteen  years 
secretary  of  the  chapter.  He  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  progressive  citizens  of  Niles,  is 
distinctively  a  man  of  affairs  and  one  who 
has  wielded  a  wide  influence.  He  has  found 
in  the  every-day  duties  of  this  work-a-day 
w^orld  incentive  for  his  best  effort  and  he 
has  not  only  profited  by  the  control  of  pri- 
vate business  interests,  for  other  enterprises 
have  felt  the  stimulus  of  his  wise  counsel 
and  energy.  The  city  of  Niles  has  been 
greatly  improved  through  the  building  and 
loan  association  with  which  Mr.  Griffin  is 
connected  and  his  patriotic  devotion  to  the 
general  good  is  an  acknowledged  fact  in  his 
life  record. 

GEORGE  GRAHAM  is  a  retired  old 
settler  living  at  Berrien  Springs  with  an 
income  derived  from  five  hundred  acres  of 
valuable  farming  property.  He  was  born 
in  Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania,  January 
31,  1826.     His  father,  John  Graham,  a  na- 


tive of  Pennsylvania,  spent  his  entire  life 
in  that  state.  He  was  a  merchant  and  also 
owned  a  stage  line  between  Philadelphia 
and  Pittsburg  in  early  days  before  railroad 
travel.  He  died  in  his  native  state  in  his 
forty-fourth  year.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Mary  Kimmel,  and  was 
also  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  was  acci- 
dentally killed  in  Berrien  county,  when  she 
had  reached  the  age  of  seventy-six  years. 
There  were  seven  children  in  the  family,  of 
whom  Goerge  Graham  is  the  eldest.  His 
residence  in  this  county  dates  from  1843, 
arriving  here  when  a  young  man  of  seven- 
teen years.  He  remained  for  three  years  and 
being  pleased  with  the  county,  its  productive- 
ness and  its  business  opportunities  he  then 
returned  to  Pennsylvania  and  brought  to  his 
new  home  his  mother,  two  brothers  and  two 
sisters,  making  the  journey  with  teams 
across  the  country.  They  located  on  a 
farm  in  Oronoko  township  and  a  part  of  the 
land  which  they  owned  is  now  comprised 
within  the  corporation  limits  of  Berrien 
Springs.  Mr.  Graham  cleared  and  cultivated 
the  fields  and  was  engaged  in  general  farm- 
ing until  1879,  when  he  erected  his  present 
residence  in  Berrien  Springs,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home.  As  the  years  passed 
by  he  carefully  directed  his  farming  opera- 
tions and  his  business  capacity  and  enter- 
prise were  indicated  by  the  excellent  suc- 
cess which  attended  his  efforts.  He  owns 
now  about  five  hundred  acres  of  land,  a 
large  portion  of  which  is  in  Berrien  Springs 
and  all  adjoining  the  village.  From  this  he 
derives  an  excellent  income  so  that  he  is  en- 
abled to  enjoy  the  comforts  and  many  of  the 
luxuries  of  life.  He  has  been  a  resident  of 
the  same  township  for  sixty-three  years  and 
was  closely  identified  with  the  early  history 
of  the  county,  aiding  in  the  advancement 
of  those  measures  and  movements  which 
have  for  their  object  the  welfare  and  up- 
building of  this  part  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Graham  was  married  in  December, 
1849,  ^o  Miss  Mary  B.  Garrow,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Mary  Garrow,  who  came 
from  Auburn,  New  York,  the  place  of  her 
nativity,  to  Michigan  and  spent  her  remain- 
ing days  in  Berrien  county,  her  death  oc- 


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HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


715 


curring  May  3,  1902.  The  deepest  regret 
was  felt  throughout  the  community  at  her 
loss,  for  she  was  a  lady  of  many  excellent 
traits  of  heart  and  mind.  By  this  marriage 
seven  children  have  been  born :  William  H. ; 
Harry  K. ;  Julia,  the  deceased  wife  of  Sam- 
uel H.  Kelly,  of  Benton  Harbor;  Addie,  the 
wife  of  T.  L.  Wilkinson  of  St.  Joseph  and 
Berrien  Springs,  being  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Dix  &  Wilkinson;  and  three,  who  died 
in  childhood. 

Since  his  retirement  from  the  farm  Mr. 
Graham  has  engaged  in  loaning  money  and 
this  also  adds  materially  to  his  income.  He 
started  out  in  life  a  poor  boy  and  began 
working  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand.  The 
first  year  he  received  only  his  board  in  com- 
pensation for  his  services  and  the  second 
year  he  was  paid  six  dollars  per  month  in 
addition  to  his  board.  He  has  accumulated 
all  that  he  possesses  through  his  own  in- 
dustry and  thrift  and  is  today  a  prosperous 
citizen.  In  early  manhood  he  voted  for 
General  Zachary  Taylor  and  for  John  C. 
Fremont.  He  was  a  Whig  prior  to  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Republican  party,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  one  of  its  stalwart 
supporters.  He  cast  two  ballots  for  Abra- 
ham Lincoln,  and  voted  for  each  presidential 
nominee  of  the  party  since  that  time, 
and  in  1904  he  met  with  the  Fre- 
mont voters  in  Jackson  at  the  semi- 
centennial anniversary  of  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Republican  party  there.  He 
has  held  local  offices,  including  that  of  presi- 
dent of  the  village.  He  is  well  known  in 
the  county  where  he  has  lived  so  long  and 
in  public  affairs  he  has  taken  an  active  and 
helpful  part.  He  has  now  reached  the  age 
of  four  score  years  and  is  a  venerable  citi- 
zen, respected  and  honored  by  all  who  know 
him  by  reason  of  what  he  has  accomplished 
and  the  honorable  methods  he  has  followed. 
His  life  record  should  serve  as  a  source  of 
inspiration  and  help  to  others,  being  a  prac- 
tical proof  of  what  may  be  done  in  the  busi- 
ness world  through  industry,  guided  by 
sound  judgment  and  supplemented  by  in- 
tegrity. 


EDWARD  H.  KINGSLEY,  engaged 
in  the  furniture  trade  in  St.  Joseph,  dates  his 
residence  in  Michigan  from  1851.  In  fact 
this  was  the  year  of  his  birth,  his  natal  place 
being  Niles.  He  is  a  son  of  George  W. 
Kingsley,  who  was  born  in  Worcester, 
Massachusetts,  and  who  in  early  manhood 
sought  a  home  in  the  great  and  growing 
west,  ambitious  to  profit  by  its  broader  op- 
portunities. Coming  to  Michigan  in  1833 
he  settled  in  St.  Joseph.  He  had  learned 
the  mason's  trade  and  became  a  contractor, 
in  that  line,  working  for  the  Michigan  Cen- 
tral Railroad  Company  at  the  time  its  line 
was  extended  to  St.  Joseph,  in  the  mean- 
time having  removed  his  family  to  Niles. 
In  1 85 1  he  again  took  up  his  abode  in  St. 
Joseph,  where  he  continued  his  business  as 
a  mason  contractor  up  to  the  time  of  his  de- 
mise. He  was  thus  closely  associated  with 
building  operations  in  his  adopted  city  and 
his  excellent  workmanship  may  still  be  seen 
in  many  of  the  substantial  structures  here. 
He  held  various  offices  of  trust,  including 
the  position  of  township  trustee  and  at  all 
times  he  was  loyal  in  citizenship,  his  labor, 
co-operation  and  influence  being  a  resultant 
factor  in  various  movements  for  the  public 
good.  He  wedded  Miss  Marian  Conkhrite, 
who  was  born  in  Lockport,  New  York,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  eight  children, 
but  five  have  passed  away.  Those  still  liv- 
ing are :  Edward  H. ;  Mary  L.,  the  wife  of 
L.  T.  Burridge,  of  Benton  Harbor;  and 
Charles  E.,  who  is  living  in  St.  Joseph.  The 
father's  death  occurred  in  St.  Joseph  in  1876 
at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years,  and  the  mother 
is  still  living,  now  making  her  home  in  Ben- 
ton arbor. 

Edward  H.  Kingsley,  although  born  in 
Niles,  was  reared  in  St.  Joseph,  where  he  at- 
tended school  and  on  attaining  manhood  he 
worked  with  his  father  at  the  mason's  trade 
for  a  number  of  years.  This  association 
was  maintained  until  the  father's  death,  when 
he  succeeded  to  the  business,  continuing  his 
operations  in  that  line  until  1887,  when  he 
engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in  Georgia, 
remaining  in  the  south  for  five  years.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  returned  to 


yi6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


St.  Joseph,  where  he  again  resumed  mason 
contracting  and  was  a  factor  in  building 
operations  here  until  1898,  when  he  became 
connected  with  other  industrial  interests  of 
the  city.  He  purchased  an  interest  in  a  box 
and  basket  manufacturing  business  at 
Bangor,  Michigan,  the  product  of  the  fact- 
ory being  used  by  the  fruit  packers  of  the 
state,  and  while  thus  engaged  he  still  re- 
tained his  residence  in  St.  Joseph.  He  re- 
mained in  this  business  for  two  years  and 
then  again  resumed  mason  contracting  here 
but  shortly  afterward  went  to  the  state  of 
Washington,  where  he  organized  the  Michi- 
gan Box  Company,  of  which  he  was  man- 
ager for  one  year.  On  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  sold  out  and  returned  to  St. 
Joseph,  where  he  again  followed  contract- 
ing until  August,  1905,  when  he  purchased 
an  interest  in  a  furniture  store,  which  for 
a  short  time  had  been  conducted  under  the 
name  of  Baitenger  &  Church,  and  afterward 
became  The  Baitenger  &  Kingsley  Com- 
pany. A  more  detailed  account  of  the  busi- 
ness is  given  in  connection  with  the  sketch 
of  G.  M.  Baitenger  on  another  page  of  this 
work.  They  carried,  however,  a  large  and 
well  selected  line  of  furniture  of  various 
grades  and  kinds  in  order  to  meet  the  varied 
tastes  of  the  general  public  and  they  also 
do  a  picture  frame  and  undertaking  business. 
Mr.  Kingsley  has  witnessed  almost  the 
entire  growth  and  development  of  this  city 
and  matters  of  local  progress  are  ever  dear 
to  his  heart.  Every  movement  for  the  gen- 
eral good  receives  his  endorsement  and  in 
al  of  his  efforts  for  the  public  welfare  he 
is  intensely  practical.  Before  St.  Joseph 
was  incorporated  as  a  city  he  served  on  the 
village  board  of  trustees  and  after  the  city 
had  received  its  charter  he  was  elected  as 
supervisor  of  the  first  ward  for  a  term  of 
two  years  and  when  the  wards  were  redis- 
tricted  he  was  chosen  supervisor  for  the  third 
ward,  filling  the  office  for  four  years.  He 
was  also  appointed  to  the  board  of  public 
works  for  a  term  of  two  years  and  later 
was  reappointed  for  a  five  years'  term.  His 
political  allegiance  has  always  been  given 
to  the  Republican  party  and  his  devotion  to 


the  public  welfare  stands  as  an  unquestioned 
fact  in  his  history. 

In  June,  1876,  Mr.  Kingsley  was  united 
in  marriage  in  St.  Joseph  to  Miss  Cynthia 
J.  Cowles,  a  daughter  of  Charles  C.  Cowles, 
of  Mobile,  Alabama.  Mrs.  Kingsley  is  a 
member  of  the  Episcopal  church  and  they 
occupy  an  enviable  position  in  social  circles, 
where  true  worth  and  intelligence  are  re- 
ceived as  the  passports  into  good  society. 
Mr.  Kingsley  is  a  member  of  the  St.  Jo- 
seph Lodge  of  Masons,  No.  437,  and  in  1900 
was  high  priest  of  Calvin  Brittain  Chapter, 
R.  A.  M.  He  also  belongs  to  St.  Joseph 
Council,  No.  44,  R.  &  S.  M.,  and  to  Malta 
Commandery,  K.  T.,  of  Benton  Harbor. 
He  has  thus  attained  high  rank  in  Masonry 
and  is  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  teach- 
ings and  purposes  of  the  craft.  He  has 
found  in  his  native  county  the  business  op- 
portunities he  sought,  which,  by  way,  are  al- 
ways open  to  the  ambitious,  energetic  man, 
and  making  the  best  of  these  he  has  steadily 
worked  his  way  upward.  He  possesses  res- 
olution^  perseverance  and  reliability  and  in 
whatever  relation  of  life  we  find  him, 
whether  in  political  associations,  in  business 
or  in  social  circles,  he  is  always  an  honora- 
ble and  honored  gentleman,  whose  worth 
well  merits  the  high  regard  which  is  uni- 
formly given  him. 

WILLIAM  E.  SHEFFIELD,  classed 
with  the  merchants  of  Benton  Harbor, 
where  since  1887  he  has  been  engaged  in 
the  drug  business,  was  born  in  Kokomo,  In- 
diana, in  1863.  His  education  was  ac- 
quired in  Richland  county,  Wisconsin,  and 
he  afterward  went  to  Montcalm  county, 
Michigan,  where  he  learned  the  drug  busi- 
ness with  his  father,  James  A.  Sheffield. 
In  1887  he  came  to  Benton  Harbor  and 
established  a  drug  store  under  the  firm  style 
of  J.  A.  Sheffield  &  Son.  From  the  begin- 
ning the  new  enterprise  prospered  and  they 
built  up  a  fine  business,  carrying  a  large 
and  well  selected  line  of  drugs  and  also  deal- 
ing in  stationery  and  books,  of  which  they 
have  a  large  stock.  This  business  has  been 
largely  built  up  through  the  efforts  of  Wil- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


71; 


liam  E.  Sheffield  and  since  the  death  of  his 
father  in  1899  he  has  carried  on  the  busi- 
ness under  his  own  name  in  a  very  success- 
ful manner.  His  commercial  methods  are 
such  as  will  bear  close  investigation  and 
scrutiny  and  while  keeping  in  touch  with 
the  trend  of  modern  progress  in  trade  cir- 
cles he  is  at  the  same  time  maintaining  a 
reputation  for  straightforward  dealing  that 
is  most  commendable. 

In  1884,  in  Ohio,  Mr.  Sheffield  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ella  G.  Sheffield 
and  they  are  accorded  an  enviable  social 
position  in  Benton  Harbor.  Mr.  Sheffield 
is  a  prominent  Mason,  having  attained  the 
32d  degree  of  the  Scottish  Rite.  He  has 
also  taken  the  degrees  of  the  York  Rite  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Democrat  and  is  a  member  of  the 
library  board  of  Benton  Harbor.  His  in- 
terest in  public  affairs  has  led  to  active  sup- 
port of  many  plans  and  movements  for  the 
general  good.  In  political  thought  and  ac- 
tion he  has  always  been  independent,  carry- 
ing out  his  honest  views  without  fear  or 
favor.  In  business  he  has  achieved  success 
through  honorable  effort,  untiring  industry 
and  capable  management  and  in  private  life 
has  gained  that  warm  personal  regard  which 
arises  from  true  nobility  of  character,  def- 
erence for  the  opinions  of  others  and 
geniality. 

THERON  T.  RANSOM,  now  deceased, 
was  well  known  in  business,  social  and  politi- 
cal circles  in  St.  Joseph.  He  conducted  a 
grocery  store  there  for  many  years  and  as 
a  builder  of  a  business  block  and  other  sub- 
stantial structures  contributed  in  large  meas- 
ure to  the  improvement  of  the  city.  More- 
over he  displayed  in  his  early  life  the  qual- 
ities of  upright  manhood  and  devotion  to 
duty  which  in  every  land  and  clime  awaken 
confidence  and  regard.  He  won  the  warm 
friendship  of  many  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact,  so  that  his  death  came  as  a  personal 
loss  to  the  entire  community. 

Mr.  Ransom  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Oberlin  in  1840. 
His  parents  were  William  Brooks  and 
Cynthia    (Turner)    Ransom.      The    father 


lived  for  many  years  in  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis- 
consin, where  he  was  engaged  in  horticul- 
tural pursuits,  owning  and  controlling  a  large 
fruit  farm.  Subsequently  he  removed  to 
Berrien  county,  Michigan,  where  he  also 
bought  a  farm  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of 
fruit  and  to  the  raising  of  stock.  He  con- 
ducted that  farm  for  a  number  of  years  but 
spent  his  last  days  in  retirement  from  further 
labor  in  St.  Joseph,  and  his  rest  was  well 
merited  because  the  competence  which  he 
possessed  had  been  acquired  entirely  through 
his  own  well  directed  and  honorable  labor. 

Theron  T.  Ransom  was  reared  to  man- 
hood in  Fond  du  Lac,  Wisconsin,  and  after 
completing  his  education  and  entering  busi- 
ness life  he  was  connected  with  various  en- 
terprises, including  mining.  He  was  thus 
engaged  until  1867,  when  he  came  to  Michi- 
gan and  entered  business  circles  in  St.  Jo- 
seph as  a  grocer.  From  the  beginning  his 
success  was  uniform  and  rapid  and  he  soon 
had  a  large  and  gratifying  trade,  which  was 
accorded  him  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
many  of  his  patrons  giving  him  their  sup- 
port throughout  the  entire  period  of  his  con- 
nection with  business  interests  of  his  city. 
As  his  trade  grew^  and  his  financial  resources 
w^ere  correspondingly  enlarged  he  placed  his 
money  in  the  safest  of  all  investments — real 
estate — and  erected  a  substantial  business 
block,  wdiereby  he  contributed  in  large  and 
beneficial  measure  to  the  upbuilding  and  im- 
provement of  the  city.  He  also  owned  va- 
rious other  properties  here.  In  connection 
with  his  other  interests  he  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Union  Bank  of  St.  Joseph 
and  acted  on  its  board  of  directors  for  many 
years. 

In  1868  in  St.  Joseph  Mr.  Ransom  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  Adams,  a  daughter 
of  Charles  and  Ann  A.  (Hoyt)  Adams,  the 
former  a  native  of  Limerick,  Maine.  Her 
mother  was  a  daughter  of  Eliphalet  Hoyt, 
also  of  Maine,  who  married  Sallie  Hoyt  of 
New  Hampshire.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ran- 
som were  born  two  children  but  only  one  is 
now  living,  Ralph,  who  is  an  artist  and 
teacher  in  the  Albion  College  at  Albion, 
Michigan.  He  married  Nannie  Keith,  a 
daughter  of  W.  W.  Bean,  of  St.  Joseph. 


7i8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Mrs.  Ransom  of  this  revkw  is  a  great  lover 
of  antiquities  and  has  a  large  collection  of 
ancient  relics,  including  many  pewter 
articles.  She  has  a  pewter  platter  which 
was  brought  from  England  in  early  colonial 
days  and  is  now  more  than  one  hundred  and 
fifty  years  old.  She  also  has  many  other  in- 
teresting antiquities  and  art  relics,  including 
a  large,  beautiful  and  interesting  collection 
of  china. 

Mr.  Ransom's  study  of  questions  and  is- 
sues led  him  to  give  his  support  to  the  Re- 
publican party  and  he  was  well  known  both 
politically  and  socially  in  St.  Joseph  and  was 
recognized  at  the  same  time  as  an  important 
factor  in  the  business  life  of  the  community. 
He  would  never  hold  political  office  although 
such  honors  would  have  been  conferred  upon 
him  had  he  consented  to  accept.  In  a  quiet 
w^ay,  however,  he  labored  earnestly  for  the 
welfare  of  the  community  and  his  influence 
was  ever  given  on  the  side  of  progress  and 
improvement.  He  held  membership  in  the 
Masonic  lodge  and  when  called  to  his  final 
rest  in  1886  was  laid  to  rest  with  Masonic 
honors.  He  was  a  man  of  genuine  personal 
worth,  wdiose  many  good  qualities  won  him 
recognition  from  those  who  have  true  ap- 
preciation for  the  nobler  characteristics  of 
life  but  while  he  held  friendship  inviolable 
and  was  ever  considerate  of  the  thoughts 
and  feelings  of  others  his  best  traits  of  char- 
acter were  reserved  for  his  own  family  and 
fireside. 

PROFESSOR  ERNEST  P.  CLARKE, 

superintendent  of  the  schools  of  St.  Joseph, 
has  devoted  almost  his  entire  life  to  educa- 
tional work.  He  was  born  in  Berrien  town- 
ship, this  county,  in  1862,  a  son  of  Daniel 
Edward  Clarke,  a  native  of  Ohio.  The 
father  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  en- 
listing at  Niles,  Michigan,  as  a  private  of 
Company  I,  Twelfth  Michigan  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, with  which  he  continued  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Jeflfer- 
son  Barracks,  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  of  typhoid 
fever.  He  married  Martha  Zuver,  also  a 
native  of  Ohio.  She  yet  survives  her  hus- 
band and  makes  her  home  with  her  son. 
Professor  Clarke  began  his  education  in 


the  public  schools  of  Indiana  but  on  account 
of  his  father's  early  death  he  had  to  put  aside 
his  text-bqoks  and  earn  his  own  living  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  years.  He  became  an 
employe  of  William  Edwards  of  Benton 
Harbor,  with  whom  he  remained  for  two 
years.  After  completing  a  three  years' 
course  in  the  Benton  Harbor  high  school  he 
entered  the  Michigan  Agricultural  College, 
largely  w^orking  his  own  way  through  this 
institution.  He  thus  displayed  the  elementary 
strength  of  his  character  and  developed  the 
latent  energies  which  have  proven  a  strong 
and  forceful  element  in  his  subsequent  suc- 
cess. On  leaving  college  he  became  a  teacher 
in  Hillsdale  county,  Michigan,  and  afterward 
went  to  Kansas,  where  he  remained  for  three 
years  as  principal  of  the  schools  of  White 
City.  He  then  returned  to  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  and  in  1893  was  elected  county 
commissioner  of  schools  which  position  he  * 
filled  so  acceptably  that  he  was  three  times 
re-elected  and  was  serving  for  the  fourth 
term  in  that  office  when  he  resigned  to  ac- 
cept the  position  of  superintendent  of  the 
city  schools  of  St.  Joseph,  to  which  position 
he  was  called  in  1899.  He  has  since  acted 
in  that  capacity  and  has  done  much  for  the 
improvement  of  the  schools,  maintaining  a 
high  standard  of  public  education  and  in- 
spiring the  teachers  and  pupils  under  him 
with  much  of  his  own  zeal  and  interest  in 
the  work,  so  that  the  school  system  has  be- 
come an  efficient  one  and  his  labors  have 
given  uniform  satisfaction. 

On  the  24th  of  May,  1893,  Professor 
Clarke  was  married  in  Kendall,  Michigan, 
to  Miss  Elnora  Wheeler,  a  daughter  of 
David  and  Mary  (Chamberlain)  Wheeler. 
They  have  two  children,  Edward  E.  and 
Mary  P.,  both  born  in  St.  Joseph.  Professor 
Clarke  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity and  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  in 
social  circles  he  and  his  wife  now  enjoy  an 
enviable  position,  especially  where  true  worth 
and  intelligence  are  received  as  passports 
into  good  society.  His  life  record  stands  in 
contradistinction  to  the  old  adage  that  a 
'^prophet  is  not  without  honor  save  in  his 
own  country,"  for  in  the  county  of  his 
nativity  he  has  attained  to  a  position  of  dis- 


^ 


(Tx^d-X, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


719 


tinction  as  one  who  is  closely  connected  with 
the  pubhc  welfare  and  whose  labors  have 
been  of  direct  and  immediate  benefit. 

HON.  ROSCO  D.  DIX.    Prominent  in 
political   circles    in    Michigan,    an   able   at- 
torney of  Berrien  Springs  and  the  president 
of  the  Berrien  Springs  Exchange  Bank,  also 
a  recognized  leader  in  the  development  of 
the   Grand   Army   of  the  Republic  in   this 
state,  no  history  of  Berrien  county  would 
be  complete  without  mention  of  Hon.  Rosco 
D.  Dix,  whose  life  record  is  interwoven  with 
the  annals  of  the  commonwealth.     He  was 
born  in  Jefferson  county,  New  York,  June 
II,  1839.     His  paternal  grandfather,  Leon- 
ard Dix,  was  of  Holland  Dutch  extraction. 
A  native  of  Vermont,  he  lived  to  be  ninety- 
four  years  of  age  and  died  in  Berrien  coun- 
ty.    His  son.  Dexter  O.  Dix,  who  was  like- 
wise born  in  the  Green  Mountain  State,  re- 
moved from  New  England  to  New  York, 
where  he  followed  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing  for   a   number   of   years.      Coming   to 
Michigan  in  1852  he  located  in  Bainbridge 
township,  Berrien  county,  where  he  owned 
land  and  also  carried  on  merchandising.   He 
was  an  active  and  enterprising  business  man 
during  the  middle  portion  of  the  nineteenth 
century  and  he  also  left  the  impress  of  his 
individuality     upon     public     thought     and 
action,    exerting    widely    felt    influence    in 
matters  of  general  moment.     He  served  as 
supervisor  of  his  township  and  was  always 
the  champion  of  any  movement  for  the  pub- 
lic good.    He  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Rudd, 
a  native  of  Connecticut  and  a  daughter  of 
Nathaniel    Rudd    of    Revolutionary    stock. 
Dextor  O.  Dix  passed  away  at  the  age  of 
seventy-seven  years,  while  his  wife  survived 
to  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years.     In  their 
family  were  three  sons  and  a  daughter. 

Rosco  D.  Dix,  the  eldest  son  and  second 
child  of  the  family,  was  about  twelve  years 
of  age  when  his  parents  removed  from  Jef- 
ferson county,  New  York,  to  Rochester,  that 
state,  and  was  a  youth  of  fifteen  when  he 
came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan.  His 
early  education,  acquired  in  the  district 
schools  of  the  Empire  State,  was  supple- 
mented by  study  in  Albion  College,  at  Al- 


bion, Michigan.  He  was  a  student  there, 
when,  in  response  to  his  country's  call  for 
aid,  he  enlisted  in  the  spring  of  186 1  as  a 
private  of  the  Second  Michigan  Volunteer 
Infantry.  He  had  watched  wdth  interest  the 
progress  of  events  in  the  south,  had  noted 
the  threatening  attitude  of  the  slave-holding 
states  and  had  resolved  that  he  would  strike 
a  blow  for  the  Union  if  an  attempt  was  made 
to  overthrow.  Accordingly  the  smoke  from 
Fort  Sumter's  guns  had  scarcely  cleared 
away  when  he  offered  his  services. 
He  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
first  sergeant  and  was  seriously  wounded 
at  Knoxville,  Tennessee,  November  24, 
1863,  and  taken  prisoner.  Being  in- 
capacitated for  further  military  service 
he  was  honorably  discharged,  and  in  1864 
he  returned  to  Berrien  cismty,  having  served 
for  nearly  three  years  as  a  faithful  and 
loyal  soldier  who  never  faltered  in  the  per- 
formance of  any  military  task  assigned 
him. 

Following  his  return  from  the  war  Mr. 
Dix  was  elected  register  of  deeds  in  1864, 
which  he  filled  for  eight  years,  being  elected 
four  different  times.  In  the  meantime  he 
had  purchased  a  set  of  abstract  books  and 
had  for  some  years  been  engaged  in  the  con- 
duct of  an  abstract  office.  In  1870  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  and  entered  upon  prac- 
tice, since  continuing  as  a  representative  of 
the  legal  fraternity  of  Berrien  county.  His 
connection  with  the  abstract  office  did  not 
comprise  the  extent  of  his  political  service, 
however,  for  he  was  elected  commissioner 
of  the  state  land  office  and  acted  in  that 
capacity  for  four  years,  wdiile  in  1896  he 
was  elected  auditor  general  of  Michigan, 
which  position  he  also  held  for  four  years. 
He  has  likewise  been  called  to  numerous 
local  offices,  the  duties  of  which  he  has  dis- 
charged with  promptness  and  fidelity,  and 
over  the  official  record  of  his  career  there 
falls  no  shadow  of  wrong  or  suspicion  of 
^  evil. 

In  1867  Mr.  Dix  was  married  to  Miss 
Virginia  M.  Kephart,  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
Philip  and  Susan  (Kimmel)  Kephart.  They 
are  now  the  parents  of  one  living  son  and 
one  living  daughter,  Winfred  and  Catherine, 


720 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


the  latter  the  wife  of  WilHam  H.  Humphrey, 
of  Chicago.     Mr.  Dix  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  in  which  he  has  taken 
the  degrees  of  the  blue  lodge,  chapter,  com- 
mandery  and  shrine.     He  is  also  a  member 
of  Kilpatrick  Post,  No.  39,  G.  A.  R.,  and 
has  held  various  offices  in  the  department 
of  Michigan.     In   1898  he  was  a  member 
of  the  national  executive  committee.     He  is 
one  of  the   leading  representatives   of   the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  in  Michigan 
and  likewise  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
has  taken  an  active  and  helpful  interest  in 
both.     He  has  been  chairman  of  the  Repub- 
lican county  committee  and  a  member  of  the 
congressional  committee,  and  his  opinion  is 
often  a  decisive  factor  in  the  councils  of  his 
party.     In  connection  with  the  practice  of 
law  he  is  in  partndfehip  with  T.  L.  Wilkin 
in   the   real-estate,    insurance    and   banking 
business  as  the  owner  of  the  Berrien  Springs 
Exchange   Bank.     For   forty-one  years  he 
has  made  his  home  in  Berrien  Springs  and 
local  advancement  and  national  progress  are 
causes  dear  to  his  heart.     He  activelv  inter- 
ests himself  in  public  affairs  and  participates 
earnestly    in    every    effort    to   propagate    a 
spirit  of  patriotism  and  loyalty  to  American 
institutions.     He  is  opposed  to  misrule  in 
municipal  and  public  affairs  and  wherever 
there  is  a  public-spirited  attempt  to  drive  cor- 
ruption or  other  unworthiness  out  of  office 
he  is  to  be  found  working  with  the  leaders 
of  the  movement.     His  success  in  business 
and  the  position  of  honor  and  trust  which 
have  been  conferred  upon  him  leave  no  room 
for  question  of  his  ability  and  he  deserves 
and  is  given  classification  with  the  promi- 
nent men  not  only  of  Berrien  county  but  of 
the  state. 

GEORGE  A.  FORLER  is  one  of  the  na- 
tive sons  of  Niles,  born  April  17,  1862.  He 
is  a  son  of  George  K.  Forler,  a  native  of 
Canada  and  a  grandson  of  John  Forler,  who 
was  born  in  Germany  near  Strasburg.  The 
grandfather  on  coming  to  America  settled 
first  in  Buffalo,  New  York.  This  was  in 
the  year  1828,  at  which  time  the  city  of  Buf- 
falo was  but  a  small  village.  There  he 
owned  land  which  is  now  in  the  heart  of  the 


city.  After  two  years  spent  in  Buffalo  he 
removed  to  Canada  in  1830  and  there  both 
he  and  his  wife  resided  until  called  to  their 
final  rest.  He  had  married  Katherine 
Grieger,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  and 
before  their  emigration  to  the  new  world 
they  had  become  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren, Katherine  and  Margaret,  both  of 
whom  are  now  deceased.  Six  other  children 
were  added  to  the  family  in  America,  of 
whom  three  are  now  living :  George  K. ; 
Jacob  K.,  who  resides  in  Canada;  and  Chris- 
tian, also  living  in  that  country.  The  par- 
ents in  1904  celebrated  their  fiftieth  wedding 
anniversity  in  Niles,  on  which  happy  occa- 
sion all  of  their  children  were  present  and 
many  friends  joined  with  them  in  good 
.wishes  and  hearty  congratulations.  The 
grandfather  was  a  weaver  by  trade  and  fol- 
lowed that  pursuit  in  Germany  but  after  lo- 
cating in  Buffalo,  New  York,  he  carried  on 
farming  and  subsequent  to  his  removal  to 
Canada  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land,  which 
he  cleared  and  cultivated,  making  his  home 
thereon  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1 86 1,  when  he  was  sixty  years  of  age.  His 
wife  long  survived  him,  passing  away  in 
1888,  when  ninety-four  years  of  age. 

Their  son,  George  K.  Forler,  now  living 
in  Niles,  came  from  Canada  to  Michigan  in 
i860  and  took  up  his  abode  in  the  city  which 
is  yet  his  place  of  residence.  He  had  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade  in  Canada  and  he  here 
followed  that  pursuit  until  1862,  when  with 
the  capital  he  had  saved  from  his  own  earn- 
ings he  embarked  in  merchandising  in  Niles. 
For  a  third  of  a  century  he  was  closely  identi- 
fied with  commercial  interests  here,  occupy- 
ing a  prominent  position  as  a  merchant  and 
continuing  in  the  trade  until  1895,  when 
he  retired.  In  1864  he  erected  a  substantial 
two-story  brick  hotel,  called  the  Forler 
Hotel,  located  at  the  corner  of  Fifth  and 
High  streets.  On  the  street  floor  was  the 
office  of  the  hotel  and  also  his  grocery  and 
provision  store.  The  building  was  burned 
in  April,  1889,  and  in  November,  1889,  busi- 
ness was  commenced  in  the  new  building. 
In  his  undertakings  George  K.  Forler  was 
very  successful,  his  capable  management  of 
his  interests  bringing  him  a  very  gratifying 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


721 


degree  of  prosperity.  As  a  companion  and 
helpmate  for  life's  journey  he  chose  Miss 
Katherine  Schmidt,  who  was  born  in  Ger- 
many and  is  also  living.  They  became  the 
parents  of  nine  children  :  Magdalene,  now  the 
widow  of  Charles  Whetstone;  WiUiam  S., 
who  wedded  Mary  Keochly,  and  is  now  en- 
gaged in  the  hotel  business  in  Portland,  Indi- 
ana; George  A.;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Alfred 
Massnick,  of  Bay  City,  Michigan ;  Kate,  the 
wife  of  Rev.  Joseph  Reinicke,  of  Marion, 
Ohio;  John  H.,  who  wedded  Olive  East- 
wood, of  South  Bend,  Indiana,  and  now  lives 
in  Niles;  Margaret^  the  wife  of  J.  G.  Kaiser, 
of  Erie,  Pennsylvania;  Annie,  the  wife  of 
Oscar  Massnick,  of  Detroit,  Michigan;  and 
H.  C.  L.  Forler,  who  married  Isabelle  Nes- 
bitt,  and  is  a  practicing  attorney  of  Detroit. 

George  A.  Forler,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  record,  entered  the  schools  of 
Niles  at  the  usual  age,  passing  through  suc- 
cessive grades  until  he  had  become  a  high 
school  student.  He  afterward  attended  a 
business  college  in  Detroit  and  on  returning 
to  Niles  entered  his  father's  store,  acting 
as  manager  until  1893.  He  then  went  to 
Chicago,  where  he  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business  on  his  own  account  for  two  years, 
or  until  1895,  when  he  returned  to  Niles 
and  purchased  his  father's  grocery  and  pro- 
vision business.  He  has  since  continued  in 
this  line  of  trade  with  much  success,  hav- 
ing a  good  patronage  which  is  constantly 
growing.  He  is  recognized  as  an  enterpris- 
ing merchant  and  one  who  realizes  that  close 
application  and  indefatigable  energy  con- 
stitute a  safe  and  sure  foundation  upon 
which  to  build  the  superstructure  of  pros- 
perity. In  1894  in  Chicago  Mr.  Forler  was 
married  to  Miss  Dora  Spansail,  who  was 
born  in  Genoa,  Illinois.  They  have  three 
children :  Dorothy,  born  in  Chicago ;  and 
Gladys  and  Katherine,  born  in  Niles.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Forler  are  well  known  socially, 
while  his  business  record  and  position  is  in 
accord  with  the  honored  name  made  by  his 
father  through  long  years  of  association  with 
mercantile  interests  in  Niles. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Forler  is 
an  earnest  Democrat  and  has  served  as 
46 


alderman  from  the  first  ward  and  was  for- 
two  terms  a  member  of  the  school  board. 

GEORGE  MILTON  VALENTINE,  a 

representative  citizen  and  distinguished 
lawyer  of  Benton  Harbor,  was  born  in 
Pulaski,  Oswego  county,  New  York,  Janu- 
ary II,  1849.  His  father,  William  Valen- 
tine, was  born  at  Hoosic,  Rensselear  county,, 
New  York,  January  19,  1803,  and  was  a. 
farmer  by  occupation,  following  that  pur- 
suit throughout  his  entire  business  career. 
In  the  Empire  state  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Samantha  Taylor,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Richland  township,  Oswego  county.  New 
York,  October  7,  1811.  In  the  year  1851 
they  removed  with  their  family  from  New- 
York  to  Michigan,  settling  in  Galien  town- 
ship, Berrien  county,  where  William  Valen- 
tine made  his  home  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  May,  1875.  Although  farm- 
ing was  his  principal  occupation  he  also  en- 
gaged in  lumbering  to  some  extent.  His 
early  political  allegiance  was  given  to  the 
Whig  party  and  upon  its  dissolution  he 
joined  the  ranks  of  the  Republican  party. 
His  widow  still  survives  him  and  now  makes 
her  home  with  her  daughter  at  Coloma,  in 
Berrien  county.  In  their  family  were  nine 
children,  eight  of  whom  are  now  livings 
namely :  Helen  M. ;  John  A.,  who  resides  in 
South  Bend,  Indiana;  Stephen  A.,  living  in 
Granger,  Indiana;  William  H.,  of  Three 
Oaks,  Michigan;  Mrs.  Nancy  J.  Brown,  of 
Coloma;  Mrs.  Julia  S.  Jeffries,  also  living- 
in  Three  Oaks,  Michigan;  George  M.,  of 
Benton  Harbor ;  Charles  N.,  of  Fargo,  North 
Dakota;  and  Andrew  P.,  who  is  living  in 
Berrien  Springs,  Michigan.  The  eldest 
member  of  the  family,  Helen  M.  Russ,  is 
now  deceased. 

George  M.  Valentine,  brought  to  Ber- 
rien county  when  but  two  years  of  age,  ac- 
quired his  preliminary  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  and  supplemented  the  knowledge 
there  gained  by  study  in  New  Carlisle  (Indi- 
ana) Collegiate  Institute  and  in  the  high 
school  at  Niles.  In  early  manhood  his  time 
was  devoted  to  general  farming  and  school 
teaching,   but   regarding  the  profession  of 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


teaching  merely  as  an  initial  step  to  other 
professional  labor^  he  took  up  the  study  of 
law  in  1873  ^i^^l  i^  1^75  was  graduated  from 
the  law  department  of  the  University  of 
Michigan.  In  July  of  the  same  year  he  en- 
g'aged  in  partnership  with  W.  H.  Breece,  of 
Three  Oaks,  under  the  firm  style  of  Breece  & 
Valentine,  which  relation  was  maintained 
until  February,  1877,  when  he  removed  to 
Benton  Harbor,  and  on  St.  Valentine's  day 
of  that  year  opened  an  office.  From  1897 
until  1 901  he  was  a  member  of  the  law  firm 
of  Valentine  &  Ellsworth,  general  practi- 
tioners. With  the  exception  of  this  period 
he  has  been  alone  in  practice  and  has  long 
maintained  a  foremost  place  in  the  front 
ranks  of  the  representatives  of  the  legal  fra- 
ternity in  Berrien  county.  He  served  as 
attorney  for  the  village  of  Benton  Harbor 
and  as  city  attorney  after  its  incorporation 
as  a  city.  He  is  a  close  and  discriminating 
student,  with  wide  knowledge  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  jurisprudence  and  is  correct  in  their 
application.  Courts  and  juries  listen  to  him 
with  attention  because  of  the  clear,  concise 
manner  in  which  he  presents  his  cause  and 
his  ability  in  applying  legal  principles  thereto. 
He  is  very  careful  and  thorough  in  the 
preparation  of  a  case,  never  neglecting  in 
the  least  the  work  that  is  done  in  the  office 
and  which  is  the  foundation  for  the  successes 
of  the  court  room.  Mr.  Valentine  is  also 
recognized  as  a  local  leader  in  political  cir- 
cles, widely  known  as  a  stalwart  champion 
of  Republican  principles.  In  1880  he  was 
elected  circuit  court  commissioner  and  re- 
elected in  1882.  In  1896  he  was  chosen  by 
popular  suffrage  to  the  office  of  prosecuting 
attorney,  and  in  1898  was  re-elected.  In 
1900  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Republican 
national  convention  at  Philadelphia,  repre- 
senting the  fourth  congressional  district  of 
Michigan.  His  opinions  are  often  a  forceful 
element  in  party  councils  and  are  always 
listened  to  with  attention  because  he  has 
made  a  close  study  of  political  issues  and 
questions  and  thus  cites  intelligently  and 
forcefully  concerning  those  interests  affect- 
ing local  and  national  welfare. 

On  the  15th  of  January,  1878,  Mr.  Valen- 
tine was  married  to  Miss  Sophia  W.  Gilson, 


of  New  Carlisle,  Indiana,  a  daughter  of  Abel 
S.  and  Elizabeth  C.  Gilson.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Valentine  have  two  children:  Edson  B.,  who 
was  born  June  2y,  1879,  and  is  a  graduate 
of  the  law  department  of  the  University  of 
Michigan  of  the  class  of  1906;  and  George 
Lawrence,  who  was  born  May  5,  1886,  and 
is  a  bookkeeper  in  the  Benton  Harbor  State 
Bank.  Mr.  Valentine  holds  membership  re- 
lations with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  and  has  taken  the 
degree  of  chivalric  Masonry  in  Malta  Com- 
mandery.  No.  44,  K.  T.  He  actively  in- 
terests himself  in  public  affairs  and  partici- 
pates earnestly  in  any  effort  to  propagate  a 
spirit  of  patriotism  and  of  loyalty  to  Amer- 
ican institutions,  and  wherever  there  is  a 
public-spirited  attempt  to  drive  corruption 
or  other  un worthiness  out  of  public  office 
he  is  to  be  found  working  with  the  leaders 
of  the  movement.  Possessing  a  high  degree 
of  good  fellowship  he  is  an  active  member 
in  social  organizations  with  which  he  is  con- 
nected. A  vigorous  physique  and  intellect 
enable  him  to  attend  adequately  to  the  social 
side  of  life  without  neglecting  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  mind,  and  he  is  a  constant  reader 
of  those  volumes  which  bring  broad  general 
culture. 

GEORGE  HENKEL  is  one  of  the 
young  business  men  in  Niles,  now  repre- 
senting its  mercantile  interests.  He  is  a 
native  son  of  the  city,  born  February  2y, 
1872.  The  family  is  of  German  lineage,  the 
father,  John  Henkel,  having  been  born  in 
Darmstadt,  Germany,  October  3,  1838.  He 
was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family 
of  five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, and  he  acquired  a  common-school  edu- 
cation in  his  native  land,  where  he  remained 
until  early  manhood,  when,  thinking  that 
he  might  have  superior  business  opportun- 
ities in  the  new  world,  he  crossed  the  At- 
lantic and  settled  in  Canada.  There  he  en- 
gaged in  clerking  for  a  short  time.  Prior 
to  this  he  had  also  acted  as  a  clerk  in  Darm- 
stadt. Having  spent  four  years  in  Canada 
he  crossed  the  border  into  the  United  States 
in  1862  and  from  New  York  city  made  his 
way  direct  to   Michigan,  settling  in   Niles. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


7^Z 


For  twelve  years  he  was  in  the  employ  of 
WilHam  B.  Beeson  and  after  the  death  of 
that  gentleman  he  was  retained  in  the  same 
establishment  by  Mr.  Beeson's  successors, 
the  firm  of  Carter  &  Walker,  with  whom 
he  continued  for  three  years.  Later  he  went 
to  Mishawaka,  Indiana,  where  he  occupied 
a  clerical  position  for  three  years  and  then 
with  the  capital  which  he  had  managed  to 
save  from  his  earnings  he  embarked  in  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account,  forming  a  partner- 
ship with  his  eldest  son,  Henry  Henkel, 
tinder  the  firm  name  of  John  Henkel  &  Son. 
They  opened  a  dry  goods  establishment  at 
Niles  in  1883  and  from  that  time  the  enter- 
prise has  enjoyed  a  large  trade,  a  good  busi- 
ness being  developed  along  safe,  conserva- 
tive, yet  progressive  lines.  On  the  death  of 
the  father  the  firm  of  Henkel  Brothers  was 
formed  by  Henry  and  George  Henkel  and 
the  store  continues  to  be  one  of  the  most 
important  features  in  trade  circles  in  this 
city. 

John  Henkel  was  united  in  marriage  in 
i860  to  Miss  Christiana  Leanhart,  of  Can- 
ada, and  unto  them  were  born  five  children, 
tw^o  sons  and  three  daughters.  Henry,  the 
eldest,  born  in  Canada,  July  18,  1861,  came 
with  his  parents  to  Niles  when  very  young, 
acquired  his  education  in  the  schools  of  this 
city  and  afterward  entered  business  with  his 
father  as  above  stated.  He  married  Miss 
Carrie  Either,  a  sister  of  A.  F.  Either  of 
Niles,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this 
volume,  and  they  now  have  two  daughters, 
Carrie  Maud  and  Frances  Christiana,  both 
of  whom  were  born  in  this  city.  Maggie 
Henkel,  born  in  Three  Oaks,  Michigan,  is 
now  the  wife  of  Sanford  Soule  and  has  two 
children,  John  and  Wava,  both  born  in  Niles. 
Catherine,  born  in  Niles,  is  the  wHfe  of  Fred 
Stevens,  a  resident  of  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana, 
by  whom  she  has  tw^o  children,  Desdelora 
and  Maxine,  both  natives  of  Indiana. 
George  is  the  fourth  of  the  family.  Anna 
S.,  born  in  Niles,  makes  her  home  in  this 
city.  The  father,  John  Henkel,  was  a  Re- 
publican in  his  political  views  but  would 
never  accept  any  political  office,  as  he  pre- 
ferred to  devote  his  undivided  attention  to 
his  business  affairs.     He  was,  however,  in- 


terested in  the  welfare  of  Niles  to  the  extent 
of  giving  hearty  co-operation  to  measures 
for  the  public  good,  as  a  private  citizen.  He 
held  membership  in  St.  Joseph  Valley  Lodge, 
No.  4,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  was  much  es- 
teemed in  that  order  and  by  the  general 
public  as  well. 

George  Henkel,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  has  spent  nearly  all  of  his  life 
in  Niles,  and  at  the  usual  age  entered  the 
public  schools,  passing  through  consecutive 
grades  until  he  was  graduated  from  the  high 
school  with  the  class  of  1890.  After  leav- 
ing school  he  clerked  in  his  father's  store 
until  the  latter's  death,  when  the  firm  of 
Henkel  Brothers  was  formed  by  Henry  and 
George  Henkel.  They  are  conducting  the 
business  with  excellent  success  and  now  have 
a  well  appointed  establishment,  the  neat  ar- 
rangement and  attractive  display  of  their 
goods  adding  not  a  little  to  their  success. 
They  carry  a  large  and  well  selected  line 
and  their  business  methods  are  thoroughly 
reliable,  so  that  the  reputation  of  the  house 
is  unassailable. 

The  brothers  are  supporters  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  believing  firmly  in  its  prin- 
ciples and  keeping  well  informed  on  the  ques- 
tions and  issues  of  the  day.  They  are  both 
members  of  the  Royal  Arcanum  and  the 
Modern  Woodmen  camp  and  George  Henkel 
has  attained  the  Knight  Templar  degree  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  while  Henry  Henkel 
is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge 
and  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks.  They  are  progressive  business  men, 
recognized  as  leaders  in  their  line  and  in  the 
enlargement  and  conduct  of  the  business 
which  was  established  by  their  father  they 
have  shown  keen  discrimination  and  discern- 
ment, showing  that  success  is  not  a  matter 
of  genius  but  results  from  clear  judgment, 
experiment  and  close  application. 

ROBERT  C.  ATKINSON,  a  repre- 
sentative of  mercantile  interests  in  Niles, 
where  he  has  resided  since  1903,  is  a  native 
of  Cass  county,  Michigan.  His  father, 
Thomas  Atkinson,  was  born  in  England  and 
in  1847  came  to  America,  settling  first  in 
New  York,  where  he  resided  for  about  nine 


724 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


years.  He  arrived  in  Cass  county  in  1856 
and  there  purchased  land  which  was  covered 
with  timber.  He  at  once  began  to  clear  the 
fields  and  as  the  years  went  by  he  followed 
farming,  raising  good  crops  of  corn  and  also 
set  out  an  orchard,  for  the  splendid  possibili- 
ties of  Michigan  as  a  fruit  producing  center 
had  been  demonstrated.  Upon  the  farm 
which  he  improved  and  developed  he  made 
his  home  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1865,  when  he  was  forty-four  years  of  age. 
Before  he  sailed  for  the  new  world  he  was 
married  in  England  to  Miss  Jane  Engledow, 
who  was  also  born  in  that  country.  She  long 
survived  her  husband,  passing  away  in  1900 
in  Elkhart,  Indiana,  her  remains,  however, 
being  .interred  in  the  family  lot  in  Cass  coun- 
ty. She  was  at  that  time  seventy-eight  years 
of  age.  In  the  family  were  nine  children, 
one  of  whom  died  in  England,  while  seven 
of  the  number  are  now  living. 

Robert  C.  Atkinson,  the  second  youngest 
of  this  family  and  the  only  one  residing  in 
Berrien  county,  began  his  education  at  the 
usual  age  in  the  district  schools  of  Cass 
county.  Later,  however,  he  attended  Hills- 
dale College,  a  Baptist  institution  at  Hills- 
dale, Michigan,  subsequent  to  which  time  he 
engaged  in  teaching  school  for  seven  years. 
Later  he  was  with  his  brother  John  Atkin- 
son at  Cassopolis,  Cass  county,  Michigan, 
where  they  engaged  in  the  agricultural  im- 
plement business,  being  together  for  about 
eleven  years.  They  built  up  an  excellent 
trade,  owing  to  their  honorable  methods  and 
responsible  prices,  conducting  their  store 
under  the  firm  style  of  Atkinson  Brothers. 
It  will  thus  be  seen  that  Mr.  Atkinson  had 
broad  experience  in  this  line,  when,  in  1903, 
he  came  to  Niles  and  established  his  present 
business.  Here  he  is  dealing  in  agricul- 
tural implements  of  all  kinds  and  also  handles 
buggies,  harness,  wood,  coal,  hay,  straw  and 
grain.  He  is  quite  an  extensive  shipper  of 
hay  and  grain  and  has  built  up  a  large  busi- 
ness. His  enterprise  furnishes  an  excellent 
market  for  the  producers  in  this  section  of 
the  state,  while  the  sales  which  he  makes  are 
extensive  and  return  to  him  a  fair  profit. 

In  1884  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Robert   C.   Atkinson   and   Miss   Linnie   M. 


Lee,  the  wedding  ceremony  being  performed 
in  Edwardsburg,  Michigan.  The  lady  was^ 
a  daughter  of  Moses  H.  Lee,  of  Cass  coun- 
ty, and  died  at  Manistee,  Michigan,  in  1889^ 
at  the  age  of  twenty-nine  years,  leaving  a 
daughter  and  son,  Winifred,  who  was  born 
in  Manistee,  Michigan,  and  is  now  a 
teacher  in  the  public  school  of  Niles,  and 
Lew  H.,  who  was  also  born  in  Manistee  and 
now  has  charge  of  his  father's  branch  store 
at  Berrien  Springs,  Michigan.  In  1892  at 
Clare,  Michigan,  Mr.  Atkinson  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Violet 
Robinson,  who  was  born  in  Clare  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Robinson.  They  also 
have  two  children,  Marjorie  and  Seth,  both 
born  in  Cassopolis,  Michigan.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Atkinson  have  gained  many  warm  friends 
during  their  residence  in  Niles  and  the  num- 
ber therein  is  continually  growing  as  the 
circle  of  their  acquaintance  is  extended. 
While  living  in  Manistee  Mr.  Atkinson  held 
various  township  offices.  He  is  a  Republi- 
can in  politics  and  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity,  having  attained  the  Knight 
Templar  degree  in  the  commandery  at  Niles. 
He  is  a  typical  citizen  of  the  middle  west^ 
recognizing  the  fact  that  *'there  is  no  ex- 
cellence without  labor''  and  that  close  appli- 
cation and  energy  constitute  the  basis  of  all 
real  business  success. 

WARREN  &  COMPANY  is  the  name 
of  a  well  known  firm,  hardware  merchants 
at  Niles,  composed  of  Frank  J.  and  George 
L.  Warren,  brothers.  They  not  only  carry 
a  large  line  of  shelf  and  heavy  hardware 
but  are  also  dealers  in  coal  and  wood  and 
have  made  for  themselves  a  creditable  po- 
sition in  commercial  circles.  They  are  sons 
of  Robert  S.  Warren,  who  was  born  in 
Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  in  1824,  and  died 
in  1877  ^t  the  age  of  fifty-three  years.  The 
father  was  a  millwright  by  trade  and  with 
his  parents  removed  from  Massachusetts  to- 
the  state  of  New  York  at  an  early  day. 
There  he  followed  milling,  conducting  both 
flour  and  sawmills.  He  was  closely  asso- 
ciated with  the  industrial  interests  of  his 
locality  and  also  dealt  extensively  in  lum- 
ber.    He  remained  a  resident  of  New  York 


THOMAS  MARS. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


725 


up  to  the  time  of  his  death  and  won  a  place 
among  the  rehable  and  prosperous  business 
men.  He  married  Rachel  Chaffee,  who  was 
born  in  Wyoming  county,  New  York.  Her 
death  occurred  in  Colorado  in  1902,  when 
she  was  seventy-eight  years  of  age.  In  the 
family  of  this  worthy  couple  were  three 
-children. 

Frank  J.  Warren,  who  was  born  in  New 
York  in  1848,  spent  his  days  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth  in  that  state  and  acquired  his 
education  by  attending  the  public  schools. 
He  afterwards  learned  the  milling  business 
under  the  direction  of  his  father,  becoming 
familiar  with  the  trade  in  all  of  its  details. 
Later,  in  1884,  he  went  to  Colorado,  where 
he  followed  farming  until  1898.  In  that 
year  he  came  to  Niles,  Michigan,  and  joined 
his  brother  in  handling  manufactured  goods, 
including  physicians'  supplies,  splints,  etc. 
He  was  thus  engaged  for  a  short  time,  after 
which  he  sold  out  and  turned  his  attention 
to  the  coal  and  wood  business  in  Niles. 
Later  his  brother  George  W.  was  admitted 
to  a  partnership,  the  firm  style  being  Warren 
&  Company.  At  that  time  they  added  a 
stock  of  hardware,  stoves  and  ranges  and 
now  carry  a  well  selected  line  of  both  shelf 
and  heavy  hardware.  They  also  continue 
to  deal  in  coal  and  wood  and  their  patron- 
age in  both  branches  of  their  business  is  ex- 
tensive and  profitable. 

Frank  J.  Warren  has  been  married  twice. 
He  first  wedded  Flora  Hopkins,  who  was  a 
native  of  New  York  and  died  in  Colorado 
in  1896.  For  his  second  wife  he  chose 
Margaret  Champion,  of  Niles.  By  his  first 
marriage  Mr.  Warren  had  one  son,  Robert 
H.  By  his  second  marriage  he  has  a  daugh- 
ter, Martha  E.,  born  in  New  York,  and  is 
the  wife  of  John  W.  Leonard,  residents  of 
Los  Angeles,  California,  and  they  have  one 
daughter. 

George  L.  Warren,  junior  partner  of  the 
firm  of  Warren  &  Company,  was  born  in 
New  York,  April  25,  i860.  He,  too,  is  in- 
debted to  the  public  school  system  for  the 
educational  privileges  which  he  received.  He 
was  reared  to  manhood  in  the  Empire  state 
and   later   engaged   in  merchandising  as   a 


clerk  and  subsequently  represented  a  house 
on  the  road,  selling  boots  and  shoes  for  six 
years.  Later  he  traveled  for  a  paint  and  oil 
house  for  three  years  and  in  1897  he  came 
to  Niles,  Michigan,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
splint  business  with  his  brother,  Frank  J. 
Warren.  After  selling  out  in  that  line  he 
traveled  on  the  road  for  a  short  time  and 
then  joined  his  brother  in  the  organization 
of  the  present  firm  of  Warren  &  Company, 
dealers  in  hardware  and  also  in  coal  and 
wood.  The  firm  sustains  an  unassailable 
reputation  in  commercial  circles  for  relia- 
bility, for  the  favorable  reputation  of  their 
goods  and  for  unfaltering  diligence. 

George  L.  Warren  was  married  to  Miss 
Kate  Lincoln,  who  died  in  November,  1894. 
He  has  since  been  married  in  Niles  to  Mrs. 
Bessie  Bevier  of  this  city.  They  have  one 
child,  Leroy  D.,  who  was  born  in  Niles. 
Both  brothers  are  Republicans  in  politics  and 
are  progressive  and  energetic  business  men, 
who  have  built  up  a  fine  trade,  having  one 
of  the  leading  hardware  establishments  of 
the  city.  They  well  merit  the  patronage 
which  is  given  them  and  although  among 
the  more  recent  acquisitions  to  business  cir- 
cles in  Niles  they  have  already  gained  a  fav- 
orable name  and  place  of  prominence. 

HON.  THOMAS  MARS,  now  living 
retired,  has  led  a  life  of  industry  crowned 
with  successful  accomplishment  and  has 
figured  prominently  in  the  public  life  of  the 
state,  at  one  time  representing  his  district 
in  the  senate.  He  was  born  in  Giles  county, 
Virginia,  May  4,  1829.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  Archibald  Mars,  was  a  farmer 
and  is  supposed  to  have  been  born  in  Dela- 
ware. He  followed  farming  throughout 
much  of  his  life  and  died  in  Virginia.  Hugh 
Mars,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
the  Old  Dominion,  became  a  blacksmith  by 
trade  and  engaged  in  business  in  his  native 
state  until  1830,  when  he  came  to  Michigan, 
arriving  on  the  6th  of  April  of  that  year. 
He  located  in  what  is  now  Berrien  township 
in  the  midst  of  a  wild  and  unimproved  dis- 
trict, and  where  the  work  of  development 
had  been  scarcely  begun.     He  took  up  land 


726 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


from  the  government  and  the  •  deed  was 
signed  by  President  Jackson.  The  forest 
stood  in  its  primeval  strength,  the  streams 
were  unbridged  and  the  land  uncultivated. 
Mr.  Mars  first  built  a  bark  shanty,  in  which 
he  lived  for  one  year,  when  he  erected  a 
log  cabin.  He  entered  from  the  government 
eighty  acres  of  land  on  the  St.  Joseph  river 
about  three  miles  north  of  Berrien  Springs. 
Two  years  later  he  sold  that  property  and 
entered  another  eighty-acre  tract  in  the  same 
township,  to  which  he  afterward  added  a 
similar  amount  so  that  his  farm  comprised 
a  quarter  section  of  land.  He  cleared  one 
hundred  acres  of  this  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  and  he  lived  thereon  for 
about  fifty-seven  years,  when  he  sold  out, 
taking  up  his  abode  at  that  time  on  what  is 
known  as  Mars  Hill.  There  his  remaining 
days  were  passed,  his  death  occurring  when 
he  had  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
one  years.  His  wife,  w^ho  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Eleanor  Riggin,  was  born  and 
reared  in  Virginia,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Mary  (Dunn)  Riggin,  of  Irish  descent. 
Mrs.  Mars  died  when  thirty-seven  years  of 
age,  leaving  a  family  of  four  sons  and  two 
daughters,  all  of  whom  reached  adult  age 
and  are  still  living  in  Michigan  with  the 
exception  of  one  daughter,  Eliza,  now  de- 
ceased. She  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth. 
The  others  are  Andrew  W.,  Thomas,  Sam- 
uel, William  and  Malinda.  There  was  also 
a  half  brother  and  sister,  Benjamin  F.  Mars 
and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Magill.  The  father  was 
married  four  times  but  had  children  by  only 
two  marriages. 

Thomas  Mars  was  but  eleven  months  old 
when  brought  to  Michigan  by  his  parents. 
Berrien  county  at  that  time  formed  a  part 
of  Cass  county  but  was  soon  afterward  cut 
off  and  organized  under  the  present  name. 
The  family  shared  in  the  hardships,  trials 
and  privations  of  pioneer  life  and  amid  the 
environments  of  a  frontier  existence  Thomas 
Mars  was  reared  upon  the  old  homestead 
farm  in  Berrien  township.  The  first  school 
v^hich  he  attended  was  located  on  Dowagiac 
creek,  and  he  continued  Tiis  studies  in  a 
school  which  stood  about  three  miles  south- 
east of  Berrien  Springs.    It  was  a  log  school- 


house  with  primitive  furnishings,  such  as 
the  old-time  fire  place  and  slab  seats.  For 
three  years  he  was  a  student  in  that  school, 
after  which  the  Union  schoolhouse  was  built 
near  what  was  the  Union  Church  in  Ber- 
rien township  and  it  was  in  that  school  that 
Mr.  Mars  completed  his  education  save  that 
experience,  reading  and  observation  have 
added  largely  to  his  knowledge  in  the  passing 
years,  and  he  is  today  a  well  informed  man 
of  broad  ideas  and  wide  outlook.  In  the 
summer  months  during  the  period  of  his 
youth  he  worked  upon  the  farm,  assisting  in 
the  arduous  task  of  developing  new  land  and 
improving  the  property.  In  his  twentieth 
year  he  went  to  Niles  and  served  as  an  ap- 
prentice to  the  carpenter's  trade,  receiving 
seventy-five  dollars  for  the  year's  work.  He 
afterward  began  contracting  and  building 
on  his  own  account,  which  he  followed  for 
eight  years,  erecting  many  dwellings  and 
barns  and  in  fact  doing  all  kinds  of  work 
pertaining  to  the  trade.  Most  of  his  work 
was  done  in  Berrien  township  but  he  also 
executed  contracts  in  other  townships.  He 
built  a  bridge  over  the  St.  Joseph  river  at 
Berrien  Springs  and  many  of  the  school- 
houses  which  he  erected  are  still  in  use.  In 
1857  ^^^  w^ent  to  the  west,  locating  at  Law- 
rence, Kansas,  where  he  followed  his  trade 
as  a  carpenter  and  builder.  He  afterward 
went  to  Andrew  county,  Missouri,  locating 
at  Fillmore,  where  he  purchased  an  interest 
in  a  sawmill,  which  he  operated  for  two 
years,  or  until  the  war  broke  out.  Because 
of  his  political  views  he  was  ordered  to  leave 
within  fifteen  days. 

In  the  year  i860  Mr.  Mars  married  Miss 
Margaret  A.  Wood,  a  daughter  of  Chris- 
topher Wood,  and  a  native  of  New  York, 
where  she  was  reared.  It  was  in  the  same 
year  that  Mr.  Mars  was  ordered  to  leave 
Missouri  because  of  his  political  affiliation 
and  sacrifice  to  his  party  interests.  He  then 
returned  to  Berrien  county,  where  he  ar- 
rived on  the  4th  of  June,  i860.  Here  he 
rented  an  old  sawmill  and  in  the  fall  of  the 
same  year  he  purchased  the  property  where 
he  now  resides,  making  it  his  home  con- 
tinuously since.  He  was  engaged  in  the  mill- 
ing business  on  this  place  until  1896.     His 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


727 


farm  is  called  the  model  farm  of  the  county, 
comprising  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
pleasantly  and  conveniently  located  three 
miles  east  of  Berrien  Springs  in  Berrien 
township.  For  the  last  seven  years  years  he 
have  lived  retired  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  rest 
which  he  has  truly  earned  and  richly  de- 
serves, for  his  business  life  has  been  charac- 
terized by  untiring  activity  and  perseverance 
cjualities  which  are  always  crowned  by  suc- 
cessful accomplishment. 

In  1903  Mr.  Mars  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on 
the  27th  of  September,  of  that  year,  her 
death  being  deeply  regretted  by  many  friends 
throughout  the  county.  There  had  been  five 
children  in  the  family  but  all  have  passed 
away  and  four  of  the  number  died  in  child- 
hood. One  daughter,  Imogene,  became  the 
wife  of  Dr.  Lacrone.  They  had  two  chil- 
dren, Thomas  Mars  and  Frank  W.,  both  of 
whom  are  now  in  the  naval  service,  Thomas 
Mars  being  on  the  Iowa  and  Frank  W.  on 
the  ship  Hancock. 

Mr.  Mars  gave  his  early  political  alle- 
giance to  the  Whig  party  and  upon  the  or- 
ganization of  the  new  Republican  party  he 
joined  its  ranks  and  has  since  been  one  of 
its  stalwart  supporters.  He  has  assisted  in 
electing  every  Republican  president  who  has 
occupied  the  executive  mansion  at  Washing- 
ton and  he  was  elected  a  delegate  to  the  first 
state  Republican  convention  which  was  held 
at  Jackson,  Michigan.  He  also  attended  the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  that  event  and  was 
elected  vice  president  of  the  Fremont  Asso- 
ciation, which  holds  its  annual  meetings  at 
Jackson.  He  has  also  been  an  earnest  and 
influential  worker  in  the  interests  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  a  recognized  leader  in  its 
ranks,  and  in  the  fall  of  1881  he  was  elected 
to  the  state  senate  of  Michigan,  representing 
Berrien  county.  He  was  the  last  senator  to 
represent  Berrien  county  alone,  for  the  dis- 
trict is  now  composed  of  Berrien  and  Cass 
counties.  He  was  also  representative  in  the 
lower  house  of  the  legislature  for  one  term 
and  in  the  general  assembly  was  an  able 
working  member  who  did  not  seek  to  figure 
prominently  as  an  orator  but  was  active  in 


promoting  constructive  legislation.  For  four 
years  he  served  as  deputy  oil  inspector  for 
Berrien,  Cass  and  Van  Buren  counties  and 
was  county  agent  for  the  special  board  of 
charities  for  nine  years  and  a  member  of 
the  state  board  of  charities  for  the  state 
public  school  at  Coldwater  and  chairman 
of  the  board  for  two  years.  For  a  long 
period  he  was  master  of  the  State  Grange 
of  Michigan  and  for  twenty-seven  years  a 
member  of  its  executive  committee,  while  for 
ten  years  he  was  its  chairman.  He  is  inter- 
ested in  all  that  pertains  to  the  agricultural 
development  and  progress  of  the  state,  and 
in  connection  with  the  Grange  put  forth 
effective  and  far-reaching  service  in  this 
direction.  Over  the  record  of  his  public 
career  and  private  life  there  falls  no  shadow 
of  wrong  or  suspicion  of  evil,  his  record  as  a 
man  and  citizen  being  above  reproach.  He 
has  now  passed  the  seventy-seventh  mile- 
stone on  life's  journey  and  is  honored  as  one 
of  the  venerable  and  early  residents  of  Ber- 
rien county. 

CARL  FORLER  WHETSTONE,  who 
is  filling  the  office  of  city  clerk,  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  progressive  young  men 
of  the  city,  his  genuine  worth  and  business 
activity  having  gained  for  him  favorable 
regard  wherever  he  is  known.  He  w^as  born 
in  Niles  in  1882  and  is  a  son  of  Charles  P. 
Whetstone,  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in 
1852.  The  father  was  brought  to  America 
when  only  a  few  years  old  by  his  parents, 
Eberhardt  and  Christiana  (Hirz)  Whet- 
stone. The  grandfather  was  a  foreman  in 
the  mines  of  Germany  and  on  coming  to 
America  settled  in  the  northern  peninsula 
of  Michigan.  There  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  general  agricultural  pursuits,  which 
he  followed  for  a  number  of  years.  Sub- 
sequently he  removed  with  his  family  to 
Niles,  where  his  last  days  were  passed,  his 
death  occurring  in  1876,  when  he  was  sev- 
enty-nine years  of  age.  His  widow  sur- 
vived him  until  1892  and  died  in  Niles  at 
the  age  of  eighty-one  years. 

Charles  P.  Whetstone  w^as  reared  in 
Niles  and  attended  the  public  schools.     He 


7^8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


•afterward  learned  the  cooper's  trade  which 
"the  followed  for  some  time  and  subsequently 
entered  the  grocery  business,  succeeding  to 
the  ownership  of  a  store  which  had  been 
established  by  his  mother.  While  conduct- 
ing this  store  he  was  also  the  organizer  of 
the  Whetstone  Orchestra  and  acted  as  its 
leader  for  many  years.  Subsequently  he  be- 
came manager  of  the  Forler  Hotel,  which 
was  owned  and  conducted  by  his  father-in- 
law.  Mr.  Whetstone  continued  to  act  as 
manager  for  nine  or  ten  years  and  in  1897 
he  became  proprietor,  and  so  continued  up 
the  time  of  his  death,  after  which  his  widow 
and  her  son  Carl  F.  conducted  the  hotel  un- 
til May  I,  1906.  In  early  manhood  Charles 
P.  Whetstone  was  married  to  Miss  Magda- 
lene Forler,  who  was  born  in  Niles  and  is  a 
daughter  of  George  K.  Forler  and  a  sister 
of  George  A.  Forler,  who  is  mentioned  on 
another  page  of  this  work.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Whetstone  became  the  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  three  daughters,  as 
follows:  William  G.,  Helena  B.,  Frankie 
M.,  Carl  F.,  George  A.  and  Magdalene. 
The  eldest  son  married  Nellie  Berkin,  a 
daughter  of  the  first  white  child  born  in 
Montana  and  they  have  one  child,  Nina  O. 
The  death  of  Charles  P.  Whetstone  oc- 
curred in  Niles  in  1905,  when  he  was  about 
fifty-three  years  of  age.  He  had  for  many 
years  resided  in  this  city  and  his  life  of 
activity  and  enterprise  won  him  a  fair 
measure  of  success  and  also  made  him  one 
of  the  respected  and  valued  residents  here. 
There  is  an  old  Japanese  maxim  which 
reads  "Opportunity  is  hard  to  find  and  easy 
to  lose.''  Mr.  Whetstone  seemed  to  realize 
this  and  knew  that  the  present  and  not  the 
future  held  his  chances  for  success.  He 
therefore  worked  earnestly  and  indefatig- 
ably  as  the  years  went  by,  using  his  ad- 
vantages to  the  best  of  his  ability  and  at 
his  death  he  left  his  family  a  comfortable 
property. 

Carl  Forler  Whetstone  whose  name  in- 
troduces this  review,  was  a  student  in  tha 
public  schools  of  Niles  and  afterward  at- 
tended the  high  school  of  this  city  and  a 
business   college   in    South    Bend,    Indiana. 


He  has  for  some  years  been  connected  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent  with  the  conduct  and 
management  of  the  Forler  Hotel. 

Mr.  Whetstone  has  since  1905  filled  the 
office  of  city  clerk  in  Niles,  to  which  posi- 
tion he  was  elected  on  the  Democratic  ticket. 
He  is  a  young  man  of  progressive  views, 
looking  at  life  from  a  broad  standpoint,  and 
he  is  a  valued  representative  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  Masonic  lodges  in  Niles. 

CHARLES  S.  QUIMBY  is  one  of  the 
younger  business  men  of  Niles  and  is  now 
successfully  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  trade. 
He  was  born  in  Port  Davis,  Texas,  in  1874, 
and  is  a  son  of  Captain  Horace  Dexter  and 
Jennie  (Smith)  Quimby.  The  father  was 
born  in  New  Hampshire  and  enlisted  for 
service  in  the  late  Civil  war  as  a  member 
of  the  Sixty-ninth  Regiment  of  New  Hamp- 
shire Volunteers.  He  served  until  the  close 
of  hostilities  and  then  when  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  Union  was  an  assured  fact  hei 
enlisted  in  the  regular  army,  joining  the 
Twenty-fifth  Infantry.  He  was  thereafter 
identified  with  the  military  service  of  his 
country  and  was  captain  of  his  company 
until  his  death^  which  occurred  at  Fort 
Sneilling,  Minnesota,  in  1884.  His  wife, 
who  was  born  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  sur- 
vived him  for  about  eleven  years,  passing 
away  in  1895.  ^^  ^^e  family  were  four 
children,  Charles  S.  being  the  only  son.  He 
has  one  living  sister,  Alice,  who  now  resides 
in  Niles. 

Charles  S.  Quimby  came  to  this  city 
when  ten  years  of  age  and  acquired  his  pre- 
liminary education  here,  passing  through 
successive  grades  until  he  had  completed  the 
high  school  course.  Subsequently  he  was  a 
student  in  Notre  Dame  University  in  Indi- 
ana, where  he  pursued  a  commercial  course. 
On  his  return  to  Niles  he  entered  upon  his 
business  career  in  the  capacity  of  a  clerk  in 
the  dry  goods  house  of  Dougan  &  Company, 
remaining  with  that  firm  continuously  until 
1889  and  mastering  every  department  of  the 
business.  In  the  year  mentioned  he  pur- 
chased the  store  and  has  since  enjoyed  a 
good  trade.     He  is  now  conducting  a  well 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


729 


equipped  establishment,  having  a  large  line 
of  dry  goods,  and  his  earnest  desire  to  please 
his  patrons  has  been  an  important  factor  in 
his  success. 

Mr.  Quimby  has  always  been  an  earnest 
and  stalwart  Republican  and  while  never  a 
politician  in  the  sense  of  office  seeking  he 
has  served  as  alderman  from  the  second 
ward  for  one  term.  He  is  a  prominent  and 
valued  representative  of  the  Masonic  fratern- 
ity, belonging  to  the  lodge,  chapter  and  com- 
mandery,  in  all  of  which  he  has  been  hon- 
ored with  various  offices.  He  is  now  a  past 
master  of  the  lodge  and  at  the  present  writ- 
ing is  high  priest  of  the  chapter  and  emi- 
nent commander  of  the  commandery.  He 
also  belongs  to  the  Mystic  Shrine  at  Grand 
Rapids.  Making  his  home  in  Niles  from 
his  early  boyhood  he  is  well  known  as  one 
of  the  enterprising  and  prosperous  young 
business  men  of  the  city,  justly  meriting  the 
confidence  and  business  support  which  are 
givetn  him. 

CHARLES  E.  WHITE,  active  in  pro- 
fessional and  political  circles  in  Niles  and 
prosecuting  attorney  for  Berrien  county,  to 
which  position  he  was  elected  in  1904,  was 
born  in  Howard  township,  Cass  county, 
Michigan,  in  1873.  He  is  a  son  of  Ephraim 
White,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  and  came 
from  that  state  to  Michigan  in  1861,  locat- 
ing in  Cass  county,  where  he  has  since  fol- 
lowed farming.  The  tract  of  land  upon 
which  he  located  forty-five  years  ago  has 
continuously  been  his  home  and  he  has 
transformed  it  into  a  valuable  and  well  im- 
proved property.  He  has  never  sought  to 
figure  prominently  in  public  life,  preferring 
to  give  his  attention  to  his  agricultural  in- 
terests and  in  the  community  where  he 
makes  his  home  he  is  classed  with 
the  representative  agriculturists.  He  mar- 
ried Margaret  Coulter,  who  was  born 
in  Cass  county  upon  the  old  home- 
stead, where  they  now  reside  and  which  was 
settled  by  her  father,  James  Coulter,  who 
went  from  Ohio  to  Cass  county  in  1836,  set- 
tling in  a  district  which  was  then  an  almost 
unbroken  wilderness.  There  were  few  roads 
through  the  forests  and  the  traveler  largely 
followed  the  old  Indian  trails.     Only  here 


and  there  had  a  cabin  been  built  to  show 
that  the  seeds  of  civilization  has  been 
planted.  Mr.  Coulter  secured  his  grant 
from  the  government  and  at  once  began  to 
clear  his  land  and  develop  the  farm,  carry- 
ing on  general  farming  pursuits  until  his 
death.  His  daughter  and  her  husband,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ephraim  White,  still  reside  upon 
the  old  homestead,  which  is  now  their  prop- 
erty. Unto  them  were  born  five  children 
and  the  family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken 
by  the  hand  of  death.  There  are  three 
daughters  and  two  sons  :  Florence ;  Eunice, 
the  wife  of  Robert  Torsley,  of  Cass  county ; 
William  O.,  a  resident  farmer  of  Cass 
county ;  Charles  E. ;  and  Belle. 

Charles  E.  White  was  reared  upon  the 
old  homestead  farm,  which  had  been  entered 
from  the  government  by  his  maternal  grand- 
father. He  completed  his  literary  educa- 
tion by  graduation  from  the  high  school  at 
Niles  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1894.  He 
then  studied  law  for  one  year  with  Hon. 
Edward  L.  Hamilton,  who  was  practicing 
in  Niles  at  that  time  and  is  now  a  member 
of  congress  from  this  district.  Later  Mr. 
White  attended  the  University  of  Michi- 
gan at  Ann  Arbor  and  was  graduated  from 
the  law  department  with  the  class  of  1897. 
The  same  year  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
and  entered  upon  the  prosecution  of  his 
chosen  calling  in  Niles,  where  he  has  been 
quite  successful,  a  liberal  clientage  now  be- 
ing accorded  him.  He  is  attorney  for  the 
Building  and  Loan  Association,  of  which 
he  is  also  a  director,  and  he  has  a  large  pri- 
vate practice,  in  addition  to  which  he  is  dis- 
charging the  duties  of  the  office  of  prose- 
cuting attorney  for  Berrien  county,  to  which 
he  was  elected  in  1904.  In  this  position  he 
is  giving  uniform  satisfaction  to  the  citi- 
zens of  the  county,  performing  his  public 
service  without  fear  or  favor. 

In  his  political  allegiance  Mr.  White  is 
a  Republican  and  was  elected  and  served 
for  four  years  as  justice  of  the  peace,  be- 
fore called  to  his  present  position.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fratern- 
ity, belongs  to  the  Masonic  order  and  is  now 
serving  as  high  priest  of  the  chapter  and 
captain  general  of  the  commandery.  He 
and  his  wife  attend  the  Presbyterian  church. 


730 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


In  October,  1899,  in  Niks,  he  married 
Claire  Hoppin,  a  daughter  of  George  S. 
Hoppin,  of  this  city.  The  favorable  judg- 
ment which  the  public  passed  upon  him  in 
his  early  connection  with  the  bar  has  never 
been  set  aside  nor  in  any  degree  modified 
but  on  the  contrary  has  been  emphasized  by 
his  careful  conduct  of  important  litigation, 
his  candor  and  fairness  in  the  presentation 
of  cases  and  his  zeal  and  earnestness  as  an 
advocate. 

GEORGE  M.  BAITENGER,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  furniture  and  undertaking  busi- 
ness in  St.  Joseph,  was  born  in  Woodland, 
Barry  county,  Michigan,  in  1866,  and  early 
in  his  life  he  seemed  to  have   come  to  a 
realization  of  the  truth  that  the  admonition 
of  the  old  Greek  philosopher  ''Earn  thy  re- 
ward, the  gods  give  naught  to  sloth,''  there- 
fore he  has  worked  persistently  as  the  years 
have  gone  by  and  his  present  position  in 
commercial  circles  is  the  result  of  his  close 
application  and  unremitting  diligence,  which 
have  indeed  w^on  his  success.     His  father, 
Melchoir  Baitenger,  was  a  native  of  Ger- 
many,  where   he  spent  the  first   seventeen 
years  of  his  life.    Attracted  by  the  favorable 
reports  which  he  heard  concerning  America 
and  its  business  privileges  and  opportunities 
he  bade  adieu  to  his  native  land  and  sailed 
for  the  United  States.    Reaching  the  eastern 
coast  he  then  made  his  way  to  Barry  coun- 
ty, Michigan,  where  he  followed  the  trade  of 
blacksmithing,  which  he  had  learned  in  his 
native  country.     He  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary   Reiser,   also   a   native  of   Germany, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  five  children, 
who  are  yet  living,   George  M.  being  the 
only  son  and  the  only  one  now  residing  in 
Berrien  county.     The  father  continued  his 
residence    for    many    years    in    Woodland, 
where  he  died  in  1882  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
four   years.      He    is   still   survived   by   his 
widow  who  makes  her  home  in  Woodland. 
It  was  in  that  village  that  George  M. 
Baitenger  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth.    He 
attended  the  district  schools,  thus  preparing 
for  life's  practical   and   responsible   duties, 
and  on  reaching  manhood  he  went  to  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan,  where  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad  Com- 


pany. After  some  time  there  passed  he  re- 
turned to  Woodland  and  with  the  money 
which  he  had  saved  from  his  own  account 
as  a  furniture  dealer  and  undertaker  con- 
ducted his  store  for  one  and  a  half  years. 
He  then  removed  to  Van  Buren  county, 
Michigan,  and  continued  in  the  same  line  of 
business  at  Hartford  for  eleven  years.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  came  to  Ber- 
rien county,  going  first  to  Benton  Harbor, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  undertaking  busi- 
ness for  a  year  and  a  half  and  in  1901  he 
arrived  in  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  where  in 
addition  to  his  undertaking  establishment 
he  also  conducted  a  novelty  bazaar.  He  en- 
tered into  partnership  with  Edward  H. 
Kingsley  July  i,  1905,  under  the  firm  name 
of  The  Baitenger  &  Kingsley  Company  and 
during  the  past  year  they  have  dealt  in  all 
kinds  of  furniture,  carefully  selecting  their 
stock  so  as  to  meet  the  varied  tastes  of  the 
public.  They  also  have  a  picture  frame  de- 
partment and  are  conducting  an  undertak- 
ing business. 

In   1 89 1   Mr.  Baitenger  was  married  in 
Woodland,  Michigan,  to  Miss  Lydia  D.  Mil- 
ler, a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  John  Miller,  an 
Evangelical  minister.     They  now  have  two 
sons,   Herbert  M.   and  Harris   G.,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  Hartford,  Van  Buren 
county,  Michigan.     Mr.   Baitenger  is  inde- 
pendent  in   politics,   preferring  to  cast  his 
ballot   without  being   bound   to   party   ties. 
He   is  very   prominent   in   fraternal   circles 
and  is  classed  with  the  valued  representatives 
of  different  orders,  including  the  Masons,  the 
Eastern  Star,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,     the     Benevolent     and     Protective 
Order     of     Elks,     the     Knights     of     the 
Maccabees     and     the     Modern     Woodmen 
of    America.    Through    the    whole    course 
of    his    career    the    prime    moving    spirit 
that  has  prompted  all  his  actions  seems  to 
have  been   improvement  and  advancement. 
The  idea  and  intent  of  leaving  w^hatever  he 
has  touched  better  than  he  has  found  it  has 
been  dominant  with  him.     He  has  been  pos- 
sessed of  a  laudable  ambition  to  achieve  suc- 
cess and  at  the  same  time  he  has  followed 
methods  which  neither  seek  nor  require  dis- 
guise but  will  bear  close  investigation  and 
scrutiny  and  today  he  is  numbered  among 


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HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


731 


those  to  whom  St.  Joseph  owes  her  business 
activity  and  prosperity.  He  is  broad  gauged 
in  all  his  views,  poHtical^  religious  and  social 
and  he  accords  to  others  the  right  which  he 
reserves  to  himself  of  forming  his  own 
opinions  upon  all  matters  of  vital  interest. 

WINGATE  W.  NEWMAN,  president 
of  a  private  bank  conducted  by  the  firm 
of  Snell  &  Company  at  Niles,  was  born  in 
Madison  county,  Ohio,  in  1852,  a  son  of 
George  S.  and  Elizabeth  P.  (Gear)  New- 
man. The  following  year  his  parents,  who 
were  also  natives  of  Ohio,  removed  to  Gales- 
burg,  Knox  county,  Illinois,  and  later  be- 
came residents  of  De  Witt  county,  IlHnois. 
In  the  spring  of  1881  the  father  was  called 
to  his  final  rest,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years, 
having  up  to  that  time  devoted  his  energies 
to  agricultural  interests.  His  widow  still 
survives  him  and  yet  makes  her  home  in 
Clinton,  De  Witt  county,  Illinois. 

Wingate  W.  Newman  is  the  eldest  child 
in  a  family  of  four  and  the  only  one  living 
in  Berrien  county.  He  continued  a  resident 
of  Galesburg,  Illinois,  until  1867,  when,  at 
the  age  of  fifteen  years,  he  accompanied  his 
parents  to  De  Witt  county,  where  he  con- 
tinued his  education  which  had  been  begun 
in  the  schools  of  Galesburg.  Following  his 
graduation  from  the  high  school  of  Clinton, 
Illinois,  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1872, 
he  turned  his  attention  to  farming,  with 
which  he  had  become  familiar  in  the  periods 
of  vacation  while  assisting  his  father  in  the 
labors  of  the  home  farm.  His  attention  was 
given  to  agricultural  pursuits  until  1891, 
wdien  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Clinton,  Illi- 
nois, wdiere  he  was  engaged  in  merchandis- 
ing until  1900.  He  was  quite  successful  in 
that  Avork,  but  ill  health  obliged  him  to  sell 
out,  and  in  the  spring  of  1901  he  removed 
to  Niles,  Michigan,  hoping  to  be  benefited 
by  the  change.  Here  with  others  he  or- 
ganized the  Snell  &  Company  Bank,  a  private 
institution,  of  wdiich  he  became  president 
with  Richard  Snell  as  vice  president.  Mr. 
Snell  is  a  prominent  financier  of  Clinton, 
Illinois,  where  he  is  president  of  the  De  Witt 
County  National  Bank.  He  became  inter- 
ested with  Mr.  Newman  in  the  establishment 


of  the  bank  at  Niles  w^hich  bears  his  name. 
Charles  E.  Wood  is  cashier  of  the  institu- 
tion, while  Thomas  E.  Cain,  a  nephew  of 
Mr.  Newman,  is  assistant  cashier  and  book- 
keeper. On  the  23d  of  March,  1901,  the 
doors  were  opened  to  the  public  and  a  gen- 
eral banking  business  has  since  been  carried 
on,  the  institution  being  attended  with  suc- 
cess from  the  beginning.  Mr.  Newman  is 
the  executive  head  of  the  bank,  and  his  force 
of  character,  business  methods  and  sound 
judgment  have  been  the  controlling  factors 
in  the  institution,  which  has  made  for  itself 
a  very  creditable  place  in  financial  circles  in 
Berrien  county.  He  is  also  a  director  in 
various  building  and  loan  associations  in 
Niles  and  a  director  in  the  Niles  Creamery. 
In  1879  in  De  Witt  county,  Illinois,  Mr. 
Newman  was  married  to  Miss  Rachel  C. 
Cain,  a  native  of  that  county  and  a  daughter 
of  Michael  and  Rachel  (Harron)  Cain,  of 
Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newman  are  members 
of  the  Methodist  church  and  in  politics  he 
is  a  Republican.  He  belongs  to  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  fraternity  at  Niles,  having  trans- 
ferred his  membership  from  Clinton  lodge, 
Illinois.  The  lessons  of  industry,  economy 
and  integrity  which  were  early  instilled  into 
his  mind  have  borne  fruit  in  an  honorable 
and  successful  business  career,  and  although 
one  of  the  more  recent  arrivals  in  Niles  he 
has  become  recognized  as  one  of  its  most 
substantial  and  reliable  citizens  whose  co- 
operation can  be  counted  upon  to  further 
beneficial  public  measures,  w^hile  at  the  same 
time  he  avails  himself  of  every  opportunity 
for  advancement  in  his  private  business 
career. 

AUGUST  VETTERLY,  living  near  the 
village  of  New  Buffalo,  owns  valuable  farm- 
ing properties  in  Berrien  county,  and  his 
hoklings  are  also  extensive,  embracing  about 
three  hundred  acres.  He  was  born  in  Can- 
ton Thurgan,  Switzerland,  in  the  little  vil- 
lage of  Wagenhausen,  on  the  22d  of  Febru- 
ary, 1838,  and  is  the  youngest  of  a  family 
of  eight  children  and  the  only  one  now  liv- 
ing. The  father,  Rudolph  Vetterly,  was  also 
born  in  the  village  of  Wagenhausen  and 
came  here  about  1849  with  two  sons.     His 


72>^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


wife,  accompanied  by  her  son  August  and 
one  daughter,  followed  about  two  years  later. 
Rudolph  Vetterly  resided  in  New  York  un- 
til the  removal  of  the  family  to  Three  Oaks, 
Michigan,  where  his  remaining  days  were 
spent.  He  was  born  March  13,  1802,  and 
died  February  3,  1889,  ^^  ^^e  advanced  age 
of  almost  eighty-seven  years.  He  was  a 
wagon  maker  by  trade,  but  after  coming  to 
Michigan  turned  his  attention  to  farming, 
which  he  followed  for  a  long  period.  He 
owned  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
acres  at  Three  Oaks,  Michigan,  and  placed 
it  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He 
held  membership  in  the  German  Reformed 
Church  and  was  a  man  of  upright  life  and 
marked  fidelity  to  principle.  He  wedded 
Miss  Mary  Meyer,  who  was  born  at  Frauen- 
feld,  the  capital  of  the  Canton  of  Thurgan, 
Switzerland,  in  1797,  and  died  in  Three 
Oaks,  Michigan,  on  the  4th  of  March,  1869. 
Eight  children  were  born  of  this  marriage, 
but  only  four  reached  years  of  maturity  and 
came  to  the  United  States,  as  follows :  John, 
who  died  at  Three  Oaks ;  Susan,  who  became 
the  wife  of  Robert  Lane,  a  farmer  of  New 
Buffalo  township,  where  both  passed  away; 
Edward,  who  died  at  Three  Oaks;  and 
August. 

The  only  surviving  member  of  the  fam- 
ily is  August  Vetterly,  who  in  accordance 
with  the  laws  of  his  native  country  attended 
school  until  about  fifteen  years  of  age.  In 
185 1  he  came  to  the  United  States  with  his 
mother  and  sister,  the  father  and  two  other 
sons  having  already  crossed  the  Atlantic. 
They  joined  them  in  New  York,  locating 
near  Schenectady,  that  state,  but  after  a  year 
passed  there  the  family  continued  on  their 
westward  way  to  Three  Oaks,  Berrien  coun- 
ty, Michigan,  where  Mr.  Vetterly  of  this  re- 
view resided  until  about  sixteen  years  ago. 
He  early  became  familiar  with  farm  labor 
and  assisted  largely  in  cultivating  and  de- 
veloping the  home  place,  bringing  the  fields 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Thinking 
to  find  other  occupations  more  congenial, 
however,  he  worked  on  the  Michigan  Central 
Railroad  as  section  foreman  a  part  of  this 
time,  giving  about  fifteen  years  to  railroad 
work.  Saving  his  money,  as  the  result  of  his 
diligence  and  economy,  he  was  at  length  en- 


abled to  purchase  a  jewelry  store,  which  he 
conducted  for  about  ten  years.  In  the  mean- 
time he  had  purchased  a  farm  of  eighty  acres 
and  while  living  on  the  farm  he  also  con- 
ducted the  store  in  town.  At  length,  how- 
ever, he  disposed  of  his  store  and  traded  his 
original  farm  property  for  his  present  farm, 
comprising  one  hundred  and  seventy-eight 
acres.  He  had  previously  purchased  one 
hundred  and  thirty-five  acres  here  and  he 
now  has  about  three  hundred  acres  in  the 
home  place.  He  has  bought  and  sold  a  num- 
ber of  farming  properties  in  this  county 
and  at  one  time  was  the  owner  of  four  hun- 
dred acres  of  rich  and  valuable  land.  He 
now  owns  three  hundred  acres  in  one  body 
on  sections  18  and  19,  New  Buffalo  town- 
ship, his  home  being  between  the  Indiana 
state  line  and  Lake  Michigan  in  the  south- 
west corner  of  the  township,  the  county  and 
the  state.  Nearly  all  was  woodland  and 
swamp  when  he  came.  There  was  wild 
marsh  and  underbrush  and  the  district  was 
in  its  primeval  condition,  the  work  of  im- 
provement and  progress  having  not  yet  been 
begun.  Mr.  Vetterly  has  placed  one-half  of 
his  land  under  cultivation  and  has  made  this 
a  productive  farm  which  yields  to  him  ex- 
cellent crops.  He  has  a  large  and  beautiful 
home  and  other  modern  equipments  upon  his 
farm  and  everything  about  the  place  is  at- 
tractive in  appearance,  indicating  his  care- 
ful supervision  and  progressive  methods.  He 
is  now  giving  his  undivided  attention  to  farm 
labor  and  was  the  first  to  live  upon  the  farm 
which  he  is  now  improving. 

In  February,  1864,  Mr.  Vetterly,  re- 
sponding to  the  call  of  his  adopted  country, 
enlisted  for  active  military  service  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  E,  Twelfth  Michigan 
Volunteer  Infantry.  He  participated  in  no 
engagements,  but  took  part  in  two  skirmishes 
and  was  on  duty  in  Arkansas,  Texas  and 
Tennessee,  being  mustered  out  with  his  regi- 
ment following  the  close  of  the  war  and 
after  about  thirteen  months'  service.  He 
became  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  post 
at  Three  Oaks,  but  has  not  identified  him- 
self with  the  organization  at  New  Buffalo. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity at  Three  Oaks,  and  The  Workmen's 
Aid  &  Benevolent  Society  there.     He  was 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


733 


one  of  the  organizers  of  the  German  Evan- 
gelical Lutheran  Church  at  Three  Oaks  and 
has  been  identified  with  various  organiza- 
tions which  have  for  their  object  the  up- 
lifting of  mankind  and  the  promulgation  of 
principles  of  mutual  helpfulness  and  kind- 
liness. His  political  allegiance  is  given  to 
the  Republican  party  and  he  served  as 
justice  of  the  peace  for  four  years  in  New 
Buffalo  and  as  drain  commissioner  for  two 
years. 

On  the  2ist  of  March,  1859,  Mr.  Vet- 
terly  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss  Chris- 
tina Brodhagen^  who  was  born  October  30, 
1842,  at  Buchhorn  in  Wittenberg,  Germany. 
She  came  to  the  United  States  with  her 
widowed  mother  and  two  sisters  in  1857, 
the  family  home  being  established  at  La- 
porte,  Indiana,  but  soon  afterward  they  re- 
moved to  New  Buffalo.  Her  father  was 
Frederick  Brodhagen.  In  the  family  were 
five  children,  two  of  whom  came  to  the 
United  States  prior  to  the  arrival  of  Mrs. 
Vetterly,  these  being  Christina,  Minnie, 
Elizabeth,  Regina  and  Mrs.  Vetterly. 

Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been 
born  the  following  named.  Henry,  who  is 
section  foreman  and  a  farmer  of  Furnace- 
ville,  Indiana,  has  three  children :  Lena,  Lil- 
lian and  Leland.  August  R.  is  married  and 
lives  at  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  being  em- 
ployed as  a  passenger  conductor  on  the  Mich- 
igan Central  Railroad.  Annie  is  the  wife  of 
Charles  Knott  of  Niles,  Michigan,  and  has 
a  son,  Clarence.  Alex  is  living  in  Omaha, 
Nebraska.  John  is  a  conductor  for  the  Mich- 
igan Central  and  makes  his  home  at  Michi- 
gan City  with  his  wife  and  four  children, 
Clarence,  Nina,  Arthur  and  Earl.  Jennie  is 
the  wife  of  William  Precious,  an  engineer 
on  the  Michigan  Central,  living  at  Michigan 
City,  by  whom  she  has  two  children,  Ralph 
and  Eleanor.  Minnie  is  the  wife  of  Ernest 
A.  Stick,  a  brakesman  at  Michigan  City,  by 
whom  she  has  one  child,  Wallace.  William 
is  married  and  lives  at  Michigan  City  and 
is  employed  as  a  brakesman  on  the  Michigan 
Central.     May  Elizabeth  is  at  home. 

Mr.  Vetterly  deserves  much  credit  for 
what  he  has  accomplished  and  his  life  should 
serve  as  a  source  of  inspiration  and  encour- 
agement to  others,  showing  what  may  be 


done  when  one  has  determination  and  enter- 
prise. He  has  depended  entirely  upon  his 
own  resources  and  the  years  have  brought 
him  success  as  a  reward  for  his  labor  and 
enterprise  supplemented  by  sound  judgment. 

JOHN  F.  DUNCAN,  who  is  classed 
with  the  leading  business  men  of  St.  Joseph, 
where  he  is  now  engaged  in  the  hardware 
trade,  was  born  in  this  city  in  1853.  His 
father,  Robert  B.  Duncan,  was  a  native  of 
Shippensburg,  Pennsylvania,  and  died  in 
1870,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years.  The 
mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Rosa 
Kelley,  was  born  in  Canada  and  is  still  liv- 
ing. The  father  came  to  Michigan  in  1834 
in  the  employ  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company 
as  a  fur  buyer  and  settled  in  St.  Joseph, 
Michigan,  where  he  afterward  engaged  in 
merchandising.  He  also  established  a  store 
in  Sodus  township  but  later  returned  to  St. 
Joseph,  where  he  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business  and  also  dealt  in  general  mer- 
chandising, continuing  a  factor  in  com- 
mercial life  in  this  city  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death.  He  was  active  and  influential  in  com- 
munity affairs,  served  as  a  member  of  the 
council  and  was  also  president  of  the  vil- 
lage. His  political  allegiance  was  given  to 
the  Democracy  and  by  appointment  of  Presi- 
dent Buchanan  he  filled  the  office  of  col- 
lector. The  father  was  twice  married,  first 
to  Alice  Fitzgerald,  of  Niles^  by  whom  he 
had  three  children,  one  of  whom,  Mrs.  D. 

C.  Oswald,  of  Denver,  Colorado,  is  living. 
By  his  second  marriage  there  w^ere  seven 
children,  six  of  whom  are  living,  John  F. 
being  the  eldest.  The  others  are :  Mrs.  Will- 
iam Belyea,  living  in  Grand  Rapids;  Mrs. 
Edward  J.  Head,  of  Denver,  Colorado ;  Mrs. 

D.  E.  Brown,  living  in  St.  Joseph;  Frank 
R.,  of  the  same  city;  and  Robert  B.,  who  re- 
sides in  Kalamazoo,  Michigan. 

John  F.  Duncan  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  native  town  and  at  the  age 
of  twelve  years  entered  his  father's  store  as 
a  clerk  and  for  two  years  after  his  death 
he  continued  the  business.  He  then  engaged 
in  railroading  in  the  employ  of  the  Chicago 
&  Lake  Shore  Railroad  Company,  now  the 
Pere  Marquette  system,  as  baggageman  on 
a  mail  train  for  one  year.     He  afterward 


734 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


clerked  for  E.  C.  Hoyt  in  St.  Joseph  and 
subsequently  was  with  T.  T.  Ransom,  in 
whose  employ  he  remained  as  a  salesman 
for  eight  years,  gaining  thorough  familiarity 
with  the  methods  in  vogue  in  commercial 
hfe.  He  later  entered  into  partnership  with 
James  Forbes  under  the  firm  name  of 
Forbes  &  Duncan,  conducting  a  grocery 
store  for  eight  years,  when  Mr.  Forbes  sold 
out  and  the  firm  became  Duncan  &  Spring- 
steen. This  relation  was  maintained  for 
about  two  years,  when  they  disposed  of  their 
store  to  Frank  C.  Burke  and  Mr.  Duncan 
then  engaged  in  the  real  estate  and  building 
business  in  St.  Joseph,  which  he  continued 
for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he 
purchased  the  King  &  Cooper  grocery  store, 
which  he  conducted  in  connection  with  their 
other  business  interests  until  1892.  In  that 
year  the  grocery  store  was  sold  to  the  firm 
of  Ankli  &  Duncan  and  in  1893  Mr.  Duncan 
of  this  review  purchased  the  hardware  busi- 
ness of  M.  B.  Rice,  at  the  location  which  he 
now  occupies.  This  business  was  established 
by  C.  C.  Sweet  some  ten  years  before.  Mr. 
Duncan  has  since  conducted  the  store  and  is 
now  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  the  city. 
In  politics  he  is  independent,  while  fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  Masonic  order 
and  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  In  1883 
in  St.  Joseph  he  was  married  to  Miss  Emma 
Gurnsey,  who  was  born  in  this  city  and 
is  a  daughter  of  Hiram  G.  Gurnsey,  who 
came  from  New  York  to  Michigan.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Duncan  are  members  of  the 
Congregational  church  and  are  much  es- 
teemed people  here.  He  entered  busi- 
ness life  in  an  humble  capacity  but  has 
gradually  and  steadily  worked  his  way  up- 
ward, brooking  no  obstacles  that  could  be 
overcome  by  determined  and  steady  purpose. 

WILLIAM  LYNN  WILSON,  M.  D., 
physician  and  surgeon  of  St.  Joseph,  was 
iDorn  in  Ontario,  Canada,  in  1867,  and  is  a 
son  of  Dr.  John  Wilson,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  Canada  and  who  is  now  living  in 
Detroit,  Michigan.  He  is  a  graduate  of 
McGill  University  at  Montreal,  Canada, 
and  he  completed  his  medical  education  in 
the  Royal  Physicians  and  Surgeons  College 
in   England.      Thus   well   equipped   for  his 


profession  he  returned  to  America  and  for 
the  past  twenty  years  has  been  engaged  in 
practice  in  Detroit,  Michigan,  where  he  is 
now  well  known  as  a  successful  and  able  gen- 
eral practitioner.  He  has  been  an  earnest 
and  discriminating  student  in  the  line  of  pro- 
fessional knowledge  and  is  quick  to  adopt  the 
new  and  improved  methods,  which  supple- 
ment rather  than  supplant  the  old  and  time- 
tried  methods  of  practice.  He  married  Miss 
Margaret  M.  Hunter,  also  a  native  of  Can- 
ada, and  they  have  become  the  parents  of 
six  children. 

Dr.  William  Lynn  Wilson,  the  second 
member  of  the  family  and  the  only  one  re- 
siding in  Berrien  county,  is  indebted  to  the 
schools  of  Toronto  for  his  early  educational 
advantages  and  he  also  attended  the  univer- 
sity there.  Subsequently  he  became  a  stu- 
dent in  Detroit  Medical  College,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1890,  and 
he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession 
in  connection  with  J.  H.  Carstens,  M.  D., 
at  Detroit,  Michigan,  where  he  remained  for 
two  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  accepted  the  position  of  physician  and  sur- 
geon at  the  Champion  Iron  Works  Company 
Hospital  at  Champion,  Michigan,  in  the  up- 
per peninsula,  where  he  remained  for  a  year. 
He  afterward  located  at  Midland,  Michi- 
gan, where  he  entered  into  partnership  with 
Dr.  C.  E.  McCalum,  this  relation  being 
maintained  for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  Dr.  Wilsgn  decided  to  come  to  St. 
Joseph,  and  since  1895  has  practiced  contin- 
uously in  this  city.  His  professional  ser- 
vice has  won  him  the  respect  and  confidence 
of  the  general  public  and  he  is  now  accorded 
rank  with  the  prominent  physicians  of  Ber- 
rien county.  He  was  pension  examiner  of 
Midland,  Michigan,  and  twice  has  been 
health  officer  of  St.  Joseph.  He  belongs  to 
the  i\merican  Medical  Association,  the 
Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  Ber- 
rien County  Medical  Society.  Of  the  last 
named  he  served  as  vice  president  and  sub- 
sequently filled  the  presidency  for  one  term. 

Dr.  Wilson  is  a  Republican  in  his  polit- 
ical views  and  as  every  true  American  citi- 
zen should  do  keeps  well  informed  on  the 
cjuestions  and  issues  of  the  day,  but  is  with- 
out aspiration  for  the  honors  or  emoluments 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


735 


of  public  office.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  and 
also  holds  membership  relations  with  the 
Maccabees  and  the  Foresters. 

LUTHER  I.  McLIN,  M.  D.,  has  de- 
voted his  attention  to  a  profession  in  which 
advancement    depends    entirely    upon    indi- 
vidual merit.     In  the  practice  of  medicinei 
one  must  commence  at  the  very  beginning, 
master  all  of  the  rudiments  of  the  science 
and   mark   progress   through  close  applica- 
tion, thorough  mastery  of  the  science  and  an 
untiring  devotion  to  the  work  which  prompts 
the  faithful  performance  of  each  day's  duty. 
Lacking  in  none  of  the  requirements  of  the 
capable   physician    Dr.    McLin   has   won   a 
place  among  the  leading  representatives  of 
the   medical   fraternity  in   St.   Joseph.      He 
was  born  in  Kalamazoo  county,  Michigan, 
in  1847,  ^i^d  is  a  son  of  Jacob  McLin,  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio,  who  is  still  living  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-eight  years,  his  home 
being     in    Huntington,    Indiana,    and    is    a 
grandson  of  Thomas  and  Mary   (Jackson) 
McLin.     The  father  devoted  his  life  to  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits.     In  the  year  1830 
he  came  to  the  west,  locating  in  Kalamazoo 
county,    Michigan,    with   his   parents,    who 
cleared  a   farm  there.     Having  arrived  at 
years  of  maturity  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Adelia  Gage,  who  was  born  in  New  York 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Gage,  who  settled 
in  Kalamazoo  county  about  1835,  thus  cast- 
ing in  his  lot  with  its  pioneer  residents.     He, 
too,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.     The  birth 
of   Mrs.    Adelia   McLin   occurred   in    1822, 
so  that  she  has  therefore  passed  the  eighty- 
third  milestone  on  life's  journey  at  the  pres- 
ent time.     In  the  family  were  two  sons  and 
a  daughter:     George  H.,  who  is  now  living 
in  Huntington,  Indiana;  Mary  H.,  the  wife 
of  Richard  H.  Gibbs,  a  resident  of  Arkan- 
sas; and  Luther  I. 

Dr.  McLin  of  this  review  acquired  his 
early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Kal- 
amazoo county  and  afterward  attended  the 
Kalamazoo  College,  while  later  he  matricu- 
lated in  the  LTniversity  of  Michigan  for  the 
study  of  medicine.  His  professional  train- 
ing was  continued  in  the  Detroit  Medical 
College,   from  which  he  was  graduated  in 


the  class  of  1873.  Immediately  afterward 
he  came  to  St.  Joseph,  where  he  has  prac- 
ticed continuously  since,  covering  a  period 
of  almost  a  third  of  a  century.  In  his  work 
he  has  been  faithful  and  reliable,  has  ever 
been  careful  and  painstaking  in  the  diagno- 
sis of  a  case  and  seldom  at  error  in  direct- 
ing the  outcome  of  disease.  He  has  a 
thorough  and  intimate  knowledge  of  the 
component  parts  of  the  human  system  and  in 
his  practice  has  shown  that  he  is  well  qual- 
ified to  solve  the  intricate  problems  which 
continually  confront  the  physician. 

Moreover  Dr.  McLin  has  been  active  and 
influential  in  community  interests  and  has 
been  identified  with  many  of  the  improve- 
ments of  St.  Joseph.  His  co-operation  can 
ever  be  counted  upon  for  the  public  wel- 
fare and  his  service  has  been  of  a  practical 
beneficial  nature.  In  politics  he  is  an  ear- 
nest and  stalwart  Republican  and  has  held 
various  offices,  the  duties  of  which  have 
been  discharged  wath  promptness  and  fidel- 
ity. He  was  mayor  of  St.  Joseph  for  four 
terms,  giving  to  the  city  a  business-like,  pro- 
gressive and  public-spirited  administration, 
characterized  by  reform,  progress  and  im- 
provement in  various  departments.  He  has 
been  a  member  of  the  board  of  public  w^orks 
from  its  organization  until  the  present 
time,  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  board 
of  education  for  thirteen  years.  The  cause 
of  education  found  in  him  a  warm  and  help- 
ful friend  and  in  all  his  public  services  he 
has  been  intensely  practical,  accomplishing 
results  by  methods  which  would  ever  bear 
investigation  and  scrutiny. 

Dr.  McLin  has  been  twice  married.  In 
St.  Joseph  in  1874  he  wedded  Miss  Ada 
Napier,  a  daughter  of  Nelson  W.  Napier. 
She  died  in  1882  at  the  age  of  thirty-six 
years,  leaving  one  son,  Nelson  N.,  who  was 
iDorn  in  St.  Joseph  and  married  Carrie 
Schairer,  of  Benton  Harbor,  a  daughter  of 
John  Schairer.  On  the  ist  of  January, 
1885,  Dr.  McLin  was  again  married,  his 
second  union  being  with  Jennie  B.  Whitton, 
of  Fond  du  Lac,  Wisconsin,  and  there  is  one 
son  by  this  marriage,  J.  Whitton,  also  born 
in  St.  Joseph.  Dr.  McLin  belongs  to  the 
Masonic  lodge  and  the  Knights  of  the  Mac- 
cabees.   Few  men  are  more  widelv  known  in 


736 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


this  city  and  the  surrounding  district  by 
reason  of  his  professional  services,  his  efforts 
in  behalf  of  the  public  good  and  his  strong 
personal  traits  of  character.  With  a  nature 
in  which  optimism  rather  than  pessimism 
is  the  dominant  quality  he  looks  upon  the 
bright  side  of  life  and  his  cheering  presence 
is  an  element  for  good  in  the  sickroom.  He 
wins  friends  by  a  genial  manner,  deference 
for  the  opinions  of  others  and  kindly  con- 
sideration and  moreover  he  possesses  strong 
and  forceful  purpose  as  has  been  evidenced 
by  his  capable  work  in  his  profession  and 
his  resultant  efforts  in  behalf  of  public  pro- 
gress. 

MOSES  A.  PRICE,  a  cigar  manufac- 
turer of  Benton  Harbor,  was  born  in  St. 
Thomas,  Canada,  in  1865,  and  when  a  year 
old  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Ovid, 
Michigan.  His  father,  Lewis  N.  Price,  was 
born  in  Canada  and  died  at  Cedar  Springs, 
Michigan,  in  1871,  when  thirty- four  years 
of 'age.  He  was  at  that  time  engaged  in 
hotel  keeping  as  proprietor  of  the  Central 
Hotel.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Martha  Ostrander,  died  in  1900  at 
the  age  of  forty-nine  years. 

Moses  A.  Price,  their  only  surviving 
child,  was  reared  in  Saginaw,  Michigan,  and 
attended  the  district  schools  there  and  in 
Tuscola  county,  whither  his  mother  removed 
after  the  father's  death.  In  early  life  he  be- 
gan work  on  the  railroad  and  was  employed 
on  the  Flint  &  Pere  Marquette  Railroad  as 
brakeman.  Later  he  became  freight  con- 
ductor, so  continuing  for  seven  years,  when 
he  determined  to  abandon  the  road  and  came 
to  Benton  Harbor.  Here  he  engaged  in  the 
hotel  business,  leasing  the  Higbee  Hotel, 
which  he  conducted  for  two  years.  On  the 
expiration  of  that  period  he  turned  his  at- 
tention to  the  manufacture  of  cigars,  which 
he  has  followed  with  fair  success  since.  He 
manufactures  a  brand  called  Chansonette, 
which  he  makes  in  six  sizes  and  shapes.  He 
has  been  engaged  in  the  cigar  business  for 
the  past  twelve  years  in  Benton  Harbor,  hav- 
ing both  Havana  and  domestic-made  cigars 
and  he  is  meeting  with  the  desired  result 
that  always  follows  close  application  and 
unremitting  energy. 


Mr.  Price  was  married  in  1894  in  Ben- 
ton Harbor  to  Miss  Mae  Sowers,  a  daughter 
of  William  H.  Sowers  of  this  city.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  is  in 
hearty  sympathy  with  the  teachings  and 
tenets  of  the  craft.  His  membership  is  now 
with  the  Lake  Shore  Lodge,  No.  298,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  at  Benton  Harbor,  Calvin  Brittain 
Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  at  St.  Joseph  and  Malta 
Commandery,  No.  44,  K.  T.  He  likewise 
belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity 
of  this  city,  to  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks.  His  interest  in  political 
questions  has  led  him  to  give  his  support  to 
the  Republican  party,  for  he  believes  that  its 
platform  contains  the  best  elements  of  good 
government.  While  his  life  has  in  a  measure 
been  quietly  and  uneventfully  passes  he  }'et 
belongs  to  that  class  of  citizens  w^ho  uphold 
the  political  and  intellectual  status  of  the 
community  and  promote  its  material  pros- 
perity in  advancing  his  individual  interests. 

JOHN  BURKE  is  now  living  retired 
in  Niles  but  in  former  years  was  identified 
with  agricultural  pursuits  and  with  mer- 
cantile interests.  He  has  a  deep  and  strong 
attachment  for  Michigan,  the  state  of  his 
birth.  He  was  born  on  the  St.  Joseph  river 
about  five  miles  above  Berrien  Springs  in 
Berrien  township  in  1845.  His  father,  An- 
drew L.  Burke,  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
born  in  181  o,  and  when  twelve  years  of  age 
he  went  with  his  parents  from  the  Old  Do- 
minion to  Ohio  and  in  1828  came  to  Michi- 
gan, settling  in  Cass  county,  where  the 
grandfather  purchased  land.  Andrew  L. 
Burke  was  at  that  time  eighteen  years  of 
age.  Soon  afterward  he  purchased  a  tract 
of  land  from  the  government  and  in  Oronoko 
township  about  1831  or  1832.  It  was  a  raw 
tract,  entirely  wild  and  unimproved,  but  he 
at  once  began  to  clear  it  of  timber  and  in  the 
course  of  time  the  sunshine  fell  upon  plowed 
fields  and  ripened  the  grain,  so  that  golden 
harvests  were  gathered.  He  continued  to 
follow  farming  until  his  death,  his  life's  la- 
bors being  ended  when  he  was  seventy-seven 
years  of  age.  He  had  become  prominent  in 
local  political  circles  and  served  as  super- 
visor of  his  township  and  in  many  ways  con- 
tributed to  the  welfare  and  upbuilding  of 


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HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


7Z7 


the  township  and  county.  Various  offices  of 
trust  and  responsibility  were  conferred  upon 
him  and  he  represented  his  district  in  the 
state  Legislature  in  the  session  of  1844-45. 
His  political  views  were  in  accord  with  Dem- 
ocratic principles.  In  early  manhood  he  had 
married  Margaret  Rogers,  who  was  born 
in  Virginia  and  was  a  daughter  of  Alexan- 
der Rogers,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Cass 
county,  Michigan.  She  died  upon  the  home 
farm  in  that  county  in  1856,  when  thirty- 
six  years  of  age.  In  the  family  of  this 
worthy  couple  were  ten  children,  of  whom 
five  are  living:  Eliza,  who  resides  upon  the 
old  homestead;  John,  of  this  review;  Alex- 
ander R.,  who  is  living  with  his  sister  upon 
the  old  home  farm;  Rebecca,  a  resident  of 
Niles  township,  the  wife  of  Thomas  E.  De 
Mott;  and  Martha,  the  wife  of  Robert  Fos- 
ter, a  resident  farmer  of  Niles  township. 
After  losing  his  first  wife,  the  father  was 
married  to  Margaret  Thompson,  a  daughter 
of  Samuel  Thompson,  who  came  from  Scot- 
land and  settled  in  Niles  in  what  was  known 
as  the  Indian  reservation.  There  were  four 
children  of  this  marriage:  Lillie,  the  wife 
of  Thomas  Gillespie,  a  resident  of  Berrien 
township;  Andrew  L.,  of  Illinois;  Samuel 
T.,  of  Chicago;  and  Rachel,  who  is  also  liv- 
ing in  Illinois. 

John  Burke  acquired  his  education  in  the 
district  schools  and  when  not  busy  with  his 
text-books  assisted  his  father  in  the  work 
of  the  home  farm  until  twenty-one  years  of 
age.  He  then  started  out  in  life  for  himself 
and  in  i860  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  A. 
Fitch,  who  was  born  in  Berrien  township 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Nathan  Fitch.  This 
union  was  blessed  with  seven  children: 
Clara,  now  the  wife  of  Dr.  E.  M.  Redding, 
of  Chicago,  Illinois,  by  whom  she  has  one 
son,  Edgar  B. ;  Ruth,  who  is  a  teacher  in  a 
kindergarten  school  in  Chicago;  Lewis 
Nathan,  who  married  Ada  Stevens,  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  Stevens,  of  Benton  Harbor, 
Michigan,  and  has  one  child,  Virginia;  Ed- 
gar, who  married  Olive  Gregg  and  has  a  son, 
John  G. ;  Frank  M.  is  living  in  Iowa ;  Al- 
mira  G.,  the  wife  of  William  A.  Stevens,  of 
Benton  Harbor;  and  Martha  G.,  who  com- 
pletes the  family. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Burke  fol- 


lowed farming  in  Berrien  township,  where 
he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  devoting 
his  attention  to  the  tilling  of  the  soil  from 
1867  until  1880.  He  then  removed  to  Niles, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  agricultural  imple- 
ment business  and  later  engaged  in  deep 
well  construction,  continuing  in  the  latter 
business  for  several  years  or  until  his  health 
failed,  when  he  retired  from  active  business 
life.  He  is  active  in  politics  and  socially  is 
connected  with  the  Masonic  lodge  of  Berrien 
Springs.  His  entire  life  has  been  passed  in 
this  county  and  his  many  friends  include  a 
large  number  of  those  who  have  known  him 
from  his  hoyhood  days  to  the  present. 

JOSEPH  SKALLA.  Among  the  busi- 
ness enterprises  which  have  made  Niles  an 
industrial  center  of  Michigan  is  the  large 
manufacturing  establishment,  of  which  Mr. 
Skalla  is  one  of  the  proprietors,  the  business 
being  conducted  under  the  name  of  the 
Skalla  Furniture  Company.  Throughout 
the  entire  period  of  his  manhood  he  has  been 
connected  with  this  concern.  He  is  a  na- 
tive son  of  Niles,  born  in  1856.  His  father, 
Joseph  Skalla,  was  born  in  Prague,  Austria, 
March  19,  181 6,  and  died  February  14, 
1899,  w^hen  almost  eighty-three  years  of  age. 
He  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native 
land  and  became  an  expert  cabinet-maker 
there.  Soon  after  his  marriage  he  made  ar- 
rangements to  come  to  America  and  after 
crossing  the  Atlantic  continued  his  journey 
into  the  interior  of  the  country,  choosing 
Niles  as  his  first  place  of  location.  After 
a  brief  period,  however,  he  removed  to  Wis- 
consin, where  *he  followed  his  trade  for  a 
short  time.  He  then  returned  to  Niles, 
where  he  began  working  as  a  cabinet-maker 
in  the  employ  of  others  but  he  was  ambitious 
to  engage  in  business  on  his  own  account 
and  embraced  eagerly  every  opportunity  that 
led  to  this  result.  He  had  resided  in  Niles 
for  only  a  short  time  when  he  began  the 
manufacture  of  furniture  on  a  very  small 
scale.  In  fact  he  would  make  a  piece  of 
furniture  and  then  take  it  out  and  sell  it. 
By  his  thrift  and  progressive  spirit  he  grad- 
ually extended  the  scope  of  his  labors  until 
he  had  a  good  furniture  manufacturing  es- 
tablishment.   As  the  years  went  by  he  pros- 


47 


738 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


pered  and  he  was  widely  known  as  a  most 
industrious  man  and  upright  and  honorable 
citizen.  He  was  thoroughly  reliable  and 
straightforward  in  all  his  dealings,  con- 
scientious in  all  his  work  and  his  labor  was 
characterized  by  capability  in  the  line  of  his 
chosen  trade.  From  a  humble  beginning 
he  worked  his  way  upward  and  eventually 
conducted  a  cabinet-making  business  in  a 
room  which  is  part  of  the  old  homestead. 
There  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  bed- 
room sets  and  gradually  built  up  his  trade 
until  it  became  an  important  manufacturing 
concern  of  the  city  conducted  under  the  name 
of  the  Skalla  Furniture  Company.  He 
knew  no  such  word  as  fail  and  possessed 
a  spirit  of  determination  and  enterprise  that 
enabled  him  to  overcome  all  difficulties  and 
surmount  all  obstacles  in  his  path.  At  his 
death  he  left  his  business  to  his  sons,  who 
are  now  conducting  it  upon  the  same  reliable 
plan,  conservative  basis  and  enterprising 
methods  that  were  instituted  by  their  father. 

Joseph  Skalla,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  was  reared  and  educated  in 
Niles,  attending  the  public  schools  and  when 
not  busy  with  his  text-books  assisted  his 
father  in  his  furniture  manufacturing  enter- 
prise. Upon  the  father's  death  he  and  his 
brothers  John,  Albert  and  Frank  succeeded 
to  the  business  which  they  have  since  con- 
ducted and  they  have  enlarged  the  scope  of 
their  undertaking  by  adding  a  sawmill. 
They  are  now  extensively  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  furniture  the  business  hav- 
ing been  established  forty  years  ago  and 
it  has  since  been  continually  increasing. 
Their  plant  is  well  equipped  with  modern 
machinery  and  facilities  for  carrying  on  the 
work  and  furnishes  employment  to  a  number 
of  people.  Because  of  the  excellent  quality 
and  reasonable  prices  the  output  of  the  house 
finds  a  ready  sale  on  the  market  and  the 
business  has  constantly  grown  in  volume, 
importance  and  profit.  John  Skalla  died 
June  14,  1900,  at  forty  years  of  age. 

Joseph  Skalla  w^as  married  in  Niles  in 
1888  to  Miss  Hattie  Moore,  who  was  born 
in  this  city.  This  union  has  been  blessed 
with  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  Frank, 
Jennie,  Walter  and  Josephine,  all  born  in 
JNTiles.      Mr.   and   Mrs.    Skalla  have   many 


friends  in  this  city  where  they  have  spent 
their  entire  lives  and  the  hospitality  of  many 
of  its  best  homes  is  cordially  extended  them. 
Mr.  Skalla  is  independent  in  his  political 
views  but  duties  of  citizenship  are  matters 
faithfully  performed  by  him  and  he  is  in- 
terested in  the  growth  and  progress  of  Niles 
and  of  Berrien  county  to  the  extent  of  giv- 
ing active  co-operation  to  many  measures 
for  the  general  good.  His  attention,  how- 
ever, is  most  closely  concentrated  upon  his 
business  affairs  and  it  will  be  readily  noticed 
that  he  is  a  man  of  push  and  progress. 

•ABIAL  C.  COPELAND,  living  in 
Three  Oaks,  dates  his  residence  in  Michigan 
from  1865  and  in  this  town  from  1868,  save 
that  for  a  brief  period  he  was  in  the  west. 
He  has  valuable  property  interests  in  and 
near  the  village  and  gives  his  personal  sup- 
ervision to  his  farms.  A  native  of  New 
York,  Mr.  Copeland  was  born  in  Jefferson 
county  on  the  7th  of  May,  1838,  and  repre- 
sents one  of  the  old  New  England  families. 
His  paternal  grandfather,  Abial  Copeland, 
was  a  native  of  New  England,  and  became 
a  pioneer  settler  of  New  York,  riding  from 
his  old  home  to  the  Empire  state  on  horse- 
back. He  participated  in  the  w^ar  of  18 12, 
taking  part  in  the  engagement  at  Sacketts 
Harbor.  He  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade  and 
for  many  years  followed  that  pursuit,  but 
spent  the  last  years  of  his  life  in  the  home 
of  his  son,  Alonzo,  in  Jefferson  county,  New 
York,  Alonzo  Copeland  was  the  father  of 
our  subject  and  was  born  in  Jefferson  coun- 
ty, where  he  resided  for  a  long  period.  He 
wedded  Chloa  E.  Martin,  also  a  native  of 
that  county  and  in  the  year  1865  they  bade 
adieu  to  their  old  home  in  the  east  and  came 
to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  where  they 
spent  their  remaining  days.  The  father,  who 
w^as  born  in  181 2,  died  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-two  years,  while  the  mother  died 
in  1889  ^t  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  In 
their  family  were  six  children :  Lovira,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Alonzo  Wright  and  died 
in  Three  Oaks  about  a  year  ago;  Abial  C, 
of  this  review;  Sylvester  M.,  of  Three  Oaks, 
who  enlisted  on  the  22d  of  August,  1862, 
for  service  in  Company  E  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Tenth  New  York  Volunteer  In- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


739 


fantry,  but  was  discharged  in  1863  on  ac- 
count of  physical  disabihty;  WiUiani,  who 
is  Hving  in  Providence,  Rhode  Island;  Ben- 
jamin, who  died  in  childhood;  and  Letha. 

Abial  C.  Copeland  was  a  very  young 
child  when  his  parents  removed  from  Jeffer- 
son county  to  Oswego  county,  New  York, 
and  there  he  was  reared  upon  a  farm  which 
lies  about  five  miles  from  Fulton.  His  edu- 
cation was  acquired  in  the  public  schools  and 
he  early  became  familiar  with  farm  labor. 
Throughout  the  greater  part  of  his  life  his 
attention  has  been  given  to  general  agricul- 
tural pursuits.  In  1859  ^e  sought  a  com- 
panion and  helpmate  for  life's  journey  and 
was  married  to  Miss  Lucretia  Barrett,  who 
was  born  in  Cortland  county,  New  York. 
The  wedding  was  celebrated  in  Oswego 
county.  New  York,  at  the  home  of  her 
parents,  William  and  Elizabeth  Barrett. 
The  young  couple  began  their  domestic 
life  in  the  Empire  state  and  there  con- 
tinued to  reside  until  1865,  when  they 
made  their  way  westw^ard  to  Hillsdale  coun- 
ty, Michigan,  accompanied  by  the  two  chil- 
dren who  had  been  born  unto  them  in  the 
east.  Three  years  were  passed  in  that  county 
and  in  1868  they  came  to  Three  Oaks,  lo- 
cating on  a  farm  a  mile  e'ast  of  the  village. 
The  tract  comprises  seventy-six  acres  of  land 
and  to  its  development  and  improvement 
Mr.  Copeland  devoted  his  energies  until 
1877,  when  he  went  to  Nebraska,  where  he 
spent  five  years  upon  a  homestead  claim 
there.  He  was  induced  to  return  here  by  his 
brother  and  parents  and  has  since  resided  in 
the  village,  his  home  being  upon  a  farm  of 
sixty  acres  which  adjoins  the  corporation 
limits  of  the  town.  He  also  owns  a  farm  of 
thirty-five  acres  on  the  lake  side  of  Chik- 
aming  township.  His  land  is  rich  and  pro- 
ductive and  returns  to  him  good  crops  which, 
finding  ready  sale  on  the  market,  bring  him 
a  gratifying  financial  return. 

Mr.  Copeland  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife  about  1872.  There  were 
four  children  born  of  that  marriage:  Ad- 
die  A.,  the  wife  of  Jared  Lee,  of  Illinois; 
Warren  Burton,  who  is  living  in  Providence, 
Rhode  Island;  Edith  Montella,  the  wife  of 
Willard  Hudson ;  and  Nettie,  deceased. 

On  the    1 6th  of  December,   1890,   Mr. 


Copeland  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs. 
Emeline  Warner,  the  widow  of  Condan  War- 
ner and  a  daughter  of  Kingsley  Olds,  who 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  this  part 
of  Michigan.  Mrs.  Copeland  was  born  in 
Niles,  Michigan,  April  17,  1841,  and  most 
of  her  life  has  been  spent  in  Berrien  county. 
She  had  four  children  by  her  first  marriage : 
Ella,  now  living  in  Chicago ;  Lola ;  Mrs. 
Frances  Mills,  of  Minnesota;  and  Bertha, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years. 

Abial  C.  Copeland  is  a  Republican  in  his 
political  views  but  without  aspiration  for 
oflice.  He  served,  however,  as  highway 
commissioner  for  three  years  and  is  inter- 
ested in  all  that  pertains  to  public  progress 
and  improvement.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Ma- 
son and  he  belongs  to  the  Blue  Lodge  at 
Three  Oaks.  Whatever  success  he  has 
achieved  is  due  entirely  to  his  own  persis- 
tency of  purpose  and  capable  management. 
He  has  resided  continuously  in  this  county 
since  1868  with  the  exception  of  the  brief 
period  spent  in  Nebraska  and  is  classed  with 
the  respected  and  intelligent  farmers  of  his 
community.  It  will  be  interesting  in  this 
connection  to  note  something  of  the  family 
history  of  Mrs.  Copeland.  Her  father, 
Kingsley  Olds,  was  born  in  Berkshire  coun- 
ty, Massachusetts,  January  21,  1794,  and 
was  the  fifth  son  of  Daniel  Olds.  He  lived 
in  the  place  of  his  nativity  until  eighteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  made  his  way  to  the 
western  country,  settling  first  in  Geauga 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  resided  until  after 
the  outbreak  of  the  war  of  1812.  He  was 
then  drafted  for  service  and  was  mustered 
into  the  army,  but  only  remained  for  about 
twenty  days,  after  which  he  returned  to  his 
old  home  in  Massachusetts.  Soon  his  father 
gave  him  eighty  acres  of  land,  which  was 
then  an  unbroken  wilderness,  the  tract  being 
situated  in  Cuyahoga  county,  Ohio.  With 
characteristic  energy  he  began  to  clear  and 
improve  it  and  had  placed  ten  or  twelve 
acres  under  cultivation  when  he  traded  this 
land  to  an  older  brother  for  an  interest  in  a 
mill  property  situated  on  Grand  river,  Ohio. 
His  attention  was  given  to  the  operation  of 
the  mill  for  about  six  years,  when  through 
some  mismanagement  in  business  the 
brothers  had  to  give  up  the  property  to  the 


740 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


former  owners.  Mr.  Olds  then  secured  em- 
ployment in  a  distillery  in  Trumbull  county, 
Ohio,  and  while  living  there  was  elected  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  for  a  term  of  four  years. 
He  was  afterward  re-elected  to  fill  a  vacancy 
and  served  for  two  years  more.  About  this 
time  he  married  Miss  Phebe  Ross,  of  Trum- 
bull county,  Ohio,  and  after  working  in  the 
distillery  and  acting  as  justice  of  the  peace 
for  six  years  he  removed  to  his  father-in- 
law's  farm,  which  he  operated  on  shares  for 
three  years.  Soon  after  the  expiration  of 
that  period  his  wife  died  and  he  broke  up 
housekeeping,  returning  again  to  his  father's 
farm,  where  he  remained  for  about  a  year 
or  two,  doing  such  work  as  he  could  find. 
Later,  however,  he  determined  to  make  his 
way  to  Michigan  and  journeyed  toward  that 
state,  ultimately  reaching  the  present  site  of 
the  city  of  Niles.  There  he  began  the  manu- 
facture of  brick — the  first  in  the  place.  There 
was  not  even  a  brick  chimney  in  the  town  at 
the  time.  In  the  manufacture  of  brick  he 
met  with  success  and  accumulated  consider- 
able property,  judiciously  placing  his  capital 
in  real  estate. 

While  there  Mr.  Olds  married  a  second 
time  and  after  a  few  years,  becoming  tired 
of  the  business  of  manufacturing  brick,  he 
removed  to  the  township  of  Benton  when 
the  whole  district  was  almost  an  unbroken 
wilderness.  He  located  on  a  piece  of  land  on 
section  2"]^  where  he  erected  a  log  house  and 
then  began  to  clear  away  the  heavy  timber 
with  which  the  land  was  well  covered.  After 
several  years  of  hard  labor,  having  got  his 
land  in  a  measure  cleared  up,  he  built  him  a 
new  and  comfortable  frame  house,  in  which 
he  and  his  family  resided  for  about  eight 
years.  He  then  had  the  misfortune  of  hav- 
ing his  house  and  furniture  nearly  all  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  but  with  renewed  energy  and 
strength  he  set  to  work  to  retrive  his  lost 
possessions  and  built  another  house  on  al- 
most the  site  of  the  first  structure.  He  con- 
tinued to  occupy  it  for  several  years,  or  until 
the  infirmities  of  age  came  upon  him  and  he 
turned  over  the  care  of  the  farm  to  his  son, 
with  whom  he  resided  for  several  years,  or 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
on  the  2d  of  October,   1882,  when  he  had 


reached  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years,  three 
months  and  seven  days. 

WILLIAM  H.  WEBER,  of  Benton 
Harbor,  is  a  native  son  of  the  county,  his 
birth  occurring  in  Bainbridge  township  in 
1865,  but  his  father,  Jacob  Weber,  was 
born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  and  came  to 
America  after  his  marriage,  settling  in  South 
Bend,  Indiana,  about  1858  or  1859.  Sub- 
sequently he  came  to  this  county,  establish- 
ing his  home  in  Bainbridge  township,  where 
he  purchased  and  improved  a  farm,  resid- 
ing continuously  thereon  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1885,  when  he 
was  sixty-four  years  of  age.  His  wife  died 
in  1869  or  1870,  when  about  forty-one  years 
of  age.  In  their  family  were  seven  children^ 
of  whom  William  H.  is  the  youngest.  Only 
one  other  is  now  living,  Carrie,  who  resides 
in  Chicago.  The  eldest  brother,  Jacob 
Weber,  now  deceased,  was  a  soldier  of  the 
Civil  war,  enlisting  from  South  Bend,  In- 
diana, in  the  Thirty-eighth  Indiana  Regi- 
ment. 

William  H.  Weber  was  reared  upon  a 
farm  in  his  native  township  and  acquired  a 
district-school  education.  When  seventeen 
or  eighteen  years  of  age  he  went  to  Chicago, 
Illinois,  where  he  was  employed  for  two 
years  and  then  returned  to  Benton  Harbor, 
where  he  accepted  a  clerkship  in  a  grocery 
store,  remaining  there  until  he  entered  mer- 
cantile life  on  his  own  account  in  1900.  He 
established  a  retail  grocery  store  and  in  ad- 
dition to  a  large  stock  of  staple  and  fancy 
groceries  he  also  carries  a  line  of  crockery. 
His  store  is  located  on  East  Main  street  and 
he  has  been  very  successful  since  starting 
out  on  his  own  account,  having  at  the  pres- 
ent time  a  fine  trade. 

In  1898  in  Benton  Harbor  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Weber  and  Miss  Anna  E. 
Kinney,  a  daughter  of  Patrick  M.  Kinney, 
one  of  the  old  pioneer  settlers  of  this  city. 
They  now  have  one  child,  Helen  L.,  who  was 
born  in  Benton  Harbor  and  is  five  years  of 
age. 

Politically  an  earnest  Republican,  Mr. 
Weber  was  elected  on  the  party  ticket  to  the 
ofiice  of  city  treasurer.     He  filled  the  ofiice^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


741 


-for  two  terms  and  is  now  serving  as  alder- 
man. Every  measure  which  comes  up  for 
settlement  receives  his  earnest  consideration 
and  he  is  a  strong  champion  of  each  move- 
ment which  tends  to  promote  the  substantial 
welfare,  improvement  and  progress  of  the 
city.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the 
Elks,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and 
the  Maccabees.  Having  always  lived  in  this 
county  save  for  the  brief  period  of  two  years 
spent  in  Chicago  he  has  a  wide  acquaintance 
and  the  fact  that  he  has  led  an  upright  life 
is  indicated  when  we  note  that  many  of  his 
stanchest  friends  are  those  with  whom  he  has 
been  acquainted  from  his  boyhood  days  to 
the  present  time. 

WILLIAM  H.  BULLARD  was  born  in 
Auburn,  Cayuga  county,  New  York,  April 
23,  1842.  His  parents,  Ambrose  M.  and 
Elizabeth  (Ebare)  Bullard,  were  both  na- 
tives of  Paris,  France,  and  in  1825  the  father 
emigrated  to  America,  locating  in  Auburn, 
New  York,  where  he  remained  for  a  number 
of  years.  In  1856  he  removed  westward 
with  his  family  to  Paw  Paw,  Michigan, 
where  he  continued  to  make  his  home  until 
the  death  of  his  wife,  which  occurred  in 
1858,  when  she  was  forty-seven  years  of  age. 
The  following  year  he  returned  to  Auburn, 
New  York,  where  he  spent  his  remaining 
days,  his  death  occurring  in  1864,  when  he 
was  fifty-three  years  of  age.  While  in 
France  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Eliza- 
beth Ebare,  and  their  friendship  ripened  into 
love  but  their  families  objected  to  their  mar- 
riage, so  they  were  married  at  sea  while 
on  their  way  to  the  new  world,  the  wedding 
ceremony  being  performed  by  a  Presbyterian 
minister.  Mr.  Bullard  was  a  sculptor  and 
m.ade  many  beautiful  marble  statues.  In 
the  family  were  twelve  children,  five  daugh- 
ters and  seven  sons,  of  whom  William  H. 
was  the  seventh  in  order  of  birth.  Five  of 
the  number  are  now  living,  namely :  Eliza, 
Stephen,  William  H.,  James  and  Sarah. 

William  H.  Bullard  spent  the  days  of  his 
early  youth  in  Auburn,  New  York,  and  at- 
tended school  there  until  1856,  when  at  the 
age  of  fifteen  he  came  to  Michigan.  The 
family  home  was  established  at  Paw  Paw, 
Van  Buren  county.    At  the  age  of  nineteen 


years  he  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Civil  war, 
his  patriotic  spirit  being  aroused  by  the  at- 
tempt of  the  south  to  overthrow  the  Union. 
Hardly  had  the  smoke  from  Fort  Sumter's 
guns  cleared  away  when  he  offered  his  ser- 
vices to  the  government,  enlisting  on  the 
23d  of  April,  1 86 1,  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany C,  Seventieth  New  York  Infantry, 
which  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac under  the  command  of  Colonel  Sickles. 
Mr.  Bullard  was  in  many  hard  fought  bat- 
tles, including  the  engagements  of  the  Wild- 
erness, which  extended  over  seven  days.  He 
was  also  in  the  terrible  conflict  of  Gettys- 
burg^ one  of  the  most  hotly  contested  bat- 
tles of  the  entire  war,  in  which  both  armies 
lost  heavily.  Mr.  Bullard  served  for  three 
years,  three  months  and  ten  days  and  was 
then  honorably  discharged  in  July,  1864. 
There  wxre  five  brothers  of  the  family  in  the 
Civil  w^ar,  Stephen  serving  in  the  Third 
Michigan  Cavalry,  Peter  as  a  member  of 
Company  C,  Twelfth  Michigan  Regiment  of 
Volunteers,  and  James  in  Company  C  of 
the  Fourth  Michigan  Cavalry.  It  was  he 
and  a  Mr.  Monger  who  captured  Jefferson 
Davis,  the  leader  of  the  Confederacy.  The 
family  record  is  one  of  which  there  is  every 
reason  to  be  proud,  for  the  brothers  were 
brave  and  loyal  soldiers,  displaying  valor 
upon  many  southern  battlefields. 

Following  his  discharge  from  the  army 
Mr.  Bullard  of  this  review,  located  in  Misha- 
waka,  Indiana,  and  in  October,  1864,  came 
to  Niles,  Michigan,  where  he  has  since  lived. 
He  was  a  wood-turner  by  trade  and  followed 
that  pursuit  until  he  was  called  to  the  posi- 
tion of  clerk  in  the  postoffice  at  Niles.  He 
there  served  faithfully  until  his  health  failed, 
when  he  resigned.  He  afterward  became  a 
postal  clerk  between  Cleveland  and  Chicago 
in  the  employ  of  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad 
and  was  thus  engaged  until  he  turned  his 
attention  to  the  grocery  business,  establish- 
ing a  store  in  Niles,  which  he  conducted  suc- 
cessfully for  sixteen  years  at  the  corner  of 
Main  and  South  Third  streets.  While  con- 
ducting his  grocery  store  he  secured  a  pat- 
ronage which  constantly  grew  as  the  years 
passed,  so  that  he  was  able  annually  to  add 
to  his  income.  Now  in  possession  of  a  com- 
fortable competence  for  his  declining  years. 


742 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


he  is  living  a  retired,  enjoying  a  rest  which 
he  ha^  truly  earned  and  richly  deserves. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  1868,  Mr.  Bullard 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Carrie  G. 
Fisher,  a  daughter  of  Iliff  Fisher,  of  Ber- 
rien Springs.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bullard  have 
been  prominent  in  social  life  of  Niks  and 
their  pleasant  and  attractive  home  is  the 
center  of  a  cultured  society  circle.  Both  are 
esteemed  and  valued  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian church.  Mr.  Bullard  has  been  a 
Knight  of  Pythias  for  nineteen  years.  He 
is  chairman  of  the  soldiers'  relief  commit- 
tee of  Berrien  county,  in  which  capacity  he 
has  served  continuousl}^  from  the  beginning. 
He  was  director  of  the  poor  farm  for  some 
years  and  the  poor  and  needy  have  found  in 
him  a  friend,  his  benevolent  nature  respond- 
ing readily  to  any  call  for  assistance.  In 
politics  he  is  an  earnest  Republican  and  has 
held  various  offices  of  trust  and  responsibil- 
ity. He  is  a  member  of  the  Berrien  county 
Republican  central  committee,  and  for  many 
years  has  been  active  in  the  affairs  of  that 
party.  He  is  deeply  interested  in  the  wel- 
fare of  Niles  to  the  extent  of  giving  hearty 
and  helpful  co-operation  to  all  measures  for 
the  public  good.  He  has  resided  continu- 
ously in  this  city  since  1864,  covering  a  per- 
iod of  almost  forty-four  years,  and  during 
this  time  his  life  has  ever  been  upright  and 
honorable,  winning  him  the  regard  and  con- 
fidence of  his  fellowmen. 

CARMI  REDDICK  SMITH  is  closely 
associated  with  the  business  enterprises  and 
activity  of  Niles  which  have  lead  to  its  sub- 
stantial upbuilding.  A  native  son  of  Michi- 
gan, he  was  born  in  Girard,  Branch  county, 
on  the  19th  of  May,  1862.  His  father, 
Mahlon  A.  Smith,  was  born  in  New  York 
and  became  an  early  settler  of  Branch 
county.  His  mother  was  a  daughter  of  John 
B.  Reddick,  who  came  to  Michigan  in  1832. 
Mahlon  A.  Smith,  following  his  removal  to 
Branch  county,  became  owner  of  three  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  and  there  carried  on  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death.  He  cleared  most  of  his  land, 
placing  it  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
In  his  early  life  he  had  followed  merchan- 
dising, but  after  purchasing  the  farm  gave 


his  undivided  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in 
1892,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years.  His 
widow  still  survives  and  makes  her  home 
in  Coldwater,  Branch  county,  Michigan.  In 
their  family  were  six  children,  four  sons  and 
two  daughters,  of  whom  five  are  living, 
namely :  Carmi  R. ;  Mark  H.,  a  resident  of 
Coldwater;  Mabel  L.,  the  wife  of  Rev.  John 
Biery,  a  Methodist  minister;  Katherine  L., 
the  wife  of  Rev.  R.  J.  McLandress,  a  clergy- 
man of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Oconto,, 
Wisconsin;  and  Benjamin  H.,  who  lives  in 
Niles,  where  he  is  foreman  of  the  W.  A. 
Reddick  Wire  and  Shovel  Factory. 

Carmi  R.  Smith  was  graduated  from  the 
high  school  of  Coldwater,  in  the  class  of 
1882.  He  afterward  attended  Albion  Col- 
lege, from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1886 
with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science. 
Subsequently  he  went  to  Fort  Wayne,  where 
he  studied  law  for  a  short  time  and  then  came 
to  Niles,  here  accepting  the  position  of  book- 
keeper with  John  L.  Reddick,  who  was  at 
that  time  engaged  in  the  wood,  coal  and 
lumber  business.  Mr.  Smith  remained  with 
Mr.  Reddick  for  two  years,  after  which  he 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Ohio  Paper  Com- 
pany as  purchasing  agent  of  straw,  pulp,  etc., 
thus  representing  the  house  for  two  years. 
In  1 89 1  he  purchased  of  J.  L.  Reddick  the 
contract  for  supplying  straw  and  pulp  to  the 
different  mills.  The  contract  involved  an 
immense  amount  of  business  in  securing 
these  materials  and  Mr.  Smith  continued  in 
that  line  of  activity  until  1903,  when  he 
sold  his  contracts.  In  1889  he  had  pur- 
chased the  J.  L.  Reddick  lumber  business 
and  has  since  continued  as  a  dealer  in  that 
commodity,  also  owning  and  operating  a 
planing  mill.  In  addition  to  dealing  in  all 
kinds  of  lumber  he  carries  a  full  line  of  sash, 
doors,  glass,  mouldings,  porch  stock  and 
paint.  In  fact  he  deals  in  all  kinds  of  build- 
ing materials.  He  is  now  conducting  a  large 
and  prosperous  business,  his  sales  reaching 
an  extensive  figure  annually.  In  the  mean- 
time he  had  purchased  a  large  tract  of  tim- 
ber land  in  northern  Michigan,  which  he 
cleared  in  1902,  having  received  many  thous- 
and feet  of  lumber  therefrom.  In  this  way 
he  has  added  to  the  value  of  property  in  that 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


745 


locality,  placing  the  land  in  a  condition  bet- 
ter fitted  for  cultivation. 

Mr.  Smith  has  made  his  home  in  Niles 
since  1886  and  has  always  been  very  active 
in  public  affairs  of  the  city.  At  the  present 
time  he  is  identified  as  a  director  with  three 
building  and  loan  associations  in  Niles  and 
is  president  of  one  of  them.  He  is  also 
president  of  the  Niles  Creamery  Company 
and  is  president  of  the  Business  Men's  As- 
sociation of  the  city.  He  is  a  student  of  the 
signs  of  the  times,  readily  recognizing  op- 
portunities and  bends  every  energy  to  im- 
prove these,  advancing  general  prosperity  as 
w^ell  as  individual  success. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  recognized  factor  in  politi- 
cal circles,  wielding  a  wide  influence.  In 
he  was  very  active  in  support  of  the 


party  and  its  principles  during  the  McKinley 
administration.  In  1897-98  he  became  a 
member  of  the  state  legislature,  filling  out 
the  unexpired  term  of  E.  S.  Williams  who 
resigned  to  accept  the  appointment  of  post- 
master of  Niles.  In  1903  Mr.  Smith  was 
elected  mayor  of  Niles  and  in  October  of  that 
year  he  resigned  to  accept  the  unexpired  term 
of  postmaster  caused  by  the  death  of  E.  S. 
Williams,  whom  he  had  succeeded  in  the 
state  legislature.  Three  days  after  Mr.  Wil- 
liams' death  Mr.  Smith  was  appointed  to 
succeed  him.  He  is  a  stalwart  Republican, 
unfaltering  in  his  allegiance  to  the  party. 
He  keeps  well  informed  on  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day  and  stands  as  an  advocate 
of  a  high  type  of  political  honor  and  reli- 
ability. 

In  October,  1890,  occurred  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Smith  and  Miss  Mary  E.  Stafford, 
of  Port  Hope,  Michigan.  She  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  W.  R.  Stafford,  who  was  a  large  man- 
ufacturer of  lumber  in  northern  Michigan, 
and  now  owner  of  extensive  lands  in  Huron 
county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have  two  sons, 
W.  R.  Stafford  Smith  and  Carmi  Reginald 
Smith,  both  born  in  Niles.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Smith  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church. 
Mr.  Smith  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
fraternity,  while  in  the  Masonic  order  he 
has  taken  the  degrees  of  the  lodge,  chapter, 
council  and  commandery  at  Niles,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  at  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan.     He  is  quick  of  appre- 


hension and  comprehends  readily  intricate 
business  and  political  problems.  He  has 
done  much  toward  promoting  the  general 
welfare,  and  his  career,  both  public  and  pri- 
vate, has  been  marked  by  the  strictest  integ- 
rity and  faithfulness  to  every  trust  reposed 
in  him.  He  is  known  as  an  honorable  man, 
a  pleasant,  social  companion,  and  a  devoted 
husband  and  father. 

CAPTAIN  MOSES  EMERSON,  now 
deceased,  who  won  his  title  by  sailing  on  the 
lakes  and  the  high  seas,  was  for  some  years 
a  resident  of  Benton  Harbor  and  had  a  wide 
acquaintance  in  Berrien  county,  so  that  his 
history  cannot  fail  to  prove  of  interest  ta 
many  of  our  readers.  A  native  of  Ohio^ 
his  birth  occurred  at  Madison,  Lake  county^ 
on  the  7th  of  August,  183 1,  and  he  passed 
away  July  4,  1902,  when  in  his  seventy-first 
year.  His  father  was  Joseph  Emerson,  a 
son  of  Joseph  Emerson,  Sr.,  who  with  his 
two  brothers  were  soldiers  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  and  fought  in  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill.  Joseph  Emerson,  Jr.,  emigrat- 
ing westward  with  ox  teams,  at  length 
reached  Lake  county,  Ohio,  where  he  made 
a  settlement,  being  one  of  the  early  residents 
of  the  western  reserve.  This  w^as  about 
1805,  only  two  or  three  years  after  the  ad- 
mission of  Ohio  into  the  Union.  The  family 
lived  in  true  pioneer  style.  Mr.  Emerson 
was  numbered  among  the  fearless  strivers 
toward  the  ever  receding  west,  fascinating 
for  its  untried  dangers  as  for  its  fabled 
wealth.  He  was  one  of  those  sturdy,  grave 
men,  who  fought  and  toiled  and  hoped  and 
realized  in  varying  measures,  leading  in 
sober  truth  a  life  fraught  with  privations^ 
hardships  and  pleasures  such  as  the  colors 
of  no  artist  have  ever  been  able  faithfully  to 
portray  nor  have  the  word  pictures  ever  fully 
reproduced  these  pioneer  experiences. 

Moses  Emerson  was  reared  to  manhood 
in  the  county  of  his  nativity  and  in  early  life 
learned  the  trade  of  a  ship  carpenter,  after 
which  he  became  a  sailor  on  the  lakes.  He 
was  married  in  Ohio  to  Miss  Helen  Palmer^ 
who  was  born  in  Concord,  Lake  county, 
and  was  eight  years  his  junior.  She  was 
eighteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her 
marriage.     Her  grandfather  was  Dr.  Isaac 


744 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


'Palmer,  of  Connecticut,  who  "in  pioneer 
times  removed  to  the  western  reserve  to 
practice  his  profession  and  Mrs.  Emerson 
now  has  in  her  possession  a  letter  which  was 
written  to  him  and  which  reads  as  follows: 

Canandaigua,  New  York, 

August  14,  1799. 
Isaac  Palmer,  Esq., 

Dear  Sir: — 

I  have  this  moment  received  a  letter  from 
Colonel  Sheldon  containing  your  wishes  to 
become  a  settler  in  New  Connecticut  pro- 
vided some  encouragement  could  be  given 
you.  In  answer  I  can  only  say  that  I  con- 
ceive that  the  directors  will  consider  the  set- 
tlement of  a  physician  in  that  country  as  ad- 
vantageous and  would  not  hestitate  at  giving 
you  the  encouragement  proposed  by  Colonel 
Sheldon.  As  one  of  the  directors  I  shall 
have  no  objection  to  giving  you  one  hundred 
acres  and  selling  you  four  or  five  more.  I 
will  write  Colonel  Sheldon  on  the  subject, 
with  whom  you  may  confer.  In  the  utmost 
haste,  I  am 

Yours,  etc., 

Oliver  Phelps. 

The  doctor  made  the  anticipated  move 
and  settled  at  Concord,  Ohio,  where  he  spent 
his  remaining  days,  and  his  son,  Erastus 
Palmer,  father  of  Mrs.  Emerson,  also  lived 
and  died  on  the  same  farm.  His  youngest 
son.  Charity  Palmer,  now  lives  upon  the  old 
homestead  there. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Emer- 
son removed  to  Ohio  and  he  engaged  in  sail- 
ing on  the  lakes.  In  1866  he  came  to  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  induced  to  make  the  move 
through  an  old  friend,  Martin  G.  Lamport, 
who  was  residing  here.  Wishing  to  be  near 
Chicago,  Mr.  Emerson  located  at  Benton 
Harbor,  purchasing  the  farm  which  has 
since  been  in  possession  of  the  family.  He 
bought  seven  acres  in  Pipestone  township, 
where  he  lived  for  many  years.  The  place 
was  covered  with  stumps  and  apple  trees 
had  been  set  out  two  years  before  among  the 
stumps.  They  have  since  borne  fruit  and 
several  of  them  are  still  good  trees.     The 


first  house  was  a  small  frame  dwelling. 
Captain  Emerson  continued  to  sail  on  the 
lakes  for  several  years  and  became  a  captain 
of  different  vessels.  He  was  a  fine  naviga- 
tor, but,  not  caring  for  responsibility,  pre- 
ferred to  sail  as  mate  and  occupied  that  posi- 
tion for  many  years.  Later  he  turned  his 
attention  to  farming,  having  a  tract  of  land 
near  the  Morell  farm  on  Empire  avenue, 
w4iich  he  operated  though  living  in  the  city. 
His  widow  still  owns  this  fifty-acre  farm, 
which  is  devoted  to  fruit,  including  a  large 
apple  orchard. 

Unto  Captain  and  Mrs.  Emerson  was 
born  one  son,  Joseph  Henry  Emerson,  who 
married  Laura  Durkee,  and  for  ten  years 
has  been  in  the  postoffice  in  Benton  Harbor 
as  an  employee. 

In  disposition  Captain  Emerson  was 
rather  retiring  and  preferred  his  home  to 
public  life.  He  enjoyed  quite  good  health 
until  a  short  time  prior  to  his  demise  and 
he  lived  a  Christian  life,  exemplifying  in 
his  daily  conduct  his  religious  faith  and  prin- 
ciple. He  was  reared  in  the  old  school  Pres- 
byterian church,  but  in  this  county  attended 
the  Congregational  church.  His  nature  was 
entirely  unobtrusive  even  to  timidity  and  this 
caused  him  to  desire  no  position  in  public 
life,  but  all  who  knew  him  respected  him  for 
his  genuine  personal  worth  and  his  ability 
was  recognized  by  those  with  whom  he  came 
in  contact.  His  honesty  was  ever  above 
question  and  he  held  friendship  inviolable. 
For  forty  years  Mrs.  Emerson  has  lived  at 
her  present  home,  which  is  located  in  the 
leading  residence  district  of  the  city.  She 
has  long  been  active  in  the  Congregational 
church  and  its  societies  and  is  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  by  all  who  know  her.  Many 
have  benefited  by  her  good  deeds  in  connec- 
tion with  the  church  and  by  her  private 
charities.  In  1902  she  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  her  husband,  who  passed 
away  on  the  4th  of  July  of  that  year.  There 
are  in  every  community  quiet,  retiring  men 
who  never  seek  to  figure  in  public  life  and 
yet  who  nevertheless  exert  a  strong  and 
beneficial  influence  in  the  community  through 
example  rather  than  precept,  and  such  a  one 
was  Captain  Moses  Emerson. 


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HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


745 


HANS  MADISON,  who  was  among  the 
worthy  and  respected  residents  of  Royalton 
township,  was  born  in  Denmark,  August  i6, 
1834,  and  died  in  Berrien  county.  May  22, 
1903.  He  became  a  resident  of  this  county 
in  1859  and  improved  a  small  farm  near 
Tryon's  Corners.  After  six  years  he  pur- 
chased the  present  home  farm,  which  was 
then  a  new  and  undeveloped  tract  of  land, 
bordering  the  St.  Joseph  river,  five  miles 
above  the  city  of  St.  Joseph.  He  also  had 
a  pasture  bordering  the  river.  He  had  to 
develop  the  entire  farm,  for  the  work  of  im- 
provement and  cultivation  had  scarcely  been 
begun  there.  He  set  out  pears  and  apples, 
which  are  still  in  bearing,  and  the  place  is 
now  a  fine  farm.  Following  his  marriage 
both  he  and  his  wife  worked  out  for  others 
but  by  their  untiring  toil  and  combined  ef- 
forts they  at  length  achieved  success  and 
became  the  owners  of  a  fine  home.  Mr. 
Madison  erected  a  part  of  the  present  resi- 
dence upon  taking  up  his  abode  upon  the 
farm  but  afterward  added  to  both  the  dwell- 
ing and  the  barn,  transforming  them  into 
commodious  and  substantial  structures. 

It  was  on  the  14th  of  November,  1869, 
that  Mr.  Madison  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Mary  Johnson,  a  native  of  Sweden, 
who  came  to  the  United  States  in  early 
womanhood  with  a  brother.  On  reaching 
Chicago  they  separated.  Neither  had  any 
money,  and  in  Chicago  Mary  Johnson  met 
a  Mr.  Leonard  and  hired  to  him  to  go  to 
St.  Joseph.  She  afterward  went  to  live  with 
Mr.  Tryon,  with  whom  she  remained  until 
her  marriage  in  the  fall  of  1869.  Mr.  Madi- 
son was  at  the  same  time  in  the  employ  of 
Mr.  Tryon.  He  was  eleven  years  his  wife's 
senior  and  at  the  time  of  their  marriage  he 
had  paid  for  his  eighteen  acres  of  land,  upon 
which  was  a  good  house.  He  had  a  pleasant 
home  there  but  as  his  family  increased  he 
traded  it  for  more  land.  Since  his  death  his 
widow  has  continued  to  improve  the  farm 
and  now  has  about  fifteen  acres  of  land 
planted  to  fruit.  She  has  also  increased  the 
acreage  devoted  to  berries  and  the  place  is 
a  splendid  fruit  farm. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Madison  were  born 
five  children :  Lewis  Alfred,  a  railroad  em- 


ploye, living  in  Kankakee,  Illinois;  Andrew, 
a  contractor  and  builder  at  Carl,  Michigan; 
Minnie  L.^  the  wife  of  William  H.  Brunke, 
a  merchant,  teacher,  farmer  and  postmaster 
at  Vineland ;  Anna  May,  the  wife  of  Otto 
Buckholts,  proprietor  of  a  grocery  and 
market  in  Chicago;  and  Hattie  L.,  the  wife 
of  William  Everett  Gates,  a  professional  chef 
now  living  on  the  home  farm  with  her 
mother. 

Mr.  Madison  and  his  wife  were  anxious 
to  give  their  children  the  best  advantages 
possible  and  the  sons  and  daughters  eagerly 
availed  themselves  of  the  opportunities  af- 
forded. Both  parents  were  reared  in  the 
Lutheran  Church  and  were  earnest  Chris- 
tian people.  Mr.  Madison  was  a  stanch  Re- 
publican. His  last  illness  continued  for  only 
a  few  weeks  and  he  then  passed  away  in 
the  sixty-ninth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  a 
well  respected  man  and  citizen  of  genuine 
worth,  and  in  business  circles  occupied  an 
enviable  position  because  of  his  trustworthi- 
ness and  his  enterprise. 

EDMUND  B.  STORMS,  who  in  former 
years  was  identified  with  industrial  and 
commercial  interests  in  Niles  and  since  1902 
has  filled  the  position  of  assistant  post- 
master, is  a  native  son  of  Berrien  county, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Niles  township 
on  the  24th  of  January,  1853.  His  father, 
Lewis  V.  Storms,  was  a  native  of  New  York 
and  came  to  Michigan  in  1838,  when  it  was 
still  under  territorial  rule  and  when  the  work 
of  progress  and  development  lay  largely  in 
the  future.  He  resided  in  Berrien  county 
and  in  the  midst  of  a  wild  region  began  the 
development  of  a  farm.  Throughout  the 
remainder  of  his  active  business  career  he 
carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits, 
finding  that  the  land  was  rich  and  produc- 
tive, responding  readily  to  the  care  and  labor 
which  he  bestowed  upon  the  fields.  He  lived 
to  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three  years, 
while  his  wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of 
sixty-eight  years.  She  bore  Ihe  maiden 
name  of  Lydia  Baker  and  was  born  in  Rich- 
mond, Indiana,  a  daughter  of  Nathan  Baker, 
of  Pennsylvania.  In  the  family  were  three 
children,  of  whom  two  are  living :    Edmund 


746 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


B.,  of  this  review;  and  Martha  C,  who  is 
the  wife  of  A.  D.  Young,  a  resident  farmer 
of  Niles  township. 

Edmund  B.  Storms  was  reared  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farm  lads,  no  event  of 
special  importance  occurring  to  vary  the 
routine  of  such  a  life  for  him  in  his  early 
boyhood.  He  began  his  education  in  the 
district  schools  of  his  native  township  and 
afterward  attended  a  select  school  in  Niles, 
while  subsequently  he  continued  his  studies 
in  the  business  college  at  Kalamazoo,  where 
he  was  qualified  for  the  practical  and  he- 
sponsible  duties  of  a  business  career.  At 
an  early  age  he  became  deeply  interested  in 
political  questions  and  issues  and  advocated 
the  principles  of  the  Republican  party  with 
enthusiasm  and  vigor.  He  has  never  had 
any  reason  to  change  his  views  on  political 
questions  but  has  remained  a  stalwart  ad- 
vocate of  the  party,  which  he  espoused  in 
early  manhood  and  has  been  an  earnest  and 
loyal  worker  in  its  behalf.  His  fidelity  in 
citizenship  and  his  ability  have  led  to  his 
selection  for  various  positions  of  honor  and 
trust.  In  1886  he  was  elected  treasurer  of 
Berrien  county  and  filled  the  office  for  four 
years,  when  the  county  seat  was  at  Berrien 
Springs.  He  also  served  as  supervisor  and 
was  township  treasurer  for  a  number  of 
years.  Shortly  after  retiring  from  that  of- 
fice he  became  interested  in  a  manufacturing 
business  under  the  firm  style  of  the  Earl- 
Storms  Manufacturing  Company,  of  which 
B.  F.  Earl  was  general  manager  and  Mr. 
Storms  secretary  and  treasurer.  They  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  furniture  spe- 
cialties and  the  business  was  conducted  suc- 
cessfully for  a  number  of  years,  after  which 
Mr.  Storms  sold  his  interest  to  his  partner. 
He  was  also  at  one  time  engaged  in  the  coal 
and  wood  business  as  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Williams  &  Storms  and  later  by  a  change 
in  partnership  the  name  of  Storms  & 
O'Bier  was  assumed.  Mr.  Storms  gave  his 
attention  to  that  business  for  six  years.  He 
has  made  his  home  continuously  in  Niles 
since  1891  and  has  become  a  recognized 
leader  in  Republican  ranks  in  this  city.  He 
was  alderman  for  two  years  from  the  second 
ward  and  gave  to  each  question  which  came 


up  for  deliberation  in  the  council  his  earn- 
est and  thoughtful  consideration.  He  is 
now  a  member  of  the  board  of  public  works 
of  Niles  and  in  1902  was  appointed  assis- 
tant postmaster,  which  position  he  is  still 
filling.  No  trust  reposed  in  him  has  ever 
been  betrayed  in  the  slightest  degree. 

Mr.  Storms  was  married  November  15, 
1888,  to  Miss  Myra  Stanley,  of  Niles,  a 
daughter  of  Monroe  and  Emily  (Young) 
Stanley,  of  this  city.  They  have  two  daugh- 
ters and  a  son,  Esther,  Lewis  S.  and  Emily 
Lucile,  all  of  whom  were  born  in  Niles  and 
are  still  under  the  parental  roof.  Mr. 
Storms  and  his  family  attend  the  Presby- 
terian church  and  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  lodge.  He  looks  upon 
the  world  from  no  false  position  and  has 
no  untried  standards.  He  is  a  man  of  strong 
conviction,  quick  to  discern  the  right  and 
unfaltering  in  his  efforts  to  maintain  it.  He 
has  a  love  of  society  and  of  his  friends  and 
in  his  grasp  and  greeting  there  is  always 
welcome.  His  life  has  been  characterized 
by  capable  public  service  and  over  the  record 
of  his  official  career  as  well  as  his  private  life 
there  falls  no  shadow  of  wrong  or  suspicion 
of  evil. 

JACOB  L,  EDINGER,  carrying  on  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits,  has  led  a  life  of 
untiring  industry  and  this  quality  has  been 
the  prominent  factor  in  his  success.  He 
now  lives  on  section  2,  New  Buffalo  town- 
ship. His  birth  occurred  in  Laporte,  Indi- 
ana, in  a  little  log  cabin  on  the  13th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1844.  At  that  date  there  were  only 
seven  houses  in  that  tov  n.  His  father, 
Philip  Edinger,  was  born  on  the  river  Rhine 
in  Bavaria,  Germany,  May  18,  1810,  and 
when  twenty-four  years  of  age  came  to  the 
United  States^  arriving  in  1834.  On  the 
same  vessel  came  Miss  Anna  Elizabeth 
Schaaf,  who  was  born  in  Bavaria  in  1808. 
They  were  married  in  New  York  immediate- 
ly after  their  arrival.  Mr.  Edinger  was  a 
teamster  in  Germany,  but  gave  his  attention 
to  general  farming  in  the  new  world.  He 
became  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  in  Berrien  county,  his  home  be- 
ing on  section  i,  New  Buffalo  township,  not 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


747 


far  from  the  present  residence  of  Jacob  L. 
Edinger.  His  last  days,  however,  were 
spent  in  the  home  of  his  son  Jacob,  and  he 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years. 
His  pohtical  allegiance  was  given  to  the 
Democracy  and  his  religious  faith  was  that 
of  the  Lutheran  church.  His  wife  passed 
awa}^  March  ii,  1887.  They  were  people 
of  the  highest  respectability,  esteemed  by  all 
who  knew  them  and  many  with  whom  they 
came  in  contact  gave  to  them  warm  friend- 
ship and  regard.  In  their  family  were  seven 
children,  of  whom  one  died  in  infancy  and 
George  is  also  deceased.  Mrs.  Louise  Miller 
has  passed  away.  Charles  is  deceased. 
Jacob  L.  is  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth.  Philip 
is  living  in  Indiana,  and  Sarah  is  the  de- 
ceased wife  of  Rev.  Kern. 

Jacob  L.  Edinger,  during  his  early  child- 
hood, was  taken  by  his  parents  to  a  farm 
four  and  a  half  miles  south  of  Laporte,  In- 
diana, on  Dore  prairie,  where  they  lived  for 
four  years.  They  afterward  resided  on  a 
farm  north  of  Laporte  for  seven  years  and 
on  the  9th  of  April,  1855,  came  to  New  Buf- 
falo township,  where  Mr.  Edinger  of  this 
review  has  since  made  his  home,  residing 
upon  his  present  farm  for  thirty-one  years. 
He  has  eighty-five  acres  on  the  river  and 
about  forty  acres  of  meadow  land  which 
borders  Galien  river  and  also  Pottawatomie 
lake.  It  was  all  woodland  when  it  came  into 
his  possession  and  he  has  placed  the  entire 
tract  of  eighty-five  acres  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation.  He  has  .erected  here  a  fine 
brick  residence  and  good  outbuildings  and 
has  led  a  life  of  unfaltering  industry  and 
enterprise.  He  at  first  lived  in  a  little  cabin 
or  hut  and  he  borrowed  the  money  to  make 
purchase  of  the  land,  but  as  the  years  went 
by  he  worked  energetically  and  persistently 
and,  saving  his  earnings,  was  at  length  en- 
abled to  clear  his  farm  of  all  indebtedness. 
In  1872  he  purchased  the  Lake  Shore  hotel 
at  New  Buffalo,  which  he  conducted  for 
seven  years  and  then  sold  to  John  Peo.  He 
also  owned  his  farm  at  that  time.  His  at- 
tention is  now  given  in  undivided  manner 
to  general  agricultural  pursuits  and  his  farm 
in  its  splendid  appearance  and  with  its  many 


modern  equipments  is  the  visible  evidence 
of  his  life  of  thrift  and  industry. 

In  1868,  Mr.  Edinger  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Phenia  Schwenk,  who  was 
born  near  New  York  city  on  the  28th  of 
March,  1855,  and  was  brought  to  Berrien 
county  at  the  age  of  seven  years  by  her  par- 
ents, John  and  Elizabeth  (Reuss)  Schwenk, 
who  were  natives  of  Frankfort-on-the-Main. 
The  father  died  here  September  26,  1869, 
at  fifty-six  years  of  age  and  the  mother  is 
living  in  New  Buffalo  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
seven  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edinger  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  fourteen  children  :  Ella, 
who  died  in  infancy;  John,  of  Union  Pier; 
Adam,  of  New  Buffalo  township;  Eliza- 
beth, who  is  living  in  Chicago;  Clara,  the 
wife  of  William  Harmann,  of  New  Buffalo 
township;  Ernest,  who  is  employed  by  the 
firm  of  Montgomery  Ward  &  Company,  of 
Chicago;  Henry,  w^ho  is  with  the  firm  of 
Sears,  Roebuck  &  Company,  of  Chicago; 
Jacob,  w^ho  is  operating  the  home  farm ;  Her- 
man, who  is  also  with  Montgomery  Ward 
&  Company,  of  Chicago ;  Paul,  at  home ;  Dol- 
ly and  Lorenzo,  both  at  home;  Mary,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  eleven  years;  and  Carl, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years.  The  last 
two  died  of  diphtheria,  the  whole  family 
suffering  from  that  disease  at  the  time. 

Mr.  Edinger  exercise  his  right  of  fran- 
chise in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of 
the  Democracy.  He  has  served  as  highway 
commissioner  for  one  term  but  has  never 
been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office  seek- 
ing. He  is  a  member  of  the  German  Luth- 
eran church  and  has  led  an  upright,  honor- 
able life  actuated  by  manly  principles.  All 
who  know  him  entertain  for  him  warm  re- 
gard and  respect  by  reason  of  what  he  has 
accomplished.  He  is  indeed  a  self-made 
man,  who  owes  his  success  entirely  to  his 
earnest  efforts  and  perseverance.  He  has 
overcome  difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his 
path  and  worked  his  way  steadily  upward 
to  success,  using  industry,  ambition  and  de- 
termination as  the  foundation  upon  which 
to  rear  the  superstructure  of  prosperity. 

WILLIAM  L.  HOLLAND.  The  busi- 
ness interests  of  St.  Joseph  find  an  enterprise 


748 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


ing,  alert  and  wide-awake  representative  in 
William  L.  Holland,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
drug  trade  here.  Moreover  he  has  been 
active  in  community  affairs,  his  labors  prov- 
ing a  tangible  factor  in  public  progress.  He 
was  born  in  Hollowell,  Maine,  in  1855,  ^^d 
is  a  son  of  James  L.  and  Eliza  A.  (Peasley) 
Holland,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  Pine 
Tree  state.  In  their  family  were  five  chil- 
dren, William  L.  being  the  second  in  order 
of  birth  and  the  only  one  residing  in  Ber- 
rien county.  At  the  usual  age  he  entered 
the  public  schools,  passing  through  succes- 
sive grades  until  he  became  a  high  school 
student.  He  entered  upon  his  business  career 
in  the  capacity  of  a  drug  clerk  in  his  native 
city  and  soon  afterward  went  to  Portland, 
Maine,  where  he  secured  a  situation  in  the 
drug  store  of  George  C.  Frye,  learning  the 
business  thoroughly.  He  remained  there  for 
several  years,  becoming  acquainted  with  the 
drug  trade  both  in  principle  and  detail  and 
with  the  actual  work  of  compounding  pre- 
scriptions as  well  as  making  sales.  When 
he  came  to  the  west  he  was  located  for  a 
time  in  Kansas  and  afterward  made  his  way 
to  the  Pacific  coast,  remaining  in  California 
until  he  returned  to  Michigan.  It  was  in 
the  fall  of  1889  that  he  settled  in  St.  Joseph, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home  and 
throughout  the  intervening  years  he  has  been 
connected  with  the  commercial  interests  of 
this  city.  He  purchased  the  drug  store  of 
Dr.  A.  H.  Scott  and  has  managed  the  busi- 
ness with  gratifying  success.  His  store  is 
w^ell  appointed  and  he  has  a  large  and  care- 
fully selected  line  of  drugs  and  sundry 
goods,  which  are  neat  and  tastefully  ar- 
ranged. His  reasonable  prices,  earnest  de- 
sire to  please  his  customers  and  his  unfailing 
courtesy  are  strong  elements  in  his  pros- 
perity. 

In  1894  in  Albion,  Michigan,  Mr.  Hol- 
land was  imited  in  marriage  to  Miss  Marie 
McKinney,  who  was  born  in  that  place  and 
is  a  daughter  of  John  McKinney.  This 
marriage  has  been  blessed  with  one  child, 
Laura  H.,  who  was  born  in  St.  Joseph.  Mr. 
Holland  is  a  prominent  Mason,  having  at- 
tained the  thirty-second  degree  of  the  Scot- 
tish Rite.  He  belongs  to  Saladin  Temple 
and  has  crossed  the  sands  of  the  desert  with 


the  nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  at  Grand 
Rapids.  He  was  eminent  commander  of  the 
commandery  at  St.  Joseph  for  two  years 
and  is  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  teach- 
ings and  tenets  of  the  craft,  which  recognizes 
in  him  one  of  its  prominent  representatives 
in  southwestern  Michigan.  He  also  holds 
membership  relations  with  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  with  the 
Woodmen  of  the  World.  Moreover  he  dis- 
plays considerable  activity  in  political  cir- 
cles and  is  a  stanch  Republican,  having  given 
his  allegiance  to  the  party  since  age  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  right  of  franchise.  His 
opinions  carry  weight  in  the  local  councils 
of  the  party  organization  and  he  has  been 
called  to  several  public  offices.  He  was 
alderman  for  the  third  ward  for  two  years 
and  for  two  terms  was  city  treasurer.  He 
has  frequently  been  mentioned  for  the  posi- 
tion of  postmaster  of  St.  Joseph.  His  place 
in  the  public  regard  is  an  enviable  one  and 
has  been  gained  through  his  strict  adherence 
to  honorable,  manly  principles,  by  his  un- 
faltering support  of  his  honest  convictions 
and  by  a  social,  genial  nature  which  wins 
warm  friendships. 

ARTHUR  O.  ULLREY,  M.  D.,  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Niles 
since  1889,  his  labors  being  directed  along 
modern  scientific  lines,  is  one  of  Berrien 
county's  native  sons,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  Pipestone  township  on  the  24th 
of  July,  1862.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
John  Ullrey,  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  on 
coming  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  pur- 
chased land,  devoting  his  time  to  clearing 
and  improving  the  property,  which,  through 
his  well  directed  efforts  was  converted  into 
one  of  the  finest  farms  of  the  county.  The 
task  was  an  arduous  one  in  the  early  days 
but  his  perseverance  and  energy  enabled  him 
to  overcome  the  difficulties  which  nature  had 
placed  in  his  way  and  in  the  course  of  years 
his  fields  became  very  productive.  He  spent 
his  last  days  in  Niles,  living  in  retirement 
from  further  business  cares  and  enjoying 
the  fruit  of  former  toil.  Here  he  passed 
away  in  1892  at  the  age  of  seventy  eight 
years. 

David  H.  Ullrey,  father  of  Dr.  Ullrey, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


749 


was  also  a  pioneer  resident  of  Michigan, 
having  been  brought  from  Ohio^  his  native 
state,  to  Berrien  county  by  his  parents  when 
a  youth  of  thirteen  years.  In  his  youth  he 
became  famiHar  with  farm  labor  and  devoted 
his  attention  to  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits both  before  and  after  his  marriage. 
He  wedded  Miss  Angeline  Schnorf  and  fol- 
lowing that  important  event  in  his  life  his- 
tory he  secured  a  farm  in  Berrien  county, 
upon  which  he  lived  for  some  time  but  later 
returned  to  the  old  homestead  in  Berrien 
township.  He  has  carried  on  farming 
throughout  his  entire  life  and  he  and  his 
wife  are  now  living  upon  a  good  farm  prop- 
erty in  Niles  township.  Unto  them  have 
been  born  three  sons :  Arthur  O. ;  Austin 
I.,  a  resident  farmer  of  Niles  township;  and 
Schuyler  ].,  who  makes  his  home  in  South 
Bend,  Indiana. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred 
to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  Dr.  Ull- 
rey  in  his  boyhood  days.  He  attended  the 
public  schools  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
years  began  teaching.  After  following  the 
profession  for  a  short  time,  however,  he  con- 
tinued his  own  education  in  the  schools  of 
Niles,  devoting  his  energies  to  this  work  for 
a  year.  Later  he  attended  the  University 
of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor,  where  he  com- 
pleted his  literary  course  and  thus  with  a 
good  foundation  upon  which  to  build  the 
superstructure  of  his  professional  knowledge 
he  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  matriculated 
in  Hahnemann  Medical  College.  There  he 
remained  as  a  student  until  he  was  gradu- 
ated on  the  cempletion  of  a  full  course  on  the 
25th  of  February,  1886. 

Dr.  Ullrey  located  for  practice  in  Three 
Daks,  Michigan,  where  he  remained  for  two 
and  a  half  years,  after  which  he  went  to 
South  Bend,  Indiana,  where  he  spent  nine 
months.  In  1889  he  came  to  Niles,  where  he 
has  since  been  located,  enjoying  a  successful 
practice  when  judged  from  both  a  profes- 
sional and  financial  standpoint.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  American  Medical  Institute 
of  Homeopathy  and  keeps  in  touch  with  the 
onward  march  of  progress  of  the  profession, 
adopting  all  new  and  improved  methods 
which  tend  to  promote  the  efficient  service 
of  the  physician.      He  likewise  belongs  to 


the  Northern  Indiana  and  Southern  Michi- 
gan Homeopathic  Medical  Society. 

Dr.  Ullrey  was  married  in  1888  to  Miss 
Ada  Wilcox,  who  at  that  time  resided  in 
Three  Oaks,  Michigan.  She  died  February 
4,  1890,  and  on  the  26th  of  September,  1893^ 
he  wedded  Katherine  Ager,  of  Niles.  They 
attend  the  Baptist  church  and  are  prominent 
socially,  the  hospitality  of  the  best  homes 
being  cordially  extended  them.  Dr.  Ullrey 
is  a  Republican  in  his  political  views  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen  and  the  Knights  of  the  Macca- 
bees. Since  determining  upon  the  practice 
of  medicine  as  a  life  work  he  has  given  his 
attention  to  the  calling  with  unfaltering 
fidelity,  allowing  nothing  to  deflect  him  from 
his  purpose  and  advancing  continually  in  his 
knowledge  of  the  science  and  his  adoption 
of  its  principles  to  the  needs  of  suffering 
humanity.  He  possesses,  however,  a  social 
nature  and  genial  disposition  nor  is  he  neg- 
lectful of  the  duties  of  political  and  social 
life. 

JACOB  CRIBBS,  deceased,  was  born  in 
Canton,  Ohio,  and  died  in  Berrien  county, 
in  December,  1893,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
five  years.  He  became  one  of  the  early  resi- 
dents of  this  section  of  Michigan,  and  as  an 
active  and  representative  business  man  w^hose 
labors  have  contributetd  to  the  public  pro- 
gress as  w^ell  as  to  individual  success,  he  de- 
serves mention  in  this  volume.  His  paternal 
and  maternal  grandparents  were  of  German 
lineage.  His  father,  George  Cribbs,  was  in 
his  day  the  greatest  stage  proprietor  in  the 
United  States,  it  requiring  six  hundred 
horses  to  run  his  stages.  He  operated  from 
Ohio  westward  to  Washington,  having  head- 
quarters at  Canton,  Ohio,  and  his  business 
was  most  extensive,  making  him  a  foremost 
representative  of  that  line  of  activity  in  this 
entire  country. 

In  early  life  Jacob  Cribbs  of  this  review 
learned  and  followed  the  trade  of  a  carpen- 
ter and  joiner.  He  had  previously  driven  a 
stage  when  but  a  young  lad,  but  his  father 
became  bankrupt  in  the  financial  panic  of 
1837,  which  swept  over  the  country,  leaving 
many  hitherto  successful  business  men 
ruined.    Jacob  Cribbs  worked  at  the  carpen- 


750 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


ter's  trade  in  Pittsburg  and  afterward  came 
to  western  Michigan  as  a  stage  driver,  ar- 
riving in  this  section  of  the  state  about  1839. 
He  beHeved  that  a  successful  future  awaited 
this  section  of  the  country,  foreseeing  its 
rapid  and  substantial  development,  and  he 
secured  eighty  acres  just  north  of  Bainbridge 
Center. 

Mr.  Cribbs  was  married  in  Bainbridge  to 
Miss  Jeanette  McKeyes,  a  daughter  of  Sam- 
uel McKeyes,  residing  northeast  of  Bain- 
bridge and  south  of  Watervliet.  Mrs. 
Cribbs  w-as  at  that  time  but  nineteen  years 
of  age.  Ambitious  to  make  a  good  start  in 
life  Mr.  Cribbs  soon  secured  a  farm  in  the 
German  settlement  but  afterwards  went  to 
Wisconsin,  where  for  six  years  he  followed 
farming.  In  1852  he  went  to  California, 
hoping  to  enjoy  better  business  opportuni- 
ties in  the  mining  regions  of  the  far  west. 
The  same  year  he  removed  his  family  back 
to  Michigan,  where  they  remained  during 
the  time  he  spent  in  a  search  for  the  precious 
metal  on  the  Pacific  coast.  He  was  gone 
three  years  and  met  with  fair  success.  About 
1855  he  returned  to  Michigan  and  purchased 
a  farm,  upon  which  he  lived  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death.  Only  twenty  acres  of  the  land 
had  been  improved,  but  he  .began  its  further 
development  and  cultivation,  and  in  the 
course  of  years  made  a  good  farm.  He  en- 
gaged quite  successfully  as  a  fruit  grower  in 
early  times  and  he  owned  several  tracts  of 
land,  carefully  managing  his  business  in- 
terests so  that  success  resulted.  He  made 
judicious  investments  in  property  and  his  at- 
tention was  concentrated  upon  his  private  in- 
terests, for  he  did  not  seek  or  desire  public 
notoriety  of  any  kind  and  never  sought  to 
figure  in  public  office.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cribbs  wxre  born  four  children :  Herbert, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years ;  Clin- 
ton G.,  who  is  conducting  a  boarding  house 
at  Benton  Harbor;  Jennie  B.,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  tw^o  years ;  and  Eugene  W.,  who 
is  living  at  Bainbridge  Center. 

Jacob  Cribbs,  the  father,  died  in  1893, 
and  his  widow  is  still  living  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty- four  years,  while  she  has  a 
sister  living  two  years  older  than  herself. 
Mr.  Cribbs  was  long  known  as  one  of  the 
representative  farmers  and  citizens  of  this 


part  of  the  state,  for  the  work  of  develop- 
ment had  scarcely  begun,  when,  in  1839,  he 
arrived  in  Michigan.  Great  forests  stood 
in  their  primeval  strength  and  the  land  was 
unclaimed.  Only  here  and  there  had  a  lit- 
tle settlement  been  made,  and  the  work  of 
prigress  was  scarcely  begun.  He  bore  his 
full  share  in  the  work  of  reclaiming  this  re- 
gion for  the  purpose  of  cultivation,  in  sub- 
duing the  wilderness  and  extending  the  fron- 
tier, and  as  such  deserves  mention  in  this 
volume. 

WILLIAM  M.  WISSING  is  a  citizen 
w^ho  stands  for  all  that  is  progressive  in 
relation  to  the  public  welfare,  and  the  part 
which  he  has  done  for  good  roads  in  St. 
Joseph  township  well  entitles  him  to  repre- 
sentation in  this  volume  as  one  of  the  lead- 
ing residents  of  his  community.  He  was 
born  in  Denmark  in  1849,  acquired  his  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  his  native  country, 
and  when  a  young  man  of  twenty-one  years 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1870,  attracted 
by  the  business  opportunities  of  the  new 
world.  He  spent  three  years  in  New  York, 
and  for  one  and  a  half  years  was  a  resident 
of  Chicago.  Since  1874  he  has  made  his 
home  in  Berrien  county,  where  he  has  fol- 
lowed farming  and  fruit  growing  in  St. 
Joseph  township.  He  had  not  a  dollar  upon 
his  arrival  in  this  country  but  he  possessed 
a  strong  heart  and  willing  hands,  was  not 
afraid  to  work  and  has  labored  earnestly, 
persistently  and  energetically  as  the  years 
have  gone  by  until  he  is  now  in  comfortable 
circumstances.  He  has  a  farm  of  twenty- 
eight  acres  of  valuable  land  on  the  lake  shore 
three  and  a  half  miles  south  of  St.  Joseph 
in  one  of  the  most  desirable  sections  of  the 
country  surrounding  that  city,  and  his  care 
and  supervision  have  made  this  a  well  im- 
proved property,  equipped  with  all  modern 
accessories  and  conveniences. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Wissing  is  a 
stalwart  Republican,  one  of  the  workers  of 
the  party  and  a  recognized  leader  in  its  local 
ranks.  Elected  to  the  office  of  highway  com- 
missioner, he  has  taken  a  most  active  and 
helpful  part  in  good  roads  movement  in  St. 
Joseph  township.  At  the  April  election  in 
1906  this  township  was  bonded  for  twenty- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


751 


nine  thousand  dollars  to  be  spent  on  the  im- 
provement of  the  public  highways.  Macad- 
amized roads  were  made,  covering  a  dis- 
tance of  five  and  a  half  miles.  All  this  w^as 
accomplished  in  the  season  of  1906  and  all 
was  built  under  contract  made  by  Mr.  Wis- 
sing  as  superintendent  for  the  township.  The 
State  also  donates  one  thousand  dollars  per 
mile.  Some  of  these  roads  are  fourteen  feet 
wide  and  others  are  twelve  feet — those  hav- 
ing less  traffic.  All  were  built  according  to 
specifications  supplied  by  the  State.  Crushed 
stone  was  sent  from  Chicago  and  laid  on  the 
railroad  siding  at  a  dollar  and  forty-five 
cents  per  cubic  yard.  The  twelve  foot  road 
has  six  inches  of  stone,  and  the  fourteen 
foot  road  has  eight  inches  of  this  after  being 
rolled.  After  the  crushed  stone  has  been 
laid  a  fine  or  powered  stone  is  laid  upon  it 
and  all  rolled  with  heavy  steam  rollers,  the 
entire  expense  running  from  forty-two  hun- 
dred to  fifty-four  hundred  dollars  per  mile. 
This  start  has  been  made  and  will  cover 
nearly  two-thirds  of  all  the  roads  in  St.  Jos- 
sepli  township,  and  every  foot  of  the  work  is 
under  the  direct  supervision  of  Mr.  Wissing, 
who  was  elected  highway  commissioner  in 
1906.  This  is  the  fifth  year  of  his  service 
in  that  capacity  during  the  last  eight  years, 
a  fact  which  indicates  that  in  the  discharge 
of  his  duties  he  has  given  more  general  satis- 
faction than  any  other  incumbent  in  the  of- 
fice, his  former  experience  proving  his  w^orth. 
He  meets  with  almost  universal  commenda- 
tion in  what  he  has  done  in  public  office 
and  in  the  years  to  come  the  value  of  his 
labor  will  be  still  greater  appreciated  as 
the  benefits  from  good  roads  accrue  and  are 
recognized  by  the  general  public. 

THERON  D.  CHILDS,  postmaster  of 
Three  Oaks,  was  born  in  Sherburnville,  Illi- 
nois, December  11,  1872,  and  is  the  son  of 
Francis  E.  and  Amanda  (Dyer)  Childs,  the 
former  a  native  of  Knox  county,  Ohio,  and 
the  latter  of  Kankakee  county,  Illinois.  Both 
are  still  living  and  reside  upon  a  farm  two 
miles  west  of  this  village.  They  removed 
to  Berrien  county  in  1893  and  after  spending 
some  eight  years  in  Three  Oaks,  took  up 


their  abode  upon  the  farm  where  they  now 
live. 

While  Mr.  Childs^  ancestors  were  people 
more  or  less  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  their 
times,  yet  his  parents,  by  force  of  circum- 
stances, have  occupied  the  humble  position 
of  the  rural  class.  His  father  was  the  son 
of  Henry  A.  Childs,  who  was  born  and  grew 
to  manhood  near  LeRoy,  New  York.  After 
graduating  from  the  medical  department  of 
the  University  of  Vermont,  he  married  Mary 
A.  Brown  of  Roxbury,  Massachusetts,  and 
located  in  Knox  county,  Ohio,  where  he  en- 
joyed an  extensive  practice  until  his  death 
in  1852. 

The  mother  of  Theron  D.  Childs  was  the 
third  daughter  of  Edward  Dyer,  Avho  was 
born  in  Vermont,  grew  to  manhood  in  west- 
ern New  York  and  removed  to  western  Indi- 
ana about  1835.  He  traced  his  lineage  directy 
to  the  Mayflower  pilgrims  and  was  descended 
from  that  sturdy  New  England  stock 
which  has  left  its  imprint  on  nearly  every 
community  of  the  central  states.  Having 
been  left  an  orphan  in  childhood,  he  was  the 
moulder  of  his  own  character  and  a  splendid 
example  of  a  self-made  man.  He  settled  at 
Sherburnville,  Illinois,  in  the  early  forties 
and  opened  a  blacksmith  shop  in  the  new  set- 
tlement. His  industry  and  integrity,  for 
which  he  was  widely  known,  coupled  with 
his  natural  mechanical  ability,  developed  a 
thriving  business  and  Mr.  Dyer  soon  became 
one  of  the  leading  men  of  that  section. 

Such  is  the  stock  from  which  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  has  sprung  and  Mr.  Childs 
has  proven  himself  not  unworthy  of  such  an 
ancestry. 

The  early  years  of  Mr.  Childs'  life  were 
spent  near  the  village  of  his  birth,  amid 
surroundings  which  to  say  the  least  were 
quite  limited.  When  about  six  years  of  age 
he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Kansas,  the 
trip  being  made,  as  was  the  custom  at  that 
time,  overland  in  a  canvas  covered  wagon. 
After  a  year  and  a  half  in  the  Sunflower 
state  the  family  returned  to  Illinois  wdiere 
they  remained  until  the  fall  of  1889. 

Mr.  Childs  was  never  robust  and  when 
about  eleven  years  of  age  his  physical  con- 


752 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


diton  became  such  that  for  nearly  four  years 
even  schooHng  was  out  of  the  question. 
However,  his  Hmited  advantages  had  been 
so  improved  that  in  November,  1889,  he  was 
able  to  enter  the  Normal  School  at  Marion, 
Indiana,  and  take  up  the  regular  work  in 
the  teacher's  course.  During  the  winter, 
however,  his  work  was  interrupted  by  sick- 
ness and  with  a  desire  to  better  his  health 
he  went  to  Ridgeville,  Indiana,  in  the  spring 
of  1890.  The  change  proved  of  little  benefit 
for  in  the  early  summer  his  studies  were 
again  brought  to  a  sudden  stop  by  a  long 
illness  which  kept  him  from  school  until  late 
in  November,  when  he  resumed  his  work 
and  continued  until  he  graduated  from  the 
teachers'  course  of  Ridgeville  College  in  the 
summer  of  1891.  In  March,  1893,  Mr. 
Childs  came  to  Three  Oaks  and  although  an 
entire  stranger  and  without  means,  he  has  so 
conducted  himself  that  in  the  few  years  of 
his  residence  here  he  has  won  a  high  place 
in  the  respect  and  esteem  of  his  fellow-citi- 
zens. 

Soon  after  coming  to  Three  Oaks  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Warren  Featherbone 
Company,  where  he  remained  until  the  fol- 
lowing September,  when  he  took  up  the 
duties  of  teacher  in  the  Basswood  district  of 
Three  Oaks  township.  For  five  consecutive 
years  he  taught  in  the  rural  schools  of  this 
vicinity,  three  of  which  were  in  district  No. 
5,  where  he  had  as  a  pupil  the  young  lady 
who  afterwards  became  his  wife. 

Having  contracted  for  a  school  for  the 
year  1898-9  and  feeling  the  need  of  a  little 
brightening  up,  he  went  to  Benton  Harbor 
to  take  a  short  review  in  the  summer  school 
at  Benton  Harbor  College.  But  the  morn- 
ing after  his  arrival  he  was  called  to  the  tele- 
phone and  tendered  the  position  of  assistant 
postmaster  in  the  Three  Oaks  postoffice. 
This  offer  came  entirely  unsolicited  and 
without  warning  but  as  it  seemed  to  offer 
better  advantages  than  teaching,  he  accepted 
and  remained  in  the  position  until  his  ap- 
pointment as  postmaster  August  19,  1904. 
During  the  six  years  that  Mr.  Childs  was  as- 
sistant postmaster  he  discharged  his  duties 
in  such  a  pleasing  and  careful  manner  that 
he  won  the  good  will  of  the  entire  public. 
His  familiarity  with  the  duties  of  the  office 


eminently  qualify  him  for  the  position  he  now 
fills  with  such  promptness  and  fidelity,  giv- 
ing a  public-spirited  and  business-like  ad- 
ministration. 

Mr.  Childs  has  always  been  a  Republi- 
can, but  has  never  sought  office  of  a  political 
nature,  not  even  making  a  personal  solicita- 
tion for  the  position  he  now  occupies. 

On  the  26th  of  September,  1900,  Mr. 
Childs  was  married  to  Miss  Wilhelmina  E. 
Schelley  of  Tree  Oaks  township.  Unto 
them  has  been  born  a  daughter,  Thelma. 

Mr.  Childs  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, holding  membership  in  Three  Oaks 
Lodge,  No.  239,  of  which  he  is  a  past  mas- 
ter. He  and  his  wife  are  also  members  of 
Three  Oaks  Chapter  No.  209,  Order  of  the 
Eastern  Star,  and  he  is  now  serving  his 
fourth  year  as  worthy  patron.  He  is  well 
and  favorably  known  throughout  the  coun- 
ty as  a  typical  educator,  and  as  an  official 
has  made  a  most  creditable  record. 

J.  T.  BECKWITH,  who  has  for  many 
years  been  actively  connected  with  fruit 
farming  interests  in  Berrien  county  and  has 
also  figured  prominently  in  public  affairs, 
was  at  one  time  the  owner  of  three  hundred 
acres  of  land  in  this  locality  and  yet  owns 
thirty-eight  acres,  constituting  a  valuable 
property,  in  Benton  township.  His  life  rec- 
ord began  on  the  26th  of  May,  1841,  in 
Chautauqua  county.  New  York,  his  parents 
being  Josiah  R.  and  Lavinda  H.  (Fisk) 
Beck  with.  The  father  was  born  in  Con- 
necticut in  August,  1805,  and  remained  a 
resident  of  that  state  until  1826,  when  he  re- 
moved from  New  England  to  New  York. 
He  came  of  English  lineage  and  the  maternal 
ancestors  of  our  subject  were  also  of  Eng- 
lish descent,  being  among  the  colonists  who 
settled  in  Jamestown,  Virginia,  in  the  early 
part  of  the  seventeenth  century,  making  the 
first  permanent  settlement  in  North  Amer- 
ica at  that  point.  Throughout  his  active 
business  life  Josiah  R.  Beckwith  followed 
farming  save  that  for  a  brief  period  of  a  few 
years  in  his  early  manhood  he  was  a  tailor. 
His  political  views  accorded  with  Whig 
principles,  but  he  never  aspired  to  office.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Christian  church,  to 
which  his  wife  also  belonged,  and  she  took 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


753' 


a  very  active  part  in  church  work.  In  their 
family  were  seven  children,  three  of  whom 
are  yet  living. 

J.  T.  Beckwith  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  and  in  a  high  school  which  he 
attended  for  a  few  terms  and  after  complet- 
ing his  own  education  he  engaged  in  teach- 
ing school,  devoting  seventeen  years  to  the 
profession  in  this  county.  He  was  a  capa- 
ble educator,  imparting  readily  and  clearly 
to  others  the  knowledge  that  he  had  acquired 
and  his  labors  were  a  valued  factor  in  pro- 
moting the  work  of  public  instruction  and  in 
raising  the  standard  of  the  schools  in  this 
part  of  Michigan.  As  his  financial  resources 
increased  he  invested  more  and  more  largely 
in  land,  until  h^  became  the  owner  of  three 
hundred  acres  of  land,  all  in  this  county. 
From  time  to  time,  however,  he  has  sold 
parts  of  this,  but  he  still  owns  thirty-eight 
acres  which  adjoin  Benton  Harbor  on  the 
southeast  and  is  valued  at  sixteen  thousand 
dollars.  He  raises  fruit  of  superior  quality 
and  his  shipments  bring  to  him  a  good  finan- 
cial return.  He  has  been  a  director  of  the 
Farmers  Mutual  Insurance  Company  for 
twenty  years. 

Mr.  Beckwith  has  been  married  twice. 
In  1866  he  wedded  Miss  Mary  A.  Young 
and  unto  them  were  born  two  children  :  Alta, 
now  the  wife  of  Ed  Harner;  and  Minnie, 
the  wife  of  Frank  Kool.  For  his  second 
wife  Mr.  Beckwith  chose  Mrs.  Henrietta 
(Weaver)  Boyle,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Orpha  (Crumb)  Weaver.  The  father  was 
a  native  of  Ohio,  became  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation and  on  leaving  the  Buckeye  state  re- 
moved to  Michigan  in  the  '30's,  being  among 
the  oldest  settlers  here.  Few  improvements 
had  been  made  in  this  part  of  the  state,  the 
forests  standing  in  their  primeval  strength, 
casting  long  shadows  across  the  streams 
which  in  due  course  of  time  were  to  carry 
the  lumber  down  where  it  could  be  used  as  a 
marketable  commodity.  Few  farms  had  been 
cultivated  and  only  here  and  there  had  the 
work  of  civilization  been  started.  The  fam- 
ily is  of  German  lineage,  having  been  estab- 
lished in  Pennsylvania  at  an  early  period  in 
the  colonization  of  the  new  world.  Unto 
Mr.  Beckwith  by  the  second  marriage  four 
48 


children  have  been  born :  Clayton,  who  is  a 
bookkeeper  in  Benton  Harbor;  Earl,  who  is 
now  engaged  in  the  creamery  business  in 
Wisconsin;  Glenn,  who  is  also  engaged  in 
keeping  books  in  Benton  Harbor ;  and  Vere, 
who  is  attending  school.  Prior  to  becoming 
the  wife  of  Mr.  Beckwith,  Henrietta  Weaver 
had  married  Fred  Boyle  and  by  that  union 
there  was  one  son,  Charles  Boyle. 

Mr.  Beckwith  exercises  his  right  of  fran- 
chise in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of 
the  Republican  party  and  has  been  called  to 
various  local  offices,  the  duties  of  which  have 
been  discharged  in  a  spirit  of  direct  and  im- 
mediate serviceableness.  He  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  poor  for  nine  years,  was  sup- 
ervisor for  four  years,  1879-80,  1882-84, 
and  has  held  other  public  positions.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  both  he 
and  his  wife  are  connected  with  the  Order 
of  the  Eastern  Star.  He  is  a  self-made  man, 
who  started  out  in  life  empty  handed  and 
the  property  that  he  has  acquired  is  the  vis- 
ible evidence  of  a  life  of  well-directed  thrift 
and  enterprise.  His  indefatigable  energy 
and  perseverance  have  brought  him  to  a 
knowledge  of  the  truth  that  success  is  am- 
bition's answer. 

ISAAC  M.  SMITH,  a  prominent  farmer 
residing  on  section  13,  Berrien  township, 
Isaac  M.  Smith  has  from  an  early  period  in 
the  development  of  the  county  resided  with- 
in its  borders.  His  birth  occurred  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  lives,  March  17,  1847,  ^ 
son  of  John  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Preble 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  he 
had  reached  his  twenty-first  year.  In  com- 
pany with  his  brother  Isaac  he  in  1829  came 
to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  and  located  the 
land  now  owned  by  his  son  Isaac  M.  In 
the  following  year,  1830,  the  brother  Isaac 
moved  with  his  family  to  Berrien  county, 
and  in  1831  was  followed  by  John  Smith, 
who  toop  up  his  abode  on  the  farm  which  he 
had  secured  two  years  before^  This  con- 
tinued as  his  home  until  his  life's  labors  were 
ended  in  death,  passing  away  in  1892,  when 
he  had  reached  the  age  of  eighty-four  years. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Rachel  Burk,  was  a  native  of  Giles  county. 


754 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Virginia,  where  she  remained  until  ten  years 
of  age,  emigrating  thence  to  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  this  being  about  the  year  1830. 
She  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years, 
after  becoming  the  mother  of  six  children, 
three  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  of  whom 
grew  to  years  of  maturity  and  two  sons  and 
a  daughter  are  now  living. 

Isaac  M.  Smith,  the  youngest  of  the  fam- 
ily has  spent  his  entire  life  on  the  old  Smith 
homestead,  receiving  his  education  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  the  locality,  and  from  an 
early  age  he  has  assisted  in  the  work  of  the 
fields.  In  1871  he  was  married  to  Emma 
Murphy,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  but  came  to 
Berrien  county,  Michigan,  when  very  young. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have  no  children  of  their 
owm,  but  have  reared  an  adopted  daughter, 
Edna,  who  is  at  home.  In  addition  to  his 
general  agricultural  pursuits  Mr.  Smith 
makes  a  specialty  of  dealing  in  timber  and 
lumber,  buying  and  shipping  extensively, 
and  for  twenty-five  years  he  has  followed  this 
business,  his  efforts  throughout  this  long 
period  being  attended  with  a  well  merited 
degree  of  success.  He  is  the  owner  of  three 
hundred  and  thirty-one  acres  of  the  finest 
land  to  be  found  in  all  Berrien  county,  the 
w^ork  of  which  is  carried  on  by  hired  assis- 
tants. The  Democratic  party  receives  Mr. 
Smith's  hearty  support  and  co-operation,  and 
as  its  representative  he  served  at  one  time 
as  highway  commissioner.  Mr.  Smith  has 
two  of  the  old  deeds,  executed  January  4, 
1 83 1,  and  October  10,  1833,  both  signed  by 
President  Andrew  Jackson  and  these  are 
valuable  documents  in  Mr.  Smith's  home. 

JAMES  SMITH.  Death  often  claims 
from  our  midst  those  whom  we  can  ill  afford 
to  lose,  and  when  it  claimed  James  Smith 
the  community  mourned  the  loss  of  a  repre- 
sentative citizen,  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  agricultural  circles.  He  was  born 
in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  November  2,  1827, 
a  son  of  Isaac  Smith,  who  came  wnth  his 
family  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  in  1830, 
the  son  James  being  then  a  little  lad  of  three 
years.  To  the  schools  of  Berrien  township 
he  w^as  indebted  for  the  early  educational 
training  which  he  received,  this  being  further 
supplemented  by   attendance  at  the  schools 


of  Niles,  but  in  early  life  he  put  aside  his 
text  books  and  began  work  in  the  fields,  ag- 
riculture proving  his  life  occupation. 

In  1852  Mr.  Smith  was  married  to  Mai- 
vina  Babcock,  who  was  born  in  Rensselaer 
county.  New  York,  east  of  the  Hudson,  No- 
vember 16,  1829.  Her  father,  John  Bab- 
cock, a  native  of  the  same  county,  was  a 
prominent  attorney  at  law,  following  his  pro- 
fession at  Troy,  New  York,  for  many  years, 
and  his  death  occurred  in  that  city  at  the 
age  of  forty-six  years.  He  was  a  son  of 
John  Babcock,  who  was  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts, a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  a 
prominent  man  in  the  early  affairs  of  his 
community,  having  served  as  a  justice  of  the 
peace  and  in  many  other  ways  assisting  in 
the  upbuilding  of  the  commonwealth.  The 
family  was  of  English  and  Scotch  descent. 
John  Babcock  married  Sarah  Kendall,  who 
also  claimed  Rensselaer  county,  New  York, 
as  the  place  of  her  nativity,  being  the  daugh- 
ter of  Joshua  Kendall,  a  native  of  Rhode 
Island  and  of  English  descent.  Mrs.  Bab- 
cock lived  to  be  eighty-one  years  of  age, 
dying  in  Van  Buren  county,  Michigan.  In 
their  family  were  eleven  children,  eight  of 
whom  grew  to  years  of  maturity  and  four 
are  now  living, — Mrs.  Smith;  W.  I.,  of 
Niles,  Michigan;  H.  B.,  a  resident  of  Rose- 
dale,  Kansas;  and  J.  N.,  a  resident  of  Ben- 
ton township. 

Mrs.  Smith  located  in  Van  Buren  coun- 
ty, Michigan,  in  1844,  accompanying  her  sis- 
ter and  the  latter's  husband,  William  Mills- 
paugh.  She  began  teaching  school  when 
but  fifteen  years  of  age,  following  that  occu- 
pation for  eight  years  or  until  her  marriage 
to  James  Smith  on  the  24th  of  October, 
1852.  For  two  years  thereafter  the  young 
couple  lived  in  Cass  county,  Michigan,  af- 
ter which  they  returned  to  Berrien  county 
and  located  on  the  old  homestead  which  has 
since  been  the  home  of  Mrs.  Smith.  They 
became  the  parents  of  four  children,  namely : 
Martha,  at  home;  Mary,  who  became  the. 
wife  of  H.  G.  Correll,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three  years;  Prof.  Ethan  H.,  a  resi- 
dent of  San  Francisco,  California,  and  a 
graduate  of  the  Bellevue  Hospital  of  New 
York  city;  and  Charles  R.,  at  home  with  his 
mother.     Mrs.  Smith  owns  one  hundred  and 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


755 


eighty  acres  of  rich  and  well  cultivated  land, 
over  which  she  has  had  supervision  since  her 
husband's  death.  He  w^as  ever  loyal  to  his 
duties  of  citizenship  and  used  his  franchise 
in  support  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
Republican  party,  while  his  fraternal  rela- 
tions were  with  the  Masonic  order.  He  was 
deeply  concerned  in  the  welfare  of  his  com- 
munity, influential  in  his  own  neighborhood 
and  for  a  number  of  years  served  as  a  school 
officer.  He  passed  away  February  19,  1899, 
but  in  the  hearts  of  his  many  friends  are  en- 
shrined many  pleasant  memories  of  him,  and 
his  influence  for  good  remains  with  those 
who  knew  him.  Prof.  Ethan  H.  Smith  now 
holds  the  chair  of  orthopoedic  surgery  in 
the  College  of  San  Francisco,  California. 

AMOS  C.  HOUSE,  a  prominent  retired 
farmer  living  in'  Buchanan,  was  for  many 
years  closely  associated  with  agricultural 
interests,  and  his  careful  and  systematic 
management  of  business  affairs  brought  him 
the  confidence  that  now  enables  him  to  live 
in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his  former 
toil.  He  dates  his  residence  in  the  county 
from  1866,  and  is  numbered  among  the 
worthy  citizens  that  Pennsylvania  has  fur- 
nished to  Michigan,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  Juniata  county,  of  the  former 
state,  May  24,  1843.  His  father,  Ephraim 
House,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  whence 
he  removed  to  Pennsylvania  and  was  there 
married  to  Miss  Mary  Scott,  a  native  of 
England,  who  had  come  to  the  United  States 
when  sixteen  years  of  age,  making  the  voy- 
age with  her  father,  wdio,  upon  a  return  to 
his  native  country,  was  lost  at  sea.  Ephraim 
House  continued  his  residence  in  the  Key- 
stone state  until  his  death,  and  the  mother 
afterward  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michi- 
gan, where  her  last  days  were  passed.  This 
worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  fourteen 
children,  five  of  whom  reached  adult  age 
and  are  still  living:  John,  now  a  resident 
of  Bertrand  township;  Sarah,  the  wife  of 
Joseph  Barner,  of  Parkstone,  South  Dakota ; 
Cyrus  L.,  who  is  living  in  North  Dakota; 
and  James,  also  of  North  Dakota. 

Amos  C.  House,  the  third  in  the  family 
of  five  children,  was  reared  in  Pennsylvania 
to  the  age  of  twenty-four  years  and  acquired 
a  good  common-school  education.     On  leav- 


ing his  native  state  he  went  to  Missouri, 
afterward  to  Indiana,  and  in  1866  became  a 
resident  of  Berrien  county,  Michigan.  Dur- 
ing the  first  summer  after  his  arrival  he 
worked  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand,  after 
which  he  rented  land  for  four  years  and  the 
capital  which  he  saved  from  his  earnings 
during  that  period  enabled  him  then  to  pur- 
chase a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
in  Bertrand  township.  Ambitious  to  succeed 
as  an  agriculturist  he  carefully  husbanded 
his  resources  and  made  the  most  of  his  op- 
portunities, adding  to  his  place  until  now  his 
landed  possessions  aggregate  twelve  hun- 
dred acres.  He  is  thus  one  of  the  extensive 
land  holders  of  the  county  and  his  valuable 
property  interests  return  him  a  very  grati- 
fying income,  enabling  him  to  enjoy  all  of 
the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of 
life.  He  continued  active  in  the  management 
of  his  farming  and  landed  interests,  aided 
by  his  wife,  until  1894,  when  he  removed 
to  Buchanan,  where  he  is  now  living  retired. 

On  the  23d  of  August,  1868,  Amos 
C.  House  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza 
Rough,  a  daughter  of  David  and  Anna 
(Rhodes)  Hough,  both  of  whom  were  born 
in  Perry  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  their 
marriage  was  celebrated.  They  came  to  Ber- 
rien county  in  1849,  leaving  their  old  home 
in  the  east  on  the  ist  day  of  May  of  that 
year.  They  traveled  by  wagon,  there  being 
seven  wagons  and  four  families  in  the  party. 
At  length  they  arrived  in  Bertrand  town- 
ship on  the  28th  of  May.  Mrs.  House  was 
then  only  a  little  maiden  of  six  years  of  age, 
her  birth  having  occurred  on  the  i6th  of 
May,  1843.  She  was  therefore  reared  in 
Bertrand  township,  spending  her  girlhood 
days  in  her  parents'  home,  while  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  the  neighborhood  she  ac- 
quainted herself  with  the  common  branches 
of  English  learning.  There  were  in  the  fam- 
ily five  children,  five  of  whom  reached 
adult  age,  namely:  William.  R.,  who  now 
resides  in  Buchanan;  Solomon,  of  the  same 
city;  George  H.  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Womer, 
both  now  deceased ;  and  Mrs.  House,  who  is 
the  youngest.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife 
has  been  born  a  son,  William  D.,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  Bertrand  township,  August  20, 
1871. 

It  was  in  1893  that  Mr.  House  built  his 


756 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


modern  brick  residence  in  Buchanan.  On 
his  farms  he  has  seven  houses,  all  good  sub- 
stantial buildings  kept  in  an  excellent  state 
of  repair.  His  property  altogether  is  very 
valuable,  and  in  addition  to  the  farms  al- 
ready mentioned  he  has  a  half  interest  in  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven  acres, 
his  partner  being  Peter  Womer,  of  Bertrand 
township.  He  likewise  has  property  in  the 
city  of  Buchanan  in  addition  to  his  home  and 
his  moneyed  and  extensive  interests  are  in- 
controvertible proof  of  a  life  of  activity  and 
enterprise,  while  the  favorable  regard  in 
which  he  is  held  argues  well  for  his  business 
integrity  and  honor.  He  has  been  a  life- 
long Democrat  and  he  and  his  good  wife  are 
members  of  the  Evangelical  church,  in  the 
work  of  which  they  have  taken  an  active  and 
helpful  part.  Mr.  House  has  served  as  stew- 
ard for  many  years,  as  a  trustee  of  the 
church  and  also  of  the  camp  ground  in  Niles 
township.  He  has  been  identified  with  the 
making  of  Bertrand  township  and  Berrien 
county,  and  while  leading  a  busy  and  active 
life  resulting  in  the  attainment  of  a  position 
of  prominence  in  financial  circles,  he  has  at 
the  same  time  found  opportunity  to  co- 
operate in  movements  for  the  general  good, 
contributing  to  the  intellectual,  moral  and 
political  progress  as  well  as  the  material  ad- 
vancement of  the  community. 

JUAN  M.  GUY,  now  living  retired  in 
Benton  Harbor,  has  had  a  somewhat  event- 
ful career,  embracing  the  experiences  of 
western  mining  as  well  as  the  occurrences 
of  a  military  life  in  connection  with  the  Civil 
war.  For  many  years  he  followed  farming 
in  Bainbridge  township  but  is  now  enjoying 
a  well  earned  rest  in  Benton  Harbor.  His 
birth  occurred  in  Washington  county,  New 
York,  October  i8,  1835,  and  he  came  to 
Michigan  in  1856,  when  a  young  man  of 
twenty-one  years,  after  spending  his  boyhood 
days  upon  a  farm  in  Orleans  county.  New 
York,  near  Lake  Ontario,  where  he  assisted 
in  the  arduous  task  of  clearing  as  well  as 
cultivating  land.  His  father,  Timothy  Guy, 
passed  his  last  days  in  Michigan.  Juan  M. 
Guy  had  an  older  brother,  Mort  Guy,  who 
had  been  in  this  State  two  years  before  the 


arrival  of  our  subject  and  had  become  the 
owner  of  a  farm  in  Hagar  township  in 
Berrien  county,  where  he  cultivated  and  im- 
proved a  good  tract  of  land,  making  his 
home  thereon  for  a  long  period.  About 
twenty  years  ago,  however,  he  came  to  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  where  he  is  now  living  retired. 
By  trade  he  is  a  carpenter  and  builder.  An- 
other brother,  De  Witt  Guy,  arrived  twa 
years  after  Juan  Guy,  and  settled  in  Hagar 
township,  improving  a  farm  on  Watervliet 
road.  He  is  now  living  in  Coloma.  An- 
other brother,  Harvey  Hobart  Guy,  owned 
a  farm  in  Watervliet  township  but  died 
within  a  year  after  his  arrival  in  this  county,, 
which  was  subsequent  to  the  Civil  war. 
There  w^ere  also  two  sisters  in  the  family: 
Emma,the  wife  of  Richard  Stanley,  one  of 
the  first  settlers  of  Benton  township,  where 
she  is  still  living;  and  Helen,  the  widow  of 
James  Barry,  also  a  pioneer  resident  of  Ben- 
ton township,  where  he  secured  a  farm  but 
afterward  made  a  permanent  location  in 
Hagar  township,  where  Mrs.  Barry  is  still 
living.  Both  sisters  have  survived  their  hus- 
bands many  years  and  are  now  nearly  ninety 
years  of  age. 

As  previously  stated,  Juan  M.  Guy  re- 
mained  upon  the  home  farm  in  New  York 
until  he  had  attained  his  majority  and  came 
to  Michigan  in  1856.  He  worked  out  by 
the  month  at  farm  labor  and  in  the  winter 
seasons  engaged  in  teaching.  He  had  ac- 
quired a  liberal  education  through  attendance 
at  Yates  Center  Academy,  a  leading  insti- 
tution of  New  York,  conducted  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Baptist  Church.  Through 
five  winter  seasons  he  was  engaged  in  teach- 
ing in  Berrien  county,  having  at  one  time 
charge  of  the  school  at  Sorder's  Corners, 
for  two  terms  where  he  met  the  lady  whom 
he  afterward  made  his  wife.  She  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Fanny  M.  Lander,  and  was 
a  sister  of  Mrs.  J.  M.  Sorder,  then  residing 
upon  the  present  Dukescherer  farm  in  Ben- 
ton township.  Mrs.  Guy  was  born  in 
Orange  township,  Cuyahoga  county,  Ohio, 
and  had  come  to  Michigan  in  her  girlhood 
days  in  company  with  her  sister,  Mrs. 
Sorder,  who  purchased  the  farm  in  Benton 
township.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Guy  were  mar- 


> 
o 

> 
2 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


757 


Tied  on  the  9th  of  March,  i860,  just  after 
he  closed  a  term  of  school  in  the  locality 
in  which  she  lived. 

Previously  Mr.  Guy  had  gone  to  Kansas 
in  1857  and  had  secured  land  in  Anderson 
county.  He  returned  to  his  claim  two  or 
three  times  and  in  1859  he  went  to  Pike's 
Peak  but  this  proved  a  losing  trip.  He  again 
made  the  return  trip  from  Denver  by  way  of 
the  Platte  river  to  Plattsmouth,  Nebraska, 
passing  over  the  falls  in  Colorado  where 
Freemont  lost  his  outfit.  Many  boats  had 
been  wrecked  there.  The  party  with  which 
Mr.  Guy  traveled  had  a  boat  made  and 
started  down  the  river,  coming  into  the 
rapids  before  they  knew  it,  but  they  managed 
to  make  their  way  through  the  troubled  wat- 
ers in  safety.  In  that  locality  they  picked  up 
many  articles  of  clothing,  satchels,  surgical 
instruments,  etc. — the  wreckage  of  former 
sufferers.  They  had  met  thousands  of  peo- 
ple returning  but  they  pushed  on  to  Pike's 
Peak  to  satisfy  themselves  by  a  search  for 
gold  in  that  mining  district.  The  Kansas 
land  which  Mr.  Guy  had  previously  secured 
he  traded  for  land  in  Bainbridge  township, 
upon  which  was  a  small  clearing  and  an  old 
log  house.  He  took  his  bride  to  this  place. 
The  house  was  a  poor  one  in  a  dilapidated 
condition  but  it  was  a  home  for  the  young 
couple  and  with  resolute  spirit  they  started 
out  on  their  domestic  life  there  and  at  the 
time  of  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  had 
made  a  good  start. 

Feeling  that  he  owed  a  duty  to  his  coun- 
try, Mr.  Guy  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany M,  Fourth  Michigan  Cavalry,  which 
regiment  captured  Jefferson  Davis.  After 
the  battle  of  Perry ville  he  was  detailed  for 
hospital  duty  and  ward  master.  He  served 
in  Kentucky  as  orderly,  a  short  time 
and  then  was  assigned  to  the  position 
of  clerk  of  court,  and  as  such  had 
charge  of  the  bringing  on  and  arranging 
for  all  cases.  This  was  a  general  court 
martial,  which  was  presided  over  by  several 
judge  advocates,  but  all  through  the  changes 
that  occurred  upon  the  bench  Mr.  Guy  re- 
mained as  clerk  and  probably  saw  more  men 
tried  by  court  martial  than  any  other  soldier 
of  the  army,  holding  that  position  until  mus- 
tered out.     He  was  the  first  man  in  Ken- 


tucky to  muster  out  men  in  that  department. 
While  connected  with  the  court  he  often 
volunteered  to  secure  witnesses  for  important 
cases  and  did  his  duty  fearlessly,  enjoying 
the  activity  and  danger  consequent  therein. 
He  had  many  exciting  and  interesting  ex- 
periences also  during  his  sojourn  in  the  west, 
and  while  on  the  Pike's  Peak  trip  he  saw 
one  Indian  scalp  another  who  belonged  to  a 
tribe  at  enmity  with  the  one  which  the  first 
Indian  represented. 

Following  his  return  from  the  war  Mr. 
Guy  devoted  his  time  and  energies  to  farm- 
ing with  excellent  success  and  carried  on  the 
business  continuously  until  1893,  when  he 
came  to  Benton  Harbor,  building  his  present 
home.  He  still  owns  two  farms,  comprising 
two  hundred  and  thirteen  acres  in  Bain- 
bridge township,  of  which  he  placed  seventy- 
five  acres  under  cultivation.  On  the  first 
farm  thirty-five  acres  had  been  cleared  of 
timber  when  it  came  into  his  possession.  His 
second  farm  comprised  eighty  acres  and  lies 
in  Watervliet  township  but  is  in  close  prox- 
imity to  his  other  farm.  This  he  also  im- 
proved and  he  has  fifty  acres  in  peaches, 
while  upon  the  old  homestead  he  grows  ap- 
ples. Both  his  farms  are  operated  by  his 
son,  and  the  property  returns  Mr.  Guy  a 
very  desirable  income.  In  the  management 
of  his  farming  interests  he  displayed  ex- 
cellent ability  and  a  thorough  understanding 
of  the  best  methods  of  carrying  on  horticul- 
tural and  agricultural  pursuits,  and  as  the 
years  passed  by  he  accumulated  a  handsome 
competence  as  the  reward  of  his  labors. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Guy  were  born  two 
children.  Emma  A.  became  the  wife  of 
George  Arney,  and  died  at  the  age  of  thirty 
years,  leaving  two  children,  Irving  and  Wal- 
ter. Allen  Percy  Guy  married  Rhoby 
Wilder,  and  has  one  daughter,  Florine.  He 
lives  at  the  old  homestead  and  successfully 
carries  on  the  work  of  the  two  farms.  He 
has  more  than  a  local  reputation  as  a  sports- 
man, being  a  fine  shot  and  makes  frequent 
trips  into  the  north  in  search  of  game.  In 
his  political  views  Mr.  Guy  was  a  stalwart 
Republican  until  out  of  harmony  with  the 
attitude  of  the  temperance  question  he  joined 
the  ranks  of  the  Prohibition  party,  but  fre- 
quently casts  an  independent  ballot.    He  was 


758 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


elected  justice  of  the  peace  in  Bainbridge 
township  but  did  not  quahfy.  He  served  for 
ten  years  as  township  supervisor,  and  for  one 
year  was  chairman  of  the  boards  acting  in 
that  capacity  at  the  time  of  the  railroad  dis- 
cussions. From  his  boyhood  days  he  has 
been  a  devoted  and  faithful  member  of  the 
Methodise  Episcopal  Church  and  Mrs.  Guy 
has  been  a  member  therein  since  her  mar- 
riage. They  are  most  earnest  Christian  peo- 
ple, interested  in  all  that  pertains  to  the 
growth  of  the  church  and  the  extension  of  its 
influence,  and  their  labors  have  been  in 
harmony  with  their  professions. 

CHARLES  H.  FRENCH.  Among  the 
old  settlers  of  the  county  who  are  interested 
in  farming  is  Charles  H.  French,  who  re- 
sides on  section  i,  Bertrand  township.  While 
many  exceed  him  in  years  there  are  not  a 
great  number  of  citizens  who  have  longer 
resided  in  this  portion  of  the  state,  for  he 
was  brought  to  this  county  when  less  than 
two  years  of  age.  His  birth  occurred  in 
Onondaga  county,  New  York,  October  ii, 
185 1.  His  father,  Samuel  French,  was  a 
native  of  Hague,  New  York,  and  followed 
the  occupation  of  farming  as  a  life  work. 
He  removed  from  Onondaga  county,  New 
York,  to  Michigan  in  the  year  1853,  locating 
on  the  farm  where  his  son  Charles  now  re- 
sides. There  he  carried  on  general  agricul- 
tural pursuits  and  his  labors  resulted  in  re- 
claiming wild  land  and  converting  it  into 
very  productive  fields.  He  was  born  in  the 
year  1818  and  died  in  1892,  after  a  life  of 
usefulness,  activity  and  honor  that  made  him 
respected  by  all  with  w^hom  he  was  associ- 
ated. He  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  active  in  its  work  and  influential  in 
its  councils.  He  served  as  elder  and  trustee 
and  his  co-operation  was  given  to  the  vari- 
ous plans  and  movements  for  the  growth 
and  advancement  of  the  church  work  and 
the  extension  of  its  influence.  His  politi- 
cal allegiance  v/as  given  to  the  Republican 
party,  and  he  stood  for  progress  and  im- 
provement in  citizenship  and  for  truth,  right 
and  justice  under  all  circumstances.  He 
came  of  a  family  of  English  descent.  His 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah 
Bliss,  was  a  native  of  Courtland,  New  York, 


and  died  in  Bertrand  township,  when  about 
forty-eight  years  of  age.  There  were  five 
children  in  the  family  who  reached  manhood 
and  womanhood,  while  two  died  in  infancy, 
Charles  H.  being  the  sixth  child  and  the 
youngest  living. 

When  in  his  second  year  Mr.  French  of 
this  review  was  brought  by  his  parents  to 
Michigan,  the  family  home  being  established 
in  Bertrand  township.  Under  the  parental 
roof  he  was  reared,  being  early  trained  to 
habits  of  industry,  thrift  and  economy^ 
which  have  borne  good  fruit  in  later  years. 
He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
and  in  the  high  school  at  Buchanan,  and 
when  not  busy  with  his  text-books  gave  his 
father  the  benefit  of  his  services,  remaining 
at  home  to  the  time  of  his  marriage. 

It  was  in  1876  that  Mr.  French  was 
joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss  Sarah  Geyer,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Phebe  Geyer.  She 
was  born  in  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  and 
died  in  1890,  leaving  three  children:  Car- 
son G.,  who  married  Anna  Hedges,  of  Terre 
Haute,  Indiana;  Stella,  of  New  York; 
Charlie  F.,  at  home.  On  the  31st  of  March, 
1892,  Mr.  French  was  joined  in  wedlock  to 
Miss  Lucy  A.  Feather^  a  daughter  of  Henry 
Feather,  and  they  have  one  son,  Henry  F. 

Mr.  French  owns  a  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty-eight  acres  and  in  addition  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  cereals  best  adapted  to  soil 
and  climate  he  is  also  engaged  in  the  dairy 
business,  keeping  eighteen  cows  for  this  pur- 
pose. He  is  now  president  of  the  Buchanan 
creamery,  an  enterprise  which  is  proving 
profitable  to  the  stockholders,  for  its  pro- 
ducts find  a  ready  sale  on  the  market  and 
command  the  highest  prices  by  reason  of  ex- 
cellence. The  farm  of  Mr.  French  is  well 
appointed  in  its  various  equipments  and  ac- 
cessories, such  as  facilitate  farm  work,  and 
the  fields  are  well  tilled,  giving  promise  of 
large  harvests.  Mr.  French  is  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  the  work  of 
which  he  takes  a  very  active  and  helpful  in- 
terest, and  he  is  serving  as  an  elder  and  trus- 
tee. His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the 
Republican  party,  and  for  more  than  a  half 
century  he  has  stood  for  all  that  is  upright 
and  just  in  matters  of  relations  to  his  fellow- 
men,  for  all  that  is  progressive  and  practical 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


759 


in  citizenship,  and  for  all  that  is  commend- 
able in  home  and  social  relations. 

JACOB  E.  VITE.  The  farming  popu- 
lation of  Bertrand  township  is  worthily  rep- 
resented by  Jacob  E.  Vite,  who  lives  on  sec- 
tion 14,  and  who  is  classed  with  the  enter- 
prising" agriculturists  who  have  acquainted 
themselves  w^ith  the  methods  that  produce 
the  best  results  in  the  tilling  of  the  fields. 
He  was  born  in  the  tow^nship  where  he  still 
resides,  his  natal  day  being  February  28, 
1859.  His  father,  Henry  Vite,  was  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania  and  was  a  young  man  when 
he  went  to  South  Bend,  Indiana,  with  his 
stepfather  and  his  mother.  Soon  afterward 
they  located  in  Bertrand  township.  Henry 
Vite  was  married  in  that  township  to  Miss 
Catherine  Rough,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Nancy  Rough,  in  1856.  She  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania  and  w^as  thirteen  years  of  age 
when  brought  by  her  parents  to  Berrien 
county.  For  many  years  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vite 
traveled  life's  journey  happily  together,  be- 
ing separated  by  the  death  of  the  husband 
when  sixty-three  years  of  age,  while  the  wife 
lived  to  the  age  of  seventy  years.  There 
were  three  children :  Mary  E.,  now  the  wife 
of  N.  Frye,  a  resident  of  Huron  county, 
Michigan;  Jacob  E.,  of  this  review;  and 
John  C.,  who  is  living  in  St.  Joseph  county, 
Indiana. 

Jacob  E.  Vite  was  reared  in  his  native 
township  and  acquired  his  early  education 
in  the  common  schools,  while  later  he  at- 
tended school  in  Buchanan.  He  engaged  in 
teaching  for  two  terms  in  Bertrand  township. 
Afterwards  he  turned  his  attention  to  the 
timber  and  wood  business,  shipping  lumber 
and  selling  timber  in  the  stump.  As  the 
years  have  passed  and  his  financial  resources 
have  increased  he  has  made  judicious  invest- 
ments in  property  and  is  now  the  owner  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  about 
ten  acres  of  which  is  devoted  to  the  growing 
of  fruit.  The  farm  is  well  improved  with 
modern  equipments  and  accessories  and 
there  are  many  evidences  of  careful  and 
practical  supervision  on  the  part  of  the 
owner. 

In  April,  1892,  Mr.  Vite  was  married 
to   Miss   Anna   L.    Brown,   a   daughter   of 


George  Brown,  of  Wesaw  township,  Ber- 
rien county.  They  became  the  parents  of 
four  children,  Alma,  Merritt,  Glenn  and 
Ruth.  By  a  former  marriage  to  Alice 
Siders  Mr.  Vite  had  one  daughter,  Eflie,  who 
is  now  attending  school  in  Buchanan. 

In  political  affiliation  Mr.  Vite  is  a  stal- 
wart Republican,  doing  all  in  his  power  to 
promote  the  growth  and  insure  the  success 
of  his  party  in  his  home  locality.  His  co- 
operation is  withheld  from  no  movement  or 
measure  calculated  to  benefit  the  community, 
and  during  his  life-long  residence  in  Bert- 
rand township  he  has  won  the  respect  and 
confidence  of  many  friends,  who  have  known 
him  from  his  boyhood  days  and  are  familiar 
with  a  life  that  has  been  characterized  by 
straightforwardness  and  activity  in  busi- 
ness. 

WILLIAM  F.  BAINTON,  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Bainton  Brothers,  millers  and 
merchants  of  Buchanan,  in  which  city  he 
was  born  May  4,  1862,  comes  of  English 
descent.  His  father,  William  H.  Bainton, 
was  a  native  of  England.  When  a  young 
man  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America, 
settling  in  Oswego,  New  York,  wdience  he 
came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  at  an 
early  day,  casting  in  his  lot  with  its  pioneer 
settlers.  He  built  a  mill,  which  was  one  of 
the  first  in  the  township,  and  he  also  owned 
a  mill  at  Berrien  Springs,  which  he  after- 
ward traded  for  a  farm.  He  was  married 
in  this  county  to  Miss  Amanda  M.  Swift, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio  and  came  to  Berrien 
county  wnth  her  father,  John  Swift,  who  took 
up  his  abode  in  Bertrand  township,  settling 
there  when  the  number  of  its  inhabitants  was 
small  and  when  the  work  of  improvement 
had  scarcely  been  begun.  Mrs.  Bainton  is 
still  living.  The  father  died  in  1866.  He 
was  a  prominent  man,  closely  and  helpfully 
identified  with  the  development  of  the 
county.  He  was  engaged  extensively  and 
successfully  in  business  as  a  merchant  and 
miller  and  he  also  owned  several  large  farms. 
He  possessed  in  a  considerable  degree  that 
quality  which  is  termed  commercial  sense 
and  through  his  keen  sagacity  and  indefatig- 
able energy,  together  with  judicious  invest- 
ments he  steadily  advanced  from  a  humble 


76o 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


financial  position  to  one  of  affluence.  In 
the  family  were  six  children,  of  whom  two 
sons  and  two  daughters  are  yet  living :  Em- 
ma J.,  a  resident  of  Buchanan;  Nettie  J., 
the  wife  of  Dr.  J.  C.  Snyder,  of  Toledo, 
Ohio;  Charles  L.,  of  Buchanan;  and  W.  F. 
Bainton. 

The  last  named  was  the  eldest  of  the  sons 
and  the  third  child  of  the  family.  He  was 
reared  in  Buchanan  and  acquired  his  pre- 
liminary education  in  the  public  schools.  In 
connection  with  his  brother,  Charles  L.  Bain- 
ton, he  returned  his  attention  to  the  milling 
business  in  1886,  having  built  the  mill  in 
1885.  He  had  spent  the  year  1883  in  the 
milling  business  in  Dayton,  Michigan,  and 
thus  gained  practical  knowledge  of  the  trade. 
He  afterward  returned  to  Buchanan  and  was 
engaged  in  farming  until  1885,  when,  as 
stated,  he  and  his  brother  built  the  mill 
which  the  following  year  they  placed  in 
optration.  They  also  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising until  1903,  conducting  a  grocery  and 
feed  store.  The  capacity  of  the  mill  is  one 
hundred  barrels  and  the  trade  is  large,  for 
the  output  is  of  such  a  quality  that  a  ready 
market  is  secured.  The  brothers  are  also 
engaged  in  fruit  farming,  Charles  L.  con- 
ducting the  fruit  farm,  while  William  F. 
Bainton  has  charge  of  the  milling  business 
and  the  store.  He  has  been  very  successful 
in  his  business  ventures  and  his  well  directed 
efforts  have  been  a  source  of  benefit  to  the 
city  as  well  as  to  himself.  He  is  a  director 
of  the  Niles  Building  &  Lx)an  Association 
and  president  of  the  Buchanan  Loan  Asso- 
ciation. In  politics  a  life-long  Republican, 
he  has  manifested  deep  interest  in  the  party 
and  its  growth  but  has  never  been  a  politi- 
cian in  the  sense  of  office  seeking.  He  has 
always  spent  his  life  in  Buchanan  and  in  all 
matters  of  citizenship  is  progressive  and 
helpful,  withholding  his  support  from  no 
movement  or  measure  that  he  deems  will 
prove  of  general  good. 

SOLON  CUTLER,  a  resident  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  where  he  is  largely  living  a  re- 
tired life  save  for  the  supervision  which  he 
gives  to  his  property  and  invested  interests, 
was  born  in  Lorain  county,  Ohio,  January 
I,    1845,  a  son  of  Jesse  and  Temperance 


(Crawford)  Cutler.  The  father  was  born 
in  Vermont,  October  4,  1799,  and  died  in 
Watervliet  township,  Berrien  county,  Michi- 
gan, April  15,  1872,  having  removed  to  this 
county  in  1855.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation and  became  one  of  the  early  residents 
of  this  section  of  the  state,  who  aided  in  its 
reclamation  for  the  uses  of  the  white  race 
and  in  the  promotion  of  its  agricultural  de- 
velopment. His  political  allegiance  was  given 
to  the  Democracy.  His  wife  was  also  a 
native  of  the  Green  Mountain  state  and  her 
death  occurred  in  Watervliet  township,  May 
21,  1858.  Of  the  ten  children  born  to  Tem- 
perance and  Jesse  Cutler  eight  reached  years 
of  maturity,  while  four  are  still  living, 
namely:  Edwin,  who  resides  in  Mason 
county,  Michigan;  Myron,  of  Benton  Har- 
bor; Solon,  also  living  in  Benton  Harbor; 
and  Clarissa^  the  wife  of  Benjamin  Green 
of  the  same  city. 

Solon  Cutler,  having  spent  the  first  ten 
years  of  his  life  in  Lorain  county,  Ohio,  ac- 
companied his  parents  on  their  removal  to 
Berrien  county  in  1855,  and  became  a  stud- 
ent in  the  country  schools.  He  was  reared  to 
manhood  upon  the  home  farm,  and  in  1870 
started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account.  He 
was  thereafter  identified  with  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  for  twenty  years,  or  until 
1890,  subsequent  to  which  time  he  lived  at 
Pottawattomie  Park,  seven  miles  north  of 
St.  Joseph,  until  1904.  This  part  consists 
of  thirty  acres  and  is  a  well  known  summer 
resort.  Mr.  Cutler  owns  the  tract  but  has 
now  leased  it,  although  for  many  years  he 
was  successful  and  active  in  its  management. 
In  1904  he  removed  to  Benton  Harbor, 
where  he  occupies  a  pleasant  home  on  Mor- 
ton Hill.  He  formerly  owned  several  farms 
but  has  sold  them  and  and  is  living  a  more 
quiet  and  retired  life. 

In  1870  Mr.  Cutler  was  married  to  Miss 
Hattie  A.  Gunsolus,  a  native  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Beat- 
rice Isabell  Cutler.  In  his  political  relations 
Mr.  Cutler  exercises  his  right  of  franchise 
in  favor  of  the  principles  and  policy  of  the 
Republican  party.  He  is  a  member  of  Lake 
Shore  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  is  one  of 
the  well  know^n  men  of  Berrien  county,  who 
has  made  his  own    way    in    life    and    has 


m--.' 


^j/a^  o   "^4^-^^  -A 


MRS.  ISAAC  LYBROOK 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


761 


^achieved  a  gratifying  measure  of  success. 
He  is  now  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers  and 
Merchants  Bank,  in  addition  to  which  he  has 
valuable  property  interests  which  return  him 
a  very  desirable  income.  His  record  of  more 
than  a  half  century  in  Berrien  county  is  well 
known  and  his  life  is  an  honorable  one. 

BARNEY  KAISER.  An  energetic  and 
progressive  farmer  and  honored  citizen  of 
Chikaming  township  is  Barney  Kaiser,  who 
has  spent  many  years  of  his  life  in  Berrien 
county.  His  birth,  however,  occurred  in 
Saxony,  Germany,  June  12,  1865,  his  par- 
ents being  George  and  Barbara  (Smith) 
Kaiser,  also  natives  of  Saxony.  The  father 
died  on  the  old  homestead  in  Wesaw  town- 
ship, Berrien  county,  Michigan,  in  1888,  at 
the  age  of  sixty  years,  but  the  mother  is  still 
living,  having  reached  the  age  of  sixty-two 
years.  The  following  children  were  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kaiser:  Barney,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch;  William,  of  Montmor- 
ency county,  Michigan;  Katie,  who  died 
when  about  twenty-eight  years  of  age ;  Mary, 
w^ho  died  at  the  age  of  two  years;  John; 
Annie,  the  wife  of  George  Hanover,  of  Bu- 
chanan, Michigan;  Frank,  who  resides  with 
his  mother  in  Wesaw^  township;  and  Rosa, 
the  wife  of  Louis  Mulch,  of  Lake  township. 

When  eight  years  of  age  Barney  Kaiser 
accompanied  his  parents  in  their  emigration 
to  the  United  States,  the  year  being  1873, 
and  after  remaining  in  New  York  city  for 
one  year  they  came  to  Niles,  Michigan, 
where  one  year  and  a  half  was  spent.  Their 
next  location  was  at  New  Buffalo,  but  two 
years  later  removed  to  and  purchased  a  farm 
of  forty  acres  in  Wesaw  township,  where 
Mr.  Kaiser  continued  to  make  his  home  until 
his  marriage.  In  that  year,  1893,  he  pur- 
chased a  part  of  his  mother's  farm,  which  yet 
constitutes  a  part  of  his  present  place.  He  is 
now  the  owner  of  eighty  acres  of  well  im- 
proved land  on  section  24,  Chikaming  town- 
ship, and  in  addition  is  the  owner  of  eighty 
acres  in  Montmorency  county,  Michigan. 
He  farms  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  ad- 
joining his  place  for  A.  G.  Childs,  which 
he  has  conducted  for  the  past  twelve  years, 
and  he  is  engaged  in  both  grain  and  stock 


farming.  His  political  support  is  given  to 
the  Democratic  party,  and  he  is  at  present 
serving  as  a  justice  of  the  peace,  while  for 
a  number  of  years  he  was  a  school  officer. 
His  religious  affiliations  are  with  the  Con- 
gregational church  at  Three  Oaks. 

In  1893  Mr.  Kaiser  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Katie  Smith,  a  cousin,  and  she  was 
also  born  in  Saxony,  Germany,  February  i, 
1870.  When  but  two  years  of  age  she  came 
to  the  United  States  with  her  parents,  she 
being  a  daughter  of  William  Smith.  Five 
children  have  been  born  of  this  union — 
May,  Lucy,  Elmer,  Henry  and  Margaret, 
but  the  last  named  died  in  infancy. 

ISAAC  LYBROOK  is  one  of  the  vener- 
able citizens  of  Berrien  county  and  an  old 
settler  who  has  been  an  interested  witness 
of  the  growth  and  development  of  this  part 
of  the  State  through  many  years.  He  now 
resides  on  section  30,  where  he  owns  a  good 
farm.  His  birth  occurred  in  Preble  county, 
Ohio,  April  30,  1825.  His  father,  Isaac 
Lybrook,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Giles  county,  Vir- 
ginia, and  was  there  reared.  He  became  a 
farmer  and  teacher  and,  removing  from 
Ohio,  spent  his  last  days  in  Preble  county, 
where  he  died  at  the  comparatively  early  age 
of  thirty  years.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Nancy  Burk,  was  also  a 
native  of  Giles  county,  Virginia,  and  she 
died  in  Berrien  township,  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  in  her  seventy-fifth  year.  There 
were  but  tw^o  children  in  the  family,  of 
whom  Baltzer,  the  elder,  died  in  Cass  coun- 
ty, Michigan,  when  about  sixty  years  of  age. 

Isaac  Lybrook  is  therefore  the  only  liv- 
ing representative  of  the  family.  The  father 
died  about  four  months  before  the  birth  of 
his  son,  who  was  reared  by  the  mother  and 
was  brought  to  Michigan  in  1828.  They 
lived  for  twelve  years  in  Pokagon  town- 
ship, Cass  county,  and  in  1840  located  upon 
the  farm  which  is  now  the  home  of  Mr. 
Lybrook.  He  and  his  own  brother  Baltzer 
cleared  and  cultivated  the  farm,  the  family 
home  being  a  log  cabin  in  the  midst  of  the 
forest.  Isaac  Lybrook  was  but  fifteen  years 
of  age  when  he  located  upon  this  place  and 
he  has  resided  here  continuously  since,  cov- 


762 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


ering  a  period  of  more  than  two-thirds  of  a 
century. 

On  the  2d  of  January,  1851,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  EHza  Os- 
born,  w^ho  was  born  in  Preble  county,  Ohio, 
September  8,  1831,  at  a  Httle  town  called 
Winchester,  and  came  with  her  mother  to 
Berrien  county  at  an  early  age.  Her  father 
died  when  she  was  three  or  four  years  of 
age  and  her  mother  then  came  to  Berrien 
township  with  her  three  small  children : 
Serepta,  Mary  E.  and  Delos.  In  1840  the 
mother  died  and  the  children  were  taken 
care  of  by  their  uncle,  the  late  Michael 
Hand,  until  they  grew  up  and  were  mar- 
ried. Mrs.  Lybrook  died  Sunday,  March  2, 
1902,  at  the  home  which  had  always  been 
hers  since  her  marriage.  She  was  buried 
from  that  home  Wednesday,  at  i  p.  m.. 
Revs.  Charles  Ager,  of  Niles,  and  John 
Boone,  of  Berrien  Springs,  conducting  the 
services. 

Hers  is  the  story  of  so  many  noble 
Christian  women  who  have  known  the  hard- 
ships of  pioneer  life,  and  stood  side  by  side 
with  the  husbands  who  have  moulded  our 
glorious  county  of  today  from  an  unbroken 
wilderness.  Reared  in  the  day  when  need 
was  the  claim  for  assistance,  the  cry  of  want 
or  sorrow  was  never  passed  by  her  unheeded, 
and  her  death  leaves  saddened  hearts  in 
many  besides  the  family  circle. 

This  worthy  couple  traveled  life's  jour- 
ney together  for  fifty-one  years  and  were 
then  separated  by  the  death  of  the  wife. 
They  had  become  the  parents  of  nine  chil- 
dren, Nancy,  John  B.,  Martha,  Annie,  Hen- 
ley C,  William  D.,  Serepta,  Flora  and 
Isaac.  All  were  born  upon  the  old  home- 
stead farm  on  section  30,  Berrien  township, 
and  with  the  exception  of  Martha  and 
Serepta,  all  are  yet  living.  Mr.  Lybrook 
has  always  given  his  political  allegiance  to 
the  Democracy.  For  many  years  he  has 
served  as  school  assessor  and  through  a 
long  period  has  been  identified  with  Western 
Lodge,  No.  39,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Berrien 
Springs.  Few  residents  of  the  county  have 
longer  resided  in  this  part  of  the  State  than 
Mr.  Lybrook,  who  came  to  Michigan  seven- 
ty-eight years  ago,  being  at  that  time  but 


three  years  of  age.  He  has  now  passed  the 
eighty-first  milestone  on  life's  journey  and 
his  record  is  most  creditable,  for  he  has  lived 
a  useful,  upright  and  honorable  life.  In  the 
early  days  he  experienced  the  hardships  and 
trials  incident  to  frontier  life  and  his 
memory  goes  back  to  the  times  when  this 
section  of  the  State  was  an  almost  unbroken 
wilderness,  inhabited  by  the  red  men,  also 
wild  animals  and  wild  game.  Only  here 
and  there  had  a  little  clearing  been  made 
in  the  forest  to  show  that  the  white  man  was 
venturing  into  the  interior  of  the  country  to 
reclaim  it  for  the  purposes  of  civilization. 
As  the  years  went  by  Mr.  Lybrook  bore  his 
full  share  in  the  work  of  agricultural  de- 
velopment and  kept  pace  with  the  universal 
progress  which  wrought  many  changes  in 
the  mode  of  living  and  in  the  methods  of 
carrying  on  farm  work.  He  has  known 
what  it  was  to  use  the  scythe  in  the  field,  to 
tie  the  bundles  of  grain  by  hand  and  to 
follow  the  plow  afoot,  to  light  the  house 
with  candles  and  to  heat  it  with  the  fire 
place.  All  this  has  since  changed,  how- 
ever, and  modern  progress  has  brought 
many  comforts  and  conveniences  which 
were  unknown  in  former  years. 

Mr.  Lybrook  has  in  his  possession  three 
of  the  old  parchment  deeds  executed  by 
President  Andrew  Jackson  dated  April  i, 
1 83 1,  November  5,  1833,  and  November  4, 
1834.  These  are  valuable  documents.  There 
are  also  some  of  the  old  souvenirs  of  the 
pioneer  period,  two  forks,  two-tined,  that 
his  mother  had — almost  a  century  old.  Also 
a  counterpane,  for  which  the  cotton  was 
carded,  spun  and  wove,  which  is  a  rare 
curiosity,  and  it  is  close  to  a  century  old, 
and  he  has  one  of  the  old  hand  sickles,  and 
also  a  cradle  of  the  four-fingered  kind. 

JOHN  T.  DEMPSEY.  Mr.  Dempsey 
has  lived  in  Berrien  county  all  his  life,  in 
fact  has  lived  within  six  miles  of  his  birth- 
place in  Bertrand  township,  where  he  came 
into  the  world  January  8,  1854.  A  farmer 
throughout  his  active  career,  he  has  been 
successful  beyond  the  ordinary,  and  is  one 
of  the  substantial  men  of  southern  Berrien 
county.     His  present  homestead  of  one  hun- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


763 


dred  and  sixty  acres  is  the  southeast  quarter 
of  section  26  in  Wesaw  township,  where  he 
carries  on  the  regular  departments  of  farm- 
ing, giving  rather  special  attention  to  horses, 
of  which  he  owns  two  splendid  specimens 
of  the  registered   full   blooded   Percherons. 

Mr.  Dempsey  has  been  a  Democrat  all 
his  life,  and  has  served  in  public  office,  five 
years  as  highway  commissioner  and  two 
years  on  the  board  of  review.  He  affiliates 
with  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  M.  W.  A.,  the  Patricians 
and  Rebekahs. 

His  father,  James  E.  Dempsey,  was  born 
in  New  York  April  2^,  183 1,  and  having 
come  with  his  parents  to  this  county  when 
only  three  years  old  is  rightly  considered 
one  of  the  oldest  living  pioneers,  over  sev- 
enty years  having  elapsed  since  his  child 
eyes  beheld  the  wilderness  that  then  covered 
this  region.  He  has  been  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation, and  also  operated  a  threshing  ma- 
chine for  twenty-eight  years  in  Berrien  coun- 
ty. He  now  makes  his  home  with  his  son 
John.  Mr.  Dempsey's  mother  was  Martha 
E.  Lambert,  a  native  of  Virginia  who  came 
with  her  parents  in  a  one-horse  wagon  from 
that  state.  She  was  one  of  ten  children, 
and  a  brother  now  living  in  Niles  is  nearly 
ninety  years  old  and  very  alert  and  active 
for  his  age.  She  died  at  the  old  home  about 
1880,  aged  forty-eight  years.  Mr.  John 
Dempsey  had  one  sister,  Ella  Benton,  who 
is  now  deceased,  leaving  a  daughter,  Mrs. 
A.  Burbank. 

Mr.  Dempsey  married  in  1878  Emma  J. 
Tremmel,  who  was  born  in  Niles  in  Octo- 
ber, 1853,  ^  daughter' of  Jacob  and  Matilda 
(Wood)  Tremmel.  Her  father  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania  and  her  mother  was  one  of 
the  first  white  children  born  in  Berrien  coun- 
ty. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dempsey  have  one  child, 
Mae,  at  home. 

RICHARD  BENJAMIN  METZGER. 
The  late  R.  B.  Metzger,  successful  farmer 
and  influential  business  man  and  citizen,  was 
born  near  Granger,  St.  Joseph  county,  Indi- 
ana, May  II,  1853,  and  died  on  his  farm 
in  section  25  of  Wesaw  township,  March 
23,  1906.  Though  he  was  permitted  to  com- 
plete little  more  than  a  half  century  of  life, 


his  career  was  replete  with  the  work  and 
character  which  lend  dignity  and  value  to 
human  existence,  and  his  death  removed  one 
whom  the  community  will  not  soon  cease  to 
commemorate. 

He  had  spent  most  of  his  life  in  this 
county,  having  been  taken  by  his  parents 
to  a  farm  near  Niles  when  he  was  six  years 
old,  and  ten  years  later,  on  the  burning  of 
the  home,  the  family  moved  to  another  place 
two  miles  away,  where  he  lived  until  his 
marriage.  One  year  of  his  boyhood  was 
spent  in  school  at  Notre  Dame,  but  his  active 
life  w^as  devoted  to  the  business  of  farm- 
ing. Several  years  after  his  marriage  he 
bought  his  permanent  homestead  of  one 
hundred  and  ten  acres  on  Rugg  lake,  and 
also  owned  a  place  of  eighty  acres  three 
miles  west.  Mr.  Metzger  was  a  director 
in  the  Berrien  County  Mutual  Fire  Insurance 
Company,  and  its  treasurer  two  terms.  Al- 
though always  concerned  in  the  management 
of  his  farming  interests,  he  did  little  of  the 
actual  farm  work.  For  twenty  years  he 
sold  agricultural  implements.  A  Republi- 
can, he  took  an  active  part  in  political  af- 
fairs, as  delegate  to  conventions  and  incum- 
bent of  some  offices.  He  affiliated  wuth  the 
Masonic  lodge  at  Buchanan  and  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.  at  Galien. 

Mr.  Metzger  was  a  son  of  a  prominent 
German-American  citizen  of  this  county. 
John  Metzger  came  to  this  country  wdien 
about  tw^enty  years  old,  and  spent  most  of 
his  life  in  the  vicinity  of  Niles.  His  wife 
Elizabeth  was  a  native  of  Kentucky.  At 
one  time  he  owned  about  a  thousand  acres 
of  land  near  Niles,  but  several  years  before 
his  death  he  sold  most  of  it  and  removed 
to  Texas,  where  he  passed  away.  His  wife 
died  near  Niles.  There  were  thirteen  chil- 
dren in  their  family,  and  five  are  still  living. 

Mr.  Metzger  married,  November  14, 
1877,  Miss  Emma  Cochran.  She  was  born 
near  Niles,  September  13,  1858,  and  has 
spent  her  life  in  this  county.  Her  parents 
w^ere  William  and  Betsy  (Robards)  Coch- 
ran, who  were  reared  and  married  in  New 
York  State  and  came  to  this  county  about 
1856,  passing  the  rest  of  their  lives  near 
Niles.     Of  their  three  children  Mary  died 


764 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


at  the  age  of  eight  years,  Mrs.  Metzger  is 
second,  and  William  lives  on  the' home  place 
near  Niles. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Metzger's  children  are  as 
follows:  Charles  Leo,  who  rims  the  home 
farm;  Arthur  Clayton,  a  R.  F.  D.  carrier 
from  Galien ;  Victor  A. ;  Julia  Blanche ;  Ray 
C. ;  Gertrude  Lillian;  Richard  Benjamin; 
Florence  R.  and  Esther  C. 

MAURICE  GLAVIN.  The  family 
name  of  this  gentleman  is  one  which  is  in- 
effaceably  traced  on  the  history  of  Berrien 
county  and  which  figures  on  the  pages  whose 
records  perpetuate  the  principal  events  from 
the  early  days  down  to  the  present  time. 
Edmond  Glavin^  the  father,  was  born  in 
county  Limerick,  near  Mitchell,  Ireland,  in 
1835,  ^"d  came  to  the  United  States  at  the 
age  of  fourteen  years.  After  spending  some 
time  in  the  east,  near  New  Haven,  Connecti- 
cut, he  joined  his  relatives  in  Chicago,  Illi- 
nois. In  1855  he  settled  within  the  borders 
of  Chikaming  township,  Berrien  county, 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life, 
passing  away  in  death  on  the  nth  of  April, 
1904.  There  were  few  who  could  more 
justly  claim  the  proud  American  title  of  a 
self-made  man  than  Edmond  Glavin,  for 
at  the  time  of  his  arrival  in  this  county  his 
worldly  possessions  consisted  of  but  an  axe, 
but  he  was  industrious,  determined,  am- 
bitious and  resolute,  however,  and  these  qual- 
ities stood  him  instead  of  fortune,  enabling 
him  to  overcome  the  difficulties  and  obstacles 
in  his  path  and  work  his  w^ay  steadily  up- 
ward. 

Mr.  Glavin's  first  location  was  in  the 
woods,  and  in  the  early  days  he  was  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  the  wood  and  lumber 
business,  first  shipping  by  water  and  then 
by  rail.  He  assisted  in  the  construction  of 
the  Pere  Marquette  Railroad,  and  donated 
to  the  company  the  land  used  for  this  pur- 
pose on  his  farm.  His  first  purchase  here 
consisted  of  forty  acres  and  at  the  time  of 
his  death  he  owned  over  nine  hundred  acres, 
the  visible  evidence  of  his  life  of  industry 
and  toil.  After  clearing  the  land  of  the  tim- 
ber he  began  general  farming  and  fruit  rais- 
ing.    His  political  support  was  given  to  the 


Democratic  party,  and  he  served  as  the  first 
postmaster  of  Chikaming  township,  the  of- 
fice then  being  known  as  Chikaming,  and  he 
was  retained  in  that  office  from  the  time  of 
its  establishment  until  it  was  superseded  by 
Herbert  post  office.  For  four  terms  he  also 
filled  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace,  and 
for  eight  years  was  a  school  officer.  Re- 
ligiously he  was  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
church.  Mr.  Glavin  was  one  of  a  family  of 
ten  children,  and  two  of  his  brothers  and  one 
sister  remained  in  Ireland.  His  father  died 
when  he  was  young,  and  the  estate  went  to 
the  oldest  brother,  who  remained  in  Ireland. 
Mr.  Glavin  was  married  in  Chicago,  in 
1858,  to  Honorah  A.  Cummings,  who  was 
born  in  Nova  Scotia,  and  after  residing  for 
a  time  in  Boston  she  removed  to  Chicago, 
going  there  to  join  a  sister.  She  was  born  in 
August,  1837,  the  daughter  of  Patrick  and 
Mary  Cummings,  and  her  death  occurred  on 
the  25th  of  June,  1877.  The  following  chil- 
dren were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Glavin: 
Ella,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years ; 
Margaret,  at  home;  Joseph  Edmond,  who 
was  born  in  1862  and  died  on  the  26th  of 
April,  1892;  Thomas  C.  was  the  next  in 
order  of  birth ;  Mary  Elizabeth,  who  taught 
school  for  several  years,  is  now  the  wife  of 
T.  H.  McCorten;  Anna  F.,  who  was  born 
March  6,  1868,  and  died  on  the  loth  of 
July,  1899,  ^^d  she  also  taught  schools,  hav- 
ing previously  attended  Benton  Harbor 
Academy  and  also  the  Harvey  Medical  Col- 
lege, and  her  death  occurred  just  after  her 
graduation ;  Emma  A.,  who  attended  school 
in  Marion  and  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  Benton 
Harbor  and  a  business  college  in  Chicago; 
William  P.,  a  clerk  for  the  firm  of  Peck 
&  Company,  of  Benton  Harbor;  John  M., 
who  was  born  August  14,  1872,  and  died 
September  14,  1899,  having  been  injured 
in  a  railroad  wreck;  Horace  Pike,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  two  and  a  half  years ;  Gene- 
vieve, who  has  been  teaching  in  the  Chicago 
schools  for  the  past  six  years ;  and  Maurice, 
who  attended  Benton  Harbor  College,  and 
is  now  conducting  the  home  farm.  Mr. 
Glavin  was  a  second  time  married,  having  in 
Indiana,  in  1879,  wedded  Mrs.  Harriet 
Watts,  of  Niles,  and  her  death  occurred  in 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


765 


October,    1903,   at  the  age  of   eighty-four 
years. 

Maurice  Glavin  was  born  on  the  old 
home  farm  on  the  19th  of  March,  1876, 
and  here  he  has  ever  since  made  his  home. 
He  attended  the  common  schools  of  this  lo- 
cality, and  later  was  a  student  in  the  Benton 
Harbor  Business  College.  He  now  owns 
two  hundred  acres  of  the  old  homestead, 
and  is  giving  his  time  and  attention  to  its 
cultivation.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  his  politi- 
cal views,  and  is  highly  esteemed  in  the 
community  for  his  honorable  upright  prin- 
ciples. 

-  THOMAS  F.  GLAVIN.  The  Glavin 
family  is  one  that  has  long  been  identified 
with  the  development  of  this  section  of  the 
state,  and  the  subject  of  this  review  is  a 
worthy  representative  of  the  time-honored 
occupation  of  agriculture.  He  was  born  on 
the  old  family  homestead  in  this  township 
June  7,  1865.  His  father,  Edmund  Glavin, 
was  a  native  of  Dublin,  Ireland,  and  came 
to  the  United  States  when  sixteen  years 
of  age,  spending  some  time  in  the  east,  but 
in  the  latter  '40s  came  to  Michigan.  He 
helped  construct  the  Territorial  road  from 
New  Buffalo  to  St.  Joe.  At  his  death  he 
left  an  estate  of  one  thousand  acres,  eight 
acres  of  which  were  located  within  the  cor- 
porate limits  of  Niles.  In  an  early  day  he 
dealt  extensively  in  all  kinds  of  native  lum- 
ber and  wood,  but  the  latter  part  of  his  life 
was  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
was  a  Democrat  in  his  political  views,  active 
in  the  work  of  the  party,  and  for  three  terms 
he  served  as  township  treasurer,  and  was 
also  a  member  of  the  township  board.  His 
death  occurred  on  his  farm  on  the  nth  of 
April,  1904,  when  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  seventy  years. 

Mr.  Glavin  was  first  married  in  Chicago, 
Honorah  Cummings  becoming  his  wife.  She 
was  born  in  Boston,  and  her  death  occurred 
at  the  comparatively  early  age  of  thirty  years. 
Unto  this  union  were  born  twelve  children : 
Ellen,  deceased;  Maggie;  Edward  J.,  de- 
ceased; Thomas  F.,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review;  Mary  McCarter,  of  Chikaming 
township,  Berrien  county;  Annie,  deceased, 
who  was  a  graduate  of  the  Chicago  Medical 


College,  her  death  occurring  July  11,  1900, 
just  following  her  graduation;  Emma,  a 
teacher  in  Chicago,  was  formerly  a  United 
States  employe  in  the  Indian  schools ;  Will- 
iam, shipping  clerk  with  the  firm  of  Young 
&  Peck,  of  Benton  Harbor ;  John,  who  was 
injured  while  employed  on  the  railroad,  and 
died  in  1900;  Horace,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  two  and  a  half  years ;  Jennie,  who  has  been 
engaged  in  teaching  school  in  Chicago  dur- 
ing the  past  six  years ;  and  Maurice,  at  home. 
After  the  death  of  the  wife  and  mother 
Mr.  Glavin  married  Mrs.  Harriet  Watts, 
who  died  in  October,  1903. 

Throughout  his  entire  life  Thomas  F. 
Glavin  has  resided  within  the  borders  of 
Berrien  county.  The  first  twelve  years  of 
his  business  career  were  devoted  to  rail- 
roading, first  with  the  Big  Four  Railroad 
and  then  with  the  Milwaukee,  Benton  Har- 
bor and  Columbus,  having  assisted  in  the 
construction  of  the  latter  road  from  Benton 
Harbor  to  Buchanan.  During  three  years 
of  that  time  he  was  employed  as  a  freight 
conductor,  while  for  five  years  he  had  charge 
of  a  train  on  the  Big  Four.  During  the  past 
five  years  his  entire  time  and  attention  has 
been  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits,  in 
which  he  is  meeting  with  a  well  deserved 
success,  and  he  is  the  owner  of  one  hundred 
and  forty-five  acres  of  land  in  section  10, 
in  this  township.  On  his  farm  he  has  a 
number  of  Norman  horses,  and  he  is  also 
giving  a  portion  of  his  time  to  fruit  culture. 

On  the  loth  of  September,  1896,  Mr. 
Glavin  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary 
Leach,  a  native  of  Hartford,  Van  Buren 
county,  Michigan,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Marjorie.  Mr.  Glavin  gives  his  political 
support  to  the  Democratic  party,  and  he  is 
now  serving  his  second  term  as  township 
treasurer,  while  for  seven  years  he  was  a 
school  officer.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Catho- 
lic church  at  Three  Oaks,  Michigan. 

CORNELIUS  HOVEN.  In  the  death 
of  Cornelius  Hdven  Berrien  county  lost  one 
of  her  prominent  and  useful  citizens.  His 
life  was  strictly  honorable,  upright  and  just, 
being  in  accord  with  the  highest  principles 
of  human  conduct.  Kindly  and  obliging  in 
disposition,  he  always  strove  to  do  good  to 


766 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


those  with  whom  he  had  deahngs,  and  many 
a  poor  and  needy  one  whom  he  assisted  in  his 
quiet,  unostentatious  way  still  remembers 
him  with  afifection  which  time  does  not  dim. 
He  was  born  in  the  Netherlands,  Holland, 
March  i,  1864,  a  son  of  John  and  Tracy 
(Meyer)  Hoven,  also  a  native  of  the  Nether- 
lands. The  father  now  resides  in  Chicago, 
but  the  mother  is  deceased.  They  were  the 
parents  of  six  children,  but  only  three 
reached  years  of  maturity,  namely :  James, 
who  is  now  living  retired  in  Chicago;  Cor- 
nelius, whose  name  introduces  this  review ; 
and  John,  who  is  engaged  in  the  coal  busi- 
ness in  Chicago,  and  is  also  the  ow^ner  of 
one  of  the  finest  farms  in  Three  Oaks  town- 
ship, consisting  of  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres. 

When  three  years  of  age  Cornelius 
Hoven  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  the 
United  States,  the  family  home  being  estab- 
lished in  Chicago,  Illinois,  where  the  son 
continued  to  reside  until  his  removal  to  Ber- 
rien county,  Michigan,  in  1904.  He  had 
been  reared  to  the  occupation  of  farming, 
but  for  a  time  during  his  residence  in  Chi- 
cago he  w^as  engaged  in  the  coal  business. 
His  beautiful,  well  improved  farm  in  Chika- 
ming  township  consisted  of  two  hundred 
and  thirty-five  acres,  and  here  is  located  one 
of  the  finest  homes  in  the  township.  This 
place  was  formerly  known  as  the  old  Drew 
homestead,  and  is  located  in  section  26.  Mr. 
Hoven  devoted  his  attention  to  farming  and 
stock  raising,  and  his  efforts  were  attended 
with  a  high  degree  of  success.  He  was  a 
very  religious  man,  and  was  a  life-long  mem- 
ber of  the  Reformed  church,  passing  away 
in  that  faith  on  the  21st  of  March,  1905. 

In  1888  Mr.  Hoven  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Barbara  Baar,  who  was  born  in 
Chicago  June  6,  1870,  a  daughter  of  Simon 
and  Anna  (Kooi)  Baar,  natives  of  the 
Netherlands.  Three  children  w^ere  born  to 
bless  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoven — 
Anna,  John  William  and  Tracy.  During  his 
lifetime  Mr.  Hoven  had  endeared  himself  to 
many  friends,  and  his  memory  is  yet  cher- 
ished by  those  who  knew  him. 

VICTOR  H.  THOMAS.  For  many 
years  Victor  H.  Thomas  has  been  promi- 


nently identified  with  the  agricultural  inter- 
ests of  Berrien  county,  and  in  this  time  has* 
become  recognized  as  one  of  its  most  valued 
citizens.  He  was  born  in  Berkshire  coun- 
ty, Massachusetts,  January  30,  1837,  ^  ^'^'^ 
of  Dr.  Philander  H.  Thomas,  who  was  a 
native  of  the  Empire  state,  his  birth  oc- 
curring in  Rensselaer  county  on  the  Sth  of 
May,  1802.  The  family  have  long  been 
identified  with  the  medical  profession,  for 
the  grandfather  of  Victor  H.,  Dr.  Jeffrey 
Thomas,  was  also  a  physician,  practicing  in 
New  York,  of  which  state  he  was  also  a 
native  son.  His  son.  Dr.  Philander  H. 
Thomas,  practiced  medicine  all  his  life,  and 
his  death  occurred  on  the  30th  of  December, 
1863.  He  married  Laura  Hull,  who  was 
born  in  Berlin,  New  York,  February  22, 
1806,  and  died  at  the  home  of  her  daughter 
in  Cass  county,  Michigan,  August  2,  1880. 
Unto  this  worthy  pioneer  couple  were  born 
si^  children, — John  H.,  Sarah  E.,  Flora  A., 
Granville  S.,  Victor  H.  and  Collin  C. 

Victor  H.  Thomas,  the  only  one  of  his 
parents'  large  family  now  living,  was  but 
five  years  of  age  when  the  family  re- 
moved from  Massachusetts  to  Stephentown, 
Rensselaer  county,  New  York,  there  remain- 
ing for  seven  years,  when  the  home  was  es- 
tablished at  West  Sand  Lake,  near  Albany, 
New  York.  That  place  remained  the  home 
of  Victor  H.  Thomas  until  he  had  reached 
his  twentieth  year,  and  from  the  time  of  leav- 
ing the  school  room,  when  sixteen  years  old, 
he  has  followed  agricultural  pursuits.  In 
1857  he  made  the  journey  alone  to  Michi- 
gan, first  taking  up  his  abode  near  Cassop- 
olis,  in  Cass  county.  In  the  following  spring, 
however,  he  joined  the  tide  of  gold  seekers 
to  California,  driving  an  ox  team  from  the 
Missouri  river  to  Salt  Lake  City,  while  the 
remainder  of  the  distance  was  covered  on 
foot.  Five  years  were  spent  in  the  Golden 
state,  engaged  in  mining  and  selling  vege- 
tables, and  the  following  five  years  were 
spent  in  prospecting  in  the  silver  mines  in 
Nevada.  Returning  thence  to  Cass  county, 
he  was  there  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  April,  1873,  when  he  chose  Ber- 
rien county  as  his  future  home.  His  first  pur- 
chase of  land  consisted  of  a  tract  of  eighty 
acres  on  section  14,  the  farm,  at  that  time  be- 


JjL^,Xv^  iy^JC^^A-vv^-C--*-*^ 


T^U^i   /^c^M^  ^^^^-2^ 


auf-^'^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


767 


ing  covered  with  brush  and  stumps.  Twen- 
tv-six  years  ago  he  purchased  another  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  located  on 
section  15,  which  he  brought  to  a  high  state 
of  cultivation. 

Mr.  Thomas  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Elizabeth  Shaw,  who  was  born  in  Berlin, 
Rensselaer    county,    New    York,    July    25, 

1844.  At  the  age  of  nine  years  she  came  to 
Cass  county,  Michigan,  with  her  parents, 
Richard  and  Caroline  (Ingalls)  Shaw,  both 
natives  of  New  York,  the  former  born  in 
1809  and  the  latter  in  1820.  After  a  happy 
married  life  of  many  years  they  both  passed 
away  in  Cass  county,  the  father  dying  in 
1877,  and  in  1888  the  mother  joined  him  in 
the  world  beyond.  They  were  the  parents 
of  three  children, — Elizabeth,  Benton,  a  resi- 
dent of  Niles,  Michigan,  and  Marion  W. 
Five  children  have  blessed  the  home  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Thomas,  namely:  Laura  E.,  at 
home;  Guy,  a  resident  of  Three  Oaks,  Michi- 
gan ;  Ray,  who  works  for  his  father ;  Lee  C. ; 
and  Marion,  who  married  W.  R.  Hibbs,  who 
is  now  living  in  Chicago.  Mr.  Thomas  gives 
his  political  support  to  the  Democratic  party, 
and  for  seven  years  or  until  the  office  was 
abolished  he  served  as  township  superin- 
tendent of  schools,  while  for  two  terms  he 
was  the  treasurer  of  the  township.  He  is  a 
man  of  sterling  worth,  and  justly  merits  the 
high  regard  in  wdiich  he  is  held. 

JOHN  JOHNSON  dates  his  residence 
in  Berrien  county  from  the  24th  of  May, 

1845.  It  ^^'^^  t^^^^^  t'^^t  ^^^  fi^^t  opened  his 
eyes  to  the  light  of  day  on  the  farm  on 
which  he  still  resides  on  section  29,  Berrien 
township.  His  father,  John  Johnson,  was 
a  native  of  Virginia  and  there  resided 
through  the  period  of  his  youth.  His  father 
also  bore  the  name  of  John  Johnson,  and 
was  a  native  of  Virginia,  wdience  he  came 
to  Berrien  county  in  1824.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  a  young  man,  wdien,  in 
1824,  he  arrived  in  this  county.  He  had 
two  comrades  and  they  made  the  first  settle- 
ment in  Berrien  township.  It  was  subse- 
quent to  this  time  that  the  grandfather  be- 
came a  resident  of  Michigan.  The  father 
and  his  companions  were  the  first  wdiite  men 
to  venture  into  the  forest  regions  in  Berrien 


township  and  make  a  permanent  settlement. 
Mr.  Johnson  performed  the  arduous  task  of 
clearing  and  developing  new  land  and  trans- 
formed his  place  into  a  good  farm.  He  was 
married  in  this  county  to  Miss  Anna  Ly- 
brook,  a  native  of  Virginia,  who  came  to 
Michigan  with  her  parents  in  pioneer  days. 
Soon  after  their  marriage  the  young  couple 
located  upon  a  farm,  Mr.  Johnson  entering 
from  the  government  the  land  upon  which 
his  son,  our  subject,  now  resides.  There 
he  spent  his  remaining  days,  actively  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits  for  many 
years  and  living  a  quiet  life  during  his  last 
days.  He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-two 
years,  in  the  faith  of  the  Dunkard  Church, 
of  which  he  had  long  been  a  devoted  mem- 
ber. His  wife,  who  was  also  a  member  of 
the  same  church,  lived  to  be  seventy-three 
years  of  age.  They  were  the  parents  of 
eight  children,  the  eldest  of  whom  passed 
aw^ay  at  the  age  of  twelve  years.  The  record 
is  as  follows :  Isaac,  born  December  20, 
1828;  Sarah,  March  4,  1831;  Rebecca, 
March  5,  1833;  Henry  L.,  October  3,  1835; 
Lydia,  April  19,  1838;  Eve,  October  21, 
1840;  Mary,  January  21,,  1843;  ^^^  John, 
May  24,    1845. 

The  youngest  of  the  family,  John  John- 
son, whose  name  introduces  this  review^,  was 
reared  upon  the  old  homestead  farm  and  be- 
gan his  education  in  the  district  schools  of 
Berrien  towaiship,  while  later  he  attended  a 
school  conducted  by  Miss  Brown  at  Niles. 
His  training  at  farm  labor  w^as  not  meager, 
for  he  was  early  instructed  in  the  best  meth- 
ods of  caring  for  the  fields  and  raising  crops. 
He  has  always  engag'ed  in  general  farming 
and  after  his  father's  death  became  the 
owner  of  the  old  homestead.  He  now  has 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  constituting 
one  of  the  oldest  farms  of  Berrien  township, 
the  land  having  been  entered  by  his  father 
from  the  government  and  transformed:  by 
him  into  productive  fields.  October  25,  1868, 
Mr.  Johnson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Marie  Bartholomew,  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
Samuel  C.  and  Sarah  (Thomas)  Bartholo- 
mew, who  were  natives  of  New  York  and 
came  to  Berrien  county  about  1848,  locating 
in  Berrien  Springs.  The  father  was  a  prac- 
ticing physician,  becoming  one  of  the  early 


768 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


representatives  of  the  medical  fraternity  in 
his  locahty.     Mrs.  Johnson  is  the  youngest 
of  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, and  was  born  in  Berrien  Springs,  Feb- 
ruary 27,  1 85 1,  while  in  the  public  schools 
there  she  acquired;  her  education.     Follow- 
ing his  marriage  Mr.  Johnson  located  on 
the  old  home  place  and  operated  the  farm 
until  his  father's  death,  when  he  came  into 
possession  of  the  property.    In  politics  he  is 
a  stalwart   Democrat,   and   for   four  years 
served  as  supervisor,  while  for  one  term  he 
was  township  treasurer.     In   1890  he  was 
elected  sheriff  of  the  county,   which  office 
he  held   for  two  years,   living  at   Berrien 
Springs  during  that  time.    He  was  also  en- 
gaged in  the  furniture  and  undertaking  busi- 
ness at  Niles  for  about  three  years  and  then 
returned  to  the  farm,  whereon  he  has  since 
made  his  home.    It  is  today  a  well  developed 
property,  the  fields  yielding  him  an  excellent 
financial  return,  for  his  crops  find  a  ready 
sale  on  the  market.    He  belongs  to  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity  at  Berrien  Springs  and  is 
well  known  in  the  county,  where  for  sixty- 
one  years  he  has  made  his  home.    Unto  him 
and  his  wife  have  been  born  five  children, 
two  sons  and  three  daughters,  but  only  the 
son,  Henry  B.,  is  left,  who  is  now  engaged 
in  business  in  Birmingham,  Alabama.     Mr. 
Johnson  is  of  the  third  generation  of  the 
family  in  this  county  and  is  not  only  familiar 
with  its  early  history  because  of  the  records 
he  has  read  and  the  tales  which  have  been 
told  him  concerning  pioneer  days  but  from 
actual   experience  as   well,   and  can   relate 
many  interesting  incidents  of  the  times  when 
much  of  the  land  was  uncleared  and  uncul- 
tivated and  when  the  work  of  modern  prog- 
ress and  development  seemed  scarcely  be- 
gun.    Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have  in  their 
possession  four  of  the  old  parchment  deeds 
signed  by  President  Andrew  Jackson,  exe- 
cuted April   I,   1 83 1,   November   10,   1830, 
April  I,  1 83 1,  and  January  i,  1831.    These 
are  valuable  souvenirs  in  the  home  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Johnson.    They  have  three  of  the 
old  coverlets  made  by  his  mother  and  they 
are  almost  three-fourths  of  a  century  old. 
And  they  also  have  one  of  the  little  flax 
wheels,  and  the  mother  of  Mr.  Johnson  spun 
upon  this  wheel. 


RICHARD  WILLIAMS  MONTROSS. 
As  a  manufacturer  and  business  man  en- 
gaged in  industrial  development  and  produc- 
tion which  has  given  steady  impulse  to  the 
business  welfare  of  Berrien  county,  Mr. 
Montross  has  been  one  of  the  prominent 
figures  in  the  county's  history  during  the  past 
forty  years.  Born  in  New  York  city,  June 
2,  1839,  he  is  a  grandson  of  one  of  the 
Frenchmen  who  came  with  Lafayette  during 
the  Revolution  and  is  also  a  descendant  of 
the  Duke  of  Montrose.  His  father,  William 
Montross,  a  native  of  Dutchess  county,  New 
York,  lived  in  New  York  city  after  the  age 
of  fourteen  years,  and  attained  a  substantial 
position  in  the  business  affairs  of  the  metrop- 
olis. He  was  a  dry-goods  merchant  and  a 
director  in  the  Market  National  Bank  and 
other  financial  institutions.  Though  ninety- 
one  years  old  at  the  time  of  his  death  in 
1895,  he  had  regularly  gone  down  to  the 
bank  every  business  day  up  to  the  last  year. 
Through  numerous  visits  to  his  son  in  Mich- 
igan he  had  become  quite  well  known  to  a 
large  number  of  Berrien  county  people. 

Mr.  Montross'  mother  was  Ann  Eliza 
Williams,  who  was  born  and  spent  her  en- 
tire life  in  New  York  city,  where  her  death 
occurred  in  1898  at  the  age  of  eighty-six. 
Her  father,  Richard  S.  Williams,  made  a 
career  closely  identified  with  the  city's  civic 
interests.  He  served  as  alderman  and  was 
governor  of  Blackwell's  Island,  supervising 
the  erection  of  the  principal  buildings  there. 
He  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  Quaker 
church.  The  Richard  S.  Williams  and 
Company,  ship  chandlers,  were  a  well  known 
firm  at  the  corner  of  Fulton  and  South 
streets.  He  established  and  became  presi- 
dent of  the  Market  National  Bank. 

Mr.  Montross  is  the  only  member  of  the 
family  in  Michigan.  His  three  sisters  and 
one  brother  live  in  New  York  city,  and  one 
brother  died  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  The 
oldest  of  the  family,  he  began  his  business 
career  at  an  early  age,  becoming  a  clerk  in 
a  store  at  fourteen.  In  1859  he  was  sent 
to  Dubuque,  Iowa,  to  take  charge  of  a 
grocery  and  drug  stock  for  a  New  York 
wholesale  house.  He  remained  there  until 
the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  when  he  en- 
listed in  Company  I,  First  Iowa  Infantry, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


769 


under  Capt.  Frank  Herron.  He  was  on 
staff  duty  under  General  Fremont  in  the 
Missouri  campaign,  and  in  the  battle  of 
White  Stone  Hill  in  1863.  In  1864  he  was 
promoted  to  first  lieutenant  and  quarter- 
master in  the  Third  U.  S.  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, and  went  to  the  western  plains  about 
Denver,  serving  under  General  Connor  until 
mustered  out  in  September,  1865,  at  Fort 
Leavenworth. 

He  remained  in  New  York  city  only  a 
short  time  after  the  war,  and  in  November, 
1866,  located  at  Galien,  Michigan,  which  has 
been  his  home  from  that  date  to  this.  It  was 
the  manufacture  of  wooden  goods  that  first 
occupied  his  attention  and  in  this  line  he 
gained  his  principal  success.  Handles  for 
agricultural  implements,  made  from  the 
white  ash  and  bass  wood  of  this  region,  have 
been  his  principal  products,  and  in  this  busi- 
ness he  has  employed  as  many  as  tw^o  hun- 
dred hands  and  his  annual  output  has 
reached  a  value  of  eighty  thousand  dollars. 
He  was  in  business  with  a  partner  until 
1875,  but  has  since  then  conducted  his  in- 
terests alone.  A  small  saw  mill  and  turning 
plant  in  the  midst  of  the  woods  was  the 
equipment  with  which  he  began  business, 
and  in  the  course  of  his  business  career  he 
has  bought  many  tracts  of  woodland.  In 
this  way  he  has  cleared  more  land  than  any 
other  man  in  southwest  Michigan. 

Mr.  Montross  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  a  citizen  with  independent  ideals.  He 
is  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  blue  lodge  at 
Buchanan  and  the  chapter  and  commandery 
at  Niles,  and  as  a  thirty-second  degree 
Mason  has  been  a  member  of  the  Michigan 
Sovereign  Consistory  of  Scottish  Rite 
Masonry  at  Detroit  for  twenty  years,  and 
of  the  thirty-third  degree  Supreme  Council, 
having  had  the  degree  conferred  in  1895  at 
Boston.  He  is  a  charter  member  and  a  past 
commander  of  the  K.  O.  T.  M. 

Mr.  Montross'  first  wife  was  Miss  Nellie 
Hand,  a  daughter  of  Judge  Hand  of  Wis- 
consin. Their  one  son,  William,  is  in  the 
printing  business  in  Chicago.  His  first  wife 
died  in  1882  and  twelve  years  later  Mr. 
Montross  married  Anna  Plaister.  Mrs. 
Montross  is  a  woman  of  energy  and  busi- 
ness enterprise  and  is  well  known  as  a  cat 
49 


and  dog  fancier.  One  of  her  Angora  cats 
is  valued  at  two  hundred  dollars  and  took 
six  prizes  in  a  cat  show  at  Chicago.  She 
also  takes  pride  in  her  pedigreed  Scotch  col- 
lies, and  to  some  extent  is  interested  in  rais- 
ing Plymouth  Rock  chickens. 

JOHN  S.  INGLES  died  at  his  home  in 
Galien,  November  23,  1905,  a  respected  and 
honored  citizen  who  for  a  third  of  a  century 
had  conducted  his  business  affairs  and  pri- 
vate life  in  such  a  way  as  to  establish  him- 
self permanently  and  infiuentially  in  that 
community.  Born  at  Canandaigua,  Ontario 
county,  New^  York,  May  12,  1834,  at  the 
age  of  three  he  was  taken  by  his  parents  to 
Norwalk,  Ohio,  and  on  reaching  manhood 
moved  to  Milan,  in  the  same  state,  where 
he  was  superintendent  of  the  Milan  canal 
a  number  of  years,  and  from  there  came  to 
Galien  in  1872  and  lived  here  until  his 
death,  which  came  after  he  had  w^orthily 
completed  the  cycle  of  three  score  and  ten 
years.  He  was  a  farmer  during  the  greater 
part  of  his  life.  He  and  his  brother  Charles 
H.  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  pumps  at 
Galien  for  three  years.  His  farm  of  eighty 
acres,  half  of  which  had  been  put  under 
cultivation  by  his  own  strenuous  labor,  lies 
partly  within  the  village  of  Galien,  along 
the  railroad,  seventy-four  acres  being  in  sec- 
tion 2.  It  is  known  as  Engleside  farm,  and 
its  improvements  are  of  the  highest  class. 
He  was  a  Republican  in  politics,  although 
independent  in  local  matters,  and  was  a 
member  of  Galien  lodge  of  the  Odd  Fellows. 
He  took  much  interest  in  Spiritualism  as 
his  preferred  form  of  religion. 

The  late  John  S.  Ingles  was  the  son  of 
Addison  and  Lucy  (Bachelor)  Ingles,  na- 
tives respectively  of  New  York  and  Massa- 
chusetts. John  S.  was  the  third  of  their 
eight  children. 

Mr.  Ingles  married,  in  1858,  Miss  Jane 
McMaster,  who  was  born  in  Huron  county^ 
Ohio,  December  26,  1839.  Her  parents 
were  Hiram  and  Philora  McMaster.  Her 
father  was  born  in  Cayuga  county,  New 
York,  October  23,  1806,  and  her  mother  at 
Fort  Ann,  Washington  county.  New  York„ 
November  26,  181 7,  and  after  her  death  in 
Ohio   in    1853   the  husband  married   again 


770 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


and  came  to  Michigan,  where  he  died  April 
25,  1884.  Mrs.  Ingles  was  one  of  six  chil- 
dren. She  is  the  mother  of  three  children : 
Emma,  wife  of  Adelbert  Prince,  of  Prince 
Brothers,  hardware  firm  at  Galien;  Charles 
Delbert,  a  railroad  man  of  Glenwood,  Min- 
nesota; Earl,  who  runs  the  home  farm. 

WILLIAM  C.  HEWITT.  This  pros- 
perous young  farmer  of  section  i,  Galien 
township  was  born  in  Bertrand  township  of 
his  county,  March  14,  1872,  and  has  spent 
most  of  his  life  in  Galien  township.  He  has 
owned  his  present  farm  since  1898,  a  part 
of  it  being  from  the  old  James  Wilson  place 
and  a  part  from  the  William  Welch  farm. 
Besides  farming  Mr.  Hewitt  runs  a  thresh- 
ing outfit  for  six  months  of  the  year. 

Mr.  Hewitt's  father,  John  H.,  was  born 
near  Fredericksburg,  Virginia,  and  with  a 
brother  served  in  the  southern  army  dur- 
ing the  rebellion  at  the  conclusion  of  which 
he  came  to  Berrien  county  and  was  engaged 
in  farming  until  about  six  years  ago,  when 
he  moved  to  Michigan  City  and  then  to 
South  Bend,  w^here  he  now  lives.  His 
father  was  also  named  John  and  came  to 
this  county  from  Virginia  after  the  war,  dy- 
ing near  Buchanan.  John  H.  Hewitt  had 
the  following  brothers  and  sisters :  Cor- 
nelius, William,  Charles,  Harvey,  Jane, 
Annie  and  Martha. 

Mr.  Hewitt's  mother  was  Luella  Welch, 
daughter  of  one  of  the  oldest  citizens  of 
southern  Berrien  county.  William  Welch 
w^as  born  in  Ontario,  October  i,  1828,  and 
when  about  tw^elve  years  old  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Cass  county  w4iere  they  were 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Howard  town- 
ship. In  1849,  joining  a  party  of  ten  and 
traveling  with  ox  teams,  he  left  Cass  county 
on  February  25  and  the  following  Septem- 
ber 20th  arrived  in  California,  where  for  the 
next  two  years  he  sought  a  quick  road  to 
w^ealth,  being  occupied  for  the  most  part  in 
teaming.  He  returned  to  the  states  by  way 
of  the  City  of  Mexico  and  New  Orleans,  and 
after  two  years'  residence  in  Cass  county 
settled  in  Bertrand  township.  Eighteen 
years  ago  he  located  in  Galien  township. 
He  has  been  a  very  successful  farmer,  and 
at  one  time  owned  two  hundred  acres  of 


land  in  this  county.  He  married  in  1853 
Miss  Elizabeth  Salisbury,  and  their  two  chil- 
dren were  Luella,  the  mother  of  Mr.  Hewitt, 
and  Wilber,  who  lives  at  his  father's  home. 

John  and  Luella  (Welch)  Hewitt  had 
the  following  children:  William  C,  Bur- 
ten,  of  South  Bend,  Walter  V.,  Clyde  of 
Chicago,  Floyd,  Jay,  of  South  Bend,  Ida, 
wife  of  Richard  Markley  of  South  Bend, 
Mabel  and  Altie  M. 

William  C.  Hewitt  married,  December 
31,  1895,  Miss  Elvie  L.  Boyle,  a  native  of 
Galien  township  and  a  daughter  of  Hugh 
and  Eliza  (Robins)  Boyle.  Two  sons  have 
been  born  to  them,  Ray  J.  and  Fred  B. 

HENRY  D.  INGLES  was  born  on  the 
farm  in  section  2^^  of  Galien  township 'where 
he  still  makes  his  home.  Born  February  7, 
1866,  his  first  shelter  was  a  log  cabin,  which 
measured  the  prosperity  of  the  family  and 
the  degree  of  progress  of  the  day  in  the 
same  manner  as  his  modern  home  and  im- 
provements indicate  the  conditions  of  the 
twentieth  century. 

The  high  school  at  Galien  gave  him  his 
first  stage  of  preparation  for  life,  his  name 
appearing  with  the  class  of  1889,  and  aft- 
erward he  studied  in  Valparaiso  Normal 
three  terms.  His  ability  as  an  educator  is 
proved  by  thirteen  years  of  teaching,  all  in 
this  county.  General  farming  and  stock  and 
fruit  raising  occupy  his  attention  on  the 
beautiful  eighty  acre  farm  in  sections  14 
and  23.  Mr.  Ingles  is  the  owner  of  the 
Hambletonian  stallion  ''Delsarte,"  one  of 
the  best  knowai  studs  of  this  county.  A 
grandson  of  Rysdyk's  Hambletonian  and  a 
son  of  the  great  Dauntless,  ''Delsarte"  is  a 
combination  of  rare  points  and  blood. 

Mr.  Ingles  holds  a  license  as  minister  of 
the  United  Brethren  church  and  has  served 
this  denomination  as  preacher  for  the  past 
five  years.  He  is  a  member  of  Olive  Branch 
United  Brethren  Church,  and  has  held  the 
offices  of  trustee,  class  leader,  superintend- 
ent of  Sunday  school  and  nearly  all  the  of- 
ficial positions.  He  is  a  Hfelong  Republican, 
affiliates  with  the  K.  O.  T.  M.  at  Galien, 
and  served  as  school  inspector  for  sixteen 
years. 

Mr.  Ingles  is  a  son  of  one  of  the  old 


M^;Y.>n<^e^. 


^  ^AT^  k:j^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


771 


settlers  of  Berrien  county.  His  father  was 
George  W.  Ingles,  who  was  born  in  Canan- 
daigua  county,  New  York,  at  the  age  of 
tw^elve  moved  with  his  parents  to  Norwalk, 
Ohio,  in  which  state  the  parents  died. 
After  his  marriage  George  W.  Ingles  came 
to  Buchanan  and  Niles,  Michigan,  and  in 
1865  came  to  the  farm  where  his  son  resides^ 
and  on  which  place  he  lived  until  his  death 
in  1 90 1  at  the  age  of  seventy.  He  was  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and  held  the  office  of 
highway  commissioner  for  four  or  five  years 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  a  member  of 
Dowie's  Zion  church.  His  wife  was  Sarah 
Elizabeth  Bachelor,  w^ho  was  born  in  Ohio 
and  now  lives  with  her  son  Henry.  Their 
family  consisted  of  eight  children,  two  of 
whom  died  young,  namely:  Charles  A.,  of 
Galien  township;  Ernest  C,  of  Chicago; 
Jennie  E.,  of  Benton  Harbor;  Henry  D. ; 
Nellie  C.  Glover,  who  died  in  1906;  Grace 
Shoup,  of  Niles;  Clarence  C,  deceased. 

In  1889  Mr.  Ingles  married  Miss  Sadie 
S.  Shedd,  a  member  of  one  of  the  old  fam- 
ilies of  this  county.  She  was  born  in  Three 
Oaks  township,  March  30,  1871,  a  daughter 
of  George  and  Helen  (Hinman)  Shedd. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ingles  have  one  son,  Vivian  G. 

FRANK  THOMPSON.  The  pleasant 
country  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank 
Thompson  is  located  on  section  18  of  Galien 
township,  on  land  that  has  been  in  Mrs. 
Thompson's  family  for  more  than  forty 
years.  One  of  the  best  known  men  of 
southern  Berrien  county  during  the  last  half 
of  the  last  century  was  Davis  Owen,  Mrs. 
Thompson's  father.  Born  in  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania,  November  10,  1823,  he  was 
brought  by  his  parents  to  Marion  county, 
Ohio,  at  the  age  of  four  years,  and  in  1852 
moved  to  Noble  county,  Indiana,  with  his 
wife  and  one  child.  In  1865  he  moved  to 
Galien  township  and  resided  on  the  home- 
stead in  section  18  until  his  death,  Novem- 
ber 24,  1887.  His  handsome  estate  con- 
sisted of  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  one 
half  of  which  is  now  owned  by  Mrs. 
Thompson. 

Davis  Owen  was  a  son  of  Zelophade  and 
Rebecca  (Casner)  Owen,  natives  of  Wales, 
who  came  to  America  after  their  marriage. 


and  spent  their  last  years  in  Marion  county, 
Ohio.  The  father  was  a  w^ealthy  farmer, 
ow^ning  four  large  farms  in  Marion  county. 
His  large  family  consisted  of  ten  sons  and 
two  daughters,  only  the  youngest  of  whom, 
Eleazer,  of  Kendallville,  Indiana,  is  still  liv- 
ing. Davis  Owen  married,  December  12, 
1844,  Mary  Jane  Woodruff,  who  was  born 
in  Ohio,  March  28,  1823. 

Mrs.  Thompson  is  the  elder  of  the  two 
daughters  of  Davis  Owen,  her  sister  being 
Samantha  Jane,  wife  of  B.  R.  Sturns  of 
Benton  Harbor.  Marie  Emeline  Owen  was 
born  March  2^  1850,  and  December  24, 
1 87 1,  w^as  married  to  Frank  Simpson,  by 
whom  she  had  two  children,  Lena  B.,  wife 
of  Alden  Earl;  and  Floyd  D.,  deceased.  In 
1885  she  married  Mr.  Frank  Thompson, 
and  they  have  two  children.  Ford  Alden  and 
Earl  Leo. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  born  in  St.  Joseph 
county,  Indiana,  December  21,  i860,  and 
since  the  age  of  fourteen  has  lived  in  Ga- 
lien township.  He  has  always  followed  the 
occupation  of  farmer.  He  is  a  Democrat 
in  politics,  and  affiliates  with  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 
and  the  K.  O.  T.  M.  at  Galien  and  the  M. 
W.  A.  at  Three  Oaks.  Mr.  Thompson's 
parents  w^ere  William  G.  and  Eliza  (Fulton) 
Thompson,  natives  of  New  York  and  Penn- 
sylvania, respectively,  who  were  married 
after  their  removal  to  Indiana.  The  mother 
died  three  years  ago,  and  the  father  now 
lives  at  Three  Oaks.  There  were  four  sons 
in  their  family. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  MILLER,  living 
on  section  29,  Berrien  township,  where  he 
carries  on  general  agricultural  pursuits,  was 
born  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  November  21, 
1837,  and  is  a  representative  of  a  family 
that  was  established  in  America  in  colonial 
days.  His  paternal  grandfather,  David  Mil- 
ler, was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  and  spent 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  upon  the  farm 
in  Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  where  his 
son,  Heni-y  Miller,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  and  reared.  The  family  is  sup- 
posed to  be  of  Scotch,  Welsh,  Irish  and' 
German  lineage.  On  leaving  his  native 
county  Henry  Miller  removed  to  Preble 
county,  Ohio,  and  there  earned  and  followed 


77^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


the  hatter's  trade  and  subsequently  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  hats  at  Winchester, 
Ohio,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
nine  years.  His  wife,  Mrs.  Nancy  (Simp- 
son) Miller,  was  a  native  of  Maryland, 
where  she  remained  until  early  womanhood, 
when  she  accompanied  her  parents,  Walter 
and  Elizabeth  Simpson,  to  Ohio.  She  came 
to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  in  1849,  lo- 
cating on  section  29,  Berrien  township.  She 
brought  with  her  a  family,  numbering  four 
sons  and  a  daughter,  the  eldest  of  whom  was 
labout  seventeen  years  of  age,  while  the 
youngest  was  nine  years  old. 

William  Henry  Miller  was  the  third 
child  and  second  son,  and  was  a  youth  of 
twelve  years  when  he  arrived  in  Berrien 
township.  He  was  reared  in  his  mother's 
home  and  assisted  her  in  the  farm  work 
until  after  the  inauguration  of  the  Civil 
war,  when  he  put  aside  all  business  and  per- 
sonal considerations  and  with  patriotic  ardor 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  Union,  enlisting 
as  a  member  of  Company  I,  Twelfth  Michi- 
gan Volunteer  Infantry.  He  joined  the 
army  as  a  private  and  was  elected  sergeant 
on  the  organization  of  the  company  while 
later  he  was  promoted  to  orderly  sergeant 
and  afterward  to  first  lieutenant,  holding 
that  rank  when  honorably  discharged  after 
a  service  which  covered  three  years  and 
eight  months.  He  then  re-enlisted  as  a  vet- 
eran in  the  same  company  and  regiment.  He 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh,  luka, 
Metamora,  Little  Rock,  the  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg  and  many  other  military  movements 
of  lesser  importance.  He  was  in  active  duty 
throughout  the  entire  period  of  his  connec- 
tion with  the  army  save  for  about  four 
weeks,  when  he  was  in  the  hospital  and  on 
a  furlough  home.  He  resigned  in  May,  1865, 
and  returned  to  Berrien  township,  having 
made  a  splendid  military  record  by  reason 
of  his  unfaltering  fidelity  to  the  old  flag  and 
the  cause  it  represented. 

When  he  again  became  a  factor  in  busi- 
ness life  in  Berrien  county  Mr.  Miller  pur- 
chased the  interest  of  the  other  heirs  in  the 
old  homestead  and  was  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock-raising.  He  was  married 
June  25,  1865,  to  Miss  Eva  Johnson,  a 
daughter   of   John   and   Annie    (Lybrook) 


Johnson,  who  were  pioneer  residents  of  Ber- 
rien township.  In  their  home  there  on  sec- 
tion 29  Mrs.  Miller  was  born  and  her  girl- 
hood days  were  spent  under  the  parental 
roof.  Mr.  Miller  took  his  bride  to  the  old 
home  place  on  which  he  had  located  with  his 
mother  many  years  before  and  here  he  has 
lived  continuously  since,  and  their  marriage 
has  been  blessed  with  two  children,  Jose- 
phine and  Fred,  but  the  latter  died  when 
about  six  months  old.  The  daughter  is  now 
the  wife  of  Royal  Morris,  by  whom  she  has 
two  children,  Eva  L.,  in  eighth  grade,  and 
Henry  M.,  in  the  fifth  grade,  and  they  reside 
with  Mr.  Miller  on  the  old  home  place. 

Mr.  Miller  is  now  the  owner  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twelve  acres  of  excellent  land  on 
section  29,  also  has  eighty-five  acres  on  sec- 
tion 18  and  twenty  acres  on  section  30,  Ber- 
rien township,  making  in  all  two  hundred 
and  seventeen  acres.  He  rents  the  farm  to^ 
his  son-in-law  and  is  practically  living  re- 
tired from  the  more  arduous  duties  of  an 
agricultural  life.  In  politics  he  has  been  a 
stalwart  and  earnest  Republican  since  age 
conferred  upon  him  the  right  of  franchise^ 
standing  loyally  by  the  party  which  was  the 
support  of  the  Union  in  the  dark  days  of 
the  Civil  war  and  he  has  always  been  the 
champion  of  progress  and  reform.  He  has 
acted  as  treasurer  of  his  township  and  is^ 
now  justice  of  the  peace  and  in  connection 
with  educational  interests  has  done  effective 
service  in  an  official  capacity.  For  many 
years  he  has  been  a  member  of  Kilpatrick 
Post,  No.  39,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Berrien  Springs,, 
in  which  he  has  filled  all  of  the  offices  and 
is  now  chaplain.  He  and  wife  belong  to 
the  United  Brethren  Church  in  the  township, 
of  Berrien,  and  his  life,  upright  in  its  prin- 
ciples, has  been  in  entire  harmony  with  his 
professions.  Living  in  Berrien  county  for 
fifty-seven  years  he  may  well  be  classed 
among  the  pioneer  residents  and  his  fidelity 
to  every  manly  principle  makes  him  a  man 
honored  and  esteemed:  by  all  with  whom  he 
has  been  associated. 

Mr.  Miller  has  a  curiosity  in  the  way  of 
a  relic  deed.  It  is  the  description  of  a  piece 
of  land,  and  the  surveys  are  made  by  ''metes 
and  bounds,"  and  it  is  made  under  the  com- 
monwealth    of    Virginia    when     Governor 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


77i 


James  Wood  was  governor  of  the  Colony 
of  Virginia.  The  date  of  execution  is  given 
June  22,  1797,  two  years  before  General 
Washington  died.  This  parchment  deed  is 
the  oldest  deed  possibly  found  in  the  state 
of  Michigan,  being  one  hundred  and  nine 
years  old.  Mr.  Miller,  who  is  one  of  the 
prosperous  farmers  as  well  as  a  veteran  of 
the  Civil  war  and  a  resident  of  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  values  this  parchment 
highly.  Mrs.  Miller  has  an  old  coverlet 
which  her  mother  wove  and  is  three-quarters 
of  a  century  old.  They  have  an  old  Testa- 
ment of  1828  and  the  Bible  of  1835,  and  they 
also  have  one  of  the  old-fashioned  hand 
sickles,  which  is  a  pioneer  implement.  It 
was  in  1904  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  met 
with  the  severe  loss  of  their  barns,  but  they 
have  builded  anew. 

CHARLES  A.  VINTON.  Mr.  Vin- 
ton's home  and  estate  are  on  section  15  of 
Galien  township,  where  he  has  lived  and 
prospered  and  enjoyed  the  esteem  of  his 
neighbors  for  the  past  ten  or  twelve  years. 

Born  at  Wabash,  Indiana,  May  27,  1855, 
when  three  or  four  years  old  he  went  with 
his  parents  to  a  new  home  at  Plainfield,  in 
Will  county,  Illinois,  and  tw^o  years  later 
came  to  Wesaw  township  in  this  county,  so 
that  he  has  been  a  Berrien  county  citizen 
over  forty  years.  After  a  residence  of  six 
years  in  Wesaw  the  family  moved  to  Galien 
township.  On  the  father's  death  about  1870 
the  family  broke  up,  and  the  son  Charles 
then  spent  about  five  years  in  Iowa  as  a 
w^age  earner.  On  his  return  to  the  county 
he  married  and  has  since  been  a  successful 
farmer,  his  present  farm  being  the  third  on 
which  he  has  lived.  He  built  a  good  barn 
and  has  made  many  other  improvements, 
fruit  being  easily  raised  on  his  land. 

Mr.  Vinton  has  been  a  lifelong  Repub- 
lican, and  is  affiliated  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at  Galien  and  the 
Masonic  lodge  at  Three  Oaks  and  the  K.  O. 
T.   M.  at  Galien. 

Mr.  Vinton  was  by  force  of  circum- 
stances compelled  to  take  up  the  serious  du- 
ties of  life  at  an  early  age.  His  father, 
Franklin  Vinton,  a  native  of  Vermont,  died 
when  Charles  w-as  fifteen,  and  the  death  of 


his  mother,  Olive  (Rareck),  when  he  was 
only  six  years  old  made  him  an  orphan  be- 
fore he  had  attained  the  maturity  essential 
to  a  life  of  activity.  But  fortune  favored 
him  in  the  person  of  a  kind  employer.  He 
never  fails  to  record  his  debt  of  gratitude 
to  H.  L.  Dobson,  for  whom  he  worked  three 
years  at  a  time  when  his  character  was  form- 
ing and  when  the  advice  and  kindly  consid- 
eration of  his  employer  made  a  lasting  im- 
pression. He  still  keeps  up  a  correspond- 
ence with  this  old  gentleman,  now  over 
ninety  years  of  age,  and  has  several  times 
visited  him  since  he  became  independent 
in  his  position  in  life.  Mr.  Vinton  was  the 
next  to  the  youngest  of  his  father's  nine 
children  by  the  first  wife,  and  there  was  one 
child  by  a  second  marriage. 

In  1879  Mr.  Vinton  married  Miss  Ella 
J.  Ingles,  who  was  born  in  Huron  county, 
Ohio,  and  when  young  came  to  Berrien 
county  with  her  parents,  Charles  H.  and 
Emily  Ingles.  Her  mother  is  deceased  but 
her  father  resides  at  the  Vinton  home.  One 
son,  Lloyd,  has  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Vinton.  He  is  a  resident  of  South  Bend, 
Indiana.  Mr.  Vinton  has  always  been  a 
busy  man  and  has  applied  himself  actively 
to  the  affairs  of  his  career,  but  several  years 
ago  made  an  extended  trip  to  the  Pacific 
coast  to  recover  his  health  and  recuperate 
himself  for  a  continued  activity. 

ALONZO  GOODENOUGH.  After 
four  years  of  eventful  and  severe  service 
in  the  war  of  the  rebellion  Mr.  Goodenough 
moved  west  from  his  native  home  in  New 
England  and  found  in  Berrien  county  the 
residence  which  has  continued  in  content- 
ment and  prosperity  for  the  subsequent  forty 
years.  Born  at  Guilford,  Windom  county, 
Vermont,  March  20,  1841,  spending  the  first 
fourteen  years  on  a  farm  and  then  learning 
the  blacksmith  trade  and  following  it  until 
twenty  years  old,  on  May  4,  1861,  he  en- 
listed for  service  in  the  Civil  war  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  A,  Second  Vermont  In- 
fantry, under  Colonel  Walbridge.  From  the 
first  Bull  Run  disaster  to  the  final  achieve- 
ment at  Appomattox  he  was  in  thirty-eight 
battles,  being  a  member  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,    Sixth   Army   Corps   under   Gen. 


774 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Sedgwick.  His  term  of  service  having  ex- 
pired, he  re-enHsted  in  the  same  command 
in  1864.  He  was  wounded  in  the  battle  at 
Fredericksburg  and  at  Cedar  Creek,  spend- 
ing two  months  in  the  hospital  the  first 
time  and  four  the  second  time,  refusing  to 
take  his  discharge  on  account  of  the  wounds. 
He  became  an  orderly  sergeant,  and  his  long 
and  faithful  service  is  a  treasure  of  honor 
)fiot  for  himself  alone  but  for  his  whole 
family. 

He  remained  only  a  brief  time  in  Ver- 
mont and  in  the  fall  of  1865  came  to  Ber- 
rien county,  and  has  lived  on  his  farm  in 
Galien  township  ever  since.  His  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-nine  acres  are  divided  into 
three  farms,  lying  in  sections  17  and  8,  and 
Mr.  Goodenough  cleared  practically  all  this 
land  and  placed  it  under  cultivation  and  up- 
to-date  improvements.  Grain,  stock,  dairy 
and  fruit  raising  are  the  features  of  his  farm- 
ing, and  he  has  also  followed  the  trade  of 
mason  to  some  extent. 

Politically  he  has  been  a  Republican  all 
his  life.  He  affiliates  with  the  Masonic 
lodge  No.  239  at  Three  Oaks,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber and  for  two  years  served  as  commander 
of  George  E.  Curtis  Post  No.  208,  G.  A.  R. 
at  Galien. 

The  Goodenoughs  are  of  English  de- 
scent, the  family  having  been  founded  in 
America  during  colonial  days.  Mr.  Good- 
enough's  father,  Gains  R.,  and  mother 
Eunice  (Worden),  were  natives  of  and  lived 
in  Vermont  all  their  lives.  The  father  was 
a  blacksmith  by  trade,  and  served  as  a  lieu- 
tenant in  the  state  militia.  He  was  a  leader 
in  Methodist  church  work,  and  a  member 
of  the  old  Whig  party  until  it  became  the 
Republican  organization.  His  four  children 
were:  Mary  Melvina  Haynes;  Arthur; 
Francis,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Twentieth 
Indiana  Infantry,  Company  E,  and  was  crip- 
pled for  life  at  Gettysburg;  and  Alonzo.  By 
a  second  marriage  the  father  had  two 
children. 

March  17,  1866  Mr.  Alonzo  Goodenough 
married  Miss  Margaret  Heckenthorn,  who 
was  born  in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  April  30, 
1845,  ^  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Mary 
Heckenthorn,  natives  respectively  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  Germany.     The  nine  children 


born  of  their  union  are  named  as  follows: 
Henry  Alonzo,  of  Galien  township;  Cassie 
Maria,  with  her  parents;  Charles  E.,  of 
Galien;  Jesse,  a  school  teacher  of  Benton 
Harbor;  Burton,  of  Three  Oaks;  Mary 
Minnie,  at  home;  Christopher,  of  Three 
Oaks;  Ralph,  at  home;  Hazel  Grace,  at 
home. 

FRANK  BREWER.  Mr.  Brewer  owns 
and  cultivates  a  farm  on  Garwood  lake  in 
section  12  of  Galien  township  which  was 
owned  in  the  pioneer  period  by  a  Mr.  Ly- 
brook,  a  member  of  that  sturdy  family  well 
known  to  the  early  history  of  all  this  region. 
Mr.  Brewer  himself  has  some  claim  to  be 
reckoned  among  old  settlers,  since  he  was 
born  in  Niles  April  i,  1856,  and  has  lived 
in  the  county  half  a  century.  A  few  months 
after  his  birth  his  parents  moved  to  a  farm 
three  miles  north  of  Niles,  five  years  later 
moved  to  Bertrand  township,  living  about 
Dayton  ten  or  twelve  years,  and  in  Galien 
township  since.  Mr.  Brewer  has  been  on 
his  present  farm  for  twenty  years,  owning 
one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  acres  of  pro- 
ductive land  which  has  been  improved  and 
made  valuable  largely  through  his  own  in- 
dustry, he  alone  having  cleared  thirty  acres 
of  heavy  timber.  Grain  and  stock  are  the 
principal  crops. 

A  Democrat  in  politics,  Mr.  Brewer  has 
been  nominated  to  a  number  of  minor  of- 
fices, though  his  party  has  never  been  suc- 
cessful in  securing  the  lead  in  this  part  of 
the  county.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  K.  O. 
T.  M.  at  Galien^  and  is  commander  of  the 
tent. 

Mr.  Brewer  was  a  son  of  William  and 
Elmira  (Allen)  Brewer,  both  father  and 
mother  having  been  married  a  previous  time. 
The  father  died  at  the  home  of  his  son 
Frank  aged  eighty-eight  years,  and  the 
mother  at  the  age  of  ninety-two.  Their  three 
children  were  William,  deceased,  Hattie, 
who  died  aged  nine  years,  and  Frank.  The 
father  had  four  children  by  his  first  mar- 
riage. 

In  1883  Mr.  Brewer  married  Miss 
Minerva  Salesbury,  who  was  born  in  Galien 
township  March  13,  1861,  a  daughter  of 
Horace  and   Rebecca    (Young)    Salesbury. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


775 


Her  parents  were  married  in  Ohio  and  came 
from  that  state  to  Berrien  county,  from 
which  her  father  enhsted  in  1861  for  service 
in  the  war  and  died  while  in  the  army.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Brewer  have  three  children,  Stan- 
ley Allen,  Verna,  now  Mrs.  Lewis  Kool,  and 
Howard,  at  home. 

ALVIN  MORLEY,  living  on  section  2, 
Wesaw  township,  was  born  in  Lake  town- 
ship, this  county,  on  the  22d  of  March,  1850. 
His  parents  were  Ebenezer  P.  and  Alzina 
(Lansing)  Morley,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  New  York  and  in  1847  they  became 
residents  of  Lake  township,  Berrien  county, 
casting  in  their  lot  wath  the  early  settlers 
who  aided  in  reclaiming  this  region  for  the 
purposes  of  civilization.  In  the  family  were 
ten  children,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this 
review  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth. 

Alvin  Morley  resided  upon  the  old  home- 
stead farm  of  his  father  in  Lake  township 
until  1866,  when  the  parents  removed  to 
New  Troy.  He  completed  his  education  in 
the  high  school  of  New  Troy  and  in  a  select 
school  at  New  Carlisle,  Indiana,  where  he  re- 
mained as  a  student  for  two  years.  He  then 
began  teaching  in  the  winter  seasons  and 
worked  on  the  farm  in  the  summer  months 
and  thus  he  made  his  start  in  the  business 
world.  In  1877  he  went  to  the  Black  Hills 
and  the  Big  Horn  country  of  the  north- 
west, spending  three  years  in  that  section 
of  the  country  engaged  in  prospecting  most 
of  the  time.  He  then  returned  to  Michigan 
and  purchased  the  old  homestead  in  Lake 
township,  since  which  time  he  has  owned 
and  operated  this  farm.  It  comprises  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  on  section 
35  and  he  resided  there  for  ten  years,  when 
in  1889  h^  purchased  his  present  home  place. 
Here  he  has  seventy-three  acres  of  land 
which  is  just  across  the  road  from  his  other 
tract,  on  section  2,  Wesaw  township.  It  is 
called  the  Fairview  Farm  and  is  well  named. 
Stock  raising  is  the  principal  feature  of  the 
farm  work  and  the  place  is  well  improved, 
having  many  fine  buildings  upon  it  together 
with  the  latest  improved  machinery  and 
other  evidences  of  the  progressive  and  enter- 
prising spirit  of  the  owner.  Mr.  Morley  de- 
votes his  entire  time  and  attention  to  the 


further  cultivation  and  improvement  of  these 
two  farms  and  is  justly  accounted  one  of 
the  leading  agriculturists  of  his  part  of  the 
county. 

Mr.  Morley  has  been  married  twice.  In 
1882  he  wedded  Miss  Emma  J.  Harper,  a 
native  of  Crown  Point,  Indiana,  and  a 
daughter  of  B.  D.  Harper,  a  printer  and 
newspaper  man,  now  deceased.  There  were 
three  children  by  the  first  marriage:  Etha 
O.,  now  the  wife  of  Henry  Wolkins,  of 
Wesaw  township;  Winifred  C,  a  stenog- 
rapher of  Elkhart,  Indiana;  and  Bernice  L, 
who  resides  at  home  and  attends  school.  In 
1892  Mr.  Morley  was  again  married,  his 
second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Ella  M. 
Phillips  Riley,  a  native  of  New  York,  by 
whom  he  had  one  son.  Homer  P.  Mr.  Mor- 
ley lost  his  second  wife  on  the  4th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1905,  as  the  result  of  burns  which  she 
sustained  on  the  4th  of  July  previous. 

In  his  religious  faith  Mr.  Morley  is  a 
Spiritualist.  Politically  he  is  a  Democrat 
and  was  elected  the  first  superintendent  of 
schools  of  Wesaw  township  when  the  law 
was  changed  and  the  township  system  in- 
augurated. He  has  held  various  official 
positions  in  connection  with  the  schools  and 
has  done  much  to  advance  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation. He  collected  the  interest  on  the  first 
railroad  bond  of  Lake  township  and  has  al- ' 
ways  taken  an  active  part  in  furthering  the 
work  of  public  progress  and  improvement. 
He  has  been  a  devoted  member  of  the  Odd 
Fellows  society  since  1873,  belonging  to  the 
lodge  at  Glendora,  and  he  also  belongs  to 
Wesaw  lodge,  K.  O.  T.  M.  He  was  master 
and  secretary  of  the  Grange  for  a  number 
of  years  and  his  interest  covers  many  public 
works  and  plans  that  are  of  direct  benefit  to 
the  entire  community.  He  and  the  other 
members  of  the  Morley  family  are  success- 
ful agriculturists  and  have  thoroughly 
modern  farms  equipped  with  all  of  the  im- 
provements known  to  the  twentieth  century. 

FRED  A.  TICHENOR,  successfully  en- 
gaged in  farming  on  section  7,  Niles  town- 
ship, was  born  upon  the  farm  where  he  now 
resides,  May  5,  1867.  His  father,  George 
Tichenor,  was  a  native  of  Cass  county,  Mich- 
igan,  and   a   son  of  Joseph  M.   Tichenor, 


;776 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


ivhose  birth  occurred  in  New  Jersey.  The 
latter  came  to  Michigan  during  the  pioneer 
epoch  in  the  history  of  this  state  and  lo- 
cated in  Jefferson  township,  Cass  county, 
where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  and  when 
called  to  his  final  rest  his  grave  was  made  in 
the  Edwardsburg  cemetery. 

Upon  the  home  farm  in  Jefferson  town- 
ship, Cass  county,  George  Tichenor  was 
reared,  while  his  education  was  acquired  in 
the  public  schools  nearby.  He  was  married, 
however,  in  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  and 
located  upon  the  farm  which  is  now  the  home 
of  our  subject.  Here  he  lived  to  the  age  of 
forty-five  years,  when  his  life's  labors  were 
ended  in  death.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Anna  Blake,  was  a  native 
of  Indiana,  and  resides  in  Michigan  but  her 
people  were  early  settlers  of  Berrien  county. 
Her  home  is  now  in  Buchanan,  and  by  her 
marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  five  sons 
and  two  daughters.  The  eldest  died  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  years  but  the  others  are  still 
living. 

Fred  A.  Tichenor,  the  third  child  and 
second  son  of  the  family,  was  reared  in  Niles 
township  and  to  the  district  schools  is  in- 
debted for  the  educational  privileges  he  en- 
joyed. Later  he  was  a  student  in  the  high 
school  at  Buchanan.  He  remained  at  home 
until  his  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  in 
1893,  Miss  Martha  M.  Wells  becoming  his 
wife.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Francis  and 
Rachel  (Herkimer)  Wells,  who  were  early 
settlers  of  Bertrand  township,  Berrien  coun- 
ty. Mrs.  Tichenor  was  born  and  reared  in 
Bertrand  township  and  has  continuously  re- 
mained a  resident  of  this  county,  where  she 
has  many  warm  friends.  The  young  couple 
began  their  domestic  life  upon  the  farm 
where  they  now  reside  and  here  Mr.  Tiche- 
nor has  always  carried  on  general  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  placing  his  land  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  He  has  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  constituting  a  well  improved 
farm.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  the  growth  and  suc- 
cess of  the  principles  in  which  he  believes. 
He  has  served  as  township  clerk,  as  township 
treasurer  and  as  supervisor,  filling  the  last 
mentioned  ofiice  for  five  years  and  twice 
elected  chairman  of  the  board  of  supervisors. 


He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity at  Buchanan.  He  likewise  belongs 
to  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Buchanan  and 
is  well  known  and  active  in  the  interests 
of  the  denomination.  All  things  pertaining 
to  the  good  of  the  community  receive  his 
endorsement  and  his  labors  have  been  of 
direct  benefit  to  many  measures  for  the  pub- 
lic good. 

IRVING  R.  PEARL,  deceased,  who 
was  spoken  of  as  *^one  of  the  bravest  men 
that  ever  lived  in  Berrien  county,"  was 
moreover  one  of  the  best  liked.  It  would 
be  difficult  to  find  a  man  personally  more 
popular  than  was  Irving  R.  Pearl.  He  rep- 
resented one  of  the  oldest  and  most  promi- 
nent families  of  the  county,  a  family  that 
has  always  stood  for  good  citizenship,  for 
progress,  improvement  and  as  champions  of 
matters  of  civic  pride,  and  at  all  times  Irving 
R.  Pearl  was  true  to  the  traditions  and  prin- 
ciples of  his  fathers  and  represented  in  his 
life  those  commendable  qualities  which  in 
every  land  and  clime  command  honor  and 
respect.  He  was  not  yet  forty  years  of  age  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  Octo- 
ber 29,  1905,  while  the  date  of  his  birth  was 
May  20,  1866.  He  first  opened  his  eyes  to 
the  light  of  day  on  the  old  Pearl  homestead 
in  Benton  township  and  was  a  son  of  War- 
ren H.  Pearl,  an  honored  pioneer  settler  of 
the  county.  He  is  survived  by  two  sisters, 
Mrs.  Fanny  Van  Namee  and  Mrs.  Nancy 
Ely,  and  a  brother,  James  W.  His  boyhood 
days  were  spent  in  the  usual  manner  of  farm 
lads  and  the  public  schools  afforded  him  his 
educational  privileges.  In  early  manhood  he 
engaged  in  farming  for  about  ten  years  and 
then  became  a  general  contractor,  largely 
giving  his  attention  to  sewer  building  in 
Benton  Harbor,  St.  Joseph,  Fremont  and 
South  Haven.  In  all  of  his  work  he  was 
most  faithful,  fully  living  up  to  the  terms 
of  a  contract  and  he  therefore  enjoyed  an 
excellent  patronage. 

On  the  15th  of  March,  1888,  Mr.  Pearl 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nettie  Ken- 
nedy, a  daughter  of  Mrs.  Ann  Kennedy,  of 
Benton  Harbor,  where  she  has  lived  for 
twenty-five  years,  there  rearing  her  six  chil- 
dren.    She  still  resides  in  that  city  at  the 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


777 


age  of  seventy-two  years  and  is  a  consistent 
and  devoted  member  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Her  daughter,  Nettie,  was  a  high 
school  student  and  also  studied  in  Dr.  Edge- 
comb's  school.  She  engaged  in  teaching  for 
two  years  prior  to-  her  marriage.  By  this 
union  there  were  born  four  children :  Eva 
M.,  who  in  her  seventeenth  year  is  a  high 
school  student;  Warren  H.,  fifteen  years  of 
age;  Beatrice  Aileen,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  three  months;  and  Phineas  G.,  five  years 
of  age.  The  two  sons,  Warren  H.  and 
Phineas  G.  Pearl,  are  the  only  male  de- 
scendants of  Warren  H.  Pearl,  who  had  six 
children. 

At  the  time  of  his  death  Mr.  Pearl  was 
serving  as  under  sheriff  in  Benton  county 
and  he  made  a  splendid  record  as  an  officer. 
When  Fred  B.  Collins  was  elected  sheriff  of 
the  county  in  1900,  Mr.  Pearl  was  chosen 
as  deputy  and  at  once  became  one  of  the 
best  men  on  the  sheriff's  staff  and  some  of 
the  hardest  assignments  were  given  him.  He 
knew  not  the  meaning  of  the  word  fear  and 
yet  he  never  courted  danger  tO'  the  extent 
of  foolhardiness.  In  the  performance  of 
duty,  how^ever,  there  was  no  thought  of 
shielding  himself  and  he  discharged  the  task 
assigned  him  without  fear  or  favor.  One  of 
the  notable  pieces  of  work  which  he  did  in 
connection  with  his  office  was  that  of  locat- 
ing a  house  full  of  stolen  plunder  well  re- 
membered by  Benton  Harbor's  citizens.  At 
the  time  that  Mr.  Collins  w^as  again  a  candi- 
date for  office  Mr.  Pearl  became  manager 
of  the  sheriff's  election  bureau  and  the  thor- 
ough manner  in  which  he  conducted  the 
campaign  marked  him  as  one  of  the  ablest 
political  managers  in  this  part  of  the  state. 
He  was  again  manager  of  the  Tennant  cam- 
paign in  the  fall  of  1904.  While  acting  as 
deputy  sheriff  he  also  continued  his  work  as 
contractor  and  much  of  the  public  work  of 
Benton  Harbor  has  been  done  under  con- 
tracts which  were  awarded  to  Mr.  Pearl.  A 
local  paper  said  in  this  connection :  ''Every 
official  about  the  city  hall,  every  member  of 
the  council,  every  person  who  had  anything 
to  do  with  him  as  a  contractor,  all  say  that 
when  Irv  Pearl,  as  he  was  affectionately 
known,  secured  a  contract  that  bond  was  not 
necessary.    His  word  was  always  as  good  as 


a  bond  and  it  was  always  his  supreme  effort 
to  do  the  work  entrusted  to  him  in  a  most 
thorough  and  acceptable  manner." 

Mr.  Pearl  voted  with  the  Democratic 
party,  and  while  firm  in  his  beliefs  he  was 
never  bitterly  aggressive.  In  matters  of 
citizenship  he  ever  took  a  foremost  place 
among  those  who  labored  for  the  general 
good.  He  was  a  valued  representative  of 
various  fraternal  organizations  and  attained 
high  rank  in  Masonry,  taking  the  thirty- 
second  degree  in  Dewitt  Clinton  Consistory, 
S.  R.  R.  S.  He  also  became  a  Knight 
Templar  and  was  a  member  of  Saladin  Tem- 
ple of  the  Mystic  Shrine  at  Grand  Rapids. 
He  belonged  to  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge,  of 
which  he  was  a  past  noble  grand,  and  he  was 
also  connected  with  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks,  the  Knights  of  Pyth- 
ias, the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and 
the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles.  In  social 
gatherings  he  was  always  most  cordially 
welcomed  because  of  a  genial,  kindly  nature. 
He  always  attended  the  annual  Pearl  din- 
ner. The  Pearl  family  is  one  of  the  oldest 
and  largest  in  the  county  and  every  New 
Year's  day  its  members  hold  an  annual  re- 
union and  dinner  at  the  home  of  Major 
Pearl,  now  over  ninety  years  of  age.  On 
these  occasions  Irving  Pearl  was  always 
present  and  his  geniality,  good  humor  and 
wit  added  much  to  the  pleasure  of  that  oc- 
casion. 

Death  came  to  Mr.  Pearl  after  an  illness 
of  about  three  months  and  during  one-half 
of  that  time  it  was  known  that  the  end  was 
near.  Mr.  Pearl  himself  recognized  the  fact 
and  calling  his  wife  and  children  about  him 
he  told  them  there  was  no  hope  for  him  and 
endeavored  to  cheer  them  with  words  of 
counsel  and  encouragement  for  the  days 
when  he  would  not  be  here.  The  funeral 
services  w^ere  held  on  the  ist  day  of  Novem- 
ber under  the  auspices  of  the  Masonic  lodge 
and  the  remains  lay  in  state  in  the  Masonic 
Temple  on  the  morning  of  the  day  on  which 
the  interment  was  made  in  Pearl  cemetery — 
a  burying  ground  which  was  platted  many 
years  ago  by  the  grandfather  of  Irving  R. 
Pearl.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Knights 
Templar,  Walter  Banyon,  paying  tribute  to 
the  worth  and  memory  of  Irving  Randall 


77S 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Pearl,  said:  "While  we  have  been  bending 
our  ear  Hstening  to  the  music  of  applause 
it  seemed  as  if  there  was  a  chord  we  missedl 
in  the  music;  that  some  one's  voice  was 
away.  The  Book  of  Books  says,  'It  is  bet- 
ter to  go  to  the  house  of  mourning  than  to 
the  house  of  feasting;  sorrow  is  better  than 
laughter,  for  by  the  sadness  of  the  coun- 
tenance the  heart  is  made  better.'  And  so 
having  in  mind  these  words,  we  would  be 
recreant  in  our  duty  as  a  Knight  Templar 
if  we  did  not  here  pause  to  drop  a  tear  with 
little  Thineas'  and  *Uncle  Jim'  over  the 
memory  of  our  departed  brother,  Irving  R. 
Pearl.  O,  brothers,  what  an  heroic  fight  he 
made.  The  half  can  never  be  told.  In  the 
full  splendor  of  a  vigorous  manhood,  when 
his  hopes  were  the  highest  and  his  heart 
full  of  the  joy  of  service  and  loving  kind- 
ness for  all  mankind,  he  was  summoned  by 
the  pallid  messenger  with  the  inverted  torch 
to  cross  into  the  undiscovered  country.  And 
he  did  so  fearlessly.  Overcome  by  the  in- 
sidious attacks  of  an  irresistible  foeman,  he 
went  down  waving  hope  and  encouragement 
to  his  loved  ones,  'retreating  with  all  the 
aspects  of  a  victor.'  It  is  easy  to  die  in  some 
heroic  cause  while  the  world  looks  on  and 
applauds;  but  it  is  heroically  pathetic  for  a 
strong  man  to  go  down  into  'the  valley  of 
the  shadow  of  death,'  overcome  by  the  fatal 
clutch  of  a  poisonous  fever,  when  he  would 
willingly  have  died  fighting  his  country's 
wars.  But  wnth  more  than  a  hero's  courage, 
with  more  than  a  martyr's  fortitu'dle,  he 
awaited  the  approach  of  the  inevitable  mo- 
ment and  went  to  the  undiscovered  country. 
"And  what  shall  we  say  to-  comfort 
'Uncle  Jim,'  who  sustained  and  soothed  his 
brother  with  all  the  love  of  a  Jonathan  for  a 
David  and  the  sacrifices  of  a  Damon  for 
his  friend  Pythias?  Shall  we  point  him  to 
the  hope  of  a  glorious  immortality,  and  thus 
seemingly  hand  him  the  shadow  for  the  sub- 
stance? Did  you  ever  have  a  brother  who 
would  go  barefoot  that  you  might  be  shod; 
who  would  cover  you  with  his  coat  though 
he  himself  were  in  need  of  covering;  who 
though  famished  would  not  eat  until  you 
had  appeased  your  hunger ;  who  would  fight 
your  fights,  permit  you  to  share  in  his  joys, 
but  would  not  wound  or  distress  you  by  dis- 


closing his  sorrows?  Such  a  brother  was 
Jim  to  Irv,  and  such  he  is  to  you  and  I  as 
friends  and  brother  Masons.  Sir  Knights, 
I  believe  I  am  a  better  man  and  a  better 
Mason  for  having  witnessed  the  scene  which 
separated  on  'this  bank  and  shoal'  of  time, 
two  of  the  bravest,  squarest  and  heart-kind 
brothers  the  world  ever  knit  together  with 
adversity."  Mr.  Pearl  possessed  a  fund  of 
good  nature  and  humor  which  made  him 
popular  in  all  places  and  under  all  circum- 
stances and  added  to  this  there  was  a  depth 
of  character  and  strong  purpose  which  made 
him  a  man  among  men.  Loyal  in  his  citi- 
zenship and  holding  friendship  inviolable, 
his  best  traits  of  character  nevertheless  were 
reserved  for  his  home  and  fireside. 

CHARLES  A.  CLARK,  senior  member 
in  the  well  known  firm  of  G.  A.  Blakeslee 
&  Company  at  Galien,  was  born  in  Geauga 
county,  Ohio,  August  23,  1849,  and  has  lived 
in  Berrien  county  since  he  was  thirteen  years 
old.  His  first  twenty  years  were  spent  on 
a  farm,  with  attendance  at  the  schools  in 
Galien,  completing  at  the  high  school.  For 
several  years  after  his  majority  he  was  a 
school  teacher,  first  in  a  district  school,  then 
a  year  at  Dayton,  and  a  year  at  the  industrial 
training  school  at  Lansing.  Following  his 
marriage  in  1874  he  began  the  manufacture 
of  broom  handles  at  Galien,  Joseph  Carl  be- 
ing his  partner. 

In  1876  Mr.  Clark  became  a  clerk  in  the 
general  merchandise  business  of  the  late  G. 
A.  Blakeslee.  In  five  years  he  had  proved 
his  value  as  a  business  man  and  was  a  part- 
ner in  the  firm  of  G.  A.  Blakeslee  &  Com- 
pany, a  name  which  has  been  retained  dur- 
ing all  subsequent  years,  though  E.  A, 
Blakeslee  succeeded  his  father  on  the  latter's 
death  in  1890.  This  is  one  of  the  largest 
general  merchandise  establishments  in  Ber- 
rien county,  and  besides  the  regular  stock 
of  such  a  concern  the  partners  have  dealt 
in  coal  thirty  years,  also  salt  and  lumber, 
and  have  conducted  a  private  bank  since 
1882. 

In  public  afifairs  Mr.  Clark  is  known  as  a 
thoroughgoing  Republican,  served  eleven 
years  as  village  clerk  and  four  years  as  vil- 
lage  president,   as  township  treasurer  two 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


779 


years,  member  of  the  school  board  about 
thirty  years,  is  now  on  his  sixth  consecutive 
term  as  supervisor,  being  chairman  of  the 
board  one  year.  He  is  chairman  of  the  Re- 
pubUcan  county  committee,  and  several  times 
has  been  delegate  to  state  conventions.  Mr. 
Clark  is  a  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  K.  O. 
T.  M.  at  Galien.  Besides  his  business  affairs 
he  owns  and  conducts  a  farm  of  eighty  acres, 
devoted  to  grapes  and  general  crops.  He 
has  been  a  notary  public  and  in  the  fire  in- 
surance businCvSS  thirty  years,  and  has  acted 
as  administrator  and  guardian  of  many  es- 
tates. 

Mr.  Clark  has  worthy  ancestors  on  both 
sides.  He  is  a  son  of  respected  parents,  Al- 
bert and  Eliza  (How^ell)  Clark,  who  came 
to  Berrien  county  in  1863  and  lived  here 
till  death.  His  father  was  born  in  Massa- 
chusetts, and  when  a  child  accompanied  the 
family  to  Ohio  where  they  were  among  the 
original  settlers  of  Geauga  county.  Both 
of  Mr.  Clark's  grandfathers^  Abner  Clark 
and  John  Howell,  respectively,  were  first 
settlers  in  Ohio  and  took  up  virgin  land  on 
which  to  make  their  homes.  The  most  re- 
mote American  ancestor  was  William  Clark, 
who  came  from  England  in  161 7  and  landed 
at  Dorchester,  Mass.,  later  moving  to  North- 
ampton in  the  same  state.  The  Howells 
were  also  of  English  descent.  Albert  Clark, 
who  was  a  lifelong  farmer,  died  in  Berrien 
county  in  1894,  in  his  eighty-fourth  year, 
while  his  wife  passed  away  in  1890,  aged 
seventy-one.  Charles  A.,  was  the  second  of 
the  four  children,  the  eldest  being  Emily  S., 
who  died  in  1880,  and  two  brothers,  Everett 
S.  and  Albert  E.,  both  deceased,  the  latter 
in  1897. 

In  1874  Mr.  Clark  married  Miss  Lydia 
Blakeslee,  who  was  born  at  Batavia,  Illinois, 
^^^  1853,  and  came  to  Berrien  county  with 
her  parents,  George  A.  and  Lydia  (Alcott) 
Blakeslee.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark's  three  chil- 
dren are,  Stanley  A.,  who  is  a  physician  at 
South  Bend;  Leslie  B.,  in  school  at  Ann 
Arbor;  and  Winnie  G.,  in  school  at  home. 

THEO  N.  STAFFORD,  M.  D,,  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  at 
New  Troy,  with  a  business  that  is  indicative 
of  his  thorough  understanding  of  the  prin- 


ciples of  his  profession  and  his  correctness 
in  their  adaptation,  was  born  on  a  farm  near 
Adrian,  Michigan,  March  22,  1872.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  Nicholas  Stafford,  w^as 
a  native  of  England  and  came  to  Michigan 
in  early  manhood,  making  the  trip  alone. 
He  settled  near  Adrian  and  took  up  land 
from  the  government,  on  which  not  a  fur- 
row had  been  turned  or  an  improvement 
made.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  Mc- 
Graw,  a  native  of  England,  who  came  to 
Michigan  with  the  Rev.  Lester,  D.  D. 
They  w^ere  worthy  pioneer  residents  of  this 
part  of  the  state  and  aided  in  reclaiming  a 
wild  region  for  the  purpose  of  civilization. 
Their  son,  John  W.  Stafford,  was  born  near 
Adrian,  wdiere  he  yet  resides  and,  having  ar- 
rived at  years  of  maturity,  he  wedded  Miss 
Edith  McCourtie,  whose  birth  occured  at 
Woodstock,  Michigan.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  Thomas  McCourtie,  a  pioneer  farmer 
who  came  from  New  York  to  this  state. 
He  was  of  Scotch  lineage  and  was  married 
to  Katharine  Doty.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
John  W.  Stafford  are  still  living,  their  home 
being  upon  a  farm  near  Adrian,  where  he 
has  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  rich  and 
valuable  land.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of 
the  wealthy  farmers  of  his  community  and 
is  also  a  successful  dealer  in  real  estate. 
In  his  political  affiliations  he  is  a  Democrat 
and  has  held  township  and  county  offices  for 
many  terms.  All  of  the  duties  devolving 
upon  him  are  promptly  and  faithfully  dis- 
charged and  his  worth  as  a  citizen  is  widely 
acknowledged.  He  is  now  fifty-eight  years 
of  age  while  his  wife  is  fifty-seven  years 
of  age.  In  their  family  are  four  children : 
Anne  E.,  at  home;  Theo  N.,  of  this  review; 
Ernest  B.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  dentistry  at  Adrian,  Michigan;  and  Leo 
J.,  at  home. 

Upon  the  old  home  farm  Dr.  Stafford 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  re- 
siding there  until  1898,  when  he  removed 
to  Berrien  county.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Adrian  high  school  of  the  class  of  1891,  and 
engaged  in  teaching  for  three  or  four  years. 
Having,  however,  determined  to  engage  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  as  a  life  work,  he 
entered  the  Detroit  Medical  College,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  on  the  completion 


78o 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


of  the  regular  course  in  the  class  of  1897. 
He  has  practiced  at  New  Troy  since  1898. 
His  youth  was  devoted  to  farm  labor  in  the 
summer  months  and  to  the  acquirement  of 
an  education  in  the  winter  seasons,  but  think- 
ing that  he  would  find  professional  life 
more  congenial  than  agricultural  pursuits  he 
prepared  for  the  calling  to  which  he  is  now 
devoting  his  energies  and  in  which  he  is 
meeting  wnth  excellent  success.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Berrien  County  Medical  So- 
ciety and  has  a  large  and  growing  patronage. 
Fraternally  he  is  also  connected  with  several 
organizations,  including  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at  Bridgman,  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees  at  New  Troy  and 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  at  Bridg- 
man,  while  politically  he  is  a  Democrat. 

Dr.  Stafford  was  married  in  Detroit  in 
1898  to  Miss  Hattie  Sieck,  who  was  born  in 
that  city  October  21,  1872,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  August  and  Minnie  Sieck.  The  Doctor 
and  his  wife  have  a  wide  and  favorable  ac- 
quaintance in  New  Troy,  the  hospitality  of 
many  of  the  best  homes  being  cordially  ex- 
tended them,  while  in  his  professional  carreer 
Dr.  Stafford  has  won  a  place  among  the 
foremost  representatives  of  the  medical  fra- 
ternity in  Berrien  county. 

FREDERICK  W.  HOWE,  a  prominent 
farmer  residing  on  section  12,  Bertrand 
township,  is  a  native  son  of  this  township, 
born  October  24,  1862.  His  father,  Charles 
F.  Howe,  was  born  in  New  York,  and  was 
only  three  years  of  age  when  brought  to 
Berrien  county  by  his  parents,  Frederick  and 
Polly  (Bliss)  Howe.  For  many  years  he 
w^as  a  resident  of  Bertrand  township,  living 
for  a  long  period  on  the  farm  which  is  now 
the  home  of  our  subject.  He  married  Lucy 
Crowfoot,  also  a  native  of  New  York,  and 
they  are  now  living  in  Buchanan,  Mr.  Howe 
having  retired  from  active  business  life. 

Frederick  W.  Howe,  the  second  son  and 
second  child  in  their  family  of  two  daugh- 
ters and  three  sons,  was  reared  under  the 
parental  roof,  becoming  familiar  with  all 
the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of 
the  agriculturist.  At  the  usual  age  he  entered 
the  district  schools  and  later  was  a  student 
in  Union  school  in  the  village  of  Buchanan, 


while  subsequently  he  pursued  his  studies  in 
the  Northern  Indiana  Normal  College,  at 
Valparaiso.  His  education  completed,  he  put 
aside  his  text-books  and  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  farming,  w^hich  he  has  made  his  life 
work.  He  located  on  a  farm  on  section  2, 
Bertrand  township,  known  as  the  old  Francis 
W.  Howe  farm.  It  comprised  sixty  acres, 
which  he  purchased  and  on  which  he  lived 
for  twelve  years,  when  he  sold  that  property 
and  located  on  the  farm  which  is  now  his 
home.  Here  he  built  a  good  residence  and 
substantial  barns  in  1903.  He  has  eighty 
acres  of  land  which  he  devotes  to  general 
farming.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  the  rais- 
ing of  potatoes,  planting  from  ten  to  fifteen 
acres  of  that  vegetable  each  year.  His  well 
improved  place  is  indicative  of  the  careful 
supervision  of  a  practical  and  progressive 
owner. 

In  1889  Mr.  Howe  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Jennie  E.  Harding,  a  daugh- 
ter of  F.  R.  and  Martha  G.  Harding.  She 
was  born  in  Niles  township,  this  county,  and 
by  her  marriage  has  become  the  mother  of 
four  children,  Charles  F.,  Marjorie  G., 
Frederick  H.  and  Jennie  May,  all  of  whom 
are  still  under  the  parental  roof.  Mr.  Howe 
votes  with  the  Democracy  and  is  actively  in- 
terested in  local  affairs,  political  and  other- 
wise. In  1905  he  was  elected  township  treas- 
urer and  for  several  years  prior  thereto  was 
township  clerk.  His  of^cial  service,  his  busi- 
ness career  and  his  private  life  all  commend 
him  to  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his 
fellow  citizens,  and  his  residence  here,  cov- 
ering a  period  of  forty-four  years,  has  made 
him  widely  known.  He  represents  a  promi- 
nent and  honored  pioneer  family  and  his 
lines  of  life  have  been  cast  in  harmony  with 
the  record  that  has  always  been  borne  by 
those  of  the  name  in  Berrien  county. 

GEORGE  P.  PULLEN  is  a  well  known 
fruit  farmer,  whose  orchards  constitute  one 
of  the  attractive  features  of  the  landscape 
in  Oronoko  township.  His  place  is  located 
on  section  3  and  he  seldom  fails  to  raise  good 
crops.  It  is  only  when  nature  in  adverse 
mood  counteracts  his  labors  that  he  does  not 
secure  a  large  harvest  of  peaches  and  other 
fruits,    for  he  buys  only  the  best  nursery 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


781 


stock  and  is  thoroughly  famihar  with  the 
best  methods  of  caring  for  his  trees,  being 
justly  accounted  one  of  the  leading  horticul- 
turists of  his  community. 

A  native  of  the  far-off  state  of  Maine, 
Mr.  Pullen  was  born  in  Franklin  county, 
February  22^  1847.  His  father,  Charles  B. 
Pullen,  was  likewise  born  in  the  Pine  Tree 
state  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He 
removed  from  Franklin  county  to  Kennebec 
county,  Maine,  and  in  1862  left  the  east, 
making  his  way  to  Berrien  county,  Michi- 
gan, at  wdiich  time  he  took  up  his  abode  upon 
the  farm  where  his  son  George  now  resides. 
Here  he  carried  on  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  his  later  years  and  he  passed  away 
at  the  advanced  age  of  four  score  years. 
While  in  Maine  he  held  various  offices  and 
was  a  very  public-spirited  man  whose  co- 
operation could  be  counted  upon  to  further 
movements  for  the  general  good.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Orenza 
Spaulding,  was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  and 
spent  her  last  days  in  Oronoko  township, 
where  she  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-four 
years.  In  the  family  were  five  children  who 
reached  adult  age. 

George  P.  Pullen  was  the  fourth  member 
of  the  family  and  the  second  son.  He  was 
reared  in  Maine  to  the  age  of  sixteen  years, 
and  with  his  parents  came  to  Berrien  coun- 
ty, Michigan,  in  1862.  Here  he  has  resided 
continuously  since  and  has  so  lived  as  to  win 
the  respect  and  good  will  of  his  fellow  towns- 
men, while  with  a  constantly  enlarging  ac- 
quaintance his  circle  of  friends  also  propor- 
tionately increases.  In  1867  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Hannah  Sylvester,  who  died, 
leaving  five  children:  Walter  S.,  now  liv- 
ing in  Allegan,  Michigan;  Dora  E.,  the  wife 
of  George  H.  Paris,  living  in  Honolulu, 
Hawaii  Islands;  Emma,  the  Avidow  of  M. 
Wollam;  and  George  P.,  who  is  on  the  farm 
with  his  father.  After  losing  his  first  wife 
Mr.  Pullen  wedded  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Ross,  the 
widow  of  Ira  Ross,  and  a  daughter  of  David 
H.  and  Elizabeth  (Gregg)  Fogle.  Mrs. 
Pullen  was  born  in  Lancaster  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  was  but  a  young  girl  when  her 
parents  removed  to  Ohio,  whence  they  came 
to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  in  1863,  set- 


tling in  Royalton  township..  The  home  farm 
of  our  subject  and  his  wife  comprises  one 
hundred  and  eight  acres  of  land,  upon  wdiich 
his  father  located  many  years  ago  and  he 
also  has  a  small  fruit  farm  in  St.  Joseph 
township  near  the  city  of  St.  Joseph  on 
Highland  Park  avenue.  He  has  lived  for 
forty-four  years  in  Berrien  county  and  dur- 
ing the  greater  part  of  this  period  has  been 
connected  with  agricultural  and  horticultural 
interests  and  since  carrying  on  business  on 
his  own  account  he  has  made  steady  and 
consecutive  progress  toward  the  goal  of  pros- 
perity. His  political  allegiance  has  been 
given  to  the  Republican  party  since  1896. 
He  is  a  man  of  firm  convictions  and  always 
stanchly  upholds  a  course  that  he  believes  to 
be  right. 

CHARLES  M.  KING,  residing  on  sec- 
tion 20,  Berrien  township,  his  time  and  ener- 
gies being  devoted  to  the  improvement  of  his 
farm  there,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Leslie, 
Ingham  county,  Michigan,  iVpril  4,  1858, 
and  comes  of  English  ancestry.  The  fam- 
ily was  founded  in  America  at  an  early 
period  in  the  history  of  the  new  world  and 
from  pioneer  times  the  name  of  King  has 
figured  in  connection  with  the  annals  of 
Michigan.  The  grandfather,  Rev.  Job  King, 
was  a  minister  of  the  Baptist  church  for 
many  years  and  was  engaged  in  preaching 
at  Miliburg  in  Berrien  county  at  the  time 
of  his  death  in  the  '80s.  He  was  a  man  of 
much  influence  in  the  church  and  a  life  of 
consecrated  zeal  and  devotion  to  the  cause 
made  his  labors  most  effective  in  advancing 
the  moral  development  of  the  communities 
with  which  he  was  connected.  His  son,  Fred 
F.  King,  was  born  in  New  York,  and  be- 
came a  resident  of  Michigan  in  early  life. 
Taking  up  his  abode  in  Pipestone  township, 
Berrien  county,  he  there  engaged  in  farm- 
ing for  three  years  and  also  devoted  a  sim- 
ilar period  to  the  operation  of  a  saw  mill  in 
that  township.  He  then  sold  out  and  re- 
moved to  Sodus  township,  where  he  carried 
on  general  farming  for  thirty  years,  harvest- 
ing good  crops  and  transforming  his  land 
into  productive  fields.  He  took  an  active  part 
in  public  affairs  and  his  devotion  to  the  gen- 


782 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


€ral  good  was  manifest  in  the  able  manner 
in  which  he  discharged  the  various  official 
duties  that  devolved  upon  him.     He  served 
for  thirteen  years  as  supervisor  and  was  also 
trustee  and  treasurer  of  the  township   for 
several  years  and  likewise  filled  other  posi- 
tions.    While  he  is  not  at  the  present  time 
so  actively  connected  with  public  life  as  in 
former  years,  he  is  still  a  respected  resident 
of  Berrien  county  and  has  passed  the  seventy- 
sixth  milestone  on  life's  journey.     He  mar- 
ried Susan  Freeman,  who  was  born  in  Ohio 
and   is  also   living.     In  their   family  were 
eleven  children^  nine  of  whom  yet  survive. 
C.  M.  King,  the  second  child  and  sec- 
ond son  of  the  family,  was  taken  by  his  par- 
ents to  Ohio  when  about  two  years  of  age 
and  remained  there  until  five  years  old.    The 
family  then  returned  to  Berrien  county,  lo- 
cating in  Pipestone  township  and  after  six 
years  removed  to  Sodus  township.     He  be- 
gan his  education  in  the  district  schools  of 
the  former  and  continued  his  studies  in  the 
public  schools  of  the  latter  township,  where 
he    pursued    his    studies    until    he  reached 
the    age    of    twenty-one    years.     He  then 
went    to    Valparaiso,     Indiana,     where    he 
completed  the  teacher's  course  in  the  North- 
ern Indiana  Normal  School,  subsequent  to 
which  time  he  engaged  successfully  in  teach- 
ing for  about  fifteen  years  in  Berrien  county. 
He  was  for  three  years  at  Stevensville  in 
Lincoln  township,  for  two  years  had  charge 
of  the  South  Lincoln  school,  for  six  years 
was  a  teacher  in  Oronoko  township  and  for 
four  years  in  Sodus  township.    An  able  edu- 
cator  he   imparted   clearly   and    readily   to 
others  the  knowledge  that  he  had  acquired 
and  became  classed  with  the  leading  repre- 
sentatives of  public  instruction  in  Berrien 
county.     At  length  abandoning  the  work  of 
the  schoolroom  he  took  up  farming  in  Sodus 
township  and  in  1900  purchased  a  tract  of 
land  on  section  19,  Berrien  township.    After 
three  years,  however,  he  sold  this  and  re- 
moved to  the  state  of  Washington,  where  he 
remained  for  one  year,  engaged  in  farming. 
He   then   returned  to   Berrien   county   and 
bought  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resides, 
on  section  20,  Berrien  township.     Here  he 
is  engaged  in  the  raising  of  grain  and  fruit, 


having  well  developed  fields  and  well  kept 
orchards,  both  of  which  return  good  crops. 

Mr.  King  has  been  married  twice.  In 
1889  he  wedded  Letha  Hogue,  of  Sodus 
township,  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Hannah 
Hogue.  She  died  in  1890,  leaving  one  son, 
Clayton  M.  In  1892  Mr.  King  wedded 
Nancy  I.  Hart,  a  daughter  of  Orlando  and 
Elizabeth  Hart,  of  Sodus  township,  where 
her  birth  occurred.  There  are  four  children 
of  this  marriage,  Allison  J.,  Ada  Grace, 
Esther  Marian  and  James  E. 

Mr.  King  is  a  stanch  Republican,  un- 
faltering in  his  advocacy  of  the  principles 
of  the  party  and  active  in  promoting  its 
growth.  While  in  Sodus  township  he  was 
elected  and  served  as  supervisor  for  five  dif- 
ferent terms,  resigning  that  office  on  his 
removal  to  Berrien  township.  He  was  also 
school  inspector  and  township  clerk  of  Sodus 
township.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity and  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp, 
and  he  holds  membership  in  the  Christian 
church.  During  a  residence  of  forty  years 
in  Berrien  county  his  life  record  has  always 
been  such  as  would  bear  the  closest  investi- 
gation and  scrutiny  and  the  name  of  Charles 
M.  King  is  one  which  commands  the  respect 
of  all  with  whom  business  or  vsocial  relations 
have  brought  him  in  contact. 

HENRY  LOCKINAW,  a  prominent 
farmer  and  old  settler  of  Berrien  township, 
living  on  section  28,  was  born  December 
4,  1855,  in  the  township  where  he  yet  re- 
sides. His  father,  John  Lockinaw,  was  a 
native  of  Baden,  Germany,  and  was  but  ten 
years  of  age  when  he  came  with  his  parents 
to  America,  the  family  home  being  estab- 
lished in  Erie  county,  Ohio,  where  he  was 
reared  to  manhood.  There  he  married  Miss 
Christina  Mack,  who  was  likewise  born  in 
the  fatherland  and  who  was  brought  to  the 
United  States  in  her  early  girlhood  days.  In 
1849  ^^^y  came  to  Michigan,  settling  in 
Berrien  township,  north  of  Berrien. Center. 
Mr.  Lockinaw  then  turned  his  attention  to 
general  agricultural  pursuits  and  continued 
the  cultivation  of  his  farm  for  about  fifteen 
years,  or  until  1864,  when  he  sold  that  prop- 
erty and  located  upon  the  place  where  his  son 


<y^  ^  ^^i^^7?ajin) 


^  AcLuJ  $4c 


(XJ*t^7/UJc 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


783 


Henry  now  resides.  He  died  upon  the  old 
homestead  at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty- 
one  years.  He  had  been  a  most  worthy  citi- 
zen, respected  by  old  and  young,  rich  and 
poor.  His  widow  still  survives  and  has  now 
reached  the  age  of  eighty-three  years. 

Henry  Lockinaw,  their  only  child,  was 
a  youth  of  nine  summers  when  the  family 
removed  upon  the  farm  which  is  now  his 
home.  At  the  usual  age  he  entered  the  dis- 
trict schools  and  therein  completed  his  edu- 
cation. When  not  busy  with  his  textbooks 
his  time  was  largely  occupied  with  the  labors 
of  the  fields  and  he  remained  at  home,  as- 
sisting in  the  farm  work  until  his  marriage. 
This  important  event  in  his  life  was  cele- 
brated in  1880,  Miss  Elizabeth  Franz  be- 
coming his  wife.  She  was  born  in  Wash- 
tenaw county,  Michigan,  a  daughter  of  John 
G.  and  Barbara  Franz,  who  were  natives  of 
Germany.  Following  his  marriage  Mr. 
Lockinaw  continued  to  reside  upon  the  old 
homestead  and  carried  on  general  agricul- 
tural pursuits  as  a  means  of  livelihood.  As 
the  years  passed  three  children  were  added 
to  the  family :  Lillre,  now  the  wife  of  W.  H. 
Andrew^s,  an  attorney-at-law,  of  Benton 
Harbor;  Ada  and  Fred,  both  at  home. 

Mr.  Lockinaw  has  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  acres  in  the  old  home  place 
and  also  eighty  acres  on  section  33,  Berrien 
township,  making  in  all  two  hundred  and  five 
acres.  He  is  justly  accounted  one  of  the  en- 
terprising agriculturists  of  the  community, 
carrying  on  the  work  of  his  farm  along 
modern  lines,  his  labors  bringing  to  him  an 
excellent  return.  The  fields  are  well  tilled 
and  everything  about  the  place  indicates  his 
care  and  supervision  and  shows  him  to  be  a 
man  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  best 
methods  of  farm  work. 

MICHAEL  F.  HARNER.  Among  the 
old  settlers  of  Oronoko  township  is  num- 
bered Michael  F.  Harner,  who  lives  on  sec- 
tion 30,  and  who  was  born  in  Northumber- 
land county,  Pennsylvania,  January  23, 
1830,  so  that  he  has  now  passed  the  seventy- 
sixth  milestone  on  the  journey  of  life.  His 
father,  John  Harner,  was  likewise  born  in 
the  Keystone  State,  as  was  his  wife,  wdio 


bore  the  maiden  name  of  Susan  Haney. 
After  living  for  some  time  in  Pennsylvania 
they  removed  to  Summit  county,  Ohio,  and 
in  the  year  1838  came  to  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  settling  in  Lake  township,  where 
the  father  entered  land  from  the  govern- 
ment. The  fact  that  much  of  this  land  was 
still  unclaimed  by  resident  settlers  show^s 
that  the  work  of  improvement  and  develop- 
ment had  scarcely  been  begun.  With  char- 
acteristic energy  he  undertook  the  task  of 
clearing  his  place  that  the  sunlight  might 
shine  down  upon  the  plow^ed  fields  and  ripen 
into  harvests  the  grain  which  he  had  planted. 
Year  by  year  he  continued  the  work  of  im- 
provement upon  his  farm  and  found  there  a 
comfortable  home  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  when  he  was  in  his 
seventy-ninth  year.  His  wife  passed  away 
at  about  the  same  age.  Unto  them  had 
been  born  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  all 
of  whom  reached  their  maturity  and  with 
one  exception  are  still  living. 

Michael  F.  Harner  is  the  eldest  son  and 
second  child.  He  was  a  lad  of  eight  sum- 
mers at  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  family 
in  Berrien  county  and  here  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  When  a  boy  he  pursued 
his  studies  in  a  log  schoolhouse  of  the  early 
day,  attending  through  the  winter  months, 
wdiile  in  the  summer  seasons  he  aided  in  the 
farm  work.  Lie  early  took  his  place  in  the 
fields  and  soon  became  familiar  wath  the 
task  of  plowing,  planting  and  harvesting. 
He  continued  upon  the  home  farm,  assist- 
ing in  its  development  up  to  the  time  of  his 
marriage  and  then  removed  to  the  farm  upon 
which  he  now^  resides  on  section  30,  Oronoko 
township. 

Mr.  Harner  was  joined  in  wedlock  to 
Miss  Frances  Morris,  and  unto  them  were 
born  six  children,  who  are  yet  living:  Al- 
meda,  the  wife  of  Harry  Myers;  Fred,  of 
Galien  township;  Lydia,  the  wife  of  Walter 
Schultz;  Ora,  the  wife  of  Delvin  Fisher,  a 
sailor  on  the  lakes ;  Edward,  of  Galien  town- 
ship; and  Linnie,  the  wife  of  George  Miller, 
of  Oronoko  township. 

Mr.  Harner  has  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  five  acres  but  now  rents  his  fields.  His 
property  is  the  visible  evidence  of  his  life 


784 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


of  thrift  and  labor  and  in  addition  to  his 
home  place  he  has  assisted  in  clearing  two 
other  farms  in  the  county.  He  cleared  all 
his  own  farm  except  five  acres,  and  thus  he 
has  contributed  in  substantial  measure  to  the 
material  development  of  this  part  of  the 
state.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  Evangelical  Church  and  are  a  most 
worthy  pioneer  couple,  respected  and  hon- 
ored by  young  and  old,  rich  and  poor.  His 
residence  in  Berrien  county  covers  sixty- 
eight  years  and  he  relates  many  interesting 
incidents  of  the  early  days. 

Mr.  Harner  has  one  of  the  old  parchment 
deeds  executed  August  14,  1839,  by  Presi- 
dent Martin  Van  Buren  which  is  one  of  the 
souvenirs  of  the  old  days.  They  have  one 
of  the  old  double  coverlets,  the  material  for 
which  was  spun  by  Mr.  Harner' s  mother, 
and  they  have  a  pewter  dish,  which  is  near 
a  century  old,  also  an  old  flax  hatchel 
ninety  years  old. 

B.  FRANK  MARS,  one  of  the  promi- 
nent early  settlers  and  leading  agriculturists 
of  Berrien  township,  making  his  home  on 
section  18,  Berrien  township,  was  born  in 
this  township  January  i,  1849,  the  fifth  son 
of  Hugh  and  Elizabeth  (Hartsell)  Mars, 
who  were  numbered  among  the  very  early 
pioneers  of  Michigan,  they  having  estab- 
lished their  home  in  Pokagon  Prairie,  Cass 
county,  in  1829.  In  1832  they  located  in 
Berrien  township,  Berrien  county,  where  on 
the  23d  of  December  of  that  year  they  se- 
cured a  farm  from  the  government,  which 
they  improved  but  afterward  sold  and  about 
1850  removed  to  the  farm  which  is  now  the 
home  of  their  son  B.  Frank  Mars.  There 
this  worthy  old  pioneer  couple  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  their  lives,  the  father  reaching 
the  good  old  age  of  eighty-one  years.  He 
was  a  prominent  factor  in  the  early  history 
of  the  county,  in  which  he  held  a  number  of 
public  offices,  among  them  being  that  of 
justice  of  the  peace,  and  he  w^as  also  promi- 
nent in  school  aflfairs,  the  cause  of  education 
ever  finding  him  a  stanch  friend.  The 
mother  passed  away  when  she  had  reached 
the  age  of  fifty-six  years. 

B.  Frank  Mars  was  only  six  years  of 


age  when  his  parents  took  up  their  abode 
on  the  farm  which  is  now  his  home,  and  here 
he  early  became  inured  to  the  work  of  the 
fields,  assisting  in  its  improvement  and  de- 
velopment, and  here  he  is  spending  his 
declining  years.  In  1874  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Emma  Stowe,  a  native  of  Ohio 
and  a  daughter  of  Wesley  and  Hannah 
(Phelps)  Stow^e.  Their  union  has  been 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  six  children,  namely: 
Ethel,  the  wife  of  John  Hintz,  of  Conklin, 
Michigan;  Josephine,  wife  of  George  Wil- 
kinson, of  the  same  place;  Edith,  wife  of 
George  Gillhespy,  who  also  makes  his  home 
in  Conklin;  Frances,  the  wife  of  Howard 
Gillhespy,  of  Conklin;  Loren,  a  resident  of 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan ;  and  Carl,  at  home. 
As  before  stated  Mr.  Mars  is  a  life-long 
resident  of  Berrien  county,  having  been 
identified  with  its  interests  for  fifty-eight 
years,  and  during  this  time  he  has  been 
recognized  as  one  of  its  most  honored  and 
highly  esteemed  citizens.  He  affiliates  with 
the  Republican  party  and  takes  an  interest 
in  public  affairs,  but  has  never  been  an  as- 
pirant for  political  favors,  although  he  has 
served  as  constable,  game  warden  and  as  a 
school  officer,  also  at  one  time  having  held 
the  office  of  deputy  sheriff  of  Berrien  coun- 
ty. His  fraternal  relations  were  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Lodge 
No.  323  at  Berrien  Springs,  Michigan. 

RICHARD  H.  MORRIS,  farming  on 
section  11,  Oronko  township,  began  his  life 
record  in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  December 
15,  1857.  His  father,  Jonathan  Morris, 
was  also  a  native  of  that  county  and  having 
arrived  at  years  of  maturity  was  married  to 
Miss  Sarah  J.  Snuff,  who  was  also  born  in 
Warren  county,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Isaac 
Snuff,  a  native  of  New  York.  Following 
their  marriage  they  lived  for  some  years 
in  the  county  of  their  nativity,  and  about 
1 86 1  removed  to  Laporte  county,  Indiana, 
settling  at  New  Carlisle,  where  the  father 
followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  The 
year  1865  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Berrien 
county,  at  which  time  he  took  up  his  abode 
on  a  farm  in  Niles  township.  He  was  there 
engaged  in  general  farming  for  many  years 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


785, 


with  good  success  and  he  now  hves  at  Hart, 
Michigan.  His  wife,  however,  has  passed 
away,  her  death  having  occurred  in  October, 
1885.  Of  their  seven  children  six  are  hving 
at  this  writing,  in  the  summer  of  1906. 

Richard  H.  Morris,  the  second  child  and 
second  son  of  the  family,  was  but  eight  years 
of  age  when  the  parents  left  Indiana  and 
came  to  Berrien  county,  so  that  he  was  prac- 
tically reared  in  Niles  township  and  in  its 
district  schools  obtained  his  education,  mas- 
tering the  branches  of  study  which  usually 
constitute  a  country  school  curriculum.  He 
remained  at  home,  assisting  in  the  farm  work 
until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  then 
started  out  in  life  for  himself.  He  had  no 
capital  save  determination,  energy  and  laud- 
able ambition  and  these  have  constituted  the 
secret  and  measure  of  his  success.  He  began 
working  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand  in 
Niles  and  Berrien  townships  and  was  thus 
employed  for  five  years,  in  which  way  he 
gained  his  start.  Ambitious  to  carry  on 
farming  on  his  own  account  he  then  rented 
land  in  Niles  township  and  for  ten  years 
operated  a  leased  farm.  In  1895,  hoping 
to  enjoy  better  business  opportunities  on  the 
Pacific  coast  he  w^ent  to  Kittitas  county, 
Washington,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the 
dairy  business  until  1899.  Returning  then 
to  Berrien  county  he  resided  in  Berrien 
Springs  for  a  year,  and  in  1900  purchased 
the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resides.  Here 
he  has  carried  on  general  farming  continu- 
ously since  and  he  has  ninety  acres  of  well 
improved  land,  which  responds  readily  to 
the  care  and  labor  he  bestows  upon  the  fields, 
so  that  he  now  annually  harvests  good  crops. 

February  13,  1884,  Mr.  Morris  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ida  L.  Knapp, 
a  daughter  of  Kingsley  and  Sarah  (Comp- 
ton)  Knapp,  who  w^as  born  in  Cass  county, 
Michigan,  June  13,  1859,  and  they  are  now 
the  parents  of  two  children,  Aimer  H.  and 
Max  R.  The  parents  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Berrien 
Springs  in  which  Mr.  Morris  is  serving  as  a 
trustee  and  politically  he  is  a  Republican. 
These  associations  indicate  much  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  man  and  as  his  life  is  in  har- 
mony with  his  profession  he  enjoys  in  large 
measure  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his 
50 


fellow  citizens  and  is  classed  with  the  repre^ 
sentative  residents  of  Oronoko  township. 

JAMES  D.  PLATT,  who  is  engaged  in 
in  general  farming  on  section  14, 
Oronoko  township,  was  born  in  Berrien 
Springs,  September  2,  1859,  and  was  the 
only  son  of  James  M.  and  Arelia  (Wood) 
Piatt.  The  father  was  born  and  reared  in 
Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  and  at  an  early 
age  became  a  resident  of  Niles^  Michigan^ 
while  subsequently  he  worked  in  a  store 
as  clerk  at  Berrien  Springs.  Soon  after- 
ward, however,  he  bought  out  the  business 
and  later  he  erected  a  store  building.  In 
1866  he  built  a  brick  block  now  occupied 
by  A.  W.  Calvin  and  owned  by  E.  F.  Gar- 
land. He  carried  on  business  until  about 
1872  and  thus  for  many  years  figured  prom- 
inently in  commercial  circles  in  the  village, 
having  a  liberal  patronage,  which  was  indi- 
cative of  his  honorable  and  straighforward 
business  methods.  In  1872  he  sold  out  and 
retired  and  when  fifty-six  years  of  age  he 
w^as  called  to  his  final  rest.  He  took  an  ac- 
tive part  in  public  affairs,  being  known  as 
a  champion  of  all  public  movements,  whose 
aid  could  ever  be  counted  upon  when  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  the  community 
w^ere  at  stake.  In  politics  he  was  stalwart 
Republican,  served  as  president  of  the  vil- 
lage board  and  in  many  other  offices.  His 
wife  came  to  this  county  in  1833  and  was 
at  that  time  the  widow  of  a  Mr.  Munger. 

James  D.  Piatt,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  was  reared  and  educated  in  Ber- 
rien Springs,  and  making  choice  of  a  life 
work  he  turned  to  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing, which  has  always  claimed  his  attention. 
His  farm  comprises  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  in  the  home  place  and  his  wife  owais 
seventy  acres  in  Berrien  township.  His 
property  has  been  brought  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation,  the  fields  yielding  rich  crops,. 
w4iile  all  of  the  equipments  and  accessories- 
of   a   model   farm  are   found  thereon. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  life's 
journey  Mr.  Piatt  chose  Miss  Fannie  Kes- 
sler,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1882.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  John  L.  Kessler,  who  was 
born  in  Berrien  township.  By  this  marriage 
there  is  one  son,  Murray,  who  is  now   in. 


786 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


the  state  of  Washington.  Mr.  Piatt  has 
given  unfaltering  support  to  the  men  and 
measures  of  the  Republican  party  since  at- 
taining his  majority.  He  has  always  lived 
within  the  borders  of  Berrien  county,  con- 
tent with  its  opportunities  and  its  advant- 
ages and  as  the  years  have  gone  by  he  has 
done  his  full  share  in  maintaining  the  politi- 
cal and  legal  status  of  the  community  and 
in  advancing  its  material  and  moral  inter- 
ests. 

HENRY  J.  MOYER,  whose  residence 
in  Berrien  county  dates  from  an  early  period 
in  its  development,  now  resides  on  section 
9,  Oronoko  township.  He  was  born  in  Cen- 
ter county,  Pennsylvania,  November  27, 
1841.  His  father,  Daniel  Moyer,  also  a 
native  of  that  state,  came  to  Berrien  county 
in  1852  and  located  on  the  farm  where  his 
son  Henry  now  resides.  Only  fourteen 
acres  of  the  land  had  been  cleared  at  that 
time.  He  began  it6  further  development 
and  improvement  and  continued  actively  in 
farm  work  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  on  the  15th  of  January,  1859, 
when  he  was  about  forty-four  years  of  age. 
He  married  Miss  Lydia  Besthel,  also  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania.  She  long  survived 
her  husband,  reached  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-two  years.  In  their  family  were 
four  sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom  two 
died  in  infancy. 

Henry  J.  Moyer,  the  third  child  and  eld- 
est son  of  the  family,  was  twelve  years  of 
age  when  he  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michi- 
gan. He  was  reared  upon  the  farm  where 
he  now  resides,  early  becoming  familiar 
with  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the 
lot  of  the  agriculturist,  for  he  w^as  put  to 
work  in  the  fields  and  assisted  in  their  im- 
provement from  the  time  of  early  spring 
planting  until  the  crops  were  harvested  in 
the  late  autumn.  In  1862  he  abandoned  the 
plow,  however,  that  he  might  strike  a  blow 
in  defense  of  the  Union,  enlisting  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  C,  Twenty-fifth  Michigan 
Volunteer  Infantry  as  a  private.  He  served 
almost  three  years  and  was  in  many  of  the 
important  battles  of  the  war,  including  the 
engagements  at  Missionary  Ridge,  Knox- 
ville:,  Kingston  and  others.     The  last  battle 


in  which  he  participated  was  at  Nashville 
and  he  was  honorably  discharged  at  Jack- 
son, Michigan,  returning  to  his  home  with 
an  honorable  military  record  made  with 
faithful  and  valorous  service  on  the  field 
of  battle. 

When  his  military  life  was  ended  Mr. 
Moyer  resumed  farming  upon  the  old  home- 
stead and  with  the  exception  of  one  year 
spent  in  Berrien  Springs  has  continuously 
lived  upon  this  farm,  which  comprises  one 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  good  land.  He 
carries  on  general  agricultural  pursuits  and 
has  a  well  developed  property,  equipped 
with  good  buildings  and  modern  accessories, 
including  the  latest  improved  machinery. 

In  1872  Mr.  Moyer  was  married  to  Miss 
Sarah  M.  Stemm,  a  daughter  of  Adam  and 
Elizabeth  (Reiber)  Stemm.  This  marriage 
has  been  blessed  with  eight  children,  of 
whom  Mary  A.,  the  second  in  order  of  birth, 
is  now  deceased.  The  others  are  still  living, 
namely:  Clementine,  John  C,  Charles  C, 
Verna,  Lester,  Edna  and  Ralph.  Mr.  Moyer 
is  a  member  of  Kilpatrick  Post,  No.  39,  G. 
A.  R.,  of  Berrien  Springs,  and  has  filled 
most  of  its  chairs,  while  in  its  work  he  has 
taken  an  active  and  helpful  interest.  His 
political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Democ- 
racy and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church.  He  is  well  known  in  the  county, 
having  for  fifty-four  years  been  a  resident 
of  Oronoko  township  and  as  one  of  its  pio- 
neer settlers  is  largely  familiar  with  the 
history  of  the  county  as  it  has  emerged  from 
frontier  conditions  and  taken  on  all  the  evi- 
dences of  an  advanced  civilization  in  its 
material,  industrial  and  commercial  circles. 

DAVID  HOUSEWORTH,  living  on 
section  4,  Oronoko  township,  was  born  in 
Snyder  county,  Pennsylvania,  November  21, 
1850,  and  in  the  place  of  his  nativity  was 
reared  and  educated,  being  indebted  to  the 
system  of  public  instruction  for  the  school 
opportunities  he  enjoyed.  He  first  came  to 
Berrien  county  in  1885  and  located  near 
Niles,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  for 
four  years.  He  then  invested  in  land,  be- 
coming owner  of  about  forty-five  acres  in 
Oronoko  township,  to  which  he  has  since 
added   forty  acres.     He    also    bought    the 


^  \y 


'^f^>^ 


'^^^     9CU^^     }^M^}/2^U^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


787 


Sylvester  place  in  Oronoko  township  of  one 
hundred  and  forty  acres,  and  in  March, 
1905,  purchased  the  old  Isaac  I^ng  farm 
in  Bertrand  township,  so  that  his  landed 
possessions  now  aggregate  three  hundred 
and  ten  acres.  He  started  out  in  life  on  his 
own  account  empty-handed  and  has  worked 
his  way  steadily  upward,  his  progressive 
spirit  and  enterprise  being  the  leading  fac- 
tors in  his  prosperity.  He  has  engaged  in 
raising  fruit  and  grain  and  his  business  in- 
terests are  capably  conducted. 

Mr.  Houseworth  was  married  in  Penn- 
sylvania in  1876  to  Miss  Alice  Miller,  a 
native  of  Richfield,  that  state.  This  union 
has  been  blessed  with  five  children,  three 
sons  and  two  daughters:  John;  S.  Ellen, 
the  wife  of  Frank  Borst,  of  Bertrand  town- 
ship;  George;  Henry;  and  Anna  Mabel. 

Mr.  Houseworth  exercises  his  right  of 
franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  meas- 
ures of  the  Republican  party  where  national 
issues  are  involved  but  at  local  elections 
casts  an  independent  ballot.  No  fortunate 
circumstances  or  influential  friends  have 
aided  him  in  his  business  career^  his  success 
being  attributable  entirely  to  his  own  work. 
He  has  laid  his  plans  carefully,  has  been 
determined  in  their  execution  and  as  the 
years  have  gone  by  his  strong  purpose  and 
indefatigable  energy  have  made  him  a  pros- 
perous man. 

ABRAHAM  A.  HARNER,  whose  resi- 
dence, known  as  'The  Maples,"  in  Berrien 
county  dates  from  February  3,  1853 — '^^^ 
natal  day — his  birth  having  occurred  on  the 
farm  on  which  he  now  lives,  on  section  28, 
Oronoko  township,  is  the  son  of  Michael 
Harner.  The  father  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  became  a  resident  of  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  in  1837,  when  he  cast 
in  his  lot  Avith  the  early  settlers  who  were 
subduing  the  wilderness  and  extending  the 
frontier.  He  was  closely  associated  with 
the  early  history  of  the  county  in  its  devel- 
opment and  upbuilding  and  as  the  years 
passed  by  he  prospered  in  his  business  un- 
dertakings, becoming  the  owner  of  three 
hundred  and  ninety-nine  acres  of  land.  He 
was  well  known  in  the  county  and  his  word 
was  as  good  as  his  bond.     He  enjoyed  the 


respect  and  trust  of  his  fellowmen  from  the 
time  of  his  arrival  here  up  to  the  day  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  when  he  was  eighty- 
four  years  of  age.  He  married  Miss  Sophia 
Plank,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  theirs 
was  one  of  the  largest  families  of  the  county, 
their  children  being  sixteen  in  number. 

Abraham  A.  Harner  is  the  youngest  of 
this  family  and  upon  the  old  homestead 
property  he  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth.  No  event  of  special  importance 
occured  to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life 
for  him  during  that  period,  his  time  being 
divided  between  the  duties  of  the  school- 
room, the  pleasures  of  the  playground  and 
the  work  of  the  fields.  After  leaving  school 
he  assisted  in  cultivating  his  father's  land  ■ 
and  he  has  made  farming  his  life  work,  hav- 
ing now  one  hundred  and  eighty-two  acres, 
constituting  a  well  improved  property.  The 
place  is  devoted  to  the  raising  of  fruit,  grain 
and  stock  and  he  gives  personal  supervision 
to  his  business  and  also  takes  an  active  part 
in  the  actual  work  of  the  fields. 

March  23,  1876  Mr.  Harner  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Lottie  Van  Patten,  a  daughter 
of  Aaron  and  Elizabeth  (Borst)  Van  Pat- 
ten, and  a  native  of  Oronoko  township,  born 
May  I,  1853,  where  her  girlhood  days  were 
passed.  Mr.  Harner  took  his  bride  to  the 
old  homestead,  and  their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  two  children :  Edna  V.,  now  the 
wife  of  Carl  S.  Pennell,  of  Berrien  Springs ; 
and  Elden  C,  who  is  engaged  in  the  real 
estate  and  insurance  business  in  Benton 
Harbor. 

Mrs.  Harner's  parents  are  both  deceased. 
Her  father,  Aaron  Van  Patton,  was  a  native 
of  New  York,  born  February  5,  18 17,  and 
died  December  25,  1901.  By  trade  he  was  a 
blacksmith,  but  later  in  life  when  a  resi- 
dent of  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  became 
a  very  successful  farmer.  He  was  reared, 
educated  and  w^as  married  in  New  York, 
and  when  he  and  his  family  came  to  Michi- 
gan the  trip  was  made  in  a  wagon.  There 
were  born  seven  children  to  Aaron  and 
Elizabeth  (Borst)  Van  Patten — three  sons 
and  four  daughters,  and  only  four  are  living, 
the  eldest  being  Martha,  widow  of  John 
Ingleright,  and  she  is  a  resident  of  Berrien 
Springs.      She    was    born    in    New    York; 


788 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Mary,  wife  of  Stephen  Harner,  resident  of 
Oronoko  township,  and  he  is  a  farmer,  also 
in  insurance  business;  Rufus,  resident  of 
Oronoko  township,  farmer,  and  he  wedded 
Miss  Sadie  Shearer;  Mrs.  A.  A.  Harner  is 
the  youngest  Hving,  She  was  educated  in 
common  schools,  and  in  a  religious  sense  is 
a  devout  Christian  lady.  Her  father  be- 
came owner  of  two  hundred  and  seventy- 
six  acres  of  land  in  Berrien  county  and  was 
a  man  in  whom  the  people  reposed  the  ut- 
most confidence.  He  was  a  successful  man 
in  business,  since  he  accumulated  his  proper- 
ty all  by  himself.  He  traced  his  lineage  to 
the  Mohawk  Dutch.  He  held  the  office  of 
supervisor,  township  treasurer,  and  superin- 
tendent of  the  poor,  and  fraternally  he  was 
a  Mason. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  (Borst)  Van  Patten 
was  a  native  of  New  York  and  was  born  in 
November,  1818,  and  died  December  18, 
1882.  She  was  a  faithful  advocate  of  the 
principles  of  baptism.  The  children  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  A.  A.  Harner  are  as  follows : 
The  eldest,  Edna  V.,  received  her  education 
in  the  high  school  of  Berrien  Springs,  where 
she  graduated.  She  is  an  artist  in  oil  paint- 
ing and  her  handiwork  adorns  the  home  of 
her  mother  and  also  her  own  home.  She 
is  the  wife  of  Carl  S.  Pennell  and  they  have 
two  children,  Letha  H.  and  Lynn  Odell. 
Elden  C.  was  graduated  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen at  Berrien  Springs  and  the  Ypsilanti 
Normal  at  twenty,  and  held  the  chair  of 
science  at  Benton  Harbor  and  at  present  is 
one  of  the  school  examiners  of  Berrien 
county.  He  wedded  Miss  Mollie  Comstock, 
of  Ypsilanti,  and  she  is  also  a  graduate  of 
the  same  college.  They  reside  in  Benton 
Harbor,  where  Elden  is  engaged  in  the  real 
estate  business.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  A.  Harner 
have  three  of  the  old  parchment  deeds  exe- 
cuted September  10,  1838,  by  President 
Martin  Van  Buren,  which  now  makes  seven 
deeds  of  the  kind  found  to  date  in  the  county. 
They  have  one  of  the  old  spinning  wheels  as 
a  relic  of  ye  olden  days,  which  is  close  to  a 
century  old. 

Mr.  Harner  has  been  identified  with  the 
making  of  the  county  in  which  his  entire 
life  has  been  passed,  and  his  co-operation 
may  always  be  counted  upon  in  matters  re- 


lating to  the  general  welfare.  He  votes  with 
the  Democracy  and  has  acted  as  township 
treasurer.  He  has  also  been  called  upon  to- 
settle  many  estates  and  his  business  integrity 
and  trustworthiness  stand  as  unquestioned 
facts  in  his  career.  Fraternally  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp  at. 
Berrien  Springs. 

RODNEY   P.    HOADLEY   is   a    well 
known  dairy  farmer,  shipping  his  products 
to  Michigan  City,  and  his  place  is  known  as. 
the  Blue  Grass  Dairy.     It  is  pleasantly  situ- 
ated  on   section    25,    Chikaming   township, 
and  is  now  a  well  improved,  well  equipped 
farm  property.     Mr.  Hoadley  is  a  native  of 
Berrien  county,  having  been  born  in  Niles, 
on  the  25th  of  January,  1857.    His  parents 
were  Jared  and  Anna  Debby    (Hoagland) 
Hoadley,  both  natives  of  New  York.     The 
father  was  born  in  Onondaga  county,  New 
York,  whence  he  removed  to  Ohio,  and  in 
1837  became  a  resident  of  Niles,  where  he 
was   engaged   in   merchandising   for   many 
years,  becoming  a  representative,  influential 
and  prominent  business  man  there.    He  also 
became  connected  with  the  first  bank  there 
and   likewise  conducted  a  warehouse.     He 
had  engaged  in  business  as  a  dealer  in  dry 
goods  and  hardware  at  Goshen  and  at  Elk- 
hart, Indiana,  and  established  one  of  the  first- 
general  stores  in  Niles.     In  early  life  he  had 
engaged  in  teaching  school  and  in  every  com- 
munity where  he  lived  he  was  recognized  as 
a  man  of  marked  enterprise  and  excellent 
business  capacity.     He  was  active  in  both 
politics  and  religion  yet  was  a  man  firm  in 
support  of  his  honest  convictions.     He  died 
in   Niles,  January  7,    1895,   at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  years,  having  for  more  than  a 
third  of  a  century  survived  his  wife,   who 
died  in   i860,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty- 
five  years,  after  which  Mr.  Hoadley  married 
again.     There  were  three  children  by  the 
first  marriage:     Rodney    P.;    Mrs.    Anna 
Cooper,  deceased;  and  Mrs.  Kate  Brandes, 
of  Wisconsin.     There  were  also  three  chil- 
dren born  of  the  second  marriage :    Willard 
E.,  a  resident  of  Niles;  Mary  H. ;  and  Clara 
L.,  also  of  Niles. 

Rodney  P.  Hoadley,  born  and  reared  in 
Niles,  resided  there  until  twenty-four  years 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


789 


oi  age.  Much  of  his  youth  was  devoted  to 
the  acquirement  of  an  education,  and  after 
completing  a  high  school  course  he  engaged 
in  teaching  for  three  years.  In  1881  he  came 
to  his  present  farm  and  has  since  resided 
upon  this  place,  comprising  two  hundred  and 
•twenty  acres  of  land  on  section  25,  Chik- 
aming  township.  It  was  covered  with  brush 
but  the  timber  had  been  cut  when  it  came 
into  his  possession.  Mr.  Hoadley  has 
brought  it  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation 
and  has  erected  good  buildings  thereon. 
However,  he  lost  his  barn  by  fire  in  1905, 
his  loss  amounting  to  three  thousand  dollars. 
He  continues  his  place  as  a  dairy  farm,  keep- 
ing forty  cows  for  this  purpose  and  making 
shipments  to  Michigan  City.  The  products 
of  the  Blue  Grass  Dairy  Farm  find  a  ready 
sale  on  the  market  and  the  business  is  now 
large  and  profitable. 

In  1884  Mr.  Hoadley  was  married  to 
Miss  Nellie  M.  Wright,  who  was  born  in 
Onondaga  county,  New  York,  March  17, 
1864,  and  came  to  Michigan  with  her  par- 
ents, Elmer  H.  and  Mary  Eliza  (Barrett) 
Wright.  Three  children  have  been  born  of 
this  union  :  Rodney  W.,  born  July  22,  1888; 
Fred  F.,  September  19,  1892;  and  Mabel, 
July  25,  1896. 

Mr.  Hoadley  does  not  consider  himself 
bound  by  party  ties  when  giving  his  support 
to  any  political  measure.  He  has  served  as 
supervisor  of  his  township  for  two  years, 
as  collector  for  three  years,  as  justice  of  the 
peace  for  eight  years  and  as  treasurer  for  a 
number  of  years  and  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  review,  thus  serving  in  all  the  town- 
ship offices  save  that  of  constable,  the  duties 
of  the  various  positions  having  been  dis- 
charged with  promptness  and  fidelity.  He 
holds  membership  with  the  Modern  Wood- 
men camp  at  Three  Oaks  and  is  a  man  who 
in  all  life's  relations  commands  and  receives 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  those  with 
whom  he  has  been  associated,  for  he  is 
worthy  of  public  trust  whether  in  the  trans- 
action of  business  or  in  social  life. 

GEORGE  F.  STEWART,  a  veteran  of 
the  Civil  war  who  in  days  of  peace  has  been 
equally  loyal  to  his  country  and  her  wel- 
fare, and  who  is  now  devoting  his  time  and 


energies    to    agricultural    and    horticultural 
pursuits  in  Bainbridge  township,  was  born 
at  Paw  Paw,  Michigan,  April  27,  1843,  his 
parents    being  Archibald   and     Eliza     Ann 
(Tanner)  Stewart.    The  father  was  born  in 
Crawford  county,  Pennsylvania,  the  mother 
in  Leroy,  New  York.     They  were  married 
in  the  Empire  State,  October  20,  1836,  and 
in   1838  came  to  Michigan,  in  which  year 
the   territory  was   admitted  to   the  Union. 
They  settled  at  Paw  Paw,  Van  Buren  coun- 
ty, wiiere  Mr.  Stewart  worked  at  the  black- 
smith's trade  and  did  work  in  that  line  on 
the  grist  mills  at  the  time  of  their  building. 
He  continued  his  residence  in  Paw  Paw  until 
1859,  carrying  on  the  smithy,  and  in  com- 
pany with  a  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Mason,  he 
built  a  foundry  and  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture  of   plow^s,   which   he   sold  all  over 
southwestern  Michigan  in  Van  Buren  and 
Berrien  counties.     He  was  thus  associated 
with  the  early  industrial  development  of  this 
part  of  the  state.     In  1859  in  company  with 
others  he  went  to  Watervliet  to  assist  in 
rebuilding  the  flouring  mills  of  that  place, 
doing  the  blacksmith  and  iron  work  in  the 
plant.     He  afterward    conducted    a    black- 
smith shop  for  about  two  years  at  Water- 
vliet, and  in  the  fall  of   1861   or   1862  re- 
moved to   Coloma,   where  he   conducted  a 
smithy  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  the 
fall  of  1888.     He  was  a  worthy  representa- 
tive of  industrial  life  of  the  community  and 
was  a  respected  citizen  whose  integrity  and 
honor  in  all  life's  relations  made  him  worthy 
the  warm  regard  which  was  uniformly  ten- 
dered him.    Mrs.  Stewart  died  July  28,  1894, 
at  Coloma,  in  the  seventy-ninth  year  of  her 
age.     Of  their  family  of  eight  children  only 
three  are  now  living:     Eliza,   the  wife  of 
E.  R.  Havens,  of  Lansing,  Michigan;  Lucia 
D.,  the  wife  of  Charles  Merrifield,  of  Bloom- 
ingdale,  Michigan;  and  George  F.,  of  this 
review.     One  son,  William  E.  Stewart,  was 
editor  of  the  South  Haven  (Michigan)  Sen- 
tinel for  many  years,  or  until  the  time  of  his 
death.     He  was  employed  for  several  years 
in  Berrien  county  as  a  typo  in  Niles  and  St. 
Joseph,  and  in  the  former  place  he  enlisted 
at  the  call  of  his  country,  becoming  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  E,  Twelfth  Michigan  In- 
fantry, as  a  private  but  was  promoted  to 


790 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


first  lieutenant  and  afterward  adjutant  of 
the  regiment.  He  was  also  captain  in  Com- 
pany D  and  as  such  was  mustered  out  of 
service.  He  w^as  married  at  Niles  to  Miss 
Emma  Clark,  and  soon  afterward  became 
editor  of  the  Sentinel  at  South  Haven,  con- 
tinuing in  charge  of  that  paper  until  his 
death.  He  passed  away  suddenly,  while  sit- 
ting at  the  supper  table  on  the  evening  of 
July  I,  1899.  He  was  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics and  wielded  a  wide  influence  in  the  local 
ranks  of  his  party  both  through  personal 
effort  and  through  the  columns  of  his  paper. 
He  was  also  prominent  in  the  Odd  Fellows 
and  Masonic  societies  and  he  left  the  impress 
of  his  individuality  upon  the  different  inter- 
ests with  which  he  was  connected.  Archi- 
bald Stewart,  another  brother  of  the  family, 
was  also  a  printer  and  for  a  long  time  was 
associated  with  Major  Duncan  at  Niles.  He 
afterward  became  connected  with  the  Chi- 
cago Tribune  and  was  proofreader  for  sev- 
eral years  for  the  Henneberry  Publishing 
house.  His  death  occurred  in  Colomo,  Mich- 
igan, November  19,  1904. 

George  F.  Stewart,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  review,  spent  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  his  parents'  home  and  in 
the  public  schools  obtained  his  education. 
He  was  a  young  man  of  about  nineteen  years, 
when,  in  1862,  he  offered  his  services  to  the 
government  and  followed  the  stars  and 
stripes  to  the  south.  As  a  member  of  Com- 
pany I,  Nineteenth  Michigan  Infantry,  which 
he  joined  at  St.  Joseph,  he  was  mustered  in 
as  corporal  in  Captain  Lysaght's  Company 
and  W'as  promoted  to  sergeant,  first  sergeant 
and  first  lieutenant  successively.  He  took 
command  of  Company  F,  which  was  formed 
of  Kalamazoo  men  during  the  latter  part  of 
the  service  and  had  command  of  his  old  com- 
pany as  sergeant.  He  had  taken  command  of 
this  company  at  Goldsboro,  North  Carolina, 
and  was  the  commanding  officer  in  Washing- 
ton in  the  grand  review.  He  was  largely  en- 
gaged in  active  duty  with  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  under  General  Rosecrans  and 
he  was  with  his  old  command  in  all  of  the 
actions  of  the  Atlanta  campaign  and  the 
march  to  the  sea.  In  March,  1863,  he  was 
taken  prisoner  at  Springhill,  Tennessee, 
w^here    the    entire    brigade    under    Colonel 


Coburn  of  Indiana  was  captured  but  was 
paroled  on  the  field  although  they  were  sent 
to  Libby  prison  and  afterward  to  City  Point, 
being  held  for  twenty-six  days.  Lieutenant 
Stewart  was  really  entitled  to  a  captain's 
commission  but  was  mustered  out  as  lieu- 
tenant in  charge  of  the  company.  He  was 
constantly  in  active  service  for  nearly  three 
years  during  the  hardest  part  of  the  war 
and  was  always  with  his  command  in  the 
thickest  of  the  fight.  He  never  ordered  his 
men  where  he  would  not  lead  them  and  in 
fact  he  inspired  them  to  deeds  of  valor  by 
his  own  courage  and  bravery. 

Lieutenant  Stewart  prior  to  the  war  had 
gone  to  Watervliet  with  his  parents  and 
afterward  had  made  his  way  to  Bainbridge 
to  work  for  Hon.  Nev/ton  R.  Woodruff.  It 
was  while  there  that  he  enlisted  for  the  army 
and  when  the  war  ended  he  returned  to  his 
uncle's  place  in  Bainbridge  township. 

On  the  loth  of  April,  1866,  Mr.  Stewart 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Henriett 
L.  Byers,  of  Bainbridge  township,  and  they 
now  live  upon  the  old  Byers  farm,  wdiere 
they  have  resided  continuously  since  their 
marriage,  Mr.  Stewart  being  one  of  the  en- 
terprising agriculturists  of  this  part  of  the 
county.  Since  the  war  his  attention  has  been 
largely  given  to  the  cultivation  and  improve- 
ment of  the  land  and  in  its  control  he  dis- 
plays excellent  business  ability. 

Mrs.  Stewart  is  a  daughter  of  one  of  the 
old  families  of  Berrien  county.  Her  father, 
Martin  Byers,  was  born  in  Lancaster  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  married  near  Buffalo, 
New  York,  to  Phebe  Hauser.  In  1849  ^^^^Y 
came  to  Michigan,  taking  up  their  abode  on 
the  1 6th  of  June  of  that  year  on  the  farm  on 
which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart  now  reside. 
The  present  house  was  then  standing  and  is 
one  of  the  old  landmarks  of  Bainbridge 
township.  Mr.  Byers  already  had  two 
brothers  in  Michigan,  David  Byers,  who  re- 
sided in  Bainbridge  township,  and  Tobias, 
of  Keeler  township,  Van  Buren  county. 
They  had  come  about  five  years  before. 
Mrs.  Stewart  and  Mrs.  Amelia  Matrau,  how- 
ever, are  now  the  only  living  representatives 
of  the  family  in  Berrien  county.  Martin 
Byers  and  his  wife  spent  their  lives  on  the 
old  homestead   farm,   where  his   death  oc- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


791 


ciirred  December  8,  1895,  when  he  was  nine- 
ty-three years  of  age,  while  his  wife  passed 
away  November  4,  1896,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
one  years.  They  had  but  one  child  although 
there  were  other  children  by  Mr.  Byers' 
former  marriage.  His  life  was  devoted  to 
the  development  of  his  farming  interests  and 
he  owned  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land,  of  which  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
was  in  the  homestead  property.  When  it 
came  into  his  possession  there  were  no  im- 
provements upon  it  save  a  dilapidated  house. 
Mrs.  Stewart  was  in  her  fifth  year  at  the 
time  of  her  parents'  removal  to  this  farm, 
so  that  her  life  has  practically  been  passed 
thereon. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart  have  been 
born  five  children :  Stella,  now  the  widow 
of  Fred  Weber,  of  Bainbridge  township;  A. 
M.  Stewart,  who  resides  upon  an  adjoining 
farm;  Grace,  the  wife  of  Albert  Weber,  of 
Bainbridge  township;  Marvin,  who  is  con- 
nected with  the  stave  mill  at  Dowagiac ;  and 
Charles  E.,  living  at  Riverside,  California. 

Mr.  Stewart  was  township  clerk  for  two 
terms  and  in  1885  was  elected  supervisor. 
He  was  then  re-elected  at  twelve  consecutive 
elections  and  filled  the  office  until  1898.  He 
served  at  different  times  as  chairman  of  the 
board  and  was  acting  in  that  capacity  at  the 
time  of  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  from 
Berrien  Springs  to  St.  Joseph.  He  has  also 
been  active  and  influential  in  party  conven- 
tions and  has  been  a  member  of  the  county 
committee.  He  was  also  postmaster  at  Bain- 
bridge, and  in  his  official  work  has  put  forth 
effective  effort  for  the  party  and  its  success. 
In  his  fraternal  relations  he  is  an  Odd  Fel- 
low, wdio  has  passed  through  all  of  the  chairs 
of  the  local  lodge  and  been  representative 
to  the  grand  lodge,  representing  at  different 
times  the  Keeler,  Cobert  and  Bainbridge 
lodges.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  the 
last  two  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Rebekahs  and  the  Lady  Maccabees.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart  represent  old  families 
of  southwestern  Michigan  and  are  prominent 
in  the  community  where  they  reside,  being 
numbered  among  those  whose  genuine  worth 
of  character  entitle  them  to  mention  with 
the  leading  citizens  of  Berrien  county.  Mr. 
Stewart  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  P  ,  Gar- 


field post  at  Coloma,  also  a  member  of  the 
Grange  of  which  he  has  served  as  master. 

EMERY    FRANKLIN    FERRY,    an 

honored  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  now  living 
on  section  15,  Wesaw  township,  is  num- 
bered among  the  prominent  and  representa- 
tive citizens  of  this  part  of  the  state.  He 
was  born  in  Tioga  county,  Pennsylvania, 
May  .22,  1833.  His  grandfather,  Ebenezer 
Ferry,  w^as  a  native  of  Vermont  and  died  in 
Pennsylvania  when  about  eighty-seven  years 
of  age.  He  served  through  the  war  of  1812 
and  sustained  injuries  from  which  he  suf- 
fered throughout  his  entire  life.  His  son, 
Charles  Ferry,  was  a  native  of  Vermont  and 
when  twelve  years  of  age  removed  to  Penn- 
sylvania with  his  parents.  He  came  to 
Michigan  about  two  years  prior  to  the  ar- 
rival of  his  son  Emery  and  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days  in  Oronoko  and  Wesaw 
townships.  He  purchased  land  in  the  latter 
in  1866  and  his  death  occurred  at  the  home 
of  his  son  Emery  in  this  township  when  he 
w^as  eighty-four  years  of  age.  His  entire 
life  was  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  married  Miss  Phoebe  Slate,  a  native  of 
Cortland  county,  New  York,  who  died  in 
Michigan  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years. 
Her  father  was  Thomas  Slate,  also  a  soldier 
of  the  war  of  1812  and  a  resident  of  Penn- 
sylvania, where  his  death  occurred.  In  the 
family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Ferry  were 
six  children:  Emery  F.,  of  this  review; 
Mrs.  Amanda  Madison  and  Mrs.  Maria 
Cochran,  both  deceased;  Chester,  of  Oceana 
county,  Michigan  ;Chauncey,  who  is  living  in 
New  Troy,  this  county;  and  Mrs.  Jane  Sid- 
ley,  of  Oceana  county. 

Emery  Franklin  Ferry,  spending  his  boy- 
hood days  in  the  state  of  his  nativity,  ac- 
quired his  education  in  the  public  schools 
and  remained  a  resident  of  Pennsylvania 
until  the  fall  of  1856,  when  he  came 
to  Berrien  county,  settling  in  Oro- 
noko township.  He  had  resided  with 
his  parents  upon  the  home  farm  in 
the  Keystone  State  until  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  when  he  was  married.  He  brought 
his  wife  with  him  to  Michigan  and  rented 
land  in  Oronoko  township,  whereon  he  lived 
for  three  years,  his  time  being  given  to  the 


.792 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


^improvement  of  the  farm.  On  account  of 
"liis  wife's  illness  he  then  returned  to  Penn- 
sylvania, where  she  died  after  six  months. 
After  an  absence  of  a  year  Mr.  Ferry  again 
came  to  Berrien  county  and  took  up  his 
abode  upon  a  rented  farm  in  Oronoko  town- 
ship^ w4iere  he  lived  for  three  years.  He 
then  purchased  land  which  he  operated  until 
he  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Civil  war  as 
a  member  of  Company  K,  Twenty-fifth 
Michigan   Volunteer   Infantry,    in  August, 

1863.  The  company  was  commanded  by 
Captain  McKinney  and  the  first  engagement 
in  wdiich  Mr.  Ferry  participated  was  at  Tibbs 
Bend,  Kentucky,  where  a  thousand  Union 
troops  were  attacked  by  five  thousand  rebels. 
It  was  the  hardest  fight  in  which  he  partici- 
pated throughout  the  entire  war.  He  fol- 
lowed Morgan  through  Indiana  and  after- 
w^ard  returned  to  Lebanon,  Kentucky,  where 
for  a  time  he  was  in  camp.  The  divisions 
there  organized  and  went  south  to  Knox- 
ville,  Tennessee,  participating  in  an  engage- 
ment on  Mossy  Creek.  Subsequently  they 
proceeded  to  Chattanooga  and  later  partici- 
pated in  the  battles  of  the  Atlanta  campaign 
and  went  with  Sherman  on  the  march  to  the 
sea  and  through  the  Carolinas.  With  his 
command  Mr.  Ferry  returned  to  Nashville, 
Tennessee,  and  almost  the  last  engagement 
in  which  he  participated  was  with  Hood  at 
Nashville.  At  Chattanooga  he  became  ill 
wath  measles,  wdiich  effected  his  eyes  and  his 
left  lung.  He  was  sent  to  the  field  hospital 
and  did  duty  for  four  months  afterward, 
but  his  eyesight  kept  failing  and  he  was  dis- 
charged at  Madison,  Indiana,  in  December, 

1864.  He  returned  home  and  about  ten 
years  later  became  totally  blind.  He  was 
never  able  to  do  much  w^ork  after  his  return, 
his  eyes  paining  him  very  much  as  the  sight 
was  being  gradually  destroyed.  He  con- 
sulted many  physicians  and  took  treatment 
until  he  had  to  sell  his  farm  in  order  to  pay 
his  physicians'  bills.  He  came  to  Wesaw 
township  in  1866  and  has  resided  continu- 
ously since  upon  his  present  farm,  which 
comprises  one  hundred  acres  on  section  15. 
For  years  this  tract  of  land  has  been  oper- 
ated for  general  farming  purposes  and  Mr. 
Ferry  had  the  entire  place  cleared  and  put 


under  cultivation  and  the  farm  work  has 
been  carried  on  under  his  supervision  with 
the  result  that  it  has  brought  him  a  good 
financial  return,  so  that  he  has  been  enabled 
to  enjoy  the  comforts  of  life.  For  a  long 
time  the  government  granted  him  a  pension 
of  only  six  dollars  per  month  but  he  is  now 
drawing  a  pension  of  one  hundred  dollars 
per  month  and  this  is  certainly  well  deserved 
because  of  the  fact  that  he  made  so  great  a 
sacrifice  for  his  country. 

Mr.  Ferry  was  first  married  in  1855  to 
Miss  Samantha  Longwell,  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, who  died  after  a  short  but  happy 
married  life  of  four  years.  Their  only  child 
passed  away  in  infancy.  Mr.  Ferry  was  again 
married  in  Pennsylvania  to  Miss  Clara  Jack- 
son and  they  had  one  son,  Eugene,  w^ho 
died,  leaving  a  wndow^  and  two  children. 
For  his  third  wife  Mr.  Ferry  chose  Martha 
iHazen  and  they  had  four  children:  Clara 
and  Ida,  both  deceased;  and  two  who  died 
in  infancy.  For  his  fourth  wife  Mr.  Ferry 
chose  Martha  Thaxton,  a  native  of  Elkhart, 
Indiana,  who  came  to  this  county  in  early 
life.  There  were  several  children  born  of 
the  last  marriage,  seven  of  whom  are  now 
living:  John,  a  resident  of  Oronoko  town- 
ship; May,  the  wife  of  William  Flowers,  of 
Carlisle  Hill,  Indiana;  Alfred,  of  this  town- 
ship; Mrs.  Maud  Philippi,  who  died  leaving 
a  son,  Ralph,  who  is  living  with  his  grand- 
father; Charles,  who  died  of  typhoid  fever 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  years;  George,  who 
remains  at  home  and  operates  the  farm; 
Nora,  the  wife  of  Charles  Courteville,  who 
rents  a  farm  of  her  father  in  Wesaw  town- 
ship; Mina,  who  died  of  typhoid  fever  at 
the  same  time  her  brother  Charles  passed 
aw^ay;  Peter,  Olive  and  Clyde,  all  at  home; 
Clara,  deceased;  Etta;  and  Gertrude,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  three  years. 

Mr.  Ferry  has  been  a  life  long  Repub- 
lican and  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for 
John  C.  Fremont.  He  has  never  sought  or 
desired  office,  preferring  to  give  undivided 
attention  to  the  supervision  of  his  business 
affairs.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Saints 
Church  at  Galien  and  belongs  to  the  Grand 
Army  Post  there,  of  which  he  is  a  charter 
member.      He  is   a  man  of  fine  physique, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


793 


standing  six  feet  and  one  inch,  arid  his  many 
good  qualities  have  gained  him  the  esteem 
and  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he  is  as- 
sociated. 

MATHIAS  RIST,  whose  home  is  on 
section  6,  Three  Oaks  township,  where  he 
owns  and  operates  a  valuable  tract  of  land, 
dates  his  residence  in  this  county  from  1853 
and  is  therefore  numbered  among  its  pioneer 
settlers.  He  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Ger- 
many, November  6,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  Baptist  and  Josephine  (Lutter)  Rist, 
who  always  remained  residents  of  Bavaria, 
their  native  country.  They  had  a  family  of 
three  sons  :  Joseph,  who  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1865,  is  now  living  in  Galien  tow^n- 
ship;  Mathias,  of  this  review,  and  Edward, 
who  is  living  at  the  old  home  in  Bavaria. 

Between  the  ages  of  six  and  fourteen 
years  Mathias  Rist  attended  school  and  then 
herded  cattle  in  the  mountains  until  he  came 
to  the  United  States.  He  made  his  way 
alone  to  this  country,  attracted  by  its  greater 
business  oportunities  and  advantages  and  on 
the  6th  of  August,  1852,  landed  at  New 
York  from  the  sailing  ship,  Herman,  which 
had  weighed  anchor  at  Bremen  seven  weeks 
before.  He  then  proceeded  westward  to 
Detroit  and  went  to  work  on  the  construc- 
tion of  the  railroad,  which  was  being  built 
out  of  Windsor.  He  worked  on  the  railroad 
and  chopped  w^ood  for  a  time,  and  in  1853  he 
came  to  Three  Oaks,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided. His  first  purchase  of  land  made  him 
owner  of  thirty  acres  of  his  present  farm, 
which  now  comprises  two  hundred  and  tw^o 
and  a  half  acres  on  section  3,  Three  Oaks 
township.  He  also  has  ninety  acres  on  sec- 
tion 5  and  one  hundred  and  twelve  and  a 
half  acres  on  section  5.  He  has  cleared  the 
most  of  this  and  has  put  all  the  buildings 
upon  the  property,  making  modern  improve- 
ments in  keeping  with  the  present  ideas  of 
agricultural  progress  and  development.  The 
home  farm  lies  just  outside  the  corporation 
limits  of  Three  Oaks.  He  first  lived  here 
in  a  log  cabin  in  the  woods  and  there  was  no 
town  upon  the  present  site  of  the  now  pros- 
perous village.  He  has  devoted  fifty-three 
5^ears  to  the  development  of  the  home  place 
and  the  farm  in  its  splendid  appearance  in- 


dicates  his  careful  supervision,  his  practical 
methods  and  his  unfaltering  diligence. 

Mr.  Rist  was  married  in  1859,  to  Miss 
Theresa  Friedel,  who  was  born  in  Bavaria, 
February  19,  1843,  ^^d  came  to  Berrien 
county  in  1853  with  her  mother  to  join  the 
father,  who  had  previously  arrived.  She  is 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Cunigunda  (Fur- 
tembech)  Friedel,  both  of  whom  passed  away 
in  this  county.  Ten  children  have  been  born 
unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rist,  of  whom  two  died 
in  infancy.  The  others  are:  John,  a  resi- 
dent of  Michigan  City;  Joseph,  of  Three 
Oaks ;  Josephine,  the  wife  of  William  Hed- 
rick,  of  Michigan  City;  Mary,  at  home; 
Frank,  who  operates  the  home  farm ;  Henry, 
who  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Rist  Brothers, 
of  Three  Oaks ;  Mathias,  a  partner  of  Henry ; 
and  Edward,  at  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rist 
have  also  reared  a  niece,  Elizabeth,  who  is 
now  the  wife  of  Orin  C.  Keilson,  of  Niles. 

Mr.  Rist  in  1905  made  a  trip  back  to  his 
old  home  to  visit  his  youngest  brother  and 
spent  many  happy  hours  in  renewing  the  ac- 
quaintance of  his  youth  and  visiting  the 
scenes  amid  which  his  childhood  days  w^ere 
passed.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and 
he  belongs  to  the  Catholic  Church.  No  na- 
tive-born son  of  xA^merica  is  more  loyal  to 
the  interests  of  this  country  than  Mr.  Rist, 
who  has  ever  manifested  strong  allegiance 
to  the  stars  and  stripes,  for  under  the  banner 
of  this  country  he  has  prospered  and  is  now 
in  possession  of  an  excellent  farm,  whereon 
he  has  made  his  home  for  fifty-three  years. 

CHAUNCEY  SMITH,  who  is  located 
on  section  19,  Wesaw  township,  has  de- 
voted his  entire  life  to  general  agricultural 
pursuits  and  although  he  has  now  passed 
the  age  of  four  score  years  he  still  gives 
personal  supervision  to  his  place.  He  was 
born  in  Oswego  county.  New  York,  March 
21,  1824,  his  parents  being  David  and 
Martha  (Cable)  Smith,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Connecticut.  In  their  family  were 
seven  children,  of  whom  Chauncey  Smith 
was  the  youngest  and  the  only  one  now  liv- 
ing. His  boyhood  and  youth  were  unevent- 
fully passed  and  when  about  twenty  years 
of  age  he  went  to  Steuben  county.  New 
York,  settling  near  Dansville.     He  lived  in 


794 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


that  vicinity  until  1855,  when  he  came  direct 
to  this  township,  setthng  upon  his  present 
farm  in  1859.  In  1892,  however,  he  sold 
the  place  and  removed  to  Allegany  county, 
New  York,  but  after  nine  years  he  returned 
to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  and  again  pur- 
chased the  old  homestead.  His  entire  life 
has  been  devoted  to  general  farming  and 
he  now  has  forty  acres  of  well  improved  land 
on  section  19,  Wesaw  township.  He  has 
led  a  busy,  useful  and  active  life  and  what- 
ever he  has  undertaken  he  has  accomplished 
owing  to  his  perseverance  and  industry.  At 
all  times,  too,  he  has  been  thoroughly  reli- 
able in  his  business  affairs,  so  that  he  has 
commanded  the  trust  of  his  fellowmen. 

In  1848  Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Abigail  Carroll,  who  was  born 
in  Allegany  county.  New  York,  October  17, 
1830,  a  daughter  of  Richard  and  Dorcas 
(Hoskins)  Carroll,  natives  of  Pennsylvania 
and  New  York  respectively.  This  marriage 
has  been  blessed  with  the  following  named : 
Jay  Willet,  who  is  Hving  in  Hornell,  New 
York,  and  travels  for  a  publishing  house. 
Ambrose  Everett,  a  physician,  who  is  prac- 
ticing in  Olean,  New  York,  where  he  is  mak- 
ing a  specialty  of  the  diseases  of  the  eye, 
ear,  nose  and  throat ;  J.  Hoskins  of  Chicago, 
who  for  eighteen  years  has  been  a  teacher 
in  the  Eugene  Fields  school  of  that  city; 
Amy,  the  wnfe  of  John  A.  Thursby,  a  travel- 
ing man  residing  in  Madison,  Wisconsin; 
and  Wilbur  R.  C,  of  Atlanta,  Georgia,  who 
is  at  the  head  of  the  Trades  Journal,  in 
which  all  of  the  brothers  are  iilterested. 
All  of  the  members  of  this  family  have  been 
teachers  and  were  reared  here  upon  the  home 
farm.  The  Doctor,  J.  H.  and  W.  R.  C. 
Smith,  were  all  students  in  the  State  Agri- 
cultural College,  the  first  two  being  gradu- 
ates of  that  institution^  while  the  last  men- 
tioned spent  two  years  as  a  student  there. 
Dr.  Smith  is  also  a  graduate  of  Rush  Medi- 
cal College  and  spent  two  years  in  special 
work  in  the  line  of  his  profession  in  New 
York  city.  The  mother  was  also  a  success- 
ful school  teacher  in  early  life  and  was  de- 
termined that  her  children  should  be  pro- 
vided with  excellent  educational  privileges. 
This  plan  was  carried  out  and  by  liberal  men- 


tal training  they  were  well  prepared  for  life's 
practical  and  responsible  duties. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  at  Troy,  New  York^  and 
has  shaped  his  life  in  accordance  with  his 
religious  belief  and  the  teachings  of  the 
church.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  pro- 
hibitionist, supporting  the  party  which  em- 
bodies his  ideas  upon  the  temperance  ques- 
tion. He  has  lived  a  temperate,  honorable 
and  upright  life,  endorsing  those  principles 
and  rules  of  conduct  which  work  for  upright 
manhood  and  for  the  development  of  char- 
acter and  his  life  may  well  serve  as  a  source 
of  inspiration  and  encouragement  to  others. 

DANIEL  T.  FEATHER.  Active  in  the 
affairs  of  life  as  an  agriculturist  for  many 
years,  Daniel  T.  Feather  is  now  living  re- 
tired, having  won  a  measure  of  success  that 
now  enables  him  to  put  aside  the  more  ar- 
duous duties  of  the  farm  and  live  in  the 
enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil. 
He  makes  his  home  on  section  7,  Oronoko 
township,  and  is  numbered  among  Pennsyl- 
vania's native  sons  now  living  in  Berrien 
county.  His  birth  occurred  in  Northum- 
berland county  of  the  Keystone  state,  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1830,  and  in  a  family  of  five  sons 
and  one  daughter  he  was  the  second  in  or- 
der of  birth.  Mention  is  made  of  his  par- 
ents, Joshua  and  Mary  A.  (Smith)  Feather, 
elsewhere  in  this  volume  in  connection  Avith 
the  history  of  their  son,  Joshua  Feather. 

A  review  of  the  past  shows  Daniel  T. 
Feather  when,  a  little  lad:  of  six  summers, 
he  arrived  in  Berrien  county  with  his  par- 
ents, the  family  casting  their  lot  with  the 
pioneer  residents  of  Oronoko  township. 
They  shared  in  the  usual  experiences  and 
hardships  of  pioneer  life  and  wdien  a  boy  he 
attended  the  primitive  schools,  the  ''little 
tempel"  of  learning  being  a  log  building 
seated  w^ith  slab  benches.  There  was  a  long 
window  on  each  side  of  the  building  made 
by  removing  a  log  and  putting  glass  in  the 
aperture.  At  one  end  was  a  huge  fire  place 
and  the  smoke  made  its  egress  through  a 
mud  and  stick  chimney.  It  was  possible  to 
place  a  log  four  feet  in  length  upon 
the  fire.     At  the  other  end  of  the  room  sat 


> 

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HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


795 


the  teacher  and  a  rod  usuahy  hung  over  his 
desk  to  remind  the  dehnquent  pupils  that 
his  shortcomings  would  meet  a  proper  fate. 
It  was  in  the  winter  seasons  that  Mr.  Feather 
attended  such  schools,  while  in  the  summer 
months  from  an  early  age  he  worked  on  the 
farm,  aiding  in  clearing  and  cultivating  the 
land.  To  his  father  he  gave  the  benefit  of 
his  services  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years,  when  he  started  out  in  life 
for  himself,  beginning  farm  work  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  section  7,  Oronoko 
township.  He  remained  there  for  six  years 
and  then  removed  to  the  northeastern  part 
of  the  same  section  on  the  old  homestead. 
He  has  lived  in  this  portion  of  the  county 
for  three  score  years  and  ten — the  age 
usually  allotted  to  man,  and  he  has  been  a 
witness  of  the  growth  and  development  of 
the  county  for  a  longer  period  than  the  great 
majority  of  its  citizens. 

In  1852  Mr.  Feather  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Caroline  Bechtel,  a  daughter 
of  Jacob  and  Catherine  (Booscius)  Bechtel, 
who  in  1847  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michi- 
gan. Mrs.  Feather  was  born  in  Schuylkill 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and:  died  May  15, 
1905.  By  her  marriage  she  became  the 
mother  of  eight  children,  five  of  whom  still 
survive,  wdiile  three  died  in  infancy.  Those 
still  living  are :  Mary  M.,  the  wife  of  Ira 
R.  Stemm,  whose  life  record  is  given  on 
another  page  of  this  volume;  Rev.  Daniei 
J.  Feather,  who  is  a  minister  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church,  now  located  at  Mount  Pleas- 
ant, Michigan;  David  A.,  who  occupies  the 
old  home  farm;  Rev.  Franklin  J.  Feather,  a 
minister  of  the  Congregational  Church,  now 
preaching  near  Rockford,  in  Kent  county, 
Michigan ;  and  Jacob  C,  a  farmer  and  fruit- 
raiser  of  Hinchman.  Mr.  Feather  of  this 
review  has  thirteen  grandchildren  and  nine 
great-grandchildren,  all  of  wdiom  were  born 
in  Berrien  county  and  most  of  them  in 
Oronoko  township. 

As  the  years  passed  by  Daniel  T.  Feather 
has  done  much  surveying  in  Berrien  county 
and  has  settled  many  estates,  a  fact  which 
indicates  the  trust  reposed  in  him  and  proves 
his  thorough  reliability.  His  early  political 
allegiance  was  given  to  the  Democracy  but 
in  later  years  he  has  become  a  Prohibitionist, 


as  that  party  embodies  his  ideas  upon  the 
temperance  question.  He  has  been  closely 
associated  with  Berrien  county  and  its  in- 
terests for  seventy  years  and  has  stood  for 
progress  and  advancement  in  all  those  lines 
of  life  which  work  for  the  betterment  of 
mankind.  For  forty-seven  years  he  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church, 
active  and  zealous  in  its  work  and  was  the 
first  Sunday-school  superintendent  in  the 
Second  district  of  Oronoko  township.  He  is 
also  a  licensed  local  preacher  but  has  never 
acted  in  that  capacity.  He  has  labored, 
however,  for  the  grow^th  and  upbuilding  of 
the  church  and  his  influence  is  ever  on  the 
side  of  right,  justice  and  truth.  He  has 
acted  as  notary  public  for  twenty  years  and 
was  at  one  time  highway  commissioner.  In 
his  business  affairs  he  has  been  successful 
and  the  rest  that  he  is  enjoying  is  therefore 
well  merited.  In  the  early  days  he  greatly 
enjoyed  hunting  and  found  ample  oppor- 
tunity to  indulge  his  love  of  the  sport  be- 
cause deer  were  frequently  seen  in  the  coun- 
ty, while  smaller  game  was  also  very  plenti- 
ful. His  memory  covers  a  period  of  early 
pioneer  progress  and  improvement  as  wxll 
as  of  later  day  advancement  and  prosperity. 
He  can  remember  a  time  when  there  were 
few  roads  cut  through  the  forests,  the  trees 
stood  in  their  primeval  strength  and  gave 
shelter  not  only  to  wild  game  and  wild 
beasts  but  also  to  the  Indians  who  occasion- 
ally visited  the  district.  He  has  lived 
through  the  era  of  pioneer  homes  with  their 
primitive  furnishings — the  fire  place,  the 
tallow  candles,  etc.,  and  as  the  years  have 
gone  by  he  has  delighted  in  the  changes 
which  have  been  made  for  the  better  and 
has  kept  pace  with  the  universal  prog- 
ress. 

Mr.  Feather  has  one  of  the  parchment 
deeds  executed  February  10,  1852  and 
signed  by  President  Millard  Fillmore,  which 
is  a  souvenir  of  the  household,  and  another 
by  the  same  president  dated  November  i, 
1852,  and  the  oldest,  executed  April  i,  1831, 
and  signed  by  President  Andrew  Jackson, 
and  another  dated  May  i,  1839,  and  signed 
by  President  Martin  Van  Buren.  He  has  in 
his  possession  four  deeds  of  the  old  parch- 
ments. 


796 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


STEPHEN  SCOTT  was  born  in  St. 
Joseph  county,  Indiana,  eight  miles  north- 
west of  South  Bend,  on  Portage  Prairie, 
September  13,  1844.  His  parents  were 
George  Scott  and  Elizabeth  Leer  Scott. 
George  Scott  was  a  native  of  Culpeper 
county,  Virginia,  and  when  about  four  years 
of  age  moved  with  his  parents,  William  and 
Susan  (Nash)  Scott,  to  Logansport,  Indi- 
ana, with  one  horse  and  a  yoke  of  oxen.  He 
remained  there  a  short  time  then  removed  to 
St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  near  the  state 
line,  the  inhabitants  being  mostly  Indians, 
and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years  at 
Buchanan,  Michigan.  Elizabeth  Scott  was 
a  native  of  Ohio  and  came  to  St..  Joseph 
county,  Indiana,  in  an  early  day  and  died  at 
the  age  of  fifty-five  years.  Stephen  Scott 
was  one  of  the  family  of  seven  children : 
Mary  J.  Evans  of  Buchanan;  Susan  Page 
of  Elkhart,  Indiana ;  Stephen  Scott,  a  farmer 
of  South  Berrien  county,  Michigan;  Wil- 
liam Scott,  died  at  five  years  of  age;  Harriet 
Scott,  deceased;  George  R.  Scott,  a  farmer 
on  Portage  Prairie;  James  H.  Scott,  a  mill- 
wright of  South  Bend,  Indiana.  Stephen 
Scott  remained  on  the  farm  with  his  parents 
attending  school  during  the  winter  terms  and 
obtained  a  common  district  school  education. 
On  March  8,  1864,  he  enlisted  in  the  United 
States  service  in  Company  E,  Twelfth  Regi- 
ment, Michigan  Veteran  Volunteer  Infantry, 
to  serve  three  years  or  during  the  war  of 
the  rebellion,  and  on  March  21  left  home  and 
friends  for  the  front  to  participate  in  the 
hardships  and  privations  of  warfare.  He  was 
picket  guard  in  front  of  Columbus,  Ken- 
tucky, near  the  banks  of  the  old  Mississippi 
river.  May  17  started  on  Springfield  cam- 
paign; May  28  was  sunstruck  and  taken  to 
Little  Rock,  Arkansas;  June  26  and  27,  in 
the  fight  at  Clarendon ;  September  4,  in  fight 
at  Gregory's  Landing  and  afterward  engaged 
in  other  minor  engagements.  November  5, 
commissioned  corporal;  February  15,  1866, 
mustered  out  of  service  at  Camden,  Arkan- 
sas; March  6,  paid  off  and  discharged  at 
Jackson,  Michigan.  The  first  year  he  trav- 
eled over  three  thousand  miles.  He  remained 
at  home  on  the  farm  until  October  3,  1867. 
He  was  married  to  Sylvie  N.  Yaw,  her  par- 


ents were  Theodore     C.  Yaw  and  Nancy 
Waterhouse  Yaw. 

Theodore  Yaw  was  born  in  North 
Adams,  Massachusetts,  and  came  to  Berrien 
county  in  1852  and  located  near  Galien, 
Michigan.  Nancy  Yaw  was  born  in  Rut- 
land, Vermont,  and  came  to  Berrien  county 
in  1852,  and  is  now  living  at  Hunter,  Arkan 
sas,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years. 
Sylvie  N.  Yaw  Scott  is  one  of  a  family  of 
three  children  and  came  to  Berrien  county 
with  her  parents.  The  others  are:  Henry 
E.  Yaw,  a  mechanic  of  Hunter,  Arkansas, 
and  Abbie  Lowman  of  Los  Angeles,  Cali- 
fornia. 

Stephen  and  Sylvie  Scott  located  and 
bought  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  four  miles 
south  of  Buchanan  for  sixty-five  dollars  per 
acre  and  a  few  years  later  bought  an  ad- 
joining forty  acres  for  ninety  dollars  per 
acre.  Besides  owning  other  property  in  Bu- 
chanan he  has  improved  it  and  made  this 
a  model  home. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scott  two  children  were 
born.  James  E.  Scott,  born  November  25, 
1868,  and  is  now  rural  mail  carrier  on  route 
3,  from  Buchanan;  Francis  M.  Scott,  born 
April  25,  1874,  and  died  March  20,  1876. 
Mr.  Scott  had  visited  the  centennial  exposi- 
tions at  Philadelphia  in  1876,  the  world's 
fair  at  Chicago  in  1893,  and  G.  A.  R.  en- 
campments at  Minneapolis,  Detroit  and  Chi- 
cago. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scott  and  their  son  took 
a  pleasure  trip,  going  by  way  of  Chicago 
to  Dallas,  Texas,  and  here  visited  relatives 
and  from  thence  to  Galveston,  Texas,  and 
from  thence  by  boat  to  New  Orleans,  and  by 
boat  up  the  Mississippi  river  eight  days. to 
St.  Louis,  and  then  visited  relatives  in  Iowa. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scott  were  members  of  Cot- 
tage Hill  Grange.  After  filling  most  of  the 
minor  ofiices,  Mr.  Scott  was  elected  master 
of  that  body  for  two  years  in  1878.  He  be- 
came a  member  of  William  Perrott  Post  No. 
22,  G.  A.  R.,  and  was  elected  post  commander 
for  one  year  in  1879 ;  was  made  a  member  of 
Buchanan  lodge.  No.  68,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
after  holding  some  of  the  minor  offices  for 
eleven  years  in  succession,  in  1890  was  elected 
master  of  the  lodge  for  two  years  in  succes- 
sion, and  in  1899  ^^^  1890  was  again  elected 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


797 


their  master  for  two  years  more,  making 
four  years  as  a  presiding  officer  over  that 
august  body  and  attending  grand  lodges  at 
Lansing,  Grand  Rapids,  Muskegon  and  De- 
troit. He  also  was  a  member  of  St.  Joseph 
Valley  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Niles  Com- 
mandery,  No.  12,  K.  T.,  and  a  member  of 
the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star,  having  held 
the  office  of  worthy  patron  for  two  years. 
Mr.  Scott  has  been  appointed  to  many  im- 
portant positions,  such  as  appraising  proper- 
ties, appraising  railroad  damages  and  has 
been  drawn  on  the  regular  panel  of  jurors 
for  the  circuit  court  of  Berrien  county  for 
five  terms  and  two  specials.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics  and  has  been  an  active 
w^orker  in  that  line. 

Mrs.  Scott  has  also  been  very  active  in 
promoting  the  welfare  of  her  many  friends. 
She  was  an  active  member  of  the  Woman's 
Relief  Corps  for  many  years,  holding  the 
highest  office  for  a  number  of  years,  and  a 
member  of  the  S.  F.  A.  Association,  holding 
the  office  of  president  for  several  years,  and 
in  1890  after  much  controversy  succeeded 
in  organizing  a  chapter  of  the  order  of  the 
Eastern  Star  in  Buchanan,  which  w^as  named 
for  her  (Sylvie  Chapter).  It  was  organized 
with  thirty-five  charter  members  and  in  a 
short  time  the  membership  was  increased  to 
over  one  hundred.  She  was  elected  w^orthy 
matron  and  was  its  presiding  officer  for  two 
years.  Stephen  Scott  has  traveled  over  a 
part  of  twenty-four  different  states  and 
Canada. 

JACOB  BROWER.  There  is  no  open 
road  to  success  without  its  hindrances  and  its 
obstacles,  but  prosperity  may  always  be  won 
by  determined,  persistent  effort,  guided  by 
sound  judgment  and  accompanied  by  a  utili- 
zation of  opportunities  which  are  common 
to  all,  and  a  recognition  of  this  fact  has  led 
to  the  success  now  enjoyed  by  Jacob  Brower, 
who  is  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade  in  Three 
Oaks.  He  was  born  in  Vriesland,  Holland, 
December  31,  1864.  His  parents  were  Nich- 
olas and  Clara  (Plantinga)  Brower.  The 
father  died  when  his  son  Jacob  was  only 
nine  years  of  age  and  the  mother  is  still  liv- 
ing in  Holland.  She  was  left  in  very  limited 
financial  circumstances  with  eight  children 


to  support,  the  oldest  being  then  but  four- 
teen years  of  age.  Her  brother,  a  contractor^ 
who  lived  some  distance  away,  however, 
helped  her  considerably  in  the  support  of  her 
family.  He  took  Jacob  Brower  and  kept  him 
until  he  came  to  the  United  States  and  when 
a  youth  of  fifteen  years  Jacob  Brower  was 
making  a  dollar  and  a  half  per  day,  but  he 
came  to  America  to  avoid  military  service. 
He  had  been  drawn  for  ten  years'  service  in 
the  army  and  was  to  be  placed  on  a  gun  boat. 
His  mother  and  uncle  objected  so  seriously, 
however,  to  his  entering  the  navy  that  he 
came  to  the  United  States.  He  was  in  school 
until  fourteen  years  of  age,  after  which  he 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  attended 
the  evening  school  until  seventeen  years  of 
age.  He  then  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the 
United  States,  reaching  Chicago  on  the  28th 
of  May,  1884.  He  remained  in  that  city  un- 
til December  and  was  ill  for  six  wrecks  of 
the  time.  He  secured  employment  with  a 
contractor,  who  paid  him  a  dollar  and  a  half 
per  day  during  the  four  weeks  that  he  was 
in  his  service.  In  Europe  the  trade  was 
somewhat  different  and  Mr.  Brower  had  not 
only  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  but  also 
the  mason's  trade,  being  thoroughly  familiar 
with  the  builder's  art  in  every  department. 
Within  four  week's  time,  through  close  ap- 
plication and  attention  Mr.  Bower  had  gained 
a  considerable  knowledge  of  the  English 
tongue  and  his  services  were  therefore  ren- 
dered more  effective.  His  wages  were  raised 
to  a  dollar  and  seventy-five  cents  per  day, 
later  to  two  dollars  and  subsequently  to  two 
dollars  and  a  quarter.  In  the  fall  he  began 
contracting  on  his  own  account,  his  first  in- 
dependent work  being  the  erection  of  a  house 
at  a  cost  of  twelve  hundred  dollars. 

In  December  he  came  to  Three  Oaks, 
where  he  began  cutting  wood  for  Godfrey 
Schelley  for  forty  cents  per  cord,  being  thus 
employed  until  the  succeeding  spring,  when 
he  began  farming,  spending  one  season  at 
agricultural  labor.  He  then  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  E.  K.  Warren  in  his  charcoal  camp 
as  timekeeper  and  overseer  of  the  erection 
of  the  buildings,  serving  under  Dwight  War- 
ren for  one  year,  when  Dwight  Warren  left 
and  Mr.  Brower  became  foreman  of  forty 
wood  choppers  and  teamsters.    For  one  year 


798 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


he  was  foreman  in  control  of  the  entire 
camp.  On  leaving  Mr.  Warren's  employ  he 
began  working  at  his  trade  of  •  contracting 
and  building  in  Three  Oaks.  He  employed 
from  two  to  five  men  and  was  thus  engaged 
for  three  or  four  years.  Gradually  he  began 
supplying  himself  with  building  materials 
and  developed  his  present  business — that  of 
dealer  in  lumber  and  building  materials. 
When  four  years  had  passed  he  concentrated 
his  energies  entirely  upon  this  line  of  busi- 
ness and  has  since  conducted  a  well  equipped 
lumber  yard.  About  six  years  ago  he  took 
a  contract  for  building  several  dwellings  for 
E.  K.  Warren,  but  regards  this  contracting 
and  building  operation  as  secondary  to  the 
lumber  business.  He  has  for  the  past  six 
years  conducted  a  lumberyard  at  Galien  as 
well  as  at  Three  Oaks  and  has  a  profitable 
business,  enjoying  large  sales  which  return 
to  him  a  very  gratifying  income. 

On  the  26th  of  September,  1888,  Mr. 
Brower  married  Miss  Jennie  Agema,  who 
was  born  in  Vriesland,  Holland,  in  the  year 
1866  and  came  to  America  in  1870  with  her 
parents,  Garrett  and  Winnie  (Haekstra) 
Agema.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brower  were 
born  eight  children :  Sophia,  Claud,  Win- 
nie, Garry,  Ernest,  Henry,  Tinnie  and  a 
baby  unnamed. 

Mr.  Brower  is  a  Republican  in  his  politi- 
cal views,  having  supported  the  party  since 
becoming  a  naturalized  American  citizen. 
He  belongs  to  the  Holland  Church  and  is  an 
enterprising,  energetic  business  man,  whose 
life  record  is  creditable  alike  to  the  land  of 
his  birth  and  the  land  of  his  adoption.  He 
is  a  typical  business  man,  wide  awake  and 
alert,  watchful  of  opportunities  and  quick 
to  improve  every  advantage  which  comes  to 
him  and  thus  he  has  gained  a  well  merited 
and  gratifying  success,  working  his  way  up- 
ward from  the  position  of  a  humble  trades- 
man to  that  of  a  prosperous  merchant. 

ELMORE  C.  SPAULDING.  Occupied 
Avith  farming  interests  that  are  a  gratifying 
source  of  income,  Elmore  C.  Spaulding  lives 
on  section  23,  Oronoko  township,  where  he 
has  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land, 
which  he  owns  and  operates.  The  farm  is 
devoted  to  diversified  crops  and  the  methods 


of  cultivation  there  employed  indicate  an 
enterprising  spirit  in  touch  with  ideas  of 
modern  progress  in  farm  life.  Mr.  Spauld- 
ing was  born  in  Somerset  county,  Maine, 
May  6,  1852,  and  in  a  family  of  six  children, 
three  sons  and  three  daughters,  he  was  the 
third  child  and  second  son.  His  father, 
Timothy  C.  Spaulding,  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation,  re- 
moved to  Maine  when  a  young  man  and  was 
married  in  the  Pine  Tree  State  to  Miss 
Helena  Wells,  a  native  of  Somerset  county, 
Maine.  The  year  1863  witnessed  their  ar- 
rival in  Berrien  Springs,  Michigan,  and  soon 
afterward  the  father  purchased  the  farm  up- 
on which  his  son  Elmore  now  resides.  He 
gave  his  attention  to  general  agricultural 
pursuits  for  a  considerable  period,  and  died 
at  the  advanced  age  of  about  eighty  years. 
He  had  been  a  life  long  Democrat  and  held 
various  local  offices,  proving  his  worth  as  a 
a  citizen  in  his  township  and  wherever  he 
was  known.  His  widow  still  survives  him 
at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years  and  is  esteemed 
by  young  and  old,  rich  and  poor. 

Elmore  C.  Spaulding  was  a  youth  of 
eleven  years  when  he  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  their  removal  to  Berrien  county, 
Michigan  and  his  education,  which  was  be- 
gun in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  place, 
was  continued  in  the  graded  schools  of  Ber- 
rien Springs.  He  remained  at  home  through 
the  period  of  his  minority,  assisting  in  the 
farm  work  and  on  starting  out  in  life  for 
himself  he  was  married  November  16,  1876, 
to  Miss  Harriet  L.  Shearer,  and  thus  estab- 
lished a  home  of  his  own.  Mrs.  Elmore  C. 
Spaulding  was  born  in  Berrien  township 
February  25,  1855,  and  is  the  second  in  a 
family  of  five  children — one  son  and  four 
daughters — born  to  Jeremiah  and  Sarah 
(Shearer)  Shearer.  There  are  three  living 
and  two  of  the  family  are  residents  of  Ber- 
rien county  and  the  sister,  Mrs.  Lora  Rich- 
mond, is  a  resident  of  Beaver  Falls,  Penn- 
sylvania. The  father  was  born  in  Carroll 
county,  Ohio,  June  15,  1828,  and  died 
March  2j,  1897.  He  was  an  agriculturist, 
was  well  educated  and  in  his  early  years 
w;as  a  teacher.  Politically  he  was  a  Repub- 
lican. He  and  his  wife  were  members  of 
the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church.     He  owned 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


799 


land  in  Oronoko  township  upon  which  his 
wife  now  resides.  Mother  Shearer  was  born 
in  Stark  county^  Ohio^  September  24,  1831, 
and  is  yet  Hving,  over  a  three- fourths  of  a 
century  old.  Mrs.  Spaulding  was  reared  and 
educated  in  her  native  county. 

The  following  are  the  children  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spaulding:  Clyde  E.,  grad- 
uated from  the  Berrien  Springs  high  school 
in  the  class  of  1898.  He  married  Miss  Ruth 
Boyd,  and  resides  in  Berrien  Springs.  He 
is  mail  carrier.  Arthur  also  graduated  in 
the  same  school  in  the  class  of  1900,  and  he 
married  Miss  Evelyn  Minnemire.  He  car- 
ries on  the  farming  of  his  father's  farm. 
Lester  A.,  who  almost  finished  the  free 
course  of  high  school  at  the  Springs.  He 
wedded  Miss  Lisa  Lawrence  and  one  little; 
son,  Lawrence,  was  born  to  them. 

Mrs.  Elmore  Spaulding  is  a  member  of 
the  United  Brethren  Church  of  Berrien 
Springs.  Her  people  were  pioneer  settlers 
of  the  county,  her  father,  Jeremiah  Shearer, 
coming  from  Ohio  to  Michigan  when  this 
was  a  frontier  district  and  assisting  in  its 
early  development. 

Mr.  Spaulding  votes  with  the  Democracy 
and  has  served  as  township  treasurer  for  two 
terms.  He  is  also  justice  of  the  peace  and  his 
decisions  are  strictly  fair  and  impartial.  His 
residence  in  Berrien  county  covers  forty-two 
years,  during  which  time  he  has  taken  an 
active  interest  in  public  affairs  to  the  better- 
ment of  the  county  and  the  advancement  of 
its  welfare  along  material,  intellectual,  politi- 
cal and  moral  lines. 

JACOB  C.  KRIEGER  was  born  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  lives  in  Bainbridge  town- 
sliip^  August  4,  1858,  a  fact  which  indicates 
that  in  the  early  period  of  progress  and  de- 
velopment here  his  parents  had  become  resi- 
dents of  Berrien  county.  He  is  a  son  of 
Christian  and  Caroline  (Shearer)  Krieger. 
Christian  Krieger  arrived  in  this  county  a 
year  or  two  before  his  wife  came  and  they 
were  married  here.  She  had  a  brother, 
Christian  Shearer,  living  in  Bainbridge 
township  and  with  whom  she  resided  until 
she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Mr. 
Krieger.  They  began  their  domestic,  life 
in  a  log  cabin  and  later  he  erected  a  more 


commodious  residence  to  replace  this  pioneer 
home,  which,  however,  is  still  standing.  He 
had  forty-nine  acres  of  land  in  the  home 
place  and  forty  acres  a  half  mile  south,  to- 
gether with  forty  acres  on  Territorial  road 
about  two  miles  south.  Mr.  Krieger  secured 
about  thirty  acres  of  the  home  place  and  set 
out  apple  and  peach  trees.  His  dea'th,  how- 
ever, occurred  when  he  was  but  forty-four 
years  of  age,  so  that  he  did  not  live  to  see 
his  orchards  come  into  bearing.  He  left  a 
widow  with  seven  sons,  the  eldest  being  but 
fourteen  years  of  age.  She  remained  upon 
the  old  homestead  and  to  the  best  of  her 
ability  cared  for  her  children.  One  of  the 
sons,  Ferdinand,  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years,  and  the  mother  passed  away  when 
about  fifty  years  of  age.  The  sons  of  the 
family  were  John,  now  living  in  St.  Joseph, 
where  he  is  engaged  in  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness; Peter,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years;  Jacob;  Charlie,  a  barber  of  Chi- 
cago, who  died  in  Bainbridge  township  at 
the  age  of  thirty-five ;  Albert,  living  in  Bain- 
bridge township;  William,  of  Benton  Har- 
bor; and  Ferdinand,  Avho,  as  stated,  died 
at  the  age  of  eighteen. 

Jacob  C.  Krieger  remained  at  home  until 
his  mother's  death,  which  occurred  when 
he  was  about  twenty  years  of  age.  He  after- 
ward worked  in  Benton  Harbor  at  packing 
apples,  etc.,  and  worked  the  home  place  two 
years  before  marrying.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-three  he  wedded  Miss  Sarah  Lind- 
seymeier,  also  of  Bainbridge  township,  then 
a  young  lady  of  eighteen  years,  since 
which  time  he  has  devoted  his  a-t- 
tention  to  the  cultivation  and  improve- 
ment of  the  old  homestead  which  he 
purchased.  It  is  a  fruit  farm  with  thirty- 
five  acres  utilized  for  horticultural  interests. 
He  has  fifteen  acres  of  peaches,  also  many 
pear  and  apple  trees  and  much  small  fruit 
and  his  sale  of  fruit  for  the  year  1905 
brought  him  two  thousand  dollars.  He  is 
enlarging  his  business  in  this  direction,  an- 
nually setting  out  more  trees  and  he  has 
recently  erected  a  new  residence.  He  has 
also  rebuilt  the  barn,  which  is  thirty-six  by 
fifty-four  feet  and  upon  the  place  is  a  well 
and  windmill  with  water  piped  to  the  barn. 
In  fact  all  of  the  modern  accessories  found 


8oo 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


upon  a  fruit  farm  are  here  seen  and  his  place 
is  ahogether  a  model  property. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Krieger  have  been 
born  six  children :  Wallace,  Ida,  Maud,  Car- 
rie, Esther  and  Earl,  all  at  home.  Mrs. 
Krieger  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  while  Mr.  Krieger's  member- 
ship relations  are  with  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World.  She  is  identified  with  the  Maccabees 
and  the  Grange.  In  his  political  views  Mr. 
Krieger  is  a  Democrat  but  while  he  keeps 
well  informed  on  the  questions  and  issues 
of  the  day  he  is  not  an  aspirant  for  office 
and  on  the  contrary  prefers  to  give  his  un- 
divided attention  to  his  business  affairs  which 
are  now  bringing  him  well  merited  success. 

JOHN  W.   FAY,  living  in  Watervliet 
township,  devotes  his  time  and  energies  to  the 
dairy  business  and  horticultural  pursuits.  He 
was  born  in  Malone,  Franklin  county,  New 
York,   the  town   in   which   Vice   President 
Wheeler  was  a  banker  and  in  which  he  lived 
when   elected   to   the  second  highest  office 
within  the  gift  of  the  people  of  the  United 
States.     Isaac  Fay,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  a  contractor  and  builder  and  erected  the 
Wheeler  home  at  Malone.     He  was  also  a 
machinist  and  he  was  killed  at  Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania,   while  serving   in   the   army, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-seven  years.     His  wife 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Julia  Baldwin,  and 
was  a  daughter  of  John  Baldwin  of  Burk, 
New  York.     At  her  husband's   death   she 
was  left  a  widow  with  three  children,  and 
in  1864  she  came  to  Michigan,  being  led  to 
this  state  by  the  fact  that  she  had  a  brother 
and  sister  living  here.     Her  brother,  Moses 
Baldwin,  is  a  resident  of  Van  Buren  coun- 
ty.     Her   sisters   are   Miss    Polly   Baldwin 
and   Mrs.    Martha   Hawks,   both   deceased. 
These  members  of  the  family  have  been  resi- 
dents of  Michigan  for  several  years.     On 
arriving  in  this  state  Mrs.   Fay  secured  a 
place    one-half    mile   east    of   the    Stickney 
schoolhouse  in   Watervliet  township.      She 
had  forty  acres  of  land,  and  after  paying 
for  her  home  had  but  little  money  remain- 
ing.   Her  eldest  child  was  only  ten  years  of 
age.     In  the  management  of  her  property 
and  the  care  of  her  family  she  displayed  ex- 
cellent ability,  marked  business  capacity  and 


executive  force.  She  possessed  great  energy 
and  was  an  untiring  worker  and  she  lived 
upon  the  original  homestead  until  about 
three  years  ago,  since  which  time  she  has 
resided  with  her  son,  Fred  O.,  at  Paw  Paw 
Lake.  She  reached  the  age  of  seventy-seven 
years  on  the  4th  of  July,  1906,  and  is  a  well 
preserved  lady,  independent  in  spirit  and 
possessed  of  many  excellent  traits  of  char- 
acter which  throughout  her  life  have  won 
her  the  esteem,  confidence  and  good 
will  of  all  with  whom  she  has  come  in  con- 
tact. She  has  a  brother  still  living  at  the 
old  home  at  Burk,  New  York,  who  is  six 
years  older  than  herself.  By  her  marriage 
she  became  the  mother  of  three  children : 
John  W.,  who  was  born  November  13,  1854; 
Fred  O.,  who  is  proprietor  of  the  Bay  View 
Hotel,  at  Paw  Paw  Lake;  and  Eva,  the  wife 
of  Adelbert  Easton,  who  is  conducting  a 
boarding  house  at  Paw  Paw  Lake. 

John  W.  Fay  was  only  about  ten  years 
of  age  when  his  mother  removed  from  New 
York  to  Michigan.     He  remained  at  home 
and   assisted   her   in   the   farm   work   until 
twenty-four  years  of  age,  clearing  the  land 
and   placing   it   under   cultivation,    so    that 
when   he  left   his  mother  she  had  a  good 
home  with  forty  acres  of  rich  and  productive 
land  that  had  greatly  increased  in  value.    At 
twenty-four  years  of  age  he  made  prepara- 
tion for  having  a  home  of  his  own  by  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Viola  E.   Peacock,   then 
of  Watervliet.     She  was  born  in  Van  Buren 
county,  Michigan.     Mr.  Fay  already  owned 
a    part    of    his    present    place,    wdiich    was 
partially  cleared  although  but  few  improve- 
ments had  been  made  thereon.     He  started 
out  in  life  empty-handed,  and  in  addition  to 
the  tract  of  land  which  he  owned  he  rented 
forty  acres,  which  he  afterward  purchased. 
He  went  in  debt  for  ah  of  his  land  but  as 
the  years  passed  he  cleared  it  of  all  financial 
obligation  and  he  now  has  about  sixty-five 
acres  of  rich  and  productive  land  under  culti- 
vation.    His  farm  has  been  made  by  him 
and  his  attention  for  a  number  of  years  was 
largely  devoted  to  grain  growing.     He  then 
set  out  much  fruit  and  has  since  added  a 
dairy  business,  his  attention  being  now  given 
to   horticultural   pursuits   and   to   dairying. 
His  farm  is  only  about  one  hundred  rods 


;:^^^:*>^^»^->v 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


8or 


east  of  Paw  Paw  Lake,  and  for  years  his 
place  has  been  a  resort  for  summer  boarders, 
which  has  been  an  important  feature  of  his 
business.  He  has  erected  a  handsome  resi- 
dence here  on  a  deh'ghtful  location  within 
view  of  Paw  Paw  Lake  and  within  two  and 
a  half  miles  of  Watervliet. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fay  have  been  born 
five  children:  Emma  E.,  who  is  a  milliner 
by  trade;  Isaac  Walter  on  the  home  farm; 
Fred  A.,  who  spends  his  time  largely  in 
Chicago;  Julia  J.;  and  Miles  E. 

Mr.  Fay  is  a  Republican,  and  has  taken 
an  active  and  helpful  interest  in  the  work 
of  the  party,   frequently  attending  its  con- 
ventions, yet  never  seeking  office  as  a  re- 
ward for  party  fealty.     He  belongs  to  the 
Modern    Woodmen,    the    Knights    of    the 
Maccabees,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  and  for  twenty-six  years  has  been 
connected  with  the  Knights  of  Honor.     He 
has  passed  all  of  the  chairs  of  Watervliet 
lodge,   No.  2145,  in  the  latter  and  is  now 
guide  in  the   grand   lodge  of  the  state,   in 
which  capacity  he  has  served  for  six  years. 
He  is  a  man  who  in  fraternal,   social  and 
business  relations  commands  the  confidence 
and  good  will  of  all  wdth  whom  he  has  come 
in  contact  and  his  life  record  is  commendable 
in  that  he  has  achieved  success  without  as- 
sistance  from   others,   overcoming  all  diffi- 
culties in  his  path,  working  his  w^ay  upward 
with  a  realization  of  the  fact  that  prosperity 
may  be  gained  through  determined  and  un- 
faltering labor.     He  has  worked  persistently 
and    energetically,    and    while    winning    a 
handsome  competence  he  has  also  gained  a 
good  name. 

CHARLES  MILLER,  superintendent 
of  the  Berrien  County  Infirmary,  was  born 
in  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  December  i, 
1845.  His  father,  Joseph  Miller,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  in  which  country  he  was 
reared  and  married.  He  wedded  Miss  Cath- 
arine Manning,  likewise  born  in  Germany, 
and  on  coming  to  America  they  settled  at 
New  Orleans  but  after  a  short  period  came 
north  to  Indiana.  A  brief  period  was  passed 
in  that  state  and  Mr.  Miller  then  returned 
to  New  Orleans  but  later  became  a  resident 
51 


of  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  where  he  died  at 
the  age  of  sixty-seven  years.  In  the  mean- 
time, however,  he  had  made  a  trip  to  Ger- 
many, and  while  in  that  country  his  wife 
passed  away.  In  their  family  were  five  chil- 
dren. 

Charles  Miller,  the  youngest,  was  but  a 
lad  when  his  parents  went  to  the  fatherland. 
Much  of  his  youth  was  spent  in  Indiana  and 
he  was  in  Indianapolis  when  Oliver  Morton 
was  governor  of  that  state  and  did  many 
chores  for  him.     He  resided  for  a  time  in 
Wisconsin   and   about    1865   located   in    St. 
Joseph,  Michigan,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
the  milling  business.    He  was  also  connected 
with   a   surveying  party  that  surveyed  the 
West    Michigan    Railroad,    now    the    Pere 
Marquette.     Later  he  returned  to  the  mill, 
having  charge   of  the  interests   of  the   St. 
Joseph  Milling  Company  as  head  miller  for 
about  twelve  years.     On  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  engaged  in  merchandising  in 
his  own  building  in  St.  Joseph  and  to  the 
business    devoted    the    succeeding    decade^ 
meeting  with  good  success  in  the  conduct 
of  his  store.     After  selling  out  he  became 
city  treasurer  of  St.  Joseph,  which  office  he 
held  for  two  terms  and  he  also  served  as 
supervisor   for  six   consecutive   years.      He 
was  likewise  a  member  of  the  city  council 
and  was  closely  and  actively  identified  with 
the  interests  of  St.  Joseph  and  the  county. 
He  was  also  one  of  the  prime  movers  in  the 
organization  of  the  St.  Joseph  Improvement 
Association  and  through  this  means  as  well 
as  in  public  office  he  contributed  to  the  prog- 
ress and  substantial  upbuilding  of  the  city. 
Three  times  he  was  appointed  superintend- 
ent   of    the    poor,    occupying   that    position 
until    appointed    superintendent   of   the    in- 
firmary in  1906,  in  which  capacity  he  is  now 
serving. 

On  the  20th  of  May,  1875,  Mr.  Miller 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Berg, 
who  was  born  in  Berrien  county,  a  daughter 
of  Simon  Berg,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this 
part  of  the  state.  This  marriage  has  been 
blessed  with  seven  children,  four  sons  and 
three  daughters,  namely:  Simon  C,  who 
married  Miss  Pearl  Stanley  and  resides  in 
St.   Louis,  Missouri;  Joseph  J.,   who  mar- 


802 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


ried  Miss  Helen  Stoltz,  and  lives  in  Chi-" 
cago;  George,  Charles,  Catherine,  Ellen 
and  Mary,  all  at  home.  For  over  thirty 
years  Mr.  Miller  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity  and  he  also  holds 
membership  relations  with  the  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees.  His  residence  in  the  county 
covers  a  period  of  forty  years  and  he  is 
well  known  here.  His  business  relations 
and  public  service  have  brought  him  a  wide 
acquaintance,  and  investigation  into  his  his- 
tory shows  much  that  is  commendable  and 
worthy  of  emulation. 

HON.  JAMES  L.  McKIE  is  a  factor 
in  business  life  and  political  circles  in  Ber- 
rien county  and  w^ell  deserves  prominent 
mention  in  its  history.  He  is  now  proprietor 
of  the  largest  general  store  in  Three  Oaks 
and  is  also  president  of  the  creamery  com- 
pany, and  his  diligence  and  keen  discrimina- 
tion have  contributed  in  substantial  measure 
to  the  advancement,  general  prosperity  and 
improvement.  He  has  likewise  found  time 
and  opportunity  to  inform  himself  thor- 
oughly concerning  the  great  questions  which 
work  for  the  weal  or  woe  of  the  nation,  and 
has  twice  represented  his  district  in  the  state 
legislature. 

Mr.  McKie  was  born  in  Neshoba  coun- 
ty, Mississippi,  February  lo,  1837,  a  son  of 
Thomas  and  Anna  L.  (Lewis)  McKie,  na- 
tives of  Scotland  and  England  respectively. 
They  came  to  America  in  early  life  and 
were  married  in  this  country.  The  father 
devoted  his  time  and  energies  throughout 
his  business  career  to  general  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  died  at 
Three  Oaks,  Mr.  McKie  passing  away  at 
the  age  of  sixty-four  years^  while  his  wife 
reached  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  In 
their  family  w^ere  five  children :  James  L. ; 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Bommerscheim,  a  widow  re- 
siding in  Three  Oaks;  Mrs.  Annie  S.  Vin- 
cent, a  widow  living  in  Oklahoma ;  Edward 
H.,  a  resident  of  Three  Oaks  township;  and 
Thomas  J.,  also  living  in  the  same  locality. 

When  James  L.  McKie  was  about  six 
years  of  age  his  parents  removed  from  Mis- 
sissippi to  Bond  county,  Illinois.  He  spent 
about  ten  years  on  the  farm,  and  after  at- 


tending the  district  schools  was  for  two 
terms  a  student  in  the  village  academy.  He 
came  to  this  county  in  November,  1854,  and 
on  the  23d  of  May,  1855,  took  up  his  abode 
in  Three  Oaks,  where  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  Henry  Chamberlain  as  a  clerk  in  his 
general  store,  remaining  there  for  about 
four  years.  In  1859  he  removed  to  Niles, 
where  he  remained  until  the  24th  of  April, 
1 86 1.  He  spent  six  years  in  the  grocery 
store  of  Henry  H.  Pike  for  one  year  and  was 
in  Perkins  Morris'  dry  goods  store.  In 
April,  1 86 1,  however,  he  returned  to  Three 
Oaks,  where  he  has  resided  continuously 
since,  and  for  three  years  he  was  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Chamberlain,  McKie  &  Com- 
pany. In  1864  the  firm  of  McKie  &  Warren 
was  formed,  his  partner  being  E.  K.  War- 
ren, and  this  relation  was  maintained  until 
1877.  Mr.  McKie  was  then  alone  in  busi- 
ness until  1885,  when  the  firm  of  McKie  & 
Vincent  was  formed,  having  a  continuous 
existence  until  1893,  since  which  time  Mr. 
McKie  has  been  without  a  partner.  He  has 
been  located  for  nineteen  years  in  his  pres- 
ent store  and  for  nineteen  years  was  next 
door.  In  1887  he  built  a  fine  brick  building 
twenty-five  by  one  hundred  feet  and  here 
he  carries  a  large  line  of  gry  goods,  cloth- 
ing and  shoes,  having  the  largest  store  of 
the  kind  in  the  town.  His  business  is  ex- 
tensive and  his  stock  is  large  and  well  suited 
to  the  varied  tastes  of  the  general  public. 
His  methods,  too^  are  such  as  need  no  dis- 
guise but  will  bear  the  closest  investigation 
and  scrutiny,  and  as  the  years  have  gone 
by  he  has  made  a  most  creditable  record 
as  a  merchant  and  business  man.  For  the 
past  ten  years  he  has  been  treasurer  of  the 
Three  Oaks  Creamery  Company. 

In  1862  Mr.  McKie  was  married  to 
Hattie  M.  Black,  a  native  of  Ashburnham, 
Massachusetts,  a  daughter  of  Horace  and 
Harriet  Black.  They  have  become  the  par- 
ents of  three  daughters :  Jennie,  now  the 
w^ife  of  Dr.  T.  A.  Davis,  of  Chicago;  Addie, 
at  home ;  and  Helen,  the  wife  of  Fred  E. 
Ludke,  of  Three  Oaks. 

Mr.  McKie  is  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the 
Democracy,  having  continuously  voted  for 
the  man  and  measures  of  the  party  since 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


803 


casting  his  first  presidential  ballot  for 
Stephen  A.  Douglas  in  i860.  He  has  been 
supervisor  of  the  township  for  five  terms 
and  a  member  of  the  legislature  for  two 
terms,  having  been  elected  in  1884  and 
again  in  1886,  while  in  1888  he  was  a  candi- 
date for  the  state  senate.  Since  his  retire- 
ment from  the  legislature  he  has  been  active 
in  politics  but  has  confined  his  attention  to 
his  business  affairs  and  to  the  promotion  of 
community  interests  as  a  private  citizen.  He 
has  been  township  clerk  and  treasurer  and 
has  also  held  some  school  offices,  acting 
on  the  board  of  education  for  ten  years.  He 
has  also  been  president  of  the  village  for  a 
number  of  terms  and  his  public  service  has 
been  characterized  by  the  utmost  devotion 
to  the  general  good.  He  is  a  public-spirited 
man  and  his  labors  have  been  effective  in 
advancing  the  general  welfare.  He  belongs 
to  the  Congregational  Church  and  is  very 
active  in  its  work.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  de- 
termined purpose  and  earnest  manner,  carry- 
ing on  his  business  interests  persistently  and 
energetically  and  the  success  which  has 
come  to  him  together  with  his  straight- 
forward methods  has  caused  him  to  be 
highly  regarded  by  all  who  have  had  the 
opportunity  of  meeting  him,  and  no  citizen 
stands  higher  in  the  esteem  and  honor  of 
his  fellow  townsmen  than  does  James  L. 
McKie. 

JOHN  T.  VANDERVEER,  living  on 
section  5,  Watervliet  township,  owns  a  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  rich  and 
productive  land  which  borders  the  Van 
Buren  county  line  and  is  pleasantly  situated 
four  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Coloma  and 
two  miles  from  Lake  Michigan.  Here  he 
has  lived  since  the  spring  of  1878,  having, 
however,  purchased  the  farm  the  previous 
year.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and  is 
also  engaged  in  fruit  raising  and  in  mak- 
ing butter  and  is  leading  a  busy,  useful  life, 
his  efforts  being  crowned  with  a  fair 
measure  of  success. 

Mr.  Vanderveer  was  born  in  Battle 
Creek,  Calhoun  county,  Michigan,  on  the  3d 
of  December,  1851.  His  father,  James  Van- 
derveer, was  born  in  Montgomery  county, 


New  York,  and  was  descended  from  Hol- 
land ancestors,  who  were  among  the  old 
Knickerbocker  families  of  the  Empire  State. 
About  1848  he  came  alone  to  Michigan,  al- 
though but  a  boy,  and  made  his  way  to 
Battle  Creek,  where  later  he  was  connected 
with  the  hardware  trade  for  five  years.  Dur- 
ing his  residence  there  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Nancy  C.  Young,  also  a  native  of  the 
Empire  State,  the  wedding  being  celebrated 
about  1850.  He  was  very  prosperous  for 
some  time  in  the  conduct  of  his  mercantile 
interests  in  Battle  Creek  and  carried  a  stock 
valued  at  forty  thousand  dollars,  but  when 
in  New  York  city  buying  goods  for  his  store 
it  was  destroyed  by  fire  and  the  insurance 
company  refused  to  pay  him  a  cent  of  in- 
surance because  of  a  flaw  in  the  policy.  He 
then  came  to  Benton  township,  Berrien  coun- 
ty, and  purchased  a  small  farm  of  eighty 
acres,  formerly  the  John  Downing  prop- 
erty. This  is  an  old  landmark  of  the  county 
and  in  the  early  days  was  known  as  the  Star- 
ling Howard  farm.  James  Vanderveer  at 
once  began  the  cultivation  and  improvement 
of  the  property,  devoting  his  attention  in  the 
earlier  years  to  the  raising  of  grain  and 
later  to  the  production  of  apples.  He  also 
bought  and  owned  other  farms,  operating 
three  or  four  farms  himself,  having  land 
near  Coloma  as  well  as  in  Benton  township. 
He  was  indeed  an  earnest  and  indefatigable 
worker  and  good  business  man  and  in  his 
farming  operations  he  prospered,  becoming 
quite  successful  and  accumulating  an  estate 
greater  than  that  which  he  lost  in  Battle 
Creek.  During  his  last  years  he  lived  re- 
tired. He  continued  a  resident  of  Berrien 
county  for  about  forty  years  and  was  re- 
spected for  what  he  accomplished  and  by- 
reason  of  his  genuine  personal  worth.  He 
was  a  man  of  marked  individuality  and  force 
of  character  and  though  the  fire  and  its  con- 
sequent loss  was  enough  to  discourage  a 
man  of  much  resolution  of  spirit  he  never- 
theless in  determined  manner  set  to  work 
to  retrieve  his  loss  and  build  up  a  good  es- 
tate for  his  familv.  He  died  May  5,  igoi, 
respected  and  honored  by  all  who  knew  him 
and  his  widow  still  survives,  now  making 
her  home   with   her   son,    William    N.     In 


8o4 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


their  family  were  eight  children,  four  of 
whom  reached  mature  years,  namely :  John ; 
William  N.,  Ernest  and  Elizabeth,  the  last 
named  being  the  wife  of  John  Downing. 
The  father  was  a  Republican  and  held  minor 
offices.  He  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  suc- 
cess and  growth  of  his  party  and  delighted 
in  the  progress  made  by  the  county  along 
all  lines  of  substantial  and  permanent  im- 
provement. He  was  very  practical  in  all 
of  his  methods  and  far  sighted  and  sagacious 
in  his  business  afifairs.  He  made  excellent 
improvements  upon  the  home  property  and 
after  devoting  his  attention  to  the  produc- 
tion of  grain  for  a  number  of  years,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  horticultural  pursuits, 
raisinp-  first  peaches,  but  afterward  engag- 
ing in  the  production  of  apples  on  an  ex- 
tensive scale. 

John  T.  Vanderveer  spent  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth  under  the  parental  roof, 
acquired  a  public  school  education  and  re- 
mained at  home  until  twenty-six  years  of 
age.  In  February,  1877,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Mary  R.  Spencer,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Charles  A.  Spencer,  now  of  Benton 
township.  She  was  born  in  Bainbridge 
township  and  by  her  marriage  has  become 
the  mother  of  five  children.  Roy  married 
Myrtle  Lee  and  operates  the  home  farm  for 
his  father.  Percy,  the  second  son,  died  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  years.  Bertha,  Bessie 
and  Nancy  are  at  home.  Bertha  and  Nancy 
have  both  engaged  successfully  in  teaching 
school.  Bertha  taught  in  the  home  district 
and  for  years  was  a  capable  teacher  in  Van 
Buren  county.  Nancy  is  now  teaching  in 
the  Pearl  Grange  school  in  Benton  town- 
ship and  both  are  graduates  of  the  state 
normal  school.  Bessie  is  now  pursuing  a 
business  course. 

Throughout  his  entire  life  Mr.  Vander- 
veer has  been  connected  with  agricultural 
pursuits  and  his  farm  is  a  valuable  prop- 
erty on  the  north  line  of  Berrien  county. 
His  son  carries  on  the  active  work  of  the 
farm  and  Mr.  Vanderveer  handles  agricul- 
tural implements  and  fertilizers.  As  stated, 
he  purchased  the  property  in  1877,  paying 
for  it  thirty-two  hundred  dollars.  The  saw 
timber  had  been  cut  off  and  he  began  to 


clear  and  cultivate  the  place,  all  of  which  is 
now  under  cultivation  with  the  exception 
of  about  eighteen  acres.  He  gives  his  at- 
tention to  general  farming  and  fruit  rais- 
ing, having  about  twenty  acres  in  fruit,  one- 
half  of  which  is  planted  to  peaches.  The 
soil  is  rich  and  productive  and  he  has  wheat 
fields  and  meadow  lands.  He  also  keeps 
twelve  cows  and  makes  butter,  selling  to  the 
stores  on  yearly  contracts.  He  likewise  has 
five  or  six  horses.  His  attention  has  been 
given  to  his  farm  and  business  interests,, 
in  which  he  has  met  with  excellent  success. 
Mr.  Vanderveer  is  independent  in  his 
political  views.  He  has  served  as  treasurer 
of  his  township,  was  also  supervisor  for  four 
consecutive  years,  has  been  assessor  and  in 
all  of  the  different  positions  has  discharged 
his  duties  with  promptness  and  fidelity.  He 
does  not  consider  himself  bound  by  party 
ties  at  local  elections,  but  where  national 
issues  are  involved  usually  votes  with  the 
Democracy.  He  finds  his  chief  source  of 
pleasure  and  recreation  in  hunting  and  with 
his  brothers,  William  N.  and  Ernest  Van- 
derveer, and  other  residents  of  the  county, 
known  as  the  Vanderveer  crowd,  goes  each 
year  on  a  hunting  expedition  to  the  northern 
peninsula  of  Michigan  to  hunt  deer.  He 
now  has  very  fine  trophies  of  the  chase  and 
has  one  fine  deer  head  mounted  and  on  ex- 
hibition. He  is  an  excellent  shot  and  he 
greatly  enjoys  the  outdoor  life  as  well  as 
the  hunting. 

IRA  R.  STEMM,  a  leading  farmer 
and  old  settler  of  Berrien  county,  who  is 
now  filling  the  office  of  supervisor  in  Oro- 
noko  township,  and  resides  on  section  3^ 
was  born  in  Center  county,  Pennsylvania^ 
February  4,  1846.  His  father,  Adam  K. 
Stemm,  was  also  a  native  of  Center  county 
and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  fol- 
lowed that  pursuit  in  the  east  until  1868, 
when  he  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan, 
locating  in  Oronoko  township.  Here  he 
followed  farming,  and  his  fellow  townsmen 
recognizing  his  worth  and  ability  called  him 
to  a  number  of  local  offices.  He  became  an 
influential  and  leading  resident  of  the  com- 
munity and  his  death  here  occurred  in  1897* 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


80  c 


when  he  had  reached  the  age  of  seventy- 
four  years.  His  wife  was  in  her  maiden- 
hood Miss  EHzabeth  Reiber,  also  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania.  She  w^as  born  in  Bucks 
county,  that  sta'te,  and  died  in  Berrien  coun- 
ty, Michigan,  in  1903,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
seven  years.  In  the  family  were  five  chil- 
dren, three  daughters  and  two  sons,  all  of 
whom  are  yet  living. 

Ira  R.  Stemm,  who  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  his  native  town,  pursued  his  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  and  at  Pine 
Grove.  He  left  home  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world  and 
secured  a  clerkship  in  a  store  at  Bellefonte, 
Pennsylvania.  A  year  later  he  began  work- 
ing on  the  old  homestead  farm  and  con- 
tinued his  residence  in  the  Keystone  State 
until  1868,  when,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two 
years,  he  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan, 
with  his  parents.  Here  he  also  engaged  in 
farm  labor  upon  the  land  which  his  father 
purchased  and  likewise  followed  carpenter- 
ing for  some  time.  In  the  year  of  his  mar- 
riage, 1873,  he  located  on  the  farm  which 
has  since  been  his  home.  There  w^ere  few 
improvements  upon  the  place  at  that  time 
but  he  at  once  began  its  further  cultivation 
and  development  and,  soon  wrought  a 
marked  transformation  in  its  appearance. 
He  has  forty  acres  of  land  in  this  place  and 
he  has  also  purchased  the  old  homestead 
property  of  his  father,  comprising  eighty 
acres.     It  is  now  occupied  by  his  son. 

In  1873  Mr.  Stemm  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mary  M.  Feather,  a  daughter 
of  Daniel  and  Caroline  Feather,  and  a  na- 
tive of  Oronoko  township.  Her  parents 
were  among  the  pioneer  residents  of  Berrien 
county.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stemm  have 
been  born  a  son  and  daughter:  Albert  M., 
who  married  Zina  Bowerman ;  and  Dora,  the 
wife  of  C.  H.  Smith,  a  resident  farmer  of 
Oronoko  township. 

Mr.  Stemm  has  always  been  a  Democrat 
in  his  political  affiliation  and  has  taken  an 
active  interest  in  the  w^ork  and  growth  of 
his  party.  The  first  office  he  ever  filled  was 
that  of  highway  commissioner,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  continuously  for  three 
years.     He  was  also  a  member  of  the  board 


of  review  for  one  year  and  was  again  elected 
highway  commissioner,  serving  for  two 
years.  He  was  likewise  township  treasurer 
one  year,  and  in  1893  was  elected  township 
supervisor.  He  has  been  re-elected  each 
year  for  that  office  since  that  time  and  one 
year  had  no  opponent  in  the  field.  His  of- 
ficial duties  have  ever  been  discharged  with 
promptness,  capability  and  fidelity,  and  over 
the  record  of  his  public  service  there  falls 
no  shadow  of  wrong  or  suspicion  of  evil. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Order  of  Patricians 
and  one  of  its  directors  at  Benton  Harbor. 
He  has  settled  many  estates,  having  now  at 
this  writing  five  different  estates  in  charge. 
This  fact  is  indicative  of  the  confidence  and 
trust  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow  townsmen, 
a  trust  which  is  well  merited,  for  it  has  never 
been  betrayed  in  the  slightest  degree.  He 
has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  public 
affairs  and  while  carefully  performing  the 
duties  devolving  upon  him  in  this  connec- 
tion he  has  never  been  neglectful  in  the 
slightest  degree  of  his  business  interests,  and 
is  successfully  controlling  his  fruit  farm, 
which  is  a  well  improved  property  that  an- 
nually yields  good  crops. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ira  Stemm  have  in  their 
possession  three  of  the  old  parchment  deeds, 
all  bearing  date  May  i,  1839,  ^7  ^^e  hand 
of  President  Martin  Van  Buren,  which  are 
valuable  documents  in  their  home,  and  Mrs. 
Stemm  has  an  old  pitcher  which  is  close  to 
a  century  old. 

CHARLES  FREDERICK  MUTCH- 
LER,  a  representative  farmer  living  on  sec- 
tion 8,  Buchanan  township,  whose  success 
has  resulted  from  close  application  and  un- 
remitting diligence,  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Center  Brunswick, 
Medina  county,  May  11,  1847.  His  father, 
John  Mutchler,  was  a  native  of  Wurtem- 
berg,  Germany,  and  of  his  family  of  five 
sons,  all  were  born  in  that  country  save  the 
subject  of  this  review.  The  mother  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Christina  Straley,  and 
was  also  a  native  of  Germany.  It  was  about 
the  year  1846  that  the  father  bade  adieu 
to  friends  and  native  land  and  with  his  wife 
and  children  sailed  for  America.  They  made 


8o6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


their  way  into  the  interior  of  the  country 
and  for  ten  years  lived  in  Medina  county, 
Ohio,  after  which  they  removed  to  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  in  1856,  taking  up  their 
ubode  in  Chikaming  township,  after  which 
they  removed  to  Buchanan  township.  The 
father,  who  was  born  in  the  year  1805,  died 
in  1890,  when  about  eighty-five  years  of  age, 
and  the  mother  was  about  seventy-seven 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  demise. 

Charles  Mutchler  was  the  youngest  of 
the  five  sons  and  the  only  one  born  in  the 
United  States.  He  was  about  nine  years 
of  age  when  the  family  came  to  Berrien 
county  and  here  his  youth  was  passed.  He 
worked  in  the  fields  from  an  early  age  and 
acquired  such  education  as  the  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood  afforded.  He 
w^as  about  fifteen  years  of  age  when  he 
started  out  in  life  for  himself.  He  learned 
the  blacksmith's  trade,  which  he  followed  for 
a  time  in  South  Bend  and  also  at  Niles  and 
other  places  but  the  old  age  of  his  parents 
prompted  him  to  return  home  and  he  cared 
for  them  in  their  declining  days,  thus  re- 
paying them  in  part  by  his  filial  devotion 
for  the  attention  and  love  which  they  be- 
stowed upon  him  in  his  boyhood  and  youth. 

November  17,  1865,  Mr.  Mutchler  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Behner, 
of  Medina  county,  Ohio,  and  they  took  up 
their  abode  on  the  old  homestead  farm 
which  is  now  the  property  of  Mr.  Mutchler, 
who  has  added  thereto  sixty  cares,  making 
an  excellent  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
acres.  He  carries  on  general  agricultural 
pursuits  and  is  also  a  horticulturist,  having 
an  orchard  of  three  thousand  trees,  includ- 
ing peaches,  apples  and  pears.  Other  apple 
trees  on  the  place  make  the  total  number 
of  trees  about  thirty-five  hundred.  He  has 
made  a  close  study  of  the  best  methods  of 
caring  for  the  tree  in  order  to  produce  good 
crops,  and  as  a  fruit  grower  is  well  known. 
In  fact  he  has  one  of  the  nicest  farms  and 
best  improved  properties  in  the  county  and 
his  house  stands  near  Madron  Lake,  his 
land  extending  about  half  way  around  the 
lake  and  commanding  an  excellent  view  of  a 
most  attractive  piece  of  scenery.  He  also 
owns  a  fine  residence  property  in  Buchanan. 


Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mutchler  have  been 
born  eighteen  children,  and  they  lost  three 
daughters :  Myrtle  E.,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-two  years;  Ella,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  ten  years;  and  Bertha  C.  died  at  the 
age  of  twelve  years.  The  living  children  are : 
Rev.  Frank  W.  Mutchler,  a  minister  of  the 
Christian  Church,  Baird,  Iowa;  Lillie,  the 
wife  of  Frank  Bartmess,  of  South  Bend; 
Walter  E.,  who  is  conducting  a  meat  market 
in  Buchanan;  Charlie  at  home;  and  Grace, 
who  is  a  successful  teacher. 

Charlie  the  youngest  of  the  children  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools  and  in 
Buchanan,  Michigan.  He  was  offered  good 
places,  but  he  preferred  to  remain  at  home 
with  his  parents.  Grace  is  now  the  teacher 
in  the  seventh  grade  in  the  Buchanan  high 
school,  this  being  her  fifth  year. 

Mr.  Mutchler  is  well  known  in  Berrien 
county,  having  lived  here  for  forty  years. 
He  votes  with  the  Democracy  and  his  posi- 
tion on  any  question  of  general  importance- 
is  never  an  equivocal  one,  for  he  is  fearless 
in  defense  of  his  honest  convictions.  Life 
with  him  has  passed  quietly  in  a  way  and 
yet  there  is  in  his  record  much  that  is  com- 
mendable for  he  has  displayed  qualities  of 
good  citizenship  and  reliability  in  business 
that  make  him  worthy  of  the  regard  of  those 
with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact. 

HON.  NATHAN  V.  LOVELL,  one  of 

the  upbuilders  and  promoters  of  the  town  of 
Eau  Claire  and  a  member  of  the  state  legis- 
lature, is  justly  accounted  one  of  the  dis- 
tinguished and  leading  residents  of  Berrien 
county.  His  birth  occurred  in  Livingston 
county,  New  York,  in  1844,  and  he  is  a 
representative  of  an  old  New  England  fam- 
ily. His  grandfather,  Nathan  Lovell,  was- 
born  in  Connecticut  and  served  as  a  soldier 
in  the  war  of  1812,  subsequent  to  which 
time  he  removed  to  the  state  of  New  York. 
There  occurred  the  birth  of  Barney  Lovell, 
father  of  our  subject,  who  remained  a  resi- 
dent of  the  east  until  1851,  when  he  came 
with  his  family  to  Cass  county,  Michigan. 
In  the  meantime  he  had  married  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Spicer,  also  a  native  of  Livingstonr 
county.  New  York,  and  a  daughter  of  Asa 


-^^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


807 


Spicer,  who  was  born  in  Albany,  New  York, 
and  defended  the  cause  of  his  country  in 
the  second  war  with  England.     On  coming 
to    Michigan    Barney    Lovell    took    up    his 
abode  in  Cass  county,  where  he  cleared  a 
tract  of  land  and  improved  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  being  one  of  its 
early  settlers.     The  work  of  improvement 
and   progress   had   scarcely   been   begun   at 
that  time.     There  were  practically  no  roads 
and  the  traveler  had  to  follow  the  old  Indian 
trails  or  else  those  w^hich  were  marked  out 
by  blazing  trees  by  the  early  settlers.     The 
Indians  were  numerous  in  this  part  of  the 
state  and  somewhat  resented  the  encroach- 
ment of  the  white  men  upon  their  hunting 
grounds.     It  required  considerable  courage 
and   fortitude  to  leave  the  east  and  estab- 
lish homes  upon  the  frontier  in  the  midst 
of  such  conditions,  but  Mr.  Lovell  possessed 
the  spirit  necessary  to  the  pioneer  and  reso- 
lutely undertook  the  task  of  making  a  home 
for  his  family  in  this  part  of  the  country. 
He  lived  upon  his  first  purchase  until  1865, 
when    he    went    to    Wisconsin,    where    he 
bought  a  tract  of  land  which  had  been  some- 
what improved.     His  remaining  days  were 
spent  upon  that  property  and  his  attention 
was  given  to  general  agricultural  pursuits 
as  he  brought  his  fields  under  cultivation  and 
carried  on  the  other  work  of  improvement 
and  progress.     His  death  occurred  upon  the 
Wisconsin  farm  in  1905  when  he  was  about 
eighty-five  years  of  age,  for  he  was  born  in 
1820.     His  wife  died  in    1893  ^^  ^'^^  ^S^ 
of  sixty-seven  years.     In  their  family  were 
six  children,  of  whom  three  are  yet  living, 
namely:  Nathan  V. ;  John  T.,  who  resides  in 
Wisconsin;    and    Mary    E.,    also    living   in 
Wisconsin. 

Hon.  Nathan  V.  Lovell  was  only  about 
seven  years  of  age  when  he  bade  adieu  to 
his  old  home  in  the  east  and  came  with  the 
family  to  Cass  county,  where  he  shared  in 
the  hardships  and  trials  incident  to  frontier 
life,  aiding  in  the  arduous  task  of  develop- 
ing a  new  farm.  He  continued  at  home 
until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war, 
when  in  response  to  his  country's  call  for 
aid  he  offered  his  services  to  the  govern- 
ment although  only  about  seventeen  years 


of  age,  enlisting  on  the  12th  of  June,  1861, 
as  a  private  of  Company  B,  Ninth  Michi- 
gan Infantry.    He  continued  with  that  regi- 
ment   until    August,    1862,    when    he    w^as 
transferred  to  Company  B  of  the  Seventh 
Michigan    Cavalry   as   sergeant,   continuing 
with  that  command  until  August  25,  1865, 
when  he  was  mustered  out.    He  participated 
in  the  battles  of  Gettysburg,  Spottsylvania 
Court  House,  Germanna  Ford,  Stevensburg, 
Aldie,  the  Wilderness,  Rappahannock  Sta- 
tion,   Haymarket,    Hanover    Court    House, 
Campaign  of  the  Shenandoah  under  Sheri- 
dan,   Saylor's    Creek,    Stoney    Ford,    Din- 
widdie    Court    House,    Appomattox    Court 
House  and  at  the  surrender  of  Lee's  army, 
April  9,  1865.     He  was  also  at  the  battle  of 
Trevilian's  Station,  where  he  saved  the  life 
of    Col.    Russell    A.    Alger,    now    United 
States  senator,  the  horse  being  shot  from 
under  him  and  Mr.  Lovell  catching  him  as 
he    fell.      Colonel    Alger    was    later    made 
brigadier  general.    Mr.  Lovell  was  mustered 
out  as  sergeant  but  continued  wnth  the  army 
until    the   close   of   hostilities   and   made   a 
creditable   record   as   a  brave   and   fearless 
soldier. 

When  the  war  was  over  he  went  to  the 
northwest,  prospecting  for  four  years,  after 
which  he  returned  to  Michigan  in  1871,  set- 
tling in  Van  Buren  county^  where  he  re- 
mained for  a  year  and  a  half.  In  the  latter 
part  of  1872  he  came  to  Benton  Harbor  and 
followed  the  machinist's  trade,  which  he  had 
previously  learned.  Subsequently  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  in  Benton  township  and  in 
1879  removed  to  Berrien  Springs,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  mill  and  lumber  business, 
operating  a  saw  mill  there.  In  1882  he  took 
up  his  abode  at  Eau  Claire  in  Pipestone 
township,  where  he  has  resided  continuously 
since.  He  is  one  of  the  foremost  citizens 
of  this  place,  where  he  has  a  fine  farm  of 
two  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  on  which 
he  is  raising  stock  and  grain.  He  is  also 
largely  financially  interested  and  also 
actively  engaged  in  the  management  of  the 
Michigan  and  Alabama  Fruit  Package  Com- 
pany, manufacturing  packages  for  packing 
fruit  for  shipment.  Whatever  he  undertakes 
he  carries  forward  to  successful  completion. 


So8 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


He  forms  his  plans  readily  and  has  a  genius 
for  devising  and  executing  the  right  thing 
at  the  right  time.  In  matters  of  business 
judgment  he  is  rarely  if  ever  at  fault  and 
he  has  the  ability  to  readily  recognize  an 
opportunity  and  to  determine  its  practical 
value  as  a  factor  in  business  life.  He  erected 
the  first  building  in  Eau  Claire  and  has  since 
contributed  in  substantial  and  helpful  meas- 
ure to  its  further  progress  and  improvement. 

Mr.  Lovell  is  also  recognized  as  a  lead- 
ing Republican  and  his  political  record  has 
been  an  honor  to  the  county  which  has  hon- 
ored him.  He  takes  an  active  and  helpful 
part  in  all  efforts  for  the  benefit  of  his  town- 
ship, city,  county  and  state  and  his  views 
regarding  public  measures  are  both  pene- 
trative and  practical,  resulting  in  the  accom- 
plishment of  results,  the  value  of  which  are 
widely  acknowledged.  He  was  elected  to  the 
state  legislature  in  1902  and  re-elected  in 
1904.  During  the  first  session  he  served  on 
the  committee  on  general  taxation,  insurance 
and  the  home  for  the  blind.  In  1904  he  was 
made  a  member  of  the  committees  on  federa- 
tion, military  affairs  and  insurance  and  was 
chairman  of  federal  relations.  During  the 
latter  session  he  was  father  of  the  bill  to 
regulate  the  tax  commission  known  as  the 
Lovell  bill  and  succeeded  in  securing  its 
adoption.  It  was  this  measure  that  largely 
won  him  his  strong  support  at  the  last  elect- 
tion,  having  a  majority  over  his  Democratic 
opponent  of  one  thousand  votes  in  a  district 
which  is  regarded  as  a  Democratic  strong- 
hold and  which  embraces  one-half  of  Ber- 
rien county.  He  is  frequently  spoken  of  as 
a  possible  candidate  for  the  state  senator- 
ship. 

Mr.  Lovell  was  married  to  Miss  Ella  J. 
Farr,  in  1895,  who  was  born  in  Kankakee, 
Illinois.  There  are  three  children :  Fred- 
ericka,  and  U.  S.  Grant,  the  children  of  a 
former  wife,  Delia  S.  Keeler,  w^ho  died  in 
1893,  ^"<^1  Marjory  E.  The  elder  daughter 
is  now  the  wife  of  Jesse  Colvin  and  has  one 
child,  Fritz  J.  Mr.  Lovell  is  a  representative 
of  our  best  type  of  American  manhood  and 
chivalry.  By  perseverance,  determination 
and  honorable  effort  he  has  overthrown  the 
obstacles  which  barred  his  path  to  success 


and  reached  the  goal  of  prosperity,  while 
his  genuine  worth,  broad  mind  and  public 
spirit  have  made  him  a  director  of  public 


thought  and  action. 


HENRY  A.  FEATHER.  Among  the 
representatives  of  farming  interests  in 
Oronoko  township,  who  are  successfully 
conducting  their  business  interests,  is  num- 
bered Henry  A.  Feather,  who  now  resides 
on  section  7.  It  was  upon  this  place,  known 
as  'Tair  View  Farm,"  that  he  was  born 
April  26,  1854,  his  parents  being  John  H. 
and  Lucy  Ann  (Bachtel)  Feather.  The 
father  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
wdien  eight  years  of  age  came  to  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  with  his  parents,  Joshua 
and  Mary  (Smith)  Feather,  who  in  pioneer 
times  cast  in  their  lot  with  the  early  set- 
tlers of  Oronoko  township,  taking  up  their 
abode  upon  a  farm  which  adjoins  the  place 
that  is  now  the  home  of  our  subject.  There 
John  H.  Feather  was  reared  and  was  trained 
to  habits  of  industry  and  economy  w^hereby 
he  gained  a  good  knowledge  of  farm  life 
and  was  qualified  for  practical  duties  along 
those  lines  in  later  years.  He  was  married 
in  Oronoko  township  to  Miss  Lucy  Ann 
Bachtel,  also  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
whence  she  was  brought  to  Berrien  county 
by  her  parents  when  fifteen  years  of  age. 
The  young  couple  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  the  farm  where  our  subject  now  lives 
and  there  the  father  carried  on  general  farm- 
ing and  also  engaged  in  the  agricultural 
implement  business  in  his  later  days.  He 
sold  all  kinds  of  farm  machinery  and  buggies 
and  was  very  successful  in  his  mercantile 
venture.  His  life  was  a  busy,  useful  and 
active  one  and  he  lived  to  the  age  of  sixty- 
nine  years,  being  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  the  county  in  which  the  greater 
part  of  his  youth  and  manhood  were  passed, 
and  with  the  early  history  of  which  he  was 
closely  and  helpfully  associated.  His  wife 
lived  to  be  only  about  forty-five  or  forty-six 
years  of  age.  In  their  family  were  eight 
children,  five  of  whom  are  now  living.  After 
losing  his  first  wife  the  father  married  again 
and  by  the  second  union  there  were  three 
children,  of  whom  two  survive.    At  the  time 


CkvuL,       M        0~       '^c^t2i^ 


-c^4r^. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


809 


of  the  father's  death  the  following  memoir 
was  inserted  in  one  of  the  local  papers  : 
^'John  Henry  Feather,  who  lacked  but  one 
day  of  being  sixty-nine  years  old  and  who 
had  been  a  resident  of  this  township  for 
nearly  or  quite  sixty  years,  died  at  his  resi- 
dence near  Hinchman  Monday  forenoon. 
He  w^as  a  member  of  the  'Pennsylvania 
colony,'  that  has  furnished  so  many  good 
citizens  to  this  vicinity,  and  one  of  the  pio- 
neers. He  w^as  one  of  the  men  who  em- 
barked in  fruit  growing  at  an  early  day 
and  he  stuck  to  it  and  had  been  successful. 
As  a  result  he  is  supposed  to  have  accumu- 
lated a  fine  estate.  How  large  that  may  be 
is  not  known  but  enough  is  in  sight  to  be  a 
fair  reward  for  a  life's  work.  He  was  a  man 
held  in  high  respect  for  his  sterling  in- 
tegrity and  by  his  industry  and  enterprise 
he  showed  to  others  a  good  example. 

"He  was  twice  married  and  at  his  death 
left  a  widow  and  eight  children.  Two  chil- 
dren had  preceded  him  to  the  grave.  His 
three  sons,  Andrew,  Rufus  and  William,  are 
all  living  in  this  vicinity  and  two  daughters, 
Mary  and  Harriet,  live  at  home.  iVnnie  and 
Lina  married  two  brothers,  French,  and  one 
of  them  lives  in  Buchanan,  the  other  near  the 
old  home.  His  daughter  Julia  married  a 
Mr.  Blish  and  lives  at  Niles.  Two  brothers, 
Joshua  and  Daniel  T.  Feather,  survive  and 
they  live  not  far  from  the  ground  their  par- 
ents first  occupied  on  their  arrival  in  this 
country. 

''Mr.  Feather  was  prominent  in  business 
matters  and  had  been  a  man  of  very  consid- 
erable influence  in  the  affairs  of  this  com- 
munity until  recently.  His  health  had  not 
been  good  for  three  or  four  years  but  had 
not  been  so  poor  as  to  prevent  his  attending 
to  his  business  until  within  a  year.  His  visits 
to  tow'U  wdthin  that  time  have  been  very  rare 
and  his  old  friends  have  regretted  to  see  how 
ill  he  looked  and  that  he  was  nearing  the 
end  of  his  active  and  useful  life." 

Henry  A.  Feather  is  the  third  child  of 
the  first  marriage  and  was  reared  upon  the 
old  homestead  place,  while  in  the  district 
schools  of  Oronoko  township  he  acquired 
his  education.  Remaining  at  home  he  as- 
sisted  in   the   farm   w^ork,    receiving  ample 


training  in  the  labors  of  the  fields.  His 
educational  privileges,  however,  were  some- 
what limited,  for  he  attended  school  only 
every  other  wdnter,  alternating  with  his 
brother.  He  w^orked  for  his  father  to  the 
age  of  twenty-six  years  and  was  then  mar- 
ried and  left  home  in  order  to  establish  a 
home  of  his  own. 

In  1880  Mr.  Feather  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Hinish,  who 
was  born  in  Oronoko  township,  a  daughter 
of  David  and  Elizabeth  (Fryman)  Hinish, 
w^ho  were  old  settlers  of  Berrien  county. 
Immediately  following  their  marriage  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Feather  located  on  a  farm  where 
he  now^  resides  and  here  he  has  since  lived. 
In  1885,  how'Cver,  he  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife.  In  their  family 
w^ere  two  children,  Milton  H.  and  one  who 
died  in  infancy.  For  his  second  wife  Mr. 
Feather  chose  Jessie  L.  Gleason,  who  died 
five  years  later,  and  in  August,  1902,  he 
wedded  Mrs.  Millie  H.  Small,  the  widow^  of 
E.  L.  Small.  Mrs.  Feather  was  born  in 
Kosciusko  county,  Indiana,  June  13,  1859, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  John  H.  and  Mary 
(Wyman)  Shaffer.  There  were  three  sons 
and  six  daughters  in  the  family,  and  six  are 
living.  Her  father  was  born  in  Germany 
in  1818,  and  died  in  1893.  He  was  a  lad 
of  seven  years  when  he  landed  in  America. 
By  occupation  he  w^as  a  farmer.  He  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools,  and 
was  married  in  Ohio.  Politically  he  was  a 
Republican,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church.  He  died  in  Elkhart  county, 
Indiana.  Mother  Shaffer  was  born  in  Ohio 
in  1826,  and  died  in  1867.  She  was  also 
a  devout  follower  of  the  Evangelical  faith. 
Mrs.  H.  A.  Feather  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools,  and  when  she  had  reached 
years  of  maturity  wedded  Edward  Small  in 
1884,  and  tw^o  sons  and  one  daughter  graced 
the  union,  and  all  are  living:  Fannie  re- 
ceived a  common  school  education  and  was 
then  a  student  in  the  Berrien  Springs  high 
school  and  the  Hinchman  high  school.  She 
is  quite  proficient  in  instrumental  music. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Neighbors  of 
Hinchman,  Michigan,  and  is  receiver  of 
that  order.     Frank  A.  Small  completed  the 


vIO 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


common  school  coyurse  and  is  now  a  student 
in  the  Hinchman  high  school  and  will  grad- 
uate in  the  class  of  1907.  His  choice  of 
professions  is  that  of  electrical  engineer. 
Wyman  H.,  the  youngest,  is  in  the  seventh 
grade  of  the  public  schools.  Mrs.  Feather 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  was  one  of  the  teachers  for  some 
years  in  the  Sunday-school,  She  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Hive  No.  189  of  the  L.  O.  T.  M.  at 
Berrien  Springs,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Royal  Neighbors,  being  vice  oracle  of  this 
order.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Feather  have  one  of 
the  parchment  deeds  executed  February  i, 
1849,  under  the  hand  and  seal  of  President 
James  K.  Polk.  Mr.  Feather  is  a  numis- 
matist, and  has  some  of  the  1857  pennies, 
the  1865  two-cent  pieces,  and  a  Danish  coin 
dated  1771,  also  other  coins  of  1832,  1852 
and  1856,  two  gold  coins  of  one  dollar  dated 
1862,  a  two  and  one-half  dollar  piece  dated 
1836,  and  two  of  the  fractional  currency 
during  the  Civil  war.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Feather 
have  their  beautiful  country  home,  known 
as  the  ''Fair  View  Fruit  Farm,"  lighted 
by  one  of  the  most  complete  acetylene  plants 
in  the  county.  The  lawns  are  even  lighted 
by  this  magnificent  light.  It  makes  a  coun- 
try home  metropolitan  and  city-like.  This 
modern  equipment  of  their  pretty  home  will 
cause  others  who  are  up-to-date  farmers  to 
introduce  new  and  modern  ideas.  Mrs. 
Feather  is  a  model  hostess,  and  she  graces 
her  pretty  home  in  such  a  cordial  manner 
as  to  win  the  high  admiration  of  her  many 
friends. 

Mr.  Feather  has  a  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  well  improved  land  and  is 
carrying  on  general  agricultural  pursuits, 
while  about  forty  acres  of  his  place  is  planted 
to  fruit.  In  addition  to  his  general  farming 
interests  he  has  also  engaged  in  the  coal 
business  at  Hinchman  and  holds  mining  in- 
terests and  also  property  at  other  places, 
including  Rapid  City,  South  Dakota.  He 
has  interests  in  oil  lands  and  in  other  profit- 
able investments  and  his  interests  are  now 
varied  and  extensive.  He  has  been  a  life- 
long resident  of  Berrien  county,  where  he 
is  well  and  favorably  known.  At  local  elec- 
tions he  votes  for  the  candidate  regardless 


of  party  affiliations  and  at  national  elections 
he  casts  a  ballot  for  the  Republican  candi- 
dates. He  has  held  some  school  offices  and 
is  a  prominent  and  active  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  has  been 
president  of  the  Sunday-school  Association 
of  his  township  and  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday-school  at  Hinchman  for  several 
years,  and  his  efforts  have  been  effective  and 
far-reaching  for  the  benefit  of  the  church. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  and  the  Royal  Neighbors,  and  was 
counsel  in  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp.  His 
life  has  indeed  been  a  busy  and  useful  one 
and  whatever  he  has  undertaken  he  has  car- 
ried forward  to  successful  completion.  He 
and  his  cousin,  John  H.  Feather,  are  sole 
proprietors  of  the  Feather  Company  tele- 
phone line,  extending  through  the  townships 
of  Oronoko  and  Lake  with  offices  at  Hinch- 
man and  Baroda.  He  has  ever  displayed  a 
most  progressive  spirit,  which  is  manifest 
in  his  business  interests  and  his  connec- 
tion with  public  life  and  the  value  of 
his  services  is  widely  acknowledged  by 
his  fellow  townsmen  who  recognize  him  as 
one  of  the  representative  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity. 

MILTON  H.  FEATHER.  The  young 
men  of  the  present  era  are  those  to  whom 
the  great  commonwealth  of  Michigan  look 
to  for  the  rapid  progress  and  full  develop- 
ment that  the  twentieth  century  calls  for. 
One  of  the  representative  young  farmers, 
who  is  a  scion  of  one  of  the  solid  and  in- 
fluential citizens  of  Oronoko  township,  is 
the  young  man  whose  name  introduces  this 
review.  He  is  a  native  son  of  Oronoko 
township,  born  June  27,  1882,  a  son  of  H. 
A.  Feather,  of  whom  mention  is  fully  given 
above.  He  has  been  reared  in  his  native 
county  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil  and  as  a  horti- 
culturist, receiving  able  assistance  from 
his  father,  who  is  one  of  the  leading  horti- 
culturists of  Oronoko  township.  He  re- 
ceived his  educational  training  in  the  public 
schools.  At  age  of  eighteen  he  spent  one 
season  with  the  well  known  commission 
house  of  M.  Baker  &  Company,  of  Chicago, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


8ii 


at  a  lucrative  salary  and  met  the  full  appro- 
bation of  his  employers. 

Mr.  Feather  established  a  home  of  his 
own  by  wedding  Miss  Clara  Sattler,  April 
10,   1902,  and  two  little  children  grace  the 
marriage — Lewis  A.  and  Cleotus  A.,  bright 
little  children.     Mrs.  Feather  is  a  native  of 
Oronoko  township,  and  a  daughter  of  Lewis 
Sattler,  who  is  represented  in  this  volume. 
Mr.  Feather  resides  on  a  splendid  eighty-acre 
farm  on  section  8,  Oronoko  township,  and 
devotes  his  life  to  raising  of  the  grains  and 
to  horticulture.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican 
and  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Presi- 
dent Roosevelt.     Fraternally  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Camp  No.  6273,  M.  W.  of  A.,  located 
at  Hinchman,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  drill 
team.      His  wife  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Royal    Neighbors.      Both    Mr.    and    Mrs. 
Feather  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal  Church,   and   he  is  treasurer  of  the 
missionary  mission.     His  father  is  the  sup- 
perintendent   of  the   Sunday   school,   which 
supports  a  missionary  to  far  off  China,  the 
cost  being  twenty-five  dollars  annually,  de- 
frayed entirely  by  the  school,  which  speaks 
w^ell  for  the  good  accomplished  by  the  Oron- 
oko township  Sunday  school.  Much  credit  is 
due  the  Feathers  in  carrying  forward  of  this 
measure  of  missionary  labor.     The  average 
attendance  each  Sabbath  for  the  year  ending 
October,   1906,  is  forty-four  out  of  an  en- 
rollment of  fifty-nine,  and  the  average  col- 
lection each   Sabbath  foots  up  two  dollars 
and  twenty-two  cents.     This  Sunday  school 
continues   throughout  the  year.      Mr.   and. 
Mrs.    Feather   are   young   people   who   are 
scions  of  the  best  families  in  the  township 
of  Oronoko,  and  stand  high  in  a  religious 
and   social   status,   and   we   are   pleased   to 
present   this   brief   review   of   this    worthy 
young  couple. 

MISS  CARRIE  NOTT  is  the  owner  of 
a  little  fruit  farm  of  five  acres  near  Benton 
Harbor  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
old  pioneer  families  of  the  county.  Her 
father,  William  J.  Nott,  was  born  in  Barn- 
stable, Devonshire,  England,  on  the  9th  of 
December,  18 10,  and  spent  his  early  years 
in  that  country.     He  came  to  the  United 


States  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years  in  com- 
pany with  his  father,  William  Nott.  His 
mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary 
Jones,  had  died  in  England  in  1829  and  the 
father  and  family  afterward  crossed  the  At- 
lantic to  the  new  world,  settling  in  Genesee 
county,  New  York,  where  the  father  died. 

William  J.  Nott  was  married  in  Wayne 
county.  New  York.  He  was  a  well  edu- 
cated man  and  engaged  in  teaching  school 
for  several  years,  spending  a  part  of  that 
time  as  a  teacher  in  Lyons,  Wayne  county, 
and  it  was  there  that  he  was  married  on  the 
27th  of  March,  1834,  to  one  of  his  pupils, 
Miss  Mary  D.  Merry,  a  native  of  Farming- 
ton,  Maine.  Her  mother  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Dolly  Bradford  and  was  a  direct 
descendant  of  Governor  Bradford,  who 
came  to  America  on  the  historic  Mayflower 
in  1620  and  was  the  first  governor  of  the 
Massachusetts  colony.  For  twenty-one 
years  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Nott  remained 
a  resident  of  Wayne  county.  New  York, 
and  in  1855  removed  thence  to  Genesee 
county,  taking  up  his  abode  near  where  his 
brothers  lived.  One  of  his  sons,  Lindorf 
A.  Nott,  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil 
war  and  died  in  Andersonville  prison. 

About  the  time  of  the  close  of  the  w^ar 
Mr.  Nott  removed  in  1865  from  the  Empire 
State  to  Michigan,  and  saw  the  section  about 
Benton  Harbor.  He  was  greatly  pleased 
with  the  land  and  the  possibilities  of  the 
county  and  bought  a  tract  of  land  lying 
on  Lake  Michigan  about  a  mile  north  of 
Benton  Harbor,  which  is  now  occupied  by 
the  Hilton  family.  At  that  date  his  place 
was  twenty-five  miles  from  a  railroad,  but 
he  forgot  all  about  distance,  for  so  well 
pleased  was  he  with  the  locality.  Before 
buying  he  visited  Iowa,  Illinois  and  other 
states,  living  during  that  period  at  Cold- 
water,  Michigan.  He  returned  to  the  land 
three  times  and  drew  a  plat  of  it,  calling 
it  Paradise.  His  wife,  however,  was  not 
pleased  with  the  purchase  and  could  not 
understand  her  husba'nd's  fascination  for 
the  property.  He  bought  twenty-six  acres, 
for  which  he  paid  five  thousand  dollars, 
W'hich  was  a  large  price  in  that  day.  It 
was  a  wet  tract  and  there  was  a  corduroy 


8l2 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


road  leading  to  it.  On  the  21st  of  June, 
1865,  however,  he  removed  to  his  farm, 
considering  that  he  had  the  finest  place  in 
the  world  and  was  perfectly  content  with  his 
new  home  and  its  environments.  The  sea- 
son before  one-third  of  all  the  peaches  raised 
in  the  county  had  been  grown  on  that  place. 
Mr.  Nott  began  to  clear  and  ditch  the  land 
and  improve  the  farm.  He  broke  ground 
at  once,  set  out  peach  trees  and  was  raising 
large  crops  when  the  yellows  swept  his 
orchards.  He  then  planted  small  fruits  and 
so  continued  until  his  death,  producing  fine 
crops  of  berries.  He  also  remodeled  the 
house  and  added  to  it  and  lived  a  life  of 
contentment,  well  satisfied  with  his  condi- 
tions. He  put  in  fine  fruit  and  greatly  en- 
joyed experimenting  with  fancy  fruit.  He 
delighted  to  grow  new  varieties  and  make  a 
test  of  dififerent  kinds  for  use  in  this  vicin- 
ity. The  higher  the  price  of  the  sets  the 
more  he  wished  to  buy  and  experiment  and 
in  his  fruit  raising  he  met  with  very  good 
success.  The  original  tract  of  twenty-six 
acres  remained  his  home  throughout  the 
years  of  his  residence  here. 

Mr.  Nott  took  a  deep  interest  in  all 
that  tended  to  promote  the  public  welfare 
and  gave  his  support  to  many  movements 
for  the  general  good.  He  was  a  Republi- 
can in  his  political  views  but  never  aspired 
to  office,  preferring  to  give  his  time  to  his 
horticultural  interests.  He  was  in  active 
business  until  the  last,  passing  away  July 
4,  1886,  w4ien  in  his  seventy-sixth  year, 
while  his  widow  survived  him  until  Febru- 
ary 14,  1888. 

In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple  were 
six  children.  Mary  J.,  who  died  February 
24,  1880,  was  the  wife  of  Thomas  D. 
Steele,  who  is  living  in  Sparta,  Wisconsin. 
William  Henry,  who  was  a  practicing  phy- 
sician at  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  died  June  i, 
1893.  Lindorf  died  in  Andersonville  prison 
while  serving  as  a  soldier  of  the  Union 
army  in  the  Civil  war.  David,  who  was  a 
farmer  and  lived  with  his  sister  Carrie  died 
August  21,  1903.  Emily  is  the  widow  of 
John  S.  Day,  of  New  York,  who  later  re- 
moved to  Sparta,  Wisconsin,  and  afterward 
to    a    farm    in    Brookings    county.    South 


Dakota,  where  he  died  in  1899,  while  his 
widow  now  makes  her  home  with  her  sis- 
ter, Carrie,  who  is  the  youngest  of  the  fam- 
ily. After  the  death  of  the  parents  the  heirs 
sold  the  old  homestead  property  in  1891  and 
Miss  Carrie  Nott  has  since  purchased  a  five 
acre  farm  near  Benton  Harbor,  on  which 
she  has  erected  a  neat  and  comfortable  resi- 
dence, where  she  now  lives.  Her  farm  is 
set  out  to  fruit  and  is  well  cultivated  and 
in  its  management  she  displays  excellent 
business  ability.  She  has  always  lived  in 
this  county  and  has  many  warm  friends 
here. 

GEORGE  MORLOCK  is  engaged  in 
general  farming  and  makes  a  specialty  of 
the  cultivation  of  peppermint.  He  was  also 
the  founder  of  the  Watervliet  Creamery, 
and  is  proprietor  of  the  Watervliet  Dairy 
Farm.  He  likewise  breeds  Guernsey  cattle 
and  in  addition  to  the  development  of  his 
business  is  meeting  with  gratifying  success, 
his  unremitting  diligence,  close  application 
and  keen  sagacity  being  the  salient  features 
of  his  business  career.  He  is  a  native  son 
of  Berrien  county,  having  been  born  June 
19,  1867,  near  his  present  place  of  residence. 
His  parents  were  August  and  Eveline 
(Muth)  Morlock.  The  mother  passed  away 
in  April,  1900,  and  the  father  is  now  living 
in  St.  Joseph,  Michigan.  For  many  years, 
however,  he  was  an  agriculturist. 

George  Morlock  was  reared  to  the  occu- 
pation of  farming,  early  gaining  practical 
experience  in  the  work  of  field  and  meadow. 
He  came  to  his  present  place  in  1883  and 
has  here  one  hundred  and  ten  acres.  It  is 
all  bottom  or  muck  land  and  is  situated 
about  two  and  a  half  miles  southwest  of 
Watervliet.  When  he  took  possession  ten 
acres  had  been  cleared  and  he  now  has  sixty- 
five  acres  cleared  and  under  cultivation.  He 
raises  various  cereals  adapted  to  soil  and 
climate,  and  makes  a  specialty  of  cultivating 
peppermint,  growing  from  four  to  fifteen 
acres  for  the  past  nine  years.  This  is  an 
important  branch  of  his  business.  For  five 
years  he  has  conducted  the  Watervliet 
Dairy,  milking  nine  cows.  He  bottles  the 
milk,  which  is  especially  cooled  by  a  cooler 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


813 


before  bottling,  and  is  aerated  by  the  same 
process.  He  keeps  thoroughbred  Guernsey 
cows,  having  a  herd  of  ten,  and  he  is  also 
a  breeder  of  Guernsey  stock,  having  sold 
cows  as  high  as  two  hundred  dollars.  He 
has  also  exhibited  his  stock  at  the  Benton 
Harbor  fair,  where  he  has  taken  a  number 
of  premiums.  He  started  with  a  herd  of 
six,  secured  in  New  York.  His  butter  fat 
test  was  five  per  cent,  at  the  Watervliet 
creamery,  while  the  average  of  other  stock 
was  only  four  and  four  tenths  per  cent.  One 
of  his  cows,  Mistress  Marie,  a  tw^o-year  old, 
from  ten  thousand  pounds  of  milk  yielded 
in  a  single  year  five  hundred  pounds  of 
butter.  Mr.  Morlock  also  raised  the  money 
with  which  to  start  the  Watervliet  Creamery 
and  is  one  of  its  stockholders  and  directors. 
This  has  been  a  profitable  enterprise,  paying 
over  thirty  per  cent,  dividends.  It  has  also 
encouraged  the  farmers  to  raise  cattle  for 
the  production  of  milk,  skimming  over  four- 
teen thousand  pounds  of  milk  daily.  Mr. 
Morlock  has  three  flowing  wells  on  his  farm, 
the  deepest  being  sixty-two  feet,  and  from  it 
is  supplied  the  water  to  run  the  engines  to 
distill  peppermint  oil  and  also  for  the  opera- 
tion of  the  dairy  machinery.  Altogether 
his  is  a  splendidly  equipped  farm,  on  which 
many  modern  mechanical  devices  are  found 
for  the  facilitating  of  the  w^ork  that  is  there 
carried  on. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Morlock  is 
a  Republican  and  has  several  times  served 
as  a  delegate  to  the  conventions  of  his  party 
but  he  has  never  sought  the  rewards  of  of- 
fice, preferring  to  concentrate  his  energies 
upon  his  business  affairs  which  are  con- 
stantly growing  in  extent  and  importance. 
He  is  now  one  of  the  prominent  representa- 
tives of  agricultural  interests  in  its  various 
branches  in  Berrien  county  and  a  glance  at 
his  farm  with  its  modern  accessories,  char- 
acterized by  neatness  and  thrift  in  every  de- 
partment, indicates  him  to  be  a  man  most 
progressive  as  well  as  of  practical  spirit. 

THOMAS  W.  PRICE,  living  in  Ber- 
rien Springs,  Oronoko  township,  is  a  native 
of  Buchanan  township,  his  life  record  hav- 
mg  there  begun  on  the  30th  of  July,  1863. 


His  father,  Nathan  G.  Price,  was  a  native 
of  Union  county,  Ohio,  where  he  was  reared 
and  educated.  He  became  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation and  in  the  year  i860  removed  from 
the  Buckeye  State  to  Michigan,  settling  in 
what  is  now  Buchanan  township,  Berrien 
county.  There  he  remained  until  1862,  when 
he  located  in  Lincoln  township,  making  his 
home  upon  a  farm  there  until  1868,  when 
he  removed  to  Oronoko  township,  living 
there  until  his  death  in  1904,  which  oc- 
curred when  he  was  in  his  sixty-second  year. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Helen  Vary,  was  a  native  of  Buffalo,  New 
York,  and  was  reared  in  Canada.  Her 
father,  W.  L.  Vary,  was  likewise  born  in 
the  Empire  State.  Mrs.  Price  still  survives 
her  husband  and  is  now  living  at  the  age  of 
sixty-tw^o   years. 

In  the  family  were  seven  children,  of 
whom  Thomas  W.  Price  is  the  eldest.  He 
was  only  about  five  years  of  age  when  the 
family  removed  from  Buchanan  to  Oronoko 
township,  where  he  has  since  lived.  His  life 
has  been  devoted  to  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits and  in  the  development  and  improve- 
ment of  his  farm  he  has  displayed  good 
business  ability,  executive  force  and  unfalter- 
ing energy.  He  now  makes  his  home  with 
the  family  of  C.  T.  Whetstone.  In  his 
political  affiliation  he  is  a  stanch  Republi- 
can and  is  thoroughly  in  sympathy  with 
the  principles  of  the  party  but  has  never 
sought  or  desired  office,  preferring  to  con- 
centrate his  energies  upon  his  business  af- 
fairs, which,  capably  managed,  are  bringing 
him  a  gratifying  measure  of  success. 

FRED  DUKESCHERER,  who  mani- 
fests a  public-spirited  interest  in  local  affairs 
relating  to  the  welfare  and  benefit  of  his 
community,  at  the  same  time  gives  a  clue 
proportion  of  attention  to  his  private  busi- 
ness interests,  carefully  conducting  his  farm 
along  modern  lines  of  progress,  was  born  in 
Nassau,  Germany,  on  the  2d  of  May,  1844. 
His  father,  Wilhelm  Dukescherer,  was  prob- 
ably left  an  orphan  in  very  early  life,  for 
at  the  age  of  seven  years  he  was  out  with 
strangers  and  thus  grew  to  manhood.  He 
wedded  Miss  Dorothy  Wert,  who  lived  with 


8i4 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


a  sister  in  her  early  girlhood,  or  until  old 
enough  to  earn  her  own  living.    There  were 
six  children  born  of  this  marriage  before 
the  parents   emigrated   to  the  new   world. 
The  year  1846  saw  the  family  embark  for 
the  United  States  and  on  the  2d  of  May  of 
that  year  they  arrived  in  St.  Joseph,  Michi- 
gan, on  which  date  Fred  Dukescherer  was 
two  years  old.     Michael  Humphrey,  an  old 
neighbor  in  Germany,  had  already  come  to 
the  United   States  and  his   family  crossed 
the  Atlantic  on  the  same  vessel  on  which 
the  Dukescherers   had  sailed   and  the  two 
families  came  together  to  Michigan,  arriv- 
ing at  St.   Joseph  on  the  day  designated. 
Wilhelm  Dukescherer  purchased  wild  land 
in  Bainbridge  township,  ten  miles  east  of 
Benton  Harbor  and  two  miles  north  of  the 
Territorial  road,  the  farm  extending  to  the 
north  line  t)f  the  township.     He  came  to 
this  country  with  very  limited  financial  re- 
sources.    In  Germany  he  had  been  able  to 
earn  nothing  more  than  a  living,  working  as 
a  teamster,  and  discouraged  at  the  prospect 
of   ever   improving   his   condition   there  he 
resolved  to  try  his  fortune  in  America,  be- 
lieving  that  better  opportunities  might  be 
enjoyed  in  this  country.     Accordingly  when 
he  had  reached  the  half  century  mark  on  the 
journey   of   life   he   sailed   for   the   United 
States,    spending    eighty-six    days    on    the 
water,  and  added  to  this  was  the  trip  from 
New  York  to  the  west  by  way  of  the  lakes 
from  Buffalo  to  Chicago  and  thence  across 
Lake    Michigan    to    Berrien    county.      He 
found    a    district    largely    unimproved    and 
Benton   Harbor   contained   but   one  house. 
He  settled  upon  that  farm  and  there  lived 
until  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death 
in   1879,  when  he  was  eighty-six  years  of 
age.    His  wife  died  in  1870,  in  the  seventy- 
third  year  of  her  age.     His  life  was  one  of 
tmtiring    industry    and    enterprise    and    he 
transformed  one  hundred  and  ten  acres  of 
his  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
from  a  state  of  barrenness  into  one  of  rich 
fertility.      He    made    good    improvements 
upon  the  place,  erected  substantial  buildings 
and  fences  and  set  out  good  orchards.     He 
also    helped   to   build    several    schools    and 
churches   in  the   county   and  in  all  of  his 


work  whether  as  a  citizen  or  private  indi- 
vidual he  was  energetic  and  determined  and 
his  labors  resulted  in  the  development  of 
one  of  the  best  farms  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship. He  held  membership  in  the  Catholic 
Church,  while  his  wife  was  of  the  Lutheran 
faith,  and  he  was  buried  in  Bainbridge  ceme- 
tery within  a  stone's  throw  of  his  own  home. 
He  had  been  one  of  the  charter  members 
of  the  church  which  stood  about  a  half  mile 
distant  from  his  home.  While  holding  op- 
posite views  on  religious  questions  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dukescherer  never  had  any  unpleasant 
discussions  about  the  matter.  She  was  as 
active  in  her  church  as  her  husband  was  in 
his,  and  the  children  were  reared  in  the 
Lutheran  faith.  The  members  of  this  fam- 
ily are:  Margaret,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Jacob  Schous,  of  Bainbridge  tow^nship,  and 
died  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years ;  Eliza- 
beth, who  is  the  widow  of  Henry  Ashoff,  of 
Royalton,  Michigan;  Henry,  a  retired 
farmer  of  Bainbridge  township,  now  living 
in  Benton  Harbor;  Charles,  who  was  a 
farmer  in  Watervliet  township  and  died  at 
the  age  of  sixty-six  years;  Fred,  whose 
name  introduces  this  record;  John,  who  is 
living  on  a  farm  near  Benton  Harbor ;  Will- 
iam, a  carpenter  residing  in  Muskegon, 
Michigan;  and  Louise,  the  wife  of  Charles 
Heyne,  of  Stevensville,  Michigan. 

Fred  Dukescherer  remained  at  home  un- 
til twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  during  that 
period  assisted  in  the  arduous  task  of  de- 
veloping and  cultivating  a  new  farm  as  his 
age  and  strength  permitted,  giving  his  father 
the  benefit  of  his  services  through  the  period 
of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  He  acquired  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  and  gained 
from  practical  experience  the  knowdedge 
which  has  enabled  him  to  carefully  conduct 
his  own  business  interests  in  later  years. 
When  twenty-five  years  of  age  he  left  home 
and  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Buh- 
linger,  of  Bainbridge  township,  a  daughter 
of  Simeon  Buhlinger,  also  a  pioneer,  who 
from  an  early  day  was  connected  with  the 
substantial  improvement  and  development 
of  this  part  of  the  state. 

Fred  Dukescherer  learned  the  butcher's 
trade  in  Chicago  and  followed  that  pursuit 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


8i: 


in  St.  Joseph  and  also  in  Kalamazoo,  Michi- 
gan, for  twelve  years.  He  devoted  a  quarter 
of  a  century  to  the  business  in  which  he  con- 
tinued until  1896,  when  he  came  to  his  pres- 
ent farm  in  Hagar  township.  Here  he  has 
one  hundred  acres  of  land  all  now  improved 
and  he  is  engaged  in  the  dairy  business  and 
general  farming,  keeping  from  eight  to 
twelve  cows  and  selling  milk  to  the  whole- 
sale trade  in  Benton  Harbor.  His  cattle  are 
of  the  red  polled  variety.  His  fields  are 
richly  cultivated  and  he  has  upon  his  farm 
all  of  the  equipments  and  accessories  of  a 
model  property,  indicating  his  careful  super- 
vision and  determination  as  well  as  his  busi- 
ness ability. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dukescherer  have 
been  born  a  daughter  and  three  sons : 
Sophia,  now  the  wife  of  T.  W.  Carpenter, 
a  printer  of  Chicago;  Charles,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  grocery  business  in  Chicago; 
Frank,  a  butcher  of  the  same  city ;  and  Will, 
who  is  assisting  in  the  work  of  the  home 
farm.  The  father  is  a  Democrat  in  his  politi- 
cal views  where  there  are  party  issues  be- 
fore the  people  but  at  local  elections  casts 
an  independent  ballot.  He  has  spent  almost 
his  entire  life  in  Michigan,  having  been 
brought  to  Berrien  county  when  but  two 
years  old  and  save  for  the  period  passed  in 
Chicago  at  the  butcher's  trade  has  always 
lived  in  this  state.  Whatever  success  he 
has  attained  has  resulted  from  his  own 
labors,  for  he  has  worked  persistently  and 
zealously  at  his  trade  and  at  farm  labor  in 
order  to  make  a  good  start  in  life  and  secure 
a  competence  that  will  provide  him  with 
the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  life  and  also 
give  him  a  goodly  sum  for  old  age. 

WILLIAM  T.  ADAMS,  a  contractor 
and  builder,  who  has  a  reputation  for  fine 
work  and  has  therefore  been  accorded  a 
liberal  public  support,  is  now  operating  ex- 
tensively in  Niles,  where  since  1870  he  has 
made  his  home.  He  was  born  in  Harris 
township,  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  in 
1842,  his  parents  being  James  and  Sereptine 
(Lynch)  Adams.  The  father  was  born  in 
Delaware,  and  in  1832  came  to  the  middle 
west,  settling  in  Chicago.     He  walked  the 


entire  distance,  and  when  he  reached  the 
St.  Joseph  river  he  was  assisted  across  the 
stream  by  the  Indians.  On  arriving  at  his 
destination  he  found  a  small  village  upon 
a  wet  prairie.  It  was  five  years  later  before 
the  city  was  incorporated.  He  at  once  en- 
gaged in  carpenter  work  there,  and  built 
the  first  jail  in  Chicago,  the  structure  being 
made  of  logs.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year 
he  returned  to  Delaware,  for  he  had  become 
convinced  that  the  western  country  had  good 
future  prospects,  and  he  not  only  brought 
with  him  his  own  family  but  also  his  father 
and  mother.  They  settled  in  Cass  county, 
Michigan,  where  with  his  brother,  James 
Adams,  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land 
from  the  government,  on  which  not  a  fur- 
row had  been  turned  nor  an  improvement 
made.  He  lived  a  strenuous  life,  working 
earnestly  and  indefatigably  to  reclaim  the 
land  for  the  purposes  of  civilization,  and  he 
added  to  his  holdings  from  time  to  time. 
He  paid  for  his  first  eighty  acres  only  one 
dollar  per  acre,  and  for  the  next  purchase 
he  paid  six  dollars  per  acre.  He  success- 
fully continued  in  farming  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  although  in  later  years  he  was 
largely  relieved  of  the  active  work  con- 
nected with  the  cultivation  and  development 
of  his  place.  He  was  born  in  1801  and  died 
in  1888,  thus  having  reached  an  advanced 
age,  w^iile  his  wife,  who  w^as  born  in  1814, 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years. 
In  their  family  were  six  children,  of  whom 
three  died  in  early  life.  The  others  are : 
William  T. ;  John,  who  is  living  near  the 
old  homestead  in  Cass  county, Michigan; and 
Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  William  Tuttle,  of 
Kalamazoo,  this  state. 

William  T.  Adams  was  reared  in  the 
state  of  his  nativity,  and  in  early  life  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade  at  McLean,  Illinois, 
where  he  served  a  three  years  apprentice- 
ship. He  afterward  worked  as  a  journey- 
man, and  in  1870  he  came  to  Niles,  where 
for  four  years  he  continued  in  the  employ 
of  others  in  the  line  of  his  chosen  occupa- 
tion. He  then  began  business  on  his  own 
account  as  a  contractor  and  builder,  and  for 
almost  a  third  of  a  century  has  been  identi- 
fied with  building  operations  in  Niles,  hav- 


8i6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


ing  been  accorded  a  liberal  share  of  work 
in  this  direction.  He  has  erected  many  resi- 
dences and  other  buildings  and  has  a  repu- 
tation for  doing  honest  and  capable  work. 
As  the  years  have  gone  by  a  liberal  patron- 
age has  brought  him  a  desirable  measure 
of  success,  and  he  is  accounted  one  of  the 
leading  representatives  of  the  industrial  in- 
terests in  Niles. 

Mr.  Adams  was  married  in  this  city  in 
1873  to  Miss  Georgiana  Webb,  and  unto 
them  have  been  born  two  children,  Harry 
and  Bessie,  both  born  in  Niles.  In  his  politi- 
cal views  Mr.  Adams  is  a  Democrat,  and  at 
one  time  was  a  member  of  the  city  council 
from  the  second  ward,  filling  the  office  about 
ten  years  ago.  He  was  also  for  ten  years  a 
member  of  the  board  of  public  works  at 
Niles,  and  for  one  year  was  president  of  the 
board.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows, having  joined  the  or- 
ganization more  than  forty-three  years  ago 
at  Edwardsburg  in  Cass  county,  and  is  one 
of  the  oldest  Odd  Fellows  in  this  part  of 
the  state.  The  family  attend  the  Methodist 
Church  and  are  well  known  in  Niles,  the 
hospitality  of  their  home  being  greatly  en- 
joyed by  many  friends. 

f  HIRAM  S.  HELMICK.  When  the 
settlers  in  Oronoko  township  were  compar- 
atively few  and  the  work  of  civilization  and 
improvement  had  scarcely  been  begun  here, 
Hiram  S.  Helmick  settled  within  its  borders 
and  he  now  lives  on  section  4,  where  he  is 
giving  personal  supervision  to  the  further 
improvement  and  operation  of  his  farm.  A 
native  of  Ohio,  he  was  born  in  Warren 
county,  on  the  23d  of 'February,  1830.  His 
father,  Jesse  Helmick,  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  in  his  boyhood  days  was  left  an 
orphan.  He  afterward  went  to  Kentucky 
and  subsequently  to  Ohio,  where  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Simington,  a  na- 
tive of  Warren  county,  that  state.  They 
took  up  their  abode  in  Warren  county,  w^here 
they  resided  until  the  fall  of  1836,  when  they 
came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  settling 
in  Oronoko  township,  where  Mr.  Helmick 
purchased  a  half  section  of  land.  Not  a  fur- 
row had  been  turned  nor  an  improvement 


made  upon  the  place.  He  built  a  log  house 
and  also  a  blacksmith  shop,  this  being  the 
first  smithy  in  the  township.  He  carried  on 
the  dual  occupation  of  blacksmithing  and 
farming  throughout  his  remaining  days  and 
w^as  an  active  factor  in  the  early  progress  of 
the  county,  being  recognized  not  only  as  an 
enterprising  business  man  but  also  as  one 
whose  devotion  to  the  public  good  was  above 
question.  He  served  as  associate  judge  of 
Berrien  county  and  was  supervisor  of  his 
township,  and  justice  of  the  peace  many 
years.  He  was  well  known  throughout  the 
county  as  one  of  its  worthy  and  valued  pio- 
neer settlers,  and  his  labors  proved  an  im- 
portant element  in  its  early  development. 
He  held  membership  in  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  and  through  his  active  co- 
operation in  its  work  contributed  in  substan- 
tial measure  to  the  moral  development  of  the 
community.  He  acted  as  recording  steward 
of  the  church  for  many  years  and  died  in 
that  faith  in  his  seventy-fourth  year.  The 
county  thereby  lost  one  of  its  valued  and 
representative  citizens.  He  was  particularly 
prominent  in  the  early  days  and  held  as 
many  as  three  offices  at  one  time.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  first  township  board  and  he 
aided  in  molding  public  thought  and  opinion 
and  in  shaping  the  early  policy  of  the  coun- 
ty during  its  formative  period. 

Hiram  S.  Helmick  was  the  fourth  in 
order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  eleven  children, 
nine  of  whom  reached  adult  age.  He  is  the 
eldest  now  living  and  was  in  his  seventh  year 
when  he  arrived  in  Berrien  county,  Michi- 
gan. He  was  reared  in  Oronoko  township 
and  pursued  his  education  in  one  of  the  old- 
time  log  school  houses,  which  stood  upon 
his  father's  farm.  It  was  furnished  in  the 
primitive  manner  of  the  times  and  the  curri- 
culum was  not  very  extensive.  Later  he  con- 
tinued his  studies  in  the  Burk  schoolhouse 
in  Oronoko  towaiship,  and  his  education 
completed  he  assisted  in  the  work  of  the 
home  farm  and  in  the  shop.  He  was  trained 
to  habits  of  industry  and  economy  and  as 
the  years  have  gone  by  these  traits  have 
borne  rich  fruit  in  a  successful  business  ca- 
reer. 

Mr.  Helmick  has  been    married    twice. 


^ ,  <^ , '^CjL^tic^ 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


817 


In  April,  1852  he  wedded  Miss  Lydia  A. 
Scott,  who  died  leaving  five  children,  two 
sons  and  three  daughters :  Ambrose,  who 
resides  upon  the  farm  with  his  father ;  Jesse, 
deceased;  Alice,  the  wife  of  James  Fulton, 
of  Royalton  township;  Mary,  deceased;  and 
Winnie,  the  wife  of  George  Baily,  of  Oro- 
noko  township.  At  the  time  of  the  death 
of  Mrs.  Ambrose  Helmick,  the  following 
lines  appeared  in  one  of  the  local  papers : 

''Mrs.  Orpha  Canfiekl  Helmick  was  born 
in  Ontario,  Canada,  December  15,  1852,  and 
died  at  her  home  near  Hinchman,  in  Oro- 
noko,  Mich.,  Sept.  25,  1906. 

''She  was  twice  married.  She  leaves  a 
married  daughter  by  her  first  husband.  She 
was  married  to  Ambrose  M.  Hemlick  Janu- 
ary 19,  1872.  A  son  was  born  to  them 
twenty-three  years  ago.  His  untimely  death 
together  with  his  bride  of  less  than  four 
months  by  a  terrible  accident  August  7,  and 
which  was  recorded  in  the  'Advocate,'  was 
a  shock  the  mother  never  overcame.  For 
days  she  was  in  terrible  agony  and  unable 
to  shed  a  tear.  It  brought  on  an  affection 
of  the  bowels  and  heart  with  a  fatal  termin- 
ation, her  death  occurring  just  seven  weeks 
from  that  of  her  son.  She  was  a  good 
woman.  Those  who  knew  her  best  loved 
her  most.  She  was  free  from  deceit,  cant 
and  hypocrisy.  She  was  an  affectionate 
wife  and  a  true  mother.  Her  joy  last  winter 
when  many  young  people,  including  her 
only  son,  gave  their  hearts  to  God  was  in- 
tense. Few  were  more  gifted  in  prayer  and 
testimony  than  she.  Her  ambition  was  far 
in  excess  of  her  strength.  She  worked  often 
when  she  needed  absolute  rest.  Brother 
Helmick  has  the  sympathy  of  the  church  in 
his  triple  bereavement.  Two  months  ago 
there  was  a  happy  home  of  four  members. 
Now  our  brother  is  alone.  And  yet  he  is 
not  alone,  for  his  faith  in  his  Heavenly 
Father  is  unshaken.  The  funeral  services 
were  held  in  the  church  at  Berrien  Springs 
conducted  by  her  pastor,  September  27,  and 
her  remains  deposited  in  Rose  Hill  ceme- 
tery." 

In   1903  Hiram  S.  Hemlick  w^as  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Sarah 
Jane  Dillman. 
52 


The  present  home  of  Mr.  Helmick  is  a 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  sixty-three  acres, 
which  is  now  operated  by  his  son  Ambrose. 
In  1864,  he  went  across  the  plains  to  Idaho, 
Montana  and  the  Black  Hills  and  took  the 
first  quartz  mill  to  Idaho.  There  he  engaged 
in  mining  and  prospecting,  spending  about 
two  and  one  half  years  in  the  northwest. 
They  came  down  the  Missouri  river,  a  dis- 
tance of  twenty-two  hundred  miles,  landing 
at  Yankton,  South  Dakota,  and  thence  pro- 
ceeded by  stage  to  New  Jefferson,  where 
they  boarded  a  railroad  train  that  conveyed 
them  to  Chicago.  From  that  city  Mr.  Hel- 
mick returned  to  Berrien  county,  and  later 
was  actively  associated  with  the  business 
interests  of  Berrien  Springs  as  proprietor  of 
a  grocery  and  restaurant.  In  1870  he  pur- 
chased his  present  farm,  where  he  has  re- 
sided continuously  since.  He  has  lived  in 
Berrien  county  for  about  seventy  years  and 
has  been  identified  with  its  making.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Democrat  and  has  filled  the  office 
of  justice  of  the  peace.  He  is  one  of  the 
active  members  and  faithful  workers  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Hinchman, 
serving  as  one  of  its  trustees,  and  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  building  committee.  He  arrived  in 
this  county  in  pioneer  times,  finding  here  a 
largely  unimproved  district.  There  were 
many  traces  of  Indian  habitation  yet  to  be 
found  and  in  the  forests  wxre  many  kinds 
of  wild  game,  deer  being  yet  occasionally 
killed.  The  timber  was  uncut,  the  land  un- 
cultivated and  the  rivers  unbridged,  while 
only  a  comparatively  few  of  the  roads  had 
been  laid  out.  The  county  largely  awaited 
the  awakening  touch  of  civilization  but  the 
enterprise  and  energy  of  the  early  settlers 
soon  wrought  a  marked  transformation  and 
in  the  work  of  improvement  Mr.  Helmick 
has  always  borne  his  lull  share. 

JOHN  PEO  has  resided  continuously 
in  New  Buffalo  since  1866  and  is  therefore 
largely  familiar  with  its  history  and  with 
the  development  of  this  part  of  the  county. 
He  w^as  born  in  Mecklenburg,  Schwerin,  on 
the  30th  of  August,  1839,  ^  sou  of  William 
and  Dora  (Schutt)  Feo,  also  natives  of 
Mecklenburg.      His    paternal    grandfather,. 


8i8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


William  Peo,  was  a  Frenchman  and  served 
in  the  Napoleonic  wars.  At  length  he  was 
taken  prisoner  and  at  Hanover  was  given 
his  liberty,  but  afterward  remained  a  resi- 
dent of  Germany.  It  was  in  the  year  1862 
that  William  Peo,  father  of  our  subject, 
came  to  the  United  States.  His  wife  ac- 
companied him  on  the  start  but  died  while 
on  the  ocean.  The  family  were  fifteen  weeks 
and  three  days  in  crossing  the  Atlantic  and 
after  reaching  the  shores  of  the  new  world 
Mr.  Peo  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan, 
where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  passing 
away  in  1874.  He  was  a  millwright  by 
trade.  In  the  family  were  eight  children, 
all  of  whom  came  to  the  United  States, 
namely:  Ernest,  who  is  now  living  in  New 
Buf¥alo;  William,  of  Laporte,  Indiana,  now 
deceased ;  Mrs.  Mary  Walters,  also  residing 
in  New  Buffalo;  Charles,  who  makes  his 
home  in  Laporte;  Mrs.  Lena  Brinkman,  liv- 
ing in  Michigan  City;  Chriss,  a  real  estate 
dealer  of  Chicago;  and  Ludwig,  who  died 
in  Detroit,  Michigan,  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
years. 

John  Peo,  who  is  the  fifth  in  order  of 
birth  in  this  family,  continued  a  resident  of 
his  native  country  until  twenty-six  years 
of  age  and  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  his 
native  land  attended  the  public  schools  until 
fourteen  years  of  age.  He  then  began  learn- 
ing the  blacksmith's  trade,  at  which  he 
served  a  four  years'  apprenticeship  and  re- 
ceived a  diploma.  He  then  traveled  for 
three  years,  working  at  his  trade,  and  he 
also  served  for  two  years  in  the  German 
army  as  a  member  of  the  engineers  corps. 
He  worked  at  blacksmithing  in  Schwerin 
for  a  year  and  a  half  and  owing  to  his  good 
behavior  in  the  army  during  two  years  he 
secured  a  position  on  the  government  rail- 
road to  learn  locomotive  work.  In  the  mean- 
time his  parents  had  come  to  America  and 
the  father  persuaded  Mr.  Peo  to  join  him 
here.  Accordingly  in  the  year  1866  the  son 
crossed  the  Atlantic  and  made  his  way  to 
New  Buffalo,  where  he  has  resided  con- 
tinuously since.  He  worked  for  six  weeks 
here  as  a  blacksmith  and  then  established 
a  shop  of  his  own,  doing  blacksmithing  and 
wagon  making  and  repairing.  He  conducted 


the  business  for  thirty-seven  years  and  was 
thus  long  closely  associated  with  the  in- 
dustrial interests  of  the  town,  but  has  now 
rented  his  shop  and  is  living  retired.  In 
1873  he  bought  the  Lake  Shore  House,  a 
hotel  at  this  place,  which  he  conducted  for 
twenty-eight  years,  but  recently  traded  it 
for  Chicago  property,  whereby  he  became 
the  owner  of  a  store  at  No.  720  Erie  street 
at  the  corner  of  Leavitt  street.  He  also  owns 
three  dwellings  in  New  Buffalo  together 
with  his  blacksmith  shop  and  a  number  of 
vacant  lots  and  his  property  is  the  visible 
evidence  of  a  life  of  industry  and  enterprise. 

In  1866  Mr.  Peo  was  married  to  Miss 
Sophia  Schultz,  a  native  of  Mecklenburg. 
She  came  to  America  at  the  same  time  Mr. 
Peo  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  their  marriage 
was  celebrated  here  after  landing.  They 
traveled  life's  journey  happily  together  for 
about  eighteen  years  and  were  then 
separated  by  the  death  of  the  wife  in  1884. 
Their  children  are :  Dora,  who  is  the  widow 
of  Fred  Sompo  and  resides  in  Chicago; 
Frank,  also  of  that  city;  John  H.,  of  New 
Buffalo ;  George,  who  is  a  real  estate  dealer 
of  Chicago  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  Metro- 
politan College  of  that  city,  whereby  he  was 
w^ell  qualified  for  life's  practical  and  respon- 
sible business  duties.  After  losing  his  first 
wife  Mr.  Peo  was  again  married  in  1884, 
his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Minnie 
Miller^  who  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany, 
and  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  with 
her  parents  when  a  year  and  a  half  old. 
Two  children  have  been  born  of  this  union : 
Fred  A.,  who  is  with  his  father  in  business; 
and  Alexander,  now  deceased. 

Mr.  Peo  is  a  member  of  the  German 
Lutheran  Church,  in  which  he  has  held  va- 
rious offices,  doing  all  in  his  power  to  pro- 
mote the  growth  and  extend  the  influence  of 
his  denomination.  In  politics  he  was  form- 
erly a  Democrat  but  his  study  of  questions 
and  issues  led  him  to  transfer  his  political 
allegiance  and  he  is  now  a  Republican.  He 
was  for  twelve  years  a  member  of  the  board 
of  education  of  New  Buffalo,  was  alderman 
for  seven  or  eight  years  and  has  also  been 
highway  and  street  commissioner.  He  has 
likewise  filled  the  office  of  tax  equalizer  and 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


819 


has  been  active  in  support  of  his  party  and 
faithful  in  office,  doing  everything  in  his 
power  to  promote  the  general  improvement 
and  progress  of  the  county.  Mr.  Peo  be- 
longs to  St.  Johann's  Turnverein  at  Michi- 
gan City,  with  which  he  has  been  identified 
since  1868  and  he  has  belonged  to  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at  New 
Buffalo  since  1884.  Four  times  he  has  rep- 
resented his  lodge  in  the  grand  lodge  and 
he  is  one  of  the  valued  members  of  the 
order  here.  He  is  the  oldest  business  man 
in  the  village  in  years  of  continuous  con- 
nection with  commercial  and  industrial  in- 
terests here  and  throughout  the  entire 
period  has  maintained  an  unassailable  repu- 
tation for  business  integrity,  activity  and 
straightforward  dealing. 

JOSEPH  WALKER.  Among  the  lead- 
ing and  successful  farmers  of  Berrien  town- 
ship is  Joseph  Walker,  who  resides  on  sec- 
tion 35,  where  he  now  owns  two  hundred 
and  eighty  acres  of  valuable  land,  constitut- 
ing one  of  the  largest  farms  in  the  county. 
Here  he  carries  on  general  agricultural  and 
horticultural  pursuits  and  his  labors  are  so 
carefully  directed  that  they  have  brought 
to  him  a  good  financial  return. 

Mr.  Walker  was  born  in  Niles  town- 
ship, Berrien  county,  October  14,  1843.  His 
father,  Joseph  Walker,  was  a  native  of 
Leicestershire,  England, where  hewas  reared, 
and  when  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  crossed 
the  Atlantic  to  Canada,  while  in  1842  he 
arrived  in  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  set- 
tling in  Niles  township.  There  he  carried 
on  general  farming  for  a  long  period  and 
spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurring 
when  he  had  reached  the  age  of  seventy-six 
years.  He  married  Catharine  Newgent,  a 
native  of  the  north  of  Ireland,  born  near 
Abbey  Castle.  She  went  to  Canada  with 
her  father  when  about  ten  years  of  age  and 
she  lived  to  the  very  advanced  age  of  ninety- 
seven  years.  There  were  twelve  children  in 
the  family,  and  with  one  exception  all 
reached  manhood  or  womanhood. 

Joseph  Walker  was  reared  in  Niles  town- 
ship and  was  educated  in  the  district  and 
select  schools,  being  thus  well  qualified  for 


life's  practical  and  responsible  duties.  His 
training  at  farm  labor  was  not  meager,  for 
he  was  early  assigned  tasks  in  connection 
with  the  cultivation  of  the  fields  and  he  re- 
mained upon  the  old  homestead  as  assistant 
to  his  father  up  to  the  time  of  his  marriage. 
He  then  began  farming  on  his  own  account, 
locating  at  the  place  which  is  yet  his  home 
and  to  the  original  tract  he  has  added  from 
time  to  time  as  his  financial  resources  in- 
creased and  opportunity  offered  until  he  is 
now  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  of  as  good  farming  land  as  can  be 
found  in  the  county.  He  is  an  enterpris- 
ing farmer  and  fruit-raiser,  annually  pro- 
ducing good  crops  of  grain  and  fruit.  He 
has  about  twenty  acres  planted  to  apples, 
six  acres  in  pears,  peaches,  grapes,  etc.  He 
now  makes  a  specialty  of  gardening  and 
finds  this  a  profitable  source  of  income,  for 
his  vegetables  are  always  of  excellent  size, 
quality  and  flavor,  thus  bringing  the  highest 
market  prices. 

Mr.  Walker  was  married  in  1868  to  Miss 
Alice  Grice,  a  daughter  of  Eli  Grice,  a  na- 
tive of  Howard  township,  Cass  county, 
Michigan,  where  she  was*  reared.  Three 
sons  have  been  born  of  this  union,  Joseph, 
Willie  and  Gordie,  all  of  whom  are  at  home 
and  are  assisting  their  father  in  the  farm 
work. 

Mr.  Walker  has  been  a  life  long  resident 
of  this  county  and  is  deeply  interested  in  its 
growth  and  progress.  As  a  factor  in  its 
agricultural  and  horticultural  interests  he 
has  contributed  to  its  general  prosperity  and 
in  matters  of  citizenship  he  is  always  loyal 
to  the  best  interests  of  the  community  at 
large.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and  has 
served  as  township  treasurer  and  as  school 
inspector.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at 
Pokagon,  Michigan.  He  has  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance in  Berrien  county  and  is  recog- 
nized as  one  whose  genial  manner  and  good 
traits  have  made  him  popular  with  his  fel- 
low townsmen. 

WILLIAM  WYANT,  one  of  the  well 
known  agriculturists  of  Berrien  township, 
Berrien  county,  Michigan,  is  a  native  son 


820 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


of  the  Keystone  State,  his  birth  occurring 
in  Erie  county,  Pennsylvania,  July  14,  1832. 
His  father,  James  L.  Wyant,  claimed  New 
York  as  the  state  of  his  nativity,  dating  his 
birth  in  Orange  county,  and  there  he  was 
reared  to  years  of  maturity.  From  his  na- 
tive state  he  removed  to  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  remained  for  a  short  time,  remov- 
ing thence  to  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  and  dur- 
ing this  time  was  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  In  1867  he  came  to  Michigan,  lo- 
cating on  the  farm  which  is  now  the  home 
of  his  son  William,  and  there  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  passing  away  on  the 
25th  of  February,  1875,  when  he  had 
reached  the  seventy-seventh  milestone  on  the 
journey  of  life.  Mr.  Wyant  was  married  in 
Ohio  to  Phebe  Rhude,  a  native  of  Hamil- 
ton county,  that  state,  where  she  was  also 
reared.  She  was  called  to  the  home  beyond 
when  seventy-eight  years  of  age.  Unto  this 
worthy  pioneer  couple  were  born  twelve 
children,  six  sons  and  six  daughters,  two 
of  whom  died  w^hen  young. 

William  Wyant,  the  second  son  and  fifth 
child  in  order  of  birth,  spent  the  early  years 
of  his  life  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio.  In  1854 
he  came  to  Michigan,  first  establishing  his 
home  in  Ionia  county,  where  he  purchased  a 
farm  and  for  a  short  time  thereafter  was  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  then  went 
to  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  where  he  resided 
until  1858,  and  in  that  year  came  again 
to  Michigan,  this  time  locating  in  Pipestone 
township,  Berrien  county,  but  a  short  time 
afterward  purchased  a  farm  on  sections  22 
and  23,  Berrien  township,  consisting  of  one 
hundred  and  eleven  acres,  where  he  was  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  the  tilling  of  the  soil 
for  the  long  period  of  thirty-nine  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  met  with  the  success  he 
so  richly  deserved.  On  the  expiration  of 
that  period  Mr.  Wyant  removed  to  the  farm- 
stead which  is  now  his  home,  which  he  had 
purchased  in  1903,  but  it  was  two  years 
later,  in  1905,  when  he  took  up  his  abode 
thereon.  His  farm  comprises  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  rich  and  well  cultivated 
land,  and  the  well  tilled  fields  annually  re- 
turn to  him  rich  rewards  for  the  care  and 
labor  he  bestows  upon  them. 


In  Akron,  Summit  county,  Ohio,  irt 
1853,  Mr.  Wyant  was  united  in  marriage  ta 
Alvira  Tuttle,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Portage  county,  that  state,  she  being  a 
daughter  of  Lafayette  Tuttle,  of  Portage 
county.  Four  children  have  been  born  of 
this  union — Mary  Frances,  at  home;  John 
F.,  a  resident  of  Berrien  township,  Berrien 
county;  Oscar  M.,  who  makes  his  home  in 
Niles  township,  Berrien  county;  and  Clista 
M.,  the  wife  of  Leroy  Morley,  and  they  re- 
side with  her  parents.  Mr.  Wyant  gives  his 
political  support  to  the  Democratic  party, 
and  his  first  presidential  vote  was  cast  for 
Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864.  He  has  been  the 
choice  of  his  party  for  a  number  of  official 
positions,  among  which  may  be  mentioned 
those  of  road  commissioner  and  school  di- 
rector. He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church  at  South  Berrien  Center.  For  fifty 
years  Mr.  Wyant  has  maintained  his  home 
in  Berrien  county,  and  during  all  these  years 
his  honorable  and  upright  life  and  Chris- 
tian character  have  endeared  him  to  a  host 
of  friends. 

EDGAR  S.  PENNELL,  proprietor  of 
the  Pennellwood  summer  resort  in  Berrien 
township,  was  born  in  Cayuga  county.  New 
York,  August  22,  1843,  and  was  the  third 
child  of  Abram  C.  and  Elizabeth  B.  (Smith) 
Pennell,  the  former  also  a  native  of  the  Em- 
pire State.  He  became  a  resident  of  Ber- 
rien county  in  1848,  at  which  time  he  located 
in  Lake  township  and  purchased  a  farm, 
upon  which  he  remained  for  five  years.  He 
then  located  in  Oronoko  township,  wdiere  he 
bought  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  un- 
improved land.  Scarcely  a  furrow  has  been 
turned  upon  the  place  and  with  character- 
istic energy  he  began  to  clear  and  cultivate 
it.  He  built  fences,  plowed  the  fields  and 
continued  the  work  of  improvement  until  a 
later  day,  when  he  traded  this  farm  for  land 
in  Berrien  township.  He  spent  his  last  days 
in  Berrien  Springs  and  was  more  than  eighty 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  demise.  He 
had  held  local  offices  in  Lake  township  and 
was  well  and  favorably  known  as  a  citizen 
of  genuine  worth,  fearless  in  defense  of  his 
honest  convictions  and  a  stanch  champion  of 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


821 


whatever  he  believed  to  be  right.  In  poHtics 
he  was  a  stalwart  RepubHcan  and  active  in 
the  interests  of  the  party.  He  married  EHza- 
beth  Smith,  who  was  reared  in  New  York, 
her  father,  Richard  Smith,  removing  to  the 
Empire  State  during  her  early  life.  She 
lived  to  be  more  than  eighty-six  years  of  age. 
In  their  family  were  five  children,  three 
sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  now 
survive   and   are   married. 

Edgar  S.  Pennell  was  but  five  years  of 
age  w^hen  he  came  to  Berrien  county  and 
w^as  reared  in  Lake  and  Oronoko  townships, 
while  the  educational  privileges  he  enjoyed 
were  afforded  by  the  country  schools.  His 
attention  was  largely  given  to  work  upon  the 
old  home  farm  until  he  reached  the  age  of 
twenty- four  years,  when  he  was  married,  in 
1 868/ to  Miss  Mary^A.  Walton,  a  daughter 
of  James  and  Mary  A.  Walton,  who  came  to 
Oronoko  township  when  their  daughter, 
Mrs.  Pennell,  who  was  born  in  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania,  was  about  six  years  of  age. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage,  Edgar  S. 
Pennell  located  upon  a  part  of  the  old  home 
farm  in  Oronoko  township,  having  forty 
acres,  to  which  he  afterward  added  two 
acres.  He  remained  there,  carefully  culti- 
vating the  place  until  1879,  when  he  located 
on  his  present  farm.  About  1895  ^^  began 
entertaining  summer  boarders,  and  in  1896 
he  began  building  and  improving  summer 
cottages.  No  state  of  the  middle  west  of- 
fers more  attractions  as  a  summer  resort  than 
does  Michigan,  with  its  wooded  hills,  its 
beautiful  lakes  and  its  delightful  climate, 
and  Mr.  Pennell,  taking  advantage  of  these 
conditions,  has  developed  an  excellent  bus- 
iness of  this  character.  He  now  accommo- 
dates about  one  hundred  in  the  heighth  of 
the  season  and  has  on  an  average  of  about 
sixty  people  to  spend  the  summer  months  at 
Pennellwood,  which  is  pleasantly  located  on 
the  St.  Joseph  river  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
south  of  Berrien  Springs  and  a  mile  from  an 
electric  line.  Mr.  Pennell  meets  his  guests 
at  the  train  wdien  they  are  expected  and  puts 
forth  every  effort  in  his  power  for  their  con- 
venience and  entertainment.  He  has  in  the 
farm  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  and  in 
addition  to  this  property  he  has  a  home  at 


New  Smyrna,  Florida,  his  sons,  Clyde  W. 
and  James  F.,  owning  a  winter  resort  there. 
Mr.  Pennell  has  been  a  resident  of  the  coun- 
ty for  almost  six  decades  and  in  many  ways 
has  been  identified  with  its  development  and 
progress.  In  politics  he  has  been  a  life-long 
Republican,  unfaltering  in  his  allegiance  to 
the  party.  His  business  interests  are  care- 
fully conducted  and  he  has  made  the  Pen- 
nellw^ood  a  favorite  and  attractive  resort. 

WILLIAM  P.  KING.  No  history  of 
Berrien  county  would  be  complete  without 
containing  mention  of  William  P.  King,  for 
his  life  work  was  closely  interwoven  with  the 
early  development  and  later  progress  of  this 
part  of  the  state  and  detailed  account  of 
his  life  w^ould  present  an  accurate  picture  of 
conditions  which  existed  here  when  Berrien 
county  was  a  frontier  district.  He  was  born 
December  4,  1808,  at  Brainard's  Bridge  in 
Rensselaer  county.  New  York,  his  parents 
being  William  and  Lydia  King,  representa- 
tives of  an  early  family  of  Massachusetts. 
The  son  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  became 
an  apprentice  to  an  uncle  at  Monroe,  Michi- 
gan, who  built  mills  in  this  state.  In  1885 
Mr.  King  arrived  in  St.  Joseph  to  enter  the 
employ  of  the  government,  engaging  in 
building  the  harbor.  That  w^as  the  first 
work  on  which  is  the  present  channel.  He 
sank  cribs  and  did  other  such  work,  spending 
several  seasons  in  that  way.  He  was  in  the 
employ  of  a  government  contractor,  James 
Mann.  During  this  time  he  entered  land 
from  the  government,  becoming  the  owner 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  is 
now  the  present  King  homestead.  He  began 
to  improve  the  property,  building  thereon  a 
log  barn  and  log  house.  It  was  a  square  tim- 
ber house  all  mortised  and  it  is  now  in  use  as 
a  barn  on  an  adjoining  farm.  It  was  one  of 
the  old  block  houses  built  in  *^off  seasons" 
when  five  or  six  expert  men  could  give  as- 
sistance in  its  construction  and  in  getting 
out  timbers.  All  shingles  were  rived  and 
shaved.  This  stood  near  the  present  house 
and  was  occupied  by  Mr.  King  until  he  built 
the  residence  which  now  stands  upon  the 
place  in  1869.  His  activity  in  business  and 
deep  interests  made  him  very  widely  known 


822 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


and  for  one  or  two  years  he  ran  flatboats 
and  steamboats  on  the  St.  Joseph  river, 
bringing  grain  down  the  river  and  taking 
merchandise  up  the  stream  to  Three  Rivers, 
Constantine  and  other  places.  In  those  days 
the  Wheeler  Boat  Line  and  the  Sutherland 
were  the  principal  ones  operating  and  it  was 
in  connection  therewith  that  Mr.  King  made 
his  trips  up  and  down  the  river,  becoming 
known  to  all  the  older  settlers  as  Captain 
King.  In  the  meantime  he  was  also  clearing, 
cultivating  and  developing  his  farm  and  in 
the  course  of  years  he  had  two  hundred  acres 
under  cultivation,  having  added  eighty  acres 
to  the  original  tract.  His  land  lay  on  either 
side  of  the  Pipestone  road  but  there  was  no 
passage  through  his  farm  at  the  time  when 
he  located  thereon.  As  the  country  became 
more  thickly  settled  and  there  was  demand 
for  more  public  highw^ays,  however,  the 
Pipestone  road  was  laid  out  through  his 
farm.  In  all  of  his  work  he  was  practical 
and  progressive  and  his  claims  soon  showed 
evidence  of  his  careful  cultivation  and  spirit 
of  enterprise  and  thrift.  He  also  invested 
in  other  lands  and  at  one  time  owned  all  of 
the  land  now  in  the  city  of  Benton  Harbor 
between  Brittain  and  Empire  avenues  along 
Pipestone,  comprising  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  which  is  now  a  very  valuable 
property.  St.  Joseph  at  that  time  was  the 
principal  business  center  of  the  county  and 
it  was  believed  that  Benton  Harbor  would 
never  be  a  place  of  any  commercial  import- 
ance. In  fact,  neither  city  had  become  very 
large  or  prominent  at  the  time  of  his  death 
and  the  family  sent  to  Niles,  a  distance  of 
twenty-five  miles,  for  a  hearse  in  which  to 
take  the  body  of  Mr.  King  to  the  place  of 
interment. 

In  his  political  views  Captain  King  was 
a  stalwart  Whig  until  the  dissolution  of  the 
party,  when  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  new 
Republican  party.  He  was  quite  active  in 
political  affairs,  attending  the  party  conven- 
tions and  did  all  in  his  power  to  secure  the 
adoption  of  the  principles  in  which  he  be- 
lieved. At  the  time  of  the  Mexican  war  he 
enlisted  for  service  in  the  American  army 
and  later  he  received  in  recognition  of  his  aid 
a  land  warrant  for  one  hundred  and  sixty 


acres.  However,  he  afterward  sold  the  war- 
rant. In  community  affairs  lie  took  a  help- 
ful  interest  and  was  always  present  at  vari- 
ous town  meetings  and  served  in  nearly  all 
of  the  township  offices  save  that  of  super- 
visor. He  was  recognized  as  a  real  leader  in 
township  affairs,  his  views  being  respected 
by  all  because  of  his  well  known  fidelity  to- 
the  general  good  and  his  public  spirit.  He- 
enjoyed  the  unqualified  regard  of  the  early 
settlers  of  the  county  and  his  upright  life 
fully  merited  the  trust  that  was  reposed  in 
him.  He  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the 
close  communion  Baptist  Church,  with  which 
he  always  retained  his  connection.  His. 
house  was  ever  open  for  the  reception  of 
ministers  of  the  denomination  and  for  all 
other  people  as  well,  its  hospitality  being 
unbounded. 

Mr.  King  was  married  in  St.  Joseph  to 
Miss  Jane  Kelley,  a  daughter  of  James  Kel- 
ley,  a  Scotch  Irishman.  Her  father  was  a 
strong,  powerful  man,  of  fine  physique  and 
was  a  pioneer  settler  of  the  county,  typical 
of  the  life  of  the  frontier.  He  settled  upon 
a  farm  bordering  the  St.  Joseph  river  and 
his  house  was  a  hotel  at  which  boat  passen- 
gers stopped.  It  was  at  Arden  and  on  the 
Niles  road  was  erected  another  hotel,  the 
Buckhorn,  but  his  place  was  always  the  more 
important.  Sometimes  twenty  steamboats 
and  other  river  craft  would  be  tied  up  to  the 
wharf  here  and  it  is  supposed  that  it  was  at 
this  place  where  he  formed  the  acquaintance 
of  Miss  Kelley,  who  afterward  became  his. 
wife.  She  survived  him  for  twenty-five 
years  or  until  July  i6,  1894,  when  she  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  The 
death  of  Mr.  King  had  occurred  on 'the  lotli 
of  May,  1869,  when  he  was  sixty-one  years 
of  age.  In  their  family  were  eight  chil- 
dren :  George  H.,  of  whom  further  mention 
is  made;  Nathan  G.,  deceased;  William  P., 
who  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years ;  Alex- 
ander C,  of  Benton  Harbor;  Mary  E.,  the 
wife  of  W.  A.  Preston,  of  St.  Joseph ;  Nel- 
lie C,  who  was  a  teacher  and  is  now  living 
at  home;  Laura  B.,  also  at  home;  and  Jen- 
nie A.,  the  wife  of  P.  W.  Hall,  of  Benton 
Harbor.  Of  this  family  Nathan  served  in 
the  army  of  the  Potomac  throughout  the 


MRS.  ABEL  GARR 


ABEL  GARR 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


823 


Civil  war.  He  afterward  conducted  a  groc- 
ery store  in  St.  Joseph  and  later  he  went  to 
Chicago,  where  all  trace  of  him  was  lost. 
It  was  impossible  to  gain  further  informa- 
tion concerning  him  after  diligent  inquiry 
and  it  is  therefore  supposed  that  he  is  dead. 
William  P.  also  served  throughout  the  war 
and  was  in  the  government  employ  for  four- 
teen years  in  the  Black  Hills  country,  largely 
engaged  in  carrying  supplies.  Finally  he 
settled  at  Blackfoot,  Idaho,  where  he  died 
in  June,  1904,  and  his  remains  were  re- 
turned to  Benton  Harbor  for  interment. 

George  H.  King,  the  eldest  of  the  family, 
was  born  in  the  old  block  house  described 
above  and  remained  upon  the  home  farm 
through  the  period    of    his    boyhood    and 
youth.     After  his  father's  death  he  rented 
the  farm  until  his  mother's  demise,  when  the 
estate  was  settled.    He  had  also  owned  other 
land  and  he  carries  on  general  farming,  in- 
cluding the  cultivation  of  the  fields  and  the 
raising  of  good  grades  of  cattle  and  hogs, 
to  which  he  feeds  his  crops.     He  likewise 
grows  peaches,  pears  and  apples.     His  lead- 
ing apple  orchard  is  the  one  that  was  set 
out  by  his  father  in  stumps  almost  seventy 
years  ago  and  the  trees  have  been  in  bearing 
for  more  than    sixty-five    years.      Captain 
King  would  set  trees  as  soon  as  the  space 
was  cleared,  all  of  the  trees  being  grafted 
in  the  body  about  two  feet  above  the  ground. 
This  is  doubtless  the  oldest  bearing  orchard 
in   Berrien  county  and  it  has  borne  every 
year,   thus  being  a    continuous    source    of 
profit.     In  his  political  views  Mr.   King  is 
a  Republican.     He  attends  the  conventions 
and  elections,  never  failing  to  embrace  an 
opportunity  of  casting  his  ballot  in  support 
of  the  men  and  measures  in  which  he  be- 
lieves.   The  family  is  prominent  in  the  coun- 
ty, having  been  connected  with  progress  and 
development  here  from  pioneer  times  and  it 
is  with  pleasure  we  present  to  our  readers 
the  record  of  their  lives. 

ABEL  GARR,  deceased,  resided  on  sec- 
tion 21,  Oronoko  township,  and  when  called 
to  his  final  rest  the  community  mourned  the 
loss  of  a  representative  citizen.  He  was  born 
in  Wayne  county,  Indiana,  December  31, 
1807.     His  father,  Abraham   Garr,   was  a 


native  of  Virginia,  born  February  28,  1769, 
and  removing  westward,  he  settled  in  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  in  1807.  The  ancestry  of 
the  family  is  traced  back  to  Andreas  Garr, 
who  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  in  1685, 
and  came  to  America  in  1732,  crossing  the 
Atlantic  on  a  sailing  vessel,  which  was  eigh- 
teen weeks  in  completing  that  voyage.  He 
located  in  Culpeper  county,  Virginia,  and 
became  the  progenitor  of  the  family  in  the 
new  world. 

Abel  Garr  was  the  sixth  in  a  family  of 
eight  children  and  the  youngest  son,  there 
being  four  sons  and   four  daughters.      He 
was  reared  upon  the  farm  in  Wayne  county, 
Indiana,  which  his  father  had  entered  from 
the  government  and  the  district  schools  of 
a  pioneer  settlement  afforded  him  his  educa- 
tional privileges.     He  was  denied  many  of 
the  privileges  w^hich  are  now  known,  owing 
to  his  residence  upon  the  frontier  but  there 
were  also  pleasures  and  opportunities  which 
are  unknown  now\     Through  the  period  of 
his  youth  he  remained  at  his  father's  home 
and  afterwards  learned  the  trade  of  cabinet- 
making,   which   he   followed   in   Richmond, 
Indiana,  until  1832,  when,  attracted  by  the 
new  settlements  of  southwestern  Michigan, 
he  came  to  Berrien  county  and  took  up  his 
abode  in  Niles.     It  was  then  a  small  town 
but  the  county  was  already  giving  indica- 
tions of  the  enterprise  and  spirit  of  progress, 
which  were  soon  adhered  to  and  made  it  one 
of  the  leading  counties  of  this  great  com- 
monwealth.    Mr.  Garr  worked  at  his  trade 
in  Niles,  being  in  the  employ  of  James  Hall 
until    he    had    saved    from    his  earnings  a 
sufficient  sum  of  money  to  enable  him  to  buy 
land.     He  received  a  wage  of  but  fifty  cents 
per   day   at   cabinet-making  and    from   this 
sum  he  bought  the  land  on  section  21,  Oro- 
noko  township,    now   constituting   the    old 
homestead,    upon    which    his    widow    and 
daughter  reside.     His  first  home  was  built 
of  hewed  logs  and  there  he  kept  bachelor's 
hall  for  several  years,  in  the  meantime  clear- 
ing up  the  farm  and  as  the  timber  was  cut 
down  he  plowed  his  fields  and  planted  his 
crops. 

On  the  4th  of  December,  1847,  Mr.  Garr 
was  married  to  Miss  Harriet  Storick,  who 
was   born   at   Selin's   Grove,    Pennsylvania, 


'824 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


December   19,   18 19,  a  daughter  of  Lewis 
Storick,  whose  birth  occurred  on  Chestnut 
street,    in    Philadelphia,     Pennsylvania,    in 
which  city  he  was  reared.     He  became  pro- 
prietor of  what  was  then  called  a  tavern,  and 
some  years  later  he  removed  to  the  present 
town  of  Greensburg,  Pennsylvania,  whence 
he  came  to  Michigan  in  1836,  establishing 
his  home  in  Oronoko  township  on  the  place 
where  Mrs.   Garr  now   lives.      After  three 
years,  however,  he  removed  to  the  northern 
part  of  the  township,  where  he  purchased  a 
farm.     His  last  days,  however,  were  spent 
on  the  old  homestead  where  Mrs.  Garr  now 
resides.      His   wife,    who   bore   the   maiden 
name  of  Maria  Sellers,  w^as  also  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania.      His   grave  was   among   the 
first  m'ade  in  what  is  called  Oak  Grove  ceme- 
tery,  the  land  having  been  given  by  Abel 
Garr  for  the  purpose.     Mrs.  Garr  was  the 
youngest  of  ten  children,  five  sons  and  five 
daughters,  and  is  the  only  one  now  living. 
She  was  a  maiden  of  but  fifteen  years  when 
she  became  a  resident  of  Berrien  county  and 
is  now  eighty-six  years  of  age,  so  that  her 
residence   in   Oronoko  township  covers  the 
lon^  period  of  seventy-one  years.      She   is 
today  the  oldest  living  resident  of  the  town- 
ship and  she  receives  the  respect  and  ven- 
eration which  is  certainly  due  her. 

Following  their  marriap-e  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Garr  located  on  a  farm  which  is  still  her 
home  and  there  they  spent  their  entire 
married  life.  His  attention  was  given  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  fields  and  he  was  success- 
ful in  his  business  owning  at  one  time  four 
hundred  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land, 
which  returned  him  a  gratifying  income  for 
the  care  and  labor  he  bestowed  upon  the 
fields.  He  also  took  an  active  part  in  public 
affairs  and  left  the  impress  of  his  individu- 
ality upon  the  public  thought  and  action,  es- 
pecially in  an  earlier  day.  He  served  as  a 
captain  of  the  home  militia,  was  supervi- 
sor of  his  township  for  some  years  and 
acted  as  school  director  for  many  years. 
He  continued  to  reside  upon  the  old  home 
place  until  his  demise,  which  occured  Decem- 
ber 20,  1889.  Thus  passed  away  one  of  the 
honored  and  worthy  pioneer  settlers,  but  he 
is  yet  remembered  by  many  who  knew  him 
and  who  were  associated  with  him  in  years 


of  an  active  and  useful  career.  He  left  a 
good  Dvoperty  to  his  family,  his  wife  and 
daughter  now  owning  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  valuable  land.  There  were 
six  children  in  the  family  but  two  of  the 
number  died  in  infacy,  and  Maria,  Lewis 
and  Rosa  are  also  deceased.  The  only  sur- 
viving member  of  this  family  is  Martha, 
who  gives  personal  supervision  to  the  inter- 
ests of  the  farm  and  is  caring  for  her  mother. 
The  name  of  Garr  has  long  been  an  hon- 
ored one  in  Oronoko  township  and  no  his- 
tory of  this  county  would  be  complete  with- 
out mention  of  Abel  Garr,  who  was  a  promi- 
nent factor  in  public  affairs  during  his  life 
time,  and  of  his  wife,  who  is  still  an  es- 
teemed resident  of  Oronoko  township. 

WILLIAM  D.  BREMER,  who  for  a 
period  of  nine  years  has  conducted  an  im- 
portant lumber  business  in  Three  Oaks,  and 
is  also  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  property 
of  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  acres,  largely 
devoted  to  fruit,  in  Chikaming  township, 
is  a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany,  born  on 
the  23d  of  February,  1856.  He  is  a  son  of 
Frederick  and  Katharine  (Frees)  Bremer, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Hanover, 
Germany.  The  father  died  when  his  son 
William  was  a  little  lad  of  only  six  years 
and  the  mother  passed  away  in  Wisconsin, 
when  more  than  seventy-six  years  of  age. 
In  the  family  were  thirteen  children,  six  sons 
and  seven  daughters. 

William  D.  Bremer  spent  the  first  seven 
years  of  his  life  in  the  fatherland,  after  which 
he  came  with  his  widowed  mother  to  the 
United  States,  the  family  home  being  es- 
tablished in  Manitowoc,  Wisconsin.  He 
there  resided  until  twelve  years  of  age,  when 
he  made  his  way  to  the  northern  part  of  the 
state  and  although  but  a  boy  began  earning 
his  own  living,  working  in  the  saw  and 
shingle  mills  of  the  locality  until  he  reached 
the  age  of  fourteen  years.  He  then  began 
learning  the  butcher's  trade  at  Green  Bay, 
Wisconsin,  following  that  pursuit  until  nine 
years  ago.  He  went  from  Wisconsin  to  Chi- 
cago, Illinois,  where  he  secured  employment 
in  a  meat  market  and  about  twenty-seven 
years  ago  he  removed  to  Three  Oaks.  In 
the  period  of  his  residence  here  he  conducted 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


825 


three  different  meat  markets,  built  up  a  good 
trade  in  each  and  also  conducted  a  prosper- 
ous Hve  stock  business.  He  operated  quite 
extensively  in  those  lines  and  enjoyed  a  good 
patronage  in  the  different  stores  of  which  he 
was  the  proprietor.  He  also  made  judicious 
purchases  and  profitable  sales  as  a  live  stock 
dealer  and  nine  years  ago  he  established  his 
present  extensive  lumber  yards,  which  he  is 
now  conducting,  having  in  this  line  secured 
a  business  that  is  very  desirable.  He  like- 
wise owns  a  valuable  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  thirty-two  acres  planted  mostly  to  fruit, 
and  his  crops  add  materially  to  his  annual 
income.  In  all  of  his  business  affairs  he  has 
shown  adaptability,  determination  and  un- 
flaggji^g"  perseverance,  and  these  qualities 
constitute  a  safe  and  sure  basis  upon  which 
to  build  the  superstructure  of  success. 

In  1877,  while  in  Chicago,  Mr.  Bremer 
was  married  to    Miss    Bertha    Wischmann, 
who  was  born  in  Stattene,  Germany,  a  lit- 
tle village  near  the  city  of  Berlin,  Germany, 
in  the  year  1855,  and  came  to  America  with 
her  parents  when  only  about  two  years  of 
age.     She  is  a  daughter    of    William    and 
Bertha    Wischmann.      Four    children    have 
graced  this  marriage:     Clara,  now  the  wife 
of  George  Schobach,  a  resident  of  Dowagiac, 
Michigan;  Otto,  who  is  in  partnership  with 
his  father;  Minnie  and  Bertha,  both  at  home. 
Mr.  Bremer  has  been  a  Democrat  since 
Cleveland's  second  term,  and  has  served  as 
a  member  of  the  village  council.  He  belongs 
to  the  German  Lutheran  Church,  to  the  In- 
dependent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and   the 
Modern  Woodmen  camp,  and  is  recognized 
as  a  citizen  whose  co-operation  can  always 
be    counted    upon    to    further    progressive 
public  movements  relating  to  the  material, 
political,  social  or  moral  progress  of  the  com- 
munity.    He  has  been  dependent  upon  his 
own  resources  from  an  early  age.  He  started 
out  wath  no  special  family  or  pecuniary  ad- 
vantages to  assist  him  and  may  well  be  called 
a  self-made  man,  for  his  advancement  is  at- 
tributable entirely  to  his  own  labors  and  de- 
termination.    He  stands  as  one  whose  life 
record  is  creditable  by  reason  of  what  he  has 
accomplished  and  also    by    reason    of    the 
methods  that  he  has  followed,  and  he  belongs 
to  that  class  of  citizens  who,  while  advanc- 


ing individual  success  also  contribute  to  the 
general  welfare. 

JOHN  J.  NOTHDURFT,  of  Bain- 
bridge  township,  was  born  in  Wittenberg, 
Germany,  on  the  24th  of  March,  1867,  and 
spent  the  first  sixteen  years  of  his  life  in 
his  native  country,  after  which  he  came  to 
the  United  States  with  an  uncle  and  located 
in  Niles,  Michigan.  The  journey  was  made 
from  Bremen  to  Glasgow  on  a  small  steamer 
and  at  the  latter  port  they  became  passengers 
on  the  Anconia  for  New  York.  For  ten 
years  after  his  arrival  in  Berrien  county  Mr. 
Nothdurft  was  employed  at  farm  labor,  two 
years  being  spent  in  the  service  of  Tobias 
Byers,  of  Keeler  township.  Van  Buren 
county.  He  worked  much  of  the  time  by  the 
year,  receiving  two  hundred  dollars  per  year. 
He  saved  his  earnings  and  thus  in  ten  years 
had  gained  a  nice  start. 

Mr.  Nothdurft  further  completed  his  ar- 
rangements for  having  a  home  of  his  own 
by   his   marriage  on   the    ist  of   February, 
1893,    to    Miss    Henrietta    Hildenbrant,    a 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Hildenbrant,  of 
Niles  township,  her  father  being  a  prominent 
farmer  of  that  locality.     She  w^as  born  and 
reared   in   that  township   about  three  miles 
southwest  of  the  city  of  Niles.      In    June, 
1893,  Mr.  Nothdurft  purchased  his  present 
farm,  which  is  the  old  Adam  Miller  place 
of  eighty  acres.     It  was  to  be  sold  at  the  ad- 
ministrator's sale  and  he  made  the  purchase 
for  twenty-one  hundred  dollars.     This  place 
is   situated   in  Bainbridge  township  on  the 
county  line  twelve  miles  east  of  Benton  Har- 
bor and  near  the  territorial  road.     It  was 
patented  by  Martin  Van  Buren,  then  presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  to  Adam  Miller, 
in  1839,  and  remained  in  the  Miller  family 
until  purchased  by  its  present  owner,  who 
now   has   in   his   possession   the   old  patent 
signed  by  Martin  Van  Buren.     It  was  one 
of  the  earliest  developed  farms  of  Berrien 
county  and  its  original  owner  was  one  of  the 
leading,  influential  men  of  this  part  of  the 
state.     Of  his  family  one  daughter,  Delia, 
survives  and  lives  in  Benton  Harbor.     The 
buildings  were  erected  by  Mr.    Miller  but 
have  been  improved  and  remodeled  by  Mr. 
Nothdurft.     He  has  also  brought  the  land 


826 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


under  a  high  state  of  cuhivation  and  now  has 
fifteen  acres  in  fruit,  about  half  of  which  is 
planted  to  berries.  He  has  increased  his 
acreage  in  this  regard  for  he  has  found  the 
growing  of  berries  to  be  a  profitable  indus- 
try. He  is  a  practical  farmer,  having  been 
familiar  with  the  business  from  early  boy- 
hood and  his  broad  knowledge  and  unfal- 
tering energy  are  strong  concomitants  in 
his  present  success. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nothdurft  have  been 
born  five  children,  Lucile,  Ellen,  George, 
John  and  Raymond.  In  politics  Mr.  Noth- 
durft is  independent,  voting  for  the  candi- 
date rather  than  for  party.  He  is  never 
neglectful  of  his  duties  of  citizenship,  how- 
ever, and  gives  active  support  to  many  meas- 
ures for  the  public  good.  The  place  upon 
which  he  lives  is  one  of  the  old  landmarks 
of  the  county  and  in  its  further  development 
and  improvement  Mr.  Nothdurft  is  display- 
ing the  qualities  of  an  enterprising  agricul- 
turist. 

Mr.  Nothdurft  has  taken  a  lively  interest 
in  good  roads  and  has  on  his  place  a  fine 
gravel  pit  and  has  himself  personally  made 
a  good  g-ravel  road  of  over  a  mile  on  the  ter- 
ritorial road. 

CHARLES  D.  SHIPPY  belongs  to  one 
of  the  old  and  well  known  pioneer  families 
of  Berrien  county  and  now  follows  farming 
in  Bainbridge  township.  He  was  born  in 
Jefiferson  county.  New  York,  April  8,  1835. 
His  father,  William  Shippy,  died  in  the  Em- 
pire State  during  the  boyhood  days  of  his 
son  Charles,  and  his  mother,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Lydia  Ingraham,  after  los- 
ing her  first  husband,  was  married  to  George 
Collis.  By  the  former  marriage  she  had 
eight  children,  and  by  the  second  union  there 
were  born  three  sons  and  two  daughters. 
She  always  kept  with  her  the  children  of  her 
first  marriage  until  they  were  old  enough  to 
care  for  themselves,  and  of  this  number  six 
are  yet  living  but  only  two  are  now  resi- 
dents of  Michigan,  Charles  and  his  sister, 
Mary  Ann,  who  is  the  wife  of  John  Suther- 
land, deceased,  of  Pipestone  township,  and 
the  mother  of  Aubrey  Sutherland,  who  was 
drowned  in  Lake  Michigan,  July  4,  1906. 
All  of  the  surviving  members  of  the  Collis 


marriage  have  left  this  state.  On  coming 
to  Berrien  county  George  Collis  and  his 
wife  located  at  Spink's  Corners,  where  Os- 
car Westcott  now  resides,  and  there  Mr. 
Collis  cleared  up  and  improved  the  farm 
whereon  he  lived  until  the  death  of  his  wife 
in  1875,  when  she  was  sixty-three  years  of 
age.  Mr.  Collis  subsequently  went  to  Cali- 
fornia, where  he  died  at  the  advanced  age 
of  more  than  eighty  years. 

Charles  D.  Shippy  was  a  youth  of  only 
eight  years  when  he  came  to  Berrien  county 
with  his  mother,  remaining  with  her  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  eighteen.  He  was  there- 
fore reared  among  pioneer  environments  and 
shared  with  the  family  in  the  hardships  and 
trials  incident  to  life  on  the  frontier.  Leav- 
ing home  he  worked  by  the  month  as  a  farm 
hand  until  his  marriage.  It  was  on  the  ist 
of  March,  1861,  that  he  wedded  Miss  Lucy 
Barnes,  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Amanda 
(Sutherland)  Barnes,  the  latter  a  sister  of 
John  Sutherland.  They  were  married  in 
Broome  county.  New  York,  and  came  to 
Michigan  in  1836,  although  two  years  be- 
fore Mr.  Barnes  had  come  to  this  state  and 
built  a  sawmill  at  Breedsville,  where  he  re- 
mained in  the  operation  of  the  mill  for  one 
year.  On  again  coming  to  Michigan  he  was 
employed  at  Kalamazoo,  and  afterward 
went  to  Cottage  Hill,  Illinois,  w^iere  he  re- 
mained for  three  years,  while  in  1882  he  se- 
cured the  tract  of  land  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship, Berrien  county,  which  became  his 
home,  and  which  is  now  the  home  farm  of 
Charles  Shippy.  He  resided  upon  his  farm 
but  devoted  his  time  to  preaching  the  gospel, 
being  a  Methodist  circuit  rider,  his  duties  in 
this  connection  taking  him  away  from  home 
to  a  large  extent.  He  preached  in  Berrien 
and  adjoining  counties  and  did  much  for  the 
early  moral  development  of  this  part  of  the 
state.  He  made  trips  on  horseback  from  one 
circuit  to  another  and  organized  many  classes 
and  held  many  tent  meetings.  He  preached 
the  gospel  in  many  localities  and  sowed  the 
seeds  of  truth  and  virtue,  which  in  the  course 
of  years  have  borne  good  fruit.  At  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  war  he  enlisted  as  chap- 
lain in  the  Twelfth  Michigan  Regiment  and 
was  shot  during  the  first  day's  battle  at 
Shiloh,  dying  from  the  efifects  of  his  \younds. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


827 


His  remains  were  brought  home  in  a  metalHc 
coffin  and  interred  in  Pen  Yan  cemetery. 
He  was  at  that  time  fifty-one  years  of  age. 
His  widow  was  left  with  five  daughters,  for 
whom  she  made  a  good  home,  carefully  rear- 
ing her  children  and  doing  for  them  to  the 
extent  of  her  ability  and  means.  In  early 
life  she  was  engaged  in  teaching  for  two 
terms,  holding  one  term  of  school  in  her  own 
home  in  Illinois.  She  carefully  trained  her 
children  in  the  lines  of  housework,  in  in- 
tellectual and  in  moral  development  and  she 
was  entertained  in  highest  regard  by  her 
neighbors.  She  died  August  27,  1875,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-three  years.  Her  children  were 
as  follows :  Mary,  the  wife  of  Charles 
Bishop,  living  in  Pipestone  township;  Mrs. 
Lucy  Shippy,  who  engaged  in  teaching  for 
four  years  in  Berrien  and  Van  Buren  coun- 
ties ;  Lazetta,  the  wife  of  John  Collis,  a  half 
brother  of  George  Collis,  who  with  another 
brother,  Melvin,  and  two  half-brothers, 
George  and  Minot  Shippy,  were  all  engaged 
in  active  service  in  the  Civil  war;  Lazetta  is 
now  the  wife  of  Elbridge  Dix,  of  Spink's 
Corners ;  Rachel,  the  wife  of  George  Shippy, 
a  brother  of  Charles  Shippy,  living  in  Cali- 
fornia; and  Jeanetta,  who  became  the  wife 
of  John  Bradt  and  after  his  death  married 
Clark  Van  Etten.  She  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-five  years. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Shippy  be- 
gan to  purchase  parts  of  the  old  Barnes 
farm  and  he  and  his  wife  now  own  the  en- 
tire tract.  The  present  house  was  built 
when  Mrs.  Shippy  was  a  child  and  with  the 
exception  of  ten  years  she  has  always  lived 
in  this  home.  Mr.  Shippy  has  added  to  the 
property  until  the  farm  now  comprises  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres,  which  is  devoted 
to  the  raising  of  grain,  fruit  and  stock  and 
in  all  branches  of  his  business  he  displays 
careful  management  and  keen  sagacity,  re- 
sulting in  prosperity.  For  seven  years  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Shippy  were  in  California  engaged 
in  the  dairy  business  and  he  has  made  three 
trips  to  that  state.  With  the  exception  of 
this  period,  however,  his  business  connections 
have  always  been  in  Berrien  county,  where 
he  is  now  well  known  as  a  representative 
agriculturist. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.   Shippy  have  been 


born  six  children :  Ada,  the  wife  of  Oscar 
Westcott,  who  is  living  on  the  Collis  farm 
near  Spink's  Corners;  William  B.,  of  Bain- 
bridge  township ;  Nettie,  the  wife  of  Nathan- 
iel Hicks,  of  Santa  Cruz,  California ;  Maude, 
the  wife  of  Edwin  Mocker,  of  San  Fran- 
cisco ;  Ross,  who  is  operating  the  home  farm ; 
and  Goldie,  the  wife  of  Frank  Slankey,  of 
Bainbridge  township.  There  are  now  nine 
grandchildren. 

Mr.  Shippy  as  a  pioneer  resident  of  the 
county  well  deserves  mention  in  that  his- 
tory. In  early  days  he  spent  considerable 
time  in  hunting  deer,  which  were  still  num- 
erous in  the  forests.  There  were  many 
other  evidences  of  frontier  life  to  be  found 
in  the  homes,  and  Mr.  Shippy's  memory 
forms  a  connecting  link  between  the  primi- 
tive past  and  the  progressive  present. 

JOHN  BURG  of  Bainbridge  township, 
whose  place  of  eighty  acres  is  devoted  to 
general  farming,  was  born  in  Stark  county, 
Ohio,  near  Canton,  on  the  24th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1840.  He  is  a  son  of  Lewis  and  Re- 
becca Ann  (Sumrill)  Burg.  The  father,  a 
native  of  Germany,  was  brought  to  Ohio 
by  his  parents  in  his  boyhood  days  and  in 
that  state  was  married,  his  wife,  however, 
being  a  native  of  Virginia,  whence  she,  too, 
had  gone  to  Ohio  with  her  parents.  During 
the  infancy  of  their  son  John  they  removed 
to  Spencer  county,  Indiana,  where  they  lived 
for  ten  years  and  then  became  residents  of 
Kosciusko  county,  that  state.  For  another 
decade  their  home  bordered  the  Tippecanoe 
river  at  the  village  of  Etna  Green.  In  his 
boyhood  days  John  Burg  drove  a  team  on 
the  grading  of  the  Pittsburg  &  Fort  Wayne 
Railroad.  In  1862  his  father  came  to  Mich- 
igan, settling  in  Bainbridge  township,  Ber- 
rien county,  where  his  sons,  Henry  and  Wil- 
liam, are  now  living.  There  he  and  his  wife 
spent  their  remaining  days.  His  birth  had 
occurred  July  5,  1812,  and  he  passed  away 
in  1874,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years,  Mrs. 
Burg  surviving  him  for  about  two  years. 

All  through  the  period  of  his  minority 
John  Burg  remained  at  home,  and  at  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years  came  to  Michigan,  hav- 
ing first  lived  here.  To  provide  for  his  own 
support  he  worked  by  the  month  as  a  farm 


828 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


hand  and  as  soon  as  possible  he  purchased 
forty  acres  of  hemlock  land,  for  which  he 
paid  four  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  making 
the  payments  by  peeling"  hemlock  bark.  With 
characteristic  energy  he  began  to  clear,  cul- 
tivate and  improve  his  original  tract,  and  in 
1868  he  removed  to  his  present  farm.  He 
is  nov^^  the  owner  of  eighty  acres,  the  greater 
part  of  w^hich  he  has  cleared  of  the  timber. 
He  has  about  three  acres  of  apples  and  three 
acres  of  peaches  and  has  grown  strawberries 
in  former  years  but  his  attention  is  now  given 
largely  to  general  farming  and  bee  culture, 
having  now  seventy-three  stands.  He  raises 
the  cereals  best  adapted  to  soil  and  climate, 
and  has  devoted  his  attention  to  farm  work 
during  the  greater  part  of  his  business  career 
although  he  is  a  cooper  by  trade  and  has  fol- 
lowed that  pursuit  to  some  extent.  He 
erected  his  present  residence  about  twenty- 
two  years  ago  and  it  is  situated  alx)ut  twelve 
miles  southeast  of  Benton  Harbor.  His  land 
is  well  located  and  borders  Pipestone  lake. 
The  farm  altogether  is  a  valuable  property, 
indicating  in  its  neat  and  thrifty  appearance 
the  careful  supervision  of  a  progressive 
owner. 

Mr.  Burg  was  married  near  South  Ha- 
ven, in  Allegan  county,  Michigan,  on  the 
1 2th  of  March,  1865,  to  Miss  Juliette  Had- 
ley,  who  was  born  in  New  Hampshire  and 
came  to  this  state  in  her  girlhood  days.  The 
familv  lived  for  a  time  in  Iowa  but  her 
father,  Seth  Hadley,  spent  his  last  days  in 
Berrien  county  with  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Burg.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have 
been  born  two  children.  Alice  became  the 
wife  of  Horace  Wise  and  died  a  few  years 
ago  but  her  husband  is  still  living  in  Bain- 
bridge  township.  William  E.  Burg,  the  only 
son,  follows  farming  near  his  father's  place, 
and  also  operates  a  sawmill. 

In  his  political  views  John  Burg  is  a 
Democrat  and  has  been  active  in  township 
affairs.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Free 
Methodist  Church.  He  enjoys  hunting  and 
fishing  and  always  keeps  a  good  rifle.  The 
country  was  full  of  deer  when  he  settled  here 
and  he  thus  had  ample  opportunity  to  in- 
dulge his  love  of  outdoor  sports.  He  has 
seen  hard  times  but  has  persevered  in  his 
work  and  made  the  most  of  his  opportunities 


so  that  as  the  years  have  gone  by  he  has 
eventually  prospered  and  is  now  the  owner 
of  one  of  the  good  farms  of  his  community. 

CHARLES  KLUTH,  whose  excellent 
farm  is  situated  on  section  10,  Three  Oaks 
township,  was  born  in  Mechlenberg,  Ger- 
many, December  25,  1841,  a  son  of  Peter 
and  Lana  (Long)  Kluth.  The  mother  died 
in  her  native  country  and  the  father  after- 
ward coming  to  America  spent  his  last  days 
in  the  home  of  his  son  Charles.  In  their 
family  were  six  children,  four  of  whom  came 
to  the  United  States:  Fred,  a  resident  of 
Three  Oaks  township;  Charles,  of  this  re- 
view ;  Sophia,  who  is  living  in  Chicago ;  and 
Peter,  who  makes  his  home  in  Three  Oaks 
township. 

Charles  Kluth  acquired  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  country, 
which  he  attended  until  fourteen  years  of 
age  and  then  began  working  as  a  laborer  on 
a  farm,  this  pursuit  claiming  his  attention 
until  he  was  twenty-six  years  of  age.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  with  his  wife  and 
one  child  in  1867,  making  the  voyage  on  a 
sailing  vessel,  which  was  seven  weeks  and 
four  days  in  crossing  the  Atlantic.  x\t  length 
anchor  was  dropped  in  the  harbor  of  New 
York  and  Mr.  Kluth  made  his  way  direct  to 
Three  Oaks,  Michigan.  Here  he  has  re- 
sided continuously  since.  He  began  chop- 
ping wood  for  other  people  and  spent  two 
years  in  that  way,  after  which  he  operated 
rented  land  for  nine  years.  After  three 
years  spent  upon  a  rented  farm  he  bought 
forty  acres  of  land,  subsequently  adding  a 
tract  of  twenty  acres  and  eventually  pur- 
chasing forty  acres  more,  so  that  he  now 
has  one  hundred  acres,  of  which  sixty  acres 
is  situated  on  section  10,  Three  Oaks  town- 
ship, while  forty  acres  is  on  section  1 5  of  the 
same  township.  He  has  placed  seventy  acres 
under  the  plow  himself  and  the  fields  present 
an  excellent  appearance,  giving  promise  of 
golden  harvests  in  the  autumn.  He  has 
erected  all  of  the  buildings  and  made  all  of 
the  improvements  upon  the  property  and 
everything  about  the  place  is  in  excellent  con- 
dition, showing  his  careful  supervision  and 
practical,  progressive  methods.  He  has 
never  been  dilatory  or  negligent  in  his  busi- 


.{^^ 


^cc/ia4t  U/^yH^ijJz 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


829 


ness  career  and  he  owes  his  success  entirely 
to  his  own  labors,  having  justly  won  the 
honored  American  title  of  a  ''self-made 
man." 

Mr.  Kluth  was  married  in  1865,  to  Miss 
Wilhelmina  Witt,  who  was  born  in  Mechlen- 
berg,  Germany,  on  the  25th  of  November, 
1843.  Eight  children  grace  this  marriage: 
Lena,  now  the  wife  of  Theodore  Dryer,  of 
Three  Oaks;  Mary,  the  wife  of  John  P. 
Rist,  of  Michigan  City;  Fred,  Robert, 
Charles,  John,  William  and  Henry,  all  of 
w^hom  are  married  and  are  living  in  Three 
Oaks. 

Mr.  Kluth  votes  with  the  Republican 
party,  having  given  his  support  to  its  men 
and  measures  since  he  became  a  naturalized 
American  citizen.  He  is  ever  loyal  to  the 
stars  and  stripes  and  unfaltering  in  his  alle- 
giance to  America  and  her  free  institutions. 
He  belongs  to  the  German  Lutheran  Church 
and  is  a  man  of  upright  principles,  who  in 
the  years  of  his  residence  in  Three  Oaks 
township,  covering  a  period  of  more  than  a 
third  of  a  century,  has  won  the  highest 
esteem  and  confidence  of  his  fellowmen. 
Dependent  upon  his  own  resources  from  the 
age  of  fourteen  years,  he  has  progressed  in 
the  face  of  obstacles  and  difficulties  which  he 
has  overcome  by  determination. 

PETER  WOMER.  Many  years  have 
passed  since  Peter  Womer  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Berrien  county,  so  that  he  is  today 
numbered  among  the  old  settlers,  and  his 
memory  compasses  a  period  of  rapid  growth 
and  development  here,  for  in  the  early  days 
of  its  settlement  there  was  much  wild  and 
uncultivated  land  with  comparatively  few 
improvements  along  agricultural  lines,  while 
the  work  of  improvement  in  the  towns  and 
cities  had  scarcely  been  begun.  His  home 
is  on  section  7,  Bertrand  township,  where 
he  superintends  excellent  farming  interests, 
his  place  comprising  one  hundred  and  nine- 
ty-seven acres  of  rich  land. 

His  life  record  began  in  what  is  now 
Union  county  but  was  then  Snyder  county, 
Pennsylvania,  on  the  28th  of  February, 
1838,  his  parents  being  Michael  and  Eliza- 
beth Womer,  who  were  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  in  their  family  were  nine  chil- 


dren, the  circle  remaining  unbroken  by  the 
hand  of  death  until  all  had  reached  adult 
age. 

Peter  Womer  of  this  review  is  the  eldest 
of  the  family  and  was  reared  and  educated 
HI  his  native  place,  supplementing  his  pub- 
lic school  advantages  by  study  in  Freeburg 
Academy.    The  hours  of  his  youth  when  not 
spent  in  the  schoolroom  were  largely  occu- 
pied by  farm  labor  and  he  remained  at  home 
until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when,  think- 
mg  to  find  other  pursuits   more   congenial 
than   farming  he   took   up   the   carpenter's 
trade.     Having    learned    this    business    he 
worked  ni  Ohio  and  in  Pennsylvania,  and  in 
1866  he  came  to  Michigan.     During  a  part 
of   the  first   year   after   his   arrival   in   this 
part  of  the  country  he  followed  his  trade 
ni    Elkhart,    Lidiana,    and    then   coming   to 
Bertrand  township  he  resumed  the  occupa- 
tion to  which  he  had  been  reared,  purchas- 
ing a  farm  in  this  county.     He  has  since 
carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits,  his 
energy  and  enterprise  bringing  him  a  good 
return.     Mr.   Womer  was  married  first  to 
Miss   Sarah   Rough,   a   daughter  of  David 
and  Anna  Rough,  who  were  prominent  and 
representative  citizens  of  Buchanan.     They 
traveled  life's  journey  happily  together  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  Mrs.  Womer  was  then 
called  to  her  final  rest  in  1893,  leaving  one 
son,  William  Allen,  who  is  living  with  his 
father. 

The   following  account  of  her  life  and 
death  was  published  in  the  Daily  Star. 

''Mrs.  Sarah  Womer,  wife  of  Peter 
Womer,  who  died  at  her  home  on  Portage 
Prairie  on  Wednesday  last  (November  29, 
1893),  was  born  in  Bufifalo  township.  Perry 
county,  Pennsylvania,  October  26,  1841, 
and  emigrated  with  her  parents,  David  and 
Anna  Rough,  to  Bertrand  township,  Ber- 
rien county,  Michigan,  in  1849.  She  was 
married  to  her  now  sorrowing  husband, 
Peter  Womer,  on  March  10,  1867.  Her  age 
was  fifty-two  years,  one  month  and  three 
days.  Mrs.  Womer  has  been  a  great  sufferer 
for  a  number  of  years  from  a  complication 
of  diseases,  but  the  principle  cause  of  her 
death  was  diabetes  and  lung  fever.  She  was 
bed-fast  for  five  weeks.  Mrs.  Womer  was 
a    consistent    member    of    the    Evangelical 


830 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Church  for  thirty-five  years.  She  leaves  a 
husband,  one  son,  one  sister  (Mrs.  A.  C. 
House),  and  two  brothers,  WilHam  R.  and 
Solomon  Rough.  A  large  number  of  re- 
latives and  friends  attended  the  funeral  serv- 
ices, which  were  conducted  from  the  Zion 
Evangelical  Church  on  Portage  Prairie,  on 
Saturday,  December  2,  by  her  pastor.  Rev. 
W.  H.  Wagner,  assisted  by  Revs.  Frye, 
Presiding  Elder  Johnson,  from  Buchanan, 
and  Rev.  Stull,  evangelist,  from  Philadel- 
phia." 

It  was  in  the  year  1883  that  Mr.  Womer 
purchased  the  old  David  Vanderhoof  farm, 
and  in  1885  he  began  to  improve  the  place, 
building  thereon  a  house  and  barn  as  fine 
as  any  to  be  found  in  the  township.  In  fact 
his  is  a  palatial  residence,  his  dwelling  hav- 
ing been  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  eight 
thousand  dollars  and  Mr.  Womer  did  most 
of  the  supervising  of  the  carpenter  work 
himself.  His  barn  cost  about  twelve  hun- 
dred dollars.  He  has  where  he  lives  four 
hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  of  land  and 
also  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  the  old 
Adams  farm  in  Bertrand  township.  He  also 
has  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  St. 
Joseph  county,  Indiana,  on  the  line  of  Ber- 
trand township,  and  in  connection  with  A. 
C.  House  he  owns  the  old  Canada  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  ninety-seven  acres  in 
Bertrand  township  and  property  in  Buchan- 
an, also  one  hundred  and  sixty-one  acres  on 
sections  17  and  18  in  Bertrand  township. 
He  has  made  judicious  and  extensive  invest- 
ments in  real-estate  until  he  now  has  large 
holdings,  his  property  returning  him  an  ex- 
cellent income. 

Mr.  Womer  has  always  been  deeply  in- 
terested in  public  affairs,  political  and  other- 
wise, and  his  aid  and  co-operation  can  be 
counted  upon  to  further  movements  for  the 
general  good.  He  votes  with  the  Democracy 
and  keeps  well  informed  on  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day.  He  was  supervisor  in 
1877,  and  in  1884  was  elected  township 
treasurer,  while  in  1890  he  was  again 
chosen  supervisor,  holding  the  office  for 
about  five  years  in  all.  He  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted himself  with  the  duties  of  these  of- 
fices and  discharged  each  one  conscientiously 
and   faithfully.      He   is   a   member  of   the 


Evangelical  Church,  active  in  its  work  and 
as  one  of  its  supervisors  he  has  contributed 
to  its  growth  and  upbuilding.  His  life  is 
in  harmony  w4th  his  professions,  having 
been  actuated  by  honorable  principles  and 
characterized  by  manly,  straightforward 
conduct,  and  in  the  line  of  legitimate  busi- 
ness he  has  won  success,  making  him  a  pros- 
perous farmer  of  his  adopted  county. 

WILLIAM  A.  WOMER.  Upon  the 
shoulders  of  the  young  men  falls  the  robe 
of  responsibility — since  the  parents  are  retir- 
ing from  active  life.  The  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  review  is  one  of  the  sterling 
young  men  of  Bertrand  township,  who  re- 
sides with  his  father  on  the  beautiful  old 
homestead  known  as  ''The  Sunny  Side 
Farms"  of  Bertrand  township.  W.  A. 
Womer  was  born  in  Bertrand  township, 
Berrien  county,  Michigan,  June  13,  1869, 
the  only  child  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peter 
Womer,  and  he  was  reared  as  a  farmer  and 
stockman.  He  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and  took  a  select  and  business  course 
of  instruction  in  the  North  Western  College 
at  Naperville,  Illinois,  of  twenty-four 
months.  He  wedded  Miss  Ida  K.  Ehninger, 
a  most  worthy  young  lady,  April  14,  1897, 
and  one  little  daughter  was  born  of  this 
union,  Sarah  Irene.  The  wife  and  mother 
died  March  6,  1905,  which  death  was 
mourned  by  many  of  her  friends.  She  had 
received  a  good  education  in  the  common 
schools,  and  was  a  devoted  member  of  the 
Evangelical  Church  in  Bertrand  township, 
known  as  "The  Zion  Church  of  Portage 
Prairie."  Her  death  was  a  peculiarly  sad 
one  in  the  light  of  all  the  circumstances. 
After  a  week  or  more  of  social  gaiety  Mrs. 
Womer's  brothers  and  sisters  were  met  to- 
gether at  the  home  of  their  parents,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  John  Ehninger,  for  a  family  din- 
ner in  honor  of  the  golden  wedding  anni- 
versary of  the  latter.  The  only  absent  one 
was  Mrs.  Womer,  who  lay  upon  a  bed  of 
sickness  and  pain  in  her  own  home.  From 
their  scene  of  joy  and  happiness,  the  par- 
ents and  her  sisters  and  brothers  were  sum- 
moned to  the  bedside  of  the  dying  daughter 
and  sister.  It  was  a  terrible  shock  to  them 
all,  as  they  had  no  realization  that  her  ill- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


831 


iiess  was  of  so  critical  a  nature.  She  was 
one  of  a  family  of  nine  children,  two  of 
whom  have  preceded  her  in  death,  Mrs.  John 
Goldfuss  and  John  Ehninger.  The  surviv- 
ing sisters  and  brothers  are  Mrs.  Jessie 
Kizer,  of  German  township,  Indiana;  Mrs. 
Henry  Schoettger,  of  Arlington,  Nebraska; 
Henry  and  William  Ehninger,  of  Nebraska ; 
Frank,  of  Michigan  City;  and  Charles,  who 
lives  near  the  old  homestead. 

Mr.  Womer  in  his  political  views  is  a 
Democrat,  and  cast  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  Cleveland.  He  has  been  selected 
by  the  people  as  delegate  to  the  state  and 
county  conventions  at  various  times,  and 
officially  he  is  now  acting  as  township  clerk 
for  the  third  term.  Fraternally  he  is  a 
valued  member  of  the  K.  of  P.  lodge,  No. 
50,  at  Niles.  He  has  passed  all  the  chairs 
in  the  lodge  and  has  been  delegate  to  the 
Grand  lodge  of  the  Pythians.  We  are 
pleased  to  give  him  a  review  in  the  Twen- 
tieth Century  History  of  Berrien  county. 

MARSHALL  D.  FRANKLIN  is  the 
owner  of  a  good  farm  of  eighty  acres  on  sec- 
tion 20  inChikaming  township,  and  through- 
out his  entire  life  has  followed  farming. 
In  addition  to  the  raising  of  cereals  best 
adapted  to  soil  and  climate  he  is  now  en- 
gaged quite  extensively  and  successfully  in 
agricultural  pursuits  and  has  an  excellent 
fruit  farm.  He  was  born  in  Belfast,  Alle- 
gany county,  New  York,  November  15, 
1850,  a  son  of  Freeman  W.  and  Lucinda 
(Daniels)  Franklin,  natives  of  New  York 
and  descendants  of  New  England  parent- 
age. The  father  died  at  the  home  of  his  son, 
Marshall  D.,  in  Berrien  county,  December 
31,  1903,  in  the  eightieth  year  of  his  age, 
and  his  wife  passed  away  at  Decatur,  Michi- 
gan, w^hen  sixty  years  of  age.  In  the  fam- 
ily were  four  children,  as  follows :  Marshall 
D. ;  Mrs.  Mary  D.  Monroe,  of  Chicago,  the 
widow  of  W.  S.  Monroe,  at  one  time  a  resi- 
dent of  Berrien  county;  John  B.,  a  farmer 
of  Decatur,  Michigan ;  and  Charles,  w^ho  died 
at  the  age  of  four  years. 

Marshall  D.  Franklin  came  to  Michi- 
gan with  his  parents  when  thirteen  years  of 
age,  the  family  home  being  established  in 
Decatur.     There  amid  pioneer  surroundings 


he  was  reared,  and  the  public  schools  af- 
forded him  his  educational  privileges.  He 
received  ample  training  at  farm  labor  and 
the  practical  experience  and  knowledge 
which  he  gained  in  his  youth  proved  of  the 
utmost  value  to  him  in  his  later  business 
career.  He  was  married  in  1877,  ^^^  in  1881 
came  to  his  present  farm,  comprising  eighty 
acres  of  land  on  section  20,  Chikaming 
township.  He  had  always  followed  farming 
and  he  took  his  land  when  it  was  covered 
with  the  second  growth  of  timber.  This  he 
cleared  away  and  has  placed  the  fields  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation,  while  upon  the 
farm  he  has  erected  good  modern  buildings, 
furnishing  ample  shelter  for  grain  and 
stock.  He  now  devotes  his  time  and  ener- 
gies to  tilling  the  soil  and  to  cultivating 
fruit,  and  his  horticultural  interests  have 
proven  an  important  feature  of  his  business. 
He  has  had  as  many  as  five  acres  planted 
to  strawberries  and  there  are  eight  hundred 
peach  trees  upon  his  place. 

September  5,  1877,  occurred  the  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Franklin  and  Miss  Viola  Glid- 
den,  who  was  born  in  Porter  township,  Van 
Buren  county,  March  5,  1856,  a  daughter  of 
Stephen  M.  and  Mary  (Peabody)  Glidden. 
Her  father  now  resides  at  Lakeside  but  her 
mother  is  deceased.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Franklin  have  been  born  two  daughters : 
Nora  A.,  now  the  wife  of  Oscar  Duddleson, 
of  Three  Oaks;  and  Clara  B.,  at  home. 

Although  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  to  wdiich  he  gave  his  sup- 
port until  i8q6,  Mr.  Franklin  is  now  a 
stalwart  Democrat.  He  has  held  every  office 
in  his  township  except  that  of  school  inspec- 
tor, having  been  elected  to  minor  positions 
on  the  Republican  ticket.  Later  he  was 
chosen  to  more  important  positions  on  the 
peoples  ticket.  He  served  as  supervisor  for 
one  term,  has  been  treasurer  two  terms,  clerk 
for  one  term  and  is  now  serving  for  the  sec- 
ond term  as  justice  of  the  peace.  He  was 
likewise  highway  commissioner  for  one  term. 
He  has  never  missed  voting  at  an  election 
since  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age  and  in 
the  discharge  of  his  official  duties  is  always 
found  to  be  prompt  and  faithful,  his  labors 
characterized  by  unfaltering  loyalty  to  the 
public  good.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 


832 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


odist  Episcopal  Church  at  Lakeside  and  has 
filled  all  of  the  offices  therein,  and  he  is  a 
charter  member  of  Three  Oaks  Lodge, 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  The  greater 
part  of  his  life  has  been  spent  in  Michigan, 
and  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  has  lived 
upon  his  present  farm^  which  in  its  splen- 
didly improved  condition  indicates  the  care 
and  labor  which  he  bestows  upon  it,  making 
it  an  excellent  property. 

LEVI  WILLARD,  largely  engaged  in 
the  growing  of  fruit  on  section  20,  Chika- 
ming  township,  was  born  in  Grafton  town- 
ship, Windom  county,  Vermont,  July  31, 
1838,  and  since  1865  has  made  his  home  in 
Berrien  county.  His  father,  Joseph  Willard, 
spent  his  entire  life  in  Vermont,  and  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation.  He  married  Betsy 
French,  a  native  of  Range,  New  Hampshire, 
who  died  in  the  Green  Mountain  State. 

Levi  Willard,  the  youngest  member  of 
the  family  and  the  only  one  living  of  seven 
children,  save  for  one  exception,  remained 
a  resident  of  Windom  county,  Vermont^  un- 
til 1865.     He  is  the  only  one  of  the  family 
who  came  to  the  west  and  he  arrived  in  Ber- 
rien county  on  the  14th  of  April,   1865 — 
the  day  on  which  President  Lincoln  was  as- 
sassinated.    He  had  been  reared  to  the  oc- 
cupation of  farming  and  throughout  his  en- 
tire life  has  been  connected  with  his  work 
or  its  kindred  branches.     He  made  his  way 
at  once  to  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  re- 
sides, purchasing  at  first    thirty    acres    of 
land.     He  sold  that  two  years  ago  and  still 
has  forty  acres  in  the  homestead  place  on 
section  20,  Chikaming  township.     When  it 
came  into  his  possession  it  was  covered  with 
brush  and  there  was  a  log  house  upon  it. 
He  started  in  life  here  after  the  primitive 
manner  of  the  times,  cleared  the  fields  and 
placed   the   farm   under   cultivation,     doing 
much  of  the  work  with  his  own  hands.    The 
raising  of  cucumber .  seeds  was  one  of  the 
special  features  of  his  work  and  he  made  that 
industry  a  source  of  income  and  of  business 
success  for  thirty  years,  providing  seeds  to 
various  companies  engaged  in  the  business 
as  seed  dealers.    His  place  is  now  largely  de- 
voted to  fruit  and  he  is  numbered  among  the 
leading    horticulturists    of    his    community, 


having  an  excellent  knowledge  of  the  best 
methods  of  producing  fruit. 

Mr.    Willard  was  married    in    Malone. 
New  York,  April  2J,  1858,  to  Miss  Elmira 
Hutchins,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Westville, 
Franklin    county.    New    York,    March    12, 
1842,  her  parents  being  Jedediah  and  Elvira 
(Hutchins)   Hutchins,  who  were  natives  of 
Westfield,   Vermont.      Mr.   and   Mrs.    Wil- 
lard became  the  parents  of  two  sons:     Ed- 
gar J.,  born  September  2J,  i860,  resides  in 
Michigan  City  and  is  the  owner  of  the  farm 
on  which  his  father  originally  located.     He 
served   as  clerk   of  the  township   for   four 
years  and  was  also  supervisor  of  Chikaming 
township  for  four  years.     He  is  married  and 
has  three  children,   DeForest,   Harold,   and 
Lillie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years. 
The  younger  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Levi  Wil- 
lard bore  the  name  of  Arthur,  and  died  at 
the  age  of  seven  years.     Mr.   Willard  has 
never  had  occasion  to  regret  his  determina- 
tion to  seek  a  home  in  the  middle  west,  for 
here  he  has  prospered  and  as  the  years  have 
gone  by  he  has  demonstrated  his  right  to  be 
classed  with  the  self-made  men  who  place 
their  dependence  upon  the  substantial  qual- 
ities of  energy  and  determination,  and  there- 
by win  success. 

HENRY  SCHOPBACH,  who  was  one 
of  the  substantial  citizens  of  Berrien  county 
that  Germany  has   furnished   to  this   state,, 
was  born  near  the  Rhine,  in  Hesse-Darm- 
stadt, January  22,   1828,  his  parents  being 
Philip   and  Elenora   Schopbach,   who   spent 
their  entire  lives  in  Germany.     He  was  the 
eighth  in  order  of  birth  in  their  family  of 
nine  children,  and  two  of  his  brothers  came 
to  the  United   States.      Mr.    Schopbach   of 
this  review  was  in  his  twentieth  year  when 
he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new  w^orld. 
He  had  been  reared  in  the  city  of  Alsfeld, 
where  his  father  wa^  a  man  of  considerable 
influence  and  prominence,  holding  a  position 
at  the  head  of  the  infirmary  there  during  the 
greater  part   of   his   life.      Mr.    Schopbach 
came  to  this  country  accompanied  by  his  sis- 
ter, Susanah,  and  in  his  younger  years  trav- 
eled to  a  considerable   extent.      He  finally 
located  in  South  Bend,  where  he  conducted 
a  hardware  store  for  many  years,  and  while 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


833 


living  there  he  met  the  lady  whom  he  made 
his  wife.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  he 
put  aside  all  business  and  personal  consider- 
ations and  enlisted  for  three  years'  service, 
joining  a  Pennsylvania  regiment,  which  was 
attached  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  While 
at  the  front  he  became  ill  and  spent  some 
time  in  the  hospital.  On  receiving  an  hon- 
orable discharge  he  returned  to  his  home  and 
business  interests  in  South  Bend,  and  on  ac- 
count of  poor  health  he  removed  from  that 
city  to  Chikaming  township,  Berrien  county, 
where  he  carried  on  farming  until  his  death 
in  the  fall  of  1892.  He  conducted  only  a 
small  farm  of  sixty  acres  but  his  widow  has 
since  purchased  four  farms.  She  had  two 
two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  the 
homestead  and  has  given  farms  to  two  of 
her  sons,  so  that  she  still  retains  one  hun- 
dred acres  in  the  home  place.  While  in 
South  Bend  Mr.  Schopbach  conducted  an 
extensive  mercantile  enterprise  and  met  with 
success  in  his  undertakings  along  that  line. 
On  the  27th  of  October,  1870,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  Henry  Schopbach 
and  Miss  Rosina  B.  Keller,  who  lived  on  a 
farm  on  Portage  Prairie,  northwest  of  South 
Bend.  She  was  born,  however,  in  Lorain 
county,  Ohio,  March  10,  1850,  a  daughter 
of  Jacob  F.  and  Rosina  (Byer)  Keller,  who 
came  from  Wurtemberg,  Germany.  They 
met  and  married  in  New  York  city  and  Mr. 
Keller,  who  was  a  butcher  by  trade  and  in 
Ohio  a  live  stock  dealer,  was  identified  with 
packing  operations  during  the  greater  part 
of  his  life.  He  lived  in  Michigan,  near  Niles, 
on  the  old  Chicago-Detroit  road.  His  death 
occurred  in  California,  when  he  had  reached 
the  age  of  seventy-one  years.  He  made  three 
trips  to  Europe,  and  died  on  his  second  trip 
to  California,  passing  away  in  Los  Angeles, 
where  he  had  gone  to  look  after  his  prop- 
erty. His  wife  passed  away  in  South  Bend, 
Indiana,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schopbach  were  born  five 
sons :  William,  who  died  at  the  age  of  tw^o 
years;  Henry  William,  who  passed  away 
when  tw^enty-one  years  of.  age ;  Oscar,  who 
operates  the  home  farm  for  his  mother; 
George,  who  owns  and  operates  a  creamery 
at  Dowagiac,  Michigan;  and  Fred  Jacob, 
who  served  four  years  in  the  United  States 
53 


navy,  being  a  seaman  on  the  Bennington  at 
Frisco  at  the  time  that  it  was  blown  up  in 
1905.  He  has  many  souvenirs  procured 
from  many  parts  of  the  world  and  from  the 
Bennington.  The  family  are  well  known  in 
this  part  of  the  county,  and  Mrs.  Schopbach 
has  many  warm  friends  in  this  portion  of  the 
state.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Shopbach 
was  a  stalwart  Republican  and  he  was  reared 
in  the  faith  of  the  Lutheran  Chuch.  A  well 
educated  man,  he  was  continually  broaden- 
ing his  mind  through  reading  and  observa- 
tion. He  possessed  strongly  domestic  tastes 
and  found  his  greatest  happiness  with  his 
wdfe  and  children  and  in  an  active,  honorable 
career  he  won  the  esteem  of  all  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact. 

ALEC  WATSON,  well  known  in  Three 
Oaks  as  a  successful  business  man,  is  con- 
ducting a  good  meat  market  there  and  is  also 
the  owner  of  a  valuable  farming  property, 
comprising  three  hundred  acres  in  Three 
Oaks  and  Galien  townships.  Moreover  he  is 
entitled  to  distinction  as  one  who  owes  his 
success  entirely  to  his  own  labors.  He  has 
worked  persistently  and  energetically  in  his 
efforts  to  reach  the  goal  of  prosperity  and  as 
the  years  have  gone  by  his  persistency  and 
labor  have  accomplished  the  results  that  he 
desired.  He  was  born  in  Pevensey,  Sussex, 
England,  on  the  9th  of  August,  1850.  His 
father  was  Henry  Watson,  also  a  native  of 
Sussex,  who  married  Hannah  Ford,  like- 
wise born  in  that  county,  where  they  spent 
their  entire  lives.  The  mother  died  when 
her  son  Alec  was  only  three  years  of  age. 
In  the  family  were  four  children:  Fred- 
erick,  who  is  engaged  in  the  commission  bus- 
iness in  Chicago;  Harriet,  who  died  in  the 
east;  Alec,  of  this  review;  and  Herbert, 
who  is  conducting  his  father's  old  meat  busi- 
ness, which  was  established  in  1850  in  the 
town  of  Pevensey. 

Alec  Watson  spent  his  youth  in  the  his- 
toric old  section  of  England  amid  many 
famous  castles  and  districts  which  were  the 
scene  of  many  memorable  events  that  have 
left  their  impress  upon  the  annals  of  Eng- 
land. With  his  father  he  learned  the  butch- 
er's trade,  remaining  with  him  until  about 
fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  Lon~ 


834 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


don,  where  he  was  employed  at  his  trade  in 
various  shops.  He  went  to  Chicago  in  1869 
direct  from  England,  making  the  journey 
alone  to  the  new  world  when  a  young  man 
of  about  nineteen  years.  He  there  worked 
at  his  trade  and  after  two  or  three  years  he 
embarked  in  business  on  his  own  account, 
remaining  in  Chicago  until  the  fall  of  1887, 
when  he  came  to  Three  Oaks  and  established 
his  present  meat  market.  He  has  continued 
here  at  the  same  location  for  more  than 
eighteen  years  and  has  a  very  liberal  patron- 
age, his  trade  having  steadily  increased  with 
the  growth  of  the  town,  his  business  meth- 
ods and  enterprise  being  such  as  gained  for 
him  a  very  liberal  and  gratifying  patronage. 
Mr.  Watson  owns  his  own  business  place 
and  a  dwelling  in  Three  Oaks  in  addition 
to  property  in  Chicago,  and  his  realty  inter- 
ests are  the  visible  evidence  of  a  life  of  thrift 
and  enterprise. 

Mr.  Watson  was  married  in  Chicago, 
in  September,  1872,  to  Miss  Mary  Weaver, 
a  native  of  Holland,  who  came  to  the  United 
States  with  her  parents  three  or  four  years 
before  Mr.  Watson  arrived.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Bernard  and  Lena  Elizabeth 
Weaver.  Their  children  are :  Nellie,  de- 
ceased; Ida,  decetased;  William  H.,  a  part- 
ner of  his  father ;  Frederick,  deceased ;  Net- 
tie, deceased;  Clara  May,  who  is  engaged  in 
teaching  in  the  schools  of  Three  Oaks ;  Ethel 
Maude,  also  a  teacher;  and  Alice,  who  has 
departed  this  life. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Watson  is  a 
stalwart  Republican  and  is  interested  in  poli- 
tics to  the  extent  of  keeping  well  informed 
on  questions  of  the  day  and  giving  his  sup- 
port to  the  men  and  measures  that  he  en- 
dorses, but  he  has  never  been  a  politician  in 
the  sense  of  office  seeking.  He  belongs  to 
the  Congregational  Church  and  is  active  in 
its  work  and  in  the  Sunday  school  as  well. 
He  holds  membership  with  the  Odd  Fellows 
society  and  in  his  life  has  displayed  many 
sterling  characteristics  which  have  gained 
for  him  the  confidence  and  respect  of  those 
with  whom  he  is  associated.  He  has  pros- 
pered in  the  years  of  his  residence  in  Three 
Oaks  and  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret 
his  determination  to  seek  a  home  in  Amer- 
ica.    On  the  contrary  he  has  found  condi- 


tions favorable  to  men  who  are'energetic  and 
determined  and  through  his  strong  purpose 
and  indefatigable  diligence  has  worked  his 
way  upw^ard  to  a  position  of  affluence. 

WILLIAM  H.  WATSON  is  too  well 
known  in  Three  Oaks  to  need  special  intro- 
duction to  the  readers  of  this  volume,  for 
during  the  greater  part  of  his  life  he  has 
lived  in  this  town  and  through  the  years  of 
his  manhood  has  been  connected  with  its 
business  interests,  being  now  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  A.  Watson  &  Son,  proprietors  of 
the  leading  meat  market  here.  A  native  of 
Chicago,  he  was  born  on  the  28th  of  August, 
1877,  and  is  a  son  of  Alec  and  Mary 
(Weaver)  Watson,  whose  life  record  is 
given  above.  He  spent  his  first  ten  years 
in  the  city  of  his  nativity  and  began  his  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  there.  In  1887 
he  came  w4th  his  parents  to  Three  Oaks, 
where  he  continued  his  studies  until  he  put 
aside  his  text-books  and  entered  upon  his 
business  career.  He  has  for  eight  years  been 
associated  with  his  father  under  the  present 
firm  style  of  A.  Watson  &  Son  and  they 
have  a  large  and  growing  patronage  with  a 
business  that  is  continually  advancing  in  ex- 
tent and  importance. 

On  the  3d  of  September,  1903,  William 
H.  Watson  was  married  to  Miss  Florence  L. 
Mead,  and  they  have  one  son,  Bernard  Alec. 
The  young  couple  are  well  known  in  social 
circles  in  Three  Oaks  and  the  hospitality  of 
the  best  homes  of  the  town  is  freely  and  cor- 
diallv  extended  them. 


ALONZO  VINCENT,  who  is  devoting 
his  attention  to  the  management  of  the 
Hotel  Whitcomb  at  St.  Joseph  in  connection 
with  which  he  has  also  erected  a  bathhouse, 
is  w^idely  known  throughout  the  state  as 
warden  of  the  Michigan  state  prison,  in 
which  position  he  served  for  many  years. 
In  all  life's  relations,  whether  in  public  of- 
fice, on  battlefields — for  he  w^as  a  soldier 
of  the  Civil  war — or  in  business  dealings,  he 
has  been  found  thoroughly  reliable  and 
trustworthy,  doing  tO'  the  best  of  his  ability, 
and  that  ability  is  of  a  high  order,  every 
task  wdiich  devolved  upon  him. 

Mr.    Vincent    was    born    in    Jefiferson 


ALONZO  VINCENT 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


835 


county,  New  York,  January  16,  1844.  His 
father,  Albert  Vincent,  removed  from  the 
Empire  State  to  Michigan  and  made  a  set- 
tlement in  Marshall,  Calhoun  county, 
whence  he  afterward  removed  to  Berrien 
county.  Here  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land 
and  began  its  development  and  improve- 
ment, giving  his  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits  until  his  life's  labors  were  ended 
in  death.  He  continued  to  reside  upon  his 
farm  until  he  was  called  to  his  final  rest  as 
did  his  wife,  whose  demise  occurred  when 
she  had  reached  an  advanced  age. 

To  the  work  of  the  farm  Alonzo  Vin- 
cent gave  his  attention  in  his  boyhood  and 
youth  when  not  occupied  by  the  duties  of 
the  schoolroom.  He  is  indebted  to  the  pub- 
he  school  system  of  Michigan  for  the  ad- 
vantages which  he  enjoyed  and  which  quali- 
fied him  for  life's  practical  and  responsible 
duties.  The  'Svar  talk"  which  preceded 
the  opening  of  hostilities  in  1861  awakened 
his  deepest  interest  and  attention  and  when 
only  seventeen  years  of  age  Mr.  Vincent 
offered  his  services  to  the  government,  be- 
coming a  private  of  Company  D,  Sixty-sixth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry  in  September, 
1 86 1.  This  command  gained  a  high  repu- 
tation under  the  title  of  the  Western  Sharp 
Shooters.  It  was  formed  of  companies  from 
many  of  the  western  states  and  Company 
D  was  under  command  of  Captain  Piper,  it 
having  been  recruited  in  Michigan.  The 
regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee  and  its  service  was  principally  in 
the  line  of  sharpshooting,  participating  in 
many  notable  battles,  including  the  engage- 
ments of  Fort  Donelson,  Pittsburg  Landing, 
Corinth,  luka,  the  second  battle  of  Corinth, 
the  Atlanta  campaign  and  the  march  to  the 
sea  under  Sherman.  Mr.  Vincent  was  also 
in  the  Carolina  campaign  and  proceeded 
down  to  Washington,  where  with  his  com- 
mand he  took  part  in  the  grand  review 
where  the  victorious  Union  troops  marched 
through  the  streets  of  the  city,  celebrating 
the  victory  which  had  crowned  the  Union 
armies.  At  Danville,  Mississippi,  Mr.  Vin- 
cent was  captured  by  guerrillas,  and  from 
December  until  March  was  a  prisoner,  first 
in  Alabama  and  later  at  Jackson,  Missis- 
sippi, where  he  was  at  length  paroled  and 


finally  exchanged.  For  fifteen  months  he 
was  in  the  division  quartermaster's  depart- 
ment, having  charge  of  issuing  rations. 

When  the  war  ended  Mr.  Vincent  re- 
turned to  Berrien  county  and  in  1870  be- 
came a  representative  of  hotel  interests  of 
the  state,  with  which  he  has  since  been  as- 
sociated, attaining  marked  success  in  this 
line  of  business.  He  first  conducted  a  hotel 
at  Coloma,  after  which  he  removed  to  Ben- 
ton Harbor  and  for  eighteen  years  was  con- 
nected with  its  hotel  business.  For  eleven 
years  he  has  been  in  charge  of  Hotel  Whit 
comb  in  St.  Joseph,  this  being  one  of  th^ 
most  popular  commercial  and  summer  resort 
hotels  in  the  state.  Its  patronage  is  ex- 
tensive and  it  is  still  conducted  by  Mr.  Vin- 
cent, who  has  continued  its  popularity  by 
reason  of  the  fact  that  he  makes  a  close 
study  of  the  needs  and  wishes  of  the  public 
and  puts  forth  every  effort  in  his  power  to 
meet  these.  He  has  also  opened  a  bath- 
house in  connection  therewith  and  is  now 
carrying  on  a  profitable  business.  He  has 
a  very  wide  acquaintance  in  hotel  circles 
and  among  traveling  men  in  the  state  and 
has  gained  many  warm  friends  among  his 
patrons  by  reason  of  the  excellent  manner 
in  which  he  conducts  his  business  and  his 
personal  traits  of  character. 

In  January,  1861,  Mr.  Vincent  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elmira  Enos, 
of  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  and  they  have 
two  daughters :  Maud  E.,  the  wife  of  Clar- 
ence E.  Blake;  and  Marie  G.,  at  home.  Since 
age  conferred  upon  him  the  right  of  fran- 
chise Mr.  Vincent  has  been  a  stalwart  advo- 
cate of  the  Republican  party,  thus  laboring 
earnestly  for  its  success  and  growth.  He 
has  never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of 
office  seeking,  but  in  December,  1901,  re- 
ceived appointment  from  the  board  of  con- 
trol of  the  state  prison  to  the  position  of 
warden  as  the  successor  of  Mr.  Chamber- 
lain, deceased. 

A  contemporary  biographer  said  of  him 
while  he  was  in  office :  ^'Among  those  who 
have  been  incumbent  of  the  responsible  and 
peculiarly  exacting  office  of  warden  of  the 
Michigan  state  prison  from  the  time  of  its 
establishment  to  the  present  there  is  none 
who  has  shown  more  distinctive  fitness  for 


836 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


the  position  than  the  present  warden,  Mr. 
Vincent,  whose  handhng-  of  the  affairs  of 
this  great  penitentiary  has  been  marked 
with  discrimination,  firmness,  kindhness  and 
effective  discipHne,  so  that  he  has  gained  the 
highest  endorsement."  Mr.  Vincent  cer- 
tainly deserves  much  credit  for  the  able 
manner  in  which  he  handled  the  duties  of 
his  position  and  which  he  continued  until 
March,  1906,  and  yet  such  a  course  was 
what  all  who  knew  him  expected  of  him, 
knowing  the  strong  and  salient  traits  of  his 
character.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  in 
citizenship  always  manifests  the  same  loy- 
alty that  marked  his  course  when  on  south- 
ern battlefields  he  defended  the  stars  and 
stripes. 

CAPTAIN  WILLIAM  A.  KEITH  is 
the  owner  of  valuable  farming  property  in 
Berrien  county,  and  in  his  business  career 
he  has  labored  earnestly  and  persistently  for 
the  achievement  of  success.  He  was  born 
west  of  Madison,  in  Jefferson  county,  Indi- 
ana, February  26,  1842.  Captain  Keith  was 
about  fourteen  years  of  age  when  his  parents 
removed  to  Coles  county,  Illinois,  establish- 
ing their  home  near  Charleston.  There 
Captain  Keith  was  reared,  and  in  the  public 
schools  he  completed  his  education,  watching 
with  interest  the  progress  of  events  which 
preceded  the  Civil  war,  and  noting  the 
threatening  attitude  of  the  south,  he  resolved 
that  if  a  blow  was  struck  at  the  Union  he 
would  stand  loyally  in  its  defense.  He  there- 
fore enlisted  on  the  23d  of  September,  1861, 
as  a  member  of  Company  H,  Tenth  Illinois 
Cavalry  (as  a  private),  under  command  of 
Captain  John  Crafton.  The  regiment  ren- 
dezvoused at  Camp  Butler  and  spent  the 
winter  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  after  which  they 
were  sent  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  Later 
they  proceded  in  a  southwesterly  direction 
and  arrived  at  Springfield,  Missouri,  just 
after  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge  and  here  Mr. 
Keith  was  actively  engaged  in  fighting  the 
bushwhackers  in  southwestern  Missouri. 
He  participated,  however,  in  the  battles  of 
Cane  Hill  and  Prairie  Grove,  and  the  winter 
was  passed  in  Fayetteville,  Arkansas.  Early 
in  1863  he  returned  to  Raleigh,  afterward 


took  part  in  the  engagement  at  Pilot  Knob 
and  subsequently  joined  Davidson's  Cavalry 
Division,  marching  against  Little  Rock,, 
which  they  captured  on  the  loth  of  Septem- 
ber, 1863.  They  remained  in  that  vicinity 
until  February,  1865,  when  they  went  to 
New  Orleans  and  from  there  to  Mobile,  Ala- 
bama, and  was  present  with  Canby  at  Dick 
Taylor's  surrender,  after  which  they  marched 
to  Baton  Rouge.  Here  they  embarked  for 
New  Orleans,  going  from  New  Orleans  to 
Shreveport  and  on  to  San  Antonio,  Texas, 
under  General  Merritt,  for  whom  he  acted 
in  the  capacity  of  acting  assistant  quarter- 
master. He  was  in  San  Antonio  until' No- 
vember, 1861;,  acting  with  the  army  on  the 
border.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  received 
the  commission  of  captain  and  returned  tO' 
Springfield,  Illinois,  where  he  was  mustered 
out  on  the  6th  of  January,  1866.  Captain 
Keith  then  returned  to  Westfield,  Illinois, 
and  a  few  days  later  came  to  Niles,  Michi- 
gan. 

It  was  in  1866  that  the  subject  of  this 
review  purchased  his  present  farm,  com- 
prising eighty  acres  of  woodland.  In  1868: 
he  went  to  Salt  Lake  City,  where  he  worked 
for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Company  for 
one  year.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  returned  and  has  since  lived  in  this  coun- 
ty. He  has  a  good  home  property  and  three 
other  farms  and  his  entire  time  and  ener- 
gies are  given  to  his  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  is  a  man  of  good  business  ability,  who 
has  made  judicious  use  of  his  opportunities 
and  has  worked  his  way  steadily  upward  to 
success. 

In  his  political  views  Captain  Keith  is  a 
Democrat,  and  in  1872  he  voted  for  Horace 
Greeley.  He  was  supervisor  of  his  town- 
ship and  help  that  office  for  about  fifteen 
terms.  In  fact  he  has  filled  all  of  the  town- 
ship positions  except  that  of  treasurer  and 
in  1882  he  was  elected  to  represent  his  dis- 
trict in  the  lower  house  of  the  legislation, 
where  he  remained  for  one  term.  He  served 
as  under  sheriff  of  the  county  under  Sheriff 
Peck,  and  later  under  Sheriff  Johnson,  and 
was  deputy  United  State  marshal  under 
President  Cleveland's  first  administration. 
He  was  also  captain  of  the  Anti-Horse  Thief 
Association  for  about  ten  years,  and  in  1864 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


837 


lie  was  made  a  Mason  at  Westfield,  Illinois. 
He  is  now  a  member  of  Three  Oaks  Lodg^e, 
also  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  at  Three 
Oaks,  and  in  his  political  and  social  rela- 
tions has  manifested  those  qualities  which 
awaken  respect  and  admiration.  In  days  of 
citizenship  he  is  as  true  and  loyal  to  his 
country  as  when  he  followed  the  old  flag  on 
southern  battlefields,  and  when  in  war  he 
was  known  as  a  faithful  soldier  whose  first 
interest  was  that  of  his  country. 

DAVID  KNIGHT,  a  representative  of 
horticultural  and  commercial  interests  in 
Chikaming  township  and  the  present  post- 
master of  Sawyer,  having  filled  the  office 
from  July,  1892,  to  1896,  and  again  from 
1 90 1  to  the  present  time,  was  born  in  Corn- 
wall county,  England,  May  31,  1850,  and 
during  the  years  of  his  residence  in  this  lo- 
calitv  has  so  directed  his  labors  that  success 
has  resulted  and  he  is  now  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial business  men  of  Berrien  county.  He 
is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Jane  (Wallace) 
Knight,  who  spent  their  entire  lives  in  Corn- 
wall. Their  family  numbered  three  children  : 
John,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Albert, 
still  living  in  Cornwall;  and  David,  of  this 
review. 

Mr.  Knight,  whose  name  introduces  this 
record,  was  reared  in  the  land  of  his  birth 
and  acquired  his  education  in  its  public 
schools.  He  remained  in  England  until 
1872,  when,  thinking  to  enjoy  better  busi- 
ness opportunities  in  the  new  world,  he  came 
to  the  United  States.  He  had  been  reared 
to  farm  life.  On  reaching  this  country  he 
made  his  way  to  Chicago,  and  spent  the 
summer  of  1872  at  Oak  Park.  In  the  spring 
of  1873  he  made  his  way  to  Stephensville, 
in  this  county,  where  he  purchased  a  farm, 
residing  thereon  for  three  years.  Coming 
to  Sawyer,  he  has  since  been  a  factor  in 
business  interests  in  this  section  of  the  coun- 
ty. He  established  a  mercantile  business, 
w4iich  he  conducted  for  a  time  and  then 
withdrew  from  that  line  of  trade,  after 
which  he  devoted  six  years  to  farming  and 
fruit-raising.  In  fact  he  has  been  identified 
widi  horticultural  pursuits  throughout  the 
period  of  his  residence  in  Michigan  and  is 
well  known  as  a  grower,  buyer  and  shipper. 


He  has  an  excellent  nursery  of  small  fruit 
plants  covering  thirty-five  acres,  and  this 
business  is  carried  on  under  the  firm  style 
of  David  Knight  &  Son.  The  firm  issue  a 
catalogue  which  is  well  gotten  up  and  sets 
forth  the  merits  of  the  different  kinds  of 
nursery  stock.  Plants  shipped  from  their 
nursery  are  a  guarantee  of  excellence  and 
fruit  raised  therefrom,  if  cared  for  after 
proper  methods,  produce  berries  of  large 
size  and  of  superior  quality  and  flavor.  Mr. 
Knight  in  his  mercantile  interests  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  W.  C.  Baker  &  Company, 
Mr.  Baker  being  his  son-in-law. 

January  13,  1875,  occurred  the  marriage 
of  David  Knight  and  Miss  Alma  Redding, 
who  was  born  June  13,  1854,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Charles  and  Cornelia  Redding. 
They  have  two  children :  Edith,  now  the 
wife  of  William  C.  Baker,  who  is  her 
father's  partner  in  the  conduct  of  a  store  at 
Sawyer;  and  Arthur,  who  is  in  partnership 
with  his  father  in  the  nursery  business  un- 
der the  firm  style  of  David  Knight  &  Son. 
He  now  conducts  a  commission  office  in 
Chicago. 

David  Knight  was  only  three  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  his  father's  demise  but 
the  family  were  kept  together  until  he  had 
attained  his  majority.  He  brought  with 
him  to  America  a  capital  of  eight  hundred 
dollars  but  lost  it  and  then  had  to  start  out 
in  life  empty-handed.  All  he  possesses  he 
has  acquired  through  his  own  labors  and 
has  been  the  architect  and  builder  of  his 
own  fortunes.  In  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, giving  his  support  ta  the  party  since 
becoming  a  naturalized  American  citizen. 
He  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  for  eight 
years  and  as  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  he  is  well  known. 
At  one  time  he  held  membership  in  the 
Grange. 

CORNELIUS  DALENBERG.  The 
spirit  of  self-help  is  the  source  of  all  gen- 
uine w^orth  in  the  individual.  It  enables  a 
man  to  accomplish  much  in  the  face  of  dif- 
ficulties and  obstacles  and  promotes  de- 
termination and  persistency  of  purpose  that 
ultimately  lead  to  tangible  and  desirable  re- 
sults.    It  has  been  this  spirit  in  Mr.  Dalen- 


838 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


berg  that  has  won  for  him  a  place  among 
the  respected  and  substantial  residents  of 
Three  Oaks  township,  where  he  is  now  en- 
gaged in  general  farming,  his  home  being 
in  section  35.  He  was  born  in  Roselafid, 
Cook  county,  Illinois,  September  29,  185 1, 
and  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  Lyntie  (Vander 
Syde)  Dalenberg,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  Holland,  whence  they  came  to  the 
Onited  States  in  1849.  They  crossed  the 
Atlantic  on  the  same  vessel  although  they 
were  not  married  at  that  time.  They  both 
went  to  Chicago,  and  afterward  were  mar- 
ried, continuing  their  residence  at  Rose- 
land  in  Cook  county  until  called  to  their 
final  rest.  The  father  died  in  his  sixty- 
ninth  year,  and  the  mother  passed  away  in 
her  seventy-first  year.  In  her  family  were 
fifteen  children,  of  whom  six  reached  years 
of  maturity :  Cornelius,  of  this  review ; 
Leonard,  who  died  in  Chikaming  town- 
ship, Berrien  county;  Nicholas,  who  is  liv- 
ing in  Dodge  county,  Minnesota;  Mrs. 
Katie  Gouwens,  of  South  Holland,  Illinois; 
and  George  and  Peter,  who  are  living  in 
Roseland,  Illinois. 

In  the  place  of  his  nativity  Cornelius 
Dalenberg  spent  the  first  twenty-three  years 
of  his  life.  He  was  reared  to  farm  work 
and  acquired  his  education  in  the  district 
schools,  gaining  a  knowledge  of  those 
branches  of  learning  which  equip  one  for 
life's  practical  and  responsible  duties.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-three  years  he  left  home 
and  for  a  time  was  engaged  in  draying.  He 
did  much  teaming  for  George  M.  Pullman, 
and  he  engaged  in  hunting  prairie  chickens 
where  the  town  of  Pullman  now  stands. 
Before  bringing  his  family  to  Berrien  coun- 
ty he  purchased  the  farm  upon  which  he 
now  resides,  becoming  owner  of  eighty 
acres  in  Three  Oaks  township.  His  place 
is  now  improved  with  good  buildings  and 
he  has  set  out  a  large  orchard,  having  ten 
acres  planted  to  apples,  pears  and  peaches. 
He  follows  the  methods  of  a  practical,  pro- 
gressive agriculturist  and  has  good  fruit 
crops,  while  his  fields  yield  him  large  har- 
vests of  golden  grain.  He  works  diligently 
and  persistently  to  cultivate  and  improve 
his  property  and  as  the  years  have  gone  by 
he  has  converted  it  into  a  valuable  farm. 


As  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  life's 
journey  Mr.  Dalenberg  chose  Miss  Johanna 
Kemp,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1872. 
She  was  born  in  Holland,  December  4, 
1854,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1869,  the  family  home  being  estabHsh^d 
in  South  Holland,  Illinois.  After  one  year 
they  removed  to  Chicago.  Her  parents  were 
Henry  N.  and  Nellie  A.  (Ridder)  Kemp, 
both  of  whom  now  reside  in  Roseland,  Illi- 
nois. In  their  family  were  five  children, 
of  whom  Mrs.  Dalenberg  is  the  eldest,  the 
others  being:  Cornelius  P.,  of  Berrien 
county;  Peter,  who  is  living  in  Muskegon, 
Michigan ;  John  James,  a  resident  of  Misha- 
waka,  Indiana;  and  Mrs.  Margaret  Bos- 
winkel^  whose  home  is  in  Thayer,  Indiana.. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dalenberg 
has  been  blessed  with  eight  children :  Nel- 
lie; Peter,  who  is  attending  college  in  Kala- 
mazoo; Lina;  Bertha;  Kate  and  Henry, 
twins;  George;  and  Margaret. 

Mr.  Dalenberg  is  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church  and  his  political  support 
is  given  to  the  Republican  party.  He  has 
been  a  member  of  the  board  of  education 
at  Three  Oaks  for  the  past  five  years  and 
the  cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a  warm 
and  stalwart  friend.  He  was  an  elder  in 
the  Holland  Church  for  a  number  of  years 
and  has  served  on  the  prudential  committee 
of  the  church,  to  which  he  now  belongs,  for 
several  years  past.  His  endorsement  and 
co-operation  are  given  to  every  movement 
for  intellectual  or  moral  progress  and  his- 
life  has  always  been  consistent  with  ad- 
vancement in  these  directions.  He  has  pro- 
vided his  children  with  good  educational 
privileges,  his  eldest  son  being  a  graduate 
of  the  Normal  School,  while  Henry  is  a 
student  in  the  high  school.  His  life  has 
been  useful,  his  actions  manly  and  sincere, 
and  in  the  business  world  he  has  made  a 
good  name,  his  life  being  an  exemplification 
of  business  possibilities  in  America,  which 
are  open  to  young  men  of  determination, 
energy  and  business  reliability. 

JOHN  H.  RODGERS  is  proprietor 
of  the  Walnut  Grove  farm,  a  valuable  prop- 
erty on  section  13,  Three  Oaks  township. 
He  was  born  September  25,  1856,  in  Ohio,. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


839 


and  when  he  was  only  a  few  months  old  his 
parents,  Benjamin  P.  and  Katherine  (Heck- 
erthorn)    Rodgers,   removed  to   St.  Joseph 
county,   Indiana.     The  father  was  of  Ger- 
man and  Irish  lineage,  and  both  he  and  his 
wnfe  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.     They 
spent  their  early  married  life  in  the  Buckeye 
State,  whence  they  removed  to  St.  Joseph 
county,  Indiana,  and  when  their  son  John 
was  about  tw^elve  years  of  age  they  took  up 
their  abode  upon  a  farm  in  Galien  township, 
Berrien     county,     Michigan.     There     they 
spent  their  remaining  days,  the  father  de- 
voting his  time  and  energies  to  general  ag- 
ricultural   pursuits.     He    passed    away    at 
the  age  of  seventy-six  years,  w^hile  his  wife 
died  -at  the  age  of  sixty-four.     Their  chil- 
dren were  ten  in  number :  Joseph,  who  died 
while  serving  his  country  in  the  Civil  war; 
Mrs.    Rachel    Goodenough,    of    Buchanan, 
Berrien   county;   Mrs.    Mary   Stimbach,   of 
Barry  county,  Michigan ;  William,  who  died 
at  Three  Oaks;  John  H.,  of  this  review; 
Daniel,  a  resident  farmer  of  Galien  town- 
ship; Mrs.  Maria  Murdoch,  of  Galien  town- 
ship; Christiana,  who  died  in  Troy,  Michi- 
gan ;  Mrs.  Maggie  Sawyer,  of  Three  Oaks ; 
and  Mrs.  Carrie  Cauffman,  of  Galien  town- 
ship, who  died  in  August,  1906. 

John  H.  Rodgers,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  record,  accompanied  his  parents 
to  Michigan  when  a  youth  of  twelve  years 
and  lived  upon  the  old  home  farm  in  Galien 
township  until  twenty-two  years  of  age,  as- 
sisting his  father  in  its  care  and  cultivation. 
He  was  thus  occupied  through  the  sum- 
mer months,  and  in  the  winter  seasons  ac- 
quired his  education  by  attending  the  public 
schools.  On  leaving  home  he  purchased  a 
small  farm  in  Galien  township,  on  w^hich  he 
lived  for  five  years,  when  he  sold,  that  prop- 
erty and  bought  his  present  farm  of  ninety- 
three  acres  on  section  13,  Three  Oaks  town- 
ship. It  was  unimproved  land,  which  he 
cleared  and  cultivated,  erecting  thereon  the 
present  buildings,  which  are  exceptionally 
good,  being  among  the  best  in  the  township. 
They  stand  upon  the  township  line,  border- 
ing the  highway  between  Galien  and  Three 
Oaks  township  and  the  residence  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  fine  walnut  grove  from  which 


the  farm  takes  its  name.  The  soil  is  a  rich 
black  loam,  well  adapted  to  the  raising  of 
cabbage,  which  Mr.  Rodgers  makes  a  spe- 
cial feature  of  the  place.  He  also  raises 
grain  and  annually  harvests  good  crops. 
The  farm  with  its  splendid  improvements 
and  highly  cultivated  fields  is  the  evidence 
of  his  life  of  thrift  and  industry.  He  has 
cleared  it  of  all  indebtedness  and  now  has  a 
w^ell  improved  and  valuable  place. 

In  1878  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
John  H.  Rodgers  and  Miss  Mary  Cheverie, 
who  was  born  in  Galien  township,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Amelia  Cheverie. 
They  now  have  the  following  children :  Jo- 
seph; Mrs.  Amelia  Norris,  of  North  Dakota, 
who  has  five  children,  Kenneth,  John,  Ruth, 
Mary  and  Roy;  Mrs.  Nina  Dreibelbis,  who 
is  living  with  her  father  and  has  one  son, 
Lee ;  Maryett  and  John,  both  at  home.  Mr. 
Rodgers  manifests  only  a  citizen's  interest 
in  politics  without  seeking  for  office,  giv- 
ing his  support  to  the  Democracy.  He  is  a 
man  of  business  activity,  energy  and  in- 
tegrity and  to  his  own  labors  his  success  is 
attributable. 

HALE  E.  RYTHER  is  living  on  sec- 
tion 36,  Three  Oaks  township,  wdiere  he 
owns  a  good  farm  of  forty  acres.  This 
tract  has  been  in  his  possession  for  about 
three  years  and  he  has  devoted  himself 
assiduously  to  its  care  and  cultivation.  He 
was  born  in  the  village  of  Three  Oaks, 
August  4,  i860,  his  father  being  Cyrus  C. 
Ryther.  His  paternal  grandfather,  El- 
kanah  Ryther,  was  a  native  of  New  York 
and  became  a  pioneer  resident  of  this  coun- 
ty but  died  in  Cass  county,  Michigan,  when 
more  than  eighty  years  of  age.  His  son, 
Cyrus  C.  Ryther,  was  born  in  the  State  of 
New  York,  and  when  about  ten  years  of 
age  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  Michigan,  the  year  .of  their  ar- 
rival being  1840.  They  had  previously  re- 
sided in  Canada  for  a  short  time  and. then 
came  to  Three  Oaks.  For  a  considerable 
period  Cyrus  C.  Ryther  remained  a  resi- 
dent of  this  locality  but  is  now  living  in 
Dowagiac,  Cass  county,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-six  years.      His   entire   life  has   been 


'840 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


devoted  to  general  farming  and  his  labors 
have  been  attended  with  a  measure  of  suc- 
cess that  has  placed  him  in  comfortable 
financial  circumstances.  He  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Emery  Chamberlain,  a  native  of 
New  Hampshire,  who  died  in  Dowagiac, 
Cass  county,  October  i6,  1905,  when  sev- 
enty-nine years  of  age,  she  being  an  own 
cousin  of  Hon.  Henry  Chamberlain,  the 
sage  of  Three  Oaks.  In  the  family  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ryther  were  nine  children,  of 
whom  two  died  in  infancy,  the  others  being 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Church,  now  deceased;  Mrs. 
Kate  C.  Phelps,  of  Chicago;  Hale  E.,  of 
this  review ;  Mrs.  Rebecca  C.  McGowan,  of 
Covert,  Michigan;  William  C,  who  is  liv- 
ing in  Cass  county;  Thad  V.,  a  resident  of 
South  Bend,  Indiana;  and  Mrs.  Anna  C. 
Jessup,  of  Three  Oaks. 

Hale  E.  Ryther  has  spent  his  entire  life 
in  Three  Oaks  township  and  has  always  fol- 
lowed farming  since  completing  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools.  He  was  a  very 
young  lad  when  his  parents  removed  from 
the  village  to  the  farm.  He  has  owned  the 
place  where  he  lives  for  about  three  years 
and  is  devoting  his  time  and  energies 
to  general  agricultural  pursuits,  having 
brought  his  land  under  a  very  high  state  of 
cultivation.  He  gives  his  political  allegiance 
to  the  Democracy  and  he  belongs  to  the 
Citizens  Institute,  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  to  the  Knights  of  the 
Maccabees  and  to  the  Anti-Horse  Thief  As- 
sociation— relations  which  indicate  much  of 
the  character  of  the  man. 

In  1886  Mr.  Ryther  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Josie  S.  Bramhall,  who  was 
born  in  Galien  township,  Berrien  county, 
November  16,  1863,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Melinda  (Shedd)  Bramhall,  the 
former  a  native  of  Camptown,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  the  latter  of  New  York.  They 
were  pioneer  residents  of  Michigan,  cast- 
ing in  their  lot  with  the  early  settlers  of 
Berrien  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ryther  have 
a  daughter,  Florence  L.,  who  is  at  home. 
The  family  are  well  knoAvn  in  this  portion 
of  the  county  where  they  have  long  resided 
and  good  qualities  have  gained  for  them 
generous  and  warm  hearted  esteem. 


WILLIAM  FREDERICH  WAN- 
GERIN,  deceased,  was  born  in  the  province 
of  Brundenburg,  Prussia,  Germany,  June 
14,  1836,  his  parents  being  Charles  and  Wil- 
helmina  (Baldow)  Wangerin.  Leaving 
their  native  country  the  parents  came  to 
America  and  took  up  their  abode  in  Ohio, 
where  the  death  of  the  father  occurred.  The 
mother  afterward  became  a  resident  of  Ber- 
rien county  and  passed  away  here.  In  their 
family  were  six  children,  three  of  whom  be- 
came residents  of  Berrien  county,  narnely : 
Herman,  of  this  township;  William  Fred- 
erich,  of  this  review;  and  Mrs.  Paulina 
Schwandt,  of  Three  Oaks  township. 

William  Frederich  Wangerin,  spending 
the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  the 
fatherland,  acquired  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  there  and  afterward  became 
a  farmer.  He  owned  a  small  tract  of  land 
which  he  worked  until  he  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  1866.  Making  his  way 
to  Ohio  he  settled  eighteen  miles  east  of 
Toledo  in  Elliston,  that  state.  He  there  had 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres,  upon 
which  he  lived  for  sixteen  years,  placing 
his  land  tinder  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
At  length  he  sold  out  and  in  1882  came  to 
Three  Oaks.  The  same  year  he  purchased 
the  farm  on  section  36,  Three  Oaks  town- 
ship, where  his  widow  now  resides,  becom- 
ing owner  of  one  hundred  acres  of  land 
which  he  cultivated  until  his  death.  He 
cleared  most  of  the  farm,  remodeled  the 
buildings  and  greatly  improved  the  place, 
making  it  a  model  farm  property,  equipped 
with  all  modern  accessories  and  con- 
veniences. His  life  was  one  of  untiring 
activity,  resulting  in  success  and  he  left  his 
family  in  comfortable  circumstances. 

In  1868  Mr.  Wangerin  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Marie  Schroeder,  who  was 
born  in  Brundenburg,  Prussia,  on  the  27th 
of  February,  185 1.  She  was  a  little  maiden 
of  eleven  summers,  when,  in  1862,  she  be- 
came a  resident  of  Ohio,  having  come  to 
America  with  her  parents,  Charles  and 
Charlotte  (Wagner)  Schroeder,  who  were 
also  natives  of  Prussia  and  they  remained 
residents  of  Ohio  until  called  to  their  final 
rest.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wangerin  became  the 


jmAi    M6UCUU  SA^^/^Ur^^^ 


(t-' £).  (^.^i^^^U^rrty 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


841 


parents  of  four  children :  Mrs.  Matilda 
Habel,  who  died  in  Three  Oaks  in  Novem- 
ber, 1905,  at  the  age  of  thirty-six  years, 
who  had  five  children;  Clarence  William, 
who  was  born  June  19,  1888,  and  died 
March  31,  1906;  Fred;  Alva;  Arthur;  and 
Lydia.  Emma  Augusta,  the  second  daugh- 
ter of  the  family,  is  the  wife  of  Albert  J. 
Gelow,  who  resides  upon  and  operates  her 
father's  farm.  They  have  one  child,  Ells- 
worth. Amelia,  the  third  daughter,  is  the 
w^ife  of  Verner  Wright,  of  Three  Oaks 
township,  and  has  two  children,  Howard  and 
Earl.  William  is  living  in  Three  Oaks,  is 
married  and  has  one  daughter,  Ethel  Marie. 
Mr.  Wangerin  was  a  Democrat  in  his 
political  views  and  served  as  road  officer  in 
Ohio  and  also  in  Michigan,  being  always 
interested  in  the  subject  of  good  roads.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran 
Church,  at  Three  Oaks  and  served  as  its 
trustee  for  one  year.  He  took  an  active  in- 
terest in  everything  pertaining  to  the  ma- 
terial, intellectual,  political  and  moral 
progress  of  his  community  and  w^as  ac- 
counted a  valued  citizen,  whose  many  good 
traits  of  character  won  him  the  friendship 
and  esteem  of  those  with  whom  he  was 
brought  in  contact,  either  through  business 
relations  or  socially,  and  caused  his  death, 
which  occurred  March  9,  1905,  to  be  deeply 
deplored  by  many  friends  as  well  as  his  im- 
mediate family.  Mrs.  Wangerin,  an  es- 
timable lady,  is  still  living  upon  the  farm, 
on  which  she  and  her  husband  located  al- 
most a  quarter  of  a  century  ago. 

EDWARD  D.  EIDSON,  a  farmer  of 
Oronoko  township,  living  on  section  2,  is 
a  native  of  Berrien  Springs,  the  date  of  his 
birth  being  January  20,  1861.  He  was  the 
fifth  in  a  family  of  eight  children,  born  unto 
William  B.  and  Harriet  A.  (Weaver) 
Eidson,  and  the  family  history  is  given  in 
connection  with  the  sketch  of  Gilbert  A. 
Eidson  on  another  page  of  this  work.  When 
about  five  years  of  age  he  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  to  the  farm  on 
which  he  now  resides  and  here  he  was 
reared,  the  place  being  endeared  to  him 
therefore   through   the    associations    of   his 


boyhood  as  well  as  later  manhood.  At  the 
usual  age  he  entered  the  district  schools 
and  therein  mastered  the  common  branches 
of  English  learning.  In  the  periods  of  va- 
cation his  time  was  largely  occupied  with 
the  farm  work,  with  which  he  became  fa- 
miliar in  all  its  branches. 

On  the  30th  of  August,  1887,  Mr.  Eid- 
son was  married  to  Miss  Hattie  A.  Brown, 
a  daughter  of  Richard  and  Eliza  (Michael) 
Brown.  Her  birth  occurred  in  Royalton 
township,  Berrien  county,  and  at  the  time 
of  her  marriage  she  returned  with  her  hus- 
band to  the  old  Eidson  homestead  farm, 
which  he  purchased.  His  place  comprises 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  rich  and 
arable  land,  of  which  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  is  situated  on  section  2,  Oronoko  town- 
ship. Here  he  carries  on  general  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  raising  fruit,  grain  and  stock. 
He  has  good  orchards  and  well  tilled  fields, 
while  in  his  pastures  are  found  good  grades 
of  horses  and  cattle.  In  all  of  his  business 
dealings  he  is  practical  and  progressive  and 
his  present  desirable  position  as  one  of  the 
reliable  farmers  of  the  county  is  due  to  his 
own  labors. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eidson  has 
been  blessed  with  two  children,  Hazel  D. 
and  Wade.  On  election  days  he  casts  his 
ballot  for  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Re- 
publican party  and  is  interested  in  those 
questions  which  divide  the  two  great  par- 
ties and  have  direct  bearing  upon  the  wel- 
fare of  state  and  nation.  He  belongs  to 
the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  at  Berrien 
Springs,  and  Mrs.  Eidson  belongs  to  the 
L.  O.  T.  M.  He  is  well  known  in  his  part 
of  the  county,  having  for  forty  years  lived 
upon  the  farm  which  is  now  his  home, 
while  his  entire  life  has  been  spent  in  this 
locality. 

HENRY  C.  HATCH,  the  junior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Granger  &  Hatch,  who 
began  merchandising  at  Glendora  in  March, 
1903,  was  born  in  Hartford  township.  Van 
Buren  county,  Michigan,  on  the  14th  of 
April,  1875.  His  parents  were  Charles  and 
Dotha  (Pitcher)  Hatch,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Orleans  county,  New  York,  where 


842 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


they  were  reared  and  married.  Removing 
to  the  west,  they  settled  in  Van  Buren  coun- 
ty, Michigan,  where  the  father  made  his 
home  until  called  to  his  final  rest.  The 
mother  still  survives  and  is  now  living  with 
her  son  Henry.  Charles  Hatch  left  a  farm 
of  eighty  acres  of  land  and  for  many  years 
was  classed  among  the  enterprising  agricul- 
turists of  his  community.  In  the  family 
were  but  two  children,  the  daughter  being 
Estella  H.,  the  wife  of  Harry  Granger,  who 
was  her  brother's  partner  and  who  died  in 
March,  1905. 

Henry  C.  Hatch  spent  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth  in  his  parents'  home  and 
acquired  a  common-school  education.  After 
putting  aside  his  text-books  he  worked  at 
the  carpenter's  trade  until  he  began  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account.  He  joined  Harry 
Granger  in  the  organization  of  the  firm  of 
Granger  &  Hatch^  dealers  in  general  mer- 
chandise at  Glendora.  They  not  only  owned 
the  stock  of  goods  but  also  the  store  build- 
ing and  conducted  the  enterprise  together 
with  marked  success  until  the  death  of  the 
senior  partner,  since  which  time  Mr.  Hatch 
has  been  alone  in  the  control  of  the  business, 
although  his  sister  is  still  interested  finan- 
cially. He  is  an  enterprising  young  man  of 
keen  business  discernment  and  perseverance 
and  his  labors  have  made  him  a  prosperous 
merchant  of  the  village.  In  his  political 
allegiance  he  is  a  Republican,  while  socially 
he  is  identified  with  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows  at  Glendora.  He  is  popular 
socially,  having  a  large  circle  of  warm 
friends  who  esteem  him  because  of  his  per- 
sonal characteristics  and  what  he  has  ac- 
complished in  the  business  world. 

TIMOTHY  H.  IVES,  deceased,  was 
born  in  Brookfield  township,  Tioga  county, 
Pennsylvania,  on  the  14th  of  March,  1840, 
his  parents  being  Ambrose  and  Katharine 
(White)  Ives,  in  whose  family  were  five 
children,  the  subject  of  this  review  being 
the  eldest.  He  was  reared  upon  the  home 
farm  in  the  Keystone  State,  early  becom- 
ing familiar  with  all  the  duties  and  labors 
that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  His 
education  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools 


and  he  assisted  in  the  improvement  of  the 
home  farm  until  after  the  inauguration  of 
the  Civil  war,  when  in  response  to  the  coun- 
try's call  for  troops  he  enlisted  in  February, 
1864,  as  a  private  in  Company  L,  in  a  Penn- 
sylvania cavalry  regiment.  He  was  wounded 
in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  being  shot 
through  the  mouth,  the  end  of  his  tongue 
being  cut  off,  while  the  ball  came  out 
through  the  cheek.  After  being  in  the  hospi- 
tal for  a  time  his  father  brought  him  back 
home  and  when  he  had  sufficiently  recovered 
he  returned  to  the  south  and  rejoined  his 
company  and  regiment,  with  which  he  re- 
mained until  the  close  of  the  war.  When 
the  country  no  longer  needed  his  military 
aid  he  returned  to  his  father's  family  in 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  remained  until 
1870,  when  he  came  to  Galien,  Michigan, 
on  a  visit.  He  was  then  married  and  again 
went  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  continued 
to  live  for  seventeen  years  upon  a  farm. 
When  that  time  had  elapsed  he  once  more 
came  to  Michigan  and  settled  in  Galien, 
where  he  resided  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred on  the  9th  of  January,  1891. 
Throughout  his  entire  life  he  followed  the 
occupation  of  farming  as  a  source  of  liveli- 
hood and  capably  managed  his  agricultural 
interests,  bringing  his  land  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  adding  to  it  many 
modern  equipments  and   improvements. 

In  1 87 1  Mr.  Ives  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Elizabeth  Pen  well,  who  was 
born  in  Green  township,  St.  Joseph  county, 
Indiana,  near  South  Bend,  July  27,  1846. 
She  was  one  of  a  family  of  ten  children  and 
came  with  her  parents  to  this  county  about 
1850  when  only  four  years  of  age.  She  is 
a  daughter  of  David  and  Susanna  (Rupe) 
Penwell,  who  were  formerly  residents  of 
Wayne  county,  Indiana. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Ives  was  a 
stanch  Republican  and  took  an  active  inter- 
est in  politics,  delighting  in  the  success  of 
his  party  and  the  adoption  of  its  principles. 
He  held  a  number  of  minor  offices  and  at 
all  times  was  true  to  the  trust  reposed  in 
him.  Fraternally  he  was  connected  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  with  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  to  both 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


843 


organizations  he  was  loyal,  exemplifying  in 
his  life  the  beneficent  and  fraternal  spirit 
upon  which  those  societies  are  founded.  He 
was  a  man  who  stood  high  in  the  estimation 
of  the  entire  community  and  those  who  came 
within  the  more  intimate  circle  of  his  ac- 
quaintanceship recognized  in  him  a  loyal 
friend  and  a  devoted  husband. 

GEORGE  EDWIN  GILLAM.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  at  Coldwater, 
Michigan,  December  20,  1863.  His  father 
was  at  the  front  at  the  time  serving  his 
country  in  the  great  war  of  the  Rebellion  as 
captain  of  Company  K,  Ninth  Michigan 
Cavalry.  The  early  years  of  the  life  of  the 
boy  were  spent  in  acquiring  an  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  Hillsdale,  Michigan, 
where  he  graduated  in  1881.  His  first  en- 
trance into  the  activities  of  life  was  made 
in  the  same  year  when  he  went  to  Montague, 
Michigan,  which  at  that  time  was  one  of  the 
busiest  lumber  manufacturing  towns  of  the 
lower  peninsula  of  Michigan.  Following  the 
vocation  here  of  a  lumber  inspector  for  the 
next  three  years,  the  young  man  finally 
found  that  his  natural  inclination  was  in  an- 
other direction^  and  in  the  winter  of  1885-6 
he  entered  the  law  office  of  Frank  Bracelin 
at  Montague.  Mr.  Bracelin  was  also  the 
publisher  of  the  village  paper,  the  Lumber- 
man, and  it  was  not  long  before  Mr.  Gillam 
concluded  that  newspaper  work  and  not  the 
study  of  the  law  occupied  first  place  in  his 
preferences  for  a  life's  work.  After  a  few 
months  of  work  in  this  office  he  went  to 
Detroit  where  he  found  employment  on  the 
Detroit  Tribune  and  later  on  the  Journal, 
where  he  had  opporunity  to  broaden  out  as 
a  newspaper  w^orker.  The  death  of  his 
father  occurred  at  Detroit  in  1886.  In  De- 
cember of  that  year  he  purchased  the  Alcona 
County  Review,  published  at  Harrisville, 
Michigan,  and  thus  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three  he  entered  upon  an  independent  busi- 
ness career.  He  published  this  paper  con- 
tinuously until  April,  1889,  when  he  sold 
to  his  foreman  to  enable  him  to  take  a  half 
interest  in  the  Hillsdale  Standard,  one  of 
the  oldest  and  strongest  of  the  southern 
Michigan  weekly  publications.     During  his  t 


residence  at  Harrisville  he  was  married  in 
1889  to  Miss  Rena  B.  Tillotson,  of  Oneida, 
New  York.  To  them  four  children  were 
born,  of  whom  but  one  son,  Donald,  aged 
six,  survives.  Mr.  Gillam  while  at  Harris- 
ville, was  a  member  of  the  village  council, 
member  of  the  school  board,  president  of  the 
village,  and  secretary  of  various  organiza- 
tions of  a  public  nature  and  identified  him- 
self with  every  movement  to  develop  this 
new  country.  In  1897  he  became  the  Re- 
publican nominee  for  member  of  the  legis- 
lature for  the  Iosco  district,  comprising 
the  counties  of  Alcona,  Iosco,  Ogemaw  and 
Roscommon,  and  was  elected  by  a  large  ma- 
jority, serving  two  terms  throughout  the 
tw^o  administrations  of  the  famous  Gov- 
ernor Hazen  S.  Pingree.  He  removed  to 
Hillsdale,  Michigan,  before  the  completion 
of  his  second  term  in  the  legislature.  He 
sold  his  interest  in  the  Standard  in  190 1, 
and  in  August  of  the  same  year  bought  the 
plant  of  the  Niles  Daily  Sun,  published  at 
Niles,  Michigan,  which  he  has  since  con- 
tinued to  publish,  making  a  success  of  what 
had  previously  been  a  doubtful  enterprise. 
He  has  built  a  home  for  his  family  and  has 
bought  a  place  also  for  his  newspaper  plant, 
and  expects  to  make  Niles  his  permanent 
home,  and  to  give  the  same  loyalty  to  its 
institutions  that  has  characterized  him  wher- 
ever he  has  lived. 

Mr.  Gillam's  parentage  was  American 
on  both  sides.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
New  York  State,  while  his  mother  was  born 
at  Jonesville,  Michigan,  of  English  par- 
entage, her  father  being  a  successful  law^yer 
of  the  ante-bellum  period,  as  well  as  a 
pioneer  newspaper  publisher,  having  pub- 
lished the  first  paper  published  in  Hillsdale 
county,  the  forerunner  of  the  Standard,  in 
later  years  acquired  by  his  grandson. 

The  most  enduring  service  rendered  the 
commonwealth  by  Mr.  Gillam  as  a  legislator 
was  the  passage  of  the  homestead  law,  un- 
der which  lands  delinquent  for  taxes  for  a 
period  of  five  years  were  deeded  to  the 
state,  and  then  became  subject  to  home- 
stead entry  by  actual  settlers  on  easy  terms. 
This  act  had  a  marked  effect  in  settling  up 
the   so-called   stripped  timber  lands  of  the 


844 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


lumber  sections^  which  belonged  to  non-resi- 
dent owners  in  the  main,  who  too  often 
avoided  payment  of  taxes  for  long  pe- 
riods through  mere  technicalities.  This  act 
forced  payment  of  the  taxes  or  forfeiture 
of  title. 

DANIEL  S.  SAVAGE.  At  an  early 
period  in  the  development  of  the  new  world 
the  family  of  which  Daniel  S.  Savage  is  a 
representative  was  founded  in  America 
by  three  brothers  of  the  name  who 
came  from  England  to  the  new  world 
and  settled  in  Connecticut,  and  since 
that  time  representatives  of  the  name  have 
been  progressive  in  citizenship  and  have 
been  loyal  to  the  country  in  days  of  peace 
and  days  of  war.  William  Savage,  the 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Connecticut  and  was  a  sea  captain. 
His  son,  Joel  Savage,  born  in  Connecticut, 
was  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  Revolution. 
He  fought  valiently  for  the  cause  of  inde- 
pendence and  was  captured  by  Indians  at 
Fort  Stanwick.  He  clied  in  Oswego,  New 
York,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years  and 
Mr.  Savage  of  this  review  has  a  remem- 
brance of  seeing  him  in  his  later  years.  Gib- 
son Savage,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
near  Utica,  New  York,  was  a  veteran  of  the 
war  of  1812,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
He  died,  however,  at  the  comparatively  early 
age  of  thirty-five  years.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Esther  Goit,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Vermont  and  died  in  Oswego,  New 
York,  when  forty-seven  years  of  age.  Her 
grandfather  came  from  Ireland  to  America. 
In  the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gibson 
Savage  were  four  children:  Abigail,  who 
died  in  New  York;  Laura;  WilHam,  who 
died  in  Oregon;  and  Daniel  S.  Upon  a 
farm  in  his  native  county  Daniel  S.  Savage 
spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  and  acquired 
his  education  in  the  public  schools.  He  re- 
mained a  resident  of  Oswego  county  until 
1854,  when,  thinking  to  enjoy  better  oppor- 
tunities in  the  middle  west,  he  came  to  Mich- 
igan, making  his  way  direct  to  Berrien  coun- 
ty. He  then  purchased  eigiity  acres  of  land 
where  he  now  resides  on  sections  13  and  24, 
Three  Oaks  township.    It  was  woodland,  be- 


ing covered  with  a  native  growth  of  timber 
but  he  cleared  away  the  trees  and  brush, 
placed  the  fields  under  cultivation  and 
erected  good  buildings.  Year  by  year  the 
work  of  the  farm  has  been  carried  steadily 
forward  and  today  this  is  a  well  developed 
farm  property  lacking  in  none  of  the  modern 
equipments  and  conveniences.  Mr.  Savage 
IS  engaged  in  raising  stock  and  grain,  keep- 
ing twenty-five  or  thirty  head  of  cattle  in 
earlier  days  which  he  fed  on  marsh  hay 
for  many  years. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  life's 
journey  Mr.  Savage  chose  Miss  Angeline 
Palmer,  who  was  born  in  Oswego  county, 
New  York,  August  27,  1831.  They  were 
married  in  1854,  and  after  traveling  life's 
journey  together  for  about  forty-seven  years 
were  separated  by  the  death  of  the  wife  on 
the  5th  of  May,  1901.  Her  loss  was  deeply 
regretted  not  only  by  her  immediate  fam- 
ily but  by  many  friends.  She  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Squire  and  Fair  Palmer  and  by  her 
marriage  became  the  mother  of  two  chil- 
dren: Seth  Warren,  of  Minnesota;  and 
Whitman,  deceased. 

In  his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Savage 
was  formerly  a  Mason  and  in  his  religious 
faith  he  is  a  Methodist,  while  in  his  political 
allegiance  he  is  a  Republican.  These  asso- 
ciations indicate  much  of  the  character  of 
the  man  and  the  views  which  he  takes  of  life. 
He  has  long  since  passed  the  Psalmist's  span 
of  three  score  years  and  ten  and  his  has 
been  a  useful  career  crowned  with  a  goodly 
measure  of  success  and  the  esteem  of  his 
fellowmen.  His  residence  in  the  county 
covers  more  than  a  half  century  and  he  has 
thus  been  closely  associated  with  its  agri- 
cultural interests  from  almost  the  beginning 
of  the  progress  made  towards  subduing  the 
wilderness  and  converting  the  lands  into 
uses  for  civilization. 

E.  CLIFFORD  KNOX,  who  for  many 
years  was  a  respected  and  worthy  resident 
of  Berrien  county  but  is  now  deceased,  was 
born  in  Niles,  Michigan,  March  7,  1867. 
His  father,  Cholwell  Knox,  is  now  living  in 
St.  Paul,  Minnesota.  He  was  a  prominent 
and  able  attorney  and  at  one  time  mayor  of 


C/fe/'y^^trT^     «/.^-i-i.-:,^.w^^^2^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


845 


Niles.  His  birth  occurred  in  Rhinebeck, 
New  York,  and  following  his  removal  to 
the  middle  west  he  settled  in  Niles  about 
1856.  There  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
law  and  secured  a  good  clientage.  He  re- 
moved to  St.  Paul  in  1884  ^^d  has  since 
made  his  home  in  that  city. 

E.  Clifford  Knox  was  reared  in  Niles 
to  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  when  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  St. 
Paul.  He  had  acquired  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Michigan  and  follow- 
ing the  removal  to  the  northwest  he  entered 
upon  his  business  career  as  an  employ  of  G. 
Summers  &  Co.,  wholesale  dealers  in  notions. 
For  twenty  years  he  was  connected  with 
that  house,  after  which  he  returned  to  Niles 
and  purchased  the  Dye  farm,  upon  which 
Mrs.  Knox  now  resides.  His  remaining 
days  were  given  to  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits and  he  carefully  managed  his  prop- 
erty, comprising  ninety  acres.  He  added  to 
it  many  modern  equipments  and  improve- 
ments and  made  it  a  valuable  farm. 

July  ID,  1889,  Mr.  Knox  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Fannie  M.  Badger,  who 
was  born  in  Bertrand  township,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Herki- 
mer) Badger.  She  was  reared  in  her  native 
township,  attended  the  district  schools  and 
was  afterward  graduated  from  the  high 
school  at  Niles  with  the  class  of  1885.  On 
the  loth  of  July,  1889,  she  gave  her  hand 
in  marriage  to  Mr.  Knox,  and  by  this  union 
there  were  born  two  children,  James  and 
Edith,  both  at  home  with  their  mother. 
They  reside  upon  the  farm  but  Mrs.  Knox 
rents  the  land. 

The  youth  and  last  days  of  Mr.  Knox 
were  spent  in  Berrien  county  and  those  who 
were  acquainted  with  him  knew  him  to  be  a 
man  of  firm  purpose,  straightforward  in  his 
dealings  and  reliable  in  all  life's  relations. 
His  death  was  the  occasion  of  deep  regret  not 
only  to  his  immediate  family  but  to  many 
friends  and  he  is  yet  kindly  remembered 
by  all  who  knew  him  during  the  period  of 
his  residence  in  this  county.  Mrs.  Knox  is 
highly  esteemed  here  and  the  hospitality  of 
the  best  homes  of  Bertrand  township  and 


of  other   sections   of  the  county   is    freely 
accorded  her. 

BYRON  PENNELL.  Numbered 
among  the  old  settlers  whose  memory  com- 
passes the  period  of  early  pioneer  develop- 
ment as  well  as  later  progress,  now  resides 
on  section  22,  Oronoko  township.  He  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Locke,  Cayuga  county, 
New  York,  December  29,  1840.  His  father, 
Abram  Cas<e  Pennell,  likewise  a  native  of 
the  Empire  State,  became  a  resident  of 
Berrien  county  in  1848,  at  which  time  he  lo- 
cated in  Lake  township  and  purchased  a 
farm,  upon  which  he  remained  for  five 
years.  He  then  located  in  Oronoko  town- 
ship, where  he  tought  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  unimproved  land.  Not  a 
furrow  had  been  turned  upon  the  place  and 
with  characteristic  energy  he  began  to  clear 
and  cultivate  it.  He  built  fences,  plowed 
the  fields  and  continued  the  w^ork  of  im- 
provement until  a  later  day,  when  he  traded 
this  farm  for  land  in  Berrien  township.  He 
spent  his  last  days  in  Berrien  Springs  and 
was  more  than  eighty  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  his  demise.  He  had  held  local  of- 
fices in  Lake  township  and  was  well  and 
favorably  known  as  a  citizen  of  genuine 
worth,  fearless  in  defense  of  his  honest  con- 
victions and  a  stanch  champion  of  whatever 
he.  believed  to  be  right.  In  politics  he  was 
a  stalwart  Republican  and  active  in  the  in- 
terests of  the  party.  He  married  Elizabeth 
Smith,  who  was  reared  in  New  York,  her 
father,  Richard  Smith,  removing  to  the  Em- 
pire State  during  her  early  life.  She  lived 
to  be  more  than  eighty-six  years  of  age.  In 
their  family  were  five  children,  three  sons 
and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  now  sur- 
vive and  are  married. 

Mr.  Pennell  is  the  second  child  and  eld- 
est son  and  was  in  his  eighth  year  when  he 
came  to  Berrien  county  with  his  parents. 
Here  he  was  reared  amid  pioneer  environ- 
ments and  the  conditions  of  frontier  life, 
pursuing  his  education  in  one  of  the  old- 
time  log  schoolhouses  with  its  slab  seats 
and  other  crude  furnishings.  The  sessions 
of  school  continued  only  through  the  winter 


846 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


months  and  during  the  remainder  of  the 
year  his  attention  was  given  to  work  upon 
the  home  farm  as  he  aided  in  the  task  of 
plowing,  planting,  and  harvesting,  picking 
roots  and  grubbing.  He  continued  an  active 
factor  in  the  development  of  the  old  home- 
stead until  the  age  of  twenty-three  years, 
when  he  married.  He  then  located  in  the 
midst  of  the  forest  in  Oronoko  township, 
wdiere  he  hewed  out  a  farm.  He  lived  for 
four  years  with  Mr.  Schultz,  his  father-in- 
law,  whom  he  assisted  at  farm  labor  and  at 
the  end  of  that  time  took  up  his  abode  upon 
a  farm  which  is  now  his  place  of  residence, 
clearing  the  land  ere  he  could  place  it  under 
the  plow.  His  first  house  was  a  board 
shanty  but  as  the  years  passed  by  the  fields 
were  well  developed  and  the  sale  of  crops 
brought  him  financial  resources  that  enabled 
him  to  place  modern  and  substantial  im- 
provements upon  his  farm.  He  has  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  which  is 
now  carefully  tilled  and  constitutes  a  val- 
uable property. 

In  1864  Mr.  Pennell  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Sarah  Schultz,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Betsey  (Storick)  Schultz,  who 
were  pioneer  residents  of  Berrien  county, 
coming  to  Michigan  from  Pennsylvania. 
Her  father,  however,  was  born  in  Delaware 
or  Maryland,  and  the  birth  of  Mrs.  Pennell 
occurred  in  Oronoko  township,  Berrien 
county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pennell  had  no  chil- 
dren of  their  own  but  have  reared  a  boy 
and  girl.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church  at  Berrien  Springs  and  his  wife  of 
of  the  Brethren  Church,  and  have  been  act- 
ive and  helpful  in  church  work.  Mr.  Pen- 
nell has  held  various  church  offices,  serving 
as  deacon,  trustee  and  in  other  positions,  and 
has  been  a  generous  contributor  to  the  sup- 
port of  the  gospel.  He  votes  for  the  candi- 
date whom  he  regards  as  best  qualified  for 
office  in  local  elections  where  no  issues  are 
involved  and  at  national  elections  gives  an 
unfaltering  support  to  the  Republican  party. 
A  resident  of  Berrien  county  for  fifty-eight 
years  he  has  not  only  been  an  eye-witness 
of  the  many  wonderful  changes  which  have 
occurred  but  has  assisted  in  its  development 
and  is  classed  among  its  upbuilders. 


CHESTER  BADGER,  superintendent 
of  the  county  infirmary  of  Berrien  county, 
living  on  section  5,  Bertrand  township,  is 
one  of  the  native  residents  of  this  township, 
the  date  of  his  birth  being  September  7, 
1847.  His  father,  James  Badger,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Michigan,  born  north  of  Detroit. 
Losing  his  parents  in  early  life,  he  was  taken 
to  Albany,  New  York,  where  he  was  reared 
by  an  aunt  until  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age. 
He  was  then  bound  out  to  a  rnan  by  the 
name  of  David  Hoag,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained until  he  attained  his  majority.  De- 
sirous, however,  to  live  again  in  the  state 
of  his  nativity  he  came  back  to  Berrien  coun- 
ty, locating  in  Bertrand  township.  After  a 
year  he  went  again  to  New  York  and  was 
there  married,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being 
Miss  Elizabeth  Herkimer,  a  daughter  of 
Jacob  and  Mary  Herkimer,  who  were  of 
Revolutionary  stock.  Removing  with  his 
bride  to  Michigan  Mr.  Badger  located  on 
section  17,  Bertrand  township,  where  he 
first  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land.  He 
added  to  that  until  at  one  time  he  owned 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  one  body, 
all  in  the  same  township.  He  became  one 
of  the  prominent  and  prosperous  farmers 
of  the  county,  so  conducting  his  business 
interests  that  success  resulted.  He  placed 
his  fields  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation 
and  kept  everything  about  his  farm  in  good 
repair.  Rich  crops  were  annually  harvested 
and  his  efiforts  resulted  in  prosperity.  He 
was  a  public-spirited  man,  interested  in  all 
questions  relating  to  the  general  welfare, 
political  and  otherwise.  He  was  active  in 
support  of  the  Democratic  party  and  the 
work  which  he  did  constituted  no  unim- 
portant chapter  in  the  history  of  Berrien 
county.  He  lived  to  be  seventy  years  of  age, 
passing  away  in  March,  1888,  while  his  wife 
reached  the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  and 
was  called  to  her  final  rest  in  1896.  They 
w^ere  the  parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom 
six  reached  manhood  or  womanhod  and  are 
still  living,  namely:  William  D.,  who  resides 
in  Arlington,  Washington  county,  Ne- 
braska ;  Chester,  of  this  review ;  Mrs.  Mary 
Loomis,  who  is  living  in  Lincoln,  Nebraska ; 
Mrs.  Cecelia  C.  Messenger,  of  Laporte,  Indi- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


847 


ana;  Jacob  H.,  who  resides  in  Chicago;  and 
Mrs.  Fannie  B.  Knox,  who  is  a  widow  and 
resides  in  Bertrand  township,  Berrien 
county. 

Chester  Badger,  the  second  child  and 
second  son  of  the  family,  spent  the  days  of 
his  boyhood  and  youth  in  the  place  of  his 
nativity  and  acquired  his  early  education  in 
the  district  schools  and  at  Niles.  He  also 
spent  one  year  as  a  student  at  Ann  Arbor 
and  was  thus  qualified  by  liberal  educa- 
tional privileges  for  life's  practical  and  re- 
sponsible duties,  his  mind  being  well  trained 
for  alert,  energetic  action,  such  as  is  neces- 
sary in  the  business  world  where  there  is 
much  competition.  Mr.  Badger  remained 
at  home  until  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  as- 
sisting in  the  farm  work,  which  he  operated 
for  some  years  on  shares. 

On  the  28th  of  January^  1875^  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  Chester  Badger  and 
Miss  Mary  J.  Briggs,  a  daughter  of  John 
W.  and  Mary  ( Rowland)  Briggs,  and  a  na- 
tive of  Montgomery  county,  New  York, 
born  March  26,  1856,  but  reared  in  Fulton 
county,  New  York.  Mrs.  Badger  began  her 
educational  career  in  the  common  schools 
of  New  York  and  then  entered  Fort  Edward 
Institute  at  Fort  Edward,  New  York^  to 
prepare  for  a  collegiate  course.  She  entered 
the  well  known  Cornell  University  by  a 
State  scholarship,  but  after  the  first  semester 
she  had  to  discontinue  on  account  of  severe 
illness.  She  had  taken  up  the  teacher's  pro- 
fession two  terms  before  she  entered  Cornell 
University.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  at  Niles,  and  a  member,  in 
a  fraternal  sense,  of  the  Ladies'  Maccabee 
Hive,  No.  498,  and  also  a  member  of  the 
Eastern  Star,  No.  332,  at  Niles.  She  is  a 
lady  of  more  than  the  ordinary  culture  and 
is  well  qualified  to  grace  her  home.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Badger  have  been  born  four 
children  as  follows:  Nellie  M.,  professional 
stenographer,  is  employed  in  the  prosecuting 
attorney's  office  at  Niles.  She  received  her 
education  in  the  common  schools  and  then 
graduated  from  the  Niles  high  school  in 
1894.  She  had  taken  a  private  course  in 
stenography  at  St.  Paul,  Minnesota.  Clar- 
ence W.,  educated  in  Niles  high  school,  died 


aged  twenty-two.  Leroy  H.,  received 
the  common  school  training  and  then 
graduated  from  the  Niles  high  school  in  the 
class  of  1902,  and  stood  high  in  his  class 
w^ork.  He  also  took  a  correspondence 
course  in  the  Boston  schools  in  electricity 
and  received  his  diploma.  He  did  not  favor 
electricity  and  then  entered  Armour  Insti- 
tute at  Chicago  for  a  full  course  in  civil  en- 
gineering and  will  graduate  in  the  class  of 
1907.  Orville  C.  is  the  youngest  in  the 
family  and  is  now  in  the  second  year's  w^ork 
of  the  Niles  high  school. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Badger  lo- 
cated on  eighty  acres  that  he  purchased  east 
of  the  homestead,  where  he  lived  until  1882, 
when  he  removed  to  his  present  farm.  He 
has  carried  on  general  farming  and  has  also 
operated  a  threshing  machine.  Since  1901 
he  has  rented  his  farm  wdiich  comprises  one 
hundred  and  tw^enty-two  acres  of  land,  for 
in  1899  he  was  appointed  superintendent  of 
the  poor  for  the  county,  w^hich  position  he 
still  fills,  having  been  re-appointed  in  1905 
for  a  succeeding  term  of  three  years. 

He  has  always  taken  an  active  interest 
in  public  affairs  and  stands  for  virtue  and 
progress  in  citizenship  as  well  as  in  busi- 
ness and  private  life.  He  was  justice  of  the 
peace  for  sixteen  years  and  his  decisions 
w^ere  strictly  fair  and  impartial,  winntag 
him  the  approval  and  respect  of  all  who  had 
knowledge  of  his  official  service.  He  was 
also  township  treasurer  for  one  year  and  as 
stated,  was  appointed  to  his  present  office  in 
1899,  in  which  capacity  he  has  since  served, 
while  his  incumbency  will  continue  to  the 
year  1908.  His  political  allegiance  is  given 
to  the  Democracy  and  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Royal  Arcanum  and  of  the  Knights  of  the 
Maccabees  at  Niles.  His  residence  in  the 
county  dates  back  to  the  pioneer  epoch  in 
its  history,  and  while  he  has  never  sought 
to  figure  prominently  as  a  leader  in  public 
life  he  has  nevertheless  displayed  traits  of 
character  which  make  him  valued  as  a  citi- 
zen and  which  have  gained  for  him  a  credit- 
able position  in  agricultural  circles. 

JAMES  M.  BALL,  who  for  many  years 
was  connected  with  the  Chicago  Board  of 


848 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Trade,  and  is  now  president  of  the  Commer- 
cial National  Bank,  of  St.  Joseph,  was  born 
in  Sheffield,  England,  November  20,  i8zj4. 
When  five  years  of  age  he  was  brought  by 
his  parents  to  the  United  States,  and  after  a 
brief  residence  in  New  York  city  the  family 
removed  to  Illinois,  locating  at  Dixon,  that 
state,  in  1853.  Mr.  Ball  of  this  review  at- 
tended the  common  schools,  and  in  1862, 
when  but  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  re- 
sponded to  the  country's  call  for  aid,  enlist- 
ing as  a  member  of  Battery  F,  First  IlHnois 
Artillery.  He  served  until  mustered  out  with 
the  rank  of  captain  and  brevet-major  in  1866. 
Following  his  military  experience  he  located 
in  Chicago,  where  he  resided  for  many  years, 
and  was  until  1905  a  member  of  the  Chicago 
Board  of  Trade.  For  a  long  period  he 
acted  on  its  board  of  directors  and  was  a 
member  of  the  arbitration  and  appeal  com- 
mittees. In  1893,  however,  he  took  up  his 
abode  in  St.  Joseph  township,  Berrien  coun- 
ty, making  his  home  two  and  a  half  miles 
south  of  the  city  of  St.  Joseph.  He  is  now 
president  of  the  Commercial  National  Bank 
and  has  been  an  important  factor  in  the 
business  interests  of  this  locality  as  well  as 
in  the  western  metropolis. 

In  politics  Mr.  Ball  is  a  stalwart  Repub- 
lican and  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity. 
He  is  likewise  a  member  of  the  Union 
League  and  the  Kenwood  Clubs  of  Chicago. 

JOSHUA  FEATHER  is  a  retired 
farmer  living  on  section  7,  Oronoko  town- 
ship. A  review  of  the  past  indicates  that 
for  a  long  period  he  was  one  of  the  most 
active  and  enterprising  representatives  of 
agricultural  interests  in  his  part  of  the  coun- 
ty and  as  a  result  of  his  labors  he  acquired  a 
competence  that  is  sufficient  to  enable  him 
now  to  enjoy  a  well  earned  rest.  He  was  at 
one  time  the  owner  of  six  hundred  and  thirty 
ty-three  acres  of  valuable  land  but  he  has 
since  shared  his  holdings  with  his  sons. 

His  life  record  began  in  Northumber- 
land county,  Pennsylvania,  February  2y, 
1832.  His  father,  Joshua  Feather,  also  a 
native  of  the  Keystone  State,  was  a  son  of 
John  Henry  Feather,  who  was  likewise  born 
in  Pennsylvania.     The  family  is  of  German 


descent  and  was  established  in  America  at 
an  early  period  in  the  colonization  of  the 
new   world,   Joshua    Feather  being   of   the 
fourth  generation  in  this  country.     John  H. 
Feather  followed  the  occupation  of  farming 
during  the  greater  part  of  his  life,  although 
he  was  a  shoe-maker  by  trade  and  did  good 
work    along    that    line.      His    son,    Joshua 
Feather,  also  became  a  shoe-maker  and  farm- 
er.   He  remained  a  resident  of  Pennsylvania 
until  after  his  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Smith, 
a  native  of  that  state^  and  a  daughter  of 
Michael    Smith.      In    the    year    1836    they 
brought  their  family  to  Michigan,   settling 
in  Oronoko  township,  Berrien  county,  where 
the  father  entered  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land   from  the  government.     Not 
a  furrow  had  been  turned  nor  an  improve- 
ment made  upon  the  place  but  with  charac- 
teristic energy  he  began  its  development  and 
with  the  assistance  of  his  three  sons  trans- 
formed the  wild  land  into  productive  fields. 
He  also  figured  prominently  in  public  life, 
serving  as  highway  commissioner  and  doing 
much  for  general  progress.     In  politics  he 
was     a     Democrat,     active     in     the     work 
of    the    party    and    he    did    much    to  mold 
public  thought  and  action  in  an  early  day. 
He  was  prominent  in  Masonry,  in  which  he 
attained    the    Knight    Templar    degree,    at 
Niles,   Michigan.     He  held  the  highest  of- 
fice within  the  gift  of  the  chapter  at  St.  Jos- 
eph and  which  he  helped  organize.     He  was 
also  one  of  the  most  helpful  and  zealous 
members  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  church 
and  he  died  in  that  faith  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-three   years.      His    wife,    an    earnest 
Christian  woman,  passed  away  in  her  eighty- 
second  year.       There  were   four  sons   and 
one  daughter  in  the   family,   all  of  whom 
reached  adult  life. 

Joshua  Feather,  the  third  child  and  third 
son  of  the  family,  was  but  four  years  of  age 
when  brought  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan, 
and  now  for  three  score  years  and  ten  he  has 
been  a  resident  of  Oronoko  township.  He 
has,  however,  traveled  all  over  the  country, 
thus  gaining  an  intimate  knowledge  of  his 
native  land.  He  spent  one  winter,  or  three 
months,  in  the  west  and  three  months  upon 
the  gulf   in   the   south.      When   a  boy  he 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


849 


was  a  student  in  a  log  schoolhouse  which 
was  furnished  with  slab  seats  and  an  im- 
mense fire  place.  The  methods  of  instruc- 
tion were  primitive  as  compared  with  those 
of  the  present  day  but  he  made  good  use  of 
his  opportunities  and  reading,  experience, 
observation  and  travel  have  since  added 
largely  to  his  knowledge.  He  remained  at 
home  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he 
began  earning  his  living  by  working  in  the 
woods  and  thus  he  gained  his  start  in  life. 
When  he  was  married  he  took  his  .bride  to  a 
hewed  log  house  on  the  farm  where  he  now 
lives  and  there  he  has  resided  continuously 
since,  covering  a  period  of  more  than  a  half 
century.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  a 
business  way  and  an  analyzation  of  his  life 
record  shows  that  this  result  has  been  at- 
tained through  close  and  unremitting  dili- 
gence, supplemented  by  sound  business  judg- 
ment and  unfaltering  enterprise.  As  the 
years  passed  and  his  financial  resources  per- 
mitted he  added  to  his  land  until  his  hold- 
ings embraced  six  hundred  and  thirty-three 
acres  but  he  has  since  given  two  good  farms 
to  his  sons,  William  A.,  of  Lake  township, 
and  Stephen  A.,  of  Oronoko  township.  In 
the  year  1856  Mr.  Feather  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Susan  Harner,  a  daughter 
of  John  Harner,  who  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Lake  township.  Her  father  was 
a  native  of  Snyder  county,  Pennsylvania, 
whence  he  removed  to  Ohio,  where  Mrs. 
Feather  was  born.  She  was  a  little  maiden 
of  only  six  summers  when  her  parents  came 
to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  and  here  she 
has  lived  continuously  since. 

Mr.  Feather  has  never  been  an  office 
seeker  although  he  is  not  neglectful  of  the 
duties  of  citizenship  devolving  upon  him.  He 
has  preferred,  however,  to  perform  his  public 
service  as  a  private  citizen  rather  than  as  an 
incumbent  in  office.  For  a  long  period  he 
voted  with  the  Democracy  but  a  change  in 
his  political  views  led  him  to  give  his  support 
to  the  Republican  party,  of  which  he  has  now 
been  an  advocate  for  many  years.  He  is  an 
active  and  helpful  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church  and  has  contributed  freely  and  gen- 
erously to  its  support.  He  has  also  been  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  since  1858 
and  belongs  to  Western  Star  Lodge,  No.  39, 

54 


A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He  continued  for  many 
years  in  active  farm  work  but  now  leaves  the 
more  arduous  duties  of  the  fields  to  his  sons, 
with  whom  he  has  been  most  generous,  di- 
viding with  them  his  extensive  landed  pos- 
sessions. His  name  has  long  been  a  syno- 
nym for  activity  and  integrity  in  business 
affairs  and  not  through  speculation  or  any 
particularly  forunate  circumstances  but 
through  his  own  intense  and  well  directeci 
activity  has  he  gained  the  place  which  he:: 
now  occupies  as  a  substantial  and  represent- 
ative citizen  of  Berrien  county.  ri 

W.  A.  WARD.  The  business  interests 
of  Berrien  county  place  W.  A.  Ward  among 
the  leaders  in  industrial  circles,  and  he  has 
so  directed  his  efforts  that  his  interests  have 
grown  apace  with  the  progress  which 
dominates  the  central  west.  As  the  proprie- 
tor of  a  drug  store  in  Eau  Claire  he  is  well 
known  in  the  county.  Of  Irish  descent,  the 
founder  of  the  Ward  family  in  America 
was  Thomas  Ward,  the  great-grandfather 
of  him  whose  name  introduces  this  review, 
who  came  from  the  north  of  Ireland.  His 
son,  John  Ward,  spent  the  greater  part  of 
his  life  in  Hardin  county,  Ohio,  and  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation.  His  son  and  the 
father  of  our  subject,  James  T.  G.  Ward, 
was  born  in  Ross  county,  Ohio,  in  181 7, 
and  in  1843  located  in  Elkhart,  Indiana, 
where  he  followed  his  occupation  of  carpen- 
tering, and  was  well  known  among  the  early 
builders  of  that  city.  During  the  last  seven 
years  of  his  life  he  made  his  home  with 
his  son  W.  A.,  where  his  death  occurred  in 
1900,  when  he  was  eighty-three  years  of 
age.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Eliza  Downing,  and  she  was  a  native  daugh- 
ter of  Michigan,  her  birth  occurring  at  Mon- 
roe, but  when  four  years  of  age  she  was 
taken  by  her  father.  Colonel  Stephen  Down- 
ing, to  Elkhart,  Indiana,  where  the  father 
was  proprietor  of  the  first  hotel  in  the  city, 
located  on  the  corner  where  the  old  Hotel 
Bucklen  now  stands.  He  was  one  of  the 
prominent  men  of  the  city  in  those  early 
days,  and  took  an  active  and  helpful  part  in 
its  development  and  upbuilding.  Mrs. 
Ward  reached  the  age  of  seventy-six  years 
ere  she  was  called  to  her  final  rest. 


850 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


W.  A.  Ward,  the  only  child  born  unto 
this  worthy  pioneer  couple,  was  born  in  Elk- 
hart, Indiana,  February  2,  1850,  and  there 
he  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth, 
receiving  his  education  in  its  public  schools 
and  being  identified  with  its  interests  until 
twenty-two  years  of  age.  When  only  eighteen 
years  of  age,  in  1868,  he  entered  upon  his 
career  as  a  druggist,  and  four  years  later 
he  accepted  the  position  as  drug  clerk  cov- 
ering the  territory  of  Milwaukee,  Allegan 
and  Goshen,  and  various  places  in  Indiana. 
In  1883  he  came  to  Eau  Claire  and  pur- 
chased the  store  of  Dr.  W.  Ryno,  now  of 
Benton  Harbor,  and  he  is  now  in  his  twen- 
ty-fourth year  in  the  drug  business,  during 
which  time  he  has  become  recognized  as 
one  of  the  most  valued  and  useful  citizens 
of  his  city. 

Mr.  Ward  was  married  December  8, 
1874,  to  Miss  Rowena  P.  Warren,  and  one 
son  and  one  daughter  were  born  to  them, 
namely :  W.  C,  a  resident  of  Nebraska^  and 
Maude  S.,  the  wife  of  Rev.  P.  A.  Sharpe, 
a  minister  of  a  Congregational  Church  in 
Chicago.  The  wife  and  mother  died  on  the 
22d  of  September,  1904,  and  Mr.  Ward 
married  Mrs.  Julia  A.  (Haynes)  Bugbee, 
formerly  of  Edwardsburg,  in  December, 
1905.  In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Ward 
has  been  a  life-long  Republican,  and  fra- 
ternally is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men at  Eau  Claire.  The  cause  of  education 
has  ever  found  in  him  a  firm  friend,  and  for 
five  years  he  served  as  school  director. 

i  HENRY  E.  WHALEN.  The  student 
of  history  cannot  carry  his  investigations 
far  into  the  annals  of  Berrien  county  with- 
out learning  of  the  Whalen  family,  for  in 
an  early  day  in  the  development  of  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state  the  family  home  was  es- 
tablished here^  and  its  representatives  have 
been  substantial  citizens,  taking  an  active 
and  helpful  part  in  the  progress  and  wel- 
fare of  the  community.  We  are  thus  led 
in  reviewing  the  salient  points  which  mark 
the  career  of  him  whose  name  appears  above. 
In  Bertrand  township,  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  about  three  miles  from  Niles, 
on  the  19th  of  December,  1859,  Henry  E. 
Whalen  was  born  to  Phillip  W.  and  Sarah 


(Thurston)  Whalen.  The  father,  who  was 
a  native  of  the  county  of  Waterford,  Ire- 
land, emigrated  to  America  and  took  up  his 
abode  within  the  borders  of  Berrien  county 
as  early  as  1842,  being  a  resident  of  Niles 
for  sometime  thereafter.  He  was  a  dis- 
tiller by  occupation,  but  for  many  years  dur- 
ing his  residence  in  this  country  he  was  also 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business.  In  his  po- 
litical adherency  he  was  stanchly  arrayed  in 
support  of  the  Democratic  party  and  its  prin- 
ciples, and  it  was  in  but  natural  sequence 
that  he  should  become  an  active  worker  in 
the  cause  and  one  of  the  leaders, in  political 
work  in  his  community.  For  several  terms 
he  served  as  alderman  of  the  Fourth  ward 
of  Niles,  and  he  ever  regarded  the  pursuits 
of  both  public  and  private  life  as  being 
worthy  of  his  best  efforts.  He  was  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  Masonic  order,  and  held 
many  of  the  offices  therein.  After  coming 
to  this  country  Mr.  Whalen  was  married  to 
Sarah  Thurston,  a  native  of  New  York, 
where  she  was  reared  and  educated.  Her 
father,  Rev.  Hubbard  Thurston,  was  a 
prominent  minister  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church,  and  he,  too,  was  numbered  among 
the  early  pioneers  of  Berrien  county,  for  it 
was  in  the  '40s  that  he  cast  in  his  lot  with 
its  few  and  early  settlers.  The  mother  is 
still  living,  making  her  home  with  her  son 
Henry  E.,  but  the  father  has  passed  away, 
his  death  occurring  when  he  had  reached 
the  sixty-eighth  milestone  on  the  journey  of 
life.  In  their  family  were  five  children,  four 
sons  and  one  daughter,  but  the  only  daugh- 
ter died  in  her  youth,  and  the  sons  are~- 
Henry  E.,  whose  name  introduces  this  re- 
view; W.  E.,  a  resident  of  Niles;  Edgar  P., 
who  is  engaged  in  railroad  service  as  an 
engineer  and  resides  in  Pennsylvania ;  and 
Guy  F.,  who  makes  his  home  in  Niles. 

When  ten  3^ears  of  age  Henry  E. 
Whalen  accompanied  his  father  on  his  re- 
moval to  Detroit,  Michigan,  where  he  re- 
mained for  about  ten  years.  During  his 
residence  in  Niles  he  served  as  assistant 
postmaster  under  Captain  Edwards.  He 
then  entered  the  railroad  service  as  mail 
clerk,  thus  continuing  from  1887  to  1905, 
his  services  being  with  the  Big  Four  Rail- 
road   Company   and    six   months   with   the 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


851 


Michigan  Central  Company.  In  1896  Mr. 
Whalen  purchased  and  took  up  his  abode  on 
a  farm  in  Berrien  township,  which  con- 
tinued as  his  home  until  1905,  when  he  sold 
his  place  and  embarked  in  merchandising  at 
Eau  Claire,  Berrien  county.  Politically  he 
follows  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father  and 
gives  his  support  to  the  Democracy,  being 
recognized  as  one  of  the  political  leaders  in 
this  section  of  the  county.  He  has  served 
as  chairman  of  the  Democratic  Committee, 
of  Berrien  township  and  as  a  member  of  the 
County  Democratic  Commitee.  In  1906  he 
was  elected  supervisor  of  Berrien  township, 
and  is  now  serving  in  that  official  position. 
During  the  past  ten  years  he  has  served  as 
school  director,  the  cause  of  education  ever 
finding  in  him  a  warm  and  helpful  friend. 
In  1890  Mr.  Whalen  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Lucy  E.  Taylor,  and  their  union  has 
been  blessed  with  two  daughters,  Millie  E. 
and  Beulah  M.  In  his  fraternal  relations 
Mr.  Whalen  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order,  his  connection  being  with  St.  Joe  Val- 
ley Lodge,  No.  4,  of  Niles. 

PETER  HANSEN,  whose  name  is  in- 
terwoven with  the  commercial  history  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  where  for  many  years  he  was 
actively  engaged  in  the  conduct  of  a  tailor- 
ing establishment,  was  born  in  Luxemberg, 
Germany,  on  the  17th  of  February,  1834. 
His  parents  were  Jacob  and  Elizabeth 
(Hertges)  Hansen,  the  former  a  farmer 
of  Germany,  in  which  country  he  reared  his 
family.  The  education  of  Peter  Hansen  was 
somewhat  limited,  for  at  the  age  of  twelve 
years  he  was  obliged  to  leave  school  and 
provide  for  his  own  support  by  giving  his 
attention  to  farming,  and  in  return  for  his 
labors  he  received  his  board  and  a  little 
spending  money.  .  At  the  age  of  eighteen 
years  he  began  learning  the  tailor's  trade, 
which  he  believed  would  prove  more  con- 
genial than  the  labors  of  the  fields, 
and  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship  of 
three  years,  after  which  he  worked  in 
different  cities  in  Germany  and  France. 
In  November,  1856,  he  sailed  for  America, 
landing  at  Boston,  Massachusetts,  on  the  5th 
of  January,  1857.  He  afterward  made  his 
way  westward  to  Buffalo,  New  York,  where 


he  worked  at  the  tailor's  trade  for  a  year, 
when,  wishing  to  see  more  of  the  country, 
he  traveled  through  different  parts  of  New 
York,  Pennsylvania  and  Canada.  He  re- 
sided for  a  time  in  Lankford  and  afterward 
in  Dunkirk,  New  York,  subsequent  to 
which  time  he  went  to  Warren  county, 
Pennsylvania.  He  worked  also  in  James- 
town, New  York,  in  Toronto  and  other 
places  in  Canada,  including  London.  He 
likewise  followed  the  tailor's  trade  in  Buf- 
falo, New  York,  and  in  Titusville,  Pennsyl- 
vania, while  the  year  1869  witnessed  his  ar- 
rival in  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  estab- 
lished  himself   in   business   as   a   merchant 


PETER  HANSEN 

tailor,  conducting  a  fine  trade  here  for  many 
years.  He  prospered  in  his  business  and  the 
large  trade  which  he  secured  enabled  him 
to  save  capital  which  he  invested  in  real  es- 
tate that  increased  in  value  and  made  pos- 
sible to  him  the  building  of  one  of  the  finest 
business  blocks  in  the  city.  For  many  years 
his  name  was  on  the  roll  of  representative 
merchants  of  Benton  Harbor  and  his  life 
has  been  in  exemplification  of  what  may  be 
accomplished  by  persistency  in  pursuit  of 
a  good  purpose.  Coming  to  America  empty- 
handed,  landing  in  a  country  whose 
language  and  customs  were  unknown  to  him 


852 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


but  with  a  ready  adaptability  of  his  race,  he 
familiarized  himself  with  business  conditions 
and  methods  in  the  new  world  and  each  step 
in  his  career  was  a  forward  one,  carefully 
and  thoughtfully  made.  His  political  views 
are  in  accord  with  Democratic  principles. 
In  1866  Mr.  Hansen  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Catherine  O'Neill^  of  Toronto,  Can- 
ada, and  a  daughter  of  Edward  O'Neill. 
Nine  children  were  born  to  them,  namely: 
John;  Joseph  B. ;  Ehzabeth  A.,  who  is  the 
wife  of  Michael  J.  O' Sullivan,  of  Chicago, 
and  has  three  children,  Katherine  Marie,  Jo- 
seph B.  and  Elizabeth  A.;  Mary  E. ;  Jose- 
phine, wife  of  Clyde  Gillis,  of  Sherman, 
Texas ;  Katherine ;  Rose ;  and  Theresa.  All 
the  members  of  the  family  are  communicants 
of  St.  John's  Catholic  Church. 

Upon  his  retirement  Peter  Hansen 
turned  over  his  business  to  his  son,  Joseph 
B.  Hansen,  who  is  now  a  merchant  tailor 
of  Benton  Harbor,  and  who  was  born  in 
Chicago,  Illinois,  in  1868.  In  1869  Mr. 
Hansen  came  to  Benton  Harbor  with  his 
parents,  being  then  only  about  a  year  old. 
His  boyhood  days  were  passed  in  the  usual 
manner  of  lads  of  the  period,  attending  the 
common  schools  and  performing  various 
tasks  assigned  to  him  by  his  father,  under 
whose  direction  he  learned  the  tailor's  trade. 
As  he  grew  more  and  more  proficient  in  the 
business  greater  responsibility  devolved  upon 
him.  The  association  with  his  father  was 
continued  until  about  ten  years  ago,  when, 
in  1896,  he  succeeded  to  the  business  which 
had  been  established  by  Peter  Hansen  many 
years  before.  He  is  now  continuing  the 
trade  and  the  name  of  Hansen  has  ever 
stood  as  a  synonym  for  expert  workman- 
ship, advance  styles  and  high  grade  goods 
and  for  reliability  in  all  trade  transactions. 
Joseph  B.  Hansen  is  himself  a  practical 
tailor,  so  that  he  is  enabled  to  carefully 
direct  the  labors  of  those  whom  he  employs. 
He  is  energetic,  progressive  and  enterpris- 
ing and  following  in  the  footsteps  of  his 
father  is  conducting  a  first  class  tailoring  es- 
tablishment. 

WILLIAM  MELL,  one  of  the  pros- 
perous farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  Three 
Oaks  township,  owns  a  fine  body  of  land 


of  one  hundred  and  eighty-seven  acres  00 
sections  12  and  13,  and  also  extending  to- 
section  7,  Galien  township.  This  tract  is 
very  productive,  responding  readily  to  the 
care  and  labor  which  he  bestows  upon  it  and 
he  is  equally  successful  as  a  breeder  of  fine 
Percheron  horses. 

Mr.  Mell  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Galien 
township,  December  22,  i860,  his  parents 
being  John  and  Cornelia  (Cowell)  Mell,. 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Mahoning 
county,  Ohio,  where  they  were  reared.  The 
mother  came  to  this  county  with  her  parents 
and  here  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Joha 
Mell.  He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and 
thus  provided  for  his  family  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Galien  town- 
ship, July  17,  1888,  when  he  was  fifty-six 
years  of  age.  His  widow  still  resides  in 
Galien  township.  Nine  children  were  borrk 
unto  them,  three  of  whom  reached  maturity,, 
namely :  William,  of  this  review ;  John,  now 
deceased ;  and  Howard,  a  resident  of  Avery,. 
Berrien  county. 

Soon  after  the  birth  of  their  son  William 
the  parents  removed  to  the  village  of  Galien,. 
where  they  remained  for  six  years  and  then 
took  up  their  abode  upon  the  farm  which 
is  now  the  property  of  our  subject.  He  pur- 
sued his  education  in  the  public  schools  until 
eighteen  years  of  age,  but  when  eleven  years 
of  age  began  working  during  the  vacation 
months  in  the  Montrose  factory,  at  Galien. 
He  was  employed  altogether  in  that  factory 
for  twenty-five  years  and  during  much  of 
this  time  had  charge  of  some  department, 
being  in  charge  of  the  measuring  and  saw 
work  for  a  long  period,  while  for  the  last 
nine  years  of  his  connection  with  the  enter- 
prise he  was  its  foreman.  In  1890  he  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  his  present  farm,  to^ 
which  he  afterward  added  from  time  to 
time  until  he  now  owns  one  hundred  and 
eighty-seven  acres  all  in  one  body,  lying  on 
sections  12  and  13,  Three  Oaks  township, 
and  on  section  7,  Galien  township.  He  has 
not  only  broke  and  placed  under  cultiva- 
tion his  own  farm  but  has  also  transformed 
over  one  thousand  acres  of  wild  land  into 
improved  property  in  this  vicinity.  He  has 
built  two  large  barns  and  a  fine  dwelling. 
The  farm  is  largely  muck  land  especially 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


853 


adapted  to  the  raising  of  cabbages  and 
onions.  He  produced  the  first  cabbages, 
onions  and  onion-sets  for  shipment  in  car- 
load lots.  He  had  over  three  hundred  and 
iifty  acres  planted  to  cabbages  in  one  year 
and  this  indicates  something  of  the  enor- 
mous crop  of  that  vegetable  which  he  gath- 
ered. He  purchased  over  six  hundred  acres 
of  land  for  the  Barnett  Produce  Company 
and  was  instrumental  in  securing  the  com- 
pany to  operate  in  this  locality.  Mr.  Mell 
also  raises  cereals  of  all  kinds  and  his  fields 
return  him  excellent  crops.  He  likewise 
<levotes  considerable  attention  to  the  breed- 
ing and  raising  of  standard  bred  Percheron 
horses.  He  is  a  member  of  a  company  that 
owns  a  fine  stallion,  Sophocle,  No.  43,656, 
imported  from  France  in  1900  by  Mc- 
Laughlin Brothers,  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  and 
registered  in  the  Percheron  Stud  Book  of 
America  under  the  record  number  24,483. 
Mr.  Mell  also  has  two  standard  bred  Per- 
cheron mares  and  he  raises  very  fine  stock 
scarcely  surpassed  by  any  in  this  part  of 
the  State. 

On  the  6th  of  March,  1881,  Mr.  Mell 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Carrie  Red- 
ding, a  native  of  this  county,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Zachariah  Redding.  Mr.  Mell  is  a 
Democrat  and  for  one  term  served  as  treas- 
urer of  Three  Oaks  township.  Socially  he 
is  connected  with  the  Knights  of  the  Macca- 
bees. During  a  long  residence  in  the  county 
he  was  closely  associated  with  its  industrial 
and  agricultural  interests  and  his  unre- 
mitting diligence  and  unfaltering  persever- 
ance have  been  salient  features  in  winning 
for  him  the  substantial  position  which  he 
occupies  in  business  circles  today. 

PHILIP  J.  BARDELMEIER,  who  is 
identified  with  farming  interests  in  New 
Buffalo  township,  resides  on  section  i,  where 
he  has  eighty  acres,  which  he  owns  and 
operates.  The  farm  is  neat  and  thrifty  in 
appearance,  indicating  his  careful  super- 
vision and  he  is  well  known  as  an  enterpris- 
ing and  successful  agriculturist.  It  was  in 
this  township  that  he  was  born  December 
15,  1 86 1.  His  father,  Ernest  Bardelmeier, 
w^as  a  native  of  Prussia,  Germany,  born 
January  9,  183 1,  and  in  1853  came  alone  to 


the  United  States,  being  at  that  time  a  young 
man  of  twenty-two  years.  He  had  heard 
favorable  reports  concerning  business  oppor- 
tunities and  advantages  and  resolved  to  try 
his  fortune  here.  He  located  in  Laporte, 
Indiana,  where  he  lived  for  three  or  four 
years,  after  which  he  spent  his  remaining 
days  in  Berrien  county.  Throughout  his 
entire  life  he  carried  on  general  agricultural 
pursuits  and  thus  provided  a  comfortable 
living  for  his  family,  owning  the  eighty  acre 
farm  upon  which  Philip  J.  Bardelmeier  now 
resides.  He  was  married  in  Laporte,  Indi- 
ana, to  Miss  Katharine  Swealenburger,  who 
was  born  in  Byne,  Germany,  March  4,  1832, 
and  went  to  Laporte,  Indiana,  with  her 
mother.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bardelmeier 
passed  away  in  this  county  in  1898,  the 
former  on  the  i8th  of  March  and  the  lat- 
ter in  May.  Mr.  Bardelmeier  was  a  Demo- 
crat in  his  political  affiliation  but  was  with- 
out desire  or  aspiration  for  public  office. 
Unto  him  and  his  wife  were  born  seven  chil- 
dren :  Antony,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-two years;  George,  who  died  when  only 
a  year  old;  Ernest,  who  is  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising in  New  Buffalo;  PhiHp  J.,  of  this 
review;  Sarah,  the  wife  of  Clem  Ritzier,  a 
resident  of  New  Buffalo;  Annie,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  two  years ;  and  Edward,  who 
died  when  four  years  of  age. 

Philip  J.  Bardelmeier  has  always  resided 
in  New  Buffalo  township.  He  attended  the 
German  schools  here  and  was  also  instructed 
in  English  and  when  not  busy  with  his  text- 
books his  time  was  largely  devoted  to  farm 
labor  upon  the  old  homestead  which  he  now 
owns.  When  this  property  came  into  pos- 
session of  the  family  it  was  woodland  and 
in  the  midst  of  the  forest  the  father  built  a 
log  house,  after  which  he  placed  the  land 
under  cultivation.  Mr.  Bardelmeier  of  this 
review  has  carried  forward  the  work  of 
progress  and  improvement  and  as  the  years 
have  gone  by  has  developed  the  property  un- 
til it  is  now  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  life's 
journey  he  chose  Miss  Louise  Meyer,  to 
whom  he  was  married  on  the  19th  of  March, 
1887.  She  was  a  native  of  Three  Oaks 
township  and  died  after  a  year  of  happy 


854 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


married  life.  In  1891  Mr.  Bardelmeier  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with 
Minnie  Wilier,  a  native  of  Holstein,  Ger- 
many, who  came  to  the  United  States  with 
her  parents,  Peter  and  Annie  Wilier,  and 
made  their  way  to  Berrien  county,  Michi- 
gan, where  Mrs.  Bardelmeier  was  reared. 
She,  too,  has  now  passed  away,  having  died 
on  the  1 8th  of  July,  1900,  when  thirty-six 
years  of  age.  She  left  two  sons  and  a  daugh- 
ter, George,  William  and  Clara,  who  are 
still  on  the  home  farm  with  their  father. 
Mr.  Bardelmeier  votes  with  the  Democ- 
racy and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  ques- 
tions and  issues  of  the  day,  but  has  never 
sought  or  desired  office.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  German  Lutheran  Church  and  he  has 
been  master  of  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees 
tent  at  New  Buffalo.  Having  always  re- 
sided in  New  Buffalo  township,  he  is  well 
known  to  its  citizens  and  the  fact  that  he 
has  displayed  many  excellent  and  commend- 
able traits  of  character  accounts  for  his  many 
friends  and  the  high  regard  in  which  he  is 
uniformly  held. 

BASCOM  PARKER  has  since  1901 
been  a  resident  of  Niles.  He  organized  the 
company  that  established  the  plant  and 
turned  on  the  first  electric  light  in  this  city 
and  he  was  until  recently  proprietor  of  a 
gas  plant  in  Niles  and  in  various  other  places 
as  well.  He  was  born  in  North  Carolina 
in  i860  and  is  a  son  of  the  Rev.  Carson 
Parker,  a  Unitarian  minister,  who  was  like- 
wise born  in  the  Old  North  State.  He  was 
a  graduate  of  the  Virginia  University  and 
of  a  theological  school  of  Connecticut.  He 
determined  to  devote  his  life  to  preaching 
the  gospel  and  spent  many  years  in  the  active 
work  of  the  ministry,  preaching  in  Vermont 
and  in  a  number  of  the  western  states.  For 
a  quarter  of  a  century  he  filled  various  pul- 
pits and  then  on  account  of  losing  his  voice 
in  1878  was  obliged  to  retire  from  this  line 
of  Christian  activity,  after  which  he  took  up 
literary  work  and  settled  in  Pueblo, 
Colorado.  He  was  at  one  time  editor  of  the 
Pueblo  City  Press.  His  death  occurred  very 
suddenly  as  the  result  of  heart  disease  when 
he  was  fifty-six  years  of  age.  He  married 
Miss   Anna  E.    Fisher,   who   was   born   in 


Cambridge,  New  York,  and  she  died  in  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  In 
their  family  were  five  children,  of  whom 
four  are  yet  living. 

Bascom  Parker,  the  only  son,  and  also 
the  only  member  of  the  family  residing  in 
Berrien  county,  pursued  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Valparaiso,  Indiana^  and  in  early 
life  engaged  in  the  gas  business.  He  has 
always  been  connected  with  the  work  of 
furnishing  illumination  for  towns  and 
private  interests,  and  in  early  manhood  .was- 
superintendent  of  the  construction  of  the 
Valparaiso  Gas  Plant  Company.  After  it 
was  in  working  order  he  remained  with  the 
company  as  superintendent  for  the  plant  for 
some  time.  He  has  also  been  superintend- 
ent of  other  plants  in  various  cities  which 
were  built  by  the  same  company.  He  be- 
came a  resident  of  Niles  in  1901  and 
the  same  year  he  organized  the  plant., 
The  first  electric  light  was  turned  on  in 
Niles  August  12,  1901.  Pie  continued 
as  manager  until  1904,  when  the  city  pur- 
chased the  plant  and  Mr.  Parker  then  bought 
the  old  gas  plant  in  Niles,  which  had  been 
established  in  1868.  He  built  up  the  busi- 
ness and  conducted  it  until  in  September, 
1905,  when  he  sold  his  interest.  He  has  for 
a  number  of  years  made  a  specialty  of  buy- 
ing old  gas  plants  in  different  parts  of  the 
country,  improving  them  and  afterward  sell- 
ing them  and  this  speculation  has  brought 
to  him  a  good  financial  return.  He  has 
bought  plants  at  Valparaiso,  Warsaw  and 
Huntington,  Indiana,  Holland,  Michigan, 
and  South  Haven,  Michigan,  all  of  which 
he  has  built  up  and  then  sold.  In  addition 
to  the  above  he  has  purchased  the  old  gas 
plants  at  Washington  and  Lamone,  Indiana, 
and  at  Manistee,  Michigan,  all  of  which  he 
still  owns  and  is  now  conducting.  He  has 
led  a  very  active  and  energetic  business  life, 
crowned  with  gratifying  success.  He  thor- 
oughly understands  the  business  in  every  de- 
partment both  concerning  the  construction 
of  a  plant  and  its  operation,  and  his  efforts 
in  this  direction  have  brought  him  a  fair 
measure  of  prosperity.  In  1902  he  estab- 
lished a  stock  farm  just  east  of  Niles ;  forty 
acres  of  the  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  acres 
are  within  the   city   limits.      His   stock   of 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


855 


forty  horses  are  of  the  best  strains  of  blood 
that  money  can  buy. 

Mr.  Parker  was  married  in  1886  in 
Huntington,  Indiana,  to  Miss  Annie  E. 
Young,  who  was  born  in  that  city  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Phih'p  Young.  Two  children 
have  graced  this  marriage :  Carson,  wdio  was 
born  in  Huntington  and  is  now  seventeen 
years  of  age;  and  Bascom,  who  was  born  in 
Niles  and  is  twelve  years  of  age.  In  his 
poHtical  views  Mr.  Parker  is  an  independent 
Democrat.  He  does  not  consider  himself 
bound  to  party  ties  but  reserves  the  right — 
which  he  also  freely  accords  to  others — 
that  of  forming  his  own  opinions  and  sup- 
porting the  public  measures  which  he  sees 
fit.  Realizing  the  potency  of  expert  knowl- 
edge and  workmanship  in  any  line  of  busi- 
ness which  one  would  make  the  basis  of  suc- 
cess he  has  thoroughly  qualified  for  his 
chosen  work  and  has  gained  the  desired  re- 
sult which  always  accompanies  earnest  and 
capable  efifort. 

RAY  E.  LEE,  secretary  and  manager 
of  the  Linden  Cereal  Company  at  Benton 
Harbor  and  thus  closely  associated  with  one 
of  the  leading  productive  industries  of  the 
city  which  constitutes  an  important  element 
in  business  activity  here,  was  born  in 
Dowagiac,  Cass  county,  Michigan,  in  1876. 
He  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  and 
prominent  pioneer  families  of  the  southern 
part  of  this  State.  His  paternal  grand- 
father. Mason  Lee,  was  a  native  of  Taun- 
ton, Massachusetts,  but  in  early  life  removed 
to  New  York,  where  he  established  a  home. 
Later,  however,  he  determined  to  know 
something  of  the  advantages  of  the  west, 
of  which  he  was  constantly  hearing  favor- 
able reports,  and  made  his  way  to  Michi- 
gan, settling  in  Jefferson,  Cass  county,  in 
1833.  He  made  a  prospecting  trip  at  that 
time  when  about  forty-two  years  of  age  and 
it  was  five  years  later  before  he  brought  his 
family  to  the  west,  after  which  he  estab- 
lished his  home  in  Cass  county. 

Chauncey  T.  Lee,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  New  York  in  1836  and  was  a 
young  lad  when  he  was  brought  by  his  par- 
ents to  Michigan,  so  that  his  preliminary 
education  was  acquired  in  Jefferson.     He 


afterward  attended  school  in  Kalamazoo, 
Michigan,  and  subsequently  entered  the 
Baptist  Theological  College,  in  which  he  pur- 
sued a  four  years'  course  of  study.  He  en- 
tered upon  his  business  career  as  a  clerk  in 
the  first  hardware  store  established  at  Dowa- 
giac and  through  earnest  and  persistent  ef- 
fort developed  a  talent  for  working  his  way 
upward.  In  1854  he  engaged  in  business 
on  his  own  account  in  Dowagiac,  but  later 
decided  to  enter  professional  life  and  took 
up  the  study  of  law  under  the  direction  of 
James  Sullivan,  who  acted  as  his  preceptor 
and  afterward  admitted  him  to  a  partner- 
ship. He  continued  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession  until  1875,  after  which  he  con- 
centrated his  energies  upon  the  conduct  of 
a  banking  business,  organizing  the  banking 
firm  of  Lee  Brothers  &  Company  at  Dowa- 
giac. The  institution  which  they  established 
is  still  in  successful  operation.  In  1885, 
Mr.  Lee  purchased  a  magnificent  farm  prop- 
erty called  the  Dowagiac  Stock  Farm  and 
has  sheltered  there  many  well  bred  horses, 
having  commodious  buildings  and  a  fine 
half  mile  track.  In  fact  this  is  one  of  the 
show  places  of  Cass  county.  The  Lees  have 
been  very  prominent  in  Cass  county,  where 
they  have  splendid  farms  and  attractive 
homes.  They  have  also  done  much  for  the 
upbuilding,  substantial  improvement  and 
permanent  progress  of  the  county  where 
they  still  reside.  Chauncey  Lee  has  ever* 
been  a  public-spirited  citizen,  possessing 
great  energy  and  determination,  qualities 
which  enable  him  to  carry  forward  to  suc- 
cessful completion  whatever  he  undertakes. 
His  efforts  and  his  influence  have  been  a 
strong  directing  force  in  various  business 
enterprises  and  matters  of  public  concern, 
and  he  is  today  classed  with  the  valued  resi- 
dents of  his  part  of  the  State.  He  married 
Miss  Sarah  H.  Lockwood,  a  daughter  of 
the  late  Dr.  Henry  Lockwood,  who  wvis  a 
native  of  New  York  and  settled  in  Cass 
county,  Michigan,  in  1837.  For  many 
years  he  was  a  prominent  physician  of  that 
county,  wdiere  he  practiced  until  his  death. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chauncey  Lee  have 
been  born  five  children,  all  natives  of  Dowa- 
giac. Henry,  who  is  associated  with  his 
father  in  the  banking  business  at  Dowagiac, 


856 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


married  Miss  Cora  Bridges,  of  Green  Cas- 
tle, Indiana,  who  died  leaving  one  daugh- 
ter, Helen.  Fred  E.,  who  is  general  man- 
ager of  the  Round  Oak  Stove  Company  of 
Dowagiac,  one  of  the  largest  concerns  of 
the  kind  in  America,  married  Kate  Beck- 
with  of  that  city,  who  died  leaving  a  daugh- 
ter, Mary,  and  since  the  death  of  his  first 
wife  he  had  wedded  Mary  Gray,  of  New 
York.  Elma,  married  Lake  Cahill,  who 
died  leaving  two  children,  Lee  and  Mari- 
ette,  and  since  the  death  of  her  first  husband 
she  has  married  Ralph  H.  Emery.  Mabel 
C.  Is  the  wife  of  Dr.  John  H.  Jones,  a  prac- 
tising physician  of  Dowagiac. 

The  fifth  member  of  the  family  is  Ray 
E.  Lee,  who  was  reared  in  his  native  city 
and  acquired  his  elementary  education  in 
the  public  schools  there.  He  afterward  at- 
tended the  Notre  Dame  University  in  Indi- 
ana and  was  graduated  from  the  literary 
department  in  the  class  of  1896.  Thus  well 
qualified  for  life's  practical  and  responsible 
duties,  he  entered  the  banking  house  of  Lee 
Brothers  &  Company  at  Dowagiac  as 
cashier,  continuing  in  that  position  for  some- 
time. In  1900  he  came  to  Benton  Harbor 
and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Citi- 
zens State  Bank,  which  was  later  merged 
into  the  Farmers'  &  Mechanics'  Bank  of 
Benton  Harbor.  He  acted  as  one  of  the 
assistant  cashiers  and  also  as  one  of  the  di- 
rectors of  the  first  named  bank.  In  1903  he 
purchased  the  business  of  the  Linden  Cereal 
Company,  manufacturers  of  a  coffee  cereal, 
and  in  1904  the  company  was  incorporated 
with  C.  T.  Lee  as  president,  H.  Rowe  of 
Buchanan,  Michigan,  as  vice  president  and 
Ray  E.  Lee  as  secretary  and  manager. 

In  1898  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Lee  and  Miss  Mayme  Vuylestake,  a 
daughter  of  Adolphus  Vuylestake,  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor.  In  politics  a  Republican,  he 
is  interested  in  the  party  but  witliout  politi- 
cal aspiration.  A  young  man,  he  is  thor- 
oughly alive  to  business  conditions  and  pos- 
sibilities and  is  leaving  the  impress  of  his 
individuality  upon  the  commercial  and  in- 
dustrial life  of  Benton  Harbor.  Moreover, 
he  is  public-spirited  to  an  eminent  degree 
and  is  deeply  interested  in  all  plans  which 
have  their  basis  in  a  desire  for  general  im- 


provement. Watchful  of  the  signs  of  the 
times,  he  is  keeping  in  touch  with  modern 
progress  and  has  already  made  in  business 
circles  a  reputation  and  gained  success  which 
many  a  man  of  twice  his  years  might  well 
envy. 

FRANK  KNIEBES  is  the  owner  of 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship devoted  to  general  farming  and  fruit 
raising.  His  life  record  began  on  the  15th 
of  August,  1854,  his  parents  being  Peter 
and  Margaret  (Smithberger)  Kniebes,  both 
of  whom  had  come  as  young  people  from 
Germany  to  America  about  1845  or  1846. 
The  father  was  a  barber  by  trade  and 
worked  at  that  occupation  for  two  years  at 
St.  Joseph.  In  this  county  he  married  Miss 
Smithberger,  the  wedding  ceremony  being 
performed  near  Coloma  by  a  justice  of  the 
peace.  He  had  one  hundred  and  forty-two 
acres  of  land  in  the  midst  of  a  densely 
wooded  tract  in  the  northern  part  of  Bain- 
bridge township.  There  the  young  couple 
lived  in  pioneer  style.  He  drove  thirty  miles 
with  oxen  in  order  to  obtain  mill  products. 
Many  difiiculties  and  hardships  were  exper- 
ienced in  the  early  days  when  this  was  still 
a  frontier  region  but  Mr.  Kniebes  aided  in 
subduing  the  wilderness  and  extending  the 
frontier,  working  persistently  and  energetic- 
ally in  his  efforts  to  clear  a  farm  and  de- 
velop a  good  home  for  his  family.  He 
placed  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  land  under  cultivation  and  his  life  was 
devoted  to  the  improvement  of  that  farm 
and  other  lands  in  this  county,  including 
the  present  home  of  Peter  Kniebes.  His 
youngest  son,  Jacob  Kniebes,  is  now  living 
on  the  old  home  property.  The  members 
of  his  family  are  as  follows:  Peter  G.,  who 
is  now  living  in  Benton  Harbor;  Frederick, 
who  has  a  farm  in  Watervliet  township  ad- 
joining the  old  homestead;  Frank,  of  this 
review ;  Jacob,  who  resides  on  the  old  home 
place;  Henrietta,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Henry  Arndt  and  died  when  past  fifty  years 
of  age  leaving  a  large  family;  Elizabeth, 
the  wife  of  Jacob  Krieger  of  Bainbridge 
township ;  Sophia,  the  wife  of  Peter  Krieger 
of  the  same  township;  Caroline,  the  wife 
of  John  Umphrey,   of  Coloma;  Margaret, 


'"-^  o .  /xJ^^4^^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


857 


who  married  Phillip  Fernham  and  died  at 
the  age  of  thirty-three  years;  and  Anna, 
the  wife  of  Louis  Umphrey,  of  Bainbridge. 
The  father  of  this  family  died  about  twelve 
years  ago  and  had  at  that  time  survived  his 
wife  for  five  years.  The  remains  of  both 
were  interred  in  the  Kniebes  cemetery  on 
:i  part  of  the  old  home  property.  They  were 
worthy  Christian  people  who  held  member- 
ship in  the  Evangelical  association,  and  Mr. 
Kniebes  was  a  Republican  in  his  political 
views.  He  started  out  in  life  on  his  own 
account  empty-handed  but  made  steady  pro- 
gress toward  the  goal  of  prosperity  and  lived 
retired  for  a  number  of  years  prior  to  his 
death,  having  accumulated  a  competence 
that  provided  him  with  the  necessities  and 
some  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 

Frank  Kniebes  spent  his  boyhood  days 
on  the  farm  to  the  age  of  twenty-one  years. 
His  father  assisted  him  in  securing  land, 
for  w^hich  he  made  him  a  deed  a  few  years 
later.  He  was  married  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
two  years  to  Miss  Louisa  Kehrer,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Kehrer,  of  Kessler  township, 
Van  Buren  county.  He  built  a  little  cabin  in 
the  woods,  having  there  eighty  acres  of  land, 
of  which  fifty-five  acres  has  been  cleared 
while  twenty-five  acres  is  still  covered  with 
timber.  Here  he  carries  on  general  farm- 
ing with  three  acres  devoted  to  small  fruit, 
while  his  peach  orchards  contain  two  thous- 
and trees.  His  residence  and  other  build- 
ings stand  on  an  eminence,  commanding  a 
fine  view  of  the  valley  and  the  farm  is  now 
splendidly  improved,  being  equipped  with 
all  modern  conveniences  and  accessories.  It 
is  the  visible  evidence  of  the  life  of  thrift 
and  industry  which  Mr.  Kniebes  has  led. 

For  tw^enty-seven  years  he  and  his  wife 
traveled  life's  journey  happily  together  and 
wxre  then  separated  by  death.  There  were 
five  children  of  that  marriage :  Lydia,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Alfred  Docktor,  and  died 
at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years;  Mary,  at 
home ;  Henry,  a  farmer  living  in  Bainbridge 
township ;  Sophia,  w^ho  died  in  infancy ;  and 
Christina,  at  home.  On  the  22d  of  April, 
1905,  Mr.  Kniebes  was  again  married,  his 
second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Katie  Sum- 
rill,   a   daughter  of   Christian   Koerber,   of 


Bainbridge  township  and  the  widow  of  Allie 
Sumrill.  She  had  one  child  by  her  former 
marriage,  Allie  Sumrill. 

Mr.  Kniebes  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  the  Maccabees  at  Bainbridge.  He  is  ac- 
tive in  the  work  of  his  political  party  and 
has  frequently  been  a  delegate  to  county 
conventions,  while  for  six  years  he  served 
as  township  trueasurer,  being  three  times 
elected  to  that  office.  No  public  trust  ever 
reposed  in  him  has  ever  been  betrayed  in 
the  slightest  degree  and  his  loyalty  in  office 
is  as  marked  a  characteristic  in  his  life  as 
his  enterprise  and  activity  in  his  business 
career. 

REUBEN  W.  REESE.  The  specific 
history  of  the  middle  west  was  made  by  the 
pioneers,  these  hardy  settlers  who  builded 
their  rude  domiciles,  grappled  with  the 
giants  of  the  forest,  and  from  the  wilds 
evolved  the  fertile  and  productive  fields 
which  have  these  many  years  been  furrowed 
and  refurrowed  by  the  plowshare.  The 
Reese  family  was  among  the  first  to  locate 
in  Berrien  county,  and  Reuben  W.  Reese, 
but  a  babe  at  the  time  of  their  arrival,  is 
therefore  numbered  among  the  honored  pio- 
neers who  have  not  only  witnessed  the  re- 
markable growth  and  transformation  of  the 
region  but  have  been  important  factors  in 
its  progress  and  advancement.  He  was  born 
in  Montgomery  county,  New  York,  Febru- 
ary 18,  1849,  '^is  parents  being  Martin  and 
Hannah  (Rulifson)  Reese,  both  also  natives 
of  that  county.  In  1849  ^^ey  established 
their  home  on  the  then  frontier  of  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  where  the  father  secured 
a  farm  in  Pipestone  township,  paying  a  dol- 
lar and  a  quarter  per  acre  for  his  land,  which 
he  placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
when  he  was  seventy-seven  years  old,  he 
was  the  owner  of  one  of  the  most  fertile 
and  well  improved  farms  in  the  township. 
His  wife  reached  the  remarkable  age  of 
ninety  years  and  six  months  ere  she  was 
called  to  the  home  beyond.  In  their  family 
were  fourteen  children,  thirteen  of  whom 
grew  to  years  of  maturity  and  seven,  three 
sons  and  four  daughters,  are  now  living. 


858 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Reuben  W.  Reese,  the  youngest  son  of 
the  family,  as  before  stated  was  but  a  babe 
when  brought  by  his  parents  to  Berrien 
county,  and  in  Pipestone  township  he  was 
reared  to  years  of  maturity,  receiving  his 
early  educational  training  in  its  log  school- 
house  so  common  in  those  early  days.  He 
was  thus  reared  amid  the  wild  scenes  of 
pioneer  life,  and  early  began  to  perform  his 
share  in  the  arduous  task  of  clearing  and 
developing  a  new  farm.  During  sixteen 
years  of  his  early  life  he  followed  the  pro- 
fession of  teaching,  entering  upon  that  oc- 
cupation when  but  eighteen  years  of  age, 
and  in  1874  he  went  to  Irving,  Kansas,  and 
there  continued  the  profession  for  twelve 
years,  when  he  returned  to  Berrien  county 
and  located  a  half  mile  west  of  Eau  Claire. 
Here  he  resides  and  has  a  well  improved 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  known 
as  ''The  Lamore  Estate,''  the  rich  and  pro- 
ductive fields  annually  returning  to  him 
bounteous  harvests  in  return  for  the  care 
and  labor  he  has  bestowed  upon  them.  The 
name  Lamore  is  of  French  origin.  The 
original  spelling  of  the  name  in  France  was 
'*De  Lamarre,"  then  changed  in  Canada  to 
"Lamarre,"  and  more  recently  to  ''La- 
more," 'by  which  it  is  known  at  present. 

Mrs.  R.  W.  Reese  was  reared  till  wo- 
manhood in  Berrien  county,  and  here  edu- 
cated. She  was  one  of  Berrien  county's  suc- 
cessful teachers  in  the  years  gone  by.  She 
married  Eugene  M.  Hipp  December  12, 
1867,  and  they  were  schoolmates.  To  this 
marriage  was  born  one  daughter,  Clara  G., 
wife  of  William  C.  Hicks,  a  prominent  at- 
torney of  Benton  Harbor,  Michigan,  and 
two  children  have  been  born,  William  C. 
and  Robert  Lamore.  Mrs.  Hicks  was 
formerly  married  to  Orrin  W.  Ludlow,  and 
two  children  graced  this  union:  Vera  B., 
who  will  graduate  in  the  class  of  1907  in 
the  Benton  Harbor  high  school,  and  Eugene 
C.,a  member  of  the  class  of  1909.  Mrs. Hicks 
is  a  lady  of  rare  accomplishments,  especially 
in  literature  and  music.  She  was  a  ready 
and  apt  pupil  and  was  ably  assisted  by  her 
mother.  Her  first  husband,  Mr.  Hipp,  was 
a  banker  and  dry  goods  merchant  of  Benton 


Harbor  and  a  gentleman  highly  esteemed 
for  his  manly  attributes  of  character.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  was 
interred  under  the  auspices  of  that  society. 
He  died  November  21,  1875. 

Mr.  Reese  has  been  married  twice,  the 
first  marriage  being  with  Miss  Eva  S.  Bick- 
ford,  and  one  son  was  born  to  this  union, 
Orville  W.,  a  resident  of  South  Bend,  In- 
diana, where  he  is  well  known  in  musical 
circles,  being  a  leader  in  the  Reese  Band. 
Mrs.  Reese  died  in  1881,  and  for  his  second 
wife  Mr.  Reese  wedded  Mrs.  Josephine  E. 
(Lamore)  Hipp,  June  30,  1899.  She  was 
born  in  Detroit,  Michigan,  August  18,  1847, 
and  is  the  eldest  of  six  children,  three  sons 
and  three  daughters  born  to  Lewis  and 
Sarah  (Losey)  Lamore.  Five  of  the  chil- 
dren are  yet  living,  four  in  Berrien  county, 
and  her  yaungest  brother,  Gilbert  N.  La- 
more, is  a  resident  of  Idaho.  Lewis  Lamore 
was  born  in  Canada,  just  across  the  line 
from  Vermont,  in  1822,  and  died  in  Berrien 
county  January  24,  1899.  He  was  one  of 
the  best  ship  carpenters  in  the  west,  and 
was  one  of  the  head  carpenters  who  helped 
erect  the  first  bridge  across  the  St.  Joseph 
river  for  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad  at 
Niles,  Michigan.  He  was  truly  a  self-edu- 
cated and  self-made  man,  a  gentleman  of 
strong  convictions,  and  was  ever  fearless  in 
advocating  measures  of  right.  He  was  a 
pronounced  student  and  original  thinker. 
Politically  he  was  an  ardent  Republican, 
Fraternally  he  was  a  member  of  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  and  took  high  ground  on  the  subject 
of  temperance.  He  died  on  his  old  home- 
stead and  was  interred  under  the  auspices 
of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  The  following  brief  re- 
view of  his  wife  was  published  in  one  of  the 
local  papers  at  the  time  of  her  death : 

"Sarah  Losey  was  born  in  the  State  of 
New  York,  January  19,  1823,  and  when 
fourteen  years  of  age  removed  with  her 
parents  to  Michigan,  locating  about  two 
miles  from  Detroit.  In  her  journey  from 
'New  York  her  father's  family  made  the  trip 
by  wagon,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  walk- 
ing much  of  the  distance  and  for  a  portion 
of  the  way  along  the  Erie  Canal,  where  she 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


859 


saw  the  workmen  excavating  for  the  great 
waterway  which  has  made  New  York  State 
famous. 

''On  May  ly,  1846,  she  was  married  to 
Louis  Lamore,  and  located  in  Detroit, 
where  she  resided  until  1850.  At  this  latter 
date  she  removed  with  her  husband  to  Ber- 
rien county  locating  in  Pipestone  township 
near  what  was  then  known  as  Shanghai. 

'Tn  185 1  the  family  removed  to  their 
farm  west  of  Eau  Claire,  about  one-half 
mile  west,  and  with  the  exception  of  about 
one  and  one-half  years  in  which  the  family 
resided  at  what  is  known  as  the  Haskins 
grist  mill,  have  lived  continuously  on  the 
old  farm,  and  where  this  subject  passed  to 
her  reward  Saturday,  October  6,  1906,  at 
10:20  p.  m.,  aged  eighty-three  years,  eight 
months  and  seventeen  days. 

''Mrs.  Lamore  is  survived  by  one 
brother,  Sylvester  Losey,  of  Dearborn,  and 
one  sister,  Mrs.  E.  L.  Willard,  of  Detroit, 
Michigan;  two  daughters,  Mrs.  R.  W. 
Reese,  of  Eau  Claire,  and  Mrs.  S.  M.  Ro- 
dell,  of  Maple  Grove;  three  sons,  Charles 
L.,  of  Hartman,  George  S.,  of  Eau  Claire, 
and  Gilbert  N.,  of  Clearwater,  Idaho;  ten 
grandchildren  and  five  great-grandchildren. 

"Sarah  Lamore  was  a  woman  of  re- 
markable qualities.  Absolutely  honest,  un- 
deviating  in  her  purpose,  shrewd  in  her  cal- 
culations, and  with  a  keen  intellect  and 
memory  was  a  synonym  for  a  thorough 
business  woman. 

"Although  an  invalid  for  the  past  four 
years  she  was  at  all  times  alert  to  her  busi- 
ness interests  which  she  managed  with  sin- 
gular and  unerring  success,  and  relin- 
quished command  only  when  death  inter- 
vened. 

"She  was  patient  in  sickness,  and  brave 
in  the  hour  of  death,  and  a  remembrance 
of  her  womanly  virtues  should  be  an  inspir- 
ation to  those  who  survive  her." 

From  the  time  of  reaching  his  majority 
Mr.  Reese  has  been  an  active  supporter  of 
Republican  principles,  and  his  fraternal  re- 
lations connect  him  with  the  Masonic  order, 
the  Elks  and  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees. 
He  has  served  as  president  of  the  Old  Set- 
tlers' Association,  also  of  the  Berrien  Coun- 


ty Farmers'  Institute,  and  for  eight  years 
has  served  as  a  notary  public.  He  has  spent 
almost  his  entire  life  in  this  county,  has 
watched  the  transformation  of  wild  land 
into  beautiful  homes  and  farms,  and  in  the 
work  of  growth  and  upbuilding  he  has  ever 
borne  his  part. 

JOSEPH  W.  HAUSER,  deceased,  was 
at  one  time  a  resident  of  St.  Joseph  town- 
ship. As  his  name  indicates^  he  was  of 
German  lineage,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Hesse-Nassau,  May  11,  1843,  his  parents 
being  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  Hauser.  The 
father  was  an  alderman  of  the  town  of  Stein- 
bach  and  held  other  public  offices,  being 
prominent  and  influential  in  the  community. 

Joseph  W.  Hauser  acquired  his  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  his  native  country  and 
there  learned  the  wagon-maker's  trade,  pay- 
ing seventy-two  dollars  for  his  instruction 
and  training  during  two  and  a  half  years' 
apprenticeship.  He  afterward  spent  three 
years  working  at  his  trade  in  the  southern 
part  of  Germany  and  in  accordance  with 
the  laws  of  his  native  land  he  served  in  a 
German  army.  In  1867,  when  twenty- four 
years  of  age,  he  came  to  the  United  States, 
thinking  to  enjoy  beter  business  opportuni- 
ties in  the  new  world,  for  he  had  heard 
favorable  reports  concerning  the  conditions 
which  here  existed.  For  three  years  he  re- 
mained in  New  York  and  then  went  to  Chi- 
cago, whence  he  came  to  Benton  Harbor 
and  opened  a  wagon-making  shop. 

On  the  7th  of  January,  1869,  Mr. 
Hauser  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Frances  Paczkoroaka,  a  native  of  Poland. 
They  had  twelve  children,  of  whom  eight 
are  now  living.  For  three  years  Mr.  Hauser 
engaged  in  wagon-making  in  St.  Joseph  and 
while  living  there  served  as  alderman  of  the 
city  for  two  years.  Closing  out  his  wagon- 
making  business  he  retired  to  his  farm  south 
of  the  city  and  gave  his  attention  to  the  cul- 
tivation of  fruit.  Throughout  his  remaining 
days  his  life  was  devoted  to  general  horti- 
cultural pursuits  and  his  orchards  produced 
excellent  crops.  As  the  years  went  by  he 
prospered  in  his  undertakings  and  became 
the  owner  of  a  valuable  fruit  farm,  which» 


86o 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


in  its  excellent  appearance,  indicated  his  care 
and  supervision.  In  his  business  affairs  he 
was  always  thoroughly  reliable  as  well  as 
energetic  and  was  never  known  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  necessities  of  his  fellowmen 
in  any  trade  transaction.  In  his  death  the 
community  lost  one  of  its  valued  citizens. 
He  had  never  attempted  to  figure  promi- 
nently in  public  afTairs  but  had  always  dis- 
played sterling  traits  of  character  that  work 
for  good  citizenship  as  well  as  for  honor  in 
private  life. 

SAMUEL  McGUIGAN,  deceased,  was 
at  one  time  the  wealthiest  citizen  in  Benton 
Harbor.  He  was  associated  with  various 
and  important  business  enterprises  of  Ber- 
rien county  and  his  labors  were  of  direct 
and  immediate  serviceableness  in  public  af- 
fairs as  well,  promoting  the  general  pros- 
perity and  material  upbuilding  of  the  county. 
No  history  of  this  section  of  the  state  would 
be  complete  without  mention  of  his  life.  He 
was  born  in  Donegal^  Ireland,  and  spent  the 
days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  that 
country.  When  about  twenty-one  years  of 
age  he  came  to  America,  crossing  the  Atlan- 
tic in  1849.  He  was  the  first  of  the  family 
to  reach  this  country  and  he  landed  at  Cas- 
tle Garden  with  one  dollar  in  his  pocket. 
By  trade  he  was  a  millwright  and  he  fol- 
lowed that  pursuit  in  the  Empire  State  for 
some  time,  during  which  period  he  lived 
frugally  and  economically,  so  that  he  had 
a  small  capital  when  he  came  to  Michigan. 
Here  he  purchased  raw  land,  constituting 
the  farm  upon  which  Murray  Stewart  now 
resides.  It  is  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  known  as  the  old  mill  farm.  He 
built  a  sawmill,  being  associated  with  his 
cousin,  William  Stewart,  and  also  his  brother. 
Samuel  McGuigan,  however,  was  the  first 
of  the  three  to  reach  Michigan.  His  mill 
was  operated  successfully  for  many  years 
or  until  the  timber  was  all  cleared  up  in  this 
part  of  the  State.  One  unfamiliar  with  the 
details  of  the  lumber  business  can  scarcely 
realize  the  volume  of  arduous  labor  de- 
manded in  making  roads  and  completing  ar- 
rangements for  the  cutting  and  shipment 
of  the  logs  and  timber.     Especially  was  this 


a  difficult  task  in  the  days  when  there  were 
few  railroads.  In  company  with  Samuel 
Grayer  of  Chicago,  Mr.  McGuigan  estab- 
lished a  retail  lumberyard  on  Canal  street 
in  that  city  at  the  time  of  the  rebuilding  of 
Chicago  after  the  great  fire.  In  order  to 
quickly  transport  his  lumber  to  the  city 
market  he  purchased  a  sailing  vessel,  the 
Cynthia  Gordon,  commanded  by  Captain 
McDonald,  and  sailed  that  across  the  lake, 
loaded  with  cargoes  of  lumber.  After  a 
time  the  sawmill  was  transferred  to  what  is 
known  as  the  Patchore  farm,  which  he 
cleared  by  cutting  away  the  timber.  His 
cousin,  Samuel  Stewart,  acted  as  his  fore- 
man and  was  continued  in  connection  with 
the  brother  for  a  long  time.  James  Down- 
ing, who  died  in  Little  Rock,  Arkansas, 
while  serving  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war, 
left  an  estate  and  farm,  and  his  widow, 
Mrs.  Downing,  conducted  the  boarding 
house  for  the  mill  men.  Samuel  McGuigan 
of  this  review  boarded  with  her  on  his  old 
farm. 

In  the  fall  of  1876  he  purchased  the 
old  Lorder  place  two  miles  south  of  Ben- 
ton Harbor  on  the  Pipestone  road,  now 
known  as  the  Dukeshire  farm,  and  that  place 
afterward  became  Mr.  McGuigan's  home, 
Mrs.  Downing  continuing  to  act  as  his 
housekeeper  as  she  had  previously  done  on 
the  mill  farm  and  on  the  Patchore  farm. 
After  the  work  was  discontinued  at  the  mill 
on  the  Patchore  farm  his  causin  and  old 
foreman,  Samuel  Stewart,  removed  to  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  building  what  is  now  known  as 
the  Phoenix  hotel. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  McGuigan  had 
cleared  up  the  Murray  Stewart  farm,  which 
he  continued  to  operate  and  improve.  He 
was  a  man  of  resourceful  business  ability, 
capably  superintending  varied  interests  and 
he  extended  his  efiforts  to  a  number  of  busi- 
ness affairs  which  were  profitably  conducted 
by  him.  About  1890,  in  connection  with 
Ed  Brant,  he  erected  Hotel  Benton  in  Ben- 
ton Harbor  and  at  various  times  he  pur- 
chased property  in  that  city  and  also  in  the 
county.  He  invested  considerable  money  in 
the  building  of  the  Eastman  Springs  Street 
Railroad  and  he  was  a  partner  of  Captain 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


86i 


McDonald  in  the  lumber  trade  in  Benton 
Harbor.  His  keen  business  discernment 
was  manifest  in  the  readiness  with  which  he 
solved  difficult  business  problems  and  in  the 
capable  manner  in  which  he  carried  forward 
to  successful  completion  whatever  he  under- 
took. 

Samuel  Stewart,  his  cousin,  married 
Miss  Mary  Downing,  the  daughter  of  Mrs. 
Margaret  Downing,  who  acted  as  Mr.  Mc- 
Guigan's  housekeeper.  This  marriage  was 
celebrated  soon  after  the  arrival  of  Mr. 
Stewart  in  the  county  and  when  he  ceased 
to  act  as  foreman  for  Mr.  McGuigan.  He 
removed  to  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  con- 
ducted a  grocery  business.  He  afterward 
took  possession  of  a  farm  and  Mr.  Mc- 
Guigan lived  with  him.  The  latter  spent 
his  last  two  years  in  Benton  Harbor  with 
a  niece,  dying  in  that  city  on  the  5th  of 
June,  1901.  His  life  had  indeed  been  one 
of  intense  and  well  directed  activity  and  he 
became  the  wealthiest  resident  of  Benton 
Harbor,  having  extensive  business  and  prop- 
erty interests,  including  several  farms. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  McGuigan 
was  a  stalwart  Republican,  unfaltering  in 
his  advocacy  of  the  party,  and  he  was  an 
influential  factor  in  public  life  and  opinion. 
He  was  the  first  president  of  Benton  Har- 
bor after  its  incorporation  as  a  village,  and 
his  efforts  in  behalf  of  public  progress  were 
always  of  an  effective  and  beneficial  nature. 
He  had  been  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Epis- 
copal Church  and  although  he  never  held 
membership  in  any  denomination  he  as- 
sisted in  building  and  supporting  different 
churches.  His  remains  were  interred  at 
Crystal  Springs,  near  his  former  home,  and 
thus  a  life  of  much  usefulness  was  ended  but 
the  extent  of  its  influence  is  immeasureable. 
Three  yenrs  before  his  death  he  settled  his 
two  farms  upon  his  cousins,  the  children  of 
Samuel  Stewart,  Murray  Stewart  receiving 
the  old  Mill  farm  on  Napier  avenue,  while 
Fannie  Stewart,  now  the  wife  of  P.  Duke- 
shire,  is  living  on  the  Lorder  farm  at  Lorder 
Corners.  It  is  with  her  that  Samuel  Stew- 
art, the  veteran  lumberman  and  pioneer  set- 
tler, now  makes  his  home.  When  Murray 
Stewart  was  a  child  of  two  years  he  was 
sent  to  live  with  his  grandmother,  for  his 


father,  who  was  then  conducting  a  hotel  in 
Benton  Harbor,  was  fearful  that  he  would 
fall  in  the  creek  near  by.  His  grandmother 
was  Mrs  Downing,  with  whom  Mr.  Mc- 
Guigan lived,  and  from  that  time  on  Mur- 
ray Stewart  made  his  home  with  Samuel 
McGuigan,  whom  in  his  boyhood  prattle  he 
called  '*Gogin''  and  the  name  was  ever  after- 
ward retained  between  them.  Mr.  Mc- 
Guigan took  a  deep  interest  in  the  child  and 
also  his  sister  Fannie  and  did  everything  in 
his  power  for  their  comfort,  happiness  and 
welfare.  After  this  it  seemed  that  his  ideal 
centered  upon  the  thought  of  giving  them 
good  farms.  Upon  the  Mill  farm  he  erected 
the  present  fine  residence  and  barns  for  Mur- 
ray Stewart,  making  daily  visits  to  the  place 
and  finding  much  pleasure  in  preparing  the 
home  for  his  young  cousin. 

Murray  Stewart  was  born  on  the  site  of 
Hotel  Benton,  where  his  father  then  con-^ 
ducted  a  grocery  store.  He  was  married 
on  the  24th  of  December,  1897,  to  Miss 
Bertha  Bertram,  who  left  two  children,  Fan- 
nie and  Larue.  The  wife  and  mother  died 
March  17,  1903,  and  Mr.  Stewart  was  mar- 
ried July  24,  1904,  to  Miss  Queenie  Young, 
of  Fair  Plains,  Michigan,  who  was  born  in 
Illinois  and  was  brought  to  Benton  Harbor 
in  her  childhood  days  by  her  father,  Albert 
Young,  who  removed  his  family  to  this 
county.  Mr.  Stewart  is  carefully  conduct- 
ing his  farming  interests.  He  has  one  thous- 
and peach  trees  upon  his  place,  and  while 
he  is  quite  extensively  engaged  in  the  culti- 
vation and  sale  of  fruit  he  has  made  dairy- 
ing the  leading  feature  of  his  business  in 
connection  with  his  general  farming.  For 
some  months  he  engaged  in  railroad  work 
on  the  Santa  Fe  and  is  familiar  with  all 
mechanical  devices  and  engines.  He  oper- 
ates a  threshing  machine  and  corn  sheller 
upon  his  farm  and  has  a  splendidly  improved 
property.  His  political  views  are  in  accord 
with  Republican  principles. 

FRANK  H.  WHIPPLE,  serving  as 
postmaster  at  Bridgman  in  Lake  township, 
is  the  owner  of  a  farm  of  sixty-six  acres 
two  and  a  half  miles  south  of  the  village  and 
also  the  owner  of  a  half  interest  in  a  large 
general  store.    He  is  thus  an  important  fac- 


862 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


tor  in  the  business  life  of  the  town  and  his 
enterprise  and  activity  are  a  valued  element 
in  commercial  progress  here.  He  was  born 
near  Bridgman  September  20,  1868,  a  son 
of  Henry  H.  and  Carrie  V.  (Watson)  Whip- 
ple, natives  of  New  York  and  of  Indiana  re- 
spectively. The  father  died  when  his  son 
Frank  was  only  six  years  of  age  and  the 
mother  still  resides  in  Berrien  county.  In 
the  family  were  but  two  sons  and  the  young- 
er, Fred,  was  killed  when  only  six  years 
of  age. 

Frank  H.  Whipple  was  reared  upon  the 
home  farm  by  his  parents  to  the  age  of  six- 
teen years,  when  thinking  that  he  would  find 
other  pursuits  more  congenial  than  the  work 
of  the  fields  he  began  railroading  on  the 
Chicago  and  West  Michigan  railroad,  spend- 
ing about  six  years  in  that  way,  acting  as 
telegraph  and  station  agent  at  various  points. 
He  was  afterward  with  the  Antrim  Iron 
Company  at  Mancelona,  Michigan,  for  about 
four  years  in  the  capacity  of  bookkeeper  and 
on  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  came  to 
Bridgman  and  established  a  general  mer- 
cantile business  in  connection  with  his  step- 
father, S.  Maudlin,  under  the  firm  name  of 
S.  Maudlin  &  Company.  He  started  in  busi- 
ness in  1893  3<nd  the  partnership  was  con- 
tinued until  the  death  of  the  senior  partner 
on  the  5th  of  August,  1906.  Mr.  Whipple 
still  carries  on  the  store,  which  is  a  large 
and  well  appointed  establishment  for  a  vil- 
lage of  this  size.  The  trade  is  drawn  from 
a  large  surrounding  territory  and  owing  to 
the  earnest  desire  of  the  owner  to  please  his 
customers  combined  with  his  fair  and  rea- 
sonable prices  he  is  now  enjoying  a  very 
liberal  and  well  merited  patronage.  He 
likewise  owns  sixty-six  acres  of  land  pleas- 
antly situated  two  and  a  half  miles  south 
of  Bridgman  and  the  farm  returns  to  him 
a  good  income. 

In  June,  1902,  occurred  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Whipple  and  Miss  Minnie  E.  Plummer, 
a  native  of  Mancelona,  Michigan,  and  a 
daughter  of  John  W.  and  Martha  Plummer. 
Four  children  have  been  born  of  this  mar- 
riage: Lynn  M.,  Martha  Jane,  Olive  Vir- 
ginia and  Frank  Plummer. 

In  April,  1891,  Mr.  Whipple  was  ap- 
pointed  postmaster   of   Bridgman   and   has 


filled  the  ofiice  continuously  since.  He  has 
been  a  life-long  Republican,  active  in  the 
work  of  the  party  and  recognized  as  one  of 
its  local  leaders.  He  has  served  as  county 
committeeman  for  the  past  eight  years  and 
does  all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  growth 
and  insure  the  success  of  the  party.  He  has 
likewise  been  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  in  Bridgman  and  fraternally 
is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  of  this  place,  with  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  at  Benton  Harbor,  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  Bridgman  and  the  Masonic 
fraternity  at  St.  Joseph,  in  all  of  which  he 
is  accounted  a  valued  representative  because 
of  his  unfaltering  allegiance  to  the  basic  ele- 
ments of  these  organizations. 

GILBERT  A.  EIDSON.  The  land  of 
Oronoko  township  is  cultivated  by  a  class 
of  citizens  whose  industry  and  enterprise 
have  converted  it  into  a  rich  agricultural 
and  horticultural  district,  yielding  excellent 
returns  for  the  care  and  labor  bestowed  upon 
it,  and  among  the  wide-awake,  progressive 
farmers  within  its  borders  is  numbered  Gil- 
bert A.  Eidson,  who  lies  on  section  10.  He 
was  born  in  this  township,  March  22,  1851, 
and  is  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  ten  children, 
eight  sons  and  two  daughters.  Of  the  num- 
ber two  died  in  infancy,  while  eight  are  still 
living.  The  parents  were  William  B.  and 
Hattie  (Weaver)  Eidson,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia,  and  the  latter  of  Ohio. 
Mr.  Eidson  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  the 
Buckeye  State  and  came  to  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  in  1835,  when  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  casting  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  this  county,  for  southwestern 
Michigan  was  then  in  the  initial  stages  of 
its  development,  the  work  of  reclamation 
having  scarcely  been  begun,  for  the  Indians 
still  visited  the  neighborhood  and  indicated 
the  proximity  of  the  county  to  the  primitive 
condition  when  the  white  man  was  unknown 
within  its  borders.  Mr.  Eidson  began  work- 
ing by  the  month  and  later  carried  on  farm- 
ing on  his  own  account.  He  lived  for  some 
time  upon  a  farm  in  Oronoko  township,  and 
afterward  engaged  in  the  livery  business  in 
Berrien  Springs  for  a  number  of  years.  In 
the  winter  seasons  he  was  engaged  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


863 


manufacture  of  brooms  and  thus  led  a  life 
of  industry,  which  constituted  the  source  of 
his  success.  He  died  in  Berrien  Springs  in 
his  eighty-third  year,  and  his  wife  departed 
this  life  when  more  than  seventy-six  years 
of  age.  Their  deaths  occurred  within 
twenty-four  hours  of  each  other,  and  thus 
the  worthy  couple  who  had  long  traveled 
life's  journey  together  were  separated  for 
but  a  brief  period  by  the  grim  reaper.  The 
surviving  members  of  the  family  are  Hattie, 
Frances,  John  L.,  Edward  D.,  William, 
George,  Herbert  and  Gilbert  A.  Of  this 
family  John  L.  is  a  resident  farmer  of 
Oronoko  township. 

Gilbert  A.  Eidson  was  reared  in  Oro- 
noko township  near  Berrien  Springs  and 
attended  the  public  schools  of  the  village. 
His  youth  was  passed  upon  his  father's 
farm  and  he  assisted  in  its  improvement  un- 
til he  attained  his  majority,  when  he  began 
farming  on  his  own  account.  He  was  mar- 
ried August  12,  1877,  to  Miss  Emeline 
Morrow,  a  daughter  of  W.  T.  and  Mariette 
(Carey)  Morrow.  The  father  was  a  native 
of  New  Jersey,  born  March  10,  1807,  and 
died  June  19,  1880.  He  was  a  merchant 
and  late  in  life  an  agriculturist.  He  was  a 
well  educated  man  and  was  a  Democrat  in 
his  political  views.  He  and  his  wife  were  de- 
vout members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  The  mother  was  a  native  of  New 
Jersey,  born  February  3,  181 9,  and  died 
October  13,  1887.  They  were  both  reared 
in  New  Jersey.  Mrs.  Eidson  w^as  born  in 
New  Jersey,  June  19,  1853,  ^"^  was  brought 
to  Berrien  county  when  about  eight  years 
of  age.  She  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  her  township,  and  also  at- 
tended the  Ladies'  Seminary  in  Madison, 
New  Jersey,  and  the  High  School  at  Fair- 
plains,  near  Benton  Harbor.  She  engaged 
in  teaching  school  between  the  ages  of  six- 
teen and  twenty-four  years  and  was  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  capable  educators  of 
this  part  of  the  State.  She  followed  that 
occupation  for  eight  years,  three  years  at 
Berrien  Springs,  and  during  all  that  long 
period  only  taught  in  five  different  places. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eidson  have  been  born 
three  children:  Gilberta  May  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  and  was  also  a  stud- 


ent in  the  Berrien  Springs  high  school  and 
the  Niles  high  school.  Her  husband,  Wil- 
liam Judd,  is  a  mechanic  of  Elkhart,  Indiana. 
Walter  H.  received  a  diploma  at  Berrien 
Springs  in  1898,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years. 
He  then  entered  Benton  Harbor  high  school 
and  afterward  spent  two  years  in  Albion 
College.  Arthur  is  now  a  student  in  the 
Berrien  high  school,  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1907.  He  will  then  enter  college.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Eidson  have  given  their  children 
the  benefit  of  good  educations.  It  was  in 
the  year  1899  that  they  erected  their  beauti- 
ful country  residence,  which  is  modern  in 
style  of  architecture  and  neatly  and  cosily 
furnished,  which  makes  one  of  the  model 
homes  of  the  township.  The  pretty  country 
seat  is  known  as  Maple  Villa.  They  have 
two  of  the  old  fashioned  coverlets  which  are 
close  to  a  century  old. 

The  farm  comprises  eighty  acres  devoted 
general  farming  and  fruit  raising.  There 
are  four  hundred  pear  trees  upon  the  place 
and  other  good  fruit,  and  in  the  cultivation 
of  his  orchards  as  well  as  his  fields  Mr.  Eid- 
son has  displayed  excellent  business  ability 
and  competent  understanding.  In  his  early 
years  he  gave  his  political  allegiance  to  the 
Republican  party,  but  is  now  a  stanch  Pro- 
hibitionist. His  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  he  is  iden- 
tified with  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen  at  Berrien  Springs.  In  all  life's 
relations  he  has  shown  himself  to  be  an 
honorable  and  straighforward  man,  worthy 
of  the  trust  of  his  fellow  citizens,  and  his 
years  of  labor  have  been  crowned  with  a 
measure  of  prosperity  that  now  makes  him 
a  substantial  resident  of  his  native  town- 
ship. 

ELLIOTT  H.  CALDWELL,  post- 
master and  general  merchant  at  Hinchman, 
and  also  w^ell  known  as  a  raiser  of  Shetland 
ponies,  was  born  in  Niles  township  near  the 
city  of  Niles,  November  20,  1870.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  Hugh  Caldwell,  on 
coming  to  Michigan  located  with  his  family 
near  Breedsville,  in  Van  Buren  county.  His 
son,  James  C.  Caldwell,  was  born  in  Ohio 
and  came  to  Michigan  with  his  parents.  In 
this  State,  however,  he  left  home  and  was 


864 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


reared  at  Niles  by  Isaac  Snorff.  At  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  he  put  aside  all 
business  and  personal  considerations  and  en- 
listed as  a  member  of  the  Twelfth  Michigan 
Infantry.  He  joined  the  army  as  a  private 
and  went  to  the  south  but  was  wounded  at 
the  battle  of  Shiloh,  and  on  account  of  dis- 
ability occasioned  thereby  he  was  honorably 
discharged.  When  no  longer  able  to  aid  his 
country  in  a  military  capacity  he  returned 
to  the  north  and  located  near  Niles,  where 
he  w^as  engaged  in  general  farming  until 
1870.  He  then  removed  to  St.  Joseph, 
Michigan,  where  he  conducted  a  livery  busi- 
ness for  a  number  of  years,  selling  out  in 
1899  prior  to  his  removal  to  Chicago.  In 
the  latter  city  he  engaged  in  business  as  a 
dealer  in  buggies  and  carriages  and  is  still 
continuing  in  that  line  of  trade.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Elizabeth  Snorff,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
born  near  Dayton,  and  she,  too,  survives 
at  the  time  of  this  writing,  in  1906.  They 
were  the  parents  of  two  children,  the  daugh- 
ter being  Imogene,  the  wife  of  H.  E.  Pin- 
nell,  of  Erie,  Pennsylvania. 

Elliott  H.  Caldwell,  the  younger  child 
and  only  son,  was  reared  and  educated  at 
St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  and  rerhained  under 
the  parental  roof  until  he  had  attained  his 
majority.  For  five  years  he  was  employed 
in  a  clerical  capacity  in  the  St.  Joseph  post- 
office  and  in  1897  he  came  to  Hinchman, 
since  which  time  he  has  carried  on  general 
merchandising  and  stock-raising.  His  busi- 
ness interests  are  carefully  managed  and  he 
now  has  a  well  equipped  general  store,  car- 
rying a  large  and  select  line  of  goods,  for 
which  he  finds  a  ready  sale  among  the  vil- 
lage people  and  the  citizens  of  the  outlying 
districts.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  the  rais- 
ing of  Shetland  ponies  and  has  upon  his 
place  twenty-eight  thoroughbreds.  His 
business  interests  in  both  branches  are  care- 
fully conducted  and  have  resulted  in  grati- 
fying success.  Mr.  Caldwell  is  also  acting 
as  postmaster  at  Hinchman,  to  which  office 
he  was  appointed  by  President  McKinley  in 
1900  and  re-appointed  by  President  Roose- 
velt in  1904. 

On  the  17th  of  August,  1900,  Mr.  Cald- 
well   was    married    to    Miss    Jessie    June 


Harner,  a  daughter  of  W.  H.  and  Mary 
Ann  (Feather)  Harner.  She  was  born  in 
Oronoko  township,  where  she  w^as  also 
reared  and  educated  and  has  spent  most  of 
her  life.  Two  children  grace  this  union, 
James  William  and  Vernon  Edward. 

In  politics  Mr.  Caldwell  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican, active  in  the  interests  of  the  party 
since  age  gave  him  the  right  of  franchise. 
He  does  all  in  his  power  to  promote  the 
growth  and  extend  the  influence  of  the  party 
and  is  thoroughly  informed  concerning  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  He  co- 
operates in  many  movements  for  the  gen- 
eral good  and  in  his  business  life  manifests 
a  spirit  of  enterprise  and  activity  which  has 
been  the  strong  element  in  his  success. 

M.    S.    BEDINGER    is    a    prominent 
farmer  residing  at  Hinchman  in   Oronoko 
township.     He  was  born  in  Darke  county, 
Ohio,  January  4,  1848,  and  his  father,  Adam 
Bedinger,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  became 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  Buckeye  state. 
He  was  also  a  pioneer  resident  of  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  where  he  arrived  on  the 
6th  of  September,  1851,  making  his  way  to 
Berrien  Springs.     Soon  afterward  he  rented 
a  farm,  which  he  operated  for  three  years 
and  he  then   purchased  a  farm   four  miles 
west  of  Berrien  Springs,  where  he  carried  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits  until  after  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war.     Watching 
the  progress  of  events  and  noting  that  the 
war  was  to  be  no  holiday  affair  but  was  to 
be  a  long  and  bitter  struggle,  he  felt  that  his 
first  duty  was  to  his  country,  and  in  1862 
he   enlisted   as   a   member   of   Company   I, 
Twelfth  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry.     Af- 
ter six  months  he  was  honorably  discharged 
on  account  of  disability  and  returned  to  h\^ 
home.     He  came  of  a  family  of  German  de- 
scent, and  in  his  life  manifested  many  of  the 
sterling  traits  of  his  German  ancestry.     His 
death  occurred  when  he  was  in  his  seventy- 
fourth  year,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in 
her  eighty-second  year.   She  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Rachel  Christopher,  who  was  also 
a  native  of   Pennsylvania,   where   she  was 
reared  and  married,  and  she  was  likewise 
of  German  descent.    In  the  Bedinger  family 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


865 


were  eleven  cMldren,  three  sons  and  eight 
daughters,  all  of  whom  reached  manhood  or 
womanhood,  the  subject  of  this  review  being 
the  seventh  child  and  second  son. 

M.  S.  Bedinger  was  in  his  fourth'  year 
when  he  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan, 
and  upon  the  home  farm  in  Oronoko  town- 
ship he  was  reared,  acquiring  his  education 
in  the  district  schools,  which  he  attended 
through  the  winter  months,  while  in  the  sum- 
mer seasons  he  worked  in  the  fields.  He  re- 
mained at  home  to  the  age  of  twenty-three 
years,  assisting  in  the  farm  work  and  was 
then  married  on  the  nth  of  January,  1871, 
Miss  Alice  Murphy  becoming  his  wife.  She 
was  born  in  Lake  township,  Berrien  county, 
a  daughter  of  George  and  Mary  (Mattox) 
Murphy.  For  three  years  following  his  mar- 
riage Mr.  Bedinger  lived  in  Jefferson  coun- 
ty, Missouri,  where  he  was  engaged  in  bridge 
building  for  the  Iron  Mountain  Railroad. 
He  then  returned  to  Oronoko  township, 
where  he  engaged  in  carpenter  work  and 
building  operations,  his  time  being  thus  oc- 
cupied for  five  years.  He  then  began  farm- 
ing on  the  old  homestead  and  continued 
actively  in  the  work  of  the  fields  until  1891, 
when  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Manistee 
county,  Michigan,  where  he  spent  one  year. 
He  then  returned  to  Oronoko  township  and 
bought  a  farm,  upon  which  he  now  re- 
sides, a  valuable  property  which  is  well  im- 
proved and  which  indicates  in  its  neat  and 
thrifty  appearance  the  careful  supervision 
of  the  owner. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bedinger  have  been 
born  four  children :  Maggie,  now  the  wife 
of  Frank  Harner,  of  Oronoko  township; 
Paul,  of  the  same  township;  Claar  and 
Frank,  both  at  home. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Bedinger  is 
a  Democrat  and  has  served  as  supervisor  of 
Oronoko  township  for  two  years  and  as 
treasurer  for  four  years.  He  has  taken  an 
active  interest  in  public  affairs  and  political 
questions  and  is  well  known  in  the  county 
as  a  leader  in  public  thought  and  action,^  be- 
ing recognized  as  a  most  influential  citizen 
of  Oronoko  township.  He  holds  member- 
ship with  the  Masonic  fraternity  at  Berrien 


Springs  and  is  identified  wath  the  Lutherail 
Church  at  Hinchman. 

ROLAND  B.  TABER,  M.  D.,  physician 
and  surgeon  of  Benton  Harbor,  w^as  born  in 
Benton  township^  Berrien  county,  in  1872. 
His  father,  Roland  T.  Taber,  is  also  a  native 
of  this  county,  born  in  1847,  ^^^^1  ^^^^  family 
was  established  in  Michigan  at  an  early 
period  in  its  improvement  and  development. 
The  greatgrandfather,  Jonathan  Taber,  with 
his  wife,  Rebecca  Thomas,  came  from  New 
York  to  Michigan  at  the  time  that  Roland  T. 
Taber  arrived  here  and  continued  a  resident 
of   Berrien   counly   ui>   to   llie   time   of   his 


ROLAND  B.  TABER. 

demise.  Both  he  and  his  wife  died  in  Sodus 
township,  the  former  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
four  years,  the  latter  when  eighty  years  of 
age.  Jonathan  Taber  had  been  a  soldier  of 
the  war  of  18 12  and  was  granted  a  pension 
in  recognition  of  his  services.  He  also  re- 
ceived a  land  warrant,  which  he  exchanged 
for  a  farm,  but  it  is  not  known  where  the 
land  w^as  located.  His  son,  John  T.  Taber, 
grandfather  of  Dr.  Taber,  was  born  in  New 
York  and,  removing  westw^ard  in  1832,  be- 
came a  resident  of  Chicago,  Illinois,  where 


55 


866 


HISTORY   OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


he  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade.  Four  or 
five  years  later  he  became  a  resident  of  Bain- 
bridge  township,  Berrien  county,  Michigan, 
where  he  purchased  a  farm  and  also  erected 
the  first  blacksmith  shop  in  the  township, 
conducting  business  in  the  line  of  his  trade 
for  many  years  and  also  superintending  his 
agricultural  interests.  He  was  married  in 
Chicago  to  Miss  Ellen  Foley,  a  relative  of 
Bishop  Foley,  of  Detroit,  Michigan.  She 
died  in  1848  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years. 

Among  the  children  of  this  worthy  couple 
was  Roland  T.  Taber,  whose  birth  occurred 
on  the  family  homestead  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship in  1847.  When  five  years  of  age  he 
went  to  live  with  his  uncle,  Jonas  Inman,  in 
Benton  township,  and  there  remained  until 
ten  years  of  age.  In  early  manhood  he  ac- 
quired the  old  homestead  which  his  uncle 
had  owned  and  added  to  that  property,  which 
he  transformed  into  a  good  farm.  He  at 
first  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits, 
but  afterward  engaged  in  raising  fruit  and 
vegetables.  About  twelve  years  ago  he  took 
up  his  abode  in  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  is 
now  living  retired.  He  has  been  prominent 
and  active  in  influential  affairs  and  is  recog- 
nized as  an  enterprising  progressive  citizen. 
In  1 871,  in  Galesburg,  Illinois,  he  married 
Melissa  E.  Burridge,  a  native  of  Indiana, 
who  died  in  February,  1905,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-three  years.  They  had  a  son  and  daugh- 
ter, the  latter  being  Mrs.  Lizzie  M.  Kake- 
beeke  the  wife  of  James  H.  Kakebeeke  of 
Benton  Harbor. 

The  son.  Dr.  Roland  B.  Taber,  was 
reared  upon  the  old  home  farm  in  Benton 
township  and  o1)tained  his  early  education 
in  the  country  schools,  after  which  he  at- 
tended Benton  Harbor  College,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1891.  Later 
he  attended  the  University  of  Michigan  and 
was  graduated  therefrom  1896,  completing 
a  course  in  pharmacy  and  chemistry.  Subse- 
quently he  attended  the  University  of  Illi- 
nois, wdiere  he  pursued  a  course  in  medicine 
and  surgery,  being  graduated  with  the  class 
of  1900. 

Dr.  Taber  located  for  practice  in  Benton 
Harbor,  where  he  has  since  remained,  en- 
joying  a  large  and   growing  practice,   his 


patrons  including  many  of  the  best  families 
of  the  city.  He  was  appointed  by  Governor 
Bliss  to  the  position  of  surgeon  to  the  Michi- 
gan state  navy  and  at  the  present  time  is 
city  health  officer^  which  position  he  has  filled 
since  1901. 

Dr.  Taber  was  married  in  Benton  Harbor 
in  1903  to  Miss  Bernice  Worth  of  this  city 
and  their  pleasant  home  is  justly  celebrated 
for  its  generous  and  attractive  hospitality. 
Dr.  Taber  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity and  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order 
of  Elks,  while  in  his  political  views  he  is  a 
Republican. 

HARRY  K.  GRAHAM,  who  follows 
farming  on  section  24,  Oronoko  towaiship, 
and  is  one  of  its  native  sons,  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 22,  i860,  his  parents  being  George 
and  Mary  (Garrow)  Graham,  who  are  men- 
tioned on  another  page  of  this  W'Ork.  The 
home  farm  in  Oronoko  township  remained 
his  playground  in  youth  and  his  training 
school  for  life's  practical  duties.  His  mental 
discipline,  how^ever,  was  obtained  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  and  at  Urbana  University,  at 
Urbana,  Ohio.  Returning  to  his  home  on 
the  completion  of  his  education  Harry  K. 
Graham  became  a  clerk  in  a  general  store 
in  Berrien  Springs  and  he  afterward  spent 
eight  years  in  southeastern  Kansas,  clerking 
for  two  years  in  a  store,  while  during  the  re- 
mainder of  the  period  he  was  engaged  in 
farming  and  stock-raising.  Returning  at 
the  end  of  that  time  to  Berrien  Springs  he 
once  more  became  connected  w-ith  agricul- 
tural interests  in  this  county  and  located  upon 
his  present  farm  in  Oronoko  township.  He 
has  here  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  acres 
of  land  well  adapted  to  the  raising  of  grain, 
fruit  and  stock,  and  his  farm  is  well  equipped 
for  these  different  departments  of  agricul- 
tural life.  He  has  a  peach  orchard  of  fif- 
teen acres  and  considerable  other  fruit,  in- 
cluding ten  acres  of  apples.  His  fields  are 
carefully  tilled  and  he  has  good  stock  upon 
his  place.  In  fact  the  farm  is  equipped  with 
all  modern  conveniences,  including  the  latest 
improved  machinery  and  everything  about 
the  place  is  indicative  of  the  spirit  of  enter- 
prise which  characterizes  the  owner  and  has 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


867 


led  him  to  accomplish  desired  results  in  a 
useful  business  career. 

On  the  31st  of  December,  1.89 1,  Mr.  Gra- 
ham was  married  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Dunn,  a 
daughter  of  Edward  and  Mary  Dunn.  She 
was  born  in  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  in 
April,  1862,  and  by  her  marriage  has  be- 
come the  mother  of  one  son  and  two  daugh- 
ters, Mary,  James  and  Edith,  all  at  home. 
Neglectful  of  none  of  the  duties  of  citizen- 
ship, Mr.  Graham  has  contributed  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  various  plans  for  the  gen- 
eral good  and  he  votes  with  the  Republican 
party,  believing  its  principles  most  condu- 
cive to  good  government.  He  has  taken  the 
Master  Mason  degree  in  Berrien  Springs 
lodge  and  in  all  life's  relations  is  recognized 
as  a  man  w^hose  goods  traits  of  character 
far  outnumber  those  on  the  reverse  side  and 
he  is  therefore  well  worthy  the  esteem  and 
trust  of  his  fellow  townsmen. 

GEORGE  P.  SATTLER.  The  consen- 
sus of  public  opinion  accords  George  P.  Satt- 
ler  a  place  among  the  leading  farmers  of 
Oronoko  township.  He  is  actively  engaged 
in  general  agricultural  pursuits  on  section 
17,  and  was  only  four  years  of  age  when 
brought  by  his  parents  to  this  county.  He 
was  born  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  November 
I,  1855,  the  second  son  and  fourth  child  of 
Phillip  and  Christine  (Ernst)  Sattler,  who 
in  connection  with  the  sketch  of  Lewis  Satt- 
are  mentioned  on  another  page  of  this  work 
ler.  He  was  reared  upon  the  old  homestead 
farm  and  acquired  his  education  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  Oronoko  township.  He  as- 
sisted his  father  in  the  farm  work  until  nine- 
teen years  of  age,  when  he  began  earning 
his  own  living  by  w^orking  by  the  month  at 
farm  labor.  In  the  year  1877  he  won  a 
companion  and  helpmate  for  life's  journey 
by  his  marriage  to  Miss  Estella  Wyers,  a 
daughter  of  Andrew  and  Betsy  (Boyd) 
Wyers.  She  was  born  in  Oronoko  town- 
ship, where  her  parents  located  at  an  early 
period  in  the  development  and  progress  of 
the  county. 

Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sattler  began  their  domestic  life  in  Oronoko 
township,  where  they  remained  for  two  years 


and  then  removed  to  Berrien  township, 
where  he  purchased  a  farm  upon  which  they 
lived  for  ten  years.  He  there  carried  on  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits  until  a  decade  had 
passed  by,  when  he  sold  that  property  and 
purchased  where  he  now  resides  on  section 
13,  Oronoko  township.  He  has  here  eighty 
acres  of  land  but  rents  the  farm  to  his  son, 
while  he  is  practically  living  retired.  His  in- 
dustry and  activity  in  former  years  brought 
him  a  comfortable  competence  so  that  he 
does  not  need  to  resort  to  the  strenuous  ef- 
forts of  farm  life  at  the  present  day  in  order 
to  provide  a  livelihood. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sattler  have  been 
born  two  children:  Cora,  now  the  wife  of 
Charles  Soorick,  of  Oronoko  township;  and 
Arthur,  who  married  Isla  Tuttle,  and  resides 
upon  the  old  home  farm.  Mr.  Sattler  votes 
with  the  Republican  party  and  is  deeply  in- 
terested in  its  success  and  growth,  doing  all 
in  his  power  to  promote  its  influence.  He 
holds  membership  relations  wnth  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America  at  Hinchman  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
there.  He  has  lived  in  the  county  for  forty- 
six  years  and  is  therefore  largely  familiar 
with  its  history  from  the  early  days  down  to 
the  present  time. 

LEWIS  SATTLER,  who  deserves 
classification  with  the  prominent  farmers  of 
Oronoko  township,  owns  and  operates  a 
tract  of  land  of  eighty  acres  on  section  9, 
constituting  the  old  Sattler  homestead.  He 
was  born  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  June  26, 
1848.  His  father,  Phillip  Sattler,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Alsace,  Germany,  and  w^as  but  ten 
years  of  age  when  he  came  with  his  parents 
to  the  new  world,  crossing  the  Atlantic  to 
New  York  and  thence  making  his  way  to 
Buffalo.  He  became  a  tanner  by  trade  and 
followed  that  pursuit  in  Buffalo  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  but  in  i860  left  New  York  and 
came  direct  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan, 
settling  in  Oronoko  township.  Three  years 
before  he  had  purchased  the  farm  upon 
which  he  now  took  up  his  abode,  turning  his 
attention  to  general  agricultural  pursuits. 
As  the  years  passed  his  fields  were  cleared 
and  cultivated  and  he  was  engaged  actively 


868 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


and  successfully  in  general  farming  up  to 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  when 
he  was  sixty-four  years  of  age.  He  married 
Miss  Christine  Ernst,  who  was  born  in  Ba- 
den, Germany,  and  was  brought  to  America 
in  her  early  girlhood  days,  being  reared  in 
Buffalo,  New  York.  She  died  in  Oronoko 
township  when  more  than  seventy-six  years 
of  age  and  her  death  was  regretted  by  many 
friends,  for  she  was  a  lady  of  many  estima- 
ble traits  of  character.  In  the  family  were 
four  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  five 
still  survive,  Lewis  being  the  eldest.  The 
others  are :  Caroline,  the  wife  of  D.  Moyer, 
a  resident  farmer  of  Royalton  township, 
Berrien  county;  Christine,  the  wnfe  of  Wil- 
liam Sullivan,  of  Stevensville,  Michigan; 
George  P.,  a  farmer  living  in  Oronoko  town- 
ship; and  Julia,  the  wife  of  Edwin  Myers, 
who  lives  in  Berrien  township. 

Lewis  Sattler  was  a  youth  of  only  twelve 
years  when  he  became  a  resident  of  Oronoko 
township,  accompanying  his  parents  on  their 
removal  to  Michigan.  He  had  begun  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  Buffalo, 
New  York,  and  he  continued  his  studies  in 
the  district  schools  of  Oronoko  township. 
During  the  periods  of  vacation  his  attention 
was  largely  given  to  farm  labor  and  he  re- 
mained at  home  until  twenty  years  of  age, 
when  he  returned  to  Buffalo  and  worked  at 
the  tanner's  trade. 

Mr.  Sattler  was  first  married  in  that 
city  to  Miss  Jennie  McPherson.  Unto  them 
was  born  a  son,  George  W.  Sattler,  who  is 
now  a  merchant  and  the  postmaster  at 
Stemm,  Michigan.  In  1876  Mr.  Sattler  was 
called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  first 
wife  and  later  he  married  Miss  Maria  Col- 
lins, by  whom  he  had  three  daughters  :  Mag- 
gie, now  the  wife  of  Clayton  Stover,  of  Oro- 
noko township;  Clara,  the  wife  of  Milton 
Feather,  of  the  same  township;  and  Edna 
Pearl,  at  home. 

Mr.  Sattler  lived  in  Huey,  Clinton  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  for  about  eight  years  and  was 
engaged  in  general  agricultural  pursuits,  but 
eventually  he  sold  his  farm  there  and  pur- 
chased the  old  homestead  property  in  Oro- 
noko township,  where  he  now  resides.  He 
has  eighty  acres  of  land  which  is  rich  and 


arable  and  he  has  carried  on  the  farm  work 
with  excellent  success,  adding  many  mod- 
ern equipments  and  accessories  to  his  place 
and  gathering  from  his  fields  rich  and 
abundant  harvests.  He  is  a  stanch  Republi- 
can, well  informed  on  the  issues  and  ques- 
tions of  the  day,  but  without  aspiration  for 
public  office.  He  belongs  to  the  Ancient  Or- 
der of  United  Workmen  at  Berrien  Springs 
and  his  residence  in  the  county  covers  about 
forty-six  years,  during  which  time  his  good 
qualities  as  manifest  in  citizenship  and  in 
his  business  and  private  life  have  gained  for 
him  an  enviable  position  in  the  regard  of 
his  fellow  townsmen. 

RUDOLPH  WETZER,  one  of  Michi- 
gan's native  sons  now  living  in  Berrien  coun- 
ty, his  home  being  on  section  9,  Three  Oaks 
township,  where  he  has  an  excellent  tract  of 
land  responding  readily  to  the  care  and  cul- 
tivation which  he  bestows  upon  it,  was  born 
September  24,  1852,  near  Detroit,  Michigan, 
and  the  same  year  his  parents  removed  to 
Berrien  county,  since  which  time   Rudolph 
Wetzer  has  been  a  resident  of  Three  Oaks 
township,  with  the  exception  of  a  brief  per- 
iod of  three  years  spent  in  Chicago.    He  is  a 
son  of  Maximillian  Wetzer,  who  was  born  in 
Byrne,  Germany,  May  24,  1820,  and  came 
to  the  United  States  in   1852.     He  crossed 
the  Atlantic  with  a  party  of  German  emi- 
gants  and  remained  in  Detroit,   Michigan, 
for  a  few  months.    He  afterward  worked  at 
railroad  construction  in  Canada  and  thence 
came  to  Berrien  county.     Soon  after  his  ar- 
rival here  he  purchased  fifteen  acres  on  what 
is  now  Main  street  in  Three  Oaks.     Subse- 
quently he  sold  that  property  and  purchased 
the  present  home  place,   comprising  about 
eighty-seven  and  a  half  acres.     It  was  tim- 
ber land  and  the  trees  and  brush  had  to  be 
be  cleared  away  before  the  work  of  cultiva- 
tion could  be  begun.     It  is  now  w^ell  im- 
proved with  good  buildings  and  the  fields 
were  richly  tilled.     He  spent  the  most  of  his 
life  on  this  farm  with  the  exception  of  three 
years  passed  in  Chicago,  when  his  son  was 
in  the  meat  business  there,  and  his  death  oc- 
curred July  20,    1904,  thus  passing    away 
one  of  the  pioneer  residents  of  the  county, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


869 


who  for  long  years  had  been  an  interested 
witness  of  its  development  and  progress.  He 
exercised  the  right  of  franchise  in  support 
of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Democracy 
and  he  was  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 
He  was  married  to  Miss  Dominie  Weizner, 
who  was  born  in  the  same  part  of  Germany 
as  her  husband,  and  died  in  Berrien  county 
in  her  sixtieth  year.  In  their  family  were 
four  children  :  Paul,  who  died  in  Germany ; 
Rudolph,  who  was  the  first  one  born  in 
America ;  Adaline,  who  is  the  wife  of  Jacob 
Wedder,  a  resident  of  Chicago ;  and  Cynthia 
Josephine,  who  is  keeping  house  for  her 
brother  Rudolph. 

Upon  the  old  home  farm  in  this  county 
Rudolph  Wetzer  was  reared,  while  in  the 
public  schools  he  acquired  his  education.  He 
has  continuously  devoted  his  time  and  en- 
ergies to  general  agricultural  pursuits  with 
the  exception  of  three  years  passed  in  Chi- 
cago, where  he  was  engaged  in  the  conduct 
of  a  meat  market  in  partnership  with  his 
brother-in-law,  Jacob  Wedder,  under  the 
firm  style  of  Wedder  &  Wetzer.  When  three 
years  had  passed  by  he  sold  out  to  Mr. 
Wedder  and  returned  to  the  farm  where  he 
has  since  remained.  He  worked  in  the 
woods  during  the  early  years  of  his  residence 
here  and  was  thus  identified  with  the  task 
of  reclaiming  the  wilderness.  His  attention 
is  given  to  his  farm  labor  and  his  fields  give 
promise  of  bounteous  harvests  as  the  reward 
of  his  labor  and  energy.  His  political  alle- 
giance is  given  to  the  Democracy. 

LOUIS  RICKERT,  operating  a  good 
farm  on  section  5,  Three  Oaks  township,  was 
born  near  the  village  of  Three  Oaks,  on  the 
30th  of  April,  1863,  and  has  always  lived 
in  this  township,  remaining  at  home  with  his 
parents  until  about  thirty  years  of  age.  He 
is  a  son  of  Frederick  and  Barbara  (Behler) 
Rickert,  natives  of  Wurtemberg,  who  came 
here  in  the  spring  of  1853  and  were  married 
in  Niles  in  the  same  spring.  The  remainder 
of  their  lives  was  spent  in  this  county  and 
much  of  the  time  they  w^ere  residents  of 
Three  Oaks  township,  where  they  took  up 
their  abode  in  the  fall  of  1853.  Both  died  in 
this  county,  the  father  reaching  the  ripe  old 
age  of  eighty-six  years,  while  his  wife  passed 


away  when  sixty-seven  years  of  age.  In 
his  business  afifairs  Mr.  Rickert  prospered 
and  had  about  two  hundred  acres,  becoming 
one  of  the  extensive  agriculturists  of  his 
community.  In  their  family  were  the  fol- 
lowing children :  Barbara,  now  the  wife  of 
August  Witt,  of  this  township;  Fred,  de- 
ceased; John,  of  Three  Oaks  township; 
Louis;  and  Henry,  deceased. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred 
to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  Louis 
Rickert  in  the  days  of  his  boyhood,  youth 
and  manhood.  Lie  acquired  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  and  when  not  busy  with 
his  text-books  his  attention  was  largely  given 
to  the  work  of  the  fields  and  after  his  educa- 
tion was  completed  he  continued  to  assist 
his  father  for  some  time.  He  also  worked 
on  the  railroad  for  about  a  year,  likewise  in 
sawmills  and  at  carpenter  work  but  gave 
most  of  his  time  to  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits. He  acquainted  himself  with  the  black- 
smith's and  shoemaker's  trades  and  in  these 
lines  displayed  much  skill  and  ingenuity, 
possessing  much  natural  mechanical  ability. 
Farming,  however,  has  been  his  real  life 
work.  His  home  is  a  fine  brick  residence, 
on  the  Fred  Lusso  farm,  belonging  to  the 
estate  of  his  father-in-law,  of  which  Mr. 
Rickert  is  the  administrator.  He  also  owns 
two  forty-acres  tracts  on  sections  10  and  13, 
respectively.  The  former  tract  adjoins  the 
Sherwood  addition  to  Three  Oaks.  He  is 
now  operating  altogether  one  hundred  and 
seventy-three  acres  of  land  and  gives  his  full 
time  and  attention  to  the  raising  of  grain 
and  stock.  He  has  prospered  in  both  depart- 
ments and  whatever'  he  undertakes  he  accom- 
plishes, allowing  no  thought  of  failure  to 
enter  his  mind.  He  is  one  of  the  world's 
workers,  leading  a  busy,  useful  life  and  his 
labors  are  meeting  with  a  gratifying  measure 
of  prosperity. 

In  September,  1887,  Mr.  Rickert  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Louisa  Lusso, 
who  was  born  July  4,  1864,  upon  the  farm 
which  is  yet  her  home,  her  parents  being 
Frederick  and  Sophia  (Kuppemuss)  Lusso, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Mecklenberg, 
Germany.  Coming  to  the  new  world  in  early 
life  they  were  married  in  Canada,  where 
they  lived  for  two  years  and  six  months,  re- 


870 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


moving  to  Three  Oaks,  arriving  here  about 
1856.  In  their  family  were  seven  children, 
of  whom  six  are  yet  living,  namely :  Mrs. 
Sophia  Moser,  who  is  living  in  Bainbriclge 
this  county;  Mrs.  Anna  Steck,  of  Three 
Oaks;  John,  of  Colorado;  Mrs.  Rickert; 
Mrs.  Mary  Hellenga,  of  Three  Oaks;  and 
Martha,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years. 

In  matters  of  citizenship  Mr.  Rickert  is 
public-spirited  and  withholds  his  aid  from 
no  movement  which  he  deems  will  promote 
public  progress.  He  is  a  Republican  in  his 
political  views  and  affiliation  and  has  done 
effective  service  in  behalf  of  public  instruc- 
tion as  a  school  officer.  Fraternally  he  is 
connected  wath  the  Order  of  Patricians. 

CHAUNCEY  B.  REESE.  Among  the 
old  settlers  of  Berrien  county  is  numbered 
Chauncey  B.  Reese,  who  is  living  on  section 
2^,  Pipestone  township.  He  was  born  in 
Montgomery  county,  New  York,  xA^ugust  18, 
1844,  and  is  a  son  of  Martin  Reese,  who 
was  likewise  born  in  that  county,  where  he 
was  reared  and  married,  the  lady  of  his 
choice  being  Miss  Hannah  Rulifson,  who 
was  also  born  in  Montgomery  county.  In 
the  year  1849  they  came  to  Berrien  county, 
settling  on  the  farm  where  their  son,  C.  B. 
Reese,  now  resides.  Here  they  built  a  log 
house  about  twenty-four  by  twenty  feet,  it 
being  one  of  the  first  in  the  township  and 
amid  pioneer  surroundings  and  conditions 
they  began  life  on  the  frontier,  remaining 
upon  the  farm  until  they  were  called  to  their 
final  rest.  The  father  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six  years,  while  his  wife  was  more 
than  ninety  years  of  age  when  called  to  her 
final  home.  In  their  family  were  thirteen 
children  but  only  six  now  survive. 

C.  B.  Reese,  the  tenth  child  of  the  fam- 
ily, was  but  four  years  old  at  the  time  of  the 
removal  from  the  Empire  state  to  Berrien 
county  and  has  since  been  a  resident  of  Pipe- 
stone township,  continuously  living  on  the 
farm  which  is  yet  his  home.  He  attended 
the  district  schools  of  the  township  but 
owing  to  the  unsettled  condition  of  the 
county  his  educational  privileges  were  some- 
what limited.  He  was  a  young  man  of  about 
twenty  years,  when  his  patriotic  spirit*  was 


aroused  by  the  continued  attempt  of  the 
south  to  overthrow  the  Union,  and  he  en- 
listed as  a  member  of  Company  B,  Twelfth 
Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which 
he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he 
received  an  honorable  discharge  at  Camden, 
Arkansas,  and  returned  to  his  home.  He 
has  always  devoted  his  life  to  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  has  a  well  improved 
farm  on  which  none  of  the  equipments  and 
accessories  of  a  model  property  are  lacking. 
In  1875  Mr.  Reese  was  married  to  Miss 
Caroline  Schell,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and 
Dorothy  Schell,  who  were  pioneer  settlers 
of  this  county,  coming  from  New  York  in 
1844  ^i^d  locating  in  Pipestone  township. 
Mrs.  Reese  was  born  in  this  township, 
March  14,  1847,  ^^d  her  girlhood  days  were 
spent  within  its  borders,  while  the  public 
school  system  afforded  her  her  educational 
privileges.  She  first  gave  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage to  Levy  Slye,  whose  people  were  iden- 
tified with  the  early  settlement  of  Berrien 
county.  Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Reese  took  up  their  abode  on  the  old 
farm  homestead  and  here  two  children  have 
been  born  unto  them:  Mabel  R.,  now  the 
wife  of  Rev.  L.  M.  Wilds,  a  minister  of  the 
Christian  church  in  Kansas;  and  Dr.  John 
A.  Reese,  a  practicing  physician  of  Lacrosse, 
Wisconsin.  Mr.  Reese  has  always  been  a 
Republican  since  age  gave  to  him  the  right 
of  franchise  and  while  not  active  as  an  office 
seeker  he  has  always  been  interested  in  the 
growth  and  development  of  the  county  and 
has  co-operated  in  many  movements  for  the 
general  good.  He  belongs  to  Berrien  Center 
Post,  No.  36,  G.  A.  R.,  in  which  he  has  filled 
most  of  the  chairs  and  he  likewise  holds  mem- 
bership with  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge  at  Ber- 
rien Center  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp 
at  Eau  Claire.  His  farm  comprises  seventy- 
nine  acres  of  well  improved  land  and  he  has 
resided  thereon  for  fifty-seven  years,  during 
which  time  he  has  witnessed  many  remark- 
able changes  in  the  county  as  the  evidences 
of  pioneer  life  have  been  replaced  by  the 
improvements  of  modern  civilization,  and 
the  land  has  been  converted  from  the  forests 
and  the  prairie  into  richly  tilled  fields,  in  the 
midst  of  which  reside  a  contented  and  pros- 
perous people,  whose  homes  and  farms  are 


^  ^  /^c^^^ 


M^.^M.^^^. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


871 


indicative  of  the  productiveness  of  the  soil 
and  the  success  that  may  be  achieved  through 


through  its  cultivation 


WILLIAM  COOK,  farmer,  dairyman 
and  fruit  raiser  of  Bainbridge  township,  was 
born  at  Coldwater,  Branch  county,  this 
State,  October  24,  1854.  When  he  was  sev- 
enteen years  old  the  family  removed  to 
Clyde,  in  Allegan  county,  and  his  father, 
George  Cook,  being  a  carpenter  by  trade,  he 
followed  that  occupation  as  well  as  farming 
during  early  manhood.  He  also  learned 
blacksmithing,  and  in  his  early  years  alter- 
nated between  these  different  pursuits. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-nine  Mr.  Cook 
married  Miss  Lucy  L.  Matrau,  a  daughter  of 
Joseph  Matrau  and  a  sister  of  Morgan  and 
E.  N.  Matrau.  For  the  next  eight  years  Mr. 
Cook  rented  land  of  Morgan  Matrau  and 
others  and  then  bought  the  farm,  which  is  a 
part  of  the  old  Joseph  Matrau  homestead. 
For  this  eighty  acres  he  paid  thirty-five  hun- 
dred dollars,  and  he  has  since  rebuilt  the 
house  and  moved  and  remodeled  the  barn 
and  made  various  improvements.  General 
farming  and  considerable  fruit  raising  are 
both  secondary  to  the  dairy  business  with 
Mr.  Cook,  who  w^as  one  of  the  organizers  of 
the  Watervliet  creamery  and  is  one  of  its 
steady  patrons. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cook  are  the  parents  of 
three  children,  Mary  A.,  Benjamin  F.  and 
Grace  A.,  all  at  home.  Mr.  Cook  and  family 
are  members  of  the  Christian  Church,  in 
which  he  is  an  elder,  and  his  political  views 
are  Republican. 

CHARLES  L.  PATTERSON,  carry- 
ing on  general  agricultural  pursuits  on  sec- 
tion 21,  Berrien  township,  was  born  in  Darke 
county,  Ohio,  on  Christmas  day  of  1859. 
His  father,  James  O.  Patterson,  was  also  a 
native  of  that  county  and  came  to  Michigan 
about  1 86 1,  locating  in  Berrien  county, 
where  he  carried  on  business  as  a  farmer  and 
carpenter.  He  was  identified  wath  building 
operations  for  twelve  years  and  is  now  living 
retired  from  the  duties  of  an  active  business 
career.  He  makes  his  home  in  Dowagiac, 
Michigan,  enjoying  a  rest  which  he  has  truly 
earned  and  richly  deserves.     His  wife,  who 


in  her  maidenhood  was  Susan  Keltner,  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio,  died  in  1875.  They  were  the 
parents  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  four 
sons  and  three  daughters  are  yet  living. 

Charles  L.  Patterson  is  the  fourth  in  a 
family  of  eleven  children  and  was  about  two 
years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Berrien  coun- 
ty with  his  parents.  He  was  reared  in  Ber- 
rien township  and  attended  the  district 
schools  there,  also  assisted  in  the  work  of 
the  farm  throughout  the  period  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth.  He  likewise  was  employed 
at  farm  labor  to  some  extent  and  thus  made 
a  start  in  life.  On  the  ist  of  January,  1884, 
he  located  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives. 
He  first  owned  but  twenty-three  acres  but 
has  added  to  the  place  through  five  different 
purchases,  thus  extending  the  boundaries  of 
his  farm  until  it  now^  comprises  two  hundred 
and  six  acres  of  well  improved  land. 

Just  prior  to  taking  up  his  abode  upon 
this  place  Mr.  Patterson  was  married,  on  the 
25th  of  December,  1883,  to  Miss  Gusta 
Hoover,  a  daughter  of  M.  W.  and  Margaret 
(Smith)  Hoover.  Mrs.  Patterson  was  born 
in  Indiana  but  was  reared  in  Cass  county, 
Michigan,  and  they  traveled  life's  journey 
happily  together  for  about  nine  years,  when, 
in  1892,  they  were  separated  by  the  death  of 
the  wife.  Two  children  have  been  born 
unto  them,  Charles  O.  and  Margaret  A.,  both 
of  whom  are  at  home.  Mrs.  Patterson  was 
a  lady  of  many  excellent  traits  of  character 
and  her  good  qualities  of  heart  and  mind 
made  her  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  her,  so 
that  her  death  was  deeply  regretted  by  many 
friends. 

Interested  in  the  affairs  of  the  community 
bearing  upon  its  development,  progress  and 
substantial  improvement,  Mr.  Patterson  has 
given  his  co-operation  to  many  movements 
for  the  public  good.  He  was  president  of 
the  school  board  for  twelve  years  and  has 
done  effective  work  in  behalf  of  the  cause  of 
education.  In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart  Re- 
publican, while  socially  he  is  connected  with 
the  Odd  Fellows  lodge  at  Berrien  Center.  A 
life-long  resident  of  this  county  he  has  so  di- 
rected his  labors  that  he  has  gained  a  good 
farm  property  and  comfortable  competence, 
and  investigation  into  the  methods  that  he 
has  followed  shows  that  they  have  ever  been 


S72 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


in  conformity  with  a  high  standard  of  busi- 
ness ethics. 

OLIVER  F.  WELLINGTON,  engaged 
in  general  farming  on  section  17,  Qronoko, 
his  native  township,  was  born  May  11,  1864, 
and  is  descended  from  EngHsh  ancestry. 
His  father,  Socrates  L.  Wellington,  was  a 
native  of  England  and  with  his  parents  came 
to  America  in  his  boyhood  days,  the  family 
home  being  established  in  Portage  comity, 
Ohio,  where  S.  L.  Wellington  was  reared. 
He  assisted  in  building  the  Mahoning 
canal  and  afterward  operated  boats  on  that 
waterway.  He  was  married  in  Ohio  to  Miss 
Jane  Ernest,  a  native  of  Portage  county, 
where  her  girlhood  days  were  passed.  On 
leaving  the  Buckeye  State  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wellington  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michi- 
gan, about  i860,  settling  in  Oronoko  town- 
ship, where  he  engaged  in  general  farming 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  when  he  was 
in  his  sixty-fourth  year.  His  political  sup- 
port was  given  to  the  Democracy  and  he  was 
well  known  in  the  township  as  a  leader  in 
political  ranks  and  as  an  active  factor  in 
agricultural  circles.  His  widow  still  sur- 
vives him  and  now  lives  on  Broadway  in 
Benton  Harbor.  In  the  family  were  three 
children,  of  whom  one  died  in  infancy,  while 
the  daughter,  Ellen,  is  now  the  wife  of 
Miles  Bailey. 

Oliver  F.  Wellington,  the  youngest  of 
the  family,  was  reared  in  Oronoko  township 
and  completed  his  education  in  the  district 
schools.  Plis  training  at  farm  labor  was  not 
meager,  for  at  an  early  age  he  began  work 
in  the  fields  and  aided  in  the  task  of  plow- 
ing, planting  and  harvesting,  continuing 
upon  the  old  homestead  until  a  number  of 
years  after  his  marriage.  It  was  May  11, 
1884,  that  he  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss 
Lizzie  Wetzel,  a  daughter  of  Nathan  Wet- 
zel, a  native  of  Northumberland  county, 
Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Wellington  took  his 
bride  to  the  old  home  farm,  wdiere  for  seven 
years  he  remained,  and  in  the  spring  of  1891 
he  bought  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  re- 
sides from  Daniel  Moyer.  It  comprises 
eighty  acres  of  land,  and  about  the  same  time 
he  made  purchase  of  the  Hastings  farm  of 


forty  acres.  He  has  since  added  to  his  hold- 
ings until  his  farm  property  now  comprises 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  well  im- 
proved land  and  he  personally  supervises 
and  manages  the  home  farm,  carrying  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits  and  fruit-rais- 
ing. His  fields  are  well  tilled  and  his  or- 
chards present  a  thrifty  appearance.  Every- 
thing about  the  place  is  kept  in  excellent 
condition  and  the  enterprise  and  labors  of 
the  owner  are  indicated  in  the  attractive  ap- 
pearance of  the  place. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Welling- 
ton has  been  blessed  with  one  son,  Howard 
E.,  who  is  at  home  and  aids  in  the  farm 
work.  Throughout  his  entire  life  Mr.  Well- 
ington has  lived  in  Oronoko  township  and 
has  been  closely  associated  with  its  develop- 
ment and  progress  along  agricultural  lines. 
He  has  never  been  neglectful  of  any  duties  of 
citizenship  and  at  national  elections  votes  for 
the  candidates  of  the  Republican  party,  while 
at  local  elections  he  casts  an  independent  bal- 
lot, regarding  only  the  capability  of  the  can- 
didate for  the  discharge  of  the  duties  that 
devolve  in  connection  with  the  public  busi- 
ness. Fraternally  he  is  a  Woodman  and  his 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Royal  Neighbors. 
Religiously  he  is  a  Lutheran,  and  these  as- 
sociations indicate  much  of  the  character  of 
the  man,  showing  him  to  be  in  sympathy 
with  those  principles  of  conduct  which  de- 
velop upright  character,  which  work  for 
good  citizenship  and  which  indicate  a  kindly, 
charitable  disposition  in  matters  of  relations 
with  his  fellow  man. 

LEVI  BATTEN,  the  well-known  farmer 
of  section  i,  Galien  township,  is  one  of  those 
citizens  who  believes  in  the  poet's  words 
that  ^'to  stay  at  home  is  best — home-keeping 
hearts  are  happiest."  Successful  in  his  busi- 
ness as  a  farmer,  alert  and  enterprising, 
broad-minded  and  contented,  he  has  never- 
theless never  been  off  his  home  estate  longer 
than  six  days  at  a  time  and  never  further 
away  than  Tecumseh,  this  State.  When  the 
land  was  still  new  he  helped  take  out  the 
stumps  and  clear  the  soil  for  cultivation,  and 
his  beautiful  estate  of  eighty  acres  in  sec- 
tion I  of  Galien  and  forty  acres  in    section 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


873 


6  of  Bertrand,  rewards  him  fully  for  the  toil 
and  attention  bestowed  upon  it.  He  has  ex- 
ceptionally good  buildings,  a  fine  barn 
thirty  by  ninety-two  feet  with  cement  base- 
ment floor,  costing  twenty-five  hundred  dol- 
lars, and  all  other  improvements  needed  for 
successful  grain  and  stock  farming.  Re- 
spected in  the  community,  notwithstanding 
his  independence  in  politics,  evidenced  by  his 
changing  from  a  long  course  as  a  stanch 
Democrat  to  an  adherent  of  Roosevelt,  he 
has  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  has 
several  times  refused  offices. 

Mr.    Batten   was   born   on    his    present 
homestead  June  8,  1853.     His  father,  John 
Batten,   was  born   in   Butler   county,   Ohio, 
August   21,    1 82 1,   and   came  to   this   loca- 
tion in  Berrien  county  in  1850,  so  that  he 
really  belonged  to  the  pioneers.     He  is  still 
living,  making  his  home  with  his  son  Levi. 
He  was  a  successful  man,  owning  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  of  land  in  this  vicinity, 
which  he  has  since  divided  among  his  chil- 
dren. His  entire  career  was  devoted  to  farm- 
ing, although  when  a  boy  he  learned  the  art 
of  distilling  whiskey,  and  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen made  regular  trips  with  a   four-horse 
team  from  Cincinnati  to  South  Bend,  carry- 
ing freight.     He  was  of  the  old  type  of  De- 
mocracy, having  voted  for  the  revered  An- 
drew Jackson. 

The  Battens  are  of  Virginia  ancestrv, 
the  grandfather  Thomas  settling  in  Butler 
county,  Ohio,  from  the  Old  Dominion,  and 
he  and  his  wife,  Blanch  (Windsor),  spend- 
ing their  last  days  in  Berrien  county. 

Mi-.  Levi  Batten's  mother  was  Elizabeth 
Hardy,  who  was  born  in  Butler  county, 
Ohio,  September  5,  1820,  and  died  in  this 
county  August  21,  1890.  Her  father,  James, 
was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  an  Ohio  pio- 
neer, and  during  the  war  of  1812,  being  in 
danger  of  capture  by  the  enemy,  he  was 
buried  alive  for  a  short  time  until  the  foe 
had  passed  on. 

Levi  was  the  fourth  of  his  parents'  five 
children,  the  others  being:  Thomas,  who 
died  in  infancy;  James  and  William,  twins, 
the  former  of  Buchanan  and  the  latter  on 
part  of  the  paternal  estate ;  Louisa,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  two  and  a  half  years.  There 
is  a  noteworthy  similiarity  in  the  physiques 


of  the  three  brothers.  Each  is  five  feet  two 
and  a  half  inches  high,  and  their  weight  is 
constant  between  102  and  no  pounds  the 
year  around.  All  can  wear  the  same  clothes 
and  shoes  and  hats. 

Mr.  Levi  Batten  married,  September  24, 
1874,  Miss  Emma  J.  Best,  who  was  born  in 
Milton  township,  Cass  county,  June  29, 
1852.  Her  parents,  David  A.  and  Almira 
(Lemon)  Best,  natives  of  Pennsylvania, 
were  pioneers  of  Cass  county,  Mr.  Best  be- 
ing a  blacksmith  by  trade.  There  were 
twelve  children  in  their  family. 

Of  the  four  children  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Batten  three  are  living,  namely :  Liz- 
zie A.,  wife  of  Leroy  Bulhand,  of  South 
Bend,  was  born  December  28,  1876;  Theron 
N.,  a  barber  of  Spearfish,  South  Dakota, 
was  born  January  2,  1879;  John  A.,  a  but- 
termaker  of  Morris,  Michigan,  was  born 
October  15,  1880.  All  received  good  ad- 
vantages preparatory  to  entering  life.  John 
has  been  very  successful  in  buttermaking, 
and  has  won  two  state  prizes.  Mr.  Batten 
has  three  grandchildren,  one  by  each  child, 
their  names  being,  Ruby  Bulhand,  Delos 
Victor  Batten  and  John  Hillis  Batten. 

It  is  a  matter  of  considerable  personal 
pride  with  Mr.  Batten  that  he  has  never 
drank  intoxicating  liquors.  As  a  boy  he  was 
very  fond  of  dancing,  and  his  mother  per- 
mitted him  to  indulge  in  his  desire  after 
gaining  from  him  a  pledge  that  he  would 
neved  drink,  a  promise  he  has  faithfully  kept. 


WILLL/\M  F.  ENDERS  is  living  in 
Watervliet,  his  native  township.  He  was 
born  March  29,  i860,  being  the  fifth  in  the 
family  of  Adam  Enders.  He  remained  upon 
the  old  homestead  to  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage, which  occurred  on  the  ist  of  Decem- 
ber, 1 88 1,  when  he  was  twenty-one  years 
of  age.  Miss  Emma  R.  Arney  becoming  his 
wife.  ^  She  was  born  in  Ohio  but  was  reared 
in  Bainbridge  township,  her  parents  being 
Benedict  and  Elizabeth  Arney.  When  she 
was  but  seven  years  of  age  her  mother  was 
burned  to  death,  leaving  a  family  of  seven 
children.  Her  father  remarried  and  Emma 
then  lived  with  other  families  to  the  time  of 
her  marriage,  which  occurred  when  she  was 
twenty  years  of  age. 


874 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Mr.   and  Mrs.   Enders  began  their  do- 
mestic life  upon  a  farm,  which  his  father  had 
purchased  for  him  two  years  before.  He  first 
built  a  small  house,  which  he  occupied  for 
a  long  period  and  twelve  years  ago  he  erected 
his  present  handsome  residence,    which    is 
splendidly  located    on  an    eminence,    com- 
manding a    fine  view    of    the    surrounding 
country.    It  is  on  the  Watervliet  road  about 
a  mile  southwest  of  Coloma  and  is  supplied 
with   all   modern   conveniences   and    equip- 
ments.    He  has  a  water  works  and  a  wind- 
mill upon  his  place,  so  that  the  house  is  sup- 
plied with  running  water  and  there  are  many 
other  modern  and  model  conveniences.     The 
waterworks  are  so  arranged  as  also  to  sup- 
ply his  melons  while  starting  under  glass. 
He  has  two  tanks,  one  in  the  house  furnish- 
ing water  in  the  bathroom  and  other  parts 
of  his  residence,  while  the  second  tank  sup- 
plies his  melons.     His  home  place  comprises 
forty-two   acres    of   land   and   he   also   has 
twenty-two  acres  adjoining,    together    with 
forty  acres  near  Coloma.     He  operates  all 
this  and  is  justly  accounted  one  of  the  most 
enterprising  and  progressive  horticulturists 
of  this  part  of  the  State.     The  home  place 
is  devoted  to  fruit  and  melons,  growing  from 
eight  to  twelve  acres  of  the  latter,  and  he 
has  glass  sufficient  to  start  the  plants   for 
ten  acres  of  melons.     His  gross  sales  from 
eight  acres  in  1905  amounted  to  about  fif- 
teen hundred  dollars.     He  has  thirty  acres 
set  out  to  fruit,  including  two  thousand  peach 
trees  and  five  thousand  apple  trees,  together 
with  grapes  and  berries.     Mr.  Enders  has 
a   contract  with  a  wholesale  fruit  man  of 
Grand    Rapids    to   whom   he   sends   all   his 
melons,  which  are  shipped  under  guarantee. 
He  buys  only  to  supply  the  amount  that  he 
does  not  grow  and  he  makes  a  specialty  of 
the   Osage   melon.      He  shipped   over   two 
thousand  crates  in   1905,  nearly  all  of  his 
own  raising. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Enders  have  been 
born  five  children,  Neely  H.,  Elmer  E.,  Syl- 
via B.,  Myrtle  Edna  and  Dorthy  Irene,  all 
at  home.  The  sons  have  attained  their  ma- 
jority but  remain  with  their  father,  assisting 
him  in  the  operation  of  his  farms.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Enders  is  a  Prohibitionist,  being  an 


earnest  advocate  of  that  party,  because  he  is 
a  stanch  champion  of  the  temperance  cause. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  the  work  of 
which  they  take  an  active  and  helpful  inter- 
est and  their  lives  are  actuated  by  high  prin- 
ciples in  conformity  with  their  professions. 
It  will  be  interesting  in  this  connection  to 
note  something  of  the  history  of  Mrs.  En- 
ders' parents.  Her  father,  Benedict  Arney, 
was  born  in  Switzerland,  whence  he  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Ohio  to  Elizabeth  Hoplitzley,  and 
three  children  were  born  to  them  in  that 
state.  They  afterward  removed  to  Portage 
Prairie,  in  Indiana,  and  subsequently  to 
Bainbridge  Center,  Michigan,  where  they 
arrived  when  Mrs.  Enders  was  but  three 
years  old.  Four  years  later  while  engaged 
in  making  soap  one  day  Mrs.  Arney's  dress 
caught  fire  and  she  was  burned  to  death. 
Two  years  later  Mr.  Arney  was  again  mar- 
ried. He  owned  a  farm  at  Bainbridge  Cen- 
ter until  1905,  but  now  resides  at  Fair  Plain 
with  his  daughter.  In  the  family  were  seven 
children:  Mary,  the  wife  of  Henry  Seel, 
of  Fair  Plain,  Michigan ;  Elizabeth,  the  wife 
of  William  Mulhagen,  now  of  Kansas ;  Em- 
ma, now  Mrs.  Enders;  George,  a  farmer  of 
Watervliet  township;  Amanda,  the  wife  of 
Henry  Butzbach,  of  California;  Lucinda, 
wdio  became  the  wife  of  William  Seel  and 
died  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years ;  and  Wil- 
liam, who  died  in  childhood. 

THOMAS  TAYLOR.  Although  one 
of  the  more  recent  arrivals  in  Berrien  coun- 
ty, Thomas  Taylor  has  already  gained  a 
place  among  the  prominent  and  influential 
citizens  of  this  part  of  the  state,  for  he 
possesses  the  thrift  and  energy  which  is  ever 
characteristic  of  the  Irish  race.  He  was 
born  in  County  Mead,  Ireland,  August  28, 
1844,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated. 
He  learned  the  trades  of  a  tanner  and  cur- 
rier in  his  native  land,  which  he  followed  in 
that  country  until  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  twenty-four  years,  when,  believing  that 
he  might  enjoy  better  business  advantages  in 
the  new  world  and  more  quickly  acquire  a 
competence,  he  decided  to  leave  the  Emerald 


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HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


875 


Isle  and  accordingly  crossed  the  i\tlantic  on 
a  sailing"  vessel,  which  landed  in  New  York 
city.  He  had  but  fifty  cents  in  money  when 
he  arrived  in  this  country  but  he  possessed 
willing  hands  and  a  courageous  spirit  and 
being  undaunted  by  conditions  which  would 
have  disheartened  many  another  of  less 
resolute  purpose,  he  started  out  to  accustom 
himself  to  the  new  manners  and  customs 
which  confronted  him,  and  at  once  made  his 
way  to  Peoria  county,  Illinois,  where  he  se- 
cured employment  on  a  farm,  receiving 
twenty  dollars  per  month  for  his  services, 
which  was  a  good  wage.  He  was  indus- 
trious and  economical,  and  at  the  end  of 
three  years,  having  saved  a  capital  sufficient 
to  justify  his  embarkation  in  business  on 
his  own  account  he  purchased  a  team  of 
horses,  on  whch  he  made  a  payment,  and 
then  rented  a  farm,  which  was  located  fif- 
teen miles  north  of  the  city  of  Peoria,  on 
the  banks  of  the  Illinois  river.  Having 
familiarized  himself  with  the  best  methods 
of  carrying  on  agricultural  pursuits  he  was 
well  prepared  for  the  duties  which  he  now 
undertook,  so  that  his  labors  resulted  in  a 
gratifying  measure  of  success,  and  in  the 
course  of  years  he  was  enabled  to  assume 
greater  responsibilities.  He  then  purchased 
a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  which  was  situated 
in  the  same  county  and  about  the  same  dis- 
tance from  the  city  as  the  tract  which  he  had 
formerlv  leased.  He  at  once  began  to  im- 
prove his  place  by  the  erection  of  buildings 
and  the  cultivation  of  his  fields  and  each 
year  he  annually  harvested  good  crops,  so 
that  his  financial  resources  were  materially 
increased.  Finding  an  opportunity  to  dis- 
pose of  his  land  there,  in  1882  he  sold  his 
farm  and  invested  in  a  quarter  section  of 
land  in  Ford  county,  that  state.  This  was 
bottom  land,  for  which  Mr.  Taylor  paid 
thirty-one  dollars  per  acre.  He  at  once  set 
to  work  to  tile  and  drain  his  land,  sparing 
no  expense  in  making  it  a  valuable  property, 
and  one  on  w^hich  he  could  raise  good 
crops.  This  proved  a  profitable  venture  for 
him,  and  foreseeing  the  possibilities  for 
farm  land  in  that  state,  he  added  eighty 
acres  to  his  original  purchase,  and  at  the 
end  of  fifteen  years  he  sold  the  property 
for  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  per 


acre,  bringing  him  a  total  of  thirty  thous- 
and dollars  in  cash.  In  1903  he  removed  to 
Berrien  county,  Michigan,  and  invested  in 
his  present  farm,  comprising  two  hundred 
and  fourteen  acres,  for  which  he  paid  sixty 
dollars  per  acre,  and  which  was  formerly 
the  property  of  Horace  Tabor.  He  has  also 
greatly  improved  this  property  since  taking 
up  his  abode  thereon,  and  in  September, 
1906,  he  had  an  offer  of  one  hundred  dollars 
per  acre,  which  he  refused  to  accept.  He 
also  purchased  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  in  Pipestone  township,  which  is 
situated  north  of  Eau  Claire,  but  of  this  he 
has  given  eighty  acres  to  his  brother,  and 
forty  acres  to  his  eldest  son.  On  his  home 
place  Mr.  Taylor  is  engaged  in  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  he  also  has  consider- 
able of  the  place  set  out  to  fruit,  and  a 
portion  of  the  land  is  devoted  to  pasturage 
for  he  is  engaged  quite  extensively  in  the 
raising  of  good  grades  of  stock.  He  is 
meeting  with  excellent  success  in  his  busi- 
ness affairs  and  is  ever  watchful  of  oppor- 
tunities that  will  result  beneficially  to  him. 

It  was  during  his  residence  in  Peoria 
county,  Illinois,  that  our  subject  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Nettie  Mooney,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Mooney.  Her  father 
was  prominent  and  influential  in  politics  and 
was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  city  of 
Peoria.  He  served  as  city  and  county  clerk 
and  likewise  filled  the  office  of  police  magis- 
trate. Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have 
been  born  six  daughters,  all  of  whom  now 
survive,  and  five  sons,  all  living  with  the 
exception  of  the  youngest,  namely :  Fran- 
ces, Mary  Jane,  Lena,  Thomas,  Abigail, 
Nettie,  Ella,  Henry,  Emmett,  Rosco,  and 
Eddie,  deceased.  All  the  daughters  are 
married  with  the  exception  of  Abigail. 

Mr.  Taylor  may  well  be  termed  a  self- 
made  man,  for,  coming  to  a  strange  country 
when  a  young  man,  without  capital  or 
friends  to  aid  him,  he  has  steadily  worked 
his  way  upward  from  year  to  year,  and 
today  his  excellent  farm  of  two  hundred  and 
fourteen  acres,  which  lies  on  section  35, 
Sodus  township,  is  an  indication  of  what 
he  has  accomplished  through  industry, 
economy  and  perseverance.  Almost  four 
decades  have  come  and  gone  since  he  left 


8/6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


his  native  country  and  he  has  never  felt 
regret  for  having  made  the  change,  for  here 
he  has  found  ample  opportunity  for  the  ac- 
quirement of  success  and  today  he  is  en- 
abled to  enjoy  all  the  comforts  and  many 
of  the  luxuries  of  life.  During  his  resi- 
dence in  Peoria  county,  Illinois,  he  took  a 
very  active  part  in  public  affairs  and  was 
honored  by  his  fellow  citizens  with  several 
public  offices,  serving  his  township  as  col- 
lector, road  commissioner,  drain  commis- 
sioner and  he  likewise  served  as  school  trus- 
tee. In  all  these  positions  he  was  as  reliable 
and  straightforward  as  in  carrying  on  his 
private  business  interests,  and  thus  gave  to 
the  public  general  satisfaction. 

ADAM  ENDERS  was  one  of  the  old 
settlers  of  Berrien  county  and  a  self-made 
man,  who  owed  his  success  entirely  to  his 
own  efforts.  He  utilized  the  means  at  hand 
for  advancement  and  through  diligence  and 
perseverance  worked  his  way  upward.  He 
was  born  in  Limbach,  Nassau,  Germany, 
March  20,  1825,  and  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1848,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
three  years.  His  sister  Dorothy,  the  wife  of 
Jacob  Hiler,  had  lived  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship for  three  or  four  years  and  it  was  this 
that  led  Adam  Enders  to  locate  in  this  lo- 
cality. He  worked  at  the  shoemaker's  trade 
in  Bainbridge,  and  being  an  expert  work- 
man secured  a  good  patronage  in  that  line. 

On  the  7th  of  June,  1849,  Mr.  Enders 
was  married  to  Miss  Theresa  Solomon.  He 
secured  fifteen  acres  of  land  in  Bainbridge 
township  but  afterward  sold  that  property 
and  bought  what  is  known  as  the  present 
homestead  farm  in  Watervliet  township,  two 
miles  south  of  Coloma.  His  wife  was  two 
months  his  junior  and  came  to  America 
from  Germany  with  lier  mother.  Philip 
Enders,  a  brother  of  Adam  Enders,  was  also 
of  the  party.  Philip  Enders  had  lost  his 
wife  in  Germany  and  his  two  children  were 
cared  for  by  Mrs.  Solomon  and  her  daughter 
Theresa.  Philip  Enders  was  a  tailor  by 
trade  and  on  coming  to  Michigan  settled  in 
Keeler  township,  Van  Buren  county,  where 
he  lived  to  an  advanced  age. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adam  Enders  began  their 
domestic  life  upon  a  farm,  and  in  185 1  he 


purchased  eighty  acres  on  contract.  In  the 
early  years  of  his  residence  the  crops  were 
poor  and  he  had  hard  luck.  He  lived  in  a 
log  cabin  and  worked  persistently  and  ener- 
getically. His  life  record  proves  that  unfal- 
tering diligence  and  strong  determination 
will  overcome  all  obstacles.  As  the  years 
passed  his  financial  resources  were  somewhat 
increased,  and  in  1864  he  was  able  to  build 
the  main  part  of  the  present  residence  which 
stands  upon  the  old  home  farm,  paying 
twenty  per  cent  interest  on  the  money.  He 
was  drafted  for  service  in  the  Civil  war  and 
it  cost  him  three  hundred  dollars  to  send  a 
substitute.  This  and  other  handships  im- 
peded his  progress  somewhat  but  he  made 
the  best  use  of  his  opportunities  and  from 
time  to  time  bought  more  land.  He  assisted 
each  one  of  his  sons  in  securing  a  farm  and 
as  time  passed  he  placed  his  own  farm  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  added  many 
modern  improvements.  His  attention  was 
given  to  the  cultivation  of  fruit  as  well  as 
grain  and  he  paid  for  the  erection  of  a  barn 
costing  seven  hundred  dollars  with  the  pro- 
ceeds of  a  peach  crop,  having  received  one 
dollar  per  peck  basket  for  his  peaches. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Enders  were  born 
ten  children  :  Kate  became  the  wife  of  Dorsy 
Arney,  now  deceased,  and  her  death  oc- 
curred when  she  was  forty-five  years  of  age. 
Henry  died  in  childhood.  Carrie  is  the  wife 
of  G.  S.  Laymore.  John  and  Will  are  living 
near  Coloma.  Jacob  is  a  merchant  at  St. 
Joseph.  Daniel  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead. Joseph  is  conducting  a  store  at  Ben- 
ton Harbor.  Mary,  twin  sister  of  Joseph, 
is  the  wife  of  George  Kenney,  and  Samuel  is 
proprietor  of  a  store  at  Coloma  but  makes 
his  home  in  St.  Joseph. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Enders  was  a 
stalwart  Republican  and  active  in  the  work 
of  the  party.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were 
members  of  the  Evangelical  association  in 
Bainbridge,  took  an  active  part  in  its  work 
and  contributed  generously  to  its  support. 
For  twenty  years  Mr.  Enders  was  class 
leader  in  the  church  and  also  was  active  in 
the  work  of  the  Sunday-school.  The  only 
original  members  of  this  church  are  Philip 
Butzbach  and  his  wife  and  Mrs.  Enders. 
Mr.  Enders  passed  away  June  2,  1889.    His 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


877 


widow,  however,  still  survives  and  is  living 
at  the  old  homestead  with  her  son,  Daniel. 
She  is  a  bright,  active  lady,  well  preserved, 
whose  life  has  been  devoted  to  her  family, 
and  throughout  the  neighborhood  in  which 
she  has  lived  she  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem. 
Mr.  Enders  was  widely  respected  as  a  man 
of  genuine  personal  worth,  whose  life  rec- 
ord demonstrated  the  value  of  labor,  economy 
and  careful  management  as  factors  in  a  suc- 
cessful business  career.  Coming  to  this 
county  in  pioneer  times  he  shared  in  the 
hardships  and  privations  incident  to  pioneer 
life  and  he  knew  what  it  was  to  be  deprived 
of  many  other  things  which  are  regarded  as 
essential  to  comfortable  living  but  he 
possessed  a  determined  purpose  and  strong 
will,  and  as  the  years  went  by  he  made  for 
himself  a  place  among  the  substantial  farm- 
ers of  the  county  and  at  the  same  time 
gained  an  honored  name. 

Daniel  Enders,  living  on  the  old  home- 
stead, was  born  January  10,  1864,  just  after 
the  new  house  had  been  completed.  He  has 
always  resided  upon  the  home  farm  and  has 
purchased  the  interest  of  the  other  heirs  in 
this  property.  He  has  also  added  twenty 
acres  adjoining,  so  that  he  now  has  eighty* 
five  acres.  This  is  a  fruit  farm,  about  fifty 
acres  being  devoted  to  fruit,  and  his  peach 
crop  in  1905  was  over  three  thousand  bush- 
els, while  his  sales  for  that  year  amounted  to 
about  twenty-five  hundred  dollars.  He  is 
also  well  known  as  a  melon  raiser  and  his  ef- 
forts in  this  direction  have  brought  him  over 
five  hundred  dollars  in  a  single  season.  He 
likewise  raises  grain  and  hay  and  has  a  splen- 
didly developed  farm,  a  glance  at  the  place 
indicating  that  he  is  thoroughly  familiar 
with  progressive  methods  of  agriculture  and 
of  horticulture. 

In  September,  1890,  Mr.  Enders  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Hulda  Shiflet, 
who  was  born  in  Eau  Claire,  Michigan. 
Their  children  are  Cleo,  Harold,  Clifford  and 
Jennie.  Mr.  Enders  is  a  Republican  and  has 
attended  some  of  the  conventions  of  his 
party.  He  has  filled  a  number  of  township 
ofBces  and  has  served  in  various  school  offi- 
ces, the  cause  of  education  finding  in  him  a 
v^arm  and  stalwart  friend.  He  is  a  worthy 
representative  of  a  prominent  pioneer  family. 


the  name  of  Enders  having  been  closely  and 
honorably  associated  with  substantial  pro- 
gress in  this  part  of  the  State  for  almost  six 
decades. 

WILLIAM  WALTON,  who  was  one  of 
the  leading  citizens  of  Berrien  county  in 
earlier  years  and  aided  in  promoting  its  sub- 
stantial improvement  and  business  progress, 
was  born  in  Cumberland  county,  England, 
December  8,  1806,  and  died  upon  his  farm 
on  section  36,  Lake  township,  August  8, 
i860.  He  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  New  York 
with  his  brothers,  Richard  and  Thomas,  and 
there  remained  in  England  one  brother, 
John,  and  two  sisters,  Mary  and  Jane,  al- 
though the  last  named  afterward  became  a 
resident  of  Michigan. 

While  living  in  the  Empire  State  Wil- 
liam Walton  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs. 
Mary  Filkins  Husted,  who  was  born  in  New 
York.  She  had  three  children  by  her  former 
marriage  :  Mrs.  Louisa  Hunter,  who  is  now 
living  in  Buchanan,  Michigan;  Caroline,  de- 
ceased; and  Mrs.  Ann  Boyle,  a  resident  of 
Buchanan  township. 

The  year  1844  witnessed  the  arrival  of 
William  Walton  in  Michigan.  He  drove  all 
the  way  across  the  country  from  New  York 
and  brought  with  him  over  a  hundred  head 
of  sheep.  He  located  about  four  miles  east 
of  Berrien  Springs  and  in  1845  removed  to 
the  farm  which  has  since  been  the  family 
homestead.  He  began  its  further  develop- 
ment and  improvement,  continuing  active  in 
the  work  of  cultivation  there  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  8th  of 
August,  i860.  He  owned  two  hundred  and 
fifty- four  acres  on  section  36  and  through- 
out his  entire  life  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming,  making  all  of  the  property  himself. 
His  success  was  due  entirely  to  his  own  la- 
bors and  he  deserves  classification  with  the 
representative  citizens  of  Berrien  county, 
whose  labors  have  been  of  direct  and  last- 
ing benefit  in  its  substantial  improvement. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walton  were  born 
six  children :  Richard,  who  was  born  No- 
vember 5,  1843,  ^^d  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead; William  Henry,  who  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 17,  1845,  ^^d  is  also  living  on  the  old 
home  farm ;  Thomas,  who  was  born  August 


878 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


25,  1846,  and  died  on  the  4th  of  December 
following;  Mrs.  Sarah  Jane  Boyle,  of  We- 
saw  township,  who  was  born  January  8, 
1848;  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Witt,  of  Port  Alle- 
gany, Pennsylvania,  born  July  10,  1849; 
and  Thomas  Filkins,  who  was  born  February 
6,  1850,  and  is  living  in  Lake  township. 

William  and  Richard  Walton  own  and 
operate  the  old  home  farm  and  are  enter- 
prising agriculturists.  The  latter  was  mar- 
ried in  1870  to  Miss  Lucincla  Allen,  a  native 
of  Schoharie  county.  New  York,  who  came 
with  her  mother  to  Michigan.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Ruth  Allen. 

Following  his  arrival  in  this  county  Wil- 
liam Walton,  the  father,  took  up  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty-five  acres  of  timber  land,  of 
which  about  fifteen  acres  had  been  cleared, 
while  a  cabin  had  been  erected  thereon.  He 
cleared  the  farm  and  placed  it  under  culti- 
vation with  the  aid  of  his  sons,  the  three 
w^orking  harmoniously  together  in  the  con- 
duct of  their  agricultural  interests.  Three 
good  dwellings  have  been  built  upon  the  farm 
by  William  and  Richard  Walton  and  other 
excellent  improvements  have  been  made. 
The  brothers  are  now  engaged  in  the  raising 
of  grain,  fruit  and  stock  and  are  carefully 
conducting  their  business  affairs.  Both  are 
independent  in  politics  as  far  as  regards  of- 
fice holding,  but  in  matters  of  citizenship  re- 
lating to  substantial  improvement  and  up- 
building they  take  a  deep  interest  and  co- 
operate in  many  movements  for  the  public 
good. 

ALBERT  E.  CHAUNCEY,  of  the 
firm  of  Chauncey  &  Baldwin,  general  mer- 
chants of  Bridgman,  possesses  the  enter- 
prising spirit  which  keeps  him  in  touch  with 
modern  progress  in  the  business  world,  and 
in  the  management  of  his  store  he  is  alert 
and  energetic,  so  that  a  desirable  and  grati- 
fying measure  of  success  is  attending  his 
efforts.  He  was  born  in  Lincoln  township, 
this  county,  November  24,  1868.  He  pa- 
ternal grandfather.  Mica j ah  Chauncey,  died 
when  on  his  way  to  California.  The  vessel 
on  which  he  sailed  was  shipwrecked  and  he 
w-as  buried  on  an  island  in  the  sea.  His  son, 
Edmund  Chauncey,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  North  Carolina  in   1825,  and 


when  only  three  years  of  age  was  taken  by 
his  parents  to  Indiana,  the  journey  being 
made  in  a  wagon  after  the  primitive  manner 
of  travel  at  that  time.  The  family  became 
residents  of  St.  Joseph  in  1836.  He  lived 
upon  the  present  site  of  Benton  Harbor, 
wdiere  he  and  his  father  each  had  eighty  acres 
of  land,  for  the  city  had  not  yet  been  laid 
out.  This  land  they  cleared  and  improved 
and  Edmund  Chauncey  there  resided  until 
after  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when 
he  went  to  California  but  still  retained  the 
ownership  of  property  in  this  county.  He 
married  a  Miss  Smith  and  made  the  journey 
to  the  Pacific  coast  in  1849,  spending  fifteen 
years  in  California,  during  which  time  he 
was  connected  with  various  lines  of  business. 
He  then  returned  to  Benton  Harbor,  sold  a 
part  of  his  interests  •  there  and  for  a  short 
time  lived  in  St.  Joseph,  after  which  he  re- 
moved to  a  farm  on  the  lake  shore,  whereon 
he  continued  to  live  until  1878.  He  is  now 
living  retired  and  makes  his  home  in  Bridg- 
man with  his  son.  After  losing  his  first 
wife  he  married  Miss  Matilda  Brightup,  a 
native  of  Ohio,  wdio  in  her  childhood  days 
came  with  her  parents  to  this  county,  where 
she  has  since  resided.  Edmund  Chauncey 
had  five  children  by  his  first  marriage;  and 
there  were  four  children  of  the  second  union  : 
Lulu  E.,  Estella  L.,  Florence  May  and  Al- 
bert. 

The  last  named  is  the  eldest  and  takes 
care  of  the  family.  He  was  nine  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  his  parents'  removal  to 
Lake  township,  where  he  has  since  lived. 
He  was  reared  to  the  occupation  of  farming, 
to  which  he  devoted  his  time  and  energies 
when  not  busy  with  the  duties  of  the  school- 
room. He  remained  upon  the  home  farm 
until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  went 
to  work  for  H.  N.  Chapman  in  the  store  of 
which  he  is  now  one  of  the  proprietors.  He 
remained  with  Mr.  Chapman  for  twelve 
years  as  a  clerk,  mastering  the  business  in 
principal  and  detail,  and  he  started  in  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account  as  a  general  mer- 
chant in  partnership  with  O.  A.  E.  Baldwin, 
the  father  of  his  present  partner,  upon  whose 
death  the  son  succeeded  him  in  business. 
They  carry  on  a  general  mercantile  estab- 
lishment, in  which  they  enjoy  a  liberal  pat- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


879 


roiiage,  and  they  are  also  doing  a  commis- 
sion business.  They  leased  the  Chapman 
store  four  years  ago  and  have  since  occupied 
their  present  location.  The  business  has  long 
since  reached  profitable  proportions  and  is 
constantly  growing,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
they  carry  a  large  and  well  selected  line  of 
goods  and  are  always  thoroughly  reliable  in 
their  business  methods. 

Mr.  Chauncey  votes  with  the  Republican 
party  but  his  business  duties  leave  him  no 
time  for  active  participation  in  political 
work.  He  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge 
at  Bridgman  and  to  the  Maccabee  tent  at 
Stephensville  and  is  a  valued  frater  of  those 
organizations.  He  stands  for  all  that  is  pro- 
gressive in  citizenship  as  well  as  in  business 
and  his  labors  have  been  effective  factors  in 
promoting  general  progress  as  well  as  in- 
dividual success.  Wherever  known  he  com- 
mands uniform  respect. 

CALVIN  MYERS,  deceased,  was  a  res- 
ident of  Lake  township.  His  many  good 
•qualities  won  him  the  respect  and  love  of  all 
who  knew  him,  and  his  memory  is  cherished 
by  his  friends  with  whom  he  was  closely 
associated  in  the  midst  of  a  busy,  useful 
life.  He  was  born  near  the  town  of  Wolf 
Lake,  Indiana,  December  4,  1845,  ^^^  ^^'^^^ 
the  elder  of  the  two  children  born  of  the 
marriage  of  Robert  and  Floretta  (Gardner) 
Myers,  the  brother  being  Phreortus  Myers, 
who  is  living  in  Missouri. 

The  subject  of  this  review  resided  at  the 
place  of  his  nativity  to  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years  and  acquired  his  education  in  the 
public  schools,  while  under  the  parental  roof 
he  was  trained  to  habits  of  industry,  econ- 
omy and  honesty  which,  in  later  years  proved 
valued  factors  in  his  business  life.  He  came 
to  Lake  township,  Berrien  county,  in  1866, 
arriving  in  the  month  of  November,  and 
from  that  time  until  his  death  resided  on  the 
same  farm.  He  was  the  owner  of  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  rich  and  arable  land,  of  which 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  were  com- 
prised within  the  home  farm  on  section  20, 
while  eighty  acres  is  situated  on  section  29, 
Lake  township.  He  first  purchased  forty 
acres,  on  which  stood  a  small  frame  house 


of  two  rooms,  while  a  garden  spot  had  been 
cleared.  The  remainder,  however,  was  as 
yet  unimproved.  He  came  here  with  his 
mother  and  began  life  in  the  midst  of  the 
forest,  resolutely  undertaking  the  arduous 
task  of  clearing  and  improving  a  new  farm, 
and  as  the  years  passed  his  labors  were 
crowned  with  prosperity  and  he  left  a  valu- 
able estate  of  two  hundred  acres  as  the  visi- 
ble evidence  of  his  life  of  thrift  and  in- 
dustry. He  had  brought  his  land  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  and  on  the  home 
place  he  erected  a  fine,  large  residence  wath 
substantial  outbuildings  for  the  shelter  of 
grain  and  stock.  In  addition  to  this  prop- 
erty he  owned  two  dwellings  and  a  drug 
store,  together  with  a  vacant  lot  in  Bridg- 
man. He  had  one  hundred  dollars  in  money 
when  he  came  to  the  county  and  with  that 
meager  sum  as  the  nucleus  of  his  fortune,  he 
gathered  together  a  valuable  property  and  de- 
served much  credit  for  his  success.  He  was 
also  a  stockholder  in  the  Bridgman  Canning 
Company. 

Mr.  Myers  was  interested  in  community 
affairs  and  gave  his  political  allegiance  to  the 
Democracy.  He  served  as  township  treas- 
urer for  several  years  and  in  the  discharge 
of  his  duties  was  always  prompt  and  faith- 
ful. Socially  he  was  connected  with  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

Happy  in  his  home  life,  Mr.  Myers  was 
married,  June  16,  1874,  to  Miss  Mary  M. 
Gregory,  who  was  born  in  Porter  county, 
Indiana,  December  5,  1852,  a  daughter  of 
Hiram  and  Katharine  (Spangle)  Gregory, 
who  were  natives  of  New  York,  where  they 
were  reared  and  married.  They  had  three 
children  when  they  removed  to  Indiana. 
The  father  died  in  1876  and  the  mother 
passed  away  in  Berrien  county  August  19, 
igo6.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Myers  were  born 
three  children:  Iva  F.,  the  w^ife  of  Nathan 
Shuler,  by  whom  she  has  two  children, 
Mabel  and  Earl;  Charles,  of  Chickaming 
township,  who  is  married  and  has  one  child, 
Lucile;  and  Elton,  who  is  living  with  his 
mother  and  operates  the  home  farm.  He  is 
now  serving  his  second  term  as  township 
treasurer  and  has  also  filled  the  office  of  dep- 
uty sheriff.     He  was  born  upon  the  home 


88o 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


farm  May  20,  1881,  and  was  married  to 
Flossie  Bunker,  of  South  Bend,  Indiana. 
They  have  one  daughter,  Dorothy. 

The  death  of  Calvin  Myers  occurred 
upon  the  old  homestead  August  9,  1904.  He 
was  a  man  of  benevolent,  kindly  spirit,  who 
did  much  good  in  the  world.  He  helped  the 
needy,  gave  freely  of  his  means  when  ma- 
terial assistance  was  needed  and  was  a  public- 
spirited  citizen  who  delighted  in  general 
progress  and  improvement.  He  took  an 
active  interest  in  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  and  the  Rebekah  degree,  also 
the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  and  his  sym- 
pathy was  with  all  movements  that  tended  to 
promote  the  higher  interests  and  purposes 
of  life.  His  farm  was  devoted  to  the  raising 
of  grain  and  fruit  and  his  well  directed  labors 
resulted  in  the  development  of  a  valuable 
property,  in  which  regard,  as  in  many  others, 
his  example  is  well  worthy  of  emulation. 

HENRY  K.  NOLD,  owner  and  man- 
ager of  the  Baroda  flouring  mill,  in  which 
connection  he  is  conducting  a  profitable  bus- 
iness, was  born  in  Letonia,  Columbiana 
county,  Ohio,  June  16,  1855,  and  comes  of 
Swiss  lineage.  His  paternal  great-great- 
grandfather, Timothy  Nold,  was-  a  native  of 
Switzerland  and  became  the  founder  of  the 
family  in  America,  establishing  his  home  in 
Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania.  Several  genera- 
tions of  the  family  afterward  lived  in  that 
State.  Jacob  Nold,  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  ac- 
companied his  parents  on  their  removal  to 
Ohio.  He  was  a  farmer,  miller  and  distiller 
and  those  business  interests  claimed  his 
time  and  attention  throughout  his  active  life. 
His  son,  Jacob  Nold,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Columbiana  county,  Ohio,  and  " 
afterward  lived  in  Medina  county,  that 
State,  where  he  remained  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  when  he  *  was  seventy-two 
years  of  age.  He  followed  farming  through- 
out his  entire  life  but  had  three  brothers  who 
were  millers.  Jacob  Nold  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Nancy  Kindig,  who  was 
born  in  Butler  county,  Pennsylvania,  and 
died  in  Ohio.  By  this  marriage  there  were 
nine  children :     Henry  K. ;  Lucinda,  a  resi- 


dent of  Ohio ;  Isaac,  who  follows  the  milling 
business  in  that  State ;  Lydia,  of  Ohio ;  Eliza- 
beth, of  Elkhart,  Indiana;  Kate,  of  Ohio; 
Susanna,  deceased;  Mary,  of  Indiana;  and 
Jacob,  who  is  living  upon  the  old  home  farm' 
in  Medina  county,  Ohio.  He  was  a  teacher 
for  eight  years  and  was  a  university  student. 

When  eight  years  of  age  Henry  K.  Nold 
accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal 
to  Medina,  Ohio,  and  remained  upon  the 
home  farm  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  when 
he  turned  his  attention  to  the  milling  business 
at  Wadsworth,  Ohio,  following  that  pursuit 
for  five  years.  He  then  came  to  this  county, 
where  he  lived  for  three  years,  working  at 
Stevensville  in  the  mill.  He  afterward  went 
down  the  Ohio  river  and  for  one  year  was 
employed  in  a  mill  at  Rockport,  Spencer 
county,  Indiana.  He  afterwards  spent  two 
years  at  Junction  City,  Kansas,  and  on  the 
expiration  of  that  period  settled  in  Benton 
Harbor,  where  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the 
Benton  Harbor  Milling  Company  until  1899. 
The  company  then  sold  out  and  Mr.  Nold 
in  the  same  year  purchased  the  Baroda  City 
Mills.  The  building  is  a  frame  structure, 
three  stories  and  basement,  thirty  by  forty- 
eight  feet,  and  has  a  capacity  of  fifty  barrels 
of  flour  per  day.  It  is  well  equipped  with 
good  machinery  and  the  product  finds  a  ready 
sale  on  the  market  because  of  its  excellence 
and  the  care  which  is  taken  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  the  flour. 

Mr.  Nold  was  married  in  March,  1884, 
to  Miss  Grace  Brown,  a  native  of  Elyria, 
Ohio,  who  came  to  Berrien  county  at  the  age 
of  eight  years  with  her  parents,  William 
and  Julia  (Brown)  Brown.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Nold  have  become  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren, Mabel  and  Harold,  both  at  home. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Nold  is  a  Re- 
publican and  for  one  year  served  on  the 
school  board.  He  belongs  to  the  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees  and  to  the  Congregational 
Church,  in  which  he  is  serving  as  a  trustee. 
He  has  lived  an  active  life,  making  good  use 
of  his  opportunities  and  continually  seeking 
out  broader  advantages  for  the  development 
of  his  business  interests.  He  is  now  owner 
of  one  of  the  profitable  industrial  concerns 
of  this  part  of  the  county  and  is  well  known 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


8gr 


as  a  reliable  and  enterprising  business  man 
in  the  village  of  Baroda. 

WILLIAM  A.  FEATHER,  Sr.,  liv- 
ing on  section  13,  Lake  township,  is  the 
owner  of  three  good  farms  w4iich  are  con- 
ducted along  thoroughly  progressive  and 
modern  lines  and  he  is  accounted  one  of  the 
leading  agriculturists  of  the  community.  He 
was  born  in  Oronoko  township,  this  county, 
January  15,  1858,  a  son  of  Joshua  and  Susie 
Anna  (Harner)  Feather,  of  Oronoko  town- 
ship, the  father  being  a  wealthy  farmer  of 
this  county.  In  the  family  were  six  chil- 
dren: William  A. ;  Stephen  A.,  who  resides 
in  Oronoko  township;  and  four  wdio  died  in 
childhood. 

Upon  the  home  farm  William  A.  Feather, 
Sr.,  was  reared  and  in  the  public  schools  ac- 
cjuired  his  education.  He  gave  his  father 
the  benefit  of  his  services  in  the  cultivation 
and  development  of  the  fields  until  twenty 
years  of  age,  when  he  came  to  this  township 
and  took  up  farm  work,  turning  his  atten- 
tion to  the  improvement  of  a  farm  given  him 
by  his  father.  He  came  to  his  present  farm 
fourteen  years  ago  and  has  forty-four  acres 
of  rich  land  in  the  home  place  on  section  13, 
Lake  township.  This  is  equipped  with  all 
modern  conveniences,  including  fine  build- 
ings and  the  latest  improved  machinery.  He 
has  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on 
section  12,  Lake  township,  and  property 
elsewhere,  including  eighty  acres  on  section 
24,  Lake  township,  where  his  son,  William 
A.  Feather,  Jr.,  now  resides.  He  has  al- 
together two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of 
land  and  two  lots  in  Baroda,  together  with 
a  fine  store  building  and  a  house  and  lot  in 
the  town.  The  home  place  is  operated  as  a 
fruit  farm,  a  specialty  being  made  of  the  pro- 
duction of  grapes,  pears,  plums  and  cherries. 
Only  the  best  nursery  stock  is  used  and  good 
crops  are  annually  gathered.  All  his  farm- 
ing interests  are  capably  conducted  and  Mr. 
Feather  ranks  w4th  the  leading  agriculturists 
and  horticulturists  of  this  part  of  the  State. 

In  1878  Mr.  Feather  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mary  Shafer,  who  was  born  in 
Lake  township,  July  8,  -1859,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Katharine  (Boyle)  Shafer.     This 


marriage  has  been  blessed  with  twO'  children, 
William  A.,  Jr.,  and  Bertha  May.  The  son, 
a  representative  farmer  of  Lake  township, 
is  married  and  has  two  children,  Edward 
and  Joshua  Andrew,  while  the  daughter, 
B,ertha  May,  is  now  the  wife  of  Henry  G. 
Birkholz  and  they  reside  upon  the  home 
farm  w^ith  her  father. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Feather  is 
a  Democrat  and  has  held  the  office  of  town- 
ship treasurer  for  two  years,  while  for  fif- 
teen years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  board 
of  review  of  the  township.  He  is  likewise 
connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows.  He  is  interested  in  all  that 
pertains  to  general  improvement  and  up- 
building, and  his  co-operation  can  be  counted 
upon  as  a  support  to  all  plans  and  move- 
ments for  the  public  good.  In  his  business 
affairs  he  displays  keen  discrimination  and 
enterprise  and  has  today  valuable  property 
holdings. 

GEORGE  MANGOLD,  engaged  in 
general  farming  on  section  24,  Three  Oaks 
township,  is  a  native  of  Laporte,  Indiana, 
where  his  life  rocord  began  on  the  27th  of 
October,  1872.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and 
Louise  (Harrman)  Mangold,  the  former  a 
native  of  Lockport,  New  York,  and  the  lat- 
ter of  New^  Buffalo,  Michigan,  where  they 
now  reside.  The  father  was  for  a  number 
of  years  actively  engaged  in  farming  but 
is  now^  living  retired.  In  their  family  were 
eight  children :  Mrs.  Anna  Lehker,  whose 
home  is  in  Laporte  county,  Indiana ;  George 
of  this  review;  Joseph,  also  a  resident  of 
Laporte  county;  Jacob,  who  is  located  in 
Eau  Claire,  Michigan;  Frank,  whose  home 
is  in  Michigan  City,  Indiana;  Edward,  in 
Michigan  City ;  Carrie,  at  home ;  and  Henry, 
wdio  is  living  with  his  brother  George.  Dur- 
ing the  infancy  of  George  Mangold  his  par- 
ents removed  from  Indiana  to  Three  Oaks 
township,  Berrien  county,  and  he  continued 
with  them  up  to  the  time  of  his  marriage, 
when  he  started  out  upon  an.  independent 
business  career,  purchasing  his  present  farm 
of  sixty  acres  on  section  24,  Three  Oaks 
tow'Uship.  This  land  is  devoted  to  general 
agricultural  pursuits  and  in  tilling  the  soil 


56 


S82 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


lie  has  been  quite  successful,  gathering  good 
crops  as  a  reward  for  the  care  and  labor 
which  he  bestows  upon  the  fields. 

Mr.  Mangold  was  married  in  1897,  to 
Miss  Lola  Rav,  who  was  born  on  this  farm 
October  12,  1875,  a  daughter  of  George  and 
Dixie  (Blaine)  Ray,  who  died  upon  the 
farm  where  our  subject  now  resides,  when 
lifty-four  years  of  age.  His  widow  still 
survives  him  and  makes  her  home  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Mangold.  Two  children  have 
been  born  of  this  marriage,  Eva  Lucile  and 
Mildred  Aileen. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Mangold  is  an 
•earnest  Republican,  and  he  is  connected  with 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and 
the  Modern  Woodmen  camp,  at  Three  Oaks. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  at  Maple  Grove.  Both 
are  highly  esteemed  residents  of  this  com- 
munity, where  they  have  spent  their  entire 
lives  and  their  own  hospitable  home  is  a 
favorite  resort  with  many  who  know  them. 

SYLVESTER  SHEDD  is  one  of  the 
native  sons  of  Berrien  county  and  his  life 
has  been  devoted  to  agricultural  interests 
that  contribute  to  the  sum  total  of  general 
development  and  progress  in  this  portion  of 
the  State.  He  was  born  July  22,  185 1,  up- 
on the  farm  w^hich  is  stil  his  home,  situated 
on  section  23,  Three  Oaks  township.  His 
^reat-grandfather,  Samuel  Shedd,  was  a  na- 
tive of  England,  and  emigrating  to  America 
became  a  man  of  position  in  New  England. 
His  paternal  grandfather,  Sylvester  Shedd, 
Sr.,  was  born  May  18,  1786.  A  native  of 
Massachucetts,  on  leaving  New  England  he 
^.emigrated  to  New  York  aiid  in  the  year  1836 
came  to  this  county.  He  found  here  a  large- 
ly wild  and  unimproved  region  and  'from 
the  government  he  entered  forty  acres  of 
land  lying  on  section  2^^^,  Three  Oaks  town- 
ship. With  the  early  development  and  im- 
provement of  the  county  he  was  closely  asso- 
ciated, reclaiming  the  wild  land  for  the 
purpose  of  cultivation  and  he  continued 
to  reside  upon  the  old  homestead  prop- 
erty until  his  death,  which  occured  on 
the  13th  of  August,  1866,  when  he  was 
eighty  years  of  age.  He  had  served 
liis    country    as    a    soldier    of    the    war    of 


18 1 2  and  was  equally  loyal  in  the  days 
of  peace.  In  early  manhood  he  w^edded 
Miss  Sallie  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, September  24,  1790,  and  died  in 
Berrien  county,  Michigan,  November  14, 
1875,  in  the  eighty-eighth  year  of  her  age. 
Both  were  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church  and  lived  lives  of  uprightness  and 
Ch:.  i^aian  virtue.  They  were  the  parents  of 
a  family  of  eight  children:  Kellog  S., 
Loammi,  Candace  S.,  Erasmus  N.,  Harry 
H.,  Cordelia,  Malinda  and  George  W. 

Of  this  number  Harry  H.  Shedd  became 
the  father  of  our  subject.  He  was  born  in 
Onondaga  county.  New  York,  January  i, 
1822,  and  when  twelve  years  of  age  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Me- 
dina county,  Ohio,  where  they  lived  for 
two  years.  He  then  came  with  the  family 
to  Michigan  and  settled  upon  a  farm  ad- 
joining that  upon  which  our  subject  now 
resides.  He  was  then  a  youth  of  fourteen 
years  and  he  shared  in  all  the  hardships  and 
privations  incideitt  to  frontier  life.  The 
family  had  remained  with  relatives  while 
the  log  cabin  was  being  built  and  then  in 
true  frontier  style  established  themselves  in 
their  new  home.  There  was  a  puncheon 
floor  and  huge  fireplace.  For  a  number  of 
years  that  cabin  continued  to  be  their  home. 
The  grandfather  had  fifty  acres  of  land  there 
and  Harry  H.  Shedd  assisted  in  the  ardu- 
ous task  of  transforming  the  raw  land  into 
richly  cultivated  fields.  At  length  he  bought 
his  time  from  his  father,  two  years  and  nine 
months  before  he  attained  his  majority.  By 
the  time  that  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age 
he  had  saved  enough  money  from  his  wages 
of  twelve  dollars  per  month,  earned  at  farm 
labor,  to  enable  him  to  buy  eighty  acres  of 
land.  He  secured  a  farm  in  Indiana  but 
afterward  sold  that  property  and  bought  his 
present  farm,  which  at  that  time  was  all 
covered  with  timber.  This  he  cleared  and 
put  under  cultivation,  erecting  the  present 
good  buildings  which  are  here  found.  The 
remainder  of  his  life  was  devoted  to  the  im- 
provement and  development  of  this  farm  and 
as  the  years  passed  by  he  converted  the  tim- 
ber tract,  which  came  into  his  possession, 
into  a  very  valuable  property,  the  fields 
yielding  him   golden   harvests  in  bountiful 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


883 


measure.  His  political  allegiance  was  given 
to  the  Republican  party  but  he  never  sought 
office  as  a  reward  for  party  fealty.  He 
married  Miss  Mary  F.  Thompson,  who  was 
born  in  Onondaga  county,  New  York,  and 
was  a  daughter  of  Charles  T.  and  Millison 
(Betts)  Thompson,  who  were  likewise  na- 
tives of  the  Empire  State.  The  death  of 
Harry  H.  Shedd  occurred  upon  the  home 
farm  in  Three  Oaks  township,  September 
17,  1902,  while  his  wife  passed  away  there 
March  9,  1888,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years. 
In  the  family  were  two  children,  Sylvester 
and  Jennie,  the  latter  now  living  with  her 
brother. 

Sylvester  Shedd,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  has  always  resided  in  Berrien 
county  upon  the  farm  which  is  now  his 
home,  with  the  exception  of  about  three 
months  spent  in  southern  Minnesota.  He 
has  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  land 
on  section  23,  Three  Oaks  township,  and 
because  of  the  many  springs  of  good  run- 
ning water  upon  the  place  he  has  called  it 
the  Springhill  farm.  He  has  about  ninety 
acres  under  cultivation  and  is  also  engaged 
quite  extensively  in  the  raising  of  stock, 
making  a  specialty  of  polled  Durham  cattle. 
His  fields  yield  rich  crops  in  return  for  the 
care  and  cultivation  he  bestows  upon  them. 
Through  the  rotation  of  crops  and  through 
the  judicious  use  of  modern  methods  he  has 
kept  his  farm  in  very  productive  condition 
and  everything  about  his  place  indicates  his 
careful  supervision. 

In  politics  Mr.  Shedd  is  an  independent 
Republican  and  socially  is  connected  with 
Three  Oaks  lodge,  No.  44,  I.  O.  O.  F. 
Having  spent  almost  his  entire  life  in  this 
section  of  the  State  he  is  widely  known  as  a 
man  of  strong  purpose  and  indefatigable 
energy  who  has  made  good  use  of  his  time 
and  opportunities  and  is  now  one  of  the  re- 
liable and  substantial  agriculturists  of  this 
portion  of  the  State. 

GAREY  DONNER,  who  for  thirty- 
seven  years  has  made  his  home  in  Berrien 
county,  now  living  on  section  1 1,  Three  Oaks 
township,  was  born  in  Montgomery  county, 
Pennsylvania,  September  2,  1842,  and  was 
only  six  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the  re- 


moval of  his  parents  to  Niagara  county. 
New  York.  He  is  a  son  of  Nicholas  and 
Mary  (Sterns)  Donner,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Germany,  where  the}^  were  reared 
and  married.  Both  spent  their  last  days  in 
Niagara  county.  New  York,  the  father  pass- 
ing away  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years, 
while  the  mother  lived  to  the  very  advanced 
age  of  ninety-four  years.  They  were  farm- 
ing people  and  were  respected  for  many 
good  traits  of  character.  In  the  family  were 
thirteen  children.  Garey  Donner  was  the 
sixth  in  order  of  birth  and  was  one  of  twins. 
There  were  eleven  sons  and  two  daughters, 
and  six  of  the  family  are  still  living.  He  re- 
mained a  resident  of  Niagara  county.  New 
York,  from  the  age  of  six  years  until  his  re- 
moval to  Michigan  in  1869.  He  was  then 
about  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  and  since 
that  time  he  has  lived  continuously  in  Three 
Oaks  township.  He  first  purchased  forty 
acres  of  the  old  home  place,  which  had  once 
been  cut  over  but  the  land  was  uncultivated 
and  all  the  modern  equipments  have  been 
placed  here  by  the  present  owner.  In  the 
course  of  years  he  bought  twenty  acres  ad- 
ditional and  then  a  second  twenty  acres,  so 
that  he  now  has  eighty  acres  in  his  home 
place  on  section  11,  Three  Oaks  township. 
He  has  placed  the  entire  farm  under  culti- 
vation and  has  erected  the  present  good 
buildings.  He  has  also  purchased  forty 
acres  of  land  on  section  13,  Three  Oaks 
township,  and  now  has  a  total  holding  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  all  of  which 
has  been  converted  into  well  tilled  fields 
with  the  exception  of  twenty  acres.  This 
is  muck  land,  part  of  which  is  all  covered 
with  grass,  while  the  remainder  of  it  is  de- 
voted to  raising  of  cabbage.  He  has  a  grain 
and  stock  farm  and  finds  both  branches  of 
his  business  profitable,  annually  harvesting 
good  crops  and  selling  much  stock. 

Mr.  Donner  was  married  in  1867,  to 
Miss  Thankful  Snedker,  who  was  born  in 
Erie  county,  New  York,  August  11,  1843, 
a  daughter  of  Washington  and  Sarah 
Snedker.  They  have  nine  children :  Mrs. 
Annie  Marx,  who  is  a  widow  residing  with 
her  father;  Jacob,  living  in  Three  Oaks; 
Frank;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Grigg  Burgess, 
of  Galien  township;  Josephine,  the  wife  of 


884 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Mathias  Rist,  of  Three  Oaks;  Henry,  also 
of  Three  Oaks;  Margaret  the  wife  of 
Stephen  Baker,  of  Millville;  Michigan; 
Irena  and  Emma  both  at  home. 

The  parents  are  communicants  of  the 
Cathohc  Church.  Mr.  Donner  votes  with 
the  Democracy  and  has  served  as  school 
officer  and  as  highway  commissioner  for 
one  term  but  has  not  been  a  politician  in  the 
sense  of  office  seeking.  He  came  to  Michi- 
gan when  a  young  man,  and  as  the  years 
have  gone  by  he  has  improved  the  natural 
resources  of  the  State  for  agricultural  de- 
velopment and  has  converted  his  land  into 
a  productive  farm,  which  annually  gives 
him  a  good  income. 

UDORUS  E.  TROWBRIDGE,  a  rep- 
resentative agriculturist  living  in  Three 
Oaks  township,  where  he  owns  and  operates 
forty  acres  of  land  on  section  9,  was  born 
in  Olive  township,  St.  Joseph  county,  In- 
diana, June  I,  1848.  His  parents  were  John 
and  Julia  Ann  (Snider)  Trowbridge,  the 
former  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  near  Dayton. 
Mrs.  Trowbridge  went  to  Marshall  county, 
Indiana,  with  her  parents  in  1833  and  is  now 
the  oldest  resident  of  that  county,  having 
for  seventy-three  years  made  her  home  with- 
in its  borders.  She  has  reached  the  age  of 
eighty-one  years  but  her  husband  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  In  their 
family  were  the  following  children : 
Josephus,  now  living  in  Marshall  county, 
Indiana;  Udorus  E.,  of  this  review;  Leroy, 
who  has  also  passed  away;  Louis,  of  Mar- 
shall county,  Indiana;  Mrs.  Alvira  Larkin; 
Adam,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years; 
and  Mrs.  Emma  Ashley,  living  in  South 
Bend,  Indiana. 

Mr.  Trowbridge,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  spent  the  first  twenty  years  of 
his  life  upon  a  farm  in  his  native  county, 
early  becoming  familiar  with  the  duties  and 
labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agricultur- 
ist, while  in  the  public  schools  he  acquired 
his  education.  When  a  young  man  of 
twenty  years  he  left  home  and  started  out 
upon  an  independent  business  career.  Re- 
moving to  Three  Oaks  he  worked  in  the 
featherbone  factory  for  sixteen  years.  He 
then  purchased  a  farm  in  connection  with 


his  brother-in-law,  William  Sittig,  and 
thus  cultivated  a  tract  of  land  of  ninety-four 
and  a  half  acres,  being  engaged  in  the 
further  development  and  improvement  of 
that  place  until  the  fall  of  1905,  when  he 
sold  out  and  purchased  his  present  farm  in 
December,  1905.  In  March,  1906,  he  lo- 
cated upon  this  farm,  which  comprises  forty 
acres  on  section  9,  Three  Oaks  township,, 
all  of  which  is  under  cultivation.  There  is 
an  apple  orchard  of  five  acres  and  the  fields 
are  well  tilled,  while  upon  the  place  are  good 
modern  improvements.  Mr.  Trowbridge 
gives  his  entire  attention  to  the  farm  and 
already  it  shows  the  result  of  his  careful 
supervision,  progressive  methods  and  ex- 
cellent improvements. 

On  the  loth  of  July,  1886,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  Udorus  E.  Trow- 
bridge and  Miss  Caroline  Sittig,  who  was 
born  in  Three  Oaks  township,  April  26, 
1868,  and  is  a  daughter  of  George  and  Bar- 
bara Sittig,  in  whose  family  were  six  chil- 
dren, William,  John,  Edward,  George,  Mrs. 
Caroline  Trowbridge  and  Mrs.  Bertha 
Noller. 

Mr.  Trowbridge  votes  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party  on  national  questions  but  casts 
an  independent  ballot  where  no  issues  are 
involved.  He  manifests  the  interest  of  a 
public-spirited  citizen  in  all  matters  relating 
to  the  general  welfare  but  has  no  desire  for 
office.  He  and  his  family  are  all  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  he 
belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  at  Three  Oaks.  His  life  has  been 
worthily  spent  and  his  time  has  been  actively 
employed  in  earnest,  persistent  labor  since 
he  started  out  on  his  own  account. 

CHRISTIAN  LUSSO  owns  and  oper- 
ates a  farm  of  forty  acres  on  section  10, 
Three  Oaks  township.  This  constitutes  a 
well  improved  place  and  indicates  the  care- 
ful supervision  of  the  owner  in  its  neat  ap- 
pearance and  well  tilled  fields.  A  native  of 
Germany,  he  was  born  in  Mecklenberg,  on 
the  25th  of  June,  1838,  and  was  reared  to 
farm  life.  His  parents  were  Charles  and 
Dora  (Petcho)  Lusso,  who  were  likewise 
natives  of  Mecklenberg.  They  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1865,  and  spent  their  re- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


885 


maining  days  in  Berrien  county,  the  father 
passing  way  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years, 
while  his  wiie  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-one 
years.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren :  Fred,  a  substantial  farmer  who  died 
here  in  1905;  John,  living  in  Minnesota; 
August,  a  well-to-do  farmer,  who  died  here 
in  1904;  Christian,  of  this  review;  Mrs. 
Christian  Schile,  of  Three  Oaks;  and  Mrs. 
Mary  Heise,  the  wife  of  Louis  Heise,  who 
is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Christian  Lusso  was  reared  to  farm  life, 
and  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  his  native 
country  continued  his  studies  in  the  public 
schools  between  the  ages  of  six  and  fourteen 
years.  He  afterward  gave  his  undivided 
attention  to  farm  labor  and  remained  a  resi- 
dent of  Mecklenberg  until  twenty-seven 
years  of  age.  In  1865  he  came  to  the  United 
States  with  his  parents,  landing  at  New 
York  on  the  31st  of  January,  of  that  year. 
Making  his  way  direct  to  Michigan,  he  has 
since  lived  in  Three  Oaks  township  and 
throughout  the  entire  period  has  devoted  his 
time  and  energies  to  general  agricultural 
pursuits.  As  he  was  in  limited  financial 
circumstances  at  the  time  of  his  arrival  he 
rented  land  for  sixteen  years  and  then  hav- 
ing acquired  a  capital  sufficient  to  enable 
him  to  purchase  property  he  bought  forty 
acres  on  section  10,  Three  Oaks  township, 
now  constituting  a  well  improved  place. 
To  its  further  development  and  cultivation 
he  has  given  his  energies  with  the  result  that 
he  has  transformed  it  into  a  very  productive 
tract. 

In  1 86 1  Mr.  Lusso  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mary  Witt,  who  was  born  in 
Mecklenberg  in  1838,  a  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Mary  (Michaels)  Witt,  who  always  re- 
mained residents  of  the  fatherland.  The 
home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lusso  has  been 
blessed  with  eight  children :  Minnie,  who 
was  married  and  died  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
two  years,  leaving  two  children;  Fred,  a 
resident  of  Minnesota;  Mary,  the  wife  of 
Ernest  Sylvester,  of  Maine;  William,  who 
is  working  with  his  father  on  a  farm ;  Annie, 
the  wife  of  Edward  McCarty,  of  Indiana; 
Louis,  who  is  located  in  North  Dakota; 
Albert,  w4io  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-three 
years;  and  Emma,  at  home. 


In  his  political  views  Mr.  Lusso  is  a 
Republican  and  as  every  true  American  citi- 
zen should  do,  keeps  well  informed  on  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day  but  political 
office  and  emoluments  have  no  attraction  for 
him.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  and  is  interested  in  all  that  pertains 
to  the  intellectual,  material  and  moral  pro- 
gress of  his  community.  A  self-made  man, 
he  has  depended  entirely  upon  his  own  re- 
sources from  an  early  age  without  looking 
for  outside  aid  or  pecuniary  assistance  from 
his  family  and  a  resolute  will  and  determi- 
nation have  enabled  him  to  make  steady  pro- 
gress toward  the  goal  of  success. 

SAMUEL  J.  RECTOR.  During  the 
pioneer  epoch  in  the  history  of  Berrien 
county  the  Rector  family  was  founded  with- 
in its  borders  by  David  S.  Rector,  the  father 
of  him  whose  name  introduces  this  review, 
and  who  was  a  native  of  Sodus,  Wayne 
county.  New  York.  He  took  an  active  and 
prominent  part  in  the  development  of  this 
section  of  the  state,  aided  in  transforming 
its  wild  lands  into  rich  farms  and  in  other 
ways  promoted  the  progress  and  advance- 
ment which  made  a  once  wild  region  the 
home  of  a  contented,  prosperous  people.  In 
1835  he  arrived  in  St.  Joseph,  Berrien  coun- 
ty, Michigan,  and  assisted  in  surveying  the 
first  roads  in  the  county.  For  a  time  he 
was  engaged  in  boating  on  the  St.  Joseph 
river,  but  in  the  fall  of  1835  he  was  taken 
ill  with  Michigan  fever  and  ague  and  was 
obliged  to  return  to  his  home  in  New  York, 
wdiere  he  remained  until  the  spring  of  the 
following  year.  Coming  again  to  Berrien 
county,  he  established  his  home  in  Sodus 
township,  where  he  secured  forty  acres  of 
land  from  the  government,  and  remained 
thereon  for  forty  years  ere  he  returned  to 
his  old  home  in  the  Empire  state  for  a  visit. 
He  was  prominently  identified  with  much  of 
the  early  history  of  the  county,  and  it  was 
he  who  gave  to  the  township  the  name  of 
Sodus.  He  held  many  of  the  local  offices 
in  those  early  days  when  Pipestone  and 
Sodus  were  one  township,  and  his  name  is 
deeply  engraved  on  the  pages  of  its  early 
history.  He  was  born  on  the  14th  of  July, 
18 14,  and  his  death  occurred  September  28, 


886 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


1889,  after  a  long  and  useful  career,  his  life 
having  been  an  exemplary  one. and  in  harm- 
ony with  the  principles  of  the  Masonic 
order,  of  which  he  w^as  long  a  member.  His 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah 
Tabor,  was  a  native  of  New  York  and  came 
to  Berrien  county  with  her  parents  during 
the  early  settlement  of  the  county,  they, 
too,  being  numbered  among  its  honored  pio- 
neers. She  was  born  in  181 8,  and  her 
death  occurred  on  the  14th  of  November, 
1897.  In  their  family  were  nine  children, 
five  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  of  whom 
are  living  at  this  writing  and  all  were  born 
on  the  old  family  homestead  where  our  sub- 
ject now  resides. 

Samuel  J.  Rector,  their  eighth  child  and 
youngest  son,  was  reared  on  the  old  Rector 
homestead  in  Sodus  township  and  educated 
in  its  district  schools.  He  was  reared  amid 
the  wild  scenes  of  frontier  life,  and  aided 
in  the  ardous  task  of  clearing  wild  land  and 
converting  it  into  rich  and  productive  fields. 
He  has  a  fine  fruit  farm  of  seventy-seven 
and  a  half  acres,  where  he  raises  many 
varieties  of  fruit,  including  peaches,  apples, 
grapes,  berries,  etc.  He  gives  his  political 
support  to  the  Democracy,  and  as  the  repre- 
sentative of  his  party  has  held  the  office  of 
highway  commissioner. 

On  the  14th  of  September,  1899,  Mr. 
Rector  married  Florence  E.  Griffith,  a  na- 
tive of  Missouri,  and  they  have  no  children 
living. 

ERASMUS  S.  HECKMAN,  residing 
on  section  16,  Three  Oaks  township,  where 
he  devotes  his  time  and  energies  to  general 
farming,  was  born  in  Galena  township,  La- 
porte  county,  Indiana,  April  19,  1856.  His 
parents  were  Theodru  A.  and  Rachel  (Pad- 
dock) Heckman,  the  former  a  native  of 
Franklin  county,  Virginia,  and  the  latter  of 
Onondaga  county.  New  York.  In  1833  the 
father  came  with  his  parents  to  Michigan, 
the  family  home  being  established  near 
Niles.  He  was  then  a  youth  of  fourteen 
years.  In  1836  he  went  to  Laporte  county, 
Indiana,  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days. 
He  was  there  married  and  died,  passing 
aw^ay  in  1902.     For  many  years  he  carried 


on  farming  extensively  and  was  very  suc- 
cessful in  his  operations  as  an  agricuUurist. 
He  had  a  very  wide  and  favorable  acquaint- 
ance in  Laporte  county  and  contributed  in 
substantial  measure  to  the  pioneer  develop- 
ment and  the  later-day  progress  and  im- 
provement of  the  county.  His  wife,  wha 
was  born  in  1822,  came  to  Michigan  by 
water  about  1840,  her  destination  being  New 
Buffalo.  She  was  married  in  Laporte 
county,  Indiana,  and  there  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy  years.  Her  people  traced  their 
ancestry  back  to  the  time  of  the  landing  of 
the  Pilgrims  at  Plymouth  Rock,  and  they 
were  of  Scotch  descent.  The  Heckmans, 
however,  were  of  Dutch  lineage,  and  the 
grandfather  of  our  subject  spoke  the  Ger- 
man language  altogether.  In  the  family  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Theodru  Heckman  were 
eleven  children,  of  whom  six  are  now  liv- 
ing, three  brothers  being  still  in  Laporte 
county,  while  one  sister  is  in  that  county 
and  one  in  Chicago. 

Erasmus  S.  Heckman  remained  upon  his 
father's  farm  in  the  county  of  his  nativity 
until  1 88 1,  when,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five 
years^  he  came  to  Berrien  county  and  took 
up  his  abode  in  Three  Oaks  township,  where 
he  purchased  one  hundred  and  forty-three 
acres  of  valuable  land,  afterward  trading  the 
same  for  his  present  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty-one  acres  on  section  16,  Three 
Oaks  township.  He  has  resided  for  ten 
years  upon  the  present  farm  and  keeps  all 
of  the  buildings  and  fences  upon  his  place 
in  good  repair,  while  everything  is  char- 
acterized by  neatness.  Careful  management 
and  practical  methods  are  noted  in  the  ex- 
cellent appearance  of  the  farm  and  in  the 
management  of  his  property  Mr.  Heckman 
is  meeting  with  excellent  success.  He  con- 
ducts a  dairy  as  well  as  carrying  on  general 
farming  and  uses  about  eighteen  hundred 
pounds  of  milk  per  week,  which  he  supplies 
to  the  Three  Oaks  creamery.  This  branch 
of  his  business  is  proving  profitable  and  his 
fields  also  return  golden  harvests,  as  a  re- 
ward for  the  care  and  labor  which  he  be- 
stows upon  them. 

Mr.  Heckman  was  married  in  1884,  to 
Miss  Mattie  A.  Cady,  who    was    born    m 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


887 


Three  Oaks  township  in  1862,  and  has  al- 
ways resided  here.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Harvy  Cady,  who  was  a  native  of  New 
York  and  became  a  pioneer  settler  of  Ber- 
rien county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Heckman  have 
two  children,  Levi  D.  and  Theo  E.  The 
former  is  a  graduate  of  the  high  school  at 
Three  Oaks  and  for  a  time  engaged  in  teach- 
ing but  is  now  occupying  a  clerical  position 
with  the  featherbone  company. 

When  the  question  of  good  government 
and  efiicient  public  service  rather  than  poli- 
tics seemed  to  be  the  dominant  thought  in 
the  public  mind,  Mr.  Heckman  was  nomi- 
nated by  '*good  roads  caucus"  and  elected 
supervisor  upon  the  people's  ticket.  He  has 
filled  the  office  for  four  consecutive  terms, 
having  first  been  elected  seven  years  ago 
and  again  chosen  for  the  office  at  three  suc- 
ceeding elections.  In  all  matters  pertaining 
to  the  general  welfare  he  has  taken  a  deep 
interest,  studying  closely  the  needs  of  the 
public  and  putting  forth  his  most  earnest 
effort  for  advancement  along  lines  of  gen- 
eral improvement.  He  was  a  Mason  in 
Indiana,  and  taking  a  demit,  united  with  the 
lodge  in  Three  Oaks,  acting  as  secretary  for 
several  years.  Mr.  Heckman  is  well  known 
in  his  section  of  the  county  as  a  good  busi- 
ness man,  thoroughly  reliable,  as  a  loyal 
citizen  and  as  one  who  has  gained  warm 
friendships  through  the  possession  of  sterl- 
ing traits  of  character. 

FRED  DEIDRICH,  whose  home  is  on 
section  9,  Three  Oaks  township,  his  atten- 
tion being  given  to  the  further  development 
and  improvement  of  his  farm  of  sixty-seven 
acres,  was  born  in  Wildberg,  Prussia,  Ger- 
many, near  the  village  of  Trupto,  January 
4,  1832.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary 
(Paselt)  Deidrich,  also  of  Prussia.  The 
year  1853  ^^^^Y  became  residents  of  the 
United  States  and  both  died  in  Berrien 
county.  They  had  tw^o  children,  but  the 
daughter  Mary  is  now  deceased. 

Between  the  ages  of  six  and  fourteen 
years  Fred  Deidrich  was  a  student  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  land.  He  then 
started  to  earn  his  own  living  and  worked 
at  farm  labor  until  he  came  to  the  United 
States,   with   the  exception   of  three  years 


spent  in  the  German  army  in  accordance 
with  the  military  laws  of  the  land.  It  was 
in  the  year  1863  that  he  sailed  for  the  United 
States,  taking  passage  at  Hamburg.  At 
length  he  landed  at  New  York  and  joined 
his  parents  who  had  preceded  him  to  Ameri^ 
ca  ten  years  before.  He  made  his  wa3r 
direct  to  Three  Oaks,  wdiere  he  has  resided 
continuously  since.  For  seven  years  he 
worked  on  a  railroad  as  a  section  hand  and 
saving  his  earnings  during  that  period  he 
purchased  twenty-seven  acres  of  land  where 
he  now  resides  on  section  9,  Three  Oaks 
tow^nship.  To  this  he  has  added  as  his 
financial  resoruxes  have  increased  until  he 
is  now  the  owner  of  sixty-seven  acres.  He 
has  cleared  the  greater  part  of  it,  placing^ 
it  under  cultivation,  and  has  erected  good' 
buildings  and  also  set  out  fruit  trees.  The 
farm  is  splendidly  improved  and  his  entire 
time  is  devoted  to  its  further  development 
and  cultivation.  It  is  the  visible  evidence 
of  his  life  of  enterprise  and  energy  and  his 
years  have  been  crowned  with  a  measure  of 
success  that  shows  that  he  has  worked  dili- 
gently and  persistently. 

Mr.  Deidrich  was  married,  in  1866,  to 
Miss  Mary  Scholl,  who  was  born  in  Prussia 
and  came  to  the  United  States  with  her 
brother.  The  children  of  this  marriage  are 
Charles,  William  and  Albert,  who  are  resi- 
dents of  Three  Oaks  township;  August  at 
home;  and  Fred  J.,  who  resides  at  home  and 
is  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Three  Oaks. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Deidrich  is  a: 
Democrat  and  belongs  to  the  German  Luth- 
eran Church.  He  has  never  sought  to  figure 
prominently  in  public  life  but  has  mani- 
fested the  sterling  traits  of  a  good  citizen 
who  is  public-spirited  and  desires  the  wel- 
fare of  the  community. 

CHARLES  VOLLMANN  is  a  self- 
made  man,  who  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years 
started  out  in  life  on  his  ow^n  account.  He 
knows  what  earnest,  persistent  labor  is  and 
that  unceasing  toil  is  a  sure  and  safe  foun- 
dation upon  which  to  build  success.  He  was 
born  in  New  Miltzow,  Prussia,  Germany^ 
November  5,  1854,  his  parents  being  John 
and  Emma  (Stanke)  Vollmann,  both  of 
whom  died  in  this  township,  the  father  pass- 


1888 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


ing  awa}^  when  fifty-four  years  of  age,  while 
his  wife's  death  occurred  when  she  was 
forty-two  years  of  age.  In  their  family  were 
four  children  :  Charles ;  August,  who  went 
west  and  has  not  been  heard  from  in  twenty 
years;  Mrs.  Emma  Prange,  of  Toledo, 
Ohio;  and  Mrs.  Lena  Nicholas,  living  at 
Central  Lake,  Michigan. 

Charles  Vollmann,  in  accordance  with 
cue  law^s  of  his  native  country,  spent  the 
years  between  the  ages  of  six  and  fourteen 
years  in  school.  He  then  sailed  upon  a 
merchant's  ship  and  continued  upon  the 
water  until  his  parents  emigrated  to  the  new 
world  in  1872,  wdien  he  came  to  Michigan 
and  has  since  been  a  resident  of  Berrien 
county.  The  family  made  their  way  direct 
to  Three  Oaks  and  Charles  Vollmann  be- 
gan work  on  the  railroad  as  a  section  hand 
and  extra  man,  being  thus  employed  for  six 
or  seven  years.  He  also  worked  in  the  mills 
at  Three  Oaks  for  several  years  but  ambi- 
tious to  engage  in  farming  on  his  own  ac- 
count he  rented  his  father-in-law's  place 
which  he  cultivated  for  eiglit  years.  He 
then  purchased  the  property,  becoming  the 
ow^ner  of  sixty  acres  of  good  land  on  sec- 
tion 3,  Three  Oaks  township.  This  is  a 
valuable  property  well  improved  and  he  car- 
ries on  general  farming,  carefully  cultivat- 
ing the  fields,  wdiich  promise  golden  harvests 
for  the  autumn.  His  farm  is  a  monument 
to  his  life  of  thrift,  industry  and  diligence. 

On  the  23d  of  October,  '1877,  Mr.  Voll- 
mann w^as  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary 
Wagner,  wdio  w^as  born  on  the  farm  where 
they  still  make  their  home.  May  i,  1856. 
Her  parents  were  Carl  and  Mary  (Died- 
rich)  Wagner,  who  w-ere  natives  of  Prussia 
and  were  married  in  that  country.  Coming 
to  the  United  States  they  took  up  their 
abode  in  Laporte,  Indiana,  in  1853,  and 
after  a  year  and  a  half  spent  in  that  State 
removed  to  Michigan.  They  lived  for  a  long 
period  upon  the  farm  which  is  now  the 
property  of  Mr.  Vollmann  and  both  died 
upon  the  old  homestead  when  about  fifty- 
seven  years  of  age.  They  W'Cre  early  and 
respected  residents  of  this  locality  and  they 
here  reared  a  family  of  eight  children, 
namelv:     Mrs.  Minnie  Schneider,    w^ho    is 


living  in  Michigan  City ;  Mrs.  Bertha  Buehr- 
ing,  also  living  in  Michigan  City;  Charles, 
of  this  review^;  Mrs.  Anna  Green,  of  Michi- 
gan City ;  August,  a  resident  of  Three  Oaks ; 
Charles,  also  of  Michigan  City;  Henry,  wdio 
is  living  in  Chicago;  and  Albert.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Vollman  have  been  born  three 
children :  Lydia,  the  wife  of  Carl  Nien- 
dorf,  of  Michigan  City;  John,  of  Chicago; 
and  Emma,  at  home. 

Mr.  Vollmann  exercises  his  right  of 
franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  meas- 
ures of  the  Democracy.  He  belongs  to  the 
German  Lutheran  Church  and  also  to  the 
German  Workmen  Society.  Whatever  suc- 
cess he  has  achieved  or  enjoyed  is  due  en- 
tirely to  his  indefatigable  effort,  and  de- 
pending upon  his  own  resources  from  an 
early  age  he  has  worked  his  w^ay  steadily 
upward,  overcoming  many  difficulties  and 
obstacles  and  at  length  gaining  an  excellent 
farm  as  the  result  of  his  persistency  and 
diligence. 

JACOB  BUTZBACH,  of  Bainbridge 
township,  was  born  in  an  old  log  house  on 
what  has  long  been  knowai  as  the  home- 
stead farm  of  the  family,  his  natal  day  being 
March  27,  1854.  His  boyhood  days  w^ere 
spent  upon  the  farm  and  in  early  life  he  be- 
gan working  for  Randall  Brothers  at  Mill- 
burg.  He  w-as  also  employed  in  the  woods 
in  Lake  towaiship  and  in  Millburg,  having 
charge  for  two  years  of  the  operations  in  the 
forest.  Later  his  business  attention  was 
given  to  the  purchase  and  sale  of  fruit  in 
Benton  Harbor  for  two  seasons.  The  first 
land  wdiich  he  ever  ow^ied  was  a  tract  of 
forty  acres  in  Benton  township  a  mile  south 
of  the  Pearl  schoolhouse,  and  taking  up  his 
abode  thereon  he  made  it  his  home  for  nine 
years,  during  wdiich  time  he  was  engaged  in 
the  cultivation  of  small  fruit.  He  prospered 
in  his  undertakings  and  at  length  sold  his 
place  to  advantage.  He  then  invested  in  his 
present  farm,  comprising  eighty  acres,  a 
half  mile  north  of  Bainbridge  Center,  for 
wdiich  he  paid  twirty-tW'O  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars.  It  was  all  under  cultivation  at  that 
time  save  sixteen  acres  which  he  has  since 
cleared  and  developed,  and  as  his  financial  re- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


889 


sources  have  increased  he  has  added  to  the 
original  place  until  he  now  has  one  hundred 
and  forty  acres,  constituting  a  valuable  prop- 
erty, which  is  well  improved  and  which  re- 
turns an  excellent  income  for  the  care  and 
labor  bestowed  upon  it.  In  1900  Mr.  Butz- 
bach  erected  his  present  residence,  which  is 
one  of  the  fine  homes  of  the  township.  His 
farm  is  devoted  to  grain  and  fruit  raising 
and  he  has  thirty-five  acres  planted  to 
peaches,  six  acres  in  grapes  and  also  a  variety 
of  other  fruits,  although  plums,  peaches  and 
grapes  are  his  principal  products.  His  sales 
of  fruit  have  netted  him  in  a  single  season 
a  profit  of  twenty-five  hundred  dollars. 
When  this  farm  came  into  his  possession 
it  was  in  a  run  down  condition.  It  had  been 
rented  and  was  used  for  the  raising  of  grain. 
Mr.  Butzbach  planted  it  to  clover,  which  he 
plowed  under,  and  through  modern  farming 
methods  he  has  brought  his  place  up  to  a 
high  state  of  fertility  and  productiveness. 
He  keeps  six  cows  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Mi  11  burg  creamery. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1884,  Mr.  Butzbach  was  married  to 
Miss  Sophia  Sinn,  a  daughter  of  Adam  Sinn, 
of  Royalton  township.  She  was  born  in  Chi- 
cago but  in  her  early  girlhood  days  was 
brought  to  Berrien  county  and  was  twenty 
four  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  marriage, 
which  has  been  blessed  with  a  family  of  five 
children,  Alfred,  Roy,  Alice,  Delia  and  Lu- 
ella.  Mr.  Butzbach  is  a  member  of  the  Mac- 
cabee  tent,  at  Bainbridge,  and  is  a  stalwart 
Republican,  who  frequently  attends  the  con- 
ventions of  his  party  and  is  recognized  as  one 
of  the  unfaltering  advocates  of  its  prin- 
ciples. 

PHILIP  H.  BUTZBACH,  residing  in 
Bainbridge  township,  is  one  of  the  venerable 
German  citizens  of  Berrien  county,  his  birth 
having  occurred  at  Nassau,  now  a  part  of 
Prussia,  October  22,  1828.  On  the  21st  of 
June,  1849,  when  in  his  twenty-first  year, 
he  landed  at  New  York,  having  sailed  from 
Havre  to  the  new^  world.  He  would  have 
been  liable  to  military  service  had  he  re- 
mained in  his  native  country  and  so  decided 
to  come  to  America.     Even  as  it  was  his 


father  had  to  pay  four  hundred  gilders  on 
account  of  his  evading  military  duty.  Reach- 
ing the  shores  of  the  new  world  he  made  his 
way  direct  to  Bainbridge,  where  his  aunt, 
Mrs.  Philip  Seel,  was  living,  having  for  five 
years  resided  in  this  county. 

Mr.  Butzbach  at  once  began  clearing 
land,  working  by  the  day  and  month,  receiv- 
ing seventy-five  cents  per  day,  or  ten  dollars 
per  month  and  his  board  as  compensation  for 
his  services.  He  was  married  October  28, 
185 1,  to  Amanda  Herman,  a  daughter  of 
Jacob  and  Genevieve  Herman,  of  Bainbridge 
township,  who  had  come  from  Wittenberg, 
Germany,  when  Mrs.  Butzbach  was  but  fif- 
teen years  of  age,  and  five  years  later  she 
w^as  married. 

Mr.  Butzbach  had  previously  purchased 
fifty-four  acres  of  land  at  three  dollars  per 
acres  on  five  years  tim,e.  He  had  begun  a 
clearing  and  had  five  acres  sowed  to  wheat. 
There  was  no  house  upon  it,  but  he  built  a 
log  cabin  after  living  for  a  time  with  his 
parents.  He  made  his  living  off  the  land, 
selling  saw  logs,  wood,  etc.,  and  as  soon  as 
possible  he  placed  his  fields  under  cultiva- 
tion. In  the  early  days  crops  brought  very 
low  prices,  the  times  were  hard  but  during 
the  Crimean  war  wheat  sold  at  a  dollar  and 
a  half  per  bushel,  although  it  had  to  be 
hauled  to  Dowagiac,  twenty  miles  distant 
with  ox  teams,  for  that  place  was  the  nearest 
market.  Prior  to  this  time  Mr.  Butzbach 
had  received  only  five  shillings  for  his  wheat 
and  it  was  the  only  crop  which  would  sell 
for  cash.  His  first  team  was  a  yoke  of  steers 
which  he  bought  for  eighteen  dollars.  Prices 
of  everything  raised  on  the  farm  were  low 
and  it  was  fifteen  years  before  Mr.  Butz- 
bach could  afford  to  purchase  and  use  horses 
in  his  farm  work.  Even  threshing  was  done 
with  oxen.  He  lived  in  the  little  log  cabin 
until  1 861,  when  he  erected  his  present  resi- 
dence. He  purchased  fifty-four  acres  of 
land  for  seven  hundred  dollars  and  as  the 
years  have  gone  by  has  carried  on  general 
agricultural  pursuits,  his  success  increasing 
until  he  has  long  been  numbered  among  the 
substantial  agriculturists  of  the  community. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butzbach  were  born 
thirteen  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  early 


890 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


youth,  while  twelve  of  the  number  reached 
adult  age,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  eld- 
est all  are  still  living.  Augusta  married 
Charles  Schaus,  and  died  about  ten  years 
ago,  when  forty-three  years  of  age.  Those 
who  still  survive  are:  Jacob,  of  Bainbridge 
township;  Henry,  a  blacksmith,  of  Shasta 
county,  California;  Elizabeth,  the  widow  of 
Jacob  Friday,  of  Watervliet  township; 
Louisa,  the  wife  of  Charles  Christianson,  of 
Benton  Harbor;  George,  a  commission  mer- 
chant of  South  Bend,  Indiana;  Lydia,  the 
wife  of  Peter  Christianson,  who  was  killed 
by  the  street  car  in  front  of  his  home ;  Philip, 
of  Bainbridge  township;  Anna,  the  wife  of 
E.  L.  Miller,  of  Benton  Harbor;  Mary,  the 
wife  of  George  Morelock,  of  Watervliet 
township;  Benjamin,  proprietor  of  the  Bat- 
tlement drug  store  at  Benton  Harbor;  Al- 
bert, a  zealous  missionary  of  the  Evangelical 
association ;  and  Elenora,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  three  years.  Mr.  Butzbach  now  has  thirty- 
three  grandchildren  and  four  great-grand- 
children. 

He  and  his  wife  are  loyal  members  of 
the  Evangelical  association,  which  they 
joined  four  years  after  their  marriage,  and 
with  Jacob  Enders  are  the  only  surviving 
representatives  of  the  first  class  of  the 
church.  In  politics  he  has  been  a  Republi- 
can but  not  an  active  worker  in  the  party. 
His  attention  has  been  given  to  the  raising 
of  grain  and  fruit  and  at  an  early  day  he 
engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  peaches  until 
the  yellows  destroyed  his  orchard.  Although 
now  well  advanced  in  years,  having  passed 
the  seventy-eighth  mile  stone  on  life's 
journey,  he  is  still  a  hale  and  hearty  man 
and  gives  personal  supervision  to  his  busi- 
ness affairs. 

S.  M.  CLAWSON,  one  of  the  prosper- 
ous and  progressive  farmers  of  Berrien 
county,  resides  on  section  14,  Pipestone 
township.  He  was  born  in  Trumbull  county, 
Ohio,  January  6,  1848,  a  son  of  Hiram  and 
Esther  (Bestwick)  Clawson.  The  father 
was  born  in  West  Virginia  and  was  there 
reared  by  his  parents.  After  reaching  years 
of  maturity  he  left  the  south  and  went  to 
Pennsylvania,    where  he    was    married    to 


Miss  Bestwick,  who  was  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, and  when  twelve  years  of  age  was 
brought  to  America  by  her  father,  James 
Bestwick,  who  located  in  Mercer  county, 
Pennsylvania,  where  she"  was  reared  and 
afterward  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to 
Hiram  Clawson.  In  1855  they  removed  to 
Berrien  county,  Michigan,  and  the  follow- 
ing autumn  came  to  Pipestone  township, 
settling  on  a  farm  on  section  13,  where  he 
engaged  in  farming.  In  response  to  the 
country's  call  for  aid  at  the  time  of  the  Civil 
war  he  enlisted  for  service,  joining  the 
Twelfth  Michigan  Infantry  of  Company  I. 
He  died  during  his  service  at  Duvalls  Bluff, 
Arkansas,  at  the  age  of  forty-four  years. 
The  mother  survived  for  several  years  and 
passed  away  in  Pipestone  township  when 
sixty-four  years  of  age.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  five  sons  and  one  daughter,  ^\\  of 
whom  survive,  and  with  one  exception  all 
reside  in  Pipestone  township. 

S.  M.  Clawson,  the  eldest  child  of  his 
father's  family,  was  a  little  lad  of  seven 
years  when  he  was  brought  by  his  parents 
from  the  Buckeye  state  to  Berrien  county, 
where  he  accjuired  his  education  and  was 
reared  to  farm  life.  At  the  early  age  of 
fifteen  years  he  responded  to  the  country's 
call  for  troops  in  the  Civil  war,  enlisting 
as  a  member  of  Company  K,  Eleventh 
Michigan  Cavalry.  He  served  exactly  two 
years  and  was  honorably  discharged  Sep- 
tember 28,  1865,  at  Jackson,  being  must- 
ered out  at  Nashville,  Tennessee. 

After  his  discharge  from  the  war  Mr. 
Clawson  returned  to  his  home  in  Pipestone 
township,  and  assisted  his  mother  in  the 
operation  of  the  home  farm  and  in  the  care 
of  the  younger  members  of  the  family  until 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  when  he  started 
out  in  life  on  his  own  account  by  working 
as  a  farm  hand  for  two  years.  In  1872  he 
was  married,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being 
Miss  Mary  i\umack,  a  native  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  New  York,  and  a  daughter 
of  Jacob  and  Harriet  (Lewis)  Aumack. 
She  accompanied  her  parents  on  their  re- 
moval from  the  Empire  state  to  Michigan, 
when  a  child,  the  father  taking  up  his  abode 
in    Pipestone   township,    where   the  mother 


^of^,  ^l^LO? 


cJ'O^. 


^MltiA^^h  (%UU^ 


^H^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


891 


passed  away  in  1896.  Of  their  four  chil- 
dren two  are  deceased,  Clowie  and  Johnnie, 
while  William  H.  and  Clana,  the  wife  of 
Walter  Inman,  of  Pipestone  township,  sur- 
vive. Mr.  Clawson  was  again  married,  his 
second  union  being  with  Ida  Hartsell,  a 
daughter  of  John  R.  and  Mary  (Suther- 
land) Hartsell.  There  is  one  son  of  this 
marriage,  Kenneth  C,  now  four  years  of 
age. 

In  1872  Mr.  Clawson  began  work  as 
a  carpenter  and  joiner,  being  associated  in 
this  business  with  W.  A.  Hess,  which  rela- 
tion was  maintained  for  twenty-five  years. 
They  were  connected  with  many  building 
operations  in  this  section  of  the  country, 
adding  to  the  improvement  of  Berrien  coun- 
ty, and  today  many  buildings  stand  as 
monuments  to  their  work.  In  May,  1900, 
however,  he  retired  from  all  active  busi- 
ness connections  and  took  the  census  in 
Pipestone  township  and  in  the  village  of 
Eau  Claire.  He  has  always  given  his  politi- 
cal support  to  the  Republican  party  and  has 
been  deeply  interested  in  the  growth  and 
success  of  its  work.  He  has  been  called  to 
a  number  of  position  of  trust,  having  served 
for  eight  years  as  justice  of  the  peace.  For 
many  years  he  has  been  sent  as  a  delegate 
to  the  Republican  county  convention  and 
has  also  been  a  delegate  to  many  state  con- 
ventions, being  present  at  the  time  Mr.  Pin- 
gee  w^as  nominated  for  governor  of  the  state. 
He  is  a  member  of  Lake  Shore  lodge,  No. 
298,  of  Masons  at  Benton  Harbor  and  also 
of  the  Grange  in  Pipestone  township.  He 
has  always  taken  a  very  active  and  helpful 
interest  in  matters  of  public  concern  and  has 
aided  in  many  progressive  measures  for  the 
advancement  of  Berrien  county.  He  has 
always  been  found  reliable  in  all  his  busi- 
ness transactions  and  trustworthy  in  the  dis- 
charge of  official  duties,  and  all  who  know 
him  speak  of  him  in  terms  of  highest  praise. 

WILLIAM  W.  KNAPP,  who  started 
out  in  life  for  himself  at  an  early  age  and 
has  since  depended  entirely  upon  his  own 
resources  and  labors  for  the  success  which 
he  has  achieved  and  enjoyed,  is  now 
living  in  Watervliet  township,  where  he  is 


engaged  in  the  growing  of  fruit,  grain  and 
stock,  his  place  being  known  as  the  W.  W. 
Knapp  Stock  Farm.  He  is  one  of  Michi- 
gan's native  sons,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Hartford  township.  Van  Buren  county, 
May  14,  1853.  His  parents  were  John  W. 
and  Marlaette  (McKee)  Knapp,  who  were 
married  in  Watervliet  in  1848.  The  father 
came  to  Michigan  from  Genesee  county. 
New  York,  when  ten  years  of  age,  arriving 
in  1837,  at  which  time  he  took  up  his  abode 
in  Spring  Arbor  township,  Jackson  county, 
where  he  was  reared  to  adult  age.  Coming 
to  Berrien  county,  he  operated  a  mill  at 
Watervliet.  He  had  previously  been  em- 
ployed by  I.  N.  Swayne  in  Jackson  county. 
Mrs.  John  W.  Knapp  was  a  daughter  of 
W.  W.  McKee,  whose  wife  was  a  sister  of 
Mr.  Swayne,  and  kept  a  boarding  house  for 
Swayne's  mill  men  in  Watervliet. 

After  some  years'  connection  with  the 
milling  business  in  Watervliet  Mr.  Knapp 
returned  to  Jackson  county  but  afterward 
came  again  to  Berrien  county,  and  in  1879 
purchased  his  present  farm^  upon  which  he 
has  lived  for  twenty-six  years,  yet  occupy- 
ing that  place.  His  wife  died  about  seven 
or  eight  years  ago. 

William  W.  Knapp  started  out  upon  his 
business  career  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years, 
when  he  began  w^orking  in  a  saw  mill,  his 
wages  going  to  the  support  of  his  father's 
family.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  se- 
cured a  position  in  a  store  at  Burr  Oak,  in 
St.  Joseph  county,  Michigan,  where  he  re- 
mained for  two  years,  and  in  1873  he  re- 
turned to  Watervliet,  being  employed  for 
four  years  by  W.  W.  Allen.  In  1878,  in 
company  with  Dr.  Tucker,  he  engaged  in 
the  drug  and  grocery  business,  conducting 
the  store  for  two  years,  or  until  he  located 
upon  the  farm.  His  father  purchased  one 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land,  of  which 
W.  W.  Knapp  took  sixty  acres.  About  half 
of  the  tract  had  been  cleared.  There  were 
no  buildings,  however,  upon  the  place  and 
the  work  of  improvement  and  development 
had  scarcely  been  begun,  for  previous  to  this 
time  the  land  had  been  rented.  Mr.  Knapp 
of  this  review  has  since  purchased  thirty 
acres  of  land  in  another  tract  about  a  mile 


892 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


distant  from  his  home  farm.  This  he  has 
also  cleared  and  tiled,  thirty  acres  having 
been  muck  land,  upon  which  he  has  placed 
about  six  hundred  rods  of  tiling.  His  home 
place  is  mainly  high  land,  well  suited  to  the 
cultivation  of  fruit  and  he  has  from  thirty- 
five  to  forty  acres  planted  to  fruit,  peaches 
being  his  main  crop.  He  also  raises  about 
seven  acres  of  melons  each  year.  His  sales 
in  fruit  in  1905  amounted  to  thirteen  hun- 
dred dollars,  of  w^hich  one  thousand  dollars 
came  from  his  sale  of  peaches.  His  farm  is 
on  high  land  south  of  Watervliet,  between 
that  point  and  Coloma,  being  pleasantly  and 
conveniently  situated  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  from  the  former.  He  has  made  many 
excellent  improvements  upon  his  place,  in- 
cluding the  erection  of  a  bank  barn  with  a 
cement  foundation  and  cement  floor,  with 
running  water  throughout.  It  is  thoroughly 
modern  in  all  its  equipments  and  all  of  the 
accessories  of  a  model  farm  of  the  twentieth 
century  may  be  found  upon  his  place, 

On  the  7th  of  May,  1874,  Mr.  Knapp 
w^as  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Julia 
Spencer,  a  daughter  of  E.  T.  Spencer.  She 
was  born  in  Ohio,  and  was  tw^enty-one  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  her  marriage,  previous 
to  which  time  she  had  been  employed  in  the 
Elgin  watch  factory  and  was  also  engaged 
in  teaching.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knapp  have  no 
children  of  their  own  but  have  reared  two 
adopted  children,  Claude  and  Bertha  Olcam- 
paugh,  the  elder  being  six  years  of  age, 
w4ien,  in  1890,  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Knapp  household.  Claude  has  married  Miss 
May  Crum  and  has  one  child,  Lois.  When 
he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age  Mr.  Knapp 
gave  him  twenty  acres  of  land,  and  his  time 
and  energies  are  given  to  the  operation  of 
the  home  farm,  thus  assisting  his  foster 
father. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Knapp  was 
formerly  a  Prohibitionist  but  is  now  inde- 
pendent. He  has  never  sought  or  desired 
public  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  time 
and  energies  to  his  business  affairs,  which 
are  capably  managed,  and  he  is  known  as 
one  of  the  leading  fruit,  grain  and  stock 
farmers  of  this  section,  having  a  well  im- 
proved  property,    while   his   large   sales   of 


fruit  indicate  that  he  is  one  of  the  foremost 
representatives  of  horticultural  interests 
here. 

DWIGHT  BOYER,  living  in  Water- 
vliet township,  was  born  August  i,  1847, 
in  the  county  Avhich  is  still  his  home,  his 
parents  being  Austin  and  Adelia  (Wetmore) 
Boyer.  Three  brothers,  Justin,  Norman  and 
Austin  Boyer,  came  from  Jefferson  coun- 
ty. New  York,  to  Michigan,  and,  like  most 
of  the  pioneers  of  the  early  '40s,  all  secured 
land.  They  remained  together  and  spent 
the  residue  of  their  days  in  this  county, 
each  improving  a  good  farm.  They  were 
all  ship  carpenters  and  .all  worked  in  the 
yard  at  St.  Joseph,  hiring  others  to  develop 
and  improve  their  lands.  The  last  survivor 
of  the  three  brothers  was  Austin  Boyer, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  He 
had  a  number  of  years  before  sold  his  land 
and  removed  to  Kansas,  but  returning  to 
Michigan  he  operated  a  saw  mill  at  Coloma. 
Later  he  w^ent  to  California  but  died  at 
the  home  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  P.  O.  Bowe, 
near  Watervliet.  Mrs.  Bowe  and  Dwight 
Boyer  are  the  surviving  members  of  the 
family  of  three  children,  the  eldest  son,  Sey- 
mour, having  died  while  in  the  service  of 
his  country  as  a  member  of  the  Fourth  Mich- 
igan Cavalry  in  the  Civil  war.  He  enlisted 
on  the  day  that  he  was  twxnty-one  years  of 
age  and  he  died  at  Nashville,  Tennessee, 
when  twenty-three  years  of  age. 

Dwight  Boyer  pursued  his  education  in 
a  schoolhouse  in  Bainbridge  township  about 
two  and  a  half  miles  southwest  of  Coloma 
and  remained  upon  the  home  farm  until  it 
was  sold  when  he  was  twelve  years  of  age. 
He  was  afterward  in  Kansas  until  about  the 
time  of  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  or 
until  the  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln  to  the 
presidency,  and  later  he  was  connected  with 
his  father  in  the  operation  of  the  mill  at 
Coloma.  In  the  fall  of  1879  he  went  to 
California  and  for  four  years  was  engaged 
in  hydraulic  mining  in  connection  wnth  his 
father,  who  had  a  mine  there.  The  father 
made  his  first  trip  to  the  Pacific  coast  in 
1852,  and  in  1879  went  for  the  third  time, 
when    he    was    accompanied    by    his    son 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


893 


Dwiglit.  They  did  not  win  rapid  success  in 
their  business  interests  there  ahhough  they 
met  with  fair  results,  when  Mr.  Boyer  of 
this  review  brought  back  with  him  some 
handsome  gold  nuggets,  which,  however, 
were  later  stolen  from  him  by  some  thieves. 

When  twienty-two  years  of  age  Mr. 
Boyer  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Georgiana  Niver,  who  was  born  in  Will 
county,  Illinois,  and  came  to  Berrien  county 
at  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  while  at  the  age 
of  eighteen  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage 
to  Mr.  Boyer.  For  two  years  he  remained 
in  the  mill  at  Coloma  and  then  rented  land, 
which  he  continued  to  farm  for  seven  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  came 
to  his  present  farm  three  miles  north  of 
Watervliet.  He  had  purchased  a  tract  of 
land  lying  mainly  in  the  woods  on  which 
only  a  small  clearing  had  been  made.  This 
was  in  1876.  The  best  timber  had  been  cut, 
still  he  realized  enough  from  the  timber  that 
still  remained  to  assist  him  materially  in  se- 
curing a  farm.  He  now  has  one  hundred 
and  twenty-six  acres  of  land,  the  greater 
part  of  which  is  under  cultivation  and  his 
success  in  business  is  due  entirely  to  his  own 
efforts,  his  indefatigable  industry  and  perse- 
verance standing  as  the  salient  features  in 
his  business  career.  He  has  carried  on  gen- 
eral farming,  devoting  his  entire  time  and 
attention  to  this  work,  and  he  also  raises 
apples  and  peaches. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boyer  has 
been  blessed  with  two  sons :  A.  D.,  who 
follows  farming,  and  he  married  Lulu 
Crandall,  by  whom  he  has  two  children. 
Aline  and  Doris;  and  Forest  C,  whose 
natural  inclination  seems  to  be  in  the  direc- 
tion of  mechanics. 

Earlier  generations  of  the  Boyer  family 
were  Whigs  and  afterward  Republicans,  and 
in  the  faith  of  the  latter  party  Dwight  Boyer 
was  reared  but  he  now  gives  his  allegiance 
to  the  Prohibition  party.  His  wife  belongs 
to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  he 
holds  membership  with  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity. He  is  a  broad  minded  man,  of  gen- 
erous spirit  and  kindly  disposition,  enterpris- 
ing in  his  business  affairs  and  careful  in  the 
management     of     his     interests.      He     has 


worked  earnestly  and  persistently  year  after 
year  from  the  days  of  early  youth,  and  the 
success  which  he  is  now  enjoying  has  come 
to  him  as  a  reward  of  his  own  efforts. 

ABRAM  YATES  is  one  of  the  venerable 
citizens  of  Berrien  county,  having  reached 
the  eighty-first  mile  stone  on  life's  journey 
and  moreover  he  has  been  the  architect  and 
builder  of  his  own  fortunes.  That  he  has 
won  success  is  due  entirely  to  his  unre- 
mitting labor  and  unfaltering  perseverance 
and  now  he  is  in  possession  of  a  comfortable 
competence  which  supplies  him  wnth  many 
of  the  luxuries  as  well  as  the  necessities  of 
life.  His  natal  day  was  the  3d  of  October, 
1825,  and  the  place  of  his  nativity  Rensselaer 
county,  New  York.  He  came  to  Michigan 
in  1854  when  a  young  man  of  twenty-nine 
years  and  although  reared  on  a  farm  he  early 
learned  the  mason's  trade,  which  he  fol- 
lowed for  several  years.  He  continued  at 
home  until  fifteen  years  of  age,  after  which 
he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account. 
For  some  time  he  found  it  difficult  to  earn 
a  living  and  w^as  unable  to  save  little  but 
as  the  years  passed  he  prospered  in  his  un- 
dertakings. 

Mr.  Yates  was  married  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight  years  to  Miss  Eliza  M. 
Wooden,  of  Monroe  county.  New  York,  then 
twenty  years  of  age.  This  marriage  was 
celiebrated  on  the  i6th  of  February,  1854. 
In  the  previous  autumn  Mr.  Yates  had  come 
to  Michigan  and  purchased  land,  becoming 
owner  of  a  tract  that  is  now  within  the 
corporation  limits  of  the  village  of  Hart- 
ford. Five  years  were  devoted  to  clearing 
and  improving  that  place,  after  which,  in 
1859,  h^  removed  to  his  present  farm,  con- 
veniently and  pleasantly  situated  about  three 
miles  north  of  the  village  of  Watervliet. 
It  comprised  seventy  acres,  nearly  all  of 
which  had  been  cleared,  and  he  afterward 
added  three  eighty-acre  tracts,  making  in 
all  over  three  hundred  acres,  constituting  a 
single  farm.  All  of  the  land  was  wild  ex- 
cept the  first  seventy-acre  tract  which  he 
purchased  and  a  small  clearing  upon  one  of 
the  eighty-acre  tracts.  He  sold  wood, 
sawed  timber  and  did  other  work  connected 


894 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


with  the  clearing  and  improving  of  land. 
He  placed  about  two  hundred  acres  under 
cultivation,  making  about  two  hundred  and 
seventy  acres  which  were  cleared.  He  also 
enlarged  his  present  residence  and  he  has 
upon  the  place  a  good  barn  and  other  sub- 
stantial outbuildings.  His  timie  and  atten- 
tion have  been  given  to  general  farming  and 
he  has  made  a  specialty  of  raising  wheat 
and  other  grains.  He  also  has  large  apple 
orchards  and  he  has  continued  the  work  of 
improvement  along  lines  of  modern  progress 
and  development,  making  his  home  place  one 
of  the  fine  farms  of  this  part  of  the  county. 
In  more  recent  years  he  has  divided  his 
tract  into  three  farms,  the  home  place  being 
now  owned  by  one  of  his  sons,  Charles  D., 
while  his  other  son,  Edson,  has  eighty  acres 
adjoining.  Mr.  Yates  retains  possession  of 
the  remainder  and  his  farm  property  is  valu- 
able. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yates  have  been  born 
two  sons,  who  are  yet  living,  and  they  lost 
their  daughter,  Edith  M.,  when  she  was 
twenty  years  of  age.  In  his  political  views 
Mr.  Yates  is  a  Democrat  but  has  had  no 
desire  for  office,  preferring  to  concentrate 
his  energies  upon  his  business  affairs  in 
which  he  has  met  with  signal  success.  He 
has  been  identified  with  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity for  over  forty  years,  having  been 
made  a  Mason  at  Coloma,  and  throughout 
the  intervening  decades  he  has  always  been 
loyal  to  the  teachings  of  the  craft,  exem- 
plifying in  his  life  its  beneficent  spirit. 
VVhile  he  has  lived  the  quiet  life  of  the 
farmer,  giving  almost  his  entire  attention  to 
its  further  development  and  improvement, 
he  has  also  done  his  full  share  toward  ad- 
vancing the  interests  of  the  county,  standing 
as  a  supporter  of  all  those  measures  which 
are  calculated  to  prove  of  general  benefit. 
His  residence  here  covers  more  than  a  half 
century  and  he  has  therefore  witnessed  the 
greater  part  of  the  county's  growth  as 
modern  civilization  has  wrought  many 
changes.  The  settlers  from  the  east  and 
south  have  reclaimed  wild  and  unimproved 
land  and  transformed  it  into  productive 
farms  and  good  village  property  and  in  all 
those  interests  which  work  for  material  de- 


velopmient  and  good  citizenship  Mr.  Yates 
has  borne  a  part. 

Edson  A.  Yates,  the  elder  son,  was  born 
on  the  old  homestead  farm  March  6,  1864, 
and  spent  his  boyhood  days  there,  early  be- 
coming familiar  with  the  duties  and  labors 
that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist  as  he 
assisted  his  father  during  the  period  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
five  years  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
Nutt  of  Mishawaka,  Indiana.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  five  children.  Hazel,  Helen,  Edith, 
Marion  and  Earl.  His  farm  of  eighty  acres 
adjoins  his  father's  place  and  has  good  build- 
ings upon  it,  which  were  erected  by  his 
father.  His  attention  is  given  to  general 
agricultural  pursuits  and  his  farm  presents 
a  neat  and  attractive  appearance,  indicating 
his  careful  supervision.  He,  too,  is  identified 
with  the  Masonic  fraternity. 

Charles  D.  Yates,  the  younger  son,  was 
born  February  4,  1872,  in  the  house  which 
he  yet  occupies  and  his  youth  was  spent 
in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  of  the 
period,  the  public  schools  affording  him  his 
educational  privileges.  He  was  married  at 
the  age  of  twenty-seven  years  to  Miss  Min- 
nie Hoffman,  of  Newaygo  county,  Michi- 
gan, and  they  reside  with  his  father,  who 
lost  his  wife  April  22,  1902,  after  they  had 
traveled  life's  journey  happily  together  for 
nearly  a  half  century.  Charles  D.  Yates 
makes  dairying  and  sheep-raising  the  prin- 
cipal features  of  his  business  and  is  accounted 
one  of  the  enterprising  young  business  men 
of  his  locality.  Like  his  father  and  brother 
he  is  a  representative  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity. 

EUGENE  W.  AUSTIN.  The  Walnut 
Grove  farm  is  one  of  the  attractive  farm 
properties  of  Berrien  county,  especially  pop- 
ular as  a  summer  resort.  It  is  pleasantly 
and  conveniently  situated  near  Watervliet, 
and  its  genial  proprietor  in  the  careful  con- 
duct of  his  business  interests  has  found  that 
success  is  ambition's  answer.  He  was  born 
at  Chagrin  Falls,  Ohio,  February  18,  1861, 
and  the  following  year  his  parents  removed 
to  Watervliet,  Michigan,  where  his  father, 
Thomas  Austin,   followed  the  blacksmith's 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


895 


trade  for  a  time.  He  afterward  removed 
to  a  farm,  which  he  cuUivated  but  continued 
also  to  carry  on  his  shop  until  1865.  He 
died  upon  his  farm  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
three  years,  while  his  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Jeanette  Wilson,  passed 
away  seven  years  previously.  They  were 
the  parents  of  eight  children,  who  reached 
adult  age,  and  all  are  yet  living,  three  being 
residents  of  Berrien  county,  namely :  Eugene 
W. ;  Cora,  who  is  the  wife  of  J.  W.  Smouse ; 
and  Grace,  the  wife  of  Merritt  Summerill. 
Two  sons,  George  and  Albert,  are  photog- 
raphers, while  Amos  is  a  farmer  of  Van 
Buren  county,  and  O.  E.  Austin  is  a  resident 
of  Iowa. 

Eugene  W.  Austin,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  record,  spent  his  boyhood  days 
on  the  home  farm  to  the  age  of  eighteen 
years,  after  which  he  worked  by  the  month 
as  a  farm  hand  in  Berrien  county  for  five 
years,  or  until  his  marriage.  At  the  age 
of  twenty-three  years  he  was  joined  in  wed- 
lock to  Miss  Elizabeth  Scherer,  who  was 
then  twenty  years  of  age  and  she  was  a 
daughter  of  Charles  Scherer  of  Benton 
Harbor. 

Mr.  Austin  purchased  forty  acres  of  land 
at  Watervliet,  which  he  improved,  setting 
out  a  good  orchard  there.  After  seven  years 
he  sold  that  property  and  bought  his  present 
farm  in  1890.  He  has  lived  thereon  for 
sixteen  years  and  now  has  a  valuable  prop- 
erty lying  east  of  Paw  Paw^  lake  and  two 
miles  from  Watervliet.  It  comprises  sev- 
enty-one acres,  a  part  of  which  he  has  him- 
self cleared.  His  attention  is  devoted  to 
general  farming,  which  he  successfully  car- 
ries on  and  through  all  the  years  he  has 
kept  summer  boarders,  erecting  a  large 
frame  residence,  accommodating  thirty  or 
more  people.  The  Walnut  Grove  farm  is 
always  well  patronized  through  the  summer 
seasons  and  is  a  popular  resort,  excellent 
accommodations  being  afforded  to  those  who 
wish  to  enjoy  the  quiet  of  country  life  and 
at  the  same  time  have  the  pleasures  which 
may  be  secured  through  residing  in  close 
proximity  to  a  beautiful  body  of  water. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Austin  have  been 
born  two  children :  Lydia  E.  and  Woodbury 


E.,  the  former  now  the  wife  of  Benjamin 
Rogers,  of  Watervliet.  Mr.  Austin  has 
never  cared  to  mingle  actively  in  politics. 
On  the  contrary  he  has  concentrated  his  time 
and  energies  upon  his  business  affairs  which 
have  been  capably  controlled  and  which  have 
made  him  one  of  the  well-to-do  citizens  of 
his  part  of  the  county.  The  Walnut  Grove 
farm  is  attractive  in  all  of  its  equipments 
and  indicates  the  careful  and  practical  super- 
vision of  the  owner,  who  is  thoroughly  up- 
to-date  in  all  his  work  as  well  as  in  his 
entertaining  of  summer  guests. 

ROBERT  H.  SHERWOOD  is  the  pro^ 
prietor  of  the  Lake  View  farm,  situated 
upon  the  bank  of  Paw  Paw  lake.  His  place 
comprises  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  acres 
of  land,  constituting  one  of  the  largest  and 
best  improved  fruit  farms  in  the  State  and 
the  owner  may  well  be  classed  as  one  of 
the  leading  representatives  of  horticultural 
interests  in  Michigan.  He  is  a  man  of 
excellent  business  ability  and  marked  enter- 
prise as  is  shown  in  the  splendid  appearance 
of  his  place  which  is  lacking  in  none  of  the 
modern  equipments  that  go  to  make  up  a 
model  farm  of  the  twentieth  century. 

A  native  of  Syracuse,  New  York,  Mr. 
Sherwood  was  born  January  12,  1864,  and 
is  descended  from  Scotch  ancestry,  who  came 
to  America  from  the  north  of  Ireland.  His 
parents  were  H.  C.  and  Elizabeth  K.  (Al- 
vord)  Sherwood,  who  arrived  in  Berrien 
county  in  1875.  The  father  was  engaged 
in  the  grocery  business  at  Syracuse,  New 
York,  and  in  the  west  engaged  in  the  lum- 
ber business.  In  1865  he  took  up  his 
abode  upon  the  farm  where  his  son  Rob- 
ert now  resides,  securing  four  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  of  land,  of  which  he  placed 
three  hundred  acres  under  cultivation, 
developing  a  splendid  farm  property.  He 
erected  thereon  the  buildings  which  are  now 
seen  here  and  made  many  improvements, 
indicating  a  spirit  of  progress  and  enter- 
prise which  constitute  him  one  of  the  lead- 
ing farmers  of  this  portion  of  the  State. 
Moreover  in  all  his  business  dealings  he  was 
very  reliable  and  was  seldom  at  fault  in  a 
matter    of    business    judgment.       He    also 


896 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


figured     prominently     in     public     life     and 
wielded  a  wide  influence,  being  recognized 
as  a   leader   in   public  thought  and   action. 
He   served   as   State   senator   in    1882   and 

1883,  having  been  elected  to  the  office  on 
the  Democratic  ticket,  and  in  1884  he  was 
the  nominee  from  his  district  for  congress. 
He  was  a  candidate  for  governor  at  the  con- 
vention   held    at    Grand    Rapids — a    joint 
convention — but  a  fusion  ticket  placed  an- 
other man^  Hon.  George  L.   Yaple,   in  the 
field.      Mr.    Sherwood   was  very   strong  in 
campaign  w^ork  and  was  well  fitted  for  lead- 
ership.     He   kept   thoroughly   informed  on 
the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day,  having 
a  statesman's  grasp  of  affairs  and  he  used 
most  practical  methods  in  working  toward 
ideals.     He  was  a  delegate  to  the  St.  Louis 
convention  which  nominated  Grover  Cleve- 
land  for   the  presidency,   and   his  opinions 
regarding  political  questions  were  often  de- 
cisive factors  in  local  political  circles.     At 
all  times  his  life  was  actuated  by  high  and 
honorable    principles    as    manifest    in    both 
his  public  and  private  career.     He  was  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Syra- 
cuse and  following  his  removal  to  the  west 
acted   with   both   the    Methodist   Episcopal 
and  Congregational  Churches  at  Watervliet. 
He  stood  for  all  that  is  helpful  and  bene- 
ficial in  man's  relations  with  his  fellowmen 
and  through  his  business  interests  he  con- 
tributed in  substantial  measure  to  the  mater- 
ial progress  and  prosperity  of  the  county. 
He  became  recoenized  as  one  of  the  fore- 
most horticulturists   of   this   section   of  the 
state  and  was   one  of  the  first  to   set  out 
apple  and  peach  trees  together.     He  lived 
to  see  the  trees  which  he  planted  come  into 
bearing    and    a    forty-acre    apple    orchard 
which  he  planted  was  converted  into  a  very 
valuable  property.     He  was  optimistic,  yet 
conservative,   and  his   opinions  were  sound 
regarding  matters  of  public  moment  as  well 
as  business  considerations.     He  delighted  in 
the  beauty  of  his  home  location  and  found 
genuine  pleasure  in  adorning  his  farm  with 
evidences    of    progressive    agriculture    and 
horticulture.     Trees  and  shrubs  also  added 
to  the  attractive  appearance  of  his  place  and 
he  became  a  close  student  of  botany  in  order 
to  be  familiar  with  them.    He  was  a  man  of 


broad  culture,  who,  though  denied  a  college 
education,  supplemented  this  lack  by  broad 
and  varied  reading,  bringing  him  into  touch 
with  modern  thought  and  advanced  ideas. 
His  life  in  Michigan  was  crowned  with  a 
gratifying  measure  of  success.  He  possessed 
indefatigable  energy,  had  strong  and  stead- 
fast purpose  and  allowed  no  obstacle  to  brook 
his  path  if  it  could  be  overcome  by  earnest 
and  honorable  effort.  His  life  was  one  of 
great  activity  and  in  fact  his  death  was  oc- 
casioned by  overwork.  He  placed  too  great 
a  strain  upon  his  physical  and  mental  pow- 
ers, for  while  not  busy  in  the  supervision  of 
his  farming  interests  his  time  was  given  to 
study,  reading  and  investigation.  He  was 
a  director  in  the  Farmers'  &  Merchants' 
Bank  at  Benton  Harbor  from  its  organiza- 
tion. He  accomplished  much  more  than 
the  ordinary  man  does  in  a  lifetime  and  he 
commanded  under  all  conditions  the  respect, 
confidence  and  good  will  of  those  with  whom 
he  was  associated.  Of  strong  and  forceful 
individuality  he  left  the  impress  of  his  char- 
acter upon  the  material  development,  the  in- 
tellectual progress  and  the  political  advance- 
ment of  Berrien  county,  and  his  name  is 
now^  enrolled  among  its  honored  dead. 

Robert  H.  Sherwood,  reared  under  the 
parental  roof,  was  a  lad  of  about  eleven  years 
when  his  parents  located  upon  the  farm 
which  is  now  his  home.  He  attended  and 
was  graduated  from  Olivet  College  with  the 
class  of  1885,  at  which  time  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Science  was  conferred  upon  him. 
He  afterward  went  to  Grand  Rapids,  where 
he  was  connected  with  mercantile  interests 
until  his  father's  death  brought  him  back  to 
the  farm.  His  mother  still  survives  and 
now  makes  her  home  in  Grand  Rapids. 
Robert  H.  Sherwood,  however,  resides  upon 
the  old  homestead  property,  and  on  the  12th 
of  June,  1889,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
V.  Brown,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  who 
was  formerly  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  that 
city.  On  taking  charge  of  the  farm  Mr. 
Sherwood  brought  to  his  new  task  the  same 
spirit  of  enterprise  and  determination  which 
characterized  him  in  his  horticultural  career. 
He  has  extended  its  acreage  until  now  three 
hundred  acres  instead  of  forty  are  planted 
to    fruit.      The    farm    altogether    comprises 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


897- 


four  hundred  and  fifty  acres  and  is  one  of  the 
largest  and  finest  fruit  farms  of  Michigan, 
having  nearly  fifty  thousand  trees  of  apples, 
pears,  plums  and  peaches.  The  orchards 
cover  three  hundred  acres,  while  the  re- 
mainder of  the  farm  is  devoted  to  pasturage. 
Apple  trees  are  planted  throughout  each  or- 
chard, the  younger  trees  having  been  set  out 
six  years  ago.  They  have  made  a  most 
wonderful  growth  and  have  already  borne 
fruit.  Two  of  the  older  apple  orchards  set 
out  in  1 87 1  and  1876,  respectively,  have  few 
equals,  there  having  hardly  been  a  crop  fail- 
ure in  the  last  twenty  years.  Mr.  Sherwood 
has  rebuilt  and  enlarged  his  home  and  now 
has  a  fine  colonial  residence  overlooking 
Paw  Paw  lake  and  equipped  with  every  mod- 
ern convenience,  including  hot  water  heat- 
ing system,  a  gas  plant  for  cooking  and 
illuminating  purposes  and  other  modern  ac- 
cessories, making  this  one  of  the  model 
farm  homes  in  Berrien  county.  A  glance  at 
his  farm  indicates  that  it  is'  in  the  care  of 
one  who  has  brought  a  knowledge  of  horti- 
culture and  is  most  practical  as  well^s  pro- 
gressive in  his  methods.  His  orchards  are 
in  excellent  condition,  each  tree  receiving 
careful  attention  and  in  a  single  years  he  has 
shipped  seventy  carloads  of  fruit,  most  of 
which  is  sold  on  the  track  at  Watervliet. 
He  grows  for  commercial  purposes  and  in 
connection  with  his  fruit  raising  interests  he 
breeds  Percheron  horses,  having  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  acres  of  land  devoted  to  pas- 
turage. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sherwood 
has  been  blessed  with  five  children,  Marion, 
Malcolm,  Donald,  Richard  and  Dudley,  all 
of  whom  are  yet  under  the  parental  roof. 
Mr.  Sherwood  is  a  man  of  domestic  tastes, 
who  finds  his  home  life  most  attractive  and 
he  is  always  happiest  when  surrounded  by 
his  family  at  his  own  fireside.  The  home 
contains  a  well  selected  library,  with  the  con- 
tents of  which  he  is  largely  familiar,  and  he 
is  especially  fond  of  history,  his  reading 
along  that  line  being  particularly  broad.  His 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Ladies  Club,  and 
both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sherwood  hold  member- 
ship in  the  Congregational  Church  at  Water- 
vliet, while  fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
57 


the  Masons.  Unlike  his  father  he  has  never 
sought  to  figure  prominently  in  political  cir« 
cles  and  his  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Re- 
publican party.  He  is  one  in  whom  nature 
and  education  have  vied  to  make  a  cul- 
tured and  interesting  gentleman,  and  a  so- 
cial, affable  manner  renders  him  popular 
with  his  fellow  men  wdiile  his  genuine  per- 
sonal worth  is  imm.ediately  recognized  by  all 
with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  He  holds 
to  no  false  standards  of  life  regarding  the 
individual  and  his  environment  at  their  true 
worth,  and  while  he  has  prospered  in  his 
business  career  it  is  the  success  that  come» 
from  honorable  and  straightforward  effort^ 
well  placed  investments  and  well  managed 
business  interests. 

CARL  J.  SCHULTZ,  filling  the  office 
of  county  treasurer  of  Berrien  county^ 
and  a  resident  of  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  was 
born  in  the  village  of  New  Buffalo,  August 
II,  1873.  He  is  a  son  of  C.  H.  and  Anna 
M.  (Holch)  Schultz,  natives  of  Germany, 
who  in  1843  came  to  the  United  States, 
locating  in  the  township  of  New  Buffalo, 
Berrien  county.  They  now  reside  in  the 
village  of  that  name.  For  thirty  years  the 
father  has  been  engaged  in  fruit  growing 
and  floral  culture. 

Carl  J.  Schultz,  the  immediate  subject 
of  this  review,  was  reared  in  New  Buffalo, 
where  he  attended  the  public  schools,  being: 
graduated  on  the  completion  of  the  high 
school  course  in  1888.  He  afterward  spent 
one  year  in  the  study  of  the  German  lan- 
guage, and  later  was  for  two  years  a  student 
in  Marion  (Indiana)  Normal  School  and 
Business  College.  Returning  hime,  he  was 
employed  for  one  year  in  the  railway  office 
at  New  Buffalo,  after  which  he  was  for 
some  time  engaged  in  business  with  his 
father.  He  came  to  St.  Joseph  in  1902^ 
and  for  about  two  years  thereafter  was 
deputy  county  clerk  of  Berrien  county.  In 
January,  1905,  he  was  appointed  city  as- 
sessor of  St.  Joseph  in  which  capacity  he 
served  until  the  following  October,  when 
he  was  appointed  county  treasurer  of  Ber- 
rien county  to  fill  out  an  unexpired  term 
of  Alva  Sherwood,  deceased.    While  a  resi- 


,898 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


.dent  of  New  Buffalo  township  Mr.  Sclniltz 
held  a  number  of  township  offices  and  was  a 
representative  of  that  township  on  the  board 
of  county  supervisors.  i\lthough  yet  a 
young  man  he  has  for  years  taken  an  active 
part  in  public  affairs  in  Berrien  county,  and 
his  political  record  has  been  characterized 
by]  the  utmost  fidelity  to  the  Republican 
party  and  the  principles  in  which  he  be- 
lieves. On  the  4th  of  September,  1906,  he 
received  the  nomination  from  the  members 
of  his  party  for  the  office  of  treasurer  of 
Berrien  county,  and  was  elected  November 
6,  following,  wnth  a  majority  of  one  thous- 
and seven  hundred  and  fifty-five,  leading  the 
entire  county  as  well  as  the  state  ticket. 

In  1896  Mr.  Schultz  was  married  to 
Miss  Gussie  J.  Tanner,  and  unto  them  have 
been  born  three  children,  Harold  B.,  Ber- 
nice  M.  and  Paul  H.  The  parents  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Congregational  church.  Mr. 
Schultz  holds  membership  with  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
Royal  Arch  Masons.  He  is  a  prominent 
and  popular  man  and  his  official  service  is 
a  case  in  which  his  fidelity  is  being  re- 
warded. 

J.  D.  KRIEGER.  The  Krieger  family 
in  Berrien  county  is  too  well  known  to  need 
special  introduction  in  this  volume,  for  its 
repreisentatives  have  long  been  prominent 
and  influential  here  as  business  me:n  and  as 
champions  of  all  that  stands  for  development 
and  improvement.  There  were  six  brothers, 
Jacob,  Peter,  Christian,  Charlie,  John  and 
Adam,  who  were  sons  of  Christian  Krieger. 
They  came  from  Prussia  to  America,  emi- 
grating to  the  United  States  about  1840. 
They  landed  at  Cincinnati,  and  some  time 
afterward  Jacob  Krieger  came  to  St.  Joseph, 
Michigan,  having  learned  of  this  district 
through  a  land  company  in  Cincinnati.  Fol- 
lowing his  arrival  he  worked  for  the  firm  of 
Smith  &  Murray,  who  were  large  land- 
owners here.  He  w^as  employed  at  clearing 
and  breaking  land,  building  houses  and  at 
other  work,  and  he  soon  secured  tand  for 
himself  near  the  present  site  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church.  He  was  here  married  to 
Catherine  Heffner,  after  which  he  continued 


to  work  for  the  land  company  and  took  land 
in  payment  for  his  labor.  Thus  he  became 
the  owner  of  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  which  is  now  owned  by  a  Mr. 
Wilming.  Upon  that  place  Jacob  Krieger 
spent  his  remaining  days  and  eventually 
passed  away  there.  Abuot  1850  his  broth- 
ers came,  as  did  his  father,  wlio  died  soon 
after,  being  an  old  man  at  the  time  of  his 
arrival  in  Michigan.  All  six  of  the  brothers 
settled  in  Bainbridge  but  only  two  are  now 
living.  Charles  Krieger  is  a  well  known 
hotel  man,  formerly  of  St.  Joseph,  but  now 
of  Chicago.  He  built  the  Whitcomb  Hotel 
in  St.  Joseph  and  also  built  and  operated  the 
American  House  there,  but  at  the  present 
writing  he  is  living  in  the  western  metropo- 
lis. Adam  Krieger,  who  also  survives,  was 
for  many  years  an  active  farmer  of  Bain- 
bridge township  and  is  still  living  within  its 
borders.  His  old  home  farm  is  now  owned 
by  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Fred  Holler.  Of  the 
other  members  of  the  family,  John  Krieger 
died  when  a  young  man,  while  Peter 
Krieger  died  when  about  seventy-two  years 
of  age.  Fred  Krieger  is  mentioned  on  an- 
other page  of  this  work,  and  Christian  be- 
came the  father  of  Jacob  C.  Krieger,  in  con- 
nection with  whose  history  mention  will  be 
found  of  him. 

Jacob  Krieger  went  to  California  about 
1850,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold  on 
the  Pacific  slope,  and  was  engaged  in  mining 
there  for  three  years  but  he  did  not  meet 
with  the  success  he  had  anticipated  and  re- 
turned to  Michigan,  where  he  again  gave  his 
attention  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  owned 
a  number  of  small  tracts  of  land  including 
the  present  farm  of  J.  D.  Krieger.  His 
home  place  was  an  excellent  farm  property 
and  as  the  result  of  his  care  and  labor  was 
so  developed  that  his  fields  brought  good 
returns  and  the  farm  became  a  very  pro- 
ductive one.  He  continued  to  make  it  his 
home  until  his  death,  which  occurred  May 
22,  1 88 1,  when  he  was  sixty-five  years  of 
age,  while  his  wife  survived  him  for  ten 
years.  They  were  numbered  among  tlie 
original  members  of  the  Evangelical  Asso- 
ciation of  Bainbridge  and  continued  in  actiA  e; 
connection  throughout  life.     In  their  family 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


S99 


were  eight  children,  namely:  Jacob  D., 
whose  name  introduces  this  record;  Caro- 
line, the  wife  of  Herman  Goudy,  of  Bain- 
bridge;  Louisa,  who  became  the  wnfe  of 
Charles  Weber  and  died  when  about  forty- 
two  years  of  age;  Peter,  of  Bainbridge  town- 
ship; Charlie,  a  farmer  living  at  Climax, 
Michigan;  John,  also  of  Bainbridge;  Frank, 
of  the  same  place;  and  Nettie,  who  became 
the  wife  of  William  Buhlinger  and  died 
upon  the  old  Krieger  homestead  at  the  age 
of  thirty-seven  years. 

Jacob  D.  Krieger  was  born  in  this  county 
January  27,  1844,  and  remained  at  home 
until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  w^ar, 
acquiring  his  education  in  the  district 
schools,  while  during  the  summer  months 
and  periods  of  vacation  he  aided  in  the  work 
of  the  home  farm.  He  was  only  eighteen 
years  of  age,  wdien,  in  1862,  he  enlisted  in 
response  to  the  country's  call  for  aid,  be- 
coming a  member  of  Company  I,  Nineteenth 
Michigan  Infantry,  with  which  he  went  to 
the  front.  He  was  captured  with  his  bri- 
gade at  Spring  Hill,  Tennessee,  and  after 
being  held  as  a  prisoner  of  war  for  about 
thirty-two  days  was  exchanged  at  City  Point 
and  finally  was  at  Camp  Chase,  Columbus, 
Ohio.  He  then  rejoined  his  regiment  and 
took  part  in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  with  all 
its  hotly  contested  battles  and  its  long  ardu- 
ous marches.  He  went  into  Atlanta  in  an 
ambulance,  being  ill  with  typhoid  fever.  He 
w^as  captured  in  South  Carolina  on  the 
northern  march,  being  at  that  time  on  forage 
detail.  He  was  alone  and  fell  into  the  hands 
of  rebel  scouts  who  were  dressed  in  Federal 
overcoats,  and  instead  of  succeeding  in  cap- 
turing supplies  from  the  enemy  he  lost  his 
ow^n.  The  same  squad  of  rebel  scouts  cap- 
tured two  more  Berrien  county  men.  Mr. 
Krieger  was  returned  to  Libby  prison,  and 
after  a  time  was  taken  to  Salisbury.  He  was 
removed  from  that  place  as  a  prisoner  when 
Grant  made  his  advance,  and  was  taken  by 
train  to  some  outside  town,  being  turned 
over  to  the  Federals  at  City  Point.  He  then 
W'Cnt  back  to  Camp  Chase  in  Ohio.  He  was 
never  wounded  although  he  was  often  in 
the  thickest  of  the  fight  and  displayed  his 
valor  and  loyalty  on  many  hotly  contested 
battlefields  of  the  south. 


Following  his  return  home  Mr.  Krieger 
was  married,  in  1865,  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
Kniebes,  a  daughter  of  Peter  Kniebes,  who 
is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Mrs. 
Krieger  was  about  seventeen  years  of  age  at 
the  time  of  her  marriage.  The  young  couple 
began  their  domestic  life  upon  the  farm 
wdiich  is  still  their  home.  Mr.  Krieger  had 
eight  acres  of  land  cleared  and  there  was 
an  old  house  on  the  place,  which  remained 
their  home  for  a  long  period  but  about  ten 
years  ago  he  erected  his  present  residence. 
He  now  has  the  place  all  under  cultivation, 
mainly  planted  to  fruit.  It  is  conveniently 
situated  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south  of 
Bainbridge  Center,  and  there  Mr.  Krieger 
raises  good  fruit,  which  finds  a  ready  sale 
on  the  market,  his  home  being  splendidly 
located  in  the  midst  of  the  fruit  belt  of  Ber- 
rien county. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Krieger  have  been 
born  six  children :  Harvey,  of  Bainbridge 
township,  who  married  Eva  Pearl,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Warren  Pearl  and  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  oldest  and  most  prominent  fam- 
ilies of  the  county ;  Jacob,  also  of  Bainbridge, 
who  married  Lillian  Arford ;  Ionia,  the  wife 
of  Ira  Harner,  of  Bainbridge;  Lizzie,  the 
wife  of  Paul  Hartung,  a  bookkeeper  in  the 
Fair  store  in  Chicago;  and  May  and  Ros- 
coe,  both  at  home.  Mrs.  Krieger  belongs  to 
the  church  of  wdiich  her  parents  were  mem- 
bers. In  his  political  views  Mr.  Krieger  is 
a  Republican,  having  cast  his  first  presiden- 
tial vote  at  Atlanta,  Georgia,  in  1864,  while 
serving  as  a  defender  of  the  Union.  He  has 
filled  the  office  of  township  treasurer,  and  on 
the  4th  of  July,  1906,  his  fifth  term  as  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  expired.  He  has  kept  in 
active  touch  with  the  party,  frequently  serv- 
ing as  a  delegate  to  its  conventions,  and  is 
recognized  as  a  leader  in  its  local  ranks. 
In  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties  he  has 
always  been  prompt  and  faithful  and  his 
long  continuance  in  the  office  of  justice  in- 
dicates that  his  decisions  were  strictly  fair 
and  impartial. 

CHARLES  G.  SCHAUS,  living  in 
Bainbridge  township,  is  one  of  the  self-made 
p^pn  of  Berrien  county.  Without  special 
advantages  at  the  outset  of  his  career  he 


900 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


has  worked  laboriously  and  earnestly  to 
achieve  success  and  overcoming  all  difficul- 
ties in  his  path  by  determination  and  brook- 
ing no  obstacles  that  can  be  overthrown  by 
honest  effort.  He  was  born  in  Bainbridge 
near  the  present  site  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
on  the  1 2th  of  November,  1849,  and  is  the 
eldest  child  of  Jacob  L.  and  Mary  (Duke- 
sherer)  Schaus,  the  latter  a  daughter  of 
William  Dukeshearer  and  a  sister  of  Henry 
Dukesherer.  When  Charles  G.  Schaus  was 
but  three  years  of  age  his  parents  removed 
to  a  new  place  in  Watervliet,  where  they 
remained  for  five  years,  when  the  property 
was  sold.  This  was  in  1857,  in  which  year 
Jacob  L.  Schaus  settled  upon  what  has  since 
been  known  as)  the  old  homestead  farm. 
There  he  continued  to  reside  until  called  to 
his  final  rest  on  the  25th  of  March,  1884, 
when  he  was  in  the  fifty-sixth  year  of  his 
age.  His  widow  survived  him  until  1902, 
passing  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-three 
years.  They  were  married  in  Berrien  coun- 
ty in  1847,  ^^^^^  which  Jacob  L.  Schaus 
worked  for  a  Mr.  Kline  in  Benton  Harbor. 
His  wife  had  been  employed  at  St.  Joseph 
and  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  was  but  nine- 
teen years  of  age.  Her  death  occured  on 
the  old  Adam  Scharm  place.  In  the  family 
were  two  sons,  the  younger  being  Frank. 

Charles  G.  Schaus,  spending  his  early 
youth  in  his  parents'  home,  started  out  in  life 
on  his  own  account  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
years  and  was  employed  at  farm  labor  until 
twenty-two  years  of  age.  When  he  was 
eighteen  years  old,  however,  his  father 
gave  him  his  time,  and  when  he  was  twenty- 
two  he  had  saved  from  his  earnings  the  sum 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  With  that 
capital  he  married  and  started  in  life  for 
himself.  It  was  on  the  23rd  of  November, 
1870,  that  his  marriage  to  Miss  Augusta 
Butzbach  was  celebrated.  Mrs.  Schaus  was 
at  that  time  only  eighteen  years  of  age  and 
was  the  eldest  child  of  Philip  and  Plantina 
Butzbach.  For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schaus  traveled  life's 
journey  happily  together  and  were  then  sep- 
arated by  the  death  of  the  wife  on  the  8th 
of  February,  1896.  Unto  them  had  been 
born  four  sons  and  a  daughter :  Henry,  who 
is  now  living  in  Bainbridge  township ;  Sam- 


uel, who  is  engaged  in  the  wholesale  pro^ 
duce  and  fruit  business  in  Benton  Harbor,, 
as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Seitz,  Runneker 
&  Schaus;  Robert,  who  is  a  cook  at  Grand 
Rapids ;  Charles,  who  is  principal  of  the  high 
school  at  Big  Rapids,  Michigan,  having  at 
one  time  attended  the  Ferris  Institute,  at 
Big  Rapids,  while  later  he  taught  school  at 
Pen  Yan  and  subsequently  at  the  Pearl 
Grange  school  house,  where  he  was  assisted 
by  his  sister;  and  Anna  Louisa,  the  wife  of 
Charles  Steinbarger,  now  of  Sunfield,  Eaton 
county,  ■  Michigan.  After  losing  his  first 
wife,  Mr.  Schaus  was  again  married,  on  the 
the  1 6th  of  September,  i8g8,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Sallie  Jewell,  a  neigh- 
bor's daughter.  Her  parents,  Wesley  and 
Anna  Jewell,  are  now  living  in  Stevensville,. 
Michigan,  where  Mrs.  Schaus  was  born. 
There  is  one  child  of  this  marriage,  Leah 
Catherine  Schaus. 

Mr.  Schaus  through  his  first  purchase 
of  land  became  the  owner  of  forty  acres  of 
his  present  farm,  for  which  he  paid  nine 
hundred  dollars.  It  was  covered  with  grubs 
and  he  secured  a  yoke  of  oxen  with 
which  to  perform  the  hard  labor  inci- 
dent to  clearing  and  cultivating  the  land. 
As  the  years  passed  by  he  prepared  the 
fields  for  the  plow  and  gathered  rich 
harvests  as  a  reward  for  the  care  and 
labor  which  he  bestowed  upon  his  place.. 
For  twenty-two  years  he  operated  a  thresh- 
ing machine,  carrying  on  the  business  a  part 
of  the  time  on  his  own  account  and  also  a. 
part  of  the  time  for  Hayden  Brothers.  He 
began  with  an  old  horsepower  machine  and 
afterward  with  a  portable  engine,  while  later 
he  became  owner  of  a  traction  engine.  His- 
work  in  this  direction  has  extended  as  far 
north  as  South  Haven.  He  confines  his  own 
farm  to  the  raising  of  grain  and  now  has. 
eighty  acres  of  rich  and  productive  land  a 
half  mile  south  of  Bainbridge  Center.  The 
residence  stands  on  an  eminence  and  com- 
mands a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding  coun- 
try, and  altogether  the  farm  is  a  very  at- 
tractive place,  neat  in  its  environments  and 
giving  every  evidence  of  the  careful  super- 
vision of  a  practical  and  progressive  owner. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Schaus  is  an 
earnest   Republican.      He    belongs    to    the 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


901 


Evangelical  Association  of  Bainbridge, 
which  was  also  the  church  of  his  father  and 
is  interested  in  the  moral  as  well  as  material 
development  of  the  community.  He  finds 
pleasure  and  recreation  from  his  business 
cares  in  hunting,  and  he  and  his  sons  enjoy 
various  outings  of  that  character.  His  en- 
tire life  has  been  passed  in  this  county,  and 
as  a  representative  of  a  pioneer  family  he 
well  deserves  mention  in  this  volume. 

URIAS  VAN  VRANKEN  is  the  owner 
of  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  the  fruit  belt  of 
Berrien  county,  and  his  success  as  a  fruit 
grower  stamps  him  as  one  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  the  business  and  as  one  who  has 
gained  for  this  district  the  splendid  reputa- 
tion it  bears  as  a  horticultural  center.  He 
lives  upon  a  part  of  what  is  the  old  Van 
Vranken  homestead,  and  it  w^as  here  that  he 
was  born  on  the  ist  of  October,  1844.  His 
parents  were  Garrett  and  Emily  Van  Vran- 
ken. The  father  was  born  in  New  York, 
and,  as  the  name  indicates,  was  of  Holland 
descent.  He  lost  his  mother  when  he  was 
only  three  years  of  age  and  was  reared  by 
an  English  family.  Coming  to  Michigan  in 
pioneer  times  he  settled  in  Berrien  county 
and  became  an  enterprising  horticulturist  of 
Bainbridge  township,  living  upon  a  farm 
which  included  the  tract  of  land  now  in 
possession  of  his  son  Urias.  For  many  years 
he  successfully  carried  on  farming  here  and 
passed  away  on  the  19th  of  August,  1877. 
His  widow  still  survives  and  is  living  with 
her  youngest  daughter,  Mrs.  E.  N.  Matrau, 
at  Watervliet.  She  is  a  sister  of  J.  F.  Hig- 
bee  of  Benton  Harbor,  in  whose  sketch  on 
another  page  of  this  work  mention  is  made 
of  their  family  history. 

Urias  Van  Vranken  remained  at  home 
until  he  had  attained  his  majority  and  still 
resides  upon  a  part  of  the  old  home  place. 
He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and 
reared  to  the  occupation  of  farming,  and 
throughout  his  entire  life  his  time  and  ener- 
gies have  been  devoted  to  agricultural  and 
horticultural  pursuits.  He  has  eighty  acres 
of  land  in  the  home  place  and  twenty  acres 
in  Pipestone  township.  The  home  place  was 
cleared  by  his  father,  having  come  into  his 
possession  in  its  natural  state.    About  thirty 


years  ago  Mr.  Van  Vranken  of  this  review 
erected  his  present  residence.  He  has  more 
than  fifty  acres  planted  to  fruit,  five  acres  in 
apples,  twelve  acres  in  grapes  and  other 
tracts  in  peaches  and  pears.  His  fruit  sales 
amount  to  about  fifteen  hundred  dollars 
annually.  He  is  also  well  known  as  a  melon 
grower,  having  about  ten  acres  planted  to 
osage  melons,  and  to  the  cultivation  of 
melons  he  has  given  his  attention  for  twenty 
years,  the  average  sales  from  this  tract 
amounting  to  several  hundred  dollars  annu- 
ally. The  farm  is  a  very  fine  one,  splendidly 
situated  in  the  midst  of  the  fruit  belt  of 
Berrien  county  and  Mr.  Van  Vranken  is 
thoroughly  familiar  with  the  best  methods 
of  producing  all  kinds  of  fruit,  having  made 
a  close  study  of  everything  bearing  upon  the 
subject  of  horticulture.  His  apples  bring 
the  highest  prices  on  the  market  and  every- 
thing that  he  produces  is  of  fine  size  and 
quality,  for  he  useis  the  best  nursery  stock 
and  seeds  for  the  growing  of  fruit  and 
melons. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1876,  Mr.  Van 
Vranken  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Belle  Petrie,  of  Sodus  township,  and  they 
have  a  family  of  three  daughters:  Eva, 
now  the  wife  of  Noble  Wellj,  of  Pipestone 
township;  and  Ida  and  Ina,  twins.  The 
former  has  engaged  in  teaching  for  four 
years  in  Berrien  county,  mainly  at  Fair- 
plains,  and  Ina  is  the  wife  of  Ernest  Lewis, 
of  Bainbridge  township. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Van  Vranken 
is  a  Democrat  where  national  issues  are  in- 
volved but  casts  an  independent  local  ballot. 
He  is  interested  in  matters  of  citizenship  re- 
lating to  material,  intellectual  and  moral 
progress  and  stands  for  all  that  is  best  for 
the  community.  His  entire  life  has  been 
passed  in  this  part  of  the  state,  and  for 
more  than  six  decades  he  has  been  a  witness 
of  the  changes  that  time  and  man  have 
wrought,  as  business  conditions  have 
brought  about  marked  differences  in  the 
methods  of  carrying  on  agricultural  and 
horticultural,  as  well  as  commercial  pur- 
suits. He  has  kept  in  touch  with  the  uni- 
form ,  development  and  in  fact  has  been  a 
leader  in  the  line  of  his  chosen  occupation. 


go2 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


LEWIS  UMPHREY  is  a  representative 
farmer  of  Bainbridge  township  and  belongs 
to  one  of  its  worthy  famihes.  Michael  Um- 
phrey,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Bainbridge, 
came  from  Germany  in  company  with  the 
first  German  settlers  of  this  locality,  includ- 
ing the  Kniebes  and  the  Smithberger  fam- 
ihes. He  located  in  Watervliet  township, 
^nd  his  old  home  property  is  still  in  posses- 
sion of  the  family.  In  the  family  of  Michael 
Umphrey  were  three  sons,  Peter,  Lewis  and 
Philip.  Peter  died  at  Bowling  Green,  Ken- 
tucky, during  the  Civil  war,  and  Philip  died 
m  the  south  after  the  close  of  hostilities. 

Lewis  Umphrey  remained  upon  the  old 
home  farm  assisting  in  its  development  and 
improvement  during  pioneer  days  and  after 
arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Abbie  Denner,  at  the  present 
home  of  her  son  Lewis  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship. Her  father,  John  Denner,  came  to 
Michigan  when  she  was  thirteen  years  of 
age,  and  in  1849  ^^  1850  he  went  to  Califor- 
nia, after  wdiich  he  returned  to  Michigan. 
His  life'  was  largely  passed  in  a  house  which 
stood  on  the  present  site  of  the  old  barn, 
which  was  the  first  barn  in  this  vicinity,  built 
sixty  years  ago  by  the  company  that  owned 
the  land.  He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
three  years  and  his  son,  John  Denner,  now 
of  Benton  Harbor,  w^as  the  ow^ner  of  the 
farm  until  it  passed  into  the  possession  of 
Lewis  Umphrey  in  1886. 

Lewis  Umphrey,  Sr.,  had  a  family  of 
eight  sons,  of  whom  Lewis,  Jr.,  is  the  third 
in  order  of  birth.  He  was  born  July  17, 
1859,  in  the  old  log  house  which  w^as  after- 
ward replaced  by  the  brick  residence.  His 
father  died  when  he  was  twenty-one  years 
of  age  and  the  mangement  of  the  farm  then 
devolved  upon  him.  He  remained  upon  the 
place  with  his  mother  until  his  marriage,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-eight  years,  to  Miss  Anna 
Kniebes,  the  youngest  daughter  of  Peter 
Kniebes,  at  which  time  he  removed  to  a 
place  adjoining  his  present  place  of  resi- 
dence. In  1886  he  purchased  the  farm  upon 
which  he  now  resides.  The  old  house  was 
burned  about  two  years  after  his  marriage 
and  he  then  erected  a  comfortable,  modern 
residence.  He  has  forty-eight  acres  of  land, 
constituting  one   of  the  best   farms  of  the 


township.  About  ten  acres  is  devoted  to 
apples  and  peaches  and  his  farm  is  well  im- 
proved in  every  particular,  being  character- 
ized by  neatness  and  thrift,  which  indicates 
the  progressive  spirit  and  practical  efforts  of 
the  owner. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lewis  Umphrey  have 
been  born  four  children,  Lewis  M.,  Edna, 
Florence  and  Raymond,  all  of  whom  are  yet 
under  the  parental  roof.  In  his  political 
views  Mr.  Umphrey  is  a  stalwart  Republi- 
can, and,  as  every  true  American  citizen 
should  do,  keeps  well  informed  on  the  ques- 
tions and  issues  of  the  day  but  he  has  never 
sought  office,  preferring  to  confine  his  at- 
tention to  his  farming  interests.  His  recre- 
ation and  pleasure  came  through  hunting 
and  fishing  but  his  time  is  largely  given  to 
the  development  and  improvement  of  the 
farm  and  he  is  accounted  one  of  the  ener- 
getic and  active  business  men  of  his  com- 
munity. 

JOSEPH  WILLMING,  residing  in 
Bainbridge  township,  was  born  near  Joliet, 
Illinois,  January  19,  1858.  His  father,  B. 
Willming,  w^as  a  native  of  Alsace,  France, 
and  when  a  young  man  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  the  new  world.  In  Illinois  he  was  married 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Siler,  who  was  also  born 
in  Alsace.  Mr.  Willming  had  served  for 
fourteen  years  in  the  French  army,  spending 
seven  years  of  that  time  in  military  duty 
in  Africa.  In  Illinois  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  farming.  Three  of  his  sons  are  liv- 
ing in  Bainbridge  township,  Joseph,  Andrew 
and  Serphine.  Joseph  arrived  in  1878  and 
has  therefore  been  a  resident  of  the  county 
for  twenty-seven  years,  wdiile  Serphine  has 
lived  here  for  four  years  and  Andrew  for 
two  years. 

Gregory  Willming  came  to  the  United 
States  prior  to  the  arrival  of  his  brother,  B. 
Willming,  and  settled  two  miles  south  of 
Benton  Harbor,  so  that  the  family  was  early 
established  in  Berrien  county.  His  wife  was 
Mary  Oehlhaffer,  who  had  come  from 
France  in  company  with  her  brother,  Joseph 
Oehlhaffer,  and  who  gave  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage to  Gregory  Willming  in  Chicago. 
Their  entire  married  life,  however,  was 
passed  at  Fair  Plain,  Michigan,  where  Greg- 


t^^r-z^i^j^  /y^-3~ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


903 


ory  Willming  died  in  1894,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-three  years.  His  widow  remained 
in  the  same  locahty  until  her  death  about  five 
years  ago  and  w^as  laid  to  rest  on  the  day 
that  President  McKinley  was  assassinated. 
They  erected  the  present  brick  residence  now 
owned  and  occupied  by  their  nephew^  George 
Oehlhaffer. 

When  Joseph  Willming  reached  the  age 
of  twenty  years  he  came  to  Berrien  county 
and  for  two  years  resided  with  his  uncle, 
working  on  a  farm.  He  was  then  married, 
January  27,  1880,  to  Miss  Josephine  Oehl- 
haffer, and  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary 
Ann  (Straul)  Oehlhaffer.  Her  parents 
came  from  France  in  company  wath  the 
Willmings  and  were  married  in  Michigan, 
spending  their  lives  thereafter  on  the  farm 
now  owned  by  their  son,  John  Oehlhaffer. 
The  father  died  about  two  years  ago 
but  the  mother  passed  away-  thrirty  years 
prior  to  his  demise.  Mrs.  Willming 
was  but  nine  years  of  age  at  the  time 
of  her  mother's  death  and  her  older 
sister,  Mary,  then  but  thirteen  years  of  age, 
became  the  housekeeper.  She  never  married 
but  remained  at  home  and  died  about  ten 
years  ago.  The  other  members  of  the  fam- 
ily w^ere :  Josephine  Oehlhaffer,  w^io  w^as 
married  at  twenty  years  of  age;  Josheph  and 
John,  who  now  reside  near  Fair  Plain. 

For  two  years  after  their  marriage  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Willming  lived  upon  his  uncle's 
farm  and  then  came  to  Bainbridge  township, 
settling  near  where  Mrs.  Willming's  half 
sister,  Mrs.  Kolb,  lived.  After  renting  land 
from  Mrs.  Loesher  for  twelve  years  Mr. 
Willming  purchased  his  present  farm  wdiich 
was  the  Clinton  Cribbs  farm  and  comprises 
fifty  acres.  It  is  devoted  to  horticultural 
pursuits,  about  half  of  it  being  planted  to 
fruit.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  peaches,  but 
also  raises  a  large  amount  of  pears.  He  has 
remodeled  the  buildings  since  locating  upon 
this  farm,  paying  twenty-nine  hundred  dol- 
lars for  this  tract  and  today  has  a  well  im- 
proved property  ecjuipped  with  modern  con- 
veniences. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willming  has 
been  blessed  with  the  following  named  sons 
and  daughters :  Francis,  a  clerk  in  Shep- 
pard  &  Benning's  store  in  St.  Joseph;  Mary, 
who  is  clerking  in  Eders  &  Geisler's  store  in 


Watervliet;  Ella,  at  home;  John,  on  the 
farm;  Clara;  Josephine;  Elizabeth;  Walter; 
Frank ;  and  Mabel.  The  parents  and  family 
are  communicants  of  St.  Joseph's  Catholic 
Church  at  Watervliet,  and  Mr.  Willming 
gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  Democ- 
racy where  national  issues  are  involved  but 
casts  an  independent  local  ballot,  consider- 
ing only  the  capability  of  the  candidate  for 
the  official  discharge  of  the  duties  connected 
with  the  office, 

J.  H.  HERRING,  M.  D.     Among  those 
who  have  attained    distinctive    prestige    in 
the  practice  of  medicine  in  Eau  Claire  and 
Berrien  county,  and  whose  success  has  come 
as  the  logical   result  of  thorough  technical 
information   stands  Dr.   Herring,   who  is  a 
man  of  scholarly  attainments  and  who  has 
made    deep   and   careful    research    into   the 
science  to  which  he  is  devoting  his  life.    He 
w^as    born    in    Elberfeld,   Rhenish    Prussia, 
March  30,  1850,  but  in  1855,  when  but  five 
years  of   age   was   brought   to  America   by 
his  parents,  Dr.  F.  A.  and  Amelia  (Wolff) 
Flerring,  both  also  natives  of  the  fatherland. 
In  1855  Dr.  F.  A.  Herring  and  his  family 
came  to  America,  and  after  resting  a  short 
time   in    Milwaukee,    Wisconsin,     continued 
their   journey   to    Goshen,     Indiana,     w^hich 
place  has  since  been  their  home  and  where 
the  father  has  continued  in  the  practice  of 
medicine  with  eminent  success.     He  belongs 
to  what  could  properly  be  called  the  Ger- 
manic Botanic  School,  and  as  many  of  the 
requisite    medicinal    plants    which    grow    in 
Europe  and  other  countries  cannot  be  had 
in  this  country  or  cannot  be  found  in  regu- 
lar commerce   Dr.   Herring  raises  them   in 
his  garden,  where  he  propagates  such  plants 
as  he  desires.     By  this  means  he  is  insured 
of  strictly    pure    herbs,    which    under    his 
watchful     care    and     skillful    compounding 
produce  instant  and  desirable  results.      He 
has   made  a   specialty  of   treating   deseases 
of  many  organs,  and  his  success  in  this  re- 
spect has  been  phenomenal.     Fie  is  one  of 
the  oldest  physicians    in    Indiana,     having 
reached    his    ninety-fourth   year,     and     for 
fifty-one  years   he   has   been   a   resident  of 
Goshen.     His  wife  passed  away  in  her  sev- 
enty-eighth year,  and  of  their  eight  children 
only  five  are  now  living. 


-T)04 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


Dr.  J.  H.  Herring,  their  eldest  son  and 
*^third  child,  was  but  five  years  of  age  when 
*is  father  located  in  Goshen,  where  he  was 
thereafter  reared,  and  the  early  educational 
training  which  he  received  in  its  public 
schools  was  supplemented  by  attendance  at 
the  Illinois  State  University,  while  his  pro- 
fessional training  was  received  at  the  Ben- 
net  Medical  College  of  Chicago,  where  he 
graduated  in  1878.  For  the  following  two 
years  he  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
medicine  at  Pipestone,  Michigan,  and  in 
1 88 1  located  in  Eau  Claire,  being  now  one 
of  the  oldest  representatives  of  the  profes- 
sion in  the  city.  He  has  demonstrated  the 
fact  that  he  is  well  informed  concerning  the 
principles  of  the  medical  science,  and  has 
therefore  been  accorded  a  hberal  patronage. 

In  1879  Dr.  Herring  married  Mary  A. 
Henkle,  the  daughter  of  P.  M.  Henkle,  of 
Goshen,  Indiana,  where  Mrs.  Herring  was 
born  and  reared,  and  for  several  years  she 
was  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  that  city 
and  Elkhart,  Indiana.  Dr.  Herring  is  a 
member  of  the  Eclectic  Medical  Society  of 
Michigan.  He  is  deeply  interested  in  the 
affairs  of  the  city  which  has  so  long  been 
his  home,  has  always  advocated  the  meas- 
ures which  have  advanced  its  welfare  and 
lias  labored  for  its  improvement  and  pro- 
gress. 

DANIEL  C.  ARNT,  numbered  among 
the  resident  farmers  of  Bainbridge  town- 
ship, was  born  in  Baline,  Prussia,  February 
:25,  1837,  and  was  a  youth  of  fourteen  years 
when,  in  185 1,  he  came  with  the  family  to 
the  United  States.  His  parents  were  Chris- 
tian and  Philopena  Arnt,  who  died  when 
their  son  Daniel  was  six  or  seven  years  of 
age.  The  father,  however,  secured  during 
his  residence  in  Michigan  the  present  home 
of  our  subject.  He  was  a  poor  man  and  had 
to  remain  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  until  his 
brother,  who  had  already  settled  in  Michi- 
gan, sent  him  the  money  to  continue  the  trip. 
He  had  two  brothers  in  Berrien  county, 
Frank  Arnt,  residing  in  Lake  township,  and 
Peter  Arnt,  whose  home  was  in  Bainbridge 
township.  There  were  also  two  sisters  in 
Bainbridge  township  who  had  been  residents 
here  for  eleven  years  before  Christian  Arnt 


arrived.  One  sister  was  the  wife  of  Peter 
Smithberger,  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Peter 
Kniebes,  and  the  other  sister  was  the  wife 
of  Daniel  Crieser,  a  pioneer  resident  of  Ber- 
rien county.  Christian  Arnt  secured  forty 
acres  of  land  on  contract.  It  had  some  im- 
provements upon  it,  a  few  acres  having  been 
cleared,  while  a  log  cabin  had  been  built.  He 
paid  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars 
for  the  forty  acres,  and  with  characteristic 
energy  began  the  development  of  the  farm, 
which  he  continued  to  cultivate  and  improve 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1875, 
when  he  was  seventy  years  of  age.  His  sec- 
ond wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Katharine  Vanner,  had  died  two  years  be- 
fore. During  the  last  ten  years  of  his  life 
Mr.  Arnt  was  a  great  sufferer  from  rheuma- 
tism. His  children,  all  born  of  his  first  mar- 
riage, were  as  follows :  Katharine,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  Peter  Smith  and  lived  in 
Bainbridge  township,  died  about  seven  years 
ago,  and  Mr.  Smith  is  also  deceased.  Dan- 
iel C.  is  the  second  of  the  family.  Eliza- 
beth became  the  wife  of  John  Grough,  and 
after  his  death  married  Mr.  Franzen.  She 
is  now  again  a  widow  and  is  in  St.  Joseph. 
Charley  is  a  resident  farmer  of  Watervliet 
township. 

Daniel  C.  Arnt  in  his  early  youth 
worked  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand  and 
his  wages — seven  or  eight  dollars  per  month 
— went  to  his  father.  When  twenty-five  years 
of  age  he  was  married  to  Henrietta  Kniebes, 
a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Margaret  (Smith- 
berger) Kniebes,  who  was  a  neighbor  girl  and 
was  sixteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  their 
marriage.  Mr.  Arnt  had  first  owned  fifty 
acres  of  land  on  the  township  line  but  after- 
ward sold  that  property  and  bought  forty- 
five  acres  nearer  his  wife's  father.  Subse- 
quently he  returned  to  the  old  farm  to  care 
for  his  father  during  the  last  two  years  of 
his  life,  Christian  Arnt  being  helpless  for 
some  years  prior  to  his  demise.  Following 
his  father's  death  our  subject  purchased  the 
interest  of  the  other  heirs  in  the  old  home 
place  and  continues  the  operation  and  im- 
provement of  the  two  farms.  He  has  made 
many  substantial  improvements  upon  his 
homestead  farm,  over  one  half  of  which  has 
been  planted  to  fruit,  peaches  being  his  spe- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


905 


cialty.  At  the  time  the  new  brick  house  of 
worship  was  erected  for  the  Evangehcal 
association  he  bought  the  old  church,  which 
had  been  built  about  1854,  and  it  is  now  used 
for  a  barn  and  fruit  house  upon  his  place. 
The  present  residence  was  erected  by  his 
father  about  forty  years  ago,  which  has  been 
remodeled  and  improved  by  Daniel  C.  Arnt. 
The  farm  is  pleasantly  located  nine  miles 
east  of  Benton  Harbor  and  three  and  a  half 
miles  southeast  of  Coloma. 

In  1900  Mr.  Arnt  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the 
19th  of  September  of  that  year.  They  had 
l>ecome  the  parents  of  fifteen  children,  all  of 
whom  reached  years  of  maturity:  Peter, 
who  resides  in  Bainbridge  township ;  Frank, 
of  the  same  township;  Daniel,  of  Benton 
Harbor;  Fred,  at  home;  Charlie,  a  resident 
farmer  of  Bainbridge  township;  Christian, 
at  home;  Carrie,  the  wife  of  Myron  Nich- 
ols, of  Bainbridge;  Annie,  who  is  acting  as 
her  father's  housekeeper;  Jacob,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  twenty-three  years,  seven  years 
after  the  death  of  his  mother;  Eddie,  of 
Benton  Harbor ;  Ben,  Maggie,  Harry,  Lydia, 
and  Hattie,  all  at  home. 

In  i860  Mr.  Arnt  cast  his  first  presiden- 
tial ballot  for  Abraham  Lincoln  and  has  since 
been  a  stalwart  champion  of  the  Republican 
party  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  office 
as  a  reward  for  party  fealty.  He  was  reared 
in  the  faith  of  the  Evangelical  association, 
with  which  he  is  identified  through  member- 
ship relations  and  he  has  lived  an  upright, 
honorable  life,  which  exemplifies  his  Chris- 
tian belief.  The  years  have  brought  him 
much  arduous  labor  but  as  the  result  of  his 
industry,  his  unswerving  business  integrity 
and  his  well  directed  efforts  he  is  now  one 
of  the  substantial  citizens  of  Bainbridge 
township. 

JACOB  KNIEBES  is  living  on  the  old 
Kniebes  homestead  farm  in  Bainbridge 
township,  where  he  was  born  August  7, 
1861,  being  the  youngest  son  in  the  family 
of  Peter  and  Margaret  (Smithberger) 
Kniebes.  His  father  came  from  the  vicinity 
of  Treves,  Prussia,  to  America  in  the  year 
1840  in  company  with  his  father,  Jacob 
Kniebes,   who  was  then  quite  advanced  in 


years.  Jacob's  family  constituted  Peter 
Kniebes  and  his  two  sisters,  Sophia  and 
Elizabeth.  The  former  died  in  Cincinnati, 
while  Elizabeth  became  Mrs.  Hooket,  by 
which  marriage  she  had  a  son,  Charlie 
Hooket.  After  the  death  of  her  first  hus- 
band she  married  Peter  Umphrey  and  lived 
at  New  Troy,  Berrien  county,  Michigan. 
The  party  that  sailed  for  America  also  con- 
tained Margaret  Smithberger  and  her 
brother,  Peter  Smithberger,  who  were  bound 
for  the  same  vicinity  as  the  Kniebes  fam- 
ily, and  about  two  years  later  Peter  Kniebes 
and  Margaret  Smithberger  were  married. 
Within  one  year  after  their  marriage  they 
located  upon  what  has  since  been  known  as 
the  old  homestead  farm.  At  Cincinnati  Mr. 
Kniebes  had  selected  land  from  an  immigra- 
tion company,  who  controlled  extensive  hold- 
ings in  Michigan.  Jacob  Kniebes,  the  grand- 
father, remained  with  his  son  Peter,  the 
family  home  being  a  log  cabin.  Peter 
Kniebes  was  a  hatter  by  trade  and  followed 
that  line  of  business  at  Niles  twenty-eight 
miles  distant  from  his  home,  walking  back 
and  forth  to  his  work  at  the  beginning  and 
the  end  of  the  week.  He  was  employed  for 
tw^o  years  as  a  hatter  at  Niles  and  at  St. 
Joseph  and  then  concentrated  his  energies 
upon  his  farm  w^ork.  When  twenty-four 
years  had  passed  he  had  about  one  hundred 
acres  of  land  here  and  his  fields  were  placed 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  erected 
all  of  the  principal  buildings  upon  the  farm 
and  converted  this  into  a  valuable  and  pro- 
ductive property.  In  addition  to  the  home 
property  he  also  became  the  owner  of  two 
tracts  of  land  of  eighty  acres  each,  one  ad- 
joining the  old  homestead,  while  the  other 
was  about  three  miles  distant,  one  being  the 
property  of  Fred  Kniebes,  and  the  other  the 
home  of  Frank  Kniebes.  As  long  as  he 
lived  Peter  Kniebes,  the  father,  contined  the 
active  management  of  his  business  affairs 
and  divided  his  estate  before  his  demise. 
His  father,  Jacob  Kniebes,  was  killed  by  a 
bull,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  Peter 
Kniebes  passed  away  January  7,  1896,  aged 
seventy-six  years,  and  his  wife,  Margaret, 
died  February  2,  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy 
years,  four  months  and  seventeen  days. 
Both    were    members    of    the  Evangelical 


9o6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Church  in  their  neighborhood,  and  in  poH- 
tics  Mr.  Kniebes  was  a  stalwart  RepubHcan, 
voting  the  first  Repubhcan  ticket  which  was 
placed  in  the  field  in  1854. 

Jacob  Kniebes,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  was  born  on  the  old  home  farm 
and  assisted  his  father  in  its  further  develop- 
ment, cultivation  and  improvement  until  the 
latter's  death.  He  has  since  purchased  the 
interest  of  the  other  heirs  in  the  farm  and  he 
now  has  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
valuable  land,  of  which  one  hundred  and 
eighteen  acres  is  under  cultivation,  being 
largely  devoted  to  the  raising  of  grain. 

Mr.  Kniebes  w^as  married  to  Miss  Vina 
Umphrey  and  their  family  numbers  three- 
children,  John,  Nettie  and  Reuben.  The 
parents  are  prominent  and  faithful  members 
of  the  Evangelical  Church,  in  which  Mr. 
Kniebes  is  serving  as  a  trustee.  The  family 
have  always  stood  for  good  citizenship  and 
progress  in  material,  intellectual  and  moral 
lines,  and  Jacob  Kniebes  of  this  review  has 
fully  sustained  the  reputation  always  borne 
by  the  family. 

FREDERICK  KRIEGER  was  born 
June  20,  1864,  in  the  house  which  is  still  his 
home  and  has  passed  nearly  all  his  life  under 
its  sheltering  roof.  His  parents,  Peter  and 
Dorothy  (Shank)  Krieger,  were  married  m 
Germany,  January  i,  1848.  The  former  was 
born  June  21,  181 6,  and  the  latter  April  26, 
1826,  in  the  same  lo.cality  in  Prussia.  Her 
death  occurred  in  November,  1869,  and  on 
the  25th  of  November,  1870,  Peter  Krieger 
w^as  married  to  Mrs.  Fredericka  Carl,  a 
widow,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Wack- 
row.  His  death  occurred  August  23,  1891, 
and  his  second  wiie  survived  until  January 
15,  1906.  She  had  left  the  old  homestead 
nine  years  before  and  her  last  days  were 
spent  in  Millburg.  It  was  in  the  year  185 1 
that  Peter  Krieger  came  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  in  Berrien  county,  Mich- 
igan, where  three  years  previous  John, 
Adam  and  Jacob  Krieger  had  already  lo- 
cated. All  were  born  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship and  of  these  Adam  is  the  only  sur- 
vivor. Fie  is  still  living  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship. Charles  Krieger  came  at  the  same 
time  as  his  brother  Peter  and  for  some  time 
conducted  Hotel  St.  Charles  in  St.  Joseph 


but  is  now  living  in  Chicago.  Christian 
Krieger,  another  brother,  also  lived  in  Bain- 
bridge township,  and  his  son  Jacob  is  still 
re^idnig  upon  his  old  homestead  there. 
Peter  Krieger  took  up  his  abode  upon  the 
farm  where  his  son  Frederick  now  resides, 
and  when  it  came  into  his  possession  it  was 
still  a  tract  of  timber  land,  but  in  the  midst 
of  the  forest  he  hewed  out  the  fields,  cut  the 
timber,  built  a  house,  making  his  home  there 
throughout  his  remaining  days.  He  owned 
three  different  farms,  one  in  Benton  town- 
ship and  one  in  Bainbridge  Center  in  addi- 
tion to  the  old  homestead.  He  and  his  first 
wife  were  among  the  charter  members  of 
the  German  Lutheran  Church  near  Bain- 
bridge, and  of  the  original  membership  Mr. 
Swartz  and  Adam  Krieger  are  the  only  ones 
now  living.  In  Peter  Krieger's  family  were 
the  following  named :  Christian,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years ;  Karl,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  twenty-four;  Adam,  on  the  old 
homestead;  John;  Peter;  Henrietta,  who 
was  burned  to  death  when  only  a  year  old; 
Dorothea ;  and  Frederick. 

Christian  and  Adam  Krieger  never  mar- 
ried and  remained  in  charge  of  the  old  home- 
stead, devoting  their  lives  to  general  farm- 
ing. John  Krieger  w^as  married  at  the  age 
of  twenty-five  and  lived  in  Bainbridge  Cen- 
ter until  about  two  years  ago,  when  he  re- 
moved to  a  farm  near  Watervliet.  Peter  is 
now  engaged  in  farming  in  Benton  town- 
ship, while  Dorothea  is  the  wife  of  Daniel 
J.  Smith,  a  resident  farmer  of  Watervliet 
township. 

Frederick  Krieger,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  record,  has  spent  nearly  his  en- 
tire life  upon  the  old  homestead  farm  which 
belonged  to  his  father.  At  nineteen  years  of 
age  he  began  working  out  as  a  farm  hand 
and  was  thus  employed  for  three  years,  af- 
ter which  he  went  to  Chicago,  where  he 
spent  one  year.  Subsequently  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  liquor  business  in  Benton  Har- 
bor for  eight  years  and  seven  years  ago  he 
returned  to  the  old  homestead,  where  he  has 
since  devoted  his  attention  to  the  manage- 
.ment  and  conduct  of  the  farm,  which  com- 
prises seventy-four  acres,  of  which  about 
thirty  acres  is  in  fruit,  over  half  of  this 
amount  being  in  peaches.  He  also  raises 
small  fruit,  making  a  specialty  of  strawber- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


907 


ries  and  likewise  cultivates  pears,  apples, 
grapes,  etc.  His  sales  of  fruit  for  1905 
amounted  to  about  two  thousand  dollars  and 
he  has  extended  his  fruit  industry,  which  is 
already  a  very  profitable  source  of  income. 
His  business  is  prospering  and  he  is  now 
purchasing  the  interest  of  the  other  heirs  in 
the  home  property. 

On  the  20th  of  December,  1893,  Mr. 
Krieger  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Koob,  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Magdalena  (Straw- 
ley)  Koob,  of  Watervliet  township.  She 
was  born  on  the  farm  near  Coloma  and  was 
married  at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  This 
union  has  been  blessed  with  three  children, 
Louis,  Mildred  and  Ray  Delbert.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Krieger  is  a  Democrat  and  has  fre- 
quently been  a  delegate  to  party  conven- 
tions. 

JACOB  L.  SCHAUS,  living  in  Bain- 
bridge  township,  is  a  representative  of  one 
of  the  prominent  German  families  of  Ber- 
rien county.  His  father,  Jacob  Schaus, 
came  from  Nassau,  Germany,  to  the  United 
States  in  1847,  when  twenty-two  years  of 
age.  His  mother  died  at  his  birth,  and  his 
father  when  the  son  was  ten  years  of  age. 
He  was  reared  by  an  uncle  and  was  the  only 
one  of  the  family  who  ever  came  to  America. 
After  reaching  the  shores  of  the  new  world 
he  came  to  Berrien  county,  where  he  had 
friends  living,  among  the  number  being 
Mary  Dukesherer,  a  former  schoolmate  in 
Germany  and  a  sister  of  Frederick  Duke- 
sherer, who  is  mentioned  in  this  volume. 
She  was  twenty-one  years  of  age  at  the  time 
she  came  to  the  United  States  in  1846,  and 
the  following  year  she  gave  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage to  Jacob  Schaus.  The  young  couple 
located  on  land  adjoining  her  father's  place 
and  there  lived  until  Mr.  Schaus  had  cleared 
ten  acres.  He  next  removed  to  the  old 
Krause  place  in  Watervliet  township,  where 
he  lived  for  twelve  years,  making  many  im- 
provements upon  that  farm.  In  1859  '^^  P^^^*" 
chased  the  farm  upon  which  his  son,  Jacob 
L.,  now  resides.  It  was  then  new  land  and 
only  ten  acres  of  the  forty  acre  tract  had 
been  cleared.  He  built  a  log  cabin  and 
placed  the  entire  farm  under  cultivation. 
He  also  extended  his  landed  possessions  by 
the  purchase  of  forty  3cres  w^est  of  Coloma 


and  forty  acres  in  Bainbridge  township, 
which  was  covered  with  a  dense  forest 
growth.  Of  this  he  cleared  ten  acres  and 
also  ten  acres  of  the  Coloma  farm.  In  early 
life  he  worked  in  a  sawmill  in  Watervliet 
and  in  the  work  of  clearing  his  land  he  was 
assisted  by  the  women  and  children  of  his 
household.  He  cleared  altogether  about  one 
hundred  acres  and  he  planted  the  present 
homestead  farm  to  apples  and  peaches,  de- 
voting his  time  and  energies  to  its  further 
cultivation  and  development  until  his  life's 
labors  were  ended  in  death,  on  the  25th  of 
March,  1883.  His  wife  passed  away  March 
29,  1 90 1,  when  nearly  seventy-two  years  of 
age.  She  had  been  a  most  ambitious,  ener- 
getic woman  and  had  been  a  most  able  as- 
sistant to  her  husband.  They  were  charter 
members  of  the  Evangelical  association  in 
Bainbridge  and  were  very  active  in  church 
and  Sunday-school  work.  They  conformed 
their  lives  strictly  to  the  teachings  of  the 
church  and  did  all  in  their  power  to  promote 
its  growth  and  extend  its  influence.  That 
Mr.  Schaus  was  a  most  honorable,  upright 
man,  worthy  of  the  trust  of  his  fellow  citi- 
zens is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  he  was  ap- 
pointed on  various  occasions  to  act  as  guar- 
dian for  orphan  children.  In  the  family  of 
this  worthy  couple  were  eleven  children,  nine 
of  whom  reached  maturity,  while  eight  are 
now  living,  as  follows:  Charlie,  a  farmer 
of  Bainbridge  township;  Harry,  who  was 
,  a  hotel  proprietor  and  clothing  merchant  at 
Benton  Harbor,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of 
fifty-two  years;  William,  a  farmer  of  Bain- 
bridge township;  Melia,  the  wife  of  Ole 
Pearson,  who  is  connected  with  the  McDon- 
ald Lumberyard  at  Benton  Harbor;  Jacob 
L.,  of  this  review;  Edward,  a  farmer  and 
carpenter  of  Bainbridge  township;  Frank, 
who  also  carries  on  agricultural  pursuits  in 
Bainbridge  township;  August,  a  laborer  at 
Riverside,  Michigan;  and  Louise,  the  wife 
of  Mark  Meach,  a  carpenter  of  Benton  Har- 
bor. 

Jacob  L.  Schaus  was  born  August  6, 
1859,  in  an  old  log  house  which  stood  on  the 
farm  that  is  now  his  home.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Ellen  Schramm,  a  daughter  of  John 
Schramm,  a  fruit  buyer,  who  was  lost  when 
the   famous  Hippocampus   went  down,   his 


co8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


daughter  Ellen  being  at  that  time  only  two 
years  old.  Her  mother  afterward  married 
again,  leaving  the  children  of  her  first  mar- 
riage with  their  grandparents,  Adam  and 
Margaret  Schramm  of  Bainbridge  township. 
John  Schramm  was  but  twenty-seven  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  his  demise  and  his 
daughter  was  but  seventeen  years  of  age 
when  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to 
Jacob  L.  Schaus,  who  at  that  time  took 
charge  of  the  Adam  Schramm  farm,  which 
he  purchased.  Mrs.  Schaus'  sister  Emma 
is  now  the  wife  of  John  Scherer,  of  Bain- 
bridge township,  and  she  and  her  sister 
Ellen  inherited  the  old  Schramm  farm  from 
their  grandfather,  after  which  Mr.  Schaus 
purchased  the  sister's  interest.  He  continued 
to  cultivate  and  improve  that  place  until 
about  six  years  ago,  when  he  sold  it,  having, 
after  his  mother's  death,  purchased  the  in- 
terest of  the  other  heirs  in  the  old  Schaus 
homestead.  For  the  past  five  years  he  has 
given  his  attention  exclusively  to  the  de- 
velopment of  the  home  farm,  which  is  de- 
voted to.  horticultural  pursuits,  with  thirty 
acres  planted  to  fruit.  He  makes  large  sales 
annually  and  is  extending  the  scope  of  his 
activities  by  enlarging  his  orchards.  He 
now  has  a  fine  assortment  of  fruit  of  the  best 
qualities  and  his  place  is  splendidly  located 
for  the  purpose  for  which  it  is  used.  Through 
twenty-seven  years  Mr.  Schaus  worked  in 
the  winter  seasons  in  the  lumber  woods  in 
northern  Michigan  and  became  an  expert 
in  that  line.  For  several  years  he  was  sup-  ' 
ply  teamster  and  for  a  considerable  period 
he  was  in  the  employ  of  Samuel  Minnie,  one 
of  the  best  known  lumbermen  of  northern 
Michigan.  For  eighteen  seasons  he  operated 
a  threshing  machine  in  Bainbridge  township 
and  carried  on  the  business  over  a  radius 
of  thirty  miles. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schaus  have  been 
born  ten  children  and  with  the  exception  of 
one  who  died  in  infancy  all  are  now  living, 
namely:  Oscar,  Ella,  Anna,  Alice,  Jacob, 
Chauncey,  Oren,  Philo,  Eveline  and  Wal- 
lace. In  his  political  views  Mr.  Schaus  is 
an  earnest  Republican,  in  this  respect  fol- 
lowing in  the  footsteps  of  his  father,  who 
was  the  first  German  to  vote  the  Republican 
ticket  in  Bainbridge  township,  although  his 
influence  brought  many  others  to  vote  in  the 


same  way.  Jacob  L.  Schaus  is  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  in  this 
county  where  his  entire  life  has  been  passed 
he  has  a  wide  and  favorable  acquaintance. 
The  secret  of  his  success  lies  in  his  industry, 
perseverance  and  integrity — qualities  which 
are  numbered  among  his  salient  character- 
istics. 

AUGUST  DUKESHERER,  of  Bain- 
bridge township,  is  a  representative  of  one 
of  the  old  and  prominent  pioneer  fam- 
ilies of  Berrien  county,  whose  name  has  been 
closely  and  honorably  associated  with 
the  early  development  and  later  progress 
of  this  section  of  the  state.  His  birth 
occurred  December  2,  1863,  in  the  town- 
ship w^hich  is  still  his  home,  his  par- 
ents being  Henry  W.  and  Charlotte 
(Tebbe)  Dukesherer.  The  father  was  born 
in  Nassau,  Germany,  June  2,  1833,  and  his 
parents  were  William  and  Dorothy  (Werth) 
Dukesherer,  who  in  December,  1845,  1^^^ 
their  native  village  for  America,  taking 
passage  on  a  westward  bound  vessel  at  Ant- 
werp. It  was  a  three  mast  sailing  ship, 
carrying  three  hundred  and  eighty  families. 
Anchor  was  dropped  in  New  York  harbor 
on  the  7th  of  March,  1846,  and  by  rail  the 
family  proceeded  to  Buffalo,  New  York, 
and  thence  by  steamer  to  St.  Joseph,  Michi- 
gan. Other  families  came  to  St.  Joseph, 
including  the  Kenty  family  and  the  family 
of  Michael  Umphrey,  who  were  on  board 
the  same  ocean  steamer.  Mr.  Dukesherer 
met  Mr.  Umphrey  in  New  York  city  and 
from  him  he  learned  of  the  St.  Joseph  re- 
gion and  its  possibilities.  He  therefore  de- 
cided to  come  to  this  district  and  settled  in 
Bainbridge  township,  four  miles  southeast 
of  Coloma,  where  he  secured  eighty  acres 
of  land,  for  which  he  paid  two  hundred  dol- 
lars. He  had  to  borrow  money  of  a  family 
in  Chicago,  however,  in  order  to  reach  St. 
Joseph,  and  after  locating  in  this  county  he 
worked  out  by  the  day  at  clearing  land  in 
order  to  provide  funds  necessary  to  the  sup- 
port of  the  family,  clearing  his  own  land  as 
he  found  opportunity.  He  had  been  a  coach- 
man in  Germany  but  in  America  his  atten- 
tion was  given  to  agricultural  pursuits  and 
he  remained  upon  his  farm  in  Bainbridge 
township  throughout    his    remaining    days, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


909 


placing  fifty  acres  of  the  land  under  culti- 
vation. He  died  on  the  old  homestead  in 
1879,  at  the  age  of  eighty- four  years,  while 
his  wife  passed  away  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
six  years.  A  log  house  stood  upon  the  farm 
when  it  came  into  his  possession.  There 
was  a  stump  still  in  one  corner  of  the  build- 
ing. In  1858  he  erected  a  frame  building 
and  as  opportunity  offered  he  carried  for- 
ward the  work  of  improvement  upon  his 
farm.  He  had  been  reared  in  the  faith  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church  but  after  com- 
ing to  the  United  States  he  assisted  in  the 
building  of  the  Lutheran  Evangelical 
Church.  He  was  also  one  of  the  first  mem- 
bers of  the  St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church  in 
his  vicinity  and  his  political  allegiance  was 
given  to  the  Democracy.  In  his  family 
were  the  following  named :  Mary,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  Jacob  Shaus,  and  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy-two  years;  Elizabeth, 
who  married  first  Christian  Kneibes,  and 
after  his  death  Henry  Ashup,  and  is  a  resi- 
dent of  Royalton  township;  Charlie,  who 
died  in  1903,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven 
years;  Philip,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years;  Fred,  living  in  Riverside,  Michigan; 
John,  of  Benton  Harbor;  William,  of  Mus- 
kegon, Michigan;  and  Louise,  the  wife  of 
Charles  Heyn,  of  Stevensville,  Michigan. 

Henry  Dukesherer  accompanied  his  par- 
ents to  the  United  States  when  twelve  years 
of  age  and  remained  at  home  to  the  age  of 
twenty-seven  years,  when  he  was  married 
on  the  3d  of  December,  i860,  to  Miss  Char- 
lotte Tebbe,  who  was  bom  in  Prussia,  came 
to  America  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  and 
was  married  when  twenty-five  years  of  age. 
Henry  Dukesherer  received  from  his  father 
sixty  acres  of  land  and  lived  continuously 
upon  that  farm  until  about  ten  years  ago. 
He  later  bought  the  old  homestead  of  his 
brother  John  and  he  also  had  an  eighty  acre 
farm  in  Watervliet  township.  He  now 
makes  his  home  in  Benton  Harbor.  Unto 
him  and  his  wife  were  born  nine  children: 
William,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty  years ; 
August;  John,  of  Benton  Harbor;  Edward, 
who  is  living  on  the  old  homestead;  Anna, 
the  wife  of  R.  E.  Woodruff,  of  Benton  Har- 
bor; Louise,  the  wife  of  Ed  McFall,  of  South 
Bend,  Indiana;  Sophia;  Dorothy,  the  wife 


of  Albert  Elen,  a  resident  of  South  Bend, 
Indiana;  and  Minnie,  the  wife  of  Ed  Fox, 
of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan.  The  father  of 
August  Dukesherer  was  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church  and  assisted  in  building 
the  church  in  Bainbridge  which  stood 
upon  land  donated  by  him.  His  political 
allegiance  was  given  to  the  Republican  party, 
and  he  is  one  of  the  representative  and  prom- 
inent citizens  of  this  county,  where  for  more 
than  six  decades  he  has  made  his  home. 

August  Dukesherer  remained  under  the 
parental  roof  until  twenty-four  years  of 
age  but  in  the  meantime  he  had  worked  by 
the  month,  his  earnings  going  to  his  father. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-four  he  married  Miss 
Lydia  Orth,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  John  Orth, 
of  the  Evangelical  association,  and  was  pas- 
tor of  the  big  brick  church  in  Bainbridge, 
which  was  built  through  his  efforts.  He  is 
now  retired  from  the  active  work  of  the  min- 
istry and  is  living  at  Howell,  Michigan.  Fol- 
lowing their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duke- 
sherer lived  upon  a  rented  farm  for  four 
years  and  in  1893  he  purchased  his  present 
farm,  which  is  the  old  Asof  Woodruff 
homestead  and  was  formerly  the  property  of 
Deacon  Woodruff,  the  father  of  all  the 
Woodruffs  in  Bainbridge  township.  The 
place  comprises  eighty  acres,  for  which  Mr. 
Dukesherer  paid  four  thousand  dollars.  He 
has  placed  fifteen  acres  under  cultivation 
himself  and  he  now  has  about  eighteen  acres 
in  apples,  twelve  acres  in  peaches,  two  and 
a  half  acres  in  grapes,  four  acres  in  black- 
berries and  two  acres  in  raspberries.  His 
sale  of  peaches  in  1905  amounted  to  over 
nine  hundred  dollars  and  other  crops  were 
proportionately  large.  He  is  now  erecting 
a  fine  new  residence  in  the  midst  of  a  beauti- 
ful grove  of  pine  and  maple  trees  and  al- 
together has  a  well  improved  farm  and  is  ac- 
counted one  of  the  successful  agriculturists 
of  this  locality. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dukesherer  have 
been  born  six  children :  Anna,  Ruth,  Evan- 
geline, Milan,  Henry  and  Mildred.  Mr. 
Dukesherer  is  active  in  township  affairs,  has 
served  as  drain  commissioner,  was  township 
treasurer  and  was  justice  of  the  peace.  He 
has  been  a  delegate  to  all  the  county  con- 
ventions of  the  Republican  party  for  the  past 


9IO 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


sixteen  years.  Mr.  Dukesherer  belongs  to 
the  Evangelical  association  and  his  mem- 
bership relations  are  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Knights  of  the 
Maccabees  and  the  Grange.  He  has  a  wide 
and  favorable  acquaintance  in  the  county,  is 
popular  with  his  fellow  citizens  and  is  recog- 
nized as  a  leader  in  local  political  circles  as 
well  as  one  of  the  enterprising  young  busi- 
ness men  of  this  portion  of  the  State. 

JOHN  W.  BEDFORD.  Agriculture  is 
the  source  of  all  business  activity.  Without 
the  cultivation  of  rich  crops  there  is  always 
a  depression  in  the  industrial  and  commer- 
.cial  markets  and  therefore  much  depends 
upon  the  .  enterprising  and  progressive 
farmer.  Among  the  representatives  of  this 
class  in  Pipestone  township  is  numbered 
John  W.  Bedford,  who  lives  on  section  24. 
He  was  born  in  Silver  Creek  township,  Cass 
county,  Michigan,  May  24,  1846.  His 
father,  George  Bedford,  was  a  native  of 
England,  and  when  twenty-three  years  of 
age  came  to  America,  settling  first  near 
Syracuse,  New  York,  where  he  followed  the 
occupation  of  farming.  He  was  married  in 
England  to  Miss  Ann  Smith,  also  a  native 
of  that  country,  and  after  living  in  New 
York  for  several  years  they  came  to  Michi- 
gan in  1841,  taking  up  their  abode  in  Silver 
Creek  township,  Cass  county,  where  Mr. 
Bedford  was  engaged  in  general  farming 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  when  he  had 
reached  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-five 
years.  He  was  well  known  in  that  county 
and  was  closely  identified  wath  its  early  his- 
tory, its  improvement  and  development.  His 
wife  was  seventy-four  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  her  demise.  In  their  family  were 
eight  children,  six  daughters  and  two  sons, 
all  of  whom  reached  manhood  or  woman- 
hood, while  at  this  writing  there  are  four 
daughters  living. 

John  W.  Bedford,  however,  is  the  only 
living  son  and  was  the  fourth  child  of  the 
family.  He  was  born  in  a  log  cabin  and 
his  early  years  were  passed  amid  surround- 
ings common  to  a  frontier  existence.  His 
education  was  obtained  in  the  district 
schools  of  Dowagiac,  and  he  afterward 
benefited  by  training  in  Albion  College.    His 


education  completed,  he  began  farming  and 
remained  upon  the  old  homestead  for  about 
three  years,  or  up  to  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage, which  was  celebrated  in  October, 
1869,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss 
Rosilla  Walter,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Rebecca  (Dewey)  Walter.  Mrs.  Bedford 
was  born  in  Pipestone  township,  Berrien 
county,  her  people  having  been  among  the 
early  settlers  of  this  county.  Her  grand- 
father, Henry  Dewey,  was  one  of  the  first 
residents  of  Cass  county,  so  that  the  name 
is  closely  interwoven  with  the  history  of 
pioneer  progress  and  improvement  in  this 
part  of  the  state.  Mrs.  Bedford  was  reared 
in  the  place  of  her  nativity  and  supplemented 
her  common-school  education  by  study  in 
Dowagiac.  The  young  couple  began  their 
domestic  life  upon  the  farm  where  he  now 
resides.  In  1863,  in  company  with  his 
father  and  his  brother,  George  E.,  he  be- 
gan the  improvement  of  this  place,  and  most 
of  the  equipments  and  buildings  upon  the 
farm  are  monuments  to  his  skill,  labor  and 
enterprise.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  over 
seven  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  some 
of  which  lies  in  Silver  Creek  township,  Cass 
county,  while  one  tract  of  eighty  acres  is 
in  Berrien  township  although  the  greater 
part  of  it  is  in  Pipestone  township.  He 
engages  in  the  raising  of  both  fruit  and 
grain  and  has  been  very  successful  as  an 
agriculturist  as  well  as  a  horticulturist. 
Both  branches  of  his  business  are  capably 
conducted  and  show  his  thorough  under- 
standing of  the  work  and  his  practical 
methods.  He  is  also  interested  in  the  West 
Michigan  Nursery  and  in  the  Michigan  and 
Alabama  Package  Company,  and  in  addition 
to  his  other  business  interests  he  loans 
money  and  is  connected  with  other  enter- 
prises. A  man  of  resourceful  business  al^il- 
itv  he  carries  forward  to  successful  comple- 
tion whatever  he  undertakes  and  with  strong 
purpose  and  unfaltering  diligence  he  is  meet- 
ing with  splendid  success  in  his  business  life. 
Mr.  Bedford  always  takes  an  active  anl 
helpful  interest  in  public  affairs  and  is  a 
Democrat  in  his  political  views.  He  Iris 
never  been  an  office  seeker  and  in  fact  lias 
refused  to  become  a  candidate  for  political 
honors  but  his  party   in     1902    and     1904 


f^uyJU     /^^^^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


911 


nominated  him  as  representative  from  the 
seventh  district  of  Berrien  county.  He  is 
well  known  in  this  portion  of  the  state  and 
is  a  typical  son  of  Michigan,  possessing  the 
alert,  enterprising  spirit  which  has  been  the 
dominant  factor  in  the  rapid  and  substan- 
tial upbuilding  of  the  middle  west. 

CHARLES  MOSER,  owing  his  suc- 
cess to  his  own  labor,  has  advanced  from  a 
humble  financial  position  to  one  of  affluence. 
He  resides  in  Bainbridge  township,  where 
he  now  has  a  good  farm  property,  which  he 
has  developed  from  a  wild  and  uncultivated 
place  until  it  is  now  a  very  productive  tract, 
on  which  he  raises  fruit  and  melons  as  well 
as  grain.  He  has  moreover  done  consider- 
able work  as  a  mason  and  his  life  has  been 
one  of  intense  and  well  directed  activity. 
He  was  born  in  Prussia,  April  7,  1839,  and 
became  a  resident  of  the  United  States  in 
1868,  making  his  way  direct  to  Bainbridge 
township,  Berrien  county.  His  father  was 
a  contractor,  and  in  his  youth  Charles  Moser 
.  learned  the  stone  mason's  trade,  at  which  he 
worked  until  1868.  He  was  induced  to 
come  to  America  by  Frank  Arndt,  who  had 
-crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1867.  He  was  a 
friend  of  Mr.  Moser  in  Germany  and  wrote 
for  the  latter  to  come  to  the  new  world,  be- 
lieving that  he  might  enjoy  better  business 
opportunities  in  this  country.  Accordingly 
the  journey  was  made  in  1868  and  Mr. 
Moser  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  residents  of 
Berrien  county,  where  he  has  since  lived  and 
labored,  his  efforts  being  crowned  with  a 
measure  of  success  that  indicates  untiring- 
activity,  perseverance  and  sound  judgment. 

In  1 87 1  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Charles  Moser  and  Miss  Marguerite  Wag- 
goner, who  was  born  near  Friedberg,  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  Germany.  She  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1871,  and  made  her  home 
in  Berrien  county.  In  1872  Mr.  Moser  pur- 
chased ten  acres  of  his  present  farm,  for 
which  he  paid  five  hundred  dollars.  It  was 
all  in  grubs  but  land  brought  a  high  price, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  peaches  were  being 
profitably  raised,  the  value  of  Michigan  soil 
for  fruit  production  having  been  demon- 
strated. Mr.  Moser  had  but  one  hundred 
dollars  with  which  to  make  a  payment  on 
the  property  but  he  resolutely  set  to  work  to 


earn  the  sum  that  would  free  him  from  all 
indebtedness.  He  had  to  cut  out  the  grubs 
in  order  to  have  a  place  cleared  on  which  to 
build  his  two-story  frame  house.  Working 
at  the  mason's  trade  he  thus  secured  ready 
capital  and  as  opportunity  offered  he  cleared 
and  developed  his  land,  planting  his  ten  acres 
to  fruit.  He  made  some  advance  in  this  way 
but  it  was  about  fourteen  years  before  he 
purchased  more  land.  He  then  bought  ten 
acres  for  five  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  the 
tract  having  already  been  cleared.  About 
thirteen  years  age  he  added  twelve  acres,  so 
that  he  now  has  a  good  property  of  thirty- 
two  acres,  of  which  about  ten  or  eleven  acres 
is  planted  to  fruit.  He  grows  berries, 
peaches,  grapes,  melons,  etc.,  and  has  cleared 
one  thousand  dollars  or  more  per  year  from 
the  products  of  his  place.  He  has  also  done 
mason  work  by  the  job,  building  many  chim- 
neys and  executing  other  such  contracts  in 
this  part  of  the  county.  His  home  is  now 
one  of  the  best  in  this  vicinity.  It  borders 
the  old  territorial  road  and  is  seven  and  a 
quarter  miles  east  of  Benton  Harbor.  Neat 
and  thrifty  in  appearance,  it  indicates  the 
careful  supervision  of  the  owner,  who  has 
been  most  progressive  in  his  business  meth- 
ods and  through  his  careful  management  has 
steadily  progressed  until  he  is  now  num- 
bered among  the  substantial  horticulturists 
of  Bainbridge  township. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moser  have  been 
born  eight  children.  Carrie  is  the  wife  of 
Henry  Russell,  of  Benton  Harbor;  Otto, 
who  was  formerly  engaged  in  packing  apples 
for  seven  years,  is  now  operating  the  home 
farm.  Libbie  is  the  widow  of  Charles  Hiler, 
wdio  died  June  24,  1904,  in  Colorado,  since 
which  time  his  widow  has  returned  to  her 
father's  home.  Margaret  is  the  wife  of  Sam- 
uel Krieger,  of  Bainbridge  township.  Al- 
vin  died  July  19,  1904,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
five  years,  having  been  employed  with  a  rail- 
road construction  company  in  Chicago.  The 
other  children  of  the  family  died  in  early 
age,  and  were  Alfred  and  two  infant  daugh- 
ters. 

Mr.  Moser  is  a  Republican  in  his  political 
views  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  ques- 
tions and  issues  of  the  day  but  has  no  aspira- 
tion for  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  pub- 
lic office.     Both  he  and  his  wife  are  mem- 


912 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


bers  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  of 
Bainbridge  and  are  highly  esteemed  in  the 
community  where  they  reside.  He  has  never 
had  occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to 
seek  a  home  in  America,  for  in  this  country 
he  has  found  good  opportunities,  which  he 
has  embraced  and  improved,  steadily  work- 
ing his  way  upward  until  he  is  now  enabled 
to  enjoy  the  comforts  of  life  and  some  of  its 
luxuries. 

HORACE  M.  WISE,  owner  of  the 
Walnut  Hill  fruit  farm,  of  which  about 
forty  acres  is .  devoted  to  fruit,  eighteen 
acres  being  planted  to  small  fruit,  while  the 
remainder  is  utilized  for  the  cultivation  of 
apples,  pears  and  peaches,  is  well  known  in 
Bainbridge  township  and  other  sections  of 
the  county.  He  was  born  October  20,  1855, 
on  the  old  homestead  property  belonging 
to  his  father.  His  parents  were  George  and 
Mary  (Yund)  Wise.  The  mother  was 
formerly  the  wife  of  a  Mr.  Dodge,  of  New 
York,  and  the  mother  of  Balaam  Dodge, 
who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
The  old  homestead  is  now  owned  by  Benja- 
min Seel,  although  Mr.  Wise  of  this  review 
has  a  part  of  the  place.  His  farm  comprises 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  and  was 
improved  wholly  by  his  father,  George 
Wise,  who  always  lived  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  territorial  road.  George  Wise  was 
the  owner  of  about  four  hundred  acres  of 
good  land  and  improved  about  three  hun- 
dred acres  of  that  tract. 

Horace  M.  Wise  was  reared  to  the  oc- 
cupation of  farming  and  acquired  a  pub- 
lic-school education.  He  purchased  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  the  old  home 
place  of  what  remained  at  the  time  of  his 
father's  death,  although  about  eight  years 
previously  he  had  erected  thereon  good 
buildings.  His  place  is  now  known  as  the 
Walnut  Hill  fruit  farm  and  comprises  about 
forty  acres  of  land  devoted  to  fruit.  Of  this 
about  eighteen  acres  is  given  to  small  fruit 
and  he  also  raises  apples,  pears  and  peaches. 
Each  year  he  sets  out  new  trees  and  uses 
only  the  best  nursery  stock.  He  usually 
sells  from  fifteen  to  twenty  hundred  crates 
of  small  fruit  in  a  single  season,  while  his 
sales  have  reached  as  high  as  three  thous- 
and crates.     In   1896  and    1897,  however, 


the  crop  was  grown  at  a  loss,  but  usually 
has  been  satisfactory,  bringing  a  good  finan- 
cial return.  That  part  of  the  farm  which 
is  not  given  over  to  horticultural  pursuits 
is  devoted  to  general  farming  and  the  place 
lies  along  the  old  territorial  road  about 
eleven  miles  and  a  half  east  of  Benton  Har- 
bor. Mr.  Wise  has  spent  his  entire  life  upon 
this  farm  with  the  exception  of  about  a  year 
and  a  half  passed  in  Missouri  and  Nebraska. 
In  1886  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Horace  M.  Wise  and  Miss  Alice  Burg,  who- 
died  in  1892,  leaving  a  daughter,  Leona.  In 
1897  M^'  Wise  was  again  married,  his  sec- 
ond union  being  with  Mrs.  Lizzie  Seel,  the 
widow  of  Ed  Seel.  They  have  one  son, 
Bryan.  Mr.  Wise  belongs  to  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  in  which  he  has 
passed  all  of  the  chairs,  has  been  represen- 
tative to  the  grand  lodge  and  for  twenty- 
eight  years  has  been  connected  with  this 
fraternity  as  one  of  its  exemplary  members. 
He  has  a  wide  and  favorable  acquaintance 
in  Bainbridge  township  and  the  extent  and 
importance  of  his  business  interests  indicate 
his  ability,  his  enterprise  and  his  thrift. 

CYRUS  B.  GROAT  has  been  identified 
with  the  educational  interests  of  this  part 
of  the  state  for  many  years,  and  his  labors 
have  been  effective  in  raising  the  standard 
of  the  schools  until  the  educational  system 
is  one  of  which  every  citizen  of  the  locality 
has  reason  to  be  proud.  He  was  born  on 
section  13  of  Berrien  township,  April  6, 
1844,  his  father  being  James  Groat,  who 
was  a  native  of  Canada  and  came  to  Ber- 
rien county,  Michigan,  in  1836,  while  three 
years  later,  in  1839,  he  took  up  his  abode 
in  the  township  of  Berrien.  His  death  oc- 
curred when  he  had  reached  the  age  of 
eighty-three  years.  He  chose  Lucinda  Pin- 
nell  as  his  wife,  she  being  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, but  in  her  maidenhood,  in  1836,  she 
came  to  Berrien  county,  her  parents  having 
been  numbered  abong  the  honored  early  pio- 
neers of  the  county.  She  still  survives  her 
husband,  and  has  now  reached  the  venerable 
old  age  of  eighty-eight  years. 

Cyrus  B.  Groat,  the  second  child  and 
second  son  of  his  parents  eight  children, 
three  of  whom  are  living,  spent  the  early 
years  of  his  life  in  Berrien  township,  and 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


913 


the  early  educational  training  which  he  re- 
ceived in  the  district  schools  was  supple- 
mented by  a  course  in  the  high  schools  of 
his  native  county.  He  remained  at  home 
is  an  hono:  to  the  district  which  has  so  often 
he  began  i  caching,  and  for  twenty-five  years 
followed  the  teacher's  profession  in  Berrien 
county.  The  first  position  to  which  he  was 
elected  was  that  of  superintendent  of 
schools  of  Berrien  township  in  1870,  for 
four  years  was  courety  superintendent  of 
schools,  and  for  eight  years  was  a  member 
of  the  board  of  school  examiners.  For  a 
period  of  six  years  Mr.  Groat  maintained 
his  residence  in  Niles,  where  he  served  as  a 
director  of  the  city  schools,  as  a  school  trus- 
tee and  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  public 
works.  For  twelve  years  he  was  supervisor 
of  Berrien  township,  and  is  now  holding  the 
office  of  justice  of  the  peace,  while  he  is  also 
a  candidate  for  representative  of  the  second 
district. 

In  1867  Mr.  Groat  was  married  to  Eliza- 
beth Stutsman,  and  they  have  one  son.  Max, 
a  graduate  of  the  Niles  public  schools  and 
who  also  took  a  two  years'  course  in  the 
Michigan  Agricultural  College.  In  his  polit- 
ical affiliations  Mr.  Groat  has  been  a  life- 
long Republican,  his  first  presidential  vote 
having  been  cast  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  and 
fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at  Niles. 
For  y^ars  Mr.  Groat  has  been  accorded  a 
prominent  position  in  the  educational  cir- 
cles of  southern  Michigan,  and  his  career 
is  an  honor  to  the  district  which  has  so  often 
honored  him  with  official  positions. 

WILLIAM  P.  BARKHOUSE,  whose 
home  farm  on  section  30,  Wesaw  township, 
is  a  well  developed  property  which,  owing 
to  the  cultivation  he  bestows  upon  it,  yields 
to  him  a  good  return,  was  born  in  Nassau, 
Germany,  January  8,  1848.  His  parents 
were  John  and  Katharine  (Shnatz)  Bark- 
house,  who  were  likewise  natives  of  Nassau, 
but  both  died  in  Berrien  county,  the  father 
at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years  and  the 
mother  when  eighty-three  years  of  age.  In 
their  family  were  the  following  named: 
William  P. ;  Katharine,  the  wife  of  John 
Miller,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  Henry,  who  is 
living  in  Breedsville,  Van  Buren  county, 
58 


Michigan;  Laura,  the  wife  of  John  Shaber 
of  Toledo;  and  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  John 
Specht,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

When  four  years  of  age  William  P. 
Barkhouse  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  the 
new  world,  the  family  home  being  estab- 
lished at  Green  Springs  in  Seneca  county, 
Ohio,  where  they  lived  for  about  eight  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  they  re- 
moved to  Ottawa  county,  Ohio,  and  there 
William  P.  Barkhouse  remained  for  about 
fourteen  years  upon  the  farm,  which  he  as- 
sisted his  father  to  clear  and  develop.  It 
was  in  the  black  swamp  country  and  re- 
quired much  effort  to  bring  the  land  under 
cultivation.  The  year  1879  witnessed  his 
•  arrival  in  Wesaw  township,  Berrien  county, 
to  which  place  he  made  his  way  with  his 
family,  while  his  parents  followed  about  a 
year  later.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Barkhouse 
has  resided  upon  a  farm  which  is  yet  his 
home.  He  owns  two  farms  of  forty  acres 
each  on  sections  30  and  31,  Wesaw  town- 
ship. This  includes  the  father's  old  home- 
stead, wdiich  he  purchased  and  he  personally 
operates  both  farms.  He  cleared  half  of 
his  original  forty  acre  tract  of  land  and 
erected  the  buildings  thereon.  In  fact  all 
the  evidences  of  care  and  cultivation  about 
the  place  are  indications  of  his  handiwork 
and  progressive  spirit  and  he  is  justly  ac- 
counted one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of 
his  community. 

Mr.  Barkhouse  was  united  in  mar- 
riage in  1 87 1  to  Miss  Clarissa  Whitinger, 
who  was  born  in  Ottawa  county,  Ohio,  Jan- 
uary 23,  1850,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Sarah  Whitinger,  who  were  likewise  na- 
tives of  Ohio.  The  following  children  have^ 
graced  this  marriage:  Henry,  owns  his 
own  farm  and  is  married  and  has  one  child, 
Alice;  Emma,  the  wife  of  William  Luther, 
of  Wesaw  township,  by  whom  she  has  five 
children;  Elizabeth,  who  was  born  April  15, 
1874,  and  died  July  11,  1878;  Rosetta,  the 
wife  of  George  Meyers  of  Chicago;  Kath- 
arine, of  Three  Oaks;  and  Minnie  of  Kala- 
mazoo. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Barkhouse  is 
a  Democrat,  recognized  as  one  of  the  active 
and  able  workers  in  the  local  ranks  of  the 
party.  He  was  elected  as  treasurer  of  his 
township   for   one  term  but   resigned,   has 


914 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


been  highway  commissioner  for  two  terms, 
has  held  other  minor  offices  and  has  been  a 
member  of  the  school  board  for  four  years, 
the  cause  of  education  finding*  in  him  a  warrn 
and  helpful  friend.  He  is  likewise  connected 
with  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  of  New 
Troy.  His  residence  in  this  county  covers 
a  period  of  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury and  throughout  the  entire  time  he  has 
been  actively  identified  with  agricultural 
interests  in  successful  manner,  so  that  he  is 
now  accounted  one  of  the  leading  agricul- 
turists of  his  community. 

BALAAM  DODGE,  deceased,  whose 
life  of  activity  was  crowned  with  success 
and  the  respect  of  his  fellowmen,  was  born 
in  Monroe  county.  New  York,  near  Roch- 
ester, June  23,  1836,  and  died  in  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  September  14,  1904.  He 
lost  his  father  in  early  childhood,  and  his 
mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary 
Yound,  was  a  second  time  married,  becom- 
ing the  wife  of  George  Wise  in  New  York. 
In  1843  they  came  to  Michigan,  making 
their  w^ay  direct  to  Berrien  county  and  set- 
tled in  the  western  part  of  Bainbridge  town- 
ship. The  surface  of  the  land  is  much  more 
broken  in  this  part  of  the  county.  It  was 
thought  in  New  York  that  rolling  land  was 
better,  and  hence  Mr.  Wise  made  his  choice 
of  land  in  that  locality.  The  old  home 
stood  about  a  half  mile  from  the  late  resi- 
dence of  Mr.  Dodge,  who  was  the  only  child 
of  his  mother's  first  marriage.  He  remained 
wdth  his  mother  and  stepfather*  through  the 
period  of  his  youth.  The  latter  died  a  num- 
ber of  years  ago  but  Mrs.  Wise  survived 
-until  July  3,  1906,  passing  away  at  the  very 
advanced  age  of  eighty-eight  years,  six 
months  and  sixteen  days.  She  was  one  of 
the  last  survivors  of  the  early  pioneers  of  the 
county  and  was  the  last  living  member  of  a 
family  of  five  brothers  and  sisters,  most  of 
whom  came  to  Berrien  county.  Her  brother, 
Samuel  Yound,  was  an  early  resident  of 
Bainbridge  township.  He  died  four  years 
ago,  but  his  widow  is  still  residing  in  Lin- 
coln township. 

Balaam  Dodge  spent  his  youth  on  the 
Wise  farm,  remaining  at  home  until  he  had 
attained  his  majority  and  assisted  in  the 
arduous  task  of  clearing  the  Wise  farm  as 


well  as  his  own.  He  was  of  a  happy  dis- 
position, always  singing  at  his  work  as  he 
cut  down  the  trees  and  chopped  up  the 
branches.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he 
thought  of  leaving  home  but  Mr.  Wise 
promised  him  forty  acres  of  land  if  he  would 
remain  until  he  reached  adult  years,  which 
he  did,  but  he  never  received  the  forty-acre 
tract.  He  had  nothing  else  with  which  to 
start  in  life  save  laudable  ambition  and  de- 
termination, but  he  resolutely  met  life's 
battles. 

On  the  31st  of  December,  1859,  Mr. 
Dodge  was  married  to  Miss  Lydia  Ann  Yer- 
rington,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Laura 
(Vester)  Yerrington,  and  a  sister  of  the 
late  George  Yerrington.  She  was  born  near 
Findlay,  Ohio,  came  to  Michigan  in  early 
life  and  for  some  years  was  a  neighbor  to 
the  Wise  family  of  which  Mr.  Dodge  was  a 
member.  The  young  couple  began  'their 
domestic  life  in  a  little  board  cabin  in  the 
midst  of  the  woods.  This  was  afterward 
replaced  with  a  log  house  and  the  moving 
from  the  one  room  shanty  to  the  log  house 
was  a  proud  event  in  their  lives.  The  extra 
room  was  duly  appreciated,  more  so  than 
when  the  family  moved  from  the  log  cabin 
to  the  present  brick  residence.  Mr.  Dodge 
became  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and 
seventy-six  acres  of  land  in  the  home  farm 
and  also  bought  land  in  Keeler  township. 
He  devoted  his  entire  attention  to  general 
agricultural  pursuits  and  was  also  one  of 
the  early  peach  growers,  while  later  he  set 
out  a  large  peach  orchard  although  it  did 
not  come  into  bearing  until  after  his  death. 
Corn  was  his  principal  product  and  he  real- 
ized money  from  his  timber  as  well  as  from 
his  crops. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dodge  were  born 
five  children,  all  of  whom  passed  away  in 
childhood  except  one  daughter,  Mary,  who 
was  born  in  the  old  log  house.  She  re- 
mained at  home  until  fifteen  years  of  age, 
when  she  became  the  wife  of  Peter  J.  Smith, 
who  was  born  in  the  same  locality,  a  son  of 
Philip  Smithy  a  pioneer  resident  of  Berrien 
county.  The  Smith  family  was  located 
near  Sister  Lakes  in  Bainbridge  township. 
Mr.  Smith  met  his  death  under  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances. On  the  nth  of  July,  1901,  he 
was  at  work  cutting  wheat,  when  he  was 


6k^  a  v^^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


91S 


shot  while  operating  his  machine.  He  died 
a  few  hours  later,  not  knowing  who  his 
assassin  was.  It  later  developed  that  it  was 
a  neighbor  who  was  laboring  under  insan- 
ity and  whose  body  was  found  a  few  days 
later,  he  having  committed  suicide.  Mrs. 
Smith  now  lives  on  her  father's  old  home- 
stead and  has  charge  of  the  operation  of  the 
farm,  which  she  is  carrying  on  successfully. 
She  has  two  daughters  :  Lida,  now  the  wife 
of  Wooda  Cook,  who  works  the  home  farm, 
and  by  whom  she  has  one  child,  Bernice 
Eleanor;  and  Ruth  Smith,  the  other  daugh- 
ter, is  a  young  lady  at  home. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Dodge  was  a 
Republican.  He  never  cared  to  hold  office 
but  kept  well  informed  on  the  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day.  He  belonged  to  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at  Keeler 
and  was  a  man  of  genuine  personal  worth, 
who  in  an  active  business  career  demon- 
strated the  value  of  industry  and  integrity 
as  factors  in  winning  success.  His  wife 
died  June  11,  1902,  and  he  passed  away  on 
the  14th  of  September,  1904.  Thus  were 
called  from  this  life  two  of  the  worthy, 
prominent  and  valued  pioneer  residents  of 
Berrien  county.  Their  daughter,  Mrs. 
Smith,  still  occupies  the  home  farm,  which 
is  being  operated  by  her  son-in-law. 

WILLIAM  A.  HESS,  a  carpenter,  con- 
tractor and  farmer  residing  on  section  20, 
Pipestone  township,  was  born  in  Crawford 
county,  Ohio,  February  18,  1836.  His 
father,  Andrew  Hess,  was  a  native  of  West- 
moreland county,  Pennsylvania,  but  w^as 
reared  in  Harrison  county,  Ohio.  After 
attaining  his  majority  he  located  in  Craw- 
ford county,  Ohio,  and  was  there  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Henry,  a  native  of 
Carroll  county,  Ohio.  They  began  their 
domestic  life  upon  a  farm  in  Crawford 
county,  where  they  spent  their  remaining 
days,  the  father  passing  away  at  the  age  of 
sixty-nine  years,  and  the  mother  at  the  age 
of  eighty-three.  In  their  family  were 
twelve  children,  of  whom  ten  reached  adult 
age,  while  two  died  in  infancy. 

William  A.  Hess  is  the  second  of  this 
family  and  was  reared  in  his  native  county, 
obtaining  a  common-school  education  there. 


At  the  age  of  twenty  he  learned  the  carpen- 
ter's trade  in  Crawford  county,  serving  a 
regular  apprenticeship,  and  later  he  began 
business  when  a  young  man  as  a  contractor 
and  builder.  He  did  much  carpenter  work 
there,  erecting  many  buildings  in  the  county, 
his  skill  and  efficiency  being  such  as  to  se- 
cure for  him  a  liberal  patronage  that  con- 
nected him  with  leading  building  operations 
in  that  part  of  the  state. 

While  living  in  Crawford  county,  Will- 
iam A.  Hess  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Susan  Bell,  a  daughter  of  Pharo  and  Cath- 
arine (Couts)  Bell,  and  a  native  of  the 
county  in  which  the  marriage  was  cele- 
brated. For  three  years  thereafter  they  re- 
mained in  Ohio  and  then  came  to  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  locating  at  Berrien  Cen- 
ter, where  Mr.  Hess  followed  the  trade  of 
contractor  and  builder.  In  1875  he  re- 
moved to  a  farm  in  Berrien  township  and  in 
1880  he  located  in  Pipestone  township,  on 
the  farm  which  he  now  makes  his  home.  He 
has  always  continued  his  building  opera- 
tions, which  have  been  the  more  important 
branch  of  his  business,  farming  being  mere- 
ly a  side  issue.  Many  important  contracts 
have  been  awarded  him  and  in  many  parts 
of  the  county  are  seen  evidences  of  his  skill 
and  handiwork.  He  now  owns  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land  on  section 
20,  Pipestone  township,  which  is  well  culti- 
vated and  adds  materially  to  his  income. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hess  have  been  born 
three  children:  Homer  E.,  a  farmer  and 
supervisor  of  Pipestone  township;  Cora  B., 
who  died. in  childhood;  and  Pearl,  the  wife 
of  Fred  A.  Bowman,  a  resident  farmer  of 
Pipestone  township.  Mr.  Hess  has  been  a 
life-long  Republican  and  active  in  the  inter- 
ests of  the  party.  Upon  its  ticket  he  has 
been  elected  to  various  local  offices,  serv- 
ing as  highway  commissioner  and  in  other 
positions.  He  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows 
lodge  at  Berrien  Center,  and  at  one  time 
was  a  member  of  the  Grange.  For  over 
forty  years  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Ber- 
rien county  and  has  been  closely  identified 
with  its  material  improvement  and  progress. 
He  has  erected  more  buildings  in  Berrien 
and  Cass  counties  than  any  other  contractor 


9i6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


of  the  two  counties,  a  fact  which  is  indi- 
cative of  his  foremost  position  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  builders  art,  and  of  the 
honorable  methods  which  he  follows  in  all 
his  business  transactions. 

JACOB  M.  PAUL.  Occupying  an  en- 
viable position  in  the  business  circles  of  Eau 
Claire,  Jacob  M.  Paul  is  honored  and  re- 
spected by  all  with  whom  he  has  had  busi- 
ness dealings.  He  has  so  directed  his  efforts 
that  his  business  interests  have  grown  with 
the  progress  of  the  locality,  and  Berrien 
county  now  places  him  among  the  leaders  in 
industrial  circles.  Connected  with  the  gen- 
eral mercantile  interests  he  is  well  known 
in  this  and  surrounding  localities.  He  was 
born  in  Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  near  Colum- 
bus, March  i,  1854,  being  a  son  of  John 
Paul,  also  a  native  of  that  state  and  a  farmer 
by  occupation.  He  was  of  German  descent, 
and  his  father  was  a  native  of  Rockingham 
county,  Virginia.  John  Paul  lived  to  the 
age  of  eighty-three  years.  He  married 
Emily  Watson,  a  native  of  Ohio  and  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  Watson,  of  English  and 
Scotch  descent.  In  their  family  were  eight 
children,  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  all 
of  whom  are  living  at  the  present  time,  and 
Jacob  M.  Paul,  of  this  review,  is  the  third 
child  and  third  son  in  order  of  birth. 

The  last  named  spent  the  early  years  of 
his  life  in  the  place  of  his  nativity,  the  early 
educational  training  which  he  received  in 
its  public  schools  being  supplemented  by  a 
course  at  the  Ohio  Western  University  at 
Delaware,  that  state.  After  putting  aside 
his  text  books  he  went  west  and  taught 
school  at  Carroll  City,  Iowa,  also  serving 
as  principal  of  the  schools  there  for  four 
years.  During  this  time  Mr.  Paul  had  taken 
up  the  study  of  law  and  he  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  at  Carroll,  after  which  he  located 
at  Aberdeen,  South  Dakota,  where  for 
twelve  years  he  was  numbered  among  the 
leading  and  prominent  law  practitioners. 
In  March,  1889,  he  took  up  his  abode  in 
Eau  Claire,  taking  charge  of  the  stock  of 
goods  belonging  to  P.  Stapleton,  deceased, 
while  four  years  later  he  purchased  the  busi- 
ness, and  is  now  the  leading  merchant  in 
the  city.  He  carries  a  large  line  of  dry 
goods,    clothing,    groceries,    crockery,    etc., 


and  his  well  directed  efforts  have  been  at- 
tended with  success. 

In  1886  Mr.  Paul  was  married  to  May  J. 
Jillson,  a  native  of  Berrien  county,  Michi- 
gan, and  a  daughter  of  Job  Jillson.  Two 
children  have  been  born  to  bless  this  union, 
Helen  and  Marion  J.  Mr.  Paul  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  his  political  affiliations,  taking  an 
active  interest  in  the  work  of  the  party,  and 
while  in  South  Dakota  he  served  as  chair- 
man of  the  state  board  of  regents.  Fra- 
ternally he  holds  membership  relations  with 
the  Woodmen  of  the  World. 

DAVID  B.  FLEWELLING.  The  life 
history  of  David  B.  Flewelling  is  closely 
identified  with  the  history  of  Berrien  coun- 
ty, which  has  been  his  home  for  many  years. 
He  was  born  in  Marion  county,  Ohio,  De- 
cember 13,  1830.  His  father,  John  Flewell- 
ing, was  a  native  of  New  York  and  was  a 
carpenter  by  occupation.  In  1832  he  came 
to  Michigan,  establishing  his  home  on  a 
farm  in  La  Grange  township,  Cass  county, 
where  he  followed  his  trade  of  carpentering 
while  his  sons  conducted  the  farm  work. 
In  1846  he  sold  his  land  there  and  pur- 
chased a  farm  in  Berrien  township,  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  which  was  his  home  for 
many  years,  but  his  death  occurred  in  Silver 
Creek  township,  Cass  county,  when  he  had 
reached  the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  His 
wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Eleanor 
Brady,  and  was  born  and  reared  in  New  Jer- 
sey. Her  death  occurred  in  Berrien  town- 
ship in  her  eighty-ninth  year.  They  were 
tne  parents  of  nine  children. 

David  B.  Flewelling,  the  eldest  of  the 
children,  was  but  two  years  of  age  when  the 
family  home  was  established  in  La  Grange 
township,  Cass  county,  Michigan,  and  there 
he  remained  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of 
age,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  resident 
of  Berrien  county.  For  sixty  years  he  made 
his  home  on  one  farm,  but  he  subsequently 
sold  his  land  and  retired  from  the  active 
duties  of  a  business  life,  content  to  relegate 
to  others  the  duties  which  he  had  so  long 
borne,  and  he  now  makes  his  home  with  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  Ritter. 

Mr.  Flewelling  married  Sarah  Layman, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren, but  only  one    is    now    living,    Mrs. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


917 


Martha  A.  Ritter.  The  following  is  taken 
from  one  of  the  local  papers  : 

'^William  Ritter  passed  away  at  his  farm 
home  in  Berrien  township  Thursday  even- 
ing at  6  o'clock^  after  an  illness  of  just  a 
week  with  paralysis. 

*^Mr.  Ritter  has  seen  much  sickness  in 
the  past  few  years,  and  only  a  few  months 
ago  his  brother,  J.  J.  Ritter,  of  this  city,  was 
appointed  his  guardian  that  he  might  have 
less  care  and  worry. 

''The  deceased  was  fifty-six  years  of 
age,  and  he  leaves  a  wife  and  two  children. 
The  children  are  Ray  and  Nellie,  both 
grown.  He  has  but  one  brother,  J.  J.,  of 
this  city. 

''Many  of  the  best  years  of  Mr.  Ritter's 
life  have  been  spent  on  his  farm  just  across 
the  Berrien  county  line  near  Indian  lake. 
Here  he  prospered  until  locomotor  ataxia 
came  in  late  years  to  afflict  him. 

"The  funeral  was  at  the  house  at  10 
o'clock  Saturday.  After  the  services  the 
party  came  to  Dowagiac  for  burial  at  River- 
side cemetery." 

The  wife  and  mother  died  about  three 
years  ago.  Mr.  Flewelling  is  a  stanch  sup- 
porter of  Democratic  principles  where  na- 
tional issues  are  involved.  He  is  now  num- 
bered among  the  honored  pioneers  who 
aided  in  laying  the  foundation  on  which  to 
erect  the  superstructure  of  Berrien  coun- 
ty's present  prosperity  and  progress. 
Through  the  period  of  early  development 
he  was  an  important  factor  in  the  improve- 
ment and  advancement  of  this  section,  and 
was  also  connected  with  the  broader  inter- 
ests which  had  to  do  with  the  welfare  of 
the  commonwealth. 

SAMUEL  Z.  WALTZ.  To  Samuel  Z. 
Waltz  has  come  the  attainment  of  a  distin- 
guished position  in  connection  with  the  busi- 
ness interests  of  Berrien  county,  he  having 
achieved  that  success  which  is  the  result  of 
enterprise,  resolute  purpose  and  straight- 
forward methods.  He  has  been  steadily  ad- 
vancing forward  until  he  now  occupies  an 
enviable  position  in  the  business  circles  of 
Berrien  Center,  where  he  is  the  proprietor 
of  a  grain  and  elevator  business.  He  was 
born  in  the  city  of  Harrisburg,  Pennsyl- 
vania,  October  23,    1853,   being  a  son  of 


Michael  and  Sarah  (Peck)  Waltz,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Dauphin  county, 
Pennsylvania.  In  1867  they  came  to  Michi- 
gan, establishing  their  home  one  mile  north 
of  Berrien  Center,  where  the  father  followed 
blacksmithing  and  farming.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  four  children,  two  sons  and  two 
daughters,  but  only  the  two  sons  are  now 
living,  the  brother  of  our  subject  being  John 
M.  Waltz. 

Samuel  Z.  Waltz,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  review,  their  third  child  and  sec- 
ond son,  was  about  fourteen  years  of  age 
when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
removal  to  Berrien  county,  where  he  con- 
tinued his  education  in  its  public  schools, 
and  as  soon  as  old  enough  began  to  work  in 
the  fields,  assisting  in  the  work  of  the  old 
home  farm  from  the  time  of  early  spring 
planting  until  the  crops  were  harvested  in 
the  fall,  thus  continuing  until  1885,  most 
of  the  time  on  the  homestead.  In  1886, 
however,  he  embarked  in  the  grain  business 
in  Berrien  Center,  after  which  he  spent  one 
year  in  Elkhart,  and  and  a  half  years  in  Kal- 
amazoo, but  for  the  past  twenty  years  he 
has  been  numbered  among  the  leading  grain 
dealers  in  Berrien  Center.  He  handles  flour 
by  the  car  load  lots,  and  is  conducting  an 
extensive  business. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Waltz  was  cele- 
brated in  1877,  when  Mary  Jane  Cuthbert 
became  his  wife,  she  being  a  daughter  of 
George  and  Ann  Cuthbert,  natives  of  Eng- 
land and  early  settlers  of  Berrien  county, 
their  home  being  now  near  Eau  Claire. 
Mrs.  Waltz  was  born  in  Rochester,  New 
York,  and  came  with  her  parents  to  this 
county.  She  became  the  mother  of  two  chil- 
dren, but  both  are  now  deceased,  and  the 
wife  and  mother  has  also  passed  away,  dy- 
ing in  1895.  Two  years  later,  in  1897,  Mr. 
Waltz  was  again  married,  Calla  Rogers  be- 
coming his  wife,  and  she  is  a  native  of  Ohio. 
Mr.  Waltz  has  given  a  life-long  support  to 
the  Republican  party,  active  in  its  work,  and 
for  one  year  he  served  as  school  inspector, 
while  for  a  number  of  years  he  was  con- 
stable. He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  also  of  the  Encamp- 
ment and  Rebekahs,  and  of  the  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees.     He  is  a  member  and  an 


9i8 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


active  worker  in  the  Lutheran  Church,  in 
which  he  has  long  served  as  an  elder  and  is 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school. 

JOHN  F.  WYANT.  One  of  the  prom- 
inent old  pioneer  families  of  Berrien  county 
is  that  of  the  Wyants,  well  represented  in 
Berrien  township  for  many  years.  They 
have  ever  borne  their  part  in  the  upbuilding 
and  development  of  this  region,  and  have 
invariably  been  exponents  of  progress  and 
liberal  ideas  upon  all  subjects.  A  scion  of 
this  worthy  old  pioneer  family  is  John  F. 
Wyant,  who  has  long  been  numbered  among 
the  leading  business  men  of  this  section  of 
the  county.  He  was  born  in  Pipestone 
township,  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  on  the 
28th  of  January,  1858,  the  eldest  son  and 
second  child  of  William  and  Alvira  (Tut- 
tle)  Wyant,  whose  history  will  be  found 
elsewhere  in  this  w^ork.  When  but  six  years 
of  age  the  son,  John  F.,  was  brought  by  his 
parents  to  Berrien  township,  and  to  its 
schools  he  is  indebted  for  the  early  educa- 
tional privileges  which  he  enjoyed.  His 
educational  training  was,  however,  quite 
meager,  for  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen  years 
he  started  out  to  earn  his  own  living,  leav- 
ing the  parental  roof  and  working  at  any 
occupation  which  would  yield  him  an  honest 
living.  He  afterward  returned  to  the  home 
farm  and  was  engaged  in  its  cultivation  un- 
til reaching  his  twenty-first  year.  On  the 
22d  of  February,  1882,  he  was  married  to 
Susie  McCoy,  the  daughter  of  Nathan  and 
Amanda  (Hull)  McCoy,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia  and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  The 
father  was  numbered  among  the  early  pio- 
neers of  Berrien  county,  coming  here  as 
early  as  1837,  and  he  entered  land  from  the 
government.  He  was  twice  married,  his 
first  wife  having  been  Hepzibah  Vickars. 
Five  children  were  born  to  Nathan  and 
Amanda  McCoy,  of  whom  Mrs.  Wyant  was 
the  youngest  in  order  of  birth,  and  she  was 
born  on  the  farm  on  which  she  now  resides. 
Two  children  have  blessed  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wyant, — Beatrice  A.  and 
Sylva  E. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wyant  took  up  their  abode  in  Berrien  Cen- 
ter, where  they  resided  for  six  months,  and 


for  the  following  seven  years  they  resided 
on  the  old  McCoy  homestead.  They  then 
bought  a  part  of  their  present  home  farm, 
being  now  the  owners  of  sixty  acres  of  rich 
and  well  improved  land,  where  Mr.  Wyant 
is  engaged  in  general  farming,  but  gives  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  and  attention  to  the 
butchering  business,  carrying  on  a  wholesale 
trade  at  Niles,  Dowagiac  and  South  Bend. 
He  annually  buys  about  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars worth  of  stock,  all  of  which  is  slaugh- 
tered upon  his  farm,  from  where  it  is  hauled 
to  market.  In  the  winter  months  he  makes 
a  specialty  of  slaughtering  calves  and  beef. 
He  is  well  known  in  Berrien  and  the  sur- 
rounding counties  as  a  wholesale  butcher, 
and  thus  for  many  years  he  has  been  an 
active  factor  in  its  industrial  interests,  con- 
tributing to  the  general  prosperity  through 
the  conduct  of  enterprises  which  furnish 
employment  to  others.  In  his  political 
affiliations  Mr.  Wyant  is  a  Democrat,  but 
votes  for  the  man  rather  than  party  in  all 
local  affairs.  He  possesses  a  social,  genial 
nature,  and  the  circle  of  his  friends  is  al- 
most co-extensive  with  the  circle  of  his  ac- 
quaintances. 

SOLOMON  L.  SNAVELY.  The  life 
history  of  Solomon  L.  Suavely  is  closely 
identified  with  the  history  of  Berrien  county, 
whicti  has  been  his  home  for  many  years. 
His  business  career  has  been  one  of  untiring 
activity,  but  he  is  now  living  retired  in  Ber- 
rien Center,  and  none  more  than  he  deserves 
a  fitting  recognition  among  those  whose  en- 
terprise and  abilities  have  brought  to  the 
community  the  prosperity  which  it  now  en- 
joys. He  is,  however,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, his  birth  occurring  in  Dauphin  county 
on  the  2d  of  August,  1837,  a  son  of  Jacob 
and  Barbara  (Nisley)  Suavely,  natives  also 
of  that  commonwealth,  and  there  they  both 
passed  to  their  final  reward,  the  mother  dy- 
ing in  1846.  The  father  was  twice  married, 
having  seven  children  by  the  first  union  and 
six  by  the  second,  and  the  subject  of  this  re- 
view is  the  fourth  child  and  third  son  by  the 
first  marriage. 

Solomon  L.  Suavely  spent  the  days  of 
his  boyhood  and  youth  in  the  state  of  his 
nativity,  receiving  his  education  in  its  com- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


919 


mon  schools,  and  giving  his  time  and  atten- 
tion thereafter  to  the  tilHng  of  the  soil,  hav- 
ing worked  in  the  fields  from  his  early  youth. 
In  1864,  in  response  to  his  country's  call 
for  aid,  he  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Civil 
war,  becoming  a  member  of  Company  C, 
One  Hundred  and  Ninety-second  Pennsyl- 
vania Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he 
served  until  the  close  of  the  struggle  in  1865. 
In  the  following  year  he  came  to  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  establishing  his  home  on 
a  farm  in  Berrien  township,  but  subse- 
quently removed  to  and  purchased  land  in 
Pokagon  township,  Cass  county,  this  state, 
which  he  farmed  for  about  four  years, 
thence  returning  to  Berrien  township.  He 
made  farming  his  life  occupation,  but  in 
1905  he  put  aside  the  active  cares  of  a  busi- 
ness life  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  former  toil, 
although  he  is  still  the  owner  of  ninety-five 
acres  of  rich  and  productive  land. 

In  November,  1868,  Mr.  Suavely  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Almeda  Murphey,  a 
daughter  of  Isaac  and  Eliza  (Jenkins)  Mur- 
phey, whose  history  will  be  found  in  the 
sketch  of  Erastus  Murphy  in  this  volume. 
Mrs.  Suavely  was  born  in  Berrien  township 
March  30,  1848,  the  ninth  in  order  of  birth 
of  the  thirteen  children  born  to  her  parents, 
and  she  has  therefore  been  a  life-long  resi- 
dent of  this  locality.  Six  children  have  been 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snavely,  namely : 
Maggie,  the  wife  of  Oren  Myers,  of  Oro- 
noko  township,  Berrien  county;  Bell,  wife 
of  Zera  Webster,  of  Berrien  Center;  Al- 
bert M.,  of  Berrien  township;  Anna,  wife  of 
John  Stemm,  also  of  Oronoko  township; 
Julia,  the  wife  of  John  Rutter,  a  merchant 
at  Berrien  Center;  and  Lester,  of  Berrien 
township.  In  his  political  affiliations  Mr. 
Snavely  is  a  life-long  Republican  and  is  a 
zealous  advocate  of  the  policy  and  principles 
of  the  party.  He  holds  pleasant  relations 
with  his  old  army  comrades  who  wore  the 
blue  by  his  membership  in  the  G.  A.  R. 
Post,  No.  36,  and  he  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Grange.  Few  men  have  more  devoted 
friends  than  he,  and  none  excells  him  in  un- 
selfish devotion  and  unswerving  fidelity  to 
the  recipients  of  his  confidence  and  friend- 
ship. 


BRADFORD  H.  WOOD  is  an  honored 
veteran  of  the  Civil  war  whose  valor  was 
manifest  on  many  a  southern  battlefield.  He 
is  now  devoting  his  time  and  energies  to 
general  horticultural  pursuits,  having  a  fine 
fruit  farm  of  forty-two  acres  on  section  36, 
New  Buffalo  township.  He  is  situated  on 
the  lake  and  on  the  township  line  and  it  has 
been  his  place  of  residence  since  1893.  He 
owns  a  fine  home  here  and  is  meeting  with 
success  as  a  fruit  grower. 

Mr.  Wood  is  a  native  of  Erie  county. 
New  York,  having  been  born  about  nineteen 
miles  from  Buffalo  on  the  ist  of  January, 
1839,  in  the  village  of  Collins  Center.  His 
parents  were  Lemuel  and  Katharine  (Se- 
coy)  Wood,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
New  York  and  the  father  was  a  colonel  in 
the  war  of  1812.  He  and  his  wafe  spent 
their  entire  lives  in  the  Empire  state,  Mr. 
Wood  being  a  cabinet  maker  by  trade,  which 
pursuit  he  followed  in  order  to  provide  for 
his  family.  He  died  when  his  son  Bradford 
H.,  w^as  about  twelve  years  of  age.  In  the 
family  were  six  sons  and  three  daughters. 
The  eldest  brother,  Gabriel,  is  now  a  prac- 
ticing lawyer,  and  the  others  were  carpen- 
ters and  farmers. 

Bradford  H.  Wood  spent  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth  in  Cattaraugus  county, 
New  York,  to  which  place  he  had  removed 
with  his  parents  at  an  early  day.  There  he 
resided  until  1861.  When  a  youth  of  four- 
teen years  he  began  learning  the  carriage 
maker's  trade,  which  he  followed  at  inter- 
vals for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  After  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  however,  he  put 
aside  all  business  and  personal  considerations 
and  joined  the  military  forces  which  had 
been  organized  to  defend  the  Union  and 
crush  out  the  spirit  of  rebellion  in  the  south. 
He  became  a  member  of  Company  K,  Sixty- 
fourth  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  un- 
der Captain  William  T.  Mancher,  Army  of 
the  Potomac.  In  1862,  however,  he  became 
ill  with  typhoid  fever  and  was  therefore  hon- 
orably discharged.  When  he  had  recovered 
his  health,  however,  he  re-enlisted  in  the 
army,  joining  Company  B,  One  Hundred 
and  Fifty-fourth  New  York  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, in  August,  1862.     He  was  wounded 


920 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


at  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  a  ball  pierc- 
ing the  lower  part  of  his  body,  while  another 
ball  struck  him  in  the  neck.  He  was  in  the 
field  hospital  for  a  time  and  was  then  trans- 
ferred to  Washington.  As  soon  as  he  had 
sufficiently  recovered  he  rejoined  his  regi- 
ment and  was  with  Sherman's  army  in  the 
quartermaster's  department.  Thus  engaged 
he  went  through  Georgia  and  proceeded 
northward  to  Raleigh,  North  Carolina.  Not 
able  to  march,  however,  he  took  a  train  to 
New  York  and  returned  to  his  old  home  in 
Cattaragus  county.  Later  he  went  to  James- 
town, Pennsylvania,  and  afterward  to  Elks 
Falls,  Kansas.  In  Pennsylvania  he  owned 
three  or  four  oil  wells  which  he  eventually 
sold,  after  which  he  removed  to  Kansas, 
where  he  spent  nine  years.  There  he  was 
engaged  in  the  stock  business  for  almost  a 
decade,  when  he  returned  to  Michigan,  set- 
tling in  New  Bufifalo,  where  he  lived  for 
five  years,  devoting  his  time  and  energies 
to  the  livery  business.  In  1893  he  removed 
to  his  present  farm,  comprising  forty-two 
acres  on  section  36,  New  Buffalo  town- 
ship and  here  he  has  a  beautiful  country 
home  in  the  midst  of  fine  orchards, 
his  attention  being  given  to  the  raising  of 
fruit. 

Mr.  Wood  was  married  to  Miss  Lena 
Hobert,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  came  to 
the  United  States  with  her  grandparents. 
Five  children  have  graced  this  marriage: 
Retta,  now  the  wife  of  I.  B.  Alder,  a  banker 
at  Rossville,  Kansas ;  Cornelius,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years ;  Margaret,  the  wife 
of  Dr.  O.  F.  Mascot,  of  Clyde,  Kansas; 
Georgiana,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Carpenter,  a 
dentist  of  Kansas;  and  Cortez,  a  physician 
of  Eldorado,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Wood,  since  age  conferred  upon  him 
the  right  of  franchise,  has  given  his  sup- 
port to  the  Republican  party.  He  belongs 
to  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and 
was  formerly  identified  with  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  the  Masonic  lodges.  His  life  has 
been  one  of  activity,  characterized  by  enter- 
prise in  all  of  his  business  undertakings  and 
by  loyalty  in  citizenship  as  well  as  in  mili- 
tary service.  His  many  good  traits  of  char- 
acter have  won  for  him  high  regard  and 


the  circle  of  his  friends  in  Berrien  county 
is  an  extensive  one. 

JOHN  J.  MURPHY.  This  honored  cit- 
izen of  Berrien  county  is  one  of  its  sturdy 
pioneers  and  native  sons,  his  birth  occurring 
in  Berrien  township  on  the  30th  of  March, 
1 84 1,  the  fifth  of  the  thirteen  children  born 
to  Isaac  and  Eliza  (Jenkins)  Murphy.  The 
father,  a  native  of  Virginia,  was  taken  by 
his  parents  to  Ohio  when  only  four  years 
old,  and  when  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Cass 
county,  Michigan,  but  a  short  time  after- 
ward removed  to  Berrien  township,  Berrien 
county.  While  living  in  Cass  county  he 
was  married.  He  was  born  in  181 1,  and 
his  death  occurred  in  February,  1893,  at 
which  time  there  passed  away  one  of  the 
honored  old  pioneers  of  Berrien  county. 
For  several  years  after  the  organization  of 
the  township  of  Berrien  he  served  as  its 
constable.  He  was  ever  found  loyal  to 
the  cause  of  right  and  truth,  and  his  influ- 
ence was  used  for  the  good  and  well  being 
of  those  in  any  way  associated  with  him. 
His  wife,  who  was  born  in  181 5,  also  died 
in  1893. 

John  J.  Murphy  received  his  early  edu- 
cational training  in  the  old  log  school 
houses  of  Berrien  township,  and  with  the 
exception  of  ten  years  spent  in  Sodus  town- 
ship his  entire  life  has  been  passed  within 
the  borders  of  Berrien.  In  1862  he  was 
married  to  Nettie  Snow,  and  to  them  were 
born  four  sons, — Chester,  of  Dowagiac, 
Michigan;  Claire,  of  Berrien  Center;  Miles 
L,  a  resident  of  Berrien  township,  Berrien 
county;  and  John  Merle,  also  of  Dowagiac. 
The  wife  and  mother  passed  away  in  1876, 
and  the  father  afterward  married  her  sister, 
Ellen  Snow^  but  no  children  were  born  of 
that  union.  Mr.  Murphy  continued  as  an 
agriculturist  until  1893,  when  he  embarked 
in  the  real  estate  business,  but  he  still  owns 
one  hundred  acres  of  rich  and  well  improved 
land  in  Berrien  township.  He  has  given  a 
life-long  support  to  the  Republican  party, 
and  for  six  years  in  Sodus  township  served 
as  highway  commissioner,  and  for  four 
years  was   drain   commissioner   in   Berrien 


•HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


921 


township.     For  twenty-eight  years   he  has 
'   been  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,   and  for  many  years  was  a 
member  of  the  Grange. 

FRANK  A.  McKINDLEY  has  been  a 
witness  of  the  growth  and  development  of 
Berrien  county  through  many  years  and  has 
been   a   leading   representative  of   horticul- 
tural interests.     He  was  born  in  Ellisburg, 
Jefferson  county,  New  York,   on  the  15th 
of  December,  1846.     His  father  died  when 
the  son  was  very  young  and  his  mother,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Ellis,  after- 
ward became  the  wife  of  Hiram  Tubbs.  Her 
grandfather  Ellis  was  a  pioneer  and  in  an 
early  day  became  a  resident  of  that  section 
of   New   York   which  is  now   called   Ellis- 
burg township,  Jefferson  county.     In  March, 
1854,  Hiram  Tubbs  came  with  the  family 
to  Michigan,  making  his  way  first  to  Branch 
county,    where    he    remained    for    a    year. 
Throughout  his  entire  life  he  followed  the 
occupation  of  farming  and  after  his  removal 
from  Branch  county  he  spent  one  year  on 
the     Sherwood     Snyder    place.       In    those 
pioneer  days  Mr.  McKindley  made  his  way 
to  schools  by  means  of  marked  trees  called 
a  blazed  trail,  for  the  track  lay  through  the 
dense  forest.     When  his  stepfather  had  re- 
sided for  a  year  in  this  county  he  purchased 
forty  acres  of  land,  for  which  he  paid  three 
dollars  per   acre,    Phineas   Pearl   being  the 
agent  for  the  property.    After  beginning  the 
work  of  improvement  and  development  there 
Mr.  Tubbs  finally  sold  and  later  he  owned 
and   then   sold   two   or  three    more   farms. 
About  1859  or  i860  he  came  to  his  present 
place  of  residence,  where  he  has  since  re- 
mained and  now  at  the  age  of  eighty-three 
years  he  is  living  with  his  daughter,   Mrs. 
Chevis.     His  wife,  the  mother  of  Frank  A. 
McKindley   of   this    review,    died   in    1895. 
By  her  first  marriage  she  had  two  sons,  the 
elder  being  John  E.  McKindley,  who  is  now 
living  in  Osakis,  Minnesota.     By  her  mar- 
riage to  Mr.  Tubbs  she  became  the  mother 
of  four  children,  all  of  whom  are  yet  liv- 
ing.   Her  life  was  devoted  to  her  family  and 
she  did  everything  in  her  power  to  promote 


the  comfort  and  secure  the  happiness  of  her 
children. 

Frank  A.  McKindley  was  reared  by  his 
mother  and  stepfather  and  through  the  win- 
ter months  he  attended  what  became  known 
as  the  Tubbs  school.  At  different  times  he 
worked  out  as  a  farm  hand  and  he  was  thus 
engaged  until  on  the  13th  of  February,  1864, 
when  he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company 
D,  Sixty-sixth  Illinois  Western  Sharp- 
shooters. The  company  was  formed  of 
Michigan  men,  although  it  was  attached  to 
an  Illinois  regiment,  Mr.  McKindley  was 
but  sixteen  years  of  age  at  the  time.  The 
members  of  the  regiment  were  armed  with 
heavy  rifles  and  with  the  command  Mr.  Mc- 
Kindley went  to  the  front,  serving  in  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee.  He  took  part  in 
the  battle  of  Pulaski,  Tennessee,  and  in 
other  engagements  and  movements  in  that 
part  of  the  country,  after  which  he  went 
on  the  Sherman  campaign  to  Atlanta  and 
on  to  the  sea,  continuing  with  his  company 
up  to  the  time  of  the  capitulation  of  the  city 
of  Atlanta.  He  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Peach  Tree  Creek,  where  he  was  wounded 
on  the  22nd  of  July,  1864,  but  he  did  not 
leave  his  command  and  w^as  discharged  with 
the  regiment.  However,  he  was  granted  a 
furlough  and  returned  home,  but  at  the  end 
of  thirty  days  he  found  that  he  was  not  able 
to  again  take  up  active  field  work  and  re- 
mained at  home  altogether  for  sixty  days, 
after  w^hich  he  rejoined  his  regiment  at 
Raleigh,  North  Carolina,  going  by  way  of 
New  York  and  Hiltonhead.  He  was  with 
the  regiment  in  all  of  its  movements  from 
Raleigh  to  Washington,  D.  C,  and  was  in 
that  city  at  the  time  of  the  Grand  Review. 

When  the  war  was  over  Mr.  McKindley 
returned  to  his  home  with  a  creditable  mili- 
tary record,  for  he  had  ever  been  found  loyal 
at  his  post  and  never  faltered  in  the  per- 
formance of  any  military  task  assigned  him 
no  matter  how^  difficult  it  was.  He  returned 
to  Benton  Harbor,  where  he  has  since  re- 
mained. He  has  never  voted  outside  of  the 
township.  His  first  farm  comprised  twenty- 
five  acres,  which  is  now  a  part  of  his  pres- 
ent farm.  It  was  sold  once  but  he  after- 
ward purchased   it.     For  twenty-five  years 


922 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


he  lived  on  a  forty  acre  farm.  During  that 
time  he  bought  several  tracts  of  land  and 
developed  his  present  property.  He  now 
owns  one  hundred  acres  of  very  rich  and 
attractive  land  in  the  extreme  southeastern 
part  of  Benton  township,  seven  miles  south- 
east of  the  city  of  Benton  Harbor.  This 
farm  is  improved  with  excellent  buildings 
and  indeed  is  equipped  with  all  modern  ac- 
cessories and  conveniences.  He  is  quite 
well  known  as  an  extensive  and  successful 
fruit  raiser  and  shipper,  having  now  forty 
acres  in  fruit,  including  peaches  and  apples. 
This  tract  brings  to  him  a  good  financial  re- 
turn annually.  It  lies  just  right  for  the  pur- 
pose for  which  it  is  adapted.  His  apples  are 
old  trees,  having  been  in  bearing  condition 
for  nearly  forty  years.  The  orchard  has  paid 
well,  the  Baldwin  apple  proving  exception- 
ally valuable.  For  twenty-five  years  he  has 
successfully  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of 
apples  and  his  crops  of  this  character  an- 
nually bring  to  him  a  very  gratifying  re- 
turn. 

On  the  loth  of  November,  1868,  Mr. 
McKindley  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Helen  Howard,  a  daughter  of  John  F.  and 
Syl vesta  (Easton)  Howard.  The  mother 
had  four  children,  but  never  saw  any  of 
them,  for  she  was  blind  for  sixty  years.  She 
died  February  2,  1902,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
six  years  and  six  months.  John  F.  Howard 
and  his  wife  were  both  natives  of  New 
York,  being  married  in  Jefferson  county, 
that  state  and  they  lived  successively  in 
Illinois,  Wisconsin  and  Michigan,  coming 
eventually  to  the  last  mentioned  state  in 
1852.  A  child  was  born  unto  them  in  each 
of  the  four  states.  Mr.  Howard  was  for 
many  years  crippled  with  rheumatism. 
However,  he  possessed  ability  in  the  line  of 
carpenter  work  that  amounted  almost  to 
genius.  He  could  only  walk  aided  by  a 
chair,  but  he  would  sit  in  a  chair  and  cut 
the  largest  trees  on  his  forty  acres.  He 
cleared  much  of  this  land,  but  he  died  young, 
passing  away  at  the  age  of  forty-five  years 
on  the  3d  of  September,  1859.  The  eldest 
child,  Helen,  was  then  fourteen  years  of  age, 
the  eldest  son  only  ten  and  the  youngest  child 
three  years  of  age.    The  mother  would  spin 


and  knit  for  the  neighbors  and  she  did  every- 
thing possible  for  her  family,  being  very 
handy  in  many  ways  despite  her  blindness. 
The  daughter  Helen  did  the  farm  work  and 
was  also  employed  in  different  homes  in  the 
neighborhood.  After  Helen  was  married 
the  brother,  Frank  A.,  purchased  the  home 
place,  which  he  has  since  sold  to  his  son- 
in-law,  Mr.  Nutting.  Helen  had  to  be  the 
head  of  the  family  and  she  gave  a  home  to 
her  mother.  Her  two  sisters  died  in  child- 
hood. Her  brother,  R.  S.  Howard,  is  now 
living  in  Coloma. 

In  the  McKindley  family  were  two  child- 
ren :  Mary,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  Earl 
Nutting,  who  resides  upon  the  old  Howard 
homestead,  and  William  Howard  McKind- 
ley, who  married  Miss  Cynthia  Wees  and 
operates  the  old  home  place  with  his  father. 
There  is  one  child  of  this  marriage,  a  son, 
Myrl,  while  Mrs.  Mary  Nutting  has  two 
children,  Francis  McKindley  and  Ethelyn. 
The  family  is  one  of  prominence,  having 
been  long  been  represented  in  the  county, 
while  genuine  worth  was  won  for  its  mem- 
bers a  gratifying  position  in  public  regard. 
Mr.  McKindley  was  highway  commissioner 
of  his  township  and  is  a  Republican.  He 
never  missed  but  one  election  in  Benton 
Harbor.  For  over  a  half  century  he  has 
lived  here  and  has  witnessed  many  changes 
as  the  forest  has  been  cut  away,  the  land 
cleared  and  the  farms  developed,  transform- 
ing Berrien  county  into  a  rich  agricuhural 
and  horticultural  district. 

JOHN  J.  CLAYPOOL  is  numbered 
among  the  old  settlers,  for  his  birth  occurred 
in  Berrien  township  on  the  26th  of  March, 
1835.  He  is  still  living  in  the  same  town- 
ship, his  home  being  on  section  19,  where 
he  has  a  good  farm  property.  His  father, 
George  H.  Claypool,  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  in  early  life  was  bound  out  to  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Jacob  Lybrook,  by 
whom  he  was  reared  in  Ohio.  He  came  to 
Berrien  county  in  company  with  John  Ly- 
brook about  1823,  and  they  were  the  first 
white  people  to  establish  homes  in  this  dis- 
trict.    Later  they  returned  to  Ohio,  where 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


923 


Mr.  Claypool  remained  for  two  years,  when 
he  again  came  to  Berrien  county  and  settled 
in  what  is  now  Berrien  township,  about  two 
and  a  half  miles  from  the  village  of  Berrien 
Springs.  This  was  in  the  year  1827.  He 
took  up  land  from  the  government,  cleared 
the  fields,  turned  the  first  furrows  and  im- 
proved the  farm,  performing  all  the  ardu- 
ous labor  incident  to  the  development  of  a 
new  farm  in  a  forest  district.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Berrien  township  to  Miss  Fanny 
Johnson,  also  an  early  settler  of  the  county. 
She,  too,  was  born  in  Virginia  and  is  num- 
bered among  the  pioneer  residents  of  south- 
western Michigan.  The  death  of  Mr.  Clay- 
pool  occurred  when  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  sixty-nine  years,  while  his  wife  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  seven  children,  of  whom  six  reached 
adult  age,  Mr.  Claypool  of  this  review  be- 
ing the  third  in  order  of  birth. 

Reared  upon  the  old  homestead  farm  in 
Berrien  township,  John  J.  Claypool  in  his 
boyhood  days  pursued  his  studies  in  a  log 
school  house,  which  was  a  typical  ''temple 
of  learning"  in  those  days.  In  his  youth 
he  assisted  his  father  in  clearing  the  farm 
and  cultivating  the  fields  and  remained  un- 
der the  parental  roof  until  he  had  attained 
his  majority,  gaining  a  full  knowledge  of 
scientific  farm  work  through  practical  ex- 
perience. Upon  reaching  man's  estate  he 
entered  upon  an  independent  business  career 
by  clearing  land  under  contract,  and  has 
prepared  for  the  plow  many  an  acre  in 
Berrien  tow^nship.  His  life  has  indeed  been 
one  of  earnest  toil  and  the  success  which  he 
has  enjoyed  is  richly  merited. 

On  the  30th  of  June,  1859,  Mr.  Clay- 
pool w^as  married  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Frank, 
a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Margaret  (Simp- 
son) Frank.  She  was  born  in  Ohio,  June 
30,  1 841,  and  was  brought  to  this  county 
when  but  three  months  old,  the  years  of  her 
maidenhood  being  here  passed.  At  the  time 
of  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Claypool 
took  up  their  abode  upon  a  farm  belong- 
ing to  his  uncle,  Daniel  Johnson,  where  they 
lived  for  six  years,  during  which  time  Mr. 
Claypool  carried  on  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits. In  1864  he  went  to  Council  Bluffs, 
and  on  returning  to  Berrian  township  rented 


a  farm  from  Arthur  Miller.  A  year  later 
he  settled  upon  a  farm  belonging  to  Mrs. 
Hass,  on  which  he  lived  for  nine  years,  af- 
ter which  he  removed  to  Buchanan  town- 
ship, where  he  bought  the  first  farm  that  he 
ever  owned.  There  he  lived  for  six  years, 
when  he  sold  the  property  and  purchased  a 
tract  of  land  in  Berrien  township.  He  lived 
on  it  for  a  while  but  later  sold  it  and  bought 
his  present  farm  on  section  19.  Here  he 
has  since  carried  on  general  agricultural 
pursuits  and  has  a  well  developed  property, 
which  yields  him  a  gratifying  financial 
annual  income  by  reason  of  the  care  and 
labor  he  has  bestowed  upon  the  fields. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Claypool  have  been 
born  seven  children :  Ida,  the  wife  of  David 
Michell,  of  Iowa ;  Ralph,  at  home ;  Ora,  the 
wife  of  George  Wright,  of  Pipestone  town- 
ship; Alma,  the  wife  of  Laurel  Webster,  of 
Benton  township;  and  Margaret,  the  wife 
of  Henry  Barnhart,  of  Berrien  Springs ;  and 
two  who  died  young.  Mrs.  Claypool's 
father  was  born  in  Cayuga  county.  New 
York,  in  18 10  and  died  in  igoi.  He  came 
with  his  parents  to  Ohio  and  there  married. 
He  was  a  blacksmith.  He  was  a  Whig  in 
his  political  views  but  voted  in  the  later 
years  of  his  life  for  the  Democratic  party. 
Mother  Frank  was  born  in  Maryland  in 
1804  and  died  in  1896  in  Berrien  county. 
She  was  eighteen  years  of  age  when  she 
came  to  Ohio  and  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools.  She  was  a  devoted  member  of 
the  United  Brethren  Church.  Mrs.  Clay- 
pool was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
and  is  a  member  of  Long  Lake  Union 
Church  in  Berrien  township.  She  is  an  able 
helpmate  to  her  husband. 

Since  age  conferred  upon  him  the  right 
of  franchise  Mr.  Claypool  has  given  his 
political  support  to  the  Democracy  and  has 
served  as  road  commissioner.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  fraternity  at  Berrien 
Springs  and  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen.  With  the  exception  of  a  brief 
period  passed  in  the  west  he  has  lived  for 
seventy-two  years  in  Berrien  county,  being 
one  of  its  oldest  native  sons,  and  the  story 
of  its  pioneer  experiences  and  conditions  is 
familiar  to  him  because  of  active  participa- 
tion therein. 


924 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


DR.  J.  M.  MURPHY,  a  veterinary  sur- 
geon and  one  of  the  prominent  early  pio- 
neers of  Berrien  county,  was  born  in  Lick- 
ing county,  Ohio,  September  29,  1828. 
His  father,  WilHam  Murphy,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Maryland,  born  near  the  Virgina 
border  line,  and  was  about  fourteen  years 
of  age  when  he  removed  with  his  parents  to 
Xenia,  Ohio,  and  thence  to  Licking  county, 
that  state,  where  he  was  married  to  Nancy 
Rogers,  a  native  of  Virginia,  her  parents 
coming  from  Scotland.  After  their  mar- 
riage the  young  couple  took  up  their  abode 
in  Henry  county,  Indiana,  near  Muncie, 
returning  thence  to  Licking  county,  Ohio, 
and  in  1850  came  to  Berrien  township,  Ber- 
rien county,  Michigan,  where  they  spent  the 
remainder  of  their  lives,  the  father  dying  at 
the  age  of  eighty  years,  while  the  mother 
passed  away  when  seventy-seven  years  of 
age.  In  their  family  were  seven  children, 
but  one  daughter  died  at  the  age  of  about  six 
years,  while  four  grew  to  years  of  maturity 
and  two  are  now  living,  the  brother  of  our 
subject  being  Harvey  Murphy,  who  is  now 
in  his  eighty-fourth  year  and  a  resident  of 
Berrien  county.  He  was  married  in  Lick- 
ing county,  Ohio,  and  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  their  removal  to  this  county. 

Dr.  Murphy,  their  fourth  child  in  order 
of  birth,  remained  in  his  native  place  until 
about  nineteen  years  of  age,  and  was  the 
first  of  the  family  to  come  to  Berrien  county, 
dating  his  arrival  here  in  1847,  when  he  was 
a  boy  of  nineteen  years.  He  immediately 
took  up  his  abode  in  Berrien  township  and 
immediately  began  the  task  of  clearing  from 
its  virgin  wildness  a  farm  one  mile  east  of 
where  he  now  lives,  there  directing  his  la- 
bors until  1886.  In  that  year  he  located  on 
his  present  homestead  in  Berrien  Center. 
When  but  a  boy  Mr.  Murphy  began  prac- 
ticing veterinary  surgery,  which  he  after- 
ward continued  in  connection  with  his  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  but  during  the  last  seven- 
teen years  he  has  given  almost  his  entire  at- 
tention to  the  profession  and  is  weill  known 
in  this  and  surrounding  counties  as  a  skill- 
ful veterinary  surgeon. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Murphy  was  cele- 
brated in  Ohio,  in  1851,  when  Julia  Kibler 
became  his  wife,  she  being  a  native  of  the 
same  county  as  her  husband,  and  they  have 


three  children,  James  Edward,  Frank  Eu- 
gene and  Rosa.  The  sons  are  farmers  of 
Berrien  township,  and  the  daughter  is  the 
wife  of  John  H.  Crall,  of  Indianapolis,  In- 
diana. For  fifty-eight  years  Dr.  Murphy 
has  made  his  home  within  the  borders  of ' 
Berrien  county,  in  that  time  witnessing 
much  of  its  growth  and  development,  and 
he  has  long  been  recognized  as  one  of  its 
most  valued  citizens.  He  has  given  his 
political  support  to  the  Democratic  party, 
and  as  its  representative  has  served  as  con- 
stable and  as  school  inspector.  The  Doctor 
has  a  remarkable  record  in  that  he  has  never 
used  tobacco  in  any  form,  nor  has  ever  taken 
a  drink  at  the  bar,  this  being  a  record 
scarcely  equaled  by  any  other  man  in  the 
county.  His  homestead  farm  consists  of 
about  seventy-six  acres,  three  of  which  are 
located  within  the  corporate  limits  of  Ber- 
rien Center,  and  he  has  also  given  one  of  his 
sons  a  farm  of  fifty-one  acres. 

GERALD  HANDY,  proprietor  of  the 
Sodus  Fruit  Farms  and  a  well  known  resi- 
dent of  the  town  of  Sodus,  was  born  in 
Allegany  county.  New  York,  January  22, 
1857,  a  son  of  Samuel  Handy,  a  native  also 
of  the  Empire  state  and  a  fruit  farmer  by 
occupation.  He  subsequently  took  up  his 
abode  in  Dupage  county,  Illinois,  and  in 
1874  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  first 
establishing  his  home  in  Benton  township 
and  afterward  in  Hagar  township.  There 
his  death  occurred  when  he  had  reached  the 
age  of  seventy-three  years.  His  wife,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Henrietta  Buell, 
was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  but  was  reared 
in  New  York,  and  she  still  survives  her  hus- 
band. In  their  family  were  six  children, 
four  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom 
are  living  and  the  subject  of  this  review  is 
the  youngest  son  in  order  of  birth. 

Gerald  Handy  was  but  eight  years  of 
age  when  he  moved  with  his  parents  to  Du- 
page county,  Illinois,  and  on  reaching  the 
age  of  eighteen  years  he  came  to  Berrien 
county.  His  educational  training  was  re- 
ceived at  Downers  Grove,  Dupage  county, 
Illinois,  and  this  was  supplemented  by  a 
course  in  the  Northwestern  College  at 
Naperville,  .  that    state.       For   three   years 


OhaAj  4mxxjJ/cL  ^0^<^<^'0^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


925 


thereafter  he  was  in  the  employ  of  a  street 
car  company  in  Chicago,  Ilhnois,  while  the 
following  seven  months  were  spent  in  the 
south.  After  taking  up  his  abode  in  Benton 
township,  Berrien  county,  he  engaged  in 
fruit  farming,  and  in  1891  purchased  the 
place  where  he  now  resides,  locating  thereon 
three  years  later,  in  1894.  He  has  improved 
his  place  to  its  present  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, has  planted  all  of  his  orchards,  and 
now  has  about  ninety-two  acres  devoted  to 
fruit  culture,  raising  all  kinds  of  fruit 
adapted  to  this  soil  and  *  climate.  Mr. 
Handy  is  secretary  of  the  Michigan  and 
Alabama  Fruit  Packing  Company,  which 
owns  a  mill  at  Eau  Claire,  Michigan,  and 
one  at  Troy,  Alabama.  He  is  also  interested 
to  some  extent  in  the  lumbering  and  saw- 
milling  business  in  Lake  township,  Berrien 
county,  and  in  his  many  and  varied  relations 
he  has  been  eminently  successful. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Handy  was  cele- 
brated in  Benton  township,  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  in  1885,  when  Cynthia  M.  Can- 
field  became  his  wife,  she  being  a  daughter 
of  Leavitt  and  Caroline  Canfield.  Mrs. 
Handy  is  a  native  of  Canada,  but  was  only 
four  years  old  when  brought  to  Berrien 
county.  They  have  become  the  parents  of 
four  children, — Fred  R.,  Bessie  M.,  Kittie 
M.  and  Alice.  The  Republican  party  re- 
ceives Mr.  Handy's  hearty  support  and  co- 
operation, and  in  1901  he  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  supervisor,  to  which  he  was  re- 
elected in  1905-6.  For  four  years  he  was  a 
member  of  the  board  of  commissioners,  also 
served  as  highway  commissioner,  and  has 
ever  taken  an  active  interest  in  the  work  of 
his  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order,  holding  membership  in  the  chapter 
at  St.  Joe  and  the  Commandery  and  Blue 
Lodge  in  Benton  Harbor. 

HEZEKIAH  McCOMBS,  one  of  the 
most  highly  esteemed  citizens  of  Berrien 
county,  was  born  in  McKeesport,  Pennsyl- 
vania, May  II,  1862,  a  son  of  Wilson  and 
Mary  Ann  (Zummerley)  McCombs,  the 
father  a  native  of  Washington  county  and 
the  mother  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  and 
of  Scotch-Irish  and  Swiss  descent  respect- 
ively.    Of  the  eight  children  born  to  this 


couple,  five  sons  and  three  daughters, 
Hezekiah  McCombs  was  the  fourth  child 
and  second  son  in  order  of  birth.  The  early 
years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania,  receiving  his  education  in  the 
city  schools,  and  when  but  a  small  boy  he 
engaged  in  the  glass  business  in  that  city. 
When  about  seventeen  years  of  age  he  be- 
gan  working  at  the  window  glass  business, 
moving  to  Marion,  Indiana,  where,  with 
other  workmen,  he  organized  a  company  for 
the  manufacture  of  glass,  but  three  years 
later,  on  account  of  the  ill  health  of  his  wife, 
he  sold  his  interest  therein  and  came  to  Ber- 
rien county,  Michigan,  purchasing  and  lo- 
cating upon  a  farm  of  seventy-nine  acres  at 
Berrien  Center,  a  part  of  w^hich  is  now  in- 
cluded in  the  corporate  limits  of  Berrien 
Center.  He  now  rents  his  land,  and  during 
a  few  months  in  the  winter  he  works  at  his 
trade  of  a  glass  blower. 

On  the  9th  of  December,  1884,  Mr.  Mc- 
Combs was  united  in  marriage  to  Margaret 
Lemon,  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  near  Bel- 
fast, county  Down,  and  of  Scotch-Irish  de- 
scent. One  child  has  been  born  of  this 
union,  but  is  deceased,  and  they  are  rear- 
ing and  educating  a  little  girl,  his  niece.  Kit- 
tie.  Mr.  McCombs  is  well  known  in  the  lo- 
cality where  he  makes  his  home,  has  taken 
an  active  interest  in  its  public  affairs,  and 
has  been  a  life-long  supporter  of  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  fraternity, 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Labor 
for  many  years,  and  was  connected  with  thei 
old  L.  A.  300,  one  of  the  well  known  labor 
organizations  and  which  was  instrumental 
in  the  passing  of  the  child  labor  and  the 
contract  laws.  There  are  few  men  who  can 
more  justly  claim  the  proud  American  title 
of  a  self-made  man  than  Mr.  McCombs, 
who  at  an  early  age  started  out  in  life  for 
himself,  but  today  he  ranks  among  the  lead- 
ing business  men  of  Berrien  county,  and  his 
creditable  life  work  has  won  him  the  respect 
and  commendation  of  all  who  are  familiar 
with  his  history. 

DAVID  CRALL,  a  retired  farmer  liv- 
ing in  Eau  Claire,  has  been  prominent  in  the 
public  life  as  well  as  in  the  business  circles 


926 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


of  Berrien  county,  and  is  leaving  the  im- 
press of  his  individuahty  for  good  upon  many 
Hues  of  progress  and  advancement  in  the 
city  where  he  makes  his  home.  A  native  of 
Crawford  county,  Ohio,  he  was  born  on  the 
23d  of  February,  1848.  His  grandfather, 
Henry  Crall,  claimed  Pennsylvania  as  the 
state  of  his  nativity,  but  subsequently  re- 
moved to  Crawford  county,  Ohio,  where  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation.  His  son  and  the 
father  of  him  whose  name  introduces  this 
review,  Simon  Crall,  was  also  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  was  reared  to  the 
occupation  of  a  farmer,  and  in  1845  he  drove 
from  that  state  to  Crawford  county,  Ohio, 
being  ever  afterward  identified  with  the  in- 
terests of  that  locality,  and  there  his  death 
occurred  when  he  had  reached  the  seventy- 
fifth  milestone  on  life's  journey.  For  his 
wife  he  chose  Elizabeth  Becker,  who  was 
born  and  reared  in  Pennsylvania,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Jacob  Becker.  She  preceded  her  hus- 
band to  the  home  beyond  many  years,  dying 
when  her  son  David  was  but  seven  years  of 
age. 

David  Crall,  the  youngest  of  his  parents 
six  children  who  grew  to  years  of  maturity, 
remained  at  home  assisting  in  the  develop- 
ment and  improvement  of  the  home  farm 
during  his  boyhood  and  youth,  his  educa- 
tional privileges  being  limited  to  attendance 
in  the  district  schools  of  his  locality.  He 
also  followed  farming  in  Seneca  county, 
Ohio,  for  four  years,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  Crawford  county  to  take  charge 
of  the  old  homestead,  remaining  there  until 
1885,  in  which  year  he  took  up  his  abode 
within  the  borders  of  Berrien  county,  pur- 
chasing and  locating  upon  a  farm  near  Ber- 
rien Center.  From  that  time  until  1899  he 
was  there  extensively  engaged  in  the  tilling 
of  the  soil,  but  on  the  expiration  of  that 
period  retired  from  agricultural  pursuits 
and  established  his  home  in  Eau  Claire,  al- 
though he  still  owns  ninety-six  acres  of  land 
adjoining  the  city.  He  had  previously  sold 
his  farm  in  Berrien  Center,  and  after  locat- 
ing in  Eau  Claire  engaged  in  the  sale  of 
farm  implements,  and  he  has  also  served  as 
treasurer  of  Berrien  township  for  four  years. 
He  gives  a  stanch  and  unfaltering  support 


to  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party, 
and  has  long  been  recognized  as  one  of  the 
most  popular  and  efficient  public  men  in  the 
locality  where  he  makes  his  home,  always  in- 
terested in  all  measures  advanced  for  the 
good  of  the  people.  He  is  now  treasurer  of 
the  village  board  of  Eau  Claire  and  was 
president  one  year. 

In  Seneca  county,  Ohio,  in  1872,  Mr. 
Crall  was  married  to  Euphema  E.  Snyder, 
a  native  of  that  county  and  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Mary  E.  Snyder,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  They  became  the  parents  of 
three  children, — Nina  M.,  wife  are  Fleming 
W.  Mussetter,  of  Fostoria,  Ohio;  Elizabeth 
M.,  the  wife  of  William  B.  Mosher,  of  Ber- 
rien Center;  and  Eltie,  who  for  eight  years 
has  followed  the  teacher's  profession  at 
Harvey,  Illinois.  The  wife  and  mother  died 
on  the  1 8th  of  June,  1892,  and  July  15, 
1896,  Mr.  Crall  married  Mrs.  Rebecca  A. 
McFallon,  a  daughter  of  George  and  Ann 
(Spence)  Cuthbert.  Mr.  Crall  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church, 
taking  an  active  and  helpful  interest  in  its 
work,  and  he  is  now  serving  as  trustee  and 
as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school. 

ERASTUS  MURPHY,  a  prominent 
farmer  and  old  settler,  residing  on  section 
16,  Berrien  township,  was  borp  on  section 
15  of  the  same  township,  July  18,  1842.  He 
represents  an  old  family  from  the  south. 
His  father,  Isaac  Murphy,  was  a  native  of 
Hardin  county,  Virginia,  and  was  reared  in 
Greene  county,  Ohio,  going  there  with  his 
mother  when  a  little  lad  of  six  years.  On 
coming  to  Michigan  he  settled  on  Pokagon 
Prairie  in  Cass  county  when  it  was  still 
largely  a  wild  and  undeveloped  region.  He 
remained  there  for  only  a  short  period, 
however,  when  he  located  in  Berrien  town- 
ship, Berrien  county,  establishing  his  home 
on  section  16,  where  he  entered  land  from 
the  government.  He  improved  this  place 
and  was  engaged  in  farming  during  his  en- 
tire life^  transforming  the  wild  and  uncul- 
tivated tract  into  richly  improved  fields.  He 
married  Miss  Eliza  Jenkins,  who  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  a  daughter  of  Baldwin 
Jenkins,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Cass 
county,  Michigan.      Mr.    and    Mrs.   Isaac 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


927 


Murphy  became  the  parents  of  thirteen  chil- 
dren, but  only  seven  reached  adult  age. 

Erastus  Murphy  is  the  second  of  the  liv- 
ing children,  and  was  reared  in  Berrien 
township,  where  he  has  resided  continuously 
save  for  a  brief  period  of  two  years  spent  in 
Galien  township.  He  pursued  his  education 
in  log  schoolhouses  common  at  that  early 
day,  where  he  mastered  the  elementary 
branches  of  English  learning.  The  duties 
of  the  schoolroom,  the  pleasures  of  the  play- 
ground and  the  work  of  the  fields  claimed  his 
attention  in  his  youth,  and  he  remained  at 
home  until  his  marriage,  which  important 
event  in  his  life  was  celebrated  on  the  19th 
of  April,  1866,  Miss  Mary  Johnson  becom- 
ing his  wife.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Anna  (Lybrook)  Johnson,  who  were 
natives  of  Virginia,  and  after  residing  for 
some  time  in  Ohio  became  early  residents  of 
Berrien  county,  Michigan.  Mrs.  Murphy 
was  also  born  in  Berrien  township  and  was 
the  sixth  of  eight  children,  five  daughters 
and  three  sons.  Unto  our  subject  and  his 
wife  have  been  born  six  children :  Ada,  now 
the  wife  of  W.  H.  Patterson,  of  Berrien 
Springs;  Henry  C,  a  resident  of  Indianapo- 
lis, Indiana,  being  secretary  and  bookkeeper 
for  the  E.  H.  Eldredge  Lumber  Company; 
Lena  A.,  the  wife  of  Frank  W.  Miller,  of 
South  Boardman,  Michigan;  Myron  E.,  who 
operates  the  home  farm;  Sylvia  M.,  the  wife 
of  V.  J.  Blanchard,  of  Berrien  Center;  and 
Cordelia,  the  wife  of  John  A.  Walter,  of 
Silver  Lake,  Indiana. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Murphy 
continued  to  reside  upon  the  old  homestead 
until  about  1875,  when  he  located  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  resides.  He  has  made 
all  of  the  improvements  here,  building  the 
house  and  barns  and  clearing  the  land.  He 
has  now  lived  here  for  almost  a  third  of  a 
century  and  has  carried  on  his  farming  with 
good  results.  He  owns  eighty  acres  in  the 
farm  upon  which  he  resides  and  forty  acres 
of  the  old  homestead.  He  has  also  fre- 
quently been  called  upon  to  settle  estates,  a 
fact  which  indicates  the  confidence  and  trust 
reposed  in  his  business  integrity  and  capa- 
bility. In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  and  unfalt- 
ering Republican,  active  in  the  work  of  his 
party.     He  was  elected  supervisor  in  1900 


and  again  in  1902,  1903,  1904  and  1905, 
serving  in  all  for  five  years.  He  has  been 
justice  of  the  peace  for  sixteen  years,  his 
decisions  being  strictly  fair  and  impartial, 
so  that  he  has  *'won  golden  opinions  from 
all  sorts  of  people."  He  has  been  township 
clerk  for  three  years  and  served  for  four 
years  as  township  treasurer  and  the  various 
official  duties  that  have  devolved  upon 
him  have  always  been  promptly  and  faith- 
fully performed.  He  belongs  to  the  Grange 
and  to  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge  at  Berrien 
Center.  For  fourteen  years  he  served  as 
school  director  and  has  always  taken  an 
active  part  in  educational  affairs  and  in  pub- 
lic interests  relating  to  the  general  good. 
He  has  been  a  life-long  resident  of  the  coun- 
ty and  has  been  actively,  honorably  and 
helpfully   associated   with   its   development. 

JOHN  L.  BISHOP,  superintendent  of 
the  poor  at  Berrien  Center,  has  filled  the 
office  of  supervisor  and  has  been  active  and 
influential  in  those  interests  which  have  di- 
rect bearing  upon  the  public  welfare.  In 
former  years  he  was  closely  associated  with 
agricultural  interests  and  in  his  business 
life  and  public  career  he  has  made  a  credit- 
able record.  He  was  born  in  Dauphin  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  November  4,  1847.  His 
father,  Peter  Bishop,  was  a  native  of  Lan- 
caster county,  Pennsylvania,  and  died  at  the 
place  of  his  nativity.  The  mother,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Catherine  Millizen,  was 
likewise  a  native  of  the  Keystone  state  and 
spent  her  entire  life  within  its  borders.  In 
their  family  were  seven  children,  of  whom 
two  of  the  daughters  are  now  deceased. 

John  L.  Bishop,  the  youngest  of  the  fam- 
ily, was  reared  in  the  place  of  his  nativity 
to  the  age  of  twenty  years,  when  he  started 
out  in  life  for  himself  and  has  since  made 
his  own  way  in  the  world.  He  came  to  Ber- 
rien county  in  1867  and  remained  until  the 
fall  of  1868,  when  he  returned  to  Pennsyl- 
vania. In  his  native  state  he  was  married, 
in  November,  1871,  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
Parthemore,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
in  1875  the  young  couple  came  to  Berrien 
county,  settling  in  Berrien  township,  where 
Mr.  Bishop  still  resides.  He  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade  in  early  life  and  for  a  num- 


92c 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


ber  of  years  was  identified  with  building 
operations.  In  1881  he  returned  to  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  again  spent  four  years, 
and  he  once  more  came  to  Michigan,  settHng 
at  Berrien  Center,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
merchandising  for  about  eight  years.  The 
business  was  carefully  conducted  and  he  had 
a  well  appointed  general  store.  When  al- 
most a  decade  had  passed  he  withdrew  from 
commercial  pursuits  and  has  since  lived  re- 
tired save  for  his  active  connection  with 
public  affairs. 

His  fellow  townsmen  recognizing  his 
worth  and  ability  have  frequently  called  him 
to  office.  He  acted  as  supervisor  for  six 
years  and  was  treasurer  of  the  township  for 
two  years.  He  has  been  superintendent  of 
the  poor  for  nine  years  and  in  these  various 
offices  has  discharged  his  duties  with  a 
promptness  and  fidelity  that  have  made  him 
a  most  respected  and  trustworthy  official. 
He  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  at  Berrien  Center  and  to  the 
encampment  at  that  place. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bishop  have  been 
born  six  children,  two  are  yet  living :  Mar- 
tha, the  wife  of  J.  D.  Myers,  of  Wabash, 
Indiana;  and  Endie  who  is  at  home.  The 
success  which  Mr.  Bishop  has  achieved  and 
enjoyed  in  life  is  attributable  entirely  to  his 
own  labors  and  capable  management,  and  he 
has  made  a  creditable  record  in  business  af- 
fairs and  in  public  office.  He  possesses  a 
genial,  jovial  manner  and  all  who  know  him 
entertain  for  him  warm  respect,  while  the 
circle  of  his  friends  is  almost  co-extensive 
with  the  circle  of  his  acquaintances. 

HARVEY  R.  MURPHY,  who  is  now 
living  a  retired  life  on  his  pleasant  farm  in 
section  14,  Berrien  township,  was  born  in 
Licking  county,  Ohio,  February  27,  1822, 
a  son  of  William  Murphy,  a  native  of 
Hardy  county.  West  Virginia.  After  the 
death  of  his  father  William  Murphy  moved 
the  family  to  Ross  county,  Ohio,  and  later 
to  Licking  county,  that  state,  where  he  was 
married  to  Nancy  Rogers,  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania. After  their  marriage  they  re- 
moved to  Delaware  county,  Indiana,  in 
1836,  but  about  1842  returned  to  Ohio  and 
in  1850  came  to  Michigan,  establishing  their 


home  in  the  then  woods  of  Berrien  town- 
ship, Berrien  county.  There  the  father 
passed  away  in  death  when  he  had  reached 
the  age  of  eighty-one  years,  his  wife  having 
preceded  him  to  the  home  beyond,  dying 
when  seventy-seven  years  of  age.  Of  the 
eight  children  born  to  them,  seven  sons  and 
one  daughter,  only  two  are  now  living,  Har- 
vey R.  and  his  brother  Dr.  J.  M.  Murphy. 

Harvey  R.  Murphy,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  review,  came  wath  his  parents  to 
Michigan  in  1850,  and  about  three  years 
after  his  arrival  here  took  up  his  abode  on 
the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  He  was  a 
carpenter  by  trade,  and  his  first  house  in  this 
county  was  a  little  one-story  house  in  the 
woods,  sixteen  by  sixteen  feet.  To  estab- 
lish a  home  amid  such  surroundings  and  to 
cope  with  the  many  privations  and  hardships 
which  were  the  inevitable  concomitants,  de- 
manded an  invincible  courage  and  fortitude, 
strong  hearts  and  willing  hands.  All  those 
were  characteristics  of  the  pioneers,  whose 
names  and  deeds  should  be  held  in  perpetual 
reverence  by  those  who  enjoy  the  fruits  of 
their  toil.  In  the  work  of  growth  and  up- 
building Mr.  Murphy  has  ever  borne  his 
part,  has  been  honorable  in  business,  loyal 
in  friendship,  faithful  in  citizenship,  and  now 
in  his  declining  years  he  can  look  back  over 
the  past  with  little  occasion  for  regret. 

In  Licking  county,  Ohio,  in  1847,  Mr. 
Murphy  was  united  in  marriage  to  Laura 
Buckland,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Anna 
(Lewis)  Buckland^  natives  of  Vermont. 
Mrs.  Murphy,  the  third  daughter  and  sixth 
child  of  their  seven  children,  four  sons  and 
three  daughters,  was  born  in  Licking  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  August  II,  1828,  and  was  reared 
and  educated  in  her  native  place.  Three 
children  were  born  to  bless  this  union : 
Charles,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  died  in 
Berrien  township,  Berrien  county,  in  No- 
vember, 1905.  He  married  Emma  Pem- 
brook,  and  they  had  one  son,  Alvah  L. 
Emma  is  the  wife  of  Isaac  M.  Smith,  whose 
sketch  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  vol- 
ume. William  H.,  born  May  24,  i860,  in 
Berrien  township,  was  married  March  23, 
1884,  to  Agnes  E.  Ober,  a  daughter  of 
David  and  Barbara  (Brunner)  Ober,  and 
they  have  one  child,  Eda  R.     Mr.  Murphy 


^v/fi-i>ni^-> 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


929 


gives  his  political  support  to  the  Democratic 
party,  his  first  presidential  vote  having  been 
cast  for  James  K.  Polk,  and  he  has  been 
honored  by  his  party  with  many  political 
offices,  having  served  as  township  treasurer 
for  six  years,  was  justice  of  the  peace  for 
four  years,  and  was  supervisor  of  Berrien 
township  one  year.  Hei  is  a  member  of  the 
Berrien  Center  Baptist  church,  of  which  he 
was  one  of  the  first  trustees,  holding  that 
position  for  forty-two  years,  while  for  forty 
years  he  was  secretary  of  the  church,  for 
many  years  was  its  treasurer  and  he  is  now 
trustee. 

GEORGE  PARSONS,  of  Watervliet,' 
whose  business  record  is  such  as  any  man 
might  be  proud  to  possess,  stands  at  the  head 
of  the  firm  of  Parsons  &  Baldwin,  bankers. 
This  firm  also  has  large  farming  interests 
and  has  operated  extensively  in  lumber  and 
merchandising  in  former  years. 

A  native  of  New  York,  George  Parsons 
was  born  at  Gouverneur,  St.  Lawrence 
county,  on  the  28th  of  January,  1830.  His 
family  is  descended  from  Joseph  Parsons, 
of  England,  who  in  1636  became  a  resident 
of  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  •  and  in  1655 
removed  to  Northampton,  that  state.  George 
Parsons  was  a  lad  of  nine  years  at  the  time 
of  his  parents'  removal  to  Genesee  county, 
settling  in  Genesee  valley  at  Perry.  He  at- 
tended the  common  schools  and  at  the  age 
of  fifteen  years  entered  upon  an  academic 
course.  He  attended  various  academies,  in- 
cluding Homer  Academy,  where  Willard 
Fillmore,  afterward  president  of  the  United 
States,  was  a  student.  When  nineteen 
years  of  age  Mr.  Parsons  came  to  Michigan, 
making  his  way  to  Detroit,  where  for  three 
years  he  acted  as  clerk  in  a  store.  In  1852 
he  went  to  Keokuk,  Iowa,  where  he  became 
a  member  of  a  wholesale  grocery  firm  and 
acted  as  bookkeeper  and  manager  of  the 
financial  department  for  a  year.  In  the 
meantime  he  had  a  brother  who  established 
a  bank  at  Keokuk,  and  following  his  father's 
death  he  joined  his  brother  as  a  partner  in 
the  bank,  which  institution  they  successfully 
conducted  until  the  financial  panic  of  1857, 
when,  like  thousands  of  other  business  men 
throughout  the  country,  they  were  forced  to 
59 


close  out  the  enterprise.  Mr.  Parsons  then 
returned  to  Detroit,  and  in  i860  became  a 
partner  in  the  firm  of  Smith,  Root  &  Par- 
sons, wholesale  dry  goods  merchants,  who 
developed  a  fine  trade.  He  was  connected 
with  that  house  until  his  brother-in-law,  who 
was  an  old  merchant  at  Gouverneur,  N.qw7 
York,  died,  and  he  was  sent  for  to  closer  up^ 
his  estate.  At  one  time  he  had  been,  the^ 
richest  man  in  that  place.  He  died  msofvenf 
in  March,  1861,  leaving  a  wife  and  three 
children.  Mr.  Parsons  spent  three  and  a 
half  years  in  closing  up  his  affairs  and  suc- 
ceeded in  saving  the  property  for  his  wife» 
He  and  his  brother  purchased  the  claims  oC 
■the  creditors,  sold  out  the  goods,  turned  the 
property  to  advantage  and  thus  secured  a 
gratifying  competence  for  the  widow  and 
children. 

In  May,  1864,  however,  Mr.  Parsons 
returned  to  Michigan,  having  formed  a  deep 
attachment  for  the  state  of  his  adoption. 
Since  that  year  he  has  l^een  associated  with 
Warner  M.  Baldwin  in  extensive  business 
interests.  They  became  proprietors  and 
operators  of  the  large  lumber  mill  in  com- 
pany with  I.  N.  Swain  and  B.  A.  Olney. 
The  business  was  conducted  under  the  nams 
of  Swain,  Olney  &  Company  for  ten  years^ 
the  partner  of  Mr.  Swain  being  B.  A.  Ol- 
ney. Mr.  Swain  continued;  operating  in: 
lumber  for  a  number  of  years  and  then  sold 
out  to  the  Chicago  company.  Mr.  Parsons 
had  known  Mr.  Swain  previous  to  his  re- 
turn to  Michigan,  in  1864.  In  compan3r 
with  Mr.  Baldwin  he  secured  a  half  interest 
in  the  lumber  business.  The  enterprise  was 
carried  on  extensively,  handling  from  two  to 
three  million  feet  of  lumber  annually.  This 
was  rafted  upon  the  Paw  Paw  river  to  St. 
Joseph  and  thence  shipped  across  the  lake 
to  Chicago.  At  times  fifty  teams  would  be 
utilized  in  conveying  the  lumber  from  the  in- 
terior. In  1872  the  railroad  was  built 
through  and  thus  better  shipping  facilities 
were  secured.  For  many  years  the  lumber 
industry  was  one  of  the  most  important 
sources  of  income  in  this  part  of  the  state, 
and  Mr.  Parsons  was  a  prominent  represen- 
tative of  this  line  of  trade.  A  store  was 
also  conducted  in  connection  with  the  mill 
and  not  only  was  lumber  manufactured  but 


930 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


also  a  grist  and  flouring'  mill  was  operated. 
In  1874  the  business  was  divided  and  the 
company  dissolved.  Mr.  Parsons  and  Mr. 
Baldwin  retired,  taking  all  the  outside 
property,  including  one  thousand  acres,  also 
the  store  and  a  large  farm  that  had  been 
cleared  from  the  thousand  acres,  while  the 
milling  interests  were  retained  by  the  other 
partners.  The  firm  of  Parsons  &  Baldwin 
continued  to  carry  on  the  store  successfully 
until  about  1891  or  1892,  covering  a  period 
of  thirty  years,  but  at  length  it  was  destroyed 
by  fire  and  at  that  time  they  concentrated 
their  energies  upon  the  development  of  a 
banking  business,  having  already  done  con- 
siderable business  as  private  bankers.  They 
have  likewise  continued  their  farming  in- 
terests to  the  present  and  now  concentrate 
their  energies  upon  their  financial  and  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  in  both  of  which  lines  they 
are  operating  extensively.  In  the  building 
of  the  railroad  the  old  firm  of  Swain,  Olney 
&  Company,  contributed  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars. In  1893  the  store  was  destroyed  by 
iire  and  in  the  same  year  a  bank  was  organ- 
ized at  Watervliet  by  Mr.  Parsons  and  Mr. 
Baldwin.  It  is  the  only  bank  here,  and  is 
a  private  institution,  conducting  a  general 
banking  business.  Every  dollar  owned  by 
the  partners  is  behind  the  bank,  which  ren- 
ders it  a  most  safe  and  reliable  financial  in- 
stitution. 

Mr.  Parsons  was  married  in  Livingston 
county.  New  York,  to  Miss  Emily  L.  Bar- 
num,  a  relative  of  P.  T.  Barnum, 
the  famous  showman.  Her  death  oc- 
curred April  I,  1904,  after  they  had  trav- 
eled life's  journey  happily  together  for 
forty-eight  and  a  half  years.  They  had 
two  sons :  Willis  Edward  Parsons,  D.  D., 
and  George  F.  Parsons.  The  former  is  a 
graduate  of  Olivet  College,  and  pursued  a 
theological  course  in  Princeton  University. 
For  nine  years  he  was  pastor  of  the  church 
at  Albion,  Michigan,  for  eleven  years  at 
Danville,  Illinois,  and  for  two  years  has 
been  at  the  head  of  Parsons'  College,  at 
Fairfield,  Iowa,  as  its  president.  This  col- 
lege was  founded  by  Lewis  B.  Parsons,  the 
father  of  George  Parsons,  who  was  a  mer- 
chant in  New  York  for  many  years,  and 
spent  a  year  or  two  in  Iowa.    He  was  much 


pleased  with  the  state  and  its  prospects  and 
at  his  death,  in  1856,  left  property  to  his 
three  sons  to  found  an  institution  of  learn- 
ing in  that  state.  He  was  a  most  zealous 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  in- 
dicated that  the  management  of  the  school 
should  be  left  to  trustees  who  were  con- 
nected with  that  church.  Two  sons,  Charles 
Parsons,  late  of  the  State  National  Bank  of 
St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  General  Lewis  B. 
Parsons,  still  living  in  Illinois,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-nine  years,  were  made  trustees, 
the  former  serving  until  his  death,  while  the 
latter  is  still  connected  with  the  institution 
in  this  capacity.  At  General  Parsons'  sug- 
gestion Rev.  Willis  E.  Parsons  was  made  a 
trustee.  After  meeting  four  or  five  times 
with  the  trustees  he  was  unanimously  chosen 
as  president  of  the  institution  which  was 
founded  by  his  grandfather  and  is  now  de- 
voting his  attention  to  that  college,  which, 
under  his  able  management,  is  making  sub- 
stantial advancement  and  doing  splendid 
work  as  a  factor  in  the  educational  life  of 
Iowa.  The  college  has  a  large  endowment 
fund  and  also  a  Carnegie  library.  George 
F.  Parsons,  now  located  at  Jacksonville, 
Florida,  is  state  agent  for  the  Fidelity  Mu- 
tual Life  Insurance  Company.  He  is  also 
a  graduate  of  Olivet  College. 

For  forty  years  George  Parsons,  whose 
name  introduces  this  review,  has  served  con- 
tinuously as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school,  which  was  established  as  a  union 
Sunday-school  and  so  continued  until  1885, 
when  the  Congregrational  Church  was  or- 
ganized, of  which  he  became  a  charter  mem- 
ber. He  has  been  untiring  and  most  effi- 
cient in  his  efforts  to  advance  the  cause  of 
Christianity  and  uplift  his  fellowmen  and  is 
just  entering  upon  his  forty-first  year  as  a 
Sunday-school  superintendent.  In  1889  he 
and  his  wife  attended  the  World's  Sunday- 
school  Convention  held  at  London.  One  of 
his  old  co-workers  of  the  Berrien  County 
Sunday-school  Association  is  E.  K.  Warren, 
of  Three  Oaks,  Michigan,  who  in  1904  was 
instrumental  in  holding  a  Sunday-school 
convention  at  Jerusalem,  and  was  its  presi- 
dent. Mrs.  Parsons  was  also  very  active 
in.  Sunday-school  work,  and  was  always 
an  able  assistant  to  her  husband  in  his  efforts 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


931 


to  advance  the  growth  of  the  church  and 
promote  its  activities  in  any  direction.  At 
her  funeral  there  were  four  pallbearers  and 
three  members  of  the  choir,  all  people  in 
middle  life,  who  had  been  pupils  in  her  pri- 
mary class  in  Sunday-school.  She  was  also 
very  active  in  women's  missionary  work  in 
the  Congregational  church. 

There  are  few  men  whose  lives  are 
crowned  with  the  honor  and  respect  which 
is  uniformly  accorded  to  George  Parsons. 
With  him  success  in  life  has  been  reached  by 
his  sterling  qualities  of  mind  and  a  heart 
true  to  every  manly  principle.  He  has  never 
deviated  from  what  his  judgment  would  in- 
dicate to  be  the  right  and  honorable  be- 
tween his  fellowmen  and  himself.  He  has 
never  swerved  from  the  path  of  duty  and 
now  after  a  long  and  eventful  career  he  can 
look  back  over  the  past  with  pride  and  en- 
joy the  remaining  years  of  his  earthly  pil- 
grimage with  the  consciousness  of  having 
g-ained  for  himself  by  his  honorable, 
straightforward  career  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  the  entire  community  in  which  he 
lives. 

JACOB  B.  CRALL,  who  is  living  re- 
tired on  his  ''Shady  Lawn"  farm  in  section 
10,  Berrien  township,  was  born  in  Dauphin 
county,  Pennsylvania,  near  the  capital,  De- 
cember 21,  1830.  The  founder  of  the  Crall 
family  in  America  came  from  Switzerland 
in  1743  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania,  where 
he  purchased  a  farm  of  Thomas  and  Richard 
Penn,  sons  of  William  Penn.  The  father  of 
our  subject,  Simon  Crall,  was  a  native  of 
Harrisburg,  >  Pennsylvania,  born  in  1808, 
and  at  the  same  place  his  father,  Henry 
Crall,  was  also  born.  Simon  Crall  married 
Elizabeth  Becker,  also  a  native  of  Harris- 
burg and  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Becker,  who 
removed  from  the  county  of  Lancaster  to 
Dauphin  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  of 
German  descent.  To  this  couple  were  born 
nine  children,  seven  of  whom  grew  to  years 
of  maturity  and  five  are  now  living.  The 
mother  died  when  forty-seven  years  of  age, 
but  was  survived  many  years  by  her  hus- 
band, who  reached  the  ripe  old  age  of  seven- 
ty-five years. 


Jacob  B.  Crall,  the  eldest  child  and  also 
the  first  grandchild  in  the  Crall  family,  re- 
mained in  the  place  of  his  nativity  until  fif- 
teen years  of  age,  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Crawford  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  continuing  his  education  in  its  pub- 
lic schools  and  then  entering  Otterbein  Uni- 
versity. On  the  1 8th  of  October,  1855,  he 
was  married  to  Delilah  Hess,  who  was  born 
in  Crawford  county,  Ohio,  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  four  children :  Alice  E.,  the 
widow  of  S.  W.  Bishop  and  a  resident  of 
Benton  Harbor ;  M.  Ellen,  the  wife  of  Henry 
Nisley,  of  Berrien  township;  John  H.,  a  resi- 
dent of  Indianapolis,  Indiana;  and  Florence 
M.,  the  wife  of  W.  O.  James,  of  Chicago, 
Illinois.  The  wife  and  mother  died,  and  on 
the  22d  of  October,  1889,  Mr.  Crall  married 
Juliette  Enos,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Morgan 
and  Elizabeth  (Clark)  Enos,  natives  of  New 
York.  In  1836  they  removed  from  that 
state  to  Michigan,  taking  up  their  abode  in 
Pipestone  township,  Berrien  county,  where 
the  father  was  numbered  among  the  early 
pioneer  physicians,  and  here  his  death  oc- 
curred when  he  was  sixty-four  years  old, 
while  the  mother  survived  until  she  had 
reached  the  age  of  seventy  years.  Mrs. 
Crall,  the  third  of  their  five  children,  was 
born  in  Pipestone  township,  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  January  28,  1842,  and  thus  has 
been  a  life-long  resident  of  the  county  and 
one  of  its  noble  pioneer  women.  For  forty- 
five  years  Mr.  Crall  has  resided  on  the  farm 
which  is  yet  his  home,  wdiich  he  has  trans- 
formed into  a  valuable  and  beautiful  home- 
stead, and  here  he  and  his  estimable  wife  are 
spending  their  declining  days  surrounded  by 
the  comforts  and  luxuries  which  former  la- 
bor have  brought  to  them.  Mr.  Crall  gave 
his  political  support  to  the  Republican  party 
until  the  Prohibition  party  was  formed, 
since  which  time  he  has  cast  his  ballot  for  its 
support,  and  for  many  years  he  has  served 
as  a  member  of  the  school  board.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Wesleyan 
Methodist  church.  He  has  taught  the  Bible 
class  in  various  Sabbath-schools  for  thirty 
years,  and  Mrs.  Crall  is  also  a  Sunday-school 
teacher,  now  teaching  the  Young  People's 
class  at  Berrien  Center. 


932 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


THOMAS  B.  WYNN.  One  of  the 
boys  in  blue  of  the  Civil  war,  and  at  all  times 
a  loyal  citizen,  true  to  the  interests  of  coun- 
ty, state  and  nation,  Thomas  B.  Wynn  is 
numbered  among  the  leading  citizens  of 
Berrien  county,  and  he  is  now  acceptably 
filling  the  position  of  postmaster  of  Eau 
Claire.  He  is  a  native  son  of  the  county, 
his  birth  occurring  in  Niles  township  on  the 
7th  of  November,  1839.  His  father,  Mor- 
gan Wynn,  was  born  in  Ohio,  but  as  early 
as  1835  he  took  up  his  abode  within  the  bor- 
ders of  Berrien  county,  locating  at  first  at 
what  is  known  as  Paw's  Mills,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  lumbering.  He  later  established 
his  home  three  miles  west  of  Niles,  on  the 
St.  Joseph  river,  where  he  improved  a  farm 
and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  passing 
away  in  death  about  1845.  No  state  of  the 
Union  can  boast  of  a  more  heroic  band  of 
pioneers  than  Michigan.  Their  privations, 
hardships  and  earnest  labors  have  resulted 
in  establishing  one  of  the  foremost  common- 
wealths of  the  nation,  and  one  which  has 
still  greater  possibilities  before  it.  But  their 
work  is  nearly  complete,  and  every  year  sees 
new  graves  filled  by  those  who  helped  to 
build  an  empire,  and  soon  will  the  last  of 
these  sturdy  pioneers  be  laid  away.  Mr. 
Wynn  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Cottrell,  a 
native  of  Ohio,  but  who  subsequently  re- 
moved to  Indiana,  and  there  she  gave  her 
hand  in  marriage  to  Morgan  Wynn.  To- 
gether they  journeyed  to  Michigan,  and  here 
they  lived  and  labored  to  establish  a  home. 
The  wife  and  mother  still  survives,  having 
reached  the  eighty-seventh  milestone  on  the 
journey  of  life,  and  of  the  seven  children 
which  she  bore  her  husband,  four  sons  and 
three  daughters,  all  grew  to  years  of  matur- 
ity and  six  are  now  living. 

Thomas  B.  Wynn,  the  second  child  and 
second  son  in  the  family,  spent  the  days  of 
his  boyhood  and  youth  in  Niles  township, 
receiving  his  education  in  its  district  schools, 
and  in  Berrien  county  he  has  spent  his  entire 
life.  In  1861,  in  response  to  his  country's 
call  for  troops,  he  enlisted  in  Company  C, 
Twelfth  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry,  his 
military  career  continuing  until  1866.  At 
Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  in  December,  1863, 


he  re-enlisted,  entering  the  same  company 
and  regiment,  and  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh  he 
was  captured  and  taken  as  a  prisoner  to 
Macon,  Georgia.  After  about  seven  months 
spent  in  Libby  Prison  he  was  paroled  and 
returned  to  his  command,  with  which  he 
continued  until  he  was  mustered  out  in  1866. 
He  entered  the  ranks  as  a  private,  but  was. 
discharged  as  first  sergeant  of  Company  C. 
The  military  career  of  Mr.  Wynn,  which 
covered  a  period  of  four  and  a  half  years, 
was  one  which  will  ever  redound  to  his. 
honor  as  a  loyal  and  devoted  son  of  the  re- 
public. When  his  services  were  no  longer 
needed  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Berrien 
county  and  was  thereafter  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  lumbering  until  his  removal  to  Eau 
Claire  about  1889.  In  this  city  he  resumed 
his  lumbering  operations,  in  which  he  was 
engaged  until  about  1893.  A  few  years 
thereafter,  in  October,  1897,  he  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  of  Eau  Claire,  and  is  the 
present  incumbent. 

In  1869  Mr.  Wynn  was  married  to  Har- 
riet Smith,  a  daughter  of  Asa  Smith,  and 
they  have  had  four  children, — Richard,  a 
resident  of  Truman,  Arkansas;  Bertha,  who 
died  in  infancy;  Frank,  also  deceased,  pass- 
ing away  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years; 
and  Ethel,  the  wife  of  J.  Jennings,  of  Pipe- 
stone township,  Berrien  county.  In  his  po- 
litical affiliations  Mr.  Wynn  has  been  a  life- 
long Republican,  active  in  the  work  of  his 
party,  and  as  its  representative  he  has  served 
in  a  number  of  official  positions,  having  been 
constable  and  assessor  of  the  village  of  Eau 
Claire,  and  at  one  time  was  a  candidate  for 
sheriff,  being  second  on  the  list.  He  is  a 
member  of  Kilpatrick  Post,  No.  39,  G.  A. 
R.,  in  which  he  maintains  pleasant  relations 
with  his  old  army  comrades,  and  has  filled 
all  the  chairs  in  the  order.  He  has  also 
membership  relations  with  the  Independent. 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  having  been  honored 
with  all  the  official  positions  therein,  and  in 
the  county  where  he  has  spent  his  entire 
life  he  is  well  known  and  has  hosts  of 
friends. 

ELI    RIDENOUR.      For   many   years 
Eli    Ridenour   has    traveled    life's    journey,„ 


VA^.t^^, 


^^-yx,.c^ 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


933 


:and  now,  in  the  evening  of  a  long,  useful 
and  honorable  career,  he  is  enjoying  a  well 
earned  rest,  relieved  of  the  burdens  and  re- 
sponsibilities of  business  life,  for  through 
many  decades  he  was  laying  by  the  compe- 
tence which  now  supplies  him  with  the  ne- 
cessities and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 
He  was  born  in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  Sep- 
tember 1 8,  1828,  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Letitia 
(Brown)  Ridenour,  the  latter  a  native  of 
Virginia  but  reared  in  Indiana.  She  lived 
to  be  eighty-two  years  of  age  ere  called  to 
her  final  rest.  The  father  was  born  in  Mary- 
land, his  father  being  Joseph  Ridenour,  a 
native  of  Germany.  The  former  was  reared 
in  Preble  county,  Ohio,  and  in  March,  1832, 
came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  first  lo- 
cating at  Niles  and  later  removed  to  Cass 
county.  He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and 
erected  many  of  the  first  houses  in  Niles, 
also  the  old  Lacy  mill,  and  thus  was  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  early  history  of  the 
locality. 

Eli  Ridenour  was  but  four  years  old 
when  brought  by  his  parents  to  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  but  their  first  stop  in  this 
state,  however,  was  in  Cass  county,  and  he 
afterward  resided  in  Berrien  and  Pipestone 
townships.  After  his  marriage  he  returned 
to  Silver  Creek  township,  Cass  county, 
w  here  he  purchased  a  farm  and  was  engaged 
in  its  cultivation  and  improvement  for  the 
following  ten  years,  when  he  sold  his  land 
and  purchased  a  farm  in  Van  Buren  county, 
this  state.  Two  years  afterward  he  again 
sold,  this  time  locating  in  Wayne  township, 
Cass  county,  where  for  five  years  he  was 
numbered  among  its  prominent  agricult- 
urists, but  on  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  sold  his  land  there  and  moved  into  Pipe- 
stone township,  Berrien  county,  this  being 
about  1856.  His  land  was  located  on  the 
banks  of  Indian  Lake,  and  after  selling  his 
property  there  he  bought  a  store  at  Cusheons 
Corners,  where  he  was  the  proprietor  of  a 
general  store  for  about  seven  years,  serving 
also  as  postmaster  during  his  residence  there. 
When  a  boy  Mr.  Ridenour  learned  the  shoe- 
maker's trade,  having  made  his  first  pair  of 
^hoes  when  only  twelve  years  of  age,  and  for 
sixty-three  years  he  has  worked  at  his  trade 


in  addition  to  his  other  interests,  often  hav- 
ing as  many  as  seven  men  in  his  employ  as  a 
shoemaker.  About  1883  he  sold  his  store 
at  Cusheons  Corners  and  came  to  Eau 
Claire,  erecting  the  first  store  building  in  the 
town  and  purchasing  others,  but  these  he 
now  rents  and  is  retired  from  the  active  du- 
ties of  life. 

In  1846  Mr.  Ridenour  was  married  to 
Margaret  A.  Johnson,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
they  have  twelve  living  children,  all  of  whom 
are  married.  They  also  have  twenty-four 
living  grandchildren  and  twenty-five  great- 
grandchildren. In  his  political  affiliations 
Mr.  Ridenour  has  given  a  life-long  support 
to  the  Republican  party,  and  for  many  years 
was  a  justice  of  the  peace,  also  highway 
commissioner.  He  has  always  had  an  abid- 
ing interest  in  educational  and  all  other  mat- 
ters that  subserve  the  public  progress  and 
well  being  of  his  fellow  men,  and  he  has 
been  recognized  as  a  power  for  good  in  the 
community  where  for  so  many  years  his  in- 
fluence has  been  directed. 

THOMAS  W.  JONES,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing business  men  of  Berrien  county,  was 
born  in  Paris  township.  Portage  county, 
Ohio,  June  10,  1841,  a  son  of  David  W.  and 
Elizabeth  (Savage)  Jones,  both  natives  of 
Wales.  After  coming  to  Ohio  they  located 
in  Portage  county,  Ohio,  where  the  father 
was  engaged  in  farming,  and  there  they 
spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives,  both  pass- 
ing away  when  about  sixty-seven  years  of 
age. 

Thomas  W.,  the  eldest  son  and  fifth 
child  of  their  nine  children,  five  daughters 
and  four  sons,  spent  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  the  county  of  his  nativity, 
there  relrnaining  until  he  was  twenty-one 
years  of  age.  At  that  time,  in  186 1,  he  came 
to  Berrien  county  and  secured  employment 
on  the  farm  of  William  Smith,  a  farmer,  but 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  he  put  aside 
all  personal  considerations  and  offered  his 
services  to  the  Union  cause,  becoming  a 
member  of  Company  B,  Seventeenth  Mich- 
igan Volunteer  Infantry,  enlisting  in  June, 
1862,  for  three  years.  At  the  battle  of 
Lenoir  Station  he  was  badly  wounded  and 


934 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


taken  to  the  hospital  at  Knoxville,  Tennes- 
see, where  he  spent  about  seven  months. 
His  wound  was  from  a  musket  ball  at  close 
range  through  the  right  thigh,  and  after  his 
recovery  he  was  transferred  to  the  Invalid 
Corps  and  stationed  at  Kalamazoo,  Mich- 
igan, remaining  there  until  receiving  his 
honorable  discharge  at  Detroit  in  1865,  for 
the  war  had  ended  and  his  country  no  longer 
needed  his  services. 

Returning  thence  to  Berrien  county,  Mr. 
Jones  began  work  at  the  carpenter's  trade, 
which  he  followed  for  about  twenty-five 
years  in  Eau  Claire,  and  many  of  the  build- 
ings of  that  city  now  stand  as  monuments 
to  his  skill  and  ability.  He  also  served  as 
postmaster  there  for  four  years  under  Presi- 
dent Harrison's  administration,  and  since 
that  time  he  has  followed  many  different  oc- 
cupations, having  been  for  a  time  engaged 
in  the  livery  and  horse  business,  making  a 
specialty  of  handling  well  bred  animals.  In 
1900  he  opened  his  present  business,  being 
an  extensive  dealer  in  grain,  fruit,  hay,  lime, 
cement,  plaster,  etc.  Since  he  became  a  resi- 
dent of  this  city  Mr.  Jones  has  materially 
aided  in  its  improvement  and  upbuilding, 
and  has  ever  used  his  influence  in  behalf  of 
everything  making  for  good  citizenship. 

In  1875  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Jennie  Burton.  In  his  political  adherency 
Mr.  Jones  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  active  in 
the  work  of  the  party,  and  as  its  representa- 
tive he  is  now  serving  as  assessor  of  the  vil- 
lage. He  is  a  member  of  Neuclas  Lodge, 
No.  348,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Berrien  Center.  He 
has  persevered  in  the  pursuit  of  a  definite 
purpose  and  has  gained  a  most  satisfactory 
reward. 

FRANKLIN  GOWDY,  who  is  now  de- 
voting his  time  to  the  development  of  sum- 
mer homes  and  to  general  farming  and  fruit 
raising  in  Berrien  county,  is  a  native  of 
Oneida  county,  New  York,  born  on  the  5th 
of  March,  1831.  He  is  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  old  New  England  families  that 
was  established  in  America  in  colonial  days. 
His  paternal  grandfather,  John  Gowdy,  was 
a  native  of  Connecticut  and  served  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,   afterward  becoming  a 


pensioner  of  the  government  by  reason  of 
the  fact  that  he  rendered  valuable  aid  to  his. 
country  in  the  struggle  for  independence. 
A  large  portion  of  his  life  was  spent  in  New 
York,  but  he  died  in  Illinois  at  the  home  of 
his  son,  Elam  Gowdy,  passing  away  at  the 
very  venerable  age  of  ninety-four  years. 
He  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent  and  pos- 
sessed many  of  the  sterling  and  commend- 
able traits  of  his  ancestry.  His  son,  Elam 
Gowdy,  was  born  in  Connecticut  in  1788- 
and  displayed  the  same  spirit  of  patriotism 
which  prompted  his  father's  allegiance  to 
the  colonists  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  He 
was  a  veteran  of  the  war  of  18 12  and  was 
always  loyal  and  progressive  in  his  citizen- 
ship. He  was  married  in  Vermont  but 
spent  much  of  his  life  in  New  York.  In  his 
later  years,  however,  he  went  to  Illinois  and 
afterward  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michi- 
gan, spending  his  last  days  in  the  home  of 
his  son,  Frankin,  where  he  died  in  1870  at 
the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  Throughout 
his  active  business  career  he  followed  the 
occupation  of  farming  and  thus  provided  a 
comfortable  living  for  himself  and  family. 
His  political  allegiance  was  given  to  the 
Whig  party  and  he  was  a  stanch  advocate  of 
the  Baptist  church,  in  which  he  held  mem- 
bership. He  married  Miss  Lucy  Stroud„ 
who  was  born  in  Bennington,  Vermont,  in 
1798,  and  died  in  the  home  of  her  son  Frank- 
lin, in  1875.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John 
Stroud  and  her  grandfather  was  a  soldier 
of  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  Strouds 
were  of  English  lineage  and  the  family  be- 
came quite  prominent  and  influential  in  New 
England.  John  Stroud  had  five  sons,  two 
of  whom  were  members  of  the  Vermont  leg- 
islature and  one  of  these  had  a  son,  Stew- 
art Stroud,  who  was  canal  commissioner  of 
New  York.  A  brother  of  Mrs.  Gowdy  was 
a  contractor  and  spent  many  years  on  the 
construction  of  the  Erie  canal.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gowdy  were  born  eight  children : 
Phoebe  Ann,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Maurice  Huff  and  died  in  1840  at  the  age 
of  twenty- four  years;  John  F.,  w^ho  died  in 
Kansas  about  twelve  years  ago;  Alanson 
W.,  who  died  about  fifteen  years  ago;  Nel- 
son E.,  who  is  living  in  the  state  of  New 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


935 


York  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years; 
Louisa,  the  widow  of  Dr.  Stillman,  of 
Janesville,  Wisconsin;  Sally  M.,  the  wife 
of  Bert  Adams  of  Allegany  county,  New 
York,  and  they  celebrated  their  golden 
wxdding  five  years  ago ;  Franklin  is  the  next 
of  the  family;  William  A.,  the  youngest,  is 
a  resident  of  New  Buffalo  township. 

Franklin  Gow^dy  was  about  four  years 
of  age  when  his  parents  removed  from 
Oneida  county  to  Allegany  county,  New 
York,  where  he  was  reared  on  a  farm  to  the 
age  of  twenty-one  years.  He  then  went  to 
Kane  county,  Illinois,  with  his  parents, 
brothers  and  sisters  and  became  a  part 
owner  of  a  farm  whereon  he  resided  from 
1852  until  1856.  In  the  latter  year  he  re- 
turned to  New  York  and  was  married  in 
Allegany  county,  that  state,  on  the  5th  of 
October,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Millard,  who  was 
born  in  Allegany  county,  August  2,  1838, 
a  daughter  of  William  T.  and  Polly  (Ripen- 
bark)  Millard,  the  former  a  native  of  New 
Jersey  and  the  latter  of  New  York.  Her 
grandfather,  Adam  Ripenbark,  was  a  sol- 
dier of  the  war  of  18 12  and  her  great- 
grandfather, Sears,  on  the  maternal  side, 
w^as  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Gowdy  re- 
turned with  his  bride  to  Kane  county,  Illi- 
nois, making  the  journey  by  team.  They 
drove  the  entire  distance,  being  about  seven- 
teen days  on  the  way  and  this  was  their 
wedding  tour.  At  length  Mr.  Gowdy  sold 
his  property  in  Kane  county  and  removed  to 
McHenry  county,  Illinois,  where  in  1858  he 
purchased  a  farm,  giving  his  attention  to  its 
improvement  and  cultivation  until  he  came 
to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  in  1862.  For 
one  year  he  lived  in  Chikaming  township. 
His  brother,  John  F.,  and  C.  H.  Goodwin 
were  then  doing  business  under  the  firm 
nome  of  Goodwin  &  Gowdy  and  built  a  pier 
in  the  lake  in  1864  known  as  Union  Pier. 
Franklin  Gowdy  also  had  an  interest  in  this 
pier  and  about  the  same  time  he  purchased 
his  present  farm  and  other  places.  He  has 
owned  various  tracts  of  land  in  this  part 
of  the  state  and  has  made  judicious  invest- 
ment in  property  w^hich  has  returned  to  him 
a  good  profit.  In  1870  he  was  one  of  the 
company  of  J.  G.  Sanborn  &  Company  and 


built  a  handle  factory  at  Union  Pier,  con- 
tinuing in  business  there  for  four  years,  af- 
ter which  he  sold  out  to  R.  M.  Goodwin  & 
Company.     Mr.   Gowdy  purchased  a  saw- 
mill and  Mr.  Goodwin  operated  it  at  inter- 
vals until  about   1895.     He  then  removed 
the  sawmill  from  Chikaming  to  New  Buf- 
falo,  where  he  has  since  made  his   home. 
After  operating  the  mill  here  for  two  years 
it  was  destroyed  by  fire.     He  rebuilt  it  in 
1900,   after  which   he   sold   out  to   Walter 
Phillip,  of  Three  Oaks,  Michigan,  who  re- 
moved the  mill  to  that  place.    For  five  or  six 
years  his  son,Herbert  W.  Gowdy,  has  been 
actively  in  business  with  him.     He  has  about 
two  hundred  acres  in  the  home  farm  situated 
on  section  36,  New  Buffalo  township.     All 
was  timber  land  when  he  took  possession  of 
the  place  but  it  is  now  all  under  cultivation 
except  for  a  grove,  w^hich  is  one  of  the  at- 
tractive features  of  the  farm.     This  farm  is 
situated  on  Galien  river  and  the  lake.    There 
is  a  pleasant  residence  surrounded  by  a  beau- 
tiful  and  well-kept  lawn  and  the   farm   is 
well  improved  in  every  particular.     He  has 
about  three  thousand  peach  trees  on  his  land 
and  the  place  is  largely   devoted  to   fruit. 
About  1900  he  and  his  son  Herbert  W.  pur- 
chased  forty   acres  of   land   in   Chikaming 
township  near  the  home  place  on  section  25. 
This  is  on  the  township  line  and  also  on  the 
lake   shore.      Mr.    Gowdy   has   platted   this 
land  for  summer  homes  and  has  built  and 
sold  here  four  cottages.     He  and  his  son 
also  have  sixty-two  acres  lying  on  the  lake 
shore   between    highway   and    the    lake   on 
section    36,    New    Buffalo   township,    about 
one-half  of  this   improved,   and  there  is   a 
good  house  upon  it  which  is  rented  for  sum- 
mer purposes.     Mr.  Gowdy  has  sold  about 
two  hundred  acres  of  land  to  be  used  in  con- 
nection with  the  establishment  of  summer 
homes.     At  different  times  he  has  bought 
and  sold  considerable  property,  most  all  of 
which  has  been  improved  by  him.     He  ex- 
pects to  have  a  large  summer  resort  here  and 
indeed  the  place  is   fast  becoming  popular 
and  well  patronized.     He  has  recently  com- 
pleted a  fine  new  cottage  to  rent  and  his  at- 
tention is  now  given  exclusively  to  the  de- 
velopment  of   summer   homes   and   to   his 
farming  and  fruit  raising  interests. 


936 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gowdy  have  been 
born  the  following  named :  Libby,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  nine  years ;  Cora,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  two  years;  Lvnia  E.,  the  widow 
of  John  V.  Streed,  of  Cambridge,  Illinois; 
Frank,  a  prominent  physician  now  practic- 
ing in  St.  Joseph,  Michigan ;  Lilly,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  two  years;  Herbert  W.,  who  is 
in  partnership  with  his  father  and  resides  at 
home ;  Elnora,  at  home ;  and  Bessie,  the  wife 
of  Lee  Thomas  of  Colorado. 

Mr.  Gowdy  is  an  earnest  Republican, 
who  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for 
John  C.  Fremont  in  1856  and  has  since  sup- 
ported every  nominee  of  the  Republican 
party  at  the  head  of  the  ticket.  He  has  been 
tow^nship  clerk  of  Chikaming  township  and 
justice  of  the  peace.  While  living  in  New 
Buffalo  he  has  also  been  highway  commis- 
sioner and  also  justice  of  the  peace  for  ten 
or  fifteen  years  and  supervisor  for  three 
terms.  He  has  attended  all  of  the  county 
conventions  of  his  party  for  the  past  thirty- 
five  years  and  is  one  of  its  influential  factors. 
He  is  a  supporter  of  the  Baptist  church  but 
is  not  a  member.  Mr.  Gowdy  as  a  promoter 
of  interests  in  Berrien  county  has  done  much 
for  its  substantial  improvement  and  pro- 
gress and  is  now  one  of  the  successful  busi- 
ness men  of  this  part  of  the  state.  He  read- 
ily comprehends  intricate  business  situa- 
tions and  finds  the  solution  for  difficult  busi- 
ness problems.  As  the  years  have  gone  by 
he  has  prospered  in  his  undertakings  and  is 
now  in  possession  of  a  handsome  compet- 
ence which  is  the  merited  reward  of  well- 
earned  labor. 

M.  T.  MURPHY,  superintendent  of  the 
extensive  plant  of  Cooper,  Wells  &  Com- 
pany, the  leading  productive  industry  of  St. 
Joseph,  is  a  native  of  New  Hampton,  New 
Hampshire,  born  December  25,  1852.  His 
parents,  Dennis  and  Mary  (Harrington) 
Murphy,  were  both  natives  of  the  County  of 
Cork,  Ireland,  and  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1847,  settling  in  Boston,  Massa- 
chusetts, whence  they  later  removed  to  New 
Hampshire.  The  father  died  in  Andover, 
that  state,  when  about  forty-four  years  of 
age,  and  the  mother's  death  occurred  there 
-when  she  was  fifty-one  years  of  age. 


M.  T.  Murphy  acquired  a  common- 
school  education  in  the  schools  of  Lake  vil- 
lage, New  Hampshire,  but  has  been  depend- 
ent upon  his  own  resources  for  his  own  liv- 
ing from  a  very  early  age.  When  a  lad  of 
only  eight  summers  he  began  work  in  the 
hosiery  mills  of  John  Pepper,  at  Lake  vil- 
lage, and  subsequently  was  employed  by 
Thomas  Appleton  in  the  same  town.  He  ap- 
plied himself  thoroughly  to  the  mastery  of 
the  work  assigned  him,  and,  having  learned 
the  business  in  these  two  mills,  in  1870,  he 
entered  the  employ  of  John  C.  Moulton,  of 
Laconia,  New  Hampshire,  as  superintend- 
ent of  the  Guilford  Hosiery  Company.  There 
he  remained  until  1876,  after  which  he  was 
in  the  employ  of  Frank  P.  Halt  of  the  same 
town  as  superintendent  from  1876  until 
1882,  when  he  went  to  Canada  and  built  the 
plant  of  the  St.  Hyacinthe-Abel  Hosiery 
Company,  at  St.  Hyacinthe,  Canada.  Upon 
the  death  of  Mr.  Abel  the  name  was  changed 
to  the  Granite  Mills,  and  Mr.  Murphy  was 
a  charter  member  of  the  company  owning 
this  enterprise.  He  was  also  a  stockholder 
and  general  manager  from  1882  until  1896, 
and  from  the  latter  year  until  1901  he  was 
connected  with  several  hosiery  mills.  In 
1 90 1  he  came  to  St.  Joseph  and  has  since 
been  superintendent  for  Cooper,  Wells  & 
Company.  His  identification  with  the  man- 
ufacture of  underwear  and  hosiery  dates 
continuously  from  1870,  and  his  long  and 
varied  experience  well  qualifies  him  for  the 
discharge  of  the  onerous  duties  which  in- 
volve upon  him  in  his  present  connection. 

In  1870  Mr.  Murphy  was  married  to 
Miss  Margaret  Cochran,  of  Newport,  Ver- 
mont, who  died  in  1880,  leaving  three  chil- 
dren. David;  Ella,  now  the  wife  of  A.  W. 
Duber,  superintendent  of  the  Inter  Colonial 
Railway,  of  Canada;  and  John  M.,  who  died 
in  St.  Hyacinthe,  Canada,  June  5,  1883.  On 
the  I  St  of  May,  1883,  Mr.  Murphy  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Albena  La 
Vigne,  of  St.  Hyacinthe. 

In  his  political  views  a  Republican,  Mr. 
Murphy  has  never  sought  or  desired  the 
emoluments  of  office  as  a  reward  for  party 
fealty.  His  energies  have  been  concentrated 
along  the  lines  in  which  he  embarked  as  a 
young  tradesman  and  he  is  one  of  the  lead- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


937 


ing  men  in  this  department  of  manufactur- 
ing activity  in  the  country,  recognized  as 
authority  on  anything  connected  with  the 
co-operative  department  of  the  business. 
His  marked  activity  and  enterprise  have 
gained  for  him  the  prominent  position  which 
he  has  now  filled  for  five  years. 

CHARLES  E.  DANA,  one  of  the  pro- 
gressive and  prosperous  farmers  of  Pipe- 
stone township,  residing  on  section  5,  is  a 
native  of  Jefferson  county,  New  York,  his 
natal  day  being  April  17,  1859.  His  father, 
Harley  Dana,  was  likewise  born  in  Jeffer- 
son county,  of  the  Empire  state,  and  in  1845 
removed  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan. 
Here  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Jane 
Maddox,  a  native  of  Ohio.  He  then  re- 
turned to  his  native  state, 
where  he  remained  a  few 
years,  but  in  1861,  once 
more  came  to  Berrien  coun- 
ty, settling  on  a  farm  on 
section  7,  Pipestone  town- 
ship, where  he  is  still  en- 
gaged in  general  agricul- 
tural pursuits.  In  their 
family  were  four  children, 
but  only  two  svirvive,  the 
brother  of  our  subject  be- 
ing William,  a  resident 
of  Sodus  township,  while 
Agnes  and  Charles  have 
passed  away.  The  wife  and 
mother  passed  away  in 
1904. 

Charles  E.  Dana,  the  second  child  born 
of  his  fathers  family  is  the  elder  of  the  two 
surviving,  and  was  only  two  years  of  age 
when  he  was  brought  from  his  native  state 
to  Berrien  county.  The  family  home  w^as 
established  in  Pipestone  township,  where  in 
the  district  schools  the  son  obtained  his  edu- 
cational privileges.  He  was  reared  to  the 
occupation  of  farming  which  has  continued 
to  be  his  business  interest  to  the  present 
time,  and  as  the  years  have  passed  he  has 
prospered  in  his  undertakings  so  that  he 
now  owns  a  valuable  farming  property,  on 
v^^hich  he  is  engaged  in  raising  the  cereals 
best  adapted  to  soil  and  climate,  each  autumn 
gathering  good  crops  as  the  result  of  the 


practical  methods  which  he  employs  in 
carrying  on  his  work.  He  also  has  good 
buildings  upon  his  farm,  including  a  fine 
residence  and  substantial  outbuildings,  all 
of  which  are  kept  in  a  good  state  of  repair. 
During  the  summer  seasons  he  also  enter- 
tains summer  boarders,  which  he  finds  a 
pleasant  and  profitable  business.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  other  interests  he  is  also  acting 
as  general  agent  in  Berrien  county  for  the 
Davis  Acetylene  Company,  of  Elkhart,  In- 
diana. 

December  31,  1879,  Mr.  Dana  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Josephine  Craft, 
a  native  of  Oswego  county.  New  York, 
born  September  8,  1862,  a  daughter  of 
Eleazer  and  Perlina  (Bronson)  Craft,  the 
former  born  in  Jefferson  county,  New  York, 


FERNDALE 

while  the  latter  was  born  in  Saratoga  coun- 
ty, that  state.  The  father  was  a  member  of 
Company  G,  One  Hundred  and  Tenth  New 
York  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  enlisted  in 
1862,  and  he  died  in  New^  Orleans,  Louis- 
iana. He  was  a  sailor  on  the  lakes.  When 
Mrs.  Dana  was  seven  years  of  age  her 
mother  removed  from  their  native  state  to 
Michigan,  settling  in  Berrien  county.  The 
mother  still  survives  and  is  now  residing  in 
Bainbridge  township.  Mrs.  Dana  is  the 
only  child  of  their  marriage.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Dana  has  been  born  one  daugh- 
ter. May,  now  the  wife  of  Arthur  Lytle,  of 
Eau  Claire,  who  is  a  jeweler  by  occupation. 
Mr.  Dana  has  been  a  life-long  Republi- 


938 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


can  and  takes  an  active  and  helpful  interest 
in  the  work  of  his  party.  Prominent  among 
his  fellow  townsmen  he  has  been  honored 
with  some  local  offices,  having  filled  the  office 
of  justice  of  the  peace  for  six  years,  in 
which  he  gave  general  satisfaction.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Grange. 

Having  been  brought  to  the  county  in 
his  infancy  Charles  E.  Dana  has  here  spent 
his  entire  life,  so  that  he  has  been  a  witness 
of  many  changes  that  have  here  been  made 
and  in  which  he  has  taken  an  active  part.  He 
has  always  been  an  alert  and  enterprising 
man  so  that  the  years  have  brought  to  him 
prosperity,  and  he  is  now  in  possession  of 
one  of  the  best  farms  in  Pipestone  township. 
He  has  a  very  wide  acquaintance  through- 
out Berrien  county  and  is  held  in  highest  es- 
teem by  all  who  know  him. 

CHARLES  L.  LEMON,  interested  in 
general  agricultural  pursuits  on  section  24, 
Lake  township,  in  the  vicinity  of  Baroda, 
was  born  March  2,  1846,  near  his  present 
place  of  residence.  His  paternal  grand- 
father, William  Lemon,  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia and  a  very  wealthy  man  and  slave 
holder,  but  disposing  of  his  interests  in  the 
south  he  removed  to  Michigan  and  cast  in 
his  lot  with  the  pioneer  residents  of  this 
county,  settling  in  Berrien  Springs  in  1831. 
He  built  three  water  mills  there  and  became 
closely  associated  with  the  early  industrial 
development  of  the  county.  He  also  secured 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  this 
county  for  each  of  his  children.  He  carried 
on  general  agricultural  pursuits,  conducted 
a  store  and  was  connected  with  the  lumber 
interests  of  the  state  and  for  many  years 
figured  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  and 
successful  business  men  of  this  portion  of 
Michigan,  while  the  extent  and  importance 
of  his  operations  proved  a  valued  element 
in  the  substantial  upbuilding  of  this  portion 
of  the  state.  His  son,  Benjamin  Lemon, 
was  born  near  Richmond,  Virginia,  July  17, 
181 7,  and  was  therefore  a  youth  of  fourteen 
years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  to  this  county  in  1831.  He  was 
thereafter  a  resident  of  Michigan.  The 
journey  from  Virginia  was  made  by  wagon 
across  the  country  after  the  primitive  man- 


ner of  travel  at  that  time.  Benjamin  Lemon 
lived  in  Berrien  Springs  until  1842,  when  he 
removed  to  Lake  township.  He,  too,  was 
a  prominent  representative  of  the  milling 
interests  and  built  two  mills  in  Lake  town- 
ship and  one  in  Lincoln  township,  which  he 
placed  in  active  operation.  A  most  exten- 
sive land  owner,  he  held  over  one  thousand 
acres  in  Lake  and  Lincoln  townships  and 
conducted  his  large  farming  interests  in  con- 
nection with  his  milling  business.  He  re- 
mained one  of  the  leading  and  influential 
residents  of  the  county  for  many  years  or 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
on  the  19th  of  June,  1885.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  early  manhood  to  Miss  Rachel  Tate,, 
who  was  born  in  Virginia  and  came  to  this 
county  with  her  parents  in  her  girlhood 
days,  her  death  occurring  in  Berrien  Springs 
in  1854,  when  she  was  thirty-six  years  of 
age.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benjamin  Lemon 
were  born  five  children :  Mrs.  Julia  God- 
frey, now  deceased ;  Charles  L. ;  Andrew, 
deceased ;  Leeds,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two 
and  a  half  years ;  and  Mary  Jane,  who  died 
in  infancy. 

Reared  upon  the  old  homestead  farm, 
Charles  L.  Lemon  has  always  devoted  his 
time  and  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits 
since,  after  acquiring  his  education,  he  put 
aside  his  text-books  and  entered  business 
life.  He  now  owns  and  operates  eighty- 
seven  acres  of  land  on  section  24,  Lake 
township,  which  has  been  converted  into  a 
valuable  and  productive  farm,  annually  re- 
turning to  him  good  crops  wherefrom  he  has 
a  gratifying  income. 

In  June,  1872,  occurred  the  marriage  of 
Charles  L.  Lemon  and  Miss  Alice  Hyatt, 
who  was  born  in  Lake  township  April  i, 
1852,  a  daughter  of  Clayton  and  Nancy 
(Heathman)  Hyatt,  the  former  a  native  of 
New  York  and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  They  be- 
came pioneer  residents  of  Lake  township, 
where  they  arrived  in  1843  ^^^  ^^^^^  ^^^^Y 
spent  their  remaining  days.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lemon  have  been  born  six  children : 
Herbert,  Julia  Rachel,  Mary  Virginia,  Flor- 
ence May,  Benjamin  Lee  and  Adaline  PearL 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Lemon  is  a 
stalwart  Republican  and  keeps  well  in- 
formed on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


939 


day,  although  he  does  not  seek  nor  desire 
office,  preferring  to  give  his  undivided  at- 
tention to  his  business  affairs,  in  which  he 
has  met  with  excellent  success.  His  relig- 
ious faith  is  indicated  by  his  membership  in 
the  Congregational  church  in  Baroda.  He 
is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  most  prom- 
inent, honored  and  prosperous  pioneer  fam- 
ilies of  the  county  and  his  record  is  in  har- 
mony therewith. 

HON.  ALONZO  SHERWOOD  is 
truly  a  pioneer  of  Berrien  county,  being  the 
oldest  living  representative  of  the  early  days 
of  Buchanan  township.  He  was  born  in 
Huron  county,  Ohio,  April  22,  1832,  and 
came  to  Michigan  with  his  parents  in  1833. 
His  father,  Seth  Shortess  Sherwood,  was 
born  in  Cayuga  county.  New  York,  in  1800, 
and  died  in  Buchanan  March  3,  1856.  He 
brought  his  family  to  this  county  from  Ohio, 
driving  an  ox  team  through  the  woods,  and 
was  the  first  settler  in  Buchanan  township. 
Mr.  Sherwood  was  elected  the  first  treasurer 
of  the  township  where  there  were  but  four- 
teen votes  cast  at  the  fall  election,  and  not 
a  white  settler  within  three  miles  of  his 
home.  His  efforts  were  an  important  fac- 
tor in  the  early  development  and  progress 
of  his  locality. 

Prior  to  the  war  he  was  interested  in  the 
conditions  which  existed  in  the  south,  and 
became  a  stanch  abolitionist.  He  married 
Miss  Jemima  Ferguson,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
who  was  born  in  1805  and  died  in  Berrien 
county  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years. 
They  had  a  family  of  eleven  children,  nine 
sons  and  two  daughters,  but  only  Alonzo 
Sherwood,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  now 
living. 

The  Hon.  Alonzo  Sherwood  kept  his 
residence  in  Buchanan  township  until  1866, 
when  he  purchased  the  Oak  Grove  farm  in 
Wesaw  township,  where  he  carried  on  ex- 
tensive farming  and  lumbering  interests  for 
about  twenty  years.  In  the  spring  of  1885 
he  went  to  Box  Butte  county,  Nebraska, 
and  has  since  resided  in  Hemingford,  Ne- 
braska. His  political  allegiance  was  for- 
merly given  to  the  Republican  party,  but, 
believing  the  temperance  question  the  most 


important  issue  today  before  the  people,  he 
is  now  a  stalwart  Prohibitionist. 

During  his  residence  in  this  county  he 
was  esteemed  as  one  of  its  prominent,  in- 
fluential and  valued  citizens,  and  was  elected 
to  represent  Berrien  county  in  the  lower 
house  of  the  state  legislature  in  1879.  He 
always  stood  on  the  side  of  progress  and  im- 
provement, and  in  his  relations  with  his  fel- 
lowmen  he  has  not  only  manifested  justice, 
but  also  the  higher  attributes  of  mercy.  He 
was  supervisor  of  Wesaw  township  for  two 
years,  was  also  justice  of  the  peace,  and  held 
other  public  offices  during  his  residence  in 
Berrien  county.  He  has  acted  on  the  school 
board  throughout  nearly  his  entire  life,  both 
in  Michigan  and  Nebraska,  and  for  many 
years  has  been  a  deacon  in  the  Congrega- 
tional church. 

On  the  loth  of  February,  1856,  Alonzo 
Sherwood  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Catharine  Clark,  who  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania April  4,  1832,  a  daughter  of  Amos 
Clark,  also  a  pioneer  resident  of  the  county. 
In  the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alonzo  Sher- 
wood w^ere  eight  children :  Amos,  Alva, 
Almeda,  Nettie,  William,  Catharine,  Al- 
onzo and  Lennie.  Only  three  of  these 
reached  maturity,  Almeda,  wife  of  William 
Convis,  of  Los  Angeles,  California;  Nettie, 
wife  of  William  H.  Smith,  of  Los  Angeles, 
California;  and  the  late  Alva  Sherwood, 
subject  of  another  sketch  in  this  volume. 

Mrs.  Catharine  Sh'erwood  died  soon  af- 
ter the  family  moved  to  Nebraska,  and  on 
June  10,  1888,  Mr.  Sherwood  married  Mrs. 
Hattie  E.  Henley,  of  Hemingford,  Ne- 
braska, who  was  born  in  Liberty,  Maine, 
February  14,  1844. 

Although  still  retaining  his  home  and 
business  interests  in  Nebraska,  Mr.  Sher- 
wood has  maintained  his  acquaintance  and 
friendships  in  this  locality,  and  is  a  frequent 
visitor  of  Berrien  county. 

EDWARD  N.  HATCH,  who  has  made 
steady  and  consecutive  progress  in  starting 
out  in  business  life  in  early  age,  is  now  the 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  St.  Joseph 
Iron  Works,  in  which  capacity  he  figures 
prominently   in   connection   with   industrial 


940 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


life  in  the  Twin  cities.  He  was  born  in  New 
York  city,  February  8,  1840.  His  paternal 
grandfather  was  Dr.  Josiah  Hatch,  a  native 
of  Warwick,  Connecticut,  who  served  as  a 
surgeon  with  the  American  troops  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  His  father,  Junius  H. 
Hatch,  was  born  in  Granville,  Massachu- 
setts, in  1795,  and  in  181 3  was  graduated 
from  Middlebury  (Vermont)  College.  Sub- 
sequently he  went  to  New  York  city,  where 
he  read  law  with  William  P.  Van  Ness  and 
Edward  Ogden,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 
Engaging  in  practice  in  the  eastern  metrop- 
olis he  there  continued  until  1845,  when  he 
came  to  Michigan,  settling  in  Detroit,  where, 
as  an  able  and  successful  member  of  the  bar, 
he  remained  until  1848  when  he  returned  to 
New  York  state,  residing  in  Buffalo  until  his 
death,  April  20,  1869.  In  the  early  '30s 
he  invested  quite  extensively  in  land  in 
Michigan,  Indiana  and  Illinois,  and  became 
owner  of  large  holdings  in  Berrien  county. 
He  was  married  in  1835  to  Miss  Sarah  Cath- 
erine Mitchell,  a  native  of  Hoboken,  New 
Jersey,  who  was  born  in  181 5,  and  died  in 
Buffalo,  New  York,  in  1853.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  name- 
ly :  Sarah  C,  who  died  in  infancy ;  Junius 
H.,  a  resident  of  St.  Joseph,  who  is  now  em- 
ployed in  the  auditor  general's  office  at  Lan- 
sing; Edward  N.,  of  this  review;  Albert  G., 
of  Buffalo,  New  York;  William  B.,  who  was 
killed  in  a  railroad  accident  in  1866  near 
Olney,  Illinois;  and  Grace  B.,  w^ho  is  living 
in  San  Diego,  California. 

In  the  schools  of  Buffalo,  New  York, 
Edward  N.  Hatch  acquired  his  early  educa- 
tion and  subsequently  attended  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan.  He  came  to  Berrien  coun- 
ty in  1862,  and  for  about  a  year  lived  at  the 
home  of  Joseph  Gard,  a  pioneer  of  the  coun- 
ty. In  the  spring  of  1863  he  went  to  Brun- 
son  Harbor,  now  Benton  Harbor,  and  ac- 
cepted a  clerkship  in  the  store  of  James 
E.  Stevens,  where  he  continued  until  1866, 
when  he  removed  to  St.  Joseph,  and  se- 
cured a  position  in  the  grocery  store  or 
A.  E.  Perkins.  While  thus  engaged  he 
made  a  trip  to  Chicago,  September  8,  1868, 
and  was  a  passenger  on  the  ill-fated 
steamer,  Hippocampus.  Of  the  passengers 
and  crew  aboard,  twenty-eight  men  were  lost 


and  thirteen  were  saved,  Mr.  Hatch  being 
one  of  the  lucky  thirteen.  From  1873  until 
1879  he  was  agent  for  the  Goodrich  Line 
steamers  at  St.  Joseph  and  since  1883  he  has 
been  continuously  connected  with  the  St. 
Joseph  Iron  Works,  being  now  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  company,  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  veneer  cutting,  fruit  pack- 
age and  basket  machinery.  During  the 
twenty-three  years  of  his  identification  with 
the  business  his  efforts  and  keen  insight  have 
been  an  important  element  in  the  growth 
and  success  of  the  institution. 

In  1882  Mr.  Hatch  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  A.  Thayer,  of  St.  Joseph,  and  they 
have  four  children,  William  E.,  Albert  J., 
Conant  H.  and  Rose  Marie.  In  politics  Mr. 
Hatch  has  always  been  an  ardent  supporter 
of  the  Republican  party  and  never  fails  to 
give  his  endorsement  to  its  men  and  meas- 
ures at  the  polls.  A  resident  of  Berrien 
county  for  forty-four  years  he  is  recognized 
as  one  of  its  leading  men.  In  the  prosecu- 
tion of  his  business  there  has  been  manifest 
one  of  the  most  sterling  traits  of  his  charac- 
ter— his  desire  to  carry  forward  to  the  high- 
est perfection  attainable  anything  that  he  un- 
dertakes. This  has  marked  his  social  and 
business  career  and  has  been  one  of  the  most 
important  factors  in  his  gratifying  success. 
Not  content  with  mediocrity  in  any  line  of 
life  he  has  given  deep  and  earnest  study  to 
the  thought  of  perfecting  the  output  of  the 
house  and  bringing  the  business  interests  of 
the  firm  into  such  a  condition  that  maximum 
results  may  be  obtained  by  minimum  effort. 
He  is  energetic,  prompt  and  notably  reliable 
and  has  been  watchful  of  all  the  opportuni- 
ties of  his  business  and  all  indications  point- 
ing toward  prosperity.  The  plans  and  meth- 
ods he  has  followed  and  the  characteristics 
which  he  has  manifested  have  been  such  as 
to  gain  for  him  admiration  and  regard. 

BURNS  HELMICK  is  a  retired  farmer 
living  in  Berrien  Springs.  Quite  a  large 
proportion  of  the  population  of  the  village  is 
made  up  of  men  who  were  formerly  prom- 
inent in  agricultural  circles  and  who  thereby 
won  the  competence  that  now  enables  them 
to  live  retired.  Such  has  been  the  life  rec- 
ord of  Mr.  Helmick,  whose  activity  and  in- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


941 


tegrity  in  business  affairs  in  former  years 
now  enables  him  to  enjoy  a  well  earned  rest. 
He  was  born  in  Oronoko  township,  July  10, 
1845,  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
old  pioneer  families  of  the  county.     His  pa- 
ternal grandfather,  Jacob  Helmick,  was  born 
in    Hampshire    county,    Virginia,  May  21, 
1773,   and  was  one  of   four  brothers   who 
fought  in  the  Revolutionary  war  under  the 
command  of  Marquis  De  Lafayette.     Their 
father  came  from  Germany  to  the  new  world 
about  the  year    1730.     Jacob  Helmick   re- 
moved   from    Virginia    to    Warren    county 
about  1805,  and  died  in  Clinton  county,  that 
state,  in  181 5.     His  father,  Jesse  Helmick, 
was    born    in    Randolph    county,    Virginia, 
October  23,  1798,  and  when  a  youth  of  sev- 
enteen years  was  bound  out  to  a  Mr.  Sim- 
onton  in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  with  whom 
he  lived  until  he  attained  his  majority.    Dur- 
ing  that   time  he   learned   the   blacksmith's 
trade,  and  when  twenty-one  years  of  age  he 
started  out  in  life  on  his  ow^n  account,  work- 
ing at  that  trade.     In  1832,  accompanied  by 
a  Mr.  Murphy,  he  came  on  horseback  from 
Ohio  to  Berrien  county  and  selected  a  loca- 
tion here,  as  did  his  companion.     They  then 
returned  to  Ohio,  and  in  1836  brought  their 
families  with  team  and  wagon  to  Michigan, 
settling  in  Oronoko  township,  Berrien  coun- 
ty.     Mr.    Helmick   had   a   capital   of    four 
hundred  dollars  in  silver  and  in  addition  to 
this  he  gave  a  span  of  horses  for  his  land. 
After  clearing  a  small  space  he  built  thereon 
a  blacksmith  shop  and  worked  at  his  trade, 
while  his  sons  carried  on  the  task  of  clearing 
the  land  and  transforming  it  into  cultivable 
fields.     His  life  was  one  of  activity  and  use- 
fulness and  all  that  he  possessed  and  enjoyed 
came  to  him  through  his  own  labor.     He 
resided    upon    the    place    until    his    death, 
which  occured  in  March,  1881,  when  he  was 
in   his   eighty-third   year.      He   was   closely 
identified  with  the  early  history  of  the  county 
and  assisted  in  organizing  Oronoko  town- 
ship.    He  held  five  of  the  seven  different 
township  offices  and  there  were  but  eleven 
votes  cast  at  the  organization  of  the  town- 
ship, a  fact  which  is  indicative  of  the  pioneer 
condition  which  then  existed  in  the  county. 
Mr.  Helmick  was  supervisor  for  many  years, 
and  for  four  years  was  associate  judge  and 


throughout  the  community  in  which  he  lived 
was  known  as  Judge  Helmick.  The  duties 
which  devolved  upon  him  in  a  public  rela- 
tion were  always  faithfully  and  promptly 
performed  and  he  made  a  most  creditable 
record  as  an  official.  For  many  years  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  assisted  in  organizing  a  con- 
gregation of  that  denomination  at  Berrien 
Springs.  He  took  a  very  active  part  in 
church  work  and  as  is  indicated  by  the  fore- 
going account  was  a  substantial  and  valued 
factor  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  county  in  its 
material,  political  and  moral  progress.  He 
married  Miss  Elizabeth  Simonton,  who  was 
born  February  19,  1803,  in  Warren  county, 
Ohio,  a  daughter  of  Theophilus  and  Mary 
(Sales)  Simonton.  Mrs.  Helmick  died  on 
the  old  homestead  January  6,  1887,  in  her 
eighty-fourth  year.  In  the  family  were 
May  28,  1827;  Hirem  S.,  February  23, 
1823;  Samuel  T.,  March  22,  1825;  Mary, 
May  28,  1827;  Hiram  S.,  February  23, 
1830;  Sarah  J.,  March  18,  1832;  Jacob, 
September  30,  1834;  Eliza  Ann,  May  11, 
1837;  Eli,  May  29,  1840;  Rachel,  February 
2,  1843;  Burns,  July  10,  1845;  ^^d  Louisa 
A.,  May  21,  1848.  The  parents  were  mar- 
ried in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  May  16,  1822, 
and  therefore  traveled  life's  journey  to- 
gether for  almost  sixty  years. 

Burns  Helmick,  the  tenth  in  order  of 
birth  in  a  family  of  eleven  children,  and  the 
fourth  born  in  Berrien  county,  was  reared 
upon  the  old  homestead  farm  and  supple- 
mented his  early  education,  acquired  in  the 
common  schools,  by  study  in  Albion  Col- 
lege. He  was  married  November  5,  1867, 
to  Miss  Martha  Jane  Essick,  a  daughter 
of  David  and  Rachel  (Carmack)  Essick, 
who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  came 
to  Michigan  in  1846,  settling  in  Berrien 
Springs.  Mrs.  Helmick,  the  eldest  of  four 
children,  was  born  in  St.  Clairsville,  Bed- 
ford county,  Pennsylvania,  December  28, 
1845,  ^^^  was  only  eleven  months  old  when 
brought  to  this  county.  She  was  educated 
in  the  schools  of  Berrien  Springs  and  en- 
gaged in  teaching  for  seven  terms. 

Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Helmick  located  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Oronoko  township,   where    he    carried    on 


942 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


farming  until  1882.  The  years  were  a 
period  of  earnest  toil,  in  which  he  care- 
fully planned  his  work  and  accomplished 
what  he  undertook.  In  the  year  men- 
tioned he  located  in  Buchanan  and  at 
one  time  he  was  general  manager  of 
the  Narrow  Gauge  Railroad  running  from 
Buchanan  to  Berrien  Springs.  In  1890 
he  removed  to  Chicago,  where  he  resided 
until  1894,  when  he  became  a  resident  of 
St.  Louis,  Missouri,  being  connected  with 
the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  system  there 
for  six  years.  In  the  spring  of  1901  he  re- 
turned to  Berrien  county  and  is  now  manu- 
facturing cement  blocks,  He  is  a  man  of 
marked  business  enterprise  and  executive 
force,  and  in  his  business  displays  the  ability 
to  plan  and  perform  and  the  genius  for  de- 
vising and  executing  the  right  thing  at  the 
right  time. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Helmick  have  been 
born  six  children  :  Harry  E.,  now  a  resident 
of  Oak  Park,  Illinois;  Frederick,  of  Chi- 
cago; Lena,  at  home;  Rachel,  the  wife  of  C. 
C.  Woodruff,  of  Chicago;  David  E.,  of  the 
same  city;  and  lone,  at  home.  Mr.  Hel- 
mick is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  oldest 
pioneer  families  of  Berrien  county,  and 
with  the  exception  of  a  brief  interval  has 
resided  here  continuously  since  1845,  or 
for  a  period  of  sixty-one  years.  He  is  there- 
fore largely  familiar  with  its  history  as  the 
work  of  growth  and  progress  has  been  car- 
ried forward  and  at  all  times  he  has  stood  as 
the  champion  of  those  movements  which 
have  direct  bearing  upon  its  upbuilding  and 
substantial  advancement.  In  his-  business 
life  he  has  been  straightforward  and  reliable 
and  in  his  social  relations  has  gained  the 
warm  friendship  of  many  with  whom  he  has 
come  in  contact. 

A.  C.  RINKENBERGER,  M.  D.  Ber- 
rien county,  Michigan,  has  her  full  quota  of 
skilled  physicians  and  surgeons,  and  among 
this  number  may  be  noted  Dr.  A.  C.  Rink- 
enberger,  who  is  also  connected  with  many 
of  the  leading  institutions  of  the  community. 
He  was  born  in  Blue  Island,  Illinois,  July 
7,  1869,  a  son  of  Christian  Rinkenberger, 
a  native  of  Germany,  but  who  came  to  Amer- 
ica about  1836,  establishing  his  home  near 


Cedar  Lake,  Indiana.  He  was  there  mar- 
ried to  a  Miss  Beckley,  to  whom  were  born 
two  daughters,  and  after  her  death  Mr. 
Rinkenberger  married  her  sister,  to  whom 
were  also  born  two  children,  Lottie  and 
Ezra.  After  removing  to  Blue  Island 
he  married  the  mother  of  our  subject, 
Anna  Reneborne^  of  Chicago  and  their 
union  was  blessed  with  eight  children, 
seven  of  whom  are  living.  For  twenty- 
eight  years  Mr.  Rinkenberger  was  num- 
bered among  the  leading  business  men 
of  Blue  Island,  being  well  known  as  a 
grocery  merchant,  and  his  death  occurred 
in  1898,  but  his  wife  is  still  living  and  is  a 
resident  of  Berrien  township. 

Dr.   A.   C.    Rinkenberger,  the  eldest  of 
his  parents  seven  living  children,  is  a  grad- 
uate of  the  Blue  Island  high  school  of  the 
class  of   1885,  after  which  he  began  read- 
ing medicine  in  the    office    of  Dr.  H.   M. 
Hobart.       He    next    entered    the    Chicago 
Homeopathic    Medical    College,    where    he 
completed  his  course  in  the  class  of  1889, 
and  during  the  following  four  years,   1889- 
93,  was  a  student  in  the  Iowa  College.     Af- 
ter one  year  spent  as  a  traveling  salesman 
for  a  Chicago  house  he  began  the  practice 
of   his   profession   at   Blue   Island,    Illinois, 
where  he  remained  during  1893  and  1894, 
and  previous  to  this  time  he  had  spent  four 
years  at  Grinnell,  Iowa.     His  next  occupa- 
tion was  that  of  special   collector   for  the 
Piano  Manufacturing  Company,  being  thus 
engaged  from   1894  to  1896,  spent  the  fol- 
lowing few  months  in  Florida,  and  in  1897 
came  to  Berrien  township  in  company  with 
two  brothers,  Eugene  and  Lawrence  Rink- 
enberger, they  together  purchasing  a  tract 
of  land  in    the    township,    on    which    they 
erected  houses,  barns  and  grain  houses  for 
a  summer  home,  the  tract  consisting  of  one 
hundred  and  six  acres.     There  Dr.  Rinken- 
berger practiced  medicine  and  looked  after 
the  estate  until  1901,  when  he  again  went  on 
the  road  as  a  traveling  salesman  for  Lord, 
Owen    8l    Company,    a    Chicago    wholesale 
drug  house,  while  later  he  was  with  Robert 
Stevenson  &  Company  vmtil  1905,  when  he 
opened  an  office  for  the  practice  of  medicine 
in  Eau    Claire.     In    partnership    with    his 
brother  Lawrence  he  also  organized  the  Ex- 


CHARLES  D.  NICHOLS 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


943 


change  Bank  of  Eau  Claire  in  1904,  a  pri- 
vate banking  institution,  of  which  he  is  the 
president  and  his  brother  the  cashier.  As  a 
business  man  he  is  practical  and  progressive, 
while  in  professional  circles  he  has  also 
gained  enviable  prestige  as  an  able  and  suc- 
cessful medical  practitioner. 

On  the  I2th  of  June,  1905,  Dr.  Rink- 
enberger  was  united  in  marriage  to  June,  a 
daughter  of  Alford  and  Emma  Ely,  of  Pipe- 
stone township,  Berrien  county,  the  birth- 
place of  Mrs.  Rinkenberger.  The  Doctor 
has  ever  taken  an  active  and  helpful  interest 
in  the  welfare  of  his  adopted  city,  doing 
everything  in  his  power  to  promote  its  up- 
building and  development.  He  purchased 
what  is  known  as  the  Eau  Claire  Canning 
plant,  and  was  instrumental  in  bringing  to 
this  city  the  John  Boyle  Creamery  Company, 
while  in  many  other  ways  he  has  used  his 
means  and  influence  to  the  further  progress 
of  Eau  Claire.  He  and  Mr.  M.  V.  Cheese- 
man  bought  the  old  Hoyt's  cider  mill  and 
have  made  extensive  improvements  there, 
converting  it  into  a  modern  vinegar  plant.  He 
is  a  supporter  of  Republican  principles  and 
a  member  of  the  city  council,  and  he  also 
has  fraternal  relations  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Foresters,  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
and  the  Maccabees. 

CHARLES  D.  NICHOLS.  No  history 
of  Berrien  county  would  be  complete  with- 
out mention  of  Charles  D.  Nichols,  a  vener- 
able citizen  who  now  lives  in  Petoskey,  but 
who  for  sixty-three  years  was  an  honored 
resident  of  Berrien  Springs.  He  was  born 
in  Ithaca,  New  York,  January  23,  1822,  and 
is  a  representative  of  an  old  New  England 
family.  His  paternal  grandfather  was  Ebe- 
nezer  Nichols,  who  was  born  in  Rhode  Is- 
land, in  1763,  and  who  died  at  Laporte,  In- 
diana, at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  The 
father,  Nathan  B.  Nichols,  was  born  in 
Rhode  Island  in  1800,  and  married  Thank- 
ful A.  Brown,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Ver- 
mont. He  passed  away  in  Berrien  Springs 
in  1888,  while  his  wife  died  in  Iowa,  at 
about  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Levi  Brown,  who  was 
born  in  the  state  of  New  York.     He  served 


as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  181 2  and  spent  his 
last  days  in  Berrien  Springs,  Michigan. 

Charles  D.  Nichols  has  been  a  pioneer 
of  Indiana  and  of  Michigan.  He  was  a  lad 
of  only  seven  years  when  his  parents  re- 
moved from  the  Empire  state  to  Indiana, 
settling  in  Laporte  county,  where  he  resided 
until  1843,  when,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years,  he  came  to  Berrien  county,  establish- 
ing his  home  at  Berrien  Springs.  Here  he 
resided  until  May,  1906,  his  residence  cov- 
ering a  period  of  sixty-three  consecutive 
years  in  this  place.  He  engaged  to  a  con- 
siderable extent  in  farming  and  cleared  a 
tract  of  land  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  northwest  of  the  Springs.  This  he 
placed  under  cultivation  and  made  it  a  valua- 
ble property.  He  also  engaged  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  in  merchandising  at  Berrien 
Springs,  and  was  an  active  factor  in  the  bus- 
iness life  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Nichols  was  married  in  February, 
1852,  to  Miss  Nancy  B.  Dewey,  of  Owosso, 
Michigan.  They  traveled  life's  journey  to- 
gether for  almost  a  half  century,  being  sepa- 
rated through  the  death  of  the  wife,  on  the 
4th  of  February,  1899.  There  are  two  liv- 
ing sons  and  a  daughter  of  this  marriage: 
Dr.  Charles  A.  Nichols,  who  resides  in 
Champaign,  Illinois;  Mrs.  Cora  A.  Kep- 
hart,  of  Petoskey,  Michigan;  and  John  D. 
Nichols,  who  resides  at  North  Yakima, 
Washington.  The  eldest  son  of  the  family 
was  Fremont  D.,  who  w^as  born  in  1853, 
and  died  in  1900. 

Mr.  Nichols  was  for  many  years  an  in- 
fluential factor  in  political  circles  in  Berrien 
county.  On  attaining  his  majority  he  allied 
his  interests  with  the  Whig  party  and  upon 
the  formation  of  the  Republican  party  he 
joined  its  ranks  and  has  since  been  one  of 
its  earnest  supporters.  He  was  the  first 
Republican  county  treasurer  of  Berrien 
county,  being  elected  in  1854 — the  year  of 
the  party's  organization^ — and  for  fifteen  or 
twenty  years  he  was  deputy  clerk  of  the 
county.  In  1863  and  1864  he  acted  as 
sheriff  of  Berrien  county  and  he  held  num- 
erous minor  offices.  No  public  trust  reposed 
in  him  was  ever  betrayed  in  the  slightest  de- 
gree and  at  all  times  he  placed  the  general 


944 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


good  before  partisanship  and  the  pubHc  wel- 
fare before  personal  aggrandizement.  He 
has  been  a  Mason  since  1851  and  is  the  sec- 
ond oldest  representative  of  the  craft  in 
the  state.  Mr.  Nichols  is  a  man  of  kindly 
purpose,  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  al- 
ways courteous  and  considerate  and  com- 
manding the  respect  and  admiration  of  all 
by  reason  of  his  high  principles  and  manly 
conduct. 

WASHINGTON  B.  SMITH,  whose 
time  and  energies  are  given  to  general  farm- 
ing on  section  33,  Berrien  township,  was 
born  in  Milton  township,  Cass  county.  May 
25,  1845.  His  father,  George  Smith,  was 
a  native  of  Delaware,  his  birthplace  being 
near  the  city  of  Dover.  He  was  eighteen 
years  of  age  when  he  came  with  his  parents. 
Canon  and  Lottie  Smith,  to  Michigan,  the 
family  home  being  established  in  Cass  coun- 
ty in  1828.  They  located  near  Edwards- 
burg,  where  the  father  purchased  one 
thousand  acres  of  land  in  Milton  town- 
ship. He  and  his  brother  John  broke  land 
on  what  is  known  as  Beardsley's  prairie, 
turning  the  first  furrows  on  many  an  acre 
and  thus  converting  the  wild  tract  into  cul- 
tivable fields.  It  was  in  Cass  county  that 
Canon  Smith  was  married.  His  wife  was 
a  native  of  Delaware  and  became  a  resident 
of  Cass  county  in  1829,  locating  near  Ed- 
wardsburg.  In  community  affairs  Mr.  Smith 
was  very  prominent  and  influential  and  took 
a  deep  and  helpful  interest  in  the  material, 
intellectual  and  moral  progress  of  the  com- 
munity. Smith  Chapel  was  named  in  his 
honor  and  he  donated  the  land  for  the  church. 
He  was  an  earnest  and  sincere  Christian  and 
his  life  was  characterized  by  the  kindly  pur- 
pose and  honorable  principles  which  are  ever 
manifest  in  the  life  of  a  true  follower  of  the 
church.  He  died  in  Milton  township  of  the 
age  of  seventy  years,  while  his  wife  survived 
to  the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  In  their 
family  were  ten  children,  eight  of  whom 
reached  adult  age,  their  son,  Washington  B. 
Smith,  being  the  fifth  child  and  fourth  son 
of  the  family. 

Upon  the  old  homestead  farm  in  Cass 
county  Mr.  Smith,  of  this  review,  was 
reared,  early    becoming    familiar  with  the 


duties  incident  to  the  development '  and  im- 
provement of  the  fields.  He  was  thus  en- 
gaged from  the  time  of  early  spring  plant- 
ing until  crops  were  harvested  in  the 
late  autumn  and  through  the  winter  months 
he  pursued  his  education  in  the  public 
schools.  He  was  married  on  the  24tli 
of  March,  1875,  to  Miss  Maria  Walker,  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Catharine  (Neu- 
gent)  Walker.  The  father  was  born 
in  England,  while  the  mother  was  a 
native  of  Ireland  and  they  were  early  set- 
tlers of  Berrien  county.  Mrs.  Smith  was 
born  in  Niles  township,  this  covnity,  Septem- 
ber 6,  1849,  ^^^  is  the  ninth  in  order  of 
birth  of  a  family  of  twelve  children,  two  of 
whom  passed  away  in  infancy.  In  1875  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Smith  located  on  a  farm  which  is 
now  their  home  and  here  he  has  resided  con- 
tinuously for  thirty-two  years.  Three  chil- 
dren have  come  to  bless  the  union :  Dr. 
Warren  A.  Smith,  who  is  mentioned  on  an- 
other page  of  this  work;  Lawrence  V.,  at 
home;  and  Gertrude,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Leo  Austin,  and  died  July  2y,  1906. 

Mr.  Smith  has  an  excellent  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  rich  and  pro- 
ductive land  and  upon  the  place  are  seen  all 
of  the  evidences  of  a  model  farm  of  the 
twentieth  century,  including  good  buildings, 
high  grades  of  stock  and  well  tilled  fields. 
He  has  been  a  life-long  Republican  but  has 
never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  ofiice 
seeking,  preferring  to  concentrate  his  ener- 
gies upon  his  business  affairs,  in  which  he 
has  met  wnth  signal  success. 

WILLIAM  H.  CASSIDAY.  When 
southern  Michigan  was  largely  an  uncut  for- 
est district,  when  its  lands  were  unclaimed 
and  uncultivated,  its  streams  unbridged  and 
its  roads  not  yet  laid  out,  William  H.  Cassi- 
day  became  a  resident  of  the  state.  His  birth 
occurred  in  Niles  township  at  what  was  then 
called  Pain's  Mill,  January  7,  1836,  and  he 
now  resides  on  section  17,  Pipestone  town- 
ship, having  thus  lived  for  three  score  years 
and  ten  in  this  locality.  His  father,  Robert 
Cassiday,  was  a  native  of  Wooster,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  until  eighteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  began  working  at  the  mill- 
wright's trade  in  that  county.     In  1829  he 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


945 


rnade  his  way  to  the  frontier,  settHng  at 
White  Pigeon,  Michigan,  where  he  went  to 
work  at  his  trade.  He  served  his  time  as  a 
millwright  and  in  1831  came  to  Berrien 
county,  settling  in  Niles  township.  After 
a  short  period  he  removed  to  what  is  now 
know  as  the  Ballard  farm  on  the  Buchanan 
road,  where  he  resided  for  five  or  six  years, 
when  he  took  up  his  abode  about  one  and  a 
half  miles  west  of  Niles,  and  in  1854  lo- 
cated in  Pipestone  township,  becoming  one 
of  its  first  settlers.  He  located  on  section  17 
and  there  continued  to  reside  until  his  death 
occurred,  when  he  was  in  his  seventy-fifth 
year.  He  filled  the  office  of  justice  of  the 
peace  and  he  built  many  mills  in  the  county. 
After  coming  to  Pipestone  township  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  lumber  business 
and  purchased  a  sawmill,  which  he  operated 
until  1 86 1.  He  then  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness life  to  enjoy  in  well  earned  rest  the 
fruits  of  his  former  labor.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  took 
an  active  interest  in  its  work  and  upbuilding. 
He  held  various  church  offices  and  did  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  advance  the  cause  of 
his  denomination.  His  father  was  a  native 
of  Ireland,  and  his  mother  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania. The  mother  of  our  subject  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Sabrina  Park,  and  was 
born  in  Massachusetts  in  1807.  From  that 
state  she  moved  to  New  York  and  afterward 
to  Lake  county,  Ohio,  where  she  was  reared. 
Her  last  days  were  spent  in  Pipestone  town- 
ship, where  she  died  at  the  very  advanced 
age  of  eighty-seven  years.  In  the  family 
wxre  seven  children  but  only  three  reached 
adult  age — William  H.  and  his  two  sisters, 
Mary  and  Eliza.  The  former  became  the 
wife  of  Orland  Boughton,  and  is  now  de- 
ceased. Eliza  became  the  wife  of  John  Rec- 
tor, who  has  also  passed  away. 

William  H.  Cassiday  is  the  only  living 
representative  and  was  the  second  child  and 
second  son.  He  spent  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  the  township  and  the  vil- 
lage of  Niles,  attending  the  district  schools 
and  also  select  schools  in  the  village.  He  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  he  had  attained 
his  majority  and  after  he  became  of  age  his 
father  gave  him  an  interest  in  the  business, 
and  he  thus  became  closely  associated  with 
60 


the  work  of  the  farm  and  also  of  the  trade 
of  a  millwright.  He  was  thus  an  active  fac- 
tor in  the  industrial  life  of  the  community.- 
Upon  the  father's  death  the  property  was- 
divided,  his  two  sisters  sharing  in  the  estate^ 
William  H.  Cassiday  was  eighteen  years  of 
age  when  he  came  to  Pipestone  township  and 
he  has  remained  here  continuously  since,  cov- 
ering a  period  of  more  than  half  a  centttry. 
He  was  married  in  1864  to  Miss  Almeda  N. 
Gardner,  a  daughter  of  Davidson  and  Eletha 
Gardner,  who  were  early  settlers  of  Michi- 
gan, locating  first  in  Cass  county  and  after- 
ward removing  to  Pipestone  township  in  an 
early  day.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven 
children :  Davidson,  living  in  Berrien  coun- 
ty; Theodore,  whose  home  is  in  Pipestone 
township;  Eletha,  the  wife  of  William  Treat, 
of  Buchanan;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Fred 
Sherer,  of  Mason  county,  Michigan;  Pearl, 
who  married  Bell  Buckman,  and  resides  in 
Sodus  township;  Carl,  who  wedded  Vern 
Hess,  a  daughter  or  Homer  Hess ;  and  Flor- 
ence, at  home.  All  were  born  on  the  old 
farm  homestead. 

Mr.  Cassiday  has  been  a  life-long  resi- 
dent of  Berrien  county,  having  lived  within 
its  borders  for  seventy-one  years.  Few  men 
have  therefore  been  witnesses  of  its  develop- 
ment and  progress  and  been  more  actively 
interested  in  its  history.  He  has  voted  with 
the  Democracy  and  also  with  the  Prohi- 
bition party  but  at  local  elections  casts  an 
independent  ballot.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  for  about 
forty  years  and  has  filled  all  of  its  ofiices, 
serving  as  steward,  trustee  and  in  other  po- 
sitions. He  is  the  oldest  settler  of  Berrien 
county  now  living  in  Pipestone  township, 
his  memory  forming  a  connecting  link  be- 
tween the  primitive  past  and  the  present, 
while  his  memory  bears  the  impress  of  the 
early  historic  annals  of  this  portion  of  the 
state.  He  relates  many  interesting  incidents 
of  the  early  days  when  instead  of  well  tilled 
fields  and  good  orchards  were  seen  wild 
land  covered  with  native  prairie  grasses  or 
else  with  dense  forests.  It  was  still  to  some 
extent  the  hunting  ground  of  the  Indians, 
and  various  kinds  of  wild  animals  were  seen, 
while  several  kinds  of  wild  game  could  be 
had  in  abundance.     The  homes  w^ere  largely 


940 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


log  cabins,  heated  by  fireplaces  and  but 
rudely  furnished  when  compared  with  fur- 
nishings of  the  present  time.  Mr.  Cassiday 
recalls  many  interesting  incidents  of  the 
early  days  and  is  largely  regarded  as  author- 
ity on  matters  relating  to  the  pioneer  history 
of  the  county. 

GEORGE  L.  FRANZ,  who  is  giving 
his  time  and  energies  to  general  farming  and 
dairying,  has  a  good  property  on  sections  19 
and  20,  Pipestone  township.  He  was  born 
in  Wayne  county,  Michigan,  February  24, 
1862,  and  is  the  eldest  son  of  John  G.  and 
Barbara  (Smith)  Franz.  He  was  only  three 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  parents'  re- 
moval to  Pipestone  township,  and  when  he 
was  a  youth  of  six  years  his  father  re- 
moved to  Niles  township,  where  the  son  was 
reared.  The  educational  privileges  of  the 
district  school  were  first  afforded  him,  and 
he  also  attended  the  Morris  Chapel  Sunday- 
school,  whereby  he  added  not  a  little  to  his 
knowledge  through  intellectual  as  well  as 
moral  development.  From  the  time  of  early 
spring  planting  until  crops  were  harvested 
in  the  late  autumn  his  attention  was  largely 
given  to  the  work  of  the  fields  upon  the  old 
home  place  and  after  attaining  his  majority 
he  worked  for  a  few  months  for  his  father 
for  wages.  He  then  bought  the  place  where- 
on he  now  resides,  becoming  the  owner  on 
the  ist  of  June,  1887. 

The  same  year  Mr.  Franz  was  married 
to  Miss  Mary  Brenuing,  of  Ypsilanti,  Mich- 
igan, and  his  license  was  the  seventh  that 
was  taken  out  in  Wayne  county.  The  young 
couple  began  their  domestic  life  upon  the 
farm  which  has  since  been  their  home,  cov- 
ering a  period  of  nineteen  years,  and  during 
this  time  Mr.  Franz  has  made  all  the  im- 
provements upon  the  place,  erecting  a  very 
large  barn  in  1906,  it  being  one  of  the  best 
in  the  county.  He  has  a  modern  two-story 
frame  residence  and  this  stands  in  the  midst 
of  well  tilled  fields,  comprising  one  hundred 
and  five  acres  of  land.  He  makes  a  specialty 
of  the  dairy  business  and  stock-raising,  and 
also  cultivates  some  fruit.  He  is  likewise 
engaged  quite  extensively  in  raising  chickens 
and  has  an  excellent  chicken  house  twelve  by 
sixty  feet.     He  has  some  very  fine  breeds 


of  fowls  and  this  is  an  important  branch  of 
his  business. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Franz  have  been  born 
six  children,  who  are  yet  living:  Harvey 
G.,  John  J.,  Emma,  Freeda,  Marie  and  PauL 
Mr.  Franz's  views  on  political  questions  ac- 
cord with  Democratic  principles  but  at  local 
elections  he  frequently  votes  for  the  candi- 
dates whom  he  regards  as  best  qualified  for 
office.  Most  of  his  life  has  been  spent  in  this 
county  and  his  constantly  increasing  ac- 
quaintance has  brought  him  a  constantly 
widening  circle  of  friends,  while  his  close 
application  and  enterprise  in  his  business  af- 
fair have  gained  for  him  a  very  creditable 
and  desirable  measure  of  success. 

MILO  A.  JENNINGS.    The  long  years 
of  his  residence  in  this   county  constitutes 
Milo  A.  Jennings  one  of  the  early  settlers. 
He  lives  upon  section  17,  Pipestone  town- 
ship, and  his  time  and  energies  are  given  to 
general    agricultural    pursuits,    having    one 
hundred  and  forty-five  acres  of  land  which 
is  richly  cultivated  and  improved.     He  was 
born  in  Lorain  county,  Ohio,  February  11, 
1844.    His  father,  Charles  E.  Jennings,  was 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  in  which  state  he 
was  reared.     In  early  manhood  he  removed 
to  Ohio,  taking  up  his  abode  there  some  time 
in  the  '20s.    He  was  married  in  that  state  to 
Miss  Rebecca  Warner,  a  native  of  Lorain 
county,  Ohio,  and  they  began  their  domestic 
life  in  that  county,  where  they  resided  contin- 
uously until  1855,  when,  thinking  to  enjoy 
still  better  business  opportunities  in  Mich- 
igan, they  made  their  way  to  Berrien  county 
and  located  on  section  8,  Pipestone  township. 
Here  they   resided   until  the  death   of   the 
father,  who  was  born  in   181 1   and  passed 
away  in  his  seventy-sixth  year.     His  wife, 
who  was  born  in  181 7,  died  in  the  eighty- 
fourth  year  of  her  age.    They  were  the  par- 
ents of  five  children,  all  of  whom  reached 
adult  age,  and  one  daughter  is  now  the  wife 
of  James  H.  Gardner,  who  is  mentioned  on 
another  page  of  this  work.     The  three  eld- 
est sons  of  the  family  were  valiant  soldiers 
of  the  Civil  war,  and  Elwood  gave  his  life 
as  a  ransom  to  his  country,  dying  in  the  ser- 
vice at  Little  Rock,  Arkansas.     Charles  is 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


947 


now  county  commissioner  of  schools  in  Ber- 
rien county. 

Milo  A.  Jennings  is  the  third  child  and 
second  son  of  the  family.  He  was  eleven 
years  of  age  when  he  came  with  his  parents 
to  Pipestone  township,  and  in  the  district 
schools  he  was  educated.  In  October,  1862, 
in  response  to  the  country's  call  for  aid,  he 
offered  his  services  to  the  Union  and  joined 
the  boys  in  blue  of  the  Twelfth  Michigan 
Volunteer  Infantry.  He  went  to  Pittsburg 
Uanding  and  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Shiloh,  after  which  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged. He  then  returned  home  and  for 
one  year  lived  with  his  grandparents  in 
Ohio,  during  which  time  he  attended  the 
Baldwin  University.  Having  regained  his 
health  he  again  enlisted,  this  time  becoming 
a  member  of  the  Twenty-fifth  Michigan  Vol- 
unteer Infantry.  He  was  in  the  Sherman 
campaign  from  Chattanooga  and  Atlanta, 
participating  in  the  capture  of  the  latter 
city.  Afterward  with  his  regiment  he  re- 
turned to  Nashville,  and  on  the  15th  of  De- 
cember, 1864,  he  was  wounded  at  the  battle 
of  Nashville  by  a  gunshot  wound  through 
the  right  leg.  He  was  then  taken  to  the  hos- 
pital at  Nashville  and  received  an  honorable 
discharge  at  Detroit,  Michigan,  in  June, 
1865,  after  the  war  had  been  brought  to  a 
close  and  his  military  aid  was  no  longer 
needed. 

Mr.  Jennings  made  a  creditable  record 
as  a  soldier,  and  returning  to  his  home  in 
Pipestone  he  once  more  took  up  the  pur- 
suits of  civil  life  and  has  since  been  engaged 
in  farming.  He  was  married  November  15, 
1867,  ^o  Miss  Sarah  Gardner,  a  sister  of 
James  H.  Gardner,  and  a  daughter  of  Dav- 
idson and  Eletha  (Hendrix)  Gardner.  Mrs. 
Jennings  was  born  in  Pokagon,  Cass  county, 
Michigan,  February  21,  1850,  and  by  her 
marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  four 
sons,  Orla  E.,  J.  M.,  Lyle  D.  and  Clair  E. 
The  eldest  son  is  now  a  commercial  traveler 
and  resides  in  Grand  Rapids.  The  second 
son  is  on  a  farm,  and  the  two  youngest  are 
at  home,  but  Lyle  is  a  student  in  the  Agri- 
cultural College  at  Lansing. 

Mr.  Jennings  now  has  one  hundred  and 
forty-five  acres  of  rich  and  productive  land, 


which  he  is  tilling,  and  the  soil  responds 
readily  to  his  care  and  cultivation,  so  that 
he  annually  harvests  good  crops.  He  formerly 
owned  two  hundred  and  two  acres  before 
dividing  with  his  sons.  He  has  one  of  the 
best  improved  farms  in  the  county,  the  build- 
ings and  other  improvements  upon  his  place 
being  valued  at  over  ten  thousand  dollars. 
He  has  been  very  successful  in  his  business 
interests  and  he  cleared  upon  his  peach  crop 
in  ten  years  about  fifteen  thousand  dollars. 
In  addition  to  his  farming  interests  he  is  also 
engaged  in  the  dairy  business.  A  life-long 
Republican  he  is  inflexible  in  his  support 
of  the  principles  of  the  party.  An  earnest 
Christian  gentleman,  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Sunday-school 
for  fifty-one  years  and  most  active  in  its 
work  throughout  that  entire  period.  His 
identification  with  the  Methodist  church 
dates  from  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  and  he  has 
been  one  of  its  most  active  and  helpful  work- 
ers, holding  various  offices  in  the  church, 
working  untiringly  for  the  extension  of  its 
influence  and  contributing  liberally  to  its 
support.  He  and  his  sister,  Mrs.  Gardner, 
are  charter  members  of  the  Sunday-school, 
which  was  organized  more  than  fifty-one 
years  ago.  His  life  has  been  passed  in  har- 
mony with  his  professions  and  his  is  an  hon- 
orable name,  while  over  his  record  there 
falls  no  shadow  of  wrong  nor  suspicion  of 
evil,  as  in  life's  relations  he  has  been  true 
to  high  and  honorable  principles. 

ROY  CLARK  is  numbered  among  the 
old  settlers  of  Pipestone  township  by  reason 
of  the  fact  that  he  has  spent  forty-six  years 
upon  the  farm  that  is  now  his  place  of  resi- 
dence. It  was  here  that  he  was  born,  his 
natal  day  being  August  7,  i860,  and  the 
house  which  he  yet  occupies  was  that  in 
which  he  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of 
day.  It  is  situated  on  section  17,  Pipestone 
township,  and  the  place  is  one  of  the  old  im- 
proved properties  of  the  county,  the  land 
having  been  converted  from  its  primitive 
condition  into  cultivable  and  richly  produc- 
tive fields.  His  father,  Theodore  Clark,  was 
a  native  of  Manlius,  New  York,  and  when 
about  five  years  of  age  was  taken  to  Ohio 


948 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


by  his  parents,  Orange  and  Mary  Clark,  who 
located  in  Lorain  county,  where  Theodore 
Clark  was  reared  and  educated.  When  he 
had  attained  his  majority  he  wedded  Miss 
Sarah  Warner,  a  native  of  Lorain  county, 
where  her  girlhood  days  were  passed.  Her 
natal  year  was  1836  and  in  1856  she  accom- 
panied her  husband  on  his  removal  to  Pipe- 
stone township,  their  home  being  established 
on  the  farm  which  is  now  the  residence  of 
Roy  Clark.  There  were  scarcely  any  im- 
provements upon  the  place  at  that  time  and 
their  first  home  was  a  log  cabin.  There  in 
the  midst  of  the  wilderness  the  father  hewed 
out  a  farm,  clearing  the  fields  and  bringing 
the  land  under  cultivation.  It  was  an  ardu- 
ous task  in  the  early  days  but  with  the  pass- 
ing years  improved  farm  machinery  ren- 
dered labor  less  difficult.  He  remained  upon 
the  old  homestead  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  his  seventy-ninth  year.  He  had 
served  as  highway  commissioner  before  the 
division  of  Pipestone  and  Sodus  townships 
and  was  also  township  clerk  and  justice  of 
the  peace.  His  decisions  in  the  last  named 
office  were  fair  and  impartial  and  he  took  an 
active  interest  in  public  matters  relating  to 
the  general  welfare,  upholding  the  legal  and 
political  status  of  the  community  and  sup- 
porting those  interests  which  work  for  its 
material,  intellectual  and  moral  progress. 
He  was  a  life-long  Republican  from  the  or- 
ganization of  the  party  and  w^as  deeply  in- 
terested in  its  welfare.  His  wife  passed 
away  July  12,  1894,  in  her  sixty-seventh 
year.  In  the  family  were  four  children,  of 
whom  two  died  in  infancy,  while  two  sons 
reached  adult  age.  One  of  these,  Eljen,  died 
August  26,  1906,  at  Eau  Claire,  Michigan. 
Roy  Clark  of  this  review  is  the  youngest 
of  the  family  and  is  now  the  only  surviving 
member.  At  the  usual  age  he  began  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  Pipestone 
township  and  subsequently  he  continued  his 
studies  in  Sheboygan,  Wisconsin,  where  he 
remained  for  three  years.  When  not  busy 
with  his  text-books  his  time  was  largely  oc- 
cupied with  the  work  of  the  farm  and  thus 
the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  passed. 
He  was  married  on  the  loth  of  January, 
1 88 1,  to  Miss  Jennie  Grow,  a  daughter  of 


Ralph  and  Mary  (Miller)  Grow,  the  former 
a  native  of  New  York,  and  the  latter  of  Lon- 
don, England.  Their  daughter,  Mrs.  Clark^ 
was  born  in  Aledo,  Illinois,  December  26,. 
1858,  but  was  reared  in  Berrien  township,. 
Berrien  county. 

Mr.  Clark  owns  and  operates  a  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  two  and  a  half  acres  of 
well  improved  land,  a  part  of  which  is  the 
old  homestead.  His  life  has  been  active  and 
his  labors  resultant,  and  he  is  now  in  posses- 
sion of  a  good  property.  His  fellow  towns- 
men recognizing  his  worth  and  ability  have 
frequently  called  him  to  office  and  he  has 
served  as  supervisor  of  Pipestone  township 
for  four  years  and  also  as  justice  of  the 
peace.  In  1904  he  was  nominated  for  sheriff 
but  was  defeated.  A  prominent  Mason,  he 
has  attained  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the 
Scottish  rite.  He  belongs  to  the  Blue  Lodge 
at  Berrien  Springs,  the  chapter  and  council 
at  St.  Joseph  and  the  commandery  at  Ben- 
ton Harbor,  while  his  affiliation  with  the 
consistory  and  shrine  is  in  Grand  Rapids. 
He  is  the  only  Mason  of  this  rank  in  Pipe- 
stone township.  He  is  also  connected  with 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  with 
the  Grange,  as  is  also  his  wife.  He  has. 
missed  but  one  caucus  and  primary  since 
eighteen  years  of  age  and  he  has  served  as 
a  member  of  both  the  county  central  com- 
mittee and  the  executive  committee.  He  has 
ever  been  most  active  and  helpful  in  his  work 
in  the  interests  of  the  Republican  party  and 
his  name  is  a  synonym  for  all  that  is  pro- 
gressive and  helpful  whether  accomplished 
through  party  lines  or  as  an  independent 
movement.  His  acquaintance  is  wide  and 
his  friends  speak  of  him  in  favorable  terms, 
indicating  that  his  life  has  been  honorable 
and  upright. 

WALLACE  A.  PRESTON,  who  for 
forty-one  years  has  been  engaged  in  the  lum- 
ber business  in  St.  Joseph,  has  throughout 
this  period  sustained  an  unassailable  reputa- 
tion in  commercial  circles.  His  efforts  to- 
ward advancing  the  material  interests  of  the 
city  are  so  widely  recognized  that  they  can 
be  considered  as  being  no  secondary  part  of 
his   career   of     signal    usefulness.       While: 


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W.  A.  PRESTON 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


949 


practical  politics  have  claimed  much  of  his 
time,  and  while  his  stalwart  Republicanism 
has  been  exceedingly  valuable  to  the  party, 
his  service  in  that  direction  must  necessarily 
be  held  secondary  to  those  of  much  greater 
importance  as  implied  in  his  public  spirit, 
progressiveness  and  liberality. 

A  native  of  the  city  of  St.  Joseph,  he 
was  born  October  22,  1842,  his  parents  be- 
ing Fowler  J.  and  Anjenette  (Loomis)  Pres- 
ton, who  were  natives  of  Massachusetts. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  Joel  Preston, 
was  also  a  native  of  the  old  Bay  state  and 
was  a  valiant  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary 
war.  He  died  at  Whately,  Massachusetts, 
when  about  ninety-two  years  of  age. 

Fowler  J.  Preston,  the  father,  was  a 
contractor  and  builder,  and  as  early  as  1829 
came  to  the  territory  of  Michigan,  settling 
at  St.  Joseph.  He  was  the  first  sheriff  of 
Berrien  county,  and  was  otherwise  closely 
connected  with  its  pioneer  history.  He  died 
in  1843.  He  was  a  man  of  distinct  and 
forceful  individuality,  of  marked  character 
and  determination  and  left  an  impress  for 
^ood  upon  the  public  life  of  this  part  of  the 
state.  He  served  his  country  as  a  soldier  in 
the  Black  Hawk  war,  when  the  Indians  rose 
in  rebellion  against  the  encroachments  of 
the  white  race  in  the  middle  west.  His  wife 
was  one  of  the  well  known  pioneer  women 
of  Berrien  county  and  died  in  1891,  at  the 
age  of  eighty  years. 

Wallace  A.  Preston  spent  his  early 
school  days  in  St.  Joseph  and  afterward  en- 
gaged in  clerking  in  a  store  for  a  time. 
Later  he  was  a  sailor  for  six  years  upon  Lake 
Michigan,  and  during  the  Civil  war  he  was 
for  eighteen  months  in  the  naval  service. 
At  the  close  of  hostilities  he  returned  to  St. 
Joseph,  in  May,  1865,  and  in  that  year  be- 
came connected  wath  the  lumber  trade  and 
also  established  a  planing  mill.  He  has 
since  been  engaged  in  the  lumber  business, 
covering  a  period  of  forty-one  years.  He  is 
a  man  of  broad  capabilities  as  his  extensive 
business  interests  indicate  and  his  manage- 
ment of  affairs  has  shown  him  to  be  a  man 
of  keen  discernment,  who  forms  his  plans 
readily  and  is  determined  in  their  execution. 


In  January,  1874,  Mr.  Preston  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Mary  E.  King,  a  daughter  of 
William  P.  King,  a  pioneer  of  Benton  town- 
ship. They  have  seven  children,  as  follows : 
William  W.,  Loomis  K.,  Maud  E.,  Arthur 
G.,  Nathan  E.,  John  D.  and  Calvin  H.  Mr. 
Preston  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  and  the 
Odd  Fellows  fraternities.  In  politics  he  has 
always  been  a  stalwart  Republican  and  for 
two  terms  he  served  as  treasurer  of  St. 
Joseph,  while  in  1880  he  was  president  of 
the  village.  In  1893  he  was  elected  mayor 
of  the  city  and  re-elected  in  1894,  and  he 
gave  a  public-spirited,  business-like  and  help- 
ful administration.  He  was  a  member  and 
chairman  of  the  harbor  commission  board  in 
1894,  1895  and  1896,  and  he  has  always 
taken  an  active,  leading  and  influential  part 
in  public  affairs,  and  St.  Joseph  has  no  truer 
or  more  devoted  friend.  He  is  at  all  times 
approachable  and  patiently  listens  to  what- 
ever a  caller  may  have  to  say,  always  cour- 
teous and  always  a  gentleman  in  the  truest 
and  best  sense  of  the  term.  He  cares  not 
for  notoriety  nor  is  there  about  him  the 
least  shadow  of  mock  modesty,  and  when 
called  to  office  he  has  faithfully  performed 
his  duties  to  the  best  of  his  ability  and  for 
the  interests  of  the  community  at  large. 

WILLIAM  LAVANWAY,  a  promi- 
nent old  settler  of  Berrien  county,  where  he 
owns  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  acres,  situated  on  section  16,  Pipestone 
township,  was  born  in  Huron  county,  Ohio, 
his  natal  day  being  December  8,  1837.  He 
is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Elizabeth  Lavanway, 
both  natives  of  Vermont,  where  they  were 
reared  and  married.  Hoping  to  enjoy  bet- 
ter business  opportunities  in  a  new  country, 
they  removed  to  Huron  county,  Ohio,  where 
they  lived  for  a  time,  and  later,  in  1853, 
made  their  way  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan, 
locating  in  Pipestone  township.  In  their 
family  wxre  twelve  children,  eight  of  whom 
reached  manhood  or  womanhood.  Both  the 
father  and  mother  died  in  this  township,  the 
former  having  reached  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-tw^o  years,  while  the  mother  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years. 


950 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


William  Lavanway,  the  third  child  in 
his  father's  family,  was  a.  youth  of  sixteen 
years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  from  Ohio  to  this  state.  He 
was  reared  to  the  occupation  of  farming, 
which  has  always  been  his  life  work.  After 
reaching  man's  estate  he  started  out  in  life 
to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  first  lo- 
cating on  the  farm  on  which  Marion  Jen- 
nings now  resides.  He  was  persistent  in 
his  labors  and  careful  in  the  management  of 
his  business  affairs,  so  that  as  the  years 
passed  he  prospered  in  his  undertakings  until 
he  was  finally  enabled  to  purchase  land  of  his 
own,  becoming  the  possessor  of  his  present 
valuable  tract,  constituting  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  acres,  situated  on  section  i6, 
Pipestone  township,  which  has  since  con- 
tinued to  be  his  place  of  residence. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's 
journey  he  chose  Miss  Sarah  Kelsey,  to 
whom  he  was  married  in  1864.  She  is  also 
a  native  of  the  Buckeye  state,  and  by  her 
marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  two 
sons  and  a  daughter,  Clark,  Ralph  and 
Helena.  The  year  following  his  marriage — 
1865 — Mr.  La  van  way  responded  to  the 
country's  call  for  troops  during  the  Civil 
war,  joining  Company  K,  Twelfth  Michi- 
gan Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  until 
the  close  of  hostilities,  at  which  time  he  re- 
turned home,  having  made  a  most  creditable 
military  record.  He  has  always  given  his 
allegiance  to  the  Republican  party  since  age 
conferred  upon  him  the  right  of  franchise, 
always  taking  an  active  and  helpful  interest 
in  the  work  of  the  party.  His  religious  faith 
is  that  of  the  United  Brethren  church,  in 
which  he  is  serving  as  a  trustee. 

Having  spent  almost  his  entire  life  in 
Berrien  county,  where  he  has  lived  for  more 
than  a  half  century,  he  has  been  a  witness  of 
many  changes  that  have  here  been  made, 
and  he  has  not  only  been  a  witness  but  has 
been  an  active  factor  in  the  work  of  de- 
velopment along  all  lines  pertaining  to  the 
welfare  and  improvement  of  this  section  of 
the  state.  He  has  a  wide  acquaintance 
throughout  the  county,  where  he  is  known 
for  his  fair  dealing  and  for  his  many  good 
traits  of  heart  and  mind. 


JAMES  H.  GARDNER,  one  of  the  old 
settlers  now  living  on  section  8,  Pipestone 
township,  is  numbered  among  Michigan's 
native  sons,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  La- 
grange township,  Cass  County,  on  the  4th 
of  March,  1838.  His  father,  Davidson 
Gardner,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and 
became  a  resident  of  Cass  county  when  but 
eighteen  years  of  age.  He  was  a  pioneer 
resident  there,  being  one  of  the  first  white 
men  to  locate  within  its  borders  when  the 
Indians  still  held  dominion  over  much  of  the 
country  and  used  the  forests  as  a  hunting 
ground.  Mr.  Gardner  was  married  in  Cass 
county,  where  he  continued  to  reside  until 
i860,  when  he  came  to  Berrien  county,  set- 
tling in  Pipestone  township.  There  he  died 
in  the  same  year  at  the  age  of  sixty-three. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Eletha  Hendrix,  was  a  native  of  Indiana,, 
and  lived  to  be  about  seventy  years  of  age. 
There  were  ten  children,  three  daughters 
and  seven  sons,  in  their  family  and  all 
reached  manhood  or  womanhood. 

James  H.  Gardner,  the  second  child  and 
second  son,  was  reared  in  Cass  county  to  the 
age  of  twenty-one  years  and  there  were  many 
evidences  of  pioneer  life  in  his  boyhood 
days,  while  the  work  incident  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  farm  embraced  the  clearing  of 
the  land  and  the  tilling  of  the  virgin  soil. 
His  education  was  acquired  in  one  of  the 
primitive  log  schoolhouses  of  the  early  days 
and  his  privileges  in  that  direction  were 
somewhat  meager  owing  to  the  unsettled 
condition  of  the  county.  On  attaining  his 
majority  he  came  to  Berrien  county,  locating 
in  Pipestone  township,  so  that  he  is  a  pio- 
neer settler  of  the  two  counties.  He  was 
married  in  Berrien  county  to  Miss  Josephine 
Jennings,  and  they  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  the  farm  which  is  now  their  home. 
They  have  but  one  son,  El  wood  H.,  who  re- 
sides upon  the  old  homestead  and  assists  in 
its  improvement  and  cultivation. 

Mr.  Gardner  now  has  one  hundred  acres 
of  well  improved  land.  Upon  the  farm  are 
good  buildings  and  modern  machinery  to 
facilitate  the  work  of  the  fields  and  every- 
thing about  the  place  is  indicative  of  the 
care  and  practical   methods  of  the  owner,. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


951 


who  has  been  a  Hfe-long  farmer.  He  is  also 
a  life-long  Democrat  and  has  kept  thoroughly 
informed  concerning  the  questions  and  is- 
sues of  the  day  but  has  never  sought  or  de- 
sired political  perferment.  When  he  came 
to  the  county  there  were  but  three  teams  of 
horses  in  the  township  and  Sodus  and  Pipe- 
stone townships  had  not  yet  been  separated. 
Much  of  the  land  was  covered  with  the  na- 
tive forest  growth  and  comparatively  little 
had  been  done  to  reclaim  the  district  for  the 
purpose  of  civilization  and  convert  it  into 
richly  cultivated  farms  which  are  here  seen 
today  and  which  constitute  so  large  a  source 
of  the  county's  prosperity. 

GEORGE  T.  YETTER,  proprietor  of 
the  Pipestone  Jersey  Creamery  on  section  8, 
Pipestone  township,  was  born  in  Beaver 
Dam,  Wisconsin,  June  17,  1874,  his  parents 
being  Thornton  and  Anna  (Matharler)  Yet- 
ter.  The  mother  was  born  in  New  Jersey, 
and  the  father  in  Pennsylvania,  and  of  their 
children  George  T.  Yetter  of  this  review  is 
the  eldest  of  a  family  of  six.  He  was  reared 
in  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  acquired  a 
good  education  in  the  schools  of  Beaver 
Dam,  after  which  he  started  out  in  life  on 
his  own  account  when  a  youth  of  sixteen. 
He  worked  for  about  three  years  at  farm 
labor,  after  which  he  turned  his  attention  to 
the  creamery  business  in  Wisconsin,  being 
employed  in  that  way  by  the  month.  In 
1897  he  came  to  Berrien  county  and  engaged 
in  his  present  business,  having  a  first  class 
creamery,  w^hich  he  owns  and  conducts  in- 
dependently, averaging  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds  of  butter  per  day.  He  has 
a  twenty  horse  power  boiler  and  a  ten  horse 
powder  engine  and  his  plant  is  well  equipped 
for  the  successful  conduct  of  the  business. 

In  1898  Mr.  Yetter  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Agnes  Stafford,  a  daughter 
of  Andrew^  and  Elsa  Stafford,  and  a  native 
of  Wisconsin,  where  she  w^as  reared.  Their 
marriage  has  been  blessed  wath  two  children, 
R.  D.  and  Mary  Elsa.  Mr.  Yetter  is  a  stal- 
wart Republican  and  an  active  worker  in 
the  interests  of  the  party.  He  was  elected 
township  clerk  in  1903  and  has  been  re- 
elected to  the  same  office  each   succeeding- 


year  to  the  present  time,  so  that  he  is  the  in- 
cumbent at  this  writing.  He  is  well  known 
in  this  county  by  reason  of  the  active  interest 
which  he  has  taken  in  public  affairs  and  he 
is  regarded  as  an  excellent  business  man,  of 
keen  sagacity  and  enterprise,  who  deserves 
much  credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished, 
for  he  started  out  in  life  empty-handed. 

WILLIAM  H.  H.  DOANE.  When 
Berrien  county  was  but  sparsely  settled,  when 
only  here  and  there  w^as  seen  the  home  of  a 
pioneer  who  had  ventured  into  the  wilder- 
ness in  order  to  plant  the  seeds  of  civilization 
and  make  for  himself  an  abiding  place,  Wil- 
liam H.  H.  Doane  came  to  Michigan.  He 
was  closely  associated  with  its  early  develop- 
ment and  progress  and  he  is  now  residing 
in  a  comfortable  home  on  section  8,  Pipe- 
stone township,  where  for  many  years  he 
has  carried  on  farming.  He  was  born  in 
Jefferson  county,  New  York,  November  2y, 
1824.  His  father,  Isaiah  Doane,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Massachusetts,  born  at  Earlham, 
where  he  was  also  reared  and  educated.  He 
wedded  Miss  Betsey  Giddings,  a  native  of 
Vermont,  and  both  were  of  English  descent. 
The  ancestors  of  the  family  can  be  traced 
back  to  Deacon  John  Doane,  who  arrived  in 
America  in  1630.  Representatives  of  the 
name  have  been  prominent  in  the  various 
walks  of  life  since  that  time.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Isaiah  Doane  became  prominent  residents  of 
Jefferson  county.  New  York,  and  as  the 
years  passed  ten  children  were  born  to  them, 
all  of  whom  reached  manhood  or  woman- 
hood. 

William  H.  H.  Doane  is  the  fifth  child 
and  second  son  of  the  family,  of  whom  only 
three,  however,  are  now  living,  the  surviv- 
ing brother  being  Josiah  W.  Doane,  wdiile 
the  sister  is  Martha  B.,  the  wife  of  Jerome 
Osborn,  of  Benton  Harbor.  When  a  youth 
of  nine  years  William  H.  H.  Doane  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  removal  from  the 
Empire  state  to  Medina  county,  Ohio,  and 
w^as  there  reared,  the  public  schools  afford- 
ing him  his  educational  privileges.  He  was 
married  in  that  county  to  Miss  Mariette 
Bleekman,  who  died  leaving  three  children, 
Newton  E.,  Clarence  M.  and  Mary  A.,  the 


952 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


last  name  now  deceased.  The  wife  and 
mother  passed  away  in  1864,  and  Mr.  Doane 
afterward  wedded  Martha  Friend,  a  daugh- 
ter of  WilHam  and  Martha  Friend,  who 
were  natives  of  England.  Mrs.  Doane  was 
also  born  in  that  countrySeptember  13, 1835, 
and  in  1850  was  brought  to  the  United 
States.  She  became  a  resident  of  Berrien 
county  in  1864,  ^^^  by  her  marriage  has  be- 
come the  mother  of  one  son,  Clint  Everst, 
who  is  now  operating  his  father's  farm. 

It  was  in  the  year  i860  that  Mr.  Doane 
came  to  Berrien  county  and  the  following 
year  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  the  farm 
where  he  now  resides  on  section  8,  Pipestone 
township.  He  has  greatly  improved  the 
property  for  the  land  was  all  covered  with 
timber  when  it  came  into  his  possession  and 
in  the  midst  of  the  forest  he  hewed  out  the 
farm,  cutting  down  the  trees  in  order  that  he 
might  plow  the  land  and  plant  his  crops. 
For  forty-five  years  he  has  lived  upon  this 
place,  which  formerly  comprised  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  but  he  has  sold  half  of 
this,  still  retaining  possession  of  eighty 
acres.  He  has  prospered  in  his  undertak- 
ings and  while  he  has  never  desired  tO'  be- 
come wealthy  he  is  in  comfortable  financial 
circumstances,  having  all  of  the  necessities 
and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  Although 
reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Democratic  party 
he  is  now  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  holds  membership  in  the 
Church  of  Christ  and  has  served  as  elder 
in  the  organization  to  which  he  belongs. 
Mr.  Doane  has  now  passed  the  eighty-sec- 
ond milestone  on  life's  journey  and  his  has 
been  a  useful,  active  and  honorable  career, 
making  him  well  worthy  of  the  esteem  and 
confidence  which  are  uniformly  accorded 
him. 

MRS.  HANNAH  R.  (BURBANK) 
DOANE  is  pleasantly  located  upon  a  farm 
on  section  5,  Pipestone  township.  She  was 
born  in  New  York,  August  5,  1835.  Her 
father,  Gamaliel  T.  Burbank,  was  a  native 
of  Vermont,  and  a  representative  of  one  of 
the  old  New  England  families.  In  early 
life  he  removed  from  Vermont  to  New  York, 
where  he  was  married,  the  lady  of  his  choice 


being  Miss  Elizabeth  Ann  Haner,  who  was 
born  in  the  Empire  state.  They  afterward 
removed  to  Lorain  county,  Ohio,  where  Mrs. 
Burbank  died  when  about  thirty-one  years 
of  age.  By  that  marriage  there  had  been 
been  born  seven  children,  five  sons  and  two 
daughters,  namely:  Moses,  who  died  in 
childhood;  Mrs.  Doane;  John,  and  George 
E.,  deceased;  one  who  died  in  infancy; 
Charlie;  and  another  child  who  passed  away 
in  infancy. 

Mrs.  Doane  was  but  a  little  maiden  when 
her  parents  removed  from  New  York  to 
Michigan,  the  family  home  being  estab- 
lished in  Hillsdale  county  but  later  they 
traveled  by  team  to  Ohio  and  took  up  their 
abode  in  Lorain  county,  where,  as  before 
stated,  the  mother  died.  The  daughter, 
Hannah  R.,  was  there  reared  to  womanhood, 
and  in  November,  1853,  in  Lorain  county, 
she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Fred  W. 
Doane,  who  was  born  in  New  York  and  was 
a  son  of  Isiah  Doane.  The  young  couple 
began  their  domestic  life  in  Ohio,  where 
they  resided  for  about  a  year,  and  in  1854 
they  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  lo- 
cating in  Pipestone  township  upon  the  farm 
where  Mrs.  Doane  still  makes  her  home. 
Their  first  residence  was  a  small  frame  build- 
ing fifteen  by  fifteen  feet,  containing  but  one 
room.  In  this  was  two  beds,  a  clock,  a  few 
chairs  and  one  or  two  other  articles  of  fur- 
niture. Mr.  Doane  resolutely  began  the  task 
of  clearing  the  land  and  improving  the  farm, 
and  was  actively  and  continuously  engaged 
in  general  agricultural  pursuits  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Septem- 
ber, 1878.  He  was  a  man  of  enterprise  and 
diligence  and  put  forth  every  possible  effort 
for  the  welfare  of  his  family  and  the  ac- 
quirement of  a  good  property.  Mrs.  Doane 
has  been  a  widow  for  twenty-eight  years, 
remaining  true  to  her  husband's  memory, 
and  throughout  this  period  she  has  carried 
on  the  farm  and  looked  after  her  business 
interests,  displaying  excellent  executive  force 
and  keen  discriminiation  in  the  management 
of  her  affairs. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Doane  were  born 
seven  children,  of  whom  four  are  now  liv- 
ing:     Martha,    now    the    wife    of    Samuel 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


953 


Steele,  of  Elmira,  Michigan;  Julia,  the  wife 
of  Ed  Sabin,  a  resident  farmer  of  Pipestone 
township;  Charles,  who  is  living  in  Bain- 
bridge  township;  Don,  whose  home  is  in 
Hubbard  county,  Minnesota ;  Estalla,  the  de- 
ceased wife  of  C.  Hogue,  by  who  she  had 
four  children ;  Almeda,  the  deceased  wife  of 
Henry  Bowerman,  by  whom  she  had  two 
sons ;  and  Myrtle,  who  has  also  passed  away. 

Mrs.  Doane  has  been  a  resident  of  Ber- 
rien county  for  fifty-two  years.  She  deserves 
much  credit  for  what  she  has  accomplished, 
having  reared  a  family  who  are  a  credit  to 
her  name.  She  educated  them  and  has  lived 
to  see  them  all  married  and  doing  well. 

Mr.  Doane  was  a  soldier  of  the  Civil 
war,  having  served  for  nine  months  in  the 
Union  army.  He  then  returned  to  his  fam- 
ily and  gave  his  attention  to  the  further  de- 
velopment and  improvement  of  his  farm  un- 
til his  death.  Mrs.  Doane  has  continuously 
resided  in  this  county  since  she  came  hither 
with  her  husband  about  a  year  after  their 
marriage  and  she  has  a  very  w^ide  and  fav- 
orable acquaintance,  her  friends  being  many 
in  Pipestone  township  and  this  portion  of  the 
state. 

CHARLES  WESLEY  TEETZEL. 
The  life  of  Charles  W.  Teetzel  w^as  so  varied 
in  its  activity,  so  honorable  in  its  purpose, 
so  far-reaching  and  beneficial  in  its  effects 
that  it  became  an  integral  part  of  the  history 
of  Benton  Harbor,  and  he  also  left  an  im- 
press upon  the  annals  of  this  portion  of  the 
state.  In  no  sense  a  man  in  public  light  he 
nevertheless  exerted  an  immeasurable  influ- 
ence upon  the  city  of  his  residence  and  in 
business  life  as  a  financier  and  promoter  of 
important  industrial  and  commercial  enter- 
prises ;  in  social  circles  by  reason  of  a  charm- 
ing personality  and  unfeigned  cordiality; 
in  political  circles  by  reasons  of  his  public 
spirit  and  devotion  to  the  general  good ;  and 
in  the  development  of  those  actions  which 
ameliorate  hard  conditions  of  life  and  of 
the  calling  forth  of  benevolences  and  liber- 
ality. Thus  it  was  that  he  became  known  as 
'''one  of  Benton  Harbor's  leading  men  and 
best  beloved  citizens."  At  the  time  of  his 
death  Mr.   Teetzel  was  the  oldest  business 


man  in  Benton  Harbor  in  years  of  continu- 
ous connection  with  its  mercantile  circles. 
He  was  born  in  Toronto,  Ontario,  Septem- 
ber 23,  1851,  and  in  his  youth  accompanied 
his  parents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Teetzel,  to 
Berrien  county,  his  father  being  a  pioneer 
of  this  section  of  the  state.  The  public 
schools  afforded  his  educational  privi- 
leges, and  when  sixteen  years  of  age  he  put 
aside. his  text-books  and  entered  the  business 
world,  where  for  many  years  he  figured 
prominently  and  honorably.  He  became 
apprenticed  to  Henry  Enos,  the  pioneer 
jewelry  man  of  Benton  Harbor  and  event- 
ually he  purchased  the  business  of  his  em- 
ployer, and  continued  therein  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  covering  a  period  of  almost 
forty  years.  During  the  latter  part  of  the 
time  he  was  associated  with  George  D.  Al- 
ger, under  the  firm  style  of  Teetzel  &  Al- 
ger, this  connection  continuing  for  two  and 
a  half  years.  At  a  former  period  he  was  as- 
sociated with  Fred  Hamilton,  conducting 
stores  both  in  Benton  Harbor  and  St. 
Joseph.  He  was  a  man  of  progressive  spirit 
and  ever  desired  to  attain  the  highest  de- 
gree of  perfection  possible  in  the  conduct 
of  his  business  interests.  At  the  same  time 
he  w^as  thoroughly  reliable  and  trustworthy. 
In  1890  Mr,  Teetzel  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Jennie  E.  Teetz^  and  their  was 
largely  an  ideal  married  life.  Congenial 
by  nature  their  companionship  was  strength- 
ened with  the  passing  years  and  it  was  the 
effort  of  each  to  promote  the  happiness  and 
welfare  of  the  other.  Many  there  were  who 
benefited  by  the  efforts  and  liberality  of  Mr. 
Teetzel,  the  poor  and  needy  ahvays  found  in 
him  a  friend  and  no  appeal  w^as  ever  made  to 
him  in  vain  by  one  who  really  needed  aid. 
It  has  been  said  of  him  that  he  often  de- 
prived himself  of  pleasures  he  might  have 
enjoyed  were  it  not  for  the  open-handed- 
ness  to  persons  in  times  of  distress.  He 
gave  freely,  generously  and  unostenta- 
tiously, and  oftentimes  no  one  knew  of  his 
benefactions  save  the  recipient.  In  fact  he 
shunned  and  avoided  all  publicity  in  connec- 
tion with  his  many  kindnesses  but  he  builded 
for  himself  a  monument  in  the  gratitude  and 
love    of    those    whom  he    assisted.     Public 


954 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


measures,  too,  received  his  endorsement 
when  he  felt  that  the  purpose  was  to  benefit 
the  city  or  promote  its  material,  social,  in- 
tellectual, political  of  moral  welfare.  He 
was  a  life-long  and  ardent  Republican  in 
politics  but  never  held  a  public  office,  al- 
though the  opportunities  to  do  so  were  num- 
erous. He  held  membership  with  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  the  Patri- 
cians. His  death  came  suddenly  and  was 
a  great  shock  to  his  fellow  citizens.  In  fact 
he  had  won  so  prominent  a  place  in  public 
regard  by  reasons  of  his  long  and  active  con- 
nection with  business  life,  his  co-operation  in 
public  affairs  and  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  the 
poor  and  needy  that  his  death  came  as  a  per- 
sonal bereavement  to  nearly  all  who  knew 
him.  He  passed  away  July  22,  1906.  He 
was  a  man  of  most  congenial,  affable  and 
jovial  nature,  and  shed  around  him  much  of 
the  sunshine  of  life.  He  was  also  a  great 
man  because  of  the  use  he  made  of  his  tal- 
ents and  opportunities,  because  his  thoughts 
were  not  self-centered  but  were  given  to  the 
mastery  of  life's  problems  and  a  fulfillment 
of  his  duty  as  a  man  in  his  relations  to  his 
fellowmen  and  as  a  citizen  in  his  relations 
to  his  city,  his  state  and  his  country. 

O.  A.  ROBINSON,  a  representative 
farmer  of  Berrien  county,  where  he  is  oper- 
ating a  farm  situated  on  section  9,  Pipe- 
stone township,  is  a  native  of  Medina  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  born  September  28,  1847.  He  is 
the  only  son  and  youngest  child  of  A.  R. 
and  Maria  (Tyler)  Robinson,  likewise  na- 
tives of  Medina  county,  Ohio.  The  father 
engaged  in  farming  in  the  Buckeye  state 
and  in  1854  removed  to  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  settling  on  the  farm  in  section  9, 
Pipestone  township,  a  part  of  which  is  now 
operated  by  the  son.  Here  the  father  spent 
his  remaining  days,  passing  away  when  he 
had  reached  the  very  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
six  years.  His  wife  still  survives  and  yet 
makes  her  home  in  this  township  at  the 
age  of  eighty-one  years.  Their  daughter  is 
Mrs,  Martha  Tompkins. 

O.  A.  Robinson,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  was  a  little  lad  of  seven  years 
when  he  accompanied  his  parents  from  his 
native  state  to  Michigan,  and  in  the  district 


schools  of  Pipestone  township  he  acquired 
his  education  during  the  winter  months,, 
while  in  the  summer  seasons  he  was  trained 
to  the  labors  of  the  farm,  assisting  his  father 
in  the  home  place  until  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  when  he  started  out  to  face  the 
responsibilities  of  life  on  his  own  account. 
He  first  engaged  in  teaching  music,  both 
vocal  and  instrumental,  and  for  several  years 
traveled  upon  the  road  organizing  musical 
conventions.  Later  he  was  interested  in 
the  sale  of  pianos  on  the  road,  traveling  for 
C.  J.  Whitney,  of  Detroit.  He  also  sold 
pianos  for  R.  D.  Bulloch  of  that  city  and 
William  Vista,  of  Ohio,  and  through  courte- 
ous treatment  of  those  with  whom  he  came 
in  contact  as  well  as  by  fair  and  honest 
dealing  he  built  up  a  large  patronage  for 
the  different  houses  which  he  represented,, 
as  well  as  making  a  good  commission  for 
himself.  From  1880  until  1895,  in  com- 
pany with  his  wafe  he  again  went  upon  the 
road  organizing  musical  conventions,  in 
which  he  was  very  successful,  and  later  lo- 
cated in  Madison,  Wisconsin,  where  he  spent 
three  years  as  a  teacher  of  music.  However^ 
in  1903,  he  returned  to  the  old  homestead 
farm,  and  once  more  resumed  the  work  to 
which  as  a  boy  he  was  reared.  Here  he  is 
engaged  in  general  farming  and  on  his 
place  are  found  all  modern  improvements, 
including  good  fences  and  outbuildings,  and 
a  modern  residence,  all  of  which  are  kept 
in  an  excellent  state  of  repair.  Each  year 
he  harvests  good  crops  as  the  result  of  the 
labor  he  has  bestowed  upon  his  land  so  that 
he  is  prospering  in  his  undertakings  and  is 
accounted  one  of  the  progressive  agricultur- 
ists of  his  section  of  the  county,  having  a 
tract  of  one  hundred  acres. 

On  December  30th,  1875,  Mr.  Robin- 
son was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Clara 
C.  Deming,  a  daughter  of  Ralph  and  Eliza 
(Phelps)  Deming,  the  father  a  native  of 
Medina  county,  Ohio,  and  the  mother  a  na- 
tive of  Rutland,  Vermont.  Their  home  has 
been  blessed  with  five  children,  Grace,  Ellen, 
Olo,  and  Ralph,  all  of  whom  are  musical; 
and  Albert,  deceased.  Mrs.  Robinson  was 
born  in  Medina  county,  Ohio,  November 
18,  1854,  and  was  educated  in  Oberlin  Uni- 
versity.    She  taught  for  a  while,  and  then 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


955 


directed  her  talents  to  the  musical  profes- 
sion. Her  father  is  dead,  but  her  mother 
in  living  in  Berea,  Ohio,  aged  eighty- 
eight  years. 

Mr.  Robinson  gives  his  political  support 
to  the  Republican  party  and  is  interested 
in  the  growth  and  success  of  its  principles. 
Having  spent  much  of  his  life  in  Berrien 
county  he  has  a  wide  and  favorable  acquaint- 
ance and  has  acquired  more  than  local  repu- 
tation as  a  teacher  in  both  vocal  and  instru- 
mental music,  at  the  present  time  giving 
much  of  his  time  to  that  art  in  addition  to 
carrying  on  his  farm  work.  His  home  is 
noted  for  its  hospitality,  being  a  favorite  re- 
sort among  the  numerous  friends  of  the  fam- 
ily, rendered  so  by  the  cordial  greeting 
which  is  always  received  by  visitors  as  well 
as  by  the  musical  talent  displayed  by  the 
entire  household. 

CLARK  LAVANWAY.  Pipestone 
township,  Berrien  county,  includes  among 
its  representative  farmers  and  highly  es- 
teemed citizens  Clark  Lavanway,  whose 
pleasant  and  well  improved  homestead  is 
located  in  section  lo.  He  is  a  native  of  the 
township  in  which  he  now  lives,  and  was 
born  November  g,  1864,  a  son  of  William 
and  Sarah  E.  (Rutley)  Lavanway,  whose 
sketch  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  vol- 
ume. 

Clark  Lavanway,  the  eldest  of  his  par- 
ents' three  children,  was  reared  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm  in  this  township  and  received 
his  education  in  school  district  No.  9.  He 
remained  at  home  with  his  parents  assisting 
in  the  work  of  the  farm  until  his  marriage 
January  15,  1887,  when  Miss  Clara  E.  Willis 
became  his  wife.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Walker  and  Rebecca  (Puterbaugh)  Willis 
and  was  also  born  in  Berrien  county,  Sep- 
tember 9,  1867,  her  parents  being  numbered 
among  the  honored  early  pioneers  of  the 
county.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with 
four  children,  Leaon,  Grayson,  Reuel  and 
Verl. 

After  their  marriage  the  young  couple 
took  up  their  abode  on  the  farm  which  has 
ever  since  been  their  home  and  which  con- 


sists of  eighty-four  acres  of  rich  and  well 
cultivated  land.  All  of  the  improvements 
on  his  land  stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift 
and  ability,  and  he  has  attained  his  present 
high  standing  in  the  county  by  personal 
effort  and  the  correct  application  of  the 
powers  which  are  his.  Since  age  gave  to 
him  the  right  of  franchise  he  has  supported 
the  principles  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
in  social  relations  he  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Ancient  Order  of  Gleaners  at 
Naomi,  a  farmer's  insurance  organization  of 
which  he  is  chief  gleaner.  He  has  made 
good  use  of  his  opportunities  and  has  pros- 
pered from  year  to  year,  conducting  all  busi- 
ness matters  carefully  and  systematically, 
and  in  all  his  acts  displaying  an  aptitude  for 
successful  management. 

M.  O.  COLLINS.  Among  the  younger 
representatives  of  the  business  interests  of 
Berrien  county,  esteemed  alike  for  his  ster- 
ling w^orth  of  character  and  his  activity  in 
the  business  w^orld,  is  M.  O.  Collins,  a 
worthy  scion  of  one  of  the  pioneer  families. 
He  is  now  extensively  engaged  in  fruit 
farming  on  section  3,  Pipestone  towaiship. 
He  is  a  native  son  of  this  township,  his  birth 
occurring  on  section  3  on  the  29th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1873,  the  third  child  of  William  and 
Emily  (Roberts)  Collins,  who  are  numbered 
among  the  honored  early  settlers  of  Berrien 
county,  still  residing  on  the  old  homestead 
in  section  3,  Pipestone  township. 

To  the  educational  system  of  this  locality 
M.  O.  Collins  is  indebted  for  the  early  men- 
tal training  which  he  received,  and  during 
his  early  years  when  not  confined  in  the 
school  room  he  assisted  his  father  in  the 
work  of  the  homestead,  having  been  early 
inured  to  the  duties  of  farm  labor.  He  is 
now  the  owner  of  forty  acres  of  rich  and 
productive  land,  all  of  which  is  devoted  to 
fruit  culture  with  the  exception  of  eight 
acres,  and  on  his  farm  he  has  twenty-two 
hundred  peach  trees,  nine  hundred  apple 
trees,  three  hundred  and  fifty  pear  trees  and 
one  hundred  and  fifty  cherry  trees.  During 
the  past  tw^o  years  he  has  given  his  entire 
attention  to  his  fruit  farming  to  the  exclu- 


956 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


sion  of  all  his  other  interests,  and  he  is  meet- 
ing with  a  high  degree  of  success  in  this  en- 
deavor. 

On  December  29,  1898,  Mr.  Collins  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Emma  Bakeman,  also 
a  native  of  Pipestone  township  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  and  Louise  (Shafer)  Bakeman. 
One  child  has  been  born  of  this  union,  a 
daughter  Louise  Emily.  Since  casting  his 
first  vote  Mr.  Collins  has  supported  the  men 
and  measures  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
as  its  representative  has  served  in  a  number 
of  public  positions,  having  for  two  years 
been  the  treasurer  of  his  township.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Grange,  in  which  he  has 
served  as  master,  also  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men, Camp  No.  5763,  of  America,  and  the 
Ancient  Order  of  Gleaners  at  Naomi. 

E.  SORRELL.  A  prominent  farmer 
residing  on  section  4,  Pipestone  township, 
has  throughout  his  entire  life  resided  with- 
in the  borders  of  Berrien  county.  His  birth 
occured  in  Pipestone  township  on  the  24th 
of  June,  1846.  His  father,  Exzavia  Sor- 
rell,  was  a  native  of  Canada,  but  at  the  age 
of  fourteen  years  he  left  his  native  country, 
and  was  thereafter  engaged  in  rafting  on 
the  St.  Joseph  river  for  a  time,  also  assist- 
ing in  the  building  of  the  first  pier  at  St. 
Joseph.  .  From  there  he  went  to  Hagar 
township,  Berrien  county,  and  thence  to 
Pipestone  township^  where  he  purchased  a 
farm  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life 
here,  death  claiming  him  when  he  had 
reached  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years.  He 
was  well  and  favorably  known  to  the  early 
pioneers  of  Berrien  county,  having  been 
prominently  identified  with  much  of  the 
early  history  of  this  section  and  was  one  of 
the  first  to  take  up  his  abode  in  Pipestone 
township.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Melvina  Brant,  w^as  a  native  of 
New  York,  but  came  with  her  parents  to 
Bainbridge  township,  Berrien  county.  She 
hved  to  the  age  of  seventy-two  years  ere  she 
was  called  to  the  home  beyond.  Seven 
children  w^ere  born  to  this  worthy  pioneer 
couple,  six  daughters  and  one  son. 

E.  Sorrell,  the  only  son  and  the  third 
child,  remained  at  home  until  he  was  twen- 


ty-two years  of  age,  assisting  in  the  work  of 
the  old  farm.  When  he  started  out  in  life 
for  himself  he  was  the  owner  of  forty  acres 
of  land,  a  part  of  the  farm  on  which  he  now 
resides,  but  as  the  years  have  passed  by  he 
has  added  to  his  original  purchase  from 
time  to  time  until  his  homestead  now  con- 
sists of  ninety-three  acres,  all  of  which  he 
has  placed  under  an  excellent  state  of  culti- 
vation, and  his  well  tilled  fields  annually  re- 
turn to  him  bounteous  harvests  in  return  for 
the  care  and  labor  he  bestowes  upon  them. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  Sorrell  was  cele- 
brated in  1870,  when  Sarah  Mcintosh  be- 
came his  wife,  she  being  a  native  of  Van 
Buren  county,  Michigan,  and  a  daughter 
of  James  Mcintosh,  one  of  the  honored  old 
settlers  of  that  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sor- 
rell have  one  daughter,  Cora,  the  wife  of 
Alvin  Michael,  a  farmer  of  Pipestone  town- 
ship. Mr.  Sorrell  gives  his  political  sup- 
port to  the  Republican  party  and  takes  an 
active  part  in  its  work. 

EDWIN  BURTON,  who  conducts  a 
good  farm  on  section  19,  Pipestone  town- 
ship, was  born  April  9,  1850,  in  a  little  log 
cabin  on  the  farm  which  is  yet  his  home. 
His  father,  James  Burton,  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, resided  in  that  country  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age  and  then  came  to  America, 
settling  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  wooed 
and  won  Miss  Mary  Pattison,  in  1833.  She, 
too,  was  born  in  England  and  when  three 
years  of  age  accompanied  her  parents  across 
the  Atlantic  to  Washington,  D.  C,  but  she 
w^as  largely  reared  in  Philadelphia. 

At  the  time  of  their  marriage  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Burton  started  west,  locating  on  Terra 
Copa  prairie  in  Indiana,  in  1833,  and  in 
1844  removed  to  the  farm  upon  which  their 
son  Edwin  now  resides.  Mr.  Burton  traded 
a  span  of  horses  and  thirty-two  bushels  of 
oats  for  his  land,  which  was  then  covered 
with  a  dense  growth  of  forest  trees.  He 
w^as  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  the  locality 
and  his  first  home  was  a  log  cabin,  in  which 
the  family  shared  in  the  usual  privations  and 
hardships  of  pioneer  life.  Mr.  Burton  con- 
tinued to  reside  upon  his  farm  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  September,   1854. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


957 


His  wife  long  survived  him  and  passed 
away  in  1878.  In  their  family  were  eight 
children,  five  of  whom  were  born  on  the 
farm  which  is  now  occupied  by  their  son 
Edwin.  Only  four  of  the  family,  three  sons 
and  a  daughter,  are  yet  living. 

Edwin  Burton  is  the  seventh  child  and 
third  son  and  he  was  reared  upon  the  old 
home  place,  which  is  now  his  farm.  His  ed- 
ucation was  acquired  in  the  district  schools 
and  the  delights  of  boyhood  days  such  as  the 
playground  afforded  were  enjoyed  by  him 
when  he  was  not  busy  with  his  text-books 
or  with  the  labors  of  the  fields.  In  1881 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Alice  Evans,  a 
dw...ghter  of  Thomas  and  Margaret  (Jones) 
Evans,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Wales.  Mrs.  Burton  was  born  in  Pipe- 
stone township,  Berrien  county,  and  was 
reared  and  educated  here.  By  this  marriage 
there  are  two  children :  Ethel,  who  is  now 
engaged  in  teaching;  and  Harold,  in  school. 

Mr.  Burton  has  spent  his  entire  life 
upon  the  farm  which  is  still  his  place  of  resi- 
dence, with  the  exception  of  a  brief  period 
of  three  years  passed  in  Benton  Harbor,  and 
two  years  in  the  lumber  woods  of  central 
Michigan.  He  has  seventy-eight  acres  of 
land  which  is  w^ell  tilled  and  brings  forth 
good  harvests,  and  he  is  still  actively  carry- 
ing on  the  work  of  the  farm.  His  political 
allegiance  has  been  given  to  the  Republican 
party  since  age  conferred  upon  him  the 
right  of  franchise,  and  he  is  recognized  as 
one  of  its  stalwart  champions  and  effective 
workers  in  this  locality.  He  has  also  been 
honored  with  several  local  offices,  being 
township  treasurer  for  two  years  and  high- 
way commissioner  for  two  years,  while  for 
six  years  he  w^as  a  member  of  the  board  of 
review.  He  belongs  to  the  Modern  Wood- 
men camp  at  Eau  Claire  and  has  many 
friends  both  within  and  without  the  border. 
Many  incidents  concerning  Pipestone  town- 
ship and  Berrien  county  which  to  others 
are  matters  of  history  are  to  him  matters  of 
personal  experience  or  observation  for  his 
memory  goes  back  to  the  time  when  there 
were  various  evidences  of  pioneer  life  in 
Berrien  county,  the  early  settlers  being  en- 
gaged at  that  period  in  reclaiming  the  dis- 


trict following  the  domains  of  the  red  men 
for  the  uses  of  the  white  race. 

JOHN  E.  BARNES.  Among  the  en- 
terprising and  progressive  business  men  of 
Benton  Harbor  is  numbered  John  E.  Barnes, 
and  the  extent  and  influence  of  his  activities 
have  been  an  element  in  the  business  pro- 
gress and  development  here.  His  life  is  an- 
other indication  of  the  fact  that  no  matter 
what  may  be  done  for  a  man  in  the  way  of 
giving  him  early  opportunities  for  obtaining 
the  requirements  which  are  sought  in  schools 
and  in  books  he  must  essentially  formulate, 
determine  and  give  shape  to  his  own  charac- 


JOHN  E.  BARNES 

ter,  and  this  is  what  Mr.  Barnes  has  done. 
A  native  of  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana, 
he  was  born  in  a  little  log  cabin  in  Penn 
township,  November  2^,  1842,  a  son  of 
John  E.  and  Anna  (Ross)  Barnes.  The 
father's  birth  occurred  in  Shepherdstown, 
Virginia,  in  1794  and  he  was  reared  at 
Harpers  Ferry,  Maryland,  whence  he  re- 
moved westward  by  wagon  to  South  Bend, 
Indiana,  in  1836.  He  settled  about  seven 
miles  south  of  the  city  and  gave  his  atten- 
tion to  making  a  home  in  the  then  wilderness 
of  Indiana.  He  was  a  captain  in  the  Mary- 
land State  Militia,  receiving  his  commission 


958 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


from  James  K.  Polk.  He  died  at  Buchanan, 
Michigan,  in  1872.  His  wife,  Anna,  who 
was  born  in  Williamsport,  Pennsylvania,  in 
1808,  was  a  daughter  of  Isaac  Ross,  a  sol- 
dier of  the  Revolutionary  war.  Her  death 
occurred  in  Buchanan,  Michigan,  in  1871. 

John  E.  Barnes  acquired  his  early  edu- 
cation by  walking  two  and  a  half  miles  to 
the  log  school  house  on  Palmers  Prairie.  The 
school  was  taught  by  Clem  Studebaker,  later 
of  the  Studebaker  Wagon  Works  of  South 
Bend,  Indiana.  He  only  received  such  ad- 
vantag'es  as  were  afforded  by  the  district 
schools,  and  in  1854  he  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  the  family  home  being  established 
on  a  farm  four  miles  south  of  Berrien 
Springs.  There  he  worked  at  farm  labor 
and  as  opportunity  offered  pursued  his 
studies  in  the  country  schools  during  the 
winter  months  until  1858.  In  that  year  the 
family  removed  to  Buchanan,  settling  on  a 
small  farm  of  seventeen  acres,  which  they 
operated  in  addition  to  a  tract  of  eighty 
acres  in  Niles  township.  John  E.  Barnes 
aided  in  the  work  of  the  farm  until  after 
the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  when  he  en- 
listed as  a  member  of  the  Twelfth  Michigan 
Infantry,  serving  as  a  private  until  August, 
1865.  He  was  then  honorably  discharged,  his 
term  of  service  having  expired.  Returning 
home,  he  cared  for  his  aged  parents,  thus 
repaying  them  by  filial  love  and  devotion 
for  the  care  which  they  had  bestowed  upon 
him  in  youth. 

Mr.  Barnes  having .  learned  the  carpen- 
ter's trade,  he  worked  at  that  until  1868, 
when  he  entered  the  employ  of  C.  H.  &  S. 
H.  Black,  manufacturers  of  furniture.  He 
was  busy  in  the  factory  until  1870,  when  he 
went  to  Kansas  and  pre-empted  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  near  Howard 
City.  There  he  followed  farming  and  car- 
pentering until  1872,  when  he  returned  to 
Buchanan  and  was  engaged  in  carpenter 
work  until  1875.  At  that  date  he  purchased 
the  half  interest  owned  by  A.  Willard,  of 
the  firm  of  Spencer  &  Willard,  retailers  and 
job  manufacturers  of  furniture  and  house 
material.  He  immediately  commenced  to 
build  up  the  business,  which  was  now  con- 


ducted under  the  firm  style  of  Spencer  & 
Barnes,  and  was  thus  carried  on  until  1891. 
In  that  year  Spencer  &  Barnes  moved  their 
plant  to  Benton  Harbor,  and  he  has  been 
financial  manager  from  1875  until  the  pres- 
ent time.  Thus  almost  his  entire  life  has 
been  devoted  to  the  furniture  business  and 
his  success  from  the  beginning  of  his  resi- 
dence in  Benton  Harbor  has  been  uniform 
and  rapid.  He  has  persevered  in  the  pur- 
suit of  a  persistent  purpose  and  gained  the 
most  satisfactory  reward.  He  was  con- 
stantly alert  to  the  opportunities  which  have 
presented,  has  kept  in  touch  with  the  trend 
of  modern  progress  and  at  all  times  has 
manifested  an  aptitude  for  successful  man- 
agement that  has  been  a  salient  feature  in 
the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  concern 
which  he  now  represents.  He  is  now  presi- 
dent of  the  Benton  Harbor  Development 
Company,  president  of  the  Spencer  &  Barnes 
Company,  and  president  of  the  Buchanan 
Cabinet  Company,  at  Buchanan.  Thus 'his 
business  interests  are  quite  extensive  and 
are  elements  in  the  activity  and  commercial 
growth  of  this  part  of  the  state. 

In  1866  Mr.  Barnes  was  married  to  Miss 
Susie  J.  Perrott,  a  native  of  Michigan,  who 
died  in  October,  1868.  Mr.  Barnes  was 
married  in  February,  1869,  to  Mrs.  Maloan 
Perrott.  By  the  second  marriage  there  is 
one  living  child,  Zella  D.,  now  the  wife  of 
W.  S.  Waite,  of  Benton  Harbor. 

Mr.  Barnes  was  a  member  of  the  school 
board  of  Buchanan  and  also  acted  in  the 
same  official  capacity  in  Benton  Harbor.  He 
has  served  from  the  fourth  ward  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  aldermen  of  Benton 
Harbor,  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  public 
works,  and  in  office  and  out  of  it  has  con- 
tributed to  the  advancement  of  the  commun- 
ity and  its  substantial  progress.  He  has  the 
esteem  of  his  friends  and  the  confidence  of 
the  business  public,  is  always  courteous, 
kindly  and  affable,  and  those  who  know  him 
personally  have  for  him  warm  regard. 

CHARLES  HENRY  RECTOR.  Of 
the  stanch  and  hardy  pioneers  who  settled 
in  the  wilds  of  Berrien  county  in  an  early 
day  none  are  more  worthy  of  mention  in 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


959 


this  work  than  the  Rector  family.  One  of 
its  representatives,  Charles  Henry  Rector, 
was  born  on  the  old  homestead  farm  in 
Sodus  township,  September  20,  1845,  ^"d 
thus  for  over  sixty-one  years  he  has  re- 
sided within  its  borders,  prominently  identi- 
fied with  its  growth  and  development.  He 
is  the  eldest  son  of  David  and  Sarah  Rector, 
whose  history  will  be  found  on  other  pages 
in  this  volume.  The  elementary  educational 
training  which  Charles  H.  Rector  received 
in  the  district  schools  of  his  locality  was 
supplemented  by  attendance  at  the  schools  of 
St.  Joseph  and  at  an  institution  at  Niles  pre- 
sided over  by  a  Miss  Brown.  He  remained 
at  home  until  twenty-three  years  of  age,  as- 
sisting in  the  work  on  the  farm.  He  was 
married  on  the  i8th  of  October,  1868,  to  Re- 
becca A.  Sullivan,  a  native  of  Niles,  Michi- 
gan, and  a  daughter  of  Wyley  Sullivan. 
Her  parents  both  died  when  she  was  about 
nine  years  of  age,  and  she  was  reared  by 
Robert  and  Sabrina  Cassady,  of  Pipestone 
township,  Berrien  county.  Eight  children 
have  been  born  to  this  union — Henry,  David 
R.,  Sarah  E.,  Ray  E.,  Earl,  Ross,  Alice  R. 
and  Edward  S.,  all  natives  of  Sodus  town- 
ship. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Rector  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  Sodus  township,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  the  grist-mill  business 
for  about  two  and  a  half  years.  In  1873 
he  took  up  his  abode  on  the  farm  where  he 
now  resides,  and  here  he  has  lived  and 
labored  since,  his  fields  annually  returning 
to  him  bounteous  harvests  in  return  for  the 
care  which  he  has  bestowed  upon  them.  He 
is  one  of  the  oldest  native  citizens  of  Ber- 
rien county,  having  throughout  his  entire 
life  been  identified  with  its  growth  and  de- 
velopment, and  he  deserves  a  fitting  recog- 
nition among  those  whose  enterprise  and 
abilities  have  achieved  splendid  results.  He 
is  now  a  Socialist  in  his  political  views,  and 
since  1874  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Grange. 

ALBERT  SCHELL,  a  well  known  pio- 
neer settler  of  Berrien  county,  having  here 
spent  more  than  six  decades,  is  the  owner 
of  a  well  improved  farm  of  eighty  acres. 


situated  on  section  24,  Sodus  township.  He 
is  a  native  of  Erie  county,  New  York,  hav- 
ing been  born  September  22,  1842,  a  son 
of  Daniel  and  Dorothea  (Ryther)  Schell, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  Empire 
state.  The  family  located  in  Berrien  county 
in  1844,  where  the  father  purchased  a  farm 
in  Pipestone  township,  and  there  both 
passed  away,  the  former  when  he  had 
reached  the  age  of  seventy-one  years,  while 
the  mother  died  when  more  than  seventy- 
two  years  of  age.  Their  family  numbered 
nine  children,  of  whom  our  subject  was 
the  seventh  in  order  of  birth  and  the  third 
son. 

Albert  Schell  was  only  two  years  old 
when  he  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  this 
state,  the  family  home  being  established  in 
Pipestone  tow^nship,  Berrien  county,  where 
the  son  was  reared  and  pursued  his  studies 
in  the  common  schools  near  his  father's 
home.  He  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner 
of  farm  lads,  assisting  in  the  work  of  the 
farm  from  the  time  of  early  spring  planting 
until  the  crops  were  gathered  in  the  late 
autumn.  He  remained  under  the  parental 
roof  until  twenty  years  of  age,  when,  in 
1862,  he  offered  his  services  to  the  govern- 
ment for  duty  in  the  civil  war,  becoming 
a  member  of  Company  F,  Fifth  Michigan 
Cavalry.  He  participated  in  all  the  princi- 
pal movements  of  the  regiment  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  battle  at  Winchester^  at  which 
time  he  was  in  the  hospital  at  Clairsville, 
Maryland,  being  incapacitated  for  duty  for 
about  eight  months.  He  served  until  the 
close  of  hostilities,  wdien  he  was  honorably 
discharged  at  Detroit,  Michigan,  in  1865. 

After  the  war  he  returned  to  his  old 
home  in  Berrien  county,  where  he  was  mar- 
ried the  following  year,  January  2,  1866,  to 
Mrs.  Mary  J.  Neer,  a  daughter  of  William 
Garrison,  her  first  husband  having  died  dur- 
ing his  service  in  the  army.  Mr.  Schell 
located  on  a  farm,  which  he  purchased,  and 
since  that  time  he  has  bought  and  sold  sev- 
eral farms  in  Sodus  and  Buchanan  town- 
ships, which  has  added  not  a  little  to  his 
financial  resources.  In  1906  he  purchased 
his  present  farm,  comprising  eighty  acres, 
situated  on  section  24,  Sodus  township,  and 


960 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


here  he  is  engaged  in  general  agricultural 
pursuits  and  is  meeting  with  very  desirable 
success.  He  has  added  many  modern  and 
substantial  improvements  to  his  property 
since  it  came  into  his  possession  and  now  has 
one  of  the  fine  country  homes  of  this  section 
of  the  state.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife 
have  been  born  three  children  but  all  are 
now  deceased,  and  they  have  three  grand- 
children. 

Mr.  Schell  has  been  a  life-long  Repub- 
lican, giving  active  and  helpful  support  to 
his  party  and  in  pubHc  affairs  he  has  ever 
manifested  a  deep  interest,  aiding  in  every 
movement  or  measure  that  tends  toward  the 
advancement  of  local  progress.  He  served 
as  highway  commissioner  for  two  years  and 
has  filled  other  township  offices.  Mr.  Schell 
has  resided  in  Berrien  county  for  sixty-two 
years  and  therefore  has  a  wide  and  favor- 
able acquaintance,  commanding  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  has  come 
in  contact.  Like  many  another  he  has  en- 
countered difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his 
business  career,  but  through  determination 
and  close  application  he  has  been  enabled 
to  overcome  these  and  has  worked  his  way 
upward  from  year  to  year  until  today  his 
fine  farm  is  evidence  of  the  success  which 
he  has  achieved,  and  he  has  accumulated  a 
competence  that  provides  him  with  all  the 
comforts  of  life. 

D.  SIDNEY  RECTOR,  JR.,  a  pros- 
perous farmer  of  Sodus  township,  where  he 
owns  a  valuable  and  well  improved  property 
of  eighty  acres,  situated  on  section  2,  in 
addition  to  which  he  operates  a  tract  of 
sixty  acres  belonging  to  his  wife,  is  a  native 
son  of  the  township  in  which  he  still  makes 
his  home,  his  birth  having  here  occurred 
on  the  loth  of  July,  1852.  His  father, 
David  S.  Rector,  was  born  in  Sodus,  New 
York,  and  in  1835  made  his  way  westward 
by  lakes  and  canal,  locating  in  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  where  he  purchased  a 
farm  lying  on  section  14,  Pipestone  town- 
ship. The  township  was  afterward  given 
the-  name  of  Sodus,  being  named  by  Mr. 
Rector  in  honor  of  his  native  city  in  the  east. 
He  took  a  very  active  part  in  the  develop- 


ment and  improvement  of  this  township  and 
was  one. of  the  prominent  pioneer  settlers 
of  this  portion  of  the  state.  His  wife  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Tabor,  and  was 
born  in  Syracuse,  New  York,  December  11, 
1 819,  and  died  in  Berrien  county,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  seventy-eight  years,  while 
Mr.  Rector  lived  to  be  seventy-five  years  old. 
Their  family  numbered  five  sons  and  four 
daughters,  of  whom  our  subject  is  the  sixth 
in  order  of  birth. 

D.  Sidney  Rector  was  reared  in  this 
township,  and  was  early  trained  to  the  dut- 
ies of  the  home  farm,  assisting  his  father 
in  its  operation  during  the  period  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth,  and  thus  becoming  familiar 
with  practical  and  modern  ideas  of  agricul- 
ture, which  qualified  him  for  carrying  on. 
a  business  of  this  character  when  he  started 
out  in  life  on  his  own  account.  From  1864 
until  1872  he  pursued  his  studies  at  Flint, 
Michigan,  and  was  graduated  from  the 
schools  there  in  the  latter  year.  Mr.  Rector 
now  owns  a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  situated 
on  section  2,  Sodus  township,  and  since 
purchasing  this  property  he  has  added  many 
substantial  and  modern  improvements, 
which  have  greatly  enhanced  its  value,  and 
here  he  is  engaged  in  carrying  on  general 
farming  and  he  also  raises  considerable 
fruit.  In  addition  to  his  own  farm  Mrs. 
Rector  also  owns  a  tract  of  sixty  acres,  so 
that  together  they  have  a  valuable  piece  of 
property,  which  is  being  successfully  oper- 
ated by  Mr.  Rector. 

On  the  loth  of  September,  1884,  oc- 
curred the  marriage  of  Mr.  Rector  and  Miss 
Sophia  A.  Krohne,  who  was  born  in  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  July  9,  1859.  Her  father, 
William  Krohne,  was  born  in  Berlin,  Ger- 
many, and  when  a  youth  of  eighteen  years 
crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  United  States. 
For  a  time  he  was  employed  in  Cuba  and 
Florida,  subsequent  to  which  time  he  went 
to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  was  married. 
His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Engel  First, 
w^hose  parents  came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
from  Menden,  Germany,  when  she  was 
three  3^ears  of  age,  and  she  resided  in  that 
city  until  she  w^as  married.  She  died  No- 
vember 14,  1897,  the  same  day  Mr.  Rector's 


^. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


961 


mother  died,  and  both  were  interred  on  the 
same  day.  In  1868  Mr.  Krohne  made  his 
way  to  Berrien  county.  Their  family  num- 
bered eight  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Rector 
is  the  second  in  order  of  birth  and  she  was 
a  little  maiden  of  nine  years  when  she  ac- 
companied her  parents  on  their  removal  to 
this  state.  By  her  marriage  she  has  become 
the  mother  of  three  sons:  Glen,  who  was 
born  July  20,  1885;  Willie,  who  was  born 
November  28,  1894;  and  RoUa,  born  Oc- 
tober 10,  1900. 

Mr.  Rector  is  alert  and  enterprising, 
ever  watchful  of  opportunities  for  advance- 
ment, and  by  his  close  application  and  care- 
ful business  management  he  is  today  in  pos- 
session of  a  fine  property,  and  is  numbered 
among  the  prosperous  farmers  of  this  por- 
tion of  the  state. 

JOHN     F.     HOGUE,     proprietor     of 
Riverbrook   Farm,    located    on    section     i, 
Sodus  township,  was  born  in  Mercer  county, 
Pennsylvania,     February     3,      1848.       His 
father,  James  W.   Hogue,  was  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  was  there    married    to    Hannah 
Moore,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  but  was 
reared  in  Ohio.     The  Hogue  family  was  es- 
tablished in  this  country  by  the  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  who  came  from  Ireland  and 
established  his  home  in  Youngstown,  Ohio. 
He  was  a  tailor  by  trade.     On  the  maternal 
side    Mr.    Hogue   is    of      English    descent. 
After  his  marriage  James  W.  Hogue,  who 
was    a    wagon-maker   by   trade,    located   in 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  followed  the  occu- 
pation of  farming.     In  September,  1854,  he 
arrived  in  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  where 
he  purchased  two  hundred  acres  of  land  in 
Pipestone  township,  placing  it  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,   and  there  making  his 
home  for  twelve  years.     On  the  expiration 
of  that  period  he  sold  his  place  there  and 
came  to  Sodus  township,  where  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  dying  at  the  age  of 
seventy  years.     He  took  an  active  part  in 
the  public  affairs  of  his  community,  was  a 
stanch  Republican  in  his  political  affiliations, 
and  for  a  number  of  years  held  the  office  of 
justice  of  the  peace.     He  was  one  of  four 
who   voted   that  ticket  in   the  township   in 
which  he  lived  in   Pennsylvania.      His   re- 
61 


ligious  connection  was  with  the  United 
Brethren  church,  and  being  a  natural  musi- 
cian he  led  the  singing  in  the  church  choir 
for  many  years  and  was  able  to  play  on  al- 
most any  instrument.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hogue 
were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  four  sons. 
and  four  daughters. 

John  F.  Hogue,  whose  name  introduces-^ 
this  review,  was  but  six  years  of  age  when, 
he  came  with  his  parents  to  Berrien  county,  . 
and  for  twelve  years  thereafter  their  home 
was   in   Pipestone   township,   where   he.  at- 
tended the   district  schools  and  assisted   ini 
the  work  of  the  farm.     When  he  reached' 
his  eighteenth   year   the    family   established 
their  home  in  Sodus  township,  and  after  his 
marriage  Mr.  Hogue  removed  to  a  farm  in 
the  northern  part  of  that  township,  but  three 
years  later,  in  1883,  he  located  on  the  farm 
on  which  h^  now  lives,  owning  one  hundred, 
and   ninety-seven   acres,    while   his   brother,, 
L.  M.  Hogue  has  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  acres  adjoining  his  land.      His  place 
is  known  as  the  Riverbrook  farm,  and  he 
carries  on  general  agricultural  pursuits.     He: 
gives  his  political  support  to  the  Republicao 
party,   and   he   has   served   as   treasurer   of 
Sodus  township  and  in  other  local  offices. 
In   December,    1879,   occurred  the  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Hogue  and  Miss  Flora  Har- 
mon,   she  being  a   daughter  of   Jacob  and 
Catherine   (Stump)    Harmon,  who  came  to 
Sodus   township,   Berrien   county,   in    1854.- 
Here  Mrs.  Hogue  was  born  on  the  24th  of 
June,  i860,  and  she  is  the  third  in  order  of 
birth  of  her  parent's  five  children,  four  sons 
and  one  daughter.     She  has  spent  most  of 
her   life   in   Berrien  county,   where  she   re- 
ceived   her    education    and    also    attended 
school   at   Benton   Harbor.      Mr.   and   Mrs. 
Hogue  have  two  children — Edith,  attending 
school    at   the   Northwestern   University   in. 
Chicago,  and  Harry,  at  home. 

ERNEST  TABOR  is  well  known 
throughout  this  section  of  Berrien  county  as 
the  owner  of  Tabor  Farm  Summer  Resort, 
located  on  section  27,  Sodus  township.  It 
is  beautifully  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
St.  Joseph  river,  ten  miles  south  of  Benton 
Harbor  and  on  the  St.  Joe  Traction  Rail- 
road.    Mr.  Tabor  was  born  in  Bainbridge 


962 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


township,    Berrien   county,    Michigan,   Feb- 
ruary 14,  1845.     His  father,  Walhs  Tabor, 
a  native  of  Onondaga  county,  New  York, 
took  up  his  abode  within  the  borders  of  Ber- 
rien county  as  early  as  1835,  when  nineteen 
years  of  age.     His  first  stop  on  his  west- 
ward   journey,    however,    was    at    Chicago, 
IlHnois,  where  he  resided  for  a  short  time, 
thence  continuing  on  to   Bainbridge  town- 
ship,   Berrien   county,   Michigan.      A   short 
time  afterward  he  estabhshed  his  home  .in 
Sodus  township,  where  he  spent  the  remain- 
ing years  of  his  Hfe,  his  hfe  labors  being 
ended  in  death  when  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  eighty-four  years.     His  wife    bore    the 
maiden   name  of   Julia    McKies,    and    she, 
too,  was  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  born 
at  Syracuse,  New  York.     She  still  survives 
her     husband,     having    now     reached     the 
eighty-fifth  milestone  on  the  journey  of  life 
and  is  a  resident  of  Kansas.     Of  the  eight 
children  born  to  her  and   her  husband  six 
are  now  living  and  are  proving  worthy  rep- 
resentatives of  this  honored  pioneer  couple. 
Ernest   Tabor,    whose   name   introduces 
this    review,    obtained    his    elementary   edu- 
cation  in   the   public   schools   of    Pipestone 
township,    tnis   being   supplemented   by   an 
attendance  of  one  year  in  the  Michigan  Uni- 
versity at  Ann  Arbor  and  at  a  private  school 
in   Royalton,    this   county.      Thus   w-ith   an 
excellent  education  with  which  to  begin  the 
active  duties  of  life  he  began  farming  and 
lumbering  on  a  small  piece  of  land  in  Deer- 
field  township.   Van   Buren   county,   Michi- 
gan, which  he  purchased,  and  where  he  im- 
mediately began  cutting  the  timber  and  sell- 
ing the  land.     After  the  completion  of  this 
work  he  located  on  a  tract  of  land  in  Sodus 
tow^nship,    wdiich   he   rented   for   two   years 
and  then  purchased  the  farm  where  he  now 
lives,  his  landed  possessions  first  consisting 
of  one  hundred  and  two  acres,  but  as  the 
years  have  passed  by  he  has  been  enabled  to 
add  to  his  original  purchase  until  he  is  now 
the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 
This  land  is  well  known  as  a  beautiful  sum- 
mer resort,  the  Tabor  Farm   Summer  Re- 
sort,   on  which   is   located   twelve   cottages 
besides  a  large  residence  and  other  build- 


ings, this  constituting  one  of  the  finest  sum- 
mer resorts  in  the  county. 

In    1872   Mr.   Tabor    was    married    to 
Elizabeth,  the  daughter  of  John  and  Mar- 
garet Stump,   and   they  had  two   children. 
Myrtle  and  May.     For  the  second  wife  he 
chose  Mrs.  Hettie   (Ryerson)    Angell,   Oc- 
tober 31,  1902.     She  was  born  in  Sterling, 
Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  Martin  Ryerson, 
one  of  the  best  known  business  citizens  of 
Sterling,   Illinois.     He  was  well  known  as 
a  benefactor  to  the  public.     Mrs.  Tabor  was 
educated    in    Sterling,     Illinois,     and    was 
an  instructor  in  the  public  schools  of  that  city 
and  very  successful.   She  is  a  lady  of  accom- 
plishments  in   free   hand   crayon,   oils   and 
water  colors,  and  her  pretty  home  is  adorned 
by  her  handiwork.     By  her  first  marriage 
she  had  two  children:  Ethel  is  the  wife  of 
Charles  Goutevenier,  an  accomplished  artist. 
She   was   educated   in   Austin   high   school, 
and    has    one    little    son,    Charles    Arnold. 
Arnold  is  a  resident  of  Chicago,  associated 
in  a  high  manner  in  the  well  known  firm 
of  A.  H.  Andrews  &  Company.     He  is  a 
man   of   more   than    ordinary    attainments. 
Mr.  Tabor  gives  his  political  support  to  the 
Republican  party  and  is  an  active  worker  in 
its  ranks. 

EDWIN  SHARAI  was  born  on  section 
22,  Sodus  township,  Berrien  county,  on  the 
farm  which  is  still  his  home  on  the  13th  of 
September,  1848.  His  father,  Tanos  Sharai, 
was  a  native  of  Canada,  his  birth  having 
occurred  near  Toronto,  and  he  came  as  a 
boy  with  his  parents  to  Berrien  county,  the 
family  home  being  established  in  Bainbridge 
township.  The  father  of  our  subject  pur- 
chased a  farm  on  the  bank  of  the  St.  Joe 
river,  and  there  continued  his  home  for 
twelve  years,  after  which  he  removed  to  the 
farm  where  the  son  Edwin  was  born  and 
where  he  has  continued  to  make  his  home. 
Tanos  Sharai  was  married  to  Miss  Louisa 
Wheeler,  a  native  of  New  York  state,  who 
came  with  her  parents  to  this  state  at  an 
early  day,  the  family  home  being  estab- 
lished in  St.  Joe,  where  her  father,  John 
Wheeler,  was  a  lumberman,  and  was  one  of 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


963 


the  pioneer  settlers  of  Berrien  county.  Both 
parents  are  now  deceased,  the  father  having 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy- four  years, 
while  the  mother  died  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
nine  years.  Their  family  numbered  five 
children  and  with  the  exception  of  one  all 
are  now  living. 

Edwin  Sharai,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  was  the  second  child  and  second 
son  of  his  father's  family,  and  was  reared 
and  educated  in  his  native  township.  He, 
however,  started  out  at  the  early  age  of 
twelve  years  to  earn  his  own  living  by  work- 
ing by  the  day  and  month  at  farm  labor. 
During  his  youth  he  also  learned  the  car- 
penter's trade  and  for  sixteen  years  was  con- 
nected with  the  building  operations  of  this 
county.  In  1864,  at  the  time  of  the  Civil 
war,  his  private  business  interests  were  in- 
terrupted, when,  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
years,  he  enlisted  for  service,  joining  Com- 
pany H,  Twenty-fourth  Michigan  Volun- 
teer Infantry  as  a  private  and  he  served 
until  the  close  of  hostilities,  taking  part  in 
the  battles  of  Weldon  Road,  Hatch's  Run, 
Petersburg,  and  many  other  important  en- 
gagements, and  was  honorably  discharged 
at  the  close  of  hostilities,  being  mustered  out 
at  Detroit,  in  July,  1865. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  Sodus  town- 
ship, Mr.  Sharai  then  resumed  his  work  at 
the  carpenter's  trade  for  several  years,  meet- 
ing with  good  success  in  his  work.  In  1870 
Mr.  Sharai  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Jennie  I.  Welch,  who  died,  leaving  three 
children,  Clara,  Bert  and  Maude,  and  he 
afterward  wedded  Margaret  Hanson,  who 
was  born  in  St.  Joseph,  Berrien  county,  a 
daughter  of  C.  W.  and  Rachel  (Hender- 
son) Hanson.  Her  father  was  born  in  Sil- 
ver Creek  township,  Cattaraugus  county, 
New  York,  August  i,  1838,  and  was  only 
a  year  old  when  brought  to  Berrien  county, 
the  family  home  being  established  in  St. 
Joseph,  where  Mr.  Hanson  is  still  making 
his  home.  His  family  numbered  eleven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Mrs.  Sharai  is  the  sixth  in 
order  of  birth,  and  all  were  born  in  St. 
Joseph,  this  state. 

In  1876  Mr.  Sharai  removed  with  his 
family  to  California,  settling  in  the  San 
Jose  valley,  where  he    remained    for    two 


years,  working  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  He 
then  returned  to  Berrien  county,  where  he 
continued  his  work  in  that  line  for  several 
years,  and  in  1891  he  and  his  wife  made 
a  second  trip  to  the  Pacific  coast,  remaining 
in  the  west  for  about  six  months.  They 
rnade  the  return  trip  by  team,  camping 
along  the  way,  the  journey  requiring  four 
months  and  two  days.  He  is  now  making 
his  home  on  the  old  homestead  property, 
situated  on  section  22,  Sodus  township, 
where  he  carries  on  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits, and  here  he  also  entertains  summer 
boarders. 

He  is  a  member  of  General  H.  Thomas 
Post,  No.  14,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Benton  Harbor, 
thus  maintaining  pleasant  relations  with  his 
old  army  comrades.  He  is  a  stalwart  Re- 
publican, giving  active  and  helpful  support 
to  his  party,  and  is  interested  in  all  that 
tends  to  promote  the  progress  of  his  home 
locality.  With  the  exception  of  about  three 
years,  a  part  of  which  time  was  spent  on  the 
Pacific  coast,  our  subject  has  always  resided 
in  Berrien  county,  covering  a  period  of  al- 
most six  decades  and  he  is  well  known  in 
social  and  business  circles.  Although  start- 
ing out  at  the  early  age  of  twelve  years, 
dependent  entirely  upon  his  own  resources 
for  a  living,  he  has  worked  his  way  steadily 
upward  until  he  is  today  in  possession  of 
a  valuable  property  and  is  numbered  among 
the  prominent  and  influential  citizens  of  this 
part  of  the  state. 

ALFRED  J.  SHARAI,  a  prominent 
fruit  farmer  residing  on  section  26,  Sodus 
township,  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
early  pioneer  families  of  Berrien  county. 
He  w^as  born  in  the  township  which  is  still 
his  home,  April  8,  1856.  His  father,  Luke 
Sharai,  was  a  native  of  Montreal,  Canada, 
but  at  an  early  period  in  the  development 
of  this  section  of  the  state  he  came  to  Ber- 
rien county,  locating  at  St.  Joseph,  where 
for  about  twenty  years  he  was  engaged  in 
boating  on  the  St.  Joseph  river.  He  then 
purchased  a  farm  in  Sodus  township,  for 
which  he  paid  one  dollar  and  a  quarter  per 
acre,  and  here  he  lived  and  labored  during 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  being  called  to  his 
final  rest  when  he  had  reached  the  age  of 


964 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


seventy-eight  years.  He  was  of  French 
origin.  Mr.  Sharai  married  Matilda  Beeny, 
a  native  of  England,  but  who  emigrated 
with  her  parents  to  New  Jersey  during  her 
girlhood  days,  and  thence  came  to  Michigan. 
Her  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death  when 
she  reached  the  age  of  sixty-four  years. 
They  became  the  parents  of  three  children, 
our  subject  being  the  only  son  and  second 
child. 

Alfred  J.  Sharai,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  grew  to  manhood  on  the  old 
home  farm  in  Sodus  township,  assisting  his 
father  in  its  development  and  improvement 
until  his  marriage,  which  occurred  in  April, 
1876,  Ida  Tabor  becoming  his  wife.  She 
too,  is  a  native  of  Berrien  county,  and  a 
daughter  of  Wallace  Tabor,  who  was  num- 
bered aming  the  early  pioneers  of  the 
county.  Two  children  have  been  born  of 
this  union,  Lena,  the  wife  of  Burt  Rector, 
of  Sodus  township,  and  Farmer,  at  home. 
Mr.  Sharai  owns  ninety-five  acres  of  land 
on  section  26,  Sodus  township,  which  he 
has  placed  under  an  excellent  state  of  culti- 
vation, arid  here  he  is  engaged  in  general 
farming.  He  gives  his  political  support  to 
the  Republican  party,  and  he  is  an  active 
worker  in  its  ranks. 

MRS.  ABBIE  SEEGMILLER  is  a 
lady  of  excellent  business  ability,  carefully 
managing  her  farming  interests  on  section 
22,  Sodus  township,  which  was  once  the 
property  of  her  father,  Luke  Sharai,  who 
was  born  in  Canada  and  came  to  Sodus 
township,  Berrien  county,  this  state,  at  an 
early  day.  He  first  located  in  Bainbridge 
township,  where  he  made  his  home  for  a 
time,  and  upon  his  marriage  to  Miss  Ma- 
tilda Beeny,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  he 
located  on  the  farm  which  is  now  owned  by 
their  daughter,  Mrs.  Seegmiller,  and  here 
the  father  and  mother  both  passed  away,  the 
former  having  reached  the  very  advanced 
age  of  eighty-two  years,  while  the  mother 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight.  Their 
family  numbered  two  daughters  and  one 
son:  Emily,  the  wife  of  I.  M.  Allen,  of 
Sodus  township;  and  Alfred,  whose  sketch 
appears  on  another  page  of  this  work. 

Abbie  Sharai,  the  youngest  member  of 


her  father's  family,  was  born  on  the  farm 
which  she  now  occupies,  November  3,  1858,. 
where  she  was  reared,  receiving  practical 
training  in  the  duties  of  the  household, 
which  prepared  her  to  later  care  for  a  home 
of  her  own.  She  acquired  her  education 
in  the  district  schools  near  her  father's 
home,  and  here  in  May,  1874,  she  gave  her 
hand  in  marriage  to  Samuel  Seegmiller,  a. 
native  of  Canada,  who  crossed  the  border 
into  the  United  States  about  1868,  taking 
up  his  abode  in  Berrien  county.  He  was 
a  well  educated  man  and  after  arriving  in 
Sodus  township  followed  the  profession  of 
teaching  for  several  years  and  was  also  en- 
gaged in  farming  here. 

By  her  marriage  Mrs.  Seegmiller  has 
become  the  mother  of  three  children :  Al- 
len, who  resides  in  Minnesota;  Clyde,  of 
Iowa;  and  Ruth,  who  is  at  home  wath  her 
mother.  Mrs.  Seegmiller  has  a  farm  of 
ninety-five  acres,  which  she  rents  and  from 
which  she  derives  an  income  sufficient  to 
supply  her  with  the  necessities  and  many  of 
the  comforts  of  life.  She  has  carefully 
reared  her  family  and  has  provided  all  with 
good  educational  advantages.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  three  years  passed  in  Canada, 
Mrs.  Seegmiller  has  spent  her  entire  life  in 
Berrien  county,  where  she  is  highly  re- 
spected by  all  who  know  her,  for  she  pos- 
sesses many  sterling  traits  of  heart  and  mind 
which  have  endeared  her  to  all  with  whom 
she  has  been  associated.  She  possesses  ex- 
cellent business  ability  and  executive  force 
and  manages  her  business  interests  in  a  cap- 
able and  creditable  manner. 

JOHN  W.  SHARAI  is  numbered  among 
the  oldest  settlers  of  Berrien  county,  where 
he  owns  a  farm  of  thirty-five  acres,  situated 
on  section  22,  Sodus  township,  and  he  also 
owns  forty-two  acres  of  the  old  homestead 
property.  He  was  born  in  St.  Joseph,  Ber- 
rien county,  this  state,  December  9,  1845^ 
a  son  of  Tanos  and  Louisa  (Wheeler) 
Sharai,  more  extended  mention  of  whom  is 
made  on  another  page  of  this  work  in  con- 
nection with  the  sketch  of  his  brother,  Ed- 
win Sharai. 

John  W.  Sharai,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  was  the  eldest  of  five  children. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


965 


horn  of  his  father's  family,  and  was  very 
young  when  he  was  brought  to  this  town- 
iship  by  his  parents,  the  family  having  prev- 
iously lived  in  Pipestone  township,  this 
county.  Here  he  was  reared  under  the  par- 
ental roof,  assisting  his  father  in  the  duties 
of  the  farm,  being  assigned  such  duties  as 
his  age  and  strength  permitted  of,  and  when 
not  occupied  at  farm  work  he  pursued  his 
studies  in  the  district  schools  near  his 
father's  home,  there  acquiring  the  education 
which  fitted  him  to  later  carry  on  his  busi- 
ness affairs,  when  he  started  out  in  life 
on  his  own  account.  He  continued  as  a 
member  of  his  father's  household  until  he 
had  attained  his  majority,  when  he  started 
•out  in  life  on  his  own  account,  choosing  as 
his  vocation  the  work  to  which  he  had  been 
reared.  He  purchased  thirty-eight  acres  of 
land  on  section  22,  Sodus  township,  and  he 
is  also  operating  an  additional  forty-two 
acres,  which  was  a  part  of  the  old  homestead 
and  which  was  inherited  by  him  from  his 
father's  estate.  Here  he  is  engaged  in  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits,  raising  the  cereals 
best  adapted  to  soil  and  climate  and  each 
year  he  harvests  good  crops  as  the  result  of 
the  care  and  labor  which  he  bestows  upon 
the  fields.  He  is  practical  and  progressive 
in  carrying*  on  his  work,  using  the  best 
machinery  to  facilitate  his  labors,  and  he 
is  accounted  one  of  the  enterprising  citizens 
of  his  community,  where  he  has  taken  a  deep 
and  helpful  interest  in  all  that  pertains  to 
general  progress  along  agricultural  lines. 

Mr.  Sharai  has  been  twice  married,  his 
first  union  being  in  1869,  when  he  wedded 
Rebecca  Seeley,  who  died  leaving  two  chil- 
dren :  Willie  and  Lula,  the  wife  of  Nels 
Wikoff.  For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Sharai 
chose  Miss  Josephine  Thebo,  and  unto  them 
have  been  born  five  children,  as  follows : 
Johnie,  who  w^edded  Nellie  Eckright; 
Laura,  the  wife  of  Amos  Thomas ;  Clarence, 
who  married  Etta  Taylor;  and  Lenora  and 
Letha,  both  of  whom  are  with  their  parents. 

Our  subject  is  a  Democrat  in  his  politi- 
cal views,  giving  active  and  helpful  sup- 
port to  the  principles  of  his  party,  while  in 
his  fraternal  relations  he  holds  membership 
with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  the  Grange.     Mr.  Sharai  has  spent 


his  entire  life  in  Berrien  county,  which 
covers  a  period  of  fifty-one  years  and  there- 
fore is  widely  known.  He  has  always  been 
an  industrious  and  hardworking  man,  ac- 
complishing whatever  he  has  undertaken, 
for  he  has  allowed  no  obstacles  to  deter  him 
in  his  pursuits,  and  today  his  farm  is  an  in- 
dication that  his  has  been  a  successful  career. 

JAMES  P.  VERSAW,  proprietor  of 
the  Farm  Home,  constituting  a  valuable 
tract  of  fifty  acres,  on  which  he  carries  on 
horticultural  pursuits,  the  property  being 
situated  on  section  15,  Sodus  township,  was 
born  in  this  township,  October  17,  1847. 
The  name  Versaw  is  really  Versailles,  of 
French  origin,  but  is  now  known  as  Ver- 
saw. His  father,  Francis  Versaw,  was  born 
in  Canada,  in  181 3,  and  in  1835  crossed  the 
border  line  into  the  United  States,  making 
his  way  to  Berrien  county,  this  state,  where 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Rebecca  McDougal, 
who  was  a  native  of  New  York.  After  their 
marriage  the  father  followed  the  river  for 
some  time,  being  employed  on  various  boats 
and  made  his  home  on  the  banks  of  the  St. 
Joe  river,  at  the  place  which  now  bears  the 
name  of  King's  Landing.  He  later  pur- 
chased land  in  Sodus  township,  and  in  1852 
purchased  another  farm  which  was  located 
on  section  15,  of  the  same  township.  There 
they  reared  their  family  which  numbered 
eleven  children,  and  nine  of  the  number 
reached  years  of  maturity,  while  eight  are 
still  living.  Here  the  parents  continued  to 
make  their  home,  the  father  carrying  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits  there  through 
many  years  and  on  this  farm  both  passed 
away,  the  father  having  reached  the  very 
advanced  age  of  eighty-eight  years,  while 
the  mother  passed  away  when  she  had 
reached  the  age  of  seventy-eight. 

James  P.  Versaw,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  record  was  the  third  in  order  of 
birth  in  his  father's  family,  and  was  reared 
to  farm  life,  early  becoming  familiar  with 
all  the  duties  and  labors  of  field  and 
meadow,  and  during  the  winter  seasons  he 
pursued  his  studies  in  the  district  schools 
of  his  native  township.  He  remained  under 
the  parental  roof  until  he  had  reached  the 
age  of  seventeen  years,  when  he  responded 


966 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


to  his  country's  call  for  troops  in  the  Civil 
war  and  enlisted  in  Company  K,  Twenty- 
eighth  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry,  with 
which  he  served  until  June  8,  1866,  being 
honorably  discharged  at  Detroit.  During 
his  service  he  participated  in  many  impor- 
tant battles,  including  the  battles  of  Nash- 
ville, Tennessee,  and  Kingston,  and  gave 
valiant  and  loyal  service  in  defense  of  the 
Union. 

After  the  war  he  returned  to  his  home 
in  Sodus  township  and  resumed  agricultural 
pursuits  for  several  years,  after  which  feel- 
ing that  his  earnings  justified  the  purchase 
of  property,  he  invested  in  his  present  farm 
of  fifty  acres,  which  he  has  made  a  valuable 
and  well  improved  property,  which  is  de- 
voted entirely  to  the  raising  of  fruit.  He  is 
thoroughly  conversant  with  the  best  methods 
of  horticulture  so  that  he  annually  yields 
good  crops  of  fruit,  for  which  he  finds  a 
ready  sale  on  the  market. 

In  1 87 1,  the  year  following  his  purchase 
of  land,  he.  further  completed  his  arrange- 
ments for  having  a  home  of  his  own  by  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Emma  Proctor,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Ibison  and  Mary  Proctor,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  England.  Mrs.  Ver- 
saw  was  likewise  born  in  the  fatherland  and 
was  only  five  years  of  age  when  her  parents 
crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  United  States, 
the  family  home  being  established  in  Ber- 
rien county,  where  she  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated, and  by  her  marriage  she  has  become 
the  mother  of  nine  children,  William,  Har- 
ry, Earnest,  Otis,  Pearl,  Clarence,  Susan, 
Walter  and  Chester. 

Mr.  Versaw  gives  his  political  support 
to  the  Republican  party  and  takes  an  active 
and  helpful  interest  in  all  that  tends  to  ad- 
vance its  growth  and  upbuilding.  He 
served  his  township  as  drain  commissioner 
for  five  years  and  filled  the  office  of  con- 
stable for  ten  years,  and  his  official  duties 
were  ever  discharged  in  a  capable  and  effi- 
cient manner.  He  likewise  served  as  school 
officer  for  several  years  and  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation finds  in  him  a  warm  and  stalwart 
friend.  He  is  identified  with  General  H. 
Thomas  Post,  No.  14,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Benton 
Harbor,  and  takes  great  delight  in  meeting 
with  his  old  comrades  who  gave  such  valiant 


support  to  the  Union  at  the  time  of  the  Civil 
war.  He  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Ber- 
rien county  and  has  been  an  active  factor 
in  the  development  and  progress  which  this, 
section  of  the  state  has  enjoyed  during  the 
last  half  century.  He  has  been  industrious 
and  persistent  in  his  eflforts  to  acquire  suc- 
cess and  that  he  has  accomplished  his  aim 
is  evidenced  by  his  fine  fruit  farm  which  he 
is  today  successfully  controlling. 

CARLTON  E.  TABOR,  proprietor  of  a 
fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-four 
acres,  situated  on  section  22,  Sodus  town- 
ship, which  is  called  Bluff  Resort,  was  born 
in  the  house  in  which  he  now  resides,  March 
8,  1858,  a  son  of  Wallace  and  Julia  (Mc- 
Keis)  Tabor,  whose  history  is  given  on 
another  page  of  this  work  in  connection 
with  the  sketch  of  Ernest  Tabor,  a  brother 
of  our  subject. 

Mr.  Tabor  was  reared  on  the  farm 
which  is  yet  his  home,  assisting  his  father 
in  its  operation,  and  thus  gaining  practical 
knowledge  which  fitted  him  in  later  years, 
to  carry  on  business  on  his  own  account.  He 
was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of  farm  lads, 
working  in  the  fields  during  the  period  of 
plowing,  planting  and  harvesting  crops,  and 
during  the  winter  seasons  he  pursued  his 
studies  in  the  district  schools  near  his 
father's  home.  He  always  remained  with 
his  father,  assisting  him  in  the  manage- 
ment and  care  of  the  property  and  he  is 
now  in  possession  of  the  farm,  and  is  here 
engaged  in  carrying  on  general  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  in  addition  entertains  summer 
boarders,  having  converted  much  of  his  land 
into  a  summer  resort,  which  is  known  as 
Bluff  Resort.  He  has  erected  on  his  farm 
five  neat  little  cottages,  which  he  rents  dur- 
ing the  summer  months  and  he  has  placed 
many  conveniences  and  equipments  which 
add  to  the  comfort  as  well  as  the  pleasure  of 
his  guests,  thus  making  it  a  popular  resort 
for  those  who  wish  to  leave  the  city  during 
the  heated  season  and  enjoy  the  quiet  and 
rest  of  a  rural  existence. 

Mr.  Tabor  was  happily  married  in  1884, 
to  Miss  Celia  Tyler,  a  daughter  of  Calvin 
and  Sarah  Tyler.  She  was  born  near  Elgin, 
Illinois,  where  she  was  reared  and  spent  her 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


967 


life  until  her  marriage.  Unto  our  subject 
and  his  wife  have  been  born  five  children : 
Leon,  deceased;  Maude,  of  Elgin;  Leonard; 
Mary ;  and  Ella.  Mr.  Tabor  gives  his  politi- 
cal support  to  the  Republican  party,  and  in 
his  fraternal  relations  is  identified  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  belonging 
to  the  camp  at  Sodus.  Having  spent  his  en- 
tire life  on  his  present  farm,  which  has  be- 
come endeared  to  him  through  the  associa- 
tions of  his  boyhood  and  youth  as  well  as 
those  of  later  manhood,  Mr.  Tabor  is  well 
known  in  his  home  locality,  and  he  and  his 
estimable  wife  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  many 
of  the  best  homes  of  this  section  of  the 
county. 

ISAAC  LIGHT.  This  well  and  favor- 
ably known  citizen  of  Eau  Claire,  Berrien 
county,  is  now  living  retired  from  the  active 
duties  and  cares  of  life,  enjoying  the  fruits 
of  his  years  of  toil  in  the  past.  He  is  of 
Swiss-German  descent,  and  is  descended 
from  two  brothers  named  Light  who  were 
banished  from  their  country  on  account  of 
their  religious  faith  and  came  to  America, 
becoming  the  founders  of  the  family  in  this 
country.  The  father  of  him  whose  name 
introduces  this  review,  Henry  Light,  was 
born  and  reared  in  Dauphin  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  followed  farming  as  a 
life  occupation,  and  there  his  death  occurred 
when  he  was  seventy-six  years  of  age.  His 
wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Leon  Eber- 
soll,  and  she  too  was  a  native  of  Dauphin 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  W'as  of  German 
descent.  Her  death  occurred  when  she  had 
reached  her  eighty-eighth  year.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  ten  children,  but  only  six  of  the 
number  grew  to  years  of  maturity,  and  Mr. 
Isaac  Light  of  this  review  was  the  fifth  in 
order  of  birth. 

The  last  named  w^as  born  in  Dauphin 
county,  Pennsylvania,  October  24,  1836,  re- 
ceiving his  education  in  the  common  schools 
of  his  native  place,  and  he  remained  at  home 
assisting  in  the  work  of  the  farm  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  maturity,  when  he  began 
farming  for  himself  on  the  old  homestead. 
The  date  of  his  arrival  in  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  was  March  23,  1870,  at  which 
time  he  purchased  and  took  up  his  abode  on 


an  eighty  acre  farm,  which  he  brought  to  a 
high  state  of  cultivation,  giving  his  time 
to  its  cultivation  and  improvement  for  a 
number  of  years  thereafter.  In  1881  he 
was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  Ber- 
rien county  home  for  the  poor,  continuing 
in  that  position  for  twenty-five  years  to  the 
very  day,  when  he  resigned  his  position  and 
located  in  Eau  Claire.  He  is,  however,  the 
owner  of  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  the  work  of  which  is  carried  on  by 
his  son,  who  lives  on  the  place. 

On  October  8,  1861,  Mr.  Light  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Lygon, 
wdio  was  also  a  native  of  Dauphin  county, 
Pennsylvania,  where  she  was  born  on  the 
9th  of  August,  1840,  and  was  there  reared 
and  educated.  They  have  three  children — ■ 
Minerva  J.,  the  wife  of  Howard  Simpson, 
of  Benton  Harbor;  Calvin  Henry,  a  resi- 
dent of  Sodus  township,  Berrien  county; 
and  Venetta  Adell,  the  wife  of  William 
Dean,  of  Berrien  township.  Mr.  Light  is  a 
Republican  in  his  political  affiliations,  active 
in  the  work  of  the  party,  but  at  local  elec- 
tions he  votes  for  the  man  whom  he  regards 
as  best  qualified  to  discharge  the  duties  com- 
mitted to  his  care.  He  is  well  known 
throughout  the  entire  county  of  Berrien,  of 
W'hich  he  has  been  a  resident  for  thirty-six 
years,  and  during  twenty-five  years  of  that 
time  he  has  been  a  public  officer.  His  re- 
ligious connections  are  with  the  United 
Brethren  church. 

ISRAEL  M.  ALLEN,  one  of  the  old 
settlers  of  Berrien  county,  where  he  owns 
and  operates  a  well  improved  farm  of  eighty 
acres,  which  is  devoted  to  horticultural  pur- 
suits, is  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Seneca  county, 
March  25,  1834.  His  father,  John  Allen, 
was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  where  he  w-as 
reared,  and  he  was  married  in  New  York, 
to  Miss  Anna  Greenleaf,  a  native  of  that 
state,  and  a  daughter  of  Tillie  Greenleaf, 
of  English  birth,  and  her  ancestry  can  be 
traced  back  through  four  centuries.  After 
his  marriage  John  Allen  located  in  New 
York,  where  he  continued  his  residence  until 
1835,  in  which  year  he  made  his  way  to  the 
west,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Ypsilanti,  Mich- 


^68 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


igan,  where  he  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming,  being  numbered  among  the  first  set- 
tlers of  that  portion  of  the  state.  After  a 
year,  however,  he  removed  with  his  family 
to  Portage  county,  Ohio,  where  the  mother 
of  our  subject  died  in  1850,  and  the  father 
afterward  married  Sarah  Edwards,  and  in 
1854  came  to  Berrien  county,  this  state, 
where  in  the  spring  of  1855,  he  located  on  a 
farm  in  Pipestone  township,  and  the  father's 
death  there  occurred  in  1862.  In  this  fam- 
ily were  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  of 
whom  our  subject  is  the  youngest. 

Israel  M.  Allen  was  but  one  year  of  age 
when  brought  to  this  state  by  his  parents, 
.and  accompanied  them  on  their  removal  to 
Portage  county,  Ohio,  where  he  was  reared 
and  educated  to  the  age  of  thirteen  years, 
when  he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  re- 
sponsibility, being  first  employed  as  a  driver 
-on  the  canal  but  owing  to  his  ability  he  was 
promoted  from  time  to  time  until  he  became 
pilot,  and  he  followed  the  canal  altogether 
for  eight  years.  In  1855,  ^  Y^^r  after  his 
father  had  returned  to  Berrien  county,  Israel 
M.  Allen  made  his  way  to  this  state,  making 
the  journey  with  teams.  He  located  in 
Pipestone  township,  where,  in  the  spring  of 
that  year  he  purchased  a  farm  of  forty  acres, 
on  which  stood  a  log  house  but  was  other- 
wise unimproved.  Mr.  Allen  began  the 
work  of  development  and  improvement  and 
soon  placed  his  land  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation,  erected  good  buildings  and 
made  his  farm  an  excellent  property.  He 
continued  his  general  farming  pursuits  until 
1861,  when,  his  patriotic  spirit  being 
aroused  by  the  continued  attempt  of  the 
south  to  overthrow  the  Union,  he  enlisted 
for  service  in  the  Civil  war,  joining  as  a  pri- 
vate of  Company  I,  Twelfth  Michigan  Vol- 
unteer Infantry.  On  account  of  the  illness 
of  his  father  he  hired  a  substitute  and  re- 
turned home,  where  he  remained  until  1864, 
wdien  his  father  having  died  in  the  mean- 
time, he  again  enlisted  in  the  same  company 
and  regiment  and  served  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  in  1865,  when  he  was  honorably 
tlischarged. 

After  returning  from  the  war  he  sold 
Tiis  farm  in  Pipestone  township  and  invested 
his   money   in   his   present   place,    which   is 


situated  in  Sodus  township,  and  comprises 
eighty  acres  of  valuable  land.  He  has  added 
many  modern  improvements  since  his  resi- 
dence here,  erecting  substantial  and  con- 
venient buildings,  and  he  has  also  set  out 
a  fine  orchard  containing  apples,  plums  and 
small  fruit,  and  he  makes  horticultural  pur- 
suits his  principal  business  interest,  although 
he  engages  to  some  extent  in  general  farm- 
ing. The  fruit  which  he  produces  is  of  the 
finest  quality,  and  he  finds  a  ready  sale  on 
the  market  for  the  products  of  his  farm,  and 
his  financial  resources  are  thus  being  materi- 
ally increased  year  by  year.  In  his  work  he 
follows  practical  and  progressive  ideas  which 
are  always  sure  to  bring  the  best  possible 
results. 

Mr.  Allen  has  been  twice  married.  He 
first  wedded  Miss  Sarah  Rector,  in  May, 
1862,  and  her  death  occurred  two  years  later 
while  he  was  in  the  army.  She  became  the 
mother  of  two  children,  one  of  whom  sur- 
vives— Anson,  who  is  a  musician,  and  re- 
sides in  Chicago,  while  the  younger  child, 
Ural  S.,  died  at  the  age  of  two  years.  Mr. 
Allen  was  married  a  second  time,  December 
25,  1866,  at  which  time  he  wedded  Miss 
Emily  Sharai,  a  daughter  of  Luke  Sharai, 
of  Berrien  county,  and  by  this  marriage 
there  is  a  son  and  daughter :  Chilli,  now  the 
wife  of  Fred  Gleason;  and  Luke,  who  is  an 
engineer  on  the  Graham  &  Morton  line,  and 
resides  in  Benton  Harbor,  wedded  Helen 
Thomas. 

Mr.  Allen  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political 
views  and  affiliations  and  takes  an  active 
and  helpful  interest  in  public  affairs.  He 
has  resided  in  Berrien  county  for  fifty-one 
years  and  has  been  identified  with  much  of 
its  development  and  improvement  along 
many  lines  that  have  been  of  direct  benefit 
to  his  community.  He  has  displayed  ex- 
cellent judgment  in  the  management  of  his 
business  affairs  and  is  today  in  possession 
of  a  good  property  and  a  comfortable  com- 
petence which  enables  him  to  enjoy  many 
of  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  life. 

EMERSON  HOGUE,  who  is  exten- 
sively engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  at 
his  pleasantly  located  farm  on  section  35, 
Sodus  tow^nship,  Berrien  county,  is  a  native 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


969 


.son  of  this  locality,  his  birth  occurring  in 
Sodus  township  on  the  7th  of  February, 
1862.  His  father,  Charles  Hogue,  a  native 
of  Youngstown,  Ohio,  was  reared  there  un- 
til he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
came  with  his  parents,  William  and  Sarah 
Hogue,  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  locat- 
ing in  Pipestone  township.  They  were  num- 
bered among  the  early  settlers  of  that  lo- 
cality, and  were  identified  with  much  of  the 
early  history  of  the  township.  Charles 
Hogue  married  Hannah  Gano,  a  native  of 
Portage  county,  Ohio,  and  she  is  still  liv- 
ing, but  her  husband  died  when  forty-eight 
years  of  age.  William  Hogue,  the  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  lived  to  the  good  old 
age  of  ninety-three  years,  while  his  wife 
also  attained  a  ripe  old  age  ere  she  was 
called  to  the  home  beyond.  In  the  family  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Hogue  were  six  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  three  daughters,  but 
one  son  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years 
and  one  daughter  at  about  the  age  of  nine- 
teen years.  Two  sons  are  living,  the  brother 
of  our  subject  being  Clayton  M.,  a  resident 
of  Eau  Claire. 

Emerson  Hogue,  the  second  child  and 
eldest  son  in  his  parents'  family,  has  spent 
nearly  his  entire  life  in  Sodus  township,  and 
he  remained  at  home  until  he  was  nineteen 
years  of  age.  In  1904,  he  purchased  the 
farm  where  he  now  lives.  His  home  place 
consists  of  forty  acres  of  rich  and  well  cul- 
tivated land,  and  he  also  owns  another  tract 
of  forty  acres  in  the  same  township,  which 
is  devoted  exclusively  to  fruit  culture.  Mr. 
Hogue  gives  his  political  support  to  the 
Republican  party,  and  for  three  years  was 
clerk  of  the  township,  while  for  two  years 
he  was  its  treasurer.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at 
Berrien  Center. 

In  1886  Mr.  Hogue  was  married  to  Miss 
Delia  Carmichael,  also  a  native  of  Sodus 
township  and  a  daughter  of  B.  P.  and  Lydia 
Carmichael.  Two  sons  have  been  born  of 
this  union,  Claire,  occupying  a  good  posi- 
tion in  the  stock  yards  at  Chicago,  and 
Burwell,  who  is  at  home  attending  school. 

J.  H.  McCartney,  M.  D.,  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  medicine  in   Sodus,  is  a 


native  of  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  hav- 
ing been  born  in  South  Bend,  May  31,  1861. 
His  father,  John  McCartney,  was  a  native 
of  Scotland,  and  when  a  young  man  he  came 
to  the  United  States,  where  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Elizabeth  Stanton,  w^ho  was 
born  in  Buffalo,  New  York.  They  became 
early  settlers  of  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana, 
where  the  father  engaged  in  farming. 
Their  family  numbered  four  sons  and  three 
daughters,  but  only  three  of  the  number  are 
now  living. 

Dr.  McCartney,  the  third  in  order  of 
birth  in  his  father's  family,  acquired  his 
early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  place,  and,  having  reached  man's  es- 
tate and  deciding  upon  the  study  of  medi- 
cine as  a  life  work,  he  pursued  a  course  of 
study  at  Painesville,  Ohio,  subsequent  to 
which  time  he  entered  the  Indiana  Medical 
College  of  Indiana,  from  which  institution 
he  w^as  graduated  in  1895.  He  then  located 
at  Sodus,  where  he  began  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  and  here  he  has  been  en- 
gaged to  the  present  time.  He  has  a  gen- 
eral practice,  which  is  constantly  growing 
in  volume  and  importance,  and  now  amounts 
to  about  thirty-five  hundred  dollars  per  year. 
He  keeps  himself  thoroughly  informed  con- 
cerning the  most  modern  ideas  of  practice, 
through  constant  reading  and  investigation, 
so  that  the  results  which  follow  his  labors 
are  most  satisfactory,  thereby  gaining  for 
him  not  only  the  confidence  of  the  general 
public  but  of  his  professional  brethren  as 
well. 

Dr.  McCartney  is  a  member  of  the  Ber- 
rien County  Medical  Society,  and  is  acting 
as  medical  examiner  for  several  old  line  in- 
surance companies,  including  the  Mutual, 
New^  York  Life,  and  others.  In  his  fra- 
ternal relations  he  holds  membership  with 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  Royal 
Neighbors,  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  at  Benton  Harbor,  and  in  all 
these  different  organizations  he  is  popular 
with  the  brethren  of  the  craft. 

Dr.  McCartney  was  united  in  marriage 
in  July,  1879,  to  Miss  Fanny  P.  Smith,  a 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Julia  (McDonald) 
Smith,  who  w^as  born  near  Painesville,  in 
Lake  county,  Ohio,  February  28,  1861.   Her 


970 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


father  was  a  native  of  New  York,  while 
the  mother's  birth  occured  in  England. 
Thei  family  numbers  three  daughters  and 
one  son,  of  whom  Mrs.  McCartney  is  the 
third  in  order  of  birth.  Both  the  Doctor 
and  his  wife  are  popular  among  their  many 
friends,  to  whom  the  hospitality  of  their  own 
pleasant  home  is  freely  extended.  While 
the  Doctor  is  numbered  among  the  younger 
members  of  the  medical  fraternity,  he  is 
making  substantial  progress  and  the  future 
undoubtedly  holds  in  store  for  him  still 
greater  success. 

WILLIAM  H.  COOK  is  well  known  to 
the  residents  of  Sodus  township,  Berrien 
county,  which  has  been  the  family  home  for 
many  years,  and  he  has  won  an  honored 
name  for  the  many  excellent  qualities  which 
he  possesses.  A  native  of  the  Empire  state, 
he  was  born  in  Oswego  county  on  the  25th 
of  July,  1844.  His  father,  William  J.  Cook, 
was  born  in  Vermont,  near  Brattleboro,  his 
people  being  originally  from  Massachusetts 
and  of  English  descent.  His  mother  was 
Lydia  Thomas,  while  his  wife  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Catharine  Dunbar  and  was 
a  native  of  Scotland,  but  was  brought  to 
Canada  w^hen  young.  The  parents  were 
there  married,  and  the  mother  died  at  the 
early  age  of  forty-four  years,  while  the 
father  reached  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years. 
In  an  early  day  they  came  to  Michigan,  tak- 
ing up  their  abode  in  the  woods  of  Hamil- 
ton township,  Van  Buren  county,  where 
they  secured  a  small  farm.  There  the 
mother  died,  and  in  the  fall  of  1861  the 
father  removed  to  Bainbridge  township, 
Berrien  county.  In  their  family  were  seven 
children,  three  sons  and  four  daughters, 
namely :  Lydia  A.  Whitten ;  Melissa  J. 
Pierce;  Cynthia  M.  Olds;  William  H. ;  Dar- 
ius A.,  who  was  killed  by  lightning  about 
1884;  Myron  W.,  manager  of  the  Clover 
Leaf  Freight  Department  Depot  at  St. 
Louis,  Missouri;  and  Alice  Babcock,  of 
Mishawaka,  Indiana. 

William  H.  Cook,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  review,  was  ten  years  of  age  when 
he  came  with  his  parents  to  Hamilton  town- 
ship. Van  Buren  county,  Michigan,  which 
continued  as  his  home  until  the  fall  of  1861. 


In  the  following  year,  1862,  enlisted  for 
service  in  the  Civil  war,  becoming  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  G,  Nineteenth  Michigan 
Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  for 
three  years,  doing  active  service  throughout 
the  entire  time,  being  mustered  out  on  June 
10,  1865,  at  Washington,  D.  C.  He  was 
taken  prisoner  in  1863  and  incarcerated  in 
Libby  prison  until  May  of  the  same  year. 
He  was  with  Sherman  on  his  celebrated 
march  to  the  sea,  and  took  part  in  many  of 
the  historical  battles  of  the  war,  among  them 
being  Resaca,  Newhope  Church,  Burnt 
Hickory,  Golgotha,  Kenesaw  Mountain, 
Peach  Tree  Creek,  Atlanta,  Bentonville  and 
Averysboro.  Mr.  Cook  was  but  eighteen 
years  of  age  when  he  entered  the  service  of 
his  country,  and  weighed  but  ninety-five 
pounds.  He  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war  or  for  three  years,  and  participated  in 
the  Grand  Review  in  Washington,  D.  C. 
He  was  detailed  at  Savannah,  Georgia,  as 
forager  through  North  and  South  Carolina, 
and  was  discharged  at  Washington  June  10^ 

1865. 

After  the  close  of  his  military  career 
Mr.  Cook  returned  to  Bainbridge  township, 
Berrien  county,  and  engaged  in  farming.  In 
1894  he  came  to  Sodus  and  retired  from  the 
active  duties  of  a  business  life.  He  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  the  public  affairs  of 
his  locality,  and  is  a  life-long  Republican. 
In  1876  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  holding  that  position  con- 
tinuously for  sixteen  years  in  Bainbridge 
township,  and  the  following  spring  after  his 
arrival  in  Sodus  township  he  was  again 
elected  to  the  office  and  was  its  incumbent 
for  twelve  years,  so  that  for  the  long  period 
of  twenty-eight  years  he  was  a  justice  of 
the  peace  in  Berrien  county.  For  nine  years 
he  was  a  school  director  in  Bainbridge 
township.  In  1874  he  became  a  member  of 
the  Grange,  in  which  he  has  served  many 
times  as  master,  and  for  twenty  years  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows. 

Mr.  Cook  was  first  married  on  the  i8th 
of  August,  1866,  to  Nancy  Roberts,  and 
they  had  one  child,  Effie,  the  wife  of  Milton 
Park,  of  Dowagiac,  Michigan.  The  wife 
and  mother  died  in   1891,  and  on  the  8th 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


971 


of  October,  1894,  Mr.  Cook  married  Laura 
Kennedy,  of  Sodtis,  and  a  daughter  of  Will- 
iam H.  King.  Mr.  Cook  has  been  identi- 
fied with  the  interests  of  Van  Buren  and 
Berrien  counties  since  1854,  and  is  well  and 
favorably  known  to  their  residents. 

CHARLES  McGOWAN  has  been  so 
closely  identified  with  the  interests  of  Ber- 
rien county  that  it  feels  a  just  pride  in 
claiming  him  among  her  native  sons.  He 
stands  today  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  lead- 
ing industrial  concerns  of  Sodus  township, 
being  the  proprietor  of  a  large  general  mer- 
chandise store  in  the  village  of  that  name 
and  also  its  postmaster.  His  birth  occured 
in  Pipestone  township  on  the  30th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1856,  a  son  of  Hamilton  and  Hannah 
(Garrison)  McGowan,  both  natives  of  Ohio. 
They  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michigan, 
about  1854,  locating  in  what  was  then  Pipe- 
stone township,  where  the  father  was  en- 
gaged in  farming.  The  mother  died  at  the 
age  of  sixty-six  years,  but  the  father  passed 
away  in  1865,  when  only  about  thirty-one 
years  of  age.  He  was  of  Scotch-Irish  de- 
scent, his  father  having  been  a  native  of 
Scotland  and  his  mother  of  Ireland.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  McGowan  were  the  parents  of 
four  children,  three  sons  and  one  daughter, 
but  the  last  named  is  deceased. 

Charles  McGowan,  the  only  representa- 
tive of  the  family  in  Berrien  county,  started 
out  to  earn  his  own  living  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years,  working  by  the  month  on  a 
farm  in  this  county  until  he  was  twenty-six 
years  of  age,  and  thus  he  has  been  distinct- 
ively the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes.  In 
1 88 1  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business 
at  Sodus,  opening  a  small  general  store,  but 
as  the  years  have  passed  by  his  interests  have 
grown  apace  with  the  progress  which  has 
dominated  this  section  of  the  state,  and  he 
now  carries  a  large  general  line  of  goods, 
including  dry  goods,  groceries,  boots  and 
shoes,  hardware,  farm  implements,  paints 
and  drugs.  He  is  the  pioneer  merchant  of 
the  town,  and  is  well  and  favorably  known 
through  the  surrounding  country.  In  ad- 
dition to  this  large  business  he  is  also  the 
owner  of  a  fruit  farm  of  twenty  acres  ad- 
joining the  village  of  Sodus. 


In  1888  Mr.  McGowan  was  married  to 
Hattie  Tidey,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Mary  (Bur wick)  Tidey,  and  they  have  five 
children — William  Spencer,  Anna,  Elsie, 
Ruth  and  Vinas.  In  1883  Mr.  McGowan 
was  appointed  postmaster  of  Sodus,  to 
which  position  he  was  reappointed  in  1892 
and  again  in  February,  1894,  having  thus 
discharged  the  duties  connected  with  that 
office  for  about  nineteen  years.  He  is  a 
stanch  Republican  in  his  political  affilia- 
tions, active  in  the  work  of  his  party,  and 
in  1888  he  was  elected  treasurer  of  Sodus 
township,  while  for  ten  years  he  served  as 
agent  of  the  Big  Four.  Fraternally  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  the  Patricians  at  Benton  Harbor.  He 
well  deserves  to  be  ranked  among  the  lead- 
ing business  men  of  his  native  township. 

R.  SMITH  PENNELL,  residing  in 
Berrien  Springs,  having  retired  from  active 
farm  life,  still  owns  a  valuable  property  of 
one  hundred  and  ninety  acres  in  Berrien 
township,  which  he  rents  to  his  eldest  son. 
He  was  for  many  years  closely  associated 
with  agricultural  interests  in  this  county  and 
his  success  is  attributable  to  his  own  earnest 
labors  and  close  application.  Born  in  Cay- 
uga county.  New  York,  on  the  30th  of  June, 
1848,  he  was  the  youngest  of  the  three  sons 
of  Abram  and  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Pennell. 
During  his  infancy  his  parents  brought  their 
family  to  Berrien  county,  settling  in  Lake 
township.  R.  Smith  Pennell  was  reared  in 
Lake  and  Oronoko  townships  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools.  When  not  busy 
with  his  text-books  his  time  was  devoted  to 
farm  labor  and  he  remained  at  home,  assist- 
ing in  the  work  of  the  fields  up  to  the  time 
of  his  marriage. 

On  the  2 1  St  of  December,  1869,  Mr. 
Pennell  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss  Ethel 
E.  Tuttle,  a  daughter  of  Riley  J.  and  Mel- 
vina  C.  (Brown)  Tuttle.  She  was  born  in 
Portage  county,  Ohio,  September  20,  1852, 
and  came  with  her  parents  to  Berrien  county 
when  about  eight  years  of  age.  In  their 
family  are  seven  children,  Orson  D.,  Oscar 
J.,  Carl  S.,  Laura  R.,  Lloyd  B.,  Hattie  E. 
and  Lyle  A. 


972 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Pennell 
located  on  a  farm  and  for  many  years  was 
actively  associated  with  general  agricultural 
pursuits,  placing  his  fields  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation,  adding  to  the  farm  many 
modern  equipments  and  accessories  to  facili- 
tate the  work  and  promote  the  success  at- 
tendant therewith.  He  became  the  owner 
of  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres  in  Berrien 
township,  which  is  a  valuable  tract  of  land 
and  which  he  now  rents  to  his  eldest  son 
so  that  he  derives  therefrom  a  good  income. 
He  has  been  almost  a  life-long  resident  of 
Berrien  county,  having  lived  here  for  more 
than  fifty-seven  years  and  with  its  interests 
he  has  been  closely  associated,  delighting  in 
the  progress  that  has  been  made  as  the  years 
have  gone  by.  In  his  political  views  he  has 
been  a  stalwart  Republican  since  casting  his 
first  presidential  ballot  and  has  labored  for 
the  lo.cal  interests  and  the  growth  of  the 
party.  He  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  in 
Berrien  township  and  was  highway  com- 
missioner in  Oronoko  township. 

FRED  FELTON,  Since  the  old  days 
of  Puritan  rule  when  our  New  England 
forefathers  attempted  to  eliminate  from 
life  as  something  frivolous  and  not  to  be 
tolerated  all  that  was  joyous  and  pleasure- 
able  there  has  come  a  tendency  in  the  other 
direction,  to  recognize  the  modest  enter- 
tainments as  a  source  of  pleasure  and  re- 
creation. It  is  acknowledged  that  progress 
has  been  made  on  the  stage  in  the  character 
of  plays  presented  as  well  as  in  every  other 
walk  of  life.  Not  only  must  one  have  an 
appreciation  for  the  art  as  manifest  in  act- 
ing but  must  also  possess  keen  business 
ability  and  discernment  to  successfully 
manage  theatrical  enterprises.  In  both  these 
directions  Fred  Felton  is  well  qualified  and 
is  now  successfully  managing  the  Grand 
Opera  House  at  Traverse  City,  Michigan, 
and  the  Bell  Opera  House  at  Benton  Har- 
bor, while  at  the  same  time  he  makes  the 
bookings  for  a  large  number  of  other 
theatres.  He  makes  his  home  in  Benton 
Harbor,   where  he  has  resided   since   1902. 

Mr.  Felton  was  born  in  Louisiana,  and 
acquired  a  common  school  education.  When 
about   twelve   years   of   age  he   joined   the 


Stowe  circus  and  was  later  with  the  Cole 
circus.  He  continued  in  the  circus  profes- 
sion until  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  and 
afterward  was  for  a  number  of  years  a 
scenic  artist,  at  the  same  time  occasionally 
appearing  on  the  stage  as  an  actor.  He 
finally  attained  considerable  distinction  on 
the  stage,  taking  leading  parts  with  differ- 
ent companies  with  which  he  was  connected. 
From  1876  until  1893  he  was  manager  for 
his  own  companies  upon  the  road,  and  dur- 
ing these  years  made  several  professional 
visits  to  Benton  Harbor.  He  was  so  well 
pleased  with  the  place  that  he  finally  located 
here  as  a  permanent  place  of  residence.  In 
1893  he  organized  the  Central  City  Show 
Printing  Company,  at  Jackson,  Michigan, 
of  which  he  was  president  and  general  man- 
ager. During  the  time  he  was  thus  con- 
nected he  was  also  manager  of  Jackson 
theaters.  In  1902  he  located  in  Benton 
Harbor,  since  which  time  he  has  been  iden- 
tified with  many  of  the  interests  of  the  city, 
and  has  also  been  the  manager  for  the  Bell 
Opera  house,  as  well  as  of  a  circuit  in  the 
northern  part  of  Michigan. 

Mr.  Felton  was  married  in  1875  to  Miss 
Margaret  Brush,  of  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
of  which  city  she  is  a  native.  They  have  one 
child,  Helen  De  Forest,  who  was  educated 
at  Indianapolis,  and  at  Jackson,  Michigan, 
and  is  now  assisting  her  father  in  business. 

In  politics  Mr.  Felton  is  a  gold  Demo- 
crat and  fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
and  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  Since 
starting  out  in  life  for  himself  at  the  early 
age  of  twelve  years  he  has  made  steady  pro- 
gress in  the  business  world  \'a  the  extent  and 
importance  of  his  operations  and  is  now  con- 
ducting a  large  and  successful  business  as 
theatrical  manager. 

FRANK  P.  CUPP,  supervisor  of  Lin- 
coln tow^iship,  in  w^hich  capacity  he  has 
demonstrated  his  public-spirited  citizenship 
and  devotion  to  the  general  good,  is  also 
wxll  know^n  in  business  circles  in  Stevens- 
ville  as  a  lumber  dealer  and  fruit  grower. 
He  was  born  in  Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  No- 
vember 14,  1859,  and  his  youth  was  largely 
passed  in  Columbus,  that  state,  his  education 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


973 


being  acquired  in  the  high  school  at  Colum- 
bus and  the  State  University,  although  he 
did  not  cemplete  a  university  course.  When 
but  a  boy  he  clerked  in  a  store  and  has 
largely  been  dependent  upon  his  own  re- 
sources from  an  early  age.  He  was  left 
fatherless  when  a  lad  of  about  four  years. 
His  father,  Colonel  Valentine  Cupp,  lieu- 
tenant colonel  of  the  First  Ohio  Volunteer 
Cavalry  Regiment,  was  killed  at  Chicka- 
mauga  in  September,  1863,  while  leading 
his  troops  into  battle.  Pierced  by  rebel  lead 
he  died  a  few  hours  later.  Ohio  honored 
his  memory  by  placing  a  monument  on  the 
battle  ground,  erected  by  the  state  to  the 
regiment.  He  had  followed  farming  in 
Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  and  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  civil  war  he  assisted  in  organizing 
the  regiment  and  was  elected  captain  of  the 
company.  Later  he  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  lieutenant  colonel  and  thus  served 
until  he  lost  his  life  while  in  command  of 
the  First  Ohio  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga. 
His  widow  was  left  with  the  care  of  four 
children. 

Frank  P.  Cupp  at  the  time  of  his  father's 
death  went  to  live  in  the  home  of  an  uncle, 
and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  moved  to 
Columbus,  Ohio.  At  intervals  throughout 
the  period  of  his  youth  and  early  manhood 
he  was  connected  with  mercantile  life,  and 
about  eight  years  ago  he  came  to  Michigan. 
He  had  a  desire  to  engage  in  fruit  growing 
in  this  state  and  started  with  a  tract  of  land 
of  twenty  acres,  all  planted  to  fruit,  the 
principal  crops  being  peaches  and  grapes. 
His  fruit  sales  were  very  satisfactory  and 
he  has  prospered  in  his  undertakings  and 
has  placed  many  modern  improvements  up- 
on his  land.  In  1904  he  erected  a  new  resi- 
dence supplied  with  all  modern  equipments 
and  facilities  which  add  to  the  conveniences 
of  a  home  at  the  present  day.  His  place  is 
located  on  the  Lake  Shore  drive,  adjoining 
Stevensville  on  the  north,  and  for  six  years 
Mr.  Cupp  has  been  engaged  in  commercial 
circles  in  the  town,  carrying  a  full  assort- 
ment of  lumber  and  building  materials.  He 
has  a  liberal  patronage  in  this  connection 
and  his  honorable  business  methods  and 
reasonable  prices  are  the  salient  features  in 
his  success. 


Mr.  Cupp  was  married  in  western  Kan- 
sas, in  April,  1888,  to  Miss  Eleanor  Rawl- 
ings,  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  they  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  three  children,  Eleanor, 
Frank  V.,  and  Kinnaird.  The  parents  hold 
membership  in  the  Episcopal  church  at  St. 
Joseph  and  Mr.  Cupp  is  a  valued  represen- 
tative of  various  fraternal  organizations,  be- 
ing connected  with  the  Masons,  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  the  Knights  of  the  Macca- 
bees. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  is 
now  serving  for  the  second  term  as  super- 
visor of  Lincoln  township.  He  is  an  earnest 
champion  of  the  good  roads  movement 
which  became  a  factor  of  the  election  of 
1906  and  was  carried  in  his  township.  As- 
tive  in  the  work  of  the  party  and  a  staunch 
advocate  of  Republican  principles  he  never- 
theless places  the  general  good  before  par- 
tisanship and  the  public  welfare  before  per- 
sonal aggrandizement.  He  has  great  faith 
in  Michigan  as  a  fruit  raising  state  and  feels 
no  regret  that  he  changed  his  place  of  resi- 
dence from  Ohio  to  Berrien  county.  On 
the  contrary  he  has  prospered  in  his  business 
undertakings  here  and  as  a  merchant  and 
horticulturist  as  well  as  a  citizen  he  holds 
an   enviable  position   in  the  public  regard. 

S.  C.  REAMS,  numbered  among  Mich- 
igan's native  sons,  is  now  living  on  section 
17,  Pipestone  township,  which  farm  has 
been  his  home  continuously  since  1866.  He 
was  born  in  Cass  county,  Michigan,  October 
4,  1832.  His  father.  Josses  Reams,  was  a 
native  of  Logan  county,  Ohio,  and  became 
one  of  the  w^orthy  pioneer  residents  of  Cass 
county,  establishing  his  home  there  when 
almost  the  entire  surface  of  the  county  was 
unbroken  prairie  or  dense  forest  tracts.  He 
raised  one  of  the  first*  crops  raised  in  Jef- 
ferson township  and  aided  in  transforming 
the  county  from  a  w^ild  and  unimproved  re- 
gion into  one  of  rich  fertility.  He  lived  in 
Cass  county  until  about  1844,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Pipestone  township,  Berrien  coun- 
ty, and  purchased  a  farm.  By  trade,  how- 
ever, he  was  a  carpenter  and  joiner  and  he 
built  many  of  the  early  houses  in  the  county, 
being  well  known  for  his  good  workmanship 
as  well  as  his  unassailable  honesty  in  bus- 
iness   and    his    good    traits    of    citizenship. 


974 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


About  1854  he  went  to  Washington  Terri- 
tory, where  he  died  at  the  age  of  forty-four 
years.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Hulda  Colyar,  was  a  native  of  Logan 
county,  Ohio,  and  died  at  the  .age  of  eighty- 
five  years.  She  was  twice  married  and  was 
twice  a  widow.  In  the  Ream  family  were 
nine  children,  eight  of  whom  reached  ma- 
ture years. 

S.  C.  Reams,  the  eldest  of  the  family, 
was  a  youth  of  about  fourteen  years  when  he 
became  a  resident  of  Pipestone  township. 
He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  but 
being  the  eldest  son  his  opportunities  in  that 
direction  were  somewhat  meager,  for  he  had 
to  look  after  the  farm.  He  has,  however, 
by  reading  and  study  at  home  and  by  experi- 
ence and  observation  added  greatly  to  his 
knowledge,  making  himself  a  well  informed 
man,  conversant  with  the  current  issues  and 
questions  of  the  day. 

Mr.  Reams  was  married  in  1856  to  Miss 
Samantha  M.  J.  Tapman,  who  died  in  1902, 
leaving  two  children,  Grace  Arabell,  now  the 
wife  of  Clarence  Tibbs;  and  J.  T.  Reams, 
At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Reams  of 
this   review   gave  tangible   evidence   of   his 
loyalty  to  the  Union  by  his  enlistment  on 
the  30th  of  August,  1864,  as  a  member  of 
Company  E,  Thirteenth  Michigan  Veteran 
Volunteers.     He  was  with  Sherman  on  the 
march  to  the  sea  and    also    at    Savannah, 
Georgia,  assisting  in  the  capture  of  the  city. 
He    was    wounded    at    Bentonville,    North 
Carolina,  by  a  gunshot  in  the  right  knee  and 
was  sent  on  a  hospital  steamer  to  New  York 
city.     He  was  afterward  in  the  hospital  at 
Detroit  from  April  until  June  and  then  re- 
turned to  his  home.     In  the  spring  of  1866 
he  located  on  a  farm,  where  he  now  lives 
and  it  has  been  his  home  continuously  since, 
.covering  a  period  of  four  decades.     He  still 
owns  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
here  but  has  practically  retired  from  active 
business.     The  farm,  however,  returns  him 
a  good  income  and  he  is  thus  supplied  with 
the  comforts  of  life.    He  has  been  a  stalwart 
Republican  since  Lincoln's  first  election  and 
has  voted  for  each  presidential  nominee  of 
the  party  through  forty-five  years.     Matters 
of  public  moment  are  of  interest  .to  him  and 
he  has  been  faithful  in  his  allegiance  to  every 


movement  that  tends  to  promote  the  welfare 
of  the  county,  manifesting  the  same  loyalty 
in  citizenship  in  days  of  peace  that  he  dis- 
played when  on  southern  battle-fields  he  fol- 
lowed the  old  flag. 

HOMER  E.  HESS,  supervisor  of  Pipe- 
stone township,  resides  on  section  20,  where 
he  owns  a  well  improved  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty  acres.  In  its  care  and  culti- 
vation he  displays  keen  discrimination  and 
thorough  understanding  of  the  best  methods 
of  conducting  farm  work  and  his  labors  are 
therefore  bringing  him  a  gratifying  meas- 
ure of  success.  He  was  born  in  Crawford 
county,  Ohio,  April  31,  1859,  and  is  the  only 
son  of  William  A.  and  Susan  (Bell)  Hess, 
who  are  mentioned  on  another  page  of  this 
work.  He  was  but  seven  years  of  age  when 
he  came  to  Berrien  county,  the  family  home 
being  established  in  Berrien  township,  after 
which  he  mastered  the  usual  branches  of 
English  learning  in  the  district  schools  and 
in  Berrien  Center.  He  remained  with  his 
parents  carrying  on  the  home  farm,  and  be- 
came thoroughly  familiar  with  the  best 
methods  of  tilling  the  soil  and  cultivating 
the  crops. 

On  the  27th  of  November,  1879,  Mr. 
Hess  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Etta  B. 
Mclntyre,  a  daughter  of  Patrick  and  Mar- 
garet Mclntyre,  and  a  native  of  Crawford 
county,  Ohio.  She  became  a  resident  of 
Michigan  when  a  yonng  lady  of  seventeen 
years,  accompanying  her  parents  on  their 
removal  to  Berrien  county.  Following  their 
marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hess  located  on  a 
farm  which  has  since  been  their  home,  here 
living  for  twenty-six  years.  He  devotes  his 
time  and  energies  to  general  agricultural 
pursuits  and  to  stock-raising,  and  also  has 
considerable  fruit  upon  his  place.  Every- 
thing about  the  farm  is  well  kept  and  it  re- 
quires only  a  glance  to  indicate  to  the  passer- 
by that  the  owner  is  a  man  of  progressive 
spirit  and  practical  methods.  The  farm  com- 
prises two  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  rich 
and  productive  land  and  constitutes  a  valu- 
able property  of  Pipestone  township. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hess  has  been  born  a 
daughter,  Vern  L.,  now  the  wife  of  Carl 
Cassidy,  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


975 


families  of  Berrien  county.  In  his  political 
views  Mr.  Hess  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  in- 
terested in  the  growth  and  success  of  his 
party  and  doing  all  in  his  power  to  extend 
its  influence.  He  has  been  honored  with  a 
number  of  local  offices,  having  for  eleven 
consecutive  years  filled  the  office  of  town- 
ship clerk.  In  1899  he  was  chosen  super- 
visor and  has  been  elected  each  year  since 
that  time^  so  that  he  is  now  serving  for  the 
seventh  year.  No  public  trust  reposed  in 
him  has  ever  been  betrayed  in  the  slightest 
degree  and  his  re-election  is  proof  conclu- 
sive of  his  capability  as  well  as  fidelity.  He 
is  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Berrien  and 
Cass  Counties  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
pany and  has  been  a  member  of  the  school 
board  since  he  came  to  Pipestone  township. 
He  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  pub- 
lic affairs  and  is  now  serving  as  a  member 
of  the  Republican  county  central  committee. 
Fraternally  he  is  identified  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  and  a  fraternal  spirit  is  always 
manifested  in  his  relations  with  others  out- 
side of  the  order.  Forty  years  have  come 
and  gone  since  he  came  to  the  county  and  of 
its  progress  he  has  been  an  interested  wit- 
ness, w^hile  in  many  movements  of  direct 
benefit  to  the  county  he  has  been  an  active 
participant. 

GEORGE  S.  LAMORE.  For  a  num- 
ber of  years  past  George  S.  Lamore  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  business  in- 
terests of  Pipestone  towaiship  as  a  hardware 
and  farm  implement  merchant  and  as  an 
agriculturist,  and  has  thus  become  recog- 
nized as  one  of  its  most  valued  and  useful 
citizens.  He  is  also  a  native  son  of  the  coun- 
ty, his  birth  occurring  in  Pipestone  town- 
ship on  the  27th  of  September,  1850.  His 
father,  Louis  Lamore,  a  native  of  Canada, 
located  within  the  borders  of  Berrien  coun- 
ty in  1850,  first  establishing  his  home  at 
Casaday  Corners,  where  he  purchased  and 
improved  sixty  acres  of  land,  his  first  dwell- 
ing being  a  little  log  cabin  which  had  been 
built  on  the  land.  He  later  removed  to  Ber- 
rien township,  where  he  spent  his  remaining 
days,  passing  away  in  death  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six  years.  He  was  a  ship  carpen- 
ter by  trade  and  assisted  in  building  the  first 


bridge  in  Niles  for  the  Michigan  Central 
Railroad  Company,  and  also  helped  to  build 
for  that  company  all  the  bridges  from  De- 
troit to  Niles.  It  was  while  thus  employed 
that  he  purchased  his  sixty-acre  farm  in 
Pipestone  township.  Mr.  Lamore  married 
Sarah  Losey,  who  was  born  in  Cayuga  coun- 
ty, New  York^  the  daughter  of  Charles  and 
Mary  Losey,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters, 
namely:  Cornelia,  who  died  in  1865;  Jose- 
phine, the  wife  of  Reuben  W.  Reese;  May, 
the  wife  of  Samuel  Odell;  Charles,  of  Pipe- 
stone township,  Berrien  county;  Gilbert,  a 
resident  of  Idaho.  The  wife  and  mother  is 
still  living,  having  reached  the  age  of  eighty- 
three  years.  In  his  political  affiliations  Mr. 
Lamore  was  a  Republican,  and  fraternally 
was  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows. 

George  S.  Lamore,  the  third  in  order  of 
birth  of  his  parents'  six  children,  was  taken 
by  his  parents  to  Berrien  township  when  a 
small  boy,  and  he  remained  at  home  until  he 
w^as  twenty-six  years  of  age,  assisting  in  the 
w^ork  of  the  old  farm  and  also  a  part  of  the 
place  on  which  he  now  lives.  He  then  took 
up  his  abode  in  Sodus  township,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  the  saw^-milling  business 
about  one  year,  wdiile  for  a  similar  period  he 
w^as  engaged  in  farming  in  that  tow^nship, 
and  he  then  purchased  a  small  farm  in  Ber- 
rien township,  which  he  operated  in  con- 
nection with  his  father's  old  homestead.  In 
the  fall  of  1880  Mr.  Lamore  returned  to 
Pipestone  tow^nship,  locating  on  the  farm  on 
which  he  now  makes  his  home.  In  1902  he 
embarked  in  the  hardware  and  agricultural 
implement  business,  which  he  has  since  car- 
ried on  in  addition  to  his  farm  w^ork.  He 
today  ranks  among  the  leading  business  men 
of  Berrien  county,  and  his  creditable  life 
work  has  won  him  the  respect  and  com- 
mendation of  all  who  are  familiar  with  his 
history. 

Mr.  Lamore  was  married  in  1876  to 
Caroline,  a  daughter  of  Adam  and  Theresa 
Enders,  who  w^ere  early  settlers  of  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  and  natives  of  Germany, 
being  known  as  High  Dutch.  Mrs.  Lamore 
was  born  in  Bainbridge  township,  Berrien 
county,  and  by  her  marriage  has  become  the 


976 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


mother  of  four  children, — Pearl,  the  wife  of 
Roland  Inman,  of  Mabton,  Washington; 
Alice,  the  wife  of  Harry  Blish,  of  Dowagiac, 
Michigan;  and  Wilbur  and  May,  at  home. 
Since  age  gave  Mr.  Lamore  the  right  of 
franchise  he  has  upheld  the  principles  of  the 
Republican  party,  but  at  local  elections  he 
casts  his  ballot  for  the  men  whom  he  re- 
gards as  best  qualified  to  perform  the  duties 
entrusted  to  their  care.  He  is  a  man  of 
enterprise  and  liberal  views,  and  is  thor- 
oughly identified  in  feeling  with  the  growth 
and  prosperity  of  the  county  which  has  been 
so  long  his  home. 

HENRY  J.  BOWMAN  lives  on  section 
29,  Pipestone  township,  where  he  owns  and 
operates  a  good  tract  of  land  of  one  hundred 
and  forty-five  acres,  devoted  to  general  agri- 
cultural and  horticultural  pursuits,  and  also 
to  stock-raising.     A  native  of  the  Empire 
state,  he  was  born  in  Rochester  on  the  loth 
of  May,  1854,  and  is  a  son  of  Nicholas  and 
Dorothea    (Nestman)    Bowman,     both     of 
whom  were  natives  of  Germany.   The  father 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in 
that  country,  and,  attracted  by  the  broader 
opportunities  of  the  new  world,  crossed  the 
Atlantic  about   1846,  settling  near  Roches- 
ter, New  York.     There  he  resided  for  al- 
most a  decade  and  in  1826  came  to  Michi- 
gan,  establishing  his  home  in  Washtenaw 
county.     He  there  followed  the  occupation 
of   farming  until   his   removal   in    1865    to 
Pipestone  township,  Berrien  county,  where 
he   purchased   forty   acres   of   timber   land, 
which  he   cleared   and   transformed   into   a 
good  farm.     He  died  in  his  seventy-seventh 
year,  while  his  wife  passed  away  when  about 
sixty-six  years  of  age.     In  their  family  were 
eight  children,  six  sons  and  two  daughters, 
all  of  whom  reached  adult  age,   Henry  J. 
being  the  third  child. 

On  the  day  that  he  was  eleven  years  of 
age  Henry  J.  Bowman  became  a  resident 
of  Pipestone  township  and  here  the  re- 
mainder of  his  youth  was  passed,  while  his 
education  was  continued  in  the  district 
schools  near  his  father's  home.  In  early  life 
he  began  earning  his  own  living  by  working 
as  a  farm  hand  in  the  neighborhood,  leav- 
ing home  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  to  make 


his  own  way  in  the  world.    As  a  companion 
and   helpmate    for   life's   journey   he   chose 
Miss  Christina  Thumm,  a  daughter  of  Jacob 
Thumm,   and  a  native  of  Michigan.     The 
marriage  was  celebrated  in  1875,  and  Mr. 
Bowman  afterward  purchased  forty  acres  of 
land  upon  which  they  located,  there  resid- 
ing until   1888.     In  that  year  he  removed 
to  Minneapolis,   Minnesota,    and    was    en- 
gaged in  business  there,  and  later  at  Albert 
Lea,  remaining  for  about  eight  years  in  that 
state.     On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
returned  to  Pipestone  township  and  bought 
the  farm  whereon  he  now  resides,  erecting 
all  of  the  buildings  upon  the  place  and  mak- 
ing all  of  the  improvements  there.     He  now 
has  one  hundred  and  forty-five  acre  of  rich 
and  productive  land,  and  in  the  tilling  of  the 
soil  and  the  cultivating  of  his  crops  he  is 
meeting   with   good   success,   annually   har- 
vesting gratifying  grain  and  fruit  crops.   He 
also  raises  considerable  stock  and  his  busi- 
ness is  carefully  and  successfully  conducted. 
The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bowman  has 
been  blessed  with  three  children:     Fred  A., 
who  married  Pearl  Hess,  and  is  engaged  in 
farming  in  Pipestone  township;  Anna,  the 
wife  of  Edward  Freeman,  a  resident  farmer 
of  Pipestone  township;   and   Henry   C,    at 
home. 

Mr.  Bowman  is  a  Democrat  where 
national  issues  are  involved  but  at  local 
elections  casts  an  independent  ballot  and 
frequently  supports  the  candidates  of  the 
Republican  party,  if  he  thinks  them  better 
qualified  for  the  discharge  of  local  official 
duties.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the  Woodmen.  He  is  well  known  in  the 
county  and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  public 
affairs.  He  has  long  been  a  witness  of  the 
growth  and  development  of  the  county  and 
through  the  greater  part  of  his  life  has  re- 
sided in  this  section  of  the  state  where  he 
has  a  wide  and  favorable  acquaintance. 

DAVIS  ARCHER,  now  filling  the  of- 
fice of  treasurer  of  Pipestone  township,  also 
owns  and  operates  a  farm  on  section  14. 
He  was  born  in  Onondaga,  Michigan,  De- 
cember 15,  1853,  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah 
Archer,  both  natives  of  New  York,  whence 
they  removed  to  Michigan  in  a  very  early 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


977 


day.  After  spending  some  time  here  they 
removed  to  Fulton  county  but  later  came 
again  to  Berrien  county,  locating  on  the 
farm  on  which  our  subject  now  makes  his 
home.  In  their  family  were  seven  children, 
five  of  whom  reached  years  of  maturity. 

Davis  Archer,  the  youngest  member  of 
his  father's  family  was  only  a  year  old  when 
the  father  removed  to  Ohio,  and  there  he 
was  reared  to  the  age  of  twelve  years,  when 
the  parents  returned  to  Berrien  county, 
where  the  father  engaged  in  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  The  son  continued  his 
education,  begun  in  the  schools  of  Ohio,  in 
the  district  school  near  his  father's  home, 
and  when  not  busy  with  the  duties  of  the 
schoolroom  was  trained  to  the  work  of  the 
home  farm,  thus  giving  his  father  the  bene- 
fit of  his  services  until  he  had  reached  man- 
hood. He  then  started  out  in  life  on  his 
own  account  and  continued  to  engage  in 
the  occupation  to  which  he  had  been  reared, 
spending  three  years  in  Bainbridge  town- 
ship and  one  year  in  Benton  township,  and 
in  1865  he  removed  to  the  old  homestead 
farm  and  has  since  made  this  his  home. 
Here  he  is  engaged  in  general  farming,  each 
year  harvesting  excellent  crops  as  the  result 
of  the  care  and  labor  he  bestows  upon  his 
fields,  thus  adding  to  his  financial  resources 
until  he  is  today  in  possession  of  a  comfort- 
able competence. 

In  1870  Mr.  Archer  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Martha  Sorell,  a  daughter  of 
Oliver  Sorell,  and  unto  them  have  been  born 
six  children,  namely:  Mary,  now  the  wife 
of  John  Sutherland,  of  Bainbridge  town- 
ship; Sarah,  the  wife  of  Sterling  Suther- 
land, of  Benton  township ; '  Frank,  en- 
gaged in  the  laundry  business  at  Ben- 
ton Harbor;  Charlie,  of  Bainbridge  town- 
ship; Emma,  the  wife  of  John  Arnt, 
of  Bainbridge  township;  and  Albert, 
still  under  the  parental  roof.  All  the  chil- 
dren were  born  on  the  old  homestead  farm. 

Mr.  Archer  has  been  a  life-long  Repub- 
lican, interested  in  the  best  interests  of  the 
party,  and  socially  is  connected  with  lodge 
No.  348,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  at  Berrien  Center,  the 
Modern  Woodmen  camp  at  Neoma,  and  the 
Tribe  of  Ben  Hur,  in  all  of  which  he  is  a 
loyal  and  valued  member.  In  1905  he  was 
62 


called  by  his  fellow  townsmen  to  the  office 
of  township  treasurer  to  fill  out  an  unex- 
pired term,  and  in  1906  was  elected  to  the 
position,  being  the  present  incumbent  in  that 
office.  Having  spent  forty-one  years  in  Ber- 
rien county  he  is  familiar  with  the  work  that 
has  here  been  carried  on,  having  taken  a 
deep  and  helpful  interest  in  material  prog- 
ress and  improvement  of  his  section  of  the 
state.  Any  measure  which  tends  to  advance 
the  welfare  of  the  county  receives  his  hearty 
co-operation  and  he  has  been  a  leader  in 
many  movements  which  have  worked  for 
the  betterment  of  his  portion  of  the  state. 
He  is  known  as  a  reliable  and  straightfor- 
ward business  man  and  is  highly  respected 
among  the  people  with  whom  he  is  brought 
in  contact. 

JOHN    R.    SUTHERLAND.      In   the 

death  of  John  R.  Sutherland  Berrien  county 
lost  one  of  her  most  prominent  and  useful 
citizens,  for  he  was  numbered  among  the 
honored  pioneers  who  aided  in  laying  the 
foundation  for  the  present  prosperity  and 
progress  of  the  county.  He  was  born  in 
Broome  county,  New  York,  September  8, 
1832,  and  w^as  but  seven  years  of  age  when 
brought  by  his  parents  to  Michigan,  the 
family  home  first  being  established  in  Kala- 
mazoo county,  near  the  city  of  that  name. 
Four  years  later  a  removal  was  made  to 
Berrien  county,  and  when  John  R.  had  at- 
tained the  age  of  eleven  years  the  family 
located  in  Bainbridge  township,  which  was 
his  home  for  many  years.  After  his  mar- 
riage, October  5,  1856,  Mr.  Sutherland  set- 
tled in  Pipestone  township,  his  first  home 
being  a  little  log  house  and  his  first  farm 
consisted  of  eighty  acres,  to  which  he  sub- 
sequently added  another  eighty-acre  tract, 
but  afterward  sold  forty  acres  of  his  farm. 
Wild  was  the  region  into  which  he  came, 
and  from  that  early  period  he  w^as  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  history  of  south- 
western Michigan,  being  closely  connected 
with  the  progress  and  advancement  of  this 
section.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  his  politi- 
cal affiliations,  and  fraternally  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  order.  His  death  oc- 
curred on  the  22d  of  December,  1904.  His 
was  a  long,  useful,  active  and  honorable  life. 


978 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


and  his  name  is  indelibly  inscribed  on  the 
pages  of  Berrien  county's  history.  His  re- 
mains were  buried  in  the  Penyan  cemetery 
in  Bainbridge  township. 

Mrs.  Sutherland,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Mary  A.  Shippy,  was  born  in  Jef- 
ferson county,  New  York,  February  24, 
1834,  a  daughter  of  William  Shippy,  also 
a  native  of  that  state,  and  who  died  when 
his  daughter  was  but  seven  years  old.  Her 
mother,  nee  Lydia  Ingraham,  also  a  native 
of  the  Empire  state,  afterward  married 
George  CoUis,  and  in  1848  came  with  her 
husband  to  Berrien  county,  Mrs.  Suther- 
land being  then  fifteen  years  of  age.  After 
her  marriage  she  located  in  Pipestone  town- 
ship, where  since  her  husband's  death  she 
has  had  the  supervision  of  the  old  home- 
stead farm  of  one  hundred  acres.  For  fifty- 
eight  years  she  has  made  her  home  within 
the  borders  of  Berrien  county,  and  during 
fifty  years  of  that  time  has  resided  in  Pipe- 
stone township,  so  she  has  been  a  witness  of 
almost  its  entire  development  and  progress. 
Eight  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sutherland,  six  sons  and  two  daughters, 
namely:  Ida,  the  wife  of  S.  M.  Clawson, 
whose  history  appears  on  other  pages  in 
this  work;  Edgar  G.,  who  died  in  California 
at  the  age  of  twenty- four  years;  Lissa,  the 
wife  of  Theodore  Hartsell,  of  Pipestone 
township;  Nelson  B.,  who  married  Clara 
Ely;  John  H.,  who  married  Vena  Bake- 
man;  Charles  W.,  who  married  Maggie 
Rush;  Ovid  O.,  who  married  Katie  Rush; 
and  Aubrey  D.,  who  was  drowned  on  the 
4th  of  July,  1906,  and  who  had  married 
May  Pearl.  All  of  the  children  were  born 
and  reared  in  Pipestone  township. 

WILLIAM  COLLINS,  one  of  the 
honored  early  pioneers  of  Berrien  county 
and  a  member  of  the  boys  in  blue  during  the 
Civil  war,  resides  on  his  pleasant  and  well 
improved  farm  in  section  3,  Pipestone  town- 
ship. He  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio, 
May  16,  1838.  His  father,  Barnabas  Col- 
lins, was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  a  farmer 
by  occupation.  When  a  young  man  he  re- 
moved to  Darke  county,  Ohio,  and  was 
there  married  to  Ann  Miller,  a  daughter  of 
George  and  Elizabeth   (Cunningham)   Mil- 


ler. Mrs.  Collins  was  also  a  native  of  the 
commonwealth  of  Virginia,  born  near 
Wheeling,  but  when  about  thirteen  years 
of  age  she  accompanied  her  parents  on  their 
removal  to  Ohio.  After  their  marriage  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Collins  located  on  a  farm  in  Darke 
county,  that  state,  but  later  moved  to  Preble 
county,  Ohio,  where  the  father  passed  away 
in  death  in  1846,  being  survived  by  his 
widow  for  a  number  of  years,  she  having 
reached  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years.  They 
were  the  parents  of  five  children,  three  sons 
and  two  daughters,  and  all  are  yet  living, 
namely:  George,  a  resident  of  Kansas; 
William,  whose  name  introduces  this  re- 
view; Lorinda,  the  wife  of  Carl  Brum- 
baugh, now  o.f  Dodge  City,  Kansas;  Mar- 
tha Ann,  the  wife  of  Levi  Adams,  of 
Garnett,  Kansas;  and  Robert,  who  makes 
his  home  in  Washington  county,  Kansas. 

William  Collins  spent  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth  in  Darke  and  Preble 
counties,  Ohio,  and  was  but  seven  years  old 
when  his  father  died,  after  which  he  made 
his  home  with  an  uncle,  William  Miller,  in 
Darke  county  until  he  was  fourteen  years 
of  age.  His  mother  was  a  second  time  mar- 
ried, and  he  then  went  to  live  with  her, 
where  he  made  his  home  until  he  offered 
his  services  to  the  Union  cause  during  the 
Civil  war,  enlisting  in  1862  as  a  member  of 
Company  C,  Fiftieth  Ohio  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, entering  the  ranks  as  a  private  and 
serving  until  the  war  was  over.  He  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  corporal,  and  took 
part  in  the  siege  of  Atlanta  and  the  battles 
of  Perryville  and  Franklin,  Tennessee.  At 
the  last  named  engagement  he  received  a 
gun-shot  wound  in  the  calf  of  his  leg,  and 
for  six  months  was  confined  in  a  hospital. 
He  was  first  captured,  however,  and  held 
as  a  prisoner  about  sixteen  days,  when  he 
was  released  and  taken  to  Sedgwick  Hos- 
pital at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  there  remain- 
ing until  he  was  mustered  out  of  service, 
being  first  transferred  to  Lincoln  Hospital 
at  Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  remained 
until  the  Grand  Review  in  that  city.  He 
was  then  sent  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  re- 
ceived his  honorable  discharge  on  the  5th 
of  July,  1865. 

With  a  creditable  military  record   Mr. 


G^b^sS'    ^ 


^^a-My 


^^^^.1^ 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


979 


Collins  then  returned  to  his  home  in  Preble 
county,  Ohio,  and  in  1868  came  to  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  purchasing  the  farm  on 
which  he  yet  resides,  on  section  3,  Pipe- 
stone township.  Here  he  owns  one  hundred 
and  twenty-three  acres  of  rich  and  fertile 
land,  where  he  is  engaged  in  general  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising,  and  the  many  im- 
provements which  now  adorn  this  valuable 
home  place  are  all  the  work  of  his  hands. 
On  the  8th  of  November,  1866,  Mr.  Col- 
lins was  united  in  marriage  to  Emily,  a 
daughter  of  Tunis  Roberts,  of  Darke  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  where  the  daughter  was  born  and 
reared.  To  this  union  have  been  born  five 
children:  Marion  O.,  whose  sketch  will  be 
found  elsewhere  in  this  volume;  Albert  H., 
a  resident  of  Pipestone  township,  Berrien 
county;  Elnora,  the  wife  of  Alva  Williams, 
also  of  Pipestone  township ;  Myrtle,  wife  of 
John  Horstman,  of  Cass  county,  Michigan; 
and  Charlie,  now  attending  the  Commercial 
College  at  Elkhart,  Indiana.  Since  age 
gave  him  the  right  of  franchise  Mr.  Collins 
has  supported  the  principles  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  and  he  has  served  as  highway 
commissioner,  as  a  justice  of  the  peace  six 
years  and  as  a  drain  commissioner  for  two 
years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  George  H. 
Thomas  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Benton  Harbor,^ 
and  for  twenty  years  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Grange,  in  which  he  has  been  an  active 
worker  and  has  held  a  number  of  offices. 
Mr.  Collins  is  well  known  throughout  the 
county  of  Berrien,  which  has  been  his  home 
for  thirty-eight  years,  and  during  all  this 
time  he  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  its 
growth  and  upbuilding. 

FRANK  A.  JOHNSON,  whose  name 
is  enrolled  among  the  leading  agriculturists 
and  stock-raisers  of  Pipestone  township,  his 
pleasant  farm  being  situated  on  section  11, 
was  born  in  Sweden,  July  10,  1863.  He 
was  about  sixteen  years  of  age  when  he 
crossed  the  ocean  to  America,  making  his 
way  direct  to  Chicago,  Illinois,  where  he 
worked  at  any  occupation  which  would 
bring  him  an  honest  living  for  two  years, 
also  spending  a  part  of  that  time  in  the 
northern  woods.  He  came  to  Berrien  coun- 
ty,   Michigan,   about    1884,   where  he   first 


secured  eniployment  with  the  Big  Four 
Railroad  Company,  thus  continuing  for  one 
summer,  when  he  went  again  to  the  lumber 
woods. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Matilda  Johnson,  also  a  native  of 
Sweden,  and  she  was  about  eighteen  years 
of  age  when  she  came  to  America.  After 
his  marriage  Mr.  Johnson  returned  to  Ber- 
rien county  and  located  upon  the  farm  which 
is  now  his  home,  and  the  many  improve- 
ments which  are  now  seen  thereon  are  the 
work  of  his  hands  and  stand  as  monuments 
to  his  thrift  and  abihty.  He  cleared  the 
land  from  its  virgin  wilderness,  erected  the 
many  substantial  farm  buildings,  and  has 
placed  his  fields  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation. His  present  residence  was  erected 
in  1895,  while  his  good  substantial  barn  was 
built  in  1903.  The  homestead  consists  of 
one  hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  rich  and 
productive  land,  and  in  addition  to  his  gen- 
eral farm  labors  he  is  also  extensively  en- 
gaged in  the  stock  and  dairy  business,  hav- 
ing now  seventeen  cows  and  much  young 
stock  upon  the  place. 

Mr.  Johnson  is  well  and  favorably 
known  in  this  section  of  the  county,  where 
many  years  of  his  active  life  has  been  spent, 
and  he  gives  his  political  support  to  the 
Republican  party.  Seven  children  have  been 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson,  namely: 
Alford,  Esther,  Elsa,  Mary,  Mabel,  Annie 
and  Clara. 

FREDERICK  BAKEMAN.  He  whose 
name  introduces  this  review  has  been  dis- 
tinctively the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes. 
From  a  little  German  home  across  the  sea 
he  made  his  way  to  the  new  world  and  en- 
tered upon  a  career  which  may  be  well 
worthy  of  emulation  and  which  is  the  out- 
come of  the  honest  reward  of  labor,  good 
management,  ambition  and  energy. 

Mr.  Bakeman  was  born  in  Prussia,  Ger- 
many, January  2^,  1837,  and  in  his  native 
land  he  was  reared  until  1856,  when  he  bade 
adieu  to  home  and  friends  and  sailed  for 
America.  On  his  arrival  in  this  country 
his  first  location  was  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
which  continued  as  his  home  for  two  years, 
following  the  occupation  of  gardening,  and 


98o 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


in  1858  he  arrived  in  Pipestone  township, 
Berrien  county,  Michigan.  His  first  home 
here  was  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides, 
on  which  had  been  built  a  Httle  log  house. 
As  time  passed  and  the  land  was  cleared  and 
developed^  improvements  were  added  to  the 
farm,  the  little  cabin  home  was  replaced 
by  a  commodious  one  of  more  modern  con- 
struction and  all  the  accessories  and  con- 
veniences were  added.  He  is  now  the 
owner  of  two  hundred  acres  of  rich  and  well 
cultivated  land,  and  all  of  the  improvements 
thereon  stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift 
and  ability.  When  he  arrived  in  this 
country  he  was  without  a  dollar,  a  stranger 
in  a  strange  land,  but  by  sheer  force  of  will 
and  untiring  effort  he  has  worked  his  w^ay 
upward. 

In  1 86 1  Mr.  Bakeman  w^as  united  in 
marriage  to  Minnie  Krohue,  a  native  of 
Germany,  and  whose  death  occurred  in 
1879.  In  the  following  year,  1880,  Mr. 
Bakeman  married  Henrietta  Langley,  also 
a  native  of  the.  fatherland,  where  she  was 
born  on  the  30th  of  December,  1853,  and 
came  to  America  when  eleven  years  old. 
After  residing  in  Cincinnati  for  a  short  time 
she  made  her  way  to  Berrien  county,  being 
about  thirteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
her  arrival  here.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bakeman 
have  become  the  parents  of  four  children — 
Minnie,  Annie,  Fred  and  Wallace.  Mr. 
Bakeman  gives  a  stanch  support  to  the  Re- 
publican party.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church  and  an  earnest  Christian 
man. 

MILTON  PRESTON.  One  of  the 
prominent  agriculturists  of  Pipestone  town- 
ship, where  he  has  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  situated  on  section  34, 
and  in  addition  to  this  tract  owns  seven- 
ty-eight acres  situated  on  section  22,  of  the 
same  township,  was  born  on  the  farm  where 
he  now  makes  his  home,  April  22,  1853. 
His  grandfather,  Amasa  Preston,  came  to 
Michigan  in  1848  from  Ohio,  but  was  born 
in  Connecticut,  having  been  taken  to  that 
state  by  his  father  on  the  emigration  from 
Scotland  to  America.  His  father  and 
brothers  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war, 
and  he  served  in  the    war   of    18 12.     His 


father,  Norman  C.  Preston,  was  a  native 
of  Ohio  and  in  1848  came  to  Michigan, 
locating  in  Pipestone  township,  Berrien 
county,  where  he  secured  unimproved  land, 
which  he  cleared  and  to  which  he  added 
many  substantial  improvements.  He  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  county  and 
was  identified  with  much  of  the  important 
history  of  this  section  of  the  state.  He 
married  Sarah  Cook,  born  in  Ohio,  and  a 
daughter  of  Pellum  Cook.  They  became 
the  parents  of  five  children,  two  of  whom 
are  deceased.  The  mother  still  survives, 
having  reached  the  advanced  age  of  seventy- 
seven  years,  but  the  father  passed  away  in 
1862,  at  the  comparatively  early  age  of 
forty-eight  years. 

Milton  Preston,  the  second  child  and 
only  living  son  of  his  father's  family,  was 
born  and  reared  on  the  old  homestead  farm 
and  in  the  district  schools  acquired  his  edu- 
cation. When  not  busy  with  his  text-books 
he  assisted  in  the  operation  of  the  home 
place  and  was  early  trained  to  habits  of  in- 
dustry and  economy  which  in  later  life  have 
proved  invaluable  to  him.  He  spent  the  win- 
ter of  1874  in  California  but  with  the  ex- 
ception of  that  period  has  here  carried  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits  and  the  rais- 
ing of  fruit,  in  both  of  which  he  has  met 
with  gratifying  success.  In  addition  to  his 
agricultural  and  horticultural  pursuits  he 
is  also  engaged  in  the  raising  of  stock  and 
in  this  branch  of  his  business  he  is  also  meet- 
ing with  success,  handling  only  the  best 
grades  of  animals. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's 
journey  Mr.  Preston  chose  Miss  Alice 
Torwbridge,  to  whom  he  was  married 
October  29,  1879.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Harry  and  Lydia  (Lewis)  Trowbridge, 
who  located  in  Berrien  county  in  1852, 
being  numbered  among  the  early  settlers 
of  Pipestone  township.  Mrs.  Preston  was 
here  reared  and  educated  and  after  reach- 
ing womanhood  was  here  married  to  Mr. 
Preston,  who  took  his  bride  to  the  old  home- 
stead farm  where  they  have  continued  to  re- 
side to  the  present  time.  In  their  family  are 
eight  children,  namely:  Norman  T.,  resid- 
ing in  Pipestone  township;  Mabel  L.,  the 
wife  of  A.  P.  Dean,  who  will  locate  at  Baton 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTS 


981 


Rouge,  Louisiana ;  Maud  V. ;  Harry  M. ; 
Mildred  A.;  Marie  A.;  Donald;  and  Keith 
Stanley.  All  were  born  on  the  old  home- 
stead farm  and  with  the  exception  of  the 
eldest  son,  all  are  yet  with  their  parents. 
The  first  named  is  now  operating  a  farm  of 
seventy-eight  acres  on  section  22,  owned  by 
his  father. 

In  his  political  allegiance  Mr.  Preston 
is  a  Democrat,  and  has  served  in  a  number 
of  public  offices,  having  filled  the  office  of 
supervisor  two  years,  treasurer  of  his  town- 
ship four  years  and  as  a  member  of  the 
Democratic  committee  one  year.  He  holds 
membership  relations  with  the  Christian 
churchy  and  is  serving  as  elder  of  that  de- 
nomination at  the  present  time,  while  fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  He  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  this  county  throughout  his  entire 
life,  covering  a  period  of  more  than  a  half 
century,  and  thus  has  been  closely  identi- 
fied with  the  material  progress  that  has  here 
been  made.  He  is  well  known  throughout 
the  county  as  a  reliable  business  man  and 
one  who  possesses  many  sterling  traits  of 
character  so  that  he  is  held  in  high  esteem 
by  all  who  know  him. 

JACOB  TIBBS,  whose  residence  in  this 
county  dates  from  an  early  period  in  its 
development,  now  resides  on  section  17, 
Pipestone  township.  He  has  traveled  far 
on  life's  journey  and  a  review  of  his  record 
shows  that  throughout  his  life  he  has  dis- 
played many  sterling  traits  of  char- 
acter and  good  qualities  which  make 
him  well  worthy  of  the  confidence  and 
esteem  which  are  uniformly  accorded  him. 
His  birth  occurred  in  Hamilton  county, 
Ohio,  about  four  miles  from  the  city  of  Cin- 
cinnati, on  the  27th  of  June,  1826,  and  he 
was  the  fifth  child  and  second  son  in  a  fam- 
ily of  seven  children,  four  sons  and  three 
daughters.  The  parents  were  James  and 
Sarah  (Allen)  Tibbs,  the  former  a  native 
of  Ireland  and  the  latter  of  New  Jersey. 
James  Tibbs  was  reared  in  the  land  of  his 
birth  and  became  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
Following  his  emigration  to  x\merica  he  set- 
tled near  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  which,  however, 


was  then  a  small  town,  while  the  country 
side  was  largely  a  frontier  district. 

Jacob  Tibbs  was  reared  in  the  place  of 
his  nativity  but  at  a  very  early  age  was  left 
an  orphan,  being  only  four  years  old  at  the 
time  of  his  father's  demise  and  but  six  years 
of  age  when  his  mother  died.  He  lived 
with  Newton  Stites  until  fourteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own 
account,  working  by  the  month  and  doing 
anything  that  he  could  do  that  would  yield 
him  an  honest  living.  For  a  time  he  was 
employed  in  a  brickyard  in  Memphis,  Ten- 
nessee. The  year  1855  witnessed  his  arrival 
in  Michigan,  at  which  time  he  located  four 
miles  north  of  Niles.  It  was  in  the  same 
year  that  he  was  first  married,  the  lady  of 
his  choice  being  Miss  Maria  Ferris,  whom 
he  wedded  on  the  i6th  of  August,  1855. 
They  became  the  parents  of  seven  children, 
Henry,  Ella,  Alonzo,  Martha,  John,  Ed- 
ward, and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  After 
losing  his  first  wife  Mr.  Tibbs  was  married 
May  II,  1873,  to  Mrs.  Eliza  Long,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Daniel  Raihborn.  There  were  two 
children  of  this  marriage,  Irvin  T.  and  one 
who  died  in  infancy. 

Since  coming  to  this  county  Mr.  Tibbs 
has  continuously  followed  farming  save  for 
the  period  of  his  services  in  the  civil  war. 
His  patriotic  spirit  being  aroused  by  the 
attempt  of  the  south  to  overthrow  the  Union 
he  enlisted  in  1861,  becoming  a  private  of 
Company  K,  Twelfth  Michigan  Volunteer 
Infantry.  He  served  for  four  years,  five 
months  and  twenty  days — certainly  a  most 
creditable  record — and  he  was  in  many  im- 
portant engagements,  including  the  battles 
of  Shiloh  and  Little  Rock,  Arkansas.  He 
was  also  detailed  for  iiospital  service  but 
wherever  duty  called  he  was  found  a  loyal 
advocate  of  the  Union,  faithful  to  its  best 
interests. 

When  the  war  was  over  Mr.  Tibbs  re- 
turned to  his  family  and  his  farm  but  in  the 
meantime  participated  in  the  grand  review 
in  Washington,  the  most  celebrated  mili- 
tary pageant  ever  seen  on  the  western  hem- 
isphere. He  has  been  a  resident  of  Berrien 
county  for  fifty-one  years  and  has  been  iden- 
tified  with   its   best   interests.      A   life-long 


982 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Republican,  he  has  given  unfaltering  sup- 
port to  the  party  since  attaining  his  majority 
and  has  held  various  local  offices  in  the 
township,  the  duties  of  which  have  been  dis- 
charged with  promptness  and  fidelity.  He 
has  a  wide  and  favorable  acquaintance  in 
the  county  where  for  more  than  a  half  cen- 
tury he  has  lived,  and  while  his  life  has  in 
a  w^ay  been  quietly  passed  the  record  yet 
contains  many  lessons  worthy  of  emulation, 
for  he  has  been  found  persistent,  active  and 
honorable  in  business  life  and  faithful  in 
friendship. 

JACOB  AUMACK  is  one  of  the  old 
settlers  of  Berrien  county,  and  has  helped 
to  bring  about  the  improved  conditions 
which  exist  here  at  the  present  time.  He 
was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  New 
York,  May  ii,  1821.  His  grandfather, 
Abram  Aumack,  was  a  native  of  Holland, 
and  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  He 
lived  to  the  extreme  old  age  of  one  hun- 
dred years.  His  father,  Andrew  Aumack, 
who  was  in  the  war  of  1812,  was  born  in 
New  Jersey,  while  his  wife,  Hannah  Pool, 
was  a  native  of  Montgomery  county,  New 
York,  and  was  of  German  descent.  The 
parents  always  remained  in  the  east,  the 
father  dying  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety- 
two  years,  while  the  mother  passed  away 
when  about  seventy-five.  In  their  family 
were  eleven  children,  and  with  the  excep- 
tion of  one  all  reached  manhood  or  woman- 
hood. 

Jacob  Aumack,  the  fifth  child  in  his 
father's  family  was  reared  and  educated  in 
the  county  of  his  birth,  and  was  there  mar- 
ried in  1844,  to  Miss  Harriet  Lewis,  like- 
wise a  native  of  Montgomery  county. 
There  they  began  their  domestic  life  and 
remained  for  five  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time,  in  1849,  they  removed  to  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  locating  in  Pipestone 
township,  where  Mr.  Aumack  engaged  in 
general  agricultural  pursuits  for  some  years. 
As  the  years  passed  by  the  improvement  of 
the  opportunities  here  afforded  he  prospered 
in  his  work  and  thus  secured  capital  suffici- 
ent to  purchase  a  home  of  his  own,  when 
in  1854,  he  bought  and  removed  to  the  farm 
on  which  he  now  makes  his  home,  the  years 


of  his  residence  here  covering  a  longer  per- 
iod than  that  of  any  other  resident  of  the 
county  on  one  farm.  He  has  added  many 
modern  improvements  to  his  place,  for  when 
he  took  possession  there  were  few  buildings 
upon  it.  However,  as  the  county  has  ad- 
vanced he  has  kept  abreast  with  the  times 
and  has  made  his  property  one  of  the  valu- 
able farming  tracts  of  Pipestone  township. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Aumack  were  born 
three  sons  and  four  daughters,  namely : 
John,  who  died  while  serving  in  the  Civil 
war;  Mary,  deceased;  Ruth,  the  wife  of  A. 
J.  Wiest;  Smith,  a  resident  farmer  of  Pipe- 
stone township;  Emma,  the  wife  of  Jacob 
Runnels,  of  Eau  Claire;  Edwin,  who  assists 
in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm  and 
wedded  Miss  Martha  Tibbs;  and  Elizabeth, 
now  the  wife  of  Henry  Tibbs,  of  Mason 
county,  Michigan.  In  1894  the  family  was 
called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  the  wife 
and  mother;  her  death  occurred  on  the  12th 
of  November  of  that  year,  and  thus  passed 
away  one  of  the  worthy  and  highly  esteemed 
women  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Aumack  enlisted  in  the  Twelfth 
Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry  in  1864,  at 
Sommerville,  and  his  regiment  was  in  the 
Trans-Mississippi  Department  in  Arkan- 
sas. He  served  his  country  one  year 
and  received  his  honorable  discharge  and 
returned  home.  His  son  John  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  same  regiment,  which  he  joined 
in  the  winter  of  1864,  and  died  in  June, 
1864. 

Mr.  Aumack  gave  his  early  political 
allegiance  to  the  Whig  party  and  upon  its 
dissolution  joined  the  ranks  of  the  new 
Republican  party,  casting  a  vote  for  John 
C.  Fremont  in  1856,  and  has  supported  each 
presidential  candidate  since  that  time.  He 
has  been  called  to  a  number  of  township 
offices,  the  duties  of  which  he  has  discharged 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  general  public  as 
well  as  reflecting  credit  upon  himself.  He 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  for 
many  years.  Having  been  a  resident  of  the 
county  for  fifty-seven  years  no  other  resi- 
dent has  done  more  for  the  interests  of  his 
section  of  the  state,  for  at  the  time  he  took 
up  his  abode  here  there  was  much  arduous 
work  to  be  done  in  the  way  of  clearing  the 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


983 


land  and  preparing-  it  for  cultivation.  In 
the  years  that  have  passed  he  has  not  only 
worked  for  his  own  individual  interests  but 
for  the  progress  and  improvement  of  the 
county  at  large  and  he  has  lived  to  see  Ber- 
rien county  placed  in  the  foremost  rank  of 
agricultural,  industrial  and  commercial  de- 
velopment. He  has  a  wide  and  favorable 
acquaintance  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by 
all  who  know  him  not  alone  for  the  success 
which  he  has  achieved,  but  for  his  many 
sterling  traits  of  character  for  he  is  known 
to  be  strictly  reliable  in  all  his  trade  trans- 
actions and  is  today  classed  among  the  pros- 
perous agriculturists  of  this  portion  of  the 
state. 

GEORGE  SHARP,  who  owns  and  con- 
ducts a  good  farm  on  section  28,  Pipestone 
township,  was  born  in  England,  September 
3,  1845.  His  father,  James  G.  Sharp,  was 
likewise  a  native  of  that  country  and  was 
there  reared  and  educated.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Sophia  Cox,  also  a  native  of 
England,  and  in  1847  they  crossed  the 
Atlantic  to  America,  establishing  their  home 
at  Rome,  New  York.  In  1856  Mr.  Sharp 
brought  his  family  to  Michigan,  settling 
first  at  Grand  Rapids,  where  he  worked  at 
the  trade  of  a  carpenter  and  joiner.  He 
also  conducted  a  greenhouse  for  some  time 
at  Grand  Rapids  and  was  a  well  known  fac- 
tor in  business  circles  in  that  city  for  a  long 
period.  About  1885,  however,  he  returned 
to  his  native  country,  where  he  died  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-five  years.  His  wife 
had  passed  away  in  Grand  Rapids  when 
sixty-seven  years  of  age.  In  the  family 
were  six  children,  all  of  whom  reached  adult 
age  and  all  are  yet  living  with  the  exception 
of  one,  James  W.,  who  died  in  Anderson- 
ville  prison  while  serving  as  a  member  of 
the  Union  army  in  the  Civil  war. 

George  Sharp,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record,  was  the  third  member  of  the 
family  and  the  second  son,  and  was  only 
two  years  old  when  brought  by  his  parents 
to  America.  He  spent  the  first  decade  in 
Rome,  New  York,  and  was  afterward  in 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  until  1862,  when 
he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  aid 
and  enlisted  on  the  20th  of  September  with 


the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  B,  Sixth  Mich- 
igan Cavalry.  He  joined  the  army  as  a 
private  at  Grand  Rapids  and  served  for 
three  years,  his  regiment  being  attached  to 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  General  Custer's 
famous  brigade,  doing  active  duty  on  the 
plains.  Mr.  Sharp  was  also  in  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  under  General  Phil.  Sheridan 
and  participated  in  many  of  the  historic  bat- 
tles, including  the  engagements  at  Gettys- 
burg, the  Wilderness,  Brandy  Station,  Cold 
Harbor  and  Cedar  Creek.  He  was  in  the 
battle  of  Five  Forks  and  was  also  in  the 
engagements  at  Appomattox,  resulting  in 
the  surrender  of  General  Lee,  and  the  prac- 
tical close  of  the  war.  His  record  was  one 
of  continuous  and  active  service  from  the 
time  he  enlisted  until  he  received  his  honor- 
able discharge  at  Jackson,  Michigan,  after 
the  close  of  the  w^ar.  He  participated  in 
the  grand  review  at  Washington,  where 
thousands  of  the  boys  in  blue  marched  down 
Pennsylvania  avenue  and  past  the  review- 
ing stand  wdiere  the  president  and  other  dis- 
tinguished men  of  the  nation  gave  greeting 
to  the  loyal  soldiers  w^ho  had  followed  the 
old  flag  on  southern  battle  fields  and  had 
been  the  defense  of  the  Union  through  four 
of  the  darkest  years  in  the  history  of  the 
nation. 

Following  the  close  of  the  war  Mr. 
Sharp  returned  to  Michigan,  and  in  1868 
located  in  Pipestone  township,  Berrien 
county.  He  had  absolutely  no  capital  at 
the  time  of  his  arrival  here  but  he  was  am- 
bitious and  willing  to  w^ork  and  that  his  life 
has  been  busy  and  useful  is  indicated  by  the 
fact  that  he  is  now  the  owner  of  a  valuable 
tract  of  land  of  eighty  acres.  This  con- 
stitutes a  well  improved  farm,  for  he  has 
placed  the  fields  under  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation and  has  added  many  modern  equip- 
ments and  accessories. 

Mr.  Sharp  has  been  married  twice.  In 
1869  he  wedded  Miss  Angeline  Beals,  who 
died  in  1871,  leaving  one  son,  Frank.  In 
1873  Mr.  Sharp  wedded  Miss  Hannah  Buz- 
zard. They  have  two  sons.  Perry  A.  and 
W.  G.  For  nearly  four  decades  Mr.  Sharp 
has  been  a  resident  of  Berrien  county,  dur- 
ing which  time  many  marvelous  changes 
have  been  wrought  as  the  work  of  improve- 


984 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


ment  and  upbuilding  has  been  carried  for- 
ward by  the  enterprising,  progressive  citi- 
zens. He  is  a  member  of  Berrien  Center 
post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  he  also  belongs  to  the 
United  Brethren  church  as  do  his  wife  and 
sons,  while  two  of  them,  Frank  and  Perry, 
are  ministers  of  the  gospel,  being  prominent 
preachers,  well  known  in  their  denomina- 
tion. Mr.  Sharp  of  this  review  is  one  of  the 
trustees  of  the  church  and  takes  a  most 
active  and  helpful  part  in  its  work.  His 
political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Repub- 
lican party,  of  which  he  is  a  stanch  and  un- 
faltering advocate  and  he  is  now  serving  as 
justice  of  the  peace  from  Pipestone  town- 
ship. He  has  ever  taken  an  active  interest 
in  public  affairs  and  his  influence  is  always 
found  on  the  side  of  justice,  truth  and  right. 
His  creditable  military  record  would  alone 
entitle  him  to  representation  in  this  volume 
but  throughout  the  period  of  his  residence 
here  he  has  always  been  known  as  an  enter- 
prising citizen  and  one  who  deserves  much 
credit  for  working  his  way  upward  from  a 
humble  financial  position  to  a  place  of 
affluence. 

BURTON  A.  CRANDALL,  a  well-to- 
do  farmer  of  Berrien  county,  owning  a  tract 
which  comprises  two  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  is  a  native  son  of  Michigan,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Pokagon  township,  Cass 
county,  this  state,  August.  21,  1878.  His 
father.  Able  Crandall,  was  a  native  of 
Indiana,  whence  he  accompanied  his  parents 
to  Cass  county,  Michigan,  where  he  was 
reared  and  married,  the  lady  of  his  choice 
being  Miss  Eliza  Harmon,  a  native  of  this 
state,  her  birth  having  occurred  in  Cass 
county.  Following  his  marriage  the  father 
took  up  his  abode  in  Palmyra  township, 
Cass  county,  where  he  was  engaged  in  gen- 
eral agricultural  pursuits  until  about  1880, 
when  he  located  in  Sodus  township,  Ber- 
rien county,  where  he  purchased  the  tract 
of  land  which  is  now  owned  by  our  subject, 
and  which  was  known  as  the  Brubaker 
farm.  He  there  continued  his  work  along 
agricultural  lines,  and  was  accounted  one 
of  the  prominent  and  influential  residents  of 
this  part  of  the  state.  The  mother  passed 
away  in  1890,  and  the  father  in  1887,  and 


the  son,  Burton  A.,  was  left  an  orphan  at 
about  the  age  of  nine  years. 

Following  the  death  of  his  father,  an 
uncle  of  our  subject,  M.  R.  Crandall,  then 
located  on  the  farm  and  reared  his  brother's 
son.  Burton  A.,  who  was  early  trained  to  the 
work  of  the  farm  and  in  the  district  schools 
he  pursued  his  studies.  He  remained  with 
his  uncle  to  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  at 
which  time  he  took  charge  of  the  farm, 
which  he  inherited  when  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  for  he  was  the  only  child  of  his 
father's  family.  The  farm  comprised  nine- 
ty-nine acres  of  rich  and  productive  land, 
and  here  our  subject  carried  on  general 
agricultural  pursuits  and  he  has  since  set 
out  considerable  fruit  upon  the  place,  and 
both  branches  of  his  business  are  proving 
a  profitable  source  of  income  to  him.  Mr. 
Crandall  added  a  tract  of  forty  acres,  which 
his  father  had  purchased,  located  sixty  rods 
north  of  the  tract  which  he  inherited,  and 
later  he  added  a  second  tract  known  as  the 
Gano  farm,  and  comprising  eighty  acres, 
this  being  located  on  section  9,  Sodus  town- 
ship, thus  making  in  all  two  hundred  and 
twenty  acres.  He  rents  a  portion  of  his 
land,  from  which  he  derives  a  gratifying  in- 
come and  he  is  engaged  in  general  farming 
and  fruit-raising  on  a  part  of  his  property. 
He  has  a  well  developed  and  improved  farm, 
being  one  of  the  fine  country  homes  of  this 
part  of  the  county. 

On  October  24,  1897,  Mr.  Crandall  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lillie  M.  Fisher, 
a  daughter  of  J.  A.  and  Hattie  Fisher,  and 
unto  them  have  been  born  two  interesting 
children,  Victor  Guy  and  Vera  Echo.  Mr. 
Crandall  is  a  Republican  in  his  political 
views  and  affiliations,  keeping  well  informed 
on  the  current  events  of  the.  day,  and  he 
takes  a  deep  and  helpful  interest  in  matters 
pertaining  to  the  public  welfare. 

WILLIAM  J.  FEATHER.  Among 
those  formerly  closely  associated  with  agri- 
cultural interests  in  Berrien  county  and  now 
living  retired  in  Berrien  Springs,  is  num- 
bered William  J.  Feather,  who  is  a  native 
son  of  Oronoko  township.  His  life  record 
began  on  the  21st  of  May,  1841.  His 
father,  Joseph  Feather,  was  born  at  Selin's 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


985 


Grove,  Union  county,  Pennsylvania,  where 
the  family  had  been  established  at  an  early 
day  and  where  the  name  was  originally 
spelled  Fetter.  In  the  place  of  his  nativity 
Joseph  Feather  was  reared  and  educated 
and  there  he  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter- 
ing and  cabinet-making.  Thinking  to  en- 
joy better  business  opportunities  in  a  pio- 
neer district  he  made  the  journey  on  foot 
to  Berrien  county,  Michigan,  and  took  up 
land  in  Oronoko  township.  There  he 
worked  at  his  trade  for  a  number  of  months 
and  the  following  year  returned  to  Pennsyl- 
vania. In  the  succeeding  spring  he  came 
again  to  Michigan,  bringing  with  him  his 
sister,  a  yellow  dog,  a  long  gun,  a  cow,  one 
horse  and  a  wagon,  reaching  Berrien 
Springs  about  June,  1833.  There  he  fol- 
lowed the  dual  occupation  of  cabinet-mak- 
ing and  carpentering  until  his  health  failed, 
when  he  located  on  his  land  one  mile  west 
of  Berrien  Springs.  There  in  the  outdoor 
life  his  health  improved  and  he  continued 
the  cultivation  and  development  of  his  farm, 
lying  on  section  33,  Berrien  township,  until 
old  age.  He  was  married  in  Berrien  Springs 
to  Miss  Anna  Freed,  on  the  3d  of  December, 
1833.  She  was  born  in  Union  county, 
Pennsylvania,  a  daughter  of  Abram  Freed, 
w^ho  was  a  prominent  merchant  of  Phila- 
delphia, and  was  of  German  descent.  Mr. 
Feather  passed  away  in  his  eighty-fourth 
year,  while  his  wife  died  in  her  eighty-second 
year.  They  were  among  the  worthy  pioneer 
residents  of  Berrien  county  and  were  closely 
identified  with  its  early  history.  They  lived 
here  when  the  Indians  still  visited  the 
neighborhood  and  when  only  here  and  there 
had  a  log  cabin  been  built  and  a  little  clear- 
ing made  to  show  that  the  work  of  civili- 
zation had  been  begun.  Much  of  the  land 
was  still  in  possession  of  the  government 
and  the  timber  had  been  cut  on  but  few 
tracts.  The  family  shared  in  all  of  the 
hardships  and  trials  incident  to  pioneer  life 
and  as  the  years  passed  by  succeeded  in  re- 
claiming a  tract  of  land  for  the  uses  of 
civilization  by  transforming  it  from  a  tim- 
bered region  into  richly  cultivated  fields.  In 
the  family  were  seven  children,  four  daugh- 
ters and  three  sons.     The  eldest  was  Benja- 


min F.  Feather,  who  v/as  the  first  white 
male  child  born  in  Oronoko  township,  the 
date  of  his  birth  being  October  10,  1834. 
The  others  of  the  family  are:  Mary  E., 
born  July  11,  1836;  Lydia  Ann,  August  28, 
1839;  William  Joseph,  May  20,  1841 ;  Har- 
riet E.,  April  28,  1843;  Reuben  Perry,  Feb- 
ruary 18,  1846;  and  Eliza  Jane,  June  26, 
1 85 1.  All  are  yet  living  but  the  eldest 
daughter,  Mary,  who  died  June  2.2 ^  1868. 

William  J.  Feather  was  reared  amid  the 
usual  conditions  and  environments  of  pioneer 
life  upon  the  old  homestead  farm  in  Oro- 
noko township  and  attended  school  in  Ber- 
rien Springs.  During  the  periods  of  vaca- 
tion his  labor  was  a  factor  in  the  develop- 
ment and  cultivation  of  the  farm  and  he 
worked  at  home  until  twenty-seven  years 
of  age.  He  was  then  married  and  started 
out  in  life  on  his  own  account,  settling  upon 
a  farm  in  Oronoko  township,  which  he  cul- 
tivated and  improved.  He  converted  the 
wild  land  into  productive  fields  and  con- 
tinued in  his  farm  labor  until  1892,  w^ork- 
ing  persistently  and  energetically  3^ear  after 
year.  On  putting  aside  the  active  cares  of 
the  farm  he  removed  to  Berrien  Springs, 
where  he  is  now  living  retired,  and  in  1904 
he  sold  the  old  home  property. 

On  the  24th  of  December,  1868,  Mr. 
Feather  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Amelia  Smith,  a  daughter  of  Charles  and 
Clarinda  (Brown)  Smith.  Her  father  was 
born  in  Marlboro,  Ulster  county,  New 
York,  and  the  mother  in  Locke,  Cayuga 
county.  New  York.  She  died  in  the  Em- 
pire state  in  1856,  while  the  father  died  in 
Berrien  Springs  in  1878.  There  were  five 
children  in  their  family,  a  son  and  four 
daughters,  of  whom  Mrs.  Feather  was  the 
third  in  order  of  birth.  She  was  educated 
in  the  district  schools  of  her  native  place 
and  in  the  Friends  Seminary,  at  Union 
Springs,  New  York.  She  taught  in  the 
Empire  state  and  came  to  Berrien  county  in 
1864,  following  the  profession  of  teaching 
here.  She  devoted  ten  years  altogether  to- 
that  work,  entering  the  schoolroom  as  a 
teacher  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  The  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Feather  was  cele- 
brated in  New  York  and  they  at  once  came 


986 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


to  Berrien  county  and  established  their  home 
upon  a  farm  in  Oronoko  township.  Unto 
them  were  born  the  following  named :  Mer- 
ton  K.,  a  real-estate  dealer  in  Elkhart,  In- 
diana; and  Gordon  L.,  who  died  in  1877,  at 
the  age  of  tw^o  years  and  four  months.  They 
also  had  an  adopted  daughter,  Fannie,  who 
became  the  wife  of  C.  H.  Ireland,  and  died 
in  1904,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years. 

Mr.  Feather  has  been  a  life-long  resi- 
dent of  Berrien  county  and  an  interested 
witness  of  the  events  which  have  established 
its  history  and  formulated  its  policy.  He 
has  voted  with  the  Republican  party  since 
age  conferred  upon  him  the  right  of  fran- 
chise and  has  been  connected  officially  with 
the  schools  of  the  village.  He  and  his  fam- 
ily are  members  of  St.  Paul's  Lutheran 
church,  in  which  he  has  served  as  deacon 
and  trustee,  while  in  all  of  the  various 
church  activities  he  takes  a  helpful  part. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
National  Protective  Legion  of  Waverly, 
New  York,  and  in  this  county  are  widely 
knowai,  while  the  esteem  of  an  extensive 
circle  of  friends  is  freely  accorded  them. 
In  his  business  affairs  Mr.  Feather  has  ever 
been  found  prompt  and  faithful,  fully  meet- 
ing every  obligation  that  devolves  upon  him 
and  never  making  an  engagement  that  he 
has  not  filled.  He  is  thus  respected  as  a 
reliable  citizen,  one  whose  word  is  as  good 
as  his  bond. 

CYRUS  C.  HODGES,  who  has  filled 
various  positions  of  honor  and  trust  in  New 
Buffalo,  where  he  is  now  serving  as  post- 
master, was  born  in  Troy  township  near 
the  city  of  Troy  in  Huron  county,  Ohio, 
December  21,  1840.  He  comes  of  German 
ancestry,  the  family  having  been  established 
in  New  York  at  an  early  period  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  new  world.  His  parents 
were  Luther  and  Luhena  (Parker)  Hodges, 
who  were  natives  of  Onondaga  county.  New 
York,  and  the  mother  was  a  relative  of 
General  Parker  of  Revolutionary  war  fame. 
Both  the  father  and  mother  were  reared  in 
the  Empire  state  and  following  their  mar- 
riage they  spent  much  of  their  lives  in  Ohio, 
where  the  father  followed  the  occupation 
of  farming.     Both  he  and  his  wife  died  in 


Canada  at  an  advanced  age,  Mrs.  Hodges 
passing  away  when  seventy-six  years  of  age, 
w^iile  he  was  about  five  years  older.  Cyrus 
C.  Hodges  was  the  youngest  in  the  family 
of  ten  children,  five  sons  and  five  daughters, 
and  is  the  only  one  now  living.  His  brother 
Perry  served  as  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war. 

Cyrus  C.  Hodges  was  only  three  months 
old  when  his  parents  removed  to  Ontario, 
Canada  West,  and  there  he  resided  until 
after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war.  He 
enlisted  in  September,  1861,  as  a  member 
of  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth 
Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  under  com- 
mand of  Captain  Hawdey  and  Colonel  Boss. 
He  was  principally  engaged  in  duty  in  Ten- 
nessee and  Kentucky.  He  took  part  in  the 
battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing  and  during  the 
second  day  of  the  battle  at  Stone  River. 
He  was  also  in  the  Atlanta  campaign  and 
after  the  fall  of  the  city  returned  to  Nash- 
ville, Tennessee.  Later  the  regiment  to 
which  he  belonged  was  sent  to  Texas,  where 
he  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war.  On 
the  expiration  of  his  first  term  of  three  years 
he  had  veteranized  and  remained  with  the 
army  until  the  cessation  of  hostilities,  being 
continuously  with  his  regiment  except  for 
a  brief  period  when  home  on  a  furlough  and 
also  for  the  period  spent  in  a  hospital  at 
Louisville.  He  was  wounded  and  after- 
ward was  sent  to  the  hospital.  When  the 
war  ended  he  was  mustered  out  at  Indian- 
apolis, Indiana,  in  October,  1865. 

Mr.  Hodges  then  returned  to  his  old 
home  in  Michigan  and  has  since  lived  in 
Berrien  county,  covering  a  period  of  about 
four  decades.  For  about  thirty-seven  years 
he  worked  in  a  furniture  factory  and  went 
with  that  factory  to  Missouri,  where  he 
continued  for  six  years,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  Michigan,  residing  here  continu- 
ously since.  He  conducted  a  meat  market 
for  a  time  and  has  been  connected  with  vari- 
ous other  occupations  and  lines  of  business. 
His  fellow  townsmen,  recognizing  his  worth 
and  ability,  have  frequently  called  him  to 
public  office  and  he  is  now  serving  as  post- 
master, having  first  been  appointed  to  the 
position  in  April,  1893,  under  General  Ben- 
jamin Harrison  and  again  during  Cleve- 
land's administration.     He  was  re-appointed 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


987 


by  President  McKinley  and  by  President 
Roosevelt  and  thus  has  long  served  as  post- 
master, proving  a  capable  official.  He  has 
been  a  life-long  Republican,  unfaltering  in 
his  advocacy  of  the  party  and  its  principles 
and  for  about  twenty-six  years  has  served 
as  justice  of  the  peace.  During  that  time 
he  was  appointed  supervisor  of  his  town- 
ship and  acted  in  that  capacity  until  chosen 
for  the  position  of  postmaster,  when  he  re- 
signed the  office.  He  has  also  been  presi- 
dent and  trustee  of  the  village  and  has  been 
very  active  in  public  affairs,  doing  all  in 
his  power  to  promote  the  general  welfare, 
w^hile  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  he  has 
been  so  prompt  and  efficient  as  to  win  uni- 
form confidence  and  commendation. 

Mr.  Hodges  was  married  in  Berrien 
county  in  1870  to  Miss  Emma  Phillips,  who- 
was  born  in  New  Buffalo,  April  15,  1848, 
a  daughter  of  R.  F.  and  Katharine  (Brown) 
Phillips,  who  were  natives  of  Virginia  and 
became  early  settlers  of  Berrien  county, 
Michigan.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hodges  have  one 
child,  Mary  L.,  who  is  now  filling  the  posi- 
tion of  bookkeeper  in  South  Bend,  Indiana. 

Mr.  Hodges  owns  three  dw^elling  houses 
in  New  Buffalo  in  addition  to  the  postoffice 
building  and  some  unimproved  property. 
He  has  made  all  that  he  has  through  his 
well-directed  efforts,  his  judicious  invest- 
ment and  his  enterprise  and  is  now  in  pos- 
session of  property  which  returns  to  him  a 
good  income. 

Mr.  Hodges  is  a  Mason,  belonging  to 
Three  Oaks  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.'  He  is 
also  affiliated  with  the  Maccabees  tent.  No. 
231,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  His  life  has  been  character- 
ized by  fidelity  to  honorable  principles  and 
he  has  ever  held  high  ideals  of  citizenship, 
being  as  loyal  to  his  country  in  days  of  peace, 
as  when  he  fought  its  battles  upon  southern 
soil  and  thus  maintained  the  supremacy  of 
the  Union. 

DAVID  H.  ULLREY  has  lived  the 
quiet  life  of  a  farmer  and  yet  in  his  life 
record  there  are  many  elements  worthy  of 
emulation  and  of  commendation,  for  he  has 
always  upheld  the  legal  and  political  status 
of  his  community  and  labored  for  progress 


and  advancement  along  those  lines  which 
yield  the  greatest  good  to  the  greatest  num- 
ber. His  home  is  on  section  34,  Berrien 
township,  where  he  is  successfully  controll- 
ing farming  interests.  His  birth  occurred 
in  St.  Joseph  county,  Indiana,  October  13, 
1836.  His  father,  John  Ullrey,  was  a  native 
of  Shelby  county,  Ohio,  where  he  was 
reared  and  married,  the  lady  of  his  choice 
being  Miss  Sarah  Ann  Hoover,  who  was 
also  born  in  that  county.  They  removed 
from  the  Buckeye  state  to  Indiana  in  1835, 
settling  in  St.  Joseph  county,  locating  near 
South  Bend  on  Portage  Prairie.  About 
1845  he  sold  his  farm  there  and  retired  from 
business  life.  He  was  active  and  influential 
in  public  affairs  in  South  Bend  for  many 
years  and  at  one  time  served  as  mayor  of 
the  city.  He  also  held  other  offices  there 
and  his  official  record  and  private  life  were 
alike  above  reproach.  He  was  prominent  in 
the  Odd  Fellows  society  and  built  the  first 
hall  for  that  order  in  South  Bend.  It  is 
still  standing,  being  one  of  the  old  land- 
marks of  the  city.  Mr.  Ullrey  passed  away 
in  South  Bend  at  a  ripe  old  age  but  the 
mother  was  but  forty-four  years  of  age  at 
the  time  of  her  death,  which  occurred  in 
Berrien  township.  They  had  removed  to 
Cass  county,  Michigan,  in  1844,  living  there 
for  ten  years,  and  in  1854  became  residents 
of  Berrien  township,  Berrien  county.  In 
their  family  w^ere  six  children,  two  daugh- 
ters and  four  sons,  all  of  wdiom  reached 
adult  age  and  are  still  living.  Three  of  the 
sons  are  residents  of  Berrien  county.  The 
family  record  is  as  follows :  J.  B.  makes 
his  home  in  Niles.  J.  H.  is  living  in  Ber- 
rien Center.  William  W.  resides  in  Ore- 
gon. Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  George  Cud- 
deback,  of  Wisconsin,  and  Heppy  A.  is  the 
widow  of  Perry  Curtis. 

David  H.  Ullrey,  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  record,  is  the  eldest  of  the  family 
and  was  only  eight  years  of  age  when  his 
parents  removed  to  Cass  county,  while  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Berrien  county,  settling  upon  a  farm 
where  he  now  resides.  He  was  educated 
in  the  district  schools  and  in  the  public 
schools  at  Niles,  and  engaged  in  teaching 
for  three  years  prior  to  his  marriage,  fol- 


988 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


lowing  that  profession  through  the  winter 
months,  while  in  the  summer  seasons  he  was 
engaged  with  farm  labor. 

March  29,  1857  Mr.  Ullrey  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Angeline  Schnorf,  a 
daughter  of  Isaac  and  Eliza  (Nye)  Schnorf. 
She  was  born  in  Warren  county,  Ohio,  De- 
cember 3,  1839,  and  was  but  six  years  old 
when  brought  to  Berrien  county  by  her  par- 
ents, who  became  early  settlers  of  this  coun- 
ty, both  the  Nyes  and  the  Schnorfs  being 
pioneers  in  this  state,  representatives  of  the 
names  living  in  Berrien  and  in  Niles  town- 
ships. Since  his  marriage  Mr.  Ullrey  has 
resided  continuously  upon  the  same  farm 
with  the  exception  of  a  period  of  seven 
years,  five  years  of  which  time  was  spent 
in  Pipestone  township.  He  has  for  fifty- 
two  years  been  a  resident  of  Berrien  county, 
and  for  sixty-two  years  of  Michigan.  In 
addition  to  his  general  farming  interests  he 
was  engaged  in  the  grain  business  for  about 
twelve  years,  buying  for  different  parties. 
He  made  purchases  of  wheat,  corn  and 
fruit,  becoming  a  representative  of  the 
Goshen  Milling  Company  in  1895,  which 
year  he  shipped  to  them  two  hundred  and 
forty-six  carloads  of  wheat  from  Fairland 
Station  besides  a  number  of  carloads  of  corn 
and  rye.  His  attention,  however,  is  now 
confined  to  general  farming,  which  he  is 
successfully  conducting.  He  is  a  member 
of  Anchor  Lodge,  No.  42,  A.  O.  U.  W. 
at  Niles,  and  belongs  to  the  Free  Will  Bap- 
tist church  at  Berrien  Center.  In  politics 
he  has  been  a  life-long  Republican,  voting 
for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  i860  and  again  in 
1864,  ^nd  for  each  nominee  at  the  head  of 
the  national  ticket  since  that  time.  He 
served  as  supervisor  of  Berrien  township 
for  four  years  and  as  highway  commissioner 
and  school  inspector.  He  has  always  taken 
an  active  and  helpful  part  in  public  affairs 
and  his  labors  have  resulted  beneficially  to 
the  county,  where  he  is  classed  with  the  rep- 
resentative and  valued  citizens.  His  life 
has  been  well  spent  and  all  who  know  him 
entertain  for  him  warm  regard. 

BURWELL  HINCHMAN,  a  promi- 
nent representative  of  the  business  interests 
of  Berrien  county,  was  born  in  Logan  coun- 


ty, Virginia,  November  17,  1842.  His 
father,  Milton  Hinchman,  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  born  in  181 2,  but  during  his 
youth  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Logan 
county,  Virginia,  where  he  resided  until 
1847,  the  year  of  his  arrival  in  Berrien 
county,  his  object  in  leaving  the  south  hav- 
ing been  to  avoid  slavery,  his  father  being 
a  slave  holder.  In  this  township  he  spent 
his  remaining  days.  While  in  Virginia  he 
was  married  to  Elizabeth  Carey,  a  native  of 
Orange  county,  New  York,  and  her  death 
also  occurred  in  this  township.  This  honored 
old  pioneer  couple  were  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  seven  sons  and  three  daughters, 
five  of  the  number  having  been  born  in  Ber- 
rien county. 

Burwell  Hinchman  was  but  five  years  of 
age  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  to  Berrien  county,  the  family 
home  being  established  upon  a  farm  north 
of  Niles.  When  about  eighteen  years  of  age 
he  put  aside  his  text  books  and  began  his 
business  career  as  a  clerk  in  a  store  in  Niles, 
there  continuing  until  the  time  of  his  enlist- 
ment in  the  Civil  war,  September  3,  1863, 
becoming  a  member  of  Company  K, 
Eleventh  Michigan  Cavalry.  He  was  soon 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  sergeant,  and 
among  the  engagements  in  which  he  partici- 
pated were  those  of  Pound  Gap,  Kentucky ; 
Mount  Sterling,  Paint  Creek,  Louisa,  Camp 
Nelson.  On  one  occasion  he  was  wounded 
in  the  hand  and  was  sent  to  the  hospital  at 
Camp  Nelson,  and  while  there  confined  he 
also  did  some  nursing.  On  the  29th  of 
May,  1865,  he  was  mustered  out  of  service 
at  Lexington,  Kentucky.  His  military 
career  was  one  which  will  ever  redound  to 
his  honor  as  a  loyal  and  devoted  son  of  the 
republic  and  as  one  whose  courage  was  that 
,of  his  convictions. 

On  returning  to  his  home  in  Chikam- 
ing  township  Mr.  Hinchman  purchased  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  on 
section  23,  which  he  cleared  and  improved, 
also  erected  a  pleasant  residence  and  planted 
an  orchard.  There  he  made  his  home  until 
1 877,  when  he  embarked  in  business  at  Saw- 
yer, being  numbered  among  the  leading 
merchants  there  for  twenty-four  years. 
During  that  time  he  erected  the  store  build- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


989 


ing  which  he  yet  owns,  but  which  he  rents 
to  other  parties.  He  is  also  a  registered 
pharmacist,  and  is  engaged  in  the  drug  bus- 
iness. About  twelve  years  ago  Mr.  Hinch- 
man  embarked  in  the  real-estate  business, 
dealing  principally  in  farm  property,  and  in 
this  line  he  has  met  with  a  marked  degree 
of  success.  In  business  circles  he  sustains 
a  most  enviable  reputation.  His  energetic 
nature,  strong  determination,  sagacity  and 
capable  management  have  brought  to  him  a 
handsome  competence.  He  carries  forward 
to  completion  whatever  he  undertakes,  and 
his  business  methods  have  ever  been  in  strict 
conformity  with  the  ethics  of  commercial 
life. 

On  the  23d  of  December,  1867,  Mr. 
Hinchman  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary 
George,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  they  had 
four  children :  Frank  B.,  a  dentist  in  this 
state;  Alfa,  wdio  died  at  the  age  of  two 
years;  Kate,  the  wife  of  Otis  Jones,  a  drug- 
gist of  Grand  Rapids;  Inez,  the  wife  of 
John  F.  Quinn,  of  New  York;  and  Alice, 
also  of  Grand  Rapids.  For  his  second  wife 
Mr.  Hinchman  chose  Mrs.  Mary  O.  Spauld- 
ing.  Mr.  Hinchman  has  given  all  his  chil- 
dren excellent  educational  advantages,  all 
being  graduates  of  some  school,  and  the  two 
oldest  were  members  of  the  teacher's  pro- 
fession. Politically  he  has  been  a  supporter 
of  Democratic  principles,  during  most  of 
his  life,  active  in  the  work  of  the  party,  but 
for  a  time  he  supported  the  Greenback  ticket. 
During  both  of  Cleveland's  administrations 
he  served  as  postmaster,  nine  years  in  all, 
for  the  past  twenty-eight  years  has  been  a 
justice  of  the  peace,  has  served  as  notary 
public,  for  six  years  was  highway  com- 
missioner and  for  twelve  years  was  health 
officer.  The  cause  of  education  has  ever 
found  in  him  a  warm  and  helpful  friend, 
and  during  most  of  his  life  has  served  as  a 
school  officer,  and  he  is  proud  of  the  fact 
that  he  has  worked  long  and  faithfully  to 
secure  the  present  good  schools.  Mr. 
Hinchman  maintains  pleasant  relations  with 
his  old  army  comrades  by  his  membership 
in  Frank  A.  Daniel  Post,  No.  437,  of  New 
Troy.  He  is  the  owner  of  a  valuable  sou- 
venir in  the  form  of  a  newspaper  draped  iii 
black  commemorating  the  death  of  George 


Washington.  There  are  only  seven  persons 
in  Chikaming  township  that  were  here 
when  Mr.  Hinchman  took  up  his  abode  with- 
in its  borders,  and  his  name  is  deeply  en- 
graved on  the  pages  of  its  history. 

FREDERICK  W.  RICHTER  is  well 
knowm  in  social  circles  and  in  public  life  in 
Niles,  where  his  carefully  directed  labors 
have  won  him  business  success  and  that 
have  made  him  a  leader  in  public  thought 
and  action,  especially  along  those  lines 
which  have  for  their  objective  point  the  wel- 
fare and  progress  of  the  city.  A  native  of 
Indiana  he  was  born  in  Rochester,  Fulton 
county,  in  1866,  and  is  a  son  of  Frank  and 
Eva  (Madison)  Richter.  The  family  num- 
bered nine  children  but  Frederick  W.  is  the 
only  one  residing  in  Berrien  county.  He  is 
indebted  to  the  public  school  system  of  his 
native  state  for  the  educational  privileges 
he  enjoyed.  After  attending  the  high  school 
he  entered  upon  his  business  career  as  an 
employe  in  a  drug  store  in  Rochester,  where 
he  became  thoroughly  conversant  with  the 
trade,  acting  as  a  salesman  in  that  estab- 
lishment from  1883  until  1887.  He  after- 
ward spent  one  year  as  a  clerk  in  a  drug 
store  in  Beloit,  Wisconsin,  and  subsequently 
went  to  Omaha,  Nebraska,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  clerking  in  a  drug  store  for  three 
years.  He  then  returned  to  Indiana  and  for 
two  years  had  charge  of  a  drug  store  in 
Huntington,  also  carrying  a  line  of  station- 
ery, books  and  similar  commodities.  He  has 
resided  in  Niles  since  1891,  in  which  year 
he  purchased  the  drug  store  of  Dr.  J.  D. 
Greenamyer  known  as  the  City  Drug  & 
Book  Store^  which  he  has  since  successfully 
conducted.  He  carries  a  large  and  well 
selected  line  of  goods  and  has  secured  a 
gratifying  patronage  because  of  his  reliable 
business  methods  and  his  earnest  desire  to 
please  those  who  give  him  their  business 
support. 

Mr.  Richter  was  married  in  Hunting- 
ton, Indiana,  in  1890,  to  Miss  Mattie  E. 
Allen,  and  they  had  one  daughter,  Irma. 
In  1902  in  Niles  Mr.  Richter  wedded  Miss 
Mabel  E.  Baker.  They  have  an  attractive 
home  here  and  one  of  its  most  pleasing  feat- 
ures is  its  gracious  and  warm  hearted  hospi- 


990 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


tality.  In  politics  Mr.  Richter  is  a  Demo- 
crat, who  keeps  well  informed  on  the  ques- 
tions and  issues  of  the  day  and  is  unfalter- 
ing in  his  allegiance  to  the  party.  He  is 
recognized  as  a  leader  in  local  political 
ranks  and  has  been  honored  with  positions 
of  public  trust,  serving  for  two  terms  as 
mayor  of  Niles,  being  first  elected  to  the 
office  in  1895.  He  is  now  president  of  the 
board  of  public- works  in  Niles,  filling  the 
position  for  a  term  of  four  years  by  appoint- 
ment from  Dr.  Zell  L.  Baldwin,  who  at 
that  time  was  mayor  of  the  city.  He  be- 
longs to  Niles  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
served  one  term  as  senior  deacon.  He  is 
also  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
Opposed  to  misrule  in  public  affairs  he  has 
labored  earnestly  for  the  welfare  of  Niles. 
A  man  of  strong  convictions  his  integrity 
stands  as  an  unquestioned  fact  in  his  career. 
He  is  in  full  sympathy  with  the  great  move- 
ments of  the  world  about  him  and  watches 
the  progress  of  events  with  the  keenest 
interest. 

FRANK  M.  GOWDY,  M.  D.,  who  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  has 
demonstrated  his  familiarity  with  the  prin- 
ciples of  medical  science  and  his  correct  ap- 
plication of  these  principles  to  the  needs  of 
suffering  humanity,  is  one  of  the  native 
sons  of  Berrien  county,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  Chikaming  township,  on  the  nth 
of  March,  1868.  He  comes  of  ancestry  that 
is  distinctively  American  both  in  its  lineal 
and  collateral  branches  through  many  gener- 
ations. The  family  was  established  in  the 
new  world  in  the  coloniel  epoch  in  our 
country's  history.  The  great-great-grand- 
parents of  Dr.  Gowdy  were  residents  of 
Connecticut,  and  in  that  state  Rev.  John 
Gowdy,  the  great-grandfather,  was  born  in 
the  year  i860.  He  followed  the  acquire- 
ment of  his  literary  education  by  prepara- 
tion for  the  ministry,  and  became  a  Baptist 
divine.  He  also  served  his  country  as  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  giving 
valiant  aid  to  the  colonists  in  their  struggle 
for  independence.  His  remaining  years 
were  devoted  to  his  holy  calling  until  ad- 
vanced age  caused  him  to  put  aside  the  more 
active  work  of  the  ministry.     He  lived  to 


the  very  venerable  age  of  ninety-four  years, 
and  died  at  the  residence  of  his  son,  Elam, 
in  Batavia,  Kane  county.  New  York,  in 
1854. 

Elam  Gowdy,  grandfather  of  Dr.  Gowdy, 
was  for  many  years  a  resident  of  the  Em- 
pire state.  He  was  a  man  of  great  energy 
and  enterprise,  and,  discerning  the  larger 
opportunities  of  the  growing  west,  he  re- 
moved to  Illinois  from  New  York  in  1852, 
settling  in  Kane  county,  where  he  made  his 
home  for  several  years.  In  1864  he  came  to 
Michigan,  being  then  a  man  of  venerable 
years,  and  three  years  later,  in  1870,  he 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  eighty-two.  In 
early  manhood  he  had  wedded  Miss  Lucy 
Stroud,  who  was  born  in  Vermont  on  the 
19th  of  August,  1798,  and  died  in  Berrien 
county,  Michigan,  in  1875.  Her  father  was 
a  native  of  New  England,  born  in  Connect- 
icut, October  20,  1788.  The  history  of 
Franklin  J.  Gowdy,  father  of  our  subject,  is 
given  on  another  page  of  this  work. 

Dr.  Gowdy  at  the  usual  age  began  his 
education  in  the  district  schools  and  sub- 
sequently he  continued  his  studies  in  Chi- 
cago, and  afterward  attended  the  University 
of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor,  for  preparation 
for  the  medical  profession.  He  is  an  alum- 
nus of  the  class  of  i8gi,  and  he  located  for 
practice  in  New  Buffalo,  where  he  remained 
for  four  years,  when  he  sought  a  broader 
field  of  labor  and  established  his  office  in  St. 
Joseph.  Here  he  has  since  continued  in  gen- 
eral practice  with  good  success.  He  is  coun- 
ty surgeon  for  the  Pere  Marquette  Railroad, 
which  position  he  has  filled  for  several  years, 
having  been  appointed  to  the  office  while 
living  in  New  Buffalo.  He  has  also  been 
city  physician   for  several  years. 

In  1895,  at  New  Buffalo,  Dr.  Gowdy 
was  married  to  Miss  Alma  Kann,  a  daughter 
of  Fritz  Kann,  and  unto  them  have  been 
born  three  children :  Maunee,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  New  Buffalo;  and  Alma  and 
Fanklin,  both  born  in  St.  Joseph.  Dr. 
Gowdy  is  a  member  of  various  fraternal 
organizations,  being  now  affiliated  with  the 
Masons,  Elks,  Maccabees,  Woodmen  and 
Foresters.  He  is  in  hearty  sympathy  with 
the  beneficent  principles  which  underlie  these 
organizations.    His  political  support  is  given 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


991 


to  the  Republican  party.  He  finds  little 
time,  however,  for  public  work,  owing  to  the 
constant  demands  made  for  his  professional 
services.  He  is  devoting  his  life  to  a  pro- 
fession, in  which  advancement  depends  en- 
tirely upon  individual  merit,  and  that  he  is 
now  accorded  a  prominent  position  in  public 
regard  is  due  to  the  fact  that  he  has  shown 
himself  capable  of  solving  the  complex  and 
intricate  problems  which  continually  con- 
front the  physician. 

KAREL  MUSIL  is  the  owner  of  an 
excellent  farm  on  section  35,  New  Buffalo 
township,  where  he  makes  his  home.  His 
business  interests  are  extensive  and  of  an 
important  nature,  for  he  not  only  superin- 
tends his  farming  interests  but  is  also  a 
factor  in  a  building  and  loan  association 
which  has  been  of  direct  benefit  in  the  im- 
provement of  this  part  of  the  state.  He  is 
moreover  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of 
Musil  &  Mras  of  Chicago,  contractors  in 
mosaic,  tile  and  cement  floors  and  sidewalks 
and  other  kinds  of  cement  work,  the  office 
of  the  firm,  being  at  No.  467  West  Eight- 
eenth street.  The  extent  and  scope  of  his 
industry  and  business  activity  makes  him  a 
prominent  citizen  of  the  community  and 
wherever  known  he  is  held  in  high  esteem 
because  of  what  he  has  accomplished  and  the 
methods  which  he  has  followed. 

A  native  of  Bohemia,  Mr.  Musil  was 
born  in  Krucemburk,  county  Caslar,  on  the 
24th  of  July,  1867.  His  parents  were  Karel 
and  Josephine  (Zoolanck)  Musil,  who  spent 
their  entire  lives  in  Bohemia.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  nine  children,  six  of  whom  reached 
adult  age,  while  three  are  now  living  in 
the  United  States:  Katharine,  whose  home 
is  in  Chicago;  Karel  of  this  review;  and 
Vaclav  (Wenceslav),  who  is  with  his  elder 
brother.  The  eldest  son  of  the  family,  Jo- 
seph, was  accidentally  drowned  while  serv- 
ing in  the  United  States  infantry  when  about 
nineteen  years  of  age.  Another  brother, 
Antone,  died  in  Chicago  about  nine  years 
ago  and  Josephine  died  in  Vienna,  Austria. 

Karel  Musil  of  this  review  attended  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  country  until 
fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  the 
city  of  Nemecky  Brod  and  learned  the  trade 


of  cabinet  making,  which  he  followed  for 
two  years.  Crossing  the  Atlantic  alone  to 
the  new  world,  he  made  his  way  to  Racine 
county,  Wisconsin,  where  he  was  employed 
on  a  farm  for  two  and  a  half  years.  He 
then  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  worked  at 
his  trade  for  about  fifteen  years.  During  the 
past  eight  years  he  has  been  secretary  of 
the  building  and  loan  association  known  as 
the  Borivoj  &  Delnick  Krok  and  in  this 
way  has  done  much  for  the  upbuilding  and 
improvement  of  various  localities,  render- 
ing valuable  assistance  to  his  fellow  coun- 
trymen. On  the  4th  of  February,  1895,  he 
located  on  his  present  farm  in  New  Buffalo 
township,  which  he  had  purchased  in  the 
fall  of  1904.  It  comprises  one  hundred  and 
eight  acres  of  land  on  section  35  near  the 
lake  shore  and  is  a  valuable  property,  on 
which  Mr.  Musil  has  erected  a  fine  residence 
and  is  making  many  improvements.  While 
he  makes  his  home  upon  the  farm,  his  busi- 
ness is  in  Chicago,  where  he  spends  much 
of  his  time.  He  is  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Musil  &  Mras  at  No.  467  West  Eight- 
eenth street,  Chicago,  and  is  conducting  an 
extensive  and  profitable  business  as  a  con- 
tractor in  mosaic,  tile  and  cement  work.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  a  poor  young  man 
and  is  now  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of 
Berrien  county,  having  made  all  that  he  has 
through  his*  earnest  and  indefatigable  ef- 
forts. He  had  only  common-school  advan- 
tages, but  he  acquired  a  knowledge  of  book- 
keeping and  now  keeps  the  records  for 
twelve  hundred  members  of  the  building  as- 
sociation. The  company  has  thirteen  hun- 
dred and  thirty-three  acres  of  farm  lands, 
six  hundred  acres  of  which  is  timber  land, 
in  Hanover  county,  Virginia. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1890,  Mr.  Musil 
was  married  to  Miss  Julia  Streichhirsh,  who 
was  born  in  Bohemia,  February  15,  1868, 
and  came  alone  to  the  United  States  when 
fifteen  years  of  age.  Two  of  her  brothers 
also  came  to  America,  but  one  returned  to 
his  native  country.  Edmund  Streichhirsh, 
however,  is  living  at  Robins  Lake,  Michi- 
gan. He  has  a  farm  in  Berrien  county  and 
two  properties  in  Chicago.  Two  sisters  of 
the  family,  Christina  and  Jennie,  are  also 
living    in    Chicago.     Unto    Mr.    and    Mrs. 


992 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


Musil  have  been  born  four  children :  Juha, 
Karel,  Mary  and  Jerry. 

Mr.  Musil  is  one  of  the  prominent 
Bohemian  citizens  of  this  section  of  the 
country,  well  known  in  Berrien  county  and 
in  Chicago,  exerting  a  widely  felt  and  bene- 
ficial influence  among  his  fellow  country- 
men. He  is  now  supreme  secretary  of  the 
Bohemian  Slavonian  Knights  &  Ladies  of 
Chicago,  in  which  capacity  he  has  acted  for 
the  past  five  years.  He  was  also  supreme 
president  of  that  association  for  twO'  years. 
In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Republican 
where  national  issues  are  involved,  but  at 
local  elections  casts  an  independent  ballot. 
He  is  a  member  of  three  Bohemian  fra- 
ternal organizations,  one  of  which  is  in  Chi- 
cago, and  also  an  athletic  association.  He 
writes  for  various  Bohemian  papers  and  is 
a  man  of  broad  general  information,  who 
has  studied  closely  the  questions  bearing 
upon  public  welfare  and  public  policy 
whether  of  a  political  nature  or  otherwise. 
He  looks  upon  life  from  a  broad  and  humani- 
tarian standpoint  and  while  conducting  im- 
portant and  extensive  business  interests  also 
finds  time  to  aid  his  fellowmen.  Coming 
to  America  empty  handed,  he  has  made 
steady  progress  in  the  face  of  difficulties 
that  would  have  utterly  deterred  many  a 
man  of  less  resolute  spirit  and  determination. 
He  has  worked  persistently  and  energeti- 
cally, however,  and  the  years  have  brought 
him  success. 

JOSEPH  SCHMITT,  a  representative 
of  fruit  raising  interests  in  Berrien  county, 
his  home  being  at  Fair  Plain,  was  born  in 
Lorraine,  France,  on  the  22d  of  February, 
1 85 1.  He  was  reared  in  a  town  and  worked 
in  a  rolling  mill  as  a  machinist  in  early  man- 
hood. He  was  thus  employed  until  after  the 
outbreak  of  the  Franco-Prussian  war  of 
1870  and  in  September  of  that  year  he  en- 
listed as  a  volunteer  to  fight  the  Germans. 
While  in  the  army  he  saw  Napoleon  fire  the 
first  cannon  which  was  discliarged  at  the 
German  troops.  He  continued  with  the 
French  army,  his  service  being  in  the  region 
of  Belfort,  the  only  fortress  of  the  French 
that  was  not  captured.  He  took  part  in 
six  battles,  the  most  hotly  contested  one  be- 


ing the  engagement  at  Newe.  He  sustained 
a  saber  wound  at  that  place,  it  being  inflicted 
in  the  arm  while  he  was  making  a  charge. 
It  was  not  long  after  this  that  he  was  mus- 
tered out  of  the  army.  The  fortunes  of  war 
were  against  the  French.  Of  all  the  volun- 
teer soldiers  there  were  but  thirty-five  hun- 
dred men  who  remained  in  the  district  as 
volunteers. 

Seeing  that  his  country,  Lorraine,  was 
to  become  a  German  province,  Mr.  Schmitt 
determined  to  emigrate  to  America,  fearing 
punishment  by  the  Germans  because  of  his 
active  service  in  the  war.  In  June,  1871, 
therefore,  he  left  for  the  United  States  and 
came  direct  to  St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  where 
his  brother,  Henry  Schmitt,  was  then  living. 
He  was  a  railroad  man  employed  by  the  Chi- 
cago &  West  Michigan  Railroad  Com- 
pany and  had  come  to  this  state  about  ten 
years  before.  On  reaching  Michigan,  Mr. 
Schmitt  of  this  review  also  obtained  work 
as  a  grader  on  the  railroad,  bemg  thus  em- 
ployed until  the  fall,  when  he  secured  a 
position  in  a  butcher  shop  in  Eckert,  his  em- 
ployer being  one  of  his  old  friends  from  the 
fatherland.  The  next  season  he  went  to 
Chicago,  where  he  remained  for  seventeen 
years.  There  he  learned  the  baker's  trade, 
which  he  followed  throughout  that  period. 

In  1888,  Mr.  Schmitt  returned  to  St. 
Joseph  and  with  the  money  which  he  had 
saved  from  his  business  in  Chicago  he  pur- 
chased his  present  farm,  which  is  devoted  to 
the  raising  of  fruit.  This  is  the  old  Rowley 
farm  at  Fair  Plain  and  Mr.  Schmitt  pur- 
chased it  from  the  widow.  He  has  ten  acres 
bordering  on  Napier  avenue.  He  had  the 
misfortune  to  have  the  house  destroyed  by 
fire  and  about  eight  years  ago  he  erected 
his  present  residence,  which  is  one  of  the 
pleasant  homes  of  Fair  Plain.  He  has 
planted  his  land  to  peaches  and  has  carried 
on  his  business  quite  satisfactorily,  confining 
his  attention  to  his  farm  and  raising  an- 
nually good  crops  of  fruit  which  command 
a  ready  sale  on  the  market  and  bring  a  high 
price, 

Mr.  Schmitt  was  married  in  Chicago  on 
the  7th  of  May,  1879,  to  Miss  Lizzie  Ney- 
bert,  who  was  born  in  Baltimore,  Maryland. 
They  now  have  a  family  of  seven  children : 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


993 


Arthur  G.,  who  is  employed  in  the  Young 
store;  Theodore  J.,  Lydia,  Joseph,  Willard, 
Viola  and  Bernice,  all  of  whom  are  living 
at  home. 

On  coming  to  the  United  States  Mr. 
Schmitt  became  a  naturalized  citizen  as  soon 
as  the  law  would  permit.  He  is  independ- 
ent in  his  political  affiliations,  nor  does  he 
care  for  office.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason, 
belonging  to  Lake  Shore  lodge,  No.  298, 
of  Benton  Harbor,  but  was  raised  in  Chi- 
cago on  the  22d  of  February,  1877.  His 
three  sons  are  members  of  the  Gleaners.  Mr. 
Schmitt  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret 
his  determination  to  seek  a  home  in  the  new 
world,  for  he  found  good  business  oppor- 
tunities here  and  a  chance  for  advancement. 
In  this  country  were  labor  is  unhampered 
by  caste  or  class  he  has  steadily  worked  his 
w^ay  upward  and  his  carefully  directed  busi- 
ness affairs,  his  honorable  dealing  and  his 
enterprise  constitute  the  secret  of  a  desirable 
success. 

JUAN  HESS.  At  an  early  day  Berrien 
county  found  its  chief  source  of  income  in 
its  lumber  interests.  Now  one  of  its  chief 
sources  of  wealth  is  its  fruit  farms,  which 
are  very  productive  and  which  supply  to  the 
Chicago  markets  and  other  large  city  mar- 
kets vast  amounts  of  fruit  of  finest  quality. 
Numbered  among  the  men  who  are  success- 
fully engaged  in  this  business  is  Mr.  Hess, 
who  is  living  in  Benton  township.  He  is  a 
native  son  of  Michigan,  his  birth  having 
occurred  at  Millburg  on  the  12th  of  May, 
1850.  His  parents  were  George  W.  and 
Mary  A.  (Higbee)  Hess,  the  latter  a  sister 
of  James  Higbee,  now  residing  in  Benton 
Harbor  and  represented  elsewhere  in  this 
work.  George  W.  Hess  was  born  in  Craw- 
ford county,  Pennsylvania,  but  in  early  life 
removed  to  Ohio  and  in  that  state  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Higbee,  who  was  born  in  New 
York.  They  came  to  Michigan  in  1837,  in- 
duced to  take  this  step  by  her  parents,  who 
had  previously  located  here.  The  journey 
westw^ard  was  made  by  way  of  Chicago  and 
thence  in  a  covered  wagon  to  St.  Joseph. 
The  county  was  then  but  sparsely  settled  and 
the  work  of  development  and  progress 
seemed  scarcely  begun.  What  is  now  a  rich 
63 


and  productive  district  between  St.  Joseph 
and  Benton  Harbor  was  then  a  marsh  and 
as  the  family  journeyed  between  the  two 
points  one  of  their  horses  lay  down  in  the 
water.  Mr.  Hess  lifted  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ter, then  a  year  old,  upon  the  back  of  the 
other  horse  and  waded  out.  He  was  a  car- 
penter and  joiner  by  trade  and  had  served  an 
apprenticeship  of  four  years,  so  that  he  was 
a  very  capable  workman.  He  secured  land 
west  of  Millburg  and  established  a  little 
village,  which  was  to  be  called  Saratoga. 
This  was  before  the  town  of  Millburg  had 
been  founded.  He  afterward  lived  at  Mill- 
burg and  worked  at  his  trade,  becoming 
identified  with  building  operations  in  that 
section  of  the  county.  He  also  aided  in  im- 
proving a  seventy  acre  farm  a  half  mile  dis- 
tant but  lived  in  the  village,  spending  his 
remaining  days  there.  He  reached  the  very 
advanced  age  of  about  eighty-eight  years, 
surviving  his  wife  for  twenty-five  years  but 
always  remaining  true  to  her  memory,  so 
that  he  never  married  again.  His  old  home 
in  Millburg  is  the  present  home  of  his  daugh- 
ter and  her  husband.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  J.  J. 
Wier,  who  are  also  mentioned  on  another 
page  of  this  work,  Dr.  Wier  being  the  cap- 
able physician  of  that  place  with  a  large 
practice  indicative  of  his  skill  and  ability  in 
his  profession. 

In  his  political  views  George  W.  Hess 
was  an  old-school  Democrat.  He  served  as 
justice  of  the  peace  for  a  number  of  years 
and  his  decisions  were  strictly  fair  and  im- 
partial. He  could  speak  German  fluently 
and  he  did  all  the  legal  business  for  a  large 
German  settlement,  gave  advice  as  to  local 
troubles  and  his  counsel  was  often  sought 
by  his  German  friends,  who  followed  his 
counsel  rather  than  resorting  to  the  law. 
He  was  elected  to  office  on  the  Democratic 
ticket  in  a  Republican  township,  which 
showed  his  popularity  and  the  confidence 
reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow  townsmen.  He 
was  reared  in  the  Lutheran  faith,  but  his 
family  afterward  became  identified  with  the 
Christian  church.  Mr.  Hess  was  a  very 
temperate  man  in  all  respects,  not  only  in 
the  use  of  intoxicants  but  in  all  things  and 
his  life  was  regulated  by  high  principles  and 
manly  conduct.    He  was  neat  in  his  appear- 


994 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


ance  and  it  was  said  that  he  could  work  at 
logging  and  not  soil  his  clothes.  Clean  in 
his  life  and  in  his  thoughts,  considerate  in 
his  opinions  of  others,  charitable  and  kindly 
in  spirit,  just  and  honorable  in  his  actions, 
he  won  the  good  will  and  trust  of  all  with 
whom  he  was  associated  and  was  for  many 
years  one  of  the  most  respected  and  worthy 
residents  of  his  part  of  the  county.  His 
family  numbered  twelve  children,  of  whom 
one  died  in  childhood,  while  eleven  of  the 
family  are  now  living.  The  eldest  is  Mrs. 
Mary  Babcock,  who  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine 
years  is  living  upon  a  part  of  the  old  home- 
stead farm.  There  are  four  sons  and  seven 
daughters,  and  of  this  number  four  daugh- 
ters and  one  son  are  yet  residents  of  Ber- 
rien county.  The  eldest  son,  William  J.,  is 
living  in  California.  Those  who  now  reside 
in  this  county  are  Mrs.  J.  N.  Babcock,  Mrs. 
George  Wright,  Mrs.  L.  A.  Hall,  Mrs.  G. 
H.  Peters  and  Mrs.  J.  J.  Wier. 

The  other  member  of  the  family  living 
in  Berrien  county  is  Juan  Hess  of  this  re- 
view, who  resided  at  home  until  twenty- 
four  years  of  age  and  was  reared  to  farm 
work.  He  is  indebted  to  the  public  school 
system  of  the  county  for  the  educational 
privileges  which  he  enjoyed  and  through  the 
periods  of  vacation  he  worked  in  the  fields, 
aiding  in  the  early  spring  planting, 
in  the  care  of  the  crops  and  in  the 
gathering  of  the  harvests.  He  was 
married  at  the  age  of  twenty- four  on  the 
29th  of  October,  1874,  to  Miss  Dora  Bishop, 
a  daughter  of  J.  K.  Bishop,  of  Bainbridge, 
who  lived  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Millburg, 
so  that  the  young  people  had  grown  up  to- 
gether. Her  father  died  at  Coloma,  Michi- 
gan, in  July,  1906,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
nine  years.  Mrs.  Hess  was  born  on  the 
old  homestead  property  in  that  township  and 
there  remained  until  seventeen  years  of  age, 
when  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  our 
subject.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  the  young 
couple  began  their  domestic  life  upon  their 
present  farm  in  Benton  township.  His 
father  had  owned  the  place  for  some  years. 
It  comprised  eighty  acres  of  land,  about 
thirty  acres  being  improved  at  the  time  that 
Mr.  Hess  purchased  a  fourth  interest  in 
the  property.     Later  he  bought  the  interest 


of  his  three  brothers  until  he  owned  the  en- 
tire tract  of  eighty  acres.  He  has  it  now 
all  under  cultivation,  about  seventy  acres  be- 
ing planted  in  trees.  His  orchards  are 
splendidly  improved.  He  has  thirty-five 
acres  planted  to  peaches,  twenty-two  to 
pears  and  there  are  also  a  large  number  of 
cherry  and  apple  trees.  There  is  an  apple 
orchard  upon  the  place  which  has  been  in 
bearing  for  fifty  years.  The  farm  was  orig- 
inally enclosed  with  a  rail  fence  and  at  each 
corner  a  peach  tree  was  planted  and  the  fruit 
from  these  trees  sold  at  a  dollar  per  peck 
on  the  street  in  Benton  Harbor.  In  1905, 
Mr.  Hess  sold  large  quantities  of  fruit,  the 
crops  being  excellent  in  that  year.  He  has 
harvested  a  strawberry  crop  from  eight  acres 
netting  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  The 
results  that  have  attended  his  labors  as  a 
horticulturist  have  been  entirely  satisfactory. 
He  has  studied  fruit  all  his  life  and  his 
opinions  upon  the  subject  are  largely  re- 
garded as  authority  in  this  community.  He 
has  also  grown  some  grain  and  stock  and 
his  farm  is  in  every  respect  productive  and 
valuable.  He  now  has  residence  property 
in  Benton  Harbor  and  this  in  addition  to  his 
farm  brings  him  a  very  good  income. 

In  1904  Mr.  Hess  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the 
15th  of  October  of  that  year  after  a  very 
short  illness.  They  had  traveled  life's 
journey  together  for  thirty  years.  She  was 
devoted  to  her  family  and  was  a  most  es- 
timable lady,  who  had  indeed  been  a  faithful 
companion  and  helpmate  to  her  husband  on 
life's  journey.  Unto  them  had  been  born 
four  children,  but  two  of  the  number  died 
in  childhood.  Those  still  living  are:  Robert 
D.,  twenty-three  years  oi  age;  and  George 
K.,  now  fourteen  years  of  age.  The  former 
maried  Alice  King  of  Benton  Harbor  and 
has  one  child.  They  reside  upon  the  home 
farm  with  his  father. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Hess  is  a 
Democrat  and  entertains  broad  and  liberal 
views  w^here  local  issues  are  involved,  never 
considering  himself  bound  by  party  ties.  He 
frequently  attends,  however,  the  conventions 
of  his  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ben- 
ton County  Horticultural  Society  and  be- 
longs to  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  while 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


995 


his  religious  faith  is  indicated  by  his  mem- 
bership in  the  MiUburg  Christian  church.  In 
1902  he  erected  his  present  home,  which  is 
a  nice  country  residence,  heated  by  furnace, 
well  lighted,  with  good  plumbing  through- 
out. It  is  a  modern  residence  in  all  of  its 
appointments  and  is  conveniently  and  pleas- 
antly situated  about  four  miles  from  Benton 
Harbor.  He  has  been  closely  identified  with 
horticultural  interests  in  this  county  for 
many  years  and  has  done  much  to  make  this 
locality  a  fruit  producing  center.  His  con- 
nection with  any  undertaking  insures  a  pros- 
perous outcome  of  the  same,  for  it  is  in  his 
nature  to  carry  forward  to  successful  com- 
pletion whatever  he  is  associated  with.  He 
has  earned  for  himself  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion as  a  careful  man  of  business  and  in  his 
dealings  is  known  for  his  prompt  and  honor- 
able methods,  which  have  won  him  the  de- 
served and  unbounded  confidence  of  his  fel- 
lowmen. 

OMAR  A.  D.  BALDWIN,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  nursery  business,  with  an  ex- 
cellent tract  of  land  on  section  19,  Lake 
township,  devoted  solely  to  that  purpose, 
is  meeting  with  desirable  and  deserved  suc- 
cess in  this  undertaking.  He  was  born  upon 
this  farm  July  23,  1883,  and  has  always  re- 
sided here,  having  now  one  hundred  and 
thirty  acres  of  land  on  sections  19,  21  and 
24.  His  grandparents  were  George  and 
Exene  Pauline  (Hugins)  Baldwin,  and  the 
former  died  when  his  son  Ozro  A.  E.  Bald- 
win was  only  two  years  of  age,  after  which 
the  mother  married  William  L.  Wheelock. 

Ozro  A.  E.  Baldwin  was  the  only  child 
of  that  marriage  but  had  a  half  brother.  He 
was  born  in  Berkshire  county,  Massachu- 
setts, April  21,  1849,  and  when  sixteen  years 
of  age  came  to  this  county  with  his  mother 
and  stepfather,  spending  his  remaining  days 
here.  He  became  a  prominent,  influential 
and  successful  citizen.  He  worked  on  his 
stepfather's  farm  up  to  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage and  then  accepted  a  clerkship  in  a 
store  at  Sawyer,  after  which  he  spent  a  few 
months  in  Bridgman.  He  afterward  pur- 
chased twenty  acres  of  what  became  the 
home  farm  of  the  family  and  which  was 
then  partially  improved.     He  was  the  first 


nurseryman  of  his  part  of  the  county  and 
continued  in  the  business  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death.  The  March  prior  to  his  demise 
he  also  extended  the  scope  of  his  business 
activities  by  becoming  interested  in  a  mer- 
cantile enterprise  in  Bridgman,  as  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Chauncey  &  Baldwin,  in  which 
his  son  became  his  successor.  He  was  not 
only  enterprising  and  progressive  in  his  busi- 
ness interets,  in  which  he  won  honorable  and 
notable  success,  but  was  also  recognized  as 
a  leader  in  molding  public  thought  and 
opinion  and  his  labors  w^ere  often  of  direct 
benefit  to  the  public.  He  voted  with  the  Re- 
publican party  and  served  as  drain  commis- 
sioner for  ten  consecutive  years  previous  to 
the  establishment  of  the  county  commission. 
He  w^as  also  supervisor  of  his  township  for 
one  term  and  was  ever  faithful  to  the  various 
positions  of  trust  given  to  his  care.  He 
belonged  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  and  was  treasurer  of  his  lodge  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  while  at  other  times 
he  filled  the  various  chairs  of  the  organiza- 
tion. He  was  also  finance  keeper  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  For  a  long  time 
he  w^as  connected  with  the  school  board  and 
w^as  acting  in  that  capacity  when  called  from 
this  life.  He  regarded  a  public  office  as  a 
public  trust  and  was  ever  faithful  to  every 
obligation  of  citizenship  and  of  private  life 
as  well.  He  was  married  in  1872  to  Miss 
Lucy  E.  Weston,  who  was  born  in  Niagara 
county.  New  York,  April  12,  1854,  and  came 
to  this  county  with  her  parents  in  1867,  a 
daughter  of  Franklin  and  Rosamond  M. 
(Burdick)  Weston,  also  natives  of  the  Em- 
pire state.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baldwin 
were  born  seven  children:  Myrtle  E.,  the 
wife  of  Andrew  M.  Clymer,  of  this  town- 
ship; Ozro  E.,  also  a  resident  of  Lake  town- 
ship; Jessamine,  at  home;  Fern  C.  B.,  the 
wife  of  Robert  L.  Wilson,  of  Charlevoix, 
Michigan;  Omar,  of  this  review;  Hazel 
C,  at  home;  and  Hollie  O.,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  ten  months. 

Reared  under  the  parental  roof  and  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  Mr.  Baldwin, 
whose  name  introduces  this  record,  has  spent 
his  entire  life  upon  the  place  which  is  still 
his  home  and  which  is  known  as  the  Bald- 
win Railroad  View  Fruit  Plants  Farm,  be- 


996 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


ing  devoted  to  the  raising  of  small  fruit 
plants,  a  specialty  being  made  of  straw- 
berries. A  mail  order  business  is  conducted 
and  about  thirty  thousand  catalogs  are  an- 
nually sent  out,  while  about  six  million 
strawberry  plants  are  sold  yearly.  Mr. 
Baldwin  gives  practically  his  whole  time  to 
the  nursery  business  and  his  broad  expe- 
rience has  made  him  very  proficient  in  the 
raising  and  cultivation  of  plants  for  nursery 
stock.  He  also  owns,  however,  a  half  in- 
terest in  the  large  general  mercantile  store 
of  Chauncey  &  Baldwin,  at  Bridgman,  com- 
ing into  possession  of  this  at  the  time  of  his 
father's  death,  October  5,  1902.  The  old 
homestead  is  a  fine  one,  being  one  of  the 
well  improved  properties  of  this  part  of  the 
state,  and  his  care  and  attention  have  con- 
tinually added  to  its  value. 

Mr.  Baldwin  votes  with  the  Republican 
party  and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the 
county  committee  from  Lake  township.  He 
belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Good 
Templars  in  which  he  has  filled  adl  the 
chairs,  and  is  identified  with  Bridgman 
Lodge,  No.  143,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  he 
has  been  treasurer  for  the  past  three  years. 
In  social,  fraternal  and  business  relations  his 
position  is  among  the  foremost  and  he  is 
accounted  one  of  the  most  valued  citizens 
among  the  young  men  of  the  county,  being 
a  worthy  representative  of  an  honored 
pioneer  family. 

ALVA  SHERWOOD.  In  referring  to 
the  life  of  his  friend,  Mr.  E.  K.  Warren 
pointed  out  two  predominating  character- 
istics, modesty  and  faithfulness,  adding,  ''he 
never  sought  places  of  responsibility  but  al- 
ways filled  them  faithfully  when  they 
were  committed  to  him.''  But  not  alone  for 
the  finer  qualities  of  his  life  is  Mr.  Sherwood 
remembered,  but  also  for  his  ability,  of 
which  it  was  said  in  an  editorial  during  his 
life,  ''Mr.  Sherwood  is  quick  in  seizing  an 
opportunity,  clear  in  understanding  a  situa- 
tion, and  prompt  in  applying  necessary 
measures  to  meet  an  emergency;  possesses 
great  resources  of  perseverance  and  courage, 
yet  withal  is  a  modest  man."  It  is  then  of 
such  a  man,  kind,  gentle,  sincere,  friendly, 
able,  that  this  sketch  is  to  deal. 


Alva  Sherwood  was  essentially  a  Berrien 
county  man.  His  grandfather  removed  from 
Ohio  to  Michigan  in  1833,  and  the  major 
part  of  the  life  of  his  father,  Alonzo  Sher- 
wood, was  spent  in  this  county.  It  was  near 
Buchanan  that  Alva  Sherwood  was  born, 
January  15,  1859.  In  a  family  of  eight 
children  he  was  the  only  son  to  reach  matur- 
ity, and  but  two  of  his  sisters,  Mrs.  Will- 
iam Convis  and  Mrs.  William  H.  Smith, 
both  of  Los  Angeles,  California,  are  living. 

Reared  in  Wesaw  township  Alva  Sher- 
wood acquired  his  early  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  New  Troy,  where  he  com- 
pleted his  course  in  1877.  This  preparatory 
study  was  supplemented  by  a  four-year 
course  at  the  Michigan  Agricultural  Col- 
lege, from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1881. 
Then  followed  a  period  of  teaching  in  New 
Troy  and  in  Three  Oaks.  He  gave  up  the 
life  of  the  school  room  for  the  life  of  the 
farm  when  he  entered  the  employ  of  Mr. 
E.  K.  Warren,  whose  farm  and  stock  in- 
terests he  supervised  in  Three  Oaks  for  sev- 
eral years.  Feeling  the  need  of  a  little 
special  work  he  took  a  post-graduate  course 
at  the  Michigan  Agricultural  College  in 
1892,  and  then  accepted  the  management  of 
the  Essex  Stock  farm  at  Walkerville,  On- 
tario. After  successful  service  there,  he  re- 
signed to  complete  a  course  in  Veterinary 
Surgery,  in  the  Detroit  Veterinary  College, 
and  with  his  training  completed  in  1894  he 
returned  to  Three  Oaks.  Soon  after  he 
added  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  to  his  farm 
of  that  size  in  Wesaw  township,  which  he 
used  in  general  farming  and  stock  raising 
until  a  profitable  sale  was  made  of  nearly  his 
entire  property  shortly  before  his  death. 

In  1904  Mr.  Sherwood  was  chosen  as  a 
delegate  to  the  World's  Fourth  Sunday- 
School  Convention  in  Jerusalem,  Palestine, 
April  17th  to  19th,  and  he  left  New  York 
with  his  fellow  delegates  on  the  steamer 
Grosser  Kurfurst,  March  8th,  for  a  cruise 
of  over  two  months,  including  in  the  trip 
visits  to  the  principal  places  on  the  shores 
of  the  Mediterranean  sea  and  inland  ex- 
cursions into  Syria,  Egypt  and  Italy.  The 
fellowship  on  board  the  convention  steamer 
as  well  as  the  privileges  of  the  convention 
was  dear  to  the  heart  of  Mr.   Sherwood, 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


997 


and  he  proved  himself  companionable  and 
sympathetic  to  a  marked  degree.  He  was 
always  ready  to  do  something  for  somebody 
else,  and  equally  ready  to  take  without  com- 
plaint the  necessary  inconveniences  attend- 
ant upon  an  excursion  of  that  character. 

During  his  residence  in  Three  Oaks, 
prior  to  1904,  Mr.  Sherwood  had  been  prom- 
inent in  the  political  and  social  life  of  Ber- 
rien county,  and  had  for  six  years  served 
as  deputy  sheriff.  In  this  and  other  capaci- 
ties he  became  well  acquainted  with  the 
prominent  men  throughout  the  county. 
During  his  absence,  his  name  was  suggested 
as  a  candidate  for  county  treasurer.  Upon 
his  return  to  Michigan  he  accepted  the  plans 
which  had  been  made  for  him  and  entered 
the  campaign,  which  resulted  in  his  election 
in  the  fall  of  1904.  He  assumed  the  office 
of  county  treasurer,  to  which  he  had  been 
elected  by  a  large  majority,  the  ist  of  Janu- 
ary,  1905,  and  occupied  it  until  his  death. 

On  the  28th  of  November,  1888,  Alva 
Sherwood  w^as  united  in  marriage  with  Ada 
M.  Simpson,  who  was  born  in  Carlton,  Or- 
leans county.  New  York,  January  25,  1861, 
and  came  with  her  parents,  Emery  H.  and 
Mary  A.  (Thompson)  Simpson,  to  Hart- 
ford, Michigan,  in  1863.  The  Simpson 
family  was  well  known  in  this  part  of  the 
state,  Mr.  Simpson  having  served  tw^o  terms 
in  the  state  legislature.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sherwood  were  born  four  children — Emery 
Simpson  and  Catharine  Clark,  November 
29,  1890;  Catharine  died  February  10,  1897; 
Mary  Thompson,  born  February  7,  1896, 
and  Leland  Alva,  born  March  26,  1898,  and 
died  September  5,  1898.  Mrs.  Sherwood 
with  her  two  children,  Emery  Simpson  and 
Mary  Thompson,  are  making  their  perma- 
nent home  in  Three  Oaks. 

Mr.  Sherwood's  success  in  stock  raising, 
his  fondness  for  horses  and  his  clear  judg- 
ment of  their  values,  led  very  naturally  to 
his  selection  as  superintendent  of  the  horse 
department  of  the  West  Michigan  Fair,  at 
Grand  Rapids,  and  in  carrying  out  the  duties 
of  his  position  he  met  the  accident  which 
terminated  fatally.  He  was  mounted  on  a 
spirited  horse,  leading  a  cavalcade  of  horses 
and  cattle.  The  horse  was  made  restless 
by  the  prancing  and  tossing  of  horns  of  the 


animals  around  him.  Seeing  a  man  with 
whom  he  wished  to  speak,  Mr.  Sherwood 
leaned  forward  in  his  saddle ;  at  the  moment 
he  did  so  his  horse  threw  back  its  head, 
striking  Mr.  Sherwood  in  the  forehead,  and 
stunning  him.  In  the  agony  of  the  blow, 
Mr.  Sherwood  involuntarily  jerked  back  on 
the  reins;  the  horse  reared  straight  into 
the  air  and  falling  backwards  crushed  his 
rider  beneath  him.  Mr.  Sherwood  was  im- 
mediately removed  to  a  Grand  Rapids  hos- 
pital where  expert  assistance  was  rendered, 
but  through  the  presence  of  internal  in- 
juries his  recovery  was  impossible,  and  sur- 
rounded by  his  wife  and  friends  he  died 
September  26,  1905. 

Alva  Sherwood  was  a  many-sided  man. 
He  knew  what  the  proper  proportions  of 
life  are,  and  he  gave  heed  to  the  correct  rela- 
tion between  the  things  of  time  and  the 
things  of  Eternity.  Developing  thus  a  com- 
plete life,  his  service  to  the  community  in 
which  he  lived  was  and  is  inestimable.  He 
was,  perhaps,  for  a  period  of  over  two  dec- 
ades, the  most  prominent  man  in  the  educa- 
tional life  of  Three  Oaks.  He  had  taught 
school,  and  taught  it  well,  and  his  teaching 
which  supplemented  a  good  and  thorough 
education,  admirably  fitted  him  later  in  life 
for  the  efficient  supervision  of  the  interests 
of  the  public  schools,  which,  as  the  director 
of  the  school  board,  he  exercised  term  after 
term.  To  the  things  which  he  knew, 
theoretically  and  practically,  about  educa- 
tion, he  added  a  quick  perception  of  situa- 
tions, a  ready  sympathy  in  trying  conditions, 
a  fondness  for  children  who  always  gave 
him  the  confidence  which  a  good  man  in- 
spires in  a  child. 

In  his  business  life  Mr.  Sherwood  had 
learned  how  to  serve  himself  profitably  by 
serving  others  acceptably.  He  was  both 
capable  and  industrious,  a  combination  hard 
to  defeat,  whatever  the  conditions  or  cir- 
cumstances of  life.  During  the  year  or  tw^o 
immediately  preceding  his  departure  for  the 
Orient,  Mr.  Sherwood  disposed  of  most  of 
his  property,  and  left  his  affairs  well  regu- 
lated and  in  order.  Many  a  man  otherwise 
successful  is  found  to  be  deficient  when  sub- 
jected to  this  test.  The  integrity  of  his  busi- 
ness life  can  be  shown  no  better  than  in  the 


998 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


mute  testimony  which  hundreds  with  whom 
he  had  had  business  relations  gave,  when 
they  assembled  at  his  funeral  to  offer  that 
tribute  of  their  regard  for  him. 

While  Mr.  Sherwood  was  not  a  poli- 
tician in  the  commonly  accepted  sense  of 
that  term,  yet- he  was  always  interested  in 
political  conditions  in  the  county,  state  and 
nation,  and  he  was  rewarded  at  the  hands 
of  his  party,  both  for  his  own  ability  and  his 
stanch  and  loyal  Republicanism.  Such  poli- 
tics as  he  followed  must  first  be  clean  and 
then  as  effective  as  his  energy  could  aid  in 
making  them.  He  placed  good  citizenship 
higher  than  party,  and  would  have  preferred 
defeat  on  the  former  platform  to  victory  on 
the  latter,  unless  they  could  be  merged  as 
they  were  in  his  case. 

These  three  sides  of  his  life  stand  out 
distinctly,  and  yet  not  so  distinctly  as  the 
side  of  which  he  gave  the  greater  em- 
phasis, though  it  was  by  the  silent 
force  of  his  consistent  life,  rather  than  by 
any  noisy  demonstration — sincere  Christian- 
ity. Mr.  Sherwood  was  a  Congregationalist, 
and  a  member  of  the  First  Congregational 
church  of  Three  Oaks,  in  which  society  he 
had  served  in  almost  every  capacity,  includ- 
ing that  of  clerk  and  trustee.  He  was  a 
teacher  in  the  Sabbath-school,  and  for  many 
years  an  assistant  superintendent.  He  was 
always  ready  to  do  the  thing  that  was  asked 
of  him  and  to  do  it  to  the  full  extent  of  his 
ability.  He  was  interested  in  every  good 
movement,  not  only  in  the  church  and  Sun- 
day-school but  in  the  community,  and 
throughout  his  life  he  was  a  loyal  repre- 
sentative on  earth  of  the  Master  he  served. 

A  fair  estimate  of  Mr.  Sherwood  was 
made  by  those  who  paid  their  tribute  to  him 
when  his  many  friends  were  gathered  in 
Three  Oaks  to  perform  the  last  offices. 
William  H.  Anderson,  president  of  the  West 
Michigan  State  Fair  Association  said,  ''Alva 
Sherwood  was  as  good  a  man  in  every  way 
as  one  would  wish  to  meet.  He  was  always 
a  gentleman  in  all  that  the  word  implies, 
and  I  feel  the  loss  personally.  I  know  that 
my  sentiment  will  be  echoed  by  all  those 
connected  with  the  West  Michigan  Fair  As- 
sociation." Lester  J.  Rindge,  vice  president 
of  the  association,  added,  ''Mr.   Sherwood 


was  one  of  nature's  noblemen.  He  was  a 
man  all  through,  and  one  who  was  respected 
by  everyone,  not  only  as  a  business  man 
but  as  a  friend.  He  was  a  man  whom  we, 
as  well  as  the  community  in  which  he  lived, 
exceedingly  regret  to  lose." 

Mr.  Charles  W.  Garfield  spoke  feelingly 
of  the  loss  which  he  felt  personally,  and  in 
behalf  of  his  colleagues  voiced  it  in  these 
words :  "He  was  more  than  a  capable  and 
respected  man:  he  was  a  good  man.  I  do 
not  know  what  church  he  belonged  to,  or  if 
he  was  identified  with  any  church,  but  he 
was  a  religious  man.  Religion  is  the  mind 
of  God  in  the  heart  of  man.  Seeking  it  is 
finding  out  about  God.  Alva  Sherwood  in 
this  deep  and  true  sense  was  a  religious  man. 
When  one  undertakes  to  fulfill  his  whole 
duty  connected  with  the  affairs  of  this  world, 
and  brings  to  bear  upon  public  spirited  enter- 
prises his  whole  and  dominant  physical, 
mental,  and  moral  ability,  he  is  the  strongest 
factor  in  God's  hands  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  deeper  and  nobler  purposes  of 
life.  In  this  sense  Mr.  Sherwood  was  God's 
husbandman." 

Mr.  Sherwood's  pastor,  Rev.  George  B. 
Hatch,  sums  up  his  estimate  of  the  man, 
thus, — "First,  he  was  characteristically  a 
Christian  man.  The  reason  that  he  was  so 
generally  liked  and  trusted  was  that  he  put 
the  spirit  of  Christ  into  all  that  he  did.  He 
was  the  sort  of  Christian  who  translates 
creed  into  deed.  He  exemplified  the  real 
beauty  that  is  in  real  Christianity.  That  men 
liked  him  proves  that  they  would  like  Christ 
if  they  knew  Him.  Secondly,  he  was  a  man 
to  be  counted  on.  Wherever  you  put  him 
you  could  be  sure  of  his  being  faithful  to 
the  trust  reposed  in  him.  He  did  not  need 
to  be  watched.  His  principal  was  to  do 
his  part,  whatever  others  might  or  might 
not  do.  In  recognition  of  his  absolute  faith- 
fulness the  county  wanted  him  as  its  servant. 
He  did  not  seek  his  office,  but  took  it  when 
it  was  offered  him,  and  gave  to  its  duties 
his  utmost  care.  And  this  was  character- 
istic of  him  in  all  the  activities  which  en- 
gaged him.  Such  men  are  too  valuable  to 
be  easily  spared.  Thirdly,  he  found  the  text 
true  which  says  that  Godliness  is  profitable 
in  the  life  that  now  is.     Owing  to  his  con- 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


999 


sistent  efforts  to  do  the  will  of  God,  his  own 
life  broadened  out  and  was  enriched.  Some 
men's  lives  narrow  in  and  become  less  and 
less  joyous  and  free.  His,  on  the  contrary, 
became  larger  and  fuller.  Things  kept  com- 
ing his  way.  He  sought  the  Kingdom  of 
God,  and  the  pleasures  and  profits  of  earthly 
life  were  added  to  him.  This  was  noticeable 
during  the  last  two  years.  He  was  on  the 
road  to  better  things  right  along.  And  now, 
since  he  has  gone  has  he  not  already  found 
that  the  second  half  of  the  text  is  true,  and 
that  Godliness  is  profitable  also  for  the  life 
to  come?  He  is  the  kind  of  man  that  God 
likes,  and  must  we  not  believe  that  his  'un- 
timely' death  is  to  be  explained  on  the 
ground  that  God  wanted  to  promote  him  to 
some  position  and  service  in  the  other 
world?" 

Perhaps  no  one  knew  Mr.  Sherwood 
better  than  his  lifelong  friend,  Mr.  E.  K. 
Warren,  with  whose  testimony  this  review 
closes:  ''Quite  naturally  I  had  expected 
that  Mr.  Sherwood,  my  friend,  would  be  one 
of  those  who  would  perform  this  service  for 
me,  but  he  was  called  first.  The  words  that 
I  shall  speak  are  not  only  for  myself  but  I 
desire  to  voice  the  feelings  as  far  as  possible 
of  a  large  number  of  Mr.  Sherwood's 
friends.  One-half  or  more  of  the  audience 
before  me  have  known  him  twenty  years  or 
more,  many  of  them  longer;  some  of  them 
as  his  early  schoolmates.  Deep  sorrow  per- 
vades our  whole  community  at  the  loss  of 
such  a  man,  and  when  the  news  came  the 
thought  expressed,  was,  'Mr.  Sherwood, 
why  he  was  my  personal  friend.'  He  had 
a  wonderful  faculty  of  winning  confidence 
and  friendship.  He  naturally  begat  confi- 
dence and  thus  strong  friendships  were 
made,  and  many  of  us  have  lost  a  valued 
personal  friend. 

"His  life  was  a  great  success.  All  about 
him  in  these  floral  emblems  I  see  evidences 
of  our  love,  appreciation  and  sympathy  for 
our  friend.  I  am  glad  to  say  that  they  w^ere 
not  withheld  from  him  until  his  death,  but 
that  in  some  measure  at  least  he  was  ad- 
vised of  our  confidence  and  appreciation  of 
him.  Only  a  few  weeks  since  in  our  Sun- 
day-school we  devoted  the  greater  part  of 


the  session  in  telling  Mr.  Sherwood  what 
we  thought  of  him.  It  was  his  last  Sabbath 
with  us.  He  had  been  for  many  years  a 
faithful  member  of  the  church  and  an  of- 
ficer and  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school,  con- 
stant in  his  attendance  at  the  prayer  meet- 
ing, and  in  every  way  showing  his  loyalty 
to  Christian  work.  He  was  seated  on  the 
platform,  other  officers  about  him,  and  in 
a  short  time  several  of  the  officers,  teachers 
and  members  of  the  school,  closing  with  the 
pastor,  had  the  pleasure  of  telling  him  what 
his  life  had  meant  to  this  community,  and 
how  sorry  we  were  that  he  was  to  go  out 
from  us,  but  that  we  rejoiced  that  he  went 
as  a  Christian  man  and  a  representative  of 
the  Master's  cause.  Tears  of  joy  rolled 
down  his  cheeks  during  the  time,  and  he  was 
so  affected  that  he  could  only  offer  a  few 
words  in  response,  but  it  was  a  great  day 
for  Mr.  Sherwood  and  for  us. 

"His  two  strong  characteristics  were 
modesty  and  faithfulness.  He  never  sought 
places  of  responsibility  but  always  filled  them 
faithfully  when  they  w^ere  committed  to  him. 
His  service  for  twenty  years  in  connection 
with  our  public  schools  has  been  one  of  great 
helpfulness  to  our  entire  community.  As 
I  see  it  now  his  last  two  years  have  been 
somewhat  of  a  preparation  for  his  going. 
He  has  spoken  several  times  to  me  recently 
in  reference  to  his  life  among  us  and  that 
he  had  done  so  little,  when  we  felt  he  had 
done  so  much.  During  the  past  two  years 
many  privileges  have  come  to  him.  The 
Cruise  and  Jerusalem  Convention  he  en- 
joyed very  much.  Last  summer  with  his 
family  he  made  a  visit  of  several  weeks  to 
his  father  in  Nebraska,  and  very  recently 
his  sister  and  family  from  California  made 
a  very  enjoyable  visit  here,  and  during  their 
stay  a  reunion  was  held  of  all  old  classmates 
possible  from  the  New  Troy  school.  During 
the  past  summer  he  made  a  trip  with  his  wife 
to  Toronto,  Ontario,  to  attend  the  Inter- 
national Sunday-school  convention,  which 
they  enjoyed  thoroughly.  All  these  things 
have  rounded  out  and  made  the  last  few 
years  and  months  very  precious  ones  to  Mr. 
Sherwood.  His  life  was  successful,  not 
only  in  the  things  that  I  have  stated,  but 


lOOO 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


as  the  world  counts  success;  business  suc- 
cess, political  success,  and  best  of  all  char- 
acter. There  is  one  title  that  seems  es- 
pecially fitting  to  him,  A  Christian  Gentle- 
man." 

AMANDUS  O.  WINCHESTER,  one 
of  the  old  settlers  of  St.  Joseph,  where 
he  died  January  29,  1900,  held  a  high 
place  in  the  community,  and  was  recognized 
as  a  man  of  moral  worth,  strict  integrity 
in  business,  and  conscientious  in  performance 
of  duties  between  him  and  his  fellow  men. 
His  ancestors  for  four  generations  had  been 
ministers  of  the  gospel,  and  he  had  taken 
their  upright  lives  and  tenets  of  faith  as 
guiding  examples  in  his  own  career. 

The  Winchester  family  is  descended 
from  Hon.  John  Winchester,  who  was  the 
first  representative  of  the  town  of  Brook- 
line  in  the  general  court  of  Massachusetts. 
Other  well  known  names  in  New  England 
are  connected  with  the  Winchester  geneal- 
ogy, and  besides  the  ministry,  the  Win- 
chesters have  achieved  more  than  ordinary 
distinction  as  soldiers  in  the  country's  wars, 
as  manufacturers,  as  business  men  and  in 
other  walks  of  life. 

The  late  A.  O.  Winchester  was  born  in 
Madison,  Ohio,  June  25,  1827,  the  seventh 
child  of  Rev.  Jonathan  David  Winchester 
and  Hannah  M.  Bunn,  daughter  of  John 
Bunn  and  Bethiah  Field,  which  takes  the 
ancestry  into  other  famous  families  of  Amer- 
ica. Hannah  M.  Bunn,  was  born  in  Nor- 
folk, Connecticut,  May  11,  1784,  and  mar- 
ried Rev.  Winchester  October  6,  181 1.  Rev. 
Winchester,  the  father  of  Amandus  O.  Win- 
chester, was  a  Presbyterian  minister  of  some 
celebrity,  who  died  at  Madison,  Ohio,  Au- 
gust 17,  1835. 

Mr.  Winchester  married,  June  6,  1855, 
Margaret  Patton.  Their  only  child  is  Stella 
L.  Winchester,  who  is  the  only  representa- 
tive of  the  family  left  in  Berrien  county. 
Mr.  Winchester  was  a  victim  of  heart 
desease>  from  which  he  had  suffered  many 
years,  and  his  sudden  death  took  him  away 
while  apparently  enjoying  vigor  and  health. 
He  was  a  large  and  handsome  man,  adding 
physical  symmetry  to  many  strong  and  ad- 
mirable qualities  of  character. 


FRED  McOMBER,  M.  D.,  editor  and 
proprietor  of  the  Berrien  Springs  Era,  was 
born  in  Orleans  county,  New  York,  on  the 
23d  of  January,  1846.  He  traces  his  lineage 
to  Scotland,  and  the  family  of  which  he 
is  a  member  was  one  of  the  first  represented 
in  America.  His  grandfather  on  the  pa- 
ternal side.  Pardon  McOmber,  was  born  in 
Connecticut,  as  was  also  his  father,  Asa. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Marilla, 
daughter  of  John  Gray  and  a  native  of  New 
York  state. 

One  in  a  family  of  eight, the  subject  of  this 
biographical  notice  was  reared  to  manhood  in 
Orleans  county.  New  York,  receiving  a  com- 
mon-school education.  A  mere  lad  when 
the  war  broke  out,  he  was  fired  with  the 
spirit  of  patriotism  and  desire  to  serve  his 
country,  and,  accordingly,  enlisted  as  a 
member  of  Company  C,  Eighth  New  York 
Heavy  Artillery,  Col.  Peter  A.  Porter,  of 
Niagara  Falls,  commanding.  The  regiment 
was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
Second  Division,  Second  Brigade,  Second 
Army  Corps.  Dr.  McOmber  participated  in 
nearly  all  the  battles  of  the  Wilderness. 
During  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  on  the 
4th  of  June,  1864,  a  shell  struck  a  tree  about 
eight  feet  above  his  head  and  somewhat 
shocked  Dr.  McOmber,  who,  however,  re- 
ceived no  serious  injury  therefrom  except  a 
small  wound  on  his  arm.  He  remained  with 
the  regiment,  taking  part  in  all  its  engage- 
ments and  marches  until  he  was  mustered 
out  of  the  service  at  the  close  of  the  war. 

After  having  been  honorably  discharged 
in  May,  1865,  Dr.  McOmber  returned  to  his 
old  home  in  Orleans  county.  New  York,  and 
a  short  time  afterward  went  to  Canadaigua, 
New  York,  where  he  remained  until  1867, 
learning  the  trade  of  a  jeweler,  and  at  the 
same  time  studying  medicine  under  a  Dr. 
Holmes.  In  1868  he  made  a  tour  of  Iowa 
for  the  purpose  of  selecting  a  suitable  loca- 
tion, but  finding  nothing  satisfactory  he  went 
to  Chicago,  where  he  was  in  business  and 
studying  medicine  for  eighteen  months. 
Later  he  came  to  Michigan,  and  remained 
in  Benton  Harbor  for  three  months.  In 
January,  1869,  he  located  in  Berrien  Springs, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  For  several 
years    he    engaged    in    merchandising.     In 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


lOOI 


1870  he  established  the  Berrien  Springs  Dis- 
pensary for  the  treatment  of  chronic  diseases 
and  for  drug,  Hquor  and  tobacco  habits, 
and  has  met  with  much  success  in  this  hne. 
He  is  also  the  compounder  of  some  very 
valuable  remedies,  in  the  sale  of  which  he 
has  built  up  a  large  trade,  and  also  has  sev- 
eral inventions  for  the  treatment  of  chronic 
diseases,  especially  of  the  lungs,  by  medi- 
cated vapor,  compressed  air,  etc. 

In  1873  Dr.  McOmber  was  appointed 
postmaster  of  Berrien  Springs,  and  served 
with  efficiency  for  ten  years.  His  journal- 
istic career  commenced  in  1873,  ^^  which 
time  he  established  a  monthly  paper,  which 
had  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  paper 
published  in  Berrien  Springs.  This  paper 
was  called  Gold  and  Silver.  In  1874  it  was 
merged  into  a  weekly  and  the  title  changed 
to  the  Berrien  County  Journal^  which,  after 
editing  and  publishing  for  several  months, 
he  sold.  In  1876  he  established  a  weekly 
paper,  an  eight-column  folio.  Republican  in 
politics  and  neat  in  its  typographical  appear- 
ance, which  he  called  the  Berrien  Springs 
Era,  the  only  paper  now  established  in  the 
place.  He  still  conducts  his  medical  indus- 
try, but  sold  his  newspaper  plant  to  Benson 
Bros,  in  April,   1901. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  McOmber  occurred 
in  1872,  and  united  him  with  Miss  Minnie 
M.,  the  daughter  of  the  Hon.  James  Gra- 
ham, an  early  settler  of  Berrien  county,  who 
served  as  sheriff  and  also  as  a  member  of 
the  legislature.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  McOmber 
are  the  parents  of  one  child  Graham  O. 
Socially,  Dr.  McOmber  is  identified  with 
Kilpatrick  Post,  No.  39,  G.  A.  R. ;  Western 
Star  Lodge  No.  39,^  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
other  fraternal  organizations.  He  was 
largely  interested  in  the  establishment  of  the 
St.  Joseph  Valley  Railroad  in  1889,  and 
served  as  its  general  manager  for  some 
time.  For  many  years  he  owned  a  half- 
interest  in  the  Hotel  Oronoko,  which  was 
conducted  as  a  sanitarium  and  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  summer  visitors ;  this  prop- 
erty passed  into  other  hands  early  in  1900 
and  was  destroyed  by  fire  1906.  Always  in- 
terested in  educational  matters,  Dr.  Mc- 
Omber has  rendered  efficient  service  as  a 
member  of  the  school  board,  and  has  done 


all  in  his  power  toward  advancing  the 
standard  of  education  in  his  vicinity,  and  as 
a  public-spirited  citizen  he  has  done  a  great 
deal  to  build  up  and  advance  the  interests 
of  Berrien  Springs.  He  was  elected  village 
president  in  1884  and  has  since  served  many 
terms  as  trustee. 

He  was  the  prime  mover  in  the  promo- 
tion of  the  Berrien  Springs  Water  Power 
Co.  He  was  director  in  the  South  Haven 
&  Eastern  Railroad  Company,  also  director 
and  secretary  of  St.  Joseph  Valley  Railway 
and  Milwaukee,  Benton  Harbor  &  Colum- 
bus Railway.  It  was  largely  through  his 
efforts  that  Berrien  Springs  acquired  the  lat- 
ter road.  In  this  and  other  enterprises  he 
spent  a  vast  amount  of  time  and  consider- 
able money,  all  in  the  interest  of  Berrien 
Springs.  He  is  now  conducting  the  Ber- 
rien Springs  Dispensary  Co.,  and  also  assist- 
ing his  son  in  the  business  of  McOmber  & 
Co.,  brokers  in  real  estate,  etc. 

EDWARD  KIRK  WARREN.  Berrien 
county  enjoys  the  distinction  of  including 
within  its  limits  a  village  of  a  thousand  in- 
habitants whose  record  and  reputation  are 
as  well  known  outside  of  Michigan  as  in  the 
state.  And  this  in  large  measure  is  through 
the  personality  of  one  of  her  best  known 
men — Edward  Kirk  Warren. 

Three  Oaks  became  the  home  of  Mr. 
Warren  in  1858,  when  at  the  age  of  eleven 
years  he  came  west  with  the  family  whose 
earlier  home  had  been  in  Ludlow,  Vermont. 
His  father,  Rev.  Waters  Warren,  a  minister 
of  power  and  a  man  of  determined  convic- 
tion, surrendered  the  pastoral  field  of  New 
England  for  the  home  missionary  oppor- 
tunities of  the  new  west.  Privileges  there 
were  in  such  a  work  at  such  a  time,  but  hard- 
ships and  privations  there  were,  too,  and 
such  as  no  one  knows  in  full  degree,  who  has 
not  experienced  them.  It  was  in  the  midst 
of  these  surroundings,  in  a  country  where 
only  energy  and  perseverance  made  progress 
possible  and  where  only  integrity  and  econ- 
omy conserved  it,  that  Edward  Warren  grew 
to  manhood ;  and  many  of  the  characteristics 
seen  in  the  man  today  are  directly  traceable 
to  the  necessary  discipline  of  those  early 
days.     But  it  is  not  to  be  inferred  that  all 


1002 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


thooe  days  of  country  and  character-making 
were  days  of  gloom  and  depression,  for  the 
new  settlements  had  their  measure  of  activ- 
ity and  such  as  it  was  it  was  lived  to  the 
largest  extent.  The  schools  were  not  elab- 
orately graded,  but  the  instruction  was 
sound,  as  far  as  it  went;  and  was  received 
with  relish  which  is  not  always  found  in 
today's  institutions  of  learning.  In  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Three  Oaks  young  Warren 
laid  the  foundation  of  his  education  which 
has  been  essentially  that  derived  from  men — 
in  social,  commercial,  political  and  inter- 
denominational relationships. 

The  first  employment  which  Edward 
Warren  secured  as  a  boy  was  in  a  sawmill, 
where  he  received  the  munificent  sum  of  fifty 
cents  for  a  day's  labor.  On  January  24, 
1864,  he  was  employed  by  Henry  Chamber- 
lain, who  conducted  a  general  mercantile 
business.  This  employment  continued  for 
five  years,  when  J.  L.  McKie  and  E.  K.  War- 
ren formed  a  partnership  to  conduct  a  dry 
goods  business.  Nine  years  later  Mr.  War- 
ren purchased  the  general  merchandising 
business  of  Henry  Chamberlain  and  was  in- 
terested in  it  until  he  entered  the  manufac- 
turing field  in  1883.  During  the  preceding 
years  Mr.  Warren,  as  a  dry  goods  merchant, 
had  sold  whalebone,  which,  because  of  its 
tendency  to  brittleness  was  never  entirely 
satisfactory  as  a  dress  stay,  and  which  owing 
to  an  increasing  scarcity  was  steadily  ad- 
vancing in  price.  Recognizing  the  necessity 
for  an  improved  substitute,  Mr.  Warren  set 
about  to  discover  a  material  from  which  a 
durable  and  elastic  dress  bone  could  be  con- 
structed. He  found  it  in  the  quill  of  a  turkey, 
and,  from  that  day  to  this,  quills  have  been 
shipped  into  Three  Oaks  by  the  pound,  the 
sack,  the  crate  and  the  car  load.  Coming 
from  every  corner  of  the  United  States  these 
quills  have  been  received  by  the  company 
which  Mr.  Warren  organized  to  manufac- 
ture featherbone,  the  Warren  Featherbone 
Company,  made  by  innumerable  and  intri- 
cate processes  into  the  many  forms  of  dress 
boning  material  required  by  the  public,  and 
sent  back  to  these  same  corners  of  the  United 
States  and  even  to  foreign  countries  as  a 
commercially  valuable  article — and  each 
package  has  borne  on  its  label,  "Three  Oaks, 


Michigan."  During  the  years  in  which 
Featherbone  has  been  manufactured,  from 
half  a  dozen  to  half  a  thousand  employees 
have  constantly  been  occupied  in  making  and 
marketing  the  product.  At  different  times 
branch  factories  at  Chicago ;  Porter,  Indiana ; 
and  Middleville,  Michigan,  have  supple- 
mented the  output  of  the  yearly  enlarging 
factories  in  Three  Oaks.  Distributing  of- 
fices have  been  established  at  New  York, 
Boston,  Philadelphia,  Chicago  and  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  a  featherbone  business  operated  in 
Europe.  The  growth  and  stability  of  the 
featherbone  industry  is  best  evidenced  by 
the  recent  construction  in  Three  Oaks  of  a 
magnificent  three-story  building  of  brick, 
stone  and  marble,  richly  finished  and  fitted 
in  the  most  modern  and  convenient  manner, 
where  for  years  to  come  Mr.  Warren  and  his 
associates  may  conduct  a  business  which 
logically  claims  the  world  as  its  market. 

In  addition  to  his  manufacturing  inter- 
ests Mr.  Warren  controls  a  bank  and  farms 
large  tracts  of  marsh  land.  He  owns  long 
stretches  of  Lake  Michigan  beach  and  a 
ranch  in  the  Panhandle  of  Texas.  While 
his  revenues  have  largely  come  from  the  out- 
side world  Mr.  Warren  has  always  been  in- 
tensely interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  vil- 
lage in  which  for  all  these  years  he  has  vol- 
untarily made  his  home.  As  president  of  the 
village  board  he  was  instrumental  in  accom- 
plishing the  erection  of  a  village  electric  light 
and  water  plant  which  are  yearly  proving 
their  worth  in  comfort,  convenience,  econ- 
omy and  protection. 

Three  Oaks  has  fought  the  liquor  traffic 
and  won.  Up  to  1899  the  village  was  not 
unlike  many  another,  where  town  expenses 
are  increased  and  growing  manhood  de- 
creased by  the  existence  of  a  licensed  saloon. 
Those  who  narrowly  considered  alone  the 
benefit  derived  by  a  town  through  the  pay- 
ment of  a  saloon  license  had  assisted  in  main- 
taining the  Three  Oaks  saloon,  and  there 
seemed  to  be  no  way  to  effectually  meet  this 
apparent  though  deceptive  argument  save  in 
one  based  on  dollars  and  cents.  Accordingly 
Mr.  Warren  offered,  in  case  the  saloon 
should  be  prohibited  by  ordinance  in  Three 
Oaks,  to  pay  into  the  village  treasury  each 
year  the  sum  of  $250.00 — the  amount  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


1003 


saloon  license — so  long  as  no  saloon  should 
be  permitted  to  open  its  doors  for  business  in 
Three  Oaks.  This  offer  turned  the  tide  of 
public  sentiment  and  on  March  24,  1899, 
the  saloon  was  forever  ruled  out  of  Three 
Oaks,  by  ordinance,  and  Mr.  Warren  yearly 
contributes  the  sum  which  equals  the  saloon 
license  to  the  village. 

A  long  step  forward  in  the  development 
of  Three  Oaks  is  being  taken  in  the  present 
agitation  for  good  roads.  In  order  to  bring 
the  issue  to  a  successful  conclusion  Mr.  War- 
ren proposed  at  the  town  meeting  of  1906  to 
contribute  the  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars 
to  the  township  treasury  if  the  town  board 
should  be  instructed  to  build  two  miles  of 
stone  road  in  Three  Oaks  during  1906.  This 
generous  proposition  was  unanimously  ac- 
cepted and  Three  Oaks  is  to  add  to  its  other 
improvements — its  village  park,  its  modern 
depot,  its  new  residences,  and  the  features 
before  mentioned^  a  modern  system  of  good 
roads. 

The  national  reputation  which  Three 
Oaks  possesses  has  come  in  part  from  the 
industry  which  is  its  backbone,  but  also  in  a 
manner  which  in  itself  is  unique.  At  the 
close  of  the  Spanish- American  war,  a  com- 
mittee was  formed  to  raise  a  fund  to  build 
a  monument  to  the  soldiers  and  sailors  who 
lost  their  lives  in  that  conflict.  Among  the 
contributions  received  by  the  committee  was 
one  from  the  hero  of  Manila  Bay,  Admiral 
Dewey — a  cannon  captured  first  by  the 
Filipinos  from  the  Spanish  and  second  by 
the  United  States  Navy  from  the  Filipinos 
on  Corregidor  Island.  This  cannon  w^as 
conveyed  from  the  Phillipine  Islands  by  the 
S.  S.  McCullough  and  delivered  to  the 
Monument  Committee  at  San  Francisco-. 
This  committee  appreciating  the  value  of  the 
cannon  and  desiring  to  convert  this  value 
into  funds  to  be  used  in  the  erection  of  the 
National  Monument,  decided  to  give  the 
cannon  to  the  city  or  village  contributing 
the  largest  sum,  in  proportion  to  its  popula- 
tion, to  the  monument  fund.  Three  Oaks 
entered  the  lists.  It  decided  to  capture  that 
cannon.  And  it  did.  With  a  population  of 
885,  three  hundred  and  twelve  persons  sub- 
scribed and  paid  an  aggregate  sum  of 
$1,132.80 — an  average  contribution  for  each 


man,  woman  and  child  in  the  village  of 
$1.28.  Then  Three  Oaks  reaped  the  reward 
of  her  patriotism.  President  McKinley  and 
members  of  his  cabinet  stopped  at  Three 
Oaks  October  17,  1899,  and  dedicated  the 
mound  on  which  the  cannon  was  to  set. 
And  Helen  Miller  Gould  and  General  Rus- 
sell A.  Alger  formally  unveiled  the  cannon 
at  its  final  resting  place  June  30,  1900,  in 
the  presence  of  the  entire  population  of  the 
village  and  thousands  of  visitors  from  Mich- 
igan and  adjacent  states.  The  stars  and 
stripes  raised  over  the  cannon  to  float  ''until 
time  shall  be  no  more"  still  remind  the  trav- 
eling public,  passing  over  the  Michigan  Cen- 
tral lines,  that  patriotism  is  not  confined  to 
eastern  cities  and  that  ''Where  there's  a  will 
there's  a  way."  The  "will"  rested  chiefly 
in  the  subject  of  this  sketch  who,  as  presi- 
dent of  the  village,  overcame  tremendous 
obstacles  and  brought  to  Three  Oaks  the 
honor  in  which  her  citizens  so  heartily  re- 
joice. 

Since  his  youth  Edward  K.  Warren  has 
been  interested  in  all  forms  of  religious  ac- 
tivity, but  particularly  in  the  work  of  the 
Sunday-school.  As  teacher  and  superintend- 
ent in  the  Congregational  Sunday-school  at 
Three  Oaks,  where  he  has  been  in  official 
relationship  to  the  school  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  he  has  fitted  himself  for  the  respon- 
sibilities of  the  state,  national  and  world  of- 
fices with  which  his  colleagues  have  honored 
him.  Mr.  Warren  has  passed  in  succession 
through  the  offices  of  local  superintendent, 
township  president,  county  president,  chair- 
man State  Executive  Committee,  vice  chair- 
man International  Executive  Committee, 
chairman  World's  Executive  Committee  and 
president  of  the  World's  Sunday  School 
Convention.  At  one  time  Mr.  Warren  was 
actually  in  simultaneous  relation  with  every 
branch  of  Sunday-school  organization  from 
the  township  of  Three  Oaks,  through  the 
county  of  Berrien,  the  state  of  Michigan,  the 
United  States,  to  the  highest  organization — 
A  World's  Convention.  To  Mr.  Warren  as 
chairman  of  the  World's  Executive  Com- 
mittee is  ascribed  the  credit  for  carrying 
through  the  immense  project  of  holding  a 
World's  Sunday  School  Convention  in  the 
City   of   Jerusalem,   and   of   conveying   the 


I004 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


delegates  to  the  Holy  City  and  providing  for 
their  necessities  and  comforts  in  travel.  An 
Atlantic  liner — the  Grosser  Kurfurst — was 
chartered,  and  eight  hundred  delegates  taken 
to  Jerusalem  and  given  a  comprehensive 
Mediterranean  cruise  at  the  same  time.  The 
convention  was  successfully  held,  attended 
by  fifteen  hundred  delegates  representing 
nearly  every  country  and  religion  on  the  face 
of  the  globe.  The  Jerusalem  Convention 
will  live  through  history  and  its  president  is 
a  Berrien  county  man. 

The  successful  man  is  the  many  sided 
man.  It  would  be  difficult  to  determine  Mr. 
Warren's  predominating  characteristic.  But 
among  the  qualities  which  have  spelled  his 
success  are  a  perseverance  which  admits  no 
barrier,  an  optimism  which  allows  no  gloom, 
and  a  faith  in  mankind  which  preserves  the 
sweetness  of  life. 

MELBOURNE  H.  OLMSTEAD,  liv- 
ing retired  in  the  village  of  Three  Oaks,  is 
the  owner  of  valuable  property  interests, 
comprising  the  south  half  of  section  8,  in 
Three  Oaks  township.  A  life  of  business 
activity  guided  by  sound  judgment  and 
characterized  by  perseverance  and  integrity 
has  made  him  a  prosperous  resident  of  Ber- 
rien county.  He  was  born  in  Sennett  town- 
ship, Cayuga  county,  New  York,  October  13, 
1837,  his  parents  being  Abijah  P.  and  Eliza- 
beth C.  (Clark)  Olmstead,  natives  of  New 
York.  The  father  was  born  January  i, 
1800,  on  the  same  farm  on  which  the  birth 
of  our  subject  occurred  and  his  entire  life 
was  there  passed.  He  purchased  the  interest 
of  the  other  heirs  in  the  home  place  and  con- 
tinued the  cultivation  of  the  farm  until  his 
own  death  at  the  age  of  forty-six.  He  was 
a  son  of  Ambrose  Olmstead,  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut, who  made  the  trip  on  horseback  to 
New  York  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pio- 
neer residents  of  Cayuga  county.  His  wife 
drove  a  yoke  of  oxen  to  their  new  home,  over 
a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles.  Mrs. 
Olmstead  also  died  in  Cayuga  county  upon 
the  farm  where  our  subject  was  born,  pass- 
ing away  there  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight 
years.  She  was  a  granddaughter  of  General 
Samuel  Clark,  of  Ballston,  New  York,  who 
served  throughout  the   Revolutionar}^  war. 


He  joined  the  army  as  a  private  and  won 
official  rank,  and  after  serving  in  the  war 
of  181 2  was  brevetted  brigadier  general. 
The  Olmstead  family  is  of  English  descent : 
Jehiel  Clark,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
and  son  of  General  Samuel  Clark,  was  born 
December  17,  1764,  and  died  July  20,  1844. 
He  removed  from  Saratoga  county,  New 
York,  to  Clarksville,  which  place  was  named 
in  his  honor  and  is  now  a  part  of  Auburn, 
New  York.  The  year  of  his  arrival  there 
was  1797.  Unto  the  parents  of  Melbourne 
H.  Olmstead  were  born  eleven  children,  of 
whom  he  is  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth. 
Pulaski,  the  youngest  member  of  the  family, 
was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Port  Hudson, 
June  14,  1863,  while  serving  in  the  civil  war. 
The  eldest  brother,  Morris  M.,  held  the  office 
of  county  superintendent  of  the  poor  for 
forty-two  consecutive  years  in  Cayuga  coun- 
ty, New  York,  and  is  now  residing  at  Au- 
burn, New  York,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-four  years.  The  father  was  super- 
visor of  his  township  and  also  justice  of  the 
peace  and  held  school  offices  during  the 
greater  part  of  his  life. 

Melbourne  H.  Olmstead  when  thirteen 
years  of  age  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
removal  from  Sennett  to  Mentz  township  in 
Cayuga  county,  and  resided  there  and  in  an 
adjoining  township  until  1871.  His  life 
was  devoted  to  farm  labor  and  he  also  en- 
gaged in  the  wood  and  lumber  business  from 
the  time  he  attained  his  majority  until  1871. 
Then  because  of  impaired  health  he  did  not 
engage  actively  in  any  business  for  five  or 
six  years. 

In  1877  Mr.  Olmstead  removed  from 
New  York  to  Michigan,  settling  at  Three 
Oaks,  where  he  has  since  resided.  Here  he 
established  and  conducted  a  broom  handle 
factory  for  about  fourteen  years  and  also 
carried  on  a  lumber  business  and  operated  a 
sawmill.  He  was  likewise  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  rake  and  hoe  handles  and  in 
his  factory  employed  from  fifteen  to  fifty 
workmen,  according  to  the  season.  In  1872 
he  purchased  half  of  section  8,  Three  Oaks 
township,  and  still  owns  the  property.  It 
was  timber  land  when  it  came  into  his  pos- 
session and  the  fact  of  his  owning  the  tract 
was  what  brought  Mr.  Olmstead  to  Michi- 


HISTORY  OF   BERRIEN   COUNTY 


1005 


gan  as  a  resident.  That  tract  furnished 
about  half  of  the  timber  which  he  used  in 
his  factory.  He  has  about  half  of  the  land 
under  cultivation  and  since  retiring  from  the 
field  of  manufacturing  enterprises  his  at- 
tention has  been  given  to  the  supervision  of 
his  farm.  He  had  about  two  hundred  acres 
covered  with  hard  wood  timber,  from  which 
he  got  in  one  year  about  one  million,  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  broom  handles. 
He  also  made  about  twenty-five  thousand 
fork  handles  one  year  outside  of  various 
other  kinds.  In  1882  he  sold  over  one  hun- 
dred carloads,  sawed  just  from  his  mill.  The 
factory,  located  in  the  village  of  Three  Oaks, 
continued  to  be  a  part  of  his  possessions  un- 
til 1904,  when  he  sold  out.  He  had  been 
closely  associated  with  industrial  interests 
in  the  town  and  his  labors  were  of  direct 
benefit  to  the  community  as  well  as  to  in- 
dividual success,  for  the  industry  furnished 
employment  to  a  number  of  workmen  to 
whom  he  paid  a  good  living  wage. 

On  the  13th  of  January,  1885,  Mr.  Olm- 
stead  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Helen 
C.  Stevenson,  who  was  born  in  Mentz,  Cay- 
uga county,  New  York,  a  daughter  of  W. 
F.  Stevenson.  In  his  political  views  Mr. 
Olmstead  had  always  been  a  stalwart  Re- 
publican until  after  the  Civil  war,  since 
which  time  he  has  cast  an  independent  bal- 
lot. He  has  never  cared  for  office  but  has 
been  faithful  in  his  duties  of  citizenship  and 
given  co-operation  to  many  measures  which 
have  had  direct  bearing  upon  the  welfare 
and  progress  of  the  community.  He  is  now 
living  retired  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years 
and  his  rest  is  well  merited.  He  is  quiet  and 
retiring  in  disposition  but  has  displayed  in 
his  life  the  sterling  traits  of  character  which 
everywhere  command  respect,  confidence 
and  good  will. 

OSCAR  WYANT,  living  on  section  14, 
Niles  township,  devotes  his  time  and  ener- 
gies to  general  agricultural  pursuits,  own- 
ing a  good  tract  of  land  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty-six  acres.  In  addition  to  the  tilling 
of  the  soil  he  has  dealt  largely  in  timber  and 
has  bred  and  raised  horses  and  cattle.  In 
fact  he  is  well  known  as  a  leading  horse- 
man of  the  countv.     As  a  business  man  he 


is  energetic  and  industrious  and  excellent 
results  are  attending  his  efforts. 

Mr.  Wyant  was  born  in  Pipestone  town- 
ship, Berrien  county,  May  7,  1862,  and  was 
the  youngest  son  and  fifth  child  born  unto 
William  and  Alvira  (Tuttle)  Wyant.  The 
father,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  came  to 
Berrien  county  in  the  '50s  and  took  up  his 
abode  in  Pipestone  township,  where  he  se- 
cured a  tract  of  land  and  followed  the  occu- 
pation of  farming.  He  is  still  a  representa- 
tive of  the  agricultural  interests  of  this  por- 
tion of  the  state,  his  home  at  the  present 
writing  being  in  Berrien  township.  In  early 
manhood  he  wedded  Alvira  Tuttle,  a  native 
of  Ohio,  who  died  when  her  son  Oscar  was 
but  four  years  of  age.  The  father  after- 
ward married  Mrs.  Philora  Kirk,  by  whom 
he  had  one  daughter.  Of  the  first  marriage 
there  were  six  children  as  follows:  Mary; 
Almeda  and  Phebe,  both  deceased;  John; 
Oscar,  of  this  review;  and  Lydia,  who  has 
also  passed  away. 

Oscar  Wyant  was  only  four  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  his  father's  removal  to  Ber- 
rien township  and  there  he  was  reared,  re- 
maining at  home  until  twenty-two  years  of 
age,  during  which  time  he  assisted  in  the 
farm  w^ork.  His  education  was  obtained  in 
the  district  schools  of  Berrien  township  and 
in  Berrien  Center,  and  when  not  busy  with 
his  text-books  his  time  was  largely  devoted 
to  the  tilling  of  the  soil  and  the  care  of  the 
crops. 

On  the  24th  of  January,  1884,  Mr. 
Wyant  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Rauft, 
a  native  of  this  county,  and  a  daughter  of 
Ernst  and  Margaret  Rauft.  The  young 
couple  began  their  domestic  life  in  Berrien 
township,  where  Mr.  Wyant  engaged  in 
farming  and  in  speculating  for  six  years. 
In  1890  he  bought  a  part  of  the  farm  on 
which  he  now  resides,  becoming  owner  of 
eighty-three  acres  and  at  a  more  recent  date 
has  purchased  another  eighty-three  acres,  so 
that  the  farm  now  comprises  one  hundred 
and  sixty-six  acres.  He  has  made  a  specialty 
of  dealing  in  timber  and  is  also  well  known 
as  a  breeder  and  raiser  of  horses  and  cattle. 
He  owns  three  stallions,  two  of  which  are 
imported,  one  being  a  Norman,  one 
a  home  bred  stallion,   and  a  fine  running 


ioo6 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN   COUNTY 


horse.  As  a  stock  dealer  he  is  well  known 
and  has  met  with  large  success  in  this  busi- 
ness. In  addition  to  the  home  property 
he  owns  a  half  interest  in  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  lies  in  four 
townships  and  two  counties,  Berrien  and 
Cass.  He  also  is  owner  of  a  farm  of  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Berrien  and 
Cass  counties,  situated  in  Pokagon  and  Ber- 
rien townships  respectively.  One  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  this  is  timber  land.  Mr. 
Wyant  has  been  very  successful  in  his  busi- 
ness enterprises,  making  judicious  invest- 
ments and  carefully  controlling  his  interests 
with  the  result  that  his  labors  have  been  at- 
tended with  a  gratifying  measure  of  pros- 
perity. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wyant  has 
been  blessed  with  six  children,  Clarence, 
Charlie,  Almeda,  Margaret  and  William,  all 
at  home;  and  Harry,  now  deceased.  Mr. 
Wyant  is  a  Democrat  but  cast  his  last  presi- 
dential ballot  for  Roosevelt.  At  local  elec- 
tions he  votes  independently,  regarding  the 
capability  of  the  candidate  rather  than  party 
affiliation.  He  has  been  a  life-long  resi- 
dent of  the  county  and  his  chief  interest 
centers  here,  while  his  public  spirit  is  mani- 
fest by  his  willingness  to  co-operate  in  meas- 
ures for  the  public  good.  His  activity  and 
enterprise  in  business  constitute  the  source 
of  a  very  desirable  success  and  his  is  justly 
numbered  among  the  prominent  farmers  of 
.  this  portion  of  the  state. 

ALBERT  S.  RICKETTS.  For  many 
years  Albert  S.  Ricketts  has  been  numbered 
among  the  representative  citizens  and  agri- 
culturists of  Berrien  township,  and  through- 
out the  period  of  his  residence  here  he  has 
aided  materially  in  the  development  and 
progress  of  this  community.  He  was  born 
in  Portage  county,  Ohio,  February  15,  1850, 
a  son  of  Hugh  T.  Ricketts.  The  last  named 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  but  was 
reared  in  Maysville,  Kentucky,  where  he 
remained  until  he  was  twenty-eight  years 
of  age.  He  was  a  potter  by  trade,  and  was 
successful  in  his  chosen  calling.  He  was 
married  in  Portage  county,  Ohio,  to  Han- 
nah Dickinson,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
that  state,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 


seven  children,  six  of  whom  grew  to  years 
of  maturity.  The  father  reached  his  eighty- 
third  year  ere  he  was  called  to  his  final  rest, 
and  the  mother  was  seventy-five  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  her  death. 

Albert  S.  Ricketts  was  the  fourth 
child  and  third  son  in  his  parents'  family, 
and  was  reared  in  the  place  of  his  nativity 
until  he  w^as  eighteen  years  of  age.  When 
but  sixteen  years  of  age  he  began  life  on 
his  own  responsibility,  but  he  was  indus- 
trious, determined  and  ambitious,  and  these 
qualities  enabled  him  to  overcome  the  diffi- 
culties and  obstacles  in  his  path  and  work 
his  way  steadily  upward.  He  was  eighteen 
years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Michigan,  lo- 
cating at  once  in  Berrien  county,  but  after 
a  residence  here  of  two  years  he  went  to 
Montgomery  county,  Kansas,  there  secur- 
ing a  claim  and  engaging  in  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  for  three  years  was  also  en- 
gaged in  the  grocery  business.  After  a  resi- 
dence in  that  state  of  twelve  years  he  sold 
his  claim  and  returned  to  Berrien  county, 
Michigan,  locating:  on  the  farm  on  which  he 
now  resides,  and  this  place  has  been  his 
home  for  twenty-four  years.  The  home 
place  consists  of  eighty  acres,  which  he  has 
taken  pride  to  cultivate  to  the  highest  ex- 
tent. 

On  the  1 2th  of  April,  1882,  Mr.  Ricketts 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Lydia  A.  Layman, 
the  daughter  of  Joel  and  Ellen  (Jenkins) 
Layman,  and  the  mother's  family  were  num- 
bered among  the  earliest  pioneers  of  Ber- 
rien county.  Mrs.  Ricketts  was  born  on 
the  farm  on  which  she  now  resides.  They 
have  no  children  of  their  own,  but  have  an 
adopted  daughter,  Hazel,  who  is  eighteen 
years  old.  In  his  political  affiliations  Mr. 
Ricketts  has  been  a  life-long  Republican,  his 
first  presidential  vote  having  been  cast  for 
General  Grant.  He  is  a  member  of  Berrien 
Center  Lodge  No.  27,  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  is  a 
man  of  sterling  worth  and  justly  merits 
the  high  regard  in  which  he  is  held. 

JACOB  BRENNER.  Today  after  a 
useful  and  beneficent  career  Jacob  Bren- 
ner is  quietly  living  at  his  pleasant  home  in 
Berrien  Center,  surrounded  by  the  com- 
forts that  earnest  labor  has  brought  to  him. 


HISTORY  OF  BERRIEN  COUNTY 


1007 


He  was  born  in  Dauphin  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, April  14,  1836,  a  son  of  Peter  and 
Rebecca  (Zimmerman)  Brenner,  also  na- 
tives of  Dauphin  county,  where  they  spent 
their  entire  lives  and  were  married.  The 
father  was  a  life-long  farmer.  The  mother 
died  when  forty-five  years  old,  and  the  hus- 
band was  again  married,  there  being  one 
daughter  born  of  the  second  marriage,  while 
of  the  first  there  were  six  children  that  grew 
to  years  of  maturity,  three  sons  and  three 
daughters. 

Jacob  Brenner,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  was  reared  and  educated  in  his 
native  county  in  Pennsylvania,  but  after  his 
marriage  he  came  to  Berrien  county,  Michi- 
gan, purchasing  a  farm  in  Berrien  township 
and  devoting  his  time  and  energies  to  its 
cultivation  until  1901,  when  his  wife  died 
and  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Eau  Claire  for 
two  years  and  then  came  to  Berrien  Cen- 
ter. Thus  for  forty-one  years  he  has  main- 
tained his  home  within  the  borders  of  this 
county,  actively  identified  with  its  upbuild- 
ing and  growth  and  interested  in  many  of 
its  industries.  For  a  time  after  his  arrival 
here  he  operated  a  threshing  machine  in  ad- 
diton  to  his  farm  labors. 

On  the  2ist  of  February,  1856,  Mr. 
Brenner  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mar- 
garet Wolf,  a  native  of  Cumberland  county. 


Pennsylvania,  and  they  continued  to  travel 
life's  pathway  together  until  1901,  when  the 
wife  and  mother  was  called  to  the  home  be- 
yond, leaving  four  children :  David,  who  is 
engaged  in  the  butchering  business  at  Dowa- 
giac;  Anna,  the  wife  of  Burton  J.  Sparks; 
William,  who  carries  on  the  work  of  the 
old  homestead;  and  Ida,  the  wife  of  Edwin 
Sparks,  of  Fairland,  Berrien  county.  In 
1903,  Mr.  Brenner  married  Mrs.  Hulda 
Harrington,  the  widow  of  Smith  Harring- 
ton. Mr.  Brenner,  gives  his  political  sup- 
port to  the  Republican  party,  and  as  its  rep- 
resentative served  as  highway  commissioner 
for  three  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  in  which 
he  has  filled  all  the  chairs,  and  was  treasurer 
of  the  order  for  about  twenty  years.  He  has 
also  served  as  a  member  of  the  school  board 
and  was  its  treasurer  for  several  years.  As 
his  children  have  started  out  in  life  for 
themselves  he  has  provided  well  for  their 
support,  having  given  to  each  a  farm  valued 
at  four  thousand  dollars.  He  has  perse- 
vered in  the  pursuit  of  a  definite  purpose  and 
has  gained  a  most  satisfactory  reward.  His 
life  is  exemplary  in  all  respects  and  he  has 
ever  supported  those  interests  which  are  cal- 
culated to  benefit  and  uplift  humanity,  while 
his  own  high  moral  worth  is  deserving  of 
the  highest  comm-endation. 


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