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History  of 

DETROIT 


Chronicle  of  its  Progress,  its  Industries,  its 

Institutions,  and  the  People  of  the 

Fair  City  of  the  Straits 


BY 
PAUL  LEAKE 


VOLUME  III 


ILLUSTRATED 


THE  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

CHICAGO  AND  NEW  YORK 
1912 


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hS.   f^:53^,^./o 


HARVARD  COLLEGE  LIBRARY 
SEP    7    1915 

CHARLES  ELLIOTT  PERKINS 
MEMORIAL  COLLECTION 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 


Clarence  M.  Burton.  Student,  historian,  lawyer  and  man  of 
affairs,  Clarence  M.  Burton  has  such  status  in  the  Michigan  metropolis 
that  no  publication  of  the  province  assigned  to  the  one  here  presented 
can  be  consistent  with  itself  if  there  is  failure  to  accord  to  this  honored 
citizen  specific  recognition  within  its  pages.  No  resident  of  the  state  has 
a  wider  and  more  intimate  knowledge  of  Michigan  history,  even  to  the 
most  obscure  details,  than  has  Mr.  Burton,  and  his  contributions  to  its 
records  have  been  of  inestimable  value.  A  man  of  the  highest  literary 
appreciation,  of  most  comprehensive  reading  and  study,  and  of  distinctive 
intellectual  force,  he  has  given  in  most  generous  measure  to  perpetuating 
matters  of  historic  interest  in  Detroit  and  Michigan.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  bar  of  the  state,  though  not  engaged  in  the  active  work  of  his  pro- 
fession; is  a  citizen  of  intrinsic  loyalty  and  public  spirit;  and  is  known 
as  one  of  the  representative  business  men  of  Detroit,  where  he  has  pro- 
vided and  assembled  most  complete  and  authoritative  abstracts  of  land 
titles  for  Wayne  county,  the  same  affording  the  best  of  reference  facilities. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  has  also  been  an  extensive  operator  in  the  local 
real  estate  field. 

Mr.  Burton  is  a  native  of  Sierra  county,  California,  where  he  was 
bom  on  the  18th  of  November,  1853,  and  he  is  a  son  of  Dr.  Charles  S. 
and  Annie  E.  (Monroe)  Burton,  both  of  whom  were  born  and  reared 
in  Seneca  county.  New  York.  In  1855,  when  he  was  but  two  years  of 
age,  his  parents  came  to  Michigan  and  established  their  home  at  Hast- 
ings, the  judicial  center  of  Barry  county.  The  father  devoted  the  major 
part  of  his  active  life  to  the  practice  of  medicine  and  both  he  and  his 
wife  continued  to  reside  in  Michigan  until  their  death. 

Clarence  M.  Burton  secured  his  preliminary  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Hastings,  and  in  1869  he  entered  the  literary  department  of 
the  University  of  Michigan,  in  which  he  continued  his  studies  for  three 
years.  In  1872  he  became  a  student  in  the  law  department  of  the  same 
institution,  in  which  he  was  graduated  in  March  of  the  following  year, 
after  a  creditable  examination.  The  day  succeeding  his  graduation  and 
incidental  acquiring  of  his  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws,  Mr.  Burton 
came  to  Detroit.  As  he  had  not  yet  attained  to  his  legal  majority,  and 
was  therefore  ineligible  for  admission  to  the  bar  of  the  state,  he  entered 
the  law  office  of  Ward  &  Palmer,  under  whose  directions  he  continued 
his  study,  with  incidental  professional  work  of  a  preliminary  order, 
until  the  19th  of  November,  1874,  when  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in 
the  circuit  court  of  Wayne  county, — the  day  following  his  twenty-first 
birthday.  The  firm  with  which  he  had  been  associated  made  a  specialty 
of  extending  loans  on  real  estate  securities,  and  his  duties  had  been 
largely  in  the  examining  of  land  titles.  John  Ward,  the  senior  member 
of  the  firm,  was  also  a  member  of  the  firm  of  E.  C.  Skinner  &  Com- 

843 


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844  HISTOEY  OF  DETROIT 

pany,  engaged  in  the  abstract  business,  and  in  the  well  ordered  oflSces 
of  this  latter  firm  Mr.  Burton  found  employment  in  otherwise  leisure 
moments  and  at  night,  with  the  result  that  he  so  soon  made  himself  an 
indispensible  factor  in  the  enterprise,  which  was  one  of  large  propor- 
tions. In  1883  he  secured  an  interest  in  the  business,  of  which  he  became 
the  sole  manager  in  the  following  year.  Since  that  time  he  has  given 
the  major  part  of  his  time  and  attention  to  the  abstract  business,  in 
which  his  has  recognized  priority  over  all  other  similar  concerns  in 
Wayne  county.  He  was  associated  in  this  enterprise  with  his  former 
employer,  John  Ward,  until  1891,  since  which  time  he  has  maintained 
the  entire  ownership  and  control  of  the  large  and  splendidly  organized 
business  to  the  upbuilding  of  which  he  has  contributed  in  maximum 
degree.  It  has  been  said  with  all  of  consistency  that  **a  Burton  abstract 
is  considered  by  all  dealers  in  real  estate,  either  sellers  or  purchasers 
as  good  as  a  deed  itself."  The  perfect  system  of  conducting  the  business 
finds  exemplification  in  simplicity  and  absolute  exactitude,  and  neither 
time  nor  labor  has  been  denied  in  the  preparation  of  the  abstracts,  which 
number  fully  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  Research  and  investi- 
gation have  been  most  careful  and  exhaustive,  so  that  the  business  is 
founded  on  a  basis  absolutely  authoritative. 

Mr.  Burton  has  an  eminently  judicial  mind  and  a  clear  and  ample 
knowledge  of  the  science  of  jurisprudence.  He  has  gained  no  slight 
prestige  in  the  practice  of  law  in  the  earlier  period  of  his  independent 
career,  and  success  in  his  profession  was  practically  assured  had  he  not 
found  it  expedient  to  direct  his  energies  in  other  fields.  He  has  handled 
large  and  valuable  properties  in  Detroit  and  Wayne  county,  and  his 
real  estate  operations  have  been  most  successful,  as  may  be  inferred  from 
his  intimate  knowledge  of  values.  To  his  fine  abstract  files  recourse  is 
had  by  practically  all  leading  real  estatfe  dealers  in  the  county,  as  well 
as  by  those  making  individual  sales  or  purchases  of  realty. 

While  never  imbued  with  political  ambition,  Mr.  Burton  has  ever 
accorded  a  staunch  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party,  and  he  has  given 
eflfective  service  in  behalf  of  its  cause.  He  was  a  member  of  the  state 
constitutional  convention  in  the  spring  of  1908  and  had  much  to  do  with 
shaping  the  new  constitution  which  was  presented  to  the  people  of  the 
state  for  ratification  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year.  He  has  been  an 
influential  member  of  the  Detroit  board  of  education  since  1902,  and  his 
interest  in  the  work  of  the  public  schools  of  the  city  has  been  shown  in 
a  determined  advocacy  of  eflfective  measures  of  control  and  administra- 
tion. In  the  matter  of  religion  Mr.  Burton  has  ever  shown  a  deep 
respect  for  the  spiritual  verities,  but  he  is  not  a  supporter  of  creeds  or 
dogmas,  as  he  bases  his  opinions  upon  scientific  data  and  holds  prac- 
tically to  the  agnostic  belief.  He  recognizes  the  various  religious  denom- 
inations as  valuable  and  worthy  moral  factors  in  every  community  and 
has  been  a  liberal  contributor  to  their  work,  though  far  from  being  in 
accord  with  their  canonical  tenets. 

It  is  with  special  gratification  that  the  writer  adverts  at  this  point 
to  a  work  which  has  engrossed  much  of  the  time  and  intellectual 
resourcefulness  of  Mr.  Burton, — ^that  of  historical  and  general  literary 
research  and  study.  In  this  field  his  achievement  has  been  almost 
phenomenal,  in  view  of  the  exactions  placed  upon  him  by  business  aflfairs. 
A  mind  particularily  enriched  and  illumined  by  discriminating  reading 
and  study  of  the  best  in  classical  and  historical  literature,  as  well  as 
that  of  contemporary  order,  has  found  its  greatest  recreation  in  deep 
research  work  and  in  the  accumulation  of  a  most  extensive  and  valuable 
private  library,  in  which  are  found  many  rare  and  unique  works  of 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  845 

special  value.  Mr.  Burton's  pride  in'  his  library,  one  of  the  best  of 
private  order  in  the  middle  west,  if  not  in  the  entire  Union,  is  well  justi- 
fied, and  no  man  in  Michigan  is  more  intimately  informed  concerning  its 
history,  from  the  earliest  period  to  the  present  time.  His  interest  in 
literature  has  not,  however,  been  hedged  in  by  selfishness  or  the  narrow 
reserve  of  the  helluo  librorum.  This  is  shown  in  a  significant  way  by 
his  presentation  to  the  University  of  Michigan  of  a  great  collection  of 
works  pertaining  to  the  French  revolution  and  of  early  installments 
of  that  colossal  and  monumental  publication,  ** Stevens'  Facsimiles  of 
European  Archives  Relating  to  American  Affairs  at  the  Era  of  the 
Revolution."  A  fitting  recognition  of  his  benefactions  to  the  univer- 
sity, as  well  as  of  his  profound  delving  in  the  field  of  literature,  was 
given  by  that  institution  when  it  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts,  which  would  have  been  his  had  he  completed  his  pre- 
scribed course  in  the  university  in  his  youthful  days.  Later  the  Uni- 
versity also  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts,  and  it  will 
be  recalled  that  as  a  young  man  he  had  received  from  the  same  institu- 
tion the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws.  He  is  now  the  incumbent  of  the 
oflSce  of  city  historiographer  of  Detroit.  It  is  deemed  consonant  to  repro- 
duce in  this  connection  an  estimate  of  Mr.  Burton  that  was  given  by  one 
who  knew  him  intimately  from  his  childhood  and  who  has  regarded  his 
career  with  admiring  interest.  This  estimate  originally  appeared  in  the 
Cyclopedia  of  Michigan,  edition  of  1900,  and  is  as  follows : 

**Mr.  Burton  is  a  man  of  large  physique  and  dignified  bearing,  of 
pleasing  address,  of  genial  disposition  and  cordial  manners;  loyal  to 
his  friends,  generous  to  his  employes,  and  courteous  to  everybody.  He 
has  indomitable  energy,  good  judgment  and  excellent  executive  ability. 
His  mind  has  a  natural  legal  bent  and  a  fair  degree  of  judicial  aptitude, 
coupled  with  a  fondness  for  historical  research.  He  attained  to  a  good 
standing  while  at  the  bar  and  would  doubtless  have  grown  to  a  high 
position  in  the  profession  had  he  remained  in  it.  *'  He  seems  to  have  had 
an  early  taste  for  the  intricate  and  knotty  problems  of  realty  law,  which 
may  have  had  something  to  do  with  diverting  his  footsteps  into  their 
present  pathway.  He  has  taken  hold  of  the  abstract  business  with  an 
earnestness  that  indicates  an  intention  to  make  it  a  life  work,  and  with 
that  purpose  in  view  he  has  laid  his  plans  on  a  broad  and  comprehensive 
scale ;  every  item  of  the  work  is  planned  and  carried  out  not  with  ref- 
erence to  the  immediate  profit  alone  but  also  with  a  forecast  of  future 
needs  and  requirements.  Everything  that  bears  on  land  titles,  whether 
historical,  topographical  or  biographical,  is  sure  to  find  in  him  an  inter- 
esting investigator.  Working  at  his  desk  from  eight  in  the  morning 
till  six  at  night,  or  later  if  need  be,  he  will  then  sit  up  till  the  small  hours 
come  around  again,  tinkering  in  his  great  library  upon  some  literary 
scheme  that  had  attracted  his  attention.  His  researches  have  taken  him 
to  the  early  archives  of  Canada  and  France,  whence  he  has  unearthed 
some  very  interesting  information  bearing  upon  the  early  history  of 
Detroit  and  Michigan.  He  is  never  happier  than  when  delving  into  some 
old,  musty  records  of  the  past.  Few  men  have  anything  like  his  knowl- 
edge of  the  early  history  of  Detroit  in  its  minute  details.  He  combines 
in  an  uncommon  way  the  qualities  of  a  business  man  who  pursues  liter- 
ary investigations  without  injury  to  his  business,  and  of  a  student  whose 
business  does  not  interfere  with  his  researches." 

On  Christmas  day  of  the  year  1872  Mr.  Burton  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Harriet  J.  Nye,  daughter  of  the  late  Nelson  B.  Nye  of  Ann 
Arbor,  Michigan,  and  they  had  eight  children.     After  the  death  of  his 


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846  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

first  wife  Mr.  Burton  wedded,  on  the  21st  of  June,  1900,  Mrs.  Anna 
(Monroe)  Knox,  and  they  have  one  child. 

Charles  Carroll  Hodges  was  identified  with  one  of  the  greatest 
industries  of  the  city  of  Detroit,  the  Detroit  Steam  Radiator  Company, 
which  was  later  merged  into  the  American  Radiator  Company  and  which 
he  assisted  his  brcTther,  Henry  C.  Hodges,  in  founding.  One  of  the 
most  energetic,  enterprising,  upright  business  men  of  Detroit,  distin- 
guished for  his  civic  patriotism  and  broad  minded  views  on  all  questions, 
the  late  Charles  Carroll  Hodges  left  behind  him  a  memory  which  is 
still  honored  by  all  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  A  man  of 
indomitable  energy,  strictest  integrity  and  of  the  most  loving  disposition, 
he  was  loved  and  admired  by  all  who  knew  him,  and  it  was  not  necessary 
for  post-mortem  praise,  as  he  was  accorded  the  friendship  and  admira- 
tion of  his  associates  while  he  lived. 

Bom  at  South  Hero,  Grand  Isle  county,  Vermont,  on  July  22,  1830, 
he  was  the  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Clara  (Phelps)  Hodges.  He  received 
only  the  rudiments  of  a  common  school  education  in  his  native  town. 
Being  of  an  independent,  aggressive  disposition,  he  left  the  shelter  of 
the  paternal  roof  at  an  early  age  and  when  little  more  than  a  child 
sought  a  means  of  livelihood,  taking  a  position  in  a  general  store  in  St. 
Albans  as  a  messenger  and  minor  clerk.  He  was  a  gifted  penman  and 
early  showed  an  adaptability  that  was  remarkable,  with  the  result  that 
he  was  soon  transferred  to  the  bookkeeper's  desk.  After  performing 
his  work  for  several  years  to  the  full  satisfaction  of  his  employers,  he 
desired  to  see  the  west  and  become  a  part  of  that  great  army  of  pioneers 
which  was  to  transform  a  wilderness  into  a  thriving  commonwealth 
with  great  cities  and  greater  possibilities.  Going  to  Battle  Creek, 
Michigan,  where  he  had  relatives,  he  accepted  a  position  in  a  general 
store  conducted  there  by  the  firm  of  Wallace  and  Collier,  the  latter, 
V.  P.  Collier,  later  becqming  treasurer  of  the  state.  Keeping  his  books 
with  the  neatness  and  fidelity  which  won  him  a  splendid  reputation  in 
the  east,  he  remained  with  Mr.  Collier  for  a  short  while,  when  he  saw  an 
opportunity  to  go  into  business  for  himself.  He  and  a  Mr.  William 
Andrus  bought  out  a  large  drug  store  at  Battle  Creek,  which  they  con- 
ducted with  gratifying  success  until  1862,  when  Mr.  Hodges  sold  his 
interest  and  in  1863  removed  to  Detroit,  in  which  city  his  real  career 
in  the  business  world  was  to  begin. 

In  Detroit  he  and  his  brother  were  made  general  agents  for  the 
Connecticut  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company,  with  an  immense  territory 
to  cover.  Their  field  of  operations  included  the  most  of  Canada,  all  of 
Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Iowa,  Minnesota,  and  later  Ontario  was  added. 
The  business,  under  their  careful  management,  became  so  large  that 
they  were  compelled  to  sell  part  of  the  original  territory  granted  to  them. 
During  this  period  of  successful  operations  in  the  insurance  field,  Mr. 
Hodges  and  his  brother  entered  the  real  estate  business,  in  which  they 
were  very  successful.  They  bought  and  platted  that  portion  of  the 
Woodbridge  farm  lying  North  of  Grand  River  avenue  at  a  time  when 
such  a  venture  was  looked  upon  as  risky,  but  in  this  they  also  met  with 
success,  and  disposed  of  the  land  at  a  pleasing  profit.  They  founded  the 
Detroit  Lubricator  Works,  and  from  its  inception  the  enterprise  was  a 
success.  Mr.  Charles  C.  Hodges  was  treasurer  of  the  firm,  and  his 
brother,  H.  C.  Hodges,  was  its  president. 

In  1853  Mr.  Hodges  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Harriet  Pew, 
of  Battle  Creek,  and  four  children  were  born  to  them,  two  of  whom, 
with  their  mother  survive  him:  Dr.  Rollin  C,  of  Houston,  Texas,  and 
Fanny  Hodges  Withington,  Mr.  Withington  being  one  of  the  prominent 
bankers  of  Cleveland. 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  847 

Although  Mr.  Hodges  led  the  life  of  a  hardworking,  tireless  business 
man,  yet  he  found  time  to  think  of  other  things  and  to  indulge  his  tastes, 
which  were  of  an  artistic  order.  He  was  a  painter  of  genuine  talent, 
both  in  water  color  and  oils,  and  it  was  his  custom  to  spend  a  portion  of 
the  summer  in  travel  every  year  with  his  easel.  He  assisted  in  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Water  Color  Society  of  Detroit,  and  was  its  president 
at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  on  January  8, 1901.  He  traveled 
quite  extensively  in  this  country  and  also  in  foreign  lands,  and  while 
abroad  he  gathered  many  art  treasures,  which  now  adorn  the  home  of 
which  he  was  so  proud.  He  was  not  only  an  artist,  but  was  a  cultivated 
musician  and  he  had  a  voice  of  exceptional  purity  and  sweetness  of  tone. 
He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Philharmonic  Society,  and  was  also 
one  of  the  original  members  of  the  Prismatic  Club,  and  in  spite  of  his 
business  cares,  managed  to  keep  in^touch  with  aU  that  was  best  in  Eng- 
lish literature.  And  all  this  despite  the  fact  that  he  had  received  no 
^  early  education.    He  was  a  self-taught  man  in  the  best  and  highest  ac- 

ceptance of  the  term. 

Mr.  Hodges  was  a  devout  Episcopalian.  There  was  no  ostentation 
about  either  his  religion  or  his  charity,  but  the  evidences  of  both  were 
everywhere  apparent,  and  he  enjoyed  the  love  of  his  associates  in  the 
highest  walk  of  life. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Club  and  of  a  number  of  philanthrop- 
ical  and  social  organizations.  In  politics  he  was  a  strong  Republican, 
and  he  attended  the  meeting  "Under  the  Oaks''  at  Jackson,  Michigan, 
at  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party.  One  of  the  great  business 
men  of  Michigan,  he  took  his  citizenship  seriously,  and  believed  that  in 
thus  discharging  his  duty  he  had  done  all  that  was  required  of  him  and 
asked  no  reward  in  the  shape  of  patronage  or  emoluments  of  oflSce. 

In  speaking  of  him  a  daily  newspaper  printed  the  day  after  his  death, 
said:  ''By  the  death  of  Charles  C.  Hodges,  Detroit  has  lost  an  excellent 
citizen  in  all  that  the  term  implies.  It  is  doubtful  if  there  was  a  citizen 
of  Detroit  who  possessed  a  greater  variety  of  interests  or  lived  a  more 
rounded  life  than  Mr.  Hodges.  None  of  his  tastes  were  warped  or 
dwarfed.  Personally  he  was  a  singularly  charming  man.  Broad  in  his 
religious  views  and  utterly  without  ostentation  or  affectation  of  any 
kind,  scrupulously  honest  in  all  the  affairs  of  Ufe  and  charitable  in  the 
extreme,  he  gave  gladly  and  freely,  but  his  was  not  the  charity  that  loves 
to  parade  itself  in  the  newspapers.  All  in  all,  Detroit  has  sheltered  no 
'  Kndlier,  gentler,  nobler,  manKer  man." 

Robert  Flowerday  enjoys  a  leading  position  among  the  florist  fra- 
I  temity  of  Detroit    It  is  safe  to  say  that  no  one  could  be  found,  from 

Maine  to  California,  better  versed  in  the  details  of  this  delightful  enter- 
prise than  he.  Three  generations  of  Flowerdays  have  been  florists,  his 
father  having  preceded  him  and  tutored  him  and  his  son  followed  in  his 
footsteps  and  received  the  benefit  of  his  tutelage.  This  prominent  gen- 
tleman was  born  in  county  Norfolk,  England,  in  the  year  1858  and  now, 
I  at  the  dignified  age  of  fifty-three,  he  and  his  son,  Robert  Flowerday, 

I  conduct  a  prosperous  business  at  470-482  John  R.  street,  the  same  being 

I  one  of  the  most  extensive  and  up-to-date  in  the  country.    The  subject's 

I  parents  were  Robert  and  Mary  Flowerday,  scions  of  the  best  English 

I  stock,  and  now  both  deceased.    The  mother  journeyed  to  the  Great  Be- 

yond nine  years  ago  and  the  father's  death  occurred  three  years  later. 
Both  died  and  are  buried  in  their  native  England.  One  of  the  happy 
events  in  their  useful  lives  was  a  visit  they  made  to  their  son  in  this 
country. 

Robert  Flowerday  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  *'the  right  little, 


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848  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

tight  little  island,"  receiving  his  education  in  the  national  schools,  Nor- 
folk county.  He  was  a  remarkably  good  student  and  was  naturally 
fitted  for  a  professional  life,  but  chose  rather  to  adopt  the  calling  with 
which  he  had  become  familiar  as  an  assistant  in  his  father's  florist  shop. 
He  spent  his  summer  vacations  engaged  in  this  wise  until  the  age  of 
fourteen  years.  When  a  very  young  man  he  concluded  to  try  his  for- 
tunes in  the  newer  land  across  the  Atlantic  and  so  severed  the  home 
associations.  His  first  business  connections  after  arriving  in  the  United 
States  in  1874  was  with  Davis  &  Taplin,  the  leading  florists  of  Detroit, 
who  at  that  time  were  located  at  the  comer  of  Fort  and  Twenty-fourth 
streets.  He  worked  for  them  for  two  years  and  then  in  the  year  1875 
went  to  New  York  city.  He  remained  in  Gotham,  however,  but  a  com- 
paratively short  time,  and  then  went  to  Toronto,  Canada,  where  he  se- 
cured employment  from  David  Fleming,  a  Scotchman.  In  course  of 
time  he  left  Toronto  and  proceeded  to  East  Saginaw,  Michigan,  where 
he  remained  for  a  few  months.  He  was  then  offered  the  management  of 
the  greenhouses  of  Julius  Strelinger,  of  Detroit,  located  on  Davenport 
street,  between  Woodward  and  Cass  avenues,  and  he  came  back  to  the 
City  of  the  Straits,  whose  charms  had  ever  remained  vivid  with  him. 
He  conducted  the  aforesaid  business  very  successfully  until  1883  when 
he  entered  into  business  relations  with  John  E.  Carey  at  470-482  John 
R.  street.  Messrs.  Flowerday  and  Carey  conducted  this  floral  establish- 
ment with  signal  success  as  partners  for  ten  years,  and  in  1894  Mr. 
Flowerday  bought  out  Mr.  Carey,  and  has  since  had  an  independent  busi- 
ness, making  the  Detroit  Floral  Company  a  **top-notcher"  among  its 
kind,  and  being  eminent  among  the  followers  of  floriculture.  Last 
March  he  branched  out  by  establishing  a  retail  store  at  747  Woodward 
avenue. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen  Mr.  Flowerday  became  a  member  of  a  volun- 
teer artillery  company  in  England  and  he  remained  in  service  for  two 
years.  He  is  now  interested  in  public  affairs,  and  that  very  helpfully. 
He  is  at  the  present  time  and  for  the  past  two  years  has  been  general 
superintendent  of  parks  and  boulevards  of  Detroit.  This  is  indeed  a 
notable  distinction,  for  the  city  is  noted  far  and  wide  for  its  beautiful 
parks  and  their  destiny,  it  goes  without  saying,  would  have  been  in- 
trusted only  to  one  whose  artistic  ability,  executive  force  and  trust- 
worthiness were  unusual  and  well-known  to  be  so.  The  choice  of  Mr. 
Flowerday  has  already  been  proved  a  wise  one,  many  improvements 
having  been  inaugurated  in  the  past  two  years.  He  is  active  in  politics 
and  is  one  of  the  standard-bearers  of  the  Republican  party.  He  has  a 
number  of  aflSliations,  in  all  of  which  he  takes  great  pleasure,  for  he  is 
of  an  essentially  social  nature.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Floral 
Club  and  one  of  its  ex-presidents.  He  is  a  Mason,  holding  membership 
in  Ashlar  Lodge,  No.  91 ;  Peninsular  Chapter,  No.  42 ;  Monroe  Council, 
No.  1 ;  Damascus  Commandery,  No.  42.  He  is  a  Blnight  Templar  and 
has  ** traveled  east"  with  the  Shriners.  His  latter  connection  is  with 
Moslem  Temple.  He  is  a  member  of  Damon  Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias, 
and  Bagley  Council,  National  Union  of  Detroit. 

Mr.  Flowerday  laid  the  foundation  of  an  independent  household  by 
his  marriage  in  Detroit  to  Miss  Mary  Elder,  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Esther  Elder,  natives  of  Ireland  and  for  many  years  residents  of  this 
city.    Her  mother  still  resides  in  this  city,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years. 

Robert  H.  Flowerday  is  the  only  child  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
and  his  birth  occurred  August  6,  1881.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the  public 
schools  here  and  is  interested  in  the  floral  business  with  his  father.  He 
was  married  in  Detroit  to  Miss  Ada  Peterquinn,  January  4, 1911. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  849 

Edward  J.  Panzner,  M.  D.  As  one  of  the  representative  physicians 
and  surgeons  of  the  younger  generation  in  his  native  city,  Dr.  Panzner 
is  distinctively  eligible  for  recognition  in  this  publication,  within  the 
pages  of  which  will  be  found  represented  a  large  percentage  of  the  suc- 
cessful medical  practitioners  of  Detroit. 

Dr.  Edward  Joseph  Panzner  was  born  in  Detroit,  on  the  11th  of 
January,  1874,  and  is  a  son  of  Frank  and  Theresa  (Pospeshil)  Panzner, 
both  of  whom  were  born  and  reared  in  Bohemia,  whence  they  came  to 
America  when  young  folk,  and  they  were  pioneer  representatives  of 
their  nationality  in  the  Michigan  metropolis,  where  they  continued  to 
reside  until  their  death  and  where  they  were  known  as  persons  of  sterling 
character  and  assuming  worth.  Dr.  Panzner  gained  his  early  edu- 
cation in  private  schools  in  Detroit  and  in  preparation  for  the  work  of 
his  chosen  profession  he  was  matriculated  in  the  Detroit  College  of 
Medicine,  in  which  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1893 
and  from  which  he  secured  his  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  was 
one  of  the  youngest  members  of  his  class,  in  which  he  had  made  an 
admirable  record  as  an  undergraduate,  and  he  was  but  twenty-one  years 
of  age  when  he  received  his  degree.  Thereafter  he  passed  eighteen 
months  as  a  professional  attache  of  St.  Mary's  Hospital,  in  which  he 
held  a  position  as  interne  in  the  department  devoted  to  the  treatment 
of  diseases  of  the  lungs,  nose  and  throat,  and  after  his  withdrawal  from 
this  position  he  took  effective  post-graduate  courses  in  leading  institu- 
tions in  Chicago,  Paris  and  Vienna.  While  abroad  he  had  the  privilege 
of  attending  the  most  important  clinics  in  the  cities  mentioned.  After 
his  return  from  Europe  Dr.  Panzner  engaged  in  the  general  practice  of 
his  profession  in  Detroit,  but  for  the  past  several  years  he  has  special- 
ized in  surgery,  in  which  his  business  has  been  notably  marked  and  in 
which  he  has  to  his  credit  a  large  number  of  delicate  and  involved  opera- 
tions. With  a  few  other  physicians  in  1912,  he  began  the  erection  of 
what  is  known  as  the  Samaritan  Hospital.  This  is  a  fire-proof  building 
of  steel  construction  and  so  planned  as  to  permit  additions  being  made 
as  required.  It  is  fitted  with  the  latest  appliances  for  the  treatment 
of  medical  and  surgical  cases  and  has  accommodations  for  about  fifty 
patients.    The  structure  when  completed  will  cost  over  $50,000. 

The  doctor  holds  membership  in  the  American  Medical  Association, 
the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  the  Mississippi  Valley  Medical 
Society,  the  Congress  of  American  Surgeons  and  the  Wayne  County 
Medical  Society. 

Dr.  Panzner  is  most  loyal  to  his  native  city  and  takes  a  lively  in- 
terest in  all  that  tends  to  advance  its  civic  and  material  prosperity,  the 
while  his  genial  personality  has  here  gained  to  him  staunch  friends  in 
professional,  business  and  social  circles.  He  is  a  Republican  in  his 
political  adherency  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Catholic  church. 
The  Doctor  still  remains  in  the  ranks  of  the  bachelors. 

Thomas  Campau.  By  the  very  name  itself  Detroit  pays  a  tribute  of 
honor  to  its  early  French  settlers,  and  of  the  old-time  French  line,  so 
prominent  and  influential  in  the  founding  and  initial  development  of  the 
Michigan  metropolis,  there  yet  remain  many  sterling  representatives, 
while  there  must  ever  be  held  as  due  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  those  who 
have  thus  wrought  nobly  in  the  past  and  left  the  gracious  heritage  of 
good  lives  and  good  deeds,  their  names  and  achievements  being  a  very 
part  and  parcel  of  the  history  of  the  fair  ''City  of  the  Straits.''  Here 
are  found  at  the  present  time,  representative  of  the  best  citizenship  and 
of  definite  power  in  the  industrial  and  commercial  world,  those  who  trace 
their  genealogy  through  long  and  distinguished  lines  of  French  ancestry, 


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850  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

and  in  the  honored  subject  of  this  review  is  found  one  of  the  most  vener- 
able scions  of  a  family  whose  name  has  been  one  of  great  prominence  in 
the  annals  of  Michigan.  The  Campau  family  was  numbered  among  the 
earliest  in  Detroit,  and  of  the  representatives  of  the  older  generation  of 
the  same  Thomas  Campau  is  one  of  the  few  surviving — one  of  the  most 
venerable  of  the  native  sons  of  Wayne  county.  In  the  generic  history 
given  in  this  publication  will  be  found  adequate  reference  to  this  dis- 
tinguished family  and  thus  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  repeat  the  data 
in  the  present  sketch.  The  character  and  services  of  Thomas  Campau 
have  been  such  as  to  add  new  dignity  and  distinction  to  the  honored 
name  which  he  bears,  and  as  one  who  has  long  been  numbered  among  the 
leading  business  men  and  influential  citizens  of  Detroit  he  merits,  on 
this  score  alone,  special  consideration  in  this  work. 

Thomas  Campau  was  born  in  Hamtramck  township,  Wayne  county, 
Michigan,  and  the  old  homestead  which  was  the  place  of  his  nativity 
occupied  a  site  that  is  now  within  the  city  limits  of  Detroit — only  a  short 
distance  from  his  present  home,  at  472  Fort  street,  East.  He  is  a  son 
of  James  and  Josette  (Chene)  Campau,  both  of  whom  were  likewise  born 
in  Hamtramck  township.  How  far  back  the  identification  of  the  Campau 
family  with  the  history  of  Wayne  county  may  be  traced  is  indicated  by 
the  fact  that  the  old  pioneer  homestead  in  which  Thomas  Campau  was 
ushered  into  the  world  was  also  the  birthplace  of  his  father,  his  grand- 
father and  his  great-grandfather.  He  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth  in 
a  family  of  twelve  children — six  sons  and  six  daughters — and  of  the 
number  he  is  now  the  only  survivor,  a  patriarch  in  very  truth,  and  one 
of  the  few  remaining  of  those  whose  memory  links  the  early  pioneer 
epoch  with  the  present  period  of  opulent  prosperity  and  progress.  Many 
representatives  of  the  Campau  family  have  been  prominent  figures  in 
civic  and  industrial  afFairs  in  Detroit,  and  the  name  is  perpetuated  in 
street  nomenclature,  as  is  also  that  of  the  Chene  family,  another  of  the 
old  French  families  of  Detroit. 

Thomas  Campau  was  born  on  the  6th  of  February,  1827,  and  thus 
has  passed  the  eighty-fourth  milestone  on  the  journey  of  life.  He  has 
been  a  resident  of  Wayne  county  from  the  time  of  his  nativity,  and  well 
remembers  the  conditions  and  incidents  of  the  territorial  epoch.  He  was 
a  lad  of  eleven  years  when  Michigan  was  admitted  to  the  Union,  and  he 
has  witnessed  virtually  the  entire  upbuilding  of  the  beautiful  city  of  De- 
troit, which  was  a  frontier  town  at  the  time  of  his  birth.  He  early  began 
to  assist  in  the  work  of  the  homestead  farm,  virtually  all  of  which  is 
now  included  within  the  corporate  limits  of  Detroit,  and  he  thus  con- 
tinued to  be  associated  with  his  father  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  he 
had  attained  to  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  In  the  meanwhile  he  availed 
himself  of  the  advantages  of  the  primitive  common  schools  of  the  period. 
He  completed  a  two  years'  course  in  surveying  and  civil  engineering,  in 
which  line  he  received  his  instruction  at  a  private  school  in  Detroit  kept 
by  Prof.  William  P.  Hughes,  a  cousin  of  Bishop  Hughes  of  New  York, 
and  in  1849  he  became  assistant  to  John  Almy,  who  was  then  civil 
engineer  for  Detroit.  In  1852  he  himself  was  elected  to  this  office, 
as  a  candidate  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  and  he  retained  the  incum- 
bency for  ten  years,  within  which  he  did  much  important  work  for 
the  city.  Upon  his  retirement  from  this  municipal  office  Mr.  Campau 
engaged  in  the  lumber  business  at  Manlius  (near  Kalamazoo),  in  this 
state.  In  1884  he  became  associated  with  John  McLaughlin  in  civil  en- 
gineering, under  the  firm  name  of  McLaughlin  &  Campau.  This  al- 
liance continued  four  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  Mr.  McLaughlin 
retired  and  Mr.  Campau  admitted  his  younger  son,  Thomas  Moran  Cam- 
pau, to  partnership.     During  the  long  intervening  years  the  business 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  851 

has  been  consecutively  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  Thomas  Cam- 
pau  &  Son,  and  it  stands  as  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  important  of  its 
kind  in  the  Michigan  metropolis,  with  a  record  for  scrupulously  fair  and 
honorable  dealings  and  progressive  policies.  Thomas  Campau  continued 
to  be  actively  identified  with  business  affairs  until  1907,  when,  venerable 
in  years,  he  retired  to  enjoy  that  dignified  repose  which  is  his  just  due. 
His  son  has  had  the  active  supervision  of  the  business  for  a  number  of 
years  and  has  well  upheld  the  high  prestige  of  the  name  which  he  bears. 
Though  the  enterprise  noted  engrossed  the  major  part  of  Thomas  Cam- 
pau's  time  and  attention  for  the  long  period  of  sixty  years,  he  did  not 
permit  its  exactions  to  withhold  him  from  showing  a  deep  and  helpful 
interest  in  all  things  touching  the  welfare  of  his  native  city,  and  he  has 
contributed  in  generous  measure  to  its  civic  and  material  progress, 
though  he  has  never  had  aught  of  aspiration  for  public  office  since  his 
retirement  from  that  of  city  civil  engineer,  in  the  days  of  his  youth.  A 
dignified,  patrician  representative  of  the  gracious  "ancient  regime," 
Mr.  Campau  is  known  and  honored  of  men,  for  his  life  has  been  one 
marked  by  large  accomplishment  and  by  the  most  kindly  and  generous 
of  impulses.  A  thorough  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  his  life  offers  both 
lesson  and  inspiration,  and  well  may  he  be  honored  in  the  city  which  has 
owed  so  much  to  those  bearing  the  name  of  Camnau. 

In  politics  Mr.  Campau  has  never  wavered  in  his  allegiance  to  the 
Democratic  party,  and  he  is  a  man  of  broad  views  and  well  fortified 
opinions — representative  of  fine  intellectuality  and  broad  culture  gained 
through  long  years  of  association  with  men  and  affairs.  Reared  in  the 
faith  of  the  Catholic  church,  of  which  he  is  a  communicant,  he  has  ex- 
emplified the  same  in  good  works  and  consistent  devotion,  having  long 
been  one  of  its  most  prominent  laymen  in  the  city  of  Detroit.  He  holds 
membership  in  St.  Joachim's  church,  on  Fort  street,  East,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  local  organization  of  the  Society  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
of  which  he  served  as  president  for  several  years,  besides  having  held  for 
some  time  the  office  of  treasurer.  His  cherished  wife,  a  woman  of  noble 
character  and  gracious  refinement,  was  likewise  a  devout  communicant 
of  the  great  mother  church  of  Christendom,  and  in  the  faith  of  the  same 
she  passed  to  the  life  eternal  on  the  21st  of  October,  1897,  this  constitut- 
ing the  great  loss  and  bereavement  in  the  life  of  the  venerated  subject 
of  this  review. 

On  the  17th  of  May,  1852,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Cam- 
pau to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Mellon,  who  was  bom  at  Fort  Q^ratiot,  this  state, 
on  the  29th  of  April,  1824,  a  daughter  of  Major  Charles  Mellon  and  Eliza 
(Scott)  Mellon.  Her  father  was  an  oiBcer  in  the  United  States  army 
and  was  in  active  service  in  the  Seminole  Indian  war,  in  Florida,  where 
he  died.  Mrs.  Campau  was  the  eldest  in  a  family  of  five  children,  all  of 
whom  are  now  deceased.  William  Charles  James  Campau,  the  eldest 
of  the  children  of  Thomas  and  Mary  Ann  (Mellon)  Campau,  emigrated 
to  Superior  City,  Wisconsin,  and  continued  to  maintain  his  home  there 
until  his  death,  in  1906,  his  life  having  been  sacrificed  in  a  railway  ac- 
cident. He  married  Hannah  Smith,  who  survives  him  and  still  resides 
there ;  he  is  also  survived  by  seven  children,  five  daughters  and  two  sons. 
He  was  numbered  among  the  representative  business  men  of  his  native 
city.  Eliza  Louise  Campau  is  the  wife  of  Byron  W.  Parker,  of  Detroit, 
manager  of  the  White  Star  Line  of  steamships  on  the  Great  Lakes  and 
one  of  the  prominent  and  popular  business  men  of  Detroit.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Parker  have  three  children — ^Marie,  Aaron  and  Gladys.  Thomas  Moran 
Campau,  younger  son  of  him  to  whom  this  sketch  is  dedicated,  continues 
the  business  established  by  his  father  many  years  ago,  as  has  already  been 
stated  in  this  context.    He  married  Miss  Anna  Schmidt,  of  Detroit,  who 


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852  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

was  born  in  the  town  of  Miihlhausen,  Prussia,  where  her  father  died 
about  thirty-five  years  ago.  She  came  with  her  widowed  mother  to  De- 
troit when  a  girl,  and  she  has  one  sister  and  one  brother — ^Mary,  w5io  is 
the  wife  of  William  L.  Barber,  of  Detroit ;  and  Augustus,  who  is  a  prom, 
inent  business  man  in  the  city  of  Saginaw,  Michigan.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Campau  have  no  children. 

Orin  D.  Kingsley.  Distinguished  alike  for  his  brave  services  as 
a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war  and  for  his  faithful  work  as  a  public  oflScer 
in  after  years,  Orin  Di  Kingsley,  late  of  Detroit,  Michigan,  is  eminently 
deserving  of  mention  in  this  biographical  work.  A  native  of  Ohio,  he 
was  born  November  7,  1841,  in  Newark,  Licking  county,  but  as  a  boy 
came  with  his  parents  to  Inkster,  Wayne  county,  Michigan,  where  he 
grew  to  manhood,  and  was  educated,  being  fitted  for  teacher. 

In  the  spring  of  1862,  just  ten  years  after  coming  to  Wayne  county, 
Mr.  Kingsley  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  D,  Twenty-fourth  Mich- 
igan Volunteer  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  until  the  close  of  the 
conflict,  being  mustered  out  as  corporal  of  his  company.  Locating  then 
in  Detroit,  he  was  made  turnkey  of  the  jail,  and  served  as  such  under 
Sheriff  Codd  for  four  years.  Very  soon  afterward  Mr.  Kingsley  was 
appointed  to  an  ofiScial  position  in  the  United  States  Custom  House,  at 
Detroit,  and  held  the  ofiSce  until  his  death,  on  January  23,  1909.  His 
funeral,  which  was  held  January  26,  1909,  was  conducted  by  Fairbanks 
Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  of  which  he  was  at  one  time  com- 
mander, and  to  which  he  had  belonged  for  many  years.  Fraternally 
Mr.  Kingsley  was  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Order 
of  Masons,  and  religiously  he  was  an  active  and  valued  member  of  the 
Preston  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Kingsley  was  twice  married.  He  married  first  Julia  E.  Pull- 
man, who  bore  him  four  children,  namely:  Jack,  Orin,  Mrs.  Jennie 
Branton  and  Mrs.  Robert  Kelsey.  Mr.  Kingsley  married,  in  1899,  Mrs. 
Julia  (Isard)  Proude,  who  was  bom  in  Hamilton,  Ontario,  and  was 
there  reared  and  educated.  Her  father,  the  late  Frederick  John  Isard, 
whose  death  occured  in  Hamilton,  Ontario,  in  1901,  married  Elizabeth 
Russell,  who  is  now  a  bright  and  active  woman  of  seventy-nine  years, 
and  is  still  living  in  Hamilton,  Ontario.  Mrs.  Kingsley  married  for 
her  first  husband  Philip  W.  Froude,  and  to- them  four  children  were 
bom,  as  follows:  Mrs.  Frances  Grove,  Philip  Froude,  M.  D.,  Frederick 
Froude  and  Albert  E.  Froude. 

Mrs.  Kingsley  is  well  known  throughout  the  country  in  fraternal 
circles,  being  an  active  member  of  various  organizations.  She  is  a 
member  and  national  councillor  for  the  state  of  Michigan,  of  the  Ladies' 
National  League,  and  is  a  member  and  past  president  of  the  local  lodge 
of  the  League;  is  a  member  and  treasurer  of  the  local  camp  of  the 
Ladies'  National  League;  a  member  and  also  treasurer  of  Detroit  Circle, 
No.  1,  Ladies  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic;  a  member  of  the 
Woman's  Relief  Corps;  of  the  Pythian  Sisters;  and  of  the  Order  of  the 
Eastern  Star.  Mrs.  Kingsley  has  been  a  resident  of  Detroit  since  1888, 
and  is  well  known  and  highly  esteemed,  not  only  in  her  home  city,  but 
among  the  various  lodge  workers  of  the  country. 

George  W.  Ferris.  In  the  sudden  death  of  George  W.  Ferris,  which 
occured  Febmary  16,  1894,  Wayne  county  lost  one  of  its  most  highly 
esteemed  and  respected  citizens,  while  at  Highland  Park,  which  had 
long  been  his  home,  every  house  became  a  house  of  mourning,  his  loss 
being  deeply  felt  throughout  the  entire  community.  A  native  of  the 
Empire  state,  he  was  bom  Febmary  15,  1844,  in  Junius,  Seneca  county, 
and  was  there  brought  up  and  educated..  His  father,  John  Ferris,  who 


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.  ••  \  >rea  \'.  \:ii{  i<  fit)  v  k  -o    M     -^  i 

■I'l       -       1>U  Ti-'  til."   !i.  1  •  Ml'     !         '  .'     .  ., 

*     'i*   :    l.«  :■*:   O'*;  ,i>it»ii,,)i^N     'o   '       •    a'tt'i" 
V.  •  '  .>  a. .(I  <  irv'-i'liei'l    iij    \''  ,.    -•  ,■   .  i'\r 

ii\:i  m  p>-a.'n(vr;\   r^>\r  "[  {.ons  }   -  ■.     . 

his  ti;.,,'  f^ifitr  (irv^tr'.:   •(>  i)-.^  ,  <t.    ^^^ 

suTih.v    i.Mjper'/.l,  t,'.  ]r  il  it.ari.  \\  .lo.  n,:. 

iiiiii  u'on  inuDy  iVnTi-is,  \u]i:j.  pvM'w   i;  •      •••'.•  ..-ni  !► 

M".  Kt'i-ris  niitrri.M;    at  Ha\   t'ltv.   '.-     ■       •      .k  .       '    i^-. 

Lo\ti.>  Little,  who  WH.N  born  id   t  •.):,"•,       J         .  .    '■.. 

t.itllf,  was  a  s«>n  of  IVter  Jii;tU%  w;  •>  x- . 
:an,i!y  nfiiuf  w<»s  known  an  L\  tie.    Ti..   >  ;■  ' 
wli'.'re  he  was  tor  luany   y<'a;N  sh--  i  .-s*' ii*      i      , 
f'outrartor   and    i'uilder.      llis    -.vi*.  .    v..^      ^  .  ■  ;•  .i 
Wahou,   was  Inirn  in   Ontario,   o<*    Kn^M.^;.    ,..    ,-     ..      .^ 
K^Ti'is  was  tak**n  to  Xr  \    V  ,:k  s^at  ^  lo  live,  inn  ■^.  ^ 
lo  .r«-a('ti    Pale,    Rfuxlf*    iMa'Ki,    wi;»')v   sh«»   trT'<-v\'    i.-    ". 
tlunv  beoD  brouiriit  up  h>'  a  Vilowou  aunt.     S'   >"'.    ' 
she  canvi  to  .^Iif't^:r•tn,  and  nnt'l  In  r  "nioi-  .    v    /■  - 
fri^inls  in  Bay  City  and  ])(•![..;!.     ":  -    '■:,:•■ 
\^vre  born,  nanif'ly  :  <  if'ori^ia.  V    <.   ■  ,     ' 

f'hild,  Ferris  L)o(M)n;  \iviaf;,  v  .    :  .        ••    ,  . 

Alden,  wlio  is  assor.aUMJ  witL  \  ■     '•  •     ^  ....        ,  \'.  . 

Ferris  auii  her  chihiivn   are  m    •■  '•*.;;    i  i    ,*».*,   /ari 

church  and  liav*   been  suife  i's  'hi>  -  .    .  ^.  ;M.i.. »   ."vi,.H»{. 

in  IM);^.  bnt  a  shoi-t.  liire  [.•'.-  -  >  !i:s  .i,,;.,i  Mf,  .^'rr'is  >nM  i  -..' 
part  of  his  testate  thronirh  \vl»i'!i  t':r^s  a.\^n.'c.  new  pass.s  for  ilu' 
snu^  little  huru  of  tw^-nty-liir^r  ti'i.usand  doHai'^  '1  lu*  panii..  wiii'-ii 
lasted  from  18M  untd  JS97,  canst  1  a  (le]>n'ci.ition  in  valncs,  and  M  f's. 
FcrriS;  when  left  a  ^\idow,  iiad  a  tia rd  stmirv:.'  to  ^^traijzl  ^-n  out  afl'airs 
Fatisfaetorily  and  is  entitled  to  a  t.'ir-i  (i-al  (»r  ,»t  lisr  an  i  credit  for 
rhe  able  manner  in  which  sltt  niana^^'d  tb-  :ta'.-  Mr.  j'crris  was  *'V*'i 
actively  intercst(Mi  in  edu<\in')nal  niatt^^rs.  -j  '  s-rvctl  lor  niMiy  Aeai-s 
as  a  member  and  the  secretary  of  the  liitrh!;  '*^  I'-ii-'Z  Bt)ani  of  j\idaea- 
tiou,  oeenpyinsr  that  position  at  the  linie  tl'-  s  •  <  A  buit'ii;c,'s  were 
erected.  He  was  very  m  rir.cn  rial  as  a  Man  aMl  a  .-■  -  ':.  and  on  tlu*  day 
of  his  funeral,  as  a  iiiark  of  respect,  the  pofT.-  sin«"is  ^\ -re  e]..--ed.  and 
the  ('ity  T'ouneil  passt^d  resolutions  w*'  re-  -.•!  arcl  of  s\  inpathy  h'V  tlie 
faTuily.  Several  yt*ars  later,  in  nviu(n\  ^  *'  ■  •  ■  '^r  on  tti'  I'tjard,  tue 
new  school  on  Cortland  avemie  was  n:<':.ed  i*.  .-  i.tnor.  attestini.^  aiiaiu 
this  truth:  "Their  \\orks  <hf  follow  it    mi  '"  l^i  •     -1,   bJ. 

Morse  Stkwakt,  M.  I),  in  the  life  -  -  ■  late  l)r.  "Morse  Slewart. 
who  died  at  his  home  in  Dtt^-oit  on  the  '  ■  -.f  *  • -mW  er,  B*<H>,  tlicre  was 
indeed  sliown  '*the  inward  snrt^y  to  iia-t-  cariK.l  out  a  nohh'  pnipose 
*o  a  noble  end,"  and  the  record  of  liis  <  .  cer  as  a  pliysT'ian  and  as  a  leaii 
among  men  (>irers  niuch  of  lesM))i  ai.<!  U'>'[»iration.  In  eaerinj^  in  this 
publication  a  tribute  to  rhe  uicnory  ot'  this  di^tin^niisii  d  ph\Ni'-ian  and 
sunreon,  this  ma'i  (-f  *xahed  charactf)-,  th:s  •-iti/en   of  loyalt^   and   he- 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  853 

was  of  English  descent,  married  Harriet  Gilbert,  who  was  a  direct 
descendant  on  her  father's  side  of  Judge  Jeffery  Gilbert,  a  distinguished 
jurist  of  Kent,  England. 

When  about  twenty  years  old  George  W.  Ferris,  having  revolved 
in  his  mind  the  question  of  location,  decided  to  come  to  Detroit,  Mich- 
igan, and  for  sometime  thereafter  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Mich- 
igan Central  Railroad  Company.  Subsequently  going  still  farther  west, 
he  visited  what  is  now  known  as  Cripple  Creek,  Colorado,  and  was  there 
a  prospector  and  miner,  likewise  working  for  several  years  in  an  assay 
office.  During  the  time  Mr.  Ferris  made  frequent  trips  to  Detroit,  being 
called  here  occasionally  to  look  after  his  property  interests  at  Spring 
Wells  and  Greenfield,  in  Wayne  county.  An  able  business  man,  far- 
sighted  and  progressive,  he  accumulated  considerable  wealth,  and  was 
living  practically  retired  from  business  pursuits  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
his  time  being  devoted  to  the  care  of  his  personal  interests.  He  was  a 
sunny  tempered,  genial  man,  who,  quietly,  did  many  deeds  of  kindness 
and  won  many  friends,  being  popular  with  the  young  and  the  old. 

Mr.  Ferris  married,  at  Bay  City,  Michigan,  October  22,  1881,  Lydia 
Loyde  Little,  who  was  bom  in  Ontario,  Canada.  Her  father,  Thomas 
Little,  was  a  son  of  Peter  Little,  who  was  bom  in  Scotland,  where  the 
family  name  was  known  as  Lytle.  Thomas  Little  was  reared  in  Ontario, 
wher^  he  was  for  many  years  successfully  employed  in  business  as  a 
contractor  and  builder.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Eunice 
Walton,  was  bom  in  Ontario,  of  English  ancestry.  As  a  child  Mrs. 
Ferris  was  taken  to  New  York  state  to  live,  but  subsequently  was  sent 
to  Peace  Dale,  Rhode  Island,  where  she  grew  to  womanhood,  having 
there  been  brought  up  by  a  widowed  aunt.  Shortly  before  her  marriage 
she  came  to  Michigan,  and  until  her  union  with  Mr.  Ferris  resided  with 
friends  in  Bay  City  and  Detroit.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ferris  three  children 
were  born,  namely :  Georgia,  who  married  R.  J.  Dotson,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Ferris  Dotson ;  Vivian,  wife  of  Alexander  E.  Sorum ;  and  Thomas 
Alden,  who  is  associated  with  the  Jones-Laughlin  Steel  Company.  Mrs. 
Ferris  and  her  children  are  members  of  Highland  Park  Presbyterian 
church  and  have  been  since  its  days  as  a  mission  Sunday  School. 

In  1893,  but  a  short  time  prior  to  his  death,  Mr.  Ferris  sold  that 
part  of  his  estate  through  which  Ferris  avenue  now  passes  for  the 
snug  little  sum  of  twenty-three  thousand  dollars.  The  panic,  which 
lasted  from  1893  until  1897,  caused  a  depreciation  in  values,  and  Mrs. 
Ferris,  when  left  a  widow,  had  a  hard  struggle  to  straighten  out  affairs 
satisfactorily  and  is  entitled  to  a  great  deal  of  praise  and  credit  for 
the  able  manner  in  which  she  managed  the  estate.  Mr.  Ferris  was  ever 
actively  interested  in  educational  matters,  and  served  for  many  years 
as  a  member  and  the  secretary  of  the  Highland  Park  Board  of  Educa- 
tion, occupying  that  position  at  the  time  the  school  buildings  were 
erected.  He  was  very  influential  as  a  man  and  a  citizen,  and  on  the  day 
of  his  funeral,  as  a  mark  of  respect,  the  public  schools  were  closed,  and 
the  City  Council  passed  resolutions  of  respect  and  of  sympathy  for  the 
family.  Several  years  later,  in  memory  of  his  labor  on  the  Board,  the 
new  school  on  Cortland  avenue  was  named  in  his  honor,  attesting  again 
this  tmth:  ** Their  works  do  follow  them.''  Rev.  14;  13. 

Morse  Stewart,  M.  D.  In  the  life  of  the  late  Dr.  Morse  Stewart, 
who  died  at  his  home  in  Detroit  on  the  9th  of  October,  1906,  there  was 
indeed  shown  **the  inward  surety  to  have  carried  out  a  noble  purpose 
to  a  noble  end,''  and  the  record  of  his  career  as  a  physician  and  as  a  man 
among  men  offers  much  of  lesson  and  inspiration.  In  offering  in  this 
publication  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  this  distinguished  physician  and 
surgeon,  this  man  of  exalted  character,  this  citizen  of  loyalty  and  be- 


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854  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

nignant  influence,  it  is  considered  most  consonant  to  utilize  in  practical 
entirety  the  appreciative  estimate  prepared  shortly  after  his  death  by 
one  of  the  honored  contemporaries  and  fellow  practitioners  in  Detroit, 
Dr.  Leartus  Connor,  A.  B.,  who  read  the  memorial  before  the  WajTie 
County  Medical  Society  on  the  5th  of  November,  1906.  In  reproducing 
the  article  there  will  be  slight  paraphrase  and  elimination  but  the  esti- 
mate will  be  given  virtually  unchanged  and  without  formal  indications 
of  quotation. 

To  practice  medicine  sixty-four  years,  retaining  the  confidence  of 
clients,  the  affection  of  friends  and  the  respect  of  all,  is  a  record  worthy 
of  careful  study. 

Dr.  Morse  Stewart's  ancestors  were  Scotch,  and  representatives  were 
early  found  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  one  of  the  number  having  been 
Alexander  Stewart,  who  came  to  America  in  the  colonial  era.  He 
settled  in  Connecticut  in  1719  and  with  his  descendants  took  active  part 
in  events  which  led  up  to  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  Early  in  the 
nineteenth  century  Dr.  Stewart's  parents  migrated  to  the  then  wilder- 
ness of  western  New  York,  where,  in  Penn  Yan,  Yates  county,  he  was 
bom  on  the  5th  of  July,  1818,  so  that  he  was  eighty-eight  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  his  death. 

Dr.  Stewart  fitted  for  coUege  at  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  where  he 
had  the  advantages  of  an  excellent  perparatory  school.  On  one  -of  his 
journeys  from  his  home  to  this  school  he  was  a  passenger  on  the  first 
railway  train  which  ran  from  Albany  to  Schenectady,  one  of  thg  first 
railways  in  the  United  States.  Though  he  was  but  a  lad  at  the  time  of 
his  father's  death,  strenuous  effort  enabled  young  Stewart  to  complete 
a  course  in  Hamilton  College,  at  Clinton,  New  York,  in  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1838,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  The  following  incident 
of  his  college  life  showed  that  **the  boy  was  the  father  of  the  man." 
After  he  had  successfully  fulfilled  all  conditions  for  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts  he  accidentally  saw  some  boys  commit  a  boyish  prank. 
The  faculty  insisted  that  he  name  the  perpetrators,  but  he  declined.  For 
this  inconsistent  reason  his  degree  was  withheld  for  many  years  and  his 
name  omitted  from  the  lists  of  Hamilton  College  alumni.  After  he  had 
won  a  distinguished  place  in  his  profession  the  faculty  of  Hamilton 
College  made  tardy  reparation  by  conferring  upon  him  the  degree 
of  Master  of  Arts. 

He  began  his  medical  studies  in  the  oflSce  of  Dr.  Samuel  Foote,  of 
Jamestown,  New  York;  took  two  courses  of  lectures  in  the  College  of 
Physicians  &  Surgeons  of  Western  New  York;  and  one  course  at  Gen- 
eva Medical  College,  from  which  he  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  •of 
Medicine  in  1841.  After  spending  some  time  in  post-graduate  work  he 
settled  in  Detroit,  in  November,  1842,  at  the  urgent  request  of  several 
of  his  sisters  who  had  married  and  were  living  in  this  city.  So  slowly 
did  practice  come  to  him  that  he  was  often  on  the  point  of  giving  up  the 
struggle  and  moving  elsewhere.  Finally,  as  he  became  quite  discour- 
aged, his  close  friend,  the  late  William  N.  Carpenter,  went  to  Rev. 
George  DufiSeld  and  told  him  that  Detroit  was  likely  to  lose  a  finely 
educated  physician  unless  he  was  assisted  to  get  patients.  The  case 
appealed  to  Dr.  Duffield  and  he  took  the  matter  up  in  such  a  way  that 
paying  patients  began  to  fiock  to  Dr.  Stewart's  office,  a  condition  that 
continued  until  his  death.  His  sensitive  shyness  made  it  quite  impossible 
for  him  to  push  his  way  into  practice.  Dr.  Stewart  never  learned  of 
Mr.  Carpenter's  friendly  act  at  this  critical  point  in  his  career.  Ex- 
cept a  year  spent  in  Europe,  for  study  and  recuperation,  he  practiced 
medicine  continuously  until  October  3,  1906.  On  that  day  he  said  he 
felt  weary  and*  he  lay  down,  growing  weaker  and  weaker  till  he  became 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  855 

unconscious.  On  October  9th  he  passed  to  the  land  whence  no  traveler 
has  returned. 

When  Dr.  Morse  Stewart  began  practice  in  Detroit,  the  state  of 
Michigan  and  its  university  were  but  five  years  old.  Detroit's  population 
was  about  ten  thousand,  eight  thousand  being  French  who  lived  by  farm- 
ing, hunting,  fishing  and  collecting  furs.  The  rest  were  army  people  and 
their  families,  with  mechanics  needed  for  such  a  population.  To  these 
must  be  added  a  motley  swarm  of  land-lookers,  numbers  of  the  suddenly 
rich,  boomers,  speculators,  sharpers,  merchants,  lawyers  and  doctors. 
By  decision  of  the  supreme  court  any  person  could  become  a  doctor  by 
assuming  the  title.  As  may  be  inferred  from  the  character  of  the  popu- 
lation, the  fees  of  the  doctors  were  meager,  if  any,  and  often  had  to  be 
taken  in  ** store  pay,''  which  meant  a -discount  of  twenty-five  or  more 
per  cent,  for  cash.  The  practice  of  medicine  was  quite  unsatisfactory, 
both  from  the  popular  ignorance  of  sanitary  conditions  and  the  absence 
of  those  aids  which  characterize  modem  practice.  With  the  practical 
application  of  the  discoveries  and  inventions  which  transformed  Detroit 
from  a  measly  little  village  to  the  peerless  metropolis  of  to-day,  and  the 
practice  of  medicine  from  a  series  of  guesses  to  accurate  knowledge 
based  on  demonstrated  facts.  Dr.  Stewart  kept  such  close  touch  that  at 
the  close  of  sixty-four  years  of  continuous  labor  in  his  profession  his 
actual  practice  was  wholly  modern.  Time  forbids  proof  of  the  proposi- 
tion that  the  medical  {Profession  of  Michigan  has  been  a  very  large  factor 
in  the  building  of  the  state.  Educated,  clean,  strong  physicians  like 
Dr.  Stewart  have  ever  exercised  large  influence  upon  currents  of  state 
life  and  invariably  for  their  benefit. 

In  1852  Dr.  Stewart  married  Miss  Isabella  Duffield,*  daughter  of  the 
late  Rev.  George  Duffield,  D.  D.,  whose  name  is  held  in  reverent  memory 
m  Detroit,  where  numerous  descendants  have  given  further  honors  to 
the  family  name.  Mrs.  Stewart  was  summoned  to  eternal  rest  in  1888, 
and  upon  his  death  Dr.  Stewart  was  survived  by  three  ^ons  and  two 
daughters, — Dr.  Morse  Stewart  Jr.,  Dr.  6.  Duffield  Stewart,  Robert  S. 
Stewart,  Mrs.  Charles  B.  Lothrop  and  Miss  Mary  Stewart. 

To  promote  the  interests  of  the  charitable  institutions  of  Detroit 
was  one  of  the  great  pleasures  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart.  How  much 
the  Detroit  Orphan  A^lum,  the  Home  of  the  Friendless  and  the  Thomp- 
son Home  for  Old  Ladies  owe  this  couple  the  public  will  never  know. 
Without  them  Harper  Hospital  would  never  have  existed.  Briefly,  the 
story  of  its  inception  is  as  follows :  One  day  as  Mrs.  Stewart  was  calling 
on  her  father,  he  remarked  that  a  parishioner  of  his,  Mr.  Harper,  had 
decided  to  endow  the  First  Presbyterian  church  with  his  entire  estate. 
This  was  reported  to  Dr.  SteWart,  who  at  once  exclaimed,  *'The  First 
Presbyterian  church  needs  no  endowment,  but  the  Detroit  sick  poor 
need  a  free  hospital."  Mrs.  Stewart  carried  this  opinion  to  Dr.  Duf- 
field, who  persuaded  Mr.  Harper  to  leave  his  estate  to  found  a  free  hos- 
pital. It  was  a  matter  of  regret  to  both  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart  that  the 
hospital  could  not  have  been  entirely  free  to  the  sick  poor,  as  was  the 
mind  of  the  donor  and  his  advisers. 

The  present  generation  of  physicians  has  rarely  seen  Dr.  Morse 
Stewart  in  medical  society  meetings,  because  deafness  prevented  his 
hearing  the  reading  of  papers  or  listening  to  their  discussion.  His  last 
paper  was  read  before  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  in  conjunc- 
tion with  papers  from  the  late  Dr.  George  B.  Russel  and  Dr.  Herman 
Kiefer,  all  relating  to  personal  recollections  of  their  past  medical  ca- 
reers. That  paper  showed  large  mental  vigor  and  a  philosophical  deal- 
ing with  facts  in  whose  enactment  he  was  an  active  participant. 

Immediately  after  his  arrival  in  Detroit  we  find  Dr.  Stewart  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Michigan  Medical  Society  and  he  also  became  identified  with 


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856  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

its  Wayne  county  branch  when  organized.  On  the  dissolution  of  the 
latter  he  aided  in  organizing  the  Detroit  Medical  Society,  in  1853,  and  he 
was  its  first  president.  Within  the  years  of  his  long  and  active  profes- 
sional career  Dr.  Stewart  contributed  many  papers  and  discussions. 
They  exhibit  a  ready  command  of  forceful  English,  close  observation, 
logical  reasoning  and  tireless  devotion  to  his  profession.  In  illustration 
of  some  of  these  characteristics  are  offered  the  following  brief  quotations 
from  an  address  delivered  by  him  to  the  graduating  medical  class  in  the 
University  of  Michigan : 

*'The  truth  is  that  the  better  instincts  of  our  nature  always  brings 
us,  when  yielding  to  them,  into  such  sympathy  with  suffering  as  only  a 
high  valuation  of  human  life  will  avail  to  explain,  and  this  way  sym- 
pathy hath  its  compensations  in  its  reflex  influence,  developing  the  purer 
and  better  qualities  of  our  nature.  For  it  is  a  wise  provision  that  the 
more  favored  class  in  all  communities  should  feel  impelled  by  their  sym- 
pathies to  care  for  their  less  favored  fellows.  Does  not  the  oflSce  of 
ministering  angel  in  soothing  pain  tend  to  the  cultivation  and  develop- 
ment of  the  aesthetic  and  moral  nature  of  man? 

**To  you,  my  young  friends,  this  subject  especially  addresses  itself. 
Introduced  as  you  are  this  day  into  the  fellowship  of  physicians,  the 
dignity  and  honor  which  this  association  brings,  implies  also  a  con- 
secration of  yourselves  and  all  your  powers  to  the, one  subject  of  your 
calling.  If  you  come  to  the  discharge  of  your^high  and  respdnsible 
duties  with  a  due  appreciation  of  them  and  a  proper  estimate  of  the 
importance  of  the  great  work  you  have  undertaken,  then  be  assured  of 
a  great  success  awaiting  you.  In  the  attainment  of  this  end  yours  will 
be  no  idle  hands,  and  your  brains  no  indolent,  listless  workers.  Your 
rounds  with  your  patients  will  be  but  a  small  part  of  what  you  will  find 
to  do  and  will  do,  for  thought  and  study  will  be  your  constant  occupa- 
tion. It  can  not  be  otherwise  if  you  enter  earnestly  and  properly  upon 
your  calling. 

**A  word  of  admonition,  and  I  have  done.  You  have  made  a  choice 
of  a  noble  profession.  There  is  before  you  a  sphere  of  great  usefulness. 
Henceforth  your  business  is  to  save  human  life.  If  your  vocation  is  to 
be  as  tireless  and  exacting  as  I  have  represented,  you  will  need,  in  order 
to  gain  the  fullest  success,  to  begin  with  a  systematic  ordering  and 
managing  of  all  your  work.  Much  is  lost  in  every  industry  through 
want  of  system.  Let  not  this  be  your  mistake.  Remember  that  to  do 
well  anything  you  undertake,  it  should  he  done  thoroughly.  Do  not 
be  in  haste  to  complete  the  matter  essayed  by  slurring  over  and  neglect- 
ing details.  Do  anything,  and  every  part  of  the  thing  attempted,  in 
its  place  and  in  its  order.  Have  no  spare  time  and  do  not  waste  oppor- 
tunities. With  plans  all  made  so  as  to  use  any  moment,  be  ready  when 
one  thing  is  disposed  of  promptly  to  apply  yourself  to  its  successor. 
It  is  wonderful  what  an  accumulation  of  work  will  in  process  of  years 
come  of  this  careful  husbanding  of  the  small  fractions  of  time.'' 

In  his  first  paper  before  the  Detroit  Medical  Society  Dr.  Stewart  dis- 
cussed **Our  Relations  and  Responsibilities,"  and  though  written  more 
than  half  century  ago  its  propositions  hold  now  almost  as  then.  In 
May^  1854,  he  read  a  paper  on  **The  Value  of  a  Knowledge  of  Medical 
History  to  the  Modern  Physician.''  All  then  claimed  for  medical  his- 
tory as  of  exceeding  value  to  the  physician,  has  even  greater  force  to- 
day. In  the  same  year  he  read  a  paper  on  **  Acute  Rheumatism"  which 
shows  how  little  actual  progress  has  been  made  since  that  far-off  day. 
On  March  29,  1855,  Dr.  Stewart  gave  the  valedictory  address  to  the 
graduating  class  of  the  department  of  medicine  and  surgery  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan.     For  graceful  diction,  profound  analysis  of  the 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  857 

ideals  which  should  mould  the  young  physician,  and  for  persuasive 
phrase  this  address  easily  takes  its  place  with  the  best  of  its  class.  To 
the  exuberant  discussion  on  the  removal  of  the  medical  department  of 
the  University  of  Michigan  to  Detroit,  Dr.  Stewart  contributed  one  of 
the  most  thoughtful  and  temperate  articles.  After  more  than  half  a 
century  the  question  is  still  unsolved  and  bids  fair  to  furnish  material 
for  discussion  an  hundred  years  hence. 

On  July  12,  1855,  Dr.  Stewart  read  a  paper  on  **Is  Scrofula  a  Tem- 
perament in  which  Inflammatory  Action  Develops  Certain  Morbid  Forms, 
or  i«  it  a  Disease?''  The  profession  is  still  asking,  what  is  scrofula? 
The  unpublished  papers  of  Dr.  Stewart  show  that  at  one  time  he  was  an 
active  worker  in  medical  societies  and  for  other  general  professional 
interests.  They  awaken  a  regret  that  the  same  scholarly  habit,  the 
same  power  of  forceful  writing  could  not  have  been  continued  to  our 
time.  A  visitor  to  the  oflSce  of  Dr.  Stewart,  from  the  beginning  to  the 
end  of  his  sixty-four  years  of  practice,  would  find  him  employing  his 
leisure  moments  in  studying  the  latest  medical  journals  and  books,  so 
that  he  was  able  to  discuss  recent  events  of  practice. 

During  Dr.  Stewart's  career  many  epidemics  swept  through  Detroit. 
Thus  during  the  summer  of  1849  Asiatic  cholera  raged  three  months. 
During  July  there  were  three  hundred  and  fifty  deaths  in  a  population  of 
less  than  twenty  thousand.  Another  outbreak  of  the  same  disease  occur- 
ed  in  1854,  lasting  three  months,  but  was  milder  in  type.  In  the  spring 
of  1850  a  severe  epidemic  of  cerebro-spinal  meningitis  broke  out,  attack- 
ing chiefly  children — rapid  in  course  and  extremely  fatal.  As  there 
had  been  no  reports  of  similar  epidemics  elsewhere,  the  physicians  were 
bewildered  as  to  its  proper  management.  In  a  milder  form  the  disease 
continued  for  many  years,  and  even  now  a  sporadic  case  occasionally 
appears.  About  1850  the  first  cases  of  diphtheria  appeared  and  were 
horribly  malignant.  The  helplessness  of  attending  physicians  is  evident 
to  all  who  consider  that  they  were  without  serum.  In  connection  with 
the  havoc  wrought  by  cerebro-spinal  meningitis,  Dr.  Stewart's  sensitive 
nature  was  much  distressed  at  the  death  and  suffering  of  the  multitudes 
of  babes,  and  he  did  what  he  could  to  inaugurate  the  measures  which 
stopped  these  yearly  holocausts. 

In  caring  for  the  victims  of  these  various  epidemics  Dr.  Morse  Stew- 
art was  never  known  to  shirk  an  obligation  or  to  hesitate  a  moment  in 
exposing  himself  to  the  worst  infection.  He  was  tireless  in  service  to 
his  patients,  whether  rich  or  poor,  even  to  exhaustion.  In  common 
with  fellow  doctors,  he  incessantly  taught  the  means  of  preventing  these 
diseases  by  proper  sanitary  provisions  and  precautions.  By  reducing 
such  teaching  to  practice  Detroit  has  gained  a  deserved  reputation  for 
healthfulness  during  the  entire  year. 

Religiously  Dr.  Stewart  was  a  Presbyterian,  a  Puritan  flavor  being 
added  to  the  original  Scotch-Irish  article  by  long  residence  of  his  an- 
cestors with  the  Connecticut  Yankees.  He  was  never  disturbed  by  the 
onslaught  of  the  higher  criticism,  but  read  his  Bible,  studied  the  ques- 
tions involved,  associated  himself  with  those  of  his  faith  and  was  ever 
ready  to  give  a  reason  for  such  faith. 

Politically  Dr.  Stewart  was  a  Democrat  of  the  Jeffersonian  type,  but 
he  gave  other  gentlemen  the  same  liberty  of  opinion  which  he  claimed 
for  himself.  The  only  political  oflSce  he  ever  held  was  that  of  member 
of  the  Detroit  board  of  health,  from  1880  until  1886,  under  the  late 
Mayor  Thompson.  In  such  position  he  was  instrumental  in  securing 
for  Detroit  as  health  oflScer  the  late  Dr.  Wight,  who  did  so  much  in 
laying  correct  foundations  for  future  developments  of  the  service. 

Medically  Dr.  Stewart  disliked  all  **isms"  and  *'pathies,"  especi- 
ally homeopathy,  but  no  tribute  to  his  memory  was  more  hearty  than 

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858  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

one  from  a  leading  homeopathic  physician,  reciting  the  occasion  when 
Dr.  Stewart  spontaneously  expressed  warm  sympathy  with  his  bereave- 
ment and  misfortunes;  thus  he  often  showed  himself  larger  than  his 
religious,  political  or  medical  creeds.  He  was  never  a  hospital  phy- 
sician, or  a  medical-college  professor,  or  a  post-graduate  instructor,  or 
the  editor  of  a  medical  journal.  In  his  earlier  days  such  institutions  did 
not  exist,  and  when  they  came  to  Michigan  he  was  fully  occupied  in  his 
own  professional  duties. 

Personally  Dr.  Stewart  was  clean  in  thought,  word  and  deed;  a 
purifying  element  in  social,  civic  and  professional  life.  He  looked  and 
bore  the  manner  of  the  old-time  gentleman  that  he  was.  His  word  was 
equal  to  his  bond;  both  inviolable.  While  genial  with  his  friends  he 
never  sought  social  position  and  accepted  with  unusual  modesty  that 
which  fell  to  his  lot.  It  was  foreign  to  his  nature  to  seek  preferment  by 
emulating  the  **good  fellow''  or  by  the  cultivation  of  clubs  or  other 
festive  places.  Of  extreme  nervous  temperament,  he  was  sensitively 
shy,  too  much  for  his  comfort.  Generally  this  powerful  engine  was 
kept  under  perfect  control,  but  occasionally  it  broke  loose,  to  the  dismay 
of  offenders.  Dr.  Stewart  loved  a  fine  horse,  and  in  his  prime  he  drove 
the  best  obtainable,  and  drove  fast. 

What  of  the  financial  side  of  Dr.  Stewart's  life?  He  actually  prac- 
ticed continuously  about  sixty-three  years.  His  clients  included  all 
classes,  but,  more  than  in  the  case  of  most  physicians,  they  were  of 
those  able  to  pay  for  service.  He  maintained  the  rate  of  fees  formulat- 
ed by  the  old  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  and  collected  with  un- 
usual exactness.  He  lived  well,  contributed  to  the  support  of  many 
charitable  institutions,  to  the  needy  poor  and  to  the  assistance  of  others. 
He  had  no  expensive  habits.  His  dress,  professional  equipment  and 
home  were  models  of  neatness  and  good  taste,  but  there  was  no  waste 
anywhere.  Prom  all  these  years  of  work  the  net  result  did  not  exceed 
fifty  thousand  dollars;  this  apart  from  inheritances  of  Mrs.  Stewart 
and  himself. 

Dr.  Stewart  had  his  full  share  of  trials  and  misfortunes,  but  with 
mien  erect  and  step  firm  he  trod  life's  pathway,  sustained  and  soothed 
by  an  unfaltering  trust,  and  on  approaching  its  end,  **  wrapped  the 
draperies  of  his  couch  about  him  and  lay  down  to  pleasant  dreams." 

Finally  we  have  seen  that  he  inherited  a  large  capacity  for  industry, 
thrift,  honesty  and  fear  of  God,  as  well  as  a  body  of  exceptional  endur- 
ance. He  acquired  a  full  literary  training,  a  medical  education  of  un- 
usual thoroughness  for  his  time,  a  sympathetic,  talented  wife,  and  close 
association  with  the  best  physicians  and  educated  laymen.  He  was 
crippled  by  deafness  early  in  his  career,  but  this  infirmity  did  not  mili- 
tate materially  against  his  success  in  his  chosen  profession,  in  which 
he  stood  representative  as  one  of  the  pioneer  physicians  of  the  beautiful 
city  which  was  so  long  his  home  and  to  which  his  loyalty  was  on  a 
parity  with  his  deep  appreciation.  Those  most  thoroughly  conversant 
with  the  facts  agree  that  for  sixty-four  years  Dr.  Morse  Stewart  ranked 
with  the  leading  citizens  of  Detroit  and  its  best  general  practitioners; 
that  his  career  exhibited  those  characteristics  which  make  for  a  medical 
profession  that  shall  be  the  corper-stone  of  a  republic  of  intelligent, 
broad-minded,  liberty-loving.  God-fearing  people. 

Such  an  estimate  as  that  given  in  the  foregoing  paragraphs  gains  in 
emphasis  and  significance  when  it  is  known  that  it  represents  the 
appreciative  dictum  of  one  who  has  long  been  numbered  among  the 
leading  representatives  of  the  medical  profession  in  Detroit  and  one  who 
knew  Dr.  Stewart  well  during  the  later  part  of  the  latter 's  long  and 
noble  career. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  859 

Robert  S.  Stewart.  A  native  son  of  Detroit  and  a  scion  of  one  of 
the  city's  honored  pioneer  families,  Robert  Stuart  Stewart  holds  pres- 
tige as  ode  of  the  representative  consulting  engineers  of  the  state  and  in 
his  profession  has  secure  status  as  an  authority  in  the  profession  of 
electrical  engineering,  to  which  he  is  devoting  practically  his  entire 
time  and  energies.  He  is  a  son  of  the  late  and  distinguished  Dr.  Morse 
Stewart,  who  was  engaged  in  the  active  practice  of  medicine  in  Detroit 
for  more  than  sixty  years  and  who  was  one  of  the  pioneer  representa- 
tives of  his  profession  in  Michigan,  where  he  established  his  home 
shortly  after  the  admission  of  the  state  to  the  Union.  He  whose  name 
initiates  this  paragraph  is  a  representative  of  pioneer  stock  in  the 
maternal  line  aJso,  his  mother  having  been  a  member  of  the  DuflSeld 
family,  the  name  of  which  has  been  most  prominently  and  benignantly 
linked  with  the  history  of  Detroit  since  an  early  period. 

Robert  S.  Stewart  was  born  in  Detroit,  on  the  10th  of  September, 
1869,  and  his  early  educational  discipline  was  obtained  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  city.  After  completing  the  curriculum  of  the  high 
school  he  entered  Princeton  University,  at  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  from 
which  historic  institution  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1891,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  In  1894  his  alma  mater 
conferred  upon  him  the  degrees  of  Master  of  Arts  and  Electrical  En- 
gineer. In  his  chosen  profession  Mr.  Stewart  has  gained  specially  wide 
and  varied  experience,  and,  as  previously  intimated,  his  standing  in 
the  same  is  of  authoritative  order.  From  1894  to  1897  he  served  as 
assistant  engineer  of  the  Public-Lighting  Commission  of  Detroit,  and 
thereafter  he  was  associated  with  the  Westinghouse  Electric  &  Manu- 
facturing Company,  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  until  1901.  In  the 
year  last  mentioned  he  went  to  Manchester,  England,  and  assumed  a  re- 
sponsible position  with  the  British  Westinghouse  Electrical  &  Manu- 
facturing Company,  with  the  affairs  of  which  he  continued  to  be  actively 
concerned  until  1904,  in  the  meanwhile  having  done  a  large  amount  of 
important  work  for  that  corporation,  in  various  parts  of  Great  Britain. 
Upon  resigning  his  position  with  this  company  Mr.  Stewart  returned 
to  Detroit,  and  here  he  has  been  continuously  engaged  in  business  as 
a  consulting  electrical  engineer  since  1904,  his  oflSce  headquarters  being 
maintained  in  the  Penobscot  building,  on  Fort  street.  His  success  in 
his  chosen  vocation  has  been  on  a  parity  with  his  fine  ability  therein 
and  he  now  controls  a  substantial  business  of  broad  scope  and  im- 
portance. 

In  politics  Mr.  Stewart  gives  his  allegiance  to  the  Democratic  party, 
though  he  has  never  cared  to  enter  the  arena  of  practical  political 
activities.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Institute  of  Electrical 
Engineers,  and  in  his  home  city,  which  is  endeared  to  him  by  many 
gracious  associations  and  memories,  he  is  identified  with  such  repre- 
sentative social  organizations  as  the  University  Club,  the  Detroit  Boat 
Club  and  the  Detroit  Country  Club.  He  is  popular  in  both  business 
and  social  circles  and  yet  remains  aligned  in  the  ranks  of  eligible 
bachelors. 

WiLLUM  H.  Cattermole.  Prominent  among  the  leading  business 
men  pf  Northville,  Wayne  county,  is  William  H.  Cattermole,  w^ho  is 
actively  identified  with  the  promotion  of  the  mercantile  interests  of  the 
village,  and  by  engaging  in  the  manufacture  of  harness  and  saddlery, 
as  a  dealer  in  agricultural  implements  of  all  kinds,  and  of  cement,  lime, 
brick,  paints,  gasoline  engines,  etc.,  has  acquired  wealth,  his  patronage 
being  extensive  and  exceedingly  remunerative.  A  native  of  Michigan, 
he  was  born  February  10,  1863,  at  Saint  Johns,  Clinton  county,  where 


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860  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

his  father,  Arthur  Cattermole,  was  a  pioneer  settler  and  the  first  to  en- 
gage in  the  manufacture  of  wagons  and  carriages. 

Having  completed  his  studies  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
village,  William  H.  Cattermole  began  work  with  his  father,  and  as  a 
carriage  painter  became  an  expert.  Subsequently  locating  at  Detroit, 
Wayne  county,  he  secured  a  position  with  the  Detroit  Carriage  Wood- 
work Company,  and  when  that  concern,  under  the  name  of  the  Prouty 
and  Glass  Carriage  Company,  transferred  its  interests  to  Wayne,  Mich- 
igan, he  accompanied  the  firm  to  that  place  as  a  painting  contractor. 
In  March,  1892,  Mr.  Cattermole  secured  a  contract  with  the  Globe 
Furniture  Company,  at  Northville,  with  which  he  was  thereafter  con- 
nected for  eight  years,  in  the  meantime,  in  addition  to  his  work  with 
that  company,  becoming  an  extensive  dealer  in  real  estate,  buying  and 
selling  many  valuable  pieces  of  property.  When  ready  to  embark  in 
business  on  his  own  account,  Mr.  Cattermole  opened  an  agricultural 
implement  shop,  and  to  his  original  stock  he  has  since  made  many  ad- 
ditions, almost  everything  needed  for  successfully  conducting  a  farm 
after  the  latest  improved  and  approved  scientific  methods  being  found 
in  his  establishment,  including  rex  lime  and  sulphur  solutions  for  spray- 
ing purposes,  and  Buick  automobiles,  for  which  he  has  the  agency. 

In  1891  Mr.  Cattermole  was  united  in  marriage  with  Hattie  Collins, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  namely:  Ruth  Estelle  and 
Helen  Mae.  Mr.  Cattermole  is  a  trustee  of  the  Northville  Building  and 
Loan  Association  which  has  obtained  a  good  standing  in  the  community. 
He  has  served  acceptably  on  the  Board  of  Village  Trustees,  and  is  now 
a  member  of  the  Village  School  Board.  Fraternally  Mr.  Cattermole 
belongs  to  the  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Order  of  Masons  and  to  the 
Woodmen  of  the  World. 

Frank  A.  Miller.  One  of  the  prosperous  business  men  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Northville,  and  a  substantial  representative  of  both  the  mercan- 
tile and  agricultural  interests  of  Wayne  county,  Michigan,  Frank  A. 
Miller  is  a  self-made  man  in  every  sense  implied  by  the  term,  his 
success  in  life  being  entirely  due  to  his  own  ability  and  energy.  He  was 
born,  in  1845,  in  Germany,  and  in  1851,  a  lad  of  six  years,  came  with  his 
parents  to  America,  locating  in  the  city  of  Detroit,  Michigan. 

In  1862  Mr.  Miller  entered  the  employ  of  Peter  Eberle,  one  of 
the  leading  meat  dealers  of  Detroit,  and  while  with  him  and  other 
practical  men  obtained  a  knowledge  of  every  branch  of  the  meat  busi- 
ness. Coming  to  Northville  in  1881,  he  opened  a  meat  market,  and  in  its 
management  met  with  such  good  success  that  he  now  conducts  the  lead- 
ing meat  business  of  this  part  of  Wayne  county,  his  patronage  in- 
cluding not  only  the  residents  of  Northville,  but  of  the  surrounding 
country. 

Mr.  Miller  has  accumulated  some  property  and  is  identified  with 
various  financial  and  industrial  organizations,  and  as  an  agriculturist 
owns  a  valuable  farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres.  He  is  one  of 
the  charter  stockholders  of  the  Northville  State  Savings  Bank;  and  is 
a  stockholder  of  the  Bell  Foundry  Company,  which  is  carrying  on  a 
prosperous  business.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias. 

Mr.  Miller  married  in  1877,  Mary  Lercher,  a  woman  of  intelligence 
and  refinement,  who  presides  over  his  pleasant  home  with  ease  and 
dignity,  welcoming  their  many  guests  with  a  gracious  hospitality. 

V.  D.  Cliff.  An  active  and  conspicuous  factor  in  advancing  the 
interests  of  Detroit,  V.  D.  Cliflf  is  especially  prominent  in  business, 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  861 

and  in  the  social  life  of  his  home  city  occupies  an  assured  position.  As 
president  of  the  J'ederal  Casualty  Company  he  stands  at  the  head  of 
one  of  the  leading  organizations  of  the  kind  in  Wayne  county,  and  is 
widely  known  in  many  parts  of  the  Union.  A  man  of  broad  capabilities, 
energetic  and  persevering,  he  is  ever  ready  to  take  advantage  of  offered 
opportunities,  and  seemingly  has  no  trouble  in  carrying  forward  to 
a  successful  completion  whatever  he  undertakes.  He  was  born  at, 
Zumbro  Falls,  Minnesota,  Dectmber  21,  1866,  and  although  a  compara- 
tively young  man  has  the  distinction  of  being  a  pioneer  in  the  Health 
and  Accident  Insurance  business. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  having  asquired  a  practical  education 
in  the  public  schools,  Mr.  Cliff  became  bookkeeper  for  a  mercantile 
house  in  Duluth,  Minnesota,  in  1887,  and  continued  thus  employed  until 
1891,  when  he  became  a  charter  member  of  the  Northwestern  Benevolent 
Society/,  which  was  formed  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  industrial, 
health  and  accident  insurance,  it  being  the  first  organization  of  the  kind 
to  successfully  conduct  that  line  of  work.  He  was  elected  cashier  and 
office  manager  of  the  company,  and  filled  the  position  so  ably  that  at 
the  end  of  eighteen  months  he  was  made  secretary  and  general  manager 
of  the  concern.  In  1900  the  Northwestern  and  Metropolitan  Accident 
Association  of  Chicago,  111.,  were  re-insured  by  the  Metropolitan  Cas- 
ualty Company,  which  assumed  control  of  the  affairs  of  the  former  as- 
sociations, and  made  Mi*.  Cliff  general  manager  of  the  entire  organ- 
ization. '  During  the  later  months  of  the  same  year  the  Metropolitan 
Casualty  Company  consolidated  with  the  Continental  Assurance  Com- 
pany under  the  name  of  the  Continental  Casualty  Company,  with  a  capi- 
tal stock  of  three  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Cliff  accepted  the  posi- 
tion of  general  manager  of  the  company,  but  resigned  it  in  1901,  having 
purchased  an  interest  in  the  United  States  Health  and  Accident  Insurance 
Company,  of  Saginaw,  Michigan,  of  which  he  became  secretary  im- 
mediately following  its  incorporation  as  a  stock  company.  During  the 
six  years  that  he  was  officially  connected  with  that  organization  its 
annual  premium  income  grew  from  $300,000  to  nearly  $800,000,  and 
its  assets,  in  addition  to  the  substantial  dividends  paid  out,  increasing 
from  $200,000  to  $700,000. 

On  January  1,  1907,  Mr.  Cliff  tendered  his  resignation  to  the  United 
States  Health  and  Accident  Company,  retaining,  however,  his  financial 
holdings  in  the  same,  and  became  president  of  the  Federal  Casualty 
Company  of  Detroit,  Michigan,  which  has  since  been  his  home.  Re- 
sourceful and  enterprising,  Mr.  Cliff  conceived  and  put  in  force  the 
so-called  profit  sharing  contracts  for  agents,  which  has  proved  especially 
popular. 

Mr.  Cliff  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Detroit  Conference,  an 
organization  of  industrial,  health  and  accident  insurance  companies, 
and  served  two  terms  as  its  president  and  has  always  been  a  member 
of  its  executive  committee.  For  two  terms  he  was  one  of  the  executive 
committee  of  the  International  Associations  of  Accident  Underwriters, 
and  in  1906  read  before  the  organization  a  paper  entitled  **The  Origin 
and  Development  of  Industrial  Health  and  Accident  Insurance''  hand- 
ling the  broad  subject  in  a  most  interesting  and  instructive  manner. 

The  Federal  Casualty  Company,  of  Detroit,  a  health  and  accident 
insurance  company,  was  organized  and  incorporated  in  1906,  under 
the  laws  of  Michigan.  It  has  a  capital  stock  of  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars  and  a  large  surplus.  Mr.  V.  D.  Cliff  is  president  of  the  com- 
pany and  Mr.  Peter  Patterson,  secretary.  The  company  is  operating 
in  about  thirty  states  of  the  Union,  and  now  has  about  thirty  thousand 
policy  holders,  the  business  having  had  a  strong,  healthy  growth  from* 
the  start. 


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862  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

Mr.  Cliff  is  connected  by  membership  with  various  fraternal,  sci- 
entific, and  social  organizations,  being  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks;  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus;  the  Academy 
of  Political  Science  of  the  Columbia  University;  of  the  Academy  of 
Political  and  Social  Science  of  Philadelphia;  of  the  National  Geograph- 
ical Society;  of  the  Detroit  Club;  the  Country  Club;  the  Automobile 
Club  and  of  the  Detroit  Golf  Club.  Religiously  he  belongs  to  the  Roman 
'  Catholic  church. 

WhjLiam  Henry  Reddig,  general  superintendent  of  the  plant  of 
the  Continental  Motor  Company  of  Detroit,  and  also  of  the  plant  of 
the  same  company  in  Muskegon,  is  entitled  to  rank  as  one  of  the  lead- 
ers in  the  planning,  building  and  maturing  of  great  concerns  in  the 
United  States.  Few  men  have  had  sudh  a  wide  and  successful  experience 
in  the  world  of  machinery  as  he  has.  The  mere  fact  that  Mr.  Reddig 
holds  the  position  he  does  with  this  live  motor  concern,  stamps  him 
as  a  man  of  ability  and  force.  Self-made,  coming  up  from  the  ranks 
by  the  route  of  his  individuality,  strict  integrity  and  close  attention  to 
business,  he  commands  the  respect  of  all  who  know  him,  and  is  a 
recognized  authority  on  automobile  construction. 

William  Henry  Reddig  was  born  at  Harrisville,  Harrison  county, 
Ohio,  on  October  5,  1855.  He  is  the  son  of  John  S.  and  Rachel  M. 
Reddig,  both  of  American  birth,  but  of  German  and  Scotch  extraction, 
respectively.  The  father  was  a  blacksmith  and  passed  his  early  life 
in  the  pursuit  of  that  industry.  In  1877  he  moved  to  Franklin  county, 
Kansas,  where  he  purchased  a  large  stock  farm,  and  resided  there  until 
his  death.  The  boyhood  days  of  the  subject  were  spent  at  Harrisville 
up  to  the  age  of  ten  years,  when  his  parents  moved  from  Ohio  to  Lostant, 
LaSalle  county,  Illinois.  There  he  attended  public  school  and  worked 
with  his  father  at  blacksmithing  and  carriagemaking  during  his  vaca- 
tions. In  1877  his  parents  again  moved,  this  time  to  Franklin  county, 
Kansas,  as  noted  above,  where  he  was  associated  with  his  father  in  stock 
raising  and  farming.  This  continued  until  1883,  when  he  became  a  stock 
holder  in  a  sewing  machine  manufacturing  company  with  headquarters 
at  Toledo,  and  took  a  position  in  the  tool  room  of  this  company  where 
he  mastered  all  the  details  of  tool-making.  A  close  student  and  a  keen 
observer,  his  rise  was  steady  and  in  1886  he  was  made  foreman  of  the 
machine  department.  Here  he  remained  until  1888,  when  he  resigned 
in  order  to  take  a  similar  position  in  the  machine  department  of  the 
Lozier  Company,  manufacturers  of  bicycles,  and  in*  1896  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  office  of  chief  inspector  of  this  company.  The  next  step 
upward  in  his  career  came  in  1900,  when  he  was  appointed  assistant 
superintendent  of  the  Lozier  Bicycle  Manufacturing  Company,  which 
in  1901  was  merged  into  the  International  Motor  Car  Company,  and  the 
name  of  the  plant  was  .changed  to  the  Pope  Manufacturing  Company, 
he  becoming  superintendent  of  this  concern,  which  built  the  famous 
Pope-Toledo  Car.  Mr.  Reddig  remained  with  this  company  until  1905, 
when  he  accepted  a  position  with  the  Daimler  Automoble  Company  of 
Long  Island  City,  New  York,  manufacturers  of  the  American-Mercedes 
car,  and  in  order  to  gather  ideas  for  use  in  the  manufacture  of  the  car, 
]\rr.  Reddig  traveled  extensively  through  England,  Scotland  and  Ger- 
many. In  1908  he  accepted  a  most  flattering  proposition  and  became 
general  superintendent  of  the  Olds  Motor  Works  at  Lansing,  Michigan. 
After  one  year  of  service  with  the  Olds  people,  he  accepted  a  better 
offer  and  in  1909  became  general  superintendent  of  the  Chalmers  Motor 
Company  of  Detroit.  Here  he  filled  the  position  not  only  of  general 
superintendent,  but  also  of  construction  and  tool  equipment,  having 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  863 

charge  of  the  placing  in  this  enormous  establishment  employing  thous- 
ands of  men  of  every  piece  of  machinery  now  in  use.  This  position  he 
held  up  to  January,  1912,  when  he  resigned  to  take  his  present  position. 
This  concern,  which  has  for  some  years  had  a  lage  plant  in  Muskegon, 
Michigan,  where  it  employs  fifteen  hundred  men,  completed  in  the  early 
part  of  1912  a  gigantic  factory  in  Detroit  where  twelve  hundred  men 
are  to  be  employed.  Mr.  Reddig  came  to  this  building  before  it  was 
completed,  and,  under  his  immediate  supervision  the  numerous  machines 
now  in  successful  operation  were  installed.  In  this  position  Mr.  Reddig 
will  have  charge  of  both  the  Detroit  and  Muskegon  plants,  employing 
nearly  three  thousand  men  and  one  of  the  largest  concerns  of  the 
kind  in  the  country.  It  is  a  position  requiring  a  man  of  more  than 
ordinary  ability  to  fill  it  satisfactorily,  but  one  needs  but  to  look  back 
briefly  over  the  record  of  Mr.  Reddig  to  see  that  he  is  fully  equipped 
for  the  great  responsibilities  of  this  position.  That  he  has  been  called 
to  fill  such  a  post  of  importance  in  the  manufacturing  world  shows  con- 
clusively that  he  has  mastered  every  detail  of  mechanics ;  first  as  a  black- 
smith, then  winning  proficiency  in  the  tool-room  of  the  sewing  machine 
concern,  later  as  foreman  of  the  mechanical  department  of  a  bicycle 
house,  then  assistant  superintendent;  and  at  the  inception  of  the  auto- 
mobile business  transferring  his  attention  to  that  line,  advancing  to  the 
superintendency  of  a  motor  car  works,  later  rising  to  the  post  of  super- 
intendent of  one  of  the  largest  automobile  plants  in  the  country,  and 
thence  to  his  present  high  position.  All  these  facts  indicate  that  the 
concern  with  which  he  is  now  identified  could  have  found  no  better 
qualified  man  for  so  important  a  place. 

Mr.  Reddig  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Miss  Emma 
Hills,  and  she  became  the  mother  of  three  sons,  Orville  0.,  Charles  E. 
and  John  Ray.  She  died  in  1897.  In  1900  Mr.  Reddig  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Buckelew,  of  Bryant,  Ohio.  With  regard  to  his  political 
views  Mr.  Reddig  is  a  Republican,  but  is  not  active  beyond  the  demands 
of  good  citizenship,  having  no  political  ambitions.  He  is  prominent  in 
fraternal  circles,  and  has  attained  the  thirty-second  degree  in  Masonry, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine.  In  1886  he  joined  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  in  1900  joined  the 
Uniformed  Rank  of  that  order.  He  attends  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  as  do  also  his  wife  and  three  sons. 

Alexander  L.  Waltensperger.  Prominent  among  the  energetic  and 
enterprising  men  who  are  actively  associated  with  the  development  and 
advancement  of  the  industrial,  manufacturing  and  commercial  interests 
of  Wayne  county  is  Alexander  L.  Waltensperger,  of  Detroit,  the  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  Sherwood  Brass  Works  (Incorporated).  An 
accurate  accountant  and  a  skilled  machinist,  well  versed  in  both  theo- 
retical and  applied  mechanics,  he  is  a  practical  business  man,  with  a  good 
capacity  for  the  handling  of  many  details,  and  possesses  the  power  of  con- 
centration  that  readily  enables  him  to  make  everything  work  to  desired 
results  A  native  of  Detroit,  he  was  born  September  29,  1875,  com- 
ing from  thrifty  German  ancestry.  His  father,  Frederick  Waltensperger, 
was  bom  in  Detroit,  Michigan.  He  has  been  dead  for  a  number  of  years. 
His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Emily  Kull,  was  born  m  Michigan,  and 
was  here  brought  up,  educated  and  married. 

Acquiring  his  elementary  education  in  the  common  schools,  Alex- 
ander L  Waltensperger,  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  began  learning 
the  machinist  trade  with  the  Grand  Trunk  Railroad  Company,  com- 
pleting his  full  apprenticeship  in  the  shop.  He  began  the  bicycle  busi- 
ness and  plumbing  at  the  age  of  nineteen,   afterwards  starting  the 


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864  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Sherwood  Brass  works  with  Mr.  William  Sherwood.  The  Sherwood 
Brass  Works  was  organized  in  1903,  by  Messrs.  William  Sherwood 
and  A.  L.  Waltensperger,  who  began  the  manufacture  of  brass  and 
aluminum  goods,  the  plant  being  located  at  No.  1167  Jefferson  avenue, 
Detroit,  Michi^n.  The  firm  thus  established  was  successful  from 
the  start,  and  in  1906  was  incorporated,  beiug  capitalized  at  thirty 
thousand  dollars;  William  Sherwood  was  made  president  of  the  con- 
cern; William  Sherwood,  Jr.,  became  vice-president;  while  Mr.  Walten- 
sperger was  elected  secretary  and  treasurer,  a  responsible  position  which 
he  has  since  filled  most  ably  and  faithfully,  and  to  the  acceptation  of 
all  interested  in  the  business. 

In  the  filling  of  its  numerous  orders  the  Sherwood  Brass  Works  em- 
ploys three  hundred  and  fifty  skilled  workmen,  the  products  of  its 
plant  being  sold  locally  and  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  United  States. 
Mr.  Sherwood,  the  president  of  the  company,  who  is  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, learned  the  trade  of  a  molder  when  young,  and  is  an  expert  worker 
in  brass  and  metals.  He  has  been  connected  with  the  brass  business 
for  many  years,  and  as  a  man  of  forceful  individuality  possesses  the 
happy  faculty  of  controlling  men  to  their  own  advantage  as  well  as  to 
his  benefit. 

Mr.  Waltensperger  married,  in  1897,  Nellie  A.  Sherwood,  a  daughter 
of  William  Sherwood,  president  of  the  Sherwood  Brass  Works,  and  into 
their  pleasant  home  three  children  have  been  born,  namely:  Sherwood, 
Nellie  and  Edna,  but  Sherwood  Waltensperger  lived  but  nine  short 
years. 

Rev.  James  6.  Dohebty.  With  the  history  of  few  cities  of  the  Union 
has  the  Catholic  church,  that  great  mother  of  Christendom,  been  longer 
of  more  benignantly  connected  than  with  that  of  Detroit,  as  the  records 
of  historic  old  St.  Anne's  church  will  indicate,  and  in  the  later  days 
of  prosperity  and  progress  the  church  has  kept  pace  with  the  demands 
placed  upon  her  in  the  Michigan  metropolis.     One  of  the  important 
parishes  is  that  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  whose  edifice  is  located  at  280 
Fourteenth  avenue,   and  of  this  vital  and  prosperous  parish  Father 
Doherty  is  the  able  and  popular  pastor, — a  representative  member  of 
the  Catholic  priesthood  in  Detroit.    The  church  over  which  he  presides 
was  founded  in  1866,  by  Eev.  Father  A.  L.  Bleyenberg,  and  its  history 
has  been  one  marked  by  earnest  zeal  and  devotion  on  the  part  of  its 
priests  and  people.     The  church  edifice  is  a  fine  structure  and  its 
ecclesiastical  appointments  are  of  attractive  and  consistent  order.     The 
parish  also  has  a  well  equipped  parochial  school,  an  academy  for  higher 
educational  instruction,  a  parish  hall,  and  residences  for  the  pastor  and 
the  sisters  who  have  charge  of  the  schools  and  other  departments  of 
parish  work.     The  importance  of  the  parish  is  measurably  indicated  by 
the  statement  that  the  average  attendance  in  the  schools  conducted  under 
its  auspices  is  eight  hundred  and  fifty,  the  institutions  being  in  charge 
of  the  Sisters  of  the  Immaculate  Heart  of  Mary.     The  present  school 
buildings,  the  parish  hall,  convent,  addition  to  church,  clubhouse  for 
the  young  men,  pastoral  residence,  etc.,  and  all  church  property  being 
out  of  debt,  have  been  erected  under  the  regime  (9i  the  present  pastor, 
and  he  has  done  much  to  further  the  spiritual  and  temporal  advancement 
of  his  parish,  where  he  has  labored  with  all  of  consecrated  zeal  and 
devotion  and  with  marked  ability  in  both  sacerdotal  and  executive 
functions.    He  has  held  his  present  pastoral  charge  for  over  a  quarter 
of  a  century  and  has  an  efficient  assistant  in  Rev.  M.  W.  Chawke. 

Rev.  James  Gregory  Doherty  was  born  in  Danamana,  county  Tyrone, 
Ireland,  February  13,  1850.    He  attended  the  National  School  at  Dan- 


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HISTOEY  OF  DETROIT  865 

amana  until  he  graduated,  and  then  entered  the  Agricultural  College  at 
Langhash  with  high  honors  after  a  three  years  course.  After  passing 
a  civil  service  examination  he  was  oflPered  the  position  of  civil  engineer 
at  Trinidad,  but  his  parents  were  opposed  to  his  leaving  Ireland  and 
he  declined  the  appointment.  He  then  took  up  the  study  of  classics 
under  the  famous  Professor  Kane  of  Cumberclandy,  and  later  on  entered 
All  Hallows  University,  Dublin,  where,  after  completing  a  five  years 
course  in  theology,  he  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  for  the  diocese 
of  Detroit,  June  26,.  1876.  When  .he  arrived  in  Detroit  he  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  pastor  of  Sts.  Peter  and  Paul,  Jeflferson  avenue.  In 
less  than  a  year  he  was  appointed  pastor  of  St.  Patrick's,  Brighton, 
and  St.  Johns,  Osceola,  and  the  mission  of  Howell,  Livingston  county. 
During  his  nine  years  there  he  rebuilt  Brighton  church  and  built  a  fine 
brick  church  in  Howell  and  left  them  out  of  debt.  He  was  appointed 
by  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Borgess,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  St.  Vincents,  Detroit, 
July  1,  1886. 

Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes — Rev.  J.  Qlemet.  The  church 
of  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes,  River  Rouge,  Michigan,  of  which  Rev.  Emman- 
aol  J.  Glemet  is  pastor,  was  once  a  mission  of  St.  Francis  Xavier's  Ecorse, 
Michigan.  It  was  founded  as  such  in  1893  by  the  Reverend  Raymond 
Champion.  In  1906  the  mission  was  made  a  separate  parish  and  the 
Rev.  Emmanuel  J.  Qlemet  was  made  the  first  pastor.  He  threw  him- 
self into  the  work  of  his  parish  with  a  fine  faith  and  inspiring  enthu- 
siasm. Year  by  year  the  parish  has  grown,  so  that  in  the  short  six  years 
since  the  parish  was  established  it  has  been  able  to  enlarge  the  church 
and  build  a  new  and  attractive  rectory. 

Wn^LiAM  A.  Hackett,  M.  D.  The  large  and  representative  practice 
controlled  by  Dr.  Hackett  offers  the  most  effective  evidence  of  his  pro- 
fessional ability  and  personal  popularity  in  Detroit,  where  he  has  been 
engaged  in  successful  practice  since  1894. 

William  Alexander  Hackett,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Huron  county, 
province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  on  the  11th  of  February,  1868,  and  is  a 
son  of  James  and  Esther  (Reid)  Hackett,  both  of  whom  were?  bom  in  the 
north  of  Ireland,  but  the  marriage  of  whom  was  solemnized  in 
Canada,  where  they  have  maintained  their  home  from  the  days  of 
their  youth.  Joseph  Hackett,  grandfather  of  the  Doctor,  immigrated 
from  the  Emerald  Isle  to  America  in  the  early  '40s  and  secured  a  tract 
of  government  land  in  Huron  county,  Ontario,  where  he  was  a  repre- 
sentative and  honored  pioneer  and  where  both  he  and  his  wife  passed 
the  residue  of  their  lives.  In  that  county  James  Hackett  and  his  wife 
still  reside  on  the  old  homestead  and  they  are  now  numbered  among  the 
most  venerable  pioneers  of  that  section  of  the  province,  the  while  they 
are  accorded  the  inviolable  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  community 
which  has  so  long  been  their  home  and  to  the  civic  and  material  progress 
of  which  they  have  contributed  their  quota.  James  Hackett  has  been 
an  energetic  and  discriminating  exponent  of  the  great  fundamental  in- 
dustry of  agriculture  and  through  his  well  directed  efforts  has  accumu- 
lated a  competency.  He  is  an  octogenarian  and  is  well  preserved  in 
both  mental  and  physical  faculties,  and  his  wife  is  sixty-five  years  of 
age.  They  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church.  All  their  children, 
five  sons  and  one  daughter,  are  living. 

Dr.  Hackett  passed  his  boyhood  and  youth  on  the  old  homestead 
farm  in  Huron  county,  Ontario,  and  early  began  to  assist  in  its  work, 
the  while  his  incidental  mental  training  was  secured  in  the  district 
schools,  after  leaving  which  he  continued  his  studies  in  a  collegiate 
preparatory  school  at  Ooderich,  that  county,  and  the  normal  school  in 


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866  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

the  city  of  Toronto.  Having  equipped  himself  eflfectually  for  success- 
ful work  in  the  pedagogic  profession,  he  devoted  his  attention  to  teach- 
ing in  the  public  schools  of  Ontario  for  three  years,  and  one  year  in 
those  of  Manitoba. 

Having  decided  to  prepare  himself  for  the  medical  profession,  Dr. 
Hackett  was  matriculated  in  the  medical  department  of  the  University 
of  Toronto,  in  which  he  completed  the  prescribed  course  and  in  which 
he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1894.  After  thus  re- 
ceiving his  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  from  this  admirable  institution 
he  came  to  Detroit,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in  general  practice  as 
a  physician  and  surgeon  during  the  intervening  period,  which  has  been 
marked  by  large  and  worthy  accomplishment  and  definite  success  on 
his  part.  With  other  physicians  he  in  1912  began  the  erection  of 
Samaritan  Hospital,  a  fire  proof  building  of  steel  construction  and 
so  planned  as  to  permit  of  additions  being  made  as  required.  The  hos- 
pital is  fitted  with  the  latest  appliances  for  medical  and  surgical  treat- 
ment. The  structure  at  completion  will  cost  over  $50,000  and  will 
accommodate  fifty  patients. 

The  Doctor  holds  membership  in  the  American  Medical  Association, 
the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical 
Society.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Clinical  Society  of  Surgeons  of  North 
America,  and  at  the  meeting  of  that  organization  in  November,  1911,  in 
the  city  of  Philadelphia,  he  was  appointed  one  of  its  official  representa- 
tives for  the  First  congressional  district  of  Michigan.  He  is  affiliated 
with  Friendship  Lodgfe,  Free  &  Accepted  Masons,  and  the  Scottish  Rite 
bodies  up  to  and  including  the  thirty-second  degree,  also  Moslem  Temple 
Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is-  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Wheel- 
men's Club,  which  has  a  fine  club  house  and  which  has  maintained  an 
effective  organization  from  the  time  when  bicycles  were  so  much  in 
favor.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  his  religious  connections  are 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

On  May  24th,  1897,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr.  Hackett 
to  Miss  Amelia  Cronin,  who  likewise  was  born  and  reared  in  the 
province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  and  she  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal 
March  15th,  1903,  being  survived  by  two  sons, — Joseph  Francis,  born 
in  January,  1899,  and  James  Basil,  bom  in  April,  1900. 

Isaac  A.  Bosset.  A  resident  of  Detroit  for  more  than  two  score 
years,  Isaac  Achille  Bosset  is  a  scion  of  one  of  the  patrician  French 
families  of  Michigan,  which  has  been  his  home  from  his  boyhood  days, 
and  his  charming  wife  is  a  daughter  of  the  late  Patrick  Marantette, 
who  was  one  of  the  honored  and  influential  pioneers  of  St.  Joseph 
county,  this  state, — a  citizen  of  sterling  character,  fine  talent  and  marked 
public  spirit.  Thus  there  are  many  elements  lending  interest  to  a 
consideration  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bosset  in  this  history  of  their  home  city, 
where  they  hold  secure  place  in  popular  esteem  and  where  their  beauti- 
ful home,  at  215  West  Grand  boulevard,  is  a  center  of  most  gracious 
hospitality. 

Isaac  Achille  Bosset  was  born  in  Quebec,  Ontario,  on  October  6, 
1841,  and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Victoria  (Label)  Bosset,  repre- 
sentatives of  old  and  distinguished  families  of  Leon,  France.  Mr. 
Bosset  received  his  early  educational  discipline  in  his  native  land  and 
was  a  lad  of  about  fifteen  years  at  the  time  of  the  family  immigration 
to  America,  in  1856.  His  parents  established  their  home  in  Chicago, 
which  was  then  a  straggling  city  giving  slight  evidence  of  becoming 
a  great  metropolis,  and  he  was  enabled  to  continue  his  educational  work 
in  the  celebrated  Notre  Dame  University,  at  South  Bend,  Indiana,  where 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  867 

he  remained  a  student  until  he  had  attained  to  the  age  of  nineteen 
years.  His  parents  passed  the  closing  years  of  their  lives  at  Kankakee 
county,  Illinois,  where  the  father  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years 
and  the  mother  at  the  age  of  seventy-five,  the  former  having  devoted 
his  attention  principally  to  farming  during  the  years  of  his  active 
career  in  America.  The  parents  were  devout  communicants  of  the 
Catholic  church,  and  in  the  faith  of  the  great  mother  church  of  Chris- 
tendom their  children  were  carefully  reared.  In  the  family  were  two 
sons  and  eight  daughters,  and  four  children  are  now  living. 

From  1858  until  1870  Isaac  A.  Bosset  maintained  his  home  in  Kal- 
amazoo, Michigan,  and  in  1871  he  removed  to  Detroit,  where  he  secured 
a  position  with  the  firm  of  Daniel  Scott  &  Company,  one  of  the  largest 
tobacco  manufacturing  concerns  in  the  country.  A  youn^  man  of 
distinctive  energy,  ambition  and  ability,  Mr.  Bosset  soon  made  his  serv- 
ices invaluable  and  he  thus  won  rapid  advancement.  He  was  finally 
made  manager  of  the  sales  department  of  the  concern  and  he  retained 
this  important  executive  office  for  twenty-eight  consecutive  years,  his 
retirement  therefrom  being  incidental  to  the  sale  of  the  plant  and  busi- 
ness to  the  American  Tobacco  Company  in  1893.  Since  that  time  he 
has  lived  virtually  retired  from  active  business,  though  he  finds  ample 
demand  upon  his  time  and  attention  in  the  supervision  of  his  extensive 
real-estate  and  capitalistic  interests  in  Detroit,  where  he  is  the  owner 
of  much  valuable  property,  including  his  splendid  home,  on  one  of  the 
finest  boulevards  in  the  fair  **City  of  the  Straits."  As  a  citizen  Mr. 
Bosset  is  essentially  progressive  and  public-spirited  and  he  takes  deep 
interest  in  all  that  touches  the  welfare  of  the  beautiful  city  that  has  so 
long  represented  his  home  and  in  whose  leading  social  activities  he  and 
his  wife  are  popular  factors.  In  politics,  though  never  manifesting 
aught  of  ambition  for  official  preferment,  Mr.  Bosset  accords  a  staunch 
allegiance  to  the  Republican  party  and  he  and  his  wife  are  zealous 
communicants  of  Ste.  Anne's  church,  the  oldest  Catholic  church  in  the 
city  of  Detroit,  where  it  was  founded  fully  a  century  ago.  They  have 
been  members  of  this  historic  parish  since  1872  and  have  been  most 
liberal  in  the  support  of  the  various  departments  of  its  work.  Mr.  Bosset 
is  also  affiliated  with  Branch  No.  46  of  the  Catholic  Mutual  Benefit 
Association,  one  of  the  leading  church  organizations  of  the  Michigan 
metropolis. 

On  the  26th  of  January,  1870,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Bosset  to  Miss  Alice  Anne  Marantette,  the  ceremony  being  performed 
at  Mendon,  Michigan,  in  which  county  Mrs.  Bosset  was  bom  and  reared. 
She  was  the  sixtK  in  order  of  birth  of  the  ten  children  of  Patrick  and 
Frances  (Moutaw)  Marantette,  and  concerning  these  honored  pioneers 
of  Michigan  more  specific  mention  is  made  in  appending  paragraphs. 
Concerning  the  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bosset  the  following  brief 
record  is  entered.  Marie  Eugenie  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Francis  J.  W. 
Maguire,  one  of  the  representative  physicians  and  surgeons  of  Detroit, 
where  he  graduated  in  the  Detroit  Medical  College,  and  he  resides  at 
the  comer  of  Chene  street  and  Jefferson  avenue.  Isadora  Loretta  is 
the  wife  of  George  T.  Bader,  residing  at  54  Westminster  avenue,  this 
city,  and  ^Ir.  Bader  is  one  of  the  leading  real-estate  men  of  the  city; 
^Ir.  and  Mrs.  Bader  have  six  children, — Mignonne,  Beatrice,  Loretta, 
Dolores,  Josephine  and  Georgia.  Rev.  Isaac  Henry  Bosset,  a  priest  of 
the  Catholic  church,  is  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  He  graduated 
in  the  Detroit  College,  one  of  the  leading  Catholic  schools  of  the  state, 
was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and 
is  now  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  Creighton  University,  in  the  city 
of  Omaha.  Walter  Alexander,  the  youngest  of  the  four  children,  is  one 
of  the  leading  contractors  in  the  construction  of  reinforced  concrete/ 


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868  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

buildings  and  other  concrete  work  in  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids,  Mich- 
igan; he  married  Miss  Myrtle  Cummings,  of  Graad  Rapids. 

Hon.  Patrick  Marantette,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Bosset,  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  in  St.  Joseph  county,  Michigan,  and  was  one  of  its  most 
prominent  and  influential  citizens  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred at  his  fine  old  homestead  at  Nottowa,  near  Mendon,  St.  Joseph 
county,  in  1878,  at  which  time  he  was  seventy-one  years  of  age.  He 
came  to  St.  Joseph  county  in  1829,  nearly  a  decade  before  the  ad- 
mission of  Michigan  to  the  Union,  but  he  did  not  establish  his  permanent 
home  in  the  county  until  1832,  having  in  the  meanwhile  resided  in  De- 
troit, where  the  family,  of  staunch  French  extraction,  was  one  of  prom- 
inence in  the  pioneer  days.  ]\fr.  Marantette  was  present  at  the  great 
Indian  treaty 'held  at  Chicago  in  1833,  and  was  a  principal  in  other 
treaties  negotiated  with  the  Indians  by  the  United  States  government, 
including  the  historic  Pottawatomie  treaty,  by  which  members  of  the 
tribes  mentioned  ceded  to  the  government  large  tracts  of  fine  land  in 
St.  Joseph  and  other  counties  in  southern  Michigan.  In  1846  Mr.  Mar- 
antette was  elected  a  member  of  the  lower  house  of  the  state  legislature, 
in  which  he  made  an  admirable  record  for  progressive  and  public-spir- 
ited service,  and  he  was  a  member  of  the  body  during  the  last  session 
held  in  Detroit,  which  was  then  the  capital  of  the  state.  The  mansion 
in  which  his  death  occurred  was  erected  by  him  in  1853,  and  was  in  close 
proximity  to  the  site  of  the  primitive  log  house  in  which  he  had  begun 
business  as  an  Indian  trader  in  1833.  He  was  one  of  the  first  white 
settlers  in  this  section  of  the  state,  was  the  friend  and  counselor  of 
the  Indian  and  spoke  their  language  with  marked  fluency.  He  was 
bom  in  Sandwich,  Ontario,  and  was  a  most  zealous  and  devout  com- 
municant of  the  Catholic  church,  as  was  also  his  noble  wife,  who  sur- 
vived him  by  many  years. 

Concerning  the  Pottawatomie  Indian  treaty  of  1833  the  following 
data  are  worthy  of  perpetuation  in  this  connection:  **In  the  fall  of 
1833  the  government,  having  despaired  of  getting  the  head  men  to 
relinquish  their  reservation,  induced  Sau-aw-quett  and  a  few  of  his 
followers  to  cede  the  lands  to  the  United  States.  They  were  to  receive 
about  thirty  thousand  dollars  and  to  be  allotted  land  west  of  the  Miss- 
issippi, whither  they  were  to  go  by  land,  with  their  ponies,  dogs  and 
other  belongings,  after  two  years  peaceable  possession  of  their  reserva- 
tion. The  first  payment  of  about  ten  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  calico, 
beads  and  other  trinkets,  was  made  near  the  Marantette  homestead, 
across  the  river  from  Mendon  village,  on  the  1st  of  December,  1833. 
For  nearly  a  week  the  Indians  were  encampd  on  the  river,  casting 
longing  looks  at  the  bright-colored  calicoes,  blankets,  beads,  etc.,  so 
temptingly  displayed  by  the  government  agents,  but  refusing  to  con- 
firm the  treaty  by  receiving  them,  as  they  had  consulted  among  them- 
selves and  had  concluded  that  Sau-aw-quett  and  his  men  had  no  author- 
ity to  sell  or  cede  their  lands.  Governor  Porter  had  issued  a  proclama- 
tion that  no  liquor  should  be  allowed  on  or  near  the  reservation,  but 
parlies  disobeyed  the  proclamation  and  provided  the  Indians  with 
plenty  of  *  fire-water,'  until  at  length  patience  ceased  to  be  a  virtue 
and  Governor  Porter  commanded  Mr.  Marantette  to  break  in  the  heads 
of  the  barrels  of  whiskey.  This  was  accordingly  done,  and  the  Indians, 
in  their  desire  for  the  liquor,  drank  it  from  the  ground.  Subsequently 
Mr.  Marantette  was  sued  for  the  value  of  the  liquor  and  forced  to  pay- 
several  hundred  dollars,  notwithstanding  he  was  obeying  the  explicit 
orders  of  Govenor  Porter,  nor  was  he  ever  reimbursed  for  this  unjust 
payment  of  money.  The  Indians  finally  accepted  the  provisions  of  the 
treaty  and  received  their  money." 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  869 

On  the  15th  of  November,  1835,  at  Bertrand,  Berrien  county,  Mich- 
igan, was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Patrick  Marantette  to  Miss  Pran- 
ces Moutaw,  who  was  bom  at  what  is  now  Grosse  Pointe,  Detroit,  on  the 
16th  of  September,  1813,  and  whose  death  occurred  at  the  fine  old  home- 
stead chateau,  on  the  banks  of  the  St.  Joseph  river,  near  Mendon,  on 
the  16th  of  October,  1904,  at  which  time  she  was  ninety-one  years  and 
thirty  days  of  age.  She  was  one  of  the  most  venerable  pioneer  women  of 
her  native  state  at  the  time  when  she  was  thus  summoned  to  the  life 
eternal  and  she  was  held  in  loving  regard  by  all  who  had  come  within 
the  sphere  of  her  gentle  and  gracious  influence.  Concerning  this  noble 
woman  the  following  statements  were  published  at  the  time  of  her  de- 
mise: **  Mother  Marantette 's  home  was  her  earthly  paradise  and  she 
made  it  the  pride  of  her  husband  and  the  joy  of  her  children,  upon 
whom  she  lavished  her  care  and  affection,  to  be  honored  and  revered 
in  return.  Mrs.  Marantette  was  a  typical  French  lady,  a  descendant  of 
the  brave  and  patrician  Navarre  family  of  France,  and  all  through  her 
life  her  social  qualities,  politeness  and  charity  endeared  her  to  her  neigh- 
bors. Always  faithful  to  her  creed  and  church,  many  went  to  her  for 
counsel  and  comfort,  and  she  was  an  inspiration  to  strutting  humanity. 
No  one  in  need  ever  passed  hungry  from  her  door,  and  she  passed  away, 
a  blessing  during  her  life  and  blessed  in  her  death.  The  funeral  was  a 
large  and  most  representative  one,  people  coming  from  all  over  the 
state  and  county  to  attend  the  last  obsequies.*' 

Patrick  and  Frances  Marantette  became  the  parents  of  ten  children 
and  of  the  number  six  survive  the  loved  and  devoted  mother,  namely: 
Mrs.  William  McLaughlin,  of  Sturgis;  William:  W.  Marantette,  of 
Mendon;  Mrs.  Isaac  A.  Bosset,  of  Detroit;  Patrick  H.  Marantette,  of 
Mendon;  Mrs.  John  R.  WilheJm,  of  Defiance,  Ohio;  and  Louis  E.  Mar- 
antette, of  Mendon. 

Our  Lady  op  the  Rosary  Parish  was  established  in  1889  by  the  Rt. 
Rev.  Bishop  Foley  as  an  offshoot  of  old  St.  Patrick's,  now  Sts.  Peter 
and  Paul  Cathedral,  its  first  pastor  being  the  Rev.  Francis  J.  VanAnt- 
werp.  Since  its  inception  it  has  grown  from  some  forty  or  fifty  families 
to  something  over  eight  hundred  families. 

Father  VanAntwerp,  who  has  been  in  charge  of  this  parish  for  the 
past  twenty-two  years,  is  a  native  of  Detroit,  as  was  his  father  and  grand- 
father before  him.  His  classical  studies  were  made  at  Assumption  Col- 
lege, Sandwich,  and  his  course  of  philosophy  and  theology  at  the  famed 
St.  Mary's  Seminary,  Baltimore,  Maryland.  He  was  ordained  in  1881, 
and  previous  to  his  charge  at  Holy  Rosary  he  held  pastorates  in  Hastings, 
Grosse  Pointe  and  Battle  Creek,  Michigan.  His  present  pastorate  is  one 
of  the  most  important  in  the  Detroit  diocese,  the  attendance  at  the  six 
masses  held  in  Rosary  church  every  Sunday  morning  being  upwards  of 
five  thousand  souls. 

Rev.  Anthony  Peter  Ternes.  Since  July  14,  1896,  Rev.  Anthony 
Peter  Ternes  has  been  at  the  head  of  the  parish  of  St.  Elizabeth  of  De- 
troit and  has  exercised  a  most  enlightened  supervision  over  its  spiritual 
affairs,  his  personality  being  in  itself  a  benediction.  Among  his  congre- 
gation his  character  and  personality  have  made  him  a  beloved  pastor, 
and  friend  and  citizens  of  all  creeds  esteem  him  for  his  zealous  work  and 
public-spirited  attitude  towards  all  movements  for  the  general  good. 

Father  Ternes  was  bom  March  1,  1863,  at  Springwells,  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  present  city  limits.  In  1869  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
the  city  and  the  family  became  aflBliated  with  St.  Boniface  parish,  then 
recently  established.    The  boy  attended  the  parish  school  until  his  first 


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870  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

communion.  He  then  went  to  the  newly  founded  Jesuit  College  to  take 
up  the  study  of  the  classics.  He  remained  here  only  a  year,  and  in  Sep- 
tember, 1878,  went  to  St.  Francis  Seminary,  near  Milwaukee,  where  he 
spent  five  years  in  preparatory  study.  In  1883  he  went  to  Assumption 
College,  Sandwich,  Ontario,  where  he  studied  philosophy  under  Father 
0  'Connor,  later  Archbishop  of  Toronto.  The  year  following  he  was  sent 
by  the  Bishop,  together  with  twenty-two  others,  to  St.  Mary's,  the  famous 
seminary  of  Baltimore,  where  he  finished  his  theological  studies.  To- 
gether with  three  other  candidates  he  was  ordained  July  24,  1887,  in  St. 
Boniface  church,  by  Bishop  Borgess.  On  this  occasion  his  younger 
brother  was  ordained  deacon. 

The  young  Levite  received  his  first  appointment  to  Port  Austin  as 
pastor  of  St.  Michael's  church  and  its  three  missions.  He  remained  here 
two  years  and  a  half  and  in  that  time  built  new  churches  in  Bad  Axe  and 
Ubley.  In  March,  1890,  he  was  transferred  to  Gagetown,  but  remained 
there  only  six  months.  It  was  at  this  time  that  the  Franciscans  left  the 
Detroit  diocese,  where  they  had  worked  for  a  long  time  in  St.  Mary's 
and  Sacred  Heart  parishes.  At  their  departure  Rev.  B.  J.  Wermers  was 
appointed  to  Sacred  Heart  parish.  Existing  conditions  made  his  ap- 
pointment most  difficult.  The  people  had  become  accustomed  to  the  re- 
ligious and  wanted  none  but  them.  There  was  absolute  need,  therefore, 
that  the  priests  of  this  parish  should  co-operate  one  with  the  other.  For 
this  reason  Fr.  Ternes  oflPered  to  accept  the  appointment  as  assistant  with 
his  old  pastor,  although  he  himself  had  already  acted  as  pastor  for  three 
years.  He  remained  in  this  parish  until  January  15,  1892,  when  he  was 
appointed  pastor  to  St.  Joseph's  in  Adrian.  Here  he  labored  for  four 
years  and  in  1896  was  appointed  successor  to  the  late  Father  Svensson. 

The  pastorate  of  St.  Elizabeth's  parish  at  this  time  was  indeed  a 
position  of  responsibility.  In  the  years  of  his  incumbency  (some  fifteen) 
the  growth  of  the  parish  has  been  extraordinary.  In  the  first  years  new 
buildings  were  erected  every  year,  and  existing  buildings  enlarged,  in 
consequence  of  which  the  parish  debt,  became  exceedingly  heavy.  The  new 
pastor  on  his  arrival  found  the  school  and  convent  too  small  and  the 
priest's  house  too  small  for  two  priests  and  inconveniently  situated. 
Besides  there  was  a  debt  of  forty-five  thousand  dollars  and  inteilest  ac- 
cumulating to  the  amount  of  two  thousand  four  hundred  dollars  yearly. 
The  outlook  was  by  no  means  encouraging,  as  it  was  a  time  of  financial 
depression,  when  many  people  were  out  of  employment  and  a  great  many 
others  were  receiving  only  a  pittance  for  their  toil.  The  parishioners  all 
manifested  a  willing  and  generous  spirit,  though  none  could  really  be 
called  wealthy.  Many  improvements  and  innovations  were  made.  The 
school  was  remodeled  so  as  to  provide  eight  rooms.  A  hall  for  meetings 
and  entertainments  was  erected  "at  a  cost  of  five  thousand  dollars.  The 
basement  of  the  priest's  house  was  enlarged  and  a  heating  plant  installed 
at  a  cost  of  $1,400.  A  new  organ  suited  to  the  church  was  built  and  in- 
stalled in  1899,  at  a  cost  of  three  thousand  dollars.  Each  year  the  num- 
ber of  pupils  increased  and  there  was  a  demand  for  more  teachers.  The 
Sisters'  house  could  not  accommodate  the  number  and  in  1900  an  addi- 
tion was  made  and  the  house  completely  remodeled. 

The  parish  grew  so  rapidly  that  in  a  few  years  many  other  things 
were  necessary.  The  convent  was  removed  from  Canfield  avenue  onto 
a  newly  acquired  strip  of  land  near  the  school.  One  of  the  houses  on  this 
property  was  moved  over  behind  the  hall  to  serve  as  club  rooms  for  the 
young  men.  The  other  house  was  sold  to  the  highest  bidder.  An  ad- 
dition containing  eight  rooms  was  added  to  the  school.  The  school  on 
Canfield  avenue  was  converted  into  a  rectory  and  the  house  then  occupied 
by  the  priests  was  sold.  To  carry  out  these  plans  meant  an  outlay  of 
forty  thousand  dollars. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  871 

To  quote  further  from  the  pamphlet  published  upon  the  occasion  of 
the  silver  jubilee  of  the  parish: 

' '  The  grand  work  accomplished  stands  as  a  monument  to  our  parents 
and  predecessors.  It  harks  back  to  the  sacrifices  they  have  made,  to 
the  hardships  they  have  endured.  The  day  of  great  financial  sacrifice  is 
almost  past.  The  grounds  and  buildings  necessary  to  the  parish  have 
been  provided  and  the  debt  should  be  entirely  liquidated  in  a  few  years. 
The  value  of  the  church  property  is  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thou- 
sand dollars.  When  considering  this  fact  we  must  admire  the  generosity 
of  the  people  of  St.  Elizabeth  ^s  parish.  God  has  been  pleased  to  bless 
our  work,  and  it  is  with  feelings  of  love  and  gratitude  that  we  resolve  to 
imitate  the  noble  example  of  our  parents  in  the  performance  of  Christian 
duty.'' 

On  June  21,  1910,  was  celebrated  with  beautiful  ceremonies  the 
twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  founding  of  St.  Elizabeth's  parish.  If 
classified  according  to  the  few  years  of  its  existence,  it  belongs  among  the 
younger  parishes ;  the  number  of  its  members,  however,  entitle  it  to  con- 
sideration with  the  largest  and  best  parishes  of  the  diocese.  The  children 
attending  school  number  about  eight  hundred  and  the  number  is  con- 
stantly increasing.  During  the  quarter  of  the  century  four  sons  of  the 
parish  have  become  priests,  namely:  Revs.  John  A.  Kessler,  Frank  A. 
Malinowski,  John  A.  Koelzer,  and  William  P.  Schulte,  the  last-named  a 
nephew  of  the  pastor.  Father  Ternes'  assistants  are  Rev.  Alexander  J. 
Mayer  and  Rev.  M.  E.  Halfpenny,  talented  and  promising  young  priests. 
In  1901  and  1906  Father  Ternes  made  extended  visits  in  Europe. 

A  brief  history  of  St.  Elizabeth  parish  previous  to  the  pastorate  of 
Rev.  Father  Ternes  is  given  in  ensuing  paragraphs. 

St.  Joseph's  parish  in  1884  had  a  membership  of  over  one  thousand 
families,  many  of  the  people  being  obliged  to  come  long  distances  in 
order  to  hear  mass.  This  was  true  especially  of  those  who  lived  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  city,  there  being  no  church  in  that  locality.  People 
began,  therefore,  to  discuss  the  advisability  of  forming  a  new  parish. 
Finally,  after  much  consideration,  the  Bishop,  Rt.  Rev.  Caspar  H.  Bor- 
gess,  gave  orders  to  Rev.  Anthony  Svensson  to  form  a  new  parish.  This 
was  in  October,  1884.  Father  Svensson,  the  first  young  man  of  Swedish 
parentage  ordained  to  the  priesthood  since  the  so-called  Reformation, 
went  stanchly  about  the  great  work  and  found  one  hundred  and  fifty 
families  ready  to  support  him  in  his  good  work.  The  building  of  the 
church  was  begun  at  once,  on  land  given  for  this  purpose  in  1882  by  Mrs. 
Fannie  E.  Van  Dyke,  the  property  consisting  of  eight  lots  on  the  corner 
of  Canfield  and  McDougall  avenues.  A  two-story  building,  forty  by 
seventy  feet,  was  erected  on  McDougall  avenue.  The  lower  story  con- 
sisted of  three  school  rooms  and  the  upper  served  as  a  church.  The  build- 
ing was  dedicated  on  June  21,  1885,  by  the  Bishop,  the  sermon  being  de- 
livered by  Dean  Friedland.  The  building  of  the  priest's  house  was  begun 
on  March  5,  1885.  It  was  located  near  the  church,  on  the  spot  now  oc- 
cupied by  the  present  church.  The  approximate  cost  of  the  two  buildings 
was  eight  thousand  five  hundred  dollars.  The  school  was  opened  in  Sep- 
tember, one  hundred  and  fifty  children  occupying  two  rooms,  and  the 
Mallinckrodt  Sisters  of  Christian  Charity,  of  Wilkesbarre,  Pennsylvania, 
assuming  direction.  The  school  grew  steadily  and  additions  were  made. 
In  December,  1891,  Rev.  Joseph  Spaeth  was  appointed  the  first  assistant 
in  St.  Elizabeth's  parish. 

Three  masses  were  now  celebrated  on  Sundays  and  still  the  church 
was  too  small  to  accommodate  the  large  crowds  of  people  desiring  to  at- 
tend. A  larger  church  now  became  an  apparent  necessity,  but  to  build 
one  was  indeed  a  great  undertaking.    Financial  burdens  weighed  heavily 


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872  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

on  the  parish,  since  the  buildings  already  standing  were  not  free  of  debt. 
Courage  and  sacrifice  overcame  every  obstacle  and  on  March  30,  1891, 
the  first  sod  was  turned  in  preparation  for  the  building  of  the  new  edifice. 
The  parochial  residence  occupied  a  part  of  the  site  intended  for  the  new 
church.  Two  lots  were  procured  opposite  the  school  and  onto  these  the 
house  was  moved.  The  corner  stone  of  the  church  was  laid  May  3,  and 
at  the  same  time  a  new  school  was  begun. 

The  new  church  is  purely  Roman  in  the  style  of  its  architecture  and 
is  a  most  imposing  structure.  It  was  dedicated  on  February  14,  1892, 
the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  John  S.  Foley  performing  the  ceremony  of  dedica- 
tion. The  two  new  buildings  represented  an  expenditure  of  about  fifty 
thousand  dollars.  To  meet  these  heavy  financial  obligations,  therefore, 
a  generosity  exceedingly  great  was  demanded  on  the  part  of  the  people, 
in  order  to  save  the  new  parish  from  financial  ruin.  The  health  of  the 
pastor  suffered  in  consequence  of  his  manifold  labors  and  in  the  hope  of 
recovering  his  health  he  went  to  Europe,  where  he  remained  six  months. 
Father  Spaeth  had  charge  of  the  parish  in  the  meantime,  being  assisted 
by  Rev.  John  Reichenbach,  the  latter  remaining  after  Father  Svensson's 
return  as  St.  Elizabeth's  assistant.  In  a  short  time,  however,  he  was 
called  away,  and  owing  to  the  scarcity  of  priests  at  that  time  Fr.  Svensson 
had  little  assistance.  During  the  week  he  was  alone  and  had  the  care  of 
all  the  sick,  as  well  as  charge  of  all  the  financial  affairs  of  the  parish. 
The  parish  had  grown  rapidly  and  at  that  time  consisted  of  about  five 
hundred  families.  The  work  of  caring  for  so  large  a  flock  proved  too 
much  for  the  failing  health  of  the  zealous  pastor  of  souls  and  his  physical 
health  soon  became  insuflBcient  for  the  burdeti.  The  Bishop  learned  of 
the  fact  and  Rev.  Reynold  Kuehnel  was  sent  as  assistant.  Immediately 
after  the  arrival  of  the  young  priest,  Father  Svensson  became  seriously 
ill  and  on  May  27,  1896,  departed  this  life.  The  parish  suffered  a  heavy 
loss  in  the  death  of  this  noble,  generous-hearted  priest ;  the  respect  and 
love  of  his  entire  parish  was  enjoyed  by  Father  Svensson  to  an  extent 
rarely  noted.  The  Bishop 's  task  in  selecting  a  priest  to  take  charge  of  the 
parish  was  not  an  easy  one.  Priests  were  scarce  throughout  the  diocese ; 
and  this  scarcity  was  especially  noticeable  among  German-speaking 
priests.  A  short  timie  elapsed,  therefore,  and  during  the  interval  the  af- 
fairs of  the  parish  were  conducted  by  Father  Kuehnel  aided  by  the  Ca- 
puchins. The  eventual  choice  of  Father  Ternes  to  this  important  post 
has  proved  of  the  greatest  possible  wisdom. 

Henry  Clay  Hodges.  One  of  the  important  functions  of  this  his- 
torical work  is  to  accord  recognition  of  specific  order  to  those  who  have 
been  influential  factors  in  connection  with  civic  and  business  activities 
in  the  Michigan  metropolis,  and  to  such  consideration  Henry  Clay 
Hodges  is  well  entitled,  as  even  the  brief  data  here  incorporated  will 
clearly  indicate. 

The  Hodges  family  was  founded  in  America  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  seventeenth  century,  when  the  original  progenitor  came  from  Eng- 
land and  established  his  home  in  Massachuetts,  the  lineage  being  traced 
through  many  generations  of  staunch  English  stock.  Asoph  Nathaniel 
Hodges,  great-grandfather  of  him  whose  name  initiates  this  review, 
was  born  in  the  historic  old  town  of  Salem,  Massachusetts,  in  1723,  and 
when  a  young  man  he  removed  to  Essex  county.  New  York,  where  he 
became  a  pioneer  settler  and  where  he  passed  the  residue  of  his  life. 
His  son  Ezekiel  was  bom  in  that  county  about  the  year  of  1750,  and  he 
was  about  twenty-four  years  of  age  when  he  tendered  his  services  as 
a  patriot  soldier  in  the  Continental  line  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution, 
his  enlistment  having  taken  place  in  Washington  county.  New  York. 


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HENRY  C.  HODGES 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  873 

Nathaniel  Hodges,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  father  of  Henry  Clay  Hodges, 
was  bom  in  Washington  county,  New  York,  in  the  year  1787,  and  was 
reared  to  adult  age  in  the  old  Empire  state,  whence  he  removed  to 
Grand  Isle  county,  Vermont,  in  1813.  He  was  in  the  government 
service  during  the  War  of  1812.  Nathaniel  Hodges  was  recognized  as  a 
man  of  strong  character,  was  ever  firm  and  courageous  in  defense  of  his 
convictions,  was  broad  and  liberal  in  his  views,  was  a  deep  student  of 
history,  and  possessed  a  remarkable  memory.  In  politics  he  was  a 
Henry  Clay  Whig  and  he  continued  to  vote  the  Whig  ticket  until  the 
organization  of  the  Republican  party,  when  he  gave  his  allegiance 
thereto  and  became  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  policies  of  President 
Lincoln.    He  died  in  March,  1869,  in  his  eighty-third  year. 

Clarissa  (Phelps)  Hodges,  mother  of  Henry  Clay  Hodges,  was  bom 
in  the  town  of  South  Hero,  Grand  Isle  county,  Vermont,  in  the  year 
1793,  and  was  a  representative  of  the  Connecticut  branch  of  the  Phelps 
and  Pearl  families  which  settled  in  Hartford  county  and  vicinity  in  the 
colonial  days.  At  the  early  age  of  twelve  years  she  became  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  she  was  ever  a  devoted  student 
of  the  Bible,  besides  which  she  was  recognized  as  an  able  contributor 
to  the  religious  papers  of  the  day  until  she  had  attained  to  her  eighty- 
fifth  year.  She  was  ninety-one  years  of  age  at  the  time  when  she  was 
summoned  to  the  life  eternal,  and  her  memory  is  revered  by  all  who  came 
within  the  sphere  of  her  noble  and  gracious  influence. 

Henry  Clay  Hodges  was  bom  in  the  township  of  South  Hero^  Grand 
Isle  county,  Vermont,  on  the  2d  of  March,  1828,  and  was  reared  under 
the  invigorating  influences  and  environments  of  the  old  Green  Mountain 
state,  where  he  was  accorded  the  advantages  of  the  common  schools  of 
his  native  county.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  his  academic  opportunities 
were  limited  in  scope,  owing  to  the  conditions  and  exigencies  of  time  and 
place,  but  this  early  handicap  did  not  prove  sufficient  to  retard  in  the 
least  the  symmetrical  development  of  his  intellectual  faculties.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  years  he  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship  to  the  trade  of 
carriage-making,  and  within  the  ensuing  four  years  he  had  so  far  mas- 
tered his  trade  as  to  enable  him  to  start  in  business  for  himself.  On  the 
first  day  of  December,  1850^  as  a  young  man  of  twenty-two  years,  he  ar- 
rived in  Detroit,  and  from  this  city  he  soon  afterward  went  to  Marshall, 
the  judicial  center  of  Calhoun  county,  where  he  became  clerk  and  cashier 
of  the  Michigan  Central  hotel,  which  was  at  that  time  the  most  cele- 
brated between  New  York  and  Chicago. 

In  1852  Mr.  Hodges  began  the  study  of  law,  under  the  preceptorship 
of  Judge  James  R.  Slack,  of  Huntington,  Indiana,  and  while  prosecuting 
his  law  studies  also  taught  in  the  country  schools  of  the  vicinity  during 
the  winter  terms.  In  1853  he  returned  to  Michigan  and  located  at  Niles, 
Berrien  county,  where  he 'entered  the  employ  of  J.  F.  Cross  and  Com- 
pany, which  controlled  marble  quarries  in  Vermont.  The  following 
year  he  was  admitted  to  partnership  in  the  business  and  removed  to 
Pond  du  Lac,  Wisconsin,  where  the  firm  established  branch  quarters. 
Mr.  Hodges  maintained  his  home  in  Wisconsin  until  1862,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Michigan  and  entered  into  partnership  with  his  brother, 
Charles  C.  Hodges,  and  Edward  Barker,  under  the  firm  name  of  Barker, 
Hodges  &  Brother.  This  firm  assumed  the  general  agency  for  the  Con- 
necticut Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company,  of  Hartford,  for  the  states  of 
Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Iowa  and  Minnesota.  In  1864  Mr.  Barker  retired 
and  the  firm  then  became  Hodges  Brothers,  with  headquarters  in  De- 
troit. In  addition  to  their  operations  in  the  field  of  life  insurance  the 
Hodges  brothers  were  among  the  pioneers  in  the  real-estate  business  in 
Detroit,  and  they  largely  handled  their  own  property,  which  included  a 

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874  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

large  portion  of  the  Woodbridge  farm  lying  north  of  Grand  River  ave- 
nue. In  the  early  70s  they  purchased  a  tract  of  land  in  the  northern 
suburbs  of  Detroit  and  on  the  same  they  donated  for  street  purposes  a 
strip  seventy  feet  in  width,  to  which  they  gave  the  name  of  Lincoln  ave- 
nue. Through  the  efforts  of  Henry  C.  Hodges  Trumbull  avenue,  which 
was  then  about  sixty  feet  wide,  was  increased  to  eighty  feet,  ten  feet  be- 
ing donated  by  Hodges  brothers  on  one  side  and  an  equal  strip  by  prop- 
erty owners  on  the  other  side  of  the  street.  In  the  same  year  the  broth- 
ers purchased  the  property  at  the  corner  of  State  and  Griswold  streets, 
where  the  Hodges  building  now  stands,  and  in  which  Mr.  Hodges  still 
retains  a  half  interest. 

To  Mr.  Hodges  and  the  late  David  M.  Richardson,  Detroit  is  indebted 
for  the  conception  of  the  idea  of  establishing  the  boulevard  which  now 
encircles  the  city.  Though  a  somewhat  different  route  was  originally 
projected,  the  interest  aroused  through  the  efforts  and  suggestions  of 
Messrs.  Hodges  and  Richardson  finally  culminated  in  the  building  of  the 
present  magnificient  driveway.  In  1879  the  Hodges  brothers  purchased 
the  busines  of  John  R.  Grout,  manufacturer  of  lubricator  devices,  and 
thereupon  organized  and  incorporated  the  Detroit  Lubricator  Company, 
of  which  Henry  C.  Hodges  became  president.  The  plant  of  this  com- 
pany has  been  enlarged  from  time  to  time,  until  it  is  one  of  if  not  the 
most  extensive  and  important  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  employing  700 
men. 

In  1872  Mr.  Hodges  became  vice-president  and  one  of  the  managing 
directors  of  the  Wyandotte  Rolling  ^lills,  and  after  the  death  of  Captain 
Eber  B.  Ward  he  succeeded  the  latter  in  the  presidency.  He  was  associ- 
ated with  Captain  Ward  and  others  in  the  organization  of  the  Detroit- 
Arizona  Copper  Mining  Company  and  was  vice-president  of  this  cor- 
poration until  the  death  of  Captain  Ward,  when  he  became  president  of 
both  the  rolling-mill  and  mines.  The  mines  controlled  by  this  company 
have  since  gained  place  among  the  largest  copper-producing  mines  in 
the  country.  In  1882  Mr.  Hodges  and  his  brother  effected  the  incorpor- 
ation of  the  Detroit  Steam  Radiator  Company,  which  eventually  became 
the  American  Radiator  Company,  and  this  concern  was  the  first  to 
manufacture  the  type  of  cast-iron  radiators  which  have  since  become  the 
standard  the  world  over. 

Mr.  Hodges  is  still  largely  interested  in  real  estate  in  Detroit.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican,  insofar  as  national  issues  are  involved.  He 
attended  the  convention,  in  1860,  which  nominated  Lincoln  for  the  presi- 
dency. He  is,  however,  essentially  a  man  of  independent  views,  and  is 
not  constrained  by  strict  partisan  lines.  He  is  public-spirited  to  a  de- 
gree and  has  ever  shown  a  loyal  interest  in  all  that  touches  the  well  being 
of  the  city  in  which  he  has  so  long  maintained  his  home  and  in  which  his 
name  is  a  recognized  synonym  of  integrity  and  honor.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Commerce  of  Detroit. 

Thus  far  reference  has  been  made  to  the  business  phases  in  the 
career  of  Mr.  Hodges.  In  the  world  of  literature  he  has  gained  a  position 
of  prominence.  He  is  an  original  thinker  and  has  given  the  world 
in  his  published  works  a  valuable  contribution.  In  the  ancient  science 
of  planetary  influences  he  has  made  extensive  researches  and  he  is 
known  as  one  of  the  leading  exponents  of  the  same  at  the  present  time. 
His  investigations  in  this  direction  have  been  very  thorough  and  ex- 
haustive, and  the  concrete  results  are  shown  in  his  published  work  of 
seven  volumes,  entitled  * '  Science  and  Key  of  Life ;  Planetary  Influences, ' ' 
as  well  as  in  other  books  on  astrological  science.  These  works  show  the 
wide  scope  of  his  investigations  and  his  profound  knowledge  of  the  sub- 
jects treated.     From  the  prospectus  of  the  ** Science  and  Key  of  Life; 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  875 

Planetary  Influences,''  are  taken  the  following  extracts:  **Some  men 
are  bom  to  honor  and  others  to  dishonor;  some  to  wealth  and  others  to 
want ;  some  in  the  midst  of  crime,  ignorance  and  sorrow ;  others  environed 
in  happy  conditions.  When  and  where  is  the  law  of  compensation  ap- 
plied to  equalize  these  conditions,  or  why  should  these  things  be?"  The 
statements  and  questions  thus  put  by  Mr.  Hodges  have  been  thus  ex- 
plained by  him :  '  *  The  necessity  for  a  complete  and  scientific  answer  to 
the  above  and  like  interrogatories,  relating  to  life,  its  purposes  and  dest- 
iny, is  my  excuse  for  presenting  to  the  world  the  data  contained  in  my 
published  work,  *  Science  and  Key  of  Life;  Planetary  Influences/  and  it 
is  with  a  consciousness  that  the  great  truths  therein  elucidated  will  find 
lodgment  in  many  receptive  minds  which  are  seeking  more  light  on 
these  great  problems  of  human  existence,  that  I  dedicated  these  volumes 
to  the  welfare  of  humanity.''  A  review  of  this  comprehensive  work, 
born  of  exalted  ideals  and  broad  humanitarian  spirit  and  marked  by 
profound  thought  as  well  as  scientific  knowledge  of  wide  scope,  can  not, 
of  course,  be  given  in  a  sketch  of  this  order,  but  full  information  concern- 
ing the  publication  may  be  secured  by  applying  to  the  book  department 
of  the  Astral  Science  Department,  Hodges  Building,  Detroit.  Mr. 
Hodges  is  editor  and  publisher  of  the  * '  Stellar  Ray, ' '  a  monthly  magazine 
devoted  to  the  practical  problems  of  life. 

The  entire  life  of  Henry  C.  Hodges  has  been  one  of  broad  usefulness. 
A  close  and  appreciative  student  by  nature  and  possessed  of  a  remarkable 
memory,  his  wide  reading  has  resulted  in  giving  to  him  a  fund  of  knowl- 
edge possessed  by  few  men  who  have  been  so  actively  engaged  in  business 
affairs.  Practical  business  still  engrosses  much  of  the  time  and  attention 
of  Mr.  Hodges,  and  in  evidence  of  this  it  may  be  noted  that  he  is  now 
erecting  a  fine  apartment  building  on  John  R.  and  Center  street,  Detroit, 
to  which  he  will  give  the  title  of  the  Henry  Clay  Apartments.  His 
residence  is  at  839  Jefferson  avenue.  He  and  his  wife  attend  the  Unita- 
rian church  and  he  has  been  a  member  of  its  board  of  trustees  for  many 
years. 

In  the  year  1854  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Hodges  to  Miss 
Julia  Bidwell,  of  Hastings,  Michigan.  She  was  born  at  Kinderhook, 
Columbia  county,  New  York,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Horace  Bidwell,  who 
was  numbered  among  the  sterling  pioneers  of  Michigan.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hodges  became  the  parents  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom 
are  living.  The  sons  are  Clarence  B.,  Charles  H.,  and  Frederick  W., 
and  the  daughters  are  Clara  D.  and  Cora  Virginia. 

Rev.  MiTHEW  Mk\the,  the  pastor  of  St.  Ijeo's  church.  Something 
over  twenty-one  years  ago  the  Reverend  Mathew  Meathe  organized  the 
parish  of  St.  Leo.  The  date  was  August  27,  1889,  and  he  is  still  the 
pastor  of  that  once  small  parish.  Year  by  year  through  his  zeal  and 
faith  the  congregation  has  enlarged  until  it  has  reached  its  present 
flourishing  proportions.  The  property  of  the  parish  is  located  on  the 
comer  of  Grand  River  avenue,  between  Hitchcock  avenue  and  Fifteenth 
street,  and  extends  back  on  Fifteenth  street  as  far  as  Warren  avenue. 
The  church's  possessions  consist  of  the  well-built  and  attractive  church, 
the  pleasant  rectory  building,  the  school  and  a  power  house.  The  inter- 
esting work  of  the  parochial  school  is  ably  carried  on  under  the  tutelage 
of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  and  is  at  present  attended  by  seven  hundred 
pupils.  The  foundress  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity  was  Mother  Seton, 
and  the  mother  house  of  the  order  is  located  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Reverend  Wo-liam  F.  Dooley.  It  is  fitting  to  preface  a  brief  outline 
of  the  life  of  the  president  of  the  University  of  Detroit  with  a  few  words 


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876  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

concerning  the  institution  whose  good  fortune  it  is  to  secure  him  as  its 
head  at  this  important  crisis  in  its  successful  history. 

In  1877  the  school  was  founded  by  Bishop  Miege  and  four  years 
later  the  institution  was  incorporated  according  to  the  general  law  of 
Michigan  and  received  the  corporate  title  of  ** Detroit  College"  with 
power  to  grant  such  literary  honors  and  confer  such  degrees  as  are 
usually  conferred  by  similar  colleges  and  institutions.  Until  1889  the 
institution  was  housed  in  separate  buildings  which  soon  became  in- 
adequate to  accommodate  the  increasing  enrollment  besides  being  incon- 
venient. During  the  presidency  of  Reverend  M.  P.  Dowling,  from  1889 
to  1893,  the  old  separate  buildings  were  replaced  by  the  present  hand- 
some edifice.  Until  quite  recently,  this  building  sufficed.  It  was  only 
during  the  presidency  of  R.  D.  Slevin,  1906  to  1911,  that  the  gymnasium 
building  on  Lamed  street  was  added  to  the  main  building.  The  new 
addition  contains  four  recitation  rooms,  two  lecture  halls  and  two  labora- 
tories, besides  the  large  gymnasium  which  also  serves  as  an  auditorium 
for  the  various  public  exhibitions  and  lectures  given  to  the  students. 

This  material  expansion  was  recognized  by  the  many  distinguished 
Alumni  of  the  college  as  necessary  to  the  increasing  intellectual  develop- 
ment of  the  institution  and  it  received  the  loyal  support  af  the  eminent 
clergymen,  physicians,  journalists,  lawyers  and  prosperous  business  men 
who  have  received  their  education  in  the  College  and  who  realize  its 
power  and  influence. 

This  growth  of  the  plant,  the  increasing  prominence  of  its  alunmi 
and  most  of  all  the  almost  linprecedented  growth  of  the  city  in  popula- 
tion and  industrial  supremacy,  warrant  and  indeed  demand  new  de- 
velopments in  the  educational  work  of  the  institution.  For  this  reason, 
at  the  expiration  of  the  charter  of  1881,  in  the  year  1911,  the  authorities 
of  the  school  effected  a  new  organization  on  a  broader  basis  and  incor- 
porated under  the  title  of  ** University  of  Detroit.'^ 

This  means  that  the  different  departments  of  university  education 
along  literary,  philosophical,  scientific,  professional  and  technological 
lines  will  be  built  up  as  rapidly  as  circumstances  permit.  At  present  the 
scope  of  the  work  of  the  school  is  that  of  a  classical  education.  Its  sys- 
tem is  the  same  as  that  of  all  the  colleges  and  universities  of  the  society 
of  the  Jesuits  throughout  the  world.  The  system  of  training,  based  on 
the  **  Ratio  Studiorum,"  modified  to  suit  the  changing  times  and  condi- 
tions, has  stood  the  test  of  a  long  and  varied  e!xperience.  The  aim  of 
high  school  and  college  courses  is  to  **lay  a  solid  foundation  in  mind  and 
heart  for  the  superstructure  of  professional  science,  and  for  the  upbuild- 
ing of  moral,  civic  and  religious  life.''  The  ends  it  aims  for,  it  accom- 
plishes. The  development  induced  by  its  prescribed  course  of  languages, 
mathematics,  science,  philosophy  and  religion  in  the  high  school  and 
college  course  is  broad  and  complete.  Cultural,  mental  and  moral 
growth  is  ensured,  while  other  systems  fail  or  produce  a  one-sided 
development. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  year  1911  preparations  were  completed  to 
open  an  engineering  department  to  embrace  electrical,  mechanical  and 
civil  engineering.  The  organization  of  such  a  department  was  impera- 
tive to  meet  the  demands  of  the  students  and  the  needs  of  the  city.  This 
school  is  another  step  forward  in  the  scheme  of  extension  so  persistently 
followed  since  the  inception  of  the  college.  In  the  near  future,  under 
the  energetic  ability  of  its  present  head.  Reverend  W.  F.  Dooley,  a  school 
of  commerce  and  economics  and  departments  of  medicine,  law,  pharmacy 
and  dentistry  will  be  added  to  the  University,  thus  giving  to  the  city 
of  Detroit  an  institution  fully  equipped  to  supply  the  manifold  needs 
of  her  ever  growing  population. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  877 

President  Dooley  though  the  first  president  of  the  University  of 
Detroit,  succeeds  to  the  head  of  an  institution  whose  presidents  have 
been  men  of  mark  and  of  power.  Reverend  James  Walsh  was  the  first 
president  of  the  college,  after  it  was  incorporated  in  1881.  He  was 
followed  by  J.  P.  Frieden;  then  came  Reverend  Dowling,  mentioned 
above ;  and  between  1893  and  1906  the  presidency  was  held  by  Reverend 
H.  A.  Schapman,  Reverend  James  F.  Foley  and  Reverend  Louis  Kel- 
linger. 

Father  Dooley  is  singularly  fitted  to  be  the  head  of  such  a  University 
and  the  work  of  building  it  up  is  one  which  could  fall  into  no  better 
hands.  He  was  bom  in  Chicago,  March  30,  1872.  His  early  education 
was  received  in  the  parochial  schools  of  Chicago  and  he  completed  his 
academic  and  collegiate  training  at  St.  Ignatius  College  of  the  same 
city.  In  1891  he  entered  the  Jesuit  order  at  Florissant,  Missouri,  where 
he  spent  four  years,  two  of  which  he  devoted  to  graduate  work  in  the 
classics  and  English  Literature.  In  1895  he  went  to  St.  Louis  Univer- 
sity at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  gave  his  undivided  attention  to  studies  in 
physics,  chemistry,  logic,  psychology  and  ethics. 

At  the  completion  of  his  course  in  St.  Louis,  Reverend  Dooley  became 
a  professor  in  St.  Mary's  College,  at  St.  Mary's,  Kansas.  For  three 
years  he  taught  there  and  then  came  to  Detroit  College,  where  he  taught 
the  classics,  English  literature  and  public  speaking.  In  1903  Professor 
Dooley  returned  to  St.  Louis  University  and  there  he  made  the  studies 
proper  to  his  ecclesiastic  profession.  It  was  not  until  1908  Father 
Dooley  engaged  in  university  administration.  In  this  year  he  was 
elected  dean  of  the  college  of  arts  of  the  Creighton  University.  While 
there  he  not  only  devoted  himself  to  the  advancement  of  the  interests 
of  the  university  but  became  closely  identified  with  educational  work 
throughout  the  state  of  Nebraska.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Nebraska  state  committee,  which  gave  Nebraska  its  present  requirements 
for  state  teachers'  certificates.  On  July  2,  1911,. he  was  called  to  the 
presidency  of  the  University  of  Detroit,  where  his  inspiring  work  as  a 
teacher  has  prepared  him  a  more  intimate,  though  not  a  more  cordial 
welcome  than  should  be  accorded  to  the  able  educator  and  efficient 
organizer  he  has  since  become.  The  past  history  of  the  new  university 
assures  its  future  and  with  Father  Dooley  at  its  head  its  progress  cannot 
but  be  swift  and  steady. 

Reverend  John  A.  Kessler  was  born  in  Detroit,  August  10,  1868. 
His  parents  were  old  settlers  of  the  city,  his  mother  having  come  to  it 
in  1835,  when  she  was  a  child  of  ten,  and  his  father  a  few  years  later. 
Father  Kessler  received  his  primary  education  in  St.  Joseph's  parochial 
school,  after  which  he  entered  Detroit  College,  conducted  by  the  Jesuit 
Fathers.  After  completing  a  six  years'  course  in  this  institution,  he  de- 
voted two  years  to  the  study  of  philosophy  at  St.  Jerome's  College,  Ber- 
lin, Ontario.  He  then  entered  St.  Mary's  Seminary  at  Baltimore,  Mary- 
land, where  he  spent  three  years  in  the  study  of  theology.  On  July  3, 
1892,  he  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  by  the  Right  Reverend  John  S. 
Foley,  D.D.  Father  Kessler  was  first  appointed  secretary  to  the  Right 
Reverend  Bishop.  After  three  years  spent  in  this  office  and  three  and  a 
half  years  as  assistant  pastor  of  St.  Vincent's,  Detroit,  and  four  months 
as  pastor  of  St.  Mary's,  Redford,  Michigan,  Father  Kessler  was  ap- 
pointed pastor  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist  church,  East  Grand  Boule- 
vard, Detroit,  over  which  parish  he  now  presides. 

The  history  of  this  parish  is  one  of  peculiar  interest.  When  the  Rev- 
erend Henry  MeuflPels,  pastor  of  St.  Mary's,  Anchorville,  was  appointed 
to  the  pastorate  of  St.  John's  parish  in  the  spring  of  1892,  his  record  of 


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878  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

organization  of  the  parish  showed  but  eighteen  families.  He  immediately 
began  the  erection  of  a  church,  services  being  held  in  the  meantime  in  a 
private  residence.  When  the  edifice  was  completed  it  was  dedicated  by 
the  Right  Reverend  John  S.  Foley,  D.  D.,  on  July  9,  1893.  Father 
Meuffels  was  pastor  of  St.  John's  until  1898,  when  failing  health  made 
it  necessary  for  him  to  resign.  Father  Kessler  was  appointed  pastor 
then  and  took  charge  of  the  parish,  December  3,  1898. 

The  parochial  residence  was  completed  in  1899  and  was  first  occu- 
pied by  Father  Kessler  on  March  25th  of  that  year.  The  following  year 
the  church  was  removed  from  the  corner  of  the  Boulevard  and  Sargent 
street,  where  it  was  originally  built,  to  midway  between  Sargent  and 
GriflBn  streets.  The  building  was  then  remodeled  and  enlarged,  after 
which  it  was  rededicated  by  the  same  Prelate  who  had  performed  the 
ceremony  of  consecration  for  it  eight  years  before.  The  dedication  of 
the  new  building  took  place  on  December  22,  1901. 

On  the  night  of  May  9,  1906,  a  fire  visited  the  church  and  destroyed 
a  portion  of  the  structure,  which  was,  however,  soon  restored.  The 
work  and  needs  of  the  parish  have  grown  rapidly  and  in  April,  1908, 
ground  was  broken  for  the  erection  of  a  parochial  school  on  the  comer 
of  the  Boulevard  and  Sargent  street.  The  corner  stone  was  laid  July  26, 
1908,  by  the  Very  Reverend  M.  J.  P.  Dempsey,  V.  G.,  and  when  the 
building  was  completed  it  was  dedicated  on  June  27,  1909,  by  the  Right 
Reverend  John  S.  Foley,  D.D.  The  school  was  placed  in  charge  of  the 
Sisters  of  Christian  Charity,  Sister  Sylvia,  Superior.  The  present  en- 
rollment is  about  six  hundred  pupils.  A  new  parochial  residence  was 
erected  at  23  Sargent  street,  the  old  one  being  occupied  by  the  Sisters. 
From  a  small  beginning  of  eighteen  families,  the  parish  has  grown  so 
that  it  now  numbers  between  six  and  seven  hundred  families.  The  seed 
has  fallen  upon  good  ground  and  has  brought  forth  abundantly,  its 
growth  keeping  pace  with  the  material  increase  of  the  city  and  its  leaven 
permeating  not  merely  its  own  parish  but  the  entire  community. 

Thomas  M.  Hart,  M.  D.  The  neighboring  province  of  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, has  contributed  a  specially  representative  quota  to  the  personnel  of 
the  medical  profession  in  the  city  of  Detroit,  and  one  of  the  successful 
and  popular  physicians  and  surgeons  who  thus  reverts  to  that  province 
as  the  place  of  his  nativity  is  Dr.  Thomas  Malcolm  Hart,  and  he  has  been 
engaged  in  active  practice  in  the  Michigan  metropolis  since  1898. 

Dr.  Hart  was  bom  at  Shanty  Bay,  Simcoe  county,  Ontario,  Canada, 
on  the  14th  of  July,  1871,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Jane  (Flaherty) 
Hart,  both  of  whom  were  likewise  bom  in  that  province,  the  former  be- 
ing of  staunch  English  lineage  and  the  latter  of  Irish  descent.  Isaac 
Hart,  grandfather  of  the  Doctor,  was  born  in  England  and  became  the 
founder  of  the  Canadian  branch  of  the  family.  He  secured  wild  land  in 
the  province  of  Ontario  and  there  reclaimed  a  productive  farm.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  passed  the  remaining  years  of  their  lives  in  Ontario. 
Thomas  Hart  has  long  been  numbered  among  the  representative  agricul- 
turists and  honored  citizens  of  Simcoe  county  and  there  both  he  and  his 
wife  still  maintain  their  home,  secure  in  the  high  esteem  of  all  who  know 
them.  The  public  schools  of  his  native  county  afforded  Dr.  Hart  his 
preliminary  educational  training,  which  was  supplemented  along  higher 
academic  lines  by  a  course  in  the  Barry  Collegiate  Institute,  at  Barry, 
Ontario.  In  1893  he  matriculated  in  the  medical  department  of  Trinity 
College,  in  the  city  of  Toronto,  and  in  this  admirably  equipped  and  con- 
ducted institution  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1897, 
with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine,  as  well  as  those  of  Master  in  Sur- 
gery and  Fellow  of  Trinity  Medical  College.     In  May  of  the  same  year 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  879 

the  doctor  went  to  Wisconsin  and  located  at  New  Richmond,  St.  Croix 
county,  where  he  continued  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  until  1898, 
when  he  located  in  Detroit,  where  he  has  found  ample  scope  for  success- 
ful work  in  his  profession  and  where  he  has  gained  secure  prestige  as  a 
physician  and  surgeon  of  fine  ability  and  as  a  citizen  of  loyidty  and  pro- 
gressiveness.  He  controls  a  substantial  general  practice  and  maintains 
his  home  and  office  at  438  TrumbuU  avenue.  With  a  few  other  physi- 
cians in  1912  he  began  the  erection  of  what  is  known  as  the  Samaritan 
Hospital.  This  is  a  fire-proof  building  of  steel  construction  and  so 
planned  as  to  permit  of  additions  being  made  as  required.  It  is  fitted 
with  the  latest  appliances  for  the  treatment  of  medical  and  surgical  cases 
and  has  accommodations  for  about  fifty  patients.  The  structure  when 
completed  will  cost  over  $50,000. 

Dr.  Hart  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  the 
Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association. 
He  is  an  appreciative  member  of  the  time-honored  Masonic  fraternity,  in 
which  his  York  Rite  affiliations  are  with  the  Palestine  Lodge,  No.  351, 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons.  He  has  also  attained  to  the  thirty-second 
degree  in  the  Aiicient  Accepted  Scottish  Rite  and  in  the  same  is  affiliated 
with  Michigan  Sovereign  Consistory,  besides  which  he  is  enrolled  as  a 
member  of  Moslem  Temple,  Ancient  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  communicants  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
church.     In  his  political  affiliations  he  is  a  Republican. 

On  the  22d  of  April,  1903,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr.  Hart  to 
Miss  Catherine  A.  Qayland,  of  Baraboo,  Wisconsin,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Jane  Elizabeth,  who  was  bom  on  the  9th  of  October,  1911. 

James  A.  Van  Dyke.  Within  a  recent  period  it  was  the  privilege  of 
the  writer  to  study  with  care  and  appreciation  the  data  pertaining  to 
the  character  and  achievements  of  the  late  James  A.  Van  Dyke,  and  from 
the  information  thus  gained  to  offer  an  estimate  of  his  services  and  in- 
fluence. To  this  article  recourse  is  taken  with  liberality  in  the  formulat- 
ing of  the  one  here  presented,  that  again  may  a  tribute  be  paid  to  one  of 
the  really  great  and  noble  pioneers  of  Detroit  and  the  state  of  Michigan, 
where  he  established  his  home  prior  to  the  admission  of  the  territory  as 
one  of  the  sovereign  commonwealths  of  the  Union.  Our  later  genera- 
tions may  well  pause  to  contemplate  his  exalted  and  useful  life  and  to 
gain  therefrom  both  lesson  and  inspiration.  Mr.  Van  Dyke  dignified 
and  honored  the  state  of  Michigan,  was  one  of  the  most  distin^ished 
members  of  its  bar,  and  as  a  citizen  exemplified  the  highest  loyauy  and 
public  spirit,  as  well  as  the  fullest  measure  of  civic  righteousness. 

James  Adams  Van  Dyke  was  born  at  Mercersburg,  Franklin  county, 
Pennsylvania,  in  December,  1813,  and  his  death  occurred  at  his  home  in 
Detroit  on  the  7th  of  May,  1855.  He  was  a  son  of  William  and  Nancy 
(Duncan)  Van  Dyke,  the  former  of  whom  was  of  Holland  Dutch  lineage 
and  the  latter  of  Scotch  descent.  The  respective  families  were  founded 
in  America  in  the  colonial  era  of  our  national  history,  and  both  William 
Van  Dyke  and  his  wife  were  natives  of  the  old  Keystone  state,  where 
they  passed  their  entire  lives.  Of  their  five  sons  and  one  daughter  the 
eldest  was  the  subject  of  this  memoir. 

Under  the  direction  of'  able  private  tutors  James  A.  Van  Dyke 
gained  his  early  educational  discipline,  and  there  is  ample  evidence  to 
show  that  he  was  signally  favored  in  the  surroundings  and  influences 
of  the  parental  home,  which  was  one  of  unmistakable  culture  and  refine- 
ment. At  the  age  of  fifteen  years  he  entered  Madison  College,  at  Union- 
town,  Pennsylvania,  and  in  this  institution  he  was  graduated  as  a  member 
of  the  class  of  1832.    Within  the  same  year  he  began  the  study  of  law, 


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880  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

under  the  preceptorship  of  George  Chambers,  at  Chambersburg,  Penn- 
sylvania. There  he  continued  his  professional  reading  with  marked 
avidity  and  earnestness  for  one  year,  at  the  expiration  of  which  he  went 
to  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  where  he  found  an  able  preceptor  in  the  per- 
son of  William  Price,  a  prominent  member  of  the  bar  of  that  common- 
wealth. Later  he  pursued  his  technical  studies  for  several  months  in 
the  city  of  Baltimore,  where  he  also  availed  himself  of  the  privilege  of 
attending  upon  the  local  courts. 

In  December,  1834,  Mr.  Van  Dyke  left  his  home  with  the  purpose  of 
locating  in  Pittsburgh,  which  was  then  a  small  city,  but  which  failed  to 
prove  attractive  to  him.  Under  these  conditions  he  determined  to  re- 
move to  the  west,  and  soon  afterward  he  arrived  in  Detroit,  bearing  let- 
ters of  introduction  to  Hon.  Alexander  D.  Prazer,  who  was  then  one  of 
the  leading  members  of  the  local  bar.  He  entered  the  oflSce  of  Mr. 
Prazer,  and  within  six  months  thereafter  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of 
the  territory  of  Michigan.  In  a  memorial  published  at  the  time  of  his 
death  appear  the  following  pertinent  statements:  '*Prom  the  very  out- 
set of  his  career  Mr.  Van  Dyke  devoted  himself  with  the  utmost  assiduity 
to  his  profession.  It  was  the  calling  of  his  choice,  and  his  peculiar  and 
rich  gifts  rendered  him  entirely  fit  to  pursue  its  higher,  more  honorable 
and  more  distinguished  walks." 

In  1835  Mr.  Van  Dyke  formed  a  law  partnership  with  Hon.  Charles 
W.  Whipple,  and  this  alliance  continued  until  the  election  of  the  latter 
to  the  bench  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  state.  In  1838  Mr.  Van  Dyke 
associated  himself  in  practice  with  E.  B.  Harrington,  who  continued  as 
his  professional  confrere  until  the  relationship  was  severed  by  the  death 
of  Mr.  Harrington,  in  1844.  Thereafter  Mr.  Van  Dyke  was  associated 
in  general  practice  with  H.  H.  Emmons  until  1852,  when  both  virtually 
retired  from  the  active  practice  of  their  profession  in  this  generic  sense. 
In  the  year  last  mentioned  Mr.  Van  Dyke  became  the  attorney  for  the 
Michigan  Central  Railroad  Company,  in  which  connection  he  rendered 
valuable  service  both  to  the  company  and  the  people  of  the  state.  Con- 
cerning his  association  with  this  important  corporation  more  specific  men- 
tion is  made  in  later  paragraphs.  In  1835,  and  again  in  1839,  he  was  ap- 
pointed city  attorney  of  Detroit,  and  in  1840  he  was  appointed  prose- 
cuting attorney  of  Wayne  county.  Concerning  his  administration  in 
this  latter  office  the  following  contemporaneous  estimate  was  given:  **He 
established  a  new  era  in  the  efficiency,  energy  and  success  with  which  he 
conducted  the  criminal  prosecutions  and  cleared  the  city  and  county  of 
numerous  and  flagrant  criminals.'*  In  1843  he  was  chosen  to  represent 
the  Third  ward  on  the  board  of  aldermen,  and  in  the  following  year  he 
was  re-electfid.  His  effective  services  as  chairman  of  the  committee  of 
ways  and  means  during  this  period,  when  the  city's  finances  were  in 
deplorable  condition,  proved  specially  potent  in  upholding  the  financial 
reputation  of  Detroit.  In  1847  he  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city,  and  in 
his  careful  and  conservative  administration  he  was  able  to  carry  to  a  log- 
ical conclusion  the  policies  which  he  had  brought  forward  in  the  alder- 
manic  committee  previously  mentioned.  He  was  not  a  figurehead  in  the 
office  of  mayor,  but  put  forth  his  best  efforts  and  powers  in  behalf  of  the 
city.  In  1853  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  first  board  of  commis- 
sioners of  the  Detroit  water  works,  and  of  this  position  he  continued  the 
incumbent  until  his  death.  Prom  Silas  Parmer's  history  of  Detroit  and 
Michigan,  published  in  1889,  are  taken  the  folowing  extracts  touching 
the  peculiarly  prominent  association  of  Mr.  Van  Dyke  with  the  Detroit 
fire  department: 

**He  was  best  known,  however,  from  his  connection  with  the  early 
history  of  the  Detroit  fire  department.    His  name  was  enrolled  on  the 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  881 

list  of  members  composing  Protection  Fire  Company  No.  1,  the  first  duly 
organized  fire  company  in  Detroit,  and  until  his  death  no  man  in  the 
city  took  a  more  active  interest  in  building  up  and  extending  the  useful- 
ness of  the  fire  department.  He  served  as  president  of  the  department 
from  1847  to  1851,  and  to  his  financial  tact,  energy  and  determination, 
no  less  than  to  honest  pride  in  the  fire  department,  all  citizens  are 
greatly  indebted.  In  1840  he  framed  and  procured  the  passage  of  the 
law  incorporating  the  fire  department,  and  it  was  largely  his  efforts  that 
secured  the  erection  of  the  first  firemen's  hall.  His  death,  which  oc- 
curred May  7,  1855,  was  an  especially  severe  loss  to  the  fire  department, 
the  feling  being  fittingly  expressed  in  the  following  resolutions  adopted 
by  its  officers :  »  • 

*'  'Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  Mr.  Van  Dyke  the  fire  department 
of  Detroit  has  lost  one  of  its  benefactors ;  that  his  name  is  so  closely  in- 
terwoven with  its  fortune,  from  its  origin  as  a  benevolent  and  chartered 
organization,  through  the  vicissitudes  of  its  early  and  precarious  exist- 
ence, until  its  successful  and  triumphant  development  as  one  of  the 
prominent  institutions  of  the  city,  that  it  may  with  truth  be  said  that  its 
history  is  almost  comprised  within  the  limits  of  his  active  participation 
in  its  affairs. 

**  'Resolved,  That  as  a  fireman,  beginning  and  serving  his  full  term 
as  one  of  the  commissioners  of  this  city,  his  aim  seemed  to  be  rather  to 
discharge  well  the  duties  of  a  private  than  to  accept  the  proffered  honors 
of  this  company,  save  as  trustee  of  the  board.  But  of  those  duties  he 
had  a  high  appreciation,  deeming  it  a  worthy  ambition,  as  inculcated  by 
an  address  to  the  department,  to  dedicate  one's  self  to  the  work  with 
heart  brave  and  steadfast,  tenacious  of  obedience  to  law  and  order,  with 
an  elevated  and  stern  determination  to  tread  only  the  paths  of  recti- 
tude.' 

**In  order  to  further  honor  his  memory  the  fire  department  issued  a 
memorial  volume,  containing  the  proceedings  of  the  department,  of  the 
Detroit  bar  and  of  the  Common  Council,  relative  to  his  death,  as  well  as 
several  tributes  to  his  memory  from  those  who  knew  him  best. ' ' 

In  the  domain  of  his  chosen  profession  Mr.  Van  Dyke  gained  pre- 
eminence. Profound  and  exact  in  his  erudition,  strong  in  dialectic  pow- 
ers, forceful  in  the  clarity  and  precision  of  his  diction,  and  with  a  most 
pleasing  personal  presence,  he  naturally  commanded  a  place  of  leader- 
ship as  a  trial  lawyer,. while  as  a  counselor  he  was  equally  secure  and 
fortified.  He  appeared  in  many  important  litigations  and  made  a  repu- 
tation that  was  not  hedged  in  by  the  confines  of  his  home  city  and  state. 
This  article  would  stultify  its  consistency  were  there  failure  to  advert 
to  the  masterly  argument  made  by  Mr.  Van  Dyke  in  connection  with  one 
of  the  most  important  cases  ever  presented  in  the  courts  of  the  state  of 
Michigan.  He  was  one  of  the  counsel  for  the  people  in  the  great  railroad 
conspiracy  case,  relative  to  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad,  which  was 
tried  in  the  circuit  court  of  Wayne  county  at  the  May  term,  1851. 

It  may  be  said  without  fear  of  legitimate  contradiction  that  his  was  the 
leading  argument  advanced  in  this  cause  ceUhre,  and  the  record  con- 
cerning the  same  has  become  an  integral  part  of  the  history  of  Michigan 
jurisprudence.  The  argument  of  Mr.  Van  Dyke  occupies  one  hundred 
and  thirty-two  closely  printed  pages,  and  is  noteworthy  alike  for  its 
cogency,  its  broadness  and  fairness,  as  well  as  for  its  absolute  eloquence 
and  its  beauty  of  diction.  Of  course,  it  is  impossible  within  the  compass 
of  a  sketch  of  this  order  to  offer  more  than  the  briefest  of  extracts  from 
the  article  in  question,  but  the  following  excerpts,  both  eloquent  and 
prophetic,  may  well  be  given  place  here : 


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882  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

**What  has  been  the  history  of  the  road  (Michigan  Central)  while 
in  the  hands  of  the  state  ?  For  years  it  dragged  its  slow  length  along — 
an  encumbrance  and  a  burden.  The  state  needed  engines,  cars,  depots — 
every  material  to  prosecute  or  sustain  with  energy  or  profit  this  impor- 
tant work;  but  its  credit  was  gone  and  it  was  immersed  in  debt.  Our 
population  was  thinly  scattered  across  the  entire  breadth  of  the  peninsula. 
Engines  dragged  slowly  and  heavily  through  the  dense  forests.  Our  city 
numbered  but  twelve  thousand  people ;  our  state  was  destitute  of  wealth ; 
our  farmers  destitute  of  markets ;  our  laborers  destitute  of  employment ; 
and  so  far  as  the  interest  of  the  state  and  her  people  were  identified  with 
the  railroad,  it  presented  a  joyless  present,  a  dark  and  frowning  future. 
In  a  fortunate  hour  the  state  sold  the  road,  and  the  millions  of  this  de- 
nounced company  were  flung  broadcast  through  our  community;  they 
took  up  the  old  track,  extended  the  road  to  the  extreme  line  of  the  state, 
laid  down,  at  enormous  cost,  over  four  hundred  miles  of  fences  to  guard 
the  property  of  all,  save  those  who  wanted  a  beef  market  at  each  crossing ; 
multiplied  the  accommodation  seven- fold,  quadrupled  the  speed,  increased 
traflBc  and  commerce,  so  that,  while  in  1845  the  state  passed  twenty-six 
thousand  tons  over  the  road,  in  1850  the  company  passed  one  hundred 
and  thirty-four  thousand  tons,  created  markets  for  our  products,  snatched 
the  tide  of  passing  emigration  from  the  hands  of  a  steamboat  monopoly, 
hostile  to  Michigan,  and  threw  it  into  the  heart  of  our  state,  until  now, 
where  heaven's  light  was  once  shut  out  by  the  dense  forests  it  shines  over 
fertile  fields  and  rich,  luxuriant  harvests;  and  the  rivers  of  our  state, 
which  once  ran  with  wasteful  speed  to  the  bosom  of  the  lakes,  turn  the 
machinery  which  renders  our  rich  products  available.  With  them, 
capital  made  its  home  among  us;  our  credit  was  restored;  home  and 
energy  sprang  from  their  lethargic  sleep ;  labor  clapped  her  glad  hands 
and  shouted  for  joy ;  and  Michigan,  bent  for  the  moment  like  a  sapling 
by  the  fierceness  of  a  passing  tempest,  relieved  from  the  debts  and  bur- 
thens, rose  erect  and  in  her  youthful  strength  stood  proudly  up  among 
her  sister  states. 

*  *  Who  shall  stop  this  glorious  work  which  is  spreading  blessings  and 
prosperity  around  us?  Who  shall  dare  to  say,  *Thus  far  shalt  thou  go 
and  no  farther  ?  *  Who  shall  dictate  to  it  after  doing  so  much  ?  Must  it 
now  pause  and  rest  in  inglorious  ease?  No,  gentlemen,  it  shall  not  be 
stayed ;  it  shall  speed  onward  in  triumph ;  it  shall  add  link  after  link  to 
the  great  chain  that  binds  mankind  together ;  it  shall  speed  onward,  still 
onward,  through  the  gorges  of  the  mountains,  over  the  depths  of  the  val- 
leys, till  the  iron  horse,  whose  bowels  are  fire,  *out  of  whose  nostrils  goeth 
forth  smoke,'  and  *  whose  breath  kindleth  coals,'  shall  be  heard  thundering 
through  the  echoing  solitudes  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  startling  the  In- 
dian from  his  wild  retreat,  and  ere  long  reaching  the  golden  shores  of 
the  far-off  Pacific,  there  to  be  welcomed  by  the  glad  shouts  of  American 
freeman  at  the  glorious  event  which  has  conquered  time  and  distance  and 
boimd  the  freemen  themselves  by  nearer  cords  to  older  homes  and  sister 
states ! 

**A  detestable  monopoly!  These  railroads,  built  by  united  energies 
and  capital,  are  the  great  instruments  in  the  hand  of  God  to  hasten  on- 
ward the  glorious  mission  of  religion  and  civilization.  Already  is  our 
Central  Road  stretching  forth  its  hands  and  giving  assurance  that  soon 
shall  its  iron  track  reach  across  the  neighboring  provinces  from  Detroit 
to  Niagara,  and  that  ere  long  the  scream  of  the  locomotive  shall  be  heard 
over  the  sound  of  the  cataract,  which  shall  thunder  forth  in  deafening 
peals  the  glorious  event.  Our  brethren  on  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic, 
with  whom  we  are  bound  by  every  interest,  association  and  affection,  will 
hail  the  shortened  tie  with  ardent  welcome." 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  883 

Passing  on  with  his  argument,  Mr.  Van  Dyke  spoke  as  follows  con- 
cerning law  and  its  powers  and  applications : 

**  Gentlemen,  all  you  possess  on  earth  is  the  reward  of  labor  protected 
by  law.  It  is  law  alone  which  keeps  all  things  in  order,  guards  the  sleep 
of  infancy,  the  energy  of  manhood,  and  the  weakness  of  age.  It  hovers 
over  us  by  day ;  it  keeps  watch  and  ward  over  the  slumbers  of  night ;  it 
goes  with  us  over  the  land  and  guides  and  guards  us  through  the  track- 
less paths  of  the  mighty  waters.  The  high  and  the  low,  each  is  within 
its  view  and  beneath  its  ample  folds.  It  protects  beauty  and  virtue,  pun- 
ishes crime  and  wickedness,  and  vindicates  right.  Honor  and  life,  and 
liberty  and  property,  the  wide  world  over,  are  its  high  objects.  Stern, 
yet  kind ;  pure,  yet  pitying ;  steadfast,  immutable  and  just — it  is  the  at- 
tribute of  God  on  earth.  It  proceeds  from  his  bosom  and  encircles  the 
world  with  its  care  and  power  and  blessings.  All  honor  and  praise  to 
those  who  administer  it  in  purity  and  who  reverence  its  high  behests." 

The  foregoing  quotations  are  made  primarily  to  show  the  impas- 
sioned eloquence  of  the  speaker  and  his  love  for  right  and  justice.  No 
idea  is  conveyed  of  the  profundity  of  the  argument  he  advanced  on  the 
occasion,  but  in  even  these  few  words  the  man,  the  orator,  the  patriot, 
seems  to  stand  before  us  in  his  virile  strength. 

The  generous  and  noble  qualities  of  Mr.  Van  Dyke's  mind  and  heart 
glorified  a  singularly  winning  pepsonality,  and  he  won  and  retained 
friends  in  all  classes.  He  touched  and  appreciated  the  depths  of  human 
thought  and  motive,  and  his  charity  to  his  fellow  men  was  spread  on  that 
liberal  plane  which  shows  forth  the  grace  of  toleration  and  true  human 
sympathy.  He  had  fine  perceptions  of  principle,  to  which  he  was  inflex- 
ibly loyal.  He  was  one  of  the  most  kindly  and  most  courteous  and  pol- 
ished of  gentlemen,  and  the  story  of  his  life  is  full  to  overflowing  with 
incentive  to  those  who  study  it. 

Mr.  Van  Dyke  naturally  became  a  prominent  factor  lA  the  political 
activities  of  the  new  state,  and  his  attitude  was  that  of  a  conservative 
Whig.  Towards  the  close  of  his  life  he  entered  the  fold  of  the  Catholic 
church.  He  was  generous  in  his  aiding  of  religious,  charitable  and  be- 
nevolent objects,  and  his  home  life  was  one  whose  ideality  renders  it  im- 
possible for  the  veil  to  be  lifted  to  public  inspection.  Of  him  it  has  well 
been  said:  **He  left  a  name  dear  to  his  friends  and  a  rich  inheritance 
to  his  children,  consecrated  by  the  remembrance  of  the  genial  qualities 
and  virtues  with  which  he  was  so  richly  endowed.''  From  the  resolu- 
tions adopted  by  the  Detroit  bar  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Van 
Dyke  are  taken  the  following  extracts: 

^^  Resolved,  That  we,  who  have  been  witnesses  and  sharers  of  his  pro- 
fessional labors,  can  best  give  full  testimony  to  the  genius,  skill,  learning 
and  industry  which  he  brought  to  that  profession,  to  which  he  devoted 
alike  the  chivalrous  fire  of  his  youth  and  the  riper  powers  of  his  man- 
hood, in  which  he  cherished  a  manly  pride,  and  whose  best  honors  and 
success  he  so  rapidly  and  honorably  achieved. 

'^Resolved,  That  while  we  bear  this  just  tribute  to  the  fine  intellect 
of  our  deceased  brother,  we  turn  with  greater  pleasure  to  those  generous 
qualities  of  his  heart  which  endeared  him  to  us  as  a  companion  and 
friend ;  which  have  left  tender  memorials  with  so  many  of  his  younger 
brothers,  of  grateful  sympathy  and  assistance  rendered  when  most  need- 
ed; and  made  his  life  a  bright  example  of  just  and  honorable  conduct 
in  all  its  relations. 

*' Resolved,  That  though  devoted  to  the  profession  of  his  choice,  yet 
he  was  never  indifferent  to  the  wider  duties  which  were  devolved  upon 
him  by  society  at  large,  and  he  filled  the  many  public  stations  to  which 
he  was  called  by  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens,  with 


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884  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

an  earnestness,  purity  and  ability  alike  honorable  to  himself  and  service- 
able to  the  public/' 

In  the  year  1835  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Van  Dyke  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Desnoyers,  daughter  of  Hon.  Peter  J.  Desnoyers,  another 
of  the  honored  pioneers  and  influential  citizens  of  Michigan.  Mrs.  Van 
Dyke  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal  on  the  10th  of  July,  1896,  and  of 
the  eleven  children  of  this  union  seven  attained  to  years  of  maturity. 
Philip  J.  D.  Van  Dyke,  the  third  son,  died  October  6, 1881,  he  having  be- 
come a  successful  lawyer  and  having  served  two  terms  as  prosecuting  at- 
torney of  Wayne  county.  George  W.  Van  Dyke  died  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
eight  years.  Rev.  Ernest  Van  Dyke  has  been  for  nearly  forty  years  pas- 
tor of  St.  Aloysius  church,  Detroit,  and  is  individually  mentioned  on 
other  pages  of  this  work.  Josephine  is  the  wife  of  Henry  P.  Brownson, 
of  Detroit.  V.  D.  Casgrain  lives  in  Evanston,  Illinois;  Madame  Van 
Dyke,  the  youngest  of  the  daughters  now  living,  is  superior  of  the  Sacred 
Heart  convent  in  the  city  of  Chicago.  One  son  of  Phillip  J.  D.  Van 
Dyke  is  Reverend  Henry  Van  Dyke,  pastor  of  the  Sacred  Heart 
church.  Bad  Axe,  Michigan.  Another  son,  William  Van  Dyke,  is  prac- 
ticing law  in  Detroit,  associated  with  E.  Y.  Swift. 

Rev.  Ernest  Van  Dyke.  Pather  Van  Dyke  has  long  been  one  of 
the  honored  and  loved  members  of  the  clergy  of  the  Catholic  church 
in  his  native  city  of  Detroit,  where  for  nearly  forty  years  he  has  re- 
tained the  pastorate  of  the  important  parish  of  St.  Aloysius'  church, 
on  Washington  boulevard.  Pather  Van  Dyke  is  an  influential  figure 
in  the  work  and  affairs  of  the  diocese  and  as  pastor  of  the  **  down- 
town" or  central  parish  of  the  church  in  the  Michigan  metropolis  his 
duties  and  responsibilities  have  long  been  varied  and  exacting,  bring- 
ing him  into  close  touch  with  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men,  and  gain- 
ing to  him  a  peculiarly  secure  place 'in  the  affection  and  estieem  of  the 
•community  which  has  ever  represented  his  home. 

Pather  Van  Dyke  was  born  in  Detroit  on  the  29th  of  January,  1845, 
and  is  a  son  of  that  honored  and  distinguished  pioneer,  the  later  James 
A.  Van  Dyke,  to  whom  a  memoir  is  dedicated  on  other  pages  of  this 
publication.  In  the  parochial  school  of  Detroit  Pather  Van  Dyke  gained 
his  earlier  educational  discipline  and  in  June,  1864,  he  was  graduated 
from  St.  John  College,  at  Pordham,  New  York,  with  highest  honors 
and  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  receiving  that  of  M.  A.  in 
1876.  In  preparation  for  the  work  of  the  high  calling  to  which  he 
had  determined  to  consecrate  his  life,  he  soon  afterward  proceeded  to 
Rome,  where  he  entered  the  North  American  Seminary,  in  which  he 
completed  his  philosophical  and  ecclesiastical  courses.  On  the  25th  of 
March,  1868,  in  St.  John  Lateran  church,  at  Rome,  he  was  ordained  to 
the  priesthood,  at  the  episcopal  hands  of  Cardinal  Patrizi,  and  his  first 
pastoral  charge  was  that  of  St.  Mary's  church  at  Adrian,  Michigan.  In 
1872  he  was  appointed  pastor  of  Sts.  Peter  and  Paul  cathedral,  Detroit, 
and  in  the  following  year  he  was  appointed  to  the  pastorate  of  which 
he  has  since  remained  the  incumbent,  at  St.  Aloysius'  church,  the  build- 
ing of  which  had  been  purchased  in  that  year  by  Rt.  Rev.  Caspar  H. 
Borgess  for  his  pro-cathedral.  Like  his  honored  sire,  Pather  Van  Dyke 
is  a  man  of  specially  fine  scholastic  attainments,  and  in  his  chosen  call- 
ing he  has  labored  with  all  of  consecrated  zeal  and  devotion,  the  while 
he  has  been  instant  in  human  sympathy  and  helpfulness,  in  which  con- 
nection the  demands  upon  his  time  and  heart  have  long  been  many  and 
insistent.  No  representative  of  the  priesthood  in  Detroit  is  better 
known  or  held  in  more  high  esteem  in  the  Michigan  metropolis  and  none 
has  been  more  prolific  in  good  deeds  and  high  civic  ideals. 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  885 

Henry  Spitzley.  Length  of  years  of  life,  esteem  of  friends  and 
respect  of  citizens,  and  a  large  sum  of  accomplishment  in  business  and 
material  affairs  are  among  the  net  results  of  the  career  of  one  of  De- 
troit's prominent  residents,  Mr.  Henry  Spitzley,  who,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  few  years,  has  lived  in  this  city  since  1848.  Until  recent  years 
his  activity  as  a  building  contractor  gave  Detroit  many  of  its  important 
public  and  private  buildings.  He  had  had  a  long  and  fruitful  life,  and 
his  place  is  secure  in  the  history  of  representative  citizens  of  Detroit. 
From  1885  to  1890  he  was  city  building  commissioner  and  since  1907 
he  has  been  building  inspector. 

Henry  Spitzley  was  born  in  Mayen,  Prussia,  Germany,  September 
19,  1829,  so  that  he  is  now  in  his  eighty-third  year.  At  his  home  town 
he  attended  school  through  his  fifteenth  year  and  then  began  working 
for  his  father,  who  was  a  farmer  and  also  conducted  a  livery  business. 
This  was  his  occupation  until  he  came  to  America  in  1848.  He  was  the 
oldest  of  the  seven  children  of  his  parents,  Stephen  and  Agnes  (Thomas) 
Spitzley,  and  the  entire  family  made  the  voyage  together,  coming  in  a 
sail  vessel  that  was  forty-eight  days  between  ports.  The  family  came 
direct  to  Detroit,  where  jHenry  started  to  learn  the  carpenter  trade.  His 
ability  and  progress  were  such  that  three  years  later  he  was  in  the 
building  and  contracting  business.  In  1854  he  moved  to  Chicago,  where 
he  was  a  cabinet  maker  until  1857  and  had  a  good  business,  but  in  the 
panic  of  the  latter  year  he  lost  everything.  In  Kansas  City  he  made 
a  new  start  as  a  contractor,  and  continued  successfully  in  that  then  new 
town  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  in  1861,  when  he  located  near 
South  Bend,  Indiana,  where  he  engaged  in  the  same  business  until  1867. 

Returning  to  Detroit  in  that  year,  Mr.  Spitzley  purchased  a  car- 
penter shop  and  went  into  the  building  and  contracting  business  on  a 
large  scale.  For  over  thirty-five  years  he  was  one  of  the  best  known 
men  in  this  line  and  he  handled  a  large  share  of  the  important  contracts 
undertaken  in  this  city.  A  number  of  the  principal  churches,  the  Cen- 
tral high  school  buildings,  and  a  dozen  other  school  buildings,  besides 
many  of  the  finest  private  residences  and  stores  form  the  material 
record  of  his  enterprise.  In  1902  he  sold  out  his  business  and  is  now 
living  retired  in  his  handsome  home  at  246  Van  Dyke  avenue  with  his 
son. 

In  St.  Mary's  church,  Detroit,  January  10,  1853,  Mr.  Spitzley  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Margaret  Schmitz,  who  was  the  companion 
of  his  home  and  the  sharer  of  his  prosperity  for  more  than  fifty-seven 
years,  until  her  death  in  January,  1910.  She  was  the  third  in  a  family 
of  seven  girls  whose  parents  were  Jacob  and  Barbara  (Jungblud) 
Schmitz,  who  were  natives  of  Kaisersesch,  ne^r  Mayen,  Germany,  com- 
ing to  America  about  1851,  and  spent  the  rest  of  their  lives  on  a  farm 
near  South  Bend,  Indiana.  Five  children  were  bom  to  Mr.  Spitzley 
and  wife,  and  they  are  as  follows :  Jacob  Spitzley,  who  is  a  resident  of 
Detroit,  married  Miss  Anna  Elise  DeMott.  They  have  four  children, 
sons,  three  of  them  are  in  the  automobile  business.  Matilda  Spitzley  is 
the  wife  of  George  W.  Rice,  of  Detroit,  and  their  children  are :  Grace, 
who  married  Homer  Hoyt  of  Detroit,  a  mechanical  engineer  and  drafts- 
man, and  has  one  daughter,  Marjorie  Hoyt,  aged  three;  and  Paulina, 
who  married  Clarence  Hills,  of  Detroit,  manager  of  the  Hup  Auto- 
bile  Company.  Pauline  Spitzley  is  the  wife  of  Ray  W.  Jones,  of  Seat- 
tle, Washington.  Mr.  Jones  is  a  former  resident  of  Minneapolis,  and 
was  a  prominent  figure  in  the  political  life  of  the  state,  serving  two 
terms  as  lieutenant  govenor  of  Minnesota.  He  now  conducts  an  exten- 
sive business  in  timber  and  mining  lands  about  Vancouver,  British 
Columbia.    Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  have  two  sons,  Monroe,  aged  nineteen. 


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886  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

and  Ray,  aged  sixteen,  both  living  at  home.  During  the  summer  of 
1911  Mr.  Spitzley  visited  this  daughter  and  his  grandsons  in  Seattle. 
Josephine  Spitzley  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Toepp,  and  they  live  in  South 
Bend,  Indiana.  Their  three  children  are:  Paul,  aged  twenty-two  and 
now  employed  in  Detroit,  and  Margaret,  aged  eighteen,  and  Francis, 
aged  sixteen,  both  living  at  home.  Louise  Spitzley,  the  youngest  of  the 
family,  married  Gus  Conner,  who  is  conducting  a  large  logging  business 
in  Vancouver  with  Frank  Gray,  his  son-in-law.  They  are  the  parents 
of  five  children :  Florence,  who  married  Lawrence  Wa&er,  of  Muskegon, 
Michigan,  and  has  one  son;  Margaret,  who  married  Frank  Gray  and 
lives  in  Seattle;  Zelda,  aged  twenty,  who  lives  at  home;  Ruth,  aged 
eighteen,  and  Richard,  aged  sixteen. 

On  May  24,  1911,  was  held  an  unusual  and  beautiful  celebration 
at  the  Harmonic  Singing  Society  of  Detroit.  The  occasion  was  the 
sixtieth  anniversary  of  Mr.  Henry  Spitzley 's  membership  as  an  active 
singer  in  that  organization.  He  entered  the  society  in  May,  1851,  when 
it  was  only  three  years  old,  and  for  many  years  he  was  actively  identifi- 
ed with  its  work  and  was  one  of  its  largest  individual  contributors  to 
its  success  in  promoting  the  esthetic  ideals  for  which  it  was  founded.  For 
the  past  twelve  years  he  has  been  president  of  the  Maennerchor  of  the 
society.  He  was  also  one  of  the  builders  of  the  handsome  home  of  the 
society,  in  which  this  celebration  was  held.  He  was  elected  as  honorary 
president  of  the  chorus  for  his  lifetime.  He  is  an  active  singer  to-day  and 
enjoys  singing  and  music  as  well  as  in  younger  days. 

Alexander  M.  Campau.  By  the  very  name  itself  Detroit  pays  a  trib- 
ute of  honor  to  its  early  French  settlers,  and  of  the  old-time  lines  there  yet 
remain  within  the  gracious  borders  of  the  Michigan  metropolis  many  wor- 
thy representatives.  There  must  ever  be  held  as  due  a  debt  of  gratitiide 
to  those  who  have  wrought  nobly  in  the  past  and  have  left  a  heritage  of 
worthy  lives  and  worthy  deeds,  their  names  being  a  very  part  of  the 
history  of  the  fair  **City  of  the  Straits.  *'  Here  have  been  and  are  still 
found  representatives  of  the  best  citizenship  and  of  definite  power  in 
the  industrial  and  commercial  world,  those  whose  genealogy  is  traced 
through  long  lines  of  French  ancestry,  and  prominent  among  such  scions 
was  the  late  Alexander  Macomb  Campau,  who  left  a  definite  and  perman- 
ent impress  upon  the  history  of  Detroit,  and  who  was  a  representative 
of  the  oldest  and  most  distinguished  French  family  of  the  city,  with 
whose  annals  the  name  has  been  identified  since  the  days  when  Detroit 
was  but  an  outpost  on  the  frontier  of  civilisation.  The  career  of  Mr. 
Campau  was  the  positive  expression  of  a  strong  nature,  and  in  both  its 
subjective  and  objective  phases  constitutes  a  worthy  heritage  of  the  city 
with  whose  material  and  civic  affairs  he  was  so  long  and  closely  con- 
cerned. 

The  first  of  the  Campau  family  to  establish  homes  in  Detroit,  and  in 
fact  in  the  great  northwest,  were  Michael  and  Jacques  Campeau,  who 
settled  on  the  site  of  the  present  city  in  the  year  1710,  and  during  two 
centuries  the  name  has  been  one  of  prominence  in  the  history  of  the  city 
of  Detroit  and  the  state  of  Michigan.  History  bears  record  of  the  worthy 
achievement  of  those  who  have  borne  the  name  as  one  generation  has 
followed  another  on  the  stage  of  life's  activities,  and  it  is  thus  specially 
consistent  that  in  this  publication  be  entered  a  memoir  and  tribute  to 
Alexander  M.  Campau,  who  well  upheld  the  prestige  of  the  family  name. 

Alexander  Macomb  Campau  was  born  in  Detroit,  near  the  site  of 
the  present  city  water  office,  on  the  13th  of  September,  1823,  and  was  a 
son  of  Barnabee  and  Archange  (McDougall)  Campau.  The  McDougall 
family,  of  the  staunchest  Scotch  lineage,  was  early  represented  in  De- 


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•   '  .       :i»  -  .  1.  ^'   y,>t 

■    •    ■  '  .:      •    u  ^.r- 

■-.     .  '.   M  ■.■:  '.'!'  >■  ■^udt*. 

.  .'  .    :-  ;*  ;,  i.'  :\'  i   •    of 

■    ".  \.    }  .iT-^    oi"    Hie 

-    I..'  A  Uf.ii  ;.-.'  still 

■  *'•■,;:  I       |>',"  .  T-  in 

■  '    '■  TiC  lift  y   IS   tra''<"'d 

.■  j!t  ;n»ioiij^''  sn-  h  si'ions 

.    '.  -jnite  .in<l  [)t.-!'iium- 

.!S  a  IT)''  "MMitative 

f.f  the  '-i^y.   with 

'  I  .s  whrii  Dotroit 

:  ;-  ra^MT  of  Mr. 

'  -   '»    :■_'  natiir--.  ;tii^i    P'  both  its 

•'>''^.i*'s  a  v.ui'by  I"-  r.u.«    it'  the  <?ity 

.      ,-'\'iir.s   b**   was   St)    1(  »:i'   .jid    closely   COIl- 

'  t   111  '  :-•  "s^  .''  :•'■  M'f  •  's  in  Detroit,  and  in 

;.'  -i   .-  i  .J.M''|'jHS  Canipt-au,   who 

:  '  '^v    -     I    .»  \.;.r  IT  in,  ?,],<!  during  two 

li.i.N  ■>' '  I     a       I'     «  '    '  '1  ■<'  111  the  bisiory  of  the  city 

;'.-.r.'  (  '  V'-  M.     ;       J'  ,iw.  .  I)('[irs  ivr^rd  o*"  t^.e  worthy 

>  ■'    ^  t   '   '     '  •    '■      !'■   il:»    iiaitir  a^-  o]:*"*  L^'iU'raUon  has 

•  ■       *  .1       •  -  '•'•' iv:*'M>s.  Mud  1^  is  thus  specially 

'•  ■>   I  '     :    .^  V'  '    *' •    .  •    -  :     \  ii  -^i.eM-nlr  and  tril)utc  to 

'•\ '  •   \'    .'  u:  !  "  d  t'l.   pr»'si;^;-('  o\'  \\u^  family  name.' 

■'   »      •  ;'   '(    '\*.>    i '..  II   in    !',  n-.;it,   ni  ar  tL*^  sit<'  of 

•  ■■*•    .*.  <i    li-*'  1  'Ml  (.!'  ^»^]^telIi^M>r,  iKi.^,  i-ud  was  a 

.     .\".i. ■:!;.•     ;\.  d>oiiL,.!l  ;   i^inipai'.     Tiie  ?.bd)ontrall 

-    •  ..v,t   Scnt.'-i   lincairr.  \\<.s  ear]\    rrprr^*>ntcd  in  De- 


I :  I' 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  887 

troit  and  its  members  long  held  possession  of  the  now  beautiful  and  cele- 
brated Belle  Isle,  one  of  the  finest  city  parks  in  the  United  States.  This 
island,  in  the  Detroit  river,  was  granted  to  George  McDougall  by  King 
George  III,  of  England,  and  the  island  remained  in  the  possession  of 
representatives  of  the  McDougall  and  Campau  families  until  it  was  sold 
to  the  city,  in  1879,  for  park  purposes.  Alexander  M.  and  Barnabee 
Campau  and  their  two  sisters,  Archange  Piquette  and  Emily  Campau, 
were  the  heirs  who  thus  transferred  the  fine  island  property  to  the  city, 
one  of  whose  greatest  attractions  it  now  constitutes.  The  first  white 
child  born  in  the  Northwest  Territory  was  a  Campau  and  the  original 
representatives  in  Michigan  came  to  Detroit  from  Canada  as  contempo- 
raries of  Antonie  de  Laumet  Cadillac,  the  virtual  founder  of  the  city,  as 
he  was  here  the  builder  of  the  earliest  frontier  post,  known  as  Fort  Pont- 
chartrain. 

He  whose  name  initiates  this  review  secured  his  early  educational 
discipline  in  the  Catholic  parochial  schools  of  Detroit  and  supplemented 
this  by  a  course  in  Georgetown  College,  at  Georgetown,  District  of  Colum- 
bia, in  which  institution  he  was  graduated.  He  had  also  the  distinction 
of  being  a  member  of  the  first  class  in  the  newly  founded  University  of 
Michigan,  whose  faculty  at  that  time  consisted  of  but  two  professors,  the 
while  the  enrollment  of  students  had  a  total  of  only  eleven  persons.  Mr. 
Campau  studied  law,  but  he  never  found  it  expedient  to  engage  in  active 
practice.  Upon  his  father's  death,  it  devolved  upon  him  to  assume  the 
management  of  the  large  family  estate,  consisting  of  much  realty  and 
other  property,  and  through  his  progressive  methods  and  high  civic  loy- 
alty he  thus  contributed  much  to  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  his 
native  city,  whose  every  interest  lay  close  to  his  heart.  He  became  one 
of  the  most  influential  and  honored  citizens  of  the  Michigan  metropolis, 
was  a  man  of  high  intellectuality  and  sterling  integrity  and  he  ever  com- 
manded secure  vantage  ground  in  popular  confidence  and  esteem.  A  man 
of  spirit  and  fine  instincts,  he  was  fond  of  outdoor  sports,  and  he  was  spe- 
cially prominent  as  a  patron  of  turf  activities,  in  which  connection  he 
owned  standard-bred  and  thorough-bred  horses  and  was  prominent  in 
racing  circles.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Detroit  Boat  Club  and 
was  greatly  interested  in  all  lines  of  legitimate  athletic  sports,  in  con- 
nection with  which  his  sons  also  became  leaders.  He  and  three  of  his 
sons  constituted  a  formidable  boat  crew  in  the  early  days  of  aquatic  con- 
tests on  the  Detroit  river,  and  the  father  and  sons  won  decisive  victories 
in  the  various  boat  races  in  which  they  took  part.  Mr.  Campau  also 
maintained  an  excellent  fishery  at  Belle  Isle,  where  he  lived  during  a 
portion  of  each  year  and  where  he  built  up  in  this  line  a  flourishing  in- 
dustry, the  same  having  been  founded  by  his  honored  father.  For  many 
years  this  fishery  was  one  of  the  sights  of  Detroit  and  prominent  visitors 
to  the  city  were  invariably  given  and  accepted  invitations  to  visit  the 
fine  place,  on  which  Mr.  Campau  gave  employment  to  a  force  of  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  French  Canadians. 

There  was  a  distinctive  fineness  about  the  entire  makeup  of  Alexander 
M.  Campau  and  he  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  cultured  men  of 
Detroit.  He  had  all  the  elements  which  make  for  commanding  influence 
in  the  directing  of  human  thought  and  action  and  had  his  wealth  been 
less  and  his  ambition  roused  he  would  have  undoubtedly  become  a  power 
in  statesmanship  and  diplomacy.  He  did  much  for  Detroit  and  Michigan 
and  his  loyalty  to  the  city  and  state  was  of  the  most  insistent  order.  He 
was  the  head  of  a  family  whose  prominence  in  the  leading  social  and 
civic  activities  of  Detroit  has  long  been  undisputed.  He  never  manifested 
any  desire  for  political  office,  though  none  was  better  equipped  for  posi- 
tions of  high  public  trust,  but  he  was  loyal  to  all  civic  duties  and  respon- 


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888  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

sibilities  and  in  politics  was  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  principles  and 
politics  for  which  the  Democratic  party  has  ever  stood  sponsor  in  a  gen- 
eric sense. 

On  the  15th  of  April,  1849,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Campau 
to  Miss  Eliza  Throop,  who  was  born  at  Auburn,  New  York,  on  the  8th 
of  November,  1828,  and  whose  death  occurred  on  the  13th  of  April,  1905. 
Mrs.  Campau  was  a  daughter  of  George  T.  and  Prances  (Hunt)  Throop. 
Her  father  came  to  Detroit  from  New  York  state  in  an  early  day  and 
was  connected  with  the  first  bank  here  established  under  private  auspices, 
the  same  having  been  known  as  the  Farmers'  Mechanics  Bank.  His 
brother,  Hon.  Enos  T.  Throop,  twice  served  as  governor  of  the  state  of 
New  York,  where  the  family  early  became  one  of  marked  prominence, 
and  influence,  many  representatives  of  the  same  having  been  distin- 
guished in  public  affairg,  military  activities  and  professional  lines.  In 
the  following  paragraph  is  entered  brief  record  concerning  the  children 
of  Alexander  M.  and  Eliza  (Throop)  Campau. 

George  T.,  who  was  a  lawyer  by  profession,  died  in  Detroit,  at  the 
age  of  thirty-two  years.  He  married  Miss  Mary  Livingston  Woolsey, 
daughter  of  Commodore  Woolsey,  of  the  United  States  navy,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  four  children, — M.  Woolsey,  Alexander  Macomb, 
Elsie  and  George  T.  Alexander,  the  second  son,  was  a  law  student  at  the 
time  of  his  death. 

Barnabee,  who  resides  on  Long  Island,  New  York,  is  married  and 
had  two  sons, — Stephens  Vail  and  Alexander  Macomb.  Emilie  Ange- 
lique,  who  resides  in  the  city  of  Washington,  D.  C,  is  the  widow  of  Cap- 
tain Henry  W.  Pitch,  of  the  United  States  navy  and  she  has  three  daugh- 
ters, Emily  C,  wife  of  Albert  P.  Gerhard,  Alexandrine  and  Henrietta 
W.  Montgomery  H.  died  in  the  city  of  Denver,  Colorado.  Prances  E. 
is  the  wife  of  Pederick  T.  Sibley,  a  scion  of  one  of  the  old  and  disting- 
ushed  families  of  Detroit,  and  they  have  six  daughters^ — Eliza  T.,  who 
is  the  wife  of  Horace  H.  Peabody  and  who  has  one  child,  Charlotte  C. ; 
Charlotte  S.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Stephen  P.  Harwood,  of  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  and  who  has  four  children,— James  Kent,  Prancis  C,  Stephen 
Paul  and  Charlotte  S. ;  Prances  C,  who  married  R.  B.  Alexander ;  Doro- 
thy, who  is  the  wife  of  Gaylord  Gillis,  of  Detroit,  and  who  has  two  sons, 
Eansom  and  Gaylord ;  Alexandrine,  who  is  the  wife  of  Prancis  M.  Bren- 
nan,  of  Detroit,  and  who  has  one  daughter,  Margaret  S. ;  and  Prederica, 
who  is  the  wife  of  Lucien  S.  Moore,  Jr.,  of  Detroit.  Robert  McDougall 
Campau,  the  seventh  child  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  married  Lil- 
lian Bachelor,  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  and  their  children  are :  Lil- 
lian C,  the  wife  of  George  C.  Thrall,  to  whom  she  has  borne  tWQ  children, 
Constance  and  Robert  McDougall,  and  Vita,  the  wife  of  Richard  Blirch- 
ner,  of  Detroit.  Guy  Phillip,  the  next  in  order  of  birth,  died  in  infancy. 
Charlotte  C,  who  retains  her  home  in  Detroit,  is  president  of  the  A.  M. 
Campau  Realty  Company,  which  was  organized  by  her  father  in  1904 
and  the  interested  principals  in  which  are  all  members  of  the  Campau 
family.  Miss  Campau  has  full  supervision  of  the  executive  affairs  of  the 
large  family  estate  and  is  a  business  woman  of  marked  discrimination 
and  ability,  as  well  as  a  most  gracious  figure  in  social  life. 

Underwood  Armstrong.  The  dean  of  building  contractors  in  De- 
troit, Underwood  Armstrong  has  spent  more  than  half  a  century  in  the 
practical  achievements  of  building  construction.  His  record  stands  fixed 
in  a  long  list  of  buildings,  many  of  them  large  and  important  public 
edifices.  The  St.  Luke's  Hospital,  erected  in  1868,  was  one  of  his  earlier 
contracts.  The  Detroit,  Lansing  &  Northern  Railroad  shops  at  lona  are 
another  of  his  undertakings.     The  public  school  buildings  of  the  city 


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HISTORY  OF*  DETROIT  889 

which  were  erected  by  him  include  the  Washington,  McGraw,  Bradford, 
Smith,  Palmer,  McKinster  and  Bellevue  schools.  Many  private  homes 
and  other  buildings  too  numerous  to  mention  are  evidences  of  his  many 
years  activity.  The  oldest  of  Detroit's  contractors,  he  still  has  on  hand 
several  big  contracts,  but  it  is  his  intention,  when  these  are  completed, 
to  retire  from  the  active  ranks  of  the  profession. 

The  citizen  whose  work  is  such  permanent  and  practical  character 
has  thereby  rendered  some  of  the  most  valuable  services  to  his  com- 
^munity.  But  also  in  the  general  civic  responsibilities  Mr.  Armstrong 
has  discharged  his  duties  with  a  public  spirit  that  places  him  among  the 
best  representatives  of  Detroit's  citizenship.  He  has  been  a  resident 
of  the  city  for  fifty-five  years,  and  has  borne  an  honored  part  in  the  prog- 
ress which  has  made  Detroit  one  of  the  best  of  American  cities. 

Underwood  Armstrong  was  bom  in  the  county  of  Durham,  England, 
September  14,  1834.  He  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  same  locality, 
and  then  worked  as  carpenter,  joiner  and  contractor  under  his  father 
until  the  death  of  the  latter,  when  he  came  to  America.  On  the  7th  of 
July,  1856,  he  arrived  in  this  country,  and  a  few  weeks  later  began  his 
residence  in  Detroit.  He  followed  his  trade  for  several  years,  and  in. 
1860  began  as  an  independent  contractor.  Mr.  Armstrong  lives  with  his 
only  daughter,  Lillian  F.  Armstrong,  at  763  Brush  Boulevard,  in  an  ele- 
gant home  which  he  built  some  years  since.  The  old  Armstrong  home- 
stead, in  which  the  family  lived  for  thirty  years,  was  located  at  CliflPord 
and  Washington.  He  sold  this  property  ten  years  ago,  and  the  Mich- 
igan State  Telephone  Company's  building  now  occupies  the  site. 

In  1854,  in  his  native  county  of  Durham,  England,  he  was  married  U 
Miss  Sarah  Gray  Breckon.  Mrs.  Armstrong,  who  passed  away  in  March, 
1908,  was  a  native  of  Scarborough,  England.  To  their  marriage,  which 
endured  happily  for  more  than  half  a  century,  were  born  two  children. 
Arthur  Robert,  the  son,  is  engaged  in  the  contracting  business,  with 
oflSce  of  Willis  avenue.  He  married  Miss  Bessie  Clark,  of  Detroit.  Lil- 
lian F.,  the  daughter,  keeps  the  home  for  her  father. 

During  his  youth  Mr.  Armstrong  was  an  expert  cricket  player,  a 
charter  member  of  the  Peninsular  Cricket  Club,  and  interested  in 
the  sports  of  the  time.  In  later  years  he  has  sought  quieter  diversions, 
and  is  one  of  the  older  members  of  the  Detroit  Whist  Club.  Fraternally 
he  afSliates  with  Ashlar  Lodge,  No.  91,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  was  made  a 
Knight  Templar  in  1870.  His  politics  is  Republican.  He  and  his  fam- 
ily now  hold  the  oldest  membership  in  St.  John's  Episcopal  church,  one 
of  Woodward  avenue's  most  fashionable  congregations.  His  daughter 
is  one  of  the  leaders  in  the  activities  of  this  church.  Mr.  Armstrong, 
who  is  now  in  his  seventy-eighth  year,  is  the  last  survivor  of  a  family  of 
eleven  children. 

Cornelius  O'Dwyer.  As  a  former  soldier  of  the  Republic  and  a 
citizen  of  broad  and  generous  activities,  probably  no  resident  of  Detroit 
is  better  known  ^r  held  in  higher  esteem  in  the  city  and  throughout  the 
state  than  Cornelius  O'Dwyer.  The  readiness  with  which  he  offered 
his  youthful  services  for  the  defense  of  the  Union  has  characterized  all 
his  subsequent  career  in  the  interests  of  many  organized  movements  for 
the  welfare  of  his  fellow  men.  He  is  the  type  of  citizen  whose  career 
has  an  intimate  interest  to  the  many  who  have  been  associated  with  him 
or  have  shared  in  the  benefits  of  his  work. 

Though  an  Irishman  by  birth,  Mr.  0  'Dwyer  has  lived  in  Detroit  since 
he  was  two  years  old,  and  no  native  bom  resident  could  be  more  loyal 
to  the  city  and  country.  He  was  born  in  county  Limerick,  Ireland,  Feb- 
ruary 1,  1846,  and  the  family  having  moved  to  Detroit  in  May,  1848, 

^  ol.  Ul—4 


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890  HISTORY  -OF  DETEOIT 

he  was  reared  here  and  attended  the  local  parochial  schools  until  he  was 
seventeen  years  old. 

Just  one  month  after  his  seventeenth  birthday,  on  March  1,  1863, 
he  enlisted  at  Detroit  in  the  First  Michigan  Volunteer  Cavalry,  Custer's 
Bold  Brigade,  one  of  the  finest  fighting  organizations  of  the  war,  and 
probably  the  world  has  never  known  a  more  eflScient  brigade  of  soldiers. 
General  Custer's  Brigade  was  known  as  the  Michigan  Cavalry  Brigade 
and  composed  of  the  First,  Fifth,  Sixth  and  Seventh  Michigan  Cavalry 
Volunteer  Eegiments.  As  a  member  of  the  first  regiment  he  had  unsur- 
passed opportunities  for  military  service,  and  as  an  individual  soldier 
it  is  doubtful  if  any  veteran  of  the  war  has  a  longer  or  more  faithful  rec- 
ord of  service  in  so  many  engagments  as  Mr.  O'Dwyer.  At  Trevillian 
Station  in  Virginia  Custer's  Brigade  fought  five  different  Confederate 
brigades,  something  that  never  occurred  before  in  military  annals.  At 
the  engagment  of  Yellow  Tavern,  Virginia,  June  11-12,  1864,  Mr. 
O  'Dwyer  received  a  scalp  wound,  but  did  not  allow  this  to  interfere  with 
his  service  and  continued  at  the  front.  In  all,  though  he  saw  only 
the  last  two  years  of  the  war,  he  was  engaged  in  thirty-two  battles, 
occupying  forty  days,  these  engagements  being  named  as  follows:  The 
'Wilderness,  Beaver  Dam  Station,  Yellow  Tavern,  Meadow  Bridge,  Mil- 
ford,  Howes  Shop,  Baltimore  Cross  Roads,  Cold  Harbor,  Trevillian  Sta- 
tion, Winchester,  Front  Royal,  Leetown,  Shepardstown,  Smithfield,  Ber- 
r3rville.  Summit,  Opequan  Creek,  Port  Republic,  Mount  Crawford,  Wood- 
stock, Ceder  Creek,  Madison  Court  House,  Louisa  Court  House,  Five 
Forks,  South  Side  Railroad,  Duck  Pond  Mills,  Sailor's  Creek,  Farmville, 
Appomattox.  After  the  war  was  over  he  served  against  the  Indians  on 
the  plains,  leaving  the  army  at  Fort  Bridger,  Utah,  then  a  territory. 

For  many  years  Mr.  O'Dwyer  has  taken  a  leading  part  in  the  aflPairs 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He  is  a  past  commander  of  the 
General  0.  M.  Poe  Post,  No.  433,  G.  A.  R.,  and  is  senior  aide-de-camp 
of  the  Department  of  Michigan.  During  his  two  terms  as  commander 
he  received  many  letters  of  commendation  for  his  services  from  the  head 
officials  of  the  State  Grand  Army. 

And  also  while  commander  of  General  0.  M.  Poe  Post  he  personally 
brought  in  thirty-six  recruits,  more  than  any  other  one  member  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  in  Detroit.  He  is  now  one  of  the  directors 
of  the  G.  A.  R.  Memorial  Building  of  Detroit.  He  served  his  post  as 
chaplain  in  1908  and  was  senior  vice  commander  and  commander  during 
1909.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Detroit  Montgomery  Rifles,  an 
exclusive  independent  Irish  military  company  which  existed  in  Detroit 
for  many  years,  and  in  after  years  it  became  a  part  of  the  Michigan* 
National  Guard.  He  also  presented  the  Rifles  a  beautiful  green  silk 
Irish  flag,  which  cost  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars.  He  is,  and 
•  has  abundant  reason  to  be,  proud  of  his  army  record  and  of  his  nation- 
ality. 

Mr.  O'Dwyer  was  the  founder  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians 
in  Detroit.  He  organized  division  No.  1  of  this  order  jn  July  14,  1880. 
He  started  with  sixteen  members,  and  the  organization  now  has  twenty- 
five  hundred  affiliates  in  this  city.  To  this  work  of  organization  he  gave 
two  years  of  his  time  and  energy,  and  he  is  still  a  member  of  the  order. 
For  nine  and  a  half  years  he  served  with  the  Board  of  Public  Works 
of  Detroit.  In  politics  Mr.  O'Dwyer  is  a  Republican.  His  church  is 
the  Catholic,  and  he  is  a  member  of  Branch  No.  5,  C.  M.  B.  A. 

The  home  where  he  and  his  family  reside  is  a  beautiful  residence  at 
669-671  Fourteenth  avenue. 

Captain  Emery  Anderson  Noble.  On  the  1st  of  July,  1910,  after  a 
continuous  service  of  thirty-two  years.  Captain  Emery  Anderson  Noble 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  891 

resigned  from  the  Police  department  of  Detroit,  and  has  since  lived 
retired  in  the  beautiful  suburb  of  Northville.  The  city  has  had  no  more 
faithful  and  eflScient  public  servant  than  Captain  Noble,  and  in  the  quiet 
of  his  later  years  he  enjoys  the  honor  and  esteem  of  a  host  of  personal 
friends,  and  his  record  of  service  deserves  the  best  honors  that  a  com- 
munity may  bestow. 

Captain  Noble  was  born  in  Farmington,  August  30, 1846.  The  family 
moved  to  Detroit  during  his  youth  and  he  continued  his  education  here, 
graduating  from  the  Cass  school  in  1864,  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  He  first 
joined  the  Police  force  on  June  23,  1866,  as  patrolman,  and  served  till 
November  1,  1867.  Having  begun  public  service  at  that  early  date  and 
always  an  interested  observer,  he  is  one  of  the  best  informed  men  in 
Detroit  on  many  historical  scenes  of  the  last  fifty  years.  In  1866  he  wrf)3 
on  duty  at  a  circus  which  spread  its  tents  on  the  site  now  occupied  by 
the  city  hall. 

On  resigning  from  the  force  he  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  business 
until  September  5,  1878,  when  he  again  assumed  the  uniform  of  a  public 
peace  officer.  His  efficiency  won  him  steady  promotion.  In  October, 
1882,  he  was  made  roundsman ;  in  December,  1886,  became  a  detective ; 
in  August,  1892,  was  promoted  to  lieutenant ;  and  on  June  1,  1906,  was 
given  the  stripes  of  captain,  which  office  he  held  four  -years  before  he 
retired.  He  then  moved  out  to  Northville,  where  he  bought  *  *  The  Grove, ' ' 
a  beautiful  country  residence  comprising  eight  acres  of  ground,  and 
here  he  and  his  good  wife  are  spending  the  evening  time  of  their  lives. 

On  May  19,  1869,  Captain  Noble  was  married  to  Miss  Annie  Midg- 
ley,  in  Detroit.  Their  one  child,  Annie  May,  is  the  wife  of  William  H. 
Carpenter,,  who  is  a  shoe  merchant  of  Pontiac.  On  the  occasion  of  their 
twenty-fifth  wedding  anniversary  in  1894  the  Metropolitan  Police  of 
Detroit  presented  them  a  silver  water  service,  and  as  a  token  of  the 
esteem  in  which  he  has  always  be^n  held  by  his  associates  this  gift  is 
one  of  their  most  prized  possessions. 

Captain  Noble  affiliates  with  the  Detroit  Lodge  of  Masons,  No.  2. 
In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Republican.  The  family  church  is  the  Pres- 
byterian, at  Northville,  in  which  society  Mrs.  Noble  takes  an  active  part 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society. 

Francis  John  Walsh  Maguhie,  M.  D.  An  important  name  among 
those  of  able  and  popular  representatives  of  the  medical  profession  in 
Detroit  is  that  of  Dr.  Francis  John  Walsh  Maguire,  whose  residence  in 
this  city  covers  a  period  of  twenty  years.  He  has  been  a  close  and  zeal- 
ous student,  has  achieved  success  as  a  result  of  his  own  endeavors  and 
well  merits  the  prestige  he  has  won  in  his  chosen  field  of  activity.  Dr. 
Maguire  comes  from  a  country  that  has  given  Detroit  some  of  its  ablest 
professional  men;  he  is  a  native  of  Hamilton,  Ontario,  Canada,  where 
he  was  bom  February  16,  1868,  a  son  of  Patrick  and  Margaret  (Walsh) 
Maguire. 

Dr.  Maguire  received  excellent  educational  advantages,  attending  pub- 
lic and  private  schools  in  his  early  youth  and  being  graduated  from  St. 
Lawrence  College,  Montreal,  Canada,  when  he  was  only  twenty  years 
old,  at  which  time  he  received  his  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science.  Sub- 
sequently he  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1895,  with  his  professional  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine, 
thereafter  pursuing  post-graduate  study  in  the  medical  schools  and  hos- 
pitals of  Vienna  and  Paris. 

On  his  return  to  the  United  States  Dr.  Maguire  was  appointed  acting 
assistant  surgeon  of  the  United  States  Marine  Hospital,  a  position  which 
he  held  from  1895  until  1897,  and  in  the  latter  year  came  to  Detroit. 


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892  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

Here  he  has  built  up  a  general  practice  of  a  representative  character,  al- 
though the  greater  part  of  his  time  and  attention  are  given  to  surgical 
cases.  He  is  chief  surgeon  of  the  Home  Sanitarium  and  the  Aetna  Acci- 
dent Insurance  Company,  and  is  medical  examiner  for  the  Equitable  Life 
Insurance  Company.  He  also  takes  great  interest  in  the  work  of  the 
various  organizations  of  the  profession,  belonging  to  the  Wayne  County 
Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American 
Medical  Association. 

Not  only  is  Dr.  Maguire  keenly  alive  to  all  progressive  thought  in  his 
professional  science,  but  has  contributed  not  a  little  to  its  advancement. 
He  is  the  author  of  the  following  published  articles:  **A  New  Dietetic 
and  Injection  Method  of  Treating  Typhoid  Fever,  with  a  Report  of  One 
Hundred  and  Thirty-Eight  Consecutive  Cases  Successfully  Treated  in 
the  Last  Ten  Years ; ' '  *  *  Intestinal  Obstruction  and  Paralysis  of  the  Bowels 
Following  Laparotomy*';  **The  Curse  of  Miscarriage  to  Our  American 
Women,  with  a  Few  Suggestions  in  the  Way  of  a  Remedy'';  **The  Use 
of  Rubber  Gloves  as  an  aid  to  Prophylaxis  in  Obstetrics" ;  **The  Maguire 
Dropper  for  the  Administration  of  Saline'';  and  **The  Maguire  Diag- 
nostic Sound." 

Dr.  Maguire  has  also  shown  his  ability  as  a  financier  and  business  man 
by  incorporating  and  founding  the  Detroit  Garment  Manufacturing 
Company  in  1907,  which  has  today  made  Detroit  the  American  center 
for  the  manufacture  of  children's  dresses.  His  concern  is  doing  a  busi- 
ness of  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars,  proving  that  a  busy  physician  is 
not  always  a  failure  in  the  commercial  world. 

Interests  of  a  socially  fraternal  nature  have  always  been  attractive 
to  Dr.  Maguire,  who  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Fellow- 
craft  Club  and  the  New  York  Society  of  Detroit  as  well  as  to  the  De- 
troit Board  of  Commerce.  He  was  married  on  June  16,  1897,  to  Miss 
Mignon  Bosset  of  Detroit.  The  home  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Maguire  is  at  776 
Jefferson  avenue,  where  he  also  maintains  large,  well-appointed  ofiSces 
in  addition  to  those  centrally  located  in  the  Shurly  Building  in  Grand 
Circus  Park.  With  regard  to  the  advanced  standing,  both  personally 
and  professionally,  of  Dr.  Maguire  in  the  city  of  Detroit,  comment  is 
superfluous  because  of  the  wide  recognition  of  that  fact. 

Charles  Albert  Weymouth.  For  nearly  half  a  century  one  of  the 
active  and  successful  merchants  of  Detroit  and  in  later  years  enjoying 
a  quiet  retirement  which  his  early  career  deserves,  Mr.  Charles  A.  Wey- 
mouth represents  the  best  qualities  of  Detroit's  civic  and  business  af- 
fairs. He  has  witnessed  the  growth  and  development  of  the  city  during 
its  most  important  periods,  and  while  his  activities  belong  to  the  past 
he  is  still  interested  in  the  present  and  as  one  of  the  older  citizens  he 
enjoys  the  esteem  of  all  the  younger  and  more  active  generations. 

He  was  born  at  Northberg,  York  county,  Maine,  October  26, 1832,  and 
was  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  five  children.  His  parents  were  Joseph 
and  Mehitabel  (Warren)  Weymouth,  both  natives  of  Maine.  In  the 
district  schools  near  his  home  town  he  began  his  education,  which  was 
completed  at  the  Southberg  Academy  when  he  was  sixteen  years  old.  At 
the  close  of  school  days  he  went  to  Boston  and  began  his  mercantile  career 
as  a  grocery  salesman,  continuing  for  five  years.  In  March,  1855,  he 
arrived  at  Detroit,  where  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  on  his  own 
account,  continuing  for  three  years.  He  was  a  successful  grocer  of  this 
city  until  1870.  During  the  next  ten  years  he  conducted  a  high  class  cigar 
store  on  Woodward  avenue.  In  1880  he  became  associated  with  the  D. 
M.  Curtin  Company,  and  continued  with  this  well  known  house  until 
1900,  when  he  retired  from  the  ranks  of  the  active  merchants,  and  has 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  893 

since  enjoyed  a  peaceful  career  at  his  comfortable  home,  231  West  Alex- 
andrine avenue. 

Mr.  Weymouth  was  married  November  11,  1857,  to  Miss  Mary  A. 
Cobum.  Their  married  life  has  been  both  happy  and  of  remarkable 
length,  and  in  1907  they  celebrated  that  impressive  occasion  of  a  golden 
wedding.  Mrs.  Weymouth  is  a  native  of  Scotland,  being  the  youngest 
in  the  family  of  Robert  and  Anna  Coburn,  who  brought  her  to  America 
when  she  was  a  child.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weymouth  have  four  children: 
Anna  R.  is  a  teacher  in  the  Detroit  public  schools ;  Frank  W.  lives  at 
home  and  is  connected  with  the  D.  U.  R. ;  Mary  M.  is  the  wife  of  Charles 
L.  Major,  who  is  associated  with  the  Eastman  Kodak  Company,  of  Roch- 
ester, New  York;  Charles  R.  lives  at  home  and  is  connected  with  the 
Globe  Tobacco  Works. . 

Olney  B.  Cook.  Among  the  fine  old  pioneer  citizens  of  Detroit, 
Michigan,  Olney  Ballon  Cook  holds  prestige  as  one  whose  loyalty  and 
public  spirit  have  ever  been  of  the  most  insistent  order.  Although  he 
has  now  attained  to  the  venerable  age  of  seventy-four  years,  he  is  still 
alert  and  active,  a  great  deal  of  his  attention  being  devoted  to  the  gen- 
eral management  of  his  large  wholesale  merchandise  business.  He  is 
descended  from  a  fine  old  Colonial  family,  the  original  representative  of 
the  name  in  America  having  been  Walter  Cook,  who  immigrated  from 
England  to  Massachusetts  in  1643,  settling  first  at  Weymouth  and  later 
at  Mendon.  The  author  of  the  genealogy  of  the  Ballon  family  speaks  of 
Walter  Cook  as  head  of  one  of  the  three  most  prominent  families  in 
Mendon,  Massachusetts.  Walter  Cook  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife 
having  been  Experience  Holbrook  and  his  second  wife  Catherine  BaUou. 
The  latter  was  the  maternal  ancestor  of  the  subject  of  this  review.  In 
line  of  direct  descent  from  Walter  Cook  to  Olney  B.  Cook  were  Nicholas, 
Daniel,  Daniel,  Jr.,  Thaddeus  and  Fenner,  he  whose  name  initiates  this 
review  being  a  member  of  the  seventh  generation  of  the  name  of  Cook  in 
America.  All  of  the  abovementioned  ancestors  were  reared  and  lived 
in  the  vicinity  of  Mendon,  Massachusetts. 

Mr.  Cook  through  his  grandmother,  Rhoda  Ballon,  was  related  to 
the  late  President  James  A.  Garfield,  their  mothers  being  daughters  of 
the  well  known  Ballon  brothers  of  Woonsocket,  Rhode  Island,  and  on 
the  paternal  side  was  a  cousin  of  the  late  General  Cyrus  B.  Comstock. 
Mr.  Cook's  paternal  ancestor,  Daniel  Cook,  fought  on  the  side  of  the  Col- 
onists in  the  Revolutionary  War.  In  the  Civil  War  Mr.  Cook's  brother 
William  gave  up  his  life  for  the  Union.  A  much  prized  relic  in  Mr. 
Cook's  possession  is  the  Cook  Coat-of-Arms,  brought  to  this  country 
from  England  by  his  ancestor,  Walter  Cook,  in  the  seventeenth  century. 
Nicholas  Cook,  the  brother  of  Daniel,  who  was  Mr.  Cook's  ancestor,  was 
Governor  of  Rhode  Island  immediately  after  the  Revolutionary  War. 

Fenner  Cook,  father  of  Olney  B.,  was  bom  on  the  7th  of  October, 
1799,  the  place  of  his  nativity  having  been  Bellingham  township,  Nor- 
folk county,  Massachusetts.  He  married  Miss  Miranda  Thayer,  bom  in 
the  same  place  in  1801.  Fenner  Cook  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  he 
figured  prominently  in  public  affairs  in  the  old  Bay  state,  having  been  at 
one  time  state  representative  from  Norfolk  county.  Miranda  Thayer 
was  a  daughter  of  Ebenezer  Thayer  and  a  sister  of  Alanson  Thayer,  a 
well  known  manufacturer  of  cotton  cloth  at  Pawtucket,  Rhode  Island.  . 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cook  were  Universalists  in  their  religious  faith  and  they 
took  an  active  part  in  all  philanthropical  projects  carried  forward  in 
their  home  community.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  three  of 
whom  are  living  at  the  present  time,  in  1911. 


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894  HISTOEY  OF  DETROIT 

In  the  district  schools  of  his  native  place  Olney  B.  Cook  received  his 
preliminary  educational  training  and  that  discipline  was  later  supple- 
mented by  a  course  of  study  in  a  private  school  for  boys,  the  same  hav- 
ing been  located  at  Westminster,  Vermont.  In  1857,  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years,  he  severed  the  ties  which  bound  him  to  home  and  came 
with  an  uncle,  Colonel  Levi  Cook,  to  Detroit.  Colonel  Cook  was  thrice 
elected  mayor  of  Detroit  and  during  his  life  time  held  as  many  as  twenty 
important  oflSces  of  public  trust  and  responsibility  in  this  section  of  the 
state.  Shortly  after  his  arrival  in  this  city  Olney  B.  Cook  became  in- 
terested in  the  general  merchandise  business,  eventually  establishing  a 
wholesale  mercantile  concern,  the  same  being  still  known  and  conducted 
under  the  firm  name  of  0.  B.  Cook  &  Company.  Through  persistency 
and  a  fixed  determination  to  forge  ahead  Mr.  Cook  has  succeeded  in 
building  up  a  fine  business  enterprise  and  he  holds  pi:estige  as  one  of  the 
foremost  pioneer  business  men  of  Detroit,  where  he  has  resided  for  over 
half  a  century.  Politically  he  holds  to  the  tenets  of  protection  of  our 
own  industries,  but  in  local  affairs  believes  that  the  man  best  qualified 
for  the  position  should  have  it.  In  a  fraternal  way  he  is  aflSliated  with 
the  time-honored  Masonic  Order  and  with  the  **01d  Club'*  at  St.  Clair 
Flats,  of  which  latter  organization  he  has  been  a  valued  and  appre- 
ciative member  since  the  time  of  organization.  He  is  a  fine  old  man  and 
his  life  history  is  certainly  worthy  of  commendation  and  emulation,  for 
atong  honorable  and  straightforward  lines  he  has  won  the  success  which 
crowns  his  efforts  and  which  makes  him  one  of  the  substantial  residents 
of  Detroit. 

In  this  city,  on  the  15th  of  August,  1866,  Mr.  Cook  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Vashti  W.  Goldsmith,  whose  father,  Professor  James 
H.  Gk)ldsmith,  was  the  founder  of  the  (Joldsmith,  Bryant,  &  Stratton 
Business  College,  the  predecessor  of  the  present  Detroit  Business  Univer- 
sity. Mrs.  Cook's  great-grandmother  on  the  maternal  side  was  a  Den- 
niston,  sister  of  Elizabeth  Denniston,  who  was  the  mother  of  Charles 
Clinton  and  Governor  George  Clinton,  of  New  York.  Mrs.  Cook's 
grandfather  on  the  paternal  side  was  the  brother  of  Mrs.  Belknap,  the 
mother  of  General  William  Belknap.  Concerning  the  four  children 
bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cook  the  two  eldest  are  deceased.  Of  the  two  liv- 
ing Charles  G.  Cook  was  graduated  in  the  literary  and  law  departments 
of  the  University  of  Michigan  and  he  is  now  a  prominent  attorney  in  the 
city  of  Detroit.  James  Clifton  Cook,  the  other  surviving  son,  was 
graduated  in  the  Detroit  high  school  and  in  the  Detroit  Business  Uni- 
versity. He  is  now  associated  with  his  father  in  business  and  is  a  fine 
representative  of  the  younger  generation  of  progressive  business  men 
in  this  city.  Both  sons  are  married,  the  former  having  wedded  Mary 
Josephine  LaDore,  of  Walkerville,  Ontario,  Canada,  and  the  latter 
having  married  ^larie  Madgeline  Oldswager,  of  Flint,  Michigan.  In 
religion  Mrs.  Cook  follows  the  belief  of  her  ancestors,  who  were  faithful 
adherents  of  John  Calvin.  Mr.  Cook  is  more  liberal  in  his  views,  be- 
lieving in  the  doctrines  of  the  Universalist  Church.  They  are  popular 
and  prominent  citizens  and  are  deeply  beloved  by  all  with  whom  they 
have  come  in  contact. 

Frank  J.  To  war.  In  any  line  of  business  enterprise  it  is  a  matter 
of  the  keenest  gratification  to  realize  that  one's  own  concern  is  the  best 
of  its  kind  in  the  entire  countryside.  It  may  be  stated  without  any  fear 
of  contradiction  that  the  Towar's  Wayne  County  Creamery,  located  at 
73-75-77  Bagley  avenue,  holds  prestige  as  the  finest  creamery  in  Detroit, 
where  it  was  established  in  1868  by  the  father  of  him  to  whom  this 
sketch  is  dedicated.     Frank  J.  Towar  is  a  man  of  unusual  executive 


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HISTOEY  OF  DETROIT  895 

ability  and  as  a  citizen  his  loyalty  and  public  spirit  have  ever  been  of 
the  most  insistent  order. 

A  native  of  Tilsonburg,  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  Frank  J.  Towar 
was  born  on  the  4th  of  November,  1852,  and  he  is  a  son  of  George  W. 
and  Hannah  (Mathews)  Towar,  the  former  of  whom  is  deceased  and  the 
latter  of  whom  is  now  living,  at  the  patriarchal  age  of  ninety-nine  years, 
in  the  city  of  Detroit.  George  W.  Towar  was  bom  in  Wayne  county, 
New  York,  in  the  year  1810,  and  he  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal  at 
his  home  at  No.  81  Ledyard  avenue,  this  city,  on  the  6th  of  June,  1895, 
at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty-five  years.  His  father  was  a  promi- 
nent business  man  and  one  of  the  early  settlers  in  Wayne  county,  New 
York,  where  he  passed  the  declining  years  of  his  life.  At  the  time  of  his 
marriage,  in  1832,  George  W.  Towar  was  engaged  in  the  milling  business 
in  his  native  state  and  in  1860  he  removed,  with  his  family,  to  Detroit. 
Here  he  established  the  Wayne  County  Creamery  in  1868,  this  concern 
being  now  conducted  by  the  subject  of  this  review.  Of  the  nine  children 
bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  W.  Towar  but  four  are  living  at  the  present 
time,  namely, — George  W.,  of  Detroit ;  Edgar  H.,  of  New  York ;  Albert, 
now  a  colonel  in  the  United  States  army ;  and  Frank  J.,  the  immediate 
subject  of  this  sketch. 

Frank  J.  Towar  was  a  child  of  but  eight  years  of  age  at  the  time 
of  his  parents'  removal  to  Detroit,  where  he  was  reared  to  maturity  and 
where  he  was  graduated  in  the  Detroit  high  school  as  a  member  of  the 
class  of  1872,  the  school  being  then  located  in  front  of  the  Griswold 
House.  As  a  youth  Mr.  Towar  began  to  work,  in  the  capacity  of  clerk, 
for  the  Hull  Brothers  grocery  and  meat  concern  and  was  also  one  year 
in  the  United  States  Lake  Survey.  Two  years  later,  in  1874,  he  entered 
the  employ  of  his  father,  in  the  latter 's  creamery,  and  he  has  continued 
to  be  interested  in  this  line  of  enterprise  during  the  long  intervening 
years  to  the  present  time.  In  the  early  days  Mr.  Towards  brother  George 
was  also  connected  with  the  Wayne  County  Creamery.  Since  1906,  how- 
ever, Frank  J.  Towar  has  controlled  the  business  individually.  The  fine 
business  block  occupied  by  the  creamery,  at  73-5-7  Bagley  avenue,  was 
built  in  1887  by  the  father,  Frank  J.  and  George  Towar  but  it  is  now 
in  the  possession  of  the  aged  mother.  During  the  year  1910  business 
amounting  to  some  nine  hundred  thousand  dollars  was  handled  by  the 
Company,  the  same  comprising  chiefly  butter,  milk  and  cream  put  on 
the  market  in  retail  and  wholesale  quantities.  Some  twenty  thousand 
pounds  of  butter  are  handled  weekly  and  in  addition  to  the  main  plant 
a  branch  creamery  is  conducted  on  North  Woodward  avenue.  A  specialty 
is  made  of  certified  milk,  which  is  prepared  and  bottled  specially  for  the 
the  use  of  infants.  Every  possible  precaution  is  taken  in  the  barns  and 
milk  houses  of  the  Wayne  County  Creamery  to  promote  cleanliness  and 
the  best  sanitary  conditions.  For  nearly  two  score  years  the  concem  has 
been  in  business  in  Detroit  as  purveyors  of  milk,  and  the  splendid  busi- 
ness now  controlled  is  entirely  the  result  of  fair  and  straightforward 
dealings.  .        . 

At  Detroit  on  the  15th  of  February,  1882,  Mr.  Towar  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  May  LaRose  Jelly,  a  native  of  Pontiac,  Michigan,  and 
a  daughter  of  Eichard  and  Jane  (Duncan)  Jelly,  both  of  whom  are 
now  deceased.  Mrs.  Towar  was  educated  in  Professor  J.  M.  B.  Sill's 
Academy  of  this  city  and  she  is  a  woman  of  most  gracious  personality, 
her  innate  kindliness  of  spirit  making  her  popular  with  all  classes  of 
people.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Towar  are  the  parents  of  six  children,  conceming 
whom  the  following  brief  data  are  here  incorporated,— Edgar  T.  is  vice- 
president  of  the  Wayne  County  Creamery  Company ;  Edith  is  the  wife  of 
Walter  L.  Hill,  of  Detroit;  Margaret  remains  at  home,  as  does  also 


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896  HISTOEY  OF  DETROIT 

Albert  J.,  who  is  manager  of  the  north  branch  store  on  Woodward 
avenue;  and  Frank  J.,  Jr.,  and  Marion  are  both  in  school.  The  two 
daughters  were  graduated  in  the  Leggett  School  and  the  two  eldest  sons 
were  graduated  in  the  Detroit  high  school.  The  family  home  is  main- 
tained in  a  beautiful  residence  at  54  Ferry  avenue.  East. 

In  politics  Mr.  Towar  accords  an  uncompromising  allegiance  to  the 
principles  and  policies  for  which  the  Republican  party  stands  sponsor, 
and  while  he  is  not  an  active  participant  in  public  affairs  he  gives  freely 
of  his  aid  and  influence  in  support  of  all  matters  projected  for  pro- 
gress and  development.  He  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Detroit  Board  of 
Commerce  and  in  a  social  way  is  aflftliated  with  the  Country  Club.  In 
their  religious  faith  the  family  are  devout  members  of  the  Westminster 
Presbyterian  church  of  Detroit. 

Christopher  Richards  Mabley.  When  Detroit  named  Christopher 
Richards  Mabley  **The  Merchant  Prince",  it  named  him  well.  He 
was  the  first  man  to  start  a  department  store  in  Detroit,  and  the  name 
of  his  institution  soon  became  a  household  word  among  the  people  of  the 
city  and  neighboring  towns.  For  many  miles  Mabley 's  store  was  a 
familiar  sound  to  the  ear  and  it  was  because  he  gave  value  received  for 
the  money  he  took  in  and  dealt  fairly  with  every  one.  English  by  birth 
and  parentage,  the  son  of  William  and  Mary  Mabley,  he  was  born  at  St. 
Columb,  Cornwall,  England,  February  22,  1836.  When  about  twelve 
years  old  he  came  across  the  ocean  with  his  parents  and  with  them  located 
at  Toronto,  Canada,  where  the  elder  Mabley  was  a  silk  merchant.  C.  R. 
Mabley  received  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Toronto.  Going  to  Mil- 
waukee, he  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  business  with  his  brother-in-law, 
John  Bell.  Fire  swept  their  business  from  the  face  of  the  earth,  the 
stock  being  a  total  loss  upon  which  there  was  no  insurance.  This  natural- 
ly was  a  heavy  blow  to  the  young  man.  Not,  however,  disheartened  by 
the  disaster,  he  came  to  Michigan  and  located  at  Pontiac  where  he  started 
a  clothing  store  in  a  very  small  way.  He  had  but  little  in  the  way  of 
furniture  and  no  money,  and  as  the  rents  were  very  high  he  was  com- 
pelled to  lease  a  house  supposed  to  be  haunted,  because  the  rent  was 
within  his  reach.  After  seven  years  at  Pontiac  where  he  made  and  saved 
some  money,  he  came  to  Detroit,  leaving  his  store  in  Pontiac  in  charge 
of  his  brother.  He  sought  a  location  in  the  City  of  the  Straits  near  the 
old  Russell  House,  and  found  he  could  get  a  storeroom  at  126  Woodward 
avenue.  His  friends  advised  against  this  as  there  had  been  three  failures 
at  that  place.  Not  at  all  worried  by  this  supposed  hoo-do,  he  rented  the 
place,  started  a  men's  special  clothing  store  and  advertised  it  as  **The 
Hoo-do  Store,''  even  making  capital  out  of  the  circumstance  of  its 
former  misfortunes,  for  the  idea  made  a  hit  and  trade  fairly  flowed  in. 
He  then  bought  the  first  full  page  advertisement  ever  run  in  the  De- 
troit Free  Press.  When  he  sent  in  his  copy  the  paper  at  first  refused  to 
accept  it  as  it  had  been  the  custom  to  have  the  advertisements  in  a  column, 
with  a  line  between  each.  His  copy  ran  quite  across  the  page.  There 
was  a  sharp  controversy,  he  claiming  that  he  had  bought  the  page  and 
the  Free  Press  taking  iss-ue.  Mr.  Mabley  claimed  that  he  had  bought  the 
pa^e  and  that  he  could  make  of  it  whatever  disposition  he  saw  fit.  After 
much  discussion,  during  which  he  enjoyed  a  great  deal  of  free  advertis- 
ing, the  paper  ran  the  advertisement  as  he  had  written  it  and  as  he  de- 
sired  it  to  appear.  It  brought  great  results.  After  two  years  he  took 
the  room  on  both  sides  of  his  original  store  and  materially  increased  his 
business,  adding  a  room  once  a  year  until  he  had  control  of  the  entire 
block.  In  the  meantime  he  had  taken  a  store  across  the  street,  known  as 
the  Hog  Block.    This  he  tore  down  and  built  a  block  of  his  own.    By 


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If       '.  >t''     Ml     >    hvKil.  I'll.'     "V\i» 

"  -  ;  j"i  the  ■\^o  citl'Sl  xms 
fan-'U    lit", It'  J-   1  laMi 

•  ;i--i,iL''  ;tI;t'Lria:i''"  to  i'  •* 
.i  j-arty  suiiuU  --poii^or. 
!t  ■  utl'airs  iir  t',i  *•  s  t'ft  •  i\ 

.  ■  '  *'  ^H-  Delivit  li«uti''l  <»;' 

.■  t>  ol  tl'f  Wt'sti.ii'i-M'r 


Wiun   I>r'i-t,it-  ijaait"^  ( 'KLJ^t'-yiiiT 

i'riii'-r",    it    iiaiii'-l    i-M.,    v.ril       lit^ 

T;),-;it  stut'r  in  i-)''lr'jit.  .iiul  Mu-  I'a  ■> - 

'U.-,t  a'tl.l  \\«):-.j  ai  i^U'i,  lilt   ]'*  0''  L'    m'  tho 

'.r    ;   .  ri>.-    nul'-s    Malt!*y\   :^    •■.'    w;.s    a 

'   ^' .  h  ••••    .ii>o  lit-  ir<jv«'  \:'lut'  I'.-.'.'M'.i  tor 

V  i:]\  f\t'r\   (.1  .\     l-l;iL'lish  by  hirtii 

.    ,1  •  '      '  ''\    \''j')ioy,  }i'    x\:is  bdi-Ji  nl   ^1. 

.;       ' -- -n.      When   ab'MiT    Iwt'hr 

'    '.    ..:«  a'ui  vith  th.-ni  i(ii*rit^"i 

,!'    ^  .        « -IS  a  silk  nu'r(  i:a^H.     {\  U, 

^'^i  '■  .    ^  '  .  N  01'  'I'-ron'o.     iloin^r  tt>  M'l- 

■.  ,'  -a-^- tl   w      .      '   ^  .'  •i-'^s  wirli  i'^s  I'l-otliiM  i'l-'aw, 

,1;  1^  ire  svvepi      >\*\i    i-  ■     i-m*;'   ibe    J'aee  of  the  ear!h.   t!.*- 

tT  a  i(»lal  1"8S  upon  \\i:.   1    "  •*  i**-  'Aa^  ii*)  insiiran<  e.    Ti'is  naNi-'al- 

.  iica\y  blow  \<*  the  yx)^  »    •   luan      \ut,  ji-av«'V.'",  (ii>h(*a.ft'ie^«l  }\ 

V   h>'  <-',:!ie  l'«  Mir'.'      •    .itid  loi-j.lr'l  at   iNuitia''  \\  lu^T'e  lie  sia   t^Ml 

'     .  '   ■•  ;     .  "•  ■  '   V  ri> .     ii-'  i\a(l  hnt   litth    in  *!  •>  was    (ti 

'     :  .'  Vf-nts  V  ci'e  \'*e'    I'ltrh  he  was  <  oiu- 

to  1)(    ii  .iiummI.   i.^"  :  ti.se    il  '  7-en1    vas 

N  iJ  r'Miti;,<-  V,  iif'T"  lit!  Tu;  (]'■  ami  '-aviMi 

'     I  :  !.-^  vi/,M    in  rctn-^'c  in  ('harue 

:  *■.'  <  iyv  <)**  the  m rails  n'-a.r  iJe^ 

.    -''>r'  i<»om  at  12(i  \V.>,)'^v.di«l 

-     -  *".  r!-e  )i:-  1  In-en  Iniee  lajlure>^ 

•       •      '  s..|  ,'  .s*m1  t.o.')-(i,>,  le^  irnted  the 

•     .-  ^*-   ■•    a-'i   r..l\^'rn<r(]  il   as  "Ti)- 

,     .      '  ,        11     ('■'<;*     •  h.'     t  P'.'if'i»,s«^M';'r     1)1      its 

f-.'  .  ;    ;     iade  a  l)'i  .' :   i  Uh-ax'  f   iriy  in>\\.Mi  in. 

.  ">l    :    '     J  ere  ad  v  .•• '  is.  meat  ev^T  rnn  in   ih*     l)r- 

'  ;  "n  ..     s  nt  in  11'-  r   I'V  the  ])ap(r  at  hrst  retiN-  d  te 

.    •■    n  th.- '•.j--ti)in  to  iia\  e  the  advcr-tjs*  .jr*nts  HI  a  "oliMini. 

i**  11  eaeli.     His  eunv  ran  ciiiite  a^'ro^^s  the'  ])ai!''      The»''' 

'    '  f-  -\u'Ny,  he  •'lai.i'Mitr  that  he  had  boiiidit  tt..'  }\.at-  and 

vv  takire  is*-in\     Mr.  .Mahh  v  claimed  that  ii*'  liad  bout;  it  tiie 

'  .M  lie  conM  malce  o!  it  viuu*  ver  disposition  be  saw  fit.     AftiM* 

■  N.-as^ion.  d'r-ini:  wiurh  be  en.iovrd  a  j.m  eat  deal  of  fret^  atlvcrtis- 

•i"  paTHT  rafi  the  ad-.  v'rljs«Mneni  as  b*'  liad  written  il  anil  as  he  di*- 

:   It  to  aj>p*'ar      It   hroui  .it   ^r^^-at   rt-siil's.     Attt^r  t  »\'o  years  he  t<iuk 

V'^n  i.n  }''.*h  ^.'i'S  ot'  ]'t>'  oritn^al  *-t.'re  aiiti  inaWM-'ally  ui'T^ey*.]  !-'s 

:..j^-M»'.  ;.  .':  -is  a  room  (»n<-e  a  year  unid  lie  bad  ••oi^+rol  of  the  entire 

"''0.  i<      'n  *  /'  ..  .    I.  i:M.   \w  })ad  +ak"n  a  store  h«toss  tlie  street,  kinnvn  as 

tb**  J'-,'  Ki.  ek.     This  };e  t..re  d.j\Na  and  bnilt  a  bloek  o\   Id^  own.     J)V 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  897 

this  time  he  had  about  a  dozen  store  rooms,  six  on  each  side  of  the  street, 
and  he  started  a  general  department  store,  in  which  he  sold  everything 
imaginable.  This  was  the  first  department  store  in  Detroit.  He  then 
established  stores  at  Flint,  Michigan,  Toledo,  Cleveland  and  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  but  always  retained  his  old  store  at  126  Woodward  avenue,  the 
point  at  which  he  built  up  his  splendid  reputation  as  a  merchant  prince. 
A  number  of  these  stores  are  known  to  this  day  as  Mabley's. 

Mr.  Mabley  was  a  man  of  strong  and  interesting  personality.  The 
word  *'Fair'  was  not  contained  in  his  lexicon.  If  any  one  said  to  him, 
'*Mr.  Mabley,  this  thing  is  impossible,"  he  immediately  insisted  that  the 
impossible  should  be  done  and  it  usually  was.  He  had  a  great  heart, 
whose  sympathies  were  ever  extended  to  those  less  fortunate  than  him- 
self. One  of  the  finest  of  many  fine  acts  was  his  advertising  in  dull  sea- 
sons, when  all  other  stores  were  dismissing  their  clerks,  for  more  em- 
ployes, and  thus  keeping  many  families  from  want. 

Mr.  Mabley  was  a  ^fason  of  high  rank  and  he  delighted  in  out-door 
life,  belonging  to  the  old  Detroit  Boat  Club  and  the  St.  Clair  Pishing 
Club.  In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat,  but  was  very  broad  in  his  views, 
voting  for  the  best  man  regardless  of  party  aflBliations.  He  would  never 
accept  public  oflSce,  although  several  times  approached  with  a  request 
to  accept  the  nomination  for  mayor.  He  was  a  valued  member  of  the 
Universalist  church.  The  demise  of  this  prominent  and  fine  man 
occurred  June  30,  1885,  and  his  remains  are  interred  at  Pontiac.  His 
widow  survives,  making  her  residence  in  the  city  of  New  York. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mabley  were  the  parents  of  six  children.  Catherine 
Ellenor  became  the  wife  of  Sidney  Corbett,  deceased;  Helena  married 
George  Granger,  deceased ;  Maude  married  Marshal  Knight,  of  New  York ; 
Edith  married  Proctor  Smith,  of  Yonkers,  New  York;  Alice  married 
George  Post,  of  Mt.  Vernon,  New  York ;  and  C.  R.  is  living  in  New  York 
City. 

Sidney  Corbett,  who  married  the  eldest  of  Mr.  Mabley 's  daughters, 
was  bom  in  Indiana,  attended  school  there  and  became  a  prominent  news- 
paper writer  on  the  Chicago  Tribune,  He  came  to  Detroit  in  1887  and 
was  with  the  Detroit  Free  Press  and  later  started  a  paper  for  himself, 
known  as  the  Critic,  Later  he  engaged  in  the  stock  brokerage  business 
which  he  followed  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  May  19,  1901.  At  the 
time  of  his  demise  he  was  thirty-seven  years  of  age.  He  was  buried  at 
Woqdlawn  cemetery.  Mr.  Corbett  was  very  fond  of  his  home  and  his 
books,  always  spending  his  evenings  in  his  own  home.  He  was  a  great 
lover  of  sport,  especially  of  hunting,  thinking  the  world  of  his  dogs.  His 
father  was  an  Episcopal  minister.  Sidney  Corbett 's  marriage  to  Miss 
Mabley  occurred  May  27,  1890,  and  they  had  two  children,  both  of  whom 
live  at  home  with  their  mother.  His  widow  after  his  death  removed 
from  their  old  home  on  Ferry  avenue  and  built  a  handsome  terrace  on 
Champlain  street,  where  she  now  lives  with  her  children,  Sidney  Cor- 
bett III,  (the  father  was  Sidney  Corbett,  Jr.)  and  Christopher  M. 

Edward  J.  Hickey.  The  study  of  the  career  of  a  self-made  man 
is  always  interesting  to  the  biographist  or  student  of  human  nature. 
The  persistency  and  industry  which  finally  terminate  in  success  oflfer 
lesson  and  incentive  to  the  younger  generation  and  are  worthy  of  admi- 
ration in  every  connection.  On  the  15th  of  March,  1911,  was  celebrated 
the  tenth  anniversary  of  the  corporation  known  as  the  E.  J.  Hickey 
Company,  the  same  representing  one  of  the  largest  and  most  prosperous 
mercantile  concerns  in  Detroit. 

Edward  J.  Hickey  was  bom  in  the  city  of  Detroit,  Michigan,  on  the 
18th  of  November,  1863,  and  he  is  a  son  of  Patrick  B.  and  Mary  (Ready) 


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898  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Hickey,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  In  the  public  schools  of 
Detroit  he  received  his  preliminary  educational  training  and  in  1873, 
when  a  lad  of  but  ten  years  of  age,  he  began  his  active  career  as  a  cash 
boy  in  the  dry-goods  store  of  George  Peck.  Subsequently  he  was  in  the 
employ  of  C.  R.  ^labley,  a  clothing  concern,  and  in  1877  he  began  to 
work  for  J.  L.  Hudson,  of  Detroit.  In  1881  he  was  made  general  man- 
ager of  the  Hudson  business,  remaining  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Hudson  for 
a  period  of  twenty-four  years.  On  the  15th  of  March,  1901,  however,  he 
decided  to  launch  out  into  the  business  world  on  his  own  account  and  at 
that  time  commenced  operations  as  a  merchant  in  a  little  store  at  No.  201 
Woodward  avenue,  this  city.  With  the  passage  of  time  his  business 
increased  so  rapidly  that  he  was  kept  constantly  on  the  alert  enlarging 
store  rooms.  In  1909  he  erected  a  five-story  building,  whose  lateral 
dimensions  are  forty  by  one  hundred  feet,  the  same  being  specially 
designed  and  equipped  for  his  particular  line  of  enterprise.  Even  now, 
only  two  years  later,  he  is  planning  for  more  commodious  quarters. 
In  1909  the  business  was  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  state  with 
a  capital  stock  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  and  those  who  are  finan- 
cially interested  in  the  concern  are  E.  J.  Hickey,  E.  Wolfel,  J.  W. 
Bolger  and  M.  J.  Keveney.  Men's  clothing  and  furnishings  and  boys' 
and  girls'  wearing  apparel  are  the  specialties  that  are  handled. 

Concerning  the  admirable  success  in  life  achieved  by  Mr.  Hickey, 
the  following  paragraph  is  here  inserted,  the  same  having  appeared  in 
the  Detroit  Times,  under  date  of  March  15,  1911. 

**Mr.  Hickey  when  asked  what  in  his  opinion  most  contributed  to 
his  success  was  prompt  to  say:  *The  training  I  received  under  J.  L. 
Hudson,  and  the  longer  I  live  the  more  and  more  I  appreciate  that  fact. 
The  detail,  knowledge  and  business  methods  thus  acquired,  and  carried 
out  here,  have  been  all  important.  Then,  of  course,  we  have  always 
made  it  our  special  effort  to  handle  only  goods  of  quality.  I  do  not 
mean  by  that  only  high-price,  costly  garments,  but  merchandise  of  in- 
trinsic value  and  merit,  that  we  could  safely  guarantee  to  give  satisfaction 
when  put  to  the  test  of  personal  service.  The  growth  of  our  business, 
the  fact  that  our  old  customers  continue  with  us,  and  that  new  ones  are 
constantly  being  added  to  our  list  of  patrons,  encourages  us  in  the 
belief  that  our  vigorous  efforts  in  this  respect  have  been  successful. 
There  is  no  foundation  on  which  to  build  a  business  equal  to  a  pleased 
customer.  Reliable,  trustworthy;,  up-to-date  merchandise,  at  honest, 
steady  prices,  appeals  to  intelligent,  discriminating  purchasers,  makes 
for  a  stable,  desirable  business  and  creates  a  good  will  of  commercial 
value.  So-called  special  sales  of  merchandise  made  or  sold  for  such 
purposes  and  ** Hurrah"  advertising  methods,  are  never  indulged  in 
here.  It  would  be  detrimental  to  our  business.  I  know  some  businesses 
seem  to  prosper  when  such  methods  control,  but  you  will  find  that  their 
average  life  is  short.  Such  gains  are  but  temporary,  there  is  no  stability 
or  inherent  strength  in  a  business  so  conducted.  It  is  built  on  a  founda- 
tion of  sand  and  the  first  move  of  commercial  depression  sees  a  sudden 
and  complete  change.'  " 

At  Detroit,  in  the  year  1890,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Hickey  to  Miss  Mary  L.  Mehling,  a  native  of  this  city  and  a  daughter 
of  Frederick  Mehling.  Mr.  and  ^Irs.  Hickey  have  four  children :  Joseph 
S.,  Edward  J.,  Jr.,  Helen  and  Frederick.  In  their  religious  faith  Mr. 
and  ^Irs.  Hickey  are  devout  communicants  of  the  Catholic  church,  in  the 
different  departments  of  whose  work  they  are  most  ardent  workers.  In 
a  fraternal  way  he  is  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Columbus  and  in 
politics  he  is  a  liberal  Democrat.  In  connection  with  his  business  in- 
terests he  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  899 

WiLUAM  Albert  Harp'er,  M.  D.,  one  of  Detroit's  rising  young  physi- 
cians, was  born  at  Argentine,  Genesee  county,  Michigan,  on  January  6, 
1877,  the  son  of  William  Harper,  M.  D.,  who  was  born  at  Norwalk,  Ohio, 
and  who  graduated  from  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of 
Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor  in  1868,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.,  and  in  1869 
was  graduated  from  Rush  Medical  College  of  Chicago.  The  elder  Doctor 
Harper  practiced  medicine  at  Argentine  from  the  time  of  his  graduation 
until  1886,  then  practiced  medicine  at  Madison,  Michigan,  until  1895, 
since  which  time  he  has  been  practicing  his  profession  at  Byron,  Michigan. 
The  mother  of  young  Doctor  Harper  was  Leah  Grace,  who  was  born  in 
Erenton,  Michigan.    She  is  now  deceased. 

Dr.  William  Albert  Harper  attended  the  public  schools  of  Howell, 
Michigan,  after  which  he  entered  the  Michigan  College  of  Medicine  and 
Surgery  in  the  fall  of  1895,  graduating  therefrom  with  the  class  of  '99, 
with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  He  then  took  a  two  years'  course  at  the  Post 
Graduate  College  at  Chicago.  He  entered  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
Shiawassee  county,  Michigan,  in  1899  and  came  to  Detroit  in  1906, 
locating  at  621  Dix  avenue,  where  he  has  built  up  a  lucrative  practice. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  the  Michigan 
State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  Owosso  Lodge,  No.  88,  P.  &  A.  M.,  the  Michigan  Sovereign 
Consistory,  Scottish  Rite  Masons,  also  of  Riverside  Lodge,  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Dr.  Harper  married,  March  13,  1901,  Miss  Car- 
rie Fisher,  who  was  born  at  Byron,  Michigan,  the  daughter  of  Eleazer 
Fisher.    They  have  one  daughter,  Willabelle,  aged  seven  years. 

Christopher  Campbell,  M.  D.  Among  the  number  of  diligent  and 
faithful  practitioners  of  medicine  in  Detroit  none  stand  more  deservedly 
high  than  Dr.  Christopher  Campbell.  The  people  of  Detroit  have  had 
the  benefit  of  his  intelligent  and  conscientious  labors  for  more  than  twenty 
years,  he  having  located  among  them  as  a  practitioner  in  1891,  after  com- 
pleting his  professional  education.  He  was  born  near  St.  Thomks,  in 
county  Elgin,  Ontario,  Canada,  December  6,  1866,  and  is  a  son  of  James 
and  Veda  (Buchanan)  Campbell,  the  former  a  native  of  Aberdeenshire. 
Scotland,  and  the  latter  of  near  St.  Thomas,  Canada.  The  mother  passed 
away  in  1904,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years,  and  her  husband,  who  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation,  followed  her  to  the  grave  in  March,  1908,  when 
he  was  eighty-seven  years  old. 

Dr.  Christopher  Campbell  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
vicinity  and  subsequently  supplemented  this  preparation  by  attendance 
at  the  St.  Thomas  Collegiate  Institute,  spending  three  years  there.  He 
then  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  London,  Can- 
ada, where  he  continued  one  year,  following  which  he  became  a  student 
in  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine.  He  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  in  the  class  of  1891,  and  for  one  year  remained  in  the  oflSce  of  Dr. 
James  Campbell,  on  Twelfth  street,  one  of  the  city's  oldest  practitioners. 
He  then  engaged  in  the  general  practice  of  medicine  at  No.  404  Baker 
street,  continuing  there  until  1901  and  then  erecting  his  present  hand- 
some brick  residence  at  No.  318  West  Grand  Boulevard,  where  he  has 
since  maintained  his  offices.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Med- 
ical Society,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Med- 
ical Association,  and  is  medical  examiner  for  the  Detroit  branch  of  the 
Illinois  Commercial  Men's  Association,  the  Western  Travelers  Associa- 
tion, the  Inter-State  Business  Men's  Association,  Star  Council  of  the 
Royal  Arcanum  and  the  Physician's  Casualty  Association. 

Dr.  Campbell  was  married,  August  10,  1886,  to  Miss  Nellie  Alice 
McElroy,  of  Detroit,  daughter  of  IVIartin  McElroy,  and  six  children  have 


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900  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

been  born  to  this  union,  of  whom  four  survive:  James  M.,  Helen  C, 
Martha  L.  and  Margaret  A.  Devoted  to  the  noble  and  humane  work  which 
his  profession  implies,  Dr.  Campbell  has  proved  a  faithful  exemplar  of 
the  healing  art.  His  understanding  of  the  science  of  medicine  is  broad 
and  comprehensive  and  the  profession  and  public  accord  him  an  honored 
place  among  the  medical  practitioners  of  Detroit. 

Byron  F.  Everitt.  Among  the  interesting  achievements  of  prom- 
inent men  chronicled  in  this  work  none  are  more  so  than  that  of  the 
career  of  Byron  F.  Everitt,  president  of  the  Everitt  Motor  Car  Com- 
pany, which  manufactures  the  well  known  automobiles  which  bear  his 
name. 

Mr.  Everitt  was  bom  at  Ridgetown,  Ontario,  May  3,  1872,  and  spent 
most  of  his  childhood  in  this  little  Canadian  place,  during  which  time 
he  attended  the  schools  there.  Thirty  years  ago  the  provinces  of  Canada 
were  just  beginning  that  era  of  great  prosperity  and  progress  which  has 
proved  so  remarkable,  and  the  manufacture  of  wagons  and  carriages  was 
one  of  the  greatest  industries  in  the  Dominion.  Chatham  was  one  of 
the  places  most  prominent  in  this  business,  and  at  a  comparatively  early 
age  young  Everitt  left  school  and  home  and  started  for  himself  in  the 
world.  Going  to  Chatham,  he  entered  the  service  of  William  Gray  & 
Son,  one  of  the  best  known  carriage  firms  of  that  period  and  learned  the 
trade  thoroughly.  During  his  apprenticeship  he  exhibited  that  close  at- 
tention to  detail  and  intelligent  observation  which  has  characterized  his 
whole  career.  He  rose  rapidly  from  one  position  to  another  and  when, 
a  few  years  later  he  left  Chatham  to  try  his  luck  in  the  United  States, 
he  was  credited  with  being  one  of  the  best  men  William  Gray  &  Son 
had  in  their  employ. 

Detroit  was  then,  as  now,  the  mecca  to  which  country  boys  turned 
their  faces,  and  Mr.  Everitt  found  himself  well  placed  with  Hugh  John- 
son, a  carriage  builder  at  the  corner  of  Larned  and  Cass  streets.  As  in 
Chatham,  the  ability  and  steadiness  of  the  young  man  won  for  him  speedy 
recognition,  and  he  acquired  the  reputation  of  a  highly  skilled  and  capa- 
ble workman.  The  C.  R.  and  J.  C.  Wilson  Carriage  Company  was  then 
coming  strongly  to  the  front  and  the  ability  of  the  young  Canadian  car- 
riage builder  being  brought  to  their  attention,  an  attractive  offer  was 
made  him  which  he  accepted,  and  in  less  than  two  years  after  coming  to 
Detroit  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  trimming  and  finishing  depart- 
ment of  the  Wilson  establishment,  with  complete  authority  over  a  large 
force  of  men  and  responsible  for  many  of  the  most  important  details  of 
the  business. 

With  his  increasing  prosperity  he  believed  the  time  had  come  to 
provide  a  home  of  his  own,  and  on  November  28,  1896,  he  found  a  faith- 
ful wife  and  partner  in  Miss  Donna  Shinnick,  whose  unfailing  interest 
in  his  welfare,  good  judgment  and  capable  advice  have  had  much  to  do 
with  his  later  success  in  life. 

After  remaining  with  the  Wilson  Carriage  Company  for  a  number 
of  years  Mr.  Everitt  arranged  to  go  into  business  for  himself.  As  the 
success  of  anything  he  determined  to  go  into,  to  which  he  would  bring 
his  mechanical  skill  and  experience,  was  deemed  certain,  capital  was 
quickly  secured.  Thus  it  was  that  he  branched  out  for  himself  in  the 
fall  of  1899,  a  little  over  thirteen  years  ago.  His  first  business  venture 
was  the  establishment  of  a  shop  under  his  own  name  at  the  corner  of 
Brush  and  Woodbridge  streets,  where  he  handled  all  kinds  of  carriage 
trimmings  and  similar  manufacturing  materials.  Several  inventors, 
among  whom  were  such  men  as  Olds,  Ford  and  Winton,  were  conduct- 
ing experiments  with  a  view  of  evolving  a  horseless  carriage  that  would 


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•   /  )>Kr}(OIT 

f  ••  jM»i)l'  an'l  liiiuuait'  work  \v}'i<"i. 

'r     vri.MK't^    I   ''    l:>'MiT  '1\     IS    *   .  o.'id 
;.ui»]ir  a<'.\>r»i  liiPJ  an  hu/un' ■  J 

,.j'f   .'>t)>'e  so  tli-m   tiial   of   l:"- 

>'    .la    J',   t'l-itt   Mt»tor  (.'ar  Coia- 

.     '.jAiwri  auiopifi^ilfS  v\  iiii  1    l>»'ar  I'.is 

.  'i"voi.  Ouunio,  M'lV  ;i,  lhT2,  nn<i  :-pt:iit 

.    <     .  *  .H'l]!  [M.T'^i',  during'  v^'iiirh  time 

'  *•  .  ,'    ■:  il-  ]>''ovitit"t'S  of  ('ju'pda 

•'  .    «...   '•!•-.  -  •    ■>   aT.<i  irouHN'Ss  \\  iru-ii  luis 

'     uaiiuJa't ;»; '    •-*   \^a^<>?is  and  i-ari  iay:e>.  '.>n? 

••  >^  in   Ji'*   1  >M!'..,iif>n.      (.'liatitam   wa.s  oim*  of 

.*  Ill  tilt'  }■  r    .,    V.  iM.d  at  a  for  ]»ar;'ti\«'ly  ear)y 

•  V       tt  \  r.     :     ■  -i  •    :*'i  ;  s*artc«l   iVr  hip'HclL  in  tl^* 

•••J'      -.id   11'-^  s*.rvii'*'.  (•!*  WiliiaTti  (ivfiy  yk 
,     *<''»ns  of  t!iat  }MM'i(>d  and  irarn»-d  the 
,   '•■  oMi't'sinp  h»^  exluMlod  that  «^ioso  at- 
*..■..".'  -    >.  rvation  \viin'h  has  chara<.*teri/ul  hts 

..  ;.;'i    •    .      ■      '■  ■j'>r«  <jnr  |)o>ition  to  anotln;r  and  when, 

a  [*w  ,\-  •:>    .  ^     -'!  .  to  tiy   liis  lurk  in  \ho  I  jiitt'd  States, 

h<'  \\as  r-.. ..!..;    .V     .  .•■     ■:     of'  tiit*  bt  st  mm   Wdliain  (Jray  &  Son 

lij'd  ir  Ui'-ir  fu:|Mi-.  . 

l>"tioil  wa.^  tiifu,  as  now,  th.  ■  ...t-M-a  to  wiiirti  counii'v  hoys  turned 
tM  M  ii\rvt>.  and  ^!:\  h-»'ritt.  tound  inins^'ji*  \v<'l  jna^-rd  witii  UufTh  Joliu- 
*;  .  »  •"•.  /•-  1  •;.'  '.-r  .^l  tlie  .  oT*:''»r  '>*'  f-.i-a-d  an*:  Casjs  >tjv''ts.  As  in 
'  ...       •;.'.'  -^^  :.d  *,. -^^'  o:  \ti'  \\\Vii:sx  lut^u  ^vo7l  for  hiui  speedy 

■     »  •    :  'nation  i)f  a  lii.uhly  skilh'd  and  capa- 

'  ■.  \Vils'»n  C'arfia^r*'  l'<»:iipany  was  then 

;  'I.t'  ahility  of  tlie  younp:  ('ana<lian  oar- 

i!!.ir  j'tttMition.  an  a1tr;utive  offer  was 

.  I  in  1''^^  than  two  yeaivs  afti^r  coining  to 

.  .)V'  ■'  of  \\  r.  trnuniiny-  and  finishi'ijj:  depart- 

-.  ';ie])t,  \sm1i  ''OKplt^tt'  authority  ov»'r  a  larsje 

•  ^.I'lf  :'(.r  111. my  o-'  11;e  -a  vst  importud  d-^tails  of 

-in*r  pi'ospeiUv    i  »'   he!!' \' d   tl'f'   V'lr,*^  had    eonie   to 

hiN  own    a  lid  on  Novcinlu-r  2^,  h"^')(>.  he  tunnd  a  faith- 

.  f'n^r  in  Mi^s  l>   'i.it  SiiiniU'k.   ^\i!0s<»  unfadioi''  interest 

jood  judi'M.'  :  t  jirid  ea})ahle  ativice  haxe  had  nnU'h  to  du 

.*  saf.'C'^s  in  ],<. 

.  fu.iirjio«r  nj'..   ;l.t^  AVjis*  n  I'arria^*'  r*on'f)ni!\    for  a  nuniher 

".   \  \*v    '   a  »"in,urd  to  L'o  into  hnsiufss  lor  hims^df.     As  thp 

■:  ;.;<:  ■    ■:  .    I  .    d*'t('riuinfd  to  j^o  into,  to  \\hieh  he  wouhl  hriDtr 

".    '  ■  '    «jnd    expiM'H'Uce,   \\as   dr^-nHHl   eertain.   capital   wa* 

•  •  ss  it  wa.s  thai   In'  hranclied  out  for  hims.df  in  the 

'    -•   tv^'V  Ihiritpn  y<»ars  atro.     His  tirst  husiness  venture 

■   0   uj*  a  sh()p  un(h'r  his  own  naif](^  at  the  corner  of 

'f''  isTrctts.  whrre  In*  handJcd  all  kinds  of  carria^f 

-  '  ■  rtr    n^ai'ii^i'-tiirintr    matt^rials.      ►Several    in\eutorji, 

•'  .1  ni"n  as  Ohls,   Ford  and  Win  ton.  w*mv  conduct- 

•    .1  vj,.w  of  evolving  a  horseh»ss  carriaj^e  that  would 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  901 

be  practical  and  prove  a  commercial  success.  Mr.  Everitt  was  one  of  the 
few  persons  who  at  that  time  believed  there  might  be  a  future  for  a 
vehicle  of  this  character,  and  he  watched  these  experiments  "with  keen 
interest  and  with  a  growing  confidence  of  a  bright  future  for  such  an 
industry.  Naturally  it  was  to  him,  a  skilled  carriage  builder,  that  R.  E. 
Olds  in  those  early  days  went  to  have  made  the  first  automobile  body 
built  in  Detroit.  The  turning  out  of  this  was  satisfactory  and  is  what 
started  the  Oldsmobile  Works  in  actual  business.  It  is  a  flattering  com- 
mentary on  Mr.  Everitt 's  skill  to  state  that  as  long  as  the  Oldsmobile 
factory  was  located  in  Detroit,  Mr.  Everitt  made  all  of  the  bodies  used 
by  that  company. 

About  that  time  Henry  Ford  started  the  manufacture  of  automobiles, 
and  as  Mr.  Everitt  returned  to  the  manufacture  of  trimmings  and  finish- 
ings for  automobile  bodies,  his  shop  was  the  source  of  supply  for  the  Ford 
Company's  bodies.  With  the  growth  of  this  industry  in  a  remarkably 
short  space  of  time,  Mr.  Everitt  having  the  only  plant  with  facilities 
for  work  of  this  character,  his  business  spread  to  amazing  proportions 
and  he  was  compelled  to  seek  larger  quarters.  This  resulted  in  the  lease 
of  the  property  at  77-79  Brush  street,  and  later  to  the  securing  of  the 
property  at  63  and  65  East  Fort  street.  Still  more  room  was  soon  re- 
quired and  two  years  later  a  new  plant  was  built  for  what  was  then 
known  as  the  Everitt  Trimming  Business  at  Clay  avenue  and  the  Grand 
Trunk  Railroad ;  the  new  factory  had  a  capacity  of  trimming  and  finish- 
ing one  hundred  automobile 'bodies  a  day. 

Watching  as  he  did  the  automobile  development,  Mr.  Everitt  realized 
there  was  a  splendid  field  for  manufacture  of  these  vehicles,  and  he  be- 
came interested  in  the  Wayne  Automobile  Company,  having  as  asso- 
ciates such  prominent  men  as  Roger  J.  Sullivan,  William  Kelly,  Dr. 
Book  and  Charles  Palms.  He  soon  became  a  leader  in  his  new  field  of 
enterprise,  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  was  elected  president  and  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  Wayne  Company,  which,  like  many  others  of  the 
same  period,  designed  and  assembled  their  cars,  having  their  parts 
largely  built  outside  of  their  own  factory. 

At  this  early  period  of  the  industry  Mr.  Everitt  saw  there  would  be 
a  tremendous  demand  for  a  medium  priced  car  and  took  hold  of  the 
Wayne  Company  with  a  view  of  later  re-organizing  and  providing  for 
the  output  of  a  large  number  of  popular  priced  cars.  Shortly  after  his 
election  to  the  presidency  of  the  Wayne  Company,  he  became  associated 
with  William  E.  Metzger,  a  prominent  figure  in  the  automobile  world, 
and  who  for  a  number  of  years  had  been  to  the  front  in  the  bicycle  busi- 
ness. Mr.  Metzger  brought  into  Detroit  the  first  electric  car  ever  seen 
in  the  city,  and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Cadillac  Automobile  Com- 
pany. He  later  established  the  Northern  Automobile  Company,  this 
latter  company  eventually  being  merged  with  the  Wayne  into  the  E-M-P, 
these  letters  standing  respectively  for  Messrs.  Everitt,  Metzger  and 
Flanders.  The  E-M-F  Company  was  a  success  from  the  start,  being  one 
of  the  first  concerns  to  manufacture  successfully  a  medium  priced,  full- 
sized  car.  A  year  later  the  Studebaker  Manufacturing  Company  of 
South  Bend,  Indiana,  was  desirous  of  adding  to  its  interests  a  success- 
ful automobile  concern  manufacturing  cars  which  would  appeal  to  the 
popular  taste  and  purse.  After  careful  investigation  of  the  E-M-F  prop- 
erties an  attractive  oflfer  was  made  for  the  interests  of  Messrs.  Everitt, 
Metzger  and  Flanders.  This  was  accepted,  it  being  Mr.  Everitt 's  inten- 
tion at  that  time  to  retire  from  active  business.  It  was,  however,  impos- 
sible for  a  man  of  his  youth,  energy  and  fine  business  attainments  to  re- 
main long  away  from  a  business  so  rapidly  developing  as  the  automobile 
industry,  and  soon  after  the  sale  of  the  E-M-F  to  the  Studebakers,  he, 


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902  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

with  Messrs.  Metzger  and  Kelly,  organized  a  new  company  under  the 
name  of  the  Metzger  Motor  Car  Company,  with  Mr.  Everitt  occupying 
the  same  -position  as  with  the  E-M-F,  namely,  president  and  general 
manager.  Later  Mr.  Flanders  separated  from  the  Studebaker  company 
and  became  associated  with  Everitt  &  Metzger,  this  again  bringing 
together  the  original  members  of  the  E-M-F  combination.  The  new 
company  became  known  as  the  Flanders  Car  Company,  Mr.  B.  F.  Everitt 
being  president  and  general  manager  as  formerly.  The  Jacob  Maier 
Trunk  Factory  at  Milwaukee  avenue  and  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway 
was  immediately  purchased  and  a  force  of  experts  employed  to  equip 
the  establishment  with  all  the  latest  automatic  tools  and  other  modem 
appliances  for  the  manufacture  of  automobiles.  It  was  the  opinion  of 
Mr.  Everitt  and  his  associates  that  only  by  manufacturing  a  high  grade 
car  complete  in  one  factory  by  automatic  machinery  and  under  personal 
supervision  could  a  car  of  the  desired  quality  be  produced. 

As  soon  as  it  became  known  that  such  men  as  Kelly,  Everitt,  Metz- 
ger and  Flanders  were  behind  the  new  enterprise,  orders  for  their  cars 
began  to  pour  in  from  agents  all  over  the  country.  It  was  a  great  temp- 
tation for  the  company  to  fill  these  orders  with  ** assembled"  cars  as  other 
factories  were  doing.  This  could  have  been  done  with  far  less  initial  ex- 
pense, but  it  had  been  decided  from  the  start  that  the  new  ''Everitt'' 
cars  were  to  be  manufactured  all  in  one  factory  with  the  best  of  modern 
appliances,  from  materials  made  under  the  personal  supervision  of  oflSc- 
ers  of  this  company,  and  an  attempt  made  to  build  the  best  medium 
priced  cars  in  the  market.  The  result  of  this  policy  was  that  more  than 
one  million  dollars  was  expended  in  the  equipment  of  the  present  Metz- 
ger factory.  The  work  of  factory  organization  and  equipment  occupied 
nearly  a  whole  year,  and  the  product  of  the  company  for  1910  was  neces- 
sarily somewhat  limited.  A  sales  organization  has  now  been  perfected 
and  the  product  of  the  factory  is  being  sought  as  it  never  was  before. 

A  man  of  the  most  conscientious  rectitude,  a  citizen  of  ptiblic  spirit, 
energetic,  magnetic,  broad  minded,  charitable  and  of  charming  manners, 
Mr.  Everitt  stands  high  in  the  estimation  of  his  business  associates  and  of 
the  citizens  of  Detroit  generally.  His  career  is  an  inspiration  for  young 
men  and  demonstrates  that  where  there  is  a  will  there  is  a  way,  and  that 
a  man  who  has  it  in  him  can  rise  to  prominence  through  his  own  ability 
and  energy. 

Edward  Louis  Brandt,  M.  D.  Although  he  is  yet  a  young  man,  the 
standing  of  Edward  Louis  Brandt  is  high  in  the  medical  profession  and 
in  the  good  opinion  of  the  people  of  Detroit.  When  he  first  engaged  in 
practice  in  1908,  at  his  present  oflSces  and  home,  No.  166  Twenty-third 
street,  he  was  accepted  by  the  citizens  as  a  young  man  of  great  promise 
and  capacity ;  skillful  and  careful  in  his  business,  and  of  sterling  worth 
as  a  citizen.  His  affability  and  obliging  disposition  gained  him  friends 
rapidly  and  his  practice  has  become  large  and  lucrative.  Dr.  Brandt 
was  born  at  Wyandotte,  Michigan,  August  13,  1883,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Anna  (Helton)  Brandt,  both  natives  of  Michigan,  the  family  settling 
in  Detroit  in  1902. 

Dr.  Brandt  acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools,  and  graduated 
from  the  Wyandotte  high  school  in  1901.  Between  that  year  and  1904 
he  acted  as  axle  inspector  for  the  American  Car  and  Foundry  Company, 
and  in  the  later  year  entered  the  Detroit  Medical  College,  having  decided 
to  enter  the  profession.  In  the  class  of  1908  he  was  graduated  there  with 
the  degree  of  M.  D.,  having  served  during  his  senior  year  as  an  externe  for 
St.  Mary's  Hospital.  On  completing  his  studies  Dr.  Brandt  settled  at 
his  present  location  and  is  now  doing  an  excellent  business.    He  is  a  val- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  903 

ued  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  State 
Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association,  and  holds  mem- 
bership also  in  the  Alumni  Association  of  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine. 
Dr.  Brandt  was  married  to  Miss  Cora  Gendron,  of  Detroit,  and  they 
are  faithful  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  Dr.  Brandt  has  a 
host  of  warm  friends  drawn  to  him  by  his  engaging  social  qualities.  His 
future  is  full  of  promise  professionally  and  otherwise,  and  he  is  contrib- 
uting essentially  and  substantially  to  the  progress  and  development  of 
his  adopted  city. 

Henry  Clay  Moore.  Lumber  in  the  early  days  was  synonymous 
with  the  word  wealth,  and  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  factors  in  mak- 
ing the  state  famous  and  Detroit  prosperous.  The  Saginaw  Valley  of 
Michigan  was  the  Mecca  toward  which  ambitious  young  men  turned  their 
faces,  and  those  with  energy  reaped  rich  harvests.  This  was  the  case 
with  Henry  Clay  Moore,  who,  combining  energy  with  great  business  abil- 
ity and  strict  integrity,  won  for  himself  a  most  enviable  place  in  the 
world  of  business  and  a  warm  place  in  the  hearts  of  his  friends,  which 
lasted  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  in  Denver,  Colorado,  May  9,  1902. 

Of  old  New  England  stock,  Mr.  Moore  was  born  at  Bedford,  New 
Hampshire,  in  June,  1831,  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Nancy  Moore.  His 
mother  lived  to  be  very  old,  but  his  father  died  before  Henry  reached 
eaHy  youth.  The  young  lad  attended  school  at  Bedford  and  at  Man- 
chester, New  Hampshire,  where  hi^  mother  moved  after  the  death  of  her 
husband.  Mr.  Moore  spent  his  early  life  on  a  farm  and  when  a  young 
man  came  to  Michigan,  where  he  had  a  half  brother,  Stephen  Moore, 
with  whom  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business.  He  was  later  taken  into 
partnership  and  for  a  long  time  the  firm  conducted  extensive  lumbering 
operations  in  the  Saginaw  Valley  and  at  Bay  City  and  Saginaw.  In 
1882  he  came  to  Detroit  and,  following  the  same  business  under  the  name 
of  the  Moore  Lumber  Company,  extended  the  sphere  of  his  operations 
doing  an  immense  business  in  lumber  and  shipping  the  material  from 
Canada  as  well  as  from  northern  Michigan. 

Mr.  Moore  was  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  a  respected  member  of 
the  Christ  church  at  Detroit.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Amelia  Mack 
Raymond,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Alvord)  Raymond.  Her 
father  was  a  pioneer  settler  of  Michigan,  living  at  Bay  City  for  many 
years.  He  later  went  to  California,  and  then  came  to  Detroit,  where  he 
died.  His  first  advent  in  Michigan  was  in  1829,  coming  from  the  state 
of  New  York  just  after  being  married  and  he  owned  a  fine  farm  near 
Detroit,  at  what  is  now  Grosse  Isle.  He  later  'engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  at  Trenton,  where  he  had  a  large  saw  mill.  In  1850  he  went 
to  Bay  City  in  the  lumber  business.  During  the  Civil  war  he  was  em- 
ployed by  the  government,  having  an  oflSce  at  Lansing,  Michigan.  When 
he  came  to  Detroit  it  took  t\i^enty-five  days  to  get  here  from  New  York. 
Upon  his  arrival  at  Detroit  he  stopped  at  the  Mansion  House,  then  the 
finest  hotel  in  Detroit,  of  which  Colonel  Mack  was  the  proprietor.  Many 
of  the  best  families  of  Detroit  were  fellow  guests. 

Detroit  was  very  small  at  that  time,  as  can  be  seen  from  the  fact 
that  Colonel  Mack's  carriage,  the  first  owned  in  Detroit,  rarely  went  more 
than  four  or  five  blocks  without  getting  into  the  country.  Mrs.  Ray- 
mond desired  to  take  a  ride.  In  company  with  other  ladies  she  started 
out  on  Jefferson  avenue,  but  soon  came  to  the  end  of  that  Street.  Return- 
ing they  drove  out  Woodward  as  far  as  to  where  the  Pontchartrain 
Hotel  now  stands,  when  they  were  informed  by  the  coachman  they  could 
go  no  further,  as  they  would  be  stalled. 

Mr.  Moore  was  married  to  Miss  Raymond  at  Bay  City,  December  9, 


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904  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

1863,  and  as  the  result  of  this  union  three  children  were  born  to  them: 
Henrietta  Frances  Raymond  Moore  and  Mary  Raymond  and  Katherine 
Patten  More,  twins,  now  living  at  home.  Mrs.  Moore  was  bom  at 
Grosse  Isle  and  has  lived  in  Michigan  all  her  life.  The  family  are  mem- 
bers of  St.  Paul's  church,  and  live  in  a  handsome  residence  on  Edmund 
Place,  which  was  built  in  1887. 

George  Edwin  Gillman.  One  of  the  most  prominent  business  men 
and  loyal  citizens  of  the  Detroit  of  a  generation  just  past  was  George 
E.  Gillman,  whose  demise  occurred  in  this  city,  in  which  his  interests 
had  so  long  been  centered,  on  November  21,  1883.  He  was  a  native 
of  Ireland,  his  birth  having  occurred  between  Cork  and  Dublin,  Decem- 
ber 16,  1833,  and  his  parents  being  Edward  and  Ellen  Gillman.  He  was 
a  gentleman's  son,  the  families  on  both  sides  being  of  considerable  prom- 
inence, and  the  connections  being  most  distinguished.  His  mother  was 
a  woman  of  great  culture  as  well  as  charming  personality  and  served  as 
private  tutor  in  most  of  the  old  and  prominent  families  of  Detroit.  Hav- 
ing it  in  her  power  materially  to  assist  her  children  in  the  attainment 
of  a  fine  education,  she  made  the  most  of  this  advantage.  Mr.  Gillman 
received  a  thorough  and  well-advised  educational  discipline.  There  was 
a  large  family  of  children,  eleven  in  number,  six  of  whom  were  sons  and 
five  daughters.  One  of  the  subject's  brothers,  Henry  Gillman,  was  a 
distinguished  citizen  of  the  City  of  the  Straits,  being  at  different  times 
city  librarian  and  United  States  consul  to  Jerusalem.  One  of  the  daugh- 
ters became  the  wife  of  that  well-known  citizen,  Captain  Joe  Nicholson, 
of  the  House  of  Correction.  The  name  of  Gillman  is,  in  truth,  one  whose 
identification  with  the  annals  of  Detroit  is  at  once  edifying  and  inter- 
esting. 

When  Mr.  Gillman  entered  life  as  a  wage-earner  he  was  still  a  boy 
and  was  employed  in  the  old  Russell  House.  In  later  years  he  became  a 
trader  on  the  Great  Lakes,  working  first  for  Mr.  Copeland  and  subse- 
quently going  into  business  for  himself  in  Detroit.  He  was  a  very  suc- 
cessful business  man,  his  fine  executive  ability  winning  for  him  abundant 
prosperity.  In  addition  to  his  Detroit  business,  he  was  also  interested 
in  gold  and  copper  mines.  He  continued  as  an  active  factor  in  the 
business  world  until  his  death,  on  November  21,  1883. 

In  his  political  conviction  Mr.  Gillman  was  a  Democrat,  giving  heart 
and  hand  to  the  men  and  measures  of  that  party  from  his  earliest  voting 
days.  He  had,  however,  no  ambitions  in  the  line  of  office  seeking.  His 
only  fraternal  association  was  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  his  principal 
enjoyment  being  found  at  his  own  fireside.  Business  and  home  were,  in 
fact,  the  only  institutions  with  which  he  greatly  concerned  himself.  His 
residence  was  maintained  for  many  years  at  No.  9  Barkley  Place,  now 
Farmer  avenue.  He  attended  the  Presbyterian  church,  to  which  he  gave 
generous  support. 

Mr.  Gillman  formed  an  ideally  happy  life  companionship  by  his 
union  with  Anna  Victoria  Borgne,  daughter  of  Joseph  A.  and  Caroline 
Borgne,  the  latter  of  whom  was  bom  in  Windsor,  Canada,  and  the 
former  in  France.  Mr.  Borgne  was  an  educator  and  assisted  in  the  edu- 
cation of  many  of  the  prominent  men  of  Detroit.  He  lived  in  the  city 
for  several  years  and  his  demise  occurred  here  when  Mrs.  Gillman  was 
very  young.  His  remains  are  interred  at  Mount  Elliott.  The  date  of  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gilman  was  October  1,  1876,  its  solemnization 
being  in  Detroit.  The  cherished  and  devoted  widow  has  resided  in  this 
city  since  she  was  one  year  old  and  is  secure  in  the  possession  of  hosts 
of  friends.  She  is  one  of  the  prominent  ladies  of  the  city  and  is  a  con- 
siderable property  owner.     Her  church  membership  is  with  the  First 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  905 

Presb3i;erian  church  and  her  handsome  residence  is  at  47  Montcalm  ave- 
nue, Bast.    There  are  no  children. 

Colonel  Herman  F.  Eallman.  A  few  years  since  Detroit  lost  from 
her  midst  one  of  that  limited  group  of  men  whose  service  directly  and  de- 
finitely and  in  no  slight  measure  contributed  to  the  preservation  of  the 
coherence  of  this  nation.  This  really  rare  distinction  (despite  the  many 
who  here  and  there  presume  to  claim  it)  added  to  superior  ability  as  a 
civil  engineer  makes  well  worth  while  a  perusal  of  Colonel  Kallman's 
life  and  his  relation  with  affairs  of  significant  moment. 

In  Diegnitz,  Silesia,  Herman  F.  Kallman  was  bom  on  January  12, 
1823.  His  early  education  was  obtained  from  the  public  schools  of  that 
place,  his  completion  of  this  period  of  general  development  being  marked 
by  his  graduation  from  the  gymnasium  and  subsequently  a  university 
training  fitted  him  for  the  profession  of  a  civil  engineer.  While  still  a 
young  man  he  was  appointed  as  engineer  on  railway  construction  work 
in  southern  Germany.  At  the  time  of  the  insurrection  in  the  Palatinate 
and  Baden,  young  Eallman 's  sympathies  were  logically  and  emphat- 
ically with  the  insurgents,  and  as  an  ofBcer  he  was  active  in  the  struggle 
for  their  cause.  On  the  repression  of  the  revolution  he,  like  Carl  Schurz 
and  Franz  Sigel,  was  condemned  to  death.  Like  them,  too,  he  succeeded 
in  escaping,  and  found  a  new  home  in  a  republic  that  had  a  welcome 
and  a  future  for  him,  both  as  a  civil  engineer  and  as  a  soldier. 

**From  the  Fatherland,  from  all  the  German  States,**  wrote  the 
Honorable  Thomas  C.  Fletcher,  in  a  tribute  to  Colonel  Kallman  and  his 
Teutonic  confreres,  which  we  note  definitely  below,  *'a  few  enterpris- 
ing men  began  coming  to  Missouri,  away  back  in  the  thirties.  They 
were  industrious,  frugal  and  law-abiding.  They  found  in  the  hills  bor- 
dering the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  rivers  the  locations  which  reminded 
them  of  the  Fatherland,  the  rivers  of  the  old  country.  The  St.  Louis 
contingent  of  these  estimable  people  continued  to  increase  so  that  in 
1860  the  Germans  in  Missouri  of  German  birth  numbered  88,487.  How 
many  of  their  descendants  might  properly  be  added  is  a  matter  of  con- 
jecture." Among  these,  then,  was  Herman  Kallman,  civil  engineer  and 
sometime  army  officer.  At  railroad  construction  work  he  again  prac- 
ticed his  vocation.  He  was  honored  with  the  appointment  to  the  posi- 
tion of  chief  engineer,  and  he  served  as  superintendent  of  roads  and 
bridges  on  the  St.  Louis,  Iron  Mountain  and  Southern  Railway,  from 
which  point  of  vantage  his  advance  to  one  of  considerably  higher  dis-  / 
tinction  was  easy  to  foresee.  Then,  mingling  with  his  professional  in- 
terests and  presently  taking  precedence  before  them  came  his  loyalty  to 
his  adopted  country. 

The  situation  in  Missouri  in  1861  will  be  readily  recalled  by  all  those 
who  have  been  conversant  therewith.  The  plans  of  the  champions  of 
the  Union  to  defeat  the  plottings  of  Claiborne  Jackson,  Missouri's  seces- 
sionist governor;  the  minority  of  the  Lincoln  vote — of  the  number  of 
unconditional  I^nionists;  the  appeal  of  Blair  and  his  associates  to  the 
large  number  of  men  who  were  ag:ainst  both  secession  and  coercion  of 
secessionists, — these  elements  are  discussed  in  a  comparatively  recent 
article  of  reminiscent  comment  in  the  Saint  Louis  Olobe-Democrat. 
'* Franz  Sigel  and  his  element,"  says  this  editorial,  ** composed  a  large 
ingredient  of  the  Republican  vote.  Sigel  and  the  great  body  of  the 
Germans  were  unconditional  Unionists  from  the  start.  Knowing  and 
caring  nothing  about  state  sovereignty,  they  saw  that  their  allegiance 
was  to  the  nation,  and  when  the  nation's  life  began  to  be  menaced  they 
instantly  sprang  to  its  defence.  They  composed  the  bulk  of  the  'wide- 
awakes', or  the  marching  campaign  clubs  of  the  Republican  party  dur- 
voi.  m— 5 


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906  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

ing  the  canvass  of  1860,  and  they  kept  up  their  organization  in  1861, 
got  all  the  arms  which  they  colild  find  and  stood  ready  from  the  outset  to 
defend  the  government,  which  they  saw  would  soon  be  assailed.  When 
Blair  holding  up  the  hands  of  Lyon,  organized  his  home  guards,  the 
majority  of  those  organizations  were  of  Germans.  These  faithful  and 
gallant  adopted  Americans  indulged  in  no  metaphysics  about  what  in- 
dividual delegates  to  the  constitutional  convention  of  1787  imagined 
they  had  founded  when  they  created  the  United  States,  and  gave  not 
the  slightest  thought  as  to  what  Jefferson  or  Madison  aimed  at  in  the 
Kentucky  and  Virginia  resolutions,  respectively,  of  1798.  They  saw 
that  tiie  government  under  which  they  lived  and  to  which  they  had 
sworn  allegiance  was  menaced  and  they  went  promptly  and  intrepidly 
to  its  defence.  In  most  of  the  regiments  raised  by  Lyon  and  Blair  for 
defence  of  the  Union  previous  to  the  capture  of  Camp  Jackson  the  Ger- 
mans was  largely  in  the  predominance.  The  names  of  Sigel,  Osterhaus. 
Kallman,  Stifel,  Schuttner,  Boernstein,  Schaeffer,  Hassendeubel  and 
others  of  their  element-  were  on  the  roll  of  the  Officers  of  the  Union  from 
the  beginning  of  the  war." 

Thus  it  was  that  Kallman  and  his  brother  Germans  played  so  prom- 
inent a  part.  As  Hon.  Thomas  Fletcher — who  was  no  other  than  Mis- 
souri's  war  governor — puts  it  in  the  encomium  of  which  the  beginning 
was  quoted  above  relative  to  Kallman 's  immigration:  ** Every  man  of 
the  German  element  at  once  stood  upon  the  adamantine  basis  of  his  man- 
hood, setting  aside  all  peoples  and  shores,  and  flung  out  the  'Stars  and 
Stripes*  in  the  faces  of  the  rebels  who  early  began  plotting  treason,  pre- 
paring to  wrest  Missouri  from  the  Union.  Captain  Lyon  came  to  me 
with  his  little  company,  patriotic,  glorious,  brave  Lyon,  with  Frank  Blair 
by  his  side.  It  was  on  the  20th  of  April,  1861,  that  the  first  regiment 
was  mustered  in  to  uphold  the  national  authority,  and  Blair  was  named 
as  the  colonel.  Then  came  the  regiments  under  the  following  com- 
manders; Franz  Sigel,  Eberhard  Solomon,  Herman  Kallman,  John  Mc- 
Neil, B.  Gratz  Brown,  Charles  F.  Stifel,  Robert  Hundhausen,  Julius 
Hundhausen,  Fred  Schafer,  J.  F.  Shepherd,  P.  Joseph  Osterhaus,  F. 
Hassendeubel  and  others :  fifteen  regiments,  all,  or  nearly  all,  Germans. 
The  rebel  Governor  *Clair  Jackson  was  scheming  to  seize  the  arsenal  at 
St.  Louis,  where  a  large  quantity  of  arms  and  ammunition  was  stored. 
Jeff  Davis  had  written  Jackson  on  the  importance  of  the  capture,  giv- 
ing him  full  details  as  to  how  to  secure  possession  of  it.  In  furtherance 
vof  this  scheme,  Jackson  had  established  a  camp  at  St.  Louis  called  Camp 
Jackson,  under  the  pretense  that  it  was  an  encampment  of  the  State 
Guard  for  purposes  of  exercise  and  drill  only.  Lyon  determined  to  cap- 
ture it  and  did  so.  I  well  recall  the  night.  I  knew  the  purpose  of  Lyon. 
He  had  told  me.  The  silence  of  the  night  was  broken  by  the  steady 
march  of  the  Germans  to  the  place  of  rendezvous.  It  seemed  to  me  as 
the  noise  of  the  footfall  of  Destiny,  as  it  rolled  away  into  the  night. 
That  was  before  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the  tenth  of  May. 

*' These  Germans  had  been  drillilig  secretly  at  night  for  more  than  a 
month.  They  were  naturally  soldiers.  Many  of  their  oflBcers  had  seen 
service  in  the  Old  country  as  officers  of  the  *Brown  Hussars'  (Germany). 
I  afterward  marched  and  camped  with  them  and  was  struck  with  the 
facility  with  which  they  adapted  themselves  to  the  march,  the  bivouac 
and  the  camp.*'  Prominent  among  the  officers  referred  to  was  Herman 
Kallman.  He  was  one  of  the  most  ardent  Unionists  among  the  German 
contingent.  He  was  one  whose  military  instincts  had  been  earliest 
aroused.  He  had  seen  at  once  that  Missouri  would  be  a  storm  center 
early  in  the  coming  conflict.  **When  the  Civil  war  broke  out  he  was  one 
of  the  first  to  respond  to  the  call  of  General  Lyon  and  raised  the  second 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  907 

]\Iissouri  Regiment.  This  was  mustered  into  the  U.  S.  Service  with  Her- 
man Kallman  as  its  colonel  May  7,  1861."  His  was  one  of  the  first  t^yo 
German  regiments  formed  and  one  most  thoroughly  drilled.  His  skill 
as  a  soldier-engineer  was  of  especial  value.  His  oflScership  was  superior 
and  his  service  in  the  struggle  modestly,  yet  courageously  given.  Camp 
Jackson  was  saved.  *  *  St.  Louis  was  saved  to  Missouri,  and  Missouri  saved 
to  the  Union,''  adds  ex-Governor  Fletcher,  '*and  thus  the  Union  was 
thereby  saved ;  for  no  man  having  knowledge  of  the  situation  can  doubt 
for  a  moment  that  if  Missouri  had  seceded  and  the  rebels  had  gotten 
possession  of  the  state,  of  St.  Louis  with  its  arsenals  and  stores,  and  its 
facilities  for  transportation,  the  rebellion  could  never  have  been  subdued, 
and  the  great  river  would  have  marked  the  boundary  between  the 
Southern  Confederacy  and  the  United  States.  Then,  say  I,  all  honor  to 
the  Germans  of  Missouri  for  the  noble  part  they  bore  in  that  trying  crisis 
of  1861."  Kallman 's  regiment  was  faiown  as  the  Second  Missouri  and 
served  through  the  war  with  distinguished  bravery. 

Upon  the  re-estabUshment  of  peace.  Colonel  Kallman  resumed  his 
profession.  He  assisted  Henry  Flad  (during  the  Civil  war  colonel  of 
the  Engineer-Regiment  of  Missouri  and  Eads'  First  assistant)  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  famous  Eads  bridge  across  the  Mississippi  at  St.  Louis. 
Soon  after  this  he  was  appointed  to  a  position  in  the  United  States 
Corps  of  Engineers.  Among  the  responsibilities  assigned  to  him  as  an 
assistant  in  this  government  engineering  service,  was  the  improvement 
of  the  waterways  from  Lake  Erie  to  Lake  Huron.  His  was  the  import- 
ant task  of  inspecting  the  contractor's  materials.  He  supervised  the 
work  at  the  Lime-Kiln  Crossing  at  the  head  of  Lake  Erie,  and  also  cer- 
tain portions  of  the  construction  of  the  St.  Clair  Ship  Canal.  He  in- 
spected the  stone  which  was  furnished  as  material  for  the  Weitzel  Lock 
at  the  **Soo,"  thereby  earning  the  enmity  of  the  contractors  by  reject- 
ing every  block  that  was  not  absolutely  flawless.  But  as  a  result  of  his 
care  the  Weitzel  Lock  has  been  pronounced  by  one  of  Howard  Gtould's 
lieutenants  to  be  one  of  the  most  perfect  pieces  of  masonry  he  had  ever 
seen. 

Colonel  Kallman 's  special  engineering  service  to  the  city  of  Detroit 
has  been  such  as  has  called  forth  the  gratification  and  pride  of  her  citi- 
zens. During  1887-9  the  Colonel  supervised  the  erection  of  the  bridge 
connecting  the  city  of  Detroit  with  Belle  Isle,  and  several  years  later 
that  of  the  beautiful  iron  ornamental  bridges  on  the  island  itself.  In 
1897  Mayor  Hazen  S.  Pingree  appointed  him  commissioner  of  public 
works  of  the  city  of  Detroit  and  this  continued  until  1901,  when  the 
Colonel's  service  in  this  capacity  terminated  as  a  result  of  the  famous 
*' Ripper"  bill,  establishing  boards  of  one  man  each.  At  that  time 
Herman  Kallman,  w4io  had  well  earned  his  season  of  leisure,  retired  to 
private  life.  Yet,  though  no  longer  officially  a  part  of  government  enter- 
prises he  was  now  and  again  asked  to  serve  as  consulting  engineer  both 
for  the  government  and  for  many  large  and  important  private  enter- 
prises. A  man  who  was  widely  known  as  one  of  the  most  able  engineers 
of  the  United  States,  it  was  but  natural  that  he  should  be  consulted  by 
people  from  all  parts  of  the  country.  Colonel  Kallman  always  took  an 
active  interest  in  his  comrades  of  the  Civil  war  and  he  was  a  valued  mem- 
ber of  the  Military  Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion  of  the  United  States, 
Commandery  of  the  State  of  Michigan. 

On  May  10,  1900,  Colonel  Kallman  was  an  honored  guest  at  the  an- 
nual exercises  at  Lyon  Park,  in  St.  Louis,  at  which  the  capture  of  Camp 
Jackson  was  commemorated  on  the  date  of  the  thirty-ninth  anniver- 
sary of  that  event.  Special  invitations  were  fittingly  extended  to  the 
only  two  surviving  of  the  ten  regimental  commanders.  General  Franz 


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908  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Sigel  and  Colonel  Kallman.  Sigel  was  unable  to  attend  and  Colonel 
Kallman  was  the  only  one  present,  and  it  is  needless  to  say  he  was  the 
recipient  of  courtesy  that  was  little  short  of  reverence.  General  Sigel 
died  in  1902,  his  death  eliciting  among  other  tributes  that  of  the  editor 
of  the  Daily  Globe-Democrat,  date  and  quotations  from  which  have 
been  incorporated  into  this  sketch.  The  last  of  the  ten  to  leave  the  world 
in  which  he  had  lived  so  efBciently,  the  adopted  country  he  had  served 
so  nobly,  was  Colonel  Kallman. 

On  the  evening  of  November  1,  1904,  he  passed  quietly  and  painless- 
ly from  this  earthly  bivouac,  in  the  arms  of  his  devoted  wife  and  sur- 
rounded with  the  affection  of  a  circle  of  friends  almost  limitless  in  extent, 
he  was  silently  mustered  out  of  life's  service.  Germans,  German- Amer- 
icans and  AmerTcans  without  a  trace  of  German  blood  fraternally 
united  in  regret  for  his  going  and  in  gratitude  for  the  part  he  had  played 
in  mundane  achievement.  Among  the  widespread  refcognition  of  his 
service  was  the  publication  by  the  Oerman  Review  of  an  article  that 
had  been  penned  by  war-governor  Fletcher  of  Missouri.  This  eloquent 
appreciation,  published  under  the  title,  '*A  Voice  from  the  Grave:  To 
the  Loyal  the  Laurel,"  has  been  quoted  above  in  chronological  sequence, 
with  its  words  of  praise  for  Kallman  and  his  brother  Germans,  every 
one  of  whom  the  governor  asserted  to  have  been  on  the  right  side  when 
otherwise  the  dominant  spirit  was  rebel  in  their  community. 

A  splendid  monument  in  Woodlawn  cemetery,  chosen  by  himself, 
marks  the  last  resting  place  of  Colonel  Kallman  and  is  a  fitting  tribute 
to  his  profession  and  character.  A  beautiful  granite  boulder  of  some 
six  tons  in  weight  taken  from  the  bed  of  the  Detroit  river  on  which  Col- 
onel Kallman  had  spent  much  time  and  energy,  rests  upon  the  soil  be- 
neath which  had  been  laid  the  worn  body  that  his  brave  spirit  had  guided 
through  so  much  worthy  effort.  All  who  see  it  are  thus  fitly  reminded 
that  a  noble  share  in  the  preserving  of  our  national  integrity  and  in  the 
directing  and  shaping  of  our  natural  resources  was  accomplished  by  Col- 
onel Herman  F.  Kallman. 

Edward  Orlando  Avery.  One  of  the  most  prominent  representatives 
of  the  lumber  business  in  Michigan  was  the  late  Edward  Orlando  Avery, 
whose  demise  occurred  in  Detroit,  on  October  25,  1899.  Long  identified 
with  this  department  of  industry,  he  was  familiar  with  every  phase  of 
it  and  he  was  an  admired  and  honored  factor  in  its  affairs.  Although 
eminently  successful  as  a  business  man,  he  will  doubtless  be  longest  re- 
membered for  that  fine  public  spirit  which  made  him  ever  on  the  alert 
to  advance  the  best  interests  of  the  community  in  which  he  lived,  for  the 
was  the  ardent  champion  of  all  just  and  progressive  measures.  He  was  a 
veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  having  enlisted  in  September,  1864,  when  about 
nineteen  years  of  age,  .in  Company  H,  of  the  Third  Michigafi  Infantry, 
and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  being  mustered  out  in  the  south 
at  Victoria,  Texas,  May  25, 1866. 

Edward  Orlando  Avery  was  born  October  23,  1844,  at  Bradley, 
Maine,  the  son  of  Newell  Avery,  a  pioneer  of  the  lumber  business  in 
Michigan  and  a  most  prominent  and  influential  citizen,  a  sketch  of  whose 
life  will  be  found  on  other  pages  of  this  work.  The  immediate  subject 
never  resided  in  this  city.  His  mother  was  Nancy  C.  (Eddy)  Avery. 
When  three  years  of  aj?e  Mr.  Avery  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  this 
state,  they  locating  at  Port  Huron.  In  that  city  young  Edward  received 
his  education  of  a  preliminary  character  and  then  matriculated  in  the 
college  at  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  where  he  was  a  student  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  war.  Like  other  young  men  of  his  day  and  generation  his  early 
years  were  clouded  to  a  certain  extent  by  the  approaching  great  conflict, 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  909. 

but  his  personal  sympathies  were  warmly  enlisted  with  the  cause  of  the 
preservation  of  the  integrity  of  the  Union.  At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr. 
Avery  returned  to  Port  Huron  and  soon  thereafter,  in  an  eflEort  to  again 
come  into  touch  with  civil  affairs,  he  went  to  Chicago,  where  his  father 
had  established  a  large  lumber  yard,  and  began  a  systematic  study  of 
the  details  of  the  lumber  business.  He  soon  became  both  proficient  and 
interested  and  some  two  years  later  he  went  to  Alpena,  Michigan,  where 
he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  with  his  father  and  Mr.  C.  W.  Rich- 
ardson, the  firm  being  known  under  the  caption  of  Richardson,  Avery  & 
Company.  He  continued  in  the  line  in  which  he  had  so  early  embarked 
throughout  the  remainder  of  his  life  and  his  success  was  of  the  most 
noteworthy  sort.  In  addition  to  his  operations  in  lumber  which  were  of 
broad  scope  and  importance,  he  was  also  interested  in  farming  property 
and  owned  two  fine  farms  near  Alpena.  He  never  resided  in  the  country, 
but  engaged  personally  in  the  management  of  their  affairs,  in  which  he 
foimd  great  pleasure  and  relaxation.  He  was  assuredly  one  of  the  build- 
ers of  Alpena,  and  was  an  able  exponent  of  the  progressive  spirit  and 
strong  initiative  which  have  caused  that  city  to  forge  so  rapidly  for- 
ward as  an  industrial  and  commercial  center.  In  short  he  did  much 
to  further  the  material  and  civic  development  and  upbuilding  of  the 
city  in  which  he  elected  to  establish  his  home  and  in  which  he  achieved 
success  of  distinctive  and  worthy  order. 

Mr.  Avery  was  a  prominent  Mason  and  exemplified  in  his  own  life 
those  ideals  of  moral  and  social  justice  and  brotherly  love  for  which  the 
order  stands.  He  was  a  Knight  Templar  and  had  attained  to  the  Thirty- 
third  degree.  In  his  political  faith  he  was  aligned  with  the  Republican 
party  and  he  took  an  active  interest  in  politics,  although  personally  he 
was  not  in  the  least  attracted  by  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  office. 
He  was  sent  as  a  delegate  to  the  National  Republican  Convention  at 
Chicago.  Mr.  Avery  was  a  member  and  trustee  of  the  Congregational 
church  and  he  took  great  interest  in  the  campaigns  for  good  of  the  church 
body.  The  demise  of  this  estimable  gentleman  occurred  in  the  city  of 
Detroit,  at  the  home  of  his  mother,  Mrs.  Nancy  C.  (Eddy)  Avery,  and  his 
remains  were  interred  at  Woodmere  Cemetery. 

He  whose  name  inaugurates  this  review  was  happily  married  on  Sep- 
tember 14,  1869,  at  Port  Huron,  his  chosen  lady  being  Flora  Hunting- 
ton, daughter  of  F.  W.  and  Susan  M,  (Kingsbury)  Huntington,  both 
natives  of  the  state  of  New  York.  The  father  was  for  many  years  a 
prominent  druggist  of  Port  Huron.  To  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Avery 
was  bom  one  daughter,  Ruth  H.,  who  became  the  wife  of  H.  K.  Gustin, 
an  attorney  of  Alpena,  and  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years. 
The  widow  of  Edward  0.  Avery,  a  lady  of  rare  attainements  and  high 
character,  has  made  her  home  in  this  city  since  1906. 

James  Wallace.  Among  the  fine  flower  of  Detroit's  citizenship  in 
the  generation  just  past  a  conspicuous  place  was  occupied  by  James  Wal- 
lace, who  resided  here  from  the  year  1863  until  the  time  of  his  demise  on 
July  25,  1885.  The  passing  of  the  years  has  not  served  to  obliterate 
the  memory  of  this  good  man,  or  the  beneficent  influence  of  his  deeds 
and  character.  He  was  an  able  business  man,  as  well  as  one  of  eminent 
philanthropy  and  public  spirit,  and  during  his  residence  in  the  City  of 
the  Straits  was  identified  with  the  Lake  Huron  Stone  Company  as  the 
head  of  this  great  concern.  He  was  particularly  active  in  church  and 
Sunday  school  work  and  a  monument  to  his  memory  is  Wallace  College 
and  Theological  Seminary  at  Berea,  which  he  aided  in  founding  and 
which  bears  his  name. 

James  Wallace  was  bom  in  Ireland,  county  of  Leitrim,  Ballinamore, 
on  April  9,  1821,  the  son  of  John  and  Jane  Wallace.    He  spent  his  youth 


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910  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

in  his  native  land,  there  receiving  his  education  and  when  quite  young 
had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  mother  by  death.  Being  able  and  ambi- 
tious, the  wider  opportunity  and  greater  advantages  of  the  New  World 
appealed  strongly  to  him  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years  he  severed 
old  associations  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  claim  his  share  of  the  benefits 
of  America  so  freely  offered  to  her  adopted  sons.  He  was  accompanied 
by  his  father  and  brothers  and  sisters.  Mr.  Wallace  located  first  in  New 
York  state,  but  resided  there  but  a  short  time,  then  going  on  to  Berea, 
near  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he  embarked  in  the  stone  business  and 
proved  eminently  successful.  He  became  the  possessor  of  an  ample  for- 
tune, which  he  put  to  good  uses,  and  he  soon  assumed  a  position  as  one 
of  the  most  prominent  men  of  Berea.  He  was  active  in  church  and 
Sunday  school  work,  belonging  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and 
for  a  long  time  being  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school.  The  atmo- 
sphere of  that  interesting  college  town  was  indeed  congenial  to  him  and, 
as  before  mentioned,  his  bounty  enabled  to  be  built  the  college  and 
theological  seminary  there.  And  now,  although  a  quarter  of  a  century 
has  elapsed  since  he  journeyed  to  the  Undiscovered  Country,  his  name 
is  hallowed  and  revered  in  Berea. 

In  the  spring  of  1863  ]\Ir.  Wallace,  realizing  that  a  field  of  much  more 
extended  opportunity  in  a  business  way  was  presented  by  this  city,  re- 
moved here  and  assumed  the  direction  of  the  affairs  of  the  Lake  Huron 
Stone  Company.  He  continued  thus  engaged  until  the  time  of  his 
death.  His  interests  were  of  most  important  character  and  under  his 
able  management  they  grew  larger  every  year.  His  quarries  were  situ- 
ated in  the  thumb  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Huron  and  his  offices  were  in 
Detroit  and  Chicago. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Wallace  was  a  prominent  ^lason.  Upon  coming  to 
Detroit  he  became  affiliated  with  the  Central  Methodist  church  in  this 
city.  His  political  faith  was  that  of  the  Republican  party.  More  truly 
his  inclinations  were  in  that  direction,  but  he  was  not  of  the  type  of 
man  who  sacrifices  the  better  man  and  the  better  measures  to  mere  par- 
tisanship. In  the  issues  of  the  day  he  took  a  great  interest  and  any 
measure  likely  to  result  in  benefit  to  the  whole  of  society  was  sure  of 
his  support. 

The  old  Wallace  home  in  Detroit  was  at  990  Woodward  avenue  and 
there  he  lived  for  about  twenty  years.  This  residence  was  subsequently 
occupied  by  Governor  Pingree.  In  1883  the  subject  built  the  handsome 
and  commodious  residence  on  Jefferson  avenue  where  his  widow  and  sons 
still  reside  and  which  has  ever  been  the  abode  of  culture  and  hospitality. 
He  loved  his  own  fireside,  caring  little  for  clubs  and  spending  his  leisure 
within  the  sacred  precincts  of  his  home. 

Mr.  Wallace  was  married  in  Cleveland,  August  16,  1848,  his  chosen 
lady  being  Ellen  L.  Moe,  daughter  of  Marcus  and  Sally  (Backus)  Moe, 
of  the  state  of  Massachusetts.  Their  union  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
four  children :  Sarah  J.  died  at  the  age  of  three  years ;  Marcus  died  at 
five ;  and  those  surviving  are  the  sons  James  I.  and  Frank  B.  Both  are 
prominent  real  estate  men  of  Detroit,  sharing  their  father's  high  ideals 
of  citizenship.  They  reside  at  home  with  their  mother,  a  venerable  and 
admirable  lady,  now  eighty-two  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Wallace  was  a  na- 
tive of  Strongville,  near  Cleveland,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Central 
Methodist  church. 

William  Frederick  Thompson.  Among  the  men  who  have  been  of 
signal  usefulness  to  the  city  of  Detroit  and  who  in  days  past  labored 
zealously  for  its  upbuilding  must  be  numbered  William  Frederick 
Thompson,  a  railway  contractor  who  departed  this  life  on  July  14,  1878. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  911 

Despite  the  passing  of  the  years  his  memory  remains  more  vivid  than 
those  of  many  of  his  contemporaries  who  traveled  as  many  years  ago  as 
he  to  the  Great  Beyond,  and  it  may  be  truly  said  of  him, 

**The  sweet  rememberanee  of  the  just 
Shall  flourish  when  he  sleeps  in  dust/' 

He  was  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  and.  like  so  many  of  her  sons 
who  found  and  embraced  opportunity  in  the  New  World,  won  prrom- 
inence  and  prosperity. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  born  at  Newtown  Forbes.  County  Longford,  Ire- 
land, January  14,  1828.  When  a  boy  he  came  to  Canada  with  his 
parents  and  there  spent  his  early  life  and  received  his  education.  As  a 
youth  he  worked  in  his  father's  saw  mill  after  school  hours  and  became 
familiar  with  and  skillful  in  all  branches  of  mill  work.  Upon  one  occa- 
sion he  went  with  his  employer,  Mr.  Little,  to  visit  another  mill  owned 
by  him,  and  he  observed  that  the  men  were  having  considerable  trouble 
in  sawing  the  long  pieces  of  timber  which  were  to  be  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  first  bridge  over  the  Niagara  river.  Part  way  through 
the  log,  the  saw  would  run  crooked  and  spoil  the  timber.  ^Ir.  Thompson 
realized  at  once  that  the  saW  was  not  *' jibed"  correctly,  in  saw-mill  par- 
lance, and  he  told  Mr.  Little  that  if  he  would  let  him  try  he  felt  certain 
he  could  file  the  saw  properly.  Mr.  Little  inquired  of  his  foreman,  Mr. 
Chambers,  whether  he  believed  it  safe  to  intrust  the  saw  to  such  young 
hands,  whereupon  Mr.  Chambers  told  him  to  go  ahead.  Mr.  Thompson 
set  to  work  and  successfully  corrected  the  fault.  He  then  cut  the  first 
long  beams  for  the  first  bridge  over  the  Niagara  river  and  continued  » 

with  the  work  until  he  had  cut  all  the  timbers  for  the  bridge.  This  in- 
cident is  merely  an  example  of  the  inherent  characteristics  of  thorough- 
ness and  practical  ability  which  he  evidenced  all  through  his  life. 

In  the  early  experience  of  Mr.  Thompson  in  the  field  of  labor  he  was 
for  a  time  occupied  as  a  clerk  and  keeper  of  the  post  ofBce  in  the  country 
town  of  Caledonia,  Ontario,  for  Mr.  Little.  In  1858  he  had  his  first 
glimpse  of  Detroit,  and  he  remained  there  for  three  years,  entering  into 
the  railroad  contracting  business  with  Messi*s.  Sherman  and  Robinson, 
and  building  the  Qrand  Trunk  Railway  from  Detroit  to  Mount  Clemens. 
He  then  returned  to  Canada  and  engaged  in  the  oil  business,  and  also 
opened  a  very  extensive  country  store  in  company  with  one  Mr.  Fish, 
in  which  he  handled  goods  of  almost  every  description,  typical  of  the 
then  popular  general  store.  Seven  years  later  he  sold  out  and  returned 
to  Detroit,  where  he  engaged  in  the  broom  manufacturing  business. 
For  a  time  he  also  owned  and  conducted  a  store  on  Jefferson  avenue, 
where  he  carried  on  a  grocery  business,  but  eventually  disposed  of  the 
business  in  order  that  he  might  devote  his  whole  time  to  railroad  con- 
tracting. His  executive  gifts  were  such  that  the  utmost  success  was 
his  portion.  He  was  associated  in  a  business  way  with  all  the  prom- 
inent roads  in  Michigan,  and  he  also  remained  identified  to  some  extent 
with  the  broom  manufacturing  business. 

The  demise  of  this  estimable  citizen  occurred,  as  mentioned  previous- 
ly, on  July  14,  1878,  and  his  remains  were  interred  at  Elmwood.  He 
was  a  ^lason,  and  the  last  rites  were  performed  by  that  order.    He  was  ' 

a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which  he  took  an  active  in- 
terest, and  while  in  Canada  he  was  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school  1 
connected  with  that  church.    In  political  faith  he  was  a  Republican, 

but  took  no  active  part  in  politics  and  oflSce  seeking  was  never  among  ^ 

his  ambitions. 

Mr.  Thompson  took  as  his  wife  Anna  F.  Nicholas,  a  native  of  Corn- 


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912  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

wall,  Canada,  the  date  of  their  marriage  being  Aprir25,  1849.  They 
became  the  parents  of  the  following  named  children:  Frederick  W., 
deceased;  Aima  S.,  who  married  James  Lenfesty,  of  Tampa,  Florida;  an 
infant,  Winifred,  deceased;  Mary  E.,  the  widow  of  Lawrence  Monroe, 
who  since  her  widowhood  makes  her  home  in  Berlin,  Germany ;  Thomas, 
deceased;  Samuel  S.,  of  Australia;  and  Frank  J.,  deceased.  Thomas 
Thompson,  the  only  one  to  live  long  in  Detroit,  was  bom  in  Strathroy, 
Canada,  July  4,  1858,  and  received  his  education  in  Detroit.  His  first 
experience  as  a  worker  was  in  his  father's  broom  factory,  and  later  he 
went  into  the  brokerage  business  in  partnership  with  D.  F.  McDonald, 
and  still  later  with  Mr.  Walker  in  the  same  business.  He  eventually 
opened  an  independent  oflSce  on  Griswold  street.  The  death  of  this 
gentleman  occurred  in  the  prime  of  life  and  usefulness, — on  September 
9,  1905,  and  his  body  was  interred  in  the  family  lot  in  Elmwood  ceme- 
tery. He  married  in  Detroit,  in  1879,  Miss  Jennie  B.  Woolnough,  the 
daughter  of  William  Woolnough,  who  was  bom  in  England  and  came  to 
Detroit  at  an  early  day.  William  Woolnough  enlisted  in  the  Union 
army  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war,  and  while  in  action  suffered  wounds 
which  caused  his  death  ultimately.  Thomas  Thompson  was  the  father 
of  two  children,  William  Frederick  and  Mabel  Anna. 

The  widow  of  William  Frederick  Thompson,  an  admirable  and  vener- 
able lady,  has  resided  at  Jefferson  Avenue  since  1869,  and  with  her^  re- 
sides her  daughter-in-law,  Mrs.  Thomas  Thompson  and  her  children. 
These  ladies  are  held  in  high  regard  by  all  who  come  within  the  circle  of 
their  influence. 

Giles  B.  Slocum.  In  even  a  cursory  review  of  the  careers  of  the 
honored  pioneers  and  distinguished  citizens  of  Michigan,  it  is  imperative 
that  an  unusual  degree  of  attention  be  given  the  life  of  the  late  Giles  B. 
Slocum,  who  wrote  his  name  large  and  nobly  on  the  annals  of  his  time. 
He  was  one  of  those  favored  mortals  whom  nature  launches  into  the 
world  with  the  heritage  of  a  sturdy  ancestry,  a  splendid  physique,  a 
masterful  mind  and  energy  enough  for  many  men.  Added  to  these  at- 
tributes were  extraordinary  intelligence  and  the  useful  lessons  of  a 
wide  and  varied  experience.  He  was  of  patrician  bearing  and  ideals, — 
a  type  of  the  true  gentleman  and  a  representative  of  the  best  in  the 
community.  He  was  dignified  and  well  poised  and  yet  possessed  of  an 
affability  that  won  him  warm  friends  among  all  classes  and  conditions 
of  men.  **A  strong  man  and  true  was  this  honored  pioneer  of  Michi- 
gan,'' says  one  writer  in  commenting  on  his  life,  **and  his  labors  had 
significant  bearing  upon  the  material  and  social  development  of  the 
commonwealth  with  whose  history  his  name  was  so  long  and  worthily 
identified." 

The  lineage  of  the  Slocum  family  is  traced  back  to  the  staunchest  of 
English  stock  and  a  number  of  its  representatives  were  among  the  found- 
ers of  the  Society  of  Friends,  commonly  known  as  Quakers.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  memoir  was  a  direct  descendant  of  Qiles  Slocum,  who  was 
bom  in  Somersetshire,  England,  and  who  was  a  resident  of  the  town  of 
Portsmouth,  Ne^vport  county,  Rhode  Island,  as  early  as  the  year  1638, 
a  fact  and  date  definitely  recorded  in  the  historical  archives  of  that  state. 
Jonathan  Slocum,  the  great-grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  killed  while  serving  as  a  soldier  in  the  Indian  wars ;  his  death  occur- 
red on  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Wilkesbarre,  Pennsylvania,  to  which 
locality  he  had  removed  with  his  family  about  the  year  1774.  His  son 
Giles,  grandfather  of  the  Michigan  pioneer,  was  of  Rhode  Island  birth 
and  was  a  child  at  the  time  of  the  family  removal  to  Pennsylvania.  He 
was  one  of  the  sixty  persons  who  escaped  the  frightful  onslaught  of  the 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  913 

Indians  in  the  historic  Wyoming  massacre  of  that  state.  His  sister 
Frances,  then  a  child  of  five  years,  was  held  captive  by  the  Indians, 
among  whom  she  grew  to  maturity,  eventually  marrying  one  of  the  tribe. 
Her  relatives  could  find  no  trace  of  her  for  sixty  years.  She  was  finally, 
in  1837,  discovered  in  Miami  county,  Indiana,  with  numerous  descend- 
ants about  her.  She  was  a  woman  of  intelligence,  even  under  the  handi- 
cap of  the  conditions  under  which  she  was  reared;  yet  in  spite  of  her 
gratification  at  learning  something  of  her  kindred  she  refused  to  leave 
her  Indian  family  or  appreciably  to  change  her  simple  mode  of  living. 
She  lived  to  a  venerable  age  and  her  name  and  experiences  have  been 
perpetuated  in  history,  song  and  story.  In  the  section  of  Indiana  in 
which  she  lived  are  found  today  many  of  her  descendants — folk  of  high 
character.  Over  her  grave,  which  is  near  the  former  Miami  Indian  vil- 
lage in  which  she  lived,  her  relatives  of  direct  and  collateral  lines  have 
erected  a  suitable  monument.  At  its  unveiling,  on  the  17th  of  May,  1900, 
the  appropriate  ceremonies  were  arranged  by  a  committee  presided  over 
by  Elliott  T.  Slocum,  of  Detroit,  a  son  of  the  Giles  Slocum  to  whom  this 
review  is  dedicated. 

Giles  Slocum  (II)  was  a  volunteer  in  Sullivan's  expedition  against 
the  Indians  in  the  Genesee  valley.  Soon  after  the  close  of  the  War  of 
the  Revolution  he  removed  from  Pennsylvania  to  Saratoga  Springs, 
New  York,  settling  on  a  farm  about  four  miles  distant  from  the  present 
town  of  that  name.  He  became  one  of  the  influential  pioneers  of  the 
Empire  state,  where  he  passed  the  rest  of  his  life.  His  land  was  pur- 
chased from  General  Schuyler,  the  vacant  Revolutionary  oflBcer,  and  the 
two  men  were  warm  personal  friends.  Jeremiah  Slocum,* a  son  of  Giles 
Slocum  II,  married  Elizabeth  Bryan,  daughter  of  an  old  and  prominent 
Connecticut  family,  and  of  their  children  the  subject  of  this  account  was 
one. 

Giles  Bryan  Slocum  was  born  at  the  farm  homestead  near  Saratoga 
Springs,  New  York,  on  the  eleventh  day  of  July,  1808.  His  early  train- 
ing was  that  gained  in  connection  with  the  basic  industry  of  agriculture, 
through  association  with  which  he  grew  strong  and  self  reliant  in  body, 
character  and  mental  eflSciency.  His  educational  advantages  were  those 
aflEorded  in  the  common  schools  of  the  locality  and  period,  his  intellect- 
ual ability  being  such  that  his  services  were  required  in  pedagogical 
work.  In  the  vicinity  of  his  home  and  at  Lockport,  New  York,  he  con- 
ducted winter  sessions  of  school  for  four  successive  years.  During  the 
summer  of  1830  he  was  engaged  in  farming  in  the  northern  part  of  his 
native  state.  The  following  year — ^about  six  years  before  Michigan's 
admission  to  the  Union,  he  came  to  this  commonwealth,  then  a  territory, 
a  great  part  of  which  was  little  more  than  a  wilderness. 

Mr.  Slocum  made  the  journey  from  New  York  state  hither  by  way 
of  the  Great  Lakes,  landing  in  Detroit,  from  which  point  he  set  forth 
on  an  extensive  prospecting  trip  in  the  interior  country,  which  was 
then  in  a  primitive  condition  indeed.  After  making  special  investiga- 
tions in  the  forests  above  Black  River,  Giles  Slocum  settled  for  the  winter 
on  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Toledo,  Ohio.  He  there  aided  in  lay- 
ing out  the  village  of  Vistula,  which  later  became  the  nucleus  of  Toledo. 
He  opened  the  first  store  and  also  assisted  in  getting  out  timber  for  the 
construction  of  the  first  dock  at  that  now  important  harbor  of  the  lakes. 
Of  special  interest  and  value  is  a  letter  which  he  wrote  his  father  a  short 
time  before  the  latter 's  death,  and  under  the  date  of  January  9,  1832: 

Esteemed  Father :  I  wrote  you  some  time  ago  and  have  not  received 
an  answer  as  yet.  •  •  •  i  have  made  two  purchases  of  eighty  lots 
each,  one  about  five  miles  south  of  the  village  of  Monroe,  on  the  road 
leading  from  the  turnpike  west.    I  have  exchanged  this  lot  for  one  on 


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914  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

the  turnpike,  about  four  aud  one-half  miles  south  of  said  village.  Thus 
I  have  an  eighty-acre  lot  for  one  hundred  dollars,  on  the  turnpike,  four 
and  one-half  miles  from  IMonroe.  A  daily  line  of  stages  passes  from 
Buffalo  to  Detroit,  by  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Erie.  Uy  lot  is  situated 
on  Swan  Creek,  a  few  rods  below  said  turnpike  and  about  nine  miles 
of  Monroe  and  twenty-eight  south  of  Detroit,  on  navigable  waters  for 
common-sized  schooners  of  the  lake.  I  am  in  hopes  that  the  bay  formed 
by  the  mouth  of  the  creek  will  make  a  smart  little  town  before  long.  I 
have  been  offered  very  liberal  advances  from  the  first  cost  of  said  lots 
already.  I  am  located  in  the  town  very  pleasantly  and  I  think  this  is  a 
good  business,  besides  which  I  am  assisting  in  laying  out  a  new  town  on 
the  north  bank  of  the  Maumee  river,  four  or  five  miles  from  its  junction 
with  Lake  Erie.  The  river  to  the  banks  of  the  town  plot  is  navigable  by 
the  largest  vessels  of  the  lake.  A  Mr.  Allen,  son  of  a  gentleman  of  w^hom 
I  have  heard  you  or  Grandfather  speak  by  the  name  of  "Indian  Allen/' 
is  surveying  and  laying  out  the  town  plat.  The  Maumee  River  here  is 
one  hundred  and  forty  rods  wide,  banks  good,  and  convenient  for  wharf- 
ing,  and  is  said  to  be  the  best  harbor  on  Lake  Erie ;  good  country,  which 
will  naturally  make  its  markets  here.  We  have  seen  that  some  of  the 
villages  in  New  York  have  grown  up  with  almost  incredible  rapidity, 
and  as  a  number  of  the  most  enterprising  men  of  Lockport  have  already 
engaged  in  this  place  and  many  others  are  expected  in  the  spring,  I 
now  give  my  opinion  that  this  place  (on  the  plat  of  which  there  is  not 
at  present  a  single  house)  will  in  the  course  of  ten  years  be  one  of  the 
most  important  points  of  Lake  Erie.  I  am  w^ell  convinced  that  public 
lands,  which  can  now  be  bought  in  this  neighborhood  for  ten  shillings 
per  acre,  wdll  in  a  short  time  be  worth  half  as  many  dollars.  Benjamin 
F.  Stickney,  great-grand-nephew  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Franklin,  is  the  ori- 
ginal proprietor  of  the  land  of  the  town  plat,  has  been  Indian  agent  at 
Fort  Wayne  seven  years,  etc.  There  is  a  pull-in  for  Detroit,  at  the  land- 
oflBce,  for  land  in  this  section.  A  race  occurs  frequently.  There  is  no 
mistake  in  making  good  advances  on  money  invested  in  this  section.  I 
think  it  would  be  well  worth  your  while  to  come  out  and  see  the  country. 
The  bank  of  Michigan  will  cash  a  draft  on  them  from  the  Saratoga  coun- 
ty bank,  which  would  be  the  most  convenient  way  should  you  come  out, 
and  in  that  case  you  could  have  it  arranged  to  draw  a  greater  or  less  sum 
and  w^ould  not  run  the  risk  of  losing  it.  Steamboats  have  previously 
passed  this  place  and  landed  immigrants  to  this  country,  principally  in 
Detroit,  whose  interest  it  is  to  advise  them  to  settle  on  the  land  in  its 
rear,  and  this  l^as  left  this  section  comparatively  uninvested.  From  this 
circumstance  I  think  it  probable  that  this  part  offers  advantages  as  good 
as  any  in  the  territory.  There  is  a  grist  and  saw  mill  erecting  up  Swan 
Creek  of  Maumee  river,  about  three  miles  from  this  place,  and  good  pub- 
lic land  within  a  few  rods  of  them  at  present  no  doubt,  would  be  a  bar- 
gain. The  utmost  endeavors  will  be  made  to  induce  the  steamboat  pro- 
prietors to  have  the  steamboats  stop  at  this  place.  A  dock  will  be  in 
readiness  for  the  convenience  of  the  boats  and  should  they  succeed  in 
getting  them  to  stop,  the  country  around  here  will  be  searched  and  the 
land  will  be  in  demand.  Bog  ore  is  found  not  far  from  here  and  it  is 
expected  a  furnace  will  be  erected  next  summer  near  here.  We  have  had 
a  severe  winter  so  far, — the  inhabitants  say  more  severe  than  has  been 
known  before.  Snow  about  ten  inches  in  depth  at  present.  The  pine 
timber  of  Black  and  Pine  rivers,  near  Lake  Iluron,  no  doubt  could  be 
purchased  to  advantage.  Lumber  brings  as  much  in  Detroit  as  in  Albany 
and  I  don 't  think  it  is  appended  with  half  the  expense. 

A  new  steamboat  is  being  built  in  Detroit  this  winter.     Grain  of 
every  description  is  high ;  wheat  worth  ten  and  twelve  shillings  in  some 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  915 

parts  of  the  territory.  Great  numbers  of  hogs  are  driven  from  Ohio  to 
Detroit,  there  killed  and  then  taken  into  Canada.  Our  neighbors  kill 
wild  hogs  daily.     Wild  turkeys  and  deer  are  numerous. 

I  wish  you  would  write  me  immediately  whether  you  have  any  idea 
of  coming  or  not.  If  you  have,  the  sooner  the  better.  My  expense  was 
not  great  in  coming  out,  being  thirteen  dollars  from  the  time  I  left  home 
till  I  arrived  in  Detroit.  I  have  since  explored  the  country  from  Lake 
Huron  up  to  the  Maumee  river. 

Further  details  in  the  letter  do  not  demand  consideration,  but  Mr. 
Slocum,  in  closing  his  communication,  gives  his  post-office  address  as 
Port  Lawrence,  Alonroe  county,  Michigan  Territory, — on  the  site  of  the 
present  city  of  Toledo,  Ohio.  In  the  year  in  which  this  letter  was  writ- 
ten the  father  of  Mr.  Slocum  died.  This  necessitated  his  return  to  the 
old  home  in  Saratoga  county.  New  York,  and  in  the  adjustment  of  the 
affairs  of  the  family  estate  he  purchased  the  interests  of  the  other  heirs. 

Early  in  the  winter  of  1833  Mr.  Slocum  returned  to  Michigan  and 
located  at  the  head  of  Swan  Creek,  on  the  site  of  the  present  village  of 
Newport,  I\Ionroe  county,  where  he  established  a  general  store  and  also 
became  interested  in  the  operation  of  a  stave  mill.  It  is  interesting  to 
record  that  in  the  following  spring,  while  making  explorations  in  the 
wilds  of  the  northern  part  of  the  territory  of  Michigan,  Mr.  Slocum 
paddled  a  canoe  from  the  city  of  Jackson  to  Grand  Rapids,  at  which 
latter  place  there  was  little  semblance  of  a  settlement  at  that  time. 

In  the  summer  of  1834  Mr.  Slocum  established  the  first  store  and 
dock  at  Truaxton,  now  Trenton,  on  the  Detroit  river,  where  he  continued 
to  be  identified  with  the  general  merchandise  business  for  a  long  term  of 
years  with  but  slight  intermission.  His  operations  in  Michigan  real  estate 
dated  practically  from  1837,  the  year  in  which  the  state  was  admitted 
to  the  Union.  He  had  in  the  meantime  disposed  of  the  old  family  home- 
stead in  Saratoga  county.  New  York.  Among  the  early  purchases  of 
realty  by  Mr,  Slocum  was  that  of  a  tract  of  land  with  a  frontage  of  about 
three  miles  along  the  Detroit  river,  in  the  vicinity  of  Trenton ;  and  for  a 
score  of  years  thereafter  he  gave  special  attention  to  farming  and  sheep- 
raising,  in  connection  with  the  latter  of  which  he  became  one  of  the  most 
extensive  wool-growers  in  the  state.  Each  year  he  added  to  the  area 
of  his  landed  estate,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  there  stood  to  his 
credit  about  two  thousand  acres  of  reclaimed  land  in  the 
vicinity  of  Trenton ;  the  major  part  of  this  he  had  placed  under  effective 
cultivation.  The  timber  cut  on  the  property  was  largely  used  in  ship- 
building at  Trenton  and  in  the  manufacture  of  staves,  which  were 
shipped  to  New  York.  For  several  years  also  Mr.  Slocum  conducted  a 
profitable  enterprise  in  the  building  of  docks  at  Detroit,  Windsor, 
Springwells,  Trenton,  Sandwich,  Gibralter  and  Grosse  He. 

On  the  7th  of  June,  1848,  Mr.  Slocum  entered  into  a  contract  with 
Wayne  county  to  construct  three  bridges, —  two  across  the  river  Rouge 
and  one  over  the  Ecorse  river, — and  through  the  terms  of  this  contract 
he  came  into  possession  of  several  large  tracts  of  land  in  the  eastern  part 
of  Muskegon  county,  said  lands  having  been  donated  by  the  state  to  aid 
in  the  building  of  such  bridges.  At  a  point  now  known  as  the  village  of 
Slocum,  in  the  heart  of  a  tract  of  about  five  thousand  acres  of  heavily 
timbered  land  in  Muskegon  county,  Mr.  Slocum  erected  a  saw-mill,  and 
there  he  built  up  a  lumber  business  which  he  conducted  in  company  with 
his  son  for  many  years.  They  meanwhile  made  large  incidental  im- 
provements in  the  development  of  the  agricultural  resources  of  the  land 
as  it  was  gradually  reclaimed,  and  with  the  extension  of  railway  facilities 
this  property  has  become  very  valuable.     In  the  late  'fifties  ^Ir.  Slocum 


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916  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

purchased  large  tracts  of  valuable  timber  land  on  White  lake  and  in 
1859,  with  Charles  Hears  of  Chicago,  he  laid  out  and  platted  the  present 
village  of  Whitehall,  on  White  Lake,  Muskegon  county. 

Mr.  Slocum  gave  hearty  co-operation  and  support  in  the  construction 
of  the  Detroit,  Monroe  and  Toledo  Railroad,  in  1856.  He  donated  the 
company  the  right  of  way  through  his  own  extensive  property  and 
personally  purchased  land  from  others  for  that  purpose.  On  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Toledo,  Canadian  Southern  and  Detroit,  and  the  Chicago 
and  Canada  Southern  Railroads,  the  junction  of  the  two  roads  was  made 
on  his  property  near  Trenton.  The  following  estimate  of  the  character 
and  achievements  of  Mr.  Slocum  merits  reproduction  in  this  connection : 

**  Notwithstanding  the  many  commercial  changes  and  business  revul- 
sions of  his  time,  Mr.  Slocum  always  met  his  obligations,  and  the  fortune 
he  accumulated  was  the  result  of  the  numerous  enterprises  which  he  con- 
ducted with  care  and  clear  business  judgment.  His  honesty  was  never 
questioned  and  he  possessed  the  unbounded  faith  and  confidence  of  those 
with  whom  he  did  business.  None  of  the  early  pioneers  of  this  section 
was  more  widely  known  throughout  the  state  nor  more  sincerely  re- 
spected and  esteemed.  He  had  a  kind  heart  and 'helped  many  men  to 
obtain  homes,  farms  and  fortunes. "  The  last  sentence  of  the  above  quota- 
tion clearly  indicates  the  man  as  a  man,  and  one  faithful  to  the  highest 
principles. 

Giles  B.  Slocum  was  originally  an  old-line  Whig,  but  upon  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Republican  party  he  transferred  his  allegiance  thereto ; 
he  was,  indeed,  one  of  its  founders,  for  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  historic 
convention,  ** under  the  oaks,'*  at  Jackson,  Michigan,  in  1854,  where 
the  party  came  into  existence  under  its  present  title.  He  was  a  man  of 
fine  intellectual  attainments  and  of  broad  views  as  to  matters  of  economic 
import,  with  the  natural  result  that  he  wielded  much  influence  in  pub- 
lic affairs  in  the  state  of  his  adoption.  In  several  senatorial  campaigns 
he  was  especially  active.  In  the  first  two  senatorial  elections  of  the  Hon- 
orable Zachariah  Chandler,  Mr.  Slocum  occupied  the  same  room  with 
him  at  the  senatorial  headquarters  in  Lansing;  he  did  vigorous  and  ef- 
fective work  in  supporting  the  senator  and  their  friendship  became  part- 
icularly close  and  firm.  During  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Slocum 's  aid  and  in- 
fiuence  were  freely  and  loyally  given  to  the  upholding  of  the  administra- 
tion; he  did  much  to  assist  in  raising  funds,  recruiting  and  equipping 
troops  and  otherwise  helping  Michigan  to  do  its  part  in  the  great  strug- 
gle to  maintain  the  integrity  of  the  Union.  For  several  years  preced- 
ing his  demise  Mr.  Slocum  was  a  trustee  of  the  Saratoga  Monument  As- 
sociation of  New  York,  the  president  of  the  organization  at  that  time 
being  Honorable  Horatio  Seymour,  former  governor  of  New  York.  And 
withal,  this  pioneer,  agriculturalist,  business  man  and  builder  of  towns 
found  time  not  only  for  political,  but  also  for  religious  interests,  being 
connected  with  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church. 

At  his  attractive  home  on  Slocum 's  Island  in  the  Detroit  river,  this 
honored  pioneer  closed  his  earthly  span  of  existence  on  the  twenty-fourth 
of  January,  1884,  and  his  mortal  remains  were  interred  at  Elmwood 
cemetery,  Detroit.  His  passing  caused  a  deep  sense  of  personal  bereave- 
ment throughout  the  state  to  whose  development  he  had  contributed  so 
much  and  in  which  he  was  so  highly  valued.  The  high  regard  in  which 
he  was  held  was  and  is  inclusive  of  the  family  he  had  founded  in  Mich- 
igan and  which  has  been  so  worthy  of  its  head. 

It  was  seven  years  after  his  coming  to  the  Michigan  territory  that 
Giles  Slocum  was  united  to  the  worthy  companion  of  his  long  life.  To 
Colonel  Abraham  Truax  and  his  wife,  nee  Lucy  Brigham  of  Hanover 
Hills,  New  Hampshire,  a  daughter  was  born  on  June  18,  1818,  at  their 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  917 

home  on  the  banks  of  the  Huron  river,  near  the  present  site  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan.  Sophia  Maria  Brigham  Truax,  as  she  was  named,  lived 
at  that  place  only  until  she  was  about  six  months  old.  At  that  time  the 
family  removed  to  a  property  near  the  present  site  of  the  village  of 
Trenton,  which,  however,  was  originally  called  Truaxton,  in  honor  of 
its  founder,  Abraham  Truax.  Mrs.  Slocum  has  often  recounted  her 
memories  of  those  pioneer  days,  of  the  log  school-house  she  attended; 
of  the  bears,  wolves  and  other  animals  she  was  accustomed  to  seeing ;  of 
the  numerous  Indians,  she  had  seen,  who  often  thrust  their  horribly 
painted  faces  in  at  the  windows  of  her  home,  or  who  stalked  in  at  the 
doorways,  unannnounced ;  of  the  howling  of  the  wolves  by  night  and 
the  placing  of  a  large  bake  kettle  in  front  of  the  door  as  a  protection ;  of 
the  difficulty  of  getting  shoes,  which  were  obtained  by  annually  buying 
large  quantities  of  leather  and  engaging  the  services  of  a  traveling  shoe- 
maker who  lived  in  the  home  until  he  had  made  each  member  of  it  two 
pair  of  shoes. 

Having  gathered  all  the  learning  to  be  acquired  from  the  log  school- 
house  near  the  homestead,  Sophia  Truax  was  sent  to  a  private  school  for 
girls  at  Monroe,  Michigan.  Her  trips  were  made  to  and  from  the  school 
by  stagecoach  and  on  one  of  these  journeys,  the  vehicle  having  suffered 
an  accident  and  time  hanging  heavily  for  the  passengers  while  repairs 
were  being  made,  the  young  girl  found  herself  in  conversation  with  some 
of  the  fellow-passengers.  Among  these  was  Giles  Slocum,  then  about 
twenty-eight,  and  ten  years  older  than  herself.  Not  many  months  after- 
ward, in  the  year  1838,  their  marriage  was  solemnized.  She  shared  his 
fortune  in  every  phase,  created  a  home  of  charming  atmosphere,  gave 
birth  and  guidance  to  his  three  children  and  survived  him  by  twenty- 
seveh  years;  she  was  ninety-four  years  of  age  when  she  passed  from 
physical  life  on  April  11,  1912.  The  last  forty  years  of  her  life  she  had 
spent  in  alternation  of  seasons  at  her  summer  home  on  Slocum 's  Island, 
between  Grosse  He  and  Trenton,  and  at  her  own  or  her  daughter's  resi- 
dence in  Detroit.  At  the  memorial  services  said  over  her  loved  and 
honored  body,  the  officiating  clergyman  was  Dr.  W.  H.  Thomas,  the 
pastor  of  St.  Thomas  Episcopal  church  of  Trenton — ^the  little  church  Mrs. 
Slocum 's  forefathers  helped  to  build  and  in  which  she  was  a  life-long 
communicant. 

Mrs.  Slocum 's  last  years  and  her  last  living  moments  were  spent  at 
the  home  of  her  only  surviving  daughter,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  T.  Nichols, 
who  cared  for  her  with  the  deepest  filial  affection.  Her  other  daughter, 
Alice,  had  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years.  The  son  is  Hon.  Elliot 
Truax  Slocum. 

Mrs.  Nichols  was  born  and  reared  in  Wayne  county ;  she  received  the 
best  educational  advantages;  on  September  sixth,  1876,  she  was  united 
in  marriage  to  James  B.  Nichols  of  Virginia.  Now  a  widow,  she  con- 
tinues to  reside  in  Detroit.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nichols  were 
four,  All  of  whom  have  lived  to  grow  to  maturity.  Giles  B.  Nichols — 
named  in  honor  of  his  maternal  grandfather,  married  Miss  Martha  Barbo 
and  they  reside  in  Muskegon  county,  Michigan.  Alice  S.,  is  the  wife  of 
Frederick  E.  Church,  of  New  York,  and  the  mother  of  one  child,  Char- 
lotte D.  Charlotte  S.  Nichols  became  Mrs.  Charles  F.  Church  and  lives 
in  New  York.  Elliott  Slocum  Nichols,  the  youngest  of  the  four  children, 
remains  with  his  mother  at  the  family  homestead.  Mrs.  Nichols  is,  as 
was  her  mother,  a  gracious  figure  in  the  society  of  Detroit  and  a  valued 
friend  of  those  who  prize  her  father's  memory.  The  portraits  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Giles  B.  Slocum  found  in  the  pages  of  this  work  have  been 
placed  there  in  loving  remembrance  of  their  many  estimable  qualities 
by  their  daughter,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  T.  Nichols. 


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918  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Abraham  C.  Truax.  In  these  days  of  rampant  materialism  and  vault- 
ing achievement  we  cannot  afford  to  hold  in  light  esteem  the  memory  of 
those  who  have  wrought  nobly  in  the  past  nor  fail  to  accord  honor  to 
those  who  have  given  a  heritage  of  worthy  thoughts  and  worthy  deeds. 
Among  those  who  have  stood  as  distinguished  types  of  the  world's  con- 
structive workers  in  the  days  that  are  past  was  the  late  Colonel  Abra- 
ham C.  Truax,  who  was  among  the  earliest  settlers  in  the  territory  of 
Michigan  and  who  exerted  large  and  benignant  influence  in  connection 
with  the  civic  and  material  development  and  progress  of  the  territory 
and  state.  The  name  Truax  is  ineffaceably  traced  on  the  history  of  De- 
troit and  the  state  of  Michigan  and  figures  on  the  pages  of  our  national 
history  from  the  early  colonial  epoch  to  the  present  time.  In  this  con- 
nection the  writer  would  repeat  certain  statements  given  in  a  sketch  of 
the  career  of  Colonel  Truax  prepared  by  him  only  a  few  years  ago,  as 
the  words  are  held  to  be  signally  pertinent:  '* Strong  men  and  true, 
gentle  and  gracious  women,  have  represented  the  name  as  one  genera- 
tion has  followed  another  upon  the  stage  of  life,  and  loyalty  and  patriot- 
ism have  been  in  distinctive  evidence,  the  while  the  family  escutcheon 
has  ever  symbolized  integrity,  honor  and  usefulness.  In  America  there 
have  been  many  distinguished  citizens  to  upbear  the  prestige  of  the 
name,  and  not  the  least  of  these  was  Colonel  Abraham  Caleb  Truax,  the 
revered  Michigan  pioneer.'* 

The  genealogy  of  the  Truax  family  is  traced  back  to  patrician  French- 
Huguenot  origin,  and  heraldic  records  show  that  the  family  has  been 
one  of  prominence  and  influence  in  France.  So  far  as  authentic  data 
bear  assurance,  the  first  of  the  name  in  America  was  Philippe  du  Trieux, 
whose  name  is  found  attached  to  a  legal  document  recorded  in  ''Dutch 
Manuscripts,"  volume  II,  page  27,  in  the  archives  of  the  department 
of  the  secretary  of  state  of  New  York,  and  bearing  date  of  October  7, 
1623.  The  name  has  undergone  various  changes  in  orthography  and 
pronunciation  within  the  long  intervening  years,  and  it  is  a  singular  fact 
that  the  descendants  in  the  state  of  New  York  invariably  spell  the  name 
Truax,  while  those  of  New  Jersey  usually  designate  the  patronymic  as 
Truex.  The  coat-of-arms  of  the  family  is  preserved  by  the  American 
branch  and  is  most  interesting  in  a  heraldic  sense.  The  motto  is: 
**Bien  faire  et  ne  rien  craindre,"  and  the  summary  of  the  arms,  as 
interpreted  from  the  heraldic  symbolism,  is  that  a  knight  or  warrior, 
known  as  Dutrieu  de  Terdonck,  with  the  rank  of  a  peer,  represented 
with  a  stirrup  suspended  from  his  dexter  hand,  won  victory  on  the  field 
of  battle  and  was  rewarded,  at  different  times,  by  a  gold  star  of  six 
radiating  points.  On  the  escutcheon  this  star  appears  thrice,  and  the 
place  of  honor  is  held  by  another  reproduction  of  a  stirrup. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Isaac  du 
Trieux,  or  Truy,  son  of  the  original  Philippe  du  Trieux.  and  said  Isaac 
was  the  founder  of  the  branch  of  the  family  which  was  established  in 
or  about  Schenectady,  New  York,  in  the  seventeenth  century.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  settlers  in  that  locality,  where  he  and  his  family  were 
residing  at  the  time  of  the  burning  of  the  town  and  the  massacreing  of 
its  inhabitants  by  the  French  and  Indians,  in  1690.  He  it  was  who  es- 
caped and  bore  the  new^s  of  the  tragic  event  to  Fort  Orange,  on  the  site 
of  the  present  city  of  Albany. 

Abraham  Caleb  Truax  was  of  the  sixth  generation  in  line  of  direct 
descent  from  Philippe  du  Trieux,  and  was  born  at  Schenectady,  New 
York,  on  the  11th  of  February,  1778,  a  son  of  Caleb  and  Fytje  (Sophia) 
van  Patten  Truax.  He  was  a  cousin  of  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  Imown 
as  the  **Patroon''  of  Albany,  or  Rensselaerwick,  whose  possessions,  forty- 
eight  miles  long  and  twenty-four  miles  wide,  extended  over  three  coun- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  919 

ties.  As  a  small  boy  Abraham  C.  Truax  was  left  in  the  care  of  an  uncle 
in  Schenectady,  where  he  was  reared  to  maturity  and  where  hard  manual 
labor  was  his  portion,  with  educational  advantages  of  most  meager  order. 
His  father  was  an  ensign,  or  sergeant,  in»Colonel  Abraham  Wemple's 
regiment  during  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  from  November  5,  1779, 
until  October  29,  1781,  as  shown  in  the  muster  rolls  of  the  state  depart- 
ment at  Albany. 

Colonel  Truax  is  supposed  to  have  arrived  in  Detroit  in  the  open- 
ing year  of  the  nineteenth  century,  nearly  forty  years  prior  to  the  ad- 
mission of  Michigan  to  the  Union.  He  made  the  overland  trip  through 
Canada  and  after  establishing  his  home  in  Detroit  he  followed  such  lines 
of  enterprise  as  were  possible  in  the  pioneer  village  on  the  frontier  of 
civilization.  He  accumulated  some  means  and  made  investments  in  local 
real  estate.  Concerning  the  career  of  this  sturdy  and  honored  pioneer 
we  can  not  do  better  than  to  quote,  with  slight  paraphrase  and  elimina- 
tion, from  an  article  prepared  by  his  grandson,  Hon.  Elliott  T.  Slocum, 
who  is  one  of  the  representative  citizens  of  Detroit. 

**In  1812,  when  war  was  declared  against  Great  Britain,  being  im- 
bued with  that  spirit  of  patriotism  which  throbs  the  breast  of  every 
true,  loyal  Huguenot,  he  shouldered  the  old  flintlock  musket  in  defense 
of  his  native  country.  He  was  with  General  Hull  at  the  time  of  the  sur- 
render, and  later,  for  meritorious  conduct,  he  was  commissioned  cap- 
tain by  General  Cass,  and  in  1838  was  commissioned  colonel  by  Governor 
Stevens  T.  Mason.  After  peace  had  been  declared  he  resumed  his  former 
vocation,  with  which  the  ravages  of  war  had  made  havoc.  On  May  30, 
1809,  he  purchased  of  Elijah  Brush,  for  three  hundred  dollars,  a  strip 
of  j^ound  on  Jefferson  avenue,  between  Wayne  and  Shelby  streets, 
where  stood  the  new  part  of  the  Michigan  Exchange  and  the  store  next 
to  it  on  the  west.  About  1813  he  erected  on  said  ground  a  building  which 
for  those  days  was  one  of  the  best  in  Detroit,  and  which  for  many  years 
was  known  as  the  Truax  Building.  On  May  11,  1815,  he  sold  the  same 
to  James  JVIay,  for  two  thousand  nine  hundred  dollars. 

**In  1817  he  established  himself — against  the  opposition  of  many 
friends — upon  a  plat  south  of  Detroit  and  on  the  Detroit  river,  and  this, 
after  being  surveyed  into  streets  and  village  lots,  offered  superior  in- 
ducements to  buyers  and  builders  alike.  Thus,  from  a  former  chaotic 
wild,  arose  the  beautiful  and  flourishing  village  of  Truaxton,  now  Tren- 
ton, Wayne  county,  Michigan.  He  was  the  first  white  settler  to  erect  a 
house  in  that  locality  and  was  known  as  a  successful  Indian  trader. 
Later  in  life  he  occupied  many  prominent  federal  and  municipal  oflSces. 
He  was  a  progressive  business  man,  richly  endowed  with  that  quality  of 
integrity  which  commanded  respect  and  love  from  all  who  knew  him. 

**The  old  Truax  homestead,  familiarly  designated  in  its  palmy  days 
as  the  *  Tavern'  or  the  *Half-Way  House' — between  Detroit  and  Monroe, 
— was  the  best-known  old  wayside  inn  in  that  section  of  the  country.  It 
was  erected,  amid  Indian  wigwams,  early  in  the  nineteenth  century,  and 
stands  today  as  *an  altar  mark  to  a  patriot's  mind.'  " 

On  the  24th  of  February,  1817,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Col- 
onel Truax  to  Miss  Lucinda  Melinda  Brigham,  of  Hanover,  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  she  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal  on  the  eighth  of  October, 
1838.  Of  their  four  children  two  attained  to  years  of  maturity — George 
Brigham  Truax,  who  became  a  representative  business  man  of  Detroit, 
where  his  death  occurred  in  the  year  1869,  and  Sophia  Marie  Brigham 
Truax,  who  became  the  wife  of  the  late  Giles  B,.  Slocum  and  whose  long 
life  has  only  recently  come  to  its  peaceful  close.  Concerning  her  the 
following  pertinent  words  have  been  written:  ''She  is  a  stately,  gracious 
figure,  whose  mind  forms  an  indissoluble  link  between  the  pioneer  epoch 


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920  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

and  the  present  day,  and  reverent  affection  is  bestowed  upon  her  by  all 
who  know  her/' 

Colonel  Truax  met  his  death  in  the  explosion  that  destroyed  the 
steamboat  **  Vance/'  on  the  Detroit  river  in  1844,  and  his  remains  rest 
in  beautiful  old  Woodmere  cemetery.  Many  parts  of  the  city  of  Detroit 
reflect  incidents  and  achievements  of  Colonel  Truax  in  this  locality 
where  he  held  valuable  possessions.  In  the  noted  old  picture,  ''Detroit 
in  1820/'  by  George  H.  Whistler,  the  ''Truax  House"  is  one  of  the  best 
and  most  conspicuous  buildings. 

William  Ker  Mum.  It  will  scarcely  be  gainsaid  that  Scotland  has 
given  to  America  a  body  of  citizens  whose  priceless  value  can  scarcely 
be  reckoned  and  who  have  made  a  never-to-be-eflfaced  imprint  upon  our 
national  history.  To  this  nation  belonged  the  late  W.  K.  Muir,  whose 
name  is  an  important  one  in  American  railroad  history  and  who,  as  a 
philanthropist,  of  deep  sympathies  and  fine,  original  ideas,  did  much 
for  less  fortunate  humanity,  ere  he, 

"Gave  his  honors  to  the  world  again, 
His  blessed  part  to  Heaven,  and  slept  in  peace." 

This  noted  financier  and  railroad  man  was  bom  at  Kilmarnock,  Ayrshire, 
Scotland,  March  20,  1829.  His  mother  was  a  descendant  of  one  of  the 
Howies,  covenanters  of  Lochgoyne.  While  a  youth  pursuing  his  studies 
he  exhibited  a  two-fold  taste  for  railroad  mechanical  engineering  and 
for  surgery.  As  the  latter  part  of  each  school  day  was  spent  in  some 
engineering  establishment,  his  tastes  gradually  developed  in  that  direc- 
tion, although  probably,  had  conditions  been  diflferent,  he  might  have 
become  celebrated  in  the  professional  world.  The  Detroit  Free  Press 
of  June  24,  1892,  has  given  the  ensuing  resume  and  appreciation  of  his 
life  and  achievements. 

*'Mr.  Muir  secured  a  position  in  the  ticket  office  of  an  Ayrshire  rail- 
way and  served  through  all  the  grades  of  railroad  employment,  thus 
acquiring  a  thorough  knowledge  of  all  the  details  of  railroad  work.  He 
was  promoted  in  a  few  years  to  important  positions  and  served  credi- 
tably. When  he  again  received  a. promotion  in  the  service  of  an  English 
railway,  he  met  C.  J.  Brydges,  mana^g  director  of  the  Great  Western 
Railway,  of  Canada,  and  was  offered  by  the  latter  an  appointment, 
which  he  accepted.  Mr.  Muir  assumed  the  duties  of  his  new  position 
in  October,  1852,  before  the  first  section  of  the  railway  between  Niagara 
Falls  and  Hamilton  was  opened.  He  assisted  in  opening  this  line  and 
remained  five  years  in  this  service.  He  then  came  to  Detroit  to  take 
the  general  management  of  the  Detroit,  Grand  Hav^n  &  Milwaukee 
Railroad,  in  the  completion  of  which  to  Lake  Michigan,  the  Great  West- 
em  had  taken  a  great  pecuniary  interest.  Under  Mr.  Muir's  manage- 
ment the  road  was  completed  its  entire  length,  equipped  with  rolling 
stock  and  with  two  steamships  to  connect  with  Milwaukee  was  placed  in 
excellent  condition  for  freight  and  passenger  traffic. 

In  December,  1865,  Mr.  Muir  resigned  his  management  of  the  Detroit, 
Grand  Haven  &  Milwaukee  and  accepted  an  appointment  as  assistant 
general  ^perintendent  of  the  Michigan  Central  Road  under  R.  N.  Rice, 
the  general  superintendent.  In  a  very  few  years  he  was  offered  the 
office  of  general  superintendent  of  the  Great  Western  line.  He  improved 
the  property  while  in  charge  until  it  was  one  of  the  best  in  the  country. 
He  changed  it  from  the  "Canadian  broad-gauge  of  five  feet,  six  and  one- 
half  inches  to  the  American  gauge  of  four  feet  and  eight  and  one-half 
inches  and  thoroughly  organized  and  equipped  it  as  an  Eastern  and 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  921 

Western  link.  Having  completed  this  work  he  again,  assumed  the 
superintendence  of  the  Detroit,  Grand  Haven  &  Milwaukee,  but  immedi- 
ately retired  to  manage  a  new  railroad  through  Canada,  with  branches 
on  this  side,  known  as  the  Canada  Southern  Railway  lines.  He  remained, 
in  this  position  for  several  years,  having  retired  from  more  active  rail- 
road life  several  years  ago,  but  retaining  an  interest  in  the  latter  road. 
At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  president  and  general  manager  of  the 
Eureka  Iron  and  Steel  Works  and  also  president  of  the  Star  line  of 
steamers. ' ' 

A  man  of  supreme  executive  capacity,  Mr.  Muir  accomplished  much 
for  any  enterpidse  with  which  he  was  connected.  But  much  as  he  did 
in  the  great  field  of  transportation,  his  name  will  longer  remain  enshrined 
in  general  honor  and  admiration  for  his  remarkable  public  spirit  and 
altruism.  He  concerned  himself  deeply  with  all  matters  pertaining  to 
the  interest  and  welfare  of  the  city  of  his  adoption  and  gave  generously 
of  himself  and  of  his  finances  to  any  measure  likely  to  result  in  benefit 
to  the  whole  of  society.  One  of  his  civic  ambitions  was  to  see  the  river 
bridged  at  Detroit  and  to  a  committee  he  submitted  a  plan  for  a  low 
winter  bridge  across  the  river  at  this  point.  However,  the  completion 
of  the  Port  Huron  tunnel  embarrassed  the  efforts  of  those  in  favor  of 
a  bridge. 

About  a  decade  before  Mr.  Muir's  demise  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Poor  Commission  of  Detroit,  and  while  in  this  office  he  secured  the 
adoption  of  a  scheme  to  furnish  lodgings  for  the  wandering  members  of 
humanity.  The  open  door  for  tramps  was  at  the  Woodbridge  Street 
Station,  and  they  were  also  fed,  compelled  to  take  a  bath  and  their 
clothing  steamed  and  dried.  The  other  members  of  the  board  finally 
opposed  Mr.  Muir's  charitable  and  sanitary  scheme  on  the  ground  that 
it  tended  to  increase  the  number  of  tramps  who  came  to  the  city.  Upon 
the  abandonment  of  the  plan  Mr.  Muir  resigned  his  position. 

Mr.  Muir  filled  many  important  and  responsible  positions,  both  in 
Britain  and  America,  and  he  has  filled  them  all  with  credit  to  himself 
and  with  advantage  to  the  community.  His  public  record  of  half  a 
century  is  without  a  stain  and  his  private  character  was  always  such 
as  to  win  for  him  the  regard,  esteem  and  friendship  of  all  good  men  with 
whom  he  camfe  in  contact.  He  was  in  thorough  sympathy  with  our 
American  institutions.  For  years  he  was  president  of  St.  Andrew's 
Society  and  no  native  born  Scot  filled  such  a  place  in  tlic  public  eyes, 
or  was  so  loved  since  the  death  of  brave  old  Hugh  Moffat.  He  shared 
the  religious  conviction  of  so  many  of  his  countrymen  and  was  an 
earnest  and  generous  member  of  the  Jefferson  Avenue  Presbyterian 
church. 

In  the  fall  previous  to  his  death  Mr.  Muir  had  the  misfortune  to 
contract  a  severe  case  of  la  grippe,  and  although  he  rallied,  he  was  at 
once  attacked  with  muscular  rheumatism.  Upon  the  advice  of  physicians 
he  took  an  ocean  voyage  to  Japan.  On  the  eve  of  June  6th  he  returned 
to  Detroit,  not  improved,  and  took  at  once  to  his  bed.  Despite  all  care 
he  steadily  grew  worse  and  developed  spinal  meningitis,  from  the 
effects  of  which  he  died  June  23,  1892. 

Just  before  leaving  for  Japan,  Mr.  Muir  gave  sittings  to  Mr.  Ambroise 
^IcXeil,  a  brilliant  young  graduate  of  the  Royal  Scottish  Academy,  the 
painting  being  a  striking  likeness  and  an  admirable  work  of  art.  Nearly 
a  score  of  years  have  elapsed  since  Mr.  Muir  passed  on  to  the  Undiscover- 
ed Country,  but  the  record  of  his  life  is  one  of  Detroit's  proudest 
traditions  and  the  influence  of  his  progressive  and  benevolent  spirit 
will  not  soon  be  lost,  although  the  mortal  part  of  him  is  gone.  Mr.  Muir 
is  survived  by  his  widow,  Mrs.  Christina  :Muir.  by  five  daughters  and 
bv  a  son,  William  Howie  Muir,  of  this  city. 

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922  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Thomas  IVIaybury.  Cork,  Ireland,  was  the  birthplace  of  Thomas 
Maybury,  aflfectionately  styled  **  Uncle  Tommy  May  bury"  by  his  many 
friends  in  Detroit.  His  natal  day  was  the  day  after  Christmas  and  the 
year  of  his  entrance  upon  this  life  was  1807.  He  did  not  come  to  America 
until  after  his  marriage,  when  with  his  bride  and  two  brothers,  William 
and  Henry,  he  settled  in  Detroit.  Their  home  was  at  the  corner  of 
Eighth  and  Lafayette  avenues,  but  it  was  then  (in  1835)  Springfield 
township  and  known  as  the  Scotch  settlement. 

At  first  Mr.  Maybury  busied  himself  with  farming,  but  at  a  later 
date  he  took  up  contract  work,  constructing  sewers  and  other  public 
works.  He  built  the  first  Woodward  avenue  sewer  to  open  into  the  river. 
For  fifteen  years  he  followed  this  business  and  made  a  decided  success 
of  it.  He  gave  it  up  to  devote  himself  to  real  estate  dealings  at  which 
he  accumulated  a  large  fortune.  For  many  years  he  was  employed  as 
deputy  collector  in  the  custom  house.  Like  most  of  his  nationality,  he 
took  great  interest  in  politics  and  was  an  ardent  Republican  and  of  the 
old  Whig  party.  He  was  a  faithful  and  interested  attendant  of  St. 
Paul's  church  and  later  of  St.  Peter's.  In  the  Masonic  lodge  of  Detroit 
he  was  one  of  the  most  influential  members,  being  one  of  the  very  oldest 
Knights  Templars  in  the  city.  In  honor  of  Thomas  Maybury,  Zion  Lodge 
(Masonic)  placed  in  St.  Peter's  church  a  very  large  and  exceedingly 
beautiful  window,  on  wjiich  is  inscribed,  **In  Memoriam"  Thomas  May- 
bury. His  daughter  Jane  still  has  in  her  possession  a  gold  headed  cane 
which  was  presented  to  him  on  February  24,  1868,  by  the  Brethren  of 
Zion  I^odge.  It  was  for  him  that  Maybury  avenue  was  named  and  few 
men  could  count  so  many  friends  as  he.  His  uprightness  of  character 
was  proverbial  and  he  was  in  every  respect  one  of  the  most  admirable 
of  Detroit's  citizens.  He  died  at  his  home  on  Lafayette  avenue,  November 
13,  1882,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years. 

Margaret  Cotter  Maybury,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Maybury,  died  on 
June  9,  1851.  She  was  the  mother  of  eight  children,  as  follows:  Eliza, 
who  married  James  Denton  and  both  she  and  her  husband  are  dead; 
Henry,  of  Tampa,  Florida;  Catherine,  the  wife  of  John  Guiness  and  also 
deceased ;  Thomas ;  Mary,  Mrs.  Jos  Webber ;  Jane ;  William  Cotter,  whose 
life  appears  elsewhere  in  this  book ;  and  Margaret.  Only  Jane  and  Henry 
are  now  living  of  the  five  last  named  children.  All  the  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Episcopal  church,  in  which  the  father  took  so  vital  an  interest. 
He  was  senior  warden  of  St.  Peter's  church,  which  he  had  helped  to 
establish,  and  the  precept  and  example  of  his  pure  and  helpful  life  bore 
fruit  in  the  noble  character  of  his  children. 

Hon.  WdLiLIam  Cotter  Maybury,  the  distinguished  son  of  an  eminent 
father,  was  born  in  Detroit,  on  November  20,  1848.  His  parents  were 
Thomas  and  Margaret  Cotter  Maybury  and  he  was  one  of  a  family  of 
eight  children.  He  graduated  from  the  Detroit  high  school  in  1866  and 
four  years  later  completed  the  literary  and  the  law  course  at  the  State 
University.  He  immediately  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  his 
native  city  and  in  1876  was  elected  city  attorney.  He  held  this  office 
for  four  years  and  was  then  elected  professor  of  jurisprudence  in  the 
Michigan  College  of  Medicine,  a  position  he  held  until  1882.  From  1883 
until  1887,  he  was  a  member  of  Concrress  from  the  first  ^lichioran  district. 
While  at  the  national  capital  he  did  much  for  his  home  city.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Ways  and  Means  committee  and  drew  up  the  bill  which 
secured  the  rio:ht  to  build  the  Belle  Isle  bridge.  His  efforts  in  behalf 
of  this  measure  had  much  to  do  with  its  becoming  a  law  and  so  giving 
that  great  thoroughfare  to  the  people.  The  site  for  the  federal  building 
was  purchased  and  work  upon  the  edifice  begun  while  he  was  in  Congress. 


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I'jiop  K<'Min.ij->'  T'?-uiii  W  .-wMiiL  :'.,!     ';•     .;,     •    , 
'•:'  J;i\v   )U  Vie   tii'iii   \\ith   wlioiii      •*  !  ;■*'        •  •■  . 

;lrK    i:-;)wn'    IK/«m1    S.    I'lj,.  i.-f    tHM-.i.:..'    ■,    ■*  ••  ■ 
flioscM  lo  :iti  Iti-  .:n«'^  ■>  I'.i  t.  r-.j  ;is  n.;'_  ... 

I  n    T!lr     MmS')!*.'"     !"i    ilfl  ti't  \      ilC    •'   .    . 

Mi'i'*  of  hi.-  ■lr.,t,,    on   \hi\i  »;.    ■:)"'».  I. 
yi  M  ».i<;;'i!.      Jlr   Ir.ii   t;tk!  n   lin-   tM-":  ■      ■      ■• 
'\.i7    M*:]  e   !n   tin-  ordt-r.      l»:    !>'•;    ,j. 
v.itj(  II  put   *.i  II  ;:i    ■\'.r  li'';i.|  oi"  :il!  tii*    .  ^'  "' 

IJKv'   )iis  t'.uiu  r,    Mr.    ^l;i\'lt.;rv  w^^^    ..i  •   ' 

liis  l';t;i'';'  hjtd  s»'r\Ml.      II"  v  ;i-.  :»  >•    '•         ■        ■ 
K'«'"i.      His    ^v.ts  a   t»-ii]\    n-".-     :.-.•. 
t!:t'.>lov;.       II*»   IK  Vri'  jili-^V,  .'tl  ;ii   s..-     / 
iiiii;  au;i\    IV.Mn  tln'  «'l.ur<'li   srrxir.'s  ^., 
h(iN;»)*;iiN  all   his  liM\  iiMkui.r  il    his  a;>p  .-  .  • 

h'flrly.       K<'\V    lilt  !1    haVr    h  -»  U    [>oS'^''^stMl    wiM.    ^ 

on  «\(iv  su!)j('rt   as  \\as  William   Mavliiirv'.      :- 
tinv<l  tu  inaMiM's  jxM'taiuiiiu  sol*  !y  to  ill^  l-'i:;.'    ■ 
]"«*a<l  in  t!.»    si'iciic  s  as  wrll,  bcint,^  (.-«]>' *'i;'\^    . 
iu'  rn-rivt'd  t}j(^  tTlltUtr  of  h^MHtr  i'ia«i«'  a  <  'I.    \ ,  ' 
oi    !•' ranee. 

On  Ml*.  Mavhurv'v  sixti-*'-   *  •<       * 
l>i'ot\  ^sirnal  men  of  thr  tu\\ ::    . 
most  sp'i-i)'li<i  fiin<  tjon  ♦;;(>  .-. 
lovwitr  t  up  of  h,.a!ili:'.il  .1.  -    .  < 
^  •niMMJ  \\  il  n   th('s<'  vdi  .'s  :  ' 
Wdliani  ('■•IttT  Ma\  \)uv}   o- 
nitiiin  oT  lij-^tinunis'it-J   ^t,-  •  .  ■       ..     . 

'»ini."      Sui'll   a  tl-iluMt^   oi    :,*      ■         •-  .      ;  ..,,l    'm    h  ^^     ,. 

^'1' the  «M»iin'ninit V  <tni]  it  v  -  .     "  .        •.',    ..»      m-w  tuat  i"- 

*i.nl  liT'-d  th''  Ui'-asure  of  lu>  •      «•    •*>•..•',•      "'      ^.t:.>i  .■  M-m  nf  .ill 

'•.■(mmIs  a)Nl  ci'iSN^s. 

'r\.>'  (h^ath  of  Miis  tlisliiiui.i^!'.' •;  •  .'  /•  n  was  jir*  _v  i-lmi''!-'!  as  tih* 
sopK^-v  of  till'  whoh^  cit^  as  v. '-ii  as  -»'  P  TU'ar«'Sl  f»'"-n'  i-al  »'»'iali\i-s. 
A.-iion  in  h's  honor  was  tal.i-n  hy  ti.*.  niai._*  'ir-jani/iatioii-  ■»!  !t,f  tnuni'-i- 
paliyv,  io<lu(lii.t;  tht'  ('onn<-il  and  ('it'/.rn^.  '- •*  Dctj-oit  ►^nikinir  KiiTid 
( "otnaiission,  {\]  which  Mr.  ?kla;hniy  \/as  a  m*  f.  kt  o)  ionir  sia^iiinu.  tht^ 
indires  of  tlh'  Wa\  no  County  (  ircnit  <''urt.  \i.  ■■'<«rs  of  tlic  I»<'troit 
Hoai'd  o(  ( *oiini'rr'(M',  \\h'  I>.'M-oit  i*>aT"  Ass-  ^'lon.  a..t  t  <•  Ainaluan.atfd 
ANS<i.'iation  ot  Iron  Steel  and  'i  in  Worker^  ••  »-.•  wtM-.  ,'.  ;!i)  i;  th»'ii  ei.n 
v^otioji  in  l)et]"oii  at  the  tiute.  "■'  a  h  fads  •  •  !'  the  »OMUrnee  ar.d 
refmtati(Hi  of  the  in<iii  whi'-h  ware  i.  't.  vid(  .•■'  -li  desri  \a  d.  hnt  no 
\v<;rds  nor  resoluti(nis  eould  adequate*.      .e.\.'\    a  •  nnccplion  of  t  a 

heaiity  and  stren«^th  of  his  life  and  *-!:a  •  :  Tiir..  •'-  **'ritl«  n  in  the 
lanirnafie  wIm'-U  Irariseands  all  sp-'ee})  of  inn  .►  i»i  pen.  v  r  ><«•  hooks  ai'e 
i>i  tlir  h(>a!'ts  of  men  and  whose  words  ar*'  "' '  ■  •  '  -r  oni-en.-  •  .)»''r(  d  a-ts 
of  kindness  and  of  ]o\e 

\V\i/rKK  Hnii-.  In  the  eivj"  and  '•oh.mi  ■•  ,ji  ins-  m  \  of  tJK^  eitv  of 
D'-trolt  no  faniil\  name  stand-  forrli  n  or-e  I-  !i..i'M\  {lian  that  of  I»nhl. 
Ti  has  for  ma)iy  years  repres<nted  lh«-  hiLda'-T  i,  m-  of  Imsiness  ahilil\ 
and  eivie  patriotism,  and   is  as-oeiatrd   m   ih<-  minds  of  tl.--  p^oplf  with 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  923 

Upon  returning  from  Washington,  Mr.  Maybury  resumed  his  practice 
of  law  in  the  firm  with  whom  he  had  been  associated  since  1882,  that  of 
Coneley,  Maybury  and  Lucking.  In  1897  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Maybuiy,  Lucking,  Emmons  and  Helfman.  It  was  in  the  same  year 
that  mayor  Hazen  S.  Pingree  became  governor  and  Mr.  Maybury  was 
chosen  to  fill  his  unexpired  term  as  mayor  of  Detroit.  After  this  he  was 
elected  four  successive  times,  serving  until  1905.  In  1900  he  was  candi- 
date for  the  governorship  of  Michigan,  but  was  defeated  by  Aaron  Bliss. 
In  the  ^lasonic  fraternity  he  enjoyed  unusual  distinction.  At  the 
time  of  his  death,  on  May  6,  1909,  he  was  the  most  prominent  Mason  in 
Michigan.  He  had  taken  the  thirty  third  degree  and  had  held  almost 
every  oflBce  in  the  order.  In  1897  he  was  made  Deputy  in  Michigan, 
which  put  him  at  the  head  of  all  the  Scottisli  Rite  Masons  in  the  state. 

Like  his  father,  Mr.  Maybury  was  an  earnest  worker  in  the  church 
and  held  the  same  office  of  senior  warden  in  the  same  congregation  where 
his  father  had  served.  He  w^as  also  a  director  of  St.  Andrew 's  Brother- 
hood. His  was  a  truly  religious  nature  and  he  was  a  deep  student  of 
theology.  He  never  allowed  anything  not  exceedingly  important  to  keep 
him  away  from  the  church  services  and  he  was  a  regular  visitor  to  the 
hospitals  all  his  life,  making  it  his  appointed  task  to  find  the  sick  and 
lonely.  Few  men  have  been  possessed  with  such  a  fund  of  information 
on  everj^  subject  as  was  William  Maybury.  His  reading  w^as  not  con- 
fined to  matters  pertaining  solely  to  his  legal  work,  but  he  was  deeply 
read  in  the  sciences  as  well,  being  especially  expert  in  botany.  In  1901 
he  received  the  tribute  of  being  made  a  Chevalier  of  the  Legion  of  Honor 
of  France. 

On  Mr.  Maybury 's  sixtieth  birthday  the  representative  business  and 
professional  men  of  the  town  gave  a  party  in  his  honor,  which  was  the 
most  splendid  function  the  city  had  witnessed  for  years.  A  solid  silver 
loving  cup  of  beautiful  design  was  presented  to  the  guest  of  honor,  in- 
scribed with  these  words:  '*The  citizens  of  Detroit  present  this  cup  to 
William  Cotter  Maybury  on  this  sixtieth  anniversary  in  grateful  recog- 
nition of  distinguished  service  to  his  fellow  men  and  because  we  love 
him."  Such  a  tribute  of  afifection  and  esteem  has  been  paid  to  few  men 
of  the  community  and  it  was  gratifying  to  Mr.  Maybury  to  know  that  he 
had  filled  the  measure  of  his  three  score  years  to  the  satisfaction  of  all 
creeds  and  classes. 

The  death  of  this  distinguished  citizen  was  justly  regarded  as  the 
sorrow  of  the  whole  city  as  well  as  of  the  nearest  friends  and  relatives. 
Action  in  his  honor  was  taken  by  the  many  organizations  of  the  munici- 
pality, including  the  Council  and  Citizens,  the  Detroit  Sinking  Fund 
Commission,  of  which  Mr.  Maybury  was  a  member  of  long  standing,  the 
judges  of  the  Wayne  County  Circuit  Court,  directors  of  the  Detroit 
Board  of  Commerce,  the  Detroit  Bar  Association,  and  the  Amalgamated 
Association  of  Iron,  Steel  and  Tin  Workers,  who  were  holding  their  con- 
vention in  Detroit  at  the  time.  Such  facts  indicate  the  influence  and 
reputation  of  the  man,  which  were  both  wide  and  well  deserved,  but  no 
words  nor  resolutions  could  adequately  convey  a  real  conception  of  the 
beauty  and  strength  of  his  life  and  character.  That  is  written  in  the 
language  which  transcends  all  speech  of  tongue  or  pen,  whose  books  are 
in  the  hearts  of  men  and  whose  words  are  **the  little  unremembered  acts 
of  kindness  and  of  love." 

Walter  Buiil.  In  the  civic  and  commercial  history  of  the  city  of 
Detroit  no  family  name  stands  forth  more  brilliantly  than  that  of  Buhl. 
It  has  for  many  years  represented  the  highest  type  of  business  ability 
and  civic  patriotism,  and  is  associated  in  the  minds  of  the  people  with 


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924  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

many  important  steps  for  the  greater  development  of  the  'City  of  the 
Straits."  From  before  the  time  of  the  Civil  war,  in  fact  way  back  in 
the  early  history  of  Detroit,  at  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  Frederick 
Buhl,  July  28,  1833,  there  was  scarcely  a  single  movement  for  the  public 
welfare  that  did  not  have  connected  with  it  the  name  of  Buhl.  At  the 
outbreak  of  the  war  of  the  rebellion  Mr.  Buhl  stood  forth  prominently 
as  one  of  the  most  patriotic  citizens  of  the  republic.  So  it  has  come 
down  from  father  to  son.  Walter  Buhl,  now  deceased,  carried  out  the 
traditions  of  his  family  and  endeared  himself  to  the  people. 

He  was  born  in  Detroit,  July  25,  1845,  the  second  son  of  Frederick 
and  Martha  (Beatty)  Buhl.  He  attended  school  in  Detroit,  and  after- 
ward took  a  course  in  an  eastern  academy.  After  graduating  from  the 
latter  institution  he  went  abroad  for  a  year  and  a  half,  which  he  spent 
in  traveling  over  continental  Europe.  Returning  to  Detroit,  he  entered 
the  hat  and  fur  business  with  his  father,  continuing  in  that  line  of 
commerce  until  his  death.  Before  his  father  passed  away  young  Mr. 
Buhl  bought  him  out,  and  the  firm  was  known  as  the  Walter  Buhl  Com- 
pany. Afterward  this  was  changed  to  Walter  Buhl  &  Company.  The 
firm  was  made  up  outside  of  the  Buhl  interests  of  trustworthy  employes, 
and  all  of  the  men  now  engaged  in  the  furrier  business  in  Detroit 
learned  their  trade  in  the  store  of  the  Buhls,  at  158  Jefferson  avenue, 
where  a  manufacturing  and  wholesale  business  was  carried  on.  The  firm 
also  had  a  retail  store  at  the  corner  of  Congress  street  and  Woodward 
avenue. 

Walter  Buhl  retired  from  active  business  about  ten  years  before  his 
death,  and  spent  some  time  in  California  for  his  health.  He  passed 
away  May  13,  1910,  and  was  buried  in  Woodlawn  cemetery.  He  was 
one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association, 
and  as  a  director  thereof  took  much  interest  in  the  progress  of  the 
organization.  He  was  also  deeply  interested  in  religious  matters  and 
an  active  worker  in  the  Fort  Street  Presbyterian  church,  of  which  he 
was  an  honored  member  and  respected  deacon.  He  was  also  greatly 
interested  in  Sunday  school  work.  Mr.  Buhl  was  a  life  member  of  the 
Detroit  Boat  Club,  the  Detroit  Light  Guard  and  the  Detroit  Golf  Club. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  during  the  palmy  days 
of  that  organization  and  took  much  interest  in  civic  development.  In 
polities  he  was  strongly  Republican,  but  like  a  number  of  other  prom- 
inent business  men  refused  to  accept  any  public  office.  He  was  a  great 
home  man  and. a  lover  of  good  books,  with  the  result  that  he  spent  most 
of  his  spare  time  by  his  own  fireside. 

At  New  Brighton,  Pennsylvania,  March  4,  1875.  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Eleanor  Bradford,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Rush  and 
Margaret  (Campbell)  Bradford.  No  children  resulted  from  this  union. 
Mrs.  Buhl's  father  was  from  Philadelphia,  and  her  mother  came  from 
Pennsylvania  stock.  Both  families  were  old  and  prominent  in  the  Key- 
stone state,  dating  from  ante-colonial  times.  Mrs.  Buhl  was  born  at  New 
Brighton,  Pennsylvania,  her  great-great-uncle  being  first  attorney 
jreneral  of  the  Ijiited  States  under  George  Washington,  thus  being  a 
member  of  the  cabinet  of  the  *' Father  of  Our  Countrv\''  She  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Colonial  Dames,  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion, and  of  the  Fort  Street  Presbyterian  church,  and  for  thirty  years 
has  been  connected  with  the  Protestant  Orphan  Asylum  and  for  many 
years  has  been  one  of  the  trustees. 

In  speaking  of  Walter  Buhl,  this  fine  type  of  American  citizen,  after 
his  demise  the  Michigan  Presbyterian^  a  church  paper,  says:  ** Walter 
Buhl  was  a  gentlemen  of  the  old  school,  with  a  gift  of  friendship  of  the 
finer  kind,  and  the  gracious  courtesies  which  bestow  upon  mere  acquaint- 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  925 

ance  the  genuine  pleasure  of  friendship.  Such  was  our  friend,  for  many 
years  deacon  in  the  Fort  Street  Presbyterian  church,  a  charter  member 
of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and  always  keenly  interested 
in  its  motives  and  its  methods.  He  gave  to  his  office  administration  his 
detailed  thought  and  study.  Few  men  ever  felt  more  deeply  the  re- 
sponsibility of  trust  in  conserving  and  trust  in  administering  a  Dea- 
con's fund.  His  father  for  years  was  an  Elder  in  the  Fort  Street  Pres- 
byterian church;  the  son  inherited  and  learned  well  his  lofty  rever- 
ences. He  died  Sunday,  March  13th,  at  Grace  Hospital,  after  an  oper- 
ation from  which  the  promise  was  tor  speedy  and  successful  recovery. 
His  pastor  had  been  deputed  on  the  day  before  by  the  session  to  con- 
vey their  greetings  and  well  wishes,  and  to  bear  their  request  for  con- 
sent from  him  to  name  him  to  succeed  himself  as  Deacon  in  the  Fort 
Street  Presbyterian  church  the  following  Wednesday.  It  was  a  mes- 
sage of  old  from  a  love,  heard  by  St.  John  the  Divine,  '  And  tlieir  works 
do  follow  them.' '' 

Frederick  Buhl,  the  father  of  Walter,  who  passed  from  earth  with 
the  good  w^ishes  of  his  friends  still  warm  upon  their  lips,  was  one  of  the 
pioneer  merchants  of  Detroit,  and  a  citizen  of  sterling  worth,  command- 
ing the  confidence  and  respect  of  his  associates  in  business  and  in  his 
social  life  during  the  long  period  he  stood  forth  as  one  of  the  foremost 
sons  of  the  City  of  the  Straits.  He  was  a  man  of  forceful  individuality, 
and  played  a  large  part  in  the  business  annals  of  the  metropolis  and  the 
state,  with  whose  annals  his  name  and  that  of  his  brother.  Christian  H. 
Buhl,  were  most  prominently  identified. 

Mr.  Frederick  Buhl  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  having  been  born 
in  Butler  county  November  27,  1806,  being  the  second  son  in  a  family 
of  eleven  children.  His  parents  were  of  sturdy  German  ancestry  and, 
as  said  before,  the  Buhl  family  was  found  in  the  Keystone  state  in  the 
days  of  the  Colonial  wars.  The  parents  were  both  natives  of  Saxony, 
Germany,  where  they  were  reared  to  maturity  and  where  they  became 
acquainted,  but  both  immigrated  to  America  before  becoming  man  and 
wife.  Owing  to  the  exigencies  of  time  and  place,  the  educational  facil- 
ities afforded  Frederick  Buhl  were  meagre,  but  his  strong  mentality  and 
determination  to  win  his  way  in  the  world  supplied  this  deficiency  and 
his  keen  powers  of  assimilation  and  observation  enabled  him  to  over- 
come this  handicap.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  left  his  native  country  and 
went  to  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania,  for  the  purpose  of  learning  the  jew- 
eler's trade,  but  his  health  being  poor  he  did  not  long  follow  this  voca- 
tion. In  1883  he  came  to  Detroit,  after  having  first  landed  at  Chicago, 
with  which  place  he  was  not  favorably  impressed.  In  Detroit  he  entered 
into  partnership  with  his  brother.  Christian  H.  Buhl,  in  the  hat  and  fur 
business,  building  up  a  most  lucrative  business.  The  firm  of  F.  &  C.  H. 
Buhl  continued  in  existence  for  more  than  twenty  years,  their  oper- 
ations in  handling  furs  broadening  so  that  eventually  they  embraced 
the  entire  northwest.  In  1842  they  joined  the  successors  to  the  Amer- 
ican Fur  Company  in  the  purchase  of  furs  throughout  Canada  and  the 
states  bordering  on  the  Great  Lakes.  They  carried  on  this  most  lucra- 
tive business  under  the  old  firm  name  until  1855,  when  Christian  H. 
Buhl  withdrew  to  enter  the  hardware  business.  Thereafter  Frederick 
Buhl  continued  the  business  in  an  individual  manner  becoming  one  of 
the  largest  shippers  of  furs  in  the  country,  as  well  as  a  manufacturer 
and  importer  of  furs.  The  enterprise  was  conducted  under  the  name 
of  F.  Buhl  &  Company  and  the  concern  gained  a  wide  reputation  for 
reliability  and  for  its  wide  scope  of  operations.  Mr.  Buhl  severed  his 
connection  with  the  business  in  February,  1887,  when  he  sold  out  to  his 


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926  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

son  Walter,  after  which  time  the  business  was  conducted  in  the  name  of 
Walter  Buhl  &  Company  until  it  was  sold  to  Edwin  S.  George  in  1898. 

Mr.  Frederick  Buhl  was  a  man  of  great  business  sagacity  and  of  the 
most  progressive  ideas,  as  citizen  standing  for  all  that  was  loyal  and 
right.  He  took  an  active  interest  in  all  that  affected  the  welfare  of  the 
city  in  which  he  lived  and  served  the  city  of  Detroit  as  mayor  in  1848, 
and  the  record  of  his  administration  is  one  that  lends  perpetual  honor 
to  him  and  the  municipality.  He  was  one  of  the  original  directors  of 
the  Merchants  Exchange  and  the  Board  of  Trade,  which  was  organized 
in  1847,  and  was  active  in  its  work  as  he  was  in  other  organizations  to 
which  he  belonged.  He  was  a  director  of  the  State  Bank  for  a  number 
of  years  and  was  a  director  of  the  Second  National  Bank  at  the  time  of 
his  death.  He  was  also  prominent  in  affording  the  city  street  railway 
facilities,  and  was  for  some  time  president  of  the  Fort  Wayne  &  Elm- 
wood  Railroad  Company.  He  rendered  valuable  services  as  president  of 
Harper  Hospital,  one  of  the  noble  institutions  of  Detroit,  and  generously 
donated  large  sums  toward  the  success  of  that  institution.  In  politics 
he  was  a  Republican,  and  he  was  at  all  times  prominent  in  the  councils 
of  his  party. 

At  the  close  of  a  useful  and  clean  life  he  passed  from  earth  May  12, 
1890,  deeply  mourned  by  all  who  knew  him,  and  left  enshrined  in  the 
minds  of  the  people  a  memory  that  all  men  should  emulate. 

William  Warner.  In  Mr.  Warner  and  his  descendants,  as  well,  are 
exemplified  the  finest  traits  of  American  civilization.  His  ancestors  were 
those  men,  nurtured  in  adversity  and  steeled  by  the  ever  imminent  danger 
of  death,  who  settled  New  England  and  stamped  upon  American  life 
for  generations  the  impress  of  their  unquestioning  devotion  to  duty  and 
their  contempt  for  all  small  considerations  of  personal  profit  or  comfort 
when  a  principle  was  at  stake. 

William  Warner  was  born  at  Pittsford,  Vermont,  on  January  28, 
1812,  the  son  of  Jonathan  and  Anna  Ripley  Warner.  His  grandfather 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Pittsford,  who  went  to  the  town  and  took 
up  land  before  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  did  not  take  his  family  there 
at  once,  because  of  the  danger  from  Indian  attack.  In  1783  he  built  in 
Pittsford  and  a  little  later  moved  there  with  his  family  and  followed  the 
occupation  of  farming.  He  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution  and  when 
the  war  was  over  he  went  back  to  his  farm  and  brought  up  his  family 
there.  William  graduated  from  Middlebury  College,  for  next  to  his  reli- 
gion the  old  New  Englander  prized  his  education.  After  leaving  college 
William  spent  two  years  at  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Andover,  study- 
ing for  the  ministry.  He  was  never  able  to  take  up  this  career  on  account 
of  a  throat  trouble,  which  developed  before  he  finished  his  course. 

The  first  position  of  responsibility  which  Mr.  Warner  held  was  that 
of  financial  agent  for  the  University  of  Vermont,  at  Burlington.  He  suc- 
cessfully filled  this  diflScult  post  and  later  was  made  treasurer  of  the 
University  and  held  the  position  for  six  years.  Later  he  was  president 
of  the  Sullivan  Railroad  Company,  of  Vermont,  and  in  1850  became 
promoter  of  the  Vermont  Central  Railroad.  After  two  years  of  work 
for  the  last  mentioned  corporation  Mr.  Warner  resigned  and  came  west. 
He  had  an  interest  in  the  lead  mines  of  Galena,  Illinois,  and  also  in  some 
northern  Michigan  mines.  Ill  1854  he  came  to  Detroit  and  engaged  in 
the  lumber  business  with  Albert  Catlin.  They  bought  out  the  firm  of 
Smith  and  Howard  and  handled  lumber  until  1861.  At  this  date  Mr. 
Warner  sold  out  and  went  into  the  iron  business.  In  this  venture  he 
was  associated  with  Mr.  William  C.  Colburn  and  Charles  Kellogg.  Later 
they  bought  out  Mr.  Kellogg  and  the  firm  was  known  as  the  Detroit 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  927 

Bridge  and  Iron  Works,  one  of  the  largest  concerns  in  the  city.  Mr. 
Warner  was  president  of  the  company  and  continued  to  act  in  that 
capacity  until  his  death.  He  was  superintending  the  building  of  the 
bridges  over  the  Mississippi  river  at  Burlington,  Iowa,  and  at  Quincy, 
Illinois,  at  the  time  of  his  death  on  July  29,  1868.  He  is  buried  in 
Elmwood  cemetery. 

In  politics  Mr.  Warner  was  a  Republican.  He  was  elected  to  mem- 
bership in  the  state  legislature  on>a  Union  ticket  and  served  three  years, 
during  the  time  of  the  Civil  war.  His  church  was  that  of  so  many  New 
Englanders,  the  Congregational.  He  was  a  member  of  the  First  church 
of  that  denomination  of  Detroit  and  was  a  worker  in  it,  being  for  many 
years  a  deacon  and  always  a  liberal  supporter  of  its  activities. 

On  February  2,  1842,  he  was  married  to  Harriet  B.  Leach,  daughter 
of  Andrew  Leach,  of  Pittsford,  Vermont,  where  the  ceremony  was  per- 
formed. She  died  at  the  age  of  forty-five,  in  1859,  and  is  buried  in  Elm- 
wood.  Four  children  were  bom  of  this  union,  three  now  living.  Later 
Mr.  Warner  married  his  deceased  wife's  sister,  Frances  Leach,  a  lady 
well  known  among  all  the  old  Detroit  families.  She  was  a  devoted  worker 
in  the  Congregational  church  and  here  as  wherever  she  was  known  her 
loss  was  keenly  felt  when  she  died.  Her  earthly  life  was  completed  on 
October  6, 1893. 

The  eldest  child  of  William  and  Harriet  Warner  was  Helen  F.  War- 
ner, known  in  this  city  as  Dr.  Warner,  one  of  the  most  skilled  of  De- 
troit's women  physicians.  She  was  a  graduate  of  Vassar  and  of  the  med- 
ical department  of  the  State  University.  Her  death  in  1905  removed  one 
of  the  lights  of  her  profession  from  its  midst.  Harriet  A.  Warner  became 
the  wife  of  William  M.  Bishop,  of  Hannibal,  Missouri,  now  deceased. 
Since  1878  she  has  been  a  teacher  in  the  Detroit  Central  high  school.  She 
has  three  children :  William  W.,  Helen  L.,  and  Elizabeth  L.  She  lives 
with  her  sister  Martha  at  74  Pitcher  street.  The  brother,  William  A. 
Warner,  is  also  a  resident  of  Detroit,  a  retired  business  man.  The  home 
where  the  father  lived  and  died  was  situated  where  the  Light  Armory 
building  now  stands.  He  made  valuable  additions  to  the  industrial 
development  of  the  country  but  the  gift  he  gave  to  civilization  in  the 
shape  of  his  character  and  the  high-minded  citizens  whom  he  reared  up 
to  pass  on  the  torch  of  progress  is  infinitely  greater. 

Charles  R.  Walsh,  M.  D.  In  choosing  among  the  professions  for 
one  to  follow  as  their  life  work  many  young  men  decide  upon  that  of  medi- 
cine as  the  most  promising.  In  this,  the  one  among  all  the  learned  pro- 
fessions that  makes  the  greatest  demands  upon  its  followers,  not  all  have 
the  necessary  qualifications,  without  which  even  the  most  thorough  tech- 
nical training  mil  not  insure  success.  Others  there  are,  however,  who  are 
eminently  fitted  for  the  erreat  work  of  alleviatins:  the  ills  of  mankind, 
both  by  nature  and  schooling,  and  in  this  connection  a  sketch  of  the  life 
of  Dr.  Charles  R.  Walsh,  one  of  the  prominent  young  physicians  of  De- 
troit, will  not  be  inappropriate.  He  was  bom  October  16,  1886,  in  the 
old  home  at  No.  112  Alfred  street,  where  he  still  resides,  and  is  a  son  of 
Patrick  J.  and  Mary  A.  (Flattery)  Walsh.  Patrick  J.  Walsh  was  one  of 
the  early  jewelers  of  Detroit.  f»nd  was  for  vears  one  of  the  city's  best 
known  business  men  and  citizens.  He  was  born  in  Ireland,  about  1828, 
and  came  to  the,  Fnited  States  in  1840.  locatinar  in  Detroit,  where,  five 
years  later,  he  embarked  in  the  jewelry  business  by  establishing  himself 
in  a  stand  at  the  corner  of  Jefferson  avenue  and  Griswold  street.  Later 
he  moved  his  store  under  the  old  Russell  House,  on  Woodward  avenue, 
and  subsequentlv  removed  to  the  present  site  of  the  Traver-Bird  Com- 
pany's plant  on  Woodward  avenue.    His  next  location  was  where  Kern's 


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928  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

now  stands,  on  Woodward  avenue  and  (Iratiot  street,  and  later  he  went 
to  the  corner  of  Woodward  avenue  and  Grand  River  avenue  East,  the  site 
now  being  occupied  by  the  store  of  Newcouib,  Endicott  Company,  where 
he  continued  in  business  until  his  death,  in  December,  1898.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  successful  and  best  known  jewelers  of  Detroit,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  was  the  oldest  jeweler  in  point  of  time  engaged  in  that 
line  in  the  city.  The  mother  of  the  Doctor  was  born  in  Detroit,  of  Irish 
and  Scotch  parents. 

Dr.  Walsh  was  reared  in  Detroit  and  acquired  his  elementary  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools.  He  took  a  high  school  course  at  St.  Michael's 
College,  Toronto,  Canada,  and  matriculated  to  the  Toronto  University  in 
1904.  He  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  medical  department  of 
the  University  of  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  was  there  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1908,  and  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  Fol- 
lowing his  graduation,  Dr.  Walsh  spent  eighteen  months  as  house  physi- 
cian at  Grace  Hospital,  Detroit,  and  since  that  time  has  carried  on  a 
general  practice,  his  offices  being  located  at  No.  736  Gratiot  avenue.  Dr. 
Walsh  is  one  of  the  most  successful  young  doctors  of  the  East  side  and 
has  already  firmly  established  himself  in  the  confidence  of  the  people  of 
his  community.  He  is  a  close  and  careful  student,  takes  a  great  interest 
in  the  work  of  the  various  organizations  of  the  profession  and  keeps 
fully  abreast  of  all  the  advancements  in  the  prolific  fields  of  medicine 
and  surgery.  His  skill  in  his  chosen  vocation  has  been  supplemented 
by  a  pleasant  personality  and  a  kind  and  sympathetic  nature  and  he  has 
made  and  maintained  numerous  friendships. 

William  Ross  Murdie,  M.  D.  More  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  of 
successful  practice  has  made  Dr.  William  Ross  Murdie  one  of  Detroit's 
best-known  physicians  and  surgeons.  Like  many  of  Detroit's  best  citi- 
zens. Dr.  Murdie  is  a  native  of  Canada,  having  been  bom  in  county  Hur- 
on, Ontario,  September  19,  1857.  His  father,  Andrew  Murdie,  was  born 
in  Scotland,  and  came  to  America  in  1842,  locating  in  the  woods  of 
county  Huron,  where  he  was  a  pioneer.  He  followed  farming  all  his  life 
and  died  in  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy -seven  years.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Ross,  was  also  a  native  of  Scotland,  in  which 
country  their  marriage  took  place.  Her  death  occurred  in  1894,  when 
she  was  eighty-one  years  old. 

Dr.  Murdie  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  in  Canada,  and  after  at- 
tending the  country  schools  became  a  student  at  St.  Catherine's  Col- 
legiate Institute.  In  order  to  secure  the  means  with  which  to  further  his 
studies  he  then  spent  several  years  in  school  teaching,  but  eventually 
entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Medieine,  where  he  was  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1886,  securing  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  During  his 
senior  year  he  served  as  house  physician  at  St.  Luke's  Hospital,  and  after 
his  graduation  was  an  assistant  to  the  late  Dr.  H.  0.  Walker  for  one 
year.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  a  general  practice  and 
now  has  finely  appointed  offices  at  No.  508  Gratiot  avenue  and  has  a  large 
and  representative  clientele  drawn  from  various  sections  of  the  city. 
Dr.  Murdie  possesses  the  desirable  qualification  of  a  sympathetic  nature, 
giving  to  each  case  the  benefieial  (|uality  of  a  kindly,  genial  personality. 
The  various  organizations  of  the  profession  find  in  him  an  interested 
co-worker  and  in  various  ways  he  has  shown  himself  to  belong  to  that 
class  that  maintain  the  standard  of  the  profession  in  Detroit. 

Martin  ^Iaier.  In  the  history  of  Detroit,  German-American  citi- 
zens have  not  only  added  lustre  to  the  commercial  annals  of  the  city, 
but  have  added  much  to  its  manufacturing,  artistic  and  social  progress. 


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.  '  !   fiui'?-  M\.  tilJ"  i'ljist.  -^Im*  siti- 

■     •     i.iuli«-'itt  ( '■.HU('«ui>',  V  Ik  :  <- 

n    Df'friii'u  I'.    IM'.^       Ill*   na^ 

'     1    .,*'!.M"-  of    I  >rtrnit,  aiiu  lit  tlu- 

."UJit  o\  tinn'  ''U^m^^'mI  in  ■;•:•* 
■  .   \  ;.s  Imith  iV  I)tf  roit.  (*''  h  i  M' 

•»'•  rnr-"t!  l.K  <*lrin'iiT.try  i-tlu'a- 

:.h    ^rhuol    <'(HU^t*  Jit    St.  Mi  -Iiaoi 's 

■    ..,;.'<  (I  ^'»  thf  TojoiiT')  rnivcrsitN    « 

Nhi  !.«•    •!.   Mif  humI.  -al  «i'  i>n  hn*  -r  •  " 

K    nun'!;.,  j,iM    \-,  ;is   tl.rr**   jLTrutiual -m!    miII. 

.  •  .1   l.-;.'  «i  ^M.M    i.t'  l>()rtoi-  *.1'  M*'(i'  •    .-•.     !^'<l 

"  alsii  >;'rnt   "i.htt'tMi  Mio])ti'^  'i^  •  '  >t>*   j'^'>  ^' 

''ir(»it     aiivl    ^^''•<►   t!iat    t'litr   I.-   •  aiTUMl   oj*   r. 

'**  i!\ii  '*-  ;!*<  tl  at  No.  Tot)  (J-  .    \A  n\'  nin'.     Dr- 

■  ^^i  ^il  yoijrti  tivH-tOiN     .    '  i(.'   Eh^X  s'uU'  uu*'- 

t  ■'      '      -'■!•    ill   W'v  coj*  •  ■  *  <)!"  til."  people  «.t' 

»<    •  •    '     111'  till  stihl.  •      ■  'kes  a  fz^'t  at  J!ilt':<'s't 

•   ^..1  '  ttions  1.*'    '        j>roft'ssu>}i  ainl    k*  «*|>s 

.'•    -  •'!    '*s  in   :  ,t)lifir  tif'M.s  o\'  nnMhciit.* 

''-(.■  .   ri  has  ^«HMi  suj^pl-   'i-'nt'Ml 

•    ■  .    ^'i  .-ipatiuti'-  naMir^'  and  In*  h;'s 


Willi  \Ai   Hos^  Mi  r   w- ^  \[,   1»         '    m-  than  a  tp.art*  r  nf  a  r<'itt  ,r_\  o» 
su' "M'Ssfiil  ])ra''tir«'  has  nu.'lt^  I'  .ja.ii  luiss  >iiir(iif'  ono  oT  I»Mio-*  ^ 

ht'st  known  physicians  an  i  sii  is.     LiIm-  jnany  of  l>t'tvoit\  !>«'vt     iw- 

/<'iLs.  Dr.  Alnrdit'  is  a  nat'-v«   y>         uafla.  h:)MJ».ir  hccn  horn  in  '-oiiii!'.    Hur- 
on. ()jiMrio,  S(*pt*'iul)(^r  U».  •      His  tathM*.  Andrew    Miiniic,   ^v  a>  hov!! 
i'l   -^-otl'^'d.   rind  *Minr  *•      •    icrica   in    IS  12,   h^'atinj.'-  in   fh.-     '.oods  ot* 
"•1.*      'i    :*•].    V. 'u-rt    '-            .>  f^ionccr.     ]lr  follMU.-d  larini;  lj  al^  his  hjV 
!  .■;    .-'*»   ;*                   u*'  SL'\Hnt\ -s.'V*  n  \«'ars.     lliNx.jtt'    who  hort 
•*'-'■  1                         \   ^-.  ^\  "^s  aiso  a  native  <d'  >'•'■!  ian  '.  in  v  hi'-"* 
M  a",-,      Iler   (hath   OM-urrrd  in    'i'^iM.   ^\  h 

■  !        -.     *-'»)tM'   |ji'-in   in    Caj-ada.  an(|   after 
^    *  '*-'    !  -  ■•  .    ..•  a   stud-nt    at    Si     Catherine  -    ♦    .j 

'.  M.i*-    1 ..  '  ■   I  • '  thi'  rin  ans  .\  nil  vhieh  to  i'nr  .    »  hi^ 

->:  idL'.'  '  .     fs  in  s«'ho<.l   ^  a-'iilnL:.   l)Ut  •"    i'inall\ 

eiiter-e/  ■     (    ■•!.        -■■     Nl--.'.eine.  ulvje  ii(*  ^UlS  !LM*;.(:.',Mi'd   \>ii. 

the  t''*'  t.,  s<  <•;;!  1'  _  '.'      t.'«j-t'''e  (d'  Doetor  id"  M'dici    .-       l;ni  ■.'"'. 

senio'  .•  s;»'r\ed  }:-•  hi-i.^*-  jdiv.saiau  at  S;.  I^uke's  ll'*>i  d.d.  a-e.  ail«  ' 

his  '.  loll   \vas  a.n  a^sisiant    to  the  hde   Pr.   IT    '^.   W'alki-f  .' *v  on* 

y  'ee  that   tii'ti    h(*   has  ht  i  n  en'^jf/rd   in  a  treiieral  ■»*■■.  n*^^  an  ' 

o  ,  tinely  appoir'e<l  oiViee-s  ;d  \o.  r)0.*>  <iratio1  avt  t'oo  ,in.;  jjis  a  Lmi-*- 

'  'prevv'iita^  .\(^   idienTcJc   drawn    from    varions   --^-etK^nN   di    tho   n'v 
;du»Niie  }-.  s^'-^^.'s  tlie  d.rsir-d'le  onalideation  of  a  syni[»;Hhei  ie  naPire. 
iniT  to    ,  '■'.  "n><<'  tl,f>  iiejietieia!  <pi;ditv  «d"  a  kiiidly,  u'ndal  pei'sonalit_\ . 
le  \a'-ini>  ofjunt/ations  of  t'le   p?-oi»Nvion   tind   in   hini   an   irit^i-este  ' 
■    ''ork'T  and    mi   \ar«ons  wavs  n.    iia^  .sliown    luasell'  to  Ix  lon^r  to  t)-al 
■^•'sstha'   ii.andain  the  standard  of  tiie  |»rnfessii.n  in  Ditroit. 

M  \RTiN    M  \n:R.      In    ih<    history   »»f   l>etrnit.   (ieruian   Xnui'iean   ei-l 
•■  '»•-    have  not  on\v  athlid   lustre*   to  the  eonunei-rial   annaK  (d'  tlu"  eitv 
•:  r  !iav(»  addt^d  i«tueli  t(»  its  nianu f'leturitiu,  artistie  and  soeial   jji  otx]-ess. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  929 

Among  tliose  born  in  the  Fatherland  who  have  helped  make  Detroit 
what  it  is  today  was  the  late  Martin  Maier. 

Born  at  Baden,  Germany,  w^here  liis  parents  died  while  he  was 
yonng,  Mr.  Maier  received  his  early  education  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  town,  and  afterward  learned  the  saddler's  trade,  at  which  he  be- 
came a  most  expert  workman,  and  once  made  a  saddle  for  the  renowned 
General  Sherman,  the  hero  of  the  march  from  Atlanta  to  the  Sea.  When 
he  was  about  twenty-one  years  of  age  Mr.  Maier  came  from  Germany 
to  the  United  States,  and  for  a  while  lived  with  a  sister  at  Monroe, 
Michigan.  After  that  he  came  to  Detroit  and  was  engaged  by  Wolfe 
Brothers  in  the  trunk  and  saddlery  and  harness  business.  Later  he  went 
to  St.  Louis  in  the  same  line  of  business  and  was  at  that  place  when  the 
war  broke  out.  In  company  with  the  loyal  Germans  of  St.  Louis,  whose 
services  have  been  extolled  in  history,  he  enlisted  in  the  Union  cause  and 
served  all  through  the  Civil  war,  having  been  mustered  out  in  1865. 

From  sleeping  on  the  cold  ground  and  from  ttie  roar  of  cannon  he 
became  quite  deaf,  but  undeterred  by  this  infirmity  he  again  took  up  the 
pursuits  of  business  life.  Coming  to  Detroit,  he  and  two  friends  built 
a  business  block  on  Monroe  avenue,  each  occupying  one-third  of  the 
block.  Mr.  Peters  ran  a  shoe  shop,  Mr.  Geist  an  undertaking  establish- 
ment, and  Mr.  Maier  a  trunk  store  and  harness  shop  at  55  Monroe 
avenue.  Here  he  conducted  the  manufacturing  of  trunks  as  a  specialty 
and  was  doing  a  good  business  when  he  was  burned  out.  He  then  moved 
his  business  to  Woodward  avenue,  but  while  waiting  for  the  Woodward 
avenue  store  to  be  vacant  and  renovated  he  was  obliged  to  have  parts  of 
trunks  made  elsewhere.  By  this  time  the  business  had  become  very  large 
and  he  built  a  fine  four-story  block  on  Twelfth  street,  between  Porter 
and  Abbott  streets,  where  he  manufactured  the  trunks  entire.  His 
widow  still  owns  the  property  but  has  rented  it  to  the  Scotten  Tobacco 
Company. 

Mr.  Maier  passed  from  earth  November  9,  1893,  and  his  remains  now 
lie  at  rest  in  Woodmere  cemetery.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic;  the  Harmonic  Society;  and  the  German  Lutheran 
church.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republican,  but  being  a  great  home  man 
took  no  active  part  in  politics. 

On  May  3,  1866,  Mr.  Maier  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Dorman, 
daughter  of  Frederick  and  Catherine  Dorman.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Maier  had 
six  children,  all  of  whom  are  dead  except  two.  These  are:  Lissetie  C. 
and  George  M.,  of  Detroit.  George  is  connected  with  the  trunk  business 
and  married  Miss  Alice  Webb.  He  belonged  first  to  the  Detroit  Light 
Infantry.  During  the  Spanish- American  war  he  served  as  a  private  in 
Company  L  of  the  Thirty-second  Michigan  Infantry. 

Mrs.  Martin  Maier  was  born  and  has  always  lived  in  Detroit.  Her 
parents,  who  were  born  in  Germany,  came  to  this  city  in  1837,  and  for 
many  years  lived  at  200  Abbott  street,  which  was  at  that  time  m  the 
midst  of  fields  and  thickly  surrounded  by  woods.  In  those  early  days  the 
only  water  they  could  get  was  hauled  from  the  river.  Mrs.  IVIaier  is  a 
member  of  Fairbanks  Post  Ladies  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
also  Ladies  of  the  Spanish  war  veterans,  the  National  League  and  the 
Detroit  Circle.  She  built  the  fine  large  home  she  now  occupies,  at  the 
south-east  corner  8f  Trumbull  and  Abbott  streets,  in  1891.  Mrs.  Maier 
is  a  member  of  the  Fort  Street  Presbyterian  church,  a^d  is  alsopres- 
ident  of  the  Martin  Maier  Trunk  and  Bag  Company  at  100-102  Wood- 
ward avenue.  Like  her  late  husband,  she  is  highly  esteemed  in  business, 
social  and  church  circles,  and  is  a  woman  of  charming  personality. 

John  L.  Wild.  Much  of  worthy  accomplishment  is  to  be  attributed 
to  John  L.  Wild  in  connection  with  business  activities  in  Detroit,  where 


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930  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

he  is  now  living  virtually  retired,  after  long  years  of  well  directed  and 
successful  endeavor,  and  where  he  has  so  ordered  his  course  in  all  rela- 
tions of  life  as  to  retain  the  inviolable  esteem  of  those  with  whom  he  has 
come  in  contact.  He  still  gives  a  general  supervision  to  his  various 
capitalistic  interests  and  is  vice-president  of  the  Banner  Laundry  Com- 
pany, one  of  the  leading  concerns  of  the  kind  in  the  state.  Animated 
by  worthy  ambition,  energetic  and  industrious,  Mr.  Wild  began  the  bat- 
tle of  life  on  his  own  responsibility  when  a  lad,  and  it  stands  to  his  credit 
that  through  his  personal  ability  and  efforts  he  gained  independence  and 
prosperity,  so  that  he  is  enabled  to  pass  the  gracious  evening  of  his  life 
in  peace  and  plenty  and  surrounded  by  friends  who  are  tried  and  true. 
Mr.  Wild  claims  as  the  place  of  his  nativity  the  kingdom  of  Bavaria, 
Germany,  where  he  was  born  on  the  5th  of  November,  1830,  at  Solon- 
hofen,  which  is  known  the  world  over  on  account  of  the  stone  quarries 
used  in  lithography.  Thus  he  will  have  attained  to  the  venerable  age  of 
eighty-two  by  the  time  this  work  is  issued  from  the  press.  He  is  a  son  of 
Gustave  and  Rosana  Wild,  both  of  whom  were  representatives  of  staunch 
old  Bavarian  families.  In  1840  they  immigrated  to  America  and  es- 
tablished a  home  in  New  York  city,  where  the  father  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine.  He  passed  the  closing  years  of  his  life  in  New 
York  city  and  the  mother  spent  her  last  days  in  Detroit.  John  L.  Wild 
attended  the  schools  of  his  native  land  and  thus  gained  the  rudiments 
of  an  education  before  coming  to  America.  As  a  man  of  mature  judg- 
ment and  broad  information  in  later  years,  his  advancement  along  such 
educational  lines  represented  the  results  of  self-discipline  and  of  lessons 
gained  under  that  wise  head-master,  experience.  When  fourteen  years 
of  age  he  was  bound  out,  as  the  expression  was  commonly  used,  to  serve 
an  apprenticeship  to  the  barber's  trade  in  New  York  city,  and  his  ap- 
prenticeship covered  the  customary  period  of  three  years.  He  there- ^ 
after  worked  as  a  journeyman  at  his  trade  until  the>. outbreak  of  the' 
Civil  war,  when  he  subordinated  all  other  interests  to  tender  his  services 
in  defense  of  the  integrity  of  the  land  of  his  adoption.  He  had  come  to 
Michigan  in  1859  and  had  established  his  home  at  Corunna,  the  judicial 
center  of  Shiawassee  county.  In  September,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  the 
regimental  band  of  the  Second  Michigan  Volunteer  Cavalry.  He  thus 
served  about  one  year,  at  the  expiration  of  which  the  band  was  mustered 
out,  by  order  of  the  war  department.  Mr.  Wild  then  enlisted,  at  Grand 
Rapids,  in  the  Tenth  Michigan  Cavalry,  in  which  he  became  chief  trum- 
peter and  with  which  he  continued  in  -  active  service  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  having  been  with  this  gallant  command  in  the  many  important 
engagements  and  strenuous  campaigns  in  which  it  was  involved.  He 
took  part  in  more  than  fifty  skirmishes  and  was  never  wounded.  He 
was,  however,  taken  captive  by  the  enemy  at  Greenville,  Tennessee, 
through  a  blunder  on  the  part  of  the  sergeant  of  his  company.  He  was 
sent  out  in  a  company  of  eighteen  men  to  discover  as  far  as  possible  the 
movements  of  the  enemy,  and  was  captured  by  a  Confederate  scouting 
party.  He  and  some  of  his  comrades  were  confined  in  a  house  in  the 
vicinity  and  he  noticed  a  key  in  the  door.  He  determined  to  secure  this 
and  if  possible  to  escape  with  his  companions,  as  he  was  familiar  with 
the  country  thereabouts.  He  gave  instructions  to  th^  sergeant  and  the 
other  men  and  in  the  night,  while  the  guard  was  asleep,  he  succeeded  in 
securing  the  key  and  liberating  the  party.  They  traveled  six  days 
through  the  mountains  and  encountered  many  privations  and  hardships. 
They  came  to  the  home  of  a  woman  who  was  a  Union  sympathizer,  and 
she  not  only  permitted  them  to  sleep  in  a  hay-stack  on  the  premises  but 
also  provided  them  with  breakfast.     They  finally  reached  the  Union 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  931 

lines  in  safety,  little  the  worse  for '  their  hazardous  adventure.  Mr. 
Wild  during  his  army  service  received  promotions,  first  being  made 
Second  Lieutenant,  and  later  First  Lieutenant  of  Company  F,  of  the 
Tenth  Michigan  Cavalry.  He  was  mustered  out  at  Nashville,  Tennes- 
see, and  discharged  at  Jackson,  Michigan,  with  the  rank  of  first  lieuten- 
ant, and  was  duly  given  his  honorable  discharge,  having  served  during 
virtually  the  entire  period  of  the  war  and  having  ever  been  found  at  the 
post  of  duty, — a  faithful  and  zealous  soldier. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Wild  returned  to  Corunna  and  after 
there  continuing  in  the  work  of  his  trade  for  a  short  time  he  removed  to 
Bay  City,  which  was  then  a  straggling  lumber  town  and  a  center  of 
much  activity.  There  he  followed  his  trade  and  also  became  identified 
with  agricultural  pursuits,  in  connection  with  which  he  purchased  and 
sold  several  farms,  the  greater  number  of  which  he  improved  to  an  ap- 
preciable extent.  He  also  conducted  a  hotel  in  Grayling,  Michigan, 
for  some  time  and  there  he  continued  to  reside  until  1880,  when  he  came 
to  Detroit  and  engaged  in  the  laundry  business,  in  the  supplying  of 
clean  aprons  to  butchers,  waiters,  etc.  He  at  first  had  his  work  done 
on  contract  by  the  Banner  laundry,  in  which  he  later  purchased  a  con- 
siderable interest,  and  he  had  not  little  influence  in  the  upbuilding  of 
the  large  and  prosperous  business  of  the  Banner  Laundry  Company,  of 
which  he  still  continues  vice-president.  His  only  surviving  son,  William 
L.,  is  president  of  the  company  and  as  a  citizen  and  business  man  is  well 
upholding  the  prestige  of  the  honored  name  which  he  bears.  Charles  H. 
Wheeler  is  general  manager  of  the  business,  which  is  one  of  extensive 
order,  with  a  patronage  of  representative  character.  Mr.  Wild  is  also 
a  stockholder  in  the  Tax  Title  Land  Company,  a  prominent  corporation 
of  Detroit. 

Taking  an  intelligent  interest  in  public  affairs  and  giving  his  al- 
legiance to  the  Republican  party  Mr.  Wild  has  ever  been  known  as  a 
loyal  |ind  public-spirited  citizen,  but  he  has  had  no  ambition  for  political 
oflSce,  the  only  position  of  the  kind  which  he  has  ever  consented  to  hold 
having  been  that  of  a  member  of  the  board  of  aldermen  of  Bay  City. 
He  is  a  valued  and  popular  member  of  Pairbwiks  Post,  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic,  of  which  he  is  a  past  commander,  and  also  holds  member- 
ship in  the  Military  Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion  of  the  United  States. 
He  is  aflSliated  with  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the  National  Union,  and 
is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Universalist  church,  as  was  also  his 
cherished  and  devoted  wife,  who  was  his  companion  and  helpmeet  for 
more  than  half  a  century,  the  gracious  relations  being  severed  when  she 
was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal,  secure  in  the  affectionate  regard  of  all 
who  knew  her. 

In  later  years  Mr.  Wild  has  indulged  himself  in  extensive  travel. 
He  has  visited  the  various  sections  of  the  United  States  and  recently 
made  a  trip  to  his  old  home  in  Germany,  where  he  renewed  the  associa- 
tions and  visited  the  scenes  of  his  boyhood.  He  has  lived  an  earnest, 
upright  and  well  ordered  life  and  though  now  venerable  in  age  he  has 
the  vigor  and  alertness  of  a  man  twenty  years  his  junior,  the  while  he 
is  known  and  highly  esteemed  as  one  of  the  representative  German- 
American  citizens  of  the  Michigan  metropolis. 

At  Kingston,  New  York,  in  the  year  1850,  Mr.  Wild  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Wilhelmina  A.  Enich,  who  was  bom  in  Germany  tuid 
who  came  to  the  United  States  when  a  child.  She  proved  a  loving  and 
devoted  companion  to  her  husband,  aiding  him  in  every  possible  way 
and  proving  a  gracious  and  devoted  mother,  so  that  her  children  may 
well  **rise  up  and  call  her  blessed."  Mrs.  Wild  passed  to  the  life 
eternal  on  the  19th  of  August,  1909,  and  this  constituted  the  supreme 


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932  HISTORY  OF  DETEOIT 

loss  and  breavement  in  the  life  of  her  husband,  who  is  sustained  and 
comforted  by  the  hallowed  memories  of  their  long  and  sympathetic  com- 
panionship. Mrs.  Wild  was  seventy -eight  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
death  and  her  remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  Woodlawn  cemetery.  In 
conclusion  of  this  sketch  is  entered  brief  record  concerning  the  children 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wild :  Julia  is  the  wife  of  J.  C.  Merrill,  of  Detroit, 
and  they  have  six  children — John  H.,  who  is  married  and  has  one  child. 
Honor;  Gertrude,  who  is  the  wife  of  William  Lowe,  and  who  has  one 
child,  Rose  M. ;  Edna,  who  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Morgan  Parker  and  who 
has  three  children ;  Bessie,  who  is  the  wdfe  of  John  Case ;  and  the  two 
youngest,  who  remain  at  the  parental  home.  Alfred,  the  second  of 
the  children,  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years.  Augusta  is  the 
wife  of  Charles  H.  Wheeler,  general  manager  of  the  Banner  Laundry 
Company,  as  previously  noted,  and  their  only  child,  Alfreda,  is  the  wife 
of  Irwin  R.  Bacon;  they  have  five  children.  William  L.,  the  only 
surviving  son  of  the  venerable  subject  of  this  review,  is  president  of  the 
Banner  Laundry  Company  and  is  one  of  the  progressive  and  popular 
business  men  of  Detroit.  He  married  Miss  Anna  Brooks  and  they  have 
two  children.  Myrtle,  who  is  Mrs.  Blanchard  and  who  has  two  children, 
Bettie  and  John;  and  Florence,  who  is  also  married.  The  two  other 
children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wild  died  in  infancy. 

Robert  McMaster.  A  strong  and  noble  character  was  that  of  the 
late  Robert  McMaster,  who  maintained  his  home  in  Detroit  for  nearly 
tw^o  score  years  and  who  here  gained  secure  vantage  ground  in  the  confi- 
dence and  high  regard  of  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  an  efficient  execu- 
tive and  conservative  business  man,  and  for  nearly  twenty  years  prior  to 
his  death  he  was  incumbent  of  the  responsible  office  of  cashier  of  the 
Michigan  Stove  Company,  known  as  the  largest  concern  of  the  kind  in 
the  entire  world  and  naturally  representing  one  of  the  most  important 
of  the  manifold  industrial  enterprises  which  lend  precedence  t^  the 
Michigan  metropolis.  Mr.  McMaster  was  known  and  held  as  a  friend 
by  virtually  every  one  of  the  large  corps  of  employes  of  the  company 
with  which  he  was  so  long  identified,  and  it  has  been  well  said  that 
**when  Robert  McMaster  died  the  working  men  of  the  Michigan  Stove 
Company  lost  their  best  friend. ''  His  place  in  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  the  officials  of  the  great  corporation  was  eiiuatiy  secure,  and 
his  nature  was  no  less  gentle  and  kindly  than  it  was  essentially  strong, 
sincere  and  earnest.  He  made  life  count  for  good  in  afi  its  relations 
and  stood  ** four-square  to  every  wind  that  blows,''  the  while  he  was 
steadfast  in  his  convictions,  never  compromising  for  the  sake  of  personal 
expediency  and  yet  being  tolerant  in  his  judgement  of  oth€^rs.  Though 
he  never  came  into  the  white  light  of  publicity,  his  influence  and  his 
standing  were  such  as  to  make  him  one  of  the  representative  citizens 
of  Detroit  and  thus  eminently  entitled  to  a  tribute  in  this  publication. 

In  Wigtownshire,  seagirt  and  graced  with  moors  and  lakes,  the 
most  southwestern  of  the  counties  of  Scotland,  Robert  McMaster  was 
bom  on  the  27th  of  May,  1820,  and  the  family  name  has  been  identified 
with  Scottish  annals  from  the  time  **when  the  memory  of  man  runneth 
not  to  the  contrary.''  Wigtown,  the  judicial  center  of  this  county, 
was  the  birthplace  of  Mr.  McMaster,  and  there  his  father,  Andrew 
McMaster,  was  a  citizen  of  prominence  and  influence,  having  served 
as  mayor  of  his  city  or  borough  and  having  been  the  first  to  establish  a 
gas  plant  for  illuminating  purposes.  Both  he  and  his  wife  passed  their 
entire  lives  in  Scotland'  and  were  purposeful,  earnest  and  worthy  folk, 
known  and  honored  of  men  and  both  zealous  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian church. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  933 

He  whose  name  initiates  this  memoir  was  reared  under  gracious 
auspices,  in  a  home  of  refinement  aud  culture,  and  after  availing  himself 
of  the  advantages  of  the  schools  of  his  native  city  he  there  entered  a 
college,  with  the  intention  of  preparing  himself  for  the  medical  profes- 
sion. After  devoting  some  time  to  such  technical  study  when  a  boy,  he 
decided  that  his  sympathies  were  too  keen  to  make  it  expedient  for  him 
to  follow  a  calling  that  would  bring  him  in  constant  contact  with  suffer- 
ing and  sadness,  and  thus  determined  to  turn  his  attention  to  business 
pursuits. 

When  a  very  young  man  he  went  to  the  city  of  Liverpool,  England, 
where  he  became  identified  with  the  grain  business,  and  there,  some  time 
afterward,  married  Miss  Mary  Morrison,  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  his 
beloved  companion  and  helpmeet  during  their  wedded  life.  He  con- 
tinued to  be  identified  with  the  grain  business  until  1855,  when,  at  the 
age  of  thirty -five  years,  he  came  to  America,  confident  that  he  could  find 
better  opportunities  for  gaining  success  and  independence  through  well 
directed  effort.  He  had  been  an  appreciative  student  and  reader  and 
had  given  special  attention  to  geography  and  history,  so  that  before 
coming  to  the  United  States  he  made  a  careful  survey  of  its  map  and 
became  so  much  impressed  with  the  favorable  location  of  Detroit  that 
he  forth w^ith  decided  to  make  this  city  his  destination. 

Soon  after  establishing  his  home  in  Detroit  Mr.  McMaster  secured 
the  position  of  cashier  in  the  oflSce  of  the  local  gas  company,  and  he 
retained  this  incumbency  until  about  1874,  having  in  the  meanwhile 
formed  wide  acquaintanceship  and  distintive  personal  popularity.  He 
severed  his  connection  with  the  gas  company,  to  assume  a  similar  posi- 
tion with  the  Michigan  Stove  Company,  and  he  served  as  cashier  of 
the  latter  corporation  until  he  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal,  on  the 
18th  of  January,  1893,  about  five  months  prior  to  his  seventy-third 
birthday  anniversary.  His  devotion  to  his  duties  of  his  position  was  on 
a  parity  with  his  marked  executive  ability,  and  he  was  one  of  the  most 
valued  and  honored  of  the  many  employes  of  the  great  corporation 
with  which  he  was  so  long  and  worthily  identified.  A  reader  of  the  best 
of  literature  and  one  who  kept  in  touch  with  the  questions  and  issues 
of  the  day,  Mr.  McMaster  was  a  man  of  broad  intellectual  ken  and  well 
fortified  opinons,  drawing  upon  a  vast  fund  of  practical  information  and 
being  an  intelligent  conversationalist  upon  almost  any  topic  presented. 
As  one  of  his  friends  said  of  him.  **His  knowledge  would  have  made 
a  less  modest  man  famous."  He  had  the  mental  equipoise  and  mature 
judgment  that  so  invariably  testify  the  Scottish  race,  and  above  all  he 
had  a  great  soul  and  a  heart  attuned  to  deep  human  sympathy  and  tole- 
rance, so  that  he  naturally  gained  the  staunchest  of  friends  in  all  classes 
with  which  he  came  in  contact.  In  politics  he  was  a  stalwart  supporter 
of  the  cause  of  the  Republican  party,  and  while  he  was  loyal  and  public 
spirited  in  his  civic  attitude  he  never  consented  to  become  a  candidate 
for  public  office  of  any  order.  He  and  his  wife  were  most  earnest  and 
zealous  members  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  and  of  the  same  their 
surviving  children  are  likewise  active  members. 

About  the  year  1884  Mr.  McMaster  purchased  an  attractive  residence 
on  McDougall  avenue,  and  he  found  much  satisfaction  in  living  on  a 
thoroughfare  bearing  so  staunch  a  Scottish  title.  In  this  home,  now 
owned  and  occupied  by  his  daughters,  he  passed  the  residue  of  his 
long  and  earnest  life,  and  there  also  his  cherished  and  devoted  wife 
died,  on  the  23d  of  January,  1906,  after  having  survived  him  for  more 
than  a  decade.  The  remains  of  both  rest  in  Greenwood  cemetery  at 
Birmingham,  a  few  miles  distant  from  Detroit,  in  which  vicinity  he 
owned  a  valuable  farm,  though  he  never  gave  his  personal  attention  to 


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934  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

the  operation  of  the  same.  Thus,  greatly  honored,  beloved  and  highly 
respected  by  all  who  knew  him  closed  the  earthly  life  of  Mr.  Robert 
McMaster. 

The  surviving  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McMaster,  Mi*.  Henry  McMaster, 
also  resides  in  Detroit  with  his  family,  consisting  of  his  wife,  three  sons 
and  a  daughter. 

Major  George  Clinton  Hopper.  Both  the  military  service  and  the 
railroad  service  demand  the  highest  qualities  of  discipline,  eflSciency  and 
steadfast  loyalty  to  duty  on  the  part  of  all  subordinates  and  officials. 
It  was  the  possession  of  these  qualities  that  made  the  career  of  Major 
George  Clinton  Hopper  so  distinguished  in  both  these  lines  of  service. 
When,  on  November  30,  1909,  he  retired  from  active  affairs  he  had 
completed  a  thirty-six  years'  service  as  paymaster  of  the  Michigan 
Central  Railroad  system.  He  had  begun  as  a  clerk  with  this  railroad 
sixty-three  years  before,  practically  ^at  the  beginning  of  the  railroad's 
existence,  and  on  the  merit  of  his  performance  had  been  advanced  to 
one  of  the  most  responsible  posts  of  the  system. 

The  only  interruption  to  his  career  as  a  railroad  man  was  his  service 
during  the  Civil  war.  In  the  army  he  displayed  the  virtues  which 
have  gained  laurels  of  fame  and  promotion  in  all  ages.  He  fought 
for  his  country  three  years,  was  several  times  wounded,  commanded  a 
company  and  for  a  considerable  time  led  his  regiment,  and  came  back 
to  civil  life  one  of  the  most  honored  of  Michigan's  brave  soldiers.  Major 
Hopper  has  passed  his  eightieth  birthday,  and  most  of  his  years  have 
been  spent  in  Detroit,  of  whose  citizenship  he  is  one  of  the  finest  repre- 
sentatives. 

George  Clinton  Hopper  was  bom  at  Jordan,  Onondaga  county. 
New  York,  March  20,  1831.  He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of 
Seneca  county  and  in  Waterloo  Academy.  When  he  was  fourteen 
years  old  he  began  working  for  his  father,  who  was  a  railroad  contractor 
and  at  the  time  engaged  in  building  a  portion  of  the  New  York  Central 
&  Hudson  River  Railroad,  consisting  of  the  portion  called  at  that  time 
the  Auburn  &  Roohester  Railroad.  A  year  later  young  Hopper  came 
to  Michigan  and  began  as  a  clerk  with  the  Michigan  Central,  which 
at  that  time  was  a  railroad  of  only  a  small  fraction  of  the  mileage  it  now 
contains  and  had  not  yet  been  extended  to  Chicago.  After  five  years 
as  clerk  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  conductor,  running  between 
Detroit  and  Chicago  on  the  recently  completed  line  connecting  those 
cities.  He  was  a  conductor  on  this  line  for  ten  years,  and  as  a  pioneer 
railroad  man  of  a  pioneer  railroad  and  the  chief  representative  to 
thousands  of  people  in  southern  Michigan  of  the  railroad  as  an  institu- 
tion he  became  a  familar  and  popular  figure  in  all  the  territory  traversed 
by  that  line. 

When  the  preliminary  struggles  between  the  north  and  the  south 
had  proved  that  the  war  must  be  a  conflict  to  the  end  and  the  country 
must  be  put  on  a  permanent  war  footing,  Mr.  Hopper  left  the  railroad 
and  on  August  19,  1861,  was  mustered  in  at  Ann  Arbor  as  first  lieu- 
tenant in  the  First  Regiment  of  the  Michigan  Infantry.  The  regiment 
arrived  in  Washington  on  September  15th,  and  during  ten  weeks  of 
the  following  winter  he  did  guard  duty,  in  command  of  his  company, 
at  Bladensburg  and  Annapolis  Junction.  In  April,  1862.  ordered  to 
Old  Point  Comfort,  he  participated  in  the  advance  on  Norfolk  and  Ports- 
mouth and  the  reduction  of  those  cities.  On  April  28th  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  captain,  and  about  June  20th  he  joined  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  at  Gaines'  Mill.  Six  days  later  he  was  in  the  battle  of 
Meehaniesville,  and  in  the  fight  at  Gaines  ^lill  on  June  27th  he  was  shot 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  935 

in  the  right  side.  This  was  his  first  wound  and  he  was  sent  to  Wash- 
ington to  recuperate.  Rejoining  his  regiment  at  Harrison's  Landing  on 
August  10th,  he  commanded  his  company,  supporting  General  Averell 
in  a  reconnaissance  to  the  south  side  of  James  River,  and  had  a  fight 
with  the  Confederate  Cavalry.  On  August  29th  he  was  on  the  skirmish 
line  in  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  also  on  the  30th,  while  charg- 
ing the  enemy,  was  shot  through  the  right  thigh  and  taken  prisoner. 
Being  paroled  on  the  field  and  sent  to  Washington,  he  was  later  exchang- 
ed and  was  able  to  rejoin  his  regiment  on  December  20,  1862.  He  was 
in  the  **Mud  March"  on  January  20th  of  the  following  year,  and  on 
March  18th  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major.  At  Chancellorsville 
Major  Hopper  was  three  days  under  fire.  He  supported  the  cavalry  at 
Kelly's  Ford  and  in  its  fight  at  Brandy  Station  on  June  9th.  On  June 
21st  he  joined  General  Vincent's  brigade  at  Aldie  Gap  and  fought  the 
enemy  across  the  valley  to  Ashby  Gap,  and  in  his  own,  the  First,  brigade 
was  at  Gettysburg  on  July  2nd  and  3d.  On  August  20th  he  was  detailed 
as  president  of  the  board  of  examination  for  the  promotion  of  non- 
commissioned oflScers  of  the  First  Division,  Fifth  Corps.  On  November 
7th  he  took  command  of  his  regiment  and  led  it  during  the  Mine  Run 
(campaign.  He  was  in  command  of  the  skirmish  line  in  its  first  advance, 
May  5,  1864,  on  the  road  to  Robinson's  Tavern.  On  that  day  he  was 
hit  by  a  spent  ball  and  on  the  next  day  w^as  struck  by  a  piece  of  shell,  but 
continued  in  action.  On  the  8th  he  was  engaged  at  Laurel  Hill,  and 
on  the  night  of  the  10th  was  in  a  fight  on  the  picket  line.  On  the  24th  he 
participated  at  Jericho  Ford,  North  Anna  River,  and  on  the  30th  of 
May  was  at  Tolopotamy.  Then  succeeded  ^lagnolia  Swamp  on  June 
1st,  Bethesda  Church,  June  2nd  and  June  17th  and  18th  at  Petersburg. 
His  last  important  engagement  was  the  fij^hting  on  Weldon  Railroad, 
August  18th,  19th  and  21st.  On  the  26th  of  September,  1864,  with  three 
full  years  of  arduous  service  to  his  credit,  he  resigned  his  commission  and 
left  the  army.  As  a  soldier  his  lot  was  cast  in  the  central  scenes  of  the 
war  and  in  some  of  the  greatest  campaigns  of  history.  He  was  one  of 
the  rugged  men  who  never  surrendered  to  any  of  the  physical  infirmities 
or  the  difficulties  and  dangers  of  outside  circumstances,  but  with  unflinch- 
ing fortitude  pursued  the  path  of  duty  wherever  it  led. 

Returning  to  civil  life,  the  former  major  of  volunteers  resumed  his 
place  as  conductor  on  the  Michigan  Central.  Two  years  later  he  was 
appointed  agent  at  Jackson,  Michigan,  where  he  remained  five  years. 
He  was  then  promoted  to  assistant  superintendent  of  the  road,  but 
resigned  this  to  take  a  place  of  equal  responsibility,  as  paymaster  of  the 
great  trunk  lines  of  the  country.  During  his  thirty -six  years  of  active 
service  in  this  position  he  disbursed  among  the  employes  of  the  Michigan 
Central  system  the  enormous  total  of  $214,411,949.84. 

Major  Hopper  has  been  for  fifty  years  a  member  of  the  Zion  Lodge 
of  Masons  in  Detroit,  and  occupies  the  honored  place  of  life  member  of 
the  lodge.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Michigan  Commandery  of  the  Loyal 
Legion  of  the  United  States,  in  which  he  has  officiated  as  commander  and 
junior  vice  commander.  In  the  Detroit  Post  of  the  Grand  Army  he  is  a 
member  of  the  council  and  a  past  senior  vice  commander.  He  is  one  of 
the  active  supporters  of  the  Unitarian  society  at  Edmond  Place  and 
Woodward  avenue. 

Major  Hopper's  beautiful  home  is  at  657  Cass  avenue,  one  of  the 
aristocratic  thoroughfares,  of  the  city.  On  April  11,  1866,  he  was  mar- 
ried at  Newark,  New  Jersey,  to  Miss  Martha  Van  Ness.  Three  children* 
have  been  born.  Miss  Kate  A.  lives  at  home.  James  S.  is  a  clerk  in 
the  pay  car  of  the  Michigan  Central.  "William  C,  now  deceased,  married 
Miss    Frances    O'Connell.     His    widow    and    one    daughter,    Frances 


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986  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Hopper,  live  at  the  Hopper  home.  Thus  the  Major  and  his  wife  were 
comforted  in  their  declining  years  by  the  presence  of  their  children  in 
a  happy  home. 

Thomas  Cyrus  Starret.  8ueces8  in  any  field  of  endeavor,  in  any 
avenue  of  business,  is  not  a  matter  of  spontaneity  but  represents  the  con- 
crete result  of  the  application  of  definite  individual  forces  and  the  con- 
trolling of  objective  agencies  in  such  a  way  as  to  achieve  the  desired 
ends.  Mr.  Starret  has  realized  a  large  and  substantial  success  in  the 
business  world  and  stands  as  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes,  so  that 
lie  well  exemplified  the  truth  of  the  foregoing  statements.  His  course 
has  been  marked  by  excellent  initiative  and  administrative  ability  and 
he  has  been  progressive  and  energetic  in  the  management  of  interests 
which  have  reached  the  scope  of  importance.  For  a  number  of  years 
past  he  has  conducted  an  extensive  enterprise  in  the  buying,  selling  ancl 
development  of  timber  lands  in  various  sections  of  the  Union.  As  a  man 
of  sterling  character  and  as  a  loyal  and  public-spirited  citizen  he  holds 
secure  place  in  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  community  in  which  he 
maintains  his  residence  and  business  headquarters,  and  he  is  essentially 
one  of  the  representative  business  men  of  Detroit,  where  he  maintains 
his  offices  at  517  Hammond  building. 

Thomas  C.  Starret  was  bom  at  Brampton,  the  chief  town  of  Peel 
county,  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  and  the  date  of  his  nativity  was 
February  9,  1855.  He  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Fanny  (Merigold)  Star- 
ret, both  of  whom  are  now  deceased,  the  father  having  devoted  the 
major  part  of  his  active  career  to  contracting  and  lumbering.  The 
paternal  grandfather  of  Thomas  C.  Starret  was  a  Scotchman  who  re- 
moved from  his  native  land  to  the  north  of  Ireland  and  settled  in  county 
Tyrone,  where  he  continued  to  maintain  his  home  until  about  the  year 
1813,  when  he  immigrated  to  America,  in  company  with  his  brothers, 
who  settled  in  Pennsylvania.  He  himself  located  in  the  Dominion  of 
Canada,  where  he  passed  the  residue  of  his  life.  The  maternal  grand- 
father of  him  whose  name  initiates  this  review  was  of  Welsh  descent. 
He  removed  from  North  Carolina  to  Canada  at  the  time  of  the  war  of 
the  Revolution,  as  he  was  a  loyalist  and  found  himself  practically  per- 
sona non  grata  in  the  American  colonies  when  the  struggle  for  indepen- 
dence was  initiated.  He  first  settled  at  St.  John's,  New  Brunswick, 
whence  he  later  removed  to  Merigold 's  Point,  on  Lake  Ontario,  a  locality 
named  in  his  honor. 

Thomas  C.  Starret  is  indebted  to  the  schools  of  his  native  province 
for  his  early  educational  discipline,  and  in  1874,  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
years,  he  came  to  Michigan  and  located  in  Muskegon,  where  he  secured 
employment  in  tallying  lumber  for  his  brother  Edgar  Starret,  who  had 
become  actively  identified  with  the  lumber  industry  in  that  section  of 
the  state.  Later  he  held  a  clerical  position  in  the  general  store  con- 
ducted by  the  lumber  firm  of  Blodgett  &  Byrne  at  Holton,  Muskegon 
county,  where  he  remained  for  two  years  in  this  capacity.  In  1877  he 
became  bookkeeper  and  manager  of  the  firm's  saw  mill  at  Holton,  and 
this  incumbency  he  retained  until  1880.  In  the  following  year  he  pur- 
chased the  firm's  mercantile  business  at  that  place  and  also  bought  a 
saw  mill  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  He  conducted  the  store  and  was 
engaged  in  the  manufacturing  of  lumber  at  Holton  for  three  years,  and 
in  the  meanwhile  he  acquired  a  number  of  small  tracts  of  pine  land.  In 
1886  Mr.  Starret  removed  to  the  city  of  Muskesron,  wliere  he  served  for 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  937 

a  short  time  as  bookkeeper  in  the  main  offices  of  the  firm  of  Blodgett  & 
Byrne.     In  1887  he  became  associated  with  the  lumber  firm  of  Hovey  & 
McCracken,  with  the  operations  of  which  he  continued  to  be  identified 
for  eight  years.     In  1888  he  made  a  trip  to  Arkansas  and  in  Ouachita 
..  county,  that  state,  he  made  extensive  investments  in  pine  timber.    He 
continued  buying  and  selling  pine  lands  on  a  small  scale  until  1895,  in 
the  meanwhile  having  continued  his  association  with  the  firm  of  Hovey 
&  McCracken,  of  Muskegon.    He  severed  his  connection  with  this  con- 
cern in  the  year  last  mentioned  and  thereafter  expanded  materially  his 
individual  operations  in  the  buying  and  developing  of  pine  lands  in 
Arkansas  and  Louisiana.     He  finally  entered  into  partnership   with 
Horatio  N.  Hovey,  one  of  his  former  employers,  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
ducting operations  upon  a  more  extensive  scale.     In  1906  the  firm  of 
Hovey  &  Starret  purchased  a  large  tract  of  timber  land  in  Oregon,  and 
with  the  exploiting  of  lumber  interests  in  that  and  other  states  Mr.  Star- 
ret  continues  to  be  actively  and  prominently  identified,  with  interests  of 
broad  scope  and  importance.     He  maintains  his  business  headquarters 
in  Detroit,  as  already  noted,  and  has  been  a  resident  of  the  Michigan 
metropolis  since  1901.    He  was  one  of  the  principal  stockholders  in  the 
Simplex  Automobile  Company  of  Mishawaka,  Indiana,  before  its  reorgan- 
ization into  the  Amplex  Motor  Car  Company.    He  is  liberal  and  pro- 
pressive  in  his  civic  attitude  and  takes  a  lively  intei*est  in  all  that  tends 
to  further  the  industrial  and  social  advancement  of  his  home  city,  where 
he  is  a  valued  member  of  that  representative  and  progressive  body,  the 
Detroit  Board  of  Commerce.    He  holds  membership  in  the  Detroit  Club, 
the  Rushmere  Club  and  the  Detroit  Automobile  Club.   Concerning  him  the 
following  consistent  statements  have  been  made:  **Mr.  Starret  is  a  man 
of  splendid  business  ability,  is  affable  and  democratic  in  bearing  and  in 
the  varied  associations  of  life  he  is  honored  as  a  man  of  sterling  integ- 
rity and  fine  ideals. "    In  politics  Mr.   Starret  is  well  fortified  in  hia 
opinions,  and  while  he  has  had  no  desire  for  the  hopors  or  emoluments* 
of  public  office  he  is  aligned  as  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  principles 
and  policies  for  which  the  Republican  party  stands  sponsor.    He  is 
opposed  to  the  initiative  and  recall  policy,  especially  as  pertaining  to 
members  of  the  judiciary,  and  otherwise  has  well  maintained  convictions 
concerning  matters  of  public  import.    He  and  his  wife  attend  the  First 
Congregational  church  of  Detroit  and  give  due  support  to  the  various 
departments  of  its  work. 

At  Muskegon,  Michigan,  on  the  2d  of  June,  1880,  was  solemnized  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Starret  to  Miss  Delphene  Anderson,  who  was  bom  and 
reared  in  this  state  and  who  is  a  daughter  of  John  W.  and  Mary  Stevens 
Anderson.  The  families  came  from  Long  Island  and  Steuben  county, 
New  York  to  Michigan  in  1855.  Mr.  Anderson,  now  deceased,  was  a 
merchant  and  postmaster  at  Holton,  Michigan,  for  many  years.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Starret  have  four  children,  concerning  whom  the  follow- 
ing brief  record  is  entered  in  conclusion  of  this  review.  Alza,  who 
was  graduated  in  the  University  of  Michigan  as  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1903,  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Charles  Lewis  Chambers,  a  representative 
physician  and  surgeon  of  Detroit;  Howard  Andrew,  the  elder  son,  is  a 
graduate  in  the  class  of  1912  of  Cornell  University,  at  Ithaca,  New  York; 
John  William  is  a  member  of  the  class  of  1913  in  Yale  University ;  and 
Muriel  is  attending  the  Liggett  school  in  Detroit. 

Louis  Bigelow.  One  of  the  well  known  merchants  of  Detroit  dur- 
ing his  lifetime  was  Louis  ^igelow,  a  man  of  upright  character  and 
keen  business  judgment  who  passed  away  in  Detroit,  February  24,  1902. 

Bom  at  Redford,  Michigan,  a  small  town  near  Detroit,  in  the  month 
of  May.  1851,  the  son  of  William  Carlus  and  Sarah  (Prindle)  Bigelow, 

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938  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

he  lived  upon  his  parents'  farm  until  he  had  finished  school  at  Redford. 
Coming  to  Detroit,  he  finished  his  education  for  a  business  career  in  Gold- 
smith's  Business  College.  After  graduating  therefrom  he  entered  the 
service  of  his  brother,  who  was  in  the  lumber  business,  in  the  capacity 
of  bookkeeper.  Several  years  later  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  business 
for  himself  on  Cass  street,  where  he  continued  to  build  up  trade  with 
great  success  for  eight  years,  when  he  was  forced  to  sell  out  and  retire 
on  account  of  ill  health.  Feeling  stronger  after  a  rest,  he  opened  a 
grocery  store  on  Woodward  avenue,  near  High  street,  which  he  con- 
tinued for  three  years,  when  he  was  again  broken  down  in  health,  and 
was  once  more  forced  to  sell  out  and  retire  from  active  business.  This 
was  the  last  effort  he  was  able  to  make  and  he  lived  in  retirement  until 
his  death,  in  1899.    His  remains  rest  in  Woodmere  cemetery. 

Mr.  Bigelow  was  never  very  active  in  politics,  nor  was  he  a  great 
lover  of  the  lodge  meeting  nights,  being  content  to  spend  his  time  with 
his  family  under  his  own  roof.  He  was  an  affectionate  husband  and 
father.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  He  was  maried  to 
Miss  Ida  Helena  Norton,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Helena  (McCune) 
Norton,  early  settlers  of  Detroit.  Her  father  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
grocery  store  keepers  of  this  city.  He  was  a  prominent  Democrat  and 
served  as  alderman  many  years  ago.  Her  mother  died  on  July  24,  1911, 
aged  ninety-one  years.  She  was  bom  in  Belfast,  Ireland.  Mrs.  Bigelow 
was  married  in  Detroit,  Match  26,  1876,  and  as  a  result  of  this  union 
three  children  were  born:  Mable  Keir,  who  married  Clayton  Riley, 
of  Detroit;  Grace  Helena,  who  married  Alexander  Northwood,  of  De- 
troit, and  is  the  mother  of  one  child,  Harold  Galey ;  and  "William  Carlus, 
of  Detroit,  aU  of  whom  were  graduates  of  the  Detroit  high  school. 

Mrs.  Bigelow  was  bom  in  Detroit  and  has  always  lived  here.  She 
and  her  children  are  all  members  of  the  Forest  Avenue  Presbyterian 
church.  She  was,  so  to  speak,  born  in  the  woods,  at  what  is  now  Bagley 
and  Grand  River  avenues,  in  a  small  grocery  store  kept  by  her  father. 
It  was  then  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city  and  was  surrounded  by  stretches 
of  timber. 

Charles  Wardlow  Norton.  Of  large  proportions,  mentally  and 
physically,  it  is  doubtful  if  Detroit  ever  had  within  its  borders  a  more 
popular  man,  and  justly  so,  than  Charles  W.  Norton,  the  big  hearted 
grain  broker,  wit  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  generous  friend  and  estimable 
citizen,  and  when  he  died,  February  18,  1901,  it  was  a  shock  to  the  com- 
munity and  a  blow  to  his  friends.  **The  characteristic  by  which  Mr. 
Norton  was  best  known  was  his  large-heartedness.'*  This  editorial  com- 
ment of  the  Detroit  Free  Press,  a  single  sentence  taken  from  a  long 
article,  expresses  the  feelings  of  every  one  who  knew  him.  Continuing 
the  tribute,  the  article  says : 

'*In  the  old  days  when  his  income  was  as  high  as  that  of  rich  men's 
sons,  he  was  free  with  his  money,  perhaps  too  free  for  the  good  of  his 
pocketbook.  The  poor  and  needy  always  met  a  ready  afiBrmative  when 
they  approached  him  with  an  appeal  for  assistance,  and  there  is  little 
doubt  that  he  was  often  imposed  upon.  He  was  in  his  element  when 
seated  at  table  with  a  company  of  kindred  spirits,  telling  stories  and 
singing  songs,  at  both  of  which  he  was  an  adept.  It  was  from  this  very 
generosity  and  love  of  companionship,  combined  with  his  skill  as  an 
entertainer,  that  Ijis  income  from  chartering  vessels  from  this  city  to 
lower  lake  ports  with  grain  was  due.  Along  the  docks  he  knew  all 
about  the  grain  schooners  without  exception,  the  men  who  owned  them 
and  the  men  who  sailed  them.  They  all  knew  him,  and  liked  him  too, 
and  though  he  had  rivals  from  time  to  time  in  the  grain  chartering  busi- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  939 

« 

ness,  they  stood  little  chance  of  getting  the  business  if  'Charlie'  wanted 
it. 

'*  Probably  his  closest  friend  in  the  fifteen  years  before  his  death  was 
John  Stevenson,  the  well  known  vessel  owner  and  agent.  Nature 
seemed  to  have  intended  them  for  boon  companions,  and  each  sought 
the  other's  company  at  every  opportunity.  Mr.  Stevenson  would  get 
up  steam  on  his  little  propeller  *Hattie,'  and  give  an  outing  to  the 
North  Channel  for  *  Charlie.'  The  announcement  of  Mr.  Norton's 
death  brought  forth  many  expressions  of  sadness  from  the  bulls  and 
bears  whose  associate  he  had  been  for  many  years.  He  was  not  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Trade  but  his  close  connection  with  the  organization 
for  such  a  long  time  made  him  seem  like  one  of  them,  so  much  so  that  a 
special  session  was  called  by  the  president  William  Carson,  and  a  com- 
mittee appointed  to  put  into  proper  form  the  Board's  sense  of  loss." 

Mr.  Norton  was  bom  in  Detroit  in  1848,  the  son  of  Captain  John 
Norton,  one  of  the  best  known  tug  men  of  the  lower  lakes.  He  attended 
the  public  schools  of  Detroit  and  graduated  from  the  high,  school,  later 
learning  to  be  a  telegraph  operator.  After  mastering  this  he  established 
an  office  on  the  river  front  as  a  marine  reporter,  where  he  listed  the 
vessels  passages  and  all  news  of  interest  to  mariners,  for  the  Detroit 
daily  papers,  and  for  papers  published  at  other  lake  ports.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-three  he  announced  himself  as  a  vessel  agent,  and  this 
business  he  followed  almost  to  the  time  of  his  death,  chartering  vessels 
to  carry  grain  from  Detroit  to  Lake  Erie  and  Lake  Ontario  ports.  This 
at  one  time  brought  him  a  very  large  income.  He  was  a  versatile  man; 
in  addition  to  his  other  accomplishments  he  was  an  amateur  marine  artist 
and  a  fine  singer.  In  the  old  St.  Paul's  church  his  noble  voice  was  easily 
the  feature  of  the  Sunday  musical  programs,  while  in  parlor  and  at  other 
private  concerts  he  was  very  eagerly  sought  after.  He  was  naturally 
proud  of  his  gifts,  but  his  income  was  so  large  he  never  sought  to  utilize 
them  for  money  making  purposes. 

He  had  a  love  romance  in  his  early  days,  and  his  love  was  returned, 
but  parental  influences  kept  the  loving  pair  apart,  thus  a  marriage  was 
never  solemnized.  He  eventuaUy  foreswore  the  social  circles  in  which 
he  was  so  popular,  and  for  the  remainder  of  his  life  associated  only  with 
men,  and  thus  never  married.  He  loved  his  mother  most  dearly  and 
kept  her  company  in  their  pretty  Warren  avenue  home  up  to  the  time  of 
death.  Mrs.  Norton  was,  in  turn,  completely  wrapped  up  in  her  son 
and  was  always  happiest  when  he  was  with  her.  This  picture  of  love 
between  mother  and  son  was  a  delightful  one  to  behold,  and  was  an  ex- 
cellent demonstration  of  his  fine  character. 

Julius  C.  Clippert,  M.  D.  In  famous  **01d  Delray,"  now  an  in- 
tegral part  of  the  city  of  Detroit,  Dr.  Clippert  is  engaged  in  the  success- 
ful practice  of  his  profession  and  merits  recognition  in  this  work  as  one 
of  the  able  and  popular  representatives  of  the  medical  fraternity  in  his 
native  city.  He  is  a  member  of  one  of  the  honored  German  families  of 
Detroit  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  Conrad  Clippert,  who  was  a  citizen  of 
prominence  and  influence,  he  having  served  as  sheriff  of  Wayne  county 
and  having  been  vice-president  of  the  Central  Savings  Bank  of  Detroit 
at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  long  maintained  his  home  in  the  village  of 
Springwells,  which  is  now  included  in  the  corporate  limits  of  Detroit. 

Dr.  Julius  Casper  Clippert  was  bom  in  Springwells,  Wayne  county, 
on  the  27th  of  June,  1876,  and  his  early  educational  training  was  re- 
ceived in  the  public  schools  of  that  township  and  in  the  Central  high 
school  of  Detroit.  In  1895  he  received  appointment  as  a  cadet  in  the 
United  States  Military  Academy,  at  West  Point,  and  he  attended  this 


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940  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

institution  for  two  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  he  resigned  to  turn 
his  attention  to  the  study  of  medicine,  after  he  had  decided  that  a  mili- 
tary career  was  not  to  his  liking.  He  entered  the  Detroit  College  of 
Medicine  in  1897  and  applied  himself  diligently  to  study,  so  that  he 
gained  the  maximum  returns  from  his  prescribed  course,  upon  the  con- 
clusion of  which  he  was  graduated,  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1901, 
with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  During  the  major  part  of  the 
following  year  he  served  as  interne  in  Harper  Hospital,  whose  work  and 
facilities  a^orded  him  most  valuable  clinical  experience  and  thus  further 
fortified  him  for  the  independent  work  of  his  chosen  calling.  In  1902 
the  Doctor  began  the  general  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  village  of 
Delray,  in  partnership  with  his  elder  brother,  Dr.  F.  J.  Clippert,  and 
since  1906  he  has  conducted  an  individual  practice,  with  residence  and 
office  at  2253  Jefferson  avenue.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  physicians  and 
surgeons  in  the  Delray  district  and  his  practice  is  large  and  substantial, 
the  while  he  commands  unqualified  confidence  and  esteem  in  the  com- 
munity. He  holds  membership  in  the  American  Medical  Association, 
the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical 
Society. 

Dr.  Clippert  is  well  known  in  his  native  city  and  here  his  circle  of 
friends  is  coincident  with  that  of  his  acquaintances.  Though  manifest- 
ing naught  of  desire  to  enter  the  arena  of  practical  politics,  he  is  arrayed 
as  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  cause  of  the  RepubUcan  party,  and  as  a 
citizen  he  is  essentially  loyal  and  public-spirited,  taking  deep  interest  in 
all  that  concerns  the  fair  old  *'City  of  the  Straits,"  which  is  endeared 
to  him  by  many  gracious  associations  and  memories.  He  is  one  of  the 
interested  principals  in  the  William  Clippert  Brick  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, in  which  he  is  associated  with  his  brothers.  The  Doctor  has  been 
an  appreciative  student  of  the  history  and  teachings  of  the  time-honored 
Masonic  fraternity,  in  the  York  Rite  of  which  he  is  affiliated  with  Zion 
Lodge,  No.  1,  Free  &  Accepted  Masons,  and  the  Royal  Arch  Masons.  He 
has  also  attained  to  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the  Ancient  Accepted 
Scottish  Rite,  in  which  he  is  identified  with  Michigan  Sovereign  Con- 
sistory, and  holds  membership  in  Moslem  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order 
Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  also  has  affiliation  with  local  organi- 
zations of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Knights  of 
Pythias.     The  Doctor  still  remains  in  the  ranks  of  eligible  bachelors. 

Frank  H.  Bamlet.  How  greatly  the  destinies  of  human  life  hinge 
upon  the  accidents  of  time  and  place  was  again  shown  in  the  tragic 
and  pitiable  death  of  Frank  H.  Bamlet,  a  native  son  of  Detroit,  a 
member  of  one  of  its  old  and  honored  families  and  himself  numbered 
among  the  city's  representative  business  men.  Proceeding  to  his  beau- 
tiful summer  place  near  Birmingham,  Oakland  county,  on  the  evening 
of  the  20th  of  April,  1911,  in  the  full  strength  of  vigorous  manhood 
and  with  associations  and  conditions  compassing  all  that  makes  life 
worth  living,  he  was  cut  down  and  instantly  killed  by  a  fast  passenger 
train  of  the  Detroit,  Grand  Haven  and  Milwaukee  Railroad.  The 
newspaper  account  of  the  accident  tells  the  story  briefly  in  the  follow- 
ing words,  and  between  the  lines  may  be  read  the  sentiments  express 
sive  of  the  unintelligibility  of  the  decrees  of  fate,  and  there  may  also 
be  seen  the  chalice  of  grief  and  bereavement  from  which  the  loved 
ones  were  so  suddenly  called  upon  to  drink  deeply.  The  brief  account 
here  reproduced  appears  in  the  Detroit  Free  Press:  ** Frank  H.  Bam- 
let, the  Detroit  real-estate  man,  owner  of  the  Bamlet  building  and  mem- 
ber of  many  social  and  business  organizations,  was  instantly  killed  a 
few  minutes  before  seven  o'clock  last  evening  on  the  Detroit,  Grand 


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(^L^^c^^<y<'  /--/  ^3(^^ '( (( f 


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-litri  I'.'  ;.  J.:      .... 

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.ill  .It  |.rrr"-'1:\  (•  ^Ju  \(  u\  oi"  iht   Instorv  and  n  i-  !  :  ')i'.  rod 

\i;     .'i"t'    '.•/'"''  -'v,  Ml  th.'  'iitrk'  Kitr  (*r  n:  ■  ..  'a  Z'  'O. 

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■  '     ■       '      '  '       .-    ..  .  _'     t       *     '•/»,••  •    '•  -j'teci 

'<   a  'l''M.  r)'.^,  Atki.         '^;./.'U*  Ordf-r 
<.M>  l.'i.>  a.i'iiaM'  ii   >^         unnl  ''rii<un- 

d  ud<l  l'tKo\ss  }H'  Mie  Kiutr;  ts  ot 

-  :n.  ;]i*^'  ra!;k^  of  *  '      '  »•  Lacdudors. 

■    '*..'•'  •         '    .  M    M 'litre 

■'   1  *io  trair'c 

-  .  h    •       *  I    Detroit .   a 

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i  ri'-f   a'.d    *■"■    -v      .'i:    !■  ''ti   vhic.j    '-0   lo\ed 

<-,ll  'd  K}'mo  1.    ■  ."•  ■  '  ■/.     Tl  '?     ■     '   Ui'anut 

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^-y-   *r  *■"  .-  *HaS--i*    *- J-.'^ 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  941 

Haven  and  Milwaukee  Railroad  tracks,  being  struck  by  the  Pan  Amer- 
ican flyer,  an  east  bound  train.  Mr.  Bamlet  had  just  alighted  from  a 
suburban  car  and  was  on  his  way  to  his  summer  home,  which  is  located 
two  miles  out  of  Birmingham,  when  the  accident  occurred.  The  train 
was  traveling  at  full  speed,  and  Mr.  Bamlet  was  hurled  a  distance  of 
over  two  hundred  feet,  the  impact  being  so  violent  that  nearly  every 
bone  in  his  body  was  broken.  The  members  of  his  family  were  anx- 
iously awaiting  his  arrival  at  his  home  for  dinner,  as  was  the  custom, 
when  the  news  of  the  awful  accident  was  brought  to  them." 

Well  may  we  wish  to  turn  from  such  a  record  to  the  more  gracious 
memories  of  the  man  as  he  was  in  life, — true  and  sincere  and  steadfast, 
and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  all  who  knew  and  honored  him  will  revert 
to  the  latter  picture  rather  than  the  former. 

In  the  old  family  homestead  which  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present 
large  and  modem  Bamlet  Building,  at  the  southwest  comer  of  Gris- 
wold  street  and  Grand  River  avenue.  Prank  H.  Bamlet  was  born  on 
the  18th  of  April,  1860,  the  only  child  of  George  and  Mary  A.  (Wells) 
Bamlet,  the  former  of  whom  was  bom  in  Michigan,  and  the  latter  in 
England.  Joseph  Bamlet,  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir 
was  born  and  reared  in  England  and  became  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  Detroit,  where  he  took  up  his  residence  within  a  short  time  after  his 
immigration  to  America.  When  his  son  George  was  about  one  year  old 
he  purchased  the  ground  on  which  the  present  Bamlet  Building  stands 
and  there  erected  a  small  wooden  building,  the  lower  floor  of  which  was 
utilized  by  him  for  a  mercantile  establishment,  while  the  upper  floor 
was  arranged  for  the  family  home.  Joseph  Bamlet  was  one  of  the 
representative  business  men  of  Detroit  in  the  early  days  and  here  both 
he  and  his  wife  continued  to  reside  until  their  death.  George  Bamlet 
was  reared  near  Greenville,  Michigan,  and  for  many  years  was  identi- 
fied with  its  various  interests.  He  served  for  a  score  of  years  as  a 
clerk  in  the  postoflSce  and  lived  virtually  retired  during  the  last  twenty 
years  of  his  life.  On  the  site  of  the  old  home  and  store  he  erected  a 
four  story  brick  block,  and  about  1894  his  son  Frank  H.  erected  on 
the  same  site  the  present  substantial  Bamlet  Building,  which  is  six 
stories  in  height  and  is  used  for  store  and  oflBce  purposes.  Thus  three 
generations  of  the  family  have  been  represented  in  the  improving  of 
this  valuable  property  which  is  located  in  the  business  center  of  Detroit. 
George  Bamlet  was  a  citizen  of  sterling  character  and  ever  commanded 
secure  place  in  popular  esteem  in  the  city  which  was  his  home  during 
his  entire  life. 

Frank  H.  Bamlet  received  his  early  educational  discipline  in  the 
public  schools  of  Detroit  and  thereafter  prosecuted  the  study  of  law 
under  the  preceptorship  of  William  Howell,  one  of  the  leading  mem- 
bers of  the  Detroit  bar.  His  tastes  were  not  in  harmony  with  the  dry 
formularies  of  the  law,  however,  and  he  never  engaged  in  practice. 
He  turned  his  attention  to  business  activities,  in  connection  with  which 
he  eventually  became  a  prominent  and  influential  factor  in  his  native 
city.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  years  he  assumed  charge  of  his  fathers 
estate,  and  for  a  time  he  was  also  engaged  in  the  jewelery  business,  when 
a  young  man. 

It  was  in  the  domain  of  real-estate  operations  that  Mr.  Bamlet 
gained  his  maximum  success  and  prestige,  and  along  this  line  of  enter- 
prise he  did  much  to  further  the  civic  and  material  progress  of  De- 
troit, his  operations  becoming  broad  in  scope  and  importance.  He  was 
especially  active  and  successful  in  the  development  of  the  northern  sec- 
tion of  Detroit,  now  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  beautiful  residence 
districts  of  the  city,  and  he  also  assisted  materially  in  the  upbuilding  of 


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942  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

what  is  locally  designated  as  the  west  end  of  the  city.  In  the  buying 
and  selling  of  local  realty  he  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  dealers  in 
the  Michigan  metropolis.  He  erected  many  dwellings  on  Fourth  Ave- 
nue. In  the  same  year  in  which  he  built  the  Bamlet  Block  he  erected 
his  beautiful  family  residence,  at  2420  Woodward  avenue,  where  his 
widow  still  maintains  her  home. 

Alert,  far  sighted  and  progressive,  Mr.  Bamlet  identified  himself 
with  numerous  enterprises  which  have  contributed  to  the  industrial 
and  civic  advancement  of  Detroit,  and  no  citizen  could  have  been  more 
thoroughly  loyal  and  public  spirited.  About  the  year  1891  he  severed 
his  connection  with  the  Mowett  Heating  Company,  in  which  he  had 
been  the  principal  stockholder,  and  of  the  business  of  which  he  had  en- 
tire supervision  for  some  time,  this  concern  having  been  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  the  Mowett  Heater.  He  was  also  interested  with 
his  cousin,  John  Post,  in  the  wholesale  millinery  business  in  the  city 
of  Chicago.  His  country  home  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  that  sec- 
tion of  Oakland  county  that  has  gained  so  many  summer  recruits  from 
Detroit,  and  he  took  great  pride  and  satisfaction  in  the  improving  and 
embellishing  of  this  estate. 

In  politics  Mr.  Bamlet  accorded  imswerving  allegiance  to  the  Repub- 
lican party,  and  while  his  eligibility  for  public  offices  of  trust  was  well 
recognized  he  never  consented  to  become  a  candidate  for  such  prefer- 
ments, with  the  sole  exception  of  that  of  member  of  the  Detroit  board 
of  estimates,  a  position  of  which  he  continued  the  incumbent  for  two 
years.  His  many  friends  frequently  endeavored  to  prevail  upon  him 
to  become  a  candidate  for  other  city  offices,  including  that  of  mayor, 
but  he  invariably  refused  such  overtures.  The  intrinsic  modesty  of 
the  man  was  further  shown  by  his  refusal  to  accept  official  preferment 
in  any  of  the  numerous  fraternal  bodies  and  social  organizations  with 
which  he  became  identified.  Genial,  frank  and  unassuming,  generous, 
and  kindly  in  all  the  relations  of  life,  he  gained  friends  in  all  classes, 
and  of  these  the  circle  was  coincident  with  that  of  his  acquaintances. 
He  loved  Detroit  and  was  ever  ready  to  lend  his  influence  and  co-oper- 
ation in  the  support  of  measures  and  enterprises  projected  for  the 
general  good  of  the  community.  Mr.  Bamlet  was  a  member  of  the 
Central  Methodist  Church,  as  is  also  his  widow,  and  he  served  as  a  mem- 
ber of  its  board  of  trustees.  The  news  of  the  tragic  death  of  Mr.  Bamlet 
caused  a  feeling  of  personal  bereavement  to  his  wide  circle  of  friends, 
and  the  entire  community  was  grieved  and  shocked  when  he  passed 
away  in  the  very  prime  of  his  manhood  and  usefulness. 

In  the  Masonic  fraternity  Mr.  Bamlet  was  affiliated  with  Oriental 
Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  King  Cyrus  Chapter,  Royal  Arch 
Masons;  Detroit  Commandery,  Knights  Templar;  and  Moslem  Temple, 
Ancient  Arabic  Order  of  the  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  was 
an  active  member  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce  and  was  in  full 
sympathy  with  its  high  civic  ideals  and  productive  activities.  He 
also  held  membership  in  the  Detroit  Real  Estate  Board,  the  Wayne 
Club  and  in  a  number  of  the  representative  clubs  of  his  native  city. 

Only  as  through  a  veil  can  one  outside  of  the  ideal  home  circle  re- 
alize the  poignancy  of  loss  and  bereavement  that  his  death  entailed  to 
those  nearest  and  dearest  to  him,  and  the  greatest  measures  of  consol- 
ation and  reconciliation  must  come  to  them  in  the  loving  memories  of 
what  he  was  in  the  gracious  associations  of  the  home.  In  the  city  of 
Lansing,  Michigan,  on  the  29th  of  March,  1882,  was  solemnized  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Bamlet  to  Miss  Hattie  A.  Shank,  who  was  bom  in 
Cayuga  county,  New  York,  and  who  is  a  daughter  of  John  aiid  Mary 
J.  Brundage  Shank,  both  likewise  natives  of  the  old  Empire  state. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  943 

The  mother  of  Mrs.  Bamlet  died  in  New  York  state  and  when  the  latter 
was  a  child  of  eight  years  her  father  removed  to  Michigan.  Mr.  Shank 
became  one  of  the  representative  citizens  and  influential  business  men 
of  Michigan's  capital  city,  but  for  the  last  ten  years  of  his  life  he  re- 
sided in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin.  Of  his  children  one  son  and  three 
daughters  are  now  living.  These  children  are:  Wallace  Shank,  now 
living  in  Portland,  Oregon ;  Jennie  is  the  wife  of  J.  M.  Ashmer,  of  Buf- 
falo, New  York ;  and  Jessie  IMaude  married  Thomas  P.  Reid  of  Milwau- 
kee, Wisconsin.  Mrs.  Bamlet  has  been  during  her  married  life  a  val- 
ued factor  in  connection  with  the  social  activities  of  Detroit,  and  her 
popularity  is  of  unequivocal  order.  She  is  active  in  the  work  of  the 
Central  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  she  is  a  valued  member  of 
the  Twentieth  Century  Club  and  the  North  Woodward  Avenue  Woman's 
Club. 

In  conclusion  of  this  brief  memoir  is  entered  record  concerning  the 
children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bamlet :  Mary  Mabel  died  in  1907,  at  the  age 
of  twenty- three  years;  George  F.  remains  with  his  widowed  mother 
and  has  assumed  the  management  of  his  father's  large  business  inter- 
ests; Maude  E.  is  the  wife  of  Harry  Britmeyer,  of  Detroit,  a  son  of 
Philip  Britmeyer,  former  mayor  of  the  city  and  one  of  its  prominent 
business  men;  Stanley  J.  remains  at  home  and  is  associated  with  his 
elder  brother  in  the  handling  of  the  business  affairs  of  the  family  es- 
tate; and  Yida  B.  is  attending  Mary  Newman's  private  school. 

Alexander  6.  Comstock.  Genealogical  research  is  of  enduring 
value  in  its  concrete  results,  whether  in  a  specific  or  general  sense,  and 
in  the  midst  of  the  boundless  activities  and  electrical  progress  of  the 
present  century  there  should  not  be  failure  to  make  record  of  and  to 
appreciate  the  worthy  lives  and  worthy  deeds  of  those  who  have  left  from 
the  past  so  gracious  a  heritage.  The  true  American  has  every  reason 
to  take  pride  if  it  is  permitted  him  to  claim  ancestral  identification  with 
the  history  of  our  republic  through  several  generations  and  to  trace  the 
records  of  those  of  his  line  who  have  done  well  their  part  in  furthering 
the  civic  and  material  progress  of  the  nation.  Of  such  appreciation  is 
the  deepest  patriotism  begotten,  and  of  such  gracious  heritage  he  whose 
name  initiates  this  article  is  the  recipient.  He  is  a  scion  of  a  family 
whose  name  has  been  identified  with  the  annals  of  American  history  since 
the  early  colonial  days,  when  its  original  representative  in  the  new  world 
came  from  England  and  established  a  home  in  New  England,  that  cradle 
of  so  much  of  our  national  history.  He  himself  has  h^iuored  the  name 
which  he  bears,  through  very  worthy  and  appreciable  accomplishment, 
and  he  has  maintained  his  home  in  Michigan  for  nearly  a  half  a  century, 
during  the  major  portion  of  which  period  he  has  been  a  resident  of  De- 
troit, where  he  gained  secure  prestige  as  one  of  the  representative  mem- 
bers of  the  bar  of  the  state  and  where  he  is  now  devoting  his  attention  to 
his  numerous  capitalistic  and  business  interests  having  virtually  retired 
from  the  work  of  his  profession,  in  connection  with  which  he  was  known 
as  a  good  lawyer  and  honest  counselor. 

-^exander  Griswold  Comstock  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
sterling  pioneer  families  of  the  old  Empire  state  of  the  Union  and  is 
himself  a  native  of  that  commonwealth.  He  was  born  at  Volney,  Oswego 
county,  New  York,  on  the  22d  of  June,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Charles  and 
Mary  (Griswold)  Comstock,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  near  Water- 
town,  Jefferson  county,  that  state,  and  the  latter  of  whom  was  a  native 
of  Great  Barrington,  Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts.  Serajah  Com- 
stock, the  paternal  grandfather  of  Alexander  G.  Comstock,  was  bom  in 
the  state  of  Connecticut  and  was  a  gallant  and  patriotic  soldier  in  the 


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944  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

Continental  line  during  the  entire  course  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution. 
He  immigrated  to  the  state  of  New  York  in  an  early  day  and  became  one 
of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Jefferson  county.  He  was  a  man  of  prominence 
and  influence  in  his  community  and  both  he  and  his  wife  continued  to 
reside  in  New  York  until  their  death.  Mary  (Griswold)  Comstock  was 
a  daughter  of  Rev.  Samuel  Griswold,  who  was  an  able  and  honored  cler- 
gjmaan  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  in  which  he  continued  his 
ministrations  for  many  years,  with  all  of  his  consecrated  zeal  and  devo- 
tion. He  passed  the  closing  years  of  his  life  at  Volney,  New  York,  and 
passed  to  his  reward  in  the  fullness  of  years  and  well  earned  honors. 
His  brother,  Rt.  Rev.  Alexander  Veits  Griswold,  bishop  of  th*e  diocese  of 
Massachusetts,  was  at  one  time  presiding  bishop  of  the  general  conven- 
tion of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  of  the  United  States.  Repre- 
sentatives of  the  Griswold  family  attained  to  marked  distinction  in  pub- 
lic aflfairs  in  New  England  in  the  early  days,  and  members  of  the  family 
served  as  governors  of  various  states  of  that  historic  section  of  the  Union. 
Charles  and  Mary  (Griswold)  Comstock  became  the  parents  of  only  one 
child,  the  subject  of  this  review,  and  the  latter  was  but  an  infant  at  the 
time  of  the  death  of  his  mother,  in  1842.  The  father  long  survived  her 
and  early  removed  to  the  city  of  Chicago,  Illinois,  where  the  greater  part 
of  his  active  career  was  one  of  close  identification  with  the  grain  and 
commission  trade,  as  one  of  the  prominent  and  influential  members  of 
the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade.  He  established  his  home  at  Evanston,  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  suburbs  of  the  western  metropolis,  and  there  his 
death  occurred  in  1895,  at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty  years.  He  was  a 
man  of  great  business  acumen  and  sterling  character  and  he  acumu- 
lated  a  substantial  fortune  within  the  course  of  his  long  and  worthy 
business  career,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  senior  warden  of  St. 
Mark's  (Episcopal)  church  at  Evanston  and  had  held  that  position  for 
thirty-four  years. 

As  already  intimated,  Alexander  G.  Comstock  was  but  two  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  his  mother,  and  he  was  reared  to  adtdt 
age  in  the  home  of  his  maternal  grandfather.  Rev.  Samuel  Griswold,  who 
was  at  the  time  a  retired  clergyman  of  the  Episcopal  church.  After 
completing  the  currictdum  of  the  public  schools  Mr.  Comstock  continued 
his  studies  in  Falley  Seminary,  at  Fulton  in  his  native  county,  and  in 
1860  he  was  matriculated  in  Hobart  College,  at  Geneva,  New  York,  an 
institution  which  was  founded  in  1824  and  which  is  conducted  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church.  He  continued  his 
studies  in  this  college  only  one  year,  at  the  expiration  of  which  he  was 
compelled  to  leave  the  same  on  account  of  the  death  of  his  grandfather. 
Rev.  Samuel  Griswold,  the  aflfairs  of  whose  estate  demanded  his  atten- 
tion. Within  a  short  time  thereafter  Mr.  Comstock  engaged  in  the 
clothing  business  at  Oswego,  New  York,  and  in  that  city  he  gained  his 
initial  discipline  in  the  reading  pf  law,  as  he  there  studied  under  the* 
eflfective  preceptorship  of  Judge  Churchill,  a  representative  legist  and 
jurist  of  that  section  of  the  Empire  state.  He  continued  to  reside  at 
Oswego  until  1865,  in  which  year  he  disposed  of  a  portion  of  his  cloth- 
ing stock  and  removed  the  remainder  to  Holly,  Oakland  county,  Mich- 
igan, where  he  continued  in  the  same  line  of  enterprise.  In  the  follow- 
ing year  he  was  given  evidence  of  popular  confidence  and  esteem  in  his 
new  home  community,  in  that  he  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  an 
oflSce  of  which  he  continued  the  incumbent  for  four  years.  He  was 
then  elected  county  clerk  of  Oakland  county,  as  candidate  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket,  and  in  assuming  the  duties  of  this  office  he  forthwith  re- 
moved to  Pontiac,  the  judicial  center  of  the  county.  At  the  expiration 
of  his  term  of  two  years  he  was  renominated  on  the  ticket  of  his  party. 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  945 

but  as  this  was  the  year  of  Horace  Greeley's  campaign  for  the  presi- 
dency, as  candidate  on  the  Democratic  and  liberal  Republican  ticket, 
with  consequent  disruption  of  normal  partisan  lines,  Mr.  Comstock  met 
defeat,  with  the  remainder  of  his  party  ticket. 

During  his  residence  in  Holly  and  while  serving  as  justice  of  the 
peace  at  that  place  Mr.  Comstock  had  resumed  the  readiig  of  law,  in 
which  also  he  gained  valuable  experience  through  the  work  devolving 
upon  him  in  his  magisterial  position.  In  1872,  at  Pontiac,  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  of  his  adopted  state,  and  in  the  following  year  he  came 
to  Detroit,  where  he  has  maintained  his  home  during  the  long  interven- 
ing period.  Here  he  entered  into  a  professional  partnership  with  Hon. 
Levi  B.  Taft,  and  this  alliance  continued  about  one  year,  the  severance 
of  the  mutually  agreeable  relations  occurring  when  Mr.  Taft  was  ap- 
pointed to  fill  a  vacancy  on  the  bench  of  the  circuit  court  of  Oakland  coun- 
ty, where  he  had  his  residence  on  a  farm  near  Birmingham.  Thereafter 
Mr.  Comstock  conducted  an  individual  practice  of  general  order  until  a 
partial  interruption  was  caused  by  his  election  as  justice  of  the  peace, 
in  1875,  for  a  term  of  four  years,  and  by  two  years  incumbency  of  the 
oflSce  of  deputy  sheriflE  of  Wayne  county,  under  George  Stellwagon.  In 
1886  the  representative  law  firm  of  Moore  &  Moore,  of  Detroit,  extended 
to  Mr.  Comstock  an  invitation  to  become  connected  with  their  large  and 
important  legal  business,  and  in  accepting  this  overture,  he  continued 
to  be  identified  with  this  well  known  firm  for  the  following  decade. 
Soon  after  the  death  of  his  father,  which  occurred  in  September,  1895, 
Mr.  Comstock  found  it  expedient  to  retire  from  the  active  work  of  his 
profession  and  assume  the  supervision  of  his  share  of  his  father's  very 
appreciable  estate,  as  well  as  to  attend  to  his  own  large  and  constantly 
expanding  business  interests,  which  have  since  engrossed  the  major 
part  of  his  time  and  attention.  While  actively  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession  Mr.  Comstock  figured  prominently  in  many  important 
litigdtions  in  the  state  and  federal  courts  and  numbered  among  his 
clients  some  of  the  most  important  corporations  in  Detroit.  He  has  a 
broad  and  exact  knowledge  of  the  science  of  jurisprudence  and  has  had 
wide  and  varied  experience  as  a  man  of  aflfairs,  in  which  connection  he 
has  shown  exceptional  executive  and  administrative  ability.  Though 
he  has  now  passed  the  psalmist's  span  of  three  score  years  and  ten  he 
has  abounding  vitality  and  unimpaired  mental  energy,  so  that  he  puts  to 
blush  the  years  which  are  tallied  to  his  credit.  Not  only  has  he  the  heri- 
tage of  strong  and  virile  ancestry  but  his  own  life  has  been  marked  by 
right  living,  so  that  it  is  not  strange  that  the  years  rest  lightly  upon  his 
head.  It  has  been  stated  in  an  earlier  paragraph  that  his  agnatic  line- 
age is  traced  back  to  English  origin,  and  it  may  further  be  said  that  his 
ancestors  on  the  maternal  side  were  of  Holland-Dutch  extraction,  the 
Griswold  family  having  been  founded  in  Virginia  in  the  early  colonial 
epoch  of  our  national  history. 

In  politics  Mr.  Comstock  has  been  an  independent  though  leaning  to- 
wards the  Democratic  party,  of  whose  generic  principles  and  policies  he 
formerly  was  an  effective  advocate,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  most 
earnest  and  zealous  communicants  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church, 
in  which  they  are  members  of  the  fine  parish  of  St.  John's  church,  at  the 
comer  of  Woodward  avenue  and  High  street.  Mr.  Comstock  is  affiliated 
with  the  time-honored  Masonic  fraternity  and  the  Sons  of  the  American 
Revolution,  and  Mrs.  Comstock  holds  membership  in  the  Mount  Vernon 
Society,  which  was  organized  many  years  ago  and  through  the  eflEorts  of 
which  the  beautiful  old  homestead  of  George  Washington  was  preserved 
to  the  nation  against  the  encroachment  of  the  years.  Mr.  Comstock  is  a 
man  of  fine  intellectuality,  without  bigotry  or  intolerance,  and  in  the  var- 


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946  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

ions  relations  of  life  he  has  ever  shown  forth  a  deep  and  abiding  human 
sympathy,  as  well  as  a  high  sense  of  his  stewardship,  his  course  having 
been  guided  and  governed  by  inviolable  integrity  and  honor.  Broad- 
minded  and  public-spirited,  he  has  proved  a  loyal  and  valuable  citizen 
and  has  shown  a  lively  interest  in  all  that  has  tended  to  advance  the 
social  and  material  prosperity  of  the  city  in  which  he  has  so  long  main- 
tained his  home,  the  whiJe  both  he  and  his  wife,  a  woman  of  most  grac- 
ious personality,  have  given  their  support  to  those  agencies  that  con- 
serve t}ie  uplifting  and  benefiting  of  human  kind.  Their  attractive 
home,  at  573  Cass  avenue,  has  long  been  recognized  as  a  center  of  re- 
fined and  generous  hospitality,  and  in  the  community  their  circle  of 
friends  is  coincident  with  that  of  their  acquaintances. 

At  Oswego,  New  York,  on  the  30th  of  April,  1862,  was  solemnized  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Comstock  to  Miss  Clara  Miller,  who  was  born  in  that 
city  in  August,  1846,  and  who  is  a  daughter  of  John  D.  and  Catherine 
(Gettman)  Miller.  Her  father  was  long  an  mfluential  and  honored  cit- 
izen of  Oswego,  where  he  was  engaged  in  contracting  and  building,  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  passed  the  closing  years  of  their  lives  in  Oswego. 
Mrs.  Comstock  is  a  woman  of  fine  social  qualities  and  is  a  popular  factor 
in  connection  with  the  representative  social  activities  of  Detroit.  In 
addition  to  many  other  accomplishments  she  is  a  talented  artist,  and 
many  fine  works  from  her  brush  and  palette  adorn  the  walls  of  the  fam- 
ily home  and  many  other  "homes  in  Detroit.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Comstock 
became  the  parents  of  two  children,  both  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 

Bernard  0 'Grady.  More  than  half  a  century  ago  Bernard  0 'Grady 
established  his  home  in  Detroit  and  he  became  a  prominent  and  influ- 
ential factor  in  connection  with  business  enterprises  of  important  order, 
the  while  he  exemplified  the  utmost  civic  loyalty  and  public  spirit  and 
was  held  in  unqualified  esteem  in  th%  city  that  so  long  represented 
his  home.  His  sterling  character  and  his  worthy  services  as  a  citizen 
of  the  Michigan  metropolis  render  it  most  consistent  to  accord  in  this 
history  of  the  city  a  brief  tribute  to  his  memory. 

Bernard  0 'Grady  was  born  at  Shelburne,  Chittenden  county,  Ver- 
mont, on  the  17th  of  April,  1828,  and  his  death  occurred  at  the  home 
of  his  brother,  Judge  James  0 'Grady,  at  Houghton,  Michigan,  on  the 
18th  of  August,  1871.  He  was  the  fifth  son  of  Irish  parents,  both 
of  whom  were  born  in  Queen's  county,  Ireland.  The  parents  immi- 
grated from  the  Emerald  Isle  to  America  in  the  latter  part  of  the  second 
decade  of  the  nineteenth  century  and  landed  at  Prince  Edward's  Is- 
land, Canada.  The  father  was  not  successful  in  securing  profitable 
employment  and  the  family  returned  to  Ireland,  but  a  year  later, 
prompted  by  the  restlessness  that  took  possession  of  them,  they  made 
another  start  for  the  new  world  and  located  in  Vermont,  where  the 
father,  John  0 'Grady,  secured  employment  in  connection  with  the  con- 
struction of  the  Vermont  Central  Railroad.  After  this  line  was  com- 
pleted he  secured  work  by  the  day,  in  the  employ  of  Ezra  Meeeh,  a 
wealthy  farmer  who  resided  south  of  Shelburne.  John  0 'Grady's  five 
sons  began  their  education  in  the  village  school^  at  Shelburne,  and  after 
the  father  purchased  a  farm  two  miles  nearer  the  city  of  Burlington, 
where  the  IJniversity  of  Vermont  is  located,  each  of  the  sons  became, 
in  turn,  a  student  in  that  institution.  For  their  position  and  means 
all  were  generously  educated. 

Bernard  0 'Grady's  initial  experience  in  connection  with  practical 
business  affairs  was  gained  as  an  employe  in  a  hotel  conducted  by  one 
of  his  elder  brothers  in  New  York  City.     They  kept  the  old  Stevens 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  947 

House,  at  the  Battery,  and  there  were  congregated  hosts  of  persons 
distinguished  in  professional  and  commercial  walks  of  life. 

In  1854,  when  about  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  Bernard  0 'Grady 
came  to  Detroit,  where  he  first  secured  employment  in  the  forwarding 
house  of  P.  M.  Van  Sicklen  &  Company,  in  which  William  Catlin  was 
the  silent  partner.  A  year  or  two  later  Mr.  0 'Grady  became  one  of 
the  interested  principals  in  the  firm  of  John  G.  Erwin  &  Company, 
at  the  foot  of  First  street,  and  at  a  later  date  the  firm  became  known 
as  Whiting  &  0 'Grady.  There  were  at  that  time  no  railroads  penetra- 
ting the  Lake  Superior  country  and  a  fortune  was  to  be  gained  in  a 
brief  time  through  handling  of  supplies  by  transportation  on  the  lakes — 
the  only  means  of  transferring  such  commodities.  Whiting  &  0 'Grady 
were  agents  for  one  of  the  largest  fleets  of  lake  vessels,  and  through 
his  well  directed  operations  Mr.  0 'Grady  accumulated  a  goodly  sum. 
This  was  during  the  progress  of  the  Civil  war,  and  as  he  had  little 
confidence  in  the  ability  of  the  government  to  bring  the  rebellion  to  a 
successful  close  he  was  led  to  make  large  investments  in  goods,  at  in- 
flated values,  with  the  result  that  he  met  with  heavy  financial  losses. 
In  1866  he  retired  from  the  forwarding  business  and  became  agent  for 
the  Merchant's  Dispatch  Transportation  Company.  Later  he  assumed 
the  agency  for  the  St.  Louis  Insurance  Company,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death  he  was  agent  for  the  South  Pewabic  mine,  at  Houghton,  Michigan. 

On  the  23d  of  February,  1857,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
0 'Grady  to  Miss  Adelia  E.  Harrington,  of  Shelbume,  Vermont.  She 
was  a  granddaughter  of  Benjamin  Harrington,  who,  in  1788,  purchased 
from  the  government  the  land  on  which  the  village  of  Shelburne  now 
stands.  He  added  farm  to  farm  and  became  a  rich  man,  leaving  an 
appreciable  inheritance  to  each  of  his  ten  children.  Mrs.  Harrington 
was  the  daughter  of  his  youngest  son,  Henry  Harrington.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  0 'Grady  were  born  six  children,  concerning  whom  the  fol- 
lowing brief  record  is  entered :  Clara  Horton  died  in  infancy ;  Henry, 
the  only  son,  died  a  few  days  before  his  twenty-second  birthday  anni- 
versary ;  Jane  A.  became  the  wife  of  Grosvenor  A.  Carrington,  in  1883, 
and  she  survived  him,  her  death  occurring  in  1892;  Misses  Mary  E. 
and  Margaret  0 'Grady  reside  in  Detroit;  and  Frances  0 'Grady  is  the 
wife  of  Charles  William  Picard,  of  Detroit,  and  they  have  three  sons — 
Russell  Grosvenor,  Charles  Harrington  and  Edward  Dewey. 

The  social  life  of  Detroit  in  Mr.  0 'Grady's  time  was  a  happy  one. 
Associated,  as  he  was,  with  the  Detroit  Board  of  Trade,  in  which  he 
was  an  active  member  in  the  truest  sense,  he  entered  heartily  into 
every  movement  made  by  that  body,  along  either  commercial  or  finan- 
cial lines,  and  his  support  was  given  to  all  measures  and  enterprises 
tending  to  advance  the  material  and  civic  welfare  of  his  home  city. 
When  an  informal  affair  was  given  for  the  benefit  of  the  state  industrial 
school  he  always  did  his  share  of  the  entertaining,  having  a  wealth 
of  Irish  melodies  and  folklore,  taught  by  a  mother  who  was  more  than 
ordinarily  well  informed  in  literary  matters  for  a  woman  of  seventy- 
five  years  ago.  She  was  not  of  the  peasant  class  and  had  secured  a 
number  of  standard  books,  religious  and  historical,  as  well  as  the  works 
of  the  leading  English  poets.  It  was  considered  a  privilege  by  the  vil- 
lage youths  of  Shelburne,  Vermont,  to  be  asked  at  evening  to  pass 
an  hour  or  more  with  her  and  her  family,  for  the  purpose  of  hearing 
her  read  Shakespeare  or  recite  from  Byron  or  Tom  Moore.  Her  sons 
inherited  her  prodigious  memory  and  were  able  to  recite  whole  chapters 
of  favorite  books.  Judge  James  0  'Grady,  the  second  son  of  the  family, 
had  the  same  gift  in  a  legal  way.  Mr.  0 'Grady  was  a  staunch  Demo- 
crat, and  served  for  a  short  period  as  alderman  of  the  old  first  ward. 


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948  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

As  has  already  been  stated,  Bernard  0  'Grady  passed  away  at  the  home 
of  his  brother,  in  Houghton,  Michigan,  on  the  18th  of  August,  1871. 
His  cherished  and  devoted  wife  survived  him  by  more  than  thirty  years 
and  was  a  resident  of  Detroit  at  the  time  of  her  death,  which  occured 
on  the  15th  of  August,  1903.  She  was  a  woman  of  most  gracious  pres- 
ence and  possessed  a  charity  that  prompted  her  not  only  to  give  but 
to  share  with  any  one  in  need.  Her  memory  is  revered  by  all  who  came 
within  the  compass  of  her  gentle  influence.  The  remains  of  both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  0 'Grady  find  resting  places  in  beautiful  Elmwood  cemetery, 
in  Detroit. 

Mr.  0 'Grady  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Catholic  church,  in 
which  his  father  had  belonged  and  to  which  his  mother  had  been  con- 
verted. He  withdrew  as  a  communicant  of  the  church  when  he  was  still 
a  young  man  and  for  many  years  he  was  aflMiated  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity.  His  funeral  was  conducted  under  the  auspices  of  the  Masons, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death  the  Detroit  Board  of  Trade  passed  the  fol- 
lowing resolutions: 

Whereas,  It  has  pleased  an  All-wise  Providence  to  remove  by  death 
Bernard  0  'Grady,  for  many  years  a  member  of  this  association,  therefore. 

Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  Mr.  0  'Grady  we  mourn  the  loss  of  one 
who  possessed  the  most  genial  qualities  and  many  noble  traits  of  char- 
acter, a  manliness  that  impressed  itself  upon  all  within  the  circle  in  which 
he  moved;  a  fortitude  which  no  reverse  could  conquer;  a  faithfulness 
which  never  forsook  a  friend  nor  forgot  a  favor ;  a  charity  circumscribed 
by  no  conventional  boundaries  of  party  or  sect. 

Resolved,  That  we  tender  the  family  of  our  deceased  friend  our  heart- 
felt sympathy,  and  humbly  trust  that  ''He  who  tempers  the  wind  to  the 
shorn  lamb"  will  be  their  stay  and  comfort  in  this  dark  hour  of  their 
aflBiction. 

Resolved,  That  we  will  attend  the  funeral  in  a  body,  and  that,  as  a 
further  mark  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  deceased,  this  board  will 
now  adjourn. 

Robert  A.  Jamieson,  M.  D.  Prominent  among  those  who  have  lent 
dignity  and  distinction  to  the  medical  profession  in  the  state  of  Michigan 
and  city  of  Detroit  was  the  late  Dr.  Robert  Andrus  Jamieson,  who  was 
here  engaged  in  active  practice  for  more  than  forty  years  and  who  left 
a  benignant  impress  on  the  community,  both  as  a  citizen  of  the  highest 
character  and  as  a  physician  and  surgeon  of  exceptional  ability.  Duty 
was  the  inspiration  of  his  life  and  from  its  noble  course  he  never  wavered 
in  the  least,  the  while  he  labored  with  aU  of  zeal  and  ability  in  the  allevia- 
tion of  human  suffering  and  for  otherwise  the  aiding  and  uplifting  of 
his  fellow  men.  His  character  and  his  services  constitute  his  most 
enduring  monument,  and  it  is  most  consonant  that  in  this  history  of 
the  city  in  which  he  so  long  maintained  his  home  should  be  entered  a 
tribute  to  his  memory  and  brief  record  of  his  earnest  career  as  one  of 
the  essentially  representative  physicians  and  surgeons  of  the  state. 

Dr.  Jamieson  was  of  staunch  Scotch-American  lineage  and  was  bom 
at  Brock,  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  on  the  16th  of  June,  1843,  his 
death  occurring  at  his  beautiful  home  in  Detroit,  on  the  9th  of  August, 
1910,  after  an  illness-  of  several  months'  duration.  He  was  a  son  of 
Rev.  Andrew  and  Lois  (Andrus)  Jamieson.  The  father  was  for  more 
than  forty  years  a  missionary  among  the  Indians  and  passed  much  of 
this  time  on  Walpole  Isle,  in  the  St.  Clair  River.  He  was  a  clergyman 
of  the  Episcopal  church  and  was  a  man  of  deep  piety  and  self-abnega- 
tion, consecrating  his  life  to  the  noble  work  which  so  long  engrossed  his 
time  and  attention.     Both  he  and  his  wife  continued  to  reside  in  the 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  949 

Dominion  of  Canada  a  great  many  years,  finally  removing  to  Algonac. 
Dr.  Jamieson  ever  referred  with  reverent  aflfection  to  his  devoted  and 
loved  parents,  the  major  part  of  his  early  educational  discipline  having 
been  received  under  the  instruction  of  his  father,  who  was  a  man  of 
fine  intellectual  attainments.  His  academic  training  was  supplemented 
by  a  course  in  McGill  University,  in  the  city  of  Montreal,  in  which  he 
was  graduated,  and  in  1866  he  was  graduated  from  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  from  which  he  received  his 
well  earned  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  ever  continued  a  close 
and  appreciative  student  of  medical  science  and  thus  kept  in  close  touch 
with  the  advances  made  in  medicine  and  surgery.  He  served  his  pro- 
fessional novitiate  and  in  1870  he  came  to  Detroit,  where  he  continued 
in  active  practice  during  the  residue  of  his  long  and  useful  life.  He 
built  up  a  specially  large  and  representative  practice  and  he  subordi- 
nated all  else  to  the  demands  of  his  profession,  of  whose  best  learning 
and  highest  ethics  he  was  a  distinguished  exponent.  He  served  for  a 
number  of  years  as  professor  of  clinical  medicine  in  the  Detroit  College 
of  Medicine,  of  whose  faculty  he  was  one  of  the  most  honored  and 
valued  members  at  the  time  of  his  demise.  His  very  character  was  east 
in  a  staunch  and  noble  matrix  and  he  ^as  large  of  heart  and  large  of 
mind,  so  that  he  naturally  gained  and  retained  the  high  regard  of  those 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact  in  the  various  relations  of  life.  When 
the  ''silver  cord  was  loosed"  and  he  passed  to  eternal  rest  there  was 
sorrow  in  many  hearts,  and  those  to  whom  he  had  ministered  as  family 
physician  for  many  years  felt  that  they  had  lost  a  guide,  counselor  and 
friend.  Dr.  Jamieson  was  identified  with  the  American  Medical  Asso- 
ciation, the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  Wayne  County 
Medical  Society,  in  the  activities  of  each  of  which  he  took  a  deep  inter- 
est, as  did  he  also  in  the  affairs  of  the  Detroit  Medical  Library  Associa- 
tion, with  which  he  was  identified  from  the  time  of  its  organization  and 
to  whose  work  and  facilities  he  made  generous  contributions.  He  served 
on  the  medical  staff  of  St.  Luke's  hospital  and  also  on  that  of  St.  Mary's 
hospital,  the  latter  a  Catholic  institution.  He  was  for  }nany  years 
state  medical  examiner  for  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  of 
which  fraternal  order  he  was  a  prominent  and  influential  member.  He 
was  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  Quarter  Century  Club,  whose 
organization  has  now  lapsed,  the  personnel  of  its  membership  having 
been  made  up  of  physicians  who  had  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
their  profession  in  Detroit  for  twenty-five  years  or  more. 

Broad-minded,  loyal  and  public  spirited  as  a  citizen.  Dr.  Jamieson 
gave  his  support  to  those  agencies  that  make  for  moral,  educational  and 
general  civic  advancement,  and  while  he  never  had  any  desire  to  enter 
the  arena  of  practical  politics,  he  was  known  as  a  staunch  advocate  of 
the  principles  and  policies  of  the  Republican  party.  The  only  municipal 
oflSce  he  ever  held  was  that  of  city  physician,  of  which  he  was  the  in- 
cumbent for  several  years.  A  thorough  and  consistent  churchman  and 
<  a  man  whose  reverence  for  the  spiritual  verities  was  of  the  deepest 
order.  Dr.  Jamieson  was  a  zealous  communicant  of  the  Protestant  Epis- 
copal church,  as  are  also  the  surviving  members  of  his  family,  and  his 
faith  was  one  of  good  works.  In  the  earlier  years  of  his  residence  in 
Detroit  he  was  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school  of  St.  Mary's  parish, 
but  he  later  transferred  his  membership  to  St.  John's  church,  at  Wood- 
ward avenue  and  High  street,  in  whose  various  activities  he  took  a 
prominent  part.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Men's  Club  of  this  parish 
for  many  years  and  was  specially  earnest  in  bringing  young  men  into 
the  church,  besides  otherwise  aiding  them  with  wise  admonition  and 
counsel.    The  funeral  of  Dr.  Jamieson  was  held  from  St.  John's  church 


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950  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

and  a  large  assemblage  of  citizens  of  all  classes  attested  to  the  affection 
and  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  in  the  community.  His  remains  were 
interred  in  Woodlawn  cemetery.  His  heart  was  attuned  to  sympathy 
and  he  virtually  consecrated  his  life  to  the  service  of  his  fellow  men, 
being  ever  mindful  of  those  **in  any  ways  afflicted,  or  distressed,  in 
mind,  body  or  estate." 

On  the  22d  of  April,  1875,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Jamieson  to  Miss  Emma  L.  Thompson,  who  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Liverpool,  England,  whence  her  parents,  Joseph  M.  and  Mary  (Jervis) 
Thompson,  came  to  America  in  1852.  They  were  for  many  years  resi- 
dents of  Detroit,  where  they  died,  the  father  having  been  a  representa- 
tive business  man  of  this  city  and  for  many  years  secretary  of  the 
Woodmere  Cemetery  Association.  Mrs.  Jamieson  has  been  a  resident 
of  Detroit  from  her  girlhood  days  and  has  long  been  a  prominent  and 
popular  figure  in  its  representative  social  activities.  She  resides  in  a 
beautiful  home  at  147  Park  street,  the  residence  having  been  erected 
by  her  husband  about  the  year  1893.  In  conclusion  is  entered  brief 
record  concerning  the  children  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Jamieson:  Mary  J. 
is  the  wife  of  Dr.  J.  J.  Delbridge,  a  representative  physician  of  Detroit, 
and  they  have  two  children — Helen  and  Alice;  Louisa  A.  is  the  wife 
of  William  Duncan,  of  this  city,  and  they  have  two  children — Louisa 
and  Robert;  Dr.  Robert  C,  who  was  graduated  in  the  Detroit  College 
of  Medicine,  and  who  is  well  upholding  the  prestige  of  the  family  name 
in  the  work  of  his  profession,  is  engaged  in  practice  in  Detroit  and  he 
married  Miss  Carolina  Poppleton;  and  Andrew  J.,  who  remains  with 
his  widowed  mother,  was  graduated  in  the  University  of  Michigan  as  a 
civil  engineer,  to  which  profession  he  is  now  giving  his  attention. 

Arthur  C.  Lee,  M.  D.,  is  a  native  son  of  Michigan  and  a  represen- 
tative of  families  whose  names  have  been  identified  with  the  annals  of 
this  commonwealth  since  the  early  pioneer  epoch  in  its  history.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  Horatio  Lee,  was  one  of  the  prominent  and  in- 
fluential pioneers  of  Oakland  county,  where  he  established  his  home 
upon  his  immigration  from  his  native  state  of  Vermont  and  where  he 
reclaimed  a  farm  from  the  wilderness,  as  did  also  the  Doctor's  mater- 
nal grandfather,  John  Waters,  who  was  a  native  of  the  state  of  New 
York. 

Dr.  Arthur  Chalmers  Lee  was  bom  in  the  village  of  Franklin,  Oak- 
land county,  Michigan,  on  the  28th  of  April,  1868,  and  is  a  son  of 
Volney  H.  and  Cornelia  M.  (Waters)  Lee,  both  of  whom  were  likewise 
bom  and  reared  in  that  county,  with  the  civic  and  material  development 
and  progress  of  which  both  families  have  been  prominently  concerned. 
Volney  H.  Lee  became  the  owner  of  a  fine  landed  estate  in  Royal  Oak 
township,  Oakland  county,  and  was  one  of  the  leading  exponents  of 
the  basic  industry  of  agriculture  in  that  favored  section  of  the  state. 
He  was  a  man  of  sterling  attributes  of  character,  commanded  unqualified 
confidence  and  esteem  in  his  native  county  and  was  an  influential  fac- 
tor in  public  affairs  of  a  local  order.  He  was  called  upon  to  serve  in 
various  township  offices,  including  that  of  supervisor,  and  was  ever 
ready  to  lend  his  influence  and  co-operation  in  the  support  of  measures 
and  enterprises  advanced  for  the  general  good  of  the  community.  His 
political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  Democratic  party  and  both  he  and 
his  wife  held  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  They 
continued  to  reside  in  Oakland  county  until  their  death,  the  father  hav- 
ing passed  away  in  November,  1910,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years, 
and  the  devoted  wife  and  mother  having  been  summoned  to  the  life 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  '     951 

eternal  in  July,  1908,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  Of  their  children 
two  sons  only  are  living. 

The  public  schools  of  his  native  county  afforded  Dr.  Lee  his  prelim- 
inary educational  advantages,  which  included  the  curriculum  of  the 
Birmingham  high  school,  in  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  spring  of 
1889.  A  youth  of  definite  ambition  and  clearly  formulated  plans  for 
a  future  career.  Dr.  Lee  set  Vigorously  to  the  work  of  preparing  him- 
self for  the  exacting  profession  in  which  he  has  achieved  so  marked  suc- 
cess and  prestige.  In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  in  which  he  was 
graduated  in  the  high  school  at  Birmingham  he  was  matriculated  in  the 
Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  and  in  this  admirable  institution  he  was 
graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1893,  with  the  coveted  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine.  During  his  senior  year  in  the  college  he  also  served 
as  apothecary  and  interne  in  Harper  Hospital,  and  his  special  ability 
along  professional  lines  even  thus  early  received  distinctive  recogni- 
tion, as  he  held  the  position  of  medical  director  of  the  Harper  Hospital 
polyclinic  in  1894-5  and  during  a  part  of  the  year  1896.  In  the  mean- 
while he  instituted  the  private  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  year  of 
his  graduation,  and  his  success  has  been  cumulative,  as  he  has  exempli- 
fied full  and  accurate  knowledge  of  the  sciences  of  medicine  and  surg- 
ery and  marked  facility  in  the  application  of  this  knowledge  in  a  prac- 
tical and  beneficent  way.  His  practice  is  of  general  order  and  is  widely 
disseminated,  as  it  is  based  on  a  well  earned  reputation  for  skill  and 
discrimination  and  for  that  broad  human  sympathy  which  transcends 
mere  sentiment  to  become  an  actuating  motive  in  the  relief  of  suflEering 
and  distress.  In  the  early  years  of  his  practice.  Dr.  Lee  maintained  his 
home  and  office  at  175  Field  avenue,  and  from  this  location  he  removed 
to  his  present  fine,  modern  residence  at  455  Helen  avenue,  which  he 
erected  in  1908  and  where  he  also  has  his  well  equipped  and  handsomely 
appointed  office.  Dr.  Lee  is  well  known  in  his  profession  and  as  a  cit- 
izen of  marked  progressiveness  and  public  spirit,  the  while  his  wide 
circle  of  friends  attest  his  sterling  personal  qualities.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  American  Medical  Association,  the  Michigan  State  Medical 
Society  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society.  In  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity he  is  affiliated  with  Detroit  Lodge,  No.  2,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons;  Michigan  Sovereign  Consistory  of  the  Ancient  and  Accepted 
Scottish  Rite,  in  which  he  has  received  the  thirty-second  degree,  and 
a  member  of  Moslem  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order  of  the  Nobles  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine.  He  also  holds  membership  in  the  Independent  Order  of 
Foresters,  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  other  fraternal  orders.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Yacht  Club  and  avails  himself  appreciat- 
ively of  the  manifold  attractions  of  the  beautiful  Detroit  river.  A 
citizen  of  high  civic  ideals,  he  takes  a  deep  interest  in  all  that  touches 
the  welfare  of  his  home  city,  and  is  found  arrayed  as  a  stalwart  sup- 
porter of  the  cause  of  the  Republican  party;  he  was  a  member  of  the 
school  board  from  1905  to  1909. 

On  the  4th  of  April,  1899  Dr.  Lee  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Beatrice  Crawford,  of  Detroit,  and  they  have  a  fine  little  son,  Volney 
Chalmers  Lee,  who  was  bom  on  the  15th  day  of  May,  1901. 

James  McDonnell.  For  thirty-six  years  a  member  of  the  Detroit 
police  and  for  the  past  sixteen  years  captain  of  the  detectives,  James 
McDonnell's  career  in  this  city  has  had  sufficient  service  and  incident 
to  make  it  noteworthy  and  deserving  of  record  in  the  history  of  Detroit. 
But  for  a  number  of  years  previous  to  the  time  he  joined  the  ** force" 
he  lived  in  the  midst  of  scenes  a*bd  activities  that  have  furnished  mate- 
rial for  thousands  of  pages  in  the  history  of  the  country,  comprising 


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952  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

an  era  of  eventfulness  that  can  never  happen  again  in  the  life  of  this 
nation.  Few  men  now  living  have  seen  and  acted  among  such  varied 
scenes  as  Mr.  McDonnell.  He  has  spent  nearly  fifty  years  in  what  may 
properly  be  termed  the  military  service  of  the  country,  for  the  city  police 
is  no  less  a  soldier  than  one  who  fights  in  company  and  regiment  and 
spends  his  time  in  barracks  and  tented  fields. 

Captain  McDonnell  is  a  Canadian  by  birth  and  of  Irish  parentage. 
He  was  born  at  Hamilton,  Ontario,  September  6,  1845,  a  son  of  Michael 
and  Rose  (Carolan)  McDonnell.  His  father  came  to  Philadelphia  at 
an  early  age,  but  on  account  of  illness  returned  to  Ireland,  where  he 
married,  and  then  returned  to  this  country  with  his  bride,  settling  in 
Hamilton,  Ontario,  and  in  later  years  moving  to  Detroit.  James  is 
the  third  of  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters.  His  early 
education  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  at  Hamilton. 

One  day  in  the  summer  of  1862,  when  he  was  seventeen  years  old, 
he  went  sailing  as  member  of  the  crew  of  a  schooner  that  landed  at 
Oswego,  New  York.  This  was  the  first  stage  in  a  long  wandering  that 
continued  many  years  before  he  returned  to  the  old  home.  From  Oswego 
he  went  on  to  Albany,  and  there  on  the  13th  of  October,  1862,  he  enlisted 
in  the  One  Hundred  and  Seventy-fifth  New  York  Volunteers,  under 
Colonel  M.  J.  Bryan  and  Major  Gray.  From  Albany  to  Camp  Scott 
on  Staten  Island,  where  they  were  attached  to  Corcoran 's  Irish  Legion, 
and  thence  in  November  to  the  front,  they  arrived  at  Newport  News. 
In  January  following  his  company  was  sent  to  New  Orleans  to  join 
the  other  companies  of  his  regiment.  A  full-rigged  sailing  vessel,  the 
**Wm.  Woodberry  of  Portland,"  was  the  means  of  transportation.  A 
fierce  storm  drove  the  vessel  into  the  West  Indies,  and  it  was  thirty- 
three  days  before  the  thirteen  hundred  soldiers  on  board  were  landed 
at  New  Orleans.  On  April  13,  1863,  he  participated  with  his  company 
in  its  first  battle,  and  was  in  the  thickest  of  the  fighting  at  the  siege 
of  Port  Hudson,  which  surrendered  a  few  days  after  the  fall  of  Vicks- 
burg  in  July.  Among  other  engagements  in  which  he  participated  with 
his  regiment  was  the  battles  of  Pleasant  Hill,  Louisiana,  and  other 
engagements  in  that  vicinity.  On  May  8,  1864,  leaving  his  regiment 
at  Alexandria,  he  was  transferred  to  the  U.  S.  gunboat  Lexington,  on 
which  he  served  during  the  remainder  of  the  war.  He  was  honorably 
discharged  June  15,  1865,  at  the  Mound  City  navy  yards  near  Cairo, 
Illinois. 

Having  served  through  most  of  the  war,  though  he  was  still  under 
age  at  the  time  of  his  discharge,  he  then  returned  home  to  see  his  people 
(his  mother  died  when  he  was  eight),  who  in  the  meantime  had  come 
to  Detroit.  In  1865  when  he  was  twenty,  he  went  to  New  York,  and 
he  joined  the  regular  army  January  25,  1867.  It  was  the  Fifth  U.  S. 
Cavalry  to  which  he  was  assigned,  this  regiment  being  afterward  dis- 
tinguished as  the  ** Fighting  Fifth.''  For  two  and  a  half  years  this 
regiment  was  stationed  in  the  south,  in  the  states  of  Tennessee  and 
Mississippi.  From  there  he  was  detailed  for  duty  on  the  western  plains 
in  fighting  the  Sioux  Indians.  As  those  familiar  with  the  history  of 
the  west  know,  it  was  still  many  years  before  Indian  hostilities  were 
brought  to  a  final  close,  so  that  the  service  of  the  army  in  the  west 
was  by  no  means  as  uneventful  as  it  now  is.  Mr.  McDonnell,  entering 
the  regular  array  as  private,  was  promoted  to  corporal  and  then  to 
sergeant.  Along  with  the  regiment  in  its  western  campaigns  was  the 
famous  scout,  Buffalo  Bill.  During  his  five  years'  service  with  the 
regiment  he  had  many  adventures  and  experiences  that  might  adorn 
a  military  biography,  and  yet  he  came  through  it  all  without  a  wound. 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  953 

Among  the  many  encounters  with  the  Indians  in  which  he  was  engaged 
was  the  battle  of  Summits  Springs,  Colorado,  July  11,  1869. 

At  the  end  of  his  five  years'  service  with  the  regular  army  he  re- 
ceived his  honorable  discharge  on  January  25,  1872.  Returning  to 
Detroit,  he  was  here  in  time  to  participate  in  the  building  of  the  Canada 
Southern  Railroad,  now  part  of  the  Michigan  Central.  He  was  the 
conductor  of  the  first  train  run  between  Blissfield  Junction,  Michigan, 
and  Fayette,  Ohio.  After  the  road  was  completed  he  held  the  position 
of  yardmaster  until  1875. 

On  the  30th  of  June,  1875,  Mr.  McDonnell  joined  the  Detroit  Police. 
For  six  years  he  was  a  patrolman,  and  then  was  transferred  to  the 
detective  branch  August  1,  1881,  and  for  the  past  sixteen  years  has 
been  captain  of  this  department.  He  has  displayed  remarkable  eflSciency 
in  the  service  and  has  won  all  his  promotions  by  merit. 

Captain  McDonnell  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason.  His  local  aflSlia- 
tions  are  with  Palestine  Lodge,  No.  357,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  also  with 
the  Consistory  and  Shrine.  He  is  a  member  of  Fairbanks  Post  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He  and  his  family  are  communicants  of 
the  St.  Paul  Episcopal  church  in  Detroit.  He  was  married  September 
11, 1875,  soon  after  joining  the  police,  to  Miss  Emma  Hill.  Her  parents, 
Peter  and  Mary  (Goodsill)  Hill,  came  to  Detroit  from  New  York  state, 
where  they  were  bom.  The  three  children  of  Mr.  McDonnell  and  wife 
are  as  follows:  Delia  is  the  wife  of  William  L.  Granger,  one  of  the 
assistant  superintendents  of  the  Edison  Illuminating  Company  of  De- 
troit, and  they  have  one  daughter,  Elizabeth  Granger,  aged  two  years. 
Clara  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  B.  J.  Keenan,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of 
Michigan  and  now  a  successful  dentist  at  Butte,  Montana,  and  they 
have  two  children,  Margaret,  aged  six,  and  James,  aged  five.  Miss 
Laura,  the  youngest  daughter,  is  living  at  home. 

Loins  Blitz.  The  late  Louis  Blitz  signified  much  to  Detroit  and 
his  was  a  life  marked  by  large  and  worthy  accomplishment,  by  the  high- 
est integrity  and  honor  and  by  an  abiding  human  sympathy  and  tol- 
erance. His  was,  indeed,  a  ''triumphant  life,"  and  under  this  title  was 
dedicated  the  beautiful  tribute  published  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He 
was  one  of  whom  it  may  well  be  said,  in  words  of  the  psalmist,  **  Blessed 
is  the  man  unto  whom  the  Lord  imputeth  not  iniquity,  and  in  whose 
spirit  there  is  no  guile."  He  brought  to  bear  the  powers  of  a  strong  and 
splendid  manhood  in  the  furtherances  of  ^business  enterprises  which 
conserved  the  general  welfare;  he  was  loyal  and  public-spirited  as  a 
citizen ;  was  devout  and  of  indefatigable  zeal  in  religious  activities ;  he 
was  generous  and  kindly  in  his  association  with  all  classes  and  condi- 
tions of  men;  he  was  one  to  whom  friendship  was  inviolable;  and  he 
made  his  life  count  for  good  in  every  relation.  Few  citizens  of  the 
Michigan  metropolis  have  been  more  emphatically  entitled  to  adequate 
recognition  than  Louis  Blitz,  the  honored  subject  of  this  brief  memoir. 

From  the  reports  of  Mr.  Blitz  as  president  of  Temple  Beth  El,  of 
Detroit,  are  taken  the  following  statements  written  by  him  and  well 
indicating  his  attitude  as  a  man  and  as  a  citizen:  **Let  it  admonish  us, 
that  we  build  monuments  for  ourselves  during  our  lifetime,  so  that  we, 
too,  may  be  gratefully  remembered  as  having  endeavored,  each  in  his 
humble  way,  to  lend  a  hand  toward  the  uplifting  and  the  upbuilding 
of  his  fellow  men."  ^ 

Louis  Blitz  was  bom  in  the  historic  old  city  of  Frankfurt-am-Main, 

Germany,  on  the  2d  of  March,  1850,  and  died  on  the  15th  of  February, 

1905.    He  was  a  son  of  Israel  Blitz,  a  man  of  fine  character  and  ability. 

and  was  about  two  and  one-half  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the  family 
Vol.  ni— 8 


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954  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

immigration  to  America.  The  father  established  a  home  in  Louisville, 
Kentucky,  and  there  the  son  gained  his  early  educational  discipline, 
which  included  the  curriculum  of  the  high  school,  in  which  he  was  grad- 
uated. Soon  afterward  the  family  removed  to  Detroit.  In  formulating 
plans  for  his  future  career  Louis  Blitz  determined  to  prepare  himself 
for  the  legal  profession,  so  he  accordingly  entered  the  law  department 
of  the  University  of  Michigan,  where  he  continued  his  technical  studies 
about  three  years  and  where  he  received  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws. 
After  graduation  he  turned  his  attention  to  industrial  enterprise,  in 
which  he  eventually  achieved  success  and  high  prestige.  For  thirty-five 
years  he  was  a  prominent  and  influential  figure  in  connection  with 
business  affairs  in  Detroit  and  Michigan,  and  concerning  his  career  the 
following  statement  appeared  in  the  Detroit  Journal  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  the  local  estimate  being  one  well  deserving  of  perpetuation  in  this 
connection : 

^*His  most  important  business  undertaking  was  the  establishment  of 
the  Detroit  City  Glass  Works  in  what  is  now  the  thickly  settled  district 
of  Delray.  It  was  the  first  plant  of  the  kind  in  this  section  of  the 
country.  He  thus  became  the  j^ioneer  manufacturer  of  Delray,  a  district 
in  which  he  always  had  the  utmost  confidence,  being  the  first  to  predict 
its  development  and  the  growth  of  which  he  lived  to  witness.  The  glass 
works  covered  all  branches  of  that  trade,  the  commercial  ware  and  the 
artistic  products  as  well.  About  1895  the  plant  went  into  one  of  the 
first  of  the  large  combinations  and  thereafter  Mr.  Blitz  gave  his  atten- 
tion to  varied  interests,  including  large  real-estate  holdings.  He  con- 
tinued, however,  to  maintain  a  considerable  investment  in  Delray  prop- 
erty, which  included  many  homes  occupied  by  the  workmen  of  that 
district.  He  was  vice-president  of  the  German-American  Bank  and  was 
a  director  of  the  Empire  Coal  Company,  Pittsburg,  of  which  he  was 
local  representative  in  Detroit.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Detroit  Stock  Exchange  and  did  his  best  to  make  it  the  power  in  local 
business  affairs  which  he  thought  it  ought  to  be. 

''The  business  relations  of  Mr.  Blitz,  however,  indicate  only  a  part 
of  his  activities.  Among  his  friends  he  will  perhaps  be  best  remembered 
for  his  work  in  the  Temple  Beth  El,  of  which  he  was  president  fotr 
eight  years  prior  to  his  death.  His  friends  give  him  credit  for  the 
building  of  the  beautiful  new  temple  and  say  that  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  secure  it  but  for  his  valuable  work  and  assistance.  It  is 
said  in  the  connection  that  his  advice  was  more  valuable  than  that  of 
a  high-salaried  expert."  A  further  estimate  of  Mr.  Blitz  is  the  following, 
given  by  Fred  M.  Butzel,  a  representative  member  of  the  Detroit  bar: 
**Mr.  Blitz  believed  that  he  could  best  serve  the  interests  of  his  people 
by  taking  an  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  community  as  a  whole. 
His  efforts,  therefore,  were  not  narrowed  by  sectarianism.  He  was  a 
man  of  very  equable  temperament,  and  if  I  were  going  to  characterize 
him  in  a  few  words  I  would  say  that  he  combined  with  the  modern 
spirit  of  progress  of  the  young  American  all  of  the  old-time  spirit  of 
kindliness  and  courtesy." 

The  memorial  sermon  delivered  by  Rabbi  Leo  M.  Franklin,  at  Temple 
Beth  El,  was  a  noble  tribute  to  a  noble  man,  and  from  the  same  is  made 
the  following  brief  excerpt:  **He  could  be  in  spirit  a  young  man  among 
young  men,  an  inspiration  to  them,  though  never  a  moralizer ;  that,  him- 
self a  devotee  of  progress  whose  face  was  ever  toward  the  sun,  he 
could  yet  realize  the  attitude  of  old  men  and  indulge  them — that  man, 
I  say,  was  rare,  and  by  the  power  of  his  personality  compelled  appre- 
ciation. In  a  word,  it  was  above  all  the  deep  human  sympathies  of 
Louis  Blitz  that  made  him  the  man  beloved  in  life  as  he  is  now  revered 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  955 

and  honored  in  memory.  That  human  sympathy  manifested  itself  in 
every  relation  of  his  life.  To  his  children  he  was  not  only  the  father — 
he  was  the  companion,  who  shared  their  hopes  and  their  disappoint- 
ments and  entered  with  their  own  zest  into  their  studies  and  their  sports 
alike.  Among  his  friends  he  was  always  more  than  other  friends,  for 
he  had  that  something  in  his  nature  which  turned  them  to  him  as  a 
wise  counselor  and  a  true  adviser.  He  seemed  to  have  the  ability,  only 
too  rare  with  most  of  us,  to  put  himself  into  the  attitude  of  the  other 
person,  and  so  to  judge  every  case  clearly  and  fairly.  He  had  a  keen 
judicial  mind,  but  the  coldness  of  mere  intellectual  judgment  was  offset 
by  the  warm  humanity  of  his  being." 

A  less  formal  but  equally  appreciative  estimate  given  by  Rabbi 
Franklin  and  published  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Blitz  was  as 
follows:  ** Louis  Blitz  was  a  man  of  such  sane  temperament,  such  great 
heart,  such  a  keen  sense  of  right,  that  1  know  of  no  other  man  in  my 
experience  with  whom  to  compare  him.  His  heart  was  full  to  over- 
flowing with  love  for  his  fellows,  yet  weak  sentimentality  never  ran 
away  with  his  better  judgment.  If  there  was  one  characteristic  of  his 
nature  more  pronounced  than  others  it  was  his  deep  sense  of  justice. 
He  always  seemed  to  know  what  was  the  right  word  to  speak  and  the 
right  thing  to  do,  and  he  never  lacked  the  courage  to  speak  or  to  do. 
Personally,  I  have  lost  my  dearest  friend  and  best  counselor,  but  all 
personal  losses  sink  into  insignificance  before  the  irreparable  loss  which 
our  Jewish  community  has  sustained  in  the  passing  of  Louis  Blitz — a 
man  of  heroic  instincts  and  a  leader  by  the  grace  of  God." 

Mr.  Blitz  was  large  in  his  charities  and  benevolences,  and  these 
transcended  mere  denominational  lines.  He  **  remembered  those  who 
were  forgotten,"  and  his  great  heart  pulsed  in  sympathy  for  all  who 
were  in  affliction  or  distress.  This  sympathy  was  practical,  as  many  who 
have  received  help  from  his  hands  can  well  testify.  At  the  time  of  his 
death  resolutions  of  bereavement  and  of  honor  were  passed  by  many 
organizations. 

A  beautiful  memorial  tablet  in  Temple  Beth  El  attests  the  love  and 
appreciation  of  the  congregation  for  Mr.  Blitz  and  has  the  following 
as  a  portion  of  its  inscription :  *  *  He  was  a  loyal  Jew,  a  patriotic  Ameri- 
can, a  just  and  righteous  man.  This  temple,  erected  during  his  adminis- 
tration, is  an  enduring  reminder  of  his  loyalty,  his  enthusiasm  and  his 
wise  leadership."  He  was  president  of  Congregation  Beth  El  from 
1897  until  his  death,  in  1905. 

Through  his  varied  enterprises  Mr.  Blitz  gave  employment  to  hun- 
dreds of  men,  and  his  relations  with  them  were  those  of  a  true  friend, 
so  that  they  manifested  a  deep  sense  of  personal  bereavement  when  he 
was  summoned  from  the  scene  of  life's  mortal  endeavors.  He  ever 
manifested  a  deep  concern  in  all  that  touched  the  welfare  of  his  home 
city  and  though  he  could  never  be  prevailed  upon  to  become  a  condi- 
date  for  public  office  he  was  a  staunch  adherent  of  the  Republican  party 
and  was  admirably  fortified  in  his  opinions  as  to  governmental  policies 
and  economic  measures.  He  served  as  a  director  of  the  Detroit  Republi- 
can Club,  was  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Qolf  Club  and  the  Phoenix  Club, 
was  affiliated  with  the  Phi  Delta  Phi  college  fraternity  and  was  a  valued 
member  of  various  Masonic  bodies  in  his  home  city.  At  the  time  of  his 
death  he  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Union  of  Amer- 
ican Hebrew  Congregations,  and  this  office  was  one  of  special  distinc- 
tion, as  the  board,  covering  the  entire  United  States,  is  comprised  of  but 
seventeen  members.  He  was  a  student  of  the  best  in  literature,  an 
appreciative  patron  of  the  fine  arts,  a  forceful  and  pleasing  public 
speaker  and  a  man  of  broad  intellectual  ken — one  well  equipped  for 
leadership  in  thought  and  action. 


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956  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Only  one  other  quotation  can  be  indulged  in  this  brief  article,  and  the 
same  is  from  the  Detroit  Evening  News  of  February  6,  1905 :  *' Through 
the  sudden  death  of  Louis  Blitz  there  has  been  taken  from  the  business 
community  of  Detroit  an  active,  alert,  enterprising  and  far-sighted 
manager  whose  initiative  was  responsible  for  the  founding  and  expan- 
sion of  large  and  important  industrial  plants,  the  village  of  Delray 
being,  in  large  part,  a  monument  to  his  genius  for  productive  under- 
takings. Financial  circles  are  deprived  of  an  energetic  intelligence  that 
counted  for  much  in  the  local  banking  world  and  always  on  the  side 
of  safe,  sound  and  conservative  counseb.  The  civic  body  is  called  upon 
to  part  with  a  broad-minded,  public-spirited  citizen,  deeply  concerned 
in  the  progress  and  prosperity  of  the  community  and  equally  alive  to 
its  moral  and  intellectual  needs.  The  Hebrew  population  especially 
must  mourn  a  conspicuous  and  trusted  leader  always  foremost  in  its 
religious  and  charitable  enterprises.  Mr.  Blitz's  death  will  be  sincerely 
regretted  in  many  quarters'. '^ 

A  brief  record  concerning  his  marriage  and  children  is  as  follows: 
On  the  20th  of  November,  1878,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Blitz  to  Miss  Ottilie  Kaichen,  who  died  November  4,  1912.  She  was  a 
representative  of  an  old  and  honored  Detroit  family.  She  was  bom 
in  Albany,  New  York.  When  she  was  two  years  of  age  the  parents 
moved  to  Detroit.  She  was  a  daughter  of  the  late  Arnold  Kaichen,  who 
was  long  a  prominent  and  honored  member  of  the  Detroit  bar  and  who 
served  four  years  as  government  land  agent  in  this  city,  after  which 
he  was  for  eight  years  United  States  pension  agent  for  Michigan,  his 
death  having  occurred  in  1873.  Mr.  Kaichen  was  bom  in  Germany, 
where  he  received  the  best  of  educational  advantages,  including  a  law 
course  in  the  University  of  Giessen.  He  came  to  American  at  the  time 
of  the  German  revolution  of  1848-50,  having  been  identified  with  that 
movement.  Mrs.  Blitz  proved  an  earnest  coadjutor  of  her  husband  in 
his  many  religious  and  benevolent  activities,  and  she  was  specially  prom- 
inent and  influential  in  such  worthy  lines,  being  president  of  the  Ladies' 
Aid  Society  of  Temple  Beth  El,  until  the  time  of  her  death,  an  organi- 
zation now  nearly  an  half  century  old,  and  having  served  for  eighteen 
years  as  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  The  Children's  Free  Hos- 
pital and  four  years  as  its  president. 

In  conclusion  is  entered  brief  record  concerning  the  children  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Blitz:  three  daughters,  Marian,  now  Mrs.  John  Heaverich, 
Grace  and  Helen  Blitz  and  one  son,  Frank  Blitz,  survive  them.  The 
daughters  are  graduates  of  Vassar  College  and  the  son  was  a  student 
at  the  Houghton  School  of  Mines  and  the  University  of  Michigan. 

Charles  Kamman.  Among  those  who  have  made  distinctive  contri- 
bution to  the  industrial  and  commercial  advancement  of  the  Michigan 
metropolis  is  Charles  Kamman,  who  was  for  many  years  actively  engaged 
in  the  meat-packing  business  in  this  city,  where  he  was  the  founder  of 
the  Kamman  Beef  Company,  which  is  still  one  of  the  most  important 
industrials  concerns  of  this  kind  in  Detroit  and  which  has  as  its  head 
one  of  the  sons  of  the  founder.  Mr.  KAmman's  career  shows  the  value 
and  concrete  results  of  well  directed  enterprise  and  honorable  business 
methods,  and  he  has  been  in  the  most  significant  sense  the  architect  of  his 
own  fortunes.  After  many  years  of  earnest  and  fruitful  endeavor  as 
one  of  the  world's  workers  he  retired  from  active  business,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  enjoying  the  repose  and  general  comfort  which  consti- 
tute a  just  reward  for  former  application  to  productive  industry.  He  is 
well  known  in  the  city  that  has  so  long  represented  his  home  and  here 
commands  secure  vantage  ground  in  popular  confidence  and  respect. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  957 

Charles  Kamman  was  bom  in  the  province  of  Hanover,  Germany,  on 
the  7th  of  March,  1841,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  Kamman,  who 
immigrated  to  America  when  he  was  a  lad  of  nine  years  and  established 
their  home  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  where  two  elder  sons  had  previously 
located.  The  parents  passed  the  closing  years  of  their  lives  at  Buffalo 
and  the  father  devoted  the  major  part  of  Ms  active  career  to  the  vocation 
of  a  wholesale  butcher.  He  whose  name  introduces  tiiis  review  gained 
his  rudimentary  education  in  his  native  land  and  after  the  family  immi- 
gration to  America  he  continued  his  studies  in  the  schools  of  Buffalo 
until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he  assumed  practical  responsi- 
bilities by  entering  upon  an  apprenticeship  at  the  butcher's  trade,  to 
which  he  continued  to  devote  his  attention  in  Buffalo  until  1859,  when 
he  came  to  Detroit  and  became  associated  with  his  brother  Frederick  in 
the  establishing  of  a  retail  meat  market  on  Grand  River  avenue  west. 
Later  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Phineas  Massmore  and  engaged  in 
the  same  line  of  enterprise,  at  both  wholesale  and  retail,  with  headquar- 
ters on  Grand  River  avenue.  This  alliance  continued  four  years  and 
Mr.  Kamman  then  initiated  his  individual  and  independent  operations 
as  a  wholesale  dealer,  at  tiie  King  stock-yards,  on  Elizabeth  street.  A 
few  years  later  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  on  Bagley  avenue  and  there 
established  a  general  beef -packing  industry,  the  operations  of  which  he 
conducted  with  marked  progressiveness  and  good  judgment,  with  the 
result  that  the  enterprise  rapidly  expanded  in  scope  and  importance  and 
eventually  became  one  of  the  large  packing  industries  of  the  city, — a 
precedence  that  is  still  retained.  For  more  than  thirty  years  Mr.  Kam- 
man gave  his  -undivided  attention  to  this  extensive  business,  through 
the  medium  of  which  he  gained  a  substantial  competency,  and  the  busi- 
ness has  continuously  been  conducted  under  the  title  of  the  Kamman 
Meat  Company.  In  1905  Mr.  Kamman  retired  from  active  business  aud 
was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Frank  B.  Kamman,  who  is  now  the  sole  owner 
of  the  business  and  general  manager  of  its  general  operations. 

Steadfast  and  upright  in  all  tiie  relations  of  life,  Mr.  Elamman  ap- 
plied himself  with  all  of  diligence  and  energy  and  through  very  virtue 
of  his  well  directed  industry  gained  prestige  as  one  of  the  representative 
business  men  of  the  Michigan  metropolis.  Impregnable  integrity  has 
characterized  his  course  and  his  word  in  the  business  world  has  been  as 
good  as  any  bond  that  was  ever  signed.  Though  never  desirous  of  enter- 
ing the  arena  of  practical  politics,  Mr.  Kamman  is  a  staunch  supporter 
of  the  cause  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  he  has  been  signally  loyal  to 
all  civic  duties  and  responsibilities.  His  religious  faith  is  that  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  church,  of  which  his  wife  likewise  was  a  devout  member. 

In  the  city  of  Detroit,  on  the  26th  of  Februaiy,  1864,  was  performed 
the  marriage  ceremony  that  united  the  life  destinies  of  Mr.  Kamman  and 
Miss  Anna  Butler,  who  was  bom  in  the  province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  on 
the  27th  of  November,  1843,  and  who  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal 
on  the  1st  of  December,  1902.  Her  parents  were  natiVes  of  Ireland  and 
upon  their  immigration  to  America  established  their  home  in  Quebec. 
They  passed  the  closing  years  of  their  lives  in  Quebec.  Since  the  death 
of  his  loved  and  devoted  wife,  who  was  a  true  companion  and  helpmeet, 
Mr.  Kamman  has  lived  in  the  home  of  his  son  Frank  B.,  at  381  Maybury 
avenue,  where  he  receives  the  utmost  filial  solicitude.  In  conclusion  of 
this  review  is  entered  a  brief  record  concerning  the  children  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Kamman. 

Charles,  the  first  bom,  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years.  Mary 
is  the  wife  of  Charles  T.  Hayden,  of  Detroit,  and  they  have  two  sons, 
William  K.  and  Preston  H.  William  K.  Hayden  married  Miss  Blanche 
Best  and  they  have  one  son,  William  Kamman  Hayden,  Jr.    Louise  mar- 


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958  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

ried  John  Kline,  of  Detroit,  and  they  now  reside  in  the  city  of  Columbus, 
Ohio.  They  have  one  child,  Anna,  who  is  the  wife  of  Robert  Klute,  of 
Detroit,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Klute  have  one  child,  Helen  Marie.  William 
Kamman  is  engaged  in  the  wholesale  butcher  business  in  Detroit.  He 
married  ^Miss  Kate  Kinney,  and  they  have  two  children,  Charles  and 
William,  Jr.  Frederick  Kamman  died  in  1905,  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
three  years.  Frank  Butler  Kamman,  the  next  in  order  of  birth,  suc- 
ceeded his  father  in  business,  as  has  already  been  noted  in  this  sketch, 
and  he  is  one  of  the  progressive  and  essentially  representative  business 
men  of  his  native  city.  On  the  23d  of  July,  1897,  was  solemnized  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Evelyn  Destow,  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (Hal- 
lock)  Destow,  who  reside  at  393  Maybury  avenue,  Detroit,  to  which  city 
they  came  from  the  province  of  Ontario,  Canada.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank 
B.  Kamman  have  a  winsome  little  daughter, — Helen.  Anna,  the  next 
in  order  of  birth  of  the  children,  is  the  wife  of  Norman  Henwood,  of 
Detroit,  and  they  have  two  children, — Anna  Alvilia  and  Ford.  John 
Henry  Kamman,  the  youngest  of  the  children,  is  now  a  resident  of 
Australia,  and  he  has  one  son,  Marvin,  who  lives  in  Detroit.  From  the 
data  above  incorporated  it  will  be  seen  that  the  subject  of  this  review, 
Charles  Kamman,  has  nine  grandchildren  and  two  great-grandchildren,  so 
that  he  may  well  take  patriarchal  pride  in  the  status  of  the  family  of 
which  he  is  the  head. 

George  L.  Koessler,  M.  D.  Maintaining  his  residence  and  office  at 
549  Junction  avenue,  Dr.  Koessler  controls  a  substantial  general  prac- 
tice and  is  one  of  the  popular  representatives  of  his  profession  in  the 
Michigan  metropolis,  where  he  has  found  an  attractive  field  of  endeavor. 

George  Leo  Koessler,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Pittsburg,  Penn- 
sylvania, on  the  10th  of  March,  1878,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Hammersmith)  JSIoessler,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  the 
province  of  Alsace-Lorraine,  France,  now  a  part  of  the  German  empire, 
and  the  latter  of  whom  was  born  in  Germany.  As  a  young  man,  and 
prior  to  his  marriage,  John  Koessler  gave  significant  evidence  of  his 
loyalty  to  the  land  of  his  adoption,  as  he  tendered  his  services  in  de- 
fense of  the  Union  and  rendered  gallant  service  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil 
war.  He  became  a  member  of  Knapp's  battery  and  served  in  turn 
in  the  Twenty-eighth  and  One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh  regiments* 
of  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  his  entire  period  of  service  in  the  ranks 
covering  three  years.  After  his  marriage  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  he 
removed  to  Beaver  Falls,  that  state,  where  he  long  followed  the  voca- 
tion of  stationary  engineer  and  where  he  died  in  1898,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-seven  years.  His  devoted  wife  survived  him  by  more  than  a  de- 
cade and  was  sixty-two  years  of  age  when  she  was  summoned  to  the 
life  eternal,  in  1910,  both  having  been  devout  communicants  of  the 
Catholic  church.  Of  their  children  five  sons  and  one  daughter  are 
living.  John  Koessler  always  manifested  his  interest  in  his  old  com- 
rades in  arms  by  maintaining  membership  in  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic  during  his  lifetime 

Dr.  Koessler  was  afforded  the  advantages  of  the  parochial  schools 
of  Beaver  Falls,  where  he  also  completed  the  curriculum  of  the  high 
school.  His  father  having  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  the 
son,  after  leaving  school,  became  a  bookkeeper  in  the  establishment. 
His  inclination,  however,  did  not  lie  along  the  line  of  commercial  enter- 
prise and  he  decided  to  prepare  himself  for  the  medical  profession. 
In  1901  he  was  matriculated  in  the  Cleveland  Homeopathic  Medical 
College,  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  There  he  remained  two  years  and  then 
came  to  Michigan  and  entered  the  Detroit  Homeopathic  Medical  Col- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  959 

lege,  in  which  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1905 
and  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  During  his  senior  year 
he  gained  excellent  clinical  experience  as  an  interne  in  Grace  Hospital. 
He  then  entered  private  practice,  locating  at  the  comer  of  Dix  and 
Junction  avenues,  whence  he  later  removed  to  his  present  location, 
— a  property  which  he  owns.  He  is  a  member  of  the  staff  of  Grace 
Hospital,  and  is  identified  with  the  American  Institute  of  Homeopathy, 
the  Michigan  State  Homeopathic  Medical  Society,  and  the  Detroit 
Homeopathic  Practitioner's  Society.  He  is  lecturer  and  demonstrator 
of  anatomy  in  the  Detroit  Homeopathic  Medical  College,  and  also 
lectures  in  the  training  school  for  nurses  maintained  in  connection  with 
Grace  Hospital.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Church  of 
the  Holy  Redeemer.  He  also  holds  membership  in  the  Catholic  Mutual 
Benefit  Association. 

On  the  23rd  of  April,  1906,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Koessler  to  Miss  Edith  M.  Naylor,  daughter  of  William  Naylor,  of  Wal- 
kerville,  Province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  and  she  presides  most  graciously 
over  their  present  home. 

Thomas  Washington  Ferguson,  M.  D.  Five  years  of  professional 
activity  in  Detroit  have  served  to  establish  Dr.  Ferguson  in  that  city, 
and  to  secure  for  him  a  field  of  labor  in  which  he  has  become  well  and 
favorably  known  as  a  physician  of  skill,  as  well  as  a  man  of  sterling 
character  who  is  able  to  win  and  hold  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  with 
whom  he  comes  in  contact  in  the  performance  of  his  duties  in  the  profes- 
sional world. 

Thomas  Washington  Ferguson  was  bom  at  Smith's  Falls,  county  of 
Lanark,  Ontario,  Canada,  on  September  22,  1874,  and  is  the  son  of 
Thomas  and  Maria  (Ferguson)  Ferguson.  The  parents  were  both  born 
in  Ontario,  while  the  paternal  and  maternal  grandfathers  Ferguson, — 
James  and  Arthur, — ^were  both  natives  of  Ireland.  The  mother  of  Dr. 
Ferguson  died  in  March,  1910,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years,  while  the 
father,  now  in  his  seventieth  year,  still  lives.  The  early  education  of 
Dr.  Ferguson  was  acquired  in  the  public  schools  of  Smith's  Falls, 
Ontario,  following  which  he  spent  two  years  in  the  literary  department 
of  Trinity  University,  Toronto,  Canada,  then  entering  the  medical  de- 
partment of  the  same  institution.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Univers- 
ity, with  the  degree  of  M.  D.,  with  the  class  of  '01. 

The  first  move  of  the  young  doctor  after  receiving  his  degree  took  him 
to  Moosejaw,  Canada,  where  he  spent  perhaps  six  months,  then  returning 
home  to  Smith's  Falls.  From  that  time  his  work  was  confined  princi- 
pally to  the  larger  hospitals  of  New  York  city,  where  he  received  careful 
training,  and  an  experience  which  he  could  not  have  attained  in  many 
years  of  private  practice.  In  May,  1906,  Dr.  Ferguson  settled  in  Detroit 
and  he  is  practicing  today  in  the  same  neighborhood  in  which  he  located 
five  years  ago,  or  more  nearly  six  years  ago.  Recently  the  Doctor  pur- 
chased the  handsome  residence  at  53  Maybury  Grand  avenue,  where  he 
now  maintains  both  office  and  home.  Dr.  Ferguson  is  a  member  of  the 
Degree  of  Honor,  of  the  Home  Guards  of  America  and  of  the  American 
Insurance  Union,  and  is  connected  with  various  organizations  pertaining 

to  his  profession.  .      ^r     -.      , 

On  March  25,  1902,  Dr.  Ferguson  married  Beatrice  Wood,  also  a 
native  of  Smith's  Falls,  and  the  daughter  of  William  A.  Wood  of  that 
place.  Mr.  Wood  was  a  son  of  the  founder  of  the  well  known  firm  of 
Frost  &  Wood,  manufacturers  of  agricultural  implements.  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Ferguson  have  one  son,  James  Alexander,  bom  January  1,  1903. 


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960  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Chaeles  W.  Knaggs,  M.  D.  With  office  and  residence  at  1560  Grat- 
iot avenue,  Dr.  Knaggs  is  numbered  among  the  representative  physicians 
and  surgeons  of  the  Michigan  metropolis,  and  is  one  of  a  very  appreci- 
able number  contributed  to  the  medical  profession  in  Detroit  by  the 
neighboring  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  in  which  both  his  paternal 
and  maternal  grandfathers  settled  in  the  pioneer  days,  both  having  been 
prominently  and  worthily  identified  with  the  development  and  upbuild- 
ing of  Oxford  county,  that  province. 

Dr.  Charles  Warren  Knaggs  was  born  in  the  village  of  Vandecar, 
Oxford  county,  Ontario,  on  the  25th  of  March,  1877,  and  is  a  son  of 
Thomas  and  Marie  Anne  (French)  Knaggs,  both  of  whom  are  likewise 
natives  of  that  county,  where  the  former  was  bom  in  1840  and  the  latter 
in  1843.  The  lineage  of  the  Knaggs  family  is  traced  back  to  staunch 
German  origin  and  that  of  the  French  family  is  of  sterling  Norman- 
French  extraction.  For  more  than  half  a  century  the  father  of  Dr. 
Knaggs  devoted  his  attention  to  the  raising  of  high  grade  live  stock  on 
his  fine  estate  in  Oxford  county,  where  he  and  his  wife  still  maintain 
their  home  and  where  both  have  strong  hold  on  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  the  community  which  has  ever  been  their  place  of  abode.  Thomas 
Knaggs  has  been  a  citizen  of  prominence  and  influence  in  his  native 
county  and  he  is  now  living  virtually  retired  from  active  business,  in 
the  enjoyment  of  that  peace  and  plenty  which  justly  reward  a  life  of 
well  directed  endeavor.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  communicants  of  the 
Methodist  church  and  both  have  long  been  popular  factors  in  the  social 
activities  of  their  home  community. 

Dr.  Knaggs  was  reared  on  the  fine  old  homestead  farm  of  his  father 
and  is  indebted  to  the  public  schools  of  his  native  county  for  his  early 
educational  advantages,  after  duly  availing  himself  of  which  he  completed 
an  effective  course  of  study  in  the  Woodstock  Collegiate  Institute,  one 
of  the  excellent  educational  institutions  of  the  same  county,  of  which  it 
is  the  metropolis  and  judicial  center.  In  the  autumn  of  1899  Dr.  Knaggs 
was  matriculated  in  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  in  which  he  com- 
pleted the  prescribed  course  and  was  graduated  in  1903,  when  he  received 
his  well  earned  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  In  1903-4  he  served  as 
house  surgeon  of  St.  Mary's  Hospital  in  this  city,  and  this  year  of  work 
in  the  extensive  and  admirable  institution  gave  to  him  most  valuable 
preliminary  experience.  In  December,  1904,  he  initiated  the  independ- 
ent and  general  practice  of  his  profession  in  Detroit,  with  office  head- 
quarters at  the  comer  of  Field  and  Gratiot  avenues, — ^half  a  block 
distant  from  his  present  home  and  office.  He  has  had  ample  reason  to 
be  satisfied  with  his  choice  of  location,  as  his  success  in  the  work  of  his 
chosen  calling  has  here  been  of  unequivocal  order  and  has  given  him 
prestige  as  one  of  the  leading  practitioners  in  this  section  of  the  city. 
His  practice  is  now  of  substantial  order  and  is  constantiy  expanding  in 
scope  and  importance,  the  while  he  gives  his  undivided  attention  to  the 
same  and  is  known  as  a  close  and  appreciative  student  who  keeps  in  close 
touch  with  all  advances  made  in  both  departments  of  his  profession. 
The  Doctor  holds  membership  in  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society, 
the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Associ- 
ation. He  is  loyd  and  public-spirited  in  his  civic  attitude  and  is  grati- 
fied to  call  Detroit  his  home.  He  is  affiliated  with  Palestine  Lodge,  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons,  and  Talbort  Camp,  Modem  Woodmen  of  America, 
in  which  latter  he  is  the  medical  examiner. 

On  the  1st  of  September,  1909,  Dr.  Knaggs  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Edith  Read,  who  was  born  at  Cathcart,  Brant  county,  Ontario, 
and  who  is  a  daughter  of  James  Bead,  a  representative  citizen  of  that 
place.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Knaggs  have  a  fine  little  son,  Warren  Donald,  who 
was  bom  on  the  15th  of  November,  1910. 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  961 

Kabl  George  Dubpernell,  M.  D.  One  of  the  prominent  medical 
practitioners  of  Detroit,  who  has  won  recognition  as  a  well-read  and 
skillful  physician  and  surgeon  and  who  possesses  the  essential  qualities 
and  disposition  requisite  for  successful  practice,  is  Dr.  Karl  George 
Dubpernell,  of  No.  35  Twenty-eighth  street,  West  Side.  He  has  spent 
his  whole  professional  career  in  Detroit,  where  he  has  won  an  enviable 
reputation,  and  at  present  is  acting  as  one  of  the  city  physicians.  Dr. 
Dubpernell  was  bom  at  Wellesley,  Waterloo  county,  Ontario,  Canada, 
March  31, 1872,  and  is  a  son  of  Rev.  F.  and  Augusta  (Heinemann)  Dub- 
pernell. 

The  father  of  Dr.  Dubpernell  was  bom  in  France,  of  French  parents, 
and  upon  the  death  of  his  mother,  when  he  was  but  a  lad,  was  ^en  to 
Ctermany.  There  he  was  reared  until  his  sixteenth  year,  at  which  time 
he  came  to  the  United  States  and  entered  a  German  Lutheran  seminary 
at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  being  prepared  for  the  ministry  of  that  church. 
He  held  numerous  pastorates  in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania,  but  was  sub- 
sequently given  a  charge  in  Ontario,  tod  there  he  has  spent  recent  years. 
He  is  still  active  in  ministry  and  is  residing  at  Desboro,  Grey  County, 
Ontario.    His  wife,  who  is  a  native  of  Buffalo,  New  York,  is  also  living. 

Dr.  DubpemellVeceived  such  educational  advantages  In  his  youth  as 
were  afforded  by  the  public  schools  of  Canada,  after  leaving  which  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  jeweler's  business.  He  took  special  courses 
in  ophthalmology,  and  for  four  years  was  employed  as  optician  by  a 
large  firm  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  subsequently  going  on  the  road  for  two 
years  for  the  same  firm.  Deciding  to  enter  the  field  of  medicine.  Dr. 
Dubpernell  entered  the  Physio-Medical  College,  at  Indianapolis,  Indiana, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1896,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine, 
and  being  thus  thoroughly  fortified  for  his  profession,  engaged  in  prac- 
tice in  Detroit,  where  he  has  since  continued.  He  has  had  no  reason  to  re- 
gret his  choice  of  location,  for  he  has  established  a  most  satisfactory 
professional  business,  his  skillful  work  and  marked  success  having  given 
him  a  wide  reputation.  In  July,  1911,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  city 
physicians  of  Detroit.  His  handsome  residence,  in  which  he  main- 
tains well  appointed  offices,  is  located  at  No.  35  Twenty-eighth  street. 
The  Doctor  enjoys  marked  popularity  and  esteem  in  professional,  fra- 
ternal and  social  circles,  and  is  connected  with  the  Wayne  County 
Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American 
Medical  Association. 

Dr.  Dubpernell  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Bessie  Thompson, 
of  Washington  Court  House,  Ohio,  and  they  have  had  four  children,  as 
follows :  Frederick  Earl,  George,  Edward  and  Ruth  Elizabeth. 

Henby  Duncan.  When  the  territory  comprised  in  the  state  of  Mich- 
igan was  little  more  than  a  wilderness  on  the  frontier  of  civilization  John 
Leslie  Duncan,  a  Scotch-Irishman  of  Dublin  birth,  established  himself 
at  the  frontier  settlement  on  the  site  of  the  present  thriving  city  of 
Sault  Ste.  Marie.  Throughout  the  surrounding  part  of  Michigan  he 
was  very  active  in  trade  with  the  Indians  and  in  minor  civic  services. 
He  married  and  founded  his  home  in  the  locality  he  had  selected,  and 
there  in  the  little  frontier  settlement  of  Sault  Ste.  Maanfe,  Henry 
Duncan,  his  son,  was  bom  on  August  4,  1828. 

The  environment  and  influences  of  the  pioneer  epoch  in  northern 
Michigan  compassed  the  childhood  days  of  Henry  Duncan,  whose  rudi- 
mentary education  was  secured  in  a  school  maintained  in  the  settlement 
where  he  was  born.  When  he  was  a  lad  of  about  eight  years  his  father 
died  and  he  then  came  with  his  widowed  mother  to  Detroit,  where  he 
was  enabled  to  continue  his  studies  under  the  direction  of  the  same 


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962  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

instructor  who  had  been  his  teacher  in  the  ** north  country."  In  pre- 
paring for  the  active  work  of  life  he  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship 
at  the  trade  of  harnessmaker,  under  the  direction  of  Cullen  Brown,  one 
of  Detroit's  pioneers  in  this  trade.  Having  become  a  skilled  workman 
in  his  craft,  Mr.  Duncan  while  still  a  young  man  removed  to  the  little 
village  of  Orion,  Oakland  county,  where  he  opened  a  small  shop  and  en- 
gaged in  business  on  his  ovra  responsibility.  There  he  continued  to  fol- 
low the  work  of  his  trade  for  several  years.  Having  married  in  the 
meantime,  he  presently  sought  a  broader  field  of  independent  endeavor. 
As  a  master  craftsman  in  his  line  he  returned  to  the  city  of  Detroit, 
where  he  located  his  business  in  a  building  at  the  corner  of  Woodward 
and  Jefferson  avenues.  His  energy  and  discrimination  soon  earned  for 
his  establishment  a  very  high  reputation.  The  demands  for  his  supplies 
which  the  Civil  war  occasioned  were  such  as  to  tax  the  facilities  of  his 
business  to  the  utmost.  Large  contracts  came  to  him  for  fitting  out  with 
various  accoutrements  the  troops  that  were  proceeding  to  the  front.  His 
harness  and  saddlery  supplies  went  to  the  providing  for  the  first  volun- 
teer regiment  sent  to  the  front  from  Michigan. 

After  Mr.  Duncan  had  for  several  years  conducted  his  business  in- 
dividually he  admitted  his  brother  to  partnership.  The  establishment 
known  under  the  firm  name  of  Duncan  Brothers  was  for  a  number  of 
years  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  city.  Through  his  long  activity  in 
his  vocation  Mr.  Duncan  gained  what  in  those  days  was  a  very  gratifying 
degree  of  prosperity.  To  him  also  belonged  the  honor  of  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  first  volunteer  regiment  to  go  from  Michigan  for  service  in  the 
war  with  Mexico. 

Mrs.  Duncan  was  before  her  marriage  Miss  Harriet  S.  Cady,  a  des- 
cendant of  the  notable  New  York  families  of  Cady  and  Babcock,  both  of 
which  lines  were  represented  by  her  father.  John  Babcock,  her  fath- 
er's maternal  grandfather,  was  a  New  Yorker  of  pre-Revolutionary 
days,  whose  son,  Avery  Babcock,  was  a  general  in  the  Continental 
army  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  latter 's  sister,  Annie  Babcock, 
became  Mrs.  Ebenezer  Cady  and  the  mother  of  Alpheus  Cady,  father 
of  Mrs.  Duncan.  Four  Cady  brothers,  including  Alpheus,  came  with 
their  families  to  Michigan  in  1839,  while  it  was  yet  a  territory'.  Here 
they  all  took  up  tracts  of  government  land  in  Lapeer  county,  where 
they  all  established  their  homes.  Alpheus  Cady's  wife  was  Miss  Patty 
Chambers,  of  New  York.  Their  daughter's  (Mrs.  Duncan)  birth  had 
taken  place  in  the  Empire  state  before  the  western  migration  of  the 
family.  In  the  town  of  Cadyville,  named  for  the  enterprising  and  suc- 
cessful members  of  this  family,  Harriet  Cady's  youth  was  spent  and 
there  her  father  died.  Her  marriage  to  Mr.  Duncan  was  solemnized 
on  May  31,  1853.  Her  life  in  Detroit  has  for  many  years  been  charac- 
terized by  activity  in  social  circles.  She  is  a  member  of  the  local  chap- 
ter of  the  Daughters  of  the  Revolution  and  a  communicant  of  St. 
John's  church,  Protestant  Episcopal,  in  which  for  forty-five  years  she 
has  given  devoted  service  to  various  departments  of  work  in  her  own 
parish,  as  well  as  in  the  diocese  at  large. 

The  years  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duncan's  marriage  brought  them  one 
son,  who  was  named  Leslie  H.  and  who  was  born  in  Orion»  Oakland 
county,  in  1858.  His  early  education  was  that  provided  by  the  advan- 
tages of  Professor  Bacon's  school  for  boys  in  Detroit,  and  his  later 
courses  were  pursued  in  a  similar  institution  located  above  New  York 
City.  He  entered  the  business  of  pharmacy,  in  which  for  a  time  he 
engaged  at  Mt.  Clemens,  Michigan.  He  later  retired  to  a  farm  which 
he  owned  in  that  vicinity  and  there  with  his  family  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life.    To  him  and  his  wife,  nee  Gertrude  McCall,  two  daughters 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  963 

were  bom.  Harriet,  the  elder,  became  Mrs.  Samuel  Coombs,  of  Pitts- 
burg, Pennsylvania,  and  the  mother  of  a  son  named  Duncan  Shafer; 
he  was  born  on  the  15th  of  November,  1907,  and  is  Mrs.  Duncan  *s  only 
great-grandson.  His  father,  Samuel  Coombs,  is  now  deceased.  The 
second  daughter  of  Leslie  Duncan,  named  Jessie,  married  Homan  Hal- 
let,  of  Los  Angeles.  He  holds  large  mining  interests  in  Old  Mexico, 
but  the  present  revolution  in  that  land  has  resulted  in  the  family  re- 
siding temporarily  in  Detroit.  Mr.  Leslie  Duncan's  own  death  occurred 
in  18S8,  nineteen  years  before  the  birth  of  his  only  male  descendant. 
The  Duncan  family  is  nobly  represented  by  Mrs.  Duncan,  who  lives 
to  enjoy  an  old  age  that  is  beautiful  and  rich  in  the  truest  sense  of  the 
word.  Not  only  is  her  nobility  of  character  and  mind  of  an  enviable 
degree,  but  she  also  enjoys  a  material  prosperity  of  gratifying  quality. 
For  forty-five  years  or  more,  she  occupied  the  fine  residence  property 
which  her  husband  had  bought  and  which  is  located  at  the  corner  of 
Woodward  avenue  and  Winder  street.  This  homestead,  where  Henry 
Duncan  died  on  the  17th  of  March,  1865,  his  widow  finally  sold,  pur- 
chasing her  present  and  spacious  modem  residence,  at  39  Woodward 
Terrace.  There  she  still  resides,  interested  in  the  life  about  her  and  in 
the  activities  of  her  descendants,  but  ever  keepng  alive  the  memory  of 
her  husband,  whose  service  to  his  community  and  country,  like  his  deep 
integrity  of  character,  are  commemorated  in  this  brief  tribute. 

John  Henry  Neary,  M.  D.  One  of  the  young  men  whose  career  in 
the  medical  profession  has  brought  him  early  distinction  and  success 
is  Dr.  John  Henry  Neary,  whose  office  and  residence  are  at  654  Grandy 
avenue.  He  has  spent  most  of  his  life  in  Detroit,  having  graduated 
from  the  local  colleges  and  professional  schools,  and  after  a  thorough 
preparatory  experience  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession. 

Dr.  Neary,  who  was  born  at  Adrian,  Michigan,  January  14,  1876, 
is  a  member  of  a  family  which  have  been  identified  with  this  state  for 
three  quarters  of  a  century.  His  grandfather,  Patrick  Neary,  a  native 
of  Ireland,  came  to  America  about  1835,  and  was  married  at  Monroe, 
Michigan,  to  Bridget  Rider,  who  was  also  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle. 
Patrick  Neary  was  a  very  active  and  enterprising  man.  He  had  a  con- 
tract for  building  one  mile  of  the  old  Erie  canal  out  of  Toledo.  With 
the  discovery  of  gold  on  the  Pacific  coast  he  became  a  California  forty- 
niner,  and  remained  in  the  west  until  1862. 

Dr.  Neary 's  parents  were  William  E.  and  Mary  E.  (Fallen)  Neary. 
The  father  was  born  in  Adrian,  in  1844,  and  the  mother  was  bom  in 
Ireland,  in  1846,  a  daughter  of  Michael  Fallen,  and  her  death  occurred  in 
1908.  The  family  moved  from  Adrian  to  Detroit  in  1887,  and  here  the 
son  obtained  his  education  in  the  public  schools,  from  which  he  entered 
the  Jesuit  College,  now  the  Detroit  University.  He  also  attended  a 
business  school  for  a  time,  but  on  finally  determining  upon  a  career  of 
medicine  he  entered  the  Michigan  College  of  Medicine  and  Surgery  at 
Detroit  in  1896  and  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  For  some 
time  he  was  connected  with  the  TJ.  S.  Marine  Hospital  in  this  city,  and 
then  began  the  general  practice,  with  two  offices,  one  at  the  corner  of 
Park  and  High  streets,  which  he  discontinued  in  1901,  and  the  other  at 
his  present  location  at  654  Grandy  avenue. 

Dr.  Neary  made  a  very  creditable  record  as  Detroit  city  physician 
during  the  years  of  1903-04-05.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County 
and  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Societies  and  the  American  Medical 
Association,  and  among  his  associates  is  known  as  a  man  of  advanced 
ideas  and  progressive  both  in  theory  and  practice.  With  a  few  other 
physicians  in  1912,  he  began  the  erection  of  what  is  known  as  the  Samari- 


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964  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

tan  Hospital.  This  is  a  fire-proof  building  of  steel  construction  and 
so  planned  as  to  permit  additions  being  made  as  required.  It  is  fitted 
with  the  latest  appliances  for  the  treatment  of  medical  and  surgical 
cases  and  has  accommodations  for  about  fifty  patients.  It  will  cost  over 
$50,000.  Dr.  Neary  is  aflSliated  with  the  Knights  of  Columbus  and 
the  Knights  of  Equity,  and  he  and  his  family  have  membership  in  St. 
John  the  Evangelist  Catholic  church.  Dr.  Neary  was  married  in  1898 
in  Detroit,  to  Miss  Mary  JeflEers,  daughter  of  Patrick  Jeflfers. 

WiLLUM  Savage  Moore.  At  this  time,  when  the  blue  and  grey 
fraternize,  when  the  bitterness  of  sectional  issues  has  given  way  to  a 
patriotic  love  of  the  stars  and  stripes,  the  flag  for  which  the  sons  of  those 
who  fought  under  the  stars  and  bars  gave  up  their  lives  to  protect  in 
our  latest  war,  it  is  a  pleasure  to  give  the  homage  due  to  those  who 
wore  with  bravery  the  livery  of  the  Confederate  army.  This  praise 
is  today  given  without  stint  and  without  mental  reservation,  and  it  is 
particularly  gratifying  to  be  able  to  introduce  it  in  this  history  of 
Detroit,  a  city  which  has  won  reknown  for  its  unswerving  loyalty  to  the 
Union  cause,  and  for  the  self  sacrifice  of  its  inhabitants  during  the  un- 
happy struggle  of  the  Civil  war. 

Among  the  honored  citizens  of  Detroit  was  one  who  served  under  the 
Confederate  flag  with  distinction.  William  S.  Moore  was  ever  in  the 
front  ranks  of  the  army  opposed  to  that  in  which  served  the  men  who 
were  in  time  to  become  his  warm  friends  and  admirers,  and  he  brought 
to  Detroit  that  high  sense  of  honor  and  southern  chivalry  which  char- 
acterized him  untU  the  day  of  his  death,  which  occurred  June  22,  1906. 
A  man  of  the  most  upright  character,  he  was  universally  respected  and 
was  deeply  mourned  by  a  host  of  real  friends. 

Bom  at  Richmond,  Virginia,  May  17,  1846,  the  son  of  James  and 
Louisa  Moore,  who  were  of  English  descent  and  who  came  from  the 
oldest  families  in  Virginia,  Mr.  Moore  received  his  early  education  in 
the  schools  of  Richmond,  and  when  very  young  he  enlisted  in  the  South- 
ern army  with  two  brothers,  serving  all  through  the  war.  His  first 
service  was  with  Parker's  Battery,  which  he  joined  March  18,  1862, 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  After  serving  a  year  with  this  branch  of 
the  Light  Artillery,  he  was  transferred  to  the  First  Company  of  the 
Richmond  Howitzers,  during  the  winter  of  1863.  He  was  wounded  at 
Pale  Green  Church  May  3,  1864.  Late  in  that  year  he  was  transferred 
to  Wise's  Brigade.  He  was  wounded  and  captured  at  Sailor's  Creek 
April  3,  1865,  and  was  imprisoned  at  Washington,  D.  C. 

After  peace  was  declared  he  went  to  New  York  City,  where  he  became 
engaged  with  A.  T.  Stewart,  who  at  that  time  was  the  merchant  prince 
of  the  great  metropolis,  and  who  owned  the  largest  dry  goods  store  in 
the  city.  He  then  went  into  the  life  insurance  business,  in  which  he 
remained  for  the  rest  of  his  life,  first  in  New  York  and  coming  to  Detroit 
in  1882  as  a  representative  of  the  Equitable  Life  Insurance  Company  of 
New  York.  About  a  year  later  he  was  sent  to  Europe  by  the  New  York 
Life  Insurance  Company,  where  he  remained  about  a  year.  Returning 
to  the  United  States,  he  was  sent  south  by  the  New  York  Life,  remaining 
there  for  about  five  years.  He  did  an  enormous  business  for  the  com- 
pany, which  was  very  anxious  for  him  to  remain  in  the  south,  but  he 
liked  Detroit  and  refused  most  flattering  offers  to  remain.  Mrs.  Moore 
did  not  like  the  south  and  he  returned  to  this  city,  continuing  in  the 
insurance  business  with  the  greatest  success  until  he  was  called  from 
earth,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Woodlawn  cemetery  June  22, 1906. 

He  was  considered  one  of  the  greatest  life  insurance  men  in  the 
United  States,  and  was  known  as  ''Colonel  Moore" — a  title  he  had 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  965 

earned  by  hard  service — by  all  his  friends.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Sons  of  the  American  Revolution  and  of  the  Country  Club.  He  was 
very  liberal  in  his  political  views  and  always  voted  for  the  man  he 
deemed  best  fitted  to  fill  the  position  for  which  he  was  nominated,  re- 
gardless of  party  aflBliations. 

Mr.  Moore  was  a  devoted  husband  and  father,  taking  the  greatest 
interest  in  his  home.  He  was  a  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church 
of  Detroit.  He  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Miranda  Heflebower, 
widow  of  Abraham  Heflebower,  a  soldier  of  the  Union  army,  who  died 
from  the  results  of  hardship  and  exposure  in  the  field.  Mrs.  Moore  is 
the  daughter  of  John  and  Rebecca  Paflfinburger,  who  were  of  German 
descent.  Her  ancestors  settled  in  Maryland  and  later  went  to  Urbana, 
Ohio,  where  Mrs.  Moore  was  born.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  were  married 
May  17,  1882,  at  Springfield,  Ohio.  Three  children  were  born  to  Mrs. 
Moore :  Rhea  M.,  who  lives  at  home.  Dr.  John  W.  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Detroit  College  of  Medicine  and  is  at  present  surgeon  of  the  Atlantic 
Mines  at  Houghton,  Michigan.  Dr.  Moore  married  a  daughter  of  the 
president  of  the  mines.  Miss  Helen  Stanton,  and  they  have  one  child, 
John  S.  Sarah  H.  married  Dr.  Allan  McLean,  surgeon  in  the  United 
States  navy,  stationed  at  Washington,  D.  C.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McLean  have 
one  child,  William  Moore  McLean. . 

Mrs.  Moore  and  her  family  are  faithful  members  of  the  First  Pres- 
byterian church  and  at  present  reside  in  the  handsome  residence  at  82 
Putnam  avenue.  The  old  home  built  in  1885  was  located  on  Garfield 
avenue. 

OscAB  E.  Janes.  The  first  appointment  to  the  civil  service  made  by 
the  late  President  McKinley  during  his  first  term  was  to  fill  the  oflSce  of 
United  States  Pension  Agent  at  Detroit  Agency,  and  the  appointee  was 
Colonel  Oscar  E.  Janes,  who  still  holds  that  office  and  is  one  of  the  best 
known  men  in  the  city  and  state.  Immediately  following  the  adjourn- 
ment of  the  first  cabinet  meeting,  March  8,  1897,  President  McKinley 
sent  his  nomination  to  the  senate,  where  it  was  at  once  referred  to  the 
committee  in  executive  session.  Within  five  minutes  and  six  seconds 
from  the  time  it  was  received  a  messenger  was  dispatched  to  the  Presi- 
dent to  inform  him  that  the  nomination  had  been  confirmed. 

The  office  of  United  States  Pension  Agent  at  Detroit,  for  which  Colo- 
nel Janes  is  so  admirably  qualified,  is  one  of  the  most  important  federal 
positions  in  Michigan,  and  is  conducted  under  the  rules  laid  down  by 
the  civil  service  commission.  On  June  30, 1911,  the  books  of  the  agency 
showed  an  enrollment  of  36,917  pensioners,  and  an  annual  disbursement 
of  $6,746,023.14,  making  a  total  disbursement  during  his  incumbency  of 
the  office  to  November,  1911,  of.  $98,986,211.19,  for  every  dollar  of  which 
the  agent  is  accountable,  though  under  the  civil  service  ruled  he  is  not  al- 
lowed to  name  his  subordinates,  upon  whom  he  must  necessarily  rely  for 
a  correct  handling  of  this  vast  sum  of  money.  Since  he  took  charge  of 
the  office  its  duties  have  been  administered  with  signal  ability.  The 
quarterly  payments  have  been  made  in  less  than  one-half  the  time  here- 
tofore taken.  With  the  Bureau  of  Pensions  he  has  gained  a  record  of 
conducting  one  of  the  best  agencies  in  promptness,  accuracy  and  neat- 
ness of  reports. 

The  appointment  made  by  the  President  as  the  first  act  of  his  admin- 
istration was  an  honor  fittingly  bestowed  upon  a  career  that  had  already 
been  marked  by  long  and  distinguished  service  in  the  state  of  Michigan. 
The  greater  part  of  his  life  Colonel  Janes  had  spent  in  the  city  and  coun- . 
ty  of  Hillsdale,  but  he  was  bom  at  Johnstown,  Rock  county,  Wisconsin, 


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966  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

July  6,  1843.  His  family  before  him  has  contained  members  of  promi- 
nence and  interesting  history. 

Of  English  ancestry,  he  is  descended  from  William  Janes,  who  im- 
migrated from  England  to  America  in  1637  and  was  a  member  of  the 
colony  of  Rev.  John  Davenport.  The  colony  crossed  in  the  ship  Hector, 
and  after  a  short  stay  in  Boston  journeyed  south  and  founded  the  pres- 
ent city  of  New  Haven,  Connecticut.  Elijah  Janes,  the  great-great- 
grandfather of  Colonel  Janes,  was  one  of  the  minute-men  of  the  colonial 
wars  and  also  served  as  lieutenant  of  dragoons  during  the  war  of  the 
Revolution. 

This  branch  of  the  family  settled  in  Vermont,  and  in  Grand  Isle, 
that  state,  was  bom  John  E.  Janes,  father  of  Colonel  Janes.  Prom  Ver- 
mont his  parents  moved  to  Wayne  county,  New  York,  and  in  1838  he  set- 
tled at  Johnstown,  Rock  county,  Wisconsin,  where  he  became  a  substan- 
tial farmer  and  for  many  years  was  prominently  identified  with  the 
growth  and  development  of  that  section  of  the  state.  He  was  a  strong 
abolitionist,  and  in  the  years  preceding  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war 
his  house  was  one  of  the  well-known  stations  on  the  ''Underground 
Railway."  Here  he  harbored  many  runaway  slaves,  and  Colonel  Janes, 
himself,  when  a  boy,  drove  a  carriage  containing  black  fugitives  from 
his  father's  home  to  the  next  station.  In  this  way  the  runaways  were 
helped,  stage  by  stage,  in  their  flight  from  the  south  to  Canada,  where 
they  were  secure  from  pursuit.  At  the  same  time  bills  were  posted 
about  the  country  offering  a  thousand  dollars  reward  for  the  detection 
of  anyone  harboring  or  assisting  the  escaping  slaves.  Colonel  Janes' 
mother  was  Esther  (Bagley)  Janes. 

During  his  boyhood  spent  in  Wisconsin,  he  devoted  himself  to  farm 
work  during  the  summer  and  to  attending  district  school  in  the  winter. 
After  finishing  at  the  Milton  Academy,  Wisconsin,  he  entered  college  at 
Hillsdale,  Michigan,  in  the  class  of  1863.  After  spending  two  months 
in  college  he  laid  aside  his  books,  and  at  a  time  when  it  was  known  there 
was  danger  at  the  front  and  the  services  of  every  loyal  son  were  needed, 
he  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  on  November  15,  1863,  as 
as  a  private  in  the  Fourth  Michigan  Infantry. 

His  army  record  shows  that  in  battle  he  was  always  in  the  forefront, 
taking  part  in  numerous  engagements,  among  which  were  the  battles  of 
the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  North  Anna,  Cold  Harbor,  Petersburg 
and  Jerusalem  Plank  Road,  Virginia.  At  the  l^t  named  engagement, 
just  as  the  day  was  merging  into  night  on  June  22,  1864,  he  received  a 
wound  which  cost  him  his  arm  and  left  him  as  dead  on  the  field  of  battle. 
The  next  morning  the  orderly  sergeant  and  Sergeant  Dickerson  of  his 
company,  going  out  to  seek  him  among  the  slain  of  the  previous  day, 
found  and  buried  what  they  believed  to  be  his  body,  erecting  over  him  a 
headboard,  to  the  memory  of  Oscar  A.  Janes.  Furthermore,  on  the 
muster  roll  of  his  regiment  he  was  recorded  among  the  ''Killed  in  Bat- 
tle," and  a  letter  was  forwarded  to  his  parents  in  Wisconsm  informing 
them  of  their  supposed  bereavement.  In  the  meantime  the  subject  of 
these  mortuary  records  had  been  picked  up  by  the  ambulance  corps, 
though  nothing  of  this  was  known  at  the  front  for  several  days,  until  it 
was  announced  in  the  New  York  papers  that  he  was  then  in  Haddington 
Hospital,  Philadelphia.  An  incident  connected  with  the  supposed  bur- 
ial of  Comrade  Janes  occurred  at  a  reunion  of  the  veterans  of  the  Fourth 
Michigan,  held  at  Hudson  five  years  after  the  close  of  the  war.  Colonel 
Janes  met  Sergeant  Dickerson,  and,  extending  to  him  his  only  remaining 
♦  hand,  said:  "How  are  you,  DickT'  The  Sergeant  replied:  "I  am  aU 
right,  but  I  don't  seem  to  know  you;  who  are  you,  anyway f  "Why,  I 
am  Janes,  of  your  company,  don't  you  know  me?"     To  this  astounding 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  967 

statement  Sergeant  Dickerson  answered,  saying:  **My  Qod,  I  buried  you 
at  Petersburg." 

After  being  mustered  out  of  service  Colonel  Janes  returned  to  Hills- 
dale College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1868.  He  at  once  began  the 
study  of  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1871.  In  1873  he  married 
Miss  Vinnie  E.  Hill,  of  Hillsdale.  Her  death  occurred  two  years  later. 
In  1878  he  was  married  to  Miss  Julia  M.  Mead,  of  Hillsdale.  This  union 
was  blessed  with  three  children :  Marie  E.,  Henry  M.  and  John  F. 

In  private  life  Colonel  Janes  is  recognized  as  a  cultured,  courteous 
gentleman,  who  cherishes  friends  and  enjoys  their  companionship.  In 
public  affairs  his  influence  has  always  been  large  both  in  his  home  com- 
munity and  the  state.  He  possesses  rare  gifts  as  an  orator,  and  has  the 
tact  and  integrity  which  are  demanded  in  public  life.  His  title  he  re- 
ceived in  1885,  while  on  the  staflf  of  Governor  Russell  A.  Alger.  He 
served  the  Union  Veterans'  Union  as  its  department  commander,  and 
was  department  commander  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  of 
Michigan  in  1883,  and  was  inspector  general  of  the  National  Grand 
Army  in  1887.  He  was  for  four  years  secretary  and  treasurer  of  Hills- 
dale College,  of  which  he  has  also  been  trustee  and  auditor.  .He  has 
held  high  rank  in  the  orders  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  latter  of  which  he  served  as  grand 
master  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Michigan  and  also  as  grand  representative 
of  the  Sovereign  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees ;  of  Detroit  Lodge,  No.  34,  B.  P.  0. 
E. ;  of  Detroit  Post,  No.  384,  G.  A.  R. ;  and  of  the  Michigan  Society  of 
the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution. 

The  citizens  of  Hillsdale  city  and  county,  where  he  so  long  resided, 
have  often  honored  him  with  positions  of  public  trust,  including  the 
ofSces  of  city  clerk,  city  attorney,  alderman,  circuit  court  commissioner, 
judge  of  probate  eight  years,  and  state  senator.  In  politics  Colonel 
Janes  has  always  been  a  Republican,  casting  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  General  Grant,  and  he  has  given  to  the  party  the  advantages  of  his 
fine  oratorical  gifts  in  the  exposition  of  its  principles.  He  enjoys  the 
distinction  of  having  been  chairman  of  the  Michigan  Republican  State 
Convention,  which  elected  delegates  to  the  National  Republican  Conven- 
tion at  St.  Louis,  where  McKinley  was  nominated  for  the  presidency. 
He  has  been  many  times  a  delegate  to  state  conventions. 

In  the  Michigan  legislature  of  1895-96  Colonel  Janes,  representing 
the  counties  of  Hillsdale,  Branch  and  St.  Joseph  in  the  senate,  served 
on  a  number  of  its  most  important  committees,  including  the  committees 
on  judiciary,  school  of  mines,  constitutional  amendments,  and  soldiers' 
home.  As  chairman  of  the  last  he  made  a  report  which  caused  a  special 
investigation  of  the  management  to  be  made  by  the  succeeding  legis- 
lature. Also  in  that  session  he  was  author  of  the  Flag  act,  which  pro- 
vides that  during  school  hours  the  flag  of  our  country  shall  float  over 
every  public  school  building  in  the  state ;  and  also  of  the  joint  resolu- 
tion appropriating  ten  thousand  dollars  for  a  statue  of  Michigan's  war 
governor,  Austin  Blair.  He  also  made  masterly  efforts  in  opposition  to 
the  capital  punishment  bill,  which  was  finally  defeated  by  a  narrow 
margin  of  votes.  For  his  earnest  and  successful  championship  of  the 
pure  food  law  he  received  the  thanks  of  the  farmers  of  his  district  in  a 
set  of  resolutions  adopted  by  Pomona  Grange  of  Hillsdale  county. 

Seldom  has  a  federal  appointment  been  more  felicitous  and  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  highest  test  of  merit  than  in  the  case  of  Colonel  Janes 
to  the  oflSce  of  Pension  Agent  at  Detroit.  For  half  a  century  his  career 
presents  an  unblemished  record  of  personal  integrity  and  public  service, 


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968  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

and  among  the  living  survivors  of  the  great  war  for  the  Union  he  is  eas- 
ily one  of  the  most  distinguished. 

Nels  L.  Olson.  Among  the  worthy  citizens  of  Detroit,  one  who  has 
become  an  important  factor  in  the  manufacturing  world  is  Nels  L.  Olson, 
president  of  the  Swedish  Crucible  Steel  Company  and  the  inventor  of 
that  extremely  valuable  aid  to  agriculturists,  the  Olson  Adjustable  Plow 
Point.  An  account  of  the  development  of  his  career  will  be  of  especial 
interest  to  his  business  colleagues  and  other  acquaintances,  as  well  as 
to  those  to  whom  his  achievements  in  invention  and  manufacture  have 
made  his  name  more  familiar  than  his  personality. 

Mr.  Olson  is  a  conspicuously  superior  example  of  his  racial  type — 
that  people  of  remarkable  physical  vigor,  whose  reserve  force  less  often 
fails  them  in  the  strenuousness  of  American  life  than  does  the  stamina 
of  more  volatile  races  ebb  away  under  the  strain  of  ambitious  effort. 
Of  their  unassuming  faithfulness  and  their  careful  craftsmanship  he 
is  furthermore  an  admirable  exponent.  In  the  somewhat  rigorous  sur- 
roundings of  his  native  Swedish  home  Nels  Olson's  birth  occurred  on 
October  15,  1868.  His  parents  were  Ola  and  Inga  Christofferson,  both 
of  whom  were  bom  in  Sweden  and  whose  lives  were  spent  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  the  father  living  all  his  earthly  days  on  the  same  trim 
and  well-tilled  farm.  His  death  occurred  in  1883  and  his  wife  followed 
him  to  the  great  beyond  in  the  year  1905. 

In  the  Swedish  public  schools  Nels  Olson  gained  his  early  knowledge 
of  life  through  the  lore  of  books  and  the  training  of  teachers.  When 
he  had  reached  the  age  of  fourteen  years  he  was  apprenticed  to  that 
useful  trade  which  is  possible  only  to  men  of  fine  physique,  the  voca- 
tion of  blacksmith.  By  the  time  he  had  reached  the  age  of  seventeen 
he  had  gazed  into  the  future  with  the  eyes  of  hope  and  ambition.  In 
distant  America  he  believed  his  success  lay,  for  Nels  Olson  had  a  quiet, 
steady  faith  in  his  own  ability.  He  crossed  the  Atlantic  ocean  and  came 
to  the  midle  west,  where  he  first  settled  in  Chicago.  Prom  here  he 
sought  the  far  west  and  for  a  year  made  his  home  in  the  Sacramento 
Valley  in  California.  His  interest  in  the  different  phases  of  western 
life  next  led  him  to  Portland,  Oregon,  where  for  a  number  of  years 
he  profitably  pursued  the  business  for  which  he  had  been  trained.  In 
1890  he  removed  to  Butte,  Montana,  where  he  opened  a  blacksmith 
shop,  thereafter  conducting  it  for  several  years. 

During  this  period  of  work  Nels  Olson's  activity  had  not  been  merely 
physical.  His  mind,  observant  and  independent,  had  been  at  work, 
and  plans  were  formulated  which  presently  he  began  to  put  into  execu- 
tion. In  1897  he  established  the  Olson  Implement  Company,  which, 
after  he  had  conducted  it  individually  until  1901,  was  incorporated 
under  the  laws  of  Montana  with  a  capital  of  twenty  thousand  dollars. 
Mr.  Olson  himself  was  president  of  the  company;  Mrs.  Olson  secre- 
tary and  treasurer ;  and  Arthur  Brown,  also  a  stockholder,  besides  being 
a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees.  With  offices  located  on  Wyoming 
street  in  the  city  of  Butte,  the  Olson  Implement  Company  has  ranked 
as  the  largest  business  of  its  kind  in  the  entire  state  of  Montana.  It 
is  needless  to  say  that  the  business  has  been  a  very  extensive  and  profit- 
able one.  The  fact  that  Mr.  Olson's  interests  as  a  manufacturer  and 
inventor  have  assumed  such  heavy  proportions  as  they  now  hold  has 
made  it  necessary  for  him  to  withdraw  from  the  Butte  business. 

Nels  Olson's  understanding  of  agricultural  problems,  combined  with 
his  mechanical  ingenuity,  has  made  him  a  genuine  benefactor  of  the 
great  class  of  farmers  who  mean  so  much  to  the  country  in  their  invalu- 
ble  capacity  as  producers.    Realizing  the  disadvantages  in  the  decreas- 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  969 

ing  fertility  of  much-used  soil ;  recognizing  the  fact  that  below  a  given 
level,  undisturbed  elements  of  fertility  must  lie ;  understanding  that  the 
average  plowing  implement  has  limitations  of  effectiveness,  Mr.  Olson 
brought  a  great  boon  within  reach  of  the  farmers  by  his  invention,  pat- 
ented in  1910,  of  the  Olson  Adjustable  Plow  Point.  The  fact  that  this 
point  can  be  adjusted  to  any  depth  and  can  be  set  at  gradations  of  the 
one  hundredth  part  of  an  inch  have  given  it  an  immense  value  in  the 
eyes  of  the  agriculturists. 

This  invention  of  Mr.  Olson's  is  manufactured  by  the  Swedish 
Crucible  Steel  Company,  whose  factories  are  located  in  Detroit.  Of 
this  company  he  is  the  president  and  the  largest  stockholder.  Its  vice- 
president  is  A.  J.  W.  Nixon  and  its  secretary  and  treasurer  is  J.  H. 
Tobin,  Junior.  The  importance  of  this  company  is  steadily  growing 
and' it  is  taking  high  rank  as  one  of  Detroit's  most  useful  enterprises. 
To  Mr.  Olson,  therefore,  as  its  head  and  most  active  member,  great 
credit  is  due  and  he  is  worthy  of  remark  as  one  more  excellent  demonstra- 
tion of  the  value  of  the  Swedish-American  in  our  population  of  many 
mingled  sources. 

Mrs.  Olson  is  also  of  European  birth.  As  Ina  Mickleson  she  was  bom 
in  Finland,  and  came  in  early  girlhood  to  America  in  company  with 
her  parents.  Their  subsequent  home  was  in  Michigan,  where  she  was 
reared  and  educated.  In  Butte,  Montana,  in  November  of  1899,  she 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Mr.  Olson.  In  that  city  also  were  bom  the 
three  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Olson — Florence,  Norman  and  Blanche. 
Mr.  Olson  and  his  family  are  connected  with  the  Swedish-Lutheran 
church.  Politically  he  does  not  commit  himself  to  partisan  limitations. 
He  belongs  to  the  Swedish  chapter  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows. 

Captain  Owen  CouRTiiAND  Linsday.  On  the  1st  of  May,  1912, 
Captain  Linsday  ^dll  have  rounded  out  thirty  years  of  service  with  the 
police  department.  More  than  half  his  lifetime  he  has  given  to  this 
public  service,  and  he  has  had  a  varied  career  marked  by  interesting  inci- 
dents and  high  usefulness.  He  joined  the  force  as  patrolman  May  1, 1882. 
About  this  time  Detroit  was  the  Mecca  for  dangerous  croofcs,  and  a 
crusade  begun  by  the  late  Superintendent  E.  F.  Conely  to  rid  the  com- 
munity of  them  found  in  patrolman  Linsday  a  faithful  and  fearless 
subordinate,  who  for  months  was  stationed  at  the  doors  of  thieves'  resorts 
and  did  his  full  share  toward  abating  those  evils.  Upon  the  adoption  of 
the  police  signal  system  he  was  appointed  the  first  operator  and  served 
three  years  and  five  months  in  that  capacity.  He  was  then  attached  to  the 
bank  squad,  was  crossing  policeman  two  years  and  five  months  at  Con- 
gress and  Woodward  avenues,  and  in  1892  was  made  roundsman,  serving 
in  the  Central  precinct  five  years  in  that  capacity,  two  years  of  the  time 
in  charge  of  the  old  Woodbridge  Station.  In  1897  he  was  promoted 
to  lieutenant,  being  stationed  at  the  Canfield  Avenue  Station,  Fourth 
Precinct.  After  being  in  the  latter  precinct  about  eleven  years  he  was 
appointed  by  Commissioner  Croul  and  Superintendent  Downey  as  lieu- 
tenant of  all  the  parks  and  boulevards  of  Detroit.  Under  Commissioner " 
Croul  he  proved  one  of  the  most  efficient  in  carrying  out  certain  reforms, 
and  was  promoted  on  October  1,  1910,  to  captain,  being  in  charge  of  the 
sixth  precinct.  Captain  Linsday  has  probably  done  more  than  any 
other  individual  to  regulate  the  scorcher  evil  in  automobile  traflSc.  Dur- 
ing the  last  season  he  arrested  two  hundred  and  sixteen  scorchers, 
chasing  them  with  a  Hupmobile,  and  he  covered  over  nine  thousand 
miles  in  his  machine. 


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970  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

Captain  Linsday  was  born  in  St.  Clair  county,  Michigan,  February 
28,  1859.  He  attended  school  in  Bay  City,  but  school  days  ended  when 
he  was  twelve  years  old,  and  he  went  on  the  Great  Lakes.  He  was  a 
lake  sailor  until  he  was  twenty-three  years  old,  and  left  that  occupation 
to  join  the  police  department.  Captain  Linsday  married  Miss  Anna 
McKenney,  of  Amherstburg,  Canada.  Her  parents  were  Augustus 
and  Matilda  (Grondin)  McKenney,  her  father  being  a  native  of  Ireland 
and  her  mother  a  native  of  Canada  and  of  French  stock.  Mrs.  Linsday 
is  a  niece 'of  the  late  Sir  John  Schultz,  for  many  years  a  Dominion 
senator  and  was  appointe<i  by  Sir  John  Macdonald  as  lieutenent-gover- 
nor  of  Manitoba,  and  his  weath  occurred  while  he  was  in  the  latter  office. 
Five  children  have  been  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Linsday:  John,  now 
deceased;  Allan,  who  is  second  mate  on  the  steamer  Western  States 
between  Detroit  and  Buffalo,  married  Miss  Mary  Miller  of  Tonawanda, 
New  York ;  Raymond,  who  lives  at  home,  is  a  conductor  on  the  D.  U.  R. ; 
Mildred,  aged  eighteen,  at  home;  and  Helen,  aged  ten.  The  family 
reside  at  an  attractive  home  at  199  Connecticut  avenue. 

Captain  Linsday  affiliates  with  the  Grand  River  Tent  of  the  Mac- 
cabees. He  is  one  of  the  intelligent  and  public-spirited  citizens  of 
Detroit,  and  has  done  much  to  influence  action  and  opinion  through  his 
writings  on  economic  and  political  subjects  of  interest  to  this  locality. 
He  is  a  good  writer  and  frequent  contributor  to  the  columns  of  the  daily 
press. 

LuciEN  F.  Webb,  M.  D.,  has  gained  secure  prestige  as  one  of  the 
able  and  essentially  representative  physicians  and  surgeons  of  his  native 
city,  where  he  has  a  large  and  prosperous  practice,  with  residence  and 
office  at  379  Campbell  avenue.  He  is  a  scion  of  the  staunchest  of  colonial 
stock,  in  both  the  paternal  and  maternal  lines,  in  either  or  both  of  which 
have  been  found  representatives  in  every  war  in  which  the  nation  has 
been  involved  from  the  time  of  the  conflicts  with  the  Indians  in  the 
early  colonial  epoch  to  the  Spanish- American  war.  The  Doctor  is  a 
direct  descendant  of  Hannah  Ripley  Webb,  who  was  a  daughter  of  that 
historic  character,  Governor  Bradford,  of  Massachusetts  colony.  The 
original  progenitors  of  the  Webb  family  in  America  came  to  this  country 
from  Devonshire,  England,  on  the  ** Mayflower.'' 

Dr.  Lucien  Fletcher  Webb  was  born  in  Detroit,  on  the  12th  of  Dec- 
ember, 1877,  and  is  a  son  of  John  Fletcher  Webb  and  Emily  Adelia 
(Fisk)  Webb,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  at  Evans,  Erie  county.  New 
York,  and  the  latter  of  whom  was  born  at  Kirkland,  Lake  county,  Ohio, 
in  1839.  John  F.  Webb,  who  bore  the  same  name  as  his  father,  was 
reared  and  educated  in  his  native  state  and  thereafter  maintained  his 
home  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  until  1868,  when  he  came  to  Detroit,  where 
he  became  a  member  of  the  city  police  force  in  1872.  He  first  served  as 
patrolman,  later  as  detective  and  finally  became  a  court  officer,  a  position 
which  he  retained  continuously  for  many  years.  He  retired  from  active 
service,  secure  in  the  high  regard  of  all  who  knew  him,  in  May,  1903,  and 
and  he  died  in  1909,  at  the  venerable  age  of  seventy -eight  years.  His 
cherished  and  devoted  wife  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal  on  the  10th 
of  June,  1898.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Ira  and  Lucretia  (Trask)  Fisk, 
who  were  born  in  Massachusetts  and  who  became  early  settlers  in  Ohio, 
in  which  state  they  continued  to  reside  until  their  death.  The  lineajjre 
of  the  Fisk  family  is  traced  back  to  staunch  English  origin  and  its 
founders  in  America  established  a  home  in  Massachusetts  in  the  early 
colonial  days.  Concerning  the  children  of  John  F.  and  Emily  A.  (Fisk) 
Webb  the  following  brief  data  are  entered:  Ellsworth  R.  is  master 
mechanic  in  the  employ  of  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad  Company  and 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  071 

resides  at  St.  Thomas,  Ontario ;  Miss  Sylvia  L.  remaius  at  the  old  home  in 
Detroit ;  Abbie  C.  is  the  wife  of  William  R.  Winn,  of  Columbus,  Michi- 
gan ;Dr.  Lucien  F.  was  the  next  in  order  of  birth ;  and  Harry  N.  resides 
at  New  Smyrna,  Florida. 

The  public  schools  of  Detroit  afforded  Dr.  Webb  his  early  educational 
advantages,  which  included  those  of  the  Central  high  school.  In  1900 
he  entered  the  Detroit  Homeopathic  Medical  College,  in  which  admirable 
institution  he  was  graduated  in  1904,  with  the  well  earned  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  active  practice 
of  his  profession  in  his  native  city  and  has  proved  an  able  and  popular 
exponent  of  the  effective  Homeopathic  school  of  practice.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  staff  of  Grace  Hospital  and  is  doing  effective  service  in 
the  educational  work  of  his  profession  as  a  lecturer  on  materia  medica 
in  his  alma  mater,  the  Detroit  Homeopathic  Medical  College.  The 
Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  American  Institute  of  Homeopathy,  the 
Michigan  State  Homeopathic  Medical  Society,  and  the  Detroit  Homeo- 
pathic Practitioners  Society.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  Alpha  Sigma 
college  fraternity,  is  a  stalwart  Republican  in  his  political  allegiance, 
\  and  both  he  and  his  wife  hold  membership  in  the  Baptist  church. 

On  the  28th  of  October,  1908,  Dr.  Webb  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Alice  Louise  White,  who  was  bom  at  Tyra,  province  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  and  w^ho  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Ann  (Potter)  White,  the 
former  a  native  of  Cornwall,  England,  and  the  latter  of  Nova  Scotia, 
both  being  now  deceased.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Webb  have  two  children, — 
Ellsworth  R.  and  John  Fletcher. 

John  T.  Spill.vne.  One  of  the  noblest  veterans  of  the  Civil  war  in 
southern  Michigan  is  John  T.  Spillane,  who  is  now  serving  as  captain 
of  the  police  force  in  Detroit.  He  was  a  drummer  boy  in  the  far-famed 
Seventh  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry,  having  enlisted  in  Company  K 
of  that  regiment  on  the  19th  of  June,  1861,  at  which  time  he  was  a  youth 
of  but  fourteen  years  of  age.  Concerning  his  career  as  a  young  soldier 
further  data  will  appear  in  ensuing  paragraphs  in  connection  with  an 
item  on  the  movements  of  the  Seventh  Michigan  Regiment.  After  the 
war  Captain  Spillane  returned  to  Detroit,  which  beautiful  city  has  since 
represented  his  home.  He  is  essentially  loyal  and  public-spirited  in  his 
civic  attitude  and  no  measure  or  enterprise  advanced  for  the  well  being 
of  this  section  of  the  state  has  ever  failed  of  his  heartiest  support  and 
co-operation. 

Captain  Spillane  of  this  notice  was  reared  to  adult  age  in  the  Fair 
City  of  the  Straits,  to  whose  private  schools  he  is  indebted  for  his  prelim- 
inary educational  training.  During  the  strenuous  days  preceding  the  in- 
ception of  the  Civil  war  he  became  fired  with  boyish  enthusiasm  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  coming  conflict.  Being  but  fourteen  years  of  age  he  could 
not  enlist  as  a  regular  soldier  but  on  the  19th  of  June,  1861,  his  ser\'ices 
were  acepted  in  the  capacity  of  drummer  boy  for  the  valiant  Company  K 
of  the  Seventh  Michigan  Infantry.  In  the  following  September  his 
regiment  moved  to  ]\Ionroe,  Michigan,  to  organize  and  then  moved  to 
Washington,  and  in  the  winter  of  1861  it  camped  near  Poolesville,  Mary- 
land, doing  picket  duty  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Potomac  river  and 
engaging  in  the  battle  of  Ball's  Bluff,  on  the  south  side  of  the  river. 
The  regiment  then  moved  on  to  Alexandria,  Virginia,  later  engaging  in 
the  Peninsular  campaign  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  then  partici- 
pating in  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  and  eventually  participating  in  its 
first  heavy  engagment — the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks.  During  his  military 
career  Captain  Spillane  participated  in  as  many  as  forty  engagements, 
among  them  being  the  battles  of  Yorktown,  Fair  Oaks,  Peach  Orchard, 


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972  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

White  Oak  Swamp,  Savage  Station,  Malvern  Hill,  Antietam,  Chantilly, 
Fredericksburg,  Gettysburg,  the  Wilderness  campaign.  Cold  Harbor  and 
Petersburg.  During  the  battle  of  Antietam  he  was  shot  in  the  left  side  of 
the  neck,  the  bullet  first  passing  through  his  blanket  roll  on  his  shoulder. 
As  a  memento  of  this  battle  the  Captain  has  in  his  posession  a  star  from 
Old  Glory.  In  this  engagment  several  of  the  color  bearers  were  shot 
down  and  the  flag  was  in  tatters.  The  Captain  was  in  the  act  of  reaching 
for  a  star  from  the  flag  which  was  hanging  by  a  thread,  when  the  afore- 
mentioned bullet  struck  him.  W^hen  he  came  to  after  receiving  his  in- 
jury he  was  clinching  the  bit  of  cloth  in  his  hand. 

In  the  siege  of  Petersburg  the  Captain  was  wounded  in  his  right  side 
and  in  the  right  arm.  He  was  sent  to  the  hospital  at  Port  Schuyler,  New 
York,  and  after  convalescing  for  six  weeks  he  was  able  to  proceed  to  tiie 
front  again.  On  the  11th  of  December,  1862,  General  Burnside  com- 
manding the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  wished  to  cross  the  Rappahannock 
river  at  two  different  points.  At  Predericksburg,  the  engineers  who 
were  laying  the  pontoon  bridges  were  shot  down  so  rapidly  by  the 
Rebel  sharpshooters  that  they  refused  to  make  further  attempts  to  build 
the  bridges,  with  the  result  that  the  army  was  at  a  standstill.  Colonel 
Hall,  commanding  the  brigade  of  which  the  Seventh  Michigan  was  a 
part,  told  General  Burnside  that  he  thought  he  had  a  regiment  who  would 
volunteer  to  go  across  in  boats  and  dislodge  the  sharpshooters  so  that  the 
engineers  could  continue  their  work.  Accordingly  the  Seventh  Regi- 
ment, of  which  Captain  Spillane  was  drummer  boy,  crossed  with  a 
frightful  loss  of  men  but  succeeded  in  dispersing  the  rebel  sharpshooters 
and  in  capturing  a  number  of  them.  The  bridges  were  then  constructed 
and  after  the  army  had  crossed  the  terrible  battle  of  Predericksburg  took 
place,  concerning  which  the  following  extracts  are  here  inserted,  the 
same  being  taken  from  ** Michigan  in  the  War,",  which  was  compiled 
by  John  Robertson : 

Dark  rolled  the  Rappahannock's  flood, 

Michigan,  my  Michigan. 
The  tide  was  crimson  with  thy  blood, 

Michigan,  my  Michigan. 
Although  for  us  the  day  was  lost 

Yet  it  shall  be  our  proudest  boast 
At  Fredericksburg  our  Seventh  crossed 

Michigan,  my  Michigan. 

At  ten  o'clock  General  Burnside  gives  the  order:  ** Concentrate  the 
fire  of  all  your  guns  on  the  city  and  batter  it  down!''  You  may  believe 
they  were  not  loth  to  obey.  In  a  few  moments  thirty-five  batteries,  one 
hundred  and  seventy-nine  guns,  opened  on  the  doomed  city.  It  lasted 
for  upwards  of  an  hour  without  intermission,  fifty  rounds  being  fired 
from  each  gun. 

The  congregated  generals  were  transfixed.  Mingled  satisfaction 
and  awe  were  upon  every  face.  But  what  was  tantalizing  was,  that 
though  a  great  deal  could  he  heard,  nothing  could  be  seen,  the  city  be- 
ing still  enveloped  in  fog  and  mist.  Only  a  denser  pillar  of  smoke 
defining  itself  on  the  background  of  the  fog  indicated  where  the  town 
had  been  fired  by  our  shells.  Another  and  another  column  showed  itself, 
and  we  presently  saw  that  at  least  a  dozen  houses  must  be  on  fire. 

Towards  noon  the  curtain  rolled  up  and  we  saw  that  it  was  indeed 
so.  Predericksburg  was  in  conflagration.  Tremendous  though  this 
fire  had  been  and  terrific  though  its  effect  obviously  on  the  town,  it 
had  not  accomplished  the  object  intended.     It  was  found  by  our  gun- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  973 

ners  almost  impossible  to  obtain  a  suflScient  depression  of  their  pieces 
to  shell  the  front  part  of  the  city  and  the  rebel  sharp  shooters  were 
still  comparatively  safe  behind  the  thick  stone  walls  of  the  houses. 

During  the  thick  of  the  bombardment  a  fresh  attempt  had  been 
made  to  complete  the  bridge.  It  failed  and  evidently  nothing  could 
be  done  till  a  party  could  be  thrown  over  to  clean  out  the  rebels  and 
cover  the  bridge  ahead.  For  this  mission  General  Burnside  called  for 
volunteers  and  Colonel  Hall  (Seventh  Michigan),  of  Fort  Sumter  fame, 
immediately  responded  that  he  had  a  regiment  that  would  do  the  busi- 
ness. Accordingly  the  Seventh  Michigan,  a  small  regiment,  was  select- 
ed for  the  purpose.  The  plan  was  that  they  should  take  the  pontoon 
boats  of  the  first  bridge  of  which  there  were  ten  lying  on  the  bank  of  the 
river,  waiting  to  be  added  to  the  half  finished  bridge,  cross  over  in  them, 
and,  landing,  drive  out  the  rebels. 

Nothing  could  be  more  admirable  or  more  gallant  than  the  execu- 
tion of  this  daring  feat.  Rushing  down  the  steep  bank  of  the  river  the 
party  found  temporary  shelter  behind  the  pontoon  boats  lying  scattered 
on  the  bank  and  behind  the  piles  of  planking  destined  for  the  covering 
of  the  bridge,  behind  rocks  etc.  In  this  situation  they  acted  some 
fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  as  sharp  shooters,  they  and  the  rebels  observ- 
ing each  other.  In  the  meantime  new  and  vigorous  artillery  firing  was 
commenced  on  our  part  and  just  as  soon  as  this  was  fairly  developed, 
the  Seventh  Michigan  rose  from  their  crouching  places  and  rushed  for 
the  pontoon  boats,  and,  pushing  them  into  the  water,  rapidly  filled  them 
with  twenty-five  or  thirty  each. 

The  first  boat  pushes  off.  Now,  if  ever,  is  the  rebel's  opportunity. 
Crack!  Crack!  from  fifty  lurking  places  go  rebel  rifles  at  the  gallant 
fellows,  who,  stooping  low  in  the  boat  seek  to  avoid  the  fire.  The 
murderous  work  wjas  well  done.  Lustily,  however,  pull  the  oarsmen. 
Having  passed  the  middle  of  the  stream,  the  boat  and  its  gallant  freight 
come  under  cover  of  the  opposite  bluffs. 

Another  and  another  boat  follows.  Now  is  their  opportunity.  Noth- 
ing could  be  more  amusing  in  its  way  than  the  result.  Instantly  they 
see  a  new  turn  of  affairs.  The  rebels  pop  up  by  the  hundreds,  like  so 
many  rats,  from  every  cellar,  rifle  pit,  and  stone  wall,  and  scamper  off 
up  the  street  of  the  town.  With  all  their  fleetness,  however,  many  of 
them  are  much  too  slow.  With  incredible  rapidity  the  Michigan  hoys 
sweep  up  the  hill,  making  a  rush  for  the  lurking  places  occupied  by  the 
rebels  and  gaining  them,  each  man  captured  his  two  of  three  prisoners. 
The  pontoon  boats  on  their  return  trips  took  over  more  than  a  hundred 
of  these  fellows. 

You  can  imagine  with  what  intense  interest  the  crossing  of  the  first 
boat  load  of  our  men  was  watched  by  the  numerous  spectators  on  the 
shore,  and  with  what  enthusiastic  shouts  their  landing  on  the  opposite 
side  was  greeted.  It  was  an  authentic  piece  of  human  heroism,  which 
moves  men  as  nothing  else  can.  The  problem  was  solved.  This  flash 
of  bravery  had  done  what  scores  of  batteries  and  tons  of  metal  had 
failed  to  accomplish.  The  country  will  not  forget  that  little  bana. 
(1862). 

Captain  Spillane  is  the  proud  possessor  of  a  solid  gold  medal  of 
honor  from  the  citizens  of  Detroit.  Inscribed  on  one  side  are  these 
words:  **The  Drummer  Boy  of  the  Rappahannock  December  11,  1862.'' 
On  the  other  side  are  the  most  important  battles  in  which  he  participat- 
ed. 

When  the  great  struggle  for  union  had  ended  and  peace  was  again 
established  throughout  the  country.  Captain  Spillane  returned  to  De- 
troit, where  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  government  survey  on  Lake 


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974  HISTORY  OF  dp:troit 

Superior.  After  two  yeai*8  identification  with  that  line  of  enterprise  he 
began  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade.  On  the  1st  of  June,  1870,  he 
abandoned  all  other  projects  and  joined  the  police  force,  continuing 
a  member  of  that  department  during  the  long  inter\'ening  years  to  the 
present  time.  In  1886  he  was  promoted  to  the  office  of  roundsman: 
six  years  later  he  was  made  sergeant ;  and  on  the  7th  of  June,  1897,  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain.  He  has  proved  a  most  valuable 
adjunct  to  the  police  force  of  Detroit  and  as  a  citizen  he  is  everywhere 
accorded  the  confidence  and  high  regard  of  all  who  know  him. 

Captain  Spillane  retains  a  deep  and  abiding  interest  in  his  old 
comrades  in  arms  and  signifies  the  same  by  membership  in  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  in  which  he  is  a  past  commander  of  Fairbanks 
Post,  one  of  the  largest  posts  in  ^Michigan.  At  the  coming  state  G.  A.  R. 
meeting  to  be  held  at  Port  Huron,  Michigan,  in  the  summer  of  1912 
he  will  become  a  candidate  for  the  office  of  department  commander, 
the  highest  honor  the  state  branch  of  the  organization  can  offer.  His 
chance  of  election  to  this  office  is  splendid  and  if  he  becomes  its  incum- 
bent he  will  discharge  the  duties  connected  therewith  with  all  of  honor 
and  distinction.  In  politics  he  accords  a  staunch  allegiance  to  the  princ- 
iples and  policies  for  which  the  Republican  party  stands  sponsor  and 
while  he  has  never  manifested  aught  of  desire  for  political  preferment 
of  any  description  he  is  ever  on  the  (lui  vive  to  advance  progress  and 
improvement.  Captain  Spillane  is  genial  in  his  associations,  affable 
in  his  address,  generous  in  his  judgement  of  his  fellow  men,  aiid  court- 
eous to  all.  As  a  citizen  and  enthusiast  of  his  town,  it  is  but  just  to 
say  that  communities  will  prosper  and  grow  in  proportion  as  they  put 
a  premium  on  men  of  his  mould. 

Traugott  Schmidt.  It  has  previously  been  the  privilege  of  the  writer 
to  prepare  a  memoir  concerning  the  honored  citizen  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  article  and  of  whose  character  and  services  he  is  deeply  ap- 
preciative through  personal  knowledge.  Under  these  conditions  there 
can  be  no  inconsistency  in  reproducing,  with  but  minor  paraphrase,  the 
tribute  originally  prepared. 

The  great  empire  of  Germany  has  contributed  a  most  valuable  ele- 
ment to  the  cosmopolitan  social  fabric  of  our  American  republic,  which 
has  had  much  to  gain  and  nothing  to  lose  through  this  source.  Among 
those  of  German  birth  and  lineage  who  have  attained  to  success  and 
precedence  in  connection  with  productive  business  affairs  in  the  city  of 
Detroit  was  the  late  Traugott  Schmidt,  who  was  a  citizen  of  sterling 
character,  lionored  by  all  wlio  knew  him  and  infiuential  in  both  civic 
and  commercial  life. 

Mr.  Schmidt  was  born  in  the  ]V'ovincc  of  Rcuss.  Germany,  in  the 
year  1830,  and  was  a  son  of  Carl  i\  and  Susanna  (Plarre)  Schmidt,  who 
likewise  were  natives  of  the  same  province,  where  they  passed  their  entire 
lives.  There  the  Schmidt  family  had  been  engaged  in  the  tanning  busi- 
ness *or  more  than  twelve  generations,  and  the  family  was  founded  in 
the  province  of  Reuss  in  the  fourteenth  century  of  the  Christian  era, 
the  original  orthography  of  the  name  having  been  Czemicz. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  afforded  the  advantages  of  the  ex- 
cellent schools  of  his  native  land  but  early  began  to  acquire  experience 
in  (Connection  with  the  practical  affairs  of  life.  As  a  boy  and  youth  he 
learned  the  tanner's  trade  in  his  father  s  establishment,  where  he  re- 
mained until  he  had  attained  to  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  when,  in 
1849,  *lie  came  to  America,  as  he  had  become  convinced  that  here  were 
offered  better  opportunities  for  the  achieving  of  success  through  personal 
effort  along  normal  lines  of  enterprise.     After  passing  one  year  in  the 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  975 

city  of  Baltimore,  Maryland,  Mr.  Schmidt  '-ame  to  Michigan  and  estab- 
lished his  residence  at  Flint,  the  judicial  center  of  Genesee  county, 
where  he  started  a  small  tannery.  Six  months  later,  however,  he  came 
to  Detroit,  to  accept  a  position  in  the  employ  of  Gottlieb  Beck,  who  was 
then  one  of  the  most  influential  German  citizens  of  the  ^Michigan  me- 
tropolis. 

In  1853  Mr.  Schmidt  engaged  in  business  for  himself,  and  thereafter 
his  career  was  one  of  consecutive  advancement,  the  while  he  so  ordered 
his  course  as  to  retain  at  each  stage  of  progress  the  unqualified  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  his  fellow  men.  In  short,  an  honorable,  straight- 
forw^ard,  energetic  and  successful  business  career  is  what  stands  to  the 
enduring  credit  of  this  well  known  citizen,  who  passed  from  the  scene 
of  life's  mortal  endeavors  in  the  fulness  of  years  and  well  earned  hon- 
ors. In  the  year  last  mentioned  ]\Ir.  Schmidt  established  a  modest  busi- 
ness on  Monroe  avenue,  between  Beaubien  and  Antoine  streets,  and 
from  this  small  concern  he  built  up  one  of  the  most  extensive  business 
enterprises  of  the  kind  in  the  middle  west.  In  the  early  days  his  opera- 
tions were  largely  confined  to  dealing  in  deer  skins,  and  in  time  he  se- 
cured agents  throughout  the  northwest  and  bought  upon  an  extensive 
scale,  shipping  his  products  principally  to  Germany.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  was  also  a  heavy  buyer  and  shipper  of  wool,  as  well  as  hold- 
ing distinctive  prestige  as  a  fur  merchant.  As  his  business  increased 
in  scope  he  made  good  use  of  his  opportunities  and  showed  his  determin- 
ate business  acumen  by  establishing  i  branch  house  in  Gera,  Germany. 
For  many  years  he  made  annual  visits  to  his  native  land  and  he  main- 
tained personal  supervision  of  his  interests  in  Gera. 

Mr.  Schmidt's  early  experiences  as  a  buyer  of  hides  and  furs  were 
of  a  kind  that  gave  him  full  appreciation  of  the  life  of  the  pioneer. 
During  his  earlier  business  career  in  Detroit  he  traveled  along  the  entire 
lake  shore  from  this  city  to  Saginaw  bay,  and  even  made  his  way  across 
Lake  ^Michigan  into  Wisconsin,  traveling  when  possible  with  a  horse 
and  wagon  and  buying  from  the  various  Indian  tribes.  lie  gained  the 
good  will  of  the  red  men,  and  their  confidence  in  him  was  of  no  slight 
importance  in  furthering  his  success  in  the  earlier  stages  of  his  inde- 
pendent business  operations.  ^Ir.  Schmidt  was  one  of  the  first  to  come 
to  an  appreciation  of  what  Detroit's  future  might  be,  and  he  showed 
the  courage  of  his  convictions  by  making  judicious  investments  in  city 
realty.  He  erected  the  Valpey  block,  on  Woodward  avenue,  and  the 
Schmidt  block,  on  Monroe  avenue.  The  latter  was  finally  destroyed  by 
fire,  but  he  erected  other  business  buildings  and  also  numerous  dwell- 
ing houses  in  the  city.  From  the  gradual  appreciation  in  the  value  of 
Detroit  real  estate  he  reaped  large  financial  returns. 

Mr.  Schmidt  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  incor]>orators  of  the 
Wayne  County  Savings  Bank,  of  which  he  was  a  trustee  for  a  number 
of  years,  but  he  finally  disposed  of  his  stock  in  this  institution.  In  poli- 
ties he  was  a  stalwart  in  the  camp  of  the  Republican  party,  and  he  was 
a  zealous  supporter  of  the  cause  of  the  Union  during  the  Civil  war.  As 
a  citizen  he  was  loyal  and  public-spirited,  and  he  was  well  known  and 
distinctively  popular  in  the  city  in  which  he  long  maintained  his  home. 
He  died  on  the  17th  of  May,  1897,  on  the  steamer  **Trave,"  while  en 
route  home  from  Germany.  He  was  identified  with  the  Harmonie  So- 
ciety and  the  Germania  Bowling  Club.  The  business  established  by  the 
honored  subject  of  this  memoir  is  still  continued.  In  1889  it  was  incor- 
porated, with  a  capital  stock  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  he 
remained  president  of  the  company  until  his  death. 

In  1856  Mr.  Schmidt  was  united  in  marriage  to  Wilhelmina  Beck, 
daughter  of  Gottlieb  Beck,  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  citizens  of  De- 


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976  HISTOEY  OF  DETEOIT 

troit,  and  she  passed  away  in  1863.  She  is  survived  by  two  children, — 
Carl  E.,  who  is  individually  mentioned  in  succeeding  paragraphs,  and 
Miss  Ida  W.,  who  still  resides  in  Detroit.  For  his  second  wife  Mr. 
Schmidt  married  Miss  Mary  R.  Beck,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife,  and  she 
survives  him,  as  do  also  their  four  children, — Edward  J.,  of  Detroit; 
Clara,  the  wife  of  Hugo  Scherer;  Alma  L.,  wife  of  William  Hoffman, 
of  Leipzig,  Germany;  and  Albert  H.,  of  Detroit. 

Carl  E.  Schmhxt,  eldest  of  the  children  of  the  late  Traugott  Schmidt, 
has  well  upheld  in  his  native  city  the  prestige  of  the  family  name  and 
is  now  numbered  among  the  representative  business  men  of  the  Michi- 
gan metropolis,  where  he  is  head  of  the  firm  of  Carl  E.  Schmidt  &  Com- 
pany, which  conducts  a  large  and  substantial  tanning  business  of  wide 
ramifications,  with"  headquarters  at  54  Macomb  street. 

Carl  Ernest  Schmidt  was  born  in  Detroit,  on  the  31st  of  December, 
1856,  and  thus  became  a  right  welcome  New  Tear's  guest  in  the  family 
home.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the  German- American  Semin- 
ary in  Detroit  and  in  the  excellent  schools  of  Germany,  where  he  pur- 
sued his  studies  from  1870  to  1875,  at  intervals.  He  learned  the  tan- 
ning business  in  his  father's  establishment  and  became  familiar  with 
every  detail  of  this  line  of  enterprise.  He  continued  to  be  associated 
with  his  father  in  business  until  the  death  of  the  latter,  in  1897,  and  he 
soon  afterward  founded  an  independent  business  of  the  same  order, 
under  the  present  firm  name  of  Carl  E.  Schmidt  &  Company.  As  the 
head  of  this  concern  he  has  brought  it  forward  to  a  status  of  large  and 
definite  prosperity,  and  in  the  meanwhile  he  has  stood  at  all  times  ex- 
ponent of  loyal  and  progressive  citizenship,  with  a  deep  interest  in  all 
that  touches  the  welfare  of  his  native  city.  He  accords  an  unswerving 
allegiance  to  the  Republican  party  and  has  been  called  upon  to  serve 
in  various  positions  of  public  trust*  From  1892  to  1894  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  police  commissioners  of  Detroit,  and  in  1897-8  he 
was  a  member  of  the  state  board  of  arbitration  and  mediation.  In  1907 
he  was  appointed  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  state  board  of  forest  in- 
quiry. He  is  identified  with  the  Detroit  Club,  the  Harmonic  Society  and 
the  Fellowcraft  Club,  all  representative  organizations  of  the  Michigan 
metropolis,  and  in  his  home  city  he  has  a  wide  circle  of  friends. 

In  the  year  1880  Carl  E.  Schmidt  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Alice  M.  Candler,  daughter  of  Homer  W.  Candler,  a  prominent  busi- 
ness man  of  Detroit.  The  three  children  of  this  union  are :  Emma,  who 
is  the  wife  of  Walter  E.  Oxtoby,  a  representative  member  of  the  Detroit 
bar ;  Alice  M.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Preston  W.  Smith,  of  Syracuse,  New 
York;  and  Ida,  who  is  the  wife  of  Alfred  B.  Moran,  of  Detroit. 

Angus  L.  Cowan,  M.  D.,  is  one  of  the  representative  physicians 
and  surgeons  of  the  fair  metropolis  of  Michigan,  where  he  has  been 
engaged  in  general  practice  for  the  past  decade.  The  Doctor  is  of 
staunch  Scottish  lineage  on  both  the  paternal  and  maternal  sides,  and 
was  bom  near  the  city  of  London,  Middlesex  county,  province  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  on  the  10th  of  September,  1865.  He  is  a  son  of  David  and 
Elizabeth  (Campbell)  Cowan,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  the 
north  of  Ireland,  of  Scotch  descent,  and  the  latter  was  bom  in  Mid- 
dlesex county,  Ontario,  on  a  farm  adjoining  that  which  was  the  birth- 
place of  her  son  Angus  L.,  subject  of  this  review.  David  Cowan  was  a 
lad  of  about  thirteen  years  at  the  time  of  the  family  immigration  from 
the  Emerald  Isle  to  America,  and  his  father,  Robert  Cowan,  became 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Middlesex  county,  Ontario,  where  he  re- 
claimed a  farm  from  the  wilderness  and  where  both  he  and  his  wife 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  977 

passed  the  residue  of  their  lives.  John  Campbell,  maternal  grandfather 
of  the  doctor,  was  likewise  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Middlesex  county, 
where  he  established  his  home  on  his  immigration  from  Scotland.  He 
lived  up  to  the  full  tension  of  the  pioneer  epoch  in  Ontario  and  develop- 
ed, a  fine  farm,  which  continued  to  be  the  place  of  his  abode  until  his 
death.  His  old  homestead  is  still  standing,  in  an  excellent  state  of 
preservation,  and  is  one  of  the  historic  landmarks  of  Middlesex 
county.  David  Cowan  was  reared  to  manhood  in  Middlesex  county 
and  throughout  his  active  career  he  never  wavered  in  his  allegiance 
to  the  great  fundamental  industry  of  agriculture,  in  connection  with 
which  he  gained  definite  success.  He  was  one  of  the  representative 
farmers  and  honored  and  influential  citizens  of  his  community  and  he 
continued  to  reside  on  his  homestead  farm  until  his  death,  in  1905,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  His  devoted  wife  survived  him  by  about 
six  years  and  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal  in  February,  1911,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-five  years,  her  memory  being  revered  by  all  who  came 
within  the  compass  of  her  gentle  influence.  Both  she  and  her  husband 
were  zealous  members  of  the  B^tist  church.  Of  their  children  two 
sons  and  one  daughter  are  living. 

The  sturdy  discipline  of  the  home  farm  compassed  the  boyhood  and 
youth  of  Dr.  Cowan  and  after  completing  the  curriculum  of  the  public 
schools  of  the  locality  he  continued  his  studies  in  Strathroy  Collegiate 
Institute,  an  excellent  academic  institution.  Here  he  gained  the  train- 
ing which  made  him  eligible  for  pedagogic  honors,  and  for  three  years 
he  was  a  successful  and  popular  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  province.  This  work  was  held  to  be  but  a  means  to  an  end,  as  he 
had  determined  to  enter  the  medical  profession.  In  ilarch,  1888,  he 
came  to  Detroit  and  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  in  which 
he  completed  the  prescribed  course  and  was  graduated  in  1891,  with 
the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  During  his  senior  year  in  college 
he  gained  valuable  clinical  experience  by  serving  as  interne  in  St. 
Luke's  Hospital. 

In  initiating  the  practice  of  his  profession  Dr.  Cowan  went  to 
Missouri  and  located  in  the  town  of  Qranby.  In  that  state  he  con- 
tinued in  practice  fourteen  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1901,  he  returned  to  Detroit,  where  he  has  since  found  ample 
demands  upon  his  time  and  attention  in  connection  with  his  large 
general  practice.  He  maintains  his  residence  and  office  at  549  Four- 
teenth avenue.  The  doctor  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  As- 
sociation, the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  and  the  Wayne  County 
Medical  Society.  While  a  resident  of  Missouri  he  maintained  member- 
ship in  its  State  Medical  Society.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  and  his 
wife  attend  Brewster  Congregational  church. 

At  Granby,  Missouri,  in  the  year  of  1894,  was  solemnized  the  mar- 
riage of  Dr.  Cowan  to  Miss  Effie  Sweet,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
that  state. 

Archibald  Duncan  McAlpine,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  the  village 
of  Glencoe,  Middlesex  county,  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  on  the 
24th  of  January,  1882,  and  is  a  son  of  Peter  J.  and  Mary  (Mclntyre) 
McAlpine,  the  former  a  native  of  the  province  of  Ontario  and  the  latter  of 
Scotland.  The  father  was  for  many  years  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  in 
his  native  province  and  was  one  of  the  honored  citizens  and  repre- 
sentative business  men  of  Glencoe,  that  province,  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occured  in  1899.  His  widow  now  resides  in  the  home 
of  her  son,  Dr.  McAlpine,  to  whom  this  sketch  is  dedicated,  and  of  the 


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978  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

other  children  two  sons  and  two  daughters  are  living.  Dr.  MeAlpine 
was  afforded  the  advantages  of  the  excellent  public  schools  of  his  native 
town,  where  he  was  graduated  in  the  high  school  as  a  member  of  the 
class  of  1900.  He  then  matriculated  in  Toronto  University,  and  in  1905 
was  graduated  in  the  medical  department  of  the  Detroit  College  of 
]Medicine,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D. 

In  1905,  Dr.  MeAlpine  established  his  home  in  Detroit,  where  he 
secured  a  position  as  interne  in  Harper  hospital,  with  whose  staff  he 
continued  his  services  as  interne  in  1905-06,  during  which  time  he 
acquired  effective  clinical  experience  of  wide  scope.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  medical  staff  of  the  Children's  Free  Hospital  and  is  surgeon 
of  the  clinic  of  the  Jewish  Hospital,  also  surgeon  to  the  outdoor  depart- 
ment of  Harper  Hospital.  In  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  a  general 
way  he  is  favored  in  being  associated  with  Dr.  Max  Ballin,  one  of  the 
most  eminent  surgeons  of  Michigan.  Dr.  MeAlpine  is  a  member  of  the 
American  Medical  Association,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and 
the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society.  He  has  gained  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  his  professional  confreres  in-  Detroit,  and  his  circle  of  friends 
is  coincident  wdth  that  of  his  acquaintances.  The  Doctor  is  progressive 
and  loyal  as  a  citizen  and  signifies  this  by  his  membership  in  that  ad- 
mirable organization,  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce.  He  is  affiliated 
with  local  bodies  of  the  time-honored  Masonic  fraternity  and  also 
holds  membership  in  the  Fellowcraft  Club,  one  of  the  representative 
organizations  of  the  city.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  his  religous 
connections  are  with  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Nu  Sigma  Nu  medical  fraternity.  The  Doctor  is  a  bachelor  and 
his  devoted  mother,  a  woman  of  most  gracious  personality,  presides 
over  their  home. 

Robert  Albert  Carl  Wollenberg,  M.  D.,  As  one  who  has  attain- 
ed distinction  in  his  profession  and  who  has  been  an  earnest  and  dis- 
criminating student  and  holds  due  relative  precedence  among  the  practi- 
tioners of  Detroit  stands  Dr.  Robert  Albert  Carl  Wollenberg,  clinical 
assistant  in  dermatology  at  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine  and  assist- 
ant dermatologist  to  St.  Mary's  Hospital  and  dermatologist  to  Provi- 
dence Hospital.  Although  comparatively  a  young  man.  Dr.  Wollen- 
berg has  had  a  vast  and  active  experience,  and  the  duties  of  his  pro- 
fession have  called  him  to  many  positions,  but  he  has  ever  labored 
faithfully  in  his  chosen  field  and  today  has  the  esteem  of  his  professional 
confreres  and  the  confidence  of  his  community.  Dr.  Wollenberg  was 
born  in  Loitz,  Pomerania,  Germany,  June  26,  1881,  and  is  the  son  of 
Carl  Wollenberg.  The  family  came  to  the  United  States  the  same  year 
the  Doctor  was  born  and  located  in  Detroit,  where  for  over  twenty 
years  the  father  was  engaged  in  the  coal  business. 

Dr.  Wollenberg  secured  his  early  education  in  St.  Mark's  Evangelical 
school,  which  he  attended  until  he  was  twelve  years  of  age,  and  then 
continued  his  studies  in  the  public  and  high  schools  of  Detroit,  being 
graduated  from  the  latter  in  1901.  In  that  year  he  entered  the  medical 
department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  and  after  spending  two 
years  there  left  to  enter  Georgetown  University,  District  of  Columbia, 
where  he  was  graduated  in  1905  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  Subsequent- 
ly, in  1906,  Dr.  Wollenberg  became  an  interne  at  the  United  States 
Marine  Hospital,  in  Detroit,  and  then  became  assistant  surgeon  in  the 
United  States  Public  Health  and  Marine  Hospital  service  until  1910. 
During  the  years  1906  and  1907  he  was  stationed  at  Ellis  Island,  New 
York,  in  the  quarantine  service,  and  from  there  was  sent  abroad  in 
the  foreign  service,  being  first  at  Naples.  Italy,  where  he  was  in  charge 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  979 

of  the  I'nited  States  government's  interests,  and  later  going  to  Rotter- 
dam, the  Netherlands,  during  the  cholera  epidemic  of  1907-1909.  Dr.  Wol- 
lenberg  was  then  engaged  in  immigration  duty  at  San  Francisco  dur- 
ing the  years  1909  and  1910,  and  in  the  latter  year  came  to  Detroit  to 
engage  in  general  practice.  In  addition  to  holding  the  positions  above 
mentioned,  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  United  States  board  of  pension 
examining  surgeons  for  A\^yne  county  since  1910,  and  is  first  lieu- 
tenant in  the  United  States  Army  Medical  Reserve  Corps.  Dr.  Wollen- 
berg  is  a  close  student,  keeps  fully  abreast  of  the  very  rapid  and  startling 
advancement  in  the  sciences  of  medicine  and  surgery,  observes  most 
closely  the  ethics  of  the  unwritten  professional  code  and  is  invariably 
courteous  to  his  fellow  practitioners.  He  is  a  valued  member  of  the 
Wayne  County  jMedicai  Society,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society 
and  the  American  Medical  Association,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Phi 
Beta  Pi  college  fraternity. 

The  wife  of  Dr.  AYollenberg,  who  is  a  native  of  Detroit,  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Florence  Zoe  Allen,  and  they  have  had  three  children : 
Robert  Allen,  Gretchen  Ellen  and  Florence  Zoe.  Both  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
WoUenberg  are  well  and  favorably  known  in  social  circles  of  Detroit, 
and  have  many  warm  friends  in  the  city. 

Edward  J.  Corbett.  Within  the  pages  of  this  work  will  be  found, 
as  exemplifying  one  of  its  most  important  incidental  functions,  records 
concerning  many  of  the  representative  business  men  who  are  doing 
well  their  respective  parts  in  upholding  and  furthering  the  commercial 
prestige  of  the  Michigan  metropolis,  and  well  worthy  of  such  considera- 
tion is  he  whose  name  introduces  this  article.  With  offices  in  suite 
1014-17  Majestic  Building,  Mr.  Corbett  is  now  one  of  the  leading  whole- 
sale coal  dealers  of  the  city  and  state,  and  he  largely  represents  mining 
companies  in  which  he  himself  holds  extensive  interests.  Marked  energ>^ 
and  circumspection  have  defined  his  course  as  a  business  man,  and 
his  pronounced  success  stands  as  the  direct  result  of  his  own  ability  and 
efforts.  He  is  an  effective  exponent  of  that  progressive  spirit  that  has 
so  significantly  vitalized  Detroit  along  commercial  and  industrial  lines 
within  the  past  decade  and  a  half,  and  is  a  citizen  whose  loyalty  and 
public  spirit  can  not  be  gainsaid. 

Edward  Joseph  Corbett  was  born  at  Groveport,  Franklin  county, 
Ohio,  on  the  23rd  of  March,  1865,  and  is  a  son  of  Michael  and  Honora 
(McGrath)  Corbett,  whose  marriage  was  solemnized  in  the  year  1851. 
Michael  Corbett  was  born  in  county  Limerick,  Ireland,  in  1829,  and 
was  there  reared  and  educated,  as  was  also  his  wife,  who  was  bom  in 
the  year  1833  and  who  is  a  daughter  of  Patrick  and  Mary  McGrath. 
In  the  year  of  his  marriage  Michael  Corbett  came  with  his  young  wife 
to  America,  and  in  1853  he  purchased  and  established  his  home  upon  a 
farm  near  Groveport,  Ohio,  later  removing  to  that  village,  where  he 
and  his  wife  maintained  their  home  as  honored  pioneer  citizens  of  that 
section  of  the  Buckeye  state  until  1901,  when  Mr.  Corbett  died.  Mrs. 
Corbett  and  daughters  reside  in  the  old  home.  In  that  locality  he  3fol- 
lowed  agricultural  pursuits  and  public  contract  work  for  many  years, 
and  he  gained  large  and  definite  success  through  his  well  directed  in- 
dustry and  wise  business  policies.  He  was  and  the  estate  now  is  one 
of  the  largest  tax-payers  in  the  village  of  Groveport,  where  he  estab- 
lished his  home  many  years  prior  to  his  retirement  from  active  busi- 
ness. Michael  Corbett  was  one  of  the  prominent  and  influential  citi- 
zens of  Franklin  county,  where  he  commanded  unqualified  popular  es- 
teem, and  he  was  the  virtual  founder  of  the  Catholic  church  in  Grove- 
port. of  which  both  he  and  his  wife  were  devout  communicants  and 


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980  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

liberal  supporters.  He  was  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  principles  and 
policies  of  the  Democratic  party  and  showed  a  deep  interest  in  public 
aflfairs  of  a  local  order. 

Concerning  the  children  of  Michael  and  Honora  (McGrath)  Cor- 
bett  the  following  data  are  entered:  William  J.  was  a  representative 
farmer  of  Franklin  county,  Ohio,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1905 ;  Han- 
nah, who  became  the  wife  of  Thomas  H.  Teegardin,  of  Pickaway  county, 
Ohio,  was  summoned  to  eternal  rest  in  1898;  John  F.  is  a  prosperous 
farmer  near  Groveport,  Ohio;  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Lucian  Lindsay,  of 
Columbus,  that  state;  Edward  J.,  of  this  review,  was  the  next  in  order 
of  birth;  M.  Leo  is  secretary  of  the  Capital  City  Dairy  Company,  of 
Columbus,  Ohio ;  Misses  Katharine  T.  and  Nora  remain  at  the  parental 
home;  and  Frank  P.  is  branch  manager  of  the  United  Motor  Colum- 
bus Company,  in  Ohio's  capital  city.  Just  before  the  close  of  the  Civil 
war  Michael  Corbett  enlisted  in  an  Ohio  regiment,  but  his  command 
was  not  called  into  active  field  service,  as  victory  soon  afterward  crowned 
the  Union  arms. 

Edward  J.  Corbett  completed  the  curriculum  of  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  town  of  Groveport,  where  he  was  graduated  in  the  high 
school  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1882.  He  supplemented  this  dis- 
cipline by  a  course  in  the  Columbus  Business  College,  in  the  capital 
city  of  his  native  state,  in  which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  1884. 
In  1885,  when  twenty  years  of  age,  he  became  secretary  to  the  general 
superintendent  of  the  Columbus  &  Cincinnati  Midland  Railroad,  and 
he  retained  this  position  three  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which,  in 
1888,  he  resigned  the  same  to  accept  that  of  secretary  to  the  north- 
western manager  of  the  Columbus  &  Hocking  Coal  &  Iron  Company,  at 
Ashland,  Wisconsin,  where  he  remained  one  year.  The  office  of  the 
manager  was  then  transferred  to  Chicago,  in  which  city  Mr.  Corbett  con- 
tinued to  serve  as  secretary  for  two  years.  He  then  resigned  his  posi- 
tion and  became  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  firm  of  H.  D..  Turney  & 
Company,  coal  operators,  with  offices  in  the  Temple  Court  building, 
Chicago.  One  year  later,  in  1891,  he  organized  the  firm  of  Arthur 
Connor  &  Company,  as  a  branch  of  the  original  firm,  and  as  a  member 
of  this  new  concern  he  opened  offices  in  the  Hodges  building,  Detroit. 
In  1894  Mr.  Corbett  severed  his  association  with  this  firm  and  engaged 
independently  in  the  wholesale  coal  business  under  his  own  nam^,  with 
offices  at  114  High  street,  East.  Two  years  later  he  removed  his  head- 
quarters to  the  Union  Trust  building,  where  he  remained  until  May  1, 
1907,  when  he  secured  his  present  fine  offices  in  the  Majestic  building, 
which  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  imposing  of  the  modern  **sky- 
scrapers"  in  Detroit.  He  has  given  close  and  careful  attention  to  his 
business  aflfairs  and  now  controls  a  large  and  important  trade  as  a  whole- 
sale dealer  in  coal.  Since  establishing  his  independent  business,  in 
1894,  he  has  purchased  interests  in  several  coal-operating  companies, 
and  the  major  part  of  his  business  is  now  in  handling  the  products 
of  the  concerns  with  which  he  is  thus  identified. 

In  politics  Mr.  Corbett  is  generically  a  Democrat,  but  in  local  aflfairs 
he  is  independent  and  gives  his  support  to  the  men  and  measures  meet- 
ing the  approval  of  his  judgment.  He  is  an  active  and  valued  member 
of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce,  as  well  as  its  transportation  com- 
mittee, and  shows  lively  interest  in  the  work  and  aflfairs  of  this  ad- 
mirable organization,  which  has  done  much  to  further  the  commercial 
and  civic  advancement  of  the  Michigan  metropolis.  He  is  affiliated 
with  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  and  holds  membership  in  the  Detroit 
Club,  the  Country  Club,  Detroit  Automobile  Club,  and  the  Detroit 
Yacht  Club, — identification  with  which  representative  organizations  well 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  981 

vouches  for  his  popularity  in  his  home  city.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
communicants  of  the  Catholic  church,  in  which  they  hold  membership 
in  the  cathedral  parish  of  St.  Peter  and  Paul. 

Mr.  Corbett  was  married  on  October  23,  1890,  to  Miss  Margaret 
Gertrude  Kelley,  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  who  died  December  24,  1904,  and 
on  July  25,  1907,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Dyer,  who  was  bom  at 
Palms,  Sanilac  county,  Michigan,  and  who  is  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Mary  (Mahon)  Dyer,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  Mrs.  (Dyer) 
Corbett  was  educated  in  the  Academy  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Detroit,  is 
a  woman  of  distinctive  culture  and  charming  personality,  and  is  a 
popular  factor  in  the  social  activities  of  her  home  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Corbett  have  two  children, — Edward  Joseph,  Jr.,  who  was  bom  on  the 
12th  of  May  1908,  and  Katharine  Anna,  who  was  born  on  the  12th  of 
.December,  1910. 

RoBEBT  Milton  Richards,  M.  D.  No  vocation  in  life  offers  greater 
opportunity  for  genuine  service  to  mankind  than  that  of  doctor  of 
medicine,  and  the  physician  who  fully  appreciates  his  responsibilities 
and  conscientiously  responds  to  every  call  made  upon  him  is  a  public 
benefactor  in  the  highest  sense  of  the  term.  One  of  those  who  holds 
in  high  estimate  the  duties  which  his  position  involves,  and  who  is  more 
than  ordinarily  successful  as  a  medical  and  surgical  practitioner,  is 
Robert  Milton  Richards,  M.  D.,  whose  well-appointed  suite  of  oflSces 
are  located  at  No.  602  Gas  Office  Building,  Detroit.  Bom  at  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania,  September  24,  1868,  Dr.  Richards  is  a  son  of  Samuel  J. 
and  Hannah  E.  (Johnson)  Richards,  both  of  whom  belong  to  old  and 
honored  families  of  the  Keystone  state.  The  father  of  the  Doctor  died 
in  1892,  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years,  and  his  wife  having  passed  away 
in  1886,  when  but  forty-three  years  old. 

Dr.  Richards  acquired  his  early  educational  training  in  the  public 
schools  of  East  Liverpool,  Ohio,  and  in  1884  completed  his  studies  in 
the  high  school  at  that  place.  Until  September,  1891,  he  was  engaged 
in  commercial  business  at  Pittsburg,  and  at  that  time  entered  the  Cleve- 
land (Ohio)  Homeopathic  Medical  College,  where  he  was  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1894  and  received  his  degree  of  M.  D.  Immediately 
after  he  was  graduated  Dr.  Richards  was  appointed  to  the  resident 
medical  staff  of  Grace  Hospital,  Detroit,  a  position  which  he  held  until 
October  of  the  same  year,  and  then  entered  upon  a  general  practice  of 
his  profession  in  the  city  of  Detroit.  Dr.  Richards  is  visiting  obstetri- 
cian to  Grace  Hospital,  lecturer  on  obstetrics  to  Grace  Hospital  Training 
School  for  Nurses  and  professor  of  obstetrics  in  the  Detroit  Homeo- 
pathic College.  For  ten  years  he  held  the  position  of  treasurer  of  the 
Michigan  State  Homeopathic  Medical  Society  (1899-1909),  was  in  1910 
elected  vice-president  and  in  1911  was  chosen  president,  a  position  which 
he  still  holds.  He  is  also  a  valued  member  of  the  American  Institute 
of  Homeopathy,  and  the  Detroit  Homeopathic  Practitioners  Society, 
serving  as  secretary  of  the  latter  for  a  number  of  years  and  as  vice- 
president  since  1911.  Fraternally  he  is  affiliated  with  Oriental  Lodge, 
P.  &  A.  M.,  and  Michigan  Sovereign  Consistory,  No.  320  of  Masonry, 
and  in  addition  holds  membership  in  the  Fellowcraft  Club,  the  Detroit 
Board  of  Commerce  and  the  Business  Men's  Club  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
lie  is  a  faithful  member  of  Scoville  Memorial  Presbyterian  church, 
where  he  acts  as  president  of  the  board  of  trustees,  and  is  also  president 
of  the  Presbyterian  Brotherhood  of  Detroit.  Dr.  Richards  is  one  of 
those  men  of  whom  it  may  be  said  he  has  chosen  well.  Possessed  of  a 
kind,  sympathetic  nature,  a  keen  sense  of  discrimination  and  a  natural 
taste  for  the  various  branches  of  the  medical  profession,  he  has  made 


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982  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

a  signal  success,  and  no  man  stands  higher  in  his  calling  or  in  the  esteem 
and  respect  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

Dr.  Richards  was  married  in  1895,  to  Miss  Emma  Fundis,  of  Pitts- 
burg, Pennsylvania. 

William  T.  McGraw.  For  many  years  William  T.  ^IcGraw  has 
been  connected  with  the  upbuilding  of  Detroit,  Michigan,  and  he  has 
just  reason  to  be  proud  of  the  fact  that  to  his  efforts  can  be  traced  many 
a  substantial  enterprise  or  advancement  contributing  greatly  to  the 
growth  and  prosperity  of  this  section  of  the  state.  In  every  sense  of 
the  word  he  is  a  representative  citizen  and  a  business  man  of  marked 
capacity.  It  is  to  the  inherent  force  of  character  and  commendable 
ambition  and  the  unremitting  diligence  of  Mr.  McGraw^  himself  that 
he  has  steadily  advanced  in  the  business  world  until  he  now  occupies 
a  leading  place  among  the  active  and  representative  men  of  Detroit. 
He  organized  the  Detroit  Tobacco  Company,  with  w^hich  he  is  still  con- 
nected and  he  is  vice-president  of  the  Mexican  Crude  Rubber  Company 
and  National  Twist  Drill  Company  in  addition  to  which  he  is  also  fi- 
nancially interested  in  a  number  of  other  important  business  concerns. 

William  T.  McGraw  was  bom  in  Lavonia  township,  Wayne  county, 
Michigan,  the  date  of  his  nativity  being  the  9th  of  September,  1860. 
His  parents,  Richard  and  Jane  (Chapman)  McGraw,  were  likewise 
bom  and  reared  in  the  fine  old  Wolverine  state  and  the  father  was 
identified  with  agricultural  pursuits  during  the  greater  portion  of  his 
active  business  career.  The  younger  in  a  family  of  two  children,  Mr. 
McGraw,  of  this  notice,  was  reared  to  maturity  on  the  old  homestead 
farm  and  his  preliminary  educational  training  consisted  of  such  ad- 
vantages as  were  afforded  in  the  public  schools  of  Plymouth,  Michigan. 
Subsequently  he  was  a  student  for  a  time  in  the  Detroit  Business  Uni- 
versity, in  which  he  pursued  a  commercial  course.  He  initiated  his 
active  business  career  as  a  clerk  in  the  First  National  Bank  at  Plymouth, 
where  he  remained  for  a  period  of  two  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which 
he  removed  to  Detroit,  where  he  accepted  a  position  as  traveling  sales- 
man for  the  Globe  Tobacco  Company.  About  the  year  1884  he  became 
instrumental  in  the  organization  of  the  Detroit  Tobacco  Company,  a  well 
known  concern  of  which  he  is  still  a  member.  He  is  vice-president  of 
the  Mexican  Crude  Rubber  Company  and  is  a  director  and  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  National  Twist  Drill  Company  and  the  Globe  Tobacco 
Company. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  McGraw  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the 
principles  and  policies  for  which  the  Republican  party  stands  sponsor. 
He  has  ever  manifested  a  deep  and  sincere  interest  in  all  matters  affect- 
ing the  well  being  of  the  community  in  which  he  resides  and  in  1898  he 
was  honored  by  his  fellow  citizens  with  election  to  the  office  of  state 
senator,  continuing  as  such  for  a  period  of  one  term.  In  the  time- 
honored  Masonic  order  he  has  passed  through  the  circle  of  the  York 
Rite  branch,  holding  membership  in  the  Knights  Templars  and  being 
also  a  valued  and  appreciative  member  of  the  Ancient  Arabic  Order 
of  the  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  In  a  local  way  he  is  affiliated  with 
the  Detroit  Club,  the  Country  Club,  the  Detroit  Boat  Club  and  the 
Automobile  Club.  He  is  a  great  lover  of  out-of-door  sports  and  is  an 
enthusiastic  supporter  of  the  various  clubs  to  which  he  belongs. 

At  Plymouth,  Michigan,  on  the  15th  of  June,  1897,  Mr.  McGraw  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Harrietta  Fuller,  who  w^as  born  in  Detroit 
and  reared  there  and  in  Plymouth,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  Fuller, 
long  a  representative  citizen  of  Plymouth  and  at  one  time  a  judge  of 
the  court.     Mr.  and  ^Irs.  McGraw  have  no  children.     Mr.  and   Mrs. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  983 

McGraw  inaintain  their  home  at  the  Plaza  Hotel.  They  hold  a  high 
place  in  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  their  fellow  citizens  and  are  ever 
on  the  alert  to  do  all  in  their  power  to  advance  every  project  forwarded 
for  the  good  of  the  general  welfare. 

DeWitt  Lloyd  Sherwood,  M.  D.  A  faithful  exemplar  of  the 
healing  art,  and  one  whose  devotion  to  his  profession  has  not  only  earned 
the  due  reward  of  his  efforts  in  a  temporal  way,  but  has  proved  him 
worthy  to  exercise  the  important  functions  of  his  calling,  DeWitt  Lloyd 
Sherwood,  M.  D.,  of  1330  Military  avenue,  is  known  and  respected 
among  Detroit's  medical  men.  His  understanding  of  the  science  of  medi- 
cine is  broad  and  comprehensive  and  the  profession  and  public  accord 
him  a  prominent  place  among  the  practitioners  of  the  city,  while  his 
abiding  sympathy  and  earnest  zeal  have  won  him  ^  place  in  the  esteem 
and  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens.  Dr.  Sherwood  was  born  at  Mor- 
enci,  Lenawee  county,  Michigan,  July  21,  1878,  and  is  a  son  of  George 
R.  and  Sarah  (Wilson)  Sherwood,  of  Seneca  county.  New  York. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  Dr.  Sherwood,  Montgomery  Sherwood, 
was  a  native  of  New  York,  and  his  parents  were  bom  in  Connecticut, 
while  on  the  maternal  side  the  Doctor  is  descended  from  a  soldier  who 
lost  his  life  in  the  Civil  war  while  serving  with  a  Michigan  regiment. 
George  R.  Sherwood  also  served  in  the  Civil  war,  with'  a  New  York 
regiment,  and  after  its  close  came  to  Michigan.  He  now  lives  at  Ypsi- 
lanti,  Michigan,  having  attained  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years  while  his 
wife,  who  also  survives,  is  sixty. 

Dr.  DeWitt  L.  Sherwood  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm,  and  receiv- 
ed his  early  education  in  the  district  schools  near  thereto,  as  well  as  in 
the  public  schools  of  Ypsilanti.  In  1899  he  graduated  from  the 
pharmaceutical  department  of  the  Detroit  Colfege  of  Medicine,  and  for 
some  time  thereafter  was  employed  in  a  drug  store.  During  this  time 
he  earnestly  prosecuted  his  medical  studies,  and  eventually  entered 
the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine  and  was  graduatd  in  1904,  with  the 
degree  of  M.  D.  During  the  year  1903  he  served  as  interne  at  the 
Harper  Hospital,  and  after  graduating  from  college  began  the  practice 
of  his  profession  on  the  West  Side,  but  during  November  of  the  same 
year  moved  to  his  present  fine  home,  where  he  maintains  well  appointed 
offices.  Dr.  Sherwood  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  So- 
ciety, the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical 
Association,  and  is  also  connected  with  the  Alumni  Association  of  the 
Detroit  College  of  Medicine.  Since  engaging  in  hi^  profession  here 
Dr.  Sherwood  has  retained  a  representative  support,  controlling  a  large 
business,  his  skill  and  discrimination  being  not  less  popularly  appreci- 
ated than  his  unfailing  courtesy  and  sympathy.  He  is  essentially  a 
student,  and  keeps  abreast  of  the  advances  made  in  medicine  and  sur- 
gery, while  he  devotes  much  time  to  original  research  and  investi- 
gation. 

Dr.  Sherwood  was  married  to  IVIiss  Mabel  Clark,  of  Denton,  Mich- 
igan, daughter  of  Spencer  Clark,  a  well  known  citizen  of  that  place,  and 
three  children  have  been  born  to  this  union :  Lloyd  Clark,  Mildred  Irene 
and  George  Edwin,  of  whom  Mildred  Irene  and  George  Edward  are 
deceased.  Dr.  Sherwood  has  manifested  a  lively  interest  in  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  advancement  of  his  profession,  and  is  also  in  the  front 
ranks  of  those  whose  object  it  is  to  further  the  interests  of  his  adopted 
city. 

John  Person  Cl^vrk.  The  late  John  P.  Clark  was  for  many  years 
one  of  Detroit's  most  conspicuous  and  most  successful  citizens.    He  was 


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9H4  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

a  pioneer  in  the  fishing  business  in  both  the  Maumee  and  Detroit  rivers, 
as  well  as  a  pioneer  ship-builder,  with  a  yard  at  Spring  Wells.  His 
whole  life  was  filled  with  active  endeavor  and  he  was  pre-eminently 
successful  in  every  line  he  entered.  He  died  possessed  of  an  estate  ex- 
ceeded by  few  others  of  his  time  in  this  section. 

John  P.  Clark  was  bom  near  Catskill  on  the  Hudson  river,  New 
York,  April  10,  1808,  the  son  of  John  and  SaUy  (Person)  Clark.  The 
father  lost  an  eye  while  serving  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  On 
April  18,  1813,  the  mother  (Sally  Person)  died  at  Black  Rock,  New 
York  and  in  November,  1813,  he  married  Sally  Swayne,  and  two  chil- 
dren were  born  to  that  marriage  at  Black  Rock,  New  York.  In  1818 
the  father  determined  to  move  west,  take  up  government  land  and  estab- 
lish a  home  for  his  boys,  and  in  that  same  year  the  family  came  to 
Michigan  by  boat  from  Buffalo  and  landed  on  the  south  end  of  Hickory 
Island.  So  impressed  was  the  boy,  John  P.  Clark,  with  the  beauty  of 
Sugar  Islands  and  Hickory,  where  they  camped  out,  that  he  then  and 
there  decided  to  some  day  own  those  beautiful  islands.  It  is  char- 
acteristic of  the  man  that  with  his  first  surplus  money  he  did  purchase 
the  islands,  which  he  continued  to  own  and  they  were  a  part  of  his 
estate.  John  Clark,  the  father,  established  the  family  on  the  farm  in 
Brownstown,  Wayne  county,  and  there  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life,  dying  February  22,  1827,  aged  fifty  years. 

The  fiJst  employment  of  John  P.  Clark  secured  away  from  home 
was  at  Toledo,  Ohio,  where  he  worked  for  a  firm  for  fifty  cents  a  week 
and  board.  In  1826  he  began  his  fishing  business,  with  fishing  grounds 
in  the  Maumee  river,  subsequently  removing  his  operations  to  the  De- 
troit river.  He  was  successful  from  the  very  start,  and  as  his  trade  in- 
creased he  employed  both  a  day  and  a  night  crew,  and  even  then  was 
barely  able  to  supply  the  demand  for  the  fish ;  for,  although  Detroit  at 
that  time  was  merely  a  trading  post,  he  found  a  market  for  tons  of 
his  daily  catch,  and  it  was  here  he  laid  the  foundation  of  his  ample 
fortune.  For  ten  years  after  inaugurating  his  fishing  enterprise  he 
fished  the  Maumee  river  in  conjunction  with  the  Detroit  river,  and  he 
shipped  large  quantities  of  Maumee  catfish  to  New  Orleans  until  the 
Civil  war  came  on.  While  on  the  Maumee  river  he  supplied  cargoes 
of  wood  to  the  canal  boats  as  a  side  issue.  In  1833  he  bought  a  steam 
barge  and  began  the  towing  business.  Three  years  later  he  went  on 
an  exploring  tour  around  the  coast  of  Lake  Michigan,  with  Indians 
for  pilots,  who  pointed  out  to  him  their  choicest  fishing  grounds,  and 
with  fifty  men  he  located  at  White  Fish  Bay,  Wisconsin. 

In  1837  Mr.  Clark  came  to  Detroit  to  make  his  home.  To  his  mani- 
fold enterprises  he  added  that  of  ship-building,  in  that  year  building 
a  dry-dock  at  Spring  Wells  (now  in  the  city  limits),  where  he  built 
and  owned  many  boats,  notably  the  steamers  ** Alaska/'  **Jay  Cooke,'' 
** Pearl,"  'Gazelle''  and  ** Riverside,"  all  well  remembered  by  many 
citizens  of  today.  In  this  line  of  business,  as  in  all  others  in  which  he 
engaged,  he  met  with  success,  and  prosperity  continued  to  smile  upon 
him.  Among  his  properties  were  Sugar,  Hickory  and  Celeron  Islands 
in  the  Detroit  river,  an  island  in  the  Maumee  river,  Ohio,  also  Horson 
Island  at  the  mouth  of  Huron  river,  and  he  owned  the  upper  end  of 
Grosse  Isle,  all  of  which  he  held  for  years,  finally  disposing  of  them  at 
a  handsome  profit.  His  holdings  of  Detroit  real  estate  were  large  in- 
cluding the  house  at  the  corner  of  Fort  and  Cass  streets,  where  he  first 
resided  on  coming  to  the  city,  and  his  old  homestead  on  the  river  road. 
He  also  at  one  time  was  largely  interested  in  Michigan  and  Wisconsin 
timber  lands. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  985 

Mr.  Clark  was  a  man  of  ^larked  individuality  and  was  known  widely 
in  his  time.  In  the  operation  of  his  business  he  combined  rare  fore- 
sight and  sagacity  with  the  strictest  integrity.  His  rugged  honesty  was 
universally  known  and  his  credit  was  unlimited.  He  possessed  none 
of  the  speculator 's  spirit,  yet  was  not  too  conservative  to  branch  out  into 
new  lines,  and  when  once  interested  in  a  new  business  to  push  it  to  the 
utmost.  But  he  never  made  an  investment  until  he  was  absolutely  cer- 
tain as  to  its  ultimate  outcome.  At  an  age  when  most  men  retire  from 
active  life  he  continued  in  the  harness,  and  was  as  active  almost  as  in 
his  prime,  never  content  to  give  over  the  direction  of  his  large  interests 
to  others.  He  died  on  September  3,  1888,  after  a  long,  successful  and 
useful  life  of  four-score  years.  He  had  endured  the  hardships  of  pioneer 
life  and  lived  to  see  the  little  trading  post  grow  to  a  mighty  city,  in 
which  he  and  his  enjoyed  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  modem  civiliza- 
tion, procured  by  his  own  toil  and  talent. 

Mr.  Clark  married  Susan  E.  Booth  on  February  20,  1838.  She  was 
born  in  England,  the  daughter  of  a  Yorkshire  yeoman,  and  she  died 
May  18,  1860.  The  children  of  this  marriage  were :  Mrs.  J.  A.  Heck- 
ing,  who  for  a  long  period  resided  in  Paris,  France,  and  is  now  de- 
ceased, dying  in  that  city ;  Mrs.  George  Atcheson,  of  Detroit ;  Alvin  S., 
deceased ;  Mrs.  W.  0.  Ashley,  residing  in  California ;  Arthur  J.,  also  de- 
ceased ;  Walter  B.  and  Norman  S.,  both  deceased.  On  Feb.  9,  1863,  Mr. 
Clark  married  Eliza  W.  Whiting,  who  died  January  14,  1883.  Mrs. 
Atcheson,  who  was  Alice  E.  Clark,  married  in  Detroit,  September  25, 
1866,  Captain  George  Atcheson,  who  was  a  native  of  New  York  state, 
bom  in  1841.  While  Captain  Atcheson  never  attended  school,  after  he 
was  ten  years  old,  he,  by  his  own  eflForts,  attained  more  then  ordinary 
learning  and  culture,  and  among  other  accomplishments  became  fluent 
in  both  the  Greek  and  Latin  languages,  being  self  taught  in  both.  He 
was  an  inveterate  student,  both  of  the  Bible  and  Shakespeare,  and  knew 
them  thoroughly.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  enlisted  in  the  Fourth 
United  States  Regiment  of  Infantry  and  served  through  the  Civil  war, 
first  as  private,  then  corporal  and  sergeant,  and  was  later  brevetted 
captain.  After  the  war  he  continued  in  the  army  until  1872,  when  he 
resigned  from  the  service  and  made  his  home  in  Kansas.  In  1889  he 
came  to  Michigan  and  died  in  Detroit  in  1893.  To  the  marriage  of 
Captain  and  Mrs.  Alice  Clark  Atcheson  were  born  three  sons,  as  fol- 
lows: Walter  C,  now  of  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  married  Alice  Wil- 
liams, and  they  have  two  children.  Arthur  W.  and  Eliza  M. ;  George 
W.,  who  died  April  13.  1908;  and  Norman  S.,  a  well  knowTi  architect  of 
Detroit,  who  married  Daisy  Kellman,  and  they  have  one  son,  Douglas. 

Cai>taix  Patrick  Hogan.  On  June  30.  1875,  there  ioined  the  De- 
troit Police  force  as  patrolman  a  young  machinist  named  Patrick  Hogan, 
who  now  for  thirty-six  years  has  been  conspicuous  for  his  courageous  and 
faithful  service  whether  on  the  beat  or  in  command.  His  work  has  re- 
ceived its  proper  merit  of  promotion  from  one  grade  to  another,  and 
he  now  wears  the  stripes  of  captain.  He  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  point 
of  service  in  the  department,  and  for  many  years  has  been  one  of  the 
esteemed  citizens  of  Detroit  and  known  as  a  faithful  friend  and  kindly 
head  of  his  own  family. 

Captain  Hogan  was  born  in  this  city  on  the  18th  of  December,  1852. 
His  parents  had  located  in  the  city  four  years  before.  His  father  was 
Michael  Hogan,  now  deceased,  who  was  born  in  county  Limerick,  Ire- 
land, and  his  mother  was  Frances  (Flood)  Hogan,  who  was  born  in 
Dublin,  and  now  lives  with  her  daughter,  Margaret  McMahon,  in  De- 
troit, she  being  now  eighty-five  years  of  age. 

Vol.  I J  I— 10 


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986  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Captain  Hogan,  who  was  the  oldest  of  the  family  of  four  sons  and 
two  daughters,  received  his  early  education  in  the  Detroit  public  schools. 
He  left  school  when  about  fourteen  and  began  preparation  for  making 
his  way  in  the  world.  Learning  the  machinist's  trade,  he  followed  that 
vocation  until  he  entered  the  Police  force  at  the  age  of  twenty-three. 

Captain  Hogan  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Mutual  Benefit  Associa- 
tion, Branch  No.  3  of  Detroit,  and  also  of  the  Knights  of  Equity,  of 
this  city.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  St.  Joachim  church. 
His  residence  is  at  816  Champlain  street.  He  was  married  in  Detroit, 
November  4, 1879,  to  Miss  Louise  Trombley.  Her  parents,  who  are  both 
deceased,  were  Ferdinand  and  Mary  Ann  (Cronin)  Trombley,  her 
father  born  in  Quebec  and  her  mother  in  Kingston,  Canada.  Seven 
children  have  blessed  the  marriage  of  Captain  Hogan  and  wife,  namely : 
Fannie,  deceased;  Irene,  deceased;  Estella,  at  home;  Lawrence,  de- 
ceased ;  Marian,  Lillian  and  Harold,  all  at  home. 

William  Charles  Groesbeck.  On  the  21st  of  March,  1910,  at  the 
beautiful  old  home  at  675  North  Second  street  in  Detroit  a  family 
gathering  of  children,  grandchildren  and  great-grandchildren  celebrated 
the  eightieth  anniversary  of  the  birth  of  William  Charles  Groesbeck,  a 
native  son  of  Detroit  and  one  of  the  city's  oldest  and  most  honored 
residents.  Though  such  celebrations  occur  not  infrequently  in  every 
community,  they  lose  thereby  none  of  their  impressiveness.  Apart  from 
the  intimate  associations  of  such  an  occasion,  it  is  a  distinction  of  general 
interest  that  an  individual  has  passed  so  many  of  the  milestones  of 
life,  each  one  marked  by  honorable  records  of  activity,  and  that  he 
has  produced  for  the  worthy  activities  of  succeeding  generations  a 
family  both  numerous  and  individually  worthy. 

William  Charles  Groesbeck,  whose  long  life  began  in  this  city  on  March 
21, 1830,  is  one  of  the  few  living  pioneers  who  have  witnessed  practically 
all  the  modern  growth  and  development  of  Detroit.  He  comes  of  one 
of  the  oldest  families  of  French  descent  that  settled  here  early  in  the  last 
century.  His  father  was  Charles  Groesbeck,  a  native  of  New  York  state. 
His  mother  was  Lenore  (Rivard)  Groesbeck,  herself  a  native  of  Detroit 
and  of  a  family  long  settled  here  and  prominent  socially  and  in  business. 

During  the  years  when  Mr.  Groesbeck  was  growing  to  manhood, 
school  facilities  in  Wayne  county  were  very  limited.  His  father  owned  • 
a  large  amount  of  land  in  this  vicinity,  and  when  a  boy  the  son  began 
assisting  him  in  developing  this  property.  He  continued,  in  fact,  to  live 
in  the  country  near  Detroit  until  thirty-four  years  ago,  when  he  moved 
into  the  city  and  soon  afterward  occupied  the  attractive  place  on  North 
Second  street  that  has  been  the  family  home  for  thirty  years.  In  the 
handling  of  his  own  extensive  real  estate  interests  in  Detroit  and  also 
to  some  extent  engaging  in  general  real  estate  dealing,  most  of  the  time 
since  then  has  been  spent.  For  several  years  past  he  has  lived  retired, 
his  daughter  Clara  Josephine  keeping  his  home  for  him. 

His  wife  after  a  companionship  of  more  than  half  a  century  was 
separated  from  him  on  May  15,  1911,  their  marriage  having  occurred 
at  Detroit,  January  30,  1854.  Her  maiden  name  was  Margaret  Rivard, 
and  she  was  the  oldest  of  six  children.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Groesbeck  reared 
a  large  family  of  children,  who  are  mentioned  in  the  following  para- 
graphs: 

Columbus  Benjamin,  now  deceased,  married  Miss  Emma  Larglois, 
her  residence  being  at  233  Greenwood  avenue.  The  five  children  are: 
William,  Gregory,  George,  Lawrence  and  Ildafonse. 

Richard  Frank  married  Miss  Charlotte  Reaume,  and  they  reside  at 
84  Frederick  street.     They  have  four  children:  ^Margaret,  who  married 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  987 

George  Lucey,  of  Detroit;  Elsie,  who  married  Charles  A.  Oilligaii,  a 
grocery  merchant  of  Detroit;  Irene,  who  is  married;  and  Robert,  who 
married  Miss  Lynch,  of  Saginaw,  and  they  now  live  in  Portland,  Ore- 
gon. 

MsLvy  married  David  Rose,  now  retired  after  eighteen  years  of  active 
and  meritorious  service  on  the  Detroit  Police.  They  have  one  daughter, 
Alice  Rose. 

Alice  married  Rudolph  Meeker,  of  Detroit,  and  both  are  now  de- 
ceased. Their  children  are:  George  B.  JMeeker,  who  married  Viola 
Pomeroy,  of  Detroit,  and  has  one  adopted  daughter,  Alice;  Charles 
Meeker,  who  married  Anna  May  Conners  and  has  one  son,  Charles  W. 
Jr. ;  Elmer  ^Meeker,  who  is  married  and  has  one  daughter,  Roberta. 

Henry  lives  at  home  with  his  father,  and  is  engaged  in  the  real 
estate  business. 

Bernard  married  Catherine  Kergan,  of  Detroit,  who  died  several 
years  ago  in  California.  Their  children  are:  Genevieve,  Adele,  Helen, 
John  and  Kergan. 

Rose  is  a  Sister  in  the  Good  Shepherd  Convent  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 

Agnes  is  the  wife  of  Charles  G.  Blodgett,  a  grocery  merchant  of 
Detroit.  Their  children,  all  at  home,  are  Grace,  Margaret,  Charles,  Be- 
atrice and  Marie. 

Clara  Josephine  is  in  charge  of  the  old  home  for  her  father. 

Delia  IMargaret  is  the  wife  of  George  B.  Gill,  of  Detroit,  and  their 
two  children  are  Una  Clara  and  George  B.  Jr.,  both  at  home. 

Three  other  sons,  Theodore,  George  and  Oliver,  are  deceased  and  left 
no  families.  There  were  thirteen  children  born  to  Mr.  Groesbeck  and 
wifC;  and  those  now  living,  with  their  children  and  grandchildren,  com- 
prise a  goodly  company.  Those  living  in  Detroit  are  all  communicants 
of  the  Sts.  Peter  and  Paul  Catholic  church. 

George  W.  Fowle.  A  resident  of  Detroit  for  nearly  two  score 
years,  Mr.  Fowle  has  given  his  splendid  powers  to  the  furtherance  of 
the  business  interests  and  civic  prosperity  of  the  Michigan  metropolis, 
where  he  has  achieved  large  and  worthy  success  and  is  the  owner  of 
much  valuable  realty  and  where  he  has  also  given  most  effective  services 
in  municipal  offices  of  distinctive  trust  and  responsibility.  He  stands 
exemplar  of  the  most  loyal  and  progressive  citizenship  and  his  popu- 
larity in  the  city  that  has  so  long  been  his  home  is  of  the  most  unequi- 
vocal order,  based  as  it  is  upon  his  sterling  character,  his  genial  person- 
ality and  his  worthy  achievement  in  business  and  civic  affairs. 

George  Willis  Fowle  takes  due  pride  in  reverting  to  the  fine  old 
Empire  state  of  the  Union  as  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  he  is  a  scion 
of  a  family  whose  name  early  became  identified  with  the  annals  of  that 
commonwealth.  He  was  born  at  Clyde,  Wayne  county.  New  York,  on 
the  15th  of  April,  1850,  and  a  son  William  K.  and  Charlotte  (Mitch- 
ell) Fowle,  the  former  of  whom  was  bom  at  Geneva,  New  York,  and 
the  latter  in  Somerset,  England.  He  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth 
in  a  family  of  six  children,  and  of  the  others  three  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter are  now  living.  AYilliam  K.  Fowle  devoted  the  major  part  of  his 
active  career  to  the  vocation  of  a  publisher. 

George  W.  Fowle  gained  his  early  educational  discipline  in  the 
public  schools  of  Geneva,  Ontario  county.  New  York,  to  which  place 
the  family  removed  when  he  was  about  one  year  old.  Under  these 
conditions  he  continued  his  studies  until  he  had  attained  to  the  age  of 
fifteen  years,  when  his  youthful  and  fervid  patriotism  would  not 
longer  be  denied  and  found  definite  exhibition  through  his  enlistment, 
in  the  closing  months  of  the  Civil  war,  as  a  member  of  Company   I), 


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988  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Fiftieth  New  York  Engineers.  He  proceeded  with  his  command  to 
the  front  and  was  afforded  his  full  quota  of  active  and  arduous  service, 
which  included  the  hazardous  work  of  assisting  in  the  construction  of 
the  forts  about  Petersburg,  Virginia,  then  the  stage  of  the  fiercest  of 
polemic  contest.  His  command  was  one  of  the  first  to  enter  the  city 
or  Richmond  after  its  evacuation,  and  he  was  there  stationed  at  the 
time  when  President  Lincoln  made  his  visit  to  this  capital  of  the  Con- 
federacy after  the  surrender.  At  Fort  Barry,  Virginia,  Air.  Fowle 
received  his  honorable  discharge  on  the  13th  of  June,  1865,  and  he 
retired  with  the  honors  of  faithful  and  loyal  service  as  one  of  the  valiant 
young  defenders  of  the  nation's  integrity.  He  has  ever  retained  a  deep 
interest  in  his  old  comrades  in  arms  and  manifests  the  same  by  his  affilia- 
tion w  ith  Swift  Post,  No.  94,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  in  Geneva, 
New  York. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Fowle  returned  to  his  native  state, 
after  which  he  gave  his  attention  principally  to  merchandising  until 
1872,  having  in  the  meanwhile  maintained  his  home  at  Geneva,  New 
York.  In  1872  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years,  he  came  to  Detroit, 
and  here  he  found  ample  opportunity  for  successful  eifort  in  connection 
with  normal  business  activities.  He  soon  became  junior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Dudley  &  Fowler,  which  conducted  a  prosperous  retail  furniture 
business  for  a  number  of  years,  with  a  well  equipped  establishment  at 
125,  127  and  129  Jefferson  avenue  and  which  became  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative concerns  of  the  kind  in  the  city.  Mr.  Fowle  disposed  of  his 
interest  in  this  enterprise  in  1889,  and  since  that  time  he  has  given 
his  attention  principally  to  the  handling  and  improving  of  local  real 
estate,  in  which  he  has  made  large  and  judicious  investments  and  in 
connection  with  which  he  has  accumulated  a  substantial  fortune.  He 
has  extensive  holdings  in  various  parts  of  the  city,  and  among  the  more 
noteworthy  properties  owTied  by  him  are  the  Marlborough  and  Savoy 
apartment  buildings,  two  of  the  finest  structures  of  the  kind  in  Detroit. 
Mr.  Fowle  has  shown  marked  discrimination  and  great  civic  loyalty  in 
the  improving  of  his  realty  and  has  thus  contributed  materially  to  the 
progress  and  upbuilding  of  the  fair  metropolis  of  Michigan. 

Taking  a  lively  interest  in  public  affairs  of  a  local  order  and  enroll- 
ed as  a  stalwart  in  the  camp  of  the  Republican  party,  Mr.  Fowle 's  eligi- 
bility for  public  office  has  not  failed  of  recognition,  and  in  those  posi- 
tions to  which  he  has  been  called  he  has  shown  the  same  progressive 
ideas  and  exemplified  the  same  careful  policies  that  have  conserved 
his  individual  success.  His  most  important  municipal  service  was  un- 
doubtedly that  rendered  by  him  during  his  two  terms'  incumbency 
of  the  responsible  and  exacting  offices  of  police  commissioner  of  Detroit. 
He  was  first  appointed  to  this  office  on  the  29th  of  June,  1897,  by  the 
late  William  C.  Maybury,  who  was  then  mayor  of  the  city  and  who 
was  one  of  Detroit's  most  loved  and  honored  citizens.  Insistent  upon 
thorough  systematization  and  discipline  in  the  police  department  and 
bending  every  energj^  to  securing  the  highest  efficiency  in  the  same, 
Mr.  Fowle  gave  so  admirable  an  administration  during  his  first  term 
of  office  as  to  gain  unqualified  popular  commendation  and  to  insure 
his  re-appointment,  on  the  10th  of  February.  1902,  under  the  regime 
of  Mayor  AVilliam  C.  Maybury.  He  instituted  many  reforms  and  im- 
provements in  the  constabulary  system  of  Detroit  and  his  policies  have 
since  that  time  largely  served  as  a  model  for  those  who  have  followed 
him  in  the  office  of  police  commissioner,  from  which  he  retired  in  July, 
1905.  On  February  10.  1902,  he  was  appointed  commissioner  of  public 
works,  and  in  this  capacity  his  services  also  proved  most  valuable,  as 
the  records  of  this  department  of  the  municipal  government  well  in- 
dicate. 


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ft.£>^6-tykJr--^^^C4^^ 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  989 

An  appreciative  student  of  the  history  and  teaching  of  tlie  time- 
honored  Masonic  fraternity,  Mr.  Fowle  is  one  of  its  prominent  and  in- 
fluential representatives  in  Michigan,  as  is  measureably  shown  by  the 
fact  that  he  has  attained  to  the  thirty-thipd  degree  of  the  Ancient  Ac- 
cepted Scottish  Rite,  this  ultimate  degree  being  conferred  only  upon  a 
limited  number.  Mr.  Fowle  has  completed  the  circle  of  both  the 
York  and  Scottish  Rites  and  has  maintained  a  deep  interest  in  the  work 
of  each  of  the  many  Masonic  bodies  with  which  he  is  afiSliated.  In  the 
York  Rite  his  ancient-craft  affiliation  is  with  Oriental  Lodge,  No.  240, 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  his  maximum  with  Detroit  Com- 
mandery,  No.  1,  Knights  Templars.  He  has  been  an  active  and  influential 
factor  in  the  Michigan  Sovereign  Consistory,  Ancient  Accepted  Scot- 
tish Rite,  of  which  he  has  served  as  commandant  for  many  years.  He 
also  had  the  distinction  of  organizing  the  celebrated  Arab  Patrol  of 
Moslem  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order  of  the  Nobles  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine,  and  this  body  has  gained  national  reputation  as  one  of  the  best 
drilled  in  the  entire  Union,  its  splendid  evolutions  having  gained  to  it 
the  highest  commendation  at  the  various  assemblies  of  the  imperial 
council  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  held  in  different  cities.  In  the  equipping 
and  disciplining  of  this  magnificent  organization  Mr.  Fowle  has  been 
the  dominating  power.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Masonic  Temple 
Association,  and  assisted  generously  in  contribution  of  time  and  means 
to  the  erection  of  the  fine  Masonic  Temple  building.  He  is  also  aJBfiliated 
with  Detroit  Lodge  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  with. 
Detroit  Lodge  No.  34,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  holds  a 
iife  membership  in  the  Fellowcraft  Club,  one  of  the  leading  social 
organizations  of  Detroit. 

Robert  Yerkes  is  a  scion  of  one  of  the  sterling  pioneer  families  of 
Michigan,  of  which  he  is  a  native  son  and  with  whose  history  the  family 
name  has  been  identified  since  the  territorial  epoch.  The  Yerkes  fam- 
ily is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  prominent  in  the  vicinity  of  North- 
ville  and  has  been  one  especially  influential  in  connection  with  the  in- 
dustrial and  civic  and  development  and  upbuilding  of  this  section  of 
the  state,  in  both  Wayne  and  Oakland  counties.  Mr.  Terkes  was  born 
September  26,  1829,  and  was  the  fifth  son  of  William  and  Hester  (Den- 
nis) Yerkes,  who  in  May,  1826,  removed  from  near  Ovid,  Seneca  county, 
New  York,  and  located  on  the  southern  boundary  of  Oakland  county, 
Michigan,  in  what  later  became  the  township  of  Novi.  At  that  date 
the  locality,  like  vast  stretches  of  Michigan  up  to  the  last  quarter  cen- 
tury, was  unbroken  forest.  William  Yerkes  and  his  wife  were  represen- 
tatives of  families  founded  in  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey  during  the 
Colonial  era,  and  they  were  among  the  first  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  present  thriving  town  of  Northville.  The  family  name  has  been 
linked  with  the  history  of  this  section  during  the  long  intervening^ 
period,  within  which  has  been  compassed  the  development  and  upbuild-^ 
ing  of  the  great  commonwealth  of  Michigan.  In  1825  William  Yerkes,^ 
in  company  with  his  cousin,  Thomas  Pinkerton,  set  forth  from  their  old 
home  in  Seneca  county,  New  York,  to  select  a  place  of  abode  in  the 
wilds  of  the  territory  of  Michigan.  They  made  their  way  on  foot 
through  Canada  and  each  located  a  tract  of  land  in  Oakland  county. 
After  selecting  his  land  Mr.  Yerkes  returned  to  his  old  New  York  home 
and  he  and  his  cousin  came  back  in  the  following  spring  in  company 
with  their  families  to  make  a  permanent  location.  Mr.  Yerkes  erected 
a  rude  log  house  on  his  land,  and  this  primitive  domicile  was  that  in 
which  the  subject  of  this  review  was  born.  Upon  arriving  in  Detroit 
they  purchased  ox  teams,  so  necessary  in  the  reclaiming  of  the  new 
land,  and  with  these  teams  they  made  the  remainder  of  their  journey. 


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990  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

William  Yerkes  had  secured  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres — ^a  half 
section — of  government  land,  the  same  being  heavily  timbered,  and 
here  he  set  himself  vigorously  to  the  herculean  task  of  reclaiming  a 
farm  from  the  wilderness.  As  may  well  be  understood,  the  family  en- 
dured its  full  share  of  the  privations  and  hardships  ever  attendant  upon 
the  life  of  a  pioneer,  but  peace  and  contentment  found  dwelling  in  the 
little  log  house,  whose  hospitality  was  unbounded  and  whose  associa- 
tions were  those  of  mutual  affection  and  helpfulness.  Wild  game  of 
all  kinds  was  plentiful  and  did  much  to  reinforce  the  none  too  ample 
larder  of  the  household.  William  Yerkes  became  one  of  the  leading 
citizens  of  this  section  of  the  state  and  was  an  influential  factor  in 
public  affairs  as  well  as  in  furthering  the  settlement  and  attendant 
development  and  progress  of  southern  Michigan.  He  selected  land  for 
other  settlers,  and  his  compensation  for  such  service  was  at  the  rate  of 
five  dollars  for  each  eighty  acres  thus  secured  through  his  interposi- 
tion. He  was  closely  concerned  also  with  the  upbuilding  of  the  village 
of  Northville  and  was  a  leader  always  in  thought  and  action,  being  a 
man  of  inflexible  integrity  and  strong  individuality.  He  served  as  a 
member  of  the  first  legislature  after  the  admission  of  Michigan  to 
statehood  in  1837,  and  was  again  called  upon  to  represent  this  body  in 
1856-7.  He  also  held  for  a  number  of  years  the  office  of  commissioner 
of  the  poor  for  Oakland  county  and  supervisor  of  Novi  township 
for  several  years,  and  was  constant  in  good  works  and  kindly  and  con- 
siderate for  others.  He  was  a  lifelong  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  and  he  and  his  wife  were  constituent  members  of  this  church 
in  Northville,  in  the  founding  and  upbuilding  of  which  he  was  one  of 
the  most  influential  factors,  the  original  church  edifice  having  been 
erected  in  1843. 

William  Yerkes  was  bom  in  Moreland,  Montgomery  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, on  the  29th  of  September,  1794,  of  staunch  German  lineage, 
and  after  his  migration  to  Michigan  he  continued  to  reside  on  his  home- 
stead farm  near  Northville  until  his  death,  which  took  place  on  the  5th 
day  of  January,  1884,  but  a  few  months  prior  to  his  ninetieth  birth- 
day anniversary.  He  was  one  of  the  sterling  pioneers  of  Michigan  and 
his  name  merits  an  enduring  place  of  honor  on  its  recorded  annals. 
His  devoted  wife,  a  loving  companion  and  helpmeet  ever  and  the  gracious 
mother  of  his  children,  was  bom  in  New  Jersey,  on  the  21st  day  of 
March,  1799,  and  passed  away  on  the  11th  day  of  September,  1881, 
secure  in  the  reverent  affection  of  all  who  had  come  within  the  circle 
of  her  gentle  influence.  The  remains  of  these  honored  pioneers  rest  in 
the  Yerkes  Family  Cemetery  near  Northville.  Of  their  ten  children 
but  three  are  now  living; — ^Robert,  one  of  the  venerable  and  honored 
pioneer  citizens  of  Northville,  who  is  the  immediate  subject  of  this 
review;  Charles;  and  George,  a  resident  of  Grand  Junction,  Colorado. 

Robert  Yerkes  was  bom  on  September  26,  1829,  as  stated  in  a  pre- 
vious paragraph  of  this  sketch.  In  his  early  youth  the  school  system 
of  Michigan  was  practically  non-existent,  and  the  children  of  William 
Yerkes  were  given  private  instruction  in  the  fundamentals  of  education 
in  their  own  home,  under  the  direction  of  a  hired  tutor.  Later,  when 
the  select  schools  came  into  vogue,  Robert  attended  them  and  still  later 
he  attended  the  public  schools  when  they  came  into  operation.  The 
educational  equipment  thus  received  was  sufficient  to  start  Mr.  Yerkes 
in  life,  and  though  he  ever  felt  the  lack  of  a  higher  education,  he  con- 
tinued all  through  his  life  to  study  consistently  and  gain  such  knowl- 
edge as  he  might.  It  may  be  said  here  that  had  Robert  Yerkes  been  able 
to  name  his  own  vocation  he  would  probably  have  chosen  law  or  litera- 
ture, for  his  natural  gifts  and  inclinations  ever  leant  in  those  directions, 
but  he  could  not  choose,  and  when  he  chose  the  role  of  agriculturist,  he 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  991 

did  so  with  no  mental  reservations  or  misgivings.  Perhaps  his  resolu- 
tion at  that  time  can  best  be  measured  by  an  article  which  he  wrote 
many  years  afterward,  published  in  the  Detroit  Tribune,  on  **How  I 
Earned  My  First  Fifty  Dollars."  The  article  is  quoted  below:  **The 
last  of  September,  1850,  I  attained  my  majority,  and  graduated  from  a 
large  family  into  a  larger  world.  A  few  days  before  this  event,  a 
friend  living  some  miles  away  visited  ray  father's  place  and  made  me 
an  offer  to  work  on  his  farm  for  the  coming  year.  The  wages  of  a  farm 
hand  at  that  time  were  ten  dollars  per  month  and  board.  I  had  gome- 
how  gained  the  reputation  as  a  rapid  and  tireless  worker,  and  his  oflEer 
was  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  one  year's  work.  He  was  a 
good  man,  I  liked  his  family  and  the  consideration  was  quite  a  tempta- 
tion. I  asked  a  week  to  consider  it,  and  at  its  close  declined  the  offer. 
Some  of  my  friends  criticized  my  action,  but  they  did  not  know  my 
plans.  A  mile  away  as  an  eighty  acre  tract  of  uncleared  land  which, 
at  the  owner's  demise,  had  been  divided  among  his  heirs  in  five  equal 
shares  of  sixteen  acres  each.  One  of  these  was  in  the  market  for  two 
hundred  dollars,  with  several  eager  buyers  who  lacked  nothing  but  the 
money. 

''If,  in  some  way,  I  could  earn  the  price  of  this  land,  it  would  place 
me  in  a  position  to  negotiate  for  the  remainder  as  the  shares  were  one 
by  one  placed  on  the  market;  for  I  had  dreams  of  a  cottage  and  a 
home  amid  the  stumpy  acres  of  the  'eighty.' 

"Two  or  three  second  class  farms  close  by  were  open  to  work  on 
shares.  I  figured  on  the  cost  of  an  outfit.  A  pair  of  four  year  old 
steers,  father's  first  gift  to  each  of  his  sons  at  majority,  would  be  ready 
for  me  in  the  spring;  a  second  hand  wagon  would  cost  twenty-five  dol- 
lars; a  plow  and  harrow,  log  chains,  a  scythe,  grain  cradle,  hand  rakes 
and  a  few  other  indispensable  tools  swelled  the  total  to  about  fifty- 
five  dollars.  How  could  it  be  earned  in  the  short  days  of  the  winter 
ahead?     I  began  at  once  to  look  about  for  ways  and  means. 

"A  neighbor  wanted  a  hundred  cords  of  four-foot  hard  maple  wood 
cut,  for  which  he  would  pay  me  twenty-five  cents  a  cord, —  not  an 
alluring  proposition  and  somewhat  out  of  my  line  of  farm  work,  but  I 
closed  the  bargain  at  once.  Some  money  could  be  made  at  hunting  and 
trapping.  Game  and  fur  bearing  animals  were  more  plentiful  then 
than  now,  but 'the  product  low  in  price, — quails  ten  cents  per  dozen; 
partridges  four  and  five  cents  apiece  at  first  hand,  while  raccoon,  mink 
and  muskrat — I  drew  the  line  at  skunk — were  fairly  remunerative.  An 
arrangement  was  made  by  which  my  board  was  settled  for  by  'choring.' 

"Every  morning  at  four  o'clock  I  was  up  and  ready  for  business. 
A  flock  of  sheep  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  were  among  the  animals 
that  it  was  my  lot  to  care  for;  chores  all  done  and  breakfast  at  half 
past  five  o'clock.  Daylight  often  found  me  three  miles  from  home  car- 
ing for  my  traps  and  shooting  now  and  then  a  partridge  budding  on 
the  high  bare  branches  of  the  maple,  where  it  would  stand  silhouetted 
against  the  morning  sky. 

"Returning,  my  dinner  pail  would  be  ready,  and  then  to  my  task  of 
cutting,  splitting  and  piling  the  hard  maple  until  dark;  then  the 
chores;  supper,  and  an  hour  in  the  workshop,  manufacturing  ox-yokes, 
sleds  and  many  articles  of  use  on  the  farm.  What  sore  feet,  what 
blistered  hands  kept  me  company  that  winter,  I  need  not  tell;  but 
when  the  spring  opened  and  the  snow  melted  away  from  the  upland 
farm,  which  I  had  leased,  with  my  tools  all  paid  for,  I  was  driving 
my  four-year  old  steers  over  the  hilly  fields,  plowing  and  sowing  for 
crops,  my  share  of  which  when  sold  would  pay  for  the  acres  mentioned, 
with  quite  a  surplus  for  the  purchase  of  another  share. 


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992  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

**Tlie  land  itself  was  not  of  much  value,  was  uncleared,  and  one 
part  blocked  by  a  swamp,  incapable  of  easy  drainage ;  yet  in  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  a  long  and  busy  life,  no  material  thing,  the  result  of  labor  or 
ambition,  has  excelled,  or  even  equalled,  the  elation  or  sense  of  riches 
that  came  with  the  possession  of  that  sixteen  acres  of  woodland  and 
malaria/' 

Though  his  description  of  the  land  does  not  suggest  it,  the  piece  of 
real  estate  that  Mr.  Yerkes  described  in  the  history  of  his  earliest  ven- 
ture— a  story  that  perfectly  illustrates  the  mettle  of  the  man,  was  never- 
theless the  nucleus  around  which  he  wound  the  threads  of  the  fortune 
which  he  was  slowly  weaving.  He  persevered  until  thg  coveted  ** eighty'' 
was  his  in  fee  simple,  but  after  building  a  bam  and  making  other  im- 
provements, he  found  that  eighty  acres  was  not  enough  for  his  ambi- 
tion. An  opportunity  opening,  he  disposed  of  his  quasi-farm  and  pur- 
chased a  one  hundred  and  sixty  acre  tract  a  mile  farther  distant  from 
his  father's  home.  This  placed  him  somewhat  heavily  in  debt  for  one 
of  his  limited  means ;  but  by  hard  work,  commenced  early  and  continued 
late,  in  a  little  more  than  a  year  the  mortgage  was  given  an  indefinite 
leave  of  absence,  and  he  was  sole  owner  of  the  property. 

Mr.  Yerkes  next  set  about  to  systematically  improve  his  possessions 
and  at  the  same  time,  **make  money  in  farming."  The  success  of  the 
undertaking  was  equal  to  his  most  sanguine  hopes.  During  this  period 
of  his  career,  since  coming  of  age,  Mr.  Yerkes  had  fought  his  battles 
alone;  but  on  the  7th  of  October,  1856,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sara 
Holmes,  of  Plymouth,  Wayn^  county,  Michigan.  She  was  the  daughter 
of  Rosecrans  and  Salome  (Wekaman)  Hplmes,  who  had  removed  from 
the  western  part  of  New  York  state  in  1827,  and  settled  on  land  located 
a  short  distance  from  the  home  of  Robert  Yerkes.  Although  a  farmer's 
daughter,  with  but  limited  means  for  obtaining  an  education,  Sara 
Holmes  had  been  a  marked  success  as  a  teacher.  She  followed  teach- 
ing until  she  laid  aside  the  work  to  assume  larger  duties  and  to  share 
the  home  and  fortunes  of  her  husband,  proving  by  her  cooperation  and 
ability  a  worthy  companion  in  the  journey  of  life  they  made  together. 
Five  sons  were  born  of  this  union :— John  Gaylord,  William  H.,  George 
B.,  Donald  Purdy  and  Robert  C.  The  eldest  died  at  the  age  of  three 
years  and  his  passing  was  the  first  cloud  that  came  into  their  married 
life.  William  H.  lived  and  operated  a  flouring  mill  business  at  Seville, 
Ohio,  for  some  years,  but  returned  to  Northville,  where  he  is  engaged 
to  some  extent  in  farming.  He  married  Miss  Helen  Blackwood.  Gkorge 
B.,  a  prominent  lawyer  in  the  city  of  Detroit,  was  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Haug  and  Yerkes;  the  former  is  now  deceased  and  the  firm 
is  Merriam,  Yerkes  &  Simon.  He  married  Miss  Jennie  Butterfield,  and 
they  had  one  daughter,  Fanny  B.,  who  died  in  1899,  aged  seven  years, 
and  one  son,  named  for  his  grandfather,  Robert.  Donald  Purdy  is 
engaged  in  the  milling  business  at  Northville  and  Milford.  He  married 
Miss  Nellie  McRobert  and  they  became  the  parents  of  five  children: — 
Donna  Lucile,  who  died  December  20,  1907,  aged  five  years;  Margaret 
A.,  Donald  P.  N.,  Aletha  and  Ruth.  Robert  C.  is  superintendent  of  the 
Globe  Furniture  Company.  He  married  Miss  Mary  Simmons  and  they 
reside  at  Northville. 

In  1870  Mr.  Yerkes  disposed  of  his  farm  in  Central  Novi  and  re- 
moved to  its  southern  boundary,  opposite  the  village  of  Northville, 
Wayne  county,  and  erected  the  dw^elling  where  he  now  resides.  The  ad- 
vantages to  be  gained  for  his  children  in  the  schools  at  Northville  was 
the  incentive  for  the  change.  His  farming  interest  had  not  relapsed, 
the  acreage  under  his  control  rising  to  more  than  five  hundred  acres  of 
land. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  998 

Soon  after  his  removal  to  Northville,  Mr.  Yerkes  became  interested 
in  the  formation  of  the  Globe  Furniture  Company  of  that  place.  He 
was  a  charter  member  of  the  firm,  a  member  of  its  board  of  directors 
and  its  president  for  the  first  twelve  years  of  its  existence.  In  carry- 
ing on  his  business  he  had  few  rules ;  promptness  was  his  watchword,  and 
he  scarcely  evei"  allowed  sleep  to  overcome  him  without  reviewing  the 
work  of  the  day  just  over  and  making  a  mind  map  of  the  morrow  ^s 
operations,  carried  to  the  minutest  details.  The  holidays  of  his  life 
were  not  many,  yet  he  had  time  for  recreation, — ball-playing,  trapping 
and  fijshing  being  among  the  things  w^hich  gave  him  pleasure.  Up  to 
forty  years  of  age  he  was  an  all  around  athlete;  the  wrestling  match, 
the  pole  vault,  the  standing  and  broad  jump,  hopskip,  etc.,  rarely  find- 
ing him  outdone.  Even  now,  though  eighty-three  years  of  age,  some  of 
his  old  prowess  remains  to  show  another  generation  what  the  men  of 
his  pioneering  days  were  in  physical  strength  and  accomplishment. 

Though  not  caring  for  official  life,  never  asking  a  single  vote  at 
either  caucus  or  convention,  Mr.  Yerkes  has  yet  filled  several  elective 
offices.  He  was  at  one  time  treasurer  of  Oakland  county,  and  he  has 
been  justice  of  the  peace  and  inspector  of  schools  in  Novi  township, 
besides  having  many  times  held  positions  of  trust  in  connection  with 
the  settlement  of  estates.  In  his  tastes  he  is  literary.  He  has  always 
loved  nature  in  her  primitive  condition,  her  quiet  and  unquiet  moods, 
and  he  has  always  loved  the  running  waters  and  the  beautiful  lakes 
with  which  she  has  dotted  his  native  county.  Her  uplands  and  her 
dales,  which  at  his  birth  were  parts  of  a  boundless  forest,  are  now  har- 
nessed to  the  world's  car  of  progress  and  moving  in  her  van. 

Among  Mr.  Yerkes*  writings,  which  have  never  been  the  productions 
of  leisure,  but  the  result  of  time  wrested  from  his  hours  of  unusually 
busy  life,  ar^  as  follows :  An  historical  essay  read  at  the  dedication  of 
the  town  hall  at  Novi,  September  9,  1876,  and  published  in  the  second 
volume  of  the  Pioneer  Collections  of  Michigan;  a  number  of  articles 
upon  the  questions  of  the  day  appearing  as  a  rule  in  the  Detroit  Tribune 
and  many  short  stories  for  local  use.  From  the  time  he  was  twenty- 
three  years  of  age  he  was  a  forceful  and  eloquent  speaker  and  gained 
a  local  reputation  as  an  orator.  In  addition  to  the  writings  above  men- 
tioned, Mr.  Yerkes  was  the  author  of  an  interesting  poem,  written  on 
the  occasion  of  the  goldeil  wedding  anniversary  of  his  father  and 
mother,  on  November  5,  1867,  and  read  by  him  at  the  gathering  in  the 
home  on  that  date.    It  is  here  quoted  in  full: 

We  meet,  my  friends,  on  this  November  day. 

Recalling  time  full  fifty  years  away; 

Time  when  these  whose  fading  locks  proclaim  their  age. 

First  ventured  on  the  matrimonial  stage; 

And,  waiving  each  their  separate  hopes  and  fears, 

Joined  hand  and  heart,  for  all  their  future  years. 

And  as  we  gather  round  this  roof-tree  old, 

Let  us  the  story  of  their  passing  life  unfold; 

Even  as  the  far  landscape,  the  wide  prairies  through, 

Lifts  no  deep  chasm  or  rugged  mountain  into  view, 

And  as  the  traveller's  feet  glide  o'er  the  many  miles 

At  first  the  plain  is  bright  with  springtide's  joyous  smiles. 

But  soon  a  deep  ravine  has  cleft  his  road  in  twain, 

And  then  an  ascent,  up  which  the  toil  seems  vain, 
And  briery  untried  paths  go  all  the  region  through, 
And  cutting  winds,  where  fancy's  softest  zephyrs  blew. 


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994  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

'  Tis  so  in  life ;  and  he  who  in  its  morning  forward  peers 

Sees  nought  but  green  old  age  undimmed  by  falling  tears; 

And  when  he  backward  glances  as  strength  gives  place  to  ago 

Sees  the  whole  voyage  writ  on  sorrow's  sombre  page. 

The  words  that  made  these  twain  one  flesh  as  long  as  life  shall 

last 
Are  mingled  now  with  things  that  make  the  far  oflE  past ; 
But  IMemory,  flying  back,  has  gathered  one  by  one, 
Their  trials  past,  their  little  victories  won, 
And  holds  them  on  her  fleeting  wings  to-day, 
That  we  may  weave  them  in  our  unpretending  lay. 

When  once  they  faced  the  scenes  of  active  life, 

They  waged  with  poverty's  relentless  strife; 

Hard  labor  as  their  lot,  they  could  but  deem; 

Which  way  they  looked  there  came  no  answering  gleam 

That  bade  them  on  life's  ocean  idly  drift 

To  wait  for  fortune  without  work  or  thrift. 

» 
To  earn  a  livelihood,  the  wife  her  shuttle  plied; 
The  husband  pushed  his  boat  upon  the  Mohawk's  tide; 
And  next  a  small,  wild  farm  they  try  to  tame, — 
A  farm  so  small  it  scarce  deserved  the  name ; 
This  sold,  with  small  accretions,  served  a  larger  farm  to  buy 
Close  where  Cayuga's  sparkling  waters  lie; 
On  this,  although  enough  for  present  wants  they  gain, 
They  ne'er  could  hope  a  rising  family  to  maintain. 
Their  little  children  from  their  native  hearth  must  roam, 
Or,  they  must  seek  in  western  wilds  a  more  producfeve  home. 

Not  then  as  now;  the  curtain  of  the  wilderness  was  down; 

And  all  the  west  lay  deeply  shaded  in  its  frown. 

None  ventured  there,  save  hunter  free  and  wild, 

Or  yeomen,  strong  with  hope  of  future  home  beguiled; 

But  stern  necessity  in  nature  knows  no  law, 

And  often  serves  on  those  who  grieve  a  happier  fate  to  draw. 

To  build  a  woodland  home  the  husband  goes  before; 
And  soon  the  wife  comes  after  with  her  children  four; 
Upon  Lake  Erie's  wave  ten  days  her  strength  was  tried; 
Her  sickened  children  tossed  from  side  to  side 
With  ceaseless  cry,  nought  but  a  mother's  love  could  bide. 

And  when  they  landed  on  that  strange  wild  shore, 

Although  their  friends  were  there,  their  trials  were  not  o'er; 

The  rutted  road,  unlike  the  smooth  laid  rail. 

The  woodland  road,  soon  ending  in  an  Indian  trail. 

Was  the  highway  through  which  their  future  home  they  found, 

Where  densest  forests  stretched  and  lowered  around. 

And  now  against  the  mighty  woodland  foe 

Whose  close-drawn  lines,  outstretching  row  on  row. 

Held  the  broad  acres  with  his  ruthless  ban. 

The  tug  of  stem,  relentless  war  began. 

A  hopeless  war  it  seemed,  and  hard  to  brook, 

For  those  who  on  that  stately  forest  looked. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  995 

Just  where  we  meet  beneath  this  sheltering  roof 
High  up  the  oak  trees  threw  their  web  and  woof; 
Where  yonder  golden-fruited  orchard  stands 
The  wild  wood  held  in  thickly  plaited  bands; 
Out  on  yon  fields,  now  of  their  vendure  bare, 
The  grey  wolf  made  his  ambuscade  and  lair. 

But  lo!  the  woodman's  axe,  with  steady  peal 

Makes  the  dense  ranks  in  wild  confusion  reel; 

The  cumbrous  trunks  are  thrown  in  many  angled  aisles; 

The  brush  is  tossed  in  hugh,  fantastic  piles. 

The  blazing  fire,  like  sea  of  molten  brass, 

Next  turns  to  ashes  the  rough  chaotic  mass; 

While  round  the  stumpy  field  the  zigzag  fences  rise. 

And  springing  grain  quick  greets  the  farmer's  eyes. 

Thus  year  by  year,  when  for  the  furrow  space  they  lack, 

Witb  skillful  hands  they  push  the  forest  back; 

Until  the  fraction  left  is  saved  for  future  use, 

When  to  the  sylvan  war  they  bid  a  lasting  truce. 

Think  not  this  drudgery  fast  binds  the  pioneer, 

For  country  pastimes  oft  served  his  lot  to  cheer; 

The  bee  lined  straight  from  where  his  robber  instinct  led, 

That  larger  thieves  might  share  his  winter's  bread. 

The  hunter's  stealthy  step  along  the  bushy  swale, 
The  noiseless  deer,  back  gazing  on  his  trail; 
The  fevered  thrill,  defying  doctor's  laws. 
The  rifle's  cracky  the  instant  breathless  pause. 
The  disappointed  scowl  if  he  bounds  unhurt  away, 
Or  exultant  cry  if  staggering  marks  the  bullet's  prey. 

The  sturdy  neighbors,  gathered  far  and  near. 
The  log  house  raising  and  the  housewife's  cheer; 
The  husking  bee  drawn  late  into  the  night. 
The  hearty  laugh,  the  healthy,  happy  faces  bright. 

These  and  kindred  pastimes,  mingled  with  their  toil, 

Kept  guard  against  despondency's  recoil. 

In  some  or  most  of  these  they  had  their  share, 

Whose  guests  today  we  freely  welcome  are; 

Perhaps  they  had  their  share  of  sorrow,too, 

Although  to  right  their  hearts  were  leal  and  true 

For  up  the  long  course  through  which  their  lives  have  spun 

Full  many  a  day  of  anxious  care  has  run. 

And  deep  affliction  drove  its  furrow  through, 

Hiding  three  children  from  their  earthly  view. 

But  thanks  to  Him  we  give  whose  spirit's  power 

Upheld  them  in  the  pain  of  trial's  gloomy  hour; 

Thankful  stern  poverty  led  not  their  feet  astray, 

Or  affluence  lured  them  in  the  worldling's  gilded  way; 

Thalikful  not  o'er  much  sorrow  turned  them  to  despair. 

Or  joy  made  them  oblivious  of  other's  need  and  care. 

And  thankful  to  Him  who  year  by  year  has  held  disease  at  bay, 

Till  now  we  greet  them  on  their  (Jolden  Wedding  Day. 


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996  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Mr.  Yerkes  has  lived  a  life  of  the  utmost  usefulness  to  himself  and 
to  the  community  in  which  he  has  for  so  many  years  made  his  home. 
No  good  work  has  ever  been  put  forward  to  which  he  has  not  contributed 
his  unbounded  strength  and  ever  ready  enthusiasm.  He  has  been  a 
lifelong  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  for  many  years  was 
an  elder  in  the  same.  He  early  organized  the  Republican  party  in 
Novi  township.  Ably  seconded  by  his  father,  who  had  been  an  old- 
time  Whig,  Mr.  Yerkes  took  upon  himself  the  calling  of  a  meeting  at 
Novi  Centre,  when  the  organization  was  effected.  From  that  time  on 
he  took  an  active  part  in  the  campaigns,  stumping  the  county,  and  act- 
ing as  delegate  at  many  conventions. 

The  further  literary  productions  ©f  Mr.  Yerkes  include  the  poem 
**I've  come  to  Eighty-Three,*'  the  beautiful  thoughts  depicted  herein 
being  some  of  the  reflections  which  came  to  him  on  his  birthday  anni- 
versary, which,  on  account  of  a  severe  cold,  he  was  obliged,  to  spend  in 
bed.    The  poem  is  as  follows: 

Another  year  of  wintry  months  and  summer  skies 

Has  passed  for  me. 

And  now,  in  early  autumn  days, 

I've  come  to  eighty-three. 

What  good,  what  ill,  the  year  has  borne 

Is  scattered  on  its  trail; 

The  ill  will  go  upon  the  wind, 

The  good  can  never  fail. 

The  '* Great  Unknown*'  comes  slowly  on. 

Its  mingled  clouds  are  near; 

Never  before  in  the  span  of  life 

Has  its  borders  seemed  so  clear. 

The  countless  ways  that  take  us  hence 
Are  numbered  in  the  Book  of  Fate; 
Yet  no  one  knows  which  one  is  his 
Until  the  awful  words,   "too  late." 

A  tiny  speck  upon  the  brain 
Will  make  the  strongest  mortal  reel, 
Or  deep  emotion's  flash  disclose 
The  ** cistern's  broken  wheel." 
What  time  the  message  comes  to  me, 
*  Twill  find  me  at  my  Savior's  side; 
I  have  no  other  Priest  or  King, 
In  Him  I  -must  abide. 

Chables  Yerkes,  the  son  of  William  and  Hester  (Dennis)  Yerkes, 
of  whom  more  specific  mention  is  made  in  the  biographical  sketch  of 
Robert  Yerkes,  elder  brother  of  the  subject,  was  born  on  the  19th  day  of 
April,  1833,  on  the  homestead  farm  of  his  father  in  Novi  township,  Oak- 
land county,  Michigan.  The  place  of  his  nativity  was  a  primitive  log 
house  of  the  type  peculiar  to  the  pioneer  days,  the  same  having  been 
erected  by  his  father  in  1825,  more  than  a  decade  prior  to  the  admission 
of  Michigan  to  statehood. 

In  his  childhood  and  youth  Charles  Yerkes  was  compassed  about  by 
the  scenes  and  conditions  of  the  pioneer  farm  on  which  he  was  bom,  and 
his  preliminary  education  was  secured  in  the  private  or  select  schools. 
In  later  years  a.schoolhouse  was  erected  on  his  father's  farm  and  in  this 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  997 

primitive  institution  iie  continued  his  studies  during  the  winter  terms 
until  he  had  attained  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  contributing,  meanwhile, 
his  due  quota  to  the  arduous  work  of  the  home  farm.  He  continued  to 
be  associated  with  his  father  in  the  work  and  management  of  the  place 
until  he  reached  his  legal  majority,  when  his  father  gave  him  a  tract  of 
eighty  acres  of  land,  located  one  mile  north  of  the  home  farm.  The  land 
was  heavily  timbered  and  no  improvements  had  been  made  on  the 
property,  so  there  was  no  dearth  of  opportunity  for  sturdy  labor  on  the 
part  of  the  young  farmer.  He  soon  took  unto  himself  a  wife  and  built 
on  his  place  a  frame  house,  which  continued  to  be  the  family  h«me  until 
1865,  when  he  sold  the  farm  and  removed  to  Maple  Rapids,  Clinton 
county,  a  section  of  the  state  which  was  at  that  time  in  the  earlier 
stages  of  development.  There  he  became  associated  with  his  brother-in- 
law  in  the  general  merchandise  business,  but  after  about  a  year  of 
experience  in  this  occupation  he  sold  his  interests  in  the  business  and 
returned  to  Oakland  county.  Soon  afterw^ard  he  purchased  his  present 
homestead  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres,  and  this  he  has  developed  into 
one  of  the  model  farms  of  southern  Michigan.  His  homestead  now  com- 
prises sixty-two  and  one-half  acres,  the  remainder  of  the  place  having 
been  platted  into  village  lots  and  sold-  Thus  his  commodious  and  substan- 
tial residence,  erected  by  him  in  1871,  is  just  outside  corporate  limits 
of  the  village,  and  he  has  done  much  to  foster  the  upbuilding  of  North- 
ville,  which  in  his  boyhood  days  was  a  mere  hamlet  in  the  midst  of  a 
forest.  In  Novi  township,  about  two  and  one-half  miles  east  from  his 
present  residence  Mr.  Yerkes  is  the  owner  of  another  valuable  and  well 
improved  farm,  which  comprises  two  liundred  and  fourteen  acres,  and 
'  which  he  rents  to  desirable  tenants.  He  was  a  stockholder  in  the  Lap- 
ham  bank  in  Northville,  and  after  having  served  many  years  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  directorate  of  the  bank,  he  resigned  his  oflBce,  owing  to  his 
advanced  age,  and  later  sold  his  stock. 

In  j)olitics,  Mr.  Yerkes  belongs  to  the  Republican  party,  and  while  he 
has  ever  given  his  influence  and  cooperation  in  support  of  all  things 
tending  to  advance  the  best  interests  of  the  community,  he  has  never 
sought  public  office.  From  his  youth  he  has  been  a  zealous  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  church  at  Northville,  and  was  a  trustee  of  the  same  for 
twenty-one  years,  his  devoted  wife  also  having  been  earnest  in  the  various 
departments  of  church  work. 

On  the  6th  of  October,  1858,  Mr.  Yerkes  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Evalina  Wells,  bom  near  Plymouth,  Wayne  county,  Michigan,  in 
1838.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Deacon  William  J.  Wells,  who  was  one  of 
the  prominent  pioneer  farmers  of  that  locality,  where  he  took  up  his 
residence  when  a  young  man,  having  emigrated  to  Michigan  from. his 
native  state.  New  York.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
in  which  he  long  served  as  deacon.  He  died  in  1876,  aged  sixty-nine 
years.  His  wife  was  Esther  Marsh,  a  native  of  the  old  Empire  State, 
and  she  died  in  her  eighty-fifth  year  of  life.  Of  their  children,  Mrs. 
Yerkes  is  the  only  one  living.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yerkes  were  born  three 
children :  William  6.,  a  representative  business  man  of  Northville,  mar- 
ried Miss  Georgia  Simmons  and  they  have  one  child,  Frances;  Carl  A., 
remains  at  the  parental  home  and  is  engaged  in  farming;  and  Grace  E., 
is  the  wife  of  Rosa  B.  Dusen]>erry  of  Detroit;  they  have  one  child, 
George  A. 

Joseph  Edward  George  Waddington,  M.  D.  Recognized  as  an  able 
physician  and  surgeon  and  prominent  citizen  of  Detroit,  and  as  one 
who  has  won  prestige  through  his  own  efforts,  Dr.  Joseph  E.  G.  Wad- 
dington, of  No.  1080  West  Warren  avenue,  holds  the  esteem  and  respect 


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998  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

of  a  large  number  of  the  people  of  this  metropolis.  He  is  a  native  of 
Manchester,  England,  was  born  April  28,  1865,  a  son  of  John  Hick 
and  Ann  Eliza  (Jones)  Waddington. 

After  attending  Stamford  Terrace  Academy,  Manchester,  and  the 
Manchester  grammar  school,  he  passed  an  examination  as  matriculate  of 
the  British  Pharmaceutical  Society,  and  then  attended  lectures  for  one 
year  at  Owen's  College,  Victoria  University,  Manchester.  He  graduated 
in  medicine  from  the  Indiana  College  of  Medicine  and  Midwifery  in 
1886,  during  which  year  he  returned  to  England,  and  in  1887  went  to 
Australia,  where  he  spent  two  years  as  surgeon  with  the  Cross  survey 
party,  laying  out  government  lands  in  New  South  Wales  and  Victoria. 
Subsequently  he  returned  to  England,  went  thence  to  Winnipeg,  Canada, 
and  on  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  practiced  for  ten  years.  In  1899 
Dr.  Waddington  came  to  Detroit,  traveling  the  first  year  as  detail  man 
through  Michigan  and  in  Chicago  and  Pittsburg  for  Lambert  &  Lowman, 
wholesale  druggists.  In  1900  he  entered  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Detroit,  where  he  has  since  attained  a  representative  clientele.  A  well 
read  and  skillful  physician,  he  possesses  the  essential  qualities  and  dis- 
position requisite  for  successful  practice,  and  his  success  in  a  number  of 
complicated  cases  has  stamped  him  as  one  of  Detroit's  leading  medical 
men. 

Dr.  Waddington  is  a  member  of  the  American  Association  of  Orificial 
Surgeons,  the  National  Eclectic  Medical  Association,  Michigan  State 
Eclectic  Medical  and  Surgical  Society,  of  which  he  was  first  vice 
president  in  1906  and  president  1907-8,  and  secretary  the  last  three  years, 
and  of  the  American  Red  Cross  Society.  He  holds  honorary  membership 
in  the  following  societies:  The  Illinois  State  Eclectic  Medical  Society,  • 
the  Ohio  State  Eclectic  Medical  Society,  the  Vermont  State  Eclectic  Med- 
ical Society,  the  Maine  State  Eclectic  Medical  Society,  the  New  England 
Eclectic  Medical  Society  and  the  Chicago  Eclectic  Medical  Society.  He 
received  the  degree  of  LL.  D.,  Chicago  National  University,  1908 ;  Ph.  B., 
National  Medical  University,  Chicago,  1908 ;  A.  M.,  Potomac  University, 
1909,  and  M.  D.  and  C.  M.,  Bennett  Medical  College,  medical  department 
Loyola  University,  Chicago,  Illinois,  1911,  and  is  ex-public  vaccinator 
and  medical  inspector  of  public  schools  and  a  member  of  the  board  of 
health.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  the 
Michigan  State  Society,  the  American  Medical  Association,  and  also 
of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce.  His  fraternal  connections  are 
with  the  lodge  and  chapter  of  Masonry,  including  the  Knight  Templar 
Commandery  and  the  Eastern  Star;  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias;  and 
with  the  Court  of  Honor.  He  is  also  a  member  and  the  lodge  physician 
of  the  Sons  of  St.  George. 

George  V.  Brown,  M.  D.  A  sterling  and  popular  representative 
of  the  medical  profession  in  the  city  of  Detroit  is  Dr.  George  Van  Amber 
Brown,  who  is  here  established  in  successful  general  practice  and  who 
is  known  as  a  physician  and  surgeon  of  fine  ability  along  both  theoretical 
and  practical  lines. 

In  the  town  of  Leamington,  Essex  county,  Ontario,  Canada,  about 
forty  miles  distant  from  Detroit,  Dr.  Brown  was  born  on  the  27th  of 
May,  1870,  and  he  is  a  son  of  Richard  A.  and  Victoria  Adelaide  (Setter- 
ington)  Brown,  both  natives  of  Canada.  The  parents  of  the  doctor 
still  reside  in  the  province  of  Ontario  and  the  greater  part  of  the  active 
career  of  the  father  has  been  devoted  to  farming.  After  duly  availing 
himself  of  the  advantages  of  the  public  schools  Dr.  Brown  continued 
his  studies  in  the  Collegiate  Institute  at  Rt.  Thomas,  Ontario,  where  he 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  999 

gained  academic  discipline  that  well  fortified  him  for  the  taking  up  the 
study  of  the  profession  for  which  he  had  determined  to  prepare  himself. 
He  accordingly  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  which  fine  in- 
stitution has  drawn  many  students  from  the  province  of  Ontario,  and  in 
the  same  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1894.  After  thus 
receiving  his  well  earned  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  he  established 
himself  in  active  practice  at  Falmouth,  Missaukee  county,  Michigan, 
where  he  built  up  a  large  and  successful  practice  and  amply  matured 
his  professional  powers.  In  1903  Dr.  Brown  returned  to  Detroit,  after 
having  completed  in  the  preceeding  year  an  effective  post-graduate 
course  in  the  medical  department  of  the  Johns  Hopkins  University, 
in  the  City  of  Baltimore,  Maryland.  It  may  be  noted  also  that  his 
determined  ambition  to  keep  fully  in  touch  with  the  advances  made  in 
the  sciences  of  medicine  and  surgery  was  further  manifested  by  his  post- 
graduate work  in  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan, 
in  1906,  and  by  special  study  and  research,  in  the  summer  of  1910,  in  the 
Charity  Hospital  and  the  Baer  Polyclinic,  in  the  city  of  Berlin,  Germany. 
The  Doctor  is  now  specializing  in  the  domain  of  abdominal  and  pelvic 
surgery,  both  male  and  female,  and  in  this  line  he  has  gained  authorita-' 
tive  reputation,  as  his  study  and  research  has  been  directed  very  care- 
fully in  this  important  field  of  practice.  He  is  g^Tiecologist  and 
cystocopist  to  the  German  polyclinic  of  Grace  hospital,  Detroit,  and  is 
one  of  the  valued  members  of  the  staff  of  this  fine  institution,  aside  from 
his  large  and  representative  private  practice.  Dr.  Brown  is  identified 
with  the  American  Medical  Association,  the  Michigan  State  Medical 
Society  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society. 

At  Manton,  Wexford  county,  Michigan,  on  the  6th  of  August,  1894, 
was  performed  the  ceremony  which  united  the  destinies  of  Dr.  Brown 
and  Miss  Carrie  Adell  Sloat,  who  has  proved  a  devoted  wife  and  help- 
meet. She  was  bom  at  Manitou,  Michigan,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Qeorgt 
S.  Sloat,  who  was  a  representative  business  man  of  Wexford  county. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  have  three  children,  Ruth  Amber,  H'clen  Vic- 
toria and  Jean  Amelia.  The  family  home  is  located  at  55  Gladstone, 
where  the  doctor  has  office  headquarters,  and  also  has  a  downtown  office 
on  Grand  Circus  Park,  in  the  Shurly  Building. 

Rain  Berry.  Though  more  than  ninety-four  years  of  age,  this  hon- 
ored and  patriarchal  citizen  of  Detroit  retains  the  mental  and  physical 
vigor  of  the  average  man  twenty  years  his  junior,  and  he  keeps  in 
close  and  appreciative  touch  with  the  events  and  topics  of  the  day.  He 
is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  few  men  of  his  age  in  the  state,  and  it  is  al- 
together probable  that  he  is  the  most  venerable  of  all  the  pioneers  of 
this  favored  commonwealth  of  the  Union.  Mr.  Berry  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Michigan  for  nearly  sixty  years  and  for  many  years  was  actively 
identified  with  business  activities  in  Detroit,  where  he  has  lived  vir- 
tually retired  for  the  past  quarter  of  a  century.  Aside  from  mere  long- 
evity his  life  is  an  interesting  one,  and,  as  may  well  be  imagined,  his 
reminiscences  of  the  days  long  past  read  like  a  revelation,  for  his  fine 
intellect  has  not  w^ned  and  he  recalls  with  graphic  description  many 
events  and  incidents  that  to  the  younger  generation  of  the  present  day 
seem  like  a  part  of  remote  history.  Revered  by  the  circle  of  loyal 
friends  he  has  gathered  about  him,  though  few  of  his  contemporaries 
now  remain  on  earth,  this  venerable  gentleman  is  now  enjoying  the 
gracious  evening  of  his  life  with  the  zest  of  comparative  youth  and 
bids  fair  to  round  out  a  century  with  strength  and  dignity,  revealing  to 
others  the  results  of  right  living  and  right  thinking.    It  is  a  matter  of 


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1000  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

especial  satisfaction  to  the  publishers  of  this  work  to  be  able  to  in- 
corporate within  its  pages  a  brief  review  of  the  career  of  so  notable 
and  worthy  a  patriarch. 

Near  the  ancient  town  of  Preston,  Lancashire,  England,  Rain  Berry 
was  born  on  the  25th  of  September,  1818,  and  he  is  a  scion  of  the 
staunchest  of  Angle-Saxon  stock.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Sarah 
(Harker)  Berry,  both  of  whom  were  born  and  reared  in  Lancashire, 
with  whose  annals  their  respective  family  names  have  been  identi- 
fied for  many  generations.  The  Berry  family  rose  into  prominence  in 
Devonshire,  where  they  engaged  in  splendid  tournament  and  possessed 
one  of  the  most  picturesque  castles  in  that  county.  The  Berry  coat-of- 
arms  is  made  up  of  a  red  shield,  upon  which  are  blazoned  the  familiar 
three  bars  of  Berry.  Above  this  shield  stands  the  Griflftn's  head  Crest, 
while  the  entire  work  is  completed  with  the  motto  of  the  family.  This 
coat-of-arms  has  been  in  continued  use  since  the  reign  of  Henry  the 
Third  and  is  an  emblem  that  stands  for  sterling  honor,  true  aristocracy 
and  noble  lineage. 

Thomas  Berry,  father  of  the  subject,  was  long  identified  with  the 
cotton-manufacturing  industry  in  Preston,  where  he  held  the  oflBce  of 
superintendent  of  a  large  factory  for  a  number  of  years  prior  to  his 
immigration  to  America.  The  subject  of  this  review  was  afforded  the 
advantages  of  an  excellent  school  maintained  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Church  of  England,  commonly  known  as  the  Established  Church,  and 
his  academic  training,  which  was  of  superior  order,  has  been  supple- 
mented by  the  experiences  of  a  signally  prolonged  and  active  life. 
After  leaving  school  he  found  employment  in  the  factory  of  which  his 
father  was  superintendent,  and  he  continued  to  be  thus  identified  with 
cotton  manufacturing  in  his  native  town  until  1835,  when  he  came 
with  his  parents,  his  two  brothers  and  four  sisters  to  America,  he  being 
about  seventeen  years  of  age  at  the  time.  The  voyage  was  made  on  a 
sailing  vessel  of  the  type  common  to  that  period,  and  eight  weeks,  lack- 
ing  one  day,  elapsed  before  the  members  disembarked  in  the  port  of 
New  York,  on  the  29th  day  of  May,  1835, — an  English  bank  holiday. 
The  family  home  was  established  at  Paterson,  New  Jersey,  and  there 
the  father  became  identified  with  the  manufacturing  of  cotton  machinery. 
He  passed  most  of  his  life  there  and  died  in  Buffalo  on  November  15, 
1870,  his  devoted  wife  having  preceded  him  to  her  long  home  on  No- 
vember 27,  1854.  Both  were  devout  and  zealous  members  of  the  Wes- 
leyan  Methodist  church,  in  which  the  father  was  a  local  preacher,  as 
the  oflBce  was  then  desig^iated. 

In  the  same  establishment  with  which  his  father  was  identified  Rain 
Berry  served  a  thorough  apprenticeship  at  the  machinist's  trade,  and 
after  becoming  a  skilled  artisan  in  this  line  he  secured  employment  in 
the  locomotive  shops  of  the  extensive  manufacturing  concern  of  Rodgers, 
Ketcham  &  Grosvenor,  of  Paterson,  where  he  continued  as  a  journey- 
man machinist  until  1852.  Three  years  prior  to  that  time  Mr.  Berry 
had  visited  Michigan  and  had  become  greatly  impressed  with  its  climate, 
resources  and  many  attractions.  Upon  leaving  the  employ  of  the  firm 
mentioned  he  decided  to  establish  his  home  in  the  Wolverine  state,  and 
in  1852  he  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  five  acres  in  Wash- 
tenaw county,  about  four  miles  distant  from  Ypsilanti.  About  eighty- 
five  acres  of  the  tract  had  been  cleared  and  the  place  had  improvements 
in  the  way  of  buildings  of  somewhat  primitive  order.  There  ^Fr.  Berry 
gained  his  initial  experience  in  connection  with  the  great  basic  in- 
dustry of  agriculture,  and  it  may  be  said  that  he  rigidly  adhered  to 
the  demands  of  the  adage  that  **He  who  by  the  plow  would  thrive  him- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1001 

self  must  either  hold  or  drive."  He  found  the  work  far  from  sybaritic 
but  did  not  abate  his  industrious  efforts  in  the  cultivation  and  improve- 
ment of  his  farm  until  the  expiration  of  eight  years,  when  he  sold  the 
property  and  removed  to  Ypsilanti,  where  he  conducted  a  boot  and  shoe 
store  for  the  ensuing  two  years.  He  then  sold  the  stock  and  business 
and  came  to  Detroit,  where  he  has  maintained  his  home  since  the  early 
*  sixties.  Here  he  resumed  the  work  of  his  trade,  and  for  many  years 
he  was  a  skilled  and  valued  employe  in  the  establishment  of  Flowers 
Brothers,  manufacturers  of  stationery  and  i^iarine  engines.  He  here 
continued  to  follow  his  trade  for  about  twenty *five  years,  and  the  final 
business  association  maintained  by  him  was  that  of  machine  superin- 
tendent in  Richards'  Planing  Mill  on  Woodbridge  street.  He  retired 
from  active  labors  more  than  thirty  years  ago,  and  has  in  the  mean- 
while, through  well  directed  industry  and  judicious  investments  in 
real  estate,  accumulated  a ,  substantial  competency. 

For  more  than  forty  years  Mr.  Berry  occupied  his  old  homestead  at 
149  Park  street,  and  he  still  retains  considerable  property  in  that  local- 
ity, the  same  now  being  very  valuable  and  in  close  proximity  to  the 
business  center  of  the  city.  He  now  resides  in  the  home  of  his  grand- 
daughter, Mrs.  Joseph  L.  Williams,  at  70  California  avenue,  where 
he  is  accorded  the  deepest  solicitude  and  affectionate  attention  by  the 
various  members  of  the  family. 

Mr.  Berry  is  the  oldest  member  of  Ashlar  Lodge  of  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons,  with  which  he  has  been  affiliated  for  many  years.  In 
politics  he  generally  supported  the  Whig  party,  as  an  adherent  of  which 
he  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  General  William  Henry  Harrison, 
in  1841.  He  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Republican  party  at  the  time  of 
its  organization  and  has  ever  since  accorded  unequivocal  allegiance  to 
its  cause.  Mr.  Berry  has  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church  since 
he  was  a  lad  of  ten  years,  and  he  has  been  a  most  earnest  and  zealous 
worker  in  the  same,  as  was  also  his  cherished  and  devoted  wife.  For 
many  years  he  held  membership  in  the  Central  Methodist  church  of 
Detroit,  in  which  he  held  various  official  positions  in  the  earlier  years 
of  his  residence  in  the  city,  and  he  is  now  enrolled  aa  a  member  of 
Trinity  church,  in  Highland  Park,  one  of  the  attractive  residence  sec- 
tions of  the  city,  and  one  in  which  he  resides. 

Mr.  Berry  is  a  remarkiEible  man  in  his  mental  and  physical  alertness 
at  so  venerable  an  age,  and  within  recent  years  he  has  visited  his  sister, 
Mrs.  Margaret  White,  who  was  more  than  ninety  years  of  age  and  who 
resided  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  until  her  death  in  May,  1912.  He  also 
visited  his  sister,  Mrs.  Isabelle  Nichols,  in  Los  Angeles,  California, 
whom  he  considers  a  mere  girl,  she  being  only  about  seventy-six  years 
of  age.  In  September,  1912,  Mr.  Berry  completed  a  trip  to  Iowa  and 
Nebraska  of  over  1,200  miles.  With  his  granddaughter,  Mrs.  Williams, 
he  passes  the  summer  seasons  at  the  beautiful  home  of  the  latter  on 
Cass  Lake,  near  Pontiac,  in  Oakland  county,  Michigan.  Mr.  Berry  is 
still  able  to  read  without  the  use  of  glasses  and  he  walks  about  with  the 
alertness  of  a  man  of  sixty  years.  He  takes  a  vital  interest  in  the 
questions  and  events  of  the  day,  reads  the  daily  papers  with  the  utmost 
regularity,  and  devotes  much  attention  to  the  reading  of  other  litera- 
ture of  the  better  class.  His  mind  is  a  storehouse  in  which  are  placed  all 
the  records  of  achievements  and  progress  along  the  lines  of  material  and 
social  development,  and  the  tales  which  he  is  able  to  tell  of  the  days 
long  past  read  like  a  romance  in  this  twentieth  century  of  opulence  and 
prosperity  and  manifold  facilities,  which  were  in  his  early  days  con- 
sidered to  be  in  the  realm  of  the  impossible. 

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1002  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

At  Paterson,  New  Jersey,  on  the  11th  of  February,  1838,  was  solem- 
nized the  marriage  of  Mr.  Berry  to  Miss  Catherine  Tiee,  who  was  born 
near  that  place  in  1814,  and  who  was  a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Hannah 
Tiee,  both  of  staunch  Holland  Dutch  lineage.  Mrs.  Berry  proved  a 
devoted  wife  and  helpmeet  and  shared  the  joys  and  sorrows  of  her 
husband  as  they  passed  down  the  pathway  of  the  years  during  nearly 
half  a  century,  her  death  having  occurred  on  the  11th  of  March,  1887, 
about  one  year  prior  to  their  golden  wedding  anniversary.  This  con- 
stituted the  maximum  loss  and  bereavement  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Berry,  but 
he  is  sustained  by  an  abiding  Christian  faith  and  fortitude  and  looks 
forward  with  benignant  calm  to  the  hour  when  there  will  be  a  re-union 
with  his  loved  companion  in  the  *4and  of  the  leal.''  The  remains  of 
Mxs.  Berry  rest  in  beautiful  Elmwood  cemetery,  in  Detroit,  and  her 
memory  is  revered  by  all  who  came  within  the  compass  of  her  gentle 
and  gracious  influence.  Of  the  two  children  of  this  ideal  union  the 
elder  was  Sarah,  who  was  born  in  Paterson,  New  Jersey,  on  the  6th 
of  June,  1839,  and  who  died  at  Detroit,  on  the  30th  of  April,  1881. 
She  became  the  wife  of  Herman  Fairchild  and  is  survived  by  two  chil- 
dren,— Henry  and  Emma.  Henry  Fairchild  married  Miss  Leona  Hack- 
enbeck,  and  they  reside  in  Orleans,  Nebraska.  They  have  five  chil- 
dren,— Rain  Berry,  Eva  L.,  Leona  E.,  Evelyn  P.  and  Jessie.  Emma 
Fairchild  is  the  wife  of  Cyrus  P.  Rogers,  of  Lake  City,  Iowa  and  they 
have  four  children, — Anna  M.,  who  is  tha  wife  of  William  Gundrum, 
of  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  and  who  has  two  children.  Rain  and  Grace.  Her- 
man C.  married  Miss  Maude  Alice  Chase,  and  they  have  two  children, 
Lorna  Altavine  and  Donald  Evert;  Claud  C,  who  is  a  bachelor;  and 
Grace  B.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Banjamin  Overton.  John  H.  Berry,  the 
younger  of  the  two  children  of  Rain  Berry  of  this  review,  was  born  at 
Paterson,  New  Jersey,  on  the  5th  of  June,  1844,  and  died  in  Detroit, 
on  the  2nd  of  April,  1886,  having  followed  the  vocation  of  a  machinist 
during  the  greater  part  of  his  active  life.  He  married  Miss  Jennie 
Kaler,  who  was  born  in  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  on  April  16, 
1846,  the  daughter  of  Abraham  and  Sophia  (Patterson)  Kaler.  Both 
parents  are  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Berry  came  to  Michigan  after  the 
death  of  her  mother  and  was  married  in  Detroit  in  1864  by  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Buckley.  She  has  been  a  member  of  Mr.  Berry's  family  since  she 
was  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  has  never  been  separated  from  her 
venerable  father-in-law  in  all  that  time.  She  resides  with  her  only 
daughter,  Mrs.  Joseph  Williams,  as  does  also  the  venerable  gentleman 
to  whom  this  sketch  is  dedicated. 

John  H.  and  Jennie  (Kaler)  Berry  became  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren,— Harry  R.  and  Catherine  I.  Harry  R.  died  on  the  28th  of  July, 
1898,  at  the  age  of  thirty-one  years.  Catherine  I.  was  united  in  mar- 
riage on  the  7th  of  October,  1891,  to  Joseph  L.  Williams,  who  was  bom 
in  England,  and  who  is  department  manager  of  the  establishment  of 
Ernest  Kern,  of  Detroit.  They  have  two  children, — Catherine  B.  and 
Harry  C.  The  daughter  married,  in  June,  1913,  Roy  Lee  Blake,  of  Al- 
bion, New  York,  while  the  son  is  employed  in  the  Acme  White  Lead 
Works. 

From  the  foregoing  date  it  will  be  seen  that  Mr.  Berry  has  not 
only  grandchildren  and  great-grandchildren,  but  also  great-great- 
grandchildren, and  he  may  well  view  with  pride  the  numerous  pro- 
geny that  has  been  given  to  perpetuate  the  family  name  and  maintain 
its  honors.  Both  his  wife  and  his  children  have  passed  to  the  life  eternal, 
but  by  his  grandchildren  and  their  children  he  is  shown  every  mark  of 
love  and  tender  solicitude,  so  that  he  may  well  feel  that,  as  the  shadows 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1003 

of  his  life  begin  to  stretch  far  our  toward  the  golden  west,  where  the 
sunset  gates  are  opened  wide,  his  lines  are,  indeed,  east  in  pleasant 
places. 

Captain  Allan  B.  Wallower,  one  of  the  representative  younger 
members  of  the  bar  of  the  city  of  Detroit,  is  bringing  to  bear  in  his 
professional  practice  the  same  determined  purpose  and  enthusiasm 
that  have  signally  conserved  his  success  in  other  fields  of  endeavor.  In 
view  of  the  fact  that  his  father  was  a  soldier  of  the  Union  in  the  Civil 
war  and  thereafter  continued  to  serve  with  distinction  and  honor  in 
the  United  States  Regular  Army,  it  is  specially  pleasing  to  note  that 
Captain  Wallower  himself  has  well  upheld  the  military  prestige  of  the 
name  he  bears.  He  enjoys  marked  popularity  in  the  business,  pro- 
fessional and  social  circles  of  the  Michigan  metropolis,  where  he  has 
maintained  his  home  since  the  year  1903. 

Captain  Wallower  claims  the  fine  old  Keystone  state  as  the  place 
of  his  nativity  and  is  a  scion  of  one  of  its  oldest  and  most  honored 
families.  He  was  bom  at  Harrisburg,  the  capital  of  Pennsylvania,  on 
the  15th  of  August,  1875,  and  is  a  son  of  Bepjamin  F.  Wallower.  The 
latter  was  a  son  of  John  Wallower,  who  was  one  of  the  representative 
agriculturists  of  Dauphin  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  was  born 
and  reared  and  where  his  father,  Leonard  Wallower,  had  settled  in  the 
early  pioneer  days  of  that  region.  On  July  25,  1844,  Benjamin  Wal- 
lower was  born  at  the  old  homestead  which  was  the  abode  of  the  family 
for  three  generations.  He  was  reared  to  the  sturdy  discipline  of  the 
farm  and  was  afforded  the  advantages  of  the  common  schools  of  the 
locality  and  period.  He  was  about  seventeen  years  of  age  at  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  war  and  promptly  gave  evidence  of  his  youthful 
loyalty  and  patriotism  by  tendering  his  services  in  defense  of  the 
Union.  He  responded  to  President  Lincoln's  first  call  for  volunteers 
and  later  enlisted  in  the  Twentieth  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Cavalry, 
with  which  he  continued  in  active  service  until  it  was  mustered  out, 
meanwhile  participating  in  a  number  of  the  important  engagements 
which  marked  the  progress  of  the  conflict  between  the  north  and  the 
south.  On  the  9th  of  February,  1864,  he  became  a  member  of  Battery 
F,  Third  United  States  Artillery,  and  with  this  he  served  during  the 
remainder  of  the  war,  continuing  his  connection  with  it  until  February 
9,  1867,  when  he  received  his  honorable  discharge.  On  the  twentieth 
of  the  following  May  he  re-enlisted  in  Company  6,  Twenty-third  United 
States  Infantry,  with  which  he  continued  in  active  service  in  the  far 
west,  taking  part  in  many  conflicts  with  the  Indians.  With  this  com- 
pany he  remained  until  the  close  of  his  term  of  enlistment,  when,  on 
May  20,  1870,  at  Fort  Colville,  Washington,  he  was  mustered  out  with 
the  rank  of  sergeant,  an  ofiice  to  which  he  had  been  promoted  and  in 
which  he  had  served  two  and  one  half  years.  His  discharge  contained 
the  following  significant  words:  **A  good  soldier  and  an  excellent 
sergeant.''  After  the  close  of  his  military  career,  Sergeant  Wallower 
turned  his  attention  to  railroad  activities  and  with  this  line  of  enter- 
prise he  continued  to  be  identified  until  his  death,  which  occurred  at 
Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  July,  1883. 

Benjamin  Wallower  married  Margaret  Herron,  who  was  bom  in 
Cumberland  county,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  12th  of  June,  1851,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Levi  Herron,  a  representative  of  a  family  founded  in  that  state. 
They  were  the  parents  of  four  children :  Estella  E.,  who  died  at  Phila- 
delphia in  December,  1900 ;  Allan  B.,  the  facts  of  whose  life  are  given 
in  detail  below ;  Roland  C,  bom  July  16,  1879,  who  holds  a  responsible 


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1004  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

position  with  the  Prick  Company  of  Waynesboro,  Pennsylvania;  and 
Charles  W.,  who  was  graduated  from  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of 
Technology,  Boston,  and  who  is  an  electrical  engineer  in  the  employ 
of  the  American  Telegraph  and  Telephone  Company,  with  headquarters 
ih  Boston.  Mrs,  Benjamin  Wallower  died  on  the  15th  of  December, 
1888. 

Allan  B.  Wallower  was  reared  in  his  native  city  of  Harrisburg. 
There  he  attended  school  at  Camp  Hill,  Cumberland  county,  and  at 
Chester  Springs,  Chester  county.  After  leaving  the  public  schools  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  years,  he  took  a  business  course  at  Eastman's  Busi- 
ness College  in  Poughkeepsie,  New  York. 

On  the  18th  of  April,  1894,  at  Sunbury,  Northumberland  county, 
he  enlisted  in  the  Pennsylvania  National  Guard,  in  Company  E,  Twelfth 
Regiment  Infantry.  In  November,  1896,  he  was  commissioned  second 
lieutenant  of  his  company.  He  was  the  incumbent  of  this  office  when, 
in  September  of  the  following  year,  his  regiment  was  called  out  to  aid 
in  suppressing  the  riots  incidental  to  the  great  strike  of  miners  at  Hazel- 
ton,  Pennsylvania. 

At  the  inception  of  the  Spanish-American  war  Captain  Wallower 
was  commissioned  with  his  regiment,  which  was  mustered  into  the 
United  States  Service  as  the  Twelfth  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry, 
in  which  he  retained  the  office  of  second  lieutenant  of  Company  E.  The 
regiment  went  into  camp  at  Mount  Oretna,  Pennsylvania,  and  later  was 
in  the  Second  Army  Corps,  retained  at  Camp  Alger,  the  command  not 
being  called  to  the  front.  Captain  Wallower  was  mustered  out  of  the 
United  States  service  on  the  30th  of  October,  1898.  In  August  of  the 
following  year  he  was  appointed  captain  and  regimental  adjutant  of  his 
original  command,  the  Twelfth  Regiment  of  the  Pennsylvania  National 
Guard.  He  retained  this  office  until  June  15,  1900,  when  he  resigned 
it  in  order  to  go  to  Trinidad,  Venezuela,  in  the  service  of  the  New  Trini- 
dad Lake  Asphalt  Company.  After  spending  three  years  in  South 
America  and  the  West  Indies,  Captain  Wallower  returned  to  the  United 
States.  In  October,  1903,  he  came  to  Detroit,  where  he  continued  in 
the  employ  of  the  asphalt  corporation,  his  connection  being  with  the 
Barber  Asphalt  Paving  Company.  On  September  30th,  1904,  he  re- 
signed his  position,  and  later  became  associated  with  the  Manufacturers' 
Commerci«J  Company,  a  branch  of  an  important  New  York  financial 
corporation. 

While  in  the  qmploy  of  the  above-mentioned  company,  and  located 
in  its  Detroit  offices.  Captain  Wallower  pursued  a  course  of  study  in  the 
Detroit  College  of  Law.  He  was  graduated  from  this  institution,  as 
a  member  of  the  class  of  1908,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws. 
At  a  session  of  the  supreme  court  of  Michigan  held  at  Lansing  on  June 
27th  of  that  year,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  thereupon  opened 
an  office  in  Detroit,  where  he  has  since  given  his  undivided  attention 
to  his  chosen  profession,  proving  his  powers  as  a  trial  lawyer  and  as 
a  well  fortified  counselor. 

In  politics  Captain  Wallower  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Detroit  Lawyers'  Club;  Zion  Lodge,  No.  1,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons;  and  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church.  He  still  retains  his  in- 
terest in  military  aflfairs  and  is  (1912)  recorder  of  the  Michigan  Com- 
mandery  of  the  Naval  and  Military  Order  of  the  Spanish-American 
War. 

FoBD  S.  Smith  is  a  man  of  unusual  enterprise  and  initiative.  Self- 
made  and  self-educated  in  the  most  significant  sense  of  the  words,  he 
has  progressed  steadily  toward  the  goal  of  success  until  he  is  recognized 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1005 

as  one  of  the  foremost  business  men  and  citizens  of  Detroit,  where  he 
conducts  the  enterprise  known  as  the  Smith  Chandelier  Company  and 
where  he  has  resided  during  the  greater  portion  of  his  life. 

At  Howell,  Michigan,  on  the  23d  of  November,  1877,  occurred  the  birth 
of  Ford  S.  Smith,  who  is  a  son  of  George  A.  and  Henrietta  (Savery) 
Smith,  both  residents  of  Detroit,  their  home  being  maintained  at  250 
Vinewood  avenue.  The  Smith  family  was  one  of  old  standing  at  Howell, 
Michigan,  and  George  A.  Smith  came  to  Detroit  in  1879,  at  which  time 
the  subject  of  this  review  was  a  child  of  but  two  years  of  age.  ,The 
father  was  identified  with  the  business  during  the  major  part  of  his 
active  career  but  for  the  past  fifteen  years  he  has  lived  in  virtual  retire- 
ment. After  making  the  most  of  such  educational  advantages  as  were 
afforded  in  the  public  schools  of  this  city,  Ford  S.  Smith  assumed  the 
active  responsibilities  of  life  by  beginning  work  for  the  Detroit  Heating 
&  Lighting  Company,  at  a  salary  of  five  dollars  per  week.  His  close 
application  to  business  gradually  won  him  promotions  so  that  at  the  time 
when  he  left  the  employ  of  the  company  he  was  the  eflScient  incumbent 
of  the  oflSce  of  assistant  general  manager  of  the  concern.  In  1906  he 
founded  the  Smith  Chandelier  Company,  which  was  immediately  incor- 
porated under  the  laws  of  the  state,  with  a  capital  stock  of  five  thousand 
dollars.  At  the  present  time,  in  1911,  Mr.  Smith  owns  ninety  per  cent  of 
the  stock  of  the  company  and  he  holds  the  oflSces  of  secretary  and  treas- 
ured and  general  manager.  The  Smith  Chandelier  Company,  located  at 
2665-7  Grand  Boulevard,  Detroit,  is  strictly  a  wholesale  concern  and 
manufactures  all  kinds  of  lighting  fixtures,  the  market  being  the  United 
States  and  Canada.  A  force  of  twenty  men  are  employed  the  year 
around  and  four  traveling  salesmen  represent  the  company  on  the  road. 

Inasmuch  as  Mr.  Smith  has  bnilt  up  the  splendid  business  enterprise 
which  he  now  controls  his  success  is  the  more  gratifying  to  contemplate. 
His  present  plant  was  erected  in  1906  but  in  1912  he  plans  to  erect  a 
plant  of  twice  the  capacity  of  his  present  one.  Mr.  Smith  is  also  finan- 
cially interested  in  a  number  of  other  important  business  enterprises  and 
he  is  treasurer  of  the  National  Lighting  Fixture  Association.  He  is 
connected  with  various  electric  organizations  and  is  a  member  of  the  Mil- 
waukee Junction  Manufacturing  Company.  In  a  fraternal  way  he 
holds  a  high  place  in  Masonry,  being  affiliated  with  Palestine  Blue  Lodge, 
Free  &  Accepted  Masons;  King  Cyrus  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons; 
Monroe  Council,  Royal  &  Select  Masters;  and  Detroit  Commandery, 
Knights  Templar.  He  is  likewise  a  member  of  Moslem  Temple,  Ancient 
Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart 
Republican,  and  while  he  has  no  ambition  for  the  honors  of  public  office 
of  any  description  he  is  ever  ready  to  give  of  his  time  and  influence  in 
support  of  all  measures  advanced  for  the  good  of  the  general  welfare. 

On  the  17th  of  October,  1904,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Smith  to  Miss  Clara  Maud  Plumb,  who  was  bom  and  reared  in  Detroit, 
where  her  education  included  a  course  in  the  high  school.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Smith  have  two  children,  Francis  Gerald  and  Marjory  Lucile,  both  of 
whom  were  bom  in  this  city.  The  Smith  home  is  maintained  at  177  Be- 
thune  street.  East,  and  there  is  dispensed  the  most  gracious  and  gener- 
ous of  hospitality.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  great  automobile  enthusiast  and  most 
of  his  spare  time  is  devoted  to  motoring. 

Robert  Kirke  Young,  M.  D.  One  of  the  able  and  progressive 
citizens  of  Detroit,  who  is  contributing  materially  to  the  growth  and 
development  of  his  city  through  his  activities  in  his  chosen  field  of 
endeavor,  is  Dr.  Robert  Kirke  Younp,  an  honored  member  of  the  De- 
troit medical  fraternity  and  a  man  who  has  achieved  distinction  in  his 


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1006  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

profession  through  his  own  individual  efforts.  Dr.  Young  was  born 
at  Lurgan,  in  county  Armagh,  Ireland,  April  17,  1871,  and  is  descend- 
ed from  two  good  old  Irish  families.  His  paternal  grandfather  was 
Kirke  Young,  gentleman,  while  his  maternal  grandfather  was  Thomas 
Lavery,  a  linen  manufacturer  of  Lurgan,  Ireland.  The  father  of  the 
Doctor  is  James  Kirke  Young,  who  was  bom  in  Lurgan,  county  Arm- 
agh, and  the  mother  was  Arabella  Lavery,  also  a  native  of  Lurgan. 
The  parents  came  to  the  United  States  in  1891,  settling  in  Detroit, 
where  the  father  followed  his  vocation  as  a  decorator  and  now  lives 
retired  from  active  business.  The  mother  passed  to  her  reward  in 
1899. 

The  early  education  of  Dr.  Young  was  acquired  in  the  National 
schools  of  Ireland,  where  in  1883  he  received  the  silver  medal.  He 
received  his  scientific  education  under  private  tutors,  preparing  for  the 
civil  service  of  Ireland.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in  1888,  preced- 
ing his  parents  to  this  country  by  three  years,  and  coming  direct  to 
Detroit.  Here  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Western  Union  Life  In- 
surance Company  as  stenographer  and  continued  in  that  line  until 
September,  1891,  when  he  matriculated  in  the  Detroit  College  of  Medi- 
cine. He  graduated  from  that  institution  with  the  class  of  1894,  as 
gold  medalist,  degree  of  M.  D.  That  same  year  he  entered  the  general 
practice  of  medicine,  but  the  following  year  entered  newspaper  work 
with  the  Evening  Netvs  Association,  continuing  in  that  field  for  one  year 
and  at  the  same  time  acting  as  assistant  editor  of  the  newspaper.  The 
Herald  of  Commerce,  Returning  to  the  practice  of  medicine  in  1906, 
he  has  since  continued  with  success,  giving  special  attention  to  surgery, 
in  which  department  he  has  become  very  well  known.  He  located  at 
his  present  place,  No.  603  Fourteenth  ayenue,  where  he  maintains  of- 
fices and  residence,  in  1907.  Since  that  time  his  practice  has  extended 
ramifications  and  is  of  a  representative  character,  and  the  Doctor's 
skill  and  kindly  nature  have  gained  for  him  public  confidence  and 
affection.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  and  Michigan  State 
Medical  Societies,  the  American  Medical  Association,  and  the  Alumni 
AssQciation  of  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine.  Fraternally  he  belongs 
to  Friendship  Lodge,  No.  417,  F.  &  A.  M.  He  is  medical  examiner  for 
the  Michigan  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company,  the  American  Temper- 
ance Life  Insurance  Company  and  the  National  Union. 

Dr.  Young  married  Miss  Georgina  ]\Iuriel  Winstanley,  of  Moncton, 
Ontario,  Canada,  and  they  have  had  two  children,  namely:  Marguerite 
and  Madeline. 

Dr.  John  Marcus  Swift.  When  on  August  30,  1897,  Dr.  John 
Marcus  Swift  was  taken  from  friends  and  family  in  Northville  to  the 
life  everlasting,  a  great  and  enduring  sorrow  was  laid  upon  the  com- 
munity. His  life  had  been  one  of  service  to  all,  and  inspiration  to 
the  young,  and  a  comfort  to  the  weary.  Few  men  have  gone  out  from 
this  life  so  sincerely  mourned  or  so  profoundly  missed. 

Dr.  Swift  was  a  man  of  unusual  talents,  combining  the  rarely  sym- 
pathetic nature  of  the  minister  with  the  cool  intellect  trained  in  the 
ways  of  science,  so  that  in  the  course  of  his  life  he  gained  everywhere 
respect  and  influence  among  the  people  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 
He  came  of  stern  and  courageous  stock  for  he  was  a  grandson  of  Gen- 
eral John  Swift,  who  made  a  name  for  himself  as  a  soldier  in  the  Amer- 
ican Revolution  and  was  later,  as  a  leader  of  a  band  of  pioneers,  the 
founder  of  Palmyra,  New  York.  He  lost  his  life  in  the  War  of  1812. 
On  the  mother's  side,  Dr.  Swift  was  the  grandson  of  another  Revolu- 
tionary soldier  and   Palmyra  settler,  Weaver  Osband.     In   1825,   his 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1007 

father,  the  Reverend  Marcus  Swift,  finding  himself  no  longer  able  to 
countenance  the  feelings  of  his  brethren  on  the  subject  of  slavery,  left 
Palmyra,  New  York  state,  and  sometime  before  1830  settled  in  Nankin, 
Michigan.  It  was  at  Nankin,  February  11,  1832,  that  Dr.  John  M. 
Swift  was  born.  When  he  was  a  boy-  of  ten,  his  mother  died  and  his 
father  married  Huldah  C.  (Peck)  who  became  to  the  boy  all  that  an  own 
mother  could  be,  for  she  understood  the  boy  and  gave  much  of  her 
time  to  directing  his  education.  A  year  at  the  district  school  at  Ply- 
mouth, three  terms  in  Griffin  Academy,  Ypsilanti,  and  a  part  of  a  year 
at  Leona  College,  comprised  his  school  privileges.  For  the  rest,  his 
education  consisted  of  a  wise  reading  done  at  home.  It  is  interesting 
to  note  also  that  a  great  deal  of  his  reading  was  done  from  books  fast 
ened  to  his  plow  handle.  In  1851  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine 
at  the  Eclectic  Medical  Institute  of  Cincinnati,  from  which  institution 
he  was  graduated  in  1853. 

On  February  11,  1852,  his  twentieth  birthday.  Dr.  Swift  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Emily  Barker,  of  Grand  Rapids.  She  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Captain  George  J.  and  Maria  (Peck)  Barker,  who  came  from 
Dutchess  county.  New  York,  and  located  in  Manchester,  Michigan,  where 
they  took  up  a  large  tract  of  land.  After  farming  for  some  years  he 
retired  and  moved  to  Grand  Rapids  where  he  and  his  wife  both  died. 
After  obtaining  his  degree  Dr.  Swift  and  his  wife  made  their  home  in 
Northville,  where  he  at  once  began  the  practice  of  his  profession.  His 
name  soon  began  to  stand  for  something  in  the  surrounding  country  for 
he  brought  to  the  practice  of  his  profession  not  only  a  remarkable 
ability  to  diagnose  and  fight  all  kinds  of  obscure  physical  disorders, 
but  he  was  gifted  with  a  sympathy  that  gave  him  an  unusual  insight  into 
human  nature.  In  1864  the  Rush  Medical  College  of  Chicago  honored 
him  with  its  degree  in  recognition  of  his  valuable  contributions  to  the 
literature  of  medicine  and  his  treatment  of  diseases,  especially  of  diph- 
theria. He  is  well  known  to  the  profession  for  his  advocacy  of  diphtheria 
as*  a  constitutional  and  not  a  local  disease,  and  he  published  in  a  local 
paper  his  theories  that  tuberculosis  should  be  treated  as  a  germ  disease 
lon^  before  that  theory  found  favor  with  the  profession  at  large.  Dr. 
Swift  was  always  interested  in  whatever  tended  to  make  the  medical 
profession  more  useful.  He  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  Union 
Medical  Society  of  Oakland,  Wayne,  and  Washtenaw  counties,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  state  and  national  medical  societies,  as  well  as  hon- 
orary member  of  several  American  societies,  besides  having  been  elected 
to  the  Sydenham  Medical  Society  of  England. 

Next  to  his  profession.  Dr.  Swift  gave  his  greatest  interest  to  his 
church  work.  He  was  the  leader  of  the  choir  and  superintendent  of 
the  Sunday  school  and  frequently  was  even  called  upon  to  fill  the  pulpit. 
He  was  never  absent  when  Christian  comfort  was  needed. 

Dr.  Swift's  talent  as  a  lecturer  was  well  known  and  he  was  fre- 
quently called  upon  to  deliver  addresses.  At  the  death  of  President 
Garfield,  it  was  he  who  was  asked  to  give  the  local  commemoratory  ad- 
dress. Dr.  Swift  was  intensely  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  village 
and  was  never  absent  when  any  movement  for  the  betterment  of  con- 
ditions was  put  forward.  He  considered  political  responsibility  and 
participation  in  the  political  life  of  the  community  as  every  man's 
duty.  He  was  an  enthusiastic  Republican,  and  in  1864,  was  elected  to 
the  Michigan  state  legislature,  the  only  representative  of  his  party  from 
Wayne  county,  a  circumstance  which  caused  the  Detroit  Free  Press 
to  give  him  the  title  **The  Lone  Star  of  Abolition." 

Dr.  Swift  was  the  father  of  one  daughter,  Mary  Elizabeth,  a  woman 
of  rare  musical  gifts.     She  became  the  wife  of  George  Milne,  an  east- 


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1008  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

em  man.  They  went  to  make  their  home  in  Texas.  There  she  died  in 
1884,  leaving  three  children.  The  youngest,  a  daughter,  soon  followed 
the  mother  into  the  life  beyond.  The  two  sons.  Swift  and  Alexander, 
made  their  home  with  their  grandparents  for  several  years.  The  loss 
of  his  daughter  was  a  blow  from  which  Dr.  Swift  was  never  able  to 
recover.  Dr.  Swift's  home  also  became  that  of  the  orphaned  children 
of  his  brother  Rev.  Dr.  0.  R.  Swift.  They  Jived  in  the  doctor's  house- 
hold until  they  founded  homes  of  their  own;  M.  G.  B.  Swift  going  to 
Fall  River,  Massachusetts,  where  he  became  an  eminent  lawyer,  and 
Camilla  Swift  becoming  Mrs.  James  A.  Dubuar,  of  Northville.  His  widow 
still  makes  her  home  in  Northville,  surrounded  by  many  friends  that 
she  and  her  husband  made  and  kept  through  many  years. 

It  is  but  fair  to  say  that  no  man  in  the  county  ever  left  a  more 
honorable  record  of  useful  service  and  high  devotion  to  the  best  and 
noblest  sentiments  than  Dr.  Swift,  and  his  name  will  long  be  revered 
among  the  people  who  knew  and  loved  him. 

Russell  A.  Alger.  In  the  annals  of  the  state  of  Michigan  no  name 
merits  a  place  of  greater  prominence  or  more  enduring  honor  than 
that  of  the  late  General  Russell  A.  Alger,  who  gave  the  best  of  an 
essentially  strong,  noble  and  loyal  nature  to  the  service  of  his  kind  and 
who  dignified  and  honored  the  city  and  state  in  which  he  so  long  lived 
and  labored.  His  life  course  was  guided  and  governed  by  the  loftiest 
principles  and  highest  ideals;  he  was  humanity's  friend  and  labored 
with  all  of  zeal  and  devotion  as  a  man  among  men,  with  the  strength 
and  simplicity  and  directness  characteristic  of  his  great  heart  and  great 
mind.  Both  in  public  life  and  in  connection  with  industrial  and  other 
business  activities  of  the  broadest  scope  it  was  given  General  Alger 
to  mark  the  passing  years  with  large  and  worthy  accomplishment,  and 
his  distinction  rests  on  the  firm  basis  of  work  well  done,  of  honors  well 
won.  His  influence  transcended  mere 'local  limitations  to  permeate  the 
national  life,  and  he  was  one  of  the  distinguished  men  of  America,  as  well 
as  an  honored  and  loved  citizen  of  Detroit,  where  his  affections  and  in- 
terests centered.  The  writer  of  this  memoir  knew  General  Alger  and 
has  ever  retained  the  deepest  appreciation  of  exalted  character  and  ser- 
vices. It  was  permitted  the  writer  also  to  secure  in  person  from  the 
General  the  data  for  a  review  of  his  career  a  short  time  before  his  death, 
and  from  the  article  prepared  at  that  time,  with  appreciative  interest, 
much  of  the  following  context  is  derived,  as  such  indulgence  seems  to  be 
the  more  consistent  in  view  of  the  fact  that  General  Alger  himself  gave 
his  approval  of  the  completed  and  revised  article,  the  statements  of 
which  did  not  too  greatly  transcend  the  bounds  set  by  his  characteristic 
modesty.  He  rendered  to  the  state  and  nation  service  to  the  fullest  ex- 
tent of  his  splendid  powers ;  his  labors  were  unsparing,  and  his  integrity 
of  purpose  beyond  cavil.  The  reflex  of  the  high  honors  conferred  upon 
him  was  the  honors  he  in  turn  conferred,  and  his  life  was  conspicuous  for 
the  magnitude  and  variety  of  its  achievement. 

Russell  Alexander  Alger  was  born  in  a  pioneer  log  cabin  in  Lafay- 
ette township,  Medina  county,  Ohio,  and  the  date  of  his  nativity  was 
February  27,  1836,  so  that  he  lacked  only  a  few  weeks  of  being  seventy- 
one  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  24th  of 
January,  1907.  He  was  a  son  of  Russell  and  Caroline  (Moulton)  Alger, 
and  the  genealogy  in  the  agnatic  line  is  traced  back  to  staunch  English 
origin,  the  original  American  progenitor  having  come  from  England  in 
1759.  Through  distinguished  English  channels  the  line,  is  traced  back 
authoritatively  to  the  time  of  William  the  Conqueror.  John  Alger, 
great-grandfather  of  him  to  whom  this  memoir  is  dedicated,  was  a  val- 


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,  -..'   i:  .'    h  -.    .. 
'     .      -'  ',    II.    Ko    ii»»\'/   lived 

'  \  ..  .  t.   ■   '  I  -.Mi.  With  lilt'  stren^'^tli 

-i     '•    '..    >     -w  >  .   ''  I  I   ■:•   i.^'  \[<  L'i't'at  iM-art  aiul  crr^'at 

•;•  ill  I'M!  ;■<    ,'.]\'  :jt:,1  .'p  -st-.f   -f' i- >n  wph  iii'.liwTnal  nnd  oth^T 

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'-    .     .*  ,  .  '  ^     ipN  wii*.   1  .  •  ■.-'    arid  \\*»:*^>iy  afr(»iu]>li.slnii*'tit,  fwi*l 

-  '  >,   1 1..'  ^itiji   l»;i.>is  oi'  work  wt-ll  dnm\  of  Ihwiois  '  -  '! 

'  .*•    •      -.^.N  .,,.  ►<!  {-i^"-*'  lo  .:)   li'ii-'atioiis  to  p^■M■|.l■      •    * 

'  •    ...'••:..  :•;.;./  i.'.'-n  ot*  Ai^i  ?-'•  i    * 

I  •■  'iMit.  w  i.tTf  i'ls  a*^'''-'<  ■  ■.■  -     •    !   •  • 
I's  iiKMnoir  luit'W  ^it'ii.  rai   A  iC'  '    •»'»;i 
:  .  '?'iaiioTi  of  exalt'Ml  ^'haraitiT  aiivi  s^r- 
•'xT  also  to  siH^un*  iu  i»»'r.v)ii   from   tin* 
;   ''i-i  <'arH<'r  a  siiort  time  Ix^fore  his  (It-ath, 
'     :  -i'    ;hat   t'nio,  >\ith  appreciative  interest, 
.     I   ts  .i":i    .  J.  i\'<  sueli  iibliiiLrence  St-eins  to  be 
..  V     .'   «>:  \\>v  ,,;.  1   Mm*  (i'-neral   Aa^ei   hu  ist^'f  ^ave 
e.ii:.j-i..-iru    h:  ^\    r- v*s- •!   arfieU',   the   sTateiai.-Tits   of 
•   *  /I'fp'ly  tr-Miv'*'-!  •  .     S'aniHs  set  ])>'  his  eliaraeN'risti^' 
'V  -iered  Iu  * -M'  ^f-,v*  ,.  •  t  iialmii  servif-o  to  th^^  fa'^^^t  ^  - 
■  ■.       iiui.i  powTs-  n.^  {.!:.)'*s  were  iin^pai'iTi^»',  and  l.'v  t     ,      ■ 

•  i>ev()iHl  cavil,     'fiw  r.Mi- X  o^"  t^  •  luLdi  hono^'^  ("^-i      i  

'»it  h«Mior.>  he  \u  turn  cotif,  ' -■-   !   a:.(l  his  life  wa--  .  .     .e  ^ 

■   i.<:r  a. id  varieiy  of  its  ;u  '  ':*  ^eiii'"it. 
:!    \'i  \  '.!'''^r  Ali^^r  was  i-orn  m  a  jdone*  "  •-  l-  ;'a:'' 
1   '  "'.    .V  •']  .;a  cojuity,  Oiil*),  and  th'*  d,i;e  of  liis 
'  *    '    so  that  he  la<'kerl  oeh   .t  -i  \\   w(M'ks  ot   ! 
a»  the  time  of  h-^    '     *  '    \\  r.r'ii  (H-enrr- 
}!.■  \vas  a  s*Mj  •"  ■   ■      vr-il  and  Caro!'-  •  •      ■»• 

'  .  -     ^  .    10  *h.'    ■      ,'• .     iiiie  is  traced  ).  .  ,    -         ,    .         !  -   •'   dt 
.    •       ■  'ii.i  profjeiiitor  ha\-  •     •    u*    U**^,.  f'  •■:■   ^'O   it- 
.■  :.>hfHl  Er-iMsli  ••'  •    -■   s  lae  line  ih  m,-.      i    i.,'tx 
•  •     Umc  of  AVij::.'-:-    ;  ■■•    (  (Jiemerf*^'.     J  •' -t     \":'.'». 
f  tiiiii  to  whoij  !t>  niefiHMi   is  dcdieate-;    ^*    .^  a  Mil- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1009 

iant  soldier  of  the  Continental  line  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution  and  par- 
ticipated in  many  of  the  battles  marking  the  progress  of  the  great  con- 
flict through  which  oppression  was  hurled  back  and  the  boon  of  liberty 
gained.  The  name  bears  honored  place  in  the  annals  of  New  England, 
that  staunch  matrix  in  which  was  cast  so  much  of  our  national  history. 
The  mother  of  General  Alger  was  a  direct  descendant  of  Robert  Moulton, 
who  arrived  in  the  colony  of  Massachusetts  in  1627,  in  charge  of  a  vessel 
laden  with  valuable  ship-building  material,  and  he  brought  with  him  a 
number  of  skilled  ship  carpenters.  The  first  seagoing  vessel  built  in 
Massachuisetts  was  constructed  under  his  supervision.  The  Moulton 
family  has  had  many  distinguished  representatives  in  succeeding  gen- 
erations. 

Early  in  the  nineteenth  century  the  Alger  family  was  founded  in 
Ohio,  and  its  representatives  thus  became  identified  with  the  pioneer 
history  of  that  staunch  old  commonwealth.  The  boyhood  of  Russell  A. 
Alger  was  passed  under  the  conditions  common  to  the  locality  and  per- 
iod, though  he  was  early  called  upon  to  assume  greater  responsibilities 
than  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  average  boy,  as  bis  parents  were  in  ill  health 
and  in  most  modest  financial  circumstances.  He  was  but  twelve  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  his  parents,  and  was  then  thrown  upon 
his  own  resources,  the  while  he  assumed  most  bravely  the  burden  of 
providing  for  his  younger  brother  and  sister.  He  had,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  received  but  meager  educational  advantages,  and  when  he  thus 
faced  the  stem  battle  of  life  at  the  age  noted  he  lost  no  time  in  securing 
such  employment  as  came  within  the  compass  of  his  powers  and  abilities. 
He  found  employment  on  a  farm  near  Richfield,  Summit  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  nine  years,  within  which  he  felt  most  fully  the  lash 
of  necessity,  the  while  he  never  lost  courage,  ambition  or  self-reliance. 
Within  the  period  of  his  work  on  the  farm  he  attended  a  neighboring 
academy  during  the  winter  months.  His  marked  facility  in  the  absorp- 
tion and  assimilation  of  knowledge  caused  him  to  make  rapid  progress  in 
his  studies,  and  he  finally  was  able  to  secure  a  position  as  teacher  in  a 
district  school,  though  he  still  continued  at  farm  work  during  the  sum- 
mer seasons.  How  radically  different  was  all  this  from  the  later  years  of 
General  Alger's  life,  when  he  found  himself  compassed  with  ** smiling 
plenty  and  fair  prosperous  days.'' 

In  March,  1857,  shortly  after  attaining  to  his  legal  majority,  and  with 
character  well  moulded  in  the  stem  school  of  necessity,  General  Alger 
began  the  study  of  law,  under  the  preceptorship  of  the  firm  of  Wolcott  & 
Upson,  of  Akron,  Ohio.  In  1859  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  by  the  su- 
preme court  of  his  native  state,  and  he  then  removed  to  the  city  of  Cleve- 
land, where  he  secured  a  position  in  the  law  office  of  Otis,  CoflSnberry  & 
Wyman.  After  a  few  months  his  health  became  impaired,  owing  to 
close  confinement  and  arduous  study,  and  he  was  compelled  to  abandon 
the  work  of  his  chosen  profession. 

The  year  1859  recorded  the  removal  of  General  Alger  to  Michigan, 
but  how  little  could  he  have  imagined  all  that  fate  had  in  store  for  him, 
a  poor  young  man,  in  connection  with  the  history  of  this  state  and  that  of 
the  nation.  Soon  after  his  arrival  in  Michigan  he  located  at  Grand 
Rapids,  which  was  then  a  mere  village,  and  there  he  identified  himself 
with  the  line  of  industrial  enterprise  along  which  he  was  destined  to 
achieve  his  greatest  financial  success.  In  a  business  way  his  affairs  were 
prospered  in  the  climacteric  period  just  prior  to  the  inception  of  the 
Civil  war,  but  when  the  conflict  between  the  North  and  South  was  pre- 
cipitated he  subordinated  all  personal  interests  to  the  call  of  patriotism 
and  was  one  of  the  first  to  voice  his  loyalty  to  the  Union  by  tendering  his 
services  in  its  defense.     One  of  the  phases  of  his  distinguished  career 


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1010  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

that  will  ever  redound  to  his  honor  is  that  involved  in  his  gallant  and 
brilliant  services  in  the  Civil  war.  In  August,  1861,  General  Alger  en- 
listed as  a  private  in  the  Second  Michigan  Volunteer  Cavalry,  in  which 
he  was  commissioned  captain  when  his  regiment  was  mustered  into  the 
United  States  service,  and  he  was  forthwith  assigned  to  the  command  of 
Company  C.  The  record  of  his  army  service  as  given  by  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral Robertson's  ** Michigan  in  the  War,'*  an  oflBcial  work,  is  as  follows: 
**  Captain  Second  Cavalry,  September  2,  1861;  major,  April  2,  1862; 
lieutenant  colonel  Sixth  Michigan  Cavalry,  October  16,  1862;  colonel 
Fifth  Michigan  Cavalry,  February  28,  1863 ;  wounded  in  *  action  at 
Boonesboro,  Maryland,  July  8,  1863 ;  resigned  September  20,  1864,  and 
honorably  discharged.  Brevet  brigadier  general  United  States  Volun- 
teers, for  gallant  and  meritorious  services,  to  rank  from  the  battle  of 
Trevilian  Station,  Virginia,  June  11,  1864 ;  brevet  major  general  United 
States  Volunteers,  June  11,  1865,  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services 
during  the  war. ' ' 

From  private  to  brevet  major  general  within  so  short  a  period  is, 
indeed,  a  creditable  record.  The  advancement  did  not  come  through 
favoritism  or  other  fortuitous  agencies,  for  each  successive  promotion 
was  honestly  and  gallantly  won.  The  qualities  that  had  distinguished 
General  Alger  in  civil  life  were  brought  to  play  in  the  field  and  made 
him  one  to  whom  others  naturally  turned  in  hours  of  emergency  or 
danger.  The  limitations  defined  in  this  publication  preclude  the  giving 
of  a  detailed  history  of  General  Alger's  army  career  and  relating  the 
stirring  events  of  danger  and  heroism  that  are  woven  therein.  In  the 
earlier  years  of  the  war  he  was  active  in  the  south  and  west,  but  the 
larger  portion  of  his  service  was  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  As 
colonel  of  the  Fifth  Michigan  Cavalry  he  entered  Gettysburg  on  the  28th 
of  June,  1863,  his  being  the  first  Union  regiment  to  reach  the  village,  and 
there  he  and  his  men  received  a  most  noteworthy  ovation  on  the  part  of 
the  loyal  citizens. 

One  of  the  most  important  engagements  in  which  General  Alger  par- 
ticipated was  the  battle  of  Booneville,  on  the  1st  of  July,  1862,  at  which 
time  he  was  serving  as  captain  of  Company  C,  Second  Michigan  Cavalry. 
General  Chalmers,  with  five  thousand  mounted  Confederates,  represent- 
ing nine  regiments,  made  an  attack  on  Booneville,  which  was  held  by 
Colonel  Sheridan,  who  had  with  him  at  the  time  of  the  attack  only  two 
small  regiments,  the  Second  Michigan  Cavalry  and  the  Second  Iowa 
Cavalry,  numbering  in  all  less  than  nine  hundred  men,  the  Second  Mich- 
igan having  been  armed  with  sabers,  Colt's  revolvers  and  revolving  car- 
bines. So  great  was  the  heroism  displayed  by  these  two  regiments  that 
General  Chalmers  was  led  to  believe  that  he  had  been  deceived  in  the 
strength  of  the  enemy,  as  he  inferred  that  the  slaughter  effected  by  the 
Michigan  regiment  with  their  carbines  must  certainly  be  the  work  of  an 
infantry  brigade.  Sheridan,  with  his  little  body  of  men,  was  in  danger 
of  being  surrounded  and  captured,  and  in  this  emergency  he  decided 
to  send  out  ninety  picked  men,  in  command  of  Captain  Alger,  to  make  a 
circuit  of  the  enemy  and  charge  upon  the  rear  **with  sabers  and  cheers." 
This  ruse  had  the  desired  effect,  for  as  soon  as  Captain  Alger  and  his 
men  charged  upon  the  reserve  of  the  enemy,  ^umbering  at  least  two 
thousand  men,  they  broke  and  fled,  as  did  also  the  force  directly  in  front 
of  Sheridan,  leaving  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  of  their  comrades 
upon  the  field.  The  Second  Michigan,  which  had  borne  the  burden  of 
the  fight,  lost  forty-one,  dead  and  wounded. 

In  the  oflScial  reports  of  engagements  General  Alger  was  frequently 
mentioned  for  distinguished  services — ^notably  by  Custer  in  his  report 
on  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.     On  the  8th  of  July,  1863,  he  was  seriously 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1011 

wounded  in  a  hot  fight  near  Boonesboro,  Maryland,  and  he  did  not  re- 
sume service  until  September.  He  served  with  marked  distinction  dur- 
ing the  campaigns  of  1863-4,  took  part  in  all  of  the  engagements  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  within  this  period,'  and  with  his  brigade  accom- 
panied Sheridan  to  the  Shenandoah  valley  in  1864.  In  all.  General  Al- 
ger participated  in  sixty-six  battles  and  skirmishes,  and  by  bravery  and 
faithfulness  he  richly  merited  the  distinction  which  he  gained. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  General  Alger  returned  to  Michigan,  and 
early  in  1866  he  established  his  home  in  Detroit,  where,  in  the  following 
year^  he  engaged  in  active  business,  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Moore, 
Alger  &  Company,  dealers  in  pine  lands  and  lumber.  This  was  the  same 
line  of  enterprise  along  which  he  had  previously  directed  his  energies, 
while  residing  at  Grand  Rapids.  The  title  of  the  firm  was  soon  changed 
to  Moore  &  Alger,  and  this  firm  was  eventually  succeeded  by  that  of  R. 
A.  Alger  &  Company,  which  was  finally  merged  into  a  corporation  that 
has  since  been  known  as  Alger,  Smith  &  Company.  Of  this  corporation 
(Jeneral  Alger  was  president  from  the  beginning  until  his  death.  This 
has  long  held  prestige  as  one  of  the  leading  lumber  concerns  in  the 
Union  and  its  transactions  have  been  enormous  in  extent.  General 
Alger  was  also  interested  largely  in  various  other  companies  in  the 
lumbering  industry  and  also  in  important  mining  corporations. 
Such  was  the  multiplicity  of  his  capitalistic  investments  that  even  men- 
tion of  the  same  can  not  be  given  in  detail  in  as  circumscribed  an  article 
as  the  one  at  hand.  He  did  a  great  work  in  connection  with  the  civic  and 
industrial  development  of  Michigan,  and  through  normal  and  legitimate 
means  he  gained  a  large  fortune,  the  use  and  stewardship  of  which  was 
ever  a  matter  of  deep  concern  to  him.  He  had  large  and  productive  in- 
vestments in  the  west  and  south,  though  his  interests  continuously  cen- 
tered in  Michigan. 

Unwavering  in  his  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party  and  an  able 
and  effective  exponent  of  its  principles  and  policies,  General  Alger  never 
permitted  the  use  of  his  name  in  connection  with  any  political  office  un- 
til 1884,  when  he  was  elected  a  delegate  to  the  Republican  national  con- 
vention held  in  Chicago.  In  the  same  year  he  was  the  nominee  of  his 
party  for  governor  of  Michigan,  and  was  elected  by  a  plurality  of  3,953, 
thus  returning  the  state  to  Republican  rule,  after  a  period  of  defection. 
As  chief  executive  of  a  great  state  his  administration  compares  favorably 
with  that  of  any  of  Michigan's  governors.  In  a  publication  of  this  kind 
it  is  impossible  to  dwell  at  any  length  upon  the  details  of  his  guberna- 
torial and  general  political  career,  crowned  though  it  was  with  high 
honors  and  distinguished  preferment.  These  matters  are  a  very  part  of 
the  history  of  the  state  and  of  the  nation,  and  thus  are  given  due  record 
in  works  of  more  generic  scope  than  the  one  here  presented  At  the  ex- 
piration of  his  term  as  governor  General  Alger  positively  refused  to 
become  a  candidate  for  a  second  term,  owing  to  the  demands  and  exi- 
gencies incidental  to  his  private  affairs. 

At  the  Republican  national  convention  of  1888  General  Alger  was 
one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  presidential  candidates,  and  with  the 
continuous  balloting  he  increased  his  strength  in  the  convention  to  one 
hundred  and  forty-three  votes.  In  the  sixth  ballot,  however,  a  break 
was  made  in  the  ranks  of  his  followers,  and  General  Harrison,  then  sec- 
ond choice,  was  brought  forward  and  received  the  nomination.  In  the 
autumn  of  the  same  year  General  Alger's  name  headed  the  list  of  presi- 
dential electors  from  his  state.  In  the  national  convention  of  the  Re- 
publican party  in  1892  he  was  again  a  popular  candidate  for  nomination 
and  again  showed  his  strong  hold  upon  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the 
leading  members  of  his  party. 


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1012  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

The  one  feature  of  his  political  career  that  brought  its  chalice  of 
regret  and  sorrow  to  the  lips  of  General  Alger  was  that  connected  with 
his  service  in  tlie  office  of  secretary  of  war  in  the  cabinet  of  President 
McKinley  and  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish- American  war.  Time  has  al- 
ready shown  how  unjust  were  the  criticisms  directed  against  this  loyal, 
honorable  and  patriotic  citizen  and  able  official.  In  1896  he  was  called 
to  the  cabinet  of  President  McKinley,  in  the  portfolio  of  secretary  of 
war,  and  he  assumed  the  duties  of  the  office  on  the  4th  of  March,  1897. 
The  unpleasantness  which  marked  his  administration  was  the  direct  re- 
sult of  '*long  existent  conditions  revealed  by  the  stem  test  of  war.'^  It 
is  not  necessary  here  to  record  the  history  of  the  case,  but  naught 
of  vindication  is  demanded  for  Greneral  Alger,  concerning  whom,  in 
this  connection,  the  New  York  Post  spoke  as  follows,  at  the  time  of  his 
death :  **He  was  a  victim  of  the  wretched  organization  of  the  army  and 
the  department,  which  clung  to  the  system  of  the  Civil  war  that  had 
long  been  outgrown."  He  resigned  his  post  as  secretary  of  war  in 
August,  1899,  and  gratifying  to  him  must  have  been  the  enthusiastic 
and  sympathetic  reception  which  was  given  him  by  the  people  of  his  own 
state  after  the  criticism  which  had  been  leveled  at  him  with  so  great 
injustice.  When  he  passed  from  the  scene  of  life's  mortal  endeavors 
his  successor  in  the  office  of  secretary  of  war,  Hon.  William  H.  Taf t,  now 
president  of  the  United  States,  gave  the  following  appreciative  estimate 
of  his  services  in  the  office :  *  *  General  Alger  was  patriotic,  earnest  and 
most  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  army,  and,  especially,  considered  the 
welfare  of  the  enlistied  men.  He  was  a  gentle,  kindly  man  with  great 
confidence  in  his  friends  and  associates,  and  was  much  beloved  by  his 
subordinates.  He  was  the  subject  of  unjust  criticism  because  of  the 
country's  lack  of  preparedness  for  war  when  war  came,  although  for 
this  he  was  in  no  wise  responsible." 

On  the  27th  of  September,  1902,  Governor  Bliss  appointed  General 
Alger  a  member  of  the  United  States  senate,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused 
by  the  death  of  Senator  James  McMillan,  and  on  the  20th  of  the  follow- 
ing January  he  was  regularly  elected  to  the  same  office,  by  the  legislature 
of  the  state.  Owing  to  failing  health  he  declined  to  become  a  candidate 
for  re-election  and  his  term  of  office  as  senator  would  have  expired 
March  4,  1908.  He  distinctively  honored  his  state  by  his  services  in  the 
United  States  senate,  of  which  he  was  a  member  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  the  city  of  Washington,  on  the  24th  of  January,  1907, 
as  the  result  of  oedema  of  the  lungs.  His  summons  was  sudden,  as 
the  attack  which  terminated  his  life  came  only  about  ten  minutes  before 
he  succumbed.  He  had  long  suflPered  from  valvular  disease  of  the  heart, 
and  his  health  had  been  delicate  for  some  time.  The  following  extract  is 
taken  from  an  editorial  article  which  appeared  in  the  Washington, 
D.  C,  Herald  at  the  time  of  his  demise  and  which  is  but  one  example  of 
many  thousands  of  appreciative  estimates  appearing  in  the  press  of  the 
nation  at  that  time :  *  *  General  Russell  A.  Alger  did  not  live  in  vain.  A 
kindly,  lovable  character,  he  was  helpful  to  his  fellows  and  served  his 
country  well.  He  was  the  type  of  rich  man  whom  riches  do  not  spoil — 
a  man  who  had  his  wealth  to  good  ends,  while  material  success  did  not 
put  him  out  of  touch  with  humanity.  Michigan  loved  him  as  he  loved 
Michigan."  Glowing  tributes  to  his  worth  were  paid  in  both  house  of 
Congress  and  in  the  legislature  of  his  home  state,  while  in  Detroit  there 
was  such  an  outpouring  of  citizens  of  all  classes  to  render  a  last  mark  of 
affection  and  respect  as  to  establish  anew  his  wonderful  claim  upon  the 
love  and  appreciation  of  the  city  to  whose  welfare  he  had  so  largely  con- 
tributed. His  body  lay  in  state  in  the  city  hall  from  two  until  five 
o'clock  on  the  Sunday  following  his  death,  and  the  entire  community 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1013 

showed  that  it  felt  a  deep  sense  of  personal  loss  and  bereavement.  The 
funeral  was  held  from  the  family  home  and  the  simple  services  of  the  in- 
terment, in  the  Alger  mausoleum,  were  conducted  under  the  auspices 
of  the  military  organizations  of  which  the  deceased  had  been  an  honored 
member. 

General  Alger  was  a  member  of  the  Military  Order  of  the  Loyal  Le- 
gion of  the  United  States  and  of  Fairbanks  Post,  No.  17,  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic,  in  Detroit.  In  the  latter  he  was  ever  an  enthusiastic 
worker.  His  affection  for  and  sympathy  with  his  old  comrades  in  arms 
was  of  the  most  insistent  type,  and  one  of  the  last  acts  of  his  life  was  in 
connection  with  securing  a  merited  pension  for  an  old  soldier  of  his  own 
command.  In  1889,  at  the  national  encampment  of  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic  in  Milwaukee,  General  Alger  was  unanimously,  and  with- 
out opposition,  elected  commander  in  chief  of  this  noble  patriotic  order. 
In  the  memorial  address  given  by  Hon.  Edwin  Denby,  of  Michigan,  in 
the  house  of  representatives  in  Washington,  appear  the  following  state- 
ments: **If  I  were  asked  to  name  the  qualities  of  General  Alger  which 
more  than  others  accounted  for  his  remarkable  success  in  political  life 
and  for  the  devotion  of  his  friends,  I  would  say  his  kindness,  generosity, 
tact  and  sweetness  of  disposition — the  great  human  attributes  that 
charm  and  attract  and  make  the  world  akin.  His  course  through  life 
was  marked  by  many  deeds  of  utmost^  unostentatious  charity.  How 
much  he  gave  will  never  be  known,  but  that  his  bounties  were  large  is 
certain  from  the  occasional  instances  brought  to  public  notice.  In  De- 
troit he  was  mourned  by  none  more  thoroughly  than  the  newsboys  of  that 
city.  There  they  have  a  large  organization,  consisting  of  six  or  seven 
hundred  members,  called  the  Newsboys'  Association.  General  Alger 
helped  the  boys,  in  and  out  of  the  association,  with  clothing  and  other 
necessaries  and  with  his  kindly  cheer,  year  after  year,  until  he  became 
the  *  newsboys'  friend,'  a  badge  of  honor  he  was  well  worthy  to  wear. 
How  many  other  persons  there  are  who  regard  his  passing  as  the  loss  of 
their  best  earthly  friend  can  not  be  known.  His  charities  he  tried 
to  hide,  but  you  will  hear  today  some  instances  that  could  not  be  con- 
cealed. He  rendered  back  to  society  in  constant  benefactions  the  riches 
it  gave  him.  He  was  one  of  the  kindest,  most  lovable  men  in  public 
life." 

The  address  of  Hon.  John  C.  Spooner,  of  Wisconsin,  in  the  United 
States  senate,  contained  the  following,  tribute :  **No  man  without  noble 
purpose,  well  justified  ambition,  strong  fiber  and  splendid  qualities  in 
abundance  could  have  carved  out  and  left  behind  him  such  a  career. 
His  pathway  was  from  the  beginning  upward,  and  all  along  it,  at  every 
stage  of  it,  he  discharged  well  every  duty  which  manhood  could  demand ; 
and  all  along  he  scattered  with  generous  hand  deeds  of  kindness  and 
helpfulness  to  those  who  were  in  need,  sowing  the  seed  which  blossomed 
in  fragrance  along  his  pathway  and  made  it  beautiful." 

In  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  on  the  2d  of  April,  1861,  was  solemnized 
the  marriage  of  Greneral  Alger  to  Miss  Annette  H.  Henry,  daughter  of 
William  G.  Henry,  of  that  city,  and  about  four  months  later  he  left  his 
bride  to  go  forth  as  a  soldier  of  the  Union.  Of  the  nine  children  of  this 
union,  whose  every  relation  was  ideal,  five  are  living,  namely:  Caroline, 
who  is  the  wife  of  Henry  D.  Shelden,  of  Detroit ;  Fay,  who  is  the  wife  of 
William  E.  Bailey,  of  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania;  Frances,  who  is  the 
wife  of  Charlei^  B.  Pike,  of  Chicago ;  and  Russell  A.  and  Captain  Fred- 
erick M.,  of  Detroit,  who  have  largely  assumed  the  large  business  inter- 
ests and  responsibilities  of  their  honored  and  venerated  father.  Mrs. 
Alger  survives  the  General  and  divides  her  time  between  her  beautiful 
homes  in  the  cities  of  Detroit  and  Grosse  Pointe.    Like  her  husband,  she 


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1014  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  whose  work  and  support  she 
has  been  most  zealous.  A  woman  of  gracious  personality  and  distinctive 
culture,  she  complemented  in  every  respect  the  career  of  her  husband, 
and  in  the  tender  and  hallowed  memories  and  asociations  of  their  mar- 
ried life  lies  her  greatest  measure  of  consolation  and  compensation. 

Russell  A.  Alger,  Jr.  Taking  just  pride  in  bearing  the  full  name 
of  his  honored  and  distinguished  father,  the  late  General  Russell  A. 
Alger,  Russell  Alexander  Alger,  Jr.,  is  a  native  son  of  Detroit  and  here 
has  gained  for  himself  a  position  of  prominence  and  influence  as  a  rep- 
resentative business  man  and  a  loyal  and  public-spirited  citizen,  so  that 
he  has  done  his  part  in  upholding  the  prestige  of  a  name  that  has  been 
signally  honored  in  the  history  of  Michigan  and  in  the  annals  of  the 
nation.  Since  the  death  of  his  father  he  has  eliminated  the  sufSx 
** junior'*  from  his  name,  but  the  same  is  retained  in  this  sketch  for  the 
puri)ose  of  clear  designation  in  the  index.  Mr.  Alger  is  his  father's 
successor  in  the  presidency  of  the  great  lumber  corporation  of  Alger, 
Smith  &  Company,  with  offices  at  1213  Ford  Building,  ^nd  he  maintains 
his  home  at  Grosse  Pointe  Farms.  He  became  closely  associated  with 
his  father's  extensive  and  varied  business  interests  prior  to  the  death  of 
the  latter  and  is  an  executor  of  the  estate,  in  the  management  of  the  af- 
fairs of  which  he  is  associated  with  his  only  and  younger  brother.  Cap- 
tain F.  M.  Alger.  He  has  conducted  also  independent  business  opera- 
tions since  1903,  and  in  adition  to  being  executive  head  of  Alger,  Smith 
&  Company,  wholesale  manufacturers  of  lumber,  he  is  President  of  the 
Anderson  Forge  &  Machine  Company  and  Vice-President  of  the  Packard 
Motor  Car  Company;  treasurer  of  the  Duluth  &  Northern  Llinnesota 
Railroad  Company;  and  director  in  the  Security  Trust  Company,  the 
People's  State  Bank,  the  Manistique  Lumber  Company  and  the  Alger- 
Sullivan  Company. 

Russell  Alexander  Alger  was  bom  in  Detroit,on  the  27th  of  February, 
1873.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  Detroit,  including  the  high 
school,  the  Michigan  Military  Academy,  at  Orchard  Lake,  and  later  Phil- 
lips Academy,  at  Andover,  Massachusetts.  His  business  training  under 
the  direction  of  his  father  was  of  the  best  order  and  through  the  same 
he  admirably  developed  his  administrative  and  executive  powers,  thus 
becoming  well  fortified  for  the  heavy  responsibilities  that  were  eventual- 
ly to  devolve  upon  him.  He  is  a  popular  and  valued  factor  in  the  busi- 
ness and  social  activities  of  his  native  city  and  is  a  staunch  supporter  of 
the  Republican  party,  of  which  his  father  was  a  distinguished  repre- 
sentative. He  holds  membership  in  many  leading  social  organizations 
of  his  home  city,  including  the  Detroit  Club,  the  Yondotega  Club,  the 
Country  Club,  the  Detroit  Yacht  Club,  the  Detroit  Boat  Club,  the  De- 
troit Automobile  Club,  the  Detroit  Racquet  &  Curling  Club,  and  the  Old 
Club.  He  also  holds  membership  in  the  New  York  Yacht  Club  and  the 
Automobile  Club  of  America,  in  New  York  City,  and  in  the  Kitchi  Gami 
(Dutch)  Club,  Duluth,  besides  which  he  is  identified  with  the  Mount 
Royal  Club,  of  Montreal,  Canada.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  Fort  Street  Presbyterian  church  in  their  home  city. 

On  the  23rd  of  January,  1896,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Alger  to  Miss  Marion  Jarves,  daughter  of  Deming  Jarves,  a  representa- 
tive citizen  of  Detroit,  and  she  proves  a  most  gracious  chatelaine  of  their 
beautiful  home,  which  is  a  center  of  generous  hospitality.  Their  chil- 
dren are  Josephine,  Fay  and  Russell  A.,  Jr. 

William  Tapft.  There  are  many  points  which  render  consonant  thf 
according  of  special  recognition  in  this  publication  to  the  late  William 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1015 

Taflft,  who  was  long  numbered  among  the  representative  farmers  of  Ply- 
mouth township,  Wayne  county,  and  who  was  a  scion  of  one  of  the 
prominent  and  honored  pioneer  families  of  this  county, — that  in  which 
the  city  of  Detroit  is  situated.  He  was  a  child  at  the  time  the  family 
home  was  established  in  the  forest  wilds  of  Plymouth  township,  more 
than  a  decade  before  the  territory  of  Michigan  had  gained  representation 
as  one  of  the  sovereign  commonwealths  of  the  Union,  and  he  here  gained 
his  full  quota  of  experience  in  connection  with  the  labors,  conditions 
and  influences  which  marked  the  early  pioneer  days,  the  while,  like  his 
father  before  him,  he  contributed  much  to  the  development  and  upbuild- 
ing of  the  county  that  represented  his  home  during  practically  the  en- 
tire course  of  his  useful  life.  Mr.  Tafft  was  a  man  of  exalted  integrity, 
fine  mentality  and  utmost  loyalty,  and  he  marked  the  passing  years 
with  large  and  worthy  accomplishment  along  normal  lines  of  productive 
enterprise.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  county  at  the  time  of  his 
death  and  his  reminiscences  touching  the  early  days  were  most  graphic 
and  interesting.  He  commanded  high  vantage  ground  in  the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  his  fellow  men,  and  now  that  he  has  passed  away 
it  is  most  consistent  that  in  this  publication,  which  touches  much  of  tht 
history  of  Wayne  county,  should  be  entered  a  tribute  to  his  memory. 

William  Taflft  was  born  at  Palmyra,  Wayne  county,  New  York,  in  a 
section  that  contributed  a  most  valuable  element  to  the  early  settlement 
of  southern  Michigan,  and  the  date  of  his  nativity  was  September  26, 
1821.  He  was  a  son  of  James  and  Marina  (Thaver)  Taflft,  representa- 
tives of  families  founded  in  America  in  the  colonial  days,  and  he  was  a 
child  of  four  years  at  the  time  of  his  parents'  immigratioQ  to  the  terri- 
tory of  Michigan, — about  twelve  years  antecedent  to  the  admission  of  the 
state  to  the  Union.  James  Taflft  secured  from  the  government  a  home- 
stead claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  heavily  timbered  land  in 
Plymouth  township,  Wayne  county,  about  two  miles  west  of  the  present 
thriving  village  of  Plymouth.  He  made  a  clearing  in  the  woods  and 
there  erected  his  primitive  log  house,  for  which  not  even  doors  or  win- 
dows were  supplied  for  some  time,  the  openings  being  covered  in  the 
meantime  with  blankets.  He  set  himself  valiantly  to  the  herculean  task 
of  reclaiming  his  land  to  cultivation,  and  with  passing  of  the  years  a 
due  measure  of  success  attended  his  arduous  labors.  He  became  one 
of  the  staunch  and  influential  citizens  of  Plymouth  township,  did  well 
his  part  in  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  the  same  and  there  both 
he  and  his  noble  wife  continued  to  reside  until  his  death, — secure  in 
the  high  regard  of  all  who  knew  them  and  worthy  representatives  of  that 
intelligent,  industrious  and  God-fearing  class  of  citizens  who  thus  laid 
broad  and  deep  the  foundations  of  the  future  superstructure  of  ad- 
vanced civilization  and  opulent  prosperity.  The  names  and  deeds  of 
such  worthy  pioneers  well  merit  enduring  place  on  the  pages  of  Michigan 
history. 

The  boyhood  and  youth  of  William  Taflft  were  compassed  by  the 
scenes,  influences  and  labors  incidental  to  the  pioneer  epoch,  and  he  soon 
gained  distinct  fellowship  with  earnest  toil  and  endeavor,  the  while  he 
found  his  educational  advantages  limited  to  the  primitive  schools  of  the 
locality  and  period.  His  ambition  for  higher  educational  opportunities 
were  not,  however,  denied,  as  he  was  finally  enabled  to  attend  a  well  con- 
ducted academic  institution  in  the  city  of  Jackson,  which  was  then  a 
mere  village.  That  he  made  good  use  of  the  advantages  thus  gained  is 
assured  by  the  fact  that  he  proved  himself  eligible  for  pedagogic  honors, 
and  for  several  terms  he  was  a  successful  and  popular  teacher  in  the 
schools  of  the  village  of  Plymouth. 


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1016  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

When  about  twenty-four  years  of  age  Mr.  Tafft  gave  evidence  of 
his  continued  allegiance  to  the  great  fundamental  industry  under  whose 
benignant  influences  he  had  been  reared,  as  he  then  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty-five  acres  of  well  improved  land  in  Plymouth  township. 
He  secured  the  property  from  his  cousin,  Hiram  Tafft,  a  son  of  Job 
Tafft,  who  had  secured  the  land  from  the  government.  In  the  mean- 
while he  had  assumed  connubial  responsibilities,  and  thus  was  favored  in 
having  the  companionship  of  a  devoted  young  wife  when  he  established 
his  home  on  his  newly  acquired  farmstead.  He  gave  himself  with  char- 
acteristic energy  and  circumspection  to  the  operation  and  improvement 
of  his  farm  which  he  developed  into  one  of  the  valuable  landed  estates  of 
Wayne  county,  and  upon  this  fine  homestead,  about  two  miles  west  of 
the  village  of  Plymouth,  he  continued  to  reside  until  his  death,  on  the 
2nd  of  July,  1872,  at  which  time  he  was  about  fifty-one  years  of  age, — 
the  very  prime  of  his  worthy  and  useful  manhood.  His  accomplishment, 
however,  was  one  that  would  have  been  a  creditable  life  work,  no  matter 
how  long  his  life  may  have  been  prolonged,  and  he  had  proved  himself 
one  of  the  world's  noble  army  of  productive  workers, — a  man  of  stabil- 
ity, rectitude  and  noble  impulses,  and  a  citizen  whose  loyalty  was  shown 
in  manifold  ways.  His  death  was  deeply  deplored  in  the  community  in 
which  he  had  so  long  lived  and  labored  and  in  which  none  knew  him 
but  to  honor  him.  His  remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  beautiful  Riverside 
cemetery,  at  Plymouth,  and  his  memory  is  revered  by  all  who  came  within 
the  sphere  of  his  generous  and  kindly  influence. 

As  a  farmer  and  stock-grower  Mr.  Tafft  was  exceptionally  progressive, 
as  he  availed  himself  of  the  best  methods  and  facilities  and  was  ever  fore- 
most in  introducing  the  same.  His  business  and  executive  ability  also 
was  of  superior  order,  and  he  made  his  farm  a  veritable  model,  in  evi- 
dence of  which  fact  an  article  in  the  Michigan  Farmer,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing agricultural  papers  of  the  country,  suggested  to  its  readers  that  this 
farm  was  one  which  should  be  visited  and  inspected,  as  an  example  of 
progressive  and  up-to-date  farming  methods.  In  connection  with  other 
departments  of  farm  industry  Mr.  Tafft  had  the  good  judgment  to  give 
special  attention  to  fruit-growing,  in  connection  with  which  he  was 
most  successful  and  gained  more  than  local  reputation.  On  his  farm  he 
set  out  more  than  fifteen  hundred  fruit  trees,  and  he  developed  one  of  the 
finest  orchards  in  the  state,  giving  to  the  same  most  scrupulous  attention 
and  making  a  specialty  of  the  ^'Canadian  Red"  fine  winter  apple,  in  the 
successful  propagation  of  which  in  Michigan  he  had  great  confidence. 

Mr.  Tafft  brought  his  progressive  ideas  and  fine  powers  to  bear  also 
in  the  furtherance  of  undert^iings  and  measures  projected  for  the  gen- 
eral good  of  the  community,  and  he  was  distinctly  liberal  and  public- 
spirited  in  his  civic  attitude,  the  while  he  was  recognized  as  one  of  the 
influential  citizens  of  his  home  township  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  en- 
terprising and  successful  representatives  of  agricultural  industry  and 
allied  lines  in  the  state.  He  took  great  interest  in  the  work  of  the  Mich- 
igan State  Agricultural  Society  and  was  a  member  of  its  executive  com- 
mittee for  four  years.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  he  served  as  super- 
visor of  Plymouth  township,  and  he  likewise  gave  effective  service  as  a 
member  of  the  board  of  county  auditors.  All  enterprises  tending  to  ad- 
vance the  general  progress  and  prosperity  of  his  home  county  and  state 
received  his  earnest  support,  and  he  was  among  the  foremost  in  his  town- 
ship in  promoting  the  building  of  the  line  of  the  Pere  Marquette  Rail- 
road through  this  section  of  the  state,  and  he  was  liberal  in  the  giving 
of  his  influence  and  financial  aid  in  the  furthering  of  many  other  ob- 
jects for  the  good  of  the  community  at  large. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1017 

In  politics  he  gave  unfaltering  allegiance  to  the  cause  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  was  afl&liated  with  the  Plymouth  lodge  of  Free  &  Ac- 
cepted Masons.  His  widow,  now  venerable  in  years,  has  been  a  life-long 
member  of  the  Universalist  church. 

The  domestic  relations  of  Mr.  Taflft  were  of  ideal  order,  and  in  his 
home  his  interests  and  affections  ever  centered  themselves.  At  the  home 
of  the  bride's  parents  in  Plymouth  township,  this  county,  on  the  21st  of 
May,  1846,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Tafift  to  Miss  Hannah  M. 
Root,  who  was  bom  at  Mentz,  New  York,  on  the  11th  of  August,  1825, 
and  who  was  but  six  weeks  old  at  the  time  of  her  parents'  removal  to 
Plymouth  township,  Wayne  county,  Michigan,  where  she  has  resided  dur- 
ing the  long  intervening  years  and  where  she  is  now  one  of  the  oldest 
surviving  representatives  of  the  early  pioneer  families  of  this  county. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Roswell  and  Phoebe  (Ward)  Root,  who,  as  already 
intimated,  established  their  home  in  Plymouth  township  in  the  year 
1825.  Here  the  father  secured  four  hundred  acres  of  government  land, 
the  major  part  of  which  he  reclaimed  from  primeval  forest,  thus  de- 
veloping one  of  the  valuable  farm  properties  of  the  county.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  remained  on  the  old  homestead  until  their  death  and  he  - 
was  one  of  the  most  substantial  and  influential  citizens  of  his  town- 
ship, where  he  held  various  public  oflSces  and  where  he  was  known  as  a 
man  of  the  highest  character.  Mrs.  Taflft,  who  is  now  eighty-seven  years 
of  age  (1912)  has  maintained  her  residence  in  the  village  of  Plymouth 
since  1902  and  here  she  receives  the  solicitous  and  loving  care  of  her 
children  and  children's  children,  who  may  well  ''rise  up  and  call  her 
blessed.*'  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Taflft  became  the  parents  of  five  children,  con- 
cerning whom  brief  data  are  oflfered  in  the  concluding  paragraph  of 
this  memoir. 

Mary  F.  is  the  wife  of  Gteorge  Holbrook,  who  was  likewise  bom  and 
reared  in  Plymouth  township  and  who  is  a  representative  of  another  of 
the  honored  pioneer  families  of  Wayne  county.  He  is  now  engaged  in 
the  oil  business  in  the  south  but  the  family  home  is  still  maintained  at 
Plymouth,  Michigan.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holbrook  was 
solemnized  on  the  30th  of  December,  1869,  and  they  became  the  parents 
of  four  children,  namely:  William  B.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years;  Edna  M.,  who  is  the  wife  of  William  Q.  Dayidson,  of  Medford, 
Oregon ;  and  George  F.  and  Florence,  who  remain  at  the  parental  home. 
Mrs.  Holbrookes  venerable  mother  resides  with  her  and  is  a  loved  and 
gracious  figure  in  the  household  circle,  where  her  many  friends  come 
to  pay  her  honor  and  aflfectionate  greetings  at  frequent  intervals,  the 
while  the  younger  generation  find  unfailing  pleasure  in  listening  to 
her  many  reminiscences  of  the  pioneer  days — **the  dear,  dead  days 
beyond  recall"  save  through  the  gracious  link  formed  by  the  memories 
of  such  venerated  pionee^rs,  of  whom  but  few  now  remain.  Ella  M.,  the 
second  daughter,  is  the  wife  of  Harrison  Peck,  of  Plymouth,  and  they 
have  three  children :  Dexter,  Harry  and  William.  James  W.  Taflft,  the 
only  son,  is  engaged  in  business  in  the  city  of  Jackson,  Mississippi,  and  is 
well  upholding  the  honors  of  the  name  which  he  bears.  He  has  been 
twice  married,  his  first  union  being  with  Miss  Anna  Poole,  who  is  sur- 
vived by  three  children :  Grertrude,  Camilla  and  Bessie.  For  his  second 
wife  Mr.  Taflft  married  Miss  Mamie  Coppick,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Esther.  Two  of  the  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Taflft  died  in  child- 
hood, Charles  at  the  age  of  ten  and  Marina  when  but  three. 

George  McMillan.    A  publication  of  this  nature  exercises  its  most 

important  function  when  it  takes  cognizance,  through  proper  memorial 

tribute,  of  the  life  and  labors  of  so  honored  and  valued  a  citizen  as  the 
Vol.  m— 12 


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1018  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

late  George  McMillan,  who  maintained  his  home  in  Detroit  for  a  period 
of  forty  years  and  who  left  a  worthy  impress  upon  the  civic  and  business 
history  of  the  Michigan  metropolis.  He  was  long  associated  with  his 
younger  brother,  Robert  McMillan,  in  the  wholesale  and  retail  grocery 
trade  in  this  city,  and  the  name  of  the  firm  is  perpetuated  in  the  G.  & 
R.  McMillan  Company,  which  continued  the  business  at  the  location 
so  long  maintained  by  the  original  firm,  at  the  comer  of  Woodward 
avenue  and  Fort  street.  On  other  pages  of  this  work  is  entered  a 
memoir  to  Robert  McMillan,  and  reference  may  be  made  to  said  article 
for  certain  other  data  concerning  the  family  history  and  the  close  and 
harmonious  business  relations  maintained  by  ihe  two  brothers  until  the 
death  of  him  whose  name  initiates  this  review.  George  McMillan  ever 
stood  as  an  exponent  of  the  most  loyal  and  public-spirited  citizenship, 
and  he  arose  to  prominence  and  prosperity  through  his  own  well  di- 
rected efforts  along  normal  lines  of  business  enterprise.  He  coveted 
success,  but  scorned  to  gain  the  same  save  by  worthy  means,  and  he 
and  his  brother  built  up  an  enterprise  of  broad  scope  and  importance, 
— the  largest  of  its  kind  in  Detroit, — with  the  result  that  the  name  of 
'the  firm  became  to  the  citizens  of  Detroit  virtually  as  familiar  as  that 
of  the  city  itself.  A  gracious,  true  and  noble  personality  was  that  of 
George  McMillan,  and  his  memory  will  long  be  cherished  and  venerated 
in  the  beautiful  city  in  which  he  so  long  made  his  home.  He  had  gone 
abroad  for  the  benefit  of  his  health,  which  had  become  seriously  im- 
paired, and  he  died  in  the  city  of  Wurzburg,  Bavaria,  on  the  5th  day  of 
August,  1889,  his  remains  being  brought  to  Detroit,  where  they  were 
laid  to  rest  in  Elmwood  cemetery. 

George  McMillan  was  born  in  the  parish  of  South  End,  Kintyre, 
Argylshire,  Scotland,  on  the  20th  day  of  August,  1823,  and  thus  he 
lacked  only  a  few  days  of  being  sixty-six  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his 
demise.  He  was  a  scion  of  one  of  the  stanch  and  representative  old 
families  of  Argylshire,  where  his  parents  continued  to  reside  until  their 
deaths,  and  where  he  was  afforded  excellent  educational  advantages  in 
his  youth.  In  1847,  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years,  he  severed  the  ties 
that  bound  him  to  home  and  native  land  and  set  forth  for  America,  as 
he  had  become  thoroughly  convinced  that  in  this  country  were  to  be 
found  better  opportunities  for  the  gaining  of  success  and  independence 
through  personal  endeavor.  For  two  years  after  his  arrival  in  Amer- 
ica Mr.  McMillan  was  connected  with  the  mercantile  establishment  of 
Thomas  Hope  &  Company,  wholesale  grocers  of  New  York  city,  and 
there  he  gained  valuable  experience  in  regard  to  means  and  methods  of 
business  in  the  land  of  his  adoption.  In  1849  he  came  to  Detroit  and 
entered  into  a  partnership  with  his  younger  brother,  Robert  McMillan, 
with  whom  he  became  associated  in  the  wholesale  and  retail  grocery 
business  under  the  firm  name  of  G.  &  R.  McMillan,  than  which  none 
has  borne  higher  reputation  in  the  business  history  of  the  Michigan 
metropolis.  The  enterprise  was  continued  under  the  original  title  until 
shortly  before  the  death  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  when  a  partial 
reorganization  of  the  firm  was  effected  and  the  present  title,  the  G.  &  R. 
McMillan  Company,  adopted.  During  the  first  sixteen  years  of  opera- 
tions the  firm  maintained  its  headquarters  on  the  site  of  the  present 
Metropole  hotel,  on  Woodward  avenue,  and  at  the  expiration  of  this 
period  they  erected  the  substantial  building  in  which  the  business  has 
been  continued  during  the  long  intervening  years,  at  the  corner  of  Wood- 
ward avenue  and  Fort  street.  From  an  appreciative  estimate  of  the 
character  and  labors  of  Mr.  MJcMillan  published  in  the  Detroit  Free 
Press  at  the  time  of  his  death,  are  taken  the  following  pertinent  ex- 
tracts, which  are  well  worthy  of  perpetuation  in  this  more  enduring 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1019 

form:  ^^As  a  business  man,  Mij.  McMillan  was  a  model  worthy  of  imi- 
tation. He  was  careful  and  prudent  in  all  business  dealings,  and  his 
success  in  accumulating  an  immense  estate  was  due  entirely  to  his 
sterling  honesty  and  his  close  attention  to  the  small  details  of  his  work. 
The  firm  had  as  clean  a  business  record  as  could  be  possible,  having 
passed  through  many  financial  panics  without  the  slightest  mar  to  its 
credit,  and  had  built  up  a  reputation  which  was  the  envy  of  many  more 
pretentious  concerns.  In  the  city  of  Detroit  the  name  of  ♦the  firm  was 
as  familiar  as  that  of  the  street  on  which  the  establishment  was  lo- 
cated.'' 

Mr.  McMillan's  affection  and  loyalty  for  Detroit  were  of  the  most 
insistent  and  appreciative  order,  and  he  entered  fully  and  generously 
into  its  social  and  business  activities,  the  while  his  aid  and  influence 
were  ever  given  most  liberally  in  the  furtherance  of  measures  and  en- 
terprises tending  to  advance  the  material  and  civic  interests  of  the 
city.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  a  member  of  the  directorates  of 
the  Old  Detroit  National  Bank,  the  Michigan  Savings  Bank  and  the 
Detroit  Fir'e  and  Marine  Insurance  Company.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Detroit  Club,  the  Grosse  Pointe  Club,  the  Detroit  Boat  Club,  the  Coun- 
try Club  and  the  Lake  St.  Clair  Shooting  Club,  comm.only  known  as  the 
Old  Club.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  zealous  members  of  the  Fort 
Street  Presbyterian  church  and  were  liberal  in  their  support  of  its 
various  activities,  as  were  they  also  in  the  furtherance  of  charitable 
and  benevolent  work  outside  the  church.  Mr.  McMillan  was  a  man 
whose  sincerity,  frankness  and  integrity  inspired  confidence  and  gained 
to  him  many  inviolable  friendships. 

On  the  23d  of  November,  1859,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
McMillan  to  Miss  Isabella  Gray  Moffat,  who  was  born  in  Detroit  on  the 
18th  day  of  September,  1837,  and  who  was  thus  seventy  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  her  death,  which  occurred  on  the  8th  day  of  September, 
1907.  She  was  a  woman  of  the  most  gracious  personality  and  her  memory 
is  held  in  enduring  affection  by  all  who  came  within  the  sphere  of  her 
gentle  influence.  She  passed  her  entire  life  in  Detroit  and  here  her 
circle  of  friends  was  coincident  with  that  of  her  acquaintance.  She  was 
a  daughter  of  Hugh  and  Margery  (McLachlan)  Moffat,  who  were  among 
the  early  Scotch  settlers  of  Detroit,  where  Mr.  Moffat  became  a  citizen  of 
distinctive  prominence  and  influence.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  lum- 
bermen and  contractors  and  builders  of  this  city  in  the  early  days,  and 
made  valuable  contributions  to  the  civic  and  material  upbuilding  of 
Detroit,  where. he  erected  the  Moffat  block  and  many  other  buildings, 
his  real  estate  holdings  having  been  large  and  important.  The  fine 
old  homestead  which  he  erected  on  Jefferson  avenue  is  still  held  by  the 
estate,  as  are  also  many  other  valuable  city  properties.  Mr.  Moffat 
was  a  man  who  held  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  community  in 
which  he  so  long  continued  to  reside.  He  served  for  two  terms  as  mayor 
of  Detroit.  Here  he  died  on  August  5,  1884,  his  wife  having  pre- 
ceded him  on  June  16,  1856. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  McMillan  became  the  parents  of  three  daughters  and 
two  sons  as  follows :  Mary  Isabella ;  Annie :  Elizabeth  Ker ;  Robert  Ker 
and  George  Moffat.  Robert  Ker  died  on  April  14,  1903,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-four  years;  George  Moffat  died  on  July  1.  1907,  aged  thirty- 
three  years.  He  married  Mrs.  Eva  Wendell  MacKinnon,  and  was  the 
father  of  two  children, — Margery  Isabella  and  George  Moffat,  Jr. 

Thomas  B.  Henry,  M.  D.,  A  man  of  high  scholarship  and  broad 
general  information,  Thomas  B.  Henry,  M.  D.,  of  Northville,  Michigan, 
wisely  chose  the  profession  of  a  physician  and  surgeon,  and  as  a  practi- 


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1020  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

tioner  he  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward,  his  career  having  been 
one  of  continued  progress.  A  native  of  Canada,  he  was  born  September 
16,  1874,  in  Barrie,  Ontario,  where  he  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth.  His  father,  James  Henry,  a  native  of  Ireland,  married  Mary 
Dunn  Averill,  who  was  bom  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 

Reared  in  his  native  city,  Thomas  B.  Henry  there  acquired  his  pre- 
liminary education,  completing  the  course  of  study  in  the  public  schools, 
and  subsequently  being  graduated  from  the  Collegiate  Institute  at  Bar- 
rie. As  natural  to  men  of  his  mental  caliber,  he  chose  a  professional 
career  and  began  the  study  of  medicine,  in  1897  being  graduated  from 
the  Detroit  Medical  College,  in  Detroit,  Michigan.  The  following  five 
months  Doctor  Henry  took  charge  of  the  medical  practice  of  his  brother, 
Doctor  F.  M.  Henry,  who  left  Detroit  for  a  brief  vacation,  and  while  thus 
employed  gained  valuable  experience  and  confidence  in  his  ability  and 
eflSciency  as  a  physician.  In  the  fall  of  1897  Dr.  Henry  located  at 
Northville,  Wayne  county,  and  has  here  built  up  a  large  and  extensive 
patronage,  being  now  one  of  the  leading  physicians  and  surgeons  of 
this  section  of  the  county.  In  1899,  on  account  of  failing  ^health,  the 
Doctor  decided  to  take  a  rest  and,  giving  up  his  practice,  traveled  for 
a  year,  visiting  the  more  important  places  of  interest  in  the  south,  and 
in  Old  Mexico,  his  trip  being  of  great  benefit  to  him.  Following  the 
tendency  of  the  present  age  towards  specializing,  Dr.  Henry,  who  had 
success  in  the  treatment  of  diseases  of  women  and  in  the  practice  of 
abdominal  surgery,  has  made  these  his  specialty,  and  has  now  a  large 
marked  and  constantly  increasing  practice  along  that  line  of  work. 

Doctor  Henry  married,  in  1897,  May  Hoisington,  of  Detroit,  Michi- 
gan, and  into  the  household  thus  established  two  children  have 
been  born,  namely:  Bernice  M.  and  Averell  B.  Socially  the  Doctor 
belongs  to  both  the  Wayne  County  and  the  State  Medical  Societies, 
and  takes  an  active  interest  in  each.  Fraternally  he  stands  high  in 
Masonry,  in  which"  he  has  taken  the  thirty-second  degree,  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Blue  Lodge,  at  Northville ;  Northville  Commandery,  Knights 
Templar;  Michigan  Sovereign  Consistory;  and  of  Moslem  Shrine,  of 
Detroit.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Pontiac  Lodge,  No.  810,  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks;  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World;  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Foresters  and  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  In 
1909  the  Doctor  was  elected  president  of  the  Northville  Driving  Club, 
and  served  until  1910,  when  he  resigned  the  position.  He  has  taken  an 
active  part  in  the  management  of  public  affairs,  having  been  president 
of  the  village  of  Northville  in  1900;  deputy  game  warden  of  Wayne 
county  in  1903  and  1904 ;  and  health  oflScer  at  Northville  from  1903  until 
1909. 

Richard  P.  Joy.  In  every  community  men  of  wealth  and  social 
standing  who  take  their  citizenship  seriously  are  scarce.  An  exception 
which  proves  the  rule  is  Richard  P.  Joy,  president  of  the  National  Bank 
of  Commerce  of  Detroit  and  former  comptroller  of  the  city  of  Detroit. 

The  son  of  one  of  the  most  illustrious  citizens  Detroit  has  known, 
James  F.  Joy,  Richard  P.  first  saw  the  light  of  day  in  Detroit,  January 
25,  1870.  In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city  he  received  his  early 
education.  Graduating  therefrom,  he  attended  the  Phillips  Academy 
at  Andover,  Massachusetts,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1890.  He 
began  his  active  business  career  in  the  engineering  department  of  the 
Fort  Street  Union  Depot  Company,  and  from  the  beginning  he  has 
been  most  active  in  civic  affairs,  devoting  much  of  his  spare  time  to 
the  study  of  municipal  problems.  Notwithstanding  his  widespread 
business  connections,  he  found  time  to  devote  to  public  matters  and 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1021 

was  elected,  by  an  overwhelming  majority,  alderman  of  the  Second 
ward  of  the  city  of  Detroit,  serving  from  1898  until  1901.  He  was 
then  chosen  as  comptroller  of  the  city,  a  position  he  filled  to  the  full 
satisfaction  of  the  people  during  the  years  1906  and  1907. 

It  was  seen  that  the  banking  facilities  of  Detroit  were  inadequate 
to  supply  the  demands  made  upon  them,  and  as  there  was  an  excellent 
opening  for  another  financial  institution,  Mr.  Joy  became  interested  in 
the  formation  of  the  National  Bank  of  Commerce,  of  which  he  was 
made  president  by  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  board  of  directors.  From 
its  inception  the  bank  has  been  a  success.  Starting  on  the  second  floor 
of  the  Union  Trust  Company,  predictions  were  made  that  it  was  too 
far  from  the  street  level  to  be  a  success,  but  the  judgement  of  its 
founders,  and  their  opinion  that  business  will  go  where  it  is  best  taken 
care  of,  was  vindicated,  for  upon  the  opening  of  the  bank  there  were 
more  than  a  half  million  in  deposits.  Steadily  working  its  way  into 
the  estimation  of  the  people,  its  conservatively  energetic  course  dur- 
ing the  crisis  of  1907,  placed  it  firmly  in  the  confidence  of  the  people, 
and  the  name  of  R.  P.  Joy  will  for  all  time  be  inseparably  connected 
with  that  of  the  National  Bank  of  Commerce. 

Possessing  marked  excutive  ability,  a  trait  inherited  from  his  father, 
Mr.  Joy  by  no  means  confines  his  business  activity  to  the  bank.  He  is 
vice-president  of  the  Detroit  Copper  &  Brass  Rolling  Mills,  a  director 
of  the  Packard  Motor  Car  Company;  a  director  of  the  Diamond  Man- 
ufacturing Company;  a  director  of  the  Jackson,  Lansing  &  Saginaw 
Railroad  Company ;  vice-president  and  treasurer  of  the  Detroit  Electric 
Railroad  Depot  and  Station  Company ;  and  is  a  stockholder  in  a  number 
of  other  manufacturing  enterprises.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit 
Club ;  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce ;  the  Yondotega  Club ;  the  Country 
Club;  The  Old  Club;  the  New  York  Yacht  Club  and  other  clubs. 

Mr.  Joy  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Moore  in  1908. 

He  comes  honestly  by  his  executive  ability,  as  his  father,  the  late 
James  F.  Joy,  was  one  of  the  foremost  business  men  of  the  United 
States,  a  recognized  authority  on  finance  and  one  of  the  most  able 
railroad  managers  of  the  middle  west.  His  productive  genius  was 
gigantic,  and  his  life  was  one  of  impregnable  integrity  and  honor. 
James  Frederick  Joy,  who  left  behind  him  a  reputation  to  be  proud 
of,  was  born  at  Durham,  New  Hampshire,  on  the  second  of  December, 
1810,  and  was  a  son  of  James  and  Sarah  (Pickering)  Joy.  Too  honest  to 
be  politic,  too  conscientious  to  be  sycophantic,  he  at  all  times  told  the  truth 
as  he  saw  it,  thus  making  enemies  of  small  men,  and  corralling  for  all 
time  the  friendship  of  men  of  affairs.  His  word  was  as  good  as  his 
bond,  and  those  who  came  in  close  contact  with  him  had  the  opportunity 
of  witnessing  the  fineness  of  his  character,  with  a  result  that  he  was 
loved  for  himself  by  those  who  knew  him  best. 

Nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago  the  writer  had  occasion  to  see 
him  with  regard  to  the  then  new  plan  for  a  union  depot.  Being  in 
the  newspaper  business,  the  writer,  as  he  was  accustomed  to  do  in  all 
cases  of  emergency,  did  not  hesitate  to  intrude  upon  the  privacy  of 
Mr.  Joy  at  his  home  on  West  Fort  street. 

**Well,  young  man,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Joy,  **I  have  guests  to  enter- 
tain and  can  spare  no  time  for  idle  interviews,  so  I  beg  you  will  excuse 
me. 

**One  moment,  Mr.  Joy,*'  I  exclaimed.  ''This  is  no  idle  interview. 
I  know  you  have  in  your  possession  the  plans  for  the  new  Union  Depot, 
also  a  profile  picture  of  the  new  building." 

''Who  told  you  so?" 

"That  is  neither  here  nor  there:  I  never  divulge  the  sources  of  my 
information." 


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1022  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

**Then  by  George  you  will  not  get  the  picture  nor  the  inf ormatidn. " 

'*Very  well,  I  will  then  print  the  story  I  have.  It  is  good  enough 
for  me."  • 

'*One  moment,  young  man,  do  you  really  mean  to  tell  me,  that 
rather  than  give  away  who  has  been  talking  about  this  scheme  pre- 
maturely, you  will  lose  the  chance  of  getting  the  picture  and  an  ex- 
elusive  story?" 

**That  is  the  case  in  a  nutshell." 

**Then,  by  George,  you  shall  have  it  all.  Come  up  to  the  library. 
That  is  the  kind  of  talk  I  like.  Stand  to  your  guns  like  a  man  under 
all  circumstances  and  you  will  win.  Any  time  you  want  anything 
from  me,  come  and  get  it." 

The  plans  and  pictures  were  forthcoming  and  an  exclusive  story 
as  well,  and  during  the  remainder  of  the  lifetime  of  this  ''Grand  Old 
Man,"  he  was  ever  a  friend  of  the  obscure  reporter.  This  incident  is 
given  as  throwing  a  side  light  on  the  character  of  Mr.  Joy.  All  through 
his  business  career  he  would  cut  his  own  pleasure  or  leisure  to  assist 
any  one  he  deemed  worthy  of  his  effort. 

His  father  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  and  later  in  life  was  a  man- 
ufacturer of  scythes  and  a  shipbuilder  at  Durham.  The  original  an- 
cestor in  America  in  the  agnatic  line  was  Thomas  Joy,  who  immigrated 
from  England  about  the  year  1632,  locating  at  Boston,  where  he  be- 
came a  landholder  in  1636,  as  shown  by  the  town  records  of  the  Hub 
city.  From  Boston  his  descendants  moved  to  various  portions  of  the 
country,  more  especially  in  New  England. 

The  father  of  Mr.  James  F.  Joy  was  a  man  of  strong  character, 
much  enterprise  and  originality,  and  possessed  of  much  intellectuality; 
he  was  a  Federalist  in  politics,  a  Calvinist  in  religion,  and  a  leader  in 
both  religious  and  civil  life.  His  influence  was  potent  in  fixing  in  the 
minds  of.  his  children  correct  principles,  which  have  since  descended 
from  father  to  son,  there  being  no  one  enjoying  the  name  of  Joy  who 
is  not  looked  up  to  with  respect. 

The  early  education  of  James  F.  Joy,  who  passed  into  the  shadow 
of  the  dark  valley  on  September  24,  1896,  was  secured  in  the  common 
schools  of  New  England,  and  in  an  academy  in  a  nearby  town,  a  two 
years'  course  in  the  latter  institution  completing  his  educational  en- 
deavors as  far  as  regular  tuition  went.  He  then  engaged  in  teaching 
school,  and  through  the  remuneration  received  for  this  work,  supple- 
mented by  an  allowance  from  his  father,  he  realized  his  ambition  and 
entered  upon  a  collegiate  course,  and  graduated  at  the  head  of  his 
class  at  Dartmouth  College,  which  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts.  After  leaving  Dartmouth  he  entered  the  law  school 
at  Harvard  College  at  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  where  he  made  rapid 
strides  in  the  accumulation  and  assimilation  of  technical  knowledge. 
His  pecuniary  status,  however,  was  such  that  he  was  compelled  to 
withdraw  from  the  law  school  at  the  expiration  of  the  first  year.  He 
was,  thereafter,  for  several  months  a  preceptor  in  the  Academy  at 
Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  and  was  for  a  year  a  tutor  in  Dartmouth  Col- 
lege. He  resigned  the  latter  position  to  resume  his  law  studies  at 
Harvard,  where  within  a  year  he  completed  the  prescribed  course  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Boston.  He  decided  to  locate  in  the  west, 
and  in  September,  1836,  arrived  in  Detroit,  where  he  entered  the  law 
office  of  Hon.  Augustus  S.  Porter,  **One  of  the  noblest  men  who  ever 
represented  Michigan  in  the  United  States  Senate."  In  May  of  the 
following  year  he  opened  a  law  oflSce  of  his  own  and  formed  a  pro- 
fessional partnership  with  George  F.  Porter,  who  had  an  extended 
acquaintance  with  prominent  capitalists.  Thus  the  firm  secured  a  foot- 
ing at  the  bar  in  the  very  beginning  and  from  that  time  on  Mr.  Joy  was 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1023 

uniformly  successful.  It  secured  a  clientage  of  a  representative  order 
and  became  known  as  one  of  the  leading  legal  partnerships  in  the  west- 
em  country.  During  the  height  of  the  speculative  craze  in  Michigan, 
during  the  late  30s  and  the  early  40s,  the  state  had  established  the 
internal  improvement  system,  under  whose  operations  the  common- 
wealth had  purchased  the  Detroit  &  St.  Joseph  railroad.  In  1846, 
through  the  operation  of  this  railroad  and  the  furtherance  of  other 
schemes,  the  state  became  bankrupt,  and  as  a  means  toward  solvency 
proposed  to  sell  this  railroad,  whose  name  had  been  changed  to  the 
Michigan  Central.  In  the  interests  of  a  corporation  formed  for  the 
purpose  of  purchasing  the  property,  Mr.  Joy  framed  its  charter,  organiz- 
ed the  corporation  and  induced  capital  to  embark  in  the  enterprise. 
The  sale  of  the  road  restored  the  state  of  Michigan  to  solvency,  and 
general  business  resumed  normal  conditions. 

The  new  company  undertook  to  extend  the  road  to  Chicago,  and 
in  the  important  litigation  connected  therewith  Mr.  Joy  was  so  busily 
engaged  that  he  was  drawn  away  from  his  practice  at  Detroit,  being 
much  in  Indiana  and  Illinois.  He  gradually  made  railway  law  a 
specialty  and  for  a  long  time  was  one  of  the  foremost  figures  in  rail- 
way litigation  in  the  United  States,  his  practice  being  both  extensive 
and  lucrative.  From  being  the  legal  adviser  of  railroads  he  was  drawn 
into  the  management,  and  becoming  prominent  in  extending  railway 
connections  and  new  construction,  was  placed  in  executive  control  of 
the  new  lines. 

The  case  in  ejectment  of  Qeorge  C.  Bates  against  the  Michigan 
Central  and  Illinois  Central  Railroad  companies  in  the  United  States 
circuit  court  was  the  last  very  important  cause  in  which  he  appeared 
as  leading  counsel  and  advocate.  This  case  involved  the  title  of  the 
tw'o  companies  to  the  station  grounds  at  Chicago — ^property  valued  at 
that  time  at  more  than  two  millions  of  dollars,  and  in  this  celebrated 
case  Mr.  Joy's  remarkable  powers  were  so  exemplified  as  to  gain  his 
unprecedented  prestige.  The  necessarily  prescribed  limitations  of  this 
publication  precludes  a  detailed  review  of  this  cause  celebre,  which  is  a 
matter  of  historical  record  and  is  pointed  out  by  lawyers  in  many  cases 
when  seeking  strong  points  of  argument  or  to  establish  precedents. 

Mr.  Joy  became  extensively  identified  with  the  railway  interests 
of  the  country  and  was  largely  engaged  in  the  extension  into  new  terri- 
tory of  existing  lines.  He  organized  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy, 
rince  famous  as  one  of  the  greatest  lines  in  the  United  States,  whose  line 
cost  sixty  millions  of  dollars,  and  before  construction  was  instituted  he 
made  a  trip  on  foot  over  the  proposed  route.  For  many  years  he  was 
the  honored  executive  head  of  that  corporation,  and  under  his  direction 
the  line  was  extended  to  Quincy  and  Omaha.  The  line  from  Kansas 
City  to  the  Indian  Territory  was  another  enterprise  projected  by  him, 
and  since  finished  along  the  lines  he  indicated.  Incidentally,  he  built  the 
first  bridge  across  the  Missouri  river  at  Kansas  City,  thus  giving  great 
impetus  to  the  development  of  that  community.  About  1850,  Mr. 
Joy  became  interested  with  Mr.  J.  W.  Brooks  and  with  him  entered 
into  a  contract  to  complete  the  construction  of  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie 
Canal.  This  work  was  pushed  forward  with  the  greatest  vigor  and 
within  two  years  from  the  time  Mr.  Joy  undertook  the  task  it  was  finish- 
ed, much  to  the  benefit  of  the  navigation  interests  of  the  inland  seas. 

In  1867  Mr.  Joy  became  president  of  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad 
Company,  of  which  he  had  been  general  counsel  for  many  years.  As 
chief  executive  of  that  road  he  superintended  the  general  rebuilding  of 
the  line  and  every  department  thereof,  and  made  it  adequate  to  meet 


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1024  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

the  demands  made  upon  it.  These  improvements  were  naturally  made 
at  great  expense,  double  track  being  laid  for  most  of  the  line  and  the 
steel  rails  costing  one  hundred  and  thirty  dollars  in  gold  a  ton  in 
England.  Mr.  Joy  promoted  and  finally  secured  control  of  the  Jackson, 
Lansing  &  Saginaw  Railroad,  which  was  built  from  Jackson  to  Saginaw 
and  from  the  latter  place  to  Mackinaw.  He  was  also  instrumental  and 
an  influential  factor  in  the  road  from  Jackson  to  Grand  Rapids,  both 
of  these  lines  now  being  a  part  of  the  Michigan  Central  System.  He 
also  built  the  Detroit  &  Bay  City  and  the  Detroit,  Lansing  and  North- 
ern Railroads,  as  well  as  the  Michigan  Central's  air  line  from  Jackson 
to  Niles,  the  Kalamazoo  &  South  Haven,  and  the  Chicago  and  West  Mich- 
igan lines.  He  was  the  prime  factor  in  the  building  of  more  than  six- 
teen hundred  miles  of  railroads  in  Michigan  alone,  and  the  beneficence 
of  this  work  is  being  realized  by  the  present  generation. 

In  the  early  seventies  Mr.  James  F.  Joy  became  interested  in  a  railroad 
projected  to  run  along  the  western  bank  of  the  Mississippi  river  from 
Dubuque,  Iowa,  to  a  point  opposite  La  Crosse,  Wisconsin,  and  through 
his  efforts  the  line  was  completed  and  is  now  a  part  of  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  System.  He  was  also  largely  instrumental  in 
securing  to  Detroit  its  connection  with  the  Wabash  Railroad,  and  in  se- 
curing adequate  station  facilities  for  this  line.  He  and_  other  influential 
Detroiters  furnished  most  of  the  money  which  built  the  line  from  De- 
troit to  Logansport,  Indiana. 

With  four  other  business  men  and  capitalists  Mr.  Joy  built  the  Union 
station  and  the  western  Detroit  facilities  now  enjoyed  by  the  Wabash, 
by  which  that  road  can  handle  its  immense  freight  tonnage  to  advantage. 
He  was  also  one  of  the  organizers  and  attorneys  for  the  Sault  Ste. 
Marie  Ship  Canal  Company  (in  1852-3  and  4),  thus  making  possible 
the  navigation  of  Lake  Superior  by  vessels  from  lower^  lakes. 

For  several  years  before  his  death  Mr.  Joy  lived  in  retirement,  rest- 
ing on  his  well  earned  laurels,  and,  as  has  justly  been  said  of  him: 
'  *  His  life  was  of  great  benefit  to  his  city  and  state  as  well  as  to  Chicago 
and  the  western  country.  Few  men  have  guided  and  invested  such  vast 
sums  for  a  number  of  years  as  he  did.*'  In  1845  he  was  one  of  those 
who  purchased  the  stock  of  the  Michigan  State  Bank,  which  regularly 
paid  annual  dividends  of  ten  per  cent  up  to  the  expiration  of  its  charter 
in  1855,  at  which  time  its  stockholders  received  one  hundred  and  thirteen 
per  cent.  He  was  a  director  of  the  Second  National  Bank  of  Detroit 
when  its  charter  expired.  This  bank  was  succeeded  by  the  Detroit 
National  Bank,  of  whose  directorate  he  was  an  honored  member  up  to 
the  time  of  his  death. 

Though  never  active  in  the  domain  of  politics,  and  never  a  seeker 
after  office,  Mr.  Joy  set  an  example  for  his  sons  by  taking  his  citizenship 
seriously  and  exerted  his  influences  for  the  promotion  of  good  citizen- 
ship. He  was  an  uncompromising  advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  In  1838  he  was  elected  a  school  inspector  and  in  1848 
was  elected  city  recorder.  In  1861,  much  against  his  will,  he  was  in- 
duced to  accept  the  nomination  as  member  of  the  legislature  from  his 
district.  He  was  elected  by  an  overwhelming  majority  and  served  with 
honor  during  the  stirring  times  of  the  Civil  war,  when  patriots  were 
needed  at  the  helm  of  the  ship  of  state.  He  also  served  for  some  time  as 
one  of  the  regents  of  the  University  of  Michigan  but  resigned  from  that 
position  owing  to  the  press  of  business  affairs. 

Mr.  Joy  was  twice  married.  He  first  wedded  Martha  Alger  Reed, 
daughter  of  Hon.  John  Reed,  of  Yarmouth,  Massachuetts,  a  member 
of  Congress  for  many  years,  and  also  lieutenant  governor  of  his  state. 
Upon  her  death  Mrs.  Joy  left  the  following  children:  Sara  Reed,  who 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1025 

married  Dr.  Edward  W.  Jenks,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased ;  Martha 
Alger,  who  married  Henry  A.  Newland,  both  of  whom  were  killed  in  a 
railroad  accident  on  the  Michigan  Central,  and  James  Joy.  His  sec- 
ond wife  was  Miss  Mary  Bourne,  of  Hartford,  Connecticut,  and  the 
children  of  this  union  were :  Frederick,  who  died  in  1895 ;  Henry  Bourne, 
who  is  at  the  head  of  aome  of  the  largest  business  interests  in  Detroit, 
among  which  is  the  Packard  Motor  Company,  of  which  he  is  president ; 
and  Richard  Pickering  Joy,  the  president  of  the  National  Bank  of  Com- 
merce and  an  honored  citizen  of  the  city  of  Detroit. 

Albert  McMichael,  M.  D.  A  representative  physician  and  surgeon 
of  Detroitj  and  one  who  both  professionally  and  non-professionally 
has  received  many  and  varied  evidences  of  popular  esteem,  is  Dr.  Albert 
McMichael,  who  has  been  successfully  established  in  this  city  for  thirty 
years.  Of  Scotch  origin  is  the  worthy  Doctor,  his  parents  having  sprung 
from  the  old  families  of  the  land  of  hills  and  heather  that  seem  to  foster 
so  many  of  the  sterling  virtues  of  man.  There  Abraham  McMichael 
and  hia  wife,  nee  Mary  Dow,  were  born.  Both  were  children  at  the 
time  of  the  immigration  of  their  respective  families  to  the  province  of 
Ontario,  Canada.  In  that  region  each  was  reared  and  in  that  locality 
they  were  married.  Abraham  McMichael  was  graduated  from  the  Ralfe 
School  of  Medicine  and  thereafter  practiced  his  profession  in  the  town 
of  Qorrie  in  Huron  county,  until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occured 
in  1881.  His  widow,  who  is  still  living,  has  made  Toronto  the  home  of 
her  later  years. 

Their  son,  who  is  the  subject  of  this  biography,  was  bqrn  at  the 
Canadian  town  of  Gorrie,  on  the  twelfth  day  of  December,  1860.  In 
the  public  schools  of  that  place  his  education  was  begun  and  was  further 
pursued  at  the  CoUingwood  Collegiate  Institute,  until  he  was  ready 
to  enter  upon  the  courses  of  study  of  his  profession,  which  was  the 
same  as  that  his  father  was  following.  Albert  McMichael  entered 
the  Medical  College  of  Pennsylvania,  located  in  Philadelphia,  the  class 
of  his  graduation  being  that  of  1878,  in  which  year  he  received  his  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  subsequently  took  a  post-graduate  course 
in  the  University  of  Toronto.  A  number  of  years  afterward,  when 
Dr.  McMichael  visited  the  land  of  ancestors,  he  added  to  his  scientific 
equipment  additional  courses  in  the  fine  medical  schools  and  hospitals  of 
Edinburgh,  Scotland. 

Since  the  year  1882  Dr.  McMichael  has  been  continuously  engaged 
in  the  general  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  in  the  city  of  Detroit. 
He  has  kept  in  close  touch  with  all  lines  of  advance  maile  in  his  profes- 
sion and  his  large  practice  is  based  on  both  accurate  knowledge  and 
successful  experience. 

As  a  citizen  Dr.  McMichael  is  loyal  and  progressive  and  unfailingly 
interested  in  those  things  which  pertain  to  the  actual  betterment — 
physical,  mental  and  moral — of  city  conditions. 

He  is  now  representing  the  Fourth  ward  as  a  member  of  the  Detroit 
board  of  education,  a  position  to  which  he  was  elected  in  the  spring  of 
1911.  In  politics  he  fi[nds  the  principles  and  policies  of  the  Republican 
party  worthy  of  his  support.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Palestine  Lodge  of 
the  F.  &  A.  M. 

Mrs.  McMichael  was  formerly  Miss  Minnie  Hough,  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  and  her  marriage  to  Dr.  McMichael  was  solemnized  on  the 
eleventh  of  February,  1887.  Their  home  is  at  157  Brainard  street  and  the 
Doctor's  oflSce  is  located  at  10  Tuscola  street. 


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1026  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Rodney  D.  Hill.  One  of  the  most  consistent  and  important  func- 
tions of  this  publication  is  to  take  cognizance  of  the  lives  and  labors  of 
those  who  have  been  prominent  in  professional,  business  and  civic  af- 
fairs in  Detroit  in  the  years  long  past,  and  such  memorials  can  not  fail 
of  enduring  value,  as  they  oflfer  both  lesson  and  incentive.  He  whose 
name  initiates  this  review  came  to  Detroit  abont  two  years  before  the 
admission  of  Michigan  to  statehood  and  he  soon  achieved  distinction  as 
one  of  the  most  able  and  versatile  members  of  the  bar  of  the  new  com- 
monwealth. Within  a  few  years,  however,  he  turned  his  attention  largely 
to  other  lines  of  enterprise,  through  which  he  eventually  gained  a  sub- 
stantial fortune.  He  was  influential  in  civic  activities  and  did  much  to 
further  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  the  Michigan  metropolis, 
the  while  his  sterling  character  and  gracious  personality  gained  and 
retained  to  him  the  unequivocal  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  community 
in  which  he  was  a  pioneer  lawyer  and  progressive  and  public-spirited 
citizen.  The  only  representative  of  the  immediate  family  now  resid- 
ing in  Detroit  is  Mr.  Hill's  daughter;  Miss  Sarah  B.  Hill,  who  still  oc- 
cupies the  family  home  at  605  Jeflferson  avenue  and  to  whom  the  pub- 
lishers of  this  work  are  indebted  for  the  brief  data  presented  concern- 
ing the  career  of  her  honored  father,  whose  name  well  merits  place 
on  the  roll  of  the  representative  pioneers  of  Detroit.  Like  many  others 
of  the  sterling  pioneers  of  Detroit,  Rodney  Dewey  Hill  claimed  New 
England  as  the  place  of  his  nativity,  and  he  was  a  scion  of  one  of  the 
old  and  honored  families  of  that  section  of  our  national  domain,  in 
which  was  cradled  so  much  of  the  history  of  our  great  American  re- 
public. The  family  was  founded  in  New  England  in  the  early  colonial 
epoch  and  representatives  of  the  same  were  influential  factors  in  colonial 
affairs,  besides  which  members  of  the  same  were  found  enrolled  as 
patriot  soldiers  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  Mr.  Hill  was  born  at 
Vergennes,  Addison  county,  Vermont,  on  the  22d  of  July,  1805,  and 
was  there  reared  to  adult  age.  He  received  the  best  of  educational  ad- 
vantages, as  gauged  by  the  standards  of  the  locality  and  period,  and 
he  developed  to  the  full  his  fine  intellectul  powers.  He  was  graduated 
in  the  University  of  Vermont,  at  Burlington,  as  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1827,  and  he  then  took  up  the  study  of  law,  in  the  minutiae  of  which 
he  thoroughly  informed  himself,  with  characteristic  zeal  as  a  student. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  his  native  state  and  there  was  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession  until  1835,  when  he  indulged  the  wander- 
lust to  the  extent  of  coming  to  the  territory  of  Michigan  and  establish- 
ing his  home  in  Detroit,  Here  he  engaged  in  the  work  of  his  profes- 
sion and  he  soon  gained  distinctive  prestige  as  one  of  the  most  brilliant 
advocates  of  the  local  bar.  His  parents  likewise  established  their  home 
in  Detroit  in  the  territorial  days,  and  his  father,  Warren  Hill,  became 
one  of  the  prominent  and  influential  business  men  and  representative 
citizens  of  the  city,  where  both  parents  passed  the  residue  of  their 
lives.  Rodney  D.  Hill  built  up  a  substantial  law  business  and  was  one 
of  the  prominent  and  valued  members  of  the  Michigan  bar  in  the  early 
days  of  statehood.  After  a  few  years,  however,  he  practically  withdrew 
from  the  work  of  his  profession  and  turned  his  attention  to  other  occu- 
pations, including  the  handling  and  improving  of  local  real  estate,  th» 
while  he  was  an  influential  factor  in  public  affairs  in  the  city  and 
state.  In  politics  Mr.  Hill  was  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  cause  of  the 
Democratic  party,  but  he  never  sought  or  held  public  office.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  were  devout  communicants  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
church  and  were  prominently  identified  with  the  work  of  the  parish 
of  Christ  Church,  in  which  they  held  membership  until  their  death. 
Mr.  Hill  was  a  man  of  fine  mind  and  large  soul,  tolerant  in  his  judg- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1027 

ment  and  ever  ready  to  aid  those  *'iii  any  ways  afflicted,  or  distressed, 
in  mind,  body  or  estate/'  His  private  charities  and  benevolences  were 
extended  with  kindliness  and  entire  lack  of  ostentation  and  he  was  in- 
deed one  of  those  noble  spirits  who  would  **do  good  by  stealth  and 
blush  to  find  it  fame.''  He  ** remembered  those  who  were  forgotten,*' 
and  many  a  poor  family  had  cause  to  bless  him  for  generous  aid.  He 
ordered  his  life  on  the  highest  plane  of  integrity  and  honor  and  gave  to 
the  service  of  the  world  the  powers  of  broad  intellectuality  and  inviol- 
able integrity,  so  that  he  left  the  heritage  of  a  good  name, — to  be  valued 
above  all  others. 

Mr.  Hill  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Baldwin  Bacon,  daugh- 
ter of  Dr.  Alvan  Bacon,  of  Scarborough,  Maine,  who  was  bom  July  6, 
1808,  and  whose  death  occurred  in  1889.  He  himself  attained  to  the 
age  of  sixty-one  years  and  six  months  and  was  summoned  to  eternal  rest 
on  the  6th  of  January,  1867,  secure  in  the  lasting  regard  of  all  who 
had  come  within  the  sphere  of  his  gracious  influence.  His  cherished 
and  devoted  wife  was  a  woman  of  most  attractive  personality  and  her 
memory  is  revered  in  the  city  that  was  so  long  her  home  and  in  whose 
social  circles  she  was  a  popular  figure.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  became  the 
parents  of  two  children, — Qeorge  B.,  of  whom  more  specific  mention 
is  made  in,  later  paragraphs,  and  Miss  Sarah  Bacon  Hill,  who  still  re- 
sides in  the  beautiful  old  homestead  erected  by  her  father  many  years 
ago,  at  605  Jefferson  avenue.  His  father,  Warren  Hill,  erected,  in 
1845,  a  four-story  brick  business  block  on  Woodward  avenue,  between 
Fort  and  Congress  streets,  and  the  same  was  for  many  years  one  of 
the  most  imposing  business  structures  in  the  city. 

George  Bacon  Hill,  the  only  son  of  Rodney  D.  Hill,  was  born  in  De- 
troit, on  the  24th  of  July,  1842,  and  here  he  passed  his  entire  life,  his 
death  having  occurred  on  the  17th  of  I^Iay,  1894,  and  his  remains  being 
laid  to  rest  in  beautiful  Elmwood  cemetery,  beside  those  of  his  hon- 
ored parents.  He  received  excellent  educational  advantages  and  be- 
came one  of  the  essentially  representative  business  men  of  his  native 
city,  where  he  admirably  upheld  the  prestige  and  honors  of  the  family 
name.  He  was  the  founder  of  the  Michigan  Bolt  &  Nut  Works,  whose 
plant  was  established  in  the  suburb  of  Hamtramck,  and  he  was  the 
president  and  principal  stockholder  of  this  important  industrial  cor- 
poration at  the  time  of  his  death,  besides  which  he  was  an  interested 
principal  in  other  leading  enterprises  in  his  home  city,  where  he  ever 
commanded  secure  place  in  popular  confidence  and  esteem.  He  twice 
served  as  president  of  the  Detroit  Boat  Club  and  was  identified  with 
.other  representative  social  organizations.  In  politics  he  was  aligned  a^ 
a  gtaunch  supporter  of  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party  and,  like 
his  parents  and  his  only  sister,  he  held  earnestly  to  the  faith  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  church,  in  which  he  was  a  prominent  and  zealous 
member  of  the  parish  of  Christ  Church.  From  a  tribute  paid  in  a 
local  paper  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Hill  are  taken,  with  slight 
paraphrase,  the  following  extracts: 

**Mr.  Hill  was  bom  and  reared  in  Detroit  and  he  always  cherished 
a  sincere  and  enthusiastic  attachment  for  his  native  city.  Here  he 
lived  and  pursued  a  very  active  and  successful  business  career  until 
impaired  health  compelled  him  to  retire.  He  had  a  rare  faculty  for 
business  and  added  to  this  a  persistent  and  unyielding  determination  in 
the  prosecution  of  all  undertakings.  Such  qualities  could  not  fail  of 
success.  He  was  a  most  genial  and  loyal  companion  and  friend  and 
endeared  himself  to  all  of  his  large  circle  of  acquaintances.  In  his 
church  relations  he  was  a  most  useful  and  generous  Christian  gentle- 
man, and  as  a  citizen  he  was  conscientious  and  public-spirited.     In  all 


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1028  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

his  dealings  with  his  fellow  men  he  was  a  man  of  high  honor  and  in- 
tegrity. He  was  domestic  in  his  tastes  and  loved  and  enjoyed  his  home 
and  the  society  of  those  near  and  dear  to  him.  He  was  an  affectionate 
and  helpful  son,  and  a  most  loving  and  devoted  brother.  To  take  from 
life  a  man  of  so  many  noble  attractions  and  lovable  qualities  of  mind 
and  heart  as  Mr.  Hill  possessed  is  not  only  a  sad  and  irreparable  pri- 
vate bereavement  but  also  a  public  loss.'* 

The  Cobb  Family.  Of  so  distinctive  interest  and  historical  value 
are  the  "Sata  given  in  an  article  written  by  the  late  Friend  Palmer, 
long  an  honored  citizen  of  Detroit,  that  the  same  are  worthy  of  per- 
petuation in  more  enduring  form  than  the  unstable  medium  of  the 
newspaper  in  which  they  originally  appeared,  under  the  title  of  **  Earlier 
Days  in  Detroit,''  and  thus  the  article  is  reproduced,  with  certain  eli- 
minations and  other  changes  in  this  volume.  The  record  touches  es- 
pecially the  life  histories  of  Dr.  Hosea  Cobb  and  his  son,  Dr.  Lucretius 
H.  Cobb,  honored  factors  in  the  social  and  professional  activities  of 
Detroit  in  the  early  days  and  citizens  whose  names  merit  recognition  in 
this  history  of  Detroit.  Owing  to  the  changes  made  in  context,  formal 
quotation  of  the  same  is  not  imperative  in  this  connection. 

Dr.  Hosea  P.  Cobb,  who  built  and  lived  so  long  in  the  second  house 
still  standing  next  this  side  of  the  flat  on  the  southwest  comer  of  Jef- 
ferson avenue  and  Riopelle  street,  was  a  well  known  physician  here. 
He  was  bom  in  Woodstock,  Vermont,  in  1796,  and  in  that  state  was 
solemnized  his  marriage  to  -a  daughter  of  Warren  Hill  and  sister  of 
Rodney  D.  and  Bristol  Hill,  all  of  whom  came  to  Detroit  before  the 
admission  of  Michigan  to  the  Union.  Mrs.  Cobb  died  after  a  brief 
married  life  and  left  one  son,  Lucretius  H.  Dr.  Cobb  then  removed  to 
Detroit  with  his  father-in-law  and  the  other  members  of  the  Hill  family 
and  here  established  himself  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  in  which 
he  was  successful.  He  was,  Jiowever,  unsuccessful  in  a  venture  in  the 
drug  business,  in  which  he  asosciated  himself  with  C.  W.  Wickware. 
Their  store  was  next  below  the  oflSces  of  the  Cincinnati,  Hamilton  & 
Dayton  Railroad,  at  the  comer  of  Jefferson  and  Woodward  avenues. 
Mr.  Wickware  was  quite  a  prominent  citizen  here  in.  the  early  days. 
He  held  many  oflSces  of  trust  besides  the  business  association  with  Dr. 
Cobb.  He  married  the  sister  of  Mr.  Townsend,  of  the  firm  of  Martin  & 
Townsend. 

When  Dr.  Cobb  first  came  to  Detroit  he  had  his  office  in  the  corner 
building  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Jefferson  avenue  and  Bates  street, 
and  later  he  occupied  quarters  in  the  wooden  addition  to  the  American 
Hotel  (the  Biddle  House  in  later  years),  where  he  and  hii|  son  boarded; 
They  remained  in  this  hotel  until  the  great  fire  of  1848,  which  swept 
thfe  building  and  its  surroundings  away.  After  this  disaster  the  Doctor 
established  his  office  in  his  new  dwelling,  on  Jefferson  avenue,  which 
was  fortunately  completed  about  that  time.  He  and  his  son  kept  bach- 
elor's hall  in  the  new  residence  for  a  brief  period,  until  the  advent  of 
the  second  Mrs.  Cobb.  The  latter  was  a  charming  lady  and  a  great 
acquisition  to  the  social  side  of  Detroit.  Along  in  1845  Lucretius  Cobb, 
who  had  studied  medicine  with  his  father,  attended  a  medical  college 
in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  after  the  usual  time  had  elapsed 'he  secured 
his  *' sheepskin"  and  returned  home  a  full-fledged  doctor  of  medicine. 
He  was  successful  and  built  up  a  large  practice,  but  he  was  not  in  love 
with  his  profession  to  any  great  extent  and  sighed  for  other  paths  to 
fame  and  fortune.  He  and  William  B.  Wesson  were  engaged  quite 
extensively  in  real  estate  and  building  operations  and  must  have  made 
considerable  money.    After  a  while  the  Doctor  associated  himself  with 


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.    -i'  I   tin-  liti*»  i)]  "  Foi',;.*  ' 

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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1029 

Freeman  Norvell,  H.  N.  Walker  and  others  in  the  Spur  Mountain  iron 
mine,  in  the  Lake  Superior  district.  The  venture  at  the  outset  was 
successful  and  gave  great  promise  for  results  in  the  near  future.  I 
know  that  at  one  time  Norvell  himself  and  the  others  could  have  sold 
their  interests  at  a  large  advance  on  cost.  They  waited  too  long,  how- 
ever; the  ore  began  to  give  out,  disaster  overtook  them  and  the  mine 
was  abandoned.  Dr.  Cobb  spent  about  two  years  at  the  mine  oversee- 
ing it,  etc.  While  in  charge  there  one  winter  he  entertained  the  Michi- 
gan legislature,  on  their  Lake  Superior  trip,  with  lavish  hospitality. 

After  quitting  the  Lake  Superior  district  Dr.  Cobb  returned  to  De- 
troit a^d  took  charge  of  the  Hargreaves  Manufacturing  Company.  Mr. 
Hargreaves,  the  original  head  of  the  concern,  had  resigned  and  its 
affairs  were  found  to  be  in  a  terrible  muddle,  financial  and  otherwise. 
After  a  brief  period  the  Doctor  brought  order  out  of  the  chaos,  put 
the  concern  on  a  satisfactory  basis,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  it  was 
in  a  flourishing  condition. 

Dr.  Lucretius  Cobb  died  May  4,  1879,  and  on  the  day  of  the  funeral 
the  entire  force  of  the  manufacturing  establishment  just  mentioned,  a 
very  large  number,  attended  the  funeral  in  a  body,  besides  the  fire  de- 
partment and  a  host  of  personal  friends,  making  an  imposing  spectacle. 
He  made  a  gallant  fight  for  life,  as  he  had  not  arrived  anywhere  near 
the  **8ear  and  yellow  leaf,"  but  was  in  the  full  strength  of  intellect 
and  manhood.  The  locomotor  ataxia,  the  result  of  the  rupture  of  a 
nerve  by  an  accident,  clung  to  him  with  unrelenting  tenacity  until  he 
was  forced  to  succumb. 

Dr.  Cobb  joined  the  fire  department  on  the  13th  of  August,  1842,  and 
ran  with  Engine  Company  No.  2.  He  was  one  among  the  younger 
members  of  the  department  who  was  full  of  the  fire  of  youth,  daring 
and  courageous.  He  was  a  leading  member  of  the  old  fire  department, 
of  which  he  was  chief  engineer  in  1850-51  and  of  which  he  was  presi- 
dent from  1864  to  1866.  He  was  one  of  the  first  commissioners  of  the 
paid  fire  department,  having  been  appointed  in  1867,  just  after  its  or- 
ganization and  having  served  in  that  capacity  until  his  death,  in  1879. 
He  also  served  for  some  time  as  county  physician  and  in  1858-9  he  was 
school  inspector  for  the  old  Seventh  ward. 

From  his  advent  here  as  a  youth  until  his  demise  Dr.  Cobb  was  a 
conspicuous  figure  in  the  leading  social  activities  of  the  city.  In  that 
gay  Fort  street  circle  of  femininity  he  was  most  welcome  and  with  the 
rest  of  the  younger  set  of  masculines  disputed  the  supremacy  of  their 
elders,  who  sought  to  push  them  to  one  side.  He  was  always  in  favor 
with  the  fair  daughters  of  Detroit  and  could  easily  have  had  his  choice 
from  among  them,  yet  he  never  married.  It  is  useless  to  conjecture  why, 
yet  I  am  satisfied  he  passed  away  heartwhole.  In  the  giddy  whirl  that 
dominated  society  here  in  the  early  days,  from  1838  to  about  1851  (and 
it  seems  to  me  it  has  never  been  repeated)  Dr.  Cobb  was  ever  a  promi- 
nent figure 'and  always  on  hand,  never  needing  a  second  call.  From  al- 
most the  day  he  came  here  with  his  father,  to  establish  a  permanent 
home,  until  his  death,  the  closest  relations  existed  between  the  writer 
and  himself,  and  never  a  shadow  clouded  our  friendship. 

The  father,  Dr.  Hosea  P.  Cobb,  just  after  he  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice and  prior  to  his  marriage,  was  invited  by  an  invalid  friend  to 
accompany  him  to  Europe,  in  the  capacity  of  companion  and  medical 
advisor.  They  traveled  quite  extensively  in  the  British  dominion  and 
on  the  continent,  and  this  was  at  a  time  when  American  tourists  abroad 
were  very  few.  The  Doctor  and  his  friends  spent  much  time  in  Rome 
and  the  Doctor  brought  back  many  souvenirs  from  ''the  eternal  city," 
particularly  engravings  of  some  of  its  most  prominent  structures. — 


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1030  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

the  Coliseum,  Pantheon,  Castle  of  St.  Angelo,  etc.  He  would  often 
grow  enthusiastic  in  dilating  on  the  wonders  of  this  ancient  city,  as 
well  as  those  of  other  historic  places  he  had  visited. 

Charles  Herbert  Ellis.  Pew  men  have  left  greater  imprint  upon 
the  history  of  the  state  and  the 'metropolis  of  Michigan  than  did  the 
late  Charles  H.  Ellis,  an  eminent  civil  engineer  and  railroad  builder. 
His  achievements  have  been  perpetuated,  having  both  assisted  in  the 
development  of  the  state  and  added  materially  to  the  prosperity  of  the 
city.  He  was  bom  in  Woonsocket,  Rhode  Island,  where  his  parents 
John  Ellis,  a  manufacturer  of  bobbins  and  other  cotton  and  woolen 
mill  necessities,  and  Amy  A.  Ellis,  were  residents.  In  the  high  school  of 
Woonsocket  he  was  prepared  for  his  more  advanced  education  and  was 
graduated  from  Tufts  College  in  1863.  He  then  entered  upon  his 
work  as  civil  engineer  in  railroad  survey  and  construction,  his  first  em- 
ployment being  that  of  assistant  engineer  on  the  Boston,  Hartford  and 
Erie  Railroad  from  Waterbury  west  through  Southford,  Sandy  Hook, 
Danbury  and  Hawleyville,  Connecticut,  under  the  direction  of  A.  R. 
Field.  In  August,  1865,  locating  at  Montague,  Massachusetts,  he  en- 
gaged as  assistant  engineer  in  the  construction  of  a  railroad  from  Am- 
herst to  Grouts  Comers,  now  Millers  Falls.  This  position  he  held  until 
1867,  when  he  became  resident  engineer  of  the  eastern  end  of  the  Hoosac 
Tunnel,  which  was  then  in  course  of  construction.  He  directed  this 
work  until  the  appropriation  which  had  been  made  for  it  was  exhausted 
and  the  building  was  necessarily  stopped.  Mr.  Ellis  then  went  as  chief 
engineer  to  conduct  the  work  on  the  Ware  River  Railroad  from  Palmer 
to  Gilbertsville,  remaining  in  charge  until  the  construction  was  com- 
pleted. In  1871  he  removed  to  Aurora,  New  York,  from  which  point  he 
supervised  the  building  of  the  Cayuga  Lake  Railroad — ^now  a  branch  of 
the  New  York  Central — then  being  placed  along  the  east  shore  of  that 
lake. 

In  1874  Mr.  Ellis  came  to  Detroit,  which  was  his  home  throughout 
the  rest  of  his  busy  and  widely  effective  life.  His  first  work  here  was 
that  of  city  and  county  surveying.  Some  of  the  maps  then  made  by 
him,  as  one  feature  of  his  practical  activity,  were  used  in  Silas  Farmer's 
History  of  Detroit.  Railroad  engineering  again  required  his  skill  in 
1877,  when  for  James  F.  Joy,  the  well-known  pioneer  railroad  man, 
Mr.  Ellis  began  the  survey  for  the  Detroit  and  Bay  City  Railroad.  The 
division  in  charge  of  Mr.  Ellis  was  that  extending  from  Vassar  to  East 
Saginaw,  Michigan,  this  road,  together  with  the  terminal  at  the  latter 
place,  being  finished  in  1879.  In  that  same  year  he  made  a  survey  of 
the  Wabash  Railroad  from  Detroit  to  Toledo,  also  acting  as  chief  en- 
gineer on  the  Carrolton  Valley  Railroad,  which  position  he  relinquished 
because  of  other  important  business.  He  was  during  this  year  engaged 
by  Messrs.  Joy,  Buhl,  Sheldon  and  others  to  make  a  survey  from  Detroit 
to  Butler,  Indiana.  This  task  he  had  satisfactorily  accomplished  and 
had  made  his  report  for  the  same  by  December  3,  1879.  In  1880  he  was 
engaged  as  chief  engineer  for  the  surveying  and  construction  of  the 
Detroit,  Butler  and  St.  Louis  Railroad.  Starting  the  location  of  the  line 
on  April  12  of  that  year,  he  made  a  contract  June  21  with  General  Case- 
ment for  the  building  of  the  road,  which  was  actively  begun  three  days 
later.  On  July  21  of  the  following  year  it  was  completed,  Mr.  Ellis' 
services  being  retained  until  October  of  that  year,  1881. 

The  next  professional  interests  of  Mr.  Ellis  lay  to  the  westward.  In 
November  of  1881  he  started  to  drive  over  the  country  from  Mont- 
pelier  to  Chicago.  He  covered  the  territory'  and  made  reports  as  to  the 
feasibility  of  building  extensions  and  new  lines  of  railway  from  Detroit 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1031 

to  what  is  now  the  greatest  city  of  the  middle  west.  His  reports  were 
accepted  and  the  work  of  building  the  road  now  known  as  the  Wabash 
was  begun.  Mr.  Ellis'  next  undertaking  was  his  commission  from 
Russell  A.  Alger,  James  F.  Joy  and  others  to  examine  the  route  from  Bay 
City  to  Alpena. 

On  May  28,  1881,  he  began  the  surveys  for  the  * -Union  Railway  Depot 
Company,"  extending  from  Twelfth  to  Eighteenth  street  and  the  Tran- 
sit Railroad  survey  from  Dearborn  road  to  Twelfth  street.  On  Decem- 
ber 12  of  the  same  year  he  began  supervising  the  driving  of  piles  for  the 
elevator.  This  large  contract  was  completed  May  1,  1883.  During 
March  and  April  of  that  year  he  also  made  a  survey  for  the  Grand 
Trunk  Railway  Company  from  South  Lyons  to  Royal  Oak ;  in  the  same 
year,  too,  he  was  engaged  on  the  proposed  line  to  Chicago  from  Mont- 
pelier — a  line  now  comprised  in  the  Wabash — and  gave  estimates  as  to 
the  cost  of  construction.  In  1885  he  surveyed  for  an  extension  of  the  De- 
troit, Bay  City  and  Alpena  Railroad,  from  Ausable  to  Black  River.  In 
1886  he  had  charge  of  the  rebuilding  of  a  bridge  for  the  Detroit,  Bay 
City  and  Alpena,  and  also  of  an  extension  of  that  road. 

During  the  year  1887  Mr.  Ellis  made  two  trips  west  of  the  Rockies, 
investigating  some  placer  mines  and  locating  a  ditch  along  the  Salmon 
River.  Upon  his  return  to  Detroit  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  pre- 
liminary work  for  the  new  Union  Depot  at  Fort  and  Third  streets.  As 
chief  engineer,  he  conducted  this  work  from  August  24,  1889,  to  Feb- 
ruary 1,  1893,  which  included  the  construction  of  the  viaduct  from 
Twelfth  street  to  Third  street.  During  that  period  he  also — from  May 
20,  1890,  to  January  15,  1891, — surveyed  and  located  the  Chicago  ex- 
tension of  the  Wabash  road.  From  September  1  to  November  15,  1893, 
he  superintended  the  erection  of  the  trainsheds  at  the  Union  Depot. 
This  was  Mr.  Ellis'  last  active  work. 

In  1867  Charles  Herbert  Ellis  was  married  to  Miss  Jennie  L.  Bangs. 
Ten  years  later  she  died,  leaving  a  son,  Charles  William,  who  grew  to 
maturity,  was  graduated  from  the  engineering  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Los  Angeles,  California. 

In  December  of  1879  Mr.  Ellis  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Cram. 
Their  eldest  son,  Herbert  Cram,  is  a  graduate  of  Tufts  College  and  a  civil 
engineer,  now  living  at  White  Plains,  New  York,  where  he  is  connected 
with  the  New  York  Water  Supply  Board ;  Roy  Arthur,  the  second,  son, 
claims  the  same  alma  mater  as  his  father  and  brother,  and  is  now  with 
the  Edison  Company  at  Detroit;  Amy  Elizabeth  is  a  student  at  Smith 
College. 

Mr.  Ellis  was,  in  spite  of  the  breadth  of  his  professional  operations, 
distinctly  a  citizen  of  Detroit.  Not  only  was  he  at  one  time  city  engineer 
of  Detroit,  but  he  held  continuous  non-professional  aflSliations  here.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Club  and  also  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
in  this  city.  When  his  death  came  so  suddenly,  from  apoplexy,  on  No- 
vember 30,  1894,  sincerely  high  estimates  of  his  character  and  profes- 
sional superiority  were  expressed  by  voice  and  pen.  None  was  more 
significant  than  that  of  James  F.  Joy,  Detroit's  ** grand  old  man,''  who 
said: 

**He  was  a  careful  man,  a  good  engineer,  and  one  of  his  great  merits 
was  that  his  estimates  always  covered  the  cost  of  work  which  he  did.  He 
was  an  upright  and  conscientious  man,  and  a  faithful  and  capable 
engineer." 

Habry  G.  Bevington,  M.  D.  One  of  the  representative  exponents 
of  the  admirable  Homeopathic  school  of  medicine  in  Detroit  is  Dr. 


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1032  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

Bevington,  who  here  controls  an  excellent  private  practice,  and  who  is 
also  junior  attending  physician  on  the  staflE  of  Grace  Hospital. 

Dr.  Harry  Graves  Bevington  claims  the  fine  old  Buckeye  state  as  the 
place  of  his  nativity  and  in  the  agnatic  line  he  is  a  scion  of  one  of  the 
old  and  honored  pioneer  families  of  that  commonwealth.  He  was  born 
at  Ashtabula,  Ohio,  the  judicial  center  of  the  county  of  the  same  name, 
and  the  date  of  his  nativity  was  March  7,  1877.  He  is  a  son  of  William 
Henry  and  Alice  W.  (Graves)  Bevington,  the  former  of  whom  was 
bom  at  Alliance,  Stark  county,  Ohio,  and  the  latter  in  the  historic  old 
city  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  the  Graves  family  having  been  founded  in 
the  Old  Dominion  in  the  early  period  of  its  history.  William  H.  Bev- 
ington was  one  of  the  first  conductors  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
running  into  Ashtabula,  Ohio,  in  which  city  he  now  resides.  The  mother 
died  in  1909. 

In  the  excellent  public  schools  of  his  native  city  Dr.  Bevington 
gained  his  early  educational  discipline,  which  included  the  curriciJum 
of  the  high  school.  In  preparation  for  his  chosen  profession  he  entered 
the  Cleveland  Homeopathic  Medical  College,  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  one  of 
the  leading  institutions  of  Homeopathy  in  the  Union,  and  in  the  same 
he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1898,  with  the  well  earned 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  In  1898  he  came  to  Detroit,  and  for  two 
years  thereafter  he  served  as  house  physician  of  Grace  Hospital,  a  posi- 
tion which  afforded  him  the  most  valuable  clinical  experience  and  thus 
more  fully  fortified  him  for  the  general  work  of  his  profession,  in  which 
he  has  been  engaged,  with  success  since  1900,  the  while,  as  already  stated, 
he  still  continues  on  the  staflE  of  physicians  of  Grace  Hospital.  The  Doc- 
tor is  a  member  of  the  American  Institute  of  Homeopathy,  the  Michigan 
Homeopathic  Medical  Society,  and  the  Detroit  Homeopathic  Practi- 
tioners' Club.  He  is  state  examiner  for  the  Royal  Arcanum,  with  which 
fraternal  order  he  is  aflftliated,  and  he  also  holds  membership  in  the  De- 
troit lodge  of  the  Benevolent  &  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  in  the 
Mendelssohn  Society,  one  of  the  leading  musical  organizations  of  the 
city.  He  takes  a  lively  interest  in  all  that  tends  to  advance  the  welfare  of 
his  home  city,  and  while  having  neither  time  nor  inclination  for  political 
activities  he  accords  a  staunch  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  1905,  Dr.  Bevington  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss^  Charlotte  M.  Reaume,  of  Amherstburg,  province  of  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, and  they  have  two  children:  William  Henry  and  Margaret  Alice. 

John  Gilmore  Kirker,  M.  D.,  was  bom  in  Westmoreland  county, 
Pennsylvania,  on  the  11th  of  August,  1846.  His  father  was  George 
Kirker  and  his  mother  was  Mary  (Gilmore)  Kirker.  His  father  was 
bom  in  Westmoreland  county,  in  1814,  and  his  mother  was  also  a  native 
of  this  county,  being  born  here  in  1824.  The  parents  of  Dr.  Kirker 
were  highly  respected  members  of  this  old  Pennsylvanian  community, 
his  father  being  a  successful  farmer.  They  were  both  active  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  Mr.  Kirker  was  for  many  years  an 
elder  in  this  church.  He  died  in  Greensburg,  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
had  been  living  for  a  number  of  years,  having  given  up  his  active  agri- 
cultural life.    He  died  in  1896  and  his  wife  died  in  1875. 

Dr.  Kirker  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  and  attended  the  dis- 
trict school.  He  then  entered  the  College  of  Pharmacy  in  Pittsburg, 
from  which  he  later  graduated  and,  returning  to  Greensburg,  opened  a 
drug  store  which  he  conducted  successfully  for  some  years.  He  then 
determined  to  enter  the  medical  profession  and  in  1886  began  the  study 
of  medicine,  matriculating  in  the  Medical  College  of  Columbus,  Ohio 
After  attending  this  institution  for  two  years  he  came  to  Detroit,  where 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1033 

he  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  from  which  he  was  graduat-- 
ed  in  1889  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  He  entered  the  practice  of  general 
medicine  and  surgery  in  the  city  during  this  same  year,  locating  on 
the  West  side,  on  Fort  street.  Here  he  continued  to  practice  very 
successfully  until  October,  1911,  when  he  sold  his  west  sitle  property 
and  bought  a  fine  home  on  Bethune  street,  in  North  Woodward,  to  which 
he  moved,  at  the  same  time  opening  oflRces  in  the  Detroit  Opera  House- 
Block  down  town.  The  change  has  proved  to  be  wise  by  his  increased 
practice  during  the  past  year. 

Professionally  Dr.  Kirke  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical 
Society,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  and  the  American  Medical 
Association. 

Dr.  Kirker  has  always  been  very  active  in  the  Presbyterian  church, 
of  which  he  is  a  member.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Emmanuel 
Presbyterian  church,  on  the  West  side,  and  was  an  elder  of  that  con- 
gregation until  his  removal  to  North  Woodward.  Since  that  time  he 
has  been  a  member  of  and  an  active  worker  in  the  Woodward  Avenue 
Presbyterian  church. 

Dr.  Kirker  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Louise  Mc- 
Afee, of  Greensburg,  Pennsylvania.  She  was  a  daughter  of  the  late 
Honorable  James  R.  ^IcAfee,  a  well  known  lawyer  and  editor  in  Penn- 
sylvania, who  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  secretary  of  state  of  Penn- 
sylvania. Louise  McAfee  Kirke  died  in  1876,  leaving  three  children. 
Annette,  the  eldest  of  these,  is  now  ^Mrs.  Bert  Long,  of  Ithaca,  Mich- 
igan, and  James  Ross  and  George  are  her  brothers.  The  Doctor  *s  sec- 
ond marriage  was  to  Miss  Isabelle  Richardson,  a  daughter  of  William 
Richardson,  of  Detroit.  To  this  marriage  have  been  born  three  children : 
Gilmore,  Oswald  and  Isabella. 

Martin  John  Schwanz,  M.  D.,  is  well  known  in  the  medical  and 
social  circles  of  the  city  of  Detroit,  and  his  reputation  as  a  reliable 
and  trustworthy  practitioner  rests  chiefly  on  his  ability  as  a  surgeon. 
He  is  one  of  the  younger  members  of  the  medical  profession  in  the 
city,  and  while  he  has  only  been  practicing  for  eight  years,  he  has  suc- 
seeded  in  building  up  a  reputation  that  is  based  on  the  solid  foundation 
of  real  ability  and  skill,  with  a  thorough  medical  training  as  the  corner- 
stone. Although  devoted  heart  and  soul  to  his  professional  work  Doctor 
Schwanz  also  takes  a  deep  interest  in  all  the  affairs  of  the  country  and 
of  the  city  in  which  he  lives. 

Martin  John  Schwanz  was  bom  on  the  6th  of  September,  1871,  in 
Colbum,  Huron  county,  Ontario,  Canada.  He  was  the  son  of  the  late 
Martin  John  and  Annie  (Nie)  Schwanz.  The  father,  Martin  John 
Schwanz,  was  a  native  of  Germany,  who  had  come  to  Canada  and  settled 
in  the  province  of  Ontario  with  his  parents,  he  being  at  the  time  a  lad 
of  twelve.  When  he  grew  to  manhood  he  took  up  the  study  of  vet- 
erinary surgery,  and  became  one  of  the  well  known  veterinary  surgeons 
in  Canada,  and  he  later  came  to  Michigan.  Here  he  still  maintained 
his  reputation  up  to  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Harper  Hospital,  De- 
troit, in  March,  1912.  The  mother  of  Doctor  Schwanz  was  bom  in 
Chyahoga,  Ontario,  Canada,  and  was  the  daughter  of  William  Nie. 
She  only  survived  her  husband  a  few  weeks,  dying  on  the  14th  of 
April,  1912. 

The  boyhood  days  of  Doctor  Schwanz  were  spent  in  Saginaw,  Mich- 
igan, for  shortly  after  his  birth  his  parents  came  into  this  country,  and 
his  father  located  in  this  thriving  lumbering  town.  Here  he  was  sent 
to  the  public  schools  and  to  the  high  school,  and  later  attended  the 
Michigan  State  Normal  School  at  Ypsilanti,  Michigan.  Then,  followed 
three  years  of  splendid  training  as  a  teacher  in  the  rural  schools  of  the 

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1034  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

state,  for  though  the  way  of  a  country  school  teacher  may  he  hard,  yet 
it  offers  the  best  of  preparation  for  any  profession  or  business  that  life 
may  oflPer.  Perhaps  there  is  no  other  form  of  training  so  conducive  to 
self -discipline,  or  one  that  teaches  so  thoroughly  the  old  saying,  *'Kjiow 
thyself."  fie  then  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine  and  was 
graduated  from  this  institution  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  in  1904.  He 
.  also  during  this  period  of  study  was  a  special  student  under  the  eminent 
surgeon,  the  late  H.  0.  Walker,  M.  D. 

Doctor  Schwanz  entered  the  general  practice  of  medicine  in  Detroit 
in  1904,  but  in  1906  he  established  the  hospital  at  the  corner  of  Fort 
and  Vinewood  streets,  which  institution  he  incorporated  under  the 
name  of  the  Detroit  General  Hospital.  He  conducted  this  with  increas- 
ing success,  winning  the  praise  of  his  associates  through  his  ability 
as  a  surgeon,  and  the  admiration  of  business  men  for  the  way  in  which 
the  practical  end  of  the  hospital  was  managed.  In  1909  he  voluntarily 
relinquished  the  above  name  of  the  institution,  though  in  so  doing  he 
sacrificed  himself.  This  was  done  at  the  request  of  the  promulgators 
of  the  new  Detroit  General  Hospital,  since  they  were  very  desirous  of 
the  name  and  could  not  use  it  because  the  hospital  which  Doctor  Schwanz 
had  founded  was  incorporated.  He  cheerfully  gave  his  consent,  however, 
willing  to  make  the  sacrifice  for  his  profession,  and  from  1909  until 
May,  1911,  he  conducted  the  hospital  under  the  name  of  the  Vinewood 
General  Hospital.  Since  this  date  he  has  been  in  private  practice, 
limiting  his  work  to  general  surgery  and  to  office  work.  While  at  the 
head  of  the  hospital  he  did  considerable  work  in  abdominal  surgery,  and 
since  retiring  from  the  hospital  work  he  has  continued  to  specialize  in 
this  very  difficult  branch  and  has  become  widely  known  for  his  skill 
and  success  in  this  work,  which  takes  the  steadiest  of  nerves,  the  most 
skillful  of  hands  and  the  quickest  of  brains.  The  importance  of  his  work 
can  scarcely  be  overestimated,  for  a  large  proportion  of  surgical  cases 
to-day  are  of  this  description,  and  some  of  the  greatest  advances  in 
modem  surgery  have  been  made  along  these  lines. 

Doctor  Schwanz  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society, 
of  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  of  the  American  Medical  As- 
sociation and  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  Association,  as  well  as  being  an 
honorary  member  of  the  Saginaw  Valley  Medical  Society.  In  his 
fraternal  relations  he  is  a  member  of  the  Order  of  Elks  and  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  His 
fondness  for  the  out-of-doors  led  him  to  become  a  member  of  the  De- 
troit Automobile  Club,  and  automobiling  is  more  than  a  convenient 
method  of  travel  for  him.  He  may  be  found  during  his  office  hours  in 
suite  404  in  the  Whitney  Opera  House  Block. 

Louis  C.  Babibault,  M.  D.  There  are  definite  branches  in  the  science 
of  medicine  and  surgery  which  alone  may  challenge  the  entire  thought 
and  attention  of  any  one  man  for  the  entire  period  of  his  life,  and  thus 
it  is  that  practitioners  of  marked  ability  in  general  lines  have  seen  fit 
to  direct  their  course  to  specialties,  perfecting  themselves  in  knowledge 
pertinent  thereto  and  the  practical  work  implied.  Among  the  practi- 
tioners in  this  class  in  Detroit  may  be  mentioned  Dr.  Louis  C.  Baribault, 
who,  while  one  of  the  representative  physicians  of  his  section,  has  given 
particular  attention  to  special  surgical  cases,  with  such  success  as  to  give 
him  marked  prestige  among  his  confreres.  Dr.  Baribault  was  born 
July  15,  1874,  in  New  Haven,  Connecticuit,  and  is  a  son  of  Jules  and 
Mary  (Lanouette)  Baribault,  natives  of  the  province  of  Quebec,  Canada, 
and  children  of  native-born  French  parents  of  Normandy,  Prance. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1035 

Dr.  Baribault  was  reared  in  New  Haven,  where  he  attended  the 
public  schools.  At  the  age  of  eleven  years  he  entered  a  classical  boarding 
school  in  Three  Rivers,  province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  and  he  next  entered 
Montreal  (Canada)  Seminary,  where  he  spent  eight  years,  graduating 
from  that  institution  in  1897,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Sciences. 
He  next  matriculated  in  medicine  in  Yale  University,  where  he  spent  one 
year,  and  then  returned  to  Montreal,  Canada,  entering  Leval  University, 
where  he  was  graduated  in  1901,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine. 
During  that  year  the  Doctor  entered  practice  in  Lewiston,  Maine,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  general  surgery  for  eight  years,  most 
of  this  time  as  surgeon  to  St.  Mary 's  Hospital,  of  Lewiston,  with  which 
institution  he  became  connected  at  its  completion  and  helped  to  build  up 
to  be  the  leading  hospital  in  that  part  of  New  England,  and  of  which  he 
became  secretary  of  the  staff.  During  1906  and  1907  Dr.  Baribault 
spent  one  year  in  the  study  of  surgery  in  the  University  of  Paris,  Prance. 
He  continued  in  surgery  in  Lewiston,  Maine,  until  1910-11,  which  year 
he  spent  in  Paris,  Prance,  studying  genito-urinal  surgery.  On  his  re- 
turn Dr.  Baribault  located  in  Detroit,  and  here  he  was  soon  acknowledged 
to  be  a  man  well  trained  in  his  profession,  possessed  of  skill,  good  judge- 
ment and  ability,  and  as  a  consequence  soon  built  up  a  lucrative  practice, 
having  the  full  confidence  of  both  the  profession  and  the  laity.  He  is 
.now  well  known  throughout  the  state,  having  successfully  performed 
some  of  the  most  difficult  operations  known  to  his  branch  of  surgery. 

When  Dr.  Baribault  left  Lewiston,  Maine,  he  was  vice-president  of 
the  County  Medical  Society,  and  he  is  now  a  member  of  the  Wayne 
County  Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the 
American  Medical  Association,  and  takes  great  interest  in  the  work 
of  aU  these  organizations.  Fraternally  he  is  a  popular  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Columbus,  the  St.  John  the  Baptist  Society,  the  Order  of 
Moose,  the  Woodmen  and  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  He  and  his 
family  belong  to  St.  Joachim's  Roman  Catholic  church. 

Dr.  Baribault  was  married  to  Miss  Ida.  Campbell,  who  was  born 
in  Lewiston,  Maine,  daughter  of  John  Campbell,  and  she  died  in  1909, 
leaving  the  following  children:  Louis,  Mary  and  Claire.  His  second 
marriage  was  to  Miss  Pabiola  Beaudet  of  Victoriaville,  Canada. 

Harry  D.  Trask,  M.  D.,  D.  0.  One  of  the  well  known  of  the  younger 
medical  practitioners  of  Detroit,  Harry  D.  Trask,  who  has  offices  in 
suite  No.  603,  Scherer  Building,  and  a  residence  at  No.  146  Philadelphia 
avenue.  West,  was  bom  on  a  farm  in  Putman  county,  Ohio,  April  27, 
1879,  a  son  of  John  and  Rachel  (Kidd)  Trask,  natives,  respectively,  of 
New  England  and  Ohio.  John  Trask  went  from  New  England  to  the 
**  Western  Reserve  *'  section  of  Ohio  when  he  was  a  young  man,  settling 
first  in  Trumbull  county,  and  going  next  to  Putman  county,  where  he 
engaged  in  farming  and  fine  stock  raising,  being  extensively  interested 
in  the  breeding  of  fine-blooded  horses.  He  was  the  owner  of  several  fine 
stallions  which  he  imported  from  Europe  and  throughout  his  life  was  an 
acknowledged  judge  of  horse-flesh.  His  death  occured  in  1893,  at  the 
age  of  fifty-seven  years,  his  widow  still  surviving  and  residing  on  the 
old  homestead  in  Ohio. 

Harry  D.  Trask  obtained  his  preliminary  education  in  the  common 
and  high  schools  of  Ohio,  and  following  this  had  a  three-year  course  in 
college.  He  then  took  up  Osteopathy,  graduating  from  Still  College  of 
Osteopathy  in  1902,  and  then  practiced  that  branch  of  medicine  for  two 
years  in  New  York.  In  1904  he  entered  the  Michigan  CpUege  of  Medi- 
cine and  Surgery,  of  Detroit,  which  college  went  out  of  existence,  how- 
ever, before  he  completed  the  full  course.    He  next  entered  the  Detroit 


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1036  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Homeopathic  College  of  Medicine,  where  he  was  graduated  with  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  in  1907,  and  in  that  year  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  Detroit,  where  he  has  since  met  with  mark- 
ed success.  He  has  won  the  complete  confidence  of  the  people  of  his 
community,  not  only  as  an  able  physician  but  as  a  public  spirited  citi- 
zen who  has  the  welfare  of  his  city  at  heart.  Knowing  that  the  science 
of  medicine  is  a  progressive  one,  he  is  a  zealous  student  of  its  literature 
and  takes  active  interest  in  the  organizations  designed  to  promote  its 
advancement.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Practitioners  Society,  and 
of  the  City  of  the  Straits  Lodge,  P.  &  A.  M.,  and  has  attained  to  the 
Knight  Templar  and  Mystic  Shrine  degrees. 

Tobias  Sigel,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  well  known  physicians  in  the  city 
of  Detroit,  came  to  this  country  alone,  a  poor  orphan  boy,  but  even  in 
early  youth  he  felt  instinctively  drawn  toward  the  profession  which  he 
has  since  made  his  own.  Had  he  not  been  a  lad  of  firm  character,  with 
a  nature  that  knew  not  discouragement,  he  would  never  have  reached 
his  goal,  for  his  obstacles  were  many. 

In  the  old  state  of  Wurtemberg,  in  southern  Germany,  on  the  14th 
(rf  May,  1862,  Tobias  Sigel  was  born.  He  was  the  son  of  Jacob  and 
Rosine  (Wegenast)  Sigel,  and  both  of  his  parents  died  when  he  was 
a  small  boy  not  yet  in  his  teens.  Having  nothing  to  keep  him  in  Ger-i 
many,  he  determined  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  new  world  and  sailed  for 
America,  landing  in  New  York  City  on  the  10th  of  February,  1879.  A 
stranger  in  a  new  country,  he  scarcely  knew  where  to  turn,  but  wishing 
to  get  away  from  the  rush  and  roar  of  the  big  city  he  crossed  the  river 
and  went  to  Newark,  New  Jersey.  There  he  found  employment,  and 
spent  six  and  a  half  years.  The  ambition  of  the  lad  and  his  determina- 
tion to  rise  in  the  world  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  during  this  time  he 
was  a  rejTular  attendent  at  the  Cooper  Institute  in  New  York  City.  In 
1885  he  came  west  and  located  in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  and  there 
attended  a  normal  school  known  as  the  North  American  Gymnastic 
Union  Seminary.  He  spent  a  year  in  this  school  and  then  came  to  De- 
troit, where  he  became  director  of  physical  culture  for  the  Detroit  Turn- 
verein  and  at  last  was  enabled  to  tiake  up  his  medical  studies,  which 
he  did  as  a  student  in  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine.  He  was  gradu- 
ated from  this  institution  on  the  24th  of  March,  1889,  with  the  degree 
of  M.  D.  and  during  this  same  year  he  entered  the  general  practice  of 
medicine  in  this  city.  His  success  was  not  long  in  coming  to  him,  for 
he  was  not  only  an  able  practitioner,  but  he  also  possessed  the  sympa- 
thetic instinct  and  calm  self-confident  manner  that  means  so  much  to 
a  physician. 

Doctor  Sigel  has  many  connections  with  fraternal  organizations  of 
various  kinds.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society, 
of  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  of  the  American  Medical 
Association.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Great  Lake's  Arbitration  Society, 
and  holds  membership  in  many  other  societies  and  fraternities,  the 
principal  one  of  which  in  The  Detroit  Esperanto  Society,  Member  of 
the  Esperantists  of  the  World  and  their  ''Deligito*'  of  Detroit. 

The  marriage  of  Doctor  Sigel  to  Miss  Ella  Dreyer  took  place  on 
the  10th  of  March,  1889.  She  was  a  native  of  Germany  and  the  daughter 
of  IVIr.  William  Dreyer.  The  Doctor  and  his  wdfe  are  the  parents  of 
three  children.  The  eldest,  Paul,  was  born  in  1889,  and  is  now  a  student 
in  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  being  a  member  of  the  class  of  1913. 
Edna,  who  wa^  bom  in  1892,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Detroit  Central  high 
school.    Otto,  the  youngest,  bom  in  1896,  is  at  present  a  student  in  the 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1037 

Detroit  Central  high  school.  The  family  residence  is  at  2916  North 
Grand  Boulevard  and  the  Doctor  has  his  offices  in  the  Breitmeyer 
building. 

Francis  Xavier  Zinger,  M.  D.  Among  the  younger  members  of  the 
medical  fraternity  of  Detroit,  "Doctor  Francis  Xavier  Zinger  holds  an 
enviable  position.  He  has  only  been  in  practice  in  the  city  for  five  years, 
but  in  this  time  has  built  up  a  reputation  for  thorough  and  careful  work. 
He  is  blessed  with  a  sympathetic  nature,  and  a  cool  head  w^hich  gives  him 
the  self  confidence  so  necessary  to  younger  physicians.  He  has  not  only 
spent  all  of  his  active  professional  career  in  this  city,  but  also  studied 
here  and  held  an  intemeship  in  one  of  the  Detroit  hospitals,  so  he  is 
bound  to  the  city  by  all  the  ties  save  those  of  birth.  He  is  conse- 
quently deeply  interested  in  all  that  concerns  the  welfare  of  his  fellow 
citizens,  though  the  demands  of  his  practice  prevent  his  entering  actively 
into  either  the  business  or  the  political  world. 

On  the  23rd  of  April,  1883,  Francis  Xavier  Zinger  was  born  in 
Teeswater,  Bruce  county,  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  being  the  town 
of  his  birth.  He  is  the  son  of  William  Zinger  and  Pauline  (Batte) 
Zinger,  both  of  whom  are  natives  of  Ontario,  though  of  different  counties, 
the  father  having  been  bom  in  Waterloo  county,  and  the  mother  being 
a  native  of  Bruce  county.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  Dr.  Zinger  was 
Alois  Zinger,  who  was  a  native  of  Germany  and  who  came  to  Canada 
when  Ontario,  where  he  settled,  was  young.  Here  he  followed  farming^ 
as  his  vocation,  and  was  a  person  of  importance  in  these  early  days/ 
His  son  William  has  been  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  for  many  years, 
at  present  being  the  owner  of  a  hotel  at  Berlin,  in  Waterloo  county, 
Ontario.  He  was  bom  in  1844  and  his  wife  was  born  in  1850,  both  of 
them  being  devout  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  The  ma- 
ternal grandfather  of  the  Doctor  was  Henry  Batte,  a  native  of  France, 
who  came  to  this  country  and  settled  near  the  present  site  of  Rochester, 
New  York,  when  the  Five  Nations  were  still  familiar  with  this  part  of 
the  country.  He  later  moved  to  Ontario,  where  he  was  also  a  pioneer. 
He  located  in  Bruce  county,  dnd  the  quiet  life  of  a  farmer  must  have 
seemed  strange  to  him,  for  he  was  bred  to  the  seas  and  was  a  salt  sea 
sailor. 

The  boyhood  days  of  Doctor  Zinger  were  spent  in  Teeswater  and 
Exeter,  Ontario,  and  in  Detroit,  Michigan.  He  came  to  the  latter  city 
when  a  lad  of  thirteen,  and  has  lived  here  ever  since  save  for  a  short 
time  when  he  was  in  school  at  St.  Jerome's  College  in  Berlin,  Ontario. 
Previous  to  this  he  had  received  some  education  in  the  public  and  high 
schools  of  his  native  county.  At  the  age  of  twenty,  in  1903,  he  took  up 
the  study  of  medicine,  matriculating  as  a  student  in  the  Detroit  College 
of  Medicine,  and  in  1907  he  received  the  degree  of  M.  D.  from  that  insti- 
tution, which  has  graduated  so  many  of  the  best  physicians  and  surgeons 
in  Detroit.  During  his  senior  year  he  received  the  practical  experience 
so  necessary  to  a  professional  man  of  any  description,  through  his  in- 
temeship in  Grace  Hospital  in  this  city. 

He  entered  the  general  practice  of  medicine  in  the  neighborhood 
where  he  is  now  located  in  1907,  and  in  1911  he  built  his  handsome  resi- 
dence at  423  Humboldt  avenue,  where  he  now  lives  and  where  he  main- 
tains his  offices.  His  success  has  been  spoken  of  and  it  only  remains  to 
prophesy  a  brilliant  future  for  the  young  doctor,  which  his  fellow  prac- 
titioners agree  will  surely  be  his  if  he  continues  to  devote  himself  so 
whole-heartedly  to  his  work,  and  to  spare  neither  himself  nor  his  time  in 
the  attempt  to  alleviate  the  suffering  which  he  faces  daily. 


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1038  HISTORY  OF  DP]TROIT 

Doctor  Zinger  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society 
and  of  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society.  He  is  a  firm  believer  in  the 
great  good  to  be  derived  from  fraternal  organizations  and  is  a  member  of 
the  Royal  Arcanum  and  of  the  Catholic  Mutual  Benefit  Association. 
Both  the  Doctor  and  his  wife  are  commujiicants  of  Saint  Leo's  Roman 
Catholic  church. 

On  the  24th  of  May,  1909,  Doctor  Zinger  was  married  to  Josephine 
Marie  Parent,  of  Grosse  Isle,  Michigan,  the  daughter  of  Charles  F. 
Parent,  who  was  a  native  of  France.  Two  children  have  been  bom  to 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Zinger.  Geraldine  Marie  is  two  and  a  half  years  old  and 
Ailene  Winnif red,  who  is  a  year  old,  is  the  baby. 

Dr.  Leo  H.  Herbert.  Among  the  many  foreigners  who  come  to  our 
shores  we  often  find  men  of  brilliant  attainments,  splendidly  educated, 
and  we  welcome  such  with  open  arms,  for  they  can  help  us  as  can  no 
others  to  find  the  best  way  of  assimilating  this  immense  foreign  popula- 
tion that  is  crowding  our  great  cities.  Such  a  man  is  Doctor  Leo  H. 
Herbert,  though  in  his  case  he  is  welcomed  on  his  own  account  as  well  as 
for  the  good  he  may  do  for  humanity.  Although  he  has  oAly  been  in  this 
country  for  nine  years,  no  one  could  be  more  interested  in  its  future, 
or  more  eager  to  lend  a  helping  hand  towards  its  growth  and  develop- 
ment. He  has  many  of  the  qualities  of  the  research  man,  he  does  care- 
ful, scientific  work,  is  a  close  observer,  letting  no  detail,  however  minute, 
glip  past  his  eye,  and  he  has  cultivated  unlimited  patience.  He  has 
spent  considerable  time  in  study  and  experiment,  and  is  one  of  the  best 
examples  of  the  foreign  schools,  having  in  his  short  residence  in  Detroit 
won  the  regard  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 

Doctor  Herbert  was  born  in  Austria-Hungary,  on  the  20th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1864.  He  is  the  son  of  Herman  Herbert,  who  for  many  years 
had  been  a  well-known  and  prosperous  business  man  in  Vienna,  Austria. 
His  home  life  was  spent  amid  the  refined  surroundings  of  a  cultivated 
family  of  the  Austrian  upper-class,  and  thus  early  in  life  were  instilled 
into  him  that  love  and  admiration  for  all  that  is  fine  and  noble.  His  edu- 
cation was  begun  in  the  schools  of  Vienna,  where  he  waa  graduated  from 
high  school  of  the  city.  He  then  entered  the  medical  department  of  the 
University  of  Vienna,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1887.  His  first  prac- 
practical  work  in  his  profession  was  as  a  member  of  the  medical  corps  of 
the  Army  of  Austria-Hungary.  He  served  in  the  corps  with  the  rank  of 
captain  surgeon  until  1891.  He  then  resigned  from  the  army,  but  took 
a  similar  position  with  the  reserve  corps.  At  this  time  he  also  entered 
the  field  of  private  practice,  and  with  such  fine  preparation  both  in  the 
way  of  practical  experience  and  in  theoretical  knowledge,  he  was  quite 
successful.  Feeling  the  necessity  of  keeping  in  touch  with  the  im- 
provements in  his  profession,  he  returned  to  the  University  of  Vienna 
for  a  year  of  post-graduate  work,  and  finally  decided  to  take  the  step 
that  he  had  been  contemplating  for  some  time,  that  is,  to  go  to  America. 

It  was  in  1903  that  he  finally  bade  good-by  to  his  native  land  and 
sailed  for  the  United  States.  He  first  came  to  Lidianapolis,  and  spent 
three  years  in  this  city,  winning  a  good  sized  practice  before  he  left  there 
in  1906.  It  took  considerable  courage  for  a  man  to  give  up  an  es- 
tablished position  and  come  to  a  strange  country,  where  he  not  only 
would  have  to  contend  with  new  conditions,  and  a  different  people,  but 
also  with  the  fact  that  he  was  not  of  the  blood  of  the  people  among  whom 
he  was  to  live.  How  much  greater  is  his  success,  therefore,  than  is  that 
of  men  who  have  had  none  of  these  things  to  fight  against.  It  it  plain 
proof  that  he  is  of  unusual  ability  and  worth.  He  came  to  Detroit  in 
1906,  and  opened  his  offices  in  Delray  station,  in  the  Peninsular  State 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1039 

Bank  Building,  at  2225  Jefferson  avenue,  West.  He  has  been  here  ever 
since,  in  the  general  practice  of  medicine. 

He  is  in  close  sympathy  with  the  efforts  of  his  brother  physicians, 
and  is  an  enthusiastic  member  of  the  associations  which  tend  to  destroy 
that  rivalry  that  is  harmful  to  good  results.  He  belongs  to  the  Wayne 
County  Medical  Association,  to  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  and 
to  the  American  Medical  Association.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic order,  being  affiliated  with  Palestine  Lodge. 

Doctor  Herbert  was  married  in  June,  1892,  to  Eugenia  Fechtdegen, 
the  daughter  of  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Austria.  She  and  Doctor  Her- 
bert are  the  parents  of  two  sons,  Julius  and  Victor.  Both  of  these  boys 
are  graduates  of  the  Western  high  school  of  Detroit,  and  the  eldest  is  at 
present  a  student  at  the  University  of  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  in  the  lit- 
erary and  law  department,  class  of  1913. 

Frederick  N.  Blanchard,  M.  D.  Bom  in  Deseronto,  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, on  the  15th  of  December,  1878,  Dr.  Frederick  Norton  Blanchard  is 
another  of  the  able  physicians  and  progressive  citizens  contributed  to 
Detroit  by  that  favored  province,  and  in  the  Michigan  metropolis  he 
has  gained  high  professional  standing  and  definite  success.  The  Doc- 
tor is  a  son  of  Charles  Norton  Blanchard  and  Octavia  (Wickham) 
Blanchard,  the  former  of  staunch  French  lineage  and  the  latter  of  Eng- 
lish extraction.  Harrison  H.  Wickham,  maternal  grandfather  of  the 
Doctor,  was  an  American  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  in  which  he  served 
in  the  historic  Niagara  valley  campaign,  with  the  rank  of  major.  The 
maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Tyler,  and  she  was  a  member  of  the  well- 
known  English  family  of  that  name. 

Charles  Norton  Blanchard  was  bom  in  the  state  of  New  York  and 
his  wife,  in  Michigan,  where  her  parents  established  their  home  in  the 
early  pioneer  epoch.  Charles  N.  Blanchard  was  long  prominently  iden- 
tified with  the  lumber  industry,  with  residence  and  business  headquar- 
ters* in  Binghamton,  New  York,  and  in  connection  with  this  line  of  enter- 
prise he  and  his  wife  were  temporarily  sojourning  in  Canada  at  the  time 
of  the  birth  of  their  son  Frederick  N.,  whose  name  initiates  this  review. 
In  1881  the  family  home  was  established  at  Lansing,  capital  of  the  state 
of  Michigan,  and  the  father  continued  to  be  actively  concerned  with  lum- 
bering enterprises,  in  which  he  operated  mills  at  Lansing,  Ionia  and  Big 
Bapids.  In  a  mill  accident  he  met  his  death,  in  1885,  and  his  widow, 
Mrs.  M.  J.  Manning,  is  now  living  in  Detroit. 

To  the  public  schools  of  Michigan  and  the  province  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  Dr.  Blanchard  is  indebted  for  his  early  educational  advantages, 
and  in  1895  he  was  graduated  in  the  Windsor  Collegiate  Institute,  at 
Windsor,  Ontario,  just  across  the  river  from  Detroit.  In  the  same  year 
he  came  to  Detroit,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  insurance  business  for 
the  ensuing  four  years.  He  then  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Medi- 
cine, of  whose  excellent  advantages  he  availed  himself  with  the  utmost 
earnestness  and  ambition,  and  in  1903  he  was  graduated  with  the  cov- 
eted degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  has  since  continued  in  active 
general  practice  in  Detroit,  where  his  success  has  been  on  a  parity  with 
his  close  application  and  unequivocal  loyalty  to  his  profession,  and  he  is 
also  a  valued  factor  in  connection  with  the  educational  work  of  his  pro- 
fession,— as  lecturer  on  and  demonstrator  of  anatomy  in  the  Detroit  Col- 
lege of  Medicine.  Availing  himself  of  all  means  tending  to  further  his 
technical  knowledge  and  efficiency,  the  Doctor  is  a  close  student  of  the 
best  and  most  advanced  literature  of  his  profession  and  holds  member- 
ship in  the  American  Medical  Association,  the  Michigan  State  Medical 
Society  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society.     In  politics  he  is  found 


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1040  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

aligned  as  a  stalwart  in  the  camp  of  the  Republican  party,  but  he  has 
had  no  predilection  for  the  activities  of  so-called  practical  politics.  He 
is  aflBliated  with  City  of  the  Straits  Lodge,  No.  452,  Free  &  Accepted 
Masons,  also  with  the  Detroit  Motor  Boat  Club,  and  both  he  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Fort  Street  Congregational  church. 

On  the  10th  of  April,  1907,  Dr.  Blanchard  was  united  in  marriage  to 
one  of  Detroit's  fair  and  popular  daughters.  Miss  Alice  E.  Osgood, 
who  was  bom  and  reared  in  this  city  and  who  is  a  daughter  of  David 
H.  Osgood,  a  representative  citizen  and  business  man  of  the  Michigan 
metropolis.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Blanchard  have  a  winsome  little  daughter, 
Alice. 

George  Henry  Scriber,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  successful  members  of  the 
medical  profession,  whose  field  of  practice  for  the  past  five  years  has 
been  the  city  of  Detroit,  was  bom  November  6, 1869,  at  Petersburg,  Mich- 
igan, and  is  a  son  of  George  W.  and  Ellen  (Seaman)  Scriber,  natives  of 
New  York  state. 

The  great-grandfather  of  Dr.  Scriber  was  a  soldier  during  the  Rev- 
olutionary war,  fighting  in  the  ranks  of  the  Colonial  army  under  General 
George  Washington,  but  the  hardships  of  that  struggle  did  not  seem  to 
have  broken  his  health,  as  he  lived  to  reach  the  remarkable  age  of  114 
years.  The  Scriber  family  was  founded  in  Michigan  by  George  W. 
Scriber,  father  of  Dr.  Scriber,  who  is  still  living,  in  his  eighty-sixth 
year,  and  makes  his  home  in  Detroit,  in  which  City  the  Doctor's 
mother  died  in  1905. 

The  early  education  of  George  Henry  Scriber  was  secured  in  the 
public  and  high  schools  of  his  native  place,  and  after  leaving  the  latter 
he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine.  After  some  preparatory  work  he  en- 
tered the  Michigan  College  of  Medicine  and  Surgery,  Detroit,  and  in 
1891  was  graduated  therefrom  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  For  two  years 
following  his  graduation  he  had  charge  of  the  Emergency  Hospital,  but 
eventually  resigned  his  position  to  enter  upon  a  private  practice  •  at 
Monroe,  in  the  state  of  Washington,  where  he  continued  his  labors  five 
years.  Since  his  return  to  Detroit,  in  1897,  Dr.  Scriber  has  met  with 
pleasing  success,  and  he  now  has  a  representative  practice  in  this  city, 
his  thorough  equipment  as  a  physician  and  surgeon  soon  gaining  him  a 
pleasant  reputation.  He  is  a  member  of  numerous  professional  organi- 
zations, such  as  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  State 
Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association.  In  all  of  these 
bodies  Dr.  Scriber  maintains  an  active  interest,  and  through  them  and 
assiduous  study  and  personal  investigation  he  keeps  in  touch  with  the 
highest  professional  thought  of  the  day.  A  thorough  master  of  his  pro- 
fession, he  has  made  a  number  of  contributions  to  leading  medical  jour- 
nals on  pertinent  subjects. 

Dr.  Scriber  was  married  to  Miss  Clara  Garretson,  who  was  bom  in 
Detroit,  the  daughter  of  Albert  T.  Garretson,  a  well-known  resident  of 
this  city  and  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  in  which  he  served  as  a  member 
of  an  Ohio  regiment.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Scriber  have  had  one  son :  David  A. 
Mrs.  Scriber  also  comes  of  distinguished  ancestry,  her  grandfather,  a 
well-known  inventor  of  his  day,  securing  the  patent  for  the  first  nail 
machine  made  in  the  United  States.  The  letters  patent,  signed  by 
President  Washington,  are  still  in  the  possession  of  the  family. 

Walter  Porter  Manton,  M.  D.,  is  one  of  the  able  representatives 
of  medicine  and  surgery  in  Detroit.  He  has  been  identified  with  the 
profession  here  for  more  than  a  quarter  century,  in  which  time  he  has 
attained  a  leadership  among  the  physicians  of  the  city. 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1041 

Bom  at  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  on  the  3d  of  August,  1857,  he  is 
a  descendant  of  old  New  England  stock.  His  original  ancestor  was  a 
contemporary  of  Roger  Williams  in  the  founding  of  Rhode  Island 
early  in  the  seventeenth  century.  His  father,  Walter  Bartlett  Manton, 
gave  the  supreme  sacrifice  for  his  country  during  the  Civil  war.  He 
was  serving  as  quartermaster  of  the  Third  Rhode  Island  Heavy  Artil- 
lery, and  died  while  stationed  at  Hilton  Head  in  South  Carolina. 

His  preparatory  education  was  in  a  private  English  and  classical 
school  of  Providence.  Poor  health  during  his  youth  interfered  with  con- 
tinued study,  and  he  gave  up  college  attendance  and  spent  a  year  in 
private  study  in  Germany.  In  1875,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  began  to 
study  for  his  profession.  In  1876  he  entered  Harvard  Medical  School, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  '81  with  the  degree  of  M. 
D.  During  1880-81  he  served  as  house  surgeon  to  the  Free  Hospital  for 
Women  at  Boston.  From  1881  to  1884,  in  post-graduate  study,  he 
worked  under  the  instruction  and  in  the  clinics  of  some  of  the  most 
noted  of  the  world's  surgeons  in  Germany,  Austria  and  England.  In 
1884  he  was  offered  the  chair  of  obstetrics  and  gynecology  in  the  Amer- 
ican Medical  College  at  Beirut,  Syria,  but  declined  in  order  to  return 
and  take  up  private  practice.  He  located  at  Detroit,  and  here  his  pri- 
vate practice  is  large,  though  he  has  not  allowed  it  to  absorb  all  his  pro- 
fessional time,  as  he  considers  some  of  the  larger  phases  of  professional 
work  to  have  equal  claims  on  his  attention. 

Dr.  Manton  was*  formerly  professor  of  clinical  gynecology  and  ob- 
stetrics in  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine.  He  is  now  gynecologist  to 
Harper  Hospital  and  to  the  Eastern  and  Northern  Michigan  Asylums 
for  the  Insane;  consulting  gynecologist  to  St.  Joseph's  Retreat;  and 
president  of  the  medical  board  of  the  Woman's  Hospital.  His  member- 
ship affiliation  with  professional  organizations  include  the  American 
Medical  Association,  the  American  Gynecological  Society,  the  Amer- 
ican Association  of  Obstetricians  and  Gynecologists,  the  Michigan  State 
Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  Academy  of  Sciences,  the  Detroit  Acad- 
emy of  Medicine,  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society  and  the  Tri-State 
Medical  Society.  He  also  holds  membership  in  the  following  foreign 
societies — being  a  fellow  of  the  British  Gynecological  Society,  the  Zoolog- 
ical Society  of  London,  and  formerly  of  the  Royal  Microscopical  Soci- 
ety of  London.  His  social  connections  are  with  the  Detroit  Club,  the 
Detroit  Boat  Club  and  the  Kinney  Creek  Association. 

Dr.  Manton  has  been  an  active  contributor  to  the  literature  of  his 
profession.  He  is  the  author  of  '*A  Syllabus  of  Lectures  on  Human 
Embryology;"  ** Helps  to  Natural  History  Series"  (six  manuals); 
** Epitome  of  Obstetrics"  (1903).  For  five  years  he  was  associate  ed- 
itor of  Sajou's  Annual  Universal  Medical  Sciences,  and  was  at  one  time 
editor  of  Harper  Hospital  Bulletin.  He  prepared  chapters  in  Jewett's 
Obstetrics  and  Peterson's  Obstetrics,  and  is  the  author  of  many  fugitive 
articles  of  professional  interest. 

In  1879  Dr.  Manton  married  Miss  Clara  M.  Williamson,  of  Lake 
City,  Minnesota.  They  have  two  children:  Dr.  Walter  W.,  who  grad- 
uated from  Harvard  University  in  1905  and  is  now  practicing  with  his 
father  in  Detroit,  and  Helen,  a  graduate  of  The  Leggett  School  of  De- 
troit. 

Andrew  Porter  Biddle,  M.  D.  The  Biddle  name  is  one  that  has 
been  long  and  conspicuously  identified  with  American  history  and  in 
each  successive  generation  its  representatives  have  been  found  confer- 
ring honor  and  dignity  upon  their  several  communities.  Among  the 
distinguished  members  of  this  family  is  numbered  Dr.  Andrew  Porter 


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1042  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Biddle,  a  physician  and  surgeon  of  more  than  a  quarter  century's  stand- 
ing, who  has  attained  prestige  by  his  marked  ability  and  unwavering 
devotion  to  his  profession.  He  was  born  February  25,  1862,  in  Detroit, 
Michigan,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  William  S.  and  Susan  Dayton  (Ogden) 
Biddle. 

Major  John  Biddle,  the  grandfather  of  Dr.  Andrew  P.  Biddle,  was  a 
native  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  bom  in  March,  1792,  the  son  of 
Charles  Biddle,  vice-president  of  Pennsylvania  during  the  Revolution- 
ary war,  and  the  nephew  of  Commodore  Nicholas  Biddle,  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary navy.  Major  John  Biddle  was  graduated  at  Princeton  College 
and  entered  the  United  States  army.  During  the  War  of  1812  he 
served  under  General  Winfield  Scott  on  the  Niagara  frontier,  being 
attached  for  a  time  to  that  general's  staff,  and  promoted  from  captain 
of  artillery  to  major.  A  brother.  Major  Thomas  Biddle,  served  in  the 
United  States  army  with  the  rank  of  major  in  the  campaign  of  1812, 
while  an  elder  brother,  Commodore  James  Biddle,  was  a  noted  officer 
of  the  United  States  navy  at  that  period.  At  the  close  of  the  War  of 
1812  Major  John  Biddle  was  stationed  at  Detroit,  but  a  few  years  later 
resigned  his  commission  and  returned  to  the  east.  In  1819  he  married 
Eliza  F.  Bradish,  of  New  York,  and,  returning  to  Detroit,  made  a  per- 
manent settlement  here  and  purchased  large  tracts  of  .land.  In  1823 
he  was  appointed  register  of  the  United  States  land  office  for  the  dis- 
trict of  Detroit  and  held  the  office  until  1837,  when  he  resigned.  He 
served  by  election  as  mayor  of  Detroit  in  1827-29;  Vas  delegate  from 
Michigan  to  Congress  in  1829-31;  later  he  became  a  candidate  for  the 
United  States  senate  before  the  Michigan  legislature,  receiving  a  ma- 
jority of  four  votes  in  the  senate,  while  John  Norville  received  a  major- 
ity of  seven  votes  in  the  house  thus  defeating  Major  Biddle  for  the  high 
honor;  he  served  as  president  of  the  Michigan  constitutional  convention 
in  1835,  and  in  1841  was  elected  to  the  state  senate.  He  was  president 
of  the  original  corporation  which  built  the  Michigan  Railroad,  and  in 
1835  became  the  first  president  of  the  St.  Joseph  (Michigan)  branch  of 
the  Farmers'  and  Merchants'  Bank,  in  1838  becoming  president  of  the 
bank  itself  in  Detroit.  His  death  occurred  at  White  Sulphur  Springs, 
Virginia,  August  25,  1859,  following  his  return  from  a  trip  abroad. 

William  S.  Biddle  was  bom  in  Detroit,  in  1830,  and  after  graduation 
from  the  Harvard  Law  school  practiced  his  profession  in  New  York 
City  for  one  year  with  his  brother-in-law,  Aaron  Ogden,  then  returning 
to  Detroit.  During  the  Civil  war  he  aided  the  local  government  in 
raising  and  drilling  troops.  In  1867  he  removed  to  Grosse  Isle,  where  he 
lived  the  life  of  a  gentleman  of  leisure  until  his  death  in  1912.  Mr. 
Biddle  married  Susan  Dayton  Ogden,  who  was  bom  in  1831  and  died  in 
Detroit  in  1878.  The  children  of  William  S.  and  Susan  D.  Biddle  were 
as  follows:  Susan  Dayton,  Eliza  Bradish,  Colonel  John^  Stratford 
Bradish,  Margaret  Porter,  Dr.  Andrew  Porter,  Captain  William  S.  and 
Ann  Eliza.  Miss  Susan  Dayton  is  a  talented  musician  and  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  ;*  she  resides  in 
Washington,  D.  C,  at  the  home  of  her  brother,  Colonel  John  Biddle. 
Miss  Eliza  Biddle  married  Rev.  G.  Mott  Williams,  D.  D.,  who  later  be- 
came the  first  bishop  of  the  Episcopal  Diocese  of  Marquette,  and  is  still 
serving  in  that  high  office.  Colonel  John  Biddle  was  born  in  Detroit, 
in  1859.  His  early  education  was  acquired  in  Europe,  and  after  one 
year  at  the  University  of  Michigan  he  entered  West  Point  Military 
Academy,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1881.  He 
served  in  the  Spanish-American  war  as  chief  of  staflE  of  the  Eighth 
Army  Corps,  seeing  service  with  General  Nelson  A.  Miles  in  Porto  Rico, 
and  he  is  now  colonel  of  engineers  on  the  general  staflE  of  the  United 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1043 

States  army  at  Washington,  D.  C.  Stratford  Bradish  Biddle  is  a  mine 
drilling  engineer  who  spent  about  ten  years  in  South  Africa,  near  Jo- 
hannesburg, and  is  now  employed  in  mine  drilling  in  the  states  of  Ore- 
gon and  Texas.  He  married  Marguerite  Heyerman,  daughter  of  Com- 
mander 0.  P.  Heyerman,  of  the  United  States  navy.  Margaret  Porter 
Biddle  married  Benjamin  Douglas,  son  of  Judge  Samuel  T.  Douglas, 
of  Detroit.  Mr.  Douglas,  who  was  a  prominent  bridge  engineer  in  the 
employ  of  the  Michigan  Central  Railway  for  twenty  years,  built  the 
tunnel  for  that  company  under  the  Detroit  river.  Andrew  Porter 
Biddle,  M.  D.,  (see  sketch  below),  was  the  sixth  child  of  his  parents. 
Captain  William  S.  Biddle  was  bom  in  Detroit,  in  1863,  and  was  grad- 
uated with  the  class  of  1885  from  the  West  Point  Military  Academy. 
He  served  with  distinction  in  the  Spanish-American  war  and  during 
the  campaign  in  the  Philippines.  Subsequently  he  served  as  United 
States  military  attache  at  Berlin,  Germany,  for  four  years  and  then 
resigned  from  the  army.  Ann  Eliza  married  Alexander  W.  Copeland, 
son  of  A.  M.  Copeland,  who  was  at  one  time  postmaster  of  Detroit ;  she 
died  in  1911. 

Andrew  Porter  Biddle  attended  the  public  schools  imtil  1872,  and 
in  that  year  was  sent  abroad  to  further  advance  his  studies  in  Geneva, 
Switzerland.  From  1874  to  1877  he  attended  public  school  in  Heidel- 
berg, Germany,  and  in  the  latter  year  returned  home  and  attended  the 
Detroit  high  school  until  1880.  In  that  year  he  entered  the  United 
States  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis,  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1884. 
However,  an  affliction  of  the  eyes  caused  him  to  resign  from  the  naval 
academy  in  1882,  and,  returning  to  Detroit,  he  entered  the  Detroit 
College  of  Medicine,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of 
1886,  receiving  the  degree  of  M.  D.  During  his  senior  college  year  and 
the  year  subsequent  to  graduation  he  was  resident  physician  to  Harper 
Hospital.  In  1887  he  entered  general  practice  in  Detroit,  and  in  1890 
took  special  post-graduate  work  in  dermatology  in  Leipzig,  Germany. 
He  was  appointed  assistant  to  the  chair  of  Dermatology  in  the  Detroit 
College  of  Medicine  in  1892  and  at  present  is  professor  of  dermatology 
in  that  college.  He  is  consulting  dermatologist  to  the  Detroit  board  of 
health,  dermatologist  and  secretary  to  the  medical  board  of  St.  Mary's 
Hospital  and  dermatologist  to  the  Children's  Free  Hospital  and  the 
Woman's  Hospital  and  Infant  Home  and  consulting  dermatologist  to 
the  Protestant  Orphan  Asylum.  Dr.  Biddle  is  a  valued  member  of  the 
American  Dermatological  Association,  a  former  member  of  the  Amer- 
ican Roentgen  Ray  Society,  and  a  member  of  the  American  Medical 
Association.  He  was  general  secretary  of  the  Michigan  State  Medical 
Society  from  1900  to  1906  and  editor  of  the  journal  of  the  society  dur- 
ing that  time.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  So- 
ciety and  a  fellow  of  the  Detroit  Academy  of  Medicine.  From  1893  to 
1897  he  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  the  United  States  pension  examin- 
ing surgeons  during  President  Cleveland's  second  administration.  He 
served  for  many  years  in  the  medical  department  of  the  Michigan 
National  Guard,  and  at  the  beginning  of  the  Spanish- American  war  was 
appointed  by  Governor  Hazen  S.  Pingree  as  major  and  surgeon  of  the 
Thirty-first  Regiment,  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry,  serving  with  that 
regiment  during  the  war. 

On  October  20,  1892,  Dr.  Biddle  was  married  at  Boston,  Massachu- 
setts, to  Miss  Grace  Wilkins,  and  one  daughter,  Beatrice,  was  bom  to 
them  in  1897. 

Dr.  Biddle  has  been  distinctively  unselfish  in  his  observation  of  the 
professional  ethics,  and  has  never  been  reluctant  to  give  his  fellow 
practitioners  the  benefits  of  his  researches  and  experience,  aiding  them 


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1044  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

through  his  published  articles  and  his  active  association  with  medical 
organizations.  He  has  won  the  respect  and  esteem  of  the  members  of 
his  profession,  is  regarded  as  a  progressive  and  public-spirited  citizen, 
and  he  and  Mrs.  Biddle  occupy  a  position  of  prominence  in  connection 
with  the  social  activities  of  their  home  city. 

James  V.  Campbell.  Not  too  often  and  not  through  the  agency  of 
too  many  vehicles  can  be  recorded  the  life  history  of  one  who  lived  so 
honorable  and  useful  a  life  as  did  the  late  Judge  James  V.  Campbell — 
a  man,  a  lawyer  and  a  jurist  of  signal  exaltation  and  purity  of  purpose, 
recondite  in  the  learning  of  his  profession  and  imbued  with  the  fullest 
appreciation  of  its  dignity  and  responsibility;  well  disciplined  in  mind, 
eminently  judicial  in  his  natural  attitude  as  touching  men  and  measures ; 
guided  and  governed  by  the  most  inviolable  principles  of  honor  and 
integrity;  simple  and  unostentatious  in  his  self-respecting  and  tolerant 
individuality.  Such  a  man  could  not  prove  other  than  a  dynamic  power 
for  good  in  whatsoever  relation  of  life  he  might  have  been  placed.  Every 
publication  that  has  to  do  with  Detroit  and  Michigan  in  an  historical 
sense  is  in  duty  bound  to  take  special  recognition  of  the  eminent  services 
and  the  noble  character  of  this  distinguished  legist  and  jurist,  who  was 
for  nearly  two  score  years  a  judge  of  the  supreme  court  of  Michigan,  to 
which  tribunal  he  received  appointment  at  the  time  of  its  reorganization 
in  1857,  and  in  connection  with  which  he  continued  his  services  until  the 
close  of  his  long  and  useful  life.  Concerning  him  one  of  the  leading 
members  of  the  bar  of  the  state  has  written,  with  all  of  consistency,  the 
following  words:  **He  exercised  more  influence  in  settling  and  fixing 
the  jurisprudence  of  this  state  than  any  other  man,  and  to  him  we  are 
indebted  more  than  to  any  one  of  his  associates  for  the  high  reputation 
obtained  by  the  Michigan  supreme  court.'*  This  is,  indeed,  high  en- 
comium, and  its  significance  lies  in  its  absolute  truth. 

The  writer  of  the  present  article  had  previously  offered  the  following 
estimate  of  the  character  and  services  of  Judge  Campbell,  and  the  state- 
ments may  be  consonantly  be  reproduced :  *  *  A  man  of  prodigious  learn- 
ing in  the  law,  especially  that  of  constitutional  order ;  peculiarly  familiar 
with  the  minutiae  of  the  English  law,  on  which  is  based  that  of  America ; 
he  yet  spared  neither  time  nor  labor  in  his  legal  investigations,  and  dis- 
cussed all  relevant  questions  with  marked  clearness  of  illustration, 
strength  of  argument  and  fullness  and  variety  of  learning.  Of  exalted 
character,  appreciative  of  the  sources  from  which  issue  all  human  motives 
and  actions,  his  was  essentially  and  primarily  a  judicial  mind,  and  fortu- 
nate it  is  for  the  state  of  Michigan  that  his  services  were  enlisted  on  the 
bench  of  her  supreme  court  for  so  long  a  period.  He  was  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  Detroit  for  some  time  and  had  already  gained 
a  high  reputation  among  his  compeers  of  an  exceptionally  brilliant  bar, 
but  he  was  not  long  permitted  to  remain  in  the  private  work  of  his 
profession,  as  he  was  still  a  young  man  when  he  was  called  to  the  supreme 
bench,  whose  work  thereafter  demanded  his  time  and  attention  until  he 
answered  the  final  and  inexorable  summons  of  the  one  supreme  Judge 
of  all.'' 

Judge  James  Valentine  Campbell  was  ushered  into  the  world  with 
the  gracious  heritage  of  sterling  ancestry,  as  his  genealogy  is  traced 
through  a  long  line  of  the  historic  Campbell  clan  in  Scotland.  The 
sturdy  integrity  and  mental  strength  characteristic  of  the  line  were 
signally  exemplified  in  the  person  of  his  great-grandfather,  Duncan 
Campbell,  who  served  as  an  officer  in  a  Highland  regiment  and  who 
figures  as  the  founder  of  the  family  in  America.  This  worthy  ancestor 
settled  on  the  Hudson  river,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  state  of  New  York, 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1045 

in  which  state  he  passed  the  residue  of  his  life.  His  son  Thomas,  grand- 
father of  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  well  upheld  the  prestige  of  the 
family  name  and  was  an  influential  citizen  of  Ulster  county.  New  York, 
at  the  time  of  his  death.  His  son  Henry  M.  was  born  in  that  county,  on 
the  10th  of  September,  1783,  and  was  there  reared  to  adult  age.  In  early 
manhood  Henry  M.  Campbell  removed  to  Buffalo,  which  was  then  a  mere 
village,  and  at  the  inception  of  the  War  of  1812  he  promptly  enlisted  in 
a  company  of  artillery,  of  which  he  was  made  captain.  In  October,  1812, 
he  married  Miss  Lois  Bushnell,  a  representative  of  an  old  and  honored 
New  England  family,  and,  leaving  his  bride  in  Buffalo,  he  was  absent 
with  his  military  command  at  the  time  when  that  embryonic  city  was 
burned  by  the  British,  in  1813.  His  own  home  was  destroyed  and  his 
wife  and  her  kinsfolk  found  refuge  in  the  adjacent  forests  before  the 
English  troops  arrived. 

After  the  close  of  the  war,  in  which  he  made  a  gallant  record,  Captain 
Campbell  returned  to  Buffalo  and  eventually  he  became  one  .  of  the 
representative  business  men  of  that  place,  where  he  commanded  unquali- 
fied confidence  and  esteem  and  was  influential  in  public  affairs.  He 
served  for  some  time  as  judge  of  the  Erie  county  court,  an  office  to 
which  laymen  were  then  eligible.  This  sterling  patriot  came  to  Mich- 
igan more  than  a  decade  before  the  admission  of  the  territory  as  one 
of  the  sovereign  states  of  the  Union.  He  established  his  home  in  De- 
troit in  the  year  1826,  and  here  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life,  se- 
cure in  the  high  regard  of  all  who  knew  him,  the  while  his  wife,  known 
for  her  gracious  and  winning  personality,  was  a  popular  factor  in  the 
social  life  of  the  community.  Judge  Campbell,  as  he  was  familiarly 
known,  became  a  successful  merchant  in  the  Michigan  metropolis  and 
later  engaged  in  the  real-estate  business,  in  which  he  was  prosperous 
though  he  eventually  encountered  somewhat  severe  financial  reverses, 
owing  to  normal  business  exigencies.  He  was  called  upon  to  serve  in 
various  positions  of  public  trust,  including  those  of  associate  justice  of 
the  county  court,  county  supervisor,  city  alderman,  director  of  the  poor, 
etc.,  and  he  was  also  president  of  one  of  the  early  banking  institutions 
of  the  city.  Both  he  and  his  noble  wife  were  devout  communicants  of 
the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  and  were  prominent  members  of  old 
St.  Paul's  parish,  the  first  of  this  denomination  in  Detroit.  He  became 
senior  warden  of  the  vestry  of  the  parish  soon  after  allying  himself 
with  the  organization  and  he  retained  this  incumbency  until  his  death, 
his  wife  surviving  him  many  years.  Of  their  children  six  attained  to 
years  of  maturity  and  all  of  these  were  given  superior  educational  ad- 
vantages, besides  which  all  became  devout  communicants  of  the  Prot- 
estant Episcopal  church.  Two  of  the  daughters  married  lawyers  who 
attained  to  distinction  at  the  Detroit  bar  and  another  daughter  was 
for  nearly  twenty  years  at  the  head  of  a  successful  school  for  girls  in 
this  city.  The  fourth  daughter  died,  unmarried,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
five  years,  and  Henry  M..  who  was  bom  in  1821,  was  drowned  in  the 
Detroit  river,  in  1836. 

James  Valentine  Campbell  was  born  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  on  the 
25th  of  February,  1823,  and  was  thus  about  three  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  the  family  removal  to  Detroit,  which  then  had  a  population  of 
about  two  thousand.  His  father  died  in  1842  and  left,  as  has  been 
written,  ''little  to  his  family  save  a  name  unimpeachable  for  integrity 
and  public  spirit."  The  devoted  wife  and  mother  survived  her  husband 
by  more  than  thirty  years  and  was  of  venerable  age  at  the  time  when 
she  was  summoned  to  eternal  rest,  in  1876, — one  of  the  revered  pioneer 
women  of  the  *'City  of  the  Straits. '*  After  duly  availing  himself  of 
the  advantages  of  the  local  schools  James  V.  Campbell  continued  his 


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1046  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

higher  academic  studies  in  an  excellent  institution  at  Flushing,  Long 
Island,  conducted  by  Rev.  William  A.  Muhlenburg,  a  distinguished 
clergyman  of  the  Episcopal  church  and  an  educator  of  high  repute. 
This  school  was  amplified  into  a  college  and  in  the  same  Judge  Camp- 
bell completed  the  academic  course.  He  was  graduated  as  a  member  of 
the  class  of  1841  and  received  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 

Upon  his  return  to  Detroit  Judge  Campbell  began  the  study  of  law 
in  the  office  of  Douglas  &  Walker,  and  in  1844  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years.  He  forthwith  became  a  partner 
of  his  honored  preceptors,  Samuel  T.  Douglas  and  Henry  N.  Walker, 
who  were  at  the  time,  leading  members  of  the  bar  of  the  state.  Mr. 
Douglas,  who  married  a  sister  of  Judge  Campbell,  was  editor  of  the 
reports  of  the  supreme  court  of  Michigan  from  1843  to  1847,  and  Mr. 
Walker  reported  the  decisions  of  the  state  chancery  court  from  1842 
to  1845.  About  this  time  Judge  Campbell,  the  aspiring  young  lawyer, 
was  appointed  secretary  of  the  board  of  regents  of  the  University  of 
Michigan,  and  he  retained  this  office  several  years.  Prior  to  his  eleva- 
tion to  this  branch  of  the  supreme  court  he  was  engaged  in  the  success- 
ful practice  of  his  profession  in  Detroit  for  a  period  of  about  thirteen 
years,  within  which  he  had  appeared  in  connection  with  many  important 
litigations  in  both  the  state  and  federal  courts,  with  resultant  prestige 
of  high  order.  In  1857  he  was  elected  one  of  the  four  justices  of  the 
reorganized  supreme  court  of  Michigan,  and  thus  was  one  of  the  first 
on  this  bench  under  the  new  judicial  regime.  His  associates,  Judge 
Manning,  Martin  and  Christiancy,  were  all  many  years  older  than  he, 
and  all  had  been  chosen  by  the  recently  organized  Republican  party. 
By  successive  re-elections  Judge  Campbell  continued  on  the  Supreme 
bench  until  his  death,  on  the  26th  of  March,  1890,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
seven  years.  His  summons  came  without  premonition  or  prior  illness, 
since  he  died  suddenly,  from  syncopation  of  the  heart  action,  while 
sitting  in  his  library.  In  further  review  of  the  career  of  Judge  Camp- 
bell recourse  will  be  taken  largely  to  the  article  previously  prepared  by 
the  present  writer,  who  had  given  careful  study  to  the  character  and 
achievements  of  the  distinguished  jurist  in  formulating  the  original 
sketch. 

When  the  law  department  of  the.  University  of  Michigan  was  estab- 
lished, in  1858,  Judge  Campbell  was  called  to  the  Marshall  professorship 
in  that  department,  an  incumbency  which  he  retained  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century.  A  history  of  that  department  of  the  great  university  which 
is  Michigan's  pride  must  ever  bear  recognition  of  the  large  and  power- 
ful influence  exerted  by  Judge  Campbell  in  upbuilding  the  law  school, 
in  maintaining  it  at  the  highest  standard,  and  in  imparting  to  students, 
from  his  great  fund  of  technical  knowledge,  that  wise  admonition  and 
instruction  which  could  not  but  bear  fruitage  in  their  subsequent  pro- 
fessional careers.  In  1866  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  was 
conferred  upon  Judge  Campbell  by  the  university, — the  first  degree 
of  this  order  granted  by  the  institution.  His  interest  in  educational 
matters  was  insistent  and  unflagging,  and  he  was  a  member  of  the  De- 
troit board  of  education  from  1854  to  1858.  One  of  the  public  schools 
of  this  city  has  been  consistently  named  in  his  honor.  In  the  early  days 
Judge  Campbell  was  a  member  of  the  Young  Men's  Society  of  Detroit, 
a  forceful  literary  and  social  organization,  of  which  he  served  as  presi- 
dent in  1848.  The  nucleus  of  the  present  fine  library  of  Detroit  was 
that  formed  by  this  society.  In  1880,  when  the  public  library  was 
placed  under  the  control  of  a  board  of  commissioners.  Judge  Campbell 
wa.s  made  president  of  that  body. 

Judge  Campbell's  definite  life  work,  however,  was  that  of  jurist, 
and  upon  his  record  in  this  domain  rests  his  greatest  distinction.    His 


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HISTOEY  OF  DETROIT  1047 

opinions  appear  in  the  state  reports  of  the  supreme  court  decisions 
from  the  fifth  to  the  seventy-ninth  volumes,  and  the  opinions  thus  cred- 
ited to  him  number  about  three  thousand.  This  record  is  an  integral 
part  of  the  history  of  Michigan  aud  must  bear  to  future  generations 
the  evidence  of  the  patient  and  conscientious  labors  of  a  noble  man  aud 
honest  and  able  jurist.  Prom  an  appreciative  sketch  of  Judge  Camp- 
bell's career  written  by  Hon.  Charles  A.  Kent,  of  Detroit,  who  was  long 
associated  with  him  as  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  the  law  department  of 
the  university  and  who  long  practiced  before  him  in  the  supreme  court, 
the  following  extracts  are  made : 

**  Judge  Campbell  had  great  learning,  not  only  in  the  American 
and  English  cases  and  text-books,  including  admiralty  law,  but  also 
in  the  history  of  our  institutions,  local  as  well  as  general.  He  knew  much 
of  Roman,  law  and  the  law  of  nations  and  of  early  French  customs  and 
something  of  other  continental  law.  He  was  remarkably  free  from 
political  bias  or  fear  of  public  opinion  or  subservience  to  any  temporary 
wave  of  public  passion.  The  trust  in  his  absolute  integrity  of  motive 
was  justly  perfect.  He  was  very  independent  in  his  opinions.  He  had 
a  very  strong  sense  of  the  justice  of  a  case,  and  was  very  reluctant  to 
yield  his  views  of  justice  to  the  opinions  of  his  associates  or  to  any 
precedents.  He  wished  to  decide  every  case  as  appeared  to  him  to  be 
right,  but  perhaps  he  never  manifested  that  love  of  arbitrary  power, 
that  disposition  to  have  one's  own  way  at  all  hazards,  which  is  natural 
to  almost  all  human  beings  and  appears  occasionally  on  the  bench.  He 
had  great  faith  in  the  people  and  in  popular  institutions,  and  in  all  the 
great  maxims  and  traditions  of  the  common  law,  but  he  had  not  the 
slightest  trace  of  the  demagogue.  He  had  strong  prejudices,  but  they 
were  generally  good  prejudices,  of  a  kind  necessary  to  stability  of 
character  in  the  best  men.  He  had  no  subtle  theories  nor  much  refined, 
abstruso  reasoning.  In  all  of  his  opinions  he  appears  to  have  had  chiefly 
in  view  the  effect  of  the  decision  on  what  he  thought  the  merits  of  the 
case  before  him.  I  think  he  seldom  made  a  decision  likely  to  strike 
the  average  mind  as  unjust."  In  conclusion  of  the  same  article  ap- 
pears the  following  words :  **  Perhaps  the  largest  bar  meeting  ever  held  in 
Detroit  attested  the  shock  at  his  sudderf  death  and  the  universal  feeling 
that  a  great  and  good  man,  a  learned  and  upright  judge,  had  passed 
away.  His  memory  is  lovingly  cherished  by  all  who  knew  him.  His 
fame  as  a  judge  will  depend  on  the  number  and  importance  of  the 
legal  principles  established  in  his  opinions.  His  life  is  a  worthy  model 
for  imitation  by  all  lawyers  who  would  be  governed  by  the  highest 
ideals  in  private  and  public  life." 

In  1876  Judge  Campbell  published  a  volume  of  several  hundred 
pages  and  gave  to  the  same  the  title  of  **  Outlines  of  the  Political  History 
of  Michigan."  His  other  publications,  not  numerically  great,  were 
articles  in  law  magazines  and  addresses  on  various  public  occasions. 
In  politics  Judge  Campbell  gave  a  staunch  allegiance  to  the  cause  of 
the  Republican  party,  and  he  was  an  able  exponent  of  its  principles  and 
policies,  though  he  had  no  predilection  for  the  tumult  and  subtleties 
of  so-called  practical  politics. 

Reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  in  which  his 
honored  father  was  one  of  the  original  members  of  the  first  standing 
committee  of  the  diocese  of  Michigan,  Judge  Campbell  ever  remained 
a  devout  and  zealous  churchman.  He  was  influential  in  parish  and 
diocesan  affairs  and  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  work  of  the  church  at 
large.  For  many  years  prior  to  his  death  he  had  served  as  a  member 
of  the  vestry  of  St.  Paul's  parish,  and  for  more  than  thirty  years  he 
was  secretary  of  the  standing  committee  of  the  diocese  of  Michigan. 


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1048  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

On  the  9th  of  November,  1849,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Judge 
Campbell  to  Miss  Cornelia  Hotchkiss,  who  was  bom  at  Oneida  Castle, 
Oneida  county,  New  York,  on  the  17th  of  August,  1823,  of  staunch 
New  England  lineage,  and  who  died  in  Detroit  on  the  2nd  of  May,  1888, 
her  mciaory  being  revered  by  all  who  came  within  the  sphere  of  her  gen- 
tle and  gracious  influence.  Of  the  children  of  this  union  six  attained 
to  years  of  maturity  and  five  are  now  living.  Henry  M.  and  Charles 
H.,  the  two  eldest  sons,  are  representative  members  of  the  bar  of  De- 
troit- James  V.  Campbell,  Jr.,  was  bom  in  Detroit  on  the  8th  of  July, 
1856,  and  here  he  eventually  became  a  successful  stock-broker,  with 
which  line  of  enterprise  he  continued  to  be  identified  until  his  death, 
in  September,  1894.  In  1887  he  wedded  Miss  Ellen  A.  Piatt,  of  Lyons, 
New  York,  who  survives  him,  as  does  also  their  only  child,  Lois  B. 
Miss  Cornelia  Lois  Campbell,  eldest  daughter  of  Judge  Campbell,  re- 
mains at  the  old  homestead  in  Detroit.  Douglas  H.  Campbell,  who  was 
born  on  the  16th  of  September,  1859,  was  graduated  in  the  tFniversity 
of  Michigan  in  1882,  and  in  1886  he  received  from  this  institution  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Philosophy.  He  passed  two  years  in  post-graduate 
study  in  the  leading  unversities  of  Germany,  and  in  1888  he  accepted 
the  chair  of  botany  in  the  University  of  Indiana.  Since  1891  he  has  held 
a  similar  chair  in  the  Leland  Stanford  University,  in  California.  Ed- 
ward D.  Campbell,  the  youngest  son,  was  bom  on  the  8th  of  September, 
1863,  and  was  graduated  in  the  state  university  in  1885,  with  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Science.  In  1891  he  became  a  member  of  the  faculty  of 
his  alma  mater,  in  which  he  is  now  director  of  the  chemical  laborator5^ 
In  1888  he  married  Miss  Jennie  Ives,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  they  have 
six  children,  Cornelia  H.,  Edward  D.,  Jr.,  Mary  Ives,  Jane,  James 
Valentine  and  Charles  D. 

Henry  Muneoe  Campbell  was  bom  in  Detroit  April  18,  1854,  the 
eldest  son  of  the  late  James  V.  Campbell  and  Cornelia  Hotchkiss.  His 
father  was  one  of  the  judges  of  the  supreme  court  of  Michigan  from 
1857  until  his  death  in  1890,  and  perhaps  more  than  any  other  member  of 
that  court  established  and  detepnined  the  system  of  jurisprudence  now 
prevailing  in  this  state.  His  mother,  Cornelia  Hotchkiss,  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Chauncey  Hotchkiss,  one  of  the  builders  of  the  Erie  Canal.  In 
the  fifth  generation  he  is  a  descendant  of  Duncan  Campbell,  an  officer 
of  a  Highland  regiment,  who  came  to  America  during,  the  French  and 
Indian  wars ;  and  in  the  direct  line  of  his  ancestry  appear  such  famous 
New  England  names  as  Hotchkiss,  Bushnell,  Ensign  and  Sedgwick. 

He  received  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Detroit  and 
graduated  from  the  literary  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan 
in  1876,  with  the  degree  of  Ph.  B.,  and  from  the  law  department  in 
1878,  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  Upon  leaving  the  university  he  com- 
menced the  practice  of  law,  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Henry  Bussel, 
now  general  counsel  for  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad  Company.  This 
association  continued  until  1912,  when  Mr.  Campbell's  present  firm — 
Campbell,  Bulkley  &  Ledyard — ^was  formed,  in  which  he  holds  the  posi- 
tion of  senior  member,  Mr.  Bussel  being  associated  with  the  firm  as 
counsel.  In  1880  he  was  appointed  master  in  chancery  of  the  United 
States  circuit  court,  which  office  he  held  until  the  circuit  court  was  abol- 
ished, January  1,  1912.  Earnest  devotion  to  his  profession  has  resulted 
in  his  becoming  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  in  the  state  of  Michigan,  and 
he  is  today  recognized  as  one  of  the  authorities  in  the  many  matters  re- 
lating to  corporation  law.  He  is  general  counsel  for  many  of  the  more 
important  financial  and  industrial  houses  of  Detroit  and  has  for  many 
years  numbered  various  prominent  eastern  interests  in  his  clientele. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1049 

Concerning  his  professional  standing  and  activities  it  has  been  said  of 
him:  **He  is  a  lawyer  of  broad  and  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  sci- 
ence of  jurisprudence  and  is  strong  in  the  presentation  of  causes  before 
a  court  or  jury,  but  he  has  given  his  attention  more  specifically  to  cor- 
poration law,  in  which  branch  of  his  profession  he  is  a  recognized  au- 
thority and  in  which  his  services  have  been  retained  by  many  of  the 
most  important  corporations  in  Detroit,  as  well  as  by  others  which  are 
not  of  local  order. ' ' 

Mr.  Campbell  has  always  maintained  his  association  with  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan.  He  is  counsel  for  the  Board  of  Regents,  and  when 
the  literary  society,  Phi  Beta  Kappa,  was  organized  at  the  University, 
he  was  made  one  of  the  members  from  the  class  of  1876. 

Notwithstanding  his  devotion  to  his  strictly  professional  activities, 
Mr.  Campbell  is  prominently  and  officially  associated  with  the  business 
interests  of  his  native  city.  Among  many  other  directorships  and 
offices  he  holds  the  position  of  vice-president  of  Parke,  Davis  &  Com- 
pany and  director  of  The  Peoples  State  Bank. 

Mr.  Campbell  has  been  always  a  faithful  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  although  he  has  not  sought  public  office,  his  work  for  the 
party  and  for  the  state  has  been  of  great  value.  In  1908,  when  the 
constitutional  convention  to  revise  the  state  constitution  was  held,  he 
ran  as  a  delegate  and  was  elected  by  the  largest  vote  cast  for  any  candi- 
date in  the  city  of  Detroit  and  county  of  Wayne.  He  became  one  of  the 
leaders  of  the  convention,  and  in  that  body  was  made  chairman  of  the 
committee  on  permanent  organization  and  order  of  business,  which  af- 
terwards became  a  permanent  committee,  and  chairman  of  the  commit- 
tee on  the  legislative  department.  He  was  also  made  a  member  of  the 
committee  on  schedules,  and  was  added  to  the  committee  on  phraseology 
and  arrangement  toward  the  close  of  the  convention,  when  that  com- 
mittee was  required  to  put  the  general  revision  in  its  final  form.  When 
the  convention  determined  that  the  revised  constitution  should  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  people  for  ratification  at  the  November  election,  instead  of 
April  as  the  legislature  had  provided,  Mr.  Campbell  represented  the  con- 
vention before  the  supreme  court  of  Michigan  and  secured  a  decision 
sustaining  the  action  of  the  convention.  In  1911  he  was  appointed  by 
the  United  States  circuit  court  of  appeals  for  the  Sixth  circuit  a  mem- 
ber of  the  committee  to  revise  the  rules  of  equity  practice  in  the  federal 
courts.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Bar  Association,  the  Michi- 
gan Bar  Association  and  the  Detroit  Bar  Association.  He  was  an 
original  member  of  the  Michigan  Naval  Brigade  and  was  president  of 
the  Detroit  Naval  Reserves  during  the  Spanish  war.  He  belongs  to 
the  Yondotega  Club,  the  Detroit  Club  (of  which  he  was  president 
for  three  years),  the  Country  Club,  the  University  Club,  the  Detroit 
Boat  Club,  the  Witenagemote  Club  and  Prismatic  Club,  all  of  Detroit; 
and  to  the  Huron  Moimtain  Club.  He  has  been  a  life-long  member  of 
the  Episcopal  church  and  for  many  years  a  vestryman  of  Christ  church. 

November  22,  1881,  he  married  Caroline  B.  Burtenshaw*,  a  daugh- 
of  James  Burtenshaw,  a  well  known  Detroit  merchant.  They  have 
have  two  sons,  H^nry  Munroe  Campbell,  Jr.,  and  Douglas  Campbell, 
both  of  whom  are  following  in  the  footsteps  of  their  father  and  grand- 
father in  the  practice  of  law. 

Mr.  Campbell  has  published  various  essays  and  studies  of  consti- 
tutional questions  and  theories  of  government,  and  in  particular  has 
written  many  leading  articles  attacking  the  expediency  and  legality 
of  the  initiative,  referendum  and  other  forms  of  so-called  direct  legisla- 
tion and  political  action. 

Vol.  m— 14 


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1050  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

George  H.  Boynton.  One  of  those  thriving  and  well-managed  con- 
cerns which  add  in  material  fashion  to  the  general  prosperity  and  com- 
mercial prestige  of  the  city  is  the  firm  of  Osborne,  Boynton  &  Osborne, 
wholesale  dealers  in  crockery  and  glassware,  of  which  George  H.  Boyn- 
ton, immediate  subject  of  this  review,  is  a  member.  He  is  a  man  of  most 
unusual  business  ability,  which  has  been  apparent  from  his  early  youth 
and  in  the  legitimate  channels  of  trade  he  has  won  the  success  which 
always  crowns  well  directed  labor,  sound  judgment  and  untiring  per- 
severance, while  at  the  same  time  he  has  concerned  himself  with  the 
affairs  of  the  community  in  an  admirably  public-spirited  fashion. 

Mr.  Boynton  was  bom  in  Marine  City,  Michigan,  May  17,  1867. 
His  father  was  the  late  Major  N.  S.  Boynton,  of  Port  Huron,  famous  as 
'*The  Father  of  the  Maccabees,'*  of  whose  history  more  detailed  mention 
is  made  in  succeeding  paragraphs.  His  mother  was  Anna  Fidelei,  of 
Cincinnati,  who  is  now  living  at  Port  Huron.  When  Mr.  Boyn- 
ton was  about  two  years  of  age  his  parents  removed  from  Marine 
City,  Michigan,  to  Port  Huron,  where  he  received  his  education  and 
where  the  greater  part  of  his  life  has  been  passed,  his  identification 
with  Detroit  dating  from  1903.  When  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age  he 
started  in  business  for  himself  on  a  capital  of  five  dollars.  Upon  one 
certain  circus  day  in  Port  Huron,  the  elder  Mr.  Boynton  presented 
his  son  with  five  dollars  to  spend  as  he  wished.  With  the  money  he  pur- 
chased a  number  of  bunches  of  bananas  from  a  party  who  was  afraid 
that  they  would  spoil  on  his  hands.  Blind  and  deaf  to  the  many  circus 
day  allurements  to  be  encountered  on  every  hand,  he  set  about  disposing 
of  the  fruit  and  succeeded  so  well  that  at  the  end  of  the  day  he  dis- 
covered that  he  had  cleared  up  thirty-five  dollars  on  his  five  dollars' 
investment. 

With  the  thirty-five  dollars  Mr.  Boynton  laid  the  foundations  of  his 
fortunes.  He  started  in  the  bazaar  goods  business  in  a  small  way, 
securing  his  stock  from  Butler  Brothers  of  Chicago.  The  business 
grew  steadily  and  healthily  and  was  incorporated  in  1891,  the  firm 
becoming  known  under  the  caption  of  Boynton  &  Son  Company  and 
doing  a  business  of  $100,000  each  year.  In  course  of  time  a  department 
devoted  to  glassware  and  crockery  was  added.  This  concern  was  carried 
on  in  Port  Huron  for  about  twenty-four  years.  Attracted  by  the  wider 
field  and  greater  opportunity  presented  by  Detroit,  Mr.  Boynton  re- 
moved here  in  1903  and  embarked  in  a  new  line  of  enterprise,  namely, 
the  advertising  business  and  dealing  in  comic  post-cards.  Operations 
were  carried  on  under  the  firm  name  of  Ely,  Boynton  &  Ely,  and  the 
business  proved  eminently  successful,  continuing  until  1908.  In  that 
year  the  subject,  with  his  partners,  the  Messrs.  A.  L.  and  H.  F.  Osborne, 
succeeded  to  the  business  of  Jenness  &  McCurdy,  wholesale  dealers  in 
crockery  and  glassware,  under  the  firm  name  of  Osborne,  Boynton  & 
Osborne.  H.  L.  Jenness,  from  whom  they  purchased  the  business,  had 
been  an  important  factor  in  commercial  circles  here  for  over  thirty 
years  and  he  still  retains  desk  room  in  the  office  of  his  successors.  The 
business  retains  its  old  prestige  and  success  under  the  new  management 
and  is  rapidly  increasing  in  size.  Mr.  Boynton  is  also  a  stockholder 
in  the  Whitney  Scenic  &  Costume  Company  of  Detroit. 

Mr.  Boynton,  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  the  Modem  Maccabees, 
of  which  his  father  was  the  founder;  his  association  with  the  order 
dates  from  his  eighteenth  year.  He  likewise  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
order  and  the  Modem  Woodmen,  all  of  Port  Huron.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Commerce  and  the  Fellowcraft  Club.  When  a  resi- 
dent of  Port  Huron  he  was  a  member  of  the  National  Guard  of  which  his 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1051 

brother,  C.  L.  Boynton,  was  colonel  and  afterward  general,  accompany- 
ing the  regiment  to  Cuba  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish- American  war. 

On  October  22,  1903,  Mr.  Boynton  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary 
Ten  Byck,  of  Detroit,  scion  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  the  city,  where 
she  was  bom  and  educated.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boynton  have  no  children 
and  reside  at  the  Charlevoix  Hotel.  Among  those  who  best  know  them 
they  are  held  in  high  confidence  and  esteem. 

Major  Nathan  S.  Boynton,  father  of  the  foregoing,  died  at  his  home 
in  Port  Huron,  Michigan,  May  27,  1911.  He  was  a  man  of  much  dis- 
tinction, a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  nestor  of  fraternalism  in  Michigan, 
pioneer  resident  of  Port  Huron  and  a  man  whose  name  was  a  household 
word  over  the  entire  United  States.  He  was  a  native  of  St.  Clair  county, 
Michigan,  his  birth  having  occurred  at  Port  Huron,  June  23,  1837.  His 
father,  Qranville  F.  Boynton,  was  a  native  of  the  state  of  New  York 
and  came  here  about  the  year  1827.  He  died  in  1846.  His  mother, 
Frances  Rendt  Boynton,  was  a  daughter  of  Captain  Lewis  Rendt, 
for  a  long  time  of  thie  British  army  and  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of 
this  county,  well  known  to  the  early  settlers.  Major  Boynton  when  a 
boy  attended  the  primitive  district  schools  during  the  winter  months. 
In  1852  he  went  to  Waukegan,  Illinois,  and  passed  through  the  high 
school  in  that  city.  He  was  practically  a  self-educated  man.  Before 
reaching  his  majority  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business,  the  firm  being 
Inslee  &  Boynton.  In  1859  he  WJent  to  Cincinnati  where  he  married 
Annie  Fidelei  of  that  city  and  in  1862  he  returned  to  this  county  and 
enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  C,  Eighth  Michigan  Cavalry.  He  was 
soon  promoted  to  first  lieutenant  of  Company  L,  then  to  captain,  and  for 
meritorious  service  in  the  capture  of  the  rebel  General  John  Morgan 
in  Ohio  and  gallant  conduct  in  the  east  Tennessee  and  Georgia  cam- 
paigns, was  commissioned  major  of  his  regiment. 

After  a  service  of  three  years,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  he  was  mus- 
tered out  and  returned  to  this  county,  making  his  home  in  Marine  City. 
Soon  after  his  return  he  was  appointed  deputy  assessor  of  internal 
revenue  and  postmaster  of  that  village.  In  the  fall  of  1868  he  was 
elected  to  the  lower  house  of  the  state  legislature.  He  held  the  office 
of  village  clerk  in  1866  and  that  of  president  in  1867.  The  following 
year  he  was  elected  supervisor  of  the  township.  In  1869  he  returned  to 
Port  Huron  and  engaged  in  newspaper  business  untir  the  summer  of 
1874.  He  then  engaged  in  insurance  and  real  estate  business  for 
some  years.  In  1874  he  was  elected  mayor  of  Port  Huron  and  was 
re-elected  in  1875.  He  was  president  of  the  board  of  education  for 
two  years,  serving  as  a  member  four  years.  He  invented  the  Boynton 
fire  escape  and  hook  and  ladder  truck  and  the  Boynton  system  of  wire 
rope  trussing  for  fire  ladders,  which  are  used  in  some  of  the  principal 
cities  of  this  country  and  Canada. 

These  facts  are  only  incidental  to  that  part  of  Major  Boynton 's 
life  which  made  him  prominent  among  the  leading  men  of  the  country. 
As  founder  of  the  reorganized  order  of  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees 
no  man  was  better  known  in  the  fraternal  world  and  his  immense  en- 
thusiasm, great  executive  ability  and  remarkable  skill  as  an  organizer 
placed  that  order  upon  a  firm  and  solid  basis,  so  that  to-day  it  has 
reached  out,  extending  its  sheltering  wing  to  the  poor  and  rich  alike — 
a  great  fraternal,  co-operative  society,  with  a  bright  future  and  worthy 
purpose.  The  parent  order,  Modem  Maccabees,  and  its  three  branches 
now  number  over  half  a  million  men  and  women  with  large  annual  addi- 
tions to  their  ranks. 

Major  Boynton  became  a  charter  member  of  Diamond  Tent,  K.  0. 
T.  M.,  of  Port  Huron,  in  1878,  which  was  then  under  the  jurisdiction 


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1052  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

of  the  Canadian  order  of  the  name.  The  spring  following  he  attended  as 
a  delegate  the  general  review  of  the  order  in  Buffalo.  Here  he  found 
two  warring  factions,  which  culminated  in  a  division,  one  withdrawing 
and  one  adopting  a  new  constitution  and  electing  Major  Boynton  su- 
preme lieutenant  commander  of  the  order.  Soon  afterwards  by  res- 
ignation of  the  supreme  commander,  he  was  prevailed  upon  to  take  up 
the  burdens  of  the  chief  executive  office.  His  efforts  were  directed  to 
bringing  the  two  factions  together,  which  he  accomplished  at  a  review  in 
Port  Huron  in  January,  1881,  and  then  retired  from  the  position  of  su- 
preme commander. 

But  his  work  had  just  begun.  It  was  to  be  his  lot  to  perpetuate  the 
the  order  of  his  founding.  Upon  his  retirement  the  management  was 
poor,  the  system  of  collecting  dues  was  impracticable  and  the  whole 
affair  was  in  crude  shape.  The  order  was  on  the  eve  of  dissolution  when 
he  again  came  to  the  rescue  by  obtaining  a  separate  endowment  juris- 
diction for  the  state  of  Michigan.  The  Qreat  Camp  of  Michigan  was 
organized  with  Major  Boynton  as  great  record  keeper  and  from  that 
time  dates  the  growth  of  the  parent  order.  In  1883  the  supreme  tent 
was  instituted.  Men  outside  the  state  kept  writing  Major  Boynton, 
importuning  him  to  find  some  means  of  extending  the  order  into  other 
states,  and  this  was  the  result.  Major  Boynton  was  elected  supreme  rec- 
ord keeper  and  he  retained  both  oflBces  up  to  1894,  when  he  withdrew  from 
the  oflSice  of  great  record  keeper  and  was  elected  great  commander. 
He  attended  the  first  national  fraternal  congress  in  1886  and  had  at- 
tended every  congress  since  that  time.  To  him  belonged  the  credit  for 
securing  for  the  K.  0.  T.  M.  national  recognition  among  the  fraternities. 
He  was  unanimously  elected  vice-president  of  the  congress  in  1892  and 
president  in  1893  and  was  until  his  death  a  life  member  of  that  organi- 
zation. 

To  go  over  this  chapter  in  the  life  of  Major  Boynton  with  but  passing 
mention  would,  however,  give  one  but  a  faint  idea  of  one  of  the  most 
painful,  and  at  the  same  time,  one  of  the  most  heroic  incidents  in  the 
life  of  the  '* Father  of  the  Order."  He  worked  steadily  with  that 
wonderful  enthusiasm  which  always  characterized  him  and  when  the 
order's  growth  demanded  his  attention  elsewhere  he  looked  about  to 
find  a  man  to  take  up  a  small  portion  of  the  work.  His  choice  fell  upon 
D.  P.  Markey,  then  a  country  lawyer,  and  now  at  the  head  of  the 
supreme  tent,  who  sought  to  introduce  a  higher  scale  of  rates  and  create 
a  greater  reserve  fund.  He  and  others  with  him  in  this  desire  were 
warmly  opposed  by  Major  Boynton,  who  viewed  with  distrust  the  idea 
of  forcing  commercial  and  speculative  features  on  the  order.  He  con- 
tinued his  opposition  and  because  of  his  great  strength  among  the 
membership  the  men  who  fathered  the  scheme  of  higher  rates  became 
alarmed.  It  was  then  that  they  proceeded  to  do  a  remarkable  thing. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  supreme  tent  in  1891  the  father  of  the  order  was 
legislated  out  of  office. 

Following  this  Major  Boynton  severed  every  tie  that  bound  him 
to  the  supreme  tent  except  his  individual  membership  and  he  again  put 
forth  all  his  energies  in  behalf  of  the  parent  body,  the  Modem  Macca- 
bees, which  under  his  guiding  hand  became  entrenched  in  nearly  every 
state  of  the  union,  conducted  on  fraternal  co-operative  lines,  eschewing 
everything  of  a  speculative  or  commercial  nature. 

At  the  great  camp  of  the  Modem  Maccabees  for  Michigan  in  1900 
he  was  again  elected  to  the  position  of  great  commander  against  opposi- 
tion by  a  decisive  vote  of  1,520  to  561,  and  the  compliments  showered 
upon  him  on  his  personal  triumph  were  of  the  most  flattering  nature. 
His  return  to  his  native  city  and  the  reception  he  received  were  inci- 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1053 

dents  in  his  life  of  which  any  man  would  be  justly  proud.  But  even 
after  all  this  it  remained  for  Nathan  S.  Boynton,  in  the  sixty-fifth 
year  of  his  life,  to  make  the  battle  which  marked  probably  the  most 
important  era  in  the  history  of  the  Maccabees.  The  strain  under  which 
this  grand  old  man  of  the  order  worked  can  never  be  fully  realized  by 
those  who  were  not  closely  in  touch  with  him.  He  was  battling  for  a  prin- 
ciple  that  he  knew  was  right  and  the  opposition  was  great.  By  day  and 
by  night  he  worked  and  planned.  All  over  Michigan  he  expounded  his 
doctrine  of  expansion  and  the  whole  state  was  aroused  to  the  issue. 
Newspapers  published  columns  of  it  and  were  eager  for  more.  Major 
Boynton  was  working,  as  he  had  worked  for  more  than  twenty-six 
years,  for  the  best  interests  of  the  order  and  when  that  great  camp  at 
Marquette  overwhelmingly  endorsed  him  and  his  policy,  and,  almost 
exhausted,  he  lay  on  his  back  at  the  hotel  in  that  city  receiving  the 
handshakes  and  congratulations  of  the  delegates,  no  word  or  pen  can 
ever  fully  record  the  feeling  of  the  affectionatly  termed,  *' Father  of 
the  Maccabees." 

From  that  time  until  the  great  camp  review  in  Toledo  in  June,  1908, 
he  was  actively  identified  with  the  cause  of  Modem  Maccabeeism.  At 
that  review  he  was  forced  on  account  of  physical  inability  to  give  up  his 
conduct  of  affairs  of  the  order.  Never  after  that  time  did  the  great 
commander  recover  his  health. 

Major  Boynton  did  not  confine  himself  to  the  Maccabees.  Aside 
from  this  order  he  was  a  member  of  the  following  clubs  and  societies : 
Masonic,  Eiiights  of  Pythias,  Ancient  Order  of  United  "Workmen,  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Foresters,  Modem  Woodmen  of  America.  Woodmen 
of  the  World,  National  Fraternal  Congress,  Elks,  Order  of  Khorassen, 
Fellowcraft  Club,  Michigan  Club,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  Military 
order  of  the  Loyal  Legion  and  several  other  societies.  He  is  survived  by 
his  widow,  his'bons  C.  L.  and  George  H.,  of  Detroit;  and  three  daughters 
— ^Mrs.  J.  D.  Patterson  and  Mrs.  H.  A.  Wright  of  this  city  and  Mrs.  A.  B. 
Parker,  of  Boynton,  Florida. 

A.  MttiTON  HuMBER,  M.  D.,  who  has  been  successfully  identified 
with  the  medical  profession  in  Detroit  for  the  past  twenty  years, 
has  his  offices  and  residence  at  24  Pasadena  avenue  in  Highland  Park. 
He  has  been  one  of  the  influential  and  well  known  citizens  of  this  sub- 
urb for  a  number  of  years,  and  here  much  of  his  practice  is  now  con- 
centrated. 

A  native  of  Canada,  Dr.  Humber  was  bom  in  Keene,  Peterborough 
county,  Ontario,  February  28,  1865,  a  son  of  the  late  Charles  Austin 
Humber  and  his  wife,  Alice  Ann  (Amey)  Humber.  The  Humbers' 
original  seat  was  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and  the  Doctor's  paternal  grand- 
father, David  Humber,  was  one  of  the  first  citizens  of  that  English  isle 
to  immigrate  to  Canada.  He  was  among  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Peter- 
borough county,  Ontario,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  at  an 
advanced  age.  Charles  A.  Humber  was  bom  on  the  Isle  of  Wight  and 
wa43  only  a  boy  when  the  family  came  to  Canada.  He  wto  married  in 
Peterborough  county  to  Alice  Ann  Amey,  who  was  a  native  of  Kings- 
ton, Ontario,  and  a  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Amey.  This  family  furnishes 
one  of  the  prominent  Spanish  names  in  that  part  of  Canada  and  through 
marriage  with  a  Gonzales.  About  1870  Charles  Austin  and  family 
moved  to  Goderich,  Ontario,  where  he  was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
prominent  citizens.  He  was  a  coUege-bred  man,  had  taught  school  dur- 
ing his  early  career  and  served  as  principal  of  schools  in  Peterborough 
county.  At  Goderich  he  was  police  magistrate  under  two  different 
municipal  administrations.  He  was  very  prominent  in  Masonry  in  On- 
tario, being  a  thirty-second  degree  member  of  the  order.    His  death  re- 


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1054  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

suited  by  accident  in  1896.  The  sudden  death  removed  a  citizen  with 
extensive  \)ersonal  and  business  connections  from  his  home  city,  and  was 
especially  serious  to  his  immediate  family.  His  aged  father  died  two 
days  after  learning  of  his  death,  and  the  wife,  the  mother  of  the  Doctor, 
survived  her  husband  only  six  months.  The  following  children  sur- 
vive :  A.  Milton,  of  Detroit ;  Frank  Austin,  who  is  head  watch-maker  for 
Rolshover  &  Company,  jewelers,  of  Detroit,  and  is  watch-making  in- 
structor at  the  Detroit  Y.  M.  C.  A. ;  Agnes  Clark  is  the  wife  of  Rodney  M. 
Castles,  of  Hamilton,  Ontario;  Charles  H.  is  a  jeweler  at  Goderich,  On- 
tario; Henry  N.  is  in  the  jewelry  business  at  Red  Deer,  Alberta;  Alex- 
ander Maitland  is  directing  draftsman  for  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway 
Company  at  Stratford,  Ontario. 

During  his  boyhood  A.  Milton  Humber  was  a  student  in  the  Goderich 
Collegiate  Institute  of  Ontario,  and  in  1882  entered  the  University  of 
Toronto.  His  preparation  for  his  professional  career  was  very  thorough 
both  in  his  academic  and  technical  studies.  From  this  university  he 
became  a  student  in  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Mich- 
igan, and  was  graduated  M.  D.  with  the  class  of  1890.  During  his 
medical  course  he  had  special  advantages  of  instruction  in  hig^  capacity 
of  assistant  to  Dr.  Corydon  L.  Ford,  the  professor  of  anatomy  at  the 
college.  He  also  had  considerable  practical  experience  in  the  hospitals 
at  Ann  Arbor. 

Dr.  Humber  began  the  general  practice  of  medicine  at  Bay  City  in 
1890,  and  three  years  later  moved  to  Detroit,  where  he  has  been  one  of 
the  successful  and  prominent  physicians.  In  Highlan^  Park  he  bought 
property  of  a  hundred  feet  frontage  on  Pasadena  avenue,  extending  to 
Woodward  avenue,  and  there  about  three  years  ago  he  erected  a  fine 
brick  building.  In  addition  to  his  general  medical  practice,  Dr.  Humber 
has  done  considerable  work  in  minor  surgery,  especially  in  his  capacity 
as  surgeon  to  the  Ford  Automobile  Worte.  For  a  number  of  years  he 
has  enjoyed  fine  professional  and  business  connections  in  the  city.  For 
fourteen  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  examining  board  for  the 
Sun  Life  Insurance  Company,  and  is  also  examiner  for  the  Detroit  Life 
Insurance  Company,  the  Old  Colony  Life  Insurance  Company  of  Chi- 
cago, and  the  Connecticut  General  Insurance  Company  of  Hartford. 
The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  and  the  Michigan  Medical 
societies  and  the  American  Medical  Association.  Fraternally  he  affili- 
ates with  the  Ashlar  Lodge  and  the  Peninsular  Chapter  of  Masonry, 
with  Damon  Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  is  past  noble  grand  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

Dr.  Humber  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife,  who  died  in 
1906,  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine,  was  Miss  Mary  Belle  McPherson.  She 
wa43  born  near  St.  Thomas,  Ontario,  a  daughter  of  Alexander  and  Agnes 
(Crawford)  McPherson,  both  of  whom  represented  old  Canadian  families. 
At  her  death  Mrs.  Humber  left  two  children,  Olive  and  Maybelle.  The 
present  Mrs.  Humber  before  her  marriage  was  Miss  Ruth  Massey.  She 
is  a  native  of  Milwaukee,  is  the  daughter  of  Thomas  Massey,  who  was 
of  old  English  stock,  coming  to  America  and  settling  in  Milwaukee, 
of  which  city  he  was  one  of  the  very  successful  self-made  men,  where 
he  resided  until  his  death.  His  wife  was  related  to  the  Livingstons, 
connected  with  the  Dime  Savings  Bank  of  Detroit,  who  were  one  of  the 
prominent  families  there.  She  now  maintains  her  home  on  Westminster 
avenue,  Highland  Park,  Detroit.  Mrs.  Humber  is  a  finely  educated  lady 
of  high  musical  attainments.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Humber  are  the  parents  of 
one  son,  Austin  Milton,  Jr.,  who  is  two  years  of  age. 

William  E.  Barker.  Among  the  useful  and  esteemed  citizens  whom 
Detroit  has  been  called  upon  to  mourn  within  the  past  few  years,  none 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1055 

has  been  more  genuinely  missed  than  William  E.  Barker,  whose  death 
occurred  November  28, 1905,  at  his  home,  No.  254  "Warren  avenue,  West, 
for  his  demise  was  regarded  as  a  loss  not  only  to  his  immediate  family 
and  friends  but  to  the  entire  community.  Born  in  Norfolk,  England, 
in  1847,  he  was  brought  to  America  by  his  parents  when  he  was  an  in- 
fant and  was  reared  and  educated  in  Lockport,  New  York. 

Coming  to  Michigan  in  early  manhood,  .he  opened  a  retail  and 
wholesale  furniture  establishment  on  Woodward  avenue,  Detroit,  where 
he  built  up  an  extensive  and  lucrative  business,  being  also  for  twelve 
years  the  manager  and  principal  owner  of  the  Mills  and  Barker  furni- 
ture manufacturing  business.  Mr.  Barker  was  one  of  the  best  known 
furniture  men  of  Wayne  county,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  con- 
ducting a  furniture  store  in  his  own  building  on  Michigan  avenue  in 
this  city. 

Mr.  Barker  was  very  prominent  in  Masonic  circles  having  taken 
the  thirty-third  degree  in  Masonry  and  being  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Arabic  Order  of  the  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  was  also  president 
of  the  Masonic  Temple  Association  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was 
liberal  in  his  religious  views  and  was  connected  with  the  Universalist 
church  of  Detroit;  he  was  a  member  of  its  first  board  of  trustees  and 
for  many  years  served  the  church  in  that  capacity,  being  for  many  years 
president  of  the  board.  During  his  career  of  business  activity  Mr.  Bar- 
ker met  with  many  successes  and  but  few  failures.  Whichever  way  the 
current  of  fortunes  turned,  he  was  the  same  honest,  upright  man,  one 
whose  word  was  as  good  as  his  bond,  and  who  could  be  trusted  at  all 
times. 

In  1869  occurred  Mr.  Barker's  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  Eveland,  who 
was  bom  in  Ontario,  Canada,  and  who  was  a  daughter  of  Abram  Eve- 
land.  Since  1866  she  has  been  a  resident  of  Detroit.  During  the  united 
life  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barker  three  children  were  born  to  them,  but  the 
home  was  again  and  again  invaded  by  the  reaper  Death,  the  mother 
giving 

'*In  tears  and  pain, 

The  flowers  she  most  did  love ; 
She  knew  she  should  find  them  all  again 
In  the  fields  of  light  above." 

Anna,  the  first  bom,  was  taken  at  the  age  of  nine  years;  Edward, 
at  seven ;  and  Jennie,  when  but  three  months  old. 

For  twenty-six  years  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barker  resided  at  63  Adams 
street,  in  a  beautiful  home  erected  by  Mr.  Barker,  and  they  removed  to 
the  residence  now  occupied  by  Mrs.  Barker  only  a  short  time  before  Mr. 
Barker's  death.  Many  phases  of  the  social  life  of  Detroit  have  claimed 
Mis.  Barker's  attention.  A  woman  of  marked  refinement  and  culture, 
she  is  still  active  and  still  a  favorite  member  of  the  community  in  which 
she  and  her  husband  were  for  so  many  years  notably  important  factors. 

August  F.  Diederich.  Detroit  has  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  the 
Qerman  element  contributed  to  her  populace,  and  here  have  been 
many  prominent  and  influential  citizens  of  German  birth  or  lineage, — 
men  of  sterling  character,  utmost  loyalty  and  high  civic  ideals.  One  of 
the  honored  German  pioneers  of  Detroit  and  one  who  ever  commanded 
secure  place  in  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  this  community  was  August 
Friedrich  Diederich,  who  here  maintained  his  home  for  many  years, 
who  was  here  prominently  identified  with  business  activities,  and  who 
here  attained  to  the  patriarchal  age  of  ninety  years. 


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1056  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

August  Friedrich  Diederich  was  bom  in  the  town  of  Wiedenbriick, 
on  the  river  Ems,  in  the  province  of  Westphalen,  Prussia,  and  the  year 
of  his  nativity  was  1819.  He  was  a  scion  of  one  of  the  old  and  in- 
fluential families  of  that  section  of  the  great  empire  of  Germany,  and 
his  father,  Philip  Anton  Diederich,  served  for  a  number  of  years  in 
an  important  government  office  at  (Jottingen,  in  the  kingdom  of  Hanover. 
He  was  a  man  of  prominence  and  wielded  much  influence  in  connection 
with  civic  affairs,  the  while  he  exemplified  the  highest  integrity  and  com- 
manded unequivocal  esteem,  both  he  and  his  wife,  who  was  Baroness 
Wilhelmine  von  und  zu  Gilsa,  continuing  to  reside  in  their  native  land 
until  their  death. 

In  the  excellent  schools  of  his  fatherland  August  F.  Diederich,  to 
whom  this  memoir  is  dedicated,  received  a  liberal  education,  and  it  was 
the  wish  of  his  parents  that  he  should  enter  the  Prussian  army  and  make 
his  career  one  of  military  order.  His  tastes  and  ambitions,  however, 
did  not  lie  in  this  direction,  though  he  received  military  training,  and  in 
1846,  when  about  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  he  severed  the  home  ties 
and  set  forth  to  seek  his  fortune  in  America,  as  he  had  become  convinced 
that  in  this  country  were  to  be  secured  for  better  opportunities  for  the 
winning  of  advancement  through  personal  endeavor.  He  firat  establish- 
ed his  residence  in  New  York  City,  and  there  he  engaged  in  the  cigar 
and  tobacco  business,  in  which  he  built  up  a  prosperous  enterprise. 
He  successfully  continued  this  business  for  a  period  of  six  years,  at 
the  expiration  of  which,  through  the  destruction  of  his  establishment  by 
fire,  he  lost  virtually  all  he  had  accumulated.  Under  these  conditions 
he  decided  to  seek  a  new  field  of  endeavor  in  the  west,  and  as  very 
many  of  his  countrymen  had  settled  in  Wisconsin  he  started  forth  with 
the  intention  of  locating  in  the  city  of  Milwaukee,  that  state.  En  route 
he  passed  through  Detroit,  where  he  tarried  for  a  short  time  and  where 
he  became  greatly  impressed  with  the  attractions  and  advantages  of 
the  city,  but  he  continued  his  journey  to  Milwaukee.  Soon  afterward, 
however,  he  decided  that  he  greatly  preferred  to  establish  his  home 
in  Detroit,  to  which  city  he  returned  in  1852.  Here  he  finally  engaged 
in  the  wholesale  liquor  trade  in  company  with  his  brother  Wilhelm, 
and  they  established  their  business  on  Woodward  avenue.  Later  his 
brother  removed  to  the  west  and  was  succeeded  by  Edward  Melchers, 
a  relative  of  the  subject  of  this  review,  the  two  having  been  associated 
in  a  prosperous  business  for  a  number  of  years.  Finally  Mr.  ]\Ielchers 
sold  his  interest  in  the  enterprise  to  Leo  Breisacher,  and  the  partner- 
ship thus  formed  proved  of  the  most  grateful  order,  as  the  two  inter- 
ested principals  were  brothers-in-law  as  well  as  business  associates.  The 
firm  of  Diederich  &  Breisacher  became  one  of  the  foremost  in  its  line  of 
business  in  the  city  and  controlled  a  large  and  successful  trade 
under  the  above  title  until  the  death  of  the  junior  partner  in  1887. 
Thfe  loss  of  Mr.  Breisacher  was  a  severe  blow  to  Mr.  Diederich  and 
rendered  disconsolate  he  soon  retired  from  active  business.  He  had 
previously  suffered  the  maximum  bereavement  of  his  life,  in  that  his 
cherished  and  devoted  wife  had  been  summoned  to  eternal  rest  in  1879, 
her  death  having  occurred  in  Germany,  where  she  had  accompanied  her 
daughters  Emmy  and  Adele  to  visit  her  daughter  Minnie,  who  was 
at  the  time  attending  the  leading  conservatory  of  music  in  the  city  of 
Leipzig.  After  the  death  of  his  wife,  Mr.  Diederich,  though  unobtru- 
sive in  his  sorrow,  depended  more  and  more  for  consolation  and  compan- 
ionship upon  his  friend  and  business  associate,  Mr.  Breisacher,  so  it  may 
well  be  understood  that  he  was  grievously  bereft  when  the  latter,  too, 
passed  away,  though  in  his  venerable  age  he  bore  himself  with  fortitude 
and  resignation,  the  while  he  retained  to  a  marked  degree  his  physical 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1057 

and  mental  faculties.  He  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal  on  the 
6th  of  June,  1909,  in  the  fullness  of  years  and  secure  in  the  high  regard 
of  all  who  knew  him,  and  during  the  gracious  evening  of  his  long  and 
worthy  life  he  received  from  his  daughters  Emmy  and  Minnie  the  deep- 
est filial  solicitude  and  utmost  attention.  His  remains  were  incinerated 
in  the  Detroit  crematory,  in  accordance  with  his  own  wishes. 

Mr.  Diederich  was  a  man  of  strong  mentality  and  independent 
opinions.  As  a  citizen  he  was  liberal  and  public-spirited,  and  he  ever 
showed  a  deep  interest  in  all  that  touched  the  welfare  of  the  city  in  which 
-he  so  long  maintained  his  home.  His  political  allegiance  was  given  to 
the  Republican  party  and  he  was  identified  with  various  representative 
German  social  organizations. 

In  the  year  1855,  in  Detroit,  waa  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Diederich  to  Miss  D'Amelie  Petit  Benoit,  who  was  of  French  lineage 
and  who  came  to  Detroit  in  company  with  one  of  her  brothers  when  she 
was  seventeen  years  of  age.  Her  death  occurred  on  the  3rd  of  Novem- 
ber, 1879,  and  her  husband  ever  remained  true  to  her  memory,  he  having 
survived  her  thirty  years.  Concerning  the  four  children  of  this  union 
the  following  brief  record  is  given :  Emmy  and  Minnie  reside  in  an  at- 
tractive home  at  103  and  105  High  street,  east,  and  the  latter  there 
conducts  a  most  excellent  and  popular  private  school  for  instruction 
in  artistic  pianoforte  playing,  she  being  recognized  as  one  of  the  most 
talented  musicians  of  her  native  city,  where  both  herself  and  sister  are 
popular  factors  in  its  social  activities;  William,  the  only  son  is  also  a 
musician ;  and  Adele,  who  died  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  on  the  30th 
of  November,  1910,  was  the  wife  of  Professor  Samuel  L.  Herrmann,  who 
survives  her,  as  do  also  two  children,  Manfred  H.  and  "Woldemar  S. 
Mrs.  Herrmann  likewise  was  a  cultured  musician  and  won  high  reputa- 
tion in  this  field  of  art.  She  also  composed  the  lyrics  for  a  number  of 
effective  songs,  including  a  most  effective  hymn,  entitled  "Mother's 
Day  Hymn,"  and  dedicated  to  Miss  Anna  Jarvis,  the  musical  score  for 
the  same  having  been  written  by  Claude  R.  Hartzell.  This  hymn  has 
gained  great  popularity  and  is  widely  used  in  connection  with  public 
observances  of  "Mother's  Day." 

Manfred  H.  Hermann,  the  eldest  son  of  the  late  Mrs.  Edele  von 
Gilsa  Herrmann,  is  engaged  in  the  realty  and  investment  business  in 
the  city  of  Detroit,  the  firm  he  is  interested  in  being  known  as  The  M. 
H.  Herrmann  Company;  and  he  attributes  his  success  in  his  field  to 
following  the  sound  and  reliable  business  methods  of  his  grandfather — 
the  late  August  F.  Diederich. 

Mr.  M.  H.  Herrmann  married.  May  29,  1907,  0.  Mildred,  daughter 
of  James  Parke,  a  contractor  of  Terre  Haute,  Indiana.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Herrmann  have  one  child,  Adele  V.,  bom  July  23,  1908.  Mr.  Herr- 
mann's brother  is  an  electrical  engineer.  He  married.  January  1,  1912, 
Marie  B.  Weaver  of  Detroit. 

Simon  Jones  Murphy.  The  Michigan  lumber  industry  during  its 
high  tide  of  activity  brought  together  and  developed  many  remarkable 
men,  in  many  respects  the  most  noteworthy  figures  in  the  citizenship 
of  the  state  during  that  period.  One  of  these,  who  would  be  mentioned 
in  any  group  of  the  leading  lumbermen  of  the  last  half  century,  was  the 
late  Simon  Jones  Murphy,  for  many  years  prominent  in  Detroit 
and  whose  death  removed  a  forceful  personality  and  a  public  spirit- 
ed citizen.  Engaged  from  youth  up  in  one  of  the  most  picturesquely 
rugged  of  industries,  he  had  developed  those  fine  qualities  which  we 
like  to  associate  with  the  forests  and  the  woodsmen,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  active  forces  of  his  career  were  permeated  by  a  solid  integrity  and 


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1058  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

thoroughgoing  honesty  that  were  as  typical  of  himself  as  his  more 
superficial  characteristics. 

Simon  Jones  Murphy  was  born  at  Windsor,  Lincoln  county,  Maine, 
April  22,  1815,  he  and  a  twin  sister  being  the  second  birth  in  a  family 
of  twelve  children.  His  family  on  both  sides  had  long  been  associa- 
ted with  New  England.  His  paternal  grandfather,  James  Murphy, 
was  a  native  of  the  north  of  Ireland  and  on  coming  to  America,  set- 
tled at  Westborough,  Maine.  The  father's  name  was  Edmund  Mur- 
phy. The  mother  was  a  Jones,  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  Jones,  and  a 
granddaughter  of  Jonathan  Jones,  who  was  a  representative  in  the 
Massachusetts  colonial  assembly  from  the  town  of  Powellborough.  Mr. 
Murphy's  grandfather  and  great-grandfather  were  both  lumbermen  at 
Damariscotta  Pond,  Maine,  so  that  the  occupation  may  be  said  to  belong 
in  the  family. 

Simon  J.  Murphy,  when  four  years  of  age,  went  to  live  with  his 
maternal  grandfather  at  the  latter 's  farm  on  what  was  known  as  Jones' 
Hill,  and  remained  there  until  he  was  eighteen,  when  he  struck  out  for 
himself.  His  youth  was  spent  in  a  period  of  American  history  when 
the  hardier  and  self-reliant  qualities  in  manhood  were  often  put  to  the 
test.  DiflBculties  never  deterred  him  from  any  enterprise  as  long  as 
he  lived,  probably  because  he  was  well  practiced  in  them  from  the  start 
of  his  career.  When  he  was  eighteen  he  and  a  cousin  walked  from 
the  village  of  Whitefield  to  Bangor  and  Milford,  a  distance  of  eighty 
miles,  and  at  their  destination  began  work  in  a  sawmill  at  seven  dollars 
a  month.  The  work  was  hard  and  the  wages  small,  but  he  stuck  to 
his  post  for  eight  years.  One  of  his  practical  principles  was  to  allow 
no  man  to  do  more  work  than  himself,  and  this  incentive  to  industry 
together  with  his  remarkably  painstalang  study  of  all  details  of  the 
business  laid  a  foundation  for  business  success  that  could  not  fail  to 
be  followed  with  large  accomplishment.  His  practical  experience  gave 
him  a  knowledge  of  lumber  that  was  hardly  surpassed  by  any  man  in 
America  during  his  lifetime.  He  had  spent  his  years  of  preparation 
in  swinging  an  axe  in  the  forests,  in  cutting  the  timbers  to  lumber  in 
the  mills,  in  selling  the  product,  and  during  his  experience  along  the 
Penobscot  and  in  the  mills  he  mastered  the  details  of  one  of  America's 
greatest  industries.  It  was  said  that  with  his  thorough  mastery  of  the 
technical  matters  of  his  business,  he  was  also  one  of  the  keenest  judges 
of  character  in  men.  In  later  years  his  choice  of  means  and  men  was 
always  the  best.  His  quick  and  unerring  decisions  were  the  admira- 
tion of  his  friends,  but  his  decisiveness  in  affairs  was  the  fruit  of  his 
thorough  and  patient  study  and  experience  during  his  youth. 

His  first  business  venture  was  in  1840,  when  he  entered  a  partner- 
ship with  James  Thissell,  putting  into  the  business  his  savings  to  the 
amount  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  His  part  of  the  business  was  the 
practical  work  of  cutting  out  the  timber  and  rafting  it  to  the  mills,  and 
he  remained  buried  in  the  heart  of  the  forest  during  most  of  the  year. 
His  partner  had  the  business  management,  and  after  three  years  Mr. 
Murphy  found  that  his  original  capital  had  been  swept  away  and  be- 
sides he  was  in  debt  four  hundred  dollars  to  a  friend,  and  his  strenu- 
ous work  had  impaired  his  health.  The  partnership  was  accordingly 
dissolved,  and  he  was  afterward  more  fortunate  in  his  choice  of  as- 
sociates. Mr.  Franklin  Adams  then  advanced  him  money  to  go  into 
business  for  himself,  and  during  1843-44  he  did  a  fairly  successful 
business.  He  was  then  oflFered  the  superintendency  of  the  Adams' 
mills,  at  a  salary  of  one  hundred  dollars  a  month,  a  sum  then  consid- 
ered almost  fabulous  as  a  salary. 

It  was  during  these  beginnings  of  prosperity  that  he  took  a  partner 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1059 

for  success  and  adversity.  On  September  21,  1845,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Ann  M.  Dorr.  Then  in  the  next  year  Mr.  Adams  having  failed 
in  business,  Mr.  Murphy  entered  into  a  partnership  with  Charles  E.  Dole, 
and  they  rented  the  Adams  property  and  operated  his  mills.  Jonathan 
Eddy  and  Newell  Avery  later  became  his  business  associates,  and  their 
lumbering  interests  in  Maine  were  carried  on  under  the  name  of  Eddy, 
Murphy  &  Company.  In  1852  Eddy  and  Avery  moved  to  Michigan  and 
began  the  purchase  of  Michigan  pine.  In  1865  Mr.  Eddy  died  sudden- 
ly, and  in  the  next  year  Mr.  Murphy  moved  out  to  Michigan  with  his 
family,  and  about  this  time  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Avery  & 
Murphy.  They  were  among  the  most  extensive  operators  in  the  pine 
regions  and  the  firm  had  a  period  of  uninterrupted  prosperity  until  the 
death  of  Mr.  Avery  in  1877.  It  had  been  the  policy  of  both  partners 
to  recognize  and  reward  the  ability  and  services  of  all  their  young  em- 
ployes, so  that  when  they  earned  it,  they  were  given  an  interest  in  the 
business.  The  result  of  this  policy  was  illustrated  at  the  funeral  of 
Mr.  Avery  when  at  least  thirty  partners  of  the  two  older  heads  of  the 
firm  were  present  to  participate  in  the  ceremony. 

Mr.  Murphy  always  held  that  a  man's  word  should  be  as  good  as 
his  bond.  For  himself  he  was  slow  to  make  a  promise,  but  when  his 
word  had  been  given  it  was  adhered  to  at  any  cost.  It  was  this  char- 
acteristic that  held  men  to  him  with  a  confidence  that  was  never  shaken. 
His  energy  and  executive  ability  were  wonderful,  and  up  to  his  last 
birthday  he  gave  personal  supervision  to  his  business.  In  addition  to 
his  interests  in  Detroit  he  owned  a  fine  fruit  ranch  in  California,  on 
which  he  spent  his  winters  from  1886  up  to  and  including  1902.  In 
his  persontd  life  he  followed  the  routine  of  simplicity  in  all  things, 
kept  regular  hours  and  was  frugal  in  his  tastes  and  pleasures.  For 
the  wastrel  he  had  a  supreme  contempt,  yet  for  the  ordinary  mixtures 
of  weakness  and  strength  as  found  in  most  men  he  showed  a  charity 
and  kindness  of  heart  that  were  often  applied  in  material  forms  of  as- 
sistance. He  was  slow  in  making  friendships,  but  it  required  a  great 
deal  to  shake  his  faith  in  those  to  whom  he  had  once  given  his  trust. 
As  was  natural  with  a  man  of  such  positive  character,  he  could  not 
easily  be  moved  from  opinions  and  convictions  once  formed. 

In  Detroit  he  had  extensive  real  estate  holdings.  He  was  also  an 
investor  and  director  in  the  American  Exchange  National  Bank,  the 
Michigan  Fire  &  Marine  Insurance  Company,  the  Standard  Life  & 
Accident  Insurance  Company,  the  Edison  Electric  Light  Company, 
and  the  Union  Trust  Company,  besides  other  corporations.  He  was  a 
Universalist  in  faith,  a  trustee  of  the  Church  of  Our  Father,  aad  to 
the  erection  of  the  edifice  he  contributed  fifty  thousand  dollars.  Mr. 
Murphy  was  the  father  of  twelve  children.  For  a  number  of  years 
prior  to  his  death,  he  and  his  son  WiUiam  H.  were  actively  interested 
in  Detroit  real  estate  and  commercial  institutions.  They  purchased 
the  site  of  the  old  Case  building  in  Congress  street.  West,  between 
Griswold  and  Shelby  streets,  and  erected  a  fine  power  building  for  light 
manufacturing.  The  father  then  bought  the  property  on  the  south  side 
of  Fort  street,  adjoining  the  State  Savings  Bank.  On  this  he  erected 
the  handsome  thirteen-story  Penobscot  building,  named  in  honor  of 
the  river  alongside  of  which  he  had  laid  the  foundations  of  his  life's 
success. 

Harry  J.  Dingeman.  Taken  all  in  all,  it  would  be  difficult  to  find 
a  city  where  the  members  of  the  bar  stand  higher  than  they  do  in  De- 
troit. One  of  the  substantial  lawyers  of  this  city  is  Harry  J.  Dinge- 
man, whose  advent  into  this  world  occurred  in  Detroit  July  27,  1881. 


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1060  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

He  is  one  of  the  energetic,  younger  attorneys  who  give  tone  to  the 
practice  of  the  law. 

He  is  a  son  of  John  F.  and  Gertrude  (Jeup)  Dingeman.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  Holland;  bom  there  April  5,  1857,  and  came  to  Detroit 
in  1869,  with  his  uncle,  Peter  Dingeman.  The  elder  Dingeman  was  for 
some  time  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cigars,  but  is  now  superin- 
tendent of  the  Globe  Cigar  Factory  at  Detroit.  Harry  J.  Dingeman 's 
mother  was  born  in  Detroit.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  Jeup,  who  was 
a  native  of  Germany  and  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Detroit. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in  Detroit  and  attended  the 
St.  Joseph  parochial  school.  Following  his  early  education  he  attended 
St.  Joseph's  commercial  college  for  three  years,then  put  in  three  years 
as  a  student  at  the  Detroit  College  of  Law,  graduating  therefrom  June 
12,  1903,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws.  On  the  day  following 
his  graduation  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Detroit,  and  at  once  en- 
tered upon  its  practice,  associated  with  James  D.  May,  his  present 
partner. 

Young,  energetic,  and  an  estimable  citizen,  he  has  from  the  begin- 
ning of  his  career  taken  great  interest  in  civic  affairs,  and  in  1910  was 
elected  to  the  Board  of  Estimates.  He  is  secretary  of  the  Association 
of  the  Bar  of  Detroit,  and  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Law  College 
Alumni  and  the  St.  Joseph's  Coilege  Alumni.  He  also  holds  member- 
ship in  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  .^erica,  the  German  Salesmen  Asso- 
ciation, Order  of  the  Red  Men  and  Order  of  the  Amaranth. 

Shortly  after  entering  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  Mr. 
Dingeman  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Bessie  S.  Shafer,  daughter  of 
John  P.  Shafer,  of  Detroit. 

CoNANT  BuLKLEY,  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Campbell,  Bulkley  & 
Ledyard,  was  born  at  Monroe,  Michigan,  March  7,  1870.  He  re 
ceived  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town  and 
then  attended  the  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor,  where  he 
entered  the  literary  class,  graduating  therefrom  with  the  class  of  1892, 
with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  He  then  entered  the  law  department  and 
graduated  in  1895  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B. 

Mr.  Bulkley  came  to  Detroit  the  year  of  his  graduation  and  admis- 
sion to  the  bar  and  became  associated  with  the  firm  of  which  he  is  now 
a  member.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Bar  Association,  the  De- 
troit Bar  Association,  the  Michigan  Bar  Association,  the  Detroit  Club, 
the  Yondotega  Club,  the  University  Club  and  the  Country  Club.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the  University  of  Michigan. 

CxmT  Hoffmann,  Twenty-five  Years  an  Editor.  Few  men  in  the 
history  of  Detroit  have  maintained  records  of  such  long,  continuous  serv- 
ice in  a  high  calling  as  Curt  Hoflfmann.  On  the  29th  of  May,  1912,  Curt 
Hoffmann  completed  his  twenty-fifth  year  as  managing  editor  of  the  De- 
troit Abend  Post,  His  associates  on  that  paper  and  his  many  friends 
chose  that  date  to  tender  him  a  celebration  to  commemorate  the  anniver- 
sary of  his  connection  with  one  of  the  best  German  newspapers  in  the 
country,  and  also  to  celebrate  his  fifty-third  birthday  anniversary.  He 
was  born  in  Oppeln,  Upper  Silesia,  the  son  of  an  old  and  distinguished 
German  family.  His  parents  desired  him  to  enter  the  Imperial  navy,  and 
after  the  completion  of  his  fine  education  he  served  an  apprenticeship  in 
the  mercantile  fleet.  He  then  followed  his  parents'  wishes,  and,  entering 
the  German  navy, was  an  ensign  at  the  time  of  the  Franco-Prussian  war. 
In  1871  he  determined  to  try  life  in  the  broader  field  of  a  new  country. 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1061 

and  coming  to  the  United  States  settled  in  the  city  of  Chicago.  No 
sooner  had  he  made  plans  for  the  future  than  the  great  fire  of  that  year 
destroyed  much  of  the  city  and  financially  ruined  many  citizens,  in- 
cluding Mr.  Hoffmann.  Just  before  the  alarm  was  sounded,  a  fellow- 
boarder  was  admiring  a  beautiful  ring  which  Mr.  Hoffmann  always 
wore.  He  had  handed  the  treasure  to  the  other  man  when  the  sudden 
panic  came.  Mr.  Hoffmann  was  obliged  to  run  for  his  life.  The  end 
of  the  story  is  not  unexpected.  Neither  the  ring  nor  the  stranger  ever 
were  seen  by  Mr.  Hoffmann  again. 

The  fire  destroyed  both  the  property  and  prospects  of  Mr.  Hoffmann, 
and  so,  leaving  Chicago,  he  came  to  Detroit,  from  which  he  shipped  for 
two  years,  sailing  as  a  mate  on  the  Great  Lakes  for  the  Peter  Ralph 
Company.  It  was  in  1874  that  Mr.  Hoffmann  joined  the  Abend-Post, 
hardly  thinking  perhaps  that  he  had  found  his  ** Field  of  Service*'. 
It  is  interesting  to  quote,  as  a  commentary  on  the  esteem  and  affection 
with  which  he  is  regarded  by  all  who  have  dealt  with  him  in  any  way, 
the  words  of  George  Gagel:  **  During  the  twenty-five  years  of  his  con- 
nection with  the  Abend-Post,  Mr.  Hoffmann  has  achieved  great  suc- 
cess as  an  able  editor.  He  has  brought  that  paper  out  from  its  com- 
parative obscurity  into  a  leading  position  among  the  German  dailies  of 
America,  so  that  to-day  the  Abend-Post  wields  an  influence  among  its 
large  number  of  readers  second  to  no  other  daily  paper  in  the  city. 

**He  is  known  as  a  bold  and  incisive  writer,  a  fearless  advocate  of 
the  rights  of  the  people,  and  a  relentless  enemy  of  hypocrisy  and  intol- 
eration. 

'  *  Socially,  he  is  a  man  of  great  popularity  and  cheerful  disposition ; 
his  presence  at  social  functions  is  much  sought  after  and  highly  prized. 
A  man  of  sterling  character  and  integrity,  capable  of  deciding  import- 
ant affairs  quickly  and  accurately,  he  has  a  host  of  friends.  The 
Abend-Post  has  become  an  important  factor  in  state  and  local  affairs 
and  its  influence  is  very  perceptible." 

To  the  foregoing  may  be  added  what  August  Marxhausen  himself, 
the  proprietor  of  the  Abend-Post,  says  of  his  assistant:  **I  do  not  re- 
gard Hoffmann  as  an  employe.  He  is  my  friend, — perhaps  the  best  I 
have.  During  all  the  twenty-five  years  that  I  have  been  associated 
with  him,  I  have  never  had  a  cross  word — not  even  a  disagreement  with 
him." 

On  the  night  of  the  celebration  of  the  joint  anniversary  the  offices 
of  the  Abendr-Post  looked  like  a  vast  conservatory.  Congratulatory 
messages  from  all  over  the  country  poured  in  from  friends  who  were 
unable  to  wish  him  well  in  person.  Among  the  beautiful  presents 
which  marked  the  occasion  Mr.  Hoffmann  was  especially  proud  of  a 
large  hall  clock,  the  gift  of  his  fellow  employes. 

Leonard  Frederick  Charles  Wendt,  M.  D.  Among  the  younger 
representatives  of  the  medical  profession  in  Detroit  is  Leonard  Fred- 
erick Charles  Wendt,  M.  D.,  who  was  born  in  Detroit,  November  8, 
1875,  and  is  the  son  of  Henry  R.  and  Julia  (Guenther)  Wendt,  natives 
of  Danzig,  West  Prussia,  Germany. 

Henry  R.  Wendt  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  was  in  charge  of 
the  furnishing  department  of  the  Pullman  Car  Company  when  that 
industry  was  located  at  Detroit,  and  when  it  removed  to  Chicago  he 
became  connected  in  a  like  capacity  with  the  Michigan  Central  Rail- 
road. Mr.  Wendt  later  retired  from  the  activities  of  business  life  and 
his  death  occurred  in  Detroit,  October  1,  1905. 

Dr.  Leonard  F.  C.  Wendt  attended  the  Detroit  public  schools  and 


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1062  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

was  ^aduated  from  the  German  Wallace  College,  at  Berea,  Ohio,  in 
1896,  in  which  year  he  also  completed  his  studies  in  Baldwin's  Business 
College  at  the  same  place.  Turning  his  attention  then  to  the  tech- 
nical work  of  preparation  for  his  chosen  profession,  he  entered  Grace 
Hospital  Training  School  for  Nurses,  and  after  his  graduation  there- 
from, in  October,  1898,  became  a  student  in  the  Detroit  Homeopathic 
Medical  College,  from  which  he  received  the  degree  of  M.  D.  in  1902. 

The  Doctor  was  married  on  May  15,  1901,  to  IMiss  Edith  Reed,  of 
Coldwater,  Michigan,  who  was  born  in  that  city.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
the  late  Ebenezer  M.  and  Helen  (Rooks)  Reed,  the  father  a  native  of  New- 
ark, New  York,  and  the  mother  of  London,  England. 

In  1902  Dr.  Wendt  entered  upon  the  general  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession in  Detroit,  where  he  has  continued  to  reside.  At  present  he  is  lec- 
turer on  the  diseases  of  children  at  the  Detroit  Homeopathic  ]VIedical 
College,  which  chair  he  has  held  for  four  years ;  he  is  junior  attending 
physician  to  Grace  Hospital  and  in  March,  1912,  was  appointed  diag- 
nostician (special)  to  the  same  institution.  For  three  years  past  he 
has  been  secretary  of  the  Detroit  Homeopathic  Practitioners  Society, 
and  belongs  to  the  American  Institute  of  Homeopathy  and  the  Mich- 
igan Homeopathic  Medical  Society. 

Dr.  Wendt  has  been  very  prominent  in  fraternal  matters,  being 
affiliated  with  Palestine  lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  King  Cyrus  Chapter,  Mich- 
igan Sovereign  Consistory  and  Moslem  Temple  of  the  Ancient  Arabic 
Order  of  the  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine;  the  Knights  of  the  Loyal 
Guard;  and  the  Foresters  of  America,  of  which  he  is  physician.  Dr. 
Wendt  is  popular  with  all  who  have  come  within  the  circle  of  his  ac- 
quaintance, and  is  highly  esteemed  by  his  confreres  throughout  the  city. 

Claude  M.  Stafford,  M.  D.  One  of  the  clearly  designated  func- 
tions of  this  history  of  Detroit  is  to  accord  recognition  to  those  who 
here  stand  as  able  and  valued  exponents  of  the  sciences  of  medicine  and 
surgery,  and  well  entitled  to  such  consideration  is  Dr.  Stafford,  who 
gives  special  attention  to  the  diagnosis  and  treatment  of  diseases  of 
women,  and  who  has  achieved  noteworthy  prestige  and  success  as  a 
gynecologist  and  as  a  factor  in  the  educational  work  of  his  exacting 
profession.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  Detroit  since  his  early  childhood 
and  his  standing  in  the  community  is  such  as  to  set  at  naught  any  ap- 
plication of  the  scriptural  aphorism  that  *'a  prophet  is  not  without 
honor  save  in  his  own  country.'* 

Dr.  Claude  Maurice  Stafford  was  born  in  the  town  of  Essex,  pro- 
vince of  Ontario,  Canada,  on  the  7th  of  November,  1881,  and  is  a  son 
of  John  and  Ida  (Williams)  Stafford,  the  former  a  native  of  Ontario 
and  a  scion  of  staunch  English  stock,  and  the  latter  a  native  of  Mich- 
igan. In  1885,  when  the  Doctor  was  about  four  years  of  age,  the  family 
removed  from  Canada  to  Detroit,  and  here  the  parents  have  since  main- 
tained their  home,  the  father  being  president  of  the  Stafford  Printing 
Company,  one  of  the  leading  concerns  of  the  kind  in  the  city,  where 
he  is  known  as  a  representative  business  man  and  progressive  and  pub- 
lic-spirited citizen.  The  public  schools  of  the  Michigan  metropolis 
afforded  Dr.  Stafford  his  early  educational  advantages  and  he  was 
ffraduated  in  the  Western  high  school  of  Detroit  as  a  member  of  the 
class  of  1900.  He  then  entered  the  academic  or  literary  department 
of  the  University  of  Michigan,  in  which  great  institution  he  was  gradu- 
ated as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1904  and  from  which  he  received  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  In  1907  Detroit  University  conferred 
upon  him  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts,  in  recognition  of  his  splendid 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1063 

efforts  along  the  line  of  original  research  work  of  professional  and  gen- 
eral scientific  order. 

In  preparation  for  the  work  of  his  chosen  profession  Dr.  Stafford 
was  matriculated  in  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  in  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1906  and  from  which  he  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine,  after  having  proved  a  most  ambitious  and  assiduous  student, 
characteristics  which  have  continued  to  mark  his  course  during  his 
practical  work  in  his  profession.  After  his  graduation  Dr.  Stafford 
served  for  two  years  as  interne  in  St.  Mary's  Hospital,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing institutions  of  the  kind  in  Detroit  and  one  in  which  he  gained  most 
valuable  clinical  experience.  In  1908  he  initiated  the  general  practice 
of  medicine  and  surgery,  and  he  has,  as  already  stated,  made  a  specialty 
of  gynecology,  in  which  his  success  has  been  of  unequivocal  order,  with 
resultant  reputation  of  which  he  may  well  be  proud.  For  two  years 
he  served  as  instructor  in  embryology  in  his  alma  mater,  the  Detroit 
College  of  Medicine,  in  which  institution  he  is  now  clinical  assistant  to 
the  chair  of  gynecology.  He  is  also  attending  surgeon  to  Providence 
Hospital,  and  as  a  skilled  bacteriologist  and  original  investigator  along 
scientific  lines,  he  is  retained  as  a  co-worker  in  the  research  laboratories 
of  Parke,  Davis  &  Company,  of  Detroit,  the  largest  pharmaceutical 
concern  in  the  world.  The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medi- 
cal Association,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  and  the  Wayne 
County  Medical  Society,  besides  which  he  is  affiliated  with  the  Phi 
Beta  Pi  college  fraternity.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the 
Republican  party,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  zealous  communicants 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  in  which  they  hold  membership 
in  the  parish  of  St.  Philip's  church. 

On  the  26th  of  June,  1906,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Stafford  to  Miss  Fannie  Cottom,  daughter  of  George  Cottom,  of  Detroit, 
and  they  have  a  winsome  little  daughter,  Velma  Charlotte,  and  a  sturdy 
little  son,  Claude  Maurice,  Jr. 

"Wn^LiAM  E.  Metzger.  No  branch  of  manufactory  is  more  conspic- 
uous to-day  than  that  of  automobiles,  and  the  men  who  are  leaders  in 
that  particular  branch  are  regarded  as  the  real  ''captains  of  industry", 
and  as  such  their  lives  and  achievements  are  of  world-wide  interest. 
Prominent  among  the  leaders  in  the  automobile  world  is  William  E. 
Metzger,  of  the  Metzger  Motor  Car  Company,  who  by  reason  of  his 
being  a  pioneer  dealer  and  manufacturer  of  automobiles  not  only  in 
Detroit  but  in  the  country-at-large,  and  also  by  reason  of  the  success 
he  has  achieved  both  as  an  organizer  and  brilliant  operator,  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  leaders  in  industrial  circles,  at  home  and  abroad. 

Mr.  Metzger  is  a  fine  example  of  the  self-made  man,  for  he  began 
life  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  and  aided  only  by  his  native  talent 
for  business  and  his  wonderful  perseverance  and  capacity  for  hard  work 
has  reached  the  high  position  which  is  his  today.  He  was  born  in  Peru, 
Illinois,  on  September  30,  1868,  and  is  the  son  of  Ernest  F.  and  Maria 
(Bosley)  Metzger,  the  former  a  native  of  Frankfort-on-the-Maine,  Ger- 
many,  the  latter  of  Ohio.  The  father  came  to  America  in  1859,  when 
a  lad  of  fourteen  years,  going  direct  to  Illinois.  He  was  in  that  state 
when  the  Civil  war  broke  out  and,  though  he  was  still  in  his  teens,  he 
enlisted  in  the  Twenty-fourth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  served  as  a  soldier  until  the  close  of  that  great  struggle.  Both  he 
and  wife  are  now  residents  of  Detroit. 

William  E.  Metzger  was  reared  in  Peru,  Illinois,  until  1879,  and 
there  attended  the  common  schools.  Later  he  attended  a  German 
school  at  Ann  Arbor  one  year,  and  then  coming  to  this  city  he  complet- 


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1064  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

ed  the  public  school  course  in  1884  by  graduating  from  high  school. 
The  same  year  he  went  to  work  for  the  old  firm  of  Hudson  &  Syming- 
ton (the  late  Joseph  L.  Hudson)  and  with  that  house  he  continued  un- 
til 1891.  In  the  meantime,  in  1889,  while  still  an  employe  of  the  above 
firm,  he  engaged  in  the  bicycle  business  at  .13  Grand  River  Avenue  as 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  Huber  &  Metzger,  and  it  was  there  he  began 
laying  the  foundation  for  his  subsequent  brilliant  career  in  the  indus- 
trial world.  After  1901  he  gave  all  his  attention  to  the  bicycle  busi- 
ness, which  was  augmented  by  a  line  of  Remington  typewriters.  In 
1895  he  branched  out  by  himself  and  established  a  house  at  252  Wood- 
ward avenue,  where  under  his  own  name  he  established  a  bicycle  and 
cash  register  business,  which  is  yet  successfully  in  operation  at  High 
and  Woodward  avenue,  and  is  still  owned  by  him.  In  1897  he  took 
his  first  step  in  the  automobile  business,  by  buying  some  electric  auto- 
mobiles, which  were  the  first  cars  ever  offered  to  the  people  of  Detroit, 
and  he  at  this  time  opened  the  first  exclusive  automobile  store  in  this 
city,  which  was  located  at  254  Jefferson  avenue,  east,  in  what  was  known 
as  the  Biddle  House  Block.  In  1901  he  had  built  for  his  use  the  six 
story  brick  business  block  at  the  comer  of  Jefferson  avenue  and  Brush 
street,  where  he  conducted  a  general  wholesale  and  retail  automobile 
business  until  1905,  when  he  sold  his  interests  to  the  Cadillac  Motor 
Car  Company.  In  1900  Mr.  Metzger,  together  with  William  Barbour, 
Jr.,  and  G.  M.  Gundeson,  organized  the  Northern  Motor  Car  Company, 
which  they  owned  and  continued  as  a  manufacturing  organization  un- 
til it  was  amalgamated  with  the  Wayne  Automobile  Company  in  1908, 
the  two  forming  what  was  known  as  the  **E.  M.  F.  Company*'.  In 
October,  1902,  Mr.  Metzger  assisted  in  organizing  the  Cadillac  Motor 
Car  Company,  which  organization  he  entered  as  general  sales  manager, 
director  and  stockholder,  and  where  he  continued  for  six  years.  In 
1908  Walter  E.  Flanders,  Byron  F.  Everitt  and  Mr.  Metzger  organ- 
ized the  **E.  M.  F.  Company,"  which  took  over  the  amalgamated  North- 
ern and  Wayne  Automobile  Companies,  and  so  continued  until  the 
following  spring  (1909),  when  Mr.  Everitt  and  Mr.  Metzger  sold  their 
interests  in  the  **E.  M.  F.  Company"  and  organized  the  Metzger  Motoi* 
Car  Company,  of  which  Mr.  Metzger  became  secretary  and  treasurer. 
In  July,  1912,  Messrs.  Flanders,  Everitt  and  Metzger  became  re-united 
in  business  by  forming  the  Everitt  Motor  Car  Company,  of  which  Mr. 
Metzger  is  secretary.  This  combination  of  automobile  brains,  experi- 
ence and  general  ability  beyond  question  forms  one  of  the  strongest 
organizations  in  the  world  today,  and  its  possibilities  are  unbounded. 
Mr.  Metzger  has  always  been  an  enthusiast  in  everything  pertaining 
to  automobile  interests,  and  has  been  a  strong  advocate  of  the  organiz- 
ation of  such  iiiterests.  During  the  years  of  1911  and  1912  he  served 
as  president  of  the  National  Association  of  Automobile  Manufacturers, 
which  is  the  one  organization  of  the  kind  in  this  country.  He  is  also 
a  member  and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Automobile  Club  of  De- 
troit. He  is  a  member  of  the  Rushmere,  Wolverine,  Motor  Boat,  Yacht, 
and  other  clubs,  and  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason  and  member  of 
the  Shrine. 

Mr.  Metzger  married  Miss  Grace,  the  daughter  of  the  late  George 
Kimball,  of  Detroit.  She  died  in  1907,  leaving  one  daughter,  Grace 
Elaine,  aged  seven  years. 

Henry  Martyn  Leland.  Conceded  by  all  to  be  one  of  the  able 
manufacturers  and  business  men,  Henry  Martyn  Leland  occupies  an 
especially  prominent  place  in  the  automobile  world,  having  successfully 
managed  the  Cadillac  Motor  Company,  in  which  corporation  he  still 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1065 

holds  an  executive  and  advisory  position,  having  been  succeeded  by 
his  son,  Wilfred  C.  Leland,  as  general  manager, 

Mr.  Leland  is  one  of  the  fine  examples  of  self-made  men  in  the  Uni- 
ted States.  He  is  universally  admired  and  respected  by  all  who  know 
him.  He  is  a  product  of  the  Green  Mountain  state,  having  been  born 
at  Danville,  Vermont,  February  16,  1843,  and  is  a  direct  descendant 
of  Henry  Leland,  who  was  born  in  England  in  1625,  and  who  having 
married  Margaret  Babcock,  came  to  America  in  the  year  1652.  The 
founder  of  the  Leland  family  died  at  Sherborn,  Massachusetts,  April 
14,  1680.  The  father  of  Henry  Leland,  Leander  B.,  was  a  farmer  and 
for  twenty  years  before  the  advent  of  the  railroads,  drove  an  eight 
horse  team  between  Montreal  and  Boston. 

Coming  from  such  hardy  stock  it  is  not  surprising  that  Mr.  Leland 
carved  out  for  himself  so  enviable  a  career.  He  secured  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  little  red  school  houses  of  Vermont  and  Massachusetts, 
when  the  school  year  comprised  thirteen  weeks.  Before  leaving  school 
he  worked  several  months  each  year  at  shoemaking.  After  finishing 
his  course  in  the  country  schools  he  worked  one  year  at  Worcester, 
Massachusetts,  making  carriage  wheels.  He  was  then  apprenticed  to 
learn  the  machinist's  trade  with  the  George  Crompton  Loom  Works  at 
Worcester,  in  November,  1859.  The  Civil  war  broke  out  when  he  was 
eighteen  years  of  age  and  within  one  year  of  the  termination  of  his 
apprenticeship. 

While  Mr.  Tjeland  did  not  go  to  the  front,  he  still  served  his  country 
well  during  the  struggle.  Going  to  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  he  en- 
tered the  United  States  armory  there  and  was  engaged  in  making  tools 
utilized  in  the  manufacture  of  rifles  required  by  the  '*Boys  in  Blue". 
After  the  close  of  the  Civil  war  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Colts 
Firearm  Company  at  Hartford,  Connecticut,  where  he  remained  a  year, 
subsequent  to  which  he  returned  to  Worcester  and  worked  as  machinist 
and  tool  makelr  in  several  shops.  These  experiences  stimulated  a  love 
for  manufacturing,  and  concluding  that  the  Brown  &  Sharp  Manufac- 
turing  Company  of  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  represented  the  highest 
type  of  manufacturers,  he  moved  to  Providence,  and  there  entered 
their  employ  as  a  tool  maker.  His  rise  from  thence  on  was  steady  and 
he  was  soon  placed  in  positions  of  responsibility.  In  a  few  years  he 
was  given  the  foremanship  of  the  large  sewing  machine  department 
operated  by  this  company.  This  enabled  him  to  fully  develop  his  splen- 
did mechanical  talent. 

The  appeal  of  the  growing  west  led  him  to  move  to  Detroit,  Mich- 
igan, in  1890,  where  he  entered  the  machine  business  for  himself. 
Shortly  after  starting  in  business  he  took  as  his  partner  Mr.  R.  C. 
Faulconer  and  organized  the  firm  of  Leland  &  Faulconer  Manufactur- 
ing Company,  makers  of  special  machinery.  Success  attended  their 
efforts  from  the  outset  and  the  company  became  widely  known  as  lead- 
ers in  their  lines  of  products.  This  period  gave  rise  to  the  popular 
naptha  launch,  and  Leland  &  Faulconer  became  extensive  builders  of 
internal  combustion  engines.  Being  an  engine  builder,  at  the  birth  of 
the  automobile  business  Mr.  Leland  became  an  authority  on  the  build- 
ing of  automobile  engines,  and  to  secure  a  larger  market  for  his  en- 
gines he  helped  to  organize  the  Cadillac  Automobile  Company  in  1902. 
In  1905  the  Leland  &  Faulconer  Manufacturing  Company  became  con- 
solidated with  the  Cadillac,  Mr.  Leland  becoming  general  manager  of 
the  merged  companies,  under  the  name  of  the  Cadillac  Motor  Car  Com- 
pany. Wilfred  C.  Leland  succeeded  his  father  as  general  manager,  but 
Mr.  Leland  continues  with  the  corporation  as  advisory  manager. 

During  his  long,  active  life,  Mr.  Leland 's  associations  have  led  him 
closer  to  the  Republican  party  than  any  other,  though  he  always  de- 
voi.  in— 15 


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1066  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

termines  for  himself  his  political  issues,  and  invariably  supports  the 
candidate  of  cleanest  character,  regardless  of  party.  He  has  been  a 
member,  since  its  organization,  of  the  National  Manufacturers  Associa- 
tion, the  National  Founders  Association,  the  National  Metal  Trades 
Association,  and  the  United  Order  of  the  Golden  Cross.  He  is  also 
active  in  numerous  trade  and  benevolent  organizations.  While  in  the 
east  he  was  a  member  of  the  Pearl  Street  Baptist  church  of  Providence, 
Rhode  Island,  but  has  been  a  member  and  official  of  the  Westminister 
Presbyterian  church  since  first  coming  to  Detroit. 

Mr.  Leland  was  married  September  25,  1867,  at  Millbury,  Massachu- 
setts, to  Ellen  R.  Hull,  daughter  of  Elias  Hull,an  enterprising  and  suc- 
cessful farmer  of  Millbury.  The  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leland 
are:  M.  Gertrude,  Wilfred  Chester  and  Miriam  (deceased).  Gertrude  is 
the  wife  of  Anson  C.  Woodbridge  of  Detroit. 

WniPRED  Chester  Leland.  Quiet,  unassuming,  yet  possessed  of 
splendid  insight  and  judgment,  Mr.  Leland  is  a  good  type  of  the  clean 
cut,  modern  business  man.  A  master  organizer  and  an  indefatigable 
worker,  he  has  risen  to  his  present  well  merited  position  of  general  man- 
ager of  the  Cadillac  Motor  Car  Company,  recognized  as  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  automobile  concerns  in  the  country. 

Born  at  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  November  7,  1869,  Mr.  Leland 
has  already  carved  out  a  notable  business  career,  and  as  he  has  probably 
many  years  ahead  of  him,  he  will  emulate  his  father,  having  many  of  the 
characteristics  which  so  conspicuously  contributed  to  the  success  of  the 
elder  Leland.  Wilfred  C.  Leland  laid  the  foundation  of  an  excellent 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  and  Prov- 
idence, Rhode  Island,  later  attending  the  Ohio  University  and  Brown 
University. 

Upon  finishing  his  course  at  the  university  Mr.  Leland  associated 
himself  with  his  father,  Henry  M.,  in  the  manufacture  of  machinery, 
particularly  marine  and  automobile  engines.  An  apt  scholar  under  so 
capable  a  teacher,  he  soon  mastered  all  the  details  of  the  business  and 
became  thoroughly  capable.  By  successive  stages  the  business  in  which 
he  was  interested  developed  into  the  Cadillac  Motor  Car  Company  of 
the  present  day,  with  Mr.  W.  C.  Leland  as  its  general  manager  and  lead- 
ing spirit. 

He  is  popular  in  business  and  social  circles;  a  member  of  Zeta  Psi 
fraternity,  Corinthian  Lodge,  No.  241,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Detroit  Club,  Detroit 
Boat  Club,  Detroit  Automobile  Club ;  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce ;  and 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Westminister  Presbyterian  church,  as  well  as 
being  upon  the  official  board  of  the  National  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association. 

On  June  27,  1907,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Blanch  Millineau 
Dewey,  daughter  of  the  late  Judge  Dewey,  of  Detroit.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Leland  have  one  child,  Wilfred  Chester,  Jr.,  born  April  6,  1908. 

Cadillac  Motor  Car  Company.  The  Cadillac  bears  the  distinction 
of  being  the  oldest  manufacturer  of  motor  cars  in  Detroit,  the  world's 
center  of  the  motor  car  industry.  Its  inception  dates  back  to  June  in 
the  year  1902,  only  a  few  years  ago  in  point  of  time,  yet  '*in  the  long 
ago"  in  motor  car  history.  At  that  time  several  of  Detroit's  prominent 
citizens  and  capitalists,  Messrs.  Clarence  A.  Black,  Lem  W.  Bowen,  Wil- 
liam H.  Murphy,  A.  E.  F.  White  and  a  few  others  organized,  with  Mr. 
H.  M.  Leland,  the  Cadillac  Automobile  Company.  The  company  pro- 
ceeded at  once  with  preparations  to  manufacture  cars  on  a  somewhat 
more  extensive  scale  than  had  heretofore  been  undertaken.    They  had  a 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1067 

plant  thoroughly  equipped  with  all  facilities  excepting  for  the  manu- 
facture of  motors. 

The  Leland  and  Faulconer  Manuf acturining  Company  had  acquired 
an  enviable  reputation  for  manufacturing  marine  and  automobile  motors 
as  well  as  high  efficiency  machinery,  gears,  etc.  Their  co-operation  was 
sought  and  a  contract  was  consummated  for  the  making  of  three  thou- 
sand Cadillac  single  cylinder  engines.  The  size  of  this  contract  caused 
the  automobile  world  to  gasp.  It  was  looked  upon  as  little  short  of 
idiocy.  But  the  automobile  world  did  not  for  some  time  begin  to 
appreciate  the  far  sightedness  of  the  Cadillac  organizers. 

Before  the  close  of  the  year  1902  a  number  of  cars  were  built  and 
tested  out.  The  following  year  about  2,000  cars  were  made  and  sold. 
The  remainder  of  the  original  3,000  motors  were  used  within  a  few 
months  thereafter  and  a  second  large  order  placed.  It  is  the  pride  of 
the  Cadillac  Company  that  everyone  of  those  cars,  so  far  as  they  are 
able  to  learn,  is  still  in  service. 

In  April,  1904,  the  company  suffered  a  disastrous  loss  by  fire,  in 
which  a  considerable  portion  of  the  plant  was  destroyed.  But  they  were 
not  to  be  disheartened  and  before  the  smoke  had  cleared  away  plans  had 
been  formulated  for  continuing  work  and  in  less  than  one  week  the  ship- 
ping of  cars  was  resumed. 

The  company  continued  the  manufacture  of  the  one  cylinder  cars 
for  some  five  years  and  produced  in  all  about  20,000  of  that  type.  In 
the  meantime,  however,  in  1905,  the  company  placed  its  first  four 
cylinder  model  on  the  market. 

By  this  time  the  interests  of  the  then  Cadillac  Automobile  Company 
and  the  Leland  and  Faulconer  Manufacturing  Company  had  become  so 
closely  identified  that  a  consolidation  of  the  two  was  effected  under  the 
name  of  the  Cadillac  Motor  Car  Company,  and  the  general  manage- 
ment of  the  new  organization  was  assumed  by  Mr.  Henry  M.  Leland,  in 
which  he  was  most  ably  assisted  by  his  son,  Wilfred  C.  Leland,  who  was 
elected  secretary. 

In  1906  a  new  model  was  added  to  the  line,  and  another  in  1907. 
While  the  Cadillac  Company  had  always  been  recognized  as  one  of  the 
largest  producers  both  as  to  quantity  of  cars  and  volume  of  business,  the 
fall  of  1908  marked  the  beginning  of  a  new  era,  in  their  career.  At 
that  time  a  sensation  was  created  in  automobile  circles  by  the  announce- 
ment of  a  new  car,  the  Cadillac  ** Thirty''  to  be  sold  at  $1,400,  a  hither- 
to unheard  of  price  for  a  car  of  its  type,  size  and  power,  and  some 
7,000  of  the  cars  were  made  and  marketed.  For  1910  the  car  was  en- 
larged all  around  and  refined,  several  additions  made  to  the  equipment, 
and  exactly  8,000  were  manufactured  and  sold  at  $1,600, 

For  1911  the  car  was  still  further  enlarged  and  refined  and  prepar- 
ations made  for  the  manufacture  of  11,000  at  a  price  of  $1,700  for  the 
standard  model. 

In  March  of  1911  the  Cadillac  Company  recorded  its  largest  business 
having  shipped  and  received  payment  for  1912  cars  during  that  month, 
amounting  to,  including  extra  equipment  sold  with  the  cars,  approx- 
imately two  and  one  half  millions  of  dollars.  The  largest  shipment  in 
a  single  day  was  141  cars. 

The  personnel  and  management  of  the  active  organization  of  the  Cad- 
illac Company  is,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  minor  changes,  much  the 
same  today  as  for  a  number  of  years.  About  July  1,  1909,  however,  Mr. 
Wilfred  C.  Leland  assumed  the  general  managership  of  the  company  to 
succeed  Mr.  Henry  M.  Leland,  who  is  still  actively  associated  with  the 
company  in  an  executive  and  advisory  capacity. 


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1068  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

The  history  of  the  Cadillac  is  one  continuous  round  of  success  and 
its  cars  are  found  in  practically  every  country  of  the  globe. 

John  R.  Stirling.  In  the  death  of  John  R.  Stirling,  which  occurred 
at  his  home  at  No.  73  Ledyard  street,  April  14,  1912,  the  city  of  Detroit 
lost  a  man  who  assisted  in  forming  the  policies  by  which  many  great 
ventures  were  governed,  one  whose  years  were  spent  in  orderly  and 
abundant  work,  m  the  acquiring  of  wealth  and  the  sane  enjoyment 
thereof,  and  m  securing  and  preserving  the  good  will  and  esteem  of  all 
Mr.  Stirlmg  lived  an  active  life  that  gained  him  prominence  in  many 
ways  and  was  indefatigable  in  his  services  to  his  community,  his  friends 
and  his  family,  although  it  is  probable  that  he  was  best  kiown  and  his 
worth  most  fully  appreciated  in  theatrical  circles  and  as  the  owner  of 
one  of  Detroit's  finest  hotels.  He  was  born  at  St.  Joseph's  Island, 
Canada,  June  16,  1851,  a  son  of  John  and  Agnes  Stirling,  and  was  two 
years  of  age  when  brought  to  Detroit  by  his  parents,  who  settled  in  a 
cottage  where  the  Lyceum  Theatre  now  stands,  that  entire  block  at  the 
time  being  known  as  the  Brush  Gardens.  He  secured  a  public  school 
education,  and  was  graduated  from  the  Cass-Union  school  in  1865,  and 
after  a  course  at  the  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business  College  entered  his 
father's  employ  in  a  clerical  capacity,  the  senior  Stirling  being  repre- 
sentative for  the  forwarding  and  commission  firm  of  Henry  J.  Buckley 
&  Company,  at  the  foot  of  First  street.  Three  years  later  Mr.  Stirling 
drifted  into  the  theatrical  business,  for  which  he  had  much  natural  tal- 
ent, and  for  some  years  had  experience  in  both  black  and  white-face 
business,  but  at  the  request  of  his  parents,  who  did  not  look  with  favor 
upon  the  stage  as  a  vocation,  he  returned  to  Detroit  and  studied  law  with 
the  firm  of  Wisner  &  Speed,  being  admitted  to  the  bar  by  the  supreme 
court  of  Michigan  in  April,  1879.  This  business,  however,  did  not 
appeal  to  the  young  man,  and  he  subsequently  became  a  tenor  with  the 
Holman  English  Opera  Company,  later  becoming  one  of  the  managers 
of  the  Acme  Opera  Company. 

Mr.  Stirling's  father  had  been  the  first  secretary  of  the  board  of  park 
commissioners,  and  when  he  died  the  son  was  appointed  to  succeed  him, 
holding  the  position  until  his  resignation  in  1892  to  become  secretary 
of  the  Citizens'  Street  Railway,  now  the  Detroit  United  Railway.  He 
remained  until  the  sale  of  that  company,  when  he  again  entered  the 
theatrical  business,  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Whitney,  Stair  &  Stirl- 
ing, proprietors  of  the  Star,  Teck  and  Academy  Theatres  in  Buffalo, 
and  was  resident  manager  for  ten  years,  when  he  came  back  to  Detroit. 
It  was  during  his  membership  in  this  firm  that  he  became  manager  for 
Sis  Hopkins  (Rose  Melville),  and  their  highly  successful  partnership 
continued  for  a  period  of  thirteen  years.  A  few  years  prior  to  his 
death,  Mr.  Stirling  became  proprietor  of  the  Hotel  St.  Claire,  being  as- 
sisted in  its  management  by  his  eldest  sons.  He  was  one  of  the  founders 
and  first  secretary  of  the  Detroit  Lodge  of  Elks,  afterwards  serving  as 
exalted  ruler  for  two  terms,  and  was  also  connected  with  Detroit  Lodge, 
No.  2,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Peninsular  Chapter,  Detroit  Commandery  and  Mystic 
Shrine  of  Masonry.  His  funeral  was  conducted  by  the  Knights  Temp- 
lar, and  he  was  laid  to  rest  in  beautiful  Woodlawn  cemetery.  Men  of 
Mr.* Sterling's  worth  are  all  too  rare.  Every  form  of  wise  charity  had 
his  practical  support,  his  every  act  was  actuated  by  public-spirit,  and 
his  good  judgment  and  high  purpose  in  life  may  well  serve  as  examples 
to  be  emulated. 

In  January,  1880,  Mr.  Stirling  was  united  in  marriage  to  Carrie  Lil- 
lian Bateman,  a  resident  of  Detroit,  but  a  native  of  Adrian,  Michigan, 
and  they  had  three  sons:  John  M.  and  Robert  B.,  who  are  conducting 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1069 

the  hotel  business;  and  Dr.  Alex  M.,  one  of  Detroit's  well  known  young 
practicing  physicians  and  surgeons. 

Edward  S.  Snow,  M.  D.  The  late  Dr.  Edward  Sparrow  Snow,  who 
died  at  his  home  in  the  village  of  Dearborn,  on  the  18th  of  July,  1892, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  was  long  numbered  among  the  leading 
representatives  of  the  medical  profession  in  Wayne  county,  and  was  one 
of  its  old  and  honored  practitioners  at  the  time  of  his  demise.  In  his 
exacting  calling  he  labored  with  all  of  ability  and  self-abnegation  in  the 
alleviation  of  human  suflfering,  and  his  name  is  revered  in  the  many 
families  to  whom  he  ministered.  He  maintained  an  office  in  Detroit  and 
controlled  a  large  and  representative  practice  in  the  community  in  which 
he  lived,  the  village  of  Dearborn  being  now  virtually  a  suburb  of  the 
Michigan  metropolis.  He  was  a  man  who  wielded  much  influence  in  con- 
nection with  the  civic  and  industrial  development  and  upbuilding  of 
Wayne  county  and  as  a  citizen  he  was  ever  loyal,  progressive  and  public- 
spirited.  His  life  was  ordered  upon  a  lofty  plane  of  integrity  and 
honor,  was  characterized  by  broad  humanitarian  spirit  and  human  help- 
fulness, as  well  as  by  high  intellectual  and  professional  attainments,  and 
no  citizen  held  more  secure  place  in  popular  confidence  and  esteem.  His 
ability  and  productive  energy  led  him  into  various  fields  of  enterprise 
aside  from  the  work  of  his  exacting  profession  and  he  achieved  large 
and  worthy  success,  which  he  scorned  to  gain  by  any  save  honorable 
means.  He  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  village  of  Dearborn, 
which  is  located  about  ten  miles  from  Detroit,  and  was  a  prominent 
factor  in  the  development  of  that  section  of  the  county,  where  he  con- 
tinued to  reside  until  he  was  called  from  the  scene  of  life's  mortal  en- 
deavors, in  the  fulness  of  years  and  well  earned  honors. 

Dr.  Edward  Sparrow  Snow  was  born  at  Austinburg,  Ashtabula 
county,  Ohio,  on  the  5th  of  July,  1820,  and  this  date  bears  evidence  of 
the  fact  that  his  parents.  Sparrow  and  Clara  (Kjieeland)  Snow,  were 
numbered  among  the  pioneers  of  the  historic  old  Western  Reserve.  They 
were  also  representatives  of  families,  of  English  extraction,  that  were 
founded  in  New  England  in  the  colonial  days,  and  both  were  natives  of 
the  state  of  Massachusetts,  where  the  Kneeland  family  was  long  one  of 
special  prominence  and  influence.  Sparrow  Snow  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  his  native  state  and  removed  to  Ohio  in  the  second  decade  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  becoming  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Ashtabula 
county,  where  he  reclaimed  a  farm  and  also  became  interested  in  other 
lines  of  enterprise.  He  was  a  citizen  of  sterling  character  and  marked 
ability  and  was  an  influential  figure  in  connection  with  industrial  and 
civic  activities  in  Ashtabula  county,  where  both  he  and  his  wife  con- 
tinued to  reside  until  their  death. 

Dr.  Edward  S.  Snow  was  indebted  to  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  county  Tor  his  early  educational  discipline  and  his  ambition  to 
secure  a  liberal  education  was  not  denied  fulfillment.  His  parents  gave 
him  all  the  assistance  in  their  power  and  through  his  own  exertions  he  • 
finally  was  enabled  to  prepare  himself  thoroughly  for  the  profession  in 
which  he  was  destined  to  gain  so  marked  success  and  prestige.  After 
duly  availing  himself  of  the  advantages  of  the  pioneer  schools  he  con- 
tinued his  studies  in  Grand  River  Institute,  an  excellent  academic  in- 
stitution at  Austinburg,  Ohio,  in  which  he  was  graduated  as  a  member 
of  the  class  of  1842.  Thereafter  he  devoted  his  attention  for  some  time 
to  teaching  in  the  common  schools  of  Palmyra  and  Jackson,  Ohio,  and 
finally  he  began  reading  medicine  under  the  able  preceptorship  of  Dr. 
0.  K.  Hawley,  of  Austinburg,  one  of  the  leading  physicians  and  sur- 
geons of  Ashtabula  county.  In  further  prosecution  of  his  technical 
studies  he  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  famous  old  Western 


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1070  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

Reserve  University,  in  which  he  was  graduated  in  1847  and  from  which 
he  received  his  well  earned  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  In  the  same 
year  he  came  to  Michigan  and  located  at  Dearborn,  where  he  continued 
in  the  work  of  his  profession  until  the  time  of  his  death,  ever  keeping 
in  touch  with  the  advances  made  in  both  medicine  and  surgery  and  min- 
istering with  all  of  devotion  to  those  who  were  in  need  of  his  services. 
He  was  more  than  a  mere  purveyor  of  pills  and  powders.  He  was  a 
true  friend,  a  dispenser  of  good  cheer,  a  safe  and  wise  counselor  in  all 
matters  affecting  the  happiness  and  welfare  of  the  family  and'  the  com- 
munity. His  calling  was  to  him  something  more  than  a  cold-blooded 
science,  without  soul,  heart  or  sympathy.  It  had  to  do  with  mind  as 
well  as  matter,  with  mental  as  well  as  physical  conditions.  Professional 
ethics  and  ideals  were  sedulously  inculcated  at  the  school  in  which  he 
received  his  training  and  personal  honor  was  held  to  be  of  prime  im- 
portance in  the  equipment  for  professional  work.  This  personal  honor 
and  this  high  sense  of  stewardship  were  chief  endowments  of  Dr.  Snow 
and  were  made  manifest  in  all  his  intercourse  with  his  fellow  men.  His 
entrance  to  the  sick  chamber  was  like  the  coming  of  a  gleam  of  sunshine, 
and  his  words  of  encouragement  and  sympathy  were  powerful  aid  to 
nature  in  restoring  normal  healthful  conditions.  His  dominating  pur- 
pose was  to  alleviate  suffering  and  distress,  and  his  reward  was  based 
upon  honest  and  conscientious  service.  Where  there  was  poverty  or  in- 
ability to  pay,  he  found  his  reward  in  the  consciousness  of  professional 
duty  willingly  performed.  Under  these  conditions  can  it  be  wondered 
that  the  memory  of  the  noble  man  and  excellent  physician  is  held  in 
reverence  in  the  community  in  which  he  so  long  lived  and  labored? 
Honesty  of  purpose,  gentleness,  chivalry,  charity  and  good  cheer  were 
dominating  characteristics  of  Dr.  Snow,  and  the  world  is  better  for  his 
having  lived. 

During  the  early  years  of  his  residence  at  Dearborn  Dr.  Snow  took 
great  interest  in  military  affairs,  as  had  he  previously  in  Ohio,  where 
he  had  served  as  adjutant  of  the  First  Rifle  Regiment  of  the  Second 
Brigade  of  the  state  militia.  After  coming  to  Dearborn  he  was 
appointed  assistant  surgeon  of  the  Detroit  arsenal,  which 'was  located 
at  Dearborn,  and  he  continued  the  incumbent  of  this  position  for  some 
time.  A  short  time  after  his  initial  retirement  he  was  reappointed  by 
Jefferson  Davis,  who  was  the  secretary  of  war  of  the  United  States,  and 
he  continued  in  service  as  assistant  surgeon  until  1879,  his  duties  having 
been  specially  onerous  during  the  climacteric  period  of  the  Civil  war.  In 
the  year  mentioned  the  arsenal  at  Dearborn  was  abolished  by  the  govern- 
ment, and  thereafter  the  Doctor  gave  his  undivided  attention  to  his 
large  and  representative  private  practice.  He  was  a  prominent  and 
valued  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  the  Michigan 
Medical  Society,  and  the  American  Medical  Association,  and  he  attended 
a  number  of  the  conventions  of  the  last  mentioned  organization, — at 
Cleveland,  Baltimore,  Washington,  Buffalo,  New  York  City,  Louisville 
'and  other  places.  In  1876  he  was  elected  an  honorary  member  of  the 
alumni  association  of  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Mich- 
igan, as  he  had  shown  great  interest  in  furthering  the  success  of  this 
important  department  of  the  great  institution. 

Dr.  Snow  manifested  a  specially  vital  and  helpful  interest  in  all  that 
touched  the  welfare  of  his  home  village  and  was  a  valued  factor  in  con- 
nection with  its  business,  public  and  social  activities.  He  served  for 
some  time  as  president  of  the  Dearborn  Literary  Society,  to  which  oflSce 
he  was  elected  in  1874,  and  he  did  all  in  his  power  to  foster  educational 
interests  in  the  village,  county  and  state.  Dr.  Snow  allied  himself  with 
the  Republican  party  at  the  time  of  its  organization  and  ever  afterward 
gave  a  staunch  allegiance  to  its  cause,  though  in  local  affairs,  where  no 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1071 

generic  issues  were  involved,  he  gave  his  support  to  men  and  measures 
meeting  the  approval  of  his  judgment,  without  regard  to  strict  partisan 
lines.  In  the  spring  of  1860  he  removed  with  his  family  into  the  fine 
brick  residence  which  he  had  erected  and  in  which  his  widow  still  main- 
tains her  home,  the  place  being  endeared  to  her  by  the  gracious  associa- 
tions and  hallowed  memories  of  many  years.  The  Doctor,  by  successive 
purchases  of  land  in  Dearborn  township,  ultimately  became  the  owner 
of  a  fine  farm  of  about  three  hundred  acres,  and  he  found  great  satis- 
faction in  supervising  the  improvement  and  general  affairs  of  this  estate, 
on  which  he  erected  several  small  dwellings  for  the  families  of  the  men 
whom  he  employed  to  direct  its  work.  He  made  a  specialty  of  raising 
high-grade  live  stock  and  his  sales  of  stock  reached  as  high  an  aggregate 
as  several  thousand  dollars  in  a  single  year.  The  Doctor  was  an  attend- 
ant of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  of  which  his  widow  is  a  member, 
and  they  were  liberal  supporters  of  the  work  of  the  local  parish  of  this 
church,  with  which  Mrs.  Snow  is  still  actively  identified,  though  now 
venerable  in  years.  Dr.  Snow  made  many  judicious  investments  in  real 
estate,  including  a  large  tract  of  land  which  is  now  known  as  Snow's 
subdivision  of  the  city  of  Detroit.  He  was  a  man  of  broad  views  and 
mature  judgment  and  through  his  well  directed  efforts  he  acquired  a 
substantial  competency, — the  just  reward  of  years  of  earnest  and  faith- 
ful endeavor.  When  he  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal  the  entire 
community  manifested  a  deep  sense  of  personal  loss  and  bereavement, 
for  no  citizen  of  Dearborn  had  been  better  known  or  more  uniformly 
loved  and  esteemed.  The  remains  of  Dr.  Snow  rest  in  beautiful  North- 
view  cemetery  at  Dearborn,  where  a  stately  monument  has  been  erected 
as  a  memorial,  but  his  best  monument  is  that  of  his  worthy  life  and 
kindly  deeds. 

In  his  native  town  in  Ohio,  on  the  22d  of  October,  1851,  was  solemn- 
ized the  marriage  of  Dr.  Snow  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Austin,  who  was  there 
born  and  reared  and  who  is  a  daughter  of  Lucius  Montgomery  Austin 
and  Melissa  (Whiting)  Austin,  both  born  in  Connecticut.  The  town 
of  Austinburg,  Ashtabula  county,  Ohio,  was  founded  by  Mrs.  Snow's 
great-uncle,  Judge  Eliphalet  Austin.  Mrs.  Snow,  a  woman  of  most 
gracious  personality,  proved  a  devoted  companion  and  helpmeet  to  her 
honored  husband  and  is  held  in  affectionate  regard  in  the  community 
that  has  so  long  been  her  home.  In  conclusion  of  this  brief  memoir  is 
entered  brief  record  concerning  the  children  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Snow : 

Herbert  Montgomery  Snow,  who  was  bom  on  the  26th  of  July,  1858, 
attended  the  Grand  River  Institute  at  Austinburg,  Ohio,  and  later 
graduated  from  the  Detroit  high  school.  He  then  entered  the  law  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  Michigan,  in  which  he  was  graduated  as 
a  member  of  the  class  of  1883.  Thereafter  he  was  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  in  Detroit  for  a  short  time,  and  he  then  engaged 
in  the  real-estate  business,  in  which  he  gave  major  attention  to  the  man- 
agement of  the  land  which  his  father  had  purchased  in  that  city,  with 
an  office  in  the  Hammond  Building.  He  platted  the  subdivision  prev- 
iously noted  and  continued  to  be  actively  identified  with  the  real  estate 
business  until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  27th  of  October,  1897. 
In  the  meanwhile  he  continued  to  reside  at  Dearborn  and  was  an  influ- 
ential factor  in  public  affairs  of  a  local  order.  He  was  a  most  earnest 
and  consistent  churchman  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  and  at 
the  time  of  his  demise  was  treasurer  and  a  member  of  the  vestry  of  the 
parish  of  this  church  in  Dearborn.  He  was  a  staunch  Republican  in 
politics  but  the  only  public  office  in  which  he  consented  to  serve  was  that 
of  school  inspector.  He  was  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  fraternity  and 
held  membership  in  various  social  organizations  of  representative  char- 
acter.   On  the  12th  of  September,  1883,  at  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  Her- 


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1072  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

bert  M.  Snow  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  L.  Martyn,  daughter 
of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Dark)  Martyn,  of  that  city,  and  she  survives  her 
husband,  as  do  also  their  three  children, — Harry  A.,  who  is  a  graduate 
of  the  University  of  Michigan ;  Clara  L.,  who  was  graduated  in  the  same 
institution ;  and  Gertrude,  who  was  graduated  in  the  Detroit  high  school. 
Edward  Auchmuty  Snow,  the  younger  of  the  two  children  of  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Snow,  was  born  on  the  9th  of  March,  1863,  and  passed  to  the  life 
eternal  on  the  8th  of  September,  1884,  shortly  after  attaining  to  his 
legal  majority.  He  had  attended  Grand  River  Institute  and  at  the  time 
of  his  death  was  studying  medicine  under  the  preceptorship  of  his 
father,  to  whom  the  death  of  the  son  was  a  most  severe  blow.  The  beau- 
tiful old  family  homestead  in  Dearborn  has  long  been  known  as  a  center 
of  most  gracious  and  refined  hospitality  and  it  has  been  the  stage  of 
many  of  the  principal  social  events  of  the  community. 

Jasper  Calvd^  Gates,  a  lawyer,  was  bom  at  Pleasantville,  PennsyL 
vania,  March  23,  1850,  the  son  of  the  Rev.  Aaron  and  Amanda  M. 
(Cross)  Gates.  He  is  a  direct  descendant  of  Sir  Thomas  Gates,  gov- 
ernor of  Virginia  from  1609  to  1618.  He  is  also  a  descendant  of 
Governor  Bradford,  governor  of  Plymouth  Colony  for  thirty-seven 
years.  All  of  his  ancestors  were  in  America  before  1660,  and  he  has 
proved  seven  of  his  ancestors  who  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 
The  paternal  grandfather  was  Aaron  Gates  who  served  as  Captain  in 
the  War  of  1812. 

Rev.  Aaron  Gates,  the  father  of  the  subject,  was  born  in  Warrens- 
burg,  New  York,  was  educated  at  what  is  now  Colgate  University,  New 
York,  and  became  a  Baptist  minister.  The  mother  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  bom  at  Georgetown,  New  York,  the  daughter  of  Calvin 
Cross,  a  soldier  of  the  War  of  1812.  The  grea^grandfather  was  Uriah 
Cross,  who  was  a  double  second  cousin  of  Ethan  Allen  and  served  in  the 
Green  Mountain  Boy  Regiment  during  the  Revolutionary  war.  The 
original  name  of  the  family  of  the  mother  of  our  subject  was  De  la  Croix 
and  they  were  French  Huguenots. 

Jasper  C.  Gates,  who  has  become  one  of  the  most  successful  lawyers 
of  the  Detroit  bar,  was  educated  in  the  Pleasantville,  Pennsylvania, 
Academy  and  was  graduated  at  Union  College,  Schenectady,  New  York, 
with  the  degree  of  C.  E.  in  1872,  and  received  the  degree  of  A.  B.  in 
1873,  and  in  1893  the  honorary  degree  of  A.  M.  was  conferred  upon 
him.  In  1874  he  graduated  from  the  Albany  (N.  Y.)  Law  School,  with 
the  degree  of  LL.  B.  Coming  to  Michigan  in  1875,  he  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  the  law  at  Kalamazoo.  In  1876  he  came  to  Detroit  and  be- 
came a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Frazer  and  Gates,  which  firm  con- 
tinued until  1895.  He  became  a  professor  in  the  Detroit  College  of  Law 
in  1893,  lecturing  on  Evidence,  Real  Property,  Trusts,  Landlord  and 
Tenant,  Domestic  Relations,  Partnerships  and  Agency.  He  proposed  leg- 
islative bills  which  became  laws  with  slight  amendments,  as  follows: 
1891 — Civil  Service  examination  of  prospective  jurors  of  the  Wayne 
circuit  court,  limiting  appeals  from  justice  courts  in  Wayne  County, 
caucus  law  for  Detroit ;  1903 — Primary  Election  Law  for  Wayne  county. 

Mr.  Gates  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce;  of  the 
Executive  Committee  of  the  Detroit  Municipal  League;  was  President 
of  the  Detroit  Baptist  Union  for  ten  years.  He  was  also  President 
the  Michigan  Baptist  Convention  in  1909-1910.  He  married  Lulu 
Foster,  daughter  of  Colonel  John  Foster,  of  Kalamazoo.  She  is  de- 
scended from  Edward  Foster,  a  lawyer  who  came  over  to  the  Plymouth 
colony  in  1635. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1073 

Abram  W.  Sempliner.  Like  many  another  ambitious  young  man, 
Abram  W.  Sempliner,  born  at  Bay  City,  October  15,  1881,  gravitated 
to  Detroit  as  the  centre  of  legal  activity  of  the  state,  and  casting  his 
fortunes  with  the  City  of  the  Straits,  has  more  than  made  good,  occupy- 
ing a  prominent  position  in  the  estimation  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

The  son  of  William  and  Hedwig  (Alexander)  Sempliner,  he  was 
reared  and  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Bay  City. 
Graduating  from  these,  he  passed  through  high  school  and  then  went  to 
Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  where  he  entered  the  law  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan  and  where  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  '02, 
degree  of  LL.B.  In  1902  he  came  to  Detroit  and  entered  the  law  office 
of  Alexander  J.  Groesbeck,  where  he  has  since  continued,  although  en- 
gaged in  the  general  practice  of  the  law  for  himself. 

On  June  26,  1907,  Mr.  Sempliner  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Ida  M.  Tippling,  of  Detroit,  the  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Ann  Tippling. 
•  To  this  union  one  son  has  been  bom,  William  Myron  Sempliner. 

Mr.  Sempliner 's  father  was  a  native  of  Hungary,  and  his  mother 
was  born  at  New  York  City.  The  elder  Mr.  Sempliner  located  in  Bay 
City  in  1865  and  for  thirty-five  years  was  engaged  in  maintaining  a 
general  merchandise  store  in  that  city. 

Edward  J.  Kendall,  M.  D.  The  neighboring  province  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  has  contributed  a  most  liberal  and  valued  element  to  the  citizen- 
ship of  the  Michigan  metropolis,  and  among  those  of  Canadian  birth 
who  now  occupy  secure  place  in  connection  with  the  varied  activities 
of  Detroit  stands  Dr.  Kendall,  who  is  one  of  the  representative  phy- 
sicians and  surgeons  of  the  city. 

Dr.  Edward  James  Kendall  was  born  in  the  town  of  Welland,  On- 
tario, the  judicial  center  of  the  county  of  the  same  name,  on  January  20, 
1861.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  Ann  (Badger)  Kendall,  both  of 
whom  were  bom  and  reared  in  England,  whence  they  came  to  the  prov- 
ince of  Ontario,  Canada,  about  the  year  1856,  their  marriage  having 
been  solemnized  at  St.  Catherines,  that  province.  The  father  was  a  tal- 
ented artist  and  decorator  and  as  such  he  found  employment  for  his 
abilities  during  the  greater  part  of  his  active  career.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  continued  to  reside  in  the  province  of  Ontario  until  death.  Both 
were  zealous  communicants  of  the  Church  of  England,  in  whose  faith 
they  reared  their  children,  of  whom  one  son  and  one  daughter  are  now 
living. 

Dr.  Kendall  was  a  child  at  the  time  of  the  family  removal  to  Niagara 
Falls,  Ontario,  at  which  place  he  attended  the  common  and  high  schools. 
He  then  entered  the  Ontario  College  of  Pharmacy,  at  Toronto,  in  which 
he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1881,  after  which  he 
had  the  management  of  a  drug  store  in  the  city  of  Rochester,  New  York, 
for  a  time.  He  finally  engaged  in  the  same  line  of  business  on  his  own 
responsibility  and  continued  his  residence  in  Rochester  until  he  had 
formulated  plans  for  entering  the  medical  profession,  for  which  his 
pharmaceutical  training  had  given  him  valuable  discipline  in  a  prelim- 
inary way.  He  had  closely  studied  the  pharmacopeia  and  had  become 
especially  well  informed  in  materia  medica  and  therapeutics.  He  early 
became  impressed  with  the  Homeopathic  school  of  medicine,  and  his 
later  success  and  prestige  have  amply  justified  his  choice  of  the  same  as 
his  sphere  of  earnest  and  effective  endeavor.  He  entered  the  Hahne- 
mann Homeopathic  Medical  College  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  in  which 
admirable  institution  he  completed  the  prescribed  course  with  high 
honors.  He  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1895  and  duly 
received  his  well  earned  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  The  same  year 
he  established  his  home  in  Detroit,  and  here  he  has  since  continued  in 


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1074  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

the  active  general  practice  of  his  profession,  in  which  he  has  gained 
precedence  as  one  of  the  leading  representatives  and  exponents  of 
Homeopathy,  the  while  his  clientage  is  of  extensive  and  representative 
character.  From  1898  to  1901  Dr.  Kendall  gave  most  eflfective  and  dis- 
criminating service  as  inspector  for  the  city  board  of  health,  and  his 
devotion  to  his  profession  has  not  been  shown  alone  in  his  private  prac- 
tice, for  he  has  become  a  valued  factor  in  its  educational  work,  as  a 
member  of  the  faculty  of  the  Detroit  Homeopathic  College  of  Medicine, 
in  which  he  holds  the  chair  of  materia  medica.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  medical  staff  of  Grace  Hospital.  His  study  of  the  best  in  the  stand- 
ard and  periodical  literature  of  his  profession  has  been  carried  to  the 
ultimate  bounds,  his  contributions  to  the  same  have  been  many  and  val- 
uable, and  his  original  research  and  investigation  have  done  much  to 
further  the  progress  of  his  school  of  practice.  A  man  of  fine  person- 
ality and  unfailing  courtesy,  he  has  gained  the  high  regard  of  his  pro- 
fessional confreres  and  a  secure  place  in  popular  confidence  and  esteem  ' 
in  the  community  which  is  his  home.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Inter- 
national Hahnemannian  Association,  the  American  Institute  of  Home- 
opathy, the  Michigan  State  Homeopathic  Medical  Society,  and  the 
Detroit  Practitioners'  Society,  of  which  last  mentioned  he  served  several 
years  as  secretary  and  one  year  as  president.  Convinced  of  the  legit- 
imacy and  great  superiority  of  the  Homeopathic  system  of  medication, 
which  serves  primarily  to  ''remove  or  annihilate  disease  in  its  whole 
extent  in  the  shortest,  most  reliable  and  most  harmless  way  on  easily 
comprehensible  principles  rather  than  to  produce  physiological  reac- 
tions by  the  use  of  heavy  drug-dosage,"  Dr.  Kendall  holds  closely  to  the 
best  teachings  of  his  school  and  his  personal  success  in  practice  offers 
the  strongest  argument  in  favor  of  the  system.  He  has  one  of  the  finest 
private  Homeopathic  and  general  medical  libraries  in  the  state,  and  the 
same  includes  many  rare  books  long  since  out  of  print.  He  has  effectu- 
ally covered  the  entire  domain  of  Homeopathy  and  is  one  of  its  leading 
exponents  in  Michigan. 

Loyal  and  progressive  as  a  citizen,  Dr.  Kendall  has  shown  a  lively 
interest  in  public  affairs  of  a  local  order.  He  is  affiliated  with  Ashlar 
Lodge,  No.  91,  Free  &  Accepted  Masons,  and  with  Wayne  Lodge,  No 
104,  Knights  of  Pythias. 

In  Detroit,  on  the  29th  of  April,  1908,  Dr.  Kendall  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Mrs.  Marjorie  B.  Austin,  daughter  of  Richard  Hart. 

Glenn  E.  ^Macklem,  M.  D.  Distinctively  eligible  for  recognition  in 
this  publication  as  one  of  the  representative  younger  members  of  the 
medical  profession  in  his  native  city.  Dr.  Glenn  Edrie  Macklem  is  a 
scion  of  a  family  whose  name  has  been  identified  with  the  civic  and  bus- 
iness interests  of  Detroit  for  more  than  half  a  century.  He  was  born 
in  this  city  on  the  27th  day  of  May,  1883,  and  is  a  son  of  Stephen  B. 
and  Ella  T.  (Pursell)  Macklem,  the  former  of  whom  was  bom  at  Ham- 
ilton, province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  and  the  latter  at  Waterford,.  that 
province.  Stephen  B.  Macklem  was  a  lad  of  about  fifteen  years  at  the 
time  of  the  faniily  removal  to  Detroit,  where  his  father,  John  Macklem, 
became  a  prosperous  business  man  and  passed  the  residue  of  his  life. 
Here  the  son  was  reared  to  maturity  and  here  he  has  continuously  main- 
tained his  home  since  the  later  '60s.  He  was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
leading  representatives  of  the  real-estate  and  insurance  business  in 
Detroit,  and  he  is  now  living  virtually  retired,  after  years  of  earnest  and 
fruitful  endeavor.  He  has,  through  his  business  operations  in  past 
years,  contributed  much  to  the  upbuilding  and  progress  of  the  Michigan 
metropolis,  and  he  has  ever  commanded  sftcure  vantage  ground  in  the 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  ^  1075 

confidence  and  esteem  of  the  community  that  has  so  long  represented  his 
home.  He  is  a  liberal  and  public-spirited  citizen,  is  a  staunch  Repub- 
lican in  his  political  proclivities,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  hold  member- 
ship in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

The  unrivaled  public  schools  of  Detroit  afforded  Dr.  Macklem  his 
early  educational  advantages  and  he  was  graduated  in  the  Central  high 
school  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1897.  In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year 
he  was  matriculated  in  the  academic  or  literary  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan,  in  which  great  institution  he  was  graduated  in 
1901,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  In  preparation  for  the  work 
of  his  chosen  profession  Dr.  Macklem  did  not  avail  himself  of  the 
advantages  of  the  institutions  of  his  native  state,  but  entered  the  med- 
ical department  of  the  University  of  Louisville,  Kentucky, — a  depart- 
ment whose  facilities  and  curriculum  are  of  the  highest  standard,  and 
in  the  same  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1905,  with 
the  well  earned  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  served  as  House 
Sui^eon  of  the  Louisville  city  hospital  in  1905-6  and  then  returned  to 
Detroit,  where  he  gained  further  and  most  valuable  clinical  experience 
in  the  oflSce  of  house  surgeon  of  Grace  Hospital,  an  incumbency  which 
he  retained  during  1907-8.  He  is  now  a  member  of  the  visiting  staff  of 
this  noble  institution  and  also  that  of  Providence  Hospital.  In  the 
meanwhile  he  had  established  a  sucessful  private  practice  and  early  in 
the  year  1912  he  showed  his  professional  progressiveness  and  civic  enter- 
prise by  opening  the  private  institution  known  as  the  Convalescent 
Hospital.  This  institution  has  the  best  equipment  throughout,  with 
modem  sanitary  provisions  and  other  accessories,  and  it  can  not  but 
prove  a  most  valuable  addition  to  the  list  of  hospitals  in  the  Michigan 
metropolis,  the  while  it  can  claim  many  special  advantages  and  facil- 
ities not  known  in  the  general  hospitals  of  public  order.  Of  this  new 
institution  Dr.  Macklem  has  direct  supervision  and  is  Surgeon  in  Chief. 
He  is  specializing  in  Abdominal  Surgery  and  Diseases  of  Children,  and 
in  his  hospital  will  give  particular  attention  to  the  treatment  of  abdom- 
inal disorders.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  Association, 
the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society 
and  the  Phi  Chi  medical  fraternity.  In  politics  the  doctor  is  aligned 
as  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  cause  of  the  Republican  party  and  in  his 
native  city  he  is  identified  with  various  representative  fraternal  and 
social  organizations,  besides  which  he  is  a  member  of  the  alumni  asso- 
ciation of  the  University  of  Michigan  and  that  of  the  University  of 
Louisville.  The  church  relations  of  himself  and  his  wife  are  with  the 
Methodist  denomination. 

On  the  31st  of  October,  1908,  Dr.  Macklem  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Charlotte  Cora  Pohl,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Detroit,  where 
her  father,  Frederick  B.  Pohl,  is  a  representative  business  man.  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Macklem  have  a  winsome  little  daughter,  Olive  Virginia. 

David  J.  Levy,  M.  D.  The  beautiful  city  of  Kalamazoo,  Michigan, 
figures  as  the  native  place  of  this  alert  and  representative  young  phy- 
sician of  Detroit,  and  he  is  known  for  his  fine  general  scholarship  as 
well  as  for  marked  professional  attainments.  Dr.  Levy  was  born  on  the 
8th  of  February,  1881,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Alice  (Desenberg) 
Levy,  the  former  of  whom  was  bom  in  Alsace-Lorraine,  Germany,  and 
the  latter  in  Davenport,  Iowa.  The  father  was  a  representative  business 
man  of  Kalamazoo,  and  there  both  he  and  his  wife  continued  to  reside 
until  their  death. 

Dr.  Levy  made  good  use  of  the  advantages  afforded  him  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  city,  where  he  was  graduated  in  the  high  school  as 
a  member  of  the  class  of  1898.    Thereafter  he  continued  his  studies  for 


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1076  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

one  year  in  Kalamazoo  College,  after  which  he  was  matriculated  in  the 
literary  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  in  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1902  and  from  which  he  received  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  Arts.  In  1903  he  held  a  scholarship  in  Rockefeller  Institute  of  Med- 
ical Research,  under  Professor  Novy,  at  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan.  During 
the  ensuing  two  years  he  was  assistant  in  bacteriology  in  the  University 
of  Michigan,  and  in  the  medical  department  of  this  great  institution  he 
was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1906,  with  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  later  did  effective  post-graduate  and  original 
research  work  in  leading  institutions  of  Boston,  and  New  York  City.  In 
1907  he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Kalamazoo,  Michigan, 
and  he  served  two  years  as  health  officer  of  his  native  city.  In  1910  the 
Doctor  went  to  Europe,  where  he  served  as  volunteer  assistant  to  Profes- 
sor Finkelstein,  of  the  Municipal  Infants'  Hospital  in  the  city  of  Berlin, 
and  to  Professor  Schlesinger,  of  the  General  Hospital  in  Vienna.  His 
experience  in  this  association  with  these  renowned  German  scientists 
and  physicians  was  of  inestimable  value  to  him,  and  it  may  readily  be 
understood  that  he  brings  to  the  work  of  his  profession  a  specially  fine 
training  and  a  well  disciplined  mind. 

In  March,  1911,  Dr.  Levy  established  his  residence  in  Detroit,  and 
here  he  is  meeting  with  gratifying  success,  the  while  he  confines  his  at- 
tention to  intemaJ  medicine  and  the  treatment  of  the  diseases  of  chil- 
dren. He  is  pediatrician  to  the  United  Jewish  Charities  of  Detroit,  to 
the  dispensary  of  the  Franklin  Street  Settlement,  a  social  center,  and  to 
the  Salvation  Army.  The  Doctor  is  identified  with  the  American  Medical 
Association,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  in  which  organization 
he  is  secretary  of  the  medical  section,  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society 
and  with  the  Detroit  Society  of  Neurology  and  Psychiatry.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Phoenix  Club,  and  holds  membership  in  Congregation 
Beth  El.  The  Doctor  is  an  enthusiast  in  his  profession  and  as  a  scient- 
ist, and  his  humanitarian  spirit  and  broad  sympathies  are  destined  to 
make  his  angle  of  infiuence  constantly  widen  in  beneficence. 

William  Brodie,  M.  D.,  who  died  at  his  home  in  the  city  of  Detroit, 
on  the  30th  of  July,  1890,  was  one  of  the  favored  mortals  whom  nature 
launches  into  the  world  with  the  heritage  of  a  sturdy  ancestry,  a  splen- 
did physique,  a  masterful  mind  and  energy  enough  for  many  men. 
Added  to  these  attributes  were  extraordinary  intellectual  attainments 
and  the  well  stored  lessons  of  a  wide  and  varied  experience.  Such  a 
man  could  not  be  obscure,  and  it  was  given  him  to  achieve  high  stand- 
ing in  the  medical  profession,  which  he  dignified  and  honored  by  his 
character  and  services.  He  came  to  Detroit  more  than  sixty  years  ago, 
in  1851,  and  for  many  years  he  held  prestige  as  one  of  the  most  able  and 
honored  representatives  of  his  profession  in  Michigan.  He  was  a  dis- 
tinguished factor  in  the  educational  work  of  his  profession,  was  broad- 
minded  and  public-spirited  as  a  citizen,  was  a  force  in  connection  with 
those  agencies  that  touch  the  general  welfare,  and  his  life  counted  for 
good  in  its  every  relation.  He  was  a  type  of  the  true  gentleman  and  a 
represenative  of  the  best  in  the  community, — dignified  and  yet  possessed 
of  an  affability  and  kindliness  that  won  him  warm  friends  among  all 
classes  and  conditions  of  men.  In  a  publication  of  the  circumscribed 
order  of  the  one  at  hand  it  is  impossible  to  enter  into  minute  details  con- 
cerning the  career  of  this  honored  pioneer  and  distinguished  physician, 
but  the  brief  r^iew  here  offered  will,  it  is  trusted,  prove  adequate  to 
denote  the  man  as  he  was  and  to  indicate  somewhat  of  his  large  and 
worthy  accomplishment. 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1077 

Dr.  William  Brodie  was  born  at  Pawley  Court,  Buckinghamshire, 
England,  on  the  28th  of  July,  1823,  and  thus  he  had  just  entered  upon 
his  sixty-eighth  year  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  a  scion  of  the 
staunchest  of  English-Scotch  stock,  his  father  having  been  a  horticul- 
turist of  some  note  in  Buckinghamshire.  He  came  to  America  in  1833 
and  was  reared  to  adult  age  on  a  farm  near  the  city  of  Rochester,  New 
York,  and  in  the  meanwhile  duly  availed  himself  of  the  advantages 
afforded  in  the  common  schools  of  the  locality  and  period.  Of  alert  and 
receptive  mind  and  distinctive  ambition,  he  was  not  to  be  satisfied  with 
merely  a  common-school  education,  and  his  ambition  was  one  of  self- 
reliance  and  definite  purpose,  as  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  through  his 
own  resources  he  maintained  himself  for^  three  years  as  a  student  in 
Brockport  College,  in  which  he  was  graduated  with  honors.  It  was  his 
father's  desire  that  his  son  should  prepare  himself  for  the  ministry,  but 
owing  to  an  accident  to  his  brother,  about  that  time,  whose  wound  had 
not  been  treated  as  successfully  as  our  subject  thought  it  should  be  and 
believing  he  himself  could  have  done  better,  he  conceived  the  idea  of  pre- 
paring for  the  medical  and  surgical  profession. 

In  1847,  when  twenty-four  years  of  age,  Dr.  Brodie  came  to  Mich- 
igan and  established  his  residence  at  Pontiac,  where  he  began  the  study 
of  medicine  under  the  effective  preceptorship  of  Dr.  "Wilson,  who  was  at 
that  time  one  of  the  representative  physicians  of  the  state.  He  applied 
himself  earnestly  to  his  technical  studies  and  finally  returned  to  the  east 
and  entered  the  College  of  Physicians  &  Surgeons,  in  New  York  City. 
In  this  representative  institution,  which  now  constitutes  the  medical  de- 
partment of  Columbia  University,  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the 
class  of  1850  and  duly  received  his  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine. 

Soon  after  his  graduation  Dr.  Brodie  returned  to  Michigan  and 
established  his  home  in  Detroit,  which  city  was  destined  to  be  the  scene 
of  his  earnest  and  fruitful  labors  during  the  remainder  of  his  long  and 
useful  career.  Through  the  influence  of  that  honored  pioneer  physician 
and  surgeon.  Dr.  Zina  Pitcher,  he  obtained  the  position  of  house  surgeon 
at  St.  Mary's  Hospital,  and  he  soon  became  also  examining  physician, 
for  the  St.  Andrew's  and  St.  George's  Societies.  That  the  young  phy- 
sician early  proved  his  powers  and  established  high  professional  reputa- 
tion is  significantly  shown  by  the  fact  that  in  1855-6  he  served  as  sec- 
retary of  the  American  Medical  Association.  He  also  became  editor  of 
the  Peninsular  Journal  of  Medicine  &  Surgery,  which  was  published  in 
Detroit  and  which  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  leading  medical  period- 
icals of  the  west.  His  private  practice  soon  became  substantial  and  rep- 
resentative, and  he  held  precedence  as  one  of  the  representative  mem- 
bers of  his  profession  in  Michigan  until  the  time  when  he  was  summoned 
from  the  scene  of  life's  mortal  endeavors. 

At  the  inception  of  the  Civil  war  Dr.  Brodie  was  appointed  surgeon 
of  the  First  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry  and  soon  after  going  to  the 
front,  by  request  of  the  Surgeon  General,  he  took  the  examination  for 
brigade  surgeon,  to  which  position  twenty  were  to  be  appointed,  and  he 
was  one  of  the  first  ten  appointed.  He  failed  to  receive  his  commission, 
however,  and  applied  to  President  Lincoln  for  the  reason.  It  was  found 
that  the  Michigan  Senators,  for  political  reasons,  were  holding  up  the 
appointment.  President  Lincoln  then  appointed  Dr.  Brodie  brigade 
surgeon  in  the  Sixth  Division  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  but  the 
appointment  was  not  confirmed  by  the  senate,  and  the  doctor  returned 
to  Detroit.  He  then  resumed  the  active  practice  of  his  profession.  Soon 
afterward  he  was  elected  alderman  from  the  First Vard,  and  two  years 
later  he  was  made  chairman  of  that  body.  In  1866  Dr.  Brodie  became 
a  member  of  the  board  of  health  of  the  city  of  Detroit,  and  he  retained 


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1078  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

this  position  until  1871.  In  1887  he  was  again  elected  a  member  of  this 
important  municipal  body  and  he  continued  to  give  most  earnest  and 
effective  service  in  this  capacity  until  the  illness  which  terminated  in 
his  death.  He  was  president  of  the  board  when  the  final  summons  came. 
He  was  most  zealous  in  the  promotion  of  sanitary  measures  and  in  the 
general  safeguarding  of  the  public  health.  He  was  a  valued  member  of 
the  American  Public  Health  Association,  and  from  1871  until  the  close 
of  his  life  he  held  the  oflSce  of  surgeon  to  the  fire  department  of  the 
city  of  Detroit,  besides  which  he  was  chief  medical  oflScer  for  the  lines 
of  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  system  west  of  the  Detroit  river.  He  was 
a  delegate  to  the  first  convention  of  the  International  Medical  Congress, 
in  1876,  and  in  1888  he  was  first  vice-president  of  this  organization,  at 
the  meeting  held  in  the  city  of  Washington.  In  1886  he  was  president 
of  the  American  Medical  Association,  of  which  he  had  previously  served 
as  secretary,  as  has  already  been  noted  in  this  context.  In  1870  he  was 
vice-president  of  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  and  in  1875  he 
served  as  its  president.  He  continued  one  of  the  active  and  influential 
members  of  this  society  until  his  death.  Dr.  Brodie  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society  and  served  six  years  as 
its  president,  though  not  in  a  continuous  way. 

In  all  that  touched  the  advancement  of  the  profession  which  he  sign- 
ally honored  by  his  life  and  labors  Dr.  Brodie  took  an  abiding  and  in- 
sistent interest,  and  he  was  specially  earnest  in  furthering  its  educational 
agencies  as  well  as  in  aiding  young  men  who  were  striving  to  achieve 
worthy  success  as  physicians  and  surgeons.  He  was  prominently  identi- 
fied with  the  organization  of  the  Michigan  College  of  Medicine,  in  1879, 
and  in  this  institution  he  held  the  chair  of  clinical  medicine  until  its 
consolidation  with  the  Detroit  Medical  College.  In  the  amplified  insti- 
tution he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  and  also  emer- 
itus professor  of  the  principles  and  practice  of  medicine  and  clinical 
medicine,  which  positions  he  retained  until  the  close  of  his  life.  From 
1878  to  1880,  inclusive,  he  was  a  member  of  the  examining  board  of  the 
medical  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan.  For  many  years  he 
was  editor  of  the  Therapeutic  Gazette,  published  in  Detroit,  and  con- 
cerning his  work  in  this  connection  that  publication  spoke  as  follows  in 
a  memorial  given  at  the  time  of  his  death:  ''That  Dr.  Brodie  succeeded 
in  establishing  the  position  of  the  Oazette  as  an  independent  journal, 
one  appreciated  and  needed  by  the  profession,  is  shown  by  the  subscrip- 
tion list,  which  during  his  editorial  management  increased  from  less  than 
one  thousand  to  eleven  thousand  five  hundred  bona  fida  subscribers.  We 
can  but  not  feel  that  the  continued  prosperity  of  the  Oazette  is  mainly 
due  to  a  close  following  of  the  policy  mapped  out  by  Dr.  Brodie.  The 
death  of  Dr.  Brodie  will  come  with  the  shock  of  a  personal  bereavement 
to  a  much  wider  circle  than  his  immediate  family.  Few  had  a  greater 
list  of  acquaintances,  no  one  more  loving  friends.  Although  he  relin- 
quished with  his  editorial  work  the  onerous  duties  also  of  the  practicing 
physician,  he  still  kept  a  warm  interest  in  the  doings  of  the  medical 
world,  while  his  unfailing  good  nature,  rare  attainments  and  warm  heart 
endeared  him  to  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him." 

During  the  last  six  years  of  his  life  Dr.  Brodie  was  a  member  of  the 
board  of  United  States  pension  examining  surgeons  for  Wayne  county, 
and  he  was  at  all  times  a  prominent  figure  and  valued  counselor  in  mat- 
ters touching  the  medical  profession  and  its  work  in  his  home  city  and 
state.  When  this  loved  and  honored  physician  was  summoned  to  the 
life  eternal  the  vari(fus  organizations  with  which  he  had  been  identified 
gave  earnest  testimonials  of  esteem  and  appreciation  and  marked  their 
sense  of  loss  and  bereavement.     To  reproduce  these  estimates  in  an 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1079 

article  of  this  order  is  impossible,  but  there  is  a  demand  that  a  few  of 
such  evidences  be  given  attention.  Leonard's  Illustrated  Medical  Jour- 
nal, published  in  Detroit,  spoke  as  follows : 

**In  his  death  there  has  been  removed  from  the  ranks  of  the  med- 
ical profession  one  of  Detroit's  most  cultured  and  sterling  physicians. 
•Of  unfailing  good  nature,  rare  attainments  and  whole-souled,  noble  per- 
sonality, Dr.  Brodie  endeared  himself  to  the  hearts  of  all  who  came  with- 
in the  circle  of  his  influence,  and  it  is  but  giving  expression  to  a  wide- 
spread sentiment  to  assert  that  this  beloved  physician  will  long  be 
missed,  while  the  unique  place  he  held  can  not  but  long  remain  unfilled. 
He  will  be  remembered  as  the  special  friend  of  the  struggling  young 
student  of  medicine,  for  his  deep  and  abiding  interest  in  young  men  was 
a  trait  that  remained  with  him  to  the  last.'' 

From  an  editorial  estimate  which  appeared  in  the  Detroit  Free  Press 
are  taken  the  following  excerpts:  *'The  death  of  Dr.  William  Brodie 
will  have  to  a  very  much  wider  circle  than  his  immediate  family  the 
shock  of  a  personal  bereavement.  Though  he  relinquished  some  time  since 
the  more  onerous  duties  of  his  profession  he  has  still  maintained  with  a 
large  number  of  families  the  close  and  intimate  relations  built  up  dur- 
ing long  years  of  successful  practice.  He  was  guide,  counselor  and 
friend  as  well  as  physician,'  and  was  one  of  the  largest  hearted  members 
of  a  profession  which  does  more  work  than  any  other  for  *  sweet  char- 
ity's sake.'  He  had,  therefore,  a  host  of  friends  among  the  poor,  and 
the  news  of  his  death  will  bring  sorrow  to  many  an  humble  home.  Dr. 
Brodie  was  quite  as  prominent  in  non-professional  as  in  professional  life. 
Without  being  a  politician  in  the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the  term,  he  was 
deeply  interested  in  public  affairs  and  had  the  welfare  of  his  city,  county 
and  state  very  much  at  heart.  He  served  the  public  for  many  years  in 
different  capacities  and  always  faithfully  and  well.  He  was  a  good 
man,  a  good  physician,  a  good  citizen ;  and  the  sympathy  of  the  public 
goes  out  in  generous  measure  to  his  bereaved  family. ' ' 

Before  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society  a  special  memorial  was 
read  by  Dr.  John  J.  Mulheron,  and  from  the  same  the  following  extracts 
are  taken :  *  *  In  the  case  of  our  departed  friend,  geniality  and  sociabil- 
ity were  so  pronounced  as  to  make  it  appear  to  the  casual  observer  that 
the  professional  or  more  strictly  scientific  was  secondary.  To  those  who 
knew  him  best,  however,  this  was  only  seeming,  for  back  of  his  great 
humanity  there  was  the  deep  stratum  of  qualities  essential  to  the  suc- 
cessful physician.  There  was  nothing  pedantic  about  him,  but  from  the 
storehouse  of  his  large  experience  and  correct  observation,  his  opinions 
were  evolved  with  a  freedom  and  celerity  which  made  them  seem  intui- 
tive. His  conclusions  were  so  quickly  drawn  at  times  as  to  make  it 
appear  that  they  came  through  the  straight,  short  cut  of  intuition,  rather 
than  by  the  slower  process  of  reasoning,  step  by  step,  from  obscure  cause 
to  more  tangible  effect.  They  were,  however,  generally  correct,  and 
when  proved  by  the  outcome  of  the  case  were  found  to  be  somewhat  more 
than  the  results  of  shrewd  guessing.  Few  men  can  as  quickly  and  cor- 
rectly reach  diagnosis,  and  especially  in  the  matter  of  therapeutic  diag- 
nosis, as  could  Dr.  Brodie.  Few,  however,  possess  the  faculty  of  mix- 
ing confidence  with  their  drugs  to  the  degree  which  distinguished  our 
dead  friend.  His  patients  felt  instinctively  that  his  diagnosis  and  ther- 
apeutics were  correct.  His  social  nature  was  of  the  effervescent,  spon- 
taneous type,  which  made  it  contagious  and  thus  aided  in  definite  re- 
sults which  drugs  alone  could  not  effect. 

**Dr.  Brodie  was  a  man  of  very  pronounced  individuality  and  had 
the  courage  of  his  convictions  to  such  a  degree  as  to  have  caused  many 
to  regard  him  as  of  combative  disposition.     He  was  fearless  in  the  ex- 


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1080  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

pression  of  his  convictions,  and  none  more  than  he  enjoyed  keen  and 
honorable  opposition.  •  •  •  a  more  kindly  and  sympathetic  heart 
has  seldom  throbbed  in  human  breast.  There  was  nothing  mean  in  his 
composition,  and  although  in  conflict  his  blows  may  have  been  hard  and 
fast  they  were  invariably  upon  his  opponent's  front.  If  the  sun  ever 
went  down  on  his  enemy's  wrath,  the  fault  was  not  our  friend's.  Dr.* 
Brodie  had  well  nigh  reached  the  patriarchal  three-score  years  and  ten 
when  the  summons  came ;  but  in  spite  of  his  years  we  will  long  remem- 
ber 4iis  youthful  heart.  Seldom,  indeed,  does  the  heart  remain  so  youth- 
ful in  a  body  over  which  have  passed  the  weight  and  experiences  of  so 
many  years.  Up  to  the  end  he  retained  the  heart  of  the  impulsive,  im- 
pressionable, ingenuous  youth.  I  never  saw  a  man  whose  thoughts,  con- 
versation and  deportment  so  belied  the  years  which  weighed  the  body 
down.  He  preferred  the  companionship  of  young  men,  and  young  men 
were  in  turn  drawn  to  him.  It  was  his  delight  to  entertain  them  and 
enter  into  their  projects  and  aspirations,  and  nothing  made  him  happier 
than  for  the  young  man  to  make  him  his  confident.  His  vivacity  of 
mind  and  the  singular  combination  of  the  old  and  the  young,  of  the  man 
and  the  boy,  in  his  composition,  drew  to  him  a  large  circle  of  the  younger 
men  in  the  profession,  who  were  profited  as  well  as  entertained  by  his 
social  qualities.  It  will  be  many  years  before  the  memory  of  Dr.  Brodie 
is  effaced,  and  in  the  years  to  come  those  who  knew  him  in  their  youth 
will  cherish  a  kindly  recollection  of  this  unique  old  man.  They  will  have 
met  very  few  in  whom  the  elements  were  more  pleasantly  combined,  and 
none  who  took  a  more  philosophical  view  of  life." 

Another  appreciative  estimate  was  that  given  by  Leartus  Connor  in 
his  paper,  the  American  Lancet  and  himself  one  of  the  most  disting- 
uished representatives  of  the  medical  profession  in  Detroit  and  Mich- 
igan. Prom  this  estimate  it  is  possible  to  give  only  brief  quotation :  **He 
was  an  especially  happy  man,  inclined  to  look  upon  the  bright  side  of 
things ;  and  that  part  of  the  world  or  its  people  that  came  into  personal 
contact  with  him  he  regarded  as  simply  perfect.  It  must  be  said  that 
his  personality  is  closely  united  for  or  against  every  medical  move- 
ment made  in  Michigan  during  his  entire  life ;  and  the  same  personality 
is  entwined  in  much  of  the  action,  on  other  than  medical  science,  taken 
by  the  American  Medical  Association.  He  will  be  remembered  for  his 
strong  personality,  his  great  kindness  to  countless  persons  in  and  out 
of  the  profession,  his  unswerving  devotion  to  his  profession  and  his  tire- 
less efforts  in  its  behalf.  He  loved  to  promote  his  views  by  recourse  to 
the  polemic  arena,  calmly  accepting  the  result,  be  it  for  or  against  him. 
He  was  firm  in  his  devotion  to  his  friends,  and  so  made  and  retained 
hosts  of  them.  All  in  all.  Dr.  Brodie  was  a  unique  figure  in  the  profes- 
sion, a  type  of  much  of  the  material  that  rescued  Michigan  from  the 
dominion  of  the  destructive  malaria,  cleared  the  forests  and  drained 
the  soil,  and  made  it  the  servant  of  man.  Personally  we  shall  greatly 
miss  his  cordial  welcome  and  encouraging  words  of  cheer." 

The  affectionate  regard  in  which  Dr.  Brodie  was  held  by  his  profes- 
sional confreres  and  by  his  home  community  in  general  was  significantly 
shown  on  the  occasion  of  the  public  memorial  services  held  in  his  honor 
and  attended  by  many  of  the  representative  citizens  of  Detroit.  On  this 
occasion  were  delivered  appreciative  addresses  by  leading  members  of 
the  medical  profession  and  by  others  who  had  known  and  honored  the 
deceased  physician.  It  is  not  necessary  to  enter  into  details  concerning 
this  memorial  service,  since  the  very  holding  of  the  same  offers  abundant 
testimony  to  the  love  and  esteem  in  which  Dr.  Brodie  was  held  in  the 
community  that  had  long  represented  his  home  and  been  the  stage  of  his 
earnest  and  devoted  labors  as  a  friend  of  all  humanity. 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1081 

In  politics  Dr.  Brodie  gave  his  allegiance  to  the  Democratic  party, 
and  he  was  a  zealous  and  earnest  communicant  of  the  Protestant  Epis- 
copal church,  in  which  he  was  long  and  prominently  identified  with  the 
parish  of  St.  Paul's  church.  He  was  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity and  was  identified  with  other  civic  organizations  of  representa- 
tive Order,  including  the  Detroit  Audubon  Club,  of  which  he  had  served 
as  president. 

The  home  life  of  Dr.  Brodie  was  one  of  ideal  order  and  there  can  be 
no  wish  to  touch  this  phase  of  his  career  save  to  give  simple  statement 
concerning  its  relations.  In  November,  1851,  at  Pontiac,  this  state,  was 
solemnized  his  marriage  to  Miss  Jane  Whitefield,  who  was  born  in  Hamp- 
shire, England,  and  who  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal  on  the  5th  of 
July,  1897,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  Three  children  survive  the 
Ijonored  parents, — Charles  A.,  who  is  a  resident  of  Detroit;  Dr.  Benja- 
min P.,  who  succeeded  his  father  in  practice  and  is  one  of  the  representa- 
ative  physician  and  surgeons  of  Detroit ;  and  Miss  Jane  W.  Brodie,  who 
still  resides  in  this  city. 

Benjamin  P.  Brodie,  M.  D.  It  is  gratifying  to  note  that  both  in  his 
profession  and  in  his  civic  relations  Dr.  Brodie  has  well  upheld  the 
prestige  of  a  name  long  honored  in  Michigan  and  its  metropolis.  He  is 
a  son  of  the  late  Dr.  "William  Brodie.  He  whose  name  initiates  this  par- 
agraph is  known  as  one  of  the  representative  physicians  and  surgeons  of 
Detroit,  and  in  his  native  city  it  may  consistently  be  said  that  his  cir- 
cle of  friends  is  coincident  with  that  of  his  acquaintances.  The  old  home- 
stead in  which  he  was  bom  was  situated  at  253  Woodward  avenue,  ad- 
joining the  site  of  the  present  Washington  Arcade  Building.  In  1871  his 
father  erected  a  handsome  residence  at  the  comer  of  Lafayette  boulevard 
and  Wayne  street,  and  there  the  honored  father  continued  to  reside  until 
his  death.  In  1905  Dr.  Benjamin  P.  Brodie  sold  this  old  homestead  to  the 
Detroit  Board  of  Commerce,  where  that  organization,  maintained  head- 
quarters, the  building  having  been  remodeled  for  this  purpose,  until  1911, 
when  it  was  razed  to  permit  of  the  handsome  new  home  of  the  Board, 
now  in  course  of  construction. 

Dr.  Benjamin  Pitcher  Brodie  was  born  in  Detroit  on  the  6th  of  April, 
1859,  and  his  early  educational  discipline  was  received  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  city  and  in  P.  M.  Patterson's  private  school  in 
Detroit.  He  entered  the  literary  or  academic  department  of  the 
University  of  Michigan,  in  which  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the 
class  of  1882  and  from  which  he  received  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 
In  preparation  for  the  work  of  the  profession  which  had  been  signally 
dignified  by  the  services  of  his  honored  father  he  then  entered  the  Mich- 
igan College  of  Medicine,  in  Detroit,  and  in  this  institution  he  was  grad- 
uated in  1884,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  at  once 
became  associated  with  his  father  in  general  practice  and  this  grateful 
alliance  continued  until  the  death  of  the  father,  in  1890,  since  which 
time  the  son  has  continued  in  independent  practice,  in  which  he  has 
admirably  upheld  the  honors  of  the  family  name.  In  1885-6  he 
took  post-graduate  work  in  New  York  City,  where  he  availed  himself 
of  the  best  of  clinical  advantages,  and  he  has  at  all  j;imes  kept  in  touch 
with  the  advances  made  in  both  medicine  and  surgery.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  medical  staff  of  St.  Mary's,  Harper  and  Woman's  Hospital  and 
Infants'  Home,  besides  which  he  is  consulting  surgeon  to  the  Solvay 
General  Hospital,  chief  surgeon  of  the  Detroit  &  Toledo  Shore  Line  Rail- 
road, and  chief  surgeon  of  the  Detroit  United  Railway.  He  is  assistant 
chief  surgeon  of  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway,  Western  Division,  and 
surgeon  of  the  Detroit  fire  department,  a  position  in  which  his  father 
had  served  for  many  years. 


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1082  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

Dr.  Brodie  is  identified  with  the  American  Medical  Association,  the 
Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society. 
He  also  served  for  some  time  as  assistant  surgeon  of  the  Michigan  Naval 
Reserves.  In  politics  he  is  with  the  Democratic  party,  he  and  his  wife 
are  communicants  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  and  he  holds 
membership  in  the  Detroit,  the  Yondotega,  the  University  and  the 
Detroit  Boat  Clubs,  as  well  as  the  Harmonic  Society, — all  of  these  being 
representative  social  organizations  of  his  native  city.  The  doctor  takes 
a  lively  interest  in  all  that  concerns  the  welfare  of  his  home  city  and  is 
essentially  progressive  and  public  spirited. 

On  the  14th  of  November,  1907,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Brodie  to  Mrs.  Anne  (Tallant)  Tubbs,  of  San  Francisco,  California. 

James  Renwick  NehjL,  one  of  the  most  popular  and  successful  of 
the  younger  members  of  the  Detroit  bar,  was  born  in  Oakland  county, 
Michigan,  March  7,  1875,  the  son  of  Alexander  and  Margaret  (McBride) 
Neill.  Alexander  Neill  was  born  in  Londonderry,  Ireland,  in  1805,  and 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1823.  He  settled  first  at  Sparta,  Illinois, 
from  where  in  1849  he  came  to  Michigan,  settling  in  Oakland  county. 
He  drove  a  yoke  of  oxen  all  the  way  from  Sparta  to  his  new  Michigan 
home.  He  was  preceded  to  this  state  by  his  brother  James,  who  was  a . 
pioneer  Covenanter  preacher  and  established  the  Old  Covenant  church 
in  Oakland  county,  on  land  which  later  became  a  part  of  the  farm  of 
Alexander. 

Alexander  Neill  established  the  first  steam  circular  saw  mill  in  Oak- 
land county.  He  cut  down  the  timber  and  cleared  eighty  acres  by  him- 
self, and  from  Flint,  by  team,  hauled  the  shingles  with  which  his  house 
was  covered.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  who  is  still  living  near  Lon- 
donderry, Ireland,  was  the  daughter  of  James  McBride.  The  family 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1840,  locating  at  Troy,  Oakland  county, 
Michigan,  where  they  were  pioneers. 

James  R.  Neill  was  reared  on  the  farm  in  Oakland  county  and  at- 
tended the  district  schools.  He  also  attended  the  Detroit  College  of 
Law,  graduating  therefrom  with  the  class  of  1899,  with  the  degree  of 
LL.B.  He  came  to  Detroit  in  1894.  In  1897  he  became  connected  with 
the  law  offices  of  Charles  W.  Casgrain,  and  in  1899  became  a  member  of 
the  law  firm  of  Brown  &  Neill,  which  continued  for  one  year,  since  which 
time  he  has  practiced  for  himself,  building  up  a  most  profitable  business. 

Mr.  Neill  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Bar  Association;  the 
Oakland  County  Society  of  Detroit,  of  which  he  was  secretary,  and  is 
also  treasurer  of  the  Frazer  Paint  Company  of  New  York. 

Joseph  Henry  McCann,  M.  D.  One  of  the  younger  members  of 
the  medical  profession  of  Detroit,  who  is  gaining  an  enviable  reputation 
and  who  bids  fair  to  achieve  marked  success  in  the  practice  of  that  pro- 
fession, is  Joseph  Henry  McCann,  who  has  an  office  at  1905  Michigan 
avenue.  He  is  not  only  a  product  of  the  state,  but  of  the  farm  as  well, 
having  been  bom  on  a  farm  in  Ingham  county,  Michigan,  on  January 
12,  1884,  the  son  of  Matthew  and  Rosy  (Marks)  McCann,  both  natives 
of  Ingham  county  and  both  of  whom  are  living.  The  paternal  grand- 
father of  the  Doctor,  Owen  McCann,  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  settling  in 
Ingham  county  in  the  early  'forties,  when  the  county  was  in  the  wilder- 
ness. He  died  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  The  maternal  grandfather 
was  Joseph  Marks,  a  native  of  Germany  and  a  pioneer  of  Ingham  county. 
He  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-two,  in  1851. 

Dr.  McCann  was  reared  on  the  farm  in  his  native  county,  where  he 
attended  the  district  schools.     He  attended  the  Jackson,  Michigan,  high 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1083 

school  for  about  three  years.  He  then  put  in  two  years  in  the  literary 
department  of  the  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor,  afterward 
entering  the  medical  department  of  that  institution,  from  which  he 
graduated  with  the  class  of  '09,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  He  then  spent 
one  year  in  the  hospitals  of  the  state.  He  entered  the  general  practice 
of  his  profession  at  Detroit  in  1910,  in  his  present  location.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  State  Med- 
ical Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association.  Dr.  McCann  is  ex- 
amining physician  for  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  is  also 
health  officer  for  the  township  of  Springwells,  Wayne  county. 

Arthur  Lepebvre,  M.  D.  Not  a  few  of  the  native  sons  of  the 
Dominion  of  Canada  have  attained  prominence  as  members  of  the  med- 
ical profession  in  the  city  of  Detroit,  and  among  the  number  is  Dr.  Le- 
febvre,  who  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  representative  physicians  and 
surgeons  of  the  Michigan  metropolis  and  who  maintains  his  offices  in  the 
Gas  Office  Building. 

Dr.  Lefebvre  was  born  in  the  fine  old  city  of  Montreal,  Canada,  on 
the  19th  of  November,  1868,  and,  as  his  name  indicates,  he  is  of  staunch 
French  ancestry,  his  forebears  in  both  the  paternal  and  maternal  lines 
having  early  established  their  residence  in  Canada,  whither  they  immi- 
grated from  France.  He  is  a  son  of  Remi  and  Elizabeth  (Du  Moulin) 
Lefebvre,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  lower  Canada  and  both  of  whom 
passed  their  entire  lives  in  that  dominion.  The  father  became  one  of 
the  representative  contractors  and  builders  of  the  Dominion  and  made 
a  specialty  of  the  erection  of  church  edifices  of  the  finer  order.  He 
passed  the  closing  years  of  his  life  in  Montreal,  where  his  death  occurred 
in  1875,  and  there  his  widow  continued  to  maintain  her  home  until  she 
too  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal,  in  1887,  both  having  been  devout 
communicants  of  the  Catholic  church. 

In  the  parochial  schools  of  his  native  city  Dr.  Lefebvre  gained  his 
early  educational  discipline,  and  this  was  supplemented  by  higher  studies 
in  Ste.  Therese  College,  in  the  vicinity  of  Montreal,  and  he  completed 
his  literary  or  academic  course  in  Assumption  College,  where  he  was 
graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1900,  and  from  which  he  receives 
his  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  Dr.  Lefebvre  was  fortunate  in  having 
gained  a  liberal  collegiate  education  before  he  turned  his  attention  to 
that  of  technical  order,  and  his  preliminary  training  has  been  of  dis- 
tinctive value  to  him  in  enabling  him  to  make  the  best  use  of  his  pro- 
fessional advantages,  the  while  it  has  contributed  materially  to  his  success 
in  the  practical  work  of  his  chosen  and  exacting  vocation.  In  prepar- 
ation for  the  work  of  his  profession  he  entered  the  medical  department 
of  Laval  University,  in  his  native  city,  and  in  this  fine  institution  he  was 
graduated  in  1904,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine. 

Thus  admirably  fortified  Dr.  Lefebvre  came  to  Michigan  soon  after 
his  graduation  and  located  in  the  village  of  Ecorse,  a  suburb  of  Detroit 
and  one  that  has  long  been  known  for  its  large  percentage  of  citizens 
of  French  extraction.  The  Doctor  himself  claims  the  French  language 
as  his  vernacular,  and  his  principal  object  in  initiating  practice  in  Ecorse 
was  that  he  might  gain  a  proper  mastery  of  English  under  favorable 
conditions,  that  community  being  one  in  which  both  French  and  English 
are  commonly  spoken.  In  1905  Dr.  Lefebvre  began  the  general  practice 
of  his  profession  in  Detroit.  He  opened  an  office  at  the  corner  of  La- 
fayette avenue  and  Nineteenth  street,  near  Ste.  Anne's  church,  repre- 
senting the  first  Catholic  parish  of  Detroit.  There  he  remained  until 
January,  1910,  when  he  found  it  expedient  to  establish  an  office  in  the 


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1084  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

center  of  the  city,  as  his  practice  was  rapidly  expanding  outside  the  sec- 
tion in  which  he  had  located.  He  accordingly  opened  a  fine  suite  of 
offices  at  408  Gas  Office  Building,  and  he  now  maintains  his  residence 
at  323  West  Grand  Boulevard.  He  is  identified  with  various  profes- 
sional organizations  of  representative  character  and  both  he  and  his  wife 
are  communicants  of  the  Catholic  church,  in  which  they  hold  membership 
in  the  parish  of  Ste.  Anne  church. 

On  the  17th  of  April,  1895,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr.  Le- 
fevre  to  Miss  Cora  Salliotte,  eldest  daughter  of  the  late  A.  M.  Salliotte, 
of  Ecorse,  Michigan,'  her  father  having  been  one  of  the  most  honored 
and  influential  citizens  of  that  place,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  lum- 
ber business  for  many  years.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Lefevi'e  have  three  sons — 
Armand,  Erwin  and  Reginald. 

Fred  Charles  Harvey.  This  history  would  be  incomplete  without 
reference  to  Mr.  Fred  C.  Harvey,  one  of  the  leading  admiralty  lawyers 
of  the  country,  a  highly  esteemed  citizen  of  Detroit  and  a  distinguished 
member  of  the  Detroit  bar. 

Mr.  Harvey  was  bom  at  Mendon,  Michigan,  June  1,  1858,  the  son  of 
Noah  S.  and  Lydia  (Cole)  Harvey,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the 
state  of  New  York.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Detroit,  and  after  graduating  therefrom  attended  the  law  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  Michigan  during  the  years  1876  and  1877. 
He  then  returned  to  Detroit  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1879,  asso- 
ciating himself  with  the  firm  of  "Wisner  &  Speed,  later  becoming  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  which  was  then  known  as  Wisner,  Speed  &  Harvey. 
I'his  firm  continued  for  about  five  years,  when  it  was  changed  to  Wisner 
&  Harvey,  and  thus  continued  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Wisner  in  1900. 
Since  that  time  Mr.  Harvey  has  been  in  practice  for  himself  and  has 
built  up  a  large  business  in  admiralty  law,  to  which  he  has  paid  espec- 
ial attention. 

He  is  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  Raleigh  Steamship  Company, 
the  Ferguson  Estate  Company,  Limited,  and  the  E.  Ferguson  Company, 
Limited.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  and  State  Bar  Association; 
Oriental  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  King  Cyrus  Chapter,  R.  A.  M. ;  Munroe 
Council;  Detroit  Cribbage  Club;  Detroit  Curling  Club;  and  Windsor 
Club.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Adams,  of  Detroit,  a  daughter 
of  Samuel  Adams,  and  as  a  result  of  this  union  the  following  children 
were  bom  to  them :  Fred  Percival,  Helen  Hortense,  Bessie  May  and  L. 
Marguerite. 

The  father's  and  mother's  families  lived  in  New  York  for  several 
generations,  and  were  both  of  English  descent.  The  Harvey  family 
was  brought  to  Michigan  by  the  grandfather  of  Mr.  F.  C.  Harvey  in 
the  pioneer  days  of  the  state,  locating  at  Mt.  Clemens.  Mr.  Harvey's 
father  was  a  contractor  and  builder,  and  came  to  Detroit  in  1855,  carry- 
ing on  the  business  of  a  builder  in  this  city  up  to  the  time  of  his  re- 
tirement in  1892.  Mr.  Harvey's  mother  died  in  1892,  and  his  father's 
death  occurred  six  years  later. 

Horace  Byron  Williams,  M.  D.  is  well  entitled  to  recognition  in 
this  publication  as  one  of  the  able,  progressive  and  successful  physi- 
cians of  the  Michigan  metropolis,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in  active 
general  practice  since  1906,  and  where  his  clientage  is  constantly  ex- 
panding in  scope  and  importance. 

Dr.  Horace  Byron  Williams  claims  as  his  own  an  ancestral  record 
that  denotes  long  and  worthy  identification  of  the  Williams  family 
with  the  history  of  the  great  American  republic,  and  the  original  pro- 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1085 

genitor  came  from  England  and  established  his  residence  in  New  Eng- 
land in  the  colonial  days.  The  Doctor  was  born  at  Newark,  Wayne 
county,  New  York,  on  the  26th  of  March,  1875,  and  is  a  son  of  Byron 
Crane  Williams  and  Caroline  (Pierce)  Williams,  the  former  of  whom 
was  likewise  born  at  Newark,  New  York,  and  the  latter  of  whom  was 
bom  in  the  city  of  Rochester,  that  state,  both  families  having  been  early 
founded  in  the  old  Empire  commonwealth.  The  Williams  family  has 
been  one  of  marked  distinction  in  professional  and  public  affairs  and 
most  interesting  and  unusual  are  the  data  which  it  is  possible  to  here 
incorporate  concerning  the  father  and  grandfather  of  Dr.  Williams. 
His  father  was  graduated  in  both  the  literary  and  law  departments  of 
Harvard  University,  and  has  long  been  a  representative  member  of 
the  bar  of  western  New  York.  He  is  a  son  of  Hon.  Stephen  K.  Wil- 
liams, likewise  a  graduate  of  Harvard  and  now  one  of  the  most  vener- 
able and  distinguished  members  of  the  New  York  bar.  This  noble  pat- 
riarch, now  ninety-four  years  of  age,  (1912),  is  still  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  at  Newark,  New  York,  as  the  senior  member 
of  the  firm  of  Williams,  Williams  &  Williams,  representing  three  gene- 
rations of  the  family.  The  son,  Byron  C,  father  of  the  subject  of  this 
review,  is  the  second  member  of  the  firm  and  his  son,  George  Edward, 
is  the  third  member  of  this  notable  legal  alliance.  George  E.  Williams 
was  graduated  in  Union  College,  of  which  the  venerable  grandfather 
has  long  been  a  trustee.  Dr.  Stephen  Keyes  Williams,  a  younger 
brother  of  him  whose  name  initiates  this  article,  is  likewise  engaged  m 
the  practice  of  medicine  in  Detroit. 

Hon.  Stephen  K.  Williams  has  been  a  man  of  marked  prominence 
and  influence  in  the  old  Empire  state  and  is  now  one  of  its  most  hon- 
ored and  most  patriarchal  citizens.  He  has  been  distinguished  in  his 
chosen  profession  and  also  in  public  offices  of  high  trust,  as  well  as  in 
connection  with  various  agencies  through  which  have  been  compassed 
the  development  and  upbuilding  of  the  fine  old  state  in  which  he  has 
maintained  his  home  for  the  greater  part  of  a  century.  He  served  three 
terms  as  a  member  of  the  New  York  state  senate,  and  he  had  the  dis- 
tinction of  editing  the  reports  of  the  United  States  supreme  court,  a  for- 
midable work  and  one  demanding  great  legal  and  executive  ability.  He 
thus  edited  one  hundred  and  eighty  volumes  of  such  reports  and  his 
work  in  this  connection  will  remain  a  permanent  and  valuable  part  of 
the  nation's  history.  He  was  president  of  the  corporation  which  built 
the  line  of  the  Northern  Central  Railroad  from  Elmyra  to  Sodus  Point, 
New  York,  one  of  the  early  roads  of  the  western  part  of  the  state,  and 
he  was  otherwise  prominent  in  the  furtherance  of  measures  and  enter- 
prises making  for  industrial  and  civic  progress.  He  has  been  known 
for  more  than  what  is  commonly  considered  a  generation,  as  one  of  the 
strong  and  versatile  members  of  the  bar  of  New  York,  and  when  eighty- 
seven  years  of  age  he  argued,  with  characteristic  vigor  and  ability,  an 
important  case  presented  before  the  New  York  appellate  court.  He 
is  more  than  a  nominal  head  of  the  firm  of  Williams,  Williams  &  Wil- 
liams, as  he  still  serves  in  an  advisory  capacity  and  retains  a  mental 
alertness  and  surety  that  are  wonderful.  His  political  allegiance  is 
given  to  the  Republican  party  and  he  still  takes  a  lively  interest  in  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  Byron  C.  Williams  likewise  holds  high 
standing  at  the  bar  and  the  firm  of  which  he  is  a  member  controls  a 
large  and  important  professional  business.  He  likewise  holds  tenac- 
iously to  the  principles  and  policies  of  the  Republican  party  and  has 
been  an  effective  and  valued  worker  in  behalf  of  its  cause.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  are  members  of  the  Episcopal  church. 


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1086  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

Dr.  Horace  Byron  Williams  gained  his  early  educational  discipline 
in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city,  where  he  was  graduated  in  the 
high  school  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1892.  Thereafter  he  was  for 
two  years  a  student  in  the  academic  or  literary  department  of  Union 
College,  at  Schenectady,  New  York,  and  in  1894,  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
years,  he  came  to  Detroit  and  began  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  oflSce 
of  the  late  Dr.  Hal  C.  Wyman,  one  of  the  city's  most  distinguished 
physicians  and  most  loved  and  honored  citizens.  Under  such  effective 
preceptorship  Dr.  Williams  made  substantial  advancement  in  his  tech- 
nical studies  and  he  finally  entered  the  Michigan  College  of  Medicine 
and  Surgery,  in  which  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of 
1900  and  from  which  he  received  his  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine. 
His  prior  study  and  practical  work  under  the  guidance  of  Dr.  Wyman 
had  given  him  more  than  usual  reinforcement  prior  to  his  entering 
college,  and  thus  his  preparation  was  of  the  best  type  when  he  finally 
engaged  in  the  active  work  of  his  profession  in  an  independant  way. 
His  ambition  in  the  line  was  not  yet  satisfied,  however,  and  in  1901  he 
took  an  effective  post-graduate  course  in  the  College  of  Physicians  & 
Surgeons  in  New  York  City,  the  medical  department  of  Columbia  Uni- 
versity. His  study  at  this  institution  continued  about  a  year  and  he 
also  availed  himself  of  the  clinical  advantages  afforded  in  leading  hos- 
pitals and  other  institutions  of  the  national  metropolis.  Upon  his  re- 
turn to  Detroit  he  established  his  home  and  opened  an  oflSce  at  Grosse 
Pointe,  an  attractive  suburb  of  the  city,  and  about  six  months  later  he 
removed  to  Marlette,  Sanilac  county,  this  state,  where  he  built  up  an 
excellent  practice  and  where  he  remained  until  1906,  when  he  returned 
to  Detroit,  which  city  has  since  been  the  stage  of  his  earnest  and  suc- 
cessful work  in  his  exacting  profession.  He  served  about  one  year  as 
medical  and  surgical  superintendent  of  King's  Hospital,  in  1910,  but 
virtually  his  entire  time  and  attention  are  now  demanded  in  connection 
with  the  large  and  constantly  expanding  private  practice  which  he  has 
built  up.  He  is  identified  with  the  American  Medical  Association,  the 
Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  So- 
ciety, the  while  he  is  known  as  a  stickler  in  the  observance  of  the  highest 
ethical  code  of  his  profession,  and  thus  holds  secure  place  in  the  esteem 
of  his  confreres.  The  Doctor  gives  his  allegiance  to  the  Republican 
party  and  is  identified  with  various  social  and  fraternal  organizations. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

On  the  16th  of  May,  1899,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr.  Wil- 
liams, to  Miss  Rose  Michels,  a  daughter  of  Peter  J.  Michels,  of  Detroit, 
and  they  have  two  fine  little  sons, — ^Byron  Horace  and  George  Keyes. 

Glenn  Wiley  Stockwell,  M.  D.,  is  a  native  son  of  Michigan  and 
a  scion  in  the  third  generation  of  honored  pioneer  families  of  the  state, 
within  whose  gracious  borders  both  his  paternal  and  maternal  grand- 
parents established  their  abode  in  an  early  day,  the  respective  names 
having  thus  been  long  and  worthily  identified  with  the  annals  of  this 
commonwealth.  In  view  of  these  facts  there  is  the  more  interest  attach- 
ing to  the  definite  success  and  prestige  which  Dr.  Stockwell  has  gained 
as  one  of  the  representative  physicians  of  the  younger  generation  in  the 
metropolis  of  his  native  state,  and  he  is  specially  entitled  to  recognition 
in  this  history  of  Detroit. 

In  the  attractive  village  of  Birmingham,  Oakland  county,  Michigan, 
Dr.  Glenn  Wiley  Stockwell  was  born  on  the  29th  of  October,  1879,  and 
he  is  a  son  of  Judge  Joseph  S.  and  Ellen  (Wiley)  Stockwell,  who  now 
reside  in  the  city  of  Pontiac,  the  judicial  center  of  that  county.  Judge 
Stockwell  is  likewise  a  native  of  Michigan,  as  is  also  his  wife,  and  he  has 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1087 

been  a  prominent  and  influential  citizen  of  Oakland  county  for  many 
years,  and  he  has  served  with  distinction  on  the  bench  of  the  Probate 
court  of  Oakland  county,  a  preferment  well  indicating  the  high  esteem 
in  which  he  is  held  in  his  home  county.  He  is  a  stalwart  Itepublican 
in  his  political  adherency  and  both  he  and  his  wife  hold  membership  in 
the  Baptist  church. 

Dr.  Stockwell  was  a  child  at  the  time  of  his  parents'  removal  from 
Birmingham  to  Pontiac,  and  to  the  public  schools  of  the  latter  place  he 
is  indebted  for  his  early  educational  discipline,  which  was  supplemented 
by  a  course  in  the  Ferris  Institute,  an  excellent  institution  at  Big 
Rapids,  this  state.  Imbued  with  a  definite  ambition  touching  his  fu- 
ture career,  the  Doctor  determined  to  enter  the  medical  profession,  and 
with  this  end  in  view  he  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  which 
has  given  to  Michigan  and  other  sections  of  the  Union  many  able  phy- 
sicians and  surgeons,  and  in  this  admirable  institution  he  was  gradu- 
ated as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1903,  with  the  well  earned  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine.  As  an  undergraduate  he  had  manifested  his  am- 
bition and  his  capacity  for  hard  work  by  serving  also  as  an  assistant 
to  Dr.  Henry  0.  Walker,  who  occupied  the  chair  of  surgery  in  the  col- 
lege, and  for  two  years  after  his  graduation  he  was  house  physician  at 
Harper  Hospital,  in  which  he  found  the  best  of  opportunities  for  initial 
work  in  his  profession,  as  the  clinical  advantages  of  this  tine  hospital 
are  of  the  best.  Since  1904  Dr.  Stockwell  has  been  engaged  in  the  gen- 
eral practice  of  his  profession  and  he  has  well  proved  his  powers  as  a 
physician  and  surgeon  of  skill  and  discrimination.  He  is  assistant  sur- 
geon on  the  staff  of  Harper  Hospital  and  also  has  the  distinction  of  being 
assistant  surgeon  for  both  the  Detroit  fire  department  and  the  De- 
troit United  Railway,  which  latter  corporation  controls  the  street  and 
interurban  electric  lines  of  Detroit.  For  this  company  and  also  the 
fire  department  Dr.  Benjamin  F.  Brodie  is  chief  surgeon,  and  to  this  em- 
inent physician  and  surgeon  Dr.  Stockwell  also  serves  as  assistant  in 
the  former's  capacity  as  surgeon  for  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway.  Dr. 
Stockwell  is  also  surgeon  for  the  Standard  Accident  Insurance  Com- 
pany of  Detroit  and  he  is  known  as  a  specially  skillful  surgeon.  He 
holds  membership  in  the  American  Medical  Association,  the  Michigan 
State  Medical  Society  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society.  As  a 
citizen  he  is  especially  progressive  and  public-spirited.  He  holds  member- 
ship in  the  Fellowcraft  Club. 

On  the  16th  of  June,  1906,  Dr.  Stockwell  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Heron,  of  Wilmington,  Illinois,  where  her  father,  D. 
Heron,  is  a  representative  and  influential  citizen.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Stock- 
well  have  twin  sons,  Benjamin  Wiley  and  William  Hume,  who  were  bom 
on  the  27th  of  April,  1907,  and  also  Richard  Glenn,  bom  on  the  27th 
of  November,  1911. 

Thomas  Willum  Payne.  A  career  of  large  business  success  and 
many  distinctions  of  varied  service  has  given  Thomas  William  Payne 
a  place  of  prominence  among  the  representative  citizens  of  Detroit,  al- 
though he  is  one  of  the  younger  citizens  and  in  age  is  only  at  the  begin- 
ning of  his  career  as  a  member  of  the  Detroit  bar ;  he  has  been  active  and 
prominent. 

Mr.  Payne  was  bom  at  Lee,  Massachusetts,  September  10,  1876,  a 
son  of  Michael  and  Elizabeth  (Kennedy)  Payne.  His  father  was  a 
native  of  Queen's  county,  Ireland,  and  a  son  of  Thomas  Payne,  who 
spent  his  active  life  in  the  English  army  in  India  and  Africa.  Michael 
Payne  came  to  America  just  prior  to  the  Civil  war,  locating  at  Lee, 
Massachusetts.     He  married  Elizabeth  Kennedy,  who  was  a  native  of 


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1088  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Washington,  Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts.  Both  parents  moved 
to  Detroit  in  1910,  the  father  being  now  in  his  sixty-fifth  year  and  the 
mother  in  her  fifty-sixth.  Their  children  besides  Thomas  W.  are  as 
follows:  John  C,  of  Plainfield,  New  Jersey;  Francis  M.,  who  gradu- 
ated from  the  Detroit  College  of  Law  as  president  of  the  class  of  '08, 
is  now  manager  for  the  White  Sewing  Machine  Company  for  the  state 
of  Colorado,  his  headquarters  being  at  Denver ;  Joseph  A.  is  a  member 
of  the  class  of  '13  of  the  Detroit  College  of  Law;  Leo  C.  is  connected 
with  the  White  Sewing  Machine  Company  at  Detroit;  Lambert  M.  is 
general  purchasing  agent  for  the  Northway  Motor  and  Manufacturing 
Company.  All  of  the  sons  have  a  genius  for  business  life  and  several 
have  gained  remarkable  success  for  their  age.  All  the  sons  mentioned 
except  John  C.  were  graduates  of  the  Lee  Academy  in  their  native  town 
of  Massachusetts. 

Thomas  W.  Payne  went  through  the  public  schools  and  graduated 
from  the  academy  at  Lee  in  1895.  As  a  boy  of  fourteen  he  had  begun 
newspaper  work  at  Lee,  and  he  continued  this  work  throughout  his  acad- 
emy course.  When  he  left  home  in  1895,  at  the  age  nineteen,  it  was 
with  the  intention  of  studying  law  at  Jackson,  Michigan,  under  the  pre- 
ceptorship  of  Lyman  B.  Trumbull.  He  carried  on  his  studies  with  dili- 
gence and  success,  and  only  a  few  weeks  remained  before  his  final  exam- 
ination for  admission  to  the  bar  when  the  Spanish- American  war  broke 
out.  For  some  time  he  had  been  a  member  of  Company  D.  of  the  First 
Michigan  National  Guard,  and  he  went  to  the  front  with  this  regiment 
afterward  known  as  the  Thirty-first  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry.  Most 
of  the  time  he  was  out  of  this  country  was  spent  at  Havana.  He  con- 
tinued his  newspaper  correspondence  and  sent  back  a  number  of  special 
war  articles  for  local  pubfication.  On  his  return  to  Michigan  after  the 
war  his  entrance  to  the  ranks  of  the  law  was  again  deferred.  Instead 
he  became  a  solicitor  in  the  telephone  business,  and  later  was  chief  oper- 
ator and  chief  inspector  of  the  Michigan  Telephone  Company  at  Jackson. 
As  special  agent  for  the  company  he  was  located  at  Detroit  in  1902,  and 
he  continued  this  until  1903,  when  he  resigned  and  once  more  took  up 
his  legal  studies. 

In  1895,  when  he  left  his  old  home  at  Lee,  he  had  declared  with  all 
the  solemn  enthusiasm  of  youth  that  he  should  never  return  until  he 
could  show  his  certificate  of  admission  to  the  bar.  First  the  war  and 
then  other  things  prevented  him  from  obtaining  the  coveted  honor,  and 
ten  years  elapsed  before  he  could  return  home.  In  1902  he  entered 
the  Detroit  College  of  Law,  and  three  years  later  graduated  with  the 
class  of  '05,  winning  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  and  being  class  orator.  On 
the  day  following  his  admission  to  the  bar  he  took  a  train  to  Massachu- 
setts, having  fulfilled  the  promise  he  made  to  himself  and  family.  He 
then  returned  to  Detroit  and  has  since  been  enrolled  among  the  lawyers 
of  this  city. 

In  1907,  as  a  representative  of  ex-Mayor  William  C.  Maybury,  he 
went  to  Spokane,  Washington,  for  the  purpose  of  investigating  some 
deeds.  While  there  he  organized  the  Panhandle  Electric  Railway  and 
Power  Company  of  Idaho,  with  headquarters  at  Spokane.  A.  J.  Smith, 
who  was  then  with  the  Great  Northern  Railroad,  has  since  been  general 
manager  of  this  company.  Mr.  Payne  was  the  first  president  and  is 
still  a  member  of  its  board  of  directors.  In  addition  to  the  work  of 
business  organization,  he  also  located  the  water  power  now  being  de- 
veloped by  the  company.  It  is  the  largest  water  power  project  in  the 
northwest,  and  for  a  young  lawyer  to  have  undertaken  and  carried  the 
enterprise  through  with  such  success  is  proof  of  his  keen  vision  for  op- 
portunities and  his  resourcefulness  in  making  the  visions  become  re- 


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HISTOEY  OF  DETROIT  1089 

alities.    Besides  this  company  he  has  other  important  interests  in  the 
northwest. 

Mr.  Payne  is  an  eloquent  speaker  and  his  services  have  been  in  de- 
mand during  all  the  political  campaigns  of  recent  years.  He  is  com- 
mander of  the  General  Henry  M.  Duffield  Command  of  Spanish  War 
Veterans  of  Detroit  for  the  year  1911.  He  is  also  president  of  the 
Thirty-first  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry  Society,  having  been  elected 
at  the  meeting  in  Lansing  in  1911.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Columbus,  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce,  the  Detroit  Motor  Boat 
Club,  the  National  Geographic  Society  of  Washington,  D.  C,  the  Knights 
of  Equity,  the  Lawyers  Club,  the  National  League  of  Veterans  and  Sons, 
and  Jackson  Lodge  of  Elks,  No.  113.  Mr.  Payne  married  Miss  Grace  M. 
Smith,  of  Hillsdale,  Michigan.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary 
Smith,  who  were  formerly  of  Troy,  New  York. 

Daniel  Evans  Binning,  M.  D.,  as  one  who  has  attained  distinction 
in  his  profession,  and  who  has  been  an  earnest  and  discriminating  stu- 
dent, holds  due  relative  precedence  among  the  medical  practitioners  of 
Detroit,  and  now  maintains  well-appointed  ofiices  at  No.  602  Gas  OflSce 
Building.  He  is  a  native  of  Syracuse,  New  York,  and  was  born  June 
30,  1874,  a  son  of  Wallace  and  Emma  (Grassman)  Binning,  natives  of 
Onondaga  county,  New  York,  the  father  born  on  a  farm  in  Clay  township 
and  the  mother  in  the  city  of  Syracuse. 

The  Binnings  are  of  good  old  English  stock,  the  founder  of  the 
family  in  the  United  States  being  the  grandfather  of  the  Doctor,  John 
Binning,  Sr.,  who  came  from  his  home  in  Somersetshire  in  1848,  settling 
first  at  Baldwinsville,  Onondaga  county.  New  York.  Subsequently  he 
purchased  an  estate  in  Clay  township,  to  which  he  removed,  but  later 
in  life  returned  to  Baldwinsville,  where  he  now  lives  in  retirement,  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty -five  years.  The  Grassmans  are  of  German 
stock  and  were  early  settlers  of  Syracuse.  The  father  of  the  Doctor  is 
an  expert  mechanic.  In  1871  he  entered  the  service  of  the  New  York 
Central  Railroad  at  Syracuse  as  an  expert  and  continued  with  that  cor- 
poration for  nineteen  years.  For  the  next  fourteen  years  he  was  with  the 
Solvay  Process  Company  at  Syracuse,  and  is  now  and  has  for  the  last 
eight  years  been  with  the  Franklin  Automobile  Company  at  Syracuse 
as  an  expert  mechanic.     The  mother  is  also  still  living. 

Daniel  E.  Binning  was  graduated  from  the  Syracuse  high  school  in 
1893  and  then  spent  three  years  at  Cornell  University,  in  special  prep- 
aration for  medicine.  In  1901  he  was  graduated  from  Hahnemann 
College  and  Hospital,  Chicago,  and  that  same  year  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  Schoolcraft,  Michigan,  from  whence  he  came 
to  Detroit  in  1909.  He  has  been  successful  in  his  practice,  has  a  most 
extensive  medical  and  surgical  business,  and  has  attained  a  marked 
reputation  among  his  confreres  and  the  general  public.  He  is  a  close 
student,  keeping  abreast  of  the  very  rapid  and  startling  advances  in  the 
sciences  of  medicine  and  surgery,  and  gives  a  great  deal  of  attention 
to  personal  investigation,  experiment  and  research.  He  is  on  the  aux- 
iliary staff  of  Grace  Hospital  and  holds  the  chair  of  Bacteriology  in  the 
Detroit  Homeopathic  Medical  College.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit 
Practitioners  Club,  of  the  Michigan  State  Homeopathic  Medical  Society, 
the  American  Homeopathic  Institute,  the  Wayne  County  Medical  So- 
ciety, the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  As- 
sociation. Dr.  Binning  has  interested  himself  also  in  fraternal  work, 
and  belongs  to  Ashlar  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Detroit;  Schoolcraft  Chapter, 
R.  A.  M.,  Three  Rivers  Commandery,  K.  T. ;  Grand  Rapids  Consistory, 
No.. 32,  S.  R.,  and  Saladin  Temple,  A.  A.  0.  N.  M.  S.,  Grand  Rapids. 


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1090  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

Dr.  Binning  married  Miss  Nellie  Spencer  Ross,  daughter  of  A.  B. 
Eloss,  of  Syracuse,  New  York,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Lois  Mae,  born 
May  23,  1903. 

James  Ritchie.  Among  the  pioneer  citizens  of  Detroit,  who  by 
reason  of  their  long  and  useful  lives  and  by  reason  of  their  worth  as 
men  and  citizens  and  of  their  many  sterling  traits  of  character  are 
worthy  of  honorable  mention  in  any  history  of  Detroit  and  her  people,  was 
the  late  James  Ritchie,  who  was  a  well-known  citizen  for  over  half  a 
century. 

Mr.  Ritchie  was  bom  near  Portadown,  Ireland,  in  1839,  and  died 
in  Detroit  on  December  22,  1911.  When  fourteen  years  of  age  he  be- 
came apprenticed  to  the  ship-building  trade,  and  was  employed  by  a 
ship-building  firm  on  the  river  Clyde  for  several  years.  However,  be- 
fore reaching  his  majority,  he  determined  to  seek  his  fortunes  in  America, 
and  accordingly  crossed  the  seas,  locating  first  in  Canada.  He  came  to 
Detroit  in  1858,  and  here  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  entered 
the  service  of  the  old  D.  G.  H.  &  M.  Railway,  now  the  Grand  Trunk 
Railway,  soon  after  coming  to  Detroit,  and  later  was  made  fireman  on 
a  locomotive,  spending  several  years  in  that  capacity.  His  aptitude  for 
mechanics  was  early  recognized  by  his  superiors  in  oflSce,  and  he  was 
given  a  position  in  the  shops.  In  less  than  a  year  he  was  made  foreman 
of  the  boiler  and  blacksmith  departments  of  the  railroad,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  for  twenty-five  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  period  he 
was  promoted  to  boiler  inspector  for  the  lines  of  the  Grand  Trunk. 
By  his  long  and  faithful  service  in  the  above  positions  he  earned  a  po- 
sition in  the  history  of  railroads  in  Michigan,  but  as  an  inventor  of 
valuable  appliances  he  earned  a  place  in  the  history  of  railroading 
throughout  the  land.  Among  his  important  inventions,  which  in  a  way 
revolutionized  the  building  and  running  of  locomotive  engines,  are  the 
dump  ash-pan,  now  in  universal  use ;  the  cone  smoke-stack  and  the  flue- 
plugger,  both  in  general  use  by  railroads. 

After  his  retirement  from  an  active  railroad  life,  Mr.  Ritchie  became 
identified  with  the  Detroit  City  Fire  Department,  of  which  he  was  an 
enthusiastic  member  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  interested  in  all 
things  pertaining  to  his  adopted  home  city,  and  stood  always  ready  and 
willing  to  do  his  full  share  towards  the  upbuilding  of  the  city's  in- 
stitutions and  to  promote  the  progress  and  well-being  of  the  community. 
He  was  a  charter  member  of  St.  Andrew's  Society  in  Detroit  and  was  an 
old  and  valued  member  of  Zion  Lodge,  P.  &  A.  M.  He  was  one  of  the 
first  men  to  become  interested  in  the  organization  of  the  **  Brotherhood 
of  the  footboard,"  and  in  the  powerful  organization  known  as  the 
** Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers."  As  a  man  and  citizen,  the 
life  of  Mr.  Ritchie  was  full  to  repletion  of  activity  and  well  doing,  and 
his  friends  were  legion.  His  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  family,  his 
friends  and  his  home  city  was  intense.  Possessed  of  the  strong  and 
sterling  characteristics  of  his  Scotch-Irish  ancestors,  endowed  by  nature 
with  a  strong  personality  and  rugged  character,  he  spent  his  long  life 
in  useful  endeavor,  and  the  world  is  the  better  for  his  having  lived  in  it. 

In  Detroit,  Mr.  Ritchie  married  Jennie  Henderson,  who  was  born  in 
Scotland,  in  1847,  and  who  came  to  America  with  her  parents,  the  fam- 
ily settling  at  St.  Johns,  Michigan.  She  died  in  January,  1910,  aged 
sixty-three  years.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ritchie  the  following  surviving  chil- 
dren were  born:  James  H.,  of  Detroit;  Robert  W.,  of  Detroit;  Benjamin 
H.,  Battle  Creek,  Michigan;  Mrs.  R.  A.  Allan,  Detroit;  and  Mrs.  William 
Allan,  of  Detroit. 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1091 

William  Gilbert  Povey,  M.  D.  Devoted  to  the  noble  work  that  his 
profession  implies,  Dr.  W.  Gilbert  Povey,  well  knou-n  among  the  physi- 
cians of  the  West  Side  of  Detroit,  where  he  has  offices  and  residence  at  No. 
1114  Michigan  avenue,  has  proved  a  faithful  exemplar  of  the  healing  art, 
and  has  not  only  earned  the  due  reward  of  his  efforts  in  a  temporal  way! 
but  has  proven  himself  worthy  to  exercise  the  important  functions  of  his 
calling  through  his  ability,  his  abiding  sympathy  and  his  earnest  zeal  in 
behalf  of  his  fellow  men.  His  understanding  of  the  science  of  medicine 
is  broad  and  comprehensive,  and  the  profession  and  public  afford  him  an 
honored  place  among  the  medical  practitioners  of  Detroit.  He  was  born 
November  1,  1873,  in  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  son  of  the  Rev. 
Jesse  and  Sarah  Elizabeth  (Poole)  Povey,  both  parents  being  natives  of 
England,  the  father  of  London  and  the  mother  of  Malsmbury.  They 
were  married  in  England,  and  the  family  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1865,  locating  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  where  the  father  served  as  pastor 
of  a  Congregational  church  until  1889.  At  that  time  he  came  to  Detroit 
to  take  charge  of  the  Port  Street  Congregational  church  as  pastor,  and 
subsequently  acted  in  a  like  capacity  at  the  **Red  Jacket"  Congrega- 
tional church  at  Calumet,  Michigan,  where  he  now  resides,  being  still 
active  in  the  ministry. 

Dr.  Povey  attended  the  Brooklyn,  New  York,  public  and  high  schools, 
graduating  from  the  latter,  and  next  entered  the  literary  department  of 
the  University  of  Michigan,  from  which  he  received  the  degree  of  Bach- 
elor of  Arts  in  1895.  He  then  engaged  in  teaching  school,  and  from 
1895  to  1896  was  principal  of  the  high  school  at  Iron  Mountain,  Mich- 
igan. At  that  time  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine,  and  entered  the 
medical  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1899,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine, 
having  been  in  the  regular  or  allopathic  department.  Subsequently  Dr. 
Povey  took  post-graduate  work  at  Sloane  Maternity  Hospital,  New  York 
City,  and  at  the  Pennsylvania  General  Hospital,  Philadelphia,  giving 
special  study  to  gynecology.  He  was  gynecological  house  officer  at 
Lakeside  Hospital,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  from  1892  to  1898,  and  during  that 
same  time  gynecologist  in  charge  of  the  Lakeside  Hospital  Dispensary 
and  demonstrator  in  gynecology  at  the  medical  department  of  the  West- 
ern Reserve  University,  Cleveland.  For  some  time  while  in  Cleveland 
Dr.  Povey  also  served  as  first  assistant  to  the  noted  physician,  Hunter 
Robb,  M.  D. 

In  1908  Dr.  Povey  came  to  Detroit  and  opened  offices  at  No.  1114 
Michigan  avenue,  where  he  has  since  been  located.  During  this  time  he 
has  carried  on  a  large  general  practice,  but  has  paid  special  attention  to 
gynecology,  and  has  won  an  enviable  reputation  in  this  field.  He  has 
retained  a  representative  support,  controlling  a  large  business  in  his  pro- 
fession, his  skill  and  discrimination  being  not  less  popularly  appreci- 
ated than  his  unfailing  courtesy  and  sympathy.  He  has  shown  a  decided 
and  active  interest  in  the  work  of  the  various  medical  organizations  estab- 
lished to  advance  the  profession,  he  being  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County 
Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American 
Medical  Association.  When  he  can  find  leisure  from  his  arduous  pro- 
fessional duties  he  interests  himself  in  fraternal  matters,  and  is  at  pres- 
ent a  popular  member  of  City  of  the  Straits  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  having 
been  connected  with  that  order  of  Masonry  since  its  organization. 

Dr.  Povey  was  married  to  Miss  Florence  Edna  Lennan,  of  Chillicothe, 
Ohio. 

James  Henry  Boulter,  M.  D.  One  of  the  best  known  men  in 
Detroit,  who  is  popular  not  only  on  account  of  his  medical  skill  and 
knowledge,  but  also  on  account  of  the  strength  of  his  personality,  is 


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1092  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Doctor  James  Henry  Boulter.  A  man  of  brilliant  attainments  in  an  in- 
tellectual way,  he  has  not  had  the  misfortune,  as  have  so  many  of  his 
fellows,  of  making  a  distinguished  name  for  himself  in  the  theoretical 
work,  and  then  of  failing  in  the  actual  test  of  practical  experience.  The 
bright  future  which  his  professors  in  the  medical  school  predicted  for 
him  has  been  more  than  fulfilled,  and  he  is  rapidly  becoming  oije  of  the 
successful  men  of  Detroit.  Well  educated,  widely  read,  and  a  charming 
conversationalist,  the  Doctor  is  a  favorite  wherever  he  may  be,  and  his 
personal  popularity  adds  greatly  to  his  success  as  a  physician  and  sur- 
geon, the  latter  branch  of  his  profession  being  his  special  work. 

James  Henry  Boulter  was  born  in  Prince  Edward  county,  in  the 
province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  on  the  12th  of  January,  1877,  the  son  of 
Wellington  and  Nancy  Helen  (Sprague)  Boulter.  The  Boulter  family 
is  of  sturdy  old  English  stock,  the  founder  of  the  family  on  this  conti- 
ment  having  come  direct  to  Montreal,  Canada,  from  his  English  home. 
George  Boulter,  the  grandfather  of  the  Doctor,  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Montreal,  and  after  he  was  grown  removed  to  Prince  Edward  county, 
where  he  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers.  The  Sprague  family  is  also  of 
English  descent,  and  had  settled  in  Long  Island  some  time  prior  to  the 
Revolutionary  war.  They  were  of  the  United  Empire  Loyalist  party  in 
Colonial  days  and  removed  to  Canada  rather  than  take  up  arms  against 
the  mother  country.  It  is  high  time  that  credit  should  be  given  to  these 
men  and  women  who  were  willing  to  sacrifice  everything,  their  homes, 
the  respect  and  regard  of  their  neighbors,  their  property,  both  landed 
and  personal,  for  the  sake  of  what  they  believed  to  be  their  duty,  and  in 
a  spirit  of  patriotism  go  out  from  the  country  they  had  come  to  love,  as 
exiles.  Although  we  may  think  they  were  in  the  wrong,  yet  they  were 
brave  and  had  the  courage  of  their  convictions,  while  many  of  the  men 
who  reviled  King  George  the  fiercest  did  so  not  because  of  principle,  but 
because  of  cowardice.  Therefore  if  we  have  any  Tory  ancestors  let  us 
be  proud  of  them,  for  they  were  of  the  finest  class  of  men  in  the  country. 
The  grandfather  of  the  Doctor  on  the  maternal  side  was  Stephen 
Sprague,  who  was  born  in  Hastings  county,  Ontario,  and  later  removed 
to  Prince  Edward  county,  where  the  mother  of  Doctor  Boulter  was  born, 
on  the  1st  of  April,  1843.  She  is  still  living,  as  is  also  her  husband,  Wel- 
lington Boulter.  The  latter  was  born  on  the  14th  of  February,  1842, 
in  Prince  Edward  county,  Ontario.  He  was  the  pioneer  manufacturer  of 
canned  goods  in  Eastern  Canada,  and  he  carried  on  this  business  with 
great  success  for  many  years.  He  is  now  retired  from  active  business, 
but  takes  a  prominent  part  in  the  affairs  of  his  section  of  the  country. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  being  a  Knight  Templar  and  a 
Noble  of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 

The  farm  was  the  birthplace  of  Doctor  Boulter,  and  under  its  healthy 
influences  he  grew  up,  attending  the  district  school  and  later  graduating 
from  the  Picton  high  school.  He  then  matriculated  in  McGill  Univer- 
sity, where  he  spent  six  years,  receiving  his  A.  B.  degree  in  1901,  and  in 
1903  taking  the  degree  of  M.  D.  C.  M.  Going  thence  to  Minnesota,  he 
took  the  examinations  offered  by  the  state  board  of  medical  examiners, 
and  passed  these  with  a  brilliant  record.  It  was  his  intention  to  locate 
in  Minneapolis,  but  changing  his  mind  he  came  to  Detroit,  and  during 
this  same  year  of  1903  took  the  examination  before  the  state  medical 
board  here.  This  examination  took  place  in  October,  and  during  the  fol- 
lowing month  he  passed  the  examination  at  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  of  Ontario,  at  Toronto,  Canada,  winning  laurels  at  both  of 
these  examinations  as  well  as  the  one  in  Minneapolis.  These  medical  ex- 
aminations are  perhaps  the  severest  tests  of  the  kind  that  are  given  in  the 
country  to-day,  and  it  really  means  something  to  be  able  to  pass  one.    He 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1093 

next  took  three  months  of  hospital  work  in  Montreal,  Canada,  and  in 
1904  entered  the  professional  field  in  Detroit,  and  has  since  continued. 
In  the  summer  of  1910  Dr.  Boulter  took  post-graduate  work  in  surgery 
in  the  hospitals  of  London,  England ;  Berlin,  Germany ;  and  Vienna, 
Austria.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  of  the 
Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion. He  is  a  member  of  the  Delta  Kappa  Epsilon  Greek  letter  frater- 
nity. He  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Tau  Alpha  Chapter  of  this  frater- 
nity at  McGill  University.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Corinthian  Lodge  of 
the  Masonic  order.  In  his  religious  affiliations  he  is  a  member  of  the 
North  Woodward  Presbyterian  church,  to  whi^h  his  wife  also  belongs. 
His  offices  are  in  the  Grand  Circus  Park  Building,  271  Woodward 
avenue,  and  he  has  a  beautiful  and  attractive  home  at  12  Atkinson 
avenue. 

Docter  Boulter  was  married  on  the  12th  of  October,  1910,  to  Evelyn 
C.  Crawford,  the  daughter  of  George  E.  Crawford,  a  well  known  architect 
and  contractor  in  Denver,  Colorado. 

Peter  J.  Livingstone,  M.  D.,  is  one  of  those  representative  members 
of  his  profession  who  have  realized  the  expediency  of  concentration  or 
specializing  in  the  exacting  work  of  his  chosen  vocation,  and  he  is  devoting 
his  attention  primarily  to  the  diagnosis  and  treatment  of  the  diseases 
of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat,  in  which  field  of  practice  he  has  gained 
authoritative  reputation  and  distinctive  precedence.  He  is  one  of  the 
well  known  and  highly  esteemed  physicians  and  surgeons  of  the  Michigan 
metropolis  and  is  well  entitled  to  recognition  in  this  history  of  the  city. 

Peter  John  Livingstone,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  the  village  of  Nairn,  Mid- 
dlesex county,  Ontario,  Canada,  on  the  30th  of  July,  1865,  and  is  a  son 
of  John  and  Catherine  (Jamieson)  Livingstone,  the  former  of  whom  was 
born  in  the  seaport  town  of  Obay,  Argyleshire,  Scotland,  and  the  latter 
of  whom  was  a  native  of  the  same  county,  her  birthplace  having  been 
Islay,  one  of  the  larger  islands  of  the  inner  Hebrides.  Both  were  rep- 
resentatives of  the  staunchest  of  Scottish  lineage  and  the  names  of  the 
respective  families  have  been  identified  with  the  annals  of  Argyleshire 
for  many  generations.  The  marriage  of  the  parents  of  the  Doctor  was 
solemnized  in  their  native  land  and  in  1856  they  immigrated  to  America 
and  established  their  home  in  Middlesex  county,  Ontario,  where  the 
father  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  under  the  benignant  influences 
of  which  line  of  industry  he  had  been  reared.  Peter  and  Mary  Jamie- 
son,  the  parents  of  his  wife,  accompanied  them  to  America  and  passed 
the  residue  of  their  lives  in  Ontario.  In  1881  John  Livingstone  disposed 
of  his  property  in  Middlesex  county  and  removed  with  his  family  to  San- 
ilac county,  Michigan,  where  he  continued  his  identification  with  farm- 
ing enterprise.  Later  he  removed  to  Cass  City,  Tuscola  county,  and  he 
passed  the  closing  years  of  his  life  in  Detroit,  where  he  died  in  1911,  at 
the  venerable  age  of  eighty-two  years,  his  loved  and  devoted  wife  having 
been  called  to  eternal  rest  in  1889,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years,  and  both 
having  been  devout  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

The  boyhood  and  youth  of  Dr.  Livingstone  were  compassed  by  the 
conditions  and  influences  of  the  home  farm  and  he  early  gained  fellow- 
ship with  hard  work,  the  while  he  did  not  fail  to  avail  himself  of  the 
advantages  of  the  public  schools  of  his  native  county  and  later  those  of 
Sanilac  county,  Michigan.  That  he  made  good  use  of  such  scholastic 
opportunities  as  were  thus  accorded  to  him  is  evident  from  that  fact  that 
in  1884  he  began  teaching  in  the  district  schools  of  Sanilac  county,  where 
he  proved  a  successful  and  popular  representative  of  the  pedagogic  pro- 
fession. Prom  1886  to  1889  he  was  a  valued  teacher  in  the  public  schools 
of  St.  Clair,  this  state,  and  in  the  meanwhile  he  carried  his  own  academic 


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1094  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

studies  into  the  more  advanced  lines.  In  1889,  in  harmony  with  well 
matured  plans  and  definite  ambition,  he  entered  the  medical  department 
of  the  University  of  Michigan,  and  from  this  great  institution  he  received 
his  coveted  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  at  the  time  of  his  graduation, 
as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1892. 

Dr.  Livingstone  initiated  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  thriving 
little  city  of  Caro,  the  judicial  center  of  Tuscola  county,  and  there  his 
success  was  of  most  unequivocal  order.  He  there  continued  his  profes- 
sional work  until  1905,  in  which  year  he  went  to  New  York  City,  where 
he  passed  six  months  in  effective  post-graduate  work  in  the  treatment  of 
diseases  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat.  In  the  following  year  he  made 
a  trip  abroad,  where  he  passed  a  year  in  special  study  and  research  in 
leading  hospitals  and  medical  institutions  in  the  cities  of  London  and 
Vienna.  In  November,  1907,  he  began  practice  in  Detroit,  as  a  specialist 
in  the  treatment  of  the  diseases  noted,  and  he  has  gained  marked  success 
and  prestige  in  this  field  of  practice,  in  which  he  has  received  a  substan- 
tial and  representative  support.  He  is  identified  with  the  American 
Medical  Association,  the  American  Academy  of  Ophthalmology,  the  Mich- 
igan State  Medical  Society,  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society  and  the 
Detroit  Society  of  Oto-Laryngologists. 

Jere  C.  Hutchins.  There  is  no  one  agency  that  contributes  more 
distinctively  to  the  prestige  of  Detroit  as  a  metropolitan  center  than  does 
the  fine  service  accorded  by  the  Detroit  United  Railway,  whose  admirably 
extended  system  will  compare  more  than  favorably  with  those  of  other 
cities  throughout  the  Union.  In  the  development  and  maintenance  of 
this  all-important  public  utility,  comprising  both  city  and  interurban 
lines,  Detroit  is  favored  in  having  secured  the  interposition  of  so  pro- 
gressive and  effective  an  executive  as  Mr.  Hutchins,  who  is  president  of 
the  corporation  designated  and  who  has  ordered  its  affairs  upon  the  high- 
est plane.  On  other  pages  of  this  publication  is  given  sufficient  record 
concerning  the  operations  of  the  Detroit  United  Railway,  and  at  this 
juncture  there  is  all  of  consistency  in  offering  a  brief  review  of  the  career 
of  the  representative  citizen  who  is  so  effectively  administering  its  af- 
fairs. 

Jere  C.  Hutchins  was  bom  in  Carroll  parish,  Louisiana,  on  the  13th 
of  October,  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  Anthony  W.  and  Mary  B.  (Chamberlin) 
Hutchins,  the  former  a  native  of  Mississippi  and  a  scion  of  staunch  old 
southern  stock,  and  the  latter  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  The  father  was 
for  many  years  numbered  among  the  successful  planters  and  honored  and 
influential  citizens  of  Louisiana,  where  he  continued  to  reside  until 
shortly  after  the  birth  of  the  subject  of  this  review,  when  he  removed  to 
Missouri,  where  he  continued  in  the  same  line  of  enterprise  and  where 
both  he  and  his  wife  passed  the  residue  of  their  lives. 

To  the  public  schools  of  Lexington,  Lafayette  county,  Missouri,  Jere 
C.  Hutchins  is  indebted  for  his  early  educational  discipline,  which  was 
effectively  supplemented  by  higher  academic  study  under  the  preceptor- 
ship  of  a  private  tutor,  the  while  he  also  had  the  advantages  of  a  home 
of  signal  refinement  and  other  gracious  influences.  At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen years  he  began  ^he  study  of  civil  engineering,  under  the  direction  of 
Major  Morris,  one  of  the  leading  representatives  of  this  line  of  profes- 
sional endeavor  in  Missouri,  and  he  threw  himself  with  all  of  fervor  and 
earnest  ambition  into  the  work  of  preparing  himself  for  his  chosen  voca- 
tion, for  which  he  seemingly  had  much  natural  predilection  and  in  which 
he  was  destined  to  achieve  high  reputation.  Mr.  Hutchins  assisted  in 
construction  work  on  the  Misouri  division  of  the  Gulf  &  Lexington 
Railroad  and  was  later  identified  with  engineering  work  on  the  Kansas 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1095 

Pacific,  the  Kansas  &  Texas,  and  the  Texas  Pacific  Railroads,  for  each 
of  which  he  served  as  construction  engineer. 

In  the  year  1876,  when  twenty-three  years  of  age,  Mr.  Huchins  re- 
moved from  Missouri  to  Waco,  Texas,  where  he  made  a  radical  change 
of  vocation,  by  assuming  a  place  on  the  reportorial  staflf  of  the  Waco 
Examiner,  of  which  he  later  became  editor.  He  also  acted  as  political 
correspondent  in  Texas  for  New  York  and  New  Orleans  papers,  and  he 
proved  distinctively  versatile  and  successful  in  the  field  of  practical 
journalism,  the  discipline  of  which  has  been  of  marked  value  to  him  in 
the  defining  and  controlling  of  public  service  utilities,  as  he  is  enabled 
to  view  the  agencies  employed  from  the  popular  standpoint  as  well  as 
from  that  of  the  interested  principal.  In  1881  he  again  identified  him- 
self with  the  work  of  his  profession,  and  for  the  ensuing  thirteen  years  he 
continued  to  be  actively  engaged  in  railroad  engineering  work.  He  was 
connected  in  turn  with  the  New  Orleans  &  Pacific,  the  Missouri,  Kansas 
&  Texas,  and  the  Illinois  Central  Railroads,  with  each  of  which  he  made 
a  record  that  greatly  enhanced  his  professional  reputation. 

In  1894,  at  the  expiration  of  the  period  noted  above,  Mr.  Hutchins 
came  to  Detroit,  where  he  became  vice-president  of  the  Citizens'  Street 
Railway  Company,  in  which  he  had  become  a  large  stockholder.  He  also 
became  president  of  the  Detroit,  Fort  Wayne  &  Belle  Isle  Railway  Com- 
pany, and  vice-president  of  the  Detroit  Electric  Railway  Company. 
These  three  corporations  controlled  at  the  time  the  principal  street  rail- 
way properties  and  interests  in  Detroit,  and  he  at  once  became  a  domin- 
ating force  in  their  control  and  management.  Concerning  his  further 
activities  in  this  connection  the  following  pertinent  statements  have  been 
made:  **In  his  executive  capacities  Mr.  Hutchins  did  much  to  institute 
improvements  in  facilities  and  service,  and  his  policy  has  ever  been  of  the 
most  liberal  and  progressive  order,  yet  tinctured  with  due  conservatism. 
Upon  the  consolidation  of  the  various  street-railway  interests  of  the  city, 
coincident  with  the  organization  of  the  Detroit  United  Railway  company, 
in  1901,  Mr.  Hutchins  was  elected  vice-president  of  this  important  cor- 
poration, and  in  January  of  the  following  year,  in  recognition  of  his  fine 
technical  and  administrative  ability,  came  his  election  to  the  office  of 
president,  of  which  he  has  since  continued  the  incumbent  and  in  which 
he  has  accomplished  a  great  work  in  extending  and  perfecting  the  com- 
plex system  controlled  by  the  company  and  including  extended  interurban 
lines.  He  has  been  animated  by  distinctive  public  spirit  and  has  done 
all  in  his  power  to  conserve  through  legitimate  means  the  interests  of  the 
stockholders  of  the  company,  while  advocating  liberality  in  all  extension 
and  equipment  work.  The  citizens  of  Detroit  and  other  points  touched 
by  the  system  of  the  Detroit  United  Railway  have  a  full  appreciation 
of  the  facilities  afforded,  and  adverse  criticism  can  come  only  from 
those  moved  by  political  motives  or  lack  of  knowledge."  He  is  also  a 
director  of  the  Peoples  State  Bank  of  Detroit. 

Though  loyal  to  all  civic  duties  and  responsibilities,  he  has  been 
essentially  and  primarily  a  business  man  and  has  never  been  imbued 
with  any  ambition  for  the  honors  or  emoluments  of  public  office.  He  is 
an  active  and  appreciative  member  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce, 
which  has  exerted  potent  influence  in  furthering  the  industrial  and  civic 
progress  of  the  Michigan  metropolis,  where  he  is  also  identified  with  rep- 
resentative clubs  and  other  social  organizations.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers  and  is  affiliated  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  in  the  former  of  which  his  max- 
imum York  Rite  affiliation  is  with  Detroit  Commandery,  No.  1,  Knights 
Templar,  besides  which  he  has  completed  in  this  time-honored  organiz- 
ation the  circle  of  the  Ancient  Accepted  Scottish  Rite. 


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1096  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

In  April,  1881,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Hutehins  to  Miss 
Anna  M.  Brooks,  of  Waco,  Texas,  and  she  was  summoned  to  the  life 
eternal  in  July,  1900,  leaving  no  children.  In  June,  1903,  Mr.  Hutehins 
wedded  Miss  Sarah  H.  Russel,  daughter  of  the  late  Dr.  George  B.  Russel, 
who  was  one  of  the  most  honored  pioneers  and  influential  citizens  of 
Detroit,  and  Mrs.  Hutehins  is  most  prominently  identified  with  the  lead- 
ing social  activities  of  her  native  city.  No  children  have  been  bom  of  the 
second  marriage. 

J.  W.  RoTHACKER,  M.  D.  In  modern  days  it  seems  to  be  as  necessary 
that  the  successful  doctor  should  have  a  certain  business  and  executive 
ability  as  that  he  should  be  broadly  educated  in  the  theory  and  practice 
of  his  profession.  This  is  especially  true  in  what  may  be  termed  met- 
ropolitan practice,  where  many  of  the  activities  of  the  profession  are  con- 
ducted through  great  institutions,  such  as  sanitariums  and  hospitals. 
Dr.  Rothacker,  of  Detroit,  has  evidently  conformed  to  those  standards 
in  every  particular,  as  an  examination  of  his  career  will  fully  indicate. 

Jacob  William  Rothacker  was  bom  in  Detroit,  February  11,  1873,  and 
is  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Marian  (Weiss)  Rothacker,  natives  of  Switzer- 
land and  descendants  of  an  old  Swiss  family.  They  were  married  in  that 
country,  after  which,  in  1869,  they  came  to  the  United  States  and  located 
in  Detroit.  The  father  was  an  industrious  man,  a  good  husband  and 
family  provider,  and  was  for  many  years  before  his  death,  in  1896,  en- 
gaged in  the  wholesale  meat  business.  The  wife  and  mother  survived 
him  until  1907. 

The  early  education  of  Dr.  Rothacker  was  obtained  in  the  Detroit 
public  schools,  after  which  he  completed  a  course  in  the  Detroit  College 
of  Pharmacy,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1894,  with  the  usual 
degree  of  Ph.  D.  For  several  years  thereafter  he  was  engaged  in  the 
drug  business,  which  is  a  very  practical  preliminary  step  to  the  study 
and  practice  of  medicine.  Entering  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine, 
the  Doctor  was  graduated  therefrom  in  1897,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D., 
and  for  seven  years  thereafter  served  as  doctor  of  clinics  in  St.  Mary's 
Hospital.  At  the  same  time  he  was  conducting  a  growing  general 
practice,  and  becoming  well  known  from  his  oflScial  and  professional 
connections  with  the  city  and  county.  For  five  years  he  served  as  city 
physician  of  Detroit  and  subsequently  was  appointed  to  fill  out  the 
unexpired  term  of  Dr.  Bennett  as  county  coroner,  and  in  1910  he 
assumed  that  oflBce  by  popular  election,  and  served  his  full  term  of 
two  years. 

Naturally,  Dr.  Rothacker  is  intimately  identified  with  various  profes- 
sional organizations  which  advance  the  interests  of  his  profession  as  a 
whole  and  bring  its  members  into  helpful  co-operation,  beitig  a  member  of 
the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society  and  the  Michigan  State  Medical  As- 
sociation. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Nu  Sigma  Nu  medical  fraternity, 
and  is  quite  widely  known  as  an  enthusiastic  fraternalist.  In  the  latter 
connection  he  has  for  some  years  been  identified  with  Corinthian  Lodge, 
No.  24,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  with  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  the  Moose. 

Dr.  Rothacker 's  wife  was  formerly  Miss  Wilhelmina  Quandt,  daugh- 
ter of  August  Quandt,  an  old  and  well  known  tobacco  merchant  of 
Detroit.     They  have  one  daughter,  Wilhelmina  Marion. 

Carl  C.  Q.  Brumme,  M.  D.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  on  the  11th  of 
May,  1900,  Dr.  Brumme  was  one  of  the  most  venerable  and  honored 
representatives  of  the  medical  profession  in  Detroit,  where  he  had  main- 
tained his  home  for  nearly  half  a  century  and  where  he  had  ever  held 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1097 

secure  place  in  popular  confidence  and  esteem.  He  was  one  of  the  dis- 
tinguished members  of  his  profession  in  Michigan  but  had  been  virtu- 
ally retii*ed  from  active  practive  for  ten  years  prior  to  his  death.  He  was 
a  man  of  sterling  character  and  fine  intellectual  attainments,  and  as  a 
citizen  his  loyalty  was  of  the  most  insistent  order.  He  was  one  of  the 
leading  representatives  of  the  German  element  in  the  population  of 
Detroit  and  engrafted  the  best  traditions  of  his  Fatherland  in  his  per- 
sonality and  activities,  so  that  his  influence  was  on  a  parity  with  his 
popularity  in  the  city  that  was  so  long  his  home  and  in  which  he  achieved 
large  and  worthy  success. 

Dr.  Brumme  was  bom  in  Gottingen,  in  the  kingdom  of  Hanover, 
Germany,  on  the  21st  of  June,  1817,  and  was  a  scion  of  one  of  the  old 
and  patrician  families  of  that  part  of  the  empire,  where  his  parents 
passed  their  entire  lives.  He  was  afforded  the  best  of  educational 
advantages  in  his  native  land,  including  a  professional  training  of  the 
highest  type.  He  was  graduated  in  the  celebrated  University  of  Got- 
tingen, from  which  he  received  his  well  earned  degree  of  Doctor  of  Med- 
icine, in  which  he  had  the  privilege  of  prosecuting  his  studies  under  the 
preceptorship  of  Dr.  Edward  Casper  Tac  von  Siebold,  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  physicians  and  surgeons  of  Germany  at  that  time.  After 
his  graduation  Dr.  Brumme  gained  most  valuable  clinical  experience 
through  his  association  with  the  work  of  the  hospital  conducted  in  con- 
nection with  the  university,  and  continued  to  be  identified  with  the  work 
of  his  profession  in  his  native  land  until  1852,  when  he  came  to  America 
and,  soon  after  his  arrival,  to  Detroit.  In  looking  about  for  an  eligible 
location  he  was  persuaded  by  one  of  his  German  friends,  who  had  estab- 
lished a  home  in  Howell,  Livingston  county,  to  go  to  that  village,  but  soon 
afterward  he  found  it  expedient  to  return  to  Detroit,  which  offered  a 
wider  and  more  attractive  field  for  professional  endeavor.  In  the  year 
1852  he  thus  initiated  practice  in  Detroit,  establishing  his  home  on  Port 
street,  East,  between  Rivard  and  Russell  streets,  and  in  the  following 
year  he  purchased  the  substantial  brick  residence  at  the  comer  of  Port 
street,  East,  and  Riopelle  street,  where  he  maintained  his  home  and  offices 
during  the  years  of  his  active  practice,  which  became  one  of  large  and 
essentially  representative  order,  and  he  soon  gained  prestige  as  one  of 
the  most  able  and  skillful  physicians  and  surgeons  of  the  city.  In  1872 
he  announced  his  retirement  from  the  active  work  of  his  profession,  but 
for  many  years  thereafter  he  found  it  impossible  not  to  respond  to  the 
earnest  solicitations  of  many  families  to  whom  he  had  previously  min- 
istered and  who  refused  to  avail  themselves  of  the  services  of  any  other 
physician.  Thus  he  continued  his  labors  in  a  restricted  way  for  a 
number  of  years  after  his  practical  retirement.  His  name  and  mem- 
ory are  revered  in  many  homes  in  Detroit,  for  his  professional  ability 
and  abiding  sympathy  and  kindliness  gained  to -him  the  affection  and 
high  regard  of  all  to  whom  he  ministered.  He  made  judicious  invest- 
ments in  various  lines  and  accumulated  a  competency,  so  that  his  declin- 
ing years  were  compassed  by  most  grateful  surroundings  and  influences. 
He  was  a  valued  member  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  the  Mich- 
igan State  Medical  Society  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  be- 
sides other  professional  organizations,  and  his  contributions  to  medical 
literature  of  a  periodical  order  were  numerous  and  valuable.  At  the 
venerable  age  of  eighty-two  years  and  eleven  months  this  honored  citizen 
and  talented  physician  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal,  and  his  remains 
were  laid  to  rest  in  Woodmere  cemetery. 

Broad-minded  and  public-spirited  as  a  citizen.  Dr.  Brumme  was  ever 
ready  to  lend  his  support  to  all  measures  and  enterprises  advanced  for 
the  general  good  of  the  community,  and  his  political  allegiance  was  given 
to  the  Republican  party.    Upon  the  organization  of  the  Detroit  board  of 

Vol.  m— 17 


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1098  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

health  Dr.  Brumme  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  same  and  he  served 
in  this  capacity,  with  marked  eflSciency,  for 'three  years.  He  took  a  lively 
interest  in  public  aflfairs,  was  admirably  fortified  in  his  political  convic- 
tions, and  was  at  one  time  nominated  by  his  party  for  representative  of 
Wayne  county  in  the  state  legislature.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  the 
Harmonic  Society,  the  leading  German  musical  and  social  organization 
of  Detroit,  and  he  ever  took  a  deep  interest  in  its  aflfairs. 

In  1851,  shortly  prior  to  his  immigration  to  America,  Dr.  Brumme 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emilie  Augusta  Henrietta  Steiniger,  who 
was  born  in  a  small  village  in  the  same  part  of  Hanover  in  which  he 
himself  was  bom  and  who  was  a  daughter  of  a  representative  physician 
of  that  section,  besides  which  two  of  her  brothers  entered  the  medical 
profession.  Soon  after  his  marriage  Dr.  Brumme  came  with  his  young 
bride  to  America,  and  their  ideal  companionship  was  severed  by  the  . 
death  of  the  devoted  wife  and  mother,  who  passed  to  the  **land  of  the 
leal"  in  1873,  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years.  She  is  survived  by  three 
children,  concerning  whom  brief  record  is  made  in  conclusion  of  this 
memoir.  Minnie  is  the  wife  of  Edward  Stange,  of  Detroit,  and  they  have 
five  children,  namely :  Emilie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Edward  Thurber ;  Dor- 
othy, who  is  the  wife  of  Otto  Anger;  and  Meta,  Frederick  and  Hugo, 
who  remain  at  the  parental  home.  Miss  Lillie  Brumme,  the  younger 
daughter,  resides  at  293  Fort  street,  East.  Carl  L.,  youngest  of  the  three 
children,  is  engaged  in  business  in  Detroit.  He  married  Miss  Stella 
Krebbs,  and  they  have  two  children,  Elizabeth  E.  and  Carl  W. 

Charles  Conrad  Heldebrand.  The  life  history  of  Charles  Conrad 
Hildebrand  is  of  peculiar  interest,  not  only  because  of  the  prominent 
place  he  occupies  in  the  automobile  industry  of  Detroit,  but  because  of 
the  strong  and  admirable  character  it  portrays.  He  has  been  able  to 
accept  the  worst  which  Fate  could  deal  and  to  win  courage  from  the  en- 
counter— ^the  truest  definition  of  success.  At  an  age  when  most  boys  find 
their  chief  interest  in  life  in  giving  vent  to  their  buoyant  spirits  in  play, 
he  was  facing  its  sternest  realities  and  it  has  been  entirely  through  his 
own  eflforts  that  he  has  arrived  at  his  present  success  and  high  standing. 

It  was  at  Loutre  Island,  Missouri,  on  July  28,  1865,  that  Charles  C. 
Hildebrand  was  born  and  in  him  are  united  the  German  and  American 
elements,  his  father,  August  R.  Hildebrand,  a  surveyor  by  occupation, 
being  a  native  of  Frankfort,  Germany,  and  his  mother,  Carolina  Lefholz 
Hildebrand,  of  the  state  of  Missouri.  Hildebrand  is  a  name  which  has 
been  famous  in  the  history  of  Germany  since  the  Middle  Ages  and  the 
family  was  one  of  consequence  in  the  Fatherland.  Young  Charles  Con- 
rad received  his  early  education  at  Marthasville,  Missouri.  As  the  pop- 
ulation of  this  hamlet  numbered  only  about  three  hundred,  half  of  whom 
were  negroes,  the  educational  advantages  of  the  place  were  by  no  means 
excellent.  Conditions  were  decidedly  primitive  and  in  the  little  log 
school  house  the  boy  learned  in  a  rather  haphazard  manner  the  elements 
of  arithmetic,  writing  and  reading.  However,  he  subsequently  went  to 
St.  Louis,  where  in  the  J.  Toensfeldt  Institute  he  had  the  benefit  of  two 
years  of  much  better  instruction.  He  never  went  to  college,  but  being 
ambitious  to  learn  and  having  a  receptive  mind,  he  has  eflPectually  re- 
paired such  deficiencies  as  may  have  been  his  in  the  matter  of  formal 
instruction. 

When  Charles  was  only  eleven  years  old  he  was  bereft  of  his  mother, 
and  the  following  year  the  death  of  the  father  left  eight  orphans  home- 
less. What  made  the  situation  particularly  pitiable  was  the  youth  of  the 
little  group.  Charles  was  the  oldest  in  that  family  of  five  sisters  and 
three  brothers.     The  baby  was  given  to  the  old  colored  nurse  of  the  family 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1099 

to  rear  and  the  others  were  disposed  of  in  the  best  way  which  those  who 
took  charge  of  their  fortune  could  devise.  Charles  Conrad,  by  reason  of 
having  arrived  at  the  mature  age  of  eleven,  was  sent  out  to  shift  for  him- 
self'and  for  two  and  a  half  years  worked  on  a  farm  for  his  board  and 
clothes,  the  latter  consideration  being  by  no  means  impressive.  In  1881, 
when  sixteen  years  of  a^e,  he  went  to  work  for  the  John  Wahl  Commis- 
sion Company,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  a  concern  dealing  in  produce,  grain 
and  pig  lead.  He  remained  with  this  house  for  seven  years  but  in  1888 
had  to  make  room  for  the  proprietor's  son,  who  was  coming  out  of  school. 
When  he  first  began  to  work  here  his  salary  amounted  to  two  and  a  half 
dollars  a  week.  Prom  there  he  went  to  work  for  August  Ziock  &  Com- 
pany, a  St.  Louis  company  whose  specialty  was  yarns  and  hosiery.  Here 
he  was  bookkeeper  from  1888  until  1890,  when  the  failure  of  the  concern 
left  him  again  out  of  a  position.  He  was  next  associated  with  the  E.  C. 
Meacham-Arms  Company,  dealers  in  sporting  goods  and  bicycles.  He 
was  given  charge  of  the  bicycle  department  and  remained  there  until 
1895.  He  sold  Cleveland  bicycles  for  this  company  for  the  most  part 
and  in  the  latter  part  of  1895  went  on  the  road  as  traveling  salesman  for 
H.  A.  Lozier  &  Company  of  Cleveland,  leaving  his  family  temporarily 
in  St.  Louis.  Subsequently  he  removed  to  Buffalo,  where  he  opened  a 
branch  establishment  for  H.  A.  Lozier,  of  which  he  was  in  charge  during 
1896  and  1897. 

Mr.  Hildebrand  was  then  sent  to  Philadelphia  to  straighten  out  a 
branch  which  was  being  mismanaged  and  while  there  he  sold  bicycles, 
motor  boats  and  engines  and  made  a  beginning  in  the  automobile  busi- 
ness, selling  Toledo  Steamers,  Waverly  Electrics  and  Cleveland  Tricycles. 
This  was  during  1898-9,  at  about  the  time  the  American  Bicycle  Com- 
pany was  formed,  and,  like  many  others,  H.  A.  Lozier  sold  out.  Among 
the  subsidiary  companies  that  were  formed  during  the  history  of  the 
American  Bicycle  Company  was  the  International  Motor  Car  Company 
and  Mr.  Hildebrand  was  sent  to  take  charge  of  their  branch  at  11  Fifth 
avenue,  New  York. 

This  was  the  entrance  of  our  subject  into  the  automobile  business. 
During  the  next  two  years  he  was  engaged  in  selling  machines  made  by 
old  bicycle  factories,  forced  into  the  new  field  by  the  falling  off  in  the 
demand  for  bicycles,  and  none  of  them  having  any  experience  in  the 
manufacture  of  the  new  product.  The  cars  which  Mr.  Hildebrand  sold 
were  the  Toledo  Steamer,  the  Toledo  three-cylinder  gasoline  car — some 
of  the  first  that  were  built  in  the  Toledo  plant, — ^the  Rambler  Hydro-Car, 
manufactured  by  GormuUy  &  Jeffrey;  the  Cleveland  Tricycle  and  the 
Crescent  Tri-Motor,  manufactured  by  the  Western  Wheel  Works,  and  the 
Waverly  Electric.  The  Tri-Motor  was  very  similar  in  appearance  to  a 
child's  tricycle,  only  larger  in  size  and  provided  with  a  motor  on  the 
front  wheel,  ignited  by  a  hot  tube. 

The  International  Motor  Car  Company  eventually  went  out  of  busi- 
ness and  then  Mr.  Hildebrand  accepted  a  position  with  the  Stevens- 
Duryea  Company  of  Chicopee  Palls,  Massachusetts,  as  sales  and  general 
business  manager.  This  new  step  was  taken  in  December,  1902.  Mr.  Hil- 
debrand marketed  no  fewer  than  nine  hundred  two-cylinder  Stanhopes 
and  a  little  later  he  disposed  of  their  four-cylinder  car,  which  sold  for 
$2,500  and  was  the  most  popular  car  in  the  country  at  the  time.  In  1904- 
5  they  brought  out  a  six-cylinder  car  and  Mr.  Hildebrand  had  the  distinc- 
tion of  being  the  first  man  in  America  to  sell  cars  of  this  type,  and,  what 
is  more,  an  entire  year  before  any  of  the  other  manufacturers  were 
marketing  them.  His  services  to  this  company  cannot  be  measured,  as 
in  his  hands  their  business  grew  from  nothing  to  $4,000,000  a  year.  The 
dealers  established  were  some  of  the  best  in  the  business  and  Mr.  Hilde- 


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1100  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

brand  was  a  representative  from  the  company  on  the  License  Associa- 
tion of  Automobile  Manufacturers. 

After  eight  years  with  the  Stevens-Duryea  people,  Mr.  Hildebrand 
resigned  in  June,  1910,  and  took  a  position  as  assistant  general  manager 
of  the  Chalmers  Motor  Company  of  Detroit,  Michigan.  The  reputation 
of  this  firm  is  world-wide  and  Mr.  Hildebrand  is  one  of  the  best  known 
men  in  the  business.  He  was  admirably  equipped  to  be  one  of  the  head 
men  of  such  a  concern,  as  he  possesses  marked  executive  ability,  tireless 
energy,  and  genius  for  the  broad  combination  and  concentration  of  avail- 
able forces.  These  qualities  combine  to  make  a  gift  for  exploiting  any- 
thing in  which  he  believes,  such  that  seems  sufficient  to  assure  the  fortune 
of  whatever  he  directs  his  energies  to  promote.  He  induced  this  com- 
pany to  build  a  six-cylinder  car.  In  March,  1912,  he  resigned  from  the 
Chalmers  Motor  Company  and  accepted  a  position  with  the  Ford  Motor 
Company,  of  Detroit. 

In  April,  1890,  Mr.  Hildebrand  began  his  happy  wedded  life,  his 
bride  being  Lena  Heege,  daughter  of  Theo.  Heege,  who  was  for  many 
years  a  judge  of  St.  Louis  county,  Missouri.  The  wedding  was  celebrated 
in  Kirkwood,  Missouri,  where  the  only  child  of  this  marriage,  Lillian, 
was  bom,  in  October,  1902. 

Mr.  Hildebrand  is  a  prominent  Mason.  He  joined  the  Blue  Lodge 
in  1909  in  Chicopee  Falls,  Massachusetts,  and  later  in  the  same  year  the 
Chapter,  Council  and  Commandery  in  Springfield,  Massachusetts.  In  the 
same  city  he  became  a  member  of  the  Melha  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 

Allen  L.  Lamphere.  Among  those  thrown  in  the  lime  light  of  pub- 
licity through  the  enforcement  of  the  laws  of  the  state,  and  who  have  well 
and  faithfully  carried  out  their  duty  as  public  officers,  is  Allen  L.  Lamp- 
here,  assistant  prosecuting  attorney  for  Wayne  county. 

Mr.  Lamphere  was  born  at  Vassar,  Michigan,  May  25,  1877,  the  son 
of  Leman  B.  and  Helen  S.  (Mclntyre)  Lamphere.  His  early  life  was 
spent  upon  the  farm  in  Tuscola  county,  to  which  his  parents  moved  before 
he  was  born,  and  attended  the  district  schools  and  later  the  high  school 
at  Vassar,  the  place  of  his  birth.  He  engaged  in  farming,  then  followed 
other  pursuits  until  1901,  when  he  located  at  Bedford,  Michigan,  where 
he  operated  a  hotel.  He  afterward  went  into  the  wood,  lime  and  cement 
business  at  the  same  place.  While  thus  engaged  he  took  up  the  study  of 
the  law,  attending  the  Detroit  College  of  Law,  and  graduated  therefrom 
with  the  class  of  1909,  receiving  the  degree  of  LL.B.  In  October,  1909, 
he  was  appointed  assistant  prosecuting  attorney  for  Wayne  county,  a 
position  he  has  filled  with  great  ability  and  faithfulness,  and  he  was  reap- 
pointed in  1911  for  another  two-year  term. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Bar  Association,  of  the  Detroit 
Lawyers  Club,  and  belongs  to  Redford  Lodge,  No.  152,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Pen- 
insular Chapter,  R.  A.  M. ;  Detroit  Commandery,  No.  1,  Knights  Temp- 
lar; and  Moslem  Temple,  Order  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Elks,  the  Maccabees,  the  Social  Order  of  Moose,  Lions  and 
Eastern  Star  fraternities.  He  married  Mary  E.  Sturgis,  who  was  also 
bom  at  Vassar,  Michigan,  the  daughter  of  Horris  Sturgis. 

Mr.  Lamphere 's  father,  Leman  B.,  was  bom  in  New  York  state, 
December  29,  1832,  the  son  of  Ezekiel  Lamphere,  who  came  to  Michigan 
in  1835,  locating  in  Wayne  county,  where  he  followed  farming.  The 
mother  of  the  assistant  prosecuting  attorney  was  bom  in  New  York  state, 
October  30,  1838,  the  daughter  of  Joseph  Mclntyre,  also  a  native  of  New 
York,  who  came  to  Michigan  in  1849,  settling  at  Novi,  on  the  Grand 
River  Road,  Oakland  county,  where  he  became  a  pioneer  hotel  keeper.  The 
father  of  Allen  L.  was  a  blacksmith  for  more  than  forty  years,  then  in 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  HOI 

later  years  became  a  farmer.  He  now  resides  with  his  son  at  Redford, 
Michigan.  The  elder  Mrs.  Lamphere  died  September  7,  1908,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-nine  years. 

William  Francis  Kahl,  M.  D.,  with  residence  and  ofiSces  at  637 
Mount  Elliott  avenue,  is  one  of  the  representatives  of  the  younger  physi- 
cians and  surgeons  of  the' East  Side. 

Dr.  Kahl  was  bom  in  Detroit,  on  the  28th  of  September,  1882.  His 
father  was  born  in  Ohio,  of  Qerman-Prench  stock,  and  his  mother  was 
bom  in  Germany.  Their  marriage  was  solemnized  in  Detroit,  to  which 
city  they  came  when  young  folks,  and  in  which  they  have  continued  to 
maintain  their  home  during  the  long  intervening  years.  The  father  has 
long  followed  his  trade,  that  of  machinist-moulder,  and  he  commands 
unqualified  confidence  and  esteem  in  the  city  that  has  so  long  been  his 
home  and  the  scene  of  his  earnest  and  well  directed  endeavors.  He  takes 
a  loyal  interest  in  local  affairs  of  a  public  nature.  They  are  members  of 
the  Lutheran  church.     The  Doctor  is  their  only  child. 

Dr.  Kahl  had  advantages  of  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city. 
After  completing  his  work  in  the  high  school  he  entered  the  Detroit  Col- 
lege of  Medicine,  where  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of 
1907,  with  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  In  May,  1907,  he  passed  the 
examination  before  the  state  board  of  medical  examiners,  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing September  he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  his  present 
place.  His  close  application,  marked  ability  and  personal  popularity 
have  contributed  to  his  success,  and  he  now  enjoys  a  large  and  growing 
practice.  In  his-  senior  year  in  college  he  gained  practical  experience 
through  service  in  Harper,  St.  Mary's,  and  the  Children's  Free  Hospitals. 
The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  the  Mich- 
igan State  Medical  Society,  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society.  He 
is  assistant  surgeon  in  the  Michigan  Naval  Reserves,  in  which  he  serves 
in  the  First  and  Third  Battalions,  taking  much  interest  in  the  affairs  of 
the  organization.  He  is  aflSliated  with  the  Phi  Epsilon  high-school  fra- 
ternity and  the  Alpha  Beta  medical  fraternity.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  Friendship  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.  Dr.  Kahl  is  the  inventor  of  what 
is  known  as  the  W.  F.  Kahl  medical  spoon,  an  admirable  device  for  the 
accurate  graduation  and  administration  of  medicines,  the  superiority 
of  which  is  recognized  by  the  profession,  and  the  demand  for  which  is 
showing  a  constant  increase  as  the  merits  of  the  spoon  become  better 
known.  In  politics  he  is  found  arrayed  under  the  banner  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  he  is  loyal  to  his  native  city,  in  the  progress  and  pros- 
perity of  which  he  maintains  the  deepest  interest. 

On  the  26th  of  December,  1905,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Kahl  to  Miss  Mary  Hansten,  of  Detroit,  a  daughter  of  Albert  Hansten, 
who  has  been  connected  with  the  government  light-house  service  on  the 
Great  Lakes  for  nearly  forty  years.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Kahl  have  one  son, 
William  Francis,  Jr.,  who  was  bom  on  the  11th  of  May,  1908. 

John  B.  Morin,  M.  D.  The  admirable  Homeopathic  school  of  med- 
icine has  an  able  and  popular  representative  in  Detroit  in  the  person  of 
Dr.  Morin,  who  maintains  his  oflBces  in  suite  403,  Bowles  Building,  on 
Griswold  street,  and  who  has  built  up  a  large  and  substantial  practice. 
He  is  a  scion  of  staunch  French  stock,  and  the  family  was  early  founded 
in  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  with  whose  annals  the  name  has  been  identi- 
fied for  several  generations. 

Dr.  Morin  was  bom  at  Belle  Prairie,  Morrison  county,  Minnesota,  on 
the  2d  of  Febmary,  1867,  and  is  a  son  of  Michael  and  Julia  (Lavigne) 
Morin,  who  were  pioneer  settlers  in  that  section  of  the  state,  where  they 
took  up  their  abode  in  1865,  upon  their  removal  from  their  old  home  in 


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1102  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

the  province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  where  they  were  born  and  reared.  Prom 
Minnesota  they  removed,  in  1868  to  Chippewa  Palls,  the  judicial  center 
of  Chippewa  county,  Wisconsin,  where  they  still  maintain  their  home,  as 
venerable  pioneer  citizens  of  the  community,  in  which  they  hold  the 
high  regard  of  all  who  know  them.  Both  are  octogenarians  and  are  well 
preserved  in  both  mental  and  physical  powers,  and  both  are  zealous  com- 
municants of  the  Catholic  church.  The  father  of  Dr.  Morin  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade  in  his  youth  and  followed  the  same  for  a  number  of 
years,  but  from  the  early  70s  onward  to  the  time  of  his  retirement  from 
active  labor  he  gave  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits,  in  connection 
with  which  he  developed  a  fine  farm  in  Chippewa  county,  Wisconsin.  He 
has  been  liberal  and  progressive  as  a  citizen  and  his  political  support  is 
given  to  the  Democratic  party. 

Dr.  Morin  was  an  infant  at  the  time  of  the  family  removal  to  Wis- 
consin, and  he  gained  his  early  educational  discipline  in  the  public  schools 
of  Chippewa  Palls,  where  he  also  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  that 
of  stationary  engineer  after  he  left  the  home  farm.  He  was  employed 
as  a  building  superintendent  in  Wisconsin  until  after  he  had  passed  the 
age  of  thirty  years,  and  in  the  meanwhile  his  ambition  prompted  him  to 
seek  a  broader  field  of  endeavor,  with  the  result  that  he  began  the  study 
of  medicine  under  effective  private  preceptorship.  Pinally  he  came  to 
Detroit,  where,  after  passing  most  creditably  a  written  examination,  he 
was  matriculated  in  the  Detroit  Homeopathic  Medical  College,  in  which 
he  completed  the  well  ordered  course  of  study  and  was  graduated  in 
1908,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  During  his  last  three  years 
in  this  institution  he  was  identified  with  the  work  of  its  free  dispensary, 
in  which  he  gained  experience  of  wide  range  and  distinctive  value.  Prom 
.the  time  of  his  graduation  to  the  present  he  has  been  engaged  in  active 
practice  in  Detroit,  where  his  success  has  been  of  unequivocal  order  and 
where  he  is  known  as  a  Well  qualified  physician  and  surgeon.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Detroit  Homeopathic  Practitioners'  Society,  a  member 
of  the  alumni  association  of  the  medical  college  in  which  he  was  grad- 
uated, and  a  member  of  the  Medical  Auxiliary  staff  of  Grace  Hospital. 
He  is  affiliated  with  Ashlar  Lodge,  Pree  &  Accepted  Masons,  and  is  also 
identified  with  and  is  medical  examiner  for  the  Knights  of  the  Modem 
Maccabees,  the  Knights  &  Ladies  of  Honor,  and  the  American  Insurance 
Union.  Though  he  has  had  no  desire  for  public  oflBce,  the  Doctor  is 
aligned  as  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  principles  and  policies  for  which 
the  Republican  party  stands  sponsor.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 

Clayton  WuliLiam  Surge,  M.  D.  Among  the  younger  members  of 
the  medical  profession  of  Detroit  who  have  firmly  and  successfully  estab- 
lished themselves  in  practice  is  Dr.  Clayton  W.  Burge,  whose  oflSces  are 
at  No.  58  Cadillac  Square. 

Dr.  Burge  was  born  in  White  Cloud,  Michigan,  August  2,  1880,  and 
is  a  son  of  Prederick  A.  and  Belle  (Kellogg)  Burge,  the  former  of  whom 
was  born  in  Paw  Paw,  Michigan,  the  son  of  a  Michigan  pioneer  who  died 
when  the  father  of  the  Doctor  was  a  child.  Prederick  A.  Burge  was  for 
many  years  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in  Michigan,  but  after  retir- 
ing from  active  life  made  his  home  in  Detroit  until  his  death,  on  June  5, 
1912,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  The  mother  of  the  Doctor  was  bom 
in  Vermont,  the  daughter  of  William  H.  Kellogg,  also  a  Michigan 
pioneer,  and  she  resides  in  this  city. 

Clayton  W.  Burge  secured  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools 
and  graduated  from  the  Gladwin  (Michigan)  high  school  in  1899.  He 
then  spent  two  years  in  the  lumber  business  in  Saginaw,  Michigan,  after 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1103 

which  he  took  up  his  technical  studies,  entering  the  Detroit  College  of 
Medicine,  from  which  he  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Med- 
icine in  the  class  of  1906.  On  the  morning  after  his  graduation  he 
opened  an  oflSce  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Detroit,  where  he  has  since  continued.  In  April,  1912,  he  took  the  super- 
intendeney  of  the  Edmund  Sanitarium,  120  Edmund  Place,  Detroit.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  State 
Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association.  He  is  prom- 
inent in  Masonry  as  a  member  of  the  Ashlar  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Pen- 
insular Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  and  the  Loyal  Guards. 

In  October,  1910,  Dr.  Burge  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Stacie 
Burke,  of  Brown  City,  Michigan,  the  daughter  of  Daniel  Burke. 

Frederick  Qustavus  Buesser,  M.  D.  One  of  the  representative 
young  professional  men  of  Detroit,  who  has  gained  marked  prestige  as 
an  able  and  discriminating  physician  and  surgeon,  controlling  a  repre- 
sentative practice  and  being  held  in  the  highest  esteem  in  professional, 
business  and  social  circles,  is  Dr.  Frederick  Qustavus  Buesser,  of  No. 
310  Washington  Arcade.  He  was  bom  at  Troy,  New  York,  April  27, 
1881,  and  is  a  son  of  Gustavus  D.  and  Nellie  (Connors)  Buesser,  natives 
of  New. York  state.  Dr.  Buesser 's  parents  came  to  Detroit^ in  1903  and 
are  residing  in  the  city  at  the  present  time. 

Dr.  Buesser  received  his  preliminary  educational  training  in  the 
public  schools  of  Troy,  later  attended  the  University  of  Vermont,  and 
graduated  from  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine  with  the  class  of  1905, 
receiving  the  degree  of  M.  D.  He  entered  general  practice  in  Detroit  in 
1905,  and  in  1906  was  appointed  on  the  staff  of  Harper  Hospital,  as 
assistant  attending  physician.  In  1908  he  was  appointed  attending  phy- 
sician to  the  polyclinic  staff  of  Harper  Hospital,  a  position  which  he  holds 
at  the  present  time,  and  he  is  also  assistant  to  the  chair  of  practice  of 
medicine  in  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  of  which  he  has  been  the 
incumbent  since  1906.  He  served  as  secretary  of  the  Alumni  Associa- 
tion of  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine  for  some  time,  and  is  now  vice- 
president  of  the  Harper  Hospital  Polyclinic  Society,  a  member  of  the 
Wayne  County  and  Michigan  State  Medical  Societies  and  of  the  Amer- 
ican Medical  Association,  and  a  valued  and  esteemed  member  of  the  pro- 
fession. He  is  also  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Columbus  and  the 
Fellowcraft  Club,  and  is  well  known  in  fraternal  and  club  circles. 

Dr.  Buesser  has  well  app9inted  oflBces  at  No.  310  Washington  Arcade, 
fitted  with  the  largest  and  most  highly  improved  appliances  of  his  pro- 
fession. He  has  ever  been  a  close  student,  keeping  in  advance  of  the 
progress  made  in  the  sciences  of  medicine  and  surgery,  and  giving  all 
of  his  spare  time  to  advancing  this  progress  by  personal  research  and  in- 
vestigation. Gifted  with  a  love  for  his  chosen  calling,  and  possessing  a 
kind  and  sympathetic  nature,  he  has  won  the  confidence  and  gratitude  of 
his  patients  and  the  respect  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  practitioners. 

Frederick  J.  Sober,  M.  D.  A  representative  of  the  third  generation 
of  the  family  in  Michigan,  Dr.  Sober  bears  a  name  that  has  been  worthily 
identified  with  the  history  of  this  favored  commonwealth  since  the  early 
pioneer  epoch,  and  as  a  citizen  and  a  physician  and  surgeon  of  fine  pro- 
fessional ability  he  has  honored  the  state  of  his  nativity.  He  has  been 
engaged  in  the  active  practice  of  his  profession  in  Detroit  since  1901  and 
maintains  his  home  at  408  Seyburn  avenue,  where  he  has  an  office,  as 
has  he  also  one  in  the  Detroit  Gas  Company  Building,  in  the  central 
business  district  of  the  city. 


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1104  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

Dr.  Frederick  James  Sober  was  bom  on  the  old  homestead  farm  in 
Salem  township,  Washtenaw  county,  Michigan,  on  the  20th  of  July,  1876, 
and  is  a  son  of  Sylvester  C.  and  Lydia  (Dennis)  Sober,  the  former  of 
whom  was  bom  in  Salem  township,  Washtenaw  county,  Michigan,  and 
the  latter  in  the  state  of  New  York.  Sylvester  C.  Sober  was  a  son  of 
James  Sober,  who  was  bom  and  reared  in  the  state  of  New  York  and 
who  served  as  a  valiant  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  He  came  to  Mich- 
igan in  the  early  pioneer  days  and  settled  in  Detroit,  where  he  became 
identified  with  various  business  activities.  Both  he  and  his  wife  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  this  state  until  their  death  and  their  names  merit  en- 
during place  on  the  roll  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  Michigan.  Sylvester 
C.  Sober  became  one  of  the  representative  farmers  and  stock-growers  of 
Washtenaw  county  and  was  a  citizen  who  ever  commanded  secure  place 
in  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  men.  His  marriage  to  Miss 
Lydia  Dennis  was  solemnized  in  the  state  of  New  York,  and  the  latter 's 
father,  Frederick  Dennis,  passed  his  entire  life  in  the  old  Empire  com- 
monwealth. Sylvester  C.  Sober  brought  his  bride  to  the  farm  in  Salem 
township,  Washtenaw  county,  Michigan,  and  there  both  passed  the  res- 
idue of  their  lives.  He  was  a  man  of  influence  in  local  aflPairs,  was  called 
upon  to  serve  in  various  positions  of  public  trust,  and  both  he  and  his 
wife  held  the  unequivocal  esteem  of  all  who  knew  them,  both  having  been 
consistent  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  the  father 
having  been  a  staunch  Republican  in  his  political  adherency.  Of  the 
children,  one  son,  the  Doctor,  and  two  daughters  are  now  living. 

To  the  public  schools  of  his  native  county  Dr.  Sober  is  indebted  for 
his  preliminary  educational  discipline,  which  was  supplemented  by  at- 
tendance in  the  high  school  in  the  city  of  Ann  Arbor.  There  he  finally 
entered  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  in  which 
he  continued  his  studies  for  one  year,  at  the  expiration  of  which  he  was 
matriculated  in  the  old  Michigan  College  of  Physicians  &  Surgeons,  now 
the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  in  which  he  was  graduated  as  a  member 
of  the  class  of  1901  and  from  which  he  received  his  well  earned  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  In  the  same  year  he  initiated  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  with  residence  and  oflSce  on  Joseph  Campau  avenue,  near 
Monroe  street,  where  he  remained  until  he  purchased  his  present  attrac- 
tive home,  at  408  Seybum  avenue,  at  the  comer  of  Kircheval  avenue. 
To  facilitate  the  work  of  his  large  and  substantial  practice  ie  also  main- 
tains a  downtown  office,  as  has  already  been  noted  in  this  context.  Dr. 
Sober  is  thoroughly  en  rapport  with  his  profession  and  subordinates  all 
other  interests  to  its  demands,  the  while  he  continued  a  close  and  appre- 
ciative student  of  its  most  advanced  standard  and  periodical  literaliire. 
He  further  manifests  his  energetic  interest  in  the  vocation  in  which  he 
is  doing  such  successful  work  by  retaining  membership  in  the  American 
Medical  Association,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  Wayne 
County  Medical  Society.  In  politics  Dr.  Sober  is  aligned  as  a  stalwart 
supporter  of  the  cause  of  the  Republican  party  and  as  a  citizen  he  is  pro- 
gressive and  public-spirited.  He  is  affiliated  with  Detroit  Lodge,  No.  2, 
Free  &  Accepted  Masons,  and  in  Michigan  Sovereign  Consistory,  Ancient 
Accepted  Scottish  Rite,  he  has  attained  to  the  thirty-second  degree,  and 
he  also  holds  membership  in  Moslem  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order  of 
the  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  The  Doctor  and  his  wife  attend  the 
Presbyterian  church. 

On  the  17th  of  September,  1898,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Sober  to  Miss  Mayme  A.  Bussey,  daughter  of  William  Bussey,  a  repre- 
sentative citizen  of  Salem,  Washtenaw  county,  and  the  two  children  of 
this  union  are  Dorothy  and  Donald. 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1105 

Stephen  K.  Williams.  Of  the  many  physicians  and  surgeons  of  the 
younger  generation  in  Detroit  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  Stephen 
Keyes  Williams  has  established  for  himself  a  place  in  the  very  front  rank 
of  his  profession,  a  fact  that  is  due  not  only  to  his  personal  popularity 
and  sterling  qualities  as  a  gentleman  and  friend,  but  more  particularly 
to  his  professional  ability,  which  goes  unchallenged  by  those  who  are 
most  familiar  with  his  work  and  success.  His  residence  and  office  are  at 
395  Clark  avenue. 

Dr.  Williams  is  a  native  of  New  York,  having  been  born  at  Newark, 
Wayne  county,  that  state,  on  the  11th  day  of  January,  1881,  and  is  a 
descendant  of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  families  of  that  great  common- 
wealth, in  which  the  family  name  has  attained  to  marked  distinction  in 
the  various  avenues  of  learning,  especially  in  the  legal,  medical  and  surg- 
ical professions.  Dr.  Williams  is  a  son  of  Byron  C.  Williams,  who  is 
one  of  the  representative  members  of  the  legal  profession  of  New  York, 
and  who  is  at  present  counselor  for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  System, 
with  residence  in  Newark.  Dr.  Williams'  paternal  grandfather  was  the 
Hon.  Stephen  Keyes  Williams,  whose  name  was  for  many  years  familiar 
among  the  leading  members  of  the  legal  profession  in  the  state  of  New 
York,  and  who  served  as  senator  in  the  legislative  assembly  of  that  state, 
besides  having  been  otherwise  an  influential  figure  in  public  affairs  gener- 
aUy.  It  is  with  a  pardonable  degree  of  pride,  therefore,  that  Dr.  Stephen 
Keyes  Williams  of  Detroit  bears  the  name  of  this  grandparent. 

Having  graduated  in  the  Newark  high  school  as  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1898,  Dr.  Williams,  in  1899-1900,  devoted  his  attention  to  a  special 
course  of  study  in  the  Mercersburg  College,  at  Mercersburg,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  during  the  ensuing  year  he  held  the  office  of  assistant  super- 
intendent of  St.  Luke's  Hospital  in  the  city  of  Chicago.  Here  he  had  a 
wide  and  varied  experience  in  hospital  practice,  which  is  so  essential  to 
one  about  to  engage  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery.  In  1902 
Dr.  Williams  entered  the  Michigan  College  of  Medicine,  Detroit,  and 
from  this  institution  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1906, 
and  was  elected  as  class  sponsor.  He  duly  received  his  well-earned 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine,  and  his  ambition  in  the  matter  of  equip- 
ping himself  fully  for  his  chosen  vocation  was  indicated  by  his  having 
served  as  an  interne  in  the  Detroit  Emergency  Hoipital,  the  Red  Cross 
Hospital  and  the  Home  Sanatorium,  during  the  time  when  he  was  pros- 
ecuting his  studies  in  the  medical  college. 

During  the  earlier  part  of  his  term  at  Mercersburg  College,  Dr.  Wil- 
liams served  as  a  special  reporter,  during  the  summer  months,  for  a 
number  of  the  Rochester  and  Syracuse  papers  at  the  famous  summer 
resort  known  as  Sodus  Point,  New  York.  In  the  latter  part  of  his  col- 
lege career  the  Rochester  Railway,  of  Rochester,  New  York,  asked  him 
to  serve  as  their  special  summer  representative  along  the  line  of  getting 
out  their  summer  advertising;  and  it  was  during  this  period  that  Dr. 
Williams  first  conceived  the  idea  of  establishing  a  trolley  magazine,  which 
should  have  free  distribution  among  the  trolley  passengers  journeying  to 
various  resorts  near  Rochester.  In  this  he  brought  forth  the  first  trolley 
magazine  ever  issued.  The  Trolley  Topics  gave  not  only  valuable  time- 
tables to  the  travelers,  gossip  of  the  different  resorts,  etc.,  but  contained 
short  stories  to  amuse  the  rfeader.  The  magazine  was  self-sustained 
through  beneficial  advertising,  paid  for  by  the  various  firms  in  the  city 
and  small  towns  along  the  electric  line.  This  magazine  was  copied  by 
most  all  of  the  lines  of  electric  railway  companies  throughout  the  United 
States. 

In  1903  that  noble  woman,  Miss  Clara  Barton,  founder  of  the  Red 
Cross  Society,  proposed  the  name  of  Dr.  Williams  at  a  meeting  of  the 
American  Red  Cross  Society,  held  in  the  city  of  Washington,  D.  C,  in 


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1106  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

connection  with  his  candidacy  for  admission  as  an  active  member  of  the 
organization,  to  which  he  was  admitted  at  her  personal  instance.  He 
represented  this  organization  throughout  the  state  of  New  York  until 
Miss  Barton  withdrew  from  the  society. 

On  the  31st  day  of  January,  1906,  Dr.  Williams  was  appointed  Mich- 
igan state  secretary  of  the  National  First  Aid  Association  of  America 
(Miss  Clara  Barton's  new  organization),  and  on  the  30th  of  December 
of  the  following  year  he  was  further  honored  by  being  appointed  a  rep- 
resentative-at-large  for  this  worthy  organization,  in  which  he  thus  became 
attached  to  the  headquarters  staff.  In  behalf  of  this  organization  he 
began  the  initial  work  in  Detroit  by  delivering  effective  and  timely 
** First-Aid"  lectures  before  the  assemblies  of  the  local  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association,  the 
Salvation  Army,  the  executives  and  employes  of  the  Detroit  Edison  Com- 
pany, and  the  Railway  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  in  West 
Detroit.  He  also  organised,  in  the  city  of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  a 
class  to  which  he  gave  careful  instruction  and  discipline  in  the  work  of 
giving  ** First  Aid"  to  injured  persons,  and  his  services  in  this  field  of 
activity  have  been  productive  of  great  good  in  the  saving  of  life  and  in 
affording  proper  and  prompt  ministration  to  injured  persons.  In  his 
lectures  in  Detroit  marked  interest  was  shown  by  the  executives  of  var- 
ious prominent  corporations,  and  it  may  be  noted  that  among  these  who 
sent  representatives  to  attend  these  lectures  were :  The  Edison  Electric 
Light  Company,  Detroit  City  Gas  Company,  Russel  Wheel  &  Foundry 
Company,  Buhl  Malleable  Company,  Detroit  White  Lead  Company,  Pack- 
ard Automobile  Company,  Cadillac  Motor  Car  Company,  Great  Lakes 
Engineering  Company,  and  the  Hugh  Wallace  Company.  The  Doctor 
gave  concise  and  careful  instructions  and  effective  illustrations  of  the 
means  and  methods  of  offering  succor  to  the  injured,  and  the  results  of 
his  lectures  and  other  work  in  this  important  field  have  proved  of  great 
and  lasting  value,  which  is  shown  by  each  of  the  large  plants  at  once 
establishing  Emergency  Rooms,  after  the  ideas  expressed  and  shown  in 
the  lectures. 

In  1906  he  organized  and  established  an  admirable  field  hospital  at 
the  Michigan  State  Fair  Grounds,  Detroit,  and  he  had  direct  supervision 
of  the  same  during  the  Fair  of  that  year  and  of  the  Fair  of  1907.  The 
splendid  work  on  his  part  was  shown  when  he  turned  over  to  the  Mich- 
igan State  Fair  Association  a  report  of  the  number  and  wide  scope  of 
the  cases  taken  in  during  the  few  days  of  each  fair.  The  Michigan  State 
Fair  Association,  in  recognition  of  the  splendid  services  of  Dr.  Williams, 
awarded  him  a  medal  of  considerable  value ;  and  the  National  First  Aid 
Association  of  America  further  advanced  him  by  taking  from  him  the 
oflBce  of  Michigan  state  secretary  and  appointing  him  the  national  rep- 
resentative of  the  Association,  giving  him  entire  supervision  of  a  number 
of  the  western  states.  * 

In  1908  Dr.  Williams  was  physician  in  charge  of  the  celebrated 
Colonial  Hotel  and  Sanitarium  at  Mount  Clemens,  Michigan,  and  there 
he  gained  most  valuable  experience  and  varied  practice,  the  while  he 
devoted  careful  attention  to  the  study  of  special  diseases  which  he  was 
called  upon  to  treat. 

Besides  giving  close  attention  to  his  large  and  representative  practice. 
Dr.  Williams  is  physician  and  surgeon  for  the  Timken-Detroit  Axle  Com- 
pany, one  of  the  city's  largest  and  most  extensive  industrial  concerns — 
one  of  the  largest  factories  in  the  world,  manufacturing  automobile  axles 
exclusively.  He  was  first  to  establish  in  this  plant  an  emergency  room 
and  doctor's  office,  and  here  he  spends  a  few  hours  of  his  time  each  day, 
giving  special  care  to  those  injured  while  at  work  in  and  about  the  exten- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1107 

sive  shops.  He  is  also  special  medical  examiner  for  the  Michigan  depart- 
ment of  the  State  Life  Insurance  Company  of  Indianapolis,  Indiana. 

In  the  past  year  Dr.  Williams  induced  Commissioner  Croul  of  the 
police  department  to  recognize  a  special  emblem  that  would  distinguish 
a  doctor's  automobile  when  on  hurry  calls  through  the  streets  of  Detroit. 
Although  Dr.  Williams'  particular  design  was  not  adopted,  a  similar  one 
was.  His  ideas  and  purpose  brought  every  doctor  in  the  city  of  Detroit 
a  privilege  they  had  not  previously  enjoyed. 

Dr.  Williams  is  actively  identified  with  the  Wayne  County  Medical 
Society,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  and  the  American  Medical 
Association.  He  is  a  progressive,  loyal  and  public-spirited  citizen.  His 
idea  is  to  do  something  of  value  each  year  for  the  benefit  of  those  with 
whom  he  is  associated.  His  political  alliance  is  given  to  the  Republican 
party. 

On  the  14th  day  of  June,  1905,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Williams  to  Dorothea  H.  Hebert,  daughter  of  Louis  Hebert,  who  was 
long  and  prominently  engageS  in  the  lumber  and  coal  business  in  Detroit, 
where  he  is  now  living  a  retired  life.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Williams  have  one 
child,  Stephen  Keyes  Williams,  who  was  born  on  the  6th  day  of  May, 
1906. 

Arthur  John  Jones,  M.  D.,  was  born  in  Detroit,  on  the  17th  of 
April,  1881,  the  son  of  Dr.  John  R.  Jones.  The  father  was  born  in 
county  Wexford,  Ireland,  on  the  29th  of  June,  1847,  the  son  of  John  and 
Eliza  (Stevenson)  Jones,  who  were  both  natives  of  county  Wexford.  The 
Jones  family  went  into  Ireland  from  Wales,  and  had  been  in  Ireland  for 
six  generations  before  the  birth  of  the  Doctor.  The  family  of  Dr.  Jones' 
mother  went  into  Ireland  from  Scotland  and  his  maternal  grandfather 
was  quite  an  unusual  man.  He  was  bom  in  Ayrshire,  Scotland,  and  after 
having  finished  his  education  at  Trinity  College  became  a  minister  in  the 
Church  of  England.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  and  both  he  and  his  wife 
spent  their  whole  lives  in  county  Wexford,  where  they  died. 

The  early  education  of  Doctor  Jones  was  acquired  in  the  schools  of 
county  Wexford,  and  upon  completing  the  studies  there  offered  he  at- 
tended an  educational  institute,  where  he  took  a  classical  course.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1866,  and  soon  after  reaching  Michigan 
took  up  the  study  of  medicine  at  Jonesville,  Michigan,  with  Doctor  W.  B. 
Hawkins.  He  had  an  able  teacher  and  was  a  good  student,  so  he  covered 
ground  at  a  rapid  rate,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  was  teaching  school 
during  two  years  of  this  time.  He  was  now  advised  to  go  to  the  Univers- 
ity of  Michigan  for  the  completion  of  his  course,  and  did  so,  taking  one 
course  in  the  medical  department  of  that  institution.  He  then  found  it 
necessary  to  earn  some  money  if  he  wished  to  study  further,  so  he  took 
a  position  in  a  drug  store  at  Ann  Arbor,  and  while  thus  employed  took  a 
course  in  pharmacy  in  the  university.  In  1870  he  graduated  from  the 
pharmacy  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  with  the  degree  of 
Ph.  G.  He  then  continued  in  the  drug  store,  at  the  same  time  carrying  on 
his  medical  courses  at  the  university.  This  meant  the  hardest  kind  of 
work,  a  strain  on  both  mental  and  physical  powers  of  endurance,  but  in 
1872  he  reached  his  goal  and  was  graduated  from  the  university  with  the 
degree  of  M.  D.  He  then  came  to  Detroit,  where  he  took  a  position  in 
the  old  drug  store  of  John  Harvey.  He  remained  in  his  employ  for  a 
year  and  then  took  charge  of  the  drug  store  of  Frank  Inglis,  where  he 
remained  for  over  two  years,  and  then  entered  the  practice  of  medicine, 
locating  on  Gratiot  Road,  in  the  then  village  of  Leesville,  now  within  the 
city  limits  of  Detroit,  where  he  has  since  continued. 


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1108  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  of  the  Mich- 
igan State  Medical  Society  and  of  the  American  Medical  Association. 
He  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Hunt,  who  was  born  in  Wayne  county, 
on  the  15th  of  August,  1858,  the  daughter  of  Peter  Hunt,  who  was  a 
native  of  England.  Mrs.  Jones  died  on  the  30th  of  October,  1901,  leav- 
ing four  children.  These  are  Dr.  Arthur  John  Jones ;  Eliza  Ann,  who 
married  Norman  D.  Cooper,  of  Detroit ;  Jessie  Ellen  and  Charlotte  C. 

Dr.  Arthur  J.  Jones  was  educated  in  Detroit,  graduating  from  the 
Eastern  high  school  in  1900.  He  then  entered  the  University  of  Mich- 
igan, where  he  pursued  the  classical  course,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated in  1905,  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  He  matriculated  in  the  medical 
school  of  the  same  university  and  received  his  M.  D.  degree  with  the 
class  of  1907.  His  first  practical  work  as  a  physician  was  done  as  a 
member  of  the  medical  stafiE  of  the  Copper  Range  Mining  Company,  into 
whose  employ  he  went  as  soon  as  he  was  in  possession  of  his  diploma.  He 
remained  in  their  employ  until  1910,  when  he  returned  to  Detroit  and 
entered  the  practice  in  association  with  his 'father,  while  at  the  present 
time  he  also  maintains  oflSces  in  Washington  Arcade  Building,  in  the 
business  centre  of  the  city.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Med- 
ical Society,  of  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  of  the  American 
Medical  Association,  also  a  member  of  the  Phi  Gamma  Delta  fraternity 
and  of  the  medical  fraternity  of  Nu  Sigma  Nu. 

On  the  14th  of  June,  1911,  Dr.  Jones  was  married  to  Corrinne  Suther- 
land, a  daughter  of  Reverend  J.  W.  Sutherland,  of  Lansing,  Michigan. 

John  Taylor  Watkins,  M.  D.  Among  the  younger  members  of  the 
medical  profession  of  Detroit  who  are  fast  attaining  prominence  is  Dr. 
John  Taylor  Watkins,  who  maintains  offices  in  Washington  Arcade.  John 
Taylor  Watkins  was  born  at  Whitmore  Lake,  Michigan,  on  the  31st  of 
July,  1883,  the  son  of  James  J.  and  Mary  Gordon  Watkins,  both  of  whom 
were  of  Irish  parentage.  The  paternal  grandfather,  James  Watkins,  was 
born  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  in  1798,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1832,  coming  to  Michigan  and  settling  on  a  farm  in  Oakland  county.  He 
was  one  of  the  very  first  settlers  of  that  county  and  lived  on  this  farm, 
which  he  owned,  until  within  a  few  years  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  Milford  in  1872.  At  Milford,  Michigan,  he  married  Catherine  Taylor. 
The  maternal  grandfather  of  the  Doctor  is  Thomas  Gtordon,  who  was 
bom  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  and  there  married  Sarah  Stevens.  They 
came  to  Detroit  in  1848.  After  living  here  for  a  time  they  moved  to 
Milford,  Michigan,  then  returned  to  Detroit,  and  thence  moved  again  to 
Howell,  Michigan,  where  he  resides,  being  now  in  his  ninety-second  year. 

James  J.  Watkins,  the  father  of  the  Doctor,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Milford,  Oakland  county,  on  the  13th  of  August,  1845.  He  is  an  able 
business  man,  of  an  upright  character,  full  of  honor  and  integrity.  For 
the  last  sixteen  years  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  coal,  grain  and  lumber 
business  at  Hamburg,  Michigan.  His  wife  was  bom  in  Detroit  on  the 
14th  day  of  May,  1855,  and  she  and  Mr.  Watkins  were  married  in 
Howell,  Michigan,  in  1875. 

Dr.  Watkins  received  his  elementary  and  college  preparatory  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Milford  and  Howell,  Michigan.  He  matric- 
tdated  in  the  department  of  medicine  of  the  University  of  Michigan  in 
1902,  and  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  in  the  class  of  '06. 
The  year  that  he  graduated  he  began  practice  in  association  with  Dr. 
Edward  T.  Abrams,  of  Dollar  Bay,  Houghton  county,  Michigan,  where 
he  continued  until  1907,  then  located  in  Detroit,  opening  his  ofiice  on  the 
comer  of  Forest  and  Second  avenues.  For  a  year  and  a  half  he  re- 
mained at  that  location,  and  then  moved  to  his  present  oflSces  in  the 
Washington  Arcade. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1109 

Dr.  Watkins  has  for  several  years  been  identified  with  different  char- 
itable institutions  in  a  professional  way,  having  always  cheerfully  given 
his  services  in  that  direction  when  called  upon.  He  was  at  one  time 
physician  to  the  Salvation  Army  of  Detroit  and  has  served  as  one  of  the 
consulting  physicians  to  the  United  Jewish  Charities.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Wayne  County  Medical  Association,  the  Michigan  State  Medical 
Association,  and  of  the  American  Medical  Association. 

Dr.  Watkins  was  married  on  the  15th  of  October,  1910,  to  Grace 
Mildred  Deats,  of  Detroit.  She  is  the  daughter  of  the  late  William 
Deats,  M.  D.,  who  was  a  well  known  physician  of  Rochester,  Michigan, 
and  who  had  also  spent  many  years  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  near 
Easton,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  born  near  Easton,  in  1850,  and  after  re- 
ceiving his  preliminary  education  near  home  entered  Lafayette  Univers- 
ity, at  Easton,  Pennsylvania,  from  which  he  was  graduated.  He  later 
attended  Jefferson  Medical  College,  at  Philadelphia,  where  he  received 
his  degree  of  M.  D.  He  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Rochester,  Michigan,  later  returning  to  his  old  home  near  Easton,  where 
he  continued  to  practice  until  his  death  in  1891.  He  was  quite  a  young 
man  at  the  time  of  his  demise,  but  his  life  and  work  left  a  deep  imprint 
on  the  community,  and  his  death  was  universally  regretted  by  all  who 
had  ever  come  in  contact  with  him.  He  married  Harriet  Sprague,  of 
Rochester,  Michigan,  who  died  in  1889,  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven.  Mrs. 
Watkins  is  of  a  medical  family,  for  her  maternal  grandfather  was  Dr. 
RoUin  Sprague,  who  was  for  many  years  in  active  practice  in  Rochester, 
Michigan.  He  was  born  in  North  Bloomfield,  New  York,  on  the  2d  of 
April,  1806,  and  was  graduated  from  a  medical  college  in  his  native  state, 
but  most  of  his  years  as  a  physician  wereT  spent  in  the  west.  He  died  in 
Rochester  on  the  6th  of  August,  1872.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Watkins  have  one 
son,  David  Deats  Watkins,  who  was  bom  on  the  18th  of  December,  1911. 

Edwin  C.  Hinsdale.  In  the  death  of  Deacon  Edwin  Charles  Hins- 
dale, on  the  12th  of  June,  1894,  there  passed  away  one  of  the  best  known 
and  most  highly  honored  of  the  pioneer  citizens  of  Detroit,  where  he  had 
maintained  his  home  for  nearly  forty  years  and  where  he  had  gained  dis- 
tinction in  connection  with  civic  affairs  and  as  a  representative  member 
of  the  bar.  His  exalted  character  and  unvarying  kindliness  gained  to 
him  friends  in  all  classes,  and  his  influence  was  ever  benignant.  He  was 
a  man  of  fine  inteUectual  attainments,  marred  by  naught  of  bigotry,  and 
the  spiritual  flame  that  burned  within  and  illuminated  his  mortal  tene- 
ment was  of  the  purest  and  brightest,  while  his  abiding  Christian  faith 
was  shown  in  goods  works  and  kindly  deeds.  This  faith  was  an  intrinsic 
part  of  his  very  character  and  he  made  his  life  conform  to  the  teachings 
of  the  Great  Master  whom  he  served  with  humility  and  consecrated  devo- 
tion, ever  striving  to  aid  and  uplift  his  fellow  men.  Deacon  Hinsdale 
was  a  scion  of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  families  of  Michigan  and  had 
his  full  quota  of  experience  in  connection  with  the  conditions  and  in- 
fluences of  the  early  period  of  development  in  this  commonwealth,  to 
which  he  came  with  his  parents  several  years  prior  to  the  admission  of 
the  state  to  the  Union.  Measured  by  its  beneficence,  its  productiveness, 
its  altruism  and  its  nobility,  his  life  counted  for  good  in  its  every  rela- 
tion, and  there  is  special  consistency  in  the  offering  of  this  memoir  in 
the  history  of  a  city  in  which  he  so  long  maintained  his  home  and  in 
which  his  name  is  held  in  lasting  honor. 

The  Hinsdale  family  was  founded  in  New  England  in  the  colonial 
epoch  of  our  national  history,  and  the  lineage  is  traced  back  to  staunch 
English  origin.  Deacon  Hinsdale  himself  was  a  native  of  that  historic 
section  of  the  country,  and  in  his  life  he  represented  the  best  traditions 


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1110  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

« 

of  his  New  England  ancestry.  He  was  bom  at  Hinesburg,  Chittenden 
county,  Vermont,  on  the  30th  day  of  July,  1820,  and  was  the  eldest  son 
in  a  family  of  ten  children,  six  sons  and  four  daughters,  born  to  Judge 
Mitchell  and  Dorothy  (Weed)  Hinsdale,  both  of  whom  were  bom  and 
reared  in  that  state,  where  the  father  continued  to  be  identified  with 
agricultural  pursuits  until  about  the  year  1832,  when,  in  order  to  secure 
better  opportunities  for  his  children,  he  located  in  Michigan,  though  that 
section  of  the  country  was  yet  in  a  most  primitive  state  and  continued 
under  territorial  government  for  a  period  of  about  five  years  after  his 
removal  from  the  east.  He  secured  a  tract  of  government  land  in  Kal- 
amazoo county,  near  the  present  beautiful  city  of  the  same  name,  and 
there  he  literally  hewed  out  a  farm  from  the  virgin  forest.  He  reclaimed 
much  of  his  land  to  cultivation  and  both  he  and  his  wife  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  their  lives  on  this  old  homestead,  their  remains  being  laid  to 
rest  in  a  family  lot  which  he  secured  for  the  purpose  many  years  ago 
and  in  which,  in  accordance  with  his  expressed  wish,  the  other  members 
of  the  family  have  been  given  burial,  one  by  one,  as  they  passed  from  the 
stage  of  life's  mortal  endeavors.  These  worthy  pioneers  were  earnest, 
industrious  and  God-fearing  folk,  sterling  types  of  that  fine  element  of 
citizenship  contributed  to  Michigan  by  New  England  in  the  early  days. 

Edwin  C.  Hinsdale  was  a  lad  of  twelve  years  at  the  time  of  the  family 
migration  to  Michigan,  and  he  had  previously  gained  a  rudimentary  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  his  native  state.  He  was  reared  to  the  sturdy 
and  invigorating  discipline  of  the  pioneer  farm,  and  thus  early  learned 
the  lessons  of  practical  industry.  As  the  eldest  son,  he  assumed  much 
responsibility  and  did  much  hard  work,  but  he  ever  reverted  to  this 
period  of  his  career  with  pleasure  and  satisfaction,  as  the  social  relations 
of  the  early  settlers  were  of  the  most  generous  and  kindly  nature  and 
not  hampered  by  fictitious  conditions  or  standards.  It  may  readily  be 
understood  that  educational  facilities  at  that  time  were  most  meager  in 
that  section  of  Michigan,  but  the  ambition  of  Mr.  Hindsdale  was  not  to 
be  curbed  by  such  seeming  handicap.  Even  as  he  gained  temporal  suc- 
cess and  prosperity  through  his  own  efforts,  so  did  he  amplify  and 
round  out  a  symmetrical  education  by  means  of  self  application, 
appreciative  study  and  the  reading  of  such  books  as  he  could  secure. 
His  literary  tastes  were  of  high  order  and  until  the  close  of  his  long  and 
useful  life  he  found  much  gratification  and  solace  in  reading  and  study, 
with  access  to  a  specially  well  selected  private  library  of  comprehensive 
order.  He  assisted  the  younger  children  in  securing  proper  education 
and  in  time  he  himself  gained  a  liberal  academic  training,  including  that 
afforded  hf  one  year  of  study  in  the  University  of  Michigan,  which  was 
then  in  its  incipiency.  He  familiarized  himself  with  the  French  lan- 
guage and  also  became  one  of  the  early  exponents  of  shorthand,  or 
stenography,  in  Michigan. 

His  first  work  aside  from  that  involved  in  the  operations  of  the  home 
farm  was  that  of  teaching  school,  and  in  this  field  he  showed  that  he  had 
made  good  use  of  such  scholastic  advantages  as  had  been  his.  One  of 
his  aunts  on  the  paternal  side  was  at  that  time  residing  in  the  state  of 
Mississippi,  and  upon  visiting  her  he  secured  a  position  of  teacher  in  a 
school  in  that  state.  Soon  afterward  his  devoted  mother,  a  woman  of 
marked  ability,  came  for  a  visit  and  taught  in  the  same  school.  This 
pedagogic  service  was  rendered  just  prior  to  the  inception  of  the  Civil 
war,  and  the  opinions  of  the  mother  and  son  were  such  that  they  became 
persona  non  grata  in  that  section  and  found  it  expedient  to  return  to 
the  north.  Soon  after  they  arrived  at  the  old  home,  war  was  declared, 
and  shortly  afterward  occurred  the  death  of  the  honored  husband  and 
father.     The  subject  of  this  memoir  thereupon  assumed  charge  of  the  es- 


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of  veaVs  a/^,^«^«   "desire  fo  aTd  i  ^"""<J'^ss,  „  ^ 


ile 


1112  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

local  organization,  of  which  he  was  an  oflScer  for  a  number  of  years. 
When  he  ceased  from  his  labors  and  passed  forward  to  the  **land  of  the 
leal"  his  mortal  remains  were  taken  to  Kalamazoo  for  interment  beside 
those  of  his  parents  and  other  members  of  his  family,  in  accordance  with 
the  desire  of  his  father,  as  previously  noted.  There  also  rest  the  re- 
mains of  his  loved  wife  and  two  of  their  three  children.  Mrs.  Hinsdale 
was  a  woman  who  in  every  way  complemented  the  services  and  ideals 
of  her  husband, — a  gracious,  kindly  gentlewoman,  a  devoted  wife  and 
mother,  and  an  earnest  worker  in  the  Congregational  church,  of  which 
she  was  virtually  a  lifelong  member. 

There  can  be  no  desire  to  reveal  aught  of  the  ideal  influences  of  the 
home  life  of  Deacon  Hinsdale,  but  consistency  justifies  the  foUowing 
brief  record  in  conclusion  of  this  memoir : 

At  Hopkinton,  St.  Lawrence  county,  New  York,  on  the  25th  of  April, 
1849,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Hinsdale  to  Miss  EUen  Jane 
Kent,  who  was  born  at  Hopkinton,  New  York,  on  the  22nd  day  of  De- 
cember, 1823,  and  who  was  a  daughter  of  Artemas  and  Sarah  Kent. 
Her  parents  were  natives  of  Vermont  and  were  numbered  among  the 
early  settlers  of  western  New  York,  where  they  continued  to  reside  un- 
til the  close  of  their  lives.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hinsdale  became  the  parents 
of  three  daughters, — Dorothy  M.,  Mary  C.  and  Genevieve  S.  Dorothy 
M.  and  Mary  C.  are  deceased ;  Miss  Genevieve  Hinsdale  still  resides  in 
the  old  homestead  on  Lafayette  boulevard.  The  loved  and  devoted  wife 
was  summoned  to  eternal  life  on  the  22nd  of  April,  1902,  and  her  mem- 
ory is  revered  by  all  who  came  within  the  sphere  of  her  gentle  influence. 

Robert  A.  Allan.  On  New  Year's  day  of  1870  was  born  in  Glas- 
gow, Scotland,  Robert  A.  Allan.  His  parents  were  Henry  A.  and  Mary 
J.  Malcomson  Allan.  The  Scotch  love  of  learning  was  a  quality  which 
Robert  Allan  possessed  in  a  high  degree  and  he  took  the  medal  and  cer- 
tificate for  the  best  scholarship  while  attending  school  in  Glasgow.  He 
had  an  uncle  in  Detroit,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he  came  to  America 
alone  and  began  his  business  career  in  this  city.  He  was  first  employed 
in  the  firm  of  Joseph  Walker  &  Son,  as  bookkeeper,  and  he  retained  this 
position  for  three  years.  He  left  it  to  engage  in  business  for  himself 
and  he  and  his  brother  WiUiam  started  a  grocery  known  as  Allan  Broth- 
ers'  grocery,  located  at  the  corner  of  Jefferson  and  Meldrum  streets. 
Until  February  they  continued  to  conduct  this  establishment,  but  on  the 
sixth  of  that  month  Mr.  Robert  Allan  was  married  to  Miss  Jennie  Mof- 
fatt  Ritchie  and  at  the  same  time  entered  the  Detroit  Savings  Sank  as 
commercial  bookkeeper.  Shortly  afterwards  he  sold  his  interest  in  the 
grocery. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allan  took  a  trip  to  Scotland  as  their  wedding  journey, 
spending  several  months  there.  Upon  his  return  he  again  went  into 
business  with  his  brother  in  the  grocery  at  the  comer  of  Eighth  and  Mich- 
igan streets.  For  five  years  this  partnership  continued  and  then  it  was 
dissolved.  Mr.  Allan  then  started  a  store  of  his  own  at  the  comer  of 
Hubbard  and  Dix  avenues.  Before  long  he  branched  out  and  had  sev- 
eral other  stores.  He  built  up  an  extensive  trade  among  the  best  fam- 
ilies of  the  town  and  also  supplied  the  soldiers  at  Fort  Wayne  for  the 
government.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  owned  several  stores,  the  prin- 
cipal one  being  at  1120-1122  Fort  street,  West. 

Although  devoted  to  his  business,  Mr.  Allan  found  time  and  oppor- 
tunity for  mauy  cultural  interests.  He  was  especially  fond  of  fine 
pictures,  and  had  a  rare  collection.  He  never  gave  up  the  habit  of  study 
but  was  all  his  life  a  reader  and  a  thinker.     The  broadening  influences 


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of  travel,  too,  were  his.     His  death  on  June  16,  1906,  took  from  Detroit 
one  of  her  deepest  students  as  well  as  one  of  her  beat  business  men. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Allan  lo  Miss  Ritchie  was  a  most  happy  union, 
as  their  tastes  were  such  as  to  make  their  companionship  most  gatiafac* 
tory.  Miss  Ritchie  was  principal  of  the  Johnson  school  liefore  her  mar- 
riage. She  is  a  graduate  of  the  Central  high  school  and  of  the  Detroit 
Normal  School.  Bhe  studied  art  and  inusic  at  the  Thomas  Normal 
School  and  has  ability  in  these  lines,  as  well  as  a  broad  general  culture. 
During  her  husband  s  life  she  helped  him  very  much  in  his  business 
as  well  as  taking  an  interest  in  his  intellectual  pleasures.  She  is  now 
teaching  in  the  Detroit  schools.  Robert  Moffat  Allan,  the  only  eliild 
of  their  marriage,  was  born  December  23,  1896,  and  is  at  present  a 
student  in  high  sebooL 

Charles  Stoebler.  Of  the  many  sterling  German  citizens  who  were 
identified  with  business  activities  in  the  Michigan  metropolis,  few  were 
better  kno^^Ti  than  the  late  Charles  Stoebler. 

Mr.  Stoebler  was  born  in  the  dty  of  Stuttgart,  the  capital  city  of 
Wurtemburg,  Germany,  on  the  19th  of  November,  1856,  and  was  a  scion 
of  one  of  the  prominent  old  faiuilies  of  that  province,  where  his 
parents  continued  to  reside  until  their  death.  C*harles  Stoebler 
was  afforded  the  advantages  of  the  excellent  schools  of  his  native  land, 
where  he  received  a  liberal  education  and  where  he  served  his  due 
period  in  the  German  army.  In  the  Fatherland  he  also  served  a  thor- 
ough apprenticeship  to  the  baker's  trade  and  when  about  twenty-six 
years  of  age  he  severed  tb*^  home  ties  and  set  forth  in  search  of  experi- 
ence and  fortune  in  America.  Soon  after  landing  in  New  York  City  he 
made  his  way  to  Michigan  and  after  following  the  work  of  his  trad© 
for  a  short  time  at  Ann  Arbor  he  came  to  Detroit, — about  the  year  1880. 
Here  he  was  employed  for  a  time  at  his  trade  and  in  the  meanwhile  he 
gained  the  friendship  of  one  of  the  city's  leading  brewers,  who  recog- 
nized the  business  capacity  and  ambition  of  the  young  man  and  assisted 
him  in  starting  in  an  independent  enterprise.  Thus  for  about  six  years 
he  con  ducted  a  hotel  and  liquor  business  on  Larned  street,  and  in  this 
connection  he  laid  the  foundation  for  his  very  substantial  eompeteney- 
After  selling  his  business  at  the  expiration  of  the  period  noted  he  made 
a  visit  to  his  old  home  in  Germany  and  upon  his  return  to  Detroit  he 
purchased  Columbia  Hall»  at  235  Gratiot  avenue,  the  same  being  the 
headquarters  for  a  number  of  the  leading  trades  unions  of  the  eity  and 
having  received  its  name  from  that  of  an  Italian  union  which  was  the 
first  to  meet  there.  To  the  management  of  this  (property  and  business 
Mr.  Stoebler  continned  to  devote  his  attention  for  about  ten  years,  and 
he  then  sold  the  same  and  went  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he  purchased 
a  retail  liquor  establishment,  at  991  Payne  avenue,  lie  soon  sold  this 
place  and  business  at  a  profit  and  returned  to  Detroit,  where  his  inter- 
ests centered  and  to  which  his  loyalty  was  ever  of  the  strongest  type. 
For  the  ensuing  two  years  be  conducted  business  at  *^6l  Russell  street, 
and  be  then  removed  to  251-7  Beaubien  street,  where  he  purchased  and 
impn>ved  the  place  long  and  (>opulaT*ly  known  as  Stoebler 's  Hall.  There 
he  continued  in  successful  business  until  his  death,  which  occurred  on 
the  6th  of  November.  1907.  Genial,  buoyant  and  kind-hearted,  be 
gained  a  wide  circle  of  friends  in  the  city  that  was  so  long  his  home 
and  he  was  specially  ]>opnlar  among  its  German  citizens. 

Mr.  Stoebler  was  always  the  friend  of  the  working  man  and  the  one 
in  need  or  distress  never  appealed  to  him  in  vain.  He  was  staunch  in 
his  support  of  union  organizations  and  continued  an  active  member  of 
the  baker's  union  until  his  death.     His  funeral  called  forth  a  large  as- 


1114  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

semblage,  including  representatives  of  the  various  unions,6erman  so- 
cial organizations  and  other  societies,  the  while  more  than  two  hundred 
fine  floral  pieces  testified  on  this  sad  occasion  the  regard  in  which  he 
had  been  held.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republican.  His  loved  and  devot- 
ed wife  was  to  him  a  true  helpmeet,  and  he  attributed  much  of  his  suc- 
cess to  her  good  business  judgment  and  wise  counsel.  After  his  death 
she  continued  his  business  until  she  was  able  to  dispose  of  the  same. 

On  the  27th  of  July,  1892,  Mr.  Stoebler  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Marie  Ehemann,  who  was  born  in  the  city  of  Buffalo,  New  York, 
but  who  was  a  child  at  the  time  of  her  parents'  removal  to  Detroit, 
where  she  was  reared  and  educated  and  where  she  has  continuously 
maintained  her  home.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Matthew  and  Marie  (Rite) 
Ehemann,  who  were  old  citizens  of  Detroit.  The  father  died  in  1902, 
and  the  mother  still  survives.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stoebler  became  the  parents 
of  two  children,  Hilda  and  Carl,  who  remain  with  their  widowed  mother 
and  constitute  her  chief  interest  and  solace. 

Robert  H.  Brown.  The  honors  of  large  and  worthy  accomplish- 
ments rested  upon  the  late  Robert  Hamilton  Brown,  who  brought  to 
bear  in  the  world's  work  the  sterling  qualities  of  a  sincere  and  upright 
character  and  the  well  matured  powers  of  a  discriminating  and  broad- 
minded  man  of  affairs.  He  was  long  and  prominently  identified  with  the 
insurance  business,  to  which  he  devoted  the  major  part  of  his  time  and 
attention  during  the  years  of  his  residence  in  Detroit,  where  he  was  also 
one  of  the  principals  in  the  Brown  Brothers  Tobacco  Company,  the  man- 
agement of  which  rested  in  the  hands  of  his  brother,  J.  H.  Brown,  who 
still  resides  in  this  city.  Robert  H.  Brown  was  a  man  who  had  no  de- 
sire for  the  spectacular  in  life  and  his  career  was  one  of  quiet  and  un- 
assuming order,  but  there  was  no  obliquity  in  his  vision  as  a  man  of 
business  and  practical  application,  so  that,  placing  true  valuations  upon 
men  and  affairs,  he  pressed  surely  forward  to  the  goal  of  large  and  defi- 
nite achievement,  the  while  he  ordered  his  course  upon  a  high  plane  of 
integrity  and  honor  and  thus  gained  and  retained  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 

Robert  Hamilton  Brown  claimed  the  fine  old  Buckeye  state  as  his 
place  of  nativity  and  was  a  representative  of  one  of  its  sterling  pioneer 
families.  He  was  born  on  the  homestead  farm  of  his  parents  near 
Rushsylvania,  Logan  county,  Ohio,  on  the  second  day  of  November, 
1844,  and  was  a  son  of  Robert  and  Jane  (Aiken)  Brown,  both  of  whom 
were  born  and  reared  in  the  north  of  Ireland  and  both  of  whom  traced 
their  lineage  to  stanch  Scottish  origin.  Robert  Brown  removed  with 
his  family  to  Ohio  in  an  early  day,  having  come  to  America  when  a 
young  man,  and  he  first  located  near  Steubenville,  Jefferson  county, 
when  he  later  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Rushsylvania,  Logan  county, 
where  he  reclaimed  a  farm  from  the  wilds  and  where  he  and  his  wife 
continued  to  reside  until  their  death — ^persons  of  steadfast  purpose 
and  sterling  character. 

He  to  whom  this  memoir  is  dedicated  found  his  boyhood  and  youth 
compassed  by  the  environment  and  sturdy  discipline  of  the  home  farm 
and  he  early  began  to  contribute  his  quota  to  its  work,  while  he  attended 
the  district  schools  during  the  winter  terms  and  thus  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  the  comprehensive  knowledge  and  broad  information  which  he 
later  gained  through  well  directed  reading  and  through  close  associ- 
ation with  men  and  affairs.  He  was  a  man  of  most  alert  and  receptive 
mentality  and  thus  he  effectually  overcame  the  educational  handicap  of 
earlier  years  and  attained  to  distinctive  culture.  Mr.  Brown  continued 
to  be  actively  identified  with  the  great  basic  industry  of  agriculture 
until  he  had  attained  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  when  he  severed  the 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1115 

home  ties  aod  set  fortli  on  an  independent  career.  Very  soon  after- 
ward, however,  lie  responded  to  the  eall  of  higher  duty,  as  he  tendered 
ills  services  in  defense  of  the  Union,  wliose  integrity  was  in  jeopardy 
through  armed  rehelHon,  Hist  youthful  loyalty  and  pat  riot  isui  thus 
prompted  liiin  to  enlist  as  a  private  in  an  Ohio  regiment  of  volunteer 
infantry,  with  which  he  went  to  the  front  and  with  which  he  gave 
faithful  and  gallant  service  until  the  expiration  of  his  one  hundred 
days'  term  of  enlistment,  when  he  received  his  honorable  discharge. 
In  later  years  he  manifested  his  continued  interest  in  his  old  comrades 
in  arms  hy  retaining  merahership  in  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Repuhlic. 

After  the  close  of  his  military  career  Mr.  Brown  located  at  Belle- 
fontaine,  the  judicial  center  of  his  native  county,  where  for  a  time  he 
was  employed  as  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store.  He  finally  purchased  the 
hnsiness  an€i  after  conducting  the  same  for  a  considerable  period  he 
removed  to  Rushsylvania^  near  his  old  home  farm,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  same  line  of  enterprise.  After  a  short  time  he  disposed  of  his 
stock  and  store  and  turned  his  attention  to  the  life-insurance  business. 
Later  he  took  up  the  fire  insurance  line,  and  in  this  field  of  business 
iie  attained  unqualified  success  and  high  reputation.  He  became  known 
as  an  authority  in  the  matter  of  fire  insurance  and  both  as  an  under- 
writer and  adjuster  was  identified  with  leading  insurance  companies 
for  many  years,  thia  important  line  of  enterprise  continuing  to  consti- 
tute his  principal  vocation  until  the  close  of  his  active  career  and  his 
retirement  having  come  only  when  impaired  health  demanded  a  cessa- 
tion of  his  activities. 

About  the  year  1885  Mr,  Brown  removed  to  Detroit,  ivhere  he  passed 
the  remainder  of  his  life  and  where  he  became  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent and  inflnential  factors  in  tli<*  field  of  fire  insurance,  in  connection 
with  which  his  services  were  uuich  in  requisition  as  an  adjuster.  Soon 
after  he  established  his  home  in  Detroit,  ]Mr,  Brown  became  associated 
with  his  brother  J.  II.,  who  had  previously  located  here,  in  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Brown  Brothers  Tobacco  Company,  in  which  concern  he 
was  not  an  active  execntivc,  as  his  !>rother.  a  practical  man  of  business, 
assumed  the  supervision  of  the  enterprise.  The  company  erected  a 
large  factory  building  on  Monroe  avenne  and  built  up  a  large  and 
substantial  business,  the  products  of  the  establishment  finding  a  wide 
sale  throughout  various  sections  of  the  Union,  Mr.  Brown  continued 
to  he  one  of  the  interested  principals  in  this  important  industrial  enter- 
prise until  the  same  was  sold  to  the  American  Tobacco  Company,  about 
the  year  1900. 

During  the  last  eight  years  of  his  life  Mr.  Browji  wns  virtually  an 
invalid,  and  he  hore  his  sufferings  and  enforced  inactivity  with  char- 
acteristic fortitude  and  e^juipoise  until  death  released  the  weary  spirit 
and  he  was  suouooned  to  the  life  eternal,  on  the  23rd  of  February, 
iy03,  secure  in  the  high  regard  of  all  who  knew  him  and  with  a  record 
for  high  achievement  as  one  of  the  world's  noble  army  of  productive 
workers.  Through  his  well  ordered  endeavors  he  accumulated  a  com- 
petency, but  he  had  none  of  the  bigotry  and  intolerance  of  the  average 
*^ self-made''  man,  as  he  was  too  broad-minded,  kindly  and  generous  to 
permit  the  assumption  of  such  attitudes.  He  was  a  man  of  buoyant, 
genial  and  optimistic  qualities,  and  his  was  the  faculty  of  winning  to 
himself  stanch  and  appreciative  friends,  Hi.s  death  occurred  at  St. 
Angnstine,  Florida,  where  he  had  passed  the  winter,  and  his  remains 
were  brought  to  Detroit  for  interment  in  Woodmere  cemetery,  where 
a  fine  monument  marks  liis  last  resting  place. 

Though  never  animated  by  aught  of  ambition  for  the  honors  or 
emoluments  of  political  oftiee.  Mr,  Brown  was  insistently  pi-ogressive 
and  pnhlie-spirited  and  took  a  lively  interest  in  all  that  touched  the 


1116  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

welfare  of  his  home  city.  He  was  a  member  and  liberal  supporter  of 
the  Cass  Avenue  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which  his  widow  is  an 
earnest  and  zealous  member.  In  the  time  honored  Masonic  fraternity 
Mr.  Brown  completed  the  circle  of  both  the  York  and  Scottish  rites, 
in  which  latter  he  attained  to  the  thirty-second  degree,  besides  which 
he  was  identified  with  the  Ancient  Arabic  Order  of  the  Nobles  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine.  After  establishing  his  home  in  Detroit  he  became 
affiliated  with  Fairbanks  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  he 
took  much  interest  in  its  affairs.  Mr.  Brown  was  a  great  lover  of 
home,  and  in  the  precincts  of  the  same  he  found  his  maximum  solace 
and  satisfaction,  his  domestic  relations  having  been  of  ideal  character. 
For  many  years  the  demands  of  his  business  caused  him  to  travel  exten- 
sively, and  thus  he  found  the  attractions  of  his  home  the  greater  when 
he  was  permitted  to  be  within  its  gracious  confines.  In  1890  he  and 
his  family  removed  into  the  beautiful  home  still  occupied  by  Mrs. 
Brown,  at  the  corner  of  Cass  and  Alexandrine  avenues,  and  this  has 
become  known  as  a  center  of  most  gracious  hospitality,  its  chatelaine 
being  a  popular  factor  in  connection  with  the  best  social  activities  of 
the  city.  This  residence  was  erected  by  Mr.  Brown  and  is  one  of  the 
fine  homes  which  lend  prestige  to  Detroit  as  a  city  of  homes. 

On  the  24th  of  October,  1866,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Brown  to  Miss  Jane  Elizabeth  Miltenberger,  who  was  born  at  Franklin, 
Warren  county,  Ohio,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary  Jane  Milten- 
berger, who  were  of  stanch  German  lineage  and  both  of  whom  continued 
to  reside  in  the  old  Buckeye  state  until  their  death.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Brown  became  the  parents  of  three  children,  of  whom  two  died  in 
infancy.  Mary  Jane,  the  surviving  child,  is  now  the  wife  of  John 
Henry  James,  a  representative  business  man  of  Detroit,  and  they  have 
one  daughter,  Jane  Elizabeth,  named  in  honor  of  her  maternal  grand- 
mother. 

Bruno  Schroeter.  The  extensive  greenhouses  at  Elmwood  avenue 
and  Hendricks  street  and  the  well  known  retail  florist  shop  at  56  Broad- 
way represent  the  sustained  business  enterprise  of  a  Detroit  citizen 
throughout  his  active  career.  To  construct  the  business  and  to  keep 
it  going  up  to  date  for  year  after  year  and  the  stress  of  modern  com- 
petition is  an  achievement  more  worthy  of  admiration  than  some  of 
the  quick  succe^es  which  receive  more  conspicuous  attention. 

Bruno  Schroeter,  the  proprietor  of  these  greenhouses,  has  been  a 
resident  of  Detroit  forty  years,  and  the  entire  time  he  has  been  identi- 
fied with  his  present  business.  He  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  Germany, 
born  in  the  province  of  Saxony,  July  27,  1841,  a  son  of  Gottfried  and 
Emilie  Schroeter,  both  of  whom  lived  and  died  in  the  Fatherland.  Up 
to  the  age  of  sixteen  he  attended  the  German  schools  and  obtained  a 
good  practical  training.  Then  leaving  school  he  began  learning  the 
floral  business  and  was  engaged  in  that  line  in  Germany  until  1872, 
when  he  came  direct  to  Detroit,  being  then  a  young  man  about  thirty 
years  old.  For  the  first  six  months  he  was  in  the  employ  of  William 
Adair,  who  conducted  a  greenhouse  on  Jefferson  and  Adair  streets. 

Having  in  this  time  sufficiently  familiarized  himself  with  conditions 
and  possessing  all  the  ability  needed  for  the  business,  he  established  his 
own  business  at  the  corner  of  Elmwood  avenue  and  Champlain  street.  For 
twenty-two  years  that  location  in  the  minds  of  thousands  of  Detroit 
citizens  was  identified  with  this  floral  business.  He  then  moved  to  his 
present  location  at  the  corner  of  Elmwood  avenue  and  Hendricks  street. 
In  1893  he  opened  a  retail  branch  of  his  general  establishment,  this 
down-town  store  having  since  been  at  56  Broadway,  at  the  corner  of 
Wilcox. 


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Mr.  Sehrneter  throughout  his  career  in  Detroit  has  always  heen 
known  as  a  progressive  citizen,  supporting  the  hest  ideals  of  civic  life, 
Init  has  never  tjjkeii  active  part  in  polities,  heing  a  Repuhliean  voter. 
He  h  a  member  of  the  Ilarmonie  Soeiety  of  Detroit, 

In  August,  1877,  he  was  married  in  Detroit  to  Miss  Anna  Werner. 
Her  birthplace  was  Silesia,  Germany,  and  she  eanie  to  this  country  in 
1874,  with  her  mother  and  one  brother,  Herman  Werner.  Her  father 
died  in  Germany  in  1873.  Three  children  were  born  to  Mr.  Seliroeter 
and  wife:  Hugo,  the  eldest,  has  for  some  years  been  associated  with  Ms 
father  in  the  conduct  of  the  extensive  business,  and  is  also  secretary 
of  the  Detroit  Floral  Club.  He  married  Miss  Aurellia  Bussell,  of  De- 
troit, and  they  have  one  son,  Rnswell.  three  years  old.  Miss  Clara,  the 
only  daughter,  lives  at  home.  Bruno,  Jr.,  was  graduated  in  the  spring 
gf  1911  from  the  engineering  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan 
at  Ann  Arbor. 

Gust  AVE  H,  Taei-ke-  One  of  the  most  thoroughly  authoritative  rep- 
resentatives of  the  art  of  floricidtnre  in  the  Michigan  metropolis  and 
one  whose  training  for  his  chosen  vocation  has  been  of  the  highest  order, 
Gnstave  H,  Taepke  holds  precedence  as  one  of  the  leading  factors  in 
this  line  of  enterprise  in  the  city  that  has  been  the  field  of  his  well 
directed  endeavons  for  nearly  forty  years.  His  success  has  been  of 
unequivocal  order  and  has  been' gained  through  close  application,  pro- 
gressive policies  and  fair  dealing,  so  that  his  reputation  stands  as  his 
most  valuable  business  asset.  He  is  well  known  and  held  in  unqualified 
esteem  in  Detroit,  and  no  citizen  exemplifies  more  distinctive  civic 
loyalty.  His  standing  in  the  community  is  such  as  to  render  most 
consonant  a  brief  review  of  his  career  in  connection  with  this  historical 
work,  one  of  whose  leading  functions  is  to  accord  such  recognition  to 
those  who  stand  representative  in  their  various  spheres  of  endeavor. 

Like  many  another  who  has  exemplified  the  maxiranm  of  success  in 
connection  with  floriculture  in  America,  Mr,  Taepke  is  a  native  of  the 
great  empire  of  Germany.  He  was  l>orn  in  the  picturesque  province 
of  Pomerania,  Prussia,  on  the  13th  of  June,  1854,  and  is  a  son  of 
Carl  Taepke  and  Johanna  Steinkc,  both  of  whom  were  members  of  old 
and  sterling  families  of  that  section  of  the  German  empire.  The  father 
devoted  the  major  part  of  his  active  career  to  farming  and  he  continued 
to  reside  in  his  native  land  xmtil  1873,  when  he  came  with  his  family 
to  tbe  United  Btates  and  established  his  home  in  Detroit,  where  Guatave 
H.,  of  this  review,  had  located  in  the  preceding  year.  Here  the  honored 
father  continued  to  reside  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1896,  and 
here  the  venerable  mother  still  remains,  she  being  eighty-seven  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  this  writing,  in  1011.  Carl  and  Johanna  Taepke 
became  the  parents  of  seven  sons  and  three  daughters,  and  Gnstave  H. 
w^as  the  first  born.  Henuan  is  a  resident  of  Detroit,  as  was  also  Carl, 
who  died  in  December,  1910;  Albert  also  resides  in  this  city-  Henry 
established  a  home  in  Spokane,  AVashington,  where  he  died  in  1907; 
and  the  other  surviving  children,  Edward,  Mrs,  ^linnie  Schunek,  Mrs. 
Augusta  Blatt  and  Mrs.  Ida  Lenx,  all  reside  in  Detroit.  The  father 
was  a  zealous  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  ehiirehj  as  is  also  his 
wddow.  and  the  children  have  all  clung  to  the  religious  faith  in  which 
they  were  carefully  reared. 

Gustave  H.  Taepke  secured  his  early  educational  training  in  the 
excellent  schools  of  his  native  place,  where  he  was  afforded  tbe  advan- 
tages also  of  the  Botanical  CJarden  College,  in  which  he  trained  scientific 
and  practical  knowledge  which  has  praved  of  inestimable  value  to  him 
in  his  chosen  field  of  enterprise.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  years  he  sev^ 
ered  the  irrncious  home  ties  and  went  to  the  city  of  Berlin,  where  he  was 


1118  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

identified  with  the  florist's  business  for  some  time,  as  he  was  later  in 
Erfurt.  In  1872,  when  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  set  forth  to  seek  his 
fortunes  in  the  United  States,  whither  he  came  with  excellent  equipment 
in  the  way  of  industrious  habits  and  thorough  knowledge  of  floricul- 
ture in  all  its  departments.  On  April  21st  of  that  year  he  arrived  in 
Detroit,  where  he  secured  employment  in  the  establishment  of  William 
Gladewitz,  who  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  leading  florists  of  the  city. 
He  remained  thus  engaged  for  one  year,  and  after  passing  a  few  months 
in  the  city  of  Ypsilanti  he  secured  a  position  as  traveling  salesman  for 
a  nursery.  He  was  successful  in  his  work  and  continued  to  be  thus 
engaged  until  1877,  when,  upon  the  death  of  his  former  employer,  Mr. 
Gladewitz,  he  was  given  charge  of  the  large  and  well  established  busi- 
ness of  the  deceased.  He  continued  in  this  position  until  1880,  when 
he  engaged  in  the  same  line  of  enterprise  on  his  own  responsibility, 
at  450  Elmwood  avenue.  Close  and  careful  attention  and  effective 
service  gained  to  him  liberal  support  and  his  business  rapidly  expanded 
to  substantial  proportions.  In  1893,  to  meet  more  effectively  the  de- 
mands placed  upon  his  establishment,  Mr.  Taepke  opened  a  down-town 
store,  at  95  Gratiot  avenue,  and  by  the  expiration  of  another  decade  the 
enterprise  had  so  continued  to  expand  in  scope  as  to  justify  the  open- 
ing of  an  exclusive  place  for  the  growing  of  cut  flowers,  this  being 
located  at  1336  McClellan  avenue.  His  extensive  conservatories  are 
still  located  on  Elmwood  avenue  and  hfe  gives  a  general  supervision  to 
the  three  departments  of  his  extensive  business.  When  he  initiated 
business  in  Detroit  his  greenhouses  had  only  two  thousand  square  feet 
of  glass,  and  the  growth  of  the  enterprise  is  measurably  indicated  when 
it  is  stated  that  at  the  present  time  its  finely  equipped  conservatories 
have  a  glass  area  of  about  seventy-five  thousand  feet. 

In  the  midst  of  the  cares  and  exactions  of  a  large  and  prosperous 
business  Mr.  Taepke  has  not  permitted  himself  to  be  hedged  in  by  the 
same,  but  has  stood  exponent  of  the  best  type  of  civic  loyalty  and  pro- 
gressiveness,  taking  a  lively  interest  in  all  that  touches  the  welfare  of 
his  home  city.  He  served  two  years,  1895*7,  as  a  member  of  the  city 
board  of  estimates  and  he  has  ever  been  ready  to  assume  his  due  share  of 
civic  duties  and  responsibilities,  though  not  ambitious  for  public  office. 
His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Republican  party  and  he  is  well 
fortified  in  his  opinions  as  to  matters  of  public  import.  He  is  a  valued 
and  appreciative  member  of  the  Society  of  American  Florists,  of  which 
national  organization  he  served  four  years  as  vice  president  for  Michi- 
gan, and  he  also  holds  membership  in  the  American  Carnation  Society 
and  the  Detroit  Florists'  Club,  of  which  last  organization  his  son  Walter 
has  been  treasurer  for  the  past  several  years.  In  the  Concordia  Sing- 
ing Society,  one  of  the  representative  musical  and  social  organizations 
of  Detroit,  Mr.  Taepke  has  long  been  an  active  member  and  he  has 
served  the  same  in  the  various  official  positions,  including  that  of 
president.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  St.  Paul  German  Luth- 
eran church,  located  on  the  corner  of  Jay  and  Joseph  Campau  avenues, 
and  are  liberal  in  support  of  its  various  activities. 

On  the  28th  of  December,  1880,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Taepke  to  Miss  Katharina  Waltz,  who  was  bom  and  reared  in  Detroit, 
as  were  her  parents,  Frederick  and  Katharina  Waltz,  who  are  both 
dead.  Frederick  Waltz  came  to  Detroit  in  1849,  and  was  one  of  the 
leading  florists  and  nurserymen  in  this  city  from  that  time  until  his 
death  in  1896,  and  had  a  national  reputation.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Taepke 
have  four  children,  concerning  whom  the  following  brief  data  is  given : 
Laura  Charlotte  remains  at  the  parental  home;  Walter  Gustave,  who 
was  married  to  Miss  Grace  Price  on  the  23rd  of  June,  1910,  is  associated 
with  his  father  in  business;  Amanda  is  the  wife  of  Bernhardt  Haberkorn, 


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aiu!  they  reside  at  4-38  Fourteenth  street,  Detroit;  and  Selma  was  mar- 
ried on  June  19,  1912,  to  Omar  Rockwitz,  of  Detroit.  The  parental 
home  is  the  center  of  gracious  and  generous  hospitality.  ih\  Taepke 
hag  gained  definite  success  and  prestige  through  his  own  well  directed 
energies  and  is  one  of  the  sterling  factors  in  coiineetion  with  the  busi- 
ness aetivities  of  the  Michigan  metropolis,  where  his  personal  popu- 
larity shows  that  he  has  measured  up  to  the  best  standard  of  citizen- 
ship. 

Captain  Robert  Simon  Palmer,  whose  efificieney  and  long  service 
have  won  him  promotion  through  the  different  grades  to  his  present 
high  position  as  chief  of  detectives,  began  his  practical  career  when  a 
boy  autl  1ms  gained  success  against  uiany  difficulties.  He  has  had  a 
varied  career  and  many  interesting  e:xperiences. 

A  native  of  Canada,  he  was  liorn  in  Howard  township,  county  Kent, 
Ontario,  June  30,  1859,  and  attended  isehool  at  his  home  village  until 
he  was  fifteen.  His  parents,  who  were  farmers,  were  William  Jonathan 
and  Matilda  (Walter)  Palmer.  His  mother  died  in  1873.  Soon  after- 
w^ard  he  moved  to  Roekwood.  Alichigan,  and  !iegan  ^vorking  as  a  farnu-r 
for  Sam  F.  Smith  at  four  dollars  a  month.  He  also  eliopped  cord  wood, 
and  earned  his  living  by  tJie  sweat  of  his  hrow.  In  1879,  at  the  age 
of  twenty,  he  canity  to  Detroit  and  began  w^ork  for  the  okUtime  horse 
street  railway.  He  was  one  of  the  first  conductors  who  ilmve  ears  up  and 
down  Michigan  avenue.  The  trip  took  half  a  day  at  that  time.  He  con- 
tinued at  that  work  three  years,  and  then  joined  the  police  department  ou 
October  19<  1883,  He  w^as  patrolman  for  several  years,  until  1891, 
when  he  was  promoted  to  precinct  detective,  and  in  August.  1894,  to 
central  detective  sergeant.  He  was  later  made  lieutenant,  and  in  July, 
1910,  was  promoted  to  captain  inspector,  being  located  at  headquarters 
and  having  the  inspection  of  the  entire  department.  On  July  1,  1912, 
he  was  made  chief  of  detectives. 

On  the  27th  of  June,  1884,  he  was  married  at  Detroit  to  Miss  Maud 
Sherlock.  Her  parents  were  James  and  Cynthia  (Day)  Sherlock,  her 
mother  a  native  of  Rochester,  New  York,  and  her  father  of  Virginia. 
The  families  on  both  sides  moved  to  Canada,  and  thus  her  parents  met 
and  were  married,  and  then  began  farming  on  the  old  Day  homestead. 
This  couple  had  a  remarkable  length  of  happy  married  life.  On  their 
fiftieth  wedding  anniversary  their  children  gathered  from  far  and  near 
and  celebrated  the  event  at  the  old  homestead  in  Canada.  It  was  agreed 
that  all  the  family  should  eonie  together  every  five  years  thereafter  as 
long  as  the  old  folks  lived.  Just  one  month  before  the  fifty-fifth  anni* 
versar>'  the  mother  was  taken  away,  in  January,  1911.  James  D.  Sher- 
lock died  at  his  old  home  in  Newberry,  Ontario,  in  May,  1912,  aged 
ninety-three  years.  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Palmer  have  one  child,  Mont  a  Atelka, 
aged  tw*enty-five.  She  is  now  in  the  flarper  Hospital  training  for  the 
nurse's  profession.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Ashury  lilethodist 
church  at  Detroit,  and  Mr.  Palmer  is  a  stanch  Republican  in  polities, 

Ira  Mathbw,  LL.  D.  There  is  no  need  for  conjecture  or  uncer- 
tainty in  determining  as  to  the  value  and  success  of  the  life  of  the  late 
Dr,  Ira  Mayhew%  who  was  one  of  Michigan's  foremost  educators,  who 
had  much  to  do  with  the  defining  and  npl)uiiding  of  the  admirable 
publico  B(.*hool  system  of  the  state  and  who  realijied  in  the  most  signifi- 
cant sense  that  the  true  success  is  not  that  gained  through  commercial 
pre-eminence  or  personal  aggrandizement,  but  rather  that  which  lies 
in  the  eternal  verities  of  human  sympathy  and  helpfuhiess.  He  left 
the  heritage  of  nohle  ihouitjhts  and  noI)le  deeds.  He  was  a  man  of 
broad  intetlectualitv  and  viewed  life  and  its  responsibilities  in  their 


1120  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

right  proportions.  He  was  not  given  to  half-views  and  rash  inferences. 
The  leap  from  the  particular  to  the  general  is  ever  tempting  to  the 
thoughtless,  but  it  was  not  to  this  man  of  strength  and  judgment  and 
lofty  motives.  He  wielded  much  influence  in  educational  and  civic 
affairs  in  Michigan,  and  it  is  well  that  in  this  publication  be  incorpo- 
rated a  tribute  to  his  memory  and  to  his  services. 

Ira  Mayhew  was  born  in  EUisburg  township,  Jefferson  county,  New 
York,  March  22,  1814,  and  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Thomas  Mayhew, 
the  original  governor  and  patentee  of  Martha's  Vineyard,  Massachu- 
setts.   He  was  a  son  of  Wadsworth  and  Anna  (Cooper)  Mayhew,  both 
of  whom  were  bom  at  Cambridge,  Washington  county.  New  York, 
where  their  marriage  was  solemnized  in  1805,  and  they  continued  to 
maintain  their  home  in  the  old  Empire  state  until  their  death,  the 
father  having  devoted  the  major  part  of  his  active  career  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits  and  where  he  was  a  citizen  of  prominence  and  influence 
in  his  community — a  man  of  superior  mentality  and  sterling  character. 
To  the  common  schools  of  his  native  township  Ira  Mayhew  was  in- 
debted for  his  early  educational  discipline,  which  was  effectively  sup- 
plemented by  a  course  of  study  in  Union  Academy,  at  Belleville,  in 
the  same  township.    At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  was  engaged  to 
teach  school  in  the  district  in  which  he  was  born  and  reared,  and  he 
thus  put  to  practical  test  and  utility  his  scholastic  attainments,  the 
while  he  initiated  his  work  in  a  profession  in  which  he  was  destined  to 
achieve  great  success  and  high  reputation.    After  completing  his  work 
as  a  teacher  in  his  home  district  Dr.  Mayhew  passed  a  year  in  the  west — 
in  Ohio  and  Michigan.  In  1839  he  was  appointed  to  the  office  of  common- 
school  visitor  of  his  native  county,  a  position  involving  a  general  super- 
vision of  the  various  schools  of  the  county.    In  1843  he  removed  with 
his  family  to  Monroe,  Michigan,  a  place  which  at  that  time  vied  with 
Detroit  in  commercial,  industrial  and  social  prominence.     There  he 
became  a  teacher  in  a  branch  of  the  newly  established  University  of 
Michigan,  and  within  a  year  he  was  nominated  by  Governor  John  S. 
Barry  for  the  office  of  state  superintendent  of  public  instruction.    He 
forthwith  assumed  the  duties  of  this  important  position  and  at  the 
expiration  of  two  years  of  most  zealous  and  effective  service  he  was 
chosen  as  his  own  successor,  thus  serving  four  consecutive  years.     In 
the  autumn  of  1853  he  was  elected  principal  or  president  of  Albion  Col- 
lege, at  Albion,  Calhoun  county,  still  one  of  the  leading  educational  insti- 
tutions of  the  state  and  maintained  under  the  auspices  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  of  which  Dr.  Mayhew  was  a  devout  member  from  his 
youth  until  his  demise.     The  Doctor  did  not  long  remain  at  Albion, 
as  in  1854  he  was  again  elected  state  superintendent  of  public  instruc- 
tion, an  office  in  which  he  had  significantly  proved  his  value  during  his 
previous  administration.     He  continued  the  incumbent  of  this  posi- 
tion for  four  years  and  in  1859  he  was  engaged  for  an  interval  in  the 
private  banking  business,  at  Albion,  Michigan.     In  1860  he  organized 
and  assumed  the  personal  supervision  of  the  Albion  Commercial  Col- 
lege, to  which  he  continued  to  give  his  attention  after  he  had  been  ap- 
pointed, in  March,  1863,  by  President  Lincoln,  to  the  office  of  United 
States  collector  of  internal  revenue  for  the  Third  district  of  Michigan. 
In  1868  Dr.  Mayhew  removed  his  college  to  Detroit,  where  he  greatly 
expanded  its  facilities  and  raised  its  standard,  and  the  same  long  held 
precedence  as  one  of  the  best  business  colleges  in  the  entire  west,  re- 
ceiving a  large  and  appreciative  support.    Dr.  Mayhew  continued  to  be 
actively  identified  with  business-college  work  for  a  quarter  of  a  century 
after  his  retirement  from  connection  with  the  public  schools,  and  under 
his  careful  and  earnest  preceptorship  many  young  men  were  fitted  for 
lives  of  practical  usefulness.    In  1878  representative  men  identified  with 


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TllSTOBY  OF  DETROIT 

ton  on  the   i+i  -p^^^m  H.  »m    ^  -igg7. 

January,  1^'O^^^^^n^  ^lissoun,  Ma>  »,  „r„™inpnt  among 

1840   died  m  Ur.-a"*^  ^^^^  Pr°Tf  "n    o^  ^°- 

the  medical  men  "J J^^^nn..  «  rl^V^^-^:";,;   gh  the  e^^^^^^^^fe  east 
Detroit  ...  ,\f''„,.r,..vri"l  ''""^Ji,? l....n  »»J J»*™  I,«l  m  !..» 


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OOOlP 


1122  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

following  his  graduation  he  was  on  the  staflf  of  the  Children's  Free 
Hospital  for  one  year,  in  the  out-door  clinic.  Subsequently  he  entered 
the  general  practice  of  his  profession  at  his  present  location,  where 
he  has  since  continued  to  enjoy  unqualified  success.  Dr.  Ulbrich  has 
been  a  close  and  zealous  student,  has  achieved  success  as  the  result  of 
his  own  efforts  and  well  merits  the  prestige  which  he  has  gained  as  a 
physician  and  as  a  man  among  men.  His  personal  popularity  is  of 
unmistakable  and  unequivocal  character.  Fully  abreast  of  the  various 
changes  and  discoveries  in  his  profession,  he  has  been  a  constant  sub- 
scriber to  the  leading  medical  journals,  and  shows  a  great  interest  in 
the  work  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  State 
Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association,  in  all  of  which 
he  holds  membership.  He  is  also  a  member  and  medical  examiner  of 
the  Lutheran  Bund,  of  Michigan. 

Dr.  Ulbrich  was  married  to  Miss  Ida  Radtke,  of  Detroit,  the  daughter 
of  Rudolph  Radtke,  who  was  connected  with  the  Michigan  Stone  Works 
for  many  years.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ulbrich  are  well-known  members  of 
St.  Peter's  German  Lutheran  church. 

Gilbert  P.  Johnson,  M.  D.  A  representative  physician  and  highly 
esteemed  citizens  of  Detroit,  Dr.  Johnson  has  here  been  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  for  twenty-one  years,  and  this  period  has  shown 
large  and  worthy  achievment  on  his  part,  giving  him  definite  professional 
prestige  and  the  unqualified  confidence  and  regard  of  the  community  in 
which  he  has  thus  lived  and  labored.  As  a  citizen  he  is  loyal  and  public- 
spirited  and  he  has  served  in  various  positions  of  public  trust  within 
the  time  of  his  residence  in  the  Michigan  metropolis. 

In  the  town  of  AUisonville,  Prince  Edward  county,  Province  of 
Ontario,  Canada,  Dr.  Johnson  was  bom  on  the  26th  of  June,  1863,  and 
he  is  a  scion  of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  families  of  that  county,  with 
whose  history  the  name  has  been  identified  since  the. year  1776,  the  line- 
age of  the  Doctor,  both  paternal  and  maternal,  being  traced  back  to 
the  sturdiest  of  Scottish  origin.  He  is  a  son  of  William  H.  and  Sarah 
A.  (Pette)  Johnson,  both  of  whom  were  likewise  bom  in  and  reared  in 
Prince  Edward  county  and  the  latter 's  father  having  been  a  native  of 
the  state  of  New  York,  where  he  was  born  in  the  Colonial  era.  William 
H.  Johnson  was  a  carriage  maker  by  trade  and  he  was  for  many  years 
engaged  in  business  along  this  line  in  his  native  county,  where  he  passed 
his  entire  life,  secure  in  the  unequivocal  confidence  and  esteem  of  all 
who  knew  him.  He  passed  to  the  life  eternal  in  1909,  and  his  venerable 
widow  now  resides  in  the  city  of  Toronto,  where  she  makes  her  home 
with  one  of  her  children.  Her  father  died  in  1910  at  the  patriarchal 
age  of  eighty-nine  years.  The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the 
Protestant  church,  and  of  the  children  of  William  H.  and  Sarah  A. 
Johnson  one  son  and  one  daughter  are  living. 

In  the  common  schools  of  his  native  village  Dr.  Johnson  found 
proper  advantages  for  the  early  development  of  his  mental  powers  and 
he  carried  forward  his  studies  through  the  curriculum  of  the  high  school. 
As  a  youth  he  fixed  his  ambition  on  the  medical  profession  as  the  vocation 
of  his  choice,  and  in  1888,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  he  came  to 
Michigan  and  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  in  which  he  was 
graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1891.  He  proved  himself  well  en- 
titled to  the  honors  thus  conferred  upon  him  in  the  gaining  of  his  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Medicine,  and  prior  to  his  graduation  he  was  fortunate  in 
gaining  two  years'  of  practical  and  valuable  clinical  experience  through 
his  association  with  the  work  of  St.  Luke 's  Hospital  in  which  he  served 
as  interne  and  as  a  member  of  the  house  staff.     He  thus  came  forth 


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admirably  fortified  for  the  work  of  his  chosen  profession,  which  has  here 

en^^rossed  his  attention,  as  a  general  praetitioner,  since  the  spring  of  j 

18^1,  and  he  has  long  retained  a  representative  clientage,  with  a  practice 
of  wide  and  substantial  order.  From  18118  to  1903  he  served  as  eounty 
I^hysieiau  of  Wayne  county,  and  he  gave  a  moat  adiiiirabh!  adminstration 
of  his  duties  in  this  office,  vvhiL4i  he  held  to  he  worthy  of  most  sc*rupulous 
care  ami  att*-ntion.     In  1889  he  was  given  further  preferment,  in  that  he  ^ 

was  eleeted  u  member  of  the  Detroit,  board  of  education,  a  position  which 
he  retained  until  1897,  and  for  some  time  he  had  the  further  distmction 
of  being  president  of  the  board.  His  interest  in  educational  matt  era  has 
been  of  the  deepest  order  and  as  a  member  of  tlie  hoard  he  did  much  to 
further  progressive  movements  and  etfeetive  adminstration.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Alumni  of  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine  and  is 
identiiied  with  the  American  iledical  Association,  the  Michigan  Stat-e 
Medical  Society  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society.  He  has  been 
medical  examiner  for  Detroit  of  the  John  Haueoek  Life  Insurance  Com- 
paay  for  the  past  seventeen  years.  He  maintains  his  ot!ice  at  his  fine  res- 
idence, which  he  erected  in  1900  and  which  is  located  at  621  Sixteenth 
street* 

In  polities  the  Doctor  gives  his  support  to  the  cause  of  the  Republi- 
cjui  party.  He  is  affiliated  with  Ashlar  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  Michigan  Sovereign  Consistory  of  the  Ancient  Accepted  Scottish 
Rite  Masonry,  l)esides  which  lie  holds  membership  in  tht-  adjunct 
orgfinization,  Moslem  Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  ako  identified  ^^ith  the  American  Order  of.  For- 
resters and  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles,  and  he  is  an  appreciative 
and  valued  member  of  the  local  St.  Andrew's  Society,  of  which  he  has 
served  as  president. 

On  April  22,  1884,  Dr.  Johnson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Fedora  ^I.  Quick,  who  was  born  at  Brighton »  province  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  and  they  have  one  son,  Clinton  D.,  who  is  now  a  draftsman  in 
the  employ  of  the  Hup  Automobile  Company,  Detroit. 

Henri  Bei.anger^  M.  D,  By  veiy  name  itself  Detroit  pays  tribute 
of  honor  to  its  early  French  settlers,  and  of  the  old-time  lines  there  yet 
rcTuain  many  worthy  representatives-  Dr.  Belanger  is  of  the  same 
sterling  French  stock  that  has  been  so  long  and  promiuently  concerned 
witli  tile  history"  of  Michigan,  though  he  himself  is  a  native  of  the 
neighboring  province  of  Ontsrio,  Canada,  His  nmternal  grandfather, 
Pierre  Iloule,  was  numbered  among  the  early  Freueh  residents  of  De- 
troit, whither  he  eame  from  Canada,  where  the  family  had  been  early 
founded,  and  he  was  thus  a  resident  of  Detroit  at  the  time  of  the 
regime  of  Governor  Cass,  concerning  whom  adequate  information  is 
given  in  the  general  histor>^  appearing  in  this  publication.  Pierre  Iloule 
was  for  a  tune  in  the  employ  of  General  Cass  and  he  became  the  owner 
of  several  acres  of  land  in  what  is  now  the  heart  of  the  city.  He 
finally  returned  to  Canada,  however  and  located  at  Chatham,  Ontario, 
in  wbicli  pr<jvini*c  he  passed  tlie  residue  of  his  life.     pJascpli  Helanger,  •- 

paternal  grand  father  of  the  Doctor,  was  a  member  of  one  of  the  old 
and  lionored  French  families  of  MontT^al,  whence  he  removed  to  Chat- 
ham, Ontario,  afwmt  eighty  years  ago.  He  became  one  of  the  pioneer 
farmers  of  that  locality,  where  lie  paascd  the  rcmaiDder  of  his  life. 

Dr,  Henri  Bidaiigcr  has  gained  precedence  as  one  of  the  successful 
and  popular  physicians  and  surgeons  of  Wayne  county  an^l  has  a  spe- 
cially cfMtiprehensive  practice  in  the  suburban  villagv  *>f  Itivcr  H<mgei 
the  village  being  now  sn  integral  part  of  the  city  of  Detroit.     I  lis  home 


1124  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

is  at  3197  Jefferson  avenue  and  his  office  at  38  Dearborn.  He  was  born 
at  Chatham,  Ontario,  on  the  17th  of  October,  1872,  and  is  a  son  of 
Leander  and  Genevieve  (Houle)  Belanger,  the  former  of  whom  was  born 
in  the  vicinity  of  Montreal,  Canada,  and  the  latter  in  Detroit,  Mich- 
igan, whence  her  parents  later  removed  to  the  neighborhood  of  Chat- 
ham, Ontario,  as  already  noted  in  the  preceding  paragraph.  Leander 
Belanger  devoted  the  major  part  of  his  active  career  to  farming  and 
was  a  man  of  sterling  character,  ever  commanding  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  his  fellow  men,  the  while  both  he  and  his  wife  were  devout 
communicants  of  the  Catholic  church.  He  passed  to  the  life  eternal, 
at  Chatham,  Ontario,  in  1903,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  and  his 
wife  died  in  May,  1908,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  Of  their  chil- 
dren four  sons  and  three  daughters  are  living. 

In  the  schools  of  his  attractive  little  native  city  Dr.  Belanger  gained 
his  rudimentary  educational  discipline,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years 
he  entered  Ottawa  University,  where  he  continued  a  student  for  four 
years,  pursuing  the  classical  course.  Thereafter  he  continued  his  stu- 
dies for  one  year  in  Assumption  College,  at  Sandwich,  Ontario,  and  in 
1891,  in  harmony  with  well  defined  plans,  he  entered  the  Detroit  Col- 
lege of  Medicine,  in  which  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1894  and  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  In  the  same  year 
he  began  the  active  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  village  of  River 
Rouge,  where  he  has  since  remained  and  where  he  has  the  strongest 
hold  upon  popular  confidence  and  affection,  as  is  shown  in  the  broad 
and  substantial  scope  of  his  professional  business.  He  is  one  of  the 
influential  citizens  of  that  suburban  section  of  Detroit  and  is  a  friend 
and  counselor  as  well  as  a  physician  to  many  of  the  representative  fam- 
ilies of  the  district.  He  was  an  instructor  or  lecturer  in  the  school  for 
nurses  maintained  in  connection  with  the  fine  Solvay  Hospital.  He 
served  for  fifteen  years  as  health  officer  of  Ecorse  township,  a  position 
from  which  he  retired  in  the  spring  of  1911,  but  was  appointed  again 
in  1912.  He  has  served  continuously  as  health  oflBcer  of  the  village  of 
River  Rouge  since  1898.  The  Doctor  keeps  in  close  touch  with  the 
advances  made  in  medical  and  surgical  science  and  is  identified  with 
the  American  Medical  Association,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  So- 
ciety, and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society. 

In  politics  the  well  fortified  convictions  of  Dr.  Belanger  lead  him 
to  accord  allegiance  to  the  Democratic  party,  and  both  he  and  his  family 
are  communicants  of  the  Catholic  church.  He  is  affiliated  with  and 
medical  examiner  for  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Knights  of  the 
Modem  Maccabees,  the  Modem  Woodmen  of  America,  the  National 
Union,  the  Modern  Brotherhood  of  America,  the  Catholic  Order  of 
Foresters,  and  the  Union  of  French  Societies  of  the  United  States. 

On  the  2d  of  September,  1894,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Belanger  to  Miss  Clara  E.  Reaume,  who  likewise  is  a  native  of  Chat- 
ham, Ontario,  and  of  French  lineage,  her  father,  Richard  Reaume,  be- 
ing a  prosperous  business  man.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Belanger  have  six  chil- 
dren, whose  names  are  here  noted:  Clara  A.,  Angeline  M.,  Leander  H., 
Annie  G.,  Rosalie  E.,  and  Ernest  E.  The  Doctor  is  a  lover  of  horses 
and  has  owned  a  number  of  fine  animals. 

General  Luther  S.  Trowbridge.  It  is  a  thing  unknown  in  almost 
any  country,  with  the  exception  of  the  United  States  of  America,  for  a 
man  trained  in  one  profession  to  fill  in  the  course  of  his  life  other  posi- 
tions requiring  different  training  and  other  talents,  and  to  discharge 
these  duties  in  an  effective  manner.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  Michigan 
supplies  more  instances  of  such  versatility  than  can  be  furnished  by 


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MlfcjTOKY    Ob    DETKUXT 


1125 


oiost  of  the  older  uations  with  histones  running  far  hat^k  in  the  past. 
Such  men  uve  ueecled  in  a  nation  like  oiir.s,  where  history  Is  made  so 
rapidly,  and  where  chaii(]ring  eonditions  make  it  necessary  for  the  eiti- 
zen8  to  disi'harjre  diitieR  for  which  they  have  had  no  previous  training. 
The  progress  of  the  nation  is  due  largely  to  the  splendid  adaptability 
of  its  eitizens  to  the  rei|nirements  of  the  ^lituation-  8ueh  a  man  was 
tlie  late  General  Luther  S.  Tifwhridge,  lawyer,  soldier,  puhlie  servant, 
dil>hitiiMt  and  ahle  business  man,  Atided  to  tiiis  eoiTiliination  was  a 
eharming  personality  whieli  endeared  him  to  those  with  whom  he  had 
been  associated  during  his  long  and  useful  life.  Living  in  retirement, 
he  had  as  company  the  good  will,  respect  and  love  of  the  community 
in  which  he  lived  and  the  admiration  and  gratitude  of  the  nation  for 
eminent  serviei's  rendered  to  it. 

General  Trowbridge  wais  born  on  a  farm  in  the  township  of  Troy, 
Oakland  county,  Michigan,  Jidy  28,  1836.  His  father,  Stephen  Van 
Rensellaer  TrowI>ndge,  eame  to  Michigan  from  Albany,  New  York.  His 
mother,  Elizabeth  ^Conklin)  Trowbridge,  w^as  from  the  village  of 
Horseheads,  Chemung  county.  New  York.  He  was^  one  of  tiie  eleven 
children  bom  to  his  parents,  seven  sons  and  four  daughters  making 
up  that  number.  Their  father,  a  welhto-do  fanner  anri  a  gentleman 
of  some  education,  gave  to  his  large  family  ethicational  advantages  that 
were  but  seldom  available  to  families  settled  in  a  new  country.  Luther 
8.  Trowbridge  \vent  to  sehoo!  at  an  exceptionally  early  age.  He  was  an 
apt  pupil  and  gave  rcnmrkable  evidenee  of  his  precocity  in  school  com- 
petitions while  in  his  seventh  year.  At  that  time  spelling  matches  were 
more  in  vogue  than  they  are  at  this  time*  a  fact  which  is  properly  de- 
plon^d  hy  many,  and  it  was  arranged  to  have  a  contest  between  a  num- 
ber of  schools  in  Oakland  county.  Luther  Towhridge  successfully 
**s[>elled  down^'  the  entire  company,  thus  proving  himself  the  superior 
of  many  older  and  more  advanced  pupils  than  he  in  that  especial 
branch.  He  had  what  was  considered  a  remarkable  verbal  memory, 
a  fact  which  stood  him  in  good  stead  all  through  his  scliool  years.  Ffe 
continued  in  the  district  school  until  his  sixteenth  year,  when  he  went 
to  an  academy  at  Lodi  Plains,  Washtenaw  county,  Michigan,  and  fix>m 
there  he  entered  Yale  College,  where  he  i)ursaed  a  literary  course.  At 
the  end  of  his  junior  year  be  was  compelled  to  give  up  hi.s  studies,  as 
the  result  of  a  trouble  he  experienced  w^ith  his  eycii.  His  work  had 
reached  such  a  point,  however,  that  the  college  conferred  upon  him  the 
dcg^ree  of  A.  M..  and  he  returned  to  his  father  s  farm  and  his  boyhood 
home,  there  to  remain  until  he  was  completely  recovered  from  the 
trouble  which  had  brought  a  termination  tu  bis  university  studies. 

Tn  1856  he  began  the  study  of  law  in  tlie  office  of  Sidney  I).  Miller, 
"of  Detroit.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  185S,  and  in  1859  formed  a 
partnership  w  ith  Hon,  Alexander  W.  Buel,  an  association  w  hich  con- 
tinncii  until  1862. 

When  tiie  Civil  war  broke  out  be  was  urged  to  take  command  of 
the  Second  Michigan  Infantry,  but  this  be  declined  to  do,  believing 
that  he  lacked  sufficient  military  training  or  experience  to  tit  him  for 
the  rommand.  \"ery  soon  thereafter  a  company  was  formed  for  the 
study  of  military  tactics.  It  secured  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  one 
(1,  W,  Roseni,  sion-in-law  of  the  late  Governor  Baldwin,  to  instruct  them. 
The  company  was  composed  of  professional  men  and  young  business 
mcji  who  felt  that  the  time  might  soon  come  when  their  services  would 
he  needed  in  the  fiehh  and  the  i>r ogress  of  the  company  was  rapid,  so 
greatly  were  it«  members  imjiressed  with  the  exigencies  of  the  times, 

Kven  ns  tlicy  had  anticipated,  the  time  came  when  their  services 
wert?  needed^  and  their  training  became  of  great  value  to  the  country. 


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1126  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

In  1862,  under  the  second  call  for  200,000  men,  Luther  S.  Trowbridge 
was  offered  a  commission  as  major  in  the  Fifth  Michigan  Cavalry,  a 
post  which  he  promptly  accepted.  The  regiment  went  to  the  field  in 
December,  1862,  and  was  engaged  in  outpost  duty  in  front  of  Wash- 
ington, with  occasional  raids  into  the  enemy's  country,  until  June, 
1863.  The  regiment  was  in  the  meantime  brigaded  with  the  First, 
Sixth  and  Seventh,  all  Michigan  regiments,  which  afterward  gained  an 
enviable  reputation  ss  the  Michigan  Brigade. 

Colonel  Copeland,  who  organized  the  Sixth  Michigan  Cavalry,  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  brigadier  general  in  comman^  of  the  Michigan 
Brigade  in  the  early  part  of  June,  when  General  Lee  was  moving  his 
army  into  Pennsylvania.  The  Michigan  Brigade  was  then  attached  to 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  On  June  28th,  the  Fifth  and  Sixth  Michi- 
gan Cavalry  entered  Gettysburg  and  were  able  to  send  reliable  informa- 
tion of  the  movements  of  a  portion  of  General  Lee's  army  to  the  com- 
mander of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  General  Elwell's  corps  having 
passed  through  Gettysburg  on  its  march  to  New  York.  Upon  the  re- 
turn of  the  Fifth  and  Sixth  Michigan  Cavalry  to  Emmetsburg,  they 
learned  of  a  general  reorganization  of  cavalry  corps  under  General 
Custer,  then  newly  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Michigan  Bri- 
gade, which  was  then  attached  to  General  Kilpatrick's  division. 

The  Brigade  became  engaged  with  Stuart's  cavalry  and  prevented 
their  communication  with  Lee's  headquarters,  a  fact  which  proved  most 
embarrassing  to  General  Lee.  On  the  night  of  July  2d  the  Brigade 
approached  the  battlefield  of  Gettysburg,  and  the  victory  at  that  battle 
was  largely  due  to  the  gallant  fighting  of  the  Michigan  Cavalry.  It 
was  while  leading  his  battalion  against  Stuart's  batteries  in  the  face 
of  almost  certain  death  that  Major  Trowbridge  had  his  horse  shot  under 
him  close  to  the  guns  of  the  enemy.  In  speaking  of  this  incident,  Gen- 
eral Trowbridge  said:  **I  only  escaped  capture  through  the  coolness 
and  courage  of  my  orderly,  who  dashed  up  with  a  second  horse,  which 
I  mounted,  thus  enabling  me  to  escape."  The  brave  orderly  was  re- 
warded for  his  action  by  Major  Trowbridge,  who  secured  his  appoint- 
ment as  captain  of  the  Tenth  Michigan  Cavalry,  in  which  post  he  con- 
tinued until  the  end  of  the  war. 

In  the  early  morning  of  the  day  following  the  battle  of  Gettysburg, 
the  Brigade  went  into  bivouac  at  Two  Taverns,  amid  the  roar  of  the 
guns  of  the  artillery  of  the  Twelfth  Corps  as  General  Williams  was 
making  his  splendid  fight  to  recover  ground  Johnston  had  wrested  from 
him  the  night  before.  About  8  A.  M.,  as  the  brigade  took  its  position 
with  the  division  on  the  left  flank  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  be- 
yond the  Round  Tops,  General  Gregory  anticipated  a  severe  fight  on  the 
right  flank  of  the  army  and  ordered  General  Custer  to  take  his  posi-^ 
tion  on  that  flank,  where  his  presence  proved  to  be  of  great  value. 

In  the  month  immediately  preceding  Gettysburg,  and  in  the  month 
following,  the  Fifth  Michigan  Cavalry  was  almost  constantly  engaged 
in  fighting.  Major  Trowbridge  was  taken  sick  and  came  home,  where 
he  remained  for  six  weeks.  While  at  home  he  was  offered  the  position 
of  colonel  of  the  Tenth  Michigan  Cavalry,  which  he  accepted  and  went 
with  his  regiment  to  Kentucky  and  Tennessee.  In  April,  1864,  he  was 
sent  to  destroy  an  important  railway  bridge  over  the  Wantenaga  river 
at  Carter's  station.  The  affair,  though  not  in  itself  important,  had  a 
great  effect  on  the  future  of  the  regiment,  as  it  enabled  it  to  drive  a 
superior  force  from  an  entrenched  position. 

When  the  army  moved  on  to  east  Tennessee  to  join  General  Sher- 
man in  the  Atlanta  campaign.  Colonel  Trowbridge's  regiment  was  left 
as  the  only  Union  cavalry  regiment  in  Tennessee,  with  headquarters 


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1127 


at  Strawberry  Plains.  While  Btationod  n1  tins  point  an  incident  oc- 
cur reel  which  showed  the  vt^rsatility  of  Colonel  TTOwbrid^e,  He  was 
requested  to  finish  fortifieationa  to  proteet  the  railroad  bridge  at  that 
place.  The  work  was  something  entirely  new  to  him,  but  he  set  out 
with  the  aid  of  a  small  book  on  fort  ifi  eat  ions.  In  looking  over  the  work 
already  done  and  studying  the  topography  of  the  eountry.  he  came  to 
the  eonehisiou  that  the  work  was  not  well  laid  out.  He  reported  tlie 
resiilts  of  his  observations  to  his  superior  oftieer.  who  said  he  did  not 
think  there  had  been  any  mistake,  as  he  had  laid  out  the  work  him- 
self. Colonel  Trowliridge  made  diagrams  of  the  work  done  and  sketehed 
the  topography  of  the  eoiiutry,  indicating  where  an  enemy  eould  plant 
his  batteries  and  would  he  likely  to  use  his  artillery  in  ease  of  attaek. 
Thn.**  prepared,  he  went  to  Knosville  to  call  on  the  commanding  officer. 
General  David  Tilson,  and  he  soon  eonvineed  that  officer  of  the  in- 
adeqnacy  of  the  fortifications.  General  Tilson  agreed  that  the  engineer 
to  whom  the  work  had  been  entrusted  had  made  a  mistake  and  in- 
structed Colonel  Trowbridge  to  finish  the  task  according  to  his  own 
plans.  Tie  did  so,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  correctness  of 
his  ideas  tested  by  a  continuous  attack  of  the  enemy's  artillery,  which 
might  have  blazed  away  until  doomsday  without  any  serious  damage 
bejng  done. 

In  January,  1B63,  Colonel  Trowbridge  was  gippointed  provo.st  mar- 
shal of  east  Tennessee.  This  position  he  held  for  tvs'o  months,  when  he 
was  relieved  at  his  own  request  in  order  that  he  might  join  his  regiment 
in  an  expedition  under  General  Storm  into  North  Carolina  and  Vir- 
ginia. General  Trowbridge  SHid  it  was  doubtful  if  any  expedition  dur- 
ing the  war  nceomplished  so  much  and  attracted  so  little  attention. 
For  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-hve  miles  the  Virginia  & 
East  Tennessee  Railway  was  most  effectually  disabled,  and  every  bridge 
destro^Td. 

Aft^r  the  surrender  of  Johnston's  army,  Colonel  Trowbridge  was 
engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  Jeff  Davis  until  his  capture.  When  the  com- 
mand reached  Tennessee  he  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  a  brigade^ 
with  the  rank  of  brigadier  general,  and  held  that  position  until  mus- 
tered out  in  1865. 

At  that  time  east  Tennessee  gave  great  promise  of  the  development 
of  its  natural  resources,  and  General  Trowbridge  was  persuaded  to  cast 
his  lot  with  the  loyal  people  of  Tennessee,  among  whom  he  had  made 
many  friends.  He  remained  there  until  18G8,  when  he  was  called  to 
Michigan  by  the  failing  health  of  his  father-in-law.  While  at  Knox- 
ville  be  took  an  active  part  in  the  election  whieli  resulted  in  giving  the 
state  Governor  Brown  lee. 

Upon  his  return  to  Detroit  in  1868  General  Trowbridge  established 
himself  once  more  in  the  practice  of  law,  and  rapidly  regained  his  old 
time  position  in  that  profession.  In  the  fall  of  1875,  without  solieita* 
tioD,  he  was  appointed  collector  of  ijiternal  revenue  for  the  eastern  dis- 
trict of  Michigan,  the  appointment  being  made  in  recognition  of  his 
splendid  services  to  his  country.  His  administration  of  that  oflicc  was 
of  the  highest  order  and  received  warni  commendation  at  the  hands  of 
the  head  of  that  bureau.  He  held  that  post  until  188:i.  On  July  1st 
of  that  year  he  was  appointed  city  conq>t roller,  which  ]^>osition  he  held 
for  eighteen  months,  when  he  resigned  to  become  vice-president  of  the 
Wayne  County  Savings  Hank  of  Detroit.  On  July  1,  188f*,  he  ac- 
cepted the  position  of  confidential  secretary  to  Luther  Heecher,  w^hieh 
position  he  held  until  the  death  of  the  latter,  in  Septemlx^n  1892. 
After  the  death  of  Mr.  Beecher,  General  Trowbridge  acted  as  one  of 
the  administrators  of  the  estate.     A   few^  years  ago  President   Roose- 


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1128  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

velt  appointed  General  Trowbridge  general  appraiser  of  customs,  and 
for  a  number  of  years  thereafter  his  venerable  military  figure  was 
associated  with  the  old  government  building  on  Griswold  street. 

In  politics  General  Trowbridge  was  always  a  Republican.  He  nailed 
the  Republican  flag  to  the  flagpole  in  front  of  his  father's  house  the 
year  that  John  C.  Fremont  ran  for  president,  and  from  that  time  until 
the  close  of  his  life  the  party  might  always  depend  upon  him  to  do  good 
works  in  its  interests.  He  always  did  considerable  public  speaking  dur- 
•  ing  the  campaigns,  and  his  clear,  incisive  voice  carried  conviction  with 
each  simple  statement  of  facts.  He  was  the  direct  antithesis  of  a 
demagogue,  and  he  worshipped  regularly  in  Christ's  church,  on  Jeffer- 
son avenue,  as  do  also  his  family. 

In  April,  1862,  General  Trowbridge  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Julia  M.  Buel,  the  daughter  of  his  partner,  Alexander  C.  Buel. 
They  had  seven  children:  Clara  Buel,  now  deceased,  married  Charles 
M.  Swift,  an  attorney  of  Detroit ;  Mary  E.,  living  at  home ;  Alexander 
Buel,  an  architect  of  New  York  City,  where  he  is  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Trowbridge  &  Ackeman,  married  Miss  Gertrude  Sherman,  daugh- 
ter of  John  T.  Sherman,  a  merchant,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  four 
children,  Sherman,  Buel  and  Alice,  twins,  and  Stephen  V.  R. ;  Mar- 
garet Riggs,  the  fourth  child  of  General  Trowbridge,  married  Charles 
A.  Ricks,  the  son  of  Judge  Ricks;  Luther  S.,  Jr.,  attorney-at-law  of 
Detroit,  with  Gray  &  Gray,  married  ]\Iable  Hartsuflf,  daughter  of  Gen- 
eral Hartsuff,  and  they  have  two  children,  Albert  and  Luther  S.,  third ; 
Julia  A.  married  Daniel  Quirk,  Jr.,  of  Ypsilanti,  Michigan,  and  they 
have  three  children,  Trowbridge,  Buel  and  Julia  Buel;  a  fourth  son, 
Edmund  Buel,  died  when  fourteen  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Luther  S.  Trow- 
bridge passed  away  on  January  3,  1909,  and  rests  in  Elmwood  cemetery, 
and  on  Friday,  February  2,  1912,  her  honored  husband.  General  Luther 
S.  Trowbridge,  was  called  from  this  life. 

Of  his  sudden  passing,  a  Detroit  publication  said  in  part:  ** General 
Luther  S.  Trowbridge,  appraiser  of  the  port  of  Detroit,  veteran  of  the 
Civil  war,  comrade  of  the  gallant  Custer,  by  whose  side  he  fought  with 
distinguishing  bravery,  and  a  prominent  citizen  of  Detroit,  died  this 
morning  at  4:30  o'clock  at  his  home  at  609  Jefferson  avenue,  where  he 
had  lived  for  more  than  forty  years.  General  Trowbridge  was  seventy- 
five  years  old.  Though  the  General  suffered  a  nervous  shock  of  paral- 
ysis two  years  ago,  his  death  was  entirely  unexpected.  Only  the  day 
before  his  death  he  was  about,  seemingly  in  the  best  of  health  and  spirits. 
Though  General  Trowbridge  was  a  heroic  figure  throughout  the  war, 
he  was  distinctly  a  man  of  peace, — kindly,  placid,  unassuming  and  sym- 
pathetic. He  had  an  aversion  for  war,  but  deemed  it  due  to  his  coun- 
try that  he  go  to  the  front.  He  was  extremely  averse  to  the  wearing 
of  gaudy  uniforms,  and  when  inspector  general  of  the  state  militia 
under  Governor  Bagley,  he  wore  a  uniform  only  when  absolutely  nec- 
essary. General  Trowbridge  was  very  proud  of  the  fact  that  President 
Grant  appointed  him  collector  of  customs  at  this  port  without  consulting 
him.  He  took  an  active  part  in  politics  and  was  at  the  head  of  many 
political  marching  parties  that  were  so  popular  after  the  war.  After 
severing  his  connection  with  the  state  militia.  General  Trowbridge  was 
appointed  city  comptroller  by  Mayor  William  G.  Thompson,  an  office 
which  he  held  for  a  year  and  a  half,  resigning  to  take  a  place  of  im- 
portance with  the  Wayne  County  Savings  Bank.'' 

General  Trowbridge  was  a  man  of  musical  talent  and  inclination, 
and  was  a  most  influential  member  of  the  Philharmonic  Society,  being 
at  one  time  its  president.  When  he  died  there  passed  away  the  last 
member  of  the  *  *  Early  Risers, ' '  one  of  the  first  base  ball  teams  Detroit 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 


1129 


0?er  liad*  He  was  ever  an  onthiisiast  in  tliat  sport,  and  when  the  base 
ball  S(*ftsoii  opened  m  Detroit  two  y^iirn  ago  General  Trowbridge  raised 
the  pennant  for  the  Detroit  Chih. 

Julius  BitROHABD.     For  a  dozen  years  the   Ute  Julius  Burghard 

was  widely  and  favorably  known  among  the  people  of  Detroit,  both  in 
his  eminent  eapaeity  as  timnager  of  the  Abend-Pi^l,  of  which  his  dis- 
tinguished father-in-law  was  proprietor,  and  also,  in  his  highly  esti- 
mable private  life.  lie  is  remembered  as  one  holding  high  rank  aioong 
those  German's  of  sound  eharaeter  and  breeding  who  become  the  worth- 
iest of  Ameriean  eitizens.  In  one  of  those  distriets  of  the  German  Em- 
pire which  adjoin  the  picture^sque  and  far-famed  Rhine  lived  the  Burg- 
hard family,  whose  head  w^as  Frederiek  Burghard,  a  man  of  fine  calibre 
and  for  many  years  the  president  of  a  prominent  insurance  eompany, 
and  his  wife,  Eliza  Burghard.  In  tbetr  home,  on  Februarv^  13,  1848, 
the  son  was  born  who  was  named  Julius.  He  received  careful  rearing 
and  adequate  educational  advantages,  with  which  equipment  the  age 
of  seventeen  found  him  keenly  ali%^e  to  the  possibilities  of  success  in 
a  new  land.  Gaining  the  reluctant,  yet  bravely  eneouraging,  consent 
of  his  parents,  he  took  passage  to  the  United  States,  armed  with  the 
hope  and  determination  so  uecessar}'  for  capable  achievement.  After 
his  landing  he  sought  employment  in  New  York,  where  he  soon  accepted 
a  position  in  the  wfmlesale  lace-importing  house  of  the  Miiser  Brothers. 
Such  were  hi^  ability  and  his  faithfulness  that  he  w^as  soon  made 
manager  of  the  department  in  which  lie  was  first  engaged.  It  was  al- 
ways Julius  Burghard 's  ambition  to  <lo  thoroughly  and  skillfully  what- 
ever task  he  had  in  hand  rather  than  to  he  constantly  seeking  positions 
of  gi-eater  pnmiinence.  Some  one  has  said  of  him  that  '*  Instead  of 
always  hunting  the  biggest  job,  he  chose  always  to  Ife  bigger  than  his 
job/-     There  is  surely  no  higher  ambition  than  that. 

Serene  in  the  able  performance  of  his  daily  vocation,  ^Ir.  Burghard 
remained  with  the  iliiser  Brothers  for  about  eighteen  years,  with  grati- 
fying pecuniary  profit.  At  the  end  of  that  time  it  chanced  that  his  par- 
ticipation in  a  social  function  led  to  circumstances  eventually  changing 
the  current  of  his  life.  At  the  home  of  a  New  York  friend  he  met  Miss 
Louise  Marxhausen,  of  Detroit,  a  daughter  of  August  Marxhausen,  who 
was  a  prominent  editor  of  the  latter  city.  Their  acciuaint^incc  cul- 
minated in  a  marriage  between  Miss  JIarxhausen  and  Burghani  who 
celebrated  the  significant-  event  by  a  honeymoon  trip  abroad.  They 
returned  to  New^  York,  where  Mr.  Burghard  resumed  his  connection 
with  the  importers*  house  of  Miiser  Brothers.  After  two  years,  how- 
ever, Mr.  Burgliard  consented  to  accept  a  position  for  which  his  busi- 
ness experience  had  rendered  hira  amply  efficient — that  of  manager  of 
the  Detroit  AbrHd-Post  of  which  August  Marxhausen,  Mrs.  Burghard 's 
father,  was  the  proprietor. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burghard  came  to  Detroit  in  1885,  and  from  that 
time  throughout  his  life  Julius  Burghard  l}ecame  an  increasingly  im- 
[jortant  factor  in  tlie  affairs  of  the  famous  German- American  news- 
paper, whicli  during  the  period  of  his  management  attained  its  reputa- 
tion of  being  the  greatest  periodical  of  its  kind  in  the  middle  west.  He 
waa  about  to  he  admitted  to  a  full  partnership  in  the  finn  of  publisher 
when  a  physical  malady  of  long  standing  cut  shoil  his  useful  life. 

That  Julius  Burghard  had  endeared  himself  to  a  large  and  appre- 
ciative circle  of  friends  is  evidenced  by  tlie  eonuuents  of  his  confreres 
published  in  the  Ahfud-Post  on  the  occasion  of  his  demise.  *^His  abil- 
ity, integrity  and  charming  personality/'  we  quote  from  that  article. 
**won  him  many  friends  who  remained  such  throughout  his  life.*'     He 


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1130  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

is  remembered  with  special  aflfection  by  the  members  of  the  Harmonie 
Society  and  with  deep  respect  by  the  politicians  who  were  privileged 
to  know  him.  Although  a  Republican  in  theory,  he  always  refused 
public  oflSce  and  his  choice  of  a  preferred  candidate  always  depended 
on  his  conception  of  the  individual's  fitness  for  the  proposed  office. 

Mr.  Burghard  still  lives  in  memory,  through  the  publication  he  so 
ably  assisted,  through  the  influence  of  his  character  on  those  about  him 
and  through  the  family  which  survives  him.  Mrs.  Burghard  and  the 
two  children,  Elsa  and  Robert,  remain  in  Detroit,  occupying  the  beau- 
tiful home  at  199  Adams  avenue,  east.  Both  the  son  and  daughter  are 
now  students  in  one  of  the  high  schools  of  Detroit. 

Ernest  Schorr,  M.  D.  Other  men's  services  to  the  people  and  the 
state  can  be  measured  by  definite  deeds,  by  dangers  averted,  by  legis- 
lation secured,  by  institutions  built,  by  commerce  promoted.  The  work 
of  a  doctor  is  entirely  estranged  from  the  above  lines  of  enterprise,  yet 
without  his  capable,  health-giving  assistance  all  other  accomplishments 
would  count  for  naught.  Man's  greatest  prize  on  earth  is  physical 
health'  and  vigor;  nothing  deteriorates  mental  activity  so  quickly  as 
prolonged  siclmess, — hence  the  broad  field  for  human  helpfulness  af- 
forded in  the  medical  profession.  The  successful  doctor  requires  some- 
thing more  than  mere  technical  training, — he  must  be  a  man  of  broad 
human  sympathy  and  genial  kindliness,  capable  of  inspiring  hope  and 
faith  in  the  heart  of  his  patient.  Such  a  man  is  he  whose  name  forms 
the  caption  for  this  review. 

Dr.  Ernest  Schorr  was  bom  in  Holmes  county,  Ohio,  January  22, 
1861.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Barbara  (Henes)  Schorr,  both  na- 
tives of  Germany,  where  the  former  was  born  in  1836  and  the  latter  in 
1842.  The  father  was  reared  to  the  age  of  sixteen  years  in  his  native 
place  of  Hesse-Darmstadt  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools.  In 
1852  he  immigrated  to  the  United  States  in  an  old-style  sailing  vessel, 
the  trip  consuming  a  period  of  three  months.  The  mother  was  born 
and  reared  in  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  and  came  to  America  with  her 
widowed  mother  and  brother  and  sister  in  1851.  The  sister  died  after 
reaching  America  and  was  buried  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  George  and 
Barbara  Schorr  were  married  at  Middletown  (now  Mt.  Hope),  Holmes 
county,  Ohio,  and  there  he  was  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising 
and  in  the  grocery  business  until  his  death,  December  29,  1880.  The 
mother  passed  away  November  18,  1887,  and  her  body  was  brought  to 
Detroit  for  cremation,  it  having  been  held  in  a  vault  until  the  comple- 
tion of  the  crematory,  December  10,  1887,  the  first  cremation  in  Detroit. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schorr  were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  four  of  whom 
are  living,  in  1912. 

To  the  public  schools  of  Holmes  county,  Ohio,  Dr.  Schorr  is  in- 
debted for  his  rudimentary  educational  training  and  at  the  age  of 
fifteen  years  he  began  the  study  of  medicine,  under  the  able  preceptor- 
ship  of  Dr.  Joel  Pomerene,  of  Millersburg,  Ohio.  He  worked  and  stud- 
ied in  the  office  of  Dr.  Pomerene  until  he  was  ready  for  graduation  in 
the  College  of  Physicians  &  Surgeons  of  the  Western  Reserve  at  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1882.  Prior  to  receiving  his 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine  he  had  attended  a  course  of  lectures  in 
the  Jefferson  Medical  College,  at  Philadelphia.  He  began  the  practice 
of  medicine  in  1882,  at  Frazer,  Macomb  county,  Michigan,  where  he  re- 
mained for  a  little  more  then  three  years  and  where  he  built  up  a  large 
and  lucrative  practice.  In  November,  1885,  he  came  to  Detroit,  where 
he  has  since  resided  and  where  he  has  gained  precedence  as  one  of  the 
best  physicians  and  surgeons  in  this  section  of  the  state.     He  has  been 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 


1131 


located  in  various  parts  of  the  city  but  sioce  1894  has  had  his  offices 
and  residence  at  No.  114  East  Elizabeth  street,  lie  is  a  ineral}er  of 
the  WajTie  County  Medical  Society,  the  ^Michigan  State  Medical  So- 
ciety and  the  American  3Iedical  Association. 

The  Doctor's  spare  time  is  all  devoted  to  the  perfecting  of  in- 
ventions he  has  made  along  the  line  of  automobile  impvovements,  and 
recently  he  has  patented  a  device  that  is  destined  to  revolutionize 
automobile  building  in  the  future.  He  is  independent  in  his  political 
convictions  and  while  he  has  no  time  for  active  participation  in  public 
affairs  is  ever  on  tlie  alert  and  enthusiastically  in  sympathy  with  all 
measures  and  enterprises  projected  for  the  good  of  the  general  welfare. 

On  July  26,  1889,  Dr.  Schorr  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna 
Hobbs,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Canada  and  who  is  a  daughler 
of  William  Hobbs,  Dr.  and  ilrs.  Seliorr  are  the  parents  of  one  daugh- 
ter^ Flora  Viola,  whose  birth  occurred  in  June,  1890. 

Joseph  C.  Tl'Fford,  M.  D.,  who  at  the  present  time  holds  prestige 
as  one  of  the  representative  physicians  and  surgeons  of  the  Michigan 
metropolis,  like  a  goodly  number  of  other  able  members  of  his  profes- 
sion in  Detroit  claims  the  neighboring  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  as 
the  place  of  liis  nativity,  his  niaternal  and  paternal  aneestry  being  of 
staunch  English  stock. 

Dr,  Tnfford  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ayhncr,  Elgin  county,  On- 
tario, on  the  25th  of  October,  186G.  and  is  a  son  of  Rev.  John  C.  and 
Catherine  (Yokome)  Tnffoni.  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  the 
township  of  Malahide,  Elgin  county,  Ontario,  and  the  latter  in  the 
town  of  Wei  land,  that  province,  opposite  the  city  of  Buffalo,  Kew  York, 
The  father  latnired  for  forty  years  in  the  work  of  the  ministry  and 
was  one  of  the  representative  clergymen  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  in  his  native  province,  where  he  continued  to  reside  until  his 
death,  in  1893,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  He  was  a  man  of  fine 
intellectuality  and  his  life  was  one  of  signal  consecration  to  the  work 
of  his  Divine  Master  and  the  aiding  and  uplifting  of  his  fellow  men. 
His  cherished  and  noble  wife  passed  away  in  1896,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
six  years,  and  of  their  children  five  are  yet  living. 

To  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town  Dr.  Tufford  is  indebted  for 
his  preliminary  educational  discipline,  w-hich  was  there  supplemented 
by  attendance  in  the  Aylmer  Collegiate  Institute.  In  1891  he  entered 
the  Western  Medical  College,  a  branch  of  the  University,  and  there  he 
continued  his  technical  studies  for  three  years,  at  the  expiration  of 
which  he  came  to  ^lichigan  and  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  ^ledicine* 
He  was  graduated  from  that  institution  as  a  member  of  the  class  of 
1894.  and  at  that  time  received  his  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine, 

Shortly  after  his  graduation  Dr,  Tufford  located  at  Goodrich,  Gen* 
esee  county,  Michigan,  where  he  continued  in  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion for  three  years»  ^vdthin  which  time  he  admirably  developed  his 
technical  powers  and  won  a  success  that  justified  him  in  assuming 
broader  responsibilities  in  the  line  of  his  profession-  After  complet- 
ing an  effective  post-graduate  course  in  the  New  York  Polyclinic  he 
established  his  home  in  the  city  of  Owosso,  Michigan,  where  be  attained 
a  nmrked  popularity  and  built  up  a  substantial  and  representative 
practice.  He  remained  in  Owosso  for  a  period  of  eight  years  and  then 
went  abroad  for  the  purpose  of  still  further  fortifying  himself  in  his 
profession.  He  did  comprehensive  post-graduate  work  in  leading  in- 
stitutions in  the  cities  of  London  and  Berlin,  where  he  attended  many 
important  clinics,  and  after  his  return  to  the  United  States  he  continued 
bis  professional  endeavors  in  Owosso  until  1906,  when  he  removed  to 


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1132  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

Detroit.  In  this  city  his  success  in  the  work"  of  his  profession  has  been 
of  the  most  unequivocal  order  and  he  is  known  as  a  physician  and 
surgeon  of  high  attainments  and  distinctive  practical  ability. 

Dr.  Tuflford  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  the 
Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association. 
In  his  political  tendencies  he  is  inclined  to  the  Independent  party. . 

On  September  18,  1895,  Dr.  Tuflford  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Estelle  Witt,  daughter  of  Arthur  Witt,  a  representative  citizen  of 
Almont,  Lapeer  county,  Michigan.  Two  children  were  born  to  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Tuflford,  one  of  whom  is  now  living, — Walter  Witt  Tuflford, 
born  July  3,  1903. 

Michael  A.  Adams,  one  of  Detroit's  well-known  and  most  highly 
esteemed  retired  citizens  and  business  men,  was  bom  in  county  Mona- 
ghan,  Ireland,  in  1836.  He  is  the  son  of  Colonel  Adams,  an  oflScer  of 
the  English  Army,  who  was  sent  to  Ireland  to  take  command  of  an 
Irish  regiment.  There  he  met  and  married  an  Irish  girl  and  became 
the  father  of  two  sons,  our  subject  and  brother. 

Life  at  home  was  too  dull  for  .the  two  boys,  and  when  about  fourteen 
Mr.  Adams  took  counsel  with  his  brother  and  they  determined  to  see 
the  world  and  carve  out  their  own  careers.  Taking  their  shoes  in  their 
hands  to  save  the  foot  wear,  the  high  spirited  boys,  bare-footed,  crossed 
the  border  and  walked  to  Glasgow,  Scotland.  Michael,  who  is  now 
enjoying  the  sunset,  of  his  life  in  his  comfortable  and  handsome  home, 
which  he  built  in  1887,  at  the  corner  of  Cass  and  Putnam  avenues  in 
Detroit,  secured  a  position  in  a  shoe  store  on  the  Bazaar  in  Glasgow. 
In  1851  the  wanderlust  again  seizfed  young  Adams  and  he  crossed  the 
ocean  to  the  United  States.  He  landed  at  New  York  City,  but  the 
metropolis  was  not  to  his  liking  and  he  went  to  Albany,  the  state  capital, 
where  he  entered  a  shoe  store,  as  he  had  in  Scotland. 

He  was  employed  there  one  winter  when  he  thought  Canada  would 
oflfer  a  greater  field  for  his  energies.  He  visited  several  towns,  and  be- 
ing an  expert  shoe  salesman,  had  no  diflBculty  in  securing  positions. 
But  Canada  did  not  suit  him  and  he  returned  to  the  United  States,  going 
to  Buflfalo  and  later  to  Cleveland,  and  in  1852  came  to  Detroit,  where 
he  was  des:tined  to  make  his  future  home.  He  accepted  a  position  with 
Alfred  Mcknight,  who  had  a  shoe  store  at  the  comer  of  Shelby  street 
and  Jefferson  avenue,  and  remained  with  him  about  one  year.  During 
the  next  few  years  he  was  with  several  other  firms,  and  thus  he  con- 
tinued until  he  decided  to  go  into  business  for  himself. 

He  bought  a  stock  of  dry  goods  from  Chandler  &  Shelden,  which 
he  took  with  him  up  into  the  north  country,  as  the  shores  of  Lake 
Superior  were  then  termed.  He  visited  the  mining  districts  and  placed 
the  goods  on  sale,  with  the  result  that  his  wares  were  soon  disposed  of. 
In  the  spring  of  1855,  with  a  moderate  capital  accumulated  as  a  result 
of  his  northern  trip,  Mr.  Adams  returned  to  Detroit  and  entered  the 
grocery  business  at  17  Griswold  street,  where  he  remained  until  1858, 
when  he  built  a  store  room  on  Michigan  avenue,  at  the  comer  of  Na- 
tional, where  he  conducted  the  grocery  business  during  the  winter. 
He  found  the  location  to  be  too  far  out  for  business  at  that  time,  and 
moved  to  the  corner  of  Third  and  Michigan  avenues,  where  he  built 
the  store  room  at  157  Michigan  avenue,  and  in  1865,  built  another  at 
178  Michigan  avenue,  where  he  conducted  a  crockery  store.  He  re- 
mained in  the  crockery  business  at  this  stand  for  more  than  forty-five 
years,  and  in  1909  sold  out  and  retired  from  active  business.  In  ad- 
dition to  his  other  holdings  he  built  the  fine  brick  double  flat  build- 
ing at  162-164  State  street  about  thirty-five  years  ago. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 


1133 


On  Ot*tol>er  14,  183^4,  Mr.  Adams  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Dorothy  Hughes.  Mrs.  Adams  was  born  in  Ireland,  ^he  died  April 
10,  1902,  and  her  remains  are  now  at  rest  in  Mt.  Olivet  cemetery.  As 
a  result  of  tiiia  happy  union  tliere  were  burn  to  them  four  diildren ; 
Isabelle  A.  is  a  talented  artist  who  lives  at  home  with  her  father.  Mary, 
who  married  A.  J.  McLaughlin,  of  London,  Ontario,  is  the  mother  of 
five  children,  namely,  Theodore,  Hubery,  Ruth,  Isabelle  and  Catherine. 
Ella  married  R.  F.  Reaunre,  of  Detroit,  and  is  the  mother  of  three  chil- 
dren^Mary,  who  niarried  Thomas  H,  Doyle  and  is  the  mother  of  two 
children,  Ritehie  R,  and  Mary;  Riehard  F.  j  and  Veroniea,  John  J,  is 
living  at  home.     The  family  are  all  members  of  the  Catholic  church, 

Alfonso  Baker.  One  of  the  finest  defenders  of  her  lives  and  prop- 
erty that  Detroit  ever  had  is  the  present  captain  of  the  eentrnl  precinct 
and  deputy  superintendent  of  the  police  force,  Captain  Alfonso  Baker, 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Detroit  police  force  for  twentj^-eight  years 
and  has  risen  to  his  present  position,  not  through  pull  but  through  merit 
and  sheer  force  of  character.  In  addition  to  the  physical  strength  and 
peimmal  bravery  that  all  members  of  the  police  force  should  possess  he 
is  also  morally  brave,  and  his  rep\itation  for  honesty  and  uprightness 
in  these  days  of  graft  and  crookedness  among  tho^e  who  are  supposed  to 
be  the  guardians  of  the  public  welfare,  is  of  priceless  value, 

Alfonso  Baker  was  born  in  Rochester,  New  York,  on  the  18th  of 
July,  1849,  the  youngest  son  of  Richard  Baker  and  Adelaide  (Leake) 
Baker.  His  parents  were  old  settlers  of  Dutchess  county.  New  York, 
his  mother  being  a  native  of  the  county,  and  his  father  coming  hither 
shortly  after  his  arrival  in  the  United  States,  a  frightened  little  boy,  come 
from  the  far  off  lowlands  of  Holland.  Richard  Buker  served  in  the  Civil 
war,  being  a  member  of  General  Banks'  expedition  and  participating  in 
a  number  of  important  engagements. 

An  interesting  story  is  related  concerning  Alfonso  Baker  and  his  early 
enthusiasm  for.  any  thing  that  bordered  on  the  military.  He  was  a  little 
chap  of  twelve  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war,  hut  war  was  in  the  air;  he 
heard  nothing  else  and  his  youthful  heart  burned  with  the  desire  to  do 
somethinfT  for  his  country.  Knowing  that  in  order  to  go  to  the  front 
one  first  Iiad  to  get  the  authority,  he  made  his  way  to  a  recniiting  office 
in  Rochester  aJid  slippin^^  through  the  crowds  of  men  that  had  gathered 
in  the  place,  he  waa  presently  standing  before  the  serfreant's  desk. 
Here  he  announced  in  his  high,  ciiild's  voice  that  he  wanted  to  go  to 
the  front.  The  big  sergeant  laughed  tlown  at  him»  **I^Iy  lad,  you're 
too  small!''  he  said.  A  hit  taken  aback,  size  didn't  seem  to  matter  so 
much  w^hen  he  w^as  sure  he  could  do  just  as  nuich  for  his  count rv  m 
could  lots  of  bigger  men  and  he  procf*eded  to  explain  that  he  could 
be*it  a  drum  even  if  he  couldn't  shoulder  a  musket.  Mud  shoot  a  rifle, 
and  that  drummer  tioys  could  sometimes  help  the  soldiers  a  lot  when 
tilings  were  goin^  wrong  and  they  were  terribly  discouraiJf*d.  His 
earnestness  and  the  ardor  in  his  little  voice  won  the  sergeant's  heart, 
and  he  said  that  he  would  accept  his  offer  of  enlistment  nrovided  hm 
father  gave  his  consent.  This  wfis  out  of  the  question,  for  the  lad's 
father  was  far  in  the  southland,  fi i?h tin r?  even  then  for  Old  Glory,  hut 
he  was  then  told  that  if  his  grandfather  with  wiiom  he  was  living  would 
give  his  consent,  he  could  eo  to  the  front.  But  the  okl  gentleman,  who 
was  the  only  one  left  on  the  farm,  was  ndaniaTTt.  for.  having  willin^lv 
triven  all  the  others  to  the  csuse,  he  felt  that  this  his  vouneest  shouhl  be 
left  to  him.  Therefor**  the  brave  contain  has  no  nulitarv  rt^con!.  and  who 
VnoW8  what  this  record  mitfht  hav*^  been,  for  in  other  walks  of  life,  he  has 
given  such  evidence  of  courage,  fidelity  and  devotion  to  duty. 


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1134  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

His  early  education,  Captain  Baker  received  in  the  public  schools 
of  Rochester,  from  which  he  graduated  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  He 
then  took  up  the  vocation  of  gardening,  and  inaugurated  a  market  gar- 
den of  his  own,  which  he  ran  for  four  years  as  an  independent  venture. 
When  he  was  twenty-two,  he  came  to  Battle  Creek,  Michigan,  and  here 
he  was  married.  It  was  only  a  few  weeks  later  that  he  removed  to  *  *  the 
fair  city  of  the  straits"  and  here  he  again  took  up  gardening,  raising 
in  particular,  small  vegetables.  For  three  years  he  was  very  successful, 
but*  in  the  spring  of  1875,  he  was  visited  by  a  severe  hail  storm,  which 
completely  ruined  the  twelve-acre  crop  of  seed  onions  that  were  at 
the  time  in  the  very  **pink  of  condition."  The  storm  caused  him  a 
loss  of  between  five  and  six  thousand  dollars,  and  he  determined 
to  go  into  some  less  hazardous  business.  At  this  time  onions  were 
bringing  in  the  market  a  price  of  a  dollar  and  a  half  a  bushel  and  it 
was  very  hard  to  see  the  work  of  a  whole  year  thus  destroyed  in  a  few 
hours. 

After  the  sad  chapter  of  the  hail  storm,  Mr.  Baker  bravely  turned 
his  attention  to  another  field,  and  coming  into  the  city,  bought  a 
milk  route,  but  the  milk  business  is  not  all  cream,  as  the  captain 
soon  discovered,  and  so  he  made  another  change,  this  time  embarking 
in  the  timber  business.  He  manufactured  mast  hoops  and  black  ash 
barrel  hoops,  and  this  time  his  energetic  and  progressive  spirit  brought 
him  success.  In  time  he  was  able  to  sell  his  business  at  a  fair  profit, 
and  at  last  was  free  to  turn  to  a  vocation  that  had  always  attracted 
him,  that  of  police  service.  He  made  application  for  a  position  on  the 
Detroit  police  force,  and  was  appointed  patrolman  on  the  8th  of 
March,  1884.  After  three  months  of  this  duty,  he  was  assigned  to 
special  work,  and  was  shortly  afterwards  graduated  into  full-fledged 
detective  work.  He  made  an  excellent  officer  for  this  sort  of  duty, 
and  at  the  end  of  nine  years  was  appointed  chief  of  detectives,  and  a 
little  later  was  given  full  charge  of  the  east  side  as  captain  of  police. 
On  the  1st  of  April,  1911,  he  celebrated  his  sixth  anniversary  of  his 
appointment  as  captain  of  the  central  precinct,  and  on  July  1,  1912, 
was  promoted  to  be  deputy  superintendent  of  police.  He  has  done 
splendid  work  throughout  these  years,  and  his  district  always  bore 
the  reputation  as  being  one  of  the  best  policed  in  the  city.  His  men 
know  that  in  spite  of  his  many  duties  he  has  a  pretty  fair  idea  of 'how 
each  one  of  them  is  doing  his  work,  and  his  head  for  organization 
and  systematized  work  is  well  exemplified  in  the  way  his  district  was 
managed  and  in  the  performance  of  his  present  duties  as  deputy  super- 
intendent. 

Captain  Efaker  is  a  member  of  Detroit  Lodge,  No.  2,  Ancient  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons,  and  he  is  also  a  Royal  Arch  Mason.  His  family 
belong  to  the  North  Woodward  Avenue  Methodist  church. 

Captain  Baker  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Martha  O'Hara,  of 
Battle  Creek,  December  24,  1873.  She  was  living  in  Battle  Creek  with 
her  mother  at  that  time.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  England  and  her 
mother,  of  New  York,  but  they  are  both  now  deceased.  Captain  and 
Mrs.  Baker  became  the  parents  of  five  children.  Daniel  A.  is  deceased. 
Mark  Harry  Baker  married  Miss  Margaret  Hill,  of  Detroit,  and  he  and 
his  wife  have  two  children;  Alice  Margaret  Baker,  who  is  now  nine 
years  old,  and  Ralph,  a  lad  of  five.  Mark  Baker  is  following  in  his 
father's  footsteps  and  is  one  of  the  most  efficient  members  of  the 
Detroit  police  force.  He  also  has  an  admirable  military  record,  having 
served  in  the  Thirty-first  Michigan  Regiment  during  the  Spanish- 
American  war.  Ralph  Baker  is  deceased.  Roy  Baker  chose  as  his  wife. 
Miss  Letitia  Finney,  of  Detroit.    Like  his  father  and  brother,  he  is  con- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1135 

nected  with  the  police  force,  being  engaged  in  special  duty.  Grace 
Baker  became  Mrs.  Potts  and  is  the  mother  of  one  little  daughter,  Edna 
Potts,  aged  two  years. 

Captain  Baker  is  known  throughout  the  city  as  a  man  who  is  un- 
flinchingly devoted  to  duty  and  to  the  improvement  of  the  service. 
More  men  like  him  and  it  were  better  for  the  improvement  of  the 
government  and  safety  of  our  American  cities.  - 

Cyrenius  Adelbert  Newcomb,  Jr.  In  a:ll  walks  of  business  life, 
individual  genius  and  ability  leave  their  impress  upon  the  history 
of  the  times,  and  in  every  community  there  may  be  found  commercial 
and  mercantile  establishments  which  so  become  a  part  and  parcel  of  the 
growth  of  that  community  as  to  become  inseparably  connected  in  the 
public  mind  with  each  step  of  progress.  Among  firms  which  have  held 
such  a  position  in  Detroit,  may  be  mentioned  Newcomb,  Endioott  Com- 
pany, and  one  who  has  had  much  to  do  with  the  perpetuating  of  the 
splendid  reputation  gained  by  this  representative  concern  is  Cyrenius 
Adelbert  Newcomb,  Jr.,  who  is  secretary  of  the  company. 

Born  in  Detroit,  Michigan,  on  January  14,  1871,  Mr.  Newcomb  is 
the  son  of  Cyrenius  Adelbert  and  Mary  E.  (Haskell)  Newcomb.  The 
father  was  born  on  November  10,  1837,  and  is  the  son  of  Col.  Hezekiah 
and  Nancy  (Rounds)  Newcomb,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Franklin 
county,  Massachusetts.  The  family  is  an  old  and  honored  one  in  the 
annals  of  American  history,  and  traces  its  genealogy  back  through 
authentic  records  as  far  as  the  twelfth  century,  the  Harlein  Manuscripts 
in  the  British  Museum  recording  the  names  of  the  Newcombs  of 
Devonshire  from  the  year  1189.  A  full  account  of  the  parents  of  the 
subject,  with  more  comprehensive  details  concerning  the  family  origin 
and  records  of  its  line  of  descent,  may  be  found  in  the  biographical 
sketch  of  Cyrenius  Adelbert  Newcomb,  Sr.,  in  other  pages  of  this 
volume,  so  that  it  is  not  deemed  necessary  to  further  elaborate  upon 
the  family  of  the  subject  in  the  brief  space  which  is  permitted. 

Mr.  Newcomb  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city, 
and  was  graduated  from  the  Central  high  school  with  the  class  of  '89. 
He  thereupon  entered  the  University  of  Michigan,  from  which  fine  old 
institution  of  learning  he  was  graduated  in  1893,  with  the  degree  of 
B.  L.  He  soon  thereafter  entered  the  employ  of  the  firm  of  Newcomb, 
Endicott  Company,  and  in  1897,  less  than  four  years  after  leaving  col- 
lege, he  had  so  far  advanced  in  the  knowledge  and  understanding  of 
the  business  that  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  department  buyer. 
In  1903,  having  further  demonstrated  his  ability  and  capacity  as  a  man 
of  keen  business  judgment  and  acumen,  he  became  secretary  of  the 
concern,  a  position  which  he  still  retains. 

Mr.  Newcomb  is  a  member  of  various  organizations  of  a  social  na- 
ture, among  which  are  the  University  Club  of  Detroit,  of  which  he  was 
secretary  for  three  years,  retiring  from  the  oflSce  in  February,  1911; 
the  Detroit  Boat  Club,  of  the  Detroit  Country  Club;  the  Fine  Arts  So- 
ciety; the  Aldine  Association  of  New  York  City;  and  the  Psi  Epsilon 
fraternity.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce,  and 
has  taken  an  active  interest  in  the  work  of  that  body,  which  includes 
the  live  and  representative  business  men  of  the  city. 

On  December  16,  1896,  Mr.  Newcomb  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Brownie  Jenness  Kellie,  of  Detroit,  and  to  them  have  been  born 
three  children:  Cyrenius  Adelbert,  3d;  Alice  Jenness,  and  John 
Jenness. 


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1136  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Thomas  Joseph  Dowling,  M.  D.  Among  the  able  and  popular 
representatives  of  the  medical  profession  in  Detroit  is  Dr.  Thomas 
Joseph  Dowling,  a  close  and  zealous  student,  who  has  achieved  suc- 
cess as  a  result  of  his  own  efforts  and  well  merits  the  prestige  which 
he  has  gained  as  a  physician  and  surgeon.  He  belongs  to  the  younger 
generation  of  physicians,  having  been  born  at  Chatham,  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, January  12,  1881,  the  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Dowling)  Dowling. 

John  Dowling  was  born  at  Mount  Clemens,  Macomb  county,  Mich- 
igan, in  1842,  the  son  of  Irish-bom  parents  who  were  pioneers  in  that 
part  of  Michigan.  Subsequently,  he  removed  to  Chatham,  Ontario, 
where  for  many  years  he  was  engaged  in  the  contracting  business,  and 
in  which  little  city  he  is  now  living  a  retired  life.  Sarah  Dowling,  the 
mother  of  the  Doctor,  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  of  Irish  parents, 
and  is  still  living. 

Dr.  Dowling  received  his  elementary  schooling  in  the  public  schools 
of  Ontario  and  also  attended  Assumption  College,  the  well-known  edu- 
cational institution  of  Sandwich,  Ontario,  where  he  took  the  literary 
course.  In  1898  he  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  University 
of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor,  where  he  spent  two  years,  at  that  time  be- 
coming a  student  at  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  and  there  gradu- 
ated in  the  class  of  1904,  receiving  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine. 
Upon  graduation.  Dr.  Dowling  entered  the  general  practice  of  his 
profession  in  Highland  Park  (Detroit),  but  the  following  year  located 
in  his  present  offices  down  town,  at  No.  197  Gratiot  avenue,  where  he 
has  since  continued.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  Detroit  practice 
and  controls  a  large  and  representative  business,  while  his  personal 
popularity  is  of  unmistakable  and  unequivocal  character.  Since  his 
graduation,  in  1904,  he  has  been  a  lecturer  on  physiology  at  the  Detroit 
College  of  Medicine  and  specializes  to  some  extent.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  "Wayne  County  Medical  Society  and  the  Michigan  State  Medical 
Society,  and  is  fraternally  connected  with  the  Elks,  the  Moose  and  the 
Red  Men. 

Rudolph  Leo  Ppeipper.  No  nation  has  contributed  to  the  complex 
composition  of  our  American  social  fabric  an  element  of  more  sterling 
worth  or  of  greater  value  in  fostering  and  supporting  our  national 
institutions  than  has  Germany.  Germany  has  given  us  men  of  sturdy 
integrity,  indomitable  perseverance,  and  high  intelligence,  the  result 
being  the  incorporation  of  a  firm  and  strength-giving  fiber,  ramifying 
through  warp  and  woof.  One  of  Detroit's  able  physicians,  Rudolph 
Leo  Pfeiffer,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Prussia,  on  March  19,  1879,  the  son  of  Albert  and  Therese  (Hatcher) 
Pfeiflfer.  The  family  came  to  the  United  States  in  1881,  when  young 
Rudolph  was  about  two  years  of  age,  and  located  in  Detroit  where 
the  parents  are  living  at  the  present  time. 

Thus  almost  the  entire  life  of  the  subject  has  been  passed  in  the 
beautiful  City  of  the  Straits.  His  early  education  was  received  in 
St.  Paul's  parochial  schools  and  he  also  attended  Capitol  University  at 
Columbus,  Ohio,  but  did  not  complete  his  course  in  that  institution  on 
account  of  his  health.  Subsequent  to  the  completion  of  his  college  edu- 
cation he  went  "West,  but  after  spending  a  year  there  he  returned  to 
Detroit  and  in  the  fall  of  1899,  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Medi- 
cine, from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1903,  receiving  the 
degree  of  M.  D. 

Ever  since  his  preparation  for  the  profession  was  finished.  Dr. 
Pfeiffer  has  continued  in  general  practice  in  this  city,  winning  a  well 
deser\'ed  success.     He  is  affiliated  with  a  number  of  organizations,  be- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1137 

ing  a  member  of  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  the  Wayne  County 
Medical  Society,  and  the  American  Medical  Association,  the  Schiller 
Bund  and  the  Iowa  Society.  His  religious  conviction  is  that  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  his  membership  being  at  St.  Paul's. 

In  the  year  1904,  Dr.  Pfeiffer  laid  the  foundations  of  an  independent 
household  by  his  union  with  Martha  Krause,  of  Detroit,  daughter  of 
Otto  Krause.  They  share  their  home  with  a  nuartet  of  interesting 
children,  namely;  Gertrude,  Agatha,  Elmira  and  Milton. 

John  P.  Oldani,  M.  D.,  is  the  leading  Italian  physician  and  sur- 
geon of  Detroit,  and  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  influential  citizens  of 
the  East  Side.  His  services  have  been  devoted  almost  as  much  to  the 
philanthropic  side  of  his  profession  as  to  his  own  interests  as  a  young 
physician,  and  he  is  a  fine  type  of  the  efficient,  disinterested  and  pub- 
lic-spirited professional  man.  Dr.  Oldani's  home  and  offices  are  at 
489  Rivard  street. 

A  native  of  this  city,  where  he  was  born  on  January  1,  1885,  the 
Doctor  is  a  son  of  one  of  Detroit's  leading  merchants^  Charles  Oldani 
and  wife  Rose  (Avata)  Oldani.  Both  parents  were  born  in  Italy,  com- 
ing to  this  country  during  their  youth,  and  were  married  in  Detroit. 
Charles  Oldani  is  a  succe^ul  shoe  merchant,  one  of  the  longest  estab- 
lished in  the  line  in  the  city,  and  for  the  past  thirty-five  years  his 
store  on  Monroe  street  has  been  one  of  the  best  patronized  shops  in 
the  business  district. 

Dr.  Oldani  is  a  highly  educated  man,  and  brought  to  his  professional 
work  a  thorough  preparation  and  able  talents.  His  early  training  was 
in  the  Detroit  public  schools  and  the  parochial  schools,  and  as  a  boy  he 
entered  the  Jesuit  College,  ^ow  Detroit  University,  where  he  spent  six 
years  in  the  academic  and  college  courses.  He  left  college  before  grad- 
uation in  order  to  enter  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine  in  1904,  and 
continued  there  until  his  graduation  as  Doctor  of  Medicine  with  the 
class  of  1908.  During  his  senior  year  he  had  served  as  externe  at  the 
Harper  Hospital.  At  the  present  time  he  is  assistant  director  of  St. 
Mary's  Hospital  outdoor  clinic,  and  for  the  past  four  years  has  been 
assistant  in  surgery  to  Dr.  William  J.  Seymour,  one  of  Detroit's  fore- 
most surgeons.  Dr.  Oldani  has  been  engaged  in  general  practice  at 
his  present  location  since  1908,  the  year  of  his  graduation,  and  not  only 
has  an  extensive  practice  in  the  East  Side  district  but  with  a  growing 
reputation  is  extending  his  services  to  other  parts  of  the  city. 

Dr.  Oldani  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  and  the  Michijran 
State  Medical  societies,  and  belongs  to  the  Alumni  Society  of  the  De- 
troit College  of  Medicine.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  Catholic  Order  of 
Foresters  and  various  other  fraternal  organizations.  Dr.  Oldani  has 
an  attractive  home.  Mrs.  Oldani  before  her  marriage  was  Miss  Julia 
Breen,  a  native  of  this  city  and  daughter  of  Michael  Breen.  They  are 
the  parents  of  one  son,  William  J.  Oldani. 

Loins  WhjLIAm  McClear.  Eminently  qualified  by  literary  and 
legal  attainments,  professional  experience  and  success,  integrity  of  char- 
acter and  praiseworthy  qualities  of  mind  and  heart,  Louis  W.  McClear 
stands  as  one  of  the  representative  and  able  members  of  the  bar  of  De- 
troit. He  was  bom  at  Gregory,  Livingston  county.  Michigan,  May  29, 
1872,  and  is  the  son  of  Terrence  and  Ann  (McCarthy)  McClear.  The 
father  was  born  in  County  Tyrone.  Ireland,  in  1821  and  died  in  1894. 
The  mother  was  born  in  1834  and  died  in  the  month  of  July,  1910.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  Laurence  McCarthy,  a  pioneer  of  the  Wolverine 
state.     When  a  very  young  man,  Terrence  McClear,  facing  meagre 


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1138  HISTOEY  OF  DETROIT 

prospects  in  his  native  county,  Ireland,  barkened  to  the  call  of  Oppor- 
tunity from  the  shores  of  the  New  World  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
claim  his  share  of  American  advantages.  He  first  located  in  Hartford, 
Connecticut,  and  in  1837  came  to  Michigan  and  took  up  his  abode  in 
Livingston  county.  There  be  took  up  land  and  assisted  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  first  house  in  Ingham,  just  across  the  line  from  Livings- 
ton county.  No  one  tasted  more  fully  the  experiences  of  the  pioneer 
citizen.  In  the  early  '50s  he  walked  across  the  plains,  driving  an  ox- 
team  to  California  where  he  spent  about  a  year  engaged  in  gold  min- 
ing. The  charms  of  Michigan  remained  vivid  with  him,  however,  and 
he  returned  to  the  state  and  located  on  his  farm.  In  addition  to  farm- 
ing be  engaged  in  teaching,  being  admirably  fitted  for  his  pedagogical 
duties.  He  was  a  teacher  for  thirty  years  and  more  and  continued  in 
the  honorable  and  useful  calling  after  two  of  his  children  were  en- 
gaged in  the  same  work.  The  subject  is  one  of  a  family  of  twelve  chil- 
dren, all  of  this  goodly  number  surviving  at  the  present  time. 

Louis  McClear  enjoyed  the  peculiarly  pleasant  and  wholesome  ex- 
perience of  spending  his  boyhood  and  youth  upon  his  father's  farm,  in 
whose  manifold  labors  it  was  his  to  tatke  a  hand.  His  early  education 
was  secured  in  the  district  schools  and  subsequently  he  taught  school 
for  eight  years.  While  engaged  in  teaching  he  arrived  at  a  decision  as 
to  his  life  work,  and  before  he  bade  farewell  to  the  percep tor's  desk  he 
had  for  one  year  read  law  under  the  direction  of  his  brother,  James  L. 
McClear.  He  subsequently  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Law  and 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1897,  receiving  the  degree  of  LL.  B. 
Even  after  his  qualification  for  the  bar,  he  taught  school  until  the 
spring  of  1899,  and  then  entered  the  professional  lists  in  this  city.  It 
was  his  fortune  to  become  associated  with  Mr.  Brooke,  subsequently 
judge  of  the  Michigan  Supreme  Court,  and  this  association  continued 
until  Judge  Brooke  went  to  the  bench.  Mr.  McClear 's  ability  was  at 
once  recognized  and  he  is  generally  recognized  as  one  who  adds  in 
definite  fashion  to  the  professional  prestige  of  the  community.  He  is  a 
prominent  and  popular  member  of  the  Detroit  Lawyer's  Club. 

In  religious  conviction,  Mr.  McClear  is  a  communicant  of  the  great 
Mother  Church,  the  Catholic,  holding  membership  in  Cathedral  parish. 
He  is  aflfiliated  with  the  Catholic  fraternity  the  Knights  of  Columbus. 
He  has  served  as  president  of  the  Wayne  County  Federation  of  Catholic 
Societies  and  as  vice  president  of  the  National  Federation  of  Catholic 
Societies.     The  Order  of  Maccabees  also  claims  his  membership. 

In  the  year  1904,  Mr.  McClear  married  Anna  Deane,  daughter  of 
Patrick  Deane,  of  Livingston  county,  Michigan,  where  their  union  was 
celebrated.    They  are  the  parents  of  one  son,  Robert,  aged  six  years. 

Robert  McMillan.  In  even  a  cursory  review  of  the  careers  of  the 
honored  pioneer  business  men  of  Detroit  there  is  eminent  consistency 
and,  in  fact,  imperative  demand  that  special  recognition  be  accorded  to 
Rpbert  McMillan,  who  was  a  dominating  figure  in  local  business  life,  a 
man  of  impregnable  integrity  and  honor,  a  loyal  citizen  and  pure  in  all 
the  relations  of  life.  He  came  to  Michigan  within  the  first  decade  after 
its  admission  to  the  Union  and  during  practically  the  remainder  of  his 
life  maintained  his  home  in  Detroit,  where  he  was  associated  for  many 
years  with  his  brother  George  in  the  retail  grocery  trade,  under  the 
firm  name  of  G.  &  R.  McMillan,  which  is  nerpetuated  in  the  present 
title  of  the  company  which  conducts  the  business  at  the  old  stand,  at  the 
comer  of  Woodward  avenue  and  Fort  street.  Robert  McMillan  in- 
delibly impressed  his  influence  upon  the  civic  and  material  activities  of 
Detroit,  where  he  achieved  large  and  worthy  success  through  his  own 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1139 

responsibility  and  well  directed  energies.  He  was  deeply  appreciative 
of  all  that  represents  the  higher  values  of  human  existence ;  he  realized 
the  responsibilities  which  canopy  life ;  he  was  indefatigable  and  earnest 
in  his  stewardship,  and  he  ordered  his  course  upon  a  lofty  plane  of 
integrity  and  honor.  A  gentle,  noble  and  exalted  character  represented 
the  man  as  he  was,  and  his  name  is  revered  in  the  city  that  so  long 
represented  his  home  and  the  center  of  his  interests.  He  made  the 
most  and  the  best  of  his  life  and  it  is  gratifying  to  be  able  to  present 
in  this  history  of  the  Michigan  metropolis  even  a  brief  review  of  his 
career  and  a  tribute  to  his  memory. 

At  his  fine  old  homestead  at  No.  77  Washington  avenue,  in  Detroit, 
Robert  McMillan  answered  the  inexorable  summons  of  death  on  the 
2nd  day  of  May,  1902,  and  he  did  not  long  survive  the  gracious  wife 
who  had  been  his  loyal  and  devoted  companion  and  helpmeet  in  a 
home  life  that  was  ideal  in  its  every  relation.  Mrs.  McMillan  was  sum- 
moned to  the  life  eternal  on  the  15th  of  the  preceding  March,  and  the 
bereaved  husband  seemed  thereafter  to  release  his  grasp  upon  the  mortal 
life,  so  that  he  passed  forward  to  the  *4and  of  the  leal''  a  'few  weeks 
later  without  seeming  protest  or  regret.  His  was  the  faith  that  makes 
faithful  in  all  things,  and,  at  the  venerable  age  of  seventy-seven  years, 
he  went  to  his  reward,  secure  in  the  Christian's  hope  and  trust. 

Mr.  McMillan  was  a  scion  of  the  stanchest  and  bravest  of  Scottish 
stock,  and  was  himself  a  native  of  the  land  of  hills  and  heather. 
He  was  born  in  the  parish  of  Southend,  Campbelltown,  Argyleshire, 
Scotland,  on  the  7th  of  June,  1825,  and  was  reared  to  adult  age  in  his 
native  land,  where  he  received  good  educational  advantages  in  his 
youth.  In  1842,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  he  severed  the  home 
ties  and  came  to  America.  He  went  to  Rochester,  New  York,  where  he 
remained  until  the  autumn  of  the  following  year,  when  he  came  to 
Michigan  and  became  associated  with  his  elder  brother,  George,  in  the 
purchase  of  a  tract  of  wild  land  in  St.  Clair  county.  In  1844  he  came 
to  Detroit  and  on  the  1st  of  May  he  secured  a  position  in  the  employ  of 
Henry  Doty,  one  of  the  early  merchants  of  the  city,  at  a  salary  of  fifty 
dollars  a  year.  Of  this  incident  the  following  statement  has  been 
made:  *'He  was  considerably  elated  over  this  good  fortune  and  was 
accustomed  to  look  back  on  it  as  one  of  the  turning  points  of  his  life." 
He  continued  to  be  associated  with  Mr.  Doty's  affairs  until  1847,  when 
he  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in  partnership  with  John  Moore, 
another  young  and  ambitious  man.  This  alliance  continued  until  1849, 
when  the  firm  of  G.  &  R.  MJcMiUan  was  formed,  with  his  brother  George 
as  senior  member.  The  original  location  of  the  concern  was  at  No.  110 
Woodward  avenue,  and  in  1864  the  business  was  removed  to  the  comer 
of  Woodward  avenue  and  Fort  street,  where  the  names  of  the  original 
members  of  the  firm  still  appear  over  the  establishment, — ^long  the 
largest  and  leading  retail  grocery  of  the  city.  At  the  time  of  the  death 
of  Robert  McMillan  a  local  newspaper  referred  to  him  in  the  following 
words:  ** Robert  McMiUan  had  a  long  and  successful  career  in  Detroit, 
and  the  store  at  the  corner  of  Woodward  avenue  and  Fort  street  is  the 
oldest  on  the  avenue,  as  far  as  continuous  existence  under  one  firm  name 
is  concerned." 

Sincere,  earnest  and  ambitious,  Mr.  McMillan  devoted  himself  as- 
siduously to  his  business  interests,  which  engrossed  the  major  Dart  of 
his  time  and  attention  for  many  years,  but  he  never  failed  in  the  broader 
outlook  and  was  at  all  times  ready  to  lend  his  influence  and  cooperation 
in  the  furtherance  of  measures  for  the  general  good  of  the  community 
and  the  welfare  of  his  fellowmen.  He  early  manifested  his  proerressive 
ideas  and  public  spirit,  and  in  1870-71  he  was  an  active  member  of  the 


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1140  HISTOEY  OF  DETROIT 

old  volunteer  fire  department.    For  a  number  of  years  he  represented 
the  old  Eagle  fire  company  No.  2,  on  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  depart- 
ment.   At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  one  of  the  three  trustees  of  the 
old  department  interest  fund  of  twenty  thousand  dollars.     He  found 
with  the  cumulative  success  of  the  passing  years  opportunity  to  extend 
his  interests  and  his  field  of  beneficence.    He  was  a  member  of  the  direc- 
torate of  the  Detroit  Fire  &  Marine  Insurance  Company  and  the  Blison 
Illuminating  Company  at  the  time  of  his  demise,  and  was  the  owner  of 
valuable  real  estate  in  Detroit,  where  he  has  made  careful  and  judicious 
investment  from  time  to  time.    No  man  had  more  secure  place  in  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  the  business  community  of  the  people  of  the 
city  at  large,  and  his  personal  popularity  was  reinforced  by  his  excep- 
tionally winning  social  qualities.    He  was  a  valued  member  of  the  De- 
troit Club  and  the  Country  Club,  two  of  the  leading  social  organizations 
of  the  city,  and  was  also  identified  with  other  civic  organizations.    Both 
he  and  his  wife  were  most  devout  and  zealous  communicants  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  church,  and  he  served  for  thirty  years  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  vestry  of  St.  John's  parish,  of  which  he  was  senior  warden 
at  the  time  of  his  demise.    He  was  a  trustee  of  St.*Luke's  hospital  and 
a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Historical  Society,  in  the  affairs  of 
which  he  took  a  deep  interest,  as  he  did  in  all  touching  the  history  of  his 
home  city  and  state.    The  funeral  of  Mr.  McMillan  was  held  from  St. 
John's  church  and  called  forth  a  representative  assemblage  of  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  Detroit,  the  community  as  a  whole  manifesting  a  sense 
of  personal  loss  and  bereavement.     The  remains  of  the  deceased  were 
laid  to  rest  beside  those  of  his  loved  companion,  in  beautiful  Elmwood 
cemetery,  where  a  stately  monument  has  been  erected  to  their  memory. 
On  the  27th  of  July,  1857,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Mc- 
Millan to  Miss  Agnes  Linn,  who  was  bom  in  Albany,  New  York,  on  the 
23d  of  June,  1832,  and  whose  death  occurred  on  the  15th  of  March, 
1902,  about  two  months  prior  to  his  death.    She  was  an  infant  at  the 
time  of  her  parent's  removal  to  Detroit  and  was  a  daughter  of  Robert 
Linn,  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  the  city  and  of  sterling  Scotch 
lineage.    Mrs.  McMillan  was  a  woman  of  gentle  and  gracious  personality, 
a  devoted  wife  and  mother  and  a  popular  factor  in  the  social  affairs  of 
the  city,  in  which  she  so  long  maintained  her  home.  Of  the  two  children, 
Mary  died  Jan.   13,  1896.     Margaret,  is  the  wife  of  Dr.   Arthur  D. 
Holmes,  one  of  the  representative  physicians  and  surgeons  of  Detroit, 
where  he  has  maintained  his  home  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
and  where  he  is  a  specialist  in  the  treatment  of  the  diseases  of  children. 
Dr.  Holmes  was  bom  at  Chatham,  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  on  the 
19th  of  July,  1864,  and  was  graduated  in  the  medical  department  of 
McGill  University,  one  of  the  leading  educational  institutions  of  the 
Dominion  of  Canada.     His  marriage  to  Miss  McMillan  was  solemnized 
on  the  3d  of  February,  1898,  and  they  have  two  children,  Margaret  Mc- 
Millan and  Agnes  May.    Dr.  and  Mrs.  Holmes  have  a  beautiful  home 
at  666  Jefferson  avenue,  and  the  same  is  the  center  of  much  social  activ- 
ity of  a  representative  order,  with  Mrs.  Holmes  as  a  gracious  chatelaine. 

Reverend  James  Stapleton,  Church  op  the  Annunciation.  The 
parish  of  the  Annunciation  was  established  six  years  ago,  in  1906,  under 
the  Reverend  James  Stapleton,  and  he  is  still  the  priest  in  charge.  His 
earnest  enthusiasm  and  inspiring  faith,  in  a  measure,  account  for  the 
rapid  growth  of  the  congregation,  and  the  substantial  character  of  the 
work  it  has  so  far  accomplished.  The  parish  of  the  Annunciation  prom- 
ises to  become  one  of  the  most  active  in  Detroit.  The  parochial  school 
is  attended  by  over  four  hundred  pupils  and  is  presided  over  by  the 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1141 

Sister-Servants  of  the  Immaculate  Heart  of  Mary,  of  Monroe,  Michigan. 
The  Reverend  J.  Stapleton  is  assisted  in  his  work  by  Reverend  T.  J. 
Bourke. 

Captain  Eugene  Sullivan.  On  September  30,  1912,  Captain  Eugene 
Sullivan  rounded  out  a  period  of  forty -two  years'  service  in  the  Detroit 
police  department.  For  more  than  half  a  lifetime  he  has  stood  represen- 
tative of  law  and  order  for  this  city.  In  length  of  service  he  is  the 
oldest  captain  in  the  department,  and  his  remarkable  record  probably 
finds  few  parallels  in  the  country.  A  brave  and  eflBcient  officer,  faith- 
ful in  the  discharge  of  his  individual  duties  and  an  energetic  and  re- 
sourceful leader  of  others,  Captain  Sullivan  of  the  police  is  one  of  De- 
troit's most  esteemed  citizens. 

From  the  years  of  boyhood  he  has  had  a  remarkably  active  and  re- 
sponsible career.  Bom  in  Fall  River,  Massachusetts,  September  20, 
1843,  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Sullivan)  Sullivan,  both  natives  of 
County  Cork,  Ireland,  when  he  was  four  years  old  his  parents  came  west 
and  took  up  a  claim  seventeen  miles  west  of  Milwaukee,  paying  six  shil- 
lings an  acre  for  the  land.  When  Eugene  was  fourteen  years  old  his 
father  died,  and  being  fourth  in  the  family  of  eleven  children,  a  consid- 
erable part  of  the  responsibilities  of  managing  the  farm  and  supporting 
the  family  devolved  on  his  young  shoulders.  Those  duties  he  discharged 
with  the  same  spirit  of  promptness  that  he  has  always  displayed  in  later 
years  in  the  service  of  the  city.  In  1862,  when  he  was  nineteen,  going 
to  Springfield,  Missouri,  he  entered  the  quartermaster's  department  of 
the  Union  army,  but  a  year  later  was  forced  by  illness  to  take  his  dis- 
charge and  return  home.  He  spent  several  years  in  strenuous  labor, 
and  among  other  things  assisted  in  clearing  oflf  thirty  acres  of  timber. 
More  strongly  than  other  youths  he  was  attracted  by  things  of  martial 
character,  and  this  inclination  led  him  into  the  regular  army  service.  On 
July  11,  1867,  he  enlisted  at  Milwaukee,  and  was  assigned  to  Light  Bat- 
tery G,  Fourth  Artillery,  stationed  at  Fort  Wayne,  Michigan.  Later 
he  was  sent  to  Smithville,  North  Carolina,  where  he  remained  in  the  reg- 
ular service  until  honorably  discharged,  July  11,  1870.  He  then  came  to 
Detroit  and  on  the  30th  of  September  following  joined  the  police.  Dur- 
ing his  forty-one  years  of  service,  he  was  for  thirteen  years  lieutenant  in 
charge  of  the  recorder's  court,  and  was  also  sergeant-at-arms  in  the 
city  council  a  number  of  years.  He  has  been  closely  identified  with  the 
events  and  activities  that  have  made  the  history  of  the  department,  and 
his  efficiency  long  since  won  ^im  promotion  through  the  grades  to  the 
captain's  stripes. 

Captain  Sullivan  resides  with  his  wife  and  one  daughter  in  a  de- 
lightful home  at  No.  1527  Third  avenue.  He  was  jnarried  on  January 
1,  1882,  to  Miss  Ellen  Tobin.  She  is  a  native  of  Marlborough,  Massa- 
chusetts. Their  daughter,  Miss  Nellie,  has  made  a  specialty  of  kinder- 
garten work  and  has  devoted  her  time  to  that  as  a  profession.  At  home 
she  has  been  the  comfort  and  pride  of  the  veteran  captain,  and  the  ties 
of  domestic  happiness  that  bind  this  family  are  of  the  closest.  Captain 
Sullivan,  while  Democratic  in  political  beliefs,  has  usually  given  his  sup- 
port to  the  man  he  considers  best  fitted  for  office. 

Raymond  Bernard  Glemet,  M.  D.  Prominent  among  the  younger 
members  of  the  Detroit  medical  profession  is  Dr.  Raymond  Bernard 
Glemet,  of  No.  528  Baker  avenue.  Dr.  Glemet  is  a  native  of  Bordeaux, 
France,  where  he  was  bom  April  21,  1884,  a  son  of  Henri  and  Martha 
(Champion)  Glemet.  The  father  died  in  France  in  1889,  and  three 
years  later  his  widow  came  with  her  children  to  America,  locating  first 


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1142  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

at  Sandwich,  Ontario,  Canada,  and  moving  to  Detroit  in  1902.  Father 
Raymond  Champion,  pastor  of  St.  Xavier's  Catholic  church  at  Ecorse, 
Wayne  county,  Michigan,  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  beloved 
pastors  of  the  section,  is  an  uncle  to  the  doctor,  while  Father  Emanuel 
(ilemet,  pastor  of  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes  Catholic  church,  River  Rouge, 
Wayne  county,  is  a  brother  to  the  doctor. 

Raymond  B.  Glemet  received  his  early  educational  training  in  the 
public  schools  of  Sandwich,  Ontario,  which  he  attended  for  two  years, 
and  subsequently  put  in  four  years  at  Assumption  College,  Sandwich. 
After  his  graduation  from  that  institution,  he  continued  his  literary 
education  at  Detroit  University  (Jesuit  College),  where  he  spent  three 
years.  In  1903  Dr.  Glemet  turned  his  attention  to  medicine,  and  after 
some  preliminary  study  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.,  class  of  1907.  Subse- 
quently he  took  postgraduate  work  at  St.  Mary's  and  Providence  Hospi- 
tals, and  entered  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  his  present  location, 
where  he  maintains  his  oflSce  and  resides  at  No.  218  W.  Grand  Boule- 
vard in  1910.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society, 
the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion, and  also  holds  membership  in  the  Detroit  Medical  College  Alumni 
Association,  the  Phi  Beta  Phi  Society,  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  and 
the  C.  M.  B.  A.  and  Degree  of  Honor. 

On  July  11,  1912,  Dr.  Glemet  married  Helen  Dillon,  who  was  bom 
in  Detroit,  Michigan,  the  daughter  of  M.  W.  Dillon,  of  the  firm  of  Scot- 
ten  &  Dillon,  tobacco  manufacturers. 

James  Noble  Garber,  M.  D.  Among  the  members  of  the  Detroit 
medical  profession  who  have  won  success  and  distinction  is  Dr.  James 
N.  Garber,  whose  oflBces  are  located  in  the  new  Smith  building,  at  the 
corner  of  Griswold  and  State  streets,  and  also  at  the  corner  of  Lincoln 
and  Kirby  avenues.  Dr.  Garber  was  bom  at  Roaring  Springs,  Blair 
county,  Pennsylvania,  on  November  2,  1868,  and  is  descended  from  two 
old  families  of  the  Keystone  state.  His  father,  John  B.  Garber,  was 
bom  in  Blair  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  1825,  and  died  in  that  state  on 
May  19,  1889.  The  mother  of  the  doctor,  Catherine  Daniels,  was  bom 
in  Johnstown,  Pennsylvania,  in  1826,  and  died  on  December  19,  1889, 
only  a  few  months  intervening  between  her  decease  and  the  death  of  her 
husband.  The  Daniels  family  were  in  Pennsylvania  before  the  present 
city  of  Philadelphia  was  laid  out. 

Dr.  Garber  was  reared  in  Blair  coupty  until  his  nineteenth  year. 
He  received  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  home  town, 
and  then  learned  the  cabinet  maker's  trade  at  which  he  worked  for 
a  number  of  years.  When  still  a  young  man  he  went  to  Ohio  and  spent 
some  time  at  Mount  Vernon  and  Bowling  Green.  He  then  became  a 
student  at  the  Ohio  Northern  University  at  Ada,  Ohio,  where  he  took 
the  four-year  course  and  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  B.  S.  He 
also  took  a  course  in  chemistry  at  the  University,  but  left  college  a  fort- 
night prior  to  the  time  when  he  would  have  been  graduated  in  thai 
branch.  Leaving  the  University,  the  young  man  entered  Lima  (Ohio) 
College,  there  spending  one  year,  and  in  1903  he  entered  the  Detroit 
College  of  Medicine,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of 
1907,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  While  a  medical  student  he  served  as  an 
exteme  to  Harper  Hospital  in  1906-07.  Tn  1907  he  entered  the  sreneral 
practice  of  medicine  in  Detroit,  first  locating  his  offices  at  No.  437  Com- 
monwealth avenue,  later  removing  them  to  No.  488  Lincoln  avenue,  cor- 
ner of  Kirby  avenue,  and  still  later  opening  his  main  oflBces  in  the 
Smith  building. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1143 

Dr.  Garber  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society  and 
the  American  Medical  Association.  Fraternally,  he  belongs  to  the 
Consistory,  thirty-second  degree,  and  the  Mystic  Shrine  branches  of 
Masonry.  , 

On  December  25,  1890,  Dr.  Garber  married  Anna  L.  Meeker,  of 
Bowling  Green,  Ohio,  who  was  born  at  Amelia,  Ohio,  near  Cincinnati, 
on  March  10,  1872.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Jabez  and  Elizabeth  (Ire- 
land) Meeker,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ohio.  The  father  was  born 
in  1814  and  died  in  1886,  while  his  wife  was  born  in  1831  and  died  in 
1896.  Mrs.  Garber  was  a  school  teacher  prior  to  her  marriage.  She  stu- 
died expression  at  the  Ohio  Northern  University  and  was  well  and 
favorably  known  as  a  public  reader.  Even  as  a  child  of  four  years  she 
made  frequent  public  appearances  in  public,  which  evidenced  the  splen- 
did talent  and  ability  she  manifested  in  later  years.  She  was  a  student 
of  voice  and  piano  at  both  the  Michigan  and  Detroit  Conservatories  of 
Music,  attaining  marked  proficiency  in  both,  for  which  she  possesses 
more  than  mediocre  talent.  To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Garber  one  son  has  been 
bom:  James  Ralph,  born  July  18,  1898,  and  now  at  Bowling  Green, 
Ohio.  He  passed  through  the  Tilden  graded  school  and  is  now  a  student 
at^the  Central  high  school. 

Dr.  Garber  is  what  may  well  be  termed  a  self-made  man,  as  he  has 
by  his  own  unaided  efforts  made  his  way  through  life  since  boyhood. 
He  earned  the  money  which  made  it  possible  for  him  to  follow  both  his 
literary  and  medical  courses  in  college,  later  taking  up  the  practice  of 
his  profession  without  fear  or  favor  of  any,  and  winning  a  place  in  the 
front  ranks  of  the  medical  profession,  backed  alone  by  his  skill,  efficiency 
and  determination. 

Edward  Dorcy  Devine.  Self-made  men  are  prominent  at  the  bar  of 
Michigan,  and  especially  at  that  of  Detroit.  They  are  acknowledged 
to  be  among  the  leaders  of  the  profession,  a  most  honorable  one  and 
which  calls  for  the  exercise  of  the  highest  order  of  talent.  Among  those 
who  have  forged  their  way  to  the  front  is  Edward  Dorcy  Devine. 

Mr.  Devine  was  bom  in  Detroit,  December  15,  1872,  the  son  of  Ed- 
ward and  Anna  (Dorcy)  Devine.  The  foundation  of  his  education  was 
laid  in  the  public  schools  of  which  he  was  an  attentive  scholar.  After 
graduating  therefrom,  he  attended  the  Detroit  College,  now  the  Uni- 
versity of  Detroit,  where  he  graduated  in  1893  with  the  degree  of  A.  B., 
afterward  securing  his  A.  M.  degree  from  that  institution  in  1895.  In 
1895  he  entered  the  law  department  of  the  university  and  secured  the 
degree^ of  LL.  B.  also  in  1895,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  the  same 
year,  immediately  entering  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  De- 
troit; first  in  partnership  with  Judge  Connolly,  a  relationship  which 
continued  until  the  election  of  the  judge  to  the  bench  of  the  Recorders 
Court.  After  this  he  practiced  his  profession  alone  for  a  time  when  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  Emil  W.  Snyder  under  the  firm  name  of 
Devine  &  Snyder. 

Mr.  Devine  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  and  Michigan  Bar 
Associations,  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce,  and  the  Knights  of 
Columbus.  He  married  Cornelia  Rochford  who  was  also  born  in  De- 
troit, the  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Josephine  Rochford.  They  have  the 
following  children:  Edward  Temple,  born  May  22,  1901,  died  1902; 
Alan  Rochford,  born  October  30,  1903 ;  Warren  Downe,  born  September 
12,  1905,  and  Josephine  Dorothy,  bom  July  3,  1907. 

Mr.  Devine  *8  father  was  born  in  Ireland  and  when  a  child  came  to 
the  United  States  with  his  parents,  who  settled  at  Brattleboro,  Vermont. 
There  he  remained  until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he  settled 


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1144  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

in  Detroit,  where  he  died  in  1884.  He  was  for  many  years  foreman  of 
the  Pullman  Car  works.  Edward's  mother  was  born  in  the  state  of 
New  York.    Mr.  Devine's  parents  were  married  in  Detroit. 

Frederick  B.  Burke,  M.  D.  One  of  the  able  and  popular  younger 
members  of  the  medical  profession  in  the  Michigan  metropolis,  Dr.  Fred- 
erick Beach  Burke  applies  to  his  chosen  calling  excellent  technical  skill 
and  learning,  the  energy  and  progressiveness  that  are  the  invariable 
concomitant  of  success  in  any  vocation,  and  the  abiding  human  sympathy 
which  transcends  mere  sentiment  to  become  an  actuating  motive  for 
helpfulness.  The  doctor  is  a  native  of  the  national  capital  and  his  father 
has  long  been  identified  with  government  service,  in  connection  with 
which  he  still  resides  in  Washington,  though  he  maintains  Detroit  as  his 
home  and  the  place  in  which  he  exercises  his  right  of  franchise. 

Dr.  Burke  was  born  in  Washington,  D.  C,  on  the  24th  of  November, 
1882,  and  is  the  son  of  Dr.  Thomas  W.  and  Nellie  Margaret  (Beach) 
Burke,  the  former  of  whom  was  bom  in  Ireland  and  the  latter  in  Ken- 
tucky. He  was  their  only  child.  Dr.  Thomas  W.  Burke  received  excel- 
lent educational  advantages  in  his  native  land  and  came  to  America 
when  a  youth.  He  first  located  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and  he  soon 
gave  evidence  of  his  intrinsic  loyalty  to  the  land  of  his  adoption  by 
promptly  tendering  his  services  in  defense  of  the  Union  upon  the  incep- 
tion of  the  Civil  war.  He  enlisted  in  the  Tenth  Pennsylvania  Volunteer 
Cavalry,  and  served  during  virtually  the  entire  period  of  the  great  con- 
flict through  which  the  nation's  integrity  was  perpetuated.  His  con- 
tinued interest  in  his  old  comrades  in  arms  is  shown  by  his  active  iden- 
tification with  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  After  the  close  of  the 
war  he  continued  in  the  government  service,  in  connection  with  which 
he  came  to  Detroit  in  the  weather  bureau  service.  His  professional 
education  was  secured  in  the  medical  department  of  Georgetown  Uni- 
versity, at  Georgetown,  D.  C,  in  which  he  was  graduated  as  a  member 
of  the  class  of  1883.  He  came  to  Detroit  in  about  1870  and  here  con- 
tinued to  reside  until  1876,  when  he  was  appointed  to  an  office  in  the 
medical  division  of  the  United  States  pension  office,  in  Washington, 
where  he  and  his  wife  have  since  resided  and  where  he  is  also  engaged  in 
the  private  practice  of  his  profession.  He  is  a  Republican  in  his  polit- 
ical adherency  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  communicants  of  the 
Episcopal  church. 

Dr.  Frederck  B.  Burke  gained  his  early  educational  training  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  city,  the  Georgetown  (D.  C.)  Preparatory 
School,  and  the  Michigan  Military  Academy,  at  Orchard  Lake,  Michi- 
gan, in  which  last  mentioned  institution  he  was  graduated  as  a  member 
of  the  class  of  1902.  In  preparation  for  the  profession  dignified  by  the 
services  of  his  honored  father,  he  entered  the  letter's  alma  mater,  the 
medical  department  of  Georgetown  University,  in  which  he  was  grad- 
uated as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1906,  in  which  year  this  admirable 
institution  conferred  upon  him  his  coveted  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine. 
After  his  graduation  Dr.  Burke  passed  nearly  three  years  as  a  member 
of  the  medical  staffs  of  the  Washington  Asylum  hospital  and  the  Wash- 
ington Children 's  hospital  and  in  these  connections  he  gained  most  val- 
uable and  diversified  clinical  experience,  through  which  he  was  the  more 
effectively  fortified  for  the  private  practice  of  his  profession.  He  has 
been  engaged  in  general  practice  as  a  physician  and  surgeon  in  Detroit 
since  December  26,  1908,  and  here  his  success  offers  the  best  voucher 
for  his  ability  and  his  assiduous  devotion  to  the  work  of  his  exacting 
calling.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  the 
Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  So- 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1145 

ciety,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  communicants  of  the  Episcopal 
church.  He  is  aflftliated  with  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the  Benevolent 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  in  his  home  city  he  enjoys  marked  popu- 
larity in  professional,  business  and  social  circles. 

On  the  24th  of  July,  1908,  Dr.  Burke  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Louise  A.  Miller,  daughter  of  Christian  Miller,  of  Washington, 
D.  C,  and  they  have  one  son,  Frederick  Thomas,  who  was  born  on  the 
26th  of  June,  1910. 

Oscar  LeSeure,  M.  D.  Among  Detroit's  leading  surgeons  and  gyn- 
ecologists should  be  mentioned  Oscar  LeSeure,  M.  D.,  senior  surgeon 
and  president  of  the  medical  board  of  Grace  Hospital. 

Dr.  LeSeure  was  bom  at  Danville,  Illinois,  January  27,  1851,  and 
is  the  son  of  Prosper  and  Elizabeth  (Wilhoit)  LeSeure.  The  father,  a 
native  of  Nancy,  Meurthe  et  Moselle,  France,  was  bom  in  1820,  and 
came  to  the  United  States  at  the  age  of  eleven,  his  parents  locating  at 
Covington,  Kentucky,  across  the  Ohio  river  from  Cincinnati.  In  1842 
he  removed  to  Illinois  and  three  years  later  located  at  Danville,  where 
he  became  a  prosperous  merchant  and  for  many  years  was  engaged  in 
business  there.  His  death  occurred  in  Danville  in  1897,  although  for 
the  last  few  years  of  his  life  he  had  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  time 
in  California.  His  wife,  a  native  of  Virginia  and  a  member  of  one  of 
the  honored  families  of  the  Old  Dominion,  died  in  1858. 

Oscar  LeSeure  attended  the  public  schools  of  Danville,  after  leaving 
which  he  entered  the  University  of  Michigan  and  was  graduated  from 
the  medical  department  in  1873.  "For  the  six  months  following,  he 
served  as  house  physician  in  the  United  States  Marine  Hospital  at  De- 
troit, and  in  March,  1874,  he  took  a  degree  at  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical 
College,  New  York  City.  Eetuming  in  that  year  to  Danville,  he  en- 
tered the  practice  of  his  profession  in  that  city.  In  1886  he  went  abroad 
and  spent  a  year  in  the  study  of  surgery,  and  for  six  months  of  that 
time  was  on  the  staff  of  the  eminent  Paul  Reclus,  in  the  Hotel  Dieu, 
Paris,  Prance.  On  his  return  to  the  United  States,  in  1887,  he  located 
in  Detroit  and  entered  practice,  giving  special  attention  to  surgery  and 
gynecology,  and  when  Grace  Hospital  opened  was  appointed  surgeon 
and  gynecologist  of  that  institution,  with  which  he  has  been  connected 
ever  since.  In  1892  Dr.  LeSeure  again  went  abroad,  attending  hos- 
pitals in  Edinburg  and  London,  and  when  he  had  returned  to  this  coun- 
try, Governor  Rich  (in  1895)  appointed  him  a  member  of  the  Detroit 
Board  of  Health.  During  June  of  the  same  year  he  was  appointed  pro- 
fessor of  surgery  in  the  homeopathic  department  of  the  University  of 
Michigan,  and  he  held  this  until  1900  when  he  resigned.  In  1894  he 
was  elected  president  of  the  Homeopathic  Society  of  Michigan  and  was 
chosen  a  member  of  the  Prismatic  Cult  of  Detroit  the  same  year.  In 
1897  he  was  elected  president  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Health  and  when 
the  Spanish-American  war  broke  out  President  McKinley  appointed 
him  major  and  brigade-surgeon  of  United  States  Volunteers  and  as- 
«igned  him  to  duty  at  Sternburg  Field  Hospital,  afterwards  Sternburg 
General  Hospital,  at  Chickamauga  Park,  where  he  became  executive 
officer  of  the  hospital  and  so  remained  until  it  was  closed  in  November. 
1898.  He  received  his  honorable  discharge  the  following  month.  Dr. 
LeSeure  was  next  appointed  by  Governor  Bliss,  a  member  of  the  State 
Board  of  Eegistration  in  Medicine  of  Michigan,  on  which  he  served  for 
four  years,  and  in  1906  was  its  president.  In  1905  he  took  another  trip 
abroad,  spending  seven  months  in  the  hospitals  of  London.  Berlin  and 
Vienna,  and  again  returned  to  Detroit. 'where  in  March,  1907,  he  was 
appointed  surgeon-in-chief  to  the  Michigan   Central   Railroad.     Since 

Vol.  m— 20 


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1146  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

1904  he  has  been  president  of  the  Medical  Board  of  Grace  Hospital, 
where  he  is  senior  surgeon.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Practitioners  So- 
ciety of  Detroit,  and  is  also  connected  with  the  Michigan  State  Homeo- 
pathic Medical  Society,  the  American  Institute  of  Homeopathy,  the 
American  Association  of  Military  Surgeons,  the  American  Association 
of  Railway  Surgeons,  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  and  State  Medi- 
cal Societies. 

On  December  24,  1874,  Dr.  LeSeure  was  married  to  Miss  Caroline 
Stransbury  of  Danville,  a  native  of  Pinckney,  Michigan. 

Elliott  Grasette  Stevenbon.  One  of  the  members  of  the  Detroit 
bar  who  has  carved  his  way  to  fame  in  his  profession  is  Elliott  G.  Ste- 
venson, whose  name  is  as  familiar  to  the  public  as  to  the  members  of  his 
profession.  Given  all  the  honors  the  city  where  he  spent  his  childhood 
could  bestow,  he  came  to  Detroit  and  at  once  entered  into  a  career  which 
has  since  been  full  of  most  interesting  events. 

Elliott  G.  Stevenson  was  born  in  Middlesex  county,  Canada,  the  son 
of  William  and  Mary  (McMurray)  Stevenson,  and  with  his  parents 
located  at  Port  Huron  when  he  was  a  young  child.  There  he  laid  the 
foundation  of  a  most  thorough  education  by  attending  the  public 
schools  of  the  city.  After  graduating  he  attended  an  academy  at  Lon- 
don, Ontario.  Returning  to  Port  Huron  after  his  graduation  from  the 
academy  he  entered  upon  the  study  of  law.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1877  and  became  a  member  of  the  law.  firm  of  Atkinson  and  Ste- 
venson, which  firm  in  1885  became  that  of  Stevenson  &  Phillips. 

In  1878  Mr.  Stevenson  was  elected  prosecuting  attorney  of  St.  Clair 
county  of  which  Port  Huron  is  the  county  seat,  and  as  a  prosecuting 
officer  he  earned  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  greatest  cross  exami- 
ners of  the  bar  of  the  state  of  Michigan.  He  seemed  to  grasp  in  a  mo- 
ment all  the  weak  spots  in  the  testimony  of  a  witness  and  drew  forth  by 
adroit  questioning,  the  truth  which  otherwise  would  have  been  dis- 
torted, or  completely  hidden.  His  record  as  a  prosecutor  made  those 
who  broke  the  law  fearful,  and  did  much  toward  the  maintenance  of 
peace  and  good  order  in  the  county.  He  was  reelected  prosecuting  at- 
torney in  1880  without  effort  upon  his  part.  In  1885  the  city  of  Port 
Huron  placed  upon  his  shoulders  the  highest  honor  within  its  province, 
and  he  was  elected  mayor.  Strongly  Democratic,  he  became  the  chair- 
man of  the  state  central  committee  of  that  party,  serving  in  that  capa- 
city during  the  years  of  1894-1895  and  1896,  and  was  a  delegate  to  the 
national  Democratic  convention  at  Chicago  in  1896.  Seeking  a  larger 
field  for  his  splendid  legal  attainments,  he  removed  to  Detroit  in 
1887  and  became  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Dickinson,  Thurber  & 
Stevenson,  and  during  his  connection  with  this  firm,  Hon.  Don.  M. 
Dickinson  became  postmaster  general  under  President  Grover  Cleve- 
land. 

Prom  1896  to  1899,  Mr.  SteVenson  was  alone  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession.  He  then  became  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Steven- 
son, Merriam,  Eldridge  and  Butzel,  and  in  1902  he  became  a  member, 
of  the  firm  of  Dickinson,  Stevenson,  CuUen,  Warren  and  Butzel,  and 
in  1907  became  senior  member  of  his  present  firm,  Stevenson,  Car- 
penter &  Butzel. 

During  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Detroit  he  has  been  en- 
gaged as  counsel  in  most  of  the  important  litigations  that  have  been 
before  the  courts  and  generally  has  taken  a  leading  position  in  his  pro- 
fession. 

Another  honor  bestowed  upon  Mr.  Stevenson  was  his  selection  as 
supreme  ranger  of  the  United  States  of  the  Independent  Order  of 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1147 

Foresters,  an  exalted  station  he  filled  with  honor  to  himself  and  to  the 
satisfaction  of  the  organization.  So  great  was  the  appreciation  of  his 
services  in  this  position,  they  have  continued  him  in  office  ever  since. 
Mr.  Stevenson  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Bar  Association,  Detroit 
Board  of  Commerce,  Free  Masons,  Knights  of  Pythias,  Detroit  Club, 
the  Country  Club  and  the  North  Channel  Fishing  Club.  In  1897  he 
was  united  in  marriage  at  Port  Huron  to  Miss  Emma  A.  Mitts. 

Manley  D.  Caughey,  M.  D.  At  Crofton,  Prince  Edward  county, 
province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  Dr.  Manley  Dufferin  Caujghey  one  of  the 
able  representatives  of  the  medical  profession  in  Detroit,  was  bom  on 
the  8th  of  October,  1876,  and  he  is  a  son  of  William  and  Sarah  (De- 
Long)  Caughey,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  the  city  of  Belfast, 
Ireland,  and  the  latter  in  the  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  where  their 
marriage  was  solemnized  and  where  they  still  reside.  The  father  has 
long  been  a  representative  farmer  of  Prince  Edward  county,  where  he 
is  a  citizen  of  prominence  and  influence  and  one  who  has  a  secure  place  in 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  men.  He  is  a  son  of  John 
Caughey  and  was  eleven  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the  family  immigra- 
tion from  the  Emerald  Isle  to  America,  in  1852.  His  father  settled  in 
Ontario  and  there  devoted  the  residue  of  his  life  to  the  great  basic  in- 
dustry of  agriculture.  The  mother  of  Dr.  Caughey  is  a  daughter  of  the 
late  Simon  DeLong,  who  was  an  early  settler  in  Prince  Edward  county, 
Ontario,  and  who  was  of  French-Huguenot  lineage,  his  ancestors  having 
fled  from  France  to  Holland  to  escape  the  persecutions  incidental  to  the 
revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes.  The  parents  of  the  doctor  are  zeal- 
ous members  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  whose  faith  they  reared 
their  children,  of  whom  three  sons  and  two  daughters  are  living. 

Dr.  Caughey 's  early  experiences  were  those  gained  on  the  homestead 
farm  and  after  completing  the  curriculum  of  the  public  schools  of  the 
vicinity  he  continued  his  studies  in  the  Picton  Collegiate  Institute,  at 
Picton,  Prince  Edward  county,  Ontario.  For  three  years  after  leaving 
this  institution  he  devoted  his  attention  to  the  pedagogic  profession,  as 
a  successful  and  popular  teacher  in  the  graded  school  of  his  native 
province.  Thereafter  he  gained  valuable  preliminary  experience 
through  his  service  of  two  and  one-half  years  in  the  New  York  City 
Hospital  and  six  months  in  the  Presbyterian  Hospital,  in  the  same 
city.  This  hospital  experience  promoted  in  him  a  desire  to  enter  the 
medical  profession,  and  his  original  preparatory  work  was  done  in  the 
medical  department  of  the  University  of  Nebraska,  where  he  continued 
his  technical  studies  for  one  year.  He  then  came  to  Detroit  and  was 
matriculated  in  the  Michigan  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  in 
which  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1905,  with  the  de- 
gree of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  Through  his  previous  experience  and 
close  application  he  came  to  the  work  of  his  profession  especially 
well  fortified,  and»  from  the  time  of  his  graduation  until  the  Mich- 
igan College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  was  merged  into  the  present 
Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  he  served  as  assistant  to  the  chair  of  path- 
ology in  his  alma  mater.  The  first  two  years  of  his  active  practice 
were  in  association  with  Dr.  Edgar  B.  Smith,  of  Detroit,  and  he  was 
during  this  time  the  valued  assistant  of  this  representative  physician 
and  surgeon.  Since  1907  he  has  been  engaged  in  individual  practice, 
with  residence  and  office  at  1531  Chene  street,  comer  of  East  Grand 
Boulevard,  and  he  has  built  up  a  most  successful  professional  business, 
of  representative  order.  He  is  the  owner  of  his  fine  residence  property, 
which  includes  a  well  equipped  and  handsomely  appointed  office.  The 
doctor   holds  membership   in  the  American  Medical   Association,   the 


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1148  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

Michigan  State  Miedical  Society,  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  So- 
ciety. At  Ameliasburg,  Ontario,  he  is  affiliated  with  Lake  Lodge  No. 
215,  Free  &  Accepted  Masons.  The  doctor  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist church  and  a  Republican  in  politics. 

On  the  27th  of  September,  1905,  Dr.  Caughey  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mary  Gertrude  Herman,  of  Rednersville,  Prince  Edward 
county,  Ontario,  and  they  have  two  sons, —  Edgar  Herman,  and  Royal 
William  and  one  daughter,  Gertrude  Frere. 

James  E.  Casey,  M.  D.  Holy  Writ  has  given  the  aphorism  that 
**a  prophet  is  not  without  honor  save  in  his  own  country,"  but  in  con- 
tradistinction to  the  wider  application  of  the  statement  stands  the  suc- 
cess which  has  attended  the  efforts  of  Dr.  Casey  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  his  native  city,  for  it  may  be  said  with  all  of  emphasis  that 
he  is  most  esteemed  by  those  who  know  him  best.  He  resides  in  the 
house  which  was  the  place  of  his  birth,  at  218  Porter  street,  and  the 
community  that  knew  him  as  a  boy  accords  to  him  a  stanch  and  appre- 
ciative support  in  his  professional  work,  for  he  has  proved  his  ability 
and  also  his  personal  worthiness,  so  that  his  circle  of  friends  is  coinci- 
dent with  that  of  his  acquaintances. 

In  his  present  place  of  abode  Dr.  Casey  was  bom  on  the  29th  of 
December,  1876,  and  he  is  a  son  of  Jeremiah  and  Mary  (McCavey) 
Casey.  Jeremiah  Casey  was  bom  in  Ireland,  where  he  was  reared  to 
adult  age,  and  as  a  young  man  he  severed  the  ties  that  bound  him  to 
home  and  native  land  and  came  to  America  in  search  of  better  oppor- 
tunities for  the  gaining  of  independence  through  individual  efltort. 
Soon  after  his  arrival  he  came  to  Detroit  and  here  he  proved  himself 
one  of  the  world's  worker  and  a  man  of  stable  character,  so  that  he 
was  not  denied  the  fullest  measure  of  popular  confidence  and 
esteem  in  the  city  which  so  long  represented  his  home.  For  many 
years  he  had  charge  of  the  shops  of  the  Detroit  Gas  Company 
and  was  one  of  the  honored  and  valued  employes  of  this  corpora- 
tion. He  died  in  1906,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  His 
cherished  wife,  who  had  been  a  true  companion  and  helpmeet,  was  sum- 
moned to  the  life  eternal  in  1893,  at  the  age  of  forty-nine  years.  Their 
family  consisted  of  five  sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom  three  sons 
and  three  daughters  are  living.  The  mother  was  bom  at  Royal  Oak, 
Oakland  county,  Michigan,  as  was  also  his  father,  James  McCavey, 
who  was  a  representative  of  one  of  the  sterling  pioneer  families  of  that 
county.  Jeremiah  Casey  was  a  Democrat  in  his  political  proclivities 
and  both  he  and  his  wife  were  devout  communicants  of  the  Catholic 
church,  in  which  they  were  for  many  years  members  of  the  parish  of 
Trinity  church.  , 

Dr.  Casey  gained  his  preliminary  education  in  the  parochial  school 
of  the  church  just  mentioned  and  then  entered  Detroit  University,  a 
fine  institution  long  conducted  under  the  control  of  the  Jesuit  order  of 
the  Catholic  church.  In  this  university  he  was  graduated  as  a  member 
of  the  class  of  1898.  In  the  meanwhile  he  had  formulated  definite 
plans  for  his  future  career  and  his  characteristic  energy  and  ambition 
were  manifested  during  his  prosecution  of  the  full  course  in  the  De- 
troit College  of  Medicine,  in  which  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of 
the  class  of  1902  and  from  which  he  received  his  well-won  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  was  favored  in  securing  forthwith  a  posi- 
tion that  afforded  him  the  best  of  clinical  experience,  as  he  became 
house  physician  in  St.  Mary's  hospital,  an  oflSce  of  which  he  continued 
the  incumbent  until  the  close  of  the  year  1903.  He  then  entered  upon 
the  general  practice  of  his  profession,  and  in  the  same  his  success  has 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1149 

been  of  unequivocal  order,  well  justifying  his  choice  of  vocation.  In 
June,  1903,  he  was  appointed  assistant  laryngologist  in  St.  Mary's 
hospital  and  this  position  he  has  since  retained.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
American  Medical  Association,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  and 
the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  and  he  has  the  high  regard  of  his 
professional  confreres  in  his  native  city.  He  is  a  member  of  the  alumni 
association  of  Detroit  University  and  also  of  that  of  the  Detroit  Col- 
lege of  Medicine,  and  takes  a  lively  anl  loyal  interest  in  all  that  touches 
the  welfare  of  his  home  city,  which  is  endeared  to  him  by  many  gracious 
memories  and  associations.  He  and  his  family  are  communicants  of 
Trinity  church,  under  whose  benignant  influence  he  was  reared. 

On  the  14th  of  June,  1905,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Casey  to  Miss  May  E.  Leahey,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Detroit  and 
who  is  a  daughter  of  the  late  Thomas  Leahey,  long  a  citizen  of  the 
Michigan  metropolis.  Dr  and  Mrs.  Casey  have  three  children, — Eliza- 
beth Aileen,  Cathleen  Eveline,  and  Janice. 

Fred  Sanders.  The  successful  career  of  Fred  Sanders  is  a  noble 
illustration  of  what  independence,  self-faith  and  persistency  can  ac- 
complish in  America.  He  is  a  self-made  man  in  the  most  significant 
sense  of  the  word,  for  no  one  helped  him  in  a  financial  way  and  he  is 
self-educated.  As  a  young  man  he  was  strong,  vigorous  and  self-reliant. 
He  trusted  in  his  own  ability  and  did  things  single-handed  and  alone. 
Today  he  stands  supreme  as  a  successful  business  man  and  a  loyal  and 
public-spirited  citizen.  His  present  beautiful  place,  known  as  the 
Palace  of  Sweets,  is  considered  one  of  the  finest  concerns  of  its  kind. 
He  is  interested  in  a  number  of  other  important  enterprises  and  is  a 
director  in  the  Detroit  Creamery  Company,  in  which  he  is  one  of  the 
heaviest  stock-holders. 

A  native  of  Buhl,  in  Baden,  Germany,  Fred  Sanders  was  born  on 
the  1st  of  July,  1848,  and  he  is  a  son  of  Alvin  and  Caroline  (Conrad 
Sanders,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  In  1850  the  Sanders  family 
immigrated  to  America,  settling  at  Peru,  Illinois,  where  Alvin  Sanders 
was  long  identified  with  the  baking  business.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sanders 
became  the  parents  of  six  children,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this  review 
was  the  second  in  order  of  birth.  A  child  of  but  two  years  of  age  at 
the  time  of  his  parents'  removal  to  America,  Fred  Sanders  was  reared 
to  maturity  at  Peru,  Illinois,  to  whose  public  schools  he  is  indebted  for 
his  preliminary  educational  training.  As  a  youth  he  learned  the  candy- 
making  trade,  working  along  that  line  first  at  Peru  and  later  at 
Chicago.  In  1865  he  went  to  Germany,  where  he  perfected  himself  in 
the  work  of  his  trade  and  where  he  continued  to  reside  until  1871. 
Returning  in  the  latter  year  to  the  United  States,  he  eventually  located  at 
Chicago,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  confectionery  business  from 
1872  until  1875.  In  1875  he  located  permanently  at  Detroit,  where 
he  has  since  maintained  his  home  and  business  headquarters  and  where 
his  admirable  success  in  life  has  been  on  a  par  with  his  well  directed 
endeavors.  Mr.  Sanders  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  originator  of 
the  ice-cream  soda  and  the  first  to  put  it  on  the  market.  His  present 
place  of  business,  widely  renowned  as  the  ** Palace  of  Sweets"  is  one  of 
the  most  attractive  stores  of  its  kind  in  the  world.  It  is  located  at  Nos. 
141-145  "Woodward  avenue,  Detroit.  He  is  a  shrewd  business  man  and 
a  citizen  whose  public  spirit  and  loyality  have  ever  been  of  the  most 
insistent  order. 

At  Karlsruhe,  Germany,  in  the  year  1869,  was  solemnized  the  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Sanders  to  Miss  Rose  Conrad,  who  was  bom  and  reared 
in  Germany  and  who  is  a  daughter  of  Theodore  Conrad.    Mr.  and  Mrs. 


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1150  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Sanders  have  four  children,  whose  names  are  here  entered  in  respective 
order  of  birth,  Fred,  Charles,  Edwin  and  Ella.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sanders, 
attractive  home  is  maintained  at  No.  996  Woodward  avenue,  the  same 
being  a  center  of  most  gracious  refinement  and  hospitality. 

While  not  an  active  participant  in  public  affairs  Mr.  Sanders  is  a 
stanch  supporter  of  the  principles  and  policies  for  which  the  Republi- 
can party  stands  sponsor.  He  stands  high  in  Masonry,  having  passed 
through  the  circles  of  both  the  York  and  the  Scottish  Rites ;  and  is  also 
aflSliated  with  Moslem  Temple  of  the  Ancient  Arabic  Order  of  the 
Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  also  connected  with  the  Indepen- 
dent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  with  the  Benevolent  &  Protective  Order 
of  Elks.    His  principal  recreation  is  traveling. 

Edwin  Cornue  Hopf.  Among  the  ablest  and  most  prominent  of 
Detroit  physicians  and  surgeons  of  the  younger  generation  must  be 
numbered  Edwin  Cornue  Hoflf,  M.  D.,  engaged  in  general  practice  in 
this  city.  Dr.  Hoflf  specializes  in  surgery  and  since  1906,  has  held  the 
oflSce  of  junior  attending  surgeon  at  Grace  Hispital.  He  is  a  con- 
stant student  of  the  profession  to  which  he  has  devoted  gifts  of 
an  unusual  order  and  makes  every  eflfort  to  keep  in  touch  with  the  lat- 
est scientific  discoveries  in  his  field.  Dr.  Hoflf  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Carey,  Wyandot  county,  April  20,  1874.  He 
is  the  son  of  the  late  Charles  D.  and  Laura  Ann  (Beebe)  Hoflf,  the  fa- 
ther, a  native  of  Auburn,  New  York,  and  the  mother  of  Carey,  Ohio. 
On  both  sides  of  the  house  he  represents  excellent  American  stock,  his 
forbears  having  been  good  citizens  and  stanch  patriots.  The  Hoflf 
family  runs  back  to  the  time  of  Governor  Schuyler  in  New  York  state, 
while  the  Beebe  family  was  identified  with  the  Empire  state  in  early 
days.  Dr.  Hoflf 's  grandfather,  Buel  S.  Beebe,  was  a  Wyandot  county 
pioneer. 

Charles  D.  Hoflf,  father  of  the  Doctor,  was  a  contractor  and  a  promi- 
nent and  highly  esteemed  citizen  of  Carey,  where  he  died  in  1907,  aged 
fifty-nine  years.  His  widow  survives. 

Dr.  Hoflf  received  his  early  education  in  the  schools  of  Carey  and 
in  early  youth  came  to  the  decision  to  adopt  the  medical  profession  as 
his  life  work.  He  accordingly  entered  the  Homeopathic  Medical  Col- 
lege, of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  was  graduated  from  that  institution  in 
1901,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  '  He  served  as  interne  at  the  Cleveland 
Maternity  Hospital  for  one  year  (1900-01)  and  following  that  (from 
October,  1901,  to  1903),  as  house  surgeon  of  Grace  Hospital,  Detroit. 
He  then  located  in  Detroit,  where  he  began  the  general  practice  of 
medicine,  and  where  he  has  enjoyed  no  small  amount  of  success. 

Dr.  Hoflf  is  prominently  identified  with  all  those  organizations  of  his 
school  calculated  to  unite  and  advance  his  profession.  During  the  years 
1910  and  1911  he  served  as  president  of  the  Detroit  Practitioners'  So- 
ciety and  he  held  the  oflfice  of  secretary  of  the  same  from  1907  to  1910. 
He  is  also  aflfiliated  with  the  Michigan  State  Homeopathic  Medical  Soci- 
ety and  the  American  Institute  of  Homeopathy.  He  is  a  Mason,  belong- 
ing to  Carey  (Ohio)  Lodge  F.  &  A.  M.  and  to  King  Cyrus  Chapter  and 
Detroit  Commandery. 

Richard  T.  Mason,  M.  D.  To  occupy  a  status  of  relative  priority 
in  the  medical  profession  as  represented  in  the  metropolis  of  the  state  of 
Michigan  implies  much,  for  the  standard  here  maintained  is  one  of 
high  order  and  the  city  has  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  the  personnel  of 
its  corps  of  successful  physicians  and  surgeons,  of  whom  Dr.  Mason  is 
one.    He  has  built  up  an  excellent  practice,  is  known  as  a  physician  of 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  •       1151 

fine  attainments  and  discrimination,  and  is  a  citizen  whose  character 
is  such  as  to  justify  the  unqualified  confidence  and  esteem  reposed  in 
him  by  the  community  in  which  he  has  found  ample  scope  for  accom- 
plishment in  his  chosen  calling. 

Dr.  Richard  Thomas  Mason  was  born  in  the  beautiful  little  city  of  ^ 
London,  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  on  the  19th  of  March,  1878,  and' 
is  a  son  of  Denis  and  Kate  (Busby)  Mason,  the  former  of  whom  was 
born  in  the  city  of  Dublin,  Ireland,  and  the  latter  in  London,  Ontario. 
Denis  Mason  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  fair  old  Emerald  Isle  and 
as  a  young  man  he  immigrated  to  America  and  established  his  home  in 
Ontario,  Canada.  For  many  years  he  has  been  a  successful  manufac- 
turer and  representative  business  man  of  London,  that  province,  and  he 
is  a  citizen  whose  standing  in  popular  confidence  and  esteem  is  unas- 
sailable. His  cherished  and  devoted  wife  was  summoned  to  the  life 
eternal  in  1909,  and  of  their  children  one  son  and  two  daughters  survive 
the  mother. 

The  native  city  of  Dr.  Mason  is  one  of  the  prominent  educational 
centers  of  the  province  of  Ontario  and  in  its  exceptionally  well  ordered 
public  schools  he  secured  his  early  intellectual  discipline,  which  in- 
cluded the  curriculum  of  the  high  school.  Thereafter  he  continued  his 
higher  academic  studies  for  two  years  in  Western  University,  at  Lon- 
don, Ontario.  In  preparation  for  the  work  of  his  chosen  profession  he 
followed  the  example  of  many  other  native  sons  of  Ontario,  in  that  he 
came  to  Michigan  and  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine.  In  this 
institution  he  was  matriculated  in  1896,  and  he  duly  completed  the 
course,  so  that  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1900  and 
received  his  coveted  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  In  19004,  for  the 
purpose  of  gaining  clinical  experience,  he  served  as  house  physician  in 
Harper  Hospital,  and  in  the  latter  year  he  initiated  the  general  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  in  Detroit.  He  preferred  to  win  his  professional 
spurs  in  a  metropolitan  center  rather  than  in  some  obscure  rural  dis- 
trict, and  his  success  has  admirably  justified  the  wisdom  of  his  course. 
In  1902-3-4  the  doctor  served  as  director  of  the  polyclinic  of  Harper 
Hospital,  one  of  the  most  important  of  the  kind  in  the  city,  and  in  ad- 
dition to  his  general  practice  he  is  retained  as  surgeon  to  the  Ford  Auto- 
mobile Company,  one  of  the  largest  in  the  world  and  one  that  has  a  gi- 
gantic corps  of  employes.  He  is  also  physician  attached  to  the  Detroit 
city  board  of  health.  The  generic  interest  maintained  by  Dr.  Mason  in 
his  profession  and  its  representatives  is  shown  by  his  membership  in 
the  American  Medical  Association,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society 
and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society. '  He  is  also  afl&liated  with  Nu 
Sigma  Nu  medical  college  fraternity  and  is  a  member  of  the  alumni  as- 
sociation of  Harper  Hospital.  He  is  a  naturalized  citizen  of  the  United 
states  and  in  politics  giv^s  his  support  to  the  principles  and  policies 
for  which  the  Republican  party  stands  sponsor.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Episcopal  church,  his  wife,  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 

On  the  16th  of  July,  1902,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr.  Ma- 
son to  Miss  Maude  McDonald,  who,  like  himself,  was  born  and  reared  in 
the  city  of  London,  Ontario,  and  they  have  two  children, — Shirley 
Catherine  and  John  Richard.  The  family  home  is  located  at  2930  East 
Grand  Boulevard,  where  the  Doctor  maintains  oflSce  headquarters. 

James  Alexander  MacMillan.  In  no  profession  is  there  more  con- 
stant progress  than  in  that  of  medicine  and  surgery,  thousands  of  the 
finest  minds  the  world  has  produced  making  it  their  one  aim  and  ambi- 
tion to  discover  more  effectual  method  for  the  alleviation  of  suffering, 
some  more  potent  weapon  for  the  conflict  with  disease,  some  clever  de- 


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1152  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

vice  for  repairing  the  damaged  human  mechanism.  Ever  and  anon  the 
worid  hears  with  mingled  wonder  and  thanksgiving  of  some  new  con- 
quest of  disease  and  disaster  which  a  few  years  ago  would  have  been 
placed  within  the  field  of  the  impossible.  To  keep  in  touch  with  these 
discoveries  means  constant  alertness,  and  while  there  may  be  in  some 
quarters  great  indolence  in  keeping  pace  with  modern  thought,  the  high- 
est type  of  physician  believes  it  no  less  than  a  crime  not  to  be  master  of 
the  latest  devices  of  science.  To  this  type  belongs  Dr.  James  Alexander 
MacMillan,  his  constant  thought  and  endeavor  being  devoted  to  the 
profession  of  which  he  is  so  admirable  An  exponent. 

Dr.  MacMillan  was  bom  at  Strathroy,  Ontario,  Canada,  April  15, 
1863,  the  son  of  James  and  Margaret  (Bently)  MacMillan.  His  educa- 
tion was  acquired  in  the  Strathroy  public  schools,  the  Toronto  Normal 
School  and  the  Toronto  University,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1887,  when  he  received  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  and 
with  the  class  of  1893,  when  he  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medi- 
cine. He  took  post-graduate  work  in  the  hospitals  of  London,  England, 
and  began  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Detroit  in  1893.  In  the  in- 
tervening years  he  has  acquired  success  and  high  prestige  and  at  the 
present  time  is  professor  of  clinical  practology  and  adjunct  professor 
of  therapeutics  in  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine;  Clinical  prac- 
tologist  to  Harper  Hospital  and  professor  of  rectal  surgery  of  the  Ger- 
man Polyclinic  of  Detroit.  Being  an  original  investigator  of  note  and  a 
writer  of  force,  he  is  particularly  valued  as  a  contributor  to  medical 
journals.  His  articles  have  in  fact,  appeared  in  nearly  all  of  them  and 
a  volume  on  ** Intestinal  Surgery"  of  which  he  is  the  author  is  held  in 
high  esteem  by  the  profession. 

Dr.  MacMillan  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  Association  of 
the  American  Practological  Society,  of  the  Michigan  State  Medical  So- 
ciety, the  Michigan  Academy  of  Sciences,  the  Wayne  County  Medical 
Society  and  the  Detroit  Medical  Club.  He  is  a  thirty-second  degree 
Mason  and  a  Shriner. 

In  the  year  1897  Dr.  MacMillan  was  united  in  marriage  to  Anne 
Romeyne  Butterick,  daughter  of  Frank  Butterick,  the  well-known  De- 
troit insurance  man  and  granddaughter  of  the  late  Theodore  Romeyne, 
one  of  Detroit's  most  distinguished  pioneer  lawyers.  Mrs.  MacMillan 's 
mother,  Susan  Romeyne,  was  one  of  the  city's  brilliant  and  well- 
known  women.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  MacMillan  share  the  charming  home  with 
two  sons, — Alexander  Romeyne  and  Francis  Butterick. 

Fred  Miesel.  Worthy  of  representation  in  this  history  as  one  of 
the  able  and  popular  exponents  of  the  art  and  industry  of  floriculture 
in  Detroit,  Mr.  Miesel  here  maintained  his  home  for  nearly  forty  years, 
within  which  it  was  his  to  gain  independ^ce,  success  and  definite 
prestige  in  connection  with  the  line  of  enterprise  in  which  he  received 
thorough  training  in  his  German  fatherland.  He  conducted  a  large  and 
prosperous  business  and  his  finely  equipped  conservatories  were  eligi- 
bly located  at  1679  Mack  avenue,  in  the  beautiful  St.  Clair  Heights  dis- 
trict of  Detroit. 

Fred  Miesel  claimed  the  fine  old  kingdom  of  Bavaria,  Germany,  as 
the  place  of  his  nativity,  and  he  was  a  scion  of  one  of  the  sterling  old 
families  of  that  section  of  the  great  empire.  He.  was  bom  on  the  14th 
of  January,  1853,  and  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  of  the  nine  chil- 
dren of  John  Philip  and  Juliana  (Ehrhardt)  Miesel,  both  of  whom 
passed  their  entire  lives  in  Germany,  where  the  father  devoted  the  major 
part  of  his  active  career  as  a  stone  mason.  Since  the  death  of  Fred 
Miesel  there  are  but  three  representatives  of  the  immediate  family  in 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 


1153 


America;  Philip,  an  elder  brother,  resides  at  Delray,  a  suburban  dis- 
trict of  Detroit,  and  the  two  sisters,  Mrs.  Barbara  Mahren  and  Mrs. 
Christine  Tieman  are  residents  respectively  of  Detroit  and  Topeka, 
Kansas.  The  early  educational  training  of  Fred  Miesel  was  secured  in 
the  schools  of  his  native  land  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years  he  began 
learning  the  art  of  floriculture,  in  one  of  the  admirably  conducted  estab- 
lishments of  this  order  for  which  Germany  is  celebrated.  It  may  readily 
be  understood  that  his  training  was  of  the  most  thorough  and  intimate 
kind,  and  he  was  recognized  in  Detroit  as  an  authority  in  all  details 
of  his  chosen  line  of  business. 

In  1873,  when  twenty  years  of  age,  Mr.  Miesel  came  to  America, 
and  he  made  St.  Johns,  the  judicial  center  of  Clinton  county,  Michigan, 
his  destination.  There  he  visited  for  a  few  months  in  the  home  of  his 
uncle,  Frederick  Keehler,  and  he  then  came  to  Detroit,  where  he  entered 
the  employ  of  Frederick  Waltz,  who  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  leading 
florists  of  the  city,  with  a  well  equipped  greenhouse  on  Elmwood  ave- 
nue. Mr.  Miesel  was  thus  engaged  for  two  years,  at  the  expiration  of 
which  he  engaged  in  the  same  line  of  enterprise  on  his  own  responsi- 
bility. He  opened  an  establishment  on  Elmwood  avenue,  between  Gra- 
tiot avenue  and  Waterloo  street,  where  he  continued  operations  for  six 
years,  within  which  his  close  application,  thorough  knowledge  and  ex- 
cellent service  to  the  public  gained  to  him  a  substantial  patronage.  At 
the  expiration  of  the  period  noted  he  purchased  thirteen  and  one-half 
acres  of  land  at  his  late  location,  Mack  avenue,  where  he  conducted  one 
of  the  largest  business  enterprises  in  his  line  in  Detroit,  with  facilities 
and  products  of  the  best  order. 

Mr.  Miesel  was  thoroughly  in  harmony  with  the  customs  and  in- 
stitutions of  the  land  of  his  adoption  and  was  a  progressive  business 
man  and  loyal  and  public-spirited  citizen.  Though  never  caring  to 
identify  himself  with  political  activities  of  practical  order,  he  accorded  a 
stalwart  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party  and  took  a  lively  interest 
in  local  affairs  as  well  as  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  hour.  He  was  a 
popular  factor  in  connection  with  the  German  social  circles  in  his  home 
city  and  there  had  a  wide  circle  of  friends.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Detroit  Turnverein.    ' 

On  the  19th  of  April,  1875,  Mr.  Miesel  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Susanna  Zinkgraf  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Bavaria  and  whose 
parents  were  numbered  among  the  prominent  German  citizens  who  set- 
tled here  in  an  early  day.  They  passed  the  closing  years  of  their  lives 
in  the  home  of  Mrs.  Miesel  and  were  there  accorded  an  utmost  filial 
solicitude  in  the  gracious  evening  of  their  day. 

In  conclusion  of  this  sketch  is  entered  brief,  record  concerning  the 
children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miesel  (Katherine)  is  the  wife  of  Louis  Fisher, 
of  Detroit;  Fred  B.  is  associated  in  the  extensive  floral  business  estab- 
lished by  his  father;  Anna  Christene  Elizabeth,  w^ho  married  Harry 
Etzler,  of  Detroit  was  an  eflBcient  and  popular  teacher  in  the  public 
schools  of  Detroit,  employed  in  the  Williams  school  near  Mount  Elliott 
avenue;  John  married  Miss  Nettie  Diebel;  Robert  who  married  Miss 
Bessie  Trumble,  resides  on  Hamilton  avenue  and  is  engaged  as  a  florist 
he  having  purchased  his  father's  business  before  the  latter 's  death; 
Victor  Hugo,  who  remains  at  the  parental  home,  is  bookkeeper  in  the 
oflBces  of  the  Tivoli  Brewing  Company ;  George  likewise  remains  at  home 
and  is  associated  with  the  business  established  by  his  father;  and  Ru- 
dolph was  prraduated  in  the  Detroit  high  school,  as  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1911.  Fred  Miesel,  the  father,  passed  from  this  life  on  the  9th  of 
March,  1912. 


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1154  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

John  Conlon.  A  lifetime  of  eighty  years*  duration,  a  business  career 
of  success  and  integrity,  and  the  lasting  esteem  of  family  and  friends 
are  the  lot  of  John  Conlon,  for  many  years  a  contractor  of  Detroit.  He 
has  made  his  own  success  in  the  world,  for  he  began  as  a  lad  without 
money  or  influence,  and  has  never  had  fortune's  favors  except  as  he 
earned  them  by  compelling  work  and  business  ability. 

Bom  in  1831,  in  Kilrona,  Ireland,  he  was  the  fifth  in  the  family  of 
seven  whose  parents  were  James  and  Bridget  (Gaffnay)  Conlon.  Of 
all  this  family  now,  John  is  the  only  survivor.  He  was  reared  and  spent 
a  number  of  years  of  his  early  career  in  Ireland,  where  he  attended- 
school  only  to  his  twelfth  year,  and  then  began  the  labors  of  a  farm.  He 
continued  to  follow  this  vocation,  earning  a  modest  livelihood,  and 
married,  but  in  1867  he  brought  his  family  to  America.  It  was"  a  voy- 
age of  forty-five  days,  an  event  more  memorable  in  the  lives  of  travelers 
then  than  in  this  rapid  age  of  rapid  travel.  His  first  home  was  at  Dexter, 
Michigan,  where  he  was  in  business  as  a  brick-mason  contractor.  This 
was  a  trade  he  acquired  in  the  old  country,  and  it  has  been  the 
basis  of  a  successful  business.  He  has  always  been  a  hard  worker,  and 
with  the  aid  of  his  faithful  wife  and  many  years  of  steady  effort  he 
has  made  a  competence.  No  one  has  deserved  the  rewards  of  enterprise 
mor^  than  he,  for  he  has  held  to  the  strictest  ideals  of  honor  throughout 
his  life  and  has  never  asked  any  favors  of  the  world.  Since  1889  he  has 
been  a  resident  of  Detroit  and  has  been  a  brick  contractor  here.  He  is 
not  identified  with  any  secret  organizations,  and  outside  of  family  and 
business  he  has  given  his  steadfast  allegiance  only  to  the  Catholic 
church. 

Mr.  Conlon  was  married  in  Kilrona,  Ireland,  in  1857,  and  is  the  fa- 
ther of  four  children;  Catherine,  a  resident  of  Chicago;  Mary,  who 
lives  at  home,  Teresa,  at  home ;  and  Eliza,  at  home. 

William  Edmund  Scripps.  Head  of  one  of  the  greatest  daily  pa- 
pers of  Michigan  at  the  early  age  of  thirty  years,  handling  an  immense 
marine  engine  industry,  and  a  director  in  other  enterprises,  besides 
keeping  a  close  watch  on  real  estate  interests,  William  E.  Scripps,  a 
most  estimable  citizen,  worthily  carries  on  the  busSness  founded  by  his 
father,  James  E.  Scripps,  vice  president  of  the  Detroit  News  Publishing 
Company  and  the  guiding  spirit  in  the  Scripps  Motor  Company. 

Born  at  Detroit,  May  6,  1882,  the  son  of  James  E.  and  Harriet  Jo- 
sephine (Messenger)  Scripps,  he  received  his  early  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  this  city.  He  then  attended  the  University  School  of 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  later  the  Michigan  Military  academy  at  Orchard 
Lake,  Michigan.  He  began  his  active  business  career  in  1900,  when  he 
served  as  treasurer  of  the  Evening  News  Association,  as  secretary  of 
the  James  E.  Scripps  Corporation,  and  president  of  the  Scripps  Motor 
Company,  manufacturers  of  gasoline  marine  engines.  In  all  of  these 
various  enterprises  he  has  exhibited  an  executive  ability  seldom  found 
in  men  of  greater  age  and  larger  experience.  He  inherits  his  fathers 
love  of  literature  and  art,  and  also  his  business  acumen,  and  is  looked 
up  to  as  one  of  the  leading  young  citizens  of  this  city.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Commerce;  of  the  Associated  Press  and  is  Commodore 
of  the  Detroit  Motor  Boat  Club. 

Mr.  Scripps  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nina  A.  Downey,  of 
Detroit,  June  27,  1901,  and  their  children  are:  James  E.  Scripps,  born 
in  January,  1903,  and  William  J.  Scripps  bom  in  August  1905. 

Charles  H.  Jasnowski.  Among  the  many  members  of  the  legal 
profession  who  have  reflected  great  credit  upon  the  bar  of  Detroit  and 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1155 

Michigan  is  Charles  H.  Jasnowski,  assistant  prosecuting  attorney  and 
one  of  the  most  prominent  lawyers  in  Detroit. 

He  was  born  March  3,  1882,  on  Howard  street  in  the  tenth  ward  of 
the  city  of  Detroit.  His  father,  the  late  Philip  Jasnowski  was  well 
known  as  one  of  the  best  cigar  manufacturers  in  the  city.  The  elder 
Jasnowski  was  born  in  London,  England,  in  1847,  and  came  to  the 
United  States  with  his  parents  in  1850,  settling  in  Detroit.  He  passed 
from  earth  in  September  1910,  leaving  behind  him  a  record  of  a  useful 
and  well  spent  life.  The  mother  of  the  assistant  prosecuting  attorney 
was  Nora  Kane,  who  was  born  at  Belmulet,  county  Mayo,  Ireland,  and 
was  nine  years  of  age  when  she  came  with  her  parents  to  Detroit.  She 
died  July  22,  1910. 

The  distinguished  son  of  this  couple,  Charles  H.  Jasnowski,  who  has 
by  the  force  of  his  own  energy  and  ability  risen  to  the  front  rank  of  the 
legal  profession,  attended  the  Webster  Grammar  School,  and  later  grad- 
uated from  the  Western  high  school  with  the  class  of  1902.  He  then 
entered  the  literary  class  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor, 
where  he  spent  one  year.  After  that  he  entered  the  law  department  of 
the  university,  graduating  therefrom  with  the  class  of  1906  and  re- 
ceiving the  degree  of  LL.  B.  He  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in  De- 
troit in  1906,  associated  with  Charles  T.  Wilkins.  On  January  1,  1909, 
he  was  appointed  assistant  prosecuting  attorney  for  Wayne  county, 
a  position  he  has  since  held  with  honor  to  himself  and  to  the  full  satis- 
faction of  the  citizens  of  the  county. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Bar  association,  of  the  Lawyers  Club 
of  Detroit,  and  also  belongs  to  Ashlar  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Peninsula 
Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  and  is  a  member  of  Detroit  Lodge,  No.  34,  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  as  well  as  of  the  Western  High 
School  Alumni,  and  was  for  three  years  president  of  the  scholarship 
association  of  the  Western  High  School.  In  addition  to  these  aflSliations 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Alumni  Association  of  the  University  of  Michi- 
gan. 

Mr.  Jasnowski  married  Euphemia  Brotherton,  who  was  bom  in  De- 
troit. As  a  result  of  this  union  there  was  born  to  them  one  son,  Charles 
Ford  Jasnowski  aged  two-and-a-half  years,  and  a  daughter,  Regina, 
born  January  4,  1912. 

John  Blake,  M.  D.  There  is  no  line  of  human  endeavor  which  de- 
mands of  its  votaries  a  more  scrupulous  preliminary  training  and  dis- 
cipline, or  requires  a  heart  and  mind  more  deeply  in  touch  with  deter- 
inate  sympathy  than  that  of  the  medical  practitioner.  He  who  would 
essay  the  healing  art  must  be  endowed  with  a  broad  spirit  of  humani- 
tarianism  and  must  hold  himself  and  his  talents  in  constant  readiness 
and  willingness  to  succor  those  in  affictions.  The  profession  has  in 
Detroit  a  worthy  representative  in  John  Blake,  M.  D.,  of  No.  324  Hilger 
avenue,  who  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  physicians  and  surgeons 
of  the  Fairview  District,  and  who  has  won  precedence  by  his  high 
professional  talents  and  personal  geniality.  Dr.  Blake  was  bom 
at  Brussels,  county  Huron,  Ontario,  Canada,  July  7,  1882,  and  is  a 
son  of  William  and  Bridget  (Rowland)  Blake.  The  former  a  native  of 
Ireland,  came  to  America  in  his  youth,  settling  in  county  Huron,  where 
he  followed  farming  until  his  death,  in  June,  1910,  while  his  widow,  who 
still  survives,  is  a  native  of  Ontario. 

The  early  education  of  Dr.  Blake  was  acquired  by  attendance  at  the 
public  schools  of  county  Huron.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Seaforth 
high  school  in  1900  and  then  attended  the  Model  Teachers'  School  at 
Goderich,  Ontario,   for  a  time,  following  which  he  taught  school  in 


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1156  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

county  Essex.  In  1903  he  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  and 
was  there  graduated  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.,  class  of  1907.  For  three 
years  while  in  medical  college  and  for  six  months  following  graduation, 
Dr.  Blake  was  connected  with  St.  Mary's  Hospital,  Detroit,  and  in  1907  he 
entered  practice  in  the  Fairview  District,  where  he  has  since  con- 
tinued with  much  more  than  ordinary  success.  In  1910  he  completed 
his  handsome  brick  residence  and  offices  at  No.  324  Hilger  avenue,  and 
there  he  has  since  made  his  home.  He  has  attained  marked  prestige 
among  his  confreres  and  has  built  up  a  representative  practice,  is  very 
popular  in  professional  and  social  circles,  and  commands  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  those  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact  in  the  various  rela- 
tions of  life. 

In  1908  Dr  Blake  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Bertha  B. 
Byrne,  daughter  of  James  Byrne,  of  county  Essex,  Ontario,  and  two 
daughters  have  been  born  to  this  union,  namely:  Catherine  and  Flor- 
ence. 

Frank  A.  Kelly,  M.  D.  One  of  the  representative  younger  physi- 
cians and  surgeons  of  Detroit,  who  claims  Michigan  as  the  place  of  his 
nativity  is  Dr.  Kelly,  who  is  a  scion  of  one  of  the  sterling  pioneer  fam- 
ilies of  the  northern  part  of  the  state  and  who  has  found  within  the  con- 
fines of  his  native  commonwealth  the  opportunities  for  successful  en- 
deavor along  the  line  of  his  chosen  and  exacting  profession. 

Dr.  Kelly  was  born  at  Alpena,  Michigan,  the  judicial  center  of  the' 
county  of  the  same  name,  and  the  date  of  his  nativity  was  May  8,  1880. 
He  is  a  son  of  John  F.  and  Anna  (Hand)  Kelly,  the  former  of  whom 
was  bom  in  the  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  and  the  latter  of  whom 
was  bom  in  Michigan,  where  her  parents  established  their  home  in  the 
pioneer  days.  John  Kelly,  grandfather  of  the  Doctor,  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Alpena  county,  Michigan,  and  was  one  of  the  promi- 
nent and  influential  citizens  of  that  section  of  the  state,  where  he  com- 
mands unqualified  popular  esteem  and  was  called  upon  to  serve  in 
various  public  offices  of  trust,  including  that  of  register  of  deeds  of  the 
county,  a  position  of  which  he  continued  the  valued  incumbent  for  many 
years.  He  continued  his  residence  in  that  county  until  his  death.  The 
maternal  grandfather  of  Dr.  Kelly  was  Cyrus  A.  Hand,  who  settled  at 
Coldwater,  Branch  county,  Michigan  in  the  pioneer  days  and  who  was 
actively  concerned  with  the  civic  and  material  development  of  the  state. 
John  F.  Kelly  was  a  man  of  sterling  character  and  marked  energy  and 
was  identified  with  business  activities  in  Alpena  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  when  he  w^as  comparatively  a  young  man  and  when  his  son 
Frank  A.,  of  this  review,  was  a  lad  of  nine  years.  The  devoted  mother 
is  Anna  Kelly,  who  resides  at  433  Hart  avenue,  Detroit.  Of  the  chil- 
dren, four  sons  and  one  daughter  are  living. 

Dr.  Kelly  gained  his  early  educational  discipline  in  the  district 
schools  of  his  native  county,  the  family  having  there  resided  on  a  farm 
during  his  boyhood  days,  and  this  training  he  supplemented  by  higher 
academic  study  at  Alpena  College.  Shortly  after  the  death  of  the 
father  the  widowed  mother  removed  to  her  old  home  in  Coldwater,  this 
state,  and  there  the  Doctor  continued  his  educational  work  in  the  ex- 
cellent public  schools  of  that  beautiful  little  city,  the  judicial  center  of 
Branch  county. 

Dr.  Kelly  was  eighteen  years  of  age  at  the  inception  of  the  Spanish- 
American  war,  and  he  forthwith  manifested  his  youthful  patriotism  by 
enlisting  as  a  member  of  Company  A,  Thirty-second  Miehisran  Volun- 
teer Infantry.  This  regiment  was  mustered  into  the  United  States 
service  on  the  12th  of  May,  1898,  and  on  the  19th  of  the  same  month. 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1157 

under  command  of  Colonel  William  T.  McGurrin,  departed  for  Tampa, 
Florida.  It  was  thereafter  in  active  service  and  Dr.  Kelly  remained  with 
his  command  until  it  was  mustered  out,  in  November,  1898,  at  Cold- 
water.  His  continued  interest  in  his  comrades  of  this  conflict  is  shown 
by  his  membership  in  the  Spanish  War  Veterans'  Association.  After 
the  close  of  the  war  Dr.  Kelly  was  identified  with  newspaper  work  in 
Coldwater  for  a  period  of  about  one  year,  and  he  then  abandoned  this 
activity  to  begin  the  work  of  preparing  himself  for  his  chosen  profes- 
sion. He  entered  the  Detroit  Homeopathic  Medical  College,  in  which 
he  completed  the  prescribed  course  and  was  known  as  a  thorough  and 
ambitious  student.  He  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1903, 
and  duly  received  his  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  While  a  student 
in  this  institution  he  added  to  his  financial  resources  by  securing  em- 
ployment on  vessels  on  the  Great  Lakes  during  the  summer  seasons, 
and  his  college  work  was  somewhat  interrupted  on  this  account.  For 
two  years  after  his  graduation  Dr.  Kelly  served  as  interne  in  Grace 
Hospital,  one  of  the  leading  institutions  of  the  kind  in  Detroit,  and  since 
his  retirement  from  this  position  he  has  been  significantly  successful  in 
the  private  practice  of  his  profession,  in  which  he  has  built  up  a  sub- 
stantial business  of  cumulative  tendencies.  He  is  still  retained  as  a 
valued  member  of  the  medical  staff  of  Grace  Hospital  and  is  an  instruc- 
tor in  anatomy  in  his  alma  mater,  Detroit  Homeopathic  Medical  Col- 
lege. He  holds  membership  in  the  American  Institute  of  Homeopathy, 
the  Michigan  State  Homeopathic  Medical  Society,  and  the  Detroit 
Homeopathic  Practitioners'  Society,  of  which  last  mentioned  and  essen- 
tially representative  organization  he  served  as  president  for  three  years, 
1907-9,  an  incumbency  denoting  the  high  regard  in  which  he  is  held  by 
his  professional  confreres  in  Detroit.  In  the  Masonic  fraternity  he  has 
received  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the  Ancient  Accepted  Scottish  Rite, 
in  which  he  is  identified  with  Michigan  Sovereign  Consistory.  He, also 
is  found  enrolled  as  an  appreciative  and  popular  member  of  Moslem 
Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order  of  the  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  and 
is  affiliated  with  Detroit  Lodge,  Benevolent  &  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 
His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Republican  party  and  he  is  liberal 
and  public-spirited  as  a  citizen. 

On  the  29th  of  June,  1909,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Kelly  to  Miss  Merle  Brock,  daughter  of  William  D.  Brock,  a  well  known 
citizen  of  Windsor,  Ontario.  The  one  child  of  this  union  is  William 
John  Kelly,  bom  May  31,  1912.  The  family  reside  at  2359  Jefferson 
avenue. 

George  .0.  Pratt,  M.  D.  Various  counties  of  Michigan  have  con- 
tributed a  valuable  quota  to  the  personnel  of  the  medical  profession 
in  Detroit,  and  to  the  adjoining  and  beautiful  county  of  Oakland  does 
Dr.  Pratt  revert  as  the  place  of  his  nativity.  He  has  gained  a  secure 
place  as  one  of  the  successful  and  popular  physicians  and  surgeons  of 
the  metropolis  of  his  native  state  and  is  well  entitled  to  recognition  in 
this  publication. 

Dr.  George  Oscar  Pratt  was  bom  in  the  city  of  Pontiac,  judicial  cen- 
ter of  Oakland  county,  Michigan,  on  the  12th  of  July,  1866,  and  is  a  son 
of  Oscar  C.  and  Caroline  E.  (Hall)  Pratt,  both  of  whom  were  bom  at 
Ashtabula.  Ohio,  representatives  of  honored  pioneer  families  of  the  his- 
toric old  Western  Reserve.  Oscar  Clark  Pratt,  who  devoted  the  greater 
part  of  his  active  career  to  newspaper  work,  represented  his  native  state 
as  a  valiant  soldier  of  the  Union  in  the  Civil  war  enlisting  as  a  member 
of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which 
he  participated  in  various  battles  and  skirmishes  of  important  order 


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1158  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

and  with  which  he  lived  up  to  the  full  tension  of  the  great  conflict 
through  which  the  integrity  of  the  nation  was  perpetuated.  He  was 
a  stalwart  Republican  in  his  political  adherency  and  both  he  and  his 
wife  held  membership  in  the  Presbyterian  church.  The  Doctor  is  their 
only  child.  After  the  close  of  the  war  Oscar  C.  Pratt  removed  from 
his  native  state  to  Pontiac,  Michigan,  where  he  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  law  and  a  few  years  later  he  came  to  Detroit.  His  death  occurred  in 
the  year  1872  in  Omaha,  Nebraska.  His  wife  survived  him  by  nearly 
forty  years  and  was  a  resident  of  Detroit  at  the  time  of  her  death,  in 
the  summer  of  1910. 

Dr.  Pratt  was  reared  to  maturity  in  Detroit,  where  his  early  educa- 
tional discipline  was  secured  in  the  Bishop  schools,  and  the  old  Capital 
High  school,  one  of  the  oldest  of  the  public  schools  of  the  city.  After 
leaving  school  he  secured  a  position  as  clerk  in  the  drug  store  of  Robert 
J.  Hutton,  and  he  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  pharmacy  and  other 
details  of  this  line  of  enterprise.  In  1888  he  engaged  in  the  drug  busi- 
ness on  his  own  responsibility,  after  having  been  in  the  employ  of  Mr. 
Hutton  for  five  years  and  after  having  passed  fifteen  months  in  the 
state  of  California.  His  business  place  in  Detroit  is  located  at  720 
Antoine  street,  and  he  built  up  a  prosperous  enterprise,  to  which  he 
continued  to  give  his  supervision  in  addition  to  the  regular  work  of  his 
profession. 

In  1901  Dr.  Pratt  was  matriculated  in  the  Detroit  College  of  Medi- 
cine, in  which  he  completed  the  prescribed  curriculum  and  was  grad- 
uated as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1905,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine.  During  his  senior  year  in  college  he  served  as  interne  in 
Harper  Hospital,  and  in  this  connection  gained  most  valuable  clinical 
experience.  In  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine  he  is  now  assistant  in- 
structor in  the  department  of  experimental  pharmacology,  a  position 
for  which  his  close  study  and  long  practical  experience  eminently  qualify 
him.  In  his  private  practice  Dr.  Pratt  has  met  with  gratifying  success 
and  his  professional  business  is  constantly  expanding  in  scope  and  im- 
portance. He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  the 
Michigan  State  Medical  Society,  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  So- 
ciety, besides  which  he  is  a  fellow  of  the  American  Association  for  the 
Advancement  of  Science,  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Medical  Club,  and 
affiliated  with  the  Nu  Sigma  Nu  medical  college  fraternity.  The  Doctor 
also  holds  membership  in  Palestine  Lodge,  No.  357,  Free  &  Accepted 
Masons,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  hold  membership  in  the  First  Pres- 
byterian church. 

On  the  26th  of  February,  1891,  Dr.  Pratt  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Alice  E.  Beedzler,  daucrhter  of  Joseph  Beedzler,  of  Petroit,  and 
they  have  three  children, — ^Kenneth,  Alice  E.  and  Glenn.  Kenneth 
is  a  member  of  the  class  of  1915  in  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine. 

Dr.  Robert  L.  Schorr,  M.  D.,  who  was  born  in  Millersburg,  Ohio, 
April  12,  1873,  well-known  among  the  younger  members  of  the  medical 
profession  of  Detroit,  is  a  son  of  Georcre  and  Barbara  (Henes)  Schorr, 
both  of  whom  were  born  and  reared  in  Germanv,  the  former  bom  in 
Hesse-Darmstadt  in  1836,  and  the  latter  in  Wurtemburg  in  1842. 
George  Schorr  came  to  the  United  States  in  1852.  making  the  voyage  in 
an  old  sailing  vessel,  and  his  wife  came  across  with  her  widowed  mother 
and  two  other  children  a  few  years  later.  Mrs.  Schorr's  sister  died 
while  the  family  were  en  route  for  Holmes  county,  Ohio,  and  was 
buried  in  Cleveland.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schorr  were  married  in  Holmes 
county  and  there  resided  during  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  He  was 
engaged  in  farming  during  the  greater  part  of  his  active  career  and 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 


1159 


died  December  29,  1880;  she  passed  away  November  18,  1887,  and  was 
brought  to  Detroit  for  cremation,  this  having  been  the  first  cremation 
in  this  city. 

Dr.  Schorr  was  but  seven  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  father's 
death,  and  but  fourteen  years  of  age  when  he  was  bereft  of  his  mother. 
His  preliminary  educational  training  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools 
of  Millersburg,  Ohio,  and  subsequently  he  attended  the  Detroit  high 
school.  While  attending  high  school  he  also  studied  pharmacy,  and 
after  passing  the  examination  before  the  state  board  of  pharmacy  en- 
tered the  employ  of  Hinchman  &  Sons,  druggists  in  Detroit.  In  the 
meantime  he  began  study  for  the  medical  profession  as  a  student  in  the 
Detroit  College  of  Medicine.  He  worked  his  way  through  college,  being 
employed  in  the  drug  store  part  of  the  time  and  for  one  summer  was 
ambulance  surgeon  for  Harper  Hospital.  Later  he  haJi  charge  of  the 
dispensary  at  St.  Mary's  Hospital.  He  entered  upon  the  active  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  immediately  after  receiving  his  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Medicine,  in  1893,  and  his  first  location  was  on  the  comer  of  Gratiot 
avenue  and  Antoine  street.  Thence  he  removed  his  offices  to  No.  18 
John  R.  street  and  in  1909  moved  to  his  present  place,  No.  291  Harper 
avenue,  this  being  also  his  residence.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne 
County  Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the 
American  Medical  Association,  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Nu  Sigma 
Nu  college  fraternity  and  of  the  Alumni  Association  of  the  Detroit  Col- 
lege of  Medicine.  He  is  a  member  of  Palestine  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons;  King  Cyrus  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  Michigan  Sovereign 
Consistory  and  Moslem  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  In  politics  he  is 
Republican. 

Dr.  Schorr  was  married,  in  1905,  to  Miss  Mabel  Stanley  Leonard, 
a  daughter  of  Dr.  C.  H.  Leonard,  who  is  one  of  the  old  and  most  promi- 
ment  medical  specialists  of  Detroit  and  who  was  for  many  years  a 
member  of  the  faculty  of  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine.  He  is  one 
of  the  best  known  scientific  writers  of  his  day,  giving  most  all  of  his 
time  to  the  latter  occupation  at  the  present.  To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Schorr 
have  been  born  three  children,  namely :  Robert  William,  George  Lincoln 
and  Mabel  Cornelia. 

Ezra  Bruce  Keeler,  M.  D.  In  a  profession  where  success  is  won 
not  through  good  luck  or  money  but  through  individual  merit,  Ezra 
Bruce  Keeler,  a  member  of  the  medical  profession  of  Detroit,  holds  a 
place  among  the  representative  physicians  of  the  city.  He  has  been  in 
the  profession  in  the  city  for  fourteen  years  and  during  this  time  has 
built  up  a  very  satisfactory  practice.  He  has  always  continued  in  the 
same  location,  and  he  has  become  as  familiar  a  friend  to  the  people  of 
this  section  of  the  city,  as  though  it  were  a  country  district,  for  the 
Doctor  attempts  to  be  more  to  his  patrons  than  some  one  to  cure  their 
ills,  he  wishes  to  be  their  friend,  and  his  popularity  shows  that  he  ia 
usually  successful. 

Ezra  Bruce  Keeler  was  born  in  Disco,  Macomb  county,  Michigan, 
on  the  25th  of  December,  1860.  His  father  was  Major  Alonzo  M.  Keeler, 
who  was  a  native  of  the  same  county,  having  been  bom  in  Washington, 
Macomb  county,  Michicran,  on  the  4th  of  September,  1826.  The  father 
of  Major  Keeler  was  John  Keeler,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  came  to 
Macomb  county  in  pioneer  davs.  Maior  Keeler  was  educated  in  an 
Iowa  college,  and  taught  school  in  Macomb  county,  where  he  founded 
the  Disco  Academy,  which  was  one  of  the  pioneer  educational  institu- 
tions of  Michigan.  With  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  he  threw  him- 
self heart  and  soul  into  the  cause  of  the  Union,  and  raised  Company 


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1160  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

B,  of  the  Twenty-second  Michigan  Regiment  of  Infantry.  He  waa  com. 
missioned  captain  of  this  regiment  and  led  it  into  battle.  He  was  taken 
prisoner  and  was  incarcerated  in  old  Libby  prison,  at  Richmond,  Vir- 
ginia, a  dungeon  famous  for  the  horrors  in  the  way  of  lack  of  food, 
improper  sanitation  and  filthy  quarters  which  the  prisoners  there  had 
to  endure.  He  was  also  imprisoned  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  and 
at  the  end  of  the  war  was  mustered  out  as  major.  The  old  soldier  waa 
three  times  register  of  deeds  for  Macomb  county,  and  compiled  the 
abstract  of  that  county.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  fraternally  gave  his  allegiance  to  the  Masonic  Order.  Major 
Keeler  married  Lucy  Ann  Church,  who  was  born  in  Vermont,  but  came 
to  Michigan  with  her  parents  at  an  early  age.  Her  father,  Chauncey 
Church,  was  one  of  the  pioneers  settlers  of  Macomb  county.  Mrs.  Keeler 
is  still  living,  having  reached  the  unusual  age  of  eighty*one,  the  date  of 
her  birth  being  1831. 

The  early  education  of  Doctor  Keeler  was  acquired  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  home  town.  He  determined  when  he  was  quite  a  youngster 
that  he  would  some  day  become  a  physician,  and  therefore  when  he  was 
sufficiently  prepared  he  entered  the  Pulte  Medical  College,  at  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  and  was  graduated  from  this  institution  in  1891.  He  lost  no 
time  in  going  into  active  work,  and  began  to  practice  in  Richmond, 
Michigan.  He  was  an  indefatigable  worker  and  soon  had  a  remunera- 
tive practice,  but  after  practicing  in  this  section  he  concluded  to  move 
to  a  city,  and  naturally  selected  Detroit.  It  was  in  1897  that  he  came 
to  this  city,  and  he  located  on  Russell  street,  in  the  same  neighborhood 
where  he  is  now  in  practice.  He  lives  at  present  at  413  Clay  avenue, 
and  his  offices  are  in  his  residence.  He  has  been  in  this  location  for 
the  past  nine  years.  He  is  both  a  physician  and  surgeon  but  he  has 
never  cared  to  specialize,  which  is  probably  just  as  well,  for  the  spe- 
cialist has  to  sacrifice  some  of  that  broadmindedness  that  is  so  necessary 
to  the  physician  who  would  give  his  patrons  the  best  of  service.  Doctor 
Keeler  is  therefore  a  practitioner  of  general  medicine.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  of  the  Michigan  State  Medical 
Society  and  of  the  American  Medical  Association.  Fraternally  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Order  of  Masons,  being 
a  member  of  the  Richmond  lodge.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Protected 
Home  Circle. 

Russell  Percival  Wixom,  M.  D.  Undoubtedly  the  laws  of 
heredity  should  be  taken  into  consideration  in  considering  the  success 
of  Doctor  Russell  Percival  Wixom,  of  Detroit,  Michigan,  for  he  comes 
of  a  family  of  professional  men,  and  his  grandfather  was  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  men  the  medical  profession  in  the  state  of  Michigan 
has  ever  known.  Doctor  Wixom,  however,  is  not  purely  a  physician  and 
surgeon,  though  the  greater  part  of  his  time  and  interest  is  given  to 
his  profession.  He  unites  with  the  mind  of  a  scientist  that  of  a  business 
man,  and  he  has  been  very  successful  as  such,  owning  some  valuable 
property  in  the  city  and  taking  an  active  part  in  the  business  affairs 
of  the  community  in  general. . 

Dr.  Wixom  is  the  son  of  Martin  Van  Buren  Wixom,  who  was  bom  in 
Parmington,  Oakland  county,  Michigan,  on  the  14th  of  January,  1842, 
the  son  of  Dr.  Isaac  Wixom.  The  latter  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  hav- 
ing been  bom  in  the  land  of  the  heather  in  1805.  He  received  his  edu- 
cation, both  literary  and  medical,  in  Scotland,  coming  to  the  United 
States  in  1834.  He  located  here  at  Parmington,  Oakland  county,  Michi- 
gan, where  he  practiced  medicine  until  1848.  He  then  removed  to 
Argentine,  Genesee  county,  in  the  same  state.    With  the  outbreak  of  the 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1161 

Civil  war  he  was  commissioned  surgeon  major  of  Colonel  Fenton's  inde- 
pendent regiment,  known  oflScially  as  the  Sixteenth  Michigan  Regiment 
of  Infantry,  and  served  throughout  the  war.  After  the  war  was  over 
he  located  in  Fenton,  Genesee  county,  where  he  practiced  until  his  death 
in  1882.  During  the  war  he  had  seen  the  weakness  of  surgery  as  it  was 
then  practiced.  He  realized  that  the  great  foe  of  the  surgeon  was  blood 
poisoning,  and  he  was  one  of  the  very  first  surgeons  to  take  up  aseptic 
surgery,  being  really  the  first  in  this  section  of  Michigan.  In  fact  he 
was  ahead  of  his  time  in  the  practice  of  surgery,  and  the  ideas  which  he 
had  on  the  subject,  and  which  people  and  even  members  of  his  profes- 
sion descried  as  absurd,  and  are  now  well  established  facts.  He  per- 
formed the  first  hip- joint  major  operation  ever  executed.  As  a  member 
of  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  local  medical  societies 
he  exerted  a  powerful  influence  on  the  minds  of  the  medical  men  of  the 
state  during  his  time.  Not  content  with  giving  to  the  public  his  profes- 
sional services,  he  also  served  them  as  their  representative  in  the  Michi- 
gan state  senate  from  Genesee  county. 

Martin  Van  Buren  Wixom  was  graduated  from  the  Michigan  State 
Normal  School  at  Ypsilanti,  and  also  from  the  Ann  Arbor  Law  School, 
a  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  of  Genesee  county  in  1876,  and  opened  up  his  first  law  oflSce  in  Fen- 
ton, Genesee  county.  He  practiced  here  for  a  time  and  then  went  to 
Bancroft,  Shiawassee  county,  Michigan.  From  1874  to  1898  he  was 
proprietor  of  a  tented  circus,  known  as  **Mat  Wixom 's  Great  Show.''^ 
This  circus  traveled  all  over  Michigan,  visiting  every  town  in  the  state,' 
and  its  owner  achieved  wide  popularity.  This  peculiarly  Michigan  in- 
stitution was  turned  over  to  the  two  youngest  sons  of  the  founder  and  is 
still  in  existence,  showing  as  usual.  Mr.  Wixom  was  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order,  being  a  Knight  Templar,  and  was  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  second  Michigan  commandery  of  that  order.  He  was  prominent 
in  public  affairs,  taking  an  especial  interest  in  politics.  A  strong 
**Greenbacker,''  he  stumped  the  state  for  this  cause  many  times,  and 
being  possessed  with  a  natural  eloquence,  which  his  legal  training  had 
intensified,  he  was  an  influential  speaker.  He  married  Celia  Bradley, 
who  was  bom  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  on  the  24th  of  July,  1844.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  Franklin  Bradley,  a  native  of  New  York  state,  his 
birth  having  occurred  near  Buffalo.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Con- 
necticut. He  located  in  Argentine,  Genesee  county,  Michigan,  in  1858, 
and  engaged  in  the  hotel  business.  His  old  hotel  is  still  standing  in 
Argentine.  Mrs.  Wixom  still  resides  in  Bancroft,  but  her  husband 
passed  away  on  the  4th  of  November,  1907. 

Russell  Percival  Wixom  was  bom  in  Argentine,  Genesee  county, 
Michigan,  on  the  7th  of  January,  1868.  He  was  reared  in  the  town  of 
his  birth  and  in  Bancroft.  His  elementary  education  was  obtained  in 
the  Bancroft  and  Corona  high  schools.  He  later  attended  the  Fenton 
Normal  College  and  Alma  College,  and  was  graduated  from  all  of  them. 
This  completed  his  literary  education  and  he  then  turned  to  his  profes- 
sional work,  entering  the  Michigan  College  of  Medicine  and  Surgery  at 
Detroit.  He  was  graduated  from  the  latter  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  in 
1896  and  the  day  after  his  graduation  a  fresh  sign,  Dr.  Russell  Per- 
cival Wixom,  was  hanging  from  an  oflBce  window  in  Bancroft.  He 
practiced  in  this  town  of  his  boyhood  with  great  success  until  the  18th 
of  December,  1905,  when  he  came  to  Detroit,  in  search  of  a  larger  field. 
He  located  at  273  Euclid  avenue,  East,  where  he  is  now  situated,  and  has 
been  in  active  practice  ever  since. 

In  the  spring  of  1906  the  Doctor  completed  a  large  business  block 
on  the  northwest  corner  of  Euclid  and  Oakland  avenue,  and  estab- 

voi.  m— 21 


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1162  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

lished  a  drug  store  in  one  of  the  stores.  He  conducted  this  himself  in 
connection  with  his  practice  for  five  years,  at  the  end  of  this  time  sell- 
ing out  in  order  to  give  more  time  not  only  to  his  increasing  practice 
but  to  his  other  interests.  He  is  at  present  building  another  business 
block  on  the  northeast  comer  of  the  same  streets,  adjoining  his  resi- 
dence which  he  purchased  in  1911. 

Dr.  Wixom  married  Louisa  McGarvey,  who  is  a  native  of  England, 
having  been  bom  in  London,  the  daughter  of  Charles  Miles  and  Jfcitilda 
(Burt)  Miles.  Mrs.  Wixom  came  with  her  family  to  America  in  1871, 
and  they  located  in  Ottawa,  Canada.  In  1881  her  father  went  to  Qu' 
Appelle,  Assinniboine,  now  Saskatchewan,  western  Canada,  where  he 
became  a  pioneer  wheat  grower  in  what  is  now  one  of  the  greatest  wheat 
countries  in  the  world.  He  died  in  June,  1910,  but  his  wife  is  still  liv- 
ing.   Dr.  and  Mrs.  Wixom  have  one  daughter,  Helen  Louise. 

Dr.  Wixom  is  prominent  in  fraternal  societies,  being  a  member  of 
the  Odd*  Fellows,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Elks  and  the  Modem 
Woodmen  of  America.  He  is  very  active  in  public  matters  and  was 
the  organizer  and  the  first  president  of  the  Northeastern  Business  Men's 
Association  of  Detroit,  an  organization  which  has  been  of  great  benefit 
to  that  section  of  the  city. 

Joseph  Beisman,  M.  D.  As  an  example  of  patience  under  disap- 
I)ointment,  and  courage  in  the  face  of  defeat,  the  life  of  Doctor  Joseph 
Beisman,  of  Detroit,  Michigan,  is  well  worthy  of  note.  Born  in  that 
tot  bed  of  oppression,  southern  Russia,  coming  to  America  as  a  poor 
immigrant  lad,  with  little  education,  struggling  along,  working  at  va- 
rious trades  for  a  number  of  years,  but  all  the  while  studying  during 
every  minute  and  finally  accomplishing  his  purpose,  and  becoming  a 
doctor.  Such  in  brief  is  the  life  history  of  one  of  the  best  known 
physicians  and  surgeons  in  Detroit.  He  is  a  man  greatly  honored  and 
admired  by  all  who  knew  him,  and  to  those  who  know  his  story  he  must 
be  regarded  wi.th  something  more  than  admiration,  for  rarely  is  suc- 
cess won  in  the  face  of  such  odds.  That  he  should  succeed  as  a  practi- 
tioner is  not  surprising,  for  the  patience,  self-reliance  and  determination 
to  win,. all  qualities  developed  in  him  during  his  struggle  to  obtain  a 
foothold  in  the  world,  have  aided  *him  in  his  professional  career. 

Joseph  Beisman  was  born  in  southern  Russia  on  September  23,  1863, 
his  parents  being  Mordecai  and  Jenny  (Schwartz)  Beisman,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Russia.  The  boyhood  of  Dr.  Beisman  was  spent 
in  the  land  of  his  nativity,  he  being  eighteen  years  of  age  when  his 
father  determined  to  immigrate  to  America.  This  important  event  in 
his  career  took  place  in  1881,  and  upon  their  arrival  the  family  located 
in  Brooklyn,  New  York.  Two  years  later  they  moved  to  the  south  and 
settled  at  Newport,  Arkansas,  near  which  town  Mordecai  Beisman  en- 
gaged in  farming.  The  move  proved  to  be  most  unfortunate,  for  the 
climate  of  that  section  was  at  that  time,  the  country  being  new,  very 
malarial,  and  Mr.  Beisman  removed  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

The  Doctor  did  not  accompany  the  family  to  Arkansas,  but  remained 
in  Brooklyn,  New  York.  There  he  took  up  the  cigar  trade,  serving  what 
in  older  days  would  be  termed  an  apprenticeship.  This  occupation  not 
being  to  his  liking,  he  next  went  to  work  making  basket  bottoms,  but 
this  also  proved  not  only  unprofitable  but  distasteful  to  him.  He  event- 
ually went  to  New  Bedford,  Massachusetts,  where  he  found  employ- 
ment in  the  cotton  .mills.  Here  his  ambition  to  make  something  of 
himself  received  its  first  encouragement,  for  he  was  able  to  attend  night 
school.    In  1883  he  went  to  St.  Louis  and  joined  his  father,  and  while 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1163 

there  took  up  the  study  of  bookkeeping,  following  this  occupation  for 
the  next  three  years.  During  this  time  he  kept  on  with  his  studies  and 
saved  his  money  rigorously  until  in  1886  he  found  himself  ready  to  take 
up  the  study  of  medicine,  and  matriculated  in  the  medical  department 
of  Washington  University.  As  difficult  as  medical  study  is  to  the 
American  boy  who  hais  perhaps  been  educated  with  this  profession  in 
view,  it  may  readily  be  understood  how  arduous  was  the  work  to  this 
young  foreigner  who  had  been  in  this  country  only  five  years.  He  suc- 
ceeded in  attaining  his  goal,  however,  and  was  awarded  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  in  1890,  from  the  above  mentioned  St.  Louis  institution.  In 
April  of  the  same  year  he  came  to  Detroit  and  located  at  the  comer  of 
Adams  and  Hastings  streets.  After  he  was  firmly  established  and  well 
on  the  road  to  success  he  moved  his  offices  to  his  present  location  at  630 
Brush  street,  where  he  also  maintains  his  home. 

Dr.  Beisman  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  of 
the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  of  the  American  Medical 
Association. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Beisman  occurred  on  the  23d  of  September, 
1900,  his  wife  being  Hildegarde  Levyson,  of  San  Antonio,  Texas.  They 
have  one  daughter,  Gertrude. 

Victor  Charles  Doherty,  M.  D.  No  line  of  human  endeavor  de- 
mands of  its  votaries  a  more  scrupulous  preliminary  training  and  dis- 
cipline, or  requires  a  heart  and  mind  more  deeply  in  touch  with  deter- 
minate sympathy  than  that  of  the  medical  practitioner.  He  who  would 
essay  the  healing  art  must  be  endowed  with  a  broad  spirit  of  humani- 
tarianism  and  must  hold  himself  and  his  talents  in  constant  readiness 
and  willingness  to  succor  those  in  affliction.  The  noble  profession  has 
in  Detroit  a  worthy  representative  in  Dr.  Victor  Charles  Doherty,  who 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  younger  physicians  and  surgeons  of 
the  city,  and  who  has  won  precedence  by  his  professional  talents  and 
genial  personality.  Victor  Charles  Doherty  was  bom  at  Belfast,  Alle- 
gany county,  New  York,  February  26,  1876,  and  is  a  son  of  M.  E.  and 
Mary  A.  (Miley)  Doherty.  His  father,  a  native  of  Kingston,  Ontario, 
Canada,  was  for  many  years  extensively  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness, and  died  in  1903,  while  the  mother,  who  still  survives  at  an  ad- 
vanced age,  makes  her  home  in  Ohio. 

Dr.  Doherty  was  reared  in  his  native  vicinity  and  received  his  pre- 
liminary education  in  the  public  and  high  schools  of  Belfast.  After 
graduating  from  the  latter  institution  he  completed  his  more  purely 
literary  training  in  Genesee  Valley  Seminary,  where  he  took  a  course 
in  Latin  and  Greek,  and  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1894.  At  that 
time  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  study  of  medicine,  and  soon  entered 
the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1898,  receiving  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Medicine.  During  that  same  year  he  entered  upon  the  active  practice 
of  his  profession  at  Grand  Maris,  Upper  Michigan  Peninsula,  where  for 
ten  years  he  was  surgeon  for  the  Manistique  Railroad  and  Lumber  Com- 
pany, but  in  1910,  desiring  a  wider  field  for  his  activities,  came  to  De- 
troit, where  he  has  since  gained  a  position  in  the  front  ranks  of  his 
profession  as  exemplifying  the  modem  sciences  of  medicine  and  surgery. 
It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  state  that  a  gratifying  success  has  attended 
his  efforts,  for  his  zeal  and  ability  renders  this  a  natural  sequence.  He 
occupies  well-appointed  offices  in  the  Goldberg  Building,  at  the  corner 
of  Woodward  and  Warren  avenues,  where  he  has  a  valuable  medical 
library  and  all  modem  appliances  for  the  successful  practice  of  his 
profession.     Dr.  Doherty  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Wayne  County 


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1164  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American 
Medical  Association,  and  his  fraternal  relations  are  with  the  Knights 
of  Columbus. 

Dr.  Doherty  was  married  to  Miss  Helen  .Green,  of  Saginaw,  Michi- 
gan, daughter  of  James  Green,  a  well  known  lumberman,  and  to  this 
union  there  has  been  born  one  bright  and  interesting  child  Victor 
Charles,  Jr.,  who  is  now  eight  years  of  8ige. 

Francis  T.  McGann.  Probably  in  no  line  of  life's  work  are  there 
so  many  self  made  men  as  in  the  profession  of  the  law.  This  is  prob- 
ably due  to  the  fact  that  fame  and  fortune  are  bestowed  only  upon  those 
who  demonstrate  their  superiority  and  are  the  reward  of  personal  ability 
and  not  favors  from  others.  Success  at  the  bar  means  not  only  hard 
study  in  preparation,  but  the  exercise  of  all  one's  intellectual  faculties 
almost  continually. 

Among  those  who  have  risen  to  prominence  at  the  Detroit  bar  is 
Francis  Thomas  McGann,  of  the  law  firm  of  McHugh,  Gallagher  &  Mc- 
Gann. Mr.  McGann  is  a  product  of  Detroit,  having  been  born  in  this 
city  March  4,  1888,  the  son  of  Thomas  F.  and  Catherine  (Dolan)  Mc- 
Gann. He  received  his  early  education  in  the  parochial  schools  of  this 
city,  after  which  he  entered  the  Detroit  College,  now  the  University  of 
Detroit,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1907  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  He 
then  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Law,  graduating  therefrom  with 
the  class  of  1910  and  receiving  the  degree  of  LL.B. 

His  recognition  as  one  of  the  rising  young  lawyers  of  Michigan  was 
speedily  recognized,  and  on  December  1,  1910,  he  was  appointed  assist- 
ant attorney  general  for  Michigan,  a  position  he  most  acceptably  filled 
until  July  1,  1911,  when  he  resigned  to  become  a  member  of  the  law  firm 
of  McHugh,  Gallagher  &  McGann.  lie  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Col- 
lege Alumni,  the  Pheta  Lambda  Phi,  the  Greek  letter  fraternity  of  the 
college,  and  of  the  Young  Men's  Order.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Detroit  Bar  Association. 

Mr.  McGann 's  father  was  bom  at  Milford,  Massachusetts,  July  14, 
1857,  the  son  of  Cornelius  McGann,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  came  to 
the  United  States  in  the  early  forties,  settling  in  Massachusetts.  The 
mother  of  Francis  T.  McGann,  the  talented  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
bom  at  Marshall,  Michigan.  The  elder  McGann  came  to  Detroit  when 
fifteen  years  of  age  and  up  to  four  years  ago  was  engaged  in  the  retail 
meat  business.  At  that  time  he  retired.  He  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  Holy  Rosary  Roman  Catholic  church. 

Carl  Francis  Muenz,  M.  D.,  whoee  high  standing  in  his  profession 
and  in  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  people  of  his  community  is  but 
the  natural  result  of  long  years  of  faithful  labor  in  alleviating  the 
ills  of  mankind,  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  physicians  and 
surgeons  of  Detroit's  East  Side,  where  he  maintains  oflRces  and  residence 
at  No.  421  Baldwin  avenue.  Dr.  Muenz  has  been  a  resident  of  this 
community  throughout  his  life,  having  been  bom  on  the  East  Side,  not 
far  from  his  present  home,  October  31,  1867.  a  son  of  Anthony  and 
Margaret  (Grones)  Muenz.  The  parents  of  the  Doctor  were  both 
bom  in  Germany,  but  were  married  in  Detroit,  whence  they  had 
come  as  young  people.  The  father,  who  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  was 
for  many  years  engaged  in  contracting  in  Detroit,  and  here  his  death 
occurred  in  1894,  when  he  was  seventy  years  of  age,  the  mother  passing 
away  in  1911,  having  attained  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five  years. 
They  were  consistent  and  well-known  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  belonging  to  St.  Mary's  congregation. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1165 

Dr.  Muenz  was  brought  up  to  city  life,  being  reared  in  Detroit, 
and  here  as  a  youth  he  secured  his  preliminary  educational  training 
in  the  parochial  schools  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  Earlydeciding 
upon  a  professional  career,  as  a  young  man  he  assiduously  devoted  his 
time  to  the  study  of  medicine,  and  in  1892,  after  extensive  preparation, 
entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
vith  the  class  of  1896,  receiving  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine. 
Locating  at  once  in  Detroit,  he  was  soon  accepted  by  the  citizens  of  his 
native  city  as  a  young  man  of  great  promise  and  capacity,  skillful  and 
careful  in  his  profession  and  of  sterling  worth  as  a  citizen.  His  af- 
fability and  obliging  disposition  gained  him  friends  rapidly,  and  his 
practice  soon  became  one  of  the  largest  and  most  lucrative  in  his 
part  of  the  city.  It  has  had  a  steady  and  continuous  growth,  increased 
by  his  success  in  the  treatment  of  a  number  of  difficult  cases,  and  he  is 
now  recognized  by  his  confreres  as  a  man  of  exceptional  ability  and 
thorough  knowledge.  A  close  and  careful  student,  he  keeps  abreast  of 
the  various  advancements  and  discoveries  in  the  sciences  of  medicine  and 
surgery,  being  a  constant  reader  of  medical  literature,  and  taking  a 
great  interest  in  the  work  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  the 
Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association, 
of  all  of  which  he  is  an  active  and  valued  member.  He  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine  Alumni  Association,  and 
is  a  popular  member  of  the  Elks.  With  his  family  he  attends  St. 
Mary's  Roman  Catholic  church. 

Dr.  Muenz  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Rose  Estelle  DeGalen, 
who  was  bom  in  Detroit,  the  daughter  of  Frank  DeGalen,  of  this 
city. 

Matthew  A.  Layton,  M.  D.  Among  the  well  fortified,  successful 
and  popular  represeutatives  of  the  medical  profession  in  Detroit  who 
can  claim  the  fine  old  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  as  the  place  of  his 
nativity  is  Dr.  Layton,  who  is  engaged  in  general  practice  and  who  has 
built  up  a  large  and  representative  professional  business  in  the  Michi- 
gan metropolis,  with  residence  and  office  at  1980  Fort  street,  West. 

Matthew  Alexander  Layton  was  bom  at  Tottingham,  Sim^oe  county, 
province  of  Ontario,  on  the  9th  of  February,  1866,  and  he  is  a  son  of 
Charles  and  Isabella  (AUen)  Layton.  Charles  Layton  was  bom  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Niagara  Falls  in  the  state  of  New  York  and  his  father, 
Francis  Layton,  was  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  England,  whence  he  came  to 
America  and  established  his  home  in  the  vicinity  of  Tonawanda,  Erie 
county.  New  York.  He  later  removed  to  the  province  of  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, where  he  passed  the  residue  of  his  life  and  where  his  son  Charles 
was  reared  to  manhood.  The  latter  becamp  one  of  the  representative 
agriculturists  and  influential  citizens  of  Simcoe  county,  Ontario,  and 
there  he  died  in  1899,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  His  devoted  wife 
preceded  him  to  eternal  rest  by  about  a  decade,  as  she  passed  away  in 
1889,  at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  She  was  bom  in  the  city  of  Belfast,  Ire- 
land, and  she  was  a  girl  at  the  time  of  the  family  immigration  to  Amer- 
ica, her  father,  Richard  Allen,  havintr  established  his  home  at  Tottinj?- 
ham,  Ontario,  where  he  and  his  wife  passed  the  remainder  of  their  . 
lives. 

The  sturdy  and  invigorating  discipline  of  the  home  farm  com- 
passed* the  childhood  and  youth  of  Dr.  Layton,  and  he  made  good  use 
of  the  advantages  offered  in  the  public  schools  of  the  locality,  including 
the  high  school  at  Owen  Sound,  Ontario.  He  then  entered  the  Ontario 
College  of  Pharmacy,  in  the  city  of  Toronto,  and  in  this  excellent  institu- 
tion he  was  graduated  in  1887,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Pharmacy. 


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1166  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

He  continued  to  be  actively  identified  with  the  retail  drug  business 
until  1894, — first  at  Tara,  Bruce  county,  Ontario,  later  at  Markdale, 
Grey  county,  that  province,  and  thereafter  at  Gladstone,  Delta  county, 
Michigan,  whence  he  came  to  Detroit. 

In  1894  Dr.  Layton  was  matriculated  in  the  Detroit  CoUege  of 
Medicine  and  he  completed  the  prescribed  course  in  this  institution, 
the  while  his  previous  experience  as  a  skilled  pharmacist  proved  of 
great  incidental  value.  He  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1897  and  duly  received  his  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  In  the 
same  year  he  engaged  in  active  general  practice  in  the  neighborhood  in 
which  he  now  resides,  and  his  clientage  is  of  distinctively  representa- 
tive order,  the  while  his  success  has  demonstrated  his  fine  technical 
ability  and  facility  in  the  application  of  the  same.  The  Doctor  erected 
his  present  attractive  residence  and  oflSce  in  1907,  and  the  home  is  one 
known  for  its  cordial  and  refined  hospitality.  Dr.  Layton  is  a  member 
of  the  American  Medical  Association,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  So- 
ciety and  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society.  He  is  local  medical 
examiner  for  the  Brotherhood  of  Railway  Trainmen  &  Locomotive  Fire- 
men, is  a  Republican  in  his  political  adherency,  and  he  and  his  wife 
are  communicants  of  the  Catholic  church. 

On  the  12th  of  September,  1899,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of 
Dr.  Layton  to  Miss  Florence  Roulo,  of  Detroit,  and  they  had  one  child, 
Ursula  Florence  who  was  born  January  7,  1902,  and  died  June  2, 
1912. 

Wesley  J.  Reh)^  M.  D.  Another  of  the  sterling  citizens  and  repre- 
sentative physicians  contributed  to  Detroit  by  the  neighboring  Canadian 
province  of  Ontario  is  Dr.  Wesley  John  Reid,  who  was  born  at  Gode- 
rich,  Huron  county,  that  province,  on  the  18th  of  December,  1875,  and 
who  is  a  son  of  Jamieson  and  Ruth  (Orr)  Reid,  both  of  whom  were 
bom  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  to  which  section  of  the  Emerald  Isle 
their  ancestors  removed  from  Scotland  in  an  early  day.  The  parents 
•of  the  Doctor  were  reared  and  educated  in  their  native  land,  where  they 
continued  to  reside  until  1861,  when  they  came  to  America  and  estab- 
lished their  home  at  Goderich,  Ontario,  where  the  father  has  been  for 
many  years  a  successful  contractor  and  representative  business  man. 
The  devoted  wife  and  mother  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal  in 
1906,  and  of  the  children  three  sons  and  three  daughters  are  living. 
She  was  a  devout  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  as  is  also  her  hus- 
band, who  still  resides  at  Goderich,  where  he  commands  secure  place  in 
popular  esteem. 

Dr.  Reid  is  indebted  to  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city  for  his 
early  educational  training  and  was  there  graduated  in  the  high  school 
as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1894.  In  the  same  year  he  came  to  Michi- 
gan and  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Pharmacy,  in  which  he  was 
graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1897.  In  the  meanwhile  he  had 
also  devoted  careful  attention  to  the  study  of  other  lines  relative  to 
medicine  and  surgery,  and  in  1896,  while  still  a  student  in  the  school 
of  pharmacy,  he  also  entered  the  Detroit  College  of  Physicians  &  Sur- 
geons,  in  which  he  completed  the  prescribed  course  and  was  graduated 
in  1898,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  His  ambition  and 
close  application  to  study  are  well  indicated  by  the  ground  covered  by 
him  in  the  two  institutions  mentioned,  as  he  virtually  did  double  work, 
as  compared  to  that  accomplished  by  the  average  student  of  either 
school.  Such  determination  and  valiant  ambition  are  the  inevitable 
concomitants  of  success,  and  it  can  thus  be  readily  understood  that  Dr. 
Reid  has  early  secured  substantial  vantage  ground  in  his  chosen  pro- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1167 

fession,  of  which  he  has  been  one  of  the  able  and  popular  representa- 
tives in  Detroit  from  the  time  of  his  graduation.  His  interest  in  all 
that  pertains  to  the  sciences  of  medicine  and  surgery  is  of  the  most 
insistent  order  and  he  is  a  close  and  appreciative  student,  determined  to 
keep  in  line  with  the  progress  made  in  both  departments  of  his  chosen 
vocation.  He  holds  membership  in  the  American  Medical  Association, 
the  Michig^  State  Medical  Society,  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical 
Society.  In  the  time-honored  Masonic  fraternity  he  is  affiliated  with 
Detroit  Lodge,  No.  2,  Free  &  Accepted  Masons. 

On  the  19th  of  October,  1902,  Dr.  Reid  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Emily  Young,  who  was  bom  in  the  historic  old  city  of  Edinburgh, 
Scotland.  Her  parents  never  came  to  America  both  dying  in  Scotland. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Reid  have  two  children, — Wesley  Grattan  and  Margaret 
Sarah.  The  family  home  is  located  at  185  Bethune  avenue.  The  Doc- 
tor maintains  office  headquarters  at  166  Bethune  avenue. 

Jay  M.  Buboess,  M.  D.  For  more  than  a  decade  Dr.  Burgess  has 
been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Detroit,  and  his  suc- 
cess in  Mq  exacting  calling  has  been  of  unequivocal  order,  based  as  it  is 
upon  sterling  personal  characteristics  and  fine  technical  ability.  He 
has  from  the  beginning  of  his  practice  here  maintained  his  residence 
and  office  headquarters  at  125  Bethune  avenue.  East,  and  he  controls  a 
practice  that  is  of  generous  proportions  and  of  essentially  representa- 
tive type.  He  is  a  scion  of  families  that  were  founded  in  America  in 
the  early  colonial  era  and  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution  his  ancestors 
on  both  the  paternal  and  maternal  sides  were  loyal  to  the  British  crown, 
being  of  the  class  of  citizens  known  as  united  empire  loyalists.  Their 
allegiance  to  their  native  land  led  them  to  leave  the  New  England 
colonies  and  establish  homes  in  the  Canadian  provinces.  Thus  the 
Burgess  family  was  founded  in  the  province  of  New  Brunswick,  Can- 
ada, in  the  early  pioneer  days,  while  the  Rounds  family,  of  which  Dr. 
Burgess  is  a  representative  on  the  maternal  side,  settled  in  the  province 
of  Ontario  about  the  same  time.  George  Burgess  a  great-grandfather 
of  the  Doctor,  was  an  officer  in  the  English  army  in  America  during 
the  progress  of  the  Revolution,  and  his  military  sash,  of  silk,  is  now  in 
the  possession  of  Dr.  Burgess  who  treasures  the  same  as  a  family 
heirloom  and  historic  trophy.  Representatives  of  both  the  Burgess  and 
Rounds  families  were  early  settlers  in  Oxford  coimty,  Ontario,  and 
the  respective  names  have  been  prominently  identified  with  the  develop- 
ment and  progress  of  that  favored  section  of  the  province. 

Dr.  Jay  Macdonald  Burgess  was  bom  at  Drumbo,  Oxford  county, 
Ontario,  on  the  27th  of  May,  1873,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  L.  and  Har- 
riet (Rounds)  Burgess  both  of  whom  were  likewise  born  in  that  county, 
where  they  also  died.  Joseph  L.  Burgess  was  long  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative merchants  of  the  town  of  Drumbo,  where  he  also  served  as 
postmaster  for  many  years,  an  honored  and  influential  citizen  and  a 
man  of  strong  character.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  communicants 
of  the  Baptist  church.  Of  their  children  four  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters are  living. 

In  the  graded  and  high  schools  of  his  native  county  Dr.  Burgess  was 
afforded  excellent  educational  advantages  in  his  boyhood  and  youth 
and  he  early  began  to  assist  in  the  work  of  his  father's  mercantile  es- 
tablishment, in  which  he  gained  diversified  and  valuable  experience. 
In  1893,  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  he  went  to  the  city  of  Chicago, 
where  he  secured  employment  in  the  great  wholesale  house  of  Marshall 
Field  &  Company  with  which  he  continued  to  be  thus  connected  for  a 
period  of  four  years,  within  which  he  formulated  his  plans  for  en- 


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1168  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

teriug  the  medical  profession.  With  this  laudable  ambition  he  consulted 
ways  and  means  and  finally  decided  to  avail  himself  of  the  advantages  of 
the  Michigan  College  of  Medicine  &  Surgery.  He  accordingly,  in 
the  year  1896,  came  to  Detroit  and  entered  this  excellent  institu- 
tion. He  devoted  himself  earnestly  to  his  study  and  clinical  work  and 
was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1900,  with  the  coveted 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine,  the  honors  and  dignity  of  which  he  has 
since  splendidly  upheld  in  the  work  of  his  profession.  Detroit  has 
been  his"  field  of  labor  from  the  beginning  and  his  ability,  earnest  ap- 
plication and  personal  popularity  have  been  the  factors  that  have 
conserved  his  noteworthy  success  as  a  physician  and  surgeon.  The 
Doctor  is  identified  with  the  American  Medical  Society,  the  Michigan 
State  Medical  Society,  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  and  the 
Michigan  Surgical  &  Pathological  Society.  For  four  years  he  did  ef- 
fective service  as  lecturer  on  materia  medica  in  his  alma  mater,  the 
Michigan  College  of  Medicuae  &  Surgery.  The  political  convictions  of 
Dr.  Burgess  are  in  harmony  with  the  principles  and  policies  for  which 
the  Republican  party  stands  sponsor ;  he  is  afl&liated  with  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows;  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  communicants 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church. 

On  the  25th  of  October,  1902,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Dr. 
Burgess  to  Miss  Mabel  Bastedo,  of  Toronto,  Canada.  She  is  a  rep- 
resentative of  one  of  the  old  and  honored  families  of  the  Dominion  of 
Canada,  where  her  ancestors,  who  were  staunch  loyalists,  took  up  their 
residence  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  removing  to  Canada  from  the 
New  England  colonies.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Burgess  are  popular  factors  in 
the  social  activities  of  Detroit  and  their  attractive  home,  at  125  Beth- 
une  avenue.  East,  is  known  for  its  generous  hospitality,  the  while  it  is 
brightened  by  the  presence  of  their  two  children, — Harriet  Gladys  and 
Charles  Macdonald. 

Michael  Conner.  The  late  Michael  Conner  was  a  resident  of  Wayne 
county  from  his  childhood  days  until  the  time  of  his  death  and  was  a 
representative  of  one  of  the  sterling  pioneer  families  of  this  section  of 
the  state.  A  man  of  fine  character  and  marked  ability,  he  gained  dis- 
tinctive success  in  connection  with  the  practical  activities  of  life  and 
he  was  long  one  of  the  prominent  merchants  and  influential  citizens  of 
the  village  of  Plymouth,  where  his  name  is  held  in  lasting  honor  as 
one  of  the  worthy  pioneers  of  the  county  and  state. 

Mr.  Conner  was  bom  in  Ireland,  on  the  16th  of  November,  1829, 
and  he  died  at  his  home  in  Plymouth,  in  November,  1895.  He  was  a 
child  at  the  time  of  his  parents'  immigration  from  the  Emerald  Isle 
to  America,  and  the  family  located  on  a  pioneer  farm  near  Plymouth, 
Wayne  county,  Michigan,  where  the  father  died  while  still  a  young 
man,  the  mother  living  to  the  venerable  age  of  ninety  years.  Michael 
Conner  was  reared  to  the  sturdy  discipline  of  the  farm  and  early  learned 
the  lessons  of  practical  industry,  the  while  he  availed  himself  of  the 
advantages  of  the  somewhat  primitive  schools  of  the  locality  and  period. 
An  alert  and  receptive  mind  enabled  him  to  overcome  most  effectually 
this  educational  handicap  and  he  became  a  man  of  broad  and  varied 
information,  as  well  as  one  of  independent  views  and  distinctive  busi- 
ness acumen.  In  1852  he  was  one  of  the  adventurous  spirits  who  made 
the  journey  across  the  plains  to  the  New  Eldorado  in  California.  The 
hazardous  journey  consumed  more  than  six  months,  and  during  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  Mr.  Conner  was  ill,  so  that  the  trip  was  doubly 
enervating  and  tedious  to  him.  In  California  he  pursued  the  quest 
for  gold  for  a  period  of  about  four  years,  and  his  success  was  appre- 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1169 

ciable.  He  made  the  return  trip  to  the  east  by  way  of  Cape  Horn,  and 
came  back  to  his  old  home  in  Wayne  county.  Soon  afterward  he  pur- 
chased the  hardware  store  of  Henry  Bennett,  which  was  the  only 
establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  village  of  Plymouth  at  that  time,  and 
with  this  enterprise  he  continued  to  be  actively  identified  until  his 
death,  about  forty  years  later,  at  which  time  he  was  the  oldest  mer- 
chant of  the  village  in  point  of  consecutive  business  activities.  Through 
fair  and  honorable  dealings  and  scrupulous  care  in  supplying  the  de- 
mands of  his  trade  he  built  up  a  most  prosperous  enterprise,  which  is 
still  continued  by  his  only  surviving  son. 

In  all  that  makes  for  good  citizenship  Mr.  Conner  was  long  a  lead- 
ing figure  in  his  home  village,  and  his  benignant  influence  had  much 
to  do  with  furthering  the  material  and  civic  progress  and  prosperity 
of  the  same.  There  he  commanded  high  vantage  ground  in  popular 
confidence  and  esteem,  and  he  left  the  gracious  heritage  of  an  untar- 
nished reputation.  Generous,  genial  and  kindly,  he  gained  the  staunchest 
of  friends,  and  he  vas  most  companionable,  with  characteristic  humor 
and  with  a  rare  fund  of  reminiscences  and  anecdotes.  In  politics  Mir. 
Conner  gave  unqualified  allegiance  to  the  Democratic  party  and  he 
was  well  able  to  **give  a  reason  for  the  faith  that  was  in  him."  He 
took  an  active  part  in  public  affairs  of  a  local  order  and  was  called  upon 
to  serve  in  various  offices  of  public  trust,  including  that  of  president 
of  the  village  council  of  Plymouth, — a  position  in  which  he  gave  a  most 
progressive  and  businesslike  administration.  His  public  spirit  was 
manifested  in  many  ways,  and  in  none  more  worthily  and  influentially 
than  in  the  establishing  and  improving  of  the  beautiful  cemetery  in 
which  rest  his  own  remains.  He  purchased  the  land  for  this  *' God's 
acre"  and  personally  superintended  the  platting  of  the  same.  He  was 
liberal  and  tolerant  in  his  religious  views  and,  with  his  family,  attended 
and  supported  the  Universalist  church  in  his  home  village.  His  life 
was  one  of  signal  usefulness  and  honor  and  his  name  merits  enduring 
place  on  the  roster  of  the  sterling  pioneers  of  Wayne  county  and  the 
state  of  Michigan. 

On  the  18th  of  February,  1858,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Conner  to  Miss  Jane  Woodruff,  who  was  bom  in  Wayne  county.  New 
York,  on  the  3d  of  July,  1832,  and  who  was  a  child  at  the  time  of 
the  family  removal  to  Wayne  county,  Michigan,  where  she  has 
ever  since  maintained  her  home  and  concerning  the  pioneer  days  of 
which  she  retains  vivid  memories.  She  resides  with  her  one  surviving 
daughter  in  the  beautiful  homestead  which  was  purchased  by  the  de- 
voted husband  and  father  about  five  years  prior  to  his  death  and 
which  is  one  of  the  finest  residence  properties  in  Plymouth,  even  as 
it  is  a  recognized  center  of  gracious  and  refined  hospitality.  In  con- 
clusion is  entered  brief  record  concerning  the  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Conner:  Catherine  died  on  the  19th  of  April,  1863,  in  childhood. 
William  T.,  who  was  born  at  Plymouth  on  the  14th  of  July,  1862,  suc- 
ceeded his  father  in  the  hardware  business,  in  the  management  and 
control  of  which  his  sister  is  his  effective  coadjutor.  As  a  business  man 
and  progressive  citizen  he  is  well  upholding  the  honors  of  the  name 
which  he  bears,  and  he  is  one  of  the  representative  men  of  his  native 
place.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political  allesriance  and  is  affiliated  with 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  married  Miss  Catherine  Wilcox  and  they 
have  two  children, — Hazel  and  Catherine.  Louis  E.,  the  third  of  the 
children,  was  bom  on  the  24th  of  July,  1866,  and  died  on  the  30th  of 
July  of  the  following  year.  Mary  E.»  who  resides  with  her  widowed 
mother  in  the  family  home,  is  associated  in  the  management  of  the 
business  so  long  conducted  by  her  honored  father  and  is  a  popular 


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1170  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

factor  in  the  social  activities  of  her  native  place,  where  her  circle  of 
friends  is  practically  coincident  with  that  of  the  population. 

Jacob  B.  Bromfield.  One  of  the  early  settlers  of  Plymouth  was 
Jacob  Bromfield,  a  native  of  New  York  state.  He  was  born  in  1803, 
educated  in  the  state  of  his  birth  and  after  learning  the  blacksmith 
trade,  came  to  Plymouth  and  carried  on  that  business  here  for  many 
years.  He  served  as  deputy  sheriff  under  Peter  Pralick.  Mr.  Brom- 
field was  a  man  of  lofty  Christian  character  and  was  one  of  the  most 
enthusiastic  and  faithful  workers  in  the  Methodist  church.  For  many 
years  he  was  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  and  the  example  of 
his  upright  life  made  him  specially  adapted  for  such  a  position.  He 
lived  to  the  age  of  eighty-three  and  was  buried  in  Plymouth,  where 
he  had  lived  so  long  and  had  won  such  respect  and  affection  from  all 
who  knew  him.  He  was  married  to  Katherine  Fralick,  whose  father, 
Abraham  Fralick  was  a  pioneer  of  Plymouth  and  also  the  first  person  to 
be  buried  in  the  old  Plymouth  cemetery.  Katherine  Fralick  was  also 
born  in  the  state  of  New  York.  The  date  of  her  birth  being  June  17, 
1807.  She  was  married  on  the  first  of  March,  some  three  months  be- 
fore she  was  eighteen  years  old,  in  the  year  1825.  Seven  children  were 
bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bromfield,  all  of  whom  are  dead  except  one  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Nichols,  of  Plymouth. 

The  Fralick  family  was  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  of  Ply- 
mouth. They  came  through  the  trackless  forests  with  ox  teams  and 
took  up  land  near  the  town.  Peter  and  Henry  Fralick  were  the  first 
merchants  of  Plymouth  and  the  family  wai^  always  prominent  in  the 
history  of  the  town.  Peter  served  as  sheriff  for  two  terms.  In  public 
office,  as  in  his  business,  he  was  efficient  and  conscientious  and  gave 
his  best  efforts  to  fulfilling  the  duties  devolving  upon  him. 

Dr.  Harrison  Nichols  was  bom  in  New  York  state,  on  October  26, 
1845.  He  graduated  from  Ann  Arbor  and  for  many  years  kept  a 
drug  store  and  practiced  at  Saline,  Michigan.  Later  he  moved  to 
Plymouth,  where  he  built  the  fine  home  in  which  his  widow  now  re- 
sides. It  was  here  that  he  died  on  March  29,  1909,  having  retired  from 
active  business  some  years  previously.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic order  and  a  Knight  Templar.  His  marriage  to  Ellen  Bromfield 
took  place  in  April,  1889.  She  was  bom  in  Plymouth  and  has  always 
lived  here. 

Rt.  Rev.  John  S.  Foley.  In  a  publication  of  the  province  assigned 
to  the  one  in  hand  there  is  no  necessity  for  bearing  a  brief  to  deter- 
mine as  to  the  status  of  the  distinguished  and  revered  bishop  of  the 
diocese  of  Detroit  in  the  affections  and  esteem  of  the  people  of  Michigan 
and  its  metropolis,  the  while  his  high  ecclesiastical  preferment  indi- 
cates the  scholarly  attainments  and  fine  executive  ability  which  he 
brings  to  bear  in  administering  the  spiritual  and  temporal  affairs  of 
its  important  see.  He  stands  high  in  the  American  councils  of  the 
great  mother  church  of  Christendom,  and  his  consecration  in  his  holy 
office  is  on  a  parity  with  his  great  intellectual  and  administrative 
powers. 

Bishop  John  Samuel  Foley,  head  of  the  Catholic  diocese  of  Detroit, 
was  bom  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  Maryland,  on  the  fifth  of  November, 
1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Matthew  and  Elizabeth  (Murphy)  Foley,  both 
natives  of  Enniscorthy,  county  Wexford,  Ireland. 

Bishop  Foley  gained  his  preliminary  educational  discipline  in  the 
parochial  schools  of  his  native  city,  where  he  thereafter  continued  his 
higher  academic  studies  in   St.  Mary's  College.     In  preparation  for 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  '  1171 

the  work  of  his  chosen  and  holy  calling  he  prosecuted  philosophical  and 
classical  studies  in  St.  Mary's  College,  Baltimore,  in  which  institution 
he  also  secured  his  earlier  ecclesiastical  training.  In  1853  he  was  sent 
to  Rome  by  Archbishop  !^enrick,  to  prepare  for  his  ordination  to  the 
priesthood,  and  in  the  ** Eternal  City,''  on  the  20th  of  December,  1856, 
he  received  the  holy  orders  in  St.  John's  Lateran,  Cardinal  Patrizzi 
officiating  at  his  consecration.  In  November  of  the  following  year  he 
returned  to  America,  where  his  first  charge  was  in  St.  Bridget's  church 
in  Baltimore.  In  1858  he  was  transferred  to  the  parish  of  St.  Paul's 
church  at  EUicott  City,  Maryland,  where  he  continued  his  labors  for 
five  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  he  returned  to  Baltimore  as  assist- 
ant pastor  of  St.  Peter's  church.  In  1865  he  was  assigned  to  the  work 
of  founding  and  building  St.  Martin's  church  in  that  city,  and  this 
work  he  accomplished  with  characteristic  vigor  and  earnestness.  He 
developed  a  vital  and  prosperous  parish  and  in  the  meanwhile  was 
active  in  the  generic  work  of  the  church,  the  establishing  of  new  schools 
and  the  developing  of  the  charitable  institutions  of  the  church. 

Well  merited  recognition  of  the  exalted  character  and  services  of 
Bishop  Foley  came  in  1888,  when  he  was  made  bishop  of  the  diocese  of 
Detroit.  The  great  work  which  he  has  here  accomplished  in  the  in- 
tervening years  is  a  very  part  of  the  religious  history  of  Detroit  and 
the  state,  and  it  is  not  necessary  to  enter  into  details  concerning  his 
resourceful,  constructive  and  progressive  administration  of  the  temporal 
affairs  of  his  diocese,  or  say  that  his  quickening  influence  has  been  rich 
in  its  spiritual  fruitage  in  all  departments  of  church  work.  In  1910, 
to  enable  him  the  more  effectively  to  administer  the  ever  increasing 
functions  of  his  high  office,  he  was  granted  the  assistance  of  an  auxiliary 
bishop,  the  Rt.  Rev.  E.  D.  Kelley,  of  Ann  Arbor,  who  has  proved  his 
able  and  devoted  coadjutor  in  handling  the  great  responsibilities  of  the 
diocese. 

Harry  Wilkerson  Ford.  Turn  which  way  one  will,  one  will  always 
find  former  newspaper  men  filling  positions  of  trust  and  prominence 
in  the  business  world  outside  of  the  profession  in  which  they  made  their 
start  in  life.  A  notable  example  of  this  is  Harry  Wilkerson  Ford,  sec- 
retary of  the  Chalmers  Motor  Company. 

Mr.  Ford  was  bom  on  his  father's  farm  near  EInob  Noster,  Mis- 
souri, on  May  1,  1880.  He  secured  his  early  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Knob  Noster,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1897.  In  1900 
he  entered  the  South  Division  high  school  at  Chickgo,  and  graduating 
from  there  in  1900,  after  which  he  entered  the  University  of  Chicago. 
While  at  college  he  took  up  newspaper  work,  which  he  continued  dur- 
ing his  studies,  ending  in  1905.  Immediately  after  his  graduation  from 
the  University  Mr.  Ford  became  associated  with  the  National  Cash 
Register  Company  in  the  advertising  department,  where  he  remained 
until  1907,  when  he  accepted  the  position  of  advertising  manager  of  the 
Sheldon  Correspondence  school.  He  remained  with  the  Sheldon  con- 
cern until  1908,  when  he  accepted  the  position  of  advertising  manager 
of  the  Chalmers  Motor  Company  of  Detroit,  a  post  he  filled  with  success 
until  1909,  when  he  took  another  upward  step  and  became  secretary  for 
the  Chalmers  Motor  Company. 

On  October  6,  1908,  Mr.  Ford  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lola 
Woolfington,  of  Muncie,  Indiana.  As  a  result  of  this  union  there  are 
two  daughters,  Jane  and  Mary. 

In  politics  Mr.  Ford  is  an  independent  Democrat. 

Walter  E.  Flanders.  The  organizer  and  present  head  of  the 
E-M-F  Company,  Walter  E.  Flanders,  arrived  at  his  comprehensive 


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1172  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

knowledge  of  the  various   details  of  his  business  through   carefully 
planned  stages  of  training  and  thorough  experience. 

In  Rutland,  Vermont,  in  the  year  1871,  Walter  E.  Flanders  was 
born.  He  was  the  son  of  a  country  physician,  whose  fees  often  con- 
sisted merely  of  gratitude,  or  when  paid  in  more  substantial  manner 
took  the  form  of  food  and  provisions  rather  than  money.  The  Doctor's 
son  left  school  at  the  age  of  fifteen  and  became  an  apprentice  in  a 
machine-shop,  where  he  not  only  performed  his  regular  work,  but  took 
advantage  of  every  opportunity  to  learn  new  and  diflScult  operations 
with  the  machinery  of  the  shop.  At  the  end  of  the  year  he  had  learned 
every  mechanical  process  there  performed. 

Having  not  only  worked,  but  planned,  young  Flanders  realized  that 
the  most  efficient  machinists  are  those  who  have  worked  in  many  shops 
of  numerous  kinds  and  localities.  He  therefore  made  a  point  of  gain- 
ing the  experience  to  be  had  from  frequent  changes.  One  of  the  posi- 
tions he  held  in  this  series  was  with  the  Singer  Machine  Company* 
where  he  learned  many  of  the  principles  and  methods  that  he  has  since 
applied  to  his  manufacturing  of  automobiles. 

His  next  step  was  the  learning,  also  through  experience,  of  the 
me»*chandise  phases  of  his  business.  He  became  a  salesman  of  machinery. 
Those  who  knew  him  in  this  work  and  who  analyzed  his  method  say 
that  economy  of  talk,  with  a  point  in  every  word,  characterized  his 
salesmanship.  During  this  work  he  sold  machines  to  many  of  the 
largest  concerns  in  both  the  United  States  and  Europe. 

While  engaged  in  the  marketing  of  machinery  and  subsequent  to 
that  time,  Mr.  Flanders  was  engaged  in  designing  and  manufacturing 
special  automatic  tools  for  special  purposes,  thus  maatering  mechanical 
execution  of  a  constructive  type. 

Having  thus  attained  a  broadly  practical  knowledge  of  a  very 
promising  field  of  business,  he  was  ready  for  positions  requiring  super- 
vision and  management  of  large  plants  and  a  succession  of  such  posi- 
tions came  to  him.  For  years  he  was  manufacturing  manager  for  the 
Ford  Motor  Company,  and  he  held  the  position  of  manager  and  vice- 
president  of  the  Studebaker  Corporation. 

He  organized  and  is  the  head  of  the  E-M-F  Company,  one  of  the 
most  successful  and  progressive  organizations  of  its  kind. 

Those  who  have  beep  associated  with  Mr.  Flanders  find  profit  in 
pointing  out  certain  qualities  that  have  made  his  work  a  success.  Clear- 
sighted analysis  of  situations,  a  directness  and  swiftness  of  operation 
that  might  be  considered  rash  if  not  so  carefully  prepared  for,  a  per- 
sonal interest  in  his  men  and  always  a  largeness  of  purpose  best  ex- 
pressed by  his  maxim,  ''The  limit  is  the  sky,'' — these  are  among  the 
characteristics  which  have  brought  about  his  successes. 

Other  phases  of  Mr.  Flanders'  activity  which  are  of  interest  in- 
cluded his  movements  in  promoting  the  new  hotel  at  Pontiac  and  his 
interest  in  the  country  estate  of  1,200  acres  which  he  owns  in  Oakland 
coimty.  His  financial  ranking:  and  the  effect  of  his  business  opera- 
tions upon  commercial  circles,  are  matter  for  daily  comment  or  for 
the  personal  interest  of  his  friends  and  business  associates.  Mr. 
Flanders'  demonstration  in  his  career  of  what  a  practical,  self -directed 
education  may  lead  to  in  a  life's  success  is  perhaps  his  most  valuable 
contribution  to  the  social  good.  There  seems,  however,  to  be  a  large 
human  purpose  in  his  attitude  toward  work  and  workmen  which  is  not 
to  be  expressed  in  any  words  of  idle  comment  but  rather  in  the  yet 
potential  facts  of  the  years  that  are  yet  to  be  lived. 

John  F.  Cotter.  Among  the  younger  members  of  the  bar  in  Detroit, 
is  John  F.  Cotter,  who,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  has  only  been  prac- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1173 

ticing  for  eight  years,  has  already  built  for  himself  an  enviable  repu- 
tation as  a  keen  and  able  lawyer,  and  a  practice  which  is  constantly 
growing.  He  inherits  from  his  Irish  ancestry  a  facility  of  speech,  and 
his  training  in  one  of  the  best  law  schools  of  the  country  has  given 
him  a  mastery  of  logic  and  of  the  technicalities  of  the  law  that  renders 
him  more  competent  than  many  of  his  seniors. 

John  F.  Cotter  was  born  in  Detroit  on  the  14th  of  July,  1879,  the 
son  of  Morris  and  Mary  (Roche)  Cotter.  Both  of  his  parents  were 
natives  of  Ireland,  his  father  having  come  to  the  United  States  as  a 
young  man.  He  settled  first  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  but  in  the  early 
fifties  came  to  Michigan  and  located  in  Detroit.  He  was  a  railroad 
man,  and  for  many  years  was  connected  with  the  Michigan  Central 
Railroad  Company.  His  death  occurred  when  John  F.  Cotter  was  only 
three  years  of  age  so  he  was  obliged  to  forego  the  care  of  a  father, 
and  came  to  know  early  in  life  what  responsibility  meant.  His  educa- 
tion was  bom  in  the  public  schools  of  Detroit,  where  as  a  member  of 
the  class  of  1897  he  was  graduated  from  the  Central  High  School.  He 
then  matriculated  at  the  University  of  Michigan,  in  Ann  Arbor,  and 
here  he  was  graduated  in  1902,  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  Having  de- 
termined to  make  the  law  his  profession,  he  entered  the  law  depart- 
ment of  his  alma  mater  and  for  a  year  continued  his  studies  there.  At 
the  end  of  this  time  he  returned  to  Detroit,  where  he  continued  his 
reading  of  law  in  the  Detroit  College  of  Law.  He  was  graduated 
from  this  institution  in  1904,  receiving  the  degree  of  LL.  B.,  and  he 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  during  the  same  year.  He  began  the  practice 
of  his  profession  in  Detroit,  for  one  year  alone  and  then  as  an  associate 
of  Henry  C.  Walters. 

Mr.  Cotter  is  an  active  member  of  both  the  Detroit  Bar  Association 
and  of  the  Lawyers'  Club,  of  Detroit.  He  is  interested  in  fraternal 
affairs  to  the  extent  of  being  a  member  and  present  master  of  Friend- 
ship Lodge,  No.  417,  of  the  Ancient,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons.  He 
married  in  1908,  on  the  29th  of  September,  Miss  Lillian  Whitman,  the 
daughter  of  H.  A.  Whitman,  of  Ann  Arbor. 

Taking  into  consideration  that  Mr.  Cotter  has  not  passed  the  thresh- 
hold  of  his  profession  by  a  great  distance,  and  that  he  has  the  best 
years  of  his  life  still  before  him,  the  future,  judging  by  his  success  in 
the  past,  looks  very  bright  indeed,  and  could  one  judge  a  man's 
prosperity  by  the  number  of  his  friends,  as  some  philosophers  would 
have  us  do,  then  Mr.  Cotter  would  undoubtedly  be  called  a  very  suc- 
cessful man,  for  his  friends  are  many. 

Octave  Courville.  By  very  name  itself  Detroit  pays  lasting  honor 
to  those  of  French  birth  or  extraction  who  have  played  an  important 
part  in  her  history,  and  many  are  the  families  of  this  sterling  lineage 
who  have  figured  most  worthily  and  conspicuously  in  the  annals  of  the 
city  from  the  time  of  its  founding  to  the  present  day.  In  noting  the 
records  of  such  families  and  others  of  the  French  who  have  been 
valued  and  honored  factors  in  connection  with  business  and  civic  affairs 
in  the  Michigan  metropolis,  there  is  all  of  consistency  in  according 
special  tribute  to  Octave  Courville,  who  was  for  many  years  a  repre- 
sentative merchant  of  Detroit  and  who  was  a  citizen  well  worthy  of 
the  high  regard  in  which  he  was  held  in  the  community. 

Octave  Courville  was  born  in  France,  on  the  21st  of  July,  1833, 
and  was  a  child  at  the  time  of  the  family  immigration  to  America.  His 
father,  Joseph  A.  Courville,  who  was  a  tanner  by  vocation,  established 
a  home  at  Napierville,  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  where  he  became  a 
prosperous  business  man  and  where  he  continued  to  reside  until  his 


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1174  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

death,  in  1849,  his  wife  also  passing  the  closing  years  of  her  life  in 
Canada.  The  subject  of  this  memoir  secured  his  early  educational 
discipline  in  the  schools  of  the  town  just  mentioned  and  in  1849,  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  years,  shortly  after  the  death  of  his  father,  he  came 
to  Detroit.  There  he  secured  employment  as  clerk  in  a  drygoods 
establishment  and  continued  thus  engaged  for  a  decade,  at  the  expira- 
tion of  which,  in  1859,  he  made  his  first  independent  venture  by  form- 
ing a  partnership  with  Louis  Perrault,  who  was  a  personal  friend  and 
also  of  stanch  French  lineage,  and  they  engaged  in  the  grocery  business 
on  the  river  front,  near  the  foot  of  Riopelle  street.  By  energy,  correct 
dealings  and  careful  management  they  built  up  a  prosperous  enterprise, 
and  much  of  their  business  was  in  the  furnishing  of  supplies  to  vessels 
engaged  in  transportation  service  on  the  great  lakes.  After  having 
conducted  a  successful  business  for  many  years,  the  partnership  was 
dissolved  by  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Perrault,  and  about  the  year  1883 
Mr.  Courville  purchased  the  old  Stephen  Mack  property  on  Jefferson 
avenue,  where  he  opened  a  retail  grocery  and  built  up  a  large  and 
flourishing  trade.  In  the  meanwhile  he  maintained  his  residence  in 
a  portion  of  the  same  building, — now  a  very  valuable  property.  There 
he  continued  to  devote  his  attention  to  business  affairs  until  he  met 
with  an  accident  which  resulted  in  his  death,  on  the  9th  of  August, 
1889,  his  remains  being  cremated,  in  accordance  with  his  own  wishes. 

Mr..  Courville  was  a  man  of  strong  personality  and  well  fortified 
opinions,  and  was  significantly  loyal  and  public-spirited  as  a  citizen, 
the  while  his  sterling  integrity  of  character  gained  and  retained  to  him 
the  implicit  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  men.  His  political  alle- 
giance was  given  to  the  Republican  party,  as  he  was  independent  in 
thought  and  action  and  gave  his  support  to  men  and  measures  meeting 
the  approva^l  of  his  judgment.  He  was  affiliated  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  was  identified  with  no  religious  organization,  as  he  was 
broad  and  tolerant  in  his  opinions,  -though  maintaining  a  deep  respect 
for  spiritual  verities.  He  left  a  spotless  reputation  and  the  record  not 
only  of  large  and  worthy  accomplishment,  but  of  kindly  thoughts  and 
kindly  deeds. 

On  the  15th  of  August,  1860,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Cour- 
ville to  Miss  Catherine  Barlage,  who  has  been  a  resident  of  Detroit  from 
the  time  of  her  birth,  which  there  occurred  on  November  21,  1841,  so 
that  she  has  now  reached  the  span  of  three-score  years  and  ten.  Her 
father,  Anthony  Barlage,  of  stanch  German  ancestry,  established  his 
home  in  Detroit  in  the  early  days  and  was  there  engaged  in  the  meat- 
market  business  for  many  years, — a  citizen  of  sterling  worth  and  one 
who  commanded  secure  place  in  popular  esteem.  He  and  his  wife  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  that  city  until  his  death,  and  of  their  children 
one  son  and  eight  daughters  are  living.  Detroit  is  endeared  to  Mrs. 
Courville  by  the  hallowed  memories  and  associations  of  many  years, 
and  there  she  has  a  wide  circle  of  friends,  to  whom  her  attractive  home, 
at  1883  Jefferson  avenue,  is  a  grateful  retreat.  Mr.  and  !Mrs.  Cour- 
ville became  the  parents  of  nine  children,  concerning  whom  brief  record 
is  made  in  the  concluding  paragraph  of  this  sketch. 

Louise  is  the  wife  of  Frederick  Blum,  of  Detroit,  and  they  have 
three  children,  Nelda,  Bessie  and  Marceau;  Elizabeth  remains  with 
her  widowed  mother  and  is  the  efficient  and  popular  principal  of  the 
Monteith  school;  Ida  is  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in  Detroit  and 
likewise  remains  with  the  widowed  mother ;  Cora  is  the  wife  of  William 
J.  Keenan,  of  Detroit ;  George  W.,  who  holds  the  position  of  paymaster 
in  the  city  treasurer's  office,  married  Miss  Charlotte  Mann;  Alice  is 
the  wife  of  Frank  R.  Chalmers,  chief  auditor  of  the  Michigan  Central 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1175 

Railroad,  of  Detroit,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Catherine;  Lillian 
is  the  wife  of  WiUiam  J.  Hyne,  of  this  city,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren, Dorothy  and  Frederick;  Jessie  is  the  wife  of  Fred  S.  Dean,  of  De- 
troit; and  Catherine  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Theodore  L.  Chapman,  a  repre^ 
sentative  physician  and  surgeon  of  Duluth,  Minnesota. 

Davh)  E.  Heineman.  Prominent  in  civic  and  legal  circles  of  Detroit, 
justly  admired  for  his  keen  intelligence,  unquestioned  honesty  and  fear- 
lessness of  purpose,  David  E.  Heineman  is  a  representative  member  of 
the  Detroit  Bar,  and  is  most  acceptably  filling  the  office  of  Comptroller 
of  the  City  of  Detroit. 

The  son  of  Emil  S.  and  Fanny  (Butzel)  Heineman,  early  citizens  of 
Detroit  in  its  pioneer  days,  David  E.  Heineman  was  bom  in  this  city, 
on  the  17th  of  October,  1865.  His  parents  were  native  Bavarians,  and 
their  respective  families  are  old  in  name  and  honorably  established  in 
their  native  land  for  many  years.  The  city  of  Schesslitz,  Bavaria,  has 
for  centuries  represented  the  ancestral  home  of  the  Heineman  family, 
and  there  they  were  land  and  mill  owners  up  to  the  Seven  Years  War, 
when  their  entire  possessions  were  swept  away.  Thereafter  the  little 
town  of  Burg  Ellen  was  their  home.  The  grandfather  of  the  subject, 
as  a  small  boy,  went  to  North  Germany  and  located  in  Neuhaus,  near 
Hamburg,  where  in  time  he  came  to  be  regarded  as  the  leading  citizen 
of  the  place.  The  family  residence  and  the  warehouses  which  he  there 
erected  are  yet  standing.  His  eldest  son  became  mayor  of  the  city,  and 
of  his  younger  sons,  Emil  S.,  the  father  of  David  E.  Heineman,  came 
to  America  following  the  revolution  of  1848,  and  in  1851  located  in 
Detroit,  which  city  was  his  home  until  his  death  in  1896.  He  was  a 
successful  business  man,  and  ever  held  a  prominent  place  in  the  esteem 
of  the  leading  citizenship  of  Detroit.  The  family  of  Mrs.  Emil  S.  Heine- 
man,  came  to  America  in  the  early  fifties,  locating  in  Peekskill,  New 
York. 

David  E.  Heineman  was  the  youngest  boy  who  attended  the  famous 
old  Philo  Patterson  school.  He  afterwards  attended  the  public  schools 
and  entered  the  high  school,  graduating  in  1883  as  president  of  his 
class.  He  then  spent  a  year  in  European  travel  and  at  the  close  of  that 
time,  in  the  fall  of  1883,  entered  the  literary  department  of  the  university 
of  Michigan,  completing  a  four  years'  course  in  three  years  and  securing 
his  degree  of  Ph.  B.  in  1887. 

Returning  to  Detroit,  Mr.  Heineman  studied  law  in  the  offices  of 
Walker  &  Walker,  after  which  he  spent  a  year  in  the  law  department  of 
the  University  of  Michigan.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  on  May  4, 
1888,  since  which  time  he  has  been  occupied  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  Detroit.  From  the  inauguration  of  his  legal  career  he  has 
been  prominent  in  civic  affairs.  From  1893  to  1896  he  served  as  as- 
sistant city  attorney,  during  which  time  he  had  charge  of  the  court 
work  in  connection  with  the  office  of  the  city  attorney,  and  he  also 
revised  and  compiled  the  present  city  ordinances  of  Detroit.  Governor 
Pingree  persuaded  him  to  enter  the  race  for  the  state  legislature,  and 
he  was  elected  in  1889,  leading  the  legislative  ticket.  While  at  Lansing 
in  his  capacity  as  legislator,  he  projected  the  Belle  Isle  Aquarium,  a 
feature  of  the  beautiful  city  of  Detroit  for  which  its  people  are  pro- 
foimdly  grateful.  He  also  introduced  and  consistently  worked  for 
the  passing  of  the  present  state  tax  bill.  In  1903  he  was  elected  to  the 
common  council  and  served  the  citizens  of  Detroit  with  energy  and 
faithfulness.  In  1907  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  president  of  that 
body  and  has  done  excellent  work  in  his  capacity  as  member  and  presi- 
dent.   His  special  attention  was  directed  to  matters  of  a  fiscal  nature. 


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1176  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

and  among  other  official  acts  of  his  for  which  he  will  be  remembered 
was  his  procuring  of  the  acceptance  of  the  Carnegie  library  gift  of  $750,- 
000,  which  had  been  given  up  as  lost  to  the  city.  He  redeemd  the 
county  debt  at  a  rate  of  interest  lower  than  then  prevailed,  and  was 
the  author  of  the  first  sane  Fourth  of  July  ordinance  known  to  the 
city,  as  well  as  being  the  author  of  the  present  traffic  ordinance.  A 
minor  matter  is  his  originating  and  designing  the  official  flag  of  the  city. 
In  1903  the  governor  appointed  him  to  membership  on  the  State  Board 
of  Library  Commissioners  and  he  has  since  been  honored  with  two 
reappointments. 

In  addition  to  his  many  local  activities  of  a  civic  nature,  Mr.  Heine- 
man  has  been  prominent  in  many  outside  municipal  organizations.  He 
has  been  a  director,  vice  president  and  twice  president  of  the  Michigan 
League  of  Municipalities,  and  in  1909  he  was  chosen  at  Montreal  as 
president  of  the  American  League  of  Municipalities,  the  leading  organi- 
zation of  its  kind  in  America  whose  membership  is  made  up  from  the 
more  prominent  city  officials  of  the  United  States  and  Canada. 

In  July,  1910,  Mr.  Heineman  was  appointed  controller  of  the  city 
of  Detroit,  which  office  he  still  retains.  The  position  is  a  high  one, 
and  one  which  has  been  dignified  by  men  of  prominent  standing  in  the 
financial  and  commercial  world. 

Mr.  Heineman  is  a  member  of  numerous  representative  organizations 
and  clubs  of  the  city,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  the  University 
Club,  the  Detroit  Boat  Club,  the  Old  Club  at  St.  Clair  Plats,  the  Detroit 
Tennis  Club,  the  Acanthus  Club,  the  Pine  Arts  Society  and  the  Scarabs. 
He  was  at  one  time  president  of  the  Bohemian  Club  and  in  more  recent 
years  became  the  founder  of  the  Robert  Hopkins  Club.  He  is  a  Mason 
of  high  rank,  being  a  member  in  the  Blue  Lodge,  of  Zion  No.  1;  of 
Monroe  Chapter,  Monroe  Council,  Michigan  Sovereign  Consistory  and 
Moslem  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  His  other  fraternal  affiliations 
are  with  the  Elks,  the  Odd  Pellows,  the  Foresters  and  the  Maccabees. 
Since  the  foundation  of  the  Detroit  Society  of  the  American  Institute 
of  Archaeology  Mr.  Heineman  has  been  a  member  and  an  officer.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Palestine  Exploration  Fund  and  the  Michigan 
Historical  Society,  being  deeply  interested  in  their  work  and  having 
contributed  on  various  occasions  to  the  literature  of  the  organizations. 
He  was  long  a  member  and  an  officer  of  the  Unity  Club,  as  well  as  of 
the  executive  committee  of  the  Detroit  High  School  Alumni,  and 
chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  University  of  Michigan  Alumni 
Association  of  Detroit. 

Mr.  Heineman  has  long  been  a  student  of  municipal  economics,  and 
has  delivered  many  addresses  and  published  a  large  number  of  pamph- 
lets along  the  line  of  this  subject.  He  is  a  Republican  in  his  political 
faith,  and  is  a  member  of  practically  all  the  prominent  political  clubs 
of  that  party  in  Detroit  and  Michigan.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Detroit 
Fire  &  Marine  Insurance  Company,  the  leading  insurance  company  of 
the  state,  and  is  a  director  of  the  Merz  Capsule  Company,  as  well  as 
president  of  the  Heineman  Realty  Company.  He  is  a  director  and  a 
life  member  of  the  State  Anti-Tuberculosis  Society,  and  at  one  time 
was  secretary  of  the  D'Arcambel  Home  Association. 

Of  the  Jewish  race  and  religion,  Mr.  Heineman  is  unusually  well 
informed  in  matters  of  Jewish  history  and  polity,  and  was  the  founder 
of  the  first  Young  Men's  Hebrew  Association  organized  in  Detroit. 

Thus  far  the  life  of  Mr.  Heineman  has  been  largely  given  to  public 
service,  and  in  recognition  of  his  excellent  work  along  civic  lines  the 
University  of  Michigan,  at  its  seventy-fifth  anniversary  in  June,  1912, 
conferred  upon  him  the  honorary  degree  of  Master  of  Arts. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1177 

Eugene  Ludwig  Mistersky.  Not  only  as  a  successful  member  of  the 
Detroit  bar  is  Eugene  Mistersky  prominent,  but  also  as  an  active  and 
successful  politician.  From  his  boyhood  days,  that  most  fascinating 
of  all  games  interested  him  deeply,  and  he  has  played  a  prominent 
part  in  the  affairs  of  the  Republican  party  in  his  home  county.  He  is 
a  man  of  education  and  consequently  takes  a  keen  interest  in  various 
phases  of  the  city's  life,  not  only  politically  but  also  socially  and  com- 
mercially, and  his  knowledge  of  economic  and  social  conditions  has 
rendered  him  a  valuable  member  of  such  organizations  as  the  Business 
Men's  Club. 

Eugene  L.  Mistersky  is  a  native  of  Detroit,  having  been  born  here 
in  1877,  on  the  26th  of  February.  His  parents  were  Ignatz  and  Hen- 
rietta (Uhl)  Mistersky,  both  of  whom  were  bom  in  Germany,  the 
birthplace  of  the  father  being  the  old  university  city  of  Brumberg,  and 
that  of  his  mother  being  Kuhlm.  It  was  in  the  early  fifties  that  Ignatz 
Mistersky  came  to  the  United  States,  settling  at  once  in  Detroit.  He 
lived  there  until  the  day  of  his  death,  July  20,  1902,  and  in  that  city  his 
widow  yet  resides. 

Eugene  L.  Mistersky  had  the  superior  advantages  afforded  by  the 
grammar  and  high  schools  of  Detroit,  and  on  completing  his  preparatory 
work  by  graduating  from  the  high  school  he  entered  the  Detroit  College 
of  Law.  He  completed  his  work  in  the  college  of  law  in  1899,  being 
graduated  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.,  and  in  the  same  year  was  admitted 
to  the  bar.  Since  this  time,  with  the  exception  of  the  time  which  he 
has  given  to  politics  and  to  other  matters  of  public  interest,  he  has 
devoted  himself  to  the  building  of  what  has  become  a  good  practice. 

Mr.  Mistersky  has  always  been  a  loyal  member  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  had  no  sooner  cast  his  first  vote  than  he  began  an  active 
fight  in  behalf  of  his  party.  He  managed  with  signal  success  the  cam- 
paign of  Judge  John  W.  Donovan,  when  the  latter  was  the  nominee 
for  the  judgeship  of  the  circuit  court  of  Wayne  county.  In  1911  he 
became  the  manager  of  the  campaign  of  Philip  Van  Zile,  who  was  the 
candidate  against  Judge  Donovan. 

In  fraternal  affairs  Mr.  Mistersky  takes  a  great  interest  and  holds 
a  prominent  place.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  affiliating  with  Friendship  Lodge,  and  is  also  a  member  of 
Monroe  Chapter  and  of  Monroe  Council.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Social 
Order  of  the  Moose,  of  the  Concordia  Society,  of  the  Harmonic  Society, 
and  is  active  in  the  work  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 
He  is  a  member  of  various  commercial  organizations,  such  as  the  Detroit 
Board  of  Commerce,  the  Business  Men's  Club  and  the  German  Sales- 
men's Society,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Yacht  Club. 

On  the  4th  of  September,  1901,  Mr.  Mistersky  married  Miss  Flor- 
ence Adel  Holland,  of  Detroit,  a  dauechter  of  Ferdinand,  and  Julia  Hol- 
land, and  they  have  one  daughter,  Florence  Henrietta  Mistersky. 

Robert  Gibbons.  One  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  representatives 
of  the  journalistic  profession  in  Michigan  at  the  present  time  and  one 
whose  name  became  widely  known  in  connection  with  the  publication 
of  the  Michigan  Farmer,  of  which  he  was  editor  for  virtually  a  quarter 
of  a  century,  as  well  as  one  of  the  owners  of  this  most  excellent  and 
popular  weekly,  Robert  Gibbons  has  made  valuable  contribution  to  the 
development  and  civic  advancement  of  the  Wolverine  state,  and  is  one 
of  the  sterling  and  honored  citizens  of  Detroit,  where  he  has  maintained 
his  home  for  more  than  a  half  century  and  where  he  is  now  livinj? 
virtually  retired,  after  lon^  years  of  earnest  and  worthy  endeavor.  He 
has  been  in  the  most  significant  sense  the  artificer  of  his  own  fortune 

V.l.  ni— 22 


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1178  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

as  he  became  dependent  upon  his  own  resources  when  a  mere  boy,  and 
as  a  man  of  broad  intellectual  ken  and  marked  administrative  abil- 
ity he  has  shown  the  consistency  of  the  statement  that  the  discipline 
involved  in  continuous  association  with  the  **art  preservative  of  all 
arts"  is  equivalent  to  a  liberal  education.  No  man  identified  with 
newspaper  work  in  the  Michigan  metropolis  has  been  better  known,  or 
more  highly  esteemed,  and  none  has  stood  exponent  of  greater  civic 
loyalty  and  progressiveness.  Further  than  tWs,  there  stands  to  the 
lasting  honor  of  Mr.  Gibbons  the  record  of  valiant  and  faithful  service 
as  a  soldier  of  the  Union  in  the  Civil  war,  and  his  status  as  a  citizen  and 
business  man  of  Detroit  render  most  consonant  the  brief  record  here 
incorporated  concerning  his  career. 

Robert  Gibbons  was  bom  at  Pottsdam,  St.  Lawrence  county.  New 
York,  on  the  20th  of  April,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Mar- 
garet (McPhee)  Gibbons,  both  of  whom  were  bom  in  Scotland,  whence 
the  Gibbons  family  came  to  America  in  1818  and  the  McPhee  family 
in  1811.  Benjamin  Gibbons  was  reared  to  adult  age  in  his  native  land 
and  there  received  good  educational  advantages,  besides  which  he 
served  a  thorough  apprenticeship  to  the  silk- weaver  *s  trade,  in  the  city  of 
Paisley^  As  a  young  man,  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  im- 
migration to  America  and  with  them  settled  in  the  state  of  New  York. 
He  could  not  find  in  this  country  occupation  at  his  trade  and  therefore 
turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits,  besides  which  he  did  a 
considerable  amount  of  contract  work  in  connection  with  the  ,construc- 
tion  of  the  old  Erie  canal.  In  the  meanwhile  he  married,  and  in  the 
late  thirties  removed  with  his  father  and  other  members  of  the  family 
to  the  province  of  Ontario,  transportation  being  afforded  by  the  chaf- 
tering  of  a  small  vessel,  by  which  they  proceeded  to  Goderich,  that 
province,  a  port  of  entry  on  Lake  Huron,  in  which  vicinity  the  father 
took  up  a  tract  of  land,  the  same  being  virtually  unimproved.  This 
was  just  after  the  close  of  the  Canadian  rebellion  of  1837,  and  Benjamin 
Gibbons  enlisted  in  the  regular  Canadian  army,  in  which  he  served 
at  various  points  on  the  border.  In  1842  the  dominion  parliament 
granted  to  all  such  soldiers  tracts  of  land,  and  Benjamin  Gibbons  settled 
with  his  family  on  land  thus  secured  by  him,  near  Goderich,  Huron 
county, — the  same  being  a  part  of  what  was  known  as  the  Canadian 
Company's  grant,  and  having  been  opened  to  settlement  in  1843.  Two 
years  later  Benjamin  Gibbons  met  with  an  accident,  in  which  one  of  his 
legs  was  broken,  and  he  died  from  the  effects  of  the  injury,  as  London, 
the  only  town  in  the  locality  from  which  proper  medical  attendance 
could  be  secured,  was  sixty  miles  distant.  He  left  his  widow  to  provide 
for  their  six  fatherless  children,  of  whom  Robert,  of  this  review,  was 
then  five  years  of  age.  The  widowed  mother  struggled  bravely  to 
maintain  her  family  and  endured  many  hardships,  including  the  loss 
of  her  land.  She  lived  to  attain  the  age  of  over  seventy  years  and 
passed  the  closing  days  of  her  life  in  Detroit.  Of  the  six  children 
three  sons  and  two  daughters  reached  years  of  maturity  and  of  the 
number  only  Robert  is  living.  The  parents  were  folk  of  sterling  char- 
acter, honest,  industrious  and  God-fearing  and  endowed  with  superior 
mentality.  Both  were  zealous  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in 
whose  faith  the  children  were  carefully  reared  by  the  devoted  and 
self-abnegating  mother. 

As  may  well  be  understood  from  the  foregoing  statements,  the  early 
educational  advantages  in  the  purely  academic  sense  were  exceedingly 
meager,  as  he  began  early  to  depend  upon  his  own  resources  and  to 
assist  in  the  support  of  his  mother  and  other  members  of  the  family. 
His  entire  attendance  at  school  did  not  exceed  four  years  in  duration, 


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1179 


and  when  but  twelve  years  of  age  he  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship 
in  a  printing  office,  that  of  the  Huron  Signal^  at  Goderich,  a  paper 
which  was  then  published  by  Thomas  McQueen  and  which  is  still  is- 
sued under  the  same  title.  Thus  Mr.  Gibbons  initiated  his  business 
career  in  the  dignified  and  autocratic  position  of  *  Sprinter's  devil/'  and 
it  is  safe  to  say  that  he  exercised  to  the  full  the  prerogative  of  his  of- 
fice. He  learned  the  printer's  trade  with  thoroughness  and  continued 
in  the  employ  of  Mr.  McQueen  until  1857,  when  he  came  to  Detroit, 
which  city  has  represented  his  home  and  been  the  stage  of  his  activities 
during  the  long  intervening  years,  which  he  has  marked  with  generous 
accomplishment.  Upon  establishing  his  residence  in  Detroit,  Mr.  Gib- 
bons promptly  united  with  the  local  printers'  union,  of  which  William 
Graham  was  president  at  the  time.  He  entered  the  employ  of  the  firm 
of  Hosmer  &  Kaw,  who  conducted  a  job-printing  office  on  State  street, 
and  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  he  secured  a  position  in  the  com- 
posing room  of  the  Detroit  Evening  Tribune.  He  continued  to  be  thus 
engaged  until  he  felt  prompted  to  respond  to  the  call  of  higher  duty,  by 
tendering  his  aid  in  defense  of  the  Union,  whose  integrity  was  jeopar- 
dized by  armed  rebellion.  With  others  of  the  employes  of  the  Tribune 
he  enlisted  in  Company  B,  Twenty-fourth  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry, 
on  the  24th  of  July,  1862.  The  enlistment  was  made  in  a  small  wooden 
building  used  as  a  plumbing  shop,  and  the  proprietor  was  one  of  thbse  who 
enlisted  in  the  same  company,  of  which  Isaac  W.  Ingersoll  was  made 
captain.  The  regiment  went  into  camp  at  the  old  state  fair  grounds,  and 
there  received  instructions  in  military  tactics,  besides  marching  about 
the  city  to  encourage  the  enlistment  of  more  recruits. 

Mr.  Gibbons  continued  in  the  Union  service  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  and  received  his  honorable  discharge  in  June,  1865,  having  been 
mustered  out  with  his  command  at  Washington  City.  He  lived  up  to 
the  full  tension  of  the  great  conflict  through  which  the  integrity  of  the 
nation  was  perpetuated,  met  with  many  hazardous  experiences  and 
campaign  hardships,  and  participated  in  a  large  number  of  important 
battles,  besides  innumerable  skirmishes  and  other  minor  engagements. 
His  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  with  it  he 
took  part  in  the  battles  of  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg,  the  Wilderness, 
Spottsylvania  and  others,  his  brigade  having  opened  the  fight  on  the 
field  of  Gettysburg.  In  the  engagement  at  Spottsylvania,  Mr.  Gibbons 
was  wounded  in  the  right  arm  and  after  passing  a  few  days  in  the 
hospital  he  was  granted  a  furlough.  He  returned  to  Detroit,  where  he 
remained  about  thirty  days,  within  which  he  virtually  recovered  from 
the  effects  of  his  wound,  and  he  then  went  to  Washington,  D.  C,  where 
he  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  company  of  about  one  hundred  men,  in 
the  position  of  captain.  The  command  saw  much  active  service  in 
and  about  the  national  capital  and  was  associated  with  other  forces 
in  defending  the  city  until  the  arrival  of  Sheridan's  cavalry.  Mr. 
Gibbons  then  rejoined  his  regiment,  which  was  in  front  of  Petersburg 
at  the  time,  and  he  was  with  the  same  in  the  vigorous  campaign  from 
that  time  forward.  At  the  battle  of  Hatcher's  Run  the  Fifth  Army 
Corps,  of  which  his  regiment  was  a  part,  took  a  position  on  the  wrong 
side  of  the  river,  having  lost  its  way,  and  Mr.  Gibbons,  who  was  then 
serving  as  sergeant,  was  sent  out  to  scout  around  prior  to  making  any 
decisive  movement.  About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  a  dark 
November  day,  while  thus  scouting,  he  was  captured  by  Confederate 
soldiers,  who  were  in  most  a  pitiable  condition,  with  tattered  clothing 
and  no  food.  Mr.  Gibbons  argued  with  his  captors  and  told  them  that 
in  their  condition  it  would  be  better  for  them  to  give  up  the  struggle 
and  accompany  him  into  the  Union  lines,  as  there  was  no  chance  for 


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1180  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

them  to  escape  capture  within  a  short  interval.  About  seven  in  the 
evening  they  decided  to  follow  his  advice,  and  they  accordingly  went 
back  with  him  to  the  Union  lines  the  next  morning.  They  were  at  the 
point  of  starvation,  and  before  starting  out  he  gave  them  the  three  days' 
rations  he  had  in  his  knapsack.  Mr.  Gibbons  was  then  ordered  to  re- 
port to  the  commissary  department  of  his  brigade,  and  he  served 
in  this  connection  about  two  months.  In  the  meanwhile  his  regiment 
had  lost  so  many  of  its  numbers  that  he  and  several  other  sergeants 
were  sent  back  to  Detroit  for  the  purpose  of  recruiting  its  ranks.  They 
succeeded  in  bringing  the  regiment  up  to  about  eleven  hundred  men, 
and  soon  afterward  President  Lincoln  fell  a  martyr  to  the  assassin's 
bullet.  Mr.  Gibbons'  regiment  went  to  Springfield,  Illinois,  as  guard 
of  honor  of  the  noble  president,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Gib- 
bons returned  to  Detroit,  being  mustered  out  with  the  rank  of  first 
sergeant. 

After  having  thus  served  faithfully  and  loyally  in  defense  of  a 
righteous  cause,  Mr.  Gibbons  again  entered  the  employ  of  the  old 
Detroit  Tribune.  In  the  following  spring  Chandler  Ward  and  others 
founded  the  Detroit  Daily  Post,  and  in  the  oflSce  of  the  new  paper  Mr. 
Gibbons  was  night  foreman  for  three  years,  at  the  expiration  of 
which,  in  May,  1869,  he  became  associated  with  Robert  F.  Johnstone  in 
the  purchase  of  the  plant  and  business  of  the  Michigan  Farmer.  They 
continued  the  business  successfully  under  the  firm  name  of  Johnstone 
&  Gibbons,  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Johnstone,  when  Benjamin  J.  Gib- 
bons, brother  of  the  surviving  partner,  became  a  member  of  the  firm. 
He  likewise  had  given  gallant  service  in  the  Civil  war,  having  been  in 
service  under  Admiral  Porter  in  the  gunboat  fleet  on  the  Mississippi 
river,  and  having  later  been  a  member  of  the  regular  United  States 
cavalry;  with  which  he  served  in  New  Mexico  and  Arizona  after  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  continued  to  be  one  of  the  interested  principals 
in  the  publication  of  the  Michigan  Parmer  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1907,  and  he  was  one  of  the  well  known  and  highly  es- 
teemed citizens  of  Detroit.  In  1893,  after  having  been  editor  of  the 
Michigan  Parmer  for  virtually  a  quarter  of  a  century,  Robert  Gibbons 
sold  the  property  to  the  Lawrence  Publishing  Company,  which  has 
since  continued  the  publication,  which  was  brought  to  high  standard  and 
gained  remarkably  wide  circulation  under  the  effective  administration 
of  Mr.  Gibbons,  who  has  long  been  a  recognized  authority  in  matters 
pertaining  to  farm  life,  as  he  has  been  a  close  student  along  both 
scientific  and  practical  lines.  He  continued  as  editor  of  the  Michigan 
Parmer  for  ten  years  after  the  same  was  acquired  by  the  Lawrence 
Publishing  Company,  and  thereafter  was  in  charge  of  the  agricultural 
department  of  the  Detroit  Pree  Press  for  a  period  of  about  eighteen 
months.  He  was  general  manager  of  the  live  stock  department  of  the 
Zenner  Disinfectant  Company  until  1909,  when,  upon  attaining  the 
age  of  seventy  years,  he  retired  from  active  business  connections,  secure 
in  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  community  that  has  so  long  been  his 
home. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Gibbons  has  been  an  ardent  and  effective  advocate 
of  the  principles  and  policies  for  which  the  Republican  party  stands 
sponsor,  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  of 
which  Mrs.  Gibbons  likewise  was  a  zealous  member.  He  has  ever  re- 
tained a  vital  interest  in  his  old  comrades  of  the  Civil  war  and  was  a 
charter  member  of  both  Fairbanks  and  the  Detroit  posts  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  with  the  latter  of  which  he  is  still  aflBliated.  It 
may  be  added  that  Mr.  Gibbons  was  appointed  by  the  governor  of  the 
state  the  Chairman  of  the  first  Grade  Crossing  Commission. 


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In  the  fall  of  1866,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Gibbons  to 
Miss  Helen  J.  Thornburn,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Detroit  and 
was  a  daughter  of  Andrew  Thornburn,  one  of  the  early  Scotchmen  to 
settle  in  Detroit.  The  great  loss  and  bereavement  in  the  life  of  Mr. 
Gibbons  was  that  which  came  when  his  loved  and  devoted  wife  was 
summoned  to  eternal  rest,  in  October  1,  1908,  her  gentle  and  gracious 
attributes  of  character  having  endeared  her  to  all  who  came  within  the 
sphere  of  her  influence.  Her  remains  rest  in  beautiful  Elmwood  cem- 
etery. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gibbons  became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  all 
of  whom  survive  the  loved  mother,  their  names  being  here  entered  in 
rtepective  order  of  birth :  Robert  T. ;  Andrew  W. ;  Edward  B. ;  George 
M. ;  Charles  D. ;  John  F. ;  Helen  and  Lillian.  The  elder  daughter  is  the 
wife  of  Andrew  T.  Dempster,  of  Detroit,  and  the  younger  daughter, 
Miss  Lillian,  has  presided  over  the  family  home  since  the  death  of  her 
mother.  The  other  members  of  the  family  also  are  residents  of  De- 
troit; Robert  T.,  is  a  printer  by  trade;  Andrew  W.  is  deputy 
United  States  collector  of  customs;  Edward  B.,  manager  of  The 
Pathfinder;  George  M.,  also  a  printer ;  Charles  D.,  with  the  Gray  Motor 
Company ;  and  John  F.,  superintendent  of  the  Motor  Wagon  Company. 
Mr.  Gibbons  has  been  distinctively  one  of  the  world's  workers,  and 
his  course  has  been  guided  and  governed  by  those  high  principles 
which,  as  thus  evidenced,  ever  beget  objective  confidence  and  respect. 
He  is  a  man  of  broad  views,  is  generous  and  kindly,  tolerant  in  judg- 
ment; and  in  Detroit,  it  may  well  be  said  that  his  circle  of  friends  is 
coincident  with  that  of  his  acquaintances,  while  his  name  is  known  and 
honored  throughout  the  state  by  those  who  have  read  and  profited  from 
the  Michigan  Farmer,  in  which  hia  work  and  interests  so  long  centered. 

Adolph  E.  Schlesinger.  a  native  son  of  Michigan  and  one  who 
gained  precedence  as  a  prominent  manufacturer  and  representative 
business  man  of  its  metropolis,  Adolph  E.  Schlesinger  won  large  and 
worthy  success  through  his  own  well  directed  endeavors,  and  his  life 
and  character  were  such  as  to  give  him  secure  place  in  the  confidence 
and  high  regard  of  his  fellow  men.  In  the  manufacturing  of  various 
lines  of  garments,  he  built  up  one  of  the  leading  industries  of  the  kind 
in  Detroit,  and  he  continued  to  be  actively  engaged  in  the  supervision 
of  this  large  and  prosperous  enterprise  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
on  the  17th  of  July,  1909.  He  was  a  citizen  of  marked  public  spirit 
and  progressiveness  and  took  a  lively  interest  in  all  that  tended  to  ad- 
vance the  material  and  civic  prosperity  of  his  home  city.  A  man  of  in- 
trinsic honor  and  steadfast  principles,  he  left  the  heritage  of  a  good 
name,  and  there  is  all  of  consistency  in  according  in  this  publication  a 
brief  review  of  his  career  and  a  tribute  to  his  memory  as  one  of  the 
representative  business  men  of  Detroit. 

Mr.  Schlesinger  was  bom  in  the  city  of  Ypsilanti,  Michigan,  on  the 
25th  of  September,  1855,  and  was  a  son  of  Emmanuel  and  Rosalia 
Schlesinger,  who  removed  to  Detroit  when  the  subject  of  this  memoir 
was  but  two  years  of  age.  William  Schlesinger,  the  grandfather  of 
him  to  whom  this  sketch  is  dedicated,  was  one  of  the  pioneer  mer- 
chants of  Detroit,  where  he  conducted  a  small  general  store  for  many 
years  on  Fort  street,  East,  near  the  comer  of  St.  Antoine  and  Hastings 
streets.  He  was  nearly  one  hundred  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Schlesincrer  continued  to  maintain  their 
home  in  Detroit  until  their  death  and  the  father  was  for  many  years 
actively  identified  with  business  interests  in  this  city. 

Adolph  E.  Schlesinger  gained  his  early  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Deti^oit  and  as  a  youth  he  secured  employment  in  the  mer- 


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1182  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

cantile  establishment  of  the  late  C.  R.  Mabley,  who  was  a  founder  of  the 
first  department  store  in  this  city.  A  few  years  later  Mr.  Schlesinger 
went  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  associated  himself  with  the  firm  of  Mabley 
&  Carew,  conducting  a  large  department  store  in  that  city.  lie  rose  to 
a  most  responsible  executive  position  with  this  concern  and  continued  to 
be  identified  with  the  same  about  ten  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which 
he  returned  to  Detroit,  where  for  a  few  years  he  was  associated  with 
his  two  brothers  in  conducting  the  retail  clothing  store  known  as  '*The 
Famous''  on  Monroe  avenue. 

About  the  year  1895  Mr.  Schlesinger  engaged  in  the  manufacturing 
of  white  duck  clothing,  with  headquarters  at  125-7  Jefferson  avenue, 
and  with  this  line  of  enterprise  he  continued  to  be  identified  until  his 
death.  Through  careful  and  progressive  policies,  reinforced  by  most 
scrupulous  fairness  in  dealing  and  by  the  high  grade  of  products  put 
forth,  he  built  up  an  industry  that  is  one  of  wide  scope  and  importance. 
He  gradually  amplified  the  enterprise  and  augmented  the  facilities  of 
his  establishment,  to  meet  the  ever  increasing  demands  placed  thereon 
by  an  appreciative  trade,  and  the  business  is  still  conducted  by  his 
widow,  who  has  full  supervision  of  the  same,  under  the  original  firm 
name  of  A.  Schlesinger  &  Company.  The  trade  of  the  concern  is  widely 
disseminated  and  in  connection  with  its  operations  employment  is  given 
to  a  large  force  of  men  and  women.  All  kinds  of  duck  and  drill  coats, 
jackets,  vests,  etc.,  are  manufactured,  as  well  as  butcher  frocks,  au- 
tomobile coats,  men's  sailor  blouses  and  pants,  girls'  and  ladies'  blouses, 
and  serge  and  flannel  coats  and  jackets,  for  waiters,  barkeepers,  etc. 

In  the  midst  of  the  exactions  of  his  large  and  prosperous  business 
Mr.  Schlesinger  was  never  negleciful  of  civic  responsibilities  and 
though  he  had  no  desire  to  enter  the  arena  of  practical  politics  he  was 
a  stanch  supporter  of  the  cause  of  the  Republican  party  and  was  ever 
ready  to  lend  his  cooperation  in  the  furtherance  of  measures  and  enter- 
prises advanced  for  the  general  good  of  his  home  city.  He  was  an  active 
member  of  the  Harmonic  Society,  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  the  Royal 
Arcanum,  and  at  the  time  of  the  illness  which  terminated  in  his  death 
he  had  just  been  elected  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce. 
He  was  a  prominent  and  influential  member  of  the  Temple  Beth  El, 
from  which  his  funeral  services  were  held,  interment  being  made  in 
Woodmere  cemetery. 

On  the  19th  of  February,  1884,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Schlesinger  to  Miss  Feannie  Burton,  who  was  bom  and  reared  in  Detroit, 
which  city  has  ever  been  her  home.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Nathan  and 
Rebecca  (Nymark)  Burton,  who  here  established  their  residence  more 
than  half  a  century  ago,  and  the  venerable  mother  now  resides- with 
Mrs.  Schlesinger  in  the  latter 's  beautiful  home.  No.  470  Brush  street. 
The  father  was  for  many  years  a  successful  business  man  in  Detroit 
and  was  a  citizen  who  ever  commended  unqualified  esteem  in  the  city 
that  was  so  long  his  home.    Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schlesinger  had  no  children. 

Mrs.  Schelsinger  assumed  heavy  responsibilities  at  the  time  of  her 
husband's  death  and  in  the  management  of  the  extensive  industrial 
enterprise  which  he  founded  she  has  shown  marked  ability  and  dis- 
crimination, being  known  as  a  business  woman  of  special  executive 
ability  and  progressive  ideas.  She  is  a  prominent  factor  in  Jewish 
circles  in  her  native  city  and  also  in  its  general  social  activities.  She  is 
a  zealous  member  of  Temple  Beth  El,  is  treasurer  of  the  Jewish  Women's 
Club,  is  a  director  of  the  United  Jewish  Charities,  is  a  member  of  the 
Jewish  Widows'  &  Orphans'  Association,  and  is  identified  with  other 
representative  charitable,  benevolent  and  social  organizations,  in  each 
of  which  her  influence  and  active  interest  have  not  lacked  appreciation. 


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Henry  Adelbebt  Davis.  The  war  of  1861-65  called  to  the  field  of 
war  in  the  south  the  flower  of  Michigan's  manhood.  While  attention 
has  often  been  called  to  the  catastrophes  wrought  by  the  war  in  the 
southland,  it  is  true  that  the  northern  states  were  depleted  of  the  best 
of  the  vital  forces  of  manhood  which  were  needed  to  propel  the  activities 
of  commerce  and  industry.  Michigan's  response  to  the  appeal  for 
volunteers  was  prompt,  and  the  very  first  call  brought  out  hundreds  of 
vigorous  young  men  who  went  to  war  without  any  of  the  urgings  and 
influences  that  impelled  many  later  recruits.  At  Lincoln's  call  for 
seventy-five  thousand  men,  issued  April  17th,  1861,  the  regiment  of 
three-month  men  known  as  the  First  Michigan  Three  ^Month  Volun- 
teers quickly  enrolled,  containing  two  companies  formed  in  Detroit. 
Company  B  of  this  regiment  was  the  **  Jackson  Grays"  which  originated 
as  an  independent  company  formed  in  Jackson  and  vicinity.  Among 
the  members  of  this  company,  one  of  the  survivors  and  a  prominent 
citizen  of  Detroit  is  Henry  A.  Davis,  No.  165  Rosedale  court.  He  saw 
a  long  and  arduous  service  in  the  war  for  more  than  three  years,  was 
in  the  thickest  of  the  fighting  in  Virginia,  having  been  in'  forty-two 
battles,  was  several  times  wounded,  and  made  a  record  as  a  faithful 
soldier  which  deserves  lasting  memory  from  the  state  and  nation. 

Henry  Adelbert  Davis  was  bom  at  Leona,  Jackson  county,  Michi- 
gan, October  2,  1844,  youngest  of  seventeen  children,  so  that  he  was 
not  seventeen  years  when  he  enlisted  for  the  war.  He  attended  school 
there  during  his  youth,  and  then  on  the  15th  of  April,  1861,  joined  the 
Jackson  Grays.  They  went  to  Detroit,  where  they  were  mustered  in  on 
May  1st,  and  lettered  as  Company  B  of  the  First  Michigan  Three 
Months'  Regiment.  Thence  he  went  with  the  regiment  to  Washington, 
and  on  the  night  of  May  23rd  the  regiment  crossed  Long  Bridge  in  the 
march  on  Alexandria.  In  the  streets  of  that  town  his  company  cap- 
tured Captain  Ball's  Confederate  cavalry.  Mr.  Davis  and  other  mem- 
bers of  the  company  were  placed  on  guard  over  the  Marshall  house. 
His  regimental  flag  was  the  flrst  to  fly  over  Alexandria.  He  partici- 
pated in  the  first  great  and  disastrous  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  on  July 
21st  received  his  first  wound,  in  the  left  side,  a  flesh  wound  that  did 
not  keep  him  from  the  firing  line.  After  the  battle  he  was  separated 
from  his  regiment  and  for  two  days  was  inside  the  rebel  lines.  In 
the  meantime  the  report  went  home  that  he  was  among  the  slain.  His 
regiment  came  back  to  Detroit  on  August  5th,  and  was  there  mustered 
out. 

On  September  15th  following,  Mr.  Davis  reenlisted  and  became  a 
member  of  the  First  Michigan  Infantry  in  the  three  years'  service,  part 
of  the  time  being  in  Company  C  and  part  of  the  time  in  Company  G. 
As  a  part  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  which*  bore  the  brunt  of  the 
rebellion,  he  participated  with  his  regiment  altogether  in  forty-two 
battles,  some  of  them  the  greatest  conflicts  of  arms  known  in  history.  He 
fought  at  First  Bull  Run,  the  seven  days  battle  in  front  of  Richmond, 
th^  Second  Bull  Run,  Antietam,  Fredericksburg,  the  Wilderness,  Gettys- 
burg, the  siege  of  Petersburg,  and  in  many  lesser  engagements.  At 
Gaines'  Mill  on  June  27, 1862,  he  was  wounded  in  the  left  leg  and  received 
a  wound  in  the  right  sida  at  Shady  Grove  Church.  After  three  years 
and  three  months  in  the  army  he  was  mustered  out  in  front  of  the  Yel- 
low Tavern  at  Petersburg,  September  15,  1864. 

Mr.  Davis  has  taken  a  very  prominent  part  in  Grand  Army  affairs 
both  in  Detroit  and  elsewhere,  and  has  held  the  chief  official  honors  of 
both  local  and  state  organizations.  In  1886,  Governor  Pennoyer,  of 
Oregon,  commissioned  him  lieutenant  colonel  and  assistant  adjutant 
general  of  the  militaia  of  that  state..     Mr.  Davis  affiliates  with  the 


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1184  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Masonic  order,  and  his  membership  is  with  Denver  Lodge  No.  5,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  and  Denver  Chapter  No.  2,  R.  A.  M.,  of  Colorado.  His  travels 
have  taken  him  to  all  parts  of  the  world  so  that  his  associations  have 
been  varied  and  interesting.  In  politics  he  has  never  taken  an  active 
part,  though  he  is  a  good  Republican. 

Mr.  Davis  represents  an  old  family  of  Jackson  county  and  through- 
out its  residence  in  America  the  family  record  has  been  noteworthy. 
His  grandfather  was  Peter  Davis,  who  was  bom  in  Wales,  and  as  a  boy 
was  brought  to  this  country  during  the  closing  years  of  the  colonial 
period  of  history.  The  settlement  where  the  family  lived  was  exposed 
to^the  attacks  of  hostile  Indians  and  in  one  of  these  all  the  members 
of  the  family  except  Peter  and  his  sister  were  slain  by  the  savages  and 
he  himself  was  carried  away  into  captivity.  He  spent  ^teen  years 
among  the  tribes,  and  finally  was  released  through  the  intercession  of 
a  priest  at  Montreal  and  through  a  money  payment  by  the  priest. 
After  the  Revolutionary  war,  as  a  reward  for  his  sacrifices  and  ser- 
vices, he  was  granted  by  the  government  twelve  thousand  acres  of  land. 
This  land  was  in  western  New  York,  and  for  a  pair  of  leather  breeches 
he  traded  his  right  to  an  entire  section  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the 
city  of  Ithaca. 

James  Eager  Davis,  son  of  this  frontier  veteran  and  father  of  Henry  , 
A.,  was  born  in  New  York  and  was  old  enough  to  participate  in  the 
War  of  1812.  A  number  of  years  afterward  he  joined  the  westward 
movement  and  sought  a  home  in  Michigan.  He  brought  his  family  in 
the  spring  of  1844,  with  wagon  and  ox  team,  and  settled  in  Jackson 
county  in  time  to  do  his  share  of  pioneer  work  in  the  development  of 
that  region.  His  first  settlement  was  along  the  old  government  road 
between  Detroit  and  Chicago,  and  on  this  famous  thoroughfare  Henry 
A.  Davis  was  bom  in  the  fall  following  the  arrival  of  the  family. 

Few  American  families  have  furnished  more  members  to  the  mili- 
tary service  of  the  country  than  this  one.  Besides  the  services  already 
described,  James  H.,  a  brother  of  Henry  and  now  deceased,  was  a  soldier 
in  both  the  Mexican  and  the  Civil  wars.  George  W.,  another  brother, 
lost  his  life  at  James  Island,  South  Carolina,  June  16,  1862,  during  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion.  Thus  in  all  the  great  wars  of  the  nation  the 
Davis  family  has  been  represented. 

Henry  A.  Davis  was  married  to  Frances  M.  L.  Olney  at  Bay  City, 
Michigan,  January  21st,  1871.  Two  children,  a  boy  and  a  girl  were  bom 
of  this  marriage.  Mrs.  Davis  died  in  Denver,  Colorado,  in  1901,  and  Mr. 
Davis  was  married  at  Jackson,  Michigan,  June  6,  1903,  to  Mrs.  Georgie 
Robinson. 

WhjLIAm  C.  Claxton.  There  was  naught  of  indecision,  apathy  or 
indifference  in  the  career  of  this  honored  citizen,  for  his  character  was 
the  positive  expression  of  a  strong  and  steadfast  nature  which  found 
exemplification  in  productive  industry  and  impregnable  integrity  of 
character.  He  first  came  to  Detroit  when  a  young  man,  more  than  sixty 
years  ago,  and  here  he  made  his  home  during  the  greater  portion  of  the 
intervening  period,  save  for  a  short  time  passed  in  Missouri  and  the  in- 
terval given  to  loyal  and  gallant  service  as  a  soldier  of  the  Union  in  the 
Civil  war.  He  was  long  numbered  among  the  leading  contractors  and 
builders  in  Detroit  and  here  he  lived  and  labored  with  all  of  ability  and 
earnestness  until  physical  infirmities  brought  a  cessation  of  effort.  Here 
he  attained  to  the  venerable  age  of  eighty-two  years,  and  he  was  sum- 
moned to  the  life  eternal  at  his  home,  1075  Fourth  avenue,  on  the  21st 
of  May,  1911,  secure  in  the  high  regard  of  all  who  knew  him  or  were 
conversant  with  his  long  and  useful  career.    He  was  a  man  of  fine  in- 


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tellectual  and  biisiness  powers,  and  as  loyal  in  the  **  piping  times  of 
peace"  as  he  was  in  that  climacteric  period  when  he  did  yeoman  service 
on  the  field  of  battle  in  the  great  strife  for  the  perpetuation  of  the  in- 
tegrity of  the  nation,  and  he  contributed  his  quota  to  the  civic  and  mat- 
erial advancement  and  prosperity  of  the  city  which  so  long  represented 
his  home  and  the  center  of  his  varied  interests. 

William  C.  Claxton  was  born  in  the  village  of  Bethlehem,  England, 
on  Christmas  day  of  the  year  1828,  and  was  a  son  of  Francis  and  Nancy 
Claxton,  both  representatives  of  staunch  old  English  stock.  iWhen  he 
was  four  years  of  age  his  parents  immigrated  to  America  and  established 
their  home  in  the  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  where  they  passed  the 
residue  of  their  lives  and  where  he  was  reared  to  adult  age,  in  the  mean- 
while being  afforded  the  advantages  of  excellent  schools  of  the  locality 
and  period.  A9  a  youth  he  there  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship  to 
the  trade  of  brickmason,  at  which  he  became  a  skilled  artisan.  In  1845, 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  Mr.  Claxton  came  to  Detroit,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  work  of  his  trade  as  a  journeyman  and  where  he  gave 
evidence  of  his  ambition  by  continuing  his  eduaational  work  in  a  night 
school,  through  the  medium  of  which  and  later  self-discipline  of  the  most 
effective  order  he  gained  a  liberal  education.  He  finally  engaged  in 
contract  work  at  his  trade  and  was  identified  with  the  erection  of  many 
prominent  buildings  in  Detroit  in  the  early  days,  as  was  he  also  in  later 
years  of  broadened  activities  as  a  contractor  and  builder.  In  1859  Mr. 
Claxton  removed  to  Missouri,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  manufactur- 
ing of  fruit  baskets  until  his  intrinsic  loyalty  was  quickened  to  respon- 
sive protest  and  decisive  action  by  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war.  He 
promptly  tendered  his  aid  in  defense  of  the  Union  by  enlisting  as  a  pri- 
vate in  the  Twenty-fifth  Missouri  Volunteer  Infantry,  from  which  he 
was  later  transferred  to  the  First  Missouri  Regiment  of  Engineers.  He 
participated  in  many  engagements,  principally  in  connection  with  the 
operations  in  the  Trans-Mississippi  department,  and  lived  up  to  the 
full  tension  of  the  great  fratricidal  conflict,  the  while  his  gallant  and 
meritorious  services  brought  him  promotion  to  the  office  of  lieutenant, 
of  which  he  continued  the  incumbent  until  victory  had  crowned  the  Union 
arms.  He  duly  received  his  honorable  discharge  and  his  continued  in- 
terest in  the  affairs  of  his  old  comrades  in  arms  was  later  indicated  by 
his  affiliation,  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  before  his  death,  with 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  After  his  return  to  Detroit  he  be- 
came one  of  the  early  members  of  Fairbanks  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  and  he  was  one  of  its  most  valued  and  honored  adherents  until 
the  close  of  his  life.  He  had  the  distinction  of  serving  as  commander 
of  this  post  in  1895,  and  he  was  among  the  first  to  urge  the  erection  of 
the  Grand  Army  building  in  Detroit.  He  devoted  himself  earnestly  to 
the  promotion  of  this  enterprise  and  was  actively  identified  with  the 
erection  of  the  fine  building,  in  the  furtherance  of  the  erection  of  which 
various  other  members  of  the  leading  Civil-war  organizations  of  the 
city  likewise  gave  zealous  and  liberal  co-operation.  Mx.  Claxton  also 
held  membership  in  the  Military  Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion  of  the  United 
States  and  was  active  in  its  affairs. 

Within  a  short  time  after  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Claxton  returned 
to  Detroit,  where  he  soon  established  himself  in  strong  vantage  place 
as  one  of  the  representative  contractors  and  builders  of  the  state.  He 
erected  many  large  buildings  in  Detroit  and  other  cities  and  upon  his 
entire  business  career  there  rests  no  blemish,  for  his  fidelity  and  ability 
were  never  questioned  and  his  work  was  ever  a  work  of  honor,  whether 
great  or  small.  He  continued  actively  engaged  in  business  until  about 
1890,  when  he  retired  from  active  labors,  and  he  passed  the  residue  of 


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1186  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

his  life  in  peace  and  contentment  at  his  attractive  home,  bearing  with 
fortitude  his  physical  infirmities,  which  included  total  blindness  during 
the  last  four  years  of  his  life.  He  was  a  man  of  most  genial  and  gra- 
cious personality,  with  strong  mentality  and  contemplative  spirit,  and 
he  was  an  appreciative  reader  of  the  best  in  literature  until  blindness 
made  such  indulgence  impossible.  He  was  specially  earnest  in  his  study 
of  religious  matters  and  had  a  deep  reverence  for  the  spiritual  verities. 
Though  at  all  times  tolerant  of  the  views  of  others,  he  was  liberal  in  his 
religious  convictions  and  was  a  regular  attendant  and  generous  supporter 
of  the  Church  of  Our  Father,  the  leading  Universalist  organization  of 
the  city.  In  1903  Mr.  Claxton  erected,  at  the  corner  of  Ferris  street 
and  Fourth  avenue,  the  fine  modern  residence  in  which  his  widow  still 
maiutains  her  home,  and  here  were  continued  until  his  demise  the  ideal 
domestic  associations  that  had  proved  his  greatest  comfort  and  solace 
during  the  long  years  of  a  cheerful  and  mutually  sympathetic  married 
life.  Though  he  was  an  octogenarian  at  the  time  of  his  death,  Mr.  Clax- 
ton retained  his  mental  powers  practically  unimpaired  to  the  last,  and 
continued  to  manifest  a  lively  interest  in  current  topics  and  public  af- 
fairs. Though  he  never  manifested  any  ambition  for  public  office,  he 
was  liberal  and  progressive  in  his  civic  attitude,  was  ever  ready  to  lend 
his  co-operation  in  support  of  those  agencies  that  tended  to  further'  the 
social  and  material  prosperity  of  his  home  city,  and  his  political  alle- 
giance was  given  to  the  Republican  party.  ^  Upon  the  celebration  of  the 
eightieth  birthday  anniversary  of  Mr.  Claxton,  on  Christmas  day,  1908, 
there  were  present  at  his  home  to  do  him  honor  twenty  of  his  children, 
grandchildren  and  great-grandchildren.  The  funeral  services  of  this 
honored  pioneer  citizen  were  held  from  the  family  home,  in  charge  of 
Rev.  Lee  S.  McCoUister,  pastor  of  the  Church  of  Our  Father,  and  inter- 
ment was  made  in  Woodmere  cemetery.  The  death  of  Mr.  Claxton  was 
a  source  of  sincere  bereavement  to  his  wide  circle  of  friends,  and  the 
military  organizations  with  which  he  was  identified  passed  appropriate 
resolutions  of  regret  and  sorrow. 

By  his  first  wife,  whom  he  wedded  when  a  young  man,  he  is  survived 
by  five  children, — Frank  W.,  Frederick  L.,  William  B.,  Walter  K.  and 
Luman  E.  In  the  city  of  Buffalo,  New  York,  on  the  21st  of  April,  1881, 
was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Claxton  to  Mrs.  Mary  (Robson) 
Brooks,  widow  of  Lester  Brooks,  who  was  a  resident  of  Massachusetts 
at  the  time  of  his  death  and  who  is  survived  by  one  son,  now  a  resident 
of  Detroit.  No  children  were  bom  of  the  second  marriage.  Mrs.  Clax- 
ton was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  as  were  also  her  parents,  Robert 
and  Sarah  Robson,  who  came  to  the  tjnited  States  when  she  was  a  girl, 
her  tenth  birthday  anniversary  having  been  celebrated  on  shipboard 
while  the  family  were  thus  en  route. 


Joseph  Lowthian  Hudson.  A  place  among  Detroit's  foremost  men 
has  long  since  been  universally  accorded  the  late  Joseph  Lowthian  Hud- 
son, who  during  his  long  and  intensely  active  career  accomplished  so 
much  and  exerted  so  beneficial  an  influence  along  the  lines  of  the  civic, 
commercial  and  benevolent  development  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Hudson  was  bom  at  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  county  of  Northumber- 
land, England,  on  the  17th  of  October  1846,  and  died  at  Worthing, 
England,  a  watering  place  on  the  English  channel,  on  the  5th  of  July, 
1912,  his  death  having  resulted  from  pneumonia  within  little  more  than 
a  fortnight  after  he  had  gone  abroad  for  the  purpose  of  recuperating 
his  physical  energies.  He  was  a  son  of  Richard  and  Elizabeth  (Low- 
thian) Hudson,  both  natives  of  England.     Richard,  the  father,  was  for 


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1187 


many  years  engaged  in  the  wholesale  tea,  coffee  and  spice  business  in 
Newcastle,  England,  but  encountering  business  reverses  he  came  to  Am- 
erica in  1853,  his  family  joining  him  two  years  later.  He  located  at 
Hamilton,  Ontario,  Canada,  whence  the  family  removed  to  Grand  Rapids, 
Michigan,  thence  to  Ionia,  that  state,  and  still  later  to  Pontiac,  AUchi- 
gan.  At  Pontiac  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Detroit  &  JVIilwaukee  Rail- 
road Company  until  the  late  Christopher  R.  Mabley  then  a  clothing 
merchant  of  that  city,  bought  out  a  rival  store  and  placed  Mr.  Hudson 
in  charge  of  the  establishment.  Joseph  L.,  the  son,  at  that  time  was 
and  had  been  for  some  time  employed  as  a  clerk  in  Mr.  Mabley 's  ori- 
ginal Pontiac  store.  Later  Mr.  Mibley  bought  out  a  store  at  Ionia,  Michi- 
gan, and  placed  the  senior  Mr.  Hudson  in  charge  of  that  business.  He 
continued  to  reside  at  the  latter  place  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  February,  1873,  his  wife's  death  having  occurred  in  April,  1863,  at 
Pontiac,  just  previous  to  the  removal  of  the  family  from  that  place  to 
Ionia.  Of  the  children  of  Richard  and  Elizabeth  Hudson,  seven  at- 
tained to  years  of  maturity,  all  of  whom  are  still  living  with  the  excep- 
tion of  him  to  whom  this  memoir  is  dedicated.  The  eldest  son.  Profes- 
sor Richard  Hudson,  is  one  of  the  leading  members^of  the  faculty  of  the 
University  of  Michigan;  James  B.  Hudson  is  vice  president  of  the  J.  L. 
Hudson  Company  of  Cleveland,  Ohio;  William  Hudson  is  vice  presi- 
dent of  the  J.  L.  Hudson  Company  of  Buffalo,  New  York;  and  the  sur- 
viving daughters  are  Mrs.  Robert  B.  Tannahill,  Mrs.  Joseph  T.  Webber 
and  Mrs.  William  Clay,  of  Detroit. 

Joseph  L.  Hudson  acquired  his  educational  training  in  the  schools 
of  Newcastle,  England,  Hamilton,  Ontario,  and  Grand  Rapids,  Michi- 
gan. His  first  employment  outside  of  the  home  was  as  clerk  in  a  grocery 
store  in  Hamilton,  and  his  next  was  on  a  fruit  farm  near  Grand  Rapids. 
After  the  family  removed  to  Pontiac  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  late 
C.  R.  Mabley  as  clerk  in  his  clothing  store,  where  he  continued  for 
nearly  five  years.  Then  going  to  Ionia,  he  assisted  his  father  in  the 
management  of  the  Mabley  store  at  that  place,  which  they  purchased 
later.  This  business  alliance  continued  with  success  until  the  death  of 
the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  which  was  styled  R.  Hudson  &  Son.  At 
the  time  of  the  death  of  the  elder  partner  the  Ionia  business  was  ap- 
praised at  a  valuation  of  $40,000,  half  of  which  belonged  to  Mr.  J.  L. 
Hudson,  who  continued  the  enterprise  under  the  old  firm  name.  Dur- 
ing the  financial  panic  of  1873  Mr.  Hudson,  though  careful  and  conserva- 
tive, was  overtaken  by  disaster  and  found  himself  unable  to  meet  the 
demands  placed  upon  him,  and  his  business  became  insolvent  in  1878, 
with  liabiUties  of  about  $68,000  and  with  assets  greatly  depreciated.  At 
this  juncture  was  significantly  shown  the  inpregnable  honesty  and  loy- 
-  alty  of  Mr.  Hudson.  He  had  so  gained  the  confidence  of  his  creditors 
that  they  extended  him  aid  in  continuing  his  business,  which  enabled 
him  to  survive  the  panic  and  eventually  make  his  business  a  permanent 
success.  Though  no  legal  obligation  rested  upon  him  to  pay  any  amounts 
over  the  stipulated  sixty  cents  on  the  dollar,  yet  he  in  1879,  a  year  after 
he  removed  to  Detroit,  paid  all  his  local  creditors  the  extra  forth  per 
cent,  together  with  interest.  In  August,  1888,  he  paid  in  full  his  east- 
ern creditors,  and  stood  square  with  the  world  to  his  own  satisfaction, 
he  having  expended  at  least  $25,000  in  carrying  out  his  rigid  ideas  of 
honesty  and  square  dealing.  So  rare,  if  not  unprecedented,  was  such 
an  exhibition  of  scrupulous  honesty  and  integrity  under  the  circum- 
stances that  Mr.  Hudson's  course  caused  absolute  amazement  in  trade 
circles.  He  never,  however,  claimed  any  credit  for  his  action,  but 
simply  maintained  that  he  took  the  right  course,  as  he  did  later  in  many 
other  instances,  where  he  wrought  good  works  and  *' blushed  to  find 
them  fame." 


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1188  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

Mr.  Hudson  was  the  founder  of  not  only  the  great  business  enter- 
prise which  perpetuates  his  name  in  Detroit,  but  also  of  important  mer- 
cantile establishments,  which  likewise  bear  his  name,  in  the  cities  of 
Cleveland,  Toledo  and  Buffalo,  but  to  his  friends  and  admirers  it  has 
always  been  a  source  of  especial  gratification  that  his  most  brilliant  and 
important  achievements  in  business  were  in  Detroit,  his  home  city,  and 
one  to  which  he  was  ever  loyal  in  the  extreme  at  all  times.  In  1877  he 
came  to  Detroit  to  assume  the  management  of  the  large  clothing  busi- 
ness of  his  old  employer,  Mr.  C.  R.  Mabley,  with  whom  he  continued 
until  December,  1880,  when  the  business  relations  of  these  two  gentle- 
men were  severed  after  a  very  successful  period  of  three  years  of  mutual 
profit.  The  rupture  of  the  partnership  was  followed  by  a  memorable 
struggle  between  the  younger  and  the  older  merchant.  Mr.  Hudson 
opened,  on  April  2,  1881,  a  clothing  store  in  the  old  Detroit  Opera 
House  building.  Six  years  later,  in  April,  1887,  he  removed  to  the 
Henkel  building,  numbers  141-145  Woodward  avenue,  where  he  re- 
mained until  September,  1891,  when  he  moved  into  the  magnificent  build- 
ing he  had  erected  on  the  site  of  the  old  Presbyterian  church  and  ad- 
jacent property,  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Gratiot  and  Farmer  streets, 
which  property  he  had  bought  for  that  purpose.  To  this  building  a 
large  addition  was  made  in  1907,  carrying  it  farther  to  the  north,  and 
in  1911  another  handsome  addition  was  made,  giving  a  Woodward  ave- 
nue frontage.  Originally  a  clothing  store,  the  establishment  became 
upon  removal  to  the  present  location  a  general  department  store  that 
compares  more  than  favorably  with  the  leading  concerns  of  the  kind  in 
the  largest  metropolitan  centers  of  the  country,  and  does  an  annual 
business  of  several  million  dollars.  Several  years  ago  the  business  was 
incorporated  as  the  J.  L.  Hudson  Company,  with  Mr.  J.  L.  Hudson  as 
president.  Mr.  Hudson's  place  in  the  company  is  now  taken  by  his 
nephew,  Mr.  R.  H.  Webber,  who  was  associated  with  his  uncle  for  many 
years  and  was  prior  to  Mr.  Hudson's  death  vice-president  of  the  com- 
pany. 

The  subjoined  editorial  from  the  Detroit  Free  Press  shows  the  esteem 
in  which  Mr.  Hudson  was  held  by  the  people  of  Detroit:  **The  death  of 
Joseph  L.  Hudson  is  a  civic  disaster.  He  was  unquestionably  Detroit's 
most  genuinely  public-spirited  citizen,  her  sanest  philanthropist.  If  it 
may  be  said  of  any  man  who  has  lived  in  this  city  it  may  be  said  of  him 
that  his  place  can  not  be  filled.  There  was  nothing  which  Mr.  Hudson 
believed  to  be  for  the  substantial  betterment  of  his  city,  his  state  or  his 
country  in  which  he  failed  to  interest  himself  actively,  and  this  state- 
ment extends  to  the  religious,  philanthropic  and  business  worlds.  He 
was  never  deaf  to  any  call  for  assistance  for  a  worthy  cause.  He  gave 
his  time  and  his  money  liberally  and  ungrudgingly.  He  never  feared  to 
stand  for  principle;  he  never  failed  to  champion  a  cause  because  it 
chanced  to  be  unpopular,  if  he  believed  it  to  be  a  righteous  cause.  Many 
such  a  cause  gained  dignity  and  standing  through  the  mere  fact  that  he 
was  behind  it.  He  was,  of  course,  criticized  at  times  by  unthinking 
opponents  and  by  those  ruled  by  the  passion  of  the  moment,  but  per- 
sons who  came  into  close  touch  with  him  and  knew  him  respected  him 
and  admired  him  for  his  whole-souled  manliness  and  courage,  even 
when  they  most  disagreed  with  him. 

**A  man  of  strong  convictions  and  aggressive  nature,  Mr.  Hudson 
was  absolutely  devoid  of  bigotry.  He  had  the  widest  charity  for  the 
faults  of  others  and  the  widest  tolerance  for  honest  beliefs  which  con- 
flicted with  his  own.  His  charitableness  did  not  stop  with  the  giving 
of  money,  time  and  counsel;  it  extended  to  unfailing  consideration  for 
the  feelings  and  rights  of  others.    He  was  invariably  courteous  and  con- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1189 

siderate,  a  man  who  disliked  useless  and  pointless  strife  as  thoroughly 
as  he  believed  in  battle  for  principle  or  for  a  worthy  object.  His  ability 
to  maintain  an  impartial  attitude  made  him  almost  invaluable  as  a 
settler  of  disputes  and  as  a  healer  of  factional  bitternesses.  His  demo-  . 
cracy  was  of  the  sensible,  unassuming  sort  which  frowned  upon  any  dis- 
tinction between  persons  because  of  differences  in  social  position  or  fin- 
ancial condition.  There  was  at  no  time  need  to  announce  that  he  was  in 
the  strict  sense  of  the  term  a  gentleman;  one  felt  the  fact  almost  in- 
stinctively upon  entering  his  presence. 

'*If  any  man  in  this  city  ever  deserved  business  success  Mr.  Hudson 
reserved  it.  He  had  what  sometimes  seemed  to  be  an  almost  limitless 
capacity  for  work.  His  probity  was  beyond  question.  He  was  known 
all  over  the  country  for  his  high  ideals  of  business  honor  and  the  strict- 
ness with  which  he  lived  up  to  them.  It  is  a  matter  of  record  that  three 
times  he  voluntarily  assumed  large  indebtednesses  which  he  was  under 
no  legal  obligation  to  assume  and  which  many  persons  might  have 
avoided  without  feeling  that  they  had  slighted  moral  obligations.  The 
natural  result  was,  of  course,  that  Mr.  Hudson  had  hosts  of  friends  to 
aid  him  on  one  or  two  occasions  when  he  found  himself  in  financial 
straits.  From  this,  however,  it  may  not  be  gathered  that  his  honesty 
was  ever  of  the  calculating  sort,  for  these  transactions,  so  much  to  his 
credit,  became  matters  of  common  knowledge  only  through  accidents  for 
which  he  was  in  no  way  responsible.  How  much  Mr.  Hudson  and  others 
with  similar  business  ideals  have  done  to  raise  ethical  standards  in  the 
business  world  of  Detroit  can  not  be  estimated. 

**Mr.  Hudson  was  a  man  any  municipality  might  be  proud  to  ac- 
knowledge before  the  world  as  its  leading  citizen  and  as  the  person  most 
thoroughly  representative  of  its  best  social,  business  and  political  ideals. 
The  sorrow  of  Detroit  over  his  death  will  be  deep  and  lasting.'' 

In  all  lines  of  public  enterprise  Mr.  Hudson  gave  his  influence  and 
co-operation  with  the  utmost  liberality.  He  served  as  president  of  the 
Detroit  Board  of  Commerce  and  did  much  to  foster  its  high  civic  ideals. 
He  was  president  of  Harper  Hospital  at  the  time  of  his  death  and  also 
of  the  Associated  Charities  of  Detroit.  He  likewise  held  the  presidency 
of  the  Provident  Loan  Society ;  was  vice-president  of  the  Dime  Savings 
Bank ;  a  trustee  of  the  Central  Methodist  Episcopal  church ;  a  member 
of  the  advisory  board  of  the  Detroit  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion and  also  of  the  Young  Women 's  Christian  Association ;  and  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  trustees  of  McGregor  Institute. 

Mr.  Hudson  was  a  beliver  in  the  basic  principles  of  the  Democratic 
party,  but  in  local  affairs  he  gave  his  support  to  the  men  and  measure 
meeting  the  approval  of  his  judgment,  irrespective  of  party  and  a'flSlia- 
tions.  He  was  an  uncompromising  foe  of  the  liquor  traflSc,  but  in  this 
direction,  as  in  other  relations  of  life,  his  abiding  hiunan  sympathy 
ever  made  him  tolerant  of  the  failings  of  others.  He  was  most  liberal 
in  his  contributions  to  charitable  and  benevolent  institutions  and  objects, 
and  his  private  benefactions  were  innumerable,  with  ever  a  touch  of 
personal  interest  and  a  desire  to  aid  in  the  most  consistent  way.  That 
he  was  essentially  humanity's  friend  has  been  proved  on  so  many  occa- 
sions and  in  such  definite  ways  that  further  affirmation  of  the  fact  is 
not  demanded.  Of  him  it  may  well  be  said  that  he  *' remembered  those 
who  were  forgotten." 

Mr.  Hudson  was  never  unmindful  of  his  civic  duties,  and  in  the  midst 
of  the  manifold  exactions  of  his  great  business  interests  he  consented  to 
serve  in  such  unsalaried  municipal  offices  as  member  of  the  water  com- 
mission and  the  electric  lighting  commission.  He  never  married,  but  his 
home  life  was  ideal  through  its  close  association  with  the  members  of 


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1190  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

his  immediate  family  who  were  of  his  household.  In  conclusion  of  this 
memoir  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  state  that  the  various  business,  social 
and  other  organizations  with  which  Mr.  Hudson  was  identified  passed 
resolutions  of  loss  and  bereavement,  such  evidences  of  appreciation  hav- 
ing been  given  by  the  employes  of  the  J.  L.  Hudson  Company,  by  the 
Dime  Savings  Bank,  by  the  Detroit  Real  Estate  Board  by  the  Detroit 
Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Children,  by  the  Detroit  Board 
of  Commerce,  by  the  oflBcial  board  of  the  Central  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  by  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Detroit  Museum  of  Art,  by  the 
trustees  of  Harper  Hospital,  and  by  the  trustees  of  both  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  and  the  .Young  Women's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, as  well  as  by  many  other  organizations  which  had  received  per- 
sonal interest  and  liberal  support  from  him.  The  mortal  remains  of 
this  honored  citizen  were  brought  back  to  Detroit  for  interment  in 
Woodlawn.  cemetery,  where  they  were  laid  to  rest  on  the  19th  of  July, 
1912.  The  funeral,  at  the  Central  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  called 
forth  a  vast  assembly  of  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  citizens,  who  came 
to  pay  a  last  tribute  to  a  friend  and  to  a  man  whose  noble  personality 
will  cause  his  name  to  be  held  in  enduring  honor  in  the  city  that  was 
so  long  his  home  and  the  center  of  his  interests.  Of  Joseph  L.  Hud- 
son one  who  knew  him  well  gave  the  following  estimate:  **He  would 
go  further  out  of  his  way  to  show  kindness  to  weak  or  needy  persons 
than  any  mah  I  have  ever  known.  Detroit  has  lost  one  of  her  chief 
citizens." 

Harry  L.  Schellenberg.  Among  the  well  known  and  successful 
members  of  the  Detroit  bar  who  have  by  continued  hard  work  and 
persistency,  backed  by  native  talent  and  developed  ability,  won  a  recog- 
nized position,  is  Harry  L.  Schellenberg,  who  maintains  offices  in  Suite 
No.  69  of  the  Home  Bank  Building. 

Mr.  Schellenberg  was  bom  on  the  parental  farm  in  the  county  of 
Perth,  Ontario,  Canada,  on  October  30,  1868,  and  is  the  son  of  Nicholas 
and  Catherine  (Victor)  Schellenberg.  Nicholas  Schellenberg  was  a 
native  of  Germany,  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Catherine  (Gnau)  Schellen- 
berg, the  former  having  been  a  soldier  under  Napoleon,  and  he  had 
three  horses  shot  from  under  him  in  battle,  he  himself  escaping  without 
injury  in  each  instance.  The  old  gentleman  brought  the  family  to  the 
United  States  when  his  son  Nicholas  was  a  boy  in  his  sixth  year.  Land- 
ing at  New  York  city,  the  family  was  there  advised  to  seek  a  home  near 
the  German  settlement  known  as  Berlin  in,  Ontario,  and  it  was  thus 
they  settled  in  Canada  instead  of  the  United  States.  Jacob,  the  pioneer, 
secured  land  in  the  county  of  Perth,  cleared  and  improved  a  farm,  and 
there  lived  until  his  death,  which  occurred  when  he  had  reached  the 
patriarchal  age  of  ninety-one,  years.  Catherine,  the  mother  of  the  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Hessen,  Germany,  and  was  the  daughter  of  John  Victor. 
Her  family  came  to  the  United  States  when  she  was  a  young  lady  of 
sixteen  years,  and,  like  the  Schellenbergs,  after  reaching  New  York  they 
sought  the  German  settlement  in  Ontario,  locating  in  Perth  county, 
where  John  Victor  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life,  dying  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-three  years.  Nicholas  Schellenberg  and  three  of 
his  brothers  became  pioneer  settlers  of  Fullarton  township,  Perth  county, 
Ontario,  going  there  and  engaging  in  farming  when  that  section  was 
yet  a  wilderness,  and  before  the  Grand  Trunk  Railroad  was  constructed. 
There  he  continued  to  live,  following  farming  as  his  vocation  until  his 
death  in  1905.  His  widow  still  lives  on  the  old  farmstead,  and  is  now 
in  her  eighty-sixth  year  of  life,  enjoying  a  fair  measure  of  health  and 
the  full  control  of  all  her  faculties. 


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1191 


Harry  L.  Schellenberg  was  reared  to  farm  life  and  for  a  time  at- 
tended such  schools  as  the  community  aiforded.  Later  he  was  a  student 
in  a  German  school  for  some  two  or  three  years,  and  with  that  schooling 
as  a  foundation,  he  has  developed  himself  especially  well  in  an  e(Juca- 
tional  way.  He  read  law  in  the  oflSce  of  Frank  T.  Lodge  in  Detroit, 
attending  night  school  while  pursuing  his  law  studies,  and  was  admittea 
to  the  bar  on  April  17,  1890.  He  practiced  his  profession  for  two  years, 
then  in  1893  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace,  which  office  he  held  for  a 
period  of  four  years,  thereafter  returning  to  the  general  practice  of 
law,  and  since  continuing  with  excellent  success. 

Mr.  Schellenberg  married  Miss  Plum  Bateson,  who  was  bom  in  To- 
ronto, Ontario,  and  who  is  the  daughter  of  Samuel  R.  Bateson.  She 
came  to  Detroit  with  her  parents  when  an  infant  of  one  month.  One 
son  has  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schellenberg,  Earl  Bateson  Victor, 
born  January  16,  1897. 

Ida  Loose  Zacharias  Corbett.  Without  having  attributed  to  herself 
any  of  the  prerogatives  of  the  so-called  '*new  woman,"  Ida  L.  Zacharias 
Corbett  has  shown  most  emphatically  her  capacity  along  initiative  and 
constructive  lines  and  now  stands  at  the  head  of  an  industrial  enterprise 
of  broad  scope  and  importance.  She  is  president  of  the  corporation  con- 
ducting business  under  the  title  of  Zacharias  and  Mason  Company  and 
figures  as  the  founder  of  the  enterprise^  the  functions  of  which  are  the 
manufacturing  of  women's  and  misses'  dresses  and  other  apparel.  The 
business  is  entirely  of  wholesale  order  and  its  products  have  at  all  times 
constituted  its  most  effective  advertising  as  well  as  its  best  commercial 
asset.  The  concern  has  been  built  up  from  a  modest  inception  to  one  of 
distinctive  magnitude,  and  the  result  is  due  to  the  well  directed  efforts 
and  sound  business  judgment  of  Ida  L.  Zacharias  Corbett  and  her  sis- 
ter, Mrs.  Lucy  A.  Mason,  who  have  thus  been  associated  since  1889,  when 
they  began  operations  on  a  very  small  scale  in  a  private  residence  on 
Henry  street.  They  carried  on  the  business  here  for  a  short  time  only, 
soon  removing  to  larger  quarters  on  Grand  River  avenue.  In  1894, 
owing  to  the  expansion  of  the  business,  adequate  headquarters  were  taken 
in  a  new  brick  building  at  the  comer  of  Grand  River  avenue  and  Fifth 
street,  where  the  two  top  floors  were  fitted  up  for  the  use  of  the  firm. 
At  this  time  a  number  of  electric  sewing  machines  were  installed,  and 
so  rapidly  did  the  business  increase  that  in  1896  it  was  found  necessary 
to  secure  larger  quarters,  with  the  result  that  the  firm  moved  their  estab- 
lishment to  the  Scripps  building,  on  Grand  River  avenue,  where  they 
occupied  three  entire  floors,  utilizing,  in  fact,  all  of  the  space  they  could 
secure  in  the  building.  More  machines  were  installed  and  the  force  of 
operatives  was  increased.  Continuous  growth  attended  the  enterprise 
under  the  able  management  of  the  ambitious  sisters,  and  on  the  31st 
of  January,  1900,  they  moved  into  their  own  substantial  and  modern 
building,  at  11-13  Pine  street.  Here  they  purchased  the  ground  and 
erected  a  brick  and  stone  building  two  stories  in  height,  with  a  base- 
ment, and  containing  twenty-five  thousand  square  feet  of  floor  space. 
The  entire  building  is  utilized  by  the  company  and  there  are  now  in 
commission  in  the  establishment  from  two  to  three  hundred  sewing 
machines,  operated  by  electricity,  with  all  other  facilities  and  acces- 
sories of  the  best  modem  type.  Employment  is  given  to  a  corps  of 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty  operatives,  assigned  to  the  various  depart- 
ments, and  the  output  of  the  establishment  now  reaches  a  large  mag- 
nitude each  year.  The  trade  extends  throughout  the  middle  and  the 
western  states  to  the  Pacific  coast,  this  territory  being  covered  regu- 
larly by  representatives  of  the  firm.    The  enterprise  has  proved  a  valu- 


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1192  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

able  contribution  to  the  commercial  prestige  of  Detroit,  and  it  stands 
as  a  monument  to  the  energy,  progressiveness  and  keen  business  sagacity 
of  the  two  sisters  who  have  brought  it  into  being  and  developed  it,  and 
who  are  held  in  unequivocal  esteem  in  the  local  business  community,  as 
well  as  in  social  circles.  In  1901  the  business  was  incorporated  under 
the  laws  of  the  state,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $100,000,  and  the  annual 
business  now  reaches  an  aggregate  of  fully  $200,000.  Ida  L.  Zacharias 
is  president  of  the  company  and  her  sister,  Mrs.  Lucy  A.  Mason,  is  vice- 
president.  The  latter 's  son-in-law,  John  M.  Biles,' is  secretary  of  the 
corporation  and  gives  to  the  same  his  entire  time  and  attention.  He  is 
a  keen  and  energetic  business  man  and  is  a  fine  adjunct  to  the  enter- 
prise. These  three  oflScers  also  constitute  the  board  of  directors,  and 
Ida  L.  Zacharias  Corbett  is  also  president  of  the  Grand  Rapids  Uphol- 
stering Company,  which  conducts  a  prosperous  business  in  the  city  of 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan.  She  has  been  a  resident  of  Detroit  for  nearly 
a  quarter  of  a  century  and  has  shown  a  loyal  interest  in  all  that  has 
tended  to  advance  the  material  and  civic  prosperity  of  the  city,  in  which 
she  and  her  sister  have  gained  such  marked  success  and  business  preced- 
ence. Ida  L.  Zacharias  Corbett  is  a  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
church,  and  Mrs.  Mason  and  Mr.  Biles  are  members  of  the  Central  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  while  all  three  are  identified  with  the  Young 
Women's  and  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations.  Each  of  the  sisters 
have  beautiful  homes  on  Avery  avenue  and  they  also  own  other  real 
estate  aside  from  their  residence  and  business  properties. 

Both  Ida  L.  Zacharias  Corbett  and  her  sister  were  born  in  Monroe 
county,  Michigan,  and  are  representatives  of  one  of  the  honored  pioneer 
families  of  that  section  of  the  state,  where  their  paternal  grandfather 
secured  large  tracts  of  government  land  within  a  short  time  after  the 
admission  of  Michigan  to  the  Union.  They  are  daughters  of  Peter  K.  and 
Barbara  (King)  Zacharias,  both  of  whom  continued  to  reside  in  Monroe 
county  until  their  deaths,  the  father  having  given  the  major  part  of 
his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits.  Of  the  seven  sons  and  four  daughters 
born  to  the  parents,  two  daughters  and  one  son  survive.  Besides  Ida  L. 
Zacharias  Corbett  and  Mrs.  Mason  is  their  brother,  Peter  H.  Zacharias, 
who  has  now  retired  from  active  business  and  resides  in  Detroit.  Mrs. 
Mason  is  the  widow  of  Allen  Mason,  who  died  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury ago,  and  their  only  child,  Jennie  E.,  is  now  the  wife  of  John  M. 
Biles,  secretary  of  the  corporation  of  Zacharias  &  Mason.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Biles  have  three  children, — Allen  M.,  Grace  L.  and  Helen  E.  In  October, 
1910,  Ida  L.  Zacharias  was  married  to  the  late  William  P.  Corbett,  who 
was  a  prominent  and  brilliant  attorney  of  Detroit,  with  offices  in  the 
Hammond  building.  His  death  occurred  during  the  same  fall  as  their 
marriage. 

Mr.  Corbett  was  bom  in  St.  Albans,  Vt.,  of  an  old  New  England  fam- 
ily. He  was  graduated  from  the  St.  Albans  High  School.  In  the  year 
1887  he  came  to  Detroit  and  here  was  graduated  from  the  Detroit  Col- 
lege of  Law  with  the  class  of  '93,  and  in  the  same  year  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  Michigan.  He  was  for  a  time  in  the  law  office  of  the  late  Col. 
John  Atkinson,  then  in  the  office  of  Maybury  and  Lucking,  where  he 
continued  until  he  opened  offices  for  himself  in  the  Hammond  building. 
He  was  ^  ripe  scholar,  a  close  student  and  a  brilliant  man,  and  was  a 
most  successful  lawyer.  He  was  prominent  in  the  Independent  Order  of 
Foresters  and  the  Loyal  Guards,  and  was  also  a  member  of  the  New 
England  Society. 

Charles  J.  Troester.  At  the  death  on  September  11,  1906,  of 
Charles  J.  Troester,  Detroit  lost  a  citizen  who  was  high  in  the  esteem 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1193 

and  aifection  of  the  community  and  was  especially  well  known  among 
the  old  German  residents  of  the  city.  He  was  born  in  Detroit,  at  the 
comer  of  Pipale  and  Franklin  streets,  on  the  2nd  of  September,  1862. 
He  was  the  son  of  John  and  Katherine  Troester,  who  were  of  German 
descent  and  had  been  among  the  early  settlers  in  the  city.  Charles 
Troester  received  his  early  education  in  St.  Mary's  Catholic  school 
and  in 'the  public  schools  of  Detroit,  but  for  the  most  part  he  was  a 
self-educated  and  self-made  man,  for  it  was  to  his  own  keenness  of 
observation  and  to  his  wide  reading  after  his  school  days  were  over  that 
he  really  owed  the  firm  basis  upon  which  his  character  was  built.  He 
first  entered  the  world  of  work  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  when  as  a  bell  boy 
he  was  employed  for  a  short  time  in  the  Windsor  Hotel.  After  this 
taste  of  the  joy  of  earning  money  he  went  to  work  in  real  earnest  in 
his  father's  business.  He  stayed  in  the  grocery  store  with  his  father, 
learning  the  business,  until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age.  He  then 
bought  out  his  father  and  became  the  sole  owner  of  the  business,  which 
was  a  combination  of  grocery  and  saloon,  located  at  the  corner  of  Ripale 
and  Franklin  streets.  For  fifteen  years  thereafter,  he  conducted  the 
business  with  great  success,  and  then  he  sold  out  to  his  brother  George, 
who  is  now  the  owner  and  manager  of  the  business. 

After  disposing  of  the  business  which  he  had  bought  from  his  father 
Mr.  Troester  went  into  the  real  estate  business  and  for  six  years  bought 
and  sold  property,  with  varying  success,  but  taken  as  a  whole  these 
were  years  of  prosperity.  At  the  end  of  this  time  he  built  a  business 
block  at  the  corner  of  Ripale  and  Congress  streets,  and  here  he  installed 
a  grocery  and  saloon  business  which  he  operated  for  about  three  years. 
He  then  sold  out  and  from  this  time  until  his  death  in  1906,  lived  in 
retirement.  After  his  death  on  the  11th  of  September,  he  was  laid  to 
rest  in  Mount  Elliot  cemetery.  He  left  many  friends  who  knew  him 
as  a  kind  and  loyal  friend,  marked  by  the  sterling  German  attributes  of 
industry  and  honor.  He  was  a  member  of  the  American  Insurance 
Union,  the  Order  of  Foresters  and  of  the  Catholic  Court. 

Politically  Mr.  Troester  was  a  Democrat,  but  though  he  took  a  great 
interest  in  political  issues,  he  could  never  be  prevailed  upon  to  run  for 
office. 

On  the  24th  of  June,  1891,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Troester  to  Miss  Josephine  Pulto,  the  daughter  of  Anthony  and  Mary 
Pulto.  She  was  born  in  Detroit  and  represented  two  of  the  oldest  and 
most  distinguished  German  families  in  the  city.  Her  father  was  for 
many  years  a  wholesale  grocer  and  liquor  dealer  in  Detroit,  and  was 
well  known  for  his  progressive  business  methods.  The  union  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Troester  was  blessed  with  three  sons;  John  Harry,  Marshall 
F.  and  Charles  J.,  all  of  whom  make  their  home  with  their  mother.  The 
Troester  family  are  all  communicants  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 
Mrs.  Troester  now  makes  her  home  in  the  attractive  residence  she  bought 
after  her  husband's  death  on  East  Grand  Boulevard, 

The  Daisy  Manufacturing  Company.  One  of  the  leading  industrial 
enterprises  of  Wayne  county  is  the  Daisy  Manufacturiig  Company,  of 
Plymouth,  which,  in  the  manufacture  of  the  ''Daisy''  air  rifle,  and  a 
small  toy  pop  gun,  gives  employment  to  nearly  two  hundred  people, 
it  being  the  largest  manufacture  of  air  rifles  in  the  world,  each  year 
making  more  than  all  the  other  factories  combined.  This  company  is 
in  reality  a  continuation  of  the  old  Plymouth  Iron  Windmill  Company 
which,  in  1882,  was  established  in  Plymouth,  Michigan,  by  H.  W.  Baker, 
the  present  president  of  the  Daisy  Manufacturing  Company,  and  L.  C. 
Hough,  father  of  E.  C.  Hough,  now  treasurer  of  the  Daisy  Manufactur- 

Vol.  ni— 28 


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1194  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

ing  Company.  For  eight  years  after  its  establishment  the  original  com- 
pany manufactured  iron  windmills  with  more  or  less  success,  but  in 
1890  gave  up  that  work,  although  it  continued  to  make  the  ** Daisy" 
air  rifle,  the  manufacture  of  which  it  had  begun  in  1888.  In  1895  the 
firm  name  was  changed  from  the  Plymouth  Iron  Windmill  Company 
to  its  present  form,  the  Daisy  Manufacturing  Company,  and  has  con- 
tinued operations  on  an  extensive  scale,  having  built  up  a  business  of 
immense  proportions,  the  products  of  its  factory  being  known  all  over 
the  world  as  the  very  best  of  the  kind.  The  oflScers  of  the  company, 
all  men  of  tried  and  trusted  ability,  are  as  follows:  H.  W.  Baker,  pres- 
ident; C.  H.  Bennett,  vice-president;  6.  W.  Hunter,  secretary;  and 
E.  C.  Hough,  treasurer. 

Henry  W.  Baker,  president  of  the  Daisy  Manufacturing  Company, 
and  one  of  its  founders,  was  bom  February  10,  1833,  in  Richmond, 
Ontario  county,  New  York,  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Maria  (Marshall) 
Baker,  who  came  to  Wayne  county,  Michigan,  in  the  spring  of  1842, 
locating  on  a  farm  two  and  one-half  miles  west  of  Plymouth,  in  the 
locality  of  Cooper's  Corners.  Having  completed  his  studies  in  the 
schools  of  Wayne  county,  Henry  W.  Baker  learned  the  photographer's 
trade,  and  during  the  Civil  war  worked  with  his  cousin  as  a  photo- 
grapher in  Ypsilanti,  Michigan.  Returning  to  Plymouth  about  1866,  Mr. 
Baker  was  for  eight  years  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  being  head 
of  the  firm  of  Baker  and  Crosby.  The  following  two  years  he^as  em- 
ployed in  the  lumber  business  after  which  he  became  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Plymouth  Iron  Windmill  Company,  which,  as  mentioned  above, 
has  been  merged  into  the  Daisy  Manufacturing  Company. 

Mr.  Baker  has  been  twice  married.  He  married  first  Flora  Brom- 
field,  and  married  second,  Angeline  C.  Myers.  Mr.  Baker  has  been 
eminently  successful  in  business,  and  occupies  a  position  of  note  among 
the  more  highly  esteemed  and  respected  residents  of  Plymouth,  where 
he  has  a  beautiful  home,  a  costly  brick  structure. 

C.  H.  Bennett,  vice-president  of  the  Daisy  Manufacturing  Company, 
was  bom  in  Pljonouth,  Michigan,  June  27,  1865,  a  son  of  Lewis  H.  and 
Caroline  (Baker)  Bennett.  After  his  graduation  from  the  Plymouth 
high  school,  he  entered  the  employ  of  his  father  as  a  collector  and  sales- 
man ;  his  father  having  been  a  manufacturer  of  windmills  and  fanning 
mills,  and  continued  thus  employed  for  six  years.  Entering  then  the 
employ  of  the  Daisy  Manufacturing  Company,  he  acted  as  traveling 
salesman  for  the  firm  for  a  time,  and  is  now  its  vice-president  and  man- 
ager of  its  sales  force.  He  is  also  actively  identified  with  one  of  the 
enterprising  industrial  firms  of  New  York  city,  owning  half  the  stock 
of  the  Baker  &  Bennett  Company,  a  toy  and  sporting  goods  commmission 
house. 

On  June  24,  1891,  Mr.  Bennett  was  united  in  marriage  with  Carrie 
L.  Peck,  of  Plymouth,  Michigan.  Fraternally  Mr.  Bennett  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  in  which  he  has  taken  the  thirty-second 
degree.  He  belongs  to  Detroit  Commandery,  No.  1,  Knights  Templar; 
to  the  Michigan  Consistory;  and  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Arabic 
Order  of  the  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 

E.  C.  Hough,  treasurer  of  the  Daisy  Manufacturing  Company,  of 
Plymouth,  was  bom  on  the  old  Hough  homestead  in  Canton  township, 
Wayne  county,  Michigan,  March  17,  1872,  a  son  of  L.  C.  Hough,  who 
was  bom  on  the  same  farm  and  in  the  very  same  house,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  1846. 

Ira  M.  Hough,  Mr.  Hough's  grandfather,  was  born  and  reared  in 
Vermont.  Migrating  to  Michigan  in  1825,  he  took  up  government  land 
in  Canton  township,  Wayne  county,  and  having  cleared  and  improved 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1195 

a  fine  homestead  was  there  engaged  in  tilling  the  soil  during  the  remain- 
der of  his  active  life. 

Reared  on  the  parental  homestead,  L.  C.  Hough  (jbtained  a  good 
education  when  young,  and  for  several  years  taught  school  in  the  rural 
districts  in  the  winter  season  and  worked  on  the  farm  during  seed  time 
and  harvest.  In  1877  he  embarked  in  the  wholesale  produce  business 
at  Plymouth,  Michigan,  and  for  five  years  bought  and  sold  apples  and 
potatoes,  carrying  on  an  excellent  trade.  In  1882  he  purchased  the 
Pere  Marquette  Elevator  in  Plymouth,  and  in  1889  admitted  to  part- 
nership his  son,  E.  C.  Hough,  the  firm  name  becomftig  L.  C.  Hough  & 
Son,  and  its  office  becoming,  also,  the  home  of  the  office  force  of  the 
Plymouth  Iron  Windmill  Company,  which  was  carrying  on  but  a  small 
business  at  that  time,  and  of  which  L.  C.  Hough  and  E.  C.  Hough  were 
official  stockholders. 

In  1901  the  business  of  the  successors  of  the  Plymouth  Iron  Wind- 
mill Company,  the  Daisy  Manufacturing  Company,  had  grown  to  such 
proportions  that  L.  C.  Hough  &  Son  were  forced  to  dispose  of  their 
elevator  interests,  and  devote  their  entire  time  and  energies  to  it.  At 
that  time  Mr.  L.  C.  Hough  was  treasurer  of  the  Daisy  Manufacturing 
Company  and  E.  C.  Hough  was  its  secretary.  On  January  11,  1902, 
Mr.  L.  C.  Hough  died  and  the  duties  of  treasurer  of  the  firm  were  as- 
sumed by  his  son,  E.  C.  Hough.  L.  C.  Hough  was  a  man  of  eminent 
ability,  aiid  of  prominence  and  influence,  being  verj^  active  in  public 
affairs,  having  served  one  term  as  a  member  of  the  state  legislature. 
The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Mariette  Baker. 

Coming  with  his  parents  to  Plymouth,  Michigan,  when  five  years 
old,  E.  C.  Hough  was  here  educated,  being  graduated  from  the  Ply- 
mouth high  school  with  the  class  of  1889.  He  immediately  embarked 
in  the  grain  business  with  his  father,  as  previously  mentioned,  and  has 
been  officially  connected  with  the  Daisy  Manufacturing  Company  since 
its  inception,  and  has  been  an  important  factor  in  promoting  its  affairs. 

E.  C.  Hough  married,  October  14,  1896,  Marie  Louise  Sheffield,  of 
Mobile,  Alabama,  and  to  them  three  children  have  been  bom,  namely: 
Marie  Athalie,  Cass  Sheffield  and  Corette  Kingsley. 

Mr.  Hough  is  identified  with  variojis  enterprises,  being  president  of 
the  Wayne  County  Telephone  Company  and  secretary  and  treasurer 
of  the  Gray  Motor  Company,  of  Detroit.  For  the  past  nine  years  he  has 
rendered  efficient  service  as  president  of  the  Plymouth  board  of  educa- 
tion. Socially,  Mr.  Hough  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Club  and  of  the 
Detroit  Automobile  Club.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Plymouth 
Rock  Lodge,  No.  47,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Order  of  Masons,  of 
Plymouth;  of  Union  Chapter,  No.  55,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  of  North- 
ville;  of  Northville  Commandery,  No.  39,  Knights  Templars,  of  North- 
ville ;  of  the  Michigan  Consistory ;  and  of  Moslem  Temple,  Mystic  Shrine, 
of  Detroit. 

Ira  L.  Grinnell.  As  senior  member  of  the  well  known  firm  of 
Grinnell  Brothers,  piano  manufacturers,  music  dealers  and  jobbers  of 
talking  machines,  Ira  L.  Grinnell  holds  distinctive  precedence  as  one 
of  the  ablest  and  most  successful  business  men  in  Detroit  where  he  has 
maintained  his  home  since  1882.  Through  persistency  and  a  well  form- 
ulated determination  to  forge  ahead  he  has  made  of  success  not  an 
accident  but  a  logical  result. 

Mr.  Grinnell  was  bom  in  Niagara  county,  New  York,  on  the  1st 
of  March,  1848,  and  is  a  son  of  Ira  and  Betsey  (Balcome)  Grinnell,  the 
former  of  whom  was  bom  and  reared  in  Herkimer  county,  New  York, 
and  the  latter  at  Niagara,  New  York.    The  father  was  engaged  in  farm- 


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1196  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

ing  during  the  major  portion  of  his  active  career  and  died  in  New  York 
in  1865,  his  wife  having  passed  away  in  the  same  year,  only  a  month 
later.  Of  the  children  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ira  Grinnell  two  sons  and 
two  daughters  are  living  at  the  present  time. 

Ira  L.  Grinnell  received  his  edticational  training  in  the  public 
schools  and  the  Albion  Academy,  at  Albion,  New  York.  lie  came  to 
Michigan  in  the  year  1866,  locating  at  Manchester.  In  1867  he  engaged 
in  the  sewing  machine  business  at  Ann  Arbor  and  he  continued  to  be 
identified  with  that  line  of  enterprise  until  1880,  He  entered  into  a 
partnership  with  His  brother  Clayton  A.,  in  the  fall  of  1882,  engaging 
in  the  music  business  in  Detroit.  In  1901  a  venture  was  made  along 
the  line  of  manufacturing  pianos,  and  during  recent  years  such  success 
has  been  achieved  in  that  connection  that  now,  in  1911,  two  factories, 
one  at  Detroit  and  one  at  Windsor,  Ontario,  are  in  constant  operation. 
Twenty-two  branch  stores  are  maintained  in  Michigan  and  Canada, 
in  addition  to  the  splendid  headquarters  of  the  concern  at  Detroit,  the 
latter  being  located  at  243-7  Woodward  avenue,  with  a  large  branch 
store  on  Monroe  avenue.  To  quote  from  the  piano  catalogue  of  the 
Grinnell  Brothers  the  following  good  points  are  brought  out  in  connec- 
tion with  the  instrument  manufactured. 

**The  Grinnell  Brothers  Piano  is  the  product  of  our  large  factories 
in  Detroit,  Michigan,  and  Windsor,  Ontario.  These  manufacturing 
plants  are  second  to  none  in  equipment  and  class  of  workmen  employed. 
Every  facility  and  mechanical  appliance  that  would  tend  to  promote 
further  excellence  in  the  production  of  this  piano  is  provided.  Our 
workmen  are  experts,  each  skilled  in  the  highest  degree  in  the  work 
receiving  his  attention.  A  rigid  inspection  is  maintained  at  all  stages 
of  construction,  and  the  thorough  test  to  which  each  piano  is  subjected 
before  it  is  permitted  to  leave  the  factory,  makes  certain  that  the  high 
standard  of  quality  adopted  shall  be  fully  maintained  in  every  instru- 
ment we  produce.  Thoroughness  is  the  predominating  feature — ^no 
part  is  too  minute,  no  detail  too  insignificant  to  be  considered  good 
enough  until  it  cannot  be  further  improved. 

**This  instrument  represents  the  concentrated  experience  of  more 
than  thirty  years  in  the  handling  and  manufacture  of  high  grade 
musical  instruments.  Correct  application  of  the  knowledge  thus  ac- 
quired, combined  with  the  natural  creative  ability  of  the  men  at  the 
head  of  this  manufacturing  establishment,  could  not  result  in  other 
than  a  magnificent  production.  The  Grinnell  Brothers  Piano  is  a  per- 
fect instrument  in  all  that  the  term  implies ;  embodying  all  that  is  artis- 
tic in  tone  and  design  and  representing  the  extreme  of  value  in  dur- 
ability.'' 

The  following  is  a  testimonial  from  the  great  prima  donna,  Lillian 
Nordica,  in  regard  to  the  excellent  qualities  of  the  Grinnell  Brothers 
Piano.  The  same  is  here  incorporated  verbatim. 

''Gentlemen: — It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  acknowledge  your 
courtesy  in  sending  me  such  a  nice  instrument  (the  Grinnell  Brothers) 
to  the  hotel  for  my  private  use.  For  nice  singing  quality  of  tone  and 
smoothness  of  action  it  certainly  ranks  among  the  best  uprights  I  have 
ever  used.  Very  truly  yours, 

LmLiAN  Nordica.^' 

Mr.  Grinnell  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce,  is  con- 
nected with  the  Municipal  League  and  in  politics  is  a  member  of  the 
Republican  party.  In  a  social  way  he  and  his  wife  are  aflSliated  with 
Wayne  Chapter,  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star. 

Mr.  Grinnell  was  married  in  1871  to  Ellen  Park,  of  Ann  Arbor,  Mich- 
igan, who  died  in  1884,  leaving  two  sons:   E.  W.,  who  is  now  manager 


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'  '^'^^'  '^'--"^-^  ^^ 


ryfrnrAf       /car/ 


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1Y  OF  DETROIT 


1197 


to  Company,  and  C.  L.,  manager  of  the 
anell  Company.     In  1892,  Mr.  Grinnell 
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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1197 

of  the  Griimell  Electric  Auto  Company,  and  C.  L.,  manager  of  the 
Kalamazoo  branch  of  the  Grinnell  Company.  In  1892,  Mr.  Grinnell 
married  Emily  Lightfoot,  of  Detroit,  formerly  of  Strathroy,  Ontario, 
and  two  daughters  have  been  born,  Hazel  and  Gladys. 

Clayton  A.  Grinnell,  junior  member  of  the  firm  of  Grinnell  Bro- 
thers, was  born  at  Albion,  New  York,  in  December,  1859,  a  son  of  Ira 
and  Betsey  A.  (Balcome)  Grinnell,  both  of  whom  died  within  a  month 
when  he  was  but  five  years  of  age,  he  being  the  second  youngest  of  seven 
children.  He  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  of  Orleans  county. 
New  York,  and  subsequently  was  matriculated  as  a' student  at  Ann 
Arbor,  Michigan,  leaving  school  and  entering  business  in  the  spring 
of  1879.  In  1880  he  entered  into  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  Ira 
L.  Grinnell,  and  for  two  years  they  conducted  business  at  Ann  Arbor. 
In  1882  the  firm  located  in  Detroit  and  in  1901  plants  were  opened  in 
Detroit  and  later  also  at  Windsor  for  the  manufacturing  of  pianos. 

He  is  vice-president  of  Grinnell  Brothers'  twenty-four  retail  music 
stores,  of  the  Grinnell  Realty  Company  and  of  the  Grinnell  Electric 
Auto  tlJompany — all  with  headquarters  and  offices  in  the  Grinnell  Block, 
243-5-7  Woodward  avenue. 

Mr.  Grinnell  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  influential  members 
of  the  National  Association  of  Piano  Dealers  of  America,  having  been 
accorded  the  highest  honor  possible,  namely,  that  of  president  of  that 
organization.  He  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Com- 
merce, and  is  a  director  and  active  worker  in  several  charities,  churches 
and  clubs  of  Detroit.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  in  religious 
matters  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
In  a  fraternal  way  he  is  affiliated  with  all  the  Masonic  orders  in  De- 
troit, being  a  member  of  Corinthian  Blue  Lodge,  Michigan  Sovereign 
Consistory ,*  the  Commandery  and  the  Shrine.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  Loyal  Guards,  etc.  His  principal  recrea- 
tions are  hunting  and  fishing ;  he  also  travels  extensively. 

On  the  21st  of  May,  1904,  at  Detroit,  was  solemnized  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Grinnell  to  Miss  Myrta  Gay,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Michi- 
gan.   Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grinnell  have  one  daughter,  Geraldine. 

Robert  Stead.  An  honored  representative  of  a  family  whose  name 
has  been  identified  with  the  history  of  Detroit  for  more  than  a  century, 
the  late  Robert  Stead  made  for  himself  a  secure  place  in  connection  with 
business  and  civic  activities  in  this  city,  which  was  his  home  during 
practically  the  entire  period  extending  from  his  boyhood  to  his  death, 
at  the  patriarchal  age  of  ninety  years.  He  was  long  a  prominent  and 
influential  figure  in  local  business  affairs  and  was  a  man  of  the  most 
exalted  ideals,  his  noble  character  gaining  and  retaining  to  him  the 
unqualified  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him.  As  one  of  the 
sterling  pioneer  business  men  and  representative  citizens  of  the  Michi- 
gan metropolis,  it  is  most  consonant  that  in  this  publication  be  entered 
a  tribute  to  his  memory  and  record  concerning  his  long  and  worthy  life. 

Robert  Stead  was  born  in  the  city  on  London,  England,  in  the  year 
1809,  and  was  a  son  of  Robert  Stead,  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
stanch  old  families  of  the  ** tight  little  isle.'*  He  gained  his  rudimentary 
education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  city  and  was  eleven  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  the  family  immigration  to  America.  In  1820  they  made 
their  advent  in  Detroit,  which  was  then  little  more  than  a  frontier 
village  in  the  territory  of  Michigan,  which  was  not  admitted  to  state- 
hood until  seventeen  years  later.  Benjamin  and  Joseph  Stead,  brothers 
of  Robert  Stead,  Sr.,  had  previously  established  their  home  in  Detroit, 


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1198  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

and  the  former  was  actively  identified  with  the  erection  of  the  old  city 
hall,  the  first  erected  in  Detroit.  Joseph  purchased  a  tract  of  wild  land 
near  the  present  village  of  Utica,  Macomb  county,  where  he  passed  the 
residue  of  his  life, — one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  that  section  of  the 
state.  Robert  Stead,  Sr.,  was  a  man  of  robust  physique  and  fine  pres- 
ence, having  weighed  more  than  two  hundred  pounds,  and  he  and  his 
two  brothers  became  prominently  identified  with  the  development  and 
upbuilding  of  Michigan.  Benjamin  Stead  was  especially  conspicuous 
in  connection  with  the  enterprises  of  broad  scope  and  importance,  and 
was  associated  with  Colonel  Stephen  Mack  and  other  representative  citi- 
zens in  the  old  Pontiac  Land  Company,  which  had  marked  influence  in 
furthering  the  settlement  and  development  of  the  southern  part  of  the 
state. 

At  the  time  of  coming  to  Detroit,  in  1820,  Robert  Stead,  Sr.,  was  ac- 
companied by  his  wife,  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  From  the  Atlantic 
coast  they  made  their  way  to  Buffalo,  New  York,  where  they  secured 
passage  on  the  historic  old  schooner  **Red  Jacket,'*  of  which  Brandon 
Gillett  was  captain.  They  had  anticipated  taking  the  even  more  famous 
vessel,  **Walk-in-the- Water," — the  first  steamboat  to  plow  the  waters 
of  the  great  lakes  and  the  first  to  enter  the  Detroit  river,  in  1818.  Upon 
arriving  in  Buffalo,  Mr.  Stead  found  that  this  vessel  had  been  put  in 
commission  to  transport  government  troops  to  Green  Bay,  on  the  Wis- 
consin shores  and  the  passage  on  the  little  schooner  previously  mentioned 
was  a  rough  and  perilous  experience.  Upon  arriving  at  Maiden,  On- 
tario, Robert  Stead,  Sr.,  suggested  to  the  other  members  of  the  family 
that  they  make  the  remainder  of  the  journey  to  Detroit  on  foot.  They 
accordingly  started  forth  on  the  overland  trip  and  on  arriving  at  Sand- 
wich they  found  no  one  who  could  speak  English.  After  some  time  a 
boy  directed  them  to  the  ferry  across  the  river  and  when  they  found 
that  the  ferry-boat  was  merely  a  canoe  dug  out  from  a  large  log  the 
family  hesitated  to  entrust  themselves  to  the  primitive  mode  of  trans- 
portation, but  in  the  same  they  were  finally  landed  in  safety  on  the 
present  site  of  Fort  Wayne,  the  government  military  post  at  Detroit. 
They  passed  the  first  night  at  Woodworth  's  hotel  or  tavern  and  the  fam- 
ily home  was  finally  established  on  the  shore  of  Lake  St.  Clair,  in  the 
beautiful  residence  district  now  known  as  Grosse  Pointe.  There  Robert 
Stead,  Sr.,  purchased  a  tract  of  land  and  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits, and  there  both  he  and  his  wife  passed  the  remainder  of  their  lives. 

He  whose  name  initiates  this  review  was  reared  to  maturity  at  Grosse 
Pointe  and  in  the  meanwhile  availed  himself  of  the  advantages  of  the 
somewhat  primitive  schools  of  the  locality  and  period.  After  the  death 
of  his  father  he  became  associated  with  his  brother  William  in  estab- 
lishing a  wholesale  grocery  business  in  Detroit,  and  their  original  head- 
quarters were  on  Atwater  street,  which  w^as  then  the  principal  business 
thoroughfare.  Later  they  removed  to  the  site  of  the  present  Christ 
church,  on  Jefferson  avenue,  where  they  successfully  continued  the  busi- 
ness until  1844,  when  removal  was  made  to  Woodward  avenue,  where 
Robert  Stead,  the  elder  of  the  two  brothers,  had  purchased  five  acres 
of  ground.  Woodward  avenue  was  then  known  as  Pontiac  turnpike  and 
between  the  land  purchased  by  Mr.  Stead  and  the  old  homestead  of 
Colonel  Winder,  at  the  present  comer  of  Woodward  avenue  and  High 
street,  there  was  not  a  single  dwelling.  Mr.  Stead  continued  to  be 
actively  engaged  in  the  wholesale  grocery  trade  until  the  death  of  his 
brother,  March  24,  1873,  when  he  disposed  of  the  business  in  which  they 
had  been  so  long  and  profitably  associated  and  retired  from  active  af- 
fairs. Thereafter  he  devoted  much  of  his  time  and  attention  to  the 
cultivating  of  flowers,  of  which  he  was  a  great  lover  and  which  he 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1199 

propagated  for  his  own  pleasure  and  that  of  his  neighbors.  He  had 
accumulated  a  competency  through  his  well  directed  endeavors  and  was 
a  man  of  fine  intellectuality  and  broad  views.  His  reminiscences  in 
regard  to  the  pioneer  days  in  Detroit  were  most  graphic  and  interesting, 
after  he  had  attained  to  venerable  age,  and  he  greatly  enjoyed  these 
retrospective  views  of  his  early  life  and  experiences  in  the  city  which  he 
saw  develop  from  a  straggling  town  into  a  metropolitan  center,  his 
affection  for  and  loyalty  to  Detroit  ever  having  been  of  the  most  ardent 
order.  He  was  well  known  to  the  older  residents  of  the  city  and  his 
genial  and  gracious  personality  endeared  him  to  those  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact.  He  retained  his  mental  and  physical  faculties  to  a 
wonderful  degree  in  the  gracious  evening  of  his  long  and  worthy  life 
and  was  especially  fond  of  riding  about  the  city  in  his  carriage,  to  note 
improvements  and  greet  old  friends.  His  heart  was  attuned  to  sym- 
pathy and  kindliness  and  he  was  generous  and  charitable,  as  weU  as 
tolerant  in  his  judgment.  His  interests  centered  in  his  home,  whose 
every  relation  was  ideal,  and  he  enjoyed  the  amenities  or  refined  social 
life,  though  he  never  had  any  desire  to  identify  himself  with  clubs 
or  fraternal  organizations.  Both  he  and  his  loved  and  devoted  wife 
were  zealous  members  of  the  Westminster  Presbyterian  church,  with 
which  he  became  identified  in  1874  and  to  the  support  of  which  he  con- 
tributed most  liberally.  He  was  a  member  of  the  old  volunteer  fire  de- 
partment of  Detroit  and  ever  manifested  a  lively  interest  in  all  that 
touched  the  welfare  and  advancement  of  his  home  city.  A  few  years 
before  his  death  Mr.  Stead  erected  a  fine  brick  residence  on  the  corner 
of  Woodward  avenue  and  Woodward  terrace,  where  he  owned  a  con- 
siderable tract  of  land,  and  there,  in  1896  he  and  his  wife  celebrated  the 
sixtieth  anniversary  of  their  wedding,  a  noteworthy  assemblage  com- 
ing to  the  home  to  do  honor  to  the  occasion  and  the  venerable  couple, 
then  numbered  among  the  oldest  pioneer  citizens  of  the  city.  More  than 
four  hundred  relatives  and  other  friends  attended  the  celebration  and 
the  same  marked  a  notable  event  in  the  social  annals  of  Detroit.  Mr. 
Stead  was  summoned  to  the  life  eternal  on  the  23rd  of  December,  1899, 
at  the  venerable  age  of  ninety  years  and  six  months,  and  his  name 
merits  an  enduring  place  on  the  roll  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  the 
Michigan  metropolis. 

In  the  year  1836  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Stead  to  Miss 
Mary  A.  Keal,  of  Detroit,  to  which  city  she  accompanied  h^r  parents 
when  a  child  of  four  years,  her  birth  having  occurred  at  Cincinnati, 
Ohio  and  her  family  having  come  from  London,  England.  She  was 
a  woman  of  most  gentle  and  gracious  personality  and  her  memory  is 
revered  by  all  who  came  within  the  sphere  of  her  influence.  She  sur- 
vived her  husband  by  about  a  decade  and  was  eighty-nine  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  her  death,  which  occurred  on  the  19th  of  September, 
1908.  This  venerable  couple  became  the  parents  of  four  children: — 
Miss  Sarah  A.  Stead,  who  remains  in  the  old  homestead  and  is  a  popu- 
lar factor  in  the  social  activities  of  her  native  city ;  Hattie,  who  is  the 
widow  of  Charles  Williams,  of  Detroit,  where  she  still  resides;  Mary, 
who  became  the  wife  of  William  H.  Henderson,  of  New  York  state,  and 
who  is  now  a  widow,  maintaining  her  home  in  Yonkers,  New  York ;  and 
Alice,  who  is  the  wife  of  George  W.  Fisher,  a  prominent  contractor  and 
builder  of  Detroit. 

At  the  time  of  his  demise  Robert  Stead  was  the  oldest  citizen  in 
Detroit,  where  he  had  resided  for  a  longer  period  than  any  other  person 
living  at  the  time.  In  earlier  years  he  made  judicious  investments  in 
local  real  estate  and  effected  many  improvements  upon  his  various 
properties,  thus  aiding  materially  in  the  progress  and  upbuilding  of 


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1200  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

the  city  that  so  long  his  home  and  in  which  he  was  honored  by  all 
who  knew  him. 

A.  Arthur  Caille.  An  enormous  amount  of  vital  strength  has  been 
used  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  city  of  Detroit,  and  this  dynamic  or  ener- 
gizing force  has  been  the  means  through  which  the  name  and  prestige 
of  the  city  and  the  state  have  been  carried  to  the  furthermost  comers 
of  the  world.  The  industrial  growth  of  the  Michigan  metroi)olis  has 
been  on  the  whole  one  of  somewhat  slow  but  substantial  order,  but 
within  the  past  decade  the  advancement  has  been  almost  marvelous, 
though  it  stands  as  the  direct  result  of  the  combined  efforts  and  powers 
of  its  representative  business  men,  among  whom  the  subject  of  this 
review  occupies  a  prominent  and  secure  place.  He  is  a  native  son  of 
Detroit,  and  his  rise  to  a  position  as  one  of  its  essentially  representative 
business  men  of  the  younger  generation  has  been  effected  through  his 
own  ability  and  well  directed  efforts.  His  position  may  be  understood 
when  it  is  stated  that  he  is  president  and  general  manager  of  the  Caille 
Brothers  Company,  the  most  extensive  manufacturers  of  coin-controlled 
machines  in  the  world  and  president  of  the  Caille  Perfection  Motor 
Company,  manufacturers  of  marine  gasoline  motors,  which  are  known 
and  have  a  large  sale  aU  over  the  United  States  and  the  entire  world. 
The  magnificent  plants  of  these  companies  are  located  in  Detroit  and  the 
concerns  have  proved  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  industrial  and  com- 
mercial supremacy  of  the  Michigan  metropolis.  He  also  has  varied 
important  interests  in  Detroit  and  other  cities,  all  of  which  justify  most 
fully  a  brief  review  of  his  career  in  this  history  of  his  native  city. 

Mr.  Caille  was  born  in  Detroit  on  the  1st  of  April,  1867,  and  is  a 
son  of  Joseph  M.  and  Catherine  (Moret)  Caille.  The  father  was  bom 
in  one  of  the  French-speaking  cantons  of  Switzerland  and  there  learned 
the  trade  of  cabinet-maker.  In  1851  he  came  to  America  and  established 
his  home  in  Detroit,  where  he  engaged  in  the  work  of  his  trade,  in  which 
he  was  a  specially  skilful  artisan.  Finally  he  established  himself  in 
the  retail  furniture  business  on  Gratiot  avenue,  where  he  continlied  in 
business  for  a  number  of  years.  He  then  removed  to  Owosso,  Shia- 
wassee county,  and  from  that  place  he  transferred  his  residence  to  the 
city  of  Saginaw,  where  he  continued  in  the  same  line  of  enterprise.  He 
retired  from  active  business  in  1897  and  the  closing  years  of  his  long 
and  useful  life  were  passed  in  Detroit,  where  he  died  in  1907,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six  years.  His  wife  likewise  was  born  and  reared  in  the 
fair  little  republic  of  Switzerland  and  she  was  summoned  to  eternal 
rest  in  1885.  Of  their  children  three  are  living, — Adolph  A.  and  A. 
Arthur,  who  are  the  interested  principals  in  the  Caille  Brothers  Com- 
pany, and  Louise  M.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Robert  C.  Yates,  identified  with 
the  operation  of  machines  manufactured  by  the  same  company.  The 
father  was  a  stanch  Republican  in  his  political  adherency  and  both 
he  and  his  wife  were  devout  communicants  of  the  Catholic  church. 

A.  Arthur  Caille  passed  the  first  decade  of  his  life  in  Detroit.  The 
family  removed  to  Owosso,  whence  they  shortly  afterward  went  to  Sagi- 
naw, where  he  was  reared  to  adult  age  and  where  he  duly  availed  him- 
self of  the  advantages  of  the  public  schools.  In  1883  he  entered  upon 
an  apprenticeship  at  the  woodworking  trade,  under  the  effective  direc- 
tion of  his  father,  and  he  early  gave  evidence  of  that  distinctive  mechan- 
ical skill  and  inventive  ability  which  has  been  the  prime  conservators 
of  his  remarkable  success  in  the  field  of  independent  manufacturing.  He 
was  the  inventor  of  the  cash-carrier  system  for  use  in  mercantile  estab- 
lishments, having  secured  patents  on  his  invention  in  1889,  and  having 
instituted  manufacture  of  the  same  in  that  year.     His  invention  met 


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i',"ntivH  al''!:\\    \vt;i<'h   V  -i  the  ]>rinie  conservators 

*  s'lcf.^NS  in  the  fi*''-^        ....i-p  '!u]«'iit  niaiiufactnriutr.     lie' 

,*  .1   of  tlu*  easl'  '        .  1  systi'Ui  tor  list-  in  intM^caiitilf'  ostah- 

..:,  J-  ^r.  •!>  ,,'.<  tits  on  liis  iovvnlion  in  1S,^9,  and  liavinf? 

•;  I    tiu'  sann*  in   that    v(  ar.      Ilis  invcniio!!   I'-'-t 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1201 

with  ready  approval  and  the  Caille  system  was  by  him  installed  in  lead- 
ing stores  in  all  sections  of  the  Union. 

In  1893  Mr.  Caille  brought  out  his  first  patents  in  the  coin-controlled 
slot  machines,  and  in  the  placing  of  the  same  he  was  successful  from 
the  start.  From  a  modest  nucleus  has  been  evolved  the  gigantic  indus- 
trial enterprise  of  which  he  is  now  the  executive  head  and  principal 
stockholder.  Unlike  the  average  inventor  Mr.  Caille  has  shown  great 
executive  and  administrative  ability,  coupled  with  mature  judgment 
and  discrimination  in  the  handling  of  affairs  of  broad  scope  and  im- 
portance. The  original  factory  was  at  Saginaw,  from  which  city  he 
removed  his  headquarters  to  Detroit  in  1895.  Here  operations  have  since 
been  contiuued  and  the  plant  of  the  company  is  now  the  largest  of  its 
kind  in  the  world.  In  1906  Mr.  Caille  also  became  interested  in  the 
conducting  of  theatres  devoted  to  vaudeville  and  moving  pictures,  and 
in  this  line  also  his  success  has  been  most  pronounced.  In  the  enterprise 
he  is  associated  with  J.  H.  Kunsky,  under  the  title  of  the  Casino  Com- 
pany, and  the  firm  now  controls  a  series  of  well  equipped  theatres  in 
Detroit,  Toledo  and  other  cities.  The  success  achieved  by  A.  Arthur 
Caille  stands  to  his  credit  and  honor  and  he  has  gained  secure  vantage 
ground  as  a  progressive  business  man  of  great  capacity  and  of  impreg- 
nable integrity  of  purpose,  the  while  his  genial  personality  has  won  to 
him  a  wide  circle  of  friends  in  both  business  and  social  circles. 

In  politics  Mr.  Caille  maintains  on  independent  attitude  and  in  a 
fraternal  way  he  is  afiBliated  with  Detroit  Lodge  No.  34,  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  of  which  he  is  a  life  member.  He  is  also  an 
enthusiastic  member  of  the  Detroit  Yacht  Club  and  takes  much  interest 
in  nautical  affairs  in  connection  with  which  he  has  owned  and  placed  in 
commission  a  Aumber  of  fine  motor  and  sailing  craft. 

Ebenezer  Jenks  Penniman.  For  a  full  half  century  did  Hon. 
Ebenezer  J.  Penniman  maintain  his  home  in  Wayne  county,  and  he  was 
one  of  its  most  honored  pioneers  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
at  his  home  in  the  village  of  Plymouth,  on  the  12th  of  April,  1890,  as 
the  result  of  the  general  debility  incidental  to  advanced  age.  He  was  one 
of  the  earliest  merchants  of  Plymouth  and  here  he  became  a  prominent 
and  influential  business  man,  a  citizen  who  was  a  benignant  factor  in 
public  affairs,  as  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  was  called  upon  to  represent 
his  district  in  the  United  States  Congress,  and  a  practical  philanthro- 
pist whose  charities  and  benevolences  were  large  and  generous,  though 
ever  bestowed  with  the  utmost  unostentation.  His  was  a  great  heart, 
his  a  strong  mind,  and  the  nobility  of  his  character  made  his  influence 
of  ever  broadening  power  for  good  in  all  the  relations  of  life.  He  did 
much  for  his  home  town  and  county  and  honored  the  state  of  his 
adoption  by  his  exalted  character  and  services.  He  gained  definite 
success  in  connection  with  the  productive  activities  of  life  and  mind- 
ful of  the  responsibilities  such  success  should  impose,  he  lived  up  to 
the  highest  ideals  of  stewardship,  and  his  name  and  memory  are  revered 
in  the  community  which  so  long  represented  his  home. 

Ebenezer  J.  Penniman  was  born  at  Lansingburg,  Rensselaer  county, 
New  York,  on  the  11th  of  January,  1804,  and  was  not  only  a  represen- 
tative of  a  pioneer  family  of  the  old  Empire  state,  but  also  a  scion  of  one 
whose  name  has  been  identified  with  the  annals  of  American  history 
since  the  early  colonial  days,  the  original  progenitor  having  immigrated 
from  England  and  settled  in  New  England.  His  parents  were  early 
settlers  of  Rensselaer  county.  New  York,  in  which  state  they  continued 
to  reside  until  their  death.  The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  afforded 
the  advantages  of  the  primitive  schools  of  the  pioneer  days,  and  early 


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1202  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

began  to  assume  practical  responsibilities.  It  has  consistently  been  said 
that  the  discipline  ,of  a  printing  ofiSce  of  the  olden  days  was  equivalent 
to  a  liberal  education,  and  in  the  career  of  Mr.  Penniman  was  given 
ample  justification  of  this  statement.  He  served  an  apprenticeship  to 
the  **art  preservative  of  all  arts''  in  the  oflSce^of  the  New  Hampshire 
Sentinel,  at  Kenne,  New  Hampshire,  and  continued  to  devote  his  atten- 
tion to  the  work  of  the  printer's  trade  for  a  period  of  five  years.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  years  he  w^ent  to  New  York  City,  where  he  became  iden- 
tified with  the  drygoods  business,  and  while  in  the  national  metropolis 
he  there  met  and  soon  afterward  married,  Miss  Marietta  Austin,  daugh- 
ter of  Calvin  P.  Austin,  of  Salem,  New  York.  His  bride  had  formerly 
maintained  her  home  at  Orwell,  Addison  county,  Vermont,  and  soon 
after  his  marriage  he  removed  to  that  place,  where  he  formed  a  part- 
nership with  others  and  engaged  in  the  drygoods  business. 

In  1840,  after  disposing  of  his  interests  in  Vermont,  Mr.  Penniman 
came  to  Michigan  and  established  his  home  in  the  little  hamlet  of  Ply- 
mouth, Wayne  county,  where  he  opened  a  general  store,  in  the  con- 
ducting of  which  he  became  associated  with  Messrs.  Austin  &  Pralick, 
and 'he  thus  continued  to  be  actively  and  successfully  identified  with  the 
mercantile  business  in  this  village  for  fully  thirty  years,  at  the  expira- 
tion of  which,  in  1871,  he  sold  his  interests  to  his  partners.  He  had  gain- 
ed high  reputation  as  an  honorable  and  conservative  business  man  and 
as  a  liberal  and  public-spirited  citizen,  with  the  result  that  the  trade  con- 
trolled by  his  establishment  became  widely  disseminated  and  proved 
very  profitable.  After  his  retirement  from  this  line  of  enterprise  he 
conducted  a  general  brokerage  and  loan  business  until  the  time  of  his 
death,  and  in  this  field  of  endeavor,  which  offers  so  many^opportunities 
for  oppression  and  injustice,  he  pursued  a  course  diametrically  opposed 
to  such  methods,  as  he  was  ever  considerate  and  liberal  and  did  all  in 
his  power  to  aid  rather  than  to  afiBict  those  who  came  to  him  for  finan- 
cial favors.  The  worthy  and  industrious  man  was  assured  of  his  earnest 
support  in  efforts  to  gain  independence,  and  the  fatherless  and  the  widow 
found  in  him  a  generous  and  sympathetic  friend.  Concerning  him  in  the 
following  pertinent  statements  have  been  made  and  are  worthy  of  per- 
petuation in  this  memoir :  * '  He  acquired  through  honest  means  a  large 
fortune  and  he  deemed  this  the  chief  value  of  his  success  in  the  possi- 
bility it  afforded  him  for  the  aiding  of  others  less  fortunate.  Thou- 
sands of  dollars  from  his  purse  went  to  aid  the  unfortunate, — ^those 
destitute  or  otherwise  afflicted — and  for  years  it  was  his  custom  to  give 
to  every  child  who  extended  a  Christmas  greeting  to  him  a  silver  quar- 
ter. The  poor  and  needy  of  the  community  lost  a  friend  when  he 
finished  his  course  in  life,  and  there  was  sorrow  in  many  a  home  which 
had  been  largely  maintained  through  his  kindly  counsel  and  generous 
benefactions."  Mr.  Penniman  did  much  to  further  material  and  civic 
progress  in  his  home  village  and  county  and  was  broad  minded  and 
well  fortified  in  his  opinions  concerning  public  policies,  both  generic  and 
local.  He  was  primarily  instrumental  in  the  organization  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Plymouth  and  was  president  of  the  same  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  besides  which  he  had  other  large  and  varied  capitalistic 
interests.  He  served  in  various  local  ofiSces  of  public  trust  and  in  1850 
there  came  to  him  well  merited  honor  when  he  was  elected  to  represent 
his  district  in  the  United  States  Congress,  as  a  candidate  on  the  Whig 
ticket.  He  served  throughout  the  thirty-second  congress,  and  in  this 
body  exerted  emphatic  influence  in  settling  the  many  important  ques- 
tions and  problems  which  confronted  the  national  legislature  at  the 
time  when  the  institution  of  slavery  was  a  matter  of  national  strife, 
when  the  fugitive  slave-law  was  in  operation,  and  when  political  lines 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1203 

were  being  disrupted  by  these  and  other  issues.  He  served  his  one  term 
with  marked  ability  and  characteristic  loyalty,  and  then  returned  to  his 
home  to  devote  his  attention  to  his  private  business  interests.  He  joined 
the  Republican  party  at  the  time  of  its  inception  and  ever  afterward 
continued  a  stalwart  supporter  of  its  principles  and  policies.  He  was 
one  of  the  venerable  and  revered  pioneer  citizens  of  Plymouth  at  the 
time  of  his  death  and  he  retained  to  the  last  a  marked  control  of  his 
mental  powers.  His  final  illness  was  of  but  five  days'  duration  and 
death  resulted  fi'om  the  infirmities  attendant  upon  advanced  years,  he 
being  eighty-six  years  old  at  his  death.  His  life  was  gentle,  kindly, 
earnest  and  productive,  and  his  name  and  deeds  well  merit  this  tribute 
in  a  history  that  touches  so  closely  the  county  which  was  his  home  for 
so  many  years. 

The  first  wife  of  Mr.  Penniman  died  in  1841,  soon  after  their  immi- 
gration to  Michigan,  and  the  two  children  of  this  union  died  in  infancy. 
His  second  marriage  was  to  Miss  EUza  Connor,  a  sister  of  Michael  Con- 
nor, another  of  the  sterling  pioneers  of  Plymouth.  Of  the  second  mar- 
riage three  children  were  born, — ^Marietta  and  Julius  being  deceased, 
and  Katherine,  the  widow  of  William  0.  Allen.  She  resides  in  the  old 
Penniman  homestead — a  house  erected  by  her  father  nearly  half  a 
century  ago. 

William  Oscar  Allen.  The  late  William  Oscar  Allen  was  a  scion 
of  one  of  the  old  and  influential  pioneer  families  of  Wayne  county,  with 
whose  history  the  name  has  been  identified  from  the  territorial  epoch, 
and  here  he  was  a  representative  of  the  third  generation  of  the  family, 
a  fact  that  implies  that  he  himself  was  a  native  son  of  the  county.  He 
became  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  influential  factors  in  furthering 
the  material  upbuilding  and  civic  advancement  of  hi^  native  village 
of  Plymouth  and  in  all  the  relations  of  life  he  well  upheld  the  prestige 
of  the  honored  name  which  he  bore.  Mr.  Allen  had  varied  and  important 
capitalistic  investments  at  the  time  of  his  death  and  his  success  in 
temporal  affairs  was  but  equal  to  his  sterling  characteristics  as  a  man 
and  as  a  loyal  and  public-spirited  citizen.  Such  was  his  standing  and 
such  his  achievement  as  one  of  the  world's  workers  that  he  is  well 
entitled  to  representation  in  this  publication,  the  text  of  which  touches 
most  closely  the  history  of  his  native  county. 

William  Oscar  Allen  was  bom  in  the  village  of  Plymouth,  Wayne 
county,  Michigan,  on  the  13th  of  August,  1856,  and  his  death  occurred 
on  the  23d  of  March,  1909,  at  the  Alexandrine  Hotel,  in  the  city  of 
Los  Angeles,  California,  whither  he  had  gone  in  company  with  his 
devoted  wife  in  the  hope  of  recuperating  his  health,  which  had  been 
impaired  for  the  two  preceding  years.  Mr.  Allen  was  the  son  of  John 
and  Mary  (Cady)  Allen.  His  grandfather,  Moses  Allen,  came  from  his 
native  state  of  New  York  to  Wayne  county,  Michigan,  in  the  early 
pioneer  days.  This  worthy  ancestor  secured  from  the  government  a 
tract  of  heavily  timbered  land  in  Plymouth  township,  where  he  estab- 
lished his  home  in  a  log  house  of  the  type  common  to  the  locality  and 
period  and  where  he  eventually  reclaimed  a  productive  farm.  He  passed 
the  remainder  of  his  life  in  Michigan  and  here  today  may  be  found  many 
of  his  descendants  in  the  third  and  fourth  generations,  as  well  as  an 
appreciable  number  in  the  fifth. 

William  0.  Allen  was  reared  to  adult  age  in  his  native  town  and 
after  duly  availing  himself  of  the  advantages  of  its  public  schools  he 
was  enabled  to  secure  higher  academic  training  in  Detroit  and  in  the 
state  normal  school  at  Ypsilanti.  After  leaving  school  he  was  associated 
in  the  work  and  management  of  his  father 's  fine  farm  in  Plymouth  town- 
ship for  a  number  of  years.  He  then  went  to  the  present  state  of  North 
Dakota,  where  he  was  identified  with  farming  pursuits  for  several  years. 


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1204  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

after  which  he  passed  some  time  in  the  south  where  he  associated  him- 
self with  progressive  movements  at  various  points.  Returning  to  Ply- 
mouth he  thereafter^  continued  as  a  valued  and  influential  factor  in  the 
promotion  of  those  measures  and  enterprises  through  which  had  been 
compassed  the  splendid  advancement  of  this  most  attractive  little  city. 
He  became  prominently  concerned  with  real  estate  operations,  and  these 
included  the  successful  handling  of  various  properties  of  the  estate  of 
his  father-in-law,  the  late  Hon.  Ebenezer  J.  Penniman.  A  tract  of 
ninety  acres  owned  by  Mr.  Penniman  and  adjoining  Plymouth  on  the 
west  was  platted  by  Mr.  Allen  as  an  addition  to  the  town  and  was  most 
effectively  exploited  by  him.  He  not  only  sold  many  lots  in  this  addition 
but  also  made  building  improvements  of  excellent  order.  He  erected 
many  fine  residences  which  he  sold  on  contract,  and  by  this  means  he 
built  up  the  entire  west  section  of  the  town,  thereby  developing  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  residence  districts  in  this  part  of  Wayne  county. 

Nothing  that  touched  the  material,  social  and  governmental  welfare 
of  Plymouth  failed  to  enlist  the  earnest  support  of  Mr.  Allen  and  he  was 
recognized  as  one  of  the  most  progressive  and  influential  of  its  citizens, 
as  well  as  one  eminently  entitled  to  the  unreserved  confidence  and  esteem 
reposed  in  him  in  his  native  county.  He  had  no  predilection  for  public 
oflSce,  but  his  sense  of  civic  pride  and  duty  prompted  him  to  serve  for 
some  time  as  a  member  of  the  village  council,  in  which  he  was  a  stanch 
advocate  of  progressive  policies,  but  of  conservative  administration  of 
municipal  affairs.  He  was  unswerving  in  his  allegiance  to  the  Republi- 
can party  and  was  well  fortified  in  his  political  convictions  and  opin- 
ions. In  addition  to  the  varied  interests  of  financial  order  in  his  home 
village,  where  he  was  a  director  of  the  Plymouth  Savings  Bank,  he  was  a 
stockholder  in  the  Buick  Motor  Company,  at  Flint,  this  state,  as  well 
as  being  a  director,  and  he  was  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Dime  Savings 
Bank  and  the  Scotten-Dillon  Tobacco  Company  of  Detroit.  He  also 
had  other  large  financial  interests  and  was  known  as  a  business  man 
of  marked  initiative  and  executive  ability. 

In  the  Masonic  fraternity  Mr.  Allen  completed  the  circle  of  both  the 
York  and  Scottish  Rites,  in  the  former  of  which  his  ancient-craft 
affiliation  was  with  the  Plymouth  Lodge,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and 
his  maximum  with  Detroit  Commandery,  No.  1,  Knights  Templars,  while 
in  the  Ancient  Accepted  Scottish  Rite  he  received  the  thirty-second 
degree  in  Michigan  Sovereign  Consistory,  in  Detroit,  where  he  also  held 
membership  in  Moslem  Temple  of  the  Ancient  Arabic  Order  of  the 
Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  survived  by  two  brothers,  David 
and  Charles,  both  of  whom  reside  in  Plymouth,  and  by  an  adopted 
sister,  Nellie,  who  is  the  wife  of  A.  M.  Boice,  of  Lansing,  this  state.  The 
death  of  Mr.  Allen  was  an  irreparable  loss  to  his  home  town  and 
county,  where  his  circle  of  friends  was  coincident  with  that  of  his  ac- 
quaintances and  where  he  was  ever  instant  in  the  promotion  of  those 
things  which  tend  to  conserve  the  general  welfare,  his  whole  hearted 
interests  in  the  advancement  of  his  native  place  having  found  most 
practical  and  beneficent  expression  and  having  been  potent  in  the  fur- 
therance of  its  material  and  civic  prosperity. 

On  the  18th  day  of  August,  1896,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Allen  to  Miss  Katherine  Penniman,  who  was  likewise  born  and 
reared  in  Plymouth  and  who  is  a  daughter  of  the  late  Hon.  Ebenezer 
J.  Penniman.  Mrs.  Allen  is  a  popular  and  valued  factor  in  the  leading 
social  activities  of  her  native  village  and  county  and  occupies  the 
beautiful  old  homestead  in  the  western  part  of  Plymouth  that  was 
erected  by  her  father  nearly  half  a  century  ago,  the  atmosphere  of  which 
has  ever  been  one  of  peace,  prosperity  and  gracious  hospitality.  Mr.  and 
'  Mrs.  Allen  had  no  children. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1205 

WiLUAM  Bryan  Cady,  well  known  and  successful  member  of  the 
Detroit  bar  and  member  of  the  prominent  legal  firm  of  Shaw,  Warren, 
Cady  &  Oaks,  was  born  in  Canton  township,  Wayne  county,  Michigan, 
on  February  10, 1861,  the  son  of  James  B.  Cady. 

The  Cady  family  is  an  old  one  in  Michigan,  having  been  founded  in 
the  state  by  David  Cady,  the  great-grandfather  of  William  Bryan  Cady, 
in  1832.  The  family  is  of  English  stock  and  has  been  in  America  for 
eight  generations.  Nichols  Cady,  founder  of  the  family  in  this 
country,  came  from  Kent,  England,  in  1620,  settling  in  New  England. 
The  direct  line  of  descent  from  Nichols  Cady  is  James,  born  in  1655; 
John,  born  in  1680;  Ebenezer,  bom  in  1714;  David,  born  in  1754; 
Samuel  P.,  born  in  1800 ;  James  B.,  bom  in  1830,  and  William  Bryan 
in  1861. 

David  Cady  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war  and  came  to  Michigan 
1832,  bringing  with  him  three  generations  of  the  family.  He  settled  in 
Wayne  county,  on  land  which  is  the  site  of  the  present  Wayne  County 
Home  farm.  He  returned  to  the  old  home  at  Freeport,  New  York,  late 
in  life,  and  there  died,  living  to  reach  the  age  of  ninety  years. 

William  Bryan  Cady  attended  the  public  schools  of  Wayne  county 
and  the  Ann  Arbor  high  school,  graduating  from  the  latter  in  1878. 
He  was  graduated  from  the  University  of  Michigan  in  1882,  with  the 
degree  of  Ph.  D.,  after  which  he  attended  the  law  department  of  the 
University  of  Michigan  for  one  year,  being  admitted  to  the  bar  soon 
thereafter.  Following  his  university  experience  he  studied  in  the  offices 
of  the  law  firm  of  Sawyer  &  Knowlton,  in  Ann  Arbor,  then  came  to 
Detroit.  In  this  city  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Brennan  &  Donnelly, 
but  a  year  later  located  at  Sault  Ste  Marie,  Michigan,  where  he  engaged 
in  independent  practice  until  January,  1897.  Returning  to  Detroit  at 
that  time,  Mr.  Cady  entered  into  partnership  with  John  C.  Shaw,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Shaw  &  Cady.  In  1901,  Mr.  Charles  B.  Warren  and 
Mr.  Herbert  K.  Oaks  were  admitted  to  the  firm  of  Shaw  &  Cady,  the 
firm  becoming  that  of  Shaw,  Warren,  Cady  &  Oaks,  and  so  continued 
until  the  death  of  Mr.  Shaw  in  January,  1911.  After  the  death  of  Mr. 
Shaw,  Mr.  Sanford  W.  Ladd  became  a  member  of  the  firm,  Mr.  Oaks 
retiring  from  practice  to  enter  business  in  Cleveland.  Mr.  Cady  had 
made  a  specialty  of  real  estate  and  corporation  law. 

Previous  to  the  campaign  of  1896,  Mr.  Cady  was  an  active  member 
of  the  Democratic  party.  In  that  memorable  campaign,  however,  he 
broke  away  from  the  supporters  of  Mr.  Bryan,  bolted  the  Democratic 
ticket  and  stumped  the  Northern  Michigan  district  for  McKinley  as  a 
Gold  Democrat,  although  he  had  been  a  member  of  the  Democratic 
State  Central  Committee  for  the  previous  six  years. 

Mr.  Cady  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit,  University,  Country  and 
Detroit  Boat  Clubs,  and  is  a  Knight  Templar  in  the  Masonic  order. 

'On  June  30,  1904,  Mr.  Cady  married  Myra,  the  daughter  of  the  late 
Hoyt  Post  of  Detroit,  and  to  them  have  been  born  one  daughter, 
Elizabeth  Winsor  Cady. 

George  Willis  Dunham,  is  vice-president  and  consulting  engineer 
of  the  Chalmei*s  Motor  Company  of  Detroit,  a  leading  member  of  the 
Society  of  Automobile  Engineers,  and  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Detroit  branch  of  that  society.  As  the  designer  of  the  Chalmers  *  *  Thirty- 
six'*  and  the  Chalmers  **Six,"  he  occupies  a  prominent  place  in  the 
automobile  industry  and  is  a  well  known  figure  among  the  widespread 
manufacturing  interests  of  Detroit. 

Mr.  Dunham  is  one  of  the  few  leading  automobile  engineers  prac- 


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1206  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

tically  all  of  whose  life  since  the  completion  of  his  schooling  has  been 
spent  in  the  motor  manufacturing  industry.  He  was  born  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  May  4,  1876,  and  is  the  son  of  W.  H.  H.  and  Mary  E.  (Adams) 
Dunham.  His  maternal  grandparents  were  George  H.  and  Margaret 
Adams,  while  on  the  paternal  side  he  is  the  grandson  of  John  Willis 
Dunham,  who,  in  his  day,  was  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio. 

In  Cleveland,  Mr.  Dunham  studied  in  the  public  schools  and  the 
Cleveland  University  School.  This  preliminary  education  was  followed 
by  a  course  at  Swarthmore  and  later  at  Kenyon  College.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  class  of  1898  at  Kenyon,  but  left  there  in  1895  to  take  an 
apprenticeship  course  in  the  shops  of  the  Wamer-Swasey  Company, 
Cleveland,  Ohio.  This  practical  course  lasted  until  1897,  when  Mr.  Dun- 
ham went  to  Alaska  to  engage  in  mining  and  prospecting.  Returning  to 
Cleveland  in  1900,  with  two  others,  he  organized  the  American  Motor 
Carriage  Company  of  Cleveland,  and  had  particular  charge  of  all 
engineering  work. 

Mr.  Dunham  continued  in  this  position  until  1904,  when  he  became 
associated  with  the  Olds  Motor  Works  as  assistant  chief  engineer.  This 
position  he  held  for  two  years,  being  promoted  to  chief  engineer  of  the 
Olds  Motor  Works  in  1906.  This  position  was  resigned  in  1909,  when 
Mr.  Dunham  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  Hudson  Motor  Car 
Company,  with  which  concern  he  had  charge  of  the  engineering  and 
manufacturing  departments  of  the  business.  After  one  year  in  that 
position,  he  severed  his  connection  with  the  Hudson  Motor  Car  Com- 
pany to  accept  the  position  of  vice-president  and  consulting  engineer  of 
the  Chalmers  Motor  Company.  Since  1910  he  has  been  associated  with 
the  Chalmers  Company,  and  the  notable  work  he  has  done  as  a  designer 
of  the  well  known  Chalmers  cars  has  amply  justified  his  selection  for 
that  position.  He  is  respected  as  one  of  the  leading  designers  in  the 
automobile  industry,  and  his  past  work  is  a  sufficient  indication  of  a 
most  successful  future. 

Mr.  Dunham  is  a  member  of  the  Delta  Kappa  Epsilon,  the  American 
Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers,  and  the  Society  of  Automobile  En- 
gineers. He  was  married  in  1904  to  Mary  Norton  Clarke  of  Mt.  Vernon, 
Ohio,  and  has  one  child,  a  daughter,  Mary  Ellen,  aged  seven  months. 

David  E.  Heineman,  son  of  Emil  S.  and  Fannie  (Butzel)  Heineman, 
was  born  in  Detroit,  October  17,  1865,  at  the  well-known  family  home- 
stead on  Woodward  avenue  where  he  has  made  his  home  ever  since.  The 
family  on  the  father's  side  has  resided  for  centuries  in  the  City  of  Sches- 
slitz,  Bavaria,  where  up  to  the  period  of  the  Seven  Years  War  in  1756 
they  were  land  owners  and  mill  owners.  The  war  swept  away  their  pos- 
sessions and  the  family  retired  to  the  small  neighboring  town  of  Burg 
EUern.  His  grandfather  subsequently,  as  a  small  boy,  went  to  North 
Germany,  locating  in  the  city  of  Neuhaus,  at  the  junction  of  the  Elbe 
and  Oste  Rivers,  near  the  city  of  Hamburg.  Here  he  became  the  leading 
citizen  of  that  place.  His  family  residence  and  the  warehouses  erected 
by  him  are  still  standing.  His  oldest  son  became  mayor  of  the  city. 
Of  the  younger  sons,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  review  came  to 
America  after  the  Revolution  of  1848  and  located  in  Detroit  in  1851, 
residing  there  until  his  death  in  1896.  He  was  a  successful  business  man, 
an  educated  gentleman  and  an  honored  citizen. 

His  mother's  family  were  also  from  Bavaria,  residing  at  an  early 
date  at  Maineck,  then  at  Burg  EUern  and  about  1830  at  Schesslitz,  com- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1207 

ing  to  this  country  during  the  early  '50s  and  locating  at  Peekskill,  New 
York.  He  is  of  Jewish  descent  from  both  parents  and  is  a  well  informed 
and  loyal  student  of  his  race  and  religion. 

Mr.  David  E.  Heineman,  as  a  youth,  received  an  excellent  education 
in  private  schools  and  with  tutors.  He  was  the  youngest  of  the  pupils 
of  the  old-time  Patterson  School.  He  entered  the  Detroit  high  school, 
where  he  graduated  as  president  of  his  class  in  1883.  He  spent  the  en- 
tire subsequent  year  in  European  travel,  entering  the  University  of 
Michigan  in  1884,  where  he  took  his  degree  in  philosophy  in  1887.  He 
was  subsequently  made  an  honorary  member  of  Phi  Beta  Kappa  fra- 
ternity, Michigan  Chapter.  He  studied  law  both  at  the  University  Law 
School  and  in  the  offices  of  Walker  &  Walker  in  Detroit  and  was  ad-» 
mitted  to  the  bar  May  4,  1889,  and  subsequently  to  the  Federal  and 
United  States  Supreme  Court  practice.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Michi- 
gan State  and  Detroit  Bar  Associations. 

Aside  from  his  profession  Mr.  Heineman  devoted  himself  with  con- 
stant interest  to  the  betterment  of  civic  conditions.  The  year  he  became 
of  age  he  became  head  of  the  committee  of  his  ward,  redeeming  the  poli- 
tics of  the  ward  from  a  notoriously  bad  condition.  From  1893  to  1896 
he  was  chief  assistant  city  attorney  of  Detroit,  having  charge  of  all  the 
court  work  of  the  office.  During  this  time  he  completely  revised  and 
compiled  the  ordinances  of  the  city.  In  1899,  at  the  urgent  request  of 
Governor  Pingree,  Michigan's  great  reform  governor,  who  was  in  sore 
need  of  disinterested  and  loyal  legislators,  he  became  a  candidate  for 
the  state  legislature  from  the  city  at  large  and  of  the  ten  legislators  so 
elected  he  received  the  highest  number  of  votes  throughout  the  city. 
He  served  for  one  regular  and  three  special  sessions,  all  of  them  the 
most  strenuous  in  the  history  of  the  state.  When  the  battle  for  tax  re- 
form was  won.  Governor  Pingree  showed  his  appreciation  by  having  him 
introduce  the  tax  law  at  the  last  special  session  called  for  that  sole  pur- 
pose and  which  embodied  the  hard  won  results  of  the  struggle.  While 
in  the  legislature  he  secured  the  passage  of  many  laws  of  general  and 
local  interest. 

A  lasting  monument  of  his  legislative  service  is  the  public  aquarium 
on  Belle  Isle  Park,  which  was  originated  by  him.  It  is  the  pioneer  pub- 
lic aquarium  in  this  country,  as  weU  as  the  most  beautiful,  its  reputa- 
tion being  world-wide  and  its  annual  patronage  being  over  a  million. 

After  his  legislative  service  he  announced  his  retirement  from  official 
work,  but  local  conditions  compelled  him  to  enter  the  Common  Council 
and  he  was  elected  from  his  home  ward,  the  most  representative  residen- 
tial district  of  the  city.  In  1907  he  was  elected  president  of  the  com- 
mon council.  His  special  attention  was  given  to  fiscal  matters,  seeking 
to  maintain  the  city's  reputation  which  in  this  respect  is  recognized  as 
foremost  among  the  larger  American  cities.  Among  other  recent  matters 
he  procured  the  acceptance  of  the  Carnegie  Library  gift  of  seven  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  which  had  been  given  up  as  lost  to  the 
city ;  he  redeemed  the  county  debt  at  a  lower  rate  of  interest,  saving  a 
large  sum  for  the  next  twenty  years;  was  the  author  of  the  first  sane 
Fourth  of  July  ordinance  and  of  the  present  model  traffic  ordinance. 
Of  minor  matters,  perhaps  the  most  interesting  is  the  adoption  of  the 
official  flag  of  the  city,  which  he  designed. 

In  1903  the  governor  of  the  state,  recognizing  his  interest  in  matters 
of  general  education,  appointed  him  a  member  of  the  state  board  of  li- 
brary commissioners,  which  exercises  state  supervision  over  all  the  li- 
braries of  the  state.  He  has  served  as  president  of  this  board  and  is  still 
a  member,  being  the  only  incumbent  who  has  ever  served  on  the  same 


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1208  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

under  three  separate  gubernatorial  appointments.  Mr.  Heineman  has 
been  very  active  in  many  municipal  organizations  other  than  local.  Be- 
sides being  director  and  vice-president  he  has  been  twice  chosen  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Michigan  League  of  Municipalities.  In  1909,  at  Montreal, 
he  was  elected  president  of  the  American  League  of  Municipalities,  the 
leading  organization  of  its  kind  in  America,  the  membership  of  which 
is  made  up  from  the  leading  cities  of  the  United  States  and  Canada. 

In  July,  1910,  Mr.  Heineman  was  appointed  controller  of  the  city  of 
Detroit,  of  which  office  he  is  at  present  incumbent.  As  is  generally 
known,  the  position  is  one  of  very  high  repute,  the  list  of  men  who  have 
served  therein  being  made  up  of  persons  standing  high  in  the  commer- 
cial and  financial  world.  For  a  number  of  years  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  National  Civic  Federation,  has  been  connected  with  municipal 
publications  and  published  a  large  number  of  articles  and  addresses. 

He  belongs  to  many  organizations  and  clubs,  among  them  the  Univer- 
sity Club,  the  Detroit  Boat  Club,  the  Old  Club  at  St.  Clair  Flats,  the 
Detroit  Tennis  Club,  the  Acanthus  Club  and  the  Fine  Arts  Society.  He 
was  formerly  president  of  the  Bohemian  Club  and  in  more  recent  years 
became  founder  of  the  Robert  Hopkin  Club.  He  is  a  thirty-second  de- 
gree Mason,  being  a  member  of  the  pioneer  Blue  Lodge  of  Michigan, 
Zion  No.  1;  of  Monroe  Chapter;  Monroe  Council;  Michigan  Sovereign 
Consistory  and  Moslem  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  belongs  to 
the  Detroit  lodge  of  Elks ;  Detroit  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows,  No.  128 ;  Wood- 
ward Court  of  Foresters,  and  Banner  Tent  of  the  Maccabees.  He  also 
belongs  to  the  Board  of  Commerce  and  Detroit  Real  Estate  Board. 

In  societies  occupying  special  fields  he  has  been  a  member  and  officer 
of  the  Detroit  Society  of  the  American  Institute  of  Archaeology  since  its 
foimdation,  a  member  of  Palestine  Exploration  Fund,  the  Egypt  Ex- 
ploration Fund,  and  of  the  Michigan  Historical  Society,  to  whose  publi- 
cations he  has  contributed.  He  was  for  many  years  a  member  and 
officer  of  the  Unity  Club,  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Detroit  High 
School  alumni  and  chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  University 
of  Michigan  Alumni  Association  of  Detroit. 

Mr.  Heineman  is  a  director  in  the  Detroit  Fire  &  Marine  Insurance 
Company,  the  leading  insurance  company  of  the  state,  and  also  a  direc- 
tor of  the  Merz  Capsule  Company,  and  president  of  the  Heineman  Realty 
Company.  He  was  formerly  managing  director  of  the  Fort  Wayne  & 
Belle  Isle  Railway  Company.  He  is  a  director  and  life  member  of  the 
State  Anti-Tuberculosis  Society.  At  one  time  he  was  secretary  of  the 
D'Arcambal  Home  Association. 

Mr.  Heineman  leads  a  very  active  life,  disposes  of  business  quickly 
and  is  thus  enabled  to  get  results.  He  is  absolutely  democratic  in  his 
ways,  taking  every  man  on  his  merits  and  asking  no  odds  himself.  He 
has  one  of  the  largest  acquaintances  in  the  city  and  a  very  large  one 
throughout  the  state.  A  ready  speaker,  he  is  in  demand  on  civic,  politi- 
cal and  social  occasions  and  it  is  a  quiet  year  when  he  does  not  average 
at  least  one  address  a  week.  He  has  traveled  a  great  deal  abroad  and 
is  conversant  with  the  German,  French  and  Italian  languages,  in  all  of 
which  he  has  made  public  addresses.  He  belongs  to  the  Alliance  Fran- 
caise.  Mr.  Heineman  in  his  busy  career  has  not  stopped  to  enjoy  matri- 
monial bliss,  but  is  still  an  eligible  bachelor. 

George  Maurice.  On  May  8,  1905,  there  was  removed  in  the  prime 
of  life  and  usefulness  George  Maurice,  one  of  those  substantial  and 
honorable  citizens  who,  although  not  identified  with  public  life  in  any 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1209 

manner,  yet  contributed  in  a  quiet,  forceful  way  his  share  to  the  best 
interests  of  the  city.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  the  memory  of  this  esteemed 
citizen  will  long  live  in  the  hearts  of  the  many  who  knew  and  loved  him. 
His  particular  sphere  of  activity  was  as  cashier  of  the  firm  of  Baldwin 
&  McGraw,  dealers  in  boots  and  shoes,  and  in  whose  regard  and  confi- 
dence he  held  highest  place,  as  evidenced  by  his  long  term  of  service  with 
them.      I 

Mr.  Maurice  was  a  native  son  of  Detroit,  his  birth  having  occurred 
on  Woodward  avenue,  near  Grand  River  avenue,  August  25,  1845.  He 
was  the  son  of  George  and  ^largaret  Maurice,  who  came  to  Detroit  from 
Scotland,  of  which  country  they  were  natives.  Here  they  established  a 
grocery  store  which  they  conducted  until  about  the  time  of  the  Civil  war, 
when  the  father  retired  from  business.  George  Maurice,  the  younger, 
was  reared  in  Detroit  and  received  his  education  in  the  old  Patterson 
school.  When  a  very  young  man  he  became  bookkeeper  in  a  foundry  in 
Detroit  and  not  long  subsequent  became  identified  with  his  life-long  pa- 
trons, the  H.  P.  Baldwin  Company,  later  known  as  the  firm  of  Baldwin 
&  McGraw.  He  was  eventually  advanced  to  the  office  of  cashier,  in 
which  he  was  serving  at  the  time  of  his  demise. 

John  Jacob  Marker,  M.  D.  One  of  the  well  known  physicians  of 
Wayne  county  is  Dr.  John  J.  Marker,  medical  superintendent  of  the 
Wayne  County  Hospital  for  Mental  Diseases,  at  Eloise.  Dr.  Marker 
was  bom  in  the  town  of  Wayne,  Wayne  county,  Michigan,  on  August 
30, 1863,  and  is  descended  from  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  the  county. 
His  grandfather  is  Jacob  Marker,  who  was  a  native  of  Germany,  where 
he  married  Elizabeth  Orth,  and  they  came  to  America  in  1830,  coming 
direct  to  Detroit,  where  he  became  a  pioneer  blacksmith.  Later  in  life 
he  removed  to  Ruth,  Michigan,  and  there  he  died.  His  wife  died  in 
Detroit. 

The  father  of  Dr.  Marker  was  Frederick  F.,  who  was  bom  in 
Detroit,  on  January  9,  1838,  and  he  married  Martha  A.  Norton,  who  was 
bom  in  Huron  township,  Wayne  county,  Michigan,  on  November  15, 
1839,  the  daughter  of  Abel  and  Judith  (Watkins)  Norton,  the  former  a 
native  of  New  York  state  and  the  latter  of  Connecticut.  They  died 
respectively  in  Wayne  county  in  1841  and  1862.  Frederick  F.  Marker 
removed  with  the  family  to  the  town  of  Wayne  in  1856  and  followed 
his  father  in  the  blacksmith  trade,  dying  in  that  place  on  November  7, 
1911.     His  widow  yet  survives  him. 

The  early  education  of  Dr.  Marker  was  obtained  at  the  high  school  of 
Wayne.  He  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Mich- 
igan in  1887  and  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1890  with  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  entered  practice  in  1890,  in  Wayne,  with 
the  late  Dr.  Thomas  Morrison,  but  after  a  year  in  private  practice  he 
became  house  physician  to  the  county  house.  In  1893  he  was  appointed 
assistant  medical  superintendent  to  the  Wayne  County  Hospital  for 
IVIental  Diseases,  and  in  1900  was  appointed  medical  superintendent  of 
that  institution.  The  only  comment  as  to  the  doctor's  success  in  his 
ofiicial  capacity  is  his  record  of  twenty  years'  continuous  service  in  the 
Eloise  Hospital,  twelve  years  of  which  time  he  has  been  in  fulL  charge 
of  the  medical  department. 

Dr.  Marker  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  of 
the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Associ- 
ation. He  is  also  a  member  of  Alpha  Chapter  of  Nu  Sigma  Nu  frater- 
nity. 

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1210  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Dr.  Marker  married  Anna  P.  Morrison,  who  was  born  in  Wayne, 
Wayne  county,  Michigan,  the  daughter  of  the  late  Dr.  Thomas  Morrison, 
a  pioneer  physician  of  the  county.  Dr.  Morrison  was  a  native  of  Pais- 
ley, Perthshire,  Scotland.  He  was  graduated  in  miedicine  from  the  To- 
ronto (Canada)  University  in  1860,  and  began  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession in  Perrinsville,  Wayne  county,  later  removing  to  Wayne,  where 
he  continued  his  professional  work  through  the  remainder  of  his  life, 
dying  there  in  the  spring  of  1894.  He  served  a  term  in  the  house  of 
representatives  and  in  the  senate  of  Michigan.  He  married  Sarah  A. 
Perrin,  who  was  born  in  Perrinsville,  Wayne  county,  Michigan,  the 
daughter  of  Abraham  Perrin,  a  Wayne  county  pioneer.  She  died  in 
1901. 

To  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Marker  two  children  have  been  bom,  as  follows: 
Janet,  bom  June  5,  1894,  and  Morrison,  bom  June  23,  1901. 

CuMMiNGS  Davis  Whitcomb.  The  death  on  August  8,  1909,  of 
Cummings  Davis  Whitcomb  marks  the  passing  of  one  of  Detroit's  old 
time  railroad  men.  He  was  bom  in  Fitchburg,  Massachusetts,  in  1840, 
and  was  the  son  of  Elijah  and  Mary  (Simons)  Whitcomb,  both  of  whom 
were  of  New  England  descent.  Mr.  Whitcomb  received  his  early  edu- 
cation in  Fitchburg  and  Boston,  in  which  latter  city  he  had  his  first 
business  experience  as  a  clerk  for  the  Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Whitcomb  enlisted  in  the 
Forty-fourth  Massachusetts  Infantry.  After  being  mustered  out  of 
the  service  he  returned  to  his  work  on  the  Boston  and  Worcester  Rail- 
road, ultimately  becoming  general  ticket  agent.  Later  on  he  accepted  a 
similar  position  with  the  Union  Pacific  at  Omaha,  and  still  later  with 
the  Michigan  Central  in  Detroit.  Subsequently  he  was  general  Passen- 
ger agent  for  the  Detroit  Navigation  Company. 

On  May  10,  1865,  Mr.  Whitcomb  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary  G. 
Webber,  daughter  of  Israel  and  Mary  Ann  (Gorhan)  Webber,  of  Damar- 
iscotta,  Maine.  Their  only  child,  Edgar  B.,  was  born  at  Newton,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  received  his  education  in  Detroit. 

Mr.  Whitcomb  cared  little  for  lodges,  clubs  or  politics,  but  was 
greatly  attached  to  his  home  life. 

Mrs.  Cummings  D.  Whitcomb  still  makes  her  home  in  the  residence 
on  Henry  street  which  the  family  have  occupied  for  over  forty  years. 
Mr.  Whitcomb  was  buried  at  Woodmere  cemetery. 

Milton  Carmichael,  secretary  of  the  Detroit  Convention  and  Tour- 
ists' Bureau  was  born  in  Muncie,  Indiana,  on  February  4,  1868,  and  is 
the  son  of  Oliver  and  Martha  (Losh)  Carmichael,  both  natives  of  Indi- 
ana, where  the  family  is  an  old  and  highly  esteemed  one.  Both  parents 
are  still  living. 

Mr.  Carmichael  was  reared  in  Indiana  and  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  community.  He  learned  the  printing  trade  and 
followed  newspaper  work-  for  many  years,  principally  on  the  staffs  of  the 
different  Indianapolis  newspapers.  He  first  came  to  Detroit  in  1889, 
spending  some  time  on  the  city  newspapers,  and  then  sought  other 
fields  of  journalistic  work,  but  returning  to  Detroit  in  1893,  since  which 
time  he  has  made  his  home  in  this  city.  He  was  engaged  in  newspaper 
work  in  Detroit  chiefly  on  the  staff  of  the  Evening  Journal  until  about 
ten  years  ago,  when  he  gave  up  the  work,  entering  the  civic  organization 
field  in  Detroit  and  IVIilwaukee,  being  three  years  in  the  latter  named 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1211 

city.  He  became  secretary  of  the  Detroit  Convention  and  Tourists' 
Bureau  in  1904.  He  was  the  organizer  of  the  Bureau,  and,  indeed,  is 
the  pioneer  of  the  entire  country  in  convention  work  of  this  sort,  being 
recognized  as  an  authority  in  the  work  and  being  consulted  by  civic 
organizations  throughout  the  country. 
*  Mr.  Carmichael  is  secretary  of  the  American  Association  of  Commerce 
Executives,  which  is  an  organization  of  all  the  commercial  associations 
of  the  United  States  and  Canada ;  he  is  a  member  of  the  American  Play 
Grounds  Association;  a  member  of  the  American  Civic  Association;  a 
member  of  the  Central  Association  of  Commercial  Secretaries ;  secretary- 
treasurer  of  the  Michigan  Association  of  Agriculture  and  Commerce; 
member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  *  *  See  America  First' '  Congress ; 
member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  United  States,  and  a  member 
of  the  Detroit  Ad-Craft  Club. 

Mr.  Carmichael  married  Isabelle,  the  daughter  of  John  C.  Sullivan, 
of  Detroit.    They  have  one  daughter,  Isabelle  Frances. 

Milton  G.  GtOpp,  M.  D.  Within  the  pages  of  this  work  will  be  found 
individual  mention  of  many  of  the  representative  Detroit  physicians 
and  surgeons  of  the  younger  generation,  and  to  such  recognition  is  Dr. 
Milton  Guy  Goff  well  entitled.  He  claims  the  fine  old  Keystone  state  of 
the  Union  as  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  is  a  scion  of  one  of  its  old  and 
honored  families,  the  Goff  lineage  tracing  back  undoubtedly  to  stanch 
Scottish  origin.  Dr.  Goff  was  bom  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  Pennsyl- 
vania, on  the  31st  of  December,  1880,  and  thus  became  a  right  welcome 
New  Year's  guest  in  the  home  of  his  parents,  Albert  and  Kate  (Leach) 
Goff,  both  of  whom  were  likewise  bom  and  reared  in  Pennsylvania. 
The  Goff  family  was  founded  in  America  in  the  Colonial  era  of  our 
national  history,  and  the  Leach  family  has  long  been  one  of  prominence 
in  Pennsylvania.  Albert  Goff  has  devoted  the  major  part  of  his  active 
career  to  real  estate  and  contracting,  and  he  and  his  wife  still  maintain 
their  home  in  Pittsburgh. 

The  public  schools  of  his  native  city  afforded  Dr.  Goff  his  early  edu- 
cational advantages  and  the  discipline  included  the  curriculum  of  the 
high  school.  Thereafter  he  was  a  student  for  a  time  in  Alleghany  College, 
at  Meadville,  Pennsylvania,  and  in  1901  he  came  to  Detroit  for  the  pur- 
pose of  entering  the  Detroit  Homeopathic  Medical  College,  in  which 
admirable  institution  he  completed  the  prescribed  course  and  was  grad- 
uated as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1905,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine.  On  the  very  day  of  his  graduation  he  opened  an  office  in  the 
village  of  Inkster,  Wayne  county,  where  he  proudly  displayed  his  pro- 
fessional sign  and  prepared  to  serve  his  novitiate.  He  soon  secured  ex- 
cellent vantage  ground  in  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  community 
and  thus  was  enabled  to  build  up  a  substantial  practice,  to  which  he  con- 
tinued to  devote  his  attention  for  three  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which 
he  felt  justified  in  seeking  a  broader  field  of  professional  endeavor.  He 
accordingly  returned  to  Detroit  and  opened  an  office  at  683  Chene  street, 
where  he  maintained  his  headquarters  until  April,  1911,  when  he  re- 
moved to  his  present  location,  at  515  Mack  avenue.  His  success  in  the 
work  of  his  profession  in  Detroit  has  been  such  as  to  justify  amply  his 
removal  to  this  city,  and  his  practice  shows  a  constant  tendency  to  expand 
in  scope  and  importance,  as  he  is  energetic,  hard-working  and  self-abne- 
gating and  most  earnest  in  his  devotion  to  the  vocation  of  his  choice. 
Dr.  Goff  holds  membership  in  the  Homeopathic  Practitioners'  Society 
of  Detroit,  and  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  is  a  stanch  Republican 


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1212  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

in  his  political  adherency,  and  is  aflSliated  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America. 

On  the  29th  of  May,  1902,  Dr.  Goff  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Ethel  Armstrong,  of  Butler,  Pennsylvania,  and  she  presides  most  gra- 
ciously over  their  pleasant  home.  They  have  two  children,  one  son  aged 
nine  and  a  daughter,  aged  one  and  one  half  years. 

Charles  W.  Restrick.  By  force  of  his  own  energy  and  perseverance 
Charles  W.  Restrick  has  carved  for  himself  a  career  which  should  stand 
as  an  example  to  young  men  starting  out  in  life.  Self-made,  overcoming 
seemingly  insurmountable  diflSculties,  and  never  for  a  moment  thinking 
of  giving  up,  Mr.  Restrick  has  earned  his  laurels  and  the  respect  of  his 
fellow  men. 

Born  at  Otterville,  Canada,  December  6,  1856,  he  was  taken  to  Eng- 
land at  the  death  of  his  father  in  1858,  in  which  country  he  was  educated. 
When  fifteen  years  of  age  Mr.  Restrick  returned  and  settled  in  Detroit. 
This  occurred  in  1872  and  his  start  in  life  was  made  as  a  messenger  boy 
in  the  general  oflSces  of  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway.  Shortly  after  this, 
however,  W.  D.  Morton,  a  banker,  being  favorably  impressed  with  the 
boy,  offered  him  a  position  in  his  bank  as  clerk.  The  offer  was  accepted 
and  Mr.  Restrick  remained  with  the  Morton  bank  four  years,  at  which 
time  he  was  appointed  teller  in  the  Peoples  Savings  Bank,  a  position  held 
by  him  for  four  years  when  ill  health  compelled  him  to  seek  outdoor 
employment.  About  this  time  Mr.  W.  D.  Morton  having  become  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  business  again  sought  the  services  of  his  former 
clerk,  who  accepted  a  position,  remaining  with  him  for  four  years. 

In  1884  Mr.  Restrick  embarked  in  the  lumber  business  for  himself 
on  Vinewood  avenue  on  the  west  side  of  the  city,  where  his  main  lumber 
yard  is  still  located,  doing  business  at  that  time  under  the  firm  name  of 
C.  W.  Restrick.  The  business  having  expanded  very  greatly,  necessitat- 
ing the  establishment  of  extensive  yards  and  mills  on  both  sides  of  the 
city,  it  was  in  1908  incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  Restrick  Lumber 
Company,  of  which  Mr.  Restrick  is  president,  Charles  F.  Meagher  first 
vice  president,  James  Hannon  second  vice  president,  and  Robert  C. 
Restrick  secretary  and  treasurer. 

Mr.  Restrick  is  extremely  popular  in  business  and  social  circles. 
He  holds  membership  in  the  Fellowcraft  Club,  Detroit  Cribbage  Club, 
Detroit  Curling  Club,  Detroit  Golf  Club,  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce, 
Milwaukee  Junction  Manufacturers'  Association,  and  attends  the  West- 
minster Presbyterian  church.  In  politics  Mr.  Restrick  is  a  Republican. 
On  October  12,  1882,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Jane  Cowie, 
daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Cowie,  one  of  the  oldest  families  in 
Detroit. 

John  E.  Moix)NEY.  One  of  the  best  known  attorneys  in  Detroit  is 
John  E.  Moloney,  who  is  personally  popular  and  successful  in  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession. 

The  son  of  William  E.  and  Mary  Gertrude  (Fey)  Moloney,  he  was 
bom  in  Detroit,  October  3,  1868.  The  foundation  of  his  education  was 
laid  in  the  parochial  schools  of  this  city.  Graduating  from  these,  he 
attended  Canisius  Jesuit  College  at  New  York  City  from  1882  to  1885. 
Returning  to  Detroit  he  took  up  the  study  of  the  law  and  graduated  from 
the  Detroit  College  of  Law,  class  of  1893,  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  He 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1892,  and  was  in  the  office  of  Brennan  & 
Donnelly  until  1893,  when  he  opened  an  office  of  his  own,  practicing  his 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1213 

profession  alone  until  1895,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Charles 
Flowers,  under  the  firm  name  of  Flowers  &  Moloney.  From  1904  to 
1910,  the  firm  was  that  of  Moloney  &  Bishop,  and  he  is  now  in  practice 
alone. 

Mr.  Moloney  is  a  prominent  and  popular  member  of  Detroit  Lodge 
34,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  is  identified  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Detroit  Yacht  Club.  He  has  been  interested 
in  several  business  enterprises,  is  considered  a  successful  and  able  attor- 
ney and  commands  the  friendship  of  those  with  whom  he  comes  in 
contact. 

Thomas  P.  McCullough,  M.  D.  One  of  Detroit's  able  specialists 
in  the  medical  profession  is  Dr.  Thomas  P.  McCullough,  whose  offices 
and  residence  are  located  at  No.  737  Twenty-fourth  street.  His  skill 
as  a  physician  and  surgeon  is  to  some  extent  hereditary,  his  father, 
John  Robert  McCullough,  having  been  a  medical  practitioner  of  note. 
The  latter  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  where  he  was  born  in  1812.  He  was 
a  graduate  of  the  medical  college  of  the  University  of  Dublin,  but  soon 
after  receiving  his  degree  hp  came  to  America,  where  he  became  one  of 
the  pioneer  surgeons  of  Ontario.  He  subsequently  removed  to  the  state 
of  New  York,  where  he  conducted  the  practice  of  his  profession,  until, 
in  November  of  1863,  he  commissioned  by  Governor  Horatio  Seymour, 
surgeon  of  the  Eighty-second  regiment  of  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry. 
During  the  progress  of  the  war  he  was  made  a  surgeon  in  the  United 
States  navy,  and  upon  the  conclusion  of  the  Civil  war  returned  to 
Ontario,  where  he  continued  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  until  his 
death  in  1900,  at  which  time  he  was  the  oldest  medical  practitioner  in 
Ontario.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  of  the 
Masonic  order.  !Mrs.  McCullough  was  in  her  girlhood  Miss  Lizetta 
Potter,  a  daughter  of  Elias  Potter,  who  was  a  scion  of  the  old  Potter  fam- 
ily, which  being  allied  with  the  Empire  Loyalist  element  at  the  time  of 
the  War  of  the  Revolution,  had  retired  from  New  York  to  Ontario  during 
that  period.  Mrs.  John  Robert  McCullough  died  six  years  after  the 
passing  of  her  husband. 

Thomas  P.  McCullough  was  bom  in  the  county  of  Dunham,  Ontario, 
on  May  11,  1860.  He  received  his  earliest  schooling  in  the  rural  dis- 
tricts of  that  section  of  Ontario  and  later  pursued  further  educational 
development  in  the  Bowmanville  high  school.  His  first  medical  studies 
were  those  of  the  courses  given  in  the  Royal  College  of  Physicians  of 
Queen's  University  in  Kingston,  Ontario.  After  a  year  as  a  student 
there  he  transferred  his  enrolment  to  Trinity  Medical  College  at  To- 
ronto, from  which  institution  he  received  in  1888  his  degree  of  M.  D.  C.  M. 

The  initiatory  field  of  Dr.  McCullough 's  practice  was  the  village  of 
Arthur  in  Wellington  county,  Ontario,  where  he  settled  in  1888  and  re- 
mained for  two  years.  At  the  end  of  this  time  he  went  to  New  York 
city  to  take  advantage  of  the  opportunities  for  post  graduate  study  pro- 
vided by  the  medical  college  of  Bellevue  Hospital.  He  next  located  in 
Port  Huron,  Michigan,  where  he  was  rewarded  with  such  success  that 
he  sought  the  larger  field  for  professional  activity  to  be  found  in  the 
metropolis  of  the  state.  While  in  Detroit,  he  has  been  even  more  success- 
ful, his  specialty  being  that  delicate  and  complex  one  of  obstetrics  and 
the  diseases  of  women  and  children. 

Not  only  professionally  and  socially  is  Dr.  McCullough  prominent 
in  Detroit  circles.  He  is  a  member  of  Friendship  Lodge  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
and  of  Monroe  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons ;  he  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Woodmen  of  the  World,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  of  the 
Degree  of  Honor. 


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1214  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

Mrs.  Thomas  McCuUough  was  formerly  Miss  Susan  M.  Savigny, 
who  was  of  Canadian  birth  and  Scotch  ancestry.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  McCul- 
lough  have  one  daughter,  Sarah  Maude,  and  four  sons,  John  Robert, 
William  Hugh,  Thomas  and  Wallace. 

Peter  Henkel.  In  studying  a  clean-cut,  sane,  distinct  character  like 
that  of  the  late  Peter  Henkel,  interpretation  follows  fact  in  a  straight 
line  of  derivation.  There  is  small  need  for  indirection  or  puzzling.  His 
character  was  the  positive  expression  of  a  strong  nature,  and  his  strength 
was  as  the  number  of  his  days.  His  name  looms  large  in  connection  with 
the  industrial  and  civic  history  of  Detroit,  where  his  course  was  marked 
by  admirable  achievement  and  governed  by  the  highest  personal  integrity 
and  honor.  In  Detroit  he  built  up  industrial  enterprises  of  broad  scope 
and  importance  and  he  was  a  citizen  who  was  ever  ready  to  lend  his  aid 
in  the  promotion  of  measures  advanced  for  the  general  good  of  the 
community.  He  held  various  offices  of  public  trust.  For  more  than 
sixty  years  he  was  identified  with  business  activities  in  Detroit  and  his 
success,  which  was  large,  represented  the  tangible  results  of  his  own 
well  directed  enei^es.  , 

Mr.  Henkel  was  a  native  of  the  province  of  Westphalia,  Germany, 
on  the  30th  of  January,  1824,  and  he  died  at  his  home  in  Detroit,  on  the 
23d  of  May,  1904,  at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty  years  and  four  months. 
His  father  was  a  wool-dyer  and  was  engaged  in  this  line  of  enterprise  at 
Beilstein,  Germany,  to  whose  schools  the  subject  of  this  memoir  was 
indebted  for  his  early  educational  discipline,  which  was  limited  in  scope. 
At  the  age  of  thirteen  years  Mr.  Henkel  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship 
to  the  trade  followed  by  his  father.  He  was  soon  made  a  representative 
of  the  concern  as  a  salesman  on  the  road  and  later  held  a  clerical  position 
with  the  same.  At  the  age  of  twenty  years  he  was  conducting  a  business 
of  his  own,  and  thus  was  shown  the  industry,  initiative  energy  and  ambi- 
tion which  marked  so  significantly  his  later  career  in  Detroit.  As  he  often 
said,  he  left  Germany  because  of  the  despotism  he  there  encountered 
during  his  career  as  a  salesman,  and  it  may  well  be  understood  that  his 
loyalty  to  American  institutions  became  of  the  most  insistant  order. 
In  1842,  when  eighteen  years  of  age  and  accompanied  by  his  parents 
and  his  younger  brother,  Mr.  Henkel  embarked  on  a  sailing  vessel  and  set 
forth  to  seek  his  fortune  in  America.  The  family  landed  in  New  York 
city  and  thence  came  to  Detroit,  where  the  venerable  parents  passed  the 
remaider  of  their  lives — subjects  of  his  deepest  filial  solicitude.  Concern- 
ing the  career  of  Mr.  Henkel  the  Detroit  Free  Press  gave  a  most  appreci- 
ative estimate  at  the  time  of  his  death,  and,  with  certain  paraphrase,  the 
statements  thus  given  are  found  worthy  of  perpetuation  in  this  sketch. 

]\Ir.  Henkers  business  life  in  America  began  by  his  engaging  in  the 
retail  grocery  trade  in  Detroit,  in  partnership  with  Anthony  Pulte. 
They  occupied  two  stores — one  opposite  the  city  hall  and  the  other  on 
Woodbridge  street.  Mr.  Henkel  started  in  with  a  cash  capital  of  one 
hundred  and  ten  dollars,  and  the  competition  was  keen.  Strict  attention 
to  business  won,  however,  and  within  the  next  twenty  years  he  became 
successively  wholesale  grocer,  pork  packer  and  miller.  He  was  the  first 
in  Detroit  to  do  pork  packing,  though  many  others  tried  it  later.  His 
rise  was  rapid  and  during  the  period  between  the  '60s  ,and  '80s, 
inclusive,  he  did  a  business  of  a  million  dollars  a  year.  He  was  the 
pioneer  miller  of  the  city  and  was  the  founder  of  the  great  milling 
business  now  conducted  under  the  title  of  Commercial  Milling  Company. 
His  success  was  worthily  won  and  was  of  the  most  substantial  order, 
while  his  incidental  contribution  to  the  industrial  and  commercial  pres- 
tige of  Detroit  was  such  as  to  give  lasting  honor  to  his  name.    As  the 


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IV!  I  iih^roin'  <j^'  j>ETia)iT 


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•     •   .:     Ml"   laca^Uf'N   a':v.ii:r.Ml    foj*   t'  t-    !f;  lu'i'al    i^ood    of   Mip 

.'    •  1 1      '•   id   v.ii<a^  <  .'ft  s   -^f   ))Mll'f   tfii^t.      I^'or   uion*   thaii 

«     »    ■    >    ;  ^    1.1.  nt-.-      {    ^    'M      ),  ,..(."S>    ,h't'vlM'»S    111    DltrvHt    iMHi    llis 

■   ]    M"    taii!^;'oK^    nsa-s  •'!'   iiis  o.>n 


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t      *  ■        ''        '    '  '  •  ^'^Mi  at  hi^  ',(*.'.♦'  iji  Drtroil.  on  tK<' 

LM'i  ..      .    '       1  .  .,'r  (  f  ri^hl\    vtnn'^i  fUid  t(Mu  "'nonth> 

ii'S  -;i    '.  .      .  .'   .     .    .      .V  (s.  t.i,i^,,.rt.(t  .71  this  hilt*  of  <  nl"i  ;>''i.M'  at 

l'.'ii->"    ■      '   '  .    'o    \  f ',    ■    '..-uoiyls     •'"   s.ft  ji'(  t    of   this    iiiriijoir   was 

ifMi      »t  ',    .railv  *"i'.''i.  t    ■,.;    ii><ij.'i':<  .  wh^'ii  n-as  lintitiMi  in  sfnp<\ 

,^ '  .    i   ;    •     •.   itii'-tc.'U  ^t-.'is  ^I  .*    li-'iiu*'!  ♦MtM.Mi  u;)<»fi  au  at^r'iH'utKM'slitj) 

t'»  .'.■    Made  hdio\\*'d  ''-y  1  '^  :alli»M'.     Ilf  v,a'^  -ui»n  ntad<'  a  r.  prr^  Milativo 

or"  n  4'  *-.)rct'ni  as  a  -a^\s-  .an  '>m  ]\\>-  Vi>;.i]  asd  hUt-r  K^'hl  a  ch'j  ical  |M»sir.M]i 

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(d'  his  ov\   ,.  a.'d  :  t  as  \sas  ^I.'  .'■  n  1  hf  ii.i;  .  My.  iiiJMat  i\t'  na'i'jry  9nd  aiiihi- 

tH",  V  ,  ;.  1,  ,.1,.  I  i:t'u  so  si;ioint'aiit  \-   !    <  ■  r-  1  <  ;ti  for  in  I  )tdr(dl.     As  ht-  oftt'ii 

s',        .1"    i     I    ii'MMii-uiy    ht  ciusf   •  '    <'•     vl»s])')Ms!n    \\r   tlMM^c   ♦•in-ount«'i'.Ml 

'  M       '  »    V  r,n'''t'r  as  a  sai.si"at.        '  '  it  inav  well  h,>  niKh^fstood  that  his 

'•.    A-ii   ric  01    M-  *■  .'.'auic   of    \i<o     .u^-^t    ni^'stant   ord«»r. 

'  '        '  '   i   ^      ■  '     "ir  and  ae»'oin[>anicd   hy   Ids  patents 

.    '  ■  .        •  -I'l  I'luharK^'d  on  a  sailing  vess.'l  and  s<4 

^    *  1- a.     Tht*  fundl^'  !an(i(»<i  in  \ow  York 

.  .    •'■  '  n-ii'  tht'  \t*iiorah'r  [>art'nts  passt  d  Ww 

1      .-t...   !  -     *  '.'•   .!<  t  prst  tidal  so]udMid<\     ( 'on^'f^rn- 

II:':  *'.    •  .  '  A'/ .  ^   /','v  s-.s  <^av(*  a  iiios*  ap}>roci 

aM'>r  .•   '  '.,..'     ;.'id.  wiUi  m'idn  t)arHplli'a>r.  tlie 

siai'  I*.'  ...'.'.    of  ni'rin'tnatit>n  in  tins  sk(»t<di. 

'i     I.  •     .  '  -  '1        '.  •  1  I  •  trrn  hy  hi.s  cnc'-Ji^int;  in  tin- 

rt't  '■'  M.dt'    in    IJ'.M-        .•    !     -  . ".  .*.-ni[)    uiMi    Anthi)n\    Pnlt«\ 

'f  <i   t^\o  slor.'S"   (»n'-  ....  ■      -.        r  .-it^N    h'dl  and   Mh»  otht-r  on 

•    sM'tM't.     Air.   Uft'."!    -     .  .  •    *\i{h  a  ca^h   i*aidtal  of  one 

n<i  fen  dolL'irs.  ami  th(  1     1  vva.s  k.  <-n.     Siri«d  alti^ntjon 

■    ^.  'Vf»r*.  h"\\*'Vt'r.  and    '    "    u  '-'■     i.''\t   tAtMit^    i-ai-s  he  luM-an '■ 

.   ,    vh''i«sair  frroccr.  p^  ik  p.      •  '   -'i"*  iind' r.     !Ir  \\,,s  Iht-  fiis 

•   •'   to  do  pork  pat'kini'-,  tiaMiL-"'!   i-;-  i>   •  MmTs  tii"d   d   iat-*-'.     II is 

••a|)id    and    d'liite    M.t*    -n-r-iod    hrtv/c  n    th>*     'fi-S    and     "J^Hs, 

■•    .   5.»'  did   a   l.usin.'ss  of  a   niiliioii   doliars  a  y-ai.      lie   uas  thi- 

.     '    '--iM-r  of   the  eity  and    was   th'"    lonnd-'r   o5    tu*'   t-  -cat    '    dlin^ 

'.-    ...w  <  undnctrd  nndi'i-  tlu'  tith*  of  Coininert'^al  Md'inir  <*<,   <paiiy. 

'  ^       '      <.s   -v  as   wort  Idly   won  an<l   was  t>t    the  n»*)st  snhs'antial   onier. 

\\['ii''    .'.-    J  t' -h  ntai  et>nt rilndion  ft)  the  iiiiln^lrial  and  eo»nHierfdal  pri'S- 

tig""  •      '•  M- ,1*    was  sMt  ii  a>  to  fjive  lasting  honor  to  his  name.     A.s  ti,  ' 


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^-^     ^y  ^    -'  -'■"^'^   jr^,^  ^^ry^ 


y^l/7  /^     yl^nAr/ 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1215 

years  passed  and  his  financial  standing  became  secure,  Mr.  Henkel  retired 
from  the  more  active  responsibilities  of  business,  relegating  the  same 
largely  to  his  sons,  and  in  1878  he  began  making  annual  trips  to  Europe. 

The  secret  of  Mr.  Henkel's  long  life  and  exceptional  strength  lay  in  his 
abstemious  habits  and  the  good  care  he  took  of  himself.  He  was  of 
robust  constitution,  and  though  never  considering  himself  an  athlete 
he  could,  when  a  young  man,  hold  out  a  barrel  of  flour  with  his  two 
hands.  It  is  related  that  on  one  occasion  a  prize-fighter  entered  his 
store  and  made  himself  disagreeable,  whereupon  Mr.  Henkel  caught 
him  by  the  shoulders,  dragged  him  to  the  door  and  thumped  his  head  on 
the  sill  until  he  promised  to  be  good.  Heart  failure  was  the  immediate 
cause  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Henkel,  although  his  health  had  been  impaired 
for  some  time  prior  to  his  demise,  which  took  place  at  his  home,  706 
Fort  street,  west,  at  eleven  o'clock  on  the  night  of  May  23,  1904.  He 
was  one  of  the  sterling  pioneer  business  men  of  Detroit  and  his  loyalty 
to  the  city  was  shown  in  manifold  ways.  No  citizen  was  more  progressive 
and  public-spirited,  and  none  more  ready  to  aid  worthy  objects — religious, 
charitable  and  benevolent. 

In  politics  Mr.  Henkel  gave  stanch  allegiance  to  the  Democratic  party, 
and  in  1865  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  city  board  of  aldermen. 
Later  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  constitutional  convention  of  the  state 
and  for  eleven  years  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  fire  commissioners 
of  Detroit.  Prior  to  this,  in  1847,  he  had  joined  the  old  volunteer  fire 
department,  in  which  he  took  deep  interest.  He  served  as  president 
of  the  board  of  fire  commissioners  in  later  years  and  upon  his  retirement 
from  this  office  he  was  presented  with  a  gold  commemorative  medal,  which 
he  ever  afterward  prized  most  highly.  Though  a  stalwart  Democrat  in  a 
generic  way,  he  was  independent  in  local  affairs  and  gave  his  support  to 
men  and  measures  meeting  the  approval  of  his  judgment,  irrespective 
of  partisan  lines.  He  erected  a  fine  mansion  of  thirty  rooms  on  West 
Fort  street,  and  after  his  death  his  widow  disposed  of  this  property  and 
built  her  present  beautiful  home,  at  340  East  Grand  boulevard,  in  one 
of  the  most  attractive  residence  districts  of  the  city.  A  man  of  fine 
social  instincts  and  genial  personality,  Mr.  Henkel  won  and  retained 
friends  in  all  classes.  He  was  appreciative  of  the  refining  influences  of 
life,  especially  music,*  and  was  a  lifelong  member  of  the  Harmonic  Society, 
the  leading  German  social  and  musical  organization  of  Detroit.  He 
also  held  membership  in  the  German  Bowling  Club  and  the  Detroit 
Board  of  Trade.  In  his  death  the  city  mourned  the  loss  of  one  of  its 
sterling  citizens  and  pioneer  business  men,  and  his  name  merits  enduring 
place  on  the  roster  of  those  who  have  contributed  much  to  the  develop- 
ment an4  upbuilding  of  the  fair  metropolis  of  Michigan. 

On  the  27th  of  January,  1859,  Mr.  Henkel  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Julia  Mordhorst,  who  was  bom  and  reared  in  Germany  and  who  is 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Anna  Nordhorst,  her  parents  passing  the  closing 
years  of  their  lives  in  Detroit.  Mrs.  Henkel  came  to  America  when 
seventeen  years  of  age,  in  company  with  her  brother  John,  and  her 
marriage  was  celebrated  in  a  frame  house  that  stood  on  the  site  of  the 
present  county  building.  She  has  been  a  resident  of  Detroit  since  her 
girlhood  and  is  now  one  of  the  venerable  and  loved  pioneer  women  of  the 
city  in  which  she  and  her  husband  lived  their  wedded  life  of  nearly  a 
half  century  and  which  is  endeared  to  her  by  the  gracious  memories  and 
associations  of  the  past.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henkel  became  the  parents  of 
eleven  children,  of  whom  four  died  in  infancy.  Concerning  those  who 
attained  to  years  of  maturity  the  following  brief  record  is  given  in 
conclusion  of  this  memoir:  Robert,  who  is  one  of  the  representative 
business  men  of  Detroit,  married  Miss  Athene  Yemans  and  they  have 


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1216  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

three  children — Robert  Y.,  Athene  Julia  and  Frederick;  Julia  H.  is 
the  wife  of  Albert  H.  Stemberger,  of  Detroit,  and  they  have  two 
children — Elsie,  and  Albert  H. ;  Walter,  who  likewise  is  a  prominent 
business  man  of  his  native  city,  married  Miss  Minnie  Kenzie  and  they 
have  one  child — Julia ;  Herman  married  Miss  Anna  Salmon  and  is  like- 
wise identified  with  prominent  business  interests  in  Detroit;  Louis  D., 
died  in  Germany,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years;  Julius  F.,  fiinother 
son  who  is  well  upholding  the  prestige  of  the  name  in  Detroit,  married 
Miss  Emeline  Lichtenberg;  and  Lillian  Martha  is  the  wife  of  Julius  H. 
Haass,  president  of  the  Home  Savings  Bank,  of  Detroit,  their  only  child 
being  a  daughter,  Constance. 

Hudson  Motor  Car  eoMPANY.  To  organize  a  new  business  and 
market  four  million  dollars'  worth  of  product  the  first  season  is  a  rather 
remarkable  record.  So  far  as  is  known,  it  has  never  been  equalled  even 
in  the  automobile  industry,  and  the  Hudson  Motor  Car  Company  is  the 
corporation  that  accomplished  this  unusual  feat. 

The  company,  which  was  organized  in  1909,  produced  first  a  low 
priced  roadster  model,  and  gradually  since  that  time  has  increased  the 
size  and  improved  the  quality  of  its  output  until  now  it  stands  as  one  of 
the  dominant  producers  in  the  class  of  moderate-priced  cars.  The  re- 
markable thing  about  the  company's  progress  is  that  it  is  operated  on 
** inside  capital.''  There  are  ten  stockholders  fiind  they  are  all  actively 
engaged  in  the  work  of  expanding  the  company's  business.  This  means 
that  every  man's  heart  is  in  his  work,  and  the  unusual  growth  of  this 
institution  is  indicative  of  such  a  policy.  The  company  is  essentially 
a  young  man's  organization.  At  the  present  time,  the  average  age  of 
its  oflScers  is  thirty-six  years,  and  the  aggressiveness  that  goes  with  youth 
has  surely  chUracterized  the  yearly  growth  of  the  company. 

The  business  was  first  started  in  a  small,  rented  factory,  but  the  de- 
mand for  Hudson  cars  quickly  necessitated  more  room.  It  was  decided 
to  purchase  a  large  plot  of  land,  and  twenty-five  acres  were  secured  on 
Jefferson  avenue,  across  from  the  old  Qrosse  Pointe  race  track.  A  mod- 
em, concrete  plant  was  built,  and  additions  to  this  factory  have  been  in 
progress  almost  continuously  ever  since.  Today  the  factory  has  341,525 
square  feet  of  floor  space  and  a  manufacturing  capacity  of  fifty  machines 
a  day.  It  has  been  the  policy  of  the  oflBcers  of  the  company  to  obtain  a 
commanding  place  in  a  certain  field  of  the  motor  car  industry  and  con- 
tinue in  that  field.  Each  new  season  has  served  to  more  strongly  en- 
trench them,  and  a  radical  increase  in  the  volume  of  business  over  the 
original  four  million  of  the  first  year  has  been  annually  attained. 

A  great  specialty  has  been  made  of  bringing  together  unusual  en- 
gineering brains  within  the  Hudson  organization.  It  is  felt  Uiat  how- 
ever good  all  the  other  departments  might  be,  the  company  must  stand  or 
fall  upon  the  design  of  its  cars.  Engineers  have  been  secured  from  all 
of  the  reputable  automobile  makers  in  the  world  and  an  engineering 
board  formed  composed  of  specialists  in  every  line  of  motor  car  structure. 
At  the  head  of  this  board  of  engineers  is  Howard  E.  CoflSn,  perhaps  the 
most  famous  designer  within  the  industry,  and  vice  president  of  the 
Hudson  Company.  Complete  and  thorough  organization  necessitates 
that  every  department  be  well  rounded  out,  and  running  through  the 
whole  institution  is  to  be  found  a  class  of  men  who  have  had  long  expe- 
rience in  their  own  particular  line  of  endeavor.  There  is  essentially 
an  esprit  de  corps  among  the  Hudson  employees  that  is  invaluable.  This 
very  spirit  of  satisfaction  and  helping  one  another  certainly  argues  much 
for  the  successful  future  of  this  corporation. 

The  officers  are  Roy  D.  Chapin,  president;  Howard  E.  Coffin,  vice 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1217 

president  and  consulting  engineer;  Frederick  0.  Bezner,  secretary;  Ros- 
coe  B.  Jackson,  treasurer  and  general  manager,  and  E.  H.  Broadwell, 
vice  president.  Messrs.  Chapin,  CoflSn,  Bezner  and  Jackson  have  been 
intimately  connected  with  several  of  the  well  known  motor  car  companies, 
and  their  experience  runs  back  practically  with  the  beginning  of  the  in- 
dustry, all  of  them  having  started  with  the  Oldsmobile  Company  when 
it  produced  the  extraordinarily  successful  curve-dash  roadster,  many 
of  which  are  running  even  yet  on  the  streets  of  Detroit. 

Mr.  Chapin  was  general  sales  manager  of  the  Olds  Company,  Mr. 
CoflSn  chief  engineer,  Mr.  Bezner,  purchasing  agent,  and  Mr.  Jackson, 
factory  manager.  Mr.  Broadwell  was  for  years  identified  \\ath  one  of 
the  larger  tire  companies,  and  in  this  way  came  closely  in  touch  with  the 
needs  of  the  motor  car  user.  Through  this  early  experience  it  may  be 
seen  that  an  unusual  diversity  of  ability  has  been  gathered  together 
among  the  Hudson  oflScials. 

Popular  approval  has  stamped  the  worth  and  attractiveness  of  the 
Hudson  motor  cars,  and  Detroit  has  emphatically  gained  by  having  this 
concern  added  to  its  long  and  splendid  list  of  manufacturing  industries. 

Howard  E.  Coffin.  Fortified  through  fine  technical  knowledge 
and  skill,  comprehensive  practical  experience  and  marked  facility  and 
resourcefulness  as  an  executive,  Mr.  CoflBn  has  won  for  himself  a  promi- 
nent place  in  connection  with  the  automombile  industry,  and  is  now  iden- 
tified with  one  of  the  important  concerns  of  this  line  in  Detroit,  where 
he  is  vice  president  and  consulting  engineer  of  the  Hudson  Motor  Car 
Company,  concerning  which  due  mention  is  made  elsewhere  in  this  pub- 
lication. His  status  as  a  business  man  and  as  a  progressive  citizen  well 
entitle  him  to  recognition  in  this  history  of  Detroit,  where  he  has  achieved 
success  worthy  of  the  name. 

Howard  Earl  CoflBn  reverts  with  a  due  measure  of  pride  and  satis- 
faction to  the  fact  that  he  can  claim  the  fine  old  Buckeye  state  as  the 
place  of  his  nativity.  He  was  bom  on  the  homestead  farm  pf  the  family, 
near  the  village  of  West  Milton,  in  Miami  county,  Ohio,  and  the  date  of 
his  nativity  was  September  6,  1873.  He  is  a  son  of  Julius  Cestal  CoflBn 
and  Sarah  E.  (Jones)  CoflBn.  The  genealogy  of  Mr.  CoflBn  is  traced 
back  to  the  well  known  CoflSn  family  of  Nantucket,  Massachusetts,  where 
Tristram  CoflBn  the  original  American  progenitor  settled,  upon  his  im- 
migration from  England  early  in  the  seventeenth  century.  The  name 
has  been  one  of  no  little  prominence  in  the  annals  of  New  England  and 
other  sections  of  the  United  States. 

Reared  to  the  sturdy  discipline  of  the  farm,  Howard  E.  CoflBn  gained 
his  rudimentary  education  in  the  district  schools,  and  after  leaving  the 
same  he  continued  his  studies  m  the  public  schools  of  the  village  of  West 
Milton,  where  he  partially  completed  the  curriculum  of  the  high  school. 
In  November,  1889,  in  pursuance  of  a  natural  predilection  for  a  line  of 
activity  radically  diflferent  from  that  to  which  he  had  been  reared,  he 
came  to  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  and  entered  its  admirable  high  school, 
in  which  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1893.  In  the  same 
year  he  entered  the  department  of  mechanical  engineering  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan,  where  he  continued  his  studies  until  1896,  when 
he  withdrew  from  the  University  to  enter  the  United  States  civil  serv- 
ice, with  which  he  continued  to  be  actively  identified  until  1901.  He 
then  resumed  his  studies  in  the  university,  and  he  left  this  institution 
six  months  prior  to  the  completion  of  his  course  in  mechanical  engineer- 
ing, but  in  June,  1911,  the  university  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of 
Mechanical  Engineer,  in  recognition  of  his  practical  accomplishment  and 
marked  ability  in  his  profession. 

In  leaving  the  university  six  months  prior  to  graduation,  Mr.  CoflBn 


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1218  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

took  this  action  in  order  to  accept,  in  1902,  employment  in  the  shops  of 
the  Olds  Motor  Works  in  Detroit,  and  in  the  following  year  he  was  ad- 
vanced to  the  position  of  engineer  in  charge  of  the  experimental  shops  of 
this  company.  This  incumbency  he  retained  until  1905,  when  he  be- 
came chief  engineer  of  the  concern.  In  the  spring  of  1906,  however, 
Mr.  CoflRn  severed  his  connection  with  the  Olds  Company  and  assisted 
in  the  organization  of  the  E.  R.  Thomas-Detroit  Company,  which  engaged 
in  the  manufacturing  of  automobiles  and  of  which  he  became  vice  presi- 
dent and  chief  engineer.  In  the  following  year  he  further  amplified 
his  duties  and  responsibilities  by  assuming  the  position  of  consulting  en- 
gineer to  the  E.  R.  Thomas  Motor  Company  of  Buffalo,  New  York.  The 
Detroit  concern  was  reorganized  as  the  Chalmers  Motor  C6mpany  in 
1908,  and  Mr.  Coffin  continued  as  vice  president  of  this  company  until 
1910,  in  which  year  he  instituted  operations  of  a  more  independent  order 
in  the  same  line  of  industrial  enterprise.  In  January,  1910,  he  became 
vice  president  and  consulting  engineer  of  the  Hudson  Motor  Car  Com- 
pany, and  this  dual  position  he  has  since  retained.  It  is  mainly  due  to 
his  fine  professional  skill  and  executive  ability  that  the  Hudson  car  has 
been  brought  up  to  so  high  a  standard  and  gained  that  distinctive  popu- 
larity which  makes  for  cumulative  success.  The  company  now  has  one 
of  the  finest  automobile  plants  in  the  world,  with  the  best  of  modern 
appliances  and  facilities,  and  the  products  of  the  same  attest  the  skill 
of  Mr.  CoflSn  and  his  able  corps  of  assistants  in  the  practical  details  of 
the  industry.  In  1910  Mr.  CoflSn  had  the  distinction  of  serving  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Society  of  Automobile  Engineers.  He  was  chairman  of  the 
rules  committee  of  the  Automobile  Manufacturers'  Contest  Association 
for  1911.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Amer- 
ican Automobile  Association  since  1909,  is  a  member  of  the  council  of  the 
Society  of  Automobile  Engineers,  and  was  for  five  years  chairman  of  the 
committee  on  tests  of  the  Association  of  Licensed  Automobile  Manufac- 
turers. These  connections  amply  indicate  his  high  standing  in  the  auto- 
mobile world,  and  also  offer  assurance  of  his  enthusiasm  in  his  chosen 
field  of  endeavor.  In  a  more  localized  way  Mr.  CoflBn  is  identified  with 
the  Wolverine  Automobile  Club,  the  Detroit  Automobile  Club,  the  Detroit 
Motor  Boat  Club  and  the  Michigan  Aero  Club ;  besides  which  he  is  iden- 
tified with  the  Aero  Club  of  America  and  the  Engineers'  Club  of  New 
York  City.  In  his  home  city  he  holds  membership  in  the  Detroit  Club, 
the  Country  Club,  tile  University  Club  and  the  Detroit  Boat  Club. 
Aside  from  his  connection  with  the  Hudson  Motor  Car  Company,  he  is 
a  stockholder  in  the  Detroit  Metal  Products  Company  and  several  other 
manufacturing  concerns. 

In  politics  Mr.  Coffin  is  arrayed  as  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the  prin- 
ciples and  policies  of  the  Republican  party,  but  he  is  essentially  a  busi- 
ness man,  and  political  office  has  had  no  allurement  for  him.  He  is 
affiliated  with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  in  which  he  now  holds  member- 
ship in  Palestine  Lodge,  Free  &  Accepted  Masons,  of  Detroit. 

In  November,  1907,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Coffiin  to 
Miss  Matilda  Vary  Allen,  daughter  of  Edwin  A.  Allen,  a  representative 
citizen  of  Battle  Creek,  this  state.  The  Allen  family  in  America  was 
founded  by  Samuel  Allen,  who  emigrated  from  Dorchester,  England, 
in  1630,  and  settled  at  Windsor,  Connecticut.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Coffiin 
is  a  direct  descendant  of  Joseph.  Allen,  who  was  father  of  the  illustrious 
patriot,  Ethan  Allen.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coffin  have  no  children. 

Roy  D.  Chapin.  Well  worthy  of  recognition  in  this  work  as  one  of 
the  representative  business  men  of  the  younger  generation  in  Detroit, 
where  he  fully  exemplifies  that  progressive  and  vital  spirit  that  has  made 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1219 

the  city  forge  so  rapidly  to  the  forefront  along  industrial  and  commercial 
lines,  Roy  D.  Chapin,  president  of  the  Hudson  Motor  Car  Company,  is  a 
native  son  of  Michigan  and  a  scion  of  one  of  the  old  and  honored  families 
of  the  state.  His  grandfather,  Rev.  Seth  S.  Chapin,  was  an  early  rep- 
resentative of  the  clergy  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  work  of  which  he  was  long  rector  of  churches,  at  Grand 
Rapids,  and  St.  Johns,  Michigan,  and  at  other  points  within  the  state, 

Roy  Dikeman  Chapin  was  born  in  the  city  of  Lansing,  Michigan, 
on  the  23d  of  February,  1880,  and  is  a  son  of  Edward  Cornelius  and  Ella 
(King)  Chapin,  who  still  maintain  their  home  in  the  capital  city  of  the 
state,  where  the  father  has  long  held  prestige  as  one  of  the  representa- 
tive members  of  the  Michigan  bar.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  Lansing 
for  forty-five  years.  He  whose  name  initiates  this  review  gained  his 
early  educational  discipline  in  the  public  schoolls  of  his  native  city  and 
thereafter  prosecuted  his  higher  academic  studies  in  the  University  of 
Michigan,  where  he  remained  a  student  for  two  years. 

Mr.  Chapin  has  been  identified  with  the  automobile  industry  since 
the  virtual  inception  of  the  same  in  its  practical  fornu  In  February, 
1901,  he  left  Ann  Arbor  and  identified  himself  with  the  Olds  Motor 
Works,  in  Detroit,  in  1904  becoming  the  first  sales  manager  for  this  well 
known  concern,  which  was  at  the  time  the  largest  manufacturer  of  auto- 
mobiles in  the  world.  In  1906  he  severed  his  connection  with  the  Olds 
Company  and,  with  Edwin  R.  Thomas  of  Buffalo,  New  York,  organized 
the  E.  R.  Thomas-Detroit  Company,  for  the  manufacturing  of  the 
Thomas-Detroit  automobile.  He  established  his  home  in  Detroit  in  the 
year  mentioned,  and  later  he  was  the  principal  factor  in  securing  to  this 
concern  the  cooperation  of  Hugh  Chalmers,  whereupon  the  title  of  the 
corporation  was  changed  to  the  Chalmers-Detroit  Motor  Company.  With 
the  new  company,  as  with  its  predecessor,  Mr.  Chapin  held  the  dual  office 
of  treasurer  and  general  manager.  While  still  maintaining  his  con- 
nection with  the  Chalmers-Detroit  Company  he  became  concerned  in 
the  organization  of  the  Hudson  Motor  Car  Company,  and  in  January, 
1910,  he  was  associated  with  Howard  E.  Coffin  and  Frederick  0.  Bezner 
in  purchasing  control  of  the  business  of  this  new  company,  of  which  he 
became  president.  He  simultaneously  severed  his  connection  with  the 
Chalmers  Company,  and,  as  president  of  the  Hudson  Motor  Car  Company, 
has  brought  to  bear  his  fine  executive  and  initiative  powers  in  the  up- 
building of  one  of  the  most  important  and  successful  of  the  many  auto- 
mobile-manufacturing enterprises  centered  in  the  Michigan  metropolis. 
Concerning  the  company  specific  mention  is  made  in  the  preceding 
article,  in  which  likewise  appears  a  brief  review  of  the  career  of  the  vice 
president  and  consulting  engineer  of  the  company,  Howard  E.  Coffin. 
Mr.  Chapin  has  found  other  fields  for  the  exercise  of  his  energies  and  is 
identified  with  a  number  of  other  representative  industrial  institutions 
of  Detroit,  where  he  is  also  a  stockholder  in  several  banks,  and  a  director 
of  the  Old  Detroit  National  Bank.  He  is  president  and  a  director  of  the 
Eastern  Realty  Company,  is  treasurer  and  a  director  of  the  Sterling 
Realty  Company,  and  is  a  member  of  the  directorate  of  the  Detroit 
Metal  Products  Company.  Resourceful,  vigorous  and  progressive  as  a 
business  man  and  loyal  and  public-spirited  as  a  citizen,  Mr.  Chapin 
takes  a  lively  interest  in  all  that  touches  the  welfare  of  his  home 
city  and  state,  and  his  personal  popularity,  of  unequivocal  order, 
testifies  to  the  sterling  personal  characteristics  of  the  man.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  and  also  secretary  of  the  National 
Association  of  Automobile  Manufacturers,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Auto- 
mobile Board  of  Trade,  in  each  of  which  organizations  he  is  chairman  of 
the  Good  Roads  committee,  besides  which  he  is  a  member  of  the  Good 
Roads  board  of  the  American  Automobile  Association  and  treasurer  of 
the  Central  Good  Roads  finance  committee. 


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1220  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Though  never  desirous  of  the  honors  or  emoluments  of  public  office, 
Mr.  Chapin  is  loyal  to  all  civic  duties  and  responsibilities,  and  his  political 
allegiance  is  given  to  the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  communicant  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  church,  in  whose  faith  he  was  reared,  and  he  is 
aflaiiated  with  the  Phi  Delta  Theta  college  fraternity.  In  addition  to 
his  supreme  interest  in  automobile  affairs,  he  has  also  taken  a  lively  in- 
terest in  air  navigation,  in  connection  with  which  he  is  identified  with 
the  Aero  Club  of  America  and  the  Michigan  Aero  Club.  He  holds  mem- 
bership in  the  Wolverine  Automobile  Club,  the  Detroit  Automobile  Club, 
the  Detroit  Boat  Club,  the  Detroit  Racquet  &  Curling  Club,  the  Uni- 
versity Club,  the  Country  Club  and  the  Detroit  Club,  his  identification 
with  which  essentially  representative  organizations  vouches  for  his  popu- 
larity in  both  business  and  social  circles.  Mr.  Chapin  is  a  bachelor. 
Mention  has  already  been  made  that  he  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
sterling  pioneer  families  of  Michigan,  and  it  may  be  further  noted  that 
he  is  a  direct  descendant  of  Deacon  Samuel  Chapin,  who  came  to  America 
from  England  in  1639  and  who  later  became  the  founder  of  the  city  of 
Springfield,  Massachusetts. 

Charles  Sill  Witbeck.  In  the  death  of  Charles  Sill  Witbeck  on 
January  22,  1882,  there  passed  away  one  of  the  ablest  hotel  men  of  this 
country  and  a  citizen  who  for  many  years  had  been  prominently  identi- 
fied with  the  city  of  Detroit.  During  his  active  career  in  this  city,  from 
about  the  close  of  the  war  until  his  death,  he  gave  a  reputation  to  the 
old  Russell  House  which  still  lingers  as  pleasant  reminiscence  among 
old  travelers  and  local  citizens.  As  the  leading  hotel  of  the  time  the 
Russell  House  was  known  far  and  wide,  and  Mr.  Witbeck  as  one  of  the 
proprietors  shared  in  its  large  popularity,  and  his  ability  was  deservedly 
credited  with  the  successful  prestige  which  the  hotel  maintained  during 
the  eighteen  years  of  his  connection  with  its  management.  The  Russell 
House,  the  site  of  which  is  now  occupied  by  the  Pontchartrain,  was  an 
important  institution  of  earlier  Detroit  and  was  associated  with  many 
of  the  historic  events  of  the  time. 

Charles  Sill  Witbeck  was  bom  in  Lockport,  New  York,  in  1835,  and 
belonged  to  a  prominent  family  of  New  York  state.  The  original  Amer- 
ican settler,  Johann  Witbeck,  of  Holland,  was  among  the  first  of  that 
sturdy  people  to  come  to  the  Dutch  colony,  and  during  his  lifetime  owned 
Berwick  Island.  For  a  great  many  years  the  members  of  the  family 
have  lived  in  and  about  Albany.  Mr.  Witbeck 's  parents  were  John  and 
Harriet  (Lockport)  Witbeck.  His  father  owned  hotels  in  Albany  and 
Lockport,  while  his  uncle  was  proprietor  of  a  hostelry  in  Buffalo. 

Coming  thus  of  a  family  of  hotel  men,  Mr.  Witbeck,  after  receiving 
a  good  education  in  his  native  city  of  Lockport,  began  his  career  as  a 
hotel  clerk,  and,  as  the  business  of  his  life,  mastered  all  its  details,  in 
later  years  being  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  efficient  hotel  managers  in 
America.  During  his  early  life  he  went  west  and  was  clerk  of  the  old 
Linden  Hotel  in  St.  Louis  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war.  He  soon  after- 
ward located  in  Detroit,  where  he  was  clerk  of  the  old  Biddle  House  for 
some  time.  With  William  J.  Chittenden  he  then  leased  the  Russell 
House,  which  continued  under  the  management  of  Witbeck  &  Chitten- 
den for  eighteen  years,  and  during  that  time  attained  its  greatest  distinc- 
tion as  a  hotel.  On  aceou»t  of  ill  health  Mr.  Witbeck  spent  the  last  year 
of  his  life  retired  from  active  business,  and  his  final  resting  place  is 
the  beautiful  Elmwood  cemetery. 

The  deceased  was  a  prominent  Mason,  having  taken  most  of  the 
degrees  in  that  order.  Broad-minded  and  progressive,  he  gave  his 
support  to  the  best  interests  of  his  home  community,  and  was  always 
esteemed  one  of  the  leading  citizens.     An  independent  Democrat  in 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1221 

politics,  he  would  never  accept  public  office  for  himself,  but  gave  his 
assistance  to  men  and  movements  that  he  considered  best  for  the  general 
welfare.    He  was  an  attendant  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

j\Ir.  Witbeck  is  survived  by  his  widow  and  two  sons.  Mrs.  Witbeck 
before  her  marriage,  which  occurred  in  Detroit,  June  25,  1867,  was  Miss 
Harriet  E.  Strong,  a  daughter  of  Josiah  and  Cloey  L.  (Rogers)  Strong, 
who  were  New  England  people.  Josiah  Strong^  her  father,  was  a 
prominent  merchant  in  Canada,  beginning  business  there  in  1835,  and 
during  the  last  years  of  his  life  was  a  resident  of  Detroit.  Mrs.  Witbeck 
has  been  a  resident  of  Detroit  since  1864.  Her  present  home  is  an 
elegant  residence  on  Jefferson  avenue,  and  she  still  owns  the  old  home- 
place  where  she  lived  for  thirty  years  on  West  Fort  street,  the  Saturday 
Night  Publishing  Company's  building  being  now  located  on  that  site. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

Charles  Strong  Witbeck,  the  older  of  her  two  sons,  after  graduating 
from  Yale,  studied  law  in  the  University  of  Michigan,  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  at  Detroit,  and  is  now  legal  adviser  in  the  United  States  Reclama- 
tion Service,  being  stationed  at  Phoenix,  Arizona. 

Ernest  Strong  Witbeck,  who  lives  at  home  with  his  mother,  is  a 
construction  engineer  and  one  of  the  able  representatives  of  his  pro- 
fession in  Detroit.  He  is  also  a  graduate  of  Yale,  having  taken  the 
scientific  course.  During  the  Spanish-American  war  he  served  as  gun- 
ner's mate  with  the  Michigan  Naval  Reserves. 

Charles  M.  Gulden.  For  more  than  half  a  century  Mr.  Gulden  has 
maintained  his  home  in  Detroit,  to  which  city  he  came  with  his  parents 
'when  he  was  a  young  man.  He  has  been  long  and  prominently  identi- 
fied with  business  interests  in  the  Michigan  metropolis,  the  greater  por- 
tion of  the  time  as  an  efficient  and  valued  employe  of  the  Grand  Trunk 
Railroad  Company,  and  after  years  of  earnest  and  well  directed  endeavor 
he  is  now  living  virtually  retired,  at  No.  226  John  R.  street,  corner  of 
Adelaide.  Mr.  Gulden  is  well  known  in  the  city  that  has  so  long  been 
his  home  and  here  he  holds  a  steadfast  place  in  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  all  who  knew  him.  He  gave  to  the  land  of  his  adoption  the 
most  loyal  and  meritorious  service  as  a  soldier  of  the  Union  in  the  Civil 
war  and  is  one  of  the  influential  and  valued  members  of  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic  in  his  home  city. 

Charles  M.  Gulden  was  bom  in  Germany,  on  the  historic  Rhine, 
son  of  Gottlieb  and  Mary  Gulden.  In  1854  the  family  emigrated  to 
America  and  landed  in  Quebec,  Canada,  whither  the  memorable  cholera 
scourge  of  that  year  had  penetrated,  and  the  mother  was  attacked  with 
the  dread  disease,  with  the  result  that  the  family  had  to  tarry  in  Quebec 
until  she  was  convalescent.  They  then  set  forth  for  Chicago,  which  city 
had  been  selected  by  the  father  as  a  permanent  place  of  abode,  but  upon 
arriving  in  Detroit  he  met  friends  who  prevailed  upon  him  to  establish 
his  home  in  this  city.  Here  he  engaged  in  the  work  of  his  trade,  that  of 
cabinet-maker,  and  here  both  he  and  his  wife  passed  the  residue  of 
their  lives,  secure  in  the  high  regard  of  all  who  knew  them  and  popular 
in  the  leading  German  social  circles  of  the  city.  Both  were  devout 
communicants  of  the  Catholic  church  and  were  members  of  the  cathedral 
parish  of  Sts.  Peter  and  Paul.  The  children  comprised  two  sons  and 
a  daughter.  Anthony,  Mr.  Gulden's  brother,  serving  in  the  Civil  war  as 
a  member  of  the  Ninth  Michigan  Cavalry. 

Charles  M.  Gulden  secured  his  early  educational  discipline  in  the 
excellent  schools  of  his  native  land  and  after  the  family  home  had  been 
established  in  Detroit  secured  employment  as  clerk  in  the  retail  hard- 


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1222  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

ware  store  of  Limbroek  &  Barnes,  of  that  city,  remaining  with  this 
representative  firm  for  twenty  years. 

When  the  Civil  war  commenced  Mr.  Gulden  was  an  earnest  Union 
man,  and  his  enlistment  was  the  result  of  sudden  inspiration,  if  not  an 
accident.  On  the  16th  of  October,  1861,  he  had  gone  to  Fort  Wayne, 
the  government  military  post  at  Detroit,  for  the  purpose  of  viewing  the 
recruiting  and  other  military  operations.  He  had  accompanied  friends 
to  the  fort  and  while  there  his  loyalty  was  quickened  to  decisive  action, 
as  he  forthwith  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Battery  B,  First  Michigan  Volun- 
teer Artillery.  His  name  was  incorrectly  given  on  the  roster,  as  the 
result  of  misinterpretation  of  the  same,  and  he  thus  went  to  the  front 
under  the  name  of  Carl  Golden.  His  record  as  a  valiant  and  faithful 
soldier  is  one  that  will  redound  to  his  lasting  honor.  His  command  was 
assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  Tenne- 
see,  on  the  6th  of  April,  1862,  he  was  shot  in  the  neck,  the  injury  being 
so  severe  that  he  was  sent  to  a  hospital  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he 
remained  about  two  weeks,  after  which  he  returned  to  his  home  in 
Detroit,  on  furlough.  Here  he  remained  about  three  months,  within 
which  period  he  recuperated  from  his  wound,  and  he  then  rejoined  his 
command,  at  Memphis,  Tennessee.  On  the  21st  of  February,  1863,  he 
was  made  bugler  and  on  the  first  of  the  following  November  was  pro- 
moted to  the  office  of  corporal.  On  the  24th  of  December,  of  that  year, 
at  the  expiration  of  his  original  term  of  enlistment,  he  reenlis*ted  as  a 
veteran,  at  Pulaski,  Tennessee,  and  at  this  time  was  enrolled  under  his 
proper  name.  He  continued  in  active  service  with  his  regiment  until 
the  close  of  the  war  and  participated  in  many  of  the  important  engage- 
ments that  marked  its  progress.  He  was  mustered  out,  at  Detroit,  on  the 
14th  of  June,  1865,  and  duly  received  his  honorable  discharge. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Gulden  reentered  the  employ  of 
Limbroek  &  Barnes,  and  was  subsequently  identified  with  the  Grand 
Trunk  Railroad,  being  connected  with  the  latter  corporation  at  the 
time  of  his  retirement  from  active  business. 

Retaining  a  deep  interest  in  his  old  comrades  of  the  Civil  war,  Mr. 
Gulden  is  one  of  the  influential  and  popular  members  of  Parker  Post, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  in  which  he  has  served  as  officer  of  the  day. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors,  having  in  charge  the  mag- 
nificent Grand  Army  building  in  his  home  city.  Mr.  Gulden  is  a 
patriotic  and  good  citizen.  As  a  churchman  he  is  one  of  the  earnest 
and  zealous  communicants  of  the  parish  of  the  cathedral  of  Sts.  Peter 
and  Paul,  and  his  deceased  wife  was  likewise  a  devoted  communicant 
of  that  church.  In  the  year  1867  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Gulden  to  Miss  Mary  Malkumus,  a  native  of  the  province  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  of  German  parentage,  whose  death  occurred  in  September, 
1908.  Mrs.  Gulden  Was  a  women  of  gentle  and  unassuming  ways  and 
won  and  retained  the  affectionate  regard  of  all  who  came  within  the 
compass  of  her  influence.  She  is  survived  by  two  children — Anthony 
S.,  who  is  a  traveling  salesman  and  who  resides  in  Detroit;  and  Miss 
Theresa  B.,  who  presides  over  her  father's  houshold. 

Nathaniel  Brewster  Webber,  M.  D.  We  cannot  refuse  to  believe 
that  the  doctrine  of  inherited  characteristics  is  a  true  one,  for  where- 
ever  we  turn  we  find  proof  of  it.  The  Webber  family  of  Detroit  is  a 
very  striking  instance.  The  late  Dr.  Nathaniel  Webber  was  one  of 
the  leading  medical  men  in  the  city,  prominent  not  only  as  a  physician 
but  as  a  surgeon,  and  noted  as  one  of  the  instructors  in  the  Detroit 
College  of  Medicines.  His  son.  Dr.  Nathaniel  Brewster  Webber,  has 
followed  closely  in  his  father's  steps,  and  seemingly  has  inherited  the 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1223 

traits  that  made  the  elder  doctor  so  successful.  The  son  seems  to 
possess  the  strength  of  character  of  the  father,  and,  through  his  close 
association  with  him,  has  gathered  wisdom  and  experience  beyond  his 
years.  Dr.  Nathaniel  W.  Webber  was  one  of  the  most  popular  lecturers 
in  the  College  of  Medicine,  because  he  not  only  was  a  thorough  master 
of  his  subjects,  but  had  the  dominating  intellect  and  will  that  enabled 
him  to  hold  the  interest  of  his  classes.  It  is  easily  seen  that  a  man  of  this 
kind  would  make  a  successful  physician.  This  trait  is  also  to  be  seen 
in  the  son  and  he  has  established  himself  in  the  confidence  of  the  people, 
as  is  evidenced  by  his  success  in  his  profession  and  the  number  of 
official  positions  which  he  has  been  called  upon  to  fill.  His  friends  and 
fellow  practitioners  all  predict  for  him  as  brilliant  a  future  career  as  the 
life  of  his  father  presented. 

Nathaniel  Brewster  Webber  was  born  on  the  site  of  the  Detroit 
Moose  Temple,  which  is  on  Rowland  avenue,  now  in  the  heart  of  the 
business  district.  The  date  of  his  birth  was  the  11th  of  September,  1882. 
He  was  the  son  of  the  late  Nathaniel  W.  and  Catherine  (Brewster) 
Webber.  He  grew  up  in  the  city  of  his  birth,  watching  its  phenomenal 
growth  and  the  rapid  encroachment  of  the  business  district  upon  the  one- 
time residence  portion,  and  he  received  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  the  city,  followed  by  a  two  years'  literary  course  in  the 
University  of  Michigan.  He  took  his  medical  degree  from  the  Detroit 
College  of  Medicine,  graduating  from  that  institute  with  the  class  of 
1902. 

During  the  year  in  which  he  was  graduated,  Dr.  Webber  began  his 
practice  as  assistant  surgeon  for  the  Sante  Fe  Railway  Company  at 
Raton,  New  Mexico.  He  remained  there  for  a  year  and  then,  having 
acquired  considerable  experience  in  surgery,  returned  to  Detroit  and 
entered  into  partnership  with  his  father.  He  was  wise  in  having  spent 
his  first  year  in  practice  by  himself,  for  it  gave  him  confidence  in  his 
unaided  abilities.  Dr.  Webber  continued  to  practice  with  his  father 
until  the  death  of  the  latter  in  1907.  The  value  of  these  few  years  of 
association  is  inestimable  to  the  younger  physician. 

In  1906  Dr.  Webber  was  appointed  health  officer  of  the  Village  of 
Highland  Park,  and  he  has  held  this  position  ever  since.  He  is  likewise 
surgeon  to  the  village  police  and  the  fire  departments.  The  people  who 
placed  him  in  these  positions  discovered  that  he  was  not  only  capable, 
but  that  he  was  conscientious  about  his  duties,  and  so  they  further 
showed  their  confidence  in  him  by  electing  him  school  inspector.  He  is 
also  medical  examiner  for  the  United  States  Marine  Corps  at  Detroit. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Association,  of  the  State 
Medical  Society  and  of  the  American  Medical  Association.  He  is  much 
interested  in  the  work  of  these  various  bodies  and  keeps  in  close  touch 
with  all  the  recent  developments  in  his  field.  His  wife  was  Miss  Bessie 
Rippon,  of  Woodstock,  Ontario,  Canada. 

Nathaniel  Wilbur  Webber,  the  father,  was  an  eastern  man,  born  at 
Gardiner,  Maine,  on  the  9th  of  February,  1839.  He  was  a  son  of  Nathan- 
iel Webber,  and  his  mother  was  a  Miss  Wadsworth  previous  to  her 
marriage.  His  parents  came  to  the  west  at  an  early  date  and  settled  at 
Chicago.  At  that  time  the  city  did  not  possess,  more  than  ten  thousand 
inhabitants  and  life  was  exceedingly  crude  and  seemed  very  strange 
to  these  easterners.  They  sent  their  son  to  the  public  schools,  and 
after  finishing  his  work  in  Chicago,  he  was  sent  to  Rock  River  Seminary. 
He  had  always  cherished  an  ardent  desire  to  study  medicine,  and  he  was 
not  more  than  twenty  when  he  assumed  it.  This  was  in  1859,  and  he 
attended  the  first  two  courses  of  lectures  that  were  offered  at  what  is 
now  the  Medical  department  of  the  Northwestern  University,  Chicago. 


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1224  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

After  completing  these  courses  he  was  compelled  to  reside  for  a  time 
in  Colorado,  and  while  living  there  was  appointed  hospital  steward  in  the 
Third  Regiment  of  Colorado  Infantry. 

After  a  time  spent  in  the  west  Dr.  Webber  returned  to  Chicago  on 
a  furlough,  and  while  here  he  went  before  the  board  of  examiners,  from 
whom  he  received  the  appointment  as  assistant  surgeon  in  the  Sixteenth 
Regiment  of  Illinois  Cavalry.  Later  the  surgeon  of  this  regiment  was 
forced  to  resign  on  account  of  poor  health,  and  Dr.  Webber  received  his 
promotion  to  fill  the  vacancy.  He  served  with  this  regiment  until  the 
close  of  the  war  in  1865,  when  he  was  mustered  out  of  the  service.  He 
was  a  most  successful  army  surgeon,  because  of  his  courage  and  coolness 
which  he  never  lost  in  the  most  crucial  circumstances.  He  was  as  daring 
as  any  soldier  in  the  regiment  and  never  hesitated  to  go  into  the  thickest 
of  the  fight  if  his  duty  called  him  there.  He  always  chafed  at  the- 
necessity  that  kept  him  beyond  the  range  of  fire,  for,  although  he  knew 
that  upon  his  safety  depended  the  lives  of  many,  it  was  hard  for  him  to 
realize  that  while  others  were  giving  away  their  lives  for  their  country 
that  he  could  not  be  vsith  them.  He  did  not  have  time  for  many  regrets, 
however,  for  the  life  of  an  army  surgeon  during  that  period  was  very 
strenuous — indeed,  it  was  work  all  day,  and  ofttimes  all  night,  with 
snatches  of  sleep  at  intervals.  He  was  with  his  regiment  through  all 
the  campaigns  of  General  Sherman,  and  during  this  period  was  once 
taken  captive  and  held  as  a  prisoner  of  war  for  a  time.  He  was  under 
the  command  of  General  Thomas  at  the  siege  of  Nashville.  At  the 
close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Chicago  and  took  his  third 
and  last  course  at  the  Northwestern  University ;  but,  although  still  the 
student,  he  had  probably  seen  more  actual  suffering  and  death  than 
many  of  his  instructors,  and  after  his  years  of  practical  surgery  it  must 
have  been  at  least  a  novel  experience  to  become  again  a  regular  pupil. 
In  1866  he  was  graduated,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.,  and  immediately 
assumed  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Chicago. 

Dr.  Webber  rapidly  rose  to  prominence  in  his  profession  and  gained 
a  reputation  for  self-sacrifice  and  courage  (which  after  his  war  experience 
were  ingrained  in  his  nature),  when  he  had  charge  of  the  cholera  hos- 
pital of  Cook  county  during  the  epidemic  of  1866.  He  served  one  term 
as  county  physician  of  Cook  county,  Illinois,  and  in  a  very  short  period 
his  reputation  had  spread  beyond  the  limits  of  Chicago.  In  fact,  he 
became  so  well  known  that  in  1869  he  was  invited  by  the  Detroit  College 
of  Medicine  to  take  the  chair  of  anatomy  in  that  institution,  and  he 
willingly  accepted  the  honor.  He  then  moved  to  Detroit  and  took  up 
his  work  in  that  city.  Upon  the  death  of  the  late  Dr.  Edward  W.  Jenks, 
the  first  president  of  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  as  well  as  its 
founder,  Dr.  Webber  was  appointed  to  succeed  him  in  his  position  of 
professor  of  gynecology.  He  continued  to  fill  this  chair  until  his  death, 
and  was  undoubtedly  one  of  the  ablest  men  of  the  college  faculty. 

In  addition  to  the  above  honors.  Dr.  Webber  was  many  times  honored 
with  various  public  positions.  In  1885  he  was  appointed  health  physi- 
cian of  the  city  of  Detroit.  He  held  this  position  for  only  a  few  months, 
and  then  resigned  on  account  of  his  physical  condition  which  was  none 
too  robust  at  the  time.  The  work  of  the  oflSce  was  not  congenial  to  him, 
and  his  own  constantly  growing  private  practice  made  such  demands 
upon  his  time  that  he  found  it  impossible  to  do  justice  to  the  oflSce; 
hence  his  resignation.  For  sixteen  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Pension  Examining  Surgeons  for  WajTie  County,  and  he  was  always 
interested  in  this  work,  through  his  old-time  connection  with  the  army. 
For  many  years  he  was  medical  examiner  for  the  Mutual  Benefit  Life 
Insurance  Company  of  Newark,  New  Jersey,  and  for  the  last  few  years 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1225 

before  his  death  he  was  state  referee  of  that  company  in  the  state  of 
Michigan.  These  duties  were  arduous  and,  together  with  his  failing 
health,  forced  him  to  partially  relinquish  his  private  practice.  In  1905 
he  removed  to  Birmingham,  Michigan,  a  suburb  of  Detroit,  and  there  he 
lived  quietly  until  his  death  in  1907. 

Dr.  Webber  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  past  master  of 
the  Oriental  Lodge  of  Detroit.  He  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  principles 
of  Masonry,  as  was  shown  by  his  own  life,  and,  more  than  most  men, 
had  an  opportunity  to  see  the  practical  good  that  this  ancient  order  does 
among  all  classes  of  people.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Catherine  Brew- 
ster, a  native  daughter  of  Detroit  and  the  child  of  the  late  Captain 
Brewster,  who  for  many  years  was  in  charge  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Trading 
Post  for  the  state  of  Michigan.    Mrs.  Webber  died  in  1901. 

Hon.  William  Louis  January.  It  is  not  an  unusual  situation  in 
America  to  find  that  the  most  successful  public  men  have  been  drawn  from 
the  ranks  of  the  law,  and  neither  is  it  remarkable,  for  political  problems 
are  of  infinite  importance  to  every  nation,  and  to  their  solving  should 
come  the  trained  understanding  and  broadened  method  of  view  that  are 
necessary  to  the  successful  practice  of  the  law.  Many  of  these  men  of 
eminence  in  professional  life  consent  to  publicly  serve  their  fellow 
citizens  from  a  sense  of  duty,  others  from  the  natural  desire  for  a  wider 
field  of  effort,  but  very  few,  indeed,  from  a  financial  view,  for  the 
emoluments  of  the  law  are  far  more  satisfactory,  and  that  the  life  is 
more  congenial  may  be  inferred  because  so  many  lawyers,  after  a  period 
of  political  struggle,  even  when  successful  in  their  efforts,  return  to 
their  profession  with  apparent  satisfaction.  One  of  the  leading  mem- 
bers of  the  Michigan  bar,  whose  determined  efforts  in  the  state  legislature 
have  resulted  in  the  passing  of  many  admirable  bills  particularly  valu- 
able to  Detroit,  is  the  Hon.  William  Louis  January. 

Mr.  January  was  born  on  a  farm  near  Xenia,  Greene  county,  Ohio, 
January  9,  1853,  and  is  the  son  of  George  Wadman  and  Mary  Standifore 
(Garnett)  January.  He  acciuired  his  elementary  education  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  his  native  county,  and  then  entered  the  University  of 
Michigan,  taking  first  an  elective  course.  He  was  graduated  from  the 
law  department  of  the  above  university  with  the  class  of  1883,  degree 
of  L.  L.  B.,  and  in  that  same  year  was  admitted  to  the  Michigan  bar 
and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Detroit.  Later  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  practice  in  the  United  States  circuit,  district  and  supreme 
courts.  In  the  fall  of  1896  Mr.  January  was  elected  to  the  lower  house 
of  the  IMichigan  legislature  and  in  that  session  was  the  only  member 
from  Detroit  on  the  committee  on  city  corporations,  a  most  important 
body  at  that  time.  He  introduced  bills  for  the  amendment  of  the 
Detroit  city  charter  and  the  first  measure  providing  for  the  general 
primary  election  reforms  throughout  the  state  and  abolishing  caucuses 
and  conventions.  This  latter  bill  was  not  passed,  but  formed  the 
nucleus  for  other  similar  measures  which  resulted  in  a  primary  election 
law  for  the  city  of  Detroit.  He  also  introduced  and  secured  the  passage 
of  a  bill  for  the  protection  of  parks  and  boulevards  of  the  city,  notably 
the  Belle  Isle  bridge  approach,  making  it  a  part  of  the  city  park  and 
placing  it  under  the  control  of  the  park  board.  He  was  also  active  in 
the  reduction  of  taxation  and  the  repeal  of  the  Michigan  Central  charter. 

In  1905  Mr.  January  was  a  candidate  for  circuit  judge,  and  in  1907 
was  a  candidate  for  delegate  to  the  Michigan  State  Constitutional  Con- 
vention. He  was  a  delegate  to  the  World  ^s  Congress  of  Lawyers  and 
Jurists  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  in  1904,  and  was  appointed  by  the  Detroit 
City  and  ^Michigan  State  Bar  associations  to  compile  and  edit  a  me- 

Vul.  Ill— 2  5 


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1226  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

morial  of  the  John  Marshall  Day  celebration.  Mr.  January  has  been 
prominent  in  Republican  party  politics  for  many  years  and  has  ren- 
dered valuable  aid  to  his  party  both  on  the  stump  and  in  the  press, 
being  both  a  brilliant  speaker  and  a  fluent  writer.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Wayne  County  Bar  Association,  Michigan  State  Bar  Association,  Amer- 
icfiin  Bar  Association,  International  Law  Association,  University  of 
Michigan  Association,  Ohio  Society  of  Detroit,  and  the  Detroit  Yacht 
Club.  His  legal  abilities,  which  are  unquestioned,  are  warmly  appre- 
ciated by  his  personal  and  business  associates,  and  he  is  recognized  as 
a  man  of  sound  business  judgment  and  sterling  integrity. 

Mr.  January  was  married  May  25,  1886,  at  Shelby,  Ohio,  to  Miss 
Carrie  B.  Brucker. 

Arthur  Bennett,  M.  D.  The  personal  records  incorporated  in  this 
publication  as  touching  the  representative  physicians  and  surgeons  of 
Detroit  indicate  how  remarkable  a  quota  the  province  of  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, has  contributed  to  the  personnel  of  the  profession  in  the  fair  *  *  City 
of  the  Straits, ' '  which  has  manifold  interests  in  common  with  its  neigh- 
boring Canadian  province.  Dr.  Bennett  is  one  of  the  popular  physicians 
who  thus  claims  Ontario  as  his  birthplace,  and  in  the  paternal  line  is  of 
stanchest  English  stock.  He  was  bom  in  the  little  city  of  Chatham,  the 
judicial  center  of  Kent  county,  Ontario,  on  the  5th  of  February,  1864, 
fiind  is  a  son  of  Farmer  and  Charlotte  (McLeod)  Bennett,  the  former  of 
whom  was  born  in  Southampton,  England,  and  the  latter  on  the  Isle 
of  Skye,  Scotland,  the  largest  island  of  the  Inner  Hebrides.  Thomas 
Bennett,  grandfather  of  the  doctor,  was  a  member  of  the  band  main- 
tained by  the  Duke  of  Wellington  on  the  ducal  estate  and  was  skilful 
in  the  playing  of  both  fife  and  drum.  He  received  a  collegiate  education 
and  held  in  England  the  title  of  esquire,  together  with  a  landed  estate. 
He  came  to  America  about  the  year  1851  and  established  his  home  in 
Ontario,  Canada.  He  passed  the  closing  year^  of  his  life  at  Red  Wing, 
Minnesota,  where  he  died  at  the  patriarchal  age  of  one  hundred  and 
one  years,  his  wife  having  preceded  him  to  eternal  rest  by  a  number 
of  years. 

Farmer  Bennett,  father  of  him  whose  name  initiates  this  review,  was 
but  one  year  old  at  the  time  of  the  family  immigration  to  America  and 
was  reared  to  maturity  in  the  province  of  Ontario,  where  he  has  con- 
tinued to  reside  during  the  long  intervening  period  and  where  his  active 
career  has  been  one  of  close  and  successful  identification  with  agricul- 
tural pursuits.  Though  he  is  now  an  octogenarian  he  is  alert,  mentally 
and  physically,  and  occupies  his  time  with  the  activities  of  business  and 
the  management  of  his  finely  improved  landed  estate  in  Kent  county, 
Ontario.  His  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Church  of  England,  of  which 
his  wife  also  was  a  devout  communicant,  the  latter  having  passed  to  the 
life  eternal  in  1910,  secure  in  the  loving  regard  of  all  who  had  come 
within  the  sphere  of  her  gentle  influence.  She  was  a  child  at  the  time 
her  parents  came  from  Scotland  to  America,  and  her  father,  Malcolm 
McLeod  (a  sailor),  established  the  family  home  on  Prince  Edward 
Island.  He  was  one  hundred  years  old  at  the  time  of  his  death,  and 
from  the  data  thus  noted  concerning  him  and  Thomas  Bennett  it  may  be 
seen  that  Dr.  Bennett  comes  of  long-lived  stock  and  has  the  heritage 
of  a  sound  mind  in  a  sound  body. 

In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  place  Dr.  Bennett  gained  his  early 
education  and  graduated  from  its  high  school,  winning  the  scholarship 
prize  of  his  class.  After  leaving  the  high  school  the  doctor  applied  the 
most  effective  test  to  his  scholastic  attainments  by  engaging  in  teaching 
in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  province.    In  that  field  he  continued 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1227 

for  a  year.  He  then  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  University 
of  Michigan,  in  which  he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of 
1887,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  In  the  same  year  he  opened 
an  office  in  Detroit,  and  there  he  has  since  engaged  in  general  practice, 
meeting  with  substantial  success  in  every  way.  The  doctor  is  a  member 
of  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  Wayne  County  Medical 
Society,  and  holds  membership  in  the  alumni  association  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan.  He  has  also  been  an  earnest  supporter  of  the  work 
of  the  Detroit  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  of  which  he  has 
long  been  a  member.  In  short,  he  is  both  a  physician  and  a  citizen  of 
high  standing. 

William  Stuart  Grimes,  M.  D.  prominent  physician  and  surgeon 
of  Detroit,  with  oflSces  and  residence  at  No.  120  Edmund  Place,  where 
he  is  superintendent  and  proprietor  of  the  Edmund  Sanitarium,  was 
bom  in  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  October  19,  1870,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late 
Dr.  William  Stuart  and  Julia  (Kramer)  Grimes.  The  former  was  a 
native  of  West  Virginia  (then  Old  Virginia),  whence  he  went  to  Ohio 
when  a  young  man;  was  graduated  from  the  medical  department  of 
Miami  University,  Cincinnati,  class  of  1857,  and  practiced  in  Ohio  until 
his  removal  to  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  previous  to  the  Civil  war.  He. served 
as  surgeon  with  the  rank  of  major  of  the  Twenty-ninth  Regiment,  Iowa 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  after  the  close  of  hostilities  returned  to  tlie 
practice  of  his  profession  in  Des  Moines,  and  later  opened  and  conducted 
free  eye  and  ear  dispensaries  in  that  city  and  Council  Bluffs.  In  1870 
he  removed  to  Denver,  Colorado,  and  there  practiced  until  his  death  in 
1889.  He  was  surgeon  to  both  St.  Luke's  (Episcopal)  and  St.  Joseph's 
(Roman  Catholic)  hospitals  in  Denver,  was  well  known  in  public  circles 
(being  fast  friends  with  a  number  of  the  prominent  men  of  his  time), 
and  was  related  to  the  Taft  family  of  Ohio. 

The  early  education  of  William  Stuart  Grimes,  Jr.,  was  secured  in 
the  public  schools,  at  Orchard  Lake  Military  School,  near  Pontiac 
(Mich.)  and  at  Cornell  University.  He  was  graduated  in  medicine  from 
the  University  of  Buffalo,  New  York,  with  the  class  of  1901,  receiving 
the  degree  of  M.  D.,  and  also  took  post-graduate  work  at  that  university. 
He  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  1901  in  Buffalo,  where  for  a 
time  he  was  assistant  surgeon  to  the  Hospital  for  Women.  Dr.  Grimes 
was  county  physician  of  Wayne  county  in  1908  and  1909,  and  in  1911 
was  a  candidate  for  county  coroner  before  the  primaries,  but  was  de- 
feated by  only  119  votes.  In  October  of  the  same  year  he  opened  the 
Edmund  Sanitarium  in  the  old  Cheany  Strong  residence,  at  No.  120 
Edmund  Place,  which  property  he  remodeled  into  one  of  the  best  and 
most  complete  private  hospitals  in  Detroit,  to  which  he  now  gives  all 
of  his  professional  attention.  He  has  three  wards,  twelve  private  rooms 
and  two  operating  rooms,  the  latter  being  removed  from  the  wards  and 
private  rooms  and  has  accommodations  for  thirty-seven  patients.  The 
sanitarium  is  a  modern  and  homelike  hospital  for  the  medical  and  sur- 
gical treatment  of  women  and  children,  and  is  patronized  by  a  large  num- 
ber of  the  leading  physicians  and  surgeons  of  the  city. 

Dr.  Grimes  is  examining  physician  for  the  Detroit  Order  of  Eagles, 
the  American  Annuity  Association  and  the  Endowment  Rank,  Knights 
of  Pythias,  and  is  professionally  connected  with  other  fratefnities.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  and  Michigan  State  Medical  societies 
and  the  American  Medical  Association,  and  also  holds  membership  in 
the  Alumni  Association  of  the  University  of  Buffalo.  He  stands  in  the 
front  rank  as  exemplifying  the  modern  sciences  of  medicine  and  surgery. 


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1228  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

and  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  success  has  attended  his  efforts, 
for  his  zeal  and  ability  render  this  a  natural  sequence. 

Dr.  Grimes  was  married  to  Miss  Gertrude  Smith,  of  Pontiac,  Michi- 
gan, and  they  have  two  children — William  Stuart  III  and  Dorothy 
Hurry, 

Claud  Allen  Smith,  M.  D.  Even  in  an  age  which  expects  much  of 
its  young  men  and  from  which  the  professional  men  of  the  younger  gen- 
eration can  secure  ready  recognition  of  their  abilities,  few  have  gained 
the  success  in  so  short  a  period  as  that  which  has  come  to  Dr.  Claud 
Allen  Smith,  of  No.  14  LeRoy  avenue,  River  Range,  Detroit,  a  physi- 
cian and  surgeon  who  during  the  six  years  of  his  residence  here  has 
displayed  such  marked  abiUty  in  his  profession  at  a  comparatively  early 
age.  He  has  the  further  distinction  of  being  a  native  son  of  Michigan, 
and  on  both  the  paternal  and  maternal  sides  of  his  family  is  descended 
from  pioneer  residents  of  the  state.  Dr.  Smith  was  born  on  the  old 
Smith  homestead  farm  in  Genessee  county,  Michigan,  March  11,  1883, 
and  is  a  son  of  Arretus  Allen  and  Susan  (Baldwin)  Smith. 

William  Smith,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  the  doctor,  who  came 
from  New  York  state  during  the  early  'forties  bought  a  farm  in  Genesee 
county,  Michigan,  and  for  many  years  was  engaged  in  clearing  and  cul- 
tivating it,  reclaiming  the  land  from  the  wilderness  and  establishing 
a  home  for  his  family.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  he  enlisted  as 
a  private  with  a  Michigan  regiment,  and  gave  his  life  in  defense  of  his 
I'ountry,  dying  in  battle  in  the  s^uth.  The  maternal  grandfather  of  the 
Doctor  was  Morgan  Baldwin,  also  a  native  of  New  York  state  and  the 
son  of  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  He  came  to  Michigan  as  early  as  1834, 
being  the  first  white  settler  in  Genesee  county,  where  he  spent  his  life 
in  agricultural  pursuits  and  died  at  an  advanced  age.  Arretus  Allen 
Smith,  father  of  the  Doctor,  was  engaged  in  farming  on  the  old  family 
homestead,  where  he  had  been  bom,  but  died  when  still  a  young  man, 
in  1887.    His  widow  still  survives,  and  lives  in  Genesee  county. 

Dr.  Smith  was  only  four  years  of  age  when  his  father  died,  and 
when  he  was  still  a  lad  the  family  removed  to  Flint,  Michigan.  There 
he  was  reared,  his  early  education  being  secured  in  the  public  schools 
of  Flint.  He  prosecuted  his  technical  studies  in  the  Detroit  College 
of  Medicine,  which  he  entered  in  1902,  and  from  which  he  was  graduated 
in  1906  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  Being  fully  prepared 
to  begin  his  professional  career,  he  did  not  waste  any  time,  but  on  the 
morning  after  his  graduation  opened  an  office  in  Detroit,  where  his 
success  was  almost  immediate.  He  came  to  his  present  location  in  1908, 
and  River  Range  has  since  known  him  as  one  of  its  leading  practitioners. 
He  has  built  up  a  large  and  representative  professional  business,  giving 
to  each  feature  of  his  work  careful  and  conscientious  attention,  and 
always  displaying  a  courtesy  and  grace  of  manner  that  wins  all  who 
come  in  contact  with  him.  The  Doctor  is,  and  has  been  for  more  than 
four  years,  physician  and  surgeon  to  the  Great  Lakes  Engineering 
Company's  plant  in  Detroit,  and  to  the  Detroit  Bridge  and  Steel  plant, 
both  of  these  being  large  and  important  industries  of  the  city.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  the  Michigan  State 
Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association,  and  is  well 
known  in  Masonic  circles  as  a  valued  member  of  Union  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. 

Dr.  Smith  was  married  to  Miss  Nettie  Brewer,  the  daughter  of  Alex- 
ander Brewer,  a  well-known  resident  of  Jackson,  Michigan. 

Alexander  Kloka.  A  native  son  of  Detroit  and  one  who  gained  for 
himself  secure  place  as  a  progressive  and  reliable  business  man  and 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1229 

loyal  citizen,  Alexander  Kloka  was  in  the  very  prime  of  his  useful  man- 
hood when  he  was  removed  from  the  scene  of  life's  activities.  He  died 
at  Harper  Hospital,  on  the  17th  of  August,  1911,  following  an  operation 
for  appendicitis,  and  passed  away  with  an  untarnished  reputation  as 
a  citizen  of  sterling  worth  and  a  young  man  who  had  won  worthy  suc- 
cess through  his  own  well  ordered  efforts.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he 
was  engaged  in  the  retail  grocery  business  at  the  corner  of  St.  Joseph 
avenue  and  Dequinder  street,  where  he  had  built  up  a  large  and  repre- 
sentative trade,  based  upon  fair  dealings  and  excellent  service  to  an 
appreciative  patronage. 

In  the  family  home  at  677  Riopelle  street,  Detroit,  Alexander  Kloka 
was  born  on  the  11th  of  May,  1878,  and  thus  he  was  but  thirty-three 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  a  son  of  Anthony  and 
Anna  Kloka,  who  were  born  in  Austrian  Poland,  and  who  established 
their  home  in  Detroit  about  forty  years  ago,  continuing  their  residence 
in  this  city  during  the  long  intervening  years,  the  father  having  been 
employed  much  of  the  time  in  railroad  work.  Of  their  seven  children, 
all  of  whom  were  bom  in  Detroit,  the  subject  of  their  memoir  was  the 
eldest  son. 

Alexander  Kloka  gained  his  rudimentary  education  in  a  Polish  school 
in  the  vicinity  of  his  home  and  later  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Detroit,  after  which  he  served  a  thorough  apprenticeship  at  the  tailor's 
trade,  under  the  direction  of  his  paternal  grandfather,  who  was  long 
engaged  in  this  line  of  enterprise  in  Detroit.  Finally  he  purchased 
the  grandfather's  business  in  this  city  and  for  a  period  of  about  six 
years  he  continued  to  conduct  a  tailor  shop  at  677  Riopelle  street.  He 
then  sold  the  place,  and  having  carefully  conserved  his  financial  re- 
sources purchased  the  substantial  brick  building  at  the  comer  of  St. 
Joseph  and  Dequinder  streets,  where  he  opened  a  retail  grocery  store,  to 
the  conducting  of  which  he  devoted  the  remainder  of  his  all  too  brief 
young  life.  His  experience  in  the  grocery  business  was  attended  by 
signal  success,  and  had  he  but  lived,  would  undoubtedly  have  reached  a 
high  place  in  the  business  life  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Kloka  was  both  loyal  and  progressive  as  a  citizen,  and  he  mani- 
fested deep  interest  in  all  that  in  any  w^ay  touched  upon  the  welfare  of 
the  city.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Michigan  Good  Roads  Association  and 
was  a  stanch  adherent  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  was  a  devout  com- 
municant of  the  Catholic  church,  in  whoSe  faith  he  was  reared,  and 
held  membership  in  the  parish  of  St.  Albertus,  from  which  church  his 
funeral  was  conducted,  interment  being  made  in  Mount  Olivet  cemetery. 
He  was  affiliated  with  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
Royal  Arch,  the  Polish  Roman  Catholic  Union  and  the  Catholic  Mutual 
Benefit  Association.  Besides  his  parents  he  is  survived  by  two  brothers 
and  four  sisters. 

'  On  the  23d  of  September,  1903,  w^as  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Kloka  to  Miss  Martha  Grubba,  who  likewise  was  born  and  reared  in 
Detroit,  to  which  city  her  parents,  John  and  Marcella  Grubba  came 
from  Austrian  Poland  more  than  thirty  years  ago.  ]\Irs.  Kloka  has 
assumed  full  charge  of  the  business  established  by  her  husband  and  is 
showing  marked  ability  in  the  management  of  the  same.  Mrs.  Kloka, 
as  was  her  husband,  is  a  devout  communicant  of  St.  Albertus  church  and 
is  active  in  the  work  of  that  body.  Mr.  Kloka  is  survived  by  two  chil- 
dren, Anna  and  Clarence,  to  whom  the  widowed  mother  is  giving  the 
best  of  educational  advantages  in  a  preliminary  way,  with  the  attention 
of  affording  them  further  opportunities  which  shall  properly  fit  them  for 
the  fuller  duties  and  responsibilities  of  life. 


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1230  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

William  J.  Howard.  Among  the  prominent  citizens  of  Detroit,  now 
gone  on  to  that  Undiscovered  Country,  was  William  J.  Howard,  for 
many  years  active  in  business  circles  of  the  city  as  president  of  the 
Howard  &  Northwood  Malting  Company.  Although  his  demise  occurred 
on  May  10,  1895 — more  than  seventeen  years  ago,  his  memory  remains 
undimmed  in  those  circles  of  life  in  which  he  was  active  and  where 
he  was  pleasantly  known  for  his  high  civic  ideals.  Mr.  Howard  was 
a  Canadian,  born  at  Amherst  Island,  Ontario,  in  1839,  and  his  years 
numbered  fifty-six  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  reared  and  educated 
in  his  native  locality  and  as  a  young  man  went  to  British  Columbia, 
where  for  a  period  of  something  like  ten  years  he  was  engaged  in  the 
somewhat  adventurous  and  varied  occupation  of  a  miner.  Eventually 
he  returned  to  Canada,  locating  at  Chatham,  there  embarking  in  the 
malting  business  in  which  he  was  destined  to  continue  for  the  remainder 
of  his  life. 

The  identification  of  Mr.  Howard  with  the  City  of  the  Straits  dated 
from  1880  in  which  year  he  opened  a  large  malting  business  in  that 
place.  He  proved  an  aggressive  and  enterprising  man  of  business  and  the 
splendid  success  of  the  firm  which  bore  his  name  was  due  largely  to  his 
executive  capacity  and  tireless  energy.  He  was  president  of  the  Howard 
&  Northwood  Malting  Company  at  the  time  of  his  death,  and  had  been 
for  a  considerable  period. 

Mr.  Howard  was  for  many  years  an  active  member  of  the  Detroit 
Board  of  Trade.  He  was  well  advanced  in  Masonry  and  was  past  master 
of  the  lodge  at  Chatham,  Canada,  his  old  home,  while  in  his  daily  life 
he  exemplified  all  those  ideals  of  moral  and  social  justice  and  brotherly 
love  for  which  the  order  stands  exponent. 

In  1870  Mr.  Howard  married  Miss  Mary  Jane  Degge  at  Chatham  and 
they  have  three  children,  as  follows:  Mrs.  Gertrude  Hazen,  of  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio;  Frank  C.  Howard,  of  Detroit;  and  W.  Bruce  Howard,  a 
graduate  of  the  Detroit  University  and  well  and  favorably  known  in 
business  circles  in  Detroit,  where  he  is  president  of  the  Detroit  Foundry 
Supply  Company.  He  is  unmarried.  Mrs.  Howard,  the  widow  of 
William  J.  Howard,  maintains  her  residence  at  No.  26  Elliott  street,  and 
enjoys  the  high  regard  and  confidence  of  a  wide  circle  of  friends  and 
acquaintances  throughout  the  city. 

Roland  S.  Everitt,  factory  manager  of  the  Briggs  Manufacturing 
Company,  of  Detroit,  was  born  in  Ridgetown,  Ontario,  Canada,  on 
February  12,  1879,  the  son  of  Seth  and  Florence  (Haskins)  Everitt. 
The  Everitts  are  of  Irish  stock.  Roland  S.  Everitt  was  educated  in 
the  Ridgetown  public  schools,  and  as  a  boy  entered  the  employ  of  T.  S. 
Agar,  decorator  of  Ridgetown,  with  whom  he  learned  decorating  and 
painting.  He  continued  with  Mr.  Agar  until  1893,  when  he  came  to 
Detroit  and  entered  the  employ  of  the  J.  C.  &  C.  R.  Wilson  Body 
Company.  He  next  became  foreman  painter  for  the  Economy  Wall 
Paper  Company,  where  he  continued  for  about  four  years. 

Mr.  Everitt  then  became  identified  with  his  brother,  Byron  F. 
Everitt,  in  the  latter 's  automobile  business  and  has  ever  since  continued 
that  association,  passing  through  the  positions  of  painter,  foreman 
painter,  assistant  superintendent,  superintendent  and  factory  manager 
of  the  Briggs  Manufacturing  Company,  which  is  one  of  the  large 
and  important  industries  of  the  city.  Mr.  Everitt  is  a  member  of  the 
Detroit  Board  of  Commerce. 

Mr.  Everitt  married  Miss  Nancy  Barr,  of  Ridgetown,  Ontario. 

Dr.  Edwin  Stanton  Sherrill,  is  one  of  the  best  known  physicians  in 
Detroit,  being  especially  well  known  through  his  activity  in  the  move- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1231 

ment  for  the  prevention  of  tuberculosis/  Dr.  Sherrill  was  born  in  Pike 
county,  New  York,  on  the  8th  of  November,  1854,  the  son  of  Abram  P. 
and  Elizabeth  (Saxton)  Sherrill.  He  received  his  early  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Detroit,  and  then  matriculated  at  the  University 
of  Michigan,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1880,  with  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts.  He  next  went  to  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  in  New  York  City,  and  was  graduated  from  that  institution 
with  the  M.  D.  degree  in  the  class  of  1885.  He  went  abroad  immediately 
following  his  graduation  and  took  post-graduate  work  in  Vienna, 
Austria,  and  upon  his  return  to  this  country  located  in  Detroit,  where  he 
has  been  a  successful  practitioner  ever  since. 

Much  of  Dr.  SherrilFs  time  is  given  to  the  work  of  the  various 
professional  societies  of  which  he  is  a  member.  He  belongs  to  the 
Wayne  County  Medical  Society,  American  Medical  Association,  Michi- 
gan State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Academy  of  Medicine. 
When  the  law  was  passed  in  the  early  'eighties,  creating  a  board  of 
health  for  the  city  of  Detroit,  Dr.  Sherrill  was  made  its  first  secretary 
and  health  oflScer.  He  served  on  the  medical  legislation  committees 
which  assisted  in  securing  the  passage  by  the  legislature  of  the  present 
medical  registration  law.  He  was  a  member  of  the  legislation  com- 
mittee of  the  State  Medical  Society  which  secured  the  appropriation  for 
the  state  sanatorium  at  Howell  for  the  treatment  of  incipient  tuber- 
culosis. He  has  also  been  active  in  the  fight  against  tuberculosis  carried 
on  in  Detroit,  having  been  secretary  of  the  Detroit  Society  for  the  Study 
and  Prevention  of  Tuberculosis,  during  the  four  years  preceding  and 
leading  to  the  establishment  of  the  Detroit  Tuberculosis  Sanatorium. 
Dr.  Sherrill  is  also  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Club  and  of  the  Fine  Arts 
Society.  He  served  five  and  one-half  years  as  school  inspector  from 
the  second  ward,  from  1904  to  1908  serving  by  right  of  election,  and 
during  the  other  year  and  a  half  holding  the  oflBce  through  appointment. 

Hon.  Morse  Rohnert.  Very  often  death  aims  at  a  noted  mark  pre- 
maturely. When  it  removed  the  Honorable  Morse  Rohnert,  judge  of 
the  Wayne  circuit  court,  it  took  from  among  the  citizens  of  Detroit,  a 
high-minded,  whole-souled  gentleman,  an  honor  to  the  bar  and  an 
ornament  to  the  bench. 

Judge  Rohnert,  son  of  Franz  L.  and  Eleonore  (Sichler)  Rohnert, 
was  bom  in  Detroit,  February  29,  1864.  He  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  the  city  and  the  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor, 
graduating  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  at  nineteen  years  of  age. 
Two  years  later  he  Completed  the  study  of  law  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  Detroit.  In  June,  1886,  he  was  made  clerk  and  register  of  the 
probate  court  under  Judge  Durfee,  continuing  in  that  oflBce  until  1896 
Four  years  thereafter  he  was  elected  judge  of  the  Wayne  circuit  court, 
and  at  the  expiration  of  his  term,  six  years  later,  he  was  reelected. 

Judge  Rohnert  was  married  February  20,  1895,  to  Miss  Emma  Uih- 
lein,  of  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  daughter  of  Henry  Uihlein,  president 
of  the  Schlitz  Brewing  Company  of  that  city.  She  and  three  dausrh- 
ters,  Eleonore,  Helen  and  Kathryn,  survive  him.  Two  sisters,  Mrs. 
J.  Henry  Carstens  and  Miss  Louise  E.  Rohnert,  and  a  brother,  Mr. 
Frederick  Rohnert  reside  in  Detroit  and  another  brother,  Waldo  Roh- 
nert in  Gilroy,  California. 

Judge  Rohnert  was  an  honored  member  of  the  Knights  of  Maccabees 
of  the  World;  Detroit  Lodge  No.  34,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks;  Detroit  Boat  Club;  Harmonic  Society;  Country  Club;  Detroit 
Club ;  and  many  more.  At  one  time  he  served  on  the  supreme  court  of 
the  Elks,  and  held  several  high  offices  in  the  local  organization.     He 


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1232  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

was  an  indefatigable  worker  and  his  surprising  energy  was  the  marvel 
of  his  associates  on  the  bench.  In  the  court  room,  his  manner  was  short 
and  brusque  without  being  harsh,  and  because  of  this,  uselessly  pro- 
longed litigation  was  unknown  when  he  heard  a  case.  His  delight  in 
hard  work  and  dislike  for  slipshod  methods  drove  him  to  a  character- 
istic outburst  of  energy  to  clear  his  docket  before  he  placed  himself 
under  the  care  of  surgeons  to  undergo  an  operation.  His  death  occurred 
March  26,  1911,  at  Rochester,  Minnesota,  where  he  had  gone  for  treat- 
ment. Not  until  he  had  gathered  and  settled  all  the  loose  ends  of  busi- 
ness would  he  consent  to  go. 

In  speaking  of  the  Judge,  his  colleagues  on  the  bench  were  profuse 
in  their  praise  of  his  splendid  qualities.  *  *  Coming  as  it  does,  the  news 
of  his  death  is  a  terrible  shock,  so  much  so,  that  I  scarcely  know  what 
to  say,'*  remarked  Judge  John  W.  Donovan.  **We  all  thought  a  great 
deal  of  him — ^we  w^ho  were  brought  in  contact  with  him  in  our  official 
life.'' 

** Judge  Rohnert  was  an  exceptionally  good  judge,"  said  Judge 
George  S.  Hosmer.  **  A  man  of  earnest  convictions  who  strove  to  do  that 
and  only  that  which  he  thought  right.  I  was  associated  with  him 
to  a  large  extent,  and  learned  to  know  and  admire  him." 

** Judge  Rohnert 's  death  is  a  distinct  loss  to  the  bench,"  said  Judge 
Henry  A.  Mandell.  **He  had  a  keen  appreciation  of  the  dignity  of  the 
bench  and  strove  to  do  his  duty  in  an  honest  and  straightforward  way. ' ' 

In  addition  to  the  personal  tributes  paid  him  by  his  friends  and 
associates,  the  Detroit  Free  Press  had  the  following  to  say  in  an  edi- 
torial, and,  as  it  voiced  the  public  sentiment,  it  is  here  reproduced: 
*'Few  recent  deaths  have  brought  so  keen  a  sense  of  loss  as  that  of 
Morse  Rohnert.  The  dramatic  coincidence  of  his  removal,  just  at  the 
moment  when  he  was  on  the  point  of  being  reelected  to  the  place  he 
had  filled  so  well — for  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  he  would  have  been 
one  of  the  six  judges  to  be  chosen — added  to  the  feeling  of  shock  oc- 
casioned by  the  unexpected  news  from  Rochester,  Minnesota;  but,  in 
any  event,  the  realization  that  Judge  Rohnert  was  dead  would  have 
evoked  the  most  sincere  sorrow  in  the  city  where  he  w^as  a  part  of  its 
every-day  life.  He  was  distinguished  by  many  admiring  traits  of  char- 
acter, but  perhaps  his  untiring  industry,  and  his  unswerving  impartial- 
ity in  his  judicial  duties  most  commended  him  to  those  with  w^hom  he 
came  in  contact.  Conscientiousness  was  a  predominant  trait  in  his 
personality.  He  left  nothing  undone  which  would  enable  him  to  deter- 
mine justly  the  matters  that  came  before  him,  and  spared  himself  no 
labor  to  discharge  his  duties  to  the  full  satisfaction  of  his  oath. 

**His  associates  in  the  law  have  the  fitting  methods  of  testifying  to 
their  high  regard  for  his  memory,  and  their  recognition  of  the  loss  to  the 
entire  community  in  his  death.  Their  words  were  not  mere  formulas 
in  this  case.  The  vacancy  on  the  bench  will  be  filled,  but,  whoever  his 
successor  may  be,  or  however  able,  some  qualities  that  were  peculiarly 
Judge  Rohnert 's  own  cannot  be  supplied  by  another.  He  takes  away 
with  him  an  identification  that  w^as  counted  high  in  our  judicial  coun- 
sels, and  in  both  the  official  and  private  circles  in  which  he  moved  he 
will  be  sadly  missed.  Untimely  as  was  his  death,  his  friends  have  the 
compensating  thought  that  his  life  was  crowned  with  greater  public 
recognition  than  comes  to  most  men.  He  had  not  only  occupied  places 
of  the  highest  honor  by  the  choice  of  his  fellow  citizens,  but  he  had  been 
chosen  president  of  the  Circuit  Judge  Association  of  the  state,  a  testi- 
mony to  the  regard  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  associates  that  must 
have  meant  much  to  him.     It  mingles  some  degree  of  satisfaction  with 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1233 

the  sentiments  of  sorrow  over  his  death  that  his  worth  had  not  been 
without  reward  during  his  lifetime,  and  that  the  generous  tokens  of 
appreciation  now  being  heard  merely  confirm  those  that  he  himself  had 
experienced  during  the  busy  days  of  his  active  career. ' ' 

Harry  A.  Shapor,  M.  D.  With  an  excellent  practice  to  represent  the 
concrete  results  of  his  professional  ability,  personal  popularity  and 
effective  work,  Dr.  Shafor  is  well  entitled  to  consideration  in  this  publi- 
cation. 

Dr.  Shafor  claims  the  fine  old  Buckeye  state  as  the  place  of  his 
nativity  and  is  a  scion  of  one  of  its  sterling  pioneer  families,  in  fact  of 
two,  as  his  maternal  ancestors  likewise  were  early  settlers  of  that  common- 
wealth, the  paternal  grandparents,  who  were  of  stanch  German  lineage, 
having  removed  to  Ohio  from  Pennsylvania  in  an  early  day.  Dr.  Harry 
Andrew  Shafor  was  born  at  Amada,  Bulter  county,  Ohio,  on  the  24th  of 
May,  1875,  and  is  a  son  of  Peter  M.  and  Christina  (Law)  Shafor,  who 
removed  to  Trenton,  in  that  same  county,  when  he  was  a  boy.  The 
parents  are  deceased,  and  the  father  devoted  the  major  part  of  his 
active  career  to  carpenter  work.  He  was  a  Republican  in  politics  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  held  membership  in  the  Methodist  church.  Of 
their  children,  three  sons  and  one  daughter  are  living. 

Dr.  Shafor  gained  his  early  educational  discipline  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  county,  where  he  was  graduated  in  the  Trenton 
high  school  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1893.  Shortly  afterward  he  went 
to  the  city  of  Cincinnati,  where  he  secured  employment  in  connection 
with  a  commercial  house,  in  the  meanwhile  residing  in  the  home  of  Dr. 
E.  T.  Behymer,  under  whose  able  preceptorship  he  began  reading  medi- 
cine while  giving  his  attention  to  his  daily  work.  He  finally  entered  the 
Cincinnati  Eclectic  Medical  Institute,  now  the  Eclectic  Medical  College, 
in  which  he  was  graduated  in  1899,  and  from  which  he  received  his  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  He  had  manifested  distinctive  ambition  and 
energy  in  his  work  as  a  student,  and  these  qualities  offered  emphatic 
presage  of  the  success  which  he  has  since  gained  as  an  able  and  pro- 
gressive representative  of  his  exacting  profession.  For  eighteen  months 
the  doctor  served  as  an  interne  in  the  Cincinnati  City  Hospital,  having 
held  this  position  during  his  senior  year  in  college.  In  the  autumn  of 
1899  he  came  to  Detroit,  where  he  has  since  devoted  himself  with  earnest- 
ness and  zeal  to  the  work  of  his  profession.  In  1908  he  built  his  handsome 
residence  at  2363  Woodward  avenue,  in  one  of  the  most  attractive  resi- 
dence districts  of  the  city,  and  here  he  maintains  his  fihe  office,  fully 
equipped  with  every  appliance  and  convenience  for  his  work.  He  holds 
membership  in  the  Michigan  State  Eclectic  Medical  Society  and  takes  a 
lively  interest  in  its  affairs.  He  is  an  enthusiast  in  the  use  of  the  auto- 
mobile and  holds  membership  in  the  Wolverine  Motor  Club.  His  poli- 
tical allegiance,  though  not  marked  by  any  desire  to  enter  into  so-called 
practical  pditics,  is  given  to  the  Republican  party,  and  both  he  and  his 
wife  hold  membership  in  the  North  Woodward  Methodist  Episcopal 
church. 

On  the  30th  of  October,  1902,  Dr.  Shafor  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Helen  Wyrick,  who  was  bom  and  reared  in  Detroit,  where  her 
father,  Charles  S.  Wyrick,  is  a  prosperous  merchant.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Shafor  have  one  child,  Helen  Ethel,  born  October  15,  1905,  whose  win- 
some presence  lends  added  attraction  to  their  pleasant  home. 

Eber  B.  Ward.  He  who  serves  is  royal,  and  such  patent  of  nobility 
can  justly  be  claimed  for  the  late  Captain  Eber  B.  Ward,  who  stood  as 
one  of  the  distinguished  types  of  the  world 's  workers  and  who  wrote  his 


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1234  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

name  large  upon  the  civic  and  industrial  history  of  Detroit  and  the 
state  of  Michigan.  His  life  was  characterized  by  impregnable  integrity 
of  purpose  and  a  high  sense  of  his  stewardship.  He  was  a  typical 
American  citizen,  thoroughly  in  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  the  Re- 
public, and  he  made  the  most  of  his  opportunities,  through  which  he 
worked  his  way  upward  to  the  plane  of  large  and  worthy  success.  It 
is  even  short  of  the  facts  to  assert  in  the  words  of  one  of  his  admirers, 
**he  did  more  to  open  up  this  western  country  than  any  ten  men  in  it.*' 
Like  other  representatives  of  the  family,  Captain  Ward  was  especially 
prominent  and  influential  in  connection  with  navigation  interests  on 
the  Great  Lakes  and  his  fine  powers  were  also  directed  along  other  lines 
of  legitimate  enterprise  which  touched  the  general  welfare.  A  man 
steadfast  and  true  in  all  the  relations  of  life,  he  left  a  definite  impress 
upon  the  activities  of  the  city  that  so  long  represented  his  home,  and 
it  is  most  consonant  that  in  this  publication  be  entered  a  brief  tribute 
to  his  memory,  though  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  more  ample  data  con- 
cerning his  career  could  not  have  been  secured  in  the  preparation  of 
this  memoir. 

The  only  son  of  Eber  and  Sally  (Potter)  Ward,  and  a  brother  of 
**Aunt**  Emily  Ward,  a  noble  woman  to  whom  special  tribute  is  dedi- 
cated in  other  portions  of  this  review,  Eber  Brock  Ward  was  bom  at 
New  Hamburg,  Waterloo  county,  province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  on  the 
25th  of  December,  1811.  His  parents  were  bom  and  reared  in  Vermont 
and  soon  after  their  marriage  they  removed  to  Onondaga  county,  New 
York,  whence  they  later  transferred  their  residence  to  Waterloo  county, 
Ontario,  not  far  distant  from  the  present  site  of  Toronto,  Canada. 
They  remained  in  the  Dominion  until  the  inception  of  the  war  of  1812, 
and,  leaving  Canada  on  the  day  hostilities  were  declared  between  Eng- 
land and  the  United  States,  they  returned  to  their  old  home  near  Rut- 
land, Vermont,  where  they  remained  five  years.  They  then  started  for 
Kentucky,  but  the  devoted  wife  and  mother  died  while  en  route,  at 
Waterford,  Pennsylvania.  The  stricken  father  then  diverted  his  route 
from  his  original  destination  and  established  his  home  at  Conneaut, 
Ashtabula  county,  Ohio,  in  which  state  he  maintained  his  home  for  a 
number  of  years.  Hft. passed  the  closing  years  of  his  life  at  Newport, 
now  Marine  City,  and  was  well  advanced  in  years  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  Remaining  faithful  to  the  memory  of  the  wife  of  his  youth,  he 
never  contracted  a  second  marriage.  Of  their  four  children,  the  eldest 
was  Emily,  who  remained  a  spinster  until  her  death  and  who  lived  a  life 
of  signal  self-abnegation  and  graciousness.  Sallie  was  the  second  child, 
Eber  Brock  the  third,  and  Abbie  the  youngest. 

When  the  tragic  death  of  the  mother  occurred,  Emily  Ward  was  but 
nine  years  of  age,  and  henceforth  she  assumed  the  duties  and  responsi- 
bilities of  a  mother,  as  well  as  elder  sister  to  the  young  children. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  family  home  had  been  established  at  Marine  City 
(then  Newport),  St.  Clair  county,  Michigan,  and  after  the  younger 
children  had  reached  maturity  and  been  established  in  homes  of  their 
own,  she  resided  for  a  number  of  years  at  Newport.  In  1845,  after  the 
death  of  her  two  sisters,  both  of  whom  left  large  families.  Aunt  Emily 
again  found  her  mission  in  the  caring  for  and  proper  rearing  of  these 
motherless  children,  for  whom  her  solicitude  was  as  enduring  and  as 
gracious  as  it  had  been  for  her  younger  brothers  and  sisters.  She  made 
men  and  women  of  the  second  generation  entrusted  to  her  care  and  at 
one  time  there  were  to  be  found  ten  children  in  the  old  homestead  at 
Marine  City,  a  place  of  peace  and  comfort  and  one  of  not  a  few  attrac- 
tions, as  the  grounds  were  large,  the  gardens  productive  of  both  fruit 
and  flowers,  and  the  home  atmosphere  of  a  most  grateful  order.    Aunt 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1235 

Emily  reared  fourteen  children  to  years  of  maturity  and  also  had  many 
others  in  her  care  for  periods  of  several  years.  What  sacrifices  she 
made  to  her  high  sense  of  duty  can  never  be  known,  for  she  made  no 
protest  and  seemed  to  think  that  her  course  of  self-abnegation  was  the 
one  and  only  way  to  pursue.  Her  reverence  for  the  spiritual  verities 
were  of  the  deepest  order,  and  hers  was  indeed  the  faith  that  makes 
faithful  in  all  things.  She  was  a  devout  attendant  of  the  Methodist 
church  and  **she  went  about  doing  good''  for  all  those  in  any  ways 
afflicted  or  distressed.  Though  literal  motherhood  was  not  vouchsafed 
to  her,  yet  there  were  children  and  children's  children  who  might  well 
**rise  up  and  call  her  blessed." 

In  1867,  Aunt  Emily  Ward  came  to  Detroit,  where  her  brother,  the 
immediate  subject  of  this  memoir,  had  established  his  home  some  years 
previously,  and  in  1869,  this  only  brother  manifested  his  love  and  solici- 
tude by  erecting  for  her  a  large,  old-fashioned  home  at  807  Fort  street. 
West,  where  she  passed  the  remainder  of  her  long  and  beautiful  life, 
whose  later  years  were  made  happy  through  the  love  and  kindly  minis- 
trations of  those  to  whom  she  had  been  a  veritable  mother. 

She  was  born  on  the  16th  of  March,  1809,  and  she  died  at  her  home 
in  Detroit  on  August  28,  1891,  secure  in  the  affectionate  regard  of  all 
who  had  been  privileged  to  know  her. 

Sallie  Ward  became  the  wife  of  Malachai  Brindel ;  and  Abbie  married 
Benjamin  F.  Owen.  Both  sisters  died  in  early  married  life,  leaving  their 
young  children  to  the  loving  care  of  their  devoted  sister,  Emily,  as  men- 
tioned previously. 

Eber  Brock  Ward  was  a  boy  of  about  six  years  when  his  family 
removed  to  the  west,  and  his  early  experiences  touched  the  trials  and 
hardships  incident  to  pioneer  life,  the  while  he  was  carefully  reared  by 
his  father  and  elder  sister.  .  As  a  boy  and  youth,  Eber  B.  Ward  worked 
at  gardening  and  farming,  fishing  and  trapping,  and  it  may  well  be 
understood  that  his  educational  advantages  were  limited  in  so  far  as 
regular  attendance  at  school  was  concerned.  The  pioneer  schools  were 
of  meagre  order  and  he  attended  them  during  the  short  winter  terms 
only.  His  father,  a  man  of  excellent  intellectual  powers,  gave  him  sup- 
plementary instruction,  and  thus  he  was  enabled  to  lay  the  foundation 
for  the  broad  and  accurate  knowledge  which  eventually  made  him  a 
man  of  liberal  information  and  well  fortified  views.  He  learned  also  the 
valuable  lessons  of  industry,  frugality  and  honesty  in  all  things,  and 
was  thus  worthily  equipped  for  fighting  the  battle  of  life  on  his  own 
responsibility.  He  left  the  paternd  home  soon  after  attaining  his  legal 
majority  and  in  1832,  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  came  to  St.  Clair 
county,  Michigan,  to  enter  the  employ  of  his  uncle,  Samuel  Ward.  His 
father  at  that  time  expressed  much  regret  in  that  he  was  unable  to  give 
his  only  son  financial  aid  at  the  initiation  of  his  independent  career, 
but  he  gave  to  the  young  man  the  most  timely  counsel,  in  the  following 
words,  which  the  son  ever  afterward  recalled  with  sentiments  of  deep 
appreciation:  **You  are  going,  my  son,  without  money,  but  you  have 
hands  hardened  with  labor,  a  mind  inured  to  thought,  and  good  and  well 
established  principles.  Stick  to  these,  my  boy,  and  your  success  in  life 
is  assured." 

In  1836,  Captain  Ward  secured  a  one-fourth  interest  in  a  small 
schooner,  and  thus  he  initiated  the  partnership  with  his  uncle  that  con- 
tinued until  the  death  of  the  latter.  In  1840,  they  built  their  first 
steamer  for  river  service  and  they  soon  owned  and  operated  a  fleet  of 
twenty  boats.  In  1845,  Captain  Ward  placed  in  commission  two  steam- 
ers, in  connection  with  the  western  terminus  of  the  Michigan  Central 
Railroad  at  Marshall,  from  which  point  of  transportation  was  made  by 


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1236  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

stage  to  St.  Joseph,  the  raost  available  port  on  Lake  Michigan.  In  1846, 
the  road  was  completed  to  Kalamazoo,  and  the  same  connections  by 
steamer  were  continued  from  that  point  instead  of  Marshall.  The  fare 
from  Detroit  to  Chicago  by  this  route  was  six  and  one-half  dollars.  In 
1849,  the  road  was  completed  to  New  Buffalo  and  the  Ward  steamers 
made  their  connections  with  the  line,  being  placed  in  commission  on  the 
lake  route  to  Chicago  and  Milwaukee.  In  the  same  year  the  Ward 
steamers  also  connected  the  Michigan  Central  with  Buffalo,  New  York, 
and  the  eastern  railroad  running  from  that  point.  In  1852,  the  Michigan 
Central  entered  Chicago  and  in  1856,  the  Great  Western  was  completed 
and  formed  connections  with  the  former  road  at  Detroit.  The  Ward 
boats  afterward  did  good  service  in  connection  with  passenger  and 
freight  transportation  on  lakes  Huron,  Michigan  and  Superior.  The 
first  steamboat  that  ever  sailed  on  Lake  Superior  was  built  and  operated 
by  Captain  Ward.  There  being  no  canal  at  that  time  from  St.  Mary's 
river,  it  was  placed  on  rollers  and  in  that  manner  was  brought  across 
the  country  to  Lake  Sunerior,  covering  the  same  course  as  that  now 
covered  by  the  canal.  No  misfortune  ever  discouraged  Captain  Ward, 
as  he  had  the  great  reserve  forces  of  a  strong  and  self-reliant  nature  and 
always  pursued  his  course  with  energy  and  power  and  with  abiding  hope 
and  confidence.  He  made  many  investments  in  Michigan  pine  lands,  and 
owned  several  large  tracts  of  land  which  he  purchased  in  the  early  six- 
ties. He  also  operated  a  number  of  saw  mills.  In  addition  to  his  Michi- 
gan timber  lands,  he  owned  large  areas  of  timber  land  in  Ohio.  He 
established  the  first  glass  factory  in  the  United  States  in  Crystal  City, 
near  St.  Louis.  He  built  a  rolling  mill  at  Wyandotte  near  Detroit, 
which  was  the  first  mill  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States  west  of  Pitts- 
burgh. He  began  operating  it  in  1857,  and  finally  constructed  and 
placed  in  operation  rolling  mills  both  in  North  Chicago  and  Milwaukee, 
all  erected  and  financed  out  of  his  own  capital.  He  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  in  these  lines  of  industry  and  was  one  who  did  much  to  fur- 
ther the  material  and  social  upbuilding  of  Michigan.  He  established 
his  home  in  the  city  of  Detroit  in  the  year  1850,  and  there  he  continued 
to  maintain  his  residence  and  business  headquarters  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  on  the  second  of  January,  1875,  his  remains  being  in- 
terred in  Elmwood  cemetery.  Concerning  him  the  following  pertinent 
and  appreciative  words  have  been  written:  '*He  believed  in  God,  in 
universal  law,  in  the  communion  of  spirits,  in  life  everlasting  and  in 
eternal  progress.  His  heart  was  large,  his  charity  abundant,  his  fore- 
sight wonderful.  A  host  of  friends  and  kinsfolk  remember  with  grati- 
tude his  kind  heart  and  open  purse.''  Though  he  had  no  desire  for  the 
activities  of  practical  politics,  Captain  Ward  was  essentially  liberal, 
broad-minded  and  public-spirited  as  a  citizen,  and  his  influence  and  co- 
operation were  freely  given  in  support  of  measures  projected  for  the 
general  good  of  the  community.  His  allegiance  was  given  to  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  he  was  well  fortified  in  his  opinions  as  to  matters  of 
public  polity.  He  made  his  life  count  for  good  in  all  its  relations  and  his 
name  merits  enduring  place  on  the  roster  of  the  hundred  pioneers  of 
Michigan,  wuthin  whose  borders  he  took  up  his  abode  several  years  prior 
to  the  admission  of  the  state  to  the  Union. 

In  1837,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Captain  Ward  to  Miss  Mary 
McQueen,  who  died  in  1869.  They  became  the  parents  of  five  sons  and 
two  daughters,  of  which  number  one  daughter,  Elizabeth  Virginia,  is 
now  living. 

Emily  Ward.  One  of  the  loved  and  venerated  representatives  of  a 
sterling  and  influential  pioneer  family  of  Michigan  was  the  late  **Aunt 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1237 

Emily'*  Ward,  as  she  was  familiarly  known  to  a  wide  circle  of  friends 
and  to  her  many  relatives,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  gratification  to  be  able 
to  enter  in  this  publication  a  brief  memorial  in  recognition  of  her  gra- 
cious and  gentle  life,  which  was  given  unreservedly  to  the  service  of 
others  and  which  was  animated  by  the  finest  spirituality  and  the  most 
generous  motives.  She  never  married  and  was,  indeed,  '*  guide,  coun- 
selor and  friend*'  to  her  only  brother  and  her  younger  sisters,  to  their 
children  and  to  others  who  came  within  the  sphere  of  her  gentle  influence. 

Emily  Ward  was  born  at  Manlius,  Onondaga  county.  New"  York,  on 
the  16th  of  March,  1809,  and  she  passed  the  closing  years  of  her  long 
and  noble  life  in  a  fine  old  residence  erected  for  her  many  years  ago, 
at  807  Fort  street.  West,  Detroit.  There  she  was  summoned  to  eternal' 
rest  on  the  28th  of  August,  1891,  secure  in  the  affectionate  regard  of  all 
who  had  known  her.  **Aunt  Emily"  was  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  four 
children,  and  the  others  were  Sallie,  Eber  Brock,  and  Abbie.  Sallie 
became  the  wife  of  Malachai  Brindel;  Eber  B.  is  the  subject  of  an  in- 
dividual memoir  on  other  pages  of  this  work ;  and  Abbie  became  the  wife 
of  Benjamin  F.  Owen.  The  father,  Eber  Ward,  was  bom  in  Vermont 
and  was  a  son  of  a  pioneer  Baptist  clergyman  of  that  state,  the  family 
having  been  founded  in  New  England  in  the  early  colonial  days  and  the 
lineage  being  traced  back  to  stanch  English  origin.  The  maiden  name 
of  the  mother  of  *'Aunt  Emily"  was  Potter  and  she  was  a  daughter  of 
Captain  Potter,  a  retired  English  shipmaster  who  had  established  his 
home  in  Connecticut.  Eber  Ward  was  reared  to  manhood  in  his  native 
state  and  there  his  marriage  was  solemnized.  He  was  a  trader  and  within 
a  short  time  after  his  marriage  removed  to  Onondaga  county.  New 
York,  and  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  pres- 
ent city  of  Syracuse.  Later  he  removed  to  the  province  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  and  engaged  in  trading  near  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  To- 
ronto, where  his  only  son  was  bom.  On  the  day  when  war  was  declared 
between  England  and  the  United  States— the  war  of  1812 — he  set  forth 
with  his  family  for  his  former  home  near  Rutland,  Vermont,  where  the 
family  continued  to  reside  for  the  enduing  five  years,  or  until  the  close 
of  the  war. 

In  December,  1817,  Eber  Ward  started  with  his  family,  in  a  canvas- 
covered  wagon,  for  the  long  overland  journey  to  Kentucky,  where  he  had 
decided  to  establish  his  permanent  home.  While  en  route  he  was  stricken 
with  pleurisy  and  the  journey  was  interrupted,  as  he  was  ill  and  incapaci- 
tated for  six  weeks.  P^urther  misfortune  was  in  store  for  the  little  fam- 
ily, as  the  burden  involved  in  caring  for  her  husband  during  his  critical 
illness  and  for  her  little  children,  when  many  miles  from  home  and 
friends,  proved  too  much  for  the  strength  of  the  devoted  wife  and  mother, 
and  after  the  journey  was  resumed  she  was  threatened  with  a  danger 
incident  to  motherhood.  At  Watertown,  New  York,  her  death  occurred, 
after  a  few  hours'  illness,  and  this  great  loss  and  bereavement  caused  a 
radical  change  in  the  plans  of  Mr.  Ward.  With  his  motherless  children, 
he  diverted  his  course  from .  Kentucky  to  Conneaut,  Ashtabula  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  brought  his  journey  to  a  close.  He  passed  the  closing 
years  of  his  life  at  Newport,  and  never  contracted  a  second  marriage. 
He  reared  his  children  with  the  utmost  solicitude  and  care,  though  his 
resources  were  very  limited  under  the  conditions  and  influences  of  life 
on  the  frontier.  The  daughter  Emily  became  housekeeper  for  her  father 
when  sh^  was  but  nine  years  of  age  and  she  also  assumed  the  duties  and 
loving  responsibilities  of  mother,  as  well  as  elder  sister  of  the  other 
children.  Concerning  this  noble  woman  the  following  appreciative 
statements  have  been  made :  *  *  Aunt  Emily 's  character  was  earnest,  prac- 
tical and  just,  and  she  reared  the  younger  children  in  an  old-fashioned 


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1238  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

way,  enforcing  homely  truths  and  virtues  which  they  never  forgot  and 
which  gave  her  great  influence  with  them  through  life.'' 

In  the  meanwhile  the  family  4iome  had  been  established  at  Marine 
City,  then  Newport,  St.  Clair  county,  Michigan,  and  after  the  younger 
children  had  attained  to  maturity  and  been  established  in  homes  of 
their  own  she  resided  for  a  number  of  years  at  the  place  named.  In  1845, 
after  the  death  of  her  two  sisters,  both  of  whom  left  lai^e  families,  Aunt 
Emily  again  found  her  mission  in  the  caring  for  and  proper  rearing 
of  these  motherless  children,  for  whom  her  solicitude  was  as  enduring 
and  gracious  as  it  had  been  for  her  brother  and  sisters.  She  made  men 
and  women  of  the  second  generation  entrusted  to  her  care  and  at  one 
time  there  were  to  be  found  ten  children  in  the  old  homestead  at  Marine 
City,  a  place  of  peace  and  comfort  and  one  of  no  few  attractions,  as 
the  grounds  were  large,  the  gardens  productive  of  both  flowers  and 
vegetables,  and  the  home  atmosphere  of  the  most  grateful  order.  Aunt 
Emily  reared  fourteen  children  to  years  of  maturity  and  also  had  many 
others  in  her  care  for  periods  of  several  years.  What  sacrifices  she  made 
to  her  high  sense  of  duty  can  never  be  known,  for  she  made  no  protest 
and  seemed  to  think  that  her  course  of  self-abnegation  was  the  one  and 
only  way  to  pursue.  Her  reverence  for  the  spiritual  verities  was  the 
deepest  and  hers  was,  indeed  the  faith  that  makes  faithful  in  all  things. 
She  was  a  devout  attendant  of  the  Methodist  church  and  ''went  about 
doing  good''  for  all  those  in  any  ways  afflicted  or  distressed.  Though 
literal  motherhood  was  not  vouchsafed  to  her,  yet  there  were  children 
and  children's  children  who  might  well  '*rise  up  and  call  her  blessed." 

In  1867,  Aunt  Emily  Ward  came  to  Detroit,  where  her  brother  had 
established  his  home  several  years  previously,  and  in  1869  this  only 
brother  manifested  his  love  and  solicitude  by  erecting  for  her  a  large, 
old-fashioned  home  at  No.  807  Fort  street,  West,  where  she  passed  the 
residue  of  her  long  and  beautiful  life,  whose  later  years  were  made 
happy  through  the  love  and  kindly  ministrations  of  tho^e  to  whom  she 
had  been  a  veritable  mother. 

FiTz  Albert  Kirby.  Among  the  men  who  have  won  success  and  dis- 
tinction in  their  line  of  endeavor  and  are  entitled  to  a  conspicuous  place 
in  these  annals  is  Fitz  Albert  Kirby,  of  Wyandotte,  who  for  nearly  thirty 
years  was  closely  identified  with  the  shipbuilding  interests  of  Wayne 
county. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Kirby  was  the  late  Captain  Stephen  Rogers  Kirby, 
who  for  years  was  prominently  connected  with  shipping  interests  of  the 
Great  Lakes,  and  as  a  pioneer  and  very  successful  mechanical  engineer 
of  Michigan,  and  later  of  New  York  City.  Stephen  R.  Kirby  was  born 
at  Spring  Port,  New  York.  As  a  boy  he  began  sailing  the  lakes,  and  by 
degrees  rose  to  the  command  of  a  sailing  vessel  with  his  headquarters  at 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  was  thus  engaged  when  he  married  Martha  Ann 
Johnson,  who  was  bom  and  reared  near  Dover,  Cuyahoga  county,  near 
Cleveland.  Becoming  acquainted  with  the  late  Jesse  Hoyt,  the  New 
York  and  Saginaw  millionaire,  in  1854  Mr.  Kirby  was  induced  by  that 
gentleman  to  locate  in  Saginaw,  where  he  entered  the  ship  building  and 
general  mercantile  business  in  Mr.  Hoyt's  interests.  Under  his  super- 
vision a  number  of  large  vessels  were  built,  among  them  the  well  re- 
membered steamer  ** Magnate,"  and  various  other  craft,  both  steam  and 
sailing.  At  Saginaw  he  also  built  the  old  Bancroft  Hotel  and  other 
structures,  and  sunk  the  first  salt  well  in  that  vicinity.  In  1865,  backed 
by  Mr.  Hoyt,  he  bid  on  the  work  of  building  five  revenue  cutters  for  the 
United  States  government,  was  awarded  the  contract  for  two  of  the  cut- 
ters, and  successfully  built  the  **Fessenden"  and  ** Sherman."    In  1866, 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1239 

he  was  sent  by  Mr.  Hoyt  to  Montana  as  chief  engineer  in  charge  of  the 
Montana  Mineral  Land  and  Mining  Company,  of  which  Mr.  Hoyt  was 
president.  Returning  from  Montana,  Mr.  Kirby  built  a  copper  mine  on 
Lake  Superior  for  Mr.  Hoyt,  and  in  1871,  became  general  superintendent 
of  the  Detroit  Dry  Docks.  This  enterprise  was  originally  the  Campbell, 
Owen  and  Company  Yards,  in  which  Mr.  Kirby  bought  a  large  interest. 
Later  it  became  a  stock  company  known  as  the  Detroit  Dry  Dock  Com- 
pany. Under  the  latter  name  the  company  built  the  passenger  steamer 
Detroit  I,''  in  the  Wyandotte  shipyards,  leased  for  that  purpose  from 
the  late  E.  B.  Ward.  Later  the  Wyandotte  yards  were  absorbed  by  the 
Detroit  Dry  Dock  Company,  which  corporation  became  the  Detroit  Ship- 
building Company,  and  this  latter  corporation  subsequently  became  amal- 
gamated with  the  corporation  now  known  as  the  American  Ship  Building 
Company. 

When  the  great  Erie  elevators  were  to  be  erected  in  Jersey  City, 
New  Jersey,  Mr.  Kirby  went  east,  secured  the  contract  for  the  same,  and 
carried  that  stupendous  task  to  a  successful  completion,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  expert  engineers  had  pronounced  the  building  of  the  eleva- 
tors at  that  particular  location,  impossible.  Mr.  Kirby  thenceforth  made 
his  home  in  New  York  City,  occupying  apartments  in  the  Hotel  Mar- 
tinique, where  he  died  on  January  29,  1906,  leaving  a  large  and  valu- 
able estate.  His  widow,  now  in  her  eighty-ninth  year,  coiitiaues  to  re- 
side in  New  York  City,  occupying  the  same  apartments  in  the  Hotel 
Martinique. 

Fitz  Albert  Kirby  was  born  eleven  miles  from  Cleveland,  near  the 
town  of  Dover,  on  December  30,  1847.  He  received  his  early  schooling  in 
the  public  schools  of  Saginaw,  where  his  parents  moved  when  he  was  a 
boy.  He  finished  his  education  at  the  University  of  Michigan.  Being 
a  natui'al  mechanic  and  a  mathematician  of  more  than  average  ability, 
Mr.  Kirby  naturally  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father  in  mechanical 
engineering.  He  succeeded  his  father  as  head  mechanic  for  the  Mon- 
tana Mineral  Land  and  Mining  Company  and  spent  four  years  in  that 
state.  He  returned  from  the  west  in  1870,  and  the  following  year,  in 
company  with  his  brother,  Frank  E.  Kirby,  who  had  just  completed  his 
studies  at  Cooper  Institute,  New  York  City,  located  at  Wyandotte,  to 
superintend  the  ship  yards  above  mentioned,  and  became  general  super- 
intendent, with  Frank  E.,  as  general  designer.  Under  the  superintend- 
ency  of  Mr.  Kirby,  one  hundred  and  one  vessels  were  built  at  the  Wyan- 
dotte yards,  the  **City  of  Detroit  I,*'  being  number  thirty-one  on  the 
books,  and  the  numbers  following  from  that  on.  The  ** Frank  E.  Kirby,'* 
one  of  the  most  familiarly  known  steamers  in  the  passenger  business  of 
Detroit,  and  named  for  his  brother,  was  among  the  boats  built  in  the 
Wyandotte  yards  under  the  supervision  of  our  subject.  Mr.  Kirby  also 
became  a  stockholder  in  the  yards,  and  so  continued  until  their  sale  in 
1904,  when  he  resigned  his  position  as  general  superintendent  and 
practically  retired  from  active  business. 

On  November  26,  1874,  Mr.  Kirby  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Robin- 
son, who  was  born  in  Wyandotte,  Michigan,  the  daughter  of  John  Robin- 
son. She  died  May  8,  1884,  leaving  the  following  children:  Stephen 
R.  and  Lafayette  0.,  president  and  cashier,  respectively,  of  the  First 
National  Bank,  of  Hibbing,  Minnesota;  Albert,  engaged  in  the  insur- 
ance business  at  Duluth,  Minnesota,  and  Myrtle,  wife  of  M.  E.  Trummer, 
of  Minneapolis,  Minnesota.  On  June  9,  1886,  Mr.  Kirby  married  Maria 
Carter  Elder,  who  was  bom  in  Rochester,  New  York,  and  reared  and 
educated  in  Detroit,  where  her  father,  the  late  Adam  Elder,  was  a  well 
known  business  man  for  many  years.  To  this  second  marriage  one  son 
was  born,  Frank  C,  who  died  in  1900,  at  the  age  of  twelve. 


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1240  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Hon.  Robert  Young  Ogg.  Among  the  younger  men  of  Detroit  who 
are  prominent  both  in  business  and  public  life  is  the  Hon.  Robert  Young 
Ogg,  well  known  and  successful  manufacturer's  agent,  and  a  member  of 
the  Michigan  State  Senate.  From  boyhood  Mr.  Ogg  has  worked  his 
way  upward  in  life.  He  has  advanced  from  the  status  of  a  newsboy  to 
that  of  a  senator  practically  by  his  own  efforts,  climbing  the  ladder  from 
one  position  of  honor  and  responsibility  to  another,  each  higher  than  the 
other,  until  he  has  fully  established  himself  and  won  recognition  in  a 
city  noted  for  its  progressive  and  able  men. 

Mr.  Ogg  was  born  in  Dundas,  Ontario,  on  July  22,  1860,  and  is  of 
Scotch  parentage,  both  his  father  and  mother  having  been  natives  of 
Aberdeen,  Scotland.  They  came  to  America  in  1832,  locating  in  Ontario, 
where  the  father  followed  the  vocation  of  gardening.  He  died  in  1884, 
and  the  mother  survived  him  until  1906. 

Robert  Y.  Ogg  received  a  common  school  education  and  began  life  as 
a  newsboy.  He  learned  the  printer's  trade  and  worked  as  a  journeyman 
printer  for  a  number  of  years  in  twenty  cities  and  in  a  score  of  states. 
He  came  to  Detroit  in  1879,  because  Detroit  looked  better  to  him  than 
any  city  he  had  yet  visited,  a  view  which  he  holds  very  strongly  at  the 
present  time.  He  worked  on  the  Detroit  Free  Press,  the  Post  and  Trib- 
une, also  the  Journal^  as  a  journeyman  printer,  and  in  the  days  of  hand 
composition  was  among  the  fast  typesetters.  He  was  always  active  in 
union  matters,  joining  the  Typographical  Union  at  Worcester,  Massachu- 
setts, in  1878,  and  upon  his  arrival  in  Detroit  in  1879,  he  deposited  a 
traveling  card  from  Buffalo,  New  York.  He  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  executive  committee  of  the  Detroit  union,  and  for  two  years  served 
as  recording  secretary  of  that  body.  In  the  years  1886  and  1887,  he 
was  president  of  the  union,  during  which  time  two  of  the  big  dailies 
were  brought  into  the  fold  of  the  union.  In  the  summer  of  1886,  at  a 
convention  of  trade  unionists  and  Knights  of  Labor,  Mr.  Ogg  was 
nominated  for  the  Michigan  State  Legislature,  and  elected  to  that  office. 
As  a  member  of  the  legislature  he  was  active  in  labor,  prison  and  reform 
legislation,  and  he  secured  the  passage  of  several  bills  along  those  lines. 
Mr.  Ogg  worked  for  years  as  newspaper  reporter  on  the  Tribune,  and 
later  on  the  News  in  the  same  capacity,  incidentally  being  a  contributor 
to  a  number  of  labor  papers  and  magazines.  He  served  as  delegate  to  the 
International  Typographical  Union  and  was  elected  delegate  to  two 
conventions  of  the  American  Federation  of  Labor  held  at  St.  Louis 
and  Boston.  For  two  years  Mr.  Ogg  was  president  of  the  Trades  and 
Labor  Council  and  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  State  Federation 
of  Labor.  While  doing  the  municipal  beat  for  the  News,  Mr.  Ogg  was 
appointed  to  the  position  of  secretary  of  the  Board  of  Public  Works  of 
Detroit,  a  position  he  held  through  changing  administrations  for  five 
years.  He  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  for  the  session  of  1909 
and  reelected  in  1911,  leading  the  Republican  ticket  at  the  primaries  in 
a  list  of  thirty  candidates.  During  the  latter  session  of  the  legislature 
Mr.  Ogg  figured  in  much  the  same  kind  of  legislation  as  in  the  session 
of  1887,  and  he  was  particularly  prominent  in  the  battle  against  contract 
labor  and  corporal  punishment  in  prisons,  his  work  being  rewarded  by 
the  wiping  out  of  both  these  evils.  In  the  election  of  1912,  ilr.  Ogg 
was  elected  state  senator  from  the  Fourth  senatorial  district ;  which  com- 
prises the  eighth,  tenth,  twelfth  and  fourteenth  wards  of  the  city  of 
Detroit. 

For  the  past  eight  years,  or  since  resigning  his  position  as  secretary 
of  the  Board  of  Public  Works,  Mr.  Ogg  has  maintained  an  office  in  the 
Majestic  building,  in  Detroit,  as  manufacturers'  agent  for  paving  ma- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1241 

terial,  representing  four  large  companies  and  handling  the  sale  of  pav- 
ing brick,  creosoted  wood  blocks,  Medina  curbing  and  granite  blocks. 

Mr.  Ogg  is  married,  but  has  no  children.  He  lives  comfortably  in  his 
own  home  at  No.  291  Avery  avenue,  Detroit. 

John  Walker.  Among  the  men  of  Detroit  who  have  won  success 
in  business  and  standing  among  her  foremost  citizens  is  John  Walker, 
general  manager  and  principal  owner  of  the  Walker  Manufacturing  and 
Supply  Company,  which  is  one  of  the  leading  concerns  in  its  line  in 
Michigan. 

Mr.  Walker  was  born  at  Sterling,  Scotland,  in  August  21,  1853,  the 
son  of  James  and  Margaret  (Sharp)  Walker,  both  natives  of  Scotland. 
The  family  came  to  America  in  1859,  locating  in  Detroit  the  same  year, 
where  James,  the  father,  became  one  of  the  city's  pioneer  copper  and 
sheet  iron  manufacturers.  He  is  still  living,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five 
years,  in  the  enjoyment  of  good  health  and  the  use  of  his  mental  and 
physical  faculties.    His  wife  is  deceased. 

John  Walker  graduated  from  the  Detroit  public  schools  and  the  old 
Capitol  High  School  of  that  city,  and' then  attended  a  commercial  col- 
lege. He  finished  his  education  at  the  University  of  Michigan,  which  he 
entered  in  1870.  He  began  his  business  career  in  the  hardware  line,  and 
in  1876  engaged  with  his  father  in  the  manufacture  of  metal  goods.  Mr. 
Walker  organized  the  Walker  Manufacturing  and  Supply  Company, 
which  was  incorporated  in  1905  and  of  which  he  is  the  guiding  spirit 
and  chief  owner.  Under  his  able  management  that  company  has  flour- 
ished from  year  to  year  until  it  now  ranks  as  one  of  the  leaders  in  its 
line.  As  a»  citizen  Mr.  Walker  has  always  been  interested  in  all  move- 
ments having  for  their  aim  civic  improvement  and  the  general  welfare, 
and  has  ever  given  cheerful  support  to  such.  He  is  prominent  in  civic, 
social,  business  and  fraternal  organizations,  being  a  member  of  the  De- 
troit Board  of  Commerce,  Detroit  Golf  Club,  Pellowcraft  Club,  and 
the  Royal  Canadian  Yacht  Club.  He  has  twice  been  president  of  na- 
tional trade  organizations  in  his  line. 

The  Republic  of  Paraguay,  wishing  to  extend  its  commercial  rela- 
tions with  the  United  States,  requested,  in  1902,  our  government  to 
designate  a  man  to  act  as  vice-consul  at  Detroit.  The  choice  fell  upon 
Mr.  Walker,  and  his  appointment  followed,  his  exequator  having  been 
among  the  first  documents  signed  by  Mr.  Roosevelt  upon  his  succession 
to  the  presidency.    Mr.  Walker  still  continues  as  vice-consul  of  Paraguay. 

In  Masonic  circles  Mr.  Walker  is  very  active  and  prominent.  He 
has  attained  the  greatly  desired  and  most  highly  honored  thirty-third 
degree  in  Scottish  Rite  Masonic,  belongs  to  Detroit  Commandery,  No.  1, 
Knights  Templar,  and  to  Moslem  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 

Mr.  Walker's  career  as  a  business  man  has  been  one  of  constant 
endeavor  and  merited  success.  He  is  essentially  a  self-made  man,  one 
who  began  his  operations  in  a  necessarily  small  way,  and  has  climbed 
the  ladder  rung  by  rung,  relying  solely  upon  his  own  ability,  enter- 
prise and  unflagging  industry  to  attain  his  present  position  in  the 
business  world,  a  position  which  has  been  gained  without  the  sacrifice 
of  any  of  his  inherited  Scotch  ideas  of  fair  dealing  and  rugged  integrity. 

In  1880  Mr.  Walker  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Isabel  Paton, 
who  was  bom  in  Detroit,  the  daughter  of  the  late  Alexander  Paton,  who 
during  the  fifties  and  sixties  was  one  of  Detroit's  leading  grocers. 

James  WUiLiAMS.  One  of  the  interesting  figures  in  the  early  history 
of  Detroit  was  James  Williams,  a  pioneer  merchant  and  loyal  and  hon- 
ored citizen  who  came  to  the  city  from  Massachusetts  about  the  year 

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1242  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

1811,  when  a  young  man,  and  it  is  indeed  appropriate  that  a  review 
of  his  life  should  be  incorporated  in  this  work  devoted  to  past  and  pres- 
ent-day makers  of  the  city,  for  he  contributed  substantially  to  its  civic 
and  commercial  standing.  The  Williams  family  is  one  of  the  earliest 
founded  in  America  and  its  record  is  adorned  with  many  distinguished 
names.  It  is  also  related  to  the  Adams  family  which  produced  John 
Adams  and  John  Quincy  Adams,  presidents  of  the  United  States.  This 
particular  branch  of  the  Williams  family  is  now  represented  by  Miss 
Cornelia  D.  Williams,  a  lady  of  high  standing  in  Detroit  and  well 
known  here  by  reason  of  life-long  residence  within  its  pleasant  borders. 

James  Williams  was  bom  at  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  January  17, 
1789,  and  is  the  son  of  Oswald  and  Mary  (Brattle)  Williams.  The 
father  was  likewise  born  at  Pittsfield  and  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier. 
The  mother's  family,  the  Brattles,  came  to  the  United  States  from 
Scotland  and  brought  the  first  organ  to  America.  Brattle  church  and 
Brattle  street  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  are  named  after  this  family. 
James  Williams  was  the  youngest  member  of  a  family  of  seven  children 
and  he  attended  school  at  his  native  Pittsfield.  He  was  married  at  Ba- 
tavia,  New  York,  in  1810,  to  Olive  Whipple,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and 
Lavina  (Cummings)  Whipple,  who  was  born  at  Washington,  New 
York. 

James  Williams  was  about  twenty-two  years  of  age  when  he  followed 
the  tide  of  immigration  westward  and  came  to  Detroit.  His  first  busi- 
ness venture  was  a  tannery  and  he  later  engaged  in  the  forwarding  and 
transportation  business  and  shipped  the  first  flour  out  of  Detroit  to  the 
east.  His  wife  followed  shortly  after  his  arrival,  having  taken  about 
two  weeks  to  make  the  journey  which  was  accomplished  by  rail,  boat 
and  wagon.  Subsequently  Mr.  Williams  opened  a  grocery  and  feed 
store  on  Woodward  street,  between  Congress  and  Fort  streets,  and  after- 
ward removed  the  scene  of  his  activities  to  State  street,  opposite  the  old 
Capitol.  While  located  there  he  was  burned  out  and  lost  not  only  al- 
most all  his  stock,  but  also  the  building  which  he  owned.  Nothing 
daunted,  he  opened  a  store  on  Woodward  street  and  after  conducting  a 
thriving  business  there  for  some  time,  removed  to  Griswold  street,  which 
was  his  last  business  location.  He  "was  a  successful,  enterprising  man, 
and  one  with  the  highest  principles,  sharing  with  his  Colonial  ancestors 
their  stanch  ideas  of  citizenship.  His  health  failed  when  in  the  prime 
of  life  and  he  was  compelled  to  give  up  business,  but  lived  retired  for  a 
number  of  years,  his  lamented  demise  occurring  in  August,  1864.  He 
erected  the  first  brick  buildings  in  Detroit,  these  being  located  where 
the  Ford  building  stands  at  the  present  time.  His  residence  of  brick 
was  op  one  side  of  the  alley  and  his  brick  store  on  the  other.  He  at- 
tended the  Presbyterian  church  and  was  helpfully  interested  in  the 
many-sided  life  of  the  community.  His  admirable  wife  survived  him 
for  nearly  twenty  years,  her  death  occurring  in  1883,  and  the  remains 
of  both  are  interred  in  the  city  which  was  so  long  their  home.  In  a 
Detroit  directory,  published  in  1837,  and  which  is  in  the  possession  of 
his  daughter  Cornelia  is  entered:  ** Williams,  James.  Grocer.  No.  44 
Woodbridge  street.'' 

James  Williams  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  five  children.  The 
eldest,  Harriet,  now  deceased,  married  Colonel  Pinkney  Lugenbeel,  also 
deceased,  and  became  the  mother  of  five  children.  Her  daughter  and 
namesake,  Harriet,  the  only  one  of  the  family  living,  married  Mr.  Gruber, 
an  attorney  of  Portland,  Oregon.  Eliza,  second  daughter,  is  deceased. 
James  died  young.  Mary,  now  deceased,  married  Henry  Buckley,  an 
early  resident  of  Detroit  (deceased),  and  had  four  children,  namely: 
Mary,  who  married  Homer  Sawyer,  of  New  York ;  Henry,  of  California ; 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1243 

Cornelia,  who  married  Wilson  Cressie,  of  Bay  City,  Michigan ;  and  James 
of  Detroit,  who  married  Lillian  Bogart.  Cornelia  D.,  the  only  living 
child  of  James  Williams,  was  bom  in  Detroit  where  the  Moffit  block 
now  stands  and  has  always  made  her  residence  in  this  city. 

In  this  connection  it  cannot  be  otherwise  than  appropriate  to  give 
some  account  of  the  Williams  family  which  is  of  very  ancient  and  inter- 
esting lineage,  and  the  following  history  by  Eleanor  Lexington  is  here 
appended:  **The  name  of  Williams  is  very  ancient.  Most  of  the  orig- 
inal members  of  the  name  were  doubtless  of  Welsh  extraction.  They 
form  a  large  portion  of  the  principality  of  Wales — somewhat  like  the 
O's  of  Ireland  and  the  Mac's  of  Scotland.  Not  a  few  of  the  name  in 
Wales  trace  their  lineage  as  far  back  as  Adam,  thereby  making  a  gene- 
alogical tree  of  imposing  proportions.  It  seems  to  be  well  established  that 
the  family  is  lineally  descended  from  Marchudel,  who  belonged  to  one  of 
the  fifteen  tribes  of  North  Wales.  He  lived  in  the  time  of  Roderic  the 
Great,  King  of  the  Britons,  about  849.  The  royal  house  of  Tudor  is 
descended  from  him. 

The  earliest  form  of  the  name  is  Wilhelm,  which  is  composed  of  Will 
and  Helm.  -It  is  a  little  tautological  to  say  that  *will'  means  *will,'  but 
not  quite  so  to  say  that  *helm'  signifies  *  helmet,'  it  being  the  diminutive 
form.  Originally  then  Wilhelm  meant  something  very  like  'stout  war- 
rior.' William  the  Conqueror  spelled  his  name  Wilhelm,  though  the 
form  Pillelm  occurs  most  often  on  his  coins,  which  bear  the  legend, 
*Pillem  Rex,'  or  *  Pillelm  Rex.'  The  P  stands  as  the  old  English  form 
of  W,  but  his  great  seal  reads  Willelmus. 

Another  distinguished  member  of  the  Williams  family  was  Oliver 
Cromwell,  the  protector  and  pretender.  His  ancestor  in  the  fourth  re- 
move, was  Morgan  Williams,  or  gather  Morgan  ap  Williams,  a  Welsh 
gentleman  of  considerable  property,  whose  father,  William,  ap  Yevan, 
held  a  position  of  honor  in  the  house  of  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  and  even, 
it  is  said,  in  the  house  of  his  nephew.  King  Henry  VII.  Morgan  Wil- 
liams married  a  sister  of  Lord  Thomas  Cromwell,  afterward  Earl  of 
Essex,  and  his  descendant  assumed  the  name  of  Cromwell.  Carlyle 
says  that  Cromwell  descended  from  General  Williams  of  Berkshire,  or 
from  Morgan  Williams.  *  Cromwell,  alias  Williams,'  he  has  it.  One 
encyclopedia  says  that  the  genealogy  of  Cromwell  is  traced  to  Richard 
Williams,  who  assumed  the  name  of  Cromwell  from  his  maternal  uncle, 
Thomas  Cromwell,  secretary  of  state  to  Henry  VIII,  and  through  Wil- 
liam of  Yevan,  back  to  the  barons  of  the  eleventh  century.  Roger  Wil- 
liams, the  founder  of  Providence  in  Rhode  Island,  was  an  intimate  friend 
and  contemporary  of  Cromwell's,  and  some  say,  a  relative.  Both  were 
bom  in  159i^. 

Robert  Williams  is  the  common  ancestor  or  pioneer  of  the  family  in 
America.  He  was  bom  in  Great  Yarmouth,  England,  in  1593.  With  his 
wife,  Elizabeth  Stratton,  he  came  to  America  in  the  ship  Rose,  in  1835. 
He  settled  in  Roxbury,  Massachusetts,  and  lived  to  the  age  of  one  hun- 
dred years.  There  is  a  tradition  that  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  was  much 
opposed  to  coming  to  this  country,  but,  being  strangely  impressed  by  a 
dream  that  if  she  came  she  would  be  the  mother  of  a  long  line  of  men 
who  would  become  prominent  in  church  and  state,  she  consented,  fully 
believing  that  her  dream  would  be  realized.  As  the  fame  of  many 
Americans  of  the  name  of  Williams  is  world  wide,  her  dream  has  appar- 
ently been  fulfilled.  Prominent  in  church  and  educational  matters,  they 
have  left  enviable  records.  They  were  also  ready  with  pen  and  sword 
to  lead  the  way  to  independence.  William  Williams,  fifth  in  descent 
from  Robert  Williams,  was  a  member  of  the  American  congress  in  1776 
and  1777,  and  as  such  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  In- 


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1244  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

dependence  from  Connecticut.  In  confirmation  of  the  patriotism  of 
Mr.  Williams  the  following  anecdote  is  told:  *  Toward  the  close  of  the 
year  1776,  the  military  aflEairs  of  tiie  colonies  had  such  a  gloomy  aspect 
that  strong  fears  began  to  prevail  that  the  contest  would  go  against  them. 
In  this  dark  time  the  council  of  safety  for  Connecticut  was  called  to 
sit  at  Lebanon.  .  • 

**  *Well,  if  success  crowns  the  British  arms,'  said  Mr.  Williams,  with 
great  calmness,  *it  is  pretty  evident  what  will  be  my  fate.  I  have  done 
much  to  prosecute  the  contest,  and  one  thing  I  have  done,  the  British 
will  never  pardon.  I  have  signed  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  I 
shall  be  hanged.' 

*  *  One  member  of  the  council  observed,  that,  in  case  of  ill  success,  he 
should  be  exempt  from  the  gallows,  as  his  signature  was  not  attached  to 
the  declaration,  nor  had  he  written  anything  against  the  British  gov- 
ernment. To  this  Mr.  Williams  replied,  his  eyes  kindling  as  he  spoke : 
*Then,  sir,  you  deserve  to  be  hanged  for  nc^having  done  your  duty.'  " 

In  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  many  Williamses.were  enrolled  in 
various  branches  of  the  service,  from  colonels  to  drummer  boys.  Major 
General  Joseph  Warren,  who  fell  at  Bunker  Hill,  was  fifth  in  descent 
from  Robert  Williams,  a  grandson  of  Deborah  Williams.  General  Otto 
Holland  Williams  was  a  distinguished  ofl&cer  and  a  confidant  of  Wash- 
ington. David  Williams  was  one  of  the  captors  of  Andre,  the  spy.  The 
offer  of  money  and  the  splendid  gold  watch  of  Andre  could  not  bribe  the 
incorruptible  soldier,  and  a  county  in  Ohio  is  named  for  him  in  commem- 
oration of  this  event.  One  of  the  most  distinguished  and  learned  men 
of  the  name  of  Williams  was  Colonel  Jonathan  Williams.  He  was  re- 
lated to  Benjamin  Franklin  and  was  in  France  with  him  about  the 
commencement  of  the  Revolution.  His  father  was  chairman  of  the  meet- 
ing which  voted  to  throw  the  tea  int6  Boston  harbor  in  the  year  1774. 
Colonel  Jonathan  Williams  was  a  major  in  the  United  States  artillery 
and  was  afterward  appointed  colonel  in  the  corps  of  engineers  at  West 
Point.  He  was  a  discoverer  of  the  marine  thermometer,  by  means  of 
which,  by  showing  the  difference  of  temperature  of  the  water  in  the 
Gulf  Stream  and  the  surrounding  ocean,  marines  could  readily  tell  when- 
ever they  were  in  the  stream. 

Colonel  Ephraim  Williams,  who  was  bom  in  1715,  took  part  in  the 
colonial  wars.  In  his  regiment,  at  one  battle,  the  chaplain  and  surgeon 
and  quartermaster  were  his  relatives,  all  Williams  by  name,  and  his 
brother  Joseph,  was  an  ensign.  By  his  will.  Colonel  Williams  made  a 
liberal  donation  for  a  free  school  at  Williamstown,  Massachusetts,  called 
after  his  name,  which  was  the  foundation  of  the  college  at  that  place. 
Colonel  Williams'  body  rests  where  he  fell  in  battle,  at  the  head  of  Lake 
George.  A  large  rock  bears  his  name.  The  trustees  of  Williams  College 
have  more  than  once  proposed  to  erect  a  monument  to  him.  A  tablet 
to  his  memory  is  seen  on  a  wall  of  the  chapel  of  the  college.  One  of  the 
distinguished  presidents  of  Williams  College,  Mark  Hopkins,  was  a  con- 
nection of  the  Williams  family. 

One  family  of  prominence  to  which  the  Williamses  are  allied  by  mar- 
riage is  the  Gallup  family.  Captain  John  Gallup,  the  pioneer — or  Gallop, 
as  it  was  then  spelled — fought  the  first  naval  battle  on  the  Atlantic  coast, 
July,  1636,  capturing  and  destroying  a  large  number  of  Indians.  The 
Williamses  also  claim  relationship  to  John  Alden  and  Priscilla,  who 
have  been  immortalized  by  Longfellow  in  his  poem,  *'The  Courtship  of 
Miles  Standish." 

The  Williams'  arms  bear  a  lion  rampant  argent,  on  a  sable  field.  The 
crest  is  a  cock.  The  motto  is  '*Y  Fyno  Dwy  y  Fydd  (What  God  willeth 
will  be).    The  side  motto  is  ** Cognosce  Occasionem"  (Watches  his  op- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1245 

portunity ) .  Different  coats-of-arms  have  been  borne  by  various  branches 
of  the  Williams  family.  The  lion  is  confined  to  families  of  Welsh 
descent.  Other  heraldic  columns  are  the  stag,  fox,  greyhound,  wolf,  boar, 
horse,  eagle,  dragon  and  griflBn. 

Charles  C.  Chene.  For  eighty-seven  years  the  late  Charles  C. 
Chene  called  Detroit  his  home,  his  birthplace  and  his  personal  property 
having,  as  the  years  passed,  become  closely  merged  into  the  life  of  the 
city.  He  was  the  son  of  a  long  line  of  French  ancestors  who  settled  in 
Detroit  at  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century.  His  grandfather 
bought  from  Jean  Baptiste  Campeau,  a  French-Canadian  pioneer,  a 
valuable  farm  of  river  frontage,  narrow  but  very  long — as  was  the 
desirable  arrangement  in  those  days  when  conditions  demanded  water 
transportation  for  necessary  trade  and  close  proximity  to  neighbors 
in  case  of  Indian  attacks  This  farm  became  by  inheritance  the  property 
of  Gabriel  Chene  and  his  wife,  Calisty  (Sanguine)  Chene,  both  of  whom 
had  been  born  in  Detroit;  and  there,  in  the  little  house  on  the  Detroit 
river,  in  the  year  1825,  Charles  C.  Chene  was  born.  He  was  one  of  eleven 
children,  of  whom  only  three — Isador,  William  and  Charles,  are  now 
living. 

With  his  brothers  and  sisters,  Charles  Chene  attended  a  country 
school  in  a  rough  log  building  in  which  the  benches  were  also  of  the 
same  crude  material.  He  subsequently  carried  hia  education  somewhat 
further  by  attendance  at  Mr.  Marsach's  school  in  the  town.  His  school 
days  were  ended,  however,  when  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age,  and  for 
more  than  a  dozen  ensuing  years  Mr.  Chene  gave  his  time  and  energies 
to  the  cultivation  of  his  father 's  farm.  His  frequently  expressed  interest 
in  the  life  of  the  lakes  led  his  father  to  purchase  a  boat  for  his  use,  and 
for  three  years  Charles  Chene  sailed  the  inland  reas  in  partnership  with 
an  uncle.  By  that  time  he  realized  that  the  paternal  acres  held  a 
stronger  attraction  for  him  than  the  water,  and  that  the  manipulation 
of  landed  property  was  a  truly  promising  vocation.  He  sold  his  boat 
and  returned  to  the  farm,  on  which  he  remained,  engaged  in  its  numerous 
and  varied  activities,  until  the  death  of  his  father  in  1864. 

By  that  time  the  growing  city  had  already  began  to  absorb  the 
Chene  estate,  which  became  a  vast  one  when  considered  as  to  value  and 
its  city  proportions.  As  its  administrator  and  chief  heir,  Charles  Chene 
found  it  necessary  to  give  his  entire  time  to  handling  the  continuous 
negotiations,  by  means  of  which  the  city  of  Detroit  gradually  and  com- 
pletely encompassed  and  claimed  the  Chene  acres.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  that  on  the  site  of  the  little  house  in  which  Mr.  Chene  was  born 
and  which  was  long  ago  destroyed  by  fire,  today  stands — at  what  is  now 
the  corner  of  Chene  and  Atwater  streets — the  structure  of  the  Northern 
Engineering  Works.  The  greater  part  of  the  farm  is  now  a  portion  of 
the  city  which  is  occupied  by  many  of  Detroit's  finest  residences. 

A  goodly  part  of  this  very  valuable  real  estate  remains  the  property 
of  the  Chene  family,  although,  as  we  have  indicated  above,  most  of  it 
has  been  sold.  After  settling  the  immense  amount  of  business  necessary 
in  the  transference  of  so  many  acres  of  property,  Mr.  Chene  lived  a 
retired  life  in  his  Jefferson  avenue  home. 

Through  the  commercially  eventful  years  of  his  life,  Charles  Chene 
had  reared  a  creditable  family.  When  about  twenty-eight  years  of  age 
he  had  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Parent,  a  direct  descendant  of  that 
General  Parent,  who  was  a  distinguished  French  oflScer  in  the  early 
period  of  the  sixteenth  century.  His  family  was  represented  in  French 
military  activities  until  the  time  of  Cadillac,  when  its  chief  members 


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1246  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

accompanied  the  chevalier  to  New  France  and  settled  in  Detroit.  An- 
thony Parent,  a  Detroit  pioneer,  was  Mrs.  Cheneys  immediate  progenitor. 
She  and  Mr.  Chene  became  the  parents  of  seven  cliildren,  four  of  whom 
lived  to  reach  the  years  of  maturity,  as  follows :  James  Chene,  a  citizen 
of  Detroit ;  Daniel  M.,  who  married  Miss  Laranger,  settled  in  Detroit  and 
reared  one  son,  Daniel  A.,  who  is  married  and  the  father  of  a  son  named 
Daniel  M. ;  Felix  L.,  of  New  York,  who  is  married,  but  without  children ; 
and  Marie  H.,  who  has  devoted  her  life  to  the  care  of  her  father.  Mr. 
Chene  was  a  second  time  married,  the  wife  of  his  later  years  being 
Catherine  Baby,  whose  only  child  was  a  daughter,  Frances,  who  married 
Matthew  Finn. 

The  public  interests  of  Detroit  were  always  of  great  moment  to  Mr. 
Chene,  who  in  his  younger  days  waa  notably  active  in  them.  A  marked 
line  of  his  civic  activity  was  his  membership  in  the  Volunteer  Fire  Com- 
pany of  Detroit.  He  was  a  sincere  churchman,  being  a  veteran  member 
of  St.  Anne's  Roman  Catholic  church,  and  later  of  St.  Joachim's  church, 
with  which  he  was  prominently  identified,  as  well  as  devoted  to  the  spir- 
itual interests  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  Society.  Mr.  Chene 's  last  days 
were  quiet  ones,  closing  peacefully  on  July  4,  1912,  at  his  home,  No.  783 
Jefferson  avenue.  The  last  sacred  services  were  said  over  his  body,  at 
St.  Joachim's  church.  Though  he  is  no  longer  a  participant  in  the 
city  life,  of  which  he  had  so  large  a  part,  his  name  is  a  permanent  one  in 
Detroit,  where  memories  of  him  will  long  endure. 

August  Marxhausen.  Few  men  who  finish  their  course  in  this  life 
leave  so  many  still  in  the  conflict  who  feel  that  a  friend  and  helper  has 
been  taken  from  them,  as  did  August  Marxhausen.  His  death  on  Decem- 
ber 27,  1910,  was  felt  as  a  personal  loss  not  only  by  the  circle  of  his 
relatives  and  by  the  larger  and  scarcely  less  intimate  one  of  his  asso- 
ciates in  the  newspaper,  but  by  hundreds  of  his  fellow  citizens  who  knew 
him  personally  in  various  relations  and  by  others  who  knew  only  his 
many  good  offices  to  the  community. 

Mr.  Marxhausen  Was  born  in  Kassel,  the  old  capital  of  the  princi- 
pality of  Hessen,  in  1833.  Educated  in  the  German  schools,  he  early 
identified  himself  with  the  business  which  has  been  his  life-work.  In 
1852,  he  came  with  an  older  brother  to  America  and  found  work  on  a 
New  York  paper.  After  a  year  in  that  city,  he  was  called  to  Detroit 
where  he  and  his  brother  were  offered  positions  on  the  Michigan  Demo- 
crat. The  brothers  accepted  the  offer,  but  as  they  were  not  in  sympathy 
with  the  politics  of  the  paper  they  severed  their  connection  with  it  and 
founded  a  new  news  sheet,  the  Michigan  Journal,  This  the  brothers 
conducted  for  thirteen  years  and  then  dissolved  partnership.  Two 
years  later,  August  Marxhausen  founded  the  Detroit  Abend-Post  which 
he  so  ably  conducted  to  the  time  of  his  death. 

Persecution  did  not  spare  Mr.  Marxhausen.  In  1872  he  found  him- 
self in  the  ranks  of  the  Liberal  Republicans  who  had  selected  Horace 
Greeley  as  candidate  for  the  presidency.  The  citizens  of  Detroit  had 
selected  Mr.  Marxhausen  as  delegate  to  the  national  convention  at  St. 
Louis.  He  knew  that  this  decision  to  leave  the  regular  wing  of  the 
party  would  be  a  costly  one  for  him,  but  that  did  not  weigh  against  his 
convictions.  In  those  days  party  lines  were  much  more  strictly  drawn 
than  at  present,  and  he  was  called  upon  to  endure  defection  of  his  fol- 
lowers and  slander  and  misunderstanding.  However,  he  was  not  dis- 
couraged ;  he  built  up  his  business  without  being  turned  aside  from  the 
path  of  his  convictions  and  finally  they  who  had  distrusted  him  came 
not  only  to  believe  in  his  sincerity  of  purpose,  but  to  agree  with  the 
wisdom  of  his  choice.    From  that  time  his  influence  and  popularity  have 


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.-  :i   l;i'  '^    .1   tn*'  in  M.'  j  .      \    mi.*-\"  I 

.'^^n■slM^)  ill  tfu'  \'<»lin;:"  *"  I'l'     t  um- 

•tin^-  'i-.n''!,.  h,  ;,  i*-  ,1  \  <•    ;•   a  I'M  ..tiu*r 

:    *».  li.  ;•■  '•  'tdi^v  <t\'  >i.  J<;..«'1    :ii  ^  "hurch. 

;•'  •'tiii'^t,  ns  \\o\]  ,;s  'IfNttf'*:  +     Uie  ^pir- 

'.  on  .l..'y  4,  i:n2.  n\  hi>  n-.^..  -.  No.  7-.> 

•   I    -  jv»'*'S  \\"n'  S'ti;!  v>\t'r  !  ;^  ?»'Hly,  at 

,    tr    ]s   Mo   loiii:^'!'   a    i»ar-t'   ;]> -lit    in    ihe 

■    i  I'^iiu  iiirt  na'i't'  J"^  '^  i  '  ''I'i^nK'nt  oMt   in 

I-    \\    1  •••n  ^\';o  ^  ni>h  t!'>  i!'  fourst'  in  tl.is  lii'e 

-'  :.  .11  .    r  ".  =  tii-'t  V '.I!  :«^'!  that  a  ^ri-'n*]  and  h«»l|)t*r  has 

■:     "     ■  M.    •(    jN 'l''l    \.i.%'st   \ia''\h;.ii>,(  ,1.     M is  (irath  oTt  I">tM'eni- 

•  ■  »•  )Jl*K  wa.>   \i   1    as  a   p.-r^onal    loss  riot  onl.,    '-y  IIk*  ciivlo  of  liin 

.   a  :.''s  and   '.\    t:.(^   la'er    md   s  an'*''\    Ivss  inri:na!t'  uuo  of  bis  as8o- 

t'S  in  t'.'    u  ■vr^\iii\>fi'   }'  .t  (»\  fiund:'i'ds  (^^  bis  f'dajw  rili/riis  who  knew 

'  '1.1    p.- ! -•.!  '    y  ill   vjw  t',,s  I'clahons  ariii  by  otbt'cs  \\\io  kin'W  only   his 

•»•;.",    ir  .    i  ..;!i/,v<  t'1  *hi'  <M!mninrM*. 

'•'••     "t.^l...  •.■s«-n   Was  •  orn   m    Kass<  {,  tlir  o]\\  r-ipital   of  the  prin»'i- 

•    li'-    'n    ii'i   ^^^"k      Iv.lnt  it«'d   in  the  (brni.tn   s('b(K)ls,  b.c  early 

,    ■'     .'    'S,''f  w'i'->   t''     bi-.  -t  >s  wiiieb   b<is  b(H^n  bis   life-work,      hi 

'  •    ••■:•  .     V    ti.  '  •  "utb'T  t.t  An^Tlea  and  1  smd  work  on  a 

'.   ,  k   I       '  "ar  in   tb.jt  fity,  ]u^  was  called  to   I)eti-oit 

V- .    '  '  '.     n  rt'    »!*'■' r*'d  p)^it''>ns  dn  tbe  M'uhi(}(iH  J>i)no- 

i  '*''.     ')  '•-  '    '  '     =  t'  '     ,::.'r,  bi'i  as  tl-cy  \v;-re  j'ot  in  sympathy- 

wti.;  t;.r  J  ,    ,    ,i.      '   '•    V  N.      r-d  tbeir  eonne-tion  -with  it  and 

loundi  d   4    •■    '         .N^   't  '}fjatt  Jfn/ruaK     Tb's  the  brotht^rs 

"M.-i.^M.-i     1       'V    t    irt^M-i'  ,   ..    ti>*'n    <i..Nsoived    ]iaT-tnei-8bi]>.      Two 

y(ais  1,.'   i\  A'ij;.st   ^'  ••  *!-   inuntt'd  ibe  Ditvfnt  Ai^iiuhPost  which 

h''  s»*  ,  ' K\  "t>nii'.it''.M  Mm*'  (if  '"is  d<'adi. 

l'<  rsreiUiiHi  ni  spar.'  Mr.  }\  ''-xbaMSen.     In  1872  be  foninl  bini- 

V  If  ^n  tbe  ra'  i    tb.e  Lib.ral   li"pn!»li' «ii.s  wlu*  bad   seleeird  Iforrn-c 

drrriry   as  •  '.tt  -   for  t:ie   ]ir.  s^i^n-'y.      TIte   .^^/('ns  of  J^'tr-nt  had 

s<d<H'tt  i    ^  :r\i:aii^*'n  as  d' It-trate  t'>  Mi*-  naiionjd   rwn\ention  al    St. 

Lo";  .-ii*  w   that   tills  de»'is"<<)n   to   b.ae   tbe  n^^nlar   wiiijj  of   the 

».  •   '  i'  I  b"  a  vastly  on*'  i'or  biuu  nu*  that  -livl  not  vsei^b  a^nnst  bis 

s.     In  tbi>N,    .jays  r>arty  line's  wtj-.-  nnicb  more  strietK   drawn 

prt\stnt,  and  be  v:^  eaib^d  np.»n  to  endure  deft-^aion  of  nis  fol- 

X  and   ^'a';d<'r  and    ndsuTjdt'rstaiui^ntr.      i'o^*'ver.   be   was   noi    dis- 

?.  u' d     '.    ;•  "!t  uj)  bis  bosniess  witbont  brinj;  turned  asicb*  irom  tb** 

.;a;b  ■  '       >  .  "''Mrt ions  a]»d  finaHy  tbr;    who   bad  distrusU'd  bun  ea"i:  .' 

ne^   '  t.'d.'ve  in  bis  siiieerity  of  pnn>ose,  but   t(>  aprree  with   tne 

w:>. .    1    o    i.'s'dM'i'O.    Fro. n  that  time  bis  intlu.  nee  and  pojvularity  ba\e 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1247 

_  steadily  increased.  The  Republican  party  have  twice  chosen  him  to 
"  represent  them  in  their  national  conventions ;  when  McKinley  was  nom- 
inated and  again  in  Chicago  in  1908.  His  attendance  of  the  latter  con- 
vention was  prevented  by  the  serious  illness  of  his  wife. 

Mrs.  August  Marxhausen  was  Miss  Marie  Eberts  before  her  marriage 
in  1857.  The  union  of  August  and  Marie  Marxhausen  was  an  ideal  one. 
For  fifty-one  years  they  were  loyal  and  loving  companions  and  his  life 
was  almost  literally  bound  up  in  hers.  He  would  not  consider  leaving 
her  at  the  time  of  the  convention  which  nominated  Taft,  as  she  was  seri- 
ously ill,  and  when  two  weeks  later  she  drew  her  last  breath  he  was  at  her 
side — a  fact  which  consoled  him  for  the  rest  of  his  life,  as  far  as  any- 
thing could  console  for  an  irreparable  loss.  Grief  for  her  was  the  real 
cause  of  his  own  death  two  years  later. 

In  the  affairs  of  the  city,  Mr.  Marxhausen  was  as  active  as  in  national 
concerns.  He  was  a  member  of  the  famous  ''four  M's,"  the  commission 
which  gave  Detroit  its  beautiful  island  park,  Belle  Isle.  The  place  is  a 
monument  to  the  commissioners  who  planned  it  and  the  city  is  for- 
tunate in  having  these  plans  carried  out  so  well.  Upon  this  as  upon 
every  other  matter  in  which  he  was  engaged,  Mr.  Marxhausen  worked 
unremittingly  and  conscientiously.  It  was  said  of  him  that  in  his  mind 
''duty*'  was  always  written  in  capitals.  Any  public  oflSce  with  a  salary 
he  would  never  accept.  '  *  Give  it  to  some  one  that  needs  it ;  I  don  \  want 
it,"  he  would  say  when  offered  such  a  post.  His  service  to  the  com- 
munity was  rendered  without  money  and  truly  without  price. 

In  his  association  with  the  members  of  his  newspaper  staff,  Mr. 
Marxhausen  was  as  a  father  in  the  last  days  of  his  life  and  always  his 
relations  with  them  were  the  most  cordial.  He  had  asked  them  to  a 
"bef ore-Christmas  Trinkfest,*'  axid  had  given  out  his  gifts  to  them  before 
the  day,  fearing  no  doubt  that  he  might  not  be  there  to  make  merry 
with  them  at  the  time.  The  paper  which  he  has  made  into  such  a  power 
in  Michigan  will  be  carried  on  under  the  able  management  of  his  son, 
but  the  loss  of  the  founder  and  original  proprietor  of  the  Abend-Post 
will  be  felt  by  the  journalistic  fraternity,  as  well  as  by  Mr.  Marxhausen 's 
personal  friends.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was  the  oldest  active  news- 
paper man  in  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Marxhausen  leaves  two  children :  Mrs.  Louise  Burghard,  widow 
of  Julius  Burghard,  and  August  Marxhausen,  Jr.,  proprietor  and  man- 
ager of  the  paper  which  his  father  founded  more  than  forty  years  ago. 
Besides  his  children,  five  grandchildren  survive  the  departed:  Elsa 
and  Robert  Burghard,  and  Ema,  Curt  and  Thelma  Marxhausen. 

President  of  the  Harmonic  Society,  and  a  member  of  nearly  every 
German  society  in  Detroit,  as  well  as  of  the  Lutheran  church,  Mr.  Marx- 
hausen's  loss  in  one  which  the  whole  city  must  feel,  even  as  the  whole 
city  had  a  share  in  the  many  good  offices  of  his  life.  It  is  well 
said  of  him:  "He  has  brought  us  the  proof  that  a  good  German  can 
also  be  a  good  American;  something  which  is  questioned  by  so  many 
who  have  not  heart  enough  to  love  both  mother  and  wife  devotedly  at  the 
same  time.  To  August  Marxhausen,  Germany  was  the  mother,  America 
the  wife." 

Henry  W.  Rickel.  Measured  by  its  sterling  worth  and  large  and 
definite  accomplishment,  the  life  of  the  late  Henry  W.  Rickel  counted 
for  much.  For  more  than  half  a  century  he  was  identified  with  business 
interests  in  Detroit,  and  here  he  rose  through  his  own  efforts  to  a 
position  of  marked  prestige  as  one  of  the  most  substantial  and  successful 
business  men  of  the  Michigan  metropolis.  He  came  to  America  as  a 
youth,  without  any  financial  resources  and  dependent  entirely  upon  his 


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1248  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

own  exertions  in  facing  the  problems  and  obstacles  of  life.  He  coveted 
success,  but  scorned  to  attain  it  through  any  means  but  honesty  and  in- 
dustry. The  results  of  his  life  are  full  of  inspiration  and  incentive. 
His  was  a  valiant,  kindly  and  noble  soul,  and  upon  the  record  of  his 
life  there  rests  no  spot  or  blemish.  He  was  true  to  himself  and  to 
high  ideals,  and  thus  he  could  not  be  ** false  to  any  man."  In  the  city 
that  was  so  long  his  home  and  the  stage  of  his  productive  activities  he 
held  the  secured  vantage  ground  in  popular  confidence  and  esteem,  and 
here  his  passing  was  deeply  deplored  when  he  was  summoned  to  the 
life  eternal,  on  the  12th  of  November,  1910,  secure  in  the  high  regard  of 
all  who.  knew  him. 

In  noting  the  demise  of  Mr.  Rickel  one  of  the  leading  Detroit 
daily  papers  spoke  as  follows:  ** Henry  W.  Rickel,  founder  of  H.  W. 
Rickel  &  Company,  Detroit,  one  of  the  best  known  malt  houses  in 
the  middle  west,  died  at  his  home,  95  Adelaide  street,  at  two  o'clock 
this  morning,  after  a  few  days  critical  illness  from  asthma.  The  sudden 
death  of  the  retired  manufacturer  and  business  man,  so  long  a  prom- 
inent figure  in  this  city,  was  a  great  shock  to  his  former  business  as- 
sociates and  many  friends.  Mr.  Rickel  was  in  his  seventy-eighth  year 
of  life.  Fifty-five  of  these  years  were  lived  in  Detroit.  Hotel  manager, 
grocer,  malt-maker  and  grain  dealer,  the  deceased  was  one  of  the  most 
industrious  and  most  successful  business  men  of  the  city.'* 

Henry  W.  Rickel  was  born  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city  of  Cassel,  cap- 
ital of  the  province  of  Hesse-Nassau,  Germany,  on  the  18th  of  February, 
1833,  and  his  mother  died  at  the  time  of  his  birth.  Due  to  need  of  hard 
work,  he  gained  but  little  educational  discipline  in  the  excellent  schools 
of  his  native  city,  his  education  being  entirely  self -acquired.  At  the 
age  of  seventeen  years,  finding  the  home  surroundings  somewhat  un- 
pleasant, he  decided  to  leave  the  Fatherland  and  seek  his  fortune  in 
America,  whither  he  came  without  capital  or  other  fortuitous  influences, 
save  those  of  personal  ambition,  self-reliance,  honesty  of  purpose  and  a 
determination  to  win  success  through  individual  endeavor.  He  crossed 
the  Atlantic  on  a  sailing  vessel  and  after  a  weary  voyage  of  many 
weeks'  duration  he  Uaded  in  the  port  of  New  York  City.  His  cap- 
italistic resources  at  the  time  of  reaching  Castle  Garden  were  summed 
up  in  the  amount  of  twenty-five  cents,  and  this  quarter  of  a  dollar  he 
paid  to  the  ferryman  who  rowed  him  over  from  Castle  Garden. 

Both  necessity  and  ambition  prompted  immediate  effort  on  the  part 
of  the  young  immigrant,  and  he  found  in  New  York  city  employment 
through  which  he  was  enabled  to  earn  enough  money  to  pay  his  transpor- 
tation to  the  middle  west,  which  he  had  chosen  as  his  ultimate  desti- 
nation. At  Erie,  Pennsylvania,  his  first  stopping  place,  he  secured 
employment  in  sawing  wood  for  use  on  locomotives,  afterwards  working 
on  steamboats  and  later  on  farms,  and  in  1854,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years,  he  came  to  Detroit  from  Ohio.  Better  to  understand  the 
difficulties  Mr.  Rickel  had  to  overcome,  it  might  be  stated  here  that 
he  was  never  a  robust  or  large  man,  physically.  These  early  experiences 
at  wood-sawing,  farming  and  steamboating  on  the  lakes  made  him 
wiry,  but  his  constitution  was  such  that  he  was  ever  obliged  to  be  on 
guard  as  to  his  health. 

Here  in  Detroit  he  found  employment  in  various  capacities,  and  the 
first  definite  position  of  independent  trust  assumed  by  him  was  that  of 
manager  of  the  then  famed  Mauch  hotel,  on  Cadillac  Square.  Colonel 
Mauch,  the  proprietor,  had  gone  forth  as  a  loyal  soldier  of  the  Union 
and  had  sacrificed  his  life  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run.  The  hotel  was 
thus  left  in  the  care  of  Mrs.  Mauch,  and  young  Rickel,  as  manager,  saved 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1249 

it  from  bankruptcy  by  exceptionally  careful  and  effective  management. 
He  made  the  hotel  turn  a  fortune  for  Mrs.  Mauch  and  gained  to  it 
distinctive  popularity  with  the  general  public,  who  accorded  to  it  sub- 
stantial and  appreciative  patronage.  Of  his  connection  with  this  hotel, 
the  following  pertinent  statement  has  been  made:  **He  always  cher- 
ished the  success  he  made  of  his  first  venture  more  than  any  other." 

After  resigning  his  management  of  the  hotel  Mr.  Rickel  engaged 
in  the  retail  grocery  business  at  the  comer  of  Monroe  avenue  and 
Riopelle  street,  and  on  this  site,  after  having  built  up  a  flourishing  enter- 
prise, he  finally  erected  a  fine  three  story  brick  block. 

In  1876  he  purchased  the  Mueller  malt  house,  on  Antoine  street,  at 
a  time  when  failure  had  attended  the  enterprise.  Here  again  his  initi- 
ative and  constructive  powers  came  into  play  with  marked  effective- 
ness and  he  thus  laid  the  foundation  for  one  of  the  most  important  in- 
dustrial enterprises  of  the  kind  in  the  middle  west.  After  one  year 
of  business  in  this  original  location  Mr.  Rickel  erected  at  the  corner 
of  Clinton  and  Hastings  streets  a  malt  house  of  thrice  the  capacity  of 
the  old  one.  This  new  establishment  had  a  capacity  of  sixty-five  thou- 
sand bushels,  and  year  later  Mr.  Rickel  leased  the  Hawley  malt  house, 
at  the  corner  of  First  and  Congress  streets,  with  a  capacity  of  seventy- 
five  thousand  bushels.  Shortly  afterward  he  enlarged  the  capacity  of 
the  establishment  on  Hastings  street  to  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
thousand  bushels,  and  later  he  also  secured  control  of  the  Duncan  malt 
house,  at*  Champlain  and  Beaubien  streets,  while  still  later  he  further 
expanded  the  field  of  work  by  the  temporary  operation  of  the  malt  house 
of  the  Goebel  Brewing  Company.  In  1893  he  erected  the  new-method, 
pneumatic  malt  house  at  the  crossing  of  Adelaide  street  and  the  tracks 
of  the  Grand  Trunk  Rdilroad,  and  the  capacity  of  the  plant  was  event- 
ually increased  to  five  hundred  thousand  bushels.  In  1906  he  found  it 
expedient  to  handle  his  extensive  malting  interests  by  the  incorporation 
of  the  business,  which  was  done  under  the  present  title  of  H.  W.  Rickel 
&  Company,  and  now,  venerable  in  years,  he  felt  justified  in  assigning 
the  active  affairs  of  the  business  to  the  management  of  others.  He  ac- 
cordingly turned  over  his  entire  business,  including  funds  in  banks, 
to  his  children,  and  thereafter  he  lived  virtually  retired  until  his  death, 
enjoying  the  rewards  of  former  years  of  earnest  toil  and  endeavor  and 
the  gracious  association  of  his  many  friends  in  the  community  to  whose 
industrial  and  civic  advancement  he  had  contributed  in  generous  meas- 
ures. At  the  time  of  the  incorporation  of  the  business  his  son  Carl 
became  president  of  the  company,  an  office  of  which  he  continued  the 
incumbent  until  his  death,  in  1908,  when  the  next  younger  son,  Harry, 
assumed  the  presidency,  which  he  still  retains,  and  the  youngest  son, 
Armin,  the  executive  head  of  the  Rickel  Realty  Company,  organized  for 
the  management  and  handling  of  the  extensive  real-estate  interests  of 
the  family,  became  secretary.  The  sons  have  well  upheld  the  prestige 
of  the  honored  name  and  the  two  surviving  are  numbered  among  the 
progressive  business  men  and  loyal  citizens  of  their  native  city. 

While  ever  ready  to  give  his  earnest  co-operation  in  the  furtherance 
of  measures  and  enterprises  tending  to  advance  the  best  interests  of  the 
community  and  while  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  cause  of  the  Republican 
party,  Mr.  Rickel  had  naught  of  predilection  for  public  office  of  any 
description.  He  was  a  popular  and  valued  member  of  the  Harmonic 
Society  and  of  the  Germania  Bowling  Club. 

On  the  11th  of  April,  1859,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Rickel  to  Miss  Martha  Immel,  of  Sandusky,  Ohio,  and  she  survives  him, 
sustained  by  the  gracious  memories  of  their  long  association  in  a  wedded 


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1250  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

life  covering  more  than  half  a  century.  Of  the  children,  three  sons 
and  three  daughters  survive  the  honored  father,  namely :  Anna,  who  is 
the  wife  of  Louis  Henze,  of  Iron  Mountain,  Michigan;  Shiloh  A.,  who 
is  now  a  resident  of  Chicago;  Elise,  who  is  the  wife  of  George  Osius, 
of  Grosse  Pointe,  one  of  the  beautiful  suburbs  of  Detroit;  Harry,  who  is 
president  and  active  manager  of  the  extensive  malt  and  grain  business 
founded  by  his  father;  Martha,  who  is  the  wife  of  William  Enrich,  of 
Minneapolis;  and  Armin,  who  is  associated  in  the  management  of  the 
various  interests  of  the  extensive  family  estate  in  Detroit,  and  is  sec- 
retary of  the  malt  corporation  of  H.  W.  Rickel  &  Company. 

Fidelity  and  scrupulous  fairness  characterized  every  detail  of  the 
long  and  successful  business  career  of  Mr.  Rickel,  and  his  reputation  was 
unassailable  from  every  standpoint.  His  varied  charities  were  per- 
formed quietly  and  with  such  lack  of  ostentation  that  his  **left  hand 
never  knew  what  his  right  hand  gave.'*  He  was  a  man  who  stood 
** four-square  to  every  wind  that  blows,"  and  it  is  most  consonant  that 
in  this  history  of  Detroit  be  entered  an  enduring  tribute  to  his  memory 
and  this  brief  record  of  his  life  and  labors. 

Delivered  at  the  funeral  of  Henry  W.  Rickel,  by  Lee  S.  McCoUester, 
D.  D.,  November  15th,  1910 :  We  gather  in  this  home  of  sorrow  to  do 
honor  to  a  good  man  and  bring  our  sincere  sympathy  to  the  members 
of  this  sad  home.  This  is  not  an  occasion  for  false  consolation  and 
fulsome  words,  but  for  a  sincere  expression  of  appreciation  and  sympathy. 

If  it  is  ever  true  that  fact  is  often  stranger  than  fiction,  it- is  surely 
so  in  the  life  of  this  man,  whose  death  brings  us  here  today.  He  was 
bolm  across  the  sea,  and  in  his  birth  his  mother  died.  He  never  knew 
a  mother's  love,  not  even  as  a  child  the  love  of  a  motherly  woman.  The 
early  years  were  sad,  heartbreaking  years.  To  wish  he  might  sink  be- 
neath the  stream  that  flowed  nearby  his  home  is  but  a  hint  of  the 
extreme  despair  of  the  boy's  soul.  Fleeing  from  his  own  home,  find- 
ing no  sympathy  in  the  homes  of  kindred,  he  at  last,  at  that  age 
when  a  boy  needs  mothering  and  fathering, — took  ship  for  the  far  away 
land  of  America.  When  he  had  paid  the  landing  charges  at  New  York, 
he  was  penniless;  friendless,  penniless,  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land, 
he  still  had  ideals  and  visions. 

As  another  is  to  tell  you,  as  you  gather  at  the  cemetery,  of  the  busi- 
ness career  of  this  man,  I  will  say  of  his  business  life  only  this:  He 
started  at  the  bottom  and  worked  up.  Integrity  characterized  his  busi- 
ness career.  Success  rewarded  his  efforts.  He  arose  to  a  position  of 
respect  and  influence  in  the  business  circle  of  this  big  city. 

My  part  today  is  to  tell  you  some  of  the  other  phases  of  this 
man's  life.  He  was  a  business  man,  but  more;  he  came  here  without 
money,  but  he  also  came  without  education.  The  barren  life  in  the  old 
country  had  prevented  his  enjoyment  of  the  schools,  but  no  sooner  was 
he  landed  in  this  free  land  than  he  began  to  study.  He  sought  to  master 
German  and  English.  He  had  a  passion  for  Imowledge.  He  strove  to 
educate  himself  broadly  and  deeply.  It  was  a  long,  hard  road  of  learn- 
ing that  he  traveled.  His  passion  for  books  was  not  an  aside  to  busi- 
ness, but  in  answer  to  that  passion  of  his  soul  to  know  histor5%  science, 
philosophy  and  life.  His  education  was  life-long  and  thorough  and  to 
the  end  that  he  might  solve  the  real  problems  of  life  and  know  the  latest 
phases  of  philosophy  and  science.  If  you  would  know  the  friends  of  his 
mind,  you  should  go  through  his  library  and  into  his  upstairs  den.  In 
his  library  are  books  of  reference;  volumes  on  science  and  philosophy. 
Upstairs,  hanging  on  the  walls,  are  his  friends;  the  great  minds  of 
many  lands  and  different  epochs.     His  search  for  knowledge  carried 


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HISTORY  OF  DETBOIT  1251 

him  to  the  conclusions  of  evolution,  and  one  of  his  favorite  friends 
of  later  years  was  a  renowned  scientist  and  philosopher,  whose  de- 
ductions seemed  sane  and  wholesome  to  him.  Nor  did  he  want  education 
for  his  own  joy  and  enrichment  alone.  He  planned  carefully  that  his 
children  should  enjoy  in  early  life  what  he  missed.  Their  education 
was  his  ambition,  and  only  a  few  days  ago,  he  talked  with  one  of  his 
sons  on  the  latest  ideas  of  philosophy  as  one  who  is  abreast  of  the  latest 
and  awake  to  the  finest. 

Some  things  that  one  has  missed  in  early  years  are  the  most  precious 
in  value  in  later  life.  So  it  was  with  him.  Never  having  known  in 
his  early  years  love  and  friendship,  he  made  home,  when  it  was  given 
to  him,  the  dearest  spot  on  earth.  You  who  have  come  within  his  home 
circle  have  felt  the  gentle  spirit  of  this  fine  man.  He  was  truly  a  **  gentle- 
man" in  the  highest  sense  of  that  word.  He  was  hospitable;  he  loved 
his  friends;  he  went  out  of  his  home  to  make  friends  of  those  he  re- 
spected and  valued.  Here  in  his  home  he  presided  with  a  quiet  gentle- 
ness which  made  all  of  us  who  entered  here  wish  that  we  might  often 
visit  with  him  and  with  his  own. 

Around  father  and  mother  grew  up  children  and  grandchildren,  and 
happy  was  he  when,  on  a  day  three  years  ago  or  more,  without  a  word 
from  him,  all  his  sons  and  daughters  gathered  in  this  home  to  congratu- 
Ute  these  two  lover  hearts  on  fifty  years  of  fellowship.  1  nen  it  seemed 
to  him  as  if  his  cup  of  joy  was  full.  Fifty  years  of  comradeship,  a  mem- 
ory joyous  and  inspiring,  and  round  about  him  the  children  of  his  heart. 

This  man  was  brought  up  in  the  old  world  church.  In  that  stiff 
and  rugged  faith  he  came  to  this  country.  The  traditions  and  dogmas 
of  that  cnirch  for  a  long  time  thoroughly  enchained  him.  He  was  not 
satisfied,  but  why  he  did  not  know.  As  his  reading  and  study  of  science 
and  philosophy  increased,  he  gradually  dropped  the  old  opinions  and 
left  the  old  forms.  For  a  time  he  was  disturbed  and  unsettled,  and  then, 
gradually,  out  of  science  and  philosophy  he  built  a  faith  by  which  he 
lived.  In  a  word,  his  faith  was  that  of  the  evolutionist.  He  believed 
in  law  and  order,  justice  and  truth,  honor  and  friendship.  To  a  certain 
extent,  these  lines  of  the  evolutionist  poet,  Carruth,  suggest  his  faith, 
for  where  some  spoke  of  God,  he  spoke  of  ** evolution"  and  of  '* longing" 
and  of  ** consecration." 

•The  poet  says: 

A  fire-mist  and  a  planet, 

A  crystal  and  a  cell, 
A  jelly-fish  and  a  saurian 

And  caves  where  the  cave-men  dwell ; 
Then  a  sense  of  law  and  beauty, 

And  a  face  turned  from  the  clod — 
Some  call  it  Evolution, 

And  others  call  it  God. 

A  haze  on  the  far  horizon. 
The  infinite  tender  sky. 
The  ripe,  rich  tint  of  the  cornfields, 

And  the  wild  geese  sailing  high ; 
And  all  over  upland  and  lowland 

The  charm  of  the  golden-rod — 
Some  of  us  call  it  Autumn. 

And  others  call  it  (Jod. 


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1252  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

Like  tides  on  the  crescent  moon  beach 

When  the  moon  is  new  and  thin. 
Into  our  hearts  high  yearnings  ^ 

Come  welling  and  surging  in ; 
Come  from  the  mystic  ocean 

Whose  rim  no  foot  hath  trod — 
Some  of  us  call  it  Longing, 

And  others  call  it  God. 

A  picket  frozen  on  duty, 

A  mother  starved  for  her  brood, 
Socrates  drinking  the  hemlock, 

And  Jesus  on  the  rood ; 
And  millions,  humble  and  nameless, 

The  straight,  hard  pathway  plod ; 
Some  call  it  Consecration 

And  others  call  it  God. 

His  was  a  faith  that  found  reality  in  life.  He  directed  his  conduct 
by  firm  belief  in  the  desirability  of  righteousness,  in  the  holiness  of 
friendship,  in  the  kingliness  of  kindness,  in  the  divinity  of  the  Golden 
Rule.  Once  when  we  were  talking  of  faith,  he  led  me  to  his  upper 
room,  and,  pointing  to  a  frame  which  hung  upon  the  wall,  he  said: 
*  *  That  describes  the  church  to  which  I  belong, "  and  what  I  read  was  this : 

* '  I  belong  to  the  Great  Church 
That  holds  the  world  with  its  starlit  aisles, 
That  claims  the  great  and  good  in  every  race  and  clime, 
That  finds  with  joy  the  grain  of  gold  in  every  creed. 
And  floods  with  light  and  love 
The  germs  of  good  in  every  soul.  * ' 

Such  a  creed  as  this  is  good  enough  for  anyone  to  live  by  and  to  die 
by;  by  it  he  lived,  and  by  it  he  died.  He  could  not  go  with  some  in: 
their  worship,  but  he  always  honored  sincerity,  gave  to  everyone  the 
privilege  to  think  his  own  thoughts  and  sympathized  with  those  who 
tried  to  work  out  a  faith  of  reason.  Did  he  believe  in  another  life  ?  He  did 
not  say.  No  one  knows.  He  was  not  afraid  to  live,  and  he  was  equally 
unafraid  to  die.  If  there  is  another  life  he  knew  it  could  be  nothing 
else  than  a  fulfilling  of  what  already  had  been  found  good.  If  there 
was  no  other  life,  he  had  lived  here  his  best,  had  left  a  name  of  honor, 
had  loved  many  and  been  loved  by  many,  and  he  could  not  do  more  or 
other  than  he  had  done.  Thus  unafraid  he  died.  He  was  always  a  lover 
of  Nature ;  the  trees  were  temples,  their  branches  were  cathedral  arches, 
and  the  blowing  of  the  wind  through  their  branches  made  sweet  music 
amid  their  dim  aisles.  Loving  nature  and  trusting  her,  he  said  to  those 
who  were  to  make  his  grave,  **Lay  me  at  rest  some  day  at  the  foot 
of  a  great  tree,  and  maybe  something  of  me  shall  live  again  in  the  upper 
world,  in  the  branches  and  the  leaves.** 

It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  when  fruit  is  nearly  ready  to  drop  from 
the  branch  there  is  a  ** process  of  letting  go*'  that  takes  place.  It  seems 
as  if  in  the  human  there  is  also  a  ** process  of  letting  go,*'  when  age  is 
calm  and  fearless.  This  man  seemed  to  feel  the  loosing  of  the  moorings 
for  the  final  ** letting  go.'*  He  arranged  his  business;  he  looked  anew 
on  life  and  death.  He  threw  out  of  his  soul  all  dread  of  death,  and 
filled  his  mind  with  calm  thoughts.    The  other  night  he  retired  to  his 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1253 

room;  members  of  hk  family  would  have  been  glad  to  stay  near  by. 
He  would  not  have  it  so.  He  had  no  fear.  The  dark  was  friendly,  and 
should  death  come  he  would  not  say  him  **No.''  So,  he  said  '*6ood 
Night,''  as  on  other  nights,  **drew  the  mantle  of  his  couch  about  him 
and  lay  down  as  for  pleasant  dreams."  In  the  morning  there  was  a 
look  of  peace  upon  his  face  and  a  deep  sense  of  loss  was  in  the  hearts 
of  those  who  came  to  call  on  him.  It  was  the  fit  closing  of  a  noble 
life.  We  all  have  lost  a  friend.  We  all  have  in  possession  the  mem- 
ory of  a  noble  man.  To  the  friends  within  his  home  we  bring  our 
sympathy.  They  are  rich  in  the  memory  of  what  he  was,  and  that 
he  was  so  good  a  husband,  so  wise  a  father,  so  brave  and  noble  a  soul 
is  now  their  comfort. 

With  another  we  say — 

**He  is  not  dead,  he  is  just  away. 
With  a  cheery  smile  and  a  wave  of  the  hand 
He  has  wandered  into  an  unknown  land. 
And  left  us  dreaming;  how  fair  it  needs  must  be 
Since  he  lingers  there." 

James  Rene  Adam,  M.  D.  Regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  physicians 
and  surgeons  of  his  adopted  city,  standing  high  in  social  circles  of  his 
community,  and  having  an  influential  voice  in  all  matters  of  public 
interest,  James  Rene  Adam,  M.  D.,  of  No.  185  Chene  street,  holds 
prestige  among  the  professional  men  of  Detroit,  where  he  has  been 
engaged  in  general  practice  for  upwards  of  sixteen  years.  The.  Doctor 
is  a  Canadian,  having  been  born  at  Sandwich,  Ontario,  March  17,  1870, 
and  is  a  son  of  Mathew  and  Julienne  (LaFerte)  Adam. 

Mathew  Adam  was  bom  in  France,  in  1830,  and  was  graduated  from 
Louvine  College,  and  later  from  Paris  University.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1855,  locating  in  Detroit,  where  he  taught  the  old  St. 
Ann  school,  but  subsequently  removed  to  Ontario,  Can&da,  where  he 
established  the  Windsor  high  school.  During  the  remainder  of  his  life 
he  made  his  home  in  Sandwich,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1880.  The 
mother  of  the  Doctor  was  born  in  Ontario,  and  died  in  Sandwich,  in 
December,  1911,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years. 

James  Rene  Adam  was  reared  in  his  native  place,  and  there  attended 
the  public  schools,  supplementing  this  by  attendance  at  the  high  school 
and  two  years  in  the  University  of  Toronto.  Between  his  collegiate  and 
university  courses  he  taught  school  for  about  three  years  in  order  to 
secure  money  with  which  to  pursue  his  studies,  and  in  1893  entered  the 
Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1896  with 
the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  During  his  senior  year  Dr.  Adam 
served  as  exteme  at  St.  Mary's  hospital.  At  the  time  of  his  graduation 
he  entered  general  practice  in  Detroit,  where  he  established  himself  in 
well-appointed  oflBces  at  No.  185  Chene  street,  removing  thence  to  his 
handsome  new  residence  and  oflSce  at  No.  649  Clinton  street,  corner  of 
McDougal  avenue.    He  now  controls  a  large  and  representative  practice. 

Dr.  Adam  is  highly  respected  for  his  worth  as  a  man  by  a  host  of 
warm  friends  drawn  to  him  by  his  engaging  social  qualities,  his  future 
is  full  of  promise  professionally  and  otherwise,  and  he  is  contributing 
essentially  and  substantially  to  the  progress  and  development^of  the  best 
interests  of  the  city.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical 
Society,  the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical 
Association,  and  his  fraternal  connection  is  with  the  Knights  of  Columbus. 
Aside  from  his  professional  business,  he  has  invested  to  some  extent  in 


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1254  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

real  estate ;  at  this  time  owns  some  city  property  and  is  erecting  a  hand- 
some brick  residence  at  the  corner  of  McDougal  and  Clinton  streets. 

Dr.  Adam  was  married  (first)  to  Miss  Charlotte  Sallicotte,  of  Ecorse, 
Wayne  county,  Michigan,  daughter  of  Joseph  Sallicotte.  Mrs.  Adam 
died  in  1904,  having  been  the  mother  of  two  children,  namely :  Gteraldine 
and  Jamjcs.  Dr.  Adam's  second  marriage  was  to  Miss  Alice  Mogg,  of 
West  Lawn,  Ontario,  Canada,  the  only  child  of  Robert  Mogg,  a  retired 
merchant  of  West  Lawn.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Adam  are  consistent  members 
of  St.  Joachim's  Roman  Catholic  church,  and  are  well  known  in  social 
circles  of  the  city. 

Guy  B.  Stall,  M.  D.  Engaged  in  the  successful  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion in  Detroit,  with  residence  and  office  at  215  Chamberlain  street,  Dr. 
Stall  is  one  of  the  able  and  popular  physicians  and  surgeons  contributed 
to  the  Michigan  metropolis  by  the  old  Buckeye  state,  of  which  he  is  a  na- 
tive son  and  a  scion  of  one  of  its  honored  pioneer  families. 

.  On  the  old  family  homestead  in  North  Jackson  township,  Mahoning 
county,  Ohio,  Dr.  Guy  Burwell  Stall  was  born  on  the  31st  of  March,  1872, 
and  he  is  a  son  of  John  and  Alice  (Pocock)  Stall.  John  Stall  was  like-* 
wise  born  in  North  Jackson  township  and  is  a  son  of  Andrew  Stall,  who 
was  a  native  of  Washington  county,  Pennsylvania,  a  scion  of  staunch  Ger- 
man stock  and  a  valiant  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  He  was  one  of  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  Mahoning  county,  Ohio,  where  he  established  his  home 
about  1812,  and  in  North  Jackson  township,  that  county,  he  reclaimed  a 
farm  from  the  forest  wilderness.  There  he  passed  the  residue  of  his  long 
and  worthy  life,  as  did  also  his  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Susan  Simon, 
and  who  shared  with  him  the  hardships  and  vicissitudes  of  the  pioneer 
days.  The  mother  of  Dr.  Stall  was  bom  in  Antwerp  township,  Paulding 
county,  Ohio,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Jesse  Price  Pocock  and  Clara  (Bur- 
well)  Pocock,  who  were  honored  pioneers  of  that  county,  to  which  they 
removed  from  their  native  state  of  Maryland.  Prior  to  her  marriage  Mrs. 
Clara  (Burwell)  Pocock  secured  the  first  teacher's  license  ever  issued  in 
Paulding  county,  and  thus  her  name  merits  enduring  place  on  the  pioneer 
representatives  of  the  pedagogic  profession  in  that  now  opulent  section  of 
the  Buckeye  state.  John  Stall,  father  of  the  Doctor,  was  born  on  the  17th 
of  January,  1837,  and  his  wife  on  the  12th  of  October,  1847,  and  they  still 
reside  on  the  old  Stall  homestead,  which  Andrew  Stall  reclaimed  from 
the  wilderness.  John  Stall  has  long  been  numbered  among  the  represen- 
tative agriculturists  of  his  native  county  and  his  landed  estate  is  now  one 
of  the  valuable  and  finely  improved  places  of  North  Jackson  township.  He 
holds  to  the  fullest  extent  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  community 
in  which  he  has  lived  from  the  time  of  his  birth  and  to  the  civic  and  mate- 
rial progress  of  which  he  has  contributed  his  quota.  He  is  a  staunch  Dem- 
ocrat in  politics.  Of  their  children  four  sons  and  three  daughters  are 
living. 

On  the  ancestral  farmstead  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  paragraph  Dr. 
Stall  passed  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  early  youth,  and' he  thus  gained 
definite  communion  with  *' nature  in  her  visible  forms"  as  he  early  began 
to  assist  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm.  After  duly  availing  himself  of  the 
advantages  of  the  public  schools  he  continued  his  studies  for  two  years  in 
the  normal  school  at  Canfield,  in  his  native  county,  and  for  a  time  he  was 
engaged  in  .teaching  in  the  district  schools.  In  1889  he  entered  the  Homeo- 
pathic medical  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  where  he  re- 
mained a  student  for  one  year,  at  the  expiration  of  which  he  transferred 
himself  to  the  Detroit  Homeopathic  Medical  College,  in  which  he  com- 
pleted the  prescribed  course  and  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class 
of  1904,  with  the  well  earned  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.    For  the  en- 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1255 

suing  year  he  served  as  house  physician  in  Grace  Hospital  and  in  October, 
1906,  he  entered  upon  the  general  practice  of  his  profession  in  Detroit, 
where  his  success  has  effectually  demonstrated  his  professional  ability, 
personal  popularity,  and  good  judgment  in  selecting  a  field  of  labor.  He 
holds  membership  in  the  United  Brethren  church,  the  while  Mrs.  Stall  is 
a  member  of  the  United  Evangelical  church. 

On  the  9th  of  May,  1904,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Dr.  Stall  to 
Miss  Jennie  E.  Overmeyer,  who  was  bom  at  Lindsey,  Sandusky  county, 
Ohio,  on  the  8th  of  November,  1874,  a  daughter  of  Edward  and  Susan 
(Boyer)  Overmeyer.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Stall  have  twin  children,  Jonathan 
Edwards  and  Crystal  Dorothy,  who  were  born  on  the  20th  of  March,  1910. 

David  M.  Kerr.  As  general  manager  of  the  power  plant  equipment 
of  the  Kerr  Manufacturing  Company,  one  of  the  foremost  industries  of 
the  city  of  Detroit,  David  M.  Kerr  is  an  important  factor  in  promoting 
the  business  growth  and  prosperity  of  this  section  of  Wayne  county, 
his  achievements  along  that  line  entitling  him  to  honorable  recognition 
among  the  citizens  of  influence  and  prominence.  He  was  born  in  October, 
1878,  at  Detroit,  Michigan,  a  son  of  Alexander  M.  Kerr,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  Scotland  sixty-five  years  ago.  His  father  has  been  a  resident 
of  this  beautiful  city  for  the  past  thirty-five  years,  the  greater  part  of  the 
time  having  been  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  pumping  machinery, 
in  1905  having  organized  the  Kerr  Manufacturing  Company. 

Receiving  his  first  knowledge  of  books  in  the  primary  schools  of 
Detroit,  David  M.  Kerr  passed  through  the  grammar  grades  with  a 
creditable  record  for  scholarship  and  was  afterwards  graduated  from 
the  Detroit  high  school.  Starting  then  upon  a  business  career,  he  was 
for  awhile  salesman  for  the  Kerr  Company,  of  Detroit.  Going  to  Chi- 
cago, Illinois,  in  1898,  he  was  for  sometime  in  the  employ  of  Fairbank, 
Morse  &  Company,  having  charge  of  one  of  the  firm's  branch  stores. 
Giving  up  the  position,  Mr.  Kerr  returned  to  Detroit,  and  for  awhile 
was  here  in  business  on  his  own  account.  In  1905  he  organized  the  Kerr 
Machinery  and  Supply  Company,  of  which  he  was  made  general  man- 
ager and  treasurer,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  centripetal 
machinery.  In  1907  the  Kerr  Manufacturing  Company,  of  which  Mr. 
Kerr's  father  was  the  promoter,  was  incorporated  with  a  paid-up 
capital  of  $20,000,  Alexander  M.  Kerr  being  made  president ;  Frederick 
T.  Bancroft,  vice-president;  Benjamin  F.  Mulford,  secretary;  and 
David  M.  Kerr  general  manager  of  the  power  plant  equipment.  This 
ejiterprising  firm,  which  has  a  finely-equipped  plant  at  No.  43  Congress 
street,  are  manufacturers  and  jobbers  of  steam  and  electric  driven  pumps, 
and  during  the  busy  season  employs  a  large  force  of  men  in  filling  the 
orders  which  come  not  only  from  all  parts  of  our  Union,  but  from  Canada. 

Mr.  Kerr  married,  in  1902,  Mary  L.  Baggs,  a  daughter  of  Albert  W. 
Baggs,  an  old  and  highly  esteemed  resident  of  Detroit,  noted  as  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  Detroit  Free  Press,  a  journal  well  known  through- 
out the  country.  Fraternally  Mr.  Kerr  is  a  member  of  Palestine  Lodge, 
No.  357,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Order  of  Masons;  of  King  Cyrus 
Chapter,  No.  133,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  and  of  Detroit  Commandery, 
No.  1,  Benights  Templars. 

James  Cleland,  Jr.,  M.  D.,  a  prominent  and  successful  physician 
of  the  city  of  Detroit,  which  has  represented  his  home  from  his  infancy, 
was  bom  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  on  December  17,  1863,  and  is  the  son 
of  James  Cleland,  Sr.,  who  has  been  known  in  Detroit  as  a  practicing 
dentist  for  the  past  half  century,  or  since  1864,  which  year  marked  the 
advent  of  the  Cleland  family  in  America  and  in  the  city  of  Detroit. 


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1256  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

The  mother  of  the  subject  was  Jane  Inglis,  born  in  Scotland  and  died  in 
1902  at  the  family  home  in  Detroit.  It  was  after  the  family  had  located 
in  Detroit  that  Doctor  Cleland,  Sr.,  studied  dentistry,  his  professional 
education  being  sepured  in  the  Philadelphia  School  of  Dentistry,  after 
which  he  established  a  practice  in  this  city  which  has  with  the  passing 
years  assumed  large  proportions  and  brought  him  a  reputation  of  no 
little  significance  in  his  profession. 

James  Cleland,  Jr.,  passed  through  the  public  schools  of  Detroit, 
and  was  graduated  from  the  Detroit  high  school  in  1880.  In  1884  he 
was  graduated  from  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  with  the  degree 
of  M.  D.,  after  which  he  took  post  graduate  work  at  Columbia  College, 
in  New  York  City,  in  the  same  year.  He  established  himself  in  practice 
in  Detroit  in  1885  in  association  with  his  paternal  uncle,  the  late  Henry 
Cleland,  M.  D.,  with  whom  he  continued  for  eleven  years.  At  the  end 
of  that  time  he  began  independent  practice,  in  which  he  has  since 
continued. 

In  1907  Doctor  Cleland  further  fortified  his  already  wide  knowledge 
of  his  profession  ty  taking  a  thorough  course  in  internal  medicine  at 
Edinburgh,  Scotland,  in  which  subject  he  has  specialized  throughout 
his  career. 

Doctor  Cleland  is  a  member  of  the  Wayne  County  Medical  Society, 
the  Michigan  State  Medical  Society  and  the  American  Medical  Asso- 
ciation. In  1911  he  was  chairman  of  the  medicine  section  of  the  Wayne 
County  Society,  and  has  been  active  in  the  work  of  all  three  fraternities 
since  he  became  connected  with  them.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Commerce,  and  is  also  aflSliated  with  the  Masonic  fraternity. 

Doctor  Cleland  married  Anna  Seibert,  of  Detroit.  Both  are  members 
of  St.  John's  Episcopal  church,  and  popular  factors  in  social  circles 
throughout  the  city. 

Thomas  E.  Robinson.  On  January  10,  1862,  was  bom  to  John  and 
Mary  Wheeler  Robinson  a  son,  Thomas  E.  Robinson.  The  parents  had 
come  to  Detroit  from  England  two  years  before,  and  the  other  three 
children  of  the  family  were  born  in  their  parents'  native  country.  At 
the  time  of  Thomas'  birth,  the  family  were  living  on  Orleans  street 
The  boy  received  his  education  in  the  city  attending  the  grade  schools 
and  the  old  high  school.  At  the  completion  of  his  work  in  school,  he  was 
employed  with  the  Bradstreets,  as  an  office  assistant.  Later  he  took  up 
the  hardware  business  and  was  soon  put  at  the  head  of  M.  A.  McPher- 
son's  store.  This  gentleman  had  a.  foundry  too,  and  as  he  liked  Mr. 
Robinson's  effective  methods  of  handling  business,  he  selected  the  young 
man  to  be  superintendent  and  to  manage  the  office  and  the  foundry. 
As  long  as  Mr.  McPherson  was  in  business,  Mr.  Robinson  held  this  posi- 
tion. This  was  for  about  five  years  and  at  the  end  of  that  time,  he  took 
charge  of  the  finances  of  the  American  Heater  Company  and  was  man- 
ager of  that  concern  for  four  years. 

When  Mr.  Robinson  left  the  American  Heater  Company,  he  went 
into  business  for  himself,  first  on  Lyman  place  and  then  on  Milwaukee 
junction.  Here  he  established  and  conducted  the  plant  known  as  the 
Northwestern  Foundry  and  Supply  Company,  remaining  in  this  business 
until  his  death  on  January  10,  1908,  his  forty-sixth  birthday. 

The  life  cut  off  in  its  midst  was  one  of  singular  power  and  influence. 
To  unusual  business  ability,  Mr.  Robinson  added  the  qualities  of  social 
and  political  leadership.  He  was  a  Republican  of  great  influence  in  his 
party  organization,  but  he  would  never  consent  to  be  candidate  for  any 
office.  In  the  Methodist  church — the  North  Woodward  congregation- 
he  was  a  valued  communicant  and  in  the  lodge  circles  of  Detroit,  no 
man  was  more  widely  known. 


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,      .      *   '-u  ,11  Sr,ti  lai.d  aii'l  •- 
'     •       .  *   ■  *  -  all*  I'  thi    f.ntiily  lijt'  !.'.  •'• 
..'  .     '"1  '  'Mitl-try.  ins  pftu»>.-; 
i       '  •-'   :;.ti  .»  S-'':o'»l  *>!'  I>iiitisTr\ ,  i 
',     '  '.^  ,  i:v  M(,..  !i  li«.s  Willi  tile  I'it^ 

■  >     ■   :   "....(^ht  ijim  a  r('i)Utation  «•'    • 

'}'   .:'•  "1*  Mt''ii.iiie,  with  T^ie  dt*gi- 
.•  ■•   y'\.'  \  tJtW  work  at  t,'olunii);i  ('.lie^'. 
"     '  ;•   .     llr   t  Ntaliinli^^d  liiiijsrli'  iu  pi-.-.i-t}'-! 

■  sM'A.  '  IS  };ii<"'nal  uiu'U',  th*-  late  lir/.i> 
•»,    t-nr-i.l'or  eJt'Vt^ii  V'-ars.     At  tlit;  tni.^ 

.    :  ^'   .'»:••    prat'ti<'t\    in    w^.-*.    h»'    has    -^in*  *• 

'  ■   ■    '-.  M-ri!'  »■  '"  TtitMMl  }us  ah*f^a«ly  wi-^"  kn<nM*fiyt» 

•t      '      .     •'.  ■    I   tit.,?onu'ii  roiiis*'  in   intern*''    in*-(ii('iii"  a*. 

:        ■    ■    .-n    sdii,-*Mt    Ih-    ii.'S   s|)»'«-'?}|r'.-.!    tliroiii^hont 

'1   '      ).'>»r  i.f  fl-f  \Vn\ne  To'ii-.ty   .\^'li<.-,l  Kocinty. 

">'»'. I, .t_\    aT.fi    tl-'-   j\ii.  .  j'Jtii    Ai  ''li'*:il    As.so- 

.   .  ./  (  '  r»  of  tht'  ir.<.ii<-ine  Nffi'ii  ot  -in-  Wttyne 

\        •        .      '    '  ■.     .'ti»r  iij  tj.,^  \v(jrk  rt  ail  tiirt'<    i'rateir''ties 

'  •       o   '      tj.rm.     l!f*  is  a  ni*  mht^''  ot'  i!  ;•  Hcutr  I  uf 

•  >  ■•  "•    "i-H,  ,ii    1  .    .    -•    .'  -    ,'.<  "ti  Will  till'  M;»soTH<'  r'*a*f'rnj^y. 

P-M-j.-r  »  ;.  •  >..-■  .:  \i'  !a  >t-i^-'rt.  (.t  I)*  iiui<  J^oi  li  are  iin-nibei-s 
.♦  St.  .1. -',M  ^  i  '  ,  •  .'  :i  .'  ijrii.  'Mi(i  jxjjJii'ar  J';j<*1oi's  ni  social  f'in'les 
iSrs-  '.^. '..  . 

V'  M  ^'^  I'..  K*'   '.i\.-MN.     ()ii  January  ^. n,  ls«;2,  was  born  to  J«>hn  an*l 

M    -'^    V'  '.« .  I,  ••  iiuMins'tn  a  son.  'I'.K^nnt^  K    Rol»ins''n.      rhe  ]>ai''^nts  had 

I     »'   1  .    !>'i;uit    l'r,>)h    Knuiiind  r* '>   \*.irs   bcfoio,   a]ni   ^hr  oth^'r   three 

■  '     1.'.  ■  f   'M-^  Jainil,\    wen*  horn  in  th«'ir  i)arents'  nativ«*  country.     At 

*'      '   ' -•    "t*   '1  nomas"  ])jrth,   tie    faiiiily  w^re   iivintr  on   Orleans  s(reet. 

•^  •      •.-.•ived  \.:<  •dn^-'tirn  in  tli»'    -'ts    jitteiidjuj/  tne  ^rrade  ^^'houls 

'  I    ;-       .-;  t  i.'ii  -''i.M,  i       \t  t     •  "opiph-tion  ol  ii\>  worK  in  stdio*.},  he  Wiis 

•  '  ■•loN'.i   w;'.'     .'s-  I'",        '      -s.  a^  an  otiic*  assistant.     Later  he  took  up 

tl»'  M.iNiware  n:  *:«  .    .,     i..     -^  .v  smuh  put  at  tii(^  h -ad  v>t'  AI.  A.  M<'Piier- 

.^(•n's  sn>)e       :  ,  :s  >_■«  » !..'■'    a    I'^nn-lry   loo,   and   as  he   iiked    Mr. 

Hohii:s<.M 's  e*V.  .-M-. '•  i  -  .".  -  ut  ;  .'i,<'h  <':  i»iisi'i*>^,  ln»  seleettd  the  yountr 
man  to  Ix*  siipf'n* -;  u.  "t  and  1-  !*  "•  ..  tlu'  of'ie*»  and  tue  I'ouiidry. 
As  louL'  as  Air  .vl'dM,-rN(.n  was  m  '  ■■  s-.  Air.  Koinn^nn  held  tliis  posi- 
tion. Til's  was  for  r'»ont  tive  y*':\r<  ,  .  -■  'J  tlif  end  (>f  that  time,  I  e  tor)k 
i-(i:'/tr«'  of  tliM  tinan.-e.s  oi'  the  Ai.u*!i.-;ui  liialir  Company  and  was  nian- 
r'u'-  r  of  that  eon«'<'i  n-  for  four  y<  ars. 

\\  I  .-n    Mr.    l\<»i'ins«>n    !<  ft   the   A^i'e/ ■  a»i    llrater   (t.itipany,   he   went 

.    ■    '  o^in(\v-  for  hio.M  If    nvNt  on  h\'nKin  pi  i*-*'  and  th^n  on  Alilwaukee 

o.    .'5't?i.      llei-e  lu'  e-iaoljsh'-!   aiid   roiK'ijcr.d   *h(*  phiiit    koown   as   the 

y,      i;\\.si'rn  b'onndry  and  S:i[>p]y  Comnanv,  rejuainujtr  n^  tnis  liusin^-.-s 

.J.-'  .   his  dt-atli  .>n  Jannai'y    10.   i;*!)^,  his  fo-i^'sixtl*   birilulay. 

'I'r.  i  !•■  <"r  orf  in  its  mi.Nt  was  one  of  si!^«::;,ir'  t>»  \\v*r  ati  1  intlni-nee. 
To  ni^"^'!.-'  '  osiiiess  abiiitv,  Mr.  K'ol'jusoti  ao.i  d  ihe  (pnd;ta'<  of  social 
and  p'-'  !'-ad.t*ish^p.     lie,  was  a  Hr]»un'!ran  of  :zr>  at   iniii-'Mt'*    iij  Ins 

partv   •     •...  I' ition.  ha\  Iu    woald  ne\'f  r  eonsent  :«»  he  f-andidat*'  for  any 

ofi i!    Me  Methodist  ehuT'di-  -the  North   Woodwanl  •  oni^retzation — 

h«  was  a  vain.'!  e()nununieant  and  in  the  lodf^e  circles  of  Detroit,  iio 
man  was  mor^  widely  know^n. 


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'y/irr))iaii    V.   'yirtH/idr^h 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1257 

Mrs.  Robinson's  father  and  mother,  David  P.  and  Catherine  Hicks 
Hartford,  came  to  Detroit  from  Canada  about  1880,  and  their  only 
daughter,  Wilmot,  became  the  wife  of  Thomas  Robinson  December  16, 
1886.  There  were  four  children  born  of  this  union  as  follows:  Edwin, 
who  is  advertising  manager  of  the  Penberthy  Company;  Regina  Pearl, 
now  Mrs.  Arthur  Gibson,  her  husband  being  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
oldest  families  of  Detroit ;  and  Leroy  Percival  and  Russel  Alger,  who  are 
still  at  home.  The  family  are  members  of  the  church  to  which  the 
father  belonged,  the  North  Woodward  Methodist.  Mrs.  Robinson  is  a 
member  of  the  Rebekah  lodge  and  of  the  Keystone  Chapter. 

Clarence  A.  Pfepper,  treasurer  of  the  Chalmers  Motor  Company, 
was  bom  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  March  30,  1886.  He  obtained  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  and  at  Steele  high  school,  where  he  became  the 
organizer  of  the  Gaval  Literary  Society,  which  has  developed  into  one 
of  the  most  influential  organizations  of  that  institution.  At  the  end 
of  his  junior  year  he  left  high  school  to  enter  the  Jacobs  Business  Col- 
lege of  Dayton. 

Mr.  Pfeflfer  began  his  active  business  career  in  1904,  when  he  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Piatt  Iron  Works  in  a  minor  capacity.  In  less  than 
two  years,  he  had  worked  up  to  the  position  of  cashier  and  assistant 
auditor  of  this  company.  In  1906  he  severed  his  connection  with  the 
Piatt  Iron  Works  to  become  traveling  auditor  for  a  public  accounting 
firm.  He  resigned  from  this  position  two  years  later  and  went  to  Detroit 
as  assistant  auditor  of  the  E.  R.  Thomas  Motor  Company.  When  this 
firm  was  reorganized  as  the  Chalmers  Motor  Company  in  1908,  Mr. 
Pfeffer  was  made  auditor  of  the  new  company,  and  in  the  fall  of  the 
following  year  was  elected  treasurer  and  a  member  of  the  board  of  di- 
rectors, which  position  he  holds  at  the  present  time.  Mr.  Pfeflfer  is  also 
a  director  of  the  Metal  Products  Company  and  of  the  Pairview  Foundry 
Company  of  Detroit. 

Mr.  Pfeflfer  was  married  at  Dayton,  Ohio,  October  7,  1909. 

Hon.  Edwin  Denby,  prominent  lawyer  and  public  man  of  Detroit, 
is  a  native  of  southern  Indiana,  born  in  the  city  of  Evansville,  Vander- 
burg  county,  on  February  18,  1870.  He  is  the  son  of  the  late  Hon. 
Charles  Denby,  who  was  for  many  years  prominent  at  the  Indiana  Bar, 
and  later  in  life  was  a  distinguished  member  of  our  diplomatic  corps. 
Colonel  Denby  was  a  native  of  the^  Old  Dominion,  born  in  Botetourt 
county,  and  was  descended  from  an  old  Virginia  family.  He  was  edu- 
cated at  the  Virginia  Military  Institute,  at  Lexington,  and  Georgetown 
University,  District  of  Columbia.  He  taught  school  for  a  time  in  Ala- 
bama, then  located  in  EvansviUe,  Indiana,  where  he  continued  teaching 
for  a  period,  till  in  1854  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Indiana  House 
of  Representatives.  Thereafter  he  fitted  himself  for  the  legal  profession 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law  in 
Evansville.  When  the  war  between  the  states  came  on  Colonel  Denby, 
like  many  another  Southern  bom  man  of  southern  Indiana,  espoused 
the  cause  of  the  Union,  and  enlisting,  was  commissioned  in  1861  lieuten- 
ant-colonel of  the  Forty-second  Regiment  of  Indiana  Volunteers.  In 
the  battle  of  Perryville  he  was  twice  wounded  and  had  his  horse  shot 
from  under  him.  In  1863  he  was  commissioned  colonel  of  the  Eightieth 
Regiment,  Indiana  Volunteers  Infantry,  and  commanded  it  until  retired 
for  disability.  Returning  to  Indiana  after  the  war  he  resumed  the 
practice  of  law,  and  soon  became  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  and  public 
men  of  Indiana.  In  1885  President  Cleveland  appointed  Colonel  Denby 
United  States  minister  to  China,  where  he  continued  for  a  period  of  thir- 

VgL  m— 27 


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1258  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

teen  years,  gaining  distinction  and  high  reputation  in  the  diplomatic 
corps,  and  reflecting  great  credit  upon  his  government.  He  died  at 
Jamestown,  New  York,  in  1904,  while  on  a  trip  through  the  east. 

Colonel  Denby  married  Martha  Fitch,  who  was  bom  in  Indiana, 
the  daughter  of  United  States  Senator-  Graham  N.  Fitch. 

Edwin  Denby  attended  the  Evansville  public  schools,  and  as  a  boy 
of  fifteen  years  went  with  his  parents  to  China,  in  1885.  Completing 
his  education  in  that  country,  he  entered  the  customs  service  of  China 
under  Sir  Robert  Hart,  in  1887,  and  remained  in  the  service  in  China 
for  seven  years.  Returning  to  the  United  States,  Mr.  Denby  entered  the 
law  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated with  the  class  of  '96,  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  Upon  his  admission 
to  the  bar  he  began  the  practice  of  law  in  Detroit,  and  for  a  time  was 
associated  with  the  law  firm  of  Keena  &  Lightner.  After  a  period  of 
individual  practice  he  became  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  May,  Denby 
&  Webster,  now  the  firm  of  Chamberlain,  May,  Denby  &  Webster. 

During  the  Spanish-American  war  Mr.  Denby  volunteered  and  served 
for  a  period  of  four  months,  in  1898,  as  gunners'  mate,  third  class,  on 
the  United  States  Steamship  *'Yosemite,"  receiving  his  honorable  dis- 
charge on  August  23,  1898,  and  returning  to  his  profession. 

In  1902  Mr.  Denby  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Michigan  House  of 
Representatives,  in  which  body  he  served  one  term.  In  1904  he  was 
elected  to  the  lower  house  of  Congress  for  the  First  Michigan  Congres- 
sional District,  and  was  twice  re-elected  to  that  body,  serving  with  disr 
tinction  and  honor.  In  May,  1908,  Mr.  Denby  was  chosen  one  of  two 
American  representatives  on  the  commission  appointed  to  effect  a  settle- 
ment of  questions  in  regard  to  prices  and  titles  of  lands  held  by  private 
parties  in  the  Panama  Isthmian  Canal  zone,  and  with  the  commission, 
passed  a  portion  of  that  summer  on  the  Isthmus. 

Since  his  retirement  from  congress,  Mr.  Denby  has  devoted  himself 
to  his  profession  and  to  various  business  interests  with  which  he  is 
associated.  On  March  18,  1911,  he  married  Miss  Marion  B.  Thurber, 
who  is  the  daughter  of  the  late  Henry  T.  Thurber,  of  Detroit,  formerly 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  Dickinson  &  Thurber,  and  private  secretary  to 
President  Cleveland,  1892-96.     They  have  one  son,  Edwin  Denby,  Jr. 

Oren  Scotten.  Not  only  in  the  development  of  the  western  end  of 
the  city,  but  of  the  central  business  portion  as  well  is  the  name  of 
Scotten  prominent.  Daniel  Scotten,  whose  tobaccos  were  known  from 
one  end  of  the  United  States  to  the  other,  and  whose  real  estate  enter- 
prises were  talked  of  in  Detroit  and  across  the  river,  had  an  able  lieu- 
tenant in  his  nephew,  Oren  Scotten,  who  not  only  carried  the  mantle  cast 
upon  his  shoulders  by  Daniel  Scotten,  but  wrested  from  the  tobacco 
trust  the  Scotten  plant,  restored  to  Detroit  a  most  important  industry 
and  carved  for  himself  a  niche  in  the  hall  of  local  fame. 

Born  at  Palmyra,  New  York,  July  15,  1850,  the  son  of  Walter  and 
Almeda  (Parker)  Scotten,  when  a  young  child  he  came  with  his  parents 
to  Quincy,  Michigan,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools.  He  came  to 
Detroit  when  about  sixteen  years  of  age  and  entered  the  tobacco  busi- 
ness with  his  uncle,  Daniel  Scotten,  whose  sketch  will  be  found  else- 
where in  this  work.  He  learned  the  business  thoroughly  in  all  depart- 
ments and  was  a  trusted  aide  to  the  originator  of  the  immense  business, 
and  when  about  twenty-five  years  of  age  took  entire  charge  of  the  prop- 
erty. The  business  was  about  to  go  under  and  his  uncle  told  him  to  take 
it  and  make  what  he  could  out  of  it.  By  hard  work  and  ceaseless  effort 
he  rebuilded  it  upon  a  firm  foundation  and  worked  up  a  splendid  trade, 
a  trade  that  had  never  been  excelled  in  the  palmiest  days  of  the  enter- 
prise. 


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\  ■  -  ITTnToKV  of  DKTKniT 

r.»*'n  \  •  M>.  :'.  .  ..;  fii>i  «;irt loii  .ii.a  \\\^U  rf[)utat ion  ir.  \i,*  •]  ..;.  --wil'*' 
''"p<.  ;iiH<  1  :<'i..ijr  ^*:  .'-  rrt'.iit  ii}M)u  his  ti-ovi^'MiiJit)!*  11-  .•  '.  ,il 
-),i.ib'-''M'. !.     \'  .     J   "k.  \u  ]\n)4,  w'h.'''  (»!i  'I  ti'if)  lUroUL'li  t'l.    *  .<  ' 

I  <*.<  ■    I    I*.'*  nii!'(l    "vlai'ttui    f'ltc't.    who   ur.^    boi  n    ii.    I'l'    aM;i. 

Ill-    ;.i;i."-  •  •  :•*    »  '    *ti;   ^:;i'v'>  ^"tiator  <iraham   N     I'lT-h. 

h-  i  ^  ■      ••  '  '.     ai'it'.  i  (•  tl'*'   K\ar)sviiit'  puMi'-  schools,  and  us  a  hoy 

;>t'  '  :  ..•       ■     -«   -'-'t    v.iii   l,!s  pa'-*Tits  to  ( Miina,   in   l^'^."'^     < '«)iti|>h^ting 

1  .>      ''.     ' .'  ..   i:.   .    ..»  ••')untr\,  i  •'  •li^dN  d  tiif  (•\i.«'t,).n^  st-rvicf  of  ^'liina 

uwii    •      ■*    i^•'    ••'    .i.trt    in   L^^'. .  ami  i-MMaJtM'il  in  Mic  vtMvic*'  in  <  liina 

lor  ^     •  Ii      '.    •       /   ;m?  nu.i  :<•  tl  t'  [nitiMi  Statis.  Air    i>"Mhy  f'utt-n'fl  the 

'••»'    .'.,*»    '.'     '  111"  I  M.\«  'SI!  V  t.r  .M  icji'tran,  1"?'mm  vhirti  lie  w,'^  firadu- 

•   ••■  -.' .'^  t»f  'jo.  V  iMi  t  lit'  d'L'*'*''  •'?'  LI..  H.     rpo!    i.'s  ailiaisH'on 

■  1m  lt-aO  II,,'  [)ia«t''''  fi!    law   in  l'rin»'t.  anti   '■••  a  li'iie  was 

.     '      •>'!'   liir'  1,'\\    In-ni  <>:    l\.tJ'a  tV    I  iizhtiU'T'.       Vf't-r  a   p*'tiod  of 

;i',.<'ti''"    lit'  *"''a".     'I  mifnh«  r  ol"  ih'    l.iA   hrni  of  May,  l)(Mil»y 

•  'i   ^p.'T  -i-    *  -,..1  \\'.r  Ml .  Ii"j.|!>   v(dMntt't'r«'d  and  scrviMl 

*'<••!■  i.'   l^^'.s,  as  «.'HKit»    s'  matt',  third  olass,  on 

■  '   ^    .     -    ■  ;    ■    \'oNi'i;uU', "   i-tf'fi\ihi/  his  lnmorahlf^  di^- 

"»d   rttniii.n^  t(j  1  i>  pio*'"SNi<)n. 
-    .'.  N  ,':     ',  <  a  h  "!iJn-r  of  Mu'  Miii..:>'i.i   Ilonst'  of 

.  ■         .,..'.'.   »-  ..       I.    t.   I      '•"  vM'Vt'd   on<*  1' no       In    1^04    he  wa.s 

.  <  :•  i  tf.  .(:•  •-■•!-  1.  ni>t'  of  (  '-I  .it*s.s  fo'*  tiH'  l*;i<-  Miriiitra'i  1  t>nL'i'»'s- 
.-iio:;;i  l/'-t  i.i.  '.d  was  twirt  r  eli^rti'd  tf>  th-"^  ')c;(iy.  .s«r\ii<:.'  wit))  dis- 
tiO'-tioo  H'l  i  '  *).i<i".  In  May  ''.»i)^.  Mr.  D^M-'-y  \v;is  cho^f  i-  on*  of  tuo 
AiU' ■•:- -iji  ]•  p:-' N.-iiTativos  »'.-  '  "  cono'iiss'tui  app'>nitt  d  to  offi'*-*  i  sfMh^- 
nu-r*!  .  <,'..'^L.  n,  in  I'ot''  •  '  *o  pri""s  a!hi  tiller  «)t  iar 'In  'WMtl  ■  [.M\at(* 
i>arti.  s  »n  to-  PanaMu;  •-  u.an  (  at  al  /.(jO!'.  and  \vith  tho  rton.'  '-Mon, 
i'M.s^' :i  a  portio!!  of  1"'.  •        .■unuT  <»n  t|,o  j^^iuius. 

*^i;'oo  Li.-.  rrTircoi^i'     'oni  (•t)n^n'tss,  Mr.   !>•  ni»v  has  dtV(»tod  ianisolf 
h>    tiw    prof''s>:on    a  o    \'arious    hos  jk --^    iotrrt-sts    with    \\hi<-h    ho    is 

assoriatod.  ()ji  y  .  18.  KHJ,  lio  inarrl  t.  Miss  M'.Mon  1^.  Thn-I  rr, 
vvt,.)  is  tio'  Oau.''  *  \  tlio  lato  Iloi.ry  T.  'l'hur))or.  «»f  I)ot?*o]t,  ti  ■*  Morly 
a  *;f't.'hor  of  .  .'  of  Ditlijoson  &  Thurhor,  ai  d  jn'iva^'  s«n  -    'Jiry  to 

;'•  ••    '«  .<r   '  ..     1>^!»*J 'a;.     Ihoy   have  on«'  son.    K<hvin    i'   ooy.  *]r. 

»•  ^       ''i'.\   m  t.it    <h'\t  lopintiit  (d'  tho  v    ^ft  I'n  ond  of 

'      r  •  •■  •      i    'Mi-iiios   poj-tlon   as   Well    i**    !"o   nani"-   (.f 

>,":■'        .  r       ;),..--.     .'t-n.   whoso  tohaot-os  w   re   Inu  ^' n    from 

on"  "•  .  'iio  I  '.!''d  ^  ■  -.  t"  Jhe  oM'fM'.  and  whosf  real  osTio.-  '-j-t'-r 
pris.-  'o  tallo  ({  n\   ii.   !  .••'.le!   a;al  a-  "•  s  tho  rivor.  I:  id  an  a'-ie  iitni- 

1«  n:,  .1  his  nephow.  ( >i*  i,  .->  •  »m.o.  »  <.  le.t  oidy  earrii  d  tin-  lonntlo  <'ast 
01'"  l-'s  slioidders  !■>  ]>anioi  >■  ,•  r,_  |*ut  Avroslod  f  mi.i  tl;o  t.^^ao'^M* 
:  .  tho  Seottm  I  .  •'  t,  rtst'n'oi  ».  I  >■  roi»  a  most  nnpoitard  ni'lnslry 
.-  '    i  t'arvtMJ  for  h"'      -if  a  nndi*-  !:i     Jn'  h;  !1  o*   local  faiM". 

iiorn  at   Pa;.   ..  nj.  New  V^rk.  .|u]\    1.'.   t^oc,   iho  son  of   W  ;•  •.•■•  a,.] 
\  Mt'MJa  (Par'    ■      SeotttMi.  >>  nen  a  vonftir  <  hild  ht*  oaiiio  with  liis  :  '.:.mts 
.  .  i^I'dncy    ^\  -i.i^ran.  w!'.  • .-  lie  altorJt'tl  t'  e    >  il»li(;  s<'hools.     U       .  .o-    :•■ 
'  't.i'    v'>n   ahont  sixw-en  \oars  of  aj.    anil  '^nt»rod  the  U^  •  '  i'-  hn.-^ 
•  *  ^-    .'     ■.    his   lui' h-.    I>ainel    Seotton,   wUttso  --kv  t-di    wdl    b-    fonnd   »     • 
\*.''.     .    this  wnik.     He  leaj-notl   tho  hnsinoss  i'.or->nt.rlJ\-  in  all  do, 

'  d  \.as  a  trnstol  aido  t**  )!.«>  oriui"ator  k)\'  0>'  ininonso  ler^    .  -^, 
•  '  a'tt.ut  tw  ntydive  \ears  of  a^^*    took  fntifo  eharire  o*  1'.*    (^  \ 
T'.'  I'ljN-nt  ss  \\a^  ahont  to  t-'o  under  and  his  uurU   tohl  .".  .1 
T  eod  ni.'^  .'  w  [.at  iio  otjiild  ont  t>f  it.     P\v  hard  work  and     t- .m  it-^*^  .  ■"  -  t 
hi   rohnio:.d  it  npon  a  tinn  foundation  aiol  workod  »..)  a  N])itMitii  I  i  -ado, 
a  tradi'  that  iuol  novor  boon  oxoolhHl  in  tin*  paltn^'^r  days  of  u      r'ntcr- 
prise. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1259 

About  three  weeks  before  the  death  of  his  uncle,  Daniel  Seotten, 
the  business  and  plant  were  sold  to  the  American  Tobacco  Company  and 
Oi-en  Seotten  temporarily  retired  from  active  business  life.  In  response 
to  the  earnest  request  of  Detroit  business  men,  and  from  a  feeling  that 
the  hundreds  of  employes  would  be  benefited  by  the  reopening  of  the 
plant,  which  was  shut  down  when  purchased  by  the  American  Tobacco 
Company,  he  negotiated  for  the  repurchase  of  the  plant  and  formed 
what  was  then  known  as  the  Scotten-Dillon  Company.  It  was  uniformly 
successful  from  the  start,  and  he  continued  in  active  charge  of  the  busi- 
ness up  to  the  time  of  his  death  which  occurred  September  23,  1906. 
The  business,  under  the  old  name,  is  still  in  active  and  successful  opera- 
tion. 

Mr.  Seotten,  whose  remains  now  rest  in  Woodmere  cemetery,  was 
a  prominent  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 
He  served  as  fire  commissioner  and  was  much  interested  in  the  depart- 
ment, doing  much  toward  bringing  it  up  to  its  present  splendid  state  of 
eflBciency.  He  was  also  a  valued  member  of  the  Detroit  Board  of 
Estimates.  He  was  a  Baptist  by  profession  and  was  greatly  interested 
in  all  benevolent  and  charitable  work,  being  a  liberal  contributor  in  that 
direction.  His  main  interest  centered  in  his  splendid  home  on  Fort 
street  near  Vinewood  avenue.  It  is  a  work  of  art  and  his  grounds  and 
greenhouses  are  the  admiration  of  all  who  pass  by  and  through  them. 
He  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary  Clark  McGregor,  daughter  of  Alex- 
ander and  Rebecca  (Brown)  McGregor,  who  were  both  bom  at  Glasgow, 
Scotland.  The  marriage  took  place  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  May  15,  1873. 
As  a  result  of  this  happy  union  eight  children  were  born  as  follows: 
Rebecca,  married  Paul  M.  Day,  and  one  daughter,  Ruth,  was  bom  to 
that  union ;  seven  years  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Day  the  widow  married 
Dr.  Angus  McLean,  and  to  that  marriage  were  born  two  daughters, 
Marion  and  Bessie,  of  whom  the  latter  died  on  July  13,  1912. 

Walter,  who  succeeded  his  father  in  the  Scotten-Dillon  Company, 
married  Miss  Edith  Morton,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Virginia  Mary. 

Bessie  Marjorie,  married  Edwin  S.  George. 

Daniel  lives  with  his  mother,  and  is  interested  in  the  Scotten-Dillon 
Company. 

Marion  Clark  married  Harold  H.  Emmons,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren, Harold  Hunter,  Jr.,  and  Mary  Margaret. 

Oren,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years.  Priscilla  at  home  with 
her  mother,  and  Robert  McGregor,  a  student  at  Yale  University. 

Mrs.  Scotteji  has  been  a  resident  of  Detroit  since  1873,  and  has  lived 
in  her  present  stately  mansion  for  twenty  years,  ever  since  it  w^as  built 
under  the  personal  direction  of  Mr.  Seotten.  It  is  situated  in  the  central 
front  of  five  and  one-half  acres  of  land  and  is  considered  the  finest  resi- 
dence in  the  west  end  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Seotten 's  death  was  sudden  and  unexpected.  He  was  seized  with 
an  attack  of  pneumonia  when  out  with  a  hunting  party  about  forty  miles 
north  of  Perth,  New  Brunswick,  which  resulted  fatally. 

The  Detroit  Free  Press  in  commenting  upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Seotten, 
says:  **From  the  starting  point  of  nothing  for  capital  excepting  pluck 
and  sense,  he  reached  the  rank  of  millionaire,  of  an  esteemed  citizen  and 
brilliant  business  man.  He  was  the  first  man  at  work  in  the  factory  in 
the  morning  and  the  last  to  leave  at  night,  thus  developing  a  knowledge 
of  tobacco  that  excited  the  admiration  of  the  growers,  expert  in  aU 
respects.  In  addition  to  his  interest  in  political  and  municipal  affairs, 
he  was  devoted  to  art  and  a  thorough  sportsman.  His  beautiful  home  on 
Fort  street  is  filled  with  art  treasures,  skins,  and  other  trophies  of  the 
chase.  Mr.  Seotten  held  the  presidency  of  the  fire  commission  for  two 
years  and  there  was  a  genuine  friendship  between  him  and  the  men.    He 


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1260  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

was  universally  liked  and  respected  and  his  loss  is  a  serious  one  to  the 
city  of  Detroit.'' 

John  J.  Whirl.  For  the  past  ten  years  John  J.  Whirl  has  been 
connected  with  the  Employers*  Association  of  Detroit  in  the  capacity 
of  secretary,  a  position  for  which  he  is  especially  well  qualified  by  rea- 
son of  his  rounded  character,  his  comprehensive  viewpoint,  and  his 
general  understanding  and  sympathetic  nature.  He  is  a  man  of 
splendid  integrity,  who  enjoys  the  friendship  and  respect  of  all  who 
loiow  him,  and  his  connection  with  the  organization  has  proved  of  in- 
calculable value  and  far  reaching  benefit  to  both  capital  and  labor. 

John  J.  Whirl  was  bom  at  Coshocton,  Ohio,  on  July  30,  1860,  and  is 
the  son  of  John  and  Annie  Whirl.  John  Whirl,  the  father  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  enlisted  and  served  nearly  four  years  during  the 
Civil  war,  and,  as  a  result  of  that  service,  contracted  the  disease  which 
so  decimated  the  ranks,  and  died  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  while  on  his  way 
home  from  the  front. 

In  the  year  1865  the  family,  consisting  of  John  J.  Whirl  and  his 
mother,  removed  from  Ohio  to  Chicago  and  thence  to  Kankakee  county, 
Illinois,  where  young  Whirl  received  his  early  education  in  the  public 
schools.  In  1868  the  mother  of  Mr.  Whirl  married  Capt.  Randolph 
Grimes,  of  Michigan,  who  had  also  served  with  distinction  throughout 
the  war,  and  the  family  continued  to  reside  in  Kankakee  county  until 
1878,  when  they  removed  to  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  where  Mr.  John  J.  Whirl 
remained  until  1881.  He  learned  his  trade  at  the  tinner's  bench  prior 
to  the  latter  date,  when  he  went  to  Chicago  and  became  connected  with 
John  D.  Bangs  &  Co.,  a  general  house  furnishing  firm,  one  of  the  oldest 
and  most  substantial  in  the  metropolis  of  the  middle  west.  Remaining 
with  this  firm  one  year,  he  became  identified  with  Mason  &  Davis 
Company  of  Chicago,  with  whom  he  remained  fifteen  years  until  failure 
of  the  firm,  when  he  was  appointed  receiver.  His  administration  of  its 
affairs  resulted  in  the  preferred  creditors  receiving  one  hundred  cents 
on  the  dollar,  and  the  other  creditors  ninety  cents  on  the  dollar,  after 
which  Mr.  Whirl  reorganized  the  firm  on  a  sound  basis  and  remained 
with  it  a  year.  In  1898,  John  J.  Whirl  came  to  Detroit  with  the  Ideal 
Manufacturing  Co.,  in  charge  of  the  gas  stove  department  of  that  com- 
pany. He  continued  in  that  capacity  until  the  summer  of  1902  when 
he  became  secretary  of  the  Employers'  Association  of  Detroit,  an  or- 
ganization that  was  inaugurated  at  that  time  with  but  sixteen  mem- 
bers, but  which  today  is  conceded  to  be  the  strongest  organization  of 
its  kind  in  the  country,  and  is  further  conceded  by  those  who  have 
looked  into  the  matter,  to  have  done  more  perhaps  than  any  other  one 
factor  in  the  business  life  of  the  city  to  regulate  industrial  conditions, 
and  which  has  secured  to  the  city  a  stage  of  industrial  quiet  which  has 
radiated  a  benign  infiuence  throughout  its  length  and  breadth. 

Mr.  Whirl  was  married  at  Chicago,  Illinois,  on  October  9,  1884,  to 
Miss  Emma  Sparks,  and  as  a  result  of  that  union  they  have  four  children 
now  living  as  follows : 

Carl  Johnson  Whirl,  aged  27,  who  is  married  and  has  a  daughter. 
He  is  successfully  engaged  in  general  commercial  business  in  Detroit. 

Harry  Randolph  Whirl,  aged  25,  who  is  married  and  is  connected 
with  the  employment  department  of  one  of  Cleveland's  leading  manu- 
facturing industries. 

Alvin  Mason  Whirl,  aged  22,  who  is  at  Phoenix,  Arizona^  connected 
with  the  beet  sugar  industry  of  that  place. 

Helen  Sparks  Whirl,  aged  17  years,  who  attended  Liggett  College 
for  two  years,  and  who  is  now  attending  the  National  Park  Seminary 
at  Forest  Glen,  Maryland. 


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HISTORY  OF  DETROIT  1261 

John  J.  Whirl  is  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Golf  Club,  Fellowcraft 
Club,  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce,  Detroit  Automobile  Club,  Wolverine 
Club,  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  Dearborn  Lodge  310,  F. 
&  A.  M.  of  Illinois,  Palestine  Chapter  and  Lafayette  Chapter,  R.  A.  M. 
of  Chicago,  Chevalier  Bayard  Commandery,  Knights  Templar,  Chicago, 
and  by  demit  of  Detroit  Commandery  No.  1  of  Detroit.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Michigan  Sovereign  Consistory,  Scottish  Rite  Masons, 
and  of  Moslem  Temple,  Noble  Order  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  of  Detroit. 

William  C.  Manchester.  The  world  instinctively  pays  deference 
to  the  man  whose  success  has  been  worthily  achieved  and  whose  promi- 
nence is  not  the  less  the  result  of  an  irreproachable  life  than  of  natural 
talents  and  acquired  ability  in  the  field  of  his  chosen  labor.  For  the 
past  fourteen  years  William  C.  Manchester  has  been  actively  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  law  at  Detroit,  where  he  is  a  man  of  mark  in  all  the 
relations  of  life.  He  has  been  eminently  successful  as  an  attorney  of 
recognized  ability,  served  as  a  member  of  the  constitutional  convention 
of  1907-08  and  has  ever  manifested  a  deep  and  sincere  interest  in  all 
matters  pertaining  to  the  good  of  the  Republican  party,  of  whose  prin- 
ciples he  has  long  been  a  zealous  and  active  exponent.  Mr.  Manchester 
was  a  member  of  the  National  Republican  convention,  which  nominated 
President  in  1908,  and  in  1911  was  a  member  of  the  Republican  State 
Central  committee. 

A  native  of  the  fine  old  Buckeye  state  of  the  Union,  William  C.  Man- 
chester was  bom  at  Canfield,  in  Mahoning  county,  Ohio,  on  the  25th  of 
December,  1873.  He  is  a  son  of  Hugh  A.  and  Susan  Rosannah  (Squire) 
Manchester,  both  of  whom  are  now  passing  the  declining  years  of  their 
lives  at  Canfield.  The  father  began  his  active  career  as  a  rural  school 
teacher  and  later  became  interested  in  farming  and  banking.  Through 
shrewd  management  he  built  up  a  competency  and  he  is  now  living  in 
virtual  retirement  at  Canfield,  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hugh  A.  Man- 
chester became  the  parents  of  seven  children,  six  of  whom  are  living  at 
the  present  time,  namely, — two  girls  and  four  boys. 

William  C.  Manchester  obtained  his  elementary  educational  training 
in  the  public  schools  of  Canfield,  Ohio,  and  as  a  youth  he  attended  the 
Northeastern  Ohio  Normal  College,  at  Canfield,  being  graduated  in  thai 
excellent  institution  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1894,  with  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts.  Subsequently  he  was  matriculated  as  a  student  in 
the  University  of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor,  in  the  law  department  of 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1896,  duly  receiving  his  well-earned  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Laws.  Immediately  after  completing  his  collegiate  course 
he  took  an  extended  tour  throughout  the  west,  and  upon  his  return  to 
the  east  he  decided  to  establish  his  business  headquarters  at  Detroit, 
where  he  is  recognized  as  a  versatile  lawyer  and  a  well-fortified  counselor. 
From  1902  to  1907  Mr.  Manchester  was  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Man- 
chester &  Prentis  but  since  the  latter  year  he  has  practiced  alone.  In 
politics  he  is  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  cause  of  the  Republican  party, 
in  the  local  councils  of  which  he  has  long  been  an  active  factor.  As  a 
valued  and  appreciative  member  of  the  constitutional  convention  of  1907- 
08  he  helped  draw  up  the  new  state  constitution  and  as  a  member  of  the 
judiciary  committee  of  that  body  he  was  largely  influential  in  bringing 
about  the  conditions  that  resulted  in  the  founding  of  the  juvenile  court. 
In  1908  Mr.  Manchester  was  further  honored  in  a  political  way  by  elec- 
tion to  membership  in  the  National  Republican  convention,  which  met  at 
Chicago  and  nominated  William  Taft  for  president.  Since  1910  he  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Republican  State  Central  committee  and  in  every 
manner  possible  has  forwarded  the  good  of  the  Republican  party. 


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1262  HISTORY  OP  DETROIT 

At  Bay  City,  Michigan,  on  the  27th  of  December,  1899,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Manchester  to  Miss  Margaret  MacGregor,  a  native 
of  Bay  City  and  a  daughter  of  Duncan  and  Martha  (MacDonald)  Mac- 
Gregor. Mrs.  Manchester  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  Philosophy  from  the  University  of  Michigan  in  1896,  the  same  year 
in  which  Mr.  Manchester  completed  his  law  course  in  that  institution. 
Their  college  friendship  later  ripened  into  love  which  led  to  consumma- 
tion in  marriage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Manchester  are  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren, whose  names  are  here  entered  in  respective  order  of  birth, — Hugh 
A.,  II,  Mary  Katherine,  William  C,  Jr.,  Helen  Margaret  and  Susan 
Rosannah,  all  of  whom  were  bom  in  Detroit  except  Hugh,  a  native  of 
Canfield,  Ohio.  The  attractive  Manchester  home  is  maintained  at  No. 
219  Vinewood  avenue  avenue  and  there  is  dispensed  the  most  gracious  of 
hospitality. 

In  Masonic  circles  Mr.  Manchester  is  affiliated  with  Corinthian  Lodge, 
Free  &  Accepted  Masons;  King  Cyrus  Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons; 
and  Detroit  Commandery  No.  1,  Knights  Templar.  He  is  also  connected 
with  the  Kappa  Sigma  college  fraternity  and  is  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce.  He  is  a  man  of  splendid  intellect 
and  broad  information ;  is  a  great  lover  and  deep  student  of  literature, 
all  his  leisure  time  being  devoted  to  extensive  reading  and  research  work. 
In  their  religious  faith  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Manchester  are  members  of  the 
Fort  Street  Presbyterian  church  and  they  are  popular  and  prominent 
factors  in  connection  with  the  best  social  activities  of  the  community  in 
which  they  reside. 

Thomas  H.  Simpson.  This  is  the  age  of  the  man  with  initiative — of 
the  man  who  not  only  has  ideas  but  knows  how  to  develop  them  for 
practical  use,  and  at  the  same  time  has  the  ability  to  organize  and  carry 
forward  any  enterprise  he  may  inaugurate.  Such  a  man  is  Thomas  H. 
Simpson,  president,  treasurer  and  general  manager  of  the  Michigan 
Malleable  Iron  Company  of  Detroit,  whose  genius  as  an  organizer  and 
splendid  ability  as  an  executive  have  so  materially  contributed  to  the 
prestige  held  by  Detroit  in  the  industrial  world.  His  work  is,  and  has 
always  been,  along  the  line  of  iron  and  steel  manufacture,  and  he  has 
been  a  potent  factor  in  giving  to  Detroit  her  fame  as  a  manufacturing 
city  from  which  some  of  the  finest  products  of  iron  and  steel  are  sent 
broadcast  throughout  the  world,  while  his  work  has  earned  for  himself 
recognition  as  one  of  the  city's  most  successful  men  of  large  affairs  and 
a  reputation  as  an  iron  and  steel  authority  which  extends  all  over  the 
country. 

Mr.  Simpson  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  at  McConnelsville,  that  state, 
in  1859.  He  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools,  and  early  in 
life  became  interested  in  the  manufacture  of  iron  and  steel,  and  became 
an  expert  iron  master.  Coming  to  Detroit  he  became  identified  with 
such  men  as  Theodore  Buhl,  Wells  W.  Leggett,  Allan  Bourn,  C.  H. 
Davison  and  H.  B.  Joy,  who  were  then  the  officers  of  the  old  Michigan 
Malleable  Iron  Company.  Later  he  was  joined  by  Senator  James  and 
William  C.  McMillan  in  the  reorganization  of  the  present  Michigan 
Malleable  Iron  Company,  and  the  Delray  plant  was  built  under  Mr. 
Simpson's  supervision,  which  plant  has  become  the  greatest  of  its 
kind  in  the  United  States,  with  an  international  fame  for  the  quality  of 
goods  turned  out.  It  was  not  long  before  Mr.  Simpson  won  his  way  to 
the  front  rank  among  iron  and  steel  manufacturers,  a  place  rightfully 
his,  and  he  is  today  recognized  by  all  men  in  that  line  as  an  authority. 
Combined  with  this  deep  knowledge  of  his  profession  is  a  marked  genius 
for  organization,  a  remarkable  executive  ability  and  a  shrewd  business 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1263 

sense  which  destines  Mr.  Simpson  to  become  one  of  the  greatest  iron  and 
steel  men  in  the  United  States. 

Keen  in  pursuit  of  all  knowledge  that  would  be  useful  to  him,  Mr. 
Simpson  early  saw  the  value  of  seamless  steel  tubes,  and  he  organized 
the  Detroit  Seamless  Tubes  Company,  of  which  he  was  vice-president. 
The  result  of  this  venture  was  that  the  tubes  manufactured  in  the  De- 
troit plant  are  used  in  the  boilers  of  the  battle  ships  of  the  American 
navy,  in  the  battle  ships  of  foreign  nations,  in  the  boilers  of  the  highest 
types  of  locomotives  in  this  and  other  countries,  and  in  the  mines  of  the 
United  States,  of  the  Canadian  northwest  and  of  South  Africa. 

Mr.  Simpson  has  never  been  a  promotor  in  any  sense  of  the  word, 
but  as  an  organizer  he  has  done  as  much,  if  not  more,  than  any  other 
one  Detroit  man  to  build  up  and  develop  the  industrial  interests  of  the 
city.  Aside  from  his  great  work  as  the  head  of  the  Michigan  Malleable 
Iron  Company,  he  has  either  organized  or  assisted  in  the  organization  of 
the  following  manufacturing  companies:  The  Michigan  Sprocket  Chain 
Company,  of  which  he  is  president;  the  Monarch  Steel  Castings  Company, 
with  which  he  is  still  identified ;  the  American  Chain  and  Foundry  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  was  president;  the  Walkerville  (Canada)  Malleable 
Iron  Company,  which  he  built  and  of  which  he  was  vice-president;  the 
Monarch  Brake  Beam  Company,  of  which  he  was  vice-president ;  the  De- 
troit Stoker  Company,  of  which  he  was  president;  the  American  Motor 
Casting  Company;  the  Detroit  Foundry  Company;  the  Wilson  Safety 
Gate  Company,  and  the  Detroit  Valve  Fitting  Company.  He  was  also 
one  of  the  organizers  and  a  director  of  the  Delray  Savings  Bank. 

Possessed  of  great  civic  patriotism,  Mr.  Simpson  has  been  connected 
in  some  manner  with  every  movement  for  the  betterment  of  Detroit  that 
has  been  started,  and  those  movements  he  has  been  most  active  in  have 
almost  invariably  been  successful.  A  man  of  very  strong  character,  he 
is  a  fast  friend  where  friendship  is  deserving  and  a  number  of  success- 
ful men  owe  their  opportunities  to  that  friendship.  Broad  minded,  he 
has  toleration  for  the  faults  of  others,  and  thus  exercises  a  charity  that 
is  not  always  found  in  the  churches. 

Now  possessed  of  a  comfortable  fortune,  and  surrounded  by  lieu- 
tenants who  are  able  and  faithful,  Mr.  Simpson  is  enabled  to  take  a  little 
enjoyment,  and  almost  every  year  he  takes  a  trip  abroad  with  Mrs. 
Simpson,  to  whom  he  is  most  devotedly  attached.  A  constant  and  intel- 
ligent reader,  he  is  one  of  the  best  informed  men  on  general  subjects  to 
be  found.  He  is  especially  interested  in  ancient  history,  and  has  trod 
the  historic  spots  of  the  Orient  with  additional  pleasure,  having  absorbed 
much  knowledge  of  them  from  his  wide  research.  He  is  a  lover  of  art,  and 
he  seldom  returns  to  his  native  land  without  bringing  with  him  some 
treasure  to  adorn  the  walls  of  his  handsome  home,  or  some  piece  of  statu- 
ary t6  be  placed  where  it  will  be  pleasing  to  the  eyes  of  his  many  friends. 
Hospitable,  generous,  a  man  of  fine  sensibilities  and  of  the  strictest 
honor,  Mr.  Simpson  is  loved  by  his  friends  and  respected  and  admired 
by  the  fellow  citizens  of  the  community  in  which  he  lives. 

In  New  York,  on  March  28, 1898,  Mr.  Simpson  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Christine  McDonald,  and  their  married  life  has  been  an  ideal 
one. 

Henry  Guernzie  Hubbard.  This  late  distinguished  scientist,  whose 
work  was  of  national  importance  and  extent,  nevertheless  claimed  no 
other  home  than  Detroit  throughout  the  forty-nine  years  of  his  effec- 
tive life.  In  reviewing  his  career,  it  is  worth  while  first  briefly  to  con- 
sider the  notable  facts  in  the  history  of  his  father,  Bela  Hubbard,  whose 
association  with  the  life  of  this  city  has  been  both  close  and  significant. 


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1264  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

The  Hubbard  family  is  of  English  descent  and  of  early  residence  in 
the  eastern  states.  Thomas  and  Phoebe  Hubbard,  the  parents  of  Bela 
Hubbard  became  a  student  at  Hamilton  College,  preparing  himself  for 
New  York.  In  about  1825  they  removed  to  Utica  in  the  same  state.  Bela 
Hubbard  became  a  student  at  Hamilton  College,  preparing  himself  for 
the  profession  of  a  civil  engineer  and  at  the  same  time  mastering  geolog- 
ical science  and  familiarizing  himself  with  technical  law.  In  1835  he 
came  with  his  older  brother,  Henry,  to  Michigan.  They  were  later  fol- 
lowed by  another  brother,  Frederick,  also  a  civil  engineer,  who  with  Bela 
Hubbard  assisted  in  the  construction  of  both  the  New  York  Central  and 
the  Michigan  Central  railroads.  His  activities  in  this  creative  period  of 
Michigan  also  included  his  practicing  of  law  in  those  early  days  and  his 
services  were  furthermore  called  in  requisition  for  geological  investiga- 
tion in  the  upper  peninsula.  He  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  control 
in  the  state  asylums,  in  which  work  he  took  great  interest.  Bela  Hub- 
bard was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  what  is  now  the  west  end  of  De- 
troit, owning  a  farm  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  He  later  built  a  home  on 
Vineyard  avenue,  a  part  of  that  property,  and  in  his  desire  that  the 
west  end  should  become  tiie  attractive  residence  part  of  the  city,  he 
gave  a  part  of  his  farm  to  the  city  for  the  Grand  boulevard  and  planted 
many  of  the  elm  trees  which  are  now  standing  in  that  part  of  Detroit 
Bela  Hubbard  and  his  wife — nee  Sarah  Baughman  and  the  daughter  of 
the  Rev.  J.  C.  Baughman,  a  pioneer  Methodist  minister  of  Detroit — 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  sons  and  daughters:  Henry  G.,  the 
special  subject  of  this  biographical  record;  Collins  B.,  of  New  York; 
Thomas  Hill,  deceased;  Edward  King,  also  deceased;  Mary — Mrs. 
Charles  Jacobs  of  California;  Robert,  deceased;  Alice — ^Mrs.  Frederick 
Fowler,  of  Detroit,  and  Sarah — Mrs.  Lancing  Brooks,  of  Detroit.  Sarah 
Baughman  Hubbard,  the  mother  of  this  family,  died  in  1871;  Bela 
Hubbard's  life  closed  in  1896.  They  were  connected  with  the  old  St. 
Paul's  church,  of  which  Bela  Hubbard  was  a  charter  member.  Scarcely 
any  phase  of  Detroit's  advancement  in  that  vital  mid-century  epoch  was 
untouched  by  his  interest  and  aid  and  his  name  is  permanently  associated 
with  her  growth  and  achievement. 

At  the  early  home  of  Bela  and  Sarah  Hubbard  in  Detroit,  their 
eldest  son,  Henry  Guemzie  Hubbard,  was  born  on  May  6,  1850.  He  was 
sent  for  educational  opportunities  to  Mr.  Patterson's  school — later  Pro- 
fessor Chalier's,  a  French  school  of  New  York.  He  next  attended  Pro- 
fessor Josiah  Kendall's  famous  school  at  Cambridge,  after  which  he 
entered  upon  an  unusually  thorough  and  extended  period  of  advanced 
and  specialized  study.  After  four  years  spent  in  Harvard  University, 
he  pursued  further  research  and  investigation  in  post-graduate  work 
under  the  direction  of  that  brilliant  scientist,  Professor  Agassiz. 

Mr.  Hubbard  then  engaged  in  special  entomological  work  for  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  which  he  continued  through- 
out his  remarkably  efficient  life.  His  biological  erudition  was  so  inclu- 
sive and  reliable  and  his  methods  of  research  so  accurate  that  he  became  a 
recognized  authority  in  various  lines  of  his  science.  His  data  and  dis- 
coveries regarding  citral  fruits  in  America  were  of  particular  service  and 
he  also  did  important  work  in  connection  with  the  cotton  plants  of  the 
south.  As  a  biological  and  horticultural  authority  he  became  widely 
known,  especially  among  scientific  scholars. 

Although  his  duties  required  much  and  varied  travel,  Mr.  Hubbard 
always  retained  his  old  loyalty  to  the  local  and  social  relations  of  his 
youth.  He  was  a  member  of  the  college  fraternity  of  Xsi  Upsilon,  in  the 
Harvard  chapter  of  that  organization.  His  religious  affiliation  was 
with  the  St.  Paul's  church  of  Detroit. 


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HISTORY  OP  DETROIT  1265 

Mr.  Hubbard's  useful  life  came  to  its  close  on  December  25,  1899, 
and  his  passing  is  marked  by  the  memorial  shaft  in  the  family  burial  lot 
in  Detroit.  His  memory  is  worthily  represented  by  the  family  which 
survives  him,  including  Mrs.  Hubbard  and  four  children,  who  are 
rapidly  developing  their  own  abilities  and  advancing  to  their  own 
careers. 

Mrs.  Hubbard  was  formerly  Miss  Katie  Lasier,  a  daughter  of  Fred- 
erick L.  and  Martha  (Garrison)  Lasier.  Mrs.  Hubbard  is  of  French 
ancestry  and  represents  early  Detroit  families  in  both  paternal  and 
maternal  lines.  Her  great  grandfather,  John  Garrison,  was  a  pioneer 
farmer  and  country  merchant  of  Detroit;  his  son,  John  J.  Garrison, 
was  born  in  Detroit.  His  daughter,  Martha  Garrison — ^who  lived  to  be- 
come the  mother  of  Katie  Lasier  Hubbard — is  a  resident  of  Birmingham, 
near  Detroit.  Her  husband,  Frederick  Lasier,  had  come  to  Detroit  when 
a  young  man  and  had  been  active  as  a  commission  merchant.  He  became 
a  commercial  force  in  Detroit,  where  he  was  at  one  time  president  of 
the  Board  of  Trade.  Katie  Lasier  was  born  in  Detroit  and  her  marriage 
to  Henry  Guemzie  Hubbard  was  solemnized  in  1848.  The  sons  and 
daughters  who  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hubbard  are  the  following: 
Bela  Hubbard,  now  a  student  at  the  University  of  Wisconsin ;  Margaret, 
at  school  in  Virginia;  Henry  G.,  at  school  in  Asheville,  North  Carolina, 
and  Alice,  who  is  at  home  with  her  mother,  Mrs.  Hubbard. 

Percy  D.  Dwight  certainly  deserves  representation  among  the  men 
who  have  been  instrumental  in  promoting  the  welfare  of  Detroit,  where 
he  has  resided  during  the  greater  portion  of  his  life  time  thus  far.  He 
has  done  much  to  advance  the  wheels  of  progress,  aiding  materially  in 
the  development  of  business  activity  and  energy,  wherein  the  prosperity 
and  growth  of  the  state  always  depend.  He  has  found  in  each  transition 
stage  opportunity  for  further  effort  and  broader  labor  and  his  enter- 
prise has  not  only  contributed  to  his  individual  success,  but  has  also 
been  of  marked  value  to  the  community  in  which  he  makes  his  home. 
For  a  number  of  years  past  Mr.  Dwight  has  been  interested  in  the  manu- 
facturing business  at  Detroit,  and  at  the  present  time,  is  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  C.  R.  Wilson  Body  Company  and  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  Lavigne  Manufacturing  Company. 

A  native  of  Detroit,  Michigan,  and  a  scion  of  an  old  and  honored 
family  of  the  Wolverine  state,  Percy  D.  Dwight  was  bom  on  the  26th 
of  October,  1862,  son  of  David  and  Lucretia  (Howe)  Dwight.  To  the 
public  schools  of  Detroit  the  boy  was  indebted  for  his  preliminary 
educational  training  and  in  1881  he  was  matriculated  as  a  student  in 
the  celebrated  Harvard  College,  at  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  being 
graduated  therein  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1885  with  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts.  After  the  completion  of  his  college  course  he  returned 
to  Detroit,  where  he  began  to  read  law  and  where  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  of  the  state  in  the  year  1887.  For  the  ensuing  five  years  Mr. 
Dwight  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Detroit,  but  in 
1892  he  became  interested  in  the  manufacturing  business.  In  1897, 
upon  the  incorporation  of  the  C.  R.  Wilson  Body  Company,  manufac- 
turers of  carriage  and  auto  bodies,  he  was  elected  secretary  and  treas- 
urer of  that  concern,  continuing  as  the  efficient  incumbent  of  those 
offices  to  the  present  time.  He  is  also  vice-president  of  the  Lavigne 
Manufacturing  Company  of  Detroit.  He  is  a  valued  and  appreciative 
member  of  the  Detroit  Board  of  Commerce  and  is  recognized  as  a  busi- 
ness man  of  great  shrewdness  and  remarkable  executive  ability. 

At  Troy,  New  York,  in  the  year  1898,  was  solemnized  the  marriage 

of  Mr.  Dwight  to  Miss  Grace  A.  Buel.     Mrs.  Dwight  is  a  woman  of 
Vol.  in— 2s 


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1266  HISTORY  OF  DETROIT 

most  gracious  personality  and  she  and  her  husband  are  devout  com- 
municants of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  in  their  religious  affilia- 
tions. 

Mr.  Dwight  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  Boston  (Mass.)  Cadets 
and  he  is  now  connected  with  the  Michigan  Naval  Reserves.  In  a  social 
way  he  is  affiliated  with  the  Detroit  Club,  the  Detroit  Boat  Club,  the 
Country  Club,  and  the  Harvard  Club  of  Michigan.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Republican  and  while  he  does  not  take  an  active  part  in  local  affairs 
he  is  ever  ready  to  contribute  of  his  time  and  means  to  all  matters 
projected  for  the  good  of  the  general  welfare.  The  beautiful  residence 
of  the  Dwight  family  is  located  at  No.  220  Burns  avenue  and  there  is 
dispensed  the  most  generous  hospitality. 


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