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HISTORY 
 
 
 OF 
 
 BAY COUNTY, MICHIGAN 
 
 AND 
 
 REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 
 
 EDITED AND COMPILED BY 
 
 CAPT. AUGUSTUS H. G\NSSER 
 
 BAY CITY. MICHIGAN 
 
 'Histony is PHilosophy Teaching by Example 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 RICHMOND & ARNOLD, 
 
 George Richmond; C. R. Arnold. 
 
 Chicago. Illinois. 
 
 1905. 
 
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 7- 
 
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Preface 
 
 HE aim of the publishers of this volume has been to secure for the historic portion 
 thereof full and accurate information respecting all subjects herein treated, and to 
 present the data thus gathered in a clear and impartial manner. If, as is their hope, 
 the}' have succeeded in this endeavor, the credit is mainly due to the diligent and exhaustive re- 
 search of the editor of the historic statement, Capt. Augustus H. Gansser, of Bay City. In col- 
 lecting and arranging the material which has entered into this history, it has been his aim 
 to secure facts and to present them in an interesting form. His patient and conscientious 
 labor in tiie compilation and presentation of the data is shown in the historical portion of 
 this volume. The record gives an interesting and elaborate description of the aboriginal 
 inhabitants, the natural features and the early society of this section, the story of its settle- 
 ment and a comprehensive account of the organization of Bay County and the Bay Cities, 
 giving the leading events in the stages of their development and the growth of their indus- 
 tries to the present time, as set forth in the table of contents. All topics and occurrences are 
 included which are essential to the usefulness of the history. Although the original purpose 
 of the author was to limit the narrative to the close of 1904, he has deemed it proper to touch 
 on many matters relating to the current year, especially such as refer to the union of the Bay 
 Cities. 
 
 The reviews of resolute and strenuous lives, which make up the biographical depart- 
 ment of tlie volume, and whose authorship for the most part is entirely independent of that 
 of the history, are admirably adapted to foster local ties, to inculcate patriotism and to empha- 
 size the rewards of industry, dominated by intelligent purpose. They constitute a most ap- 
 propriate medium of perpetuating personal annals and will be of incalculable value to the 
 descendants of those commemorated. They bring into bold relief careers of enterprise and 
 thrift and make manifest valid claims to honorable distinction. If "Biography is the only 
 true History," it is obviously the duty of men of the present time to preserve in this enduring 
 form the story of their lives in order that their posterity may dwell on the successful strug- 
 
5 PREFACE. 
 
 gles thus recorded, and profit by their example. These sketches, replete with stirring inci- 
 dents and intense experiences, will naturally prove to most of the readers of this book its 
 most attractive feature. 
 
 In the aggregate of personal memoirs thus collated will be found a vivid epitome of the 
 growth of Bay County, which will fitly supplement the historic statement ; for the develop- 
 ment of the county is identified with that of the men and women to whom it is attributable. 
 The publishers have endeavored in the preparation of the work to pass over no feature of it 
 slightingly, but to give heed to the minutest details, and thus to invest it with a substantial 
 accuracy which no other treatment would afiford. The result has amply justified the care 
 thus exercised, for in our belief no more reliable production, under the circumstances, could 
 be laid before its readers. 
 
 We have given special prominence to the portraits of representative citizens, which 
 appear throughout this volume, and believe they will prove a most interesting feature of 
 the work. We have sought to illustrate the different spheres of industrial and professional 
 achievement as conspicuously as possible. To those who have kindly interested themselves in 
 the successful preparation of this work, and who have voluntarily contributed most useful 
 information and data, we herewith tender our grateful acknowledgment. 
 
 Chicago, III., May, 1905. THE PUBLISHERS. 
 
—NOTE.— 1 
 
 All the biographical sketches published in this volume were submitted 
 to their respective subjects or to the subscribers, from whom the facts 
 were primarily obtained, for their approval or correction before going to 
 press; and a reasonable time was allowed in each case for the return of 
 the typewritten copies. Most of them were returned to us within the time 
 allotted, or before the work was printed, after being corrected or revised; 
 and these may therefore be regarded as reasonably accurate. 
 
 A few, however, were not returned to us; and, as we have no means 
 of knowing whether they contain errors or not, we can not vouch for 
 their accuracy. In justice to our readers, and to render this work more 
 valuable for reference purposes, we have indicated these uncorrected 
 sketches by a small asterisk (*), placed immediately after the name of the 
 subject. They will all be found on the last pages of the book. 
 
 RICHMOND & ARNOLD. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 A Brief Sketch of Early Michigan 17 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 The Aboriginal Period 27 
 
 Virgin Forests, Trackless Swamps and Lake-Bound Prairies — "O-Sauk-E-Non,"' the "Land of the Sauks" — 
 Indian Tribes and Chieftains — Manners, Customs and Modes of Life of the Aborigines — The Overthrow of the 
 Sauks by the Confederated Tribes — The Indians as Found by the Pioneers — The Indians of To-day. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 The Colonial Period 48 
 
 The Onward March of Civilization — The Pale Faces Westward Bound — Years of Exploration, and Trading 
 with the Indians — Trappers, Hunters and Adventurers — The Saginaw Valley for Years the Northern most 
 Outpost of Civilization in the Northwest Territory — Indian Title to Land Extinguished — The Earliest White 
 Settlers. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Early Settlements and Settlers 60 
 
 The Indians and Trappers Give Way to the Settlers — Planting of Settlements — Memoirs and Reminiscences 
 of Prominent Pioneers — The Period of Reckless Land Speculation and "Wild-Cat" Banks— Indian Mounds and 
 Legends — The Mound Builders — O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to and Other Indian Chiefs — Incidents of Pioneer Life on the 
 Saginaw River and Its Tributaries — Character Sketches and Anecdotes. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Organization and Growth of Bay County 99 
 
 Early Land Transactions and Settlements — Hampton Township Erected — Early Elections — The Strenuous 
 Fight for Separation from Saginaw County — Era of Prosperity — Early Official Transactions — Arenac County 
 Erected — Census Figures and Some Vital Statistics — Synopsis of Election Returns — Some of Those Who Have 
 Served in Official Positions — Roster of County Officials. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Creation and Growth of the Cities, Townships and Villages of the County 122 
 
 Incorporation and Growth of the Villae;e of Bay City, the Successor of Lower Saginaw and Portsmouth Village — 
 Chartered as a City — Roster of City Officials — History of the Villages of Banks, Salzburg and Wenona and of 
 Their Successor, West Bay City— Roster of Village and City Officials— The Townships of the County with 
 Historical, Geographical and Census Data— The Villages of Essexville, Kawkawlin, Pinconning, Auburn 
 and " Iceburg, U. S. A." 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Natural Resources and Advantages of Bay County 162 
 
 Climate— Easy Water Communication Provided by the Rivers and Saginaw Bay— A Paradise of Fish and 
 Game— Rich Mineral and Agricultural Resources— Pine and Hardwood Timber— Extensive Underlying 
 Deposits of Salt and Coal — Rich Soil and Fruitful Farms — "Garden Spot of Michigan." 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Greater Bay City.— 1865-1905 166 
 
 Remarkable Evolution of the Bay Cities from Booming Frontier Lumber Communities to Hives of Varied Indus- 
 tries^The Rise and Decline of the Lumber and Salt Industries— Municipal Improvements — Public Buildings 
 and Business Blocks— The Revival of the Lumber Industry— The Center of America's Beet Sugar Industry- 
 Chemical Factories, Chicory Mills and Varied Industries — Discovery of Coal — Iron and Steel Industries — Mam- 
 moth Ship-Building Plants and Dry Docks — Fish and Game — The Fight for Consolidation — The First Officers 
 of Greater Bay City — The Charter. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Bay County's Lumber, Salt and Coal Industries and Transportation Facilities 215 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Sugar Beets, Agricultural Products, Fish and Varied Industries 237 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 The Bench and Bar and the Medical Profession 254 
 
lo CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 Churches, Religious Societies, Hospitals and Ch.^rities 272 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 Public Schools, Libraries and the Press 310 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Fraternal, Benevolent and Labor Organizations 326 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Bay County's Military Record , 342 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 Minor Mention — Odds and Ends 359 
 
 Biographical 367 
 
INDEX 
 
 Biodrapbical 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Allen, George A 724 
 
 Ambrose, Josiah Little. M. D... 483 
 
 Ames, George W 671 
 
 Andrews, Martin M 376 
 
 ApDold, Christian 614 
 
 Appold, Mary Barbary, Miss... 589 
 
 Arnold, John C 655 
 
 Arnold, John G 404 
 
 Arnold, John M 680 
 
 Arnold, Michael J 598 
 
 .•\twiH, Thomas 426 
 
 Averell, Charles M., Capt 427 
 
 Babcock, Edward C 684 
 
 Bailey, Arthur D 464 
 
 Baker, Oscar W 485 
 
 Barclay, Jonathan Smith, Hon. . 588 
 
 Becker. Hiram B., Capt 643 
 
 Beeckman, Peter 545 
 
 Bentley, Oscar F 466 
 
 Berger, John 536 
 
 Beyer, Frederick 605 
 
 Bigelow, Charles A 457 
 
 Birney, James Gillespie, Hon. . . . 413 
 
 Birney, James, Hon 408 
 
 Blodgett, Horace D 436 
 
 Boehringer Brothers 386 
 
 Boes, Jacob F 682 
 
 Borton, Bethuel 546 
 
 Boutel, Benjamin, Capt 461 
 
 Bradley, Nathan B., Hon 371 
 
 Brockway, James E 443 
 
 Brown, Russell Warner. M. D. . 624 
 
 Bublitz, .\ugust 476 
 
 Buck, Homer E 708 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Callender, William Elisha Crosby 472 
 
 Campbell, Sydney S., Hon 531 
 
 Chatfield, Clarence B 666 
 
 Churchill, Worthy Lovell, Hon.. 578 
 
 Clark, Dillon Prosser 584 
 
 Clark, Henry 475 
 
 Clements, Henry 648 
 
 Clifft, William Orrin 425 
 
 Carroll, John 393 
 
 Cobb, George P., Hon 391 
 
 Cole, George S 395 
 
 Collins, Chester L., Hon 421 
 
 Collins, W. A 407 
 
 Coman, Lucien S 596 
 
 Conover, Richard Field 397 
 
 Corliss, E. E 398 
 
 Cressey, E. Wilson 558 
 
 Cuthbert, Charles C, Serg.-Maj. 645 
 Cuthbert, William 568 
 
 Davies, Meurig Lloyd 701 
 
 Dunbar, Erastus Lord 465 
 
 Dunham, Frederick William . . . 532 
 
 Fades, Herbert Alfred, M. D. . . 523 
 
 Egbert, John W 662 
 
 Eickemeyer, Edward A 431 
 
 Emery, John H 656 
 
 Endline, John 715 
 
 Englehardt, Charles F 525 
 
 Erwin. Robert W., B. S., M. D. . 401 
 Evans, Edward E 685 
 
 Feinauer, John .Andrew 620 
 
 Fitield. Eugene 627 
 
 Fisher, Spencer O., Hon 573 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Fitzhugh, William D 373 
 
 Foss, Edgar B 698 
 
 Fowler, John 524 
 
 Fox, George R 424 
 
 Fox. Willis D 629 
 
 Francis, Griffith H., Hon 403 
 
 Francis, Adolph 647 
 
 Frank, Ernst 382 
 
 Eraser, James 369 
 
 Friday, William H 412 
 
 Gail. Cyrus A 385 
 
 Gallagher. Morton, M. D 600 
 
 Gansser, Augu.st H., Capt 690 
 
 Garland, Michael 565 
 
 Gates. Otto B., Dr 640 
 
 Gilbert. Harvey, M. D 713 
 
 Gillespie, Richard 680 
 
 Gillette. Hezekiah M 417 
 
 Gres, Francis, Rev 418 
 
 Greul, Paulus 710 
 
 Griswold, Harry 521 
 
 HafFey, Joseph P 544 
 
 Hau.xhurst. John Walker, M. D.. 668 
 
 Hearit, John 712 
 
 Heinzniann. Christopher 467 
 
 Herbolshimer, George A 634 
 
 Hewitt. John C 505 
 
 Hill. Lsaac H 603 
 
 Hiller. Cyrus 447 
 
 Hinman, William L 436 
 
 Hitchcock. Charles W 432 
 
 Hoffman. Frank H 542 
 
 Hofmann. Andrew F 646 
 
12 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Horn. Charles 484 
 
 Horton. Henian 486 
 
 Howell, Chatford A 556 
 
 Huljbell. George B 660 
 
 Ittner. John P 528 
 
 Jennison, C. E 368 
 
 Johnson, Elof L 417 
 
 Johnson, Jonas 672 
 
 Johnston, J. Madison 593 
 
 Joslyn. Lee E 433 
 
 Kaiser, Julius 644 
 
 Keating, Patrick, Sr 563 
 
 Kelley, William M S90 
 
 Kelley, William George, M. D. . . 618 
 
 Kelton, John M 526 
 
 Kern, Chester A 494 
 
 Kern, John Chatfield 487 
 
 King, Robert L 398 
 
 Kohn. Joseph E 493 
 
 Knodle, Valentine 696 
 
 Knaggs, J. W 512 
 
 Knecht, Louis 570 
 
 Knight, Birdseye, Hon 422 
 
 Krabbe, Carl 413 
 
 Kraner, August 583 
 
 Kraner, Henry 583 
 
 Kuhlow, Charles F 686 
 
 Laing, John B 54S 
 
 Landon, Henry B., A. M., M. D. 451 
 
 Lane, Robert R 646 
 
 Langlois, Eutrope, Rev 448 
 
 Larouche, Peter 452 
 
 Lefebvre, Edward Augustin,Rev. 599 
 
 Lemieux, Honore 586 
 
 Letourneau, Nelson 685 
 
 Lewis, Adna G 715 
 
 Lewis, L. R., M. D 504 
 
 Lijewski, Joseph 524 
 
 Lind, Peter, Hon 569 
 
 Linderman, Elizabeth, Mrs 649 
 
 Link. John A 523 
 
 Magill, William E., M. D 597 
 
 Marston, Isaac, Hon 657 
 
 Marston, Thomas Frank 654 
 
 Martens, Phillip 665 
 
 Masson, Eustache, Jr 664 
 
 Maxwell, Andrew Crosby, Hon . . 384 
 McClatchev, Albert 444 
 
 McDonald, Charles P 723 
 
 McEwan, William 388 
 
 McGuinnes, John 720 
 
 McGuire, Margaret L., Miss ... 411 
 
 McKinney, John Y., Capt 608 
 
 Meiselbach, Oscar F 508 
 
 Merrill, Frank C 491 
 
 Merritt, Walter 402 
 
 Miller, Frank A 452 
 
 Mohr, Frank H 545 
 
 Molyneaux, Thomas 721 
 
 Monroe, Robert 638 
 
 Moritz, John B 635 
 
 Mosher, George Learned 606 
 
 Munger, Averton Edmund 526 
 
 Nabert, Bruno C 541 
 
 Nelles, Nelson 623 
 
 Nerreter, Charles 609 
 
 Newkirk, Charles F., M.A., M.D. 675 
 
 Nitschka. William 442 
 
 Niven, Robert 673 
 
 Nuffer, George A 620 
 
 Nuffer, John M 587 
 
 Orr, Brakie J. 
 
 633 
 
 Padley, Richard 625 
 
 Paige, Frederick D 725 
 
 Peoples. William 558 
 
 Phelps, Perry 496 
 
 Poquette, Joseph 505 
 
 Porter, Edward W 543 
 
 Potter, James H 613 
 
 Powell. Salina, Mrs 564 
 
 Raby. Cyrelle 
 
 Radzinski, Alfred J.. M. D 
 
 Rafter, Thomas, Rev 
 
 Randall, Floyd Hamilton, B, S., 
 
 M. D 
 
 Reid, William 
 
 Reilley, Edgar J 
 
 Richards, Paul 
 
 Rivard, Frank 
 
 Rivkin, Hyman 
 
 Roecker, William G 
 
 Rosebush, Louis 
 
 Ross, William M 
 
 Rowden, John C 
 
 Rueger, George, Sr 
 
 Ruhstofer, Lawrence 
 
 Ruterbush, Herman 
 
 699 
 
 454 
 471 
 
 503 
 617 
 
 585 
 674 
 538 
 610 
 511 
 72s 
 476 
 604 
 713 
 456 
 693 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Scliultz. Julius 406 
 
 Schutjes, H. J. H., Rev 411 
 
 Second National Bank, The Old 372 
 
 Sermeyer, Frank 678 
 
 Sharpe, John H 615 
 
 Sliearer, Fred E 630 
 
 Shepard. Theodore F., Hon 502 
 
 Sigeiko, Joachim 676 
 
 Simpkins, Abram 639 
 
 Simpson, William W 711 
 
 Sims, Walter, Elder 636 
 
 Slocum, Clarence H 453 
 
 Smith, Peter C, Capt 527 
 
 Snyder, John P., M. D 507 
 
 Stewart, Allen L 394 
 
 Stewart, John A 438 
 
 Stevens, Jerome B 536 
 
 Stone, David F., M. D 443 
 
 Taylor, Robbins B 397 
 
 Thomas, Henry H 702 
 
 Thompson, Dell H 656 
 
 Thompson, Henry C 677 
 
 Timm, Fred 488 
 
 Tobias, Lucious W 653 
 
 Tough, George C 704 
 
 Tupper, Horace, M. D 367 
 
 Tupper, Virgil L., A. M., M. D. 497 
 
 Turmell, Octave 660 
 
 Turner, George, Capt 707 
 
 Turner, Henry 636 
 
 Tyler, Columbus V., Hon., M. D. 663 
 Tyler, Frank Elliott 679 
 
 Underwood, Charles C 595 
 
 Van Poppelen, Henry 668 
 
 Van Rooy, R. G., Rev 577 
 
 Van Tuyl, Fred C 717 
 
 Vanbuskirk, Yetta, Mrs 568 
 
 Vanderbilt, Louis 405 
 
 Vankleeck, James, Hon 696 
 
 Vennix, Gerardus 441 
 
 Vogtmann, John A 722 
 
 Wagner. Philip F 719 
 
 Wagner, William 626 
 
 Wait, Samuel F 618 
 
 Walker, Clarence E 455 
 
 Walsh, John 498 
 
 Walsh, William C 719 
 
 Walton, Frank Griswold 518 
 
 Ward, William J 482 
 
INDEX. 
 
 13 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Weber. John L 700 
 
 Wedthoff, George E 607 
 
 Weiss. Andrew 492 
 
 Wentworth, Justin 554 
 
 Wheeler, Chesley 616 
 
 Wheeler, Frank Willis, Hon. . . . 617 
 
 Wilcox, David 495 
 
 Willcox, L. G., Major 379 
 
 Williams, Mary, A. W., M. D. . . 445 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Williams, Walter W., M. D 445 
 
 Wilson, Fitzland L 649 
 
 Wilson, John, Jr 508 
 
 Wissmueller, Lorenz A., Rev.... 537 
 
 Wittwer, Ernst A 386 
 
 Woodworth, Frank T 481 
 
 Woolson, John O., Capt 501 
 
 World's Star Knitting Company 694 
 Wratten, Edward M 683 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Wright, Hamilton Mercer, Hon., 
 
 B. A., M. A., LL. B 533 
 
 Wyss, John G., Rev 553 
 
 Young, David H 689 
 
 Young, Frank P 661 
 
 Young, Sylvester C 423 
 
 Zagelmeyer, Alexander, Hon. . . . 477 
 Zube, Albert 474 
 
Tllttstrations 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Arbeiter Hall and Hose House 
 
 No. 6 no 
 
 Ames, George W 670 
 
 Baptist Church, First 290 
 
 Bay City Fire Dept. — East Side 
 
 Headquarters 152 
 
 Bay City Fire Dept. — West Side 
 
 Headquarters no 
 
 Bay City Water Works, — West 
 
 Side no 
 
 Bay County Court House 92 
 
 Bay County Poor Farm 92 
 
 Beet Sugar Factory, Views in a 248 
 
 Becker, Capt. Hiram B 642 
 
 Becker, Mrs. Lucy E 642 
 
 Boutell, Capt. Benjamin 460 
 
 Campbell, Hon. Sydney S 530 
 
 Catholic Churches — 
 
 St. Boniface 550 
 
 St. James' 36 
 
 St. Stanislaus' 290 
 
 Center Avenue, Looking East ... 66 
 
 Children's Home 290 
 
 City Hal! and Public Library... 54 
 Coal Mines — 
 
 Wenona 226 
 
 Wolverine, No. 3 226 
 
 Cobb, Hon. George P 390 
 
 Collins, Hon. Chester L 420 
 
 Cornfield in Bangor Township, A 226 
 
 Crapo Block 66 
 
 Dry Docks — 
 
 Floating 134 
 
 Capt. James Davidson's no 
 
 Eickemeyer, Edward A 430 
 
 Erwin, Robert W., B. S., M. D. 400 
 
 Federal Building 204 
 
 First Building Erected in Bay 
 
 City 92 
 
 Fisher, Hon. Spencer 572 
 
 Gansser, Capt. A. H 16 
 
 Globe Hotel, Old 92 
 
 Griswold, Harry 520 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Hanson-Ward Veneer Co., Plant 
 
 of 178 
 
 High Schools — 
 
 Bay City, East Side 44 
 
 Bay City, West Side 320 
 
 Hill, Isaac H 602 
 
 Holy Rosary Academy 550 
 
 Industrial Works and Railroad 
 
 Crane 226 
 
 Johnston, J. Madison 592 
 
 Keating, Patrick, Sr 562 
 
 Kraner, Mr. and Mrs. Henry and 
 
 Family 582 
 
 Landon, Henry B., A. M., M. D. 450 
 Launch at the West Bay City 
 
 Ship Building Co.'s Shipyard 134 
 Lighthouse, New, — Entrance to 
 
 Harbor 152 
 
 Lower Saginaw in 1837 26 
 
 Lower Saginaw in 1854 47 
 
 Lumber-Yard of E. B. Foss & 
 
 Co 178 
 
 Masonic Temple 204 
 
 Mercy Hospital 290 
 
 Merrill, Frank C 490 
 
 Methodist Episcopal Churches — 
 
 First 36 
 
 Madison Avenue 36 
 
 Michigan Central Railroad Depot 22 
 Michigan Chemical Co., Plant of 76 
 Midland Street, Looking West . . 66 
 
 Nabert, Bruno C 540 
 
 National Chickory Co., East Side 
 
 Mill and Yard of 76 
 
 National Cycle Mfg. Co., Factory 
 
 of 76 
 
 Nelles, Nelson 622 
 
 New Republic House 204 
 
 Orr, Brakie J 632 
 
 Phcenix Block 66 
 
 Potter, James H 612 
 
 Presbyterian Churches — 
 
 First 290 
 
 Westminster 36 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Protestant Episcopal Church, 
 Trinity 36 
 
 Public Schools — 
 
 Dolsen 44 
 
 Fremont 44 
 
 Kolb 320 
 
 Park 320 
 
 Washington 44 
 
 Rafter, Rev. Thomas 470 
 
 Range Light, — Entrance to Har- 
 bor 152 
 
 Roecker. William G 510 
 
 Sage Library 320 
 
 Salt Block of Kern Mfg. Co., A 178 
 
 Sawmill of Kern Mfg. Co 178 
 
 Schutjes, Rev. H. J. H 410 
 
 Shipyard of the West Bay City 
 
 Ship Building Co 134 
 
 Soldiers' Rest Monument 22 
 
 Sugar Beets, a Field of 248 
 
 Sugar Beets, Polish Women 
 
 Weeding 248 
 
 Sugar Factory, German-Ameri- 
 can 248 
 
 Sugar Factory, West Bay City. . 248 
 
 Third Street Bridge 22 
 
 Tobias, Lucious W 652 
 
 "Tom Dowling," Raft - Towing 
 
 Tug i34_ 
 
 Train of Logs 178 
 
 Tupper, Horace, M. D 366 
 
 Turner, Capt. George 706 
 
 Vennix. Mr. and Mrs. Gerardus 440 
 Washington Theater Building. . . 204 
 
 Wenona Beach 152 
 
 Willcox. Maj. L. G 378 
 
 Woodworth, Frank T 480 
 
 Woolson, Capt. John 500 
 
 Wyss, Rev. John G 55 1 
 
 Young Chemical Co., W. D., 
 
 Plant of 76 
 
 Young, David H 688 
 
^. ^.6^.^%^M^.Jlr^,^ 
 
Ristory of Bay County 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 A BRIEF SKETCH OF EARLY MICHIGAN 
 
 Downward through the evening twilight, 
 In the days that are forgotten, 
 In the unremembered ages. 
 
 — The Song of Hiaivatha. 
 
 Just one hundred years ago, on January 
 II, 1805, Congress passed the bill for the or- 
 ganization of Michigan Territory. Thus was 
 created, from the then scarcely known and 
 seemingly boundless Northwest Territory, a 
 distinct community, which in the century to 
 come was destined to develop and prosper, as 
 one of the brightest stars in the constellation 
 of our sisterhood of States. 
 
 To understand the history of ^lichigan, 
 one must go beyond the territorial period and 
 take a fleeting glance into the hazy mists of 
 past and unknown ages. This period is entirely 
 within the realm of scientific research. Pre- 
 historic upheavals, the glacial period and the 
 great floods, have given Michigan her present 
 geological formation. Isolated rocks and the 
 rich al]u\ian deposits on our soil indicate the 
 action of floating ice and great floods. The 
 Great Lakes, which bound Michigan on almost 
 all sides and give to her unsurpassed transpor- 
 tation facilities, are the deep pools whicli lay 
 1 
 
 too low to be drained by the great upheavals 
 which laid bare the land. Thus do the scien- 
 tists account for the wealth of our mineral 
 resources, the boundless fertility of plain and 
 prairie, and the towering forests. Truly Mich- 
 igan has been blessed with the richest gifts of 
 Nature. 
 
 Prehistoric relics found all over the State 
 show plainly that these blessings were appre- 
 ciated and enjoyed by the aboriginal people 
 who inhabited the \\'estern Hemisphere. In 
 scattered mounds and nooks and caves we find 
 a nuiltitude of signs, of crude utensils and fos- 
 sils, that speak to us in a voiceless language 
 of a past out of which no other tidings will 
 ever come. 
 
 Ages have passed since then and a new era 
 has dawned, — tiie aboriginal period. Dense 
 virgin forests, trackless swamps, and lake- 
 bound prairies form the background, and the 
 only living beings are the savage red men and 
 the wild beasts of the jungle. The great 
 
HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 waters are unruffled save by the Indians" bark- 
 canoes and the storms of heaven. 
 
 So pass otlier untold ages. But in tlie 
 East "the morning h'ght is breaking, tlie dark- 
 ness disappears," and the rays of advancing 
 ci\'ihzation penetrate the gkiom. Savage 
 wanderer and prowhng beast hear the footstep 
 of tlie pioneer, and tlie known history of this 
 great Xew \\'orld begins. The rude civiliza- 
 tion of the copper-colored children of the for- 
 est, extending undisputed from ocean to ocean, 
 is gradually but surely receding \\'estward be- 
 fore the older civilization of the pale faces. 
 The hatchet, bow and arrow give way before 
 the musket and flintlock. The wandering 
 triljes are displaced by the founders of homes, 
 the builders of cities and States. 
 
 From this point the history of ^Michigan is 
 identical with that of all the American Colo- 
 nies. Advancing civilization devoted itself to 
 certain things, and when the desired results 
 were accomplished, the genius of the age 
 changed and historical facts assumed a differ- 
 ent character. These tides in the affairs of 
 nations are our historical periods, and in the 
 course of events we now find Michigan in the 
 period of voyage and discovery, — 1634 to 
 1760. Explorers and adventurers went every- 
 where but settled nowhere. To make new dis- 
 coveries was the uni\ersal passion, but only a 
 few colonies were planted. 
 
 The first white man known to have visited 
 the territory now embraced in the State of Mich- 
 igan was Jean Nicollet, who was in the serv- 
 ice of Governor Champlain, of Canada, then 
 under French control. He skirted the western 
 coast of Lake Huron and explored most of the 
 large rivers entering there, including, without 
 a doubt, an excursion up the greatest of them 
 all, the Saginaw River. His first prolonged 
 stop occurred at the present site of Sault Ste. 
 Marie, in the summer of 1634, where he raised 
 
 the standard of France, and had some friendly 
 interviews with the Indians, many thousands 
 of whom made the shores of Lake Huron their 
 hunting grounds. He visited Mackinaw, and 
 retraced his steps to report the results of his 
 explorations. 
 
 He was followed by the Jesuit missiona- 
 ries, Ra}-mbault and Jogues, who visited the 
 Indians at Sault Ste. IMarie in 1641, performed 
 suitable religious ceremonies, and returned to 
 their Eastern missions. In 1660, Pere Rene 
 Menard resolved to start a mission in that 
 neighborhood. He spent the winter with In- 
 dians near Keweenaw Bay. Accompanied by 
 a single Indian guide, he started for what is 
 now Portage Lake Ship Canal, and was never 
 more heard of. In 1665, Pere Claude Al- 
 louez started the first mission west of Lake 
 Huron at La Pointe. 
 
 In the 20 years that followed, the Jesuits 
 continued their explorations with prodigious 
 activity. Foremost among them was Pere 
 Marquette, who thoroughly explored the west- 
 ern shore of Lake Huron^ traversing the Sagi- 
 naw River, thence going north, and in 1668 
 he established the second mission at Sault Ste. 
 Marie, which has e\'er since been inhabited by 
 Americans and Europeans, and is the oldest 
 permanent settlement in Michigan. The rnis- 
 sion was a square fort of cedar pickets enclos- 
 ing a chapel and house of logs, with a clearing, 
 bearing crops of wheat, maize, peas, etc. In 
 1 671, Father Marquette with a band of Huron 
 Indians founded the mission of St. Ignatius, 
 now St. Ignace. His grave is situated near 
 the mission which he founded more than two 
 centiu'ies ago. 
 
 In order to gain a better foothold on the 
 Great Lakes, and to foster and perpetuate the 
 spirit of friendship in which the Ottawas and 
 Hurons received the early explorers and mis- 
 sionaries, M. Talon, Intendant of New France, 
 
AND REPRESENTATR'E CITIZENS. 
 
 19 
 
 sent messengers to call a great council of the 
 Indians at the Saiilt in the spring of 1671. 
 Fourteen tribes of the Northwest sent repre- 
 sentatives to meet the French officers, who 
 formally took possession of the country. 
 Father Allouez was the interpreter, and after 
 raising the cross and the lilies of France, he 
 pronounced a glowing panegyric on his king, 
 Louis NI\', pronounced the "chief of chiefs." 
 Thrice was the chapel at the Sault burned to 
 the ground in the next nine years, and thrice 
 did Father Druilletes raise it from its ashes 
 with indomitable energy. 
 
 The missionary was followed by the fur 
 trader and trapper. In his frail birch canoe 
 he skirted the shores of lake and river, pene- 
 trating the most .secluded spots of the wilder- 
 ness, satisfying his keen relish for adventure 
 and carrying on a brisk trade. 
 
 On August 7, 1679, LaSalle, the great ex- 
 plorer and missionary, sailed the "Griffin," 
 the first schooner to traverse the Great Lakes, 
 through the St. Clair Ri\er into Lake Huron. 
 A severe storm carried him into what is now 
 Saginaw Bay, and thus early were the fine 
 harbor facilities of the Saginaw River discov- 
 ered and appreciated. The "Griffin"' reached 
 St. Ignace later that season and sailed up Lake 
 Michigan to Green Bay, where the ship was 
 lost in a storm. 
 
 On July 24. 1701. Antoine de la Motte 
 Cadillac founded the first European settlement 
 at Detroit with 50 soldiers and 50 artisans. 
 The stockade fort was named Fort Pontchar- 
 train, and log houses thatched with grass fur- 
 nished ample protection to the settlers. Ca- 
 dillac was recalled in 1710, and the colony 
 grew but slowly in the next 50 years. 
 
 As a result of the disastrous French and 
 Indian War. the district now embraced in 
 Michigan was abandoned to the English, and 
 in October, 1760. Maj. Robert Rogers took 
 
 possession of Detroit witli a military force of 
 200 provincial rangers. With the raising of 
 the English flag o\-er this the most important 
 post in the Northwest, the colonial ])eriod be- 
 gins for Michigan. Mackinaw, Sault Ste. 
 Marie and St. Joseph, the only other French 
 posts in this territory, were occupied by the 
 English in the fall of 1761. These places were 
 the meagre results of a hundred years of 
 French colonization. 
 
 The English were hardly in complete pos- 
 session of this new country before their neglect 
 and ill-treatment aroused the dormant passions 
 of the Indians. The French missionaries had 
 a strong hold on the red men., and in the war 
 just ended they had fought the English with 
 all the ferocity of their savage natures. In 
 1 76 1 the Senecas and \Vyandots conspired to 
 surprise and massacre the garrison of Delroit, 
 with its 2,500 inhabitants. The plot was 
 barely thwarted by Captain Campbell, the com- 
 mandant. 
 
 Pontiac, chief of the Ottawas, occupying 
 that part of Michigan lying between Lake St. 
 Clair and Lake jNIichigan, a born leader, effect- 
 ive in speech, crafty and daring in war, a 
 thoughtful and far-seeing general, probably 
 the greatest man his race has ever produced, 
 conceived the idea of uniting all the Indian 
 tribes between the Alleghanies and the Missis- 
 sippi in an overwhelming and simultaneous 
 attack against all the English frontier settle- 
 ments, and most of the tribes in that vast coun- 
 try agreed to the massacre. 
 
 On April 27, 1763, the Indians held a great 
 council of war on the Ecorces River near De- 
 troit, where arrangements were made for at- 
 tacking the posts early in May. On May 7th, 
 Pontiac, accompanied by 60 apparently un- 
 armed warriors, entered the fort at Detroit for 
 a powwow with Major Gladwyn. This was 
 at once one of the most dramatic and romantic 
 
20 
 
 iliSTORY OF iJAY COUNTY 
 
 incidents in llic early liistfjry of Micliig-an. 'Ilic 
 love of an Ojilnva Indian maiden for a pale 
 face soldier foiled Ponliac's plot, and stopped 
 a massacre, which if consummated would have 
 retarded for years the advance of civilization. 
 7"he [nrlian maiden warned Major Gladwyn oi 
 impending danger. J'ontiac found the soldiers 
 all under arms and ready for action when he 
 entered, and the prearranged signal for the 
 beginning of the slaughter was never given. 
 On May 9th the savages ])roceeded to besiege 
 the fort, and several white .settlers outside of 
 ■the .stockade were ruthlessly murdered. On 
 May 30th the Indians waylaid 23 batteaux, 
 laden with stores and ammunition for the gar- 
 rison, at I'oint Pelee. At daybreak the crew;; 
 were massacred ; one officer and 30 men es- 
 caped in a boat to Sandusky. In July, Captain 
 Dalzcll succeeded in bringing needed supplies 
 to the besieged fort. On July 31st, Ca])tain 
 Dalzell tried ,'i foolhardy sortie; I'ontiac am- 
 bushed the party (jf 250 on I'arent's Creek, 
 now known as Bloody Run, killing the leader 
 and 70 Englishmen and wounding 40 before 
 they could regain the stockade, b'amine com- 
 ])elled the Indians to go hunting in October, 
 and during their absence the stores in the fort 
 were renewed. General Bradstreet relieved the 
 fort the following spring. Fort St. Joseph was 
 captured l>y Pottawatomies May 25, 1763; 
 iMisign Schlosser and three men alone escaj^ed 
 the massacre. On June 2, 1763, some Indians 
 were playing ball near the gates of I'ort Mack- 
 inaw, and the officers and soldiers, unsuspic- 
 ious of danger, were looking on. 'i"he ball was 
 thrown into the fort and the <lusky warriors 
 rushed after it through the gates; squaws 
 handed to the warriors tomahawks they had 
 concealed under their blankets, and another 
 bloody massacre was enacted. Lieutenant 
 Jamet and C><) men were killed and 2j were 
 
 taken prisoners, to be tortured, but I'ontiac 
 eventually secured their release. 
 
 I'ontiac captured eight out of 12 posts he 
 attacked, hundreds of pale faces w^ere killed, 
 but his endeavor to drive the English from the 
 interior of the continent failed. In August, 
 1 764, Pontiac gave up the struggle. The war- 
 whoops ceased to terrorize the valleys of Mich- 
 igan, the outposts of civilization were rebuilt 
 and the pioneers again look their axes and 
 ])lows into the wilderness to create new habi- 
 tations. 
 
 The War of the Revolution caused but lit- 
 tle stir in this maze of wood and sw'amp, far 
 removed from the scene of actual conflict, and 
 by the Treaty of Paris, in 1783, England sur- 
 rendered all this vast territory to the United 
 States, wdi(j took possession in July, 1796, 
 which marks the beginning of our territorial 
 period. 
 
 The charter of this great new Northwest 
 Territory was passed by Congress in 1787, and 
 was framed with much wisdom, being the 
 model of all future territorial governments 
 in America. It provided for freedom of wor- 
 ship, a bill of rights, inviolability of contracts, 
 encouraged schools and general education, 
 proclaimed all waters free to commerce, and 
 the sixth and last article declared that neither 
 slavery nor involuntary servitude should e\er 
 1)6 allowed in the new Territory. Thus at the 
 very dawn of our ])olitical existence this \'ast 
 region was pledged to education, freedom and 
 equal rights for all. Gen. Arthur St. Clair, far- 
 famed as an Indian fighter, was the first terri- 
 torial Ciovernor. 
 
 In 1802 the Lower Peninsula became part 
 of the Territory of Indiana. In 1804, Con- 
 gress passed an act pro\'iding for the disposal 
 of public lands within the Territory, to which 
 the Indian title had been extinguished, for the 
 
THIRD STREET BRIDGE 
 
 MICHIGAN CENTRAL RAILROAD DEPOT, BAY CITY, E. S. 
 
 SOLDIERS' REST MONUMENT, PINE RIDGE CEMETERY 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 23 
 
 use of public schools. By this act was laid the 
 germ for the University Fund of Michigan 
 and of the Primary School Fund. 
 
 On January 11, 1805, Congress passed the 
 act creating the Territory of ]\Iichigan. "It 
 was to comprise all that portion of Indiana 
 Territory lying north of a line drawn east 
 from the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan, 
 until it intersected Lake Erie, and lying east of 
 a line drawn from the same southern extreme 
 of Lake INIichigan to its northern extremity, 
 and thence due north to the northern boundary 
 of the United States." 
 
 In June, 1805, Detroit was destroyed by 
 fire, and when General Hull, the first territorial 
 Governor, arrived, he found tlie people camped 
 in the open fields with scanty food and cloth- 
 ing. L'ndaunted by misfortune, these pioneers 
 erected a new city on the old site, and Detroit 
 became the territorial capital. Instigated by 
 Tecumseh, another noted Indian chief, the red- 
 skins again took the war-path in 181 1, but the 
 battle of Tippecanoe on November 7th of that 
 year quieted this region. 
 
 Then came the second war with England. 
 On July 17, 1812, the English captured Fort 
 Mackinac, garrisoned by only 67 men. On 
 August 16, 181 2, General Hull surrendered 
 Detroit to the English without a fight, and only 
 his good record in the Revolutionary War 
 saved him from being shot for cowardice and 
 criminal neglect of duty. General Winchester, 
 advancing to the recapture of Detroit, was sur- 
 prised by the English and Indians under Gen- 
 eral Proctor at River Raisin, January 22, 1813, 
 and compelled to surrender. The following 
 night the Indians butchered all the wounded 
 Americans and the helpless inhabitants of 
 Frcnchtown. Commodore Perry's victory 
 over the English fleet at Put-in-Bay, Septem- 
 ber 10, 1813, opened the way for the recapture 
 of Michigan. General Harrison's campaign 
 
 in Canada caused Proctor to leave Detroit, to 
 fight the disastrous battle of the Thames, 
 where Tecumseh was killed, and for the last 
 time a foreign foe was driven from the terri- 
 tory. On September 29, 1813, Col. Lewis 
 Cass took possession of Detroit, and on Octo- 
 ber 9th of that year he was made Governor of 
 Michigan Territory. 
 
 The population of Michigan was small, less 
 than 7,000, and confined to a few settlements 
 on the eastern border. The great interior was 
 an unknown wilderness, inhabited only by 
 wandering Indians. The first steamboat on 
 the Great Lakes, tlie "Walk-in-the-Water," 
 reached Detroit in the summer of 1818, and 
 after that Westward-bound pioneers came to 
 Michigan in large numbers. Governor Cass 
 made treaties with the Indians, secured the 
 cession of their lands and proved to the outside 
 world that the interior was something better 
 than an unhealthy, impenetrable swamj), as it 
 had previously been regarded. The lands were 
 surveyed and opened to settlers. The building 
 of public roads, and the opening of the Erie 
 Canal in 1825, stimulated trade and commerce 
 in the Territory, and by 1835 Michigan had 
 more than 60,000 population, and clamored to 
 be admitted into the Union as a State. A boun- 
 dary dispute with Ohio, involving land on 
 which the city of Toledo is situated, delayed 
 the admission to statehood, and caused the ex- 
 citing but bloodless "Toledo War." Governor 
 Mason called out the Michigan militia and 
 marched to Toledo, determined to prevent 
 Ohio from organizing Lucas County. Con- 
 gress hastened to pacify both parties, by giving 
 Michigan the extensive territory comprising 
 the Upper Peninsula while Ohio retained the 
 disputed strip. Time has revealed the rich min- 
 eral contents of that Upper Peninsula and 
 Michigan has never regretted the settlement. 
 
 The first State convention was held in De- 
 
24 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 troit during ]May, 1835, and in October, Ste- 
 vens T. Alason was elected Governor, Edward 
 Mundy, Lieutenant-Governor, and Isaac E. 
 Crary, first Representative to Congress. The 
 Legislature in November, 1835, elected John 
 Norvell and Lucius Lyon, United States Sena- 
 tors from Michigan. Finally, by act approved 
 January 26, 1837, Michigan was admitted as 
 the 26th State of the Union. 
 
 Internal improvements were the crying 
 needs of the hour, and one of the first acts of 
 the State Legislature provided for a loan of 
 $5,000,000 to construct and operate the Mich- 
 igan Central and Southern railways. This 
 work was begun in 1835, ^"-'t by 1846 the State 
 authorities were ready to dispose of the rail- 
 roads to private corporations and the two par- 
 tially completed roads were sold for $2,500,- 
 000. which was much less than the State had 
 expended. 
 
 Equally unsatisfactory was Michigan's ex- 
 perience with "wild-cat" banking. Fifteen 
 banks were doing business in Michigan, when 
 admitted to statehood. Among the theories 
 of the times was the notion that banking, like 
 farming or storekeeping, should be free to all. 
 In 1837 a law was passed allowing any 10 free- 
 holders to organize a bank with capital not 
 less than $50,000 nor more than $300,000. The 
 provisions for the security of the public were 
 loosely framed and utterly worthless. Banks 
 were started by mere adventurers. When the 
 bank commissioners were making their rounds 
 of inspection, the 30 per cent, of specie de- 
 manded by the law was carried from bank to 
 bank during the night, so that on each day the 
 commissioners counted the same coin, but for 
 different people. Banks were located any- 
 where and e\'erywhere. One was located in 
 an old sawmill, and it was humorously asserted 
 that a "hollow stump" to serve as a "vault" 
 was all that was needefl to start a bank. Bv 
 
 1839 most of the "wild-cat" banks were put 
 out of business, but more than a million dol- 
 lars worth of worthless bills had been put in 
 circulation. In 1844 the general banking law 
 was revised, and the State's finances placed on 
 a safer basis. 
 
 In 1837, Governor Mason appointed Rev. 
 John D. Pierce, a Congregational clergyman, 
 engaged in missionary work among the pio- 
 neers of Central Michigan, as the first Super- 
 intendent of Public Instruction, not only of 
 this State, but of the entire country. "Father"' 
 Pierce, as he was affectionately called, was the 
 founder of the Michigan school system, and 
 his plan, passed Iw act of the Legislature in 
 1837, contained most of the essential features 
 of our present school system, a living monu- 
 ment to the wisdom and foresight of the foun- 
 der of the Michigan schools. He placed the 
 primary school money within the reach of 
 every child in the State, and provided for the 
 establishment of a State University, for the 
 higher culture of advanced students. 
 
 In 1847 ^ colony of Mormons, led by 
 James J. Strang, located on Beaver Island. 
 By \-igorous proselyting the colony of five 
 families was increased to 2,000 persons by 
 1856. In that year internal dissensions arose, 
 and Strang was assassinated. Soon after, the 
 colony was dispersed by an armed l.iand of 
 fishermen from neighboring shores, and the 
 Mormons were given only 24 hours to leave 
 the State. 
 
 From 1 70 1 the capital of the Territory 
 and later of the State had been at Detroit. In 
 1847 the capitalsite was selected by the Legis- 
 lature at Lansing, then covered by a dense for- 
 est, and 40 miles from any railroad. The selec- 
 tion was generally condemned and ridiculed 
 at the time, but experience has proven the selec- 
 tion a happy one from every standpoint. A 
 constitutional convention at Lansing in 1850 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 drew up a new constitution, providing for the 
 election of all heads of departments direct by 
 the people, and this was ratified by the voters. 
 
 \\'hen Michit^an was admitted to the Un- 
 ion, the Democratic party was in power, and 
 the Governor was a member of that party. 
 Dissatisfaction with the existing financial mis- 
 management brought the ^\'hig•s into power 
 under Governor William Woodbridge, 1839- 
 1840. From 1 84 1 to 1854, the Democrats 
 were again in power. In 1854 the Republican 
 party, on the anti-slavery issue, was organized 
 "under the oaks" at Jackson, and elected its 
 candidates, and with the exception of two 
 terms — 1883-85 and 1891-93 — when the Dem- 
 ocrats prevailed on free trade issues, the Re- 
 publican party has continued in control of the 
 political destinies of the State. Roosevelt car- 
 ried the State by over 250.000 plurality in 
 1904, carrying every Republican with him. 
 
 Michigan, under War Governor Austin 
 Blair, during the four years of the Civil War, 
 furnished 93,700 men. of whom 14.855 died 
 in the service of the nation. Few States were 
 more prompt in furnishing financial and moral 
 support to the United States government in 
 its hour of direst need. When the late la- 
 mented President McKinley issued his call for 
 125,000 volunteers to serve in the war with 
 Spain in 189S, Michigan furnished five regi- 
 ments of infantry, the 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th 
 and 35th, consisting of 5,376 enlisted men, 
 and 235 officers. The 33rd and 34th regi- 
 ments, Michigan \'olunteer Infantry, served 
 with General Shaffer's army before Santiago, 
 and the Michigan Naval Reserves, detailed 
 on the auxiliary cruiser "Yosemite." saw serv- 
 ice at Guantanamo and San Juan de Puerto 
 Rico. 
 
 However, ^Michigan's greatest renown is in 
 the arts and pursuits of peace. In 1837 the 
 interior was sparsely settled, and the forests 
 
 and prairies showed few signs of human in- 
 dustry. Wagon roads were scarce and poor 
 corduroy, and there was no completed rail- 
 road. Postal arrangements were inconvenient, 
 and correspondence was an expensive luxury. 
 Cities there was none. Schools, churches and 
 newspapers were few in number and crudely 
 equipped. The privations of pioneer lite were 
 many and severe. The passing years have 
 changed the wilderness into more than a hun- 
 dred thousand farms, in a high state of culti- 
 vation. Eight thousand miles of good rail- 
 roads afford good market and traveling facili- 
 ties. The Federal census of 1900 and State 
 census of 1904 show a population of nearly 
 2,500,000 people, having 12,000 schools, 
 10,000 churches, hundreds of modern news- 
 papers, city and rural telephone and mail lines, 
 and miles of new electric transit lines. Hun- 
 dreds of fast and commodious passenger and 
 freight boats ply the Great Lakes and the 
 rivers of Michigan. 
 
 Well-kept highways and an excellent coun- 
 ty and State drain system have helped to de- 
 velop and enrich the agricultural possibilities 
 of the "Peninsular" State. 
 
 Lying in the very heart of this great State, 
 the annals of Bay County are inseparably 
 linked with the fortunes of ^lichigan. To 
 understand the recital of local- events, one must 
 know and comprehend the varying historical 
 periods of the State at large. Certain it is, 
 that even as the vast country comprised within 
 the confines of Michigan has provided many 
 interesting and instructive records for the pages 
 of our national history, and just as the achieve- 
 ments of Michigan's favorite sons have quick- 
 ened our national life, and by deeds of valor 
 and self-sacrifice, by industry, enterprise and 
 culture, left their imprint on the "sands of 
 time," even so has Bay County contributed its 
 might to the greatness and prosperity of our 
 
26 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 beloved commonwealth. Hence it is fitting 
 and right that a review of the main events in 
 the creation and government of the great 
 "Peninsnlar" State, should precede the more 
 detailed sketch of the "Garden Spot of Michi- 
 gan," — Bay County. 
 
 A song to thee, fair State of mine, 
 
 Michigan, my Michigan. 
 But greater song than this is thine, 
 
 Michigan, my Michigan. 
 The thunder of the inland sea, 
 The whisper of the towering tree 
 Unite in one grand symphony — • 
 
 Michigan, my Michigan. 
 
 I sing a State of all the hest — 
 
 Michigan, my JMichigan. 
 I sing a State with riches blest — 
 
 Michigan, my Michigan. 
 
 Thy mines unmask a hidden s'tore. 
 But richer thy historic lore. 
 More great the love thy builders bore — 
 Michigan, my ^Michigan. 
 
 How fair the bosom of thy lakes, 
 Michigan, my Michigan. 
 
 What melody each river makes, 
 Michigan, my Michigan. 
 
 As to thy lakes the rivers tend 
 
 Thy exiled ones still to thee send 
 
 Devotion that shall never end. 
 Michigan, my Michigan. 
 
 Rich in wealth that makes a State, 
 Michigan, my Michigan. 
 
 Great in the things that make men great, 
 Michigan, my Michigan. 
 
 Eager the voice that sounds thy claim 
 
 Upon the golden roll of Fame ; 
 
 Willing the hand that writes the name — 
 Michigan, my Michigan. 
 
 LOWER SAGINAW (now bay city; IN 1S37. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE ABORIGINAL PERIOD 
 
 ViRGix Forests, Trackless Swamps and Lake-Bound Prairies — "0-Sauk-e-non," 
 THE "Land of the Sauks" — Indian Tribes and Chieftains — Manners, Cus- 
 toms AND Modes of Life of the Aborigines — The Overthrow of the Sauks by 
 THE Confederated Tribes — The Indians as Found by the Pioneers — The In- 
 dians OF To-Day. 
 
 So came the auuinm, and passed, and the winter,— yet Gabriel came not; 
 Blossomed the opening spring, and the notes of the robin and bkiebird 
 Sounded sweet upon wold and in wood, yet Gabriel came not. 
 But on the breath of the summer winds a rumor was wafted 
 Sweeter than song of bird, or hue or odor of blossom. 
 Far to the north and east, it said, in the Michigan forests, 
 Gabriel had his lodge by the banks of the Saginaw River. 
 And, with returning guides, that sought the lakes of the Huron, 
 Saying a sad farewell, Evangeline went from the Ozark Mission. 
 When over weary ways, by long and perilous marches, 
 She had attained at length the depths of the Michigan forests 
 Found she the hunter's lodge on the Saginaw deserted and fallen to ruin ! 
 . — Adapted from Longfellow's Evangeline. 
 
 Shade of Evangeline! A spot far-famed, 
 wlience comes mysterious legends of the red 
 children of the forest! Scenes of which the 
 poets have sung and the artists reveled ! His- 
 toric shores of lake and river, where emanate 
 romantic traditions and soul-stirring reminis- 
 cences! But yesterday the veiled wilderness, 
 beckoning to the explorer! To-day an equally 
 attractive field for the scientist and the statis- 
 tician ! Wooded shores, ribtoned by placid 
 streams that bring melodious greetings from 
 distant inland vales, stand guard over Lake 
 Huron's most favored harbor! With the vis- 
 ion of a seer, the i)oet portrays the scene, and 
 bemoans the tragedies of ages agone : 
 
 This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines 
 and the hemlocks. 
 
 Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct 
 in the twilight. 
 
 Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic, 
 
 Stand like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on their 
 bosoms. 
 
 Loud from its misty caverns, the deep-voiced neighbor- 
 ing lake 
 
 Speaks, and with rythmic lullaby soothes the lisping 
 voices of the forest. 
 
 This is the forest primeval ; but where are the 
 hearts that beneath it 
 Leaped like the roe. when he hears in the woodland the 
 voice of the huntsman? 
 ****** 
 
 Men whose lives glided on like rivers that water the 
 woodlands. 
 
28 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Darkened by shadows of earth, Imt reflecting an image 
 of heaven ? 
 
 — Adapted from Longfellow's /;:'(i)i.r,'c//)ic. 
 
 1'nil\- this great country of ours has few- 
 localities more blessed by Nature, and few in- 
 deed can offer as much in folk-lore and tradi- 
 tion, than the far-famed valley of the Satji- 
 naw. Its very name is preonant with historic 
 lore of an heroic people. The primitixe In- 
 dians called it "O-Sauk-e-non," nieanins^' the 
 "J.and of the Sauks." Centuries ai^o, their 
 exact number none can tell with precision, the 
 Sauks, a warlike and powerful tribe of In- 
 dians, held undisputed sway oxer all the \ast 
 and varied region comprised in what is now 
 Eastern Michigan. 
 
 Tf we are to accept the scientist's theory 
 of the prehistoric glacial and rainy periods, 
 and the subse(|uent ni)heavals, that gave to our 
 globe its present formation, we may readily 
 believe that one of the very last spots in this 
 vast region to rise alxive the level of the all- 
 pervading waters was this same \allcy of the 
 Sauks or Saginaw. 
 
 The earliest explorers still found much of 
 the valley a seemingly endless swamp, a tangle 
 of primitive forest on its margin, alive with 
 wild beasts of forest and prairie, with gamy 
 myriads of the deep, and the winged hosts of 
 this vast lake region. It must ha\c been infi- 
 nitely more impenetrable at the time the Sauk 
 nation made this valley their favorite hunting 
 ground, and seat of their great tribe councils. 
 This \-alley is to-day a paradise of fish and 
 game, and it will require no great stretch of 
 im.agination to picture to oneself the ideal liv- 
 ing conditions presented here to the simplc- 
 liearled children of the wilderness. Wood for 
 the camp-fire, water clear as crystal for the 
 family cooking in their primitive earthern and 
 stone vessels, fish and game for the mere sport 
 of the hunter, and, last but not least, a safe re- 
 
 treat in times of trouble and defeat. For who 
 but the nati\-e child of these vast forests would 
 be able to thread its trackless wastes and 
 trei'.cherous river bottoms with safety and with 
 disp.itch ? And the warlike Sauks no doubt 
 knew the defensive value of river fords and 
 s;tnd ridge, of wood and plain. 'l"he Romans 
 of the Old World sallied forth from their 
 strong city to conquer the world, confident of 
 a safe retreat in times of disaster and tempo- 
 r;iry defeat, and of quite a similar character 
 are the annals of these earliest known inhabi- 
 tants of this gem of the Great Lakes. Certain 
 it is that the Sauks held a foremost place 
 among the Indians of their day. Indian tra- 
 ditions are replete with the recital of their war- 
 like deeds, e\-en centuries after the tril)e was 
 wiped from the face of the earth by a combi- 
 nation of weaker tribes inhabiting other por- 
 tions of the lake regions, who disliked the 
 domination of the Sauks, and probablv cov- 
 eted their rich hunting grounds. Flardlv half 
 a century has passed, since this beautiful val- 
 ley was indeed a happy hunting ground. lUif- 
 falo, elk, moose and deer roamed at will 
 through the prairie-bound forests. Black and 
 brown bears, wolves, panthers, wild cats and 
 other wild beasts infested the wilderness, fero- 
 cious foes of almost equally ferocious aborig- 
 ines. E\'en to this day most of these animals 
 are to be found in the thinly settled portions 
 of this section of Michigan. What wonder 
 tlien, that the Sauks waxed strong, and that 
 with all the fiery instincts of their savage souls 
 they enjoyed a fight, and spoiled for lust of 
 blood and conquest ! 
 
 The earliest annals of Bay County tell of 
 the Indian traditions of the Sauks, as they 
 were handed down from generation to genera- 
 tion, an inspiration for young warriors, and a 
 song of victory for the sages of the tribes, who 
 on the verv site of Greater Bay Citv extermi- 
 
AND REPRESENTATI\-E CITIZEXS. 
 
 nated, in a desperate two-days Ijattle, the last 
 remnants of the once powerful trihe of Sauks. 
 Jean Nicollet, believed to be the first white 
 man to have visited the harbor of what is now 
 Bay City, in his explorations of the western 
 and northern shores of Lake Huron in 1634 
 speaks of the land of the Sauks in his official 
 report to Go\-ernnr Champlain of New I'rance. 
 He was hospitably received by the Indians, 
 after interpreters he had with him had over- 
 come their fears, for he was the first white 
 man most of them had seen. The next au- 
 thentic report of the land of the Sauks is found 
 in the annals of Pere Marquette and Pere 
 Dablon, who about 1668 were exploring the 
 western shore of Lake Huron, anil the latter 
 tells of a council with the natives on a great 
 river, undoubtedly the Saginaw, which for a 
 time was thought to be connected with the 
 Mississippi River. This river flowed through 
 the center of the land of the Sauks, which is 
 described as extending from the western shore 
 of Lake Huron to the eastern shore of Lake 
 Michigan, and from Mackinaw in the north 
 to the land of the Shiawassees in the south. 
 The Indians then inhabiting this vast region 
 were easily won over by the earnest and de- 
 voted missionaries. 
 
 Then the Black-Robe chief, the Prophet, 
 Told his message to the people, 
 Told the purport of his mission. 
 
 The Song of Hiawatha. 
 
 One must have read that immortal epic 
 poem of Longfellow, to appreciate the beauti- 
 ful story of the earliest meetings of the pale 
 faces and red men on tlie shores of the Great 
 Lakes, to picture in one's mind the weird scene 
 of an Indian camp-fire in the wilderness, the 
 wigwams of the chiefs, the shore lined with 
 birch canoes, so necessary for the inhabitants 
 of these regions, the solemn warriors smoking 
 
 the pipe of peace with the strangers they called 
 "brtjthers," the eloquent address of Father 
 Maniuette, with a world-redeeming message, 
 alas, so little understood by these children of 
 the forest, whose one all-absorbing command- 
 ment for ages had been the old Hebraic dic- 
 tum : "An eye for .\N eye; and a tooth 
 FOR ,\ TOOTH." What a pity that the spirit 
 of Pere Marquette did not always pervade the 
 intercourse of the two races in these fair re- 
 gions! 
 
 .As no i)ermanent mission was established 
 south of Mackinaw, we can know but little 
 that is authentic of these first meetings here, 
 of Indians and explorers or missionaries. Un- 
 doubtedly the cross and lilies of France were 
 duly raised over this rich valley, as they were 
 all along the shores of Lake Huron. It was 
 rare indeed in the rush of events of the closing 
 years of the 19th century that a triljute was 
 paid to the memory of the devoted men who 
 opened to civilization wide reaches of fertile 
 but unknown regions. Such a worthy tribute 
 has been paid to the peer of all these e.xplorers 
 of the trackless Northwest, in naming one of 
 the great highways of commerce, that trav- 
 erse the vast region he was the first to really 
 explore, the Pere Marquette Railroad, in 
 honor of Father Marquette. 
 
 Almost two centuries had elapsed since the 
 discovery of this country ere the first white 
 explorers penetrated to this secluded spot, and 
 even then they were satisfied with tracing the 
 general courses of rivers and the trend of the 
 coasts of the Great Lakes. This done, there 
 comes another long period, during which the 
 copper-colored children of the woods ruled 
 supreme over their beloved hunting grounds. 
 And it is the recital of their primitive e.xist- 
 ence, their feuds and wars, their hunts and ex- 
 peditions, their religion and traditions, that 
 lend to the annals of Bay County their roman- 
 
30 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 tic interest. Residents of this county and 
 State annually travel thousands of miles to 
 visit some romantic spot of the Old World and 
 an earlier civilization. Few realize the wealth 
 of legendary and historic narratives, that find 
 their scenes on the shores of Saginaw bay and 
 river. 
 
 This chapter on the Indians who once in- 
 habited these hunting grounds would not be 
 complete without a passing reference to the 
 race in general. Columbus thought he had 
 discovered the Indies of Asia when he sailed 
 to the West Indies in 1492, hence the inhabi- 
 tants of the New World were called "In- 
 dians." Diligent research on the history and 
 migrations of the primitive races of the world 
 has failed to reveal the origin of this copper- 
 colored race. To the red man of this Western 
 Continent the chase was everything, and the 
 illimitable hunting grounds, forest and prai- 
 rie and stream, were the Indian's earthly par- 
 adise and the type of his heavenly home here- 
 after. 
 
 The American aborigines belonged to sev- 
 eral distinct families or nations, and the tribe 
 of Hurons which inhabited Michigan at the 
 time of Father Marquette's exploration be- 
 longed to the Algonquin nation, which at that 
 time was estimated to number 250,000 souls. 
 They were nomadic in their habits, roaming 
 from one hunting ground to another, accord- 
 ing to the exigencies of fishing and the chase. 
 Agriculture was but little esteemed. The Al- 
 gonquins were divided into many subordinate 
 tribes, each having its local name, dialect and 
 traditions. 
 
 Of all the Indian nations, the Algonquins 
 suffered most from contact with the white 
 men. Wasting diseases destroyed whole 
 tribes, and are to-day taking off the pitiable 
 remnants of a once proud and powerful race. 
 Before the aggressive spirit of the pale faces, 
 
 before his fiery rum and his destructive weap- 
 ons, the race has withered to a shadow, and 
 only a few thousand remain to rehearse the 
 story of their ancestors. 
 
 Personal independence, a willfulness of ac- 
 tion and freedom from all restraint, were their 
 most striking characteristics, as their local tra- 
 ditions clearly prove. The authority of the 
 chief extended no further than to be foremost 
 in battle and most cunning in savage strategy. 
 No man gave him his authority, and no man 
 tookitawa3^ In the solemn debates of the coun- 
 cil, where the red orators pronounced wild har- 
 angues to groups of motionless listeners, only 
 questions of expediency were decided. The 
 painted sachems never thought of imposing 
 on the unwilling minority the decision which 
 had Ijcen reached in council. 
 
 War was the all-absorbing passion of the 
 red men. Revenge was considered the noblest 
 of virtues, and hence all their interminable 
 wars were undertaken to redress some griev- 
 ance, real or imaginary, and never for con- 
 quest. The fight in the open, like the combats 
 of the legions of the Old World, was un- 
 known in Indian warfare. Their military 
 strategy consisted of cunning and treachery, 
 and their fighting was limited to surprise, am- 
 buscade, and massacre. The vanquished sel- 
 dom asked for mercy and never received it. 
 Barbarous captivity, ransom, or burning at the 
 stake were the lot of prisoners captured in 
 war, and the diabolical ferocity of the savage 
 warrior's nature invented ever new tortures. 
 
 Confederations formed at times among the 
 tribes, when some emergencies demanded 
 them, seldom out!i\-ed the great sachems aaIio 
 had formed them. In times of peace the red 
 man was unsocial, solitary, a gloomy spirit 
 of the woods. The wide forest was to him 
 better than his wigwam, and his wigwam bet- 
 ter than the villap:e. The Indian woman was 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 31 
 
 a degraded creature, a drudge, the beast of 
 burden for the lodge, and the social principle 
 was correspondingly low. In matters of re- 
 Hgion, the Indians were a superstitious race, 
 but seldom idolaters. They believed in a 
 Great Spirit, everywhere present, ruling the 
 elements, showing favor to the brave and obe- 
 dient and punishing the sinful. They called 
 Him the Great Alanitou. They worshiped, 
 but never built any temples. They also believed 
 in many sulxjrdinate spirits, some evil and 
 some good, and their medicine men after fast- 
 ing and prayer made revelations of this spirit 
 world. The religious ceremonies of the Hu- 
 rons were performed with great earnestness 
 and solemn formality, and one of their favor- 
 ite meeting grounds for centuries was on the 
 western bank of the Saginaw River, about 
 three miles from its mouth. 
 
 In the matter of arts the Indians were bar- 
 barians. Their houses were wigwams or 
 hovels. Some poles set up in a circle, con- 
 verging at the top, covered with skins and the 
 branches of trees, lined and sometimes floored 
 with mats made by the women, a fire in the 
 center, a low opening opposite a point from 
 which the wind blew — such was the aborig- 
 inal abode of our Indians, even as late as 
 1865, when one of the last great tribal coun- 
 cils was held on the outskirts of what was 
 then the village of Wenona. 
 
 Indian utensils were few, rude and primi- 
 tive. Poorly fashioned earthern ])ots, bags 
 and pouches for carrying provisions, stone 
 hammers for pounding parched corn, were the 
 stock and store. A copper kettle was a price- 
 less treasure. The warrior's chief implement 
 was his hatchet of copper or stone, which he al- 
 ways carried. This hatchet was rarely free 
 from the stain of blood. His bow and stone- 
 capped arrow proved ample weapons for of- 
 fense and defense. Old settlers still relate how 
 
 some famous chiefs in this very valley shot an 
 arrow capped with iron clear through a full 
 grown deer, at a distance of 200 yards. 
 
 The Indian's clothing was a blanket thrown 
 loosely over his shoulders, and fastened about 
 the middle with leather thongs. The material 
 for his moccasins and leggings was stripped 
 from the red buck, elk or buffalo. Fangs of 
 rattlesnakes, claAvs of hawks, feathers of eagles, 
 bones of animals, and even the scalps of ene- 
 mies he killed, were hung alx)ut his person. He 
 painted his face and body, especially when pre- 
 paring for the war-dance, with all manner of 
 fantastic and glaring colors. 
 
 Indian writing consisted only of rinaint 
 hieroglyphics rudely scratched on the face of 
 rocks or cut in the bark of trees. Pontiac, a 
 great chief of this region, and thought by many 
 to ha\e been the greatest man his race ever pro- 
 duced, was the only leader who ever had a com- 
 missary department among the tribes, with a 
 system of making requisitions, by rudely draw- 
 ing the article wanted upon a piece of hide, with 
 his totem, the beaver, affixed. This requisi- 
 tion usually brought the desired article. But 
 the artistic sense of the savage could rise no 
 higher than a coarse necessity compelled the 
 flight. 
 
 The dialects of the North American races 
 have a resemblance among themselves, but 
 have no analogy with the languages of other 
 nations, unless it be with the monosyllables of 
 the nomadic tribes of Central Asia. The In- 
 dian tongue had but few words, and abstract 
 ideas rarely found expression. The Hurons of 
 this vicinity had no word for "hunting," but 
 one word signified "to-kill-a-deer-with-an- 
 arrow 1" There was no word for brother, but 
 one word signified "elder brother" or "younger 
 brother." 
 
 The Hurons were light and tall in build, 
 agile, lean and swift of foot. Eyes, jet black 
 
HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 and sunken ; hair, black and straight ; beard, 
 black and scant ; skin of a copper-colored, red- 
 dish-black or cinnamon hue ; high cheek bones ; 
 forehead and skull variable in shape and pro- 
 portions; hands and feet small; tody lithe but 
 not strong; expression of the features more 
 often sinister, than dig'nified or noble. Such 
 Avas the Indian as the early settlers found him 
 in these parts. 
 
 The Indian dance was a passion with them, 
 but it was not the social dance of civilized na- 
 tions, but rather the dance of ceremony, the 
 dance of religion and of war. Sometimes the 
 warriors danced alone, but frequently the 
 women were accorded their one privilege, when 
 they too would join the mystic circle, swinging 
 round and round, chanting the weird, monoto- 
 nous songs of their tribe. 
 
 The amusements of these children of the 
 forest consisted of feats of daring, excellence 
 in feats of strength, such as wrestling, shooting 
 at a mark, running, jumping, racing in their 
 swift canoes, playing at ball, and some gam- 
 bling games with stones resembling dice, on 
 which the passionate warrior would often haz- 
 ard his entire possessions. 
 
 The pipe was the warrior's inseparable com- 
 panion. The pioneers in these parts often saw 
 them sitting and smoking for hours, apparently 
 lost in a dream under the fascinating influence 
 of their pipes. No race on earth has ever been 
 so debased by strong drink. 
 
 The fire-water of the pale faces has done 
 more to exterminate the Indians than all other 
 agencies ! The amount .of spirits and liquor 
 Poor Lo would absorb has only been limited 
 by tlie amount he could secure. Such is a 
 rough sketch of the aboriginal red man, who 
 WAS rather than is ! 
 
 That this was once one of the most thickly 
 ])opulated hunting grounds of the aborigines, 
 is still attested, not merely by the traditions of 
 
 Bay County's pioneers, but also by the settle- 
 ments of remnants of once powerful tribes at 
 Indiantown, near Kawkawlin, at Saganing, 
 near Pinconning, and at Ouanicassee, just 
 across our county's eastern border. Such is 
 the logic of events that right or wrong, the 
 weaker race has withered before the onward 
 march of the Saxons. By the beloved ri\-ers 
 and in the solitude of the great forests the rest- 
 less sons of the West will soon be seen no 
 more! One by one they bid farewell to the 
 hunting grounds of their ancestors. Let our 
 people do what in their power lies to brighten 
 the days still remaining of earth to the survi- 
 vors of the primitive race that once called this 
 vast continent their very own. To-day little 
 more than their names remain on lake and hill 
 and stream, and even these in the rush of events 
 we pass unnoticed by! 
 
 And yet what a wealth of anecdote and ro- 
 mance gather about the earliest inhabitants of 
 this valley. A few of these personal reminis- 
 cences will be better understood and appreci- 
 ated, since we have reviewed Indian character, 
 life and habits. 
 
 \\'hat is known to-day of the great tribe 
 of the Sauks, wdio have given the title to Sagi- 
 naw bay, river and valley, is derived entirely 
 from the traditions handed down among the 
 Indians of this part of the State from genera- 
 tion to generation. About 1835 there lived in 
 an Indian shack on the bay shore, on the site 
 of what is now Tobico, an old Chippewa chief, 
 named Put-ta-gua-sa-mine, over whose battle- 
 scarred head had passed more than 100 years — 
 a wrinkled but acti\e human oak in the prime- 
 val wilderness. He was as active as the aver- 
 age man is at 50, and his faculties were un- 
 dimmed. Since early youth he had been the 
 historian of his tribe. Some 80 years before, 
 his grandfather had told him the traditional 
 story of his tribe, and the extermination of 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 33 
 
 their bitterest foes, the Sauks. formed the most 
 stirring chapter of his nation's legends. He had 
 repeated it a thousand times around their camp- 
 fires, tepees and councils, lest the braves of the 
 nation should forget the glorious deeds of their 
 ancestors, and their traditions and history be 
 lost forever. He had appointed Nau-qua-chic- 
 a-me as his successor, and verified his historic 
 tales by the other old Indians of his tribe living 
 in that vicinity. The late Judge Albert Miller, 
 \\'illiam R. McCormick, James Eraser, John 
 Riley. Joseph Trombley, his brother IMedor 
 Trombley, two uncles of theirs, — Cassette 
 Trombley and Leon Trombley, — James M. 
 McCormick, Benjamin Cushway, and others of 
 the early pioneers, often heard the Indian's re- 
 cital, and no record of this vicinity would be 
 complete without this, the most ghastly inci- 
 dent of the aborigines' traditions. The old 
 warrior could repeat the tale a hundred times 
 and not vary a hairl)readth in his recital. 
 
 The Sauks' main village lay on the ridge 
 extending along the west bank of the river for 
 about five miles from the bay. \\'hile the In- 
 <lians roamed at will over all the Southern Pen- 
 insula of Michigan, still their favorite hunting 
 ground was in this valley. Here it was they 
 assembled for their tribe councils, their sun- 
 dances, their feasts and their games. This vil- 
 lage was nc\cr (piite deserted. The old and in- 
 firm, the sick and wounded invariably came 
 and lived here, for it offered every facility for 
 their simple lives. Sometimes defeated in bat- 
 tle against distant tribes, the Sauks invariably 
 rallied to the defense of this valley, and no foe 
 ever passed its outer defenses and lived. Erom 
 this stronghold they sallied forth to fight their 
 Chippewa neighbors on the north, the Potta- 
 watomies of Southern Michigan, and they even 
 carried war against the Ottawas in Canada, 
 until those troubled tribes could bear their ag- 
 gressions no longer. 
 
 Some three centuries ago these three tribes 
 called in the Menominees and Dakotahs of the 
 West, and parts of the Si.x Nations of New York 
 somewhere near where Port Huron is now lo- 
 cated, and it was decided to destroy the Sauks 
 and make their lands a general hunting ground 
 for all these tribes. 
 
 Early the following spring the warriors of 
 these several tribes assembled at Mackinaw, 
 while another force was gathered on the east- 
 ern shore of Lake St. Clair. When all was in 
 readiness, the Mackinaw confederates started 
 down Lake Huron in bark canoes, the most im- 
 posing flotilla undoubtedly that sailed these 
 lakes until Commodore Perry met and van- 
 quished the English fleet at Put-in-Bay nearly 
 three centuries later, for it was rare indeed 
 that these feudal tribes ever acted together. • 
 
 .Apparently the Sauks knew nothing of the 
 conspiracy, and with the breaking of a hard 
 winter they had scattered to their several 
 haunts, the largest number apparently remain- 
 ing in this valley. Their enemies, true to their 
 savage natures, planned to surprise this village. 
 The fleet of canoes loaded with the dusky war- 
 riors stole along the west shore of Saginaw 
 Bay, lay concealed in the wilderness near To- 
 bico during the day and the ne.xt night divided 
 to attack both sides of the Saginaw River at 
 davbreak. 
 
 The Sauks slept in fancied security, little 
 dreaming what a horrible death awaited them. 
 With the first streak of gray across the dense 
 forest, the savage horde broke from the woods 
 near where the lower wards of the West Side 
 are now located, and began a ruthless massacre. 
 The Sauks living further up stream, hearing 
 the whoops of the enemy, tried vainly to stop 
 the latter's victorious rush. Finding them- 
 selves outnumbered, they slowly retreated, 
 fighting every foot of the way, and finally 
 sought refuge on the East Sitle, where the 
 
34 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 upper wards of Bay City now stretch along the 
 river. 
 
 This was just what their wily enemies had 
 foreseen, for now the second force of confeder- 
 ates canie rushing out of the forest that 
 stretched from the bay for miles and miles to 
 the south. On the ridge south of Lafayette 
 avenue, the Sauks made a desperate stand, and 
 a number of mounds have been uncovered 
 where skulls and skeletons, thrown indiscrimi- 
 nately together, attest that hundreds fought 
 and died here, and were buried in common 
 graves. 
 
 Those that survived this slaughter retreated 
 to the little island south of Stone Island, which 
 they quickly fortified. The attacking force had 
 left their canoes on the bay shore, but even the 
 elements conspired against the doomed tribe of 
 Sauks. A cold wave, so peculiar to this lake 
 region, swept down from the nortli that night, 
 covering the narrow arm of the river with ice, 
 over which at the break of another day the mer- 
 ciless enemy charged, and completed the mas- 
 sacre. For ages after, numberless skulls lay 
 scattered and buried on this fateful spot, which 
 has ever since been called Skull Island. The 
 tradition of the Chippewas recounts that 12 of 
 the bravest Sauks, with their families, were 
 saved from this final slaughter, as trophies of 
 the great victory. 
 
 The force on the St. Clair now advanced up 
 the Shiawassee and Flint rivers, where they 
 joined forces with the victorious warriors from 
 the Saginaw valley, and the other tribes of the 
 Sauk nation were hunted to their death. On 
 the Cass. Tittabawassee, Shiawassee and Flint 
 rivers, the same bloody drama was renewed. 
 Great battles were fought near the sites of the 
 present cities of Flint and Flushing, where to 
 this day mass graves of warriors are unearthed. 
 The crushed skulls, the mark of the deadly tom- 
 ahawk, arrow and battle-axe, show plainly that 
 
 the Ijloody traditions of these Indians are but 
 too well founded. 
 
 A few escaped the massacre on the Sagi- 
 naw, and the scattered tribes were undoubtedly 
 warned on their more southern hunting 
 grounds. But the confederates were all about 
 them, and escape was impossible. Realizing 
 that death was inevitable, the Sauks showed 
 that at least they could die bravely, and some of 
 the weird war-chants of the Indians of the lake 
 region still recite the heroic deeds of the 
 doomed race. W'arriors, women and even chil- 
 dren joined in the fight, and while their race 
 was practically exterminated in the course of 
 several weeks of fighting, the fugitives being 
 hunted d(5wn like wild beasts by their infuri- 
 ated enemies, still the victory was dearly 
 bought. 
 
 When the man hunt through Lower ]\Iichi- 
 gan had been completed and the confederates 
 had assembled in council on the very site of 
 Bay City, they had wearied of the slaughter, 
 and the captives, kept for torture more terri- 
 ble than any death in battle, were spared, and 
 by mutual agreement sent west of the Missis- 
 sippi, where the Sioux tribes took them under 
 their protection in recognition of their heroic 
 fight in the face of overwhelming odds. The 
 rich hunting and fishing grounds, the main 
 cause of the massacre, were thrown open for 
 the common use of the tribes that had taken 
 part in the expedition. 
 
 So passed the Sauks from the valley and 
 the territory they loved so well. 
 
 In 1823, Major Long, of the United States 
 Army, found the survivors of the Sauks on the 
 St. Peters River, evidently descendants of the 
 12 families that were banished to the far West. 
 In his official report, regarding their original 
 haunts, he says, that these Sauks had a tradi- 
 tion that they did not always live in those parts, 
 but that their ancestors lived on Saginaw Bay 
 
Ii 
 
 TRINITY PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 
 Bay City. E. S. 
 
 
 MADISON AVENUE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH and PARSONAGE, 
 
 Bay City, E. S. 
 
 S. JAMES' CATHOLIC CHURCH and PAROCHIAL RKSIDENCE, 
 Bay City, E. S. 
 
 WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN 
 
 CHURCH, 
 
 Bav Citv, W. S. 
 
 FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL 
 
 CHURCH, 
 
 Bay City, W. S. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 37 
 
 and Lake Huron, where tlie Great Spirit liad 
 created them, and given them wonderful liunt- 
 ing grounds until their trihe sinned against 
 Manitou the Great, and were by the evil spirits 
 driven from their happy lumting grounds. 
 
 In their far Western reservation, the In- 
 dian tril)e wliicli gave its name to the great 
 hay. river and valley, in the very heart of ■Mich- 
 igan, has dwindled to a mere shadow, and. ac- 
 cording to the last report of the Indian com- 
 missioner, will soon he totally extinct. 
 
 Their conquerors have fared but little bet- 
 ter, and their dearly tought victory was almost 
 barren of results. For hardly had the allied 
 Indian tribes decided to keep the conquered ter- 
 ritory along the shores of the Saginaw as a 
 common hunting ground, before the supersti- 
 tious Indian found that the spirits of the 
 slaughtered Sauks haunted the valley, for 
 many Indians who came to hunt and fish in 
 these parts were never more heard of. Quite 
 likely a few Sauks escaped the massacre, too 
 few for open war, and that they took bloody 
 revenge on all their enemies who came to the 
 shores of Saginaw Bay. The neighboring 
 creeks, the trackless forest and the wide reaches 
 (if the bay ofifered a safe shelter to the fugitives 
 and. knowing the country better than the wan- 
 dering hunters, the skulking Sauks had the ad- 
 vantage over much superior numbers in that 
 kind of savage warfare. 
 
 As late as 1840. a Chijjpcwa chief named 
 Ton-dog-a-ne told William R, McCnrmick and 
 other visiting traders, that he had himself killed 
 a Sauk in an acidental meeting of hunting par- 
 ties, while he was still quite young. I'ifty j'ears 
 ago the Indians frequently ceased hunting, be- 
 cause they had seen a place in the woods where 
 the spirit of a Sauk had built his camp-fire and 
 slept. The early settlers laughed at the In- 
 dians' superstititious fears, but nothing could 
 induce theiu to enter the wcods at such a tiiuc. 
 
 Another Indian tradition handed down by 
 the Chippewa chief, Wa-sha-be-non, who lived 
 to be nearly 100 years old, and who had heard 
 it from his grandfather, told how this haunted 
 hunting ground had been made a sort of penal 
 colony to which every Indian who com- 
 mitted a criine under the Indian's crude 
 code of laws was banished or to which 
 he fled, rather than face the tortures 
 and punishment inflicted by his tribe. To 
 the average Indian this was the worst puiu'sh- 
 ment that could be inflicted, but the criminal 
 colony undoubtedly soon found that it was not 
 at all a bad place to camp, to hunt and to fish, 
 for the colony increased and thrived despite 
 the avenging spirits said to be hovering over 
 "O-Sauk-e-non," the doomed "Land of the 
 Sauks." The mixing of warriors from many 
 tribes brought with it in time a mixed Indian 
 dialect, in which the language of the Chippe- 
 was, as the most numerous, predominated. 
 
 The picturesque and romantic interest in 
 this valley center about these red children of 
 the forest, and their contact with the earliest 
 white trappers, traders and settlers, and innum- 
 erable stories are told by these pioneers, a few 
 of which will round out this chapter on the 
 aI)origines, who once owned and lorded it over 
 this valley. 
 
 The Hurons, to which race all of the tribes 
 living about the Great Lakes belonged, were 
 not very highly esteemed by the Indians of the 
 East, the Six Nations. The French traveler and 
 explorer, De Toc(|ucvi]lc, aljout the year 1830, 
 started for the Wild West of those early days, 
 the heart of IMichigan, and sought the services 
 of an Indian guide at Buffalo. An old Mohawk 
 warrior cautioned biiu to beware of the native 
 Indians of Michigan, and particularly in the 
 haunted regions of "O-Sauk-e-non."' The 
 jjroud Mohawk called them a thievish race, 
 vagatonds and skulkers, whom none could 
 
38 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 trust, and the members of the party were so 
 impressed with his recital of their treacherous 
 deeds in the War of the Revohition and W^ar 
 of i8iJ. tliat an Ottawa warrior from Canada 
 guided the party to the banks of Saginaw Bay, 
 from where the savant made his scientific and 
 geographical observations. He did not find 
 the Indians of this region as bad as pictured. 
 He 2a\e them credit for many virtues which 
 the pale faces would do well to imitate, among 
 them l)eing strict honesty. He found this vir- 
 tue among all the tribes of the West, where 
 they were not corrupted by intercourse with 
 the pale faces. He found no bolts or bars in 
 their habitations, and cites many instances of 
 their integrity. An Indian was given a hand- 
 ful of tobacco, and in his tepee found a quarter 
 of a dollar among the leaves. Early next 
 morning he hurried to the donor and handed 
 back the money. Being told that inasmuch as 
 it had been given to him, he might as well have 
 kept it. the Indian pointed to his breast and 
 said : "I got a good man and a bad man here ; 
 the good man say it is not mine, and I must re- 
 turn it ; the bad man say, he gave it to you and 
 it is your own now ; the good man say, that 
 is not right, the tobacco is yours, but not the 
 money ; the bad man say, ne\'er mind, you got 
 the money, go buy some drink ; the good man 
 say, you must not do so, and I don't know what 
 to do, and think to sleep over it, but the good 
 man and the bad man talk all night and trouble 
 me much ; so now I bring the money back, and 
 feel \ery. very good again." Of the Chip- 
 pewa chief, Put-ta-gua-sa-mine. he wrote the 
 following : "At a visit to his shack on the 
 great bay of Saginaw, while the pipe of peace 
 was going the rounds, I told him that I was 
 pleased he did not drink the firewater of the 
 white men, but that it grieved me to find his 
 people drank so much of it. The Indian sage 
 replied promptly : 'Ah, Uh,' with a suggestive 
 
 gesture, 'we Indians use a great deal of whis- 
 key, but WE do not m.\ke it.' " This was a 
 very pert Indian version of the scripture quo- 
 tation : "He that delivereth it unto thee hath 
 the greater sin." 
 
 The home relations of the red men have 
 e\'er been the subject of interesting study, and 
 the savants who early visited these parts gave 
 vastly different views of the life of the aborig- 
 ines during the first 30 years of the 19th cen- 
 tury. Polygamy was not uncommon among 
 the Hurons, the more influential chiefs usually 
 having several w'ives. A missionary named 
 Catlin made a study of the Indian tribes of 
 Michigan, and he found that, like the trilies of 
 the East, the drudgery of the family devolved 
 entirely on the women. The women carried 
 the baggage on the marcii, and erected the tepee 
 \\hen a camping ground was reached. The 
 women gathered the fuel, started the camp-fire, 
 cooked the simple meal and patiently served 
 the lord of the household, who disdained all 
 work, as fit only for pale faces and women. 
 Even the little patch of corn was cultivated by 
 the women. The warriors followed the chase 
 or tiie war-path, leaving all domestic and agri- 
 cultural cares to the women. For untold ages 
 this had been the life of the red men, and when 
 the white men invaded their hunting grounds, 
 and compelled the Indian to till the ground, 
 when he ceased to be a hunter and became a 
 farmer, his whole existence was changed, and 
 many people attribute the gradual extinction of 
 the Indians to a pining away of the race for the 
 wild and unfettered hunter's life of their an- 
 cestors. 
 
 \\'hilc the Indian women were shown but 
 little tenderness by the stoical warriors, and 
 their miserable and degraded life was one in- 
 cessant round of labor and care, there were 
 man}- instances of touching devotion among the 
 Hurons. A story is told of a dying Indian 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 39 
 
 woman. \\ho expressed a great desire for a 
 mess of com. A famine in these parts made 
 the gratification of her wish seemingly impossi- 
 l)le, but her devoted husband lost no time. 
 Through the almost untrodden wilderness he 
 hurried to the settlement at Detroit, more 
 than loo miles away, told his troubles to 
 a German pioneer, secured enough corn to fill 
 his lilanket, and immediately started back home 
 with his load. The last few days of earth 
 for his stricken squaw were cheered by 
 the food secured under such trying circum- 
 stances. 
 
 While the pioneers found much that was 
 laudable, and still more that was ridiculous and 
 condemnable in the daily life of the red men. 
 the children of the forest also found much sub- 
 ject for hilarity on the other side. In a coun- 
 cil of the early pioneers, government agents. 
 surveyors and trappers, with the Chippewas on 
 the shore of Saginaw Bay, an aged chief re- 
 minded the white men that the Indians had 
 not only a surer way of getting a wife than the 
 pale faces, but that an Indian was also more 
 certain of getting one eventually to his liking. 
 Through a French interpreter his argument 
 was given something like this: "White man 
 court and court, maybe one whole year, maybe 
 two year, before he marry. \\'ell. maybe he 
 get good wife, maybe no! ]\Iaybe her very 
 cross, scold so soon as he wake in the morn- 
 ing, scold all day, scold all night! .\11 the same 
 he must keep her! White man's law say he 
 must keep her! Well, how do Indians do? In- 
 dian sees good, industrious squaw, he goes to 
 her. places two forefingers close beside each 
 other, make two look like one, look squaw 
 straight in face, see her smile, and take her 
 home ! No danger her be cross, no, no ! Squaw 
 knows he throw her away if she be cross, and 
 take another ! Squaw love to eat meat. No hus- 
 band, no meat ! Squaw do everything to please 
 
 husband, big chief brings plenty of meat, and 
 we be happy always!" 
 
 The Indians never chastised their children, 
 thinking that it would damp their spirits, check 
 their love of independence, and cool their mar- 
 tial ardor, all of which the parents wished to 
 encourage. Reason will guide our children, 
 when they come to the use of it, argued the wise 
 men of the tribe, and before that their faults 
 cannot be \ery great. Boys were given uncon- 
 trolled freedom. Respect for their father and 
 old age were alone inculcated into their young 
 hearts. Among their own it was a great crime 
 to steal or tell a lie, but to an enemy, and every 
 pale face was long treated as a hereditary en- 
 emy, it was right to do so, for they must be 
 injured wherever possible. The warriors en- 
 deavored by example to train the youth to dili- 
 gence in hunting and fishing, and to animate 
 them with patience, courage and fortitude in 
 war, as well as to inspire them with contempt 
 of danger and pain and to court death, which 
 among the Hurons were qualities alone worth 
 possessing. \\'lien a famous chief became too 
 old to indulge in the chase, or to go on the 
 war-path, he devoted his time to exhorting the 
 youths of his trilje. In glowing phrases he 
 would recount the great deeds of their tribe. 
 Daily the children gathered about these aged 
 chiefs among the tepees on the Saginaw, and 
 DeTocqueville recites how they urged the 
 young men to lie brave and cunning in war. and 
 to defend their hunting grounds against all en- 
 croachments. "Never suft'er your squaws or 
 little ones to want, and at all times protect them 
 from insult and from danger. Respect the 
 aged. Never betray a friend. Be revenged 
 on your enemies. Drink not the poisonous 
 strong water of the i)ale faces, for it is sent by 
 the bad spirit to destroy our race." Alas ! Too 
 few heeded this last appeal, and pathetically it 
 is written : 
 
40 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 For plagues do spread, and funeral fires increase, 
 None can the wrath of the Alanitou the Great appease 
 Since to the poisoned waters of the paleface, all are 
 slaves ! 
 
 The sage ciiief counseled them to fear not 
 death, for none but cowartls really die. "The 
 brave warrior goes to the happy hunting" 
 grounds, the coward becomes a tortured spirit 
 before Manitou the Great. Love and adore 
 the Good Spirit, who made us all. who supplies 
 our hunting grounds, and keeps all alive." Then 
 with hands and e^'es uplifted toward heaven, 
 he would recount his deeds in war and peace, 
 and thank the Great Spirit for keeping him so 
 long in health and strength. "Yet like a de- 
 cayed prairie tree do I now stand alone among 
 you. The friends of my youth, the compan- 
 ions of my sports, my toils and my dangers, 
 rest their heads on the bosom of our mother 
 earth. My sun is fast setting behind the West- 
 ern hills, and I feel it will soon be night with 
 me. But you will soon be men, then must you 
 prove worthy of your forefathers!" 
 
 While the Ottawas and other tribes wor- 
 shipped the sun, the Hurons were content to 
 erect at odd intervals in their midst some hid- 
 eous idol, which they adored as their talisman, 
 until seme defeat in war, a famine or other 
 mishap to the tribe, appeared to indicate that 
 the potency of their little ISIanitou was no 
 longer a saving grace. About 1840 some mis- 
 sionaries held a church service on the west 
 shore of the Saginaw River, two miles from 
 its mouth. Trappers, hunters, fishermen and 
 traders came together for miles around to hear 
 once again a service so rare in the wilderness. 
 A few Huron Indians stood outside of the cir- 
 cle of worshipers, speculating on the trend of 
 the strange festival before them. They pre- 
 sumed the white men were asking for some- 
 thing, and the guileless children of the forest 
 wondered if they were getting their loudly ex- 
 
 pressed wishes fulfilled by their IManitou. As 
 the missionaries exhorted for an hour, and 
 more, the Hurons concluded they were not get- 
 ting much encouragement from on high. They 
 marveled at the perseverance and elocjuence 
 with which this appeal to Manitou was pressed. 
 When the pale faces joined in singing a plain- 
 tive hymn, one savage was heard remarking 
 to the other : "Hear them now in despair, cry- 
 ing with all their might !" 
 
 A good story is told of the first territorial 
 Governor — Stevens T. INIason. A number of 
 workingmen were erecting a warehouse for the 
 Governor on a cold fall day, and among the 
 idlers looking on was a Huron warrior, in the 
 scanty attire of his tribe. "Hark ye, friend," 
 said the Governor to the brave, "why don't you 
 work like these men, and get decent clothes to 
 cover you?" "Why you no work. Governor?" 
 replied the Huron. "I work with my head," 
 said the Governor, "and therefore need not 
 work with my hands. You go kill a deer for 
 me, and I will give you a shilling." The Indian 
 ere long brought the carcass of a good-sized 
 buck. The Governor asked him why he did 
 not skin it? "Deer am dead, give me my shill- 
 ing. Governor. Give me another shilling and 
 I will skin it for you," which was done, l>ut the 
 Governor plotted to get even. Some time after^ 
 the Governor wanted a message taken to the 
 Governor at Toledo, and he hired the same 
 Indian to deliver it, I)ut as the Indian demanded 
 an exhorbitant messenger fee. Mason asked 
 the brother official to chastise the red rascal. 
 On the way this Indian met one of Governor 
 Mason's regular employees, and by claiming 
 that the Governor told him to give the letter 
 to the Governor's old trusty, the latter was in- 
 duced to deliver the letter to the Toledo dis- 
 ciplinarian, and got soundly thrashed for his 
 pains. Governor Mason was very wrathy 
 when he heard his trusty's report, but the sav- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 41 
 
 age had vanished into the interior. At a coun- 
 cil held in 1836, preparatory to the ceding of 
 40,000 acres of the Chippewas' reserve to the 
 United States, Governor Alason found Chief 
 Ma-sha-\vay occupying a prominent place 
 among his nation. When asked why he had 
 played such tricks on the Governor, he merely 
 pointed to his forehead, saying: "Headwork, 
 Governor, headwork !" The pioneers enjoyed 
 many a laugh over the recital of the Gov- 
 ernor's discomfiture. 
 
 DeTocqueville found that the majority of 
 the tepees or wigwams along the Saginaw 
 shore consisted of a few poles driven into tlie 
 ground with a few mats thrown o\'er them. 
 In this far Northern latitude a good camp-fire 
 was their substitute for warm bed clothes. In 
 the dead of winter they often encountered fam- 
 ines, when a handful of meal and a bit of water 
 was their only food for days at a time. Equally 
 startling is his recital of the practices of their 
 medicine men. A cave in the side of a sandhill 
 was given a white heat, when those suffering 
 from rheumatism and similar diseases entered 
 the liot bath, and amid the steam and smoke 
 looked like fiends infernal. After many in- 
 cantations, the medicine men and the sick rush 
 out of the inferno, straight into the ice-cold 
 river. Tiiis must have been on the princi])le 
 of "kill or cure," although numerous cures 
 were actually effected by this drastic treatment. 
 
 The Indians of the valley enjoyed hunt- 
 ing, and did not follow their game merely for 
 the sake of the venison. The Hurons loved 
 the adventure and excitement of the chase and 
 for their great tribal hunts they prepared by 
 fasting, dreaming and other superstitious ob- 
 servances. A certain district which was to [)e 
 hunted over was encircled, and the game driven 
 to a common center, where it was killed in the 
 primitive manner of the aborigines, for few 
 firearms had found tlicir wav into this secluded 
 
 nook of the Northwest. In the early fall or 
 early spring the Indians sometimes chased the 
 game out on thin ice, when it was easily se- 
 cured. Deer were much sought after for their 
 hides and venison, but the trappers early taught 
 the Indians of this vicinity the value of the 
 beaver skins, and the Chippewas and kindred 
 tribes of Huron extraction were far-famed 
 hunters and trappers. They secured the beav- 
 ers by placing themselves on the cut dike, which 
 enclosed the busy beaver village, and when the 
 beavers ran out to see why their water was 
 running out, they were easily captured. In 
 winter a hole was made in the ice, to which the 
 beavers would come to breathe, only to be 
 snatched by the remorseless hunters. A bear 
 was never attacked by the Indians single- 
 handed, if they could avoid a fight. Their tom- 
 ahawks and stone or flint battle-axes made lit- 
 tle impression on a fighting bear, and the war- 
 riors respected his prowess, and sang of it, as 
 they did of the industry and intelligence of the 
 beavers. Dogs were the only domestic animals 
 found among the Hurons, and they were not 
 well treated, being left to find their own food, 
 and proving a nuisance to missionaries and 
 travelers, but they were invalualile to the red 
 man in the chase. 
 
 The Chippewas never ate their victuals raw, 
 but rather overboiled them, and for a long time 
 they had no use for salt, pepper or other condi- 
 ment. An Indian chief, being invited by some 
 trappers to a feast in the wilderness, saw them 
 use some mustard, and out of curiosity put a 
 spoonful into his mouth. The result can be 
 imagined. Wishing to escape ridicule, he 
 made desperate efforts to conceal his torture, 
 but violent sneezing and tears streaming from 
 his eyes told their own story. His hosts ex- 
 plained how mustard should be used, but the 
 brave never after touched the "boiling yellow," 
 as he called it. The Chippewas apparently had 
 
42 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 cast-iron constitutions and capacious stomachs. 
 They were known to hve without food for 
 many days, and seemingly did not suffer for 
 it. On the otiier hand they would sit down to 
 a feast, and prove regular gluttons, it being 
 a rule with them to never leave anything on 
 the table. All must be eaten, and the rule never 
 troubled them much. 
 
 The remnant of Sauks in the Far West ap- 
 pear to have been more civilized than the Chip- 
 pewas of Michigan, who drove them from this 
 valley. Dr. Carver, for instance, found the 
 Sauks" houses built of well-cut and well-fitted 
 planks, with cozy rooms, while their concjuer- 
 ors in "O-Sauk-e-non" still lived in shabby 
 shacks or shabbier tepees. 
 
 The war and ceremonial dances of the In- 
 dians living within the confines of what is now 
 Bay County varied little from those of all other 
 Western tribes. Usually some 40 or 50 warriors, 
 and at times as many more sc]uaws, would exe- 
 cute one of their fantastic dances about a huge 
 fire. With their monotonous chant, a violent 
 stamping of the feet, and peculiar contortions 
 of the body and arms, they kept time with the 
 chant, broken now and then by ear-piercing 
 shrieks, and demoniac howls. The war-dance 
 and the medicine-dance were pantomimes, and 
 more elaborate than the other Indian dances. 
 De Tocqueville rather liked the calumet, or pipe 
 of peace dance, and also ihe marriage dance, 
 given when some chief of note took unto him- 
 self a wife. ■ In the Chippewa medicine-dance, 
 their medicine men used animals' heads and all 
 other imaginable toggery to complete their gro- 
 tesque and startling make-ups. These Indian 
 dances were an event along the valley up to 40 
 years. ago, and whenever a dance was planned 
 all the early settlers made an effort to be pres- 
 ent. It broke the monotony of hard work and 
 isolation for them, and while the Indian cere- 
 monies were often shockingly suggestive, and in 
 
 the later years made even more diabolical by 
 the Indians taking strong liquors to stir up 
 their passions, before and during the dances, 
 still it was in the nature of a weird show, and 
 gave the scattered settlers an opportunity to 
 meet and greet one another. The early Ger- 
 man settlers from Franken, in Bavaria, who 
 created the township of Frankenlust out of 
 the wilderness, and whose sons and daughters 
 are to-day scattered all over the county, thriv- 
 ing farmers and business men and women, be- 
 ing very devout, looked on these Indian dances 
 with horror. To them the dances were savage 
 idolatry, and for years they esteemed it a griev- 
 ous sin to even look at the medicine-dance! 
 Many of the other pioneers to the valley came 
 to trade with the Indians, and some of the more 
 adventurous even dressed as the aborigines did, 
 and took part in the dances. Well might a 
 Longfellow sing: 
 
 Sliould j-ou ask where Nawadaha 
 Found these dances wild and wayward. 
 Found these legends and traditions, 
 I should answer, I should tell you, 
 "In the birds' nests of the forest, 
 In the lodges of the beaver, 
 In the hoof-prints of the bison, 
 In the eyry of the eagle ! 
 
 "All the wild-fowl sang them to him. 
 In the morelands and the fen-lands, 
 In the melancholy marshes !" 
 
 — Adapted from The Song of Hiazcatlia. 
 
 The Hurons were far-famed as orators, and 
 the early settlers often listened for hours to 
 Chief O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to and other great men of 
 the tribes wandering about these parts recite the 
 great deeds of their great warriors. They would 
 tell of hunting with Tecumseh, and the old men 
 of the tribe would grow eloquent in speaking 
 of Pontiac, whom they had seen in all his 
 splendor as a leader and orator. Their tradi- 
 tions tell us of his visit to the wigwams on the 
 Saginaw, where he met in council the chiefs 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 45 
 
 of the Chippewas, Dakotalis and 01)ji1)\vas, on 
 liis mission of arousing all these scattered 
 trihes for one concerted effort against the pale 
 faces, who were slowly Init surely dispossessing 
 his race of their favorite hunting grounds. 
 He could not stop the onward march of civil- 
 ization, great as was his native genius and abil- 
 ity, but he did stir the hearts of the red men. as 
 they had ne\-er been stirred before or since. 
 His race has no written records, and the recital 
 of his daring, eloquence and generalship is now 
 but a tradition among the old men of the tribes 
 he led. His deeds have been but charily com- 
 memorated by the historians of an inimical but 
 stronger race. Of Pontiac the old chiefs were 
 wont to tell, how he told the emissaries of 
 the King of England, that he would c:dl him 
 "uncle" but never "king." Pontiac. too, re- 
 alized the advantages of this distant valley and, 
 if we are to believe the traditions of his de- 
 scendants, he frequently hunted in these par's. 
 Certain it is, that the valley was a favorite 
 camping ground of the Indians. Along the 
 shores of the Kawkawlin and the other tribu- 
 taries of bay and river, from the time of the first 
 pale face explorer to the present day, are found 
 the mounds where sleep all that was mortal of 
 these children of the forest and jirairie. In 
 some of them are found to this day the weap- 
 ons, wampum and other trinkets, that were 
 placed with the dead for use on their journey 
 to another and a happier hunting ground. The 
 Indian collection of the Pioneer Society in the 
 Capitol at Lansing owes some of its finest spec- 
 imens to this valley. The mass graves found 
 by the early seitlers spoke of death in battle 
 and death in pestilence, for smallpox and the 
 plague often brought whole tribes to the verge 
 of extinction. So great were the attractions 
 and advantages of this valley to the red men, 
 that for centuries it was considered the most 
 thickly populated by the red men of Michigan. 
 
 Not even the superstitions about evil sjjirits 
 dwelling in the dismal forest on the shores of 
 Saginaw Bay could keep the natives away from 
 a spot so blessed with all that went to make it 
 an ideal place for human habitations, whether 
 those habitations be the wigwams of untutored 
 savages, or the palatial summer homes of 20th 
 century captains of industry. 
 
 \\'hen, in 1849, Longfellow entertained at 
 his home in Boston the famous Ojibwa chief, 
 Kah-ge-ga-bowh, he heard much of this won- 
 derful valley, and much of the traditions and 
 legends so beautifully blended together in his 
 immortal poems, "Evangeline" and "The Song 
 of Hiawatha," centered about these beloved 
 bunting grounds of the race his genius immor- 
 trdized. The Acadians driven from their 
 homes find protection, food and profitable eni- 
 ployment amid the hunting lodges of the Sag- 
 inaw, although they are wanderers still and 
 Evangeline seeks her Gabriel in vain on the 
 banks of the Saginaw. He, too. is restless, 
 seeking, hoping for that loving heart, that alas, 
 was not to find him in this world, until his 
 weary spirit was ready to soar to the spirit re- 
 gion, whence none return. And the pale faces 
 who came in the middle of the 19th century, 
 they, too, had heard this poet of the red men, 
 and the enterprising colony on the west shore 
 of the Saginaw River, which this very year, 
 will become the West Side of Greater Bay City, 
 was named "W'enonah" after the mother of Hi- 
 awatha, who gave her beautiful young life that 
 liiawatha might live. 
 
 And the West-Wind came at evening, 
 Walking lightly o'er the prairie, 
 Whispering to the leaves and blossoms', 
 Bending low the flowers and grasses, 
 Found the beautiful Wenonah, 
 Lying there among the lilies. 
 Wooed her with his words of sweetness, 
 Wooed her with his soft caresses. 
 Till she bore a "aon in sorrow, 
 
46 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Bore a son of love and sorrow. 
 
 Thus was born my Hiawatha, 
 Thus was born the child of wonder; 
 But the daughter of Nokomis, 
 Hiawatha's gentle mother, 
 In her anguish died deserted 
 By the West-Wind, false, and faithless, 
 r>y the heartless IMudjekeewis. 
 
 — Tlic Song of IliaK'atha. 
 
 Can there be any doubt what region the 
 poet liad in mind, what scenes he pictured w hen 
 he w role : 
 
 Now, o'er all the dreary Northland, 
 
 Mighty Peboan, the Winter, 
 
 Breathing on the lakes and rivers. 
 
 Into stone had changed their waters. 
 
 From his hair he shook the snowflakes. 
 
 Till the plains were strewn with whitenes's. 
 
 One uninterrupted level, 
 
 As if, stooping, the Creator 
 
 With his hand had smoothed them over. 
 
 Through the forest, wild and wailing, 
 Roamed the hunter on his snow-shoes ; 
 In the village worked the women. 
 Pounded maize, or dressed the deer-skin ; 
 And the young men played together 
 On the ice the noisy ball-play. 
 
 — The Song of Hiaivatha. 
 
 Passing from the enchanted reahn of the 
 poet and seer to tlie ever present, grim reality, 
 we find that the Indians were very num- 
 erous here when the first permanent set- 
 tlers arrived, being variously estimated at 
 from 2.500 to 5,000. As late as 1865 
 they numberetl about 2,000, but after 
 the tribe ceded its last reservation of 
 40,000 acres to the govermnent, many of the 
 Indian families removed to the agency at Isa- 
 bella, and the Indian settlements at Saganing, 
 Indiantown, and Ouanicassee. Very reluct- 
 antly they gave up the arms of the huntsman, 
 and took up the plow and the harrow. While 
 some are very industrious and even successful 
 as up-to-date agriculturists, the majority eke 
 out a miserable existence in shacks but little bet- 
 
 ter than their ancestors useil centuries ago. In- 
 tercourse with the white race, their changed 
 lives, occupation and surroundings have robbed 
 them of that robust physique and fiery spirit, 
 which in past generations made a smoke-filled 
 w igwam a palace for the hardy aborigine, and 
 at all times preferable to the confinement of a 
 white man's stone mansion. Broken in health, 
 they are also broken in spirit. Little of ro- 
 mance clusters about the poorly clad, frail sur- 
 vivors of a once powerful race, who still live 
 within this county. There is little about their 
 poverty-stricken shacks that would induce one 
 to call them, as of old, the noble red men ! 
 Time, exposure, and contamination with all 
 that is most degrading and injurious in our 
 own boasted ci\'ilization, are slowly but surely 
 wiping out the last remnants of the nation of 
 Hurons and the tribe of Chippewas. 
 
 But lately, the community was shocked at 
 the recital of a local Indian on a rampage. 
 l""illed with liquor, he terrorized a West Side 
 resort witli a vicious looking knife. A 1)urly 
 guardian of the peace stepped in, and the drink- 
 crazed brave was easily landed in limbo, where 
 next morning he begged meekly enough to be 
 allowed to go to his shack on the Kawkawlin, 
 where every cent he so recklessly squandered 
 would have meant so ver.}', very much to his 
 helpless family. A week later we read, with 
 pitying interest, of the pangs of hunger, of cold 
 and privation in another such shack, where a 
 poor Indian woman lies in the last throes of 
 consumption, getting only such care and nour- 
 ishment as the poor authorities of Bangor 
 township can provide. Alas ! How the once 
 mighty race has fallen! But let us draw a veil 
 over the grim scene! Let us as a strong and 
 prosperous people, however, never forget that 
 after all they were the original owners of all 
 this vast territory, and that they received little 
 enough, when they were dispossessed. Let us 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 47 
 
 accord them in their declining days sometliing 
 better than the crumbs that fall from our mu- 
 nicipal table in alms and charities. They, too, 
 are a twig from Adam's tree ; they, too, have 
 souls. And they, perhaps more than all other 
 living persons within the confines of prosperous 
 Bay County, should merit our sympathy, our 
 encouragement, and substantial remembrance. 
 Thousands of dollars are annually sent 
 from this part of Michigan to the yellow races 
 in Asia., and the black races of Africa, for mis- 
 sionary effort, while a dying race of red men, 
 at our very doors, to whom we really owe 
 something, appear to be entirely forgotten. 
 They have a smacking of our civilization, it 
 is true, and most of them profess the God of 
 our fathers. Let us then treat them as broth- 
 ers, aye, as brothers in need, and accord them 
 every encouragement in our power. Then when 
 the sun shall have set on the last of the Hurons, 
 we may have no vain regrets. For the blood 
 and the bitterness of the past, where the rival 
 
 races met, we of to-day are not accountable! 
 But we are responsible for these children of this 
 Western Hemisphere, in this, our day and 
 generation. Charity begins at home, and what 
 heart-beat of our people is there to-day. that 
 does not go out in sympathy and kindness to 
 the poor, suffering and dying remnants of the 
 American Indians at our very doors! Let jus- 
 tice be mingled with mercv and love, that the 
 dying race may know and feel, that the pale 
 faces are not forgetful e\en of the least of 
 Adam's twigs within their borders! Let us 
 make their last days on earth more cheerful, 
 less painful, by the collective assistance and 
 good cheer of our industrious, progressive, 
 prosperous and Christian community, built 
 upon the shores that not so very long ago were 
 the undisturbed hunting grounds of Poor Lo! 
 
 Indulge, my native land ; indulge the tear 
 
 That steals impassioned o'er a race's doom ! 
 
 To us, each twig from Adam's stock is near, 
 And sorrows fall upon the Indian's tomb! 
 
 LOWER SAGINAW (now b.*v city) IN 1S.-,4. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE COLONIAL PERIOD. 
 
 The Onward March of Civilization — The Pale Faces Westward Bound — Years of 
 Exploration^ and Trading with the Indians — Trappers, Hunters and Adven- 
 turers — The Saginaw Valley for Years the Northernmost Outpost of Civili- 
 zation IN THE Northwest Territory — Indian Title to Land Extinguished — The 
 Earliest White Settlers. 
 
 Home of my heart, I sing of thee, 
 
 Michigan, my Michigan. 
 Thy lake-bound shores I long to see, 
 
 Michigan, my Michigan. 
 From Saginaw's tall and whispering pines 
 To Lake Superior's farthest mines, 
 Fair in the light of memory shines, 
 
 ^Michigan, my Michigan. 
 
 So often have we heard the stirring 
 
 mes 
 to the 
 younger generation our commonwealth seems 
 
 dedicated to our native State, that 
 
 venerable, and ripe with the passing of count- 
 less ages. Yet history records but a single 
 centur)', since from the almost unknown 
 and seemingly unlimited Northwest Territory 
 Michigan was carved and set up as a separate 
 Territory in 1804. In the "Pioneer Room" 
 of our Capitol at Lansing, there hangs a large 
 colored map, once the property of a Bay County 
 pioneer, — Capt. Joseph F. Marsac. It conveys 
 more eloquently than words could describe the 
 crude ideas regarding our geographical situa- 
 tion, and the wide reaches of territory com- 
 prised at that late day within the boundaries 
 of a single township. In the same room hangs 
 an oil painting, entitled "Detroit in 1820." It 
 
 shows a few scattered residences along the 
 river front, dense woods in the background, 
 and strange sailing craft upon the waters. At 
 the time Michigan was created into a separate 
 Territory, the interior was practically unex- 
 plored. A few scattered settlements, together 
 with Detroit, comprised all that was tangible 
 100 years ago in that future garden spot of 
 the universe, — Michigan, my Michigan ! 
 
 With the Louisiana Purchase, the tide of 
 immigration was drawn due Westward. End- 
 less cara\'ans crossed Kentucky, Southern 
 Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, in the restless hunt 
 of hardy pioneers for the El Dorado of the 
 Middle \\'est. 
 
 Adventurers, explorers, hunters and trap- 
 pers alone turned aside to face the icy blasts 
 of winter, and the fierv heat of summer, in the 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 49 
 
 wilds of the lake region of ^Michigan. Then, 
 as now, much of that influx came across tlie 
 Canadian Ijorder. The stories of JNIichigan's 
 rigorous climate had no terrors for a race that 
 faced and lived through the winters of Canada. 
 The stories told l)y rambling Indians of the par- 
 adise of fish and game within this mysterious 
 lake-bound region drew on these adventurers 
 like a magnet. Neither hardship nor danger 
 could stop their advance. Trackless prairies, 
 dense virgin forests, and impenetrable swamps 
 merely roused their curiosity and spurred them 
 on to delve deeper into the mysteries hidden be- 
 hind the thin curtain of civilization on the east- 
 ern lx)rders of the Territory. The first adven- 
 turers founil such a rich reward in beaver skins 
 and similar trophies of the chase and the In- 
 dian trade, that others quickly followed, with 
 varying success. Since for ages the Indians 
 had lauded tlie Saginaw X^alley as their richest 
 hunting ground, it was but natural that these 
 adventurers, hunters and trappers should push 
 straight through to this El Dorado of the abor- 
 igines. Many a white man's hunting lodge was 
 erected on the shores of Saginaw Bay and its 
 tributary rivers, long before any written rec- 
 ords preserved their deeds of daring in this 
 wild land, among wild animals and almost 
 eriually ferocious aborigines. Gabriel the Aca- 
 dian, the long-sought hero of folklore, builds 
 his hunting lodge on the banks of the Saginaw, 
 and for many moons enjoys the sport of kings 
 among the denizens of forest and river. This 
 was at a time when the Indians believed this 
 "Land of the Sauks" was haunted l)y the evil 
 spirits of that ancient race which they had al- 
 most exterminated on this very spot, and these 
 superstitious children of the forest appear not 
 to have interfered much with these daring 
 huntsmen and fishermen. Their quarrel ap- 
 peared to be in times of peace with the advanc- 
 ing mass of pale faces. Where settlements 
 
 were ])lanted and the plow and harrow brought 
 harvests from the virgin soil, there was no 
 longer room for the wild game of forest and 
 prairie, and hence the Indian huntsman must 
 take his tepee and move Westward, away from 
 the advancing tide of an older and better, but 
 by him a detested, civilization. 
 
 Of the great Huron. Pontiac, it is written, 
 that he stopped the expedition of Major Rog- 
 ers, who was sent into this country about 1760 
 to drive out the French. "Why come you into 
 our hunting grounds? My white brother has 
 houses and lands and beasts, why should he 
 take the red man's?" And when Alajor Rog- 
 ers tried to convince the great chief that he 
 came against the French and not against the 
 natives, Pontiac shook his grave head and re- 
 plied : "My white brother has the talking 
 hand. We cannot compete with his slyness. 
 Yet has he taken our lands, and stolen our 
 strength ! I appeal to any white man to say, 
 if he ever entered my wigwam hungry, and I 
 gave him not meat. If he ever came cold and 
 weary, and I provided not good cheer. But 
 then he came alone and as a friend ! To-day 
 you come as conquerors! My people have lost 
 much. Aly people have suffered much. I \vi11 
 see. I accept your belts of wampum, but 1 stand 
 in your path until to-morrow 1" Major Rogers 
 respected the suggestion to wait, and by sun- 
 down of the following day Pontiac had coun- 
 seled with his chieftains and decided that peace 
 was preferable to a war which could accomplish 
 nothing for his race. He sent word to all the 
 tribes of the lake region to ])ermit the expedi- 
 tion to pass, and himself accompanied Rogers' 
 column into Detroit. But his address fur- 
 nished an insight into the natives' treatment of 
 the first pale faces who entered their hunting 
 grounds. The Indians felt instinctively that 
 the daring pale faces who left civilization and 
 their kindred far behind them, who dauntlessly 
 
5° 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 entered the primeval forest, and lived even as 
 they lived, came not as enemies, but as friends. 
 
 So only can we explain how these first 
 missionaries, these first hnnters and trappers, 
 came into the wilderness among this wild and 
 untamed people, and lived to tell their many 
 harrowing" experiences. The daring adventur- 
 ers felt safe because of their very weak- 
 ness. The Indians felt assured, that 
 those brave enough to be fearless must 
 be friends. The Hurons treated the mass 
 of pale faces as enemies, but almost 
 invariably befriended the isolated adventurer. 
 Many of these wandering pale faces returned 
 this frendship in kind, marrying Indian girls 
 and becoming so attached to the roving life 
 and the crude hospitality of the Hurons, that 
 they became adopted members of the tribe, and 
 in tliat favored position did much to soften the 
 natural animosity of the two races. 
 
 The earliest explorers of the Saginaw Val- 
 ley invariably came singly and in pairs. For 
 half a century these daring recluses came and 
 went through the land of the Hurons. without 
 attempting any permanent settlement or bring- 
 ing their families with them. Detroit was 
 their home. There they placed their wives, 
 children and other relatives for safekeeping, 
 for while no open act of hostility disturbed the 
 region for years at a time, yet these hardy pio- 
 neers ne\'er knew when the sporadic toleration 
 of the Indian would turn to malignant liate, 
 and open friendship to treacherous massacre 
 and bloodshed. 
 
 Instances were not uncommon, where these 
 adventurers maintained two separate family es- 
 tablishments, — their original family behind the 
 stockades at Detroit, and an Indian squaw and 
 her children far in the interior. This dual life 
 was prompted more by the instinct of self- 
 preservation, than by a desire of these simple- 
 hearted woodsmen to have a harem. ]\Iost of 
 
 the hunters and trappers who first visited and 
 lived in these parts, before the opening of the 
 last century, were devout Christians. Each 
 had his patron saint, and few forgot to worship 
 in the way of their fathers, although hundreds 
 of miles separated them from their house of 
 worship and its devoted shepherd. Such were 
 the men who first penetrated the dense virgin 
 forests, the trackless prairies and the for many 
 years impenetrable swamps, which reached 
 northward and westward from Detroit, and 
 bordered the great bay and river in "0-Sauk- 
 e-non !" For the hardships they endured, and 
 the risks they ran, they reaped but a poor re- 
 ward. Few saved anything for the future, 
 and fewer still attained old age. They were 
 driven onward by the spirit of the age! A 
 story was often told around the camp-fires of 
 early pioneers here, how in a pretty settlement 
 of Ontario a sturdy farmer yearned to go into 
 the unknown wilderness of Michigan. His 
 family would go with him, yet they disliked 
 leaving so much comfort and happiness behind. 
 As a last recourse, the priest called on the rest- 
 less parishioner and tried to dissuade him. 
 '"You want to go away from all your friends, 
 to the bloodthirsty savages. From your lands, 
 your cattle, your home, to wild and dangerous 
 lands you cannot know. For your cow and her 
 rich milk, yiiu will exchange the wild and 
 worthless buffalo. And how will your poor 
 wife and babies live? Nay, Peter, you cannot, 
 you must not go." But Peter was determined 
 to go. "This country is getting crowded, it 
 is too small, too narrow for me," he would re- 
 ply. "There is free land and lots of it to the 
 ^Vestward, where luy children shall become 
 large landowners, and where I shall be better 
 able to provide for my family. Here we are 
 but poor farmers, and I am restless. Yonder 
 is the profusion of the Lord spread out for us, 
 but for the asking. I am going West," and 
 
AXD REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 West lie went. He tarried only long enough 
 in Detroit to see his little family under the pro- 
 tecting wing of an old countryman of his, and 
 then he plunged into the wilderness. For years 
 he was one of the most sucessful traders among 
 the Indians. Then came the great war, and one 
 of the first to fall at the River Raisin massacre 
 was the scout. Peter Moultaine. He was well 
 known among the older Indians in these parts, 
 who often spoke of his prowess and his knowl- 
 edge of woodcraft. Perhaps he did not real- 
 ize all his fond dreams of great wealth. Per- 
 haps his family did not reap that greater inde- 
 pendence which he pictured so glowingly ere 
 leaving the community in Ontario they called 
 their home. Restless he was to his dying day, 
 but he was also undoubtedly happy in the free 
 and adventurous life he had chosen for himself. 
 Ambitious he must have been, and if all men 
 were content, what would this world be? How 
 long would the rich and beautiful plains of 
 Michigan, how long this valley, have been left 
 in outer darkness and oblivion, but for the 
 spirit of exploration and adventure which ani- 
 mated Peter Moultaine and his compatriots? 
 Such was the career of most of the earliest 
 white men to traverse the wilds of Michigan, 
 and from their hunting lodges see the glories 
 of creation on the wood-bound shores of Sag- 
 inaw Bay. They came and went through the 
 vast wilderness like phantoms of the night. 
 Seldom did they tarry any length of time in 
 any one place. Evangeline learned that to her 
 sorrow, for ere she reached the banks of the 
 Saginaw, after long and wearisome marches, 
 the hunter's lodge was fallen in ruins and de- 
 serted ! They sought the home of the beaver, 
 the run of the finny tril)es of river and bay, 
 the trail of the bison lierd. the antelope and the 
 deer. Where game abounded, and the wan- 
 dering red men had their tepees, there too 
 
 camped the border hero of our own State and 
 county. 
 
 Years passed, eventful in romance and ad- 
 venture, replete with war and w-ar's alarms. 
 The tide of pale faces Westward bound does 
 not move steadily onward. Each new disturb- 
 ance on the borders stops the onward march 
 of civilization for a time. The forces of the 
 savage aborigines and ambitious settlers drench 
 the dividing line with the blood of the inno- 
 cents, until both sides grow weary with the 
 slaughter. 
 
 Then comes an interval of peace and quiet, 
 and this is soon followed by another deter- 
 mined push forward and Westward by the 
 hardy pioneers, reinforced by thousands of im- 
 migrants, who have crossed the Atlantic to 
 escape the "Reign of Terror" in France, the 
 blood-drenched plains of Europe during the 
 Napoleonic wars, and the poverty and distress 
 following in their wake. This wave of immi- 
 gration has for years stopped on the outskirts 
 of Detroit and in neighboring sections of Mich- 
 igan. More than a century has passed since 
 Father Alarquette passed up the Detroit River 
 and over the vast waters of Lake Huron and 
 its tributary ri\ers. A few official exploring 
 parties have since tried to trace the outline of 
 lake and bay and river, and hundreds of daring 
 adventurers have crossed the Lower Peninsula 
 of Michigan in every direction, but none have 
 come to make settlements, none have come to 
 stay. 
 
 During all these years of exploration and 
 trading with the Indians, the mouth of the Sag- 
 inaw River has been a rendezvous for the two 
 races in Michigan. The many rivers centering 
 here, the wide reaches of the bay and lake, 
 made it easy for the Indians to reach it in their 
 bark canoes. E\en the aborigines appreciated 
 ready water transportation ! Hence this valley 
 
52 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 was fur years the Northernmost outpost of 
 civilization in the Northwest Territory. The 
 Inthan could carry heavy loads of hides and 
 carcasses for long distances and in a short 
 space of time, but he preferred to load them 
 into his canoe and drift rapidly to the rendez- 
 vous where the white trader exchanged warm 
 blankets, fiery rum. cheap trinkets, old-fash- 
 ioned firearms, and similar stock in trade, for 
 the Indian's trophies of the chase. At frequent 
 intervals during the spring, summer and fall, 
 these trading bees were held here, while during 
 the long and bitterly cold winters the white 
 traders rusticated in their protected shacks 
 within the stockades at Detroit. 
 
 It is a matter of history, that Michigan was 
 one of the last of the central tier of States to 
 have its interior opened for settlement, but to 
 the glory of this State be it w-ritten that this 
 settlement cost less in blood and in treasure 
 than did the settlement of any of our sister 
 States. Undoubtedly the spirit of Father Mar- 
 quette and the early missionaries exerted a 
 powerful and a peaceful influence o\er the ab- 
 origines of this region. Equally certain is it, 
 that the long years of intercourse with the 
 rough but honest traders and trappers paved 
 the way for that peaceful settlement. Occa- 
 sionally the Indians of these parts clashed hard 
 with the pale faces, and true to their savage 
 nature the red men committed some beastly 
 crimes, even in this valley. During the several 
 wars between the French and English, and 
 later between the English and the Americans, 
 the warlike tribes along Lake Huron became 
 easily involved, and brought on some bloody 
 battles and sanguinary massacres. The inter- 
 course of the pioneers was never free from 
 danger. But on the whole, the settlement of 
 Michigan was tranquil, compared to the rec- 
 ords of the "bloody ground" in Kentucky, the 
 years of bitter strife between the races in the 
 
 valleys of the Ohio, the Mississippi and the 
 Missouri, and on the great Western plains. 
 
 In this very valley, and likely upon the 
 very spot where the West Side of Greater Bay 
 City is now situated, the great empire-builder 
 of our commonwealth, — Lewis Cass, — held 
 one of his numerous councils with the Indian 
 tribes of this vicinity, and began the prelimina- 
 ries for the treaties by which the Indians ceded 
 peacefully, by extinguishment of the Indian 
 title, more than one-half of Michigan, and 
 large portions of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and 
 Wisconsin. 
 
 As we ponder over those masterful treaties 
 with the crafty chieftains, we wonder if our 
 great State has ever done full justice to Lewis 
 Cass, our commonwealth-builder, the Secretary 
 of War under Andrew Jackson, then Minister 
 to France, the sturdy son of Michigan, wdio 
 for 12 years stood with Webster and Clay in 
 defense of the constitution, who was once the 
 candidate of his party for I'resident, and dur- 
 ing whose second term in the United States 
 Senate that strong mo\'ement began in Michi- 
 gan against the extension of slavery North and 
 West. He was a son of Michigan's colonial 
 period, and typical of that generation of strong 
 and good men. We owe much of our early 
 progress to Lewis Cass. 
 
 With the close of the War of 1812, and the 
 winning over of the hostile Indians, the roving 
 adventurers went farther north, while in the 
 south they were followed by pioneers looking 
 for places to settle. The Indians gradually 
 withdrew to the agencies and settlements pro- 
 vided for them by the several treaties. 
 
 A new era dawned for Michigan, and the 
 Saginaw Valley was not long to feel its splen- 
 did isolation. The rays of advancing civiliza- 
 tion are sweeping the horizon, and penetrating 
 the darkest recesses of wood and glen. In the 
 chanceful tide of human affairs, there comes 
 
lliif Aj|fftfi 
 
 ^'^i rifftf 
 
 ;ITY HALL AND PUBLIC LIBRARY. BAY CITY, E. S. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CTITZENS. 
 
 b:3 
 
 here the opportunity for tlie founders of homes 
 and tlie builders of cities. Truly was it 
 written : 
 
 Toil swings the axe and forests bow, 
 
 The fields break out in radiant bloom ; 
 
 Rich harvests smile behind the plow, 
 And cities cluster round the loom ! 
 
 Little more than 70 years ago this valley 
 was still but a happy hunting ground. The 
 sound of the woodsman's axe had never broken 
 the forest solitude of centuries, and neither 
 land nor water hereabouts had ever felt aught 
 save the rudest, primeval civilization. The 
 French philosopher and traveler, DeTocque- 
 ville, from his camp of exploration and scien- 
 tific research on the banks of Saginaw Bay, 
 penned for his "Democracy of America"" these 
 prophetic lines : "In a few years these impen- 
 etrable forests will ha\-e fallen ; the sons of civ- 
 ilization will break the silence of the Saginaw ! 
 The banks of the mighty stream will be impris- 
 oned by quays ; its current, which now flows 
 tranquil and unnoticed through a nameless 
 waste, will be stemmed b_v the prows of vessels. 
 We are the last travelers allowed to see the 
 primitive grandeur of this solitude."' 
 
 Prophetic words soon to be fulfilled. For 
 the restless stream of immigrants is sweeping 
 at last over the narrow limits of Michigan"s 
 earliest colonies and flooding the interior. But 
 even the imagination of a DeTocqueville could 
 not have forecast the wonderful transforma- 
 tion of the last half century. The silence of the 
 Saginaw has been broken by a chorus of indus- 
 try that has startled the commercial world. 
 Out of the wilderness have been hewn thriving 
 communities, beautiful to behold, and along 
 the numberless rivulets and streams that ribbon 
 the breast of the valley, there have been created 
 such rich and bountiful farms as have well 
 earned for Bay County its favorite title, "the 
 
 G.XRDEN SPOT OF MICHIGAN." 
 
 However, the period of which we write is 
 still but 1813. Col. Lewis Cass has only just 
 been made Military Governor of Michigan Ter- 
 ritory. Commodore Perry"s victory has settled 
 forever the question, whether the English lion 
 or the American eagle shall hold sway over this 
 yet unfathomed wealth of agricultural and 
 mineral resources, within the lake-bound shores 
 of Michigan, and General Harrison's splendid 
 victory at Tippecanoe has broken the power of 
 Chief Tecumseh's confederation of Indian 
 tribes. The master hand of the commoner is 
 reaching out over the silent forests of ]\Iichi- 
 gan's interior, and the light of government 
 investigation is sweeping over the shores of 
 Saginaw river and bay. The surveyor and In- 
 dian agent are quickly followed by the more 
 venturesome of border pioneers. Listen and 
 you will hear: 
 
 The martial tread of pioneers 
 
 Of nations yet to be. 
 The firs't low wash of waves, where soon 
 
 Shall roll a human sea. 
 The rudiments of empire here 
 
 Are plastic yet, and warm; 
 The chaos of a mighty world 
 
 Is rounding into form ! 
 
 The first steamboat, the "W'alk-in-the- 
 Water," began regtilar trips between Buffalo 
 and Detroit in 1818, and the immigrants West- 
 ward bound, having before them the long and 
 wearisome trip in the prairie schooner across 
 the Middle West, paused as they heard of this 
 new El Dorado of the Northwest, now so easily 
 reached, and thousands who had started for the 
 Mississippi turned Northward and entered 
 Michigan. 
 
 Governor Cass and Woodbridge, his sec- 
 retary, were indefatigable in making their 
 home-building within the State, peaceful, at- 
 tractive and profitable. W'agon roads were 
 the first great necessity, and after a good road 
 
56 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 had been hewn around the shore of Lake Erie 
 and from Detroit to Chicago, the Governor 
 turned his attention to the central part of the 
 State. He recognized the material advantages 
 of the Saginaw Valley, and was ever lauding 
 its rich soil, its boundless forests, its navigable 
 streams, alive with fish, and its commanding 
 position. 
 
 About 1825 the Erie Canal was opened for 
 trade and this gave a new impetus to the trade 
 of the Great Lakes, and enhanced the harbor 
 facilities of Saginaw Bay. Steam and sailing 
 craft, lx)und for shore trade and locating trad- 
 ing centers, sailed up the Saginaw River, and 
 their stories of its beauty and natural advan- 
 tages attracted general attention to this valley. 
 
 Southeastern ^Michigan was secured by 
 treaty from the Indians through Governor 
 William Hull in 1807. This left the Saginaw 
 River and its tributaries in undisputed posses- 
 sion of the natives until 18 19. In that year 
 Governor Cass again came to the Saginaw A'al- 
 ley, and from September loth to 22nd, con- 
 ferred with the Indians about the terms of a 
 new treaty. After weary hours of council and 
 harangue, the final terms of that famous treaty 
 were mutually agreed to, granting to the 
 L'nited States all but 40,000 acres of their ter- 
 ritory. The reservation they retained was 
 mostly on the west bank of the river, and 
 reaching around the wide western sweep of 
 Saginaw Ba\'. proving clearly that this was in- 
 deed their favorite hunting ground. Two In- 
 dian traders, Stephen V. R. Riley and Jacob 
 Smith, who had married Indian squaws, and 
 who with their children were treated by the 
 natives as their own kindred, took an active 
 part in adjusting the differences between the 
 crafty Indians and ^licliigan's wise com- 
 moner. In appreciation of their services, they 
 were allowed extensive land grants by the na- 
 tional government, the three sons of ^Ir. Riley. 
 
 — John, Peter and James, — being each given 
 640 acres. The tract of the eldest became the 
 famous Riley Reserve, now entirely within 
 the confines of Bay City. 
 
 In 1835 the people of Michigan, claiming 
 their right under the ordinance of 1787, or- 
 ganized and put into operation a State govern- 
 ment, and sent to the L'nited States Senate, 
 Lucius Lyon and John Norvell. For nearly 14 
 months these two representatives were kept in 
 the corridors of the Capitol at Washington, 
 until the boundary dispute between the young 
 and ambitious State and the Congress was set- 
 tled, as such disputes are usually settled, in 
 favor of the stronger party, — the Congress. 
 On January 26, 1837, Michigan entered the 
 Union as the 26th State. 
 
 In that memorable year the Indians ceded 
 their remaining 40,000 acres to the govern- 
 ment, on condition that these lands be surveyed, 
 and placed on the market at $5 per acre for a 
 certain period, the unsold portion to go for 
 $2.50 per acre. The Indians were to receive 
 tlie entire proceeds of the sale, less the expenses 
 of the survey and transfer. The cession was 
 brought about through a visit to Washington 
 by the famous Chippewa chiefs. O-ge-ma-ke- 
 ga-to, Ton-dog-a-ne, Sha-e-be-no-se. Wos-so. 
 Mose-ga-shink. Ma-sha-way, and Xau-qua- 
 cln'c-a-me. They were accompanied by Charles 
 Rodd, a half-breed interpreter, and Capt. Jo- 
 seph F. Marsac, Henry O. O'Connor, Gardner 
 D. Williams, and Benjamin O. Williams, 
 pmniinent pioneers of the Saginaw \'alley. 
 who had the esteem of the Indians. President 
 Thomas Jefferson was much impressed with 
 the martial bearing of the far-famed chieftain, 
 O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to, and during the visit he pre- 
 sented the brave with a gaudy colonel's uni- 
 form, in which he afterward appeared on all 
 state occasions, and in which he was eventually 
 buried. As a result of this visit to the capital 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 57 
 
 of the republic, a final council meeting was held 
 on the Flint River, where the documents were 
 duly signed and sealed. This was a moment- 
 ous event, both for the Indians and the pio- 
 neers wlic) had cume to these parts. The In- 
 dians came from all directions, making the oc- 
 casion one of a general reunion, and the Flint 
 River witnessed a typical border scene. The 
 Indians were in good humor, for their chiefs 
 thought they had secured a good bargain. Vis- 
 its in state were made between the more promi- 
 nent chiefs and the representatives of the gov- 
 ernment. Huge council fires were the centers 
 of different groups, where the silent Indian 
 chief did the honors to his pale face brothers : 
 
 From the wigwain came the peace pipe 
 Very old and strangely fashioned ; 
 Made of red stone was the pipe-head 
 From the great Red Pipe-stone Quarry 
 Blessed by Manitoii the Mighty ; 
 And the stem a reed with feathers. 
 Filled this pipe with bark of willow. 
 Placed a burning coal upon it, 
 Gave it to his guest, the stranger. 
 
 — .Adapted from The Song of Hiazvatha. 
 
 What few white traders and settlers lived 
 within a radius of 50 miles were there, for 
 such an event was w^orth witnessing, and life 
 in the wilderness offered few enough diver- 
 sions. Stately Hurons, adorned in all their 
 savage pomp, delivered orations that were 
 deemed masterful by their people, as well as by 
 the pioneers. The dance of peace was given 
 three nights in succession, with all the weird 
 accompaniments the chiefs could muster. A 
 feast was spread to which all did full justice, 
 and on the following day the as.sembly dis- 
 persed. Michigan now held undisputed title 
 to all of the lands within the borders, at the 
 very time when statehood was conferred upon 
 the commonwealth. 
 
 With the cession of this last hunting ground 
 
 of the Indians, the colonial period draws to a 
 close. Settlements now became very numer- 
 ous, and there was the usual rush for lands in 
 the newly opened reserve. The veteran hunt- 
 ers, trappers, and Indian traders, who had long 
 followed the Indian trails of the Saginaw Val- 
 ley, knew where the choicest parcels of land 
 were located, and these land prizes fell largely 
 to them. 
 
 A few land entries had been made in what 
 is now Bay County as early as 1831, by Leon 
 Trombley. He erected the first permanent log 
 hut on the site where stand to-day the substan- 
 tial business blocks on Water and Fourth 
 streets. The government had tried for years 
 to instill into the Indians a liking and aptitude 
 for agriculture, and Leon Trombley was one 
 of the Indian farmers of this district. He 
 cleared half an acre of ground from under- 
 brush, and planted some potatoes. This crop 
 he left in charge of an Indian and his squaw, 
 while he returned to Detroit to bring up his 
 family. It was early fall when he returned. 
 The instability of the natives as farmers was 
 proven by this early experience, for the patch 
 of potatoes had never felt the scratch of a hoe! 
 The fertility of the soil, however, saved Trom- 
 bley a supply of the tubers for the following 
 hard winter, for to his intense astonishment the 
 crop had matured without cultivation. 
 
 During the .spring of 1832, Louis ]\Iasho 
 erected a log cabin on the spot where Bous- 
 field's mammoth woodenware works are now 
 located. Cassette Trombley was another In- 
 dian teacher of farming on the west side of the 
 river, about this same time. John B. Trudell, 
 fisherman and trader, erected a log cabin near 
 the present site of the Bay City Brewing Com- 
 pany's plant in 1834. Oddly enough, Trudell 
 was by genera! repute the first total abstainer 
 in these parts. In 1834 the government sent 
 Benjamin Cushway, a blacksmith, to this sec- 
 
58 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 tion. believing that tlie growing demands of 
 the Indians" farms would require his services. 
 The Indian, howe\-er. preferred his pipe dreams, 
 his revels, hunts and sports, and there was lit- 
 tle for Cushway to do. He erected his black- 
 smith shop and primitive cabin near the west 
 approach to the Lafayette avenue Ijridge, and 
 for years was a trader among the red men. 
 
 In 1835, Joseph Trombley left the employ 
 of the American Fur Company, which had a 
 flourishing agency in the valley, and with his 
 brother, ]\Iedor Trombley, prepared to open 
 a store of their own. The stock was purchased 
 at Detroit, and shipped here on the schooner 
 "Savage." The brothers selected a rather open 
 spot in the wilderness bordering the river, lying 
 high and dry where Water and 24th streets 
 intersect. The store was built of pine logs, 
 flattened on two sides, and was 25 by 30 feet 
 in size. The brothers opened the first store in 
 this end of the valley in time for the Indian 
 payment in the fall of 1835. For many years 
 they did a thriving business, exchanging their 
 flour, pork, blankets, and similar useful articles, 
 for the fur and venison of the Indians. The 
 stock in trade had to be brought mostly by boat, 
 as at that time there was only a turnpike from 
 Detroit as far as Royal Oak, a distance of 14 
 miles, and a rough corduroy road as far as 
 Pontiac. From there radiated many Indian 
 trails, but these were impassable for men with 
 heavy packs. The first Trombley land entry 
 was made through Major Causley, United 
 States land agent at Detroit. 
 
 These first colonists were rugged types of 
 the hardy frontiersman. Of Joseph Trombley, 
 it is written that he would start from Detroit 
 before daybreak over the Indian trails with a 
 pack on his back and arrive at Flint, 70 miles 
 away, that same evening! In 1828, guided by 
 two Chippewa Indians, — Was-a-wa and Bee- 
 chance, — he sailed in a bark canoe along the 
 
 shore of Saginaw Bay to where Sebewaing is 
 now located. Their sole food was the game 
 ihev shot. Tromliley did not find the water 
 deep enough to suit him there, hence returned 
 to Detroit. A log hut built at Carrollton l)y 
 his uncle. Cassette Trombley, in 181 9, shel- 
 tered him on a later trip of exploration in this 
 \'icinily, v>"hen he tiiok up the fur trade business 
 for John Jacob Astor. 
 
 Trombley was raised among the Indians, 
 and excelled at all their favorite sports. Hav- 
 ing defeated their most famous young chiefs 
 in feats of strength and daring, — in shooting, 
 wrestling, running, jumping, swimming, hunt- 
 ing or fishing, — they stood in mortal awe of 
 his "big medicine," as they termed his rugged 
 vitality, and for years he was a commanding 
 figure in their councils. He occupied a fore- 
 most place in the councils, transferring the last 
 Indian reservation to the government, and 
 contributed as much as any other one man to 
 the creation of a thri\"ing and peaceful settle- 
 ment on the site of Greater Bay City. Years 
 after, it was his particular enjoyment to race 
 on foot some friend who was riding a horse 
 over the Indian trails to Flint and back the 
 same day, a distance of 90 miles, and Trombley 
 invariably won. 
 
 In 1836, during the height of the land spec- 
 ulation craze in the Northwest, Dr. Daniel 
 Hughes Fitzhugh, living between here and 
 Saginaw, decided to buy a parcel of land which 
 Joseph Trombley also had in view. The latter 
 heard that Dr. Fitzhugh had started for Flint 
 on horseback, to close the deal. Trombley 
 promptly gathered the necessary gold, piled it 
 in his canoe, which he paddled to the Tittaba- 
 wassee, and from there he ran practically all 
 the way to Flint. He had the land entered and 
 paid for before Dr. Fitzhugh and his horse 
 arrived. During the early evening, Trombley 
 returned after his canoe, showing his certifi- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 59 
 
 cate to a trader named McDonald at tliat place. 
 McDonald would not believe that Trombley 
 had been to Flint and back in that short space 
 of time, but lost his bet of a gallon of wine, 
 when the mail carrier, who then delivered the 
 few letters, proceeding this way on horseback, 
 came along and acknowledged that Trombley 
 had pas.sed him that morning, going into Flint 
 at top speed, and a few hours later had again 
 passed him on his way home. 
 
 In 1836, Judge Albert Miller, wlio was the 
 first school teacher in the valley, purchased 
 some land from the Trombleys, and prepared to 
 have it platted. 
 
 The stray colonists and hermit pi(5neers 
 were soon to be surrounded by ambitious com- 
 munities. A new era was dawning for the 
 rich valle}- of the ancient Sauks. The rugged 
 tra])per and the trader were being followed by 
 the farmer and the artisan. The sons of New 
 England were hurrying to the far Northwest, 
 just being opened. "Saginaw's tall and whis- 
 pering pines" were becoming the rallying point 
 of the sons of Maine, Vermont and New 
 Hampshire, to whom the odor of pine was life 
 itself. The silent scout who opened the way 
 was disappearing, and ere long the mechanical 
 industries, the workshop, the loom and the saw- 
 mill replaced his hunting lodge and trader's 
 tepee. His doings will be but a legend to the 
 
 next generation, and sound like a fable at the 
 dawn of another century. Yet for nigh unto 
 two-thirds of the elapsed period since Father 
 3>Ian|uette first explored these regions, this 
 silent, rugged outpost of civilization alone had 
 kept watch and ward over this valley, so blessed 
 by Nature. He has given way to the axe and 
 the plow of the colonist, or hied himself farther 
 North and deeper into his beloved solitude. 
 And now the colonist in turn is swallowed up 
 by the tide of immigration, and his individuality 
 and his little clearing alike are lost in the boom- 
 ing frontier communities. Their lives and 
 deeds are to-day little more than a memory. 
 Yet we know they chose wisely when they 
 settled in these parts, and they smoothed over 
 many rough places for the thousands that were 
 soon to follow their daring lead. Little enough 
 is known of their lives and their deeds, and but 
 few of their names have survived oblivion in 
 the passing years. But every thoughtful resi- 
 dent of this blessed valley must ever have a 
 warm spot in his heart for the pioneers and 
 colonists who dared the rigors and privations 
 of the wilderness, and created amid untold 
 dangers and suffering the garden spot on Sagi- 
 naw Bay we call our home. 
 
 Land of the lakes ! With reverence and love we cling 
 To thee, once rugged nurse of savage men ! 
 Land of delight, where milk and honey flow! 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 EARLY SETTLEMENTS AND SETTLERS 
 
 The Indians and Trappers Give Way to the Settlers — Planting of Settlements 
 — Memoirs and Reminiscences of Prominent Pioneers — The Period of Reck- 
 less Land Speculation and "Wild-Cat" Banks — Indian Mounds and Legends 
 — The Mound Builders — O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to and Other Indian Chiefs — Incidents 
 of Pioneer Life on the Saginaw River and Its Tributaries — Character 
 Sketches and Anecdotes. 
 
 Before these fields were shorn and tilled 
 Full to the brim our rivers flowed; 
 
 The melody of waters filled 
 The frcdi and boundless wood; 
 
 And torrents dashed and rivulets played, 
 
 And bisons rested in the shade. 
 
 — Bryant. 
 
 Indian and pale face trapper alike retreated 
 before advancing civilization. Like Daniel 
 Boone, of Kentucky, who in his 92nd year emi- 
 grated 300 miles west of the ^Mississippi, be- 
 cause he found a i)opiilation of 10 to the square 
 mile inconveniently close, even so the border 
 pioneers of Michigan. The buzz of a sawmill 
 was the death kncU for all that these children 
 of the forest held dear in life, and they retreated 
 hastily to other forest fastnesses when with 
 an ominous crash the giants of the forest fell 
 under the woodman's axe. Hence a complete 
 change of inhabitants was noted in this vallev, 
 after the Indians left their favorite hunting 
 grotinds and retired to their several reserva- 
 tions. True, many of the bands came period- 
 ically to the valley, holding their councils and 
 weird dances on the spots made sacred to them 
 
 by long associations, and by the traditions and 
 customs of their forefathers. Death had 
 claimed many of the Indians during that de- 
 cade. An epidemic of smallpox during the 
 winter of 1836-37 carried off hundreds in the 
 valley, and old pioneers used to relate that many 
 died and were left unburied, the todies being 
 eaten bv the hogs antl w ild animals. The pio- 
 neers did all in their power to help the sick and 
 starving Indians during that trying ordeal, and 
 thenceforward there was little friction in this 
 part of the State between the races. Indeed, 
 as we review the records of early settlements 
 in these parts, we are struck by the good-feel- 
 ing, i)eace and gootl-will apparently existing 
 between the pioneers and the Indians. 
 
 From the time that Jean Nicollet, Father 
 Marquette, and other explorers visited the east- 
 
AND REPRESENTATI\'E CITIZENS. 
 
 6i 
 
 ern shore of Lake Huron and the Saginaw 
 basin, there were few years that did not find 
 pale face trappers, hunters and adventurers 
 in this valley. Most of these adventurers 
 started from Detroit, and it often happened, 
 that when they bade farewell to loved ones in 
 that stockade, it was also the last time they 
 were seen alive. They started for the land of 
 the Sauks, and were never more heard of. 
 Whether they succumbed to sickness, or fell a 
 prey to wild beasts or Indians, none could tell, 
 but these losses were invariably charged to 
 the treacherous red men. The early pioneers 
 of our land were almost as superstitious as the 
 red men, and hence many of the Detroit set- 
 tlers believed as implicitly, as did the Hurons, 
 that "0-Sauk-e-non" was haunted. After the 
 Americans secured jurisdiction over the North- 
 west, and hunting and warfare gave way to 
 more peaceful pursuits, this valley became the 
 goal of many traders. Here the Hurons came 
 to hunt, to celebrate and to trade. They pre- 
 ferred to deal with the hardy traders who dared 
 to come to this solitude, instead of carrying 
 their furs to Detroit, where they often brought 
 better prices. A number of these traders van- 
 ished as suddenly and as completely as though 
 the valley of the Sauks had swallowed them. 
 Other reckless spirits promptly took their 
 places, and trade did not languish. 
 
 One of the most prosperous of the early 
 traders was Louis Trombley, grandfather of 
 Joseph and Medor Trombley, who half a cen- 
 tury later did so much to develop this district. 
 Louis Trombley was a goldsmith by trade. He 
 did a thriving business with the Chippewas, 
 making silver ornaments and medals for them, 
 in exchange for their furs and game. He came 
 to the Saginaw Valley about 1792 in a small 
 boat. Shortly after he had begun building 
 another small yawl, at the mouth of the river, 
 trading meanwhile with the wandering bands 
 
 of Indians, he had a violent quarrel with an 
 Indian, who thought he had been cheated in 
 the trade of a muskrat spear. The Indian 
 plunged a huge knife into Trombley, who with 
 blood streaming from his wound leaped into 
 his Ijoat and started for Detroit. He never got 
 there, and his relatives never learned whether 
 he had been overtaken by the Indian in a canoe, 
 and murdered, or whether he fell overboard. 
 _His upturned boat drifted ashore near Port 
 Huron. His half-finished yawl was burned, 
 and his stock of goods, left in his log cabin, 
 was stolen. Such outrages were rare, however, 
 in times of peace. The Indians admired the 
 courage of these adventurers and needed their 
 goods. 
 
 The intermarriage of white traders with 
 Indian squaws did much to bridge over the 
 chasm separating the two races wherever they 
 met in the wilderness. Many half-breeds lived 
 in this territory, and while a shiftless class as 
 a rule, having apparently inherited all the bad 
 characteristics of both races, still they were not 
 as vindictive toward the early settlers as some 
 of the red tribesmen, and usually warned 
 the traders and trappers when mischief or 
 war was brewing. But now that the Indian 
 had parted forever with his great hunting 
 grounds, these roving pale faces made common 
 cause with the Indians, and retreated with 
 them into the wilds lying north of here. Hence 
 we find but few Indians spoken of in the early 
 records of this vicinity. These authentic rec- 
 ords begin, practically, with the last Indian 
 treaty, completed on the Flint River in Septem- 
 ber, 1837. 
 
 While ^lichigan was yet a Territory, the 
 government at W^ashington had begun the erec- 
 tion of a military road from Detroit to Sagi- 
 naw, an undertaking made difficult by the large 
 and numerous streams that had to be bridged. 
 When Michigan became a sovereign State, this 
 
62 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 work was pushed even more vigorously, yet 
 it did not extend much beyond the Fhnt River 
 when the first settlers came on from Detroit 
 for the Saginaw Valley. Consequently a num- 
 ber of families tarried on Flint River, who had 
 planned to go farther north. 
 
 James McCormick, a sturdy Scotchman, 
 Avas among this number. Born at Albany, 
 New York, May 25, 1787, he incurred the dis- 
 pleasure of his father, a Presbyterian, by mar- 
 rying Ellen Garratt, a Universalist, of Gar- 
 rattsville, in Otsego County, New York, which 
 place was named after her father. By thrift 
 and industry he accumulated what in those 
 pioneer days was a nice competence. In 1830 
 he went on the bond of some friends for 
 $16,000, which later he had to pay, leaving him 
 only $300 with which to support a large family. 
 He left Albany on May i, 1832, for Michigan, 
 then the Far West. The family went by canal 
 boat to Buffalo, the trip requiring seven days ; 
 then on the steamer "Superior" to Detroit in 
 yz hours, a record-breaking trip, made possi- 
 ble by favorable winds, the steamer also car- 
 rying spars and sails. Detroit then had about 
 3,500 inhabitants. Leaving his family in 
 rented rooms in a farm house, where the Bid- 
 die House in Detroit now stands, Mr. McCor- 
 mick and his two oldest boys, Robert and 
 James, took a wagon into the interior. Jenkins 
 Davis was at that very time constructing a 
 bridge across the Flint River. Hiring a past- 
 ure for the horse, the boys found employment 
 on this bridge, while their father purchased, 
 from a half-breed named Ewing, 125 acres of 
 land situated on the north side of the Flint 
 River, and which 30 years later became the 
 center of the thriving city of Flint. Here he 
 planted potatoes brought for that purpose, and 
 as there were only two log cabins in that vicin- 
 ity, and both occupied, he built a similar crude 
 habitation, while his son James went to Detroit 
 
 to bring up the family. James was but 1 5 years 
 old, but he was accompanied b}' a young school 
 teacher from Grand Blanc, Albert Miller, who 
 in after years became one of Michigan's most 
 prominent citizens, and a leading pioneer of 
 Bay County. The friendship between these 
 two young men, begun under such peculiar cir- 
 cumstances, ripened with the passing years and 
 proved an influential factor in the development 
 of this community. The youngsters witnessed 
 the Fourth of July celebration at the old Capi- 
 tol in Detroit, erected in 1825 on the site now 
 occupied by Cadillac Square. John Mosher car- 
 ried the household goods with his team as far 
 as Grand Blanc for $25. James, with the one- 
 horse wagon, carried Mrs. McCormick. his 
 younger brother ^^'illiam R., and three little 
 sisters. Often when the corduroy road became 
 almost impassable, all had to get out and walk. 
 At Grand Blanc, husband and brother met the 
 family, and all camped out for the night. 
 Mosher returned to Detroit, for his team could 
 go no further, and McCormick and his sons 
 began at daybreak to cut a way for their one- 
 horse wagon through the wilderness. After 
 two days of harrowing work, they reached the 
 Flint Ri\er, the first settlers to get through by 
 wagon. The family had plenty of potatoes and 
 venison, but lacked all the other comforts of 
 home. 
 
 On October 31, 1832, Archibald L. INIcCor- 
 mick was born in this crude cabin in the wilder- 
 ness, the first white child born between the 
 Flint River and ^lackinaw. Little did that 
 sturdy pioneer and his brave wife dream what 
 a future was in store for the child born under 
 such primitive circumstances. When Archibald 
 L. McCormick reached a man"s estate, he 
 drifted into Illinois, and at the breaking out 
 of the Civil War he enlisted as orderly ser- 
 geant in Company B, 52nd Reg., Illinois Vol. 
 Inf. For bravery at the capture of Island No. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 63 
 
 10 in the Mississippi River, April 7, 1S62, he 
 was promoted to be 2nd lieutenant. At the 
 battle of Stone River. January 2, 1863, he led 
 his company in cai)turing: a Rebel battery, and 
 for bravery in action was promoted to be cap- 
 tain of his company. He was taken prisoner 
 in one of General Giant's assaults on Vicks- 
 burg. and suffered terribly from sickness and 
 privation. Being exchanged, he returned to 
 Illinois to recruit both his health and his com- 
 pany, lx)th of which objects were accomplished 
 in time for the campaigns about Chattanooga. 
 He was with General Sherman on his famous 
 "March to the Sea." At the battle of Kenesaw 
 Mountain, June 27, 1864, Captain ]\IcCormick 
 and his company were selected to storm a bat- 
 tery sheltered by strong breastworks. "Re- 
 memljer the battery at Stone River" were his 
 commander's parting words, which cheered the 
 little band on its desperate errand. They silen- 
 ced the battery, but Captain McCormick fell 
 on the breastworks, pierced by seven bullets, a 
 martyr to his country, and one of the many 
 native sons given by Michigan, that our nation 
 might live. 
 
 Such was the stock that blazed the way 
 through the wilderness, that other and less 
 hardy generations might enjoy the fruits of 
 their labor, their hardships and pri\-ations, and 
 prosper amid the many gifts which Nature has 
 so richly bestowed on this valley. Snch were 
 the heralds of civilization in Michigan, the ad- 
 vance guard of social refinement and civil lib- 
 erty. From the moment that these hardy pio- 
 neers left the older settlements behind them, 
 and turned their faces resolutely Northwest- 
 ward, their lives became one unending strug- 
 gle, each day marked by sacrifice and toil and 
 danger. They toiled in silence, and even their 
 names have been lost to posterity. From the 
 mists of obscurity that cover those years, and 
 shroud the lives and deeds of the builders of 
 
 homes and cities in the heart of Michigan, there 
 stand out clear and strong, like beacon lights 
 on the surrounding waters, the lives of a few 
 of those stalwart sons of the New World, like 
 James McCormick and his worthy sons. Their 
 life work is as an index to the lives of their 
 equally hardy and industrious, but less conspic- 
 uous neighbors. 
 
 The Chippewa chief, Ton-dog-a-ne, was 
 then at the head of the band that had the Flint 
 River bottom for its hunting ground, and the 
 sage Indian took quite a fancy to the ]\IcCor- 
 mick family. He often told the head of the 
 family about the rich lands and boundless for- 
 ests at the mouth of the Saginaw River. About 
 14 miles south of Saginaw there was a clearing 
 of some 200 acres in extent, on which several 
 government instructors had for years endeav- 
 ored to teach the roving Indians the art of rais- 
 ing crops, among them being the late Capt. 
 Joseph F. Marsac and Cassette Trombley. Mc- 
 Cormick inspected the clearing and liked it so 
 well, that in 1834 he purchased 640 acres from 
 Ton-dog-a-ne, for 25 bushels of potatoes and 
 corn each year for 10 years. So great was 
 the confidence of these Indians in McCormick 
 that his mere word sufficed to bind the bargain. 
 
 The family was moved to the new location 
 in Indian canoes, and for several nights their 
 only shelter was their blankets. Half a century 
 afterward these pioneers recalled how cruel it 
 seemed to them then, to be left alone 
 and without a roof over them, in the 
 great, dark forest; especially cruel did 
 it seem to the parents and older chil- 
 dren who remembered their cozy home on 
 the distant Hudson. A log house was built 
 in the course of a few weeks, and in this the 
 family lived until they came finally to Lower 
 Saginaw, as Bay County was then called. The 
 clearing was fenced in with rails cut from some 
 walnut trees which grew in that section, — a 
 
64 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 rather extravagant waste of valuable timber, as 
 measured by 1905 timber values, for now wal- 
 nut lumber is imported from Cuba and Central 
 America and resawed at the J. J. Flood mill 
 on the West Side of Greater Bay City, which 
 mill is especially equipped for that work. 
 
 In 1835. McCormick sold 1,000 bushels of 
 corn from this clearing to the American Fur 
 Company, which carried it in boats to the In- 
 dians of the Lake Superior region, in exchange 
 for l)eaver skins. An Indian trail through the 
 woods, and even that impassable part of the 
 year, was the only means they had of communi- 
 cating with the few settlers north of them, 
 unless they came by boat on the river in sum- 
 mer, or over the ice in winter. 
 
 A grist mill was sorely needed by these pio- 
 neers, and in 1835 McConnick went to New 
 York, rec(uiring 11 days to reach Albany, 
 which was fast time in the days before the iron 
 horse concjuered space. He brought back with 
 him a little grist mill, run by hand, with a 
 handle on each side, which would hold a peck 
 of corn, and would grind a bushel of corn in an 
 hour! Other settlers had come to this end of 
 Michigan in the meantime, and they would 
 come many weary miles with their corn to use 
 this primitive grist mill. That little mill was 
 worth its weight in gold to the pioneers, and is 
 worthy of a place in Michigan's pioneer collec- 
 tion. 
 
 This section of Michigan was overrun with 
 land speculators during 1835 and 1836, and 
 many of them tarried at the cabin on the Indian 
 field. A field bed, holding 10 to 15 persons, 
 was made for their accommodation before the 
 fireplace, and was seldom empty. The water 
 along the valley was much higher in those 
 years than now, and after every rain the river- 
 bottom trails would be lost to view. Several of 
 these land lookers disappeared as mysteriously 
 as some traders had done before them, and the 
 
 valley was still held to be haunted by evil 
 spirits. Undoubtedly these land lookers fell 
 victims to the treacherous waters. One party 
 investigating the country in 1836, which they 
 knew was soon to be opened for settlement, 
 was caught in one of these tempestuous rains. 
 For miles along the shore of the Saginaw River 
 they looked in vain for a camping place. When 
 they finally found a spot that was high and dry, 
 they crawled ashore utterly exhausted from 
 hours of paddling against the strong current. 
 Some hours later the waters began to rise, and 
 shortly after midnight they had to take to their 
 canoe, for their camping ground was covered 
 with several feet of water^ which was still ris- 
 ing. All night long they struggled against the 
 current and the storm in their frail canoe, and 
 all thanked Providence when morning broke 
 and the storm abated. Since much drift wood 
 was carried down stream, their escape from 
 drowning was really miraculous. 
 
 That same winter the McCormicks suffered 
 with hundreds of other pioneers, from the 
 bursting of the financial bubble, and the crash 
 of "wild-cat" banks. James McCormick sold 
 his surplus corn to Saginaw parties for $1.50 
 per bushel, and the boys hauled it down in 
 large, crude sleds on the ice. The corn was 
 paid for in Ijills on the Flint Rapids Bank. 
 When these bills were taken to Flint, it was 
 found the "wild-cat" bank had failed the day 
 before, and the pay for a whole year's labor 
 had been lost! That same winter the Indians 
 were dying by hundreds from smallpox, and as 
 few were well enough to hunt or fish, they were 
 actually starving. Chief Ton-dog-a-ne, sage 
 warrior and friend of the pale faces, was among 
 the first to cross the great river. Despite the 
 loss of their entire crop of corn through the 
 failure of the Flint "wild-cat" bank, the Mc- 
 Cormicks gave liberally of all they had to the 
 starving red men. Potatoes, corn, beans. 
 
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 W '^'"' ma fif / ' 
 
 
 
 W^ :.^ mm ml 
 
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 H*i|i 
 
 
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 ^^vT^. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 67 
 
 pumpkins and sqimshes were piled up at tlie far 
 end of die Indian field, so that the Indians 
 could get them without endangering the health 
 of the settlers. When spring came and the 
 epidemic abated, the Indians showed their ap- 
 preciation of the settler's kindness by giving 
 him a lease without any remuneration for 99 
 years on the 640 acres he occupied. Judge 
 Devenport executed the legal documents. 
 
 In September of that year the treaty was 
 made with the Indians for their entire reser- 
 vation. They refused to sell their lands, unless 
 "the wdiite man with the big heart" would be 
 secure on his 640 acres, which they had given 
 him in recognition for his help in their hour of 
 dire need. Henry R. Schoolcraft, superintend- 
 ent of Indian ati'airs, drew up the treaty, prom- 
 ising to secure McCormick's rights, but when 
 the treaty was finally signed, sealed and deliv- 
 ered, that clause was found missing. In 1840 
 the government sold the tract, and the McCor- 
 micks were unceremoniously ejected from the 
 land they had made productive through all 
 those years of privation, toil and danger. 
 
 What was a loss to that pioneer family 
 proved a blessing to Bay County, for in 1S41 
 the McCormicks removed to their original des- 
 tination, the banks of the Lower Saginaw. 
 Undaunted by the vicissitudes of a long series 
 of unfortunate events; disinherited by his 
 father liecause he dared to choose his own help- 
 meet ; defrauded out of the earnings of many 
 years of hard work by the dishonesty of friends 
 wliiim he had trusted ; driven into the wilder- 
 ness with his infant children and frail wife to 
 begin life anew under the most trying circum- 
 stances ; and now, after carving a farm out of 
 the forest in his nld age, dri\-en e\'en from that 
 forlorn hope by the strong ami of the govern- 
 ment, lor which he had done so much as an ad- 
 vance guard in the wilderness; such was the 
 
 fate of this sturdy pioneer! But his spirits 
 were undaunted and his energies still keen. 
 
 Aided by his energetic sons, Mr. McCor- 
 mick once more packed up his earthl}'^ posses- 
 sions and moved them by river to Portsmouth, 
 now the south end of Bay City. 
 
 With a keen eye for business, the sturdy 
 Scotchman looked on the majestic pines tower- 
 ing all about him, he listened to the stories of 
 the unlimited pine supply of Northern Michi- 
 gan, as told by the Indians and pale face trad- 
 ers. He conversed with late arrivals from 
 Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York 
 and the East. He learned that a multitude 
 were crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Eu- 
 rope, seeking a New World, where personal 
 liberty was established, and great opportunities 
 awaited the industrious immigrants. Cities 
 were building up, and the wave of immigration 
 was spreading resistlessly Westward. The polit- 
 ical unrest in Germany and Central Europe 
 was sending a most desirable class of people 
 to America, and most of these were going into 
 the interior, determined to create homes for 
 themselves in the virgin forests and prairies. 
 Building homes and warehouses required lum- 
 ber, and here was as fine timber as the sun ever 
 shone upon. Then here was the great river, 
 yonder the broad expanse of Saginaw Bay, an 
 open door to the Great Lakes, opening an easy 
 channel to the North, East and South, for the 
 ships of commerce. With the eye of a seer he 
 recognized the great opporutnities offered by 
 the lumber industry to this beautiful vallev. 
 
 He found an idle saw^mill in the little settle- 
 ment of Portsmouth, erected in 1837 by the 
 selfsame All:)ert Miller, who had helped to 
 bring Mrs. McCormick and the children to her 
 husband in their fir.st clearing on the Flint 
 River in 1832. The boys of those years were 
 men now, in the full vigor of hardy manhood, 
 
68 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 and brighter days dawned for the long suffer- 
 ing family. B. K. Hall willingly sold his in- 
 terest in the idle mill to James jNIcCormick, 
 for during those years of panic following the 
 "wild-cat" bank failures and still wilder land 
 speculation, there was no demand for lumber 
 in the \'alley or out of it. The McCormicks 
 placed the sawmill in running order, arranged 
 to sell their output to James Busby, brother-in- 
 law to the late James Fraser, of Detroit, for 
 $8 per thousand, for clear pine, one-third down, 
 the balance on long time credits, and started 
 the machinery. Capt. George Ral>y, in the 
 old "Conneaut Packet." carried the first cargo 
 of lumber out of the Saginaw River, contain- 
 ing 40,000 feet of pine cut by the McCormicks" 
 mill. They sold clear lumber at the mill to the 
 Trombleys and others for $10 in store trade. 
 
 At such prices and untler such conditions, 
 these pioneer lumbermen could not amass for- 
 tunes, as did their successors in that line of 
 business in the years to follow. These pioneers 
 merely blazed a way for the generation that 
 was to follow them. Well has it been said of 
 them, that they came 20 years too soon to be- 
 come rich. But in the fullness of time they had 
 a work to do, for by their perseverance, priva- 
 tions, hardships and industry, this valley was 
 opened to the world, and made to blossom as 
 a rose. 
 
 Typical of his age and generation was 
 James McCormick. Too brave and stout- 
 hearted to let succeeding disasters daunt his 
 spirits, the wilderness merely roused his best 
 efforts. Obstacles were made only to be over- 
 come. Life was work and work was life. E\-en 
 in his declining years he was blazing the way 
 for his children and children's children. 
 
 Ere we take up the thread of narrative and 
 resume the story of the development of this 
 county, it will be well to note the closing scenes 
 in the lives of these estimable pathfinders. For 
 
 five years James McCormick assisted his sons 
 in the sawmill, and then death hushed his ster- 
 ling heart forever. His devoted wife, who had 
 uricomplainingly left ease and comfort l)ehind, 
 who had carried her children into the wilder- 
 ness, given life to others in the crude log cabin 
 in the \-aIley, and raised and educated them all 
 to the best of her ability, survived him by 16 
 years. She dispensed her hospitality in the 
 old homestead in Portsmouth until 1854. when 
 she ga\'e up the duties of the household and re- 
 tired for well-merited rest and repose with her 
 children. She died at the home of her daugh- 
 ter, Mrs. John Malone, in Taymouth, Saginaw 
 County. July 22, 1862. Her life was like that 
 of a bright star, illuminating the wilderness. 
 Pioneer husband and wife sleep side l:)y side in 
 Pine Ridge Cemetery. Over their sepulchre 
 kind hands have raised a suitable monument 
 with the following inscription : "To the Mem- 
 ory of James and Ellen McCormick, Pio- 
 neers of the Saginaw Valley. They pitched 
 their tent in the wilderness in 1832, and 
 planted a vineyard ; but the Master called them 
 home ere they gathered the fruit !" An honest 
 /nail is tJic noblest zeork of God ! 
 
 The venerable couple had nine children who 
 grew to maturity ; Robert is a prosperous far- 
 mer in Illinois. Joseph went to Kentucky in 
 183 1, and later settled in Kansas, where he 
 died more than 20 years ago. Sarah, the third 
 daughter, married Medor Trombley, the Ports- 
 mouth Indian trader, on August 26, 1847, a 
 year after her father's death. The wedding 
 was a simple affair, in keeping with the sim- 
 plicity of their lives and the times. They started 
 housekeeping at once in the frame building, 
 erected by Medor Trombley in 1835. Seven 
 children came to bless their union, among them 
 Mrs. L. F. Rose and Mrs. John Greening, of 
 Bay City. Archibald L.. the hero who ga\-e 
 his life for the Union at Kenesaw Mountain, 
 
AND REPRESEXTATIX'E CITIZENS. 
 
 69 
 
 was the fifth son. Elizabeth, the second daugh- 
 ter, married Orrin Kinney, a prominent farmer 
 and well-known pioneer of this county. They 
 still reside in the family homestead on Cass ave- 
 nue, surrounded by their children and children's 
 children. j\.nn, the first daughter, married Jolm 
 Malone, of Taymouth township, Saginaw 
 County, where they settled on government 
 lands, entered in 1838. The youngest son. 
 Andrew V. McCormick, the first wdiite child 
 born in Taymouth township (on December 30, 
 1836), went to Illinois in 1854. served in the 
 Union Army during the Civil War, and later 
 became a prosperous farmer in Kansas. 
 
 James J. McCormick, the third son, shared 
 in all the hardships and toil of the family's 
 homebuilding in the Saginaw Valley. His 
 rifle supi^lied the venison for the larder in the 
 log cabin. He it was who transported the sup- 
 plies to and from the homestead in the wilder- 
 ness. Equally at home on horseback as in 
 canoe, and knowing every Indian trail for miles 
 around, he was much sought after as a guide 
 by the land lookers. Born in Albany. New 
 York, in January. 1817, he early evinced sound 
 business judgment, and at the death of his 
 father in 1846 he carried fin the sawmill busi- 
 ness in Portsmouth. While visiting his brother 
 Joseph in Kentucky, in 1839, he met. wooed 
 and won Jane Sheldon, who proved a fitting 
 helpmeet during those ])ioneer days. She died 
 in 1854. Two sons and one daughter (after- 
 ward Mrs. Edioni H. Bassett, her husband 
 being at the head of the dry goods firm of 
 Bassett, Seed & Company) survived her. Their 
 eldest son also enlisted in the Union Army 
 during the Civil War, where he contracted an 
 ailment which caused his death in 1867. 
 
 The indomitable will and enterprise of 
 James J. McCormick did much to develop the 
 lumber industry of the valley. When he and 
 his father bought the Hall mill in Portsmouth 
 
 in 1841, everything was at a standstill. Most 
 men would have waited for something- to turn 
 up. Not so these McCormicks. They went 
 to Detroit and sought a market for the pine 
 they had cut. At home the settlers had neither 
 money nor courage to erect new buildings. The 
 McCormicks stepped in and put up buildings 
 on long term contracts, with the luniljcr they 
 cut, their early customers including Hon. 
 James G. Birney, and the famous Indian trad- 
 ers and interpreters, Capt. Joseph F. Marsac, 
 Medor Trombley and Joseph Trombley. This 
 pioneer sawmill operator bought Captain Mar- 
 sac's cottage and a parcel of land, by furnishing 
 the lumber for a more palatial home for the 
 veteran Indian fighter. The friendship which 
 sprang up between James J. McCormick and 
 the late Judge Albert I^Iiller on the Indian trail 
 to Detroit back in 1832, ripened into a business 
 partnership, when in 1848 they jointly oper- 
 ated their little sawmill. None but the early 
 settlers can know' the ceaseless round of toil 
 those men endured in cutting lumber in that 
 mill. Both took iheir turns at the saw, and 
 fixed up their books and other business matters 
 when their other employees slept. 
 
 Then the gold fever swept over the land, 
 and with thousands of others from e\-ery com- 
 munity in the country, and from every walk of 
 life, James J. McCormick determined to "get 
 rich quick" in the famous gold El Dorado of 
 California. Having provided for the care of 
 his wife and children, and arrangetl his busi- 
 ness affairs, he bade them all farewell, and once 
 more turned his face resolutely Westward. 
 Having procured a team of oxen and loaded 
 a wagon with the necessities required for the 
 trip, he ferried them across the Saginaw River 
 on a raft of hewn timbers, in March, 1849. 
 and started solitary and alone across the un- 
 known continent to the gold fields of Califor- 
 nia. An old acquaintance, Alfred Goyer. of 
 
HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Genessee County, accompanied him part of the 
 way. Later they met at a spring in Cahfornia 
 where they were watering their horses, but 
 both had aged so, that they did not recognize 
 one another until they spoke of their former 
 residences. They shared each otlier's fortunes 
 and misfortunes in the gold district after that, 
 returning to the Saginaw Valley in 1851. 
 Their experience had been identical with thous- 
 ands of other gold seekers. Hardships and 
 dangers were their portion and the reward fell 
 far below expectations. 
 
 The hardy adventurer saved enough of the 
 gold dust to begin the lumber business on a 
 more extensive scale on his return, building 
 a new sawmill near his residence, which he 
 operated successfully until 1871, when he sold 
 it to the Webster Company. In 1868 he erected 
 the McCormick Block on Water street. He 
 owned considerable real estate. He was a mem- 
 ber of the first Council of Bay City and was 
 elected mayor in 1869. He had a wide circle 
 of devoted personal friends. He was a 33rd 
 degree Mason. 
 
 William R. McCormick, the fourth son, 
 was born at Albany, New York, .August 16, 
 1822. He was 10 years old when his family 
 made the perilous trip to the wilds of Michigan. 
 For many years their only neiglibors were In- 
 dians, and his only playmates were these red 
 children of the forest. Their nearest neigh- 
 bors at that time were Charles and Humphrey 
 McLean, who lived 15 miles away, where Pine 
 Run is now located. He often accompanied 
 the Indians on their periodical hunting trips, 
 and when but 15 years old was employed as in- 
 terpreter and trader by an independent fur 
 trading company on the Saginaw River. Dur- 
 ing the winter of 1837-38 he did chores for 
 Major Mosley, who commanded the old stock- 
 ade fort on the Saginaw, where he received 
 such schooling as that young settlement of- 
 
 fered. In 1839 he determined to see the world, 
 so against his father's wish he started on foot 
 for his brother's home iiear Vincennes, Indiana. 
 He took the Indian trail to Detroit, then fol- 
 lowed the corduroy road as far as LaPorte, 
 Indiana, and finally reached his destination, 
 footsore, hungry and penniless. Having satis- 
 fied his craving for travel and sightseeing, he 
 returned to the parental roof in 1840. He ac- 
 companied his father's family to Portsmouth 
 in 1 84 1, where he assisted in the work in the 
 sawmill until 1846. He spent a few years in 
 Albany, New York, where he married Angel- 
 ica Wayne, and then came back to tlie valley 
 he loved to call his home. In i860 a stock com- 
 pany was formed by Judge Albert Miller, to 
 bore for salt. William R. IMcCormick was 
 chosen secretary and general manager. He 
 superintended the boring, and at a depth of 600 
 feet the flow of brine was struck, which has 
 ever since furnished the raw material for one 
 of the valley's leading industries. This was the 
 first salt well in Bay County. For many years 
 he was active in the lumber and real estate busi- 
 ness. He shared with Judge Miller for many 
 years the distinction of being the oldest living 
 pioneers of Bay County. He lived to see Bay 
 City grow from a settlement of two log cabins 
 to a prosperous community of over 20,000 in- 
 habitants, whose buzzing saws were heard 
 around the world, wherever the product of 
 forest and stream entered into the creation of 
 homes and the construction of ships. 
 
 For many years William R. McCormick 
 collected data and relics pertaining to the early 
 history of Bay County. We owe much to his 
 pen. Michigan owes much of its pioneer col- 
 lection to his foresight and forethought. That 
 the lives and deeds of his parents and family 
 are so well-known and so well-preserved, is 
 entirelv due to his memorandum book, which 
 gives to us the most exact and interesting re- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 71 
 
 view of pioneer life 70 years ago. His anec- 
 dotes of the early settlements and the Indians 
 as he found them furnish one of the brightest 
 chapters in the annals of Michigan, and give 
 to men and events in this rich valley their 
 proper place and proportion. Space forbids 
 recounting all of his inimitable stories and rem- 
 iniscences. A few will bear repeating, as a 
 fleeting glimpse into an eventful and yet almost 
 forgotten past. 
 
 In 1833 he accompanied Colonel Marshall 
 on an exploring trip to the mouth of the Sagi- 
 naw River and along the west shore of Sagi- 
 naw Bay. Starting from Flint during the hot 
 summer months, they soon struck a shallow 
 spot in the river. A young Indian warrior 
 helped them in getting their canoe around the 
 low water, and the brave was given a swig of 
 fire-water, which every pioneer carried in those 
 days. They paddled 12 miles down the river 
 and landed to prepare dinner. To their utter 
 astonishment, ere long they perceived the self- 
 same young Indian approaching their campfire. 
 He told them he had come 12 miles to get an- 
 other drink of the white man's firewater ! Such 
 was the craving for liquor which consumed 
 Poor Lo ! 
 
 Paddling down the river, they passed 
 through great swarms of wild ducks, the an- 
 cestors of the flocks, which even now, in ever 
 diminishing numbers, visit the shores of river 
 and bay at certain seasons of the year. In the 
 summer of 1833 the river was fairly black with 
 them. A Chippewa Indian from the Wenonah 
 village had 37 ducks, which he said he had 
 killed with seven shots from a "squaw gun." 
 If that old blunderbuss did such execution one 
 can imagine what would have happened had 
 he used a modern repeating shotgun. 
 
 The first habitation they saw, after leaving 
 the fort stockade of Saginaw behind them, was 
 the log cabin at Zilwaukee, known as the Mosby 
 
 House. Paddling swiftly with the current 
 down stream, they soon passed the log cabin 
 where the Indian squaw of the Frenchman, 
 Louis Masho, and his half-breed children were 
 fishing in the shade of a huge elm tree, where 
 Bousfield's mammoth woodenware works are 
 now located. Almost three miles further down 
 stream they passed the log cabin of Leon Tnmi- 
 bley, now the corner of Fourth avenue and 
 Water street. They did not see another living 
 soul until they reached the mouth of the Kaw- 
 kawlin River, where an Indian trading shack 
 was located, which was always a favorite meet- 
 ing place of the redskins. 
 
 Colonel Marshall participated that night in 
 a big powwow at an Indian village on the Kaw- 
 kawlin, where the pipe of peace made the 
 rounds, wise old Indians "orated" in a lan- 
 guage their guest could not understand, and 
 where considerable fire-water was consumed 
 and charged against future catches of fish and 
 game by the reckless sons of the forest. In- 
 dian games were in order the next morning, 
 and young McCormick enjoyed the sport and 
 the honors with the best of the young bucks. 
 
 .Among the wise men of the tribe at this 
 camp-fire was Neh-way-go, of the Tittaba- 
 wassee band of Hurons. His wigwam was on 
 the shore of Saginaw Bay, where the beau- 
 tiful summer resort, Wenona Beach, is now 
 situated. In his younger years this warrior 
 had killed a son of Red Bird, a chief of the 
 Flint band of Chippewas, who immediately de- 
 manded his life as a forfeit under the Indians' 
 crude laws. Neh-way-go presented himself at 
 the mourner's wigwam, and told the assembled 
 warriors he had come to pay the penalty of 
 his rash deed. Baring his bosom, he was thrice 
 stablied by the dead man's relatives, but none 
 of the thrusts proved immediately fatal. Cov- 
 ered with his own blood he hurried back to his 
 own people, when one of Red Bird's band saw 
 
HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 him anfl gave him another stab in the back. 
 In spite of his wounds and loss of blood, his 
 faithful young wife managed to bind up 
 his wounds and nursed him back to life 
 and health. Indian usage was satisfied, but 
 Indian hate ne\-er. While still weak from his 
 terrible wounds, he visited the Indian trading- 
 store of the Williams brothers on the Saginaw 
 River. An Indian runner brought these tidings 
 to 0-sou-wah-bon's band camped on the Titta- 
 bawassee, and that burly warrior at once 
 started with concealed knives to finish Neh- 
 way-go. Bold as ever, the wounded Indian 
 refused to enter his canoe when ordered to do 
 so by Ephraim S. Williams. When the aveng- 
 ing native arrived, the Williams brothers dis- 
 armed him, pushed Neh-way-go into his canoe 
 and his wife paddled him home, despite his pro- 
 tests that he was no coward, and would meet 
 the avengers. The following year, while hunt- 
 ing, he met the Indian who had stabbed him in 
 the back after his summary punishment, and 
 Xeh- way-go promptly killed him. Black 
 Beaver, a noted chief of the Chippewas, took 
 him to task at an Indian payment-meeting at 
 Saginaw some years after, and in the fight that 
 followed. Black Bea\-er was killed. Colonel 
 Stanard, commanding the army post, issued a 
 warrant for Neh-way-go's arrest, liut the In- 
 dian preferred death at the hands of his own 
 people to arrest and imprisonment by the sol- 
 diers. He told Ephraim S. \A'illiams. the In- 
 dian agent, that he would present himself for 
 such punishment as his tribe might inflict, but 
 he never would submit to be arrested, which 
 was a punishment fit only for cowards ! The 
 killing of Black Beaver had spread quickly 
 through the Indian villages and from them to 
 the few white settlements. When the day for 
 the solemn Indian funeral rites had arrived, all 
 the Indians and white settlers in the valley were 
 assembled on the ridge west of the river bank. 
 
 The Indian's relatives were chanting the 
 mournful funeral odes of their tribe, their faces 
 streaked with black and white, symbolic of 
 death and the life beyond in the happy hunt- 
 ing grounds. While the several thousand silent 
 watchers were intent on the mysterious cere- 
 monies, Neh-way-go came strutting over from 
 his camp ground. He was attired in all the 
 splendor of a warrior on the war-path. His 
 knife and tomahawk were in his belt, and a 
 flask of whiskey hung from his girdle. He was 
 prepared for the long journey to the same 
 happy hunting grounds to which he had sent 
 Black Beaver. With solemn mien and majes- 
 tic tread he came into the circle of mourners. 
 The white settlers had provided a coffin for the 
 dead. On this he sat, while he filled his calu- 
 met with kinnikinic, composedly puffing clouds 
 of blue vapor skyward. Then he passed his 
 pipe to the chief mourner, who scorned to take 
 it. Next he passed his whiskey flask with the 
 same solemn mien. This, too, was scorned. 
 Then he sat down, opened his hunting shirt 
 and bared his bosom. After a few moments 
 of intense silence he addressed the mourners 
 as follows : "You refuse my pipe of peace. 
 You refuse to drink with me. Strike not in the 
 back. Strike not and miss. The man who 
 strikes and misses dies when ne.xt I meet him 
 on the hunting grounds!" But no one stirred. 
 No one offered to kill him. Then Neh-way-go 
 arose, replaced knife and tomahawk and whis- 
 key flask in his girdle, and with the same sol- 
 emn mien passed straight through his enemies, 
 pausing only long enough to taunt them for 
 being cowards ! \\'hen young McCormick saw 
 him near his wigwam on the Kawkawlin, he 
 was an old and weather-beaten warrior, of 
 ready wit and convivial spirits. Years after, 
 he fell a victim to the implacable hate of the 
 relatives of Black Beaver, being shot while 
 hunting on the Ouanicassee. 
 
AND REPRESEXTATiVE CITIZENS. 
 
 73 
 
 On this same trip, Mr. AicCorniick saw, for 
 the first time, tlie "Lone Tree," which was for 
 years a landmark for tlie old settlers, and an 
 omen for good among the Hurons. It was a 
 vigorous ash tree, about two feet in diameter, 
 standing solitary and alone in the prairie, where 
 McGraw's prairie farm is now located. Canoe- 
 ists on the ri\-er estimated by the tree they were 
 two miles from Portsmouth and four miles 
 from Leon Trombley's original log cabin in 
 Bay City. In summer, with its rich foliage, 
 and in winter amid the great white mantle of 
 snow, it was alike conspicuous. And be it win- 
 ter or summer, passing travelers invariably saw 
 a large white owl perched in the tree-top. To 
 the Indians this oavI was sacred, and a pretty 
 legend was woven about the tree. Often did 
 the pioneers hear the orators of the Hurons re- 
 peat this legend, the most romantic inheritance 
 left by them to their favorite hunting grounds 
 of long ago. Ages ago, the exact number none 
 could tell, a great and wise chief, Ke-wah-ke- 
 won, ruled over the red people of this valley 
 with love and kindness. When he felt that he 
 would soon be treading the happy hunting 
 grounds of the Great Spirit, he called his people 
 together to bestow on them his last blessing, 
 and to give them his parting admonition 
 and advice. Amid the silent prairie, as yet un- 
 trod by the foot of the pale face, the clans were 
 gathered, mournful witnesses of the last fare- 
 well of their brave and beloved chieftain. When 
 he felt his pulse grow weaker, he lifted his 
 voice calm and clear alxive the rushing waters 
 of the stream at his feet : "j\ly children," said 
 he, "the Great Spirit has called me, and I must 
 obey the summons. Even now the tomahawk 
 is raised to sever the last chord that binds me 
 to my children! The guide stands at the door 
 to convey me to the hunting grounds of my 
 father in the Spirit Land. You weep, my chil- 
 dren, but drv vour tears, for though I leave 
 
 you now, yet will my spirit bird ever watch 
 over you. I will whisper to you in the evening 
 breeze, and when the morning comes you will 
 know that 1 have been with you through the 
 night. But the Good Spirit beckons me, and I 
 must hasten. Let my lx)dy be laid in a quiet 
 spot, with my tomahawk and pipe by mv side. 
 You need not fear that the wolf will disturb 
 my rest, for the Great Spirit, I feel, will place 
 a watch over me. Meet me in the Spirit Land, 
 my children — farewell !" They buried him in a 
 lonely spot in the prairie, on the opposite side of 
 the great ri\-er, with his face toward the rising 
 sun. His last resting place was never dis- 
 turbed I)y bird or beast. So had the Great 
 Spirit ordered it. 
 
 In the course of time, a tree arose over the 
 grave, and spread its branches over it like a 
 protecting wing, and in that tree lived a beauti- 
 ful white owl, which the Great Spirit had sent 
 to watch over it. So long as this "Lone Tree" 
 stood, and the owl watched over it, the In- 
 dians of the valley would thri\e and prosper, 
 but when the sacred owl would depart, their 
 tribes would become scattered, and their race 
 pass away. Strangely enough, all this came 
 to pass. A great flood in 1838 laid bare the 
 roots of the tree, and covered the prairie for 
 miles and miles with water, killing all the trees 
 that had withstood the previous rampages of 
 the Saginaw. In 1837 the Indians gave up by 
 treaty their last great hunting grounds in Mich- 
 igan. During that very twelvemonth half 
 their number were killed l)y smallpox, and 
 their tribes became weak and scattered. The 
 dead ash tree stood for several years longer, 
 the white owl still keeping its vigil over the 
 gra\e of Ke-wah-ke-won. In 1841. James J. 
 McCormick came with his father's family to 
 the wilderness in Portsmouth, as we have nar- 
 rated. He knew nothing of the legend center- 
 ing a1)out that "Lone Tree." and the big white 
 
74 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 owl perched ever in its decaying branches. 
 While out hunting ducks on the river shore 
 and marsh, he shot and killed the owl. A few 
 years after, the tree was prostrated in a storm, 
 and the last vestige of it soon disappeared. 
 With it disappeared the Indians. They lin- 
 gered for a time about their old haunts, where 
 once they had been undisputed masters. But 
 the colony of pale faces was growing stronger, 
 game was becoming more and more scarce, 
 and Poor Lo must retreat further into the 
 Northern wilds. About 1840 the Philadelphia 
 Evening Post published a poem on the "Lone 
 Tree" and its messenger from ]Manitou the 
 Great, watching over the weal and woe of the 
 Indians of the valley of the Sauks, written by 
 Miss Mather, daughter of a prominent pioneer 
 of Flint. Hon. Artemas Thayer, of Flint, was 
 enjoying with his bride and two friends, in- 
 cluding Miss Mather, his w^edding trip, on the 
 ice and snow covering Saginaw River, from 
 Flint to Portsmouth, when they saw the "Lone 
 Tree" and the far-famed white owl. Shortly 
 after writing that poem, Miss Mather died 
 while visiting at the home of Hon. Horace 
 Greeley, in New York. 
 
 William R. McCormick delighted to repeat 
 these weird Indian legends around his cozy 
 fireside in after years. He was also indefati- 
 gable in gathering the relics which were found 
 in large numbers in the sand hills and mounds 
 of this part of the State. The oldest frame 
 house in Bay City was built by the Trombleys 
 in 1835, and in 1842 this was purchased by 
 William R. McCormick's father. It stood then 
 in a broad clearing on the western slope of an 
 extensive mound, and is to-day the venerable 
 old Center House on the corner of 24th and 
 Water streets. In those mounds the McCor- 
 micks found many skeletons, much broken pot- 
 tery of strange make, stone knives, stone axes, 
 stone arrow-heads and stone spears. Most 
 
 of the relics found in these and other mounds 
 of this valley were presented by Mr. McCor- 
 mick to the State Pioneer Collection, to muse- 
 ums all o\-er the country, and to the Smithso- 
 nian Institute at Washington. 
 
 In company with kindred spirits, who loved 
 to search these unexplored river banks for 
 traces of other races, and for relics of a for- 
 gotten past, he searched through every nook 
 and corner of this county. A review of their 
 findings cannot fail to interest even the layman. 
 He was a confirmed believer in the theory, that 
 this valley was at some preliistoric period the 
 advanced position of the mysterious race of 
 Mound Builders. He saw these mounds in a 
 state of nature 70 years ago. He saw them 
 plowed o\'er. dug up to admit foundations for 
 large modern buildings, and a few sand ridges 
 carried away bodily for building purposes. 
 
 One of the highest elevations in Bay Coun- 
 ty is the mound or ridge at the east approach 
 to the Lafayette avenue bridge. In IQ05 we 
 find on it the massive buildings of the Bay City 
 Brewing Company, a hotel, livery stable, the 
 venerable old McCormick homestead, and, on 
 the northern spur, the palatial home of Ex- 
 Mayor George D. Jackson. The elevation com- 
 prises about two acres. When William R. ]Mc- 
 mick first savv^ this conspicuous landmark, just 
 70 years ago, he found timber all about it, with 
 the exception of a duck pond in the rear of the 
 mound, about an acre in extent. In excavating 
 for the massive brewery, Indian skeletons were 
 found four to five feet below the surface, while 
 five feet deeper down were found skeletons of 
 another and apparently an older race, buried 
 with oddly-formed burned pottery and quaint 
 stone and copper implements. Some of these 
 implements showed that this strange prehis- 
 toric people had the art of hardening copper, 
 and of working in metals. Unfortunately 
 these skeletons had crumbled awav to such an 
 
f^' 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 77 
 
 extent, tliat a toucli, or a hreath of air even, 
 left notliing but a dust heap. In grading 22nd 
 street, tlirougli the north end of this mound, 
 tliree skeletons of very large stature were 
 found at a (Icpt!i of 11 feet, with large earthen 
 pots placed at the head of each sarcophagus. 
 
 A large circular mound existed for many 
 years near the C. J. Smith sawmill in tlie I'irst 
 Ward of the West Side, about 100 feet in diam- 
 eter and from three to six feet above the level 
 of the surrounding meadows. Old settlers 
 found many strange stone weapons and other 
 implements by grubbing around in this mound. 
 It was leveled down and the dirt used 
 to fill in a part of the river front, hence every 
 trace of it is lost. 
 
 On the property of Hon. James G. Birney, 
 at the west approach to the Michigan Central 
 Railroad bridge, was another similar mound, 
 but much higher than the Smith mound. The 
 skeletons were mucii better preserved than any 
 of the others, and the skulls w^ere quite unlike 
 those found in Indian graves. One well-pre- 
 served skull, with a circular hole through the 
 forehead, made by some sharp instrument, 
 which undoubtedly caused death, was presented 
 by Mr. McCormick to J. Morgan Jennison, of 
 Philadelphia. Some boys found an exquisitely 
 worked canoe, of silver, about five inches long, 
 with the ends dipped in gold. A kettle made of 
 copper, wrought into shape by hammering, 
 having no seams, was also found in this mound, 
 and placed with Mr. Jennison's collection in 
 the State Capitol. 
 
 Another mound was a half mile south of 
 this one, and several skeletons were dug from 
 its side by Charles E. Jennison, one of the few- 
 pioneers of those early days still living in Bay 
 City. Copper kettles and other implements 
 were also found in this mound. 
 
 .A half mile further south we find, even to 
 this dav, one of the most commanding views of 
 
 the river. Early settlers found a spring of 
 water here, clear as crystal, and just shade 
 enough to make it an ideal camping ground for 
 the Indians. Here, according to tradition, was 
 the main portion of the Sauk tribe when they 
 were wiped out by the confederated tribes. 
 Here they made their most desperate stand 
 against overwhelming numbers. And here 
 their conquerors, the Hurons, would assemble 
 all their tribes in tlie State for their perennial 
 feasts, dances and councils. The main elevation 
 covered three acres, and, like the McCormick 
 mound almost directly across the river from it, 
 there was a deep depression southwest of its 
 abrupt sides. Down in that dejiression the soil 
 is a clay loam mixed with black sand. North 
 of the mound is a ridge of yellow sand, but 
 the mound and the slope on its northern face 
 were of the same soil as the facings of the 
 mound. This led the explorers to conclude 
 that the mounds were built artificially ages be- 
 fore the white race came to this country. Rail- 
 roads dug up this mound for ballasting pur- 
 poses, and the village authorities of Wenona 
 cut a street through it, so that little remains of 
 the original mound as the early settlers found 
 it. During these excavations in this Fitzhugh 
 mound, many relics were found, showing con- 
 clusively that it had been built by a strange 
 people many centuries before. Among numer- 
 ous skeletons were found quaint ornaments of 
 silver, broken pottery, some of it with primitive 
 ornamentation, together with the usual large 
 numljer of burned stones and stone weapons. 
 The forts were \ery identical, usually from 
 three to six acres in extent, with walls four to 
 eight feet high, and 10 to 12 feet across at the 
 top. The form of the mounds indicates that 
 they are largely artificial, and with the primi- 
 tive tools at the disposal of diose ancient people 
 must have required years to complete. The 
 best proof of their construction by a human 
 
78 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COL'XTY 
 
 race is the depression near each hih or mound, 
 whose soil corresponds in each instance with 
 the top dressing- of tliese mounds, although the 
 original surface soil is often of entirely differ- 
 ent composition. Then their general plan and 
 character show clearly that there was method 
 and system in their work. Michael Dailey, the 
 old Indian trader, Capt. Joseph F. Marsac, the 
 much-traveled Indian fighter and explorer, and 
 others, who often visited the Rifle and Au Sable 
 rivers, reported a number of similar mounds 
 and fortifications along those streams and their 
 tributaries. 
 
 The JNIound Builders appear to have had 
 their outpost at the Straits of ]Mackinac, and to 
 have been .particularly numerous in the Sagi- 
 naw Valley. Along the Cass and Flint rivers 
 a number of mounds have been systematically 
 explored, and the relics and skeletons added to 
 the collection of antiquities. These relics are 
 never found except in these elevations or 
 mounds. William R. McCormick had his own 
 theory about the many burned and l^roken stones 
 invariably found in these mounds. He con- 
 tended that their pottery would not stand the 
 action of fire, hence they would heat stones, 
 and cast them into their pottery to boil their 
 water. Michael Dailey and others, who were 
 fishing near Duck Island in Lake Huron, found 
 kettles, bowls, weapons and implements very 
 similar to those found in these mounds. Cer- 
 tain it is, that the oldest remains of civilization 
 in America are those of the IMound Builders. 
 Their vast earthworks in the Ohio and Missis- 
 sippi valleys must ha\e taken many generations 
 to complete. Yet not even the faintest tradi- 
 tion remains to tell who built them. That 
 they were a very civilized race there 
 can be no question. They must have 
 been mentally far superior to the savage 
 races that supplanted them. Their sway ex- 
 tended at one time or other from Mexico to 
 
 Lake Superior. In tlie copper mines of our 
 L'pper I'eninsula are found old shafts, with the 
 wedges and chisels they used at their work, 
 together with detached masses of copper ore. 
 .-Ml our antiquarians &re agreed that their 
 works in Michigan were mere outposts. The 
 main works are in ihe South. There are found 
 pottery, ornaments of silver, of bone, of mica, 
 and of sea shells from the Gulf of Mexico. 
 Lance-heads, a.xes, adzes, hammers and knives 
 of stone, exactly like those found in Bay 
 County, are found in those great earthworks of 
 the South. Spear-heads, lances and arrow- 
 heads made of obsidian, a volcanic substance 
 only found and used in ^lexico, prove that they 
 had some connection with that country. Crude 
 spinning implements found in all these mounds 
 prove that they knew the art of weaving and 
 spinning, which was unknown to the Indians. 
 
 Some historians contend that these Mound 
 Builders came originally from Mexico, and 
 that owing to climatic conditions they were 
 eventually driven back to their original homes, 
 and that they are the ancestors of the Toltecs 
 of Mexican history. Toltecs means architects 
 or builders, which name would seem to have 
 been a fitting one for that industrious race. 
 Other historians contend that the entire race 
 of Mound Builders, was destroyed either by a 
 great flood, an epidemic of disease, or a war 
 to the death with a more primitive, but more 
 numerous and more powerful race. But as we 
 read the conjectures of historians and students 
 of this ancient race, we cannot help but feel 
 that even these prehistoric Mound Builders ap- 
 preciated the splendid location of this valley 
 for all the needs and comforts of the human 
 race. 
 
 Nowhere in the Northwest are there as 
 many relics of these prehistoric people to be 
 found, than in this section of Michigan. Hunt- 
 ing for these evidences of an earlier civilization 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 79 
 
 tornied. fur many of tlie early pioneers here, 
 an exhilarating' diversion. They wearied of 
 the chase and fishing became nauseating after 
 a few years. Places of recreaticin there were 
 none. Communicalion with the outside world 
 was irregular, and confined to the receipt of 
 newspapers often weeks and months out of date, 
 and at their best containing but little real news. 
 The settlements for years were few in number 
 and widely separated, as if each new arrival 
 sought solitude above all else. Often for weeks 
 at a time these rugged settlers did not see a 
 living person. Hence they devoted much of 
 their leisure time to exploring the vicinity of 
 their new homes. Then when they did meet 
 at one another's firesides, they would exchange 
 ideas on the many odd and strange things their 
 investigations of a country that was entirely 
 new to them had brought forth. E\-en in re- 
 cent years many quaint relics, mostly of the 
 Indian period, have been found along the riv- 
 ers and the bay shore. Justice of the Peace 
 Frank G. Walton, of the West Side, has a 
 stone battle-axe that is believed to be the largest 
 ever found in Michigan. It was picked up on 
 the shore of the Kawkawlin River, which was 
 always a favorite hunting ground for the abor- 
 igines. Unfortunately, the residents of Bay 
 County have never had a permanent pioneer 
 society, and consequently there has been no 
 system in these researches. The demand for 
 more room to accommodate the increasing 
 business of Bay City has caused so many im- 
 provements, that most of the old landmarks and 
 mounds have been obliterated and forgotten. 
 Little is known by the present generation 
 of the names and deeds of our pioneers. At 
 long intervals, outside enterprise gives to us 
 a record of those early days, brought down to 
 their respective periods, but that is all. This 
 is not as it should be. The lives and deeds of 
 our pathfinders and pioneers should never \)c 
 
 given over to oblivion. Their noble self-sacri- 
 fice, amid the dangers and hardships of life in 
 the unknown wilderness, should pro\-e an inspi- 
 ration to the coming generations. Bay County 
 should have an active pioneer society to keep 
 alive the spirit of our forefathers, to treasure 
 the stirring records of our early history and 
 to delve deeper into the wealth of research 
 still possible in this valley, beloved of the an- 
 cients. 
 
 No history of Bay County would be com- 
 plete without a mention of the greatest of the 
 Chippewa chiefs of the last century. One of 
 the numerous bands of that tribe of the race 
 of Hurons had their wigwams for many years 
 on the banks of the Tittabaw-assee. a worthy- 
 branch of the Saginaw. Aliout 1794 there was 
 born in that band, O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to, one of 
 the greatest chieftains of his race. His trite 
 consisted of a dozen bands, each headed by a 
 hereditary chief, and these chiefs in turn elected 
 the head chief. In 18 19, although but 25 
 years old, O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to was chosen head 
 chief, and was the leader of the Indians in the 
 councils with General Cass, then Governor of 
 jMichigan Territory. He was then in the full 
 vigor of young manhood, over six feet in 
 height and, according to General Cass, at once 
 a perfect type of the American Indian, an elo- 
 quent orator, and a born leader of his race. 
 The pale face trappers who had married In- 
 dian squaws, and the half-breeds living with 
 the Chippewas, together with many of the 
 minor chiefs, were in favor of giving up at 
 once all their possessions to the government, 
 in return for a libera! money consideration. 
 O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to alone opposed giving up 
 their lands. In an address to more than 2,000 
 of his people, he held them spellbound for two 
 hours. To General Cass and his staff he said : 
 
 "You cannot know our needs, ^'ou do not 
 know our condition. Our people wonder what 
 
8o 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 has brought you so far from your homes. Your 
 young men have invited us to come and hght 
 the council fires; we are here to smoke the pipe 
 of peace, but not to sell our lands. Our Ameri- 
 can Father wants ihem. Our English Father 
 treated us better. He never asked for our 
 lands. You flock to our shores; our waters 
 grow warm: our lands melt like a cake of ice. 
 Our possessions grow smaller and smaller. 
 The warm wave of the white man rolls in on us 
 and melts us away. Our women reproach us. 
 and our children want homes. Shall we sell 
 from under them the spot where they spread 
 their blankets? We have not called you here; 
 yet do we smoke with you the pipe of peace." 
 He alone held out for the 40,000 acre reser- 
 vation in which was included the hunting 
 ground of his own band and, despite all that 
 General Cass and his interpreters could do, 
 O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to had his way, before the 
 treaty was finally ratified. He loved this val- 
 ley, and wanted it kept forever as the hunting 
 ground of his people. Many stories of his in- 
 domitable will and bravery were told by the 
 early pioneers. About 1835 two Indians of 
 his band proceeded to settle a quarrel with their 
 e\-er ready hunting knives, while under the in- 
 fluence of liquor. O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to jumped 
 between them, and with his body stopped a cut 
 intended by one of the warriors for the other. 
 A portion of his liver protruded from the terri- 
 ble cut in his side. While being nursed back to 
 health, he sliced ofi the protruding piece of 
 liver with his knife, threw it on the coals of the 
 fire in his wigwam, and after roasting it. 
 calmly ate it. To the warriors about him he 
 remarked, that if there was a braver man in the 
 Chippewa nation than he, he would like to see 
 him. Incredible though this story may ap- 
 pear at this distance, it was vouched for 70 
 years ago by Joseph Trombley, Ephraim S. 
 
 Williams, and Peter Grewett, Indian traders 
 of that period, and Mr. McCormick and Judge 
 Albert Miller never doubted its accuracy. They 
 knew this warrior, knew of his many other 
 reckless deeds of daring, and never questioned 
 the veracity of this incident. Strangeh' enough 
 this operation hastened his cure. It also 
 strengthened the hold he had on his tribesmen, 
 for the Indian admires reckless daring above 
 all other virtues. 
 
 O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to was one of the seven 
 chiefs who went to Washington in 1837 to 
 negotiate the sale of their remaining reserva- 
 tion. The sage chief recognized that the set- 
 tlers were coming into that part of Michigan in 
 such numbers, that its usefulness as a hunting 
 ground would soon be gone forever, and he 
 made his last stand for such favorable terms of 
 sale, as he could command. President Thomas 
 Jefferson rather admired the eloquent and im- 
 posing warrior, and he presented him with a 
 solid silver medal, of oblong shape, five inches 
 long, bearing this inscription : "Presented to 
 O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to by Thotuas Jefferson." On 
 one side was the heroic figure of an Indian 
 chief, and on the other a cut of the President. 
 Red Jacket, the famous chief of the Senecns, 
 was the only other living Indian who recei\'ed 
 this mark of distinction from Thomas Jeft'er- 
 son. After this treaty was ratified at Flint, 
 where his eloquence again smoothed the way 
 for a peaceful settlement, he did everything in 
 his power to see that the Indians observed their 
 solemn obligation to the white settlers, who 
 then began to swarm over his old hunting 
 ground. Yet it galled the proud chief to see 
 his people dri\-en to a mere corner of their for- 
 mer possessions. To the settlers it seemed 
 often as if he courted death, and not infre- 
 quently he resorted to strong fire-water to 
 quench the anguish of his stout old heart. With 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 8r 
 
 heroic self-sacrifice he worked for his people 
 when the Grim Reaper swept them away by 
 scofes (luring the smallpox epidemic. 
 
 He did not long survive the misfortunes 
 of his tribe. While camping with his band 
 near the Fitzhugh mound on tlie west side of 
 the river, he felt his time had come. He called 
 his people around him, and bade them farewell. 
 His last words were for peace, and good-will 
 to the settlers, many of whom he had learned 
 to love and respect. He had loved this valley, 
 and wished to be buried on the highest point 
 of this vicinity. During the closing days of 
 1839 he was buried with great pomp and cere- 
 mony on the McCormick mound on the east 
 side of the river. 
 
 Joseph Trombley, who had known and re- 
 spected the old warrior for many years, fur- 
 nished the lumber for the coffin. Some years 
 later when lumber became plentiful and cheap 
 in the valley, Mr. McCormick erected a little 
 house over his last resting place, with a flag- 
 stafif over it, that could be seen for a long dis- 
 tance. Years rolled by, the little house was 
 neglected and finally obliterated by people who 
 built near by. In the course of time the mound 
 was plowed over and crops grew over his 
 sepulchre. In August, 1877, the city had 
 grown to such dimensions, that the mound was 
 wanted for building purposes. In excavating 
 for a foundation, portions of a wooden box 
 were found, in which was a skeleton wearing 
 the uniform of a colonel of the Continental 
 Army. Then it was recalled that 0-ge-ma-ke- 
 ga-to had been buried there, wearing the uni- 
 form President Jeflferson had gi\en him during 
 his visit to Washington in 1837. The uniform 
 was in a good state of preservation. His copper 
 kettle was bottomless and badly demoralized 
 by rust, but his tomahawk, knife and pipes 
 were still by his side. The medal has never 
 l>een found. The man who found the remains 
 
 kept them on exhibition until the Indians of the 
 vicinity protested against this indignity to their 
 great chief. By their request, Mr. McCormick 
 buried the remains in his own dooryard, and a 
 stone furnished by E. B. Denison marks the 
 last resting place of O-ge-ma-ke-ga-to, the last 
 great chief of the Chippewas. 
 
 After the death of Ton-dog-a-ne and O-ge- 
 ma-ke-ga-to, Nau-qua-chic-a-me became the 
 head of the Chippewas. He wandered about 
 with his band, following the run of the fish 
 and the little game left in these parts, finally 
 settling with his band at Saganing, where he 
 died in October, 1874. 
 
 Much missionary work was done among 
 the natives after they retired permanently to 
 their own settlements and reservations, and 
 many became devout converts to the Christian 
 faith. James Cloud was for many years the 
 missionary among his tribesmen on the Kaw- 
 kawlin. His work was one of helpfulness to 
 his people and of love for his Master. For 
 his years of labor he received nothing. So even 
 in matters of religion these poor natives are 
 left largely to their own resources, which are 
 pitiable enough in the light of the 20th cen- 
 tury. 
 
 The early settlers saw more of the Indians 
 than they did of their own race, and conse- 
 quently were much dependent upon them for 
 many of the little acts of kindness that make 
 life worth the living. Judge Albert Miller was 
 always one of the best friends the Indians of 
 this vicinity had, and he never wearied of 
 championing their cause. He always con- 
 tended that Poor Lf) left to himself was not at 
 all a wicked or mean per.son. He often related 
 incidents in his own life to prove that the na- 
 tives were lx)th honest and hospitable. During 
 the winter of 1835-36 he sent some horses and 
 cattle down the Ouanicassee River to feed, 
 during the period of snow and ice, on the 
 
82 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 rushes along that river. When it was no longer 
 possible to get supplies to the men who were 
 in charge of the animals, the latter were left 
 to shift for themselves. Mr. Miller was living 
 at the time near Crow Island. In April, 1836, 
 he started with B. F. Trombley across the 
 flooded prairie to look after his stock. Nearly 
 a foot of water covered the low lands, but this 
 did not stop these hardy pioneers. They 
 crossed Cheboyganing Creek, then a roaring 
 torrent owing to the floods, on a fallen tree, 
 and reached the Quanicassee. None of the 
 horses or cattle had been stolen, although a 
 few horses had died. It rained all day, and a 
 cold wave, so peculiar to this region of the 
 lakes, froze everything that night. Rather than 
 camp out in their frozen blankets another night, 
 the two pioneers started for home. On the 
 prairie the water was steadily rising and freez- 
 ing, so that every step soon became an agony. 
 The ice would not hold them up, and this con- 
 tinual breaking through soon wore out Trom- 
 blev's moccasins, so he tied his mittens on his 
 feet and followed closely in ^Miller's footsteps. 
 But the cold was benumbing, and to make mat- 
 ters worse the fallen tree had been washed 
 away, and there was no way to cross Cheboy- 
 ganing Creek. As a last resort. Miller gave a 
 lusty Indian war-whoop and to their great relief 
 this brought an Indian in his canoe, who took 
 the bleeding, starved and frozen tra\-elers into 
 his wigwam for the night. The two pale faces 
 never forgot the terrors of that night, and next 
 day when they reached Miller's cabin, two 
 miles away, each looked as though he had 
 passed through a serious illness. They were 
 quite certain that they would have perished in 
 that blizzard on the prairie, but for the timely 
 help of that solitary Indian, who happened to 
 be hunting ducks up-stream, and was returning 
 to his lone wigwam, pitched in a grove of maple 
 
 trees, to gather maple syrup when the weather 
 should mend. 
 
 In 1833, Judge Miller, who had been on a 
 business errand to Midland, in the month of 
 December, was thrown into the ice-cold water, 
 while paddling down the Tittabawassee, and 
 narrowly escaped drowning. He was 25 miles 
 from home, and 16 miles from the nearest set- 
 tler's cabin, so the prospects for drying his wet 
 clothes seemed slight indeed. A few miles 
 down stream he saw a lone wigwam on the 
 ri\'er bank, and a lone Indian woman was pre- 
 paring a meal, ^filler told her his mishap, and 
 was invited to come ashore and dry himself 
 as well as dine, which he gladly did. He never 
 happened near an Indian's camp in all the 
 years that he traveled among them, that he was 
 not invited to have the best in the wigwam, 
 and at night the stranger was always given the 
 best place in the tepee to sleep. He did not like 
 their begging or drinking propensities, which 
 grew worse with the passing years, yet during 
 his entire life in the valley. Judge Miller re- 
 mained the steadfast friend of the wandering 
 red men. 
 
 The McCormick, Trombley and \\'illiams 
 families assuredly did much for the Indians of 
 this valley and the natives showed their appre- 
 ciation in many ways. The propensity of the 
 red men for fire-water, and their begging often 
 became very obnoxious to the early settlers, 
 and is to this day the cardinal sin of the Indians 
 of this State. 
 
 But to the settlers there were many offsets 
 for these failings. Tailors and dressmakers 
 were scarce in the settlements and the pioneers 
 soon became accustomed to wearing moccasins 
 and other wearing apparel made by the skillful 
 hands of the Indian women. The larder of the 
 pale faces was never empty, if there was any 
 game for the red men to shoot. The Indians 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 83 
 
 enjoyed the many novelties introduced by tlie 
 settlers, and often stood for hours watching 
 some old pioneer run a spinning- wheel, a black- 
 smith at the forge, a cobbler mending shoes, or 
 a farmer in his field. 
 
 The Indian was full of curiosity, but ap- 
 parently without any desire to imitate these 
 arts of peace. The warrior could be amused 
 l)y these novel industries, but to him they were 
 at their best but arts to be practiced by women 
 and slaves. The race of hunters and rovers 
 could not adapt themselves to the life of a 
 farmer or a mechanic. They did not have the 
 power to adapt themselves to new and novel 
 conditions, and to assimilate in a single genera- 
 tion the cardinal principles of another and a 
 finer civilization, which faculty has made tiie 
 Japanese people the marvel of the world in the 
 opening years of this 20th century. For ages 
 these aborigines had found in the chase at once 
 their recreation and their livelihood. Could 
 the Christians really expect this strange race 
 to fall at once into their footsteps, and to 
 change at their bidding their whole mode of 
 life, of thought and action? Yet many of the 
 early settlers in Bay County deemed the In- 
 dians a slothful, shiftless and almost worthless 
 race. And certainly the Indians proved total 
 failures here, lx)th as farmers and fishermen. 
 The pioneers found out at some cost of time 
 and money, that the retl men of the Northwest 
 would never be to them what the Ethiopian 
 negro has ever been to the South. 
 
 Our liberal but sometimes too philan- 
 thropic government has tried for years to give 
 to the young braves a first-class education. 
 Many Indian youths from the bands of this 
 vicinity have attended school at the Carlisle 
 Indian School. During all the years they spent 
 at school they longed for the freedom and 
 care-free life of their primitive shacks on the 
 Kawkawlin and elsewhere, and in many cases 
 
 the young warriors had hardly graduated from 
 these seats of learning, before they drifted back 
 into the shiftless moods of their ancestors. 
 Cases are not rare, where these Indian students 
 turned their learning into evil channels. Not 
 many moons ago a graduate from one of the 
 Indian schools in this part of the State was 
 found guilty of forger3\ He found that an 
 easy way to get ready cash. lie had been 
 taught the art of writing, but no pedagogue 
 could instill into the red man the habits of in- 
 dustry and thrift common to the white race. 
 
 When one compares the red men of to-day 
 with the aborigines as the pioneers of this 
 county found them, we cannot fail to notice 
 a slow but steady improvement along these 
 lines. The Indian women especially have de- 
 veloped habits of thrift and industry that 
 promise better things for the remnant of the 
 race in the years to come. Comparatively few, 
 however, have yet proven themselves equal to 
 the task of getting something better than a 
 scanty living from the acres they cultivate or 
 the occupation they follow. Hereabouts they 
 have been most successful in catching the finny 
 tribes of the bay, probably because this liusiness 
 is more sportsmanlike after the manner of their 
 forefathers. But the copper-colored citizen of 
 to-day is not much different from the primitive 
 Indian of the pioneer days. No race exhibits 
 a greater antithesis of character than the na- 
 tive warrior of America. The pioneers found 
 him daring, ruthless, self-denying and self- 
 devoted in war, generous, hospitable, honest, 
 revengeful, superstitious, commonly chaste, 
 and slothful in times of peace. Since he was 
 more numerous in the valley than the early 
 settlers, he filled a large place in their every- 
 day life and furnished all that is romantic and 
 picturesque in the recital of their pioneer ex- 
 periences. 
 
 The early settlers in this valley came mostly 
 
84 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 from Xew York and the New England States, 
 and were, therefore, famihar with the habits 
 and tile failings of their red neighbors. Their 
 main characteristics were hospitality and genu- 
 ine friendship. If one had a barrel of flour, it 
 was divided with the others, share and share 
 alike. No one was allowed to want for what 
 another had. The food of the pioneers, like 
 their clothing, was plain and substantial. Cheap, 
 coarse cloth, often home-spun, or the hide and 
 fur product of the Indians, furnished the wear- 
 ing apparel of the pioneers, made to order by 
 the thrifty and industrious housewives or their 
 equally helpful daughters. Fine dresses of silk 
 for the women were as rare an extravagance 
 as broadcloth for the men. Fit or style was 
 secondary to wearing Cjualities. 
 
 Since most of our pioneers came from the 
 birthplace of the "town-meeting." they took 
 from the first an active interest in the wise and 
 honest government of their adopted State. 
 Being prudent, intelligent and public-spirited, 
 they were good and safe citizens. 
 
 They were not lacking in a healthy sense 
 of humor. The region was \^■ild and drearv 
 enough to discourage the most sanguine, but 
 the early settlers were not afflicted with melan- 
 choly. They were too busy and too vigorous 
 to ever allow their life in the solitude to become 
 monotonous or dreary. The records of those 
 early days recite many laughable incidents 
 among the pioneers, who were at all times 
 anxious to have posterity understand that per- 
 petrating practical jokes was one of the leading 
 industries in the colony. Harry Campbell and 
 Jule Hart divided the honors as the most popu- 
 lar jesters of the community, and few are the 
 reminiscences of a humorous vein recited by the 
 old pioneers that do not include these twain. 
 
 Harry Campbell was the faithful chorister of 
 the first church meeting house in the settlement. 
 One of his idioms consisted in starting the con- 
 
 gregation off with one of the popular airs of the 
 day, instead of the announced hymn, keeping 
 a sober face meanwhile, until the leader would 
 remind him, that he had evidently turned to 
 the wrong number. Soljer as the deacon him- 
 self, Campbell would turn calmly to the hymn 
 desired, only to repeat the mistake at the first 
 opportunity. 
 
 George Lord (the future mayor of Bay 
 City) and Jule Hart had fisheries on the bay 
 shore, and shared for years the "fisherman's 
 luck" which is to this day a proverbial and 
 changeful ciuantity on stream and bay. One 
 day Hart told Lord that his foreman Joe re- 
 ported that the fish were running "like blazes," 
 and he wanted extra men to pack and dress the 
 h>h. Lord hunted up all the idle men he could 
 find along the ri\"er, and was just starting for 
 the bay, when Hart came running up to an- 
 nounce that he had just heard from Joe again, 
 and that tlie fish had stopped running. Lord 
 saw he had been sold, and like an Indian bided 
 his time for re\'enge. Some weeks after Jule 
 Hart was enjoying a game of penny-ante in 
 the saloon in the basement of the W'olverton 
 Flouse, which was the fashionable club room 
 of those days. Lord saw his chance. An In- 
 dian had just entered with three mnskrat skins. 
 "Ugh!" said Lo. "Jule Hart, y(.ni buy um 
 skins?" "Yes, give you ten cents for them. 
 Here is your money, throw them in that cor- 
 ner!" The Indian did as he was told and de- 
 parted, while Hart hardly looked up from the 
 game. Lord hooked the skins out of the win- 
 dow, had a Frenchman stretch them on shin- 
 gles, and sell them to Hart, who willingly paid 
 for them. It looked like easy money, bu)-ing 
 skins while the game went on. Meanwhile 
 Lord and a confederate, who also had "one 
 coming" for Hart, hustled around to get more 
 "skinners" for Hart, and every little while 
 those skins would be hooked out of the win- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 85 
 
 dow, and brought back in all manner of dis- 
 guises. When the game came to an end, Hart 
 rose from the table, remarking that he had lost 
 at the game, but he had been buying a thunder- 
 ing lot of skins just the same. Imagine his sur- 
 prise when he found but three skins in that 
 corner. Just then Lord appeared at the win- 
 dow. "Say, Jule, it has been just as good a 
 day for skins, as that day last fall was for fish !" 
 Lord was made disbursing officer by the little 
 settlement for the proceeds of the three muskrat 
 skins, which were appropriated for the general 
 good, in the manner connnon in those days. 
 
 At another time Hart noticed a well-dressed 
 stranger about town, and soon was busy telling 
 of the wonders of the valley and the hospitality 
 of its settlers. A herd of ponies was grazing 
 along the river bank, and Hart assured the 
 stranger that anybody could have one of the 
 ponies who could catch one. The stranger soon 
 found several boys to help him catch a steed, 
 and the fun was uproarious until the Indians 
 owning the herd arrived. The stranger escaped 
 with his scalp. 
 
 In the early pioneer days, hotels were few 
 and far between, and tra\-elers camped out 
 wherever a roof could be found for shelter. 
 A lawyer in Lapeer had a barn which was often 
 used by travelers without so much as asking 
 for the privilege. One day a new arrival drove 
 his cow into the barn, put some hay in the loft 
 and made himself at home. The lawyer soon 
 after left for Bay City, so he told Rev. Mr. 
 Smith, the Congregational minister of the lit- 
 tle flock at Lapeer, that he had a good milch 
 cow at his barn which he did not want to take 
 with him, but that the cow had a peculiar habit 
 of giving down no milk, unless she was milked 
 before 5 A. M. The preacher allowed he was 
 an early riser, and he was soon enjoying a 
 bountiful supply of milk. One fine morning he 
 was shocked by hearing a vulgar voice calling 
 
 him thief, robber and similar pet names. "I've 
 caught you at last, you hypocritical, thieving 
 parson, preaching honesty to the people, and 
 robbing your neighbors of their milk. Til break 
 your head !" When the irate farmer got out 
 of breath, the parson managed to say, that it 
 was his cow, that the lawyer had given the 
 animal to him, with the hay in the loft, the 
 night before he left. Explanations and a good 
 laugh followed the exposure of the lawyer's 
 plot. 
 
 This lawyer had a penchant for donating 
 other people's property to the churches and 
 preachers of Bay City as well. He had a pile 
 of hardwood in a field then outside of the city, 
 but now one of the fine residence sections of 
 Greater Bay City. A well-to-do farmer had a 
 large pile of wood in an adjoining field. WHien 
 a church deacon asked for a little help, the law- 
 yer in a burst of generosity told the deacon that 
 if he would haul it all off both fields at once, 
 he might have it all. Needless to say that wood 
 was promptly hauled to the minister's yard. 
 After much excited inquiry, the farmer learned 
 how his wood had been donated to the church., 
 and it was surely burned beyond recall. 
 
 At another time he was asked to contribute 
 something towards the erection of a new 
 church in the settlement. The lawyer knew of 
 a pile of lumber some Eastern parties had piled 
 up on the river bank, and this lumber he 
 l)romptly donated to the cause, insisting only 
 that it be secured right away. By the time the 
 owners came to look for it, the lumber had been 
 both dedicated and appropriated, and the law- 
 yer was lauded throughout the city as a big 
 philanthropist. 
 
 When Allje Lull came to Portsmouth, he 
 was told that the loons caught in the river were 
 a delicacy fit for an ejiicure. Before long he 
 caught a loon, and invited his neighbor in to 
 share the delicacy. This neighljor was too busy 
 
86 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 to participate, but the new arrival had tlie loon 
 put on to boil at lo A. ]\I. At 12 Mrs. Lull 
 reported that the loon was nowhere near ten- 
 der, so they kept a roaring fire going, but by 
 3 P. M. the loon was still like adamant. ' The 
 Lulls had all the persistence of the genuine pio- 
 neer, so that loon was kept boiling well into the 
 next day, by Avhich time the entire settlement 
 began to take an interest in the Lull's culinary 
 department, and eventually it dawned on the 
 Lulls that they had tried to do the impossible, 
 when they started to cook a loon. 
 
 Among the old settlers Squaconning Creek 
 was pronounced "Squire Conning." Harry 
 Campbell met a wandering dentist at Saginaw 
 and induced him to row 18 miles to Ports- 
 mouth, to look after the mouth of "Squire Con- 
 ning." At Portsmouth he was told that he had 
 passed the "Squire's" mouth some miles up the 
 river, whereupon the settlement enjoyed a good 
 laugh. Incidentally the dentist found some 
 work in his line down here, so he did not regret 
 looking for the "Squire." 
 
 One of the early settlers to select the mound 
 for his cabin was a rollicking Scotchman, 
 named Thomas Stevenson. His one failing 
 was the genuine Scotch "hot stuff," which he 
 usually bought by the barrel. One of these 
 barrels was delivered to Jule Hart, who kept 
 it in his warehouse for his friends, old Tom 
 himself getting a drink of it occasionally and 
 cussing it furiously, as "poor Indian whiskey." 
 Finally he wrote to Detroit asking about his 
 barrel. They promptly replied that they had 
 Jule Hart's receipt for it. Then Stevenson 
 stormed down to Hart's warehouse, where a 
 council of war had been held meanwhile and 
 Tom's barrel filled with river water and care- 
 fully hid away. Stevenson found his barrel, 
 cussed Jule for not finding it sooner, and over- 
 looking it so long, and after some trouble and 
 expense got it into the basement of his cabin. 
 
 Then he invited all the boys to come and have a 
 drink of the "real stuff." After this character- 
 istic introduction, the river water failed to 
 tickle the palate of his hardy neighbors, and 
 when the truth dawned on Tom Stevenson, it 
 was time for Jule Hart to get busy at his fish- 
 eries on the bay shore, with a scout out to warn 
 liim if danger approached in the person of an 
 extra-dry Scotchman. And it required a full 
 barrel of the best "extra dry" before Tom 
 would again allow the pipe of peace to circulate 
 in the settlement. 
 
 Many good bear stories were told by the 
 old settlers around their camp-fires, but none 
 was repeated with more zest than Harry Camp- 
 Ijcll's. Probate Judge Sydney S. Campbell had 
 Harry to dinner one day, and while Harry was 
 toasting himself in front of the fireplace, the 
 Judge came rushing into the house, shouting 
 "bear" at the top of his voice. Bear were a 
 common sight in the wilderness, and guns were 
 equally common, so it was only the work of a 
 minute before Harry was "hot footing ii" 
 through the clearing of stumps to the woods, 
 which then began where Washington avenue's 
 fine business blocks now stand. Scouting cau- 
 tiously into the thick underbrush toward a 
 big black object, Llarry concluded that it must 
 l)e a tame bear, for it showed no inclination 
 either to fight or to run away. On closer inspec- 
 tion he found it was only a large, coal-black 
 hog, and the laugh that followed the discovery 
 might have been heard at Wenona, across the 
 river, were the wind favoralile. On the way 
 back, Harry placed a six-inch charge into the 
 old gun and bided his time. Presently Harry 
 wandered down to the river and soon came 
 hurrying back with the information, that a 
 thundering large flock of ducks had just settled 
 in the river near the fishing dock where Fifth 
 avenue now reaches the river. Judge Camp- 
 bell's sportsman's blood was up in an instant, 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 87 
 
 and the rest of the company followed as a mat- 
 ter of course. The Judge hurried to his fa\-or- 
 ite log, from which lie never failed to bag his 
 game, aimed carefully and "blazed away." The 
 spectators were never quite certain which end 
 of that gun was most fatal. It knocked the 
 venerable Judge flat on his back, some dis- 
 tance east of the log, too sore for utterance, 
 while the ducks were mowed down as by a 
 cyclone. \\'hen the Judge came to, he won- 
 dered what had got into that infernal old gun. 
 But Harry quickly set him right, by suggesting 
 that prol)ably he had been shooting ducks with 
 a bear charge. All present saw the point, and 
 are said to have joined themselves into a relief 
 committee, vying with each other in relieving 
 the sufferer by copius applications of whiskey 
 internally and externally, with a little faith 
 cure thrown in, by occasionally taking a little 
 themselves to relieve the mental anguish of the 
 duck hunter. 
 
 One of the earliest arrivals at Portsmouth 
 was a retired merchant from New York State, 
 who sought rest and solitude, and a chance to 
 gratify his main passion, which was hunting 
 and which was generally gratified. Yet his 
 pleasures were not unmixed with alloy. He 
 stammered a little, and when Judge Biniey 
 said to him one day : "This is a great place for 
 change and rest," he replied promptly: 
 "Tli-th-this is a magn-ni-ni-nif-ficent place 
 f-f-f-for b-b-b-both. The I-I-In-d-d-dians 
 g-g-get your ch-ch-cii-change, and the tavern 
 kee-kee-keepers g-g-get th-th-the rest." Of 
 the same jovial soul was it written, that an 
 anxious friend down East heard he had \xen 
 killed by the Indians. A letter inquiring if 
 this sad news were true came directly into the 
 hunter's hands. He set the fears of his friends 
 at rest by writing curtly: "Reports of my 
 death are greatly exaggerated!" 
 
 Judge Miller was always positive that the 
 
 pioneers of this valley were an obliging lot. 
 He u.sed to quote this note which he received 
 from a worthy German settler while he was 
 teaching school in the South End : "Mr. 
 Teecher : Pleas excuse Fritz for staying home. 
 He had der meesels to oblige his vader, Louis 
 Muller." A more vigorous epistle came from 
 a robust Irishman : "Just you knock hell out 
 of Mike when he gives you any lip and oblige, 
 Tom." 
 
 The settlers seemetl to agree with Oliver 
 Herford, who wrote : 
 
 Some take their gold in minted mold. 
 
 And some in harps hereafter, 
 But give me mine in tresses fine 
 
 And keep the change in laughter. 
 
 Some of the irrepressible wags of that set- 
 tlement were wont to tell this story of Ephraim 
 S. Williams. During the Mexican War there 
 was a camp meeting near Mosby's clearing on 
 the river. The roving missionary asked Brother 
 Williams to pray for the success of the Ameri- 
 can arms, which he did. In the course of his 
 petition he said : "And, O Lord, do help the 
 American arms, and do not forget the legs also. 
 Take the arms, if you must, but spare the legs, 
 spare the legs!" 
 
 One day while James Eraser and Medor 
 Trombley were riding across the prairie to 
 Ouanicassee, they passed a little log cabin in 
 the swampy wilderness. Mr. Eraser remarked 
 that he pitied the poor man who lived here. 
 This riled the occupant of the shack, who 
 shouted through the open door : "Gints. I want 
 yer to know I'm not as poor as you think. I 
 don't own this 'ere place." 
 
 The greatest activity prevailed in the \alley 
 during the mosquito season. Some of the pio- 
 neers' mosquito legends would discount the best 
 fish story ever told. Baking day was the mos- 
 quitoes' delight and the housewives' torment. 
 
88 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 They organized a modern plan of campaign 
 against tlie "animals," which was rigidly car- 
 ried out, in more senses than one. After 
 "shooing" out the kitchen and securely fast- 
 ening the doors and windows, for fear the 
 winged monsters would carry off the "dough," 
 of which none of the pioneers had an over-sup- 
 ply, the brave women would begin the real ex- 
 ercises of the day by placing some maple sugar 
 on the stove. The sugar smudge would often 
 drive out the housewife, but it is nowhere al- 
 legetl that these organized defensive measures 
 ever seriously interfered with the business of 
 the mosquitoes. But they had all the elements 
 of a formidable demonstration, as the soldiers 
 among the pioneers were wont to put it, and 
 were comforting to reflect upon in after years. 
 Alas, the mosquito does not recall altogether 
 pleasant memories. They, at least, were no 
 joke, if they were "suckers!" 
 
 Unwillingly, I own, and what is worse, 
 Full angrily men barken to thy plaint ; 
 
 Thou gettest many a brush and many a curse. 
 For saying thou art gaunt and starved and faint. 
 
 Even the old beggar, while he asks for food, 
 Would kill thee, hapless stranger, if he could ! 
 
 — irilliain Culh-n Bryant. 
 
 But we must turn from this page of mirth, 
 and look again upon the more serious side of 
 pioneer life in this settlement. Yet a good 
 joke was the music and the spice of life for 
 these pathfinders. Isolated in a wilderness they 
 formed a world by themselves. And to this 
 day they will tell you, that while the privileges 
 and the diversions have multiplied with the 
 years, yet their real enjoyment, the hearty ring- 
 ing laugh and the rugged jest, ha\e been lost 
 in the whirlpool of modern business activities, 
 and the rush of a multitude of strangers from 
 strange lands. 
 
 But we have anticipated our narrative! The 
 
 recital of pioneer life has carried us beyond the 
 years when William R. McCormick found but 
 two log cabins along the entire river from the 
 Carrollton sand-bar to the bay. Let us retrace 
 our steps, and follow the development of our 
 settlement as we g'lean it from the meagre rec- 
 ords at hand. 
 
 In 1834, John B. Trudell built a log cabin 
 near the McCormick mound, where he lived 
 for 16 years with his wife, a daughter of Be- 
 noit Trombley ; and Ben Cushway built his log 
 cabin and blacksmith shop near the west ap- 
 proach of the Lafayette avenue bridge of later 
 days. Leon Trombley (father of Mrs. P. J. 
 Perrott and Louis Leon Trombley), who was 
 an Indian trader and farmer, about this time 
 declined to trade his horse for a whole section 
 of land that to-day is in the very heart of Bay 
 City. In later years he used to say, that he 
 little thought then that this swamp, with its 
 prairie grass high enough to hide a man, and 
 with impenetrable woods, where the wolves 
 howled continuously, would within 30 years 
 become a thriving and attractive city. He 
 kept his horse. But there were other Trom- 
 bleys who had more faith in the future of this 
 little-known valley. In 1835 we find Medor 
 and Joseph Trombley building the first substan- 
 tial frame house, with a warehouse in connec- 
 tion for storing the goods they exchanged for 
 the Indians' furs and venison. 
 
 The persistent booming Michigan's interior 
 had received from Governor Cass, and later 
 from Governor Stevens T. Mason, showing 
 that Michigan was not a hopeless swamp and a 
 barren wilderness, together with easier trans- 
 portation facilities, made Michigan the El 
 Dorado of the West in 1835. The craze for 
 land speculation was at its height in 1836 and 
 1837. The few traders and hunters in the 
 Saginaw Valley during those years had nothing 
 to do but show the ciiuntry to these speculators. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 89 
 
 They received liberal pay in bank-notes, which 
 being largely "wild-cat" were as worthless and 
 elusive as this terror of the backwoods itself. 
 Among the tirst to recognize the advantages 
 of this valley were Governor ^lason and the 
 late Judge Albert Miller. 
 
 James Eraser, born in Inverness, Scotland, 
 February 5, 1803, the son of a soldier who liad 
 lost a leg in 1796, in the wars with the French, 
 was another pillar among the elite who created 
 a city and county out of this wilderness. Hav- 
 ing accumulated a few thousand dollars Ijy 
 thrift and industry, he immigrated to the Uni- 
 ted States in 1829, coming straight to Michi- 
 gan. He lost nearly all his money in a disas- 
 trous attempt at Imilding a sawmill near Ro- 
 chester. Oakland County. With less than $100 
 he started a small grocery in Detroit. and started 
 life anew. In 1832 he married Elizabeth 
 Busby, a brave young woman of more than 
 ordinary personal charms, whose parents had 
 only the year previous emigrated from Eng- 
 land. In 1833 he determined to settle on some 
 land he had located on the Tittabawassee. From 
 Flint the family entered the wilderness on the 
 Indian trail, Mrs. Eraser and infant riding on 
 an ingenious ox-sled he had built, while he and 
 her parents rode on horseback. After getting 
 his family settled in the solitude, he returned 
 to Detroit to bring up some cattle for his ranch. 
 Between Mint and Saginaw they became stam- 
 peded, and while chasing them he hung his coat 
 with all the cash he had in the world, over 
 $500, on a tree near the trail ! and never after 
 found it. Long years afterward, when he had 
 amassed a fortune, he used to say, that this was 
 the greatest loss of his whole life. He cleared 
 a nice farm, and planted a flourishing orchard, 
 for years the pride of that neighborhood. But 
 farm life was too tame for this man on horse- 
 back. He spent most of his time in the saddle, 
 looking up lands, and in 1S36 moved his family 
 
 to Saginaw, in order that they might lie nearer 
 his favorite haunts, the shores of Saginaw bay 
 and river. 
 
 That same year Albert Miller bought land 
 along the Saginaw River, in what is now Bay 
 County, and proceeded to lay out the town of 
 Portsmouth. At the same time, Mr. Fraser 
 planned the purchase of the Riley Indian Re- 
 serve, given to that family of half-breeds by 
 the government for bringing about the favor- 
 able treaty of 1819 with the Indians. 
 
 In September, 1836, this reserve was 
 bought by the Saginaw Bay Company, which 
 Mr. Fraser had organized, for the sum of 
 $30,000, an enormous price in those days. The 
 stockholders included some of Michigan's most 
 prominent citizens : Governor Stevens Thomp- 
 son Mason, the first executive of our State, 
 whose remains lie buried in New York. — they 
 are now to be brought back to Detroit, to be 
 buried on the site of the first Capitol of Michi- 
 gan, Griswold Park, through the consent of 
 his sister. Miss Elizabeth Mason, now of Wash- 
 ington, D. C, secured on the day following 
 President Roosevelt's inauguration, — Ivlarch 5, 
 1905 : also Henry R. Schoolcraft (Indian com- 
 missioner). Frederick H. Stevens, John Hul- 
 bert, Andrew T. McReynolds, Horace Hallock, 
 Electus Backus, Henry K. Sanger, Phineas 
 Davis and James Fraser. The articles of 
 association were executed February 9, 1837, 
 and a deed in trust, naming Frederick H. Ste- 
 vens and Electus Backus as trustees, was exe- 
 cuted February 11, 1837. The company at 
 once caused 240 acres to be surveyed and plat- 
 ted for a town, and named it "Lower Saginaw." 
 
 The boundaries of this embryo city were 
 the present Woodside avenue, the river, a line 
 400 feet south of and parallel with loth street, 
 and a line 100 feet east of and parallel with 
 Van Buren street. The energy and enterprise 
 shown in making the purchase was continued 
 
90 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 in laying out the future city. A clock and ware- 
 house were built, and a large hotel was framed 
 and lumber provided for its completion. A 
 building was also erected to contain the "wild- 
 cat" bank. The plans of the company were 
 onlv just maturing, when the panic and finan- 
 cial crash brought the work to a standstill, and 
 the stockholders of the Saginaw Bay Company 
 to the verge of bankruptcy. James Fraser alone 
 was able to tide over the storm. 
 
 In 1838 business in the valley was at a 
 standstill, and the land-lookers vanished. The 
 Saginaw County Bank, projected for Lower 
 Saginaw, and the Commercial Bank of Ports- 
 mouth had bills engraved for circulation, but 
 aside from those stolen while in transit from 
 the engravers in New York, none was ever put 
 into circulation. On March i, 1838, Sydney 
 S. Campbell and family arrived to take charge 
 of the hotel, and with their advent begins the 
 real history of Bay City proper. 
 
 In 1837, John Farmer resurveyed and re- 
 platted the town of Portsmouth for the Ports- 
 mouth Company, headed also by Governor S. 
 T. Mason, and including Henry Howard, State 
 Treasurer; Reusing Pritchet, Secretary of 
 State; John Norton, cashier of the ^Michigan 
 State Bank; John ;M. Berrien, of the United 
 States Army, and Albert Miller, judge of the 
 Probate Court of Saginaw County. That also 
 was before the great financial crash came, and 
 things for a season looked bright indeed for 
 this valley. Judge Miller, B. K. Hall, Thomas 
 Rogers and Barney Cromwell erected the first 
 sawmill here in 1837. The first postoffice was 
 established the same year at Portsmouth, with 
 Judge ililler as postmaster, and Thomas Rog- 
 ers as mail carrier, bringing mail once each 
 week from Saginaw. Three or four letters 
 each way. and a few weekly papers coming 
 down, was the extent of the mail business for 
 several years to come. Dr. J. T. Miller located 
 
 at Portsmouth about this time, — the first physi- 
 cian to begin practice here. 
 
 Mrs. Elizabeth Rogers, wife of Thomas 
 Rogers, was the daughter of Dr. Wilcox, of 
 Watertown, New York. She was an earnest 
 student of medicine, putting up the prescrip- 
 tions for her father, and when but 18 years old 
 was often consulted by her father on difficult 
 cases. In 1828 she married Thomas Rogers, 
 coming with him to this county in 1837. For 
 years she was the ministering angel of the 
 early pioneers. Through storm and night she 
 would hasten to the bedside of the sick and the 
 dying, sometimes on horseback, more often on 
 foot, through the woods, swamps and prairie, 
 wherever the call of duty might be. For 15 
 years she was present at every birth in the set- 
 tlement. During the epidemic of cholera she 
 was the constant attendant of the sick and the 
 dying, day and night. She would take no 
 money and had no price. Some of the daily 
 necessities of life sent to her home would be 
 accepted, but nothing more. After 1850 many 
 practicing physicians came to the valley, yet 
 many of the old settlers would call }klrs. Dr. 
 Rogers, as they fondly called her. William R. 
 ]\IcCormick was taken with the cholera, and 
 ever after credited Mrs. Rogers with saving 
 his life. The Rogers family occupied a little 
 block-house on the banks of the river in Ports- 
 mouth, and the venerable old lady never 
 wearied in after years of telling her many har- 
 rowing experiences in those dismal years. The 
 wolves howled so at night that the newcomers 
 could not sleep. In time they became so accus- 
 tomed to these nightly wolf concerts that they 
 did not mind them any more, and often in after 
 years she would start out to see a sick person 
 with the howling of the wolves as accompani- 
 ment all the way. Often in the daytime she 
 could see packs of wolves romping on the oppo- 
 site river bank, where Salzburg is now located. 
 
AND REPRESENTATR'E CITIZENS. 
 
 93 
 
 One clay two drunken Indians came lo licr door 
 wliile her husband was away. Slie refused 
 them achnittance, when they secured an axe 
 and proceeded to break down the door. She 
 seized an iron rake, flung open the door and 
 knocked the nearest redskin senseless with one 
 blow, and the other was glad to make off. Then 
 she nursed the wounded Indian back to con- 
 sciousness and bade him begone. She was at 
 once brave and tenderhearted, and gave the 
 pioneers credit for all the noble characteristics 
 she herself possessed. When the tide of com- 
 mercialism swept over the valley, she fre- 
 quently remarked the change. Our settlement 
 has grown from three families to more than 
 20,000 inhabitants, she would say, but the 
 greatest change is in the people themselves. 
 They do not seem to be as hospitable, noble- 
 hearted and generous, as they used to be. And 
 the surviving pioneers readily agreed with her. 
 She died July 16. 1881, in the community for 
 which she had done so much during the trying 
 days of the early settlement. 
 
 Cromwell Barney brought his family to this 
 place in 1838 from Rhode Island and on May 
 22. 1838, there was born in the little block- 
 house on the river bank, now Fourth avenue 
 and Water street, Mary E. Barney, the first 
 female white chikl Ixirn in Bay County, later 
 Mrs. Alfred G. Sinclair, a well-known resident 
 of Bay City. Barney was the messenger of the 
 little settlement in those years, and frequently 
 made the trip to Detroit in winter for supplies, 
 which he would bring back pn a little sled, re- 
 quiring nine days for the round trip! The 
 Barney farm, located within the boundaries of 
 the First Ward of Bay City, was long a land- 
 mark in the county, and a street of that ward 
 has been named after him. He later went into 
 the lumbering business with James Eraser on 
 the Kawkawlin River, where he lived until his 
 death, November 30, 1851. He was a con- 
 
 spicuous type of the early pioneer. Upright 
 and straightforward in all his dealings with his 
 fellow-men, of unbounded energy, to whom 
 idleness was a crime, he was one of the ster- 
 ling builders of this community. In 1838, 
 Cromwell Barney was working on the Globe 
 Hotel, which is still standing, though consider- 
 ably altered, at the corner of \\'ater street and 
 Fifth a\enue. At that time the clearing: alone 
 the river front extended only from what is now 
 Third street to Center avenue, and east hardly 
 as far as Washington - avenue. Four block- 
 houses comprised the settlement. 
 
 Mr. Eraser induced Sydney S. Campl^ell 
 to open the Globe Hotel, the first hostelry here, 
 his friends insisting ever afterward, that Syd's 
 love of ease made it easy for him to doze in the 
 wilderness. Born at Paris, Oneida County, 
 New York, February 29, 1804, Judge Camp- 
 bell did not enjoy many birthdays during his 
 long and useful life. In March, 1830, he mar- 
 ried Catherine J. McCartee, at Schenectady, 
 New York, and immediately started life near 
 Pontiac, Michigan. They were of that sturdy 
 Scotch stock, which did so much to build up 
 this valley. Their eldest son, Edward }klc- 
 Cartee Campbell, was the first white boy born 
 in Lower Saginaw. He built a brick business 
 block on Water street, and looked after the 
 Globe Hotel continuously for more than 45 
 years. The venerable old couple spent the last 
 years of their life in the commodious farm 
 house at \Wiodside avenue and Johnson street, 
 surrounded by a large orchard, which 23 years 
 ago yielded many a juicy apple to the humble 
 scribe of these chapters, whose good fortune it 
 was to Ije a favorite of the pioneers. The jovial 
 old settler provided the children of the neigh- 
 borhood with their pet rabbits and tame pig- 
 eons, and seemed never happier than when a 
 group of youngsters would listen to his Indian 
 yarns and play with his many pets. 
 
94 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Sydney S. Campbell was the first supervi- 
 sor of Hampton township, elected in 1843, '^"'^ 
 was judge of probate of Bay County for 16 
 years after its organization. He used to tell 
 the writer that it was a common thing for him 
 to paddle 16 miles to Saginaw for one pound 
 of tea. In 1839 he borrowed the government 
 team of oxen and plowed up the site of the 
 Folsom & Arnold mill, now the Wylie & Buell 
 lumber-yard, and sowed a field of buckwheat, 
 which he and his good wife harvested on a sail- 
 cloth and stored it away in the loft of Camp- 
 bell's hotel. That winter there was a scarcity 
 of flour, and pioneers and Indians helped them- 
 selves to Mr. Campbell's buckwheat, which 
 they ground in a coffee-mill in the "wild-cat" 
 bank building, just across the way. Frederick 
 Derr, a young mechanic, came here that year, 
 and meeting Miss Clark, a young lady teacher 
 who had been engaged to teach the young idea 
 to sprout, promptly proposed, was accepted, 
 and before night the blacksmith of the settle- 
 ment, who was also justice of the peace, tied 
 the knot in the smithy by simply pronouncing 
 them man and wife. This was the first wed- 
 ding here. Mrs. Derr lived only a year after 
 the marriage, being the second person to be 
 buried in the cemetery established by the set- 
 tlers where Columbus and Garfield avenues 
 now meet. A death in that little backwoods 
 settlement cast a gloom over the population, 
 which it took months to efface. 
 
 During the winter of 1838-39. General 
 Rousseau and his brother. Captain Rousseau, 
 with Dr. Rousseau, an uncle, were busy sur- 
 veying new townships in this vicinity for the 
 government, which had lately acquired a clear 
 title to the lands from the Indians. Owing to 
 the swampy nature of much of the land, this 
 work could best be done when the ice and snow 
 made them passable. In 1839, Louis Clawson, 
 assisted by some of the well-known trappers 
 
 and traders of the valley, surveyed much of the 
 territory along the shore of Lake Huron for 
 the government. Tradition and speculation 
 on those lands were giving way to scientific 
 research and established fact. 
 
 In July, 1839, Captain Stiles with a char- 
 tered vessel brought Stephen \\^olverton from 
 Detroit to begin the erection of the old light- 
 house at the mouth of the river, which is still 
 standing, a picturesque landmark of those early 
 mariners. It has since been replaced by a larger 
 and more modern lighthouse. Capt. Levi John- 
 son, of Cleveland, finished the first one in 1841. 
 
 In September, 1839, the early settlers had a 
 chance to see one of the large assemblies of In- 
 dians, which in years previous had been a com- 
 mon occurrence in the valley. Seventeen hun- 
 dred Indians camped about the Globe Hotel 
 and on the Fitzhugh mound on the West Side 
 for two weeks, while John Hulbert, the Indian 
 agent, distributed the final payment of $80,000 
 for the purchase of their resen'ation, consum- 
 mated in 1837. The Indians camped there for 
 two weeks, and not one overt act is charged to 
 them during their stay. It was an event the 
 old settlers long rememliered and often recalled. 
 For a time Poor Lo lived high, but he had not 
 the faculty of handling money, and fakers of 
 all descriptions soon separated him from the 
 fruits of his land sale. 
 
 In 1838, Capt. Joseph F. Marsac came 
 here as Indian farmer and government agent, 
 and he did his best to secure to the red men a 
 safe method of keeping their money, and a few 
 who followed his advice and invested their 
 cash in real estate in this vicinity, reaped the 
 harvest a few years later. Captain Marsac was 
 one of the most popular pioneers here. Born 
 near Detroit about 1790, he commanded a 
 company at the battle of the Thames in the 
 War of 181 2. The Indians were fighting for 
 the English, and when General Proctor wanted 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 95 
 
 messages taken back to Detroit, he selected an 
 okl scout, James Groesbeck, and Captain Mar- 
 sac for tlie perilous undertaking. They hid 
 in the daytime, and traveled at night, until the 
 message was safely delivered to the American 
 commander at Detroit. In 1816 he visited 
 Chicago as interpreter and trader. That future 
 metropolis of the West then contained but five 
 block-houses. In 181 9, General Cass sent for 
 him to assist in passing the treaty of that year 
 with the Indians, where Captain Marsac did 
 excellent service. He rode on horseback with 
 General Cass all over Michigan, as the Gov- 
 ernor was determined to see how things actu- 
 ally looked in the much-abused interior. Com- 
 missioned by Governor Porter to raise a com- 
 pany of Indian fighters for the Black Hawk 
 War, he got as far as Chicago, when news came 
 that Black Hawk had been captured, and Cap- 
 tain Marsac's company of border scouts re- 
 luctantly returned home. In 1836 and 1837 
 he took a prominent part in the final treaties 
 for the Indians' lands. He was a close friend 
 of 0-ge-ma-ke-ga-to, and did much to win over 
 that powerful chieftain. His estimable wife, 
 Theresa Rivard, was born at Grosse Pointe, 
 Michigan, July 22, 1808, and in 1829 became 
 the bride of the famous Indian fighter. They 
 had six children: Charles, Octavius, for 12 
 years recorder for Bay City and Democratic 
 candidate for another term for Greater Bay 
 City ; Mrs. Leon Trombley, Mrs. W. H. South- 
 worth. Mrs. T. J. McClennan, and Mrs. George 
 Robinson, ^dl residents of the city their father 
 helped to build. Captain Marsac died in the 
 old homestead in this city, June 18,1880. 
 
 On November 16, i840,Capt. John S. Will- 
 son sailed into the river with his family, just 
 ahead of a cold wa^e which froze up the river 
 the next night, which remained closed until 
 late the following .April. He took his family 
 
 to the little block-house on Albert Miller's prop- 
 erty in Portsmouth., where he lived until the 
 McCormicks bought the homestead in 1842. 
 Then he bought 27 acres of land on the river 
 front, between the present 18th and 21st streets, 
 building a cabin and planting an orchard. He 
 spent the winters hunting and trapping, with 
 good success, and in summer he sailed the 40- 
 ton schooner "Mary" along the shore between 
 Lower Saginaw and Detroit. In the fall of 
 1844 he was caught in a terrible storm off the 
 mouth of the river, blown across the lake and 
 shipwrecked on the Canadian shore, 80 miles 
 above Goderich. He and his crew had to walk 
 to that little port with frozen feet and without 
 food. They could get no help until they 
 reached Detroit, and from there they had to 
 walk to their homes in the Saginaw Valley! 
 The settlers had long since given boat and crew 
 up for lost, and their surprise was unbounded 
 when the hardy mariners arrived. Captain 
 \Villson's oldest daughter had died during his 
 absence, and he gave up sailing for the less 
 risky occupation of farming. Little did he 
 dream that within 10 years his farm would 
 become the site for a mammoth sawmill. The 
 sturdy pioneers had 14 children, seven of whom 
 survive. Captain Willson died in this city 
 August 21, 1879, and his good wife did not 
 long survive him. A suitable monument marks 
 their last resting place in Pine Ridge Cemetery. 
 In 1840, Dr. Daniel Hughes Fitzhugh 
 bought considerable land on the west side of 
 the river, opposite Portsmouth and Lower Sag- 
 inaw. In 1 841 came Bay City's most famous 
 citizen, Hon. James G. Birney, in pursuit of 
 solitude and rest, which he found. Dr. Fitz- 
 hugh, James Eraser and Hon. James G. Birney 
 were practically the sole owners of Lower Sag- 
 inaw, having bought the rights and properties 
 of the defunct Saginaw Bay Coinpany. Theo- 
 
96 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 dore Walker, of Brooklyn, New York, also 
 held some of the scrip for the land, which he 
 secured, for an unpaid tailor bill, from one of 
 the bankrupt stockholders of the original com- 
 pany. Little did he dream that some day this 
 discredited bit of paper would bring him wealth 
 and a new home. He came here in 1842, and 
 for years after was one of the town's most ec- 
 centric characters, until death claimed him in 
 1870. The lives of these three projectors of 
 Bay City, — Fitzhugh, Fraser and Birney, — are 
 so closely identified with the growth and de- 
 velopment of these cities that their personal 
 sketches belong of right to the section of this 
 work devoted exclusively to biographies. The 
 first six years of their activity in the new settle- 
 ment were rather monotonous. 
 
 In 1842, Frederick Backus brought a stock 
 of goods and opened the first store in Bay 
 County, in the vacant warehouse on the river 
 front. 
 
 In 1843, JMichael Dailey, the Indian trader 
 and interpreter, opened his trading house at 
 the mouth of the Kawkawlin River, and began 
 his travels about Northern Michigan, which 
 gave him a well-merited repute as a fur hunter 
 and pedestrian. Each winter he would take 
 his blanket and pack and follow the shore of 
 Lake Huron as far north as the Straits of Mac- 
 inac and even the shores of Lake Superior. 
 On one of these trips he met the two Indians 
 whe were handling L'ncle Sam's mail with a 
 dog train, at Sault Ste. Marie, bound for Lower 
 Saginaw. The Indians were on snow-shoes, 
 and calculated to go 50 miles each day. This 
 did not discourage Mr. Dailey, who led the 
 Indians a merry pace for 150 miles, finally left 
 them, and came into this settlement some hours 
 ahead of the dog train. In 1857, Mr. Dailey 
 married Miss Longtin, daughter of an estima- 
 ble pioneer, and having unbounded confidence 
 
 in the future of this settlement invested all his 
 earnings in real estate, which eventually be- 
 came very valuable. The last years of his life 
 were spent in the family homestead on Wash- 
 ington avenue and First street, suffering much 
 from rheumatism due to exposure and over- 
 exertion in his younger days. 
 
 In 1843 the settlement was separated from 
 Saginaw township and created into Hampton 
 township. In 1844 the first school house was 
 built near the north end of Washington ave- 
 nue, and Israel Catlin arrived. Hon. James G. 
 Birney held religious services in this building, 
 with the often dubious assistance of the irre- 
 sistible Harry Campbell. In 1845 the late P. 
 J. Perrott joined his fortunes with the settle- 
 ment. J. B. Hart and B. B. Hart came in 1846. 
 
 In April, 1846, Hon. James Birney, of Con- 
 necticut, came to visit his father. His experi- 
 ence on this trip is a vivid reminder of the prim- 
 itive conditions still existing in the interior of 
 Michigan at this time. He journeyed from 
 Flint to Saginaw by the stage, a springless 
 wagon drawn by two ponies, over a road of 
 corduroy and mud, each worse than the other, 
 with plenty of trees and roots adding excite- 
 ment and jolts to the trip. After waiting two 
 days at Saginaw for a boat to bring him down, 
 he hired an Indian for 75 cents to paddle him 
 down. He surprised his famous father while 
 the latter was working in mud and water up 
 to his ankles on a line fence where St. Joseph's 
 Church is now located, then a long way in the 
 wilderness. 
 
 In 1847, James Fraser proceeded to carry 
 out his pet scheme of converting these majestic 
 pine trees into lumber, and the lumber into the 
 circulating medium of the realm, by construct- 
 ing the first sawmill in conjunction with Hop- 
 kins and Pomeroy. 
 
 In the winter of 1847, H. W. Sage, of New 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 97 
 
 York, who later did so mucli to develop the 
 west side of the river, came with Deacon An- 
 drews and Jarvis Langdon, of Ehnira, New- 
 York, and Joseph L. Shaw, of Ithaca, New 
 Y'ork, to negotiate wnth Mr. Birney for some 
 of the property in the settlement, whose fame 
 was gradually finding its way to the business 
 centers of the East. They put up at the Globe 
 Hotel, where they found only one little bed 
 available for strangers. They cast lots to see 
 who would sleep in the bed, and three drew 
 lucky numbers, while Deacon Andrews drew 
 the floor, but as the latter was old and in poor 
 health, I\Ir. Sage took his place on the pine 
 knots. After several nights on the floor, Mr. 
 Sage concluded he had had enough of rough 
 pioneer experience and salt pork thrice daily, 
 so on the Sabbath Day he hired a sleigh and, 
 despite the Deacon's scruples alwut traveling 
 on the Lord's Day, hied himself back to civil- 
 ization. 
 
 In 1847, Daniel H. Futzhugh, Jr., built 
 what was then considered an extravagant house 
 on the corner of Third and Water streets. 
 
 In 1848 the fortunes of the settlement be- 
 gan to brighten, and soon a boom was in full 
 swing. In 1848 there were added to the popu- 
 lation, — Curtis Munger, who opened the sec- 
 ond store in the settlement ; and Edward Parke, 
 an experienced pioneer. Thomas Carney and 
 wife came to look after the boarding house 
 being built for the sawmill employees, and J. 
 S. Barclay and wife reinforced the Scotch col- 
 ony in this outpost of civilization in the north 
 woods, as Deacon Andrews described it, after 
 regaining his equilibrium and his cottage in 
 the East. 
 
 J. L. Hibbard came to clerk in the Munger 
 store in 1849, ^^ '^^^'•^ Alexander McKay and 
 family and J. W. Putnam, who erected homes 
 on the river front in keeping with tlie 
 
 modest pretensions of the settlement. Old 
 settlers assure us that life in the colony 
 was now picking up. The social forces 
 consisted of the Mesdames Barney, Bar- 
 clay, Cady, Catlin, Campbell, Hart and 
 Rogers, all of whom belonged to tlie "social 
 set" and kept perpetual open house, where they 
 disseminated the local news with conscientious 
 promptness and due diligence. A serpentine 
 foot-path winding in and out among the stumps 
 on the river bank furnished an ample thorough- 
 fare for the equippages of the little settlement. 
 But the tall and whispering pines on the Sagi- 
 naw had been heard in the business centers of 
 the country, and soon there came "the first low 
 wa\-es, which soon will be followed by a human 
 sea." 
 
 The settlement is growing apace in 1850, 
 and space will forbid calling the roll of these 
 new arrivals. The little community soon began 
 to grow by leaps and bounds. The a.KC of the 
 woodsman is heard all along the shores of the 
 river, the clearings are increasing in numlier 
 and in size, new cabins and cottages, more or 
 less pretentious, are springing up under the 
 merry music of hammer and saw, new mills 
 are furnishing work for new arrivals, new busi- 
 ness places are opened up, the river is alive 
 with craft of all descriptions, roads are opened 
 to the south and east, fisheries prosper, and 
 farms are in bloom, where once the whip-poor- 
 will was undisturbed. The settlement is out- 
 growing its last suit of homespun, and the 
 1x)undaries are being steadily pushed eastward, 
 northward and southward, while an equally 
 ambitious community beckons to Lower Sagi- 
 naw from the village of Wenona across the 
 river. The settlers have become villagers and 
 citizens. The reminiscences of the pioneers 
 must give way to the record of achievements 
 in the fields of commerce and industry. The 
 
98 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 pathfinders have shown the way! The multi- 
 tude will soon follow. Ever new slioulders are 
 being put to the wheels of progress and devel- 
 opment. The long drawn out and hard fought 
 battle of the early settlers with dangers, priva- 
 
 tions, toil and hardships is clearly won. The 
 "Garden Spot of Michigan," but yesterday a 
 howling wilderness, has been revealed even 
 under the primitive work of the pioneers. An- 
 other new era is dawning in this blessed valley I' 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 ORGANIZATION AND GROWTH OF BAY COUNTY. 
 
 Early Land Transactions and Settlements — Hampton Township Erected — Earlv 
 Elections — The Strenuous Fight for Separation from Saginaw- County — Era 
 of Prosperity — Early Official Transactions — Arenac County Erected — Cen- 
 sus Figures and Some Vital Statistics — Synopsis of Election Returns — Some of 
 Those Who Have Served in Official Positions — Roster of County Officials. 
 
 Up to our altars, then, haste we and summon 
 Courage and loveliness, manhood and woman ! 
 Deep let our pledges be : Freedom for ever ! 
 Truce with oppression, never, oh never ! 
 By our own birthright-gift, granted of Heaven — 
 Freedom for heart and lip. be the pledge given ! 
 
 —IVhittier. 
 
 The Saginaw Bay Company, led by the late 
 James Eraser, and organized February 9, 1837, 
 named the embryo city they had surveyed and 
 platted "Lower Saginaw," which name the set- 
 tlement retained for 20 years. Lower Saginaw 
 contained 240 acres within the limits now 
 bounded, roughly speaking, by Woodside ave- 
 nue on the north, Columbus avenue on the 
 south and by Grant street, then away out in 
 the wilderness, which formed the eastern 
 boundary. 
 
 In 1836 the late Judge Albert Miller pur- 
 chased a tract of land some three miles from 
 the mouth of the river, which lay somewhat 
 higher above the river level than the surround- 
 ing country, and therefore to his practiced eye 
 offered the best opportunities for early settle- 
 ment. This tract includes the district now 
 lying south of Columbus avenue and west of 
 
 Garfield avenue, the western portion of which 
 now constitutes the greater part of the Fifth, 
 Sixth and Seventh wards of Bay City. After 
 being surveyed and platted, it was named 
 Portsmouth. Judge ]\Iiller recognized the im- 
 mense value of the vast timber belt then skirt- 
 ing the river, and his first enterprise was the 
 erection of a sawmill in 1837, the first at this 
 end of the river, designed to furnish prospect- 
 ive settlers with an easy and cheap means of 
 erecting their humble cabins, and al.-^o to sup- 
 ply the other sections of Michigan south of the 
 Saginaw River, which during those years of 
 colonization in the ''Peninsular'' State, were 
 rapidly being populated. 
 
 The subsequent panic throughout the coun- 
 try, particularly disastrous to the development 
 of the interior of our State, crushed for a time 
 all the prospects of these two prospective set- 
 
lOO 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 tlements. In 1838 the affairs of the Saginaw 
 Bay Compan)', opened under such auspicious 
 and enterprising circumstances, went into 
 chancery, and its bright prospects were bhght- 
 ed. But the original projectors never lost 
 faith in the future of this end of the valley. 
 
 In 1840, Dr. Daniel Hughes Fitzhugh 
 took advantage of the recent survey by govern- 
 ment officials of the Indian reservation on the 
 west shore of the Saginaw River, by purchas- 
 ing several of the more desirable parcels of 
 land lying directly across the river from Ports- 
 mouth. 
 
 It will be noticed that all these early land 
 transactions dealt in the few locations directly 
 on the river bank, where elevations, natural 
 or artificial, removed the danger of the peren- 
 nial floods at that time. During the following 
 60 years the waters have gradually receded, 
 the river banks have been artificially dammed, 
 and the river channel deepened at its mouth, 
 so that every foot of the rich, low river bot- 
 toms has been made available for farms and for 
 factory sites. Could the pioneers of 1840 have 
 foreseen these favorable changes with the pass- 
 ing years, they would undoubtedly have in- 
 vested in much more of the valley property, the 
 choicest parcels of which then sold for $5 an 
 acre, and what is now some of the choicest city 
 property was then bought for $3 an acre. But 
 even at that price it required some foresight 
 and faith in the future of these lowlands, for 
 any large purchases. For the settlements at 
 the mouth of the Saginaw River were the out- 
 post of civilization in the interior of Michigan 
 for many years. 
 
 In 1840 there was not a single known white 
 settler between here and Alackinaw, and Fort 
 Mackinac itself was only a military outpost, 
 with a mission for the Indians. On the old 
 map owned by Captain Marsac the country 
 north of here showed but crude outlines of a 
 
 few of the many large streams that pour their 
 waters into Lake Huron. Ouisconsin, as the 
 State of Wisconsin appears on that map, was 
 scarcely known beyond tlie outskirts of the 
 first settlements on its southeastern border. The 
 entire country from this valley to ]\Iackinaw 
 was included in the township of Saginaw, with 
 the exception of a part of Arenac, which was 
 attached to Midland for judicial purposes. 
 
 In 1842 the projectors of Bay City made 
 an eft'ort to secure a separate township organi- 
 zation, and in the winter of 1843 the Saginaw 
 County Board of Supervisors erected the town- 
 ship of Hampton, which included at the time 
 all the territory from the lower end of the Sag- 
 inaw River to Mackinaw. This vast territory 
 was named Hampton by Hon. James G. Bir- 
 ney, in honor of the country seat of his wife 
 in New York State, Flampton-on-Hudson. 
 
 The organization of Hampton township 
 was completed in March, 1843, ^nd on April 
 I, 1843, the settlers held their first election in 
 the Globe Hotel. William R. IMcCormick's 
 hat was the ballot-box and it was a stand- 
 ing joke of the old settlers ever after that he 
 wore a hat large enough to hold all the votes 
 between here and Mackinaw. The more super- 
 stitious of the settlers had cause for reflection 
 when it was found that just 13 citizens were 
 present and eligible to vote. Hon. James G. 
 Birney, who that very year was nominated for 
 the second time by the Liberty party for the 
 highest office in the gift of our people, the 
 presidency of the United States, received six 
 votes for supervisor, while the proprietor of 
 the settlement's only hostelry received seven 
 votes, and thus Sydney S. Campbell was de- 
 clared duly elected to attend the board meet- 
 ings at Saginaw, and privileged to paddle his 
 own canoe for 16 miles each way for glory and 
 the prestige of the settlement. 
 
 That first vote has been subject to consid- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 lOI 
 
 era1)le critical analysis. That party spirit ran 
 high is evident by the close vote. Just why 
 James G. Birney, one of the brightest and most 
 advanced citizens of the country, without a 
 doubt Bay County's foremost citizen, who 
 had done much to bring about the separate or- 
 ganization of Hampton township, and who 
 was at that \ery time bending every energy 
 and dollar he had in the world to the develop- 
 ment of this little settlement, should be defeated 
 by the jolly tavern-keeper, has been the subject 
 for discussion and conjecture. The Democratic 
 party was then still in the ascendency in the 
 land, and Supervisor Campbell belonged to 
 the dominant party. Perchance the party whi]) 
 and party loyalty was as efifective in 1843 '^^ '^ 
 certainly is in 1905. Or mayhap the refreshing 
 influence of the tavern was more persuasive 
 in securing votes, than pre-eminent aljility. pul)- 
 lic-spiriled effort or the undivided interests of 
 the little settlement. Be that as it may. the 
 contents of William R. McCormick's hat 
 showed tliat a majority of the settlers wanted 
 Sydney S. Camjibell on the board, and bis elec- 
 tion was duly celebrated far into the night by 
 the successful "party," differing from our mod- 
 ern-day celebration of election victories only 
 in point of numbers. 
 
 Old residents are authority for the deduc- 
 tion, that there was more good cheer dispensed 
 as a result of that first election on the soil of 
 embryo Bay County, per capita of population 
 taken into the reckoning, than was dispensed in 
 these parts in November, 1904, when the popu- 
 larity of President Theodore Roosevelt landed 
 him in tiie White House by the largest electoral 
 as well as jiopular vote ever given a presidential 
 nominee, and incidentally resulted in a land- 
 slide for the local Republican ticket in Bay 
 County, every candidate on that ticket being 
 elected, with hundreds of votes to spare, against 
 an unusually strong ticket on the other side. 
 
 Judge Campbell in later years enjoyed 
 many jokes about that first election in Hamp- 
 ton township, while .some of the best emanated 
 beside his own fireside. He served as super- 
 visor for a number of years, being succeeded 
 by George Lord, who came here from Madison 
 County, New York, in the winter of 1854, and 
 who built the Keystone mill on the West Side. 
 He had hardly settled here before public office 
 and honors were showered on him by the little 
 community, and during the next 20 years he 
 held a number of the highest offices in the gift 
 of the people here. He was a robust type of 
 the early pioneers, who liked a joke as well as 
 his predecessor. Judge Cam])bcll, and both 
 were correspondingly popular. He represented 
 this community on the board of Saginaw 
 County at the time the agitation was on for 
 creating a separate county down here, and was 
 bitterly opposed by the supervisors of Saginaw 
 and Midland townships. When Midland set 
 up for itself, he was active in securing the or- 
 ganization of another township on the west 
 side of the river, and in 1855 the Midland 
 board organized the township of \\'illiams, 
 comprising townships 14, 15 and 16 north, 
 range 3 east, and all of Arenac County. 
 
 How thinly this vast territory was settled 
 in those early years, is best shown by the \-ote 
 at presidential elections. Michigan being ad- 
 initted to Statehood in 1835, the first presiden- 
 tial election took place in November, 1836. 
 Oddly enough, Saginaw County, which then 
 included all the territory from the Flint River 
 to Mackinaw, is credited with giving 165 votes 
 to Martin Van Buren, Democrat, while not a 
 single vote is credited to "Tippecanoe" liar- 
 rison, the \\ big candidate. Undoubtcdl}- the 
 Democratic politicians of that day and of this 
 vast territory knew at that early day how to 
 manipulate returns and votes. Four years later, 
 in 1840, Van Buren received 100 votes, to Har- 
 
I02 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 rison's 89. In 1844, President Polk received 
 but 104 votes, to 107 for Henry Clay, the \\diig 
 candidate. These several elections not only 
 show a slow but positive increase in population, 
 but they also show much change of sentiment. 
 
 This vote of 1844^ as recorded in the Capi- 
 tol at Lansing, would also show that this settle- 
 ment of future Bay City did not show due re- 
 spect and appreciation for the distinguished 
 lawyer and citizen who for the sake of princi- 
 ple, in defense of human liberty, equality, and 
 the very birthright of the human race, had 
 given up his slaves, much of his earthly pos- 
 sessions, had forsaken the charming scenes of 
 his childhood in "Old Kentucky," and all the 
 comforts and luxury of his Southern home, to 
 seek exile in Michigan, where freedom was all 
 that the word implies, and not merely an idle 
 phrase. For nowhere do we find that one 
 single vote was cast in this election of 1844 for 
 Bay County's most distinguished pioneer, Hon. 
 James G. Birney, who in this very election re- 
 ceived 62,300 votes for President of the United 
 States on the ticket of the Liberty party. While 
 thousands of his fellow-citizens in other parts 
 of the country were by their votes honoring 
 the grand old man and his principles, his neigh- 
 bors in the wilderness, for whom he was doing 
 so much, do not appear to have voted for him 
 at all ! Yet this sterling citizen, defender of 
 liberty for all, an earnest preacher in the wil- 
 derness, eloquent in his defense of the en- 
 slaved black race of the South, who through 
 a long life practiced all the Christian virtues, 
 this pioneer in our own backwoods settlement, 
 received in the very next year (1845) 3-023 
 votes for Governor of Michigan on his party 
 ticket. The county did better by him in this 
 election, giving him 37 votes, but even these 
 are paltry returns for all that he daily did for 
 these hidebound partisans. 
 
 James G. Birney came upon the political 
 
 arena just 20 years too soon! Had he been 
 eligible in i860, the whole trend of our coun- 
 try's history might have been changed. But it 
 was his duty in life to "blaze" a way for future 
 generations. His self-sacrifices and his elo- 
 quent championship of the down-trodden 
 slaves of the South showed the way for the 
 next generation of abolitionists, who completed 
 the work he had so well begun. He was a 
 leader in that great movement, when leader- 
 ship meant social exile and banishment from 
 his native hearth. He was one of the prophets 
 in the wilderness, who was figuratively cruci- 
 fied for the cause he served and that world-wide 
 humanity he loved. And he was as eminent 
 and successful a pioneer in this valley, as he 
 was in that movement to free the slaves of the 
 South. 
 
 That his preaching was not utterly lost 
 upon his neighbors, is shown by the vote of 
 1848, when this vast county gave Gen. Lewis 
 Cass, the famous Indian fighter and territorial 
 Governor of Michigan, 183 votes on the Demo- 
 cratic ticket, while Gen. Zachary Taylor, 
 ^\'hig. received iiS, and Martin Van Buren, 
 Free Soil candidate, recei\-ed 47 votes. Those 
 47 votes were cast for the principles James G. 
 Birney fought for. The tide had not yet set in, 
 that would sweep old prejudices away, but 
 the first low waves were rolling, even here. 
 In 1852 the vote for President was as follows: 
 Franklin Pierce, Democrat, 694; Gen. Win- 
 field Scott, Whig, 367 ; John P. Hale, of New 
 Hampshire, Free Soil, y^i- The younger gen- 
 erations of this settlement were most impressed 
 with the spirit of their tutor, and he lived to 
 see the work he did in the vineyard of his 
 Master bear good fruit in the organization in 
 July, 1855, under the oaks at Jackson, of the 
 Republican party, embodying all the principles 
 for which he fought. 
 
 This little settlement was represented at 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 103 
 
 the birth of the "Grand Old Party" by the late 
 Gen. Benjamin F. Partridge, Jutlge Albert 
 Miller. John McEwan, and Col. Henry Ray- 
 mond. The movement started by Judge Birney 
 and his compatriots had now gained full swing, 
 and through the entire North there rang the 
 songs of Whittier and Longfellow, and the 
 eloquence of Daniel Webster and his co-labor- 
 ers in the halls of state at Washington, while 
 thousands of volumes of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" 
 were sold in Michigan. The result of this 
 propaganda is evident in the last election held 
 jointly by this community as part of Saginaw 
 County in 1856. John C. Fremont, Repub- 
 lican, received 1.042 votes, to 1,222 for James 
 Buchanan, Democrat. It will also be noted 
 that the vote of this vast region had almost 
 doubled in those short four years. Verily many 
 good citizens had entered the wilderness in 
 IMichigan's interior since 1850 and a large pro- 
 portion settled here. 
 
 In 1850 the work of building up a prosper- 
 ous community in these wilds of Lower Sag- 
 inaw, begun in earnest in 1842 by Hon. James 
 G. Birney, the late James Eraser and Dr. Daniel 
 Hughes Fitzhugh, began to show excellent re- 
 sults. Capitalists with money to invest, pro- 
 fessional men with energy and ability, brainy 
 mechanics and enterprising merchants, came 
 to swell the population, undaunted by the 
 primitive means we then had of communicat- 
 ing with the outside world, or the still more 
 primitive environs of the settlement itself. The 
 acute business men of that army of hardy ])io- 
 neers and home-builders recognized in this lo- 
 cation with its wealth of pine and other tim- 
 ber, and its many probable though undiscov- 
 ered and undeveloped natural resources, a busi- 
 ness diamond cut in the rough, and their judg- 
 ment has been verified by subsequent events. 
 
 By 1856 this settlement became ambitious, 
 
 and the pioneers were no longer satisfied to be 
 a mere tail to the Saginaw kite, and around 
 their firesides and in public meeting places they 
 demanded a title more distinctive for their 
 rising community. Tn that year Hon. James 
 Birney came here to carry on the business en- 
 terprises of his worthy father, and one of his 
 first public acts was the introduction of a bill 
 in the Legislature in January, 1857, providing 
 "That the name of the village of Lower Sag- 
 inaw, in the Township of Hampton, State of 
 Michigan, be, and the same is, hereby changed 
 to Bay City." The bill was passed and ap- 
 proved February 10. 1857, Governor Bingham 
 willingly signing the bill, for Saginaw had 
 given him an adverse vote, while the little set- 
 tlement, which was not yet incorporated as a 
 village, had shown some of the spirit of the 
 leading pathfinder of the community in regis- 
 tering its sovereign will. This success spurred 
 the ambitious settlers on to new efforts for a 
 separate county organization. 
 
 In November, 1854, Jonathan Smith Bar- 
 clay, one of our county's pioneer business men, 
 builder and owner of the famous old \\V)lver- 
 ton House, managed to secure the nomination 
 and election to the Legislature from Saginaw 
 County. In 1855, aided by Judge Albert Mil- 
 ler and Daniel Burns — another of the galaxy 
 of irrepressible sons of Scotland among our 
 pioneers — a bill to create Bay County was in- 
 troduced and later defeated by only a narrow 
 margin, despite the bitter antagonism of both 
 Saginaw and Midland, both of whom coveted 
 this rich belt on the shores of Saginaw Bay. 
 Gen. Benjamin F. Partridge is the historian 
 of this memorable contest for recognition by 
 his fellow-citizens of embryo Bay County, his 
 sketch being published in pamphlet form by the 
 Board of Supervisors in 1876. It now occupies 
 a conspicuous place in the State Pioneer So- 
 
I04 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 ciety's "History of Michigan." The opposi- 
 tion in the "Third House" was pronounced 
 strong, numerous and influential. 
 
 Tlie determination of the now thoroughly 
 aroused settlement was equal to the emergency, 
 however, and, having a good and just cause, 
 won out over seemingly insurmountable ob- 
 stacles, just as, 48 years later, equally public- 
 spirited citizens won out over a similarly ob- 
 durate Legislature, in the endeavor to unite 
 the sister cities. Then as now there were luke- 
 warm citizens, conservative men who thought 
 tliat possibly the matter was a little premature, 
 who wanted to wait and see, who wanted to 
 leave well enough alone, who were afraid we 
 were not yet old or rich enough to 
 stand alone, just as 48 years after equally 
 conscientious and good citizens thought 
 and argued, tliat we were not yet old enough 
 or well enough balanced to "stand together." 
 It is interesting to note that the progress of 
 events for separation from Saginaw in 1857 
 were very similar to the course of events that 
 UNITED the two Bay Cities in 1905. With a 
 divided House behind them, and with seem- 
 ingly insurmountable obstacles before them, 
 there were able and willing spirits in the com- 
 munity who dared to do the impossible. They 
 insisted that the separate organization of Bay 
 County, as they had determined to name the 
 new constituency, was proper and right, and 
 being right was not something to be allowed 
 by an unwilling Legislature, but something 
 that should be at once conceded. 
 
 In 1856 Hon. T. Jerome, of Saginaw, was 
 elected to the Legislature from that county, and 
 Henry Ashman, from Midland County, with 
 the express understanding that they were to 
 frustrate all efforts for the creation of Bay 
 County, and both stood resolutely by their 
 gims. Their opposition was at all times hon- 
 orable and above board, but none the less 
 
 strenuous. The Legislature being almost unani- 
 mously Republican, the settlers here wisely de- 
 cided to send, as their missionaries, the leading 
 residents of that political faith. There jour- 
 neyed to Lansing, in behalf of a separate and 
 distinct county organization, a large commit- 
 tee headed by Hon. James Birney, Gen. B. F. 
 Partridge, Col. Henry Raymond, William Mc- 
 Ewan, John McEwan, Judge Albert Miller, 
 and as many other settlers as could spare the 
 time from their urgent daily duties of life. 
 
 The act creating Bay County was drawn 
 by Chester H. Freeman, one of the first lawyers 
 to come to this wilderness, and the description 
 of territory was drawn by Gen. B. F. Partridge, 
 himself an able surveyor and civil engineer. 
 But the representatives of Saginaw and -Mid- 
 land counties did not want the bill to pass in 
 that form, hence they added Section 2. which 
 after a prolonged struggle before the Legisla- 
 ture was finally accepted by all parties 
 as a compromise. The act creating Bay 
 County was as follows : "Section i : That 
 the following territory (then followed the 
 description) shall be organized into a county, 
 which shall be known and called Bay County, 
 and the inhabitants thereof shall be entitled 
 to all the rights and privileges to which by law 
 the inhabitants of the other organized coun- 
 ties of this State are entitled. Section 2 : This 
 act shall be submitted to a vote of the electors 
 of Bay, Saginaw, Midland, and Arenac Coun- 
 ties, at the township meetings to be holden in 
 said county ( here followed provisions how the 
 vote should be taken), and in case a majority of 
 the said votes upon the approval of this act 
 shall be in favor of such approval, then this 
 act shall take effect upon the 20th day of April, 
 1857; but if a majority of said votes shall be 
 against such approval, then this act shall not 
 take effect, but shall be void." 
 
 The anomaly of the wording was caused by 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 lo:: 
 
 the worthy meml^er from Midland, who also 
 wanted his people to have a vote in killing off 
 the ambitions of "those mosquito fighters'" at 
 the mouth of the river, as the inland settlers 
 were wont to refer sneeringly to the men who 
 dared to seek homes amid the malaria and deso- 
 lation of the wild and wooded lowlands. The 
 member from Saginaw was willing to have 
 the bill pass in this thrice altered way, satisfied 
 to leave the matter to his constituency, and 
 happy himself to be rid of the bother on the 
 floor of the House. The representative from 
 Midland County urged the claim of his county 
 for the privilege of voting on this proposition. 
 which seemed to concern them so little, with 
 the undoubted purpose of later urging the rea- 
 sons why Midland and not Saginaw should 
 have that sneered at, but none the less growing, 
 settlement near the bay. 
 
 By mutual consent the bill as thrice 
 amended was passed by the Legislature on Feb- 
 ruary 17, 1857, and was duly signed by Gov- 
 ernor Bingham. The territory included in 
 Bay County by this act was taken partly from 
 Saginaw and Midland, and included all of 
 Arenac County, which was attached to Mid- 
 land for judicial purposes. It comprised town- 
 ship 13 north, range 6 east; all the north half 
 of township 13 north, range 5 east, that lies 
 east of the Saginaw River; all of township 14 
 north, ranges 3, 4, 5 and 6 east; all 
 of townships 15, 16, 17 and 18 north, 
 ranges 3, 4 and 5 east; all of townships 
 19 and 20 north, ranges 3,4. 5,6, 7 and 8 east ; 
 and the Charity Islands in Saginaw Bay. All 
 this territory lies around the shores of Saginaw 
 Bay, including the valleys of the Saginaw, 
 Kawkawlin and Pinconning rivers, which are 
 still within the boundaries of Bay County 
 proper, and the Pine Rifle and Au Ores rivers, 
 now in Arenac County, and the Ouanicasse 
 River, now in Tuscola County. In this entire 
 
 territory but two townships were regularly or- 
 ganized — Hampton and Williams. The changes 
 of the original boundaries have come since 
 then ; as this vast territory became settled, the 
 inhabitants wanted to set up housekeeping for 
 themselves, much as Bay wanted to do in 1855. 
 and did do in 1857. To our credit be it said, 
 we have never compelled other communities 
 to fight for their rights, as Bay County had to 
 do, until the Supreme Court set things right 
 in May, 1858. 
 
 In accordance with the provisions of the en- 
 abling act, Bay, Saginaw, Midland and Arenac 
 counties all voted on the proposition on the 
 first Monday in April, 1857. In embryo Bay 
 City a new light had dawned since the bitter 
 fight was waged against the new county at 
 Lansing, and some of those w'ho were most 
 emphatic in opposition to the separation now 
 became the most urgent advocates of a separate 
 county. Once again note the parallel between 
 the evolution of the forces of progress and de- 
 velopment in the fight for separation in 1857, 
 and the endeavor for union in 1905. When the 
 votes were counted at Birney Hall that rainy 
 April evening in 1857, the entire settlement 
 was out in the storm, anxiously awaiting the 
 result. 
 
 The vote of Bay County was almost unani- 
 mous in favor of the separate organization, the 
 vote being 204 for separation, and only 14 
 against! Saginaw and Midland counties voted 
 almost as unanimously against the separation, 
 as was to be expected, and they forthwith con- 
 tended that the act creating Bay County w^as 
 null and void, and the Circuit Court at Saginaw 
 continued to claim jurisdiction over Bay 
 County. Most of the conservative and peace- 
 loving residents of Bay were resigned to their 
 fate, and proceeded to accept the discouraging 
 consequences of that election with such good 
 grace as they could command. Not so Hon. 
 
io6 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Chester H. Freeman, the framer of the act, and 
 one of its sturdiest champions. He contended 
 from the day tlie act was passed, that the Legis- 
 lature did not intend to have Saginaw and Mid- 
 land vote on it, and that the words "at the 
 township meetings to be holden in said coun- 
 ty" clearly proved that the election was to be 
 held by Bay County alone. A liandful of stal- 
 wart and progressive citizens alone took Judge 
 Freeman's view of the case. 
 
 Determined to have a settlement of the case 
 one way or the other, the township authorities 
 called an election of county ol^cers to be held 
 the first Monday in June, 1857. So little faith 
 did some of the more conservative settlers have 
 in this election, that they did not even take the 
 trouble to vote, and consequently less than half 
 as many votes were cast for the first county 
 officers as had previously been cast in favor of 
 the separate county organization. The officials 
 elected, however, were determined to see the 
 case through on its merits, and the following 
 day qualified for their respective offices, to 
 which they were later duly entrusted by the 
 Supreme Court : Sheriff, William Simon ; 
 clerk, Elijah Catlin ; treasurer, James Watson; 
 register of deeds, Thomas M. Bligh; judge of 
 probate, Sydney S. Campbell ; prosecuting at- 
 torney, Chester H. Freeman ; circuit court com- 
 missioner, Stephen P. Wright ; surveyor, B. F. 
 Partridge; coroner, William C. Spicer. These 
 were the first county officials of Bay County, 
 and the ticket was as well balanced as any 
 ever named since at the polls. 
 
 Hardly had this organization been per- 
 fected, when Saginaw and Alidland protested 
 the election as illegal, and for some months 
 things were badly mixed in the valley. The 
 collection of taxes and all proceedings in court 
 were practically paralyzed. Litigants would 
 start suit in Bay County, and if the judgment 
 was against them would promptly appeal to 
 
 the Saginaw Circuit Court, claiming Bay had 
 no jurisdiction and vice versa. 
 
 Thus inatters drifted with clash of juris- 
 diction and worse confusion, until even the 
 most ardent separationists advised giving way 
 and postponing the organization of Bay County 
 until a more opportune time. But Judge Free- 
 man stood like the proverbial stone wall. Dan- 
 iel Burns was chargel by Dr. Dion Birney 
 with having committed a perjury in Hampton 
 township, June 29, 1857. Hon. John IMoore, 
 prosecuting attorney for Saginaw County, rep- 
 resented the complainant, and Chester H. Free- 
 man, prosecuting attorney for Bay County, 
 was retained by Daniel Burns, who entered 
 into the spirit of this test case with all the zeal 
 he could command. Although all the leading 
 lawyers in ]\Iichigan expressed the opinion 
 that the act creating Bay County was null and 
 void, Judge Freeman decided to carry this test 
 case to the Supreme Court. Before going to 
 this last court of appeal, he once more tried to 
 get the Legislature to put Bay County on its 
 feet. But the Saginaw and Midland represent- 
 atives were as immovable as before. Then 
 Judge Freeman tried a stratagem that nearly 
 succeeded. He drew a bill, defining where the 
 court should be held in the judicial district in 
 which Bay City was situated which, had it 
 become law, would have established Bay 
 County at once as a separate organization. 
 Here is the outline of the bill ; "It is hereby 
 provided that the circuit judge of the district 
 in which Bay County is situated shall hold 
 court in Bay City, in said territory, and shall 
 hear, try, and determine all suits commenced 
 in said circuit court in said territory, and all 
 appeals to the same." The final section con- 
 firmed jurisdiction in this territory! This bill 
 met the approval of the Governor and of the 
 Saginaw and Midland representatives and 
 promptly passed the House on Friday. As 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 107 
 
 tlie Governor had left the Capitol, and did not 
 return until Monday, this bill was not signed: 
 when about to sign, the Governor on reading it 
 again before signing, recognized its force, 
 called the opposing representatives' attention to 
 it : as Messrs. Jerome and Ashnum wished to 
 recall it, it was never approved. The Repub- 
 lican party leaders at Lansing were not very 
 anxious to create another new county, which 
 they had reason to believe would be largely 
 Democratic, and they hastened to put a quietus 
 on the settlement's ambitions. So anxious were 
 some of the local Democratic party leaders of 
 those years to have Bay County recognized as 
 a separate organization, that they promised 
 to send Hon. James Birney as the first repre- 
 sentative from this county, in case it was then 
 recognized. This was not an idle promise, for 
 Judge Birney soon after entered the State Sen- 
 ate from this senatorial district. 
 
 The stalwart defenders of Bay County's 
 interests never faltered in the face of these re- 
 peated rebufYs. Realizing that there was no 
 hope for the county in the Legislature, they 
 turned resolutely to the courts for a settlement 
 of their case. Chester H. Freeman and Stephen 
 P. Wright prepared to carry the Birney vs. 
 Burns suit to the Supreme Court, and they 
 called in as assistant counsel Hon. William M. 
 Fenton, of Genessee County. The defendant, 
 Mr. Burns, through his attorney. Judge Free- 
 man, filed a l)ill of abatement, alleging that 
 *'tlie said supposed offense, if any was com- 
 mitted, was committed within the jurisdiction 
 of Bay County, and not within the jurisdiction 
 of the Saginaw Circuit Court." L'pon this 
 plea, issue was taken, and the case was made 
 and certified to the Supreme Court, and was 
 heard at the May term, at Detroit. 
 
 Judge Freeman had staked his reputation 
 as a lawyer upon the result of this suit, and he 
 prepared a full and exhaustive argument in the 
 
 case. Unfortunately the strain and worry 
 over this case brought on a fever, so that at the 
 very time the case was brought up. Judge Free- 
 man was prostrated. Mrs. Freeman promptly 
 gathered up all the papers in the case, togetlier 
 with Judge Freeman's arguments, and sent 
 them all to Mr. Fenton, at Flint. The case had 
 meanwhile attracted State-wide attention, as 
 citizens of all the counties interested asked the 
 opinions of various attorneys throughout the 
 State. When Mr. Fenton reached Detroit, he 
 was urged by some of the most prominent 
 attorneys in the State to let the case go by de- 
 fault, as he would only lay himself liable to 
 ridicule and defeat. He was assured that not 
 a single attorney, aside from Judge Freeman 
 himself, had any faith in the case of Bay Coun- 
 ty. Fortunately for Bay County, IMr. Fenton 
 was an honest and fearless citizen, and he as- 
 sured his advisers that he knew of points in the 
 case which they overlooked, that he had prom- 
 ised Mrs. Freeman to see the case through to 
 the end to the best of his ability, and this 
 he was now prepared to do. He had not gone 
 far into the argument, before the listening 
 jurists conceded that there was some plausi- 
 bility to his line of reasoning, and before he 
 closed many of the most eminent practition- 
 ers became themselves convinced that Bay 
 County had taken a perfectly legal and proper 
 course under the circumstances. Seldom had 
 any case aroused such wide-spread interest 
 among the members of Michigan's bench and 
 bar, and many were the arguments pro and con 
 that May evening in the metropolis of the State, 
 on the chances of the Supreme Court sustain- 
 ing the little settlement on the Saginaw River. 
 The case was submitted just before the close 
 of court that afternoon, and ^Ir. Fenton and 
 the few Bay citizens who had wandered up ta 
 Detroit to hear the case slept but little that 
 night. At the opening of court next morning. 
 
io8 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 the now famous decision was handed down, 
 sustaining every contention of Bay County, 
 and declaring the county duly and properly 
 organized. The decision is found on page 1 14, 
 5th Michigan Reports, First Cooley. 
 
 A messenger who had been waiting for the 
 decision for hours, started on a speedy horse to 
 bring the news to Bay County, this being a 
 faster route than coming by stage to Saginaw 
 and by canoe down the ri\'er. But the news 
 first reached here by the Detroit boat, which 
 left shortly after the Supreme Court had ren- 
 dered its decision. The progressive and enter- 
 prising citizens who had never lost hope in the 
 establishment of a new county, with the county 
 seat in their midst, were naturally elated, and 
 even the more easy-going and indifferent cit- 
 izens came out of their hard shells long enough 
 to take part in a genuine backwoods celebra- 
 tion. Thomas Rogers and a corps of willing 
 and muscular assistants, having no cannon to 
 sound the glad tidings, hammered the old anvil 
 until the welkin rang with the merry music. 
 Old fowling pieces were brought forth, loaded 
 to the muzzle, and their explosion sounded to 
 the up-river settlers like a battle down the river. 
 All the instruments of music and of noise were 
 called into use, and good cheer flowed, as it 
 only could flow, in an open-hearted and prim- 
 iti^•e community. 
 
 The venerable recorder of those far-reach- 
 ing and exciting events reports in the cptaint 
 style of those years, that this cannonading did 
 drown some of the sleepy ideas of some of the 
 sleepy people of this infant city, and did awaken 
 them to a realization that from their little ham- 
 let there did lead a sure road to prosperity and 
 wealth, did they but realize it, and try it out. 
 "The glad news brought the people to their 
 right senses! Since then the city and county 
 liave rushed along the rough track of building 
 lip and burning down, and rebuilding in more 
 
 substantial style." So far. General Partridge. 
 
 In view of events in recent years, one would 
 almost believe that the effects of that early 
 stimulant had worn off, that some of our able 
 citizens have again wandered away from that 
 \italizing road that by the value of our natural 
 resources must lead to prosperity and success. 
 A-'erily we are dozing off again, resting on our 
 oars, drifting with the tide, waiting with the 
 stoical indifference of the original aborigine in- 
 habitant of this region for something easy to 
 turn up. And to the south and east and west 
 .of us, more enterprising and wide-awake com- 
 munities in [Michigan were snatching from our 
 slumbering brow the honor, prestige and busi- 
 ness, of being the third city in Michigan. But 
 happily for us, like our ancestors of 48 years 
 ago, over many obstacles and seemingly im- 
 passable barriers, we have pursued our court- 
 ship ; Wenona of old has won forever and ever 
 the strong arm and devoted co-operation of the 
 older community. Joined always together by 
 the commercial ties created by the mighty Sag- 
 inaw, it remained for the revival of 1905 to 
 unite those which had ever belonged together. 
 And just as the victory of Bay County in 1858 
 roused the slumbering energies and gave re- 
 newed hope to the pioneers of Bay County, so 
 let us strive to gain new hope, new life, new en- 
 terprise, progress and prosperity from the 
 united strength of the consolidated cities. 
 
 Certain it is, that this valley in 1858 at once 
 assumed a place in the State it had not pre- 
 ^■iously occupied. The little settlement at once 
 found a place on the maps of the country. Those 
 already here sent the good tidings to friends in 
 distant localities, and a stream of settlers was 
 soon coming this way. Business and profes- 
 sional men like to be in a county seat, and the 
 new dignity of Bay City attracted some of the 
 men who later did much for the city and 
 countv. The men alreadv here felt the vitaliz- 
 
\ 
 
 z 
 
 
 Uh Ifl 
 
 G^ 
 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 Ill 
 
 ing influence of the new spirit wliich seemed 
 to animate ex'crytliing and e\'en-body. and the 
 men of means, who often clung timidly to their 
 cash, preferring to have it lie idle in distant 
 banks, now called this vital spark home, to 
 combine with the brawn and sinew of labor 
 for the mutual benefit of both. New mills 
 were erected. Stores were stocked with mer- 
 chandise that at first seemed all out of propor- 
 tion to the demand or needs of the rising com- 
 munity, only to be exhausted within a few short 
 months and requiring replenishing. That 
 "business creates business" was proven on every 
 hand. The money that one enterprising citizen 
 l)ut into circulation drew out the hidden gold 
 of his neighbor. Fortunes were accumulated in 
 the next 30 years in every avenue of business 
 and trade. The wheels of trade, industry and 
 commerce, stopped for many years by the 
 ])anic of 1837, were again set in motion all 
 over the country, and nowhere was this vitaliz- 
 ing inlluence felt more keenly than in this 
 "neck of the woods." 
 
 Bay City was advertised from ocean to 
 ocean by this tenacious fight of a handful of 
 men for recognition in the councils and the 
 business of the great young State of Michigan. 
 The rivalry between the older community at 
 Saginaw and its robust offspring at the head of 
 navigation began in earnest, and soon became 
 a by-word throughout the country. However 
 keen and strenuous that rivalry may have been 
 and is now; however frequently it may have 
 verged to a point where the rest of the State 
 held its l)rcat]i in anticipation of a general riot 
 call, one thing this rivalry has always done for 
 the valley : It has given us ])ublicity and unlim- 
 ited free advertising abroad. And since com- 
 petition is the life of trade, and publicity its 
 handmaiden, this keen rivalry has at least done 
 as much as all other factors combined, to call 
 the attention of the restless world outside to 
 
 the wonderful advantages of this valley of the 
 Sauks, so blessed by Nature, and so well de- 
 \-eloped by its pioneer sons. The first clash 
 came when Bay wanted to set up housekeeping 
 for itself, and through the indomitable spirit 
 of its leaders. Bay won. Many have been the 
 clashes between the vigorous old colony above 
 the Carrollton sand-bar, and the vigorous set- 
 tlement in the lowlands near Saginaw Bay, 
 but the most far-reaching clash was that legis- 
 lative and legal battle fought to a successful 
 issue by the cohorts of Bay in 1858. 
 
 The county officials elected the previous 
 June immediately took up their ofticial duties, 
 except William Simon, sheriff-elect, who had 
 removed from the county; B. F. Partridge was 
 appointed in his place. The first meeting of 
 the Board of Supervisors was held August 10, 
 1858. Hampton township was represented by 
 Sydney S. Campbell and Williams township 
 by George W. Smock. Judge Campbell was 
 unanimously elected chairman and, by the same 
 unanimity, Mr. Smock became the committee 
 of the whole. It was also unaniously voted by 
 these two supervisors, that the chairman was 
 entitled to a vote on all questions coming be- 
 fore the board. Suggestive of the times and the 
 place was the first disbursement of the board, 
 when they paid $88 to Indians for 1 1 wolf 
 certificates, and $24 to pale face hunters for 
 three wolf certificates. They also paid $70.43 
 for constable bills, indicating that the justice 
 courts were grinding merrily, although the jus- 
 tices' fees amounted to only $66.61. Some en- 
 terprising citizen demanded $10 for posting 
 election notices, but the board concluded $5 
 was enough for that service, which amount was 
 allowed. They also allowed August Kaiser 
 $r for boarding prisoners. Judged by that 
 standard, the cost of living must have been 
 trivial in 1858 in this settlement, compared to 
 the accredited rates of 1905. While the set- 
 
I 12 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 tlement was still in its swaddling clothes, still 
 the supervisors, after due diligence and impar- 
 tial application of their tax yard-stick, found 
 the assessed valuation to be $530,589, while 
 their tax levy for the first year was $1,165. -^^ 
 one looks at the several pictures of Bay City 
 and vicinitv about that time, one would find 
 it difficult to size up the property exposed to 
 view at anything like the imposing array of 
 figures, produced officially by that able two- 
 man board. Evidently no one was overlooked, 
 and every dollar's worth of property was made 
 to pay its fair and equal share for the privilege 
 of prospering with the prosperous and promis- 
 ing young community. The county officials 
 were not paid in accordance with their evident 
 worth, but rather in strict accordance with 
 the visible means of the county as then consti- 
 tuted. The energetic prosecuting attorney, 
 Judge Freeman, received the then princely 
 sum of $50 per year for his public services, 
 and the other officials were paid in proportion. 
 The supervisors appointed E. N. Bradford, 
 Israel Catlin and Jule B. Hart as superintend- 
 ents of the poor, for verily "the poor ye shall 
 have always with j-e." The poor board held 
 its first meeting October 10, 1858. The county 
 treasurer's report showed that county poor or- 
 ders to the amount of $78.14 had been paid, 
 and $2.85 remained in the poor fund. 
 
 Things moved fast in the new county, and 
 the two-man board was soon more than doubled 
 by the creation of new townships. In Febru- 
 ary, 1859, Arenac was erected into a township, 
 with Daniel Williams, N. W. Sillibridge and 
 Daniel Shaw on the Board of Inspectors. Peter 
 Marksman was elected supervisor, but being 
 unable to act, M. D. Bourasso was appointed 
 and became the third member of the board. A 
 special meeting was called in March, 1859, 
 when the board erected the township of Ports- 
 mouth, with J. M. ]\Iiller, Appleton Stevens 
 
 and William Daglish on the first Board of In- 
 spectors, and Appleton Stevens was elected 
 supervisor. Shortly after, the township of 
 Bangor was created, with Scott W. Sayles as 
 the first supervisor chosen by the constituency 
 then residing on the west bank of the Saginaw 
 River. Dr. George E. Smith represented 
 Hampton in the fall of 1859. He was chosen 
 chairman of the board, then consisting of five 
 members. 
 
 The election in November, 185S, brought 
 about some changes in the county officials, the- 
 successful ones being as follows : Nathaniel 
 Whittemore, sheriff; Thomas W^ Lyons, clerk; 
 W. L. Sherman, circuit court commissioner; 
 T. \Y. Watkins, surveyor. Those honored 
 with succeeding terms were as follows : Ches- 
 ter H. Freeman, prosecuting attorney ; Thomas 
 M. Bligh, register of deeds ; James Watson, 
 treasurer: Sydney S. Campbell, judge of pro- 
 bate. 
 
 In the fall of 1858 a cheap wooden building 
 for jail purposes was erected on what is now 
 Sixth street, near Saginaw street. Sheriff Part- 
 ridge did not have any vicious prisoners, for the 
 shack would not ha\-e held them for a minute. 
 This primitive bastile was destroyed by' fire 
 in 1863. 
 
 At the first meeting of the Board of Super- 
 \-isors in 1858, the county seat was located 
 in Bay City. The following year the enter- 
 prising supervisor from Portsmouth nearly kid- 
 naped the distinction from the larger settle- 
 ment. \Mien the aroused Bay Cityans heard 
 of the invasion of their prerogatives in that 
 smooth manner, they made a counter demon- 
 stration and at the next session of the Board of 
 Supervisors the county seat was restored to 
 Bay City. 
 
 The projectors and sponsors of Bay City 
 had a fair idea of the probable trend of the 
 county's development, when they set aside two- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 II- 
 
 lots on Center avenne, wliere tlie Court House 
 and County Jail are now located, for the pros- 
 pective county headquarters. 
 
 The first case in the Probate Court of Bay 
 County was the appointment of ]\Iichae! Win- 
 terhalter as administrator of the estate of Fred- 
 erick Wintermur. deceased. 
 
 The Legislature in February, 1883, created 
 Arenac County, taking most of its territory 
 from Bay County, including the following 
 townships, and in order to indicate their popu- 
 lation we append with each the vote cast by 
 each at the presidential election in 1880: 
 Arenac, 63; Au Ores, 61; Clayton, 62; Deep 
 River, 76; Lincoln, including the village of 
 Standish, 80; Mason, 34; Moffatt, 31; Stand- 
 ish„ 69; Whitney, 49. Arenac was organized by 
 the supervisors of Bay County immediately 
 after their organization in February. 1859, and 
 was important at that time because of the lum- 
 bering along the Rifle River. Au Gres was or- 
 ganized Ijy tiie same board in February, 1870. 
 Its first supervisor was W. R. Bates, then a 
 young attorney, later representing Bay in the 
 House at Lansing, 1871-72, and in 1905 we 
 find him L'nited States marshal for Eastern 
 Michigan ! Lumbering along the Au Gres River 
 was its main industry while the township be- 
 longed to Bay. Clayton township was also 
 organized in February, 1870, Avhile Deep River 
 and Standish were organized by act of the 
 Legislature in February, 1873, Moffatt and 
 Mason by the Board of Supervisors in 1874, 
 and \\'hitney was erected as a township on 
 October 16, 1879. 
 
 On the first Monday in June, 1883, ihis 
 offshoot of Bay licld its first county election, 
 naming men who for years had stood high in 
 the counsels of their foster county. The fol- 
 lowing were tlie first ofiicers of Arenac Coun- 
 ty: George Keeney, sheriff; P. M. Angus, 
 treasurer; William Smith, register of deeds; 
 
 F. E. Carscallen, clerk; John Bullock, judge 
 of probate; Larry McHugli, prosecutor. The 
 last named official later moved to Bay County, 
 served as county drainage commissioner for a 
 term of years, and in this year of grace, 1905, 
 this old soldier bobs up serenely as candidate 
 for first justice of the peace of Greater Bay City 
 on the G. O. P. ticket ! While Bay County thus 
 lost nine townships by the simple stroke of a 
 pen at Lansing, Bay City has never lost their 
 business. Then, as now^. Bay City was the 
 mart for the residents of Arenac, and then, as 
 now. Point Lookout on Saginaw Bay in Are- 
 nac County was the most popular camping 
 ground for Bay City folks during the heated 
 season of midsummer. Many Bay Cityans 
 have moved across the northern county line, 
 creating new ties that still bind these good 
 neighbors together. During the Encampment 
 of the Grand Army of the Republic for North- 
 eastern Michigan at Standish, September 14- 
 16, 1904, Company B, 3rd Infantry, M. N. G., 
 of Bay City, 75 strong, were the honored 
 guests of the Arenac County people at Stand- 
 ish, camping on the Court House square. They 
 were made to feel, as their hosts put it, that 
 "they were right at home," for was not Bay 
 County the "mother of Arenac"? And the 
 greater the prosperity of Arenac County, the 
 better will be the business of Bay City. 
 
 The first authentic figures on Bay County's 
 population were secured in the United States 
 census of i860, when the county was credited 
 with having 3,164 people. The growth of the 
 county is well indicated in the official census 
 returns of the next 40 years. In 1864 the 
 population of Bay County was 5.517; in 1870 
 it was 15,900; and in 1874, 24,832. The next 
 20 years were the booming years of the lumber 
 industry, and the rural townships secured the 
 overflow in the way of lumber camps, traders 
 and settlers. The population in 1880 was 
 
114 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 38,081; in 1884, 51,221; in 1890, 56,412; in 
 1894, 61,304; and in 1900 Bay County had 
 62,378 inhabitants, with a total area of 437 
 square miles. This was the last Federal cen- 
 sus. The State census in 1904 shows that Bay 
 County contains 13.422 families, with 32,108 
 males, 31,340 females and a total population 
 of 63,348. 
 
 Since the male population is found to out- 
 number their fair sisters, we have one of the 
 reasons why there are so few spinsters in Bay 
 and why Cupid is so extremely busy. We find 
 that 10,234 marriages have been performed in 
 •Bay County since the present license law went 
 into effect, in 1894, and 587 marriages were 
 performed in 1904. 
 
 The birth rate in this healthy valley has 
 never given cause for complaint, and our virile 
 race is growing nicely, with no signs of race 
 suicide, so much mooted in the older and de- 
 crepit civilization of the Far East. Bay County 
 was blessed with 1,378 babies in 1899; 1,266 
 in 1900; 1,382 in 1901 ; 1,512 in 1903, and the 
 last year found it difficult to overcome this en- 
 couraging increase, but managed it liy just one 
 little "dumpling," the total births for 1904 
 being just 1,513. 
 
 These vital statistics still further prove that 
 Bay County is a good place to live in, since 
 Nature has Ijeen aided by man's ingenuity and 
 industry, creating thriving farms amid the once 
 malaria and mosc|uito-breeding swamps and 
 lowlands, by reviewing the ledger that is the 
 end of things, just as the births are the begin- 
 ning. Since 1890 there have been 9,307 deaths 
 in Bay County, of which number 968 occurred 
 in 1904. 
 
 Since President Roosevelt has called public 
 attention to the divorce evil, through his special 
 message to Congress, in January, 1905, urging 
 Congress to pass some general divorce law, be- 
 cause some States are too lax in protecting the 
 
 sanctity of the marriage vow, it will be espe- 
 cially interesting to note that despite Judge T. 
 F. Shepard's endeavor to grant decrees only in 
 worthy cases, wdiere in his judgment both the 
 individuals and the community would be better 
 off, were the marriage ties severed, the list of 
 divorces in Bay County, — the i8th Judicial 
 Circuit, — grows constantly. Under the provis- 
 ions of the law of 1897, 40 divorce cases were 
 filed here in 1899, of which 19 were granted. 
 In 1900, 56 divorces were started and 38 
 granted. In 1901, 62 divorces were asked for 
 and 42 granted. 1902 showed the high-water 
 mark for divorces in Bay County, as well as 
 throughout the country. The reaction and re- 
 vulsion of public sentiment, is plainly evident 
 in the figures for the last three years. In 1902, 
 67 divorce suits were started and 54 granted! 
 In 1903 we find 80 pending; 55 were started, 
 41 were granted^, i refused and i withdrawn. 
 In 1904, 64 were pending, 65 were started, 32 
 were granted, i refused, 2 withdrawn, and 25 
 were contested and are pending, together with 
 39 others, where there is no contest ! At this 
 March term (1905) of the Circuit Court, 
 Judge Shepard has refused one of the most 
 conspicuous divorce cases, owing to the promi- 
 nence of the contesting parties, the case being 
 Moore vs. Moore, and in his finding he recites 
 that their applications are based on such differ- 
 ences as arise daily in the lives of married peo- 
 ple, but are wisely passed over or adjusted, and 
 might have been in this instance, resulting 
 among other things in ruining the husband's 
 dental business, and the wife's application as 
 well as the husband's cross bill for divorce were 
 refused. 
 
 Bay County, with its sons of many nations, 
 has ever presented an interesting study for the 
 statesman and the politician. A review of our 
 popular vote for 47 years will show that while 
 Michigan, the birthplace of the Republican 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 115 
 
 party, has ever since 1854 stood with that 
 party, Bay County until very recently voted 
 w ith the minority. Here are the figures : 
 1858. — For Governor: Wisner, R., 140; Stu- 
 art, D., 270. Bay's first presidential vote came 
 at the most critical juncture in the history of 
 our country, when Abraham Lincoln held up 
 the banner of the liberty-loving North, held in 
 1840 and 1844 by Hon. James G. Birney, of 
 Bay City! Yet if we are to judge by the vote, 
 Birney's work had been best appreciated away 
 from home, for Bay gave the martyr, Abraham 
 Lincoln, R., but 311 votes, to Douglas, D., 324! 
 For Governor, Austin Blair, R., 306; Barry, 
 D., 12-/. In 1862, Blair, R., 256; Stout, D., 
 390! Evidently the peace party had a strong 
 following in Bay! In 1864, Lincoln received 
 462; General McClellan, D., 584! For Gov- 
 ernor, Crapo, R., 460; Fenton, D., 586. By 
 1866 the war has been successfully ended, and 
 many battle-scarred veterans are seeking this 
 peaceful and prosperous valley to begin life 
 anew in the realms of industry, in field, mill or 
 factory, and the vote shows the impetus of these 
 veterans, for, in 1866, Governor Crapo re- 
 ceived 713 votes, to Williams, D., Ti^y, and in 
 1868, General Grant carried the county for the 
 first time for his party, with 1,176 votes, to 
 Seymour, D., 1,081, while for Governor, Bald- 
 win, R., received 1,157 votes, to Moore, D., 
 1,098. In 1870, Bay showed signs of back- 
 sliding. Governor Baldwin receiving 1,186 
 votes, to Comstock, D., 1,101. In 1872, Gen- 
 eral Grant polled 1.948 votes, to 1,270 for 
 Horace Greeley, and 46 Prohibitionists went 
 on record for their party faith, while Bagley 
 for Governor received 1,943 votes to Blair, 
 Lib., 1,341. In 1874, Governor Bagley lost 
 the county by a vote of 1,742 to 1,943 for 
 Chamberlain, D. By 1876 the reaction was 
 complete. Gen. Rutherford B. Hayes receiving 
 but 2,407 votes to 2,840 for Samuel J. Tilden! 
 
 The influx of German immigrants is also 
 noticeable in the vote on Governor, Croswell, 
 R., receiving but 2,405 votes, to Webber, D., 
 2,859! In 1878, Governor Crosswell received 
 1,387 votes to Barnes, D., 1,592. In 1880, 
 General James A. Garfield's popularity here 
 carried the county by 2,404, to 2,068 for Gen- 
 eral Hancock, D., while Jerome, the Republi- 
 can candidate for Governor, lost it by 2,367, 
 to Holloway, D., 2,438, and Governor Jerome 
 fared even worse in 1882, with 2,156, to 3,318 
 for Begole, Fusionist (who was elected that 
 year), and 818 for May, National. 
 
 This was the first election the writer wit- 
 nessed in this country. Although but 10 years 
 old, I noticed that my father, w'ith most of the 
 German residents, was a stalwart Democrat, 
 and that the French, Polish and other residents 
 of foreign birth voted the Democratic ticket 
 straight. Let me say in passing, that our be- 
 loved mother disagreed with father, being a 
 stalwart though silenced Republican, loving 
 the memory of the martyr Presidents — Lincoln 
 and Garfield — and her influence was para- 
 mount with her children, for her two sons cast 
 their first vote in after years for the political 
 faith of "mother," and her two daughters in 
 their voteless way have ever been ardent mis- 
 sionaries for the "G. O. P." Often in the years 
 that followed, with the gradual change in the 
 political complexion of Bay County, have I 
 wondered if in other homes other mothers were 
 exerting that same influence in the same direc- 
 tion. For it is certain that few of the old stal- 
 warts have changed their political faith or 
 tenets, and that the change has been almost en- 
 tirely brought about by the "First Voters," the 
 rising generation in Bay. This is particularly 
 true of the native children, and the sons of 
 German and Polish settlers. It is less notice- 
 able in the voting districts where the French 
 and Irish vote is largely represented. 
 
ii6 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 But to resume: In 1884, Grover Cleveland 
 carried Bay 4.963 votes, to James G. Blaine, 
 2,916, and St. John, Prohi., 161. It should be 
 noted that Cleveland received 3.436 Democrat 
 votes, and 1.534 Greenback and Anti-Monop- 
 oly votes. Gen. Russell A. Alger, now United 
 States Senator from Michigan^ in 1884 re- 
 ceived but 2,930 votes in Bay, to 4,683 for 
 Begole, Fus. In 1886, Cyrus G. Luce received 
 2,957 votes for Governor, to Yaple, Fus.. 
 4.305. In 1888, Gen. Benjamin Harrison 
 fared a little better, getting 4.378 votes, to 
 Cleveland. D., 5,714, and Fiske, Prohi., 127. 
 
 In 1888, Governor Luce secured 4.364 
 votes to W. R. Burt, Fus., 5,422. Governor 
 Luce, one of Michigan's sterling sons, and a 
 public man of the old school, died at his home, 
 Coldwater, Michigan, March 18, 1905, of 
 heart failure, aged 80 years. He was a rugged 
 representative of the common people, and an 
 honest defender of the public interests. With 
 him the Republican party went out of power 
 for one term, for in 1890 E. B. Winans, D.. 
 was elected Governor, Bay giving him 5.152 
 votes, to Turner. R., 3,216. In 1892, General 
 Harrison received 4,587 votes; Grover Cleve- 
 land, D., 5.714; Bidwell, Prohi., 187. That 
 year John T. Rich redeemed Michigan for the 
 Republicans, Bay giving him 4,652 votes for 
 Governor, to Morse, D., 5.783. 
 
 In 1894 Bay County had the honor of nam- 
 ing the Democratic candidate for Governor of 
 Michigan. Hon. Spencer O. Fisher, formerly 
 Mayor of West Bay City and Congressman 
 from the loth Congressional District, being 
 selected to contest the second term of Governor 
 Rich, the sage farmer and statesman, who in 
 1905 is still in the public service as collector of 
 customs for Eastern Michigan. This guber- 
 natorial contest, in which Bay County sup- 
 ported a favorite son, was made remarkable by 
 caustic recriminations within the Democratic 
 party itself. Congressman Fisher owned a fine 
 
 white horse, which for years has been and in 
 1905 is still in demand, for use in public pa- 
 rades and on public occasions. This horse led 
 an Orangemen's celebration parade on Orange- 
 men's Day, the owner permitting all celebra- 
 tions to use that horse, but even this horse was 
 made a campaign issue, and as "Fisher's White 
 Horse" is still a fixture in Michigan folk-lore 
 and local political annals. Bay gave 4.933 
 votes to Hon. Spencer O. Fisher, and 4.365 to 
 Governor Rich. 
 
 The campaign of 1896 went down in local 
 political history as the hardest fought campaign 
 and while the vote eventually showed Imt a 
 narrow margin for the silver-tongued Bryan 
 of the Platte, yet for a time it looked like a 
 landslide. The Greenbackers. Fusionists and 
 Democrat all rallied to his standard, and many 
 stalwart Republicans wandered from the fold, 
 and only prodigious work saved a stampede 
 locally. Thousands were on the streets of Bay 
 City on the night of that memorable election. 
 The advocates of "Free Silver" had their in- 
 ning when the vote of Bay was announced as 
 giving William Jennings Bryan 6.296, the late 
 lamented President William McKinley, 6.037, 
 General Palmer, Gold Democrat, 151, and Lev- 
 ering, Prohi., 63. Later in the night, as the 
 returns from the State and country at large 
 came in, the local minority partisans started a 
 celebration in honor of the national victory of 
 their standard-bearer. This same campaign 
 brought out another of Michigan's foremost 
 sons, in Hazen S. Pingree, the famous shoe- 
 maker and philanthropist of Detroit, who in 
 his race for the office of Governor carried Bay 
 by 6,307 votes, to Sligh, Fus., 6,030. Then 
 came the war with Spain, and with it the turn- 
 ing of the political tide in Bay County, for in 
 1898 the late Governor Pingree received 5.617 
 votes to 3.899 for Whiting, D., 76 for Cheever, 
 Prohi., and 24 for Hasseler. Soc. Labor. As 
 secretary of the Republican County Committee, 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 117 
 
 tlie writer was in tlic thick of tliis friendly Init 
 spirited fray. Bay sent almost the entire Re- 
 publican county ticket into office, and for the 
 first time in many years the judge of pro- 
 bate, county treasurer, county clerk, circuit 
 court commissioner, Representati\-es and Sena- 
 tor were of that faith. 
 
 The election of 1900 was chiefly remarka- 
 ble in demonstrating that the change of senti- 
 ment in Bay was permanent, for President 
 William ilcKinley carried the county by 6.462 
 votes, to 5,081 for Bryan, D., and 233 for John 
 G. W'oolley, Prohi., and 23 for Eugene Debs, 
 Soc. Lab. Gov. Aaron T. Bliss, of Saginaw, 
 received 5,896 votes, to 5,907 for Maybury, D., 
 in 1900: and in 1902 he received 3,824 to 4,223 
 for L. T. Durand, D. The old rivalry between 
 the cities of the Saginaw Valley had brought 
 Bay County into the 1900 convention at Grand 
 Rapids for Justus S. Stearns, of Ludington, 
 and undoubtedly contributed to the adverse 
 vote for the up-river resident at Ixjth these 
 elections. It may be interesting to future gen- 
 erations to know the political division in the 
 several townships and wards of Bay County, as 
 shown in this table giving the vote for Gover- 
 nor in the election of 1900, and the population 
 for the different civil divisions, according to the 
 I'. S. Census of that year: 
 
 Population Aaron T. Lorenzo 
 
 1900. Bliss, T. Durand, 
 
 Republican. Democrat. 
 
 Bangor township 1,195 I33 83 
 
 Beaver township i,S.19 136 102 
 
 Frankenlust township ....1,395 78 135 
 
 Fraser township 1,656 180 gg 
 
 Garfield township 555 106 20 
 
 Gibson township 761 92 34 
 
 Hampton township 3.319 261 344 
 
 Kawkawlin township 1,864 163 140 
 
 Merritt township 1,562 121 122 
 
 Monitor township 2,150 145 193 
 
 Mount Forest township . . . 350 65 33 
 
 Pinconning township 2,104 196 147 
 
 Portsmouth township 1,363 129 85 
 
 Williams township 1,818 193 143 
 
 Bay City 27,628 2,522 3,067 
 
 1st Ward 3,213 280 412 
 
 2d Ward 1,304 223 ' 184 
 
 3d Ward 1,265 159 125 
 
 4th Ward 3.529 350 362 
 
 5th Ward 2,533 224 29S 
 
 6th Ward 1,943 160 217 
 
 7th Ward 1,318 172 129 
 
 8th Ward 6,492 280 728 
 
 gth Ward 1,458 227 144 
 
 loth Ward 1,933 129 265 
 
 inh Ward 2,640 318 203 
 
 West Bay City 13,1 '9 1,376 1,160 
 
 1st Ward 2,025 191 212 
 
 2d Ward 3,396 283 337 
 
 3d Ward 1,475 1/6 I59 
 
 4th Ward 2,477 287 190 
 
 5th Ward 2.008 216 143 
 
 6th Ward 1,738 223 119 
 
 Total for County. 62,378 5,896 5.907 
 
 The Prohibition, Socialist and Socialist La- 
 bor parties polled 264, 13 and 49 votes, respect- 
 ively, making the total vote of the county 
 12,129. 
 
 In the general election of November, 1904. 
 record-breaking in its results. President Theo- 
 dore Roosevelt carried the county by the largest 
 majority in its history, receiving 7,615 votes to 
 3,095 for Parker, D. The Prohibitionists 
 polled 245 ; Socialists, 76 ; Social Labor party, 
 53 ; and People's party, 23. The Republican 
 candidate for Governor, Fred M. Warner, 
 polled 5.777 votes to 4,939 cast for Wood- 
 bridge N. Ferris, D. ; 220 for James M. Shack- 
 leton, Phohi. ; 63 for Clayton J. Lamb, Soc. ; 
 and ^y for Meeko Meyer, Soc. Labor. The 
 other candidates for State offices on the Repub- 
 lican ticket ran far ahead of Governor Warner, 
 in most cases receiving twice as many votes as 
 their Democratic opponents. 
 
 i8th Judicial Circuit. — One of the hottest 
 fought elections for judicial honors was fought 
 out on April 3, 1899, with the following re- 
 sults: Judge Theodore F. Shepard, R., 4,571 ; 
 Hon. Archibald McDonell, D., 3,315; Ex- 
 
ii8 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Judge Andrew Maxwell, Independent, 1,751. 
 The term of office is for six years. At the 
 April election, 1905, Chester L. Collins, R., and 
 Edward E. Anneke, D., are the contestants. 
 
 Bay County has for years taken a promi- 
 nent part in the councils of the State. From 
 the very organization of the county to this day, 
 some of our ablest citizens have given freely 
 of their time and experience to the service of the 
 State, while still others have served in the halls 
 of state at Lansing. 
 
 On March 31, 1871, Hon. James Shearer 
 was appointed one of the three building 
 commissioners who planned and superin- 
 tended the construction of the magnifi- 
 cent Capitol of Michigan at Lansing. 
 Hon. James Birney represented Bay County 
 at the constitutional convention at Lan- 
 sing, May 15 to August 22, 1867, and Hon. 
 Herschel H. Hatch attended a similar conven- 
 tion, representing Bay County, August 27 to 
 October 16, 1873. William A. Bryce of Bay 
 was Secretary of the State Senate, 1863-4. 
 
 The State Senators from Bay have been : 
 James Birney, 1859; Nathan B. Bradley, 1867; 
 Harrison H. Wheeler, 1871-73; John D. 
 Lewis, 1874; Charles Frost Gibson, 1881-82; 
 Daniel Campbell, 1883; Columbus V. Tyler, 
 1878-79 and 1889; Mendel J. Bialy, 1895; 
 Frank L. ^^'estover, 1901-04; A. O. Heine, 
 1905. 
 
 The representatives from Bay have been : 
 Henry Raymond, 1859; Theophilus C. Grier, 
 1867; Luther Westover, 1869; Isaac Marston, 
 1872 ; George Lewis, 1873-74; Nathan Knight, 
 1877-79; Andrew Walton, 1879; Gen. B. F. 
 Partridge, 1881-83; George P. Cobb, 1881-82; 
 James A. VanKleeck, 1883; Hamilton M. 
 Wright, 1883-85; Martin W. Brock, 1887; 
 James A. Green, 1887; John Briske, 1889; 
 Alexander Zagelmeyer, 1889; Birdsey Knight, 
 1891 and 1894; Christopher Mohr, 1893 ; John 
 
 H. Holmes, 1893; Sam. K. Bradford, 1895; 
 John Donovan, 1895-99. (Mr. Donovan was 
 "The Only Democrat" in the Legislature of 
 1897, and was known far and wide as "Dono- 
 van of Bay," and "Mr. Donovan, the Demo- 
 cratic Party in the Legislature." He voted 
 often with the opposition, making meritorious 
 legislation unanimovis, but as often fought 
 stoutly, solitary and alone, for the things he 
 deemed right. He was the nominee of his par- 
 ty for Secretary of State in 1902, and received 
 a flattering vote from his neighbors in Bay 
 County.) George L. Lusk, 1897-1900; John 
 Washer, 1897-98 and 1903; G. W. Willis 
 1901 ; Michael Riegel, 1901 ; John E. Bonser, 
 1901 ; Clarence L. Sheldon, 1903-04; J. E. 
 Brockway, 1905 ; Adam Walker, 1905. New- 
 comb Clark, 1883-86, was Speaker of the 
 House, 1885-86. 
 
 The following State appointees have hailed 
 from Bay : Commissioner of insurance, — Col. 
 Henry S. Raymond, 1885-91, and William E. 
 Magill, 1891-93; State salt inspector, Jabez B. 
 Caswell, 1897-01 ; deputy State game warden, 
 Theo. Trudell, 1900-06; deputy State labor 
 commissioner, Richard H. Fletcher, 1905-08. 
 
 The following residents of Bay have been 
 elected or appointed to high official positions 
 in Michigan : Lieutenant-Governor, Hon. 
 James Birney, 1861 ; Auditor Generals, — Emil 
 Anneke, 1863-66, and Henry H. Aplin, 1887- 
 91 ; State land commissioner, Gen. Benjamin 
 F. Partridge, 1877-78; Attorney-General, 
 Isaac Marston, 1874; regent of the University 
 of Michigan, James Shearer, 1880; brigade 
 commander. Michigan National Guard, Gen. 
 Charles R. Hawley, 1894-96; Members of 
 State boards from 1902 to 1904: State Med- 
 ical Board, Dr. Hemy B. Landon ; State Den- 
 tal Board, Dr. Frank O. Gilbert; State Agri- 
 cultural College, Thomas Frank Marston ; In- 
 dustrial Home for Girls, i\Irs. May Stocking 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 119 
 
 Knaggs ; Michigan Home for Feeble Minded, 
 Dr. N. R. Gilbert; Michigan State Agricultur- 
 al Society, Eugene Eifield (president 1904- 
 05) and W. E. Boyden ; Michigan Department 
 Commandery, G. A. R., 1901, James Van- 
 Kleeck; aide-de-camp, 1903-04, Maj. L. G. 
 Willcox; State Homeopathic Society, Dr. 
 James H. Ball (general secretary 1903-05) ; 
 State Teachers' Association, E. D. Palmer 
 (secretary, 1903-05) ; Michigan Woman's 
 Press Association, Mrs. Martha S. Root (vice- 
 president, 1902-03), (deceased 1903) ; Republi- 
 can State Central Committee, Dr. N. R. Gil- 
 bert, 1904, and Devere Hall, 1905 ; Democratic 
 State Central Committee, John E. Kinnane, 
 1904-05 ; Prohibitionist State Central Com- 
 mittee, Lewis R. Russell, 1904-05. 
 
 The following residents of Bay County 
 have been honored as presidential electors : 
 Seth McLean, 1884; Harry P. Merrill, 1888; 
 Worthy L. Churchill, 1892; Major Lyman G. 
 Willcox, 1900 (elector-at-large) ; Maj. E. B. 
 Nugent, 1900; Homer E. Buck (elector-at- 
 large) 1904; Edgar B. Foss (messenger to de- 
 liver the electoral vote of Michigan to Presi- 
 dent Roosevelt at Washington), 1904-05. 
 
 The following residents of Bay County 
 have been elected Representatives in Congress : 
 Hon. Nathan B. Bradley, 1875-77; Hon. Her- 
 schel H. Hatch, 1883-84; Hon. Spencer O. 
 Fisher, 1885-88; Hon. Frank W. Wheeler, 
 1889-90; Hon. Thomas A. E. Weadock, 1891- 
 94; Hon. Rousseau O. Crump, 1895-1902 (de- 
 ceased May I, 1901) ; Hon. Henry H. Aplin, 
 1901-02. For the first time since the organ- 
 ization of the loth Congressional District, as 
 now constituted. Bay County has not the hon- 
 or of having the Representative, Flon. George 
 A. Loud, 1903-06, hailing from Au Sable, 
 Iosco County. 
 
 Bay County has two prosperous building 
 
 and loan associations. The J^Iutual Building 
 and Loan Association of Bay County was in- 
 corporated in 1890, with a capital of $2,000,- 
 000; the following are the officers : President, 
 Henry LI. Norrington ; secretary, Thomas E. 
 Webster; treasurer, Charles R. Hawley. The 
 Savings, Building and Loan Association of 
 Bay County \Vas incorporated in 1887, with a 
 capital of $1,000,000. The officers are : Presi- 
 dent, Henry B. Smith; secretary, Allen G. 
 Plum; treasurer, M. M. Andrews. 
 
 Every township in Bay County is now 
 reached by rural free delivery, the fine road 
 system and well-distributed population mak- 
 ing the laying out of routes easy for the Fed- 
 eral officials. The post offices of the townships 
 are being continued as heretofore, only five be- 
 ing discontinued when the rural service went 
 into effect. The post offices are: Arn, Au- 
 burn, Bay Side, Bentley, Bertie. Crump. Cum- 
 mings. Duel, Essexville, Garfield, Glover, Ham- 
 blen, Kawkawlin, Laredo, Lengsville, Lin- 
 wood, Loehne, Michie, Monitor, Mount For- 
 est, Munger, North Williams, Pinconning, Te- 
 bo, Upsala and Willard. 
 
 The roster of county officials since the or- 
 ganization is as follows : 
 
 Judges of Probate. — Sydney S. Campbell, 
 1858-66; Herschel H. Hatch, 1867-70; J. W. 
 McMath, 1871-74; John Hyde, 1875-78; 
 Thomas E. Webster, 1879-87; Hamilton M. 
 Wright, 1888-99; Griffith H. Francis, 1900-05. 
 
 Sheriffs. — William Simon, 1858; B. F. Par- 
 tridge, 1858; Nathaniel Whittemore, 1859; 
 Jonathan S. Barclay, 1860-61; R. H. Weid- 
 man, 1862-63; Patrick J. Perrott, 1864-65; 
 John G. Sweeney, 1866-67; Patrick J. Perrott, 
 1868-69; Myron Bunnell, 1870-73; Martin W. 
 Brock, 1874-77; George Washington, 1878- 
 81 ; Charles F. Marsac, 1882-84: Martin Bren- 
 nan, 1885; Benson Conklin, 1886-89; Henry 
 
I20 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Gunterman, 1890-93; Alexander Sutheiiand, 
 1894-95; Henry Gunterman, 1896-99; Henry 
 Kinney, 1900-03; John Hartley, 1904-05. 
 
 County Treasurers. — James Watson, 1858- 
 61; Algernon S. Hunger, 1862-67; Curtis 
 Mnnger, 1868-71; Charles Snpe, 1872-73; W. 
 H. Fennell, 1874-75; Jacob Knoblauch, 1876- 
 "/y. James A. McKnight, 1878-79; Charles 
 Babe. 1880-81; William E. Magill, 1882-83; 
 Charles Babe, 18S4-85: William E. Magill, 
 1886-89; W. V. Prybeski, 1890-93; Michael 
 Riegel, 1894-97: Charles J. Smith, 1898-1901 ; 
 Alexander Zagelmeyer, 1902-05. 
 
 County Clerks. — Elijah Catlin, 1858; 
 Thomas W. Lyon, 1859; Scott W. Sayles, 
 1860-61; Nathaniel \Miittemore, 1862-65; 
 Harrison H. Wheeler, 1866-67; H. A. 
 Braddock, 1868-75; William M. Kelley, 1876- 
 83; Wiliam Gaffney, 1884-89; George Reilley, 
 1890-93; Frank L. Westover, 1894-97; Lud- 
 wig Daniels, 1 898-1 901 ; John G. Buchanan, 
 1902-03; Warren D. Richardson, 1904-05. 
 
 Registers of Deeds. — Thomas M. Bligh, 
 1858-59; F. A. Martin, 1860-61 ; August Kai- 
 ser, 1862-63; Bernard Wittauer, 1864-67; T. 
 A. Delzell, 1868-71 ; H. M. Hemstreet, 1872- 
 yy: A\'illiam G. Beard, 1878-79; William G. 
 McMath. 1880-81 ; William G. Beard, 1882- 
 83; John Savage, Jr., 1884-87; W. A. Petta- 
 piece, 1888-91 ; Henry Fenton, 1892-93; Lewis 
 Anders, 1894-97; John Boston, 1898-99; 
 George E. Wedthoff, 1900-05. 
 
 Prosecuting Attorneys. — Chester H. Free- 
 man. 1858-59; Theophilus C. Grier, 1860-61; 
 Lutlier Beckwith, 1862-65; Isaac Marston, 
 1866-69; C. H. Dennison, 1870-71 ; Theron F. 
 Shepard, 1872-73; G. M. Wilson. 1874-77; 
 Alfred P. Lyon. 1878-81 ; Henry Lindner, 
 1882-83; John E. Simonson, 18S4-85; James 
 A.VanKleeck. 1886-87; Curtis E. Pierce. 1888- 
 91; Lee E. Joslyn, 1892-93; I. A. Gilbert, 
 
 1894-97; Edward E. Anneke, 1898-1903; 
 Erakie J. Orr, 1904-05. 
 
 The county ot'iicers for 1905 are as follows : 
 Circuit judge, Theodore F. Shepard; judge of 
 probate, Griffith H. Francis; sheriff, John 
 Hartley; county clerk, Warren D. Richardson; 
 cnunty treasurer, Alexander Zagelmeyer; reg- 
 ister of deeds, George E. Wedthoff; prosecut- 
 ing attorney, Brakie J. Orr; circuit court com- 
 missioners, — Wilkie A. Collins and George Roy 
 Fox ; coroners, — Fred C. Van Tuyl and Fred 
 Lah'rance; county school commissioner, John B. 
 Laing; county surveyor, G. Edwin Turner; 
 county agent, William Grandy ; county road 
 commissioners, — Fred A. Kaiser, Hugh Camp- 
 bell, George L. Frank, William Houser. Frank 
 Kusmierz and Gustav Hine; county poor su- 
 pureintendents. — Charles Anderson, August 
 Aleisel and William Maxson; drain commis- 
 sioner, John G. Weggel. 
 
 The Bay County Board of Supervisors for 
 1904 was constituted as follows : 
 
 Names. Tozi.'nshil>s and Wards. 
 
 Stewart M. Powrie Bangor 
 
 William Peoples Beaver 
 
 John J. DeYoung Frankenlust 
 
 Henry B. Lints Eraser 
 
 William H. Reid Garfield 
 
 Ezra Truax Gibson 
 
 Birdsey Knight Hampton 
 
 Peter Bressette Kawkawlin 
 
 C. A. Howell Merritt 
 
 Henry ^loeller Monitor 
 
 John Anderson Monnt Forest 
 
 George Hartingh Pinconning 
 
 William Wagner Portsmonth 
 
 Linus W. Oviatt Williams 
 
 Bay City. 
 
 John C. Bacon First Ward 
 
 Lorenz Weber Second Ward 
 
 Daniel M. Pierce Third Ward 
 
 Franklin M. Olmstead Fourth Ward 
 
 John Combs Fifth Ward 
 
 Frank Hewitt Si.xth Ward 
 
 Charles Schuessler Seventh Ward 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 121 
 
 Anthony Wyrj'bske Eighth Ward 
 
 Louis C. Garrison Ninth Ward 
 
 Warren Curley Tenth Ward 
 
 Henry Fehrenbach Eleventh Ward 
 
 Frank T. Woodworth Mayor, Bay City 
 
 Thomas W. Moore Comptroller, Bay City 
 
 Brakie J. Orr City Attorney, Bay City 
 
 West Bay City. 
 Patrick Lourim First Ward 
 
 J. H. Little Second Ward 
 
 Frank H. Davis Third Ward 
 
 Joseph E. Logan Fourth Ward 
 
 August Jonas Fifth Ward 
 
 S. R. Birchard Sixth Ward 
 
 George M. Staudacher Comptroller, West Bay City 
 
 William E. Magill Treasurer, West Bay City 
 
 John M. Roy City Clerk, West Bay City 
 
 John R. Cotter President, EssexviUe 
 
 Edward Jennings President, Pinconning 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 CREATION AND GROWTH OF THE CITIES. TOWNSHIPS AND VILLAGES 
 
 OF THE COUNTY 
 
 Incorporation and Growth of the Village of Bay City^ the Successor of Lower 
 Saginaw and ' Portsmouth Village — Chartered as a City — Roster of City Of- 
 ficials — History of the Villages of Banks, Salzburg and Wenona and of 
 Their Successor, West Bay City — Roster of Village and City Officials — The 
 Townships of the County with Historical, Geographical and Census Data — 
 The Villages of Essexville, Kawkawlin, Pinconning, Auburn and "Iceburg, 
 U. S. A." 
 
 Having brought the available data of Bay 
 County down to the present day, we must turn 
 back to the pages of time, and review the in- 
 ward development of the units comprising the 
 county, — the townships, with their thriving 
 little villages, and, above all, the twin cities, 
 which until this year of grace, 1905, have been 
 compelled by circumstances to live together in 
 constant social intercourse, in joint business 
 pursuits and transactions, one community of 
 interests save that of political unity. It is well 
 in this first year of the united cities, in the year 
 which will ever be commemorated and blessed 
 as the birth-year of Greater Bay City, to review 
 the creation, growth and organization of the 
 little hamlets and frontier cities, which first 
 formed the nucleus of the metropolis of North- 
 ern Michigan. 
 
 BAY city. 
 
 The new life and energy and impetus given 
 the river bottom settlements by the securing of 
 
 the new county seat, in 1858, brought with it 
 rosy visions of a mighty city, and the residents 
 of Bay City at once planned to incorporate their 
 village. The disappointed ones from Saginaw 
 and Midland counties had their hammers out 
 for Bay, and the anvil chorus was working 
 overtime. But at the winter session of the 
 Legislature, in 1859, Bay City was duly incor- 
 porated. In the 46 years since that incorpora- 
 tion the growth and development of that ambi- 
 tious little village, on the border of an almost 
 unknown wilderness in 1859, have surpassed 
 the fondest hopes and expectations of its incor- 
 porators. Years after, when the new City Hall 
 with its imposing high tower was being con- 
 structed, that veteran pioneer, Judg'e Sydney 
 S. Campbell was taken to its cupola, and shown 
 the beautiful panorama of the now beautiful 
 city. The sight seemed to bewilder the sage 
 pioneer. All he could say was : "Wonderful, 
 wonderful," and "Who would have thought it 1" 
 When the village of Bay City was incor- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 123 
 
 porated, it had probably 700 inhabitants. It 
 was still a crude, booming, frontier lumber 
 manufacturing settlement. The river front for 
 some miles on the east shore was cleared of 
 timber, the clearing extending back as far as 
 Washington avenue. Most of the homes of the 
 settlers stood in these clearings, with stumps 
 all about, and the village could lay no claim 
 to pastoral beauty. The place had ample school 
 accommodations for the rising generation, 
 Judge Birney, Dr. Fitzhugh, James Eraser and 
 Judge Miller of the neighboring town of Ports- 
 mouth doing much for the settlers' education. 
 The spiritual welfare of the pioneers was not 
 neglected, and even the Indians had their own 
 place of worship at this time on the banks of 
 the Kawkawlin. The lumber industry fur- 
 nished employment to the community, and 
 offered ever greater opportunities for the 
 owners and operators of sawmills. The seem- 
 ingly inexhaustible supply of pine and other 
 tiinber, and the constantly increasing demand 
 for manufactured lumber brought new saw- 
 mills at ever shortening intervals. The fishing 
 industry also furnished employment to many 
 hardy fishermen, and fish formed one of the 
 most important exports of the village. So busy 
 were the pioneers with the cutting down and 
 sawing of the pine trees, and the catching of 
 the finny tribes in Saginaw bay and river, that 
 farming was attempted only in isolated cases, 
 and the fertile soil had to wait for future gen- 
 erations to reap the bounteous harvests which 
 bless this valley, season after season. There 
 was easy and ready money in lumber, and pine 
 could be secured for a song. It was only after 
 the pine trees had fallen under the a.xes of the 
 picturesque backwoodsmen, and been devoured 
 by the insatiable maw of many saws, that the 
 virgin soil received the attention it merited. 
 But for all that the village was highly prosper- 
 
 ous. Wages were high, and living commodi- 
 ties were still simple and reasonable. 
 
 The boundaries of the new village, as it 
 was incorporated, included all of the original 
 plat of Bay City, and the territory originally 
 in Portsmouth, extending from Columbus ave- 
 nue to Lafayette avenue, which formed the 
 section line. This was an error, for the lines 
 of Portsmouth were then drawn along 24th 
 street, and this block was for a time without 
 both the municipal lines. At a later session of 
 the Legislature this error was corrected by 
 making the southern line of the village of Bay 
 City extend to 24th street. 
 
 The first village election was held in the 
 Birney Hall on Water street. May 2, 1859. 
 Calvin C. C. Chilson and Dr. Louis Fuchsius 
 were judges at the polls, and Albert Wedhoff 
 was clerk. There were cast at this election 155 
 votes, of which Curtis Munger, merchant, re- 
 ceived 92 votes for the office of president, 
 against 63 cast for George Lord and Jonathan 
 S. Barclay. Charles Atwood was elected re- 
 corder, John F. Cottrell was elected treasurer, 
 while the trustees chosen were Albert Miller, 
 James J. McCormick, Henry W. Jennison, 
 Israel Catlin, Henry M. Bradley and Harmon 
 A. Chamberlin. 
 
 The first meeting of the trustees was held 
 in a room over the store of Jennison Brothers, 
 located on what is now Water street and Fifth 
 avenue, and wdiere, oddly enough, 46 years 
 later we find the Jennison hardware store, with 
 its great business managed by the descendants 
 of those early pioneers. The trustees did little 
 more than organize on May 5, 1859. but at 
 another meeting, held May 2 2, 1859, they com- 
 pleted the government of the village by appoint- 
 ing John A. Weed, village marshal ; Henry M. 
 Bradley, street commissioner, while the asses- 
 sors named were Algernon S. Munger and 
 
124 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 William Daglish. Evidently things politic 
 were managed somewhat differently during 
 those early years, than they are in this year 
 of grace, 1905. The gentlemen named for 
 assessors not only did not seek the honor, but 
 felt that their private affairs did not allow them 
 to do justice to the public duties. Consequently 
 the village trustees appointed in their stead A. 
 G. Sinclair and Charles D. Fisher. But Mr. 
 Sinclair was equally scrupulous in the matter, 
 and Col. Henry Raymond was chosen on June 
 6, 1859. 
 
 ' One of the first official acts of the trustees 
 'was the ordering of board walks on Washing- 
 ton avenue from First to Tenth streets, and the 
 opening of Jefferson street and Madison ave- 
 nue, north of Center avenue. On June 3, 
 1859, Hon. James Birney was appointed attor- 
 ney for the village at a salary of $75 per year! 
 On June 27, 1859, a general tax for village 
 purposes of $1,047 was certified to by the asses- 
 sors, and they also levied a highway tax of 
 one-half of one per cent. The efficient fire de- 
 partment of this community had its inception 
 on December 19, 1859, when Israel Catlin, 
 Henry M. Bradley and Harmon A. Chamber- 
 lin were appointed a committee on fire protec- 
 tion : on January 4, i860, they were authorized 
 to rent a sufficient amount of leather hose for 
 use until spring, and they also procured a tri- 
 angle for the hose house. 
 
 The first year of the village was rich with 
 promise of future greatness and development. 
 The government census showed a population 
 of 810 in Bay City, and 3,164 in Bay County. 
 Saginaw County, even after losing Bay two 
 years previous, had 12,693 people. This first 
 year of Bay City as an incorporated community 
 was marked by a large increase in population, 
 and new impetus in the financial and social 
 conditions. The first salt-well was sunk in 
 
 i860, the lumber industry assumed larger pro- 
 portions, and a few enterprising farmers pro- 
 ceeded to carve farms out of the wilderness of 
 swamp and pine stumpage. The pioneers felt 
 the need of better connection with the outside 
 world, and about 1 1 miles of the plank road 
 toward Tuscola County had been built before 
 snow came that fall, and naturally the earliest 
 farms were situated largely on this important 
 highway. It has ever since been known as the 
 Tuscola road. It was for. years a toll road, and 
 toll houses were doing business there during 
 the first drive the writer took over its well- 
 worn surface in 18S2. 
 
 A roster of the village ofBcers reads as fol- 
 lows: 1861 : W. L. Fay, president; Sydney S. 
 Campbell, recorder; B. Whittauer, treasurer. 
 1862: James Watson, president; J. L. Mon- 
 roe, recorder; August Kaiser, treasurer. 1863: 
 Curtis Munger, president; Nathaniel Whitte- 
 more, recorder; C. Scheurman, treasurer. 
 1864: Curtis Munger, president; Nathaniel 
 Whittemore, recorder; C. Scheurman, treas- 
 urer. 1865: Jule B. Hart, president; P. S. 
 Hiesordt, recorder; Ernst Frank, treasurer. 
 
 In January, 1865, the village showed a 
 population of 3,359, and the Legislature was 
 asked to give the community a city charter, 
 which was granted. 
 
 On the first Monday in April, 1865, the 
 city of Bay City perfected its organization, by 
 electing a full set of city officials, including 
 aldermen for the three wards into which the 
 ambitious settlement had been divided. The 
 pioneers of that city of a little more than three 
 thousand souls, hardly foresaw that in the 
 course of events, just 40 years later, at the 
 election on the first Monday in April, 1905, 
 this city of Bay City would be united in wed- 
 lock to the equally healthy and beautiful city 
 across the river, and that the familv thus united 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 12 = 
 
 would bring over 41,000 people within the 
 boundaries of the new and greater city of Bay 
 City. 
 
 At the time Bay City was chartered, the 
 site of future West Bay City was a beautiful 
 grove of oaks and stately pines. The little 
 elevation extending hack from the river was a 
 favorite camping ground of the wandering In- 
 dians, and their bark and hide wigwams gave 
 the western landscape a pretty and picturesque 
 setting, as viewed from Bay City. But there 
 was little evidence of the rapid development in 
 store for that side of the river in the years 
 to come. There was a settlement near the 
 mouth of the river, which in 1865 became 
 Banks, and an equally ambitious burg opposite 
 Portsmouth fostered by Dr. Daniel Hughes 
 Fitzhugh, which was called Salzburg by its 
 German pioneers, a name which is still all its 
 own. Since the years of agitation about unit- 
 ing all these scattered and yet connected little 
 communities under one head, the people hav§ 
 often expressed wonder why they were not all 
 included in the charter provisions of Bay City 
 as originally drawn by the Legislature in 1865. 
 But in view of the foregoing it will be appar- 
 ent, that there was really nothing but virgin 
 forest and a few roving Indians to take in at 
 that time on the west bank of the river. In 
 1864, H. W. Sage began the erection of his 
 "Big Mill" directly across from the heart of 
 Bay City, and workingmen were hurrying to 
 the new lumber El Dorado, but it was not until 
 May, 1866, that the village of Winona was in- 
 corporated. Hence Bay City did not take in 
 anything originally, except the central portion 
 of what is now included in the corporate city 
 limits. 
 
 The first election of city offices in Bay City 
 resulted as follows : Hon. Nathan B. Brad- 
 ley, mayor; William T. Kennedy, recorder; 
 Ernst Frank, treasurer. In this year of grace. 
 
 1905, Hon. Nathan B. Bradley is still with us, 
 the same public-spirited, enterprising, beloved 
 and esteemed citizen, that he was just 40 years 
 ago ! It is a rare anniversary in the life of a 
 comnuinity and in the career of a public offi- 
 cial. And during all those 40 years our "First 
 Mayor" has been indefatigable in the work of 
 building up these communities, and in blessing 
 its inhaljitants. He is to-day the "Grand Old 
 Man" of our city's surviving pioneers, just as 
 Hon. James G. Birney w'as the "Grand Old 
 Man" of the pioneer days of our county. Nor 
 is Mr. Bradley alone in celebrating this anni- 
 versary, for the first city treasurer of Bay City, 
 Ernst Frank, is still actively engaged in his 
 business pursuits, occupying a suite of offices 
 in the Crapo Block, from whose lofty pinnacle 
 can be gained a fine view of the new greater 
 city, so far ahead of anything the first officials 
 of our city perceived even in their fondest 
 dreams. Both of these veteran officials and 
 sterling citizens held many offices of trust and 
 responsibility in the years following the incor- 
 poration of our city, and contributed much to 
 the de\-elopment of the city and county. 
 
 The first Board of Aldermen was as fol- 
 lows : First ^\'ard : George W. Hotchkiss and 
 Jerome B. Sweet ; Second Ward : Alexander 
 M. Johnson and Jeffrie R. Thomas; Third 
 Ward ; James Watson and Herschel H. Hatch. 
 Hon. Herschel H. Hatch is in 1905 a resident 
 of Detroit, and one of Michigan's most distin- 
 guished lawyers. He, too, filled many places 
 of trust and responsibility in this city, county, 
 district and State, and lives to enjoy the 40th 
 anniversary of the birthday of this city, and of 
 his entry upon its public duties. On April 11, 
 1865, these councilmen fixed the bond of the 
 treasurer at $3,000, and appointed Thomas 
 Carney, Sr., street commissioner; Theophilus 
 C. Grier, city attorney ; C. Feige, city marshal : 
 and Andrew Huggins. city surveyor. 
 
126 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 One of the first requirements of this bust- 
 ling Httle "sawdust" town was more ample fire 
 protection, and at a special election held the 
 first Monday in September, 1865, the people 
 voted in favor of purchasing a steam fire- 
 engine. Accordingly on September 30th the 
 aldermen ordered the sum of $4,997.47 spread 
 on the city tax-rolls for the ensuing year, and 
 by resolution, adopted November 18, 1865, the 
 new "Silsby" fire-engine was duly accepted. 
 The valuation of the city's property during the 
 first year of its existence was placed at 
 $633,000. 
 
 Hon. Nathan B. Bradley came to Bay City 
 in 1858, engaging in the lumber business, in 
 which he has ever since been more or less in- 
 terested to this day. He was one of the first 
 lumber manufacturers to add the making of 
 salt to his sawmill plant, using the refuse as 
 fuel for the salt plant. In 1865, with that fore- 
 sight which has ever made him the foremost 
 citizen in all public enterprises in Bay City, 
 he interested others with himself and applied 
 for and secured a cliarter for building a street 
 railway in the new lumber town ! Verily things 
 were moving fast! Only seven years before, 
 the supervisor from Portsmouth had to come 
 down in a canoe, because the Indian trail and 
 river road were both difficult and uncertain as a 
 means of reaching the heart of the settlement, 
 and now these settlers already have metropoli- 
 tan ideas and want an up-to-date street car serv- 
 ice! It is also to be noted in passing, that those 
 sturdy pioneers did not enter any protest 
 against giving away valuable franchises, about 
 bartering away the people's rights without ade- 
 quate return, such as have become the fashion 
 of these latter days. In 1865 the residents of 
 this booming lumber town \\'elcomed the pros- 
 pect of rapid and easy transportation, such as 
 the horse cars furnished all over the country 
 at that time. Mr. Bradlev was the secretary- 
 
 treasurer and one of the managing directors 
 for many years of the local street railway sys- 
 tem. He served this growing community with 
 eminent distinction in the State Senate, 1866- 
 67, and in 1872 was elected to the 43rd Con- 
 gress. He served on the committee of public 
 lands, doing much to develop the interior of 
 ?ilichigan, which then contained much of the 
 country's public lands. He also secured large 
 appropriations for dredging the Saginaw River 
 and the harbors of his district, making them 
 navigable for lake boats of the deepest draught, 
 both of which measures were of vital import- 
 ance to the commercial development of this 
 city and county. The first mayor of Bay City 
 stood like a stone-wall in defense of the elec- 
 toral bill in the 44th Congress, believing it the 
 only peaceful solution of the all important 
 question. During all the 40 years since Mr. 
 Bradley first guided the public affairs of the 
 growing city, he has been conspicuous in every 
 discussion of important public questions. He 
 has presided at many city, county and district 
 conventions, and there has not been an import- 
 ant political campaign during that long period 
 that has not found him fighting in the very van 
 for the principles he holds dear. Yet the love 
 and esteem in which he is held by the entire 
 community attest the fact, that he has never 
 stooped to the guerrilla tactics, so common in 
 partisan warfare during the heat of political 
 campaigns. He has set the good example of 
 placing his citizenship first ! Partisan consider- 
 ations come thereafter. Hence while his neigh- 
 bors might dift'er with him on questions of 
 national economy and the particular manner 
 of conducting our national affairs, yet they 
 were, after all, his fellow-citizens, whom he 
 knew to be as honest, as earnest and as sincere 
 as he was himself. 
 
 The writer has no apology to offer for this 
 transgression upon the tide of events in the 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 127 
 
 city and county. For the first mayor of Bay 
 City is to-day such a bright and Hving example 
 of all that is noble, progressive, charitable, 
 forceful and worthy of emulation by coming 
 generations, that the pause in the narration of 
 municipal events is really but an indicator of 
 one of the leading factors in their consumma- 
 tion. It is usually easy enough to carry on a 
 city government that has been well organized 
 and properly started, and hence more import- 
 ance attaches to the charter organization than 
 to subsequent administrations, that had the 
 benefit of the experience of the earlier officials. 
 The esteem in which the first officials of Bay 
 City were held, and the ability with which they 
 served their young constituency, is best attested 
 by the many honors subsequently conferred on 
 Mayor Nathan B. Bradley and on City Treas- 
 urer Ernst Frank, who served continuously 
 until April, 1869, and again in later years, and 
 on Recorder W. T. Kenned}-, who served until 
 April, 1867. 
 
 The roster of city officials from that day 
 to this includes many prominent names in the 
 annals of the city, men who stood high in the 
 business world, and others who stood equally 
 high in their chosen professions. Here is the 
 list of the successors of the first officials : 
 
 Mayors. — ^James Watson, 1866-67; W. L. 
 Fay, 1868; James J. McCormick, 1869; Alger- 
 non S. Munger, 1870; G. H. Van Etten, 1871 ; 
 Appleton Stevens, 1872-75; Archibald Mc- 
 Donell, 1876-77; George Lord, 1878; John H. 
 Wilkins, 1879-82; Hon. T. A. E. Weadock, 
 1883-84: George H. Shearer, 1885-87; Hon. 
 Hamilton :\I. Wright, 1888-89; Hon. George 
 D. Jackson. 1890-95; Hon. Hamilton M. 
 Wright, 1895-97; Alexander McEwan, 1897- 
 1901 ; Dr. William Cunningham, 1902-03; 
 Frank T. Woodworth, 1904-05. 
 
 Recorders. — Nathaniel Whittemore, 1868- 
 70; I. G. Warden, 1871-77; T. A. Delzell, 
 
 1878-85; James B. Barber, 1886-92; Octavius 
 A. Marsac, 1892- 1905. 
 
 Treasurers. — I. G. Warden, 1869; August 
 Kaiser, 1870; Lucien S. Coman, 1871-74; C. 
 S. Braddock, 1875-76; Charles Supe, 1877; E. 
 Wood, 1878; Jacob Knoblauch, 1879-80; Jo- 
 seph Cusson, 1881-82; Charles Babe, 1883-85; 
 William G. Beard, 1886-87; Albert Jeffrey, 
 1888-91 ; Ernst Frank, 1891-95 ; Ludwig Dan- 
 iels, 1895-99; H. A. Gustin, 1 899-1903; Ed- 
 ward E. Corliss, 1903-05. 
 
 Comptrollers. — R. McKinney, 1869; 
 George Lord, 1870-74; Patrick J. Perrott, 
 1875-76; W. H. Fennell, 1877-78; C. F. Bra- 
 man, 1879-89; Capt. William Keith, 1889-97; 
 G. F. Ambrose, 1897-1901 ; Thomas W. 
 Moore, 1901-05. 
 
 The present city ofificials are as follows : 
 Mayor, Frank T. Woodworth ; recorder, Oc- 
 tavius A. Marsac; treasurer, Edward E. Cor- 
 liss; comptroller, Thomas W. Moore; city at- 
 torney, Brakie J. Orr; city engineer, Capt. 
 George Turner; chief of the fire department, 
 Thomas K. Harding; chief of police, N. N. 
 Murphy; police justice, William M. Kelley; 
 street commissioner, Henry Fox; pound mas- 
 ters, — John Rowell, Sr., and Michael Dom- 
 browski ; librarian, Capt. Aaron J. Cooke ; 
 superintendent of water-works, E. L. Dunbar ; 
 superintendent of schools, Prof. John A. 
 Stewart. 
 
 WEST BAY CITY. 
 
 Banks. — In 185 1, Joseph Trombley, the 
 far-famed Indian trader and pioneer, had 25 
 acres of his large land holdings on the west 
 bank of the river, platted into village lots, 
 which Thomas Whitney, of Bangor, Maine, 
 who erected the first sawmill in that locality, 
 named in honor of his birthplace, Bangor. In 
 1865 "Uncle Sam" established a post office in 
 this little settlement, and finding another post 
 
128 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 office with the same name in Michigan, had it 
 changed to Banks, which 40 years later still 
 marks this enterprising portion of Greater Bay 
 City. The village of Banks in 1865 was sit- 
 uated on section 16, in the township of Bangor, 
 and had 350 inhabitants. 
 
 The village of Banks was incorporated by 
 act of the Legislature, April 15, 1871, and this 
 act was amended ?\Iarch 31, 1875, by extending 
 the boundaries, which then included "all of 
 Sections 15 and 16 lying north and west of 
 Saginaw River, and the east half of the south- 
 west quarter of Section 17, and all of said lands 
 being in town 14 north range 5 east are 
 made and constituted a village corporate by the 
 name and title of the village of Banks." 
 
 The first village president in 1871 was 
 Robert Leng, a prominent salt manufacturer. 
 Under the new charter, the recorder, treasurer, 
 and assessor were to be elected, instead of ap- 
 pointed, and this first election proved unusually 
 interesting. Fred W. Bradfield, now manager 
 of the Bay City Hardware Company, and still 
 a resident within the old corporate limits of 
 Banks, was elected president without opposi- 
 tion. Since most of the inhabitants were of 
 French extraction, the officials elected reflected 
 the predominant nationality. John B. Poirier 
 won out for recorder with 40 votes to spare, 
 Robert Leng was chosen assessor, with 53 
 majority, while Bernard Lourim, treasurer, 
 had no opposition. The trustees were Joseph 
 Trombley, John Brown and Peter Smith. The 
 village management was very public-spirited, 
 especially in the matter of public schools, the 
 improvement of roadways, and the securing of 
 new industries. In 1877, by act of the Legisla- 
 ture, Banks became a part of West Bay City. 
 
 Salzburg. — In 1862 Dr. Daniel Hughes 
 Fitzhugh platted a strip of land fronting on 
 
 the west bank of the river, and extending from 
 the Lafayette avenue bridge north to the sec- 
 tion line. The Laderach and other German 
 families had settled here in 1861, and as the 
 salt excitement ran high in the valley in those 
 years, they named the embryo village Salzburg, 
 after the ancient town of Salzburg in Austria. 
 The village was never incorporated, yet 
 fought vigorously against consolidation, to- 
 gether with its northern neighbor, W'enona 
 village, in 1875, \vhen the central division 
 sought to absorb the wings. In 1868 the post 
 office was established in the flourishing village, 
 and as Frankenlust and Monitor townships be- 
 came settled, and the population rapidly in- 
 creased, this office did a thriving business. In 
 1877, Salzburg became a part and parcel of 
 West Bay City, but the southern suburb of the 
 West Side will ever be known by the appropri- 
 ate name accorded the hamlet by the early 
 pioneers. 
 
 Wenona. — The beautiful grove of oaks 
 and pines extending along the little sand-ridge 
 above the river bank and river bottom, directly 
 opposite Portsmouth and Bay City, was a nat- 
 ural park, as beautiful and pleasing to the eye 
 as any park ever artistically laid out by the 
 hand of man. It was the favorite camping 
 eround of the Indians, and Indian trails led to 
 this picturesque park from all directions. It 
 was picked out by Henry W. Sage, capitalist 
 and lumberman of Ithaca, New York, during- 
 his first memorable visit here in 1847, as a very 
 likely location for a booming lumber town. 
 Yet the years rolled by and, while the less de- 
 sirable east side of the river grew and pros- 
 pered, "Jolly Jack" Hays in his lone cabin, the 
 man who operated the only ferry across the 
 river for years, and the Indians, who at all 
 seasons of the year returned to their favorite 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 129 
 
 camping- ground, were the only people who en- 
 joyed the many natural advantages offered b}' 
 this site. The trail through the woods to Mid- 
 land, 20 miles to the west, began here. On the 
 edge of the grove stood the little cottage of 
 George King, the second settler, and near by 
 was the little school house, wdiere the children 
 of Bangor township were taught, and wdiich 
 also was the town hall of the few scattered set- 
 tlers. 
 
 In 1862 Henry W. Sage proceeded to carry 
 out the plans for building a sawmill on this 
 promising site, which appeared to have waited 
 all these 16 years for the return of the master 
 mind that had so quickly grasped the advan- 
 tages which appealed to later arrivals appar- 
 ently in vain. After long and almost futile 
 negotiations for the desired site, then owned by 
 Dr. Daniel Hughes Fitzhugh and ]\Irs. Eliza- 
 beth P. Birney, who naturally desired to drive 
 a sharp bargain, the late James Eraser suc- 
 ceeded in harmonizing the differences, and the 
 great lumber firm of Sage, McGraw & Com- 
 pany transferred their activities from Lake 
 Simcoe, in Canada, to the site of future We- 
 nona, in 1863. They at once proceeded to 
 erect the largest sawmill in the world, and the 
 magnitude of the entrprise drew the attention, 
 not only of this country, but also of Europe, 
 to the shady groves of Wenona. 
 
 The little settlement gathering about the 
 mammoth mill grew with leaps and bounds. 
 The company at once laid out a village, selling 
 the lots, 200 by 50 feet in dimensions, for $200 
 each, and named it Lake City, but w-hen they 
 applied for a post office, it was found that an- 
 other village in Michigan had prior claims on 
 the name. The wives of Messrs. Sage and 
 McGraw then decided to call it Wenona, after 
 the lamented mother of Hiawatha, in the book 
 of Indian legends and traditions of that name. 
 
 written by Longfellow, and then at the height 
 of its popularity. 
 
 In May, 1866, the village of Wenona was 
 incorporated by the Board of Supervisors, 
 which described the village as lying in section 
 20, township 14 north, range 5 east. The first 
 election was ordered held on June i, 1866, at 
 the school house in Bangor township, and C. F. 
 Corbin, J. B. Ostrander and W. D. Chambers 
 were named as election inspectors. The fol- 
 lowing village officials were elected : President, 
 Maj. Xewcomb Clark; trustees, — John G. 
 Emery, William D. Chambers, Martin W. 
 Brock, Lafayette Roundsville and Marcellus 
 Faxon; clerk, Harrison H. Wheeler; treasurer, 
 David G. Arnold; marshal, Ainsworth T. Rus- 
 sell ; pound master, J. B. Ostrander ; assessors, 
 — John G. Sweeney and James A. McKnight; 
 street commissioners, — Wilson O. Craft, Hi- 
 ram C. Allard and Ainsworth T. Russell ; fire 
 wardens, — William Swart, Ainsworth T. Rus- 
 sell and John H. Burt. 
 
 In February, 1867, the Legislature granted 
 a charter to Wennna, and on April 2, 1867, the 
 charter election was held, resulting as follows : 
 President, David G. Arnold; recorder, Maj. 
 Newcomb Clark ; treasurer, George A. Allen ; 
 assessor, James A. McKnight; trustees, — J. G. 
 Emery, M. \\'. Brock, Carlos E. Root, Wilson 
 O. Craft, Lafayette Roundsville and Harrison 
 H. Wheeler. The charter was drawn by Maj. 
 Xewcomb Clark, the first president of Wenona, 
 and speaker of the House of Representatives, 
 33rd General Assembly of Michigan. He was 
 educated at Oxford Academy, served with dis- 
 tinction through the Civil War, with the 14th 
 Regiment, Michigan Infantry, and later with 
 the 102nd Regiment, U. S. (Colored) Infan- 
 try, and came to Wenona in 1865. For many 
 years he held offices of trust in the rising com- 
 munity, and contributed much to the Ixisiness 
 
130 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 development of the village and later, of the city. 
 Treasurer Allen, Assessor McKnight and Trus- 
 tee Roundsville are still residing here, having 
 watched through the varying fortunes of 40 
 years the gradual growth and increasing im- 
 portance of the place that was infinite enough 
 when it first assumed a place on the map of the 
 county and State. They will likely live to see 
 the cities united in April, 1905, and assume the 
 place in our nation's constellation of great 
 cities, to v^'hich they are entitled. 
 
 It was Major Clark who drew up the special 
 charter, and carried it to Lansing for the Board 
 of Trustees. He placed it in the hands of Hon. 
 Nathan B. Bradley, then State Senator, and it 
 was made effective in short order. While such 
 men as Mr. Bradley served this constituency 
 at Lansing, there was no "railroading" of home 
 rule measures. The people through their ac- 
 credited representatives had merely to express 
 their wishes, and the representatives saw to it 
 that they were gratified without alteration of 
 any kind. 
 
 The roster of village officials contains the 
 names of some of the most enterprising pio- 
 neers, and the few survivors are among the 
 most prominent and prosperous of our citizens, 
 as the following roll of those who succeeded 
 •the first officials, will show : Village presidents, 
 — Harrison H. Wheeler, 1867; David G. Ar- 
 nold, 1869 and 1874; E. T. Carrington, 1870; 
 C. F. Corbin, 1871 ; Lafayette Roundsville, 
 1872; S. A. Plummer, 1873; James A. Mc- 
 Knight, 1875; George Washington, 1876. 
 Village recorders, — C. P. Black, 1868; Maj. 
 Newcomb Clark, 1869; O. J. Root, 1870; E. 
 C. Haviland, 1871; Maj. Newcomb Clark, 
 1872; T. P. Hawkins, 1873; C. F. Corbin, 
 1874; A. S. Nichols. 1875; E. S. Van Liew, 
 1876. Village trustees. — J. G. Emery, 1868; 
 Wilson O. Craft, 1S68-69; J. B. Ostrander, 
 1868; W. D. Chambers, 1868; Lafayette 
 
 Roundsville, 1868-69; Martin W. Brock, 1868- 
 70; C. W. Rounds, 1869; W. F. Hicks, 1869 
 and 1871; C. P. Black, 1869 and 1876; S. A. 
 Plummer, 1870-72; George A. Allen, 1870 
 and 1872; C. F. Corbin, 1870; David G. Ar- 
 nold, 1870 and 1876; James A. McKnight, 
 1870, 1873 and 1876; A. Agans, 1871; R. 
 Stringer, 1871 ; W. M. Green, 1871-73; O. J. 
 Root, 1871 ; P. Irwin, 1872-73; William 
 Moots, 1872-73; George Kiesel, 1873; George 
 G. Van Alstine, 1873-74; George Harmon, 
 1873; E. T. Carrington, 1874-75; A. S. 
 Nichols, 1874; W. E. Lewis, 1874-75; Alex. 
 Laroche, 1874-75; T. P. Hawkins, 1874-75; 
 Perry Phelps, 1875-76; R. H. Chase, 1875; 
 John G. Kiesel, 1876; Benjamin Pierce, 1876. 
 
 Wenona had high ambitions in 1868, when 
 it secured the Michigan Central Railroad line 
 to Jackson, and it is pertinent in this consolida- 
 tion year of 1905, to know that on March 2, 
 1867, at a trustee meeting to grant the railroad 
 the right of way through Wenona, one of the 
 enthusiastic citizens announced that Wenona 
 was disposed to be magnanimous to Bay City 
 folks, who should be allowed to take the cars 
 over there for the outside world, and that if 
 Bay City applied in good form for annexation 
 to Wenona, the application would be granted! 
 
 Nor was this assumption merely a play of 
 words, for in 1877 Wenona reached out and 
 annexed to itself it's not too willing neighbors, 
 — the village of Banks on the north, and the 
 village of Salzburg on the south, — and all 
 three little burgs disappeared from the map, 
 while by act of the Legislature there sprang up 
 in their place the promising city of West Bay 
 City. The residents of Wenona said this con- 
 solidation was a forcible illustration of the oft- 
 repeated maxim : "In union there is strength !" 
 The Legislative act was called "An Act to con- 
 solidate Wenona, Banks and Salzburg, to be 
 known as the city of West Bay City," and the 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 131 
 
 boundaries included so much of the township 
 of Bangor as formerly belonged to \\'enona 
 and Banks, and the plat of Salzburg included 
 within the described limits. 
 
 The little city was divided into three wards, 
 and the charter election was held on the first 
 Monday in ilay, 1877. The vote in the First 
 Ward was taken in the old Banks town hall, 
 P. Lourim, Robert Leng, Alex. B. Moore, 
 Thomas B. Raymond and Ephraim J. Kelton 
 being the inspectors. The Second Ward held 
 its election in the council rooms, David G. 
 Arnold, T. P. Hawkins, James A. McKnight, 
 Spencer O. Fisher and George G. Van Alstine 
 being the inspectors. The Third Ward vote 
 was taken at Davis' Hotel, Frank Fitzhugh, J. 
 W. Babcock, Bartholomew Staudacher, Aaron 
 Wellman and Robert Elliott being the inspec- 
 tors. 
 
 The first ofificials of West Bay City were as 
 follows : Mayor, David G. Arnold ; recorder, 
 E. S. Van Liew ; treasurer, W. M. Green ; 
 aldermen : E. J. Kelton, C. E. Root, William 
 Davis, William J. Martin, W. I. Tozer and 
 Michael Hufnagel. The mayor was an old and 
 respected citizen of the rising community, and 
 together with the Board of Aldermen did much 
 in the ne.xt year to secure better fire protection, 
 better roads and other local improvements. The 
 salaries were fi.xed as follows : Recorder, $400 ; 
 comptroller, $800; city attorney, $200; mar- 
 shal, $300; harbor master, $100; while the 
 mayor and aldermen received the munificent 
 sum of 50 cents per session ! This did not deter 
 many good men from serving the city in an 
 official capacity, as is shown by the following 
 roster of city officials, until the consolidation 
 of the East and West sides in 1905. 
 
 Mayors. — David G. Arnold, 1877; George 
 Washington, 1878; William I. Tozer, 1879- 
 80; William E. iNIagill, 1881-82; Hon. Spencer 
 O. Fisher, 1883-85; S. A. Plummer, 1886-87; 
 
 William J. Martin, 1888-91 ; Rousseau O. 
 Crump, 1892-1895; Peter Lind, i896-i9Ti; 
 John Walsh, 1902-03; C. J. Barnett, 1904-05. 
 
 Recorders. — E. S. Van Liew, 1877-81; 
 Henry C. Thompson, 1882-83; William H. 
 Phillips, 1883-87; William Stewart, 1888-89; 
 William H. Phillips, 1890-91 ; John C. Angell, 
 1892-93; George L. Lusk, 1894-99; Fred G. 
 Sweeney, 1 900-1 901 ; John M. Roy, 1902- 
 1905. 
 
 Comptrollers.— WilVmm E. Magill, 1885- 
 86; Alexander Zagelmeyer, 1887-88; James A. 
 McKnight, 1889-90; F. C. Thompson, 1891; 
 Charles Glaser, 1892; James Scott and Charles 
 Glaser, 1893; Charles Glaser, 1894; Henry S. 
 Lewis, 1895-96; F. W. Ingersoll, 1897; Frank 
 G. Walton, 1898-1900; John Boston, 1901-03; 
 George M. Staudacher, 1904-05. 
 
 Treasurers. — ^W. M. Green, 1877-81 ; An- 
 drew Weir, 1882-83; James A. McKnight, 
 1S84; H. W. Weber, 1885-86; D. McLaugh- 
 lin. 1887-88; Theo. E. Bissel, 1889-90; W. M. 
 Green, 1891-92; R. C. Tasker, 1893-96; Au- 
 gust J. Bothe, 1897-1900; C. M. Larue, 1901- 
 02; William E. Magill, 1903-1905. 
 
 THE TOWNSHIPS OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 B.\NGOR. — On petition of 18 freeholders, 
 led by John G. Kiesel, John Gies, Charles 
 Nickel, Scott W. Sayles, Frederick Kiesler and 
 ]Mathew Miller, of Hampton township lying 
 north and west of the Saginaw River, the 
 Board of Supervisors on March 22, 1859, 
 erected the township of Bangor, and on April 
 7, 1873, the township held its first election. 
 Scott W. Sayles. John Raymond and Frederick 
 Kiesler were the inspectors, and Scott W. 
 Sayles was chosen supervisor. When West 
 Bay City was chartered in 1877. Bangor lost 
 most of its territory, wealth and importance. 
 In 1864, for instance, Bangor paid $6,457.40 in 
 
HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 county taxes, while for some years after losing 
 the three villages the tax was less than $800, 
 and the assessed valuation dropped from $259,- 
 885 in 1866. to a little over $100,000, in 1880. 
 Since the land comprising Bangor has been 
 thickly settled, some of the most important coal 
 mines have there been opened, and the township 
 is again taking a prominent place iti the affairs 
 of the county, despite its mutilation. The pop- 
 ualtion in 1880 was but 271, while in 1894 it 
 was 843. and in 1900, 1,195. Bangor town- 
 ship is bounded by Monitor and Kawkawlin 
 townships on the west, West Bay City on the 
 south and west, the Saginaw River on the east 
 and Saginaw Bay on the north. The township 
 officials for 1905 are: Supervisor, Stewart J\I. 
 Powrie; clerk, N. D. Zimmer; treasurer, 
 Charles Lind ; highway commissioner, George 
 Walker; School Board, — Nicholas Casper and 
 Stephen Corbin ; justices of the peace, — Joseph 
 Carrier and John Zentz. 
 
 Be.wer. — In February, 1867, the Legisla- 
 ture created the township of Beaver, by taking 
 from Williams "Towns 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 
 20 north, range 3 east." On the first Monday 
 in April, 1867, the first election was held at the 
 home of Levi Willard. 
 
 The inspectors were Levi Willard, Josiah 
 L. Wellington and Oscar H. Kellogg. Levi 
 Willard was the first supervisor. The new 
 township was bounded on the north by Fraser 
 (now Garfield) township, on the east by Kaw- 
 kawlin township, on the south by Williams 
 township and on the west by the Midland 
 County line. It lies 10 miles west and five 
 miles north of Bay City. During its early 
 years considerable lumbering was done in its 
 vicinity and the pioneers had no trouble selling 
 their hay and other products right at their 
 doors. Later the Midland Branch of the Alich- 
 
 igan Central Railroad was constructed five 
 miles to the south, on an east and west line 
 through Williams township, and an excellent 
 road system provided excellent means of dis- 
 posing of the products of their rich farms. As 
 late as 1873 there were less than 50 families 
 in the township, and the land brought from 
 $2.50 to $5.00 per acre. In 1905 this same 
 land, since improved, drained and cleared, 
 brings from $75 to $125 per acre. Branches 
 of the Kawkawlin River thread all portions 
 of the township. The population in 1870 was 
 161 ; in 1880, 350; in 1894, 1,236; and in 1900, 
 1,539. The present township officials are: 
 Supervisor, William Peoples ; clerk, John End- 
 line; treasurer, Charles B. Craig; justice of 
 the peace, Frank Nowak; highway commis- 
 sioner, George Buchler. There are postoffices 
 at Willard, Loehne and Duel villages. 
 
 Frankenlust township is bounded on the 
 south and west by Saginaw County, on the 
 north Ijy Monitor township and on the east 
 by the Saginaw River. When the Legislature 
 in February, 1881, took the township of Koch- 
 ville from Saginaw County, it gave to Bay 
 County at once one of its richest and most in- 
 teresting additions. Rev. Ferdinand Sievers, 
 born in Lunenburg, Germany, May 18, 181 6, 
 was left an orphan at the age of seven years. 
 His uncle. Rev. Philip Sievers, educated the 
 promising boy, who graduated from Goettin- 
 gen LTniversity in 1838. After teaching school 
 for three years, he studied theology at the 
 universities of Berlin and Halle, taught for 
 three years more to accumulate a little fund of 
 his own, and in 1847 was ordained for the 
 Lutheran ministry. Led by Rev. Mr. Sievers, 
 a number of German families immigrated to 
 the Saginaw Valley in 1848, and with com- 
 mendable perseverance and foresight estab- 
 
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 135 
 
 lished the now prosperous township of Frank- 
 enlust. In May, 1850, Rev. Air. Sievers mar- 
 ried CaroHne Koch, daughter of Rev. Freder- 
 ick Koch, who had left the comforts of home 
 to follow her affianced to the wilds of Michi- 
 gan. Eleven children blessed their home, crude 
 enough during the early years. Seven survive, 
 but like most of the descendants of these early 
 pioneers of far-famed Frankenlust, they have 
 scattered over the surrovmding townships and 
 to other pastures new. The early history of 
 Frankenlust is the story of the life-work of 
 Rev. Mr. Sievers and his devoted colony. 
 Their judgment in selecting that neighborhood 
 has been verified by the passing years. 
 
 Frankenlust is one of the richest townships, 
 for its soil is fertile, its location higher than 
 the east shore of the river, and by thrift and in- 
 dustry these hardy pioneers and their descend- 
 ants have made it a verital:)le garden spot in 
 the State. Here it was that the infant beet 
 sugar industry found experienced antl willing 
 culturists, and the prosperous farmers of 
 Frankenlust willingly invested in the German- 
 American Sugar Factory built at their very 
 doors on the cooperative plan, and which in 
 1904 had a most profitable season's campaign. 
 The discovery of coal added three mines to 
 the industries of the township, and as a fine 
 fire clay is found in these coal shafts, another 
 industry of great possibilities is just beginning 
 in the township, — the manufacture of building 
 and paving brick. A busy little village has 
 sprung up around the white spire of the Ger- 
 man Lutheran Church at Amelith, while well- 
 kept roads point the way to Bay City. 
 
 German hospitality is proverbial, hence the 
 cozy farms and inviting cross-road hostelries 
 of Frankenlust township are the most popular 
 outing places in the county. A drive over those 
 well-kept roads, past thriving little settlements 
 and well-kept farms, either during tiie heat of 
 
 summer, or over the snow on a crisp day in 
 winter, is one of the townspeople's delights. It 
 usually produces an appetite for the good 
 things to eat which always grace the tables of 
 these hospitable people. The township has five 
 school districts, and four churches, three of 
 them German Lutheran, and the fourth, Ger- 
 man Methodist. 
 
 Upon the application of 75 freeholders, the 
 Board of Supervisors of Saginaw County erec- 
 ted Frankenlust township, then known as 
 Kochville township, on October 12, 1855, in- 
 cluding "Town 13 north, Range 4 east; sec- 
 tions 6, 7, 18, 19 and the north half of Sec- 
 tion 30, Town 13 north. Range 5 east ; and Sec- 
 tions 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 
 and 36, Town 14 north, Range 4 east." The 
 first election was held April 7 1S56. at the home 
 of Adam Goetz, in the little village of Koch- 
 ville. G. Stengel, J. P. Weggel and J. S. He- 
 belt were the inspectors, and the following offi- 
 cers were elected : Supervisor, Luke \\^elling- 
 ton ; clerk. John C. Schmidt; treasurer, An- 
 dreas Goetz; school inspectors, — J. G. Helm- 
 reich and Caspar Link; highway commission- 
 ers. — William Butz, Heinrich Hipser and Paul 
 Stephan ; justices of the peace — Luke Welling- 
 ton and Louis Loeffler ; poor commissioners, — 
 George Henger and Andreas Goetz. Fifty- 
 nine votes were cast, and the action was prac- 
 tically unanimous, the German settlers S3^mpa- 
 thizing with the oppressed black race of the 
 South. They had left their native land seek- 
 ing the land of liberty, and they had found 
 peace and personal freedom in the wilds of 
 Michigan, and their hearts went out to the 
 chattel slaves of other days. 
 
 In 1851-52, John A. Leinberger carried 
 "Uncle Sam's'' mail on foot l^etween Saginaw 
 and Bay City. He would go up one day, and 
 come back the next. One day he met the late 
 James Fraser, Bay County's famous "man on 
 
136 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 horseback," in the woods, where both were 
 following an Indian trail. Fraser asked Lein- 
 berger why he did not get a horse to carry him 
 and the bag those 16 miles, and on being told 
 that he could not afford the luxury of a horse, 
 at the exorbitant value of horses in these wilds, 
 Fraser told him to go to Fraser's stable and 
 take his pick, which was promptly done the 
 following day. Meeting Fraser soon after on 
 the same trail, Leinberger asked how much 
 he owed for the horse. "Well, John," Fraser re- 
 plied, "when you get able, you can pay me $50, 
 and if you never get able, keep the horse any- 
 how." That horse helped John Leinberger 
 over many a rocky place in the road, and by 
 dint of thrift and industry he soon owned one 
 of the finest farms in Frankenlust. Since the 
 Frankenlusters sold all their farm products in 
 Bay City, they long desired to join the new 
 county near Saginaw Bay, and in 1881 they 
 kept John A. Leinberger at Lansing to lobby 
 for the separation. Having brought about the 
 union with Bay County, he was elected the 
 first supervisor, and for years represented 
 Frankenlust on that board. He had 10 chil- 
 dren by his first wife, and was married again 
 in 1883. 
 
 The population of Frankenlust was 768 in 
 1880; 1,266 in 1894, and 1,395 in 1900. 
 
 The pioneers erected a log hut, 30 by 40 
 feet, in the wilderness in 1850 for a house of 
 worship, and a frame church, 38 by 70 feet, 
 was built in 1870. The year 1905 will be 
 made memorable in the township by the erec- 
 tion of a large and handsome new brick and 
 stone church, the material for which is now 
 being gathered, and work will begin this spring. 
 The opening of the coal mines has brought 
 new life and activity to Frankenlust, but it will 
 reciuire some time for the staid, quiet and de- 
 voted German farmers to become accustomed 
 to the influx of coal miners from other States, 
 
 with customs and manners sO' foreign to their 
 own, and clashes between the younger genera- 
 tions are not infrequent. The present town- 
 ship officers are : Supervisor, John J. De- 
 Young; clerk, Philip Martens; treasurer, 
 George C. Schmidt; justice of the peace, J. C. 
 Neumeyer ; highway commissioner, Fred Kolb. 
 
 Fraser township was created at the ses- 
 sion of the Legislature in 1875, and included 
 "Town 16 north, Ranges 3, 4 and 5 east." On 
 the first Monday in April, 1875, the settlers of 
 Fraser township met at the home of William 
 Michie, and elected their first officials. Mr. 
 Michie, Albert Neville and B. W. Merrick 
 were the inspectors. William Michie was 
 elected supervisor; B. W. Merrick, clerk; and 
 Albert Neville, treasurer. Fraser is one of 
 Bay County's largest townships. It is bound- 
 ed on the east by Saginaw Bay, on the north by 
 Pinconning township, on the south by Kaw- 
 kawlin township, and on the west by Garfield 
 township. The Michigan Central and Detroit 
 & Mackinac railroads traverse Fraser, stations 
 being located at Lengsville, Michie and Lin- 
 wood. Many French Canadians were among 
 the early pioneers, and they have exercised a 
 growing influence over the development and 
 the destinies of the township. 
 
 Lumbering has been carried on for years in 
 the township. After the virgin forest was de- 
 nuded of pine, came the demand for the previ- 
 ously ignored and despised hardwood timber, 
 and ere long the last giant of the primeval for- 
 est in that section will have fallen before the 
 .axes of the industrious settlers and lumber- 
 jacks. As the forest disappears, new farms 
 spring up, and the locality will soon compare 
 favorably with the older townships. 
 
 Among the pioneers of this townsliip are a 
 few men with interesting incidents in their ca- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 137 
 
 reers, one of which will bear repeating. Will- 
 iam Fitch, at the age of 21, was a sailor before 
 the mast on the schooner "Henry Watson" 
 when, in 1857, she collided with the brig "Gid- 
 dings" on Lake Erie. With a boy as the only 
 other survivor, he navigated the ship into the 
 harbor at Buffalo, and was promoted to be cap- 
 tain of the ship. By 1868 he had wearied of a 
 sailor's life and having a good opinion of Bay 
 County, which he had often visited in his lum- 
 ber craft, he purchased a farm in Eraser town- 
 ship. There were no roads, and his team of 
 oxen were his only help in erecting his large 
 log hut, and his barn, 38 by 28 feet in size, with 
 posts 10 by 10 inches and 16 feet long. He 
 cleared the land with his own hands, solitary 
 and alone. Twice, falling trees injured him, 
 once breaking his leg, and next breaking his 
 arm. He was of herculean strength. He would 
 take a barrel of flour, placed in two sacks, 
 one on each shoulder, and carry it nearly four 
 miles to his log hut. The first supervisor, 
 William Michie, was murdered near his home 
 in Eraser township in 1882. The post office at 
 State Road Crossing is named in his honor. 
 
 The population of Eraser township was 301 
 in 1880; 1,444 in 1894, and 1,656 in the United 
 States census of 1900. The present township 
 officers are: Supervisor, Henry B. Lints; 
 clerk, Benjamin F. Parsons ; treasurer, Joseph 
 Loyer; justice of the peace, John Vincent; 
 highway commissioner, George W. .Meddaugh. 
 
 G.A.RFIELD. — On October 18, t886, the fol- 
 lowing residents of Eraser township petitioned 
 the Board of Supervisors to grant them a sepa- 
 rate township : Elof Johnson, Gustav Men- 
 ten, Valentine Knoedel, Owen Hazen, James 
 Potter, Samuel L. Bishop. Francis Gallagher 
 and Urban Lewenson. On October 19, 1886, 
 the committee on township organization, — J. 
 
 M. Reichard, Charles Fischer, Fred School, J. 
 Lourim and Jacob Dardas, — reported favor- 
 ably on the petition, and by a vote of 18 ayes 
 and no nayes the board concurred. In accord- 
 ance with the action of the board at this session, 
 the township of Garfield was organized, taking 
 in the west half of Eraser township. Garfield 
 township is bounded on the north by Mount 
 Forest township, on the east by Eraser town- 
 ship, on the south by Beaver township, and on 
 the west by Midland County. The first town 
 election was held on April 4, 1887, and the fol- 
 lowing town officers were elected : Supervisor, 
 Elof Johnson ; clerk, Joseph H. Waldron ; 
 treasurer, Charles Johnson ; school inspectors, 
 — Erick Erickson and James Potter. 
 
 There is still considerable hardwood tim- 
 ber standing in Garfield, while the farms 
 cleared show the soil to be fertile, while the 
 North Branch of the Kawkawlin and the 
 Michie drain furnish both a water supply and 
 drainage. The Garfield stone road gives a 
 ready means of getting to market, and has done 
 much to develop the interior of the township. 
 The post offices are at Tebo and Crump, the 
 latter named in honor of the late Hon. R. O. 
 Crump, Member of Congress from this district. 
 The population in 1894 was 302, and 555 in 
 1900. Industrious and thrifty Swedes form 
 the bulk of the population, who have their own 
 church services. The township also has ample 
 public school facilities for the scattered popu- 
 lation. The voters are largely of Republican 
 faith, casting 98 votes to their opponents' 21 
 at the last election for Governor. The present 
 township officials are: Supervisor, William 
 H. Reid ; clerk, W. V. Renner ; treasurer, Fran- 
 cis Conrad; justice of the peace, Joseph Du- 
 ben ; highway commissioner, Alonzo Dodge. 
 
 Gibson township was erected by the Board 
 
138 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 of Supervisors on December 3, 1888. On 
 October 18, 1888, the following residents of 
 Pinconning township petitioned for the separa- 
 tion : Garrett J. Stanton, Charles L. Bingham, 
 S. S. Morris, William Carter, W. J. Shirley, 
 L. A. Pelkey, Dr. W. B. Abbott, J. Edmunds, 
 H. Shook, H. Gardner, Z. W. DeGraw, B. W. 
 Stewart, J. Barie, M. Dowley, A. E. Bell, M. 
 G. Bentley, Frank E. Bentley, E. M. Burlin- 
 game, O. G. Davis, Peter Edmunds, C. Peter- 
 son, O. S. Bentley, James Johnson, Ed. Walsh, 
 Samuel AIcGlinchey, Abram Edmunds, Will- 
 iam Edmunds. The organization was to date 
 from April i, 1889, and on the first Monday in 
 April, 1889, the town meeting was held at the 
 school house in School District No. 5, Peter 
 Edmunds, Frank E. Bentley and O. G. Davis 
 being inspectors of the election. The follow- 
 ing town officers were elected : Supervisor, 
 Murray Bentley; clerk, Edward Walsh; treas- 
 urer. Smith Bowers ; school inspectors, An- 
 drew Faulds and Lafayette Dento. 
 
 Gibson township is bounded on the north 
 and east by Arenac County, on the south by 
 Mount Forest township, and on the west by 
 Midland County. The branches of the Pine 
 and Saganing rivers traverse Gibson from west 
 to east. It will be seen that Gibson township 
 is really a projection into Arenac County, and 
 the people of that county, which formerly was 
 a part of Bay, have ever since their separate or- 
 ganization been trying to pry Gibson from Bay 
 and add it to their own southern border. 
 The eastern part of Arenac want the county 
 seat at Omer, while the western part want to 
 keep the county seat at Standish. Since 
 Omer is more centrally located, Standish has 
 to keep constantly on the alert to prevent the 
 honor going to her enterprising rival on the 
 east. The Standish people figure that with 
 Gibson township added to Arenac County, the 
 
 position of Standish as county headquarters 
 would be secure for all time. The Michigan 
 Central Railroad passes through Standish and 
 hence is interested in the fight for Gibson be- 
 cause the Detroit & Alackinac Railway touches 
 Omer. 
 
 These combined interests made an almost 
 successful attempt to kidnap Gibson from Bay 
 County in the legislative session of 1903. Rep- 
 resentative J. J. McCarthy of Standish, Arenac 
 County, introduced the bill, well backed by 
 Senator Doherty of that district. The Bay 
 County representatives turned up missing one 
 fine day, and next morning Bay was notified 
 that one 'of its most promising townships had 
 been taken away, without one word of protest 
 from Representatives Washer or Sheldon. De- 
 spite the protests from Bay, the separation bill 
 was rushed through the Senate, Senator F. L. 
 \'\'estover also turning up missing, and as the 
 Bay representatives made no protest the ef- 
 forts of Hon. T. E. Webster and others were 
 unavailing. The bill was signed by Governor, 
 Bliss and Bay had but 12 townships left. 
 
 When the citizens of Bay County realized 
 their loss, they went to work with a will to 
 save Gibson. The supervisors carried the case 
 into the courts, claiming among other things 
 that this steal of Gibson divided the 24th Sena- 
 torial District, contrary to law, besides causing 
 no end of confusion in the affairs of the town- 
 ship and county. Judge T. F. Shepard of the 
 1 8th Judicial Circuit decided the case in favor 
 of Bay ; his decision was later sustained by the 
 Supreme Court of Michigan and Gibson 
 brought back into the fold. The three repre- 
 sentatives of Bay, who allowed the disruption 
 of the county without active opposition, were 
 relegated to private life at the 1904 election, 
 and any future attempts of Arenac to profit at 
 the expense of Bay will be vigorously contested. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 139 
 
 As a matter of fact, Bay is one of the smallest 
 counties in Michigan, owing to the large por- 
 tion taken out by Saginaw Bay. 
 
 The residents of Gibson township are as 
 earnest in their desire to remain with Bay 
 County, as we are to have those sturdy pio- 
 neers remain. They are many miles nearer to 
 Standish than they are to Bay City, but they 
 will soon have stone road communication all 
 the way, the splendid macadamized road sys- 
 tem reaching out year after year in their direc- 
 tion, and the Gladwin Branch of the Michigan 
 Central crosses Gibson from north to south, 
 furnishing a ready and cheap means of reach- 
 ing the metropolis of Northern Michigan. Gib- 
 son had for years paid its share of this stone 
 road tax, and by the forced separation stood 
 to lose it all. The township and county affairs 
 were naturally much muddled during the in- 
 terim between the legislative separation and the 
 Supreme Court reunion, but these matters have 
 now all been satisfactorily adjusted, and things 
 are moving as smoothly as if though nothing 
 had ever happened in our sisterhood of town- 
 ships. 
 
 Gibson township has the same rich Ijlack 
 and clay loam soil which makes farming in 
 Bay County so easy and profitable, and many 
 of the farms there had enough standing hard- 
 wood timber to more than pay for themselves. 
 Bentley is the shopping center and post office 
 of this flourishing young community. The 
 residents are public-spirited, look well after 
 their schools and their spiritual welfare, and 
 have many road and drain problems to solve 
 in the immediate future. Like their neighbors 
 in Garfield, they are of the political faith of 
 Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley, almost to a 
 unit, and by their vote have contributed much 
 in recent years to the remarkable change of 
 Bay County's political complexion. The popu- 
 lation in 1894 was 494, and 761 in 1900. The 
 
 present town officers are : Supervisor, Ezra 
 Truax; clerk, John C. Smith; treasurer, Mat- 
 thew Loeffler; justice of the peace, Sam- 
 uel Yeager; highway commissioner, Charles 
 Shoultes. 
 
 Hampton. — The history of Hampton 
 township, the first organized in Michigan 
 north of Saginaw, is the early history of Bay 
 City, Bay County, and the northern part of the 
 Lower Peninsula of Michigan, from 1843 to 
 1857, when the county was organized. This 
 township during its first years comprised more 
 territory than many famed kingdoms of the 
 Old World! As these outlying districts be- 
 came settled, they secured separate organiza- 
 tions, until to-day the township comprises but 
 "23 full sections, and 1 1 fractional sections." 
 Its boundaries are Saginaw Bay and Saginaw 
 River on the north, Saginaw Bay and Tuscola 
 County on the east, Merritt and Portsmouth 
 townships on the south, and Bay City, the 
 Saginaw River and Portsmouth township on 
 the west. Since Bay City became a separate 
 corporation, the village of Essexville is the am- 
 bitious "capital" of Hampton, and the founders 
 of the one are the pioneers of the other. Joseph 
 Hudson and Ransom P. Essex, who came in 
 1850, were the first settlers of Hampton town- 
 ship proper. Their descendants have done 
 much to develop the rich farming country, 
 which in 1850 was largely marsh, swamp and 
 bayou. Huge ditches and numerous drains 
 have been aided by a slight drop in the water 
 level of the Great Lakes in leaving that rich 
 alluvian soil in an ideal condition for culti- 
 vation. 
 
 Three nationalities have distinct settlements 
 in Hampton. The large colony of Hollanders, 
 settled south and east of their pretty church 
 property, found their advance guard in Henry 
 
140 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Rooiaker.Gerardus Vennix,A. Van Wert, Peter 
 Vanerp, Anthony Walraven, Charles God- 
 deyne and P. Van Hamlin, pioneers of 1857- 
 60. The German colony, located in the south- 
 ern section of Hampton, was led by Carl Wag- 
 ner, Charles Wintemeyer, William Roecker, 
 Michael Englehardt, Charles Weber, Philip 
 Weber, Joseph Scheimer and John Meyer, all 
 of whom took up the privations and incessant 
 toil of pioneer life in Hampton in 1857-59. 
 Louis Guilette, who married the widow of Leon 
 Trombley, one of Bay County's first traders 
 and settlers, and Joseph Paul DeCourval, were 
 the first of the French Canadian nationality 
 to appreciate the opportunities of Hampton, the 
 former locating on a farm in 1858, the latter 
 following the lumber and shingle business there 
 since 1866. 
 
 One family has been signally honored by 
 the township. Hon. Nathan Knight, a native 
 of Maine, came to Hampton township in 1856 
 and hewed a farm out of the wilderness. He 
 represented the Bay City district in the State 
 Legislature of 1877-80, was justice of the 
 peace for 10 years, and supervisor for 14 con- 
 secutive years. Li this office he was succeeded 
 by his son, Hon. Birdsey Knight, who is still 
 in the harness, and who also served four years 
 in the State Legislature, — 1891-94, — from this 
 district. Father and son were Democrats, but 
 their personal popularity carried them safely 
 over several political landslides in their baili- 
 wick. 
 
 Joseph Eddy came to Hampton in 1858, 
 and five sons and one daughter reside there 
 now. Three sons, — George P., Edward and 
 Albert H., — served through the entire Civil 
 War in Company F, 23rd Reg., Michigan 
 Vol. Inf., the former two being mustered out. 
 when peace came to bless the land, as lieuten- 
 ants, the last named with the rank of sergeant. 
 
 Hampton township has a beautiful location 
 
 on Saginaw Bay, and the wooded ridge which 
 skirts Saginaw Bay below Oak Grove, the 
 most popular resort for family picnics on the 
 bay, will some day surely rival che booming 
 summer resorts on the west shore of the bay. 
 The Center and Woodside avenue stone roads, 
 with excellent cross-roads and all the facilities 
 of the belt line railway, which skirts Hampton 
 and connects with all the railroads centering 
 in Bay City, give unrivaled shipping facilities 
 to this rich farming country. The early pio- 
 neers paid $2.50 per acre of water, with here 
 and there a visible speck of land thrown in for 
 good measure, but by hard work, systematic 
 draining and dyking in the lowest places, 
 Hampton has been made one of the lirightest 
 flowers in this most favored garden spot of 
 Michigan, where farm property ranges now 
 from $100 to $250 per acre. 
 
 The industries of the township center in 
 Essexville, and it was there that the first beet 
 sugar factory, the Michigan, was built in 1898, 
 to be closely followed by the mammoth Bay 
 City Sugar Factory. The projectors of these 
 factories selected these sites because they are in 
 the very center of the most fertile lands in the 
 county, lands owned and tilled by a sturdy race 
 of intelligent and industrious farmers. Mere 
 land grubbbers could never succeed in raising 
 profitable sugar beets. The soil must be right, 
 then it must be thoroughly and properly pre- 
 pared, the planting must be done as early as 
 will be consistent with a proper germination 
 of the beet seed, the thinning out requires good 
 judgment and thorough work, and no crop re- 
 quires such freedom from noxious weeds, as 
 do the sugar beets. Frequent cultivation is 
 essential to their full and sweet development. 
 Fine discrimination is also required in their 
 harvesting. It will not do to pull them 
 too early, for every day of the ripening 
 season adds sugar to their contents. Neither 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 141 
 
 must they be left too long, lest they fall victims 
 to one of the periodical cold waves, and freeze 
 fast in the ground, as has happened to farmers 
 in Hampton. Then, too, freedom from dirt 
 and proper topping will reduce the loss from 
 tare at the sugar factory, and a proper appre- 
 ciation of the food value of the beet tops and 
 the beet pulp at the factory will mean much 
 profit to the beet grower. It will readily be 
 seen that few farm crops require such constant 
 study and close attention, but the wise farmers 
 of Hampton township and the county at large 
 also know, that no other crop will yield such 
 liberal and certain returns. 
 
 Since Hampton township has the distinc- 
 tion of having the first beet sugar factory in 
 IMichigan, a word on the industry in this con- 
 nection is both opportune and appropriate. 
 Hampton also had two of the first chicory fac- 
 tories, one on Borden avenue, which was de- 
 stroyed by fire, and merged with the other plant 
 recently enlarged and still doing a thriving 
 business on Center and Livingston avenues, 
 just east of the city limits. The location of 
 these infant industries at the doors of Hampton 
 reflect credit on the farmers tributary to these 
 hives of industry. The investment of several 
 million dollars was staked on the ability of 
 these veteran farmers to supply the raw mate- 
 rial needed and while there have been seasons 
 when the farmers did not provide the acreage 
 desired for a full operation of all these mam- 
 moth plants, still the experimental stage has 
 been safely passed and, with better understand- 
 ing all around, beets and chicory will take a 
 foremost place in the crop rotation of the suc- 
 cessful farmers of Bay County. Since these 
 factories are operated late in fall and early 
 winter, they offer employment to the sons of 
 the country folk at the precise season in the 
 year, when work on the farm is slack. Every 
 acre devoted to sugar beets or chicory removes 
 
 the competition of that acre from farm truck 
 and other farm crops, which have ever since 
 commanded higher prices. Hampton and the 
 other townships have been correspondingly 
 prosperous in recent years. Hundreds of mort- 
 gages have been lifted and hundreds of farms 
 improved with the cash proceeds of these new 
 industries. One has but to drive over the fine 
 roads of Hampton to appreciate the amount 
 and extent of improvements carried out on the 
 farms of the township, to appreciate how much 
 good has been accomplished in six short years ! 
 Hampton's growth has been in keeping with 
 these additions and improvements. The popu- 
 lation in the State census of 1874 was 1,247; 
 in the national census of 1880, it was 2.016; 
 in 1894 it was 3,204; and in 1900 it was 3.319. 
 In the fall election of 1904, Hampton gave a 
 clean Republican victory, for the first time in 
 its history, and on March 13, 1905. the village 
 of Essexville also elected a Republican ticket, 
 for the first time in many years. The present 
 officers of Hampton, elected in April, are : Su- 
 pervisor, Hon. Birdsey Knight; clerk, William 
 J. Stagray; treasurer, Frank Sirmeyer; justice 
 of the peace, John H. Sharp; highway com- 
 missioner, John VanSumer. 
 
 Kawkawlin. — On January 7, 1868, the 
 Board of Supervisors erected the township of 
 Kawkawlin by detaching its territory from 
 Bangor, upon the petition of O. A. Ballon, 
 Samuel Woods, John Sutherland, Charles Rad- 
 cliff, Patrick Reynolds, Jeremiah Mack. Alex. 
 Baird, A. G. Sinclair, Charles Powell, E. E. 
 Gill, Paul Leme and Owen A. Maloney. The 
 first annual meeting was held at the home of 
 O. A. Ballou, in the village of Kawkawlin, on 
 the first Monday in April. 1868, at 10 o'clock 
 in the forenoon. O. A. Ballou, John Suther- 
 land and Dennis Stanton were the election in- 
 
142 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 specters, and Alexander Beard was the first 
 supervisor from Kawkawlin. The township 
 is bounded on the east by Bangor township 
 and Saginaw Bay. on the north by Fraser town- 
 ship, on the west by Beaver township and on 
 the south by Monitor township. 
 
 Kaw-ka\v-hn, as the Indians pronounced 
 it. is said to have been one of the aborigines' 
 fa\-orite hunting grounds, and well it might 
 have been. The old German settlers still say 
 that when the primeval forest was first seen 
 by white men, it was blacker and denser than 
 the historical Black Forest of Europe. The 
 Indians called the river "O-gan-con-ning", or 
 "the place of the pike," for then as now the 
 streams of that vicinity were favorite haunts 
 of the pike. 
 
 One of the oldest trading posts between 
 the pale face trappers and traders and the 
 Chippewas was at the mouth of the Kawkawlin, 
 where 0-at-ka summer resort is now situated, 
 and Neh-way-go. the dare-devil warrior of the 
 To-bi-co band of Indians, had his wigwam not 
 far from where the modern water-works plant 
 erected by West Bay City a few years ago is 
 located. 
 
 Reluctantly enough, the Chippewas sold 
 the 6.000 acres of their reservation along the 
 north l)ank of the Kawkawlin in the treaty of 
 1837. for it was an ideal haunt for game of all 
 kinds. The government sold it ere long for 
 $1.25 per acre, and the purchasers realized for- 
 tunes from its wealth of pine and other timber. 
 
 From 1842 to 1864 "Uncle" Harvey Wil- 
 liams kept the Indian traders' station at the 
 mouth of the Kawkawlin, and he was much 
 beloved by the red men. His wise counsel and 
 generous conduct did much to smooth the way 
 for the first pioneers of Kawkawlin. 
 
 In the winter of 1844-45, Israel Catlin 
 built the first sawmill in the midst of this 
 
 virgin forest on the Kawkawlin, utilizing the 
 water power of the stream. For many years 
 after, great log drives were brought down this 
 river to be cut in the mammoth and modern 
 sawmills at Bay City. 
 
 During the height of the logging operations 
 along the Kawkawlin and its tributaries, the 
 depth of the water in that river each spring was 
 always a question of vital importance to the 
 sawmill operators and employees. If the water 
 was not sufficient to float the huge log jams, 
 they would remain hung up all season. Eciually 
 vital was the question of snow for the many 
 logging camps during each winter, for without 
 snow it was a hard problem to get the logs to 
 the streams. In later years water sprinklers 
 were used to make icy roadways for the im- 
 mense loads of logs that were drawn from the 
 logging camps to the banks of the rivers. 
 
 In 1847 the first church, a humble mission 
 for the Indians, was built on the banks of the 
 Kawkawlin. The place is called Indiantown, 
 and is still one of the main settlements of the 
 natives in the county, but the numbers have 
 been slowly but surely diminishing. With the 
 stoicism ever characteristic of his proud race. 
 Poor Lo at tlie dawn of the 20th century bears 
 his deplorable lot in grim silence. The old 
 men of the tribe recall the days when all this 
 wealth of timl)er and prairie was all their own, 
 and the comparison of those wild and care-free 
 days with their hard lot at present cannot in- 
 spire satisfaction. The industrious and thrifty 
 pale faces settled all about the remnant of the 
 red men, preach by their every-day lives an 
 eloquent sermon on the only means by which 
 to reach a higher plane of living, and how to 
 attain the comforts of this progressive age. 
 But apparently it is beyond the power of the 
 average aborigine to forsake the deadliest foe 
 of their race, and to take up "the white man's 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 143 
 
 burden"! A very few have lifted tliemselves 
 above the latter day level of their race, while 
 most of them are now devout Christians. 
 
 Frederick A. Kaiser emigrated from Ger- 
 many in 1849 and took up the work at the 
 Kawkawlin's first sawmill for the late James 
 Eraser. In 1862 he bored for salt, and during 
 the next 15 years built a number of sawmills 
 in that paradise of pine and hemlock. He was 
 the founder of the villages of Kawkawlin and 
 Pinconning, connected the two backwoods lum- 
 ber camps by railway and did much to develop 
 the natural resources of that section of the 
 county. He cleared considerable of the land 
 of its timber, and demonstrated that the valley 
 of the Kawkawlin is one of the richest farming 
 districts of the State, and thereafter the town- 
 ship became rapidly settled. When the lumber 
 jack left, with his axe and saw, the farmer 
 followed with the plow and harrow, and pas- 
 toral wealth and beauty now grace the shores 
 of the Kawkawlin. 
 
 The population of Kawkawlin township in 
 1880 was I.I 18. In 1894 it had grown to 
 1,627. and to 1,964 in 1900. The real estate 
 valuation in 1882 was $298,462. There were 
 452 school children in 1883, and the chronicler 
 of those years notes with pardonable pride, that 
 there were 67 births in the township, includ- 
 ing "three pairs of twins" ! On the other hand 
 the Grim Reaper gathered but 12 inhabitants 
 to the Great Beyond, the healthful climate stay- 
 ing his hand in most instances, until the burden 
 of many years enfeebled the pioneers. The 
 townspeople were busy building roads, drains 
 and bridges during those years and their task 
 is still far from done. This very year of 1905 
 several new steel bridges are planned to span 
 the Kawkawlin and its tributaries, the stone 
 road system will l)e extended and repaired, and 
 new drains begun. The township spent $1,600 
 for school purposes in 1883, and is still keeping 
 
 up and enlarging this good work. The officers 
 of the township for 1905 are : Supervisor, 
 Peter Bressette; clerk, Robert D. Hartley; 
 treasurer, John Murphy; justice of the peace, 
 George Goulette; highway commissioner, Fred 
 D. Paige. 
 
 ^Ierritt township, which is Ixiunded on 
 the north by Portsmouth and Hampton town- 
 ships, on the east by Tuscola County, on the 
 south by Saginaw County and on the west by 
 Portsmouth township and Saginaw County, 
 was erected by the Board of Supervisors at a 
 session held July 8. 1871, upon the petition of 
 12 freeholders of Portsmouth township. On 
 June 8, 1 87 1, 31 residents of the territory 
 affected asked for separation. When the super- 
 visors fixed the Ixnindaries of the new township 
 as including "all of Township 13 north. Range 
 6 east, also Sections i, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 
 14 and 15, same Township^ Range 5 east", 
 some of the residents of these nine sections on 
 range 5 east protested vigorously against the 
 separation. Their protest was filed on June 13, 
 1871. Two weeks later 11 of the remonstra- 
 tors relented, and the separation and erection 
 of Merritt followed. The first election was 
 held at the home of Joesph Gerard on the Tus- 
 cola plank road. Gen. B. F. Partridge, Henry 
 Hess and Martin Powell were named as elec- 
 tion inspectors. Henry F. Shuler, a pioneer 
 resident of Merritt, was elected to represent 
 the new township on the Board of Supervisors. 
 
 Hundreds of acres of Merritt township 
 have been redeemed for cultivation by draining, 
 chiefly through the large Quanicassee ditch. 
 These lands are exceptionally fertile, and all 
 went well until Denmark and Gilford town- 
 ships of Tuscola County directed their drain- 
 age into the natural depression in the southeast 
 corner of Merritt, since which time the town- 
 
144 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 ship has been involved in an ahnost intermin- 
 able legal tangle with their neighbors of the 
 next county. Bay County has taken a hand, by 
 voting some of the funds necessary to carry 
 on the legal battle. Up to date the victory 
 rests with Alerritt township, which has secured 
 an injunction restraining the Tuscola County 
 people from flooding Merritt. The Tuscola 
 farmers are fighters, however, and the courts 
 are still considering the efforts of Tuscola to 
 dissolve the injunction. 
 
 Among the earliest settlers in Merritt were 
 Rev. Thomas Histed and wife, who came here 
 from Vassar with $3 in money, eight bushels 
 of potatoes and a little flour. After cutting an 
 opening through the woods for road purposes, 
 building a cabin and draining his land, he 
 created a fine farm. His crops were often de- 
 stroyed by spring freshets and heavy rain- 
 storms. He always found time from his farm 
 work to preach the Gospel to his neighbors, 
 who came many miles through the woods to 
 'hear the message of salvation. In 1854, Mar- 
 tin Powell was employed in the sawmills of 
 Bay City, and with his savings located 160 
 acres in Merritt township at one shilling per 
 acre ! After clearing it and making it habitable, 
 he sold 30 acres for $1,450, and the rest is con- 
 stantly increasing in value, being worth to-day 
 about $100 per acre. Samuel M. Brown lo- 
 cated and moved on his farm in Merritt town- 
 ship in 1859. Ex-Supervisor B. Schabel re- 
 ceived 38 cents for 12 hours work in the Bay 
 City sawmills during 1857-58, when lumber 
 was down to $5 per thousand, and wisely 
 bought 160 acres of marsh lands, which by 
 dint of his industry are to-day ideal farm prop- 
 erty. Nicholas Thayer, Robert Whiteside, 
 William Treiber, John Fegert, Frederick 
 Beyer, A. Love joy, DeWitt Burr, Joseph B. 
 Hazen and John M. Lefever were among the 
 first permanent settlers of the township. 
 
 The prosperous little farm community at 
 Munger station, on the Bay City Division of 
 the ]\Iichigan Central Railroad, is the trading 
 center for Merritt township, and Arn is another 
 thriving little settlement on the same railroad 
 a few miles further south. Horace D. Blodg- 
 ett, one of Merritt's earliest settlers, is post- 
 master at Munger; C. A. Howell, for many 
 years supervisor from Merritt ; Henry Horton, 
 for years representing the township on the Re- 
 publican County Committee; and F. R. Ten- 
 nant are among the best known and highly 
 esteemed residents of the township. 
 
 With the advent of the beet sugar and 
 chicory factories in Bay City, farm property 
 has advanced in value in Merritt township, 
 and some of the banner crops in the county 
 are harvested by its intelligent and industrious 
 farmers. The township had but 26 farms in 
 1883, while to-day there are more than 200. 
 The school facilities are excellent, and each of 
 the leading denominations is represented by its 
 house of worship and its devoted flock of 
 parishioners. 
 
 The sinking of the ^\'hat-Cheer coal mine 
 in 1904 marks a new era for iMerritt. The mine 
 has one of the finest coal veins yet uncovered 
 in Bay County, and all the surrounding terri- 
 tory has been covered by coal leases, with indi- 
 cations of a number of other mines going down 
 in that vicinity in the near future. The farmers 
 of the county at first sold the coal leases out- 
 right, but experience has taught them that a 
 good royalty is more profitable, and this is now 
 their favorite course of action. The discovery 
 of coal on the east side of the river will enhance 
 farm values still more, and the hardy pioneers, 
 who dared to enter the wilderness to bring 
 order out of chaos and thriving farms from 
 malaria-breeding swamps, or their descendants, 
 are now reaping the well-merited harvest. The 
 population of Merritt township was 1,217 in 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 145 
 
 1894, and 1,562 in 1900. The new railroad 
 planned to cross the "Thumb" of Michigan 
 from Bay City to Port Huron will pass Hun- 
 ger, and it is said that the coal mine people are 
 back of the enterprise, in order to get a direct 
 route to deep water, and from there to the East- 
 ern market. 
 
 Hunger township was named in honor of 
 Curtis and Algernon S. Hunger, the veteran 
 merchants of Bay City, who early invested in 
 some choice farm property in Herritt township. 
 The township officials elected in 1905 are: 
 Supervisor, C. A. Howell ; clerk, Fred Beyer ; 
 treasurer, Adam J. Schabel; justice of the 
 peace, H. H. Rademacher; highway commis- 
 sioner, Frank Laclair. 
 
 * * 
 
 Monitor township was created by the Leg- 
 islature of 1869, including "Sections 30 and 
 31, Town 14 north, Range 5 east, and all 
 of Town 14 north. Range 4 east, except 
 Sections i and 2". The first election was held 
 at the home of Owen C. White, on the first 
 Monday in April, 1869. Owen C. White, Wil- 
 liam H. Needham and William Hemingway 
 were inspectors of election. William H. Need- 
 ham was the first supervisor. The officials of 
 Bangor township objected to the organization 
 of Honitor, claiming it was done for political 
 purposes, but since Bangor was then a very 
 large township, the petition was granted. Hon- 
 itor township is bounded on the north by Kaw- 
 kawlin and Bangor townships, on the east by 
 Bangor township and West Bay City, on the 
 south by Frenkenlust township and on the 
 west by Williams township. 
 
 The first settlers in Honitor were descend- 
 ants and members of the German colony which 
 settled Frankenlust. and the township has many 
 of the characteristics of the older settlement. 
 J. Rittershofer, Henry Kraner, P. Graul, 
 
 Charles Baxman, G. Schweinsberg and John 
 Hunn were among the advance guard. Thomas 
 Kent and five sons, James Felker, W. H. Need- 
 ham, Jeremiah Waite, Fred Shaw, William 
 Gaffney, Joseph Dell and T. C. Phillips were 
 among the earliest pioneers oi Honitor. The 
 wilderness was unbroken from the banks of the 
 Kawkawlin to the Indian trail through Frank- 
 enlust. William Hemingway purchased 40 
 acres in 1858 in section 32. To reach his land 
 lie had to go to Kawkawlin over the corduroy 
 road, up the Kawkawlin River in a dug-out 
 canoe to the South Branch, then over a mean- 
 dering Indian trail four miles south. After 
 erecting a log hut, his first work was the clear- 
 ing away of the trees and underbrush for a 
 roadway large enough to pass a team of oxen, 
 which roadway was used for many years after. 
 Hr. Needham always pronounced ^Monitor one 
 of the healthiest spots in Hichigan, and as 
 proof pointed with pride to his 12 children — 
 six boys and six girls — all of whom attained 
 their maturity. Joseph Dell settled on his 
 "eighty" in 1859, cutting the trees, splitting 
 the rails and erecting his log house, with rough 
 oak flooring, and roofed with oak "shakes" ! 
 Since then the township has been practically 
 denuded of timber, and some of the finest farms 
 in the county are within its borders. The Mid- 
 land stone road runs straight through the cen- 
 ter of the township, and just north of this fine 
 highway is the Midland Branch of the Michi- 
 gan Central Railroad, from which a number of 
 spurs run to the coal mines, offering excellent 
 shipping facilities to the farmers. ]\Iuch of the 
 township was marsh and swamp when the first 
 pioneer swung his axe in the silent forest, but 
 many ditches and drains have reclaimed every 
 acre for cultivation, and the two beet sugar 
 factories on the West Side secure much of their 
 supply from Monitor. The village of Kaw- 
 kawlin is in Monitor township, and another 
 
146 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 thriving little settlement in the southwest por- 
 tion of Monitor clusters about the German 
 church and school erected in 1880. The town- 
 ship has four other schools, all of which are 
 well attended. During its early years the town- 
 ship contained much railroad land exempt from 
 taxation, which made the tax burden rather 
 heavy for the pioneers. Henry Moeller, Sam- 
 uel Hardy, Bernard Carroll, William Gillet, 
 William Gaffney, and T. C. Phillips have done 
 much for the schools of the township. 
 
 T. C. Phillips was one of the earliest busi- 
 ness men in Bay City. In 1863 he served on 
 the enrolling board of Bay County, this being 
 the 85th subdistrict of Michigan, together with 
 the late Judge Isaac Marston and R. P. Essex, 
 of Hampton. Through the solicitation of Mr. 
 Phillips at the War Department at Washing- 
 ton, Bay County's quota of men for the con- 
 scription was reduced 45 men, which meant 
 a saving of $15,000 to the county, while the un- 
 tiring efforts of the board to secure single and 
 non-resident men was another material advan- 
 tage locally. In 1870, Mr. Phillips was ap- 
 pointed postmaster at Bay City. In 1878 Pres- 
 ident Rutherford B. Hayes issued the now 
 famous civil service order, and 'Sir. Phillips 
 tendered his resignation in the following terse 
 letter: "I tender my resignation as postmaster 
 of Bay City, to take effect as soon as my suc- 
 cessor shall be appointed and qualified, for 
 these reasons : I am now a member of the Re- 
 publican State Central Committee, and chair- 
 man of the Bay County Republican Committee, 
 and your civil service order obliges me to 
 resign either the position of honor or profit. 
 I therefore resign the office of profit" ! And he 
 forthwith retired to "Xe-bo-bish" Farm in 
 Monitor. What a contrast between those 
 sturdy pioneers in public affairs, and our own 
 modern day ideals, or lack of them ! 
 
 In 1872 the equalized valuation of Alonitor 
 
 township was $45,023, while in 1SS2 it had 
 increased to $274,220. The population in 1874 
 was 554; in 1880 it was 931 ; in 1894 it had 
 grown to 1,784; and in 1900, largely owing 
 to the influx of coal miners, it was 2,150. The 
 officers of Monitor township in 1905 are: 
 Supervisor, Henry Moeller; clerk, Charles 
 Thurau; treasurer, John H. Popp; justice of 
 the peace, W. P. McGrath ; highway commis- 
 sioner, Fred Schmidt. 
 
 Mount Fore.st township was erected by 
 the Board of Supervisors on January 14, 1890. 
 The following residents of Pinconning town- 
 ship petitioned for the separation : John T. 
 Lynch, Clarence Fairchild, Charles Miller, 
 Michael Paul, Lawrence, Joseph and George 
 Wasielewski, Hugh Stevenson, John Barie, 
 Fred Aloore, George Collins, John Jankowiak 
 and George Capter. Supervisor George Barie, 
 of Pinconning approved of the petition, and 
 thus sections i to 36, township 17 north, range 
 3 east, were set apart as the new township of 
 Mount Forest. Mount Forest township is 
 bounded by Gibson township on the north, by 
 Pinconning township on the east, by Garfield 
 township on the south and by Midland County 
 on the west. 
 
 The first election was held at the home of 
 Clarence Fairchild, and John T. Lynch, Clar- 
 ence Fairchild and Charles Miller were the 
 election inspectors. The following were the 
 first township officials : John T. Lynch, super- 
 visor; Cash Kelley, clerk; John L. Hudson, 
 treasurer ; Henry V. Lucas, school inspector. 
 
 Since Mount Forest is the youngest, so is 
 it also numerically the weakest, of the 14 town- 
 ships of Bay County. But its fine track of 
 hardwood timber has been opened up with 
 branch logging-railways from the Gladwin 
 Branch of the Michigan Central Railroad, and 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 147 
 
 the last large belt of primitive forest in Bay 
 is gradually falling before the advancing set- 
 tlers and pioneers. Fifteen years ago the log- 
 ging camps followed the rivers, where the 
 water furnished a somewhat erratic but cheap 
 transportation for the logs. In this 20th cen- 
 tury the "Captains of Industry" simply con- 
 struct spur tracks into the timber tracts, and 
 these are doing much to open up this virgin 
 section to settlement. 
 
 Many of the settlers are Polish emigrants, 
 rugged sons of toil, who know and appre- 
 ciate the difference between tlie tyranny 
 of darkest Russia, where every avenue 
 of progress is closed to them, and the 
 independence, enlightenment and opportu- 
 nity open to all the children of men. The 
 disastrous war which Russian autocracy is 
 waging against progressive Japan has driven 
 many emigrants to these shores within the last 
 year, and a good proportion have gone into 
 the wilds of Mount Forest to make their homes 
 and their fortunes. 
 
 The village of Mount Forest on the Glad- 
 win Branch is the trading center and post office 
 for Mount Forest township, and lies a little 
 west of where the Garfield stone road will cross 
 Mount Forest. The population of Mount For- 
 est township was 265 in 1894, and 350 in 
 1900. The next decade will find this more than 
 trebled. The present township officers are: 
 Supervisor, John Anderson; clerk, James Quig- 
 ley; treasurer, James Bryce; justice of the 
 peace, William Pregor; highway commis- 
 sioner, William Quigley, Jr. 
 
 PiNCONNiNG Township was created by 
 act of- the Legislature, approved February 28, 
 1873, in conjunction with Deep River and 
 Standish townships, which with Aremc t'.ien 
 
 belonged to Bay County, but have since been 
 erected into separate county organization. 
 Originally Pinconning consisted of township 
 17 north, ranges 3, 4 and 5 east. The first town 
 meeting was held at the warehouse of Kaiser 
 & VanEtten, on the first Monday in April, 
 1873. E. B. Knight, Louis Pelkey and H. 
 Packard were the election inspectors, and 
 Joseph U. Meechin was the first supervisor 
 chosen at this election. 
 
 The Indians, who long made this part of 
 the Saginaw Bay region one of their main 
 fishing and hunting grounds, called the Pin- 
 conning River "O-pin-nic-con-ing", meaning 
 "potato place," for wild potatoes grew abund- 
 antly in this neighborhood, and cultivation has 
 since made this the potato belt of the county. 
 The \\'hite Feather River in the northern part 
 of the township was also named by the Indians 
 in honor of one of the most famous Chippewa 
 chiefs of the last century, who took the cruel 
 "sun bath" on its shores. The large Indian 
 settlements at the mouth of lx)th rivers are 
 gradually dwindling away, but an old log mis- 
 sion church is a vivid reminder at the mouth 
 of the Pinconning of the earliest efforts in 
 Michigan to Christianize the natives. 
 
 As early as 1850, Louis Chapell owned and 
 operated a small water-mill at the mouth of the 
 Pinconning, and in 1853 L. .\. Pelkey began 
 fishing there. The entire township was cov- 
 ered with pine in those years, and the giants of 
 the forest soon attracted attention. In the early 
 "si.xties" lumber operations began along both 
 rivers, and when Frederick A. Kaiser of Kaw- 
 kawlin entered the field, the township enjoyed 
 a genuine l30om. In 1871 a fierce and destruc- 
 tive forest fire swept over part of these woods, 
 leaving a wide trail of havoc and destruction 
 behind. In 1873 Kaiser & VanEtten laid out 
 the village of Pinconning, and the place has 
 prospered until 1905 it is the leading village 
 
148 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 outside of Essexville, which latter is really but 
 a suburb of Bay City. 
 
 In recent years the pine barrens have been 
 taken up by practical farmers, and the township 
 is rapidly taking its place as an agricultural 
 community among the older and earlier settled 
 townships. The hardwood timber is now quite 
 valuable and ere long the last vestige of the 
 great forest of Pinconning will have disap- 
 peared. 
 
 Mount Forest township was carved out of 
 Pinconning in 1890, so that at present Pin- 
 conning is bounded on the north by Arenac 
 County, on the east by Saginaw Bay, on the 
 south by Fraser township and on the west by 
 Mount Forest township. Many of the inhabi- 
 tants, including a number of Indians, make a 
 living by catching the finny tribes in river and 
 bay, and many others still find work in the 
 surviving sawmills, stave and heading mills 
 and shingle mills, which in a comparatively 
 small way are clearing up the remaining tim- 
 ber north of Bay City. The population of Pin- 
 conning township was 2,166 in 1894, and 2,104 
 in 1900. This apparent loss in numbers is 
 due to the decline of the lumber industry, the 
 scattering of the Indians and the removal of 
 many settlers to the newly-opened townships 
 on the west and northwest. The pretty village 
 of Pinconning is the natural mart of the town- 
 ship and its neighbors of the west and north. 
 The ^Mackinaw Branch of the Michigan Cen- 
 tral Railroad has fine depot facilities at Pin- 
 conning, which is also the southern terminal of 
 ■the Gladwin Branch of the Michigan Central ; 
 Woodville is the last station in Pinconning 
 township on the Gladwin Branch, and White 
 Feather on the Mackinaw Branch. The town- 
 ship has long been clamoring for stone road 
 connection with Bay City, and the splendid 
 stone road system of Bay County, one of the 
 finest in the United States, is gradually being 
 
 extended to Pinconning. This township is bet- 
 ter drained than some of its southern neighbors, 
 and has less trouble and expense to keep up 
 the drain system. Great improvements are an- 
 nually being made to the township roads. The 
 school system of the township is of a very high 
 order, the village offering excellent school 
 facilities, in addition to the little rural seats 
 of culture and learning. The township officials 
 for 1905 are: Supervisor, George Hartingh; 
 clerk, L. A. Pelkey; treasurer, William T. 
 'Morris; highway commissioner, Peter Codey. 
 
 Portsmouth. On March 25, 1859, the 
 Board of Supervisors of Bay County erected 
 the township of Portsmouth, and Appleton 
 Stevens was its first supervisor. Being the 
 oldest settlement, and lying somewhat higher 
 than the village of Bay City, there was for 
 some years a keen rivalry as to which of the 
 two settlements should be the county seat. The 
 trend of business, however, was to the north, 
 to get nearer to Saginaw Bay, where many of 
 the early settlers found profitable employment 
 in fishing and trapping, and eventually the 
 younger settlement forged to the front. 
 
 In 1855, William Daglish purchased a 
 large portion of the plat of Portsmouth village, 
 and had it surveyed and replatted by A. Alberts. 
 Later additions were made to the plat by Medor 
 Trombley and A. H. Ingraham. The settle- 
 ment prospered with the passing years, new in- 
 dustries springing up along the river front, and 
 an army of industrious mechanics and laborers, 
 many of them from Germany and Poland, sup- 
 plied the brawn and sinew for these manufact- 
 uring enterprises. In 1866, when the village 
 was still independent of Bay City, the equalized 
 valuation of Portsmouth was placed at $152,- 
 300, while in 1882, with the village consoli- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 149 
 
 dated with Bay City, the vahiation was 
 $288,705. 
 
 By act of the Legislature, approved April 
 15. 1 87 1, "Sections 19 to 36, the same being 
 the south half of Township 13 north, Range 6 
 east" were detached from Saginaw County and 
 added to Portsmouth township. The supervi- 
 sors now considered Portsmouth too bulky, so 
 on July 8, 1871, they erected the township of 
 IMerritt, taking the territory largely from 
 Portsmouth, and against the protests of all the 
 settlers residing on "Sections i, 2, 3, 10, 11, 
 12, 13. 14 and 15, Town 13 north. Range 
 5 east." But these differences were duly ad- 
 justed, and at the July meeting the super\-isors 
 allowed the tax levy for Portsmouth, including 
 the amount for building a new town hall. 
 
 In 1873 the village of Portsmouth was 
 consolidated with Bay City. All the township 
 officials resided in the village, and their last 
 act was to vote the money for paying for the 
 town hall, and to deed the lot and building to 
 Bay City! The officers of the reconstructed 
 township sued the retiring treasurer for all the 
 moneys remaining in his possession, which they 
 secured, but the property remained with the 
 city. 
 
 On April i, 1873. the Legislature took the 
 remaining portions of two sections, added 13 
 sections from Merritt and nearly six from 
 Hampton, and created Portsmouth township as 
 now constituted. The reconstructed township 
 held its regular town election on April 5, 1873. 
 Gen. B. F. Partridge was chosen supervisor, 
 which office he filled for more than 10 years 
 thereafter. Henry Hess was chosen town 
 clerk, and Nelson IMerritt, town treasurer. 
 
 The township contains some of the richest 
 farms in the county, and has ahvavs been well 
 managed. The township officials have pro- 
 vided excellent drainage, good roads and three 
 school houses for educational and meeting pur- 
 
 poses. The business of the inhabitants is done 
 entirely in Bay City, which is easily reached 
 over two fine stone roads and the South End 
 electric car system. Its present officials are 
 as follows: Supervisor, William Wagner; 
 clerk, Fred M. Hubner; treasurer, Herman 
 Ruterbush; justice, Oscar F. Meiselbach ; high- 
 way commissioner, William Alberts. The pop- 
 ulation of Portsmouth township was 1,222 in 
 1894 and 1,363 in 1900. 
 
 Williams township was erected by the 
 Midland County Board of Supervisors in 1855, 
 and originally comprised all of towns 14, 
 15, 16 north, range 3 east and all of Arenac 
 County. Charles Bradford was the first super- 
 visor. In 1857 Williams township became 
 part of Bay County, being with Hampton, the 
 only organized township in the new county. 
 George W. Smock was the first supervisor to 
 represent Williams on the Bay County board. 
 As the pioneers penetrated further into the 
 wilds to the north and created new homes and 
 new communities, they set up townships of 
 their own, until to-day Williams is exactly 
 six miles square, being bounded on the north 
 by Beaver township, on the west by Midland 
 County, on the south by Saginaw County, and 
 on the east by Monitor township. 
 
 The pioneers, who made Williams one of 
 the oldest settlements, laid the foundation for 
 its prosperity as well as their own and their 
 descendant.s'. In the fall of 1854 a party of 
 land prospectors, including John Gafifney, 
 Charles Bradford, George W. Smock, William 
 Spofford and Charles Fitch were so well 
 pleased with the well-watered region now con- 
 stituting Williams township, that they forth- 
 with went to the public land office at Flint and 
 purchased the land upon which they soon after 
 settled. John Gaft'ney felled the first tree on 
 
ISO 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 November i8, 1854. About that same year, 
 William W. Skelton, A. J. Wiltse and Amos 
 Culver located near what is now North Wil- 
 liams. In 1855 came Samuel Rowden, John 
 C. Rowden, David Jones, Josiah Perry, John 
 Plant, and they were soon followed by other 
 settlers who appreciated the many advantages 
 of Williams township. Amos Culver and O. 
 N. C. White erected the first square log house, 
 with comb roof, and when Mrs. Culver and 
 family arrived in January, 1855, the roof was 
 only partially completed! 
 
 As we review the privations and the hard- 
 ships of our pioneers, we are apt to forget that 
 the women did as much practical work, dared 
 and suffered as much as any of the sterner se.x. 
 IMrs. Charles Bradford came to Williams town- 
 ship in February, 1855. A cousin, Lyman 
 Brainerd, who also pitched his shack in this 
 wilderness, carried her daughter, only 18 
 months old, for seven miles through the wood 
 following the "blazed" trail cut by the pioneer 
 surveyor, C. C. C. Chillson, on the line where 
 he predicted the Midland road would be built, 
 through mud, snow, ice and slush, to the log 
 hut of her husband! Roving Indians were as 
 common as roving packs of wolves, and both 
 equally to be feared when hungry, thirsty or 
 out of sorts. A blanket on a hard cot of oak 
 slabs was a luxury after the hard day's work 
 was over, while food and medicine had to be 
 brought seven weary miles over the "blazed" 
 trail from Bay City. 
 
 Amid such wild surroundings and under 
 such dismal circumstances, with only the rug- 
 ged husband and father for comfort and help, 
 there was born to Mrs. Amos Culver, in 1855, 
 the first white child to see the light of day in 
 Williams township. In 1856 the first school 
 was established at the home of Charles Brad- 
 ford; Mrs. Charles Fitch, wife of one of the 
 five original settlers, was the first teacher. The 
 
 first marriage in Williams was also performed 
 at the home of Charles Bradford, Otto Roeser, 
 justice, tying the nuptial knot for William 
 Hendrick and Mrs. Arvilla Stewart. Little 
 Miss Bradford, who was carried into the 
 wilderness when 18 months old, became the 
 township school teacher at the age of 17, and 
 for 14 consecutive years served Williams town- 
 ship in that capacity with credit to herself and 
 profit to the scholars. The Bradfords were 
 direct descendants of the illustrious William 
 Bradford, second Governor of Plymouth Col- 
 ony in Massachusetts and one of the Pilgrim 
 Fathers. 
 
 In 1866 the now thri\'ing hamlet of Fisher- 
 ville, named after the redoubtable Hon. Spen- 
 cer O. Fisher, Congressman, gubernatoral can- 
 didate and one of Bay County's most able and 
 prominent citizens, was known as "Spicer's 
 Corners," where Hotchkiss & Mercer operated 
 a sawmill, which was cutting plank for the 
 Bay City and Midland plank road, and inci- 
 dentally did a grist-mill business on a small 
 scale. 
 
 A resident of Williams in 1866 enumerated 
 the Methodist Bible class at North Williams, 
 supplied with preaching every two weeks ; a 
 Universalist class, with preaching every four 
 weeks ; and a Sunday-school kept regularly, 
 with a good library in connection. In the 
 southern part of the township they also had a 
 Sunday-school class, with occasional preaching, 
 and altogether the institutions of religion and 
 ethics were not totally neglected in the wilds 
 of Williams. 
 
 The township grew more ambitious by 
 1868. The same resident, mentioned in the 
 foregoing paragraph, urged the need of a post 
 office, invited settlers to try Williams, where 
 wild lands with good soil and fine pine and 
 other timber could be bought for $5 per acre, 
 and lauded the plank road, then completed^ 
 
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 153 
 
 which gave tlie settlement an easy road to mar- 
 ket, and doubled the value of the farms, as the 
 pioneers were not slow to notice. In 1S68. 
 W'illiams could boast one blacksmith shop, two 
 saloons, and a Good Templar lodge of 43 
 members. Two sawmills and one shingle mill 
 were being operated in the midst of the great 
 forest. 
 
 By 1868 W'illiams township proper had 
 over 300 inhabitants; in 1880 the population 
 was 866: in 1894 it was 1,752, and in 1900 it 
 was 1,818. In 1868 the township polled 47 
 votes; in 1900, 301. 
 
 The soil is a rich loam, lying high enough 
 for cultivation, and the pine stumpage offered 
 good grazing for cattle. From the first the 
 soil has been easily tilled and very productive. 
 The old plank road has been superseded by the 
 stone road which is as far superior to the rotten 
 old planks, as the original plank road was ahead 
 of the "blazed" trail. The Garfield stone road 
 crosses W'illiams township north and south, 
 M'ith fine cross roads, so that the road problem 
 is well solved. The Midland Branch of the 
 Michigan Central Railroad crosses the very 
 heart of W'^illiams, and since coal exists be- 
 neath the entire township the industrial devel- 
 opment of that neighborhood will be both sub- 
 stantial and rapid. Four feeders of the South 
 Branch of the Kawkawlin River furnish the 
 water supply and drainage, aided by numerous 
 drains and ditches, all leading to the Kaw- 
 kawlin. 
 
 The Polish settlers of that vicinity have 
 built a fine house of worship at Fisherville, 
 while the churches at the pretty village of Au- 
 burn supply the several denominations. W^il- 
 liams has an excellent school system, and post 
 offices at Auburn and North W^illiams. Some 
 of the largest and richest farms in the State of 
 Michigan are situated in Williams township, 
 monuments to the industry, perseverance, and 
 
 intelligent cultivation of its pioneers and their 
 descendants. The town officers at present are : 
 Linus W^ Oviatt, supervisor; George W. Mat- 
 thews, clerk; E. E. Rosenkrans, treasurer; A. 
 H. Buzzard, justice; August Constantine, high- 
 way commissioner. 
 
 VILLAGES. 
 
 Village of Essexville. — In 1849, Joseph 
 Hudson, a roving sailor, chanced to visit this 
 harbor, and during a prospecting tour was 
 favorably impressed with the prospects of the 
 low-lying lands on the east bank of the Sagi- 
 naw River and very near its mouth. Return- 
 ing to Connecticut to marry Fidelia D. Essex, 
 he told her brother. Ransom P. Essex, of the 
 promised land in the Northwest. In 1850 Mr. 
 Essex took up 80 acres of low lan<l and ]\Ir. 
 Hudson 40 acres adjoining, on which the thriv- 
 ing village of Essexville is now situated. Until 
 1855 the two pioneers followed the fishing bus- 
 iness, but later took up farming. 
 
 In 1867, Mr. Essex set aside eight acres for 
 village lots, the tract being the "west half of the 
 northeast cjuarter of section 14, town 14 
 north, range 5 east." He called this embryo 
 village "Essex" but the early settlers attached 
 a "ville", and so the name has remained to this 
 day, — "Essexville". An addition was soon 
 laid out, to accommodate arriving settlers, and 
 the humble homestead of the Essex family is 
 to-day in the center of a hustling suburb of 
 Greater Bay City. 
 
 The village of Essexville was incorporated 
 by act of the Legislature in February, 1883. 
 The charter election resulted as follows : Pres- 
 ident, J. R. Hall; clerk, W^illiam Felker; treas- 
 urer, George Hall ; assessor, Louis Felker ; 
 highway commissioner, W^illiam Leighton ; 
 constable, H. Van Wert ; trustees, — Philip Dar- 
 gis, S. A. Hall, Joseph Hudson, Anthony John- 
 son, John Garber and Tohn Widen. 
 
154 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Owing to the location of the village near the 
 mouth of the river, the land lies low and re- 
 quired, first of all, much drainage, before roads 
 and fields became useful to the settlers. Wood- 
 side avenue, through the village and east to 
 the county line, was one of the county's earliest 
 and best stone roads, replacing planks. Fine 
 cross roads run north and south from Wood- 
 side avenue to the Center avenue stone road. 
 The old horse car system came early to Essex- 
 ville, furnishing easy though somewhat slow 
 communication with the business center of Bay 
 City some three miles away, as judged by the 
 standard of 1905, when modern electric cars 
 speed over the same route every 20 minutes. 
 
 The first school house in Essexville was 
 built in 1870, JMiss Corbin, teacher. In 1879 it 
 was destroyed by fire, and immediately replaced 
 by the commodious and well-arranged, two- 
 story brick school, which has ever since fur- 
 nished ample opportunity for the ambitious 
 children of the village. As might be expected, 
 the large and prosperous settlement of Hol- 
 land and Belgian farmers, largely increased by 
 immigration during 1873-75, soon erected their 
 own church and parochial school house, which 
 are to this day two of the prominent landmarks 
 and seats of learning and worship in Essex- 
 ville. The tall spire of St. John's Catholic 
 Church is visible for miles around and on a 
 quiet Sabbath morning the sweet chimes of the 
 bells in the church belfry bid the community 
 to worship. Well may the German poet, Theo. 
 Koerner, sing: 
 
 Sweet day, so pure, so calm, so bright, 
 
 The bridal of the earth and sky. 
 Yon' chimes, so sweet, my soul's delight 
 
 Wing thoughts from earth to realms on high. 
 
 Essexville was for some years a field for 
 missionary effort by the churches of Bay City. 
 In 1870 the Methodist Episcopal Church estab- 
 lished a mission, and in 1872 Trinity Protest- 
 
 ant Episcopal Church established a mission and 
 later built a chapel. In 1879 Rev. J. B. Daw- 
 son, a Congregational missionary, organized 
 the now prosperous Congregational society, 
 with a house of worship at Essex and Langstafif 
 streets, dedicated in 1883. The First Baptist 
 Church of Essexvillle, on Dunbar and Lang- 
 staff streets, has prospered in recent years. 
 Rev. W. P. Lovett in March, 1905, resigned 
 the pastorate, having accepted a call to Grand 
 Rapids, Michigan. 
 
 Holy Rosary Academy, a three-story pre- 
 paratory school adjoining St. John's Catholic 
 Church and School, was destroyed by fire on 
 March 10, 1904, and one of the Sisters of St. 
 Dominic, enfeebled by age and infirmities, died 
 two days later at Mercy Hospital, as a result of 
 jumping from the second story and exposure 
 in the bitter cold night, The Sisters lost all 
 their personal property, as did a number of 
 pupils from out of the city who slept there. 
 Owing to the lack of modern fire-fighting appa- 
 ratus, Essexville has lost thousands of dollars 
 worth of property and a number of industries 
 in recent years. Holy Rosary Academy is 
 being rebuilt in March, 1905, but on Lincoln 
 avenue, within the city limits, where fire pro- 
 tection has ever been eft'ective. 
 
 Essexville has from its infancy been the 
 home of a number of flourishing fraternal and 
 benevolent societies. Lighthouse Lodge, No. 
 235, I. O. O. F., was organized July i, 1874, 
 with nine charter members and has to-day a 
 large membership. This lodge and Elmira 
 Lodge, No. 102, Rebekahs, own the Odd Fel- 
 lows' Block on Woodside avenue in Essexville. 
 The Knights of the Modern Maccabees, Ladies 
 of the ^Modern Maccabees, Modern Woodmen 
 of America and Independent Order of Forest- 
 ers have thriving lodges in the village. The 
 Maccabees have their own hall on Woodside 
 avenue. The Hampton Band is the leading 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 ':>:) 
 
 musical organization of the village. In 1882 
 Essexville had a "Reform Club", which had its 
 own hall on Woodside avenue, S. W. Green 
 being president. Evidently the desired re- 
 forms were accomplished in time, for the "Re- 
 formers" as an organization have long since 
 passed from view. The work of enforcing law 
 and order and accomplishing reforms now 
 rests entirely with the minions of the law, — 
 Justice W'illiam Felker, the village marshal and 
 the sheriff's office, — and the law-abiding vil- 
 lagers cause them little trouble. Roving tramps 
 and inel)riates cause most of the arrests. 
 
 Essexville has for years had the post office 
 of Hampton township. Although rural free 
 delivery has in recent years provided a more 
 speedy and modern mail service, still the post 
 office continues to do a prosperous business 
 for "Uncle Sam," under the able management 
 of Dr. E. F. Crummer. 
 
 Tlie Bay City Boat Club four years ago 
 gave up its old club house in Essexville and 
 built a modern club house a half mile nearer 
 the mouth of he river. It is situated near the 
 last bend of the Saginaw, commanding a fine 
 view of the bay and of the summer resorts to 
 the north and west, and the power and sailing 
 yacht regattas held during the summer are over 
 a course that is visible from the broad and 
 shady verandas of the club house, and are 
 always enjoyed by the villagers of leisure. 
 
 The business section of the village stretches 
 for nearly a mile along Woodside avenue, and 
 is gradually expanding to meet the require- 
 ments of the increasing population, especially 
 in the rural sections tributary to Essexville. 
 In 1882 the village had i apiary, i blacksmith, 
 I boarding house, i shoemaker, i druggist, 3 
 grocers, 2 hotels, i ice dealer, i livery, i meat 
 market, i saloon and i wagon-maker. In 1905 
 we find all these places of business more than 
 
 doubled, the saloons showing the largest in- 
 crease in numl)ers. There are now several 
 large general stores, a hardware, dry goods 
 and shoe store^ photographer, music teacher 
 and three practicing physicians. 
 
 Like other business centers of the valley, 
 the industries of the village have undergone 
 a complete change in the last 15 years. Car- 
 rier & Company built the first sawmill in 1867, 
 with a capacity of 8,000,000 feet of lumber 
 per year. The Rouse mill was built by J. M. 
 Rouse in 1870-71. In January, 1878, his sons, 
 — E. F. Rouse and William B. Rouse (the 
 latter now village president), — took charge of 
 the mill, which then cut 12,000,000 feet of 
 lumber annually, built a salt-block in connec- 
 tion, producing 90 barrels per day, and oper- 
 ated it so long as the supply of logs held out. 
 The lumber statistician of 1879 also counted 
 the McEwan mill as part of Essexville. and 
 while it has been within the limits of Bay City 
 its employees came largely from this village. 
 Then came the mill of J. R. Hall and the shin- 
 gle mill of S. A. Hall, and still later Boyce's 
 mammoth sawmill and salt-block brought new 
 life and business to the bustling lumbering com- 
 munity. Then came the $2 tariff on Canadian 
 logs and with a single stroke of the pen at 
 Washington, the lumber industry of the west- 
 ern shore of Lake Huron and on Saginaw Bay 
 was totally destroyed. One by one Essexville's 
 sawmills closed down, were torn down, re- 
 moved or fell a prey to the fiery elements. Pen- 
 niman & Courval's shingle mill near the mouth 
 of the river is all that remains of this once 
 booming lumbering cotnmunity. 
 
 In 1898 Essexville profited by the experi- 
 ments with sugar beets carried on for a term 
 of years by Hon. Nathan B. Bradley, C. B. 
 Chatfield, Rev. William Reuthert and other pio- 
 neers of that now flourishing farm and factor)^ 
 
^5^ 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 industry, the Michigan Sugar Factory being 
 buih under the stimulus of a State bounty that 
 year. This was the first beet sugar factory in 
 Michigan; it was incorporated in 1897, capi- 
 tahzed at $200,000, and with these officers: 
 Thomas Cranage, president; Hon. Nathan B. 
 Bradley, vice-president; E. T. Carrington, sec- 
 retary-treasurer. In December, 1898, the Bay 
 City Sugar Company was incorporated with a 
 capital of $600,000, being officered as follows : 
 W. L. Churchill, president; Capt. Benjamin 
 Boutell, vice-president; Eugene Fifield, secre- 
 tary-treasurer. By January i, 1900, this mam- 
 moth five-story sugar-house began its first beet- 
 slicing campaign. The question of refuse 
 molasses from these factories was solved a year 
 later when the Michigan Chemical Company 
 was organized by Pittsburg capital, and the 
 following summer the first high-proof spirits 
 were manufactured, the government taking 
 most of the output for use in its manufacture 
 of high-power explosives. 
 
 These, with the chicory factory on Borden 
 avenue, since burned down and consolidated 
 with the Center avenue factory, just south of 
 the corporate limits of the village, and a num- 
 ber of large fishing institutions, comprise the 
 present industries of the village. Many of the 
 villagers have turned their attention to culti- 
 vating sugar beets during the summer, finding 
 employment in the sugar and chemical factories 
 in fall and winter. The Boyce Coal Company 
 was organized in 1899, A. A. Boyce. president; 
 G. J. Boyce, secretary-treasurer, with offices on 
 Pine street. The erection of the Hecla cement 
 plant just across the river from Essexville, 
 w'ith a capitalization of $5,000,000, furnished 
 employment to hundreds of villagers, and, 
 when the concern settles its internal troubles 
 in the courts, will prove a bonanza to Essex- 
 ville and its inhabitants. The Essexville coal 
 
 and wood vard built bv William B. Rouse two 
 years ago, and now operated by Charles Gard- 
 ner, fills a long-felt want. The population of 
 Essexville was 1,639 ^^'^ 1900. 
 
 The dividing line between Greater Bay City 
 and Essexville is about the center of Woodside 
 avenue, east of Atlantic street, and many of the 
 \-illagers are looking forward to the time when 
 their community will form a ward of the great 
 city. The main objection is the bonded indebt- 
 edness of the city, while Essexville has not 
 one dollar of bonded debt. But this might be 
 arranged on a mutually satisfactory basis, and 
 the consolidation would at once give Essexville 
 access to the municipal lighting plant, 
 the water-works, with the much needed 
 fire protection, the High School, for which the 
 villagers must now pay extra, permanent pave- 
 ments, improved drainage, and all the other 
 modern advantages of an up-to-date city. 
 That many of the villagers see this union of 
 village and city in the not very far future is 
 proven by the defeat of the proposition to bond 
 the village for $50,000 for a village water- 
 works plant, at the election on March 13, 1905. 
 Consolidation will give them this water service, 
 then why erect a separate plant? The dividing 
 line is slender, the social and business interests 
 closely interwoven, and ere long all the people 
 residing on both sides of the Saginaw River, 
 for five miles from its mouth, will comprise one 
 city of more than 50,000 inhabitants, and 
 Essexville is destined to be one of the busy 
 wards of the greater city. 
 
 The village election held on March 13, 
 1905, was one of the most spirited in the annals 
 of Essexville, and more remarkable because 
 only one candidate of the Democratic ticket 
 won out, after that party had ruled the desti- 
 nies of the village for years. Following was 
 the vote: 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 157 
 
 PRESIDENT. 
 
 William B. Rouse, Rep 165 
 
 J. R. Cotter, Dem 119 
 
 Rouse's majority, 46. 
 
 CLERK. 
 
 O. A. Lloyd, Rep 135 
 
 F. O. Guindon, Dem 149 
 
 Guindon's majority, 14. 
 
 TREASURER. 
 
 W. C. Rothermel, Rep 143 
 
 Jacob Van Hamlin, Dem 130 
 
 Rothermel's majority, 13. 
 
 ASSESSOR. 
 
 Martin Richards, Rep 154 
 
 William Felker, Dem 127 
 
 Richards' majority, 27. 
 
 TRUSTEES. 
 
 E. F. Crummer, Rep 152 
 
 W. Portlance, Dem 130 
 
 Crummer's majority, 22. 
 
 Archie Deary, Rep 144 
 
 Charles Wise, Dem 133 
 
 Deary's majority, 11. 
 
 William Burgess, Rep , 154 
 
 Henry Hudson, Dem 123 
 
 Burgess' majority, 46. 
 
 * * * 
 
 Village of Kawkawlin. — One of the 
 prettiest and most enterprising hanilets in Bay 
 County is situated on the banks of the placid 
 river, which gives it its romantic Indian name. 
 The earliest settlers clustered about the quaint 
 little water-mill built by the late James Eraser, 
 and later operated by O. A. Ballou & Company, 
 Frederick A. Kaiser's steam-mill, and the ford 
 used by the Indians in their travels. In 1855 
 this village consisted of the two mills, five cot- 
 tages, two log huts, several Indian wigwams, 
 and one hundred million mosquitoes to the 
 square mile. The pioneer Kaiser and his 
 sturdy German wife never had any altercation 
 at the dinner table, because they always had to 
 keep muffled, to prevent being devoured by 
 these winged demons of the swampy river bot- 
 
 tom! Thomas Munn, Edward McGuinnes, 
 Michael McGuinnes, Cromwell Barney, John 
 Sutherland, the late Dr. T. A. MacTavish, 
 Jans Jacobsen, Amos Wheeler, Calvin E. Be- 
 dell, Edwin M. Parsons, Carl Schmidt, George 
 A. Schultz and John C. Westpinter, who came 
 in 1852, were among the home-builders of this 
 village in its pioneer days. 
 
 The fellow-citizens of genial "Tom" Munu 
 know that there could not have been many dull 
 moments in the village, while Tom was there, 
 and the pioneers tell many amusing stories of 
 pioneer life on the "raging" Kawkawlin. One 
 ■day in November, 1873, a lovesick and not 
 overly bright young fellow wandered into the 
 settlement, and before the week rolled around 
 had received the icy mitt from all the young 
 women of the town, to whom he proposed in 
 short order. A fun-loving Scotchman thought 
 he saw a chance to relieve the mosquito season. 
 A beardless boy of feminine looks was togged 
 up, Mr. Masher duly introduced, and the weird 
 courtship duly started. A fellow named Smith 
 made some insulting remark to Mr. Masher's 
 "girl" one evening, and next morning a war- 
 rant was secured before a fake justice, a mock 
 trial was held, and Smith fined $15, to the de- 
 light of Mr. Masher. To settle matters he 
 proposed to marry, and before night the fake 
 justice had tied the knot. Then Smith bobbed 
 up to spoil the wedding ceremony by demand- 
 ing another trial, which was duly held next 
 morning and Smith acquitted. In the same 
 instant another fellow stepped forward to claim 
 his wife, now Mrs. Masher, and the "girl" was 
 promptly arrested for bigamy, to Mr. Newly- 
 wed's horror! But his horror became aggra- 
 vated when some wag tore off the "girl's" bon- 
 net and other toggery. Tableau ! Mr. Masher 
 was set adrift on the Kawkawlin and drifted 
 out of sight forever, but never out of mind in 
 the settlement! 
 
158 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 The spirit of the community also found 
 expression in breezy rhymes. Here is a sample : 
 
 No fightin' or brawlin is heard in Kawkawlin 
 And the only contention is at the ball park ! 
 
 'Tis here that the white man gives the red man his right 
 hand, 
 And helps him, as Penn did, to paddle life's bark ! 
 
 Canadians in dozens, with "Old Country" cousins, 
 Are fleeing the maple leaf, thistle and rose; 
 
 And westwardly sally, to Kawkawlin valley, 
 
 To find richer homes where the prairie grass grows. 
 
 We have a fair river, a bountiful giver, 
 Of all sorts of fishes that dwell in the sea; 
 
 While placidly resting, or fearlessly breasting, 
 Its current, the wild duck is waiting for me. 
 
 We turn out together, in fair or foul weather. 
 To help any neighbor we think is in need; 
 
 Each man to the other is a scriptural brother. 
 Despite nationality, color or creed! 
 
 In 1 86 1 the first school was opened in a 
 little frame building, and Miss Carrie Chelsea, 
 now Mrs. C. C. Faxon, of West Bay City, 
 w^as the first teacher. The venerable lady has 
 achieved in the 44 years since passed a fore- 
 most place for philanthropy, and earnest work 
 in the missionary and temperance field. The 
 post office was established in 1868 and D. Stan- 
 ton was the first postmaster. The Presby- 
 terians and Methodists held church services 
 about 1863, and 10 years later substantial 
 church edifices graced the thriving village. 
 Social Lodge, No. 148, I. O. O. F., was orga- 
 nized December 13, 1871, two members being 
 admitted by card, and seven by initiation. It 
 has grown continually since then, and with the 
 Pine Grove Lodge of Good Templars, shares 
 the honor of being the earliest fraternal and 
 benevolent organizations in the village. The 
 Knights of the Maccabees, Gleaners, Independ- 
 ent Order of Foresters, Modern Woodmen of 
 America and Masons have strong lodges in 
 
 the village. IMany of the members live in the 
 surrounding country. 
 
 In 1862, O. A. Ballon, A. M. Switzer and 
 Dr. W. E. Vaughn, the latter still a resident of 
 Bay City, operated for a few years a chemical 
 plant for the manufacture of hemlock extract. 
 It was the predecessor of a number of large 
 chemical plants erected in Bay City since. Kaw- 
 kawlin has had several gentiine earthquakes, 
 owing to the tendency of the H. H. Thomas 
 dynamite plant, just south of the village, to 
 create a terrific noise and a rocking of the uni- 
 verse, whenever it takes one of its periodical 
 flights into space and minute particles ! \\'in- 
 dow glass for miles around is at a premium 
 on such occasions, and, more unfortunately still, 
 a number of lives have been lost by these terri- 
 ble explosions. 
 
 The village has suffered a ntmiber of times 
 owing to fierce fires raging through the remain- 
 ing forests and underbrush of the vicinity. 
 One of the most destructive fires occurred on 
 March 25, 1880, when the handsome home of 
 the oldest pioneer, Frederick A. Kaiser, was 
 destroyed by fire caused by defective flues in 
 the heating apparatus. Mr. Kaiser was in Bay 
 City on the eventful morning, and his son and 
 hired men were at work. About 10 o'clock 
 a son-in-law. living over a mile distant, looking 
 toward the Kaiser home, saw flames and smoke 
 pouring from the roof. Mounting a horse he 
 rode the animal under the whip the entire dis- 
 tance, the exertion killing the faithful beast. 
 Most of the furniture was saved but the house, 
 valued at $16,000, was totally destroyed. 
 
 Just south of the village, in a beautiful 
 grove of forest kings, on a little bluff overlook- 
 ing the river and valley, facing the fine stone 
 road, is "Riverside Farm," one of Bay County's 
 prettiest and most famous ranches. It is the 
 homestead of the Marston family, and was for 
 vears the beloved retreat of the late Hon. Isaac 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 159 
 
 IMarston, justice of the Supreme Court from 
 1875 to 1883, being chief justice in 1880 and 
 1 881. He also filled, by appointment from 
 Governor Bagley, a vacancy that occurred in 
 the office of Attorney General of Michigan, this 
 being prior to his elevation to the bench. 
 "Riverside Farm" has for years had the dis- 
 tinction of being one of the model farms of the 
 entire country, and is far-famed for its large 
 herd of blooded cattle, mainly Jerseys. The 
 Judge has a worthy successor at "Riverside 
 Farm" in his son, Thomas Frank Mars- 
 ton, who served for years on the State 
 Board of Agriculture, being president of the 
 board during the administration of Governor 
 A. T. Bliss, and has lately been reappointed to 
 this board by Governor Fred M. Warner. 
 
 Like Frankenlust on the southwest, Wil- 
 liams on the west and Portsmouth and ]\Ierritt 
 on the southeast of the county, Kawkawlin is 
 noted for its hospitality. The dust and smoke- 
 begrimed employees of factory and workshop 
 in Bay City know and have no greater recrea- 
 tion, than a drive over the fine roads, where 
 macadamized stone has replaced corduroy, mud 
 and finally plank roads, to the cozy, well- 
 stocked and hospitable homes of the villagers 
 and farmers of Kawkawlin. 
 
 Pin CONNING Village. — "Pinconning: 
 Change cars for jMount Forest, Bentley and 
 Gladwin." Such is the stentorian announce- 
 ment of the pleasant-faced conductor on the 
 "Mackinaw Flyer" of the Michigan Central, as 
 the train pulls into the pretty village on the 
 Pinconning River. We are 18 miles from Bay 
 City. The trunk line to the Straits of Mackinac 
 runs due north, the Gladwyn Branch almost 
 due west to Mount Forest, and then northwest- 
 ward to the county seat of Gladwin County. 
 As the townships to the north of Bay City are 
 
 being settled, the importance of Pinconning as 
 a trading center naturally increases. 
 
 The village dates from 1872, when Fred- 
 erick A. Kaiser and George H. Van Etten built 
 and operated the first sawmill there. They built 
 a unique railroad of 3 by 5 maple rails for 18 
 miles into a timber belt that gave 140,000,000 
 feet of lumber. They platted 100 acres on 
 both sides of the railway; the streets running 
 north and south were named : Waters, Warren, 
 Kaiser, Manitou and Van Etten, while those 
 running east and west were numbered from one 
 to six. With the later additions, these are the 
 streets of the village to-day. A large general 
 store was started by the firm, and a post office 
 established. Pinconning township now has 
 rural free delivery advantages, but the post 
 office is still in much demand. George Barie is 
 the popular postmaster of Pinconning. 
 
 With the falling of the last pine tree in 
 that lumbering section, the palmy days of the 
 village ended for a time. The mills were 
 wiped out by fire or torn down and removed 
 nearer their timber supply. But the settlers 
 followed the lumber jack, and ere long Pin- 
 conning took a new and permanent lease of 
 life, so that in 1887 it was incorporated and 
 reincorporated in 1891. In the census of 1900 
 it had 729 inhabitants. 
 
 The business section of the village has been 
 repeatedly wiped out by fire, but, as often 
 Pinconning rose from the ashes and always 
 with more pretentious hotels, stores and homes. 
 The fine brick school was destroyed by fire in 
 1904, and in 1905 an even more modern and 
 handsome brick and stone school has replaced 
 it. The Maccabee Hall is one of the conspicu- 
 ous two-story structures, and furnishes ample 
 auditorium space for the public meetings and 
 entertainments of the village. The first church 
 was the Indian mission at the mouth of the 
 Pinconning River. In 1884 the Methodist 
 
i6o 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Episcopal and the Presbyterian Church were 
 buih. and ahnost every denomination is repre- 
 sented in this httle hamlet. Women's chibs and 
 social organizations assist in furnishing diver- 
 sion and enlightenment for the progressive vil- 
 lagers. 
 
 Practically every line of retail trade is rep- 
 resented in the village, the stores are well- 
 stocked and well-kept, and the enterprising 
 merchants know the value of paint in keeping 
 things looking bright and new on the outside, 
 and clean within. Two hotels and several tav- 
 erns provide for the comfort and good cheer 
 of transient visitors and industrious villagers. 
 The fraternities are well represented in Pin- 
 conning, there being lodges of Masons, Odd 
 Fellows, Alaccabees and Modern Woodmen. 
 
 Edward Jennings, proprietor of the shin- 
 gle, heading and stave mill, the only survivor 
 of the palmy days of lumbering here, has held 
 about all the positions of trust and responsibil- 
 ity in Pinconning village and township. In 
 1904 he was village president. On !March 13, 
 1905, the following union ticket was elected 
 without opposition : President, A. Grimshaw, 
 hardware merchant ; clerk, H. C. Mansfield, 
 grocer; treasurer, W. A. [McDonald, grocer; 
 assessor, George Deremer, musician and ton- 
 sorial artist; trustees, — Alex. Lenhoff (cloth- 
 ing merchant), George Hessling (harness- 
 maker) and Edward Jennings (lumberman). 
 
 Auburn. — About 10 miles west of Bay 
 City, exactly midway to Midland, on the splen- 
 did Midland stone road, is one of Michigan's 
 prettiest country hamlets. Well-kept stores and 
 comfortable homes, inviting taverns and bus}' 
 shops, cozy schools and dignified houses of 
 worship, are clustered here, providing many 
 of the diversions and ethics of life, and all its 
 
 In the farming com- 
 
 modern-dav necessities. 
 
 munity about the village, the stump-puller has 
 long since given way to the up-to-date sowing 
 and reaping machines. In 1883 there were two 
 churches (Methodist Episcopal and Catholic), 
 the Auburn House (a fine brick hotel owned 
 by W. P. Root), the fine store of Ira E. Swart, 
 a blacksmith shop and two saloons. The pio- 
 neer, Ira E. Swart, joined the great majority 
 eight years ago. The place has known many 
 changes in the two decades intervening between 
 1883 and the present time. 
 
 The Methodist Episcopal Church of 25 
 years ago is still a landmark in Auburn, but the 
 little Catholic Church has been replaced by 
 St. Joseph's Church, a brick structure, 40 by 
 65 feet, and modern in every respect, at a cost 
 of $10,000. The town hall is located in the 
 heart of the village, furnishing an ample meet- 
 ing place for the residents of Williams town- 
 ship. Just across the way is the office and cozy 
 home of the veteran physician of the village. 
 Dr. John P. Snyder, and Smith's drug store 
 fills a long-felt want in the community. John 
 Nuffer's cheese factory and general store, and 
 the elevator and general store of C. A. Kern 
 are among Auburn's substantial business insti- 
 tutions. August Constantine presides at the 
 Auburn Hotel and James Green at the Bay 
 City Hotel. The merry music of hammer and 
 anvil is heard from early morning until late 
 each day, where George Clark and the 
 Hemingway Brothers operate their respective 
 smithies. Interspersed with these busy institu- 
 tions are the comfortable and well-kept homes 
 of the villagers. 
 
 Here, too, the townspeople of Bay City 
 find a breathing place, a source of rest and 
 recreation after the day's work or the week's 
 work is done. Sleigh-ride parties in winter, 
 bicycling, coaching and auto parties during 
 summer find Auburn a jolly good place to visit. 
 The village folk enjoy these visits, and practice 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 i6i 
 
 fraternity and benevolence within their own 
 Httle community. We find here tlie Auburn 
 Post, G. A. R., a reminder that WilHams town- 
 ship furnished rather more than its quota of 
 men when our country needed them most, and 
 active lodges of the Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows, Modern Woodmen of America, Inde- 
 pendent Order of Foresters, Gleaners, and lead- 
 ing "Farmers Club" of the county. Verily these 
 worthy villagers know the town-meeting, love 
 its associations, and profit by the lessons of 
 progress and charity there espoused, worthy 
 descendants of the idyllic New England vil- 
 lage, whose memory Auburn brings vividly 
 to mind. And verily here too we find : 
 
 Under a spreading chestnut tree 
 
 The village smithy stands ; 
 The smith, a mighty man is he. 
 
 With large and sinewy hands; 
 And the muscles of his brany arms 
 
 Are strong as iron bands. 
 
 Week in, week out. from morn till night, 
 You can hear his bellows blow; 
 
 You can hear him swing his heavy sledge, 
 With measured beat and slow. 
 
 Like a sexton ringing the village bell. 
 When the evening sun is low. 
 
 — Longfellow. 
 
 "IcEBURG, U. S. A." — This is the famous 
 fishing village, located from three to 30 miles 
 north of Bay City, which appears each winter 
 as if by magic, on the icy surface of Saginaw 
 Bay. Just as soon as the ice on the bay is thick 
 enough to sustain the weight, commercial fish- 
 ermen, and men from every walk of life who 
 happen to be out of employment, rig up their 
 shanties on sleds, each shanty being provided 
 with a stove for a heating, and a cot for sleep- 
 ing purposes, and a box to hold provisions. 
 Hundreds of these fishing shanties are moved 
 out on the ice, their location depending upon 
 the feeding grounds or runway of the finny 
 tribes, and for from three to four months the 
 fishermen are busy spearing fish. Fish buyers 
 drive out each day and buy the catch. This 
 picturesque and transient community has been 
 named "Iceburg, U. S. A." The season of 
 1904-05 brought out some 350 men, and while 
 the catches for December and January were 
 light, February and March proved bonanzas. 
 Expert spear fishermen made from $5 to $10 
 per day. The ice for January, February and 
 March, 1905, was three feet thick. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 NATURAL RESOURCES AND ADVANTAGES OF BAY COUNTY. 
 
 Climate — Easy Water Communication Provided by the Rivers and Saginaw Bay 
 — A Paradise of Fish and Game — Rich Mineral and Agricultural Resources — 
 Pine and Hardwood Timber — Extensive Underlying Deposits of Salt and Coal 
 — Rich Soil and Fruitful Farms — "Garden Spot of Michigan." 
 
 Bay County is situated at the head of Sagi- 
 naw Bay, and has a shore line of about 30 
 miles. It has an area of 437 square miles, and 
 is probably the only county in the State without 
 a single natural elevation. No figure of speech 
 is used in applying the word "valley" to this 
 region. The watersheds where the head waters 
 of the Saginaw have their origin are many 
 hundreds of feet higher than the river valley in 
 Bay County. The altitude of the counties to the 
 south, where the Flint and Shiawassee rivers, 
 tributaries of the Saginaw, have their begin- 
 ning, is between six and seven hundred feet 
 above that of Bay County. A similar condition 
 in greater or less degree, exists as to the coun- 
 ties west of Bay. Bay County is thus protected 
 in no small degree from the severe wind-storms 
 Avhich sometimes sweep across the State. While 
 the winters are long and cold, the variations 
 in temperature are not extreme, and the climate 
 is much milder in winter than that of many 
 portions of the State lying farther south. The 
 summers are usually hot, owing to the county's 
 peculiar location; the modifying influence of 
 Saginaw Bay and the Great Lakes cause a late 
 autumn and all crops have ample time to come 
 
 to maturity before the fall frosts. The low 
 mortality statistics show that the climate is 
 exceptionally salubrious. 
 
 Besides numberless smaller streams and 
 creeks, four large rivers, — the Saganing, Pin- 
 conning, Kawkawlin and Saginaw, — flow 
 through Bay County. The last named river 
 is formed by the Tittabawassee, Cass, Flint 
 and Shiawassee rivers, and has a total length 
 of 18 miles, being the largest river within the 
 State. It enters the southern part of the county 
 between Frankenlust and Portsmouth town- 
 ships, flows north through Greater Bay City 
 and between Bangor and Hampton townships, 
 emptying into Saginaw Bay three miles north 
 of Bay City. The season for navigation usu- 
 ally runs from the ist of April to about De- 
 cember 1 0th. The ice has been known to go 
 out of the Saginaw River as early as March 
 17th, and in the season of 1857-58 the ice was 
 at no time thick enough to hinder the passage 
 of tug boats between Bay City and Saginaw. 
 The ice on river and bay during the winter of 
 1904-05 was from 18 to 28 inches thick. In 
 the early days a sand-bar stretched across the 
 mouth of the Saginaw River and seriously 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 163 
 
 obstructed navigation. This has been dredg-ed 
 away by the Federal government and now ves- 
 sels of the deepest draft can enter the harbor 
 and land their cargoes at any dock along Bay 
 City's seven miles of water front. 
 
 There are few sections of this country of 
 equal area which have such wealth and variety 
 of natural resources. Long before the first 
 white man penetrated this wilderness, the abor- 
 iginal Indian tribes waged many a war for the 
 possession of its primeval forests abounding 
 with wild game and its rivers teeming with 
 fish. While the larger game has been mostly 
 killed off, or has sought refuge in retreats less 
 accessible to man, there still remains sufificient 
 small game to afford the man with a gun the 
 pleasure he is seeking. The rivers of the county 
 and the waters of Saginaw Bay continue to 
 furnish immense quantities of edible fish, thus 
 sustaining an industry in which hundreds of 
 men are employed and thousands of dollars are 
 invested. It is in winter that the fishing busi- 
 ness reaches its greatest activity. At that sea- 
 son, hundreds of commercial fishermen and 
 workingmen out of employment go out on the 
 ice in the bay, erect huts and live for several 
 months luring the finny tribe from the clear 
 blue waters. The fishing grounds along the 
 bay and ri\er are generally owned by the firms 
 engaged in the business, their riparian rights 
 extending to the center of the stream. Along 
 these grounds nets are set, and lifted daily if 
 necessary. It is not unusual to draw up from 
 one to three tons of fish at a lift. New York 
 City is the great mart for Bay County's fish 
 output. 
 
 No doubt the early adventurers were at- 
 tracted hither by tlie trade in furs ; but among 
 the pioneers of this section were those who 
 recognized the almost limitless wealth to be cut 
 from the boundless tracts of pine timber. There 
 now remains but one tract of this virgin growth 
 
 of pine, and that is being manufactured into 
 hunl)er as rapidly as modern methods and ma- 
 chinery can do so. However, large tracts of 
 hardwood timber, including the different varie- 
 ties of oak and ash, elm, maple, beech, tama- 
 rack and other valuable woods are still stand- 
 ing. There is a constant and increasing de- 
 mand for hardwood lumber to be used as in- 
 terior finish and in the manufacture of cabinet- 
 work : and while, of course, the lumber indus- 
 try will never again be the mainstay of the 
 county's industries, it will contribute largely to 
 the wealth and prosperity of this section for 
 many years to come. All the remaining saw- 
 mills have timber supply and contracts for from 
 1 5 to 25 years. 
 
 Until i860 lumbering and fishing were al- 
 most the only industries. In that year the 
 attention of capitalists and the community in 
 general was called to the existence of vast res- 
 ervoirs of salt in this section, and as an experi- 
 ment a salt-well was put down in Bay City. 
 This venture proved successful, and from that 
 time on, with the encouragement of a small 
 State bounty, the production of salt increased 
 rapidly. The salt-blocks were usually operated 
 in connection with sawmills, because in this 
 way the exhaust steam, which up to this time 
 had been wasted, could be profitably utilized, 
 and steam could be generated from the refuse 
 of the mills. Under the Saginaw \'alley, at a 
 depth ranging from 600 to i.ooo feet, lies a 
 vast salt basin. The immense deposit of rock 
 salt from which the brine used in our salt 
 works must come has not yet been touched. 
 Many attempts have l>een made to drill down 
 to it, but after going to great depths, drill after 
 drill has been broken, and up to this time all 
 such ventures have been abandoned on account 
 of the financial loss sustained. The brine from 
 our salt-wells stands 96 and 98 by the salino- 
 meter, and is freer from troublesome impurities 
 
164 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 — "bitter waters," the operatives call them — 
 than the brine of most other localities. While 
 we all realize the importance of salt, not many 
 are aware that soda is largely made from it. 
 There are also many b3'-products of the manu- 
 facture of salt and soda which have consider- 
 able value as articles of commerce, such as 
 bromine, which is much used in photography 
 and other arts and in pharmacy; chloride of 
 magnesium, which is also used in pharmacy; 
 and chloride of calcium, used in the manufact- 
 ure of artificial stone. With the decline of the 
 lumber industry, the manufacture of salt also 
 fell off to some extent, but many hundreds of 
 thousands of barrels are manufactured each 
 year, the North American Chemical Company 
 alone producing about i .000 barrels per day. 
 
 The discovery of coal in Bay County does 
 not date beyond the memory of the oldest in- 
 habitant, but it goes back many years. With 
 the sinking of the first salt-wells came the dis- 
 covery of the presence of coal ; but in those 
 days the matter was not considered worthy of 
 particular attention. The drills would always 
 pass through what the workmen were pleased 
 to term the black mud or shale, but it was not 
 supposed that coal existed underneath the val- 
 ley, and no effort was made to mine it. In 
 more recent years came reports from the north- 
 ern part of the county (now included within the 
 boundaries of Arenac County) that coal had 
 been found while a well was being put down. 
 A company soon went to work on the land 
 where the discovery was made, and the news 
 w-as sent broadcast that a good vein had been 
 found. Then the company went to pieces, and 
 that was the end of the Rifle River coal boom. 
 It is scarcely 11 years since workmen, sinking 
 a well in Monitor township, ran their drill 
 through a vein of fine quality. The news of 
 this discovery reached the ears of Frank and 
 Alexander Zagelmeyer, who organized the 
 
 Monitor Coal Company, the first company of 
 the kind in the county. Subsequent investiga- 
 tion has shown that the entire county is one 
 vast bed of pure bituminous coal of the finest 
 quality, the veins varying from 34 inches to 
 seven or eight feet in thickness. The problem 
 of cheap fuel has been solved, for the Bay 
 County product can be placed right at the 
 doors of factories in the city, in the matter of 
 freight alone, at nearly a dollar a ton less than 
 Ohio coal, which heretofore has had a monop- 
 oly of the trade in this county. With miles of 
 deep-water navigation, excellent railroad facili- 
 ties, and fuel right at our doors, the future of 
 Bay City as a manufacturing center is assured, 
 for these inducements can be offered to manu- 
 facturers by no other city in the State. Other 
 valuable minerals which are found in paying 
 quantities are gypsum, and shales and clays 
 well suited to the manufacture of Portland 
 cement. Many varieties of brick clay have also 
 been found in operating the coal mine shafts 
 and are being worked at a profit. 
 
 For many years after the settlement of the 
 county, scarcely any attention was paid to agri- 
 culture. The clearing of farms began in the 
 early "seventies" and it may truly be said that 
 this industry even now is only in the early 
 stages of its development. Probably three- 
 fourths of tiie men who originally cleared up 
 Bay County farms worked at one time in the 
 fishing industry, in the sawmills or in the salt- 
 Ijlocks. They were thrifty and frugal, invest- 
 in their savings in land, which they cleared 
 in the winter season. The money received 
 from the sale of the timber paid for the land, 
 which is now worth in many cases from $50 
 to $200 per acre. It was necessary to drain a 
 large part of the county before the land could 
 be used for agricultural purposes. Thousands of 
 acres of rich river bottom and swamp lands have 
 been reclaimed bv dredging and dyking. This 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 165 
 
 work, wliicli is still going on, is not difficult, 
 as use is made of the many streams which trav- 
 erse all parts of the county. In the southern 
 and western portions of the county a rich black 
 loam with a clay subsoil is found, while in the 
 northern townships the soil is more sandy in 
 character. Anything can be grown here that 
 can be grown in other localities, and many 
 crops flourish here that cannot be grown else- 
 where. All fruits, with the possible exception 
 of peaches, do as well here as anywhere in 
 Michigan, and there is no better wheat, corn 
 and hay land in the State. At first the 
 farmers gave their attention more particularly 
 to the growing of grains and hay, but in more 
 recent years much of the land has been devoted 
 
 to market gardening, sugar beets, chicory and 
 fruit growing. The raising of stock is fast be- 
 coming an important branch of farming here, 
 the expense of raising cattle being less than in 
 many localities. In the summer season the 
 meadows, pastures and wild lands produce the 
 best of feed for stock, and in the fall and win- 
 ter, beet pulp, which is an excellent feed for 
 cattle, sheep and hogs, is given freely by the 
 sugar factories to the farmers who will haul it 
 away. The products of Bay Count}' farms are 
 sent to agricultural fairs far and wide, always 
 winning prizes and premiums, and the "Gar- 
 den Spot of Michigan," as it has been called, 
 is conceded to be the banner 
 county of the State. 
 
 agricultural 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 GREATER BAY CITY.-1865-1905. 
 
 Our Motto: "United We Stand, Divided IVe Fall!" 
 
 Remarkable Evolution of the Bay Cities from Booming Frontier Lumber Communi- 
 ties to Hives of Varied Industries-The Rise and Decline of the Lumber and 
 Salt Industries-Municipal Improvements-Public Buildings and Business 
 Ilock -The Revival of the LumberIndustrv-The Center of America s Beet 
 Suo'r INDL stkv-Chemical Factories, Chicorv Mills and Varied Industries- 
 DisTovERv OF Coal-Iron and Steel Industries-Mammoth Ship-Building Plants 
 AND DrTdocks-Fish AND Game-TheFight FOR Consolidation-The first Offi- 
 cers of Greater Bay City— The Charter. 
 
 Happly thy sun, emerging, yet may shine. 
 
 Thee to irradiate with meridian ray ; 
 Hours splendid as the past may still be thine 
 
 And bless thy future as thy former day. 
 
 — Byron. 
 
 The year 1905 will ever mark a memorable 
 epoch in the annals of the thriving communi- 
 ties situated on the banks of Michigan's might- 
 iest inland stream, who, in this year of 
 grace have joined together that which man 
 should never have kept asunder! In April, 
 1865, Bay City began its corporate existence 
 as one of 'Michigan's most promising cities, and 
 just 40 years later West Bay City, the enter- 
 prising sister community on the west bank of 
 the Saginaw, unites its energies and destinies 
 with the older community, creating by this 
 happy union a flourishing city of approxiinate- 
 ly 45,000 people. Drawn hither by the splen- 
 did '^advantages for commerce and industry 
 
 offered by the Saginaw River for seven miles 
 inland from Saginaw Bay, these early pioneers 
 and town builders yet allowed that very same 
 river to nominally divide them, for separate 
 corporations have existed during all these years 
 on opposite sides of the river. 
 
 During this very month of March, 1905, 
 the Journal of Geography, while discussing the 
 war between Russia and Japan, and the event- 
 ual boundaries dividing the disputed empire of 
 Alanchuria. has this to say about rivers as a 
 dividing line: "The Amur River, rimning 
 through a broad and fertile valley, nommally 
 divides the lowland politically into two parts 
 —Russian Siberia on the north and Manchuria 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 167 
 
 on the south. History proves that such a di- 
 vision carries the suggestion of extreme weak- 
 ness. IModern civilization has found out, that 
 
 RIVERS ARE THE DIAMETERS OF COMMUNITIES, 
 
 AND NOT THEIR CIRCUMFERENCE! That trade, 
 and with it all the rest of modern life, gravi- 
 tates toward the rivers, and there mingles, and 
 therehy unifies the life of the country on both 
 sides! It will be as dit^cult to keep the people 
 on opposite sides of the river Amur divided, as 
 it was to keep the river Rhine German on 
 one side, and French on the other ! Navigable 
 rivers, while good barriers in time of war, are 
 fatal to continued separation in time of peace!" 
 
 If that is true of a mere boundary line, 
 it comes home with even more force when ap- 
 plied to sister communities, who like Brooklyn 
 and New York City, or like the two Bay 
 Cities, are bound together by the closest ties of 
 social intercourse, business relations and mu- 
 tual interests. Time and experience is there- 
 fore bound to wipe out these imaginary divid- 
 ing lines, and unite for collective effort and 
 joint advancement all the people living on the 
 same great waterway for identical reasons. 
 
 The most progressive and far-sighted citi- 
 zens of both communities had for 30 years rec- 
 ognized the advisability of uniting these cor- 
 porate interests, but local pride, the ultra-con- 
 servative obstructionists, who exist in every 
 community and who ofttimes wield a restrain- 
 ing influence for good, who in this instance 
 were perhaps misguided, yet perfectly honest 
 and sincere in their opposition, together with 
 minor personal interests, served to keep us 
 asunder for 25 years, and nearly encompassed 
 the turning back the wheels of progress for an- 
 other 20 or 30 years, through the "railroaded" 
 repeal act of the Legislature in January, 1905, 
 upsetting all that had been accomplished with 
 wisdom and patience in the joint action of the 
 
 two Bay Cities through the Legislature of 
 1903. 
 
 But the rising generation of young men, 
 witli progressive ideas, with no ties to a vener- 
 able but obsolete past, rallied to the support of 
 the stalwart leaders of the consolidation move- 
 ment of other years, and through the keen busi- 
 ness judgment, wise counsel and decisive action 
 of Michigan's beloved chief executive. Governor 
 Fred iNI. ^^'arner, they snatched victory for 
 Bay City's union from the very jaws of ignom- 
 inous defeat. 
 
 And so in April, 1905, by the election of its 
 first officials, the charter of the new and greater 
 city becomes operative! A new metropolis has 
 been added to the list of great cities in the 
 commonwealth of Michigan, and Bay City, 
 West Side, and Bay City, East Side, become 
 one good, strong and united community, to 
 take that high place in the sisterhood of our 
 country's great cities, to which these people 
 have long been entitled by force of numbers, 
 industry and natural advantages. Just as 40 
 years ago, the incorporation of Bay City, East 
 Side, as a city gave new impetus to the busi- 
 ness and social interests of that pioneer com- 
 munity, so in this year of grace. 1905. these 
 united Bay Cities must and will take on new 
 vitality, new ambition, new energy and rise 
 to that high plane of progressiveness and pros- 
 perity, which in view of the city's splendid lo- 
 cation, unbounded natural resources and intel- 
 ligence of its people must be all its own, if we 
 but do and dare, and pull together with a will! 
 
 But let us pause a moment, to see how this 
 community of half a hundred thousand, with 
 other thousands still without the corporate lim- 
 its of Greater Bay City, came and grew and 
 prospered. Turn back the pages of time, 50 
 years. Where stands to-day the really magnifi- 
 cent City Hall, fit to be the capital of a kingdom. 
 
1 68 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 there stood in 1855 the crude wigwam or barl< 
 hunting-lodge of Nau-qua-chic-a-me, the chief- 
 tain of the Chippewas. A spring clear as crystal 
 welled up beneath a shady nook, and meandered 
 westward to the great river, which rolled be- 
 neath the shadows of the pines northward into 
 an equally mighty bay. The wise men of his 
 tribe were wont to assemble on the very spot 
 for counsel, where 50 years later will assemble 
 the councilmen of the Greater Bay City. Little 
 did the red men dream what changes the next 
 half century would bring forth. And almost as 
 difficult is it for us to mentally turn back the 
 wheels of time and call to mind that primitive 
 hunting lodge, with its sage warriors and coun- 
 cilmen of the aborigines. Nau-qua-chic-a-me 
 in 1854 was more than three score and ten, and 
 a warrior : 
 
 As monumental bronze, unchanged his look, 
 A soul that pity touched but never shook ; 
 Trained from his tree-rocked cradle to his bier, 
 The fierce extremes of good and ill to brook. 
 Impassive — fearing but the shame of fear — 
 A stoic of the woods — a man without a tear. 
 
 —Irving. 
 
 In the earliest sketch of Bay City, compiled 
 under authority of the Common Council of Bay 
 City in 1875-76, by Alderman George W. 
 Hotchkiss, Nau-qua-chic-a-me is given the fore- 
 most place among the Indians met by the pio- 
 neers of Bay City. "He was well and favor- 
 ably known to all the white settlers of the val- 
 ley. His honesty and friendship were proven 
 in numberless instances." His band of Indians 
 usually camped amid the pretty grove on the 
 west side of the river, a veritable paradise for 
 the natives. But the sage chief is said to have 
 preferred the solitude of his lone hunting-lodge 
 on the spot, where oddly enough, in the years to 
 come, the business of a great community was to 
 be transacted. Whenever the chieftain had im- 
 portant matters to bring before his leading war- 
 
 riors, he would assemble them near the "deer- 
 lick," where busy squaws and romping youths 
 would not disturb their deliberations. Daniel 
 A. Marshall.^ ex-alderman and city accountant 
 for years, came here in i860, and among his 
 many interesting reminiscences, his recollection 
 of this old chieftan, as he would troop into the 
 young settlement with two or more squaws at 
 his heels, and a jolly "Bu-shuu" greeting for 
 all he met, is a refreshing recital of pioneer 
 days. 
 
 About 1855 the grow'ing community 
 reached southw^ard along the river front, and 
 the "deer-lick" no longer offered solitude, and 
 with silent regret the Indians retreated farther 
 into the wilderness, appearing periodically at 
 the little government pay-station on the banks 
 of the river, where the Detroit & INIackinac 
 Railway bridge now spans the deep waters, and 
 visiting the stores of the pale faces for the com- 
 modities which even their fathers never knew\ 
 
 Poor Lo! The first and last dollar of his 
 government pay invariably went for fire-water, 
 and when on such rampages, the wild, discord- 
 ant shrieks and war-whoops would make the 
 night hideous in the settlement. Brawls with 
 fatal results occasionally followed these de- 
 bauches, and the pioneers always breathed eas- 
 ier when the red men vanished again in the vast 
 forests to the west and north of Bay City. The 
 tavern and store-keepers invariably held most 
 of the government cash by the time Poor Lo 
 was ready to retreat, and hence the red men 
 were not unwelcome guests. Nor did they 
 often molest unoft'ending pale faces. Their 
 brawls were usually with their own race, or 
 with equally untamed bushmen of the frontier 
 type. Often the pioneer mother in the wilder- 
 ness of the valley would be startled by the silent 
 approach of moccasined feet, but we know of 
 no single instance, where the lonely wife or 
 children were injured or even molested by these 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 169 
 
 roaming warriors. The oldest settler tells us, 
 that the Indians were consumed with curiosity 
 about the life and deeds of the pak faces. They 
 would stop at the log hut in the primitive for- 
 est clearing, to watch the little pale faces play, 
 to inspect the cooking of the housewife and to 
 partake of the viands that were so new and in- 
 viting to him. but all this as a rule unobtrus- 
 ively. The early historian of Bay City ap- 
 proved the kindliest sentiments about the In- 
 dians, "who held their course, silent, solitary 
 and undaunted through the boundless bosom 
 of the wilderness." His hunting expeditions 
 vied in -distance and danger with the pilgrimage 
 of the knights errant, traversing vast forests 
 exposed to the hazards of lonely sickness, fero- 
 cious beasts, lurking enemies and privations. 
 In a frail bark canoe the Indians darted over 
 the Great Lakes and the rushing rivers, ever re- 
 treating before advancing civilization, but here 
 still, with a lofty contempt of death, and a 
 fortitude strengthened by their accumulating 
 afflictions. The Chippewa could face death, 
 but he could not face the buzzing of the saw- 
 mill and with the other frightened denizens of 
 the forest he left these scenes forever. 
 
 The mighty river the red children of the 
 forest loved proved their undoing here, years 
 before the other sections of the State in the 
 same latitude became thickly settled. The 
 Saginaw River furnished an easy means of 
 reaching this wealth of forest and prairie, and 
 an equally ready highway to the markets of the 
 world. It is therefore small wonder, that in 
 the primitive and pre-historic periods, no less 
 than in the colonial period, it drew the human 
 race to its shores. The stream, which Long- 
 fellow has immortalized in "Evangeline," dur- 
 ing its entire tortuous course cannot lay claim 
 to natural charms or much pastoral beauty. Its 
 waters are rather murky, the result of sweep- 
 ing the rich alluvial lowlands on its journey to 
 
 the great bay. The current is not swift, except 
 during spring freshets or after prolonged rain- 
 fall in the valley. The earliest pioneers found 
 it more beautiful, when stately pines and tang- 
 led vines framed its low banks, and a carpet of 
 sweet and beautiful wild flowers extended to 
 the water's edge. The ridge along its west 
 bank was particularly attractive, with its rich 
 covering of green, and with luxurious wild 
 flowers running riot beneath the wide-spread- 
 ing branches of the scattered monarchs of the 
 forest. The tepees of the Indians were then 
 the only signs of human habitation on that side 
 of the river, while often the antlered tribes of 
 the forest trooped down to the water's edge in 
 the more secluded spots, and packs of wolves 
 romped along the shore within sight of the 
 early East Side settlers. Then as now, it was 
 indeed a "Silent River :" 
 
 "River ! that in silence windest 
 Through the meadows, bright and free, 
 
 Till at length thy rest thou fmdest ; 
 
 In the bosom of the sea ! 
 
 Thou hast taught me, Silent River ! 
 
 Many a lesson, deep and long; 
 Thou hast been a generous giver; 
 
 I can give thee but a song. 
 
 Where yon shadowy woodlands hide thee, 
 
 And thy waters disappear. 
 Friends I love have dwelt beside thee, 
 
 And have made thy margin dear. 
 
 'Tis for this, thou Silent River ! 
 
 That my spirit leans to thee; 
 Thou hast been a generous giver, 
 
 Take this idle song frorn me. 
 
 — Longfellow. 
 
 With the advance of the very forces at- 
 tracted by this navigable river, its shores be- 
 came even more prosaic. The earliest known 
 clearing was made by the German frontiers- 
 man, Jacob Graveroth, who came West for the 
 Astors, in quest of furs and trade with the In- 
 
170 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 dians, about 1825. He married a daughter of 
 Kish-kau-ko, a Chippewa chief of the band that 
 then made this valley their rendezvous. The 
 Trombleys found him living with the Indians 
 when they first visited the site of Bay City, 
 and many amusing stories are told of his droll 
 wit and good humor. He was well liked by the 
 Indians and did a thriving business as their 
 trader and interpreter. The next clearings 
 were made by the Trombleys and the farm 
 instructors the government sent to the Chippe- 
 was, in the hope of teaching these huntsmen 
 and warriors the arts of peace. 
 
 But the valley remained practically silent 
 and unknown to the outside world, until four 
 master minds came and saw and appreciated 
 its wealth of resources. Judge Albert ]^Iiller 
 from his frontier home at Saginaw City, James 
 Fraser from his fine farm on the Tittabawassee, 
 Hon. James G. Birney, of Kentucky, and Dr. 
 Daniel Hughes Fitzhugh from New York 
 State, were w-ithout a doubt the first to see and 
 take advantage of the deep-water harbor, and 
 the value of the timber lands, where stands to- 
 day the metropolis of Northern Michigan. 
 
 Foremost among the four stands the late 
 James Fraser, "the man on horseback," the 
 most energetic figure in the early annals of Bay 
 City. He it was who personally inspected every 
 foot of the valley lands, ceded to the govern- 
 ment by the Indians in the treaty of 1837. 
 Over Indian trails and trackless wastes without 
 a guide, save for the stars of heaven, he blazed 
 a w-ay as he rode through the primeval forest, 
 or skirted the shores of river and bay in frail 
 bark canoe, determined to know the exact lay 
 of this virgin land. He was a familiar sight 
 to the roving Indians, who admired his restless 
 energy and indomitable pluck. They called him 
 "Little Wizard" and in after years had reason 
 to know that the appellation was well merited. 
 He could not wait for the long drawn out coun- 
 
 cils of government officials and Indians about 
 the sale of their last remaining reservation in 
 the valley, but took what he found ready. 
 
 The John Riley Reserve of 640 acres, given 
 by the government to Stephen V. R. Riley for 
 his assistance in securing the first treaty of 
 1 81 9 from the reluctant Indians, was the only 
 available site for a city near the mouth of the 
 placid Saginaw River. For its purchase Mr. 
 Fraser organized the Saginaw Bay Company. 
 John Riley would not sell without the consent 
 of his aged father, then postmaster of Schenec- 
 tady, New York, and this old frontiersman 
 with hair whitened by the snows of more than 
 70 winters brought about at Detroit the sale of 
 what is now the heart of Bay City, for the then 
 enormous sum of $30,000. The company, led 
 by Mr. Fraser, at once laid out the plat of the 
 new town, constructed a warehouse, planned a 
 hotel and actually started it, and a dock was 
 built for the vessels, which the projectors felt 
 certain would soon be doing business in the set- 
 tlement they called Lower Saginaw. But with 
 President Jackson's order, requiring specie 
 payment for all government lands, the financial 
 panic of 1837-38 swept the promoters of this 
 new town from the height of prosperity to utter 
 ruin. Their fondest hopes were destined to be 
 more than realized, but it was not for them to 
 reap, where they had tilled so well. 
 
 James Fraser alone managed to tide over 
 the disastrous years, and he alone was destined 
 in the years to follow, to profit by his own fore- 
 sight and keen business judgment. During 
 those years he was ubiquitous. He seems en- 
 tirely insensible to fatigue, hunger or cold. 
 When the land office was still in Detroit, it 
 was a common thing for him to ride to Detroit, 
 a distance of more than 100 miles, in one day 
 and often without even changing horses. Even 
 this terrible ride did not finish his day's work 
 on some decisive occasions. Finding some 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 17T 
 
 message or some word from Lower Saginaw or 
 the Tittabawassee, upon his arrival at his home 
 in the settlement above the Ijar, he would at 
 once mount another horse, and plunge again 
 into the wilderness, defying the storms of Na- 
 ture no less than the terror of savage beasts or 
 lurking Indians. His force of will and sagacity 
 always brought him safe through all dangers, 
 though like St. Paul of old he could recite in 
 the eventide of his busy life the many 
 instances when he passed close to the 
 dark valley of death. Death by drown- 
 ing, by falling trees, by snake bites, by 
 his horse stumbling over an obstacle in 
 the inky darkness of the dense woods, by the 
 breaking of a frail bridge over a deep gully, 
 and a hundred similar dangers, encompassed 
 him. but he always escaped with hardly a 
 scratch. One of the pioneers of those early 
 days recalled meeting Eraser early one morning 
 on the trail over the Cass, riding his horse at 
 speed, knee deep, through the mud, a handker- 
 chief taking the place of a hat, which had been 
 lost in his mad ride through the woods in the 
 darkness of the night, covered with mud, his 
 face scratched by the branches of obstructing 
 trees, yet greeting cheerily those he met. In 
 March, 1850, Mr. Eraser learned that his eld- 
 est son was very sick at Detroit. Mounting 
 his favorite horse "FairPlay," a mount worthy 
 of its master, there began a wild race with 
 death. The trails and roads were in their very 
 worst condition, yet horse and rider plunged 
 along, mile after mile. When "Fair Play" 
 was about exhausted, he changed his mount, 
 and in a little less than nine hours Mr. Eraser 
 was at the bedside of his dying son. 
 
 Just at Joseph Trombley and Michael Daily 
 were the walking marvels of Michigan in their 
 day, just so James Eraser was the premier 
 horseman. With the land ofiice at Detroit, or 
 later at Elint, as a goal, and a choice parcel of 
 
 land at stake, there was none who would dare 
 to compete with James Eraser for the prize. 
 At Cass Crossing there lived for years a soli- 
 tary settler. Often in the dead of night he 
 would hear a horse and rider go thundering by 
 and cross the bridge at top speed, and in the 
 morning he would tell travelers that "James 
 Eraser passed last night." 
 
 Horse and rider have long since halted at 
 the end of life's journey. The wilderness 
 through which they journeyed by day and by 
 night is no more. The trails they followed 
 have become the highways of commerce, where 
 the iron horse and the electric spark have been 
 harnessed to serve humanity. The solitary 
 cabins they passed in the stillness of the night 
 have grown to be large cities, alive with indus- 
 try and enjoying the comforts of a civilization 
 for which pioneers like James Eraser blazed 
 the way. 
 
 In 1834 the second of the trio who really 
 called the first community into being. Dr. Dan- 
 iel Hughes Eitzhugh, came into the valley to 
 buy the land which he wisely calculated would 
 soon be the El Dorado of the Northwest. He 
 joined forces with Mr. Eraser, and while not a 
 permanent resident here still contributed much 
 to the early development of the settlement and 
 future Bay City. His son, Charles C. Eitz- 
 hugh, came in 1841 to look after the large 
 landed interests of his father, and in this year 
 of grace, 1905, is still a resident of the city 
 which he has seen grow from the humblest be- 
 ginnings to a hive of varied industries with 
 nigh unto half a hundred thousand souls. 
 
 Judge Albert Miller lived for some years at 
 Saginaw City, Init he realized the difificulty of 
 moving heavy-laden vessels over the Carroll- 
 ton sand-bar, and therefore concluded that the 
 harbor city would have to be built nearer the 
 mouth of the river. liis judgment has been 
 amply verified by subsequent events. He bought 
 
172 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 a large tract of land from the Trombleys in 
 July, 1836, and at once laid out and platted the 
 village of Portsmouth, now the south side of 
 Greater Bay City. He built and operated the 
 first sawmill, securing the machinery at an enor- 
 mous cost of time and money. It proved to be 
 the corner-stone of the industry, which for 30 
 years was the mainstay and wealth producer for 
 the people of Bay City. He taught the first 
 school here in 1835, was judge of probate of 
 this county from 1835 until 1844, and repre- 
 sented this county in the Legislature, 1847-51. 
 He continued in the lumber and real estate busi- 
 ness to the end. He was one of the promoters 
 of the first salt-well, and took an active part in 
 securing the first railway for Bay City. 
 
 The fourth and most illustrious of the pro- 
 jectors and creators of Bay City canje some- 
 what later than his business associates, but 
 Hon. James G. Birney had behind him such a 
 distinguished career, that the mere fact of his 
 removing to this wilderness in search of soli- 
 tude and to start life anew attracted attention. 
 From the day in 1841 when with Dr. Fitzhugh 
 and James Fraser he visited Bay City for the 
 first time, this far-off nook of the universe be- 
 came a familiar spot to the outside world. Mr. 
 Birney was a scion of one of Kentucky's most 
 illustrious families. Born at Danville, he was 
 surrounded by all the comfort and luxury of 
 the paternal plantation. Educated at Prince- 
 ton College from which he graduated in 1810, 
 the world looked bright indeed to the young 
 lawyer, then on the threshold of his noble ca- 
 reer. He began the practice of the law at Dan- 
 ville, was elected Representative to the Legis- 
 lature of Kentucky, and later removed to 
 Huntsville, Alabama, where a broader field 
 opened for his professional career. In 1828 he 
 was presidential elector of the Whig party for 
 Alabama. At this time he owned a cotton plan- 
 tation with a large number of slaves. He was 
 
 a devout Presbyterian, and the agitation against 
 slavery impressed him keenly. He was soon at 
 the parting of the ways. He must chose be- 
 tween his principles and his fortune, and he 
 bravely sacrificed everything for the cause of 
 liberty and equality. To preach emancipation 
 was not enough. He must practice what he 
 preached. So he gave each of his slaves deeds 
 of manumission, gave up his plantation and be- 
 gan the battle for the down-trodden black race. 
 Unlaunted by the sneers and insults of his rela- 
 tives, friends and neighbors, in great personal 
 danger, he carried on his good work. Cursed 
 at home, he was eulogized the world over for 
 his fearless self-sacrifice. Dr. Cox wrote at 
 the time : "A Birney has shaken the continent 
 by putting down his foot ! His fame will be 
 en\ied before his arguments are answered, or 
 their force forgotten ! 
 
 A poor old slave, infirm and lame ; 
 Great scars deformed his face ! 
 On his forehead he bore the brand of shame, 
 And the rags that hid his mangled frame 
 Were the livery of disgrace ! 
 But alas ! What holy angel 
 Brings the slave this glad evangel ? 
 And what earthquake's arm of might 
 Breaks his dungeon gates at night? 
 'Twas a "Birney!" 
 
 His father died in 1839, leaving a large es- 
 tate in land, money and slaves. Judge Birney 
 requested his sister to compute all the slaves at 
 their market value as part of his half share. 
 This done, he immediately emancipated all of 
 them. In 1840 he was at London, England, be- 
 ing vice-president of the World's Liberty Con- 
 vention, and that same year he was nominated 
 for the presidency by the Liberty party, receiv- 
 ing 7,000 votes that were counted, and other 
 thousands that were ignored by the powers that 
 were. 
 
 The liberation of his slaves, and the loss of 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 '/o 
 
 his estates, together with his other large ex- 
 penses in his fight against a great Ijut popular 
 wrong, had greatly reduced his fortune. Hence 
 he listened willingly enough to Dr. Fitzhugh's 
 invitation to "come West," invest what he had 
 left at the mouth of the Saginaw River, and 
 rest up. So in 1841 James G. Birney brought 
 his family to the wilds of Michigan. The 
 Webster House in Saginaw City had been idle 
 since the panic swept the country in 1837, and 
 here the Birneys started life anew, until their 
 quaint little cottage could be made habitable at 
 Bay City. On July 4, 1842, Judge Birney was 
 the orator of the little settlement. He said he 
 could never celebrate "Independence Day" 
 properly, until the four million slaves of the 
 South had been released from bondage! For 
 15 years thereafter he wrote and preached the 
 gospel of human liberty and equality. He was 
 again nominated for the presidency in 1844, 
 receiving 62.300 votes, and in 1845 received 
 3,023 votes for Governor of Michigan. 
 
 When the last sumqions reached him on 
 November 23,, 1857, at Eagleswood, New Jer- 
 sey, the good cause seemed as far oft as ever. 
 In a few years, however, his countrymen by 
 the blood of thousands of heroes purchased the 
 freedom of the slaves, and brought victory for 
 the good cause. Foremost among the great 
 leaders of that movement will ever stand the 
 name of one of the founders of Bay City, im- 
 perishable as the human liberty for which he 
 dared all : James G. Birney. And one of his 
 greatest attributes was this : "He spake evil 
 of no man !" Flis only sin was this, that he was 
 a generation in advance of his day. Much of 
 the early development of this community was 
 brought about under his leadership of this 
 great and good man. He shared with the other 
 settlers all the dangers and privations of their 
 frontier life. He hewed down the timber for 
 the rail fence that kept his fine herd of blooded 
 
 cattle from wandering into the vast forest be- 
 yond. The fine dairies of today owe much to 
 this importation of blooded stock by Mr. Bir- 
 ney. As trustee of the reorganized Saginaw 
 Bay Company, together with James Eraser and 
 Dr. Fitzhugh, he planned and worked for the 
 development of the natural resources of Bay 
 City, and to attract settlers. Here his wishes 
 were partly realized, when in 1855 ill health 
 compelled him to give up the rigors of pioneer 
 life for the balmy airs of the Atlantic. 
 
 It will require no great flight of imagina- 
 tion to understand what it meant for James G. 
 Birney to leave behind him all the comforts of 
 life, to begin life anew in the malaria and mos- 
 quito breeding lowlands of Bay City during 
 those early years. There was nothing in the 
 settlement to attract him, save solitude, work 
 and future prospects. 
 
 With his coming a new spark of life ani- 
 mated Bay City, or Lower Saginaw as it was 
 still called. The McCormicks came and oper- 
 ated the Miller mill in the South End; Judge 
 Campbell conducted the Globe Hotel ; Captain 
 Marsac and Captain Wilson made their homes 
 here, and slowly but surely the population in- 
 creased, and the wilderness vanished before the 
 pioneer's axe. During the winter of 1850, 
 Judge Miller, C. L. Russell and Capt. Lyman 
 Crowl erected a much more modern and capa- 
 cious mill in the South End, with houses for 
 their employees, and a small building for church 
 and school purposes. The first school house 
 was built in 1844 on First street and Washing- 
 ton avenue, in which Mr. Birney held religious 
 services for the handful of neighbors. In 1847, 
 James h'raser, Hopkins and Pomcroy built a 
 sawmill, J. B. and B. B. Hart went extensively 
 into the fish business and Henry W. Sage in- 
 spected the valley for which in later years he 
 was destined to do so much. 
 
 By 1848 both the villages of Portsmouth 
 
174 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 and Lower Saginaw had assumed definite pro- 
 portions. Among the South End pioneers we 
 find tlie Trombleys, Miller, McCormick, Mar- 
 sac, Wilson, Braddock, Stevens, Daglish, 
 Southworth, Beckwith, Wilmot, Watrous and 
 Ira Kinney, the last named still living on the 
 old homestead on Cass avenue. O. A. Marsac, 
 city recorder for 12 years, O. A. Watrous and 
 H. N. Watrous are sons of those pioneers. 
 Curtis Munger and Ed. Park opened a store in 
 1848, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Carney opened the 
 boarding house for the Eraser mill, while Dr. 
 Daniel Hughes Fitzhugh, Alexander McKay 
 and family and J. W. Putnam erected cozy 
 homes. Among the other permanent arrivals 
 were Clark Aloulthrop, Thomas Whitney, John 
 Drake, S. Drake, and George Carpenter, whose 
 descendants still honor the community their 
 fathers helped to establish. 
 
 In 1850-51 another group of enterprising 
 pioneers was added by the arrival of William 
 John and Alexander McEwan, who built and 
 operated a sawmill ; Henry Raymond, James 
 Watson and Charles E. Jennison came and en- 
 terel the mercantile business. Mr. Jennison is 
 the only survivor, and the business he estab- 
 hshed 55 years ago is being continued to this 
 day by his sons, only on a much larger scale. 
 Dr. George E. Smith was the first permanent 
 medical practitioner here, while James Fox 
 opened the first law office. Jonathan S. Bar- 
 clay w'as then building the Wolverton House, 
 which was the post office, theater, town hall and 
 ballroom combined for the little settlement for 
 many years. 
 
 The tug "Lathrop," owned and sailed by 
 Capt. Benjamin Pierce, was the forerunner of 
 that vast fleet that in after years handled the 
 immense log rafts and lumber barges that com- 
 pletely covered the great river. Capt. Darius 
 Cole also became interested in river navigation, 
 and soon crafts of all descriptions were fulfill- 
 
 ing the fondest expectations of the projectors 
 of this community at the mouth of the river. 
 
 Ere James G. Birney bade farew'ell to the 
 settlement he helped to create, he witnessed the 
 erection of the Catholic Church on Washington 
 avenue, between Second and Third streets, in 
 1 851; the Fay mill, William Peters' mill, H. 
 M. Bradley's mill, in 1852 ; the Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church, on W^ashington avenue, between 
 Seventh and Eighth streets, in 1855. All these 
 buildings and industries brought mechanics and 
 laboring men, and the village was growing 
 apace. In 1854 the first ship was built here by 
 George Carpenter and J. A. Weed, a fishing 
 schooner named "Java." 
 
 In 1855 Tom Dodge built a hotel on Third 
 and Saginaw- streets, which then as now was a 
 favorite resort for the lumber jacks and dock 
 wallopers. The buildings here and on Wash- 
 ington avenue were in a little swamp, and dur- 
 ing spring freshets could only be reached by 
 boat. The young folks in the settlement held 
 dances at Dodge's hotel, with a usual scarcity 
 of girls, but the old settlers tell us gleefully 
 that even a blanketed Indian would be pressed 
 into service on such jolly occasions. 
 
 In 1856, Hon. James Birney came to take 
 the place of his distinguished father in the wilds 
 of Michigan, and he immediately agitated 
 changing the name of the village. Accordingly 
 he drew up a bill Avhich was passed by the 
 State Legislature in February, 1857. providing 
 "That tlie name of the village of Lower Sagi- 
 naw, in the township of Hampton, be, and the 
 same is, hereby changed to Bay City." James 
 Eraser and Charles B. Cottrell came in 1856 
 to reside here permanently. In 1857 the glory 
 of the tallow' candle vanished before the kero- 
 sene oil lamps, first exhibited as a curiosity to 
 the villagers at Cottrell's store on Water and 
 Second streets! About this time "Deacon" J. 
 H. Little tried his luck in this lumber town, 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 175 
 
 later going into the grocery business. In the 
 year of grace 1905 he bobs up serenely as a 
 supervisor from the 13th Ward of Greater Bay 
 City! In 1852 an epidemic of cholera swept 
 over the vallev, Thomas Rogers, first black- 
 smith, justice and mail carrier of this settle- 
 ment, being among the first victims. His wife, 
 daughter of Dr. Wilcox, of Watertown, New 
 York, had studied medicine in her youth, and 
 for many years was the only medical adviser in 
 the village. During this epidemic she did he- 
 roic work, being among the sick and dying at 
 all hours of the day and night. She is one of 
 the heroic figures m the pages of our pioneer 
 histor}'. 
 
 During these years Hon. James Birney 
 bought considerable property in Bay City, 
 which he added to his father's former estate, 
 and share in die original Saginaw Bay Com- 
 pany. He was for years the leading spirit in 
 matters of- education, public improvements, 
 and the promotion of the community's welfare. 
 He was for years the most prominent citizen 
 of Bay City, serving his constituency in the 
 State Senate, 1858-59; was lieutenant-Gov- 
 ernor, 1860-61; circuit judge, 1861-65; Uni- 
 ted States commissioner for the Centennial at 
 Philadelphia in 1876, and later United States 
 Minister to the Netherlands, 1876-81. He es- 
 tablished the Chronicle as a weekly in 1871, 
 and in 1873 as a daily. His eldest son, named 
 after his illustrious grandfather, James G. Bir- 
 ney, ser\-ed with distinction through the Civil 
 War, as captain of the Seventh Michigan In- 
 fantry, and died while serving with the regular 
 army in 1869. Just as the grandsire planned 
 and planted the first rugged settlement, just so 
 his son planned and worked for the rapidly 
 growing young city. He, more than any other 
 perhaps assisted in securing the first railroad, 
 the State roads and the public libraries. He 
 W'as a firm believer in booming the citv, and 
 
 ne\er lost an opportunity to praise its superb 
 qualities as a place for business, health and rec- 
 reation. His example can be followed with 
 profit by generations yet to come. 
 
 With the organization of Bay County in 
 
 1857, and its entry into the official world upon 
 the decision of the Supreme Court in May, 
 
 1858, the village of Bay City assumed new dig- 
 nity, and the county-seat residents felt the im- 
 petus of new vitality. The projectors of the 
 little community provided land for the county 
 buildings, for parks and for churches. The 
 site for the Court House and Jail, with the ad- 
 joining parks, proved a particularly happy se- 
 lection. But the first county officials met in a 
 building owned by James Eraser, located on 
 the river bank at the foot of Fourth avenue, 
 until 1868, when the present Court House was 
 built at a cost of $40,000. The little wooden 
 Jail on Sixth street, between Water and Sagi- 
 naw streets, was wiped out in the great fire of 
 1863, and was replaced by another wooden 
 building on Seventh and Monroe streets, which 
 was used until 1870, when the present commo- 
 dious County Jail and sheriff's residence was 
 erected. This building is a two-story structure, 
 of white brick, with iron-lined Jail, the cells of 
 boiler iron being two stories high in the center 
 of the main room, with large corridors between 
 the gratings and the outer wall. The upper 
 story has apartments for female prisoners and 
 fraudulent debtors. The whole structure is fur- 
 nished with all modern appliances assuring the 
 health and comfort of the prisoners. The Jail 
 building also cost originally $40,000. 
 
 In this year of grace 1905 the Court House 
 hardly suffices for the protection of the county 
 records and the housing of the county officials. 
 Thousands of dollars have been spent on the 
 building in past years, and again within the last 
 year for a new heating apparatus and other 
 renovations. The county at the time it was 
 
176 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 built had about 15,000 inhabitants; in 1905, 
 with ail influx of farmers and settlers, it has 
 nearly 70,000, and an effort is again being made 
 to secure a more modern Court House. Twice 
 before, the proposition to bond the county to 
 replace this landmark of pioneer clays has been 
 decisively voted down by the citizens, but each 
 time with less opposition, and the time is not 
 far distant when Bay County will have to se- 
 cure a larger and more modern Court House. 
 In its day it was the model adopted by many of 
 the younger surrounding counties. 
 
 While speaking of the county's public build- 
 ings and comparative growth, a review of the 
 last State tax statistics will be opportune. The 
 valuation estimated by the State Board of Tax 
 commissioners was $26,077,673 ; the valuation 
 by the Board of Supervisors was $23,312,308. 
 The valuation as equalized by the Board of 
 Equalization, $32,000,000 ; the aggregate of 
 State tax paid, $54,139.91, the percentage ac- 
 cording to equalization being ,02027. The as- 
 sessed valuation of Bay County, then mainly 
 the city of Bay City, at the time the Old Court 
 House was built was $1,166,475. The assessed 
 valuation in 1871 was $2,725,600, amount of 
 tax, $3,141 ; assessed valuation in 1881, $11,- 
 000,000, amount of tax, $25,394.10. These 
 figures carry with them a comparison of the 
 growth of city and county values as the forest 
 has been gradually replaced by farms, villages 
 and an enterprising united city. 
 
 The availability of Bay City as a manufac- 
 turing and shipping point was first appreciated 
 by the men in the lumber industry. The vast 
 forest on both sides of the river, the 12 miles 
 of river front with the deep-water channel, and 
 the cheap and convenient means of securing a 
 seemingly inexhaustible log supply and equally 
 easy and cheap access to the markets of the 
 world, brought into life the greatest lumbering 
 community the world had ever seen. In 1859, 
 
 when Bay City began its corporate existence as 
 a village, there were but half a dozen sawmills, 
 but from that time forth they sprang up all 
 along the river front, as well as on adjacent 
 streams. The fishing industry furnished em- 
 ployment to many men and furnished a good 
 share of the exports from this frontier village. 
 Then came the discovery of the vast salt basin, 
 and the success of these salt-wells can be under- 
 stood when we note that in 1865 the salt pro- 
 duction of Bay City alone amounted to 259,061 
 barrels. That same year the sawmills cut 154,- 
 727,945 feet of lumber. The rapid develop- 
 ment of these kindred industries brought with 
 them a growth of wealth and population during 
 the next 15 years, almost unprecedented in the 
 annals of our country. 
 
 The city of Bay City was chartered in 1865, 
 and the days of the pioneer were done. From 
 that eventful year, when peace again came to 
 bless our land, and thousands of the veteran 
 soldiers took up government lands here and 
 elsewhere, or entered into the promising mer- 
 cantile field, this community not only turned 
 over a new leaf in its municipal history but also 
 began to mutliply its industries and population 
 at a rate that attracted the attention of the 
 world. From that time the records of the com- 
 munity are no longer the personal reminiscen- 
 ces of the hardy pioneers, but rather the record 
 of collective effort, mammoth business enter- 
 prises, and advancement in every line. Bay 
 City had become almost at a bound a 
 booming frontier lumber town ! The open- 
 ing of the Flint & Pere Marquette 
 Railroad to Detroit in 1867, marks an- 
 other epoch in the city's growth and develop- 
 ment. In 1868 the village of Wenona across 
 the river, now the West Side of the united city, 
 came to the front through the building of the 
 Jackson-Chicago branch of the Michigan Cen- 
 tral, and in 1871 the Bay City-Detroit Branch 
 
SAWMILL OF THE KERN MANUFACTURING 
 COMPANY, 
 Bay City. W. S. 
 
 PLANT OF THE HAXSON-W A 1^ I ' \ I \ !■ 
 COMPANY, 
 Bay City, E. S. 
 
 TRAIN OF LOGS LOADED FOR BAY CITY 
 
 SALT BLOCK OF THE KERN MANUFACTURING 
 
 COMPANY, 
 
 Bay City, W. S. 
 
 LUMBER YARD OF E. B. FOSS & COMPANY, 
 
 On the River Front, Bay City, E. S. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 179 
 
 of the Michigan Central opened up new fields 
 of trade and commerce to the growing com- 
 munities. 
 
 It will be interesting here to recall that Bay 
 City had 810 people in i860; 3,359 in 1865; 
 7,064 in 1870; 13,676 in 1874 and 17,003 in 
 1876. In 1880, through the national census, 
 the city was heralded far and wide as having a 
 greater percentage of increase in the decade 
 1870 to 1880 than any other city in the country, 
 and but two at all approached the ratio. The 
 ne.xt 10 years showed a healthy growth, but as 
 every available site along the river front was 
 taken up by sawmills and lumber yards, and as 
 the supply of logs was giving out under the 
 buzz of countless saws, there was no longer 
 room for the rapid multiplication of mills and 
 population that had marked the preceding 10 
 years. Bay City, East Side, had 27,839 people 
 in 1890, an increase of 7,146 during that de- 
 cade, being an increase of 34.5 per cent. Dur- 
 ing the first four years of the next decade the 
 city continued its steady growth, the State 
 census of 1894 showing a population of 30,042. 
 Then came the fatal blunder at Washington, 
 by which Congress raised the import duty on 
 Canadian lumber to $2 from $1. The log 
 supply which during those years had been grad- 
 ually receding further north, and since 1890 
 was largely coming from the Georgian Bay 
 region in Canada, was at once shut off by the 
 retaliatory measures of the Canadian govern- 
 ment, and with one stroke of the pen the flour- 
 ishing lumber industry of Bay City and the west 
 shore of Lake Huron was doomed. Hence we 
 find that the Federal census of 1900 shows a 
 loss for Bay City, as compared to the State 
 census of 1894, being only 27,628, a loss of 
 0.8 per cent. These figures indicate the growth, 
 boom and decline of the lumber industry, which 
 laid the foundation of the city. 
 
 Equally instructive are the assessment val- 
 
 ues of these several periods : The valuation in 
 i860 was $530,589; in 1865, $663,000; in 
 1870, $1,166,475; '" 1874, $1,700,250; in 
 1880, $7,722,310; in 1882, $9,084,436. This 
 is the high mark reached during the days of the 
 lumber and salt booms. During this year of 
 1882 there were shipped from this port 582,- 
 147,000 feet of lumber, 112,281,000 shingles, 
 22,000,000 lath, 440,000 barrels of salt, besides 
 staves, hoops, shocks, railroad ties, cedar posts, 
 pickets, barrels and 7,853,032 feet of pine and 
 oak timber ! The growth of the lumber in- 
 dustry to these magnificent dimensions is illus- 
 trated in the comparative figures of lumber ex- 
 perts. In 1863 there were shipped 25,730,889 
 feet of lumber; in 1868, 217,165,340: and 252,- 
 862,785 feet were exported in 1870. While 
 these figures are from the customs office on the 
 East Side, they include the shipments from the 
 West Side as well, and a review of the share 
 taken in developing this city by the "fair bride"' 
 of 1905 will be in order. 
 
 The proud citizens of the new city of Bay 
 City in 1865 could not see much with which to 
 consolidate on the west bank of the river. To 
 the north was the village of Banks, now in the 
 1 2th Ward, with sawmills, salt-blocks, and fish 
 houses ; then came a long stretch of primeval 
 forest, where stand today the industries and 
 homes of the 13th Ward; then another strag- 
 gling village just building up around the mam- 
 moth new Sage sawmill, now the 14th Ward; 
 again two miles of wooded ridge, now the 15th 
 Ward ; and then the hamlet of Salzburg, now 
 the 1 6th Ward, with its still independent neigh- 
 bor, Portsmouth, now the Seventh Ward, on 
 the east bank of the river. 
 
 Each of these four villages had aspirations 
 and municipal governments of its own, and 
 watched with jealous eye the growth and am- 
 bitious of their little neighboring cominunities. 
 Joseph Trombley's 2,000 acres at Banks in- 
 
i8o 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 eluded the village which contained Whitney's 
 mill, Moore, Smith & Company's mill, George 
 Lord's mill, each having salt works in connec- 
 tion, while Beckwith & Sinclair and Leng & 
 Bradfield operated large salt-blocks. Crosth- 
 waite's shipyard began the industry there, that 
 since has grown to mammoth proportions on 
 the West Side. John Weed also built boats in 
 Banks for the lake trade. Two taverns, four 
 cooper shops, one general store and several fish 
 houses are enumerated as the business places 
 of Banks in 1865. W. F. Benson opened the 
 first post office in 1864, serving a village popu- 
 lation of 511, beside a few scattered farmers. 
 Wenona, today the heart of the West Side, did 
 not become settled until the Henry W. Sage 
 sawmill, originally known as the Sage & Mc- 
 Graw mill, was erected. The village plat of 
 116 acres cost that firm $21,000, and its excel- 
 lent location at once brought it into prominence. 
 John Hayes, then superintended the only 
 scow available for moving horses, cattle and 
 wagons across the river, and his good wife 
 dealt out beverages to thirsty travelers at their 
 home on the west bank of the river. Mrs. 
 Hayes was a typical tavern-keeper of those 
 early days. Dan Marshall, the pioneer and 
 present city accountant, recounts gleefully how 
 Mrs. Hayes would personally and drastically 
 chastise travelers who were poor pay, "ruling 
 the roost" with an iron hand. This lone tavern 
 did a booming business during 1864-65 when 
 Wenona was just coming to life, and then had 
 to give way before more modern and preten- 
 tious hotels. 
 
 The west bank of the river was more 
 swampy and low than the east bank, and this 
 probably accounts for the earlier settlement of 
 the less attractive east shore, back from the 
 river. This was due to the gradual change of 
 the course of the river, which did its best, year 
 after vear, to straighten out its tortuous course. 
 
 Hence the Sage mill was built almost entirely 
 on spiles driven into the murky river bottom, 
 and the great lumberyard was laid out on a 
 swamp that was entirely filled in with refuse 
 from the mill and city. In 1905 it is no uncom- 
 mon sight to see poor people going over the 
 surface, picking up the chips and slabs dried by 
 the passing years, yet never rotted. 
 
 Few communities in this country have 
 grown more rapidly than did the village of 
 Wenona, started in 1864. By 1865 the county 
 began the building of the plank road west to 
 Midland, while the State extended the State 
 road on the west bank from Saginaw to Wen- 
 ona, and opened a road north through the gov- 
 ernment's swamp lands, since drained and cul- 
 tivated. The Third street bridge was built in 
 1865, for foot passengers. A post ofiice and 
 telegraph office were established in Wenona, 
 and the Presbyterian Church built. The Sage 
 store and other business places sprang up over 
 night, and the population multiplied rapidly. 
 
 Wenona was incorporated in 1 867. An old 
 painting of this frontier village shows Indians 
 in gaudy paint and picturesque wigwams in the 
 foreground, and all the bustle and enterprise of 
 a booming lumber town in the background. The 
 steamer "Emerald" and schooner "Tuscola" are 
 loading lumber and other supplies at a primitive 
 dock. The same kind of a scene would suffice to 
 call to mind Salzburg, the village two miles 
 further down the river. Wenona records for 
 1867 the cutting of a canal from the west chan- 
 nel through the Middle Ground to the river, 
 which west channel has since been entirely filled 
 in, save for the wharves between the lumber 
 docks with their deep-water channels. A 
 shingle-mill, salt-block and sawmill for cutting 
 ship timber were erected that year on the Sage 
 property. 
 
 Dr. Isaac E. Randall came from Saratoga, 
 New York, the first medical practitioner of the 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 i8r 
 
 ^^'est Side, who in 1905 is one of the foremost 
 physicians of Miciiigan, beloved antl respected 
 by tlie community in which he has practiced for 
 more than half a century. With George A. 
 Allen, James A. McKnight, E. T. Carrington, 
 David G. Arnold, Lafayette Roundsville, H. H. 
 Aplin antl a few others, he shares the honor of 
 being one of the incorporators of Wenona, later 
 W'est Bay City, and living to see the one great 
 and united city become chartered in April, 1905. 
 To few mortals it is given to celebrate such an 
 anniversary. 
 
 The world-famous Sage mill cut 22,601,- 
 051 feet of lumber during 1867, and commem- 
 orated the close of the season's work with a 
 banquet for the hundreds of employees at the 
 Bunnell House. Among the improvements by 
 the Sage company in 1868 was the erection of a 
 two-story business block, 30 by 80 feet ; a ware- 
 house, 24 by 60 feet ; a two-story boarding 
 house, 30 by 80 feet; a two-story brick office, 
 20 by 60 feet; a tenement house, 400 by 24 
 feet, two stories high, divided into 25 suites, 
 each with its own back yard and wood-shed ; 
 and 23 houses of various sizes for the use of 
 the employees. It was estimated the company 
 had invested over one million dollars in the vil- 
 lage within three years aftqr its operations were 
 begun in W'enona. 
 
 The main event of 1868 was the completion 
 of the passenger station for the Michigan Cen- 
 tral Railroad, to-day the road's freight station 
 on River street. It is 200 by 40 feet, roofed 
 witli slate, was built by George Campbell and 
 cost $10,500. Slate roofing was quite popular 
 at that time, chietly because of the fires which 
 periodically swept over these lumbering towns. 
 
 The first train schedule is interesting read- 
 ing in 1905. In 1868 trains for Jackson and 
 Chicago left at 9 A. M. and 2 140 P. M., with 
 an accommodation train at 8 P. M. for Sag- 
 inaw. Trains arrived at 8 :30 A. M., and i 150 
 
 and 7 P. M. These were booming times on the 
 West Side! 
 
 Faxon's Hall, was the only jjublic meeting 
 place, and the Methodists held service there. A 
 new brick school, 60 by 30 feet, with wings 10 
 by 30 feet, all two stories high, accommodating 
 360 scholars, was built on the Midland plank 
 road at a cost of $10,700. Supt. A. L. Gum- 
 ming opened the school January 27th with 180 
 scholars. Miss Stocking taught the interme- 
 diate department, and Miss Lester, the primary 
 class. The Irwin House at the bridge approach, 
 and the Bunnell House, just completed, were 
 the town taverns. The planing mill of D. G. 
 Arnold & Company, two stories liigh, 44 by 
 82 feet in dimensions, was the second large in- 
 dustry in Wenona, beginning operations in 
 1865. By 1868 the village claimed nearly 1,000 
 inhabitants and built over 1,000 feet of side- 
 walks. There were no vacant houses and lots 
 50 by 100 feet, on Midland street, sold for from 
 $150 to $2,000. New industries rallied around 
 Wenona, bringing more people, and new busi- 
 ness houses. 
 
 While the last of the three villages to begin 
 life on the West Side, A\'enona soon surpassed 
 its suburban villages and in 1877 absorbed 
 Banks and Salzburg, and became the sister 
 city of West Bay City, and in April of this 
 year of grace, 1905, becomes Bay City, West 
 Side. 
 
 In 1865 when Bay City began its municipal 
 existence as a city, the hamlet of Salzburg oc- 
 cupied a prominent place on the landscape to 
 the southwest. That elevated and wooded loca- 
 tion was a favorite spot for the Indian camp- 
 fires, and the first white settler was Benjamin 
 Cushway, sent here by the government as black- 
 smith for the natives. Finding nothing doing in 
 the agricultural line, he turned trader and inter- 
 preter, and for years did a thriving business 
 among the red men and early pioneers. In 
 
I 82 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 1842, Capt. Solomon S. Stone and wife came 
 by canoe from Detroit, and settled in a wig- 
 wam on the deserted Indian tield just west of 
 the approach to the present Lafayette avenue 
 bridge. For three years he tilled this field, with 
 much better success than the Indians, and by 
 catching and selling muskrat and beaver skins 
 accumulated enough money to buy Stone Isl- 
 and, where he lived until his death in 1883. 
 
 Dr. Daniel Hughes Fitzhugh in 1837 se- 
 lected the site of Salzburg as a very promising 
 location for future settlement, and bought large 
 tracts of land along the river front. His judg- 
 ment was soon verified, and by 1865 the hamlet 
 was alive with industries. In 1862, Dr. Fitz- 
 hugh platted part of his land from the Lafayette 
 avenue bridge north to the section line, and 
 since the main industry was the manufacture 
 of salt at that time, he named the village Salz- 
 burg, in honor of the many German settlers, 
 and after the great salt-mine city in Austria. 
 Dr. Fitzhugh built the first salt-block in 1862, 
 while similar industries were located by the Hu- 
 ron Company, Johnson & Walsh and Hill & 
 Son. Laderach Brothers started their hoop and 
 stave mill in 1861. Stone's mill was built in 
 1865, and in 1866 cut 2,500,000 feet of lum- 
 ber. Jacob Laderach and M. A. and A. H. 
 Root operated shingle-mills. M. A. Root i^ 
 still an honored resident cf the East Side. John 
 Arnold & Company, and the Huron Company 
 operated sawmills. 
 
 In 1868 the property of the Huron Com- 
 pany was secured by John W. Babcock, one of 
 the most interesting figures in our pioneer an- 
 nals. Born in New York in 1831, his family 
 came to Washtenaw, Michigan, in 1835. In 
 1 85 1 he determined to try his fortune in the 
 wilderness, and with nothing but a compass 
 for his guide started for Bay City. He camped 
 out alone in the dense forest three nights out of 
 five; the other two were spent with settlers in 
 
 lone cabins he chanced to pass. He camped one 
 night with Indians upon the site of future Salz- 
 burg, and concluded that it was a good place 
 to live. But for the time being there was noth- 
 ing there for him to do. He helped to clear a 
 number of farms in that vicinity, for the late 
 James Fraser, and assisted in clearing the way 
 for Center avenue. He took the contract for 
 building a portion of the Tuscola plank road 
 in 1858, built the Bay City, AuSable and Dun- 
 can State road, 155 miles, 1861-65 and drove 
 the first team from the north to Bay City. The 
 larger portion of his pay consisted of 72,000 
 acres of government land, of which he held a 
 portion and sold the scrip for the remainder. 
 In 1867 he built the military wagon road from 
 Fort Howard in Wisconsin to Fort Wilkins, 
 in the Upper Peninsula, over 178 miles, receiv- 
 ing three sections of land per mile, a total of 
 348,060 acres. During all this time his home 
 was in Salzburg. In 1868 he determined to 
 purchase the sawmill, salt-block, boarding 
 house and tenement houses of the Huron Com- 
 pany, valued at over $100,000. He gave 2i3r 
 600 acres of his Wisconsin government land 
 for this fine property, and traded the remainder 
 for improved farm and other property. Al- 
 though the hard work of this pioneer in the 
 wilderness allowed him but little time for 
 school, he was typical of that sterling race of 
 self-made business men, equal to every emer- 
 gency, and rising to every occasion. Where to- 
 day young men rely on a college education for 
 a guide through life, these rugged settlers could 
 rely only on their own resources, energy and 
 diligence. 
 
 By 1868 there were more additions to the 
 kettle salt-blocks of Salzburg ; Charles C. Fitz- 
 hugh, Tallman & Parmalee, Fisk & Clark and 
 the Chicago Company were added to the ham- 
 let's enterprises. The post office was estab- 
 lished in 1868, stores multiplied, and George 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 183 
 
 Kolb, Sr., wlio came here in 1854, opened the 
 first brewer)-, wliich since has grown to large 
 proportions. 
 
 In 1875 Wenona made an unsuccessful at- 
 tempt to extend her boundaries so as to include 
 Salzburg, but not until 1877 did the hamlet be- 
 come part of the new city of West Bay City. 
 To this day the region lying south of the section 
 line, including all of the i6th Ward of Greater 
 Bay City, is popularly known and marked on 
 railroad maps as "Salzburg." Frederick Neu- 
 nian, for more than 24 years justice of the 
 peace of the West Side, was born in Salzburg 
 in 1857, and is one of the few living residents 
 who have seen this thriving suburb grow from 
 a few salt-wells and farms to its present pros- 
 perous and populous condition. 
 
 Thus we find the West Side finally united. 
 Banks has expanded to the south, Salzburg 
 has reached out to the north, and Wenona has 
 reached out in both directions, until the homes 
 and lives of the three villages have become so 
 interw'oven that there was really no longer any 
 dividing line and the Legislature of 1877 m^de 
 one community on the west bank of the river. 
 
 The same forces w'ere at work during all 
 these years on the East Side, and by 1873 there 
 w"as really no longer a dividing line between 
 Bay City and Portsmouth, and by act of the 
 Legislature the village of Portsmouth, now the 
 Sixth and Seventh wards of Bay City, ceased 
 its corporate existence, and became an integral 
 part of the busy city, then extending almost 
 from the mouth of the river for five miles 
 south along the river bank. 
 
 The extension of the Michigan Central 
 Railroad, due north from Bay City to the 
 Straits of Mackinac, opened new fields of trade 
 and commerce, and made the two Bay Cities a 
 most important railroad center. As early as 
 1880 the Chamber of Commerce made an ef- 
 fort to bring the mineral wealth of the Upper 
 10 
 
 Peninsula to Bay City, for the forge and smel- 
 ter. Had the copper and iron interests know^n 
 the unlimited coal supply lying only 150 feet 
 below the surface, there is no doubt but that 
 the natural advantages for these great indus- 
 tries would have been complete, and that Bay 
 City would have become the "Pittsburg of the 
 Northwest." But strangely enough all the bor- 
 ing for salt-wells went obliviously through 
 these veins of coal, and no one took the trouble 
 to bore especially for coal, and hence the ore 
 from the Upper Peninsula passed down Lake 
 Huron, past its natural harbor on Saginaw Bay, 
 to Ohio and Pennsylvania ports, where coal 
 was plenty. Bay City was too busy sawing 
 lumber and making salt, to bother about other 
 and more permanent industries. How many 
 times since then, the older business men have 
 regretted the opportunities thus missed. How 
 much better it would have been for Bay City, 
 East and West Side, if some of the lumber here 
 produced had been turned into the manu- 
 factured article, thus giving us the varied in- 
 terests, which later were so sadly missed. Even 
 so the Bay Cities were just cresting the tidal 
 wave of the lumber boom when these first con- 
 solidations gave them rank with the good cities 
 of the State and country. 
 
 West Bay City's business center was on 
 Alidland and Linn streets, the Sage, Babo, Ap- 
 lin, Allard, Campbell, Moots and Bank blocks 
 giving the young city a substantial trade mark. 
 South of the Sage mill were the railroad docks, 
 then came the large shipyard owned and oper- 
 ated, then as now, by Capt. James Davidson. 
 North of the Sage mill was the Ballentine ship- 
 yard, the gypsum factory of Smith, Bullard ,& 
 Company (whose gypsum supply came from 
 Alabaster, Michigan), and the Litchfield saw- 
 mill. 
 
 A little idea of the increasing importance of 
 the West Side as a business center may be 
 
i8,i 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 gained by two leaves from the West Side post 
 office receipts. When Henry H. Alpin became 
 postmaster of Wenona in 1869, there were 38 
 mail boxes; by 1883 there were 1,089, ^'""^ the 
 annual receipts had increased from $800 to 
 nearly $9,000. 
 
 Churches and schools multiplied rapidly to 
 meet the constantly increasing demand, and the 
 flimsy buildings of the frontier settlement were 
 gradually replaced by more substantial and im- 
 posing structures. 
 
 Chief among the new buildings of 1883 
 was the Sage Library, built and equipped by 
 Henry \V. Sage, who made much of his im- 
 mense fortune in the "Big Mill" on the West 
 Side. Aside from a few public parks, this is 
 the only large public benefaction ever left either 
 of the Bay Cities, and cost something like 
 $50,000. Many fortunes were made here, but 
 this library alone remains to show, that at least 
 one of the rich lumbermen cared something for 
 posterity, and desired to be honored and re- 
 membered amid the scenes of his business suc- 
 cess and life's work. This lack of public spirit 
 on the part of the men and families who ac- 
 cumulated millions of dollars, when they 
 sheared the valley of its timber supply, has for 
 years been keenly felt and deplored by these 
 communities. Would that the Bay Cities had 
 found among their pioneer lumbermen more 
 public spirit and more loyalty to the towns ! 
 Would that among that long list of millionaire 
 lumbermen whose fortunes were made through 
 the superior advantages of the Bay Cities, there 
 had been at least one more Henry W. Sage. 
 
 After the consolidation of the West Side 
 villages in 1877, things moved swiftly for the 
 public good. In 1882 the Holly water-works 
 plant was begun, arid operated until 1902, when 
 the new and modern pumping station was erect- 
 ed on the beautiful and historic shores of the 
 Kawkawlin, with the intake pipe extending 
 
 well into the clear water of the bay off Tobico. 
 By that fine engineering feat the West Side 
 has solved its own water supply problem for 
 many years to come, and the East Side may now 
 profit by the foresight and good judgment of 
 the West Side. That new station is planned to 
 supply a population of 75,000. 
 
 In 1869 the fire steamer "Defiance" was pur- 
 chased, with S. A. Plummer as chief, and a 
 company of volunteers. This proved unsatis- 
 factory, so a paid department was organized, 
 and after the union of the three villages each 
 ward was given one hose company, the three, 
 with the steamer, comprising the department 
 over there until 1905. John Charters was the 
 first city fire chief, and Lafayette Roundsville, 
 the first engineer. 
 
 West Bay City had 3,000 people in 1877, 
 and by 1883 had increased to over 8,000. The 
 Federal census of 1890 showed a population 
 of 12,981, and that of 1900 marked a slight in- 
 crease, despite the fact that the West Side suf- 
 fered, along with the entire valley, from the 
 closing down of many sawmills, by giving the 
 West Side 13,119 people. The new city laid 
 many miles of cedar block pavement, estab- 
 lished an electric light plant, began an excel- 
 lent sewer system, and laid thousands of feet 
 of sidewalks. The long stretch of river front 
 makes the building of roads and sidewalks an 
 expensive detail of municipal affairs, for there 
 is still much vacant property within the wide 
 reaches of the corporate limits. The heavy 
 bonded indebtedness of the West Side in 1904 
 is largely due to this fact, and it nearly caused 
 the defeat of consolidation, for the East Side is 
 better situated in this respect and hence has less 
 indebtedness. 
 
 By the union of Portsmouth in 1873, the 
 East Side became one solid and substantial city. 
 In 1865 when the city was first organized, the 
 limits were the Saginaw River on the west and 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 l8: 
 
 nortli, Madison avenue on tlie east and Colum- 
 bus avenue on the south. By 1873 these Hmits 
 had expanded to reach from Cass avenue on the 
 south to Essexville on the north, and from the 
 river to Trumbull street on the east. 
 
 The bulk of the business was still being 
 done along Water street on the river front, but 
 in the last 10 years a gradual change has come 
 o\er the city. Center and Washington avenues 
 are becoming the most popular locations for 
 the retail trade, while Water street is becoming 
 the wholesale and distributing center of Greater 
 Bay City. No street in the country is better 
 situated for manufacturing institutions or 
 warehouses than Water street. Just 300 feet 
 west is the deep-water channel of the river, 
 wliich in the wholesale district is lined with 
 w arehouses and docks. 
 
 In 1864 the Bay City Council had granted 
 a street car franchise to a syndicate of Milan, 
 Ohio, capitalists. In February, 1865, the first 
 board of directors of the Bay City & Ports- 
 mouth Street Railway Company was elected as 
 follows : James Eraser, Nathan B. Bradley, 
 William ]\IcEwan, Myron Butman and George 
 Campbell. During 1865 William McEwan 
 superintended the construction of the track 
 along Water street from Third to 35th street, 
 on which horse cars began running in Novem- 
 ber, 1S65. In 1874 a new syndicate took over 
 the street car system and extended the track to 
 McGraw's mammoth mill on the south and to 
 Essexville on the north. A light T-rail was 
 laid, over which railroad cars could be moved, 
 and the foundation laid for the splendid belt 
 line system which now circles down the river 
 front and around the entire city a belt of steel 
 that provides fine factory sites, ready means of 
 transportation, and an easy interchange of traf- 
 fic and cars between the several roads entering 
 Bav Citv. At first the street cars used these 
 
 tracks in the daytime, while the switching was 
 done by the railroads at night. 
 
 When electricity replaced the horses, the 
 lines of track were much changed. From the 
 "Y" at Essexville the trolley line follows 
 Woodside avenue to Sherman, to First, to 
 Washington, to Columbus, to Garfield, to La- 
 fayette, to Cass, to Harrison, a distance of five 
 miles, and touching from north to south the 
 principal business streets. A loop is made 
 around the business district, on Water from 
 Third to Center, to Washington, to Third, and 
 west across the Third street bridge to the heart 
 of the West Side. The Center avenue line ex- 
 tends from Water east to the city limits, where 
 another "Y" furnishes an easy mode of usin£ 
 the double tracks, which are laid on Center and 
 Washington avenues on the East Side, and on 
 Midland and Henry, on the West Side. An- 
 other branch line extends on Columbus avenue 
 from Garfield to the Tuscola stone road. The 
 West Side lines run from Midland south, down 
 Center street to the State road in Salzburg, 
 north on Henry to South Union, to Washing- 
 ton, to Banks, and Wenona Beach, six miles 
 from the Court House. The street car service 
 is excellent, the equipment is modern and well- 
 handled in every respect, and really years in ad- 
 vance of other features of municipal con\-en- 
 ience. The interurban electric line to Saginaw 
 and Detroit enters the city over a fine bridge 
 south of the North American Chemical Com- 
 pany's plant, and carries freight as well as pas- 
 sengers. An immense power house was erected 
 in 1903 on Water street near loth streets, 
 which will meet all electric power requirements 
 for years to come for both lines. 
 
 When the street car system gave up the 
 Water street tracks, they were used exclusively 
 for handling freight, and a number of the saw- 
 mills on that belt line depend entirely upon 
 
1 86 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 their log supply by rail. This is clue to the fact, 
 that the logging" camps are now so far in the 
 interior, that it is cheaper to build branch rail- 
 roads into the heart of the hardwood timber belt 
 to the north, than to transport the logs to rivers 
 to be rafted down to Lake Huron and thence 
 to the Saginaw River. Hence the railroad traf- 
 fic has increased annually, while the river tratTlc 
 has fallen off. 
 
 This belt line passed the big McGraw mill 
 at the foot of 40th street, then the largest mill 
 in the world ! The official chronicler of the 
 centennial year, 1876, tells us that the mill had 
 cut more than 800,000 feet of lumber in a single 
 day, and that the average cut per day was 
 worth $11,000 at the prevailing prices of lum- 
 ber, and the big Sage mill on the West Side, 
 with recent additions, was then but little behind 
 this record. By 1876 the local log supply had 
 been exhausted, and logs were being rafted 
 from the Tittabawassee and Cass rivers to the 
 south, and from the streams on Saginaw Bay 
 to the north. 
 
 The city was well supplied with boiler and 
 machine shops to supply the needs of the busy 
 mills. The East Side then had "jy manufactur- 
 ing establishments, employing nearly $5,000,- 
 000 in capital, while the rest of the county had 
 35 other manufacturing plants, with a capital 
 of nearly $2,000,000. On the East Side were 
 28 sawmills, with 34 circular and 21 gang 
 saws. The lumber manufactured in 1876 was 
 worth over $4,000,000, while the lath and 
 shingle shipments were worth over $150,000. 
 Then there were 27 salt-wells, producing an- 
 nually about 400,000 barrels of salt, at $1.40 
 per barrel ; 27 planing-mills : three wood-work- 
 ing establishments; the Michigan Pipe Com- 
 pany's plant : the Bay City woodenware works, 
 which has since expanded, and is in 1905 the 
 largest and best equipped in the world ; five 
 machine shops, including the Industrial Works, 
 
 which has steadily grown to its present size; 
 and two grist-mills. 
 
 The chronicler with the eyes of a seer pre- 
 dicted the building of a railroad north, skirting 
 Lake Huron, since verified by the completion 
 of the Detroit & Mackinac Railroad as far as 
 Cheboygan in 1904, and still reaching north. 
 His prediction of a road east to the "Thumb" 
 of Michigan is to be verified in 1905 by the 
 building of the Bay City & Port Huron Rail- 
 way, via Caro and Cass City. 
 
 The farms adjacent to Bay City were stead- 
 ily increasing in numbers and resources, al- 
 though the agricultural interests of our subur- 
 ban townships were still in their infancy 30 
 years ago. 
 
 The business blocks and public buildings 
 in 1876 were far and away ahead of those of 
 other and less progressive cities of the country. 
 The four-story Westover Opera House Block 
 then contained the State Bank, Bancroft & 
 Company's dry goods store and many offices. 
 The theater was pronounced at that time one of 
 the most commodious and modern in Michigan. 
 Fire w-iped it out some years later, and a larger 
 and handsomer office building, the Phoenix 
 Block, has risen from the ashes. The old opera 
 house was replaced by a new theater, on Sixth 
 street and Washington avenue. In 1903 the in- 
 terior of Wood's Opera House was gutted, in 
 one of the fiercest conflagrations that ever vis- 
 ited this city. Eugene Zaremba was killed by 
 falling brick. Within a few months this loss 
 was straightened out with the insurance com- 
 panies, and the Washington Theater has arisen 
 in its place, more beautiful and artistic than be- 
 fore. 
 
 The Arlington on the West Side, the mas- 
 sive four-story Fraser, the three-story Forest 
 City, the Campbell, the three-story Astor and 
 the three-story Rouech on the East Side were 
 then, as now, popular and up-to-date hotels. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 187 
 
 witli many smaller hostelries in both cities. The 
 New Republic House, built since then, de- 
 stroyed by fire in 1901, has been entirely re- 
 built, and a large addition in 1904 makes it 
 one of the largest and most modern hotels in 
 the State, while the Oriental on Jefferson ave- 
 nue, built in 1904, is a pretty and unique addi- 
 tion to the city's public buildings and hostelries. 
 The old Welverton and Globe hotels are still 
 standing. The city had many substantial busi- 
 ness blocks 20 years ago, of which the follow- 
 ing are still standing in 1905 : The Cranage 
 Bank, Cottrell, Hine, Munger, Union, Watson, 
 Averell, IMcCormick, McEwan, Jennison, Bir- 
 ney, and two Shearer Park blocks. Among the 
 notable additions to these business blocks in re- 
 cent years are the Crapo, Ridotto, Hawley, 
 Rosenbury, Norrington, Baumgarten, Beck, 
 Commercial, Central, Concordia, Eddy, Elks', 
 Fay, Griswold, Harmon & Vernor, Hurley, 
 McDermott, Maxwell, Moran, Kaiser, New 
 Griswold, New McEwan, Obey Pacaud, 
 Plumsteel, Root, Simon, Stewart, Taylor, 
 Tierney, Van Emster, Warren, Washing- 
 ton, Heumann and New Hurley Blocks. 
 The fact that none of these many blocks 
 are lying idle indicates the business act- 
 ivity of the East Side. Some of the older 
 blocks, in locations somewhat off the modern 
 trend of business affairs in the city, are in use 
 simply for the lack of better and more desir- 
 able locations and more modern buildings. 
 Cottage Hall on Madison avenue. Trades 
 Council Hall on Water street, Moran Hall on 
 Harrison street, and the Bay Theater Hall (on 
 the West Side) are more recent additions to 
 the public buildings of Greater Bay City. The 
 Elks' Hall, facing Center Avenue Park on the 
 southwest, and the magnificent new home of 
 the Bay City Club fronting the same park on 
 the northwest, are the two most noteworthy ad- 
 <litions to the citv's architecture and social life 
 
 in 1904. The Bcrtch Block on Washington 
 avenue and the Gustin, Cook & Buckley Block, 
 at the foot of Washington avenue, are the last 
 and very substantial additions to the city's per- 
 manent buildings. 
 
 The business directory of Bay City for 
 1885, just 20 years ago, is as enthusiastic about 
 the prospects and progress of this city, as the 
 earlier local chronicler. Some of the blocks 
 here enumerated were built during this year, 
 and in addition many smaller business places 
 and many handsome residences. It was esti- 
 mated that nearly $400,000 was spent for such 
 improvements during that year. The assessed 
 valuation was $7,722,310, which was probably 
 not much more than half of the real value. In 
 that year the 32 mills in both cities cut over five 
 million feet of lumber, together with 52 million 
 shingles, and 13.399 car-loads of salt were 
 shipped during one year. The Pere Marquette 
 handled nearly 79 million pounds of exports, 
 and nearly 36 million pounds of imports; the 
 Michigan Central shipped over 76 million 
 pounds of exports, and almost 32 million 
 pounds of imports. Since that time the latter 
 road has made Bay City the center of its mam- 
 moth business north of Detroit. A beautiful 
 passenger depot graces the terminal at the foot 
 of Jackson street, with an immense freight de- 
 pot at the foot of First street. On the West 
 Side are miles of side-tracks in the freight 
 yards, with a large, modern roundhouse, and 
 pretty passenger station just below the Wash- 
 ington viaduct, the latter built jointly by the 
 West Side and the railroad company. 
 
 In 1885 there were seven wards on the East 
 Side, each having two aldermen. The city re- 
 corder drew $1,300, with $1,000 bonds; the 
 city treasurer, $1,400, with $150,000 bonds for 
 the city, $60,000 bonds for the School Board, 
 and $50,000 bonds for the county ; the comp- 
 troller, $1,400, with $10,000 bonds. The alder- 
 
i8S 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 men appointed the city attorney, with $600 sal- 
 arj' per annum ; city surveyor, $3.75 per day ; 
 street commissioner, $2.50 per day, and poor 
 director, $425 per annum. The Board of 
 Education looked after the schools, then 
 as now the Board of Water Works 
 looked after the city's water supply and 
 the Police Department was managed by 
 the mayor and four police commissioners, 
 with Nathaniel N. Murphy, as chief. This 
 veteran in 1905 manages the police force of the 
 united cities with the office of superintendent. 
 The Fire Department was managed by a Coun- 
 cil committee, with Robert J. Campbell as chief 
 engineer, with hose companies in the First, 
 Second, Fourth and Seventh wards and the 
 hook and ladder truck in the Fourth Ward, the 
 center of the city. There were 35 fire-alarm 
 boxes. But one disastrous fire has in all these 
 20 years gotten beyond their control, the ter- 
 rible South End fire of 1893, which wiped out 
 all the mills, stores and homes from the river to 
 Jennison, and from 28th to 32nd streets. Judge 
 Sanford M. Green presided over the Circuit 
 Court. The immense local salt output required 
 three salt inspectors ; William R. McCormick, 
 the esteemed pioneer; Charles H. Malone and 
 W. R. Wands, the last named still living on the 
 East Side. The city had three banks, — the Bay 
 City, First National and Second National 
 banks. The Bay City Bank (incorporated 
 July 19, 1 87 1, with $100,000 capital, had 
 George Lewis as its president. George H. 
 Young, the cashier in 1885, is the present presi- 
 dent of this bank, with capital increased to 
 $50,000. The First National Bank, incor- 
 porated in 1864, capital and surplus in 1885, 
 $200,000, had these officers : James Shearer, 
 president ; Hon. Nathan B. Bradley, vice-presi- 
 dent; B. E. Warren, cashier; F. P. Browne, 
 assistant cashier. In 1905 we find Mr. Browne 
 still cashier of this institution, Charles A. Eddy 
 
 is president and F. T. Norris vice-president. 
 The Second National Bank (incorporated in 
 May, 1864, had capital and surplus amounting 
 to $140,000 in 1885; the following were the 
 officers. William Westover, president : A. 
 Chesbrough, vice-president ; Orrin Bump, cash- 
 ier; and Martin M. Andrews, assistant cash- 
 ier. Mr. Bump became president when the 
 bank was reorganized as the Old Second Na- 
 tional Bank, and so continued until ill health 
 compelled him to retire in 1903. Air. Andrews 
 is the present cashier; James E. Davidson, 
 president ; and Frank T. Woodworth, vice- 
 president. The Commercial Bank with a cap- 
 ital of $100,000 has been organized since then, 
 as has the Bay County Savings Bank with a 
 capital of $50,000. John Mulholland, cashier. 
 
 A ferry line connected Banks, Bay City and 
 Salzburg, the "Hattie Brown," "Hubbard" 
 and "H. C. Hull" taking care of the passengers. 
 The electric cars have long since replaced the 
 river craft. There were steamer lines running 
 regularly to Saginaw, to Oscoda and Alpena, 
 Caseville and Sebewaing, Detroit and Buf- 
 falo, Toledo and Cleveland. A dozen har- 
 bor tugs handled the logs and tow 
 barges in the river. The railroads and 
 changing fortunes of the cities have long 
 since driven most of these river and lake 
 craft to more congenial ports. Telegraph and 
 telephone companies came early to this thriving 
 lumber town, and in 1905 Bay City has two 
 excellent telephone systems, reaching every part 
 of the State and country, and two telegraph 
 companies, with similar connections, all over 
 the globe. 
 
 About 1885 the government was made to 
 see the importance of Bay City as a port of 
 entry, and through Hon. Spencer O. Fisher, 
 ably assisted by Hon. H. H. Aplin, the hand- 
 some and commodious Federal Building was 
 secured on Washington avenue, the square in- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 189 
 
 eluding Fourth avenue and Adams and Tliird 
 streets. Here is the post office, internal revenue 
 office, customs office, and office and court room 
 of the United States District Court for Eastern 
 Michigan. 
 
 Bay City has long enjoyed several pretty 
 public breathing places. Carroll Park, on the 
 eastern city limits, with its casino and primeval 
 forest kings, with modern landscape gardening, 
 is a beautiful place for recreation and a quiet 
 hour. Less pretentious but equally shady are 
 Madison Park, Washington Park, Central Park 
 and Broadway Park, while the Oak Grove on 
 the East Side, Wenona, Oa-at-ka and Reserva- 
 tion beaches on the West Side are ideal resorts 
 and camping grounds on Saginaw Bay. Wen- 
 ona Beach is the "Coney Island of the Lakes." 
 An immense casino, with continuous vaudeville 
 performances all season, with boating, bathing, 
 dancing, and all the other attractions that go to 
 cheer the heated term of summer, are here with- 
 in the reach of every one, the car fare for the 
 round trip of 12 miles being but 15 cents. It 
 is the delight of the people who cannot afford 
 the time or expense of visiting more expensive, 
 even if not more attractive, summer resorts on 
 distant shores. 
 
 Six public schools, and the High School, 
 together with a number of good parochial 
 schools, furnished the educational facilities of 
 Bay City 20 years ago. The old High School 
 is today the Farragut School, and the increas- 
 ing population has made necessary the hand- 
 some Washington School of the nth Ward, 
 the equally attractive Lincoln school of the 
 Eighth Ward, and the Woodside School, a 
 frame building destroyed by fire in March, 
 1905. The new High School, on Madison ave- 
 nue and nth and Jefferson streets, was expect- 
 ed to answer all purposes for many decades. 
 But despite many additions this building is 
 again crowded to the limit, and with the ad- 
 
 mission of the West Side scholars a new build- 
 ing will be at once imperative. 
 
 The city's first cemetery was located on 
 what are now Columbus avenue and Saginaw 
 street, which in 1845 was away out in the wil- 
 derness. Potter's field was on nth street and 
 Washington avenue, and excavations in both 
 these vicinities to this day bring to light many 
 skeletons of early pioneers, whose last resting 
 places had become obliterated in the ruthless 
 course of events. Since then the West Side has 
 created a beautiful city of the dead in the Oak 
 Ridge Cemetery on State street and the Kaw- 
 kawlin stone road; the East Side, in the Pine 
 Ridge, Eickemeyer and St. Patrick's cemeter- 
 ies. The latest addition is the Elm Lawn Cem- 
 etery, planned and laid out by local capitalists 
 on Columbus avenue, from Park to Li\-ingstone 
 avenues. Its shady nooks, well-kept lawns, and 
 artistic landscape gardening, with a massive 
 stone entrance arch, and office, with a large 
 stone vault for public use, ivy grown and on a 
 central elevation, with a number of costly pri- 
 vate mausoleums and vaults and many artistic 
 monuments, combine to make Elm Lawn one 
 of the most beautiful, as well as most extensive 
 and modern of the last resting places for our 
 beloved departed. 
 
 In 1904 the East Side had expanded to 11 
 wards, the West Side to six wards. On the 
 East Side the management of municipal affairs 
 had been consigned by the Council largely 
 to municipal boards appointed by the 
 aldermen. The public lighting plant was 
 in charge of the Board of Electric Control. The 
 water-works system was in charge of the Board 
 of Water Works. In 1872 the people voted to 
 issue bonds to the amount of $327,000, for es- 
 tablishing the Holly water-works system, and 
 the only fault the citizens have to find with that 
 action was the lack of provision to pay oft' the 
 indebtedness so incurred. In 1905 the city still 
 
1 90 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 continues to pay the very higli rate of interest 
 in vogue 30 years ago, and it is estimated that 
 the original cost of the plant has been largely 
 paid by the city in interest on the debt, without 
 reducing that indebtedness itself. The intake 
 pipe was placed near Oak Grove, but was not 
 extended far enough into the bay, so that with 
 the gradually receding waters of the lakes, the 
 supply of late years has suflfered, much river 
 water being pumped to make up the deficiency. 
 The consolidated cities will have to solve the 
 East Side water problem at no distant day, and 
 it is hoped the large and modern water-works 
 plant on the Kawkawlin, owned and operated 
 by the West Side, can be made to supply both 
 sides of the river. The old system on the East 
 Side was built under the supervision of Andrew 
 Walton, William Westover, William Smalley, 
 H. M. Bradley, Andrew Miller. Thomas H. 
 McGraw and Thomas Cranage, the last named 
 being still in active business on the East Side. 
 The first secretary of the board, E. L. Dunbar, 
 has an enviable record for public service, for in 
 1905 he is still the efficient head of this depart- 
 ment, which has during the last 33 years laid 
 many miles of water mains, only recently re- 
 placing the worn-out wooden pipes with iron 
 mains and has ever given ample fire protection 
 to the city and a cheap water supply to private 
 and commercial consumers. Bay City's water 
 system has been a model for many cities in the 
 country, and one of the best managed of our 
 city departments. The city's sewer system has 
 been excellent from the first, the slope back 
 from the river being just sufficient to provide 
 the necessary drop, and the ample water supply 
 and swift running current of the river have 
 done good service. The sidewalks of plank 
 are in 1905 giving way to permanent cement 
 walks, which cost but little more than the now 
 costly lumber, are much more durable and will 
 save the city thousands of dollars in losses 
 
 through damage cases arising from defective 
 wooden sidewalks. 
 
 When Bay City and Bay County were in the 
 midst of an unlimited log and lumber supply, 
 the roadways were covered with planks or cedar 
 blocks, even the central country roads being 
 covered with thousands of feet of plank, that 
 at going prices in 1905 would represent a very 
 large municipal fortune. In recent years both 
 sides of the river have supplanted the cedar 
 blocks with paving bricks, asphalt and bitum- 
 inous macadam road surfaces, on permanent 
 crushed stone and cement foundations. While 
 somewhat more costly in the first instance, they 
 assure the city permanent and modern road- 
 w'ays for all time. 
 
 The increasing cost of lumber has made 
 brick and cement the preferred materials for 
 modern residences and business places, and 
 many such buildings are in course of erection 
 in 1905. Holy Rosary Academy on Lincoln 
 avenue, the parochial residences of St. Boniface 
 and St. James churches, and the new Pere Mar- 
 (|uette Station, finished in 1904, are samples of 
 this new style of architecture. 
 
 Bay City has undergone many changes in 
 its 40 years of municipal existence, not the least 
 being the gradual disappearance of the small, 
 crude shacks, that housed the early pioneers, 
 and were the result of the city's mushroom 
 growth during the boom of the lumber indus- 
 try. Slowdy but surely these flimsy structures 
 have given way to more modern and more sub- 
 stantial business places, factories and homes, so 
 that the sons of early Bay City, who wandered 
 from their native heath, can but wonder at the 
 changes for the better in evidence on every 
 hand, when they come back to the city of their 
 birth and youth. 
 
 The new St. Boniface Church, the magnifi- 
 cent new St. Stanislaus Church, the present First 
 Presbyterian Church, the New Trinity Protest- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 191 
 
 ant Episcopal Church, and the First Methodist 
 Episcopal, Broadway Baptist, Patterson Me- 
 morial, Salem Evangelical, Zioii Evangelical, 
 Immanuel German Lutheran, Central Method- 
 ist Episcopal, Trinity German Lutheran, Fre- 
 mont Methodist Episcopal and South Baptist 
 churches on the East Side, and the First Bap- 
 tist, l*"irst Methodist Episcopal, Westminster 
 Presbyterian, Notre Dame, St. Mary's German 
 Lutheran, and the Tabernacle on the West Side 
 are among the modern houses of worship, that 
 have within the last 20 years replaced their 
 primitive predecessors. 
 
 No less advantageous to the city is the com- 
 parison of the original public school buildings 
 with the present roomy, handsome and substan- 
 tial structures, where the youth of the city are 
 being taught by a most competent staff of 
 teachers. The old wooden school on Adams 
 street is today a carriage factory, while the 
 handsome Dolsen School has taken its place on 
 Sherman street and Fourth avenue. The little 
 school on First and Washington, the first in the 
 city, has been replaced with the modern Sher- 
 man School on Woodside avenue and Sherman 
 street. Farragut School has lately been remod- 
 eled. The Garfield School on Eraser and 22nd 
 streets has received a large addition, making it 
 one of the most modern and commodious in the 
 city. An adtlition will this very summer have 
 to be Iniilt to the Fremont School, which took 
 the place of a wooden structure destroyed by 
 the great fire. On the West Side, St. Mary's 
 Parochial School is a late addition. The Kolb 
 School is a new and large brick structure, and 
 another new school has just been completed on 
 Center and Thomas streets. 
 
 The East Side Fire Department Headquar- 
 ters on Washington avenue are being remodeled 
 in 1905: The Chemical No. i, and one hose 
 company are stationed here, while an even more 
 pretentious brick hose house on Washington 
 
 and Columbus avenues contains the ladder 
 truck and one ho.se company. Other modern 
 fire-fighting models are the Fifth Ward Hose 
 House on Lafayette avenue, and the i ith Ward 
 Hose House on Johnson street, where a combi- 
 nation chemical and hose cart is housed. The 
 First and Seventh ward companies also have 
 roomy and well-equipped homes. Tlie West 
 Side Fire Department is not so well housed, 
 and its three companies have a vast territory 
 to cover, but both departments have an excel- 
 lent record for efficiency. 
 
 In the palmy days of the lumber industry 
 the danger of disastrous fires was very great 
 and, on innumerable occasions, prompt and he- 
 roic work by the fire laddies has saved millions 
 of dollars worth of property. As more sub- 
 stantial structures replace the old flimsy build- 
 ings, which were mere food for fire, the chances 
 for injury at the hands of the fire demon are 
 being lessened, and the Fire Department of Bay 
 City, East Side, as now constituted will meet 
 all requirements for many years to come. The 
 alarm system is the very latest and has proven 
 absolutely rapid and reliable. The fire-fighting 
 apparatus is the very latest obtainable, and un- 
 der the veteran fire chief, Thomas K. Harding, 
 who for more than 20 years has been at the 
 head of this department, after serving before 
 that in subordinate capacities, the fire demon 
 finds his master on every occasion, when he ap- 
 plies his flaming torch. The loss from fire 
 during the year 1904 was trival. compared to 
 that of earlier years. 
 
 Equally marked has been the change in the 
 population and police comparisons. In the pio- 
 neer days the frontier ruftians and intoxicated 
 Indians were the dread of the peace-loving set- 
 tlers. As the red men Ijecame less numerous, 
 a rough and ready class of seafaring sailors 
 joined forces with the adventurous lumber 
 jacks. Circuit Judge Shepard only recently re- 
 
19:2 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 called the fact, that less than 30 j-ears ago it was 
 a risky thing to visit the Third street bridge or 
 the Water street resort district, unarmed and 
 unattended! Murders, assaults, hold-ups and 
 free for all fights were the rule, rather than the 
 exception ! The Good Templars did their best 
 to overcome these evils by a concerted campaign 
 against the rum evil of those days, but quite in- 
 effectually. C. C. Chilson was one of their 
 most earnest leaders, and more than once he 
 was assaulted by saloon rowdies, and on at 
 least one occasion was shot at and nearly killed 
 by a drunken ruffian, who thought to avenge 
 Chilson's anti-saloon work. The writer was a 
 newsboy in 1883-85, and he well recalls the 
 riotous life among the lumbermen even at that 
 late day. Prize fights were the daily attraction 
 at some of the Third street resorts. Gaudy 
 women catered to the thirsty in other resorts, 
 or sang and danced on rough board stages, 
 while below them on rough board floors, cov- 
 ered thick with sawdust to absorb the tobacco 
 juice and on occasion the blood of the brawlers, 
 a mixed array of rough men and equally coarse 
 women caroused and careened. Going down 
 Third street on any afternoon, evening, night or 
 early morning, one could hear the shrill music 
 of the fiddle or bag-pipe, the melodeon and ac- 
 cordion, while spiked feet danced in such uni- 
 son as their maudlin drunk owners could com- 
 mand on the floor cleared for the time being of 
 chairs and crude benches, such as comprised the 
 typical music hall or saloon furniture. To the 
 credit of those tough and rough lumber jacks I 
 want to say, that although they could easily 
 tell by my broken English my foreign birth, 
 they seldom spoke harshly to me, and then usu- 
 ally liquor had mastered their finer sensibilities. 
 Not once during those years of the sailor and 
 the frontiersman, do I recall being molested in 
 my calling as newsboy. Certainly not one of 
 those coarse hands ever was raised to strike the 
 
 busy newsboy. On the other hand I often se- 
 cured some large coin for the Ez'cniiig Press, 
 with the curt admonition, "never mind the 
 change," and however crude or coarse may have 
 been their revels, there went home from them a 
 little lad, happy because of their generous 
 hearts, and because their generosity was sure 
 to make other hearts lighter ! With the passing 
 of the lumber industry these lumber jacks have 
 gone across the border to Canada, where Bay 
 City lumbermen in the year 1905 find them just 
 as hardy, and industrious, but also just as riot- 
 ous and boisterous as they were in their palmy 
 days in Bay City. During those early years the 
 life of the policeman was ever in danger, and 
 more than one fell at the post of duty, while 
 others were maimed and injured while trying 
 to maintain peace and order in the tough dis- 
 trict. 
 
 Other and better days have come for our 
 trusty officers of the law. In the ranks today 
 are some of the veterans of those trying times. 
 Supt. Nathaniel N. Murphy, Capt. Mathew 
 Ryan, Sergt. George A. Hemstreet ; Samuel E. 
 Catlin, William E. Toles, John W. Mulholland, 
 George Traub, Joseph Ratcliff, patrolmen ; Ex- 
 Capt. William Simmons, Henry Houck, con- 
 stable and Ex-Capt. Andrew D. Wyman, now 
 special officer on the Detroit & Mackinac Rail- 
 way, were on the department during the years 
 of transition, and the oldest among them took 
 part in many of the stirring dramas enacted in 
 the tenderloin district of the lumber town. The 
 force to-day has a national reputation for effi- 
 ciency and many crooks of national notoriety 
 have wandered thus far but no farther ! Tramps 
 and wandering pilferers shun this city like the 
 plague, and the main duties of the policemen 
 are now directed into more peaceful but none 
 the less useful channels. The truant officer, 
 health officer, tax collector, and the various 
 city departments find their readiest assistants 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 193 
 
 among the blue-coated guardians of the peace. 
 This department, too, has reached a stage of 
 development and efficiency that will require no 
 addition in numbers or expense for many years 
 to come. 
 
 Just as 20 and 30 and even 40 years ago, 
 the citizens of these communities prided them- 
 selves upon the efficiency of their several muni- 
 cipal departments, in their varying stages of 
 progress and development, so in this later year, 
 1905, we have every reason to feel proud of our 
 departments of learning and culture, of public 
 water and lighting service, of the transporta- 
 tion, telephone and telegraph service, of the 
 public health and judicial departments, of our 
 lire fighters and peace guardians ! It has been 
 said time without number, and as often demon- 
 strated by facts and figures, that no community 
 of equal size in this or any other country is 
 more healthy, more peaceful, or has more of 
 the comforts and conveniences of municipal 
 life, than these very same twin communities, 
 united forever by the vote of their people in 
 1903, and by the joint election on April 3, 1905, 
 made the fourth city of Michigan, Greater Bay 
 City. Time and space forbid following the tide 
 of events in the expanding metropolis of North- 
 ern Michigan ; a fleeting review brought up to 
 date must suffice. 
 
 In 1890 the lumber and salt industries of 
 Bay City, were at the zenith of their develop- 
 ment. The cities prospered and grew, and the 
 rural districts were rapidly being settled. The 
 market gardeners found no trouble in disposing 
 of all they could raise, and money seemed 
 plenty. But dark clouds loomed up on the hori- 
 zon. The tariff tinkering at Washington, fol- 
 lowing some fickle work at the polls of the 
 voters, who apparently wavered for a time on 
 both the tariff and the money questions, caused 
 one of those periodical and yet almost inex- 
 plicable financial depressions or panics, such as 
 
 had passed twice over the destinies of Bay 
 County, leaving manufacturers and merchants 
 bankrupt and many happy homes on the verge 
 of ruin. At the very time that hundreds of 
 residents of Bay County enjoyed the feast of 
 arts, of science and culture, at the Columbian 
 Exposition at Chicago, this new peril began to 
 sweep the country from ocean to ocean, and this 
 booming lumber community was not long in 
 feeling the effects. There was little or no de- 
 mand for the finished product and at the same 
 time the log supply was becoming more and 
 more distant, and hence more expensive. 
 
 Just as this depression in the business af- 
 fairs of our country gave way to a general re- 
 vival, and the lumber industry on the shores of 
 the Saginaw River and Lake Huron was look- 
 ing forward to better things, the wiseacres at 
 Washington dealt the industry its death blow, 
 by passing the bill making the duty on lumber 
 from Canada $2, or just twice what the experi- 
 enced lumbermen insisted it should be. Retalia- 
 tion was both speedy and fatal. The Canadian 
 log supply was cut off by a prohibitory export 
 duty on boom sticks and logs. One after an- 
 other, the great mills along the river shut down, 
 most of them never to open again. The Eddy 
 mills were dismantled and the valuable machin- 
 ery removed to Canada. The Georgian Bay re- 
 gion was the Mecca for Michigan's lumbermen. 
 There they bought up every available tract of 
 timber and erected the mills that were driven 
 from their native land by the misguided wis- 
 dom of Congress. 
 
 Lumbermen in other portions of the coun- 
 try amassed fortunes by the results of the very 
 same law that killed the lumber industry in 
 Eastern Michigan. This fact has led many of 
 the sufferers to attribute the $2 tariff to sinister 
 motives, and their own ruin to the greed of 
 other sections of the country. The ]Michigan 
 lumbermen insist that the lumber industrv in 
 
194 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 other sections of the country could have been 
 benefitted, without sacrificing the mills and the 
 entire industry along the Canadian border. But 
 regrets and vituperation alike were vain. 
 
 The lumber industry under the new con- 
 ditions was driven across the border to Canada, 
 and the salt industry could not be continued 
 with profit without this auxiliary. The salt- 
 blocks had used the exhaust steam from the 
 sawmill engines, and the waste wood and saw- 
 dust provided a cheap fuel for the operation of 
 the engines in the salt-wells. Only a few of 
 these salt-wells continued to operate after the 
 sawmills shut down, more especially since the 
 price of salt steadily declined for some years. 
 The idle sawmills were easy prey for the fire 
 demon. In most of these mill fires the depart- 
 ment could do no more than save surrounding 
 property. One by one the old hives of industry 
 were wiped out. The mammoth McGraw mill 
 was one of the first to go up in smoke. The 
 Sage mill on the West Side is one of the few 
 that has stood idle during all these years, and 
 whose empty framework yet remains, a silent 
 reminder of the days when Pine was King in 
 the valley. 
 
 \'erily a wonderful change has come over 
 Bay City in the past lo years. The one fixed 
 idea of all the valley lumbermen, in the days 
 when the forests of pine extended to our very 
 doors, was to cut them down, and exchange 
 them in the markets of the world as quickly as 
 possible for what they would bring. Fortunes 
 were cjuickly made by those lucky enough to 
 own vast tracts of this wealth of pine forest, 
 bought from the government for a song. Not 
 until these forests were denuded of pine, and 
 pine barrens miles in extent marked the destruc- 
 tive trail of the axe and saw, did any one stop 
 to think that there might be even larger profits 
 in the finer manipulation of this timber, and that 
 there might possibly be some use for the other 
 
 and neglected timber, such as oak, maple, hem- 
 lock, cedar, tamarack, beech, birch, white and 
 black ash, elm and bass, of which there were 
 still untouched tracts in this vicinity and to the 
 north. The cutting oft summarily of our pine 
 log supply called attention to these remaining 
 possibilities, and the sawmills that are still 
 standing ecjuipped along our river front, are all 
 kept busy cutting up logs, that in former years 
 were entirely ignored by the old-time lumber- 
 men. 
 
 This business in hardwood lumber has been 
 gradually picking up, and the revival recalls the 
 palmy days of long ago. This very year the 
 Detroit mill, at the foot of Sherman street, has 
 started cutting a log supply that will keep that 
 modern mill running for 15 years. Frank 
 Buell, formerly of Gaylord, and F. Wyllie of 
 Saginaw, are the operators and owners of the 
 mill and the log supply. The J. J. Flood mill 
 is cutting mahogany timber from South Africa 
 for piano manufacturing purposes, and has 
 been kept busy with hardwood timber for some 
 years. The Campbell-Brown Lumber Com- 
 pany, Kneeland-Bigelow Company, F. T. 
 Woodworth & Company, !Mershon, Schutte, 
 Parker & Company, Samuel G. ]\I. Gates (one 
 of the oldest mill-owners still in the business), 
 Kern Manufacturing Company, Edward C. 
 Hargrave, Hitchcock Lumber Company, Eddy 
 Brothers & Company, and E. B. Foss & Com- 
 pany are still operating logging camps, saw- 
 mills and huge lumber-yards, the last named on 
 our river front. 
 
 That the lesson of other years has not been 
 entirely lost on our lumber interests is proven 
 by the large number of manufacturing insti- 
 tutions that work up the raw lumber, instead of 
 shipping it to distant points for manufacture. 
 The firm of W. D. Young & Company, on the 
 West Side, has a world-wide reputation for the 
 quality of its finished product, has a mammoth 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 ^95 
 
 plant for tlie manufacture of maple flooring 
 and is constantly expanding. It furnished the 
 lumber for the decks of the last "American 
 Cup" defender, the yacht "Reliance" which 
 speaks volumes for the firm's position in that 
 line of business. Its latest addition is a wood 
 alcohol plant, which uses up the sawdust and 
 other waste material of the plant. Courval & 
 Company in Essexville, E. J. Vance Box Com- 
 pany, the Foss mill, [Matthew Lamont, W. H. 
 Nickless, Sheldon, Kamm & Company, B. H. 
 Briscoe & Company, Bindner Box Company, 
 Fred G. Eddy, Bay City Box Company, Lewis 
 Manufacturing Company on the East Side and 
 Handy Brothers, Beutel Cooperage & Wooden- 
 ware Company, Russell Brothers, and Bradley, 
 Miller & Company, on the West Side, with 
 Bousfield & Company's world-famous wooden- 
 ware works on the site of the old McGraw mill 
 in the South End, are all employing large 
 crews, and producing a finished lumber prod- 
 uct that gives the manufacturer the profit that 
 formerly went to middlemen in other localities. 
 
 So in 1905 we find tliat the lumber industry 
 is actually showing a marked revival. But for 
 10 years after the log supply was cut oft', things 
 looked gloomy indeed for the cities. In those 
 10 years Bay City has made a complete change 
 of front, and this united city is today a living 
 example of the never-say-die spirit of American 
 communities ! From being a mere lumber and 
 salt producing center, it has become in six short 
 years the hub of the beet sugar business east of 
 the Rocky Mountains, and we have within our 
 borders to-day as varied and stable industries 
 as any city of its size in the country. 
 
 Instead of leaving the dismantled lumber 
 town, the people looked about them for new 
 avenues of trade and industry. C. B. Chat- 
 field, Hon. Nathan B. Bradley, and others be- 
 gan some systematic experiments with sugar 
 beets, while Alexander Zagelmeyer and others 
 
 investigated the vein of bituminous coal long 
 known to have existed in this neighborhood. 
 Persistent boring showed that the vein under- 
 lies the entire county, at a depth of from 150 to 
 300 feet, varying in thickness from four to 
 seven feet, and of excellent quality. This 
 solved the fuel question, and the opening of 
 many mines brought an influx of coal miners 
 who took the place of the sawyers and lumber 
 jacks who had gone to Canada with the saw- 
 mills. 
 
 The farmers proved that both sugar beets 
 and chicory roots could be raised here profit- 
 ably, the moist climate, with its mild and late 
 fall, being ideal for the maturing of these crops. 
 A State bounty in 1898 assisted to bring the 
 Michigan Sugar Company's plant to comple- 
 tion for operation that fall, with a three-months 
 supply of beets, and excellent results followed. 
 This pioneer sugar factory of Michigan was 
 followed the very next year by the still larger 
 Bay City Sugar factory, and the West Bay 
 City and German-American sugar factories fol- 
 lowed the next year. Other factories were 
 erected in different parts of the State, and the 
 State bounty was at once withdrawn as its fur- 
 ther application would have bankrupted the 
 State treasury. Since then, millions of pounds 
 of the finest granulated sugar have been pro- 
 duced annually, giving the Michigan farmer 
 another excellent crop for rotation, and mak- 
 ing all his other farm crops more valuable, as 
 the thousands of acres put into sugar beets re- 
 move just that many acres from the market 
 competition in other staple farm products. The 
 beet pulp, leaves and toppings make good cat- 
 tle feed, and at the \ery time when green fod- 
 der cannot be secured in this latitude. All the 
 mills in Michigan run to their capacity could 
 only supply the home demand for sugar, hence 
 these factories are assured a certain market for 
 their output. Since the American Sugar Refin- 
 
196 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 ing Company, better known as the Havemeyer 
 Sugar Trust, has acquired an interest in two 
 of the local factories and also in others through- 
 out the State, all competition, which for a time 
 threatened to bring on a ruinous rate war, has 
 been practically removed. 
 
 Nothing short of the same suicidal tariff 
 tinkering, that killed the lumber industry, can 
 now cripple this infant beet sugar industry in 
 Michigan, which promises to expand, until it 
 will supply our entire home consumption. The 
 ill-advised Cuban reciprocity treaty proved 
 well-nigh fatal to this new farm and factory in- 
 dustry. Not a single new sugar factory has 
 been built in Michigan since Cuba's cane sugar 
 producers have been favored at the expense of 
 the American farmers, manufacturers and la- 
 borers ! The trust interests alone saved those 
 factories already in operation, by keeping the 
 price of sugar at a point where it can be pro- 
 duced by American labor and home-grown 
 sugar beets, at a small profit to the costly sugar 
 mills. Hardly had this crisis been passed, when 
 the native farmer encountered a poor season, 
 owing to adverse weather conditions, and in 
 1903 and 1904 none of the Michigan factories 
 had as many beets as they needed for a normal 
 campaign. The last year proved very favor- 
 able for growing beets, the percentage of sugar 
 contents being high, and the weight satisfac- 
 tory. This is expected to stimulate more exten- 
 si\e beet cultivation, and all the factories in 
 March, 1905, reported more acreage than they 
 had at the same period the year before. 
 
 Several factories were operated at a loss last 
 fall, because they did not secure enough beets 
 for a profitable campaign. In those localities 
 the warning has gone forth, that if the farmers 
 do not rally to the support of the factories and 
 each one raise at least as many beets as he can 
 handle successfully himself, thus giving the 
 factories beets enough for at least a three- 
 
 months slicing campaign, some of these factor- 
 ies will be dismantled and the machinery re- 
 moved to Colorado, where the farmers are anx- 
 ious to have more factories. Michigan oft'ers 
 some advantages over Colorado, in being 
 nearer a ready market and in having plenty of 
 water and cheap fuel close at hand. The farmer 
 is learning how to handle the sugar beet crop, 
 and many of the costly losses of the first years 
 of experiment have been overcome. It will be 
 a sorry day when the Michigan farmer loses 
 this infant and promising industr)^ Farm lands 
 have increased in value, mortgages have been 
 wiped out, and new life and new vitality 
 brought to the rural districts by the shower of 
 ready cash paid out each fall for the beets by 
 the sugar factories. The price was intended to 
 stimulate extra efforts for high-grade beets, by 
 paying $4.50 per ton of beets, averaging 12 
 per cent, in sugar contents, and 12^ cents for 
 each additional per cent, of sugar in the beets. 
 In 1905 the farmer is offered his choice of $5 
 per ton, flat rate, or the former sliding scale. 
 This ought to bring an enormous increase in 
 the beet supply, as one of the main objections 
 of the farmers and beet growers has been on 
 the assumption of incorrect sugar valuations by 
 the factory taremen and chemists. No other 
 crop raised by farmers the world over specifies 
 from year to year exactly the price to be paid, 
 long months in advance of the harvest. Sugar 
 beets do. The Michigan farmer should not 
 take any one year as a criterion of the crop, 
 but should try the crop for a term of years and 
 strike an average, the same as he would with 
 wheat, potatoes, or any other farm crop, all of 
 which have fat seasons and lean seasons. 
 
 The beet sugar industry in Bay County has 
 furnished work for thousands of men, women 
 and children in the beet fields in spring and 
 summer, while many hundreds more have found 
 work in the sugar factories during the late fall 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 197 
 
 and early winter wlien employment for com- 
 mon labor is always scarce. 
 
 The Michigan Chemical Company manu- 
 factures high-proof spirits from the refuse mo- 
 lasses of the beet sugar factories. For the first 
 two years it was a hard problem for the factor- 
 ies to dispose of this refuse, for the State game 
 and fish warden stopped its drainage into the 
 river, claiming it killed the fish. Since this 
 mammoth distillery has begun operations, with 
 its train of about sixty tank railroad cars, each 
 holding 7,000 gallons of molasses, which they 
 gather directly from the sugar factories, the 
 problem has been solved. 
 
 The beet sugar industry is a money-maker 
 for railroads, for thousands of tons of beets 
 are brought long distances, and more could be 
 secured in that manner if railroad facilities 
 would permit it. This very year a new rail- 
 road to the "Thumb"' is planned to carry sugar 
 beets to local factories, and local coal to the 
 lake ports for export. 
 
 The coal industry is constantly being aug- 
 mented by the sinking of new shafts, provid- 
 ing cheap fuel to the railroads, and volumin- 
 ous freight to the manufacturing centers of the 
 East and West. Coal miners from Ohio, Illi- 
 nois, Pennsylvania and Indiana are flocking 
 here, where they find living and working con- 
 ditions more favorable. Quaint little mining 
 communities have sprung up around the coal 
 mines, and new sources of supply created for 
 our business interests. 
 
 With chief fuel and deep-water transpor- 
 tation and ample railroad facilities, new and 
 varied manufacturing institutions are rapidly 
 filling up the gaps along the desirable river 
 front left by the removal of the sawmills and 
 lumber piles. The lumber jacks have given 
 way to sugar beet experts, coal miners, ship- 
 builders, iron workers, wood workers and 
 skilled labor of every variety. 
 
 Marl has been discovered a few miles north 
 of here, and the "Million Dollar Plant" of the 
 Hecla Cement Company now occupies one of 
 the most desirable river front sites on the west 
 bank, just south of the bay. This institution 
 built its own railroad to the marl beds and coal 
 mines, which it will operate jointly. Great 
 docks are planned for vessels of the deepest 
 draught to handle their cement and coal out- 
 put. Litigation between the stockholders has 
 tied up the plant for some time, but the legal 
 tangles are gradually being straightened out, 
 and the mammoth plant will resume operations 
 on an even larger scale, acording to the plans 
 of the large stockholders. Its present capacity 
 is 4,000 barrels of high-grade cement daily. 
 The equipment of the plant is excellent, elec- 
 tricity being made to do much of the manual 
 labor. 
 
 The manufacturing plant known as the In- 
 dustrial Works has for nearly 40 years been 
 one of Bay City's mainstays. It has grown 
 from a humble beginning, in 1868, to be one 
 of the largest establishments of its kind in the 
 world. The railroad wrecking cranes which 
 the Industrial Works builds are its own special- 
 ties. That they are unsurpassed is proven by 
 the fact that they are known and used wher- 
 ever the iron horse or electrical spark serve 
 the world's commerce and industries. Their 
 display at the World's Fair at St. Louis in 1904 
 attracted international attention. Orders for 
 these cranes have come only recently from far- 
 off Japan, and from the Siberian Railway, 
 where the e.xigencies of the Russo-Japanese 
 War make their use very essential. 
 
 Bousfield & Company's woodenware works 
 is the largest pail and tub factory in the world. 
 The Hanson- Ward Veneer Company is one of 
 the latest and largest manufacturing plants in 
 the South End. 
 
 The West Bay City Ship Building Com- 
 
198 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 pany's shipyard is one of the roomiest and 
 most modern plants on the Great Lakes. For 
 30 years this plant has launched some of the 
 best boats on the inland seas. Year after year 
 the plant has been improved, and in 1905 it is 
 building three of the largest craft afloat on 
 fresh water in tlie world. The steamer "Syl- 
 vania" of the Tomlinson-Davidson fleet, 
 launched with appropriate ceremonies in 
 March, 1905, and christened by Marion David- 
 son Young, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. P. 
 Young, the youngest miss ever accorded that 
 honor on the Great Lakes, is the largest freight 
 steamer yet floated on fresh water, being 524 
 feet over all, 54 feet beam, with 30 vertical 
 hopper hatches, and triple expansion engines. 
 Two sister ships are now in construction, a 
 force of about 1,000 men doing the work, with 
 a pay-roll of $8,000 weekly. 
 
 The James Davidson shipyard has hereto- 
 fore built wooden vessels exclusively, but with 
 the new modern dry dock just completed, a 
 new field is opened for this pioneer ship-build- 
 er. He began life as a deck-boy, and became 
 in turn sailor, captain, owner and ship-builder, 
 and is to-day the best known mariner on the 
 Lakes. He still owns a large fleet of steamers 
 and barges, and his colors are conspicuous at 
 all lake ports. 
 
 Fine salt wells and cheap coal brought the 
 North American Chemical Company's plant 
 to Bay City, where the buildings cover 10 acres 
 south of the city limits. The company pro- 
 duces chemicals of high quality and ships large 
 quantities of fine table salt, as well as coal from 
 its mines. ^Nlost of these products are now be- 
 ing shipped by water, and the river is again 
 showing signs of returning commercial activ- 
 ity. A new device for loading salt, with a ca- 
 pacity of 100 tons per hour, is being installed 
 by this company, and new additions are con- 
 stantly being made to the plant itself. It is 
 
 owned and operated by the United Alkali Com- 
 pany, of Liverpool, England, and represents an 
 investment of $1,000,000 of foreign capital. 
 
 The Smalley motor works is one of the 
 latest and most substantial additions to the 
 North End industries, and the number of 
 skilled machine hands is being constantly in- 
 creased. The Michigan Pipe Company and 
 National Cycle Manufacturiiig Company have 
 for years taken a foremost place in their lines 
 of business, and have done much to advertise 
 the city. The "National" bicycle is known and 
 appreciated the world over. M. Garland's 
 machine shops, Bay City iron works, Walworth 
 & Nelville JManufacturing Company's cross-arm 
 factor^', Excelsior foundry, Marine iron works, 
 Bay City knitting mills, Mackinnon Manufac- 
 turing Company, Smalley Brothers Company, 
 Bromfield & Colvin's grist-mill, Hine & Chat- 
 field's immense flour and grist-mill and grain 
 elevator, Beutel canning factory, Beutel Coop- 
 erage & Woodenware Works, the Stiver-Ma- 
 ther Company (brick, plaster and cement). 
 National Boiler Works, shade roller plant, Bel- 
 gian chicory mills, with plants both on the East 
 and W^est Side, Bay City Plow Works, Bay 
 City Yacht Works, Standard Hoop Company, 
 Bay City Stone Company, West Side brick- 
 yard, Goldie hoop factory. Bay City Dredging 
 Company, Saginaw Bay Towing Company, 
 Wadworth & Nelville Manufacturing Company 
 (wood turners), are leaders in their respective 
 fields of endeavor, and suggest the number 
 and extent of the diversified industries that 
 followed the decline of the lumber industry. 
 A score of box factories give employment to 
 a large force of men and boys, and annually 
 cut up large quantities of the local mills' out- 
 put. In former years this lumber went East 
 to be cut up for box shooks. 
 
 A huge fleet of fishing tugs and schooners 
 reaps annually a rich harvest of the finny tribes 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 199 
 
 from the river and the bay. Farther north are 
 tlie fishing grounds for lake trout, white fish, 
 lake herring, sturgeon, and other choice deni- 
 zens of the deep, while the Saginaw river teems 
 with pickerel, bass and perch. The State game 
 and fish laws are rigidly enforced, in order to 
 preserve so vital an industry, and the State 
 plants millions of these fish in the lakes each 
 year. The fishing industry is growing annually, 
 as new markets are opened in the far East. The 
 rivers north of here afford rare sport in an- 
 gling for brook trout, grayling and river bass. 
 The shores of the river and bay are still the fa- 
 vorite breeding grounds of wild ducks and 
 geese, and in the rural districts quail, part- 
 ridge, snipe and grouse afford sport for the 
 hunter. Rabbits and similar small game 
 abound, but deer and larger game are now rare- 
 ly found in Bay County, although but recently 
 an Indian was arrested at Pinconning and 
 fined for running down a deer with dogs, the 
 antlered victim finally leaping into an inclos- 
 ure where he fell an easy prey to the pot-hunter. 
 In winter hundreds of idle workingmen and 
 fishermen find profitable sport spearing fish 
 through the ice in Saginaw Bay. Their collec- 
 tion of little shanties on sleds forms annually 
 one of the most unique communities on the 
 American continent. The fishermen have 
 named its .shifting scenes "Iceburg, U. S. A." ; 
 from January to March, 1905, it contained 
 about 700 spearmen. 
 
 In 1905 we find the transition from a crude 
 frontier lumber town to a modern business and 
 manufacturing center quite complete. The 
 community by dint of pluck, perseverance and 
 industry has tided over the critical period in 
 its municipal existence, and with the united 
 energies of both sides of the great river will 
 soon mount another tidal wave of prosperity 
 and enterprise, which will carry us farther and 
 higher than ever before. The scarcity of 
 11 
 
 homes suitable for the mechanic and laborer 
 describes, better than pages of facts and figures, 
 the steady revival and progress of the Bay 
 Cities, commercially and industrially. 
 
 The natural position of Bay City at the 
 head of navigation on the Saginaw River is 
 one of great advantage. A glance at the map 
 of Michigan will show that Saginaw Bay cuts 
 into Lower Michigan until it reaches a point 
 far in toward its geographical center. Bay 
 City is by many miles the farthest inland har- 
 bor from the general outline of the State, of 
 any point reached by deep-water navigation. 
 This favorable position gives us a large extent 
 of tributary territory, east, nortli and west. As 
 the pine barrens to the north are cleared and 
 the settlements thicken, the importance of Bay 
 City as a trading center will increase. In this 
 very month of April, 1905, the Bay City 
 Board of Trade is negotiating for a big pas- 
 senger and freight steamer for the long neg- 
 lected shore route between here and Detroit, 
 with every prospect of success. The West 
 Side will be made to realize the truth of the 
 proverb, that "In Union There is Strength," 
 for another large chemical company, the Faulk- 
 ner Chemical Company, has accepted the site 
 offered by the Board of Trade, with a condi- 
 tional bonus, and the plant is to go to the West 
 Side, where it will grace the river front. So 
 the dawn of Greater Bay City will be ushered 
 in by the advent of significant events in our 
 business annals. The tide has turned ! Prog- 
 ress and enterprise will again come to their 
 own, and permanent industrjes take the place 
 of the lumber and salt industries, which cre- 
 ated Bay City. The farming country all about 
 is rapidly becoming productive, and ".\ll ro.\ds 
 
 AND GOOD ROADS LEAD TO BaY CiTY 1" 
 
 Our location has ever been a fortunate one. 
 The wide sweep of the bay prevents gathering 
 storms from doing damage here. Cyclones, 
 
200 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 hurricanes or floods are unknown in our an- 
 nals of the past 70 years! Our cHmate is sa- 
 lubrious, our winters crisp and long but equa- 
 ble, while the summers are cool and made de- 
 Ughtful by the lake breezes, even during the 
 most heated periods. Verily Nature has done 
 much for this valley. Let us rise to a full 
 realization of all these unbounded natural ad- 
 vantages and future opportunities ! 
 
 Much of this new vitality, enterprise and 
 faith in the future of these once divided and 
 weak communities, is based on the culmina- 
 tion of long years of endeavor for the union 
 of the sister cities. From 1877, when the 
 three villages across the river from Bay City 
 joined forces and became West Bay City, until 
 the actual consolidation consummated in April, 
 1905, the progressive and far-seeing forces of 
 both communities sought to bring about the 
 luiited action which augured so well for both 
 sides of the river. For nearly 30 years the 
 benefits of such a union have been acknowledged 
 on both sides of the river, but at every critical 
 juncture little differences would arise, — mu- 
 nicipal indebtedness, the vexed cjuestion of tax- 
 ation and personal considerations, — to keep 
 alive the imaginary dividing line in the river. 
 
 On June 21, 1887, the Legislature passed 
 an act to unite Bay City, West Bay City and 
 the village of Essexville, the union to take place 
 in 1 89 1, and provisions were made for a char- 
 ter committee, representing all three corpora- 
 tions, which was to draft the consolidation 
 charter, and submit it to the Legislature of 
 1889 for action. The politicians managed to 
 secure an election on the proposition, and to the 
 disappointment of all public-spirited citizens 
 the voters on the East Side defeated the propo- 
 sition by a narrow margin, while the West 
 Side voted largely against the union. 
 
 The matter was in abeyance for a few 
 
 3'ears, and then the advocates of Greater Bay 
 City again moved to follow the example of the 
 up-river towns. Saginaw, which had long been 
 below Bay City, East Side, in population, con- 
 summated a union with Saginaw City, three 
 miles down the river, thus regaining over night 
 the coveted position of being the third city of 
 Michigan, and relegating Bay City to the rear! 
 There, as here, consolidation brought out new 
 activities, and any one can readily see that the 
 older but less fortuntaely situated city above the 
 Carrollton sand-bar has gained much in pres- 
 tige and material progress by consolidation. 
 With a population of more than 40,000, it took 
 at once a place among the large cities of the 
 country, while her peers to the north were 
 hopelessly divided, and lost sight of among the 
 multitude of mediocre country towns in the 
 roster of our countr\-'s municipalities ! The 
 success of the union o^ our old commercial and 
 industrial rivals, though separated by several 
 miles, gave new impetus to the movement in 
 the Bay Cities, which from the first have had 
 their business centers exactly on opposite sides 
 of the inland harbor. They succeeded in se- 
 curing another referendum vote on consoli- 
 dation in April, 1903, and until the day of the 
 election, all the forces, pro and con, threshed 
 over again all the arguments of other years 
 and less opportune occasions. But the success- 
 ful merger of large municipalities like Brook- 
 lyn and New York, the absorption by Chicago 
 of suburbs for miles around, on the presump- 
 tion that population and rank in the world's 
 great cities counted for much, and the undeni- 
 able success of consolidation for the much less 
 favorably situated cities of Saginaw, proved 
 more convincing arguments than any thereto- 
 fore advanced by the progressists. 
 
 A joint committee of business men from 
 both sides of the river took up the defense of 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 20 1 
 
 consolidation, and on the eve of the election 
 issued the following address to the citizens of 
 both sides of the river : 
 
 "I. Consolidation will give iis at once a 
 population of 45,000, and therefore accord us 
 a prestige as a city we do not now possess. II. 
 It w'ill give us a municipal credit that all grow- 
 ing cities need, and enable our bonds to be nego- 
 tiated upon a market now denied to us. III. It 
 will lessen the expenses of administering public 
 affairs and reduce taxation, on the principle, 
 that larger cities can be run proportionately 
 cheaper and more efficiently than smaller ones. 
 IV. The united city will be the county seat, and 
 united will have less taxation and more influ- 
 ence in the affairs of our county. V. It will 
 enhance the value of real estate. VI. It will 
 lessen the cost of running the city government, 
 inasmuch as it will reduce the number of heads 
 of departments. VII. It will tend to draw to 
 us manufacturing industries and give better 
 wages and more constant employment to labor. 
 It is well known that parties seeking location 
 for investments in industrial pursuits always 
 inquire first of all about the tax rate, which in 
 Bay City in 1902 was as follows: Valuation: 
 $11,447,534.00, rate of taxation for city, 
 school, and highway purposes, $17.13 per 
 $r.ooo valuation; in West Bay City, the valu- 
 ation was $3,321,540.00, tax rate $29.51 per 
 $1,000 valuation! These figures are an argu- 
 ment for themselves! VIII. The river front- 
 age on the East Side is quite generally occu- 
 pied, but the West Side still offers many ad- 
 vantageous sites, which cannot be availed of 
 because of the high rate of taxation. IX. In- 
 dustries and factories that employ labor are the 
 foundation of municipal prosperity, and with- 
 out them our cities cannot grow. Therefore 
 every effort should be made by citizens on both 
 sides of the river to bring industries employ- 
 ing labor to us. At present all new industries 
 
 locate outside our city limits. X. The loca- 
 tion of the cities on either side of the river, 
 their present corporate limits, their fixed posi- 
 tion in the business centers, the ownership and 
 location of the bridges across the river, the 
 direct interests of a great number of citizens 
 in both cities, and the indirect but mutual in- 
 terests of all, the existing conditions relative 
 to quasi public corporations, public buildings 
 and public utilities, the dependence of both 
 cities upon the same service for its future 
 erowth, fit them for consolidation upon the 
 fair and equitable plan provided for by the 
 act of the Legislature. Consolidation is as- 
 sured, the only question being when it shall 
 take place, and the sooner that question is final- 
 ly settled the beter! Every interest of each 
 city can be cared for without any detriment to 
 the other, and the present properties of each 
 can be used for the mutual advantage of both. 
 The public schools can be increased in efficiency 
 at a decrease in cost of maintenance. The 
 fixed charges in both cities can and should be 
 decreased, and we may add must be decreased. 
 No city can hope to grow or l^ecome the 
 fixed abode of a prosperous and contented peo- 
 ple until the question of whether it is cheaper 
 to own an ordinary home or pay rent is settled 
 in favor of the ownership of the home." 
 
 This address was signed by A. McDonell 
 (deceased February, 1905). Charles W. Han- 
 dy, A. E. Bousfield, G. H. Schindehette, Alex- 
 ander Zagelmeyer and Frank H. ^lohr,— three 
 from each side of the river. This was adopted 
 and approved by the joint committee of busi- 
 ness men held March 23, 1903, and the follow- 
 ing attached their signatures: Hon. Spencer 
 O. Fisher, H. S. Lewis, Lee E. Joslyn. S. R. 
 Birchard, S. P. Flynn, H. H. Norrington, 
 Mayor John Walsh, Dr. Isaac E. Randall, 
 Robert Beutel, Henry Benson. C. S. Ruttle, 
 J. W. Coles, John McGonigle and John J. 
 
202 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Flood, all of the West Side ; and John C. Hew- 
 itt, F. J. Trombley, James E. Davidson, 
 Charles A. Eddy, Ed. Kroencke, Walter D. 
 Young, George D. Jackson, J. M. Miller, 
 Thomas W. Moore, Charles R. Wells, A. E. 
 Bousfield, Mayor William Cunningham, H. 
 G. Wendtland, H. M. Gillett, Gen. C. R. Haw- 
 ley, George W. Ames and Judge Hamilton iM. 
 Wright, all of the East Side. 
 
 This address was supplemented by the 
 West Side business interests, who were all 
 along misrepresented by tlie opposition : 
 
 "We, the undersigned property owners and 
 taxpayers of West Bay City, desire hereby to 
 inform the public that we are heartily in favor 
 of the consolidation of the Bay Cities. We 
 think our prestige will be very much increased 
 by having one large and united city, greater 
 numbers and added influence. We believe that 
 the rate of taxation will be reduced and in every 
 way the interests of this city, as well as of our 
 neighbor city, will be benefited by the union. 
 AVe think a large city will attract more busi- 
 ness enterprise to it, and more population and 
 that our prosperity will improve, and our prop- 
 erty will be rendered more valuable and busi- 
 ness will be better." 
 
 This was signed by Thomas Walsh, George 
 L. Mosher, Sage Land & Improvement Com- 
 pany, Henry W. Weber, IT. H. Norrington, 
 August J. Bothe, George Behmlander, Charles 
 A. Babo, Kolb Brothers, Bradley, Miller & Co., 
 James Davidson, Spencer O. Fisher, Goldie 
 Manufacturing Company, Handy Brothers, 
 Handy Coal Mining Company, John M. Kel- 
 ton, Fisher Land Company, Lumberman's 
 State Bank, W. D. Young & Company, Frank 
 H. ^lohr and Beutel & Company, altogether 
 the largest employers of labor and capital on 
 the West Side. 
 
 Yet no concerted effort was made by those 
 favoring the union at the polls, while those op- 
 
 posed had workers at all the voting places. The 
 result was awaited with intense interest. The 
 arguments contained in the public appeal con- 
 tained matters of vital interest to all the people. 
 Great was the enthusiasm on the East Side 
 when it was found that the vote was practically 
 unanimous in favor of consolidation, the major- 
 ity exceeding 2,000 out of a total of less than 
 5,000 votes cast! On the West Side the first 
 returns again showed an adverse vote of 255, 
 but later an error was discovered in the Fourth 
 Ward of West Bay City, where the election 
 board had simply transposed the figures, giv- 
 ing the majc/rity of 126 in favor of the union 
 to the "nayes," and this was corrected in the 
 official canvass of the votes by the Council. 
 Similar errors were claimed to exist in other 
 wards, and the consolidationists insisted that 
 they had actually received a majority of the 
 votes. So close was the vote, and so disap- 
 pointing was the showing made by the "antis," 
 that by mutual consent the joint charter com- 
 mittee, provided for in Representative John 
 Washer's consolidation bill, was duly appointed 
 from each side of the river, including the re- 
 spective mayors and comptrollers, several al- 
 dermen and three business men, both sides be- 
 ing equally represented. After many sessions 
 they approved and submitted the consolidated 
 city's charter ; it was duly passed by the Legis- 
 lature without any further protest, and the citi- 
 zens breathed easier. They now felt certain 
 that the long sought for union of mutual inter- 
 ests would be completed along those lines in 
 April, 1905, and a stone of obstruction removed 
 from the path of both cities. 
 
 State Senator Heine and Representative 
 J. E. Brockway were both placed on record be- 
 fore the election of 1904, and both claimed un- 
 equivocally to favor the consummation of the 
 union. In January the first mutterings of a 
 storm were heard, and rumors began drifting 
 
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 20 = 
 
 about the two cities that the tax figures sub- 
 mitted by the West Side two years before, bad 
 as they were, did not represent tlie actual 
 state of affairs. Taxpayers on the East Side 
 \\ere frightened by the danger, real or imag- 
 inary, of having to share the tax burden of 
 the West Side, and some of the most ardent 
 consolidationists were by these representations 
 driven to oppose the union at the last moment. 
 
 Choosing the psychological time when Sen- 
 ator Heine was at home ill with the smallpox, 
 Representative Brockway on January 24th in- 
 troduced a bill REPEALING the consolidation 
 act, and at once rushed it through the Legisla- 
 ture ! It was not referred to committee, in 
 onler that the people might be heard on its 
 merits, but he had it given immediate effect. 
 
 The people at home were stunned by the 
 suddenness of the blow ; but when they realized 
 that all the work of 15 years was again to be 
 undone, and the dial of progress turned back 
 for another 10 or 15 years, and solely at the 
 behest of personal interests, the public-spirited 
 citizens at once rallied in defense of the long 
 cherished union. 
 
 Indignation meetings were held. Straw 
 votes and long petitions asking for the repeal, 
 secured under miapprehension of facts, were 
 spurned. The business men almost without 
 exception signed petitions to Governor Warner 
 asking him to veto the "railroaded" repeal 
 act, and Senator Heine promised to give the 
 people a chance to be heard in the Upper 
 House. But the very next day Senator Do- 
 herty, claiming instructions to that effect from 
 Heine, also rushed the repeal act through the 
 Senate, and nothing but the Governor's veto 
 could then save consolidation ! 
 
 To the end of having the act vetoed, the 
 Board of Trade, led by President Walter D. 
 Young, Homer E. Buck and others, and the 
 West Side business men, led by Hon. Spencer 
 
 O. Fisher, E. T. Carrington, Frank Handy 
 and others, at once petitioned Governor War- 
 ner to be heard before he signed the bill. 
 
 The "antis" insisted that he sign it, basing 
 their claims on a snap election called by the 
 City Councils, whose members on both sides 
 were almost a unit against consolidation, held 
 January 10, 1905. The electors were not asked 
 to vote again on the question of consolidation, 
 yes or no, but rather on the union on the basis 
 of the charter as passed 1)y the Legislature of 
 1903. The opposition figured that the West 
 Side would want that agreement kept, and they 
 were right, for the election, if such it could 
 be called, was reported to have resulted in 
 1,264 votes for the charter as it stood, to only 
 6 against it! On the East Side some hard 
 work was done to secure an exactly opposite 
 vote on the grounds of the West Side's poor 
 financial condition, and this too worked, al- 
 though not as well as the "antis" had antici- 
 pated, the vote being 397 in favor of keeping 
 the agreement and charter, to 1,006 in favor 
 of amending the charter, and creating separate 
 Not one single vote was 
 
 taxing districts. 
 
 CAST AGAINST CONSOLIDATION ITSELF! 
 
 Meetings were held in the Fraser House 
 and in the Opera House protesting against the 
 repeal act, and Governor Warner set February 
 1 6th for the day of hearing both sides to the 
 controversy. The business men's committee 
 favoring the union went down the night before, 
 while the "antis" chartered a train, to which 
 admission was by card, and wearing badges 
 asking for the veto, they marched up to the 
 Capitol at 10 next morning. The consolida- 
 tionists had Hon. John C. Weadock and James 
 E. Duffy present their case, together with a vast 
 array of facts and figures, while the "antis" 
 were represented by Hon. Nathan B. Bradley, 
 who favored separate taxing districts, but 
 wanted consolidation. Mayor C. J. Barnett of 
 
206 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 the West Side, and City Attorney S. G. Hough- 
 ton of the West Side, and H. M. Gillett, at- 
 torney for several large manufacturing insti- 
 tutions, who also wanted separate taxing dis- 
 tricts. The Representative Hall was well 
 filled by Bay Cityans, and the hour was one 
 ripe with possibilities to Bay City. East and 
 West Side. 
 
 Governor Warner took the matter under 
 advisement, and that same afternoon vetoed 
 the repeal act ! His message was as follows : 
 "The act which is sought to be repealed by 
 this bill was passed at the session of the Legis- 
 lature of 1903, and provided for the consoli- 
 dation of the cities of Bay City and West Bay 
 City into one mimicipality. It is this act of 
 the Legislature which the bill, which I am now 
 returning without my approval, seeks to re- 
 peal. After giving every opportunity for a 
 hearing of both sides, those who are advocat- 
 ing, and those who are opposing this bill, I am 
 
 CONVINCED TH.\T A VERY L.\RGE MAJORITY OF 
 THE PEOPLE OF EACH OF THE CITIES FAVOR .\ 
 CONSOLIDATION, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE SEEMS 
 TO BE WHETHER THE ACT PASSED SHOULD 
 STAND AS IT IS, OR THE WORK OF CONSOLIDA- 
 TION BEGIN ANEW. Such being the case, I be- 
 lieve THAT THE BEST INTERESTS OF ALL WILL 
 BE CONSERVED BY LETTING THE PRESENT ACT 
 OF CONSOLIDATION STAND, AND REMEDY ANY 
 DEFECTS IN ITS OPERATION BY FUTURE LEGIS- 
 LATION. Such minor details of practical oper- 
 ation might better be left to this or a succeed- 
 ing Legislature, rather than that the great busi- 
 ness interests of the two cities should suffer 
 from any future contention as to the main point 
 at issue — the consolidation of the two 
 
 CITIES UNDER ONE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 I believe that by the uniting of the energies of 
 the two cities into one municipality, a better and 
 more economical government will result, and 
 I have no doubt that the future will prove 
 
 THE CORRECTNESS OF THIS VIEW." So far the 
 
 sturdy farmer and business man, now at the 
 head of the great state of IMichigan. It was 
 his first veto, and is pregnant with possibilities. 
 The veto settled the matter, once and for 
 all. The two Bay City delegations came home 
 on the same train and fraternized as though 
 nothing had happened to divide them but a few 
 short hours before. At home they were met by 
 the citizens with the 33rd Regiment Band, and 
 escorted to the Fraser House, where a great 
 crowd of happy townspeople had assembled to 
 honor the occasion. Hon. Spencer O. Fisher, 
 President Walter D. Young of the Board of 
 Trade, Homer E. Buck, Frank Handy, A. H. 
 Gansser, Dr. William Bishop, Alexander Zagel- 
 meyer, F. C. Merrill, and W. H. Gustin of the 
 several committees who went to Lansing to 
 intercede with Governor Warner to allow con- 
 solidation to be consummated, were lifted on 
 the shoulders of the enthusiastic throng and in 
 brief addresses voiced their conviction, that it 
 was all for the best future interests of both 
 sides of the river and that it presaged new life 
 and progress for Greater Bay City, and its 
 45,000 people! This was the song the con- 
 solidationists sang on that memorable evening : 
 
 j\[y city 'tis of thee, Greater Bay City! 
 
 Of thee we sing. 
 
 Town where our fathers died, 
 
 Town of our pioneer's pride, 
 
 From every home to-night, 
 
 Let Union ring ! 
 
 Since that day the citizens of both sides of 
 the river have aimed to make good the fondest 
 hopes and brightest predictions of the union- 
 ists. The new hotel project has been given new 
 life by the subscription of $50,000, with more 
 in sight. The Detroit boat line is assured. The 
 new railway to the east will be built this year, 
 and the Faulkner Chemical Company's plant 
 will add another huge industry to the growing 
 list in Greater Bay City. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 207 
 
 Both political parties named excellent tick- 
 ets for the official positions under the new 
 charter and on April 3, 1905, the first joint 
 election was held in the united city. Great in- 
 terest was taken in the city ticket, and overshad- 
 owed the election of Circuit Judge Chester L. 
 Collins, and Road Commissioners George L. 
 Frank and William Houser. The first election 
 in Greater Bay City resulted as follows : The 
 City Council will contain 21 Republicans and 
 13 Democrats. The Democrats elect Mayor 
 Gustav Hine and Recorder John Boston, the 
 Republicans elect Treasurer Edw'ard E. Cor- 
 liss, and Comptroller C. J. Barnett. The vote 
 was : 
 
 Mayor. Comp- Treasurer. Recorder. 
 
 troUer. 
 
 yi o n H a > r" T 
 
 <:='"■ o rr 3 C3 
 < P H S c c 2 o 
 
 ^ r~ o '/■ ' *' ••"* 
 
 a ?: '^ ?a P » o 
 W.JlRDS. -~ ■ .-^ • 
 
 East Side — r^ 
 
 First 280 280 244 313 295 26s 24s 311 
 
 Second 215 197 210 201 254 159 185 225 
 
 Third 128 log 151 85 192 46 147 92 
 
 Fourth 282 338 345 277 414 206 391 227 
 
 Fifth 187 259 198 248 237 204 206 244 
 
 Sixth 214 152 210 153 232 134 200 163 
 
 Seventh 176 iii 189 loi 207 89 186 106 
 
 Eighth 393 4S5 357 522 388 498 358 526 
 
 Ninth 154 112 148 121 207 67 141 134 
 
 loth 157 209 154 217 163 208 154 214 
 
 nth 279 219 2TT, 224 368 132 293 201 
 
 Totals . ..2465 2471 2479 2462 2957 2003 2506 2443 
 
 West Side— 
 
 I2th 159 211 174 192 161 204 131 234 
 
 13th 209 275 221 251 195 276 128 .352 
 
 14th 137 184 174 148 137 180 120 199 
 
 iSth 205 155 220 137 209 146 161 202 
 
 i6th 162 203 201 159 176 179 163 194 
 
 17th 144 137 168 114 157 124 90 190 
 
 Totals ...1016 1165 1158 1007 1035 1109 793 1371 
 
 Grand to- 
 tal for 
 Gre a t e r 
 Bay City..34Sl 3636 3637 3469 3992 31 12 3299 3814 
 
 The result was somewhat surprising, as the 
 united cities are normally Republican by 500 
 or more, but the citizens evidently wished to 
 divide the honors, giving each side of the river 
 two of the main offices, as well as breaking even 
 between the parties. 
 
 The united City Council met on Alonday 
 evening, April 10, 1905, listened to the brief 
 and business-like message of Mayor Hine, 
 named S. G. Houghton of the West Side, city 
 attorney, Capt. George Turner, East Side, city 
 engineer, and John H. Northrup, East Side, 
 street commissioner. All the West Side books, 
 moneys and records were formally turned over 
 and all of the city's business is now centered in 
 the City Hall, built 10 years ago with the ex- 
 pectation of this very union of the two cities. 
 
 In April, 1895, the East Side voted in fa- 
 vor of bonding for $100,000 for this new City 
 Hall, by 2,542 ayes to only 820 nayes. Many 
 citizens felt the building as planned too extrav- 
 agant for the immediate needs of the city, but 
 the city fathers felt that while they w-ere build- 
 ing, they wanted to provide for a century to 
 come, and so more money was voted, and as 
 now completed the fine Gothic structure, the 
 pride of the cities, has cost over $200,000. 
 Most of the offices were occupied November 
 27, 1897, and the fire-proof vaults, airy offices, 
 fine Council chamber and modern city jail, will 
 answer all purposes of the united city for fu- 
 ture generations. The Public Library has large 
 and airy quarters on the south side of the build- 
 ing. 
 
 * * * 
 
 THE CH.VRTER. 
 
 The following extracts from the much 
 mooted charter for Greater Bay City will be of 
 interest now and in the years to come : 
 
 The Bound.\ries of Greater Bav Citv are 
 
20S 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 the same as those now emljraced by Bay 
 City and West Bay City. The city is divided 
 into 17 wards. The first 11 are on the East 
 Side of the river, and are the same as those of 
 the present East Side city, with boundary hnes 
 the same as at present constituted. There are 
 six wards on the West Side, the present First 
 Ward being the 12th Ward of the consohdated 
 city, the Second being the 13th, and so on to 
 the Sixth, which is the 17th. 
 
 Officers and Elections. — The terms of 
 the first officers elected are to be as foUows : 
 Mayor, two years; recorder, two years; treas- 
 urer, two years ; comptroller, four years ; alder- 
 men (two from each ward), one for one year 
 and one for two years; supervisor (one from 
 each ward), two years; constable (one from 
 each ward), one year; justice of the peace, 
 four years. The present justices of the peace 
 of Bay City and West Bay City shall hold their 
 offices until their terms expire. In succeeding 
 elections the term of recorder is to be four 
 years. No person shall be eligible to hold the 
 office of mayor, if he hold any judicial office or 
 any city or county salaried office. The treas- 
 iu"er cannot be elected for more than two suc- 
 cessive terms. No person can be elected to a 
 city or ward office unless he be an elector. 
 
 City elections are to be held on the first 
 Mondays in April of each year. The aldermen 
 and supervisors are inspectors of city. State and 
 county elections. If any one is disqualified by 
 reason of being a candidate, the Council shall 
 appoint an inspector in his stead. In case of a 
 vacancy in the board of inspectors, the electors 
 present may fill it. On the Thursday following 
 the election, the Common Council shall meet as 
 a board of canvassers. All persons elected must 
 qualify within 20 days thereafter. Failure to 
 qualify leaves the office vacant. In case of a 
 tie. the winner shall be elected by lot. An 
 
 elector must reside in the ward 20 days preced- 
 ing election day. 
 
 The tenure of the several elective officers of 
 both cities, who are not by this act expressly de- 
 clared to hold over, shall be at an end. They 
 s'nall forthwith turn over their books, records, 
 etc., to the proper officers of the consolidated 
 city. 
 
 After the organization of the consolidated 
 city, the charters of Bay City and West Bay 
 City shall thereupon be superseded and re- 
 pealed. All property of both cities becomes the 
 property of the consolidated city, when the 
 organization of the new city is completed. 
 
 A general registration shall be held on the 
 first Monday of October, 1908. Until then the 
 present registry of electors shall prevail. The 
 inspectors of election of each ward shall con- 
 stitute a board of registration. On the Saturday 
 next preceeding any general city or special elec- 
 tion and on such other days as shall be ap- 
 pointed by the Council, not exceeding tliree in 
 all, an opportunity shall be afforded for regis- 
 tration. 
 
 The M.wor shall receive not less than 
 $1,000 per annum. He shall preside at all 
 meetings of the Council. The acting mayor 
 shall preside in his absence. He has the power 
 of veto of any ordinance, resolution or motion 
 of the Council. It will take a two-thirds vote 
 of the Council to pass a measure over his veto ; 
 at the following meeting, the mayor shall com- 
 municate with the Council, giving his reasons 
 for the veto. He shall sign all licenses and 
 permits. He is the conservator of the peace of 
 Bay City and in an emergency, of which he 
 alone shall be judge, he may take command of 
 the Police Department. For cause he may re- 
 move a member of any board or commission or 
 any appointed officer, who shall have a right 
 to make a defense. He is ex-officio member of 
 
AXD REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 209 
 
 the Board of Supervisors and of all boards 
 created under the provisions of the act, except- 
 ing the Board of Education and the Board of 
 Assessors. 
 
 Common Council. — A majority of alder- 
 men can do business and a minority can meet 
 and adjourn. A meeting of the Council may 
 be called at any time by the mayor or acting 
 mayor. On a request from six aldermen, the 
 mayor shall call a meeting within 24 hours. All 
 aldermen shall be given a personal notice of the 
 same. All aldermen can be forced to attend 
 Council meetings. Non-attendance makes each 
 subject to a fine of not more than $5. An alder- 
 man remaining away four weeks in succession, 
 unless sick or excused, vacates his position. 
 Vacancies may be filled by the Council until the 
 next charter election. Aldermen are to re- 
 ceive $2 per session of the Council. At the first 
 annual meeting of the council it shall elect a 
 president, who may vote on all occasions. In 
 case of a tie vote, the mayor shall break it. The 
 Council shall be the judge of the election and 
 qualification of its own members and shall have 
 the power to make its own rules and by-laws. 
 It shall have the power to appoint a city at- 
 torney, a street commissioner and a city en- 
 gineer by a majority vote. Any officer appoint- 
 ed may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the 
 Council, but the mayor, recorder, police jus- 
 tice and justices of the peace cannot be thus 
 removed. Ordinances may be passed bj' a 
 majority vote. The Council has supervisory 
 control over all officers, agents and employees 
 of the city, and over all boards and commis- 
 sions. 
 
 No aldermen shall be personally interested 
 in any public contract or in the sale or furnish- 
 ing of any labor, material, merchandise or sup- 
 plies to the city, any ward or any official 
 thereof. No alderman shall vote upon any 
 question in which he has any direct personal in- 
 
 terest. An alderman violating any of these 
 provisions is guilty of a misdemeanor. 
 
 The Council shall control all finances, rights 
 and interests, buildings and property belonging 
 to the city. 
 
 The Council can control by ordinance the 
 river so far as navigation, ferries, docks, etc., 
 are concerned ; can control and regulate erection 
 of buildings; prescribe location of buildings; 
 can appoint sealer of weights and measures; 
 can prevent paupers being brought to the city ; 
 can lay out and regulate management of market 
 places ; can preserve peace, restrain gambling, 
 license hotels, saloons, plumbers ; punish drunk- 
 ards, vagrants, beggars, fortune tellers, disor- 
 derly persons ; license circuses ; define what con- 
 stitutes a nuisance ; regulate slaughter houses 
 and buildings for storage of explosives; prevent 
 obstructions on streets, alle3rs and sidewalks; 
 control riding or driving on streets; prevent 
 dogs running at large; designate routes of 
 parades ; establish pounds ; prevent desecration 
 of the Sabbath; protect cemeteries; erect City 
 Hall and needful buildings; can acquire works 
 by purchase or otherwise for the purpose of 
 supplying the city with electric light, power or 
 heat; regulate the setting of awnings, posts, 
 etc. ; license pawnbrokers, auctioneers, butchers ; 
 regulate weights and measures ; assess and col- 
 lect taxes; employ all persons confined in jail 
 for non-payment of fines; punish offenders of 
 ordinances ; purchase land for cemetery outside 
 of city; appoint fire wardens; light alleys and 
 streets; regulate construction of and clean cel- 
 lars, slips, barns, drains, etc. ; prescrilje rules 
 for undertakers; regulate soliciting of guests 
 for hotels; fix jurors' fees; regulate construc- 
 tion of partition fences, walls or buildings ; reg- 
 ulate crowds at fires by police ; inspect boilers ; 
 regulate laying of gas pipes ; regulate quality 
 and weight of bread ; regulate height of tele- 
 phone and other poles; regulate stringing of 
 
210 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 wires, and conducting of telephone exchanges ; 
 require building permits ; construct a city mar- 
 ket ; prescribe conditions of hcenses for tran- 
 sient traders; own voting machines; own and 
 operate system of water-works. 
 
 The Council shall control all streets, side- 
 walks and alleys ; authorize running of rail- 
 roads and street railways, and designate ma- 
 terial to be used ; can change the route of any 
 such railway ; can acquire private property for 
 public purposes ; can issue bonds for any pur- 
 pose if sanctioned by a majority vote of the 
 electors. 
 
 The Comptroller shall at the end of the 
 fiscal year, ending March ist in each year, 
 make out a detailed statement of all receipts and 
 expenditures of the city for the past year. 
 This statement must be signed by the mayor 
 and recorder, and filed in the latter's office. 
 
 The comptroller shall keep the finance 
 accounts of the city, and countersign all bonds, 
 and orders on the treasury. He shall make a 
 full statement of the financial accounts of the 
 city and print the same. He shall sign all con- 
 tracts and agreements on behalf of the city, and 
 shall make all purchases for the city or its offi- 
 cers. He shall keep a complete set of books 
 showing the condition of the city's finances. 
 
 The comptroller shall have the power to 
 appoint a deputy and such other assistants as 
 he may require, to be approved by the Common 
 Council. He may revoke such appointments. 
 His salary is fixed at $3,000; he is to pay his 
 assistants. 
 
 The comptroller is cx-officio a member of 
 the Board of Supervisors. 
 
 The Recorder shall keep a record of all 
 ordinances. He may appoint a deputy, to be 
 paid by the Council. He shall be responsible 
 for the acts and faults of such deputy and may 
 remove him at pleasure. As clerk of the Com- 
 
 mon Council his salary is $1,000; as clerk of 
 the Board of Education, his salary is $500. 
 
 The Treasurer is the collector of taxes 
 and assessments. He has the power to appoint 
 one or more deputies, to be approved by the 
 Council, and may make and revoke such 
 appointment at his pleasure. The salary is 
 $3,000 in full for himself and deputies. 
 
 The City Attorney shall be appointed by 
 the Council and shall be the counselor and 
 solicitor for the city. He is cx-ofRcio a mem- 
 ber of the Board of Supervisors. His term is 
 two years. His annual salary, which cannot be 
 less than $1,200, is to be fixed by the Council. 
 
 Street Commissioner. — The term of office 
 of street commissioner shall be two years. He 
 shall be responsible for the wagons, sprinklers, 
 tools, etc., of the city and shall have care of the 
 streets and alleys. 
 
 City Engineer. — The term of office of 
 city engineer shall be two years. The salary 
 is to be determined by the Council. 
 
 Water Works Committee. — The mayor 
 shall annually appoint at the second meeting of 
 the Council in April, or as soon thereafter as 
 convenient, four aldermen who, with the mayor, 
 shall constitute this committee which shall 
 have full charge of the Water Works Depart- 
 ment. It shall submit a monthly report to the 
 Council. It shall have all the powers of the 
 present Board of Water Works. At its first 
 meeting a president pro tern shall be appointed, 
 to hold office for one year. 
 
 Board of Health. — On nomination of the 
 mayor, the Council at the first meeting in April 
 shall appoint four persons, electors and prac- 
 ticing physicians, who, with the mayor, shall 
 constitute the Board of Health. One of its 
 members shall be secretary, who is the only one 
 to receive a salary, this to be fixed by the 
 Council. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 211 
 
 Fire Committee. — The mayor and four 
 aldermen shall form this committee, which shall 
 have entire charge of the Fire Department. 
 They shall serve without compensation and 
 no member thereof shall hold any other politi- 
 cal office. All officers and members of the 
 present department shall be retained during 
 good behavior. There shall be no appeal from 
 the committee's decision when any member is 
 dismissed. 
 
 Police Committee. — The mayor and four 
 aldermen, appointed by himself, shall form this 
 committee, which shall meet on the second 
 Tuesday of each month and at any other time 
 the mayor shall direct. The recorder is clerk 
 of the committee. The Council shall by ordin- 
 ance prescribe the powers and duties to be 
 exercised by this committee and shall place 
 under the direction of the committee, subject 
 to the supervisory control of the Council, the 
 care, control and management of the police 
 force. No member of the department shall be 
 removed without cause and all police officers 
 now in office in Bay City and West Bay City 
 shall remain in office until removed for cause. 
 
 Electric Light Committee. — The mayor 
 and four aldermen, appointed by himself, shall 
 constitute this committee, which shall have 
 entire control of the electric light works. Any 
 person holding stock or in any way interested 
 in an electric light company shall be disqualified 
 for membership. The powers and duties of 
 the committee shall be prescribed by ordinance 
 of the Council. 
 
 Bo.\RD OF Assessors. — This board shall 
 be composed of the comptroller and two elect- 
 ors and the president shall be the comptroller, 
 who himself receives no pay. The salary of 
 the other members is to be fixed by the Council. 
 The assessors shall be members of the Board 
 of Supervisors. The duties of this board are 
 
 the same as that of the present Board of 
 Assessors. 
 
 Bo.vrd of Public Works. — The mayor 
 city comptroller, city engineer, with two elect- 
 ors appointed by the Council, constitute this 
 board. The city engineer and electors shall not 
 hold any elective office under the charter. The 
 members of this board shall receive $150 per 
 year. The board shall have exclusive charge 
 and management of all public buildings and 
 without its recommendation no contracts for 
 public work can be let by the Council. 
 
 Local Improvements and Assessments. 
 — The consolidated city charter on this subject 
 is similar to the present charter of Bay City. 
 The expense of paving, etc., is to be charged to 
 the property specially benefited thereby, accord- 
 ing to the benefits derived therefrom. The 
 general fund of the city pays 30 per cent, of 
 the cost, the street and alley crossings are paid 
 out of the ward fund and the remainder by 
 the property specially benefitted. 
 
 The Council shall not order a street paved 
 excepting by a three-fourths vote of all alder- 
 men elect. When any pavement is petitioned 
 for by a majority vote of the property owners, 
 a majority vote of the Council can pass the 
 measure. All public work shall be estimated 
 by the Board of Public Works and bids shall 
 be asked. 
 
 Money collected on local tax rolls shall be 
 placed to the credit of the fund for which the 
 same is collected and used in paying off the 
 bonds covering the special improvement. Be- 
 fore July 1st each year the Board of 
 Public Works shall report to the Council what 
 amount is needed for special improvements in 
 order that the amount may be raised by 
 bonding. 
 
 General Taxation. — The Council may 
 raise annually by tax such sum of money as 
 
211 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 may be necessary, not exceeding two per cent., 
 aside from the school tax on the real and per- 
 sonal property of the city. The Council shall 
 direct on July 20th the amount of money to be 
 raised. The Board of Education by a major- 
 ity vote shall determine the amount of money 
 to be raised for school purposes. Every alder- 
 man shall recommend the amount to be raised 
 for ward purposes, not exceeding one per cent. 
 The State law governing general taxation shall 
 prevail. The Board of Review shall consist 
 of the Board of Assessors, Board of Public 
 Works (except city engineer) and city attorney. 
 Five shall constitute a quorum. 
 
 Lighting. — It shall be lawful for the city 
 to purchase or to construct, operate and main- 
 tain either independent or in connection with 
 water-w orks, within or without the city, works 
 for the supplying of the city or vicinity with 
 gas, electric or other lights. A two-thirds vote 
 of the aldermen is necessary to authorize and 
 operate the lighting systems now owned by 
 the city of Bay City and West Bay City, as now 
 used, operated and maintained for municipal 
 and commercial lighting. 
 
 The city is authorized to borrow not exceed- 
 ing one-half of one per cent, for the construc- 
 tion of lighting works. The Council may 
 raise money with which to make repairs and 
 alterations in extending the city lighting 
 works. 
 
 The Police Court of Bay City is re- 
 tained. It has exclusive jurisdiction over all 
 criminal cases arising within the city limits, 
 trying offenders under the ordinances and 
 State laws and holding the defendants in fel- 
 onies for trial in the Circuit Court. The pres- 
 ent police justice is to retain his position until 
 the second Monday of April, 1907, at which 
 time the Council shall designate one of the jus- 
 tices of the peace of Bay City to handle Police 
 Court business, paying the justice $500 a year 
 
 for the work. The court shall be open at all 
 reasonable hours, excepting Sundays and holi- 
 days. The Council can prescribe by ordinance 
 for the holding of the sessions of the court. 
 The police shall bring all persons charged with 
 offenses promptly before the court for a hear- 
 ing. Persons can be punished by the justice 
 for contempt of court. 
 
 It is the duty of police officers to serve all 
 processes issued out of the Police Court. 
 
 Upon the written request of the justice, the 
 Council can designate one or more officers to 
 attend the court. No policeman shall take any 
 convicted prisoner away to prison. This is 
 made the duty of the sheriff. 
 
 Witnesses refusing to appear in court and 
 give testimony can be attached and held in the 
 County Jail until needed, not to exceed thirty 
 days. The city shall have the use of the 
 County Jail for the imprisonment of all persons 
 convicted under ordinances. 
 
 The present salary of the police justice is 
 $1,800. Until the present justice goes out of 
 office, the salary is fixed by the charter at 
 $1,500. Neither the police justice nor the 
 justice of the peace is to receive any fees for 
 work done in the Police Court. 
 
 The police justice must keep a true record 
 of his proceedings. Fines must be turned over 
 to the county treasurer within 48 hours in 
 State cases, and to the city treasurer for viola- 
 tions of the city ordinances, to be used for 
 charitable purposes. 
 
 Miscellaneous. — All money except school 
 funds shall be drawn from the city treasury in 
 pursuance of an order from the Council by 
 warrant signed by the recorder and comptroller. 
 The treasurer shall exhibit to the Council at the 
 end of the fiscal year an annual statement. 
 
 A record of all ordinances shall be kept by 
 the recorder. 
 
 All ordinances, by-laws, regulations and 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 213 
 
 rules of the Councils of the cities of Bay City 
 and West Bay City now in force, and not incon- 
 sistent with this act, shall remain in force until 
 repealed or amended by the Council, under this 
 act. within the respective territories for which 
 they were originally adopted, provided that all 
 rights, privileges or franchises, heretofore 
 granted to any person, persons or corporations, 
 shall be continued in force by this act, and they 
 shall extend over the entire consolidated city. 
 
 Within one year after the first annual elec- 
 tion, the Council shall cause all acts and parts 
 of acts of incorporation to be revised and cor- 
 rected so as to conform to the provisions of 
 said acts, and print the same in book form. 
 
 All new plats of land within the city must 
 be approved by the Council. It is a misde- 
 meanor to sell lots from plats that have not been 
 thus approved. 
 
 All deeds, conveyances, etc., shall be exe- 
 cuted by the mayor and recorder as directed by 
 the Council. 
 
 All official bonds shall be filed with the 
 recorder for safe keeping. 
 
 The city need give no bond in any litigation. 
 All city employes shall be witnesses in suits 
 without charging fees. 
 
 All accounts against the city must be ac- 
 companied by an affidavit. 
 
 Any officer who resigns shall turn over all 
 books, papers and moneys to his successor. A 
 violation of this is a misdemeanor. 
 
 No loan shall be made by the Common 
 Council in any year exceeding the amounts pre- 
 scribed in this act. Old bonds may be re- 
 funded. Bonds shall bear a legal rate of in- 
 terest. The comptroller shall keep a correct 
 account of all bonds outstanding. 
 
 The mayor, city attorney, comptroller and 
 city assessors shall be members of the Board of 
 Supervisors, and get the same pay as other 
 
 members. Supervisors of wards shall exercise 
 the same functions as those of townships. 
 
 Public Schools. — The territory embraced 
 bv the two cities shall constitute the Union 
 School District of Bay City, which shall be 
 subject to the general laws of the State. 
 
 All members of both Boards of Education 
 elected in 1903 shall hold office until the first 
 Saturday in October, 1905. All elected in 
 1904 shall hold their office until the first Sat- 
 urday in October, 1906. On the first Saturday 
 in October, 1906, and every two years there- 
 after, one member shall be elected in each ward. 
 
 No person holding any other office or ap- 
 pointment under the city government shall be 
 eligible to membership on the Board of Edu- 
 cation. 
 
 The recorder shall be cx-ofRcio clerk of the 
 Board of Education. If he fail to discharge 
 his duties, he may be removed. The city treas- 
 urer is cx-ofHcio treasurer of the school district. 
 He must give bond to the board. If he fail, 
 the board may appoint another treasurer. 
 
 School moneys may be deposited in a bank 
 paying the largest interest. School funds shall 
 not be loaned to any member of the board. The 
 recorder and comptroller must sign all orders 
 on the school fund. 
 
 The Board of Education shall have full 
 power to purchase school sites, build and fur- 
 nish school houses, maintain schools, hire su- 
 perintendent and teachers, etc. It shall also 
 have authority to establish one or more high 
 .schools. 
 
 Before June 20th each year, the board shall 
 determine the amount of money necessary to 
 be raised by taxes for the support of the schools. 
 The same shall be reported to the comptroller, 
 who shall spread the amount upon the assess- 
 ment rolls. One per cent, per year can be 
 raised for school purposes, not including the 
 
2IzL 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 payment of bonded indebtedness. The board is 
 authorized to borrow money by bonding, but it 
 must be authorized by a majority vote of all 
 taxpayers. Interest higher than 5 per cent, 
 shall not be paid. The board may refund 
 bonds. 
 
 At the first regular meeting of the board 
 held after each election the board shall elect a 
 president and vice-president. It may adopt 
 rules and ordinances. 
 
 No member of the Board of Education 
 shall be personally interested in any contract 
 with the board, nor interested in the sale of 
 property to the district. No member shall 
 vote on any question, in which he is personally 
 interested. 
 
 Public Libraries. — At the first meeting 
 of the Board of Education herein provided for 
 (third Tuesday in April, 1905, or as soon there- 
 after as convenient), the board shall appoint 
 six persons, who, with the president of the 
 board, shall be trustees of the Public Library 
 or Libraries. Their terms of office shall be 
 
 one, two, three, four, five and six years respec- 
 tively. One member shall be appointed an- 
 nually thereafter to serve six years. They 
 will be known as the Board of Trustees of the 
 Public Libraries of Bay City. The president 
 of the Board of Education shall be cx-ofHcio 
 chairman of the library trustees. 
 
 An annual tax of $2,000 shall be ordered 
 raised by the Council for library purposes. 
 The city treasurer shall be the custodian of 
 the board's funds. 
 
 The ministers of the Presbyterian, Meth- 
 odist, Baptist, Congregational, Catholic, Ger- 
 man Lutheran, Episcopal and Swedish 
 churches, the president of the Board of Educa- 
 tion, superintendent of schools, mayor and five 
 citizens of the West Side shall be trustees for 
 the Sage Library. 
 
 Six hundred dollars a year shall be raised 
 by the Council for the annual addition of books. 
 Enough money to pay the librarian and janitor 
 shall also be raised. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Bay County's Lumber, Salt and Coal Industries and Transportation Facilities. 
 
 Pleasant it was, when woods were green 
 
 And winds were soft and low, 
 To lie amid some sylvan scene. 
 Where, the long drooping boughs between, 
 Shadows dark and sunlight sheen 
 
 Alternate come and go; 
 
 Or where the denser grove receives 
 
 No sunlight from above, 
 But the dark foliage interweaves 
 In one unbroken roof of leaves, 
 Underneath whose sloping eaves, 
 
 The shadows hardly move. 
 
 Before me rose an avenue 
 
 Of tall and sombrous pines ; 
 Abroad their fan-like branches grew. 
 And, where the sunlight darted through, 
 Spread a vapor soft and blue. 
 
 In long and sloping lines. 
 
 — Longfellow. 
 
 lumber. 
 
 T/ie Pine Tree's Lament! 1 am the mon- 
 arch of the forest. My proud head far over- 
 steps my smaller, and yet ambitious, compan- 
 ions. In vain do they wish to become my 
 equal. With dismay do they reahze their 
 inabihty to do so, for 1 am the giant, and they 
 the pigmies. Beneath my branches may they 
 take refuge from tlie impending storm but 
 never to become as great and as majestic as I. 
 Fortunate is it that they are small. Little do 
 they realize the terrible fate which awaits such 
 
 as I. Were I of the pigmy family, I would 
 be passed over in silence, to remain in the 
 enjoyment of the rest of my days. But great 
 beings like myself are never allowed to die 
 from natural causes. Nay! We are plucked 
 like the budding rose in the bloom of youth. 
 The winds of a hundred winters have whistled 
 through my branches. On and on might I live, 
 but for the relentless, unceasing ravages of the 
 woodsmen's army. My time will soon come. 
 The progress of the so-called civilization de- 
 mands my downfall. And then my present 
 envious fellows may have the satisfaction of 
 
2l6 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 seeing my life ebb. I can foresee my fate. In 
 the autumn the army of woodsmen will invade 
 the quiet of the forest, and with their glisten- 
 ing axes will begin chopping at my very base. 
 My thick coating of bark, that has protected 
 me through the chilly blasts of winter, cannot 
 withstand their sharp blades. My body is 
 penetrated after a succession of powerful 
 blows, and a few strokes of the cross-cut saw 
 complete the mischief. I totter, tremble, and 
 then fall with a creaking, crashing noise, ending 
 in a heavy thud that thunderingly echoes 
 through the forest. I am down, and at the 
 mercy of those who so ruthlessly ended my 
 existence. They pounce upon me like wild 
 beasts upon a fawn. At their mercy as I am, 
 they stand upon me and gloat over their 
 superiority. In my fall my branches bring 
 neighboring trees to the ground as well, and 
 with these in my grasp I had hoped to strike 
 my destroyers, but their agility and foresight 
 kept them out of reach. Standing on either 
 side of m}' prostrate form, these knights of the 
 axe and saw measure my body into various 
 lengths, and to make my destruction more com- 
 plete, they saw through my side until my limbs 
 are severed and my body cut into as many 
 lengths as they deem fit. The top that once tow- 
 ered above the forest is left to an ignominous 
 end. Each of the several portions of my body 
 are inspected and then the bark from a portion 
 of one side is stripped ofif, and trampled under 
 foot. Then a sleigh with a team of oxen or 
 horses comes along. Onto this sleigh am I 
 bolted with a ponderous chain, and in an 
 instant, at the crack of the blacksnake whip, I 
 am hauled out into the skidway. This I find 
 is two logs laid parallel and about 1 1 feet apart. 
 On these am I lifted to remain until the com- 
 ing of snow and ice of another winter. Were I 
 near a winding river, I should be piled upon its 
 banks, to remain until the rush of waters in 
 
 spring would carry me on their bosom to its 
 mouth, there to be imprisoned in a boom, until 
 such times as my captors decide to haul me over 
 the blue waters of the bay to the great metrop- 
 olis on the mightier ri\-er. Were there no river 
 I shoukl find the skidway on a cut by the rail- 
 way. With hundreds of my species I would be 
 piled on a flat car and whirled at great speed 
 up grades, around dizzy curves, through vil- 
 lages and towns, until here too I reach this, 
 self-same city, where from a high trestle I am 
 dumped unceremoniously into the dark waters 
 of some mill boom. As I bob about some man 
 conies along with a long pole, in which is a 
 sharp brad, and hook, with which he catches 
 and drags me alongside a row of other unfor- 
 tunates. Then I am hauled a prisoner to a 
 place which buzzes like a beehive. Some rude 
 jerks land me alongside of an inclined plane, 
 going up to and into a huge building whence 
 come all this noise and confusion. Without 
 warning a sharp hook of the continuous chain 
 catches my head and I am forcibly dragged 
 up the sluiceway into the noisy beehive. Then 
 two spiteful, ugly-looking, heavy sticks of 
 wood, rounded on top, and having several 
 sharp pieces of iron on the side, suddenly 
 spring out of their hiding places in the floor and 
 strike me a terrific blow on the side, sending 
 me upon an iron carriage. Two men on board 
 clinch me with iron teeth, and hold me so that 
 I cannot get away. A signal is given, the car- 
 riage begins to move, and in an instant a saw 
 is burying itself into my body. This operation 
 is repeated a few times, 1 am turned occas- 
 ionally so that my sides may be inspected and 
 soon I have lost my identity. I am no longer 
 a proud tree, but merely a squared piece of tim- 
 ber known as a "cant." 
 
 Such in truth was the course of all the 
 majestic pines that once made a "black forest" 
 of all this valley and the country for hundreds- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 217 
 
 of miles to the northward. True, this lone 
 tree must have escaped the earlier visitations, 
 for the sawmills and logging camps underwent 
 great changes in the course of years. The 
 lumbermen sought to save the waste, reduce 
 the loss and diminish the cost of production. 
 Wonderful labor-saving machinery replaced 
 the original primitive methods. The capacity 
 of the mills was doubled and trebled by sim- 
 ple devices suggested by the ingenuity of indi- 
 viduals and the experience of years. 
 
 The fine logs first go to the band-saw, 
 where the operator cuts each board to the best 
 advantage as the face of the log may indicate 
 after a few cuts. At this point we have the 
 wide, thick sidings, known as "uppers." The 
 central portion, probably 12 inches through, is 
 passed over on rollers to the gang feed-rolls, 
 which carry it into the series of gang-saws, 
 that saw it into the ordinary stock boards of 
 modern lumberyards. The wide, thick uppers 
 or sidings, varying in size, are passed aver 
 live rollers to a parallel edger, where two trans- 
 fer chains take it. The skidway operator will 
 set the saws so that the best possible quantity 
 of clear lumber will be obtained. Usually 
 only the wane, sap and bark is taken ofif the 
 two edges. The pieces taken off are of var- 
 ious widths — in Initt logs from one to eight 
 inches thick. These are cut into various 
 lengths for staves, lath, sashstuff and shorts. 
 The loss incurred here by the old mills would 
 today more than pay for the running of the 
 whole plant. Expert sawyers get the good 
 boards squared at the correct length with the 
 first cut. Next the boards are rapidly sorted, 
 the square-edge stock boards go to the trimmer, 
 while the others go to the edger. Expert 
 trimmers next remove all shaky ends, rotten 
 butts, and waney ends, so as to be fit for mar- 
 keting, as first, second, or third grades. Ex- 
 pert sorters next pile the boards on separate 
 12 
 
 cars, according to grades, and these are 
 I)ushed over the tramway to their respective 
 piles. About 75 per cent, of the output of 
 modern sawmills are stock boards. The rest 
 are mill culls, for home consumption, and 
 shipping culls for shipment. The slabs which 
 years ago went to waste in the refuse burners 
 are to-day cut up for staves, lath, and shingles 
 or box boards, and the remainder is cut in stove 
 lengths for fire-wood, and commands good 
 prices. Fortunes have been w'asted in the old, 
 crude manner of sawing logs and the reckless 
 slaughter of the pines, when only the best was 
 preserved, and all else went to waste. 
 
 When Judge Albert Miller laid out the 
 prospective village of Portsmouth, he realized 
 that his first requirement would be a sawmill, 
 to supply the lumber for the homes of the 
 prospective settlers, for there seemed to be tim- 
 ber enough along the river to supply all the 
 then known world. In 1836 Cromwell Bar- 
 ney began the erection of the framework for 
 the sawmill, while Judge Miller went to Huron, 
 Ohio, to buy a second-hand engine and machin- 
 ery. The influx of immigrants from New- 
 York and the East kept all the lake craft busy 
 and, as it was then November, it took Judge 
 ]\Iiller two w-eeks at Detroit before he bought 
 the schooner "Elizabeth Ward" for $2,000 to 
 make the trip, he to furnish his own crew. 
 After placing all the machinery aboard, to- 
 gether with several thousand dollars worth of 
 provisions, the boat started up the Detroit 
 River, November 22. 1836. The Indian trail 
 to Flint was deep with mud. and he had to 
 leave his horse at Flint, and continue home 
 on foot. When he reached home he found the 
 river frozen over solidly, and no sign from the 
 vessel ! Daily for a week he went to the mouth 
 of the river on the ice, but to no purpose, — 
 the boat never came. Finally he learned that 
 his captain and four $2.50 per day sailors had 
 
2lS 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 tied up at Port Huron and were living easy on 
 his supplies! Judge Miller made another 
 trying trip to Port Huron, where he fired the 
 crew, and arranged to have the machinery 
 hauled over on sleds, which had to cross the 
 wilds of St. Clair, Macomb, Oakland, Genes- 
 see and Saginaw counties, a lurid experience, 
 full of hazards and hardships! But by April 
 I, 1837, the mill was ready for operations, and 
 that day the first pine log was cut within the 
 borders of Bay County. The mill erected 
 under such primitive and trying circumstances 
 was soon silenced by the panic of 1837, and all 
 the fond hopes of the farseeing mill operator 
 were shattered for awhile. 
 
 In 1841 James McCormick and his son, 
 James J. McCormick, came from the Titta- 
 bawassee Indian field, and reopened the mill. 
 They shipped the first boat-load of lumber to 
 Detroit in 1842, the cut being 60 per cent, 
 uppers, for which they received $8 per thous- 
 and, one third down, the rest in eight and 10 
 months! The "Conneaut Packet," Capt. 
 George Raby commanding, carried this first 
 load of lumljer out of the wood-bound stream. 
 Thousands of cargoes followed in after years, 
 following mainly the course of that first boat- 
 load down the Detroit River. James J. Mc- 
 Cormick operated the mill until 1849, when the 
 gold fever called him to California. It was 
 destroyed by fire in 1862. 
 
 In 1844-45 James Fraser, in association 
 with Cromwell Barney and Israel Catlin, 
 erected the water-mill at Kawkawlin. In 
 1845-46 the first sawmill was built in Bay City 
 proper, by James Fraser, Hopkins and Pome- 
 roy, on the site where 60 years after, Samuel 
 G. M. Gates is still busy converting logs into 
 lumber! In 1847 James Fraser and Israel 
 Catlin built the mill, later known as the Jen- 
 nison & Rouse mill, on Water street, between 
 9th street and McKinley avenue. More than 
 
 a dozen mills sprang up along the river front 
 from 1850 to 1854, and by 1857 there were 
 already 14 mills, the output of each mill aver- 
 aging from 1,500,000 to 4,000,000 feet per 
 annum. 
 
 When Bay City began its corporate exist- 
 ence in 1865, there were 18 sawmills in opera- 
 tion on the East Side, six on the West Side 
 and one at Kawkawlin. Here are those pioneer 
 mills with their output in that memorable year : 
 Nathan B. Bradley, 6,800,000 feet; Fay & 
 Gates, 4,500,000; Samuel Pitts, 6,800,000; 
 Watrous & Southworth, 3,000,000; Young, 
 1,200,000; Miller & Post, 4,000,000; Peter & 
 Lewis, 4,000,000; James J. McCormick, 4,- 
 .400,000; J. F. Rust Company 4,000,000; 
 James Watson, 3,000,000; William Peter, 7,- 
 200,000; Miller & Company, 6.000,000; H. M. 
 Bradley, 4,000,000; Jennison & Catlin, 3,500,- 
 000; James Shearer, 6,815,000; Dolson & 
 Walker, 1,500,000; I\IcEwan & Fraser, 6,000,- 
 000; Braddock, 3,000,000. Hon. Nathan B. 
 Bradley, Samuel G. ]\I. Gates, and Charles E. 
 Jennison alone remain, to celebrate with us 
 this 40th anniversary of that season. On the 
 West Side, the Huron Company cut 3,180,000 
 feet; Sage & McGraw, 9,000,000; Drake 
 Brothers, 3,000,000; Bolton, 5,500,000; Tay- 
 lor & Moulthrop, 6,000,000; Moore & Smith, 
 7,000.000; while the Kawkawlin mill cut 5,- 
 000,000 feet. 
 
 George W. Hotchkiss, historian of Bay 
 City in 1876, the centennial year, in accordance 
 with the suggestion made to the cities of the 
 country by President Rutherford B. Hayes, 
 speaks of those early mills in the Lumberman's 
 Exchange as follows: "These sawmills all 
 used gate, muley or circular saws, producing 
 200,000,000 feet of lumber and 2,000,000 
 cords of sawdust annually. The saws were 
 six-gauge circulars, swayed to four-gauge, and 
 the sawdust heap rivaled the lumber pile!" 
 
AND REPRESEXTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 219 
 
 Sage & }kIcGra\v were the first to introduce 
 the modern gang-saw. In 1880 there were 32 
 sawmills, but their capacity was three times 
 that of the 24 mills along the river here in 
 1865. In 1865 it cost almost as much to 
 handle the sawdust and slabs as it did to handle 
 the lumber produced, but all this changed with 
 the general introduction of the small-gauge 
 gang-saws. In 1853 a local mill-owner 
 wagered a bottle of champagne that his circu- 
 lar-saw would average 1,500 feet per hour all 
 day ! He won, but it took his edger crew half 
 the night to clear up the lumber such an unus- 
 ual cut had buried them under 1 The gang- 
 saws changed all this, averaging from 6,000 
 to 9,000 feet per hour, and the edgers cut now 
 with the double edger. 
 
 The list of mills on the river here had the 
 new additions, in 1875, of Brooks & Adams, 
 Charles M. Smith & Company and Laderbach 
 Brothers, Salzburg; Keystone Salt & Lumber 
 Company, Banks; and Chapin & Barber, John 
 Carrier Company. Hay. Butman & Company, 
 Eddy, Avery & Company, S. H. Webster, 
 Pitts & Cranage, Folsom & Arnold. Rust & 
 Company, Ames Brothers, and J. INI. Rouse, on 
 the East Side, with cuts for the year running 
 from 1,000.000 to the 15.000,000 feet, cut by 
 the Sage mill. In 1879 the West Side had the 
 mills of R. J. Briscoe, E. J. Hargrave, who 
 in 1905 is still sawing away at the good old 
 mill on the Middle Ground ; L. L. Hotchkiss, 
 Murphy & Dorr, W. H. Malone, now interested 
 in B. H. Briscoe & Company; B. W. Mer- 
 rick, and Peter Smith & Sons. The junior 
 members of the last named firm, Peter C. and 
 Charles J. Smith, are still in the harness in 
 1905. The East Side had added the mills of 
 F. E. Bradley, S. McLean & Son, Miller & 
 Lewis, A. Chesbrough and the mammoth 
 plant of T. H. McGraw & Company. The cut 
 of the Sage mill in 1880 was 29,388,976 feet. 
 
 while McGraw passed this great record easily 
 with 34,000,000 feet! The total for 1880 was 
 422,783,141 feet of lumber, in addition to 
 lath, staves, shingles, etc. ! The billion mark 
 was next set and passed by the collective efforts 
 of all the mills in Bay County. What wonder 
 that the forests vanished like a dream of the 
 night before this onslaught, and by 1885 the 
 question of log supply began to haunt the 
 plans of the mill owners and operators. Ten 
 years later. Congress cut off the only remaining 
 supply of pine logs in Canada, and the death 
 knell had sovinded for the main industry here 
 for the 60 years since the first mill was started 
 by Judge Miller. 
 
 As we look back over the lumber data for 
 those 60 years, we cannot help but marvel at 
 the good fortune attending its development. 
 For after all there must be a demand for lum- 
 ber, before so many sawmills could be profit- 
 ably operated. And the growth of our lumber 
 industry during all those years merely kept 
 pace with the growth and de\-elopment of the 
 country at large, and more particularly of the 
 Middle West. New wood-working industries 
 sprang up, demanding the product of our mills, 
 and seldom was there much of the manufac- 
 tured product left unsold upon the river docks 
 during all those years. Since these cities were 
 then altogether dependent upon the lumber 
 industry, the weal and woes of the lumebr 
 trade were of vital importance to the entire 
 community. The artisan, mechanic, laborer, 
 merchant, and farmer, all felt the beneficent 
 influence of good lumber prices and ready 
 sales. 
 
 Until 1885 the mill workers were content 
 to work 12 hours each day during the summer 
 season, and each winter most of them went 
 into the lumber woods and logging camps for 
 the same employers. With the advent of 
 shorter hours of labor for many crafts all over 
 
220 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 the country, and the very evident hmitations 
 of Michigan's future log supply, the sawmill 
 employes also sought to improve their working 
 conditions. "Ten hours or no sawdust" was 
 their slogan, and for a few weeks in that year 
 the mills were idle. But prices of lumber were 
 high, the demand great, experienced sawyers 
 scarce, and the men were eventually granted 
 the lo hour work day, which prevails in the 
 various branches of the lumber industry all 
 over the country to this day. 
 
 With the advent of other and varied indus- 
 tries, the hardwood logging camps have found 
 it quite ditficult to find swampers, skidders, and 
 sawyers who understand the business and are 
 willing to go into the woods, and consequently 
 wages for this work have also materially in- 
 creased in recent years. 
 
 Considerable logging is still being done in 
 Garfield, Gibson and Mount Forest townships, 
 supplying the woodenware works and hoop fac- 
 tories. Portaljle sawmills move about the west- 
 ern townships, clearing the land now wanted for 
 farming and furnishing the lumber for the 
 homes, barns and fences of the rural inhabi- 
 tants. These wooded townships have for years 
 supplied the oak timber for Davidson's ship- 
 yard, and thousands of feet have been shipped 
 abroad, much of it going to England in earlier 
 years. The oak timber was very large and of 
 the best quality, but is now almost exhausted 
 in this immediate vicinity. Tamarack, for 
 upper deck beams and similar ship-building 
 purposes, plenty of fine oak timber, and tall 
 straight pines for masts and spars, made the 
 construction of wooden ships here both easy 
 and profitable. For many years, oak timber 
 delivered in the river brought $165 per i.ooo 
 cubic feet. Red oak figures to this day largely 
 in the manufacture of staves and is still quite 
 plentiful in the territory tributary to Bay City. 
 
 Since brick and asphalt are the favored 
 
 paving materials, the cedar of this vicinity 
 goes largely into railroad work and fence 
 posts. 
 
 Bird's-eye and other maple abound in this 
 vicinity, as do birch, beech, hemlock, white 
 ash, butternut and similar woods of great value 
 for the furniture and carriage-building busi- 
 ness, but until now such lumber has been 
 shipped to Grand Rapids and other furniture 
 manufacturing centers. Apparently no one 
 has ever thought of- saving all that freight on 
 the timber and lumber, by putting up those 
 factories in the midst of this timber supply, 
 cheap fuel and our easy and cheap shipping 
 facilities ! Elm and black ash still abound 
 here, and are used extensively in the manufac- 
 ture of barrels, staves and hoops. 
 
 The soft woods, such as bass, poplar, etc., 
 also abound hereabouts, making excellent pulp 
 for making paper, and several of the less well 
 situated and smaller cities to the north have 
 within recent j'ears erected large tanneries and 
 paper pulp mills, while somehow, here too, 
 Bay City's preeminent advantages have been 
 totally overlooked. 
 
 Plaining mills and box factories have to 
 some extent replaced the great sawmills, but 
 there is still much room for kindred wood- 
 working industries. 
 
 The rejuvenated Bay City Board of Trade 
 should make a study of these industries, their 
 source of raw material supply, and similar ad- 
 vantages and seek to secure some of these mod- 
 ern plants for this city. \\'ith the combined 
 efforts of both sides of the river, there is still 
 a chance . to develop industries for the finer 
 manipulation of the remaining timber and lum- 
 ber supply, which once established are bound 
 to bring kindred institutions to this locality. 
 Pine is no longer king here, but there are still 
 thousands of acres of other and equally valu- 
 able timber tracts within easy hauling distance 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 221 
 
 of Bay City, and with proper study and en- 
 couragement, new and even more profitable 
 branches of the lumber industry could be 
 brought here. This is conclusively proven by 
 the roster of our sawmills still in operation in 
 1905, with their constantly increasing business 
 in mixed hardwood, as enumerated in the 
 leading industries of Greater Bay City. 
 
 A roster of the sawmills still in operation 
 in 1905, the survivors of our "Piny Days," 
 will include the Courval mill, the Detroit mill 
 and those of Wyllie & Buell, J. J. Flood, Knee- 
 land-Bigelow Company, E. J. Hargrave, J. R. 
 Hitclicock, Kern Manufacturing Company, 
 Can;pbell-Brown Lumber Company, and Sam- 
 uel G. M. Gates. The log supply comes en- 
 tirely from the north by rail, branch roads tap- 
 ping the very heart of the timber belt, and the 
 mills are no longer dependent upon the snow 
 and ice of winter or the floods of spring to haul 
 and flood their log supply i>recariously to the 
 mill boom. The W. D. Young & Company's 
 hardwood plant in Salzburg is one of the largest 
 of its kind in the world. The lumber-yards of 
 Mershon, Schuette, Parker & Company, E. B. 
 Foss & Company, and Bradley, Miller & Com- 
 pany, the last named on the West Side, are 
 immense institutions, whose busy docks are 
 vi\id reminders of the palmiest days of this 
 great industry. All have large planing-mills 
 and accessories, where the lumber is finished for 
 the finer trade. A score of smaller plants are 
 engaged in the same line of the lumber trade, 
 and altogether Bay County still ranks high in 
 the country's statistics of the lumber industry. 
 
 SALT. 
 
 The act admitting Michigan into the Union 
 of States, passed by Congress in 1836, provided 
 among other things that all salt springs in the 
 
 State, not exceeding 12 in number, with six 
 sections of land adjoining each, might be 
 selected by the State, and in pursuance thereof 
 the Legislature in July, 1836, authorized the 
 Governor to make the selection. Most of the 
 lands selected were in the Grand River basin, 
 one was selected at the mouth of the Salt River 
 on the Tittabawassee. Dr. Houghton, State 
 geologist, commenced boring for salt and con- 
 tinued until June 15, 1838, when his appropria- 
 tion was exhausted and the work abandoned. 
 It was Dr. Houghton's opinion at that time 
 that the center of the salt basin was the Sagi- 
 naw Valley. 
 
 In 1859 Judge James Birney, of Bay City, 
 succeeded in getting a bill through the Legisla- 
 ture providing for a bounty of 10 cents per 
 bushel on salt. This stimulated more boring, 
 and in June, i860, the flow of brine was struck 
 600 feet beneath the surface. All the business 
 men in the valley at once came down with the 
 "salt fever!" 
 
 The Portsmouth Salt Company was organ- 
 ized March 13. i860, with James J. McCor- 
 mick, Appleton Stevens, B. F. Beckwith, A. D. 
 Braddock, Albert Miller, Charles E. Jennison, 
 W. Daglish and William R. McCormick as in- 
 corporators. The Bay City Salt Company 
 filed its articles of association May 18, i860, 
 James Fraser, D. H. Fitzhugh, PI. M. Fitz- 
 hugh, Curtis Munger and Algernon S. Munger 
 being the incorporators. In June, 1861, the 
 South End company produced the first salt in 
 Bay County. The Bay City company had 
 their well on the site of the Michigan Pipe 
 Company's plant. The two were sunk pur- 
 posely far apart, as there were many people 
 who believed that the supply of brine would 
 soon be exhausted at the rate wells were going 
 down. 
 
 However it has since been found that there 
 is an inexhaustible supply of brine rock under- 
 
222 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 lying Bay County, and that a limitless supply 
 of fine brine may be secured for the mere 
 pumping. For more than 40 years this pump- 
 ing has been going on here, and the supply is 
 as good and plenty as ever. 
 
 The North American Chemical Company 
 came here chiefly because of this flow of brine, 
 and they Avould also like to secure rock salt 
 for some of their chemicals. In 1901 they 
 bored to a depth of 3,500 feet, without striking 
 the salt rock, and the drill becoming fast, the 
 work was abandoned. Another attempt is 
 soon to be made, as geologists are satisfied 
 that this salt rock does exist. The coal mine 
 shafts have not touched it because they do not 
 go down that far. Oddly enough, the boring 
 for these salt-wells all went through the exten- 
 sive vein of bituminous coal, but the borers 
 were intent on salt, and passed everything else 
 by. 
 
 The brine of the Bay County salt-wells 
 stands at 96 and 98 by the salinmeter, and is 
 quite free from troublesome impurities, or 
 "bitter water" as the salt trade calls them. Dr. 
 S. S. Garrigues was the first salt inspector ap- 
 pointed by the Governor, and from that day 
 to this the inspection of the salt has been rigid, 
 and the supply to the markets of the world 
 correspondingly pure and wholesome. The 
 cheap means of securing good barrels here pre- 
 sented from the first a ready and good means 
 of salt packing. 
 
 The original kettle system of evaporation 
 early gave way to the pan system, where the 
 exhaust steam from the sawmills did the work 
 of evaporation. This kept the cost of produc- 
 tion at a minimum, and provided new uses for 
 the waste materials of the sawmills. The brine 
 of Canada is equally good, and labor cheaper. 
 but by this means the local salt-wells managed 
 to compete with them successfully. The ear- 
 liest salt shipments brought $1.40 per barrel, 
 
 and the cost of manufacture in connection with 
 the sawmills was computed at from 60 to 80 
 cents per barrel. This included all labor, cost 
 of barrel and packing. It will readily be seen 
 that there was a good margin at first, but the 
 price gradually came down. 
 
 Bay County salt has long been distin- 
 guished in the world's markets, because it does 
 not cake in the barrels, a characteristic of all 
 rock salts. This non-caking quality makes Bay 
 County salt very desirable, but it has been 
 found that the producers of caking rock salt 
 have placed false labels on their product, hav- 
 ing it appear as Saginaw Valley salt. This in- 
 duced the Legislature in April, 1905. to send 
 a committee to Chicago and other salt shipping 
 points to investigate these impositions, with a 
 view to passing a law making this a criminal 
 offense. 
 
 The salt produced by the North American 
 Chemical Company is shipped almost exclu- 
 sively to Chicago and Duluth, in barrels and in 
 bulk, as the trade demands, the shipments be- 
 ing made in large quantities by water. Their 
 new loading device will handle 100 tons of salt 
 per hour, and will expedite their salt business. 
 This mammoth plant now has 27 wells in op- 
 eration, all being down i.ooo feet, and the 
 blocks supplied with the very latest devices for 
 securing absolutely pure salt. The results are 
 naturally far in, advance of the earlier salt- 
 wells and blocks. 
 
 The mill-owners were quick to see the 
 profits of running salt-wells in connection with 
 their sawmills, and by 1865 practically every 
 sawmill had its salt-block annex. In 1865 over 
 $700,000 was invested in the salt industry 
 here, and the output exceeded 200,000 barrels. 
 As the mills increased, so did the salt-wells, 
 and in 1880 the production in Bay County was 
 more than 900,000 barrels. In 1882 the State 
 inspection was made on 1,158,279 barrels, of 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 223 
 
 which 439,996 barrels were shipped by water, 
 and over 550,000 barrels by rail. 
 
 The price declined steadily, as the produc- 
 tion increased, and in 1882 was down to 70 
 cents per barrel. In 1876 the salt manufactur- 
 ers organized the Salt Association of Michi- 
 gan, Judge Albert Miller being vice-president, 
 and Thomas Cranage, treasurer, with John 
 ^IcEwan, J. R. Hall, J. L. Dolsen, H. M. 
 Bradley and H. C. Moore, of Bay City, on the 
 executive board. The capital stock was $200,- 
 000, in 8,000 shares at $25 each. Bay City 
 had 15 out of 48 share-holders. Every man- 
 ufacturer in becoming a share-holder of the as- 
 sociation is obliged to execute and deliver a 
 contract for all salt manufactured by him, or 
 a lease of his salt manufacturing property. 
 Each member makes salt only on the associa- 
 tion's account, while the board of directors has 
 the power to determine the rate of advance in 
 the price of salt, and it also has the power of 
 appointing traveling or resident agents for the 
 sale of the salt. Such was this "Salt Trust" 
 in 1881, a very prototype of the much abused 
 combination of industry and capital, — the trust 
 of 1905. But here the consumer could not 
 complain, because the price of table salt has 
 always been extremely low, owing to the un- 
 limited supply of this valley and its cheap pro- 
 duction. The remaining salt-wells are inde- 
 pendent of the salt trust organized in the East 
 some years ago. 
 
 Salt is given some attention in the 22d an- 
 nual report, Michigan Bureau of Labor, for 
 the year 1904. The report quotes the rapid in- 
 crease of the salt industry in the salt basin dur- 
 ing the palmy days of the lumber industry. It 
 goes on to say that coal has to a large extent 
 become the fuel for operating the remaining 
 salt-wells, and unlike many other kindred in- 
 du.stries, which were crippled by the exit of the 
 lumber industry, the manufacture of salt seems 
 
 to be little affected. Bay County now has four 
 of the 41 salt manufacturing institutions in 
 Michigan. With coal proving so easy of access 
 in the salt basin of Central Michigan, the State 
 authorities anticipate the gradual revival of 
 the salt industry, as many savings are now ac- 
 complished that in Michigan will make up the 
 difference in the cost of fuel. This ofificial re- 
 port for the year 1904 shows four plants in 
 operation in Bay County, which have been in 
 business for an average of 12 years. The ag- 
 gregate cost of these four plants is given at 
 $106,000, an average of $26,500 per plant; ag- 
 gregate annual cost of repairs, $10,472. an 
 average of $2,618 per plant; aggregate daily 
 capacity, 1,445 barrels, an average of 361 per 
 plant; aggregate number of barrels made in 
 1904, 272,502, an average of 68,125, while in 
 1903 the aggregate was 298,986 barrels, an 
 average of 74.746. Thirty-six per cent, of the 
 product was sold in bulk, 47 per cent, in bar- 
 rels and 17 per cent, in table packages; 55 per 
 cent, of the output in Bay County was sold in 
 the State. The average daily wages were 
 $1.67 and 142 people were employed. 
 
 CO.\L. 
 
 The historian of Bay City in 1876 had his 
 suspicions that underneath his feet at no great 
 depth was a good layer of bituminous coal, for 
 had not the drills for salt-wells often brought 
 up bits of coal from strata of unknown thick- 
 ness? Even before that date Corunna, 40 
 miles to the south, had a mine in full opera- 
 tion. Outcroppings of coal were also found 
 all about the valley, particularly to the south 
 and east. But the populace at Bay City was 
 too busy slaughtering the pines, to care much 
 whether that vein of coal was three inches or 
 three feet thick. The refuse of the sawmills 
 
HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 furnished plenty and cheap fuel, hence there 
 was no particular demand for cheap coal. But 
 the chronicler of 1876 was certain that coal did 
 exist here, and he was ecjually certain, that 
 when \eins worth working were opened, iron 
 manufacture in all its forms would come to re- 
 place the lumber industry. His first surmise 
 has since been amply verified, and we heartily 
 endorse his belief, that the iron and copper ore 
 of the Lake Superior region could be brought 
 here cheaper than to any of its present manu- 
 facturing points, having all the other advan- 
 tages offered by their present location, and 
 some good ones in addition thereto. Hence it 
 would seem that the business interests of 
 Greater Bay City should also take this propo- 
 sition in hand, through its Board of Trade. 
 Once convinced that we have all the facilities 
 for their purpose, the smelters and iron manu- 
 facturers will not be slow to take advantage of 
 them. Let us remember how minutely the beet 
 sugar business had to be demonstrated before a 
 single factory was secured, and let it be noted 
 how speedily these sugar factories multiplied 
 in Michigan, when once the success of the en- 
 terprise was assured ! We predict that similar 
 results will follow the studv of the iron indus- 
 try, as applied to local conditions with refer- 
 ence to the source of the raw material and the 
 easy access to the markets of the world, either 
 by water or rail. 
 
 This has in fact been the experience of the 
 coal industry itself in Bay County. When in 
 1897 Alexander Zagelmeyer and a few others 
 had proved by systematic and scientific borings 
 that coal existed in paying cjuantities under the 
 prosperous farms of Monitor and Frankenlust 
 township, when in that year the first shaft was 
 sunk for the original Michigan coal mine, and 
 a vein some four feet thick was worked, with 
 very little trouble from water, the future of the 
 bituminous coal industry in Bay County was 
 
 assured ! Men and capital were ready at once 
 to follow this lead, and in a few years Bay 
 County had 14 coal mines! 
 
 We find in the United States government 
 report on our country's mineral resources, that 
 there are 335,000 square miles of the bitu- 
 minous coal area. Michigan is called the 
 Northern field, and its coal area is limited to 
 the central part of the Lower Peninsula. The 
 discovery of paying coal veins here in 1897 
 stimulated the sinking of coal shafts in all 
 parts of this area, so that in 1904 Michigan 
 ranks 22d in the list of coal-producing States, 
 where eight years before she had no rating at 
 all. We find in the State geological survey for 
 1904 the following general arrangement of the 
 Lower Michigan rocks : Drift for 65 feet, slate 
 50 to 100 feet. Upper Carbon coal group. Then 
 Parma, 100 feet; Gypsum, 300; Marshall 
 sandstone, 75 ; Coldwater shales, 800 : Berea 
 sandstones, 65 ; Antrim shales, 225 ; Traverse 
 group, 350; Dundee limestone, 100; Monroe 
 beds, 700, etc. The State geologist deplores 
 the fact that out of the numerous deep wells 
 put down in Bay County, only a few have pre- 
 served records of the rock formations trav- 
 ersed. 
 
 The deepest hole in Michigan's surface, 
 aside from the deep copper mines of the Upper 
 Peninsula, was the drill for rock salt of the 
 North American Chemical Company in the 
 South End, which reached a depth of over 
 3,500 feet before work on it was abandoned. 
 Drift was found for 120 feet; coal measures, 
 444 ; then 20 feet of limestone ; and at a depth 
 of 586 feet the flow of 85 per cent, brine. Then 
 came sandrock down to 635 feet; sandy shale 
 for the next 25 feet; blue shale for 40 feet; 
 and at a depth of 712 feet came 10 feet of 
 gypsum. Then came 98 feet of blue shale; 10 
 of hard limerock, 80 of sandstone, and there, 
 at a depth of 920 feet, the second flow of brine. 
 
AND REPRES£XTATI\'E CITIZENS. 
 
 227 
 
 100 per cent. All of Bay County's present salt- 
 wells, by the way, reach this second flow of 
 brine. Then came 135 feet of red and white 
 shale, and so on down to 3,508 feet. Similar 
 rock formations are registered at Kawkawlin 
 and a salt-well in Hampton. The State geol- 
 ogist is still confident that rock salt exists be- 
 low that free flow of brine, but if it is more than 
 3,500 feet below the surface, it would not pay 
 to secure it. Hence the attempt was given up, 
 but the experiment of the North American 
 Chemical Company has pro\'en of much benefit 
 to future geological surveys at such great 
 depth in other parts of the State. 
 
 But to return to the discovery of a paying 
 vein of soft coal underneath Bay County, and 
 its development. The Michigan mine was 
 quickly followed by the sinking of the Monitor 
 mine shaft. Expert coal miners were brought 
 here from Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania, and 
 coal leases were sought among the farmers of 
 that vicinity with feverish flurry. At first the 
 coal mining rights were sold outright by the 
 farmers. Intt of late years the farmers merely 
 execute long term leases, with a proviso, that 
 they get a royalty on all coal mined. 
 
 Handy Brothers established the first mine 
 in Bangor townshi]), following it soon after 
 with a second shaft in the same vicinity. 
 
 Then E. B. Foss and George D. Jackson 
 sank a shaft on the historic ground of Oa-at-ka 
 Beach, near the mouth of the Kawkawlin 
 River. Here they found the finest vein of coal 
 in all Bay County, and it is to this day one of 
 the most productive mines in Michigan. The 
 great danger is the flooding of the mine, as the 
 bay is but a few hundred yards to the east. 
 The last time this hap]iened was in April, 
 1905, when the mine had to be shut down, 
 owing to the rush of waters. This mine is 
 splendidly equi])])cd with all modern appli- 
 ances, and its pumping apparatus would keep 
 
 an ordinary mine clear at all times. The flow 
 of water gradually recedes, and then mining is 
 resumed. 
 
 The Pittsburg mine shaft was sunk near 
 the pretty village of .\melith, the Valley mine 
 near Frankenlust, where are also the Bay mine 
 No. 2, the Hecla mine and, still nearer the city 
 limits, the Central mine, while the Salzburg 
 mine is located near the very center of that 
 suburb, and the United City mine is also within 
 the city limits on North Union street. The 
 W'olverine mines Nos. 2 and 3 are in Williams 
 township, the farthest west of the city, and the 
 new Auburn mine is located in the same vicin- 
 ity. An excellent vein exists thereabouts, and 
 the Midland Branch of the Michigan Central 
 Railroad furnishes easy transportation to the 
 miners and the coal. 
 
 The latest working addition to Bay 
 County's mines is the What-Cheer mine in 
 Merritt township, 10 miles southeast of Bay 
 City, located and operated by E. B. Foss. So 
 confident is Mr. Foss in the excellence of that 
 East Side vein, that he is even now arranging 
 with other capitalists to build a railroad 
 through the "Thumb" to Port Huron, to 
 handle his coal. Rights of way have been se- 
 cured, as well as an entrance into the lake har- 
 bor at Port Huron, witli terminals in this city, 
 so that this mine will mean the fulfillment of a 
 long cherished wish to have railroad connection 
 with Tuscola, Sanilac, Huron and St. Clair 
 counties. 
 
 The government geological survey for 
 1904 gives the coal area for Michigan at 1 1.300 
 square miles. The coal output in Michigan 
 for 1898 was 315,722 short tons; 624,708 in 
 1899; 849.475 in 1900: 1,241,241 in 1901 ; 
 964,718 in 1902; and 1,367,619 in 1903. The 
 falling ofif in 1902 was due to the strike of the 
 coal miners, which for many weeks closed down 
 all the mines. The value of the output at the 
 
228 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 mines for 1903 was given at \\'ashington as 
 $2,707,527. Owing to the shortage of the fuel 
 supply in 1903, the price of this coal advanced 
 from $1.71 in 1902 to $1.97 per ton in 1903. 
 The miners averaged 171 days in 1902, against 
 247 working days in 1903. The average num- 
 ber of men employed in Michigan was 2,276 in 
 1901 ; 2,344 in 1902 and 2,768 in 1903. The 
 average production per miner was 494 tons in 
 
 1901 ; 411 tons in 1902 and 545 tons in 1903. 
 The working day in all the Michigan coal 
 mines has been from the first eight hours. 
 
 The coal production of Bay County in 
 
 1902 was 248,645 tons, of which the local con- 
 sumption was 29,596 tons, 9,916 tons were 
 consumed at the mines, and 209,133 tons were 
 loaded at the mines for shipment. The total 
 value was $410,615 ; average price, $1.65 ; aver- 
 age days in operation, 149; and 660 miners 
 found employment. In 1903 there was loaded 
 at the mines for shipment, 288,284 tons; 
 24,215 tons were sold for local consumption, 
 and 12,522 tons were consumed at the mines, 
 making a total output for 1903 of 325,021 
 tons. The total value of Bay County's coal 
 output for 1903 was $607,091, with $1.87 per 
 ton, 206 working days and a force of 714 
 skilled miners. These mineral statistics do^ not 
 include the many workingmen used in and 
 about these coal mines, but merely the machine 
 and pick miners. 
 
 The average price of this coal in Michigan 
 was $1.62 in 1896; $1.46 in 1897; $1.47 in 
 1898; $1.39 in 1899; $1.48 in 1900; $1.41 in 
 1901 ; $1.71 in 1902; and $1.97 in 1903. 
 
 It will be seen that the opening of new 
 mines did not reduce the price of the coal at 
 the mines. On the contrary, the price has ma- 
 terially advanced and quite beyond the per 
 cent, of increase in cost of mining. It follows 
 that more mines would be operated under 
 these conditions, if there was a readv market 
 
 for the coal at these prices. But either the 
 present mine operators hold their commodity 
 at too high a figure, or else the railroads, upon 
 whom the mines are dependent for moving 
 their output, have discriminating rates in favor 
 of the older coal fields of Ohio. This latter 
 appears to be the case, for the Ohio mines de- 
 liver coal much cheaper in Detroit than the 
 Michigan mines can. 
 
 It would seem that these mines will have to 
 look to water transportation to meet this ad- 
 verse condition. It is apparent that the coal 
 will have to be hauled from the mines to the 
 river wharves, and that the same railroads now 
 own these tracks, but an industry with such a 
 bright future must rise to the occasion ! The 
 several mines, or all in one section by collec- 
 tive action, will have to own and operate their 
 own branch roads from the mines to deep 
 water, and then their transportation problem 
 will be solved and solved right. The mere de- 
 cision to do so may bring the established roads 
 to see the error of their ways, and so insure the 
 Bay County coal as liberal and fair treatment 
 as is accorded the Ohio and Pennsylvania pro- 
 duct. 
 
 Great as has been the growth of the coal 
 industry in Bay County in a short seven years, 
 there is still but a crude beginning. The known 
 coal area of Bay County extends from its west- 
 ern border to Munger on the east — 20 miles 
 from east to west — and from Amelith to the 
 Kawkawlin River — 12 miles from north to 
 south ! The vein in all this region varies but 
 little, and mining is possible under identical 
 conditions. Since the coal lies so close to the 
 surface, the cost of sinking the shaft and pro- 
 viding ventilation, hauling and draining facili- 
 ties, is not excessive, and on the basis of even 
 the lowest bituminous coal prices in the last 
 10 years, the business appears to offer a mar- 
 gin that must attract capital, and prove a boon 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 229 
 
 to labor and the business interests of Bay 
 County. 
 
 More interesting data is gathered from the 
 last report of the State labor commissioner. 
 There were 28 mines in operation in Michi- 
 gan in 1904, with 2,714 employees, averaging 
 y."] hours per day and 18.3 days per month. 
 This lack of work in 1904 was due almost en- 
 tirely to a lack of cars and a consequent slow 
 turn. At the time when there was a demand 
 for the coal, the mines could get no cars, and 
 so the competitors from other States supplied 
 much of the home market ! The average daily 
 wages of all coal mine employees was $3.01 
 per day in 1904; 28,335 gallons of illuminat- 
 ing oil were consumed, and 23 mines using 
 blasting powder used up 65,163 kegs, averag- 
 ing 5,430 kegs of powder per mine. The ag- 
 gregate of coal mined in Michigan was 1,414,- 
 834 tons, at an aggregate cost of $2,286,- 
 160.21, or $1.62 per ton. 
 
 The wage scale agreed on in 1904 runs to 
 JNlarch 31, 1906, and provides that pick miners 
 shall receive 91 cents for each ton from a 30- 
 inch vein, 96 cents for a 27-inch vein, and 
 $1.01 for 24 to 27-inch veins. The ton is 
 2,000 pounds, over a % diamond or flat-bar 
 screen, 14 feet in length with 72 feet super- 
 ficial area. Exact scales for narrow work and 
 room turning are provided. Bottom cagers, 
 drivers, trip riders, water and machine haul- 
 ers, timbermen and track-layers receive $2.42 
 per 8-hour day; helpers, $2.23; company men 
 in long-wall mines, $2.23 ; motormen, $2.65 ; 
 pipemen, $2.36; trappers, $1.06; greasers, 
 $1.18; all other inside day labor, $2.23. Out- 
 side day labor for eight hours : Dumpers and 
 trimmers, $2.23 ; engineers, $2.65 ; carpenters, 
 $2.55; check chasers, $1.32; firemen, $1.91, 
 and the same amount for all other outside 
 labor. A special schedule per ton is provided 
 for chain machine mining and the punching 
 
 machines, loading and drilling being -^-^ and 
 52>4 cents per ton, respectively, cutting and 
 shearing in proportion. 
 
 Since this scale is in force, with practical 
 adaptations to local conditions, in all the bitu- 
 minous districts of the country, the cost of 
 mining the coal should not operate against 
 Bay County coal, hence the discrimination 
 must be in the transportation cost and fa- 
 cilities. 
 
 The Wenona mine is now putting in an 
 electric hauling system, and there the frolick- 
 ing days of the timorous mine mule are num- 
 bered! The boys will miss his antics, but will 
 breathe easier, when they hear a coal car ap- 
 proaching, for like his cousin, the army mule, 
 the mine mule has fits of bad temper, when he 
 kicks recklessly at everything and everybody, 
 tears around and balks alternately, and more 
 than one driver and miner has gone to his last 
 reward under the sudden impression of a mul- 
 ish hoof. The Wenona mine in 1904 em- 
 ployed 150 miners, 80 day men, 10 trappers 
 and 46 machine men. The manager is E. B. 
 Foss and superintendent, James Gallagher. 
 The What-Cheer mine is a shaft opening, 196 
 feet deep ; shaft 8 by 18 feet in the clear ; gauge 
 of mine track, 40 inches ; coal vein, three feet 
 thick and of fine quality. The rooms have just 
 been driven; 20 miners and 10 day men are 
 employed. The Michigan mine has an air in- 
 let of 19,800 cubic feet per minute, employ 92 
 miners, 32 day men, three trappers and eight 
 machine men. Frank P. Young is manager, 
 and Sam Wormeldorf, superintendent. The 
 Central mine employes 75 miners, 25 day men, 
 two trappers and 10 machine men. George 
 Waller is manager. Wolverine mine No. 3 is 
 one of the best in the country, having just put 
 in a new electric light plant, new boilers, new 
 guides in hoisting shaft, new cages and a new 
 motor to haul coal to pit bottom. Fire wiped 
 
230 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 out all abo\e the ground recently, but the build- 
 ings are being put up again as quickly as pos- 
 sible. The working force is composed of 126 
 miners. 30 day men, three trappers and seven 
 machine men. R. M. Randall is manager and 
 Alex. AIcEhvain superintendent. Wolverine 
 mine No. 2 has increased hopper and otherwise 
 improved mine capacity; employs 127 miners, 
 30 day men, three trappers, and 60 machine 
 men. The Pittsburg mine has 61 miners and 
 28 day men; John Werner is manager. The 
 Bay mine is one of the most reliable in Bay 
 County; employs 78 miners, 31 day men. four 
 trappers and 14 machine men. M. L. Da vies 
 is manager. The Hecla mine shut down in 
 October, 1903, pending a settlement of the 
 legal troubles of that million dollar concern, 
 and is expected to reopen in 1905. The United 
 City mine reached coal within the West Side 
 city limits August 26, 1904; the shaft is 6 
 feet 8 inches by 14 feet: with a depth of 142 
 feet ; the coal vein is nearly six feet thick. At 
 present 60 day men are employed. John Walsh 
 is manager and David Jones, superintendent. 
 The Coryell mine has 180 miners, 67 day men 
 and eight trappers. Charles Coryell is man- 
 ager and Elias Mathews, superintendent. The 
 old Valley or Dutch Creek mine is now being 
 operated by one of the pioneers of the coal 
 mine business of Bay County, Frank Zagel- 
 meyer, with 29 miners and 10 clay diggers. He 
 found an excellent quality of clay for making 
 brick in the mine shaft, and so conceived the 
 idea of digging clay and coal in conjunction, 
 organizing the Michigan Vitrified Brick Com- 
 pany, which will furnish the brick for all of 
 Bay City's paving this coming summer. This 
 venture may open a new field for our coal mine 
 operator's. Alexander Zagelmeyer, the orig- 
 inal pioneer coal mine operator, has a fine mine 
 in the Salzburg, employing 80 miners. 23 day 
 men and one trapper. He caters particularly 
 
 to home consumption of his output, although he 
 has excellent railroad facilities besides, and is 
 gradually increasing the output of the mine. 
 He is a prominent figure at all councils between 
 the well-organized coal miners of District No. 
 24. United Mine \\'orkers, and the coal opera- 
 tors, and has always succeeded in settling on 
 terms mutually satisfactory, all differences, 
 due to new conditions and accidents of the 
 coal strata. The two short strikes in the dis- 
 trict have been due to a desire on the part of 
 the operators to make sure that their interests 
 were at least as well protected as those of other 
 operators in the same competitive field, and the 
 determination of the miners to improve their 
 living conditions, wherever possible. 
 
 While the mining in Bay County is not 
 surrounded by the dangers of other coal fields, 
 the deadly mine gas being entirely absent here, 
 still accidents are numerous. On December 
 29, 1903. John Simmons, aged 35, single, was 
 killed at Wolverine mine No. 2, by falling 
 rock. On January 16. 1904. Thomas Brown, 
 aged 25. single, was killed by a premature ex- 
 plosion at \\'enona mine. On May 14, 1904, 
 Fred Serva, aged 28, married, was similarly 
 killed at \^''olverine mine No. 2. On October 
 26, 1904. William Western, aged 42. married. 
 was killed at Wolverine mine No. 3, by falling 
 slate. A dozen miners were injured by similar 
 causes, though not fatally. Andrew Stevens. 
 State mine inspector, reports all mines having 
 mine ventilators, driving the fans at a speed 
 insuring at least 100 cubic feet of air for each 
 miner per minute, and the air is well distrib- 
 uted through all the entries. 
 
 The lack of cars for shipping was keenly 
 felt by the industry, especially in Bay County, 
 and the output was curtailed on this account. 
 These mines are now seriously considering the 
 transportation problem, on which so much of 
 their future business is dependent. Chicago 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 231 
 
 imported and consumed 11.000,000 tons of 
 coal in 1904, and with cheap water transporta- 
 tion all the way should be as good a market 
 for Bay County coal, as it once was the best 
 customer for our lumber. ]\Iore outside mar- 
 Icets and more home consumption will be neces- 
 sary for the future development of our coal 
 industry, and strong efforts should be made at 
 once to secure iron and metal industries, that 
 will go hand in hand with our coal industry. 
 Certain it is, that with three to six feet of coal 
 right under our feet, the cheap fuel problem 
 has been solved for Bay County for all time! 
 The Legislature early provided for the reg- 
 ulation of the coal mines, and the protection of 
 the lives of the coal miners. Act No. 57, Pub- 
 lic Acts of 1899, provides: I. For a mine in- 
 spector, at $1,500 per year; II. That escape 
 shafts must not be less than eight feet square ; 
 
 III. That a competent and trustworthy en- 
 gineer shall attend to the hoisting devices. 
 
 IV. That safety catches and covers be on all 
 cages, which can carry but 10 men at once, and 
 then only when the other cage is empty; V. 
 That employees name the weighman ; VI. 
 Operators held responsible for safety of mines, 
 and fresh air supply; VII. Imposes the penal- 
 ties for violations of these safeguards, 
 and sets forth the rights and duties of the State 
 mine inspector. The Legislature of 1905 is 
 now considering some minor additions to this 
 act, providing for uniformity of these safe- 
 guards at all mines. Since the Bay City mines 
 are not very deep, their safeguarding is easily 
 assured. Verily : 
 
 Down the broad vale of tears afar 
 
 The spectral camp is fled ; 
 Faith shineth as a morning star, 
 
 Our ghastly fears are dead ! 
 
 TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES. 
 
 All our natural resources — lumber, salt. 
 
 coal and agricultural products — are dependent 
 for their fullest development upon a ready 
 means of transportation from forest and field 
 and prairie, to the factory and workshop, and 
 the finished product from the scene of their 
 manufacture, to the markets of the world. 
 
 Father Marquette, sailing along the west- 
 ern shore of Lake Huron, followed the wide 
 reaches of Saginaw Bay, until a great, wide 
 river poured its flood from the south, and in- 
 vited them to "0-Sauk-e-non," the "Land of 
 the Sauks" or Sacs, as they are called in these 
 later days. The explorations of this devoted 
 Jesuit are not well preserved, the findings of 
 the first white men to visit these shores but 
 vaguely outlined, in the musty records of long 
 ago. But the great river, with its black forest 
 of pines, and the crowded wigwams of the 
 Indians in some pretty groves, where solemn 
 councils were held with the red men, some 
 weeks before reaching Mackinaw, can have 
 been none other than our own. 
 
 The other rivers that pour their floods into 
 Lake Huron from the south and west are in- 
 comparable to the deep and wide flood of the 
 Saginaw. The earliest inland trading stations 
 in Michigan were on its banks, and the first 
 villages and permanent settlements north of 
 Detroit are in this valley. The easy mode of 
 travel by canoe and bark to and from Detroit, 
 and between the several settlements on its 
 southern forks and branches, proved early the 
 pathway of the primitive commerce and trad- 
 ing of Central Michigan. 
 
 In 1792 the relatives of Louis Trombley re- 
 ported to the military Governor at Detroit, 
 that this Indian trader and two of his coasting 
 vessels had been lost somewhere near the 
 mouth of the river of the Sacs ! The "Savage," 
 a 40-ton .sloop, about 1830 sailed in and out of 
 the Saginaw in search of fur and trade with 
 the Indians. In 1832 a 50-ton vessel brought 
 
HISTORY OF BAY COUXTY 
 
 freight for the American Fur Company, and 
 carried a load of potatoes from Duncan INIac- 
 Clellan's, far above the sand-bar, to Detroit, 
 the first export of farm produce from this val- 
 ley. In August, 1837, George Raby sailed the 
 "North America" into the river, and for years 
 traded with his schooner up and down the 
 river and bay shore. The "Conneaut Packet,' 
 sailed by Capt. J. Davis Smith, carried the first 
 cargo of lumber for the McCormicks to De- 
 troit in 1842. This boat, together with Cap- 
 tain Wilson's little schooner "Mary," were 
 both driven by storms on the Canadian shore 
 and wrecked shortly after. 
 
 In July, 1836, While Judge Miller, James 
 Eraser and Surveyor Eleazer Jewett were din- 
 ing at Leon Trombley's log house, where 
 Fourth avenue and Water street now intersect, 
 the company were startled by lo-year-old 
 Louis Trombley rushing into the little shack, 
 shouting: "A steamboat, a steamboat!" Judge 
 Miller often recalled how they hurried outside 
 to see what had deceived the boy into thinking 
 a steamboat was coming. To their great aston- 
 ishment and delight it really was the steamer 
 "Governor Marcy," chartered by Mr. Jenni- 
 son and others of the city above the sand-bar. 
 Mr. Jennison was the father of Charles E. 
 Jennison, who in this very year 1905 is assist- 
 ing, with his sons, in again securing regular 
 steamer connection with Detroit and the shore 
 cities. Such is the flight of time, with its re- 
 curring cycles in the lives of men ! The "Gov- 
 ernor ^larcy" proudly made headway against 
 a southern wind, and was the first steamer to 
 plow the waters of this river. 
 
 In 1847, James Fraser, the Fitzhughs and 
 others built the stern-wheeler "Buena Vista," 
 somewhat on the Ohio River style, the first 
 one to be built on this river, and for many 
 years .thereafter this boat did a thriving busi- 
 ness along the river and its navigable tribu- 
 
 taries. Orrin Kinney, still living on Cass 
 avenue, was her first engineer ! 
 
 About 1850 the steamer "Columbia" be- 
 gan making weekly trips between here and De- 
 troit; the tug "Lathrop" began towing on the 
 river; Capt. Darius Cole brought the "Snow," 
 and "Charter :" Captain Wolverton ran the 
 steamer "Fox" after 1854. and soon the river 
 was alive with craft of all descriptions. We 
 had the timber and the mills, but not until 
 plenty of boats for shipping the product of the 
 mills were at hand did the lumber industry 
 assume its final large proportions. 
 
 In 1858 Captain Cole established the shore 
 line to Alpena with the steamer "Columbia." 
 Later the "Metropolis," "Arundell" and "Sag- 
 inaw Valley" made this route, while the "L. 
 G. Mason" and "W. R. Burt" came here in 
 1868, for the river passenger traffic. The 
 writer has enjoyed many trips on all these 
 boats between 1883 and 1893. and witnessed 
 the destruction of the "L. G. Mason" by fire 
 about 1890 near the Lafayette avenue bridge. 
 
 The river and lake craft underwent con- 
 tinual changes and improvements, and it is in- 
 deed a far cry from the original "Buena Vista" 
 to the monster "Sylvania" just launched on 
 these self-same waters ! 
 
 Old mariners will recall the foundering of 
 the side-wheeler "Dove" near the mouth of the 
 river, where she stranded, and will recall the 
 familiar names of the river craft about 1885 : 
 Steamers "Metropolis," "Dunlap," "E. T. 
 Carrington," "Luther Westover," "Emerald," 
 "Sea Gull," "Handy Boy," "Plow Boy," 
 "Post Boy," "Arundell," "Forbes" ! They were 
 the means of transportation then, where to-day 
 are the electric cars and vestibuled trains. 
 Thus early the steam-barges "Donaldson," 
 "Sanilac," "Benton" and their barges carried 
 their lumber cargoes to Ohio ports, just as they 
 did in 1904. But they are the few survivors of 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 233 
 
 that immense fleet that handled Bay City's 
 monster lumher shipments for 30 years and 
 which annually wintered here, furnishing em- 
 plo}'ment and business to many men and 
 merchants. 
 
 The propellers of deep draught were not 
 long in locating a sand-bar at the mouth of the 
 river, where the great stream had deposited the 
 sediment of the lowlands for untold ages. In 
 1867 the work of dredging this deposit was 
 commenced and finished in 1869. ]Many river 
 improvements have been made since then, and 
 lake vessels of the deepest draught can now 
 enter this river. In 1905 the great steam- 
 barges laden with salt and coal find no trouble 
 in loading here, and the way to the outside 
 world is made easy for them. 
 
 In July. 1839, Capt. Stephen Wolverton 
 arrived to build for the government the first 
 lighthouse, near the mouth of the river, on the 
 west shore. 
 
 And on its outer point, some miles away, 
 
 The Lighthouse lifts its massive masonry, 
 
 A pillar of fire by night, of cloud by day. 
 
 And as the evening darkens, lo ! how bright. 
 Through the deep purple of the twilight air, 
 
 Beams forth the sudden radiance of its light 
 With strange, unearthly splendor in the glare ! 
 
 And the great ships sail outward and return, 
 Bending and bowing o'er the billowy swells. 
 
 And ever joyful, as they see it burn. 
 
 They wave their silent welcomes and farewells. 
 
 — Longfellow. 
 
 This lighthouse, built more than 60 years 
 ago, has ever been a conspicuous landmark at 
 the harbor entrance. The snow-white, slanting 
 sides reflect the rays of the sun, and are visible 
 for miles by day. A more modern lighthouse 
 witli stronger reflectors was built some 20 
 years later, and guards to-day the entrance to 
 the river, a little south by west of the original 
 beacon light. The old house has since served 
 as a home for the light-keeper. In IMarch, 
 
 1905, an order came to demolish the old beacon 
 light, and contracts have already been let for 
 a more modern home for the light-keeper. 
 Hardly did the remaining pioneers hear of the 
 order for demolition, when they petitioned 
 Congressman Loud, on the committee of naval 
 affairs, to preserve the beloved old landmark, 
 and efforts are now being made in Washington 
 to save the structure. A buoy system was later 
 introduced, so that deep-draught steamers 
 would not go too far toward the Kawkawlin, 
 which swift running stream is also ever busy 
 carrying down the sediments gathered along 
 its banks. The fact that not one single wreck 
 with loss of life or property has taken place 
 there for 30 years or more speaks well for the 
 fine harbor facilities, and easy accessibility of 
 Bay City by our lake craft. The "Sylvania," 
 greatest craft of the Great Lakes, launched a 
 few weeks ago by the West Bay City Ship 
 Building Company, will have no trouble in sail- 
 ing smoothly out of this natural harbor. A 
 pity 'tis, that more ships of commerce are not 
 made to find profitable the navigation of this 
 harbor and river, so blessed by Nature. 
 
 One of the first results of the organization 
 of Bay County in 1857, was the building of 
 permanent roadways to the heart of the local 
 timber belt, and the farm communities in the 
 scattered clearings. Under the supervision of 
 Gen. B. F. Partridge, James Eraser, William 
 McEwan, and Christopher Heinzmann, this 
 plank road was begun in 1859 and coinpleted 
 in i860. Then the Bay City and Midland 
 plank road was undertaken in 1866 and com- 
 pleted to the county line in 1868. Mercer & 
 Hotchkiss built a small sawinill at Spicer's 
 Corners for cutting the plank for this road. 
 The Kawkawlin plank road and the State road 
 to Saginaw on the West Side opened up new 
 territory for settlement, and proved a boon to 
 the earlv settlers. 
 
234 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 On May 29, 1882, the electors of Bay 
 County voted in favor of bonding for $100,- 
 000, at 5 per cent, interest, for building ma- 
 cadamized stone roads. In 1883 the stone road 
 committee had built two miles on the Kaw- 
 kawlin road, two miles on the Frankenlust 
 road, ti\e miles of the Midland road, and five 
 miles on the Cass River road. Since then these 
 roads have been gradually extended in every 
 direction, reaching the Saginaw County line 
 both east and west of the river, Tuscola 
 County to the east and southeast, Midland on 
 the Avest, and the latest additions are to the 
 north, toward Arenac. 
 
 There is not a county in Alichigan that has 
 done as much for permanent roadways as has 
 Bay County, and the results have been com- 
 mensurate. Farmers residing beyond the 
 county lines to the east, west and south, bring 
 their product to market in Bay City, because 
 they find good roads, whatever the season. 
 This has been an especial boon for the sugar 
 beet and chicory industry, and the people have 
 never regretted the money so spent. It costs 
 considerable to keep these roads in good re- 
 pair, and an immense stone roller was bought 
 by the board in 1904 to crush the hardheads 
 for resurfacing. Heretofore limestone has been 
 used, but experience proves, that these soft 
 stones are crushed into powder, which is blown 
 aw-ay. The townships have caught the spirit 
 of good roads, and one can now travel in any 
 direction from Bay City over miles and miles 
 of the best possible country roads. The floods 
 of 1904 and the deep snow of last winter 
 brought up some new problems. Open wire 
 fences are recommended along public high- 
 ways to avoid snow drifts, and the drainage 
 system will be improved to meet even such 
 high water marks as were reached in 1904. 
 IMuch of Bay County's progress in agriculture 
 
 and land improvement is directly due to our 
 fine stone road system. 
 
 By 18G5 the fine waterway and planned 
 roadways hardly sufficed to meet the growing- 
 demands of these booming lumber towns, and 
 the citizens, headed again by James Fraser and 
 Judge James Birney, moved to get railroad 
 connection. The Flint & Pere Marquette 
 Railroad Company was given a land grant of 
 alternate sections by Congress, June 3, 1856, 
 which action was ratified by Michigan Febru- 
 ary 15, 1857, and in October, 1858, the first 
 grading was done below Flint. 
 
 In 1864 Judge Birney drafted, and had 
 passed by the Legislature, an act authorizing- 
 Bay County to bond for $75,000 toward aiding 
 the construction of a railroad between here and 
 Saginaw on the east side of the river. The 
 swamp extending from our southern city lim- 
 its almost to the limits of Saginaw, seemed an 
 impassible barrier, but Algernon S. Munger 
 secured a dredge, made a canal along the route 
 as now used, throwing the subsoil on the road- 
 bed, wdiich made a good surface and in that 
 manner overcame Nature's worst obstacle to 
 entering Bay City along the river front from 
 the south. 
 
 On Saturday morning, November 23, 
 1867, the first excursion train came down from 
 Saginaw and on November 26th the citizens 
 celebrated the opening of the railroad with a 
 big banquet at the Fraser, where Mr. Mimger 
 was presented with a $350 watch and chain, as 
 a token of appreciation of his work in secur- 
 ing the road. 
 
 On January i, 1867, the Jackson Division 
 of the ^Michigan Central Railroad was com- 
 pleted as far as the West Side. Henry W. 
 Sage, D. H. and Charles C. Fitzhugh were 
 mainly instrumental in securing this road thus 
 early for the West Side. As w-e view the great 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 235 
 
 traffic yards, magnificent depots and busy 
 roundhouses, with the hundreds of men find- 
 ing employment on this road in 1905, we can 
 not help but appreciate the good work of those 
 early business men, and the good judgment of 
 the railroad management in selecting this point 
 for the southern terminal of the Mackinaw Di- 
 vision and the Gladwin Branch, and for the 
 northern terminal of the Detroit and Jackson 
 divisions. The Detroit Division was com- 
 pleted in 1873 ^"d is 108 miles long. 
 
 The ISIichigan Central Railroad bridge was 
 built across the river here in 1873, and in April, 
 1905, is being replaced by a more substantial 
 and modern structure. The feat of placing 
 the new structure without causing more than a 
 few hours interruption of traffic was accom- 
 plished by placing the new structure on pile 
 frames to the right, with similar pile frames to 
 the left of the piers. When everything was 
 ready the old bridge was moved bodily onto 
 the left piles, and the new structure moved 
 bodily and speedily onto the permanent piers. 
 But six hours were required to do this work, 
 and it is considered quite an engineering feat. 
 
 Thus we find, that while the Pere Mar- 
 quette has all its main depots, offices, shops and 
 traffic yards in the city above the sand-bar, the 
 Michigan Central has all similar institutions for 
 employing labor and handling its traffic, in 
 Bay City, East and West Side. 
 
 When things looked gloomiest for Bay 
 County, the Michigan Central opened the Mid- 
 land Branch, making a rich farming country 
 triljutary to this city. When the coal indus- 
 try was being tried out, it was the same road 
 that offered every encouragement to the oper- 
 ators. This road has been instrumental in lo- 
 cating more than one manufacturing institu- 
 tion at this deep-water harbor, thereby increas- 
 ing its own business, but incidentally also help- 
 ing the development of the city and county. 
 
 13 
 
 For many years the Michigan Central 
 Depot at Bay City has been one of the finest 
 in the country, containing all the traffic offices 
 for the several divisions centering here. The 
 freight houses on the river bank, at the foot of 
 First street, are most conveniently located and 
 very spacious. The belt line is another great 
 convenience for freight shippers, and offers 
 some fine sites for new industries. 
 
 The Pere Marquette Railroad completed its 
 handsome passenger station on Jefferson ave- 
 nue in 1904, after compelling the city to close 
 Fourth avenue from Adams street to Madi- 
 son avenue. The old rookery across the way 
 was used as a depot by Bay City for 30 years, 
 during 20 of which the people insisted in vain 
 that it was not in keeping with the other ad- 
 vances in the city. The old freight sheds are 
 still in use on Adams street, but these, too, are 
 to be replaced this very year by new and mod- 
 ern structures. 
 
 The shore line railroad, projected as early 
 as 1882, became a reality in 1897, when the De- 
 troit & Mackinac Railway was built from here 
 to Alpena, via Pinconning, Turner, Twining, 
 Onier, East Tawas, Tawas City, Au Sable, 
 Harrisville and Black River. In 1904 this road 
 was extended to Cheboygan, whose citizens cel- 
 ebrated the event by a monster excursion to 
 Bay City, and later entertained the business 
 men of this city in a most hospitable manner in 
 the city of the large pulp paper-mill and mam- 
 moth tanneries. The road is steadily pushing 
 northward to the Straits of Mackinac and will 
 soon be in a position to handle much of the 
 L'pper Peninsula traffic. It connects with the 
 Pere Marquette at Bay City, and another fine 
 field has been opened for the enterprise of our 
 local merchants and industries. 
 
 The Lake shore pine barrens have been 
 found to possess many good qualities for graz- 
 ing and orchards, and even good farms are 
 
23'J 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 springing up, where lo years ago every one 
 thought nothing hut pine timber would grow. 
 As this vast territory to the north becomes 
 more thickly settled, electric inter-urban lines 
 are sure to connect them still closer with the 
 metropolis of Northern Michigan. Much along 
 this line has already been done by the cheap ex- 
 cursions of the Michigan Central and Detroit 
 & Mackinac, and still more is promised in that 
 line in 1905. 
 
 Bay City is the northern terminal of the 
 Cincinnati, Saginaw & Mackinaw Railroad, 
 now owned and controlled by the Grank Trunk 
 system, thus offering ideal connections for Chi- 
 cago, Canada and the East. For some years this 
 road has been planning to enter the East Side, 
 its depot now being situated on Williams and 
 Midland streets, West Side, and is popularly 
 known to the traveling public as the Grand 
 Trunk road. Its lines extend to Wenona 
 Beach, handling much of the coal output of the 
 mines in that locality. The road is planning 
 to run its tracks into the beautiful summer re- 
 sort, whose enclosure they now skirt, and make 
 a specialty of bringing excursions from all over 
 the State to this "Little Coney Island" of Cen- 
 tral Michigan. 
 
 Another new steam road is assured over 
 the much desired "Thumb" route, — Bay City 
 to Port Huron, z'ia Caro and Cass City. An- 
 other is being boomed from Bay City to De- 
 troit, via Vassar, Lapeer and Pontiac. The 
 vast amount of sugar beets shipped annually, 
 and the bright prospects of the coal industry of 
 the valley, offer splendid inducements for these 
 additional transportation projects. 
 
 The inter-urban electric line from Bay City 
 to Detroit, I'ia Saginaw, Flint, Pontiac and 
 Birmingham, will be completed this summer. 
 The branch between here and Saginaw via 
 Zilwaukee and Carrollton has been in opera- 
 
 tion for some years, and a splendid bridge takes 
 it from the West Side to the East Side just 
 south of the North American Chemical Com- 
 pany's plant. In its official report to the Sec- 
 retary of State, it reports 36 miles of track on 
 this branch, much of it double, employs 220 
 men and carried 4,059,632 passengers in 1904, 
 at 20 cents each way. It is controlled at pres- 
 ent by the same syndicate that owns the local 
 street railway system. In that same official 
 report we find our street railway system owns 
 nearly 18 miles of track, employs 125 men and 
 carried 2,303,125 passengers in 1904. The 
 fare to Detroit is now $3.26, but the electric 
 line will carry passengers through, when com- 
 pleted, in almost the same length of time, for 
 $2. The value of these inter-urban lines to 
 rural districts can not be overestimated, and 
 Bay City does not want to stand idle while new 
 lines are being projected and built. Efforts 
 should speedily be made to open up the settled 
 district to our north, not yet touched by any 
 railroad, and let the motto be here, as in our 
 fine stone road system, "Th.\t all good roads 
 LE.\D to Bay City." 
 
 The river is our natural highway, and in- 
 dustries should be crowded on its entire 15 
 miles of deep-water channels and many docks, 
 left by the desertion of the lumber industry. 
 Railroad competition builds up communities, 
 and should be encouraged. The coal industry 
 should get better and cheaper car service. The 
 Inter-State Commerce Commission might look 
 into the charge of local railroad discrimination 
 with profit to all concerned. Our fine stone 
 road system must be sustained and enlarged 
 continually, until not one mile of our fine farm- 
 ing district is left untouched. New steam and 
 electric roads should bear in mind that Bay 
 City is by nature and endeavor the metropolis 
 of Northern Michigan. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 Sugar Beets, Agricultural Products, Fish and Varied Industries. 
 
 Wheresoe'er they move, before them 
 Swarms the stinging fly, the Ahmo, 
 Swarms the bee, the honey-maker ; 
 Wheresoe'er they tread, beneath them 
 Springs a flower unknown among us. 
 Springs the White-man's Foot in blossom. 
 
 — Song of Hiawatha. 
 
 sugar beets. 
 
 The veteran chief of our national Depart- 
 ment of Agricukure, Secretary James W^ilson, 
 during his personal visit to the sugar beet belt 
 of Michigan in the fall of 1903, put his seal 
 of approval upon Bay County's proud title, 
 and any one with discerning eye need but look 
 about, upon the cozy homes, the well-kept 
 barns and storehouses, our rich farms of 1905, 
 where stood three decades ago the giants of 
 the virgin forest, to realize that this indeed is 
 a garden spot. 
 
 Bay County first attracted the lumbermen. 
 The farmers of the East preferred for many 
 years the prairies of the West, to the wooded 
 lowlands of Michigan. The pioneers who 
 rushed past our southern border to people Iowa, 
 Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas did so be- 
 cause they did not care to clear a farm, when 
 there appeared so much rich soil all ready for 
 the plow and harrow. But experience soon 
 proved their calculations to have been in error. 
 While the pioneer of the Dakotas shivered in 
 his shack all winter for the want of firewood, 
 
 and burned his corn, because the price in the 
 markets of the world did not warrant him to 
 haul it over tedious courses to the nearest trad- 
 ing center, the Michigan farmer was warmed 
 by the hardwood that grew at his very doors, 
 and his labor and income were continuous. The 
 great trees on the lands of Bay County's pio- 
 neers brought good prices in Bay City, and 
 many of them were hauled by the farmers 
 themselves to the sawmills. Those not re- 
 c[uired for manufacture made good firewood, 
 good fences, barns and even cozy homes. If 
 he chose, the Bay County fanner could work 
 his farm in summer, and go to the logging 
 camps at good pay all winter. Where the 
 pioneer on the Western prairies could hardly 
 get lumber at any price, the Bay County 
 farmer from the first could get all he wanted 
 for the hauling and a song. Since farms and 
 farm produce were scarce, prices were always 
 good. In 1880 the government census showed 
 that hay had brought $30 per ton, and potatoes 
 $1.50 per bushel, during the early spring and 
 late winter. 
 
 The soil in Bay County has been found to 
 
238 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 be uniformly a clay loam, rich and crummy 
 withal. On the few ridges were found light 
 warm soils, hence the county can produce any- 
 thing from the finest table celery and sweet 
 sugar beets to the ginseng root and tobacco. 
 
 When things looked gloomiest for the bus- 
 iness interests of Bay City, owing to the kill- 
 ing of the lumber industry by the $2 tariff on 
 logs, we placed our faith and reliance in the 
 productiveness of our soil, and the increasing 
 importance of our agricultural resources, and 
 we were not disappointed. 
 
 Upon the organization of Bay County in 
 1857, there were about 25 farms in process of 
 creation in the wilderness of pine stumpage and 
 swamps. It was the generally accepted notion 
 of those times, that the lowlands near the 
 mouth of the river were utterly worthless for 
 farm purposes. But the success of our pioneer 
 farmers disproved those notions by 1870, and 
 from that year dates a decided boom in our 
 rural properties. From mere pine barrens, our 
 townships have blossomed into a veritable 
 garden spot, through dint of industry and in- 
 telligent cultivation. 
 
 In 1878 Judge Isaac Marston delivered an 
 address before the State Agricultural Society, 
 enumerating the rapid and rich development of 
 Bay County's agricultural resources. In 1865 
 there were but 132 farms, and only 2.756 acres 
 were improved. The crops for that year were 
 estimated at 3,300 tons of hay, 4,500 bushels 
 of oats, 4,950 bushels of corn and 5,600 bushels 
 of wheat. In 1870 the Federal census showed 
 271 farms, 4,000 tons of hay, 26,000 bushels of 
 potatoes, 73,000 bushels of oats, 84.000 bushels 
 of com, and 5,500 bushels of wheat, 50.000 
 bushels of wheat being imported for local grist- 
 mills. Tuscola and Gratiot counties, with less 
 population than Bay, raised four times as much 
 wheat and other farm products. This was due 
 to the slow development of Bay County's farm 
 
 districts. Settlers who came with the inten- 
 tion of taking up farming were pressed into 
 the sawmills, where the returns were quick. But 
 many have lived to regret their action, for they 
 spent all their wages, and at the end of 10 and 
 20 years were at exactly the same place where 
 they started, while those who went into farm- 
 ing at once had accumulated much valuable 
 property and a competence. The wage earners 
 as consumers of farm products contributed to 
 the wealth of the food producers. 
 
 As late as 1870 good farm property within 
 easy distance of Bay City could be bought for 
 $10 to $15 per acre. During the winter when 
 the mills were idle, laborers would contract to 
 do the clearing for $15 per acre. The soil was 
 a rich black alluvial, with just enough admix- 
 ture of sand to make it easily tilled and 
 crummy. With the building of the plank 
 roads, the farm lands became more desirable 
 and were quickly taken up, so that the State 
 census of 1874 showed 668 acres in wheat. In 
 1876, 1,410 acres were harvested and by 1880 
 this had grown to 5,624 acres, on 997 farms, 
 with 29,279 improved acreage. These figvires 
 are indicative of the progress made in the set- 
 tlement and development of our despised low- 
 lands. 
 
 In 1890 Bay ranked third as a wheat pro- 
 ducing county and, best of all. ranked first in 
 many of the farm products, in quality and 
 quantity of production per acre. In that year 
 wheat averaged nearly 25 bushels to the acre 
 and corn, 94. The data of that Federal cen- 
 sus proved conclusively, that the 6.000 square 
 miles of territory drained by the Saginaw River 
 and its tributaries were the most productive in 
 all Michigan. Wheat, corn, barley, oats and 
 rye were the leading products. The orchards 
 had matured and multiplied to a point where 
 there was no longer any doubt about this being 
 also a great fruit belt. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 239 
 
 The chemists of the Department of Agri- 
 culture gave the following instructive composi- 
 tion of Bay County's soil : Sand and silica, 
 82.24; alumina, 4.60; oxide of iron, 2.42; lime, 
 1.18; magnesia, .46; potash, 1.18; soda. .54; 
 sulphuric acid, .20; phosphoric acid, .38; or- 
 ganic matter containing 17 per cent, nitrogen, 
 5.37; water and loss, .25; total ash food, 3.94; 
 capacity for water, 47.30. Comparing this com- 
 position with that of the soil in Europe's fav- 
 orite sugar beet belt, it was found to be as 
 good, and in some respects even superior. 
 
 This led about 1895 to the first experiments 
 W'ith the sweet roots, which have since given 
 Bay County its four monster sugar factories, 
 opened a new and practically unlimited field 
 for the ingenuity and industry of our farmers, 
 and enhanced the value of all farm produce for 
 the entire State. The deep, rich loam, with a 
 subsoil of clay, with plenty of moisture, hot 
 summers and late falls, presented ideal condi- 
 tions for sugar beets, and the fact that many of 
 our farmers came from the beet fields of Ger- 
 niany and Holland, assured the success of the 
 venture from the first. Hon. Nathan B. Brad- 
 ley. C. B. Chatfield, E. Y. Williams, Rev. 
 A\'illiam Reuther and others secured beet seed 
 from Germany and also from the Department 
 of Agriculture at Washington, Dr. H. W. 
 Wiley furnishing willingly for these experi- 
 mer.ts, all the seed at the disposal of the de- 
 partment for 1896 and 1897. 
 
 In the special report issued by Hon. James 
 Wilson, IMarch 2, 1898, on the beet sugar in- 
 dustry, Michigan was given only secondary 
 consideration, so little did the national depart- 
 ment appreciate the resources and initiative of 
 our farmers and manufacturers. Of Michigan 
 the report merely said : "A large part of the 
 Southern Peninsula, and especially the Sag- 
 inaw Valley, of Michigan, is directly in the 
 heart of the beet belt. The contour of the soil 
 
 is favorable, being reasonably level (!), with 
 an average (?) fertility, and the data which 
 have been secured in actual experiments in that 
 valley are of the most encouraging nature. 
 There seems to be no doubt of the fact, that 
 this locality is among the best in the United 
 States for beet culture, and the modifying in- 
 fluence of the lake on the autumnal climate 
 must not be lost sight of." 
 
 In the averages of the beet samples tested 
 by Dr. Wiley in 1896, Bay does not show up 
 as well as some of the other counties further 
 south, counties which since then have proven 
 in actual experience to be on the whole totally 
 unfitted for sugar beet culture. In this very 
 year 1905 the Rochester sugar factory near 
 Detroit will not be operated, and the few beets 
 raised in that locality will be shipped to other 
 and better located factories. The owners as- 
 cribe their failure to the poor, sandy soil of that 
 vicinity. This proves the fallacy of building 
 great enterprises on the strength of a few 
 isolated experiments. The lack of enterprise 
 and cultivation by the farmers of that vicinity 
 is also remarked. 
 
 In the experiments of 1897 Bay presented 
 nine samples; sugar contents, 15.53 P^^' cent., 
 purity, 84 per cent.. — an average since steadily 
 maintained in the cultivation of thousands of 
 acres. Dr. Wiley praises the weight, about 20 
 ounces per beet, the long tapering root of the 
 Bay Count)' beets, with no bulging above 
 ground, showing a well-worked subsoil, and 
 his report in this respect proved quite encour- 
 aging. 
 
 The test beets were planted on May 8th, 
 and harvested October 6tli. The government 
 computed that Michigan's experimental station 
 required the following expense in raising an 
 acre of beets : Plowing and subsoiling, man and 
 team, 12 hours; harrowing and planting, 3^ 
 hours; cultivating, 15 hours; harvesting, 5 
 
240 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 hours; and man alone, thinning and hoeing, 
 76 hours; harvesting, 131 hours, at a total cost 
 of $29.60 per acre. The average yield per acre 
 was aver 10 tons; sugar contents, 15.50 per 
 cent, purity 84 per cent. The department also 
 set forth that $100,000,000 was annually sent 
 out of this country for sugar, and urged that 
 American enterprise and industry ought to 
 supply at least a portion of this home consump- 
 tion. The value of beet pulp for cattle feeding 
 was set forth, the 16 to 25 per cent, of sugar 
 still remaining in the refuse molasses was ex- 
 pected to be minimized by new processes, and 
 the production of alcohol from this residium 
 was forecasted. 
 
 The department recommended planting in 
 rows 14 to 18 inches apart, and the thinning of 
 the beets from six to 10 inches. Experience 
 has since shown 20 to 21 inches to give best 
 results in practice, with nine to 12 inches be- 
 tween the beets. It is possible, however, that 
 this practice has reduced the production per 
 acre and resulted in a large beet, which has pos- 
 sessed rather less than the average amount of 
 sugar. 
 
 Three things enter primarily into the suc- 
 cessful culture of sugar beets, — a rich soil, a 
 moist, warm climate with late fall, and intelli- 
 gent and industrious cultivation. Bay County 
 has ever prided herself on having the soil and 
 climate, and the stock of early settlers from the 
 beet regions of Europe, was another favor- 
 able factor in determining local capitalists in 
 investing their money in the first beet sugar 
 factory, the Michigan, in 1898. 
 
 The success of the beet crop of that year in- 
 duced many farmers to take acreage the next 
 two years, whose soil was not so well adapted, 
 and many who graduated from the sawmills 
 and lumber traffic to the farm, and hence were 
 not so w'ell versed in the fine culture required 
 for the greatest success of this sensitive crop. 
 
 Hence the Bay City factory, erected in 1899, 
 and the original Michigan both had ample 
 acreage in 1899 and 1900, but many of the 
 growers could not see the exorbitant profit they 
 anticipated, and hence ceased to take acreage 
 altogether, and moreover antagonized the in- 
 dustry. This did not deter the erection of the 
 West Bay City sugar factory in Banks in 1900, 
 and the German-American factory in Salzburg 
 in 1901. the latter being built on the coopera- 
 tive plan by a few local capitalists and many 
 local farmers, the latter putting in some ready 
 cash, but providing to pay for most of their 
 stock in certain amounts of beet acreage each 
 year. The latter factory met with some hard- 
 ships the first year, but the farmers kept their 
 course steadfastly, and the campaigns of 1903 
 and 1904 were quite satisfactory. 
 
 It has since been claimed in the official re- 
 ports of the labor department for Michigan, 
 that too many factories were located at Bay 
 City and Saginaw, quoting as a proof of this 
 assertion the fact that this very year the mam- 
 moth Saginaw sugar factory is being dis- 
 mantleil to be taken to Colorado. We can not 
 agree with these labor authorities. We believe 
 that all the industry requires for constant 
 growth, let alone prospering as it now is, will 
 be the earnest and intelligent cooperation of 
 the farmer and the manufacturer. 
 
 Since the beet sugar industry has taken 
 thousands of acres annually from the competi- 
 tive field of other crops, the prices of all farm 
 truck and produce have materially advanced 
 here since 1898. Thinking farmers realize that 
 even if there was not one dollar of direct profit, 
 it would still pay them well to raise beets and 
 so sustain the beet sugar industry. Their profit 
 would then come indirectly, but none the less 
 certainly, from sugar beets. But even if we 
 are to accept the worst statements of land grub- 
 bers, who find sugar beets too strenuous a crop 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 241 
 
 year in and year out, it is still true that hun- 
 dreds of thousands of dollars are paid out an- 
 nually by our sugar factories to our beet 
 growers. 
 
 Here at home the sugar factories have had 
 "troubles of their own" in recent years. There 
 is plenty of soil fit for cultivating the very best 
 sugar beets, the factories have secured the very 
 best seed, their agriculturists have been doing 
 their very best to assist the farmers in raising 
 a profitable crop, and yet not one of the four 
 factories had sufficient acreage for a three- 
 mondis' run in 1904. The Michigan sugar 
 house, the first one built in Michigan, was not 
 operated at all last fall, because of the lack of 
 beets, and the Bay City sugar house, which 
 sliced its own and also the Michigan factory's 
 beets, did not then ha\-e enough for an average 
 season's campaign. This is a deplorable state 
 of aft'airs right at our doors, and much of it 
 appears to be due to a misapprehension of facts 
 by the farmers. 
 
 For some years the land grubbers, whose 
 main crops are hay and corn, for obvious rea- 
 sons have not been content to contribute noth- 
 ing to sustain these enterprising sugar factor- 
 ies, but they have actually done much to dis- 
 courage their more energetic neighbors from 
 beet culture. One of their main arguments has 
 been met by the local sugar factories this year 
 by off"ering $5 per ton flat for the beets. This 
 will do away with fault-finding at harvest time 
 with the findings of the weigh, tare and chemi- 
 cal departments at the sugar factories, and yet 
 leave the more successful farmers to sell their 
 beets on the percentage basis as heretofore. 
 
 The farmers will this year have their choice 
 of contracts, and as last year gave splendid re- 
 turns for the extra care and work required Ijy 
 the beet crop, the acreage in 1905 is more en- 
 couraging. If Bay County's farmers should 
 still prefer to flood the markets of Michigan 
 
 with ordinary farm produce, in preference to 
 the finer cultivation of sugar beets, the Michi- 
 gan factory will next winter be moved to Col- 
 orado, where the Saginaw factory was taken 
 this winter, and wdiere the farmers are more 
 than anxious to have them locate. 
 
 The beet sugar industry is still in its in- 
 fancy, and it almost seems as if everything and 
 everybody was conspiring to kill it off. The 
 ill-founded cry of Cuban reciprocity resulted 
 in Cuban cane sugar, raised by cheap coolie 
 labor, being admitted to this country almost 
 free of charge to compete with the home-grown 
 product of American fields and American 
 labor. This was done to help Cuba ostensibly, 
 but time and experience have shown that it 
 primarily favored the American Sugar Refin- 
 ing Company, wdiich imports and handles al- 
 most the entire sugar consumed by our people. 
 This action of Congress is almost on a par 
 with the $2 lumber tariff manipulation, and 
 has been as directly and speedily injurious to 
 Michigan, in particular! Not one single 
 new sugar factory has been built, since 
 Cuban sugar was admitted in 1903. almost 
 duty free ! ! 
 
 This so-called reciprocity legislation is a 
 blot upon the record of the party in power. At 
 the National Republican Convention in St. 
 Louis in 1896, the party in its national plat- 
 form went scpiarely on record in favor of the 
 infant sugar industry, urging the advisability 
 of protection of so vital an industry until we 
 would produce enough sugar for our own con- 
 sumption. Much of the capital invested in the 
 beet sugar industry in Michigan in the four 
 years from 1898 to 1902 came into the business 
 relying upon this solemn pledge, that their in- 
 terests would be protected. Hardly another 
 industry in all our great land is open to more 
 injurious competition. It seems almost treas- 
 onable to ask American labor and American 
 
242 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 capital to compete with the cooHe labor and the 
 climatic advantages of Cuba, and yet this is 
 just what Congress ordained. The result is 
 evident in the blight of our most promising 
 farm and factory industry. Undoubtedly 
 many Congressmen from districts that did not 
 have any sugar factories voted in favor of Cu- 
 ban sugar as against our own American pro- 
 duct, in the hope, that their constituents would 
 at once secure cheaper sugar. Their disillu- 
 sionment has been both swift and thorough, for 
 the sugar prices have been rather higher than 
 before Cuban reciprocity killed this native in- 
 dustry. As if to cap the climax of this paro- 
 doxical action, the powers that be are even now 
 trying to also secure free admission to the Phil- 
 ippine coolie-produced sugar. 
 
 And so we find our promising beet sugar 
 business in 1905, after but six years of ardu- 
 ous development, apparently being ground to 
 death between two millstones, — obstreperous 
 and short-sighted beet growers on the one 
 hand, and ill-advised favoritism to foreign 
 coolie labor and the sugar trust on the other. 
 It will be for our farmers to do their share 
 toward saving for Bay County its most prom- 
 ising farm and factory industry. And the 
 powers that be at Washington should think 
 well before blighting the last remaining hopes 
 of this infant industry. They can not plead 
 ignorance, for Hon. James Wilson, Secretary 
 of Agriculture, personally visited our beet belt 
 and our sugar factories, and his report, sub- 
 mitted to President Roosevelt in 1904, of 
 which 10,000 copies were printed, was widely 
 read and gave much vital information. That 
 report gave Michigan 19 sugar factories and 
 predicted "quite a number of new factories in 
 the near future." A little investigation by the 
 same authorities will show in 1905 that, in- 
 stead, five sugar factories were idle last year, 
 and three are being dismantled, with more 
 
 doomed, unless some little encouragement is 
 held forth by our farmers, and the high pro- 
 tection policy is allowed to offer at least a 
 little grain of comfort to one of our most 
 promising industries. Each farmer should 
 raise as many acres of beets, as he can thor- 
 oughly work and harvest with the help at his 
 immediate command. That would solve half 
 of the problem. Congress and the govern- 
 ment at Washington can save what is left of 
 our beet sugar business, by letting bad 
 
 ENOUGH alone! 
 
 Secretary Wilson's report deals fully with 
 the value of the by-products of the beet sugar 
 business, particularly the manufacture of al- 
 cohol from refuse molasses by the Michigan 
 Chemical Company, but he does not say that 
 even this factory has not yet been able to se- 
 cure enough molasses for even a six-months" 
 campaign. All these factories were built on a 
 basis of future development of the industry, 
 and their millions of dollars invested are now 
 confronted by absolute ruin. He speaks of 
 cheap water transportation, but we have never 
 yet heard of a single ton of beets or of sugar 
 going or coming by the river route. The fac- 
 tories on the other hand are doing everything 
 possible to get farmers interested, even at 
 great distances from the plants, by providing 
 weigh stations on the railroads, where beets can 
 be ^v•eighed and loaded. Pulp feeding for 
 stock-raising is becoming more generally ap- 
 preciated, and if the beet toppings and leaves 
 could be profitably preserved for cattle feed 
 during winter, there would be little waste left 
 on farm or in factory. The pulp can be fed 
 in wet or dry form, and glue, alcohol and even 
 charcoal can be produced from it. Secretary 
 Wilson is confident that the beet industry will 
 make still better uses of its refuse materials. 
 He says but a few years ago the meat indus- 
 try of the country was conducted locally, and 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 243 
 
 many things went to waste. To-day the meat 
 industry is well organized, and hair, hoofs, 
 blood, horns and other parts of the carcass, 
 that formerly went to waste, are being utilized, 
 and he predicts as much progress for the beet 
 sugar industry. The average citizen of Bay 
 will wonder, by the way, why beef prices are 
 so high in 1905, if the prices of cattle are so 
 low, and all this former waste is being utilized. 
 
 But, any way, we hope these fond predic- 
 tions will come true, and our beet sugar busi- 
 ness receive such consideration as its great 
 value to our farmers and laborers certainly 
 merits. The seasons of 1902 and 1903 were 
 bad for sugar beets, late springs, too much 
 rain, and early frosts and freezing, all combin- 
 ing to injure the crop's prospects. Other crops 
 also suffered, of course, but the farmer appears 
 to be used to off seasons for potatoes and corn, 
 but just one bad season for his beets totally 
 discouraged him. Potatoes were high in 1903, 
 because most of them hereabouts rotted in the 
 ground, hence many farmers rushed largely 
 into potato raising in 1904, and as a result 
 the price went down to about 25 cents per 
 bushel. Sugar beets on the other hand have a 
 never changing value of $5 or more per ton. 
 
 Hence it will be of vital interest to our 
 county, for the farmer to include sugar beets 
 in his regular crop rotation, for he is in fact a 
 partner with tlie factory in the business. The 
 culture of sugar beets caused a general revival 
 in agriculture, and dairying has also felt the 
 beneficial effects of this vitalizing crop and its 
 by-products. The invention of labor-saving 
 machinery will lighten the work of the beet 
 growers. With proper soil preparation and 
 good fertilizing, the value of every acre of our 
 farms will be enhanced. For the intense cul- 
 tivation required I)y the beet croj) kills all no.x- 
 ious weeds, makes the soil crummv and light 
 
 to depths not before reached, and so more pro- 
 ductive for other crops in proper rotation. 
 
 The value of the crop to Bay County and 
 Michigan can be illustrated by a few facts and 
 figures. The 16 factories operated in 1904-05 
 cost over $12,300,000, or more than $600,000 
 per factory, with a daily capacit}'- of 12,000 
 tons of beets. Over 96,000,000 pounds of 
 sugar w-ere produced in Michigan in 1904, 
 despite the shortage of the beet crop, while 
 113,000,000 pounds were produced by the 
 same factories in 1903. Skilled workmen to 
 the number 511 were employed at $3 per 
 day, and 2,910 other laborers in the factories 
 averaged $2.48 per day. About 59,000 acres 
 of beets were raised last year, — a decrease, 
 compared with 1903, of 34,000 acres and 195,- 
 000 tons of beets. These figures apply particu- 
 larly to Bay County and speak for themselves. 
 The average acreage per farmer was estimated 
 in 1903 in Bay County at 7.1 ; in 1904 at 6.3, 
 averaging 9.7 tons per acre each year, but with 
 much better sugar percentage in 1904. The 
 average price per ton in 1903 was $5.01 : in 
 1904, $5.61. Thirteen pounds of seed were 
 sown per acre, at 1 5 cents per pound, while the 
 average cost per acre for raising and harvest- 
 ing the beets was $23.29 in 1903, and $22.69 
 in 1904. About one-third of Bay County's 
 beet growers hired outside help to take care of 
 the crop in 1904, furnishing work to men, 
 women and children, the latter profiting es- 
 pecially by these opportunities during the sum- 
 mer vacation season. The sugar houses only 
 ran 59 days on the average in 1904, with aver- 
 age daily capacity, 640 tons of beets, produc- 
 ing an average of 6,022.000 pounds of sugar 
 in 1904. The beets tested 14 per cent, in 1903 
 and 15 per cent, in 1904. 
 
 The writer in 1903 interviewed 103 beet 
 growers for the State labor department and 
 
244 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 found 71 of them believed beets to be their 
 most profitable crop on a limited acreage, and 
 64 were certain the value of farm lands had 
 advanced, while the rest thought the values 
 stationary or did not know which. Just a look 
 at the records of the register of deed's office in 
 Bay County will set at rest all doubt about the 
 increase in land values and increased demand 
 for farm lands in recent years. And it is 
 something more than a coincidence that this 
 boom dates back no further than the introduc- 
 tion of the beet sugar industry. 
 
 The banks and business houses of Bay 
 City offer another convincing proof of the 
 benefits conferred on Bay County by the in- 
 troduction of the beet sugar industry. Most 
 of the humlreds of thousands of dollars, paid 
 out each fall in ready cash by the factories to 
 the farmers, find their way into the various 
 avenues of business, buying more comforts for 
 the farm home, improving the farm property 
 generally, lifting mortgages and opening up the 
 rural townships. Only this very month of 
 April, 1905, another large addition has been 
 made to the colony of German farmers from 
 Illinois, in Kawkawlin township, drawn hither 
 by the fine farming country and the ready and 
 rich market facilities. Garfield, Gibson, Mount 
 Forest and Pinconning townships, five years 
 ago sparsely settled, are being rapidly cleared 
 by industrious and hardy farmers, so that ere 
 long the entire county will come within the 
 virile meaning of the title "Garden Spot of 
 Michigan." The soil, climate, drainage, and 
 fine road system are here, the muscle, brawn 
 and brains are here ; the rest must follow ! The 
 beet sugar industry has given Bay City a com- 
 manding position in the agricultural and indus- 
 trial aaffirs of our country, and hence has done 
 much to increase the value of all other farm 
 products. 
 
 AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. 
 
 With the advent of the beet sugar industry 
 came the raising of chicory on a large scale, 
 and to-day Bay County chicory has a world- 
 wide reputation. The two local factories will 
 increase their output from 2,500 to 3.500 tons 
 of chicory this year, and are planning more 
 additions for next year. 
 
 The county still holds its leading place in 
 the production of grains, the average yield per 
 acre and the quality being the very best in 
 Michigan. The large gristmill and grain ele- 
 vators of Hine & Chatfield and Bromfield & 
 Colvin, on the East Side, and of the Franken- 
 lust Flouring Company, together with the Au- 
 burn grain elevator, provide a ready market 
 for Bay County's grain supply. 
 
 The Bay City Sanitary Milk Company, 
 Ltd.. two cheese factories at Amelith. one at 
 .-\rn. three at Auburn, one at Beaver, one at 
 Bentley, one at Linwood, and one at Willard, 
 with five institutions producins^ the finest dairy 
 butter, indicate the development of the coun- 
 ty's dairy interests. 
 
 The Beutel canning factory, on the site of 
 the old Sage mill, uses up the product of many 
 acres and many orchards. 
 
 The two four-story brick blocks occupied 
 by the Harry X. Hammond Seed Company, 
 Ltd., on Adams and Jefferson streets, are hives 
 of a new and growing industry locally. Sev- 
 eral hundred men and woman are employed 
 during the season sorting and packing the seed 
 for shipment, which is grown on the rich fields 
 of Bay County ! 
 
 A dozen large produce houses handle the 
 garden truck of surrounding farms, with sev- 
 eral smaller distributing plants on convenient 
 railroad points in the heart of our farming 
 district. Thousands of dollars worth of su- 
 perior garden products are annually shipped 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 245 
 
 from Bay City, principally to Chicago and the 
 far East. This steadily increasing business de- 
 mands at an early day the erection of a well- 
 equipped and well-situated public market 
 place. This much needed improvement has 
 been long in abeyance, and should be one of 
 the first great concerns of Greater Bay City. 
 The 75 miles of macadamized stone roads in- 
 vite the farmer to come here with his farm 
 products, even from far distances. Conven- 
 iences for marketing this product quickly and 
 conveniently would bring still more of this 
 business. Let us have a public market, and at 
 once! Modern metliods and experience have 
 shown that hauling by wagon for long dis- 
 tances is more expensive than shipments by 
 rail in large quantities, hence more railroad 
 facilities would also be a boon to our rural 
 districts. 
 
 The Bay County Agricultural Society in 
 the day of Judge Isaac Marston was a leader 
 in Michigan. In late years it has acquired a 
 most desirable Fair Grounds and half-mile race 
 track par excellence, on the eastern limits 
 of Bay City, just north of the eastern terminal 
 of Center avenue, and within easy reach of our 
 oldest and most advanced townships. Yet our 
 county fairs in recent years have not been rep- 
 resentative of our county's standing in the ag- 
 ricultural world ! Our progressive farmers and 
 business men should take hold of the annual 
 fair and make it what it should be, representa- 
 tive of the highest and best in the agricultural 
 and dairying interests of Bay County. Each 
 progressive and public-spirited farmer's family 
 should be able to spare at least three days once 
 in each year, for mutual comparison, study, 
 recreation and encouragement. The county 
 has provided all the facilities in the beautiful 
 Fair Grounds; but for some inexplicable rea- 
 son, the property has been woefully neglected 
 in the last 10 years. Eugene Fifield, of Bay 
 
 City, is president of the Michigan State Agri- 
 cultural Society in 1905, a compliment no less 
 to his years of devoted work for Michigan's 
 annual agricultural fair than to the county he 
 represents ! And i f a great gathering of our 
 farmers and farm products is such a good thing 
 for the State, why not a similar annual reunion 
 of our sons of toil, right here at home? The 
 results will justify the great effort now neces- 
 sary to revive interest and zeal in our Bay 
 County Agricultural Society and our annual 
 fair! Let every enterprising and intelligent 
 farmer be up and doing! Verily our rural pop- 
 ulation has gained much in recent years ! Bay 
 County is screened from end to end and from 
 side to side by the wires that furnish the tele- 
 phone right in the homes of our farmers. And 
 our splendid road system assured us at once a 
 complete list of rural free mail delivery routes. 
 There is scarcely a corner of the county that 
 does not now get its daily paper as regidarly 
 as the city folk. Surely Bay County leads in 
 all these things, and the leadership of our 
 farmers should be in evidence at the annua? 
 fair, in an up-to-date city market, and enough 
 beet acreage to assure us forever the business 
 benefits of this industry ! Let the fair title 
 "Garden Spot of Michigan" be no mere play 
 of words. Do not leave everything to Prov- 
 idence and your good neighbor ! Work to win, 
 and win you must! 
 
 FISH. 
 
 One of the attractions in this valley for the 
 aboriginal Indians was the unlimited supply of 
 fish that could be secured just for the trying. 
 The earliest settlers never feared a famine, for 
 the river and bay were alive with the finny 
 tribes. The earliest settlers of Bay City di- 
 vided their time between lumbering and fish- 
 
246 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 ing. As early as i860 the export of fish from 
 Bay City was vaUied at over $50,000 annually. 
 Few people even now realize the importance of 
 this industry. In 1905 it has resolved itself 
 into a veritable science. 
 
 There are two kinds of commercial fisher- 
 men. — those on the river, and those fishing on 
 the bay, — and their methods and catches vary 
 vastly. River fishing is best in spring and fall, 
 Avhen the fish seek the creeks and branches for 
 spawning, and then the catches on the bay 
 shore are enormous. In summer the campaign 
 is carried on far out in the bay and lake, while 
 in winter the spear fishermen try their luck 
 through the thick ice of Saginaw Bay. The 
 £sh are packed in barrels in alternate layers on 
 ice. and are shipped as far East as New York 
 City. 
 
 Despite the efforts of the State and Federal 
 fish hatcheries, the supply is gradually dimin- 
 ishing, owing chiefly to the rapacity of the 
 fishermen themselves, who block the streams 
 where the fish go to spawn, and who. despite 
 the strict surveillance of the State game war- 
 dens, catch many undersized fish. Like the 
 hinibermen who slaughtered the forests ruth- 
 lessly and heedlessly, these fishermen may some 
 day find their occupation gone, just for the lack 
 of a little foresight and good business judg- 
 ment, for the fish supply of lake, bay and river 
 is no more inexhaustible, than was the lumber 
 supply. 
 
 Trap nets are used on the river and bay, 
 and gill nets on the lake. Pickerel, perch and 
 bass are caught mainly on the river and bay, 
 while sturgean, lake trout and white fish pre- 
 dominate in the lake. The best season usually 
 is April, May and June. Winter spearing 
 through the ice is variable, the sliant}^ village 
 sheltering from 500 to 2.000 souls, according 
 to working: conditions and the run of the fish. 
 
 River fishing is increasing in importance, sev- 
 eral hundred men finding it a paying pursuit. 
 
 The fishing fleets are annually growing, 
 and bay and lake fishing are also increasing. 
 Beebe & Company, the Trombleys, the Lourim 
 brothers, George Penniman and Frederick W. 
 Benson have been in this business for more 
 than 25 years, while Robert Beutel, W. P. 
 Kavanaugh, D. A. Trumpour Company, W. E. 
 Fisk, Dormer Company and Saginaw Bay Fish 
 Company are among the larger and more re- 
 cent entries into this paying industry. Ang- 
 ling for sport and food is open to all and is 
 the delight of many people each season. 
 
 VARIED INDUSTRIES. 
 
 So closely interwoven are the mutual in- 
 terests of Bay County, that an injury to either 
 the industrial or agricultural interests is bound 
 to injure the other. \Mien all the homes of 
 Bay City are filled with well-paid and con- 
 tented people, the farmer will have a ready 
 market for his products right at his doors, 
 prices will be good and land values increase. 
 On the other hand bountiful harvests mean 
 much ready cash to our rural population, with 
 increased purchasing power, and correspond- 
 ing prosperity for the business institutions of 
 Bay City. Many of our farmers find steady 
 employment each winter in the fishing and 
 other industries, an advantage not enjoyed by 
 many farm communities, most of whom 
 throughout the country can do little but sit 
 around and eat up during the winter the ac- 
 cumulations from the summer's work and 
 harvests. 
 
 The ship-building industry has done much 
 for Bay City in the last 30 years, and inci- 
 dentally furnished employment for many farm- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 249 
 
 ers (luring the winter seasons. Bay City has 
 ever offered unrivaled facihties for ship-build- 
 ing. Practically unlimited supplies of oak and 
 other timber were at hand for the wooden ves- 
 sels of a decade ago. The presence of the broad 
 and deep Saginaw River, on which hundreds 
 of vessels, from the smallest to the very lar- 
 gest and latest addition to the fleet of the Great 
 Lakes, have been launched here for 50 years, 
 and without one single mishap, meant much to 
 the industry. 
 
 During all those years, the local ship-build- 
 ing plants kept pace with the growing demands 
 of the lake traffic. The schooner "Savage," 
 built for river traffic in 1831-37: the stern- 
 wheeler "Buena Vista," all hold and no cabin, 
 launched in 1848, commanded by Daniel Burns, 
 he of State-wide celebrity as a humorist and 
 buffoon; some fishing boats built about 1849; 
 and the first large boats built here by H. D. 
 Braddock & Company in 1857-58, the '"Essex" 
 and "Bay City," — all were noted craft in their 
 day and generation. 
 
 Later, Ballentine & Company turned out 
 some large and good lake craft, and with the 
 advent of Capt. James Davidson the local ship- 
 building industry assumed large proportions. 
 In 1875 the product of the shipyards was 
 placed at more than half a million dollars. In 
 1 88 1 Crosthwaite's yard built three vessels 
 worth over $100,000; Davidson's yard, two 
 vessels, costing $180,000; Wheeler & Crane 
 built and rebuilt five vessels, at a cost of $395.- 
 000, while the Bay City Dry Dock, at the foot 
 of Atlantic street, earned $30,000. In 1883 
 Wheeler & Carne built a steam barge for Cap- 
 tain Forbes, 1961/2 feet keel, 34 feet beam and 
 14 feet hold, a monster boat for those days, 
 but a midget compared to the "Sylvania" with 
 its length of 593 feet, launched at this same 
 yard in April, 1905. 
 
 In 1883 Captain Davidson was building 
 the largest boat then on the Great Lakes, ex- 
 treme length, 287 feet, 40 feet beam, 213^ feet 
 hold, heavily trussed, and for some years the 
 pride of Bay City. In the 10 years from 1885 
 to 1895, Captain Davidson built some of the 
 finest and fastest wooden vessels in the world. 
 The "City of Paris," "City of Berlin," "City 
 of Venice," "City of Rome," and sister craft, 
 are to-day the proud leaders of the remaining 
 wooden ships on the Great Lakes. The advent 
 of the whalel)ack and other styles of modern 
 steel steamers have relegated the wooden ves- 
 sels to the rear in recent years, but the David- 
 son shipyard still finds plenty to do in building 
 smaller river craft, rebuilding the worthy 
 wooden vessels still in commission and in gen- 
 eral dry dock work. The plant is still one of 
 the finest on the Lakes and may yet be con- 
 verted into an iron and steel ship-building 
 plant. 
 
 Hon. F. W. Wheeler, now of Detroit, 
 early foresaw the changes coming in the build- 
 ing of lake craft, and he forthwith kept pace 
 with the most advanced ideas of iron and steel 
 ship-building. The immense shipyard north 
 of the Michigan Central Railroad bridge, has 
 nearly a mile of river front, immense work- 
 shops, mills and power cranes, and when the 
 shipyards of the Great Lakes were placed in a 
 trust by the American Ship Building Company, 
 with headquarters at Cleveland, Wheeler's 
 modern plant was one of the first to be taken 
 into the combine. Since then this fine yard 
 has secured its share of the new steel ships built 
 on the Lakes, and has the distinction in 1905 
 of turning out the three largest steel steam- 
 ers afloat on fresh water. Time and again 
 rumors have had this yard transferred to other 
 points, but the fact that the very best craft are 
 even now assigned to the West Bay City Ship 
 
2;0 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Building Company's yard is the very best proof 
 that the location here meets modern require- 
 ments. 
 
 Labor troubles, often ill-advised and work- 
 ing only mutual injury, have blighted the ship- 
 building industry at this yard on several oc- 
 casions, invariably ending with loss all around 
 and not one thing gained by anyone. It al- 
 most proved a case of killing the goose that 
 laid the golden egg, and it is to be hoped that 
 the local shipyard employees will in the future 
 receive the best wages offered similar crafts in 
 other lake ship-building plants, as in the past, 
 which to a layman appears eminently fitting 
 and fair, and under no circumstances again lend 
 themselves a lead a new and arbitrary wage 
 basis fight, unsupported by other shipyard 
 employees, whose chestnuts they were evidently 
 trying to pull out of the fire. The net result 
 in years past has been the driving of new boat 
 contracts to these outside yards, compelling 
 local ship-builders to leave home and follow 
 the work in other ports. It must be self-evi- 
 dent to all thinking men, that the local yard 
 could not compete with these outside ship- 
 yards, if the cost of labor here was more ex- 
 pensive than elsewhere. Our cheap fuel, fine 
 yards and harbor facilities will meet this com- 
 petition, if the cost of labor is the same as else- 
 where, and will preserve for us one of our old- 
 est, largest, and most profitable industries. 
 
 Since the keel was laid for the monster 
 steamer "Sylvania." the West Bay City Ship 
 Building Company has employed nearly i.ooo 
 skilled mechanics steadily all winter, and the 
 work now on hand will keep the yard running 
 at capacity until next summer. By that time 
 other contracts are expected, and the outlook is 
 indeed favorable. Captain Davidson during 
 1904 employed nearly 500 men, according to 
 the State labor commissioner's annual report, 
 at $2.58 on the average per day. 
 
 The Bay City Yacht Works and the Brooks 
 Boat Pattern Company are recent additions to 
 Bay City's boat industry, and their trade al- 
 ready extends around the world. Yachts built 
 here may be found in the Gulf of Mexico, on 
 the Atlantic and the Pacific, and in far-off 
 Japan. Both plants are constantly increasing 
 their facilities and output, and incidentally do- 
 ing much to advertise the city abroad. 
 
 The Industrial Works, William L. Clem- 
 ents, president and Charles R. Wells, secretary 
 and treasurer, is far and away the oldest and 
 most reliable employer of labor in Bay City. 
 From a modest beginning in 1868, doing much 
 marine repair work, this plant has gradually 
 grown to its present mammoth proportions, 
 covering two squares on the river front, from 
 nth street to Columbus avenue, with substan- 
 tial and large brick buildings. The railroad 
 cranes and wrecking cars manufactured by this 
 concern are unrivaled and are protected the 
 world over by patents of great value. This 
 big plant has run to its capacity with day and 
 night crews for many years, barring a few 
 months last year, when matters of manage- 
 ment were being adjusted. Nearly 1,000 
 skilled mechanics are on the pay-roll of this 
 institution. 
 
 The Smalley Motor Company, Ltd., N. A. 
 Eddy, chairman and James B. Smalley, treas- 
 urer and general manager, is another new and 
 substantial institution, with a plant on the river 
 front at the foot of Trumbull street built in 
 1903 ; employment is given to about 200 skilled 
 workingmen the year round. 
 
 The National Cycle Manufacturing Com- 
 pany employs about 150 skilled men, and the 
 product is sold all over the country, as well as 
 abroad, a living message of our growing im- 
 portance as a city of diversified industries. 
 
 The M. Garland Company, 83 men; Na- 
 tional Boiler Works, 35 men : ^MacKinnon I\Ian- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 2!;i 
 
 ufacturing Company, yi men ; Valley W'ind 
 & Engine Company, 30 men ; Alert Pipe & 
 Supply Company, 45 men; Bay City traction 
 car shops, 51 men; Valley Iron Works, 35 
 men ; Bailey Metal Furniture Fixture Com- 
 pany, 25 men; Marine Iron Company, 45 men; 
 Bay City Iron Company, 47 men ; Bay City 
 Boiler Company, 49 men ; brass foundry, iq 
 men ; Wilson & Wanless, 27 men ; Valley Auto 
 Company, ig men; Michigan Central Railroad 
 repair shops, 43 men ; Valley Sheet Metal 
 Works, 15 men; and Excelsior Foundry Com- 
 pany, employing nearly 100 men, indicate the 
 extent and value of Bay City's iron industry, 
 enhanced by many smaller concerns, who work 
 in the same lines of business. What we need 
 now is smelting works for ore, made possible 
 by cheap coal right at our doors, and our un- 
 surpassed water shipping facilities. 
 
 The Hecla Portland Cement & Coal Com- 
 pany, capitalized at $5,000,000, in 1902-03 
 constructed its million dollar plant just south 
 of the lighthouse, with a mile of deep-water 
 frontage on the river. Julius Stroh, the mil- 
 lionaire brewer of Detroit, was the main stock- 
 holder, and the little settlement nine miles 
 from West Branch, where the marl beds are 
 located, is named "Stroh" in his honor. The 
 dried marl will be hauled in 50-ton dump rail- 
 road cars to the million dollar plant in Bay 
 City. The drying plant has a capacity of 1,000 
 tons of marl per day. The company located 
 four coal fields : Hecla mine No. 4 in Frank- 
 enlust township has proven a good producer, 
 while the others — one near Kawkawlin, the 
 second west of the city, and the third just east 
 of .Vuburn — have not yet Ijcen dc\-eloped. They 
 are planned to produce 1,500 tons of coal daily, 
 300 tons for the use of the cement and kindred 
 plants, the rest for shipment by water, for 
 which huge and modern coal docks are to be 
 constructed. The company owns its own rail- 
 
 way to the marl beds and coal mines and em- 
 ploys its own rolling stock. The clay and shale 
 used in the manufacture of Portland cement is 
 secured in the same shafts with the coal, and 
 the plant as now completed has a capacity of 
 3,000 barrels of cement daily. In 1904 the 
 stockholders went into litigation, which is still 
 pending, and hence our most promising new 
 industry is awaiting the slow process of un- 
 tangling the status of the company's affairs by 
 legal procedure. 
 
 The North American Chemical Company is 
 another million dollar plant, of which Bay 
 County may be justly proud. This mammoth 
 plant furnished the match-makers of America 
 with the chlorate of potash used on match tips, 
 and came to this country in 1898 from Liver- 
 pool, England, because the Dingley protective 
 tariff compelled them to do so. in order to hold 
 their American trade. The company is located 
 just outside of the city limits, on 250 acres of 
 the old McGraw sawmill site, and also owns 
 and operates the Bay coal mine in Frankenlust 
 township. M. L. Davies is the general man- 
 ager and since coming here in 1899. has be- 
 come actively identified with the interests of 
 Bay City and, with his charming wife, has be- 
 come a decided acquisition to the business and 
 social life of our community. .Although Mr. 
 Davies is a typical Englishmen, he stops the 
 wheels at the plant just one day in each year, 
 July 4th, the several hundred employees other- 
 wise never losing an hour. Since 1898 this 
 plant has paid out in wages $615,000, and to 
 the merchants of Bay City $1,250,000, and at 
 the Bay coal mine from 1899 to November 
 30, T904. $275,800 in wages, and $150,000 to 
 our merchants for supplies ! The chemical pro- 
 ducts of this plant include bleaches and dyes 
 for dress goods, salt, chlorate of soda, chlorate 
 of potash, and other chemicals, the process of 
 making which is a secret and patented. The 
 
HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 main building is 550 by 220 feet witb numer- 
 ous smaller buildings of brick. Fourteen boil- 
 ers and tbree Corliss engines of 1,200 horse- 
 power run the plant and consume annually 
 60,000 tons of coal, mostly slack. It produces 
 1,000 tons of the purest white salt daily by the 
 grainer and vacuum process. 
 
 Bousfield & Company's woodenware works, 
 the largest in the world, is located on six 
 squares on the river front, south of Cass ave- 
 nue. The company employed 632 men and 
 boys in 1904. It ships its product all over the 
 country and is one of our oldest and best man- 
 ufacturing institutions. The plant of the Han- 
 son-Ward Veneer Company is one of the lat- 
 est and largest additions to the South End, 
 employing 242 men the year round. Handy 
 Brothers with 218 men and Bradley, Miller & 
 Company with 227 men, on the West Side 
 river front, and the E. J. Vance Box Com- 
 pany, Ltd., on the East Side, w-ith 141 men, 
 are the largest local box shook manufacturers. 
 Mershon, Schuette, Parker & Company, with 
 131 men, Bradley Miller & Company, with 46 
 men, and E. B. Foss, with 112 men, lead in 
 the lumber-yard business. The surviving 
 sawmills employ the following forces of men, 
 according to State census statistics : Samuel 
 G. M. Gates, 71 ; Kneeland-Bigelow Company, 
 53 ; Campbell-Brown Lumber Company, 37 ; 
 Edward C. Hargrave, 84; Morey & Meister, 
 55; Wylhe & Buell, 140; J. J. Flood, 87; Wol- 
 verine Lumber Company, 34; Catherwood & 
 Glover, 32 ; and Kern Manufacturing Com- 
 pany. 144. W. D. Young & Company's hard- 
 wood mill leads the country in maple flooring, 
 employing 233 men, and running the wood 
 alcohol plant in connection with 55 men. The 
 Goldie hoop mill is one of the best in the coun- 
 try, with 138 men, and the Standard hoop mill 
 employs 95 men. The Quaker Shade Roller 
 Company is a new institution, with 105 men 
 
 and 41 women, and the ^Michigan Pipe Com- 
 pany is an old reliable institution, with 41 men. 
 Smaller box factories are those of B. H. Bris- 
 coe & Company, 46 men ; Bindner Box Com- 
 pany, 53 ; William H. Nickless, 42 ; Fred G. 
 Eddy, 30 ; Bay City Box Company, 79. The 
 following named concerns operate sash, door 
 and building supply mills : Matthew Lamont, 
 employing 68 men ; Lewis Manufacturing Com- 
 P^"y> 53; G. Hine, 46; Sheldon, Kamm & 
 Company, Ltd., 42; Heumann & Trump, 41. 
 Cooper houses : Goldie Manufacturing Com- 
 pany, 96; Beutel Cooperage & \\^oodenware 
 Company, 61; Aaron Wheeler, 53; Edwin F., 
 Rouse, 39. The Bay City Woodworking Com- 
 pany employs 32 men and 24 women ; Maltby 
 Lumber Company (cedar posts), 31 men. and 
 Bay City Cedar Company, 21 men. The 
 Creamery Package Manufacturing Company 
 has 29 men ; Walworth & Neville Manufactur- 
 ing Company (cross arms), 59; the Beutel can- 
 ning factory, 19 men and 36 women; the Stone 
 Island brick and tile works, 44 men ; Bay 
 County Rock & Stone Company, 21 men. 
 Three large and modern breweries employ over 
 100 men, and supply much outside territory. 
 The Scheurmann shoe factory is a modest be- 
 ginning for a promising industry, with 14 men 
 and 10 women. The Victory shirt w'aist fac- 
 tory is another innovation, with 65 women. 
 The Bay City Knitting Company now occupies 
 a four-story brick building on First and Water 
 streets, has the most modern machinery and is 
 constantly branching out. It claims to-day to 
 be the largest order-filling hosiery factory in 
 America, has 25 men and 83 women on its 
 pay-roll, and will practically double its out- 
 put of "Star" hosiery this very year. The 
 Galbraiths established this business, from 
 humble beginnings in 1899, and by persistent 
 pushing and good workmanship have created 
 one of our most promising manufacturing in- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 253 
 
 stitutions. These and a hundred other Ijut 
 smaller concerns are our creati\e industries, 
 and the roll of employees, taken from the State 
 labor reports, is an encouraging indication that 
 we still have many wealth producers in our 
 
 14 
 
 ranks. The big sawmills have been super- 
 seded by smaller but more enduring industries. 
 And this must be but a beginning, for there is 
 plenty of room for more like unto them. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 The Bench and Bar and the }iIedical Profession. 
 The BcncJi and Bar. 
 
 No partial justice holds the unequal scales — 
 
 No pride of caste a brother's rights assails — 
 
 No tyrant's mandates echo from this wall. 
 
 Holy to Freedom and the Rights of All ! 
 
 But a fair field, where mind may close with mind 
 
 Free as the sunshine and the chainless wind ; 
 
 Where the high trust is fixed on Truth alone, 
 
 And bonds and fetters from the soul are thrown; 
 
 Where wealth and rank, and worldly pomp, and might 
 
 Yield to the presence of the True and Right ! 
 
 — /;7ji7/(V;-. 
 
 One of the first institutions required in a 
 community of pioneers has invariably been 
 some court of justice, where law could be 
 expounded, justice administered and other 
 duties of a public nature performed. Hence 
 the justice of the peace in this settlement was 
 an important personage, who applied the prin- 
 ciples of law and justice to the whole range 
 of offenses, from neighborhood quarrels to 
 murders, who tied and untied nuptial knots, 
 and most of whose time was taken up in set- 
 tling land claims and controversies. 
 
 Michigan's judiciary system has undergone 
 many changes since the French first settled 
 Detroit about 1701. Edicts of kings, orders 
 of military commanders, decrees of imperial 
 parliaments and of provincial governors, ordi- 
 nances of the Congress, enactments of territo- 
 rial governors and councils, provisions of State 
 constitutions, and laws enacted by the Legisla- 
 
 ture, these and more have constituted the su- 
 preme authority in this part of the globe from 
 the "Contume de Paris" through the devious 
 pathways of 200 years down to 1905. 
 
 The lurid experiences of Bay County's first 
 justice court, in a dingy blockhouse on the river 
 front, would, if fully compiled, compare with 
 some of the court scenes portrayed in the Ari- 
 zona Kicker. Land lookers, roving sailors, Li- 
 dians, frontier rowdies, these and worse at one 
 time or another looked over the settlement, and 
 invariably bumped against some one or some- 
 thing in their explorations, that would end in 
 the justice court. 
 
 More dignified but none the less strenuous 
 were the duties and sessions of the loth Judi- 
 cial Circuit, to which Bay County belonged in 
 1859, the circuit comprising Bay, Isabella, 
 Losco, Gratiot, Midland, Alpena and Saginaw 
 counties. The first sessions were held by Judge 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 -OD 
 
 Wilber F. W'oodworth on and after April 3, 
 1859, in a building on the river front where the 
 Denison Block now stands. 
 
 On January 31, 1859, Peter Van Gestle 
 killed his countryman, Peter Van Wert, and at 
 the April term of court the murderer was con- 
 victed and sentenced to solitary confinement for 
 life. This was the first murder trial in Bay 
 County, and the settlers attended the court ses- 
 sions en iiiassc, many of them sitting patiently 
 •outside, as the court room was too small to 
 admit all. picking up the trial crumbs that fell 
 through the doorwa}'. 
 
 The first lawyers in Bay County were Hon. 
 James Birney, Chester H. Freeman, W. L. 
 Sherman, Stephen \\Tight and James Fox, the 
 last two remaining but a short time. Judge 
 Andrew C. Maxwell came from Pontiac in 
 1857, and for nearly half a century was one of 
 the best known practitioners and the most 
 unique figure before the local bar. Certainly 
 his sharp wit and droll manners furnished more 
 anecdotes than all the other members of the bar 
 combined. He took an active part in the devel- 
 opment of the city and county. Hon. Luther 
 Beckwith came here in i860, directly after 
 graduating from the University of Michigan. 
 He was prosecutor from 1863 to 1867, was 
 alderman for years, an able jurist and a good 
 citizen. Judge Isaac Marston came here in 
 1862, having studied under Judge Cooley at 
 the University of Michigan, and for 20 years 
 he was an honored member of the local 1)ar, 
 removing to Detroit in 1882. In ]\Iarch, 1863, 
 Hon. Herschel H. Hatch came here to enter a 
 partnership with Judge Marston, and in 1864 
 Judge James Birney joined the firm, which 
 under the title, Birney, Marston & Hatch, was 
 considered one of the strongest combinations 
 of legal lights in jNIichigan. Judge Marston's 
 election to the Supreme Court in 1875 (lissolved 
 the partnership, Mr. Hatch later taking in Ed- 
 
 gar A. Cooley, at present president of the Bay 
 County Bar Association. The late Cushman 
 K. Davis, Ex-Governor of Minnesota, studied 
 here under the late Judge Andrew C. Maxwell 
 in 1863-64. C. H. Denison was here from 1863 
 to 1879, and then became a leading attorney of 
 New York City. Hon. Emil Anneke was a 
 graduate of the University of Berlin, took part 
 in the revolutionary struggle in Germany in 
 1848, and with hundreds of other liljeral- 
 minded young men sought his fortune in this 
 country. In 1862-65 he was Auditor General 
 of Michigan, and became a notable addition to 
 the local l)ar in 1874. 
 
 Looking back over this span of 30 years we 
 find that in 1875 there were 42 members of the 
 Bay County Bar Association, including Judge 
 Sanford ]M. Green, then presiding over this i8th 
 Judicial Circuit. Thus early do we find, in ad- 
 dition to the earliest arrivals already named, the 
 men who in future years were destined to pre- 
 side over the local Circuit Court : Judge George 
 P. Cobb, who came here in September. 1868, 
 after graduating from the University of ^lichi- 
 gan, did not finish his schooling until peace re- 
 leased him from the 5th ^Michigan Cawalry in 
 
 1866. In 1870 he became associated with Judge 
 T. C. Grier and the late dean of the local bar, 
 Hon. Archibald McDonell. Judge Theodore 
 F. Shepard, at present presiding over this cir- 
 cuit, came from New York to Bay County in 
 
 1867, being the first attorney on the West Side, 
 and although his offices for the greater part of 
 the time since have been mostly on the East 
 Side, he has done much toward the de\-elopment 
 of his home community, taken an active part in 
 the educational work, and has ever been one of 
 the county's sterling citizens. Hon. Thomas A. 
 E. \\'eadock, who for three terms represented 
 this district in Congress, earned enough money 
 teaching school to allow him to graduate from 
 the University of }ilichigan in 1873 and the 
 
256 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 next year he came here to enter a partnership 
 with Graeme Wilson, later taking his brother, 
 John C. Weadock, now one of Michigan's ablest 
 corporation lawyers, into partnership with him. 
 In 1905 this firm is still among the leaders of 
 the profession in this State. Chester L. Col- 
 lins, just elected circuit judge for the term 
 1906-1 1, is another of the patriotic class of men, 
 who served their country in the Civil War, be- 
 fore taking up life's work in other fields. 
 Graduated from the University of Iowa, he 
 began the practice of law in Knoxville, Iowa, 
 in 1869, coming to Bay City in 1875, so that his 
 local practice just falls within the scope oi the 
 three decades. Griffith H. Francis, present 
 judge of probate, and graduate of the Univer- 
 sity of Michigan^, also came here just 30 years 
 ago, and in that long period has acquired a host 
 of friends by his sterling worth. Thomas E. 
 Webster, judge of probate 1880-86, graduated 
 from the University of Michigan in 1873, and 
 forthwith began practice in Bay City, and in 
 1905 is still one of our leading attorneys and 
 citizens. W. French Morgan, the courteous 
 and able deputy under three atlministrations of 
 the probate ofifice, is a scion of Kentucky, glad 
 to escape the prejudices of his native heath in 
 
 1861, 
 
 coming direct 
 
 to Bav Citv, where 
 
 years ago he was studying law, being admitted 
 to the bar in 1S78, and in 1905 he is still the 
 indispensable walking encyclopedia of the Pro- 
 bate Court. Fatio Colt, now of Midland ; Ed- 
 gar A. Cooley, John L. Stoddard, Daniel Sian- 
 gan, Henry Selleck, John Golden, Samuel L. 
 Brigham, and John Brigham are among the 
 veterans who can look back on more than 30 
 years of practice before the bar of Bay County. 
 In 1905 we find the activities of these veterans 
 and their professional associates of younger 
 years extending far beyond the confines of Bay 
 County. The fame of Bay City lawyers has 
 gone abroad, and they will be found in import- 
 
 ant litigation before practically every Circuit 
 Court in Michigan, and their ability has long 
 been recognized and acknowledged before the 
 highest tribunal of our State, — the Supreme 
 Court. 
 
 The following review of the attorneys who 
 have practiced and accjuired prominence and 
 success in their profession, together with the 
 Bay County Bar Association's officials and theii 
 work for 1905, is from the pen of one of Bay 
 City's rising young attorneys, whose father 
 achieved a splendid professional record on this 
 very same field little more than a decade ago. 
 
 The history of the bench and bar of Bay 
 County commences with the settlement of 
 Lower Saginaw, as the trading post near the 
 mouth of the Saginaw was called in the early 
 days. Bay County was organized in 1857 and 
 at that time extended far up the lake shore and 
 formed a part of the Seventh Judicial Circuit. 
 Two years later Bay County was added to the 
 loth Judicial Circuit, over which Hon. Wilber 
 F. Woodworth presided until he resigned in 
 1861, his unexpired term being filled by Hon. 
 James Birney by appointment of the Governor. 
 Judge Birney was succeeded in 1865 by Hon. 
 Jabez G. Sutherland, a jurist widely known as 
 an authority on general practice and a text- 
 book writer of high standing, who held the 
 office until 1870, when he resigned to accept 
 an election to Congress. 
 
 The most noteworthy of the pioneers of the 
 Bay County bar was Hon. James G. Birney, a 
 gentleman of birth, culture and education, who 
 had already attained national prominence as 
 candidate of the Free Soil party for the Presi- 
 dency, and who had spent the best part of his 
 life and freely expended his ample fortune in 
 the struggle for the abolition of slavery. In 
 his declining years, seeking rest and relief from 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 ^57 
 
 the burden which he felt he was no longer able 
 to bear, desiring only rest and oblivion from 
 the hatred which pursued those who attacked 
 the "peculiar institution," he found peace and 
 quiet on the banks of the placid Saginaw and 
 observed from a distance the progress of that 
 struggle the result of which was to him never 
 in doubt. While never again engaging in ac- 
 tive practice, his advice and counsel were eager- 
 ly sought, and fortunate indeed was the hardy 
 woodsman or pioneer farmer whose claim or 
 title rested upon the opinion of the hardy patriot 
 Birney. He lived to see the beginning of the 
 end of the contest and to know the greatness of 
 the success for \\hich he had so long contended, 
 apparently in ^•ain. 
 
 His son, Hon. James Birney, for a few years 
 filled the vacanc}' in the judgeship of the cir- 
 cuit, which comprised the counties of Bay, Mid- 
 land and Arenac. He presided on the bench 
 with distinction and remained in active practice 
 as counsel for many years thereafter, retiring 
 in 1892. 
 
 Hon. Chester H. Freeman, another of the 
 early lights of the bar, settled on the banks 
 of the Saginaw when the world hereabouts 
 was voung, and until verv recent vears con- 
 tinned to reside in the community which he had 
 seen spring from the wilderness. 
 
 Hon. Andrew C. Maxwell, afterward cir- 
 cuit judge from 1894 to 1900, was a contem- 
 porary of the earliest comers to the lower end 
 of the Saginaw Valley. A man of strong per- 
 sonality, aggressive, able and not much given 
 to the observance of nice distinctions, it was in- 
 evitable that he should have had strong friends 
 and bitter enemies. He died in Bay City in the 
 year 1902. 
 
 Thomas C. Grier came to Bay City about 
 i860. Upon the creation of the i8th Judicial 
 Circuit in 1871, he was elected on the Demo- 
 cratic ticket as circuit judge. For many years 
 
 he had held a high position at the bar. and the 
 choice of the Democrats was the choice of the 
 community at large, no opponent being pre- 
 sented. His death soon after assuming the er- 
 mine deprived the community of a useful citi- 
 zen, a good neighbor and a judge who gave 
 promise of a career on the bench successful 
 abo\'e the average. 
 
 He was succeeded upon the bench by Hon. 
 San ford M. Green, than whom few men ha\'e 
 had greater influence in shaping Michigan's 
 laws and system of practice. Compiler of the 
 "Revised Statutes of 1846," judge of the Cir- 
 cuit and Stipreme courts under the old system 
 in vogue before the adoption of the constitu- 
 tion of 1850, a writer of standard text-books 
 and an attorney of high standing at the bar, he 
 brought to the service of the circuit a wealth of 
 knowledge and experience far beyond that of 
 the average jurist. He was reelected without 
 opposition, and was allowed to retire only when 
 advancing years brought an end to his labors. 
 He died in 1903. He was followed to the 
 gra\-e by the affection and esteem of the bar of 
 the entire State and the memory of his work 
 will last as long as the bench and bar of Michi- 
 gan endiu-e. 
 
 Hon. George P. Cobb took up the practice 
 of the law in Bay City in 1868. Industrious 
 and careful, he quickly attained standing at the 
 bar, was associated for many years with the 
 late lamented Hon. Archibald ^IcDonell, and 
 finally in 1888 was elected, on an independent 
 ticket, to the circuit bench. His careful, kindly 
 nature made practice before him a pleasure and 
 he retired from the bench with the esteem of all 
 in 1894. He is still engaged in active practice 
 in Bay City. 
 
 Few men have been called to the bench 
 under such trying circumstances as was Hon. 
 Theodore F. Shepard in 1900. The declining 
 years of his predecessor's incumbency had re- 
 
258 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 suited in a serious disarrangement of the rou- 
 tine work of the court and the situation called 
 for a man of character and ability above the 
 average. Judge Shepard may well be content 
 to be judged by the record of his incumbency. 
 Possessing the confidence and respect of the bar, 
 he quickly restored order, system and dignity 
 to the court proceedings and his fairness, pa- 
 tience and manifest intention that each litioant 
 should have a "square deal" has made his 
 record on the bench one which his successors 
 may well emulate. His elevation to the bench 
 followed a long and successful career as prac- 
 titioner, including service as prosecuting attor- 
 ney of Bay County and as United States dis- 
 trict attorney. He will retire from the bench 
 in 1905, to be followed by Hon. Chester L. 
 Collins. The last named gentleman is at the 
 present time one of the oldest in point of prac- 
 tice now at the Bay County bar, and it is per- 
 haps enough to say of his character and stand- 
 ing in the community that he had the support 
 of the entire bar in his contest for the judge- 
 ship. 
 
 In glancing down the long list of names of 
 attorneys, which have appeared at different 
 times upon the roll of the bar of Bay County, 
 one is struck by the number that have become 
 household words throughout the State and 
 some of which have achieved even national 
 prominence. JNIen of such standing as the late 
 Hon. Isaac Marston, justice of the Supreme 
 Court and Attorney General ; Hon. Thomas 
 A. E. ^^'ea(lock and Hon. Herschel H. 
 Hatch, both now members of the Detroit 
 bar and both ex-members of Congress from 
 the Tenth Congressional District ; Hon. 
 Robert J. Kelley, recently judge of the Al- 
 pena circuit and now member of the Battle 
 Creek bar, besides many others to whose 
 records the limits of this article will not per- 
 mit doing full justice, deserve special mention. 
 
 With them may be classed the leaders of the 
 bar in a day now long past, such men as 
 Hon. Sidney T. Holmes, once judge of the New 
 York Supreme Count, and for many years in ac- 
 tive practice in Bay County, senior and founder 
 of the firm of Holmes, Collins & Stoddard; 
 Hon. x\rchibald McDonelk whose recent death 
 was felt as a berea\-ement by the entire commu- 
 nity; Hon. Luther Beckwith. ^\'indsor Scho- 
 field, Graeme Wilson and many another, whose 
 name is now but a memory to the old and an 
 inspiration to the young practitioners of to-day. 
 The older generations were products of the 
 times in which they lived, strong men of force- 
 ful manner and address, men of affairs as well 
 as scholars in the law, and their character is in- 
 delibly impressed upon the profession which 
 they adorned. Something of the nice theoreti- 
 cal training of the schools mav have been want- 
 ing, manners and habits may have savored 
 somewhat of the rough and ready times and 
 community in which they lived, but their ster- 
 ling characters, forceful personalities and devo- 
 tion to the high ideals of their profession set 
 a standard which will tax the energies of suc- 
 ceeding generations of practitioners to main- 
 tain. 
 
 It would be invidious to atempt to single 
 out those members of the present bar whose 
 careers and characters owe their success and 
 standing to the fact that they builded upon the 
 foundation so well laid by their forebears. The 
 bar is at present able, active and well-organized. 
 Since the earh' "seventies" a bar association 
 has existed, which has been lately reorganized 
 with the following officers : President, Edgar 
 A. Cooley; vice-president. John C. Weadock; 
 secretary and treasurer, Frank S. Pratt. An 
 annual banquet and standing active committees 
 on grievances, etc., are notable features of the 
 new organization. 
 
 In 1899 the Law Library was organized. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 259 
 
 which by gradual additions has accumulated 
 several thousand volumes and is one of the best 
 equipped in the State. While annual dues are 
 exacted from members of the bar for its sup- 
 port, it is at all times open free of charge to 
 judges and public officials, and has proven of 
 great value to the public as well as the profes- 
 sion. The library is situated in the Sheerer 
 Block and has a librarian in constant attend- 
 ance. 
 
 Among those now engaged in the active 
 work of the bar whose wide and active practice 
 has conferred a leadership might be mentioned : 
 Edgar A. Cooley, for many years associated 
 with the late Justice Marston and Hon. Her- 
 schel H. Hatch, and now with John C. Hewitt, 
 in corporation and general practice; John C. 
 \\'eadock, now, as for 20 years past, associated 
 with his brother, Hon. Thomas A. E. Wead- 
 ock, under the firm name of T. A. E. & J. C. 
 ^^'eadock, and whose leadership extends to the 
 community at large; Hezekiah '\L Gillett and 
 John E. Simonson who for over a quarter of a 
 century have been associated in practice ; DeVere 
 Hall, John L. Stoddard, M. L. Courtright, Lee 
 E. Joslyn, Frank S. Pratt, U. R. Loranger, C. 
 E. Pierce and John E. Kinnane. men of large 
 practice and experience and well-known to the 
 profession at large throughout the State; and 
 Chester L. Collins^ whose recent election to the 
 office of circuit judge crowns a long career of 
 useful and successful work in general practice. 
 
 Among the younger members, upon whose 
 shoulders the burden of the work of the bar is 
 falling, might be mentioned Edward E. An- 
 neke and Lewis P. Coumans, for six years 
 prosecuting attorney and assistant prosecuting 
 attorney, respectively; Edward S. Clark, of 
 Simonson, Gillett & Clark; James E. Duffy, 
 until the death of Archibald ^NIcDonell, asso- 
 ciated with the latter under the firm name of 
 McDonell & Duffy; Samuel G. Houghton, the 
 
 first city attorney of Greater Bay City; Pearl 
 M. Haller, Richard A. JMcKay, Frank P. Mc- 
 Cormick, Albert INIcClatchey, Horace Tupper, 
 Jr., Brakie J. Orr, recently city attorney of 
 Bay City for three tenns and now prosecuting 
 attorney; Archibald H. ]\Ic]\Iillan, Delano H. 
 Thompson, Luther G. Beckwith^ Fred W. De- 
 Foe. R. T. Waddle and James E. Brockway 
 (member of the Legislature). Hon. Griffith 
 H. Francis presides over the Probate Court, 
 two ex-judges of which, Hon. Hamilton M. 
 Wright and Hon. Thomas E. ^^'ebster, are 
 still engaged in active practice in Bay City. 
 James Donnelly has for many years added to 
 his professional labors the burden of the duties 
 of alderman of Bay City. James Van Kleeck, 
 late State commander of the G. A. R., and Isaac 
 A. Gilbert were for many years associated and 
 both are now engaged in practice. Edward W. 
 Porter and Joseph P. Haffey still keep up the 
 firm of which the late Henry Lindner was the 
 founder and head. George R. Fox and W. A. 
 Collins are circuit court commissioners, and 
 Robert L. King, now justice of the peace, has 
 given a new and better tone to the practice in 
 the lowest court. Lawrence McHugh, a stal- 
 wart of the old school, completes a list, partial 
 onh'^, of the members of the present bar. To 
 attempt to name all, and with justice to their 
 lives and careers, is impossible within the limits 
 of this article. Let it suffice to say that the 
 work of the Bay County bar is known and ap- 
 preciated throughout the State and ranks with 
 the best. 
 
 The presence of the United States Court for 
 the Northern Division of the Eastern District 
 of Michigan calls the members frequently to 
 meet in contest the best minds of the bars of 
 this and the adjoining States in the battles of 
 the forum, and in this our bar has never been 
 found wanting. If the saying is true that the 
 character and welfare of a community is largely 
 
26o 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 determined by the character of its bench and 
 of the men of the bar. who maintain, interpret 
 and administer its laws, then may Bay County 
 well be congratulated that its welfare and char- 
 acter are in such safe hands and so well-estab- 
 lished. 
 
 =:-- * * 
 
 Courts.- — The United States Court for the 
 Northern Division of the Eastern District of 
 Michigan is held in commodious court rooms 
 in the Federal Building on the first Tuesdays in 
 May and October. The following are officers 
 of this court : Judge, H. H. Swan, of Detroit, 
 salary $5,000; attorney, W. D. Gordon, of 
 Midland, salary $4,000: clerk, W. S. Harsha, 
 fees; division clerk. Miss Davison, fees; mar- 
 shal, \\'. R. Bates, salary $4,000; deputy mar- 
 shal, Lucious W. Tobias, of Bay City; com- 
 missioner, ?ilrs. Jennie Wright Jones, of Bay 
 City. 
 
 The terms of the i8th Judicial Circuit Court 
 begin in "March. May, September and Decem- 
 ber. The oflilcers of the court are: Judge, 
 Theodore F. Shepard; commissioners, George 
 R. Fox and W. A. Collins ; stenographer, A. 
 M. Haynes ; officer, Henry Cornell. 
 
 The officers of the Probate Court of Bay 
 County are : Judge, Griffith H. Francis ; clerk, 
 W. French Morgan. 
 
 Bay City has for many years had a Police 
 Court, on a metropolitan plan, over which Wil- 
 liam M. Kelley, once county clerk and ever a 
 public-spirited citizen, has now presided for 
 several terms. Since Greater Bay City became 
 an established fact, this court also handles all 
 minor cases from the West Side. Under Jus- 
 tice Kelley's experienced eye, this court has 
 long been a credit to the city. The annual re- 
 port of our Police department indicates the 
 mass of minor matters coming before this court 
 and incidentallv reflects all the weal and woe 
 
 of a 20th century city more plainly than pages 
 of subject matter. 
 
 According to the annual report for 1904, 
 there came before this court the following 
 cases, in which comparisons with the previous 
 year are shown : Of abusive language, 21 cases 
 were recorded: eight less than in 1903. As- 
 sault and battery aggregated 109 cases, a fall- 
 ing ofif of 22 cases, as compared with the pre- 
 vious year. Attempted rape was charged in 
 13 cases, a number larger than the total for 
 similar charges during the 10 years preceding 
 1902. Cohabitating with a child under 16 
 years of age was the basis of arrest in' five 
 cases, the largest number for any one year in 
 the history of the department. Only two cases 
 of enticing girls into houses of ill fame were 
 recorded. Disorderly persons, including va- 
 grants, were arrested in "]•/ cases. Fifteen cases 
 of burglary were recorded, an increase of 11 
 over the previous year. Drunkenness showed 
 an increase of 76 cases over the previous year, 
 481 arrests being made. Ill treatment of chil- 
 dren was the cause of nine arrests, an increase 
 of three. Petit larceny, while common, 78 cases 
 being recorded, was exceeded the previous year 
 b}^ 16 cases. Malicious injury to property was 
 recorded in 25 cases; the majority of ofifenders 
 came from the ranks of the small boys, bent on 
 mischief more than on crime. Nineteen children 
 were brought in charged with truancy, and of 
 juvenile disorderly, 10; of this number, four 
 were sent to the Industrial School for Boys, 
 and six to the Industrial Home for Girls. Non- 
 support caused 17 arrests, exceeding but one 
 over the previous year. Of violations of the 
 bicycle ordinance, 91 cases were recorded; 
 many being first oft'enses, very few fines were 
 imposed. Sixteen arrests were made for viola- 
 tions of various other city ordinances. The dif- 
 ference in the number of lodges cared for is 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 261 
 
 quite noticeable; there were 285 males and 15 
 females recorded, against 419 the year previous. 
 
 The following disposition of cases, coming 
 before him in 1904, was made by the police 
 justice : 
 
 The 1,260 arrests are thus classified : Males, 
 1,166 — females, 94; white, 1,243 — colored, 17; 
 married, 436 — single, 824; able to read and 
 write. 1,188 — not able to read and write, 72. 
 The arrests were classified by their nativity as 
 follows: United States, 821; Canada, 178; 
 Poland, 85; Ireland, 56; Germany, 36; Eng- 
 land, 22; Russia, 19; Scotland, 11; Siberia, 
 8: Norway, 5; Sweden, 4; Australia, 3; Fin- 
 land, Italy, Switzerland and Syria, 2 each; 
 Bohemia, China, the Netherlands and New 
 Foundland, i each. 
 
 Appealed to Circuit Court 3 
 
 Bail forfeited i 
 
 Committed to County Jail 164 
 
 Complaint withdrawn 27 
 
 Died in Hospital i 
 
 Detroit House of Correction 13 
 
 Discharged 129 
 
 Failed to appear 4 
 
 Gave bail 2 
 
 Held to Circuit Court 47 
 
 Held to Probate Court i 
 
 Industrial Home for Girls, Adrian 6 
 
 Industrial School for Boys, Lansing 4 
 
 Ordered to leave city I 
 
 Paid fine 123 
 
 Pending 14 
 
 Released by police 68 
 
 Turned over to outside officers 39 
 
 Taken to hospital i 
 
 Sentence suspended 612 
 
 Total 1260 
 
 The Medical Profession. 
 
 Build to-day, then strong and sure. 
 
 With a firm and ample base; 
 And ascending and secure 
 
 Shall to-morrow find its place. 
 
 Thus alone can we attain 
 To those turrets, where the eye 
 
 Sees the world as one vast plain. 
 And one boundless reach of sky. 
 
 — Loiigfcllotv. 
 
 Time was, when the practice of medicine 
 hardly rose to the dignity of a profession. The 
 then practitioner, who was the best guesser, let 
 out the most blood and had the largest assort- 
 ment of recipes was a sort of magician and was 
 never without patients. The discovery of im- 
 portant scientific truths during the last century 
 swept away many of the superstitions and pre- 
 tentions of the practice and schools of medicine 
 and elevated the profession to one of dignity and 
 Tecognized honor in the realm of enlightened 
 civilization. The success that has attended the 
 medical profession during the last half century 
 
 is due to the self-sacrifice and unselfish devo- 
 tion of those who have chosen the saving of life 
 and the alleviation of physical suffering as a 
 life duty, and yet the measure of success has 
 been far less in perhaps the generality of in- 
 stances than the efforts of those engaged in the 
 practice of medicine deserve. 
 
 War marks with a blare of trumpets the 
 gallant act and decorates with emblems of a 
 nation's esteem the hero who risks life for his 
 country. The ph}-sician who saves life receives 
 no such reward, but he is usually content with 
 the gratitude of the patient and the conscious- 
 
262 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUXTY 
 
 ness of a duty \vell performed. Yet in war, as 
 in peace, the doctor is an ever essential factor 
 and risks his hfe and health in the camp, on the 
 battle-field and in the hospitals of pain. He is 
 a comforter of the sick and afflicted, as well as 
 the hope of the hearts of the families of the 
 sufferer, and if his fame is less pretentious it 
 is none the less appreciated. 
 
 We find in the opening j-ears of this 20th 
 century no more honored profession that that 
 of medicine. In its practice comparatively few, 
 however, have been rewarded with rich returns, 
 and there are many in this profession, who have 
 not met with the same measure of success finan- 
 cially that comes to those engaged in other 
 business or professional pursuits. 
 
 This was particularly true of the first prac- 
 titioners, regulars and volunteers, who sought 
 to heal and to help ailing mankind in the wilds 
 of Central Michigan. Jacob Graverot, the pict- 
 uresque frontiersman of early times in this 
 neck of the primeval forest, attained much of 
 his fame and eminence among the Indians by 
 his primitive but apparently effective treatment 
 ment of the natives when ill or wounded. His 
 limited knowledge of medicine, particularly the 
 curative qualities of herbs and shrubs, made 
 him a medicine man among the roaming Chip- 
 pewas. The first settlers in these parts for 
 years after his death., which occurred about 
 1839, heard the red men recount his miraculous 
 cures of members of their tribes, long before 
 another pale face medicine man visited the 
 banks of the Saginaw. 
 
 Here, as elsewhere, the hardy pioneers, who 
 first left the borders of civilization and wan 
 dered into the little clearing where Bay City 
 stands to-day, were like the conquerors of old, 
 who burned their ships behind them, and risked 
 everything, even health and life, in the un- 
 known and isolated settlement. The bayous 
 and swampy lowlands were veritable malaria 
 
 breeders, yet Judge Albert Miller in his me- 
 moirs recalls the fact that the men and women 
 who first came to these parts were a hardy race, 
 and sickness was a rare occurrence. Home rem- 
 edies, such as were found in every home in the 
 land 70 years ago, were never missing from the 
 crude shelves of the log cabins of the settlers. 
 In extreme and rare cases, some practicing phy- 
 sician would be brought from Saginaw, Flint 
 and even Detroit. 
 
 Mrs. Elizabeth (Wilcox) Rogers, wife of 
 Thomas Rogers and daughter of Dr. Wilcox, 
 of \Vatertown, Xew York, who came here 
 about 1837, was for years the "Good Samari- 
 tan" of the pioneer settlement. Born Novem- 
 ber 12, 1809, she spent much of her youth in 
 the office of her father, and early learned to> 
 compound medicines and fill prescriptions. She 
 was an ardent student of medicine, and when 
 18 years of age was often consulted by her 
 father on various and difficult cases that oc- 
 curred in his daily practice. After marrying" 
 Mr. Rogers, they came West by way of To- 
 ronto, Canada. Judge Miller hired Isir. Rogers- 
 as blacksmith and millwright to assist in estab- 
 lishing the first sawmill in what is now Bay- 
 City, and he filled a multiplicity of minor pub- 
 lic positions during those early days. He was 
 constable, then mail carrier between here and 
 Saginaw, and justice of the peace for a number 
 of years. Thus the husband tied the nuptial 
 knot of the first couple married here, — Fred 
 Derr and Miss Clark^ the school teacher of the 
 little settlement. And it was his good wife 
 who was present when Elizabeth Barney, 
 and later wife of A. G. Sinclair, was born in- 
 i\Iay, 1838, in the little log cabin, where the 
 Maxwell Block stands to-day, — the first white- 
 daughter of iSIr. and Mrs. Cromwell Barney, 
 child born in Bay County. From that time- 
 forth until 1850, Mrs. Rogers was the minister- 
 ine ans:el of the backwoods settlement. The 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 263 
 
 early settlers never forgot her many acts of 
 benevolence and her womanly devotion to the 
 sick and dying, in days that tried men's souls. 
 At all hours of the day or night, through storm 
 or snow, rain or shine, on foot or on horseback, 
 she would hasten through the woods, infested 
 with wild beasts, to the bedside of the sick or 
 dying. There w-as scarcely a child born in the 
 settlement for 20 years that she was not pres- 
 ent, even after practicing physicians came to 
 the growing lumber town. And all this she did 
 because she felt it was a duty she owed her 
 fellow-men, without remuneration, happy if her 
 humble efforts relieved the suffering and 
 cheered the dying. And during all these years 
 she was raising a family of her own, four boys 
 and three girls remaining with her, when Mr. 
 Rogers was stricken with the cholera, (lur- 
 ing the epidemic in the summer of 1852, 
 while cutting prairie hay a few miles south 
 of his home. He was found by Orrin 
 Kinney, and tenderly carried hoine in a 
 blanket, but died in a very few hours de- 
 spite all his devoted wife could do. Her 
 daughters all married men of local promi- 
 nence: Esther became Airs. Riley M. Burring- 
 ton; Bettie became Mrs. Charles B. Cottrell, 
 and Ellen became the wife of the late Prof. 
 Fred W". Lankenau, for years superintendent 
 of the West Side schools. Mrs. Rogers of 
 blessed memory died July 16, 1881. She lived 
 to see the four families that were here when she 
 first came, multiply and grow to a prosperous 
 city of 20,000 souls. 
 
 Dr. J. T. Aliller of Saginaw occasionally 
 came down to the forlorn little settlement, while 
 Dr. George E. Smith was the first practicing 
 physician and registered pharmacist to lo- 
 cate in Bay City. He graduated from the 
 Cleveland Medical College, began practice 
 here in 1850, owned the first drug store 
 and was postmaster from 1853 to 1861. 
 
 In 1 86 1 he turned his attention to the lumber 
 industry, where he realized quicker returns, 
 until 1878, ivhen his health failed him, and 
 he again took up the practice of medicine. 
 He was a highly respected citizen. Dr. August 
 Nabert, born January 10, 1828, in Brunswick, 
 Germany, graduated from the medical college 
 of his native city, sailed for three years on a 
 whaling vessel in the South Seas, came here 
 to practice in 1851, and himself fell a victim 
 to the cholera epidemic of 1852. A widow and 
 five children survived him, including August 
 Nabert, now in the upholstering business on 
 Fourth avenue. He, too, fell at the post of 
 duty, in the service of humanity, yet no medal 
 was struck in his honor, nor did a grateful com- 
 munity enscribe his name on the tablets of 
 fame ! 
 
 The pioneer physicians had to undergo all 
 the privations and hardships of the settlement. 
 Dr. Smith, and the other practitioners who 
 came prior to 1865, had to be as expert in a 
 canoe as on horseback, and they had to know 
 the Indian trails as well and better than the set- 
 tlers, because, forsooth, the settler need know 
 only his own vicinity, while the physician must 
 know them all ! It was nothing unusual for Dr. 
 Smith to follow the "blazed" trail to Wiliams 
 township, where the '"C. C. C." of Mr. Chilson, 
 and an irregular path through the dense forest, 
 alone showed the way. In spring and fall it 
 was not practical to travel this trail with a 
 horse, which would flounder around helplessly 
 in the quagmire, and a stout .stick and huge 
 rubber boots were the physician's only aids in 
 reaching a rural patient during those seasons. 
 Often these calls would come in the middle of 
 the night, and a pine torch, and later a lantern, 
 would be carried by the guide to the home of 
 the sufferer. Whenever practicable, the omni- 
 present bark canoe of the Indians would be 
 called into requisition as the readiest mode of 
 
>64 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 transportation to the patients along the Sagi- 
 naw and Kawkawlin and their tributaries. Any 
 one who has ever navigated one of these craft 
 will appreciate the skill required to handle 
 them, and the danger inseparable from trips 
 along the bay shore to the Kawkawlin or Ouan- 
 nicassee in so frail a craft. Calls from Frank- 
 enlust, Hampton and Portsmouth townships 
 always meant a long trip over corduroy roads 
 or no roads at all. 
 
 Since drug stores were scarce, it behooved 
 the pioneer physician to carry a small sized 
 pharmacy with him, and thus burdened he 
 would have to ride a horse of sure foot but try- 
 ing gait to the scattered cabins, where often 
 dire want and privation were the effective aux- 
 iliaries of disease and death. 
 
 That fees were meagre and often paid in 
 farm supplies rather than cash, is not surpris- 
 ing under the circumstances. But ungrateful- 
 ness and debt dodging were seldom heard of in 
 this settlement. Dr. Elizabeth (Wilcox) Rog- 
 ers declared all our first settlers to be "noble- 
 hearted men and women, whom it would seem 
 God had selected to make the beginning here, 
 which otherwise would never have been done!" 
 And the same pioneers adored her "because 
 she was as brave as a lioness in the face of 
 danger, and when her sympathies were called 
 into action, she was as tender as a child !"' This 
 mutual high estimate of character speaks vol- 
 umes for the integrity and kindness of heart of 
 our pioneers. 
 
 From 1S55 to 1865 the Indians added start- 
 ling experiences to the daily life and practice 
 of the few physicians, who risked health and 
 fortune in this settlement. Seldom did these 
 red men visit Bay City, but what a general 
 carouse ensued, ending usually in a brawl and 
 bloodshed. Then the doctor would be sent 
 for and, at the risk of meeting the altogether 
 too promiscuous blade of the hunting knife, 
 
 would bind up the wounded and maimed, or 
 assist at the inquest of the dead. 
 
 Almost as dangerous and exciting was the 
 doctor's work in Bay City during the palmy 
 days of the lumber industry. Many were the 
 free for all fights among the lumber jacks and 
 sailors, and the calls for the surgeon's services 
 in the tenderloin district were of almost daily 
 occurrence. Frequently the surgeon on his 
 mission of mercy would arrive before peace 
 and quiet had been restored, and while revolver 
 shots and beer kegs were still flying promiscu- 
 ously about at the hands of burly fellows crazed 
 by fire-water and licentiousness. That these 
 lurid experiences w^re the exception, and con- 
 fined to the harbor district, did not detract from 
 the risk taken at some time or other by all 
 the physicians who practiced here during those 
 stirring times, and many a life, recklessly 
 thrown away in these shambles of a frontier 
 settlement, was saved by the devoted effort and 
 scientific treatment of the doctor who chanced 
 to be called first, only too frequently without as 
 much as a single word of appreciation, let 
 alone remuneration. This was particularly 
 true of the roving population who came and 
 went like a surging tide among this and simi- 
 lar lumber towns of Michigan in the decade 
 from 1 870 to 1 880. 
 
 From that time on the population assumed 
 a more staid and reliable character. Working- 
 men came to make homes and take up land, and 
 the rough and read rambler followed the 
 frontier as it was pushed steadily westward 
 and northward. And just as the population 
 became more stationary, even so the professions 
 became more numerous and progressive. Emi- 
 nent surgeons who had served through the 
 bloody campaigns of the Civil Vv'ar continued 
 the practice of their profession amid more 
 peaceful and more promising surroundings in 
 Bay City, then just entering on its period of 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 26s 
 
 unprecedented growth and development. 
 Young students who had left the high school 
 and university, risking their life no less than 
 their profession, in defense of their country, 
 flocked from the battle-fields back to school and 
 later went from college and university halls to 
 the wider fields of life and practice. 
 
 Great discoveries were being made about 
 this time in every field of endeavor. Railroads 
 were connecting all parts of the country, steam- 
 boats connecting the most distant portions of 
 the globe, and the electric spark was provid- 
 ing a sure and ready means for an interchange 
 of knowledge and experience, unknown in pre- 
 ceding ages. The medical profession was one 
 of the chief beneficiaries of these modern inven- 
 tions, just as in the profession itself rapid 
 strides were made in scientific knowledge and 
 practical application. 
 
 Thus early the concentration and combina- 
 tion of kindred interests were being appreciated 
 and carried out in an humble way, humljle we 
 say, when compared to the giant combinations 
 of capital, of labor and even of the professions 
 in these opening years of the 20th century. 
 The origin of medical associations sprang from 
 the same desire for mutual benefit and protec- 
 tion that has characterized other pursuits, with 
 this marked distinction however, that the peo- 
 ple at large truly share in the benefits derived 
 from this concerted study and effort of the 
 medical profession. 
 
 \\ onders have l^een acomplished in medi- 
 cine and surgery in the last 40 years, and who 
 can say how much of this advancement, so 
 precious to mankind, has been brought about 
 by the concerted effort and concentrated study 
 and investigation of the medical profession the 
 world over? Yet the benefits to be derived 
 from collective effort required years of practi- 
 cal demonstration, before even here the dawn 
 of a new era pierced the antiquated customs of 
 
 other and darker days ! As these benefits be- 
 came more apparent, the question of education 
 upon lines of the greatest advantage to all be- 
 came recognized, and the organization of socie- 
 ties, which have for their basic principle the in- 
 terchange of ideas that benefit the members 
 mutually, soon followed. The development of 
 medical science and the requirements of civili- 
 zation have created conditions that call for all 
 that is brightest and best in our professional 
 life, and the medical society ocupies a position 
 of recognized utility in human endeavor and 
 an honored position among the educational as- 
 sociations of the world. The benefits it confers 
 on its members are invaluable. It has enabled 
 the profession to purge itself in a large meas- 
 ure of quacks and ignorant pretenders, "fakers'' 
 more properly designated, and to protect the 
 public as well as itself from the wolves that 
 have preyed upon the credulity of the masses. 
 Since Bay County from its earliest days 
 possessed able and devoted practitioners, it fol- 
 lowed as a matter of course that the bright 
 young men then largely comprising the profes- 
 sion here should early take a most advanced 
 stand on so vital a proposition. Hence the Bay 
 County Medical Society as early as 1865 began, 
 in an informal way, its period of usefulness. 
 But not until about 1873 ^^-'^^ a permanent 
 organization perfected^ and even this suffered 
 an interval when this promising field lay dor- 
 mant. The late Dr. Horace Tupper was the 
 first president of the Bay County Medical So- 
 ciety, and Dr. Robert W. Erwin, one of the 
 deans of the profession locally, who in 1905 
 is still enjoying a lucrative practice, and who 
 l)ut two short years ago was the vigorous pres- 
 ident of the Board of Health, was its first secre- 
 tary. Dr. Tupper was one of Bay County's pio- 
 neer physicians, and one of the most widely 
 known practitioners in Michigan, his services 
 being required all over this part of the State. 
 
-266 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Tlie Bay County Aledical Society in 1905 
 holds regular meetings, and from a small be- 
 ginning now includes the larger number of the 
 members of the profession in Bay Count}'. It 
 has been an agency of value to the city and 
 county, as well as to the individual members. 
 The subjects that form topics for consideration 
 are such as appeal to the advanced medical 
 practitioner, including surgery in its various 
 branches, and the best methods of combatting 
 maladies that affect human life. It has been of 
 inestimable advantage to the profession in the 
 valley and is strong', vigorous and alive to 
 every onward movement in medical science. 
 It represents the finest equipped physicians and 
 surgeons in this county, and there are no abler 
 practitioners to be found anywhere. 
 
 As a relaxation from the arduous labors of 
 the profession, the members of the society are 
 accustomed to gather occasionally at a physi- 
 cians' banquet, where the best of good-fellow- 
 ship reigns. Even here it is their chief delight 
 to discuss learned matters and from the lips 
 of a leader in their chosen profession acquire 
 more knowledge and the benefit of ripe experi- 
 ence and minute research. Their predecessors 
 in the line of duty 30 years ago did not have 
 these advantages. Preeminent leaders there 
 were, then as now, but the same means of travel 
 and intercourse were so restricted that able 
 treatises in the medical journals alone could 
 convey to the profession in the rural districts 
 the benefits of new ideas, new formulas and 
 new methods. 
 
 The present officers of the society are : Dr. 
 Russel W. Brown, president ; Dr. Archibald W. 
 Herrick, secretary; Dr. Charles H. Baker, 
 treasurer. It would be impossible to give in 
 this connection a list of the membership of the 
 society in all these years since its organization, 
 -but among those who have been prominent are 
 the well-known and still active practitioners, 
 
 the deans of the profession locally, — Dr. Henry 
 B. Land(-)n, Dr. Robert W. Erwin, Dr. Isaac 
 E. Randall, Dr. Charles T. Newkirk and Dr. 
 John W. Hauxhurst, while the necrology of 
 the society contains such honored names as 
 Dr. Horace Tupper, Dr. Columbus V. Tyler, 
 Dr. Jeffrey R. Thomas, Dr. R. W. Elliott, and 
 Dr. A. E. Hagadorn, able and beloved practi- 
 tioners, whose names will live long in the hearts 
 of those they served so well in life, many of 
 whom owe their very lives to timely and expe- 
 rienced medical aid in times of need ! 
 
 \\'hile we are decidedly in the age of the $ 
 mark, when almost everything and everybody 
 is measured by the monetary standard, and 
 when there are occasionally people who feel 
 that anything they pay for in hard cash re- 
 cjuires no further comment or concern, to the 
 great majority the devoted care of the family 
 physician cannot and will not be measured by 
 that Iciw standard. Life and health are price- 
 less gifts, and those who serve humanity in the 
 consideration of those gifts merit a reward that 
 goes beyond the grave and that cannot be com- 
 puted in mere dollars and cents_, be the com- 
 putation ever so liberal. Verily the able and de- 
 voted physician is indeed a benefactor of man- 
 kind ! 
 
 Bay County has reason to appreciate the 
 ability, character and services of its medical 
 practitioners ! If every community in our good 
 State and great country is as al.ily served, then 
 can we well understand and believe that the 
 nation's mortality statistics are becoming year- 
 ly more encouraging, and the average span of 
 life, despite our strenuosity. is gradually and 
 steadily being prolonged. The advance in sur- 
 gery and medicine is one of the great marvels 
 of this enlightened age, and progress and re- 
 sults are constant and well-defined on this vital 
 field of human endeavor. We need but look 
 about us and take but a fleeting glance at com- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 267 
 
 parative statistics of health and mortahty right 
 here at home during the past 30 years, to appre- 
 ciate the benefits conferred by the earnest study 
 and advanced methods used by our own es- 
 teemed guardians of hfe and heaUh. 
 
 There is no organization of citizens which 
 has for its objects the welfare of the community 
 and advancement of its members that has been 
 productive of a greater measure of general 
 good than the Bay County Medical Society. 
 It deserves the highest meed of praise and its 
 members are among our most esteemed citi- 
 zens. From its ranks have come some of the 
 ablest instructors in our country's leading 
 schools of medicine. Dr. Fleming Carrow, the 
 noted oculist, who was for some time in prac- 
 tice in Bay County, was for many years profes- 
 sor at the University of Michigan, the special- 
 ist on diseases of the eye and ear. He was en- 
 joying a lucrative practice extending all over 
 the State, when the call came to accept a chair 
 in Michigan's far-famed university at Ann 
 Arbor. Dr. R. S. Copeland, of the Homeo- 
 pathic Medical School at the University of 
 Michigan, came to Bay City about the time Dr. 
 Carrow was called to Ann Arlxir, and for some 
 years also enjoyed a lucrative practice, until 
 called to the higher post of duty and honor. 
 
 Bay City has skilled men filling the places 
 of those who have been called to larger fields, 
 and right well are they maintaining the repu- 
 tation of their predecessors. Dr. \\'. \\'. Wil- 
 liams and others have this very year, after 
 studies abroad, taken up at home the practice 
 of electro-therapeutics, and it may be safely 
 asserted that in this branch of the profession 
 there are none better equipped than those in this 
 city. In the field of general practice the society 
 is strong and the names and reputations of a 
 score or more of these are secure. 
 
 Note the changes in the honor roll of our 
 medical profession of 30 years ago and now. 
 
 In 1875 we find practicing here the following 
 physicians : Charles A. Bogert, John H. Bur- 
 land, William H. Burr, James Clark, Sira Car- 
 men, William W. Elmer, John ]\I. Emery, Ste- 
 phen • H. Hagadorn, John Hargrave, W^. E. 
 Vaughn, who located here in 1868; Norman 
 Johnson, Owen Kelley, C. C. Kingsbury, Rich- 
 ard Kratzsch, George La^Montagne, Jeremy T. 
 Miller, John Oldfield, Patrick \\". O'Toole and 
 W. R. Tupper, practitioners long since van- 
 ished fr(im the scene of their activities, whether 
 by death or removal. Among the active list of 
 30 years ago, but whom the Grim Reaper has 
 since gathered to the majority, we find the late 
 Dr. William Cunningham, Sr., Dr. Edwin H. 
 Gates, who came here in 1866: Dr. A. F. Hag- 
 adorn, who came here in 1875; Dr. George 
 Heumann, whose thrilling experience in a bliz- 
 zard while crossing Saginaw Bay cost him a leg 
 and nearly his life, a vivid reminder of the 
 dangers constantly attending the devoted min- 
 istrations of the first physicians in this frontier 
 settlement; Dr. Henry A. Marks, Dr. Aaron A. 
 Pratt, Dr. Jefifrey R. Thomas, Dr. Horace 
 Tupper, Dr. Columbus V. Tyler who came here 
 in 1869; and Mrs. ]\Iarion F. Ma.xon, the lone 
 woman physician 30 years ago, with offices in 
 the Griswold Block, were all beloved and es- 
 teemed practitioners, whose memories are treas- 
 ured by the thousands they served so well, and 
 whose fame as leaders in the various branches 
 of the profession locally will endure for genera- 
 tions yet to come. 
 
 To few men in any walk of life is it given 
 to be able to look on 30 years of consecutive 
 service in one community, and in this distin- 
 guished list we find on active duty in 1875, and 
 some much earlier; Dr. Rol)ert W. Erwin, then 
 located on Fifth avenue and Adams streets; 
 Dr. Harvey Gilbert, then in the Cranage Block 
 and in 1903-04 the energetic health officer, 
 combatting a mild, local epidemic of smallpox, 
 
268 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 and incidentally carrying forward the campaign 
 for more effective work in the secretary's de- 
 partment of the State Board of Health; Dr. 
 Henry B. Landon, our esteemed veteran soldier 
 and physician, the first of the still living and 
 practicing physicians to come here, who can 
 now look back upon 40 years of almost con- 
 tinuous service among the good people of Bay 
 County, and who in 1875 ^^^'^^ offices on Fifth 
 avenue and Jefferson street; Dr. Charles T. 
 Newkirk, the globetrotter and veteran army 
 surgeon, whose medical experience extends 
 over three continents, who in 1862, hardly of 
 age and just graduated from Victoria College 
 at Toronto, joined his brother in the Argentine 
 Republic, in South America, later lost his 
 brother, Dr. Daniel Newkirk, in a smallpox 
 epidemic, served three years as surgeon in the 
 army of Brazil in Paraguay, with the rank of 
 captain, then four months in a yellow fever 
 epidemic in Buenos Ayres, and, after visiting 
 the leading hospitals of London and Continen- 
 tal Europe, located permanently in Bay City in 
 1868. In 1875 we find him located at No. 305 
 Nordi Water street, where to-day stand the 
 mammoth storage tanks of the gas company. 
 In 1898 the writer had reason to see and appre- 
 ciate the work of Dr. Newkirk, then major and 
 surgeon in the United States Army, serving 
 before Santiago, amid the hospitals of the 
 wounded and dying at Siboney, and the fever 
 wards near Aquadores. In 1905 Dr. Newkirk 
 is still serving his State as surgeon, with the 
 rank of captain of the 3rd Infantry, Michigan 
 National Guard. Dr. Charles A. Walsh was 
 located in the Cranage Block in 1875, and for 
 more than thirty years Bay City has admired 
 and appreciated his professional services, his 
 good citizenship, which ever finds time and 
 energv from his other duties for public-spirited 
 endeavors. Dr. George A. Williams had head- 
 quarters in Whitney's drug-store in 1875, and 
 
 thirtv years after still enjoys good health, his 
 share of the county's practice, and the reputa- 
 tion of being a capital entertainer and a pro- 
 ficient linguist. Dr. \A'illiam F. Hovey, Civil 
 War ^■eteran, was in 1875, practicing on South 
 Water street, but of late years he has retired 
 for a well-earned repose from the exacting du- 
 ties of his profession. He lives with his daugh- 
 ter, Mrs. H. C. Clements, on Center avenue, 
 but still takes an active interest in public affairs 
 of his ward, city, county and State. Bay City, 
 West Side, has in 1905 no more popular and 
 representative a citizen than Dr. Isaac E. Ran- 
 dall, who began his professional career there in 
 1867, and practically grew up with that com- 
 munity. In 1875 we already find him in the lo- 
 cation on John and River streets, where he is 
 in 1905, the beloved family medical adviser in 
 hundreds of Bay County homes, pension ex- 
 aminer and public-spirited citizen, who contrib- 
 uted much tOAvard the union of our municipali- 
 ties. Dr. William E. Magill came to Denona 
 in 1870. was practicing in 1875 on Henry street 
 between John and Jane streets, and soon there- 
 after began active public life and service, which 
 kept him much from his professional duties. 
 For five years he was superintendent of the 
 West Bay City schools ; mayor, 1881-82, county 
 treasurer six years ; insurance commissioner for 
 Michigan 1891-93, since which time he has held 
 sundry other local offices, being the last city 
 treasurer of West Bay City, going out of office 
 upon the consolidation of the sister cities in 
 April, 1905. There is in all Bay County no 
 better illustration of loyal friendship and un- 
 swerving devotion, the local illustration of the 
 far-famed story of Damon and Pythias, than 
 the thirty-five years of companionship of Hon. 
 H. H. Aplin and Dr. William E. Magill, a 
 friendship that has exerted a marked influence 
 on the course of local and public events in that 
 long period, unhampered by opposing political 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 269 
 
 beliefs, Dr. Magill being for years as ardent a 
 Democrat as his friend was a stanch Repub- 
 Hcan. Both are still in active service, united 
 now politically, since the money issue changed 
 party demarcation and their fellow-citizens wish 
 them many more years of usefulness and happy 
 comradeship. Dr. John W. Hauxhurst in 1875 
 was located on Midland street between River 
 and Linn streets, then as now, the heart of the 
 West Side, and in 1905 we find this eminent 
 physician still enjoying the confidence and es- 
 teem of a wide circle of acquamtances, with his 
 professional services in much demand. Dr. 
 Henry Wiede, practicing in Salzburg in 1875, 
 has vanished from this vicinity. Dr. Fred D. 
 Hiesordt has the unique distinction of being the 
 oldest native-born practitioner. Born in Bay 
 City in 1858, lie graduated from the Bay City 
 High School in 1876, the University of Mich- 
 igan in 1879, ^"tl the Detroit Medical College 
 in 1 88 1. He came here immediately to prac- 
 tice, and in an unostentatious way has followed 
 his chosen profession here since, living with his 
 father, P. S. Hiesordt, who taught the first 
 graded school in Bay City. Dr. Columbus V. 
 Tyler was one of the most conspicuous figures 
 in Bay County's medical profession. Born in 
 1825, he came here in 1869, was elected State 
 Senator for the term from 1876 to 1879, and 
 served on the State Board of Health. He was 
 a prominent member of the Bay County Med- 
 ical Society and of the American Medical Asso- 
 ciation. 
 
 In 1905 we find Bay City well supplied with 
 hospitals and sanitariums, yet only five years 
 ago there was not in all Bay County a single 
 emergency institution. In 1880 Dr. J. A. Water- 
 house, graduated of the Eclectic Medical Insti- 
 tute at Cincinnati, Ohio, came here to estab- 
 lish the Bay City Hospital, occupying four 
 rooms in the Smith & Hart Block on Water 
 street; the year following he engaged thirty 
 
 15 
 
 rooms at Third and Saginaw streets, called in 
 his brother. Dr. H. M. Waterhouse, a skilled 
 surgeon, and for several years treated thous- 
 ands of patients. This and similar institutions 
 started later thrived for a while and then van- 
 ished. In 1900 Mercy Hospital was founded 
 through the self-denying and persistent efforts 
 of the good Sisters of jMercy, ably assisted by 
 the medical profession and many of the laity. 
 This institution has been successful from its 
 very inception, as well as a boon to suffering 
 humanity. Since then the Lewis Hospital on 
 Broadway, Bishop Hospital on Center avenue, 
 and several private sanitariums have been es- 
 tablished, so that in this particular Bay County 
 is now well equipped and has in fact ample hos- 
 pital facilities for all the surrounding region, 
 whose people gladly avail themselves of the 
 splendid corps of local practitioners and modern 
 hospital accommodations. In surgery Bay City 
 stands pre-eminent in the State, a large corps 
 of capable and experienced surgeons enjoying; 
 extended and constantly increasing practice. 
 
 The following mortality statistics gleaned 
 from the Federal census of 1900, will be of in- 
 terest to the medical profession, no less than to 
 the laity. During the census year there were 547 
 deaths in Greater Bay City, 351 on the East 
 Side, and 196 on the West Side. Of these, 
 348 were native born and 191 foreign born. 
 Let it be recalled here that this same census 
 shows Bay City, East Side, to have had in that 
 year 13,546 males, and 14,082 females; 27,485 
 whites, and 143 colored, of whom 19.143 were 
 native born, and 8,485 foreign born. The for- 
 eign born amounted to 30.7 per cent, of the 
 whole. Now we have always been told that the 
 hardy foreigners are far stronger physically 
 than the pie-eating Yankees, but for Bay City 
 the statistics tell a different tale. The total 
 death rate per 1,000 of population in Bay City, 
 East Side, was 12.7 per cent.; the deadi rate 
 
HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 of the native born was i i.S per cent., -while that 
 of the foreign born was 14.9 per cent. On the 
 West Side the total death rate was 14.9 per 
 cent per i ,000 population ; the death rate of 
 the nati\'e born was 13.8 per cent., while that of 
 the foreign born was 17.8 per cent. The age 
 periods of the deaths on the East Side were as 
 follows : Under one year, 72 ; under five years, 
 108; five to 14 years, 25; 15 to 24 years, 30; 
 25 to 34 years, 2-j\ 35 to 44 years, 25; 45 to 
 ■64 years, 68 ; 65 years and over, 68. On West 
 Side the age period of the deaths were as fol- 
 lows : Under one year, 46 ; under five years, 
 ■67; five to 14 years, 14; 15 to 24 years, 23; 25 
 to 34 years, 21 : 35 to 44 years, 14; 45 to 64 
 years, 30 ; 65 years and over, 27. 
 
 The principle causes of death on the East 
 and West sides, respectively, were as follows : 
 Measles. 3 and 4: scarlet fever, 10 and 2; diph- 
 theria and croup, 21 and 8; diarrheal diseases, 
 13 and 15; typhoid fever, 8 and 6; malarial 
 fever, 2 and 3 ; influenza, 3 and i ; pneumonia, 
 13 and 14; consumption, 19 and 20 (the first 
 number being the deaths on the East Side, the 
 last figures the deaths on the West Side). In- 
 creased mortality during the last decade is 
 shown in pneumonia, 5 per cent ; heart disease, 
 12.2 per cent.; kidney diseases, 24 per cent, 
 (now used as an argument favoring temper- 
 ance!): apoplexy, 17.6 per cent.; cancer, 12. i 
 per cent. ; old age, 9.1 per cent (mark that !) in- 
 fluenza 17.7 per cent. ; stomach diseases, 1.9 per 
 cent.; suicide, 1.5 per cent.; septicemia, 2.3 per 
 ■cent. ; diabetes, 3.9 per cent. ; burns ami scalds, 
 3.3 per cent. ; cerebro-spinal fever, .8 per cent, 
 (this disease is causing much illness and death 
 in New York and elsewhere in 1905) ; gunshot 
 wounds, 1.4 per cent. Encouraging decreases 
 in mortality for the same period are shown in 
 consumption, 54.9 per cent ; diarrheal diseases, 
 19 per cent. ; bronchitis. 26.1 per cent. ; cholera 
 infantum, 3 1 .9 per cent. ; debility and atrophy. 
 
 43.1 per cent.; diphtheria, 34.7 per cent; con- 
 \ulsions, 23.2 per cent.; brain diseases, 12.3 per 
 cent.; croup 17.8 per cent. ; malarial fever, 10.4 
 per cent.; rheumatism. 1.3 per cent.; inflamma- 
 tion of the brain, "j.^) per cent. ; paralysis, 2.7 
 per cent.; liver diseases, 1.5 per cent.; dropsy, 
 3.4 per cent. Much of this discrease in our 
 most dreaded national ailments is of course due 
 to the advances made by the medical profession 
 in the last decade, no less than to the more ra- 
 tional living of the nation itself. A'erily we do 
 progress ! 
 
 In this place it may not be inappropriate to 
 note a few of the coordinate branches of the 
 schools of medicine. There is the druggist, the 
 skilled mixer and compounder, upon whose ex- 
 perience and ability often depends so much of 
 the physician's success and the weal and woe 
 of many patients. William W. \'edder is the 
 dean of druggists on the West Side, being the 
 first pharmacist to locate there in 1873, '^'^^ ""^ 
 1905 he is still dispensing drugs to his appre- 
 ciative neighbors. On the East Side, John K. 
 Mason is the dean, beginning under the firm 
 name of Mason & McNeil in 1874, taking in 
 Lyman F. Beach in 1879, the firm of Alason & 
 Beach continuing to this daj- among the leaders 
 in the drug line in Northern Michigan. Lucien 
 S. Coman was located at No. 107 Center ave- 
 nue in 1875, later going to the corner of Center 
 and W'ashington aveues, where he continued in 
 business almost up to the hour of his death. 
 Florentine H. J. \'anEmster was located on 
 Broadway and i8th street in 1875; later he 
 erected the fine block at the head of Washing- 
 ton avenue, which bears this name. Mr. Van 
 Emster met a tragic death a few years ago 
 through the burning of his drug store, three 
 lives being lost in the conflagration. Frederick 
 Von Walthousen was in 1875 located on Third 
 and Water streets ; later he removed to Center 
 avenue and Adams street, and in 1905 is still 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 271 
 
 among the living, but bent under the weight of 
 75 winters and many misfortunes. C. C. Whit- 
 ney in 1875 ^■'^'i ^ drug store in the Bank Block, 
 but in 1905 we find him in the National Chic- 
 ory Company and the National Biscuit Com- 
 pany, while others are carrying on his former 
 business. There were twelve other drug stores 
 in 1875 o" '^'16 East Side, and two others on the 
 West Side, so the growing city, then as now, 
 was well supplied in that line. 
 
 Less numerous but equally welcome were 
 the dentists. Dr. Hezekiah B. Hulbert came 
 here in 1868, and in 1875 "^^'^^ located in the 
 Cranage Block, while in 1905 the sage prac- 
 titioner is located in the Ridotto. Dr. Carl W. 
 Maxon, in 1905 practicing on the West Side, 
 came here in 1866, was located in the Westover 
 Block in 1875 ^'""^^ ^''^s long enjoyed his share 
 of the dental business. The late Dr. N. H. 
 Webster came here in 1866, was located in the 
 Shearer Block in 1875, and continued actively 
 at work for nearly 30 years. His widow still 
 lives in their commodious home on State street, 
 in its day one of the finest homes on the W^est 
 Side. As late as 1S75 the West Side had no 
 dentists, but in 1905 this field is also well taken 
 care of. Most of the practitioners in dentistry 
 in Bay City, East and West Side, in 1905, are 
 recent graduates from the University of Mich- 
 igan and similar institutions, which are today 
 furnishing the world with the most advanced 
 practitioners in that field of endeavor. They 
 are a boon to our sweet-tooth generation, with 
 its manifold needs for dentistry in a degree un- 
 known by our forefathers. They are progres- 
 sive citizens withal and with the medical pro- 
 fession take a foremost place in our social, pub- 
 lic and civil life. Their long years of study 
 
 and preparation, no less than their close appli- 
 cation to their chosen profession, merit unlimit- 
 ed success. 
 
 As early as the 17th century, Frederick von 
 Logau made this aphorism a by-word in his 
 nation : 
 
 The best medicines that I would propose, 
 
 Are Joy and Temperance and Repose, 
 
 For they slam the door on the doctor's nose ! 
 
 As a nation we have still much to learn on 
 that score, and our practitioners would find it 
 less difficult to save human life, were life not 
 held too cheaply by many people. Good health 
 is the greatest boon of God, and mankind should 
 not fritter it away recklessly, heedlessly, un- 
 mindful of the first laws of health and the timely 
 warnings of Nature. Medicine and science can- 
 not always heal wounds thus recklessly in- 
 flicted ! The most progressive physician is still 
 but himself human, and far from being omni- 
 potent. His efforts to prolong and to save life 
 require the constant and earnest co-operation of 
 our people. Temperate living will do much to 
 alleviate the sum of human suffering and in- 
 crease the sum of human happiness. That is 
 the life work and the life ambition of each suc- 
 cessful physician, never so happy as when this 
 ideal has been reached in even a remote degree 
 and even in an isolated instance. And a grate- 
 ful and appreciative people extend to the pro- 
 fession that high plane in life, to which their 
 devoted work for weak and suffering humanity 
 justly entitles them. 
 
 Each lonely place shall him restore, 
 For him the tear be duly shed; 
 Beloved, tilllife can charm no more. 
 And mourned till gratitude be dead! 
 
 — Irving. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Churches^ Religious Societies^ Hospitals and Charities. 
 
 METHODIST CHURCHES. 
 
 According to the late Judge Albert ^liller, 
 the first church that was built in the Saginaw- 
 Valley and dedicated to the worship of God 
 was the Methodist Mission Church at Kawkaw- 
 lin, which was presided over by Rev. Mr. 
 Brown. 
 
 ]\Iadison Avenue Methodist Episcopal 
 Church. — At that time there were a few famil- 
 ies living in Lower Saginaw, as Bay City was 
 tlien called, who had so far advanced in civili- 
 zation as to build a small school house about 20 
 feet square, which stood near the corner of 
 First street and Washington avenue. Here Rev. 
 j\Ir. Brown preached occasionally, when the 
 people at Portsmouth had the privilege of at- 
 tending religious worship by walking two or 
 three miles over a rough road. Mrs. Belinda 
 Barney, Mr. and Mrs. Raby and J. Crutchfield 
 organized the first ^lethodist class in Bay City 
 in 1837. Meetings were held from time to 
 time by the various Methodist preachers who 
 rode this circuit until 1852 when Rev. George 
 Bradley was assigned to the pastorate by the 
 annual conference held at Niles. During his 
 ministry in 1852-53 the society was fully or- 
 ganized and a church edifice erected on Wash- 
 ington avenue: here the church worshiped un- 
 til its present beautiful home on the corner of 
 Madison avenue and Ninth street was com- 
 
 pleted. It was built in 1885 at a cost of $50,- 
 000, and about ten years later the parsonage 
 adjoining the church on Ninth street was erected 
 at a cost of $8,000. On September 5, 1859, 
 William Benson recorded in the county clerk's 
 office the appointment of Calvin C. C. Chilson, 
 Henry M. Bradley, Henry M. Stillman, John J. 
 Nichols and A. G. Sinclair, trustees in trust for 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church. This is the 
 first board of trustees, of which there is offi- 
 cial record. The present officers of the Madi- 
 son A\'enue Methodist Episcopal are as fol- 
 lows : Presiding elder, Rev. W. 'SI. Ward; 
 pastor. Rev. G. E. Ackerman ; resident min- 
 ister. Rev. E. T. Lumber: trustees, — Benja- 
 min Boutell, Dr. Robert W. Erwin, Charles AL 
 Hart, Cyrus Hiller, W. H. Nickless, E. T. 
 Rowley, L. R. Russell, C. E. Walker and A. 
 J. Woolfitt; secretary of the official board, D. 
 O. Smith : treasurer, W. H. Nickless. The 
 church now has a membership of about 500. 
 
 German Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 — This church dates back to 1857 when Rev. 
 Jacob Krehbil visited Lower Saginaw and held 
 religious services. In 1858 he was succeeded 
 by Rev. John Horst and his colleague. Rev. 
 John Braun, who continued their labors until 
 the close of 1859. Various other pastors fol- 
 lowed and the society grew in numbers and in 
 strength, and about 1867 a church edifice was 
 erected on Adams street between Eighth and 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 273 
 
 Ninth streets. Here they continued to worship 
 until about i8§3, when their present edifice 
 at the corner of South VanBuren and 13th 
 streets was completed. In 1894 a cellar was 
 built under the church and furnaces installed. 
 There is also a comfortable parsonage built ad- 
 joining the church. The present membership 
 is about 135. Rev. John Kuster is the present 
 pastor. 
 
 Fremont Avenue Methodist Episcopal 
 Church. — During 1853-54 the second settled 
 pastor of the Madison Avenue Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church, Rev. Israel Cogshall, used to 
 hold occasional services in Portsmouth. In 
 1864 this cliurch was organized and the fol- 
 lowing year, under the superintendence of Rev. 
 William Fox, a church edifice was erected, on 
 the site wdiere the present church stands, and 
 dedicated. This building was destroyed in the, 
 devastating fire that swept South Bay City 
 some years ago. The society immediately com- 
 menced the erection of their present structure, 
 and began to hold services in the basement the 
 same year (1892). It took about two years to 
 complete the building, which cost about $15,- 
 000; of this amount only about $1,500 remains 
 to be paid. Rev. \\'. W. Will, who is now 
 pastor of the church, came here in 1900. The 
 church, which has about 120 members, is active 
 in Christian work. 
 
 WooDsiDE Avenue Methodist Episcop.^l 
 Church. — This church was organized in 1873 
 to accommodate members of this denomination 
 who resided in the north part of Bay City. The 
 church edifice was erected in 1876, during the 
 pastorate of Rev. A. B. Clough, which extended 
 from 1874 to 1877. He was followed by Rev. 
 Calvin Gibbs. who remained with the church 
 two years, During the next eight years there 
 was a change in pastors every year, the minis- 
 ters coming in the following order : Revs. 
 Diverty, Spriggs, Lambly, Bancroft, Persons. 
 
 Weir, William Pope, D. E. Birtch. The next 
 pastor. Rev. P. J. Wright, served two years, 
 and his successor. Rev. A. J. Richards, one 
 year. Rev. John A. Rowe remained with tlie 
 church four years, and during his pastorate the 
 parsonage was built, at a cost of $3,200. The 
 next pastors were Revs. Judson Cooper. J. B. 
 McGee and ^Villiam Edmunds, who served 
 three, two and three years, respectively. The 
 next pastor was Rev. L. H. Stevens, who came 
 to the church in 1904 and still serves the church. 
 They have a present membership of 100, and 
 e\-ery department of the church work is well 
 organized. 
 
 Central Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 — In the spring of 1887 members of the Mad; 
 ison Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church 
 started a mission Sunday-school in the South 
 End of the city. They met at various places 
 and held preaching services and prayer meet- 
 ings in addition to the sessions of the Sunday- 
 school. The work flourished, and in 1893 the 
 Detroit Conference appointed Rev. A. J. Rich- 
 ards to serve this church, together with the 
 Woodside Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church 
 for one year. He was followed by Rev. J. A. 
 Rowe, who also served both churches. He was 
 succeeded in September, 1895, by Rev. O. W. 
 Willets, who remained with the church one 
 year. During his pastorate the church Ijecame 
 an independent body, and has been self-sup- 
 porting since that time. In September, 1896, 
 Rev. George John Piper became pastor, and 
 served the church one year. He was succeeded 
 by Rev. Erwin King in 1898, whose pastorate 
 covered a period of three years. In September, 
 1901, Rev. W. H. Gray became pastor. In the 
 following September. Rev. Otto L. Dreys was 
 appointed to this charge, and continued until 
 September, 1903, when the present pastor. Rev. 
 B. C. Moore, took up his duties. 
 
 In 1 89 1 the land on which the church stands 
 
274 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 was purchased. A boarding house was stand- 
 ing on this lot at the time. This was remodeled 
 and used for a place of meeting for two years. 
 In 1893 their present house of worship was 
 erected at a cost of $3,000. It will seat about 
 300 people. Ten years later the present parson- 
 age was built on 19th street in the rear of the 
 church, which faces on Fraser street. The par- 
 sonage is valued at over $1,000. The present 
 membership of the church is 125, and there 
 are enrolled in the Sunday-school 140 pupils. 
 The society was incorporated j\Iay 13, 1902. 
 
 Thoburn Methodist Episcopal Church 
 (West Side). — This church, which has also 
 gone by the names of "Banks" and "Fourth 
 Avenue," is the oldest church on the West Side. 
 J. S. Taylor, who later became one of the found- 
 ers of the First ^Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 West Bay City, established the meetings at 
 Banks, and was the first superintendent of the 
 Sunday-school. The church at first received 
 the ministrations of various ]\Iethodist clergy- 
 men from the East Side, but when the Wood- 
 side Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church was 
 established, one pastor was appointed to serve 
 both churches, and this arrangement was con- 
 tinued until the church at Banks became an in- 
 dependent body, excepting while Rev. William 
 Da we and Rev. ]\Ir. Davis were pastors of the 
 First ^^lethodist Episcopal Church, during 
 which time they also served the Banks church. 
 
 When Rev. A. J. Richards' term as presid- 
 ing elder came to a close, he was appointed to 
 this church. The house of worship, which is 
 located at the corner of Transit and Leng 
 streets, was erected in 1867, and during the 
 pastorate of Rev. Mr. Richards was enlarged 
 to its present size. It has ample seating ca- 
 pacity for 300 people, and including furnish- 
 ings is now valued at $3,200. The present 
 parsonage, which is valued at $1,000, was pur- 
 chased about nine years ago. 
 
 The following are the pastors who succeed- 
 ed Rev. Mr. Richards, and the periods during 
 which they served: Rev. E. A. Cross, 1891- 
 93 ; Rev. W. H. Allman, 1893-96; Rev. George 
 A. Fee, 1896-99; Rev. W. E. Burnett, 1899- 
 1901; Rev. H. G. Pearce, 1901-04; and Rev. 
 W. E. Brown, the present pastor, who came in 
 1904. Including probationers, the church now 
 has a membership of 142. There are enrolled 
 in the Sunday-school 140 pupils and teachers. 
 
 In 1 90 1 a mission was started by this church 
 at Wenona Beach. Every Sunday afternoon 
 the pastor of Thoburn IMethodist Episcopal 
 church preaches in the school house. 
 
 First Methodist Episcopal Church 
 ( ^^'est Side). — The history of this church dates 
 from the fall of 1866, when the Wenona charge 
 was formed and Rev. A. C. Shaw was appoint- 
 ed pastor. During his pastorate a house of 
 worship was erected and dedicated by Rev. B. 
 I. Ives, of New York. In the fall of 1867, Rev. 
 Alexander Gee succeeded to the pastorate. 
 Prior to 1868 Portsmouth had been included 
 in this charge, but in that year the work was di- 
 vided, and Rev. Joel B. Goss became the min- 
 ister. In August, 1868, the society had to va- 
 cate the hall in which they had held their meet- 
 ings up to that time, and until November 18, 
 services were held at Bangor. Then Babo Hall 
 was secured, and the following Sabbath a Sun- 
 day-school was organized. About this time the 
 society commenced to build a house of worship 
 on some lots which had been donated by Mrs. 
 Calvin C. C. Chilson, who was also very ener- 
 getic in securing subscriptions toward paying 
 for the building. Money did not come in very 
 rapidly, and it was not until November, 1869, 
 that they were able to dedicate their church. In 
 September of that year, Rev. Jacob Horton 
 was appointed pastor, and during the latter part 
 of his pastorate, which covered two years, the 
 chapel was built. Rev. W. O. Burnett was 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 -/o 
 
 appointed to the cluirch the following year, and 
 remained with the church until the fall of 1874, 
 when he was followed by Rev. R. Woodhams, 
 who remained until 1876. Rev. D. W. Misner 
 was then appointed and was succeeded in the 
 fall of 1877, after a pastorate of one year by 
 Rev. William Dawe, who remained three years. 
 In 1 88 1 the society purchased a house and lot 
 adjoining- the church for a parsonage. 
 
 In 1884 the old church was burned, and un- 
 til their new church was completed the society 
 worshiped in the old Presbyterian Church. The 
 construction of the present, fine brick house of 
 worship was begun in the fall of that year, and 
 the completed edifice was dedicated on June 20, 
 1885. The dedication sermon was preached by 
 Bishop Bowman. Including furnishings, the 
 church cost about $23,000. The seating ca- 
 pacity of the main auditorium is about 450, 
 and the lecture room, which adjoins, will seat 
 200 more persons. These two rooms can be 
 thrown into one. The parsonage was begun in 
 the fail of 1903 and was completed the follow- 
 ing spring at a cost of $3,500. The entire prop- 
 erty is free from debt. 
 
 Rev. Matthew C. Hawkes became pastor in 
 1883 and remained with the church three years. 
 During his term the name of the society was 
 changed to that which it now bears. After Rev. 
 Mr. Hawkes came Rev. N. G. Lyons, whose 
 pastorate extended to 1889. He was succeeded 
 by Rev. Charles Morgan, the duration of whose 
 pastorate was two years. Rev. James H. Kil- 
 patrick came next and remained with the church 
 three years. His successor. Rev. C. B. Steele, 
 also remained three years. Rev. H. C. Scripps, 
 the next pastor, remained but two years. He 
 died at Mount Clemens in 1903. He w^as fol- 
 lowed by Rev. William B. Pope, whose pas- 
 torate covered a period of four years. The 
 present pastor, Rev. J. P. Varner, came to the 
 
 church in September, 1904. The church now 
 has about 500 members, and the various church 
 societies and the Sunday-school are in a flour- 
 ishing condition. 
 
 Auburn Methodist Episcopal Church 
 (Aviburn).— In 1875 a church building was 
 erected here, and until 1892 this was a mis- 
 sion church in connection with the church at 
 Freeland. In 1892 the church became an inde- 
 pendent body, and since that time has had the 
 following pastors : Rev. R. Pattinson, 1893- 
 94; Rev. W. J. Bailey, 1895-97; Rev. R. L. 
 Cope, 1898; Rev. W. E. Edmunds, 1899; Rev. 
 J. A. Rowe, 1900; and Rev. A. J. Holmes, the 
 present pastor, who took charge in 1901. Dur- 
 ing Rev. Mr. Holmes's pastorate the parsonage, 
 which was erected under the direction of Rev. 
 R. Pattinson, has been remodeled and made 
 very commodious. In 1894 a beautiful little 
 church was built at North Williams. This is 
 included in the circuit with Auburn and is 
 served by the same pastor. 
 
 Free Methodist Church. — The church 
 of this denomination in Bay City is located at 
 the corner of Garfield avenue and Lafayette 
 street. It was organized about eighteen years 
 ago, and now has about forty members. The 
 parsonage is connected with the church in the 
 rear. The present pastor, Rev. J. H. McMil- 
 lan, came here in the fall of 1903. The society 
 belongs to the East Michigan Conference. 
 
 Free Methodist Church (West Side). 
 — In August, 1886, the land on Litchfield 
 street where the church is now located was pur- 
 chased and work on the building was com- 
 menced. The property is now valued at $1,000. 
 The society owns a parsonage at 301 Spruce 
 street, valued at $500. The present pastor. Rev. 
 Curtis Lum, came here September 25. 1904. 
 The church has now 21 members, and about 
 30 pupils are enrolled in the Sunday-school. 
 
276 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS. 
 
 For the early history of the Roman Cath- 
 olic Church in this region we are indebted to an 
 article written by John Hyde, editor of the 
 Catholic Chronicle, which appeared in 1875, 
 and from which the following is quoted: 
 
 "Among those who most frequently came 
 here prior to 1848, were Fathers Kundig and 
 Louis, and Father Peter Kindekens, the vicar 
 general of the diocese. Between 1848 and 1852 
 priestly visits became more frequent. Father 
 Moynahan, then the pastor of Flint, made fre- 
 quent trips to Saginaw City, and on most oc- 
 casions would get some good Frenchman or 
 Indian to paddle him down the river to Lower 
 Saginaw. Occasionally, too, Father Joseph 
 Kindekens, brother of the Father Peter above 
 mentioned, and Father Kilroy, now pastor of 
 Emmett, St, Clair County, would be assigned 
 to the duty of visiting the Catholics of the val- 
 ley, and would be watched eagerly from the 
 shore, as he approached in canoe or on the ice, 
 carefully holding the pack containing his altar 
 vestments and vessels. La 1848 there were 
 eight Catholic families here, most of whom 
 were French. By 185 1 the number had in- 
 creased to 14, besides a few young unmarried 
 men, who had ventured in to help prepare the 
 lands for their future wealthy occupants. 
 Among the 'old heads' were the Trombleys, 
 the Trudells, the Longtains and the Marsacs, 
 and among the men of the younger blood there 
 were James L. Herbert, the brothers Casson,. 
 William Ferris and others. I have said that 
 most of the Catholics were Frenchmen, but 
 what spot on earth can one look at without find- 
 ing there an Lishman? Lower Saginaw at 
 that time was no exception. Here too there 
 were L-ishmen : Osmond A. Perrott. P. J. Per- 
 rott, Bernard Cunningham and James Watson. 
 
 "In 1850-51. the Catholics of Lower Sag- 
 
 inaw considered themselves numerous enough 
 to attempt building a church. The munificence 
 and forethought of the men who had laid out 
 the village plot had provided building sites for 
 the diiTerent Christian denomination whose 
 members might settle here. The Catholics 
 were the first to avail themselves of the bounty, 
 and as the most convenient to the settled portion 
 of the village, the site of the present St. Jo- 
 seph's Church was selected. There were no 
 architects here then, but there were many who 
 had assisted at every 'raising' that had e\'er 
 occurred here, and knew just what a building 
 needed to make it last long. The men went into 
 the woods to chop and square the timber, and 
 each helped to put the pieces in their places in 
 the edifice. The men were few, however, none 
 of them were rich then (though many of them 
 are now) and most of them had to support fam- 
 ilies besides building churches. The work con- 
 sequently progressed but slowly; so much so 
 that when Rev. H. J. H. Schutjes arrived here 
 in 1852, not much of a church was to be seen. 
 But they had now at least at their head one 
 who could encourage and direct them ; and 
 after some time, by his efforts and their own 
 will, the building gradually assumed shape, and 
 Father Schutjes was soon able to perform di- 
 vine service in it. It was a long time, however, 
 before a pastoral residence was built. During 
 this time Father Schutjes resided sometimes in 
 the family of Mr. Watson and sometimes in the 
 old pioneer hotel, the Woh-erton House. 
 
 "Those were the good old primitive times 
 of Bay City, when sawmills were few and far 
 between, and banks and newspapers were not 
 even in the mind of the prophet. Besides Lower 
 Saginaw, Father Schutjes was pastor of the 
 entire Sgainaw Valley. He had to divide his 
 time between the people at this end of the river 
 and those in the upper towns. Every alter- 
 nate Sunday he spent in Saginaw City and in 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 277 
 
 East Saginaw, and in the spring and fall when 
 the ice was bad and there were no roads, he 
 often had great difficulty and many hairbreadth 
 escapes in coming to and from those places. 
 But the growth in commerce and manufactures 
 brought increase in population. 
 
 "The number of Catholics kept pace with 
 the general prosperity, and by the year 1863 
 they were numerous enough to require the ap- 
 pointment of pastors for each of the cities of 
 Saginaw City and East Saginaw. Father 
 Schutjes was then able to devote his attention 
 to the wants of his people in Bay City. Soon 
 the little church of St. Joseph became too small 
 for the increasing congregation. Frenchmen 
 came from Canada and Irishmen came form 
 everywhere. Besides those there were many 
 stalwart Hollanders and Germans, so that Fa- 
 ther Schutjes had to speak many languages to 
 'get along' with his people. French and Eng- 
 lish, however, being the prevailing languages 
 in the congregation, he preached alternately in 
 those two tongues until the year 1867. At 
 this period it was discovered that not one eighth 
 of the congregation could get into St. Joseph's 
 Church, so it was resolved at once to commence 
 the building of a new church." 
 
 From this point it will be better to trace in- 
 dividually the history of the Catholic churches 
 here. 
 
 St. Joseph's Church (French). — From 
 1869, when Father Girard took charge of the 
 parish, until 1900, when Rev. Francis H. Gres, 
 the present pastor was appointed, the church 
 had a rapid succession of pastors. Father Gi- 
 rard remained until January i, 1872. Father 
 Delbar succeeded him, but remained only un- 
 til the last of the next December, and Father 
 Cantors, his successor, remained only to Au- 
 gust 31. 1873. Father Grilli, an Italian priest, 
 supplied for a few months until November 23, 
 1873, 3"d was succeeded by Father Van Strael- 
 
 len, a Hollander, who remained imtil ]March 21, 
 1875. Father Grilli then again took charge and 
 remained until June 30, 1878, when Father 
 Kemper, a German, arrived and remained un- 
 til October 19, 1879. The priest who followed 
 him died in 1880, and the next pastor, Father 
 Ebert, remained only a short time. Father Thi- 
 beaudau was next appointed and remained for 
 six years. He died in 1886, and was succeeded 
 by Father Vitali, an Italian, who remained un- 
 til August 21, 1887. The next pastor, Father 
 Guerin, remained but a few years. 
 
 In 1888 the parish fell in sore straits suffer- 
 ing from the hard times. Father Thibeaudau 
 had built the new church in 1880, and a debt 
 of $6,000 burdened the congregation, while the 
 parsonage was practically a shed. The parish 
 was therefore placed under the charge of the 
 Holy Ghost Fathers society, which relieved the 
 diocese of the burden, while the parish still re- 
 mained under the jurisdiction of the bishop. 
 Rev. F. J. Rothe C. S. Sp., was accordingly 
 sent here in 1888. On June 20, 1894, Father 
 Gres, the present pastor, was appointed assist- 
 ant. When Father Rothe left in March, 1895, 
 the debt of $6,000 had been cleared. He was 
 succeeded by Father Dangelzer, and the good 
 work of the Holy Ghost Fathers was still fur- 
 thered by the erection of a fine commodious 
 parsonage at Third and Grant streets on prop- 
 erty adjoining the church lot. In 1900 Father 
 Dangelzer returned to France, and Father Gres 
 was appointed to the charge which he now 
 holds. Since 1900, Rev. Alphonse Coignard 
 has been assistant. 
 
 The present St. Joseph's Church is a com- 
 bination of church and school house. The 
 church was erected by Father Thibeaudau with 
 a view to supplying a meeting place until a new 
 church could be erected. During the hard 
 times the new church project was given up. 
 Lately it has been revived by Fathers Gres and 
 
278 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Coigiiard, it being now the intention to have 
 the foundations in by November, 1906. The 
 new church will cost between $30,00 and $50,- 
 000. 
 
 The parish now inckides about 500 families 
 and is one of the largest in the valley. The 
 wings of the church do duty as school rooms. 
 The attendance at school is nearly 380 pupils, 
 who are taught by a corps of six Sisters of the 
 Dominican Order. In the rear of the church 
 there is a roomy and well-appointed residence 
 for the Sisters. 
 
 St. James Church. — When it was found 
 desirable to divide St. Joseph's congregation, 
 ground was selected on the present site of St. 
 James' Church, and before the close of Septem- 
 ber of that year the new church was dedicated 
 under the patronage of St. James the Apostle. 
 The church continued under the charge of Fa- 
 ther Schutjes until June, 1873. when he was 
 called to Detroit to assist the bishop in the af- 
 fairs of the diocese. His place was filled by the 
 appointment of Rev. Thomas Rafter, a native 
 of Monroe County, Michigan. On December 
 12, 1884, the church was burned down, and as 
 soon as possible the building of the present 
 house of worship was commenced. The struc- 
 ture is 150 by 75 feet, except the transept, which 
 is about 90 feet wide. The church, which seats 
 about 1,400, was dedicated on Christmas Day, 
 1886. Its cost, completely furnished, was about 
 $60,000. The present beautiful and commo- 
 dious parochial residence was commenced in 
 1901 and completed in 1903. Its cost was $12,- 
 000, exclusive of furnishings. There are about 
 400 families in St. James' parish. Connected 
 with the parish is one of the largest and best 
 parochial schools in the city, having an attend- 
 ance of 380 pupils. The contract has been let for 
 a new school house to be built of brick. This 
 will be located in the block just south of the 
 church, and will cost about $13,000. 
 
 St. St.a.nislaus Kostk.a. Church (Po- 
 lish). — By 1847 the Polish population had- 
 grown to such proportions that it became nec- 
 essary to provide for them a separate place of 
 worship. This was especially desirable as few 
 of them had any knowledge of English. Will- 
 iam D. Fitzhugh gave a site for the church, 
 consisting of eight lots at the corner of Farra- 
 gut and 22nd streets. A house of worship cost- 
 ing about $4,000 was erected, and served the 
 church until the spring of 1889. At that time 
 a parochial meeting was held at which it was 
 decided to replace the frame building with a 
 substantial brick structure. To meet the ex- 
 pense, it was decided that each family of the 
 parish should contribute $50 ; later this was ■ 
 found to be insufficient and the amount was 
 raised to $60. Work on the new edifice com- 
 menced in 1890, and the church was blessed on 
 July 17, 1892. The structure cost $61,000. 
 The parish at that time was under the charge 
 of Rev. M. Matkowski. He was succeeded by 
 Rev. Anthony Bogacki, who was here only a 
 few months. His successor. Rev. Joseph Le- 
 wandow-ski, also served a few months as tem- 
 porary pastor. 
 
 On January 6, 1900, Rev. Edward Koz- 
 lowski assumed charge of the parish. During 
 his pastorate the debt of $5,000 which he found 
 hanging over the church has been paid; the 
 Sisters" house has been raised to two stories and 
 entirely remodeled ; the parochial residence has 
 been raised and put on a stone foundation and 
 renovated and repaired; extensive repairs have' 
 been made on the parochial school ; electric 
 lights installed in the church at an expense of 
 over $1,000; a new pulpit has been built at an 
 expense of $900; a beautiful main altar with 
 over 800 electric lights has been built at a cost 
 of $4,500, also two side altars at a cost of 
 $2,000; two new confessionals have been built 
 at an expense of $350, and a baptismal font at. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 279 
 
 a cost of $400. The towers of the church, 
 which are 175 feet high, have been repaired and 
 strengthened, the outside of the church painted 
 and the crosses regilded with pure gold leaf. 
 The cost of the outside repairs upon the church 
 reached a total of $2,000. In 1904, Father 
 Kozlowski had a new cement walk laid around 
 the entire block. This cost over $1,000. 
 
 At present there are in this parish, not 
 counting the missions, 1,300 families. It has 
 therefore been decided to divide the congrega- 
 tion. The old Kinney farm at the corner of 
 Cass and Michigan avenues has been purchased 
 as a site for the new church. The property 
 which measures 600 by 272 feet cost $2,500. 
 Plans are being prepared for the erection of a 
 school and church combined, the cost of which 
 is estimated at $30,000. 
 
 A new congregation of Poles has also been 
 organized on the West Side, comprising about 
 80 families, and they contemplate erecting a 
 church next year. 
 
 During the first three years of Father Koz- 
 lowski's pastorate he had for his assistant. Dr. 
 V. Wiszniewski, who subsequently died on the 
 Island of Trinidad, whither he had gone for his 
 health. His successor was Rev. Joseph S. 
 Kaminski, who was appointed April 17, 1903, 
 and who still remains. He is a young man full 
 of zeal and an earnest worker. 
 
 There are about 800 children in the paro- 
 chial school connected with this parish, and be- 
 sides these over 400 attend the public schools 
 for lack of room in the parochial school. There 
 are at present 12 teachers employed in the 
 school. Funds are being collected to build a 
 $30,000 school for this parish. 
 
 In 1887, Father Kozlowski. who was then 
 stationed at Midland, started a mission in 
 Beaver township. At that time St. Valentine's 
 Mission, as it was called, comprised 29 families. 
 A school was built, and in this divine services 
 
 were held once a month. At the same time he 
 started a mission for Poles in Auburn, and 
 school was held alternately three months in 
 Auburn and three months in Beaver. In 1889 
 Father Kozlowski was transferred to St. Jo- 
 seph's Catholic Church in Manistee, and these 
 two missions were attended by the various pas- 
 tors who were in charge of St. Stanislaus par- 
 ish in Bay City. 
 
 When Father Kozlowski was returned to 
 this parish on January 6, 1900, he proceeded 
 immediately to reorganize the Auburn mission. 
 A building site was purchased in Fisherville, 
 two miles west of the old location, and a nice 
 stone and brick church, with accommodations 
 for a school in the basement, was erected. This 
 church was dedicated as St. Anthony's Church, 
 on September 7, 1902. The church is beauti- 
 fully furnished and frescoed. It has three al- 
 tars. The cost of the building was about $10,- 
 000. Here divine service is held the second 
 Sunday and the last Tuesday of every month. 
 The parish comprises about 75 Polish families. 
 School is held alternately six months in Fish- 
 erville and six months in Beaver. At present 
 there are a few more than 100 children en- 
 rolled in the schools. The Beaver mission has 
 also been reorganized. Plans have been pre- 
 pared for the erection of a new church, larger 
 than the one in Fisherville. It is expected that 
 work on the new house of worship will begin 
 during 1905, the cost of which is estimated at 
 $15,000, including furnishings. It will be of 
 brick and stone. 
 
 At Auburn there is also a Catholic mission 
 for those who speak English. This is in charge 
 of Rev. D. Malone, of Midland. The English 
 mission at Pinconning is in charge of Rev. 
 Edward Rasette, and the one at Kawkawlin is 
 ministered to by Rev. Eutrope Langlois, of 
 Linwood. 
 
 St. Boxif.kce Church (German). — The 
 
28o 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 year 1874 saw the organization of St. Boniface 
 parish. The German Cathohcs of Bay City, 
 beheving themselves sufficiently strong in pop- 
 ulation to form an independent parish, set about 
 the work and succeeded. 
 
 Up to this time the German population of 
 Bay City, with the people of other races, wor- 
 shiped in St. Joseph's Church. St. Joseph's be- 
 coming too small to accommodate the mixed 
 congregation, the German citizens attended, for 
 a time, St. James' Church. In the year above 
 referred to they organized an independent pa- 
 rish, as suggested by the diocesan authorities. 
 
 In 1874 Rev. Presser, D. D., took charge of 
 the new parish. Forty families constituted the 
 population of the parish. At the close of the 
 year Father Presser resigned, and was succeed- 
 ed by Father Rochowski. In 1S78 Rev. Jo- 
 seph Ebert was appointed pastor of St. Boni- 
 face Church. This priest labored incessantly to 
 improve the parish and clear of? indebtedness. 
 He built the Sisters' Home, Birney street and 
 McKinley avenue. After a pastorate extending 
 10 years, Father Ebert resigned in 1888, and 
 went south, leaving a great portion of the par- 
 ish debt cleared off. 
 
 Rev. John A. Wyss, the present pastor, was 
 appointed February 21, 1888. He relniilt the 
 interior of the school house, and the Sisters' 
 home was also rebuilt through his energy. A 
 lot at Lincoln and McKinley avenues was pur- 
 chased by him to enlarge the school grounds. 
 Subsequently he bought another lot on Lincoln 
 avenue to secure increase of ground for the 
 church and parochial residence. 
 
 As the old church was being crowded by 
 the increase of the congregation, in 1879, steps 
 were taken to erect a new building and St. 
 John's Benevolent Society was formed to secure 
 funds to help the project. This society, with 
 a determination that is commendable, kept, for 
 15 years, the purpose for which it was organ- 
 
 ized before the people. In 1896 the construc- 
 tion of the new church began, the corner-stone 
 being laid October 1 1, of the same year. 
 
 For three years work on the new building 
 continued, and on June 4, 1899, the church was 
 solemnly consecrated. Among those who at- 
 tended were Bishop Richter, of Grand Rapids; 
 Very Rev. Joseph Benning, V. G., and a num- 
 ber of Saginaw and Detroit priests. 
 
 At the time of consecration the church was 
 clear of debt, and has the distinction of being 
 the only Catholic Church in the Saginaw Val- 
 ley to be consecrated. 
 
 The internal decorations of St. Boniface 
 Church are of a high order. Among the paint- 
 ings representing scenes in the life of Christ 
 and the Apostles are the "Last Supper," "SS. 
 Peter and Paul" and others of the saints. A 
 number of donated windows enhance the cathe- 
 dral-like aspect of the interior. 
 
 In 1904 Father Wyss completed a handsome 
 parochial residence, which cost $8,000. The 
 school of the parish of St. Boniface has about 
 150 pupils in attendance. Father Wyss being 
 superintendent and Sister Alberta of the Do- 
 minican Order, principal. The corps of teach- 
 ers is made up of four Sisters, the principal and 
 the superintendent. English courses are taught 
 as well as German. 
 
 After the destruction by fire, in 1904, of the 
 Holy Rosary Academy in Essexville, it was 
 decided to rebuild in the parish of St. Boniface. 
 Accordingly nine lots of land were purchased 
 on Lincoln avenue adjoining the church and 
 parochial residence, and work was commenced 
 at once on a building 100 by 100 feet in di- 
 mensions, to be five stories high, the material 
 being stone and pressed brick. The corner- 
 stone was laid in 1904. The structure will 
 have accommodations for 150 boarding stu- 
 dents, while the class rooms will seat 300 pupils. 
 The academy is exclusively a school for young 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 281 
 
 ladies, and besides those who make it their 
 home, it is expected there will be a large at- 
 tendance of pupils living nearby. The struc- 
 ture will cost, it is estimated, $60,000. It will 
 have every modern convenience, including an 
 elevator, and no expense will be spared in 
 adapting it perfectly to the uses for which it 
 is designed. 
 
 St. M.^ry's Church (West Side). — In 
 November, 1873, the building afterward used 
 as a school house was dedicated as a church. 
 The erection of the present house of worship 
 was begun the latter part of May, 1881, and 
 was dedicated on the 30th of November, of the 
 same year, by Rt. Rev. Casper H. Borgess, 
 bishop of the Diocese of Detroit. A very large 
 share of the credit for the erection of this costly 
 and beautiful church is due to Father Schutjes. 
 The parish was set off from Bay City in 1873, 
 and the first pastor was Rev. M. G. Cantors. 
 Father Schutjes was made pastor of this church 
 in the summer of 1880. On March i, 1888, 
 Rev. John Sanson became assistant pastor, and 
 continued in this capacity until Father Schut- 
 jes returned to Europe, when the former be- 
 came pastor. His successor was Rev. Joseph 
 Schrembs, who was here 1 1 years, and was suc- 
 ceeded in October, 1900, by the present pastor. 
 Rev. Edward A. Caldwell. There are about 
 350 families in the parish. When Father Cald- 
 well took up his duties, he found the present 
 parochial school in course of construction. It 
 is tiiree stories high, and contains eight school 
 rooms, a nice chapel in the basement and an 
 auditorium on the third floor capable of seat- 
 ing 500 people. The school is attended by 390 
 pupils. 
 
 Notre D.JlMe de la Visitation (W^est 
 Side). — In the early "nineties" the congrega- 
 tion of St. Mary's had become so large that it 
 was decided to divide it, and to organize the 
 French members into another cliurch. Land 
 
 was secured at the corner of State and Smith 
 streets, West Bay City, and in the fall of 1895 
 the work of building the basement of the church 
 was completed. This is of stone. For the past 
 10 years services have been held in this base- 
 ment. The completed church will cost between 
 $50,000 and $60,000. Of this amount, $10,000 
 was contributed by St. Mary's Church in ac- 
 cordance with the custom which requires that 
 portion of a divided congregation which retains, 
 the property to contribute an equitable share of 
 its value to the new church. When the new 
 French church was organized, Rev. John San- 
 son was appointed its priest, and remained in 
 charge until September 22, 1904, when he was 
 succeeded by the present pastor, Father Poulin. 
 The present fine parochial school building was 
 completed in the early "nineties" at a cost of 
 $10,000. There are now about 500 families in 
 the parish. 
 
 St. John's Church (Es.sexville). — In 
 1884, Father Rafter started a mission in Es- 
 sexville. At that time he built the present pa- 
 rochial school building, but used it for a tem- 
 porary place of worship until the present St. 
 John's Church was ready for occupancy. Work 
 on this edifice was commenced in 1889, and the 
 church was dedicated in 1894. The church has 
 a seating capacity of about 700. There are 
 about 365 families in the parish. The parochial 
 residence was built in 1888. Rev. Cornelius 
 Roche was the first priest appointed to this par- 
 ish, and he remained until his death by drown- 
 ing, in June, 1901. He was succeeded by Rev. 
 Peter Bresson, who was pastor for two years 
 and nine months. Rev. R. G. Van Rooy, the 
 present priest, became pastor on March 2'/, 
 1904. 
 
 The Holy Rosary Academy, a boarding 
 school for girls, which is presided over by the 
 Dominican Sisters, was built by them in 1S98. 
 This was destroyed by fire on Marcli 12, 1904, 
 
:282 
 
 HISTORY OF Bx\Y COUNTY 
 
 and on its site a beautiful brick residence for tbe 
 Sisters is being erected. The building is two 
 and a half stories high and will be completed 
 during the summer of 1905. 
 
 In connection with St. John's Church there 
 is also a parochial school in which are enrolled 
 265 pupils. 
 
 Sacred Heart Church (Kawkawlin). — 
 In 1 89 1 a mission was started here by Father 
 Sanson, and later was continued by Father 
 Schrembs. The parish at that time comprised 
 about 75 families. At first divine serx'ices were 
 held in halls. When the mission came under 
 the charge of Rev. Eutrope Langlois in 1894, 
 a frame church was in course of construction. 
 This was completed in 1897, and soon after 
 w'as destroyed by fire. Father Roche of Essex- 
 ville was next given charge of the mission, and 
 he laid the foundation for a church edifice. 
 After his death, Father Langlois was again ap- 
 pointed to this charge, and he completed the 
 present church which is of brick, and 55 by 
 85 feet in dimensions. The structure cost be- 
 tween $8,000 and $9,000 and the congregation 
 now has in hand a fund which will nearly pay 
 for a parsonage. 
 
 lutheran churches and schools. 
 
 St. Paul's German Lutheran Church 
 (Frankenlust). — In 1848, when Germany was 
 in the throes of a re\-olution, Councillor Fred- 
 erick Koch assured the employes of his smelters 
 in Carlshuetten, Province of Franken. Ger- 
 many, that he would secure their future by 
 land purchases in far-off Michigan. His son- 
 in-law, Rev. Ferdinand Sievers, Sr., of blessed 
 memory, led the first flock of emigrants from 
 Franken into the wilderness of Bay county in 
 1848, creating the colony of Frankenlust. On 
 June 22nd of that year, St. Paul's congrega- 
 tion was organized by Rev. Mr. Sievers and 14 
 
 colonists. These pioneers of Bay County 
 erected and joyfully dedicated their first church 
 building the following year. A few years later 
 the log structure was found to be insufiicient 
 for the needs of the congregation, and in 1857 
 a frame church building, in dimensions 70 by 
 30 by 22 feet was erected and dedicated. This 
 church has been a landmark in Bay County for 
 many years. From the beginning the congre- 
 gation has always maintained a parochial 
 school. Rev. Ferdinand Sievers. Sr., the be- 
 loved father of this congregation, died Sep- 
 tember 9, 1893, having served faithfully for 45 
 years. His successor was Rev. J. J. Trink- 
 lein, who remained with the congregation un- 
 til the end of 1902. In the spring of the fol- 
 lowing year. Rev. P. Andres, the present pas- 
 tor was called. From time to time many of the 
 younger members of the congregation left to 
 organize new churches at Amelith, Kawkaw- 
 lin, ]\Ionitor and Salzburg. St. Paul's Church, 
 which has always belonged to the Lutheran 
 Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States, 
 numbers 109 voting members. At present' the 
 congregation is building a fine brick house of 
 worship at a cost of about $20,000. The cor- 
 ner-stone was laid on April 30, 1905 ; Rev. 
 J. F. Schinnerer and Rev. L. A. Wissmueller 
 officiated. 
 
 St. John's German Lutheran Church 
 (Amelith). — In 1850 Councillor Frederick 
 Koch, of Carlshuetten, Province of Fraken, 
 Germany, \isited the colony of Frankenlust, 
 sent out by him two years before under his 
 son-in-law, Rev. Ferdinand Sievers, Sr., and 
 arranged for the purchase of all the govern- 
 ment lands adjoining Frankenlust on the south, 
 80 acres to be set aside for church purposes. 
 This spot was named Amelitli, in honor of 
 the birthplace of ]Mrs. Koch, and on July 25, 
 1 85 1, the colonists of Frarikenlust erected a 
 rude but massive block house at Amelith, to 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 283 
 
 serve the double purpose of lodging house for 
 the coming immigrants as well as school and 
 church. The Stengel and Link families came 
 from Rostall in Franken that fall, and erected 
 the first log house near the church. In June 
 1852 came the Eichinger, Lutz, Schnell, 
 .Schmidt, Stephan, Daschlein, Rueger, Burk 
 and Heumann families, who lived in the church 
 until they could erect log houses of their own. 
 On June 24, 1852, Rev, Mr, Sievers conse- 
 crated the little congregation and their house 
 of worship. Eighteen families came from 
 Franken in 1853, and for the next 15 years 
 more colonists settled about Amelith. The 
 older children attended the parochial or dis- 
 trict school at Frankenlust, while Rev. Mr. 
 Sievers taught the little ones, in addition to 
 looking after the spiritual welfare of three 
 widely scattered and growing congregations. 
 Cantor Mueller (1856-57), Guenther (1860- 
 65), Becker (1866-68), Kuch (1869-71), 
 Taesch (1872-75), J. G. Winterstein (1875- 
 94), J. D. Barthel (1894-1901) and Ernst 
 Rolf (1901-05) have presided in turn and with 
 splendid results over the parochial school. 
 
 Rev. Mr. Sievers served Amelith for 15 
 years, with short intervals of local supply, but 
 by 1867 the venerable colonist and preacher 
 was obliged to give up this additional charge, 
 and Rev. J. F. Mueller was installed in De- 
 cember, 1867, and for nearly 32 years con- 
 tinued his ministrations. On Trinity Sunday, 
 1899, lie preached his farewell sermon amid 
 the congregation he had served so long and 
 well. Rev. J. F. Schinnerer ',was installed 
 September 15, 1899, and is the present pastor, 
 Ijcloved and esteemed by his congregation. 
 Thus in over 50 years this congregation has 
 had but three pastors, a living evidence of 
 useful cooperation. 
 
 In the winter of 1869-70 the colonists gath- 
 ered the material for their present commodious 
 
 church, costing $5,000, in addition to the labor 
 of the parishioners, and on November 10, 1870, 
 the new edifice was dedicated. In 1901 the 
 congregation built a new school house at a cost 
 of $1,500. During the 50 years just passed, 925 
 children were baptized, 562 were confirmed, 
 183 couples were married, 280 parishioners 
 died, and 24,275 attended communion. This 
 congregation now numbers 740 souls, 450 com- 
 municants, 155 school children and 150 voting 
 members. The annual outlay is $1,500 locally, 
 and $350 for missionary work and the synod. 
 The development of the early colonists and 
 their children's material interests have kept 
 pace with their faithful devotion and their 
 spiritual welfare. On April 30, 1905, this 
 congregation in a body assisted in laying the 
 corner-stone for the new church of their sister 
 colony at Frankenlust. 
 
 Bethel German Lutheran Church 
 was organized October 31, 1852, with 21 
 members, by Rev. J. Ehrhardt, who was the 
 first pastor. H. C. Hage, I. T. Wespinter and 
 H. Moeller were chosen and ordained presid- 
 ing elders. Until 1855 the church held its 
 services in various halls; but in that year a 
 small house of worship was erected on Wash- 
 ington avenue between Seventh and Eighth 
 streets. This was dedicated in March, 1856, 
 by Rev. C. Volz, who was pastor at that time. 
 This structure was soon enlarged. Rev. Mr. 
 Volz continued as pastor until 1859, from 
 which time until 1861 the church was without 
 a settled pastor. Rev. F. W. Spindless then 
 became pastor and remained with the church 
 two years. His successor was Rev. John Haas, 
 who remained with the church until June, 1865. 
 The church was then without a pastor until 
 September nth of that year, when Rev. Wil- 
 liam Reuther became their minister. In the 
 spring of 1866 a new church edifice was 
 erected, and the old building was removed to 
 
284 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 the rear and behind the parsonage. The new 
 church was dedicated June i6, 1867. The old 
 church was used as a parochial school building. 
 In June, 1871, the church was supplied with 
 three bells. On October 25th of the same year, 
 church and school house were destroyed by 
 fire. It was then decided to sell the old church 
 ground and to purchase their present site, 
 which comprises three lots on the corner of 
 Madison and McKinley avenues. Their pres- 
 ent beautiful house of worship was erected in 
 1872, and was dedicated on November 25th of 
 that year by Rev. William Reuther, and officers 
 of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Michi- 
 gan, of which body the congregation is a mem- 
 ber. The church is of brick, 95 by 42 feet, 
 with a steeple 150 feet high, in which two fine- 
 toned bells are hung. On July 22, 1888, a pipe 
 organ costing $1,000 was installed. The pres- 
 ent parsonage, which is the third one the so- 
 ciety has owned, was built in 1891, and at the 
 same time a house for the teacher of the 
 parochial school was built on Farragut street 
 between loth and nth streets. 
 
 In 1883 Rev. Mr. Reuther was succeeded 
 by Rev. O. W. Wuest, who remained with the 
 congregation until April, 1884. In 1884 the 
 church connected itself with the Synod of Wis- 
 consin. The pulpit was then supplied by a 
 student from the seminary of that synod, 
 named E. Steimke. He remained with the 
 church until June, 1885. On [March 22. 1885, 
 the church called Rev. J. G. Oehlert, who be- 
 gan his pastoral duties on July 4th of that year. 
 In 1 89 1 he was succeeded by Rev. F. Stromer, 
 who served the church until October, 1900. 
 Rev. E. Klingman was next called, and he 
 took charge in the fall of 1901 and was here 
 until April, 1904. From that time until the 
 last of July, Rev. A. C. Haase of South Bay 
 City supplied the pulpit, and on July 31, 1904, 
 
 the present pastor. Rev. F. Thrune. assumed 
 his duties. 
 
 It was not until 1887 that the congregation 
 felt able to call a teacher for their parochial 
 school, instruction, in the meantime, having 
 been given by the pastor, as is the custom of 
 this denominatioin. The first teacher was D. 
 Fogel, who was succeeded in 1898 by Prof. 
 F. Siegler, who is still principal of the school, 
 and has one assistant. Miss Bertha Diehl. 
 
 Em'anuel German Lutheran Church 
 dates back to the year 1854, six years after Rev. 
 Ferdinand Sievers, Sr., the pioneer of Lu- 
 theran ministers in this county, founded the 
 colony of Frankenlust. By him the little flock 
 in Bay City was served, in connection with his 
 labors for St. Raul's society at Frankenlust, for 
 II years. In 1865, Rev. I. C. Himmler took 
 charge of the society, then numbering about 
 20 voting members. When he resigned, in the 
 autumn of 1867, there were about 25 voting 
 members in the society. Its property consisted 
 of the lot on the northwest corner of Sixth 
 street and [Madison avenue, with a small church 
 building 18 by 30 feet in dimensions and a 
 school house. In July, 1868, the church hav- 
 ing been nine months without a pastor. Rev. 
 J. H. P. Partenfekler, a graduate of the Lu- 
 theran Concordia Seminary at St. Louis, began 
 his ministrations to the congregation. In 1873, 
 the house of worship having become too small, 
 an addition 22 by 30 feet in size was con- 
 structed. The society grew and prospered so 
 that in 1889 it became necessary to build a new- 
 church. At that time the present fine structure 
 was erected at a cost of $18,000. The first 
 services were held in the new church in the fall 
 of 1889. The census of the church shows 
 1,275 souls, 848 comnumicants and 141 voting 
 members. Rev. Mr. Partenfelder's pastorate 
 was brought to a close bv his death on Decem- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 285 
 
 ber 12, 1896, after 28 years of faithful service 
 in the Master's vineyard. His successor was 
 Rev. C. F. Graebner, wlio serxed the church 
 until 1903, when he was called to the presi- 
 dency of the Lutheran University of Australia. 
 He was succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. 
 Paul Budach. Like other churches of this 
 faith, Emanuel Church supports a parochial 
 school, which is a model educational institu- 
 tion, with 225 pupils. John M. Helmreich is 
 the principal, with two assistants. 
 
 St. John's Germ.\n Lutheran Church 
 (West Side). — This church was organized De- 
 cember 28, 1862, by the late Rev. Christopher 
 L. Eberhardt, of Saginaw. There were 20 
 charter members. For several months they 
 held services in the house of George Kiesel, 
 where the church had been organized ; meet- 
 ings were also held for a time in the school 
 house in Bangor, and later in W'enona. The 
 church was built in 1872, and dedicated on 
 September 15th of the same year. At that 
 time it was 30 by 40 feet in dimensions. In 
 1873 the congregation joined the Synod of 
 Michigan and other States. Up to that time 
 the pulpit had been supplied by various preach- 
 ers of the same faith. Rev. William Reuther 
 was the first pastor. He was followed by Rev. 
 O. \\'uest, who served the congregation until 
 1884. On January ist of the following year 
 Rev. A. P. Mueller was called, and served until 
 his death in December, 1888. During his pas- 
 torate a bell was placed in the steeple at a cost 
 of $200. The parsonage at the corner of Jane 
 and Kiesel streets was built in 1887 at a cost 
 of $1,100; the school house was also built in 
 that year. Previous to that time, school had 
 been ke])t in the church. Rev. J. F. Mayer 
 commenced his lators with this consrreffation 
 January 8, 1888, and remained with them un- 
 til 1892. During his last vear the congregation 
 
 called for a teacher, and H. Waterstratt was 
 appointed. He served only one year. 
 
 The present pastor. Rev. J. F. Henning, 
 commenced his labors July 12, 1892, and for 
 the first three years of his pastorate also taught 
 school, as the congregation was small at that 
 time and could not well afford the expense of 
 a teacher. In 1894 E. Dobbratz was secured to 
 teach the school and remained until 1896. At 
 that time the pastor again took up the work of 
 teaching. In about a year Samuel Linsenmann 
 came to teach the school, but he only remained 
 a short time. In 1894 a stone foundation was 
 placed under the church, and this together with 
 other extensive repairs, including painting and 
 decorating, cost $680. In the same year the 
 pastor founded a library in the church, which 
 now has several hundred volumes on its shelves. 
 
 In 1901 the church was rebuilt at a cost of 
 $3,000. It now has seating capacity for about 
 500 persons. There are 90 voting members, 
 850 souls, 250 communicants and 142 families. 
 There are 89 pupils in the Sunday-school and 
 50 in the parochial school. The teacher of the 
 latter school, Philip Kircher, took up the work 
 in 1901. 
 
 Trinity Germ.an Lutheran Church 
 (Monitor). — This congregation was founded 
 in the spring of 1880 by the late Rev. Ferdin- 
 and Sievers, Sr., of Frankenlust. The organi- 
 zation was efifected on July i8th of that year, 
 at which time the constitution was adopted 
 and the first officers were elected. These were 
 Rev. Ferdinand Sievers, Jr., president: and J. 
 L. Enser, secretary'. There were 17 charter 
 members. A few months later their first house 
 of worship was built. It was 36 bv 22 by 
 14 feet, and cost $660. The church was dedi- 
 cated November 7, 1880, and three days later, 
 Rev. Air. Sievers, who was the first pastor, 
 began to teach the parochial school of 10 pupils. 
 
 16 
 
286 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 In 1887 it became necessary to build an addi- 
 tion to the church 26 by 22 feet, which cost 
 about $200. In 1S89 A. H. Gehrs was ap- 
 pointed as the first teacher for the parochial 
 school. In 1896 the first pastor accepted a 
 call to South Chicago, and the present pastor. 
 Rev. L. A. Wissmueller was chosen by the 
 congregation. In the same year the first steps 
 toward building a new church edifice were 
 taken. The corner-stone was laid on July 18, 
 1897, and the church was dedicated on Febru- 
 ary 6, 1898. It is one of the largest and pret- 
 tiest country churches in the county, measur- 
 ing 106 by 42 feet, giving ample seating room 
 for 600 people. The tower reaches a height of 
 130 feet, and holds two bells which weigh 
 about 2,800 pounds. The total cost amounted 
 to about $11,117. 
 
 The present building for the western 
 parochial school was erected in 1903. together 
 with a residence for the teacher. The follow- 
 ing year, the old church building, which had 
 served for a school house for the eastern 
 parochial school, was taken down and the pres- 
 ent building erected. The old parsonage 
 which, after a new one had been constructed 
 in 1893, had served as a residence for the 
 teacher, was rebuilt and enlarged. During the 
 past 12 years, the congregation has expended 
 for building purposes about $17,000 which sum 
 was raised by voluntary contributions. The 
 annual expenses of the church, which amount 
 to about $2,000 are raised in like manner. 
 The congregation numbers 670 souls, 390 com- 
 municants, 112 voting members. About 120 
 pupils attend the two parochial schools, where 
 they are instructed in the common branches of 
 learning and in the German language and in 
 religion. 
 
 Trinity German Lutheran Church. 
 — This is the youngest Lutheran congregation 
 on the East Side. It was organized March 26, 
 
 1886, by members of Bethel German Lutheran 
 Church. The church edifice is located at the 
 corner of Broadway and 32nd street. It was 
 built in the latter part of 1886 and was dedi- 
 cated on the second Sunday in January, 1887. 
 The church is a frame structure 40 by 80 feet 
 in dimensions, valued at $5,000; the parochial 
 school, which has two class rooms, is valued 
 at $2,000 and the parsonage at $1,000. The 
 congregation has 70 voting members. The 
 following is a list of the pastors, beginning 
 with the founder of the church : Revs. J. G. 
 Oehlert, March, 1886 to July, 1887: G. E. 
 Bergemann, 1887-92; T. A. Sauer, 1892-95; 
 H. H. Hoffmann, 1895-96; and A. C. Haase, 
 the present pastor, who took charge in 1897. 
 There are 81 children enrolled in the parochial 
 school. The following teachers have had 
 charge of the school : C. A. Berling, Miss 
 Helen C. Haase, Gustav Schulz, ]\Iiss Emily 
 von \\'althausen. The pastor always has 
 charge of one division. 
 
 ZioN German Lutheran Church 
 (West Side). — This church is the outgrowth 
 of a mission established in Salzburg by Rev. 
 C. F. Graebner about the year 1900. L'nder 
 his leadership and with the support of Emanuel 
 German Lutheran Church, of which he was 
 pastor, the mission developed into an independ- 
 ent congregation, which for upwards of two 
 years has been self-supporting. The church was 
 organized with 1 1 charter members on April 
 23, 1901, For a meeting place the Salzburg 
 German Band Hall was purchased and re- 
 modeled. It was dedicated August 17, 1902, 
 and they now have a comfortable house of 
 worship seating about 250 persons. The 
 church numbers about 350 souls, 200 communi- 
 cants and 50 voting members. Rev. Mr. 
 Graebner filled the pulpit until Januarys 1903. 
 On February 5th of that year the present pas- 
 tor Rev. E. \^^ Bohn, was installed. Their 
 
AND REPRESENTATR'E CITIZENS. 
 
 287 
 
 parochial school was established in November, 
 1903, at which time the present school was pur- 
 chased from St. PauFs German Lutheran 
 Church at Frankenlust. They have about 70 
 pupils. J. \V. Putz has been the teacher since 
 the school was established. Their present par- 
 sonage, which is one of the best owned by the 
 denomination in the Saginaw Valley, was 
 built in 1903. 
 
 St. B.\rtholomeus Germ.xn Lutheran 
 Church (Kawkawlin). — This church be- 
 longs to the Michigan Synod. It has 39 vot- 
 ing members, 154 communicants and 277 souls 
 in its parish. They own a nice church, school 
 house and parsonage. Thirty children are en- 
 rolled in their parochial school. On May 7, 
 1905, the present pastor, Rev. H. Kionka, took 
 charge. 
 
 ScANDiN.\vi.\N Lutheran Church (\\'est 
 Side). — This society, which belongs to the 
 Illinois Conference, was organized in 1880 
 with about 13 voting members by Rev. A. 
 Schalman, who remained with them as pastor 
 for some time. He was followed by Rev. S. 
 C. Rydberg, who served the church five 
 years. The next pastor was Rev. A. J. Ander, 
 whose pastorate also extended over a period 
 of five years. Then caine Rev. C. A. Lindevall, 
 who remained about two years. His successor 
 was Rev. A. B. Lilja, who remained until 1901. 
 In /une of that year the present pastor, Rev. 
 J. E. Holtz, took up his duties. 
 
 The present church edifice was built in 
 1881, and has sealing capacity of about 400 
 people. The church, school and parsonage to- 
 gether are valued at about $8,000. The par- 
 sonage was built in 1S82, and the school build- 
 ing, called Luther Hall, was erected in 1885. 
 The children attend the public schools during 
 the school year, and during the summer va- 
 cation half-day sessions are held in the paro- 
 chial school by the pastor. The church num- 
 
 bers 125 voting members, 225 communicants 
 and about 400 souls. About 125 pupils are 
 enrolled in the Sunday-school. In 1904 a pipe 
 organ was installed at an expense of about 
 $1,200. 
 
 protestant episcopal churches. 
 
 Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church. 
 — This chiu'ch owes its establishment first to 
 the Fitzhugh family, W. D. Fitzhugh having 
 been the earliest leader in the society, and his 
 wife the first communicant. The first male 
 communicant was Israel Catlin. In the fall of 
 1850 the first ministrations of an Episcopal 
 clergyman were received in this section. Rev. 
 Joseph Adderly made a few missionary visits 
 and held services three times. Again from 
 December 21, 1851 to July 4. 1852, another 
 missionary. Rev. Daniel B. Lyon, made occa- 
 sional appointments, conducting worship in 
 all about a half dozen times. On the 22nd of 
 January, 1853. Rev. Voltaire Spaulding en- 
 tered upon his duties, giving this field the bene- 
 fit of stated services, which were held upon 
 each third Sunday. To defray this expense a 
 small sum was raised by the congregation, and 
 the balance was paid by the missionary society. 
 On the 4th of March, 1854, the parish organi- 
 zation was formed under the title of "Trinity 
 Church, Lower Saginaw, Saginaw County, 
 Michigan." Rev. Mr. Spaulding resigned on 
 June I, 1858. At this time there were only 
 five communicants, and the church remained 
 without a pastor until May. 1S60. During 
 this time the work was going steadily forward. 
 An excellent site was secured on what is now 
 Washington avenue, and plans were put in 
 operation for the erection of a church. 
 Through the liberality of friends at home and 
 abroad sufficient means were obtained to build 
 a neat though small edifice, which was conse- 
 
28S 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 crated to the worsliip of God on May lo, i860. 
 The services of a minister were again secured. 
 Rev. Edward Magee, of St. John's Protestant 
 Episcopal Church, Saginaw City, agreeing to 
 devote one-half of his time to Trinity parish. 
 He preached here on each alternate Sunday 
 until May 25, 1861, when he resigned his 
 charge in Saginaw City and confined himself 
 to the church work here. Ill health compelled 
 him to resign on November 28th of the same 
 year. The pulpit remained vacant for nearly 
 a year, and then Rev. Gilbert B. Hayden was 
 called to the rectorship. The tenii of his min- 
 istry, which commenced November 24, 1862, 
 lasted only five months. He performed a good 
 work for the parish in writing a history of the 
 church, on which the article from which we get 
 our information was based. The next rector 
 was Rev. A. JM. Lewis, who entered upon his 
 duties Oct. i, 1863. His earnestness and ac- 
 tivity did not go unrewarded, for in August, 
 1864, it was found necessary to enlarge the 
 church building. This was accomplished in 
 two and a half months at a cost of $1,200. 
 Rev. Mr. Lewis resigned on the 15th Sunday 
 after Trinity, 1S65. 
 
 On January 19, 1866, Rev. Fayette Royce, 
 of Nunda, New York, was called, and assumed 
 the responsibilities of his new position on the 
 third Sunday of Lent, 1866. During his rec- 
 torship the building was again found inade- 
 quate for the increasing congregation, and a 
 second addition was made. He resigned No- 
 vember 15, 1868, and in the following Feb- 
 ruary, Rev. John Wright, D. D., was called to 
 the rectorship. He preached his first sermon 
 as rector April 11, 1869. On reaching the 
 scene of his labors, he found that the church 
 building had recently undergone a third ex- 
 tension at an expense of $2,387.81. On Janu- 
 ary 18, 1874, the new organ, which had cost 
 $3,150 was used for the first time. Dr. 
 
 Wright resigned January 25, 1874, and was 
 succeeded by Rev. George P. Schetky, D. D., 
 who became pastor June 21st of the same year. 
 He remained until April 4, 1877, and was fol- 
 lowed by Rev. Alfred A. Alford, D. D., who 
 assumed the duties of the rectorship the same 
 year, and remained here se\-en years. During 
 his incumbency the new stone chapel on Grant 
 street was erected at a cost of $15,000. It has 
 a seating capacity for 300 people. It was 
 completed in 1883, and was occupied as a 
 church until the present beautiful edifice was 
 finished in 1887. Including furnishings this 
 house of worship cost $70,000. It will seat 
 500 people. The first service was held on 
 Wednesday in Easter week, April 14. 1887. 
 After the chapel was completed, the old church 
 property on Washington avenue was sold to 
 B. E. Warren and Capt. C. M. Averell. 
 
 Rev. A. A. Butler succeeded Dr. Alford as 
 rector, and he was followed by Rev. Edwin R. 
 Bishop, who resigned in the fall of 1887 after 
 five years of earnest labor. The next rector 
 was Rev. Thomas W. McLean, who remained 
 with the church until 1901, when he was suc- 
 ceeded by the present rector. Rev. Amos Wat- 
 kins. The present membership of the church 
 is about 500. 
 
 Trinity Church has always been active in 
 missionary work. In 1872 a mission was 
 started at Wenona under the charge of George 
 A. Cooke as lay leader. On October 20th of 
 the same year the rector organized Trinity 
 chapel in the Seventh \\'ard of Bay City. 
 Three other missions were organized : at 
 Banks, McEwanville (now part of Essexville) 
 and Essexville. On October 12. 1873, Rev. 
 Lewis L. Rogers entered upon his duties as 
 missionary at these missions, and continued in 
 this work nearly a year. The mission in Es- 
 sexville was continued until 1905. when the 
 property was sold. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 291 
 
 Grace Protestant Episcopal Church 
 (West Side). — In 1S72 a parish in West Bay 
 City under the name of St. Paul's Protestant 
 Episcopal Church was organized by Trinity 
 Church of Bay City. This was placed under 
 the charge of George A. Cooke as lay reader. 
 There were two missions, one at Wenona and 
 the other at Banks. Rew Lewis L. Rogers was 
 the first rector. In 1874 a neat house of wor- 
 ship was built at Wenona upon lots of land 
 donated by Mr. and Mrs. Henry W. Sage. 
 In October, 1874, Rev. J. E. Jackson received 
 an appointment as missionary. He was suc- 
 ceeded by Rev. Mr. \\'ilson. After the latter 
 went away, no regular services were held, al- 
 though a Sunday-school was kept up for some 
 time. The members finally driftetl apart and 
 the society became disbantled. Matters con- 
 tinued in this shape until February, 1893, when 
 Rev. J. E. Ramsdell came to this field and 
 found a few women who were interested. This 
 was the beginning of the present Grace Church. 
 He began to hold services in the liasement of 
 the Birchard Block. The following June, the 
 old Presbyterian Church, which for some time 
 had been in use as a school, was rented and 
 used as a house of worship. Rev. Mr. Rams- 
 dell went away in November, 1894, and was 
 succeeded on the ist of the following January 
 by Rev. ;\Ir. Barr. The Board of Education 
 about this time wanted the building, and the 
 society secured meeting rooms in the Moots 
 Block. Rev. Mr. Barr gave up the work in 
 May, 1895, leaving in charge Rev. George 
 Wye, whose pastorate covered a year, and then 
 regular services were given up. The Ladies' 
 Aid Society, however, still kept together and 
 at work, and in September. 1898, Rev. G. F. 
 A. McKelcan came and took hold of the work. 
 Services were held in the Adventist Church 
 until December, when arrangements were made 
 to purchase the old Presbyterian Church, and 
 
 as soon as it was put in repair the society moved 
 in. In the spring of 1899 Rev. Mr. jNIcKelcan 
 was called to Midland, and the services were 
 kept up by supplies until January, 1900, when 
 Rev. W. R. Blachford took charge of the grow- 
 ing mission. He stayed until May, 1902, and 
 was followed by the present pastor. Rev. Ed- 
 ward Jermin. Christmas, 1903, found the debt 
 on the church building all cleared and many 
 improvements paid for. The society is grow- 
 ing rapidly, and has secured three lots on Mid- 
 land street, where a modern church edifice will 
 be erected in the near future. 
 
 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 
 
 First Presbyterian Church. — In 1855 
 the population of Lower Saginaw had increased 
 so much that it was thought advisable to make 
 a move towards hiring a Presbyterian min- 
 ister. A subscription paper was circulated and 
 $300 was subscribed towards supporting a 
 minister for one year, expecting the Home 
 Missionary Society would pay the balance of 
 a necessary salary. The late William Jennison, 
 father of Charles E. Jennison, was the prime 
 mover in starting the subscription. The first 
 pastor was Rev. L. I. Root, who commenced 
 his labors about the first of ^lay. 1856. On 
 the 5th of the following September the church 
 was formally organized as the First Presby- 
 terian Church of Lower Saginaw, with eight 
 charter members. Rev. Mr. Root was in- 
 stalled by the Presbytery of Saginaw in No- 
 vember, 1858, and continued to serve the 
 church until February, i860. Rev. E. J. Stew- 
 art acted as stated supply from June, 1861, 
 to December, 1863. 
 
 During its first years, the church worshipped 
 in the school house which stood at the north 
 end of Washington a\'enue, where for many 
 years all public meetings were held. After- 
 
292 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Avard its meetings were in a public hall, and 
 for a time in the Court House. In 1S61 a 
 churc!> editice was erected ; soon after its dedi- 
 cation, while the congregation was in the midst 
 of a communion service, it took fire and was 
 consumed. The building of a new house of 
 ■worship was immediately commenced, the dedi- 
 cation of which occurred December 25, 1863. 
 The church was constructed of wood and was 
 originally 40 by 70 feet in size upon the 
 ground, with sittings for 400 persons. 
 
 Rev. Mr. Stewart closed his labors with 
 the church in September, 1864. In April, 
 
 1865, Rev. J. Ambrose Wight, D. D., was 
 called as pastor and commenced his labors on 
 the first Sabbath of the following Mav. He 
 Avas installed by the Presbytery of Saginaw on 
 November 23rd of the same year. The bell 
 was placed in the church tower in August, 
 
 1866. The lecture room was built in the au- 
 tumn of 1868, and the main building was en- 
 larged with a tier of pews on each side in the 
 fall of 1872. Dr. Wight's activity as pastor 
 continued until 1888, when he was made pas- 
 tor emeritus. To Dr. Wight more than to 
 any other man is due the strength and char- 
 acter and prominence of the church, in all its 
 civil and ecclesiastical relations. 
 
 In 1886, Rev. Burt Estes Howard was 
 called as an assistant to Dr. Wight, and was 
 installed as pastor of the church June 28, 1888. 
 He remained with the church until October 26, 
 1890. On the 3rd of the following June, Rev. 
 William H. Clark, D. D., became the pastor, 
 and labored most faithfully and successfully 
 until ;May i. 1896. 
 
 During the latter part of the pastorate of 
 Dr. Wight, and during the pastorate of Rev. 
 ]\Ir. Howard, preparations were made for a 
 new house of worship. This effort resulted in 
 the construction of the present stone edifice, 
 which was erected at a cost, including the site 
 
 and furnishings, of $105,000. It is said to 
 be one of the largest and handsomest buildings 
 in the Northwest. The corner-stone was laid 
 June 25, 1891, and the dedication took place 
 June 6, 1893. 
 
 Following Dr. Clark, the next pastor was 
 Rev. Otis A. Smith, D. D., who was called on 
 June 15, 1896 and who entered upon his work 
 the following July. He was installed by the 
 Presbytery of Saginaw on the 2nd of October, 
 1896, and continued with the church until Feb- 
 ruary, 1902. There was then a long interval, 
 during which the church was without a settled 
 pastor. In the summer of 1902, Rev. James 
 Gale Inglis supplied the pulpit, and then re- 
 ceived a call to become pastor. This call he 
 did not accept until the following year. He was 
 installed as pastor in ^larch. 1903, and con- 
 tinued until March 19, 1905, when he resigned 
 on account of ill health. He was a man be- 
 loved by the entire community. The church 
 is at present without a pastor. 
 
 Westminster Presbyteriax Church 
 (West Side). — About the first of November, 
 1863, Rev. D. B. Campbell was sent as a mis- 
 sionary by the Presbytery of Saginaw to the 
 lower part of the Saginaw Valley. His field 
 of labor comprised Bangor, Kawkawlin and 
 Portsmouth townships. Services were held 
 in the school houses at Banks and A\'enona for 
 the convenience of people living in the town- 
 ship of Bangor. In January, 1864. after Sage 
 & ]\IcGraw had purchased the site of what was 
 to become the village of Wenona, Rev. 'Sir. 
 Campbell called upon Henry W. Sage, and 
 asked a donation of two lots on which to build 
 a church. The request was promptly granted, 
 and two lots on Catherine street were given, 
 and on behalf of the firm Mr. Sage generously 
 agreed to double any subscriptions that could 
 be secured for the purpose of building a church. 
 Early in 1865 a meeting was held at Rev. Mr. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 293 
 
 Campbell's house, at which a church society 
 was organized. At this time the church was 
 called the First Presbyterian Church of Ban- 
 gor. The first elders of the church were Ste- 
 phen Buchanan and J. H. Plum ; the first trus- 
 tees. J. S. Taylor, J. B. Ostrander and John G. 
 Sweeney. 
 
 The eflforts to raise money for a church 
 edifice were successful and the work of build- 
 ing was vigorously pushed forward. The cor- 
 ner-stone was laid on August 23. 1865, and 
 the house of worship was dedicated on the 3rd 
 of the following December. The dedicatory 
 sermon was preached by Rev. J. Ambrose 
 \\"ight, D, D., of Bay City. The cost of the 
 structure was $3,500, and the furnishings cost 
 $500 more. Of this amount Sage & RIcGraw 
 contributed about $2,000. Rev. Mr. Camp- 
 bell continued with the society until some time 
 in 1 868, when he was succeeded by Rev. E. 
 T. Sanford, of Schenectady, New York. His 
 pastorate came to a close in January, 1870, 
 and for about a year the church remained with- 
 out a pastor. In April, 1871, a call was ex- 
 tended to Rev. L. W. Chapman, who began his 
 labors with the society soon afterward, and con- 
 tinited until May i, 1880. The next pastor 
 was Rev. Donald L. ]\Ionroe, who was suc- 
 ceeded by Rev. Charles Noble Frost. The last 
 named remained only about a year, and was 
 followed by Rev. W. P. Miller, who closed his 
 pastorate in 1892 after three years of faithful 
 service. The next pastor was Rev. W. F. Ir- 
 win, who remained with the church about three 
 years. From the summer of 1896 until Octo- 
 ber 6th of that year the pulpit was supplied by 
 various preachers, but on the last named date 
 Rev. E. K. Strong began a pastorate which 
 extended over a period of six years. He re- 
 signed August 3, 1902, and on November 9th 
 of the same year the present pastor. Rev. An- 
 drew S. Zimmerman, began his labors. 
 
 Memorial Presbyterian Church. — This 
 church is the outgrow'th of a mission estab- 
 lished by the First Presbyterian Church in 
 1870. It was located at that time on Broadway 
 near 23rd street. The chapel which was erected 
 cost $1,500, and was later enlarged and fur- 
 nished at an expense of $500 more. In 1875 
 an organ was purchased and other improve- 
 ments made. The work in this locality con- 
 tinued to prosper, and in 1891 the church was 
 organized. Its first pastor was Rev. Robert 
 C. H. Sinclair, who remained with them two 
 years. In 1893. ^s^'- Peter E. Nichols was 
 called, and served the church until 1896. Dur- 
 ing his pastorate the church edifice was re- 
 moved from the original location to where it 
 now stands, and was rebuilt in order to accom- 
 modate larger congregations. Altogether, the 
 present property is worth about S3. 000. This 
 includes a parsonage which was on the present 
 site when it was purchased, but which has since 
 been remodeled. The church will now easily 
 seat about 350 persons. Following Rev. Mr. 
 Nichols, came Rev. Perry V. Jennes, who re- 
 mained with the church about three years, his 
 pastorate coming to a close in 1898. Rev. 
 David B. Greigg next ministered to the church, 
 the term of his service running from the fall 
 of 1898 until the spring of 1900. The pulpit 
 was then supplied by various preachers. Rev. 
 ^Ir. \\'inter coming to them in July. 1900, and 
 remaining until February, 1901. The present 
 pastor. Rev. \^"illiam Bryant, took up his work 
 with this church in ]March, 1901, and the 
 church is prospering under his care. The pres- 
 ent membership of the church is 185, while 
 there are 200 students enrolled in the Sunday- 
 school. 
 
 Covenant Presbyterian Church (West 
 Side). — In the summer of 1889, Hon. F. W. 
 Wheeler established the mission from which 
 this church has developed. The mission re- 
 
294 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 mained under the direction of the Westminster 
 Presbyterian Church until the present society 
 was organized in 1890. Their house of worship 
 ship was erected in the spring of 1889, and was 
 dedicated in June of that year. Its dimensions 
 are 40 by 70 feet with an annex 30 by 40 feet. 
 It has seating capacity for about 250 people, 
 and cost $1,500. Rev. L. W. Chapman sup- 
 plied the pulpit for a season, and was followed 
 by a student from Princeton Theological Sem- 
 inary by the name of Sinclair. He conducted 
 preaching services on Sunday and a prayer 
 meeting was held during the week. The Sun- 
 day-school work was also kept up during this 
 time. In the fall of 1889 a call was extended 
 to Rev. A. F. Whitehead. He died the follow- 
 ing year, and was succeeded by Rev. J. G. Gra- 
 biel. Under his able ministry the membership 
 of the church was more than tripled. Rev. 
 Grabiel's pastorate came to a close after five 
 and one half years of service, and in the same 
 3'ear, 1895, Rev. Alexander Danskin, now edi- 
 tor of the Micliigan Presbyterian, began a min- 
 istry that extended over three years. The next 
 pastor was Rev. George Luther, who came 
 to the church in 1899, and remained about 
 a year. After his release the pulpit remained 
 vacant for nearly a year, though the Sunday- 
 school was held from week to week without in- 
 terruption. Then, in 1903, an arrangement was 
 entered into whereby Rev. J. G. Grimmer, pas- 
 tor of the German Reformed Church, of Salz- 
 burg, supplied the pulpit once each Sunday for 
 18 months. He was released in 1904, and the 
 pulpit is now supplied by Rev. W. L. Rleck- 
 stroth, who is also his successor in the Salz- 
 burg church. The church started with 13 char- 
 ter members and has now a membership of 60. 
 The attendance at the Sunday-school averages 
 about 125. 
 
 Hunger Presbyteri.\n Church (Hun- 
 ger). — Rev. John B. Dawson, who was a pio- 
 
 neer Congregationalist in this section, during 
 his pastorate in Essexville came to Hunger and 
 gathered the members of the various denomin- 
 ations together to hold meetings. He continued 
 this missionary work at intervals for years. 
 About 18 years ago a number of these people 
 came together and organized a Presbyterian 
 Church. Their first pastor was Rev. Samuel P. 
 Todd, who served the congregation for seven 
 years. His successor was Rev. H. P. Parker, 
 who remained several years. Then, after an in- 
 terval during which the church had no settled 
 pastor, came Rev. Mr. Austin, who was here 
 about two years. He was followed by Rev. 
 Mr. McAllister, whose successor, Rev. Mr. 
 Daily, is the present pastor. 
 
 Germ.\n Reformed Church (West 
 Side). — The church was organized September 
 26, 1880, with 27 charter members. At the 
 meeting which met for that purpose, in the 
 home of Jacob Laderach, it was decided to ex- 
 tend a call to Rev. E. W^ Henscheii to become 
 their first pastor. Meetings were held in the 
 homes of the various members until April 22, 
 1 88 1, when they purchased their present church 
 property. This was the original meeting house 
 of the first Methodist society. Their second 
 pastor was Rev. R. Kirchefer, who was called 
 in December, 1884, and commenced his labors 
 at once. His pastorate extended to March, 
 1886. He was followed by Rev. Isaac Mat- 
 zinger who assumed his duties in November of 
 that year and remained until October, 1892. 
 The next pastor was Rev. Mr. Ruetenik who 
 ministered to the church until November 26, 
 1899. Rev. Richard Harnish came to the 
 church January i, 1900, and remained as pas- 
 tor until September 30th of the same year. The 
 church was then without a settled pastor until 
 July 7, 1901, when Rev. J. G. Grimmer took 
 charge. He remained until July 31, 1904, and 
 on the first Sunday in October of that year, the 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 295 
 
 present pastor, Rev. W. L. Meckstroth began 
 his pastorate. The church now has a member- 
 ship of 100, and an average attendance at the 
 Sunday-school of 40. The present parsonage, 
 which is valued at nearly $1,000, was built 
 largely by the church's first pastor, who per- 
 formed much of the labor with his own hands. 
 
 BAPTIST CHURCHES. 
 
 Broadway Baptist Church. — The first 
 Baptist Church in the Saginaw Valley, known 
 today as the Broadway Baptist Church, was 
 organized in the residence of Jessie N. Braddock 
 in the township of Portsmouth, Bay County, 
 Michigan, June 15, 1858. The name given the 
 new church was : "The First Baptist Church 
 of Portsmouth." The following is a list of the 
 constituent members : Jessie and Mrs. Brad- 
 dock, Appleton and Mrs. Stevens, Mrs. Susan 
 Eraser, Mrs. A. McEwan, INIiss Elizabeth Era- 
 ser. Henry A. Braddock, J. S. Judson, D. C. 
 Miller, H. D. Braddock, John S. Wilson, Mrs. 
 Sarah E. Johnson, Mrs. Susan Eddy, and Mrs. 
 Shelby. 
 
 Under the ministry of Rev. S. Cornelius, a 
 house of worship was built at a cost of $1,200. 
 During Rev. A. Handy's ministry who served 
 as pastor from some time in 1859 to April, 
 1 86 1, the church was received into the Elint 
 River Association of Baptist Churches. (Au- 
 gust, i860.) 
 
 Rev. Franklin Johnson, then a young grad- 
 uate from Hamilton, New York, was ordained 
 as pastor sometime in 1861 and remained 
 nearly two years. During his ministry a mis- 
 sion was established in Birney's Hall, Bay City, 
 and in July, 1863, 27 members of the Ports- 
 mouth church were dismissed to form what is 
 known today as the First Baptist Church of Bay 
 City. Rev. Mr. Johnson soon afterward re- 
 signed his charge to become pastor of the new 
 
 church. The following ministers have served 
 as pastors at stated periods from that time until 
 the present hour : Re\-s. William W. Robson, 
 R. E. Whittemore, E. W. Andrews, M. W. 
 Holmes, C. H. Eraser, A. M. Allyn, J. C. 
 Rooney, C. Carrol, E. Chesney, N. L. Freeman, 
 H. A. Smith, C. E. Maxfield, E. S. Willson 
 and Benjamin H. Thomas. 
 
 In 1878 the old house which had become 
 too small was enlarged and the name changed 
 to the Fremont Avenue Baptist Church. In 
 1882 the church was incorporated. 
 
 A devastating fire swept through the South 
 End in 1891 and the church which had never 
 been so prosperous as then, was left without a 
 meeting house. For a time they worshiped in 
 the Sixth Ward School and in Marble Hall. On 
 August 2, 1892, they decided to build at the 
 corner of Broadway and 26th street and imme- 
 diately proceeded to perfect plans for the same. 
 
 August 17, 1892, a large body withdrew 
 from the church to what is known as the South 
 Baptist Church on Cass avenue. The corner- 
 stone for the present handsome building was 
 laid November 23, 1892, and the name was 
 changed to the Broadway Baptist Church. 
 
 The present property including parsonage 
 is valued at $25,000. The church is an active, 
 energetic body, organized into the following 
 departments : Bible School, Ladies' Benevolent 
 Society, Baptist Young People's Union, Junior 
 Union, Men's League and Guards. It is espe- 
 cially active in young people's work. 
 
 First Baptist Church. — This church 
 was organized at Birney Hall in July, 1863, by 
 27 members who had withdrawn for that pur- 
 pose from the society at Portsmouth (now 
 known as the Broadway Baptist Church), the 
 population of Lower Saginaw having so in- 
 creased that they felt inclined to have a church 
 of their own. At first services were held in the 
 Court House and at Birney Hall until August, 
 
396 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 1874, when a neat chnrch edifice was built on 
 Washington avenue. This was almost entirely 
 the gift of James Fraser. 
 
 The first pastor was Rev. Franklin John- 
 son, who came with them from the Portsmouth 
 society. He resigned in 1864 and was suc- 
 ceeded by Rev. S. L. Holman, whose brief pas- 
 torate was succeeded 1.iy the ministry of the la- 
 mented Rev. D. B. Patterson, who labored very 
 successfully until April, 1869, when failing 
 health compelled him to leave the ministry. It 
 was under his eloquent and genial ministrations 
 that the church entered upon the prosperous ca- 
 reer it has since known. Rev. J. A. Frost suc- 
 ceeded Rev. Mr. Patterson, and he was followed 
 by Rev. Z. Grenell, Jr., in 1873. 
 
 The society outgrew the little church on 
 Washington avenue, and in April, 1867, a com- 
 mittee was appointed to consider the question 
 of securing enlarged facilities for worship. 
 They recommended building a new church. 
 The old church property was worth about 
 $7,000, and John I. Fraser who had recently 
 died had bequeathed the society the sum of 
 $8,000. It was finally decided to build a new 
 house of worship, and the corner-stone was laid 
 in the summer of 1869, and the new church 
 dedicated February 9. 1873. A litigation, in 
 which the title to the site was involved, delayed 
 its construction. The total cost of the struc- 
 ture was about $75,000. The extreme length 
 of the building is 140 feet, and its greatest width 
 72 feet. The audience room is 54 by 94 feet, 
 finished in black walnut and ash. The windows 
 are of stained glass arranged in highly orna- 
 mental designs. An organ of nearly 1,400 
 pipes, above and in the rear of the pulpit, adds 
 greatly to the general good effect, both upon 
 the eye and ear of the worshiper. This cost 
 $6,000, and was the gift of Mrs. James Fraser. 
 In the rear of the audience room are church 
 parlors, kitchen, robing rooms and lecture and 
 
 Sunday-school rooms. Its two spires rising, 
 one to a height of 130 feet, the other to a height 
 of 180 feet, are visible not only from all parts 
 of the city, but attract the eye from a range of 
 three or four miles beyond. The trustees who 
 were charged with the responsibility of the work, 
 were : Rev. D. B. Patterson and C. McDowell 
 — both of whom died before its completion — 
 H. A. Gustin, E. B. Denison, C. M. Averill, 
 William Westover, W. H. Curry, Harry Gris- 
 wold, D. Culver, Luther Westover and Samuel 
 Drake. Capt. C. iNI. Averill had the supervision 
 of the work. The bell was also the gift of Mrs. 
 James Fraser, and came as a complete surprise 
 to the church and community. Captain Averill 
 succeeded in placing it in position during the 
 hours of the night, and its joyful peals on the 
 following morning, which was Sunday, filled 
 the citizens with astonishment. 
 
 The following is a list of the pastors since 
 Rev. Z. Grenell, Jr., whose pastorate closed in 
 June, 1879: Rev. J. W. Ford, February, 1880, 
 to June, 1884: Rev. G. M. W. Carey, fall of 
 1884 to the spring of 1885 : Rev. A. E. Waffle, 
 1 885- 1 888; Rev. J. S. Holmes, D. D., 1888- 
 93; Rev. S. Nelson Glover, 1894-95; Rev. H. 
 A. Sumrell, 1895-99; 'i"'^^ since the latter date 
 the church has been served by its present pas- 
 tor, Rev. Julien Avery Herrick, Ph. D. 
 
 Under the pastorate of Dr. Holmes about 
 $7,000 was spent on repairs. Again in 1904 
 about $4,000 was expended on repairs. The 
 church has now an active working membership 
 of 435. It has always been a very active church 
 and the six Baptist churches now here are evi- 
 dence of its missionary spirit. Since 1863 the 
 church has raised, exclusive of the $84,000 
 which the church and furnishings cost, about 
 $150,000 and of this $25,000 has been spent on 
 benevolences. 
 
 In I\Iay, 1904, special exercises were held 
 to commemorate its 40th anniversary. Fine 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 297 
 
 music, many addresses and a banquet were the 
 principal features. The opening services were 
 conducted by Dr. Franklin Johnson, the first 
 pastor of the church. 
 
 First Baptist Church (West Side). — 
 In 1874, William Currey, a member of the First 
 Baptist Church of Bay City crossed the river 
 and organized a Sunday-school, of which he 
 became superintendent. For six months the in- 
 fantile society met in an opera house, which has 
 since been turned into a merchants' storehouse. 
 Afterward it found temporary accommodation 
 in the Protestant Episcopal Church, which was 
 later remodeled into a public school building. 
 This work was vigorously prosecuted for two 
 years. Then the founder of the school was pre- 
 vented from giving it his attention, and the 
 school soon dwindled away. No further at- 
 tempt was made toward establishing the Bap- 
 tist denomination on the West Side until 1882. 
 In September of that year, the Sunday-school 
 missionary, E. D. Rundell, visited the town 
 and found a number of Baptist families, and it 
 was decided to organize a Bible school. This 
 was done, and the first meetings were held in 
 the old Presbyterian Church on Catherine 
 street. As time went on the work prospered, 
 and the question of having regular preaching 
 services was discussed and its advisability de- 
 termined upon. To this end a subscription was 
 circulated and received the signatures of 17 
 persons, and pledges aggregating $425. The 
 agreement was that "preaching should com- 
 mence on or before April first, A. D., 1883." 
 The next natural step was the organization of a 
 church, and this was effected on May 31, 1883, 
 at the residence of Dr. ^larsh. There were 13 
 charter members. The first pastor was Rev. D. 
 T. Firor, who commenced his labors October 
 10, 1883, the pulpit having been occupied dur- 
 ing the time intervening between the organiza- 
 tion and that date by candidates for the pas- 
 
 torate. A council of recognition was called, 
 and in April, 1884, the church in West Bay 
 City was duly enrolled among the Baptist 
 churches of the Saginaw Valley. 
 
 All services of the church and Sunday- 
 school were held in the old Presbyterian 
 Church until November, 1883, when the hall 
 in the Fisher Block was obtained. The desir- 
 ability of having a permanent house of worship 
 soon became apparent. Lots were secured on 
 the corner of Ohio and Dean streets. Plans 
 for a suitable building were adopted and the 
 contract let on July 31, 1884. Owing to the 
 limited means of the members, it was deemed 
 desirable to finish only the lecture room. This 
 room was available for services early in Febru- 
 ary, 1885. The church continued to grow in 
 numbers, and it was decided to complete the 
 audience room as quickly as possible. This was 
 accomplished June 28, 1885, on which date the 
 church was dedicated with appropriate exer- 
 cises. The total cost of the lots, buildings, fur- 
 nishings, etc., was $8,175.65. The property is 
 now valued at $10,000. 
 
 Rev. Mr. Firor's pastorate came to an end 
 in October, 1886, and his successor. Rev. B. 
 Morley, commenced his labors on November 
 loth of the same year. He remained with the 
 church two years and seven months. In Sep- 
 tember, i88g, a call was extended to Rev. C. H. 
 Irving which was accepted, and he commenced 
 his pastorate at once. During the summer of 
 1890, $1,000 was expended in repairs on the 
 church, and by October of that year this sum. 
 together with the debt of $2,200, had been paid, 
 leaving the society free from debt. Rev. ^Ir. 
 Irving continued with the church until July 30, 
 1902. His successor. Rev. George D. Harger, 
 began his labors in December and continued 
 with the church until February, 1905. The 
 church at present is without a pastor. The 
 chiu'ch has 246 members; there is an average 
 
298 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 attendance at the Sunday-school of over 200. 
 
 About 1886 a mission was started in 
 Brooks. The work was in charge of W. N. 
 Fletcher, who afterwards became pastor of the 
 Patterson ^Memorial Baptist Church, of Bay 
 City. The work has prospered. 
 
 Patterson Memori.^l B.\ptist Church. 
 — During his pastorate over the First Baptist 
 Church of Bay City, Rev. D. B. Patterson es- 
 tablished a mission Sunday-school in the north 
 part of the city. Members of his church pur- 
 chased land on VanBuren street between North 
 Johnson and Shearer streets, and erected a small 
 building in which the school was held. The of- 
 ficers of the school and the teachers came from 
 the church, arid as a result of their earnest en- 
 deavors the work was prospered until the school 
 had outgrown the capacity of their building. 
 Then the structure was set farther back on the 
 Jot and an addition was built on in front. This 
 was about 1884. The work continued to at- 
 tract the residents of the neighborhood, and 
 -occasionally other services were held until 1892, 
 when it seemed desirable to organize a church. 
 The name Patterson Memorial Baptist Church 
 was adopted to perpetuate and honor the mem- 
 ory of the founder of the mission, to whose in- 
 defatigable labors the Baptists of Bay City are 
 so greatly indebted. An earnest Christian, W. 
 N. Fletcher, of West Bay City, became pastor 
 of the church, and a year later was ordained 
 to the ministry. In 1901 he went to another 
 field of labor, and the church remained without 
 a pastor for seven months. Then Rev. Will- 
 iam P. Lovett was called from Rochester, New 
 York, where he had just completed a course in 
 theology. He served the church until April i, 
 1905. when he accepted a call to a church in 
 •Grand Rapids. In 1896 the house of worship 
 was moved from the place where the church 
 was founded to its present site and was remod- 
 ■eled. so that there is now a commodious audi- 
 
 torium. At present there are about 70 mem- 
 bers, the membership having been considerably 
 depleted in constituting the First Baptist Church 
 at Essexville. 
 
 First B.\ptist Church (Essexville). — 
 Soon after becoming pastor of the Patterson 
 Memorial Baptist Church, Rev. W. N. Fletcher 
 started a mission Sunday-school in Essexville. 
 At first the school was held in a rented room, 
 and these quarters were occupied until 1901, 
 when two lots of land at the corner of Dunbar 
 and Langstaff streets were purchased, and a 
 small brick church edifice was erected. At 
 present the church has about 80 members. They 
 have never had a settled pastor, but join witli 
 the Patterson Memorial Baptist Church in sup- 
 porting a minister, who divides his time evenly 
 between them. 
 
 South B.\ptist Church. — After the de- 
 struction of the Broadway Baptist Church by 
 the great fire which swept the southern portion 
 of the city, a number of its members deemed it 
 desirable to locate a church farther south. Ac- 
 cordingly on September i, 1892, the South Bap- 
 tist Church was organized with 17 charter 
 members, who had withdrawn from the Broad- 
 way Baptist Church for that purpose. At first 
 services were held in Moran Hall, at the corner 
 of what is now Cass avenue and Harrison 
 street. On ^March i, 1893. Rev. J. E. Gregory 
 was called to become their first pastor. About 
 this time land was purchased on Cass avenue at 
 the foot of Marsac street, and the erection of 
 their present house of worship was begun. The 
 church building was not completed until the 
 fall of 1904, although services had been held 
 in a portion of the edifice for some time prior 
 to this. On Christmas Day. 1904, the first 
 services were held in the completed church amid 
 general rejoicing on the part of the members. 
 
 During the first six months of 1895, Allan 
 McEwan of Bav Citv, served the church as 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 299. 
 
 pastor without remuneration. After that the 
 church was without a pastor until the spring 
 of 1896, the pulpit in the meantime being sup- 
 pUed by the different Baptist clergj-men of Bay 
 City. On May 6, 1896, Rev. H. E. McGrath 
 was caUed for six months. He remained until 
 April I, 1897, and the church was again with- 
 out a pastor until August, 1897, when Rev. 
 George \V. Bates commenced his labors here. 
 During all the time the church has been without 
 a settled pastor, at least one service has been 
 held each Sunday. Rev. Mr. Bates remained 
 with the church until October 29, 1899. His 
 successor was Rev. William P. Squire, who was 
 called the following September and served the 
 church until August, 1900. The next pastor 
 was Rev. Joseph Fox, who received his call the 
 following October, and remained with the 
 church until the spring of 1902. During the 
 following months the members of the church 
 became scattered and, becoming discouraged in 
 the struggle to maintain an organization with 
 so few members, had instructed the trustees to 
 sell the property. It was then that Daniel H. 
 Trombley, one of the charter members who had 
 been most influential in organizing the church, 
 but, who in the meantime had joined a church on 
 the West Side, came back and rallied the mem- 
 bers together, and by a vast amount of personal 
 work brought about a reorganization. To him 
 is due great credit for the noble work he has 
 done. From that time the church began to 
 prosper, and on March 22, 1904, the present 
 pastor, Rev. F. W. Kamm, commenced his la- 
 bors. The church was dedicated on February 
 12, 1905. At present there are about 40 mem- 
 bers of the church. About 170 scholars are 
 enrolled in the Sunday-school, which has an 
 average attendance of 135. 
 
 Swedish Baptist Church (West Side). 
 — This society was organized by 15 Swedish 
 Baptists in the fall of 1898. The following 
 
 year they purchased a private dwelling on the 
 corner of Dean and Jenny streets and remod- 
 eled it into a little meeting house. This served 
 the church until 1904 when it was enlarged to 
 its present size, giving it a seating capacity for 
 about 200 people. The property is worth about 
 $1,500. The church received its first minis- 
 trations from Rogiiar Alender, a theological 
 student, who came to them soon after the or- 
 ganization of the society and remained three 
 months. He was followed by another student, 
 John Erickson, who came in the spring of 1899 
 and remained with the church until the opening 
 of the fall term in the theological seminary. 
 After he went away, prayer meetings were held 
 and the Sunday-school was maintained, but the 
 little church remained without regular preach- 
 ing services until Rev. Peter O. Ekstrom took 
 charge in the summer of 1903. He was a mis- 
 sionary and gave only half his time to the 
 church. Since he went away, the last of De- 
 cember, 1904, the church has again been with- 
 out a pastor. 
 
 K.A.WKAWLIN Baptist Church. — This is 
 the outgrowth of a mission started by the First 
 Baptist Church of West Bay City a few years 
 ago. A church building has been erected on an 
 elegant site and fully paid for. The property 
 is valued at $2,000. The present membership 
 of the churcli is 34. Rev. Brent Harding be- 
 came pastor in 1901, and still continues a suc- 
 cessful work in that section. 
 
 congregational churches. 
 
 First Congregational Church. — The 
 first meeting in the interests of a Congregational 
 Church in Bay City was held in Good Temp- 
 lars' Hall, June 13, 1875. R^^'- J- ^- Dawson 
 preached morning and evening. On the 29th 
 of June a meeting was held at the residence of 
 F. H. Blackman to consider the practicability 
 
^oo 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 of organizing a Congregational Church and so- 
 ciety. It was decided to effect such an organ- 
 ization and articles of association were adopted 
 and officers were elected. 
 
 Regular Sabbath services were held in Good 
 Templars' Hall for a month, after which the use 
 of the Court House was procured, where, on 
 the 25th of July, 1875, the church was organ- 
 ized in due form. 
 
 Twenty-five members composed the new- 
 church, five of whom united on profession of 
 faith, and 20 by letters from other churches. 
 On the following Sabbath a Sunday-school was 
 organized under very encouraging auspices. 
 Church prayer meetings were also appointed, 
 being held from house to house. In August, 
 Rev. S. P. Barker, of Ionia, was engaged tem- 
 porarily as pastor, and at the end of three 
 months his resignation was accepted. 
 
 In October the trustees of the German Lu- 
 theran Church kindly proffered the use of their 
 house of worship on Sabbaths for one preach- 
 ing service, and also for Sunday-school. Short- 
 ly afterwards the Good Templars' Hall was 
 again secured where the regular church serv- 
 ices were held until the new house of worship 
 on the corner of Sixth and Van Buren streets 
 was finished. From November, 1875, until 
 February, 1876, the pulpit was supplied tempo- 
 rarily, much of the time by Dr. Joseph Hooper, 
 whose ministrations were kindly given, and 
 were received with much gratitude. His sud- 
 den illness and death, which occurred Febru- 
 ary 27, 1876, terminated a useful and devoted 
 life. 
 
 A movement was made immediately after 
 the organization of the chiirch and society to- 
 ward the erection of a house of worship. 
 Through the persevering efforts of the board 
 of trustees, and the liberality of memljers and 
 friends, the building committee were enabled to 
 begin the work December i, 1875. The church 
 
 edifice was completed and dedicated April 20, 
 1876. 
 
 About the first of February. 1876, the 
 church and society extended a call to Rev. J. 
 Homer Parker to become their pastor. The 
 call was accepted, and Rev. ^Ir. Parker entered 
 upon his ministrations IMarch 12, 1876. At the 
 expiration of a year he was regularly installed. 
 
 On June 28, 1879, Rev. Mr. Parker was 
 compelled to tender his resignation on account 
 of ill health. A unanimous call was extended 
 to Rev. J. G. Leavitt, of New Gloucester, 
 IMaine, who accepted the same and commenced 
 his pastorate under very favorable auspices, 
 December 7, 1879. Failing health, however, 
 compelled him to tender his resignation in Oc- 
 tober, 1880, and the church was again without 
 a pastor. An invitation to the pastorate was 
 given to Rev. W. W". Lyle, of Duxbury, Mass- 
 achusetts, which was accepted, and on January 
 2, 1881, he commenced his labors, which proved 
 very successful. At that time the membership 
 was 200. In 1 89 1 he was succeeded by the 
 present pastor. Rev. Charles T. Patchell. The 
 church has been out of debt for five or six years 
 and is active and growing. 
 
 CoxGREG.\TioxAL Church ( EsscxviUe) . 
 — In April, 1879. Rev. John B. Dawson came 
 to Essexville at the request of the Genesee As- 
 sociation to see what the possibilities were for 
 establishing a Congregational Church. He 
 visited among the people for a month, during 
 which time he held meetings in Hudson Hall. 
 On May 6th of that year a church was organ- 
 ized with 30 charter members, and the follow- 
 ing week the Sunday-school was established. 
 The first Sunday of the following August the 
 church commenced holding meetings in what 
 is now K. O. T. M. Hall, and worshiped there 
 for two years and a half. In 1881 they com- 
 menced building their present house of worship, 
 and held the first meeting there in February, 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 301 
 
 1883. The edifice was dedicated the first of the 
 following June, and at that time the church 
 was out of debt. Rev. J\Ir. Dawson was called 
 as pastor as soon as the church was organized. 
 After six years of service, he was compelled to 
 resign and to retire from the ministry on ac- 
 count of failing health, although he has 
 preached occasionally since that time. Rev. W. 
 B. King was called in the early summer of 1S85, 
 and remained with the church five years. Then 
 Rev. Mr. Scott was engaged to supply the pul- 
 pit for the next six months, and was succeeded 
 in 1891 by Rev. E. M. Counsellor who minis- 
 tered to the congregation for two years. At 
 the close of his pastorate, the mills, in which 
 most of the male members of the church were 
 employed, were destroyed by fire, and the 
 church remained without a pastor for about a 
 year and a half, the members feeling that they 
 could not assume the burden of maintaining a 
 minister. In 1895, Rev. J. H. Haller, who had 
 charge of the city mission, began supplying the 
 pulpit on Sunday mornings, and continued his 
 labors for a year. Then Rev. Charles T. Pat- 
 chell preached to the congregation on Sunday 
 evenings for a year, and for the next 1 2 months 
 the church was ministered to by Rev. j\Ir. 
 Woodruff, a retired clerg\-man of Saginaw. 
 From the close of his labors until November, 
 190 1, the church was again without a pastor. 
 At that time Rev. Charles W. Jones, of Zanes- 
 ville, Ohio, was called. He was succeeded after 
 21 months by Rev. O. A. Alexander, who 
 stayed with the church only 10 months. In, 
 November, 1904, Rev. R. S. Hartill was called 
 from Sprague, Canada. The present member- 
 ship of the church is 51. 
 
 EVANGELICAL CHURCHES. 
 
 ZioN Evangelical Church. — In 1878 
 this church was organized. Among the original 
 
 trustees were Herman ]\Ieisel, Henry Meisel, 
 August JMeisel, Max Hildebrand and Fred 
 Koch. x"\t first a small church building was 
 erected, but as the society flourished it was 
 found necessary to build the house of worship 
 on Iklonroe street, which they are now using. 
 The old church was removed to the rear of the 
 lot, where it is used as a chapel and for school 
 purposes. The church had 26 charter members. 
 The first pastor was Rev. F. Hamp, who re- 
 mained about two years. The next three pas- 
 tors. Revs. Frederick Schweitzer, Frederick 
 Mueller and George Haller, each served the 
 church three years. Then Rev. Frederick 
 Klump had charge for two years, and was fol- 
 lowed by Rev. j\Ir. Krueger, who was pastor 
 for three years. This brings us to 1892, when 
 a portion of the society withdrew from the de- 
 nomination to form the Salem United Evan- 
 gelical Church. 
 
 Soon after this event, a meeting was called 
 in a hall on Washington avenue to organize a 
 new society. Rev. N. Wunderlich was chair- 
 man of this meeting and Rev. John Riebel its 
 secretary. At this meeting about 30 people re- 
 united with the church of the Evangelical Asso- 
 ciation. The society that had withdrawn re- 
 fused to give up the church property for a num- 
 ber of years. In 1898, however, a decision of 
 the courts gave the church to its present own- 
 ers. The new society has now about 50 mem- 
 bers. Its property is valued at $8,400. The 
 pastors have been Revs. John Riebel, J. Ham- 
 mel, N. Wunderlich, A. Halmhuber, J. M. Bitt- 
 ner and W. AI. Sippel, who is the present pas- 
 tor. The Sunday-school services are held 
 in English. The morning services are in 
 German and the evening services are in 
 English. 
 
 Salem United Evangelical Church is 
 the name that was chosen by the society that 
 withdrew from the Evangelical Association in 
 
302 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 1892. They worshiped in what is now Zion 
 EvangeHcal Church until 1898, when they were 
 compelled by the courts to abandon the prop- 
 erty, and at that time built their present church 
 and parsonage at a cost of $10,000. The prop- 
 erty is located at the corner of Madison avenue 
 and loth street. 
 
 Their pastors, each of whom has served the 
 church the prescribed limit of four years, have 
 been Revs. Henry Schneider, Samuel Mueller 
 and A. Lutz, whose pastorate expired in 1905. 
 and who was succeeded by the present pastor. 
 Rev. C. M. Kaufman. The present member- 
 ship is 126. 
 
 The First Universalist Society was 
 organized in 1864 under the labors of Rev. 
 William Tompkins, who preached in Bay City 
 every alternate Sunday for six months of that 
 year. At first he had called the Universalists 
 of Bay City together and developed their 
 strength ; but at the close of his engagement it 
 was thought the interest was not sufficient to 
 warrant the continuance of his labors. Thus 
 matters rested until die summer of 1865, when 
 Rev. Z. Cook visited the city and preached to 
 the congregation every Sunday for a month, as 
 a candidate for settlement. The interest mani- 
 fested did not seem sufficient to justify his en- 
 gagement, and nothing more was done until 
 the early spring of 1866, when Rev. C. P. Nash 
 came to Bay City, seeking a settlement. He 
 was assured beforehand that circumstances did 
 not favor the settlement of any pastor over the 
 society, but so great and unexpected was the 
 interest shown upon his first visit that he was 
 requested to renew it, and in the meantime a 
 subscription was started to secure his services. 
 The necessary amount was pledged, and on 
 the first Sunday in April he entered upon the 
 discharge of his duties as pastor. 
 
 The society, however, from having been so 
 long without regular meetings, had well-nigh 
 
 dissolved; and hence a meeting was called on 
 April 10, 1866, at which it was legally reor- 
 ganized, and its organization entered upon the 
 records of the county according to law. The 
 necessity of a church building being apparent 
 to all, in June the pastor commenced circulating 
 a subscription to raise the necessary funds. 
 Work on the building was commenced in Octo- 
 ber, and it was dedicated on the first Sunday in 
 January, 1867. Owing to financial troubles, 
 meetings were suspended from January, 1868, 
 to the following May, when an engagement 
 was entered into for preaching half the time. 
 The Sunday-school, however, did not suffer in- 
 terruption. After a time, however, the society 
 recuperated and enjoyed a more prosperous 
 condition. In 1877 ^^'^^ building was destroyed 
 by fire, and the lot was exchanged for one on 
 the corner of Seventh street and Madison ave- 
 nue, where the following year a church edifice 
 was completed. The pastor at that time was 
 Rev. Amos Crum, who remained with the so- 
 ciety for several years. After he went away 
 the pulpit was filled by a number of supplies, 
 none of whom remained for any considerable 
 length of time. The next settled pastor was 
 Rev. S. Crane, who came in 1882. He remained, 
 about one and a half years, and then the pulpit 
 was vacant for a short time until Rev. S. H. 
 Roblin took charge. He was followed by Rev.' 
 Frank J. Chase, who subsequently seceded from 
 the denomination, and after that the pulpit was 
 supplied by different clergymen of the Univer- 
 salist denomination until Rev. Charles E. 
 Tucker came to the church about 1893. The 
 church building was destroyed by fire on March 
 10, 1895, Mr. Tucker at that time being away 
 on a tour of the Holy Land. Soon after this 
 second visitation by fire the pastorate was ter- 
 minated. For about a year the society had no 
 regular meeting place, and few meetings were 
 held. Then Rev. Thomas Illman was engaged. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 303 
 
 and services were held in the Ridotto. About 
 this time a building lot was secured on Center 
 avenue at the corner of Sherman street, and tha 
 foundation for a new house of worship was 
 laid. Rev. Mr. Illman's pastorate covered a 
 period of two and one-half years. The pulpit 
 again becoming vacant, services were held in- 
 termittently until Rev. George B. Stocking was 
 secured as pastor. He remained with the 
 church about a year and a half. Since his resig- 
 nation in June, 1904, no regular meetings have 
 been held, the society being kept alive by the 
 ladies, who hold meetings weekly from house 
 to house among the members. There are now 
 only about 40 or 50 families connected with the 
 society, many former members ha\ing become 
 identified with other churches in the city. Ow- 
 ing to the weakened condition of the society, it 
 appears doubtful if the new church on Center 
 avenue will be completed in the immediate fu- 
 ture. 
 
 Church of Christ (Disciples). This 
 West Side church was organized about eight 
 years ago, with six charter members. The first 
 meeting was held at the house of John Law. 
 Services were afterward conducted in the houses 
 of the various members until they came into 
 possession of their present house of worship. 
 This was previously owned by the Swedish Dis- 
 ciples' Church under the leadership of Rev. Mr. 
 Hollengrin, who constructed the building with 
 his own hands. The property is now valued at 
 $1,500. The present membership of the church 
 is 36. The following is a list of the pastors to 
 date: Revs. I. K. Law, September, 1897, to 
 August, 1899; W. R. Seytone, November, 
 1899, to February, 1900; C. W. F. Daniels, 
 May 6, 1900, to September 9. 1900; W. P. 
 Squires, October 14, 1900, to February 28, 
 1 901 ; A. E. Zelier, June 7. 1 901, to February 
 19, 1905 ; and S. W. Pearcy, the present pastor, 
 who took charge February 19, 1905. 
 
 17 
 
 SWEDISH FREE MISSION CHURCH. 
 
 About 1885, S. A. Sanbeck began holding 
 praj'er meetings from house to house among 
 Swedish Christians in West Bay City. These 
 meetings were kept up until 1891. During 
 these years Swedish missionaries made occas- 
 ional visits, and at such times meetings were 
 lield in various halls. In 1891 the present 
 church society was organized, and the follow- 
 ing year their house of worship was erected on 
 DeWitt street between Jenny and Thomas 
 streets. It seats about 125 people and is valued 
 at about $1,000. The church has about 60 
 members. Their present pastor. Rev. Alberts 
 Johnson, came in December, 1904. 
 
 SEVENTH D..\Y .\DVENTIST. 
 
 In the summer of 1889, Frank Armstrong 
 began holding Sabbath-school on the ^^^est Side 
 in the home of Mrs. J. B. Stewart. Soon after 
 that he began holding services in his own house. 
 During the winter of 1889, Elder D. H. Lam- 
 son came here, and a hall was rented and gen- 
 eral church services held, until the spring of 
 1890. The interest manifested did not seem 
 sufificient to justify him in staying, but after 
 he went away the Sabbath-school and prayer 
 meetings were continued. Later the meetings 
 were removed to Bay City and held for a time 
 in the old Lutheran Church at the corner of 
 Sixth street and Madison avenue. On Feb- 
 ruary I, 1890, the church was organized with 
 17 members. Elder Burrill moved his family 
 here in the spring and remained with the church 
 through the summer. Elder Basney came in 
 the fall of 1890, and served the society until 
 1895. Their present house of worship on 
 South Dean street was completed in 1895, '^"'^ 
 dedicated on May 12th of that year. The edi- 
 fice is valued at about $1,500 and seats about 
 
304 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 150 people. The church now has 61 members. 
 Their next pastor was Elder Justus Lamson, 
 who had charge of the services about two years. 
 Their next pastor, Elder Conrad Weber, went 
 away in 1901, and then they were without a 
 pastor for quite a while. Their present pastor. 
 Elder A. R. Sanborn, came in February, 1902. 
 In the fall of 1902, the church opened a paro- 
 chial school in the church. There are now nine 
 children in the school. The first teacher was 
 May Sanborn who had charge of the school for 
 one year. Since that time the present teacher, 
 Louise Krohn, has been in charge. 
 
 The Christian Assembly, whose taber- 
 nacle is located at the corner of Michigan and 
 Dean streets, on the West Side, was founded 
 by Elder Walter Sims in 1879. In the fall of 
 1879 he came to Bay City on a business trip. 
 One evening with a friend he went to hear a 
 temperance address in Rouech Hall ; the speaker 
 did not put in an appearance, and Elder Sims 
 was requested to address the assembled audi- 
 ence. Up to this time it had always been his 
 custom to preach the Gospel as opportunity of- 
 fered, and so he gladly took advantage of the 
 occasion to deliver a stirring Gospel address, 
 and by request continued preaching on subse- 
 quent evenings. These are the peculiar circum- 
 stances which led to the establishing of this 
 unique assembly which now numbers between 
 three and four hundred members, who claim to 
 gather in accordance with the customs of the 
 Christian assemblies in the days of the Apos- 
 tles, without a creed other than the entire Bible. 
 After a time the meetings were transferred to 
 West Bay City and held in the old St. Paul's 
 Protestant Episcopal Church. Services were 
 conducted in this building until 1880 when 
 they began holding meetings in a building of 
 their own, which was located opposite their 
 present site. The building was 126 by 76 feet 
 and cost about $2,000. In 1881 a large acad- 
 
 emy building was added to the church property 
 at a cost of $3,000. The academy was con- 
 ducted by Elder Sims and its curriculum in- 
 cluded college preparatory courses, normal 
 courses for teachers, commercial courses and 
 other studies which might be selected by the 
 student. The school prospered until 1892, 
 when the entire property was destroyed by fire. 
 For a time, after that misfortune, services 
 were conducted in the chapel now used by the 
 Church of Christ. In the meantime the Sal- 
 vation Army barracks were purchased, remod- 
 eled inside and refitted so that it would seat 
 more than 700 people. Including all improve- 
 ments, it has cost up to this time between $5,000 
 and $6,000. Articles of incorporation as The 
 Christian Assembly were executed February 12, 
 1902. 
 
 hebrew congregations. 
 
 Anshei Chesed Hebrew Reform Con- 
 gregation was organized in September, 1878. 
 Services were held in a lodge room on Water 
 street until 1884 when they purchased their 
 present temple on Adams street from a Ger- 
 man Lutheran society, which had previously 
 used it as a house of worship. Originally the 
 congregation numbered about 25 male, paying 
 members, but as the number of Jewish famil- 
 ies in the city increased the membership in- 
 creased. In 1884 the congregation divided on 
 questions regarding the manner of conducting 
 the services, so that now the male paying mem- 
 bership is only what is was at the beginning. 
 There are about 50 members of the congrega- 
 tion. Dr. \\'olff Landau was the first rabbi, 
 and served the congregation until his death, 
 August 29, 1903. He was succeeded after a 
 few months by Dr. F. \\'. Jesselson. who is still 
 in charge. He resides at Grand Rapids. The 
 society is free from debt. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 305 
 
 Shaary Zedek Coxgregatiox. — In 1884 
 about 12 families who believed in adhering to 
 the old forms and methods of conducting He- 
 brew worship withdrew from the Anshei 
 Chesed Reform Hebrew Congregation. Their 
 first meetings were held in a hall on Center 
 avenue. They continued there seven or eight 
 years, and then moved into their present syna- 
 gogue, which was built in 1S89. The edifice 
 will seat about 500 people. They have 45 vot- 
 ing members, while the congregation numbers 
 about 500 souls. In 1904 a private residence 
 adjoining the synagogue was purchased, and is 
 to be converted into a Hebrew free school. This 
 property is worth about $1,000. The value of 
 the synagogue, including furnishings, is at 
 least $4,000. 
 
 In 1882 Rabbi Samuel Levine came to the 
 congregation. He remained about three years 
 and was followed by Rabbi Joseph Bernstein, 
 who stayed two years. Next came Rabbi Jo- 
 seph Taub, who served the congregation about 
 six years. His successor was Rabbi L. Frisch, 
 and after him Rabbi A. Rosenthal was here 
 three years until 1903. when Rabbi Joseph 
 Taub returned to the congregation and has re- 
 mained since that time. 
 
 YOUXG MEX'S CHRISTIAX ASSOCIATION. 
 
 The association was organized June 19, 
 1885, with D. C. Smalley as president and W. 
 F. Sunley as general secretary. Mr. Smalley 
 served the association two years. Mr. Sunley, 
 after a much appreciated work, resigned Octo- 
 ber I, 1886. Mr. Baker acted as general secre- 
 tary until September i, 1887, when Mr. Hoag 
 took charge. He was succeeded on May i, 
 1888, by F. Klumpf. and at the same time Hon. 
 F. W. Wheeler became president. 
 
 During the incumbency of Mr. Klumpf, the 
 association received from the philanthropist. 
 
 Alexander Folsom, $20,000 for a building and 
 $10,000 as a library fund. With the money 
 designated for that purpose the association pur- 
 chased the building it now occupies on Adams 
 street, which was originally known as the Wal- 
 ton Block and remodeled it for its present uses. 
 Mr. Klumpf resigned March 30, 1890, and 
 was succeeded by Mr. Black. Then followed a 
 number of general secretaries who served one 
 or two years each. In 1S98 the present general 
 secretary, Charles A. Day, began his work. He 
 had come here the previous year as physical di- 
 rector, and still continues to look after both 
 departments of the association's work. 
 
 YOUXG women's CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. 
 
 The association was organized in May, 
 1891, and incorporated the following Decem- 
 ber. The aim of the work has been to promote 
 the interest of young women in spiritual, edu- 
 cational, physical and social work. At first 
 meetings were held in the G. A. R. Hall : later, 
 rooms were secured in the old library building ; 
 from there the association removed to a private 
 house on Washnigton avenue and still later to 
 a dwelling house on Madison avenue. For the 
 past five years the association has occupied 
 quarters in the Root Block on Center avenue. 
 There are six rooms, — office, assembly room, 
 library, rest room, dining room and kitchen. 
 Following is a list of the secretaries, each of 
 whom held office about a year : Miss Humph- 
 rey, I\Iiss Obernauer. Miss Alice Pierce, Miss 
 Belle Lemon, Miss Carey. Miss Strong. Miss 
 Mary Angevine and Miss Myrtle B. Mills, who 
 took' charge as general secretary in 1904 and is 
 still in office. Of these. Misses Alice Pierce 
 and Belle Lemon were volunteer workers of the 
 local association. 
 
 In addition to the religious meetings, regu- 
 lar classes are held in the common English 
 
3o6 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 branches and in drawing, plain sewing, shirt- 
 waist making, milhnery, cooking and a limited 
 amount of gymnasium work. All the best mag- 
 azines are to be found on the library table, and 
 on the shelves many standard works of litera- 
 ture and the best of the late books, of which the 
 members have free use. During the past year 
 9,105 lunches were served. The total attend- 
 ance at the rooms, including classes. Gospel 
 meetings and calls, was 21,833. The total mem- 
 bership is now 500. The work is supported by 
 memberships and subscriptions. 
 
 HOSPIT.^LS. 
 
 JMercy Hospital. The stately structure 
 standing on the corner of 15th and Howard 
 streets, is one of Bay City's best testimonials 
 that its citizens, in the hurry and bustle of the 
 complex life of the present -day, have not for- 
 gotten that "sweet quality of mercy" which 
 finds expression in tender, solicitous care for the 
 weak, sick and helpless. 
 
 Mercy Hospital had its beginning five years 
 ago, being established first in the old Nathan 
 B. Bradley private residence, on the present 
 site. It is entirely under the management of 
 that noble body of Christian woman known as 
 the Sisters of Mercy, Sister Hilda being then, 
 as now, the superior. Michigan, from 1668 
 when Father Marquette, that great Catholic 
 missionary, founded the first settlement, has 
 been indebted to the same religious body for 
 much of its educational and religious develop- 
 ment as well as for the carrying on of some of 
 its greatest charities. With the zeal which has 
 always characterized the pioneers in establish- 
 ing their schools and benevolent institutions, 
 Sister Hilda, ably seconded by her assistants, 
 so presented the claims of the proposed hospital, 
 to the business men of Bay City, that a fund of 
 $7,500 was rapidly raised and the present 
 
 property was purchased, so that when the hos- 
 pital was opened, on September 26, 1900, it 
 was entirely free from indebtedness. 
 
 In 1905 an annex was added to the original 
 structure, a brick building, three stories and 
 basement, making the accommodations larger 
 and of more benefit to the public. Through 
 private contributions and the interest taken in 
 the work of the hospital by many citizens of 
 various denominations, as well as the income 
 derived from those patients able to remunerate 
 generously for their care, the whole building 
 has been thoroughly equipped with e\-ery mod- 
 ern convenience and appliance and is recognized 
 as the leading private hospital in the city. Many 
 of its 20 private rooms have been furnished by 
 private individuals or societies. It is, however, 
 just what its name implies, — a refuge for the 
 sick who have no means to procure medical at- 
 tention. These are never turned away, but the 
 good Sisters take them in, shelter and cure them 
 and let them pass out again healed in body and 
 refreshed in spirit. The charity patients aver- 
 age about 10 a year, the accommodations be- 
 ing for 35 patients. The hospital has a private 
 ambulance. Mercy Hospital keeps 10 nurses 
 for its work and from its training school has 
 graduated' 1 2 nurses, making no charge for tui- 
 tion. Another admirable department of its 
 work is the finding of homes for waifs. These 
 are placed where conditions promise that they 
 will be carefully reared in Christian households. 
 
 While this hospital is under the care of the 
 Sisters of Mercy, it has the full sympathy and 
 support of all the religious creeds of the city, 
 for its work is entirely unsectarian and of so 
 beneficent a character that its great usefulness 
 can not be ranked too high. 
 
 Lewis Hospital. — Dr. LeRoy Lewis, 
 while looking for a suitable location for a hos- 
 pital, came in the latter "eighties" to Bay City, 
 and there being at that time no hospital in either 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 307 
 
 of the cities, he was encouraged by a number of 
 leading citizens to decide upon Bay City as the 
 scene of his future labors. He returned to his 
 home in New York State to close up his busi- 
 ness affairs there. This required a little longer 
 time than he had anticipated, and when, in Sep- 
 tember, 1900, he arrived in Bay City, he dis- 
 covered that Mercy Hospital had been estab- 
 lished. He was not discouraged by this, how- 
 ever, as he felt there was room here for t\^■o 
 such institutions, and it was his hope in time to 
 make his hospital a public, if not a municipal 
 institution. He secured what was at that time 
 one of the most pretentious private dwellings in 
 Bay City, erected by the late George Lewis at a 
 cost of many thousands of dollars. Dr. Lewis 
 furnished this home with every necessary ap- 
 pliance of the most modern and approved type 
 for performing surgical operations and every 
 convenience for the care of the sick and con- 
 valescent, and on November 16, 1900, the in- 
 stitution, which had cost Dr. Lewis $10,000, 
 ■was formally opened to the public. 
 
 The building is situated on a beautiful cor- 
 ner lot, with ample grounds and an abundance 
 of sunlight and air. Had the structure been 
 erected especially for a hospital, it would not 
 be more appropriate. The building contains 
 spacious halls, drawing rooms and library, all 
 elegantly furnished, and these cheerful places 
 are at the disposal of convalescents. The din- 
 ing room, kitchen, pantry and other domestic 
 appointments are those of an elegant home. On 
 the second floor are two wards, rooms for pri- 
 vate patients, bath rooms and operating rooms. 
 The third floor has a ward sufficiently large to 
 accommodate 25 beds, and there is a maternity 
 department which is complete in every detail. 
 The building is heated by steam, and lighted 
 by its own electric light plant. Dr. Lewis 
 brought the first ambulance to Bay City, and 
 this is at the disposal of any physician. 
 
 At the time the hospital was established, 
 there were scarcely any trained nurses in Bay 
 City, and it became apparent at once that in 
 order to meet the demand for skilled nurses for 
 the hospital and for the public, it would be 
 necessary to establish a school. Accordingly^ 
 on July 25, 1901, the auxiliary board of the 
 Nurse Association of Lewis Hospital was in- 
 corporated. In addition to furnishing training 
 for nurses, the association was formed for 
 charitable work in furnishing attendance for 
 and in nursing persons ill or helpless from acci- 
 dents, who are unable to provide the heavy costs 
 entailed by such services. This association 
 controls the charity ward of the hospital and 
 all funds given for the care of free patients. 
 Below we give a list of the persons composing 
 the board of directors, the ofiicers of which con- 
 stitute the board of trustees of the institution : 
 Oflicers and trustees, — president, Mrs. May 
 Stocking Knaggs; ist vice-president, Mrs. Min- 
 nie E. Ruelle; 2nd vice-president, Mrs. W. J. 
 Daniels; secretary, Mrs. Fred Asman; treas- 
 urer, Mrs. Mae Kenney Lewis. Directors : 
 Mrs. E. B. Foss, Mrs. Theodore F. Shepard, 
 Mrs. Mae Kenney Lewis, Mrs. Robert Beutel, 
 -Mrs. S. A. Baldwin, Mrs. M. S. Bird. Mrs. 
 Anna Foote, DeVere Hall, LeRoy Lewis. John 
 Daniels, George N. Ewell, Frank Walter, A. 
 W. Herrick, Arthur Boynton and Arthur 
 Strong. At the beginning of each year a med- 
 ical staff is formed, comprising four physicians 
 and four surgeons, each of whom serves three 
 months of the ensuing year. Besides giving 
 lectures to nurses, this staff cares for the pa- 
 tients in the charity ward. 
 
 Up to this time, all the profit from the care 
 of private patients has been expended in main- 
 taining the public or free ward. Of the money 
 spent in this way, Dr. Lewis has given $4,921.- 
 96 and the ladies of the directorate have pro- 
 vided $1,258.38. This department has cared 
 
3oS 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 for 114 patients, many of them remaining for 
 long periods of time — one patient has been un- 
 der treatment for a year. This charity work 
 had grown to a point where Dr. Lewis felt he 
 could no longer assume the financial burden of 
 bearing nearly four-fifths of the expense it in- 
 volved from his private purse, so early in 1905 
 he made an appeal to the public-spirited citizens 
 of Bay City to maintain the free ward as a pub- 
 lic philanthropy, to be owned and supported by 
 the general public, thus making the Lewis Hos- 
 pital, in the strict sense of the term, the only 
 public hospital in Bay City. 
 
 CHARITIES. 
 
 Old Ladies' Home. — The Associated 
 Charities, a band of noble-hearted women, who 
 have time and energy- to aid those in sor- 
 row and distress, was first organized by the 
 ladies of Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church 
 in 1886. Led by Mrs. Samuel G. J\I. Gates 
 and Mrs. Nathan B. Bradley, they raised $3,- 
 000 to purchase the property since enlarged 
 and improved, located on Monroe street and 
 Fourth avenue, — a spacious, two-story frame 
 building, with stone foundation and basement. 
 Nearly $10,000 has been collected and spent 
 for the laudable purposes of this home in the 
 last 18 years, during 13 years of which time 
 Mrs. Gates has been the earnest, able and inde- 
 fatigable president of this worthy association. 
 Ill health compelled her to resign in 1899, Mrs. 
 Selwyn Eddy assuming the responsibilities of 
 the executive office of the association for more 
 than three years, until ill health also compelled 
 her retirement. For the last three years Mrs. 
 Frank Shearer has presided with commendable 
 devotion over the destinies of Bay City's two 
 most worthy institutions of sweet charity. The 
 Old Ladies' Home is in the nature of a private 
 boarding house, all the inmates contributing 
 
 something toward the maintenance of the 
 rooms, of which the home has 25 furnished 
 with all the comforts, but none of the luxuries, 
 of the modern home. The inmates are there 
 for life, enjoying the eventide of their earthly 
 journey in congenial and quiet surroundings, 
 free from care and assured of kindly attendance 
 to the last. In 1905, 2y inmates are enrolled. 
 ]\Iiss Josephine Albertson is the matron, with 
 two domestics and a janitor. The Asso- 
 ciated Charities are having their annual rum- 
 mage sale April 24-29, 1905, the proceeds of 
 which go into their charity fund, constituting 
 each year a more liberal and well-earned sum. 
 Children's Home. — Amid a grove of 
 giant forest trees, fronting on Columbus ave- 
 nue, one of Bay City's prettiest and broadest 
 thoroughfares, stands the pride of the city's 
 charities, — the handsome, three-story brick 
 structure, whose roof covers the homeless waifs 
 of the community. After the Associated Char- 
 ities had firmly established the Old Ladies' 
 Home, they turned their attention to the poor 
 little chilren, many of whom are each year left 
 motherless and homeless, even in this well- 
 regulated community. The first few years the 
 children were kept at the Old Ladies' Home, 
 but this was found inexpedient, and a separate 
 home was established on Johnson street. After 
 some years of hard work, without commensu- 
 rate results, the association concluded to drop 
 the more burdensome care of the little waifs. 
 Mrs. Samuel G. M. Gates, however, ne\er lost 
 faith in the final success of this much needed 
 home for children, so with the aid of Mrs. 
 iSIurray, who for nine years was the devoted 
 matron of this home, and a few others, she 
 fitted up one of her houses on loth street for 
 the children, where for nearly eight years they 
 received the best of care, though the accom- 
 modations necessarily limited the number that 
 could be taken. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 309 
 
 In 1901 the ladies made another determined 
 effort to secure a permanent and sufficient home 
 for these poor children, and a number of busi- 
 ness men, headed by A. E. Bousfield, raised 
 about $20,000 that year for the beautiful Chil- 
 dren's Home, which was occupied by the asso- 
 ciation March 10, 1902. The home is of ar- 
 tistic design and architecture, containing a 
 large dormitory for the girls, another for the 
 younger boys, and a third for the older boys, 
 with a roomy nursery for the little mites, of 
 whom there are always several under that hos- 
 pitable roof. The basement contains the steam- 
 heating plant, and a large children's play room, 
 for use in winter and during storms, when the 
 roomy out-door playground is not available. 
 Airy dining rooms, kitchen, reception room 
 and living rooms complete the equipment. 
 Miss Grace Bradley, the present matron, has 
 been in charge for three years, with four as- 
 
 sistants. A kindergarten was taught here until 
 the public schools took up this work this year. 
 
 On April 25, 1905, there were 52 chilren in 
 the home, ranging from two weeks to 14 years 
 in age; 38 attend the public schools, while 14 
 are too young, and the older of these receive 
 their first instruction at the home. Some of 
 the children are placed here by their parents, 
 whose employment, or lack of a home, pre- 
 vents their taking proper care of them, and 
 these contribute something toward their main- 
 tenance. But by far the larger number of the 
 inmates are wards of charity. 
 
 The Associated Charities' officers for 1905 
 are : Mrs. Frank Shearer, president ; Mrs. 
 Archibald McDonnell, Mrs. E. T. Carrington 
 and Mrs. D. C. Smalley, vice-presidents ; Miss 
 N^ellie Thompson, financial secretary; Mrs. 
 George E. Harmon, recording secretary; Mrs. 
 Wilfred E. See, treasurer. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Public Schools, Libraries and the Press. 
 
 PUBLIC schools. 
 
 Let us then be up and doing, 
 
 With a heart for any fate; 
 Still achieving, still pursuing, 
 
 Learn to labor and to wait. 
 
 Bay City, East Side. — The progress and 
 enlightment of any community, State or na- 
 tion can best be judged by its schools. And 
 in the light of that standard Bay County has 
 from the first taken a creditable place in the 
 educational field, and in 1905 Bay City ranks 
 foremost among the cities of its size in that 
 great field of endeavor in the United States. 
 Unlike many other frontier settlements, Bay 
 County's earliest pioneers were mostly people 
 of education, and among them were citizens 
 of more than ordinary culture and refinement. 
 Hence some of the earliest public acts here 
 pertained to the creation and the support of 
 schools. 
 
 The first school district was organized in 
 April, 1842, and the first school was held in 
 the Bonnel house, a one-story frame building, 
 14 by 20 feet in dimensions, located on the 
 river front near the foot of Columbus avenue. 
 Miss Clark taught from June i to September 
 I, 1842, her class consisting of Daniel Marsac, 
 Margaret Campbell, Emily Campbell, Perry 
 and Philenda Olmstead, Richard Trombley and 
 P. L., H. B. and Esther Rogers. Thomas 
 
 Rogers was moderator. Judge Sydney S. Camp- 
 bell, director, and Cromwell Barney, assessor. 
 Capt. David Smith assumed charge January 
 I, 1843, '^^■'tb 2^ scholars, of whom William 
 R. McCormick, John Churchfield and Israel 
 and Dan Marsac were more than 21 years old 
 proving that the pioneers believed their chil- 
 dren were never too old to learn. 
 
 On January 7, 1845, the new school house, 
 one-story, 21 by 26 feet in size, was completed 
 near the foot of Washington avenue, and 
 Harry Campbell, the joker of early folk-lore 
 here, taught the young idea how to shoot. 
 The district extended for more than three miles 
 along the river front, and the children had to 
 trudge man}' weary miles morning and even- 
 ing. Miss A. E. Robinson taught in 1847-48, 
 for a salary of $1.50 per week and "boarding 
 'round 1" In season, teacher and pupils paddled 
 to school in Indian canoes. 
 
 By 1854 the township of Hampton re- 
 quired better school facilities for 160 children 
 of school age then enrolled and the Adams 
 street school was built to seat 300 pupils. This 
 answered the purposes of the East Side until 
 1865. This Adams street school of the Sec- 
 ond Ward was then enlarged to accommodate 
 500 pupils. In 1884 the writer attended this 
 school then crowded to its capacity. Miss 
 Holmes being principal and Miss Lucy Bertch, 
 Miss Babo, Miss Newkirk and Miss Rutledge, 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 311 
 
 teachers, several of whom are still on Bay 
 City's efficient corps of instructors. 
 
 In 1866 another school was opened on Mc- 
 Kinley avenue and Adams street, seating 120, 
 with every place filled. That year the Farragut 
 School property was bought for High School 
 purposes at a cost of $4,400, and the Sherman 
 School property cost $2,800. 
 
 The union School District of Bay City 
 was incorporated March 20, 1867. In 1868 
 George Campbell built the Farragut School 
 for $67,350, the first session being held in 
 April, 1869. Additions had to be made that 
 year to all the existing schools, and Prof. D. 
 C. Scoville became superintendent. The 
 schools were graded, thoroughly disciplined 
 and organized. In 1874 Prof. I. W. Morley 
 became superintendent, and for nearly 20 years 
 superintended the growing school system. 
 
 Just 30 years ago, in 1875, there were six- 
 school buildings, with 35 teachers and 3,800 
 school children. In 1882 the present High 
 School building was started on Madison ave- 
 nue and nth street, and despite many additions 
 is quite inadequate for the use of Greater Bay 
 City in 1905. In 1885 there were nine schools, 
 51 teachers and 6,650 pupils. The teachers' 
 salaries amounted to over $16,000. 
 
 In 1877 tlie training school for teachers was 
 organized, the supply before that coming 
 largely from abroad, and by 1S85 over 40 of 
 the local teachers had graduated from the High 
 School, and taught at least one year in the 
 training department. 
 
 In 18S3 the school property was valued at 
 $154,548. the bonded intebtedness of $30,000 
 had been wiped out and the Board of Educa- 
 tion of the East Side from that time to this has 
 managed to keep down its bonded indebted- 
 ness, in encouraging contrast to the indebted- 
 ness of the West Side school district in 1905. 
 In 1883 Professor Morley reported an enroll- 
 
 ment of 2,983 pupils, — 1,494 boys and 1,489 
 girls; 1,712 were from eight to 14 years old. 
 The average daily attendance was 2,056. 
 
 The school census of the Union School Dis- 
 trict of Bay City for the school year ending 
 September 7, 1903, showed a total of 9,488 
 children of school age; of these, 4,587 were 
 boys and 4,901, girls. The Eighth Ward con- 
 tained 3,009 children of school age, nearly one- 
 third of the total, while the Ninth Ward 
 showed the smallest number of children, — 322. 
 
 Supt. John A. Stewart's report for the year 
 ending June 30, 1903, enumerated 11 school 
 houses, the value of the school property, includ- 
 ing the Fitzhugh site, being given as $326,500, 
 without any bonded indebtedness. The amount 
 paid for superintendence and instruction was 
 $60,380.79, while for current expenses, includ- 
 ing the amount paid on account of the addi- 
 tion to the Garfield school, there was paid out 
 $26,178.65, making the total cost of the schools 
 $86,559.44. The taxable property of the city 
 for the same period was $11,426,135. The 
 a\-erage attendance for the year was 3,675 
 while the average of pupils enrolled was 3.768, 
 making the per cent, of attendance 97.52. Of 
 the 121 regular teachers, nine were men and 1 12 
 women. There were also five special teachers. 
 There were 59 non-resident pupils enrolled. 
 
 The following is a statement of finances of 
 the Union School District of Bay City, for 
 the year ending June 30, 1903 : 
 
 RECEIPTS. 
 
 Balance on hand July I, 1902 $ 9,687 87 
 
 Tax collections from levy of 1902 48,707 49 
 
 Back tax collections 13,924 95 
 
 Refund from State for School for Deaf 694 58 
 
 Primary School Fund 24.154 20 
 
 Tuition 574 06 
 
 Sales 12 50 
 
 Fines 4 25 
 
 Sundries 25 22 
 
 Total $97,785 12 
 
312 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 DISBURSEMENTS. 
 
 Teachers' wages $60,380 79 
 
 Janitors' wages 6,463 00 
 
 Secretary 500 00 
 
 Text book clerk 240 00 
 
 Superintendent's clerk 200 00 
 
 Contingent 3.509 38 
 
 Printing and stationery 1,027 25 
 
 Fuel 3.399 56 
 
 Repairs i.8S4 18 
 
 Building and building supplies 961 29 
 
 Text-books and supplies 5.9o8 99 
 
 On account of Garfield addition 2,115 00 
 
 Balance on hand July i, 1903 11,225 68 
 
 Total $97,785 12 
 
 After deducting $2,115 P^'^id on account of 
 construction of the addition to the Garfield 
 school, the total cost of the schools for the 
 year was $8-1.444.44. The above mentioned 
 cash balance of July i, 1903 does not include 
 the $9,000 in the building fund. 
 
 The different school buildings on the East 
 Side were built in these years : Farragut, 1868, 
 valued at $40,000; Shemian. 1874. valued at 
 $22,000; Fremont and Whittier, both in 1875, 
 valued at $25,000 and $15,000, respectively; 
 High School, 1881, valued at $75,000; Dolsen, 
 1883, valued at $40,000; Woodside, 1884, 
 valued at $5,000; Garfield, 1886, valued at 
 $40,000; Lincoln, 1889, valued at $20,000; 
 Washington, 1895, valued at $35,000; High 
 School Annex. 1903. valued at $6,500. All 
 the buildings are of brick and two stories high, 
 except the High School Annex and the Wood- 
 side School, which are one-story frame struc- 
 tures. The High School, High School Annex 
 and Dolsen School are heated by steam, while 
 the others are heated by furnace, except the 
 Fremont School, which is heated by furnace 
 and steam. In Bay City's schools there are 87 
 session rooms and 31 class rooms, with 4.761 
 sittings. 
 
 The public schools of Bay City are organ- 
 
 ized into three departments of four years each, 
 making 12 years in all. Each year is further 
 subdivided into B and A grades, each grade 
 covering the work of a half year. In addition, 
 there is a sub-primary grade for children who 
 are barely of school age, and for those who at 
 home speak a foreign language. In the sub- 
 primary kindergarten methods are largely used. 
 The primary department proper consists of four 
 years as does also the grammar department. 
 Taken together, the eight grades of these two 
 departments constitute what is known as the 
 couimon school course. The school year of 38 
 weeks is divided into terms or semesters of 19 
 weeks each. Pupils are regularly promoted at 
 the end of each semester, whenever in the judg- 
 ment of the superintendent their qualifications 
 entitle them to advancement. A pupil is sub- 
 ject to reclassification at any time, but no one 
 is placed in a lower grade except by the consent 
 of the superintendent. Xo pupil who has been 
 regular in attendance is required to go over the 
 same work more than twice. If at the end of 
 a second semester the pupil is still found de- 
 ficient, a trial in the next higher class is al- 
 lowed. During the last week of each of the 
 first four school months in a semester, the 
 teacher records her estimate of the value of 
 each pupil's scholarship, and at the close of 
 the semester an average of these estiinates with 
 the result of the examination, such examina- 
 tion counting only as one estimate, determines 
 the promotion. By consent of the superin- 
 tendent the examination may be dispensed with 
 and the promotion made to depend fully upon 
 the teacher's estimate. 
 
 In four of the schools, branch libraries are 
 in full operation, with books provided from 
 the Public Library. This plan has proved a 
 great success as is plainly evident from the 
 number of books drawn, which are mostly 
 juvenile but also include some for adults. For 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 313 
 
 the year ending March i, 1904, 6,387 volumes 
 were drawn credited as follows : Fremont 
 School, 2,2~^\ Garheld School, 1,878; Sherman 
 School, 1,261 ; Whittier School, 970. 
 
 The Bay City High School is in a flourish- 
 ing condition and forms a fitting climax to the 
 work of the city school system. It is indeed a 
 department of which our citizens may well be 
 proud, furnishing as it does the finishing 
 touches to the education of so many of the 
 graduates of the grammar department and at 
 the same time giving adequate preparation to 
 those who wish to continue their studies at 
 higher institutions of learning. In its ec^uip- 
 ment it is well prepared to meet all reasonable 
 demands of the present time. The physical 
 laboratory is supplied with apparatus, which 
 has been accumulated gradually from year to 
 year, sufficient to enable the scholars to pursue 
 their investigations under the guidance and di- 
 rection of the instructor. The chemical labor- 
 atory is equally well fitted to give to each stu- 
 dent the fullest scope for individual experi- 
 mentation. The biological laboratory likewise, 
 while on a smaller scale than the other two la- 
 boratories, is well fitted for its own special 
 work in the study of botany and zoology. In 
 this department the students are thoroughly 
 trained to the proper use of the microscope, the 
 laboratory being fully supplied with excellent 
 instruments. The school is also equipped with 
 a telescope, an electric stereopticon and with a 
 collection of several hundred specimens of 
 rocks and minerals. The commercial depart- 
 ment has grown to be a very popular feature 
 of the institution, excellent instruction being 
 given in bookkeeping, typewriting and stenog- 
 raphy and the allied branches. The school has 
 a department of manual training, which is 
 justly popular and a school library has been 
 organized that has proved itself to be a useful 
 feature of the institution. Graduates of the 
 
 Bay City High School are entitled to enter the 
 University of Michigan on diploma as well 
 as a number of leading colleges both in the 
 East and in the West. The elective system of 
 courses has been in vogue for some years past. 
 The teachers employed in the High School, 
 19 in number, are almost without exception 
 college graduates, with an average teaching 
 experience of more than 10 years. Even with 
 the Annex, which became so imperative as a 
 means of relieving the congested condition of 
 the High School, every part is now occupied 
 and the question of additional room will again 
 soon have to be met and settled. Indeed it 
 cannot be many years before a new and modern 
 High School, suited to the needs of a large 
 and growing city, will have to be constructed. 
 
 The training school, which within its limi- 
 tations has so greatly assisted toward infusing 
 into the teachers of the Bay City schools a spirit 
 of love for the work and love for the children, 
 has wrought a complete change in the atmos- 
 phere of the school room. In a large measure 
 the feeling of fear has been eliminated from 
 the schools and the feeling of respect for and 
 confidence in the teacher has taken its place. 
 For this change great credit is due the training, 
 which the young teachers receive in this school. 
 For the last 15 years or more, it has been the 
 custom to put teachers of the higher classes in 
 charge of the several rooms and to provide each 
 teacher with an assistant from a lower class. 
 The two teachers in each room hear their 
 classes alternately and while one conducts a 
 recitation the other renders individual assist- 
 ance to tlie pupils under her special charge. 
 This arrangement enables the teacher \\\\o- 
 knows most about the pupils and their work 
 to give such assistance as may be deemed ad- 
 visable. 
 
 The Bay City Oral School for the Deaf, 
 conducted in the Washington School, has been- 
 
314 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 an unqualified success and is doing a work that 
 would largely have been neglected but for this 
 school. It may well be considered as comple- 
 mentary and not in opposition to the State in- 
 stitution at Flint. The pupils, with very few 
 exceptions, could hardly have been sent from 
 their homes and must have gone with little or 
 no training, where now they receive the very 
 best that can be given. This school has been 
 hampered by the State departments, both edu- 
 cational and financial, who have read into the 
 law what the supporters of the local institution 
 fail to find, and who have gone out of their 
 way to make seemingly unfriendly rulings. 
 
 Bay City, West Side.— Capt. B. F. Pierce 
 gave the land for the first school house on the 
 West Side, then the township of Bangor. It 
 was situated on the high ground, a quarter of 
 a mile from the river bank, where Michigan 
 and Litchfield streets now intersect. The 
 sovereign people of Bangor gathered there to 
 vote in those early days, and the zealous mis- 
 sionary assembled the pioneers within its walls 
 to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation. The 
 village of Banks also established a school in a 
 diminutive shanty about this time, and from 
 1863 to 1868 school was held in the Town 
 Hall. Salzburg had a little district school of 
 its own, when Wenona bloomed forth on the 
 shaded oak ridge in 1864. James A. Mc- 
 Knight, in 1905 still hale and hearty, was the 
 father of the first permanent school house in 
 \\'enona, negotiating the $10,000 issue of 
 bonds voted for that purpose. George Camp- 
 bell built the Central School for $9,500, while 
 the school furniture cost $1,200, an ex- 
 travagant outlay in the minds of many sturdy 
 pioneers, for the sum was a large one accord- 
 ing to the standard of those days of self-denial 
 and hard work. Out of 300 enrolled children 
 of school age, 180 attended on January 27, 
 1868, when A. L. Cummings began his labors 
 
 as superintendent. In 1868 Banks built a com- 
 modious school, which was destroyed by fire 
 in November, 1877, and the present two-story 
 brick school replaced it, at a cost of $8,000. 
 
 In 1880 the West Side had three school 
 districts, with the following trustees: First 
 District, Frederick W. Bradfield, moderator; 
 Robert Long, director; Bernard Lourim, as- 
 sessor ; Second District : Theodore F. Shepard, 
 moderator ; James A. McKnight, director ; La- 
 feyette Roundsville, assessor ; Spencer O. 
 Fisher, \V. ]\I. Green and J. H. Plum, trustees ; 
 Third District; B. Staudacher, director; 
 Charles Anderson, moderator ; Rudolph La- 
 derach, assessor. The late F. W. Lankenau 
 was superintendent, and among his well-known 
 corps of teachers a quarter of a century ago 
 were Mrs. C. C. Faxon, F. C. Thompson, Affa 
 Weatherby and Mrs. C. A. Thomas. The to- 
 tal number of school children was 2,531. 
 
 Since then new schools have been erected 
 as follows: Dennison School, Sixth Ward; 
 Corbin School, Second Ward ; Jenny School, 
 Fourth \\'ard, presided over by Afta Weather- 
 by, a veteran teacher of 1880: Kolb 
 School, Fifth Ward, and Park School. Second 
 Ward, both handsome and substantial two- 
 story brick structures: and Riegel School, Fifth 
 Ward. 
 
 The officers of the Board of Education of 
 the West Side for the year 1903-04 were as fol- 
 lows: President, George L. Lusk; vice-presi- 
 dent, Jesse W. Coles ; secretary, John M. Roy ; 
 treasurer, William E. Magill. E. D. Palmer 
 was superintendent of the schools. There were 
 seven teachers in the High School, five in Cen- 
 tral School, 10 in Trombley School, 10 in Park 
 School, 10 in Kolb School, six in Riegel School, 
 six in Jenny School, four in Dennison School 
 and four in Corbin School ; these with the su- 
 pervisor of music made up the teaching force 
 of 63 members, of whom seven were men and 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 315 
 
 56 were women. In addition to these regular 
 teachers, there were four substitutes. 
 
 Townships and X'illages. — The same 
 commendable spirit that brought the pubhc 
 school system of Bay City to its present high 
 state of perfection brought the little country 
 school to every nook and corner of Bay County, 
 the pioneers usually having a school in opera- 
 tion long before a store or other public utility 
 graced their little settlement. 
 
 Portsmouth township had the first school 
 in Bay County, a block-house on the river 
 front, at the foot of Fremont a\'enue, being 
 fitted up about 1838, which school was taught 
 by Judge Albert IMiller. A larger building 
 was erected in 1850, which served as a school 
 and meeting house for many years. The town- 
 ship has three school districts at the present 
 time. 
 
 There were four school houses in Hampton 
 township 25 years ago, with Ralph Pratt, su- 
 perintendent; J. H. Sharpe, school inspector; 
 William Felker, clerk. In 1904 another hand- 
 some brick school house was completed on the 
 Center avenue road, whose equipment will 
 compare favorably with that of the best district 
 schools in the country. The children in Essex- 
 ville attended the little log school house a mile 
 east of the settlement from i860 to 1870, when 
 the village built its own frame school building. 
 This was destroyed by fire in 1879, and was 
 at once replaced with the present substantial 
 two-story lirick school house. A quarter of 
 a century ago, F. N. Turner was principal ; 
 ]\Iiss Jennie Fry and ;\Iiss Mary Felker. teach- 
 ers ; Joseph Hudson, moderator ; Henry F. 
 Emery, director. In 1905, Walter L. Snyder 
 is principal ; Misses Heminway, Warren. Robi- 
 son and St. Clair, teachers : William Felker, 
 director ; and A. E. Harris, moderator. There 
 are seven school districts in the township. 
 
 The first school in Williams township was 
 established in Charles Bradford's farm-house,, 
 with Mrs. Charles Fitch, teacher. The town- 
 ship has now six school districts, each having 
 its own school. 
 
 Bangor's early school history is that of 
 Banks and Wenona. This township has three 
 school districts. 
 
 Frankenlust township, for some years after 
 its settlement in 1848, depended upon its 
 German parochial schools for the advancement 
 in knowledge of its youth, and Amelith had a 
 similar school for some years after 185 1. In 
 the course of time, however, this township also 
 secured its quota of district schools, and in 
 1905 has two school districts, well supplied 
 with resources and teachers. 
 
 The Indian Mission at Kawkawlin, built 
 in 1847, served for some years as school for 
 the early settlers of that vicinity and the more 
 ambitious of the red children of the forest. 
 By 1857 Jftmes Eraser and Frederick A. Kaiser 
 furnished accommodations for the children of 
 the settlement on the Kawkawlin. In 1861 
 ]\Iiss Carrie Chilson (now Mrs. C. C. Faxon) 
 taught in the primitive little school, which was 
 replaced by a more commodious and modern 
 structure in 1873. In 1885 there were six 
 schools in the township, with an attendance 
 that taxed their capacity. At the present time 
 there are eight school districts. 
 
 In 1855 some of the German settlers in the 
 southwestern partion of Monitor township 
 established the first school. In 1885 Monitor 
 township had four schools, with 168 scholars, 
 out of 274 of school age. These schools were 
 also meeting places for worship on the Sabbath 
 for many years. There are now six school 
 districts in the township. 
 
 Beaver township, which now has six 
 schools, had three schools 25 years ago, with 
 
3i6 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 145 scholars, and the httle red school houses 
 ■were used for Sunday-schools and for preach- 
 ing on the Sabbath. 
 
 The first school at Pinconning was taught 
 for the children of a few fishermen and Indians 
 in the old mission church at the mouth of the 
 Pinconning River. In 1869 a small frame 
 building became the village school house. A 
 more commodious and modern school building 
 replaced it in 1875, when M. R. Hartwell be- 
 gan his duties, which extended over more than 
 a quarter of a century in the same school. In 
 
 1904 the village school was destroyed by fire, 
 and is being replaced this year by a modern 
 stone and brick structure, two-story and base- 
 ment, capable of seating 250 pupils. At the 
 present date the township has six schools dis- 
 tricts. 
 
 One of the main objections to the separa- 
 tion of a part of Portsmouth township and set- 
 ting it up as Merritt township was the division 
 of the Union school District. However, the 
 -Sturdy people of INIerritt township were not 
 long in supplying their neighborhood with 
 good schools, the first one being opened in 
 1874, and much more centrally located than 
 formerly. At the present time the township 
 has six school districts, with a large attendance 
 and intelligent management. County School 
 Commissioner John B. Laing came from the 
 Merritt schools to his present position in 1903. 
 
 Fraser township is divided into five school 
 districts, each having ample school facilities. 
 
 The latest organized townships — Garfield, 
 Mount Forest and Gibson, which have, re- 
 spectively, five, four and six school districts — ■ 
 sustained the record of the earlier organized 
 townships by giving their very first attention 
 to the educational facilities of their communi- 
 ties, in the wilds of the primeval forest. In 
 
 1905 each has well-organized and thoroughly 
 equipped district schools. 
 
 According to County School Commissioner 
 J. B. Laing's official data just entered, the at- 
 tendance in Bay County's district schools for 
 the first quarter of 1905 was 4,101. 
 
 On September 5, 1904, the list of legally 
 qualified teachers in Bay County contained 114 
 names, classified as follows: Life certificates, 
 four; Central Normal School certificates, three; 
 County Normal Training Class certificates, 
 one: approved ist grade certificates, four; 2nd 
 grade certificates, 68; ist year 3rd grade cer- 
 tificates, 16; 2nd year 3rd grade certificates, 
 seven; 3rd year 3rd grade certificates, 10; 
 special teacher in music, one. 
 
 The low average of persons of school age 
 still unable to read or write in all Bay County 
 as revealed in the Federal census of 1900 is 
 the best evidence of the good work done for 
 the little red school house in this county, and is 
 the best reward for devoted attention by the 
 earliest settlers and their successors in the line 
 of duty to this day. Intelligence and progress, 
 education and prosperity, are all handmaidens, 
 whose mutual advantages can never be over- 
 estimated. 
 
 LIBRARIES. 
 
 Bay City Public Library. — Near the 
 close of 1869 a number of citizens, under the 
 lead and inspiration of B. E. ^^'arren and 
 Aaron J. Cooke, conceived the idea of a circu- 
 lating library for Bay City, and on the 4th of 
 December of that year articles of association 
 to that end were filed in the clerk's office. A 
 \-ery energetic organization followed, and dur- 
 ing the next two years a sufficient fund had 
 been raised to purchase and maintain a well- 
 selected library of 3,000 volumes, at a cost in- 
 cluding the necessary furniture of $5,000. 
 This was accomplished chiefly by the creation 
 of perpetual and life memberships. There was 
 besides a considerable list of annual members. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 317 
 
 whose fees helped to swell the funds of the as- 
 sociation. Of course under this plan access to 
 the books was confined to paying members. 
 
 Under the constitution of Michigan, all 
 fines and penalties for infraction of State laws 
 are set apart for the benefit of the school dis- 
 trict libraries. Prior to 1874 no use had been 
 made of this fund in Bay County, and a con- 
 siderable sum had accumulated in the county 
 treasury. To the greater part of this fund 
 Bay City was entitled on account of its large 
 school population. In addition to this, the city 
 had been required to raise annually by taxation 
 the sum of $200 for library purposes. From 
 these sources there had been placed to the credit 
 of the library fund of Bay City, prior to March 
 2, 1874, the sum of $2,899.25, which was then 
 subject to the disposal of the Board of Educa- 
 tion for library purposes. While such an 
 amount was wholly inadequate to the purchase 
 and maintenance of a considerable and inde- 
 pendent public library, it would, if added to 
 what had already been raised and expended by 
 the Library Association, constitute one highly 
 respectable in point of size, and capable of im- 
 mensely beneficial influence in the cause of 
 public education. The Library Association was 
 first to perceive this, and with characteristic 
 liberality made overtures to the Board of Edu- 
 cation looking to a surrender of their library to 
 the puljlic, the only condition exacted in return 
 being that the Board of Education should 
 maintain the library for public use, and add to 
 it by the immediate expenditure of the fund in 
 hand for additional books, and continue to 
 make such additions as fast as means should be 
 placed at its disposal for the purpose. This 
 proposition was received favoraljly by the 
 Board of Education, and was immediatelv car- 
 ried into effect. At this time a surplus of $500 
 Avas also given by the Library Association with 
 the condition that it should be used in the pur- 
 
 chase of "Americana," for it was early decided 
 by the trustees of the old association to make 
 the "Story of our Country" its specialty. 
 
 On March 4, 1874, Mr. Fowler, a member 
 of the Board of Education, reported that "the 
 consolidated library is now open to the public," 
 and moved that the fact be advertised, which 
 was done. By this arrangement the manage- 
 ment of the joint library was entrusted to a 
 committee of six : three from the Board of 
 Education, and three of the directors of the 
 association. When the first board of trustees, 
 thus formed, took charge, the library contained 
 6,005 volumes. 
 
 In the year 1877 it appeared to the friends 
 of the Public Library that the interests involved 
 in it were sufficient to justify and recjuire the 
 care of a special board, so an act was secured 
 from the Legislature requiring the Board of 
 Education to appoint six trustees, two of whom 
 were to go out of office annually. By this act 
 the board of trustees became a corporation and 
 vested with all the property and funds of the 
 Public Library. They cannot, however, con- 
 tract debt without the assent of the Common 
 Council, which at that time was recjuired to 
 raise not less than $200 nor more than $1,200 
 annually for the library. This requirement has 
 since been changed, and the Council now has 
 authority to appropriate such sums as may be 
 considered necessary and wise. For several 
 years past the sum of $3,000 has been appro- 
 priated annually. 
 
 The first board of trustees constituted under 
 the act above referred to, entered upon its du- 
 ties May 26, 1877. The members were : Archi- 
 bald McDonnell, James Shearer, H. IM. Fitz- 
 hugh, James W'atrous, William Daglish and 
 A. J. Cooke. The mayor of the city is ex 
 officio chairman of the board of trustees. The 
 old Association Library was housed in the 
 Court Ilouse temporarily. At the time of the 
 
3i8 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 consolidation it was housed in the second story 
 of the Averell Building. From there the h- 
 brary was removed to a building erected 
 especially for it on the south side of Washing- 
 ton avenue, 200 feet from Center avenue. 
 Early in the fall of 1887 the library was re- 
 moved to the southwest corner of Sixth and 
 Aadms streets, where it was opened to the pub- 
 lic on October 12th of that year. In the spring 
 of 1898 it was removed to its present perman- 
 ent quarters in the City Hall, and was opened 
 to the public on April loth of that year. 
 
 Henry Braddock was the first librarian of 
 the old Bay City Library Association. He was 
 succeeded by Mrs. Ferris, who later became 
 Mrs. Benjamin Whipple. She remained in 
 charge of the library until the Public Library 
 was organized in 1877. In June of that year 
 Miss Jennie Gilbert became librarian and held 
 the office until she was succeeded by Miss Julia 
 A. Robinson in 1884. In October, 1888, Mrs. 
 Annie F. Parsons, now the widow of Archibald 
 McDonnell, became librarian and served ten 
 years, being succeeded l^y the present librarian, 
 A. J. Cooke, in August. 1898. Mr. Cooke 
 'has been identified with the library since the 
 formation of the old association, serving con- 
 tinuously on the board of trustees, of which he 
 is now secretary. The library is greatly in- 
 debted to him for his liberal gifts of time, 
 money and books. 
 
 In 1876 the library was made a depository 
 of United States and State documents, and 
 from that date has been supplied regulaily 
 with such documents as the law authorizes to 
 be sent to depositories. In 1877-78 with 6,005 
 vohimes it issued 20,982; in 1901-02 with 21,- 
 688 volumes, it issued 69,037. The total issue 
 for the first 25 years was 957,362 volumes, an 
 average of 38,299 volumes a year. The largest 
 circulation of any year was in 1902-03 when 
 more than 79,000 volumes were issued. In 
 
 1904-05 the librarian required the services of 
 three assistants, the total circulation for that 
 year being 74,344 volumes, with 25,549 vol- 
 umes in the library. The following gentlemen 
 compose the present board of trustees : Edgar 
 Yi Sharp, president of the Board of Educators, 
 chairman c.v officio; Hon. Chester L. Collins, 
 John A. Stewart, Byron E. Warren, William 
 L Clements, C. B. Curtis and Hon. Hamilton 
 M. Wright. 
 
 Sage Public Library. — The idea of pro- 
 viding West Bay City with a free public library 
 and reading room was considered by Henry W. 
 Sage for several years before he gave it definite 
 shape in 1881. In speaking of his purpose to 
 some of the citizens, he emphasized his desire 
 to supply the means whereby young men might 
 gain greater facility in public speaking. The 
 plan in his mind comprehended not only a 
 library and reading room, but a debating 
 school, where young men could learn to think 
 and talk upon their feet. The plans for the 
 building reached West Bay City in April, 1882, 
 and on January 16, 1884, it was dedicated by 
 fitting public exercises held in the Westminster 
 Presbyterian Church. An eloquent oration 
 was delivered by Prof. Moses Coit Tyler, of 
 Cornell University, which has been preserved 
 in the catalogue of the library, together with 
 the presentation address by Mr. Sage and the 
 speech of acceptance by Hon. Spencer O. 
 Fisher, then mayor of the city. 
 
 The extreme dimensions of the building 
 are 56 by 90 feet, two and a half stories high. 
 The style is of that bewildering mixture of 
 many styles termed modern architecture. Its 
 beauty is acknowledged by everyone. The 
 front is relieved by an octagon projection con- 
 taining a niche for the imported terra cotta 
 statue representing literature and science, the 
 projection being finished into a bay window 
 for the reading room in the second story. There 
 
■f. 
 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 321 
 
 is also a square extension of 10 feet near the 
 west side for the vestibule of the Midland street 
 entrance and stairway. The building is of red 
 brick with black and buff brick and Amherst 
 
 blue stone trimmings. 
 
 The gothic roof is 
 
 slated and nothing which could add to the 
 beauty or convenience of the structure was 
 omitted. The whole interior is finished in 
 black ash, including the ceilings. The original 
 cost of the building, land, library, furnishings 
 and heating apparatus amounts to a sum not 
 far short of $50,000. The gift of the donor 
 included about 8,000 volumes selected with 
 great care and excellent judgment. There are 
 now on the shelves 28,860 books. 
 
 In his presentation speech, Mr. Sage made 
 the following statement regarding the manage- 
 ment of the library : 'Tts permanent ex officio 
 trustees will be the ministers of all evangelical 
 churches, resident and in charge of parishes 
 here, the principal of the public school of the 
 Second Ward, the chairman of the board of 
 trustees of School District No. 2, the mayor of 
 the city and five other citizens of the city to 
 be designated by me. These last named to 
 hold their offices for five years, and thereafter 
 vacancies to be filled according to the terms of 
 the act. In pursuance of this act I have ap- 
 pointed as the trustees to be designated by me, 
 S. O. Fisher, T. F. Shepard, E. T. Carrington, 
 J. H. Plum and H. S. Ingersol, and S. O. 
 Fisher, chairman of the board of trustees. 
 This gives you a completely organized es- 
 tablishment prepared for work and use. It is 
 my earnest hope that each and every one of the 
 trustees, and especially the resident ministers, 
 may take an interest in the work allotted to 
 them, and so far as they can to lead the young 
 men of the city to avoid all the less worthy re- 
 sorts for pleasure and amusement and learn to 
 come here for their own improvement and cul- 
 tivation. It is for them and for them largely 
 
 18 
 
 that this gift is made, that they may obtain 
 knowledge, and through it wisdom, and the 
 power which belongs to both." 
 
 The library was incorporated by an act of 
 the Legislature, passed March it,. 1883. Of 
 the present board of trustees, the following 
 members are the successors of those appointed 
 by ^Ir. Sage: Hon. Spencer O. Fisher, who 
 has been president of the board continuously 
 since its organization, Hon. Theodore F. Shep- 
 ard, H. H. Norrington, I. B. Richardson and 
 George L. Lusk. The first librarian was Airs. 
 M. F. Ostrander, who was succeeded in Jan- 
 uary, 1899, ^y ^liss Phebe Parker, M. B., who 
 is the present incumbent. Under Miss Parker's 
 able direction, the library has reached its pres- 
 ent high standard of efficiency. A card index 
 has been installed which is arranged on the 
 dictionary plan, making the resources of the 
 library immediately available to those of the 
 most limited education as well as to scholars 
 familiar with library methods. 
 
 THE PRESS. 
 
 If we have whispered Truth, 
 
 Whisper no longer; 
 Speak as the tempest does,. 
 
 Sterner and stronger; 
 Still be the tones of Truth, 
 
 Louder and firmer ! 
 
 —Whitticr. 
 
 The public press ! What a wonderful agent 
 for progress in any community and any coun- 
 try, where its powers are exerted in the inter- 
 est of the public good I And in these opening 
 days of the 20th century that power is almost 
 paramoimt in this great country. Public opin- 
 ion, the beacon-light of our national life and 
 government, has no greater inspiration than 
 the press. Pulpit and forum are no longer the 
 great and preeminent molders of public opin- 
 ion they once were. For the spoken word is 
 
322 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 heard, its echo Hngers for a moment and then 
 dies away, but the dictum of pen and type Hves 
 on forever. 
 
 The remotest corners of our land are now 
 reached by the daily press through the rural 
 free delivery routes, and the townspeople no 
 longer monopolize this field of information 
 and education. This is particularly true in Bay 
 County, where a fine school system has for 
 half a century been busy inculcating a desire 
 for knowledge and information, and where a 
 fine road system makes the delivery of the 
 daily newspaper to the remotest settler a com- 
 paratively easy matter. 
 
 Yet it was not always thus! About 1885 
 the writer was a carrier for the Evening Press 
 and Morning Tribune, and his customers in 
 the lower end of Bay City were widely scat- 
 tered. Apparently few in that section of the 
 booming lumber town read the daily press of 
 that day. But it was no fault of those editions, 
 for they were strictly up-to-date, then as now. 
 
 From the time of the first attempt at print- 
 ing a local paper in 1856, when Hon. James 
 Birney edited the Bay City Press, down to our 
 modern-day dailies, the residents of Bay 
 County ha\-e been exceedingly well served by 
 the local press. To judge by the checkered and 
 strenuous careers of these dispensers of pub- 
 lic news, they were always rather ahead of 
 their times and vicinity. The cultured citizens 
 demanded telegraph and news service of a 
 character that the financial support of the 
 frontier community hardly warranted. 
 
 The first enduring newspaper was the Press 
 and Times, published by William Bryce from 
 1859 to 1864, when the Bay City Journal, John 
 Culbert, editor, took its place. In 1871 this 
 ambitious sheet appeared as the first daily, but 
 by February, 1873, it had run its course. Hon. 
 James Birney resuscitated it as the Daily and 
 Weekly Chronicle, the daily section lasting un- 
 
 til 1S7. 
 
 ^^'hen Judge Birnev went to The 
 
 Hague as United States Minister, his son, Ar- 
 thur M. Birney, continued the JVeekly Chron- 
 icle until 1879, when it was merged with the 
 Tribune. 
 
 In 1872 Henry S. Dow, publisher of the 
 first authentic history of Bay City, established 
 the Luinbcrnum's Gazette, which proved a 
 prosperous publication until the lumber indus- 
 try declined in these parts. It was remo\-ed to 
 Chicago in 1887 and is the oldest lumber jour- 
 nal in the world. 
 
 In 1905 the triumvirate which established 
 the Bay City Tribune in 1873, — Chief T. K. 
 Harding of the Fire Department, Aid. Ed. 
 Kroencke, bookbinder, and Griffin Le\\is, job 
 printer, — are still acti\-e in their respective 
 fields of usefulness. Jolm Culbert was the first 
 editor. Later Henry S. Dow purchased the 
 paper, discontinuing the weekly in 1875, and 
 in 1 88 1 a stock company secured control. 
 From that day to this, the Tribune has had 
 the morning field practically to itself, being the 
 official organ of the Republican part}-. In 
 1904 I. W. Snyder retired from the company, 
 and Editor E. D. Cowles resumed the chair in 
 the editorial sanctum he had occupied some 20 
 years previous. James C. McCabe is the busi- 
 ness manager, W. H. Sheward, Jr., city edi- 
 tor, and J. H. Dunnewind, staff reporter. The 
 Tribune has all the latest equipment in press 
 and typesetting machinery, and its Sunday Tri- 
 bune is an edition unsurpassed in Michigan. 
 The Tribune was burned out while located in 
 the Rlarston Building on Saginaw 'street in 
 1878, but in less than two weeks reappeared 
 in a new dress of type. 
 
 The evening field has witnessed more 
 numerous changes. The Ez'cniiig Press was 
 established in 1879 by Moran & Hardwick 
 and later purchased by E. T. Bennett. In 1881 
 D. M. Carey was taken in as editor and part 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 owner, and his crisp reminiscences of his ex- 
 periences in this busthng lumber town are 
 amusing readers all over the country in 1905. 
 The Press was an independent paper, with a 
 large circulation. 
 
 The Frcic Prcssc, an independent German 
 weekly, was started by G. Reuther in 1878, 
 and through many vicissitudes is still active 
 and prosperous under the able management of 
 August Lankenau, with David Koch as city 
 editor. 
 
 Then as now, the Democrats have found 
 it difficult to sustain an official organ, for in 
 April, 1881, they put the Morning Call into the 
 field, with Bert Moran as chief typo, Leonard 
 Cline, manager, and C. S. Wilson, city editor. 
 In May of that year, George F. Lewis, a prac- 
 tical and experienced editorial writer, took 
 charge. But three years of hard work merely 
 demonstrated the fact that there was room for 
 only two dailies, and the last Call came, in 
 1884. 
 
 The Signal, a Democratic weekly, existed 
 from 1867 to 1870; the Leader in the same 
 line lasted less than a year, and the JVcekly 
 Observer was established by the late lamented 
 A, McMillan and Ed Forsyth in 1876. In 
 1878 J. W. Griffith came fresh from the greens 
 of Greenville, I\Iichigan, took charge of the 
 daily, found to his sorrow that running a dairy 
 and running a newspaper were two vastly dif- 
 ferent propositions, and in 1880 the Observer 
 ceased to observe. 
 
 Meanwhile the \\'e3t Side had not been 
 neglected, even if results indicated little appre- 
 ciation. As early as 1869 E. D. Cowles, the 
 veteran editor of the Tribune in 1905, with 
 Dan P. IMcMullen, now ex-State Senator and 
 postmaster of Cheboygan, started the Weekly 
 Herald, which was moved to Bay City in 1872 
 and .sold to C, S. Wilson, as the Jl'eekly 
 l^eader, which did not long lead. The JVenona 
 
 Herald owned by S. H. Egabroad entered the 
 West Side field in 1872, W. J. Ward pur- 
 chased it in 1873, and by 1879 he was satisfied 
 there were brighter pastures at Dowagiac, 
 whither he moved the plant. The JVeekly Ex- 
 aminer was started by AI. A. Dowling and 
 Charles R. Stuart, in 1879, and shortly after 
 becoming a daily, in 1881, the plant was wiped 
 out by the big fire, and never replaced. The 
 JVest Bay City Times died an infant of three 
 months in 1886. The Michigan Odd Felleiv, 
 de\'Oted to the interests of that order, was es- 
 tablished in 1874 by Dr. Joseph Hooper, Ed- 
 ward Newkirk, and Charles C. Gustin, ap- 
 peared semi-monthly for nearly four years and 
 then vanished. 
 
 As we look over the journalistic graveyard 
 we find the Red Ribbon, 1877; Morning Nezvs, 
 a single sheet, 1877-82; Ec/w, 1878: Penny 
 Post, 1879. The JJ'cst Bay City Times. 1887- 
 89, laid the foundation for the Bay City Times, 
 which in 1905 is an eloquent evidence of the 
 law of the survival of the fittest ! The N'ational 
 Globe swept in on the Greenback tidal wave in 
 1880, Colonel Roberts master of ceremonies. 
 In 1882 the Globe died. As we wander down 
 the lane of time we find more tombstones : 
 Boc. a society sheet, 1881 ; Daily World, 1885 ; 
 Daily Star, Knights of Labor organ, began 
 life November 25, 1885, boomed for a while 
 and then sank beneath the horizon. Carrie C. 
 Laing, in 1905 the city encyclopedia of the 
 Evening Times, was one of the luminaries of 
 that Star. The Weekly Sun, 1886, soon struck 
 an eclipse and was seen no more. Catliolic 
 Chronicle. 1882-84: German Journal, 1884; 
 French Souvenir, 1883; L'Enfard N'ational, 
 1884; such in a few short months was the ar- 
 ray of journalistic entries and exits. 
 
 Some of the older pioneers recall, with 
 something of a shudder, Dan. R. Curry's 
 ]]''eckly Growler, whose chief mission in life 
 
3^4 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 was to make some people's lives miserable with 
 sensational matter, and just to prove that cer- 
 tain elements in any community will support 
 the sensational, the Grotdcr growled from 
 1869 to 1873; ''1"'^ ^™""i ^875 to 1880, when 
 its stock of invectives and vituperation gave 
 out, and the exasperating growls were heard 
 no more. Bert Moran's Tozi^'ii Talk in after 
 years was an imitation of the same school. 
 The Labor Vindicator, started in 1884 by a 
 fire-eater, named D. C. Blinn, printed highly 
 inflammable matter, suggestive of the an- 
 archistic sheets of later days, and after taking a 
 leading part in the big strike among the saw- 
 mill employees, he thought it best to join the 
 big colony in Canada, without awaiting per- 
 sonal "vindication." 
 
 From amid all these journalistic flash- 
 lights, the one strong, enduring combination of 
 literary ability and sound business manage- 
 ment on the evening paper field appears with 
 the Penny Press in 1879, started by Moran & 
 Hardwicke, then taken over by Fred M. Van- 
 Campen and Ed. Forsyth. In 1880 E. T. Ben- 
 nett, took charge and named it the Evening 
 Press. David M. Carey served on the editorial 
 staff from 1S81 to 1884; while Armstrong & 
 Rasmussen of Chicago bought it in 1886. On 
 January i, 1887, Archibald McMillan began 
 his 15 years of devoted work on the city's lead- 
 ing evening daily, years of usefulness to the 
 community, not soon to be forgotten. He was 
 a veteran of the Civil war and began his news- 
 paper career with the Detroit Free Press, being 
 compositor, reporter and editor in turn ; at his 
 death in 1902 he was the dean of the press 
 here. 
 
 In December, 1889, W. H. Gustin, the able 
 and influential editor of the Evening Times 
 in 1905, appears upon the local journalistic 
 field in his first responsible endeavor, in the or- 
 ganization of the Bay City Times, with L. L. 
 
 Cline and F. M. VanCampen. In December, 
 1890 the venerable Archibald McMillan allied 
 himself with the younger daily, and no stronger 
 combination ever existed on the local field of 
 pen and type, than Editor McMillan, and Re- 
 porter "Bert" Gustin, as he is popularly known 
 throughout' Michigan. The Bay City Times 
 Publishing Company was organized in 1891, 
 and the Evening Times consolidated with the 
 Evening Press. For the last 14 years, the Times 
 has been the sole local supply of the evening 
 field, as the Tribune is of the morning field. 
 The stockholders in the Bay City Times Pub- 
 lishing Company have changed from time to 
 time, until in 1903 the Scripps syndicate of 
 Detroit bought the splendidly equipped plant. 
 B. M. Wynkoop is now the general manager, 
 George G. Booth, president ; W. Herbert Gus- 
 tin, managing editor; W. A. Clarke, chief 
 typo; J. D. Jones, pressman; Garrie C. Laing, 
 city editor. Since 1903 the political gy-rations 
 of the Times have ceased, and it is now one of 
 Michigan's leading independent dailies. Dur- 
 ing the month of ]\Iarch, 1905, the Evening 
 Times had a bona fide paid circulation of 8,- 
 462 copies daily. Under the able and con- 
 scientious editorial management of Mr. Gustin, 
 the Times has become a power for good in the 
 community. And above all, it works unceas- 
 ingly for the intellectual and material growth 
 and development of the city and county. Much 
 of the success of the consolidation movement 
 is due to its earnest and undeviating support of 
 a union, decreed by Nature but long frustrated 
 by trivialities. Editor Archibald McMillan 
 died in the harness, but his mantle has fallen 
 on able shoulders. One need but peruse its 
 pithy columns, and particularly the untram- 
 meled editorial page, to appreciate the worth 
 of this vigorous independent daily, so dear to 
 many homes in Bay County. 
 
 So in 1905 Bay County has reason to feel 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 325 
 
 proud and satisfied with its local representa- 
 tives of the daily press. Both the morning and 
 evening publications have special wire coin- 
 niunication with all parts of the globe, and 
 nothing happens in the farthest ends of the 
 earth, that is not promptly served to a discern- 
 ing and appreciative community. Time and 
 again the local papers have "scooped" the great 
 dailies of Michigan's metropolis, particularly 
 in some of tlie stirring events in the Russo- 
 Japanese campaign in Korea and Manchuria, 
 1904-05. Naturally the local press has four 
 hours the better of the Detroit dailies, and 
 this difference in wire delivery of news and 
 railroad delivery of newspapers works to the 
 everlasting advantage of equally well-served 
 Associated Press representatives in Bay City. 
 The Tribiuie occupies two floors and base- 
 ment of the Watson Block, with nicely fur- 
 nished offices and airy editorial and reporting 
 rooms, while the Evening Times owns and 
 occupies the modern Tiines Building just south, 
 at No. 709 Water street, also two stories and 
 basement. Both plants have all the latest in- 
 ventions throughout, and the many special edi- 
 tions put out on the main events of the last 
 year have amply demonstrated their ability to 
 meet any emergency. The Times this year in- 
 augurated several innovations, doing away 
 with the Sunday issue, and publishing, instead, 
 three issues daih;, beginning at noon. This 
 latter feature commends itself, especially to the 
 communities tributary to Bay City on the north 
 and west. 
 
 Bay City also has several thriving weeklies 
 in addition to the older publications enumer- 
 ated. The Sugar Beet Culturist, D. T. Cutting, 
 editor, S. O. Burgdorf, manager, and Frank 
 Zagelmeyer, treasurer, has a national reputa- 
 tion for good work done for tlie infant beet 
 sugar industry, and its career dates from the 
 building of the first beet sugar factory in Bay 
 City in 1898. In 1905 we find it branching 
 out, so as to cover the entire field of farm jour- 
 nalism. The success of its publishers is well 
 merited. 
 
 The Bay City Democrat is a weekly, owned 
 and published by George Washington, the \-et- 
 eran leader of that party, whose cause his pub- 
 lication espouses. He also issues the Indus- 
 trial Herald, the sole local representative of 
 the labor field, from the joint plant on Ninth 
 street. 
 
 The Prawda, W. V. Prybeski. publisher, 
 is the only Polish weekly still in existence, and 
 dates from 1885. It has a wide and growing 
 field. 
 
 Le Patriot, H. A. Beaudin, publisher, is a 
 weekly devoted to the interests of our French 
 fellow-citizens, and under his energetic leader- 
 ship should regain the prominent place in the 
 specialty field of our cosmopolitan population 
 held by this publication in years past. 
 
 The Modern Archer is a monthly publica- 
 tion devoted to the interests of the I\I. A. 
 A., Bay City's promising fraternal insur- 
 ance society, with headquarters in the Crapo 
 Block. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Fraternal, Benevolent and Labor Organizations. 
 
 MASONIC. 
 
 Bay City Lodge, No. 129, F. & A. ^L— 
 As early as 1858 a meeting of Masons was held 
 in the second story of the Jennison store, which 
 was attended by Nathan B. Bradley, H. M. 
 Bradley, James J. McCormick, William R. 
 McCormick, C. B. Cottrell, John F. Cottrell, J. 
 H. Little and Clark Aloulthrop ; but no organ- 
 ization was effected until October, i860, when 
 a dispensation was granted by the grand master 
 of the State of Michigan to William R. Mc- 
 Cormick as worshipful master, and William A. 
 Bryce and Nathan B. Bradley as wardens, with 
 power to organize a lodge of Free and Accepted 
 Ivlasons in Bay City. Accordingly Bay City 
 Lodge, No. 129, F. & A. M., was organized 
 with the following officers : William R. Mc- 
 Cormick, W. M. ; William A. Bryce, S. W. ; 
 Nathan B. Bradley, J. W. ; John F. Cottrell, 
 secretary pro tent. ; George C. Fray, S. D. pro 
 ton; Thomas Hargrave, J. D., pro tci/i.; C. L. 
 Fisher, tyler pro tcm. Upon the lodge receiv- 
 ing its charter in 1861, William A. Brj'ce was 
 elected master. The lodge has always pros- 
 pered and at present has 348 members. It has 
 numbered among its members many of the lead- 
 ing men of Bay City. The present officers are 
 W. D. Parks,' W. 'll. ; W. G. Kelly, S. W. 
 William Kerr, J. \\^ ; A. L. Stewart, treasurer 
 J. W. Mount, secretary; James 'M. Laing, chap- 
 
 lain ; R. A. Bulla, S. D. : Stanley ^^■arfield, J. 
 D. ; E. J. James and C. Wanless, stewards - 
 James P. \Varfield, marshal ; A. Smith, tyler. 
 
 Portsmouth Lodge, No. 190, F. & A. M., 
 was organized by William R. McCormick, 
 Charles Stevens and ^V. H. Southworth, in 
 1865. The first meeting was held in the second 
 story of the residence of Elisha G. Allen, in 
 Portsmouth. The charter members were : Will- 
 iam R. McCormick, Charles Stevens, W. H. 
 Southworth, A. C. Braddock, Hamilton Bur- 
 nett, C. D. Fisher and Charles E. IMerrell. A 
 charter was granted in November, 1867, when 
 George Lewis was elected worshipful master. 
 In 1868, the lodge bought a lot and erected a 
 building, using the second story for their lodge 
 room and renting the lower story for stores. 
 The present officers are : Robert L. King, W. 
 M. ; Henry Graham, S. W. ; L. M. Persons, J. 
 W. ; George J. Boyden, S. D. ; Ernest C. Hew- 
 itt. T. D. ; Henry A. Boiteau, secretary; Will- 
 iam ^^'arren, treasurer ; Frank Elliott and Otto 
 Laderach, stewards. The lodge has 262 mem- 
 bers 
 
 Wenona Lodge, No. 296, F. & A. M. 
 (West Side), was chartered January 15, 1869, 
 Neil Matheson being named as worshipful 
 master, Hiram Bunnell as senior warden and 
 C. P. Black as junior warden. The pre'^ent 
 officers are : George L. Lusk, W. M. ; Willard 
 N. Sweenev, S. W. ; Hiram Darling, J. W. ; H. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 327 
 
 H. Burdick, treasurer; Willis D. Fox, secre- 
 tary ; Alfred L. Mosher, S. D. ; Harry J. Kay- 
 ner, J. D. ; James S. Todd, tyler. The lodge has 
 230 members. 
 
 Joppa Lodge, No. 315, F. & A. M., was or- 
 ganized in 1874. Its present officers are: C. 
 
 B. Chatfield, W. M.; W. S. Ramsay, S. W, ; 
 W. E. Wedthoff, J. W. ; C. E. Rosenbury, 
 treasurer; George S. Crampton, secretary; G. 
 W. Hand, S. D. ; J. L. Wardell, J. D.;'j. C. 
 Hine and J. P. Robertson, stewards ; Rev. J. G. 
 Inglis, chaplain ; G. A. Hemstreet, marshal. 
 Joppa lodge has 371 members. 
 
 Pinconning Lodge, No. 402, F. & A. ]\I. 
 (Pinconning), was organized under a dispensa- 
 tion granted April 27, 1891, and had eight 
 charter members. There are now 54 members. 
 John Anderson is worshipful master and Henry 
 
 C. Mansfield, secretary. 
 
 Blanchard Chapter No. 59, R. A. M., was 
 chartered January 8, 1868. Its officers are : O. 
 F. Harding, H. P. ; W. H. Lefevre, K. ; A. L. 
 Sovereign, S. ; C. L. Fox, secretary ; Louis 
 Goeschel, treasurer ; E. G. Pike, C. of H. ; H. 
 P. Warfield, P. S. ; ^\'illiam Greenleaf, R. A. 
 C. ; George E. Scovel, M. of 3rd V. ; Guy I. 
 Lamont, M. of 2nd V. ; Fred W. McCoy, M. of 
 ist v.; Austin Smith, sentinel. 
 
 Bay City Chapter, No. 136, R. A. M., was 
 chartered January 20, 1897. Its officers are: 
 Melvin Hodgins, H. P. ; Charles E. Layer, K. ; 
 William H. Frey, S. ; C. E. Rosenbury, treas- 
 urer ; F. O. Gilbert, secretary ; G. S. Crampton, 
 C. of H. ; F. A. Nichols, P. S. ; James S. Todd, 
 R. A. C. ; W. O. Clift, M. 3rd V. ; James A. 
 Wells, M. of 2nd V. ; John A. Stewart, M. of 
 1st v.; Austin Smith, sentinel. 
 
 McCormick Grand Lodge of Perfection 
 was chartered September 16, 1884. Its offii 
 cers are : I. A. Gilbert, T. P. G. M. ; H. E. 
 Meeker, H. of T. D. G. 'M. ; J. A. Stewart, V. 
 S. G. M. ; D. A. Trumpour, V. J. G. M. ; O. A. 
 
 Smith, G. O. ; C. E. Rosenbury, G. treasurer; 
 Daniel Marshal, grand secretary; W. O. Clift, 
 G. M. of C. ; C. E. Layer, G. C. of G. ; R. A. 
 Sutherland, G. H. Bro. ; Austin Smith, G. tyler. 
 
 Bay City Council, Princess of Jerusalem, 
 was chartered September 16, 1884. Its officers 
 are : W. A. Penney, M. E. S. P. G. M. ; Eu- 
 gene Fifield, G. H. P. D. G. M. ; J. A. W^ells, 
 M. E. S. G. W. ; H. E. Meeker, M. E. J. G. W. ; 
 Charles E. Rosenbury, V. G. T. ; Daniel A. 
 Marshall, V. G. S. ; Frank O. Gilbert, V. G. M. 
 of C. ; M. Hodgins, V. G. M. of E. ; Austin 
 Smith, tyler. 
 
 Saginaw Valley Chapter, Rose Croix, was 
 chartered September 16, 1884. Its officers are: 
 A. L. Stewart, M. W. and P. M. ; J. A. Stewart 
 M. E. and S. K. S. W. ; W. O. Clift, M. E. and 
 P. K. J. W. ; Rev. William Bryant, M. E. and 
 P. K. G. C. ; C. E. Rosenbury. R. and P. treas- 
 urer ; Daniel A. INIarshall, R. and P. K. S. ; 
 Alexander Sutherland, R. and P. K. H. ; W. 
 A. Penney, M. of C. ; James A. Wells, R. and 
 P. K. C. of G. ; Austin Smith, R. and P. R. T. 
 
 Bay City Council, No. 53, R. & S. M., was 
 chartered January 15, 1884. Its officers are: 
 W. O. Clift, T. I. M.; T. F. Heine, D. M.; 
 M. L. Davies, P. C. ; A. L. Stewart, treasui'er; 
 
 C. L. Fox, recorder ; E. G. Pike, C. of G. ; I. 
 A. Shannon, C. of C. ; Austin Smith, sentinel. 
 
 Bay City Commandery, No. 26, K. T., was 
 chartered June 8, 1870. Its officers are: 
 Charles S. Ruttle, E. C. ; W. O. Clift, G. ; C. 
 R. Hawley, C. G. ; E. L. Davis, S. W. : C. H. 
 Frantz, J. W. ; A. L. Stewart, P. ; C. E. Rosen- 
 bury, treasurer; Louis Goeschel, recorder; H. 
 \V. Weber, Stan. B. ; George H. Keating, Sw. 
 B. ; Guy Lamont, W. ; A. Smith, sentinel ; G. 
 W. Handy, ist G. ; I. A. Shannon, 2nd G. ; T. 
 
 D. Campbell, 3rd G. ; S. R. Birchard, adjutant. 
 As yet no Masonic bodies beyond the iSth 
 
 degree have been organized in Bay City. 
 The following description of the ]\Iasonic 
 
328 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Temple in Bay City is taken from the Michigan 
 Masonic Year Book : 
 
 This building is one of the handsomest in 
 the whole country, and is a decided ornameni 
 to Bay City. It represents great and successful 
 efforts on the part of the craftsmen, and is well 
 worthy of extended description. The site of 
 the building was purchased in the summer of 
 1890 by the several ?\Iasonic bodies meeting in 
 the old hall on Center avenue. Ground was 
 broken in October of the same year, and on June 
 24, 1 89 1, the corner-stone was laid with impos- 
 ing Masonic ceremonies, by Grand Master Look 
 of the Grand Lodge of Michigan, and the ad- 
 dress was made by Grand Master of Knights 
 Templar Hugh McCurdy. The building was 
 completed and occupied by the several ^lasonic 
 bodies in February, 1893. The Temple covers 
 an area of 100 by 100 feet at the corner of Mad- 
 ison avenue and Sixth street, and is three stor- 
 ies high on the ]\Iadison avenue side, divided 
 into parlors, drawing rooms, reading rooms, 
 closets, etc. Running back from these, each con- 
 suming about 30 feet of the width, including 
 corridors, are the lodge or assembly rooms — 
 one 30 by 66 feet with gallery on the sides, the 
 other 29 by 48 feet, designed as a chapter and 
 commandery room, each with a stage and cor- 
 ridors running all around them, and ample pre- 
 paration room. The height of ceilings of as- 
 sembly rooms is 38 feet. The basement con- 
 tains the banquet hall or dining room, 45 by 
 48 feet, kitchen, pantry, etc., the hall for the 
 Lodge of Perfection, 28 by 48 feet, closets, 
 wash-rooms and the heating arrangements. The 
 style of architecture is Moorish, with a flat 
 roof, a portion of which is covered with tile 
 and a portion with gravel. Before the fare it 
 had one tower 114 feet high, and one large 
 and two small Moorish domes covered with 
 copper. The large dome and the tower have 
 not vet been rebuilt. The material of which 
 
 the building is built is Rock River brownstone, 
 rough ashlar. There are t\vo entrances : One 
 on the Madison avenue side — the main — admit- 
 ting to lodge rooms and the parlors and dining 
 hall, and the side entrance on Sixth street, lead- 
 ing to parlors and dining hall. There are over 
 one hundred windows of stained and plate 
 glass, the whole costing $90,000. 
 
 On INIay 19, 1903, a disastrous fire burned 
 the entire structure, excepting the two front 
 walls. The loss was about $52,000. The 
 Temple has been entirely rebuilt, except the 
 high tower and dome, and practically on the 
 same plan ; one more lodge room, however, has 
 been provided than the former structure con- 
 tained. 
 
 Portsmouth Lodge also owns a commodious 
 and modern Temple on Broadway, begun in 
 1895 and completed in 1903. It is a three- 
 story frame structure, with fine lodge rooms, 
 parlors, banquet hall and accessories. 
 
 ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR. 
 
 Sharon Chapter, No. 20, has for its ofiicers : 
 Mrs. Edna Van Auken, \V. M. ; J. Simmerson, 
 W. P. ; Mrs. Eva LeFevre. A. M. ; i\Irs. Emma 
 Nieman, C. ; Mrs. Marian Ayea, A. C. ; Mrs. 
 Hattie Mingo, secretary, jNIrs. J. Elliott, treas- 
 urer; ]Mrs. Sarah Catlin, chaplain. 
 
 Temple Chapter, Xo. 125, has the following 
 officers : Mrs. Marion Heine, \V. M. ; William 
 Cuthbert, W. P.; INIrs. Carrie Reed, A. i\I. ; 
 Miss Anna Russell, secretary; Mrs. Alvira He- 
 witt, treasurer. 
 
 Bay Chapter, Xo. 219 (West Side) was 
 organized December 15, 1897, with 30 charter 
 members. Mrs. Mattie E. Birchard, was the 
 first worthy matron, and held the office contin- 
 uously for five years. She was followed in 
 office by Mrs. Jennie Brinkman, who is now 
 serving her third vear as worthv matron. At 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 329 
 
 present the other ofificers are : Mrs. Hattie Cor- 
 bin, associate matron ; Mrs. Mattie E. Birchard, 
 secretary. There are 155 members. 
 
 Bethlehem Shrine, Order of the White 
 Shrine of Jerusalem, has for its officers : Mrs. 
 Mattie E. Birchard, W. H. P. ; Mrs. Ruth De- 
 Remer, N. P. ; Mrs. William Crump, W. of S. ; 
 Mrs. Emma Wedthoff, W. S. ; Mrs. Lizzie Hy- 
 nian, W. T. 
 
 INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS. 
 
 Bay Lodge, No. 104, was organized in 
 Portsmouth, in January, 1867, and was called 
 Portsmouth Lodge. A. W. Watrous was its 
 first noble grand. The lodge did not flourish 
 as well as had been hoped for, and it was re- 
 moved to Bay City in the hope that the change 
 would prove beneficial. The name was changed 
 to Bay Lodge in 1869. Its present officers are : 
 F. P. McCormick, N. G. ; G. T. Thornthwaite, 
 V. G. ; J. P. Tossell, secretary ; K. Greenberg, 
 treasurer ; M. Thompson, L. St. Laurent and C. 
 W. Maxon, trustees. 
 
 Humboldt Lodge, No. 154 (German), was 
 organized February 13, 1871. Its officers are: 
 Peter Nusslet, P. G. ; Leonard Eichhorn, N. 
 G. ; Frederick Kolb, V. G. ; Jacob Bingel ( re- 
 cording secretary ; William Kurzrock, financial 
 secretary; Carl Knorpp, treasurer. 
 
 Wenona Lodge, No. 221, (West Side), has 
 the following officers : L. H. Alverson, P. G. ; 
 Alfred Pearsons, N. G. ; Robert Stringer, V. 
 G. ; D. C. Walworth, recording secretary ; Fe- 
 lix Yound, permanent secretary ; Henry J. Dol- 
 son, treasurer. 
 
 Lighthouse Lodge, No. 235, has the fol- 
 lowing officers : William Wade, P. G. ; George 
 Chapman, N. G. ; William Davidson, V. G. ; 
 William Felker, recording secretary; George 
 Wade, financial secretary; John Plush, treas- 
 urer. 
 
 Eden Lodge, No. 260, was instituted July 
 6, 1875. Its officers are as follows: Peter 
 Rose, P. G. ; Charles Chisler, N. G. ; Clarence 
 Thorsby, V. G. ; Henry Cronell, R. S. ; George 
 Shaw, P. S. ; Frank Tucker, treasurer. 
 
 Canton Custer, No. 28 (Patriarchs Mili- 
 tant), has the following officers: G. A. That- 
 cher, commander; W. R. Rattray, lieutenant; 
 Marcus Thompson, ensign; Wesley Schisler, 
 clerk; George Rebbetoy, accountant. 
 
 Kanonda Encampment, No. 36, has the fol- 
 lowing officers : William Wade, C. P. ; Wes- 
 ley Fredrum, H. P. ; James H. Grover, S. W. ; 
 Charles Goetz, J. W. ; Samuel Hemingway, 
 scribe; Frank Tucker, treasurer. 
 
 REBEKAH DEGREE, I. O. 0. F. 
 
 Degree Staff, No. 62, has the following of- 
 ficers : Mrs. Anna J. Thatcher, P. G. ; Mrs. 
 Mary M. Coon, N. G. ; Mrs. Belle Rattray, V. 
 G. ; Miss Ada Dexter, secretary; Mrs. Emma 
 Neimann, chaplain ; George Thatcher, captain. 
 
 Grace Lodge, No. 8. has the following of- 
 ficers : Mrs. Ida Klippel, P. G. ; Mrs. Anna 
 Boisvert, N. G. ; Mrs. L. E. Clark, V. G. ; Mrs. 
 Lillie Durham, recording secretary ; Mrs. Grace 
 Slater, financial secretary; John P. Tossell, 
 treasurer. 
 
 Excelsior Lodge, No. 30, has the following 
 officers : Mrs. Sarah Tesch, P. G. ; Miss Sarah 
 Mingo, N. G. ; Mrs. Jennie Wright, V. G. ; Mrs. 
 Amanda Nash, recording secretary, Mrs. Hat- 
 tie Mingo, financial secretary; Mrs. Amelia 
 Boynton, treasurer. 
 
 Tillie Lodge, No. 49 (West Side), has the 
 following officers: Mrs. Mamie Westpinter, 
 P. G.; Mrs. Ida Moon, N. G. ; Mrs. May 
 Thorne, V. G. ; Mrs. F. P. Downing, recording 
 secretary; Mrs. Emma Coomer, permanent 
 secretary; Mrs. Anna Morrison, treasurer. 
 
 Lovina Lodge, No. 62, has the following 
 
330 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 officers: Mrs. ]\Iary M. Coon, P. G. ; Mrs. 
 Anna Robertson, N. G. ; Mrs. W. Best, V. G. ; 
 Mrs. J. Meeks, recording secretary; Mrs. Ada 
 Reinhardt, permanent secretary; Miss Bessie 
 Blake, treasurer. 
 
 Elmira Lodge, No. 102, has the foHowing 
 officers : Mrs. Grace Netting, N. G. ; Mrs. Ag- 
 nes L. Burleson, V. G. ; Mrs. Olive Burgess, 
 recording secretary; Mrs. Anna E. Felker, fi- 
 nancial secretary; Mrs. Sadie Williams, treas- 
 urer. 
 
 Odd Fellows' Temple on Washington ave- 
 nue was originally the First Presbyterian 
 Church. Its central location and spacious 
 lodge rooms make it an ideal meeting place, 
 and a number of fraternal orders make this their 
 meeting place. 
 
 KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS. 
 
 Bay City Lodge. No. 23, was organized 
 July 6, 1875. The charter officers were: Will- 
 iam Ferris, C. C. ; E. A. Radabough, V. C. ; 
 William Simpkins, P. ; William Treat, M. of 
 F. ; John Coryell, :\I. of E. ; H. A. Eraser, K. 
 of R. and S. ; John Powell, M. at A. This lodge 
 has ever since taken a foremost place in Bay 
 City's long list of fraternities. Their castle 
 hall was for years in the Concordia Block. 
 When the Elks' Hall on Center ave. was com- 
 pleted. Bay City Lodge moved into the more 
 modern and luxurious quarters. The officers 
 are : James L. iNIcCormick, C. C. ; Alex. Im- 
 lay, V. C. : J. F. Asman, P. ; W. J. Lambert, 
 M. of E.; George Cuthbret, M. of F. ; William 
 A. Clark, K. of R. and S. ; Frank Prosser, M. 
 at A. ; W. H. Newcomb, I. G. ; Jesse Radford, 
 O. G. ; E. J. Wasson, trustee. 
 
 Woodland Lodge, No. 145, was con- 
 solidated with Bay City Lodge in November, 
 1900. This lodge was organized originally in 
 Portsmouth, but after that village became a 
 
 part of Bay City, it was found desirable to 
 unite the two lodges. 
 
 Othello Lodge, No. 116, (West Side), has 
 these officers : Eugene Cummings, C. C. ; R. 
 Ross Bell, V. C. ; Stewart Powrie, P.; J. W. 
 Digby, M. of W. ; William H. Caldwell, M. of 
 E. ; W. H. Chase, M. of F. ; W. A. Collins, K. 
 of R. and S. Othello Lodge in January, 1905, 
 opened their new castle hall and club rooms on 
 Midland and Walnut streets, and now have one 
 of the coziest homes on the West Side. They 
 have the banner degree team in Michigan, be- 
 ing frequently invited to exemplify the degree 
 work of the order in lodges throughout the 
 State. Othello Lodge is in a flourishing condi- 
 tion, with a membership of over 300. The 
 club rooms include a billiard and card parlor, 
 smoking rooms and parlors, dining rooms and 
 kitchen. 
 
 RATHBONE SISTERS. 
 
 Othello Queen Temple, No. 30, (West 
 Side), has these officers: Mrs. Carrie Coffin, 
 M. E. C. ; Mrs. Nina Cummings, M. of R. and 
 C; Mrs. Daisy Ribble, M. of F. ; Mrs. M. 
 Howe, M. of T. 
 
 Fidelity Temple, No. 32, has these officers : 
 Emma Radford, P. C. ; Edith Ralph, M. E. C. ; 
 Lucinda Schindehette, E. S. T. ; Alice Prosser, 
 E. J. T. ; Mary Webster, M. of R. and C. ; Sadie 
 Imlay, M. of F. ; Ida Brawn, M. of T. ; May 
 Prosser, P. of T. ; Mary Parks, G. of O. T. 
 
 BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS. 
 
 Lodge No. 88 was organized in Bay City, 
 April 25, 1888, and received its charter on July 
 1 2th of the same year. Its first officers were as 
 follows: A. McMillan, exalted ruler: L. B. 
 Beach, esteemed leading knight; W. D. Rich- 
 ardson, esteemed loyal knight; J. C. Weadock,. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 33^ 
 
 esteemed lecturing knight ; E. M. Sharp, secre- 
 tary; H. M. Wright, treasurer; Wilham Meri- 
 thew, tyler; John Cunningham, inner guard; 
 James Antisdel, esquire; D. Alexander, chap- 
 lain; P. O. Hudson, organist. In June, 1903, 
 the lodge purchased the Eddy Block on Center 
 avenue for $25,000 and remodeled it at a cost 
 of $8,000. The furnishings cost another $6,- 
 000. The second floor is used as a club room 
 and the third floor for lodge rooms. This is 
 said to be as fine a property as is owned by the 
 order in the United States. The present offi- 
 cers are : W. J. Asman, exalted ruler ; D. T. 
 Cutting, esteemed leading knight ; T. C. 
 Hughes, esteemed loyal knight ; L. G. Beck- 
 with, esteemed lecturing knight ; C. L. Fox, 
 secretary ; W. J. Daunt, treasurer ; F. E. Guds- 
 chinsky, tyler ; Ray C. Hewitt, inner guard ; D. 
 L. Galbraith, esquire; Rev. C. T. Patchell, 
 chaplain. The lodge has 510 members. 
 
 IMPROVED ORDER OF RED MEN. 
 
 i 
 
 Chippewa Tribe, No. 47, was organized 
 JNIay 19, 1900. Its officers are as follows: 
 Henry John, sachem ; Harry L. Randall, K. of 
 R. and W. ; Charles Swanson, prophet. 
 
 MODERN ARCHERS OF AMERICA. 
 
 Bay City has the distinction of being one of 
 the country's greatest centers of fraternal or- 
 ganizations, on a per capita basis of population 
 and fraternal membership. There is hardly a 
 man or woman in this community that does not 
 belong to from one to 1 5 different fraternal and 
 benevolent associations, and there are a num- 
 ber of good citizens who can boast the latter 
 record, ^^■hile the citizens take very kindly to 
 all manner of fraternal institutions, it remained 
 for the ^Modern Archers of America to create 
 a new fraternitv within Bav Citv, making this 
 
 their home and headquarters. The project had 
 been pending for some months, and on January 
 I, 1903, the Modern Archers were organized 
 under the insurance laws of Michigan and duly 
 incorporated. The headquarters are in com- 
 modious offices in the Crapo Building. Bay 
 City Tent, No. i, is the parent lodge of the 
 growing young order, with a charter member- 
 ship of half a thousand. Subordinate lodges 
 are being organized throughout the State. The 
 Modern Archer is the official organ of the Mod- 
 ern Archers of America, A. H. Gansser, Editor 
 and publisher. 
 
 The following are the executive officers of 
 the Home Tent: Executive board, — M. L. 
 DeBats, acting chief archer ; A. R. Ballamy, 
 chief clerk; C. M. Bump, chief banker; F. P. 
 McCormick, chief counsel. Advisory board, — • 
 M. L. DeBats, chief associate archer ; Dr. C. T. 
 Newkirk, chief physician ; A. D. Bailey, chief 
 conductor ; T. C. Hughes, chief guard ; Chaun- 
 cey Gregory, chief sentry. 
 
 Bay City Tent, No. i, has these officers: 
 A. R. Ballamy, past worthy archer ; C. A. Ste- 
 wart, worthy archer; Melvina J. Julian, asso- 
 ciate archer ; J. L. McCormick, worthy clerk ;. 
 Bessie Labbe, worthy banker; R. J. Gamble, 
 worthy conductor; W. E. McMillan, worthy 
 guard ; Blanche Ames, musician. 
 
 Broadway Tent, No. 3, has the following 
 officers : Etta Wilde, past worthy archer ; Her- 
 bert Shawl, worthy archer; Nettie Keene as- 
 sociate archer ; T. J. Saliard, worthy clerk ; F. 
 W. Braman, worthy banker; Elizabeth Malett, 
 worthy chaplain ; Bessie Niemann, worthy con- 
 ductor ; Addie Shawl, worthy guard ; James R. 
 Keene, worth)' sentry; Edith Hannah, musi- 
 cian ; Dr. R. C. Perkins, tent physician. 
 
 Ora Tent, No. 9, has the following officers : 
 Ricka Schvvalm, past worthy archer ; Jennie Al- 
 len, worthy archer; Anna Glosser, associate- 
 archer; Marv Himmelcin. worthv clerk; John 
 
-33- 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Allen, worthy banker; Jacob Schwalni, worthy 
 chaplain; Mabel Glosser, worthy conductor; 
 Clara Schroeter, worthy guard ; Katie Avery, 
 worthy sentry. 
 
 Main Tent No. 13, has the following offi- 
 cers : Frank R. Gordon, past worthy archer ; 
 Charles L. Ouelette, worthy archer; William 
 Felker, associate archer; Anna E. Felker, 
 worthy clerk; Olive Burgess, worthy banker; 
 William Burgess, worthy chaplain ; Julia Van 
 Pelt, worthy conductor; Estelia Ouelette, 
 worthy sentry ; Ernest F. Crummer, tent physi- 
 cian. 
 
 Woodside Tent, No. 19, has the following 
 officers : Hannah Walk, past worthy archer ; 
 Frank Brisbois, worthy archer; Jennie Smith, 
 associate archer; Lucy Demo, worthy clerk; 
 Evelyn Gordon, worthy banker ; Augusta Witt- 
 kopp, worthy conductor; Pauline Berling, 
 worthy guard ; Dr. Byron H. Ovenshire, worthy 
 sentry; Dr. Byron H. Ovenshire. physician; 
 Dr. Alaucotel, assistant physician. 
 
 INDEPENDENT ORDER OF FORESTERS. 
 
 Court Bay City, No. 306. Officers : Thomas 
 Boughner, C. R. ; George Ewell, F. S. ; Frank 
 
 B. Smith, R. S. and treasurer. 
 
 Court Miranda, No. 326. (West .Side.) 
 Officers: Hugh McCormick, C. D. H. C. R. ; 
 James S. Donald, P. C. R. ; Allen McKinnon, 
 
 C. R. ; John Ames, V. C. R. ; Joseph Groves, F. 
 S. : Charles Hitchcock, R. S. : John ]\Iercer, 
 treasurer. 
 
 Court Portsmouth, No. 622. Officers : Ed- 
 Avard Hayes, C. R. ; J. J. Williams, V. C. R. ; 
 George J. Boyden, R. S. ; O. W. Ballard. F. 
 S. ; W. H. Warren, treasurer. 
 
 Court West Bay City, No. 1,102. (West 
 Side.) Officers : Henry S. Lewis, C. R. ; John 
 Bloomshield, R. S. ; A. F. Powrie. F. S. : John 
 Brigham, treasurer. 
 
 LADY COMPANIONS OF THE I. O. F. 
 
 Court Portsmouth, No. 56. Officers : Mrs. 
 Emma Opperman, C. R. ; Mrs. Elizabeth Cas- 
 sidy, V. C. R. ; Miss Sarah Hayes, R. S. ; Miss 
 Clara A. Ballard, F. S. and treasurer; Mrs. 
 Carrie Tesch, C. D. 
 
 Court Wenona, No. 60. (West Side.) Offi- 
 cers : Mrs. Flora Ferl, P. C. R. ; ]\Irs. Hattie 
 Roach, C. R. ; Mrs. Annie Sturm, V. C. R. ; 
 Mrs. A. M. Russell, F. S. ; Mrs. Kate Pard- 
 ridge, R. S.; Mrs. Anna Craig, treasurer; Mrs. 
 J. jMorton. orator. 
 
 Court Miranda, No. 363. (West Side.), 
 Officers: Mrs. Eva McKinnon, C. D. ; Mrs. 
 Mary Royal, C. R. ; Mrs. Louis Shafer, V. C. 
 R. ; Mrs. Mary Ames, P. C. R. ; Mrs. Ida Har- 
 mon, R. S. ; Mrs. Maggie McCormick, F. S. ; 
 Mrs. Mary Camp, treasurer. 
 
 Court Bay City, No. 517. Officers: Mrs. 
 Elizabeth Fargo, P. C. R. ; Mrs. Cora Jacox, 
 C. R.; Mrs. D. Woodberry, V. C. R. ; Mrs. 
 Alice Crooks, R. S. ; Mrs. Isabella Freeman, F. 
 S. ; Mrs. Mary Cullen, treasurer; Dr. A. L. 
 Ambrose, physician. 
 
 Court Eastern, No. 757. (West Side.) 
 Officers: Mrs. Ida Ryan, C. D. ; Mrs. S. C. 
 Robinson, P. C. R. ; Mrs. Mary Donald. C. R. ; 
 Mrs. Mary Dechan, V. C. R. ; I\Irs. Margaret 
 Gillmaster, R. S. ; Mrs. ^Margaret Harvey, F. 
 S. and treasurer. 
 
 KNIGHTS OF THE MODERN MACCABEES. 
 
 Phoenix Tent, No. 8. (West Side.) Offi- 
 cers : Albert A. Marciniak. C. ; John Evans, 
 Lt. C. ; John Boston, R. K. ; W. A. Waldron, 
 F. K. ; Dr. T. L. Dagg, physician. 
 
 Liberty Tent, No. 36. Officers : George 
 N. Wheeler, P. C. ; E. E. Corlis, C. : Thomas 
 Vernon, Lt. C. ; Sol. Wilhelm, R. K. ; Louis 
 Goeschel, F. K. ; Dr. W. ]M. Bishop, physician. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 333 
 
 Valley Tent, No. 94. Officers: J. D. 
 Jones, P. C. ; C. L. Fox, C. ; O. W. Hewitt, Lt. 
 C. ; Ray C. Hewitt, R. K. ; A. E. R. Bush, F. 
 K. ; Dr. J. L. Ambrose, physician. 
 
 South Bay City Tent, No. 177. Officers: 
 O. J. Morton. P. C. ; Whitney Wells. C. ; Peter 
 J. Ockstadt, Lt. C. ; William Chatterson, R. 
 K. ; William H. Newcombe, F. K. ; Dr. A. T. 
 Baird, physician. 
 
 Bay Tent, No. 194. (West Side.) Officers: 
 Dr. William G. Hare, P. C. ; Herbert Agans, 
 C. ; George F. Atkinson, Lt. C. ; John D. Regan^ 
 R. K. ; Elzear Rolland, F. K. ; Nelson Cham- 
 pagne, chaplain; Dr. William G. Hare, physi- 
 cian. 
 
 Goethe Tent, No. 207. Officers: ]\Iax 
 Wolf, P. C. ; George C. Reif, C. ; Charles A. 
 Richter, Lt. C. ; Florenz H. Lutzke, R. K. ; G. 
 H. Schindehette, F. K. ; Dr. L. Plessner, phy- 
 sician. 
 
 Eden Tent, No. 225. Officers : Joseph 
 Stockle, P. C. ; Stephen Karpus, C. ; Lawrence 
 McHugh, Lt. C. ; Michael Curley, R. K. ; An- 
 ton Pizybylinski, F. K. ; Dr. William G. Kelly, 
 physician. 
 
 Lafayette Tent, No. 260. Officers : Jo- 
 seph Dion, P. C. ; Patrick Grant, C. ; Henry 
 Girard, Lt. C. ; Frank Dargis, R. K. ; Isidore 
 Mirville, F. K. ; Charles Dion, chaplain ; Dr. Al- 
 fred Maucotel, physician ; Dr. L. D. Grenier, 
 medical examiner. 
 
 Home Tent, No. 319. ( Essexville. ) Offi- 
 cers : William Felker, P. C. ; John Gariepy, 
 C. ; William Davidson, Lt. C. ; Ernest Thorn- 
 thwaite, R. K. ; O. A. Lloyd, F. K. ; Dr. E. F. 
 Crummer, physician. 
 
 Royal Tent, No. 429. Officers : J. S. 
 Armstrong, P. C. ; Leonard Ardiance, C. ; Ed- 
 ward Lichtig, Lt. C. : Ernest Moule, R. K. ; 
 Louis L. Grabowski, F. K. ; Dr. C. L. Ham- 
 mond, physician. 
 
 Salzburg Tent, No. 909. (West Side.) 
 
 Officers : Frank Towns, P. C. ; Rudolph All- 
 man, C. ; Theodore Laderach, Lt. C. ; James 
 Wilson, R. K. ; S. P. Barton, F. K. ; Dr. R. W. 
 Brown, physician. 
 
 Bay City Tent, No. 930. Officers : J. H. 
 McGibbon, P. C. ; Eugene Minnie, C. ; Fred 
 Brisbois, Lt. S. ; Fred O'Hare, R. K. ; J. H. 
 McGibbon, F. K. ; Dr. Byron H. Ovenshire, 
 physician. 
 
 Othello Tent, No. 932. Officers: Clay- 
 ton W^anless, P. C. ; G. H. McCauley, C. ; J. 
 Sheppard, Lt. C. ; Charles Walk, R. K. ; C. D. 
 Monahan, F. K. ; Dr. S. E. Gustin, physician. 
 
 LADIES OF THE MODERN MACC.\BEES. 
 
 Excelsior Hive, No. 12. (West Side.) Offi- 
 cers: Mrs. Mary Trombley, P. L. C. ; Mrs. 
 Nora I. Cook, L. C. ; Mrs. J. N. Headings, Lt. 
 C. ; Mrs. Nettie Patterson, R. K. ; Mrs. Jennie 
 Palmer, F. K. ; Mrs. Carrie Gleason, sergeant; 
 Mrs. Mary Chambers, chaplain. 
 
 Eden Hive, No. 18. Officers: Mrs. Kate 
 Ricker, P. L. C. ; Mrs. Rose Thompson, L. C. ; 
 Mrs. Delia Bentley, Lt. L. C. ; Mrs. Rebecca 
 McKee, R. K.;'Mrs. Ida Vandry. F. K. ; Dr. 
 William G. Kelly, physician. 
 
 Leota Hive, No. 28. Officers : Mrs. Emma 
 Monosmith, P. L. C. ; Mrs. Delia Hutton, L. 
 C. ; Mrs. S. J. Cliff, Lt. L. C. ; Mrs. Henrietta 
 Hawkins, R. K. ; Mrs. J. W. Freeman, F. K. ; 
 Dr. T. A. Baird, physician. 
 
 Essex Hive, No. 29. (Essexville.) Officers; 
 Susan Gordon, L. C. ; Dora Smith, Lt. L. C. ; 
 Anna E. Felker, R. K. ; Katie Murray, F. K. ; 
 Dr. E. F. Crummer, physician. 
 
 Valley Hive, No. 45. Officers : Mrs. Car- 
 rie Reed, P. L. C. ; Mrs. J. W. Radford, L. C. ; 
 Mrs. Emma Stevens, Lt. L. C. ; Mrs. Alta Wan- 
 less, R. K. ; Mrs. Louise McCaulej^, F. K.; 
 Mrs. Mary Wiggins, physician. 
 
 Vigilant Hive, No. 46. Officers: Cassie 
 Gillies, P. L. C. ; Cornelia Abbs, L. C. ; Anna 
 
334 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 -Carr. Lt. L. C. ; j\lary Northcott, R. K. ; Belle 
 Arnold, F. K. ; Dr. S. E. Gustin, physician. 
 
 Wenona Hive, No. 47. (West Side.) Offi- 
 cers : Mrs. Flora B. Hazen, P. L. C. ; Mrs. Al- 
 vira Brown, L. C. ; Mrs. Mary Daniels, Lt. L. 
 C. ; Mrs. Clara Williams, R. K. ; Mrs. Jennie 
 Church, F. K. 
 
 Liberty Queen Hive, No. 268. Officers : 
 Mary Cullen, P. L. C. ; Ella Zimmer, L. C. ; 
 Mrs. Mary Watkins, Lt. L. C. ; Anna Russell, 
 P. K. ; Mrs. Alice Crook, F. K. ; Catherine 
 Theborg, chaplain. 
 
 Bay Royal Hive, No. 303. Officers : Mrs. 
 Mary Lamb, P. L. C. ; Mrs. Anna E. Coffin, L. 
 C. ; Miss Minnie Rothwell, Lt. L. C. ; Lizzie 
 Robertson, R. K. ; Carrie F. Coffin, F. K. ; Mrs. 
 Mary Grice, chaplain; Dr. L. C. Hammond, 
 physician. 
 
 Sunset Hive, No. 460. Officers : Mrs. E. 
 L. Leavens, P. L. C. ; Hannah Walk, L. C. ; 
 Mrs. Anna Hertz, Lt. L. C. ; Lucy Demo, R. 
 K. ; Mrs. Margaret Tobin, F. K. 
 
 Goethe Hive, No. 664. Officers : Minnie 
 Fladung, P. L. C. ; Mrs. Christina Finn, L. 
 C. ; Mrs. Anna Sturm, Lt. L. C. ; Miss Sarah 
 Mulholland, R. K. ; Flora Ferl, F. K. ; Dr. L. 
 C. Hammond, physician. 
 
 Mme. Lafayette Hive, No. 700. Officers: 
 Denilda Primeau, P. L. C. ; Mary Landry, L. 
 C ; Caroline Guilmette, Lt. L. C. ; Georgina 
 Lemieux, R. K. ; Josephine Honor, F. K. ; 
 Elizabeth Ouilette, chaplain ; Dr. L. D. Grenier, 
 physician. 
 
 Salzburg Hive, No. 710. (West Side.) 
 Officers : Emma Allman, P. L. C. ; Minnie 
 Barton, L. C. ; Rose Nelson, Lt. L. C. ; Katie 
 Suey, R. K. ; Belle Towns, F. K. ; Dr. R. W. 
 Brown, physician. 
 
 KNIGHTS OF THE MACCABEES OF THE WORLD. 
 
 Alpha Tent, No. i. Officers: H. J. Grin- 
 nell, P. C. ; W. H. Newcombe, C. ; H. C. Har- 
 
 gadon, Lt. C. ; A. E. R. Bush, R. K. ; A. T. 
 Colvin, F. K. ; Dr. S. E. Gustin, physician. 
 
 Michigan Tent, No. 2. (West Side.) Offi- 
 cers : Dr. R. W. Brown, P. C. ; C. F. Adams, 
 C. ; Cain Parry, Lt. C. ; E. M. Reigel, R. and 
 F. K. ; Dr. R. W. Brown, physician. 
 
 Greater Bay City Tent, No. 4. Officers : 
 Dr. LeRoy Lewis, P. C. ; Harry A. Scott, C. ; 
 Frank Elliott, Lt. C. ; ^^^ E. Walter, R. K. ; 
 Thomas R. Kelley, F. K. ; Dr. A. \\'. Herrick, 
 physician. 
 
 MODERN WOODMEN OF AMERICA. 
 
 Lidependent Degree Team. Officers : Louis 
 Repski, president; John Ebere, vice-president; 
 John G. Dean, secretary; D. A. MacDonald, 
 treasurer; J. E. MacDonald, chief forester; 
 Henry Hamma, quartermaster. This team has 
 attended all the national conventions and par- 
 ticipated in the competitions, winning many of 
 the prizes. 
 
 Columbia Camp, No. 1.328. Officers: J. 
 F. Dulong, V. C. ; J. W. Almond, \\'. A. ; C. 
 C. McPhail, banker ; George Rebbetoy, clerk ; 
 Frank Touchette, watchman. 
 
 Valley Camp, No. 1,466. (West Side.) 
 Officers : Arthur Collins, V. C. ; R. B. Newell, 
 ^V. A. ; Frank C. Warner, clerk ; Charles J. 
 Barnett, banker; W. R. Neal, E. ; John Mc- 
 Neil, ^V. ; Gottlieb Rexer, sentry; Dr. George 
 E. Grover, physician. 
 
 Bay City Camp, No. 1,490. Officers; V\"\\l- 
 iam A. Clarke, V. C. ; Thomas E. French, W. 
 A. ; A. H. Culbert, banker ; J. C. Bacon, clerk ; 
 Robert Gamble, escort ; W. Madden, sentry. 
 
 Center Camp, No. 1.5 14. Officers: Will- 
 iam B. Catlin, V. C. ; James Willard, W. A. ; 
 J. L. Seebeck, banker; Rodney Ellis, clerk; 
 Hugh L. Potter, chief forester. 
 
 Dewey Camp, No. 5,607. (Essexville.) 
 Officers : ' Dr. E. F. Crummer, V. C. ; F. E. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 335 
 
 Sovey, W. A. ; Albert \"anPopplen, banker ; F. 
 O. Guindon, clerk. 
 
 Elm Leaf Camp, No. 10,291. Officers: 
 John Muenze, V. C. ; Alexander Petrimoulx, 
 W. A. ; Joseph Latountaine, clerk ; Frank Co- 
 burn, banker. 
 
 ROYAL NEIGHBORS OF AMERICA. 
 
 Evergreen Camp, No. 72. Officers : Mrs. 
 Christina iMeekin, past oracle; Blanche Satti- 
 more, oracle; Mrs. W. Taylor, vice-oracle; 
 Mrs. Helen Johnson, recorder ; Mrs. Mary 
 French, receiver; Mrs. Adeline Brabant, chan- 
 cellor ; Mrs. Jessie Lumsden, marshal. 
 
 Harmony Camp, No. 349. (West Side.) 
 Officers : Mrs. Alice Wright, oracle ; Mrs. Jen- 
 nie Embleton, vice-oracle; Mrs. Eva Coll, re- 
 corder; Mrs. L. E. Sherman, treasurer; Dr. 
 George Grover, medical examiner. 
 
 Viola Camp, No. 1,688. Officers: Mrs. 
 Eliza Nash, past oracle; Mrs. Ellen Hoyt, or- 
 acle; Mrs. J. T. Harrison, vice-oracle; Mrs. 
 Harriet Strong, recorder; oNIrs. Belle Hempel, 
 treasurer; Mrs. G. Hohes, marshal. 
 
 WOODMEN OF THE WORLD. 
 
 Olive Camp, No. 10. Officers : William 
 Bishop, C. C. ; J. C. Warren, A. L. ; George 
 Leikert, escort ; Dr. J. H. Ball, banker ; Roy S. 
 Youngs, clerk ; George Partridge, watchman ; 
 Samuel Duso, sentry. 
 
 ROYAL ARCANUM. 
 
 Bay Council, No. 37. Officers : William 
 Sempliner, past regent; W. W. Hodgkins, re- 
 gent; F. A. Fancher, vice-regent; George P. 
 Cobb, secretary; Rev. Wolf Landau, collector; 
 M. M. Andrews, treasurer. 
 
 Wenona Council, No. 38. (W'est Side.) 
 
 Officers: Godfrey Kubach, past regent; Will- 
 iam A. Wright, regent; L. B. Edinborough, 
 orator; Fred W. Bradfield, secretary; Charles 
 A. Babo, collector; August Bothe, treasurer. 
 
 Tashmoo Council, No. 1,879. Officers: 
 Walter Cunningham, past regent ; E. E. Corliss, 
 regent ; J. N. Culver, vice-regent ; Walter Cun- 
 ningham, secretary; W. B. Godfrey, treasurer. 
 
 ROYAL LEAGUE. 
 
 Utopia Council, No. 48; organized in 1888. 
 Officers : Frank Rossman, archon ; E. G. Sov- 
 ereign, vice-archon ; P. H. Crotty, scribe ; Rev. 
 William Landau, collector; W. O. Cliff, treas- 
 urer. 
 
 TRIBE OF BEN HUR. 
 
 Mars Court, No. 31. Officers: L. C. Lit- 
 tle, P. C. ; Dr. L. C. Hammond, C. ; Mrs. Mary 
 Russell, teacher; Mrs. J. T. Bailey, scribe; O. 
 J. Coffin, K. of T, ; Mrs. Cornelia A. Abbs, 
 judge; Rev. A. Emanuel Zeller, Ben Hur. 
 
 PROTECTED HOME CIRCLE. 
 
 Watkins Circle, No. 390. Officers : Jo- 
 seph Love, P. P. ; John Dunham, P. ; George 
 Collins, V. P. ; J. W. Ludwig, secretary and 
 accountant; Samuel Auger, treasurer; Almira 
 Kerkaw, chaplain. 
 
 Bay City Circle, No. 448. Officers : Mary 
 Cullen, P. P. ; John Corrigan, P. ; Amanda 
 Dechan, V. P. ; Alice Crook, secretary and ac- 
 countant; Charles Johnson, treasurer; Jennie 
 Woodruff, chaplain. 
 
 NATIONAL UNION. 
 
 Bay City Council, No. 184. Officers: 
 Thomas J. Cooper, president; Wolf Landau, 
 financial secretary ; James M. Lewis, treasurer. 
 
336 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 ANCIENT ORDER OF UNITED WORKMEN. 
 
 Excelsior Lodge, No. 52, was organized 
 August 10, 1878. Officers: Louis Boze, P. M. 
 W. ; Jules L. Boze, U. W. ; William Metcalf, 
 foreman ; Wolf Landau, financier ; C. M. Den- 
 ton, receiver; Frank Prochaska, recorder; 
 Clarence Thorsley overseer. 
 
 Center Lodge, No. 120, was organized in 
 February, 1892. Officers: F. W. Youngs, P. 
 M. W. ;\X. E. Sheldon, M. W. ; R. W. Clark, 
 foreman; J. W. Mount, recorder; Robert Rid- 
 ley, Sr., financier, W. J. Atkinson, receiver. 
 
 Lodge No. 134. (West Side.) Officers: 
 James Cower, P. M. W. ; Vilas W. Lankey, M. 
 W. ; William J. Hawkins, recorder ; Oscar 
 Boucher, financier; George A. Hawkins, re- 
 ceiver. 
 
 DEGREE OF HONOR, A. O. U. W. 
 
 Home Lodge, No. 14, Officers: Mrs. 
 Louise Sanders, P. C. of H. ; Mrs. Nancy E. 
 Greeley, C. of H. ; ^Irs. A. J. Whaler, recorder; 
 Mrs. J. C. Bacon, financier ; Mrs. Lizzie White, 
 receiver. 
 
 Wilson Lodg-e, No. 23. (West Side.) Offi- 
 cers : Mrs. Maggie Smith, P. C. of H. ; Mrs. 
 Catherine ]\Lirble, C. of H. ; Mrs. Martha 
 Neal, L. of H. ; Mrs. Emma Cower, C. of C. ; 
 Mrs. Ella W'alls, recorder; Mrs. Sarah Glenn, 
 financier. 
 
 Garfield Lodge, No. 69. Officers: Mis. 
 Elizabeth Ridley, P. C. of H. ; Mrs. Mary 
 Woods, C. of H. ; Miss Mable Collins. L. of 
 H. ; Mrs. Laura Mason, recorder ; Mrs. Caro- 
 line Gutsch, financier; Mrs. Jennie Clark, re- 
 ceiver. 
 
 KNIGHTS OF THE LOYAL GUARD. 
 
 Division No. 41. (West Side.) Officers: 
 Arthur V. Church, captain general ; Arthur T. 
 
 Swart, recorder and treasurer; August J. 
 Bothe, paymaster. 
 
 Division, No. 48. Officers: A. H. Gans- 
 ser, captain general; Fred J. Schultz, senior 
 captain; D. L. Galbraith, junior captain; Fred. 
 Crosbie, senior lieutenant; John Sills, junior 
 lieutenant ; Edward T. IMcCloy, recorder ; Bert- 
 hold Hahn, chaplain ; Frank Meisel, paymaster. 
 
 Ladies' Auxiliary, No. 9. Officers: Mrs. 
 Hannah Walk, captain general; Mrs. Alpha 
 McCloy, recorder; Frank Meisel, paymaster. 
 
 ORANGEMEN. 
 
 Black Preceptory. No. 8. (West Side.) 
 Officers: E. R. Phillips, preceptor; William 
 Adair, deputy preceptor; W. S. Ramsey, sec- 
 retary ; A. W. Dorland, treasurer. 
 
 Lincoln Lodge, No. 224. (West Side.) 
 Officers: Thomas Hamilton, W. RL ; A. W. 
 Dorland, secretary and treasurer. 
 
 UNION LIFE GUARDS. 
 
 John A. Logan Post, No. 8. (West Side.) 
 Officers: A. V. Church, major; Charles Acker- 
 man, captain ; G. F. Phippen, lieutenant ; Ira 
 J. Hiller, sergeant; Arthur T. Swart, adjutant; 
 Fred Luibrand, paymaster; Theodore Renter, 
 trustee. 
 
 GRAND .A.RMY OF THE REPUBLIC. 
 
 U. S. Grant Post, No. 67. Officers : Ches- 
 ter L. Collins, C. ; George Turner, S. \". C. ; 
 H. C. Green, J. \\ C. ; P. INIcGibbon, adjutant; 
 L. McHugh, O. M. ; Jason Mandley, chaplain. 
 
 H. S. Burnett Post, No. 278 (West Side.) 
 Officers : E. T. Carrington, C. ; J. M. Cham- 
 bers, S. V. C. ; H. H. Aplin, J. V. C. ; James A. 
 McKnight, adjutant; Rev. William I. Lee, O. 
 M. ; George A. Allen, chaplain. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 337 
 
 H. P. Merrill Post, No. 419. Officers: J. 
 W. Knaggs, C. : A. J. Cooke, S. V. C. ; G. \V, 
 Butterfield, J. V. C. ; M. M. Andrews, adju- 
 tant; George P. Cobb, Q. M. ; L. G. Willcox, 
 chaplain. 
 
 SPANISH WAR VETERANS. 
 
 Gen. Henry \V. Lawton Command, No. 
 60. J. M. Goepfert, captain; M. McGilvary, 
 1st lieutenant; C. N. Colburn, 2nd lieutenant; 
 J. H. Davis, adjutant; F. M. Schindehette, Q. 
 M. ; Charles T. Newkirk, chaplain ; H. L. War- 
 ren, national vice-commander. 
 
 woman's relief corps. 
 
 No. 97, Auxiliary to U. S. Grant Post, No. 
 67, G. A. R. Officers: Mrs. Mary O'Brien, 
 P. ; Mrs. Ella Z^immer, S. V. P. ; Mrs. Nellie 
 Haller, J. V. P.; Mrs. Irma LaPointe, secre- 
 tary; Mrs. Agnes Miller, treasurer; Mrs. Au- 
 gusta McNab, chaplain. 
 
 No. 169, Auxiliary to H. P. Merrill Post, 
 No. 419, G. A. R. Officers : Mrs. Lettie Potts, 
 P. ; Mrs. Virginia Chamberlain, S. V. P. ; Mrs. 
 Amanda Bradley, J. V. P. ; Mrs. Martha Mc- 
 Cabe, secretary ; Mrs. Clara Washer, treasurer ; 
 Mrs. Emma Youngs, chaplain. 
 
 NATIONAL LEAGUE OF VETERANS AND SONS. 
 
 Camp Sheridan, No. 5. Officers: F. S. 
 Pratt, lieutenant-colonel; L. AIcHugh, quar- 
 termaster; August Meisel, major; George H. 
 Granger, chaplain. 
 
 arbeiter unterstuetzung verein. 
 
 East Side. — The Arbeiter Unterstuetzung 
 Verein, No. i, of Bay City, is the distinct as- 
 sembly of worthy German citizens of this com- 
 munity. Their commodious hall and club 
 house, with its surrounding park and casino, 
 occupies two acres on the corner of Johnson 
 
 19 
 
 and Seventh streets. On September 20, 1866^ 
 this verein was organized at the Forest City 
 House by John Hertz, Henry Lutzke, George 
 Kiester, Franz Volk, Henry Nickel, Simon 
 Zirwes, Adam Nickel, Henry Wuepper, John 
 Wuepper and John Freund. The last named 
 died in 1904, aged 89 years, while all the other 
 charter members had gone before. It was the 
 purpose of the little association to provide for 
 the sick and needy, and to provide social diver-- 
 sion and encouragement to the German emi- 
 grants who were then coming to the valley in-- 
 large numbers. From this little beginning 
 sprang the Arbeiter Unterstuetzung Verein of 
 Michigan, which numbers to-day 82 local so- 
 cieties, with a membership of over 10,000. 
 
 Verein No. i was incorporated February 
 27, 1 87 1, and was reorganized in December, 
 1901. Arbeiter Hall was built in 1873; with 
 recent additions it has cost over $13,000. 
 During the 30 years existence of this verein, 
 the widows and orphans of its deceased mem- 
 bers have received from the society over $55,- 
 000; 71 members have died and the present 
 membership is 468, with a flourishing ladies' 
 auxiliary. Bay City entertained the 24th an- 
 nual State convention, June 14, 1892, West 
 Bay City the 27th, June 11-13, 1895. Bay 
 City also held the Fourth Bundes Fest for 
 Michigan, August 17-18, 1902, entertaining 
 thousands of visitors from all parts of the coun- 
 try. The first double funeral was held Sunday, 
 March 26, 1905, when Joseph Letter, for years 
 secretary of the local verein, and his brother-in- 
 law, Louis Mueller, were escorted to their final' 
 resting place. 
 
 Verein No. i has these officers : Henry 
 Fehrenbach, president ; Adolph L. Wirth, vice-- 
 president; H. A. L. Uhtermalen, recording 
 secretary; A. H. Gansser, corresponding sec- 
 retary; Solomon Wilhelm, treasurer. 
 
 The officers of the ladies' auxiliary are:- 
 
338 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Mrs. Christine Lutzke. president; JNIrs. Cath- 
 erine Rickert, vice-president ; Mrs. I. Vandrey, 
 .treasurer ; Mrs. AmeUa Greschow, secretary. 
 
 West Side. — Arbeiter Unterstuetzung Ve- 
 lein, Xo. 2, was organized in 1870 and in- 
 corporated in 1872. It has a membership of 
 168. Following are the officers: John Stau- 
 dacher, president; Robert Burckhardt, vice- 
 president; Julius Kaiser, recording secretary; 
 Leonard T. Sichhorn, treasurer. 
 
 The ladies' auxiliary society to Verein No. 
 2 was organized in August, 1898 and has 68 
 members. Officers: Mrs. Mary W'aldbauer, 
 president; ^Nlrs. Louisa Kaiser, vice-president; 
 Mrs. Christine Bergweiler. secretary; ]Mrs. Jen- 
 nie Roth, treasurer. 
 
 ANCIENT ORDER OF HIBERNIANS. 
 
 Division No. i. Bay County, was organ- 
 ized June 22, 1887, with 30 charter members. 
 The first officers elected were as follows : Dan- 
 iel Mangan, C. P.; T. A. E. Weadock, P.; 
 AVilliam Gaffney, F. S. ; J. C. Weadock, R. S. ; 
 Edward O'Connor, treasurer. Those who have 
 :since held the office of county president have 
 .been: L. L. Richards, D. Mangan, Joseph P. 
 Haffey, Cornelius J. Mclnerney, Harry J. 
 X)aily and John Donovan. The division presi- 
 dents since elected have been : John Donovan, 
 Thomas Masterson, Joseph P. Haitey, John V. 
 Hurley, H. J. Daily, Harry J. Tierney, L. P. 
 'Coumans, Patrick Ryan, James D. Pearsall, 
 'William F. Gannon and Charles McCormick, 
 'The present officers are: John Donovan, C. 
 P.; Charles :\I. McCormick, P.; Robert ]Mc- 
 ■Cauley, Treasurer : John Corrigan, F. S. ; Jo- 
 seph P. Haffey, R. S. The organization has 
 achieved much good for its members, both so- 
 cially and by way of insurance. This division 
 now has a membership of about 75, and is in 
 a flourishing condition financially and other- 
 
 wise. Its motto is "Friendship, Unity and 
 Fine Christian Charity." 
 
 In connection with the A. O. H., there is 
 a ladies' auxiliary, — the L. A. A. O. H. This 
 was organized in Bay City in March, 1903, 
 with officers as follows : Mrs. Mary Hurley, 
 C. P. ; Mrs. Mary C Haffey, P. ; Miss Nellie 
 Noonan, treasurer; I\Iiss Emily C. Pearsall, sec- 
 retary ; Miss Mary L. Lynch, R. S. The pres- 
 ent ofticers are : Miss Anna Reardon, C. P. : 
 Mrs. Mary C. Hafifey, P.: Aliss Estella C 
 Brien, treasurer; Miss Emily C. Pearsall, F. 
 S. ; and Jtliss !\Iary L. Lynch, R. S. Although 
 the organization was formed principally for 
 its social features, it carries an insurance bene- 
 fit in which its members participate. On St. 
 Patrick's Day, 1905, these ladies gave a ban- 
 quet for the benefit of Mercy Hospital, from 
 which about $300 above the expenses was real- 
 ized. 
 
 KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS. 
 
 Bay City Council, No. 414, was instituted 
 originally under the name of Valley Council. 
 This was in April, 1899. The name was 
 changed to Bay City Council in 1892. The 
 first officers were : E. J. Schreiber, G. K. ; 
 James Donnelly, D. G. K. ; James T. Lawler, 
 C. ; Fred ]\Iohr, treasurer ; J. O. Pierce, R. S. ; 
 R. Kealey, Jr., F. S. ; Thomas Callaghan, W. 
 In 1905 the following officers were elected : 
 James Donnelly, G. K. ; John Donovan, D. G. 
 K. ; :\Iartin F. McDonell, C. ; Michael P. Law- 
 ler, treasurer ; R. A. Campbell, R. S. ; R. Kea- 
 ley, Jr., F. S. ; Timothy Kelly, W. The coun- 
 cil had 67 charter members; the present mem- 
 bership numbers 280. 
 
 CATHOLIC MUTUAL BENEFIT ASS0CI.\TI0N. 
 
 Branch No. 9 was organized in 1879 with 
 about 30 members ; it has now about 200 mem- 
 bers. Present officers : John V. Hurley, pres- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 339 
 
 ident ; Thomas Mclnerney, vice-president ; 
 Richard Kealey, Jr., recording secretary; 
 James Tighe, financial secretary ; Robert Mc- 
 cauley, treasurer. 
 
 Branch No. 66. (West Side.) Officers: 
 August Lambert, president; Frank Flynn, ist 
 vice-president, J. B. Duffy, 2nd vice-president ; 
 E. A. Moisan, chancelor; Edward Pelette, fi- 
 nancial secretary; Frank Stapish, recording 
 secretary; C. F. Miller, assistant recording 
 secretary ; Thomas Buckley, treasurer. 
 
 Branch No. 82. (Essexville.) Officers: 
 John VanPopplen, president; William J. Spier, 
 1st vice-president; Frank \^erellan, 2nd vice- 
 president; N. E. Ward, financial secretary; 
 Francis Huff, recording secretary ; George 
 Darling, treasurer. 
 
 LADIES CATHOLIC BENEFIT .\SS0CIATI0N. 
 
 Branch No. 185. Officers: Miss Kate JNIc- 
 Inerney, past president ; ]\Irs. Ellen Galarno, 
 president; Mrs. Emma Smith, ist vice-presi- 
 dent; Mrs. Catherine Skinner, 2nd vice-presi- 
 dent; Miss Agnes Upell, recording secretary; 
 Miss Elizabeth Winters, financial secretary ; 
 Miss Elizabeth Doyle, treasurer. 
 
 The West Side Branch. Officers : Mrs. 
 Mary Lambert, president ; ■Margaret Reardon, 
 recorder; Mary Pellette. financial recorder; 
 Sarah Boucher, treasurer. 
 
 Branch No. 595. (Essexville.) Officers: 
 Mrs. Theresa Gariepy, past president ; Mrs. 
 Lizzie Guindon, president; Mrs. Mary Darling, 
 1st vice-president; Miss Delia Hebert, 2nd vice- 
 president; Miss Emma McDonald, recording 
 secretary ; Mrs. Marcella DeCourval, financial 
 secretary; Mrs. ^lary Ward, treasurer. 
 
 INDEPENDENT ORDER OF b'nAI b'rITTI. 
 
 Bay City Lodge, No. 178, organized in 
 1872. Officers: Jacob Miller, president: Will- 
 
 iam Rosenthal, vice-president; William Semp- 
 liner, secretary; J. Ablowitz, treasurer. 
 
 Connected with the various churches are a 
 large number of societies which have been or- 
 ganized for social, educational or benevolent 
 purposes, but the scope of our work will scarce- 
 ly permit of enumerating them here. Lack of 
 space also prevents our mentioning a number of 
 social and business organizations. 
 
 THE CENTRAL TR.\DES COUNCIL 
 
 Is the head of organized labor in Greater Bay 
 City. It meets every Tuesday, each affiliated 
 local union sending three representatives to the 
 trades assembly. The council was organized 
 in 1886 and has done much for the advance- 
 ment of labor's cause in the valley. The an- 
 nual celebration of Labor Day is under the 
 auspices of this council, and is always an event 
 locally. The affiliated membership in 1905 is 
 3,244. Trades Council Hall is Bay County's 
 temple of labor. Flere assemble as many of the 
 local labor organizations as can be accommo- 
 dated. 
 
 The officers of the Central Trades Council 
 are as follows : R. D. Skelton, president ; C. 
 M. Hazen, vice-president : Alvin Walters, finan- 
 cial secretary; Ed. W. Haden, recording sec- 
 retary: J. W. Hand, treasurer; F. E. Beaudin, 
 reading clerk ; Charles Friebe, conductor ; Fred 
 Timm, guard. 
 
 The following local unions, affiliated with 
 the American Federation of Labor, have rep- 
 resentati\es in the Central Trades Council : 
 
 Allied Metal Mechanics. 
 Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen. 
 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. 
 Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen. 
 Brotherhood of Railway Switchmen. 
 
340 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Brotherhood of Railway Clerks. 
 
 Boiler Makers. 
 
 Brewery Workers. 
 
 Barbers. 
 
 Blacksmiths. 
 
 Blacksmith helpers. 
 
 Bricklayers and Masons. 
 
 Box Makers. 
 
 Carpenters and Joiners. 
 
 Cigar Makers. 
 
 Coopers. 
 
 Essexville Sugar Workers. 
 
 Electrical Workers. 
 
 Federal Labor Union. , 
 
 Freight Handlers. 
 
 Horse Shoers. 
 
 Iron Ship Builders. 
 
 International Longshoremen. 
 
 International Car Workers. 
 
 Labor Protective, No. 9784. 
 
 Lumber Carriers. 
 
 Musicians. 
 
 Machinists. 
 
 Painters and Decorators. 
 
 Plumbers and Steam Fitters. 
 
 Pavers. 
 
 Retail Clerks. 
 
 Stationary Engineers. 
 
 Stationary Firemen. 
 
 State, Heading and Hoop Makers. 
 
 Street Car Employes. 
 
 Ship Calkers. 
 
 Ship Carpenters. 
 
 Sheet Metal Workers. 
 
 Typographical, No. .81. 
 
 Teamsters. 
 
 Team Drivers and Owners. 
 
 Tinsmiths. 
 
 United Lumber Handlers. 
 
 United Mine Workers, 10 locals. 
 
 Women's Union Label League. 
 
 West Bay City Sugar Workers. 
 
 We herewith give a roster of the officers of 
 some of the local unions of Bay county : 
 
 United Mine Workers of America, Local 
 No. 1,008 (Weiiona Beach Mine). — James 
 Cauley, president ; John Kelley, vice-president ; 
 Peter Roberts, financial secretary; Joseph 
 Bousted, recording secretary; Al Maloney, 
 treasurer. 
 
 Cigar Makers. Local No. 184. — Bert Sage, 
 president; Fred Timm, vice-president; A. Loe- 
 fler, secretary; T. LeClair, treasurer. 
 
 Carpenters and Joiners, Local No. 116. — 
 J. Smith, president; S. Weidemeyer, financial 
 secretary; York C. Russling, recording secre- 
 tary ; Fred Remender, treasurer. 
 
 Amalgamated Sheet Aletal Workers. — Os- 
 car Laderach, president; Charles Meiselbach, 
 vice-president; Levi Larkins, secretary; Henry 
 McNeil, treasurer. 
 
 Boiler Makers and Iron Ship Builders, 
 Local No. 173. — George Henderson, president; 
 Peter Provencher, vice-president; Ed. W. Ha- 
 den, financial and corresponding secretary; 
 William Durochia, treasurer. 
 
 Milkmen. — C. M. Hazen, president; Will- 
 iam Curtis, financial secretary; Charles Friebe, 
 recording secretary. 
 
 Retail Clerks, Local No. 75.— J. H. Bres- 
 sett, president ; A. Lamb, vice-president ; A. H. 
 Gansser, financial secretary; T. C. Simons, re- 
 cording secretary; William Marcoux, treas- 
 urer. 
 
 Barbers. — A. A. Dingman, president; 
 Charles Eaton, vice-president ; Fred Hicks, fi- 
 nancial secretary ; P. C. Stevens, recording sec- 
 retary; Eugene Hutton, treasurer. 
 
 Musicians, Local No. 127. — George A. 
 Ott, president ; Fred Nunn, vice-president ; 
 Theodore Heine, secretary ; E. O. Hartig, treas- 
 urer. 
 
 Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and 
 Paper Hangers, Local No. 557. — Gregory 
 Riese, president; Ambrose Rief, recording sec- 
 retary; A. J. Busjaski, financial secretary; O. 
 P. Worden, treasurer. 
 
 Journeymen Tailors. — S. Mushinski, presi- 
 dent ; Henry Lutkemiller, vice-president ; Ed. 
 Buchoski, secretary; Herman Miller, treasurer. 
 Typographical Union, Local No. 181. — 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 341 
 
 Jerry Hurley, president ; Jim Hand, vice-presi- 
 dent ; John Wibert, financial secretary ; Emil 
 Beaudin, recording secretary; W. A. Clark, 
 treasurer. 
 
 International Brotherhood of Electrical 
 Workers, Local No. 150. — James Hodgins, 
 
 president; W. D. Parker, secretary; George 
 Afllick, treasurer. 
 
 Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local No. 9. — 
 Eli Ingles, president; Joseph Bohn, vice-presi- 
 dent; Fred Meyer, recording secretary; Frank 
 Davis, treasurer. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Bay County's ^Military Record. 
 
 WAR OF 1812 BLACK HAWK WAR MEXICAN 
 
 WAR. 
 
 Bay County has had among its citizens, vet- 
 erans of all wars since the second war with 
 Great Britain. Capt. Joseph F. Marsac, one of 
 our earliest pioneers, served with distinction in 
 the battle of the Thames, War of 181 2, and in 
 the Black Hawk War, when he commanded a 
 company of veteran Indian fighters, organized 
 by Governor Porter. John JMiller, a veteran 
 of the War of 1812, came in 1855 as one of the 
 first settlers of jMerritt township, where he lived 
 to be 91 years old. The late John Grattan 
 Sweeney, ex-sheriff, served in the Sixth United 
 States Infantry in the Mexican War, and on the 
 Indian frontier from 1849 to 1855. John Dus- 
 chene, a respected German pioneer of Bay 
 county, aged 89 years, is Bay county's sole sur- 
 vivor of the Mexican War. 
 
 CIVIL WAR. 
 
 Now bj- our Fathers' ashes ! Where's the spirit 
 Of the true hearted and the unshackled gone? 
 
 Sons of old freedom, do we but inherit 
 Their names alone? 
 
 —JVhittier. 
 
 Thus sang the heroic bard of New England 
 and through all the regions of our land, from 
 the Potomac to Lake Superior, and from the 
 
 Atlantic to the Pacific, the fire was kindled that 
 burned the fetters which bound a human race, 
 and through four years of deadly strife and the 
 blood of thousands of heroes the dividing line 
 of "Dixie's Land" was wiped away forever, un- 
 til today there is indeed "no North, no South." 
 The first public utterance among the hand- 
 ful of settlers in Bay County was James G. 
 Birney's stirring appeal for the down-trodden 
 slaves of the South on Independence Day, 1842. 
 His was no idle flight of oratory. He had 
 practiced the liberation he now preached, and 
 this sire of Bay City may well stand with Will- 
 iam Lloyd Garrison on history's undying pages, 
 as a worthy champion of humanity : 
 
 Champion of those who groan beneath 
 
 Oppression's iron hand ; 
 In view of penury, hate and death, 
 
 I see the fearless stand. 
 Still bearing up thy lofty brow,. 
 
 In steadfast strength of truth 
 In manhood sealing well the vow 
 
 And promise of thy youth. 
 
 —Whitiicr. 
 
 What wonder, then, that this frontier settle- 
 ment should have rallied so nobly for the re- 
 fense of liberty and unity, during the dismal 
 years of the Civil War! The children of 1842 
 were the young men of 1861-65, and the nobla 
 precept and example of James G. Birney, the 
 outcast from his native heath and self-denying 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 345 
 
 pioneer, was rewarded by their devoted service 
 in times that tried men's souls. 
 
 The records of the office of the Adjutant 
 General of Michigan show that Bay County 
 during those four years sent 511 soldiers forth 
 to battle, of whom 83 died in service, while 
 many more gave up their young lives after be- 
 ing mustered out, from wounds and sickness, 
 before peace again came to bless our land. When 
 we find that the Federal census of i860 gave 
 Bay County a population of but 3.164 men, 
 women and children, we can more readily ap- 
 preciate the sacrifices of men and monej' made 
 by this community, that our nation might live, 
 one and indivisible. Five hundred and eleven, 
 volunteers, out of a population which at no 
 time during those years reached 5,000, these 
 are historic figures of which we may well be 
 proud, and that speak more eloquently of pa- 
 triotic devotion than aught else could do. Eigh- 
 ty-three names engraved forever upon the he- 
 roic records of a grateful republic. Alas, how 
 soon their names are forgotten at home, how 
 long and how well preserved in the halls of 
 state. 
 
 One may search through all the early an- 
 nals of this county, without finding a single 
 connected record of these 5 1 1 citizens who went 
 bravely forward at Lincoln's call for volun- 
 teers. Here and there appear isolated records, 
 like beacon-lights on dark waters, but no at- 
 tempt has aparently been made to preserve the 
 names of those who went out from this county 
 at their country's call, nor do we know the 
 names of those who died at their post of duty. 
 Here and there in the disconnected sketches of 
 pioneers we find a name worth preserving. 
 
 Gen. Benjamin F. Partridge, born in Shel- 
 by, Michigan, April 19, 1822, came to Bay City 
 in 1854, where he engaged in lumbering and 
 surveying. When the Civil War broke out, he 
 was sheriff of Bay County, and later recruited 
 
 men for the i6th Michigan Infantry, being 
 commissioned ist lieutenant of Company I, in 
 March, 1862. In three years he rose through 
 all the intermediate grades to colonel command- 
 ing this regiment ; was wounded in the neck in 
 the battle of Peeble's Farm, and in March, 1865, 
 was breveted brigadier-general. Wounded in 
 the head at Quaker Road, he still remained in 
 command of his brigade through General 
 Grant's final campaign, from Petersburg to 
 Appomattox Court House, where his brigad^ 
 received 28 of the 71 tattered battle-flags cap- 
 tured by the Union Army. His brigade took 
 part in the Grand Review in Washington. He 
 commanded seven regiments at Louisville, Ken- 
 tucky, until July, 1865, when his brigade was 
 honorably mustered out. The i6th Michigan 
 participated in 54 engagements and battles. 
 General Partridge being in all but two of them, 
 when he was in hospital. Pre-eminently a 
 Michigan and Bay County product, he is a shin- 
 ing example of the patriot of 1861, who when 
 the cruel war was over went back to the duties 
 of civil life here at home with the same energy 
 and devotion that had marked his volunteer 
 service. 
 
 Col. Henry S. Raymond, who died in De- 
 troit in 1904, came to Bay City with his father. 
 Col. H. Raymond in 1849. In 1862 he was 
 mustered in as captain of Company F, 23rd 
 Michigan Infantry, the first complete company 
 raised in Bay City and by successive promotions 
 in the next three years attained the rank of 
 lieutenant-colonel. 
 
 Samuel ]\Iaxwell, brother of the late Judge 
 Andrew C. Maxwell, went into the army among 
 the first from Bay City, just after he had been 
 admitted to tlie bar here ; served four years, and 
 in after years became judge of the Supreme 
 Court of Nebraska. 
 
 Archibald L. McCormick, the first white 
 child born in Michigan, north of the Flint 
 
344 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 River, often heard James G. Birney's plea for 
 liberty and equality to all, when as a boy he 
 played among the well-kept vines of the Birney 
 cottage, and he sealed the determination of his 
 boyhood, to see justice done, with his life at 
 the battle of Kenesaw Mountain in Sherman's 
 famous "^March to the Sea," while charging a 
 battery at the head of his company. He had 
 been previously wounded and suffered much in 
 Rebel prisons after being found on the battle- 
 field by the enemy. 
 
 Such were the men and their heroic deeds 
 and such were the sacrifices of many thousands 
 who sank down to nameless graves, the individ- 
 ual lost in turmoil of strife, but their collective 
 achievements in defense of human liberty and 
 human rights live on forever. 
 
 In the shady grove at Pine Ridge Cemetery 
 stands the plain granite monument, commemor- 
 ating the services of our "Boys in Blue," and 
 the appreciation of those services by posterity. 
 Grouped about it, side by side as in life and war, 
 lie the veterans who have answered the last long 
 roll, while scattered through every other ceme- 
 tery of Bay County lie other veterans in fam- 
 ily plats. 
 
 Among those who enlisted from Bay Coun- 
 ty and have passed away, we find the names of 
 G. A. VanAlstine, Company L, First Alichigan 
 Engineers, 1862-65, wounded in the Wilder- 
 ness, taken to Andersonville Prison, where he 
 suffered until the close of the war, returning 
 home in June, 1865, after all his loved ones had 
 long ago given him up as dead in a nameless 
 grave. Alonzo B. Freeland, Second Michigan 
 Infantry, 1861-64, wounded at Petersburg. 
 Samuel Benson, Third Michigan Cavalry, serv- 
 ing unscathed, 1861-65. J. S. Fox, First ]Mich- 
 igan Infantr}?, 1861-65, \vounded at Savage 
 Station, spent six months in Rebel prisons and 
 one year in hospital. John M. Schucker, Sec- 
 
 ond ?ilichigan Cavalr 
 
 y, 1861-65, wounded at 
 
 Gettysburg ; he was a pioneer who came here in 
 1853 and his widow still lives and remembers 
 his grave on each Memorial Day. Maj. New- 
 comb Clark, lieutenant, 14th Michigan In- 
 fantry; promoted major, 102nd United States 
 Infantry, Colored, 1861-65. Capt. Albert W. 
 Watrous, Fifth United States Infantry. Leon- 
 ard Jewell, born in 181 5, who came to Bay City 
 in 1844, did not allow his age to deter him from 
 serving his country, as in 1862 he enlisted in 
 Company A, 14th Michigan Infantry, and 
 served until the close of the war. He was the 
 oldest recruit from Bay County. Charles W. 
 Dease, Company D, loth Michigan Infantry, 
 1861-65. \V. E. Carney, 15th Michigan In- 
 fantry, 1863-65. Horace B. Mix, Company 
 C, United States Engineer, Veteran Corps, 
 wounded at Vicksburg, in hospital 11 months, 
 served to the end of the war. Daniel Hughes, 
 First Mounted Rifles, 1862-65. Charles A. 
 Vosburg came here in 1853; he was a member 
 of Company D, loth IMichigan Cavalry, 1862- 
 65 ; Gabriel Widmer, First United States En- 
 gineers, 1864-65. William Stewart, Second 
 Michigan Infantry, 1861-64, lost a leg at 
 Spottsylvania Court House. Capt. B. W. Mer- 
 rick, Company E, Fifth Michigan Infantry, 
 shot in the shoulder at Fredericksburg, spent 
 five months in hospital and served to 1865. Eu- 
 gene Burr, Company C, 30th Michigan Infan- 
 try, 1864-65. B. McBrookins was the law 
 partner of the late Judge Andrew C. Maxwell 
 here ; when war broke out he enlisted and died 
 in service. William Catlin, Company A, Fifth 
 Michigan Infantry, enlisted in 1861, was 
 wounded in the Shenandoah campaign, and 
 died January 18, 1865. George E. Aiken was 
 in the shoe business here, when he heard the 
 call for duty; he served with Battery D, First 
 Michigan Light Artillery, 1861-65. Henry 
 Fenton, 17th Michigan Infantry, 1862-65, later 
 register of deeds for Bay County, died in 1904. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 345 
 
 Henry Lindner, who came here in 1858, served 
 with the Fourth Michigan Infantry; was prose- 
 cuting attorney for Bay County, 1883-84. 
 
 John Friebe, for nearly 40 years an indus- 
 trious citizen of Bay City, typified the world- 
 wide spirit of devotion to liberty and equality. 
 His German ship, on which he served as sailor, 
 hailing from Reugen, happened to be in Wil- 
 mington, Delaware, when Fort Sumter was 
 fired on. He could speak no English, and it 
 was not his country's fight. Yet that quiet, 
 peace-loving foreigner promptly enlisted in the 
 First Delaware Infantry, served faithfully to 
 the end of the war, w'as wounded several times, 
 and took part in over 40 engagements, includ- 
 ing Gettysburg. He died in January, 1905, 
 and on the coming Memorial Day his green 
 grave will be accorded the same loving atten- 
 tion he himself extended for so many years to 
 his comrades that had gone before. L. H. 
 Griffin, for many years in the laundry business 
 here, was among the first to enlist, serving in 
 the First Michigan Cavalry, 1861-66, as order- 
 ly sergeant. W. H. Lynch was too small to 
 shoulder a musket, so he became drummer in 
 the First United States Infantry, was captured 
 at Chancellorsville and spent more than a year 
 amid the horrors of Andersonville and Belle 
 Isle prisons. 
 
 H. C. Meyers enlisted in the United States 
 Navy in 1861, but salt water did not agree with 
 him. so in 1863 he enlisted in the nth Michigan 
 Cavalry, serving until 1865. Lieut. John W. 
 Shearer passed through 36 battles and engage- 
 ments with the Second Michigan Infantry, 
 1861-65. Benno A. Katthain, 14th ^Michigan 
 Infantry, 1862-65, was for 30 years piano 
 tuner here, (lying in 1904. The memory of 
 Hon. James G. Birney, the liberator, was well 
 honored by his grandson and namesake, Capt. 
 James G. Birney, oldest son of Hon. James Bir- 
 nev, who served through the war with the Sev- 
 
 enth Michigan Infantry, and died on the Indian 
 frontier in 1869, while serving with United 
 States troops. 
 
 Hundreds sleep in our cities of the dead, 
 whose achievements in war and peace equal and 
 perhaps surpass these isolated service records, 
 but these will suffice to preserve for the perusal 
 of their surviving comrades, and as an indica- 
 tion to posterity of the character and service of 
 the veterans we delight to honor. 
 
 Equally instructive and worthy of com- 
 memoration are the service records of some of 
 our most prominent citizens. Hon. James A. 
 Van Kleeck, department commander of Mich- 
 igan's G. A. R., 1900-01, served with Company 
 D, 17th Michigan Infantry, known as the 
 "Stonewall Regiment." He was wounded at 
 Antietam and lay among the dead on that 
 bloody battlefield until the next day; he was 
 then carried into a field hospital arranged in a 
 nearby church, where for eight long months he 
 hovered between life and death, and to this day 
 he suffers continually from the wounds sus- 
 tained at Antietam. It is the current comment 
 of his comrades in arms, that Comrade Van- 
 Kleeck holds the Michigan record for continu- 
 ous church attendance, which the popular vet- 
 eran acknowledges might be true, eight months 
 under the belfry being a rather long devotion. 
 
 Ma j. Lyman G.Willcox, national command- 
 er of the National League of Veterans and ' 
 Sons, recruited Company B, Third Michigan 
 Cavalry, and served with marked distinction to 
 the end of the war, being mustered out with the 
 brevet rank of lieutenant-colonel. Dr. Henry 
 B. Landon, who graduated from the University 
 of Michigan in 1861, promptly enlisted in the 
 Seventh Michigan Infantry as adjutant, and 
 was wounded in the battle of Fair Oaks. Re- 
 covering, he again went to the front as army 
 surgeon, serving until the brunt of the fighting 
 was over in 1864. Judge George P. Cobb 
 
346 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 served with the Fifth ^Michigan Cavalry, 1863- 
 65. Dr. W. E. Vaughn rendered splendid 
 service as army surgeon, 1862-65. J- W. 
 Knaggs enlisted as private in Company A., 
 Fourth Michigan Infantry, was wounded at 
 Malvern Hill, losing an arm. After lying seven 
 days upon that bloody battlefield, he was taken 
 prisoner by the Rebels, confined in Libby 
 Prison, later exchanged, and taken to Bellevue 
 Hospital, New York City, until his wound had 
 healed in 1863. :Maj. E. B. Nugent rose from 
 the ranks in the Third Michigan Cavalry, 
 through meritorious service, 1861-65. Lieut. 
 H. H. Norrington at the age of 16 joined the 
 famous Loomis Battery in 1862, participated 
 in 32 engagements, was wounded at the battle 
 of Stone River, taken prisoner and later ex- 
 changed. He received his commission on re- 
 commendation of General Reynolds for carry- 
 ing dispatches through the enemy's lines, after 
 six previous attempts had failed. George W. 
 Butterfield, in 1905, national treasurer of the 
 Letter Carriers' Association, enlisted in Com- 
 pany B, 22nd ]\Iichigan Infantrv, in 1862; was 
 later transferred to the Signal Corps, rendered 
 distinguished service as wig-wagger for Gen- 
 erals Rosecrans, Thomas, Sherman and Grant, 
 participating in all the campaigns of the West, 
 being present at the surrender of General John- 
 ston and the Confederate Army. 
 
 Henry Schindehette, for many years deputy 
 United States marshal here, served with the 
 24th Michigan Infantry, 1862-64, ^vas wound- 
 ed in the hip at Gettysburg, lay eight months in 
 hospital, and to this day suffers from that in- 
 jury. J. Fred Whittemore served in the Third 
 Michigan Cavalry, 1862-65, was prominent in 
 the lumber industry here in later years, and died 
 in 1904. Chief of Police N. N. Murphy won 
 his spurs in the loth New York Artillery, 1862- 
 65. Fred W. Barclay left his tug on the Sag- 
 inaw River to serve in "Uncle Sam's" navv. 
 
 1863-65. Lafayette N. Brown, the dean of 
 Bay City's mail carriers, and the "Uncle Sam" 
 of all public occasions, his figure, feature and 
 chin whiskers being the real "Uncle" counter- 
 feit, served with the Seventh Michigan Infan- 
 try, 1861-65. James A. McKnight and Henry 
 FI. Aplin served in the i6th Michigan Infantry, 
 1862-65, and George A. Allen in Company A, 
 lOth Michigan. Inf., 1861-65. -^^^ three came 
 here when peace returned, and for 40 years 
 have been prominent in the affairs of the West 
 Side. Oliver H. Irons, 23rd Michigan Infan- 
 try, lost his eyesight through wounds, and in 
 1905, after 40 years of sightless existence, is 
 still a public-spirited and cheerful citizen, en- 
 joying the most liberal pension on the local 
 rolls, as a slight remembrance of the gratitude 
 of the country he served so well and for which 
 he gave so much. Justice of the Peace W. E. 
 Callender served with the Sixth United States- 
 Cavalry in 1861-62, later being promoted cap- 
 tain of the Ninth Battery, Veteran Artillery, 
 1863-65. Truman Rundel, Company H., 23rd 
 Michigan Infantry, was wounded at Nashville, 
 and suffered for 1 1 months in hospital. John 
 C. Rowden, respected pioneer of Auburn, was 
 with Company F, 23rd Michigan Infantry, and 
 was wounded at Franklin and Alatoona Pass. 
 His neighbor, Henry W. Hopler, served side 
 by side with him, 1862-65, being in every en- 
 gagement of his company. Augustus Horn,- 
 Company E, 22nd Michigan Infantry, 1862-65, 
 was wounded in the collar-bone at Chicka- 
 mauga. George A. Schultz was among the first 
 to volunteer from here, serving with Company 
 K, Second Michigan Cavalry, 1861-65. Lu- 
 man S. Harris. loth Michigan Infantry, was 
 permanently disabled at the bloody battle of 
 Shiloh. William Maxon served in the loth 
 Michigan Cavalry, 1861-65. 
 
 Capt. S. E. Burnham, First Michigan At- 
 tillery, wounded at Petersburg; Capt. A. J. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 347 
 
 Cooke, 148th New York Infantry, wounded at 
 Petersburg, suffering from that bullet in the 
 chest to this day : Dr. Robert W. Erwin, Lieut. 
 H. F. Emery, Capt. Orrin Bump, Lieut. E. T 
 Carrington, Lieut. j\l. M. Andrews, Lieut. H. 
 E. Meeker, Capt. George E. Turner, prominent 
 since the close of the war in Bay City's material 
 welfare and prosperity, are today honored mem- 
 bers of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion 
 of the United States, membership in itself be- 
 ing a living testimony of valiant service. 
 
 Hon. Chester L. Collins just elected cir- 
 cuit judge; Larry McHugh, Dr. H. B. Hulbert, 
 Dr. C. \Y. ]Maxon, Capt. Richard Armstrong, 
 O. F. Kellogg, J. N. Syrmeyer, James McCabe, 
 Ex-Sheriff Benson Conklin, H. P. Warfield, 
 Solomon W'ilhelm, Marion A. Randall, Henry 
 W. Sims, E. \V. Oakes, — these are among the 
 several hundred veterans who enlisted in other 
 States, and after the cruel war was over en- 
 tered again upon the pursuits of peace, choosing 
 this busy valley for their future home, and they 
 are today among our most respected citizens 
 and honored veterans. Their ranks are thin- 
 ning fast, but the results of their patriotic serv- 
 ice will live forever. 
 
 Judge Isaac Alarston, T. C. Phillips and 
 Ransom P. Essex were the enrolling officers 
 for Bay County in 1863, this being the 85th 
 Sub-District of Michigan. In 1864 the quota 
 of able-bodied men eligilile for war service had 
 been practically exhausted in this village, and, 
 through the representation of this toard, Bay 
 County's quota that year was reduced by 45, a 
 saving in bounties of something like $15,000. 
 
 Hon. James Shearer was alderman in De- 
 troit during the war. So exacting was his 
 work for the families of soldiers, that he gave 
 up his thriving business for the time being and 
 devoted himself exclusively to this work. Re- 
 peatedly he visited the battle-fields and hospitals 
 of the South, to provide for the sick and 
 
 wounded, end everything possible was done for 
 the soldiers and their families here at home. 
 Verily, behind the dramatic incidents of the 
 battle-fields, there was also much heroic devo- 
 tion, much devoted work and many self-sacri- 
 fices. 
 
 Bay County from the first was blessed with 
 a band of noble women, as brave, energetic and 
 devoted as their fathers, brothers, sons and hus- 
 bands, and during all the dark years of the war 
 they willingly gave up the best of earth, for 
 their country's sake. Volumes might be writ- 
 ten of the noble work done by these good 
 women. How they carried on the work on the 
 farm left in their charge, or worked and eked 
 out a meager living in the village, while their 
 protectors dared everything for the sake of 
 justice, liberty and equality. How they or- 
 ganized sewing circles, furnishing bandages 
 and wearing apparel for the "Boys in Blue," 
 raised money for hospital purposes and for 
 presents at stated periods to the men at the 
 front. How they kept their troubles at home 
 to themselves, offering nothing but encourage- 
 ment to their loved ones, thus keeping alive the 
 spirit that finally conquered for the right. In 
 these and a thousand other ways, the good 
 women of our land and of Bay County con- 
 tributed much to the final success of a cause 
 proven just by the evolutions of more than four 
 decades. No uK.inuments or medals mark the 
 heroism displayed by our true women in times 
 that tried men's souls, but the gratitude and 
 recognition of a nation will endure while life 
 lasts, — a more enduring monument than slabs 
 of marble or medals of bronze. -\ million men 
 fought and thousands died, but back of them all 
 stood other millions and other thousands, whO' 
 upheld the hands that carried the muskets and 
 sabers, and all of these are blessed today by a 
 united, happy and prosperous people. The 
 blood of the sons of Bay County was not shed 
 
.348 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 in vain, and all the sacrifices of our loyal men 
 and women have brought indeed a rich reward. 
 Long may the memory of their noble deeds sur- 
 vive to bless our land ! 
 
 SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 
 
 More than 7,2 years had passed, since the 
 hosts of the blue and gray had been called home 
 to other duties, less dangerous, but none the less 
 important and honorable. Peace brought 
 plenty! the blood-bought new era swept away 
 the prejudice and sectionalism of half a cen- 
 rtury. Progress andi advancement on e\-ery 
 field of human endeavor brought with it an 
 ■era of industrial activities and development, 
 unprecedented in the history of the world. Com- 
 merce and industry had long since wiped out 
 .Dixie's line, and from the Gulf of Mexico to 
 the Great Lakes, and from the Atlantic to the 
 Pacific, peace and plenty reigned. 
 
 Little did our nation dream of things to 
 come, when Father Time ushered in the new 
 vp-r of promise, 1898. True, for many years 
 ■our people had shuddered at the misgovernment 
 ^of the Spanish government in Cuba. Until the 
 question of State's rights and slavery were set- 
 tled here at home, we cared little about the woes 
 of our island neighbors. 
 
 But since all was bliss and happiness at 
 home, the shrieks of anguish of the Cuban peo- 
 ple were heard more distinctly, and the martyr 
 President, William McKinley, determined to 
 learn for himself the exact condition of things 
 on the beautiful and rich island, long since 
 named the "Gem of the Antilles." Official inves- 
 tigation proved to the world that things were 
 even worse than supposed. Weyler, Blanco, 
 and other despotic governors were drenching 
 the island in blood, while the revolutionists led 
 by Gomez fought grimly from the mountain 
 fastnesses of the interior for liberty and justice. 
 
 Li February the battleship "Maine" was 
 sent to Havana to protect the lives and property 
 of American citizens. On the night of Febru- 
 ary 15, 1898, while most of the fated crew were 
 asleep in quarters, this fine battleship, with its 
 complement of brave blue-jackets, was sunk and 
 utterly destroyed by a submarine mine, 266 
 lives being lost, among them Seaman Hawkins 
 and Elmer W. Meilstrup, of Bay City. The 
 latter, a son of J. S. Meilstrup, for years man- 
 ager for the Sage Company's interests on the 
 West Side, was a High School graduate, and a 
 member of the Peninsular Military Company, 
 when in 1897 he joined the navy. \Villiam 
 Mattison, in 1905 color-bearer of the local mili- 
 tary company, was asleep in his hammock on 
 the "Maine," when the terrific explosion hurled 
 him overboard, where he was picked up by a 
 rescuing party. For months he suffered terri- 
 bly from the scalds, burns, and wounds from 
 slivers, caused by the explosion but eventually 
 his rugged physique won out, and today he is 
 following his daily vocation in his old home, 
 a living reminder of the dastardly crime 
 against our country, which stirred our country 
 even more suddenly than did the echoes of the 
 firing on Fort Sumter. 
 
 The death of Hawkins and Meilstrup 
 brought the tragedy into our very homes, and 
 nowhere was the resentment stronger than in 
 Bay County. For 24 years Bay City had con- 
 tributed through the Peninsular Military Com- 
 pany its mite to the rather neglected and thank- 
 less State military service, but after the blowing 
 up of the "Maine," when war became a cer- 
 tainty, the community felt assured, that here as 
 in 1 861 Bay County would do its full duty. 
 
 The Peninsular Military Company, now 
 Company B, Third Infantry, Michigan Na- 
 tional Guard, was organized in November, 
 1873, by the members of the I. K. U. K. Club, 
 a social organization, having in its ranks many 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 349- 
 
 of the promising young business and profes- 
 sional men of the thriving kmiljer town. Those 
 were the years of reconstruction throughout 
 the land, and the volunteer service, which had 
 been utterly neglected after the close of the 
 Civil War, was just being reorganized by Mich- 
 igan. On April 13, 1874, the Peninsulars were 
 mustered into the State service, as Company D, 
 Third Regiment, M. S. T. Frank H. Black- 
 man, now of Detroit, a veteran of the Sixth 
 Maine Infantry, was chosen captain; L. A. 
 Pratt, today our leading architect, was chosen 
 1st lieutenant; and T. K. Harding, now chief 
 of the Fire Department, was chosen 2nd lieu^ 
 tenant, with G. Harry Shearer, ist sergeant. 
 Charles R. Hawley, who in the next 22 years 
 rose from sergeant to brigade commander of 
 the Michigan National Guard. Ex-Congress- 
 man T. A. E. Weadock, J. S. McNeil and 
 Frank Denio were sergeants. J. L. Stoddard was 
 president ; Edgar A. Cooley, vice-president ; 
 W. G. McMath, secretary; and Judge Thomas 
 E. Webster, treasurer, of the charter organiza- 
 tion, while Charles D. Vail, father of the com- 
 pany, and in 1905 still in active business; C. C. 
 Whitney, J. F. Eddy, B. Burton, Mendel J. 
 Bialy, afterward State Senator ; R. C. Bialy, F. 
 S. Pratt, J. A. McKay, Lyman F. Beach, J. K. 
 jMason, R. B. Dolsen, L. Dolsen and many an- 
 other of Bay City's prominent business and pro- 
 fessional men, in the intervening years, were on 
 the muster roll of this company 30 years ago. 
 In 1877 they were ordered to Detroit where 
 riots were caused by railroad difficulties. In 
 1 88 1, under Capt. C. R. Hawley, the Penin- 
 sulars were the body-guard of Governor Be- 
 gole at the centennial celebration upon the bat- 
 tle-field of Yorktown, Virginia. During the 
 strikes in the sawmill industry along the shore 
 in 1884-86, the Peninsulars were on active duty 
 in command of another Civil War veteran, Cap- 
 tain H. P. Warfield, in 1905, superintendent of 
 
 Elm Lawn Cemetery, and the members of the- 
 company acquitted themselves in this trying 
 duty with commendable good judgment and 
 efficient performance of duty. In the next lo- 
 years the routine of barrack drilling was varied 
 only by occasional socials. The annual encamp- 
 ments, from 1 89 1, when the writer enlisted, to 
 1900, were held at Island Lake with the excep- 
 tion of 1898-99, when the volunteers had more 
 important work to do. 
 
 Fortunately for Michigan, the brigade in 
 1896-97 had the benefit of co-operation from 
 the regular army, the 19th United States In- 
 fantry taking part in the field camps. Maj. 
 Charles A. Vernon, then as now, was the effi- 
 cient regular army instructor detailed to Mich- 
 igan, and General Hawley of Bay City had 
 learned much in the 22 years of State service, 
 which he put into practical execution during 
 his command of Michigan's volunteers, while- 
 the commander-in-chief. Governor Hazen S. 
 Pingree, was himself a Civil War veteran. 
 Hence when the 32 years of peace were broken 
 by the appalling disaster of the "Maine," the 
 local military company, and the four regiments 
 in Michigan, were in a high state of efficiency. 
 
 When in March, 1898, it became certain 
 that war was inevitable, there was a rush of 
 young men to the colors, and hundreds had to 
 be turned away, because each company was al- 
 lowed but 112 men. Many of those unable to 
 join the Peninsulars went into other regiments, 
 regulars and volunteers, while still others joined 
 the navy, so that Bay County furnished in the 
 four short months of actual combat about 300 
 men, many of whom later went to the Philip- 
 pines. 
 
 On April 26, 1898, the Peninsular ^Military 
 Company, later Company C, 33d Michigan 
 Volunteer Infantry, and now Company B, 
 Third Infantry, Michigan National Guard, 
 answered the call of President McKinley for 
 
^50 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 service against Spain. It was a clay ne^■er to 
 be forgotten by those in line. Thousands of 
 people thronged the streets, business was sus- 
 pended, cannons roared, bands played and fire- 
 works added to the din, while the decorations 
 in red, white and blue made one think it might 
 be a Fourth of July celebration. Led by the 
 regimental band and accompanied by the Vet- 
 eran Corps of the Peninsulars, who throughout 
 the war looked after the families and relatives 
 of the men on duty in Cuba, and by many civic 
 societies, the men destined to see the most stir- 
 ring events at Santiago marched from the old 
 barracks on Washington avenue and Ninth 
 street down Center avenue to Jackson street 
 and the Michigan Central Railroad Depot, 
 every inch of the way through a mass of shout- 
 ing, cheering, and even tearful thousands. 
 
 The muster roll of the Peninsulars on that 
 day was as follows : Captain, W. D. Parke ; 
 lieutenants, — C. H. Dumont and G. A. Mand- 
 ley; ist sergeant. A. H. Gansser; cpiartermaster 
 sergeant, J. T. Sills ; sergeants, — H. E. Burton, 
 W. N. Schultz, A. R. Frantz, R. V. Miller, H. 
 J. Hoffman and J. H. Alberts; Corporals, — C. 
 
 D. Webster, A. N. Rhodes, Frank Koth, G. 
 T. Whaler, E. I\I. Jones, Louie Irons, J. E. 
 Brockway and R. S. Youngs; musicians. — W'. 
 S. Kurzrock and P. M. Lawrence; privates, — 
 
 E. A. Annis. George Brisbeau, Henry Camp- 
 bell, C. C. Carter, F. \V. Crosbie, Charles C. 
 Cuthbert, G.A.Cobb, J. J. Coleman, Orrin Cole- 
 man, J. C. Delaney, W. FI. Bollard { died in 
 Cuba), E. C. Eickemeyer, J. AI. Goepfert, Emil 
 Gelinas, A. Grimm, Stanley Gilkey, H. J. Gra- 
 ham, G. R. Hoover, F. L. Harwood (died in 
 Philippines), F. J. Haut, H. F. Kutella, Fred 
 Karl, H. J. Koth, John Karpus, L. C. Knack, F. 
 G. Leser, Florenz Lutzke, F. Marshall, D. H. 
 MacMillan (died in 1905), C. J. Mclntyre, J. 
 W. McKee (died in 1904), \\"illiam Metzger, 
 
 C. C. Merritt, F. R. [Merrick, W. R. 
 Misener, A. McClellan. H. J. C. Maus, A. 
 L. Montgomery. C. W. ^Marshall, Chester 
 Nolan, J. J. Parker, FI. S. Perry, A. Potter, 
 H. H. Presley, G. G. Reinhardt, J. K. 
 Reigel, H. E. Rogers, William Risto, J. S. 
 Sills, C. C. Stockford, E. A. Spier, J. H. 
 Schultz, J. Schettler, H. H. Schroeder, W. H. 
 Thompson (died in 1898), Roy Verity, E. A. 
 VanDyke, W. F. VanDyke, C. L. Walk, B. 
 \Valker. F. B. \\'iley, G. A. Wright, F. A. 
 Wells, and J. F. Berdan, the last named a Civil 
 War veteran, who was later barred on account 
 of the age limit. A number of these were called 
 home during May for family reasons, and a 
 number were rejected in the physical examina- 
 tions conducted by regular army surgeons and 
 State appointees. ]\Iuch fault was found at the 
 time with the haste and apparent inaccuracy of 
 this vital test of physical fitness for the rigors 
 of a campaign in Cuba. Since the average 
 examined was more than one per minute, the 
 cause of many of these mistakes is apparent. 
 To fill these vacancies, recruiting was carried 
 on the latter part of May and the following ad- 
 ditional members were mustered in at Island 
 Lake: M. Anderson, J. A. Brown. W. U. H. 
 Carpenter, Charles Calkins (died in Philip- 
 pines, 1899), E. S. Dunbar, R. M. Dawley, W. 
 H. Ellis, E. A. Foss, A. E. Fessette (died in 
 Cuba), H. D. Fenton, P. E. Eiliatrault, F. B. 
 Hammond, F. E. Bence (died in 1902), P. F. 
 Hendrie, A. B. Kelley, F. A. Greening, J. B. 
 Galloway, J. L. Hiliker, H. Hallead, W. E. 
 Hurlbert, J. W. Hutchins, W. E. Johnson, G. 
 P. Labadie, F. Langstaff, A. A. Lyon, C. F. 
 Laframboise, C. L. Martin, J. Lester, D. L. 
 Meyers, Fred Meyers (died in 1902), A. G. 
 Nobeck, Al. Ostrom, C. A. Pusey, Burt Piper, 
 C. A. Pringle, W. Pringle (died in 1900), A. 
 Pellow, G. L. Parent (died in Philippines, 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 351 
 
 1900), G. F. Parsons, A. Rouse, J. T. Sills 
 (died in Cuba), R. E. Verity, H. L. Warren, 
 L. Wiles and T. AI. McKee. 
 
 The following from Bay County served in 
 other companies of the 33rd Michigan : Com- 
 pany B, M. Highland ; Company E, Bert F. 
 Becker (died at Montauk Point, 1898), F. 
 Heike, L. G. Wilkinson, R. N. Colburn, F. M. 
 Schindehette and G. Rabideau; Company M, 
 J. E. Rabideau and C. B. Mervick. 
 
 The 33rd Michigan Infantry Band, T. W. 
 Goldsmith, drum major, was largely composed 
 of Bay City musicians. Sergt. Frank Heric, 
 now in the Philippines with the regulars, was 
 chief musician, and Jesse \\'agar, now leader of 
 the band here, was principal musician. Among 
 the musicians who stirred the rocks of Cuba by 
 their martial airs were : E. B. Hartig, Charles 
 Hartig, Victor Heric, Nicholas Heric, Joseph 
 Lafountain, A. Carrier, Frank Sharpe (died 
 in Cuba), George E. Smart, J. Muschall, J. 
 Schopski, W. Barber, P. Roeder, Ed. Nunn, 
 ■G. E. Nunn, R. R. Lemke and A. Goslar. Va- 
 cancies on the band were latter filled by enlist- 
 ment of musicians from other parts of the 
 State. The band throughout 1898 held a high 
 place for proficiency, wdierever it had occas- 
 ion to show its merit. 
 
 The events in the Spanish-American war 
 moved fast indeed, and thanks particularly to 
 our jolly tars, the war was over in less time 
 than it required in ages gone to begin the pre- 
 liminaries. On April 11, President McKinley 
 asked Congress for power to intervene in Cuba, 
 which was ordered on April 19th. Our ultima- 
 tum was wired Minister Woodford at Madrid 
 April 20th, and promptly rejected by the haugh- 
 ty Dons. On April 21st at 7 A. M., war was 
 declared, and within 24 hours Admiral Samp- 
 son's fleet moved on Havana. On April 22nd 
 the gunboat "Nashville" fired the first shot at 
 a land battery near Havana. On April 23rd 
 
 President McKinley asked for 125,000 volun- 
 teers, a figure somewhat in excess of the full 
 strength of our country's National Guard. 
 
 On April 26th Michigan's five regiments 
 were mobilized at Island Lake. Bay City's 
 contingent was given a grand ovation when the 
 troop train pulled out of the depot, but among 
 the cheering thousands were many aching 
 hearts. Every town and village in Michigan, 
 through which these trains passed that day, 
 added their mite of music and cheering, prov- 
 ing conclusively that our people were a unit 
 in prosecuting this war. The first two weeks 
 in camp were wet, raw and cold, so that from 
 the first the volunteers had to contend with ad- 
 verse elements. Rifle practice and battle exer- 
 cises were the order of the day for the next five 
 weeks. 
 
 On April 29th Michigan's Naval Reserves 
 left for Newport News, where they manned 
 the auxiliary cruiser "Yosemite." Bay City 
 was represented there by E. E. Anneke, W. B. 
 Fox, J. C. Irvine, John Ruge and M. R. 
 Tousey. 
 
 The realities of war were brought to the 
 camp at Island Lake on the e\'ening of May 
 2nd, when suddenly the long roll was sounded 
 and the five regiments assembled before head- 
 quarters to hear the glad tidings of Admiral 
 Dewey's naval victory at Manila on May i. 
 There was little sleep for the boys in blue on 
 that memorable night. On May nth Ensign 
 Bagley and four men were killed in a naval at- 
 tack on Cardenas. Meanwhile the regular army 
 examiners and mustering officers began the 
 work of selecting the four regiments of 12 com- 
 panies each apportioned to Michigan by the 
 War Department. 
 
 On May 19th the 31st Michigan Infantry 
 left camp for Chickamauga, where the regiment 
 was destined to remain until the war closed, 
 when it spent several months in Cuba on gar- 
 
352 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 risoii duty. On May 19th the 32nd Michigan 
 Infantry left camp for Tampa, Florida, and 
 as that was the naval base for the planned at- 
 tack on Havana, this regiment appeared most 
 likely to see immediate action. Circumstances 
 later prevented the attack on Havana, and this 
 regiment spent the entire time in camp. Both 
 of these regiments had a number of men from 
 Bay County. On May 19th Admiral Cervera 
 and his fated fleet entered Santiago harbor, and 
 on May 27th Admiral Schley with 12 ships of 
 war began the long vigil, whose tragic ending 
 the Bay County contingent was to witness at 
 Santiago little more than a month later. 
 
 President McKinley's second call for troops 
 brought out the 35th Michigan Infantry in 
 June, in which a score of Bay County men en- 
 listed. 
 
 On May 28th the 33d Michigan Infantry 
 with the Peninsulars left camp for the army 
 corps rendezvous 12 miles from Washington, 
 the historic battle-field of Bull Run, named in 
 honor of Michigan's Secretary of War, "Camp 
 Alger." The last farewells were said on the 
 Sunday previous when a large contingent of 
 Bay County people witnessed the last review 
 of the regiment on Island Lake's famous parade 
 grounds. Another ovation greeted the regi- 
 ment oni its speedy trip through Michigan, 
 Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia, South vying 
 with North to honor the nation's volunteers. 
 At Dunloring, Virginia, the rigors of war serv- 
 ice began in earnest. A wearisome march over 
 Virginia's dusty roads brought the Michigan 
 boys, now largely recruits, to a wilderness of 
 of scrub woods and marsh, where they had to 
 work for days clearing away the underbrush, 
 amid Virginia's tropical heat, before a drill 
 ground and camp were finally established. Hob- 
 son's brilliant attempt to block the harbor en- 
 trance at Santiago June 3rd electrified Camp 
 
 Alger, and the cheering thousands in blue and 
 khaki clamored loudly "On to Cuba !" 
 
 On June 7th the 34th Michigan Inf. also 
 arrived at Camp Alger, camping just across 
 the highway from the 33rd, while the Ninth 
 Massachusetts Infantry to the south was bri- 
 gaded with them under Gen. H. M. Duffield of 
 Detroit, a Michigan Civil War veteran. Scarce- 
 ity of water was the main drawback to Camp 
 Alger, every spring being zealously guarded, 
 and the Michigan bovs carried their water 
 supply many miles in the blazing sun. Dysen- 
 tery and typhoid soon invested the camp. News 
 from the front however kept all on edge. 
 
 On June loth the United States marines 
 landed at Guantanamo, and on June 13 th Gen- 
 eral Shaffer's expedition started for Santiago 
 from Key West, Florida, landing at Baiquiri, 
 June 22nd. Little did the Michigan boys then 
 dream that in a few weeks they would be with 
 him before the Cuban stronghold. On June 
 2 1 St the writer was in a telegraph station near 
 Washington, wiring his daily budget of news 
 from the Michigan regiments to our native 
 State, when the ticker at division headquarters 
 announced an order from Secretary Alger for 
 the 33rd and 34 Michigan Infantry to prepare 
 to reinforce Shafter before Santiago. When he 
 announced this news in camp, the boys were 
 skeptical, and yet overjoyed at the prospect. 
 That night the official orders were issued, and 
 early next morning the 33rd and one battalion 
 of the 34th left for Newport News where on 
 June 23rd they boarded the auxiliary cruiser 
 "Yale," formerly the ocean greyhound "New 
 York," and on June 25th the rest of the 34th 
 Michigan and Ninth Massachusetts followed, 
 embarking June 26tli at Newport News on the 
 auxiliary cruiser "Harvard," Captain Cotton 
 now admiral United States Navy, commanding. 
 Many of the men had visited Washington dur- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 353 
 
 ing the stay at Camp Alger, liaci roamed over 
 the battle-field of Bull Run, been wearied by 
 camp routine, and amid the cheering thousands 
 who bade them farewell none were happier 
 than the men who went forth to an uncertain 
 fate in a foreign isle. The writer will never 
 forget the ovation of the Virginians along the 
 line of railway, particularly at Richmond, 
 where cheering thousands thronged about Rob- 
 ert E. Lee's statue as we swept by. We had 
 camped between regiments from Virginia, Ten- 
 nessee. Missouri and Kentucky, had rallied with 
 them at the midnight alarms, "hiked" and 
 drilled with them in Camp Alger's maneuvers, 
 shared with them the little comforts of camp, 
 and we realized fully there was "no North, no 
 South" in this war, but a united country had 
 rallied around the old flag. At Fortress Mon- 
 roe we entered the w-ar zone. American bat- 
 tleships patrolled the coast, torpedo boats flitted 
 about the mines that guarded the entrance to 
 the Norfolk Navy Yard, where two monster 
 battleships, the "Kentucky" and "Kearsarge," 
 were on the stocks. Since so many Russian and 
 Japanese ships in 1904 ran foul of their own 
 mines, we can congratulate ourselves that in all 
 our coast guarding not a single ship or life was 
 lost in 1898. 
 
 On June 27th the Michigan regiments 
 landed at Baiquiri, the Bay County contingent 
 seeing for the first time the scenes of Shafter's 
 landing, Hobson's adventure, Morro Castle, 
 Sampson's fleet. General Garcia's ragged Cuban 
 insurgents and Spanish blockhouses, so effective 
 against prowling Cubans, but easily demolished 
 by the American fleet. Our fondest wish was 
 realized. W'e were on Cuban soil, and in the 
 very midst of the stirring war drama about 
 Santiago. It took us many hours to land food, 
 ammunition and arms through the roaring 
 ocean surf, and at nightfall we pitched camp in 
 a pretty palm grove. The first regular army 
 
 20 
 
 officer to look us over shook his head when he 
 noticed our antiquated Springfield rifles, with 
 smoking powder ammunition. He said it was 
 a shame to send men to Santiago with those old 
 blunderbusses, when thousands of Krag-Jor- 
 gensen repeating rifles lay idle in the arsenals 
 at home. He told us of the skirmish at Las 
 Guasimas. June 24th and General ChafYee's vic- 
 tory at Sevilla, June 25th driving the Span- 
 iards back to El Poso, General Shafter's army 
 gradually advancing each day toward the San 
 Juan Hills and El Caney, which were plainly 
 visible from the Meastro Mountains on our 
 right. That night lizards, land crabs and a 
 myriad of other and strange beasts and creep- 
 ers made life miserable for the sons of Bay 
 County, and at midnight a terrific rain-storm, 
 a veritable cloud-burst, made camp unbearable 
 and the real hardships of campaigning in a trop- 
 ical climate began in earnest. Next morning 
 the Michiganders changed to high ground, 
 spent house in policing camp, furnished General 
 Shaffer with men for the water-works pump- 
 ing station at Siboney and railroad hands for 
 the narrow gauge railroad running toward 
 Morro Castle from the copper mines in the 
 mountains. Trenches were dug on the ocean 
 shore for the hospitals, already filled with the 
 wounded of the early skirmishes. W'agons 
 were loaded for the front, guards placed on the 
 hills toward Morro Castle and every man felt 
 that a crisis was at hand. 
 
 The Cubans meanwhile made the camp 
 disagreeable with their skulking and pilfering, 
 loud boasts and ravenous appetites being ap- 
 parently the stock in trade of most of these 
 Cuban warriors, armed with machetes of huge 
 dimensions. Only a few had serviceable rifles. 
 The arms of wounded Americans were given 
 General Garcia's band, and his elite did good 
 service scouting on the front and flank of the 
 Spaniards, a service which they could better 
 
354 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 perform than the Americans because they knew 
 the trails through the shaparel, the rank under- 
 growth of cactus, vines and creepers, which 
 covered the country back of Santiago, where in 
 times of peace stood rich sugar plantations with 
 thousands of acres of sugar cane. \Var"s hor- 
 rors were everywhere in evidence here, but this 
 handful of Cubans saved the reputation of their 
 countrymen at Santiago, the majority of whom 
 were lazy and shiftless negroes. 
 
 While guarding the shore, the Michigan 
 volunteers witnessed several bombardments of 
 ]\Iorro Castle by the American fleet. After the 
 surrender an inspection of the Spanish batteries 
 by the writer showed the mass of shells did but 
 little damage. Between the thundering cannon, 
 screeching shells, blazing sun, dirty water and 
 drenching rains, we soon learned that General 
 Sherman knew whereof he spoke, when he said 
 "War is hell !" But we were still vigorous, the 
 war panorama about us was inspiring, and the 
 nearness of the foreign enemy lent zest to all 
 our work. 
 
 On the night of June 30th final preparations 
 were made for the assault on Santiago. The 
 Michigan regiments, the rest of the 34th just 
 landing, were ordered to assault at daybreak, 
 Aquadores. a fortified height defending the 
 crossing of Aquadores River, east of Morro 
 Castle, while the regulars under Chafifee. Kent, 
 Wheeler, Lawton, Sumner and Capron's artil- 
 lery, assaulted San Juan Hill and El Caney, 
 That night Bay City's band played "Michigan, 
 my Michigan," while the preparations for the 
 next day's battle went forward, and never did 
 that air of our far-away home sound more mar- 
 tial and inspiring. 
 
 At break of day. July i. 1898. the Michigan 
 troops were moved in the little ore cars to a 
 bend below Aquadores River, and by 5 A. M. 
 they were under fire from the Spanish battery. 
 
 They kept under cover until 7 A. M., when 
 they marched up the railroad cut, where a shell 
 exploded over Company L, killing four and 
 wounding and maiming as many more. Ex- 
 posed to artillery fire without being able to reply 
 with the old Springfields at that distance, there 
 was nothing for it, but to seek cover and ad- 
 vance among the rocks along shore. When the 
 river was reached the bridge was found missing, 
 the Cuban scouts had vanished with the first 
 exploding shell, and reluctantly enough the 
 [Michigan regiments ended their diversion at 
 this point. The last two battalions of the 34th 
 finished landing before noon, and marched to 
 the support of the 33rd, meeting them on their 
 return to Siboney, where the 33rd was ordered 
 to guard prisoners taken that day at El Caney, 
 while the 34th was ordered forward to support 
 General Shafter's thin blue line in the Spanish 
 entrenchments taken that bloody day on the 
 heights of San Juan. All night long the regi- 
 ment marched over the 12 miles of mountain 
 trail to San Juan, and at daybreak it was greet- 
 ed with stray shells from Santiago, one of which 
 exploded under the gun of Capron's battery, 
 killing the entire crew. For the next two miles 
 of the advance the regiment was under a hail 
 of Mauser bullets, with occasional screeching 
 shells, fired from the Spaniards' trenches just 
 outside of Santiago, but as they were fired at an 
 angle at San Juan, all went wild and high over 
 our heads. That did not prevent us from duck- 
 ing occasionally, when the sound came nearer, 
 or a ricochet bullet whizzed past. Only a few 
 minor wounds were sustained by the 1,000 
 Michiganders marching past the "bloody bend," 
 taken the day before by the Americans with 
 much loss of life, and by noon we were in the 
 rear of General Kent's division on San Juan 
 Hill, where we were kept in reserve, our smok- 
 ing powder and short-range rifles being con- 
 
AXD REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 355 
 
 sidered more of a drawback than help in this 
 
 modern warfare at long ranges. 
 
 That night 
 
 we rallied in the trenches with the regulars, 
 when the Spaniards made a desperate charge on 
 General Chaffee's line, but American machine 
 guns and rifle fire drove the Spaniards back, 
 just as they did on July loth, when the writer 
 witnessed the last desperate charge of the enemy 
 ■on the bloody angle. 
 
 Next morning we heard the roar of the 
 naval guns ofif shore, while the Bay City con- 
 tingent on provost duty at Siboney saw the first 
 movements of the American fleet on that mem- 
 orable July 3rd, when Cervera's fleet was sunk 
 by Schley and Sampson. We had been without 
 food, save what we found on the battle-field, 
 since June 30th, and sleep was out of the ques- 
 tion on San Juan Hill, without shelter in the 
 driving rain of the night and under the blazing 
 sun by day, trench digging under such condi- 
 tions being a real hardship, but we all cheered 
 and cheered again, when the truth passed down 
 the line toward evening, that the fleet of the 
 enemy was no more. Pack mule trains rushed 
 up and down the mountain trails that night, 
 bringing ammunition and much needed food, 
 and the writer celebrated that July 4th by drink- 
 ing a cup of black coffee, and munching three 
 hardtacks under a ceiba tree behind our sand- 
 bag entrenchments, the first good lunch in three 
 days. Later he carried dispatches and mail to 
 Siboney, telling the people in Michigan that all 
 was well with us, and that the enemy were ours., 
 
 Then followed two weeks of scouting 
 through the San Juan \''alley, General Pando 
 having reinforced the Spaniards in Santiago 
 with 8,000 men, and Shafter feared another at- 
 tempt to break through his investing lines. On 
 Sunday, July 17, 1898, the writer, with i.ooo 
 other Michigan boys witnessed the surrender of 
 the Spaniards in the valley below San Juan, a 
 
 historic e\-ent, never to be forgotten. The next 
 day we visited the city in search of medicine 
 for some sick comrades. Meanwhile the Bay 
 City company and band had been on duty night 
 and day, nursing the wounded, who came by 
 hundreds from the front, and guarding several 
 hundred Spanish prisoners taken in battle, who 
 were placed inside of wire entanglements with 
 strong guards standing by day in the blazing 
 hot sun, and by night amid the mists of the 
 ocean, and the pouring rains of Cuba's rainy 
 season. Here were the horrors of war, without 
 its heroic counterparts, hence a most trying 
 service for Michigan's volunteers. 
 
 Yellow fever in a mild form, mountain 
 fever, ague and malaria, the dangers always be- 
 setting people coming from a temperate zone to 
 the tropics during the rainy season, filled the 
 hospitals and decimated the ranks. At one time 
 in the middle of July two-thirds of the Bay 
 City contingent were detailed for hospital duty, 
 the bandmen acting as nurses on transports that 
 brought the wounded and very sick to Newport 
 News and other harbors. As the heat and rain;, 
 increased, the Army of Santiago, especially the 
 volunteer regiments, became a mere hospital 
 camp, and soon were heard in the Michigan 
 camps the sad notes of "Taps," as some poor 
 boy, a thousand miles from home, was lowered 
 uncermoniously into a grave on Cuban soil, 
 which his sacrifice had helped to free forever 
 from the tyrant's heel. A year later a grateful 
 State sent emmissaries to Santiago who looked 
 up the graves that had been marked with crude 
 wood markers, and brought all the dead back 
 to their native heath. Some sleep in the Na- 
 tional Cemetery on Arlington Heights ; others 
 were brought back to Bay City and other home 
 stations of the departed comrades. 
 
 After the Spaniards had been sent home and 
 peace declared August 12th, the sole wish of 
 
356 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 the survivors, wasting away in the torrid cH- 
 mate, with inadequate medical suppHes, plenty 
 but poor food, knowing their work was done, 
 was to go back to a more congenial clime. 
 About August 20th the first transports started 
 for home with fever stricken regiments, and on 
 August 25 th the long expected order came for 
 the Michigan regiments to break camp, bum 
 their fever infected clothing and stores, leave 
 behind the weakest men in hospital, under good 
 care, and board the several boats assigned them, 
 the Peninsulars getting assigned to the "Har- 
 vard," while the writer nursed some of the 45 
 invalids on the old cattle-boat "Santiago" from 
 Santiago to the detention camp at jNIontauk 
 Point, Long Island, where the cool breezes of 
 the Atlantic were expected to do what medicine 
 and nursing in many instances had failed to do, 
 — restore health and vitality. After rather 
 squally voyages all the companies were reuni- 
 ted here, and for the first time in many weeks 
 loved ones at home received positive news from 
 the boys at the front. 
 
 Out of the 74 survivors of the Peninsulars 
 at Camp Wyckofl:, some 20 were on the sick 
 list, several seriously, and the total in the two 
 Michigan regiments aggregated 367 in c^uar- 
 ters and hospital. Governor Pingree had sent 
 his son, together with G. A. Loud and G. 
 Harry Keating of Bay City, to welcome the 
 returning veterans at Montauk, and a number 
 of relatives came early to care for their sick 
 loved ones. 
 
 On the night of September ist the quar- 
 antine on both regiments was raised and at 
 sunrise next morning all the uniforms, tentage 
 and equipment used in Cuba were burned, new 
 clothing issued, and the homeward journey 
 commenced. The survivors will never forget 
 the rousing welcome accorded the sunburnt 
 and emaciated campaigners as they passed up 
 
 East River on a ierry, and at every station 
 through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York 
 and Ohio, the regiments were accorded an 
 even heartier welcome than on their outward 
 trip. At Detroit hundreds of friends awaited 
 them, and on Sunday, Sept. 3rd, every person 
 living in Bay County was out to welcome the 
 Peninsulars and the 33rd Infantry Band home. 
 The ranks were thinned, many of the boys 
 could hardly be recognized after only four 
 months absence, so deep graven were the evi- 
 dences of tropical war ser\-ice under adverse 
 conditions, and many a cheer was hushed at 
 sight of the wan faces and emaciated forms. 
 But the great surging throng of fellow-citi- 
 zens, the brief but impressive services at the 
 old armory, the tears and joy of loved ones, 
 did not fail to cheer the weary travelers. Rest 
 and care of home and mother soon wiped out 
 in most cases the last vestiges of foreign serv- 
 ice. A few have suffered and lingered with the 
 treacherous fevers to this day, and each year 
 adds new graves for the loving remembrancc- 
 of sur\-iving comrades. 
 
 The Michigan regiments were accorded 
 two months furlough at their home stations 
 and on December 12, 1898, the Peninsulars and 
 the 33rd Infantry band were mustered out and 
 honorably discharged from the United States 
 volunteer service. But scores of Bay County 
 soldiers were then still in the service, in the 
 United States navy and regular army, and in 
 other volunteer regiments then carrying the 
 "Stars and Stripes" victoriously through the 
 Philippines. A number of the Cuban veterans 
 at once reenlisted in the 30th United States Vol- 
 unteer Infantry for service in the far East. 
 
 The honor roll of those who fell at the post 
 of duty includes : W. H. Dollard, J. T. Sills, 
 Frank E. Sharp, Guy A. Poole, Arthur Fis- 
 sette, who died in Cuba ; Bert F. Becker, W' ill 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 357 
 
 Thompson, Fred Von Walthausen, Fred Mey- 
 ers, William Pringle, J. W. JMcKee, F. Parent, 
 and D. H. MacMillan, who died in the United 
 States; and W. J. McLean, Ralph Thompson, 
 F. Warner, Charles Calkins, Frank L. Har- 
 vvood, and R. Archambeau, who died in the 
 Philippines. 
 
 The ladies of Bay City presented the 
 Peninsular veterans with a new silk flag on 
 their arrival home, and the Veteran Corps took 
 excellent care of the sick and their families. 
 But the new armory, which they had fondly 
 hoped would soon be realized, is still a fond 
 dream of future bliss. In 1899 the company 
 was on the verge of disbanding for want of 
 suitable drill quarters but when the present of- 
 ficers took hold, in 1901, Arion Hall was se- 
 cured for barracks purposes, and, while some- 
 what small, it is a large improvement over the 
 tumble-down shack, which witnessed the depar- 
 ture for Cuba and the home coming of Bay 
 City's volunteer contingent. A fund has since 
 been created for auditorium and armory pur- 
 poses, public conveniences that should long since 
 have been supplied by our fellow-citizens. 
 However, better late than never. 
 
 In August, 1900, the Peninsulars attended 
 the last encampment at Island Lake; Camp 
 Bliss (1901) and Camp Hawley (1902), 
 named in honor of Bay City's brigade com- 
 mander, were held at Manistee. October i to 
 12, 1903, the Peninsulars took part in the 
 regular army maneuvers at Camp Young, West 
 Point, Kentucky. Camp Boynton (1904) was 
 held at Ludington, where from August 8 to 
 17, inclusive, will he held the field encampment 
 of 1905. At each of these last five camps Com- 
 pany B has had the honor of being the only 
 complete company on duty, not an cffiicer or 
 member being missing during all these 
 years. 
 
 On Michigan Day, October 12, 1904, the 
 Peninsulars, Company B, Third Infantry, M. 
 N. G., were the guard of honor for Governor 
 Bliss at St. Louis, the only military represent- 
 atives from Michigan at the World's Fair, 
 winning daily encomiums for a week for their 
 fine work on parade, and during special drills 
 on the Plaza St. Louis and the Grand Esplan- 
 ade. Bay City was represented by two officers 
 and 53 enlisted men, carrying the tattered bat- 
 tle-flag of the 33rd Michigan Infantry, U. S. 
 Volunteers, and this distinctive honor is a fit- 
 ting tribute to the loyal service of our volun- 
 teers in times of peace. 
 
 The officers of Company B, Third Infantry, 
 for 1905, are as follows : Captain, A. H. Gans- 
 ser; ist lieutenant, L. G. Beckwith; 2nd lieu- 
 tenant, W. A. Collins; ist sergeant, C. L. 
 Walk ; ciuartermaster sergeant, J. S. Sills ; ser- 
 geants, — R. A. Garu, F. G. Leser, H. Reinecke, 
 L. D. Pierson and G. R. Dreyer; corporals, — 
 J. L. McCormick, C. E. Cuthbert, W. S. 
 Kurzrock, D. D. Canell, G. H. Evarts, Ed. 
 Johnson, W. E. Wilson, J. H. Annis, G. E. 
 Vliet ; musicians, — A. L. Gage, Paul Mona- 
 ghan, G. R. Birchard, J. J. Carroll, A. G. 
 Heeke, Emil Schulz, George Weggel, and Otto 
 Mueller; cooks, — E. B. Hammond, J. J. Cole- 
 man, Ad. Lefever and H. F. Colley; color 
 guard, — F. J. Fenton, H. H. Hutton, L. Hut- 
 ton, A. W. Black, N. A. Eddy, Carl Jacobsen, 
 R. B. White, C. G. Leatz, E. F. Rehmus, W. 
 T. Sampson and T. J. White ; artificer, — C. F. 
 Kelley. The privates are 56 in number. 
 
 The roster in 1905 shows a full complement 
 of officers and men, and 20 recruits on the wait- 
 ing list, so that the Peninsulars are certain to 
 maintain their lead in the Michigan National 
 Guard for some time to come. 
 
 Bay City is at present national headquar- 
 ters of the National League of Veterans and 
 
358 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Sons, including in its ranks veterans of all our 
 wars, sons of veterans, and veterans of more 
 than three years service in the National Guard. 
 The national officers are: Commander, L. G. 
 Willcox; adjutant general, \\'. N. Sweeney; 
 inspector general, A. H. Gansser; attorney 
 general. J. E. Brockway; executive staff, — 
 
 L. ]\IcHugh, and A. H. McMillan. Sheridan 
 Camp, No. 5, of Bay City is among the most 
 thriving local organizations in this rapidly 
 growing patriotic order. The local officers of 
 this organization, as well as of the G. A. R. 
 and Spanish War Veterans, are given in Chap- 
 ter XIV. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Minor Mention — Odds and Ends. 
 
 Trust no future, howe'er pleasant ! 
 
 Let the dead Past bury its dead ! 
 Act — act, in the living Present ! 
 
 Heart within, and God o'erhead. 
 
 —Longfctloiv. 
 
 Alaskan methods of communication were 
 in vogue in Central Michigan before the rail- 
 roads took the place of "blazed" trail and cor- 
 duroy roads. Mail was carried in summer by 
 boats. In winter dogs were hitched to a train- 
 ole, led by a frontiersman on snowshoes and 
 followed by a guard similarly equipped. Their 
 camps en route were pitched wherever night 
 overtook them, but usually in the midst of the 
 primitive forest. Stages ran for 20 years be- 
 tween here and Alpena. 
 
 From 1850 to 1862, James M. Miller con- 
 ducted the "pony post" between here and Sag- 
 inaw, using the ice on the river in winter, but 
 during rainy reasons he had to leave his pony 
 north of the Cheboyganing Creek, and make 
 the rest of the route on foot through the quag- 
 mires of the marsh. Since then the Pere Mar- 
 quette Railroad track has become a dyke for 
 the lands back of it, and by huge dykes and 
 drainage canals most of this rich tottom land 
 on the east side of the river has been redeemed, 
 the McGraw farm and the Fifield-Mundy farm 
 being among the very richest in Michigan. 
 The celery raised on the McGraw farm is far 
 famed, bringing fancy prices down East, the 
 
 crop being annually contracted for in advancd 
 Larsre orchards of fruit trees have of late vears 
 been planted on these tracts. 
 
 M. Ueberhorst, a graduate of Germany's 
 agricultural college, built the first prairie farm 
 dyke, the ditch being five miles long, 30 feet 
 wide at the top and six feet deep. The 
 embankment above was 30 feet wide at the 
 bottom, and five feet high. The floods of many 
 springs have failed to undermine or break this 
 hard clay bank, overgrown with grass and 
 bushes. 
 
 The Michigan Chemical Company, of Bay 
 City, is dyking a 10,000 acre farm on the Shia- 
 wassee, a branch of the Saginaw, for raising 
 sugar beets or their sugar houses at Owosso 
 and Lansing. The marsh on the west bank 
 (if the ri\-er has not yet been dyked, but the 
 lands are all taken up, and the river will be still 
 further restricted, and more farm lands added 
 that once were thought by everyone to be worse 
 than useless. That done, there will not be a 
 spot in all Bay County that will not be habitable 
 and cultivated. 
 
 Few people in these parts have a correct 
 idea of the gradual rise of the countrv to the 
 
360 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 north of Bay Cit)'. The latest State surveys 
 show Standish to he 625 feet above tide : Ster- 
 I'mg, 743, and Summit, 829. Omer, nearer 
 the bay shore, is 610 feet above tide; Emery 
 Junction, 672; and Alpena, 601. 
 
 The water level on bay and river has been 
 steadily receding in recent years, but experts 
 predict that a return tide will soon bring the 
 water back to its former level. A more lasting 
 change has been brought about in the valley 
 by the clearing of the forests, for the weather 
 for the last half century has been gradually 
 growing milder. The summers are not as hot 
 as formerly, forest fires are unheard of, and 
 cool breezes sweep unrestrained over the val- 
 ley, making Bay City a veritable summer re- 
 sort during the heated term. The winters are 
 also less severe, and the snow-fall year in and 
 year out is nothing compared to the mountains 
 of "snowy white" the early settlers encoun- 
 tered. March, 1905, has gone on record as 
 the warmest March ever known here. Con- 
 trary to the dictum of old residents, "it came in 
 like a lamb, and went out like a flock of sheep." 
 Drainage, both by the county and by indi- 
 viduals, is greatly reducing the danger of 
 spring freshets and increasing the value of 
 farm property. 
 
 The Saginaw went on a rampage in ]\Iarch, 
 1904. The heavy rains of the preceding fall 
 had filled all the water-ways of the valley to 
 overflowing when the frost king sealed them 
 up. With the advent of spring all these waters 
 poured into the Saginaw, drowning several 
 people, considerable cattle and other live stock 
 and fowls, and causing heavy property loss, as 
 well as ruining crops in the lowlands. The 
 valley south of Bay City was one huge lake 
 about nine miles wide, with only here and there 
 the dykes of the railroads visible above the 
 water level. The bridges were saved by the free 
 use of dynamite to keep the ice floes moving 
 
 out. The flood's alluvial deposits insure rich 
 harvests to the prairie farms in 1905. 
 
 Some of the commercial fisherman near the 
 Interurban bridge are in 1905 literally fish- 
 ing on "Dorr's Farm." In 1835 Albert H. 
 Dorr bought 200 acres of lowlands there for 
 pasture purposes. According to the old pion- 
 eers, the river level raised gradually from 
 1830 to 1838, submerging Dorr's land, and 
 considerably altering the course of the river 
 bed. Where in the summer of 1835 stood blue- 
 joint grass, four feet high, interwoven with pea 
 blossoms, morning glories and other wild flow- 
 ers, presenting an enchanting picture, there 
 was nothing but murky water the following 
 spring. The 150 cattle and 50 horses, kept 
 by Judge Albert Miller for Mr. Dorr, with this 
 prairie hay supply gone had to winter under 
 the care of Indians on cane rushes near Ouani- 
 cassee ; only a few of the horses succumbed. 
 
 Most of the fisherman in the ice of Saginaw 
 Bay left the dangerous fishing grounds with 
 the first intimation of a break up, but as usual 
 some of the more venturesome remained to the 
 last. A party of five men and one woman, 
 fishing 30 miles from Bay City, found fishing 
 so good they staid after all the other shanties 
 had left the site of "Iceburg." A south wind 
 during the night compelled them to leave their 
 fish and personal belongings behind, and trudge 
 over the treacherous ice for 24 hours, often 
 breaking through, before being rescued near 
 Oa-at-ka Beach. The members of the party 
 were starving and utterly worn out when 
 rescued. 
 
 Bay City has reason to be proud of her 
 public bridges. From north to south, we have 
 the Belinda bridge, uniting Banks and Dolsen- 
 ville; Third street bridge, uniting the business 
 centers on both sides of the river; Lafayette 
 avenue bridge, uniting Bay City S. S., with 
 Salzburg; and Cass avenue bridge uniting the 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 361 
 
 •extreme South End suburbs. Three railroad 
 bridges also cross the river here. 
 
 The aggregate lumber production of Michi- 
 gan in 1904 was: Pine, 426,912,734 feet; 
 hemlock, 623.696,682 feet; hardwood, 618,- 
 938,333 feet: the total output being 1,669,547,- 
 749 feet. The output in 1903 was 1,945,373,- 
 031 feet and in 1902 it was 1,846,104,970 feet. 
 The S. G. M. Gates mill, at the foot of Sixth 
 street. Bay City, built in 1863, holds the State 
 record for continuous operation under the same 
 owner. In 1905 it has a full supply of logs for 
 another season's run. 
 
 During the height of the lumber industry 
 in the valley, the fire demon was much feared 
 in Bay City. Time and again whole squares 
 were wiped out in a few hours, despite all that 
 the department and citizens could do. The fire 
 which wiped out the heart of the South End in 
 1894 was the worst on record, all the buildings, 
 sidewalks and trees in 32 squares being licked 
 up. Forest fires were also much dreaded by 
 the isolated settlers. In 1871 a forest fire 
 swept over a large area to the southeast, Fred 
 Beyer and his neighbors in Merritt township 
 losing barns, fences, crops and timber valued 
 at thousands of dollars, while the timber on 
 the government lands wiped out would have 
 aggregated a value, even in that period, of sev- 
 eral hundred thousand dollars. With the clear- 
 ing of the woods, this danger gradually grew 
 less, until in 1904 not a single serious fire was 
 reported. 
 
 An effort is being made to reduce the fire 
 department companies by one man each, thus 
 saving $1,500 annually. Since Bay City's low 
 fire insurance rate is largely due to the efficency 
 of this department, i)roven on many occasions, 
 this economy would proba!)ly prove quite costly 
 in the end. 
 
 One of Bay City's really famous citizens is 
 John G. Clarkson, known all over the world 
 
 as the peer of baseball twirlers, 1880-95, "^^'^lo 
 played here in 1883-85, then for years was with 
 Chicago, until sold for Si 0,000 to the world's 
 champion team at Boston. He is still active 
 in promoting the national game locally. 
 
 The Federal census of 1900 tells us that 
 Bay County with 63.448 people has 333 fac- 
 tories, with 10,086 employees. Of these, Bay 
 City, East Side, has 201 factories and 4,975 
 employees and the West Side, 69 factories with 
 4,179 employees. Pinconning with 729 peo- 
 ple has seven factories, with 84 employees. Es- 
 sexville, with 1,639 people has nine factories, 
 and 502 employees. 
 
 Bay City had a Board of Commerce as far 
 back as 1865, but periodically these worthy 
 institutions come and go, lost usually for the 
 lack of support by the business men and com- 
 munity at large. In 1905 the Board of Trade 
 is a real. li\'e affair, with Walter D. Young, 
 president, and L. ]\I. Persons, secretary. A 
 strong executive committee, composed of our 
 most public-tepii]ited and enterprising young 
 business men augurs well for effective work 
 for the welfare of Greater Bay City. A wealth 
 of opportunities cluster about out river high- 
 way of trade and commerce. It only remains 
 for our progressi\e citizens to attract the out- 
 side world's attention to our many advantages. 
 There is a wide field for action for our Board 
 of Trade. 
 
 The Bay City Club has for 35 years been 
 one of the city's metropolitan institutions. In 
 the burning of Wood's Opera House four years 
 ago, the club lost all its property. In 1904 this 
 enterprising organization built the beautiful, 
 new, four-story club house on the Park plaza, 
 Center avenue, and it is to-day the best 
 equipped club house in Michigan. Every con- 
 venience is afforded for the recreation and en* 
 joyment of its members and visiting business 
 men. Baths, bowling alleys, gymnasium and 
 
2,62 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 physical culture rooms provide healthful recre- 
 ation. The cafe and dining rooms, presided 
 over by Stewart Upton, of Chicago, look well 
 to the care of the inner man, while the reading 
 room, billiard and card parlors, lecture room 
 and ball room, all exquisitely furnished, airy 
 and modern in every particular, make the 
 club house the most popular rendezous of our 
 business men and their families. Brilliant 
 social functions weekly are the order of the 
 season. 
 
 While the voters in Bay County were regis- 
 tering their will on April 3, 1905, a terrific 
 shock rocked the roundabout country about 4 
 p. m. Three employees of the Thomas nitro- 
 glycerine works near Kawkawlin had been 
 blown to atoms in the dynamite storehouse. A 
 hole 35 feet deep and 30 feet in diameter alone 
 marked the spot where the little brick structure 
 had been for years. The men had no business 
 there, and the cause of the explosion will always 
 be a mystery. A little basket full of shredded 
 human flesh and skin, picked from roundabout 
 trees and bushes, was all that was found of the 
 three unfortunates, one of whom was an In- 
 dian. Funeral services were held two days 
 later, and the mortal remains were interred in 
 a single grave. Windows in houses 10 miles 
 away were broken, while some near the dyna- 
 mite factory escaped injury. 
 
 Early on Sunday morning, April g, 1905, 
 the inmates of the County Poor Farm found 
 flames issuing from the roof near the chimney, 
 and in less than two hours all the adjoining 
 buildings were an ash heap. The inmates, 
 many of them aged individuals, were with dif- 
 ficulty removed, and sheltered for the time be- 
 ing in the Bethel Mission, Third and Water 
 streets. Plans for a new county farm building 
 to cost $25,000 will be approved May nth. 
 
 The Masonic Temple will be opened May 
 16, 1905, by the Scottish Rite bodies, assisted 
 
 on ]\Iay i8th by the Detroit Consistory and 
 Moslem Temple, Mystic Shriners, who will 
 confer 14th to 32nd degrees on a large class. 
 
 The Hecla cement plant near the mouth of 
 the river will untangle its legal difficulties in 
 June, 1905, when by the order of the United. 
 States Circuit Court the property will be sold 
 at public auction, but no bid will be considered 
 for less than $930,000, with $50 cash deposit 
 to bind the bid. 
 
 Greater Bay City has now become an estab- 
 lished fact, with 45,000 people, and all the 
 natural advantages for future growth and de- 
 velopment. The first message of the first 
 mayor, issued April 10, 1905, urges economy 
 in municipal management of public affairs. 
 The first act of the united cities' first Council 
 provides for standard time, and for clearing up 
 the mixed financial status of the West Side. 
 The Board of Supervisors on April 25, 1905, 
 elected George Hartingh, of Pinconning, chair- 
 man for this term, contrary to expectations as 
 the city has a majority on the board, but by 
 his first act he evened up matters by giving 
 Greater Bay City a majority representation on 
 the committee on equalization, thus making it 
 possible, for the first time in years, for the city 
 to secure a fairer apportionment of the county's 
 taxes, which heretofore have been largely as- 
 signed to the East Side. The next act of the 
 hoard provided for passing an enabling- act 
 through the Legislature, which was done April 
 27, 1905, allowing Bay County to bond for 
 $20,000 for the erection of a new stone and 
 brick home on the County Poor Farm, de- 
 stro}-ed by fire April 9th. The first joint action 
 of the business men of the united city resulted 
 in securing the Faulkner Solvay Process Chem- 
 ical Company, which will erect a monster plant 
 on the West Side, north of the Kern mill : cap- 
 ital $200,000. The new hotel project is also 
 being boomed, ex-Mayor Frank T. Woodworth. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 363. 
 
 Hon. Spencer O. Fisher, W. D. Young and 
 others subscribing $10,000 each toward the 
 $100,000 required for a hotel better suited to 
 the needs of the larger cit}-, which has been 
 served by the Eraser House for nearly 40 
 years and by more recent but smaller hostelries. 
 An auditorium to accommodate large public 
 meetings. State and national conventions, is an- 
 other immediate local necessity. 
 
 Look about us where we will, in this month 
 of April, 1905, we find much of encouragement 
 and satisfaction in our living conditions. The 
 booming days of the lumber industry are gone 
 beyond recall, but to this place have come hun- 
 
 dreds of smaller but more permanent indus- 
 tries. Many cozy new homes, and a number 
 of palatial residences on Center avenue, will 
 in 1905 add to the wealth and beauty of the 
 metropolis of Northern Michigan. All our 
 industries are in motion, no one need be idle, 
 and our future prospects are brighter than be- 
 fore in many years. Providence has done 
 much indeed for the "Garden Spot of Michi- 
 gan." Let every one enjoying these blessings 
 contribute a little effort in the years to come 
 for progress, w'holesome growth, and the gen- 
 eral advancement of individual and collective 
 prosperity. 
 
HORACE TUPPER, M. D. 
 
Repmentdtive (Mmm 
 
 GRACE TUPPER, M. D. The pages 
 of a history of Bay County would 
 lack completeness without the hon- 
 ored name of the late Dr. Horace 
 Tupper, that good man, kind and genial gen- 
 tleman and skilled and experienced physician. 
 The late Dr. Tupper, whose portrait is here- 
 with shown, was born at Pine Plains, Colum- 
 bia County, New York, October 2, 1830, and 
 was a son of Dr. Archelaus and Leah (Strever) 
 Tupper. 
 
 His father was a very prominent physician 
 in Columbia County, and the young man seems 
 to have been divided in his affection for medi- 
 cine and mechanics. After completing the pub- 
 lic school course, he secured his father's permis- 
 sion to enter a machine shop where he could 
 be instructed in mechanical engineering, spend- 
 ing his days among the whirring of wheels and 
 the turning of great lathes, and his evenings 
 in his father's study, just as much absorbed in 
 works on physiology and anatomy. As a result 
 of his work in the machine shop, he invented 
 and patented several valuable devices, one of 
 these being a fare-box for cars and another 
 being a street railway switch. The latter he 
 introduced in the street railway system at Buf- 
 falo, New York, and it is yearly becoming more 
 and more used on all street railway lines. 
 
 Until he was 20 years old. Dr. Tupper read 
 medicine under his able father, and then en- 
 
 tered the office of Dr. Frank Hamilton, who at 
 that time was professor of surgery in the Buf- 
 falo Medical School. He thus enjoyed more 
 than usual advantages, as he had full access 
 during his term of study with Dr. Hamilton, to 
 the Sisters' General Hospital. He then entered 
 the Edward Street Female Hospital at Buffalo, 
 where he combined study and practice for some 
 two years and was graduated from the Buffalo 
 Medical School in February, 1862. 
 
 The young surgeon found a coveted open- 
 ing in the Civil War, then in progress, and, first 
 as assistant and later as full surgeon, with rank 
 of major, he entered an Ohio regiment and was 
 assigned to service in a battery of the Sixth 
 Division of the Army of the Tennessee. Dr. 
 Tupper remained with his battery until he 
 reached Corinth, Mississippi, participating in 
 the meanwhile in the battles of Pittsburg Land- 
 ing. Farmington and Corinth, and in many 
 minor engagements. His preceptor, Dr. Ham- 
 ilton, had gone into the service in order to make 
 a special study of gunshot wounds. Both sub- 
 sequently left the army and Dr. Hamilton lo- 
 cated in New York City, where he became a 
 great surgical authority. 
 
 In 1863, Dr. Tupper became interested 
 with Samuel Bolton, a capitalist and lumber- 
 man of Philadelphia, in the manufacture of 
 salt in the Saginaw Valley, building and oper- 
 ating a salt-block in connection with a sawmill 
 
368 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 which they had purchased. Without technical 
 language, their plan was to use exhaust steam 
 from the mill and also use the slabs and saw- 
 dust to keep up the required amount of heat to 
 crystalize the salt. The plan proved successful 
 and was quickly adopted by others and is still 
 used in the salt-blocks of the Saginaw Valley. 
 
 By this time Bay City had grown into quite 
 a village and Dr. Tupper was recalled to his 
 profession, for years being the only accredited 
 surgeon in all this locality, for 15 years travel- 
 ing all over this territory to answer calls for 
 liis surgical skill, and even continued to prac- 
 tice until the close of his life. After the gradu- 
 ation of his nephew, Dr. Virgil L. Tupper, 
 from medical school, he had delegated his night 
 work to the latter and had gradually retired 
 from practice, but many of the older families 
 could never feel safe in any other medical hands 
 than those of the older doctor, who had so 
 faithfully ministered to them. His death oc- 
 curred on April 16, 1902. 
 
 On December 24, 1862, the year of his 
 graduation from the Buffalo Medical School, 
 Dr. Tupper was married to Elizabeth Trinder, 
 a refined and cultured English lady, who is a 
 daughter of William Trinder, of Chadlington, 
 Oxfordshire, England. After her father's 
 death, her mother married again and died at 
 Bridgeport, Connecticut. Dr. and Mrs. Tup- 
 per had one son, Horace Tupper, Jr., who is an 
 attorney at Bay City. 
 
 The late Dr. Tupper was always identified 
 with the Republican party and was something 
 of a politician, although he never was willing 
 to accept political honors. He was actively in- 
 terested in the Grand Army of the Republic 
 and served as commander of the H. P. Merrill 
 Post at Bay City. In all medical progress in 
 this section, he was a leader for years. With 
 Dr. Thomas he organized the Bay County Med- 
 ical Society and was one of the organizers of 
 
 the Michigan State Medical Society. He was 
 one of the valued members of the American 
 ]\Iedical x\ssociation and seldom missed one of 
 its meetings and continually contributed to its 
 literature. He had many pleasant social con- 
 nections and the Tupper home has long been 
 known as a center of literary refreshment and 
 refined hospitality. 
 
 In this beautiful home; in the homes of 
 others to which his presence brought comfort 
 and healing ; along the city streets ; in the con- 
 ventions where men of science prove their mar- 
 velous discoveries; at the meetings of civic 
 bodies and boards of public charities ; and in a 
 hundred other avenues of honor and usefulness, 
 this great-hearted, kind, genial, able man will 
 long be remembered. 
 
 E. JENNISON, president of the 
 Jennison Hardware Company, of 
 Bay City, Michigan, is one of the 
 city's early business men and rep- 
 resentative citizens. He was born in 1829, at 
 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and is a son of Wil- 
 liam Jennison, who removed to New York City 
 when our subject was five years old. 
 
 William Jennison engaged there in the iron 
 business in the metropolis under the firm name 
 of Mackey, Oakley & Jennison. His home was 
 in Brooklyn, but his death occurred in the city 
 of Philadelphia. 
 
 C. E. Jennison came to Lower Saginaw 
 (now Bay City) in 1850 and entered into gen- 
 eral business in partnership with James Eraser. 
 In 1864 he sold his other interests and entered 
 into the hardware line, but is no longer active 
 in its work, the business being under the man- 
 agement of William F., G. B. and D. M. Jen- 
 nison. Formerly, Mr. Jennison was interested 
 in other industries of this section and was one 
 of the first to engage in the salt business. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 369 
 
 For many years after coming to this city, 
 Mr. Jennison took a very prominent part in 
 its development along all lines, and he served 
 on civic bodies and assisted in the founding of 
 the present school system. Politically he has 
 always been in sympathy with the Republican 
 party. In earlier years he was active in the 
 IMasonic and other fraternal societies. 
 
 Mr. Jennison was married to Florence Bir- 
 ney, who is the surviving daughter of the late 
 Hon. James G. Birney, of national fame. 
 
 VMES FRASER, deceased, one of the 
 original proprietors of Lower Sagi- 
 naw, IMichigan, and one of the orig- 
 inal promoters of Bay City, was born 
 in Inverness, Scotland, February 5, 1S03. His 
 father was a British soldier in early life and 
 participated in the war against the French in 
 1796. He lost his leg at the Island of St. Luce, 
 and thereafter received a pension from the 
 British government. His wife survived him 
 some years, and spent the last year of her life 
 with her son at Saginaw and her daughter at 
 Lower Saginaw, dying in 1850. 
 
 When James Eraser was quite young, he 
 engaged in business for himself, early showing 
 those qualities which enabled him in later years 
 to overcome successive reverses and rise tri- 
 umphant to a station among the foremost finan- 
 ciers of his section of the State. He had no 
 early educational advantages and frequently 
 in the days of his youth waded barelegged 
 through snow to carry a message to earn his 
 ha' penny, and daily took a brick of turf under 
 his arm to the village school as fuel for the fire. 
 He achieved some success in his native country 
 and upon coming to America in 1829 was pos- 
 sessed of several thousand dollars. His first 
 business venture, however, was not a success. 
 
 In company with two or three Scotchmen, he 
 attempted to build a sawmill in Rochester, Oak- 
 land County, Michigan. He spent his first 
 winter in this country making preparations. 
 They paid exhorbitant prices for materials and 
 supplies and in the spring found their funds 
 about exhausted, necessitating the abandon- 
 ment of their enterprise. Mr. Eraser's experi- 
 ence proved costly though valuable in the les- 
 sons it taught, for he had only $100 left of the 
 money he brought to this country. With this 
 sum he went to Detroit, established a small 
 grocery and made money rapidly. In the fall 
 of 1833, he moved to the vicinity of Saginaw 
 and occupied a piece of land along the Tittaba- 
 wassee River, which he had previously pur- 
 chased. At this time there was only an Indian 
 trail between Flint and Saginaw, and the trip 
 had to be made on horseback or on foot. He 
 took his family with him; his wife, being then 
 but 17 years old and having an infant in her 
 arms, was pulled along on a sort of sled, al- 
 though it was not winter time and there was no 
 snow on the ground. After seeing his family 
 well-located, he returned to Detroit to purchase 
 cattle for his farm. W'hile driving the cattle 
 on foot, between Flint and Saginaw they be- 
 came wild and left the trail. He ran after 
 them until he was tired out and heated, when 
 he took off his coat and carried it. Finding 
 what he thought to be the trail, he hung his 
 coat on a shrub, while he ran to head off the 
 cattle from again going astray. But when he 
 returned to get his coat, he could not find it, al- 
 though he searched for it several hours. After 
 he had become a very wealthy man he used to 
 tell that that was his severest loss, as the pocket 
 of that coat contained $500, all the money he 
 had in the world. He cleared some land and 
 planted an orchard, which became the most 
 flourishing in this section of the State. In the 
 division of his estate after his death, this farm 
 
370 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 went to his daughter, — Mrs. A. B. Paine, of 
 Saginaw. He found locating and deahng in 
 government lands more profitable than farm- 
 ing, and devoted his energies to that end, re- 
 moving with his family to Saginaw in 1836. 
 In 1835 and 1836 land in good locations 
 brought big prices, and his keen foresight 
 and good judgment enabled him to multiply 
 his fortune. In 1836, he was one of the pro- 
 moters of the Saginaw Bay Company, which 
 purchased the site of Bay City, but the panic 
 of 1837 wrecked the company and most of the 
 stockholders. 
 
 His remarkable record in business from 
 1835 to 1838 and the fact that he withstood 
 the panic^ which carried nearly all down to 
 ruin, marks him as a master of finance. He 
 bought lands when they were cheap and held 
 them until they greatly increased in value. 
 After the failure of the Saginaw Bay Com- 
 pany, in association with several others he pur- 
 chased considerable scrip and became one of the 
 proprietors of Lower Saginaw. In 1845, ^''^ 
 built a water-mill on the Kawkawlin River and 
 began the manufacture of lumber. During the 
 next three years he was interested in building 
 and operating two steam sawmills on the Sag- 
 inaw River, and later a steam-mill on the Kaw- 
 kawlin River. He succeeded Judge Riggs as 
 Indian farmer, the only office he ever held for 
 which he received pay. 
 
 About 1857 he and his family removed to 
 Lower Saginaw (now Bay City) and here in a 
 commodious mansion was dispensed a most 
 liberal hospitality. In this city his energies 
 were devoted not alone to private enterprises. 
 but to public improvements as well. The 
 church edifice on Washington street, in which 
 the Baptists worshiped, was almost wholly a 
 gift from him. About the last of his business 
 enterprises was the erection of the Fraser 
 House at the corner of Center and Water 
 
 streets, which he did not live to see completed. 
 In 1864, feeling the necessity of rest and quiet 
 after so many years of activity, he retired with 
 his family to Brooklyn, New York, where 
 they resided a few months, then removed to 
 Westport, Connecticut, where he resided until 
 his death on January 28, 1866. His last sick- 
 ness came on as an ordinary cold and developed 
 into typhoid pneumonia, from which he never 
 recovered. His death was sadly mourned in 
 Bay City, where the impress of his deeds and 
 accomplishments stand as a monument to his 
 memory. His remains were buried at W^est- 
 port, Connecticut, but were afterward removed 
 to Elm Lawn Cemetery, Bay City. 
 
 In 1832, Mr. Fraser was united in marriage 
 with Elizabeth Busby, a young English woman 
 of more than ordinary attractions who came 
 to this country with her parents in 1831. She 
 was born in London, England, March 23, 1817, 
 and was a daughter of James and Ann (Perry) 
 Busby. James Busby was a native of Somer- 
 setshire, and was reared on a farm. He came 
 to this country with his family and first settled 
 in Detroit, then removed to Saginaw in 1833, 
 he and James Fraser taking up farms on oppo- 
 site sides of the river. He died at Saginaw in 
 1840. He married Ann Perry, also a native 
 of England and a daughter of Joseph and 
 Sarah (Brittain) Perry. To this union came 
 the following offspring: Joseph, who died at 
 De Land, Florida, January 29, 1905, aged 92- 
 years ; James ; Elizabeth, wife of James Fraser ;• 
 Thomas, of Ypsilanti, Michigan ; Lucy, de- 
 ceased, who first married Ebenezer W. Perry, 
 and, after the latter's death, married a Mr. 
 Shaw; and Edward, who lives in New York 
 City. Mrs. Fraser was a devout Christian and 
 a member of St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal 
 Church of Detroit. She died in 1848, aged 31 
 years to a day. James Fraser and his wife 
 became the parents of the following children : 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 ^7-1 
 
 Alexander D., born October 6, 1833, deceased 
 in 1850; Annie, born July 30, 1836, wbo is the 
 widow of William McEwan, a record of whose 
 life appears elsewhere in this work ; Elizabeth, 
 born August 31, 1838, who is the wife of Elias 
 B. Dennison, of Mobile, Alabama ; Jennie, born 
 October 11, 1842, and deceased in 1900, who 
 was the wife of Alderman B. Paine, who died 
 in 1904; John J., born December 4, 1844, de- 
 ceased in 1866; and William Wallace, born 
 March 14, 1848, deceased in 1862. 
 
 On October 28, 1850, Mr. Eraser formed 
 a second marriage, with Susan Moulton, of 
 Westfiort, Connecticut, a woman of beautiful 
 character and during his life she continued his 
 faithful helpmeet. The life and character of 
 Mr. Eraser were above reproach. He was a 
 man of untiring energy and perseverance, and 
 once having determined upon a policy he 
 fought his way to the end, overcoming obsta- 
 cle after obstacle. Eew are possessed of the 
 hardihood and courage required by the kind 
 of life he led. The volume of his business 
 would be considered enormous even at the 
 present day, when we have modern facilities 
 such as railroads and telegraphs. He had a 
 retentive memory and although for years his 
 head was his ledger, he transacted his affairs 
 with the utmost exactness as to details. In his 
 intercourse with men he was most genial 
 and pleasant, and enjoyed the friendship of 
 everyone. 
 
 ON. NATHAN B. BRADLEY, the 
 first mayor of Bay City, Michigan, 
 ex-Member of Congress, founder and 
 head of the firm of N. B. Bradley 
 & Sons, and for a great many years one 
 of the most active business men of Bay 
 County, was born in Lee, Berkshire Coun- 
 ty, Massachusetts, on May 28, 1831. The Sag- 
 21 
 
 inaw Valley has had few lumber men who have' 
 operated so long and successively as has Mr. 
 Bradley. 
 
 The father of the subject of this sketch was- 
 a native of Massachusetts, where he was en- 
 gaged in the tanning business until 1835. In 
 that year he removed to Ohio, where the sub- 
 ject of this sketch attended the common schools. 
 After finishing his schooling, Nathan B. Brad- 
 ley began at the age of 16 years to learn the 
 trade of a custom clothier. Having mastered 
 this trade, he journeyed to Wisconsin in the' 
 fall of 1849 ''"d there secured employment in 
 a sawmill. He returned to Ohio in 1850 and 
 in partnership with a brother engaged in the 
 sawmill business until 1852. In that year Mr. 
 Bradley came to Michigan. After living three 
 years near Lexington, in Sanilac County, he 
 removed in 1855 to St. Charles, in the Sagi- 
 naw Valley, where he took a position as super- 
 intendent of a lumbering plant. In 1858 he 
 removed to Lower Saginaw (now Bay City), 
 and in the following year assumed the manage- 
 ment of what was then called the "Erost & 
 Bradley Mill." After managing this mill in 
 1859, he rented and operated it in i860, and in 
 1861, with two of his brothers, purchased it 
 and operated it under the name of N. B. Brad- 
 ley & Company. The manufacture of salt was 
 added to the lumber business in 1864 when this 
 company built the first modern steam salt-block 
 in the Saginaw Valley. It was located near the 
 foot of 1 6th street, in Bay City. This company 
 afterw^ard built two other blocks in connection 
 with the lumber business, and was successfully 
 engaged in the manufacture of lumber and 
 salt until 1891. The firm of N. B. Bradley & 
 Company was composed of Nathan B. and his 
 two brothers, Charles and Erederick E., of 
 Chicago. About the year 1878, Frederick E. 
 withdrew- and Nathan B: and Charles continued 
 under the original company name and style 
 
Z72 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 until about the year 1880 or 1881 when, Charles 
 having previously died, Nathan B. took his two 
 sons into the business as partners, under the 
 name of N. B. Bradley & Sons, which firm is 
 still in business in Bay City. Mr. Bradley was 
 -one of the active organizers of the Bay County 
 Salt Association, and was for 3'ears a director 
 -therein and for some years treasurer thereof. 
 ;He also took a prominent part in the early de- 
 velopment of the beet sugar industry, which 
 has since grown to large proportions. 
 
 In January, 1867, Mr. Bradley engaged in 
 the banking business in association with B. E. 
 Warren. On the reorganization of the First 
 National Bank of Bay City after its failure, he 
 became one of the stockholders and served as 
 vice-president of the institution for several 
 years. 
 
 Mr. Bradley's political career has been ex- 
 tended and honorable, and he has rendered val- 
 uable service to his city, county and State. In 
 1865, when Bay City was incorporated, he was 
 -elected its first mayor. In the fall of 1866 he 
 -was elected to the State Senate, and in 1872 
 -was elected to the 43rd Congress, in which he 
 was a member of the committee on public lands 
 and rendered valuable service thereon. While 
 in Congress, he secured appropriations for 
 dredging the channel of the Saginaw River 
 and for improving other harbors in his district. 
 This work was of prime importance. Mr. 
 Bradley was also a member of the 44th Con- 
 gress, and served on the committee on claims, 
 -on which he maintained a creditable record. 
 During these two sessions of Congress, he rep- 
 resented what was then the 8th Congres- 
 sional District of Michigan, since which time 
 the district has been divided and Bay City is 
 now in the loth Congressional District. 
 
 The subject of this sketch joined the Ma- 
 sons in 1853. He is a demitted member of 
 Bay City Commandery, Knights Templar, and 
 
 was a charter member of Bay City and Joppa 
 lodges, F. & A. M., and of Blanchard Chap- 
 ter, R. A. M. 
 
 HE OLD SECOND NATIONAL 
 
 BANK of Bay City has long been 
 considered one of the leading finan- 
 cial institutions of the Saginaw Val- 
 ley. It has age, experience and capital to back 
 it. It was organized May 5, 1874, with a capi- 
 tal of $100,000, with 30 original shareholders, 
 of whom only two are now living in Bay City. 
 Of the other 28 original members, 14 have re- 
 moved to other points and the hand of Death 
 has laid the others low. The great institution 
 they founded, however, continues to grow 
 along the same lines of conservatism and safety 
 that its founders laid out. 
 
 The first board of directors of the Second 
 National Bank, by which title the bank was 
 known during the life of its first charter, in- 
 cluded these prominent citizens: W. H. Sage; 
 John McGraw; William Westover; A. J. 
 Cooke ; Wheeler L. Plum ; Judge Albert Miller ; 
 W. H. Tonsey and George E. Smith, all of Bay 
 City; and F. F. Hyatt, William L. Smith and 
 Alexander McFarlen, of Flint, Michigan. The 
 first officers were : William Westover, presi- 
 dent ; John McGraw, vice-president ; and 
 Wheeler L. Plum, cashier. The first banking 
 office was situated on the corner of Fourth and 
 Water streets. Bay City. In the fall of 1876, 
 the office was moved to No. 723 North Water 
 street, at the foot of Center avenue. The first 
 commercial deposit was made by A. Hyman, a 
 clothing merchant of Bay City. 
 
 The first change came about upon the death 
 of Wheeler L. Plum, on January 10, 1878, 
 when Martin INI. Andrews was elected to suc- 
 ceed as cashier. On the first of the following 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 373 
 
 May, 1878, the State Bank, an old-established 
 institution, consolidated with, or was absorbed 
 by, the Second National Bank, with the follow- 
 ing official staff : \\' illiam Westover, president ; 
 Alonzo Chesbrough, vice-president ; Orrin 
 Bump, Cashier; and M. M. Andrews, assistant 
 •cashier. 
 
 The banking office was now removed to 
 the Westover Opera House Block, on the cor- 
 ner of ^Vashington and Center avenues. This 
 building was destroyed by fire on January 17, 
 1886, and was replaced by the present stately 
 and commodious structure. At the time of 
 uniting with the State Bank, the capital was 
 increased to $200,000, and at a later date, to 
 $250,000. On May 5, 1894, the first charter 
 expired and the bank was reorganized under 
 its present title, — The Old Second National 
 Bank. 
 
 During the first 20 years of its charter ex- 
 istence, the bank enjoyed a large share of the 
 business patronage of the community at a 
 time when the lumbering interests of this 
 part of the State were in the most 
 flourishing condition. Shareholders were paid 
 regular dividends of five per cent., semi- 
 annually, and at the close of the 20 years 
 they were paid, in addition to the par value 
 of stock, 50 cents on the dollar in accrued 
 profits. The Old Second National Bank began 
 business with a capital of $400,000, but during 
 the panic of 1897-99 it ^'^'^s conservatively re- 
 duced to its present amount, — $200,000. 
 
 The new bank officials, after the above re- 
 organization, were: Orrin Bump, president; 
 D. C. Smalley, vice-president; Martin M. An- 
 'drews, cashier; and Charles M. Bump, assist- ! 
 ant cashier. In July, 1899, D. C. Smalley died 
 and was succeeded by Capt. James E. David- 
 son as vice-president. On May 31. 1903, Pres- 
 ident Orrin Bump retired on account of fail- 
 ing health, and Capt. James E. Davidson be- 
 
 came president and Frank P. Chesbrough. vice- 
 president. Mr. Bump, who had so long been 
 executive head of the bank and its active man- 
 ager, removed to California, and M. M. An- 
 Andrews became the manager. At the annual 
 meeting on January 10, 1905, Capt. James E. 
 Davidson was elected president; Frank T. 
 Woodworth, vice-president; and John L. Stod- 
 dard and George B. Jennison, directors. In 
 addition to the two directors just named, the 
 board is made up as follows : Edgar B. Foss, 
 Capt. James E. Davidson, Frank P. Ches- 
 brough, Frank T. Woodworth and Martin M. 
 Andrews. 
 
 Since its organization this bank has shown 
 a steady growth. At the close of business on 
 December 31, 1877, the daily statement showed 
 amount of bills discounted to be $180,888 and 
 deposits $141,566. In November, 1904, the 
 bank statement showed : Bills discounted, 
 $897,613.00, and deposits, $196,725.00. Dur- 
 ing the first 10 years of the present 
 corporate existence, — from May 5, 1894, 
 to May 5, 1904, — the shareholders were paid 
 $113,000 in dividends. In addition to that, 
 there were credited to surplus fund $75,000, 
 with still a balance of over $46,000 to credit of 
 undivided profits. Thus it will be seen that 
 the bank has well sustained its reputation of 
 being one of the leading financial institutions 
 of this section of the State. 
 
 lLLl.\:\t D. FITZHUGH. The late 
 William D. Fitzhugh was identi- 
 fied so closely \\ith the early inter- 
 ests of the Saginaw \'alley, to 
 which he came with his bride in 1849, that a 
 history of the notable men of Bay County, men 
 whose enterprise, energy, judgment and capital 
 contributed to its development, must include 
 
374 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 his name among the leading characters. Mr. 
 Fitzhugh came of a family of substance and 
 influential connections. He was born in Liv- 
 inston County, New York, and was a son of 
 Dr. Daniel Hughes Fitzhugh and Anne Frisby 
 Dana, his wife. 
 
 William D. Fitzhugh was descended on his 
 father's side from William Fitzhugh, of Bed- 
 ford, England, who was born in 1570. The 
 latter's son, Henry Fitzhugh, also of Bedford, 
 was born in 161 5. Col. William Fitzhugh, son 
 of Henry and great-great-great-grandfather of 
 the subject of this writing, was born in Bed- 
 ford, England, in 1651, and was the first of the 
 family to locate in this country, settling in 
 Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was mar- 
 ried to Sarah Tucker on May i, 1674, and died 
 in Virginia, in 1701. His son, George Fitz- 
 hugh, of Stafford County, Virginia, married 
 Mary Mason. Col. William Fitzhugh, of Staf- 
 ford County, Virginia, the son of George and 
 great-grandfather of our subject, was born 
 January 11, 1721, and died February 11, 1798. 
 He married Mrs. Anne Rousby, nee Frisby, 
 of Cecil County, Maryland, January 7, 1752. 
 She was born September 15, 1727, and died 
 March 26, 1793. 
 
 Col. William Fitzhugh, the grandfather of 
 our subject and son of the Col. William Fitz- 
 hugh just named, was born in Calvert County, 
 Maryland, October 6, 1761, and died Decem- 
 ber 29, 1839. His wife, Ann Hughes, to whom 
 he was married October 18, 1789, was born 
 April I, 1 77 1, and died March 28, 1828. Col. 
 William Fitzhugh, with his friends and neigh- 
 bors, Nathaniel Rochester and Charles Carroll, 
 visited Western New York in 181 5, after tak- 
 ing part in the War of 1812; they purchased 
 lands in Livingston County, including the site 
 of the present city of Rochester, which was 
 named in honor of one of the party. Colonel 
 
 Fitzhugh settled his family in Livingston 
 County in the following year. 
 
 Dr. Daniel Hughes Fitzhugh, the father 
 of our subject and son of Col. William Fitz- 
 hugh, of Livingston County, New York, was. 
 was born April 20, 1 794, in Washington Coun- 
 ty, Maryland, near Hagerstown. He studied 
 medicine and secured his degree but never fol- 
 lowed the profession, having become interested 
 in land values at an early date and continuing 
 to be thus interested until his death, which 
 occurred April 23, 1881, at the age of 87 years. 
 
 On April 11, 1820, Dr. Daniel Hughes 
 Fitzhugh was married to Anne Frisby Dana,, 
 who was born at Geneva, New York, Decem- 
 ber 22, 1803, and who died February 21, 1850. 
 To Dr. Fitzhugh and wife were born 10 chil- 
 dren, four of whom still survive. Mrs. Fitz- 
 hugh was a daughter of Capt. William Pultney 
 Dana, who was born in Shrewsbury, England, 
 July 13, 1776, and who was married in April, 
 1802, to Anne Frisby Fitzhugh ; the last named 
 was born in Calvert County, Maryland, in 1782, 
 and died in Geneva, New York, in January, 
 1804. Captain Dana died in Shrewsbury, Eng- 
 land, June 29, 1 86 1. He was a son of Rev. 
 Edmund Dana, who was born at Cambridge, 
 Massachusetts, November 18, 1739, graduated 
 from Harvard in 1759, and was married about 
 1765 to Helen Kinnaird. Rev. Edmund 
 Dana lived during great portion of his life in 
 England, where he died May 7, 1823. He 
 was a son of Richard Dana, who was born at 
 Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1699, gradu- 
 ated from Harvard in 1718 and died in 1772. 
 The wife of Richard Dana was Lydia Trow- 
 bridge, of Boston, Massachusetts. His father 
 was named Daniel Dana. 
 
 Li the period just preceding the admission 
 of Michigan to statehood, a great exodus from 
 the East took place to a locality which was- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 O/ D 
 
 justly represented to be one of the finest farm- 
 ing districts of the Union, in aildition to being 
 rich in mineral wealth and transportation facil- 
 ities. Among those who came to see this land 
 of promise for themselves, were a little party 
 of capitalists from Livingston County, New 
 York, who made the trip in 1834. Satisfied as 
 to the future of this country, then but a dense 
 woodland wilderness, they invested in large 
 tracts of land, Dr. Fitzhugh and Judge Charles 
 H. Carroll buying many acres in the rich Sag- 
 inaw Valley. After the admission of Michigan 
 to the Union, in 1837, and the establishment 
 of a stable government, Dr. Fitzliugh pur- 
 chased more land, becoming possessed of all 
 that tract along the river which is now the site 
 of West Bay City, and later he became one of 
 the proprietary owners of Lower Saginaw 
 (now Bay City). 
 
 The late William D. Fitzhugh grew to 
 manhood surrounded with every influence to 
 develop his mental faculties and physical 
 strength. He remained in Livingston County 
 until his marriage in December, 1848, to Anne 
 Carroll. This lady is a daughter of the late 
 Hon. Charles H. and Alida (Van Rensselaer) 
 Carroll. Mrs. Fitzhugh was born at Utica, 
 New York, May i, 1828. Judge Carroll came 
 from a distinguished Maryland family, and 
 was born at Bellevue and was educated at 
 Georgetown. After his admission to the bar 
 in 1820, he settled in Livingston County, New 
 York, and there became prominent in law and 
 politics. He was the first judge of Livingston 
 County and served both as Representative and 
 as Senator from that county in the State Leg- 
 islature. He accompanied Dr. Fitzhugh in 
 his prospecting tri]) to the Saginaw Valley and 
 invested largely in land here. He had partici- 
 pated in the War of 181 2. For some 3'ears 
 prior to his death, in 1865, he had given his 
 
 whole attention to caring for his real estate in- 
 vestments. 
 
 William D. Fitzhugh and his bride came to 
 Michigan in 1849 '^"^l were among the earliest 
 settlers to found homes in this locality. Mr. 
 Fitzhugh was led to select this section in order 
 to look after his father's and his father-in- 
 law's landed interests, but he later became per- 
 sonally identified with the locality and the peo- 
 ple and to such an extent that Bay City has 
 always numbered him with her own representa- 
 tive men. In point of fact, Mr. Fitzhugh lived 
 in Bay County but four years, but continued 
 his identification with her interests as long as 
 he lived and testified, during his numerous 
 visits, to his devotion to her welfare and to his 
 pleasure in commingling with her people. 
 
 Shortly after coming here, Mr. Fitzhugh, in 
 company with a Mr. Alberta, made a complete 
 survey of all that portion of Michigan, includ- 
 ing Tuscola and the other counties adjacent 
 to Bay. He was quick to note public impt-ove- 
 ments needed and the great enterprise of drain- 
 ing Bay County was accomplished by following 
 his example of extensive ditching. While 'Mr. 
 Fitzhugh resided at Bay City, the great cholera 
 epidemic, swept the country and it is still re- 
 called how he accompanied and assisted his 
 friend, the noble Dr. August Nabert, in caring 
 for the sick and in burying the dead. Mr. Fitz- 
 hugh survived his humanitarian labors, but his 
 friend was a victim. During one season, in 
 order to ensure the carrying of the mail from 
 Saginaw to Bay City, Mr. Fitzhugh attended 
 to this public duty himself. He was super\-i- 
 sor of his township and many of the early im- 
 provements were inaugurated by and through 
 his personal efforts. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Fitzhugh's first residence in 
 Bay City was located on the corner of Third 
 and Water streets, the seventh dwelling erected 
 
3/6 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 within the corporation limits. It was built by 
 his brother, Daniel Fitzhugh, Jr., and was 
 destroyed by fire in 1850. In the following 
 year he built a new home on the corner of loth 
 street and Washington avenue, the present site 
 of the City Hall, a spot then surrounded by a 
 dense forest. After Mr. Fitzhugh decided to 
 return to his native surroundings, his brother 
 purchased this house and subsequently sold it 
 to the city. 
 
 In those early days, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzhugh 
 were not only the center of social life here, 
 but were also leading factors in the organiza- 
 tion of religious affairs and educational oppor- 
 tunities. They were the founders of Trinity 
 Protestant Episcopal Church and Mrs. Fitz- 
 hugh was one of five communicants who at- 
 tended the first service held in Saginaw, and 
 still holds her membership with Trinity Church 
 here. For some years she has resided in Bay 
 City with her daughter, Mrs. Richard F. Con- 
 over, Mr. Fitzhugh having died in Livingston 
 County, New York, in 1889. Of their eight 
 children, six grew to maturity and three still 
 survive, viz : Anne Dana, who is the wife of 
 Judge Hamilton ]\Iercer Wright, of Bay City; 
 Cornelia, who is the wife of Richard Field Con- 
 over, a prominent business man of Bay City ; 
 and Edward F., who is a resident of Idaho. 
 
 Mrs. Fitzhugh's recollections of a half- cen- 
 tury ago are clear and her relation of them 
 gives a vi\"id picture of times and conditions 
 which it would take pages of this history to 
 record. The time is not so long, measuring by 
 years, but in the light of achievements, how 
 remote it seems ! ^\dlen she and her husband 
 came to this section, it was very close to the be- 
 ginning of the history of Bay City. She has 
 in her possession a number of legal papers with 
 the signatures of Presidents Jackson and Van 
 Buren, relative to the lands purchased by her 
 father and the Fitzhughs, 
 
 In 1878, Mr. and ]\Irs. Fitzhugh deeded to 
 the city a valuable tract of land to be used for 
 a public park. This land was formerly owned 
 by Judge Carroll, her father, and was pre- 
 sented to her by him. In turn she gave it tO' 
 Bay City, under the name of Carroll Park, and 
 this public improvement will continue for all 
 time to recall not only her honored father, but 
 a lady whose beautiful life and character have 
 endeared her greatly to those in the midst of 
 whom she has chosen to spend the e^•ening 
 of life. 
 
 \RTIX :Sl. ANDREWS, cashier 
 and manager of the Old Second 
 National Bank of Bay City, I\Iich- 
 igan, is a citizen whose business 
 ability, civic usefulness and social qualities 
 have brought him into justifiable prominence 
 in Bay City. Mr. Andrews was born near 
 Flint, Michigan, April 12, 1839, and is a son 
 of Capt, Bushnell and ]\Iary (Mason) An- 
 drews. 
 
 Capt. Bushnell Andrews was born and 
 reared in New York, where his military title 
 was obtained as a commander of State militia. 
 He was a very early settler in Genesee County, 
 Michigan, becoming an extensive and success- 
 ful farmer in the vicinity of Flint. Both he 
 and his wife died there, the latter surviving- 
 until the age of 90 years. Their children em- 
 braced two sons and one daughter. 
 
 Martin M. Andrews completed the public 
 school course at Flint, and then entered Ober- 
 lin College. Ohio, in 1859, where the outbreak 
 of the Civil War found him a student. An- 
 swering the first call for troops, Mr. Andrews- 
 enlisted on May 20, 1861, in a company com- 
 posed entirely of college students, mustered 
 into the United States service as Company C, 
 Seventh Reg., 
 
 Ohio Vol. Inf. He was pro- 
 
MAJ. L. G. WILCOX 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 379 
 
 moted to ist sergeant, and during the last year 
 of their first term of enhstment was in com- 
 mand of his company. He was then commis- 
 sioned 1st Heutenant and appointed adjutant 
 of tlie 185th Regiment, Ohio Vol. Inf.; for 
 gallant conduct he was later commissioned cap- 
 tain, and w-as honorably discharged in 1865. 
 His service was one of much danger, hardship 
 and varied experience, including the battles of 
 Cedar Mountain, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, 
 Chattanooga and the Atlanta campaign, dur- 
 ing which time he was a thousand times in im- 
 minent danger and ^vas thrice wounded, fortu- 
 nately never seriously, as soldiers are accus- 
 tomed to reckon injury. His military record 
 is one to which he can refer with justifiable 
 pride. 
 
 When the time had come to put aside the 
 sword and resume peaceful pursuits. Captain 
 Andrews repaired to St. Louis, Missouri, and 
 accepted a position offered him by one of the 
 large wholesale hardware firms of that city. 
 In 1875 he came to Bay City, Michigan, and 
 associated himself with the Second National 
 Bank as bookkeeper, from which position he 
 was promoted to that of assistant cashier. The 
 bank's first charter expiring in 1894, it was 
 reorganized under the title of The Old Second 
 National Bank and }ilr. Andrews became 
 cashier. 
 
 Mr. .\ndrews' long and close association 
 with banking interests here has not excluded 
 him either from other business enterprises or 
 from taking a prominent part in civic improve- 
 ments. He has been of great service to the 
 city where his business capacity and high per- 
 sonal character made him representative. He 
 has been treasurer of the Building & Loan As- 
 sociation of Bay City since its organization. 
 For several terms he consented to serve as a 
 member of the board of education, but subse- 
 
 quently was obliged to resign on account of 
 the press of personal business. 
 
 The home of Mr. Andrews is one of the 
 beautiful and substantial ones of Bay City, 
 and his domestic circle is one of culture and re- 
 finement. He married Mary Plum, a native 
 of Flint, Michigan, and they have two charm- 
 ing, highly accomplished daughters, — Jessie I. 
 and Lora A. Both young ladies completed the 
 educational course offered by the Bay City 
 schools and subsequently graduated at Ober- 
 lin College, Ohio. They are highly gifted in 
 music and are very prominent in the city's 
 choice social life. 
 
 Mr. Andrews was one of the organizers of 
 the First Congregational Church of Bay City 
 and for years has taken a very active part in 
 its work. Recently he has given over a great 
 part of his Sunday-school work to his daugh- 
 ters. He is a very prominent member of the 
 Grand Army of the Republic and has been 
 commander of the post many times. He has 
 served on the staff of the State commander 
 and is identified at present with H. P. JNIorrill 
 Post. His other fraternal connections are with 
 the Royal League, the Royal Arcanum and the 
 Knights of the Macabees. 
 
 AJ. L. G. WTLLCOX, a distin- 
 guished niember of the bar of Bay 
 County, Michigan, residing in Bay 
 City, is now retired from active 
 practice. His career has l)een one of brilliancy 
 both in the military service of his country and 
 in the discharge of the duties of the various 
 offices he has been called upon to fill. He is a 
 native of Michigan, having been born in Avon 
 township, Oakland County, in 1834. He is a 
 son of L. J- and Ilopey (Green) Willcox, and 
 
38o 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 a scion of a family which has borne its part in 
 the development of this country from the colo- 
 nial period to the present date. His ancestors 
 fought in the Revolutionary War and the War 
 ■of 1812. 
 
 L. J. Willcox, father of our subject, was 
 born in Oneida County, New York, in 1803, 
 and in 1824 moved to Oakland County, Michi- 
 gan, traveling on foot. He settled in Avon 
 township where he became a leading business 
 man. He founded and for many years con- 
 ducted a flouring mill, furnishing a market for 
 the grain of the entire country from Lapeer 
 County to Ann Arbor. Late in life he sold his 
 mill and retired to his farm of 600 acres in 
 Avon township, where he resided until his 
 death in 1885, aged 82 years. He served as 
 supervisor of Avon township, but ne\'er was a 
 seeker for political preferment. His wife died 
 in 1834, at an early age. 
 
 The subject of this sketch received his pre- 
 liminary education in the public schools and in 
 the academy at Romeo. He then took the law 
 course at Hamilton College at Clinton, New- 
 York, from which he was graduated with the 
 degree of L. L. B. He then practiced law in 
 Detroit until the war broke out, when he orga- 
 nized a company of 150 men. He was com- 
 missioned captain and his company was en- 
 hsted at a part of the Third Regiment, Michi- 
 gan Vol. Cav., being sent to St. Louis for train- 
 ing. They then went to New Madrid, Mis- 
 souri, then to Island No. 10, and thence to 
 Pittsburg Landing and Shiloh. He partici- 
 pated in the siege of Corinth and went with 
 his regiment to Alabama, being placed in com- 
 mand at Tuscumbia. He took part in the bat- 
 tles of luka and Corinth, and in 1862 was ele- 
 vated to the rank of major. His command 
 accompanied Grant's army through Missis- 
 sippi to Granada, and his soldiers occupied 
 Oxford, where he served as provost-marshal at 
 
 the close of the campaign. They spent the win- 
 ter of 1862-63 in Tennessee, where they en- 
 gaged in frequent skirmishes. While encamped 
 near the city of Jackson in March, 1863, oc- 
 curred an incident which showed the diplomacy 
 of Major Willcox, as well as his ability to view 
 a subject broadly and without bias, and to pre- 
 sent his views in a manner to win the regard 
 even of his bitterest enemies. He was called upon 
 by G. D. Penn, who at one time was a captain 
 in the Confederate service; Rev. Mr. Harris, a 
 brother of the Confederate Governor of Ten- 
 nessee : and J. Hall and Mr. Pinkerton, the two 
 last named meeting their deaths later at the 
 hands of Confederate sympathizers. All were 
 residents of Lexington, Henderson County, 
 Tennessee. After a friendly conversation on 
 general topics relating to local affairs, one of 
 the party remarked: "Major, could our people 
 be made to see the condition of affairs as you 
 do, we think it would lead to a more friendly 
 feeling." The following corespondence soon 
 took place: 
 
 Lexington, Tenn., March 28. 1S63. 
 Major Willcox : 
 
 Dear Sir : — After consulting several citizens in this 
 vicinity, I found it met the approbation of all that you 
 should address them, and, thereupon, Thursday, April 
 2, 1863, was fixed upon for you to do so, and was so 
 published throughout the county. I would be much 
 pleased to have you call and make my house your home 
 while you are among us. The citizens are all anxious 
 for you to be here on that date, and I hope you will 
 make it convenient to be present. 
 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 G. D. Penn. 
 
 Camp Near Jackson, Tenn., March 28, 1863. 
 G. D. Penn, Esq., and others: 
 
 Gentlemen : — It will give me great pleasure to meet 
 the citizens of Henderson County. I accept your invi- 
 tation, not as a compliment to myself, but as an indi- 
 cation of patriotism and an earnest desire on your part 
 to mitigate the calamity of this terrible war and recon- 
 cile citizens who are now in open conflict with each 
 other. I will lend my tongue as readily as my sword 
 for the good of the cause; and I desire all, irrespective 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 381 
 
 of political opinions, to be present and assure you no 
 person conducting himself peaceably at the meeting, 
 whatever may be his sentiments or position, whether 
 he be a Confederate soldier or a Union man, shall be 
 molested, but will be permitted to depart as freely as 
 he comes. Let us have a good old-fashioned citizens' 
 meeting, without an element of war about it. 
 Your fellow-citizen, 
 
 L. G. WiLLCOX. 
 
 Western Tennessee was at that time over- 
 run by both Union and Confederate soldiers 
 and such an undertaking as the one proposed 
 involved no small risk. But after receiving 
 permission from the department commander, 
 Major Willcox accepted the invitation. Gen- 
 eral Kimball then in command advised him to 
 take a large force with him, but he went the 
 distance of 28 miles escorted by only eight men, 
 and addressed a large meeting composed of 
 Southern citizens, some of whom wore the 
 Confederate uniform. As a result of the meet- 
 ing, an earnest Union feeling was developed in 
 that section and a Union force was organized 
 in Western Tennessee. Twenty-four days 
 later, on April 2Gth, Lieutenant Bingham, 
 brother-in-law of our suliject. was killed on the 
 road a few miles from Lexington. From 
 Jackson the regiment made regular cavalry 
 expeditions through Mississippi. When the 
 term of service expired, the members returned 
 home and reorganized and then returned to the 
 field of battle. In the fall of 1864. Major Will- 
 cox's health failed and he resigned his com- 
 mission and returned to Detroit, where he re- 
 sumed the practice of his profession. He was 
 soon appointed register of the land ofiice at 
 Traverse City, Michigan, a position he filled 
 until 1870. Then because of ill health in his 
 family, they made a trip to California. In the 
 meantime, in connection with E. L. Sprague, he 
 had established and edited tlie Traverse Bay 
 Eagle. He served one term as prosecuting at- 
 torney and circuit court commissioner for An- 
 
 trim County, and later was appointed prosecut- 
 ing attorney for Emmet County. For several 
 years he was correspondent for the ll'esfeni 
 Rural and Chicago Tribune and other publica- 
 tions, and has always been a strong, versatile 
 and forceful writer. After his return from Cal- 
 ifornia, he practiced at Pontiac until appointed 
 receiver of public monies at Detroit. In the 
 summer of 1885 he became editor of the Bay 
 City Tribune, removing to this city at that 
 time. After a little more than a year, he was 
 appointed assistant prosecuting attorney for 
 Bay County, in which position he served two 
 years, and next became postinaster of Bay City. 
 His popularity is shown by the fact that the 
 committee appointed by the then Congressman 
 from this district to designate the choice of the 
 people, voted unanimously for him among 13 
 applicants. He assumed charge of the office 
 in May, 1889, receiving a commission for a 
 full term dating from January 8, 1890, and 
 served five years in all. 
 
 Major Willcox married Azubah Bingham, 
 who was born in Watertown, New York, and 
 is a daughter of Roswell Bingham, a native of 
 New Hampshire. They had three children : 
 George, a mechancal engineer and patent at- 
 torney of Bay City; Minnie B., deceased; and 
 Mabel, who died in infancy. Religiously, the 
 members of the Willcox family are Presbyte- 
 rians. The Major is past commander of Dick 
 Richardson Post, No. 147, G. A. R., of Pon- 
 tiac, Michigan; past commander of H. P. iler- 
 rill Post, No. 419, G. A. R., of Bay City ; adju- 
 tant of U. S. Grant Post, No. 67, G. A. R., of 
 Bay City; and a member of tlie Military Order 
 of the Loyal Legion of the United States; of 
 the National League of Veterans and Sons ; and 
 of Bay City Lodge No. 129, F. & A. M. He has 
 been a member of the Board of Education some 
 years, and was presidential elector-at-large 
 when IMcKinley was reelected in 1900. He is 
 
382 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 a fine orator and one of the best after-dinner 
 speakers in the State. He is a RepubHcan in 
 politics, but beheves in clean politics, and will 
 support no candidate whose methods and char- 
 acter are not above reproach. His portrait ac- 
 companies this sketch. 
 
 iNST FRANK, one of the prominent 
 citizens of Bay City, Michigan, senior 
 member of the firm of Ernst Frank 
 & Son, general insurance agents, was 
 born in Kuernbach. Baden, Germany, Sep- 
 tember II, 1829, and is a son of Rev. Johann 
 Heinrich and Augusta Dorothea Charlotte 
 (Scholl) Frank. 
 
 The Francke family, as the name was 
 spelled until the last generation, is one of great 
 antiquity. There are not many individuals 
 who can clearly trace an unbroken ancestry 
 as far back as the early part of the i6th century, 
 but Mr. Frank, our subject, enjoys this dis- 
 tinction. 
 
 The family is pure German. Hans Francke, 
 our subject's great-great-great-great-great- 
 grandfather, was born in Karlsdorf. He was 
 a landowner and farmer in Tautendorf, Sax- 
 on-Altenburg, and died August 31, 1590. On 
 February 9, 1574, in Tautendorf, he was mar- 
 ried to Katharina Mauers, a daughter of 
 George Mauers, in Tautendorf ; she died July 
 31, 1611. 
 
 Jakob Francke, the great-great-great-gre^t- 
 grandfather, died during a general epidemic, 
 in 1 64 1. It is recorded that he was twice mar- 
 ried, our subject being a descendant of the 
 second union, with Eva Pfessler, who died 
 December 8, 1665. 
 
 Johannes Francke. the great-great-great- 
 grandfather, was born February 23, 1627, and 
 died May 23, 1706. Flis first wife, Katharina, 
 
 died February 4, 1658. On June 20, 1659, in 
 Lindenkreuz, he was married to Marie Krah- 
 ner, daughter of Heinrich Kralmer. She was 
 the ancestress of our subject, and she died Au- 
 gust 22, 1700. 
 
 Jakob Francke, the great-great-grandfather, 
 was born July 15, 1677 and was buried July 8, 
 1755. He was a farmer and landowner. The 
 name of his wife was Christine and she was 
 buried July 22, 1739. 
 
 Gottfried Francke, the great-grandfather, 
 was born May 21, 1714, and was buried Octo- 
 ber 29, 1760. He was an extensive farmer in 
 Tautendorf. On September, 13, 1747, in Lin- 
 denkreuz, he was married to Rosine Beer, a 
 daughter of Andreas Beer. 
 
 Hans George Francke, our subject's grand- 
 father, was born November 30, 1750, in Tau- 
 tendorf, and died February 14, 1812, in Roda, 
 Saxon-Altenburg. On May 5, 1778, he was 
 married to Susanne Marie Linde, who was 
 born September i, 1756, in Poessnen, Saxon- 
 Altenburg, and died in Roda, December 12, 
 1799. 
 
 Rev. Johann Heinrich Frank, faher of our 
 subject, was born December 6, 1794, in Roda, 
 Saxon-Altenburg, and died October 8, 1864, in 
 Dietlingen, Baden. He married Auguste Doro- 
 thea Charlotte Scholl, who was born June 26, 
 1794, and died January 17, 1861, in Dietlingen, 
 Baden. She was a daughter of a prominent 
 preacher in Cochsheim, Baden. Rev. Joliann 
 H. Frank was a preacher in the German Luth- 
 eran Church. He was a scholarly man, hav- 
 ing been thoroughly educated at the University 
 of Jena, and at Heidelberg. 
 
 Ernst Frank was 21 years of age when he 
 came to America. He had been educated as 
 an optician and was skilled in the manufactur- 
 ing of mathematical and philosophical instru- 
 ments, as well as those of his trade, all of these 
 being almost entirely hand-made. He arrived 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 583 
 
 in New York City in April, 1851, and started 
 for Saginaw, Michigan, to visit his hrothers 
 and sisters, who hved on a farm about six miles 
 from the city of Saginaw. This year he de- 
 clared his intention to become a citizen of the 
 United States, as it was his intention to make 
 this country his home. He helped on the farm 
 until November, 1851, when he returned to 
 New York City to work at his occupation. 
 After reaching New York he was employ?d 
 first by Benjamin Pike & Sons, opticians, with 
 Avhom he continued for two years. In 1852 he 
 went to Louisville, Kentucky, and followed his 
 trade there for a short time, but in the fall of 
 the year 1854 he removed to Milwaukee, Wis- 
 consin, where he established a business. He 
 continued there until the spring of 1863, and 
 then came to Bay City. He opened here a cigar 
 and tobacco store and also did something in 
 the way of fire insurance, and continued this 
 business until 1875. ''vhen he disposed of his 
 store in order to give his whole attention to 
 insurance. 
 
 Several years after coming to Bay City, 
 in 1865, he was elected village treasurer, in the 
 year that the place took its present name of 
 Bay City. A special election was held and he 
 continued as treasurer for four years. An 
 active Democrat, Mr. Frank was frequently 
 appointed and elected to offices of responsibil- 
 ity. During the first administration of Presi- 
 dent Cleveland, he served as deputy postmaster 
 of Bay City, and in 1889 he was elected city 
 treasurer, and served four years in this office. 
 He also was supervisor of the town and served 
 two years as a member of the School Board. 
 
 After closing out his tobacco business, Mr. 
 Frank became the representative for many of 
 the leading insurance companies of the coun- 
 try, and at present represents 12 of the strong- 
 est fire insurance companies, among which may 
 
 be mentioned the Buffalo German ; Concordia 
 of Milwaukee; the Milwaukee Mechanics"; the 
 Prussian National, of Stettin, Germany; the 
 Cooper of Dayton, Ohio ; the Spring Garden 
 and the Mechanics' of Philadelphia ; and others. 
 He also represents the well-known and substan- 
 tial Germania Life Insurance Company of New 
 York, and occupies one of the finest offices in 
 Bay City, having a suite of rooms in the Crape- 
 Block. 
 
 Since 1902, Mr. Frank has had his son, 
 Ernst Edward Frank, in partnership with him, 
 and the business is conducted under the firm 
 name of Ernst Frank & Son. The younger 
 member of the firm was born in Bay City, June 
 II, 1875. His education was secured in the 
 common and high schools. Previous to becom- 
 ing associated with his father, he was employed 
 in a clerical position in one of the city banks. 
 
 Our subject was married October 20, 1859, • 
 to Emma Scheurmann, who was born in Baden, 
 Germany, February 21, 1840, and is a daughter 
 of Ernst Scheurmann, of Nagold-W'urtem- 
 burg. Eleven children were born to this union, 
 seven of whom reached maturity, namely : 
 Ottilie Sophie, born April 27, 1865, wdio mar- 
 ried William A. DeMars on January 5, 1893; 
 Bella Emilie, born March 19, 1869, who mar- 
 ried Charles Neil Ghent, of Alpena, Michigan, 
 on June 9, 1892; Emma Stephanie, born Jan- 
 uary 20, 1871, who married William J. Hogan, 
 of Warren, Pennsylvania, on February 19, 
 1901 ; Marie Lina, torn October 4, 1873. who 
 married Ubald R. Loranger, of Bay City, on 
 October 2, 1895; Ernst Edward, of Bay City; 
 Bertha Christiana, born April 4, 1877; and 
 ]\Iartha Johanna, born September 23, 1879, 
 who married Emil Etzold, of Bay City, on 
 June 9, 1904. The family belong to the Ger- 
 men Lutheran Church. It is one of the leading 
 German families of Bay City. 
 
384 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 OX. ANDREW CROSBY MAX- 
 WELL. After a long and useful 
 life of 70 years, crowned with hon- 
 ors and blessed with family affection 
 and public esteem, the late Judge Andrew 
 Crosby Maxwell died at his home in Bay City, 
 Michigan, on February 15, 1901. Judge Max- 
 well was born on July 11, 1831, at Pompey 
 Hill, X^ew York, and was a son of Robert and 
 Margaret (Crosby) Maxwell. 
 
 The parents of Judge ]\Iaxwell were born 
 and reared in Scotland, which country they left 
 on their wedding day, in the year 18 19, taking 
 passage for New York, which port they safely 
 reached and subsequently established a home 
 at Pompey Hill, where our subject was born. 
 In 1844 Robert Maxwell remo\ed with his 
 family to Oakland County, Michigan, where 
 he died in 1864. His widow died three years 
 later. Their family consisted of three sons and 
 five daughters, Andrew C. being the fourth 
 in order of birth. One of his brothers, Judge 
 Samuel Maxwell, became very distinguished, 
 a member of the Supreme Court of Nebraska 
 and a law lecturer in the University of Mich- 
 igan and X^orthwestern University at Chicago. 
 Until the family removed to Michigan, An- 
 drew C. ALaxwell attended the Pompey Hill 
 schools, and then assisted his father for a year 
 in clearing up the Michigan farm, returning 
 then for two years to New York, where he also 
 engaged in farm work. In 1847 ^^^ came again 
 to ]\Iichigan and worked for two years, earn- 
 ing the money with which to pursue certain 
 studies at Oberlin College, where he remained 
 until 1852. By this time his choice of life work 
 had been made and when he returned to Oak- 
 land County, he entered upon the study of the 
 law, under the direction of Lieutenant-Gov- 
 ernor O. D. Richardson. During the winter 
 of 1852-53, while teaching school in Lapeer 
 County, he continued his law studies and in 
 
 1853 was admitted to practice. In the fall of 
 
 1854 he was elected prosecuting attorney of 
 Lapeer County, an office he resigned after 
 capably filling it for one year. In 1857 he 
 moved with his family to Bay City. He had 
 been admitted to practice before the Supreme 
 Court at Washington, D. C, and frequently 
 argued before that august body. 
 
 In the meantime he had entered actively 
 into politics, identifying himself with the Dem- 
 ocratic party, which was not in the majority 
 in this section. His personal popularity, how- 
 ever, made him a formidable antagonist in the 
 political field, and in 1864 he was elected to 
 the State Legislature. In 1866 his party, on 
 the strength of his fine record in the lower 
 house, made him its candidate for the State 
 Senate, and in the ensuing contest at the polls 
 he came within a very few votes of election. 
 He continued to be one of the party leaders 
 and in 1876 he was sent as a delegate to the 
 Democratic X^ational Convention at St. Louis. 
 In 1882 he was again honored by being selected 
 by his party as their congressional standard- 
 bearer, but the Republican forces were too 
 strong in this section to allow any Democrat, 
 however popular, to be elected. His only other 
 public office was that of circuit judge to which 
 he was elected in 1893, a selection agreeable 
 to all factions. 
 
 During the many years that Judge Max- 
 well was active in public life, his personal char- 
 acter was never assailed nor his legal knowl- 
 edge or judicial impartiality questioned. He 
 was public-spirited to a marked degree and was 
 tireless in his efforts to secure good govern- 
 ment for Bay City and to promote her best in- 
 terests to the extent of his ability. It was 
 mainly through his efforts and influence that 
 the city secured the large government appro- 
 priation, wdnch assured the dredging of the 
 mouth of the Saginaw River for the first time. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 385 
 
 He also was mainly instrumental in securing 
 the construction of the famous stone roads of 
 Bay County and the Third street bridge between 
 Bay City and its neighbor across the river, — 
 West Bay City. 
 
 Judge Maxwell was a man of charming 
 personality, dignified and courteous in manner, 
 yet so filled with the milk of human kindness 
 that he is best recalled on account of his loyal 
 friendships and genial generosity. He had a 
 penchant for practical jokes and few of his 
 intimates could boast of ever excelling him in 
 this line. 
 
 In December, 1853, Judge Maxwell was 
 married to Sarah Hart, of Lapeer, Michigan, 
 w'ho died December 27, 1891. She was a 
 lovely Christian character, a daughter of Oliver 
 B. and Amanda (Harrison) Hart, a pioneer 
 family of Lapeer County. They had five chil- 
 dren, two of whom are living: Robert and 
 Jeannette. The former has large business in- 
 terests, both at Bay City and at Rochester, 
 New York, and divides his time between the 
 two points, spending his summers at Rochester 
 and his winters at Bay City. The daughter 
 is Mrs. James B. Hammond, of Boston, Mas- 
 sachusetts. In June, 1896, Judge Maxwell 
 married Mrs. Edna Merrill, of South Bay City, 
 wdio survives him. 
 
 VRUS A. GAIL, one of the promi- 
 nent and substantial citizens of Bay 
 County, Michigan, an experienced 
 lumberman and now filling the re- 
 sponsible position of head filer for the Diamond 
 Match Company of Biddeford, Maine, also 
 owns a fine farm of 80 acres, which is situated 
 in section 8, Merritt township. Mr. Gail was 
 born in Erie County, New York, Neveml)er 30. 
 1849. and is a son of Hugh A. and Electa M. 
 (McKeen) Gail. 
 
 The father of Mr. Gail was born in Erie 
 County, New York, and died in the Pennsylva- 
 nia oil regions in 1864, aged 45 years. He was 
 a farmer and well-digger and after coming to 
 Michigan, in 1861, he dug many wells and salt- 
 pits and subsequently was engaged in digging 
 oil-wells in Pennsylvania. The mother of Mr. 
 Gail has reached the age of 78 years and resides 
 at Pequaming, Michigan. The children in the 
 parental family were : Allen \V.,of Bay County ;. 
 Cyrus A., of this sketch ; Arthur A., Frank A. 
 and Edwin D., of Pequaming: Ida E. (!Mrs. 
 Sanders), of Mobile, Alabama; Ellen D. (Mrs. 
 Osterhout), deceased; and Annie, who died 
 young. 
 
 Cyrus A. Gail was seven years old when his 
 parents came to Bay City in the spring of 1861, 
 and he attended school here, during the winter 
 seasons, until he was 18 years of age. Since 
 the age of 11 years he has spent but one sea- 
 son out of a sawmill, beginning work at the 
 bottom of the ladder, making shingles at 50 
 cents a day. Now, as head filer with one of the 
 great corporations of the world, he commands 
 a large salary. Mr. Gail has held all interme- 
 diate positions, has been sawyer, superintend- 
 ent in the woods, foreman in the woods, pros- 
 pector and selector and was employed for three- 
 years as head filer in the "Spanish ]\Iills," on 
 Georgian Bay, Ontario. For a period of 10 
 years, he was paid at the rate of $6 per day 
 by N. B. Bradley, the great lumberman of this 
 section, and he still follows this business in 
 which he has become an expert. Some six years 
 ago, Mr. Gail purchased his farm for his 
 sons, who conduct general farming operations 
 upon it. 
 
 In 1872, Mr. Gail was married to Elnora 
 Rhodes, who was torn at Battle Creek, IMich- 
 igan, and died at Bay City, at the age of 30- 
 }ears. She was the mother of three children : 
 Hugh A., of Bay City; Louis H., living at 
 
.386 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 home; and Gertrude, who died aged 17 years. 
 In ^892, Mr. Gail married Carrie Darhng, who 
 was born November 20, 1850, in Seneca Coun- 
 ty, New York. She is a daughter of Lewis L. 
 and Jane (Miller) Darling, natives of Seneca 
 County. Mrs. Gail came to Bay County at the 
 age of 19 years. She is a member of the Bap- 
 tist Church at Bay City. 
 
 Mr. Gail has lived too busy a life of indi- 
 vidual effort to have had time to devote much 
 attention to politics. He is a valued member 
 ■of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at 
 Bay City. In time of service, Mr. Gail prob- 
 ably holds the record, in his line of head filer, 
 and his retention by the great company with 
 which he is connected places him at the head of 
 the list in point of skill. 
 
 RXST A. \MTTWER, M. D.. a phy- 
 sician and surgeon of Auburn, Bay 
 County, Michigan, was born in 
 Switzerland, February 27, 1876, and 
 attended the schools of Wurtemberg, to which 
 kingdom his father moved from Switzerland, 
 and later a gymnasium, which corresponds to a 
 high school of this country. He then attended 
 a business college to fit himself for handling 
 the commercial end of his father's cheese busi- 
 ness, but continued only three months after 
 graduation. 
 
 Coming to America in 1893. our subject 
 located at Elkton, Michigan, and there attended 
 school to perfect his knowledge of the English 
 language. In 1896 he visited his parents in 
 Germany, returning to this country in the fall 
 of the same year and locating at Saginaw. He 
 began the reading of medicine under the pre- 
 ceptorship of Dr. Otto Frenzel, of Pigeon, 
 Michigan, and in 1900 completed a four-years 
 'Course in the Saginaw Vallev Medical College 
 
 which has since been consolidated with the 
 Michigan College of Medicine and Surgery 
 at Detroit. After graduation. Dr. Wittwer 
 settled at Auburn, in Williams township. Bay 
 County, where he has built up a good practice. 
 His territory is wide and professional compe- 
 tition limited. He has the confidence and re- 
 spect of patients, and has a wide acquaintance- 
 ship throughout this section. He is a member 
 of the Bay County Medical Society, Michigan 
 State Medical Society and American Medical 
 Association. 
 
 On October 18, 1900,, Dr. Wittwer was 
 united in marriage with Anna Bryce, of Sagi- 
 naw, and they reside in a large and comforta- 
 ble home which he erected. Religiously, they 
 are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church. The Doctor is a Republican in poli- 
 tics, and serves as health officer of the town- 
 ship, and as physician of the poor of Williams 
 and Beaver townships. 
 
 leading 
 
 nence 
 
 OEHRINGER BROTHERS 
 
 florists of Bay City, Michigan, where 
 they have erected a large number of 
 greenhouses, have attained promi- 
 and established an extensive trade 
 throughout the part of the State lying north 
 of Bay City. The firm consists of Albert G. 
 and Rudolph G. Boehringer, who have studied 
 and experimented in horticulture in a scienti- 
 fic manner, thereby acquiring a knowledge by 
 which they have been enabled to excel and meet 
 every kind of competition in their line of busi- 
 ness. They are men of energy and enterprise, 
 and their success has only come through their 
 own persistent efforts. They are natives of 
 Wurtemberg, Germany, and sons of Rudolph 
 and Barbara (Widner) Boehringer. 
 
 Rudolph Boehringer, a son of Gabriel Boeh- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 387 
 
 ringer, was born in Wurtemlaerg, Germany, 
 and died there on February 18, 1885, at the 
 age of 48 years. He was a prominent farmer 
 and principally engaged in the culture of sugar 
 beets and hops, although he raised grain 
 enough to keep the cattle and horses, with 
 which his farm was well stocked. He also con- 
 tracted with a beet sugar factory to take charge 
 of the annual crop of sugar beets from 1 2 to 15 
 villages, — pitting, storing and protecting them 
 from frost until the factory was ready to use 
 them, when he would be required to hire scores 
 of teams and send the beets to the factory by 
 the wagon load. He was united in marriage 
 with Barbara Widner, who was born October 
 8, 1840, and now resides in Bay City. She is a 
 member of the German Lutheran Church in 
 Bay City; her husband belonged to the Luth- 
 eran Church in Germany. They were parents 
 of seven children, four of whnm grew to ma- 
 turity, namely: Pauline, wife of George Nus- 
 selt, of Bay City ; Albert G. ; Rudolph G. ; and 
 Amelia, of Bay City. 
 
 Albert Boehringer, an uncle of our sub- 
 jects, came to America in 186S, and located in 
 Bay City, Michigan, where he thereafter lived 
 throughout the remainder of his life. In 1885, 
 he made a visit to Germany, and having no 
 children of his own, persuaded Albert G. Boeh- 
 ringer, his nephew, to come to Bay City with 
 him. 
 
 Albert G. Boehringer was born September 
 20, 1868, and was educated in his native land. 
 After coming to this country with his uncle, 
 he secured employment with the John C. Irvine 
 Greenhouse Company and continued to work 
 for them for five years, in the meantime attend- 
 ing night school in Bay City three winters, after 
 which he took a course of special studies in 
 the Michigan Agricultural College at Lansing. 
 In August. 189,3. he formed a partnership with 
 liis brother, Rudolph G. Boehringer. under the 
 
 firm name of Boehringer Brothers, and built 
 two small greenhouses in Bay City. They first 
 gave their attention equally to vegetables, such 
 as lettuce and radishes, and to cut flowers and 
 potted plants. Almost every year since the in- 
 ception of the business, they have added a 
 greenhouse, until at the present time they have 
 12, all of which are modernly equipped and 
 devoted to the culture of flowers for cutting 
 and to potted plants. There are more than 
 35,000 square feet of glass covering the green- 
 houses; two horizontal tubular boilers of 40 
 horsepower each furnish steam heat, which is 
 supplied to the dift'erent houses through more 
 than one and a half miles of steam pipes. They 
 are growers of new varieties of carnations, for 
 a period of 10 years having been growing and 
 improving seedlings of carnations by hybridi- 
 zation and fertilization, a record of each plant 
 being kept from one generation to another. 
 They gi\-e employment to five men and two 
 girls, in addition to which they devote their own 
 attention exclusively to the business. Their re- 
 markable success may be attributed to their 
 technical knowledge and the scientific methods 
 they pursue. 
 
 Albert G. Boehringer was united in mar- 
 riage with Marguerite Weber, a daughter of 
 Philip Weber, of Bay City, and they have the 
 following offspring: Alma M. ; Anne Dora 
 Minnie; Nelda Gertrude; Edwin Oscar; and 
 Carl Herman. They are members of the Ger- 
 man Lutheran Church, of which Mr. Boehrin- 
 ger is trustee and financial secretary. He is 
 also vice-president of the Bethel Aid Society. 
 
 Rudolph G. Boehringer was born June 23, 
 1872, and received his educational training in 
 his native land. He came to America in 1888 
 and located in Bay City, Alichigan, where he 
 entered the employ of the John C. Irvine Green- 
 house Company. He continued with that com- 
 pany four and a half years, and then, after 
 
388 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 spending one year in the employ of Charles 
 Breitmeyer, formed the partnership with his 
 brother, above mentioned. He is a man of 
 ability, honesty and integrity, and has forced 
 his way to the front through merit. 
 
 Rudolph G. Boehringer was united in mar- 
 riage with Emma Gansser, a daughter of Au- 
 gust Gansser of Bay City, and they have three 
 children, as follows : Elsie, Clara and Ru- 
 dolph E. Religiously, they are memters of 
 the German Lutheran Church. Fraternally, he 
 is a member of the Knights of the Loyal Guard. 
 
 ILLIAM McEWAN, deceased, was 
 for many years one of the promi- 
 nent business citizens of Bay City, 
 Michigan. He was identified with 
 many different enterprises, was one of the 
 promoters of the present street railway system 
 of Bay City and was a lumber manufacturer 
 for many years. He was born in Glasgow, 
 Scotland, March lo, 1824, and was a son of 
 William and Margaret (Hunter) McEwan. 
 
 William McEwan, Sr., who was a native 
 of Scotland, came to America in 1848, and 
 lived first in New York City a few months, 
 then in Detroit two years, and still later in 
 Chicago, but never engaged in business in this 
 country. He died in i860, aged 78 years. He 
 married Margaret Hunter, a daughter of Alex- 
 ander Hunter, of Scotland, and they became 
 parents of seven children, who grew to matur- 
 ity, namely: Alexander, deceased; Mary, de- 
 ceased: Margaret, deceased: Elizabeth, de- 
 ceased ; Mathilda, wife of Solomon Presley, of 
 Bay City: John, deceased; and William. Re- 
 ligiously, the family were Presbyterians. 
 
 William McEwan in early life learned the 
 trade of a pattern-maker and machinist at the 
 great steamship-building plant of George Na- 
 
 pier in Glasgow. The noise atending the work 
 was probably what caused a slight deafness 
 with which he was afflicted in after years. After 
 coming to America he followed his trade in 
 Chicago and Detroit, and during spare time he 
 and his brother, Alexander, built sawmill ma- 
 chinery which they brought to Bay City. They 
 purchased a mill-site of James Fraser, who 
 afterward became father-in-law of our subject. 
 Alexander and William McEwan formed a 
 partnership under the name and title of Mc- 
 Ewan Brothers, and later another brother, 
 John, was taken into the partnership. After 
 the death of Alexander, which occurred about 
 1854 or 1855, William and John continued the 
 business until 1872, when John purchased the 
 former's interest and continued in the business 
 until his death in 1882. They were extensive 
 manufacturers of lumber and in the early days 
 shipped largely to Sherifif, Shepherd & Smith, 
 of Chicago. About 1865, William McEwan 
 formed a partnership \vith John J. Fraser, 
 under the firm name of McEwan & Fraser, and 
 operated what later was known as the "Fulsom 
 & Arnold Mill," continuing about one year 
 until Mr. Eraser's death. In the meantime he 
 had continued the partnership with his brother. 
 In addition to his other interests he helped in 
 promoting the street railway system of Bay 
 City and superintended its construction. In 
 1857 he built the first grist mill in Bay City, 
 operated it for some years and then sold to 
 Harry Griswold. He and his brother opened 
 a salt-block and operated it for a number of 
 years. From about 1868 until his death in 
 1887, Mr. McEwan was retired from business 
 activity, with the exception of looking after 
 the property of himself and wife. As a busi- 
 ness man he was unexcelled, success attending 
 his efforts on every hand. His life consisted 
 of business and home affairs to the exclusion 
 of all else, and when he was not found at his 
 
HON. GEORGE P. COBB 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 391 
 
 place of business he was almost certain to be 
 at home in the happy companionship of his 
 wife and children. 
 
 On February 4, 1858, Mr. McEwan was 
 united in marriage with Annie Eraser, who was 
 born July 30, 1836, and is a daughter of James 
 and Elizabeth (Busby) Eraser. A biographi- 
 cal record of her father and his family appears 
 elsewhere in this work. She is a woman of 
 estimalile character and has many friends in 
 the vicinity of Bay City, where she has lived 
 so many years. This union resulted in the fol- 
 lowing offspring: James, born December 4, 
 1858, deceased May 13, 1877; William H., 
 born October 23. i860, who is a resident of 
 Seattle, Washington; Alexander F., torn De- 
 cember 29, 1862, who with his brother, Wil- 
 liam H., is in the lumber business in Seattle; 
 Allan, born March 29, 1865, who lives in Bay 
 City; Jessie, born January 29, 1868, who mar- 
 ried Walter Tompkins of Tomkins' Cove, New 
 York, and died June 6, 1895 ; and Marion, born 
 September 28, 1878, and deceased November 
 15, 1894. 
 
 OX. GEORGE P. COBB, a lawyer of 
 high repute, residing in Bay City, 
 Michigan, whose portrait accompa- 
 nies this sketch, was formerly judge 
 of the 1 8th Judicial Circuit of Michigan, com- 
 prised of Bay, Arenac and Gladwyn counties. 
 Judge Cobb was born April 13, 1841, in 
 York township, Livingston County, New 
 York, and is the only son of Elijah V. and 
 Lucy H. (Pomeroy) Cobb. Elijah V. Cobb, 
 who followed the profession of a teacher, was 
 Imrn of New England parentage in Oneida 
 County, New York, in 181 4. He moved with 
 his family to Rochester, New York, in 1842. 
 There they lived until 1855. 
 
 The father of Elijah V. Cobb was a native 
 
 of Massachusetts. He was drafted in the War 
 of 1812, and died from disease contracted in 
 the service. Of his two children. Albert died 
 at the age of 76 years, and Elijah V. is still 
 living, in his 91st year. The latter was reared 
 on a farm and came to Michigan in 1855. Fof 
 five years he lived in Lenawee County, and 
 then moved to Ann Arbor, where he remained 
 until 1884. At that period he retired from 
 active life and has since made his home with 
 his children. 
 
 Elijah V. Cobb was married in January, 
 1840, in New York State, to Lucy H. Pomroy, 
 who was a native of Ontario County in that 
 State. She died at Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 
 1877. Their union resulted in three children, 
 namely : George P. ; Mrs. Mary A. Pomeroy, a 
 widow of Bay City; and Mrs. Augusta T. 
 Wood, who died in Bay City in 1893. 
 
 George P. Cobb was reared on a farm, and 
 received his early mental training in the public 
 schools. In 1855 he accompanied his parents 
 to the northern part of Lenawee County, Mich- 
 igan, where he remained on the farm for five 
 years. During that period he spent the winter 
 months in attendance at the Ypsilanti Semi- 
 nary, pursuing, in the meantime, an extended 
 course of study under his father's supervision 
 at home. Subsequently, he moved with his 
 parents to Ann Arbor, where he attended high 
 school and also received private instruction. 
 
 In the spring of i860. Judge Cobb began 
 teaching school and continued in this occupa- 
 tion until 1865, having charge of schools in 
 Macon, Lenawee County, in the city and town- 
 ship of Ann Arbor, and in Salem, Superior and 
 Pittsfield. Early in 1865, he enlisted in the 
 Fifth Regiment, Michigan Vol. Cav., and was 
 at City Point, Virginia, at the time of General 
 Lee's surrender. After his service in Virginia, 
 he marched West from Leavenworth, Kansas, 
 having been transferred to Company B, Sev- 
 
39- 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUXTY 
 
 enth Reg., ^Michigan Vol. Cav., and accompa- 
 nied the expedition sent across the plains to 
 Salt Lake City, riding an old cavalrj^ horse 
 1,200 miles. The route was from Leaven- 
 worth, Kansas, by way of Fort Kearney and 
 Julesburg, to Fort Collins, Colorado, and 
 thence to Fort Bridger and Salt Lake City. 
 He was honorably discharged February 16, 
 1866, at Camp Douglas, Utah Territory. 
 
 In the fall of 1866, Judge Cobb entered the 
 law department of the University of Michigan, 
 where he graduated with the class of 1868. In 
 September of that year he located at Bay City, 
 and shortly afterward opened a law office. His 
 reminiscences of the then small city of about 
 7,000 population would fill a chapter. He re- 
 members the time when there was but one 
 bridge across the river at this point. 
 
 In July. 1870, Judge Cobb became a mem- 
 ber of the firm of Grier, McDonell & Cobb. In 
 1871, Mr. Grier became circuit judge, and died 
 in 1872. The firm continued as ]\IcDonell & 
 Cobb until 1874, and is now McDonell & Duffy. 
 ■In 1873, ]Mr. Cobb was elected supervisor of 
 the Third Ward of Bay City and served as such 
 during 1873 and 1874. In 1880 he was elected 
 State Representative and served in the House 
 during the two sessions of 1881-82. From the 
 spring of 1879 until January i, 1888, the Judge 
 was associated in practice with Hon. J. W. Mc- 
 ISIath. He assumed the duties of circuit judge 
 on the latter date, having been elected to that 
 office in the spring of 1887. 
 
 When in the Legislature, ^Ir. Cobb was a 
 member of the committees on insurance and 
 ways and means, and introduced the bill that 
 resulted in the adoption of what is known 
 among insurance men as the "Michigan Stand- 
 ard Policy." He was also active in securing 
 the passage of the noted Ontonagon &: Brule 
 River Railroad bilk and of the tax law of 1882. 
 He was a member of the special committee ap- 
 
 pointed to investigate the charges of miscon- 
 duct against the management of the State Re- 
 formatory at Ionia. In 1881, he was appointed 
 a member of the visiting board of Albion Col- 
 lege. In local politics, he has never had an 
 inclination to figure. His offices are located on 
 the corner of Adams street and Center avenue. 
 
 On November i, 1S71. the subject of this 
 sketch married Laura IMunger, a daughter of 
 the late Algernon S. Munger, of Bay City. Mr. 
 Munger was one of the first settlers of the city, 
 and one of the most active promoters of its 
 various interests. He was one of the organiz- 
 ers of the East Saginaw & Bay City Railroad, 
 now a part of the Pere Marquette system. He 
 served as mayor, county treasurer and super- 
 visor, and was always identified with measures 
 tending to promote the public welfare. His 
 daughter, Mrs. Cobb, was born in Cass County, 
 Michigan; her parents removed, when she was 
 a child, to Bay City, where she was reared and 
 educated. To Judge Cobb and his estimable 
 wife have been born two children, namely : 
 Susan, who died at the age of six years ; and 
 George Arthur, born August 3, 1875, educated 
 in the Bay City schools and Alma College, and 
 married to Maggie Parker on July 23, 1892. 
 
 Judge Cobb was grand regent of the Royal 
 Arcanum of ]Michigan for 1884, having been 
 vice grand regent in 1883. He is also a mem- 
 ber of the National Union. He belongs to H. 
 P. Merrill Post, No. 419, G. A. R., and was a 
 charter member of that post as well as of U. 
 S. Grant Post, No. 67. He has held the offices 
 of quartermaster, adjutant, chaplain, comman- 
 der and trustee. He was a delegate to the Na- 
 tional Encampment held in Boston in 1890. 
 He is now past commander of two posts, hav- 
 ing filled every position of trust. 
 
 Judge Cobb and his wife are members of 
 the First Presbyterian Church, of Bay City. 
 The Judge was secretary of the board of trus- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 393 
 
 tees of this church for a numljer of years and 
 also served as treasurer. He has been a mem- 
 ber of the sessions for 1 1 years, and officiated 
 as clerk during: half of that time. 
 
 jlOHN CARROLL, proprietor of the lar- 
 gest wholesale produce and fruit es- 
 tablishment of Bay County, Michigan, 
 is one of the most enterprising and 
 successful business men of Bay City. He began 
 life under adverse circumstances, and it was 
 only after years of hard and consistent effort 
 that he was enabled to take his place among the 
 leaders in the business world of this locality. 
 He was born in County Kerry, Ireland, in 
 1848. and is a son of Daniel and Catherine 
 (Welsh) Carroll, both natives of Ireland. Our 
 subject was two years old when his mother 
 died and his father soon after emigrated to 
 America, leaving him in Ireland with a younger 
 sister, Margaret, who is now the wife of Pat- 
 rick Cahill, of Orange County, New York. 
 
 John Carroll was given only an ordinary 
 ■education in Ireland. On September 14, 1865, 
 he landed at New York, where he turned his 
 hand to various occupations in an endeavor to 
 earn an honest living. Removing to Orange 
 County, New York, he worked on a farm, but 
 not having a taste for that life he returned to 
 New York City, where he was employed for a 
 time as a laborer on a railroad. Later he did 
 contract work and superintended the construc- 
 tion of some buildings. He was then called 
 upon to assume management of the old Alan- 
 hattan Hotel at No. 29 Centre street. New 
 York, while its owner was abroad, and this he 
 did successfully for a period of nine months. 
 He later made application for a position on the 
 New York police force. Out of 45 who took 
 the examination, he was one of the five that 
 passed, but he decided to go West before he 
 
 qualified. In 1869, he came to Bay City. INIich- 
 igan, and opened a butcher shop. He had good 
 backing but not caring to use another's money 
 he closed that business, and engaged as mana- 
 ger in the same line at the same stand, contin- 
 uing there atout one year. He then engaged 
 in draying for a few months, when he again 
 started in the butcher business in association 
 with D. F. Kenny, to whom he later sold out. 
 ]Mr. Carroll then engaged in farming and buy- 
 ing cattle and slaughtering for the market. 
 After about five years, he returned to Bay City 
 and engaged with Hammond, Standish & 
 Company, as manager of their fresh meat de- 
 partment. He remained three years and then 
 again started in for himself. The firm of 
 Logan & Carroll, produce merchants, was es- 
 tablished in 1889 and continued for three years. 
 After the dissolution of the partnership, the 
 firm of Carroll, Hurley & Company came into 
 existence and continued for one year, being 
 succeeded by that of Carroll & Rose. Later, 
 Mr.. Carroll purchased his present building and 
 has since continued alone. He was the first 
 produce merchant in Bay City to handle 
 oranges in car-load lots, and the first and the 
 only one in the city to make a business of 
 storing eggs. He is a wholesale dealer in pro- 
 duce, fruits, confectionery and the "Peerless" 
 brand of Baltimore oysters. His store, located 
 at No. 113 Third street, has ample storage 
 facilities connected therewith. 'Mv. Carroll has 
 been highly successful and has every reason 
 for feeling proud of the rapid progress he has 
 made. He erected four dwellings in South 
 Bay City at a cost of from $1,200 to $2,500 
 each, and has a beautiful home on Lincoln 
 street, which cost $4,000. He has served as 
 highway commissioner of the village of Ports- 
 mouth, and as supervisor of Bay City two 
 terms. 
 
 In 1872, ]\Ir. Carroll was united in mar- 
 
394 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 riage with Annie Joyce, a native of Ontario, 
 Canada, and they had i6 children, lo of whom 
 are hving, namely : Daniel, interested in the 
 instu'ance business, who married Rosalie Foley ; 
 and Catherine, Maud, Madge, ^lichael, Jett, 
 John, Jr., Rhea, Beatrice and Fidelis, who are 
 at home. Religiously, the family are members 
 of St. James' Catholic Church. When the 
 church and the parochial school were erected, 
 Mr. Carroll was placed on the building com- 
 mittees. Fraternally, he is a member of the 
 Elks; Knights of Columbus; K. of M.; the 
 C. M. B. A. ; and an honorary member of the 
 Ancient Order of Hibernians. 
 
 LLEX L. STEWART, one of the 
 pioneer business men of Bay City, 
 }ilichigan, was here engaged in the 
 early history of the place in the boot 
 and shoe business and afterward was engaged 
 in the bakery business on the corner of Center 
 and Saginaw streets. Since 1874 he has de- 
 voted his attention to fire insurance and real 
 estate. He was born in Eaton, Madison 
 County, New York, December i, 1826, and is 
 a son of Lemuel and Lydia (Barstow) Stew- 
 art, and grandson of William and Polly 
 Stewart. 
 
 William Stewart, the grandfather, w^as born 
 in Scotland and came to America in colonial 
 days, becoming a farmer of New York, in 
 which State he died. He was a "minute-man" 
 during the Revolution; he was taken prisoner 
 by General Burgoyne and was marched to 
 Quebec where he was held captive. His wife, 
 Polly, was born in the North of Ireland, July 
 I, 1748, and died June 13, 1848. aged almost 
 100 years. Her home at ^\'hitehall, New 
 York, was for a time the headquarters of Gen- 
 eral Burgoyne on his march to Saratoga. They 
 had two sons, — Lemuel and Addison. 
 
 Lemuel Stewart was born at Whitehall, 
 New York, June 28. 1773. When a young 
 man, he took up wild land in the then almost 
 wilderness of Madison County, New York, and 
 followed farming there throughout the remain- 
 der of his life. dying May 5. 1849. He was twice 
 married, by his first marriage having nine chil- 
 dren. He married for his second wife Lydia 
 Barstow, who was born July 14, 1785, and 
 died October 10, 1854. They had three chil- 
 dren, as follows : Nancy, Prudence and Allen 
 L. Nancy, born in 1819, and deceased No- 
 vember 29, 1899, was the wife of Elias Bunip^ 
 of Flint, Michigan. Prudence, wdio is living 
 in Kansas City, Missouri, at the age of 80 
 years, is the wife of Addison Gage, by whom 
 she had three children, of whom a son and 
 daughter are living at the present time. 
 
 Allen L. Stewart, the youngest of the chil- 
 dren born to his parents, was reared on a fann 
 and attended district school, also attending 
 academy at Morrisonville, the county seat, one 
 year. He then taught school in different dis- 
 tricts for two years, among his pupils being 
 Governor Bliss and the latter's younger broth- 
 ers and sisters. When he was a young man,, 
 his father died, and Allen purchased the old 
 homestead, which he conducted about three- 
 years. Two years after his marriage, he re- 
 moved to Flint, Michigan, in 1856, and en- 
 gaged as clerk in the store of Samuel Warren. 
 In the spring of 1857 he bought out the Hig- 
 gins Brothers' shoe business on Saginaw street 
 in Flint, which he conducted until 1861, when 
 he removed to East Saginaw, where he was 
 soon after burned out, losing all his stock. He 
 then returned to Flint and clerked t\\o years- 
 for Baker & Ripley, shoe dealers, until 1863, 
 when he removed to Bay City and opened a 
 shoe store on Water street, near the corner of 
 Sixth. The following July occurred the great 
 fire which swept away so much of the city, but 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 395 
 
 saving a large amount of liis stock, ilr. Stew- 
 art again opened a store on Water street. He 
 sold out in 1865 and purchased a business cor- 
 ner on Fourth and Saginaw streets, where he 
 established a bakery in the fall of that year. 
 In 1866 he purchased land and built a brick 
 block on the corner of Saginaw and Center 
 streets, the first good business block erected on 
 Saginaw street at that time. This Iniilding 
 has a frontage of 20 feet, a depth of 100 feet, 
 and is two stories high, and in it he has had 
 his offices for many years. Here he established 
 his bakery which he conducted until 1874, when 
 he sold out and turned his attention to the fire 
 insurance business, representing a State com- 
 pany, whose head office was at Lansing. In 
 connection with his insurance agency, he later 
 engaged in the real estate business, and con- 
 tinues to be interested in both lines at the pres- 
 ent time. He has always been a man of the 
 greatest activity and enterprise, and has left 
 his imprint on the progress and development of 
 this community. He is well informed on public 
 events, possesses a retentive memory and easily 
 recalls the details of early life in Bay City. 
 
 On February 22, 1854, ]Mr. Stewart was 
 married in Madison County, New York, to 
 Pamelia Wentz, who was born in Binghamp- 
 ton. New York, and was a daughter of Wil- 
 liam Wentz, whose parents came to this coun- 
 try from Germany. She died November 8, 
 1901, lea\-ing one son, Sydney Holmes Stew- 
 art, born in Bay City, Michigan, December 19, 
 1864, and now prospecting in Alaska, who 
 married Carrie Nellis in 1885 and has a daugh- 
 ter, — Elsie, — born I\Iarch 22, 1893. 
 
 Mr. Stewart is one of the oldest ]\Iasons 
 in Bay City, having joined the order in 1864. 
 In 1884 he joined Blanchard Chapter, and 
 Bay City Commandery. During 1884-85 he 
 served as w^orshipful master of Bay City Lodge, 
 No. 129, F. & A. M., and at the present time 
 
 is treasurer of the lodge. He has filled nearly 
 al the offices in Bay City Commandery and in 
 1893 was eminent commander. In 1887 he 
 joined the Michigan Consistory, and has taken 
 the 33rd degree, Scottish Rite, being now the 
 head of Rose Croix Chapter, A. A. S. R. He 
 is president of the board of directors of the 
 Masonic Temple Association. Mr. Stewart is 
 a member of the Universalist Church, and has 
 served as clerk and trustee a number of years. 
 He cast his first vote in Michigan for John C. 
 Freemont for President, and has always been 
 a Republican, although taking no active part 
 in political afifairs. 
 
 ■-ORGE S. COLE. It would not be a 
 very difficult matter for a stranger 
 traveling through Monitor township. 
 Bay County, to locate the prosperous 
 farmers, and the general air of thrift and com- 
 fort surrounding the home of George S. Cole, 
 in section 22, would immediately attract atten- 
 tion. This fine farm of 80 acres is well-situated 
 and finely improved. Mr. Cole was born in 
 New Jersey and is a son of Samuel and Sarah 
 (Shafer) Cole. 
 
 Samuel Cole was born in Bucks County, 
 Pennsylvania, of German parents, and had four 
 brothers and one sister, mmel\' : Aaron, 
 Michael, John, Jacob, and Catherine, all now 
 deceased. In his younger days he worked at 
 shoemaking in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 
 and then bought a farm of 95 acres, in Sussex 
 County, New Jersey, where he lived until 1867, 
 when he sold that property and purchased a 
 farm of 178 acres in Warren County, New 
 Jersey, which continued to be his home to the 
 day of his death at the age of 85 years. After 
 becoming a resident of New Jersey, he mar- 
 ried Sarah Shafer. who was a native of that 
 
396 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 State. Their children were: Lavina, wife of 
 M. Snover, a farmer of Blair township, War- 
 ren County, New Jersey; Sarah, wife of ^\'il- 
 lis Ragan, of Newton, New Jersey: George S., 
 of this sketch ; Nathan, a farmer of Aurora, 
 Nebraska; Amanda (Castner), of Newton, 
 New Jersey; Mary, wife of Marshall Snover, 
 a farmer of Blair township, and Samuel, a 
 farmer of Hardwick township. Warren County, 
 New Jersey. Our subject's father was a stanch 
 Democrat and held several township offices. 
 He and his wife were members of the Dutch 
 Reformed Church. 
 
 In 1877, George S. Cole came to ^lichigan 
 and during one winter attended school at Ox- 
 ford, Oakland County. He then spent three 
 years in farm work before he purchased an 
 80-acre farm in Tuscola County. Later he 
 gave up farming there, and in 1882 came to 
 Bay City, where he worked two years in the 
 "Detroit Mill," selling his farm in the mean- 
 time. For 1 1 years he filled the position of 
 night watchman at this mill. In 1893 he 
 bought his present farm of 80 acres and has 
 carried on general farming ever since. He 
 has taken a deep interest in his property and has 
 spared neither labor nor expense in making it 
 attractive, valuable and comfortable. In 1900 
 he erected his fine, modern, brick residence, 
 which is heated by a complete hot air system 
 and resembles a city home in its comforts and 
 conveniences. He also erected a large barn, 
 wagon house and all necessary outbuildings. 
 His grounds are kept in repair and the place is 
 one of the ideal rural homes of [Monitor town- 
 ship. 
 
 On April 6, 1892^ Mr. Cole was married 
 at Bay City, to Hattie Hallam, who was born 
 in Norfolk District, Ontario, Canada, where 
 her parents were farmers. In 1886 she came 
 with a sister to Bay City, where she formed 
 the acquaintance of our subject, which resulted 
 
 in this happy marriage. They have one daugh- 
 
 ter. Alma, aged 1 1 years. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Cole is and always has been 
 identified with the Republican party. He is 
 justly considered one of the township's repre- 
 sentative men. 
 
 ICHARD FIELD CONOVER, a 
 well-known resident of Bay City, 
 Michigan, and the manager of large 
 landed family interests, was born in 
 South Amboy, New Jersey, and is a representa- 
 ti\-e of one of the old established families of that 
 section. He is a son of Francis Stevens Cono- 
 ver, a captain in the United States Navy, and 
 of Helen Field, the daughter of Hon. Richard 
 Stockton Field, judge of the LTnited States 
 District Court of New Jersey, and a grandson 
 of Richard Stockton, one of the signers of the 
 Declaration of Independence. 
 
 After graduating at Princeton College, he 
 entered the Columbia Law School, and after 
 graduation settled for a short time in the prac- 
 tice of the law at Newark, New Jersey. He 
 then went to Texas and spent 15 years in 
 ranching in that State. While in Texas he was 
 married to Cornelia Fitzhugh, who is a daugh- 
 ter of the late William D. Fitzhugh and a 
 granddaughter of Dr. Daniel Hughes Fitz- 
 hugh and Judge Charles Carroll. These names 
 are very familiar ones to the citizens of Bay 
 County, Michigan. 
 
 In 1900 Mr. Conover came to Bay City 
 to assume the management of real estate be- 
 longing to his wife and her mother, Mrs. Wil- 
 liam D. Fitzhugh. It includes property all 
 over Bay County, Mr. Fitzhugh's posessions 
 at one time probably excelling those of any 
 other landowner in this section. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Conover enjoy one of the 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 397 
 
 most charming homes of Bay City and it is 
 frequently the scene of deHghtful social func- 
 tions. They have three children : Carroll Fitz- 
 hugh, Helen Field and Alida Van Rensselaer. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Conover are meml^ers of Trin- 
 ity Protestant Church. 
 
 OBBINS B. TAYLOR, a prominent 
 attorney-at-law at Bay City, Michi- 
 gan, a -well-known and highly re- 
 garded citizen, was born ISIay 15, 
 1839, at Plattsburgh, New York, and is a son 
 of Rev. Stephen and Electa (Newcomb) 
 Taylor. 
 
 Rev. Stephen Taylor was a minister in the 
 Baptist Church. When our subject was a child 
 ' of four years the father removed from New 
 York to Ashtabula County, Ohio, and pur- 
 chased a farm where his seven children were 
 reared. The three survivors are our subject, 
 a daughter in California and a son in Colorado. 
 The parents have long since passed away. The 
 mother came of excellent family, being a 
 daughter of Judge Newcomb, of Plattsburgh, 
 New York. 
 
 Robbins B. Taylor was reared on the Ohio 
 farm and was educated in the district schools 
 and in a local academy. In 1S66 he came to 
 Michigan and in the following year entered 
 upon the reading of the law in the office of 
 Grier & INfcDonnell, pioneer attorneys, the 
 former of whom became, at a later date, judge 
 of the Circuit Court. In 1868, Mr. Taylor was 
 graduated from the law department of the 
 University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and was 
 admitted to the bar. He entered into practice 
 at Bay City and also soon became interested 
 in loans and real estate. At present his atten- 
 tion is entirely given, outside of an office prac- 
 
 tice, to the latter interests. Mr. Taylor's office 
 is conveniently located at the corner of Third 
 and Washington streets. Bay City. During 
 his years of greatest professional activity he 
 has been alone. At one time he was in part- 
 nership with H. H. Wheeler, who was subse- 
 quently twice elected to the State Senate. Mr. 
 Taylor was a member of the first Board of Pub- 
 lic Works of Bay City and served four years 
 as its chairman. He was an early appointee on 
 the School Board and later served two terms 
 by election. He has always been one of the 
 city's wide-awake, progressive citizens and he 
 has done his full share in promoting her pros- 
 perity. 
 
 In 1868, Mr. Taylor was married to Angie 
 L. Fling, who was born at Saranac, New York. 
 They have one son, Clayton R., who was born 
 at Bay City, in 1870. Fie was educated at 
 home by private tutors until prepared for col- 
 lege and then went to Akron, Ohio, going from 
 there to the Northwestern University, at Chi- 
 cago, where he was graduated in law. He is 
 now junior member of the well-known law 
 firm of West, Eckhart & Taylor, which is 
 located in the First National Bank Building, 
 Chicago. In that great city of competition and 
 opportunity, Clayton R. Taylor has met with 
 gratifying success. In 1898 he married Alice 
 Hatch, who was formerly a teacher in the Bay 
 City High School and is the accomplished 
 daughter of Judge Hatch, of Detroit, ^Michi- 
 gan. They have had two children, the survi- 
 vor being a little maid named Helen Louise, 
 who is dearly beloved by her grandfather, the 
 subject of this sketch. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Robbins B. Taylor have also 
 in their kindness of heart, reared and thor- 
 oughly educated two children, both of whom 
 are happily married and well established in 
 life. 
 
398 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 OBERT L. KING, attorney-at-law 
 and justice of the peace at Bay City, 
 ]\[ichigan, is a native of this city, 
 born here in 1871, and is a son of 
 Alfred M. and Frances (Thompson) King. 
 
 Alfred M. King has been a resident of Bay 
 City since 1868. For several years he taught 
 school and then entered upon the practice of 
 the law, a profession which has claimed his 
 main attention ever since. He has served as 
 a justice of the peace and also has been circuit 
 court commissioner. Mr. and Mrs. King still 
 reside at Bay City, their family consisting of 
 four sons and one daughter. 
 
 Robert L. King was reared at Bay City. 
 After completing the common-school course 
 here, he entered the shop of John D. MacKin- 
 non, where he learned the machinist's trade, 
 one which he followed until 1895. In the 
 meantinie he completed his law reading and 
 was admitted to the bar in 1897 ; he has devoted 
 the greater part of his attention to this profes- 
 sion since that date and has met with very 
 satisfactory success. Politically he has always 
 been an active Democrat and has been honored 
 by his party on many occasions. Fie was 
 elected circuit court commissioner and served 
 in 1898 and 1899, — a term of two years. In 
 1 90 1 he was elected justice of the peace and 
 will serve for four years, having the distinction 
 of being one of the two magistrates in the city. 
 
 Mr. King married Grace Leonard, who 
 was a daughter of John E. Leonard, a substan- 
 tial citizen of Bay City. Mrs. King died in 
 June, 1902, leaving one son, Robert F., Jr. 
 Mr. King is a member of the Protestant Epis- 
 copal Church. Fraternally, he is a Royal Arch 
 Mason, and at present is master of Portsmouth 
 Lodge, No. 190, F. & A. M. He belongs also 
 to the Knights of the Maccabees and the Mod- 
 ern Woodmen of America. He is regarded as 
 one of the progressi^■e, enterprising young pro- 
 
 fessional men of the city, well-equipped for 
 the future and possessing the qualifications for 
 advancement in professional and political fields. 
 
 E. CORLISS, one of the liest-known 
 citizens of Bay City, Michigan, who 
 was identified with the city press 
 for many years and now is city 
 treasurer, was born March 11, 1859, at Al- 
 bany, New York, and is a son of R. B. and 
 Catherine W. (Ward) Corliss. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Corliss resided at Al- 
 bany for many years, the father following the 
 trade of painter there during all his active life, 
 and his death taking place there in 1874. His 
 widow removed to Bay City, Michigan, where 
 she died in 1890, aged 74 years. Our subject 
 has two sisters, viz: Mrs. F. L. Wands and 
 Mrs. W. W. Bassett, both of Bay City. 
 
 E. E. Corliss was reared at Alliany and 
 completed his education in the Boys' Academy 
 of that city. He has been a resident of Bay 
 City for more than a quarter of a century and 
 has been a prominent figure during the greater 
 part of this time. For many years previously 
 and up to 1899, he had charge of the circula- 
 tion department of the Bay City Times and 
 Tribune and gained a wide acquaintance and 
 hosts of friends in his newspaper connection. 
 His political association has always been with 
 the Republican party and he has been one of 
 its most efficient workers. He served one term 
 as supervisor of the nth District, and in 1899 
 was elected deputy city treasurer, serving in 
 that oflfice continuously until April, 1903, when 
 he was elected to his present office of city treas- 
 urer. His public service has reflected credit 
 both upon himself and the city. 
 
 Mr. Corliss married at Albany, New York, 
 being united to Anna M. Smith, of that city, 
 
ROBERT W. ERWIN, B. S., M. D. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 401 
 
 and they have two children, viz : Edna, who 
 married George H. Floyd, of the Fletcher 
 Hardware Company, of Detroit, and has one 
 daughter, — ^Virginia ; and Catherine, who is a 
 student in the Bay City High School. The 
 .pleasant family residence is situated on North 
 Farragut street. 
 
 Mr. Corliss has many agreeahle fraternal 
 connections, belonging to the Masonic Blue 
 Lodge and Council at Bay City; the Elks, 
 Knights of Pythias, Knights of Maccabees and 
 the Royal Arcanum. 
 
 OBERT W. ERWIN, B. S., M. D., 
 who enjoys the distinction of being 
 the third oldest physician in practice 
 at Bay City, Michigan, has been iden- 
 tified with the interests of this city for the past 
 30 years. Dr. Erwin was born at Laceyville, 
 Harrison County, Ohio, May 24, 1842, and is 
 a son of Robert and Rebecca (Law) Erwin. 
 
 Dr. Erwin is descended on the paternal 
 side from Scotch Presbyterian ancestors, who 
 came to America prior to the Revolutionary 
 War. His mother was born in Ireland of Eng- 
 lish ancestry. The family is well represented 
 in clerical life, both in the Church of England 
 and among the followers of John Wesley. 
 
 The enforced industry of life on a farm 
 gave our subject energetic habits and to this 
 exercise Dr. Erwin attributes much of his sus- 
 tained vigor, and long continued capacity for 
 hard work. His education was pursued 
 through the winters at the district schools, but 
 the summers found him hard at work on his 
 father's farm. When Init 17 years old, after 
 five months in a neighboring academy, and 
 three months in the Hopedale (Ohio) Normal 
 School, he was accepted as a teacher in the local 
 ■school. He continued to teach through the 
 
 winters until after the outbreak of the Civil 
 War, when he enlisted for service in the 170th 
 Regiment, Ohio Vol. Inf., in which he served 
 until the expiration of his term of enlistment. 
 
 After his honorable discharge, he returned 
 to his studies, entering the Ohio University, 
 at Athens, where he took the full course and 
 was graduated in the class of 1868, with the 
 degree of B. S. For some time he had been 
 reading medicine with the intention of adopt- 
 ing it as a profession, and, after leaving the 
 University, immediately entered Bellevue Hos- 
 pital Medical College, New York City, where he 
 was graduated in the class of 1870. In order 
 to satisfactorily pursue his medical studies dur- 
 ing this time, he filled the chair of geometry at 
 Cooper Institute. 
 
 Dr. Erwin settled for practice at Athens, 
 Ohio, where he continued for three years. In 
 1873 he came Westward, seeking a wider field 
 and chose Bay City for his permanent location. 
 Here Dr. Erwin met with great encouragement 
 from the start and soon built up a lucrative 
 practice. His life has been devoted to his pro- 
 fession and the eminence to which he has at- 
 tained is the just reward of faithful effort. He 
 has taken ach'antage of special courses and has 
 attended noted clinics, continually supplement- 
 ing his previous knowledge with all that could 
 be secured in the leading medical organizations 
 of the country. He is a member of the Michi- 
 gan State Medical Society, American Academy 
 of Medicine, American Medical Association 
 and an honorary member of the Ohio State 
 Meidical Society and is also affiliated with the 
 medical bodies of Bay County and the Saginaw 
 Valley. He has been zealous in his efforts to 
 uphold the honor of the profession and raise 
 the standard of its requirements. 
 
 Dr. Erwin was married on April 19, 1870, 
 to Julia E. Carpenter, a daughter of Dr. E. G. 
 Carpenter, of Athens, Ohio. ^Irs. Erwin died 
 
402 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 January lo, 1902. Two daughters were born 
 to them, namely: Mrs. Edwin C. Horn, of 
 Washington, Pennsylvania ; and Roberta Julia, 
 who lives with her father and presides over his 
 home. The family residence is a beautiful 
 modern one, situated on the corner of Sixth 
 and Monroe streets; the Doctor still retains 
 his office in the old place, on the corner of Fifth 
 and Adams streets. He is a member and a 
 trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of 
 which Mrs. Erwin was a member in her life- 
 time. 
 
 Dr. Erwin has never taken any very active 
 part in politics, giving all his attention to medi- 
 cal matters. He served as a member of the 
 Board of Health for seven years — part of three 
 terms. He still practices, but chiefly at his 
 office. Personally, he is held in the highest 
 esteem throughout Bay County. His portrait 
 accompanies this sketch. 
 
 If H^l 
 1 « V 
 
 ALTER AIERRITT, whose excel- 
 lent farm of 80 acres is situated in 
 section 1 1 , Portsmouth township, 
 Bay County, Michigan, was born 
 on this farm June 10, 1864, and is a son of 
 Nelson and Sarah Jane (Crowe) Merritt. 
 
 The Merritt family for several generations 
 were domiciled in the Dominion of Canada, 
 where John and Sarah (Taylor) Merritt, our 
 subject's grandparents, were born. Although 
 Nelson was their only son, they also had six 
 daughters. Nelson Alerritt was born July 27, 
 1827, in Prince Edward District, Ontario, Can- 
 ada, and grew up on his father's farm and 
 worked in the sawmills in the lumber region 
 until 30 years of age. Attracted by the stories 
 of the Australian gold mines, he then shipped 
 for that far-off land, sailing from New York. 
 by way of Cape Horn, and safely reaching 
 
 Sydney. He remained three years in Austra- 
 lia and then returned to Canada wdiere he mar- 
 ried. In 1858, shortly after his marriage, he 
 came to Michigan. He bought 320 acres of 
 heavily timbered land in Bay County, to which 
 he later added 80 acres more, and remained on 
 this farm, quiet and contented after his former 
 life of adventure, until his death, which oc- 
 curred on February 3, 1893. Mr. Merritt was 
 a good manager and a very industrious man. 
 His land w-as all cleared and placed under cul- 
 tivation by his own work, and in the meantime 
 he built a comfortable home and substantial 
 buildings of all kinds necessary for the carry- 
 ing on of extensive farming and stock-raising. 
 He was a man of great intelligence and kept 
 abreast of the times in his knowledge of cur- 
 rent affairs and his sterling character made him 
 the natural selection of his neighbors for vari- 
 ous local offices. He served as justice of the 
 peace, as township treasurer and as health offi- 
 cer. Politically he was a Republican. In his 
 later years he united with the Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church. He was a man who exerted 
 a wide influence for good in his locality and 
 was one of the most active supporters of pviblic 
 improvements. The mother of our subject was 
 born in Prince Edward District, Ontario, on 
 October 19, 1841, and is a daughter of John 
 and Hannah (Loose) Crowe, who were na- 
 tives of England, but who died in Canada. 
 Mrs. Merritt li\-es with her son Walter on the' 
 homestead. A family of six children were 
 born to our suljject's parents: William N., of 
 Portsmouth township; Sarah E. (widow of 
 Bert Walker), who resides with our subject 
 on the homestead; James H., deceased at the 
 age of two years ; Walter, of this sketch ; Alice, 
 deceased at the age of four years; and Grace, 
 who is the wife of Fred Whipple, of Ports- 
 mouth township. 
 
 Walter ]Merritt was educated in the com- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 403- 
 
 nioii schools of his township, and has devoted 
 his whole life to farming on the So-acre tract 
 of the homestead that he owns. He has made 
 many imjjrovements and has a very productive 
 and valuable property. 
 
 In 1892, Mr. Merritt was married to ISIary 
 J. Potter, who was born October 3, 1865, in 
 Tuscola County, Michigan, and is a daughter 
 of Robert and Mary J. Potter. They have 
 three children : Raymond N., Robert G. and 
 ]\Iyrtle S. :\Ir. Merritt, like his father, has 
 always been identiiied with the Republican 
 party, but he has never consented to hold office, 
 giving his whole attention to his farm and 
 family. He is an attendant on the services of 
 the ^[ethodist Episcopal Church, to which he 
 gives liberal support. 
 
 ON. GRIFFITH H. FRANCIS, a 
 sa B- »j a jurist of high standing in Bay City, 
 g^J Michigan, is judge of the Probate 
 Court of Bay County. He was born 
 September 25, 1844, in South Trenton, Oneida 
 County, New York, and is a son of Rowland 
 and Ruth (Jones) Francis, natives of Wales, 
 who severally came to the United States when 
 of mature age, and were united in marriage in 
 New York State. Rowland Francis was a 
 farmer by occupation. 
 
 The parents of the subject of this sketch 
 liad eight children, of whom he was the eldest. 
 Of the seven sons and one daugliter resulting 
 from their union, all are living except one son, 
 who died in infancy. Their ages range from 
 48 to 60 years. 
 
 Griffith H. Francis received his early men- 
 tal training in the district school, which he at- 
 tended three months each winter. Although 
 he left home at the age of 11 years, and was 
 engaged in various occupations, he w-as ambi- 
 
 tious to learn and never neglected an oppor- 
 tunity to improve his mind. The first graded 
 school which he attended wasat Morrisonville, 
 New York, after he was 19 years old. He at- 
 tended Cazenovia Seminary about two years 
 and in 1867 went to Ripon, Wisconsin, and 
 entered Ripon College. After four years at 
 Ripon, during which time he also engaged in 
 teaching, being principal of one of the schools 
 there, he returned to Cazenovia and took up 
 the course wdiere he had left off and graduated 
 in 1872. Shortly after his graduation from 
 Cazenovia, he came to Michigan and entered 
 the law department of the University of Mich- 
 igan at Ann Arbor, from w-hich he graduated 
 in 1874. Following his graduation, he spent 
 some time in teaching graded schools. On 
 relinquishing this work, he began the practice 
 of the law at Saline, Michigan. 
 
 In 1876, Judge Francis came to Bay 
 County, taking up his residence in West Bay 
 City, where he still makes his home. A year 
 after his arrival, he was elected justice of the 
 peace. He also served on the School Board 
 and held other offices of minor note. He was- 
 one of the attorneys wdio drafted the charter 
 of West Bay City in 1877. For seven years- 
 he was city attorney of West Bay City. In 
 1882 he transferred his office to Bay City, 
 where he continued in active practice. For one 
 term he served as county commissioner of 
 schools, and also completed an unexpired term 
 as Circuit Court commissioner. 
 
 The subject of this sketch w'as elected judge 
 of the Probate Court in 1900, and assumed the 
 duties of that office in 1901. He was re-elected 
 in the fall of 1904 by a very large majority, — 
 showing the people's appreciation of the man- 
 ner in which his office w'as conducted. He is 
 a stanch Republican in politics, and has served 
 as chairman and secretary of the Republican 
 County Committee; for several years he 
 
404 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 presided over the city campaign! organiza- 
 tion. 
 
 Judge Francis was married in Brighton, 
 Michigan. May 23, 1878, to Harriet A. Hyne, 
 a daughter of Karl T. Hyne. a native of Ger- 
 many. Four children were born to this union, 
 namely : Luella, a graduate of the West Bay 
 City High School, who is at home; Mabel, a 
 graduate of the same institution ; Helen, w"ho 
 graduated at the Bay City High School, and is 
 now a student at Alma College ; and Karl Row- 
 land, who is named after both of his grand- 
 fathers. 
 
 Judge Francis is a member of the ]\Iasonic 
 order, and of the Foresters and Maccabees. In 
 the Royal Arcanum he has served as grand 
 regent, and is now past grand of the State 
 organization. 
 
 OHX G. ARNOLD is a well-known 
 baker of Bay City, Michigan, where 
 he was born in 1862. He is a son of 
 Fred and Louise (]\Iiller) Arnold. 
 His father was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 
 November, 1832. His mother was also a na- 
 tive of Germany, and was a schoolmate of her 
 husband. 
 
 Fred Arnold crossed the ocean in 1854 in 
 the vessel "Whitney," and came to Bay City 
 in July of that year. For the first two years 
 he worked in the old McEwan mill. In those 
 early days no fresh meat was to be obtained. 
 Pork and beans were the most common articles 
 of food. Beer there was none. Whiskey was 
 sold at a shilling per gallon. The first beer 
 seen by Mr. Arnold was like thick milk. In 
 1856, in an old blacksmith shop on Water 
 street, then the main street of the city, Mr. 
 Arnold opened a bakery, on the site of the 
 present Watson Block. It was known as the 
 "Old Bakerv." There he remained for two 
 
 years, dealing mostly with the Indians. In 
 1857 he purchased from James Fraser for 
 $300 the site of the present Arnold bakery, 
 then occupied by a frame structure. The build- 
 ing was twice burned, and its owner has passed 
 through three fires. In the present substantial 
 brick block, on Fifth and Saginaw streets, he 
 conducted a first-class bakery, which is now 
 operated by his son John G. 
 
 Fred Arnold rememliers making trips to 
 Saginaw to buy flour. There he purchased 
 for $8.00 per barrel the same grade of 
 flour sold by Putnam, in Bay City, for 
 $17.00. He turned his well-established bak- 
 ery over to his sons, Godfrey and John G., 
 about 1874, and retired from active busi- 
 ness, to look after his property interests, being 
 well-provided with this world's goods. During 
 his long residence here, he has made several 
 trips to his nati\-e land, for pleasure and recrea- 
 tion. He crossed the Atlantic in 1857. 18S2 
 and 1890, being accompanied on the last trip 
 by his wife. In all, he has made eight vo}-ages 
 to Europe, besides visiting scenes of local in- 
 terest. 
 
 Fred Arnold was married to Louise Miller 
 in Bay City and their union resulted in eight 
 children, as follows : Godfrey, who married 
 Setchen Fichtel, and lives at Calumet, Hough- 
 ton County, Michigan ; Fred, Jr., a Lutheran 
 minister, who married Carrie Peterman, and 
 resides at Silver Creek, New York ; John G. ; 
 Sophia, wife of H. Tresselt, who operates a 
 flour mill at Fort \\' ayne, Indiana : Louise, wife 
 of Al. Schiermer, who is in the jewelry busi- 
 ness at Saginaw; Tillie, deceased, who was 
 the wife of F. Burton: Clara, wife of Theo- 
 dore Seymeyer, wholesale dealer in boots and 
 shoes at Fort Wayne, Indiana; and JNIartha, 
 wife of George \\'atrous, who is employed in 
 the Commercial Bank in Bay City. 
 
 The father of this family helped to organize 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 405. 
 
 the olil Lutheran Clnirch and scliool at Lin- 
 cohi and McKinley avenues, of wliicli he was 
 trustee for a number of years. 
 
 The subject of this sketch received his men- 
 tal training in the Bay City pubhc schools. 
 At the age of 15 years he began to learn the 
 bakery business with his father, and has been 
 connected with it in various ways ever since. 
 When iiis father retired aljiiut 1874. the firm 
 became Arnold Brothers. They dissolved part- 
 nership in 1880, from which period Mr. Ar- 
 nold has conducted the concern alone. He is 
 an energetic, up-to-date business man, and is 
 thoroughly posted in his trade. 
 
 Mr. Arnold was married in 1901 to Minnie 
 Hoffman, who was born in Bay City. Their 
 union has resulted in two sons, — Frederick 
 and Henry. 
 
 Mr. Arnold is a member of the Mutual 
 Building & Loan Association and of the Royal 
 Guards. He and his wife are memliers of the 
 Lutheran Church. 
 
 oris VAXDERBILT, who for the 
 past 24 years has resided on his farm 
 of 120 acres, situated in section 36, 
 township 14, range 5, in Portsmouth 
 township, Bay County, Michigan, was lx)rn 
 November 7, 1834, in the province of Antwerp, 
 Belgium, and is a son of Frank and Catherine 
 ( Moerdenoiid ) \'anderbilt. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Vanderbilt spent their 
 lives in Belgium, where they were most worthy 
 farming people of the middle class. They 
 reared a family of nine children. Three daugh- 
 ters and two sons came to America. The only 
 survivors of the family are our subject and his 
 sister, Mrs. Marie Antoinette Johnson, who 
 resides with him. 
 
 Mr. Vanderbilt has had a very interesting 
 
 life, filled with adventure and hard work, and 
 through his own efforts has brought about the 
 peace, plenty and comfort which he is able to 
 enjoy as the evening of life draws on. He 
 was reared on his good father's farm until he 
 was chosen as trainer of the horses for the use 
 of the royal family of Belgium, and he served 
 in this position for two years, frequently meet- 
 ing some of his royal patrons. He then entered 
 the army, according to the law, and served five 
 years in the artillery. This service brought him 
 little capital and by the time it had closed, it 
 was late to learn a trade. Conditions did not 
 seem to offer him any inducement to remain 
 in his native land, so that, as soon as he could 
 make his arrangements, he sailed for America 
 and landed finally at Detroit. 
 
 Mr. Vanderbilt found himself hampered 
 by his want of knowledge of the English lan- 
 guage. Belgian, German and French he could 
 easily speak, but the English language, as he 
 had never mingled with English-speaking peo- 
 ple, was very difiicult to learn. After seeking 
 an opening at Detroit for several months, he 
 came to Bay City where he had learned that 
 work was plentiful. Here he found his good 
 manners and excellent clothing were against 
 him in applying for a laborer's position, but he 
 finally secured work at ditching and thereby 
 earned his first $40 in .\merica. Some months 
 later he went into a lumber camp in the woods 
 and there he found plenty of work and good 
 wages and attracted to him any number of 
 good friends among the hard-working crews, 
 many of whom, like himself, had come from 
 other lands. Mr. Vanderbilt followed raf ting- 
 on the river, and was paid well for his danger- 
 ous work as a lumber jack, and thus obtained 
 the capital which enabled him to retire from 
 that Inisiness. He began work at $12 a month, 
 and when he quit he was getting $150 a month 
 from the firm of Dexter & Bellow. 
 
4o6 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 After lo years of this hard work, Mr. Van- 
 derbilt came to Bay City and built a hotel, the 
 Vanderbilt House, which he operated three 
 years and then built a second house which he 
 •conducted for eight years. This second hotel 
 he traded for his present farm of 120 acres, 
 ■only 30 of which had been cleared. All the 
 subsequent clearing he did himself and made 
 all the excellent improvements. He has con- 
 ducted his farm mainly as a dairy farm and 
 lias met with excellent results. 
 
 In 1864, ]\Ir. Vanderbilt was married to 
 Theresa Schmidt, who was born in Belgium 
 and died in 1877 at Bay City, survived by five 
 children : Joseph, proprietor of the Center 
 Road Hotel, of Hampton ; Frank, also a hotel- 
 keeper; Louis, who lives with his father; 
 Charles, proprietor of the Savoy Hotel, of Bay 
 City; and Felix, of Idaho. Mr. Vanderbilt 
 married, as his second wife, Sophia Wentz, 
 who was born in Belgium and died in 1881, 
 leaving one child, — Felix. 
 
 ]\Ir. Vanderbilt takes an interest in local 
 politics but votes independently, supporting the 
 man he thinks will best execute the laws and 
 carry out the will of the people. 
 
 ULIUS SCHULZ, florist, with green- 
 houses at Xo. 19 19 Columbus avenue. 
 Bay City, Michigan, is one of the suc- 
 cessful business men of this city. He 
 was born in Pommern, Germany, May 31, 
 1S58. and is a son of Charles and Carolina 
 ^^'ilhelmina Schulz. 
 
 The father of our subject was a florist in 
 Germany and later became a gamekeeper on a 
 large estate. He immigrated to America some 
 years after his son and joined him at Bay City. 
 For five years he had charge of Eickemeyer's 
 cemetery. His death took place Januar}^ 4, 
 1904; his wife had died in 1893. 
 
 Julius Schulz learned the florist's trade in 
 Germany, serving an apprenticeship of two 
 years in Berlin. In 1881 he came to America 
 and located at ^Milwaukee, \\'isconsin, where 
 he followed market gardening until 1883, when 
 he came to Bay City. For a time he was in 
 the employ of the John C. Irvine Greenhouse 
 Company of Bay City, but in 1889 he opened 
 up his own place of business on Columbus 
 avenue. He began with two small green- 
 houses 25 by 50 feet in dimensions, but these 
 were accidentally burned in 1891 and the loss 
 was total, as he had no insurance. ]\Ir. Schulz 
 was in no way discouraged by this calamity, 
 although it absorbed all his capital. He went 
 right to work and before the close of the year 
 was again ready for business in more conven- 
 iently constructed quarters. In 1S92 he made 
 many improvements and now has five modern 
 built greenhouses, with steam heat and all ap- 
 pliances for the growing and preserving of 
 everything in his line, including a cold stor- 
 age plant. Mr. Schulz has indeed made the 
 desert blossom, for when he came to his present 
 location nothing could be seen but the native 
 woods. It is very wonderful to mark the 
 changes brought about in so short a time and 
 they tell, better than words, of the energy and 
 enterprise of ^Ir. Schulz. He has many busi- 
 ness and personal friends who rejoice to see 
 his prosperity, knowing, as they do, the honest 
 industry which has brought it about. 
 
 At Bay City, in 1886, Mr. Schulz was mar- 
 ried to Augusta Kanath, -who was born in West 
 Prussia, Germany, and they have a family of 
 five children, all of whom are at home, namely : 
 Emil, who is his father's capable and intelli- 
 gent assistant; Walter, Minnie, Arthur and 
 Laura. The family belong to the German 
 Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel Church on 
 Lincoln avenue and lOlh street, with which 
 ^Ir. Schulz united in 1883 and to which he 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 407 
 
 has contributed liberally. He assisted in the 
 building- of the church edifice. 
 
 Mr. Schulz has never identified himself 
 with any political party, seeking rather the elec- 
 tion of men of good reputation, who can be 
 trusted to enforce the laws. He has been in a 
 marked degree public-spirited and assisted ma- 
 terially in the construction of the street rail- 
 way and other impro\-ements on Columbus 
 a\enue, .\lthough he came to America a man 
 grown, without any knowledge of the English 
 language, he set himself the task of learning it 
 and succeeded without having had a single les- 
 son. This is but an example of the persevering 
 patience and firm determination that have also 
 been brought to bear in the building up of his 
 business. 
 
 A. COLLINS, one of the prominent 
 and representative men of Bay 
 City, Michigan, a leading member 
 of the Bay County bar and a pub- 
 lic official now serving his second term as Cir- 
 cuit Court commissioner, was born in Sagi- 
 naw County, Michigan, February 19, 1879. He 
 is a son of John J. and Mary (Scott) Collins, 
 pioneers of Bay County, 
 
 Capt, John Collins, the paternal grand- 
 father, who, with his wife, still resides in Bay 
 City, was born in Liverpool, England. He 
 came to Bay City in 1851 and spent the whole 
 of his active life as a sailor, commanding ves- 
 sels on the Great Lakes for many years. Our 
 subject's father has also been a sailor for many 
 years, having but lately retired from maritime 
 life. He is well and favorably known all over 
 Bay County and now resides at Chicago, aged 
 about 50 years. The mother of our subject died 
 in 1898, aged 42 years. She was of Dutch de- 
 scent, her family coming originally from Hol- 
 land, to which countrv the old aristocracv of 
 
 the State of New York refers with pardonable 
 pride. The family consisted of four children, 
 viz: W. A., Helen, John J., Jr., and Walter 
 Scott. All were born in Bay City, Michigan, 
 and all, with the exception of our subject, re- 
 side in New York. 
 
 Our subject was four years of age when his 
 parents settled at Bay City, and his education 
 was obtained in the common and high schools 
 of his native place. After graduating from the 
 High School in 1896, he began to teach school, 
 a profession he followed in various parts of the 
 county for some six years, during this time 
 studying law to such good purpose that in 1901 
 he was admitted to the bar and entered upon 
 the practice of the profession. Although he 
 has been eminently successful, he is better 
 known to the people of Bay County as a politi- 
 cal factor. A stanch Republican and fine ora- 
 tor, he has taken a very active part in political 
 campaigning for the past six years. In 1899 
 he was appointed a member of the Bay County 
 Board of School Examiners for a term of two 
 years and was reappointed in 1901. In 1902 
 he was elected Circuit Court commissioner and 
 in 1904 was reelected and is serving in this 
 position at present. 
 
 In 1898 ]\Ir. Collins was united in marriage 
 with Louise Abeare, who is a daughter of 
 Julius Abeare, now of Bay County. Mrs. Col- 
 lins was born at Marine City, St. Clair County, 
 Michigan. They have two sons, bright, inter- 
 esting children : Earl Chester, a manly little 
 fellow of five years; and Y'lrgW Leo, aged one 
 year. 
 
 Mr, Collins is clerk and corporal of Com- 
 pany B, 3rd Infantry, Michigan National 
 Guard. He belongs to a number of fraternal 
 and social organizations, including the Knights 
 of Pythias, Modern Woodmen of America, In- 
 dependent Order of Foresters, Union Life 
 Guards, National League of Veterans and 
 
4o8 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Sons, and Modern Archers of America. In 
 his religious views Mr. Collins favors the Prot- 
 estant Episcopal Church. 
 
 Mr. Collins has forged his own way to the 
 front rank of an unusually gifted body of 
 young professional men and political workers, 
 and he has won for himself a position of envia- 
 ble prominence and future promise. 
 
 ON. JAMES BIRNEY. This distin- 
 guished son of a distinguished father 
 became identified with the Saginaw 
 Valley in 1856, coming as the succes- 
 sor of his father, who had made large invest- 
 ments here in Lower Saginaw (now Bay City). 
 A graduate of the Ohio University at 
 Miami, in 1836. James Birney became a mem- 
 ber of the faculty, teaching Greek and Latin, 
 prior to attending the law lectures of Judge 
 Storm and of Professor Hitchcock, of Yale 
 College, at New Haven, Connecticut. While 
 in New Haven he married Amanda Moulton, 
 a stepdaughter of Nathaniel Bacon of that city. 
 After his graduation he practiced law at Cin- 
 cinnati until business interests led him to make 
 a visit to Lower Saginaw as above mentioned. 
 In the summer of 1857 he removed his family 
 to Bay County and from that time on became 
 closely identified with the interests of this sec- 
 tion of Michigan. 
 
 Judge Birney purchased his father's large 
 interests in the town of Lower Saginaw and 
 also made several independent purchases from 
 the government. His first important public 
 service here was to procure the passage of the 
 bill changing the name of Lower Saginaw to 
 Bay City. In 1858 he was elected to the State 
 Senate on the Republican ticket, being nomi- 
 nated more as a compliment than otherwise. 
 The district extended to the Straits of Mack- 
 
 inac and all that portion of Saginaw County 
 embraced within the present limits of Bay 
 County, had been regarded as strongly Demo- 
 cratic. Judge Birney received in this strong- 
 hold of Democracy every vote in the county 
 except five, which were given the regular Dem- 
 ocratic nominee, and a few scattering. The 
 volume of session laws for 1859 contains some 
 50 acts presented by Judge Birney for his dis- 
 trict; what is remarkable, every one he pre- 
 sented was adopted. 
 
 One of the above measures had an import- 
 ant bearing upon the interests and develop- 
 ment of the Saginaw Valley and the lOth Dis- 
 trict. This was the act securing a bounty for 
 the manufacture of salt. The bill proposed the 
 payment of five cents a bushel, but Judge Bir- 
 ney presented it in such a way that it was con- 
 sidered in a more favorable light and a bounty 
 of 10 cents was granted. 
 
 In i860. Judge Birney was nominated by 
 the Republican State Convention for the office 
 of Lieutenant-Governor and was elected by a 
 majority of 20.000. It was during his term in 
 this office that he was appointed to a vacancy 
 on the circuit bench, and he filled this position 
 for the next four years, his jurisdiction em- 
 bracing Saginaw, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, 
 Iosco and Bay counties. After the expiration 
 of his term, he was unanimously renominated 
 by the Republican Judicial Convention, but the 
 district had become so largely Democratic that 
 he was defeated. He then resumed the prac- 
 tice of the law and took part in nearly all the 
 important litigation of that time. In 1871 he 
 established the Bay City Chronicle, which was 
 issued as a daily in 1873 and its publication was 
 continued until after his departure for The 
 Hague, in 1876, when it was merged into the 
 Bay City Tribune. 
 
 In 1872, Governor Baldwin nominated 
 Judge Birney to President Grant as centennial 
 
REV. H. J. H. SCHUTJES 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 411 
 
 commissisoner for Michigan, to celebrate the 
 looth anniversary of the Declaration of Inde- 
 pendence in 1876. He failed to serve in this 
 capacity as he had been appointed by the Pres- 
 ident, on December 17, 1875, ^^ United States 
 jMinister to the Netherlands and he departed 
 for The Hague in 1876. This honor was 
 greeted with satisfaction by his fellow-citizens 
 who appreciated how valuable his services had 
 been to Michigan. He did much for his local- 
 ity and State, one act being the securing of the 
 first railroad in Bay City. 
 
 Judge Birney had five children : James G., 
 Arthur Moulton, Sophia Hull (Blackwell), 
 Alice (Mrs. Frank Blackwell) and one child 
 that died in infancy. 
 
 ISS MARGARET L. McGUIRE, 
 a well-known and much respected 
 lady of Bay City, Michigan, is a 
 native of Canada, born at Leeds in 
 the Province of Quebec. Her father, Michael 
 AIcGuire, died when she was 1 1 years old ; she 
 had previously, at the age of four, lost her 
 mother. 
 
 In 1856, Miss McGuire entered the service 
 of Rev. H. J. H. Schutjes, whose pastorate at 
 that time covered the entire Saginaw Valley. 
 She was an orphan when Father Schutjes took 
 her into his household, and she continued in 
 the capacity of his housekeeper for 41 years, 
 faithful to every obligation imposed by that 
 relationship. When she first came to what is 
 now Bay City, the spot was thickly covered 
 with timber, and what is now Center street 
 was a mass of dense brush. She has seen the 
 Catholic Church in the Saginaw Valley grow 
 from its infancy. During her long period of 
 service with Father Schutjes, he was always 
 kind and considerate, and when he crossed the 
 
 23 
 
 ocean to Europe after spending seven vears as 
 secretary to the Bishop of Detroit, subsequent 
 to his departure from Bay City, she accompa- 
 nied him. A few words concerning this most 
 worthy clerg}'man would seem not irrelevent 
 in this connection. 
 
 Rev. H. J. H. Schutjes, whose portrait 
 accompanies this sketch, was a Hollander, born 
 March 6, 1826, and died in Holland, March 
 18, 1897, at the age of 71 years. He was the 
 youngest of a family of seven sons, one of 
 whom was a priest in Holland. The five other 
 sons occupied positions of public trust in Eu- 
 rope. He received a good education, complet- 
 ing his studies at Louvain University, Belgium, 
 and was conversant with the German, Dutch, 
 Belgian, French, Latin and English languages. 
 He came to Michigan with 25 other young 
 priests, and had but 25 cents in his pockets 
 upon his arrival. He was ordained to the 
 priesthood under Bishop LeFevre of Detroit, 
 ^Michigan, and then began his connection with 
 the development of the Catholic Church in this 
 section. His income at the outset was very 
 meagre, and all the meat used in his 
 household in those pioneer days was of 
 his own killing. During 1850 and 1851 
 the Catholics of Lower Saginaw (now 
 Bay City) built of native timber, which 
 they procured from the woods, an edifice 
 on Washington street below Second, known as 
 St. Joseph's Church, and Father Schutjes ar- 
 rived in 1852 to assume charge. He had great 
 difficulties with which to contend, as the church 
 was not only in its infancy, but no place was 
 provided for the pastoral residence. He chiefly 
 resided at the old Wolverton House, and the 
 remainder of the time was the guest of some 
 friend. Included in his charge was all of the 
 Saginaw Valley, and this necessitated frequent 
 trips, which were hazardous and full of hard- 
 ships, as there were no roads at that time. He 
 
412 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUXTY 
 
 was relieved of a part of his charge in 1863. 
 when pastors were secured for Saginaw and 
 East Saginaw. His parishioners inchided Hol- 
 landers, Germans, French and those speaking 
 English, which made it necessary for him to 
 speak several languages. A new church was 
 erected in 1868 on the site of the present St. 
 James' Church by the English-speaking por- 
 tion of the parish and was dedicated under the 
 patronage of St. James the Apostle. In 1873. 
 Father Schutjes was called to Detroit to assist 
 the Bishop, and Rev. Thomas Rafter, the pres- 
 ent incumbent, became his successor. During 
 Father Schutjes' pastorate, the church had a 
 wonderful growth in memlaership and influ- 
 ence, and in the power to accomplish beneficent 
 and charitable acts. The St. James" Parochial 
 School was begun by him and completed by 
 Father Rafter, and was then taken charge of 
 by the Sisters of Charity, from Cincinnati, in 
 September, 1873. 
 
 Upon the death of Father Schutjes, Miss 
 McGuire returned to Bay City to make her 
 home with her brother-in-law, Henry Peters, a 
 widower, for whom she kept house until his 
 death in 1901. She now resides in this old 
 home at No. 915 Columbia a\-enue, and also 
 owns other property in Bay City. 
 
 ILLIAM H. FRIDAY, a prosperous 
 farmer of Gibson township, Bay 
 County, ^Michigan, resides in sec- 
 tion 28 and has a fine farm of 80 
 acres. He was born in Oakland County, Mich- 
 igan, in 1875. and is a son of Isaac and Julia 
 (Baldwin) Friday. His grandfather Friday 
 lived to reach the age of 96 years and was a 
 life-long resident of New York State. 
 
 Isaac Friday was born at Albany, New 
 York, and was a pioneer of Oakland County, 
 
 Michigan, where he located at an early date. 
 He was married there to Julia Baldwin, who 
 also was born in Albany, New York, and died 
 in 1893, aged 59 years. ]Mr. Friday died one 
 year later at the age of yi years. 
 
 William H. Friday received his educational 
 training at Clarkson, ^Michigan, and worked 
 on his father's farm of 113 acres in Springfield 
 township, Oakland County. His first business 
 venture on his own account was in 1896, when 
 he purchased his present farm of 80 acres in 
 section 28, Gibson township, Bay County. It 
 was all wild land at the time and a considerable 
 distance from any road, and in building his 
 house it was necessary to carry the lumber on 
 his back. Before the doors were hung or the 
 windows in, he moved into the house with his 
 wife, and there followed the same difficulties 
 and hardships in this undeveloped community 
 as were experienced in early pioneer days in 
 what are now thickly settled sections of the 
 county. He has cleared the land and placed 
 it in a high state of cultivation, and nmv 
 has one of the most valuable farms in the 
 township. 
 
 In 1893, -^^1'- Friday was married to Lillian 
 Richmond, a daughter of Benjamin and Mary 
 ( Howell) Richmond, and a granddaughter of 
 \\"illiam Richmond, a native of New York who 
 at an early age settled in Gro\'eland township, 
 Oakland County, Michigan, where he died 
 at the age of "/Z years. Benjamin Richmond 
 was born on the old homestead in Groveland 
 township, which continued to be his home up 
 to the time of his death at the age of 65 years. 
 His wife died in 1878. aged 35 years. 
 
 William H. Friday and his wife are parents 
 of three children, as follows : Elmer, born in 
 1894; Julia, born in 1896; and Richmond, born 
 in 1903. Fraternally our subject is a member 
 of the Knights of the ^Maccabees and the 
 Grange. He is a stanch Republican in politics. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 413 
 
 \RL KRABBE, one of the prominent 
 farmers and stock-raisers of Merritt 
 township, Bay County, Michigan, 
 who owns a well-inipro\'ed and pro- 
 ductive farm of 160 acres in section 31, was 
 "born in the city of Stralsund, Pommern, Ger- 
 many, September 25, 1859, and is a son of 
 Carl and Carohne (Piretz) Krabbe. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Krabbe were farming 
 people in Germany and they passed their lives 
 in their native land. Of their nine children, 
 seven reached maturity, as follows : Axel, who 
 lives on the old homestead in Germany ; Emma, 
 (Mrs. Lange), of Germany; August, who 
 came to Bay County in the spring of 1883 and 
 died July 26, 1903; Minnie (Mrs. Ebelt), of 
 Germany ; Alvina. who died in Germany ; Carl, 
 ■of this sketch ; and Otto, of Germany. 
 
 Our subject remained with his parents and 
 assisted in working the home farm until 1891, 
 when he came to America, reaching Bay City 
 on June nth, where he joined his brother Au- 
 gust who had been here for eight years. j\Ir. 
 Krabbe came with the intention of investing in 
 land and soon became satisfied with the appear- 
 ance and location of his present property, which 
 he purchased. The tract consisted of 160 acres, 
 40 of which had been improved. Mr. Krabbe 
 has cleared and put the remainder under a fine 
 •state of cultivation, has built a comfortable 
 home and has made many excellent improve- 
 ments. At first he made hay his leading crop, 
 then raised grain, but latterly has given more 
 attention to the raising of fine stock. His herd 
 of Holstein cattle can scarcely be excelled in 
 the county. His large supply of milk is sold to 
 the cheese factory at Buena Vista. 
 
 Mr. Krabbe was married in Bay County 
 in May, 1892, to Ella Janiche, wlio was born 
 in Berlin, Germany, June 11, 1874, and is a 
 ■daughter of Emil and Anna (Smith) Janiche. 
 natives of Germany, who came here when Mrs. 
 
 Krabbe was nine years old. Our subject and 
 wife have five bright, interesting children: 
 Emma, Carl, Axel, Otto and W'ilma. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Krabbe has become identi- 
 fied with the Republican party, but he takes 
 no active interest in politics, devoting his time 
 closely to his agricultural interests. He is a 
 member and liberal supporter of the German 
 Lutheran Church in ]\Ierritt township. 
 
 ON. JAMES GILLESPIE BIRNEY. 
 In recalling this distinguished citizen 
 of the United States, whose brilliant 
 gifts and solid services to his country 
 deserve preservation in every public record, the 
 citizens of Bay County, Michigan, remember 
 with pride that for over a decade he made his 
 home here. 
 
 James Gillespie Birney was born February 
 4, 1792, at Danville, Kentucky, an only son of 
 James and Anna (Reed) Birney. His descent 
 was pure Protestant Scotch-Irish. The pater- 
 nal grandfather owned the old family home- 
 stead near Cootehill, County Cavan, Ireland, 
 and is represented as a man in prosperous cn"- 
 cumstances, a vestryman in the Church of Eng- 
 land and a local magistrate. His life was closed 
 in his own country. On the maternal side, the 
 grandfather was John Reed, who was born in 
 Londonderry, Ireland, a man of wealth and 
 political influence. His connection with some 
 of the political movements of the dangerous 
 times in which he lived caused him to leave his 
 own land and seek a home in America, and as 
 early as 1779 he had established himself in 
 Kentucky. In the same year he built a fort 
 within two miles of Danville and a mansion 
 which has stood the assaults of Time until 
 within a recent period. From his marriage 
 with Lettice Wilcox came some of Kcntuckv's 
 
414 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 greatest statesmen : Thomas Buchanan Read, 
 Judges John and Thomas Green, Rev. Lewis 
 W. Green, D. D., Dr. WilHs G. Craig and Gen. 
 Humphrey Marshall. 
 
 In spite of the wealth and social standing 
 of his father, James Birney, the father of our 
 distinguished subject, tired of home surround- 
 ings and ancestral customs, and when only i6 
 years of age escaped from Ireland and resolved 
 to build up his own fortunes in the great coun- 
 try across the ocean. He reached Philadelphia 
 in 1783. In 1788 he opened a store at Dan- 
 ville, Kentucky, in which he prospered and later 
 became identified with almost all the channels 
 of trade, politics, religion and social life in the 
 State and became justly reputed the wealthiest 
 as well as one of the most influential men in 
 Kentucky. His many interests brought him 
 into close contact with the leading men of his 
 day and it was in his own home or in com- 
 panionship with his grandfather Reed that 
 James G. Birney learned the theories of gov- 
 ernment, which books could never have taught 
 him, and while still a youth had formulated his 
 own views. 
 
 Thus the youth grew up unusually intelli- 
 gent and possessing the poise of a man before 
 he had reached maturity. His character was 
 that of a youth frank, self-respecting and self- 
 reliant, with that touch of Southern chivalry 
 which so marked his generation and which is 
 so sadly wanting in the present. After thor- 
 ough preparation, James G. Birney entered the 
 sophomore class in Princeton College, in April, 
 1808. and was graduated September 26, 1810, 
 having shown unusual proficiency in moral and 
 political philosophy, general literature and the 
 classics, in fact, in just those branches which 
 he needed in his future career. While there 
 he had listened to the teachings of the president 
 of the college, the eminent Dr. Stanhope Smith, 
 who taught his pupils that slavery was a moral 
 
 wrong and a political evil. The subject was 
 one of importance over the whole Union and 
 was the subject of much debate and discussion 
 at the college. Pennsylvania had already passed 
 an emancipation act, which was followed by the 
 same legislation in New York in 1801, and in 
 New Jersey in 1804. In all the college discus- 
 sions James G. Birney took part, never defend- 
 ing slavery, although both his father and grand- 
 father W'Cre slave-owners and he had been 
 brought up in its shadow and under its influ- 
 ence. Immediately after securing his diploma, 
 he returned to Kentucky, and he subsequently 
 entered upon the study of the law with United 
 States District Attorney Alexander J. Dallas,. 
 in Philadelphia, with whom he continued for 
 three years. He passed his examination and 
 was admitted to the bar in Philadelphia, and in 
 May, 1814, he returned to Danville and entered 
 upon the practice of the law-. In the fall elec- 
 tions he was made a member of the Town 
 Council and was instrumental in founding the 
 Danville Academy. In 1816 he was elected a 
 member of the Lower House of the Kentucky 
 General Assembly, and it was during this- 
 period that he first took the stand in opposi- 
 tion to slavery, which made his subsequent ca- 
 reer so interesting and important. 
 
 Mr. Birney now began to think of a wider 
 sphere for his professional and political ambi- 
 tions, and circumstances pointed to Alabama 
 as a fruitful field and thither he removed in- 
 1818. 
 
 From 181 8 to 1823 the biographer finds- 
 Mr. Birney practicing his profession, oversee- 
 ing an immense plantation and entering with 
 vigor into politics. The latter interests brought 
 about financial losses of a serious character. 
 His frequent absences from home had caused 
 the unprofitable cultivation of his crops, mainly 
 his cotton, and in 1823, in debt, he left his 
 plantation and removed his family to Hunts- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 415 
 
 ville, the county-seat of Madison County, and 
 one year later he was elected mayor of Hunts- 
 ville. He continued his professional duties, at- 
 taining to a distinction unusual, considering 
 his eminent competitors, and his political 
 prominence continued to increase. More and 
 more his leanings were in the direction of anti- 
 slavery legislation, and early in 1826 he began 
 to take an interest in the American Coloniza- 
 tion Society, which he regarded "as a scheme 
 of benevolence to the whole colored population, 
 and as a germ of effort capable of expansion 
 adequate to the largest necessities in the exter- 
 mination of slavery." In December, 1826, he 
 appeared before the Legislature with the rough 
 draft of a bill "to prohibit the importation of 
 slaves into this State for sale or hire," which 
 did not please some of the large planters. 
 
 It is not the object of this sketch of this 
 distinguished man to follow in detail his polit- 
 ical career, which included his removal to Ohio 
 in 1835 and the genesis of the Republican 
 party, under other names, his nomination on 
 November 13, 1839, as presidential candidate 
 for the new organization, and a recapitulation 
 of the great political movements of the next 
 decade in which his was so important a figure. 
 His work for the emancipation of the slaves is 
 national history. Probably few men suffered 
 more in the cause than did James G. Birney, — 
 the loss of the esteem of kindred and friends 
 which was replaced by contumely and insult, 
 the loss of his property, the interruption of his 
 professional career which had oft'ered the most 
 brilliant future, and the constant detraction of 
 those who had every reason to believe in the 
 purity of his motives. 
 
 When his father died in 1839, leaving him 
 a large estate ami many slaves, he immediately 
 emancipated his negroes. In 1840 he was in- 
 vited to England as one of the vice-presidents 
 of the World's Convention, and in May of that 
 
 year he was nominated for the presidency by 
 the Liberal party and at the subsequent elec- 
 tion received 7,000 votes. 
 
 Aljout this time he became one of the three 
 proprietors of Lower Saginaw (now Bay 
 City), Michigan, and, in order to look after 
 his interests here and also to find retirement 
 after so many years of strenuous struggle, he 
 decided to remove to this place. He arrived 
 at Saginaw in the fall of 1841 and remained 
 there through the winter. At this time all the 
 business interests of the valley were at so low 
 an ebb that ^^'ebster House, one of the largest 
 hotels in Michigan at that time, outside of De- 
 troit, built in 1837, was no longer required to 
 accommodate the traveling public and had been 
 standing unoccupied for some time. Mr. Birney 
 and his family secured it as a private dwelling, 
 and it continued to be their home during the 
 year's residence in Saginaw, before their re- 
 moval to Lower Saginaw. 
 
 In association with Dr. Daniel Hughes 
 Futzhugh and James Eraser, Mr. Birney had 
 previously purchased the stock of the Saginaw 
 Bay Company, which company owned the John 
 Riley Reserve and had laid out the town of 
 Lower Saginaw. They became the successors 
 of that company and the title was conveyed to 
 Mr. Birney. He acted as trustee until a divis- 
 ion of the property was made among the stock- 
 holders. 
 
 A memorable occasion during the residence 
 of Mr. Birney at Saginaw was that of July 4, 
 1 842, when he was invited to address a number 
 of his fellow-citizens who were dining with 
 him at Jewett's Hotel. The late Norman Lit- 
 tle and Judge Albert Miller were appointed a 
 committee to wait on Mr. Birney and extend 
 the invitation to honor the party with an ad- 
 dress in honor of the day. His reply was 
 characteristic. He said that he could not do 
 nor sav anvthing to honor the anniversary of 
 
4i6 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 American independence and freedom, for that 
 day would not have arrived until the release 
 from bondage of the three or four million in- 
 dividuals, who w-ere held to service by their 
 oppressors, had taken place. He consented to 
 attend and speak on his own theme and the 
 eloquent address on the subject of "Emanci- 
 pation" was subsequently made use of as a 
 public document. 
 
 In the spring of 1842, Mr. Birney removed 
 to Lower Saginaw. His residence here was 
 the block -house at the corner of Fourth avenue 
 and Water street, built by the Saginaw Bay 
 Company. Aside from looking after the in- 
 terests of the Saginaw Bay Company as trus- 
 tee, he engaged extensively in agricultural pur- 
 suits, particularly in stock-raising. He brought 
 a fine herd of blooded cattle from Ohio and the 
 results are shown in the fine cattle which 
 abound through the Saginaw Bay district. 
 
 After coming to Michigan, Mr. Birney was 
 again called into active public life by his nomi- 
 nation in 1843 again to the presidency. At the 
 election in 1844, he received 62.300 votes. In 
 1845 he was nominated for Governor of Michi- 
 gan and at the election polled 3,023 votes for 
 this high office. This closed his public political 
 career, although his interest in the anti-slavery 
 struggle was not abated. Disease was creeping 
 on and after his health failed he did not mingle 
 often with his fellow-citizens in Bay County, 
 but he had been very benevolent and public- 
 spirited and he was always remembered with 
 kind feelings by his old neighbors. In order 
 to consult medical specialists and also to give 
 his youngest son collegiate advantages, he went 
 East and settled at Eagleswood, near Perth 
 Amboy, New Jersey. He died there from the 
 effects of paralysis brought on through a fall 
 from a horse, after five or six years of invalid- 
 ism, on November 23, 1857, at the age of 65 
 years. Fie did not live long enough to realize 
 
 his earlier hopes of the growth and importance 
 of Lower Saginaw, nor to see the day which he 
 would have considered the true birthday of 
 American Independence. 
 
 Mr. Birney was married on February i, 
 1816, to Agatha McDowell, who was a daugh- 
 ter of United States Judge William McDowell 
 and a niece of Governor Madison of Kentucky 
 and of Bishop Madison of Virginia. She died 
 in 1838, survived by one daughter, — Mrs. 
 Florence B. Jennison, of Bay City, Michigan, — 
 and five sons, — James, ^^'illiam. Dion, David 
 and George. In 1841 his second union took 
 place, also a congenial one, to Elizabeth Fitz- 
 hugh, a sister of Mrs. Gerritt Smith ; by this 
 union there was one son, — Fitzhugh. Mr. 
 Birney was a man of the highest Christian 
 character and no even incomplete biography 
 can be prepared without special reference being 
 made to his unaffected piety. The Holy Bible 
 was his constant companion and his mind was 
 stored with its precious truths. \\'hile a resi- 
 dent of Lower Saginaw, it was Mr. Birney's 
 custom to conduct religious services in the little 
 school house. 
 
 In spite of the great eminence he had 
 reached in the political world, Mr. Birney was 
 noted for his quiet unostentation. He pos- 
 sessed the refined manner which comes from 
 mingling with superior society, from his exten- 
 sive reading and travel, and he was conspicuous 
 even in the heat of debate for a consideration 
 for the feelings of others and a remarkable ab- 
 sence of selfish self-seeking. Like other re- 
 formers and public benefactors, Mr. Birney 
 did not escape detraction from high places, but, 
 in the light thrown by the progress of events in 
 these subsequent years, when the people of the 
 North and the South have learned to dispas- 
 sionatelv study historv, the name of James 
 G. Birney has gained added and enduring 
 luster. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 417 
 
 LOF L. JOHNSON, a farmer and 
 merchant of Garfield township. Bay 
 County, Michigan, owns a well-im- 
 proved farm of 40 acres in section i, 
 operates a general store in which the Garfield 
 Post Office is located, and is one of the leading 
 men of his section. Mr. Johnson was born in 
 1864 in Sweden, and is a son of Jonas Peter 
 and Lena Johnson. 
 
 The father died in Sweden, in 1875, aged 
 51 years, leaving his widow with eight children. 
 Two of the sons, Alfred and Michael, had 
 established themselves at Bay City, and in 
 1878 Alfred returned to Sweden and brought 
 his mother and the rest of the family to Bay 
 City. The mother did not long survive the 
 change, dying in the fall of 1878, aged 52 
 years. The children all survive and are all 
 located in Bay County, Michigan, within 20 
 miles of each other. They are : August, a 
 farmer of Eraser township ; Alfred, a farmer of 
 Eraser township ; Charles, a farmer of Gar- 
 field township; Michael, a farmer of Garfield 
 township; Annie, wife of Joseph McCaskee, of 
 Bay City ; John, a farmer of Garfield township ; 
 Frank, a farmer of Eraser township ; and Eolf 
 L., of this sketch. 
 
 Two years after coming to Bay County, the 
 subject of this sketch bought his farm of 40 
 acres in section i, where he has carried on agri- 
 cultural operations ever since. In 1898 he 
 opened a general store on his property, in which 
 the post office is kept, his wife being post- 
 mistress. . 
 
 In 1890, Mr. Johnson was united in mar- 
 riage with Clara McCabe, who was then a resi- 
 dent of Bay City. They have three interesting 
 little children: Alma, born in April, 1899; 
 Dewey, born in May, 1901 ; and Rudolph, born 
 in November, 1902. 
 
 Mr. Johnson has been an active member of 
 the Republican party for many years and has 
 
 been called upon to serve in a number of im- 
 portant official positions. He was justice of the 
 peace for one term ; was supervisor for five 
 years ; township treasurer for one year and has 
 been a school director for 10 years. These 
 offices have come to him practically unsought, 
 for he is a man of excellent character, highly 
 esteemed by his fellow-citizens. Both he and 
 his wife belong to the ]\Iethodist Episcopal 
 Church. 
 
 EZEKIAH M. GILLETT. senior 
 member of the law firm of Gillett & 
 Clark, and vice-president of the Bay 
 County Savings Bank, was born in 
 Genesee County, New York, and is a son of 
 Samuel and Susan (Board) Gillett. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Gillett were both born 
 and reared at Chester, Orange County, New 
 York, where they were subsequently married. 
 Later they became residents of Genesee County, 
 where they engaged in farming. The father 
 died in October, 1903, aged 80 years. The 
 mother still resides at Le Roy, New York. 
 
 Mr. Gillett secured his primary education 
 at Le Roy Academy, in his native county, and 
 then entered Cornell University, Ithaca. New 
 York, where he was graduated in 1874 with the 
 degree of Bachelor of Arts. Two years later 
 he came to Bay City and entered upon the 
 study of the law, with the firm of Hatch & 
 Cooley. He was admitted to the bar of Michi- 
 gan in 1877 and shortly afterward entered into 
 partnership with J. E. Simonson, the firm of 
 SimonsonS: Gillett being established on January 
 I, 1879. Later, E. S. Clark was admitted to 
 partnership and the firm style was Simonson, 
 Gillett & Clark until September, 1904, when 
 the present firm succeeded. This law partner- 
 ship, dating from the time when ^Ir. Gillett 
 
4i8 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 became interested therein, is the oldest in Bay 
 City and Bay County. Mr. Gillett has devoted 
 particular attention to corporation and real es- 
 tate law practice and for a considerable period 
 has been counsel for many of the manufactur- 
 ing corporations of the city, including the 
 North American Chemical Company and the 
 Bay City-Michigan Sugar Company. Since its 
 organization, he has been on the board of direc- 
 tors of the Bay County Savings Bank, of which 
 he also is vice-president. 
 
 Mr. Gillett was first married to Helen M. 
 Leconey, of New York City, in 1880. Mrs. 
 Gillett died in 1885, being survived by one son, 
 John. John Gillett recently accepted a position 
 in the engineering department of a large manu- 
 facturing company of Cleveland, Ohio, after a 
 year spent in the University of Michigan at 
 Ann Arbor. 
 
 i\lr. Gillett Vv'as again married, in 1887, to 
 Minnie E. Orton, who was born and reared 
 in Bay County and is the only daughter of the 
 late Charles F. Orton, an early resident, who 
 was extensively engaged in the lumber business. 
 Mr. Orton died at Duluth, Minnesota, Febru- 
 ary 14, 1898. He was a native of Steuben 
 County, New York, where he was born in 
 1S39. ]\Irs, Gillett inherited from her father 
 great musical talent. The latter was organist 
 at Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church for a 
 long period. Mrs. Gillett is known to the mu- 
 sical world through a number of choice musical 
 compositions. One son and two daughters 
 have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gillett, viz : 
 Gladys, Eleanor and Robert, who are students 
 in the Bay City High School. 
 
 Mr. Gillett is a Mason, a member of Bay 
 City Commandery, No. 26, Knights Templar. 
 He also retains his college fraternity member- 
 ship with the Theta Delta Chi society. For a 
 number of years he has been a vestryman of 
 Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church. 
 
 EV. FRANCIS GRES, pastor of St. 
 Joseph's Church, Bay City, Michi- 
 gan, was born December 4, 1853, in 
 the south of France. During his 
 almost 50 years as student and faithful laborer 
 in the spiritual field, he has won the approba- 
 tion of the church and the love of his people on 
 both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. 
 
 Father Gres in boyhood attended the 
 schools of Rodez, his native village, but his 
 theological education was pursued in Brittany, 
 where he was graduated in 1877 and in the 
 same year was ordained to the priesthood, tak- 
 ing his vows in 1878 in the Society of the Holy 
 Ghost. His scholarship and zeal made him elig- 
 ible to a responsible position and he Vi-as sent 
 to be a professor in the Seminary College at 
 St. Pierre, in the island of Martinique, West 
 Indies, which city only a few years ago was 
 destroyed by the terrible eruption of Mount 
 Pelee. After six years of educational work 
 here. Father Gres returned to France and 
 ser\-ed eight years as a missionary priest. 
 
 In 1892, Father Gres came to America 
 and located at Detroit, Michigan, where he was 
 assigiied as assistant pastor of St. Joachim's 
 Church, and remained in this connection until 
 June, 1894, when he came to Bay City as 
 assistant to Father J. Roth and later to Father 
 F. J. M. Michael Dangelzer. In 1900 he was 
 appointed pastor of St. Joseph's parish and is 
 now rounding out his nth year in Bay City. 
 Father Gres has taught himself the English 
 language. His pastorate has been marked 
 with large accessions to the church, with a great 
 increase in the church school and with added 
 enthusiasm among the people. A new church 
 will soon be erected, the financial affairs of the 
 parish being in a most prosperous condition. 
 
 Rev. Alphonsus Coignard, assistant priest, 
 was born in Normandy, France, in 1874, was 
 educated at Mortain, France, where he gradu- 
 
HON. CHESTER L. COLLINS 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 421 
 
 ated in 1892. He then joined the Society of the 
 Holy Ghost in the same year. In 1897 he was 
 •ordained at Baltimore, Maryland, by His Emi- 
 nence, Cardinal Gibbons, as subdeacon and as 
 deacon. In February, 1898. he was ordained to 
 the priesthood under Archbishop Ryan, at 
 Philadelphia. 
 
 Father Coignard taught theology at several 
 points for two years and then was sent as priest 
 to Chippewa Falls, A\'isconsin. In 1900 he 
 came to Bay City as assistant to Father Gres, 
 when the latter assumed full charge of this 
 parish. Both these reverend gentlemen are 
 learned, pious men, whose churchly zeal is only 
 •equaled by their manly, consecrated, unselfish, 
 Christian individual lives. 
 
 The academy in connection with St. Jo- 
 seph's Church is managed by the Dominican 
 Sisters, a body of holy women whose reputa- 
 tion for piety and scholarship extends over the 
 world. Nearly all grades are accommodated 
 here, and careful and thorough instruction is 
 afforded in all ordinary branches, in the clas- 
 sics and in music. Accommodations are pro- 
 A'ided in the class room for 350 day pupils. 
 
 ON. CHESTER L. COLLINS, one 
 of the leading members of the Bay 
 County bar, and president of the 
 Michigan State Bar Association, re- 
 cently elected judge of the i8th Judicial Circuit 
 of Michigan, has been an honored resident of 
 the Third Ward of Bay City since the fall of 
 1875. He was born at Newcastle, Coshocton 
 County, Ohio, June 13, 1847, ^"^ is a son of 
 Adgate W. and Susan (Olive) Collins. His 
 father's parents removed to Ohio from Massa- 
 chusetts, where the ancestors, coming from 
 Ireland, had settled prior to the Revolution. 
 His mother's parents were descended from 
 
 English ancestors, who settled in ^Maryland and 
 Virginia at an early day. 
 
 Adgate W. Collins was born in 1821 in 
 Richland County, Ohio, and his wife in the 
 same year, in Muskingum County, Ohio. Tliey 
 removed from the latter county to Knoxville, 
 Iowa, in May, 1852, where Mr. Collins has 
 continued to reside, interested in farming, mer- 
 chandising and banking. Both parents are 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 
 Chester L. Collins was educated in the 
 common schools of Knoxville, Iowa, and in 
 June, 1868, was graduated at the Iowa Wes- 
 leyan University. He then studied law in the 
 office of the well-known legal firm of Stone & 
 Ayers. The senior member of this firm. Hon. 
 William M. Stone, was one of Iowa's War 
 Governors. He was admitted to practice in 
 the "Hawkeye" State in 1869. Prior to enter- 
 ing college, he had assisted on his father's 
 farm and had clerked in the latter's store. In 
 May, 1864, he entered the army, enlisting in 
 Company A, 47th Reg., Iowa \''ol. Inf., and 
 served as its sergeant until the company was 
 mustered out of the service, on September 28, 
 1864. 
 
 From the date of his admission to the bar 
 in Knoxville, he continued to practice his pro- 
 fession there until 1875, engaging in much im- 
 portant litigation, having many cases in the Cir- 
 cuit and District courts and the Iowa Supreme 
 Court. This condition continued after he cnme 
 to Bay City in October, 1875, Judge Collins 
 having a record from that until the present time 
 in all the courts of the State of Michigan, in 
 the Supreme courts of Florida and Louisiana, 
 in the United States Circuit courts, the United 
 States Courts of yVppeal and the United States 
 Supreme Court. 
 
 Judge Collins has been a member of the 
 Michigan State Bar Association from the time 
 of its organization, has been its vice-president 
 
HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 and is now its president. For several years he 
 was chairman of the committee on legislation 
 and law reform and was largely instrumental 
 in initiating and carrying on the movements, 
 which finally resulted in the Revised Supreme 
 Court Rules of Michigan for 1897. 
 
 He has been closely identified with all the 
 public-spirited enterprises which have resulted 
 so favorably for Bay City. When the Bay 
 County Bridge Commission was organized, he 
 was one of its first members, his co-workers 
 being Joseph Turner of Bay City and the late 
 John Welch and Ephraim Kelton. During the 
 administration of this commission, the Third 
 street bridge was built, that of 23rd street was 
 rebuilt, and the South Center (now Cass ave- 
 nue) one was taken from 23rd street and re- 
 constructed at that point. For a term of five 
 years he was a member of the Bay City Police 
 Commission and has served for more than 20 
 years as a member of the board of trustees of 
 the Bay City Public Library. When the bank- 
 ruptcy law went into effect. Hon. Henry D. 
 Swan, judge of the United States District 
 Court, appointed Judge Collins referee in 
 bankruptcy for the Northern Division of the 
 Eastern District of ^lichigan, being the sole 
 referee of that division, and he served as such 
 until April, 1904, when he resigned the office 
 
 On May 12, 1874. Judge Collins was mar- 
 ried to Sarah Miller, who is a daughter of 
 Judge Albert Miller of Bay City, one of the 
 best known pioneers of the Saginaw Valley, 
 and they have two daughters : Emily and 
 Susan Mary. 
 
 Judge Collins' political affiliations have al- 
 ways been with the Republican party. His 
 first presidential vote was cast for Ulysses S. 
 Grant, in 1868. On February 10. 1905, he 
 received the Republican nomination for the 
 office of judge of the i8th Judicial Circuit of 
 Michigan, comprising the county of Bay. His 
 
 election followed in April. Since 1870 he has 
 been in fraternal connection with the Masonic 
 bodies, and he retains his college membership- 
 with the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. His interest 
 in the Grand Army of the Republic has always 
 been sincere and he has twice served as com- 
 mander of U. S. Grant Post, No. 67. A por- 
 trait of Judge Collins accompanies this sketch. 
 
 ON. BIRDSEY KNIGHT, one of the 
 leading men of Bay County, who 
 owns and operates a fine farm of 240 
 acres and resides in section 17, town- 
 ship 14, range 6, in Hampton township, was- 
 born in Avon township, Oakland County, 
 Michigan, July 18, 1851, and is a son of Hon. 
 Nathan and Harriet (Stephens) Knight and 
 grandson of Elienezer Knight, a native of 
 Maine. 
 
 Hon. Nathan Knight was born at Otisville, 
 near Portland, ]Maine, July 14, 181 7, and 
 accompanied his parents to Oakland County, 
 ^lichigan, in 1826. He completed his educa- 
 tion at Austinburg Institute, Ohio, where he- 
 taught school prior to coming to Bay City, in 
 1854. Securing a farm in Hampton township, 
 he lived on it two years and then was a resi- 
 dent of Bay City until i860, when he returned 
 to the farm, which continued to be his home- 
 through life. For four years he was engaged 
 in the practice of tl:e law at Bay City in part- 
 nership with William Sherman, this being the- 
 cnly law firm at that time in the city. Nathan 
 Knight was a very superior man, both in edu- 
 cation, mental attainments and in the sterling- 
 qualities needed in the early days of any com- 
 munity. He was sent to the Legislature and 
 worked for his section with success and filled 
 almost all the offices which demanded a man of 
 al)ility and tact. His death took place in Bav 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 423 
 
 County, December 28, 1886. The mother of 
 our subject was born in Vermont and died in 
 Bay County, jNIichigan, February 14, 1892, 
 aged 64 years, six months and six days. Our 
 subject is the only survivor of their three chil- 
 dren, one of whom died young and the other 
 at the age of 16 years. 
 
 Our subject is the only survivor of this old 
 pioneer family. He can recall the time when 
 no road had been surveyed between his farm 
 and Essexville. The present smiling fields of 
 grain and rich meadow lands were nothing but 
 wild, unbroken prairie, with here and there an 
 oasis of timber. 
 
 His father, Nathan Knight, secured 160 
 acres from the government and that was the 
 nucleus of the present large farm which is 
 located in sections 17, 20 and 8. The first 
 winter passed on the farm was one of many pri- 
 vations, chief among these bein?- a lack of that 
 humble vegetable, the potato, which, perhaps, 
 is only truly appreciated when it is 
 impossible to obtain. The grandfather sent 
 a supply from Detroit by the first boat 
 in the spring, that then being the only 
 means of transportation. Our suljject's father 
 had brought several head of stock with 
 him and entered into stock-raising with 
 his brother-in-law, John V. Stephens, now of 
 \'ermontville, Eaton County. Enough hay was 
 harvested the first season to winter the stock, 
 but, unfortunately, 33 stacks of hay were 
 burned by a prairie fire and two- year-old steers 
 "were sold for $10, while 300 head of sheep were 
 given away to save them from starvation. He 
 had already suffered from thieves and wolves 
 and did not resume sheep growing. 
 
 In addition to being one of the leading 
 agriculturists of Bay County, our sul)ject has. 
 like his father, been closely identified wiith 
 public affairs. A stanch Democrat, he has been 
 the choice of his party for almost every office 
 
 in its gift, being elected on many occasions and 
 on others running ahead of his ticket when de- 
 feated. He served for 18 consecutive terms 
 as supervisor for Hampton township, an office 
 his father had filled for 16 terms previously. 
 For two years, Mr. Knight held the office of 
 superintendent of the poor, and in 1891 he was 
 sent as Representative to the State Legislature 
 and again in 1893, serving on very important 
 committees during both terms. He was mainly 
 instrumental in securing the State system of 
 road-building. His career at Lansing was in 
 every way honorable and his service was such 
 as to preserve the esteem in which he was held 
 by his constituents and to invite the regard of 
 the public, outside his own district. 
 
 On November 21, 1876, Mr. Knight was 
 married to Eren A. Hilker, who was born in 
 Oakland County, Michigan, September 21, 
 1857, accompanied her parents to Clinton, then 
 to Ingham and in 1875 to Bay County. She 
 is a daughter of Andrew C. and Harriet Hil- 
 ker, natives of New York. ;\Ir. and ^Irs. 
 Knight have two daughters, namely : Bessie 
 I., born June 30, 1878, and Mabel G., born 
 February 26, 1880, both young ladies being at 
 home. This home is a commodious dwelling 
 full of comforts, which was erected by our 
 subject's father to take the place of the small 
 frame edifice, which was the pioneer residence. 
 ^Ir. Knight belongs to the Knights of Pythias 
 and to the Maccabees. 
 
 ^'LVESTER C. YOUNG, one of the 
 prominent citizens and well-known 
 agriculturists of Portsmouth town- 
 ship, Bay County, Michigan, residing 
 on a v.ell-cultivated farm of 76 acres and hav- 
 ing his home in section 6, township 13, range 
 6, was born December 31, 1849, ^t Davison in 
 
424 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Atlas township, Genesee County, Michigan, 
 and is a son of Harvey B. and Elizabetli 
 (Schanck) Young, pioneer settlers. 
 
 The father of our subject was born Novem- 
 ber 1 6, 1 82 1, at Oswego, New York, and died 
 at Corunna, Shiawassee County, Michigan, De- 
 cember 22, 1903. By trade he was a shoema- 
 ker and in his native State owned a store for 
 which he made all the shoes by hand, being a 
 very rapid and expert workman. In 1847 he 
 ■came to Genesee County, Michigan, where he 
 followed his trade for 10 years and then moved 
 to Corunna where he followed his trade and also 
 engaged in farming. He was a man of educa- 
 tion and intelligence and always was interested 
 in public affairs and political movements. He 
 was a stanch supporter of the Republican party 
 and frequently made stump speeches during 
 the campaigns. His father, Edwin Young, was 
 born in Scotland and his mother, in Germany. 
 
 The mother of our subject was born De- 
 cember 5, 1823, in Skaneateles, New York, and 
 died at Corunna, Michigan, August 18, 1891. 
 She was the mother of these children : Eugene 
 D., of Owosso, Michigan; Maria (Mrs. Nefif), 
 of Owosso, Michigan; Pieria L., of Saginaw 
 County, Michigan; Sylvester C, of this sketch; 
 Dora (Mrs. Bj-erly), of Owosso, ]Michigan; 
 Loella, deceased at the age of 18 years; Julia 
 (Mrs. Heggerman), of Council Bluffs, Califor- 
 nia; and Glenn D., of Grand Rapids, Michigan. 
 
 Sylvester C. Young was six years old when 
 his parents moved to Corunna, Shiawassee 
 County, where he went to school and lived until 
 August, 1879, when he came to Bay City. 
 Ever since he has been a resident of Bay 
 County. Shortly after coming here, he secured 
 a farm of 36 acres in section 6 and. later, an- 
 other tract of 40 acres in section 6, Portsmouth 
 township. But a small portion had been 
 cleared and Mr. Young undertook quite a task 
 when he started in to clear his property and 
 
 put it under cultivation. That he has admira- 
 bly succeeded, his fertile fields show as do his 
 handsome residence in the midst of shade trees 
 and his well-built, commodious barns. Until 
 within the last few months, he has operated a 
 dairy farm, keeping 20 cows, but now devotes 
 all his land and attention, aside from that given 
 to public duties, to general farming. 
 
 In 1878, Mr. Young was married at Bay 
 City to Maggie Weber, who died June 20, 
 1899, aged 41 years. Their children were: 
 Charles F., who is in the United States Army. 
 Anna (Mrs. Bercot), of Portsmoulh township; 
 William S. and Raymond, both attending 
 school ; and Letia, who died aged one year. 
 
 Mr. Young has always taken an intelligent 
 interest in politics, voting with the Republicans, 
 and he has served in a number of the local 
 offices, four years as school inspector and four 
 years as justice of the peace. He is a consistent 
 member of the Presbyterian Church at Bay 
 City. He belongs to the Odd Fellows and also 
 to the Maccabees. He is a man of sterling 
 character and is justly considered one of the 
 representative men of Portsmouth township. 
 
 FORGE R. EON, one of the well- 
 known and popular citizens of Bay 
 City, Michigan, and Circuit Court 
 Commissioner, was born in Feb- 
 ruary, 1877, in Jackson, Michigan, and is a 
 son of Charles H. Fox. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Fox removed from 
 Jackson to Bay City, Michigan, when our sub- 
 ject was six months old. His father is the 
 junior member of the well-known cigar manu- 
 facturing firm of Bateman & Fox. which has 
 been in existence for the past 20 years. Form- 
 erly he was chairman of the Board of Police 
 Commissioners, a position from which he re- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 42s 
 
 tired about six months ago. He has always 
 been a stanch supporter of tlie Repuljlican 
 party. 
 
 Our subject was reared to advanced youth 
 in his native city and attended school here until 
 prepared for college and then entered Notre 
 Dame University and one year later to Albion 
 College, at Albion, Michigan. There he re- 
 mained three years, completing the full course, 
 and after graduation entered the law school at 
 Ann Arbor. His graduation followed there in 
 1898. when he was admitted to the bar and 
 immediately entered into practice at Bay City. 
 He has secured his fair share of the legal prac- 
 tice of this section, has been retained on many 
 important cases and has held a number of local 
 offices. In the fall of 1902 he was elected to 
 his present position as Circuit Court Commis- 
 sioner, to which he was reelected in the fall of 
 1904. a very sufficient proof of his efficiency. 
 He is admirably located in the Shearer Block, 
 Bay City. 
 
 Mr. Fox was married at Bay City to Anna 
 AI. Nichols, of Saginaw, Michigan, and they 
 have one daughter, — Mary N. Politically, Mr. 
 Fox is identified with the Republican party. 
 He belongs to the Masons and the Elks and to 
 a number of athletic organizations. 
 
 Since boyhood and early college days, Mr. 
 Fox has been much interested in all kinds of 
 athletic sports. He has not altogether given 
 u\) his fondness for the game of baseball and, 
 as his Bay City antagonists can testify, has by 
 no means lost his skill. During the "nineties" 
 he came into State prominence as a bicycle rider 
 and was classed with the best outside of the 
 professionals. He is very popular in the social 
 circles of his own city and with his old college 
 comrades with whom he continues in touch by 
 keeping up his membership with some of his 
 fraternities, notably the Kappa Sigma, of Ann 
 Arbor. Mr. Fox belongs to that ever-increas- 
 
 ing class of young men, whose education, train- 
 ing and natural fitness bring them early into- 
 public life. 
 
 ILLIAM ORRIN CLIFT, senior 
 member of the well-known firm of 
 W. O. Clift & Company, of Bay 
 City, Michigan, who carry on a 
 general insurance, real estate, loan and invest- 
 ment business, is one of the city's progressive- 
 and public-spirited men. Mr. Clift was born 
 near Syracuse, New York, March 20. 1852, 
 and is a son of Myron and Elizabeth (Hutch- 
 inson) Clift. 
 
 The Clift family originated in New Eng- 
 land. The great-grandfather, William Clift, ^^ 
 was born in Vermont and moved at air-earTy 
 day to Onondaga County, New York, where 
 his son William was born, near Skaneateles. 
 
 Myron Clift, father of our subject, was 
 born in 1821 at Skaneateales. In 1865 he 
 w<^nt to Illinois where he bought property and 
 resided upon it until 1880, when he removed to- 
 Kansas. He married Elizabeth Hutchinson, 
 who was born near Syracuse, New York, and 
 is a daughter of Orrin Hutchinson. They had 
 eight children, five of whom reached maturity, 
 namely: Martha E., who resides with her par- 
 ents at Burlington, Kansas; William O., of 
 this sketch; Lodema H., wife of Marshall 
 Mitchell, of Ottawa, Illinois ; Leonora, wife of 
 O. A. Smith, of Burlington, Kansas; and 
 Emma (Mrs. Cruser), of Burlington, Kansas. 
 The family belong to the Universalist Church. 
 
 William Orrin Clift enjoyed common- 
 school advantages lx)th in New York and in 
 Illinois, and completed his education in the 
 Columbus (Ohio) High School. Soon after 
 this, he entered the office of Superintendent G. 
 A. Doran, of the Ohio State Asylum for Fee- 
 ble-Minded Youth, and continued to be em- 
 
4^6 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 ployed there about lo years. After coming to 
 Michigan, Mr. Chft became superintendent of 
 the Western Plaster Works, at Alabaster; one 
 year later, in the fall of 1880, he became a res- 
 ident of Bay City. He accepted a position as 
 bookkeeper in the First National Bank and 
 continued there until the summer of 1887, when 
 he assisted in organizing the Commercial Bank 
 of Bay City, of which he was cashier until 
 1895. For the past 10 years IMr. Clift has 
 given all his attention to insurance, investment 
 and loans. 
 
 The insurance agency now conducted by 
 W. O. Clift & Company was established in 
 1878, when the late C. B. Cottrell embarked in 
 the insurance business, which he conducted 
 until 1885, being succeeded by James B. Cor- 
 win, who carried it on until his death, in April, 
 1895. His firm was succeeded by Bush & 
 Clift. a partnership which continued until July, 
 1898, when each partner started an agency 
 separately. Mr. Clift represents some of the 
 oldest and most reliable insurance companies 
 of the world, his list including the Hartford 
 Fire Insurance of Hartford, Connecticut ; Home 
 Insurance Company, of New York; ^Mutual 
 Benefit Fire Insurance Company, of Newark, 
 New Jersey; and the Liverpool & London & 
 Globe Insurance Company, Commercial Union 
 Assurance Company and the Phoenix Assur- 
 ance Company, of England. 
 
 Although politically a stanch Republican. 
 Mr. Clift prefers that others should hold the 
 public offices, as he has no political aspirations. 
 He has long been very prominently identified 
 with Masonic affairs and is known all over the 
 State in fraternal circles. He is past master 
 of Joppa Lodge, No. 315, F. & A. M., and 
 past high priest of Blanchard Chapter, No. 50, 
 R. A. M. ; has been thrice illustrious master of 
 Bay City Council, No. 53, R. & S. M., for a 
 
 number of years, and is eminent commander of 
 Bay City Commandery, No. 26, K. T. ; is grand 
 master of ceremonies of McCormick Grand 
 Lodge of Perfection and is most eminent sov- 
 ereign grand master of Bay City Council, 
 Princes of Jerusalem ; is a member of Saginaw 
 Valley Chapter of Rose Croix at Bay City, of 
 the Michigan Sovereign Consistory, S. P. R. 
 S., at Detroit, and of Saladin Temple, A. A. 
 O. N. M. S., at Grand Rapids. His social 
 connection is with the Bay City Club, of which 
 he was one of the organizers. 
 
 Mr. Clift has a very pleasant home at Bay 
 City. He married Ella Gertrude Stocking, 
 Kvho is a daughter of A. W. Stocking, of 
 Painesville, Ohio, and they have two sons : 
 Myron W.;, who is a member of the class of 
 1905 of the University of Michigan ]\Iedical 
 School ; and Lyle ]\I. The family attend the 
 Congregational Church, of which 'Sir. Clift is 
 trustee and treasurer. 
 
 HOMAS ATWILL, deceased, was for 
 many years a well-known resident of 
 Bay County, Michigan, living a part 
 of the time at Bay City and the re- 
 mainder at Essexville. He was born in Ire- 
 land, March 29, 1844, and was a son of Thomas 
 Atwill. 
 
 The father of our subject, who was a native 
 of Ireland, came to America wdth his family in 
 1848, locating in the Province of Ontario. Can- 
 ada. He cleared a piece of land and followed 
 farming extensively, and in connection with 
 this work conducted a hotel. Both he and his 
 wife lived to an old age and died at Bothwell, 
 Ontario, within two weeks of each other. They 
 were parents of seven children — three daugh- 
 ters and four sons — all of whom grew to ma- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 427 
 
 turity and were married. One son, William, 
 and one daughter, Mrs. Ann ISIcRitchie, still 
 live in Canada. 
 
 Thomas Atwill, our immediate subject, was 
 the fifth child born to his parents, and was four 
 }-ears old when he accompanied them from 
 Ireland to Canada. He attended the public 
 schools and lived on the farm of his father. In 
 .1857, at the age of 13 years, he went with his 
 parents to a farm near Bothwell, and while 
 there learned the trade of a blacksmith, serv- 
 ing a full apprenticeship. He then worked as 
 a journeyman at his trade and being a skilled 
 workman commanded good wages. He was 
 married in 1877, and two years later came with 
 his wife to Bay City, Michigan, where he 
 wtjrked as a journeyman for eight years. He 
 established a shop of his own at Essexville, 
 which he conducted a short time, then resumed 
 journeyman's work. He later returned to Es- 
 sexville and conducted his own shop until his 
 death on January 4, 1899. His death was a 
 sad loss to his wife and family, who also were 
 called upon to mourn the death of Mrs. Atwill's 
 mother just six days previous, a sad illustra- 
 tion of the fact that "misfortunes never come 
 singly." Mr. Atwill was an intelligent, well- 
 informed man, and took an earnest and active 
 interest in the progress and development of his 
 community. He served one term as school 
 inspector at Essexville. 
 
 Mr. Atwill was united in marriage, Au- 
 gust 2, 1877, with Lomila Rikert, who was 
 born in Tuscola County, Michigan, September 
 I, 1859, and is a daughter of Philip and 
 Amanda (O'Neil) Rikert, her father a native 
 of Pennsylvania and her mother, of Canada. 
 Philip Rikert was born in 181 4 and at the age 
 of 13 years removed with his parents to New 
 York State. He was one of six children left 
 orphans and being thrown upon his own re- 
 sources left home to go to sea. He later be- 
 
 came a captain on the Great Lakes, and many 
 were the exciting incidents of his career on the 
 water. Later in life he worked at ship-build- 
 ing, but at the time of his death in 1890 he was 
 living a retired life. He was a well-informed 
 man on the current events of his day, was pos- 
 sessed of a pleasing personality and had many 
 friends who never tired of hearing him recount 
 the experiences of his travels. He was mar- 
 ried in Marine City, Michigan, moved thence 
 to Tuscola, and thence, in 1864, to Bay City, 
 where his life ended. He and his wife were 
 parents of nine children, seven of whom are 
 now living. Religiously, they were members 
 of the Methodist Church. Mrs. Atwill was 
 four years old when she came with her parents 
 to Bay City, and she well remembers the time 
 when there were not more than si.x houses on 
 the West Side around the bridge on Center 
 street. Mr. and Airs. Atwill became the par- 
 ents of five children, as follows : Margaret, 
 wife of F. B. Hammond, who is identified with 
 the Michigan Chemical Company; Mabel, cash- 
 ier of Romer, Lovell & Company; Florence, 
 deceased ; Evelyn ; and one who died in infancy. 
 L^pon the death of her husband, Mrs. Atwill 
 removed to Bay City and lives at No. 2002 
 Woodside avenue, the property having been 
 purchased by her. Religiously, she is a member 
 of the Methodist Church, and of the Ladies' 
 Aid Society. 
 
 APT. CHARLES M. AVERELL. In 
 recalling the well-known names and 
 personalities of those whose lives 
 were closely and honorably identified 
 with Bay City, Michigan, from the time when 
 a few scattered dwellings and indifferent busi- 
 ness houses represented the present I)usy thor- 
 oughfares and wide boulevards to the present 
 day, that of the late Capt. Charles M. Averell 
 
428 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 naturally presents itself. Born in 1824, in Phil- 
 adelphia, a son of a sea-faring man, the early 
 life of the lad was spent on the water. 
 
 Captain Averell, father of our subject, com- 
 manded ocean ships for some years and when 
 only eight years old the child became as much 
 at home on the water as on the land. When his 
 father subsequently located at Buffalo, New 
 York, and confined his voyages to the Great 
 Lakes, Charles was afforded school advantages 
 in that city. By the time he had reached man- 
 hood he was the owner of a vessel, the "Aurora 
 Borealis," in which he sailed the lakes for some 
 time, as master. In 1852 he visited Lower 
 Saginaw (now Bay City) but did not settle 
 at the growing village until 1857. Even then 
 there were no roads into the timber beyond the 
 village confines, no bridges had been con- 
 structed and all travel and transportation were 
 necessarily done by water. 
 
 Our subject continued to sail the lakes for 
 some years and for a long time his main in- 
 terests were connected with the water. He 
 operated a tug and was the agent for a number 
 of large Chicago firms, in the chartering of 
 vessels. He then became interested in a stone 
 business, operated a lime kiln for some years 
 and then, with business foresight, purchased a 
 dock and engaged in the shipping of lumber 
 and the various commodities, which the increas- 
 ing business of the city produced. He invested 
 largely in real estate and became one of the in- 
 fluential men of this section. Captain Averell 
 was generally recognized as a man of the 
 highest integrity as well as business capacity 
 and he was frequently prevailed upon to assist 
 in the administration of estates and to act as 
 assignee, notably in the case of the Pipe Works 
 and the old Lake Huron & South Western 
 Railway Company. He built the Averell 
 Block, on Center street, in 1867, and another 
 block on Washington street a few years later, 
 
 the property still being in the possession of 
 Mrs. Averell. 
 
 In 1854, Captain Averell was united in 
 marriage with Agnes L. Humphrey, a daugh- 
 ter of Judge T. J. Humphrey. She still sur- 
 vives, and has a very vivid recollection of the 
 conditions existing when she and her husband 
 came first to Bay City. Her beautiful home at 
 No. 800 Center street was erected by Captain 
 Averell about 1869. 
 
 In addition to being one of the city's most 
 useful and vigorous business men. Captain 
 Averell was deeply interested in the city's edu- 
 cational and religious advancement. He was 
 a leading member of the First Baptist Church 
 and a member of the board of trustees who were 
 charged with the responsibility of erecting a 
 new church structure. The corner-stone for 
 this building was laid with imposing ceremo- 
 nies in 1869 and the erection of this $75,000 
 building was under the immediate superintend- 
 ence of our subject, its dedication taking place 
 on February 9, 1873. In connection with the 
 affairs of this house of worship, some incidents 
 of local history, in which he bore a prominent 
 part, are most interesting. 
 
 The history of almost every church will 
 show that a few families are always more or 
 less concerned in its final completion and equip- 
 ment, and this was notably the case with the 
 First Baptist Church of Bay City. The Averell 
 and Fraser families were conspicuous in this 
 congregation, and one member of the latter 
 family, Mrs. William McMaster, formerly 
 Mrs. James Fraser, at that time a resident of 
 Toronto, Canada, paid a visit to her old home 
 in Bay City. Noting the needs of the new 
 church she decided to make it a valuable and 
 unsuspected present, selecting as her assistant 
 and almoner, her friend Captain Averell. Prior 
 to her return to Toronto, in September, 1873, 
 this good lady interviewed Captain Averell and 
 
k^><0' 
 
 EDWARD A. EICKEMEYER 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 431 
 
 made a compact, by the terms of which she 
 agreed to donate a bell for the church, provided 
 he would undertake the business of procuring 
 the same and the placing of it on the church 
 edifice in secrecy, her wish being that the first 
 intimation the congregation should have of the 
 gift should be when it should peal out in the 
 tower to call them to worship. Altliough he 
 realized the many difficulties in the way, Cap- 
 tain Averell accepted the commission, although 
 he was bound to entire secrecy, even Mrs. 
 Averell being one to be surprised. 
 
 The bell, one of considerable size and fine 
 tone, was ordered from Troy, New York, and 
 was shipped to Saginaw in a sealed car, where 
 it was retained until Captain Averell had com- 
 pleted his plans for hoisting it. At the last 
 moment he was obliged to take a few men 
 into his confidence, and the car was sent on 
 to Bay City. The night was dark, the Captain 
 and his helpers almost felt like conspirators as 
 they worked and hoisted the huge bell into its 
 place in the tower. It was only successfully 
 accomplished on account of the nautical knowl- 
 edge of our subject, whose long experience on 
 the water liad taught him the practical princi- 
 ples of hoisting. By six o'clock on the peaceful 
 Sabbath morning the great bell hung in place, 
 while a party of weary men compelled them- 
 selves to look placid and ready to be surprised. 
 At clnu'ch time the sweet tones of the bell 
 pealed out from the tower, to the gratified and 
 pleased surprise of all. 
 
 \Mien it became advisable to place steam 
 heat in the church, it was Captain Averell who 
 went to Detroit and arranged for the apparatus, 
 his work in this line including the firing of the 
 boilers until some competent man could be 
 found to undertake the job. These interesting 
 incidents serve to show how quickly he grasped 
 situations as well as how far he ignored per- 
 sonal comfort in order to insure the general 
 
 24 
 
 welfare. He was held in the highest esteem in 
 church, business and social life, being a man 
 of exceptional ability in every situation. 
 
 DWARD A. EICKEAIEYER, de- 
 ceased, whose portrait accompanies- 
 this sketch, was one of the best 
 known citizens of Bay City, Michi- 
 gan, coming to it in its early days, casting in 
 his fortunes with its pioneers, and devoting 
 years of energy and activity to its growth and 
 advancement. Mr. Eickemeyer was born Feb- 
 ruary 26, 1826, at Westerhof, Hanover, Ger- 
 many, and was a son of Frederick Eickemeyer. 
 The grandfather of our subject was a mill- 
 owner in Germany, and both he and his wife 
 passed their entire lives in that country. Fred- 
 erick Eickemeyer, our subject's father, was a 
 carpenter by trade and he and his wife both 
 died in Germany. Edward A., the eldest of 
 the family of three children, was the only mem- 
 ber to come to America. A brother and a sis- 
 ter are both deceased, the former, Karl Eicke- 
 meyer, dying in the West Indies, and the latter 
 in Germany. 
 
 The late Edward A. Eickemeyer came to 
 America in 1854, a young man equipped with 
 an excellent education and skilled in a trade 
 which made him immediately independent. He 
 selected the little hamlet of Bay City, INIichi- 
 gan, where a few pioneers had hardily built a 
 few huts on the borders of the forest, recog- 
 nizing the future possibilities of a village so 
 wisely located as to natural advantages. One 
 of the first contractors and builders here, he 
 became one of the leaders, and the long lines 
 of business buildings, the artistic homes and the 
 stately structures for educational purposes and 
 religious worship, which make this a notably 
 beautiful modern citv, attest his mechanical skill 
 
432 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 and stand as enduring monuments to his mem- 
 ory. He erected all of the business blocks be- 
 tween Adams street and Washington avenue ; 
 a number of the elegant mansions on Center 
 avenue ; a preponderating number of the school 
 buildings ; Bethel German Lutheran Church on 
 the corner of RIcKinley and North Aladison 
 avenues; the magnificent Pierce home and the 
 residence of Hon. Theodore F. Shepard, in 
 West Bay City ; his last piece of fine work being 
 the beautiful mansion of George W. Ames, the 
 prominent real estate and insurance man, of 
 Bay City. Until 1886 Mr. Eickemeyer resided 
 on the corner of Sixth street and \\'ashington 
 avenue, and then removed to the handsome 
 modern residence at No. 519 McLellan street, 
 which has continued to be the family home. 
 
 Mr. Eickemeyer was married first, in 1854. 
 to Frederika Keester, who died January 3, 
 1868, leaving four children, namely: Henry, a 
 contractor of Bay City, who married Bertha 
 Patenge and has four children; Sophia (Mrs. 
 William Patenge), who is the mother of eight 
 sons and one daughter ; Lizzie, who resides at 
 home; and Dorothy, who died aged 15 years. 
 On June 26, 1868, Mr. Eickemeyer was mar- 
 ried to Sabine Deneke, who was born June 12, 
 1842, in Hanover, .Germany, and came to 
 America to join her brother August in Frank- 
 enlust township. Bay County, in 1867. Five 
 children were born to this union, viz : Ernes- 
 tine (Mrs. McRae), of Portland, Oregon, who 
 has two sons: Johanna lives at home; Edward 
 C, of Bay City, who married Carrie Wagar 
 and has two children ; Frederick, who married 
 Grace Palmer and resides at L'nionville. IMich- 
 igan ; and Herbert,, who is a student in Colum- 
 bia University, at Portland, Oregon. Mr. 
 Eickemeyer died September 3, 1895. By the 
 terms of his will he placed the management of 
 his large interests in the hands of his widow, 
 
 who is a lady well qualified for such an im- 
 portant trust. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Eickemeyer was a stanch 
 Republican in national affairs, but in local mat- 
 ters he reserved the right to exercise his own 
 judgment. He was no office-seeker, but took 
 a deep interest in securing good men for the 
 administration of city affairs. He served on 
 the School Board, but held no other official 
 position. He was a charter member of Bethel 
 German Lutheran Church, and through life 
 one of its most liberal supporters. 
 
 HARLES W. HITCHCOCK, attor- 
 ney-at-law, at Bay City, occupying 
 convenient offices in Shearer Broth- 
 ers' office building, was born in 
 Perry County, Ohio, in 1866, and is a son of 
 Dr. S. A. Hitchcock. 
 
 Dr. S. A. Hitchcock is a practicing physi- 
 cian at Elida, Ohio. His wife died when our 
 subject was a small boy. Besides Charles W., 
 there \vere one son and two daughters in the 
 family, namely: F. A., manager of an oil 
 company at Muncie, Ohio ; ISIrs. A. C. Pfeifer, 
 of West Bay City, Michigan; and ]\Irs. W. F. 
 John, of Elida, Ohio. 
 
 Mr. Hitchcock was reared and secured his 
 literary education in his native State. He 
 took a law course at Valparaiso, Indiana, and 
 was admitted to the bar of that State in 1895. 
 In October, 1896, he was admitted to practice 
 before the Supreme Court of Michigan, and 
 then located in West Bay City, entering into a 
 law partnership, under the firm name of Wal- 
 ton & Hitchcock. The partnership continued 
 for two years, or until [Mr. Walton was elected 
 city controller, when Mr. Hitchcock moved to 
 Bay City and established himself in his present 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 433 
 
 quarters. His business is a general law prac- 
 tice, including private interests and chancery 
 cases and on numerous occasions he has ap- 
 peared before the Supreme Court. For six 
 years he was county commissioner of schools, 
 his term of office expiring July i. 1902. As an 
 educator he made many frienils for himself 
 when he first came to Bay City, in 1886. For 
 some years prior to taking up the study of the 
 law, he taught in the county and also in the 
 city. He has never lost his deep interest in edu- 
 cational matters and has been more or less offi- 
 ciall}- connected with the public school system 
 for a number of years, until professional duties 
 claimed his entire attention. 
 
 j\Ir. Hitchcock married Alice ]M. Foster, 
 of Rollin, Michigan, and they have two inter- 
 esting little children, — \\'right A., aged se\"en 
 years, and Alice Dale, aged three years. The 
 pleasant family home is located at No. 303 
 North Catherine street, ^^'est Bay City. 
 
 In politics, Mr. Hitchcock is identified with 
 the Democratic party. Fraternally, he belongs 
 to \\'enona Lodge, No. 296, F. & A. IM. ; 
 Othello Lodge, No. 116, Knights of Pythias; 
 the Sons of Veterans ; the I. O. F., and the 
 Royal Arcanum. Mr. Hitchcock was reared 
 in the Methodist Episcopal Church and attends 
 that church. 
 
 gffiig 
 
 EE E. JOSLYN, of Bay City, Michi- 
 gan, has been so closely identified with 
 the city's progress and well-being for 
 the past decade, and has so worthily 
 won his way to civic prominence and public 
 esteem, that he stands forth as one of her truly 
 representative men. Mr. Joslyn was born July 
 23, 1864, at Darien, Genesee County, New 
 York, and is one of a family of eight children 
 born to his parents, \\'illis B. and Amy R. 
 <^ Foster) Joslyn. 
 
 The Joslyn family is an old one in New 
 York, and one not unknown on the roster of 
 the State's eminent men. Its branches have 
 scattered and many of the more vigorous ones 
 have included pioneers among their members, 
 who have wrought and built along civilization's 
 border. Going back to our subject's grand- 
 father, in the branch in which we are particu- 
 larly interested, we find Benjamin Joslyn tak- 
 ing an active part in the War of 1812 and, 
 upon his return, settling down in his native 
 village and becoming the genial host of the 
 local inn. Subsequently he became one of the 
 early settlers of Bay Count}', Michigan, and 
 his life closed at West Bay City at the age of 
 85 years. 
 
 Willis B. Joslyn, father of our subject, was 
 born and reared in Genesee County, New York, 
 and there married into another old and notable 
 family, one which has many representatives in 
 public life in the present day. Mr. Joslj-n fol- 
 lowed the business of contracting and building. 
 His son Lee, who was the fifth member of the 
 little family, was seven years of age, when the 
 father was called to another State to pursue 
 his avocation. The family spent two years at 
 Alton, McKean County, Pennsylvania, and 
 then settled in Dryden township. Lapeer 
 County, Michigan, where Mr. Joslyn contin- 
 ued contracting un.til 1888. He then sougl't 
 the more advantageous field offered for his 
 business in West Bay City. 
 
 Our subject received his literary education 
 in the Union School, at Dryden, Michigan, 
 \\-here he was most creditably graduated in 
 1881. Although but 17 years of age, his men- 
 tal alertness was already marked and he was 
 willingly welcomed as a pupil in law by Judge 
 William W. Stickney, of Lapeer, Michigan. 
 His rapid progress under this distinguished 
 jurist elicited flattering commendation from 
 his preceptor. On account of the necessity of 
 
434 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 earning the means with whicii to continue liis 
 law education,, Mr. Joslyn was not able to give 
 his undivided attention to "Coke" and "Black- 
 stone," and therefore at intervals taught school 
 at various places. For two years he served 
 acceptably as the principal of the Otisville 
 School and one year as principal of the First 
 Ward School of West Bay City. He continued 
 for several years to teach through the winter 
 seasons, mainly through Lapeer and Oakland 
 counties, and to devote his energies assiduously 
 to the study of the law during the summers. 
 His instructors, among whom were Judge 
 George H. Durand, of Flint, Michigan, and 
 Thomas A. E. Weadock, then of Bay City, 
 now of Detroit, were all men of the highest 
 legal ability. He was admitted to the bar in 
 June, 1886, and at once engaged in practice at 
 West Bay City, where his family was located. 
 ^Ir. Joslyn has always been versatile and, 
 during the early days of his practice, when 
 comparatively unknown, he was able to add 
 materially to the rather uncertain income of a 
 young lawyer by newspaper work. This 
 caused his friends to wonder if journalism 
 would not have proved as clear an avenue to 
 success as the profession he had chosen. In 
 March, 1888, he removed to Bay City and occu- 
 pied an office in connection with United States 
 Commissioner McMath. In the succeeding 
 •fall election, he was elected Circuit Court Com- 
 missioner on the Democratic ticket, carrying 
 the election by a majority of 1,320 votes. In 
 1890 he was reelected Circiut Court Commis- 
 sioner and two years later was elected prosecut- 
 ing attorney. He served with ability and en- 
 ergy as city attorney of West Bay City from 
 April, 1897 to 1901. 
 
 In April, 1891, Mr. Joslyn opened an office 
 of his own in Bay City and in 1898 located in 
 his present quarters in the Shearer Brothers' 
 Block. As an attorney his rise to prominence 
 
 has lieen rapid but deserved. He handles prob- 
 ably as large a private practice as any attorney 
 in the county, is local attorney for the Chicago 
 & Grand Trunk Railway Company, and on 
 April II, 1904, was appointed referee in bank- 
 ruptcy by United States District Judge Swan, 
 of Detroit, for the whole of Northern Michi- 
 gan. ]Mr. Joslyn was the attorney for the plain- 
 tiff in the celebrated case of Oscar W. Baker 
 against the Pere Marquette Railroad Company, 
 to recover about $6,000 damages for the 
 loss of a limb in 1887 at the nth 
 street crossing in Bay City. Soon after 
 the accident occurred, James H. Baker, 
 father of Oscar W., brought suit as next 
 friend against the Flint & Pere Marquette 
 Railroad to recover damages. The jury ver- 
 dict in the Circuit Court was appealed and 
 judgment was affirmed in the Supreme Court. 
 Later the case in which our subject was more 
 particularly interested was brought against the 
 Pere Marquette Railroad Company by Oscar 
 W. Baker, who claimed that he never received 
 any part of the money secured on the original 
 verdict, one-half having gone to attorneys for 
 plaintiff as the fee agreed up^in in the case, 
 and the other half having gone to the plaintiff's 
 father without legal authority, for the reason 
 that the latter had never been made a legal 
 guardian of his son and therefore was not en- 
 titled to funds paid into his hands. This latter 
 suit was intended to recover one-half of the 
 total amount. The suit was lately won in the 
 Circuit Court, the verdict being for something 
 over $5,000. This suit is said to be practically 
 without parallel and its progress was watched 
 keenly by members of the legal profession. 
 
 In recalling his years of study and self- 
 denial, it must be gratifying to Mr. Joslyn, as- 
 to any other successful worker, to note the 
 rewards of his industry. The bar of his State 
 recognizes in him one of its leading advocates- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 435 
 
 He is a man of well-disciplined intellect, clear 
 conceptions, thorough knowledge and enthusi- 
 asm for his profession, one whose standards 
 are high, and one whose personal ambi- 
 tions are recognized as thoroughly honorable. 
 Faithful to the Democratic party and loyal to 
 his friends, he has- given whole-hearted service 
 in the offices of trust to wdiich he has been 
 elected. The future opens up many possibili- 
 ties to this clear-headed, able man of mental 
 strength and personal integrity. He is chair- 
 man of the Democratic County Committee. 
 
 While Mr. Joslyn has thus been pushing 
 his way to the front in his profession, he has 
 found time for outside interests. Social by 
 nature, in 1887 he became identified with the 
 fraternal order of Foresters and in this body 
 he has been honored on many occasions. In 
 1892 at Bay City he was elected high counselor 
 at the meeting of the High Court. In 1893 
 at the meeting of the same advanced body, 
 which took place at Saginaw, he was elected 
 vice chief ranger. In the succeeding fall, he 
 ^vas appointed high chief ranger to fill the 
 vacancy caused by the death of Frank Millis, 
 who had filled the office, and he served in this 
 high and responsible position until 1897. At 
 the meeting at Port Huron, in this year, ISIr. 
 Joslyn declined an election and succeeded to 
 the honorary title of past high chief ranger. 
 At the meeting at Detroit, in 1898, he was 
 elected to the office of high secretary, a position 
 he continued to fill until 1901, when he de- 
 clined a reelection. When the Supreme Court 
 of the organization had its notable meeting 
 at Chicago, in 1893, he was the accredited 
 Michigan delegate as he also was to the Su- 
 preme Court meeting which took place in 
 1895, in London, England. He was a member 
 also of the committee on laws for the organi- 
 zation. 
 
 In other leading fraternities, INIr. Joslyn is 
 
 scarcely less prominent. Having passed all 
 the lower degrees in Masonry, he is a member 
 of the Michigan Sovereign Consistory of the 
 Scottish Rite, at Detroit. For four years he 
 was chancellor commander of the Bay City 
 Lodge, No. 23, Knights of Pythias, of which 
 he is still a member, and for four years was a 
 member of the Grand Lodge of that order. 
 His other associations are with the Odd Fel- 
 lows, Modern Woodmen of America, Elks and 
 the Knigths of the Maccabees. 
 
 Mr. Joslyn has a pleasant home in Bay City 
 and a delightful domestic circle. In 1893 he 
 was married to Alice L. Wilson, who is a 
 daughter of F. L. Wilson, and they have two 
 sons, — Lee E., Jr., and x\llan W., — both of 
 whom are being reared to take honorable places 
 in life as American citizens. 
 
 During the whole period of his residence 
 in Bay County, Mr. Joslyn has been noted for 
 his championship of every movement designed 
 to promote the public welfare and all his efforts 
 have been directed to aid in the advancement 
 of all social, educational and moral interests. 
 In 1886 he was elected a member of the Bay 
 County Board of School Examiners, and in 
 1887 he became the secretary of the board, a 
 position he resigned September 26, 1887, on 
 account of the press of other matters. 
 
 Mr. Joslyn was reared by pious parents in 
 the faith of the Lhiiversalist Church and his 
 whole religious life has been in consonance 
 with the teachings of this faith. He has always 
 taken an active part in church jvvork and has 
 been particularly successful in reaching the 
 young. He was one of the organizers of the 
 Young People's Christian Union of the Uni- 
 versalist Church, a strong and vita! body and 
 has served as its president. In 1889 he was 
 a delegate from that initial body to the Lynn, 
 Massachusetts, convention of the Young Peo- 
 ple's Christian L'nion, and was then elected 
 
436 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 president of the national organization, and was 
 the one who drafted its constitution. This 
 notable body of Christian workers has in- 
 creased from 26 to more than 160 societies, 
 with a membership of 10,000 and has a repre- 
 sentation in 21 States. 
 
 ILUA^I L. HIXMAX, a general 
 merchant of Bentley. Michigan, is 
 one of the entrprising men of the 
 northern section of Bay County. 
 He was born at Ensley, Newaygo County, 
 Michigan, February 21, 1869, and is a son of 
 Charles and Susan (Dennison) Hinman. 
 
 Charles Hinman was born in Kent County, 
 Michigan, where his father was a pioneer, com- 
 ing from New York. In 18S0. Charles Hin- 
 man and wife moved to St. Louis, ^^lichigan, 
 where our subject enjoyed the advantages of a 
 high school training. 
 
 In 1889, William L. Hinman went to 
 Thompson's Station, Ogemaw County, JMichi- 
 gan, as a clerk in a general mercantile store, 
 and remained there two years and then accom- 
 panied his employer when the business was re- 
 moved to Pinconning, in the summer of 1891. 
 In the fall of this year Mr. Hinman opened a 
 branch store for his employer at Bentley, it 
 being practically the only store at that time in 
 the village. Ox-teams were almost the only 
 means of conveyance in the section, as there 
 was only one team of horses in the township. 
 The surrounding country was settling up rap- 
 idly and }ilr. Hinman saw that the time was 
 rapidly approaching when a first-class general 
 store at this point would be a necessity, and in 
 1895 he purchased from the estate of his 
 former employer the stock of the store he was 
 managing, and embarked in business for him- 
 self. In 1 90 1 he had the misfortune to lose 
 
 stock and store by a bad fire. He was partially 
 insured and immediately went to work to re- 
 build and in a few months had larger quarters 
 and a more complete stock ready. The business 
 has continued to prosper until the present time, 
 Mr. Hinman being an excellent manager and 
 an accommodating merchant. 
 
 In 1893, i\Ir. Hinman was married to 
 Abbie Harvey, who is a daughter of Enoch 
 and Permelia (Shaw) Harvey, who came to 
 Bay County from Canada in 1881. ]\Ir. Har- 
 vey is now the rural mail carrier out of Bent- 
 ley and also owns a farm in the vicinity. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Harvey have five children : Abbie, 
 wife of Mr. Hinman; Maud, wife of Charles 
 Ross ; Jennie, wife of Charles Buby ; Leander 
 and Roy. Mr. and Mrs. Hinman have two 
 interesting little ones : Charles H., born Feb- 
 ruary 3. 1895; '^iic' Mildred B., born Septem- 
 ber 21, 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Hinman belong 
 to the Methodist Church at Bentley. 
 
 Politically, our subject is identified with 
 the Republican party. Fraternally, he is a 
 Mason, a member of Standish Lodge; and a 
 member of the Knights of the Modern !Macca- 
 bees and of the Knights of the ]\Iaccabees of 
 the World. 
 
 ORACE D. BLODGETT. who is post- 
 master and proprietor of a general 
 store at iSIunger, in Merritt town- 
 ship. Bay County. Michigan, was 
 born in Orleans County, New York, April 2, 
 1835. He is a son of Stephen L. and Hulda 
 (Munger) Blodgett. 
 
 The Blodgett family was established in 
 America by three brothers, who came from 
 England during the colonial days and located 
 in ^lassachusetts. The paternal grandfather 
 of our subject served in the Revolutionary 
 War with Ethan Allen and was taken prisoner 
 
AXD REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 437 
 
 at Ticonderoga. He had six sons who were 
 Masons and l\v reason of this fact he regained 
 his Hberty after nine months of imprisonment. 
 
 Stephen L. Blodgett. fatlier of our subject, 
 was born in Middleliury, Vermont, August 20, 
 1800, and in Middlebury College was prepared 
 for the ministry. He became a local preacher 
 of the Methodist Church and followed farming 
 throughout life. He remained in Vermont 
 until he was 30 years old, then moved to Or- 
 leans County, New York, where he resided 
 until he moved to Genesee County, Michigan. 
 He died there in 1881. Politically, he was a 
 Whig until the organization of the Repuljlican 
 party, when he became one of its stanch sup- 
 porters. He was united in marriage with 
 Hulday Munger, who was born in Connecticut, 
 near Long Island Sound, October 20, 1810. 
 She had four brothers, namely : Lansing, 
 Horace, Curtis and Algernon S. The town 
 of Munger was named in honor of the two 
 last named, who located in Bay City (then 
 known as Lower Saginaw) in 1850, and re- 
 sided here the remainder of their lives. Mrs. 
 Blodgett died at the age of 85 years, after hav- 
 ing given birth to five children, as follows : 
 Horace D. ; Elvira (Molbey), deceased; Je- 
 rome, deceased, who served in the 23rd Regi- 
 ment, Michigan Vol. Inf., under Captain Ray- 
 mond, in the Civil War; Martha (Auton) de- 
 ceased; and Laura (Smith) deceased. 
 
 Horace D. Blodgett lived in his native 
 county until he was 10 years old, then accom- 
 panied his parents to Richfield, Genesee County, 
 Michigan, where he lived for 15 years, attend- 
 ing school and working on the home farm until 
 he was 20, then engaging at lumbering. In 
 i860, he moved to Bay City with his wife, and 
 for two years worked in a sawmill. He then 
 sailed on the river and bay during the open 
 seasons for two years, clerking in a store dur- 
 ing the winter months. He next went to Chilli- 
 
 cothe, Missouri, and for three and a half years 
 worked in a flour mill there as engineer. Re- 
 turning to Bay City, he was then for a time 
 employed as engineer in a flour mill, after 
 which he engaged in sailing one year on the 
 river and bay. In the fall of 1875, ^^^ came to 
 the town of Munger, in Alerritt township, and 
 took up 40 acres of swamp and timber land, 
 which he cleared with much difficulty and put 
 under cultivation. On this place he has built 
 three dwellings, barns, a store and post office 
 building, and at the present time rents two- 
 dwellings. He conducts a general store which 
 enjoys a liberal patronage and is postmaster 
 at Munger, which is an office of the fourth 
 class and has two rural routes. Mr. Blodgett 
 sold lots for the township hall, a blacksmith 
 shop and dwelling on the home farm, a dwell- 
 ing, creamery and barn for D. Graham, also a 
 dwelling for E. A. Howell. At the present 
 time he is giving his entire attention to his 
 store and his duties as postmaster. 
 
 In 1859, Mr. Blodgett was united in mar- 
 riage with Lydia Mather, who was born in 
 INIiddlebury, Vermont, in September, 1835, 
 and was a daughter of Isaac Mather. She died 
 in 1883. They became the parents of three 
 children : Willoughby, who was killed at Bay 
 City in 1883 ; aged 23 years ; Arthur J., of West 
 Bay City; and Edward, who died in infancy. 
 Our subject's second marriage was with Louisa 
 E. Ward, who was born in Bay City and is a 
 daughter of James and .\nn (Ritchey) Ward, 
 the former a native of England and the latter, 
 of Scotland. Her parents were married in 
 England in 1849, ^^'^'-^ upon coming to the 
 United States in 1859 located at Bay City, 
 Michigan. Mr. Ward died here at the age of 
 82 years, and Mrs. Ward is now living with 
 our subject and his wife, being strong and 
 active at the age of 84 years. Three children 
 have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Blodgett : 
 
438 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Mary W. ; Jessie ; and Clair. Mr. Blodgett cast 
 his first vote for Gen. John C. Fremont for 
 President, and lias heen unswerving in his 
 support of the Repubhcan party ever since. 
 In 1900 he was appointed by President Mc- 
 Kinley as postmaster at Munger. He is one 
 of the charter meml:)ers of the Presbyterian 
 Church at Alunger, and is one of its trustees. 
 He donated to the church a half-acre tract of 
 ground and assisted in the construction of 
 the cliurch edifice. 
 
 IHN A. STEWART, whose Hfe has 
 been devoted to educational work, is 
 superintendent of the city schools of 
 Bay City, Michigan, and is well- 
 known in the educational circles of the State. 
 He was born in Centerville, St. Joseph County, 
 Michigan, and is a son of Alexander and Maria 
 (Cummings) Stewart, both natives of New 
 Y^ork State. 
 
 Mr. Stewart is of Scotch-English descent, 
 his paternal grandparents coming to this coun- 
 try from Scotland. Maternally, he is descended 
 of good old Puritan stock. His great-grand- 
 father Allen was a private in the Continental 
 Army during the Revolution and participated 
 in the battle of Concord. Alexander Stewart 
 was a lumberman during the greater part of his 
 active life; both he and his wife have passed 
 into the Unknown Beyond. 
 
 John A. Stewart was the fifth of eight 
 children born to his parents, of which number 
 four are now living. His early education was 
 accjuired in the village school of Wyandotte 
 and was supplemented by a course in the Ann 
 Arbor High School, from which he was grad- 
 uated in 1 87 1. He then attended the Univer- 
 sity of Michigan, from which he was graduated 
 with the class of 1875. Immediately there- 
 
 after, his life work as an instructor began in 
 the grammar grade in Saginaw. He taught 
 in a private school in Lawrenceville. New 
 Jersey, until 1881, in which year he became 
 superintendent of schools at Monroe, Michi- 
 gan. In 1888, he moved to Port Huron, where 
 he served as superintendent of schools until 
 1894, in which year he came to Bay City, Mich- 
 igan. He is now serving his i ith year as super- 
 intendent of the schools of Bay City, and the 
 success attending his efforts has firmly estab- 
 lished him in the confidence and good-will of 
 the people. The duties of his office are onerous, 
 there being 127 teachers, exclusive of supply 
 teachers, under his direction, and an enrollment 
 of 4.279 pupils. There are 21 teachers in the 
 Bay City High School, with an enrollment of 
 540 pupils. There have been many changes 
 for the better effected under his management, 
 and it has been amply evidenced that he is "the 
 right man in the right place." He has been a 
 constant student during these years of labor, 
 is a well-informed and broad-minded man, and 
 has given his duties that conscientious applica- 
 tion of his mind and energies, which never 
 fails in the accomplishment of success. He is 
 a member of the National Etlucational Asso- 
 ciation, the State Educational Association, the 
 Superintendents of Schools' Association, and 
 , the School Masters' Club, keeping in touch 
 with CA'ery organization working along educa- 
 tional lines. 
 
 Mr. Stewart was united in marriage with 
 Margaret MacDonald, a daughter of John N. 
 and Mary (McDowell) MacDonald. Her 
 father, now deceased, owned and operated a 
 flouring mill many years and was a prominent 
 man in Baj' County. To this union have been 
 born two children, namely: John A., named 
 after his father; and Mary Jeannette, who is 
 named after her grandmother. Mr. Stweart 
 resides in his pleasant home at No. 908 Van 
 

 D 
 
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 K 
 W 
 
 -J 
 
 ■r, 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 441 
 
 Buren street. Fraternally, he is a 32nd degree 
 Mason, being a member of the Port Huron 
 Blue Lodge, F. & A. M. ; Bay City Command- 
 €ry. No. 26, K. T. ; Bay City Council, No. 53, 
 R. & S. M. ; Bay City Council, Princes of Jeru- 
 salem; Saginaw Valley Chapter of Rose Croix 
 at Bay City; Michigan Sovereign Consistory, 
 S. P. R. S., at Detroit; and Moslem Temple, 
 A. A. O. N. M. S., at Detroit. He is a devout 
 Christian and a faithful church worker, being 
 an elder of the Presbyterian Church and super- 
 intendent of the Sunday-school 
 
 ERARDUS VEXNIX, one of the 
 well-known farmers and fruit- 
 growers of Hampton township. 
 Bay County, Michigan, owning 56 
 acres of rich land in section 13, township 14, 
 range 5, was born in the city of Oostel Beers, 
 Province of North Brabant, the Netherlands, 
 April 14, 1830, and is a son of Adrian and 
 Anna Katherine (Van Vuct) Vennix. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Vennix lived and died 
 in their native land, and our subject and a 
 brother were the only members of the family 
 to come to America. The home farm of 15 
 acres in the Netherlands has been in the family 
 for generations, now being owned by an aunt 
 •of Mr. Vennix. 
 
 Bereft of his parents when very young, Ge- 
 rardus \'ennix went to live with an uncle for a 
 time. The home estate he and his brother 
 Jacob inherited from their father. When 18 
 years old he was drafted into the army and 
 ■served in the infantry for five years, not taking 
 part in war as the country was at peace. After 
 liis discharge in 1855, he joined his brother 
 Jacob who had come to the United States in 
 the previous year, leaving his native land on the 
 •day of his marriage. May 20, 1855. He and 
 
 his wife came directly to Bay City, then known 
 as Lower Saginaw, where ]\lr. \'ennix soun 
 secured work at dock loading and lumbering, 
 teaming and assisting in the making of the 
 first turnpike roads in this section. It was all 
 hard labor, but his rearing had been such as to 
 make him strong and hardy, and by the time 
 he was ready to take up a small tract of gov- 
 ernment land, he had learned enough English 
 to enable him to successfully transact business. 
 
 This land, the same rich, mellow, product- 
 ive land of his present farm, was then all 
 swamp and he bought it for $1.25 an acre. It 
 could not now l)e purchased for $100 an acre 
 and is not on the market for that. ]\Ir. Vennix 
 has a good, comfortable dwelling here, a sub- 
 stantial barn and all necessary outbuildings and 
 improvements of all kinds and raises sugar 
 beets, garden truck and small fruits, and for- 
 merly raised considerable grain. 
 
 Mr. Vennix was married first to Ida Rooze, 
 who was born in the X'^etherlands three miles 
 distant from her husband's birthplace, July 18, 
 1822, and died July 18. 1863, the mother of 
 six children, three of whom survive, namely : 
 Jacob, of Hampton township ; Mrs. Kate Gunn, 
 of Chicago: and Mary, wife of Theodore 
 Jacobs, of Hampton township. His second 
 marriage was to Mary Slattery, a native of 
 Ireland, who died February 14, 1868, leaving 
 one daughter, — Mrs. Johanna Vanden Hurk. 
 On May 20, 1873, Mr. Vennix was married to 
 Jacoba Jacobs, who was born in the Province 
 of Gelderland, the X'etherlands, October 21, 
 1850, and came to Michigan with her father 
 in April, 1873. A family of eight children 
 were born to this union, the four survivors 
 being: Adrian, born in 1875, a resident of 
 Hampton township; Ida, born November 28, 
 1882; Clara, born May 19, 1885, and Eliza- 
 beth, born August 24. 1887. ]\Ir. Vennix has 
 29 grandchildren, all of them residents of 
 
442 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Hampton township except one who hves in 
 Chicago. 
 
 Some 14 years ago, Mr. Vennix accompa- 
 nied Father Rocht on a trip through Belgium 
 and the Netherlands. His absence of 36 years 
 had obliterated almost exevy trace of his old 
 home and he found scarcely a familiar face. 
 His brother Jacob never married and died at 
 his home in 1858, a victim of typhoid fever. 
 
 Politically, [Mr. Vennix is a Democrat. He 
 has held the office of highway commissioner, 
 serving when he was the only member of the 
 board and when it consisted of three members. 
 He has also served as school inspector and 
 three terms as township treasurer. A Catholic 
 in religious faith, he has served on the Essex- 
 ville Parochial School Board for the past 20 
 years. Portraits of 'Sir. and ]\Irs. Vennox 
 accompany this sketch. 
 
 ILLIA^l NITSCHKA, who has 
 been treasurer of the public schools 
 of Kawkawlin township. Bay 
 County, ^^lichigan, for the past 
 seven years, is one of the township's represen- 
 tative farmers, owning a well-improved farm 
 of 120 acres in sections 8 and 17, his handsome 
 residence being situated in the latter section. 
 Mr. Nitschka was born in Germany in 185 1, 
 and is a son of Frederick and Anna (Adam) 
 Nitschka. 
 
 The parents of ]Mr. Nitschka were also 
 natives of Germany. In 1866 they moved to 
 Canada with their seven sons, four of whom 
 still reside in the Dominion. The father was 
 born in 1802 and died in 1895. at the age of 
 93 years. His was a remarkable case in that 
 he never experienced any serious illness until 
 the day prior to his decease. The mother, b.orn 
 in 181 6, still survives, making her home with 
 her son Henrv, in Canada. 
 
 As our subject was 15 years of age when 
 his parents settled in Canada, his education had 
 alreafly been secured in his native land. In 
 1 87 1 he made his first visit to Michigan, as- 
 one of the construction gang of the first rail- 
 road which was Ijuilt from Detroit to Grand 
 Haven, and called the Northern Railroad. This 
 gave him his first opportunity to save money, 
 wdiich he invested in farming land upon his 
 return to Canada. He secured 100 acres and 
 continued to farm his land there for the fol- 
 lowing 13 years. During this time he succeeded 
 in saving the sum of $2,400, and in 1885, after 
 selling his Canadian farm, he returned to ]\Iich- 
 igan and purchased 80 acres of heavily wooded 
 land in section 8, Kawkawlin township. Bay 
 County, paying $1,000 for this tract. In 1892 
 he added 40 acres located in section 17. where 
 he subsequently erected one of the finest resi- 
 dences in the locality. Mr. Nitschka had much 
 to contend with in clearing his land and in 
 placing it under cultivation. Only 20 acres is- 
 still in timber. He carries on general farming, 
 raises considerable stock and grows fine fruit. 
 His success is that which conies to those who 
 persevere and lead industrious, temperate and 
 upright lives. 
 
 Mr. Nitschka was married in Canada to 
 Anna Bronka, who was a daughter of Gottlieb 
 Bronka, who died aged 76 years. They had 
 a family of 14 children, namely: ]\Iatilda, de- 
 ceased; Ada, born Decemljer 3, 18 
 
 / ji- 
 
 who 
 
 married John Hetz and has six children ; Oscar,, 
 born in 1874: Henry, born in 1876; Anna, born 
 in 1879: Emma, born in 1881, who married 
 Michael Gerringer and has three children : Au- 
 gust, born in 1883: Emil, born in 1885: Ru- 
 dolph, born in 1888; Lena, deceased: Minnie, 
 born in 1891 ; Mary, born in 1893, deceased; 
 ]\Iax, deceased; and Ceolina, born in 1896. 
 Mr. Nitschka and family belong to the Luth- 
 eran Church. Politically, he is a Republican- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 443- 
 
 and has always taken a deep interest in puljlic 
 matters in his township. He is universally 
 respected and the confidence shown him by his 
 fellow-citizens has been especially demonstrated 
 in his reelection to one of the most responsible 
 of the township offices. 
 
 AMES E. BROCKWAY, a popular 
 attorney of Bay City, Michigan, with 
 offices in the Shearer. Block, was born 
 on a farm near Brockway, in St. Clair 
 County, ^Michigan, in 1872. In early boyhood 
 he was taken to Port Huron by his parents, 
 who were pioneer settlers, of German deriva- 
 tion. He was a resolute and ambitious lad 
 and, after enjoying the advantages of the pub- 
 lic school at home until he was 13 years old, 
 went forth into the world to earn his own liv- 
 ing. He worked at lumber tallying during the 
 summers, and in tlie winter intervals still pur- 
 sued his school studies. For se\-eral seasons he 
 was thus employed at Au Sable and Oscoda, 
 until he earned a sufficient amount of money to 
 take a course in the Northern Indiana Normal 
 University. Here he applied himself to law 
 and afterward acquired a knowledge of stenog- 
 raphy, while clerking in various law offices. 
 He was admitted to the Bay County bar, and 
 became the law partner of Devere Hall. He 
 served four years as Circuit Court commis- 
 sioner, being elected to that office on the Re- 
 publican ticket. 
 
 In 1897. ^Ir. Brockway became a member 
 of Company C, of the "Peninsulars," and dur- 
 ing the Spanish-American War he served as a 
 corporal of that company in Cuba. He was 
 also clerk, by appointment, to Brigadier-Gen- 
 eral Duffield until that officer succumbed to 
 yellow fever and was sent to the hospital. 
 
 During his term of service as Circuit Court 
 
 commissioner. 'Sir. Brockway manifested that 
 degree of diligence, discretion and integrity, 
 essential in a position of such responsibility,, 
 and w'on the merited commendation of his fel- 
 low citizens. In the fall of 1904 he was elected 
 Representative to the State Legislature on the 
 Republican ticket. He is one of the most earn- 
 est advocates of a more comprehensive pri- 
 mary election law, and unless the promise of 
 his early manhood fails of fulfillment, he will 
 yet win recognition in higher fields of endeavor. 
 Mr. Brockway is a 32nd degree Scottish- 
 Rite Mason and a member of ^loslem Temple 
 of the Mystic Shrine at Detroit ; also a member 
 of the Modern Woodmen of America, the- 
 Knights of the Modern Maccabees, the Knights 
 of the Loyal Guard, the National League of 
 Veterans and Sons and Spanish War Veterans. 
 
 A\'ID F. STONE, i\I. D., a leading 
 physician of Bay City, Michigan, 
 prominent in his profession and en- 
 joying a reputation as a practitioner 
 second to none all through Bay and neighbor- 
 ing counties, was born March 19, 1843, ^^ 
 Parishville, St. Lawrence County, New York,, 
 and is a son of James and Surviah (Elithorp) 
 Stone. 
 
 James Stone was born in Queens County,. 
 Ireland, and was a farmer by occupation. His 
 wife was a native of Vermont, belonging to- 
 the old colonial family of Elithorp, one well- 
 known in the annals of New England. 
 
 The boyhood of Dr. Stone was passed on his 
 father's farm in St. Lawrence Couqty and he 
 attended the country schools and then entered 
 the grammar school at Milton, Halton Dis- 
 trict, Ontario, Canada, where he was graduated 
 in 1864. Lender Dr. Freeman, a well-known 
 medical practitioner at Milton, he read medicine- 
 
444 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 until he was prepared to accept the position of 
 assistant surgeon to the Toronto General Hos- 
 pital. There he remained for three years, gain- 
 ing practical knowledge of his profession, and 
 during this time he took lectures at Toronto 
 University, where he was graduated in 1870. 
 In the same year he received his medical 
 diploma from the College of Physicians and 
 Surgeons, of Kingston. Ontario. Very soon 
 -thereafter, with his brother, George W. Stone, 
 who had graduated in medicine in 1876 from 
 the Bellevue Hospital Medical College, of New 
 York City, he came to Michigan and located at 
 Metamora, Lapeer County. Neither had much 
 capital, but they possessed a thorough knowl- 
 edge of their profession and our subject re- 
 -mained in Lapeer County for 23 years ; during 
 this time he and his brother answered calls 
 coming from all over the county and from 
 points which could only be reached by riding or 
 driving horses, because of the lack of railroad 
 facilities at that early day. To his readiness to 
 respond to all calls for his services, no matter 
 what hardships were involved, and to the pains- 
 taking care manifested in the treatment of 
 every case, must be attributed the success he 
 achieved. Some of the land he acquired during 
 his residence in Lapeer County, he has disposed 
 •of to good advantage, but is still cjuite a holder 
 of farm property. 
 
 On June i, 1889. Dr. Stone settled perma- 
 nently in Bay City, purchasing a fine residence 
 and four lots on the corner of Center avenue 
 and Johnson street. He established his office 
 ■on this property just west of his residence. 
 He devoted his entire time to his well-estab- 
 lished general practice. His skill as a surgeon 
 and his knowledge as a physician have become 
 as valued in Bay as in other counties and his 
 professional services are always in demand, 
 frequently as a consultant. 
 
 On March 21, 1877, Dr. Stone was married 
 
 to Frances Elizabeth Griswold. who is a daugh- 
 ter of Harry Griswold, a pioneer of Bay City, 
 whose biography and portrait appear elsewhere 
 in this work. Dr. and Mrs. Stone have two 
 children: Anna R., who is attending the New 
 England Conservatory of Music at Boston, 
 Massachusetts ; and Albert F., who is a student 
 at Yale, where he has a fine standing. 
 
 Dr. Stone is identified with the Republican 
 party, but has never taken a very active interest 
 in politics, the engrossing demands of his pro- 
 fession always absorbing his time and attention. 
 At the same time he is recognized as a very 
 public-spirited citizen. He belongs to the lead- 
 ing associations pertaining to his profession, 
 and is very highly considered in the American 
 Medical Association, Michigan State Medical 
 Society and Bay County Medical Society. Fra- 
 ternallv, he is a ]\Iason. 
 
 LBERT McCLATCHEY, a well- 
 known member of the bar of Bay 
 County, Michigan, and a very suc- 
 cessful attorney at Bay City, with 
 offices in the Phcenix Block, is a native of this 
 State, born in Oakland County, July 31. 1869. 
 He is a son of Robert and Nancy (Noyes) 
 McClatchey. 
 
 The mother of Mr. McClatchey is deceased. 
 She was born in Detroit and that city was the 
 family home until 1881, the father being a 
 merchant there for a number of years. He now 
 lives retired, at Harrisville, Michigan. 
 
 Albert McClatchey was educated in the 
 schools of Detroit and was educated in the law, 
 under a well-known attorney's direction, 
 through the Sprague Correspondence School, 
 and was admitted to practice at Bay City, in 
 1895. He has had encouraging professional 
 success and is well-known in all the courts of 
 the city and county. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 445 
 
 Politically, he has been very active in the 
 Republican party but has never sought office for 
 himself. For the past two years he has been 
 secretary of the Republican County Committee 
 and did much hard work in the campaign of 
 1904, which resulted in so great a Republican 
 triumph. 
 
 ]\Ir. McClatchey is prominent in the Ma- 
 sonic fraternity, being a 32nd degree Mason 
 and a member of Moslem Temple of the Mystic 
 Shrine at Detroit. He is past grand master of 
 the ISIcCormick Grand Lodge of Perfection 
 at Bay City, and has filled all the chairs in Bay 
 City Lodge, No. 23, Knights of Pythias. He 
 belongs also to social organizations and has 
 served in many civic bodies. 
 
 ^Ir. McClatchey was married in Bay 
 County, to Evelyn La Valley. 
 
 
 ALTER W. WILLIAMS, M. D., 
 and MARY A. W. WILLIAMS, 
 M. D., are among the most success- 
 ful practitioners of medicine of 
 Bay City, ^Michigan. They have resided in 
 this city several years and have come to 
 stay. Both are scions of prominent and rep- 
 resentative American families, their ancestors 
 having come to tliis country in the early colo- 
 nial period. 
 
 Dr. Walter W. Williams was born at Lima, 
 Washtenaw County, Michigan, September 14, 
 1847, 3rid is a son of Gen. Asa and Hannah 
 Harris (Bond) Williams. He is a descendant 
 of Roger ^\'illiams, the founder of Rhode 
 Island, who established the family in this 
 country. 
 
 Gen. Asa Williams was born in New Lon- 
 don, Connecticut, October 21, 1802, and was 
 descended from a long line of sea captains His 
 mother Cynthia (Pride) Williams, was born 
 
 July 27, 1771, and died Octoljer 6, 1855. Gen. 
 Asa Williams came to Michigan in 1825, and" 
 was one of the first settlers of Washtenaw 
 County. He was a man of great industry and 
 executive ability and steadily added to his pos- 
 sessions until he was owner of many hundred 
 acres of valuable land. He took a very active 
 interest in political affairs, being a stanch Dem- 
 ocrat, and represented his county in the Legisla- 
 ture. He was a brigadier-general in the State 
 Militia of Michigan, being appointed by Gen. 
 Lewis Cass, then Governor of Michigan. On 
 December 12, 1830, General Williams was 
 joined in marriage with Hannah Harris Bond, 
 who was born November 13, 1809, and of the 
 10 children born to them, five grew to maturity, 
 namely: William Diah, born March 22, 1834, 
 who died in 1894, at Marquette, Michigan, 
 ■after serving 18 years as circuit judge: Han- 
 nah Eliza, born January 11, 1839, who lives at 
 Atlanta, Georgia, and is the widow of Bishop 
 Milton Cravath, to whom she was married Oc- 
 tober 4, i860; George Rodney, born February 
 4, 1841, who died at jNIilan, Michigan, in 1903 ; 
 Edwin King, born March 28. 1843. ^^'^'^o was 
 killed at the battle of Gaines' Mill, June 27, 
 1862; and Walter \\'. General Williams died 
 October 2, 1869, and was survived by his wife 
 who died September 17, 1876. 
 
 \\'alter A\\ Williams was reared on the 
 home farm in Washtenaw County, Michigan, 
 and received his intellectual training in the 
 public schools of Lima, the Ann Arbor High 
 School and the University of Michigan. After 
 leaving college he went West, living in the 
 saddle among the cowboys. After the death of 
 his father he settled on the old homestead in 
 Washtenaw County. Some years later he sold 
 it and removed to Eaton Rapids, Michigan, 
 where he also engaged in agricultural pursuits. 
 He was a Republican and very active in poli- 
 tics. He was twice elected to the Legislature, 
 
446 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 • — in 1887 and 1S89, — and was speaker pro 
 tciii. in 1889. He took up the study of medi- 
 cine and after securing his degree began prac- 
 tice in Eaton Rapids and then moved to Bay 
 City in 1897. He spent two years in Cahfornia 
 •on account of ill health but never gave up his 
 residence in Bay City. He makes a specialty 
 of electrical therapeutics and skin and chronic 
 diseases. He is a Mason and has been a Knight 
 Templar since 1872. 
 
 In 1872, Dr. Walter W. Williams was uni- 
 ted in marriage with Mary Achsah Whitaker. 
 Dr. Mary A. Williams is a daughter of Charles 
 and Laura (Beach) Whitaker. The Whitaker 
 coat-of-arms, with a white horse as the crest 
 and bearing the motto "Faith conquers and 
 truth retains," indicates connection with the 
 Wiltshire branch of the family, whose parent 
 stock was from Holmes, Lancashire, England, 
 the family being one of the oldest of that coun- 
 try. The family was established in this couur 
 try by Jonathan Whitaker, who came here 
 from England, first settling in ]\Iassachusetts. 
 He later moved to Long Island, and still later 
 to New Jersey, where he died in 1763. He was 
 the father of Jonathan Whitaker, who was 
 born in 1723 and died June 17, 1786. The lat- 
 ter married Mary Muller, and among their 
 children was Stephen Whitaker, great-grand- 
 father of Dr. Mary Williams. He was born 
 January 19, 1747, and died November 4, 1827. 
 He was in the battle of Monmouth in the Revo- 
 lutionary War. He married Susan White. 
 Isaac Whitaker, a son of Stephen and Susan 
 (White) Whitaker, was born January 16, 
 1792. He served his country in the War of 
 1812. He was joined in marriage with Ach- 
 sah Cushman, a descendant of Robert Cush- 
 man, who served as agent for the "Mayflower." 
 They were parents of Charles Whitaker, who 
 ■was born in Benton, New York, in 1818, and 
 ■came to Michigan in 1836, locating in Lima, 
 
 ^^'ashtenaw County. He owned and conducted 
 a large farm for many years and made a spe- 
 cialty of thoroughbred stock. He was a Dem- 
 ocrat in politics and served many years as super- 
 visor. He was a Royal Arch ]\Iason and a 
 charter member of Chelsea Blue Lodge. He 
 was united in marriage with Laura Beach, 
 who was born in Plattsburgh. New York, in 
 1824, and was a daughter of William and Polly 
 (Kellogg) Beach. Her grandfather, Capt. 
 Joseph Beach, who spent the last years of his 
 life at Otsego, New York, ser\'ed in the French 
 and Indian \Var and later in the Re\'nlutionary 
 War. He was probably born at Morristown. 
 New Jersey, where he spent a large portion of 
 his life and became the father of six children, 
 the youngest of whom was William Beach, 
 father of Mrs. Charles \\'hitaker. ^^'illiam 
 Beach was born in 1782, and moved to Schenec- 
 tady, New York, where in 181 1 he was married 
 to Polly Kellogg, a direct descendant of Silas 
 Kellogg, who was a member of the first Conti- 
 nental Congress from Berkshire County, Mas- 
 sachusetts. 
 
 Charles and Laura (Beach) Whitaker be- 
 came the parents of the following children : 
 Finley, of Sandwich, Illinois ; Caroline, of Ann 
 Arbor, Michigan ; Mary Achsah, of Bay City : 
 Ella, wife of William Tuomy, of Ann Arbor, 
 Michigan ; Charles E., one of the most exten- 
 sive breeders of Black Top sheep in Michigan, 
 who owns and manages the old homestead near 
 Chelsea; and ^^'illiam I., a physician of Du- 
 rand, Michigan. 
 
 Dr. Mary A. W. Williams received lier 
 early education in the public schools and then 
 took the regular course in the medical depart- 
 ment of the L^niversitv of Michigan. graduating' 
 in 1 89 1. During the last year of her course 
 she served as assistant to the professor in gyne- 
 colog3^ She commenced practice in 1891 at 
 Eaton Rapids and continued until 1897, since 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 447 
 
 ■which time she has practiced in Bay City, mak- 
 ing a specialty of the diseases of women and 
 chilch-en. She is a member of the Bay County 
 IMedical Society, Michigan State Medical 
 Society, and American Medical Association. 
 In 1900 she went to New York City and pur- 
 sued a course in the New York Post-Graduate 
 School. 
 
 Dr. Mary A. W. Williams was brought up 
 according to the old ideas, that is, — to build up 
 an honoral)le character, which is l)etter than 
 wealth to meet the emergencies of life; in this 
 she has proved the sterling qualities of her in- 
 heritance. She organized the U. & I. Club, 
 a literary society at Eaton Rapids, Mich- 
 igan. Soon after coming to Bay City, she 
 joined the Woman's Club. She is allied with 
 church and society. 
 
 ^'RUS HILLER. who is well-known 
 to the citizens of Bay County, ]\Iichi- 
 gan, has been engaged in various 
 lines of business during his long resi- 
 dence here and has been highly successful. He 
 is at the present time treasurer of the Bay City 
 Cold Storage & Produce Company, Ltd., of 
 which he was one of the organizers. 
 
 Mr. Hiller was born near Flint, in Genesee 
 County, Michigan, December 26, 1841, and is 
 a son of John and Mary (Sherman) Hiller. 
 His grandafther, John Hiller, who. was of Ger- 
 man parentage, was born in New York State, 
 and there followed farming throughout his 
 active career. He spent the last years of his life 
 at the home of his son, Jacob, in West Bloom- 
 field, Michigan, where he died in 1864, aged 
 about 93 years. His wife was also of German 
 descent, coming of the Frank family of that 
 country. 
 
 John Hiller, father of our subject, was born 
 
 in Rochester, New York, January 28, 1808, 
 and died June 30, 1895. ^^ came to JNIichigan 
 in 1836, shortly after his second marriage, tak- 
 ing up and buying land to the extent of 300 
 acres in Burton township, Genesee County. The 
 house built by him in 1841 is still standing and 
 is now occupied by his daughter, Mrs. Jane 
 Warner. He was a very energetic man and 
 continued actively engaged in farming until 
 within a few years of his death. There was no 
 issue by his first marriage. His second mar- 
 riage was with Mary Sherman, a daughter of 
 John Sherman, of Churchville. New York, and 
 they had 12 children, 11 of whom grew to 
 maturity, as follows: David W., of Flint, 
 Michigan; Philena, deceased in 1898, aged 63 
 years, who was the wife of John Graves, of 
 Flint, Michigan; Mary, widow of Theophilus 
 Herrington, of Flint, Michigan; Cyrus; Levi, 
 of Walla Walla, Washington; James P. and 
 Frank, of Flint, Michigan; Henry, of Portland, 
 Oregon ; Lewis, of Flint, Michigan : Jane, wife 
 of Charles K. Warner who is on the homestead 
 farm ; and Charles, of Flint, Michigan. Relig- 
 ously, Mr. and Mrs. Hiller were members of 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church, being devout 
 Christians and of charitable inclinations. He 
 was a serious minded man, of happy disposi- 
 tion, and had the happy faculty of making 
 friends. No worthy seeker of help was ever 
 refused by him, and in the early days of the 
 community he sheltered many a pioneer until 
 a clearing could be made and a caljin built for 
 him and his family. Such acts of kindness 
 made him a man beloved by all who knew him. 
 Cyrus Hiller continued on the home farm 
 until he was within a few months of being of 
 aije, buviup' of his father the remainder of the 
 period of his minority. For two winters before 
 leaving home, he engaged in teaching school, 
 then in the summer of 1863 worked on a farm, 
 in order that he might attend school the follow- 
 
448 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 ing winter and brush up for his duties as 
 teacher. He then taught in Wheatland, Hills- 
 dale County, Michigan, and while there met 
 Emily M. Sweezey, to whom he was afterward 
 married. He and his wife stayed on her father's 
 farm until the fall of 1864, when our subject 
 moved to Saginaw and taught school in that 
 vicinity the following winter. In the spring 
 of 1865 he purchased a farm near Fentonville 
 and followed farming, then sold out and pur- 
 chased a farm near Flint, where he continued 
 for seven years. Selling that property to good 
 advantage, he returned to Saginaw in 1873, 
 and in the spring of the following year became 
 proprietor of a grocery store, which he success- 
 fully conducted for four years. He ran a mill 
 boarding house two years, and in 1880 pur- 
 chased a planing mill in Bay City. He operated 
 this plant successfully until 1899, when it was 
 destroyed by fire a second time; he had imme- 
 diately rebuilt it in 1889, when it wfts first 
 burned. He decided not to rebuild after the 
 second conflagration, and turned his attention 
 to farming. He owns 328 acres in Wisner 
 township, Tuscola County, which he now rents 
 on shares. Mr. Hiller was one of the organiz- 
 ers of the Bay City Cold Storage & Produce 
 Company, Ltd., and has served as treasurer 
 from the first. This is a flourishing enterprise, 
 having an extensive patronage in Bay City and 
 the surrounding country. Our subject resides 
 with his family at No. 922 North Monroe 
 street. Bay City, where he is enjoying the fruits 
 of a well-spent past in the happy companionship 
 of his family. He is a progressive, public-spir- 
 ited and well-informed man, taking an earnest 
 interest in the affairs of the nation. State, 
 county and his immediate community. He is 
 a man of striking manner and strong personal- 
 ity, and to a marked degree enjoys the confi- 
 dence and friendly feeling of his acquaintances. 
 Mr. Hiller married Emily M. Sweezey, a 
 
 daughter of Joseph yi. Sweezey, of Wheatland, 
 Michigan, and they have an adopted daughter, 
 ]\Iaude. Religiously, they are members of the 
 Madison Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 of which he is a trustee and a class leader. 
 Fraternally, he is a member of Bay City Lodge, 
 No. 129, F. & A. M. He is a Democrat in 
 politics, and has served on the School Board of 
 Bay City for some years. 
 
 EV. EUTROPE LANGLOIS, priest 
 in charge of St. Ann's Church, at 
 Linwood, Bay County, Michigan, 
 and a beloved cleric of the diocese of 
 Grand Rapids of the Roman Catholic Church, 
 was born March 17, 1865, in the Province of 
 Quebec, Canada, and is a son of Cyrille and 
 Cesarie (Guimont) Langlois. 
 
 The parents of Father Langlois were both 
 born in Canada, but the family is of French 
 extraction. From his youth Father Langlois 
 was designed for the church and his education 
 was pursued with this end in view. After his 
 graduation from the University of Quebec, he 
 was ordained to the priesthood in 1892. At 
 once he came to Michigan and was settled first 
 at Au Sable, then at Muskegon, and still later 
 at West Bay City. Since October 6, 1894, 
 he has been located at Linwood, and notable 
 are the changes he has brought about. He has 
 accomplished the building of the beautiful St. 
 Ann's Church and the adjoining parsonage and 
 has also rebuilt the old Church of the Sacred 
 Heart, on the stone road, in Kawkawlin town- 
 ship, and he has in contemplation the building 
 of a commodious brick parsonage in connection 
 with the latter church. When he came here at 
 the call of duty, he found church affairs and 
 church property in a bad condition. The pres- 
 ent cheerful outlook, as to members and finan- 
 
HENRY B. LANDON, A. M., M. D. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 451 
 
 ces, is the outcome of his well-directed energy, 
 his pious zeal and executive ability. Both with- 
 in and without his congregations, Father Lang- 
 lois had many friends and admirers. 
 
 Father Langlois belongs to the same relig- 
 ious body as did Father Jacques Marquette, 
 who, more than 200 years ago, also inspired 
 by duty and religious zeal, came to what is now 
 the State of Michigan on his mission of peace, 
 helpfulness and good-will. This work has 
 never failed and Father Langlois, in his sphere 
 and generation, has nobly done his part. 
 
 EXRY B. LAXDOX. A. M., M. D., 
 whose period of medical practice ex- 
 ceeds that of any other physician in 
 Bay City, Bay County, Michigan, 
 was born March 31, 1840, in Monroe, Michi- 
 gan, where he received his early mental train- 
 ing. In 1857, Dr. Landon entered the Univer- 
 sity of Michigan, where he graduated in 1861, 
 with the degree of A. B. He then enlisted in 
 the army, being commissioned ist lieutenant 
 of Company D, 7th Reg. ^lichigan Vol. Inf., 
 of which regiment he was later appointed adju- 
 tant, and sen'ed in that capacity until the battle 
 of Fair Oaks. In this engagement he was 
 severely wounded, being shot tlu'ough the 
 chest and left arm. He was compelled to re- 
 turn home and soon afterwards resigned his 
 commission. In the fall of 1862, he entered 
 the medical department of the University of 
 Michigan, but his studies were interrupted in 
 the fall of 1863 by his appointment as assist- 
 ant surgeon of his old command, with which 
 he remained until the spring of 1864. He then 
 resigned his commission and resumed his med- 
 ical studies in the University at Ann Arbor. 
 He graduated from the medical department 
 
 25 
 
 in 1865. The degree of A. M. was conferred 
 upon the Doctor by his alma mater in 1866, 
 in recognition of his ability and scholarly 
 attainments in the line of his profession. 
 
 In the spring of 1865, Dr. Landon located 
 in Bay City, where he remained until 1890. 
 In the fall of the latter year, he went to Denver, 
 Colorado, where he was engaed in the practice 
 of medicine for three years, returning in Jan- 
 uary, 1894, to Bay City. 
 
 Of the pioneer physicians of Bay City in 
 1865, the only ones left are Dr. Landon, and 
 Dr. Johnson, of St. John's. When the former 
 settled here the number of medical practition- 
 ers was about 10. Of these Dr. Landon is the 
 only survivor now living in Bay City, and the 
 oldest of all in continuous active practice. Of 
 late years he has been, to a considerable extent, 
 on the retired list. 
 
 Dr. Landon has been twice married. On 
 January 22, 1862, he wedded Martha J. Wil- 
 liams, of Ann Arlx>r, Michigan. She died in 
 November, 1883, leaving a son, Dr. Herbert 
 W. Landon, of Lansing, Michigan, who spent 
 one year in the University of Michigan, and 
 afterwards studied in the office of Dr. McGraw, 
 in Detroit. He graduated from the Detroit 
 Medical College in 1898, and was interne for 
 a year at St. Mary's Hospital, being six months 
 in the medical ward, and an equal period in the 
 surgical ward. He was married in February, 
 1904, to Dorothy Sterling, of Monroe, Michi- 
 gan, a member of a prominent family there. 
 He is now in active practice at Lansing, being 
 located near the State Agricultural College at 
 that point. 
 
 On January 28, 1866, the subject of this 
 sketch was married to Florence Fitzhugh, the 
 youngest daughter of one of the pioneer fami- 
 lies of this region, which has always been very 
 prominent. One son resulted from this union, 
 
452 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 — Dana F.. \vlio is a student in the Bay City 
 High School. 
 
 Dr. Landon is a member of the G. A. R., 
 and of the mihtary Order of the Loyal Legion 
 <of the United States. He is one of the earliest 
 members of the Bay County Medical Society, 
 of which he was secretary when Dr. Horace 
 Tupper was its president. He is the oldest mem- 
 ber in Bay City. Next in length of member- 
 ship is Dr. Isaac E. Randall, of West Bay City, 
 after whom comes Dr. Robert W. Erwin. A 
 portrait of Dr. Landon accompanies this ar- 
 ticle. 
 
 ETER LAROUCHE, one of the well- 
 known, industrious farmers of Gar- 
 field township. Bay County, Michi- 
 gan, owns a valuable farm of 80 acres 
 which is situated in section 13, in a locality well 
 adapted to general farming and stock-raising. 
 Mr. Larouche was born November 12, 1859, 
 in the Province of Quebec, Canada, and is a 
 son of Peter and Madeline (Claveau) La- 
 rouche. 
 
 The family is of French extraction. The 
 father did not survive his 46th year, dying in 
 1865 and leaving his widow with a family of 
 nine children, of whom our subject was the 
 sixth in order of birth. 
 
 Mr. Larouche obtained his education in 
 the schools of Quebec, and in 1879 came to 
 Bav City. He spent the succeeding 10 years at 
 work in sawmills and lumber camps. In 1885 
 he married and two years later bought 40 
 acres of his present farm. This he cleared and 
 placed under cultivation, and in 1 902 he bought 
 an adjoining 40 acres. He has clear^ed 50 
 acres from its wild state and has converted it 
 into a valuable farm. In 1899 he built his 
 barn and in 1902 he built his comfortable 
 home; his property has all the necessary out 
 
 buildings and the surroundings are those that 
 tend to make the estate a very pleasant place of 
 residence. 
 
 In 1885, Mr. Larouche married Eugenia 
 St. Peter, who is a daughter of Buzzel St. 
 Peter, of Canada. They have seven children : 
 Peter, born May 12, 18S6: Eva, born August 
 12, 1889: Clara, born April 20, 1892: Arthur, 
 born October 25, 1894: Alice, born May 30, 
 1897: Azilda, born October 3, 1901 : and Jen- 
 nie, born May 5, 1904. The family belong to 
 the Catholic Church. 
 
 Politically, [Mr. Larouche is a Republican. 
 He belongs to the Maccabees. He is a very 
 highly respected citizen of Garfield township, 
 an honorable and upright man in business rela- 
 tions, and a careful father and a good neighbor. 
 
 RANK A. MILLER, a well-known 
 and prosperous agriculturist, whose 
 farm is located in section 35, Fraser 
 township. Bay County, [Michigan, 
 was born in [Macomb County, Michigan, Feb- 
 ruary 17, i860. He is a son of Adam and 
 Caroline (Wiles) Miller. 
 
 Adam Miller was biirn in Germany, Feb- 
 ruary 24, 1829. There he received his school- 
 ing, and afterwards served in the German 
 Army for two years. He came to America 
 February 2, 1856, landing at New Orleans. He 
 was the son of John and Fortunate (Stader) 
 Miller, the former of whom died when about 
 90 years old, and the latter at the age of 63 
 years. Adam Miller proceeded from New Or- 
 leans to Cincinnati, where he remained two 
 years, working in brick-yards, and also on the 
 levee, up and down the [Mississippi River. He 
 then went to Cleveland and from there to 
 Buffalo, and thence into Canada, where he did 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 45; 
 
 farm work. In 1858, he came to Michigan and 
 engaged .in fisliing on Lake St. Clair. 
 
 In April, 1859. Adam Miller married Caro- 
 line Wiles, a native of Lancaster, Ohio, whose 
 father was a carpenter by trade, and spent 
 most of his life in Detroit. To their union 
 seven children were born, namely : Frank A. ; 
 William Henry, who married a Miss Prender- 
 gast ; Joseph, who married Georgiana Rivet 
 and has two children, — Gladys and Nelson ; 
 Charles ; George, who first married Jessie Jack- 
 son, and afterwards Annie Jones, and has one 
 daughter, — Etta ; and Jesse, deceased. 
 
 Frank A. Miller married Emma Benware, 
 a daughter of Joseph Benware, of Wallaceburg, 
 Canada. They have had the following chil- 
 dren : John ; Frank ; Elizabeth ; Cora Belle, de- 
 ceased; Frederick; Annie; Charles: Louis, de- 
 •ceased ; Guy ; Emma : Hugh ; and Willie. 
 
 In politics, the subject of this sketch is a 
 Republican. Fraternally, he is a member of 
 the Maccabees. He belongs to the Catholic 
 Church. 
 
 LARENCE H. SLOCUM, general 
 manager of the Michigan Cedar 
 Company and one of the prominent 
 business men of Bay City, Michigan, 
 was born at Providence, Rhode Island, and is 
 a son of Henry W. and Sarah B. (Bonnell) 
 Slocum. 
 
 The father of Mr. Slocum died when he 
 was an infant. His mother was born y^ years 
 ago, in New York City, and came to Bay City 
 when her son was four years old. She still 
 survives, a beloved member of his family. 
 
 Mr. Slocum obtained a good common- 
 school education and took a business course at 
 what was then known as Devlin's Business Col- 
 lege. It later was merged into the Bay City 
 Business College. He was 16 years old when 
 
 he entered into business, beginning as office 
 Ixiy with Shearer Brothers^ a large real estate 
 firm, with whom he continued for eight vears. 
 He then accepted an opening in the lumber 
 business with A. Maltby, who subsequentlv 
 organized the Maltby Lumber Company, which 
 failed some time later. Mr. Slocum was con- 
 nected with one of the city's large manufactur- 
 ing concerns for about a year and then accepted 
 the position of general manager for the Michi- 
 gan Cedar Company, one for which he is 
 admirably fitted. He has a thorough knowl- 
 edge of the business and possesses the traits 
 which are absolutely necessary to success. His 
 strict attention to the details as well as to the 
 various outside complications and interests, and 
 his thoughtful and intelligent management 
 have resulted in the most satisfactory con- 
 ditions. 
 
 The Michigan Cedar Company was orga- 
 nized January 20, 1903, and has associated 
 with it the firm of W^ C. Sterling & Son, of 
 Monroe, Michigan, the largest cedar dealers in 
 the State. This company manufactures cedar 
 poles, ties and posts, deals in timber lands, en- 
 gages in logging and handles at wholesale all 
 kinds of forest products from the Michigan 
 woods. Their convenient offices are in the 
 Shearer Brothers' Block in Bay City, where 
 I'Mr. Slocum may be found ready to do business, 
 with the assurance of satisfactory work as to 
 quality and quantity. 
 
 In 1898, Mr. Slocum was married to Lulu 
 ■D. Hulburt, who was a daughter of Dr. Hul- 
 burt, of Bay City, and a charming and accom- 
 plished lady. She died in June, 1903, lea\-ing 
 a son, Harold Hulburt, who was born May 16, 
 1899. Mrs. Slocum was sadly missed in her 
 home circle and in the city's social life, as well 
 as in the First Baptist Church, being the lead- 
 ing spirit in many of the young people's benevo- 
 lent societies. Mr. Slocum is also a church 
 
454 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 worker and has always shown an interest in the 
 Sunday-school. In 1893 he erected a heautiful 
 home on Green avenue, in the nth Ward, 
 which is presided over by his aged mother. 
 
 Mr. Slocum is one of Bay City's representa- 
 tive men and has become so entirely through 
 his own efforts, his success plainly indicating 
 the results of close, persistent attention to the 
 business in hand and the living of a clean, 
 manly, moral life. 
 
 LFRED J. RADZINSKI, M. D., a 
 
 prominent and successful physician 
 and surgeon of Bay City, Michigan, 
 has been engaged in practice here 
 throughout almost the whole of his professional 
 career. He was born in Trenton, Michigan, 
 March 19, 1877, and is a son of Frank and 
 Mary (Slazinski) Radzinski, both of whom re- 
 side in Detroit. 
 
 Frank Radzinski was born in Posen, Ger- 
 many, in 1846, and in his early days entered 
 upon the study of medicine, but as his parents 
 were wealthy land-owners he lacked the incen- 
 tive to continue. Until he was 28 years of age, 
 he spent his time looking after his father's 
 interests. He was well educated in the schools 
 of Germany, becoming a fluent speaker of the 
 French, German, Polish and English lan- 
 gauages. He served in the Franco-Prussian 
 War and was severely wounded a number of 
 times, receiving injuries from which he will 
 never fully recover, although his general health 
 is good at the present. After the war, in which 
 his parents lost all their property, he spent one 
 and a half years in France, then came to Amer- 
 ica in 1874, locating in Detroit where he had 
 a sister residing. He remained a short time, 
 then returned to France, but he found that he 
 liked America much better than Europe. He 
 
 returned to this country and secured employ- 
 ment in a car works in Detroit. After three 
 of four years he started for himself in the fruit 
 business and during the following 10 years 
 engaged in that business with great success. 
 He next conducted a grocery store, butcher 
 shop and saloon until alwut 1896, when he re- 
 tired from business activity to enjoy the com- 
 forts of home life. He is one of the wealthiest 
 Polish citizens of Detroit, and a man of high 
 standing in that city. He is a member of the 
 Polish Roman Catholic Church. He was uni- 
 ted in marriage with Mary Slazinski, a daugh- 
 ter of Jacob Slazinski of Bay City, and they 
 became parents of seven children, four of whom 
 died of diphtheria in infancy. The three who 
 grew to maturity are : Alfred J., Lottie and 
 Paul. Mrs. Radzinski is also a member of the 
 Polish Roman Catholic Church and is secre- 
 tary of the Ladies' Catholic Benevolent Asso- 
 ciation of St. Francis' Church. Mr. Radzinski 
 is vice-president of the church and one of its 
 trustees. 
 
 Alfred J. Radzinski attended St. Casimer's 
 Parochial School, from which he was gradu- 
 ated, then the pul^lic schools and the Jesuit Col- 
 lege in Detroit. He next attended the Detroit 
 College of Medicine, from which he was grad- 
 uated in 1902. He pursued a course of study 
 in German under a private tutor, and is also a 
 fluent speaker of Polish and English. He 
 worked his own way through college, being 
 employed a portion of the time in the press and 
 mailing departments of the Detroit Free Press. 
 After graduation, he was sent by Professor 
 Robbins to Michigamme as assistant to Dr. 
 H. H. Loveland, with whom he remained 16 
 weeks. He then came to Bay City, where he 
 has since practiced. He is lecturer on chemis- 
 try at Mercy Hospital, supreme examiner for 
 the Bay City Polish National Association and 
 examiner for the Chicago Benevolent Asso- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 455 
 
 elation and tlie Milwaukee Benevolent Asso- 
 ciation. 
 
 Dr. Radzinski was united in marriage with 
 Angeline B. Dardas. a daughter of Jacob and 
 Mar)' (Kath) Dardas, of Bay City. Jacob 
 Dardas, one of the oldest Polish citizens of Bay 
 City, was born in Posen, Germany, April 27, 
 1855, and is a son of Martin and Rosa (Ca- 
 don) Dardas. His father was born in Posen, 
 Germany, in Noveml^er, 1816, and died in 
 1882, aged 66 years. He was a farmer all his 
 life and lived most of the time in the ancestral 
 home of his wife, which had been in the family 
 for many years. Jacob Dardas remained on 
 the home farm until he was 18, then worked 
 for two years in \arious places through Ger- 
 many, thus becoming familiar with the country 
 and master of his home language. When a 
 boy he attended a German school. At the age 
 of 20 years he came to the United States, locat- 
 ing at Bay City, Michigan, whither his brother 
 Lawrence had preceded him by two years. 
 Bay City was then a very small town, and Mr. 
 Dardas cut down timber within a block of his 
 present place of business. During his first 
 four years here he worked in a sawmill, then 
 was employed three years in a salt-block. In 
 1882 he started a grocery at No. 701 South 
 Farragut street and continued there until 1901, 
 when he purchased his present fine frame build- 
 ing, which has two large store rooms on the 
 first floor, and a large hall on the second, that is 
 used for society meetings, dances and other 
 gatherings. He conducts a large retail grocery 
 in this building, and enjoys an extensive pat- 
 ronage throughout the ^•icinity. When Mr. 
 Dardas first came to Bay City, there were but 
 48 Polish families located here, while at the 
 present time there are in the neighborhood of 
 1,300. He is a Republican in politics, and 
 served one year as supervisor from the Fifth 
 Ward, two years as alderman and two vears as 
 
 a member of the School Board from the Eighth 
 Ward. In 1891, Mr. Dardas erected a fine 
 residence at No. 705 South Farragut street. 
 He was married in 1877 to Mary Kalh, of 
 Bay City, and the following children blessed 
 their home: Angeline, wife of our subject. Dr. 
 Radzinski; John, of Bay City; Michael M., 
 who is a meml>er of the class of 1906. in the 
 law department of the University of Michigan 
 at Ann Arbor; Jacob, of Bay City, who is in 
 the class of 1906 in the medical department of 
 the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor: and 
 Frank, Clara and Mary. Religiously, the fam- 
 ily belong to St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic 
 Church, of w-hich Mr. Dardas was trustee four 
 years. 
 
 Dr. and Mrs. Radzinski are the parents of 
 one daughter, — Lulu. They are consistent 
 members of St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic 
 Church, and move in the higher social circles 
 of the city. The Doctor is a member of the 
 Polish benevolent associations of Bay City, Chi- 
 cago and Milwaukee; of the Bay County Med- 
 ical Society; and of the American Medical 
 Association. He is a thorough student of his 
 profession, and takes high rank among his 
 brother practitioners. 
 
 LARENCE E. WALKER, an enter- 
 prising citizen of Bay City. Michi- 
 gan, who is secretary and manager 
 of the Bay City Cold Storage & 
 Produce Company, Ltd., was born in Lapeer 
 County, Michigan, March 9, 1865. He is a 
 son of Roger T. and Harriet (Banghart) 
 Walker. 
 
 Thomas Walker, grandfather of Clarence 
 E., was born in England and came to America 
 just Ijefore the birth of Roger T., who was the 
 eldest child. The family located temporarily 
 
+56 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 at Detroit, and subsequently took up some 
 land in Lapeer County. The farm still remains 
 in their possession, Thomas Walker's youngest 
 son, David, being its occupant. 
 
 Roger T. Walker was born in Detroit and 
 grew up on the home farm. About 1S72 he 
 started in the lumbering business at Lapeer, 
 and continued operating there until about 1892, 
 when he moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, and 
 was engaged in the same business there until 
 two months before his death. He then re- 
 turned to Detroit, where he died in 1902, at 
 the age of 62 years. Air. Walker married Har- 
 riet Banghart, who was born in 1840 in Al- 
 mont, IMichigan, and is a daughter of Josiah 
 and Caroline (McCracken) Banghart, of Al- 
 mont, Michigan, the former a native of New 
 Jersey. Their union resulted in three children, 
 namely : Clarence E. : Frank B.. who is a phy- 
 sician in Detroit ; and Blanche, wife of Henry 
 H. Brewer, of Toronto, Canada. Mr. Walker 
 was a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church, in which he w^as very active. He was 
 a class leader and held nearly every position in 
 the church. His widow, who lives in Detroit, 
 is also a member of the same religious denomi- 
 nation. In politics, he was a Republican, but 
 never sought office. Fraternally, he was a 
 member of the Royal Arcanum and the Knights 
 of Honor. 
 
 Clarence E. Walker received his early men- 
 tal training in the public schools of Lapeer and 
 in the Detroit Business University and was 
 afterward employed by his father in the lumber 
 business. He became his father's manager and 
 ■thus continued until 1892, when he came to 
 Bay City and purchased an interest in the gro- 
 cery house of Kelley & Company, remaining in 
 that line 10 years. In 1902 he went on the 
 road as a salesman for the wholesale grocery 
 firm of Reid, Murdock & Company, of Chi- 
 
 cago. He still handles their business in the 
 Saginaw Valley. 
 
 Mr. W^alker organized the Bay City Cold 
 Storage & Produce Company, Ltd., in March, 
 1903. In the following April the coiupany 
 began the erection of its present fine plant. 
 It is equipped with the "Linde" type of ammo- 
 nia machine, erected by The Fred W. Wolf 
 Company, of Chicago. The machine has a 
 capacity to cool the same space as would 12 
 tons of ice in 24 hours. Each room is con- 
 trolled separately, the temperature ranging 
 from 90 degrees Fahrenheit to zero. The plant 
 has been a success from the start, and the com- 
 pany purchases from the farmers of this sec- 
 tion large quantities of produce, eggs, butter, 
 cheese and fruits. 
 
 Mr. Walker married Maude Elliott, a 
 daughter of Melvin and Emily (Jones) Elliott,, 
 of Jackson, Michigan. They have three chil- 
 dren, — Frank Elliott, Ruth Emily and Harry 
 Edward. The parents are members of the 
 Madison Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 of which JMr. Walker is a trustee. The subject 
 of this sketch is a Republican in politics, but 
 has never sought office. 
 
 VWRENCE RUHSTOFER, a repre- 
 sentative farmer of Kawkawlin town- 
 ship. Bay County, ]Michigan, who 
 owns a fine farm of 120 acres situated 
 in section 17, was born in 1861 in the town of 
 Amherst, Erie County. New York, and is a 
 son of Joseph and Catherine (Rentier) Ruhs- 
 tofer. 
 
 The father of our subject, who was a small 
 farmer and highly respected citizen of Erie 
 County, New York, died in 1877, in his 6ist 
 year. His wife died in 
 vears. 
 
 1874, at the age of 56 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 457 
 
 Lawrence Ruhstofer was the youngest of 
 the six children born to his parents, four of 
 whom are now Hving. He was mainly edu- 
 cated in Niagara County, New York. In the 
 spring of 1879 he removed to Bay County, 
 Michigan, as an employee in a sawmill, sub- 
 sequently working through the summer seasons 
 as head sawyer in different mills and during 
 the winter seasons at lumbering in the woods. 
 As sawyer he worked at Ashland, Wisconsin, 
 and at Duluth, Minnesota, and spent some time 
 in Georgia, sawing for the Altamaha Cypress 
 Lumber Company. He was also employed for 
 12 years as head sawyer at Menominee, Michi- 
 gan, for the Kirby-Carpenter Company. 
 
 In 1886 he purchased the first 40 acres of 
 his present farm, on which his home is situ- 
 ated; in January, 1896. he added another 40 
 acres, and in 1898 still another 40-acre tract, 
 all of it, at the time of purchase, being covered 
 with valuable timber. This has been cleared 
 off to a considerable degree and much of the 
 land is under a fine state of cultivation. Mr. 
 Ruhstofer is one of Kawkawlin township's sub- 
 stantial men, and his prosperity is the direct 
 result of his own enterprise and inustry. 
 
 On December 25, 1885, our subject was 
 united in marriage with Mary J. Shaw, of Bay 
 City, who is a daughter of Sidney Shaw, a 
 well-known millwright and cabinet-maker of 
 that city; Sidney Shaw and wife are now resi- 
 dents of Kawkawlin township, having a farm 
 in section 18. Mr. and Mrs. Ruhstofer have 
 had seven children, namely: Sidney Lawrence, 
 born June 17, 1887; Ithamar Roy, born June 
 23, 1889; Walter John, born February 18, 
 1891 ; Charles Raymond, born August 17, 
 1892; Margaret Esther, born July 3, 1894; 
 Byron Wesley, bom December 7, 1895; and 
 Isabella Eleanor, born December 11, 1899. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Ruhstofer is identified with 
 
 the Republican party. Fraternally, he is a; 
 member of the Knights of the Modern !Macca- 
 bees. In religious belief he is a Baptist. 
 
 HARLES A. BIGELOW, who 
 throughout his business career has 
 been identified with lumbering inter- 
 ests, is secretary, treasurer and gen- 
 eral manager of The Kneeland-Bigelow Com- 
 pany, engaged in the manufacture of lumber, 
 one of the most important business enterprises 
 of Bay City. Mr. Bigelow was born in Wayne 
 County, Michigan, near the city of Detroit, 
 July 18, 1866, and is a son of Albert E. and 
 Jennie (Ashcroft) Bigelow, and grandson of 
 William C. and Sally Ann (Prindle) Bigelow. 
 His great-grandfather was a soldier in the Rev- 
 olutionary War and the War of 181 2. He 
 lived in Champlain County, New York, many 
 years and was buried there. 
 
 William C. Bigelow, the grandfather, was 
 born in Champlain County, New York, and 
 died in 1895, aged 78 years. He settled in 
 iWayne County the year Michigan was admit- 
 ted to the L^nion, and for two years conducted 
 a stage between Detroit and Redford. He then 
 married and settled upon a farm of 80 acres, 
 fwliich he purchased in Redford. To this tract 
 he constantly added until at one time he was 
 the owner of 640 acres. He soon began operat- 
 ing a sawmill, the lumber produced being 
 hauled on sleighs and wagons to Detroit. He 
 furnished much of the lumber used in the con- 
 struction of the Michigan Central Railroad and 
 continued lumbering in that vicinity until 1868, 
 when he sold out and moved to Detroit. There, 
 in partnership with his son, Albert E., under 
 the firm name of W. C. & A. E. Bigelow, he 
 established a lumber business, which they con- 
 tinued to conduct for six years. His marriage 
 
458 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 to Sally Ann Prindle resulted in the following 
 offspring : Albert E. ; Marian, wife of George 
 Reed, of Detroit; George, who died in early 
 manhood ; Louis, who married Ida Norton, of 
 Detroit; and Altha, who died in the bloom of 
 young womanhood. 
 
 Albert E. Bigelow was born in Radford 
 township, Wayne County, Michigan, July 14, 
 1840, and grew up on the home farm. He 
 attended the Normal School at Ypsilanti, and 
 Bryant & Stratton's Business College at De- 
 troit, and while in college was employed as clerk 
 in a shoe store. After his marriage he conducted 
 a farm in Redford township until 1868, when 
 he went to Detroit and formed a partnership 
 with his father in the lumber business. After 
 the retirement of the latter in 1874, our subject 
 continued the business under the firm name of 
 A. E. Bigelow until 1889, when his son, 
 Charles A., became a partner, the firm name 
 being changed to that of A. E. Bigelow & 
 Company. They continued together until 
 1893, when his son retired from the firm on 
 account of poor health, and he then conducted 
 it alone until 1895, when he sold out to W. A. 
 C. Miller. He has since lived in retirement 
 from active business duties. Fraternally, he 
 is a member of Detroit Commandery, No. i. 
 Knights Templar. During the early part of 
 the Civil War he enlisted in Company J, 24th 
 Reg., Michigan Vol. Inf., and saw much hard 
 fighting. On the first day of the battle of Get- 
 tysburg, he was badly wounded and lay in a 
 stone barn unattended until July 4th, when he 
 was sent to the hospital, and then home to 
 recuperate. He rejoined his regiment in the 
 fall of 1863, and in the battle of the Wilderness 
 had the misfortune to be again wounded, the 
 ball passing within an inch of his first wound. 
 He was incapacitated for further service and 
 returned home. He was married to Jennie 
 Ashcroft of Redford, bv whom he had four 
 
 children, of whom Charles A. is the only one 
 now living. Mrs. Bigelow was a member of 
 the Baptist Church. She died January i, 1875, 
 and in 1876 he formed a second union with 
 Lucia Pierce, of Redford, who died in 1878, 
 without issue. He formed a third marital 
 union at Marquette, Michigan, in 1881, with 
 Lydia A. Houk, of Detroit., and they have two 
 children : Fred and Ruby. He is a Republican 
 in politics, as was his father. His wife is a 
 member of the Baptist Church. 
 
 Charles A. Bigelow received his early edu- 
 iCational training in the public schools and in 
 the Detroit High School, from which he was 
 graduated. While still in high school, his connec- 
 tion with his father's lumber business began, 
 and he continued as employe until 1889, when 
 he became a partner in the business, the firm 
 becoming A. E. Bigelow S: Company. He con- 
 tinued with the firm until 1892, when he with- 
 drew and went to California because of poor 
 health. He remained there a year and upon his 
 return took care of the business until Febru- 
 ary, 1894, his father being absent on a trip 
 to California. He then became traveling sales- 
 man for The Michelson & Hanson Lumber 
 Company, of Lewiston, Michigan, and contin- 
 ued in that capacity until the organization of 
 The Kneeland-Bigelow Company, which was 
 incorporated under the laws of the State of 
 Michigan on May 30, 1901. Its officers were 
 David M. Kneeland, of Lewiston, president ; 
 George H. Cross, of Lewiston. vice-president ; 
 and Charles A. Bigelow, secretary, treasurer 
 and general manager. The officers remain the 
 same with the exception that Herman Lundene 
 became vice-president in January, 1902, in 
 place of George H. Cross, who retired in 1901. 
 The company first purchased 7.000 acres of 
 hemlock and hardwood timberland in Mont- 
 morency County, and now hold something like 
 10,000 acres. They have their own equipment 
 
r^ 
 
 CAPT. BENJAMIN BOUTELL 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 461 
 
 and do their own logging. On October i, 
 1 90 1, they took possession of their present saw- 
 mill on South Water street^ Bay City, where 
 they own a tract of land between 19th and 21st 
 streets, extending from South Water street to 
 the river. Between September ist and March 
 15th, they employ nearly 200 men in logging, 
 and between June ist and September ist the 
 force is reduced to about 100 men. Their mill 
 is in operation night and day and gives employ- 
 ment to about 80 men the year around. The 
 lumber is shipped in car-load lots by rail, most 
 of it going to the southern part of the State. 
 It is a concern of great magnitude and has 
 added materially to the prosperity of the city. 
 IMr. Bigelow is a man of recognized ability, far- 
 sighted, of keen intellect and of superior execu- 
 tive ability, and his personal efforts have made 
 possible the success of this undertaking. 
 
 On October 11, 1887, Charles A. Bigelow 
 was united in the bonds of wedlock with Min- 
 nie A. Durkee, a daughter of Philip and Mary. 
 (German) Durkee, both natives of Franklin 
 township, Oakland County, Michigan. Our 
 subject and his wife are consistent followers 
 in the Christian Science faith. Politically, he 
 is a Republican, but has never filled any office. 
 
 APT. BENJAMIN BOUTELL, of 
 Bay City, Michigan, whose portrait 
 accompanies this sketch, has filled a 
 commanding position in the business 
 world of the Saginaw Valley for a very long 
 period, and no one has been more closely iden- 
 tified than he with the agencies which have 
 ■contributed to the extending of education, the 
 encouragement of religion and the cementing 
 of those ties of abounding good-will wdiich 
 have strengthened Bay City's prosperity. This 
 prominent citizen is a native of Michigan, and 
 
 was born in Deerfield township, Livingston 
 County, August 17, 1844. and is a son of Dan- 
 iel and Betsey (Adams) Boutell. 
 
 The names of Captain Boutell's forebears 
 were noted ones in New England history. His 
 mother, who w'as a niece of President John 
 Quincy Adams, was a woman of great force of 
 character, and it is not unreasonable to suppose 
 that her son was endowed by Nature with many 
 of the characteristics and attributes which made 
 the Adams family one of the most conspicuous 
 ones in the United States for generations. Cap- 
 tain Bouteirs mother survived until 1880. His 
 father, Daniel Boutell, was born in 1800, in 
 New Hampshire, but the family removed to 
 Syracuse, New York, in his childhood. There 
 he was reared and there married, and when he 
 subsequently remo\-etl to Livingston County, 
 Michigan, he was one of the very first settlers 
 in Deerfield township. 
 
 In 1858, Daniel Boutell remo\ed to Birch 
 Run, on the public highway between Flint and 
 Saginaw, wdiere he conducted a hotel known 
 as the Half- Way House, from which he moved 
 in the winter of 1859 to Bay City. Here he 
 purchased the old Sherman House, which he 
 rebuilt in 1862, renaming it the Boutell House. 
 This hostelry was burned in 1865 and Mr. 
 Boutell died in 1866. He was a man of local 
 prominence wherever he lived and was noted 
 for his outspoken Americanism. He served as 
 a United States officer in the War of 1812. In 
 early life a Wliig, he became an ardent suppor- 
 ter of the Republican party upon its organiza- 
 tion. He was one of the early Free Masons of 
 this section. 
 
 The early educational opportunities of Cap- 
 tain Boutell were the best afforded by the sev- 
 eral sections in which he was reared, but he 
 was the son of parents who had old-fashioned 
 notions of thrift, and he was early taught that 
 independence is only acquired through Indus- 
 
462 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 try. He recalls the first few pence he earned, 
 when but a little lad, directing a plow horse 
 through the corn-field, his years then number- 
 ing not more than eight. That he had grown 
 into a capable and self-reliant youth by the 
 time he was 12 years old, is evidenced by the 
 fact that at that age his parents left him in 
 charge of the farm when they moved to Birch 
 Run. Thus from tender years he has been ac- 
 customed to responsibility and his successful 
 grappling with the world, in after years, may, 
 perhaps, be traced to those early lessons. 
 
 When the youth subsequently came to Bay 
 City, he assisted his father in the conduct of 
 the Boutell House, and, while its destruction 
 by fire in 1865, was considered at that time a 
 great calamity, it brought atout his connection 
 with the industry which, in its various combina- 
 tions, has been the main business of his life. 
 In those days, as now, water transportation 
 was so intimately connected with every busi- 
 ness outlook in this section, that opportunities 
 for work on one of the crafts on the river were 
 more or less easy to secure, and the future pres- 
 ident of great fleets of vessels obtained a posi- 
 tion as wheelman on the tug "Wave." So 
 quickly did he master the necessary details of 
 navigation that he was made a mate in the fol- 
 lowing year. Just at this time, the steamer 
 "Ajax," which had been a losing investment 
 for its owners, the First National Bank of Bay 
 City, was in need of a capable and reliable as 
 w-ell as energetic commander. The owners of 
 the vessel made an arrangement with the young 
 mariner to become its captain with the under- 
 standing that his remuneration should be deter- 
 mined by the financial sheet he could show at 
 the close of the year. During this year Captain 
 Boutell made $6,000 for the company and thor- 
 oughly established his reputation for capacity. 
 In 1868 he commanded the passenger 
 steamer "Reynolds," and in the following year. 
 
 the tug "Union." In this year he went into 
 partnership with Capt. William Mitchell, under 
 the firm name of Mitchell & Boutell. This 
 firm did a general towing and coal business 
 until 1886, when it was dissolved, with large 
 assets and mutual esteem. Captain Boutell then 
 entered into partnership with Capt. P. C. 
 Smith, putting into comission the tugs "Annie 
 Moiles," "Sea Gull" and "Westover," while 
 Captain Smith put in the tugs "S. S. Rum- 
 mage," "Ellie M. Smith" and "Sarah Smith." 
 The business was conducted two years as the- 
 Saginaw Bay Towing Association and then 
 the Saginaw Bay Towing Company was 
 formed, Captain Boutell contributing, in addi- 
 tion to his other vessels, the "Niagara," and 
 Captain Smith, the tug "Peter Smith." This 
 business association continued until 1892, when 
 Captain Boutell purchased Captain Smith's in- 
 terest. During its season of greatest activity, 
 the company owned and operated 21 tugs and 
 employed about 500 men in the various depart- 
 ments. At first the field was local but their 
 operations subsequently extended to Georgian 
 Bay, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. The 
 tarifif laws on Canadian logs, prohibitory in 
 effect, had the effect of curtailing the farther 
 extension- of the towing business. Many of 
 the great rafts contain as many as 4,000,000 
 feet of lumber. During his 39 years of activity 
 in th:s business. Captain Boutell is credited 
 with handling more timber than any other 
 known man in any country. 
 
 In approaching the great enterprises with 
 which this great lumber captain of industry 
 has beai been identified and with which he has 
 been more or less connected either as organizer, 
 director or both, the biographer finds that they 
 include about all the important industries of 
 the Saginaw Valley, which have been markedly 
 successful in their results. In 1899 he orga- 
 nized the Marine Iron Company of Bay City,. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 463. 
 
 of which he has been president ever since ; in 
 1 89 1 he organized the Boutell Transit Com- 
 pany of Bay City, which owns the steamer 
 "Hiram W. Sibley" and the schooner "Twin 
 Sisters," of which company he was president ; 
 in 1895 he organized and became president of 
 the Boutell Towing & Wrecking Company, of 
 Sarnia, Ontario; and in 1896 he bought a con- 
 trolling interest in the Hampton Transit Com- 
 pany which owned and operated the steamer 
 "Charles A. Eddy," and also was president of 
 this company. In 1899 he promoted and 
 assisted in the organization of the Boutell Tow- 
 ing & Transit Company, of Boston, Massa- 
 chusetts, of which he is vice-president, the 
 company doing a coastwise towing business. 
 He is vice-president of the Michigan State 
 Chicory Company, of Bay City, and is a direc- 
 tor of the Commercial Bank of Bay City. 
 
 Captain Boutell was one of the capitalists 
 who first became interested in the growing of 
 sugar beets as a gerat national industry and he 
 has been one of the most active promoters in 
 the State of ^Michigan. He owns a number of 
 great farms, one of 1,200 acres near Essex- 
 ville being devoted entirelv to the growing of 
 sugar beets. He assisted in organizing the 
 Bay City Sugar Company, which is the largest 
 organization in Michigan, and was its vice- 
 president; was one of the organizers of the 
 ^Michigan Sugar Company, and is a director 
 in the Marine Sugar Company: helped to orga- 
 nize the Lansing Sugar Company, of which he 
 was president and general manager; was vice- 
 president of the Saginaw Sugar Company and 
 built their house; was vice-president of the 
 Carleton Sugar Company of Carleton, Michi- 
 gan, building their house; and has also been 
 prominent in the beet sugar industry in other 
 localities. He built the second sugar house In 
 the State of Colorado, for the Eaton Sugar 
 Company, and also helped to organize the 
 
 Windsor Sugar Company, of Windsor, Colo- 
 rado, and built their house, being president of 
 both companies. He was also vice-president 
 of the Wallaceburg Sugar Company, of \\'al- 
 laceburg, Ontario. Other companies which 
 have been promoted and assisted by him are 
 the Mount Clemens Sugar Company, the West 
 Bay City Sugar Company and the Menominee 
 Sugar Company. He was one of the original 
 promoters of the ^Michigan Chemical Company 
 for the manufacture of alcohol from the refuse 
 of the beet sugar houses. Captain Boutell was- 
 one of the originators of the Pacific Portland 
 Cement Company and is one of the three capi- 
 talists who control this business. This indus- 
 try has grown from an original output of 500 
 barrels a day to 2,500. In 1905 he organized 
 the Boutell Steel Barge Company, which owns 
 eight steel whaleback barges and four steamers, 
 having a carrying capacity of 34,000 tons per 
 trip, that are engaged in carrying freight on 
 the Great Lakes and on the Atlantic Ocean. 
 This company is made up of himself and his 
 sons. He was also the organizer of the Excel- 
 sior Foundry of West Bay City and is part 
 owner in the Craig Foundry Company of To- 
 ledo ; was one of the promoters of the Saginaw 
 \'alley Telephone Company, of which he is 
 a director and is one of the directors of the 
 Elm Lawn Cemetery Company. He has large 
 interests in various coal fields in Bay County. 
 
 On December 21, 1869, Captain Boutell 
 was united in marriage with Amelia C. Dut- 
 linger, of Pine River, Michigan, who died in 
 December, 1902, the mother of two sons: 
 Frederick E. and William H., who are partners- 
 in a large mercantile business at Bay City. 
 In February, 1904, Captain Boutell married 
 Cornelia Dutlinger, the twin sister of his first 
 wife. 
 
 For years Captain Boutell has been a very 
 liberal supporter of the Madison Avenue Meth- 
 
464 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 ■odist Episcopal Church, of which his vener- 
 ated mother was a devoted member from its 
 founding until her death. Fraternally, his 
 Masonic connection is important. He belongs 
 to Joppa Lodge, No. 315, F. & A. M., to the 
 Masonic Scottish Rite bodies at Bay City, to 
 Bay City Commandery, No. 26, K. T., to the 
 Michigan Sovereign Consistory, S. P. R. S., 
 at Detroit, and to Moslem Temple, A. A. O. 
 N. M. S., at Detroit. He is also a member 
 of Lodge No. 88, B. P. O. E., at Bay City, and 
 of the Bay City Club. In matters of civic 
 moment he has always been actively interested 
 and there are few benevolent institutions here 
 which have not been assisted by his generosity. 
 
 RTHUR D. BAILEY, secretary and 
 treasurer of the American Relief 
 Society, at Bay City, Michigan, was 
 born in Tuscola County, Michigan. 
 August 21, 1866, and is a son of Henry and 
 ]\Iary (Hall) Bailey and grandson of Ezra 
 Bailey. 
 
 Ezra Bailey, who was born in Vermont 
 and moved to Canada at a very early day, was 
 a large lumber operator. In 1855 he came to 
 the lumber districts of Michigan and later set- 
 tled in Tuscola County, taking up a large body 
 of land and continuing extensive lumbering to 
 within a few years of his death. He married 
 Ann Wintemoot, who was born in Germany 
 but was reared in Canada. She was six years 
 old when the battle of Lundy's Lane was 
 fought and she could recall that her father's 
 house was used as a hospital. 
 
 Henry Bailey, father of our subject, was 
 born in 1840 in Canada, near Niagara Falls, 
 and was reared in Tuscola County, Michigan. 
 Upon his father's decease, he succeeded to the 
 latter's lumberinar and farmino- interests. Later 
 
 he operated a hotel at Mayville and also en- 
 gaged in railroad construction. He married 
 Mary Hall, who is a daughter of Benjamin 
 W. Hall, of Tuscola County, Michigan, and 
 to them were born seven children, six of whom 
 survived to maturity, viz : James M., who died 
 in July, 1898, at Detroit; Arthur D., of this 
 sketch ; Charles A., of West Bay City ; George 
 D., of Chicago; and Margaret N. and Harry 
 H., of Detroit. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey have 
 resided at Detroit since 1887. They are mem- 
 bers of the Christian Church. Mr. Bailey is a 
 member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
 lows. 
 
 Arthur D. Bailey was educated in the public 
 schools of Mayville, and began his business 
 career as a clerk in a hardware store. In 1887 
 he accompanied the family in its removal to 
 Detroit, and secured employment for himself 
 in a Detroit hardware house, with which he 
 remained until 1891, when he came to Bay 
 City. Here he was employed for about five 
 years as a bookkeeper with a crockery and wall 
 paper company, in which he owned stock. 
 When he became bookkeeper and cashier for 
 the Home Security & Life Association of Sagi- 
 naw, in 1896, he sold his crockery interests. 
 He remained at Saginaw until 1898 and then 
 came back to Bay City and entered into partner- 
 ship wnth George E. Markham, under the firm 
 name of Markham & Bailey. Soon after this, 
 Mr. Bailey was offered a desirable position 
 with the National Protective Society of Bay 
 City, and he sold his partnership interest and 
 became superintendent of an agency for the 
 above-mentioned organization. He continued 
 in that position until the founding of the Amer- 
 ican Relief Society. 
 
 The American Relief Society was organ- 
 ized and incorporated in May, 1900, under the 
 laws of the State of Michigan, with Israel 
 Ruelle as president and Arthur D. Bailey as 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 465- 
 
 secretary and treasurer. The original board of 
 directors included these gentlemen with Mar- 
 tin L. De Bats, Silas Forcia and Benjamin F. 
 Reed. The only change made since then has 
 been the election of Franklin P. iNIcCormick 
 as attorney and director in place of Benjamin 
 F. Reed. The aim of this organization is to 
 furnish benefits for sickness, accidental injury 
 and death. Its charter permits it to operate 
 in any State by complying with the laws of 
 such State. Its home office is in the Phrenix 
 Building, Bay City. 
 
 Mr. Bailey was married to Neva Hilliker, 
 who is a daughter of Sanford and Sarah Bar- 
 ton) Hilliker, of West Bay City. They are 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
 on the West Side. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Bailey is a Democrat but is 
 not active in party affairs. He is fraternally 
 associated with Wenona Lodge, F. & A. M. ; 
 Othello Lodge, Knights of Pythias, West Bay 
 City; the Maccabees; the Modern Woodmen 
 of America ; the Knights of the Loyal Guard ; 
 the Modern Archers of America, having been 
 chief clerk of the organization until 1904; and 
 he also belongs to the Bay County Mutual 
 Insurance Association of F. & A. M. Socially, 
 he is a member of the Bay City Club. 
 
 Mr. Bailey justly stands high in the estima- 
 tion of his fellow-citizens, and the company 
 with which he is identified occupies an import- 
 ant place in the insurance world. 
 
 VASTUS LORD DUNBAR is super- 
 intendent of the Bay City water- 
 works, and in point of continuous 
 service is the oldest official of Bay 
 City, having served in that capacity since Jan- 
 uary, 1872. He was torn in Ellsworth, Con- 
 necticut, .August 13, 1846, and is a son of Hon. 
 
 Horace and Jeannette (Lord) Dunbar, and 
 grandson of Aaron Dunbar. He comes of an old 
 Scotch family which was established in Amer- 
 ica in the 17th century, and has been prominent 
 in various States of the Union. 
 
 Hon. Horace Dunbar was born in Connec- 
 ticut in 181 7, and became owner of 100 acres 
 of land in Litchfield County, Connecticut. He 
 was a man of prominence and wide acquaint- 
 ance in that section, and was frequently called 
 into public service. He was a Republican after 
 the organization of that party, and served in the 
 State Legislature of Connecticut and as select- 
 man of his borne town for many years. Relig- 
 iously, he was a member of the Congregational 
 Church. His death, which occurred in May, 
 1 89 1, was sadly mourned by his fellow-citizens 
 as an irreparable loss to the community. His 
 wife, Jeannette Lord, was a daughter of Eras- 
 tus Lord, who was of English descent and a 
 prominent farmer in Connecticut. She was 
 born in 1819, and died in May, 1891. just three 
 weeks before her husband. Five children were 
 born to them of whom four grew to maturity, 
 oiu" subject being the youngest. One son, 
 Everett S., was a ist lieutenant in the 13111 
 Regiment, Connecticut Vol. Inf., and served 
 three years in the Union Army during the Civil 
 War. 
 
 Erastus L. Dunbar was reared on the home 
 farm and recei\-ed a common-school education. 
 When the Civil War broke out, he wished to 
 enlist in the service but being the only one left 
 at home, his parents would not consent to it. 
 In 1864, he left his home for Bay City, Michi- 
 gan, where he studied civil engineering under 
 the preceptorship of Andrew Huggins. Before 
 this he had pursued studies along this line at 
 home, and was therefore able to make rapid 
 progress, soon becoming Mr. Huggins' assist- 
 ant. He continued with that gentleman for 
 one year, then formed a partnership with Wil- 
 
466 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 liam Mercer in civil engineering and sur\-eying, 
 which continued until Mr. Dunbar was ap- 
 pointed superintendent of construction of the 
 Avater-works system of Bay City in January, 
 1872. He had charge of the construction of 
 all the buildings and the installing of the 
 machinery, and has superintended the laying of 
 all the mains throughout the city and in all 
 the additions to the present time. The "Holley" 
 ■system has been completely installed. There 
 are 50 miles of pipe laid and the plant has a 
 ■capacity of 10,000,000 gallons per day. Mr. 
 Dunbar has also served as secretary of the 
 Water -Board since the inception of the plant. 
 This is one of the best systems in the State of 
 Michigan. He meets every requirement of the 
 office perfectly, and has given unqualified satis- 
 faction to the critical public. During all these 
 years of connection with the Water-Works, he 
 has also served as assistant chief of the Fire 
 Department. From 1866 until 1870, he served 
 as county surveyor, refusing reelection, and 
 from 1870 until April, 1872, served as city 
 surveyor. He is a member of the American 
 Water-Works Association, attending all na- 
 tional meetings; a member of the New England 
 ^^'ater- Works Association ; and of the Michi- 
 gan Society of Civil Engineers. 
 
 In 1870, Mr. Dunbar was united in mar- 
 riage with Jennie McKay, who was born in 
 Spring Arbour, Canada, and is a daughter of 
 James McKay, who was a native of Scotland 
 and settled at Spring Arbour, Canada, where he 
 fanned until his death in 1894. Three children 
 were born to them: Jessie "SI., who graduated 
 from the Bay City High School and attended 
 the University of Michigan, — she married 
 ■George B. Little, D. D. S., of Palo Alto, Cali- 
 fornia, and has one son, Jean: James H.. a 
 graduate of the University of Michigan, class 
 of 1895, who is a civil engineer of Cleveland, 
 Ohio, where he lives with his wife. Marie, and 
 
 his daughter, Marie Elizabeth ; and Everett S., 
 who is attending Leland Stanford University, 
 being a member of the class of 1908 in the 
 civil engineering department. Fraternally, Mr. 
 Dunbar is a member of Bay City Lodge, No. 
 129, F. & A. M. In politics, he has always 
 been a stanch supporter of Republicans prin- 
 ciples and policies. 
 
 SCAR F. BENTLEY, who was the 
 second pioneer settler of Gibson town- 
 ship, Bay County, Michigan, resides 
 in the town of Bentley, which was 
 named iii his honor. He was born in Monroe 
 County, New York, in 1833, and is a son of 
 Thomas and Sarah (James) Bentley. 
 
 Thomas Bentley was born in New York 
 State and lived there many years. In 1847, 
 accompanied by his wife and children, he moved 
 to Michigan and located near Flint, where he 
 purchased a tract of 80 acres, now known as the 
 Roat farm, the second best farm in Genesee 
 County. Additions were made to this prop- 
 erty from time to time and the members of the 
 family became large property holders. Twelve 
 children were born to Thomas Bentley and his 
 wife, Sarah James, and of these our subject 
 is the nth in order of birth and the sole survi- 
 vor at the present time. The mother died on 
 the old homestead at the age of 68 years. 
 Thomas Bentley formed a second marital union 
 and with his wife spent his declining years on 
 the farm of his son. Nelson. He died in his 
 71st year. 
 
 Oscar F. Bentley's educational training be- 
 gun in the public schools of New York State, 
 was completed in the schools situated in vicinity 
 of Flint, Michigan. He remained on the home 
 farm in Flint township, where his father and 
 four brothers had cleared farms of dense forest 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 467 
 
 and placed tliem in a tillable state, until his 
 marriage in 1854. He then became a pioneer 
 settler in Saginaw County, where he farmed 
 until 1859. In that year he took up govern- 
 ment land in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, 
 antl there maintained his homestead for 12 
 years, at the end of which time he moved to 
 Northern Kansas and li\-ed two years. 
 
 \MiiIe a resident ^^linnesota at the time of 
 the Civil War^ he enlisted in the Union Army, 
 but the outbreak of the Sioux Indians kept his 
 regiment in the West. He served three years 
 as a member of the Second Regiment, Minne- 
 sota Vol. Cav. At the time of the New Ulm 
 massacre, he resided on a farm 20 miles from 
 New Ulm, and with his neighbors moved to a 
 place of safety to live until the depredations 
 ceased. 
 
 Upon leaving Kansas, he returned to Gen- 
 esee County, Michigan, and in April, 1887, 
 made his last pioneer stand at Bentley, Gibson 
 township, Bay County, where he has since 
 resided. When Mr. Bentley first came here, 
 he erected a large sawmill, which burned four 
 years later. He rebuilt it at once and two years 
 later the second mill burned. He again rebuilt 
 this mill, which is now owned and operated 
 by his son Frank. He has three farms, con- 
 sisting of 320 acres, and is one of the substan- 
 tial men of his section. 
 
 On February 8, 1854, ^Ir. Bentley was 
 married to ^Matilda Anderson and they have 
 spent 51 years in happy companionship, to- 
 gether braving the struggles of pioneering in 
 different sections of the United States. They 
 liave reared six children, as follows: Adelbert, 
 born in 1855; Murray G., born in 1858, who 
 married Annie Smythe and has one son, — 
 Hebert M.; Perry Oliver, born in 1861, de- 
 ceased October 15, 1880: Frank, born in 1863, 
 the proprietor of a general store at Bentley, 
 
 who married Cora Edmund and has one child, 
 — Norma; Fred A., born in 1867, deceased in 
 1899; and Effie M., born April 30, 1870, who 
 died ]\Iay 2, 1894, leaving a husband, Meade 
 Burlingame, and one son, — Floyd. Adelbert 
 Bentley, the oldest child born to our subject 
 and his wife, first married Effie Kent, by whom 
 he had five children, two of whom are now 
 living, namely : Alice, who married Edward 
 Genreaux and has two children,— Alta and 
 Walter; and Roy. Mrs. Bentley died in 1898, 
 and the following year Adelbert Bentley 
 formed a second union with Jane Hannah; 
 four children have been born to this union : 
 Nona, who died in infancy; Russell, born July 
 3, 1897; Nina, born in 1899: and Stanley, born 
 in 1901. 
 
 Oscar F. Bentley has always been an un- 
 swerving supporter of Republican principles, 
 and takes an earnest interest in his party's suc- 
 cess. He is a man of pleasing personality, and 
 stands high in the regard of his fellow-citizens, 
 among whom he has lived so many years. 
 
 TRISTOPHER HEINZMANX. The 
 memory of the pioneers in his State, 
 — the men who made the paths 
 through the wilderness and, through 
 hardship and persevering industry, wrought 
 out its present peace and prosperity. — must 
 always be of interest to a true and patriotic 
 lover of his country. The pioneers in Bay 
 County are not yet so far removed from the 
 ]M-esent generation as to be forgotten, but there 
 are those whose achievements are of more than 
 usual interest. This was the case with the late 
 Christopher Heinzmann, than whom Bay City 
 had no more esteemed or valued citizen. He 
 was born in W^n^temberg, Germany. March 13, 
 
468 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 1830, and was a son of Jacob and Barbara 
 Heinzmann. 
 
 In 1846 the parents of Mr. Heinzmann left 
 their home in Reicheneck, Germany, and came 
 to America, setthng at Ann Arbor, Michigan, 
 where the father died shortly afterward; the 
 mother's death occurred at a later date. Our 
 subject was an intelligent, well-educated youth 
 of 15 years when the family came to Michigan. 
 He continued to live at Ann Arbor, learning 
 the English language and becoming accus- 
 tomed to American usages, until 1849, when he 
 started out to make his own way. At that time 
 Lower Saginaw (now Bay City) was a nucleus 
 of the lumbering interests and to this place 
 Christopher came in search of work and found 
 it in one of the sawmills. Here he was em- 
 ployed for some time, not only earning, but also 
 saving his wages ; as soon as he had accumu- 
 lated sufficient capital, he invested it in farming 
 land which was then all wild, swampy and un- 
 cleared. The mere clearing of his land was 
 no great task to him as he was accustomed to 
 hard work, but to any one less prepared and 
 hardy, it would have seemed a difficult under- 
 taking. Finally his land was cleared and well- 
 cultivated and he then owned a most excellent 
 farm. 
 
 Mr. Heinzmann then embarked in a meat 
 business and here again was shown the 
 same steady perseverance that had previously 
 brought him success. In 1854 he gave up his 
 meat business and purchased a frame building 
 on the corner of Saginaw and Sixth streets, 
 which he fitted up as a hotel and named it the 
 "Forest City House." This hostelry, which 
 became justly popular on account of its excel- 
 lent management, was finally destroyed by fire. 
 He then bought the property on the corner of 
 Washington avenue and Sixth street, refitted 
 the building and named the establishment the 
 "Forest City House." This hotel he success- 
 
 fully operated until the winter of 1887, when 
 he retired from an active life. These interests 
 did not, however, include all his business enter- 
 prises. He owned and operated both a saw and 
 a grist mill for some five years, and was inter- 
 ested in real estate and in building. The beau- 
 tiful residence at No. 604 Columbus avenue. 
 Bay City, the home of Mrs. Heinzmann, was 
 erected in 1874. Here Mr. Heinzmann's life 
 closed September 8, 1902. His friends were 
 numerous for he possessed the kind heart and 
 genial temperament of the true German. He 
 was kind to the unfortunate and generous to 
 the needy. 
 
 Mr. Heinzmann was married first to Chris- 
 tina Reinhardt, of Bay City, who was born in 
 Germany. They had three children : Kath- 
 erine, Christopher and Christina, all deceased. 
 Christopher left one son, — Fred. Christina 
 married Hans Baumbach, a resident of Salz- 
 burg, Bay County, and they had four children : 
 August, Katherine, William and Otto. Mrs. 
 Heinzmann died March 3, 1881. She was a 
 charter member of the Bay City German Luth- 
 eran Church. 
 
 On November 3. 1881, Mr. Heinzmann 
 was married to Mrs. Margareta Sert. Mrs. 
 Heinzmann was born in Madsmansdorf, Ger- 
 many, September 4, 1829, and is a daughter 
 of Andreas Bayer. She came to America with 
 her sister and brother-in-law, George Meckler. 
 They settled at Bay City in 1852 and in the fol- 
 lowing year she was married to Eustace Sert, 
 who was a miller by trade. After four years 
 at this business in Bay City, Mr. Sert built the 
 hotel at Sebewaing, Michigan, long known as 
 the Sert House. Mr. Sert died November 8, 
 1872, and Mrs. Sert continued to manage the 
 hotel until her marriage with Mr. Heinzmann. 
 Mrs. Heinzmann had three children born to 
 her first union, namely : Louisa, who married 
 Simon Hoffman and died six months later ; 
 
^ (^.a^ 
 
 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 471 
 
 Alargareta, who married Myron Tuttle and 
 died September i. 1901 ; and Eustace, who 
 died aged eight months. Mrs. Heinzmann is a 
 very highly esteemed lady. She is very charit- 
 able and is one of the charter members of the 
 Bay City German Lutheran Church. 
 
 EV. THOMAS RAFTER, whose por- 
 trait accompanies this sketch, has 
 been pastor of St. James' Catholic 
 Church, of Bay City, Michigan, for 
 a period of 32 years and is a man dearly be- 
 loved by his congregation, among whom he 
 has labored so faithfully. It was under his 
 direction that the handsome church edifice was 
 erected and it was under his guidance that the 
 congregation has grown to its present large 
 proportions. 
 
 Father Rafter was born in Monroe County, 
 Michigan, in 1846, and is a son of William 
 Rafter, a pioneer of this State; both of his 
 parents are now deceased. His educational 
 training was received at Montreal College, and 
 at Louvain University, Belgium. He was or- 
 dained to the priesthood in Belgium, in 1869, 
 and filled his first pastorate at Fenton. Michi- 
 gan, where he remained two years. In 1873, 
 he came to Bay City, where he has since re- 
 mained. He is assisted by Rev. J. J. Walsh, a 
 native of Grand Rapids, jMichigan. The latter 
 received his theological education and train- 
 ing in Montreal College and came to St. James' 
 Church in 1902. Father Rafter was appointed 
 dean in 1903, his deanery embracing several 
 counties. 
 
 The history of St. James' Church is a most 
 interesting one. Catholic missionaries visited 
 the Saginaw Valley in their religious work as 
 early as 1829, at a time when the settlement 
 was composed mainly of French. Prior to 
 
 26 
 
 1848, Lower Saginaw (now Bay City) was 
 visited only occasionally by priests from vari- 
 ous other localities of the State, mainly from 
 Flint and Detroit. Father Kundig and Louis 
 and Father Peter Kindekens (the vicar-general 
 of the diocese) made frequent visits during 
 the period from 1848 to 1852. Father Min- 
 ayhan, of Flint, also made occasional visits to 
 what is now the city of Saginaw ; and on most 
 occasions had a Frenchman or Indian paddle 
 him down the river to Lower Saginaw. These 
 were gerat events for the people of the valley, 
 who would gather and eagerly watch the ap- 
 proach of the priest in his canoe, carefully 
 holding the vestments and altar vessels. Some- 
 times the trip would be made in the winter, by 
 sledge over the frozen waters of the Saginaw 
 River. Father Joseph Kindekens, brother of 
 Father Peter, and Father Kilroy, formerly of 
 St. Clair County, had charges among the Cath- 
 olics of the valley. In 1848, there were but 
 eight families here, mostly French, and in 
 1851, 14 families. During 1850 and 1851, 
 the Catholics of Lower Saginaw built of native 
 timber, which they procured from the woods, 
 a church on Washington street below Second. 
 Rev. H. J. H. Schutjes arrived in 1852 and 
 assumed charge. He had great difficulties 
 with which to contend, as the church was not 
 only in its infancy, but no place was provided 
 as the pastoral residence. He chiefly lived at 
 the old Wolverton House, and the remainder 
 of the time was the guest of some friend. In- 
 cluded in his charge was the entire Saginaw 
 Valley, and this necessitated frequent trips, 
 which were quite hazardous and difficult of ac- 
 complishment, as there were no roads at that 
 time. He was relieved of a part of his charge 
 in 1863, when pastors were secured for Sagi- 
 naw and East Saginaw. His parishioners' 
 included Hollanders, Germans, French and 
 those speaking English, and this made it nee- 
 
472 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 essary for him to speak several languages. In 
 1868, a new church was erected on the site 
 •of the present St. James Church by the Eng- 
 lish-speaking portion of the parish and was 
 •dedicated under the patronage of St. James 
 the Apostle. In 1873. Father Schutjes was 
 called to Detroit to assist the Bishop, and Rev. 
 Thomas Rafter became his successor in May 
 of that year. 
 
 Up to 1868, no service for the Catholics 
 was held in any church except in the old 
 St. Joseph's Church which was situated on 
 Washington street below Second. In 1868 
 the St. James' Church which occupied the site 
 of the present edifice, was dedicated for the 
 English-speaking Catholics living on both sides 
 of the river. In 1873, St. Mary's congrega- 
 tion was formed and a church built, which was 
 attended by all the Catholics of the West Side. 
 In 1874 the Germans and Poles began the 
 building of churches for themselves, which 
 were completed in 1875. In 1884 the Hol- 
 landers of Essexville and the surrounding 
 country, as well as the French of the same ter- 
 ritory, erected a church for themselves. The 
 German church is located on Lincoln avenue, 
 and this congregation is now building a splen- 
 did convent known as the Holy Rosary, one of 
 the finest brick buildings in Bay City. There 
 are now eight churches in Bay City and West 
 Bay City, all with large congregations. 
 
 The St. James' Parochial School was begun 
 by Father Schutjes and completed by Father 
 Rafter, and was then taken in charge of by 
 the Sisters of Charity, from Cincinnati, in Sep- 
 tember. 1873. It has 12 grades and is at- 
 tended by nearly 500 pupils. The old St. 
 James' Church was a frame building and was 
 replaced by a brick edifice, the corner-stone of 
 Avhich was laid in June, 1885. It was dedi- 
 •cated by its pastor on Christmas Day of 1886, 
 and opened for services. It has a seating 
 
 capacity of 1,400. The beautiful brick resi- 
 dece adjoining the church on the east was 
 erected in 1902, and in June of the following 
 year Father Rafter took up his residence there. 
 Under his direction, five societies were organ- 
 ized in connection with the church work, 
 namely : The Catholic Mutual Benefit Asso- 
 ciation, Altar Society, Young Ladies' Society, 
 Children of Mary and St. Vincent de Paul 
 Society. The English-speaking Catholics of 
 Bay City are e.xceedingly fortunate in that 
 they have had but two pastors, both of high 
 character and scholarly attainments, during 
 the 52 years existence of the church here. 
 
 ILLIA}.! ELISHA CROSBY CAL- 
 LEXDER. one of Bay City's 
 prominent, influential and esteemed 
 citizens, was born at Fayette, Ohio, 
 November 1 1, 1836, and is a son of James and 
 Catherine (Maxwell) Callender. 
 
 The Callender family is of Scotch extrac- 
 tion; both William and Polly Callender, our 
 subject's grandparents, were natives of the 
 Highlands of Scotland. The grandfather came 
 to America when a lad of 13 years and located 
 first in Fayette County, Ohio, and in 1836 set- 
 tled in Williams County, Ohio, taking up 1.380 
 acres of land after he had grown to manhood. 
 He served in the War of 1812 and lived until 
 1 85 1, being then more than 60 years old. 
 
 James Callender, the father of our subject, 
 was born November 10, 1813, in Fayette 
 County, Ohio, but he subsequently moved to 
 \\'illiams County, where he owned a large 
 farm. , Like his father, he was a loyal Ameri- 
 can citizen and enlisted for service in the Mexi- 
 can War. He was a great admirer of General 
 Jackson and was an ardent supporter of the 
 principles of the old-time Democratic party. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 473 
 
 His marriage with Catherine Maxwell, a 
 daughter of Ephraim and Catherine (ISIoore) 
 Maxwell, resulted in the establishing of a happy 
 home and the birth of a family of nine children, 
 seven of whom reached maturity, namely : 
 William E. C, of this sketch; Isabella, a resi- 
 dent of Newaygo County, Michigan, who first 
 married Jeremiah Greene and is now the widow 
 of Mr. Duffy; Angeline, a resident of Defiance, 
 Ohio, who is the widow of Samuel Jones ; 
 James, a resident of Newaygo County, ]Michi- 
 gan ; John, who lives in Defiance County, Ohio ; 
 Rachel, who is the wife of Peter Camp, of De- 
 Kalb County, Indiana ; and George, a resident 
 of Edgerton, Ohio. The parents of this family 
 were worthy members of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church. 
 
 The boyhood and early youth of our subject 
 were passed in a secluded part of Williams 
 County, where he had absolutely no educa- 
 tional advantages, and was 21 years of age 
 before he left home to seek opportunities in 
 some other section. After living for a time 
 in Summit County, Ohio, and making rapid 
 progress in an educational way, he decided to 
 study law, and with this end in view he entered 
 the law department of Hudson Seminary, at 
 Hudson, Ohio, in January. 1861. The break- 
 ing out of the Civil \\'ar, a few months later, 
 changed the course of his life, in that it inter- 
 rupted his education and entirely changed his 
 point of view. 
 
 Mr. Callender enlisted in April, 1861, for a 
 three-months service, under the name of Wil- 
 liam C. Callender, as a relative, William E. 
 Callender, was already in the service. Since the 
 war, howe\er, he has written his name "Wil- 
 liam E." After the expiration of his first 
 term, he reenlisted. entering Company B, Sixth 
 Regt., United States Cavalry, in which he 
 continued until 1863. when he was transferred 
 to the Ninth Ohio Battery. During his long 
 
 term of service, which closed July 6, 1865, he 
 won the esteem of both officers and comrades 
 for all those qualities which go to make up a 
 good soldier, and, when taken prisoner, he was 
 a party to one of the most thrilling escapes that 
 the long history of old Libby Prison has con- 
 tributed to history. A natural mechanic, he 
 had not endured much of his three weeks' im- 
 prisonment, before he had formulated a plan 
 for escape, which proved practical, and was one 
 of that famous number of captives who so 
 wonderfully dug their way in the direction of 
 freedom, although he. as '-'Jim Haggerty," 
 with Major Anderson and one other fortunate 
 prisoner, were the only ones who succeeded in 
 getting away. 
 
 After his return from the war and recupera- 
 tion from its many hardships. Mr. Callender 
 turned his attention to learning a trade, having 
 as stated, a natural inclination toward mechan- 
 ics. He became a good carpenter and very 
 soon was able to command a journeyman's 
 wages, although he had never served an ap- 
 prenticeship. He worked on at Edgerton, 
 Ohio, in this line until 1867, when he accepted 
 a railroad position and until 1869 was a freight 
 brakeman and later a conductor on the Michi- 
 gan Central Railroad. This brought him into 
 touch with Bay City, where in the latter year 
 he saw a fair opening for work at his trade. 
 The climate, however, proved too bracing for 
 ^Irs. Callender and they returned to Ohio. 
 In 1870 he came back to Bay City and resumed 
 carpenter work, for other parties, in which he 
 continued until 1873, when he went into busi- 
 ness for himself. He carried on a very satis- 
 factory business for some years and then failing 
 health warned him to give up so active a life. 
 During his years of business success, he had 
 made a specialty of millwright work and, out- 
 side of other work, he built in the Saginaw 
 Valley 152 drill-houses, some 10 salt-blocks 
 
474 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 and a number of mills. His skill and work- 
 manship were highly valued and the results of 
 his industry in this line may be seen in Bay 
 and the adjoining counties. 
 
 In 1867, Mr. Callender was united in mar- 
 riage with Martha Prentice, who is a daughter 
 of John Prentice, a representative citizen of 
 Williams County, Ohio, who had come origin- 
 ally from the neighborhood of Syracuse, New 
 York. Three children were born to them, the 
 two who reached maturity being : Emma, now 
 deceased, who married Charles Nicholas and 
 had three children, — Pearl, Ada and Roy ; and 
 Russell, a resident of Bay City, who married 
 Pearl Guly, and they have two children, — 
 Theodore and Helen. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Callender has long been a 
 power in Bay City. He is a Republican of the 
 stamp known as "dyed in the wool," and he 
 has been chairman of the ward committee of 
 the Sixth Ward for the past 24 years. When 
 he entered into this connection, the ward was 
 largely Democratic, but it is now just as nota- 
 bly Republican, and general credit is given our 
 subject for this marked change in opinion. 
 For a number of years past he has been a city 
 magistrate and has been called upon to officiate 
 in many very complicated and important cases. 
 When his name for the position of justice of 
 the peace was first advanced, it was in a conven- 
 tion from which he was absent on account of 
 illness. He happened into the convention 
 hall just as his candidacy was announced. It 
 was an unpleasant surprise to him as he knew 
 the ward was of an opposite political complex- 
 ion, and it was with some difficulty that his 
 friends prevailed upon him to permit his name 
 to be used. Just here is where his personal 
 popularity came in, for, as he genially remarks, 
 "with the expenditure of just five cents" he 
 was elected to the honorable office by a major- 
 ity of 348 votes. To this office he has been 
 
 twice reelected. He has served the people 
 justly and well. On account of his excellent 
 judgment and unswerving impartiality, he has. 
 won the approval of his fellow citizens of both 
 parties. Few of his decisions have ever been 
 reversed. His record is one in which to take 
 a just amount of priile, and he appreciates the 
 confidence and esteem in which he is univer- 
 sally held. 
 
 For many years Mr. Callender has been a 
 believer of Presbyterian doctrines, but is not 
 a member of that church. His wife belongs to 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church. His frater- 
 nal connections include the U. S. Grant Post, 
 No. 67, G. A. R., and Union Veteran Legion, 
 and also the Ancient Order of United Work- 
 men. He is in active membership with Bay 
 City Lodge, No. 129, F. & A. M. For the 
 past 25 years has been a member of Eden 
 Lodge, No. 260, I. O. O. F., and for 15 years 
 has belonged to the Grand Lodge. In these 
 various bodies he is known all over the State. 
 
 LBERT ZUBE, the owner of a well- 
 improved and valuable farm of 80 
 acres situated in section 4, township 
 13, range 6, in Portsmouth township. 
 Bay County, Michigan, was born in Stettin, 
 Germany, May 9, 1855, and is a son of John 
 and Matilda (Erke) Zube. 
 
 The father of Mr. Zube was also born in 
 Stettin and now resides in Bay City, aged ~t, 
 years. The mother was a native of Prussia 
 and died at Bay City, in 1884, at the age of 
 45 years. They had 13 children, our subject 
 being the eldest, and nine of the family still 
 survive. 
 
 Albert Zube was 10 years old when his par- 
 ents came to Bay City, in 1865, and he has re- 
 mained a resident of Bay County ever since. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 475 
 
 At the age of 13 years he left school and went 
 to work and was employed for nine years in the 
 sawmill of Gates & Fay, of Bay City, and for 
 10 years was employed in the foundry of 
 Smalley Brothers. In 1S82, Mr. Zube came to 
 to his present farm of 80 acres, in section 4, 
 Portsmouth township, all of which property at 
 that time was heavily timbered. Since then he 
 has cleared off all but 20 acres and has all the 
 cleared portion under a fine state of cultivation. 
 In addition to conducting general farming oper- 
 ations, he runs a feed-mill and a threshing- 
 machine, a corn-husker and wood-sawing ma- 
 chine, being one of the progressive men of his 
 locality. He believes in modern methods and 
 improved machinery and has the ability to 
 carry on these various employments in connec- 
 tion with his agricultural work, making his life 
 a busy one all through the year. 
 
 In 1876, Mr. Zube was married to Alvina 
 Martzinkey, who was born in Prussia, Ger- 
 many. December 8, 1858, and is a daughter of 
 Christian and Reika (Martzinkey) Martzin- 
 key. She came to America in 1872 wilh her 
 father and brother. Mr. and Mrs. Zube have 
 had 12 children: Fred, who died aged three 
 months ; Tracey, who died aged eight years ; 
 Bernhardt, who died aged six years ; Edelia, 
 who died aged five weeks; and Mary, Martha, 
 Laura, Arena, Emma, William, Freda and 
 Lily, who are at home. Mr. Zube has given 
 his children all the advantages in his power and 
 they have grown up intelligent and useful. 
 
 Mr. Zube has always been a Republican in 
 his political convictions and has held a number 
 of the local offices. He is a leading member of 
 the German Lutheran Church and one of the 
 trustees of the Triple Alliance Church. He is a 
 man who enjoys a large measure of respect in 
 his neighborhood and has a wide circle of warm 
 personal friends, who admire him for his 
 honesty and his many fine qualities. 
 
 ENRY CLARK, one of the prosper- 
 ous farmers of Merritt township. Bay 
 County, Michigan, owning a well- 
 developed farm of 80 acres, in sec- 
 tion 34, was born in Frontenac County, near 
 Kingston, Ontario, Canada, July 22, 1855, and 
 is a son of John and Katie (Hogan) Clark. 
 
 The father of our subject was born in Ver- 
 mont and the mother in Ontario. They spent 
 their last years at Bay City, where the father 
 died aged 80 years and the mother, aged 72 
 years. They had nine children : James, a 
 physician, of Bay City; Mary (Mrs. Sleeth), 
 who died in Ontario ; Jane, a teacher, who died 
 at Bay City ; Clara, of Bay City ; John ^^'esley, 
 an attorney-at-law, living in Virginia; Henry, 
 of this sketch; Katie (Mrs. Smith), of Chi- 
 cago; Bethuel, a farmer living in Ontario; 
 Olive (Mrs. Balls), of Ontario, and one de- 
 ceased. 
 
 Henry Clark was reared on his father's 
 farm and was educated in the local schools. 
 He carried on farming in Ontario until about 
 1888, when he came to Bay County. After 
 spending one year at Bay City, he purchased 
 his present farm of 80 acres, one-half of which 
 had been cleared. The remainder has been 
 cleared and all has been put under a fine state 
 of cultivation. Mr. Clark has taken a great 
 deal of interest in his property and has made it 
 very attractive by improving and adorning it. 
 He enjoys the comforts of a fine home and his 
 surroundings are such as to indicate thrift and 
 good management. 
 
 In July, 1S95, I\Ir. Clark was married to 
 Katie Whiteside, who was born September 15, 
 1873, in Merritt township, and is a flaughter 
 of Robert and Lovina (Maxson) Whiteside, 
 the former of whom was born in Ireland and 
 the latter in New York. They were early pio- 
 neers, coming to the site of Bay City in 1848. 
 Mr. Whiteside passed away at the age of 73 
 
476 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 years, liut his widow still survives, a much 
 esteemed resident of West Bay City. ^Ir. 
 and Mrs. Clark have two children, — Henry 
 and Fay. Mr. Clark is a supporter of the 
 principles and candidates of the Republican 
 party. He and his wife attend and take an 
 active interest in the Presbyterian Church at 
 Munger. 
 
 UGUST BUBLITZ, one of the first- 
 class citizens and good farmers of 
 Portsmouth township, who owns 
 1 60 acres of well-improved land in 
 section 5, township 13, range 6, was born May 
 30, 1849, i'"' Moravia, West Prussia, Germany, 
 and is a son of Charles and Louisa (Redmond) 
 Bublitz. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Bublitz were worthy, 
 industrious Germans, who reared a family of 
 six children in comfort on the home estate, 
 which consisted of about 100 acres of land. 
 Both died in Germany. Their three sons and 
 three daughters were as follows : August, who 
 is the eldest ; Charles, of Merritt township ; 
 Louisa (Mrs. Schenck), of Alerritt township: 
 and Augusta, Frederick and Caroline, who 
 live in Germany. 
 
 August Bublitz came to .\merica in 1872, 
 locating at Bay City where he worked as a 
 laborer for atout eight years. He then bought 
 the tract of wild land which he has transformed 
 into a valuable, producti\'e farm. All these 
 cultivated fields were then co\'ered with a heavy 
 growth of timber, which was speedily cleared 
 ofif through Air. Bublitz' own energy and in- 
 dustry. He has made many improvements, the 
 family home being a very comfortalile resi- 
 dence and three substantial barns testifying to 
 the bountiful harvests yielded by his land. 
 The changes made here are wonderful and 
 reflect the greatest credit upon Air. Bublitz. 
 
 In 1878, Mr. Bublitz married Anna Behm- 
 lenter, who was born in 1859 in Bay County, 
 and is a daughter of Paul and Kate (Siegler) 
 Behmlenter. natives of Germany. When the 
 parents of Mrs. Bublitz came to Bay City 
 there were only three houses here. They 
 located on the West Side and there reared a 
 family of 11 children, the wife of our subject 
 being the sixth in order of birth. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bublitz have had 10 chil- 
 dren, as follows : Charles, now in the State of 
 Washington ; \\'illiam, engaged in the lumber 
 business, who lives at home; Frederick, of 
 Decatur, Illinois; and Clara, Albert, Hugo, 
 Henry, Edward, John and Louis, who are 
 living at home. The family belong to the 
 German Lutheran Church. Mr. Bublitz never 
 received any portion of the family estate in 
 Germany, and he is entitled to much praise for 
 what he has accomplished by his own efforts. 
 He is one of the well-known and highly re- 
 spected men of Portsmouth township. 
 
 ILLIAAI AI. ROSS, deceased, who 
 was for many years a wholesale 
 lumber dealer in Bay City, Michi- 
 gan, was born in Rosshire, Scot- 
 land, January 10, 1838. and was a son of Dun- 
 can and Katherine (McPherson) Ross. 
 
 Duncan Ross was a hotel-keeper and a 
 farmer and stock-raiser in Rosshire for a long 
 period. He emigrated to Chatham, Ontario, 
 with his family, and was there engaged in farm- 
 ing until his death. 
 
 The subject of this sketch grew up in Can- 
 ada, whence at an early age he went to Vir- 
 ginia, where he was employed for a short time 
 in a shipyard. He subsequently moved to De- 
 troit, Michigan, and there worked as a ship 
 carpenter. Xext he located at Bay City, where 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 477 
 
 he was engaged in the real estate business for 
 several years. In 1872 he moved to Caseville, 
 ■where he resided four years and built a saw- 
 mill. He moved th.e sawmill, in 1876, to Bay 
 City and sold it in order to engage in the whole- 
 sale lumber trade. In his business relations, as 
 in the walks of private life, he bore an irre- 
 proachable reputation and was widely re- 
 spected. 
 
 Politically, he acted with the Republican 
 party, and his religious views led him to attend 
 the Presbyterian Church. 
 
 In 1868, Mr. Ross married Abbie Case, a 
 daughter of Osborne Case, of Cleveland, Ohio. 
 Four children were the result of this union, of 
 whom John Case Ross, of Bay City, is the only 
 one now living. 
 
 ON. ALEXANDER ZAGELMEYER, 
 
 a prominent citizen of Bay City, 
 ^Michigan, is at present county treas- 
 urer of Bay County. He was born in 
 Saginaw, jMichigan, October 28, 1858, and is a 
 son of Louis and Paulina (Grahlow) Zagel- 
 meyer, natives of Germany. 
 
 Louis Zagelmeyer, who was born in Ger- 
 many. January 31, 1825, was for many years 
 engaged in the lime business. He came to 
 America in 1850 and settled in Saginaw, Mich- 
 igan, in 1852, having spent two years in New 
 York City. On arriving at Saginaw, he was 
 employed as clerk in a store, where he remained 
 a year and a half. He then engaged in the 
 manufacture of vinegar, and subsequently 
 cleared a farm. In 1866 he located at West 
 Bay City and opened a lime kiln, and in 1875 
 organized the Marine Ice Company, which 
 afterward passed into the hands of his sons. 
 He was treasurer of the town of Bangor the 
 year previous to its being merged into the cor- 
 poration of West Bay City. During his last 
 
 years he lived a retired life, dying June 15, 
 1898, at the age of "j}^ years. 
 
 Alexander Zagelmeyer received his early 
 mental training in the public schools of West 
 Bay City, and when a young man learned from 
 his father all about the lime business. In this 
 he was associated with his father until 1879, 
 and during the last three years of the partner- 
 ship the large ice concern before mentioned was 
 organized. Of this he took charge, in connec- 
 tion with his brother Frank. In the spring of 
 1887, the Bay County Ice Company was incor- 
 porated, being a merger of the ]\Iarine Ice 
 Company, the Bay City Ice Company and the 
 Union Ice Company, and our subject as secre- 
 tary and treasurer of the company proceeded 
 to revolutionize the methods of operation then 
 in vogue. It is the only concern dealing in lake 
 ice in the Saginaw Valley, and has the largest 
 ice plant in the State, having a capacity of 
 40,000 tons. Its product is in demand both 
 winter and summer, and is shipped extensively 
 to points in ^Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. The 
 Bay County Ice Company has its office, ice 
 depot and barn at tlie foot of Center avenue, 
 Bay City. 
 
 Alexander Zagelmeyer has been truly 
 termed the father of the coal industry in Bay 
 County. What the development of coal fields 
 means to a community has been demonstrated 
 in Bay City in recent years. Not only is the 
 coal industry of great \-alue by reason of the 
 employinent it gives to hundreds of men and 
 the cheap fuel furnished the citizens, but also 
 as an inducement to factories to locate in the 
 vicinity and benefit by the decreased cost of 
 production. Bay City for many years was 
 dependent upon her forests for fuel and the 
 sawmills were the basis of her prosperity, but 
 as the pine in this section grew more scarce, it 
 became apparent that the city would experience 
 a set-back unless fuel could be procured more 
 
478 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 cheaply than by transportation from Ohio and 
 Pennsylvania coal fields. As early as 1861 
 a vein of coal was discovered in the county 
 while drilling a salt-well, and frequently after- 
 ward various parties discovered veins, but 
 owing to the plentiful supply of pine nothing 
 in the way of mining was undertaken. It re- 
 mained for Mr. Zagelmeyer, in August, 1894, 
 to set in motion the wheels of what to-day is 
 the most important of Bay County's industries. 
 At his suggestion, four prominent citizens ac- 
 companied him to the sawmill of Zill Brothers. 
 five miles west of West Bay City, in Monitor 
 township, where coal had been discovered in 
 drilling a well. These gentlemen secured a 
 lease, although others had failed in an attempt 
 at leasing the property, and a company was 
 organized for the purpose of testing the land. 
 On June 18, 1895, they commenced sinking a 
 shaft which was completed in October and has 
 been in active operation ever since. They had 
 many obstacles with which to contend, as oper- 
 ations were begun at a time of panic and it was 
 hard to interest capital. In fact public preju- 
 dice was so great that the operators often met 
 with ridicule and sometimes persecution. With 
 greater hindrance than encouragement from 
 the public, they persevered and had the satis- 
 faction of seeing their efforts crowned with 
 success. In the spring of 1895, the Monitor 
 Coal Company was incorporated with a capital 
 stock of $50,000 and the following officers : 
 Alexander Zagelmeyer, president ; George Pen- 
 niman, vice-president ; E. L. Mather, secretary ; 
 Frank Zagelmeyer. treasurer. These officers 
 with Christ. Heinzmann form the board of 
 directors. The C(_impany has a daily capacity 
 of 300 tons, and is about to sink another shaft 
 in the immediate vicinity. Thus was the Moni- 
 tor coal mine started as the first in Bay County. 
 In a review of the development of the coal 
 fields of ^Michigan, a prominent writer has this 
 
 to say of our subject: "I wish to say in this 
 connection that the people of Bay County owe 
 Alexander Zagelmeyer a debt of gratitude that 
 it is difficult to repay. He not only started the 
 coal development, but it was also through his 
 personal efforts that the North American 
 Chemical Company decided to locate their 
 American plant in Bay City." 
 
 The Bay Coal Mining Company, of which 
 Mr. Zagelmeyer is secretary, and general man- 
 ager, was organized March 16, 1896, with 
 a capital of $50,000, and is now controlled by 
 the North American Chemical Company. The 
 mine is located across the road from the Moni- 
 tor mine, on a branch of the Michigan Central 
 Railroad, and has a producing capacity of 400 
 tons per day. The subject of this sketch is 
 also president of the Zagelmeyer Coal Mining 
 Company, with mines in Jackson County, Ohio. 
 
 Mr. Zagelmeyer was also instrumental in 
 organizing the Michigan Vitrified Brick Com- 
 pany, which was incorporated April 15, 1904, 
 with a capital stock of $75,000. The officers 
 of the organization were : Alexander Zagel- 
 meyer, president ; Frank Zagelmeyer, vice-pres- 
 ident : E. L. Mather, secretary ; and C. W. 
 Stiver, treasurer. In 1905 C. W. Stiver re- 
 signed as treasurer, and E. L. Mather assumed 
 the duties of the offices of secretary and treas- 
 urer. This has been the only change in the 
 personnel of the company. Immediately after 
 the company was organized, it purchased the 
 property known as the Dutch Creek cnal mine, 
 located atout four miles southwest of Bay City, 
 on the west side of the river, in Frankenlust 
 township. The Pierce Dry Pressed Brick 
 Company was also acquired at this time. The 
 company then constructed a plant for the manu- 
 facture of vitrified paving brick, the only one 
 of its kind in the county. It has a capacity of 
 from 50,000 to 70,000 brick a day, and can 
 also produce daily, in addition, 25,000 dry 
 
FRANK T. WOODWOKTH 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 481 
 
 pressed building brick. In 1905, Mr. Mather 
 became treasurer of the company, and in addi- 
 tion holds the office of secretary. The com- 
 pany mines its own fire clay and sha5e, also the 
 coal to burn clay, all from the same mine. 
 About 50 men are employed. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Zagelmeyer has always 
 teen loyal to the Republican party and has 
 served as delegate to its State and county con- 
 ventions. In public life, he has served as 
 alderman of West Bay City and was one of the 
 five commissioners that built the present water- 
 works plant of West Bay City on the bay shore, 
 which cost upwards of $200,000. For three 
 years he was supervisor of the Fifth Ward, 
 and was comptroller of West Bay City two 
 years. He was elected to the State Legislature 
 in 1888, and served during 1889 and 1890, 
 being a member of the committee on fisheries 
 and others of minor importance. He is one 
 of the directors of the Board of Trade of Bay 
 City, and is interested in the German-Ameri- 
 can Sugar Company, of which he was tlie first 
 president. He was elected to his present office 
 of county treasurer by the largest vote ever 
 polled for this office, — an indication of the pop- 
 ular estimation of his merits. 
 
 On April 3, 1881, Alexander Zagelmeyer 
 was married in West Bay City to Emma Bren- 
 ner, of Saginaw, Michigan. Four children re- 
 sulted from their union, namely : Alma, wife 
 of Charles F. Kuhlow, deputy county treasurer ; 
 Eddie, Leona and Dorothy. The family resi- 
 dence is an elegant home located on the corner 
 of Ninth and Henry streets. West Bay City. 
 Fraternally, our subject is a member of the 
 Salzl)urg Arbeiter Society; the Arion Society 
 of Bay City ; is a 32nd degree Mason, a Knight 
 Templar, a member of Moslem Temple of the 
 Mystic Shrine in Detroit; the Royal Arcanum; 
 the Knights of Pythias; and the Elks of Bay 
 Citv. 
 
 1903. 
 
 RANK T. WOODWORTH, who at 
 the present writing officiates as 
 mayor of Bay City, Michigan, was 
 elected to this office in the spring of 
 
 Aside from his municipal functions, he 
 
 is prominently identified with the lumber in- 
 dustry, in which he has long been largely in- 
 terested, having entered upon the manufacture 
 of lumber in this vicinity in 1882. 
 
 Mr. Woodworth is a native of New York, 
 where he was born on a farm in Seneca County 
 in 1 861. His father was a soldier during the 
 Civil War, in which he served in the 44th 
 Regiment, New York Vol. Inf., and was killed 
 in the battle of the Wilderness. His mother 
 still lives in the State of New York. There the 
 son, deprived of a father's guidance in his in- 
 fancy, grew up to boyhood, attending school, 
 and at intervals making himself useful in vari- 
 ous ways until he was 15 years old. At that 
 period he left home to join an uncle, D. C. 
 Smiley, a prominent business man of Bay City 
 for many years. Arriving here in 1876, he 
 became a member of Mr. Smiley's household 
 and attended school for several years, complet- 
 ing his educational training in the Bay City 
 High School. 
 
 The first practical experience of Mr. 
 Woodworth was as an employee of the Second 
 National Bank of Bay City, where he served 
 in a clerical capacity for about four years. 
 After leaving tlie b;ink, he went into the saw- 
 mill and lumber business. This venture later 
 developed into the firm of F. T. Woodworth 
 & Company, under which style the affairs of 
 tlie concern arc still conducted. In 1902 the 
 manuafcturing feature of the business was 
 abandoned, the mills having been disposed of, 
 and the firm now deals in lumber, etc. 
 
 In addition to his lumber interests, Mr. 
 Woodworth is engaged in the coal trade with 
 the Robert Gage Coal Company, of St. Charles, 
 
482 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Saginaw County, ]Michigan, and is also con- 
 nected with the Auburn Coal Company. He 
 occupies convenient offices in the Shearer 
 Block. 
 
 Although not an aggressive politician, ]Mr. 
 Woodworth is a stanch Republican and enjoys 
 the full confidence of the local leaders of his 
 party. His administration of municipal affairs 
 is conceded by all to be honest and judicious. 
 
 Fraternally, Air. Woodworth is affiliated 
 with the B. P. O. E. His religious views are 
 in harmony with the Presbyterian denomina- 
 tion. 
 
 The subject of this sketch is happily mar- 
 ried and in the home circle of his comfortable 
 residence in Bay City the family's friends find 
 agreeable entertainment. His portrait accom- 
 panies this sketch. 
 
 
 1LLIA:\I J. WARD. One of the 
 most noticeable farms of Merritt 
 township. Bay County, Michigan, 
 because of its many excellent im- 
 provements, is the extensive estate owned by 
 ^^'■illiam J. Ward, consisting of 200 acres of 
 finely cultivated land, in sections 31 and 32. 
 The 40-acre tract in section 32, where Mr. 
 W'ard resides, is improved with fine buildings 
 and most attractive surroundings that testify 
 to the good taste of the residents. Mr. Ward 
 was born at Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. 
 January 17, 1858, and is a son of James S. and 
 Ann (Ritchie) Ward. 
 
 James S. Ward was born in Durham, Eng- 
 land, December 26, 18 18, and died at Munger, 
 Michigan, June 30, 1901, aged 82 years. He 
 emigrated from England to Ontario, with his 
 wife and two children, in 1855, and two chil- 
 dren were born in Ontario and one after he 
 had removed to Bav Citv. Earlv in manhood 
 
 he had worked as a blacksmith and as a farmer 
 and for a number of years he had been a clerk 
 in a postoffice in England. In i860 he removed 
 with his family to Bay County, Michigan, and 
 in 1862 he took up title from the government 
 to 40 acres of the present farm of our subject. 
 
 The mother of our subject was born No- 
 vember 27, 1820. in ^Montrose, Scotland, and 
 has survived many of her kindred and old asso- 
 ciates. It is difficult to think that this intelli- 
 gent, active lady has really passed her 84th 
 milestone. She has had many interesting ex- 
 periences in life and her remarkable memory 
 makes their recital very interesting. She was 
 in Paris during the revolution of 1848 which 
 dethroned Louis Philippe, and witnessed the 
 burning of the palace and as mementoes has 
 some bits of cloth from the king's furniture. 
 Mrs. Ward not only was a careful mother of 
 five children, but was also a capable house- 
 keeper and carried on the first dressmaking 
 establishment in Bay City. She was the envied 
 owner of one of the first three sewing machines 
 ever brought to the place. It is still kept by 
 our subject and is an interesting object. It is a 
 "Singer" and its last patented improvements 
 bear the date of May 30, 1854. The children 
 of Mr. and Mrs. Ward were : James R., editor 
 of the Green County Record, of Greensburg, 
 Kentucky; Mary Ann (Histed), deceased; 
 Robert W., editor of the Roscommon A'czcs, of 
 Roscommon, Michigan: Louisa L. (Blodgett), 
 of Munger, with whom the \'enerable mother 
 resides; and William J., of this sketch. 
 
 ^Villiam J. Ward devotes his large acreage- 
 to grain, hay and stock and is an extensive 
 farmer in all these lines. He has made the fine 
 improvements here, which, as mentioned, make 
 this one of the attractive homes of the town- 
 ship. In 1900 he had the misfortune to have- 
 bis fine barn, 40 by 60 feet in dimensions, and 
 large cattle sheds destroved bv fire, occasioned' 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 483. 
 
 by a stroke of lightning, with a total loss of 
 $3,000. What made the loss total was that the 
 Cooperative Insurance Company, which carried 
 his risks, failed just at this inopportune time. 
 In 1902 he completed his present great barn, 
 which is 40 by 90 feet in dimensions with 20- 
 foot posts, — one of the most substantial struct- 
 ures in the locality. 
 
 ^Ir. Ward was married December 27. 1887, 
 to i\Iargaret Hodgson, who was born at Fort 
 St. Henry, Canada, 50 miles below Montreal, 
 June I, i860, and is a daughter of John and 
 ]Mary (Ray) Hodgson. She came to Bay 
 County in 1884. j\lr. and Mrs. Ward have 
 four children living, namely: Joseph H., Anna 
 Bell, Marion Grace and Helen Beatrice. The 
 first son and eldest child, James Ray, died aged 
 two years. 
 
 Politically. ]Mr. Ward affiliates wiUi the 
 Republican party. He is one of the township's 
 leading men and at present is filling the office 
 of school treasurer, and for many years has 
 aided in directing public-spirited movements 
 here and in lending his influence to every move- 
 ment calculated to benefit his section. Person- 
 ally he is a man of business integrity and is 
 held in great esteem by those who ha\-e known 
 him all his life. 
 
 l!)SIAH LITTLE A^IBROSE, U. D., 
 who has a substantial medical prac- 
 tice in Bay City, and holds the office 
 of county physician, was born in Lee 
 County, Illinois, September 16, 1857. He is 
 a son of George H. and Elizabeth ]\I. T. (Lit- 
 tle) Ambrose, pioneer settlers at Amboy, Lee 
 County, when that district was a wilderness. 
 The father died in 1884, and the mother passed 
 away at the home of her son, Josiali, in 1904. 
 They were the parents of five children, namely : 
 
 Mary, of Chicago, Illinois, deceased ; George, 
 of Bay City, ex-city comptroller, deceased; 
 Charles, of Bay City; Mrs. Walter D. Young, 
 of Bay City ; and Josiah Little. 
 
 The sul)ject of this article received his pri- 
 mary mental instruction at Evanston, Illinois, 
 and graduated from the University of Michi- 
 gan in the class of 1880, with the degree of Ph. 
 B. He afterwards entered Rush Medical Col- 
 lege, in Chicago, from which he graduated in 
 the class of 1883, with the degree of M. D. 
 While in Chicago, he took a special course of 
 study in eye, ear, nose and throat diseases. 
 
 In 1883, Dr. Ambrose located in Bay City, 
 where he has practiced continuously ever since. 
 Soon after his arrival^ the old Bay County 
 Medical Society was reorganized, Dr. Ambrose 
 being one of eight young physicians who were 
 instrumental in reviving it. They formed what 
 was known as a "Quiz & Quest Club," which re- 
 sulted in the reorganization of the medical 
 society. The subject of this sketch has always 
 taken an active part in the affairs of this body, 
 as well as in those of the Michigan State Medi- 
 cal Society. 
 
 Aside from his extended practice. Dr. Am- 
 brose has been closely identified with the im- 
 provement of the city, having erected about 20 
 houses here, and Ambrose street in the First 
 Ward is named in his honor. He is the medical 
 examiner for nearly all the old-line insurance 
 companies, and for all the fraternal orders 
 except the A. O. U. W. He has served as 
 county physician for eight consecutive terms. 
 
 The entrance to the office of Dr. Ambrose 
 is a picture gallery, representing almost every 
 play on the American stage. His main office 
 is filled with a collection of pictures, calendars, 
 portraits of actors and reproductions from some 
 of our great artists. The Doctor has saved 
 many cuts from the Chicago papers, and takes- 
 delight in ornamenting his rooms with every 
 
484 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 nice picture that he can procure. Advertise- 
 ments of all kinds are to be found hung on the 
 walls. This seems to be the Doctor's hobb}'. 
 Another peculiarity is that he always wears a 
 silk hat, which he utilizes to carry memoranda 
 of his daily work, keeping a regular diary. 
 
 Dr. Ambrose was married to Grace S. Wil- 
 kins, a native of Bay City and a graduate of the 
 Bay City High School. She is a daughter of 
 John H. Wilkins, a native of Philadelphia, 
 who came to Bay City about 1870 and served 
 as mayor of Bay City two terms and is now 
 serving as chief city assessor. He formerly 
 engaged in the abstract and real estate business, 
 but finally disposed of those interests. The 
 Doctor and his wife have one son, Charles Wil- 
 kins Ambrose, who is a student in the engineer- 
 ing department of the University of Michigan, 
 in the second year of the course. 
 
 Dr. Ambrose is a member of the Masonic 
 order, Modern W^oodmen of America, Royal 
 Arcanum, Maccabees, Royal Archers, Royal 
 Neighbors, Foresters and several other frater- 
 nal organizations- 
 
 HARLES HORN, one of the well- 
 known farmers of Williams town- 
 ship. Bay County, Michigan, who 
 owns a fine farm of 50 acres in sec- 
 tion 15, was born July 6, 1848, in Prussia, and 
 accompanied his brother William to America 
 in 1853, when Ijtit five years old. The family 
 came in sections : The father came first ; when 
 he had earned enough to meet the expenses of 
 the journey, the mother and infant daughter 
 ■came; later William and Charles made the 
 trip and finally Augustus, Hiram and Louise 
 joined the family in the New World. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Horn settled first in 
 Canada, where the father purchased a farm. 
 
 but in 1863 they removed to St. Clair County, 
 Michigan, where they again purchased farming 
 land and still later they removed to Bay County. 
 Here the mother died in the fall of 1885, in 
 her 70th year, and the father in 1889, aged 80 
 years. They were industrious, worthy people, 
 who were respected and esteemed by their neigh- 
 bors. They had 11 children, five of whom sur- 
 vived them and four of whom are still living, 
 viz : Augustus ; Charles ; Rosa, wife of Nelson 
 Houston, of St. Clair, Michigan ; and John. 
 
 Our subject obtained his education in Can- 
 ada and remained with his father on the St. 
 Clair County farm until 1865, when he came to 
 Bay County. He was employed in the mills 
 of Bay City until 1873, '^"d ^^h^"'' purchased the 
 40-acre farm on which he resides. It formerly 
 belonged to his older brother, Augustus, who 
 had built a log house and had cleared up some 
 four acres of the timber. Mr. Horn completed 
 the clearing and made many improvements 
 which have resulted in the development of 
 a first-class farm. He now has 50 acres in one 
 body. 
 
 In 1875, Mr. Horn was married to Eliza- 
 beth Moore, who is a daughter of Joseph and 
 Eleanor (Adkin) Moore, who were born and 
 married in England. When they came to 
 America, these three children then composed 
 their family : Catherine, who died in New 
 York; James, who died in New York; and 
 Sarah M.. who is the wife of Charles Vliet, of 
 Oakland County. They spent two years in 
 New York, during which time ]\Irs. Horn was 
 born; but as two of the children died there, Mr. 
 Moore decided to remove to a different climate, 
 and accordingly located at Clarkson, Oakland 
 County, Michigan, where seven more children 
 were born. Later, Mr. and Mrs. Moore en- 
 gaged in farming in Bay County. Mr. Moore, 
 now in his 90th year, resides with Mr. and 
 ]\Irs. Horn, but Mrs. Moore died in September, 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 485 
 
 1900. when lacking but three months of being 
 85 years of age. 
 
 Mr. and j\Irs. Horn have nine children : 
 Grace, who married Layton Keeler and resides 
 in Houghton County, Michigan ; Eleanor, who 
 married Adolph Kiehn; Earl, a school teacher 
 at Bentley, who married Effie Kendall, of Ohio ; 
 Gladys, wdio is a stenographer in an abstract 
 office in Bay City ; Hattie, who is fitting herself 
 for the position of teacher ; Rosa, who is attend- 
 ing school in Bay City ; and Bernice, Georgiana 
 and Effie, who are at home. This is a family of 
 more than usual intelligence and ability. 
 
 Mr. Horn belongs to neither of the old 
 political parties, being in entire sympathy with 
 the Prohibitionists. His influence is always 
 given in the direction of temperance and moral- 
 ity. He is one of the leading members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal Church at Auburn, and 
 a man who is thoroughly respected by all who 
 know him. 
 
 SCAR \\'. BAKER, a well-known 
 attorney-at-law, of Bay City, Michi- 
 gan, with well-appointed offices con- 
 veniently located in the Shearer 
 Brothers' Block, was born in this city on Au- 
 gust 30, 1879, and is a son of James H. and 
 Mary Frances (Edwards) Baker. 
 
 James H. Baker and wife still reside in 
 Bay City, having come here in 1868. Mr. 
 Baker has always been a prominent factor in 
 politics and has served as deputy sheriff and in 
 a number of minor city offices and is well- 
 known in the city and throughout the county. 
 His two sons are Oscar W., of this sketch, and 
 James H., a business man of Chicago, Illinois. 
 Oscar W. Baker attended school in Bay 
 City, was graduated from the High Scliool in 
 1898 and then took a commercial course in the 
 Bay City Business College. During the legisla- 
 
 tive session of 1899- 1900 he was employed by 
 Lieutenant-Governor Robinson. Following this 
 he spent three years at the University of Mich- 
 igan, at Ann Arbor, where he was graduated 
 in June, 1902, and was admitted to the bar by 
 diploma. Every dollar spent in acquiring this- 
 education had been earned by his own hands. 
 Later he was admitted to practice in the United 
 States District Court and has since practiced 
 at Bay City, in association with Lee E. Joslyn. 
 He has taken part in a numl^er of important 
 cases and has shown marked ability and thor- 
 ough comprehension of the technicalities of law 
 and jurisprudence. 
 
 Mr. Baker is very loyal to the University of 
 Michigan and is an active member of the 
 Alumni organization, known as the Bay City 
 Alumnus Association of the University of 
 Michigan, and belongs also to the Pro and Con 
 Debating Society. He has many pleasant sociat 
 ties in the city and possesses a personality which 
 wins many friends. He was reared in the 
 Baptist Church. 
 
 Mr. Baker recently was the successful liti- 
 gant in a suit brought by him in the Circuit 
 Court of Bay County against the Pere Mar- 
 quette Railroad Company, securing a judgment 
 of upwards of $5,000. The case was a peculiar 
 one and practically without parallel, and at- 
 tracted wide attention. It had its beginning in 
 a suit brought by his father, James H. Baker, 
 as next friend, because of the minority of our 
 subject, against the Flint & Pere Marquette 
 Railroad Company to recover about $6,000 
 damages for the loss of a limb by our subject 
 in 1887, at the i ith street crossing in Bay City. 
 The jury verdict in the original case in the 
 Circuit Court was appealed and judgment was 
 later affirmed in the Supreme Court. Later, 
 suit was brought against the Pere Marquette 
 Railroad Company by our subject, who claimed 
 that he never received any part of the mone>- 
 
486 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 secured on the original verdict, one-half having 
 gone to attorneys for plaintiff as the fee agreed 
 upon in the case, and the other half having gone 
 to the plaintiff's father, without legal authority, 
 for the reason that the latter had never been 
 made a legal guardian of his son and therefore 
 \vas not entitled to funds paid into his hands. 
 This latter suit was intended to recover one- 
 half of the total amount. Our subject was ably 
 represented by Lee E. Joslyn. 
 
 EMAX HORTOX. justice of the peace 
 at ]\Iunger, is probably as prominent 
 a man and as highly esteemed a citi- 
 zen as may be numbered among the 
 residents of Merritt township, Bay County, 
 Michigan, where he owns a fine farm of 80 
 acres in section 29. He has devoted his ener- 
 gies to the township's advancement since he 
 became a resident in 1894. Mr. Horton was 
 "born in Oakland County, Michigan, September 
 16, 1848, and is a son of Joseph and Almira 
 (Marks) Horton. 
 
 The father of !\Ir. Horton was born in 
 1808, at Lebanon, New York, and removed to 
 Oakland County, Michigan, in 1835, accompa- 
 nied by his wife and two children. He died on 
 his farm, which he had cleared from the wilder- 
 ness, at the age of 66 years. He was an intel- 
 ligent, honorable and upright man, lived an 
 exemplary life and left a fine property to his 
 children, as well as an honorable name. He 
 was a leading elder in the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church. The mother of our subject came also 
 from an old settled New York family ; she was 
 born in that State in 1810, and died in Michi- 
 gan at the age of 66 years. They had eight 
 children: Jane Elizabeth, wife of Dr. N. L. 
 Higbie, of Elsie, Michigan ; Sarah Ann, widow 
 ■of Benjamin Sage, of Ypsilanti, Michigan; 
 
 Hix, who died aged 40 years ; Mariette, wife of 
 William T. Daines, of Farmington, Michigan; 
 Jacob, a minister in the ]\Iethodist Episcopal 
 Church, who is now settled at Ypsilanti, Michi- 
 gan ; Caleb Wesley, who died aged 60 years ; 
 Harriet T., widow of Rev. J. A. Mcllwain, of 
 Romeo, Michigan; and Heman, of this sketch. 
 
 Heman Horton remained on the home farm 
 in Oakland County until he was 25 years of 
 age and continued to attend school until he 
 was 20 years old, enjoying first the advantages 
 offered by the common schools and later by the 
 Oakland Institute at Farmington. He contin- 
 ued to farm during the summers and teach 
 school during the winters for a number of 
 years before he moved to Montcalm County, 
 where he continued the same mode of life for 
 about 14 years. Then he settled down to farm- 
 ing near Troy, Oakland County, for five years, 
 changing then to city life and engaging in a 
 real estate business at Detroit for two years. 
 Country life, however, pleased him best and in 
 1894 he came to his present farm in Merritt 
 township. Here he carries on a general line 
 of farming and operates a large dairy business, 
 having a great herd of registered Jersey cattle. 
 In the past he also handled draft horses. 
 
 In 1 87 1, ^Ir. Horton was united in mar- 
 riage with Susan A. Andrews, who was born 
 at West Bloomfield, Oakland County, Michi- 
 gan, October 4, 1848. and is a daughter of 
 Samuel and Susan (Collier) Andrews. Mr. 
 Andrews was born in Connecticut and his wife 
 in Massachusetts. They came to Oakland 
 County in 1833. The father died at the age 
 of 90 years and six months on the farm he 
 had taken up from the government and cleared, 
 and the mother died there aged 69 years. Mrs. 
 Horton is the youngest of their eight children, 
 the record being as follows : Elizabeth ( Mrs. 
 Rhodes), of Allegan County, Michigan; Jane, 
 widow of E. B. Frost, of Frankfort, Michigan; 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 487 
 
 George W., who died in Oakland County at the 
 age of 33 years; Nathaniel, who died aged 60 
 3'ears ; Samuel F., of Grand Rapids, Michigan; 
 Theodore H., of Minnesota ; Charles, of Oak- 
 land County; and Susan A. (Mrs. Horton). 
 Se\-en children have been born to our subject 
 and wife, namely: Helen E., wife of Robert 
 E. Forbush, of Oakland County; Arthur S., of 
 Tacoma, Washington; K. Charles, who lives 
 at home; Mark Andrews; Clara M., wife of 
 E. P. Tennant, of Merritt township ; and Harry 
 and Belva A., who live at home. The family 
 belong to the Presbyterian Church at Munger, 
 Mr. Horton being one of the trustees. 
 
 Mr. Horton has taken a prominent part in 
 township aiifairs since settling here and has 
 been active in political life. He has been chair- 
 man of the Republican Township Committee 
 and is a justice of the peace at present. His 
 acquaintance is wide and both in public and 
 private life he is universally respected. He is 
 justly regarded as one of the representative 
 men of his section of Bay County. 
 
 OHN CHATFIELD KERN, one of 
 leaders in the great lumber interests 
 of the Saginaw Valley, is president of 
 the Kern Manufacturing Company, 
 of West Bay City, Michigan, and a citizen of 
 much prominence here. Mr. Kern was born at 
 O.xford, Oakland County, Michigan, Novem- 
 ber 30, 1853, and is a son of Rev. Joseph and 
 Bethany Stewart (Woodhull) Kern. 
 
 Rev. Joseph Gardner Kern was a pioneer 
 in Oakland County, Michigan. He was born 
 at Belvidere, New Jersey, June 20, 1821, and 
 died at Morris, Michigan, August 9, 1901. 
 He came to Michigan in early manhood, a 
 machinist by trade, and for some years after 
 his marriage, in Oxford, Oakland County, he 
 
 operated a foundry and machine shop. While 
 living at Oxford his mind became impressed 
 with the truths of religion to such a degree, 
 that he entered the ministry of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church, becoming a member of the 
 Detroit Conference. He was an earnest Chris- 
 tian man and continued in the ministry until 
 his health failed, in 1868, when he located on 
 a farm near Perry, Michigan. Some years 
 prior to his death, he removed to ISIorris and 
 there his life closed, at the age of 80 years. 
 On November 17, 1849, he was married to 
 Bethany Stewart W^oodhull, who was torn in 
 Oakland County, Michigan, November 14, 
 1 83 1, and was a daughter of John C. H. and 
 Rachel (Bird) Woodhull, old pioneers of that 
 section. Mrs. Kern died at Perry, Michigan, 
 November 16, 1869. She was a member of 
 one of the oldest American families, of English 
 descent. Its records reach back one thousand 
 years. The founder of the family in America 
 was Richard Woodhull, who was born in Eng- 
 land in 1620. Our subject is in the ninth gen- 
 eration from this ancestor. The two children 
 of Mr. and Mrs. Kern both survive : John Chat- 
 field, our subject; and a sister, Sarah Elizabeth, 
 who is the wife of Richard Place, of Lansing, 
 Michigan. 
 
 Our subject's early years were spent in 
 various localities in Michigan, as his father's 
 different charges were filled. \\'hen three years 
 of age, removal was made to Columbus, thence 
 to Lake Port City, Perry and Williamson. 
 Subsequently the father settled on his farm 
 near Perry and there the son remained until 
 he was 19 years of age. After his education 
 was completed in the Corunna (Michigan) 
 High School, he clerked for two years in a 
 drug store at Perry, and then as collector went 
 into the main office at Detroit of the C. F. 
 Brooks Lumber Company, conducted by Mrs. 
 C. F. Brooks, which company's mills were 
 
488 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 located at Bay City. He remained there until 
 the otfice was closed and then came to Bay 
 City, in 1876, being employed by L. L. Hotch- 
 kiss & Company, which succeeded the C. F. 
 Brooks Lumber Company. He remained with 
 the firm first as bookkeeper and then as general 
 superintendent. In 1890, the firm of L. L. 
 Hotchkiss & Company was succeeded by the 
 Morton & Baccus Luml^er Company. 
 
 In 1892 Mr. Kern went into the lumber 
 business himself, buying the interests of the 
 company, with which he had gained so much 
 valuable experience. He purchased all the 
 stock and in 1893 the Kern Manufacturing 
 Company was incorporated, — a company that 
 now owns and operates the largest lumber 
 mills in the Saginaw Valley. As soon as he 
 took charge, Mr. Kern commenced extensive 
 additions and improvements. During 1892-93 
 he erected two band and one rip sawmill, with 
 capacity of 30,000,000 feet. A salt-block is 
 operated in connection, which has a capacity 
 of 200 barrels a day. The mills turn out 
 20,000,000 feet of lumber annually and the 
 company at present has 20,000,000 feet stored 
 in their yards. This great industry is located 
 in the Fifth Ward, in the south end of West 
 Bay City, where the plant covers 120 acres, 
 with a farm adjoining. Employment is given 
 85 men, and 22 horses are required. Many 
 of the employees reside here, there being 19 
 houses and suiificient barns on the property, and 
 its appearance is something like a small village. 
 
 Mr. Kern finds his time pretty well taken 
 up in looking after these huge interests, but he 
 has always been willing to further public- 
 spirited movements of all kinds in this locality, 
 and has been a generous contributor in aid of 
 the various honorable enterprises which have 
 been instrumental in building up the commer- 
 cial prosperity and good name of this part of 
 the State. He has, however, persistently de- 
 
 clined all political honors, merely casting his 
 vote in favor of the candidates of the Republi- 
 can party and feeling willing that others should 
 enjoy political preferment. 
 
 Mr. Kern was married at Bay City, Jan- 
 uary 14, 1885, to Gertrude L. Minnie, who 
 was born at Marine City, Michigan, and is a 
 daughter of Dominick and Elizabeth (Dein) 
 Minnie, natives of Michigan. They have two 
 daughters, both at scliool, viz : Gladys Beth- 
 any, who was born December 9, 1890; and 
 Ruth Woodhull, who was born June 23, 1892. 
 The handsome, comfortable home of Mr. Kern 
 and family is situated in West Bay City, not 
 far from the business section where Mr. Kern's 
 presence is so constantly required. Its luxuri- 
 ous furnishings and its extensive library testify 
 to the intellectual tastes of the family. 
 
 For many years Mr. Kern has been identi- 
 fied with the higher branches of Masonry, and 
 is a Knight Templar and a Shriner. He is an 
 attendant of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 A man of quiet tastes and little show of osten- 
 tation, he quietly fills a place among the cap- 
 tains of industry in the Saginaw Valley, but 
 his large interests have not been secured 
 through the speculative operations which have 
 given the name to many who pose as such. 
 
 RED TIMM, one of the first-class 
 farmers and good citizens of Ports- 
 mouth township, Bay County, Michi- 
 gan, residing in section 31, township 
 14, range 6, and owning a well-improved farm 
 of 80 acres, was torn in Germany, December 
 18, 1842, and is a son of August and Mary 
 (Kracht) Timm. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Timm came to America 
 in 1 87 1, joining him in Bay County. Both 
 father and mother lived to a good old age. 
 
FRANK C. MERRILL 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 491 
 
 dying in their 84th and 82nd years respectively. 
 Tlieir declining years had been made comforta- 
 ble by their children, seven of whom came to 
 America ; one remained in Germany. 
 
 Our subject was the fourth member of the 
 family and the second of the three sons. When 
 he landed in America in 1866. he came directly 
 to Bay City and secured work in the sawmills. 
 He was an industrious employee of the mills 
 and was careful in saving his money so that 
 when he was ready to settle down to farming, 
 he had accumulated enough capital to buy well- 
 situated land. About 10 acres of the 40 of 
 his first purchase had been cleared, but the rest 
 was all covered with stumps and brush. To 
 look over his well-cultivated fields one can 
 scarcely realize that only 15 years have passed 
 since all this property was wild and uncleared. 
 'Mr. Timm has made excellent improvements 
 here, building a comfortable house and barns 
 and setting out an orchard which has added 
 materially to his income. A few words tell of 
 all this, but it has taken many days of hard 
 work to bring about the present condition of 
 things and much credit is due Mr. Timm for 
 what he has accomplished by his good manage- 
 ment. 
 
 At Bay City on August 8, 1872, Mr. Timm 
 was married to Josephine Cook, who was born 
 September 15, 1852, in Delaware. She came 
 to Bay City with her parents, Fred and Chris- 
 tine Cook, when a child of three years. Her 
 father was born in Germany and when 20 years 
 old came to America and located in Delaware, 
 where he married. He died at Bay City in 
 1902 and his wife died when Mrs. Timm was 
 1 1 years old. Their children were : Bertha, 
 deceased at the age of 21 years; Charles, of 
 Bay City ; August, of Hampton township ; 
 Emma; Amelia and Ameil (twins); Birney; 
 Laura; Oscar; Esther; and four who died 
 in infancy. Mr. Timm lost his first wife. 
 
 27 
 
 formerly Minnie Raut. and two children, when 
 living in South Bay City. 
 
 In politics, Mr. Timm is a Republican and 
 he takes much interest in township affairs. He 
 is one of the leading trustees of the German 
 Methodist Church at Bay City. As a citizen 
 and as a neighbor, Mr. Timm is well-thought 
 of by all who know him. He is spoken of as 
 a man whose word is always as good as his 
 bond, which is pretty high praise. 
 
 RANK C. MERRILL, postmaster at 
 Bay City, Michigan, and a citizen 
 of enterprise and public spirit, whose 
 portrait accompanies this sketch, was 
 born in Bay County, Michigan, October 27, 
 1 87 1, and is a son of H. P. Merrill. 
 
 The late H. P. Merrill was one of the most 
 prominent citizens of Bay City, where his death 
 took place in November, 1891, at the age of 
 50 years. He is survived by his widow and 
 two children : Frank C. and Mrs. Carroll Win- 
 diate, of Bay City. Mr. Merrill came to Bay 
 City in 1870 and became a member of the 
 wholesale grocery firm of Gustin, ]\Ierrill & 
 Company, wdiich was succeeded Iw Merrill & 
 Fifield, with establishment located at the cor- 
 ner of Fourth and Water streets. For years 
 he was president of the first Chamber of Com- 
 merce of Bay City and a director in the Sec- 
 ond National Bank. His business energy w'as 
 felt in all civic movements and he was justly 
 considered a valued citizen. He served as an 
 officer in the Civil War and the H. P. INIerrill 
 Post, G. A. R., was named in his honor. He 
 was also an acti\-e member in the Military 
 Order of the Loyal Legion of the L'nited States 
 and a Republican party leader. 
 
 Frank C. Merrill was reared at Bay City 
 and attended the common and high schools 
 
492 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 here and subsequently spent one year at the 
 University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, coming 
 home before graduation on account of the 
 death of his father. He is a member of the 
 ,Zeta Psi fraternity. In 1892 he bouglit an 
 interest in the Times-Press, and in 1901 lie 
 bought the paper outright and until ]March, 
 1903, continued the publication of the Times- 
 Press, the Sunday Times and the U'eekly Jour- 
 nal. Upon his appointment by President 
 Roosevelt as postmaster at Bay City, he sold 
 his papers to the Detroit Evening N'ezt's. 
 
 Mr. Merrill owns a very attractive home in 
 Bay City. He married a daughter of C. J. 
 Smith, one of the capitalists of West Bay City. 
 a vesel owner and formerly county treasurer. 
 They have one child. Mr. and Mrs. ]\Ierrill 
 attend the Protestant Episcopal Church. 
 
 yir. Merrill could scarcely be anything but 
 an active Republican in politics, cradled as he 
 was in that party. He has done yeoman serv- 
 ice and is chairman of the Republican County 
 Committee. For four years he served as presi- 
 dent of the Agricultural Association and is 
 now treasurer of this organization, one of 
 large numljers and much importance in Bay 
 County. His father was a Knight Templar 
 IMason and he himself has taken the 32nd de- 
 gree and is a Mystic Shriner. He belongs also 
 to the Elks and is one of the few American 
 members of the Arbeiter Society, of Bay City. 
 
 'Sir. IMerrill has always been interested in 
 •athletics and during his college life was cap- 
 tain of his class baseball team, belonged to felie 
 University team and won honors for his alma 
 mater in various contests. For two years he 
 served as president of the Michigan State Trap 
 Shooters League. Mr. Merrill is a fair type 
 of that class of able, educated young men 
 whose achievements show that they have been 
 trained in no narrow school. He is deservedly 
 popular in Bay City, both as an individual liv- 
 
 ing up to the demands of civic life and as an 
 official, serving his fellow-citizens with honesty 
 and capacity. 
 
 XDREW WEISS, one of the repre- 
 sentative citizens of Frankenlust 
 township. Bay County. ^Michigan, 
 where he resides upon a fine farm 
 of 160 acres situated in section 9, owns 
 three other farms, — one being in section 5, 
 Frankenlust township, the second in section 9, 
 \\'illiams township and the third in Saginaw 
 County, all being 160 acres in extent, except 
 the one in section 5, Frankenlust township, 
 which consists of 140 acres. Mr. Weiss was 
 born in Frankenlust township, October 23, 
 1863, and is a son of John George and Chris- 
 tina (Feinauer) \\^eiss. 
 
 John George Weiss, father of our subject, 
 was born in Germany in 1822, and came to 
 Bay County in 1849, accompanied by his wife, 
 and died here in 1893. He was possessed of 
 very small means when he came to this country, 
 but had sufficient to purchase from the go\'ern- 
 ment 56 acres of land in section i, Franken- 
 lust township, on which his son, John C. Weiss, 
 now lives. This was the nucleus of a large 
 estate of 296 acres which he accumulated dur- 
 ing life and parceled out to his sons. He and 
 his wife led the lives of pioneers, their home 
 l>eing a log cabin and their food being limited 
 at first to the little they could raise and what 
 they could secure in the way of wild growths 
 in the forest. Mr. \\'eiss was incapacitated 
 for a time v.ith malarial fever, a disease which 
 attacked many settlers in the early days, be- 
 cause of the swampy, undrained character of 
 this region. On many occasions, in the early 
 years, he would carry quantities of farm pro- 
 duce on his back from his farm to the river, 
 there load the articles in his canoe, and then 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 493 
 
 propel himself and cargo to Lower Saginaw 
 (now Bay City), where he would barter the 
 produce for groceries. He became prominent 
 in all that concerned the township and assisted 
 with influence and money in the building of 
 the first schools and churches. For i8 years 
 he was an elder in St. Paul's German Lutheran 
 Church and he contributed liberally to the 
 l)uilding of the new structure. ]\Ir. Weiss led 
 a sober, virtuous, useful life and when he 
 passed away he was mourned by the whole 
 neighborhood. He married a most excellent 
 woman, Christina Feinauer, torn January 30, 
 1829, who still survives and lives with her son, 
 John C. Weiss, on the old homestead. 
 
 The children of Mr. and Mrs. Weiss were: 
 Anna Regina (Mrs. Kuch), of Frankenlust 
 township: Mary Barbara (Mrs. Ittner), of 
 Chesterfield. \"irginia: John M., of Franken- 
 lust township; Anna Margaret (Mrs. Herbol- 
 sheimer), of Frankenlust township; Barbara 
 (Mrs. Knoer), of Saginaw County; Andrew, 
 of this sketch; and John C, of Frankenlust 
 township. 
 
 Andrew Weiss was educated in the local 
 schools and as he was brought up on a farm 
 his knowledge of agricultural affairs is solid 
 and practical. He has always carried on farm- 
 ing and stock-raising and now operates his 
 whole estate of 620 acres with the exception 
 of the farm in Williams township. Improve- 
 ments in the way of houses and barns are on all 
 the farms, his residence being a commodious 
 dwelling with agreeable sorroundings. He 
 raises thousands of bushels of grain on the 
 home farm, has 85 head of stock and raises 
 annually several head of draft horses of the 
 Clydesdale brand. His large amount of land 
 and his successful management of it makes him 
 one of the leading farmers of the county. 
 
 On April 28, 1885. Mr. Weiss was married 
 to .Anna Elizabeth Kirchhoff, who was born 
 
 on the present home farm of our subject, Feb- 
 ruary 6, 1863, and is a daughter of John Leon- 
 ard and Mary Elizabeth (Fries) Kirchhoff, 
 nati\-es of Germany, who came to Bay County 
 in 1853. The father died in 1886, aged 59 
 years, and the mother, now 81 years old, re- 
 sides with Mr. and Mrs. Weiss. Nine children 
 have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Weiss, namely : 
 Leonard M., Gottlieb M., Louisa, Ludwig, 
 Anna Margaret; John George, Henry, Anna 
 Elizabeth and Herman. 
 
 Mr. Weiss has long been one of the active 
 Republicans of Frankenlust township and has 
 served in a number of the more important local 
 offices. He was a justice of the peace for eight 
 years, for three years was school director, and 
 at present is township assessor. He has been 
 one of the most interested members of St. 
 John's German Lutheran Church, has been its 
 treasurer and has given liberally in support of 
 its work. He is one of the men to whom his 
 fellow-citizens refer with pride as being repre- 
 sentative of the township's best, both as to capi- 
 tal and as to character. 
 
 OSEPH E. KOHN, chemical and me- 
 chanical engineer, a prominent citizen 
 of Bay City, Michigan, general super- 
 intendent of the ]\Iichigan Chemical 
 Company's plant at Bay City, and the Owosso 
 Sugar Company in Owosso and Lansing, 
 Michigan, was born in i860 in Bohemia, Aus- 
 tria, and came to America in 1897. 
 
 Few men are better equipped in every way 
 for their life work than is Joseph E. Kohn. In 
 1883 he graduated at the great technical college 
 at Prague, in both mechanical and chemical 
 engineering, retiring from that noted school 
 with knowledge which enabled him to enter 
 successfully into the sugar manufacturing l)usi- 
 
494 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 ness in Bohemia. After several years practice 
 he was accepted as chemical assistant to Charles 
 Steilen, the great inventor connected with the 
 largest sugar manufacturing plant in Eur(.ipe. 
 which is situated in Ahiraxia. After 
 seven years of experience there. ]\Ir. 
 Kohn came to America, being sent to 
 Omaha, to erect a sugar-house, by one 
 of the largest European manufacturing 
 concerns, but the enterprise failed on account 
 of lack of funds of the Omaha people. There- 
 fore Mr. Kohn accepted a position with the 
 Kitby Manufacturing Company, at Cleveland, 
 Ohio. There he designed and constructed the 
 sugar-houses of Bay City and Alma, Michigan, 
 with their complicated machinery. During the 
 subsecjuent four years he traveled all over the 
 United States and designed, during this period, 
 sugar-houses, or technical parts, in Michigan, 
 Louisiana, California and New York. In 
 1899 he came to Bay City as designer and con- 
 structor and in 1901 he erected the Michigan 
 Chemical Company's plant, after his own de- 
 signs and with the utilization of the most mod- 
 ern and approved methods of construction. 
 Since then he has also erected a large molasses 
 distillery for the General Distilling Company 
 of Toronto, Canada, and has been interested 
 in other enterprises. 
 
 ]\Ir. Kohn was awarded his professional 
 title of Doctor when he was graduated as a 
 master in chemistry. Personally, he is a man 
 of commanding presence, and a most conspicu- 
 ous figure on horseback, his training in this 
 line having been obtained during his one year 
 of \-oInnteer service in the best cavalry regi- 
 ment in the Austrian Army. He belongs to 
 numerous artistic and literary organizations, 
 speaks almost all European languages and pos- 
 sesses a notable collection of diplomas awarded 
 him by many learned societies. 
 
 HESTER A. KERN, a general mer- 
 chant and well-known representative 
 citizen of Auburn, Williams town- 
 ship, Bay County, Michigan, was 
 born October 4, 1870, in Williams township, 
 and is a son of Anthony and Amelia (W^olfe) 
 Kern. 
 
 Anthony Kern came to Bay County in 1869 
 from Roseville, \\'ayne County, IMichigan, 
 where he had been a carpenter and farmer. He 
 bought a farm of 160 acres of wild land in 
 Williams township. Bay County, which he 
 cleared and improved and has since sold. He 
 has been prominently identified with the town- 
 ship's development. In politics he is a stanch 
 Republican. He filled the office of justice of 
 the peace for 16 years. He was one of the 
 trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 On May i, 1866, he was married at Roseville, 
 Michigan, to Amelia Wolfe, who died May 25,. 
 
 1893, ^"d ^^''^s 1'^''^ ^'^ ''^s*^ '" '^'^^ cemetery at 
 Bay City. She was an admirable wife and 
 mother and was esteemed by all who knew her. 
 Four children were born to them, namely : 
 Eva. E., wdio is the wife of T. C. Phillips, of 
 South Bay City; Flora E., who is the wife of 
 W. E. Cole, of Saginaw; Chester A., of this 
 sketch; and Burton B., of West Bay City. 
 
 Our subject was educated in the schools of 
 Williams township and Bay City. After com- 
 pleting his education, he accepted a clerical 
 position with R. E. Swart, of Auburn, and in 
 1896 he bought Mr. Swart out and has been 
 conducting a first-class general store here ever 
 since. He owns the whole business and has a 
 handsome private residence and also owns a 
 grain elevator, which he built in 1900. It is 
 the only elevator in Williams township and has 
 a capacity of 10,000 bushels. 
 
 Mr. Kern was married on April 8, 1896, 
 in Williams township, to Clarissa K. Saner,. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 495 
 
 who is a daughter of JMartin and Jennie 
 (Rogers) Sauer, and they have had two chil- 
 dren, viz: Harold, who died at the age of lo 
 months ; and Marion, a bright little girl of 
 three years. 
 
 In politics, Mr. Kern is a Republican. He 
 is a leading member of the School Board. Like 
 his father, he is a member of the IMethodist 
 Episcopal Church, and is also one of the trus- 
 tees. His fraternal associations include the 
 Gleaners ; Auburn Lodge, No. 758, Independ- 
 ent Order of Foresters ; and the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows, a lodge of the last 
 named organization ha\'ing been lately installed 
 at Auburn. 
 
 VA'ID \MLCOX. a successful farmer 
 and stock-raiser residing in section 
 21, Monitor township, Bay County, 
 Alichigan, where he has a valuable 
 farm of 200 acres, was born in Exeter, Eng- 
 land, in 1848, and is a son of Samuel Isaac and 
 Elizabeth (Davey) Wilcox. Mr. Wilcox 
 comes of Scotch and English stock. His ances- 
 tors were people of education and refinement. 
 Samuel Isaac Wilcox, father of our sub- 
 ject, left England for Canada in 1849, locating 
 in the Province of Ontario. He was there 
 located among uneducated people, and served 
 as their letter writer and reader. He is now 
 deceased, and is survived by his widow, aged 
 85 years, who resides on the old homestead. 
 Their union was blessed by the following off- 
 spring: Samuel J., who lives on the old home 
 farm in Canada; David; George W., of Chi- 
 cago ; Joseph, a banker of Ontario ; Frances, a 
 wheatbuyer of Brandon, Manitoba ; Septimus, 
 of Ontario ; Antonius Pius, of Ontario ; and 
 Cranmer R., who is employed as foreman by 
 Gasser & Company, of Duluth, Minnesota. 
 David Wilci^x attended the common schools 
 
 of his vicinity in Ontario until he was iG years 
 of age and then took up the work of earning 
 means for his support and advancement. He 
 was engaged in cutting walnut timber in L'^pper 
 Canada until 1865, then removed to Marine 
 City, Michigan, and soon after located in Bay 
 City. Here he was employed by Smith 
 Brothers on their lumber property along the 
 Rifle River, for three summers booming the 
 logs cut during the winters. He then returned 
 to Canada and remained with his parents for 
 four years, at the end of which time he again 
 came to Bay City, being then 23 years old. 
 He served as foreman and superintendent for 
 Whitman & Company, jobbers for Burrows & 
 Rust, until 1876, and then was marshal of the 
 village of Banks for three years. He next 
 worked for the Keystone Lumber Company 
 as head woodsman, later as superintendent of 
 booms, continuing with that company for 12 
 years. In 1883 he purchased a farm of 160 
 acres in section 21, Monitor township. later 
 adding to it a tract of 20 acres and another of 
 40 acres. He has disposed of 20 acres and still 
 retains 200 acres, all under a high state of culti- 
 vation. While working as boom superintend- 
 ent he had all this land cleared on contract, and 
 has since developed it along his ideas of what 
 a good stock and dairy farm should be. He 
 breeds horses and cattle in his own stud, and 
 keeps 15 horses and 27 cows. He erected a 
 comfortable home, a large barn and a silo, 17 
 by 32 feet, and has all the conveniences of a 
 modern farmer. He is a man of industrious 
 habits, frugal and enterprising, and the success 
 he has achieved is due solely to his indixidual 
 efforts. 
 
 In 1876, Mr. Wilcox was united in mar- 
 riage with Mary Kerr, a daughter of John 
 Kerr, a large contractor of Buffalo. New York, 
 and they are parents of five children, as fol- 
 lows : Gilbert C. ; James W. ; Samuel T. ; Ten- 
 
496 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 nette W., who attends the Bay City High 
 School ; and Harrison Alger, who is named 
 after President Harrison and Governor Alger. 
 All of the children are living at home. Politi- 
 cally, Air. Wilcox has always been an enthusi- 
 astic supporter of Republican principles. He 
 served as supervisor and treasurer of Whitney 
 township, Arenac County, and three terms as 
 school director of Monitor township, Bay 
 County. Fraternally, he is a Mason. Having 
 come to this county at an early date, he well 
 rememljers many of the old landmarks and has 
 witnessed a wonderful change in conditions. 
 He has a recollection of the erection of the first 
 brick building in Bay City, the Shearer House, 
 in 1865, and the construction of the wooden 
 bridge across the Saginaw River. 
 
 g^-«|ERRY PHELPS, deceased, who for 
 ^M many years engaged successfully in 
 the hotel business at many points, 
 was engaged at the time of his death 
 in farming in section 1 1 of Monitor township. 
 Bay County, Michigan, where he owned a val- 
 uable farm of 130 acres. He was a man of 
 high business principles, dealing openly and 
 with fairness in all his transactions, and he en- 
 joyed the confidence and esteem of his fellow- 
 citizens to a marked degree. He was born in 
 Wayne County, New York, October 16, 1843, 
 and was a son of Joel and Sally (Brock) 
 Phelps, both natives of New York State. 
 
 At an early age, Perry Phelps accompanied 
 his parents to Michigan and completed his edu- 
 cational training in the schools of Oakland 
 County. He then came to Bay County, locat- 
 ing at South Bay City, then known as the 
 village of Portsmouth and now a part of Bay 
 City. When 20 years old, Mr. Phelps enlisted 
 in Company L, Fourth Reg., ^ilichigan Vol. 
 
 Cav., and saw two years of hard service in 
 the Civil War. He was in the battle of Salina, 
 participated in Wilson's raid (in which the 
 raiding detachment of Federals got behind the 
 Rebel lines) and for a long period was unable 
 to communicate with his young wife. He was 
 one of the detail that captured Jefferson Davis 
 and in effecting the capture his horse was shot 
 from under him and the bullet pierced the calf 
 of his leg, leaving a mark which remained 
 throughout his life. He guarded the ambu- 
 lance as a member of the detail which took 
 President Davis to Nashville, Tennessee. He 
 was mustered out at Nashville, in May, 1865, 
 and immediately thereafter returned home to 
 his wife in Bay City. He engaged in the hotel 
 business in West Bay City, conducting the 
 Phelps House, opposite to the Michigan Cen- 
 tral Railroad Depot. Selling this property, he 
 subsec|uently engaged in the liotel business suc- 
 cessively at Alger, West Branch, Otsego Lake 
 and Greyling. then in 1895 returned to Bay 
 County and located upon his farm in section 1 1 
 of Monitor township. He purchased this prop- 
 erty in 1885,. cleared it of its timber and com- 
 pleted the fine home which was in course of 
 construction at the time the property came 
 under his control. He built two good barns 
 and other substantial outbuildings, converting 
 the place into one of the best improved prop- 
 erties in Monitor township. He established a 
 dairy, and supplied milk and produce to the 
 people of the city until his death on December 
 2, 1903. His death was sadly mourned by his 
 fellow-citizens as a loss to the community. The 
 farm, which Mrs. Phelps still owns, is stocked 
 with 25 head of cattle of standard breed and 
 fi\e horses, and is being conducted by her only 
 son, Edward. Mr. Phelps was a Republican 
 in politics, and served in the City Council of 
 Bay City, and as township treasurer while at 
 West Branch. He was a member of Wenona 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 497 
 
 Lodge. No. 296, F. & A. JNL, of West Bay Cit}', 
 of which he was one of the oldest members at 
 the time of his death. He also belonged to 
 Greyling Post, G. A. R. 
 
 At South Bay City, in July, 1863, Perry 
 Phelps was united in marriage with Sarah Tol- 
 free, who was born in Ithaca, New York and 
 is a daughter of Joshua and Melisa (Brock) 
 Tolfree, her father coming from England and 
 her mother from Pennsylvania. Her paternal 
 grandfather was a mechanic and built the cars 
 used by the New York Central Railroad when 
 the road was first opened. Mrs. Phelps is a 
 member of the Women's Relief Corps, serving 
 as conductress at the present time, and a mem- 
 ber of the Eastern Star. She is a woman of 
 lovable traits and has a host of friends in this 
 countv. 
 
 IRGIL L. TUPPER, A. M., M. D., 
 one of the leading surgeons of Bay 
 County, Michigan, standing at the 
 head of his profession in this section 
 of the St;ite, was born in Pennsylvania March 
 14, 1869, and is a son of Benjamin and Selena 
 (Bonnell) Tupper. 
 
 Dr. Tupper comes of a medical family, 
 both grandfather and great-grandfather having 
 been eminent in the profession of medicine, 
 which his father also studied for some years. 
 The last named became interested in the oil 
 business and is now a resident of Pittsburg, 
 Pennsylvania, a man of prominence there. 
 Both parents of Dr. Tupper were born in New 
 York. They reared four children, one son, — 
 Virgil L., — and three daughters, viz: Florence, 
 who is the wife of William Connor, of Plain- 
 ville, New Jersey ; Laura O., a highly educated 
 young lady, a graduate of the University of 
 Michigan, who resides with her parents at 
 Pittsburg; and Leah U., who is deceased. 
 
 In childhood, \"irgil L. Tupper became a 
 member of the household of his uncle, Dr. 
 Horace Tupper, in order to enjoy better edu- 
 cational opportunities than could be afforded 
 him by his father, while the latter was engaged 
 in his business in widely separated oil fields. 
 Through his boyhood he attended the schools 
 of Bay City and then spent some time at the 
 old Washington and Jefferson College, in 
 Washington County, Pennsylvania, after 
 which he returned to Michigan and completed 
 his literary course at Ann Arbor. Turning his 
 attention to the science of medicine, he entered 
 that grand old institution, the Jefferson Medi- 
 cal College, at Philadelphia, where he was most 
 creditably graduated with the class of 1896. 
 In a competitive examination he won the cov- 
 eted position of interne in the college hospital, 
 and, after completing his term here, he entered 
 St. Mary's Hospital, in the same city. He 
 closed his work in Philadelphia by taking spe- 
 cial surgical work in the clinic of the noted Dr. 
 Baer. Aiming still higher. Dr. Tupper then 
 entered the medical school of Johns Hopkins 
 University at Baltimore, where he took a spe- 
 cial course, under the best conditions which the 
 resources of that magnificent institution com- 
 mand, in gynecology, surgery, children's dis- 
 eases and medicine. 
 
 In March, 1898, Dr. Tupper settled at Bay 
 City, vvdiere he was shortly afterward pros- 
 trated with a serious attack of typhoid fever, 
 superinduced, perhaps, by the close confinement 
 of his hospital work, his enthusiasm possibly 
 making him ignore precautions he would never 
 permit his patients to forget. After three 
 months of illness he recuperated and for years 
 has been a type of manly strength and endur- 
 ance. He is recognized as the leading surgeon 
 of this section of the State and on many cases 
 his dictum has been regarded as a court of last 
 resort. Where his skill cannot help, hope is 
 
498 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 vain. Dr. Tupper controls the practice of his 
 late venerated uncle. Dr. Horace Tupper, and 
 has a larger personal practice than he can give 
 attention to. For the past four years he has 
 been most conveniently located on the south- 
 west corner of Sixth and Adams streets in Bay 
 City. 
 
 In 1 90 1, Dr. Tupper was united in mar- 
 riage with Mary Cranage, a member of a rep- 
 resentative family of Bay County, and a daugh- 
 ter of Thomas Cranage of Bay City. They 
 have one son who bears the name of Thomas, 
 in honor of his grandfather. 
 
 Dr. Tupper is a prominent member of the 
 American I\Iedical Association, and of the 
 Michigan State Medical Society, and in 1903 
 served a.s president of the Bay County Medical 
 Society. Aside from professional connections, 
 he has many social associations and belongs to 
 the Bay City Club and to the Elks. 
 
 OHN WALSH. This gentleman, who 
 served for one term, with marked effi- 
 ciency and great acceptability, as may- 
 or of West Bay City, is one of the old- 
 est residents of this vicinity, having located in 
 Bay City in 1866. He is actively engaged in 
 the coal mining industry, and holds the posi- 
 tion of president of the United City Coal Com- 
 pany, the headquarters of which are in West 
 Bay City. 
 
 Mr. Walsh was born in Haldimand Dis- 
 trict, Ontario, in 1S46. There he was reared 
 and schooled, and there he remained until his 
 removal to Bay City, Michigan, as previously 
 mentioned. His residence in Bay City cov- 
 ered a period of 17 years, during a great por- 
 tion of which he was engaged in the retail gro- 
 cery trade on Center avenue. After disposing 
 of that business to Messrs. Chatfield and Speer, 
 
 Mr. Walsh purchased the store of John Mc- 
 Graw, located in South Bay City, which he con- 
 ducted successfully for two years. 
 
 Upon his removal to West Bay City, in 
 1S83, the subject of this sketch established a 
 wholesale grocery house, in partnership with 
 Luther B. Edinborough. Mr. Edinborough 
 was some time afterward appointed postmaster 
 of West Bay City and Mr. Walsh purchased 
 the former's interest in the concern, and con- 
 ducted its constantly increasing business for 
 two years, without a partner. In 1896 James 
 R. Tanner was admitted to partnership, and 
 two years afterward, Harry J. Daily became 
 associated with ^Messrs Walsh and Tanner. 
 
 In 1 90 1, Mr. Walsh withdrew entirely from 
 the concern, having disposed of his interest to 
 Messrs. Tanner and Daily. Since the subject 
 of this sketch established the business, its vol- 
 ume had grown from $90,000 to more than 
 $500,000 per year. 
 
 The United City Coal Company, of which 
 Air. Walsh is president, was organized in Au- 
 gust, 1903. The other officials are: David 
 Jones, vice-president; and W. W. Chapman, 
 secretary and treasurer. The property of the 
 company consists of a tract of 75 acres, a part 
 of which is situated within the corporate limits 
 of the city. One shaft, employing about 40 
 men, is now in successful operation. To the 
 direction of the affairs of this enterprise, Mr. 
 Walsh now gives his principal attention. 
 
 LTntil within the past two years, the subject 
 of this sketch was quite active in Republican 
 politics, and has been conspicuous in his advo- 
 cacy of the consolidation of the "Bay Cities." 
 Shortly after his retirement from the wholesale 
 grocery business, he was elected mayor of West 
 Bay City. He assumed the mayoralty when the 
 public treasury was empty. The city had a 
 bonded indebtedness of $400,000 and a floating 
 debt of $74,500. By a strictly business admin- 
 
-<>. 
 
 CAPT. JOHN O. WOOLSOX 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 501 
 
 istration, which curtailed improvements and re- 
 duced expenditures, the new incumbent and the 
 Council placed the city on a sound financial 
 basis, and re-established its credit within six 
 months. Their system of retrenchment reduced 
 the floating debt to about $40,000, settled the 
 interest account and liquidated most of the 
 claims against the city, outside of the bonded 
 indebtedness. 
 
 Mr. Walsh has three sons, all residents of 
 West Bay City, namely: Harry J., a retail 
 grocer ; Arthur G., a produce commission deal- 
 er; and Frank A., who has the State agency 
 for the "Seal of Minnesota" flour, with head- 
 quarters at Cleveland, Ohio. 
 
 \PT. JOHN O. WOOLSON, one of 
 the most prominent citizens of Bay 
 City, Michigan, and president of the 
 Bradley Transportation Company, 
 was born in Tunbridge, Orange County, Ver- 
 mont, April 15. 1826. His career is an impres- 
 sive illustration of what may be accomplished 
 by natural ability, supplemented by ambition, 
 energy and perseverance. Beginning as a 
 humble sailor boy, his own exertions have won 
 for him a degree of success which renders 
 his life an encouraging example to every as- 
 piring youth. Captain Woolson is a son of 
 Asa and Mary (White) Woolson, whose an- 
 cestors were English and among the earliest 
 •settlers of New Hampshire. 
 
 Asa Woolson was born April 4, 1796, at 
 Langdon, New Hampshire, and died June 5, 
 1827. He learned the trade of a clothier in a 
 woolen mill. He started a woolen mill at 
 Tunljridge when a young man, and was oper- 
 ating it at the time of his death. He was a 
 sturdy, ambitious man, of rugged honesty. He 
 jiiarried Marv White. 
 
 Captain Woolson's grandfather, Asa Wool- 
 son, was born at Lunenburg, Massachu- 
 setts, February 4, 1767, and died at Grafton, 
 Vermont, September 22, 1826. He married 
 Ann Sargent, who was born in Templeton, 
 Massachusetts, November 3, 1771, and died 
 at Springfield, Vermont, November 29, 1857. 
 
 Captain Woolson's great-grandfather, Asa 
 Woolson, was born at Weston, Massachusetts, 
 August 2, 1727, and died at Lunenburg, Mas- 
 sachusetts, April 18, 1789. His wife was born 
 at Woburn, Massachusetts, July 3, 1736. 
 
 Captain Woolson's great-great-grandfather, 
 Joseph Woolson, came from England when 
 17 years of age, and settled in \\'eston. There 
 he built a block-house in which a garrison was 
 manitained for a number of years, as a defense 
 against the Indians. Four generations of the 
 family were born in this block-house. 
 
 Captain Woolson, our subject's father, died 
 when his son, John O., was one year old, and 
 his widow then moved to St. Lawrence County, 
 New York, where she married Henry William 
 Bard. When the subject of this sketch was 
 six years old, the family moved to Painesville, 
 Lake County, Ohio. His opportunities for 
 mental improvement were quite limited, and at 
 an early age he became self-supporting. When 
 but a lad he commenced following the water, 
 where he worked his way up until he became a 
 sailing master, and for years commanded sail- 
 ing and steam vessels on the Great Lakes. 
 
 In 1864, Captain \\'oolson came to Bay 
 City. Michigan, and formed a partnership with 
 Nathan B. Bradley in the steam-tug business. 
 In addition to this, he became interested in a 
 grocery, his store being located in Water street. 
 In 1875 ^""^ severed his connection with Mr. 
 Bradley and bought other \-essel property, still 
 continuing in the retail grocery trade. He also 
 made a specialty of supplying vessels with nec- 
 essaries. In 1 88 1 he abandoned the grocery 
 
S02 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 business, and has since given his entire atten- 
 tion to his shipping interests. 
 
 In 1887, Captain Woolson buiU the 
 schooner, "IMary Woolson," now owned by the 
 Bradley Transportation Company, which also 
 owns the steamer "C. H. Bradley" and the 
 schooner "Brightie." This company was in- 
 corporated in 1 89 1, with Captain Woolson as 
 president; F. W. Bradley, vice-president; and 
 C. H. Bradley, secretary. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was one of the 
 original stockholders of the First National 
 Bank, of Bay City, and became a stockholder 
 in the Bay City National Bank, when it suc- 
 ceeded the first-named institution. 
 
 Captain Woolson's first wife was Lovisa 
 E. Davis, of Painesville, Ohio. One son was 
 born to them named Francis, who married 
 Malvina Wilson, and died in 1878, leaving a 
 widow and two children, — Maude, since de- 
 ceased ; and Minnie, who is the wife of Z. A. 
 Carr, of Park Rapids, Minnesota. 
 
 On July 13, 1854, Captain W^oolson mar- 
 ried Betsey M. Ingraham, a daughter of Jo- 
 seph Ingraham. Two children were born to 
 them, namely: Fred H., of Bay City; and 
 Mary, wife of F. S. Tear, of Painesville, Ohio. 
 
 Captain Woolson's third wife was Jose- 
 phine H. Webster, of Painesville, Ohio, whom 
 he married May i, 1891. 
 
 Captain Woolson has been active in the ves- 
 sel business for a longer period than any other 
 resident of Bay City. His prominence has 
 been gained by slow degrees, and is the direct 
 result of the sterling traits of character which 
 have made him everywhere respected. His 
 irreproachable record is based upon self-reli- 
 ance, unswerving integrity and untiring per- 
 sistence, and reflects great credit upon the com- 
 munity with which he has been identified for 
 40 years. 
 
 In 1874, Captain Woolson built his present 
 
 fine residence at No. 302 Garfield avenue, then 
 known as the Bowery. The streets were still 
 ungraded, when he set out the splendid maple 
 shade trees which surround and adorn this beau- 
 tiful home. 
 
 The subject of this sketch has always been 
 a Republican, although never a politician, and 
 has served as supervisor of the Fourth Ward. 
 Fraternally, he is a member of Bay City Lodge 
 No. 129, F. & A. M. His portrait accompanies 
 this sketch, being presented on a foregoing 
 page. 
 
 i 
 
 ON. THEODORE F. SHEPARD, an 
 honored resident of Bay City, who is 
 judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit of 
 Michigan, Bay County, — is one of 
 the most prominent and successful members of 
 the State bar. 
 
 Judge Shepard was born in Livingston 
 County, New York, June 14, 1844. He is a 
 son of Howell Shepard, a native of Yates Coun- 
 ty, New York, who was for some time a thriv- 
 ing farmer in that vicinity, and was subse- 
 quently engaged in mercantile pursuits in Alle- 
 ghany County, where he died in i860. In poli- 
 tics, the father was in early times a Whig, but 
 was identified with the organization of the Re- 
 publican party. The mother of Judge Shepard 
 was Sarah Rathbun, a native of New York 
 State. 
 
 The subject of this sketch attended the pub- 
 lic schools of New York and afterward pursued 
 a course of study in Alfred University, Alle- 
 ghany County, graduating in 1865. Soon after 
 his graduation, he began the study of the law 
 in Cuba, New York, in the office of Hon. Mar- 
 shall B. Champlin, a distinguished lawyer, who 
 was Attorney General of the State for six years. 
 After a preliminary course of reading. Judge 
 Shepard continued his studies in the Albany 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 503 
 
 Law Scliool, and was admitted to the bar in 
 1866. He then spent another year in the office 
 of Mr. Champhn. At the end of this period he 
 came to Michigan and commenced practice in 
 West Bay City, having formed a partnership 
 with Hon. C. P. Black. He soon attained 
 marked success in his profession and also be- 
 came prominent in pubhc affairs. 
 
 In 1872 Judge Shepard was elected prose- 
 cuting attorney, and conducted the affairs of 
 that office in such a vigorous and impartial 
 manner as to strike terror to the minds of evil- 
 doers. During his term of office, law-breaking 
 was reduced to a minimum, and many of the 
 resorts of criminals were closed. As a conse- 
 quence of the reputation he thus acquired, many 
 criminal cases were subsequently ]^laced in his 
 hands, and for years thereafter he had the lead- 
 ing business in the city in that class of litiga- 
 tion. 
 
 Previous to his entrance upon a higher 
 sphere of effort, Judge Shepard served as city 
 attorney of West Bay City for several terms. 
 He was a member of the Board of Education 
 for 12 years, acting as its chairman during the 
 entire period. For 10 years he was also presi- 
 dent of the Water Commission. 
 
 In 1890, President Harrison appointed 
 Judge Shepard, United States district attorney 
 for the Eastern District of Michigan, a posi- 
 tion which he filled with notable efficiency for 
 four years. 
 
 Judge Shepard was married in Cuba, New 
 York, in January, 1868, to Mary M. Randolph, 
 a daughter of S. S. Randolph, a native of the 
 "Empire" State. Three children resulted from 
 this union, namely: Howell C, now about 30 
 years of age; Lottie E., who died when six 
 years of age; and Mamie E., who died in 1900, 
 in her 28th year. 
 
 The subject of this sketch has always been 
 an ardent champion of the principles of the Re- 
 
 publican party. He was chairman of the Re- 
 publican Congressional District Committee for 
 several years. He has been a member of the 
 Republican State Central Committee, and has 
 rendered most eft'ective service on the stump 
 in various campaigns. He was a delegate to 
 the national convention at Cincinnati, which 
 nominated President Hayes, and has held a seat 
 in almost every Republican State convention 
 for 25 years. The offices which he has filled 
 with conspicuous ability have been in connec- 
 tion with educational matters and the profession 
 of the law. 
 
 LOYD HAMILTON RANDALL, B. 
 S., M. D., physician and surgeon at 
 West Bay City, Michigan, a thor- 
 oughly equipped member of his pro- 
 fession, has been established in this city since 
 1904. Dr. Randall was born in West Bay City, 
 September 5, 1875, a member of one of the old 
 and honored families of this section, being the 
 son of Dr. Isaac E. Randall, one of the oldest 
 practitioners in Bay County. 
 
 After completing the public-school course 
 and graduating from the Bay City High School 
 in 1893, he entered the University of INIich- 
 igan at Ann Arbor, where he took the combined 
 courses of literature and medicine. In the 
 former he was graduated in 1897, with the de- 
 gree of B. S., and two years later was grad- 
 uated in medicine, receiving his degree of M. 
 D. He then accepted the position of medical 
 house officer at the Lakeside Hospital, Cleve- 
 land, Ohio, where he remained 18 months, and 
 then took charge of the Wabash Railroad PIos- 
 pital, at Moberly, Missouri, for six months. 
 While this experience was of inestimable value 
 to the young physician and surgeon, he decided 
 upon a visit to the great medical centers of 
 
504 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Europe before entering on private practice. 
 For one year he engaged in post-graduate Avork 
 at Vienna, Austria, and in 1902, was fortunate 
 enough to obtain an appointment on the staff 
 of Dr. von MikuHcz, the great authority on 
 surgery, at the Royal University of Breslau, 
 who has a world-wide reputation. The vahie 
 of this appointment to the young surgeon could 
 not be overestimated. 
 
 In the fall of 1903, after a year's service on 
 the hospital staff, Dr. Randall left Breslau and 
 turned his face in the direction of his native 
 land, stopping for a few months, however, to 
 take some post-graduate work at the Rotunda 
 Maternity Hospital at Dublin, Ireland. Upon 
 his return to West Bay City, he opened an of- 
 fice and has met with a very cordial reception. 
 His thorough medical and surgical preparation, 
 combined with natural ability and professional 
 enthusiasm, have gained him the confidence of 
 the public who appreciate what is required in 
 the successful practitioner of the present day. 
 Dr. Randall has a wealth of experience to draw 
 upon and he has also the zeal, watchfulness, 
 knowledge and skill which mark the accepted 
 professional man of the 20th century. 
 
 Dr. Randall is a member of the local medi- 
 cal societies and is fraternally associated with 
 both the Masons and the Odd Fellows. 
 
 R. LEWIS, M. D., one of the best 
 known professional men of Bay 
 County, was the founder of the 
 Lewis Hospital, of Bay City, and is 
 also president of the Lewis College for Nurses, 
 which is an auxiliary to the hospital. 
 
 Dr. Lewis was born at Seneca Falls, New 
 York, January 4, 1855, ^""^ received his early 
 •educational training in Seneca Falls Academy. 
 At the age of 19 years he took up the study of 
 
 the sciences and later the study of medicine 
 and surgery, graduating from Jefferson Medi- 
 cal College in 1878. He has always been a 
 close student and upon graduation had the 
 honor of first prize. He has had more than 1 5 
 years experience in hospital work in some of 
 the largest hospitals in this country, and has 
 pursued post-graduate work in New York City, 
 assisting the professors in clinics. He prac- 
 ticed in New York State for some years and in 
 Illinois for one year. He holds certificates 
 from each of these States and also from Michi- 
 gan, whither he moved from Illinois, locating 
 at Bay City. In 1900, he established at No. 
 1 203 Broadway, Bay City, the Lewis Hospital, 
 an institution modern in all its appointments, 
 where all classes of patients are well cared for, 
 except those with contageous diseases, who are 
 not received. He established the Lewis Col- 
 lege for Nurses as an auxiliary lo the hospital, 
 and this also takes high rank among institu- 
 tions of the kind. Its trustees are: Mrs. M. 
 S. Knaggs, president ; Miss Helen MacGregor, 
 1st vice-president; Mrs. Annie E. Coffin, 2nd 
 vice-president; Mrs. Eva Asman, secretary; 
 Mrs. M. K. Lewis, treasurer. The students are 
 given thorough training in practical hospital 
 work before graduation, as well as a complete 
 course of study. 
 
 Dr. Lewis is a student of his profession 
 and a scientist, devoting nearly all his time to 
 study that is not taken up by his business 
 affairs. He has written several works in the 
 past, and there is now in the hands of the pub- 
 lishers a work on anatomy and physiology 
 which will cover over 500 pages. He main- 
 tains an office in Suite 6, of the Bank Block, 
 at No. 302 Center avenue. In 1879 Dr. 
 Lewis joined the Masonic order and is a mem- 
 ber of Auburn Lodge, No. 431. F. & A. M. 
 He became a member of the Order of the East- 
 ern Star in i88s, became a Royal Arch Mason 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 505 
 
 in 1886 and took the Scottish Rite degrees in 
 1903. He joined the Knights of Pythias in 
 1886 and became past chancellor in 1903. He 
 joined the Independent Order of Odd Fellows 
 in 1899 and the Benevolent and Protective 
 Order of Elks in 1901. He also belongs to the 
 ]\Iodern Woodmen of America and the Tribe 
 of Ben Hnr lodges. 
 
 OSEPH POOUETTE. a prosperous 
 farmer, whose property is located in 
 section 28, Kawkawlin township. Bay 
 County, ]\Iichigan, was born in Ot- 
 tawa, Canada, in 1853. When he was an in- 
 fant, his father died. His mother still lives in 
 Ottawa, and is past 85 years of age. 
 
 The subject of this sketch had no oppor- 
 tunity to attend school. He received his first 
 lessons from a fellow workman named John 
 Gallan, who taught him how to write his name. 
 He worked seven years in lumber camps in 
 Canada, and several years for David Moore, 
 who was in the lumber business in Ottawa. 
 When about 28 years old, he came to Michigan 
 and located at Bay City. He worked in the 
 northern woods in winter, and in sawmills in 
 the summer. He also worked for the gas com- 
 pany in Bay City. By thrift, enterprise and 
 hard work, he has accumulated a nice property, 
 and is now able to live in comfort. 
 
 yiv. Poquette bought his present farm of 
 40 acres in 1888. At that time it was wild land, 
 covered with timber, and he did not have the 
 money to pay for the papers. In 1900 he put up 
 a substantial barn, and in 1904 he built a fine 
 dwelling, valued at $1,800. He is engaged in 
 general farming and stockraising. 
 
 On April 29, 1882, Mr. Poquette was mar- 
 ried to Anna Vizene, a daughter of Joseph and 
 Elizabeth (Wells) Vizene, natives of Quebec, 
 
 Canada. Mrs. Poquette was born at Ottawa, 
 Canada. Her father died when she was an 
 infant. Her mother died in 1881, leaving 10 
 children, of whom Mrs. Poquette was the eighth 
 in order of birth. Mr. and Mrs. Poquette 
 adopted, at the age of three weeks, a babe,, 
 named Annie, who died in 1893, ^t the age of 
 eight years and eight months. In 1902 they 
 adopted two girls, — Delena and Mamie. The 
 former was born March 7, 1886, and the latter 
 April 12, 1888. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Poquette is a Republican. 
 He is a member of the Maccabees and the- 
 Grange. In religion, he is a Catholic. 
 
 OHN C. HEWITT, president of the 
 Bay City Gas Company, and Junior 
 member of the law firm of Cooley & 
 Hewitt, of Bay City, is a man in the- 
 prime of life, and was born April 6, 1862, in 
 .■\lmont township, Lapeer County, Michigan, 
 and is a son of Calvin A. and IMary S. 
 (Churchill) Hewitt. 
 
 The Hewitt family is an old and honored 
 one of New England and many of its represen- 
 tatives are not unknown to fame. They were 
 early residents of Rutledge Centre, Vermont" 
 the founders coming thither from the North of 
 Ireland were probably of Scotch e.xtraction. 
 Amos S. Hewitt, the paternal grandfather, 
 was born at Rutledge Centre, Vermont, and 
 was a pioneer in Michigan. 
 
 Calvin A. Hewitt, father of our subject, 
 was born in Lapeer County, Michigan, March 
 18, 1835, and died at Bay City aged 69 years. 
 A practical stone mason by trade, he was one 
 of the early building contractors of the city. 
 He came here in 1863 and continued his con- 
 tracting business until his decease, building the 
 Concordia Block and manv of the best resi- 
 
5o6 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 deuces. Until the organization of the Green- 
 back party, he was an active Repubhcan, but in 
 the new organization he saw the solving of 
 manv problems which stood in the way of the 
 country's prosperity. He took a lively interest 
 in the promulgation of its doctrines and faith- 
 fully supported its candidates. The only polit- 
 ical office he ever accepted for himself, was that 
 of supervisor, which he filled for one term, but 
 he was a loyal supporter of the claims of his 
 friends. He was one of the early members of 
 tlie Odd Fellow organization at Portsmouth. 
 His wife was a consistent member of the Bap- 
 tist Church and he was an attendant and a lib- 
 eral supporter. The three of his children who 
 reached maturity are: Frank A., of Bay City; 
 John C, of this sketch; and Ernest C, also of 
 Bay City. 
 
 Ji-ihn C. Hewitt was reared at Bay City and 
 was given a good common-school education. As 
 soon as his books were put aside, he entered the 
 employ of the Nafio)ial Globe, of this city, as 
 bookkeeper. In his spare moments he learned 
 to set type, under the instruction of an old-time 
 printer, Garry C. Laing, and when his duties on 
 the newspaper ended, he went to Vassar and 
 became a compositor on a journal there, but 
 six months at the business satisfied his ambi- 
 tions in that direction. 
 
 In 1 88 1 he returned to Bay City and became 
 "bookkeeper for the firm of Rust Brothers & 
 Company and remained here until 1885. In 
 this year he was made deputy comptroller of 
 Bav City and he continuefl in the office until 
 September, 1888. For some months he was 
 employed as bookkeeper by Greene & Stevens 
 and then entered into partnership w^ith James 
 A. Greene, in a sawmill enterprise, under the 
 firm name of James A. Greene & Company, in 
 which he continued to be interested until No- 
 vember, 1890, when he returned to the comp- 
 troller's office, and continued to serve under 
 
 Capt. \\'illiam Keith until 1892. 3,Ir. Hewitt 
 then formed a new business connection, enter- 
 ing into a copartnership with James B. Barber 
 and Alexander Logan, under the firm name of 
 the Bay City Excelsior Company. I\Ir. Hewitt 
 was only actively connected with this business 
 for one vear although it continued for some five 
 vears. In the meantime he had become an ex- 
 pert accountant for Bay County, in the litiga- 
 tion growing out of the action commenced by 
 the Auditor General of ^Michigan against Will- 
 iam \'. Prybeski, county treasurer, the suit be- 
 ing to recover taxes due the State. Mr. Hewitt 
 was thus employed until the contest was over, 
 his expert work being highly commended on all 
 sides. 
 
 Mr. Hewitt continued to work as a general 
 accountant until August, 1895, when he was 
 admitted to the bar, having been engaged in the 
 quiet study of the law since 1885, under the 
 direction of competent attorneys. He was as- 
 sisted by these well-known attorneys : Alfred 
 P. Lvon, John Simonson, John C. \\'eadock 
 and Ubald R. Loranger. Upon his admission 
 to the bar, he entered the law office of Edgar 
 A. Cooley as the latter's assistant and remained 
 in that position until April, 1889. Since that 
 time he has been associated with Mr. Cooley 
 as partner. 
 
 In 1895, Mr. Hewitt was appointed local 
 attorney for the Detroit & ^lackinac Railway; 
 he continued with this corporation through 
 1896 and during the same period was local at- 
 torney for the Michigan Central Railroad Com- 
 pany and has continued his railroad connection 
 since entering into partnership with Mr. Cooley. 
 He has been interested in various business en- 
 terprises, and in 1899 he was appointed attor- 
 ney and was elected president of the Bay City 
 Gas Light Company. Subsequently a reorgan- 
 ization of this company took place, but Mr. 
 Hewitt continued as president and attorney of 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 507 
 
 the Bay City Gas Company, under its new- 
 charter. He has been actively interested in all 
 lines of public improvement here and is 
 counted one of the city's representative men. 
 
 Mr. Hewitt married Hattie JM. Howard, of 
 Midland, Michigan, and they have two chil- 
 dren : Fred F. and Mary Naomi. Both he and 
 his wife attend the First Presbyterian Church. 
 
 While nominally a Democrat, Mr. Hewitt 
 is in no way a politician in the usually accepted 
 sense. He has served as a member of the 
 Board of Supervisors of Bay County and of the 
 Board of Public Works, of Bay City, being 
 president of the latter board for a period of two 
 years. Fraternally he is a Mason, being a 
 member of Portsmouth Lodge, No. 190, F. & 
 A. M., and Blanchard Chapter, R. A. M., both 
 of Bay City. He belongs also to the Elks, to 
 the Modern Woodmen of America and to the 
 Bay City Club. 
 
 OHN P. SNYDER, M. D., the pioneer 
 physician of Williams township. Bay 
 County, Michigan, and one of the 
 busiest professional men in this sec- 
 tion, was born in the Dominion of Canada, at 
 Burgessville Ontario, in January, 1846. He is 
 a son of Philip and Catherine (McLees) 
 Snyder. 
 
 The father of Dr. Snyder came to Michi- 
 gan in 1862 and bought 120 acres of land in 
 Attica township, Lapeer County, on which he 
 lived until his death in July, 1902. A brother, 
 also deceased, was a merchant at Geneva, New 
 York. Of the family of 13 children born to 
 Pliilip and Catherine (McLees) Snyder, two 
 sons and five daughters survive. Our sub- 
 ject's brother, Lewis, still resides on the old 
 homestead. 
 
 John P. Snyder was 16 years of age when 
 
 he accompanied his father to Michigan, after 
 which he spent two terms in the public schools 
 at Attica, which completed his literary educa- 
 tion. He then entered upon the study of medi- 
 cine with Dr. J. W. Bryant, in Lapeer County, 
 with whom he continued until the death of the 
 latter, two years later, when he went to Cleve- 
 land and studied for a year and a half in the 
 Cleveland Hospital College. 
 
 In 1870, Dr. Snyder settled down to prac- 
 tice in \\'illiams township. Bay County. In 
 1896 he went to Cliicago and was graduated 
 from the National Medical College, where he 
 later took a post-graduate course. When lie 
 first came to Williams township, he found that 
 he would have to face many hardships, mainly 
 on account of the unsettled condition of the 
 country. Although his calls came from all di- 
 rections, at that time there were only three 
 passable roads, running north, between Mid- 
 land and Bay City. He can remember when 
 he could count 27 lumber, square timber, hoop 
 and railroad camps, and five saloons within 
 two and a half miles of Auburn. His practice 
 at present is a very large one. requiring him to 
 keep four horses and he covers a territory about 
 25 miles in extent, north and south. He has 
 always kept abreast of the times in his profes- 
 sion, and is a member of the Homeopathic State 
 Medical Society, and a subscriber to all current 
 medical literature. 
 
 In May. 1868, Dr. Snyder was married to 
 Annetta Blodgett, who is a daughter of Charles 
 and Laura (Groves) Blodgett. They have had 
 these children : Charles, deceased at the age of 
 five years ; G. Roy, of Willard, Beaver town- 
 ship : Helen, who is the wife of W. G. Hardy, 
 of Hasseltine, Washington: and Earl J., a drug 
 clerk at Sandwood, Michigan. 
 
 Dr. Snyder is an active supporter of the Re- 
 publican party. In spite of his absorbing pro- 
 fessional duties, he has found time to serve as a 
 
So8 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 school director and township clerk (holding 
 the former office for 12 years and the latter for 
 nine) and to promote the various movements in 
 the township looking to the public welfare. He 
 is a charter member of the Independent Order 
 of Foresters lodge of Williams township and 
 belongs to the I. O. O. F. lodge at Kawkawlin. 
 
 J 
 
 SCAR F. MEISELBACH, chairman 
 of the Bay City Sanitary Milk Com- 
 pany, Ltd., and the owner of a fine 
 dairy and fruit farm of 12J-2 acres, 
 situated in section 2, t(jwnship 13. range 5, in 
 Portsmouth township, is one of the county's 
 prominent and progressive citizens. He was 
 bom at Bay City in 1865, and is a son of Henry 
 and Sarah (Derlich) Meiselbach, who were 
 born in Saxony, Germany, and came to .Vmer- 
 ica with their respective parents. 
 
 Henry Meiselbach was killed in a railroad 
 wreck in South Bay City in 1871, at the age of 
 36 3-ears. His trade was that of millwright. 
 His widow lives in Bay City. Their five chil- 
 dren were: Oscar F., of this sketch; Charles, 
 of Bay City; Albert and Tlieodore (twins), the 
 former of Bay City and the latter deceased ; 
 and Henrietta, born after her father's death, 
 who resides with her mother. 
 
 The death of his father when he was only 
 seven years old placed many responsibilities on 
 the shoulders of Oscar F. Meiselbach at an 
 early age and at the age of 13 years he became 
 a wage earner. His first work was at the salt- 
 wells where he continued several years. He 
 then learned the cooper's trade, at which he 
 worked until he located on his present farm in 
 Portsmouth township. For 1 1 years he oper- 
 ated a first-class dairy in connection with the 
 growing of choice fruit, but since the organiza- 
 tion of the Bay City Sanitary Milk Company, 
 
 Ltd., in May, 1902, his whole time has been 
 given to this industry, aside from that re- 
 quired for his official duties as justice of the 
 peace, to which office he was elected in the 
 spring of 1904. 
 
 On January 12, 1887, Mr. Meiselbach was 
 united in marriage with Sophia Wispintner, 
 who was born in Portsmouth township, Bay 
 County, January 12, 1866, and is a daughter 
 of Jacob and Henrietta Wispintner. TwO' 
 bright, intelligent children have been born to 
 our subject and wife, both sons, — Oswald, born 
 November 13, 1889; and Walter, born August 
 17, 1896. The family enjoy the comforts of a 
 very fine home. Other improvements here in- 
 clude good barns and hay and cattle sheds ; in 
 fact all the accessories and conveniences needed 
 in the successful carrying on of a dairy busi- 
 ness are to be found on the place. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Meiselbach has always been 
 a stanch Republican and has filled local offices 
 at various times as his personal business affairs 
 permitted. He has been connected \\ith the 
 school board of District No. 3 for the past nine 
 years, and is serving at present in his third 
 term. 
 
 OHN WILSON, Jr., is a prosperous 
 farmer of Mount Forest township, 
 Bay County, Michigan, where he has 
 li\-ed for many years. He was born 
 in tlie Province of Ontario, Canada, in 1840, 
 and is a son of John and Polly (Brooks) Wil- 
 son. 
 
 John Wilson, the father, was born in South 
 Carolina and was a soldier in the War of 1812. 
 At an early date he moved to Ontario, Canada, 
 where he was married, and there followed 
 farming until his death. His wife, Polly 
 Brooks, was born in Quebec, Canada. They 
 became parents of 12 children, of whom our 
 
WILLIAM G. ROECKER 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 511 
 
 subject and a sister, — Caroline, widow of Gib- 
 son Wilson, — are the sole survivors. 
 
 John ^^'ilson, Jr., was born on the home 
 farm in Canada and received his education in 
 the public schools of his home district. Oil 
 July 18, 1859, he came to the United States, 
 locating at old Brockway, then known as 
 Hardscrabble, Michigan. There he followed 
 farming for a time, then purchased a farm of 
 80 acres at Fremont, Michigan, where he was 
 a pioneer and lived for a period of 31 years. 
 He disposed of this farm to his son James on 
 September 18, 1892, and moved to his present 
 farm, located in section 26, Mount Forest 
 township. Bay County, which he had purchased 
 the previous year. At that time there was not 
 another settler in the neighborhood, and the 
 country was undeveloped. He removed the 
 stumps from the land and with them erected 
 fences; he built a good dwelling, barns and 
 other outbuildings, and made his farm a very 
 valuable property. He originally had 120 acres 
 in the tract, but has disposed of 40 acres. He 
 is a man of high character and enjoys the 
 friendship of many acquaintances. 
 
 In 1861, Mr. Wilson was united in mar- 
 riage with Isabelle Rolls, who was born in 
 Scotland and is a daughter of William and 
 Isabelle (Hayes) Rolls, both of whom were 
 born and died in Edinburgh, Scotland. She 
 was 12 years of age when w'ith her only 
 brother she accompanied an uncle and aunt to 
 Canada. She lived there four years, then came 
 to Michigan alone. Her brother, James Rolls, 
 was one of the pioneers of Freemont, Michi- 
 gan, locating there just two years later than 
 our subject. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson became 
 parents of 14 children, as follows: James, born 
 December 2. 1862; Ambrose, born February 
 4, 1865; Caroline, born May 27, 1867, de- 
 ceased; Mary Ann, born November 7, i86g; 
 Oscar, born October 12, 1872; Emma, born 
 
 23 
 
 January 5, 1874; Clarence, born November 4, 
 1877; one who died in infancy; Jennie, born 
 February 22, 1880; Polly, born July 11, 1882; 
 Ernest, born June 11, 1884; Ethel, born May 
 18, 1886; Agnes, horn March 10, 1889; and 
 Gladys, born March 19, 1S91. Religiously, the 
 family are members of the Christian church. 
 Mr. Wilson is a Republican in politics, and has 
 been a member of the Knights of the ^Macca- 
 bees since July, 1890. 
 
 ILLIAM G. ROECKER, one of the 
 prosperous farmers of Bay Coun- 
 ty, Michigan, whose portrait ac- 
 companies this sketch, owns a farm 
 of 60 acres of valuable land in section 19, town- 
 ship 14, range 6, in Hampton township. He 
 was born in Winenden, Wurtemberg, Ger- 
 many, December 28, 1830, and is a son of 
 Godlob Roecker. 
 
 The father of our subject died in his native 
 land in 1856, aged 65 years, and the mother, 
 when her son William G., was quite young. 
 The family consisted of three sons and two 
 daughters, but our subject is the only one now 
 living. The father, whose business it was to 
 prepare cloth to be handled by tailors, had his 
 own shop. He served in the war against 
 France in 18 14, and lived and died a loyal 
 adherent of the German crown. 
 
 William G. Roecker came to America, with 
 a sister, in 1852. From the age of 14 years 
 he had worked as a turner and he found em- 
 ployment in Philadelphia, where he lived for 
 three years and then came to Michigan. He 
 reached Bay City, or Lower Saginaw as the 
 place was then known, in 1855 and was soon 
 employed on the docks and in sawmills. In 
 1858 he purchased his first land — 40 acres of 
 his present farm — to which he later added 10 
 
512 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 acres more and still later another tract of lo 
 acres. He now owns a first-class, productive 
 little farm on which he has made many sub- 
 stantial improvements. When he came to this 
 tract the first time, the timber was so dense 
 and the underbrush so heavy that he and his 
 companion, Joseph Shinier, had to cut a road 
 in order to reach the place. He has lived to 
 see wonderful changes and has done his part 
 in advancing the development of his locality. 
 
 In 1855, Mr. Roecker was married to Ro- 
 sanna Kurz, who was born in Winenden, Wur- 
 temberg, Germany, and died on the home farm, 
 in Hampton township, in 1899, aged 'jz 3'ears 
 They had four children : Carrie, who died aged 
 15 years; a babe which died in infancy; and 
 Mary and William, both of whom live at home. 
 
 Mr. Roecker has always been a Democrat 
 and has held township offce, serving many 
 years on the School Board and for seven years 
 was township treasurer. He is well-known as 
 one of Hampton township's honest and upright 
 men and good and representative citizens. 
 
 A\'. KXAGGS, senior member of the 
 firm of Knaggs & Plum, general in- 
 surance agents at Bay City, Michigan, 
 has resided here since 1865, and is the 
 oldest insurance man in the city. Mr. Knaggs 
 v.-as born in Monroe County, ^Michigan, August 
 28, 1840, and is a son of Johnson and Sarah 
 Louisa (Woods) Knaggs. 
 
 There is probably no family which has, 
 been more closely identified with the early his- 
 tory of Michigan and also of Ohio, than that 
 to which our subject bel(jngs. The remarkable 
 records of the family have been preserved, 
 more or less intact, from 1760. A history of 
 this numerous and notable family was issued 
 by R. B. Ross, and from this reliable authority 
 
 we are permitted to make selections and to place 
 Ijefore the readers of this work records of the 
 men and women of a past generation, whose 
 strong characters and gentle virtues, whose 
 noble lives and self-sacrificing deeds have caused 
 their names to still be remembered when others 
 of their day have been forgotten. 
 
 "The record of the Knaggs family of Ohio 
 and Michigan is a part of the history of the 
 Northwest. Springing from English and 
 Dutch forebears, its descendants represent the 
 best traits of both races, and as patroits in war 
 and good citizens in peace, they are the peers of 
 any contemporary family in the States." 
 
 In 1760 George Knaggs, son of an English 
 father and a W'elsh mother, probably a sea-far- 
 ing man and possibly an English officer, mar- 
 ried Rachel Sly, a lady born in the Mohawk 
 Valley, New York, then apparently living in 
 Philadelphia. From there they removed to the 
 Mauniee Valley in Ohio, and settled near the 
 site of Fort Miami, which is about nine miles 
 from the new Court House at Toledo. At this 
 time trading with the Indians was the only 
 gainful occupation in that locality, and in this 
 commerce he and his wife engaged. In 1768 he 
 visited Detroit and was one of a syndicate of 
 four, who purchased a lot of land on ^^•llat is 
 now Jefferson avenue, but there is no evidence 
 that he remained in Detroit, and every indica- 
 tion that he returned to the Maumee Valley. 
 He prospered financially and between 1763 and 
 1784 he and his wife had eight children born 
 to them. The records tell that this lady was 
 accomplished far beyond her sex in that day and 
 even understood Latin. As she was a devout 
 Catholic, it is possible that her education was 
 acc|uired in some cloister school. 
 
 Until the destruction of their trading post, 
 in the battle of Fallen Timbers, on August 20, 
 1794, the Knaggs family seem to have gained a 
 footing in the Maumee \\alley, but the venge- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 513 
 
 ful savages had been so aroused that it became 
 evident that no business could be again done 
 for a long period in the valley, and the old pio- 
 neer turned to Detroit, whither his son George 
 had already gone. The elder Knaggs did not 
 profit by the change, his failure to again re- 
 sume his old relations with the Indians being 
 probably due to his age, as he was then past 
 60. His health gave way as his energies werq 
 lessened, and, although the date of his death is 
 in doubt, it probably was early in 1797 as in 
 that year his will was probated. In 1800 his 
 wife Rachel preferred her claim before the Uni- 
 ted States Land Board as owner of 275 "ar- 
 pents," which claim was allowed. Our subject 
 has still in his possession a parchment bearing 
 the signatures of James Madison, President, and 
 James Monroe, Secretary of State, under date 
 of May 30, 181 1, granting to her 259 acres on 
 the north side of the Raisin River. This is 
 probably a patent of the same property as 275 
 arpents are about equal to 259 acres. 
 
 This remarkable lady had many cruel hard- 
 ships to bear and some harrowing experiences. 
 After the battle of the Raisin, on January 22, 
 1813, in which General Proctor defeated the 
 American force under General Winchester and 
 permitted the Indians to massacre the Kentucky 
 and other troops whom he had taken prisoners, 
 she was brave enough to shelter an escaping 
 soldier under a hogshead. General Proctor 
 learned of this act of h\imanity and ordered her 
 to leave Frenchtown. It was a bitter cold day 
 and she was 80 years of age. The British gen- 
 eral knew that she was the mother of sons who 
 were enemies of his cause and vented his un- 
 manly spite against them on her defenceless 
 head. He commanded her to leave for Detroit. 
 
 The historian Lossing speaks thus of this 
 historic incident, this blot upon General Proc- 
 tor's fame : "Thinly clad, having been robbed 
 by the Indians, she proceeded to Detroit in an 
 
 open traineau. where she found several friends 
 and relatives. When asked how it happened 
 that she did not freeze, she replied, 'my spunk 
 kept me warm.' " 
 
 Mrs. Knaggs subsequently returned to her 
 home in Frenchtown and later moved to her 
 farm on the Raisin, seven miles above ^Monroe. 
 For several years she kept a store at Green Bay, 
 Wisconsin, to which she paid periodical visits. 
 She dealt in furs principally and also largely 
 in bear oil. It is certain that she died in 181 5 
 as her will was admitted to probate on July ist 
 of that year. Her death occurred in all prob- 
 ability at Green Bay, Wisconsin. 
 
 Maj. James Knaggs, the sixth child of 
 George and Rachel Knaggs, was born at Roche 
 de Boeuf, a small hamlet on the Maumee River, 
 some three miles above the site of Fort Miami. 
 No record of his birth or baptism has been dis- 
 covered, but it is known that it must have been 
 in 1780. From childhood until early manhood 
 he was surrounded by war's alarms and wit- 
 nessed many scenes not fitted for youthful eyes. 
 W'arfare was continual, Indian massacres num- 
 erous, until peace was declared between Great 
 Britain and the United States and the evacua- 
 tion of Detroit in 1796. Reared upon this 
 theater of blood and carnage, it is not remark- 
 able that he should have developed the courage 
 and acuteness, which made him a trusted scout 
 and spy at the early age of 14 yeras. 
 
 This position he filled with General Wayne's 
 army at the battle of Fallen Timbers. In 1805 
 he \\-as appointed by Governor Hull, ensign in 
 the Second Michigan Regiment of militia. In 
 that year he acquired a farm on the Raisin, 
 about a mile above Frenchtown, and married 
 Jemima Griffith. Like his mother, his wife was 
 of Dutch descent and was born also in the Mo- 
 hawk Valley in New York She bore one child, 
 in 1806, but flied shortly after. 
 
 So remarkable was the personal appearance 
 
5U 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 of Major Knaggs that a description of it has 
 been carefully preserved. He was a Hercules, 
 six feet in height, weighing i8o pounds, lithe 
 and active as the wild creatures of the woods 
 with whom he had become well acquainted; 
 his hair was brown, and his dark blue eyes were 
 full of intelligence and showed mental force. 
 His teeth were all double and he never lost one, 
 as they remained perfect to the day of his 
 death. He possessed many of the traits of the 
 Indian, was a swift and untiring runner, a 
 champion wrestler, and excelled every Indian 
 in his knowledge of woodcraft. In war he was 
 crafty, acute, courageous and resourceful and 
 in civil life he was a man of untiring energy 
 and industry. Like many men of his rearing, 
 remarkable as it may appear, he was kind and 
 courteous in manner, frank and outspoken in 
 intercourse with others, and possessed a vast 
 fund of anecdote which he gave in his own ini- 
 mitable, humorous way. 
 
 In politics, Major Knaggs was a Democrat, 
 and at all times an outspoken patriot. In re- 
 ligion he was a Presbyterian. In 1806 he left 
 his farm and operated a ferry on the Huron 
 River, on the road to Detroit, about 12 miles 
 north of Monroe. He also kept an inn near his 
 ferry, which was in charge of his second wife, 
 Pelagia ("Polly") Roberts, who was a daugh- 
 ter of Anthony and Theresa (Drouillard) Rob- 
 erts. She was a woman of undaunted courage, 
 which found many opportunities for exhibition 
 in her dealings with the Indians. 
 
 Major Knaggs' experiences read like the 
 chapters in Cooper's "Leatherstocking Tales," 
 or in the later work "The Crossing," in fact 
 he might have been the real hero of the fanciful 
 adventures of this romance. At one time he 
 was captured by the Indians, who to revenge 
 the death of several of their tribe, whom he had 
 killed in self-denfense. condemned him to be 
 burned at the stake. They bound him to the 
 
 trunk of a tree and piled resinous wood around 
 him, when one of the old squaws drew near and 
 looked at him earnestly with a pitying expres- 
 sion. She was the mother of a young brave he 
 had slain not long before. When the Indian 
 drew near with his blazing torch to light the 
 fire, the old squaw pushed him aside and held 
 up a belt of wampum in her hand, put it around 
 the victim's neck and with a caress said : "You 
 are my son." This, according to Indian cus- 
 tom and ethics, was equivalent to an adoption 
 and always saved a victim's life. 
 
 Major Knaggs served the American Army 
 efficiently as scout and spy during the War of 
 181 2. He was one of the eight selected by the 
 Americans in Detroit, after the receipt of the 
 news of the defeat of the British at Put-in-Bay 
 b)' Commodore Perry, to go to the victorious 
 officer and ask him to bring his ships to Detroit. 
 In the campaign which commenced with the re- 
 treat of Proctor from Amherstburg to Detroit, 
 James Knaggs was always in the front as scout 
 and spy, under the command of Col. Richard 
 M. Johnson, afterward Vice-President of the 
 United States. In the political campaign of 
 1840, when the Democrats were led by Van 
 Buren and Colonel Johnson, for a second term,. 
 James Knaggs and Medward Labadie, his re- 
 lative and comrade, were political quantities,, 
 were always seated on the speaker's platform 
 and were introduced as the brave men who had 
 carried Colonel Johnson off the field of battle 
 at the time Tecumseh was slain. In his latter 
 days he removed from his farm to the city of 
 Monroe, where he lived until his death, which 
 occurred December 23, i860, at the age of 80 
 years. He was married three times and our 
 subject's father was the fourth child of the sec- 
 ond marriage. 
 
 Johnson Knaggs, father of our subject, was 
 born in Raisinville township in 181 6. A num- 
 ber of Indians lived in that vicinity and when a_ 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 515 
 
 boy he played peacefully with the Indian chil- 
 dren and learned to speak their language. He 
 ■\vas fairly well educated for those days and al- 
 ways lived and worked on the farm. He was 
 one of the first in Monroe County to make lime 
 and he furnished it in large quantities to the 
 builders of Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and other 
 cities. In his latter years he attended to his 
 farm exclusively and accumulated a handsome 
 competence. He was a cheerful, clean-cut gen- 
 tleman, with a sunny, optimistic disposition, 
 and was capable and clear-headed to the end of 
 his 84th year. He was christened Johnson, but 
 was always known as John Knaggs, being 
 named for Col. Richard M. Johnson, the re- 
 puted slayer of Tecumseh. He married Sarah 
 Louisa Woods, who was born in Rushford, 
 Allegany County, New York. At the time they 
 became acquainted, she was visiting relatives in 
 Monroe County, Michigan. She died in 1889 
 and he survived but one year. 
 
 J. W. Knaggs, of Bay City, was educated in 
 the common schools and in the State Normal 
 School at Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he was 
 graduated in i860. During the ensuing winter 
 he taught school, but on the first call to arms 
 he enlisted as a private in the Smith Guards at 
 Monroe. They were sent to Adrian, where 
 they became Company A, Fourth Reg., Mich- 
 igan Volunteer Inf., and were sent to the front. 
 At about five o'clock in the afternoon on the 
 day of the battle at Malvern Hill, in July. 1S62, 
 Mr. Knaggs was wounded in the arm, but, with 
 others wounded, he had to bear his sufferings 
 until the close of the battle without attention. 
 He was then carried to the old iirick ]\Ialvern 
 House, where his arm was amputated after 
 dark and there he remained seven days. Dur- 
 ing this time the Union troops withdrew and 
 the Confederate pickets were advanced until the 
 old house was within tlieir line. ]\Ir. Knaggs 
 and other sick and wounded soldiers, thus made 
 
 prisoners, were bundled off to Libby Prison. 
 During his month there he experienced every 
 hardship and suffering, to which his terrible 
 condition particularly exposed him. At last the 
 time came when the prisoners were sent through 
 the lines to Petersburg, comnig out at Harri- 
 son's Landing, on the James River, where they 
 were exchanged and taken aboard transports 
 for New York, our subject at last coming under 
 real medical attention at Bellevue Hospital, 
 New York. From neglect, his arm was by 
 that time in a terrible condition, gangrene hav- 
 ing set in. He was placed in a tent and was 
 given the personal care of the head physician of 
 the staff, who by unremitting labors saved his 
 life. After his discharge, he returned to Mon- 
 roe, where he became a bookkeeper in the Mc- 
 Laren machine shops and continued there un- 
 til 1865, when he established himself in Bay 
 City. 
 
 At Bay City, Mr. Knaggs entered the em- 
 ploy of John Drake, the pioneer fire insurance 
 agent of Bay City, with whom he remained one 
 year and then entered into partnership with C. 
 H. Dennison, an attorney, who also handled the 
 insurance business of Henry W. Sage, the well- 
 known lumberman of West Bay City. He has 
 been in business under the firm stvles of 
 
 Whittemore & 
 Later 
 
 the business was consolidated with the insur- 
 ance business of Daniel Shannon, the firm name 
 becoming Knaggs, Whittemore & Shannon, and 
 continued thus until Mr. Whittemore's death, 
 when the firm became Knaggs & Shannon. 
 Later this partnership was dissolved and Mr. 
 Knaggs engaged in business alone for about 
 two years and then the firm of Ivnaggs & Clark 
 was established, which continued two years 
 more. A. G. Plum then purchased an interest 
 and the firm became Knaggs. Clark & Plum. 
 Two years later, Mr. Clark withdrew and since 
 
 Knaggs & Dennison 
 
 Knaggs, 
 
 Dennison, then Knaggs & Whittemore. 
 
5i6 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 that time the business has been conducted by 
 the firm of Knaggs & Phim. They represent 
 the following companies : American Fire, of 
 Philadelphia; American, of New Jersey; Con- 
 tinental Fire, of New York; Fire Association, 
 of Philadelphia ; Michigan Fire & ]\Iarine, of 
 Detroit ; Milwaukee Mechanics', of Wisconsin ; 
 North British & ]\lercantile, of England; St. 
 Paul Fire & Marine ; \\'illiamsburg City, of 
 New York; Westchester Fire, of New York; 
 Lloyd's Plate Glass, of New York ; Hartford 
 Steam Boiler; Standard Life & Accident, of 
 Detroit ; Preferred Accident, of New York ; 
 and National Surety Company, of New York. 
 jNIr. Knaggs was married June 9, 1869, to 
 INIariette Stocking, who was born December 
 14, 1S47, ^"d is a daughter of Dr. Charles G. 
 Stocking, of Spring Lake, New York. Their 
 children are; W'alter W., of Detroit; Roy S., 
 of New York City; Camilla, wife of Dr. H. 
 McLennan, of Petoskey, Michigan ; and ]\Iary, 
 Avife of Allen H. Stone, of Chicago. 
 
 The Stocking ancestrj- reaches back to the 
 early settlement of New England, even to 
 George Stocking, who was born in Suffolk, 
 England, in 1582 and crossed the ocean to 
 America with his wife and four children on 
 the ship Grif^n in 1633. He settled in 
 Cambridge, Massachusetts, where, in 1635, he 
 built a house at the corner of the present Holy- 
 oke and W^inthrop streets. He was made a 
 freeman Alay 6, 1635. He joined the company 
 of Rev. Thomas Hooker and traveled on foot 
 through the wilderness to Connecticut in 1636, 
 and was one of the original founders and a 
 prominent proprietor of Hartford, Connecticut. 
 In the general distribution of land, he received 
 20 acres and later was given other grants. After 
 the death of his wife, Anna, whom he had mar- 
 ried in England, an authority says he married 
 Agnes (Shotwell) W'ebster, the widow of John 
 Webster, governor of the colony. From the 
 
 beginning he took an active part in public 
 afifairs; was selectman in 1647; surveyor of 
 highways in 1654 and 1662; chimney viewer in 
 1659. but owing to his age was excused from 
 military duty. He died 'May 2',. 1683. aged 
 loi years. His name is inscribed on a large 
 monument erected in memory of Hooker's 
 party, which still stands in the old Center 
 Church burying-ground in Hartford, where 
 also rests the dust of the ancestors of some of 
 the most distinguished men and women of 
 the present generation. 
 
 Deacon Samuel Stocking, son of George 
 Stocking, was born in England and came to 
 America with his father. In 1650 he removed 
 from Hartford to Middletown, Connecticut, 
 and became one of the founders of the town and 
 was one of the three signers to the Indian 
 deed of Middletown. He was the first deacon 
 of the church organized there in 1668 and was 
 a representative in the State Assembly in 
 1658-59-65-69-74-77 and 81. He died Decem- 
 ber 3, 1683, and his widow later married James 
 Steele of Hartford. Deacon Samuel Stocking 
 was a sergeant in King Philip's \\'ar. His 
 Ijusiness as ship-owner and builder brought 
 him a large fortune for that time ; his estate at 
 his death inventoried £648, 8s., 8d. On May 
 2j. 1652, he married Bethia Hopkins, daugh- 
 ter of John and Jane Hopkins, and grand- 
 daughter of Samuel Hopkins, one of the sign- 
 ers of the "Mayflower" compact in 1620. The 
 last named was a member of Capt. Miles 
 Standish's military company in 1621 ; was sent 
 l;y Governor Bradford with Edward Winslow 
 (afterward Governor Winslow) on a special 
 mission to Massasoit, the Indian chief; was a 
 member of the Governor's Council from 1632 
 to 1636; and was a member of the council of 
 war for Plymouth in 1643. 
 
 George Stocking, son of Deacon Samuel 
 Stocking, was born February 20, 1664. Prior 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 5^7 
 
 to 1770 he moved from Upper Middletown to 
 wliat is now Portland, Connecticut. He ap- 
 pears to ha\-e been a man of affairs and was one 
 of a committee appointed to build a church in 
 1 710. He died February 17, 1714, leaving an 
 estate of ^359. 9s., id. His widow afterwards 
 married Deacon Samuel Hall, and died No- 
 vember 16, 1787. 
 
 Capt. George Stocking, son of George 
 Stocking, was born August 16, 1705 and re- 
 sided in Middle Haddam, where he died in 
 1790. On March i, 1727, he married Mary 
 (Mercy) Savage. Prior to 1740 he owned a 
 grist-mill. In 1752 he was captain of militia. 
 He served in the "Le.xington Alarm" in Capt. 
 Eleazer Hubbard's company, which marched 
 from Glastonbury, Connecticut. 
 
 Capt. Abner Stocking, son of Capt. George 
 Stocking, was born April i, 1726, followed the 
 sea and lived in Middle Haddam, Connecticut. 
 On May 6, 1775, he joined Capt. Ezekiel 
 Scott's second company which was in Brig.- 
 Gen. Joseph Spencer's regiment. He marched 
 to Roxbury, Massachusetts, was in the siege of 
 Boston and fought at Bunker Hill. He was 
 then assigned to the forces in Arnold's expedi- 
 tion against Quebec, and was taken prisoner 
 by the British December 31, 1775. but was re- 
 leased and then honorably discharged. During 
 the Revolution he sailed from New York in a 
 privateer, commanding his vessel, and was one 
 of the leaders in the Point Judith expedition. 
 He was commanding captain of the Sixth Com- 
 pany of the 23d Regiment Connecticut ^Militia, 
 Alarm List, in April, 1780. On February 8, 
 1749 he married Ruth Higgins. 
 
 Rev. Benjamin Stocking, son of Capt. Ab- 
 ner Stocking, was baptized July 15, 1770. He 
 resided many 3'ears at Chatham, Connecticut, 
 and was a Methodist minister. He died at 
 Fabius, New York, September 13, 1848, aged 
 78 years. In August, 1789, he married Dimies 
 
 Shaler, of Haddam, who died May 25, 1841. 
 
 Rev. George Abner Stocking, grandfather 
 of Mrs. Knaggs, was born in East Haddam, 
 Connecticut, October 11, 1796. In early life 
 he worked as a drug clerk and clock-maker, 
 but was later ordained a minister in the Meth- 
 odist Church. He was a man of vigorous in- 
 tellect and was logical in the application of the 
 doctrines he espoused. He was a man of dig- 
 nified presence. Later in life he served many 
 years as a justice of the peace at Montezuma, 
 New York, where he died December 21, 1869. 
 On December 26, 181 3, he married Tryphena 
 Coe, who was born at Chatham, Connecticut, 
 and died September 4, 1863. He married as 
 his second wife Sarah D. Mack. 
 
 Dr. Charles Giles Stocking, father of Mrs. 
 Knaggs, was born June 23, 1822, and died 
 June 8, 1898. On December 25, 1844, he mar- 
 ried Mary Woodhull. He resided at different 
 times at Penn Yan. Seneca Falls, Montezuma 
 and Westburg, New York. He was an emi- 
 nent member of his profession, and a man of 
 splendid address and benevolent disposition. 
 His best strength and most intelligent efforts 
 were always given to the poor from whom he 
 expected no return. He found his compensa- 
 tion in the satisfaction of relieving human suf- 
 fering and comforting the desolate. 
 
 Mrs. Knaggs is worthy of this illustrious 
 ancestry. She has long been prominent in 
 Michigan public life. For several years she 
 was one of the capable, competent and thor- 
 oughly interested guardians of the ^Michigan 
 Industrial Home for Girls, at Adrian. For 
 four years she was president of the State 
 Equal Suffrage Association and for several 
 years was a member of the board of directors 
 of the Home of Industry for Discharged Pris- 
 oners, at Detroit, tier ability as a writer, her 
 fluency as a speaker and her organizing and 
 administrative capacity, have placed her in the 
 
5i8 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 fore-front of intellectual reform and philan- 
 thropic movements. She was one of the first 
 of her sex to be honored with membership on 
 the Bay City Board of Education. She is a 
 lady of much charm of manner, possessing all 
 the feminine qualities in addition to a facility 
 for handling public matters with masculine 
 strength of mind. 
 
 I\Ir. Knaggs is a member of H. P. Merrill 
 Post, No. 419, G. A. R., of which he is at 
 present commander. Since the days of Abra- 
 ham Lincoln he has been identified with the 
 Republican party. He has been active in ad- 
 vancing the interests of Bay City. He was one 
 of a company of six capitalists, who started the 
 first beet sugar factory in Bay City. 
 
 RANK GRISWOLD WALTON, jus- 
 tice of the peace and attorney-at-law, 
 located at West Bay City, Michigan, 
 was born at Chardon, Geauga Coun- 
 ty, Ohio, ^larch 5, 1857, and is a son of Dr. 
 Andrew J. and Caroline F. (Griswold) Wal- 
 ton. 
 
 The \\'alton family is a very old one and 
 has had many distinguished members. Ac- 
 cording to a history which has been carefully 
 compiled by the brother of our subject, it origi- 
 nated in England where the record of its coat 
 of arms may still be seen. In the days of Will- 
 iam Penn five brothers of the name settled in 
 Pennsylvania. George Walton, one of the 
 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 
 was a member of this family. Another noted 
 member was Izaak Walton, whose quaint old 
 "Compleat Angler" has been the guide and in- 
 spiration of several generations of fishermen. 
 
 James Walton, the paternal grandfather, 
 was born at Saybrook, Ohio, the family having 
 probably been established in that State in the 
 
 time of his father. As one of the early pio- 
 neers, he subsequently came to Michigan, where 
 he died in 1896, aged 92 years. His son. Dr. 
 Andrew J. Walton, was born in 1829, at Say- 
 brook, Ohio, and died May i, 1886, in Bay 
 County, Michigan. He graduated in medicine 
 from the Western Reserve Medical College, at 
 Cleveland, Ohio, having prepared himself dur- 
 ing the time he officiated as sherifif of Geauga 
 County. In 1873 ^^^ came West and settled 
 at Almont, Lapeer County, Michigan, where 
 he devoted all his time to the practice of his 
 profession until 1879, when he removed to 
 Bay City. Shortly after locating here, he was 
 appointed keeper of the Bay County Poor 
 Farm, a position he held for a number of years 
 until the death of his wife caused him to resign. 
 During the Civil War, Dr. Walton enlisted in 
 Colonel Berdan's famous regiment of United 
 States Sharpshooters, and remained in the 
 service three years, being wounded on several 
 occasions. He was a noted shot, having the 
 true eye and steady nerve requisite for a sharp- 
 shooter. Our subject recalls many instances 
 of his unerring aim. He was a member of the 
 U. S. Grant Post, No. 67, G. A. R., at Bay 
 City, and the branch known as \\^alton's com- 
 mand was named in his honor. Like the ma- 
 jority of the intelligent and responsible men of 
 his day, he was a Mason, .entering into fra- 
 ternal relations at Chardon, Ohio. At the time 
 of his death he was a member of Bay City 
 Lodge, No. 129, F. & A. M., of which he was 
 past master. He belonged also to Blanchard 
 Chapter, R. A. ]\I., and his wife belonged to the 
 affiliated Order of the Eastern Star. 
 
 The death of his wife was a great blow to 
 Dr. Walton, one from which he ne\-er recov- 
 ered. She was a daughter of Timothy Gris- 
 wold, and was born at Middletown, Connecti- 
 cut. They had two sons, — Frank Griswold 
 and Clifford Stevens. The latter is a prominent 
 
HARRY GRISWOLD 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 521 
 
 attorney at Washington, D. C, who has gained 
 considerable fame as a government translator. 
 His translation from Spanish of "The Civil 
 Law in Spain and Spanish .America" is a stand- 
 ard work. 
 
 Our subject attended the common schools 
 of his native county and began to turn his at- 
 tention to music while still a schoolboy. His 
 talent was such as to make it seem expedient 
 for him to devote his whole attention to that 
 science and he continued its study and prac- 
 tice after the family removed to Almont, Mich- 
 igan, where he was elected leader of the band. 
 In 1879 he came to Bay City as first cornetist 
 of the old Knight Templar Band, of which he 
 continued a member until it was disbanded. 
 After settling here, Mr. Walton was led to take 
 up the study of the law and under the encour- 
 agement and direction of the late John W. 
 McMath he prepared for the bar and was ad- 
 mitted to practice on December 12, 1893. Dur- 
 ing the years 1895 and 1896 he served as cir- 
 cuit court commissioner and was city comp- 
 troller of West Bay City during 1898, 1899 
 and 1900. In the spring of 1904 he was elected 
 justice of the peace for a term of four years 
 and has given efficient service in that position 
 ever since. For a number of years he served 
 as a member of the Board of Supervisors and 
 has also been city assessor of West Bay City. 
 Politically he is a stanch Republican and is 
 prominent in all party movements. 
 
 In 1883, Mr. Walton was married to Isa- 
 bella Murdock, who was born at Almont, La- 
 peer County, Michigan, and was a daughter of 
 John Murdock of that place. Mrs. Walton 
 died SeptemJjer 4, 1904, leaving three children : 
 Nora Belle. Clifford F. and Anna V. Mrs. 
 Walton was a beloved member of the West- 
 minster Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. 
 \\'alton is also a member. 
 
 For many years our subject has l)cen con- 
 
 nected with the leading fraternal organiza- 
 tions. He belongs to Wenona Lodge No. 256, 
 F. & A. M. ; Blanchard Chapter, R. A. M.; 
 Bay City Commandery, No. 26, K. T. ; Othello 
 Lodge, No. 116, Knights of Pythias; Phcenix 
 Tent, No. 8, I-Cnights of the Modern Macca- 
 bees ; Royal Arcanum ; Independent Order of 
 Foresters and the Musicians' Union, No. 127. 
 For more than 20 years, Mr. Walton was 
 a successful band leader. The Third Regi- 
 ment and Walton's military bands were under 
 his leadership and he has visited many parts of 
 the country with these well-known organiza- 
 tions. He has also been a teacher of instru- 
 mental music and has had pupils from all over 
 the State. 
 
 ARRY GRISWOLD, a citizen of Bay 
 City, Michigan, whose portrait is 
 herewith shown, has been identified 
 with the city's interests since the early 
 days when her commercial importance was rep- 
 resented by the trading done in what was then 
 the only business center — \\"ater street — and 
 its magnificent proportions presented only a 
 landscape of forest and brush. The intervening 
 years lia\-e wrought wonders of improvement, 
 due to the energy and capital of citizens like 
 Mr. Griswold. He was born September 25, 
 1820, at Geneva, New York, and is a son of 
 Joseph and Anna (Thomas) Griswold. 
 
 Joseph Griswold was born August 2. 1776, 
 in Grafton County, New Hampshire, and died 
 in 1853. His wife was also of New England 
 birth", born at Lebanon, Connecticut, April 21, 
 1776, and deceased A])ril 20. 1847. They mar- 
 ried in New Hampshire, September 15, 1797, 
 and became the parents of seven children, viz : 
 Nancy, born February 29, 1798; Amanda, born 
 December 22, 1799; John, born November 22, 
 
HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 1803 : Joseph. Jr., born December 6, 1805 ; Fan- 
 ny, born December 29, 1807; William, born 
 December 16, 1809; and Harry, born Septem- 
 ber 25, 1820. 
 
 Mr. Griswokl was reared on his father's 
 farm, and possibly his subsequent robust health 
 and continued vigor may be, in a measure, at- 
 tributable to this healthful early life. His edu- 
 cation was secured in the old log school house 
 near his father's home in Orleans County, 
 whither the family had moved when our sub- 
 ject was six months old, and he retains many 
 recollections of those early school days. The 
 teacher "boarded round" in those days. In 
 order that the students might enjoy the benefits 
 of his instruction, they had to take a little phys- 
 ical exercise in the way of bringing in wood for 
 the great open fireplace, which was the usual ac- 
 companiment to the puncheon floor and split- 
 slab benches. He also attended subscription 
 school at the little hamlet of Murray, which 
 has now grown into the town of Kendall. Aft- 
 er he had reached man's estate, he carried the 
 mail between Murray and Clarendon, covering 
 the distance of 20 miles on horseback, and he 
 also worked with his brother William on the 
 latter's farm. Later he was variously employed 
 in the occupations open to young men in his 
 locality, these being for the most part lumber- 
 ing, work in saw-mills and farming, until 1846, 
 when he removed to Lapeer County, Michigan. 
 
 Mr. Griswokl was accustomed to a heavily 
 timbered country and when he located in Mich- 
 igan the surrounding forest was quite to his 
 liking, and he soon had four acres cleared for 
 farming. To this he added, neighbors came 
 shortly afterward and the little settlement grew 
 into Barrows Corners, now the prosperous town 
 of Metamora. Mr. Griswold embraced the 
 opening for a store and carried on a general 
 mercantile business until he decided to seek a 
 wider field and moved to Lapeer, and still later 
 
 to Bay City, reaching the latter place in 1865, 
 finding business conditions promising but in 
 the state mentioned in our opening paragraph. 
 Here he embarked in a general mercantile busi- 
 ness which he carried on for a number of years, 
 in the meantime interesting himself in real es- 
 tate and pushing forward public improvements. 
 He built many of the substantial business 
 houses here, the Union Block and the Griswold 
 Block and many fine resider.ces. including the 
 first brick house on Center avenue, at the corner 
 of Farragut street, and, later, his own magnifi- 
 cent brick mansion at Xo. 161 1 Center avenue. 
 
 Mr. Griswold has been the financial backer 
 of many enterprises here, and has been con- 
 nected with every bank, with one exception, and 
 his aid and ad\'ice has been noted in the greater 
 number of the successful industries of this city. 
 Practically retired from active participation in 
 business, he still conducts his own afifairs and 
 looks personally after his investments. 
 
 Mr. Griswold was married January? i, 1847, 
 at Metamora, Lapeer County, Michigan, to 
 Anna Eliza Perkins, who was born in 1825 in 
 New York, and they ha-\-e two children : Al- 
 bert B, and Frances Elizabeth. The former, 
 who is a merchant in Bay City, married Ro- 
 sella Chapman and they have two children : 
 Elizabeth R. and Jennie. Frances Elizabeth 
 is the wife of Dr. David F. Stone of Bay City, 
 and they have two children : Anna R. and Al- 
 bert F. 
 
 i\Ir. Griswold is one of the leading members 
 of the First Baptist Church of Bay City, one 
 of the trustees for several years and has always 
 been one of its most liberal supporters. He 
 was instrumental in getting several of the lead- 
 ing railroad lines through Bay City, and. in 
 fact, has been identified prominently with the 
 city's commercial, educational and social de- 
 velopment far beyond the efforts of almost any 
 other citizen. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 523 
 
 a successful general 
 
 OHN A. LINK 
 
 farmer of Fraukenlust township, Bay 
 County, Michigan, who owns 100 
 acres in section 11, was born on his 
 present farm February 6, 1858, and is a son of 
 Casper and Anna Margaret (Stengel) Link. 
 
 Casper Link was born in Rostall, Baiern, 
 Germany, September 3. 1813, and learned the 
 carpenter's trade in young manhood. He came 
 to Bay county in 185 1 with his wife and one 
 child and settled down on an uncleared farm, 
 where he put up a log cabin, 16 by 30 feet in 
 dimensions. Here the family lived for 10 years 
 and then a fine home and two large barns were 
 constructed. Fortunately game was still plenti- 
 ful and the larder was usually well provided 
 with meat, but when other supplies were 
 wanted the father had to follow a trail to the 
 river and go in a canoe to Saginaw. Mr. Link 
 was one of the earliest settlers of Frankenlust 
 township, where he died in 1878. He married 
 Anna Margaret Stengel, who was born in 
 Baiem, December 13, 1823, and still survives, 
 a member of her son's household, a lady full of 
 remembrances of the early days of this section. 
 They had six children : George, who died in 
 childhood; Anna Barbara (Mrs. Timm), of 
 South Bay City: Katie (Mrs. Nunke), of Bay 
 City; John A., of this sketch; John Jacob, a 
 Methodist minister, located at Detroit ; and 
 Barbara (Mrs. Erhardt), of Oklahoma City, 
 Oklahoma. 
 
 Our subject has always lived on the old 
 home farm which he assisted to clear. He has 
 made of it a splendid property and carries on 
 general farming, making a specialty of raising 
 sugar beets, and does a large business in fruit- 
 growing. 
 
 On November 8, 1884. Mr. Link was mar- 
 ried to Barbara Kreuzer, who was born in 
 Baiern, Germany, November 10, 1862, and 
 came to Bay County, Michigan, in 1873, with 
 
 her parents, John Jacob and Anna Margaret 
 (Enser) Kreuzer, who lived the rest of their 
 lives in this county. Our subject and wife have 
 seven children: Clara, Herman, Walter, John, 
 Oscar, Elmer and Selma. Mr. Link is a sup- 
 porter of the Republican party. He is one of 
 the leading members of the Methodist Episco- 
 pal Church in his vicinity. 
 
 ERBERT ALFRED FADES, M. D. 
 Although but 31 years old, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch, who is a resident 
 of Bay City, has alread become noted 
 as a surgeon, and is ranked among the "com- 
 ing" men in his profession. 
 
 Dr. Fades was born in Sherman, Chautau- 
 qua County, New York, in 1873. He pursued 
 a course of study in the Sherman Academy, and 
 subsequently studied medicine in the Baltimore 
 Medical College. He then took up clinical 
 work in the Maryland General Hospital, where 
 he gained a valuable practical training. After 
 this he completed a course in the Detroit Col- 
 lege of Medicine, from which he was gradu- 
 ated with the class of 1901. 
 
 Having spent four years in collegiate study, 
 Dr. Fades took special work under the tutor- 
 ship of Dr. C. A. Ellis, of New York, which 
 has proved of great service to him. 
 
 Soon after obtaining his diploma. Dr. 
 Fades opened an ol¥ice in Bay City, making a 
 specialty of surgery. He has had remarkable 
 success in the many critical operations he has 
 performed. In cases of appendicitis, espec- 
 ially, he has made his mark. He is accounted 
 the most careful operator among the younger 
 surgeons of the city. His general practice has 
 been attended with most favorable results. 
 
 Dr. Fades was married in New York to 
 Myrtia J. Harrington, a lady of much culture- 
 
524 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 and refinement. The Doctor is a member of 
 the American Medical Association, the Michi- 
 gan State Medical Society and the Bay County 
 Medical Society. 
 
 OSEPH LIJEWSKI, a well-known 
 farmer of Monitor township, whose 
 excellent farm is located in section 15, 
 was born February 11, 1852, in Ger- 
 many. He is a son of Anthony and Rosie 
 ■(Martynski) Lijewski. 
 
 Anthony Lijewski was born in Germany in 
 1832 and there died in 1892 at the age of 60 
 years. He was a farmer all his life and had 
 90 acres of land. He and his wife had 13 chil- 
 dren, of whom but four are now living: Vin- 
 cent, Peter, Stanislaus and Joseph. Peter 
 served in the German Army, and now runs a 
 grist-mill in the fatherland. 
 
 In 1874 the subject of this sketch came to 
 America and worked on a farm in Iowa. After 
 •staying here two years, he went back to Ger- 
 many and spent two years with the old folks. 
 While there he was married. Upon his return 
 to America, he proceeded to Wayne County, 
 Michigan, where he was employed in firing 
 -and engineering in a mill. In summer time he 
 was a section hand on the railroad and, later, 
 worked on boilers in the railroad shops. Leav- 
 ing Wayne County, he came to Bay County 
 and bought the farm on which he now lives. It 
 was partly cleared and he finished the work, 
 and afterward built a fine two-story l>rick house 
 — large and very comfortable — and a barn of 
 sufScient size to hold 100 head of cattle. He 
 has 160 acres of land, of which 40 are in pas- 
 ture and over 100 under cultivation. He fol- 
 lows general farming. 
 
 Mr. Lijewski was married in Wiatrowo, 
 •Germany, in 1877, to Annie Kukla, a daughter 
 
 of John and Mary (Slazinski) Kukla. Mrs. 
 Lijewski's father and mother had 13 children, 
 of whom four are deceased. Of the nine chil- 
 dren living, Annie is the wife of our subject; 
 Joseph lives in Kawkawlin township ; Stella, 
 wife of Julian Sochacki, lives in Kawkawlin 
 township; and Maria, Stanislaus, Prakseda, 
 Kostancija, Antinana and Victoria li\'e in Ger- 
 many on the home farm, their father owning 
 27 acres of land. 
 
 The subject of this sketch and his wife have 
 had 13 children, of whom those living are as 
 follows : Stanislaus, who lives at home ; Annie 
 (Mrs. Kaczmarek), of Monitor township; and 
 Rosie, John, Joseph, Anthony, Helen, Frank 
 and Lucy, who are at home. The others died 
 in infancy, and are buried in Monitor town- 
 ship. 
 
 OHN FOWLER, one o\ the leading cit- 
 izens of Linwood, Bay County, Mich- 
 igan, was born in Sullivan County, 
 New York, July 7, 1825, and is a 
 son of Edmond and Hannah (Townsend) 
 Fowler. * 
 
 The Townsend family as well as the 
 Fowler family, is an old established one in the 
 "Empire" State, but through family removals 
 the old records have been lost and little is 
 known of the grandfathers beyond the fact of 
 their birth and decease in that section. Edmond 
 Fowler and family moved to Albion, Michigan, 
 in 1845, where he died aged 80 years and the 
 death of his wife followed at the age of 75 
 years. 
 
 John Fowler was reared in an old settled 
 section and had the advantage of good district- 
 school opportunities. He was of a mechanical 
 turn of mind and learned the trade of stationary 
 engineer, one which he has followed during 
 the greater part of his active years. He was 20 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 O^D 
 
 years of age when the family moved to Michi- 
 gan, and one year later he accepted work in 
 Missouri and in Iowa, in various mills. He 
 worked for three years in Adair County, Mis- 
 souri, in one of the large sawmills there, and 
 in 1857 returned to Albion, Michigan, and in 
 1869 came to Bay City, where he followed his 
 trade for 20 years. In 1890 Mr. Fowler en- 
 gaged in business in Lin wood, and in 1892 ex- 
 changed his home in Bay City for the hand- 
 some residence he now occupies. This is by far 
 the finest dwelling in the place, being finished 
 with hard-wood throughout and fitted with 
 modern improvements. Since coming here, Mr. 
 Fowler has been interested in the operation of 
 a stave-mill. 
 
 While in Adair County, Missouri, Mr. 
 Fowler was married to Emily Palmonia Cain, 
 who is a daughter of John and Emily (Hill) 
 Cain. The former was the first white settler 
 in Adair County and participated in the Indian 
 warfare on the border. He was a pensioner of 
 the Black Hawk War and at the time of the 
 great Indian uprising was one of the fighters 
 in the block-house, at his home five miles from 
 Kirksville. He married Emily Hill, who was 
 born in Osage County, Missouri, and who died 
 in Adair County, on the old homestead, at the 
 age of 80 years. Mr. Cain lived to the age of 
 65 years. He owned 1,000 acres of land 
 in Missouri and was known far and wide. Be- 
 side Mrs. Fowler, Mr. and Mrs. Cain reared 
 these children : Jackson, who was a veteran of 
 the Mexican W^ar ; Bathsheba, deceased ; 
 George, a survivor of the Civil War, residing 
 on the old homestead in Adair County; Mary 
 and Ruth, both deceased, the latter dying in 
 California; John, who died during his service 
 in the Civil War ; and Philip, who resides in 
 Missouri where he practices osteopathy. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Fowler have had five children, 
 viz: Jennie, who is the widow of Paul King; 
 
 Minnie, who is the wife of Warren A. Chatfield 
 of Bay City ; Frederick, who probably lost his 
 life in the Spanish-American War; Frank, also 
 deceased ; and one who died when about four 
 years old. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Fowler has always been 
 identified with the Republican party, his asso- 
 ciation being one of principle and not for politi- 
 cal honors. He is one of tiie representative 
 men of Linwood and is held in high esteem by 
 his fellow-citizens. 
 
 HARLES F. ENGELHARDT, who 
 owns and operates a finely improved 
 farm of 60 acres, situated in section 
 25, Hampton township. Bay County, 
 Michigan, was born in Hampton township, Oc- 
 tober 16, 1859, and is a son of Michael and 
 Katherine (Wistpinter) (Bridaur) Engel- 
 hardt. 
 
 Michael Engelhardt was born in Germany 
 in 1827, and came to America in young man- 
 hood. He followed farming all his life. His 
 death took place on February 14, 1890, at the 
 age of 62 years. He did not marry until 30 
 years of age, and then was united to Mrs. Kath- 
 erine (Wistpinter) Bridaur, who was born in 
 Germany and who still survives, at the age of 
 81 years, a resident of Hampton township. 
 The three children of her marriage with Mr. 
 Engelhardt are: Charles F., of this sketch; 
 Frederick, of Hampton township; and Au- 
 gust, of Portsmouth township. She had two 
 children born to her first marriage : Caroline ; 
 and a daughter that died in infancy. 
 
 In 1885 our subject bought his present 
 farm, which at that time was covered with 
 burned stumps and heavy underbrush. He has 
 cleared it all off and has placed it under a fine 
 state of cultivation, has set out orchards and 
 
526 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 has as comfortable a residence and as substan- 
 tial barns as any of his neighbors in his section. 
 It has all been his own work as he has always 
 been entirely dependent upon his own resources. 
 On May i6, 1889, INIr. Engelhardt was 
 married to Louisa Feinauer, who was born Sep- 
 tember 16, 1863, and is a daugliter of Michael 
 and Barbara (Sexlinger) Feinauer, natives of 
 Germany. Fi\-e children have been l)orn to this 
 union, namely : Lidia Annie : Elma Katherine ; 
 Edward Martin ; Mabel Annie and Oscar John. 
 Mr. Engelhardt and wife belong to the German 
 Lutheran Church. Politically he is a Re- 
 publican. 
 
 OHN M. KELTON, one of the leading 
 citizens and prominent business men 
 of West Bay City. Michigan, presi- 
 dent of the Lumberman's State Bank, 
 president and treasurer of the Standard Hoop 
 Company, and vice-president of the West Bay 
 City Sugar Company, is a native of Pennsyl- 
 vania, born in Chester County, in October, 
 1840. 
 
 Mr. Kelton came to Michigan in February, 
 1867, locating at West Bay City where he has 
 been more or less identified with the lumber 
 interests ever since. During the Civil War he 
 was engaged in a commission business at Phil- 
 adelphia and prior to coming West had resided 
 in his native State and New Jersey. 
 
 The Standard Hoop Company, which is 
 the largest industry of its kind in the country, 
 has a plant at West Bay City that covers over 
 10 acres and is completely equipped with mod- 
 ern machinery. Its product is immense, the 
 output being from 12,000,000 to 15,000,000 
 hoops annually. Elm wood is used in the man- 
 ufacture of these hoops and the raw material 
 is secured all over the country. This plant has 
 "been in successful operation since 1886 and em- 
 
 ployment is given to 60 men and boys. In that 
 year John M. Kelton, Harrison ]\liller and E. 
 J. Kelton formed a partnership and built a mill 
 which w-as put into operation in July of that 
 year. In 1896 the business was organized 
 under the name of the Standard Hoop Com- 
 pany, for the manufacture of hoops and lum- 
 ber, with this oflicial board : John M. Kelton, 
 president and treasurer, and H. B. Aurand, sec- 
 retary. 'Sir. Kelton devotes his personal atten- 
 tion to the business and it is ranked as one of 
 the most important industries of West Bay 
 City. His other business interests, named in 
 a preceding paragraph, are of an equally im- 
 portant nature. 
 
 Mr. Kelton married Mary E. Smith, a sis- 
 ter of Capt. P. C. Smith, of West Bay City, 
 and they have three children : Frank P. S., who 
 is engaged with the West Bay City Sugar Corn- 
 pan}- : Earl C, a student at Ithaca, New York, 
 who is preparing to enter Cornell University ; 
 and Sarah S., who is also at school. Mr. Kel- 
 ton owns one of the handsome homes of West 
 Bay City, situated at No. 408 \\'est Midland 
 street. The family attend the Presbyterian 
 Church. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Kelton is identified with 
 the Republican party. He has been a member 
 of the Board of Education of West Bay City. 
 He is a member of the Masonic fraternity. 
 
 VERTON EDMUND MUNGER, 
 one of the well-known architects of 
 Bay City, Michigan, a member of the 
 firm of Clark & IMunger. was born at 
 York, Medina County, Ohio, May 25, 1867, 
 and is a son of Wallace W. and Mary J. 
 (Chase) Munger. 
 
 The father of Mr. JNIunger was also a native 
 of Medina County. He became a practical 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 527 
 
 stone-mason and started in business for liimself 
 in young manhood. He followed contracting 
 in Medina County until 1880, when he turned 
 his attention to veterinary surgery. After 
 graduating at the Veterinary College at Tor- 
 onto, in 1 88 1, he began practice at Galesburg. 
 Kalamazoo County, Michigan, where he is still 
 established. Dr. Munger married Mary J. 
 Chase, who is a daughter of Edmund Chase. 
 The Chase family was one well-known in New 
 York, while the Plunger family came originally 
 from Connecticut, where the grandfather, 
 Averton Munger, was born in 1802. Dr. and 
 Mrs. Munger had three children, the two sur- 
 vivors being our subject and a sister, Mary A. 
 The parents are members of the Congregational 
 Church, in which Dr. Munger has been a dea- 
 con for many years. 
 
 Averton Edmund !\Iunger was given a good 
 common-school education and then spent some 
 time in teaching, at one period being an instruc- 
 tor in the Galesburg High School, but his nat- 
 ural inclinations led him in another direction. 
 He took up the study of architecture in the 
 office of his present partner, a sketch of whom 
 will be found in this work. Later he devoted 
 three years to the study of civil engineering, 
 with George S. Pierson, of Kalamazoo, and 
 then returned to Mr. Clark's office. His knowl- 
 edge of civil engineering has made him a still 
 better architect, for it is no drawback to be con- 
 versant with both professions. From August, 
 1893, to 1897, he practiced architecture at 
 Saginaw, Michigan, and then closed out his 
 business there to enter into partnership with 
 Mr. Clark. This firm has done much of the 
 architectural work which has given Bay City 
 its fair name for stately and l^eautiful struc- 
 tures. 
 
 In 1892, Mr. Munger was married to Mary 
 C. Sperry, who is a daughter of Lavaille P. 
 Sperry, of Bay City. They have one daugh- 
 
 ter, Lois M., a bright little maiden at school. 
 The family belong to the Congregational 
 Church. Fraternally, Mr. Munger is a Knight 
 of Pythias, a member of Bay City Lodge, 
 No. 23. 
 
 APT. PETER C. SMITH. Among 
 the prominent citizens of West Bay 
 City. Michigan, is Capt. Peter C. 
 Smith, president of the West Bay 
 City Sugar Company, who has been more 
 closely identified with many of the successful 
 business enterprises of this section than any 
 other individual. He was born at St. Clair, 
 Michigan, May i, 1844, and is a son of Peter 
 and Sarah (Cross) Smith. 
 
 Few men in Bay County were better or more 
 favorably known than the late Peter Smith. 
 Born in Scotland, he accompanied his parents 
 to Canada in childhood, and in young manhood, 
 about 1836, he located at Port Huron, Michi- 
 gan, where he was married to Sarah Cross two 
 years later. In 1842 they removed to St. Clair 
 and resided there for 12 years. Mr. Smith 
 worked at his trade of millwright and built sev- 
 eral of the first mills in that locality. In 1854 
 he came to what is now Bay County and built a 
 mill in what was then the hamlet of Bangor 
 and what was later, until the union of the Bay 
 Cities, the First Ward of W^est Bay City. He 
 was a member of the mill-building firm of 
 Moore, Smith & Vose, which later became 
 Moore & Smith and of which he sul)sequently 
 became sole proprietor. This firm then became 
 Peter Smith & Sons and under this style did 
 an immense business in this line. In 1864 he 
 engaged in the production of salt and contin- 
 ued his interest in this line until his death, No- 
 vember 28, 1880. After that event, two of his 
 sons, C. J. and H. J., carried on the business 
 under the firm stvle of Smith Brothers. 
 
528 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Mr. Smith was survived by four children : 
 C. J.. H. J.. Peter C, and Mrs. John M. Kel- 
 ton, of West Bay City. Mrs. Smith survived 
 until April, 1890, dying at the age of 81 years. 
 
 Peter C. Smith was 10 years of age when 
 his father removed to West Bay City and 
 erected a sawmill. After completing his edu- 
 cation eight years later, he worked four years 
 in the mill and then started out to make his own 
 way in the world, choosing a maritime career. 
 Purchasing a small steamboat that plied on the 
 Saginaw River, he managed it himself and later 
 added a tug and a steamboat, this little fleet 
 being the nucleus of what became the Saginaw 
 Bay Towing Company. This company was a 
 copartnership of Captain Smith and Capt. Ben- 
 jamin Boutell and was entered into in 1884; 
 the business developed into the largest towing 
 business of any firm on the Great Lakes. The 
 partners acquired interests in steamers on all 
 the Lakes, a large barge line and a powerful 
 fleet of tugs. A specialty was made of towing 
 rafts to different points along the Canadian 
 shore, in both peninsulas of Michigan north of 
 the Saginaw River, and they delivered to the 
 mills also on this river and at Detroit, Cleve- 
 land, Buffalo and other Eastern points. They 
 averaged 300,000,000 feet of logs per annum. 
 
 Captain Smith was only 21 years of age 
 when he secured his papers as captain and for 
 years his rank was recognized on the water. In 
 1883 he established a general store and coal 
 docks in West Bay City and also became finan- 
 cially interested in various manufacturing en- 
 terprises, among which were a stave and head- 
 ing mill at Gladwin, the West Bay City Sugar 
 Company, and the Bay City Michigan Sugar 
 Company. In March, 1902, he sold his inter- 
 ests in the Saginaw Bay Towing Company to 
 Captain Boutell. 
 
 In 1864 Captain Peter C. Smith was mar- 
 ried to Sarah I. Orton, who is a daughter of 
 
 Thomas S. Orton, of Luzerne, New York. 
 Their one son. Capt. Charles O. Smith, who 
 married May Miller, of Bay City, is now en- 
 gaged in looking after our subject's large farm- 
 ing interests in Bay County. 
 
 Captain Peter C. Smith has long been 
 prominently identified with the various Ma- 
 sonic bodies and is a 32d degree Mason. Form- 
 erly he was a very active member of Bay City 
 Commandery, No. 26, K. T. In 1891 he was 
 one of the recipients of a very signal mark of 
 fraternal esteem, being one of a party of 16 
 Ivnights Templar invited by the Temple Com- 
 mandery of Albany, New York, to partake of 
 its hospitality on an excursion which included a 
 two-months trip through the most interesting 
 parts of Europe. 
 
 During many years Captain Smith was an 
 active politician here, serving four years as a 
 member of the City Council and four years as a 
 trustee. He has always been identified with 
 the Republican party. His property and social 
 interests are all centered in Bay County. His 
 beautiful, modern home is situated at No. 701 
 West Midland street, West Bay City. With 
 his family he is connected with the Presbyterian 
 Church. 
 
 jlOHX P. ITTNER, whose farm of 320 
 acres in Beaver township takes up one- 
 half of section 27, is one of the pros- 
 perous and intelligent farmers of the 
 county. Mr. Ittner was born in 1856 in Frank- 
 enlust township, which was then in Saginaw 
 County, Michigan, but is now included in Bay, 
 and is a son of John George and Margaret 
 (Ouerox) Ittner. 
 
 The father of Mr. Ittner was born in Ger- 
 many and came in young manhood to America, 
 where he subsequently married and settled, tak- 
 ing up his home in Frankenlust township. Sag- 
 

 HON. SYDNEY S. CAMPBELL 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 531 
 
 inaw County (Now Bay County, Michigan), 
 where he died aged 63 years. 
 
 Jolm P. Ittner was educated in tlie scliools 
 of Saginaw and Bay counties and was reared 
 to be a practical farmer. He settled in Beaver 
 township, Bay County, in 1883 and has been a 
 representati\e man of the locahty for a long 
 time. His fine farm is being gradually put 
 under cultivation; about one-half of it is now 
 improved. He is one of the leading Demo- 
 crats of his section and has frequently Ijeen 
 called upon to fill responsible ofiicial positions 
 in the township. For three years he served 
 as supervisor, for three years was clerk and for 
 six years he was township treasurer. For 12 
 years past he has been a school ofticer. Mr. 
 Ittner is a man noted for his integrity and en- 
 joys the full confidence of the public in his hon- 
 esty and ability. 
 
 In 1884 Mr. Ittner married Margaret B. 
 Oeder, of Bangor township, who was born in 
 Germany and came to Michigan with her 
 parents when she was six years of age. They 
 have had six children : Hannah, born February 
 21, 1885; Andrew, born April 13, 1887; Chris- 
 tina, born May 7, 1889: Frederick, born June 
 15, 1891 ; Henry, born December i. 1894: and 
 Elsie, born July 30, 1897. Mr. Ittner is a mem- 
 ber and a liberal supporter of the German Lu- 
 theran Church. 
 
 ON. SYDNEY .S. C.\MPBELL. de- 
 ceased, whose portrait accompanies 
 this sketch, was one of the pioneer cit- 
 izens of Bay County, Michigan, and 
 located at Lower Saginaw (now Bay 
 City) as early as 1838. He was actively iden- 
 tified with the growth and progress of the com- 
 munity, and conducted the first tavern here, 
 long known as the Globe Hotel, which still 
 stands. 
 
 29 
 
 Sydney S. Campbell was born in Paris, 
 Oneida County, New York, February 29, 1804, 
 and was a .son of Moses and Phoebe (Stewart) 
 Campbell, being the youngest of five children. 
 He was of Scotch descent. He received his 
 early intellectual training in the common 
 schools of his native county, then attended col- 
 lege at Utica, New York, where he graduated 
 from the law department. In 1830 he came to 
 ^lichigan, settling first at Pontiac and then at 
 Cass River Bridge, where, in 1836, he laid out 
 a town and called it Bridgeport, his partner in 
 this venture being Judge G. D. Williams. A 
 post office was established with himself as post- 
 master, but the town was blighted by hard 
 times in the winter of 1837-38. He was in- 
 duced by James Fraser and Judge Williams to 
 remove to the new city on the Saginaw, known 
 as Lower Saginaw, and start a hotel. He ar- 
 rived on March i, 1838, and the following day 
 killed a large buck on the opposite side of the 
 river, the last one seen by him for a period of 
 five years. That month, as described by Judge 
 Campbell afterward, was as warm as is usual 
 for the month of June. His family lived in the 
 block-house on the bank of the river for a short 
 time until the ta\ern was completed, it being 
 located on Water street, where it still stands as 
 a relic of Bay City's early history. It was 
 often difficult to get the provisions necessary 
 for his table, but Judge Campbell was always a 
 liberal provider. Often he found it necessary 
 to paddle a canoe 16 miles to Saginaw for a 
 pound of tea or some equally small article. A 
 year or two after his arrival, he and his brother 
 Harry l>orrowed the government team of oxen 
 and plowed a piece of land near where the Fol- 
 som (S; Arnold old sawmill stood, which they 
 soued to buckwheat. When the time came to 
 gather it, he and his wife would go down the 
 ri\er in a canoe to the field, and as they pro- 
 ceeded he would shoot ducks, which were plen- 
 
532 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 tiful in tliose days. Arriving there, he would 
 spread out a sail-cloth upon the ground and on 
 this thresh out the buckwheat as his wife car- 
 ried it to him. They then placed it in bags and 
 took it to the tavern in the canoe, emptying 
 out the bags of grain in an upstairs bedroom. 
 The following winter there was a scarcity of 
 flour and in February the supply in Lower Sag- 
 inaw became exhausted and none could be ob- 
 tained from Saginaw or Flint. To the people 
 of the settlement. Judge Campbell's store of 
 buckwheat was indeed welcome. Frederick 
 Derr, who lived in the "wild-cat" bank build- 
 ing opposite the ta\ern, owned a large coffee- 
 mill, of which the settlers soon took advantage, 
 taking the amount of buckwheat needed and 
 grinding it in this mill. In this way the only 
 flour used in the settlement for a period of three 
 weeks was made, and none was obliged to go 
 hungry. In those days Judge Campbell was 
 very friendly with the Indians, and traded ex- 
 tensively with them. He conducted the tavern 
 for a number of years, and in after years when 
 retired from business activity he formed the 
 habit of going to the hotel for a social visit 
 twice a day. In 1873, he built a brick busi- 
 ness block, just north of the hotel, and in many 
 ways was prominently identified with the de- 
 velopment of the city. He made many inter- 
 esting notes with regard to the early history of 
 this vicinity, and these appear in the historical 
 portion of this work. He witnessed the grad- 
 ual change of Bay County from a wild and 
 sparsely settled state to its present condition, 
 with its richly cultivated farms and populous 
 towns and cities. He was the first supervisor of 
 Hampton township, the first meeting being 
 held in his tavern. He held that office a num- 
 ber of years and when the county was organ- 
 ized, became probate judge, serving as such for 
 a period of 12 years, from 1857. He was elec- 
 ted on the Democratic ticket, and was always 
 
 a consistent member of that party, frequently 
 serving as delegate to county. State and con- 
 gressional conventions. 
 
 In March, 1830, Judge Campbell was joined 
 in the bonds of matrimony with Catherine J. 
 McCartee, one of those sturdy pioneer women 
 who bravely faced the hardships and thrilling 
 experiences of the early days in this country. 
 She was of Scotch-Irish descent and was a 
 daughter of William James and Clara (Dun- 
 lap) McCartee. Judge Campbell died August 
 10, 1887, aged nearly 84 years, and his wife 
 died June i, 1888. They were parents of the 
 following children : Margaret, deceased, who 
 was the wife of Bernhardt Witthauer; Emily, 
 who resides in the old family home at No. 1704 
 Woodside avenue, and is the only one of the 
 children living in Bay City; Edward McCartee, 
 deceased, was the first white boy born in Lower 
 Saginaw ; William James, a farmer residing in 
 Pinconning township; and Catherine, who 
 died in infancy. Judge Campbell was a 
 man of the highest character, and had his influ- 
 ence in the moral, intellectual and financial af- 
 fairs of the community. He and his wife 
 were Presbyterians. Miss Emily Campbell is 
 a lady of literary attainments and accomplish- 
 ments, and has always occupied a prominent 
 place in the refined circles of Bay City. 
 
 REDERICK WILLIAM DUNHAM, 
 whose post office address is West 
 Bay City, is a prominent and pros- 
 perous farmer living in section 21. 
 Monitor township. He was born in Madison_ 
 County, New York, October 18, 1832, and is a 
 son of Alpha and Freelove (Mathewson) Dun- 
 ham. His education was obtained mostly in the 
 district schools of the "Empire" State and in 
 an academv at Hamilton, New York. He then 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 533 
 
 engaged in teaching a short time near Adrian, 
 Michigan. From Adrian lie went to Higgins- 
 port, Ohio, as instructor in the High School, 
 of which he later became principal, which posi- 
 tion he held for four years. In the winter of 
 1858-59 he was in New Orleans, and in tlat- 
 boats traded in produce along the bayous of 
 the lower Mississippi River. 
 
 In i860 Mr. Dunham visited his early home 
 in New York, where he remained until 1861, 
 \\hen he came to Bay City to take charge of the 
 public schools as superintendent. There was 
 then but one public school building in Bay 
 City; it had three departments. Two years later 
 he resigned this position and opened a grocery 
 on Water street, under the firm name of Phil- 
 lips & Dunham. On account of ill health, he 
 sold his interest to Mr. Phillips four years later, 
 and engaged in farming in Barry County, 
 Michigan. In connection with his brother-in- 
 law, he bought 200 acres of land. This was but 
 partly cleared, and they built a house and barn ; 
 on this property Mr. Dunham lived three years. 
 
 At the request of his former business part- 
 ner, ]\Ir. Phillips, who was then postmaster 
 under President Grant, Mr. Dunham returned 
 to Bay City, to act as assistant postmaster. In 
 this capacity he served eight years. Under the 
 Hayes administration he was appointed post- 
 master of Bay City, and continued thus for one 
 term. He then located on a farm of 320 acres, 
 which he had purchased in connection with 
 Herschel H. Hatch, now an attorney of De- 
 troit. They cleared, fenced and drained most 
 of this land. On it they built two houses and 
 what was considered in those days a very large 
 barn, its dimensionns being 80 by 80 feet. 
 
 Mr. Dunham has been twice married, his 
 first wife being Mary E. Haughton, of Madison 
 County, New York. His second wife was 
 Emma A. Haughton. of the same county. They 
 were sisters, lx)th being daughters of Augustus 
 
 and Meribee C. (Mills) Haughton. The first 
 marriage resulted in one son, Eugene, who died 
 when 13 years old; and two daughters, — Mrs. 
 James Wilcox, of Monitor township, and Flor- 
 ence, who lives with her parents. 
 
 The subject of this sketch gives consider- 
 able attention to dairy farming, the production 
 and sale of milk being the main feature of his 
 farm. He is the possessor of a good library, 
 and spends a great deal of time with his books. 
 In politics, Mr. Dunham is a stanch Republican, 
 and voted for Gen. John C. Fremont, the first 
 presidential candidate of that party in 1856. In 
 local political matters, he acts independently. 
 He is a member of the Patrons of Husbandry, 
 and is past master of Subordinate Grange, No. 
 1,036. 
 
 ON. HAMILTON MERCER 
 WRIGHT, B. A., M. A., LL. B.. of 
 Bay City, Michigan, whose long and 
 honorable official career in Bay 
 County has made his name familiar all over the 
 State, and whose scholarly attainments have 
 made him a conspicuous figure for years in 
 every noted gathering of lettered men, was 
 born in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, 
 October 26, 1852, and is a son of Hamilton 
 Mercer and Virginia (Huckins) W'right. 
 
 The Wright family is of Scotch-Irish ex- 
 traction. They came from the North of Ire- 
 land and settled in Fishkill Plains, New York, 
 in the first half of the i8th century. Our sub- 
 ject's grandfather, Isaac Wright, a descendant 
 of the original emigrant, married a daughter 
 of Mercer Hamilton who came to America with 
 Thomas Addis Emmet, a brother of the noted 
 Irish patriot, Robert Emmet. The former, un- 
 like his famous brother, escaped to America 
 after being apprehended and tried for treason 
 
534 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 and later became a distinguished citizen of the 
 State of New York. 
 
 The father of Judge Wright was born in 
 1808 in Dutchess County, New York. When 
 lie reached manhood he went to New Orleans, 
 where he engaged in business and amassed a 
 fortune as a cotton factor, which placed him 
 with the foremost capitalists of the State. The 
 misfortunes incident to the outbreak and con- 
 tinuance of the Civil War made great inroads 
 upon this fortune and Mr. Wright did not long 
 survive after the close of hostilities, his death 
 taking place in 1869. In 1850, Mr. Wright 
 was married to Virginia Huckins, who was 
 born in Virginia, and died in Dinan, Brittany, 
 France, in 1897, aged 87 years. The two chil- 
 dren of this marriage were our esteemed sub- 
 ject and a sister, Nina, who is the widow of 
 the Marquis of Potestad, of France. 
 
 Immediately following the capture of New 
 Orleans by the Federal forces, Mrs. Wright and 
 her children left the turmoil then existing in 
 that city and took a steamer for Europe. She 
 established a home at Geneva, Switzerland, and 
 in that old historic city her son laid the founda- 
 tion of an education that has covered many 
 lines. Later, he spent two years taking a col- 
 legiate course at Cheltenham. England. The 
 death of his father, in 1869, recalled him to 
 America, where he soon became a student at 
 Yale. \Vhile in his junior year he married 
 and with his bride returned to Europe. Dur- 
 ing the two years passed on the Continent, he 
 studied medicine at Heidelberg, Germany and 
 at Pisa, Italy, and upon his second return to 
 America he reentered Yale, where he was grad- 
 uated in 1875, — "^li*^ i^'i'n\\ in rank in a class of 
 150 students. 
 
 The young physician then entered upon the 
 study of the law, earning the means by which he 
 could follow this course by teaching modern 
 languages, being master of seven. In 1877, 
 
 when he was graduated from the law school. 
 Chief Justice Waite took occasion, when hand- 
 ing him his diploma, to pay him the unusual 
 attention of complimenting him on having 
 passed tlie best examination of any student that 
 had ever come to his knowledge. His high 
 scholarship won for him the coveted reward of 
 the Jewell gold medal. Subsequently he passed 
 the bar examinations in Connecticut ami in New 
 York, and was admitted to practice in both 
 States. When he came to Michigan, in 1877, 
 he found that the laws of this State required an- 
 other examination. After a few months spent 
 in the office of Windsor Schofield, in order to 
 familiarize himself with Michigan practice, he 
 was admitted to the bar here. He then opened 
 an office in partnership with Carl Drake, also a 
 Yale graduate, under the firm name of Wright 
 & Drake, which was dissolved six months later, 
 since which time Judge Wright has practiced 
 alone. 
 
 Politically an ardent Democrat, Judge 
 Wright has always been noted for his sturdy 
 American patriotism. He has been honored by 
 his party and by his fellow-citizens on more 
 occasions than usually come to one individual, 
 and it is but just to say that his whole public 
 career has justified the confidence reposed in 
 him. In April, 1881, he was elected alderman 
 to represent the Fifth Ward, and later jvas 
 elected to represent the Eighth Ward. In 1883 
 he was elected to a seat in the State Legislature 
 and public approval of his course was shown 
 by his reelection in 1885. When his term as 
 city alderman closed, in 1887, his fellow-citi- 
 zens were not willing for him to pass out of 
 official civic life, and, without consulting him, 
 they nominated him for the office of mayor. 
 To this highest municipal place he was elected 
 by a plurality of 804 votes. 
 
 Two years later, before his mayoralty term 
 had expired, he was nominated for judge of 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 535 
 
 probate, and in November, 1888, he was elected 
 to this honorable office and served in both ca- 
 pacities nntil the following- April, declining at 
 that time a renomination for the mayoralty. He 
 continued as judge of probate until 1892, when 
 he was elected for another four years, his ma- 
 jorities offering the flattering figm-es of from 
 1,300 to 1,700 votes. In 1895 'i^ ^^'as again 
 called to the mayor'e chair and served two years 
 more, filling both official positions, and in 1896 
 he was reelected judge of probate and contin- 
 ued in office until January i, 1901. He has had 
 frequent opportunities to lay claim to still 
 higher political positions, but has refused to be 
 further tempted from the congenial life and 
 large emoluments connected with his profes- 
 sion. In addition to an extensive practice, he 
 has charge of his wife's large property interests 
 and is obliged to give more or less attention to 
 luisiness enterprises .of his own. Formerly he 
 was largely interested in real estate develop- 
 ment here, and has built some 50 comfortable 
 houses which he has sold, on easy terms, to 
 working men. It is a matter of satisfaction to 
 him that he has never had a single law suit with 
 a tenant, nor has he ever foreclosed a mort- 
 gage or contract. 
 
 For some time Judge Wright has been much 
 interested in the development of Point Look- 
 out, the only summer resort on the western 
 shore of Saginaw Bay. He took hold of this 
 property in 1895. as trustee, and in 1900 it 
 came into his wife's possession. This delight- 
 ful place to spend the summer was started 
 about 1882 by Tasker & McDonald, and as the 
 steamers of the old Saginaw, Bay City and 
 Alpena line were running, this resort grew 
 rapidly in favor. Upon the discontinuance of 
 the line, its prosperity departed, on account of 
 want of suitable transportation. This condi- 
 tion led Judge Wright to purchase the steamer 
 "City of New Baltimore," a trim, safe little 
 
 vessel, which easily accommodates 400 pass- 
 engers, ajul is chartered for regular trips dur- 
 mg the summer season. Negotiations are in 
 progress for the erection of a fine modern hotel 
 here, \\'ith accommodations for a large number 
 of guests, although an excellent hotel and 
 numerous cottages ha\-e already been built here. 
 It offers a quiet, healthful, delightful home for 
 the hundreds who are in searcl: of a place for a 
 summer home, where the breath of politics has 
 never blown and the frivolities of fashion have 
 not o\ercome peace and comfort with preten- 
 sion and show. 
 
 Judge Wright was married in 1 871 to Anne 
 Dana Fitzhugh, who is a daughter of the late 
 William D. Fitzhugh, extended mention of 
 whom will lie found in this work. They have 
 had eight children, viz : Anne Virginia, born at 
 Geneva. Switzerland, who married Thomas L. 
 Kane, of Kane, McKean County, Pennsylvania, 
 who is a nephew of the distinguished Arctic ex- 
 plorer. Dr. Elisha Kent Kane: Hamilton Mer- 
 cer, Jr.. the fourth of the name in direct line of 
 descent, born at New Haven, Connecticut, in 
 1874, who is a resident of Oakland, California, 
 an attorney-at-law, and the secretary of the 
 California Promotion Committee; Sybil K., 
 born at New Haven, in 1877, who married 
 George S. McLandress, a practicing physician 
 of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Cornelia, born 
 at Bay City, in 1879, deceased m 1896; Archi- 
 bald V. R., born at Bay City in 1883; Charles 
 Carroll, born at Rugby. Tennessee, in June, 
 1866; Alida Fitzhugh born at Bay City, Sep- 
 tember 9. 1888; and William Edward, born at 
 Bay City. February 13, 1891. The family be- 
 long to the Protestant Episcopal Church. 
 
 Judge Wright's delightful home is not only 
 one of culture but of rare hospitality. Perhaps 
 here he is at his best, proffering a real Southern, 
 hearty welcome to those admitted to close 
 friendship, taking rare pleasure in the treasures 
 
536 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 of his great library of -2,500 volumes, or in en- 
 thusiastically displaying his thousands of choice 
 photographs, which he has himself taken. He 
 has 2,600 negatives in his possession, some of 
 which have never l^een printed, but a number 
 of which have won prizes in exhibitions of 
 amateur photography. 
 
 Judge Wright is associated in membership 
 with Joppa Lodge, No. 315, F. & A. ]\I. ; Bay 
 Lodge, No. 104, L O. O. F. ; Bay City Lodge, 
 No. 23, K. P. ; and Lodge No. 88, B. P. O. E. 
 He is a man who is equally at home in social 
 usages, in business, politics, medicine and 
 law. 
 
 II 
 
 OHN BERGER, one of the successful 
 business men of Amelith, Frankenlust 
 township, who owns and operates 
 what is said to be the largest cheese 
 factory in Bay County, was born at Berne, 
 Switzerland, January 28, 1848, and is a son 
 of John and Elizabeth (Spring) Berger. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Berger never came to 
 America. They had four children : John, of 
 this sketch; Jacob, who owns and operates a 
 cheese factory at Canton, Ohio ; Gottlieb, a 
 farmer in Switzerland; and Mrs. Elizabeth 
 Garber, of Switzerland. 
 
 Our subject went to school until he was 16 
 years of age and then learned the cheese busi- 
 ness, working in a Swiss factory, where he 
 learned all the different preparations of this 
 necessary adjunct to a good meal, until 1876, 
 when he came to Massillon, Ohio. There he 
 remained until 1886 when he removed to 
 Saginaw and one year later to Bay County. 
 After working three years in the woods and 
 obtaining enough capital in this way to start 
 into business, he opened a small cheese fac- 
 tory at Amelith. This was the first factory of 
 its kind in Bav Countv. ]\Ir. Berger received 
 
 much encouragement from the first for his 
 products were wholesome and palatable, and he 
 has enlarged and again enlarged his business 
 until he now has a plant with capacity for turn- 
 ing out 10,000 pounds of cheese per day, four 
 capable workmen being employed. Mr. Ber- 
 ger's specialty is brick cheese, which he intro- 
 duced to the trade. 
 
 On his acre and a half of land, Mr. Berger 
 has built a fine home, a big barn and his well- 
 equipped factory. It is his intention to also 
 erect a store and engage in merchandising. 
 
 On November 30, 1877, Mr. Berger was 
 married in Ohio to Mattie Kinsey, who was 
 born March 31, 1858, and is a daughter of 
 Christian Kinsey, a native of Switzerland. Mr. 
 and ]\Irs. Berger have four children: Ferdi- 
 nand, whose home is opposite to that of his 
 father; Flora, wife of August Haag, of Frank- 
 enlust township ; and John and Anna, who live 
 at home. 
 
 Air. Berger is a self-made man. His pros- 
 perity has come through his own ability and in- 
 dustry. He is a good citizen, one of the rep- 
 resentative men of' Frankenlust township. In 
 politics he is a Republican. He was post- 
 master for eight years at Amelith, having re- 
 ceived his appointment from President 
 AIcKinley. 
 
 1ER0]ME B. STEVENS, one of the 
 prominent and substantial citizens of 
 Bay County, senior member of the 
 firm of J. B. Stevens & Sons, and 
 owner of one of the largest dairy farms in this 
 section, which includes 100 acres of land in 
 sections 8 and 17, Hampton township, was born 
 at Pike, Wyoming County, New York, August 
 15, 1844, and is the only son of Jerome B. and 
 Mary (Beardsley) Stevens. 
 
 The father of our subject died at a point 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 537 
 
 on the Allegheny River, where he was operat- 
 ing a sawmill, when our subject was five years 
 of age. Both he and his wife were natives of 
 the State of New York. 
 
 Jerome B. Stevens, our subject, was reared 
 on a farm until he was 14 years of age and 
 then learned the shoemaking trade at Rushford, 
 Allegany County, New York, and followed it 
 until he came to Michigan in March, 1864. He 
 settled first at Monroe, in Monroe County, and 
 became a student in the Monroe High School, 
 teaching school in the following winter and 
 thus earning the means with which to take a 
 business course at the Albion Commercial Col- 
 lege at Albion, Michigan. Mr. Stevens then 
 opened a shoe store at Tecumseh, Michigan, and 
 continued there in the shoe business for five 
 years. His next business venture was the 
 wholesale manufacturing of boots and shoes at 
 Tecumseh under the firm name of J. B. Stevens 
 & Snedicor ; after one year of operation the 
 factor}- was removed to Detroit, where Mr. 
 Stevens continued to operate until 1877, when 
 he sold out and then engaged as traveling sales- 
 man for one year for Pingree & Smith, shoe 
 manufacturers of Detroit. He then opened a 
 retail store in Detroit, which he conducted until 
 1893, when he sold it. In the following year 
 he came to his present farm. Four of his sons 
 are associated with him in the dairy and pro- 
 duce business ; the farm is devoted to the pro- 
 duction of fine dairy goods, milk, cream, but- 
 ter and also eggs. For the fine quality of goods 
 it has gained a name on the market. 
 
 In 1867 Mr. Stevens married Kittie Foun- 
 tain, who was born in 1843 ^^ Manchester. 
 ^Michigan, and is a daughter of Jabez and 
 Catherine Fountain, of Eastern New York. 
 They had two children, — Julian and Hcrliert. 
 His second marriage was to Lucy Stephens, a 
 daughter of Jonathan and Charlotte Stephens. 
 To this union were born three sons : Frank C. 
 
 Clarence E. and Ray B. For his third wife 
 i\Ir. Stevens chose Sarah E. Wood, of Ohio, 
 daughter of Samuel and Priscilla H. Wood, na- 
 tives of Ohio and members of the Society of 
 Friends. All the sons are connected with the 
 firm except Herbert, who resides in Iowa. The 
 family belong to the Baptist Church. 
 
 Mr. Stevens has taken a great deal of in- 
 terest in agricultural matters since settling on 
 his farm and has been prominently identified 
 with the Patrons of Husbandry and at pres- 
 ent is serving as master of Pomona Grange. 
 
 E\". LORENZ A. WISSMUELLER, 
 pastor of Trinity Evangelical Lu- 
 theran Church of ]\Ionitor, Bay 
 County, Michigan, is widely known 
 throughout that section of the county where he 
 has labored so faithfully and with such bene- 
 ficial results. He was Ijorn in Frankentrost 
 township, Saginaw County, Michigan, Decem- 
 ber 29, 1869, and is a son of Lorenz and Julia 
 (Moll) Wissmueller. 
 
 J. Adam Wissmueller and his wife, the 
 grandparents of our subject, were one of 13 
 couples who left Franken. Germany in 1847 and 
 came to America in search of religious freedom. 
 Mr. Wissmueller and his wife had two chil- 
 dren at that time: Margaret, now the wife of 
 George Kipfmueller of Bay County; and 
 George who died at the age of 40 years and 
 was buried at Frankentrost, IMichigan. This 
 party of early settlers located in Saginaw 
 County, Michigan, in 1847, ^"d there founded 
 the colony of Frankentrost, after which the 
 township later took its name. They were led 
 bv their pastor, Rev. J. H. Ph. Graebner. who 
 went to the land office at Marshall and pur- 
 chased two and a half sections of timber land in 
 Bloomfield township, at j"/ cents per acre, which 
 
538 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 were divided among tliem. The people and 
 their chnrch prospered. After the division of 
 their lands, they set about clearing their farms 
 and building homes. 
 
 Lorenz Wissmueller, father of our subject, 
 was born at Frankentrost, Saginaw County, 
 and later moved to Saginaw, where he engaged 
 in teaming for some years. He later returned 
 to his native place and in 1897 purchased a 
 farm. He married Julia ]\Ioll, one of 11 chil- 
 dren born to Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Moll, who 
 also came to this country widi the party above 
 mentioned. Of the eight children torn of this 
 union, Lorenz A. is the oldest. He has a 
 brother Richard, a teacher in St. Peter's Paro- 
 chial School at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Our 
 subject's mother died in 1893 and was buried in 
 the cemetery at Saginaw. 
 
 Lorenz A. Wissmueller was educated at 
 the Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran School 
 at Saginaw, and in 1883 was confirmed at the 
 age of 13. He attended public school two 
 months, then through the assistance of Rev. 
 Joseph Schmidt, pastor of his church, attended 
 Concordia College at Fort Wayne. Lidiana, 
 graduating in 1889, after a course of six years. 
 He entered Concordia Seminary at St. Louis, 
 and completed a three-years course in theolog}' 
 in 1893, '" the meantime having served a year 
 as vicar of the Evangelical Lutheran St. John's 
 Church at Marion Springs, Michigan. He was 
 ordained June 18, 1893, in the Evangelical 
 Lutheran St. Lorenz Church at Frankenmuth, 
 Michigan, and served six months as vicar there. 
 December 17, 1893, he was installed as pas- 
 tor of Trinity Church at Forestville, and in 
 May, 1896, accepted a call to Trinity Church 
 at Monitor, being installed on June 7th of that 
 year. 
 
 The Evangelical Lutheran Trinity Church 
 at Monitor was formed in the spring of 1880 
 by Rev. Ferdinand Sievers, Sr.. with 17 char- 
 
 ter members, nine of whom are still living. On 
 July 1 8th the congregation was organized and 
 Rev. Ferdinand Sievers, Jr., accepted the call 
 as pastor and continued until May 31, 1896, 
 when he accepted a call to South Chicago. The 
 corner-stone of the present church was laid 
 July 18, 1897, and it was dedicated February 
 6, 1898. The brick of which it is constructed 
 were drawn nine miles, as were the stone trim- 
 mings. The church supports two schools, one 
 under O. Mueller and the other under charge 
 of J. G. Appold. It has no voting members, 
 382 communicants and 660 souls. Last year 
 20 children were baptised, 28 confirmed, five 
 couples were married and two members buried. 
 Rev. Mr. Wissmueller married Anna C. 
 Schwartz, a daughter of Rev. W. Schwartz, of 
 Ruth, Huron County, Michigan, and they have 
 fi\-e children : Clara, Lorenz, Kurt, Armin and 
 Anna. 
 
 R.\XK RIVARD, a prosperous and 
 respected agriculturist of Eraser 
 township, whose farm is located in 
 sections 32 and 2i3' ^^'^s born in Ma- 
 comb County, Michigan, in 1837. He is a 
 son of Mitchell and Theresa (De Kane) 
 Rivard. 
 
 Mitchell Rivard was born in Quebec, and 
 his wife in Ontario, Canada. The former was 
 a farmer in Macomb County, Michigan, and 
 died in 1886 in his 93d year. He used to haul 
 fire-wood from Grosse Pointe to Detroit, when 
 the latter place was no more than a village. 
 Rivard street in Detroit was named after an 
 uncle of Frank Rivard whose farm many years 
 ago was in that locality. 
 
 Frank Rivard attended the public school in 
 Macomb County, where he afterwards was 
 married. He first commenced farming in St. 
 Clair County, Michigan, where he owned 80 
 
BRUNO C. NABERT 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 541 
 
 acres of land, which he cultix'ated until 1887, 
 when he came to Bay County, and purchased 
 160 acres in section 32. Later he bought the 
 60-acre tract in section t,Ti, where his farm- 
 house is located. He still owns 120 acres, hav- 
 ing sold 40 acres and given some land to his 
 sons. He is a general farmer and stock-raiser. 
 In 1869 the subject of this sketch was mar- 
 ried to Theresa Quono. a native of France. On 
 the death of her father she came to America 
 with her mother and two sisters. Her union 
 with Mr. Rivard resulted in 10 children, as 
 follows: Irene, born October 14, 1870, and de- 
 ceased August 2, 1897, who was an Ursuline 
 Sister at the time of her death; Sifers, born 
 August 8, 1872; Henry, born May 22, 1874, 
 and deceased April 21, 1876; Frank, Jr., born 
 June 15, 1876; Philip, born May 4, 1878; Kate, 
 born December 8, 1880; Emil, born October 
 28, 1882; Josephine, born October 3, 1885; 
 Joseph, born October 8, 1887 ; and Helen, born 
 May 3, 1893. Sifers, the oldest son, married 
 Emma McClure, and has three children, — 
 Ethel, Leo and Irene. Kate married George 
 Petrimoulx, and had two children, — Norbet 
 and Emil. Emil married Jennie Le Bordais 
 and resides in Eraser township. In politics, 
 Mr. Rivard is a Democrat. He and his family 
 are members of the Catholic Church. 
 
 RUNO C. NABERT, deceased, for 
 many years a progressive and suc- 
 cessful business man of Bay City, 
 whose portrait is herewith shown, 
 was widely known as an exceptionally 
 fine coppersmith, sheet-iron worker and 
 steam-fitter. His death occurred in 1903, and 
 was not only a sad shock to his wife and rela- 
 tives but to his many friends throughout Bay 
 County. Pie was born in Frankenlust town- 
 
 ship, Bay County, Michigan, January 28, 1852, 
 and was a son of Dr. August Nabert. 
 
 Dr. August Nabert was born in Brunswick, 
 Germany January 10, 1828, and was gradu- 
 ated from a medical college in Brunswick. 
 After lea\ing college he spent three years as a 
 physician on a South Sea whaling vessel, and 
 in 1 85 1 came to America. He settled in the 
 Saginaw Valley and commenced the practice of 
 medicine. This was the year of the great chol- 
 era epidemic. Dr. Nabert was stricken with 
 the fatal disease and died on September 4, 1854, 
 when his son Bruno was less than a year old. 
 He left a wife and five children, all of whom 
 are living but our subject, and all those li\-ing 
 reside in Bay County, except one son, who re- 
 sides in St. Louis, Missouri. 
 
 Bruno Nabert recei\-ed a common-school 
 education such as could be obtained in the 
 schools of that day. The instruction given him 
 was limited in amount and scope, but he took 
 advantage of such opportunities as he had and 
 grew to be a well informed man. He had a 
 remarkably retentive memory and could re- 
 late, with accuracy as to date and de- 
 tail, many of the interesting occurrences 
 of the early days of Bay City. At an 
 early day he learned the tinner's trade, 
 and while following it also learned that of 
 a coppersmith, in which trade he became ex- 
 tremely proficient. He was a genius in his 
 work in copper and built up a trade in almost 
 all parts of the United States and Canada. Few 
 excelled him in this line and his work need but 
 be seen to be appreciated. For a period of 25 
 years he was foreman for the Miller Hardware 
 Company, then opened a shop for himself on 
 Water street, between Second and Third 
 streets, oftentimes employing as many as 10 
 men. In 1903 he purchased the present place 
 of the business established by him at No. 616 
 North Water street. After his death, his wid- 
 
54^ 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 o\v took entire charge of the business, which she 
 still manages. It was in an unsettled condi- 
 tion at first, but she took hold and straight- 
 ened out the affairs in an able manner and has 
 since given her time largely to its manage- 
 ment. Mrs. Nabert is a woman of a higher or- 
 der of intellect, ability and good judgment, and 
 was very frequently consulted by her husband 
 concerning matters of business. 
 
 In 1888 Mr. Nabert was united in mar- 
 riage with Emma Sherman, who was born in 
 Ohio, and is one of two children born to George 
 and Amanda (Woodmansee) Sherman, natives 
 of the "Empire" State. This union resulted 
 in the birth of two children, both of whom died 
 in infancy. Religiously, Mrs. Nabert is a 
 member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 and is identified with all the church societies, 
 being treasurer of the Home Missionary So- 
 ciety. She is a woman of culture and refine- 
 ment, and has many friends who enjoy the hos- 
 pitality of her home. 
 
 Mr. Nabert was a lover of fast horses and 
 owned two fine specimens of horseflesh, both 
 reeistered and well-known in this vicinitv, 
 namely: "Florence Mack" and "Black Jack." 
 He went to Chicago in October, 1903, to pur- 
 chase a valuable animal valued at $500, and it 
 was while there he was stricken with ap- 
 pendicitis and operated on. On October 25th, 
 Mrs. Nabert received a dispatch announcing 
 the operation as she was leaving church, and 
 took the first train for Chicago, accompanied 
 by J. H. Metcalf, a friend of the family. Mr. 
 Nabert died on the following day, the 26th, at 
 at 6 o'clock P. M. Mrs. Nabert is not a strong 
 woman physically, and the shock of her hus- 
 band's sudden illness and decease completely 
 overcame her. His remains were brought to 
 Bay City and are in a vault in Elm Lawn Cem- 
 etery, where a fine monument to his memory 
 has been erected. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Nabert were almost insepar- 
 able companions outside of business hours, and 
 both being fond of horses were nearly always 
 seen driving together. She still owns the fine 
 horses owned by him at his death and takes 
 great pride in them. She rented the family 
 home at 214 Jefferson street, then leased 10 
 acres on the boundary of Bay City where she 
 has a comfortable home and the facilities for 
 properlv caring for her blooded stock. 
 
 RANK H. HOFFMANN, one of the 
 most highly respected citizens of Bay 
 City, Michigan, a retired farmer and 
 formerly city treasurer, was born in 
 Johannesburg, Austria, September 28, 1824, 
 and is a son of Joseph and Rosalie (Metzger) 
 Hoffmann. 
 
 Joseph Hoffmann, the paternal grandfather, 
 was born at Zegenhultz, a village in Prussia, 
 not far from the Austrian line. His son, Jo- 
 seph Hoft'mann, the father of our subject, 
 learned the tailoring trade which he followed, 
 in an establishment of his own at Johannes- 
 burg, for a number of years. He died there in 
 1865, aged 65 years. He married a daughter 
 of Carl Metzger, of Johannesburg, who was a 
 prominent man there and lived to the age of 89 
 years. Mr. and Mrs. Hoffmann had 12 chil- 
 dren, the four who reached maturity being: 
 John, Frank H., Catherine and Conrad, all now 
 deceased except our esteemed subject. John 
 lived in Cleveland, Ohio and served in an Ohio 
 regiment during the Civil War. Conrad died 
 in the Austrian Army. They were reared in 
 the faith of the Roman Catholic Church. 
 
 Our subject adopted his father's trade, 
 which he learned very thoroughly at an estab- 
 lishment in Wein, Austria. In 1849 he came 
 to America, landing at the port of New York. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 543 
 
 In that city he continued to follow the tailor- 
 ing business for three years, when he came to 
 Bay City, one of the early business men here. 
 In addition to his tailoring, he became inter- 
 ested in other enterprises, operating a large 
 grocery for a time and for one year conducting 
 the Bay City House, which was. one of the first 
 hotels here. Subsequently he built a hotel on 
 the corner of Sixth and Adams streets which 
 he operated two years. In the meantime he had 
 invested in farming land on the corner of 
 South Center street (now Cass avenue) and 
 the city limits, and in 1881 he w'ent to live 
 there. It was originally a tract of 40 acres, to 
 which ]Mr. Hoffmann added until he had 120 
 acres. Later he disposed of all but 10 acres, 
 which he farmed until 1904. 
 
 At Bay City Mr. Hoffmann married Cath- 
 erine Close, who was born in Baiern. They had 
 12 children, the 10 who reached maturity be- 
 ing: Minnie, wife of John S. Dougherty, of 
 Bay City; Frank, of Alpena, Miciiigan ; Au- 
 gust, of Pontiac, Michigan; Bertha, wife of 
 William H. Brown, of Alpena, Michigan; 
 Catherine, wife of J. F. Boes, a sketch of whom 
 appears in this work; Rosalie, wife of Fred L. 
 Hanscombe, of West Bay City ; Lillian ; Wal- 
 ter, of Spokane, Washington ; Fred, of Hough- 
 ton, Michigan ; and William, of Bay City. The 
 mother of this familv died in 1901, aged 63 
 years. The family belong to the German Lu- 
 theran Church. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Hoffmann has always been 
 identified with the Democratic party. In i860 
 he was city treasurer. He has served as high- 
 way commissioner and for eight years past 
 has been a member of the School Board, of 
 Fractional School District, No. 3, of Ports- 
 mouth township. 
 
 Joiix S. Dougherty, son-in-law- of Mr. 
 Hoffmann, was born in 1855 at Bay City, and 
 
 is a son of Henry and Catherine Dougherty. 
 Henry Dougherty w^as one of the early settlers 
 of Bay City, ,and was an engineer by profes- 
 sion. His five children were : William, of 
 Marquette, Michigan ; Albert, of Spokane, 
 Washington; John S., of BayCity and Hugh, 
 of Hot Springs. 
 
 John S. Dougherty was educated in the 
 public schools and for many years was em- 
 ployed as a lumber and log scaler. When the 
 North American Chemical Company's plant 
 was opened, he became foreman, having charge 
 of the process department. Mr. Dougherty's 
 marriage with Minnie Hoffmann has been 
 blessed with five children : Joseph J., Ruth M., 
 Llarry L., Frank E. and Mamie. In his politi- 
 cal views Mr. Dougherty is a Republican. Fra- 
 ternally he is a member of the Knights of 
 Pythias. The family and all its connections 
 stantl very high in public esteem in Bay City. 
 
 DWARD W. PORTER, a prominent 
 attorney of Bay City, and a member 
 of the firm of Porter & Haffey, was 
 born at Metamora, Lapeer County, 
 Michigan, in 1851. He is a son of M. G. and 
 Maria A. (Morse) Porter, and a grandson of 
 Moses Porter, who was a native of Connecticut 
 and served as a commissioned officer in the 
 Revolutionary War. Moses Porter came to 
 Michigan at an early period and died May 8, 
 1840. in Lapeer County, aged 81 years. He 
 was buried at Metamora. 
 
 The maternal grandfather of Mr. Porter 
 was a resident of Western New York. He 
 .served in the War of 1812 and afterward came 
 to Michigan. His wife was born and reared in 
 Massachusetts. 
 
 The parents of Edward W. Porter were 
 early settlers of Lapeer County, Michigan. The 
 
544 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 father was a farmer by vocation, and served the 
 pubhc interests in various local offices. In 1S52 
 the family moved to Oakland County, Michi- 
 gan, where the subject of this sketch was 
 reared, and where his primary mental training 
 was obtained. In 1871 he entered Hillsdale 
 College from which he was graduated in 1875. 
 He also attended the law school of the Univer- 
 sity of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, from which 
 he was graduated in 1876, the year after grad- 
 uating in the literary course. He had read law 
 in Saginaw, in the office of his brother, Samuel 
 M., who is now located in Montgomery County, 
 Kansas, and represents his county in the Kan- 
 sas State Senate. After completing his prep- 
 aration for the practice of the law, he settled 
 in Bay City, where he has since been engaged 
 in the practice of his profession. 
 
 Besides the brother in Kansas, Mr. Porter 
 has another, John A., who is a farmer in Mont- 
 calm County, Michigan. He has also a sister, 
 Mrs. Sarah Chapman, who lives on the old 
 home farm in Novi township, Oakland County, 
 Michigan. 
 
 Edward \V. Porter married Alma Welsh, 
 of Northville. Michigan, a member of one of 
 the oldest families of that vicinity and of the 
 State. She was born in Novi township and re- 
 ceived her education in the State Normal 
 School at Ypsilanti. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Porter have five sons and two 
 daughters, namely: Sidney W. and Angle L., 
 who are attending the Bay City High School ; 
 Erwin E., Wendell J., Inez A. and M. Morse, 
 pupils in the Dolsen Public School ; and Frank 
 B., aged three years. The family residence is 
 at No. 1809 Fifth avenue, corner of Johnson 
 street. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Porter has always been a 
 Republican, having cast his first vote for Grant. 
 He served two years as assistant prosecuting 
 attorney of Bay County in 1883-84. Socially, 
 
 he is a member of the Delta Tau Delta fra- 
 ternity. He belongs to the Baptist Church. 
 
 Joseph P. Haffey, of the law firm of Por- 
 ter & Hafifey, of Bay City,' Michigan, was born 
 near Toronto, Canada, August 24. 1853. He 
 is a son of John and Margaret (Keenan) 
 Haffey. who were natives of County Armagh, 
 Ireland. They came to America in the early 
 "thirties" and engaged in farmings. The father 
 died in 1884 and the mother, in 1898. They 
 had 10 children, of whom one died in infancy. 
 The others, exclusive of the subject of this 
 sketch, are as follows : James, of [Minnesota ; 
 John, who lives on the home farm in Canada ; 
 Thomas K. and Peter J., who are engaged 
 in business in Toronto, Canada ; Alice, who 
 lives in Toronto; Mrs. Ellen Reilly; and Mrs. 
 Elizabeth Langby, of Niagara Falls, New 
 York. 
 
 Mr. Haffey was reared in Canada until he 
 reached early manhood. There he attended the 
 public schools and afterward spent seven years 
 at St. Michael's College, in Toronto, where he 
 graduated in 1876. In that institution he sub- 
 sequently taught for one year, and was also 
 for two and a half years a teacher in the public 
 schools. 
 
 On coming to Michigan, Mr. Haffey stud- 
 ied law in the University of Michigan at Ann 
 Arbor, and was admitted to the bar of Michi- 
 gan in 1884, after spending two years in the 
 law office of Lindner & Porter. 
 
 Mr. Haffney was married at Port Huron, 
 Michigan, to Mary Murphy, of Stratford, Can- 
 ada. Their five children, all born at Bay City, 
 are as follows : Joseph, Marie, Grace, Thomas 
 J. and Isabel. The family residence is at No. 
 406 loth street. Politically, Mr. Haffey is a 
 Democrat. Fraternally, he belongs to the A. 
 O. H. He is a member of St. James Catholic 
 Church. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 545 
 
 I 
 
 F.TER BEECKMAN, a well-known 
 resident of Merritt township, who 
 owns and resides on a fine farm of 80 
 acres situated in section 8, was born 
 August 4, 1835, "^"^^ Alost, Belgium, and is 
 a son of Francis and Victoria (Van Hicht) 
 Beeckman. 
 
 The father of Air. Beeckman was born in 
 Belgium and died at Grosse Pointe, Wayne 
 County, Michigan, at the age of 52 years. His 
 widow surviveil until 1870, being /^ years old 
 at death. They were quiet farming people and 
 were much respected by all who knew them. 
 Their children were: Francis, deceased: 
 Adolph, of Wayne County; George, deceased; 
 Emily (Mrs. Vanderbush), deceased; Antoin- 
 ette (Mrs. Lasquire), deceased; Louisa (Mrs. 
 V^an Larberger), of Detroit; Grace, who died 
 in Belgium : and Peter, of this sketch. 
 
 Our subject was only two and a half years 
 old when his parents came to America. They 
 came to purchase farming land and after reach- 
 ing Detroit removed to Grosse Pointe, where 
 both died. Peter remained on the home farm 
 until 1875 and then came to Bay County and 
 for about 20 years was engaged in farming in 
 Flampton township. He then spent six years 
 in Portsmouth township. He purchased his 
 present excellent property in ]\Ierritt town- 
 ship in 1900 but has resided on it for the past 
 nine years. He carries on a general line of 
 farming, raises some stock, does some dairy- 
 ing and enjoys as much prosperity as any 
 farmer in the township. 
 
 At Detroit, in 1870. Air. Beeckman was 
 married to Emily Vermeesch, who was born 
 May 29, 1849, '" Belgium, and is a daughter 
 of Francis and Barbara (Maddelen) \^er- 
 meesch. She came to Detroit with her widowed 
 mother and two twin brothers in 1865. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Beeckman have eight children : 
 Frank, a farmer of Merritt township, married 
 
 Mary Wiedyke, and has six children; Charles, 
 Peter and Arthur, all living at home assisting 
 on the farm; Mary, who married Louis Gwiz- 
 dale, of Merritt township, and has two chil- 
 dren ; Emily, wife of Joseph Schuler of Bay 
 City; and Rose and Annie, who live at home. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Beeckman has always been 
 a supporter of the Democratic party. He is a 
 member of St. John's Catholic Church at Es- 
 sexville. 
 
 RANK H. MOHR, one of the prom- 
 inent and enterprising business men 
 handling the commercial interests of 
 West Bay City, Michigan, president 
 of the Phoeni.x Brewing Company, and secre- 
 tary and treasurer of The Mohr Hardware 
 Company, was born in Schney, Bavaria, Ger- 
 many, March 10, 1867, and is a son of John 
 G. and Elizabeth (Schramm) Mohr. 
 
 George Mohr, our subject's grandfather, 
 was a native of Saxony, Germany, and spent 
 the greater part of his life in Eisleben, engaged 
 in farming and in conducting a pottery busi- 
 ness. He married Katherine Roemer, who 
 was a nati\e of the same place as he. 
 
 John G. Mohr was born in Saxony in 1824 
 and died July 4, 1873. He learned the potter's 
 trade and followed it through life and in addi- 
 tion operated a small farm of his own. He 
 married Elizabeth Schramm, who was a daugh- 
 ter of Erhardt Schramm. She was born in 
 1822 in Staffelstein, Bavaria, but a few miles 
 distant from Schney. Nine of their 10 children 
 reached maturity, viz: Johanna, wife of Peter 
 Pfrenger, of Merzbach, Bavaria ; John G., pro- 
 fessor of literature in the Minnesota State Uni- 
 versity at Alinneapolis; Christopher, of West 
 Bay City, president of The Mohr Hardware 
 Company and also in partnership with his 
 lirother Fred in a retail clothing business in 
 
546 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 West Bay City ; Margaret, wife of Max Stoll, 
 of Schney, Bavaria; Joseph and Andrew, both 
 of Schney, Bavaria ; Katherine ; Fred, of West 
 Bay City, vice-president of the People's Sav- 
 ings Bank; and Frank H., onr subject. 
 
 Our subject was the youngest in the family 
 and was trained in the thorough-going schools 
 of his native land until he was 14 years of age, 
 when he joined his brother John G., of Minne- 
 apolis, and Christopher and Fred, who were 
 already established at West Bay City. He 
 began to work at the tin and coppersmith's 
 trade here and completed his apprenticeship at 
 the Pullman car works in Chicago and worked 
 subsequently as a journeyman. After six 
 years in Chicago, in 1888 he went to Minneap- 
 olis and started into business for himself, in- 
 stalling furnaces and heating apparatus. Mr. 
 Mohr continued in business there until 1903, 
 when he returned to West Bay City and organ- 
 ized The Mohr Hardware Company, of which 
 he is to-day practically the sole owner, which 
 deals in hardware, buggies and carriages and 
 farm implements. It has grown into one of the 
 largest concerns in those lines in Northern 
 Michigan. Mr. Mohr was also one of the or- 
 ganizers of the Phoenix Brewing Company, an- 
 other successful enterprise, and has been its 
 president ever since its founding. 
 
 Mr. Mohr was married to Lena Kohler, 
 who is a daughter of John and Agatha Kohler, 
 of West Bay City, and they have one son, John 
 Kohler Mohr. They are members of the Ger- 
 man Lutheran Church. Mr. Mohr has taken 
 several trips to Europe, visiting Germany, 
 Switzerland, France, England and Holland. 
 
 Mr. Mohr's fraternal and social associa- 
 tions include membership in Wenona Lodge, 
 No. 296, F. & A. M. : Blanchard Chapter. No. 
 59, R. A. M., and Scottish Rite bodies up to 
 the i8th degree at Bay City, while his connec- 
 tions at Detroit are with the Michigan Sov- 
 
 ereign Consistory, S. P. R. S.. and Moslem 
 Temple. A. A. 6. U. M. S. He belongs also 
 to Lodge, No. 88, B. P. O. E. and to the Ar- 
 beiter Unterstuetzung Verein. 
 
 Mr. Mohr usually takes an active interest 
 in all public affairs, affecting the welfare of his 
 home city and county. Although urged re- 
 peatedly to accept nominations on his party 
 ticket, he has declined to do so, devoting his 
 entire time to his private business affairs. 
 
 ir 
 
 ETHUEL BORTON is one of the suc- 
 cessful fruit-growers and well-known 
 and highly respected citizens of Bay 
 County, Michigan. From 1902 to 
 1905 he resided on his 12-acre farm in section 
 18, Hampton township. He has recently pur- 
 chased 30 acres in section 14, Portsmouth 
 township, to which he will soon remove. He 
 was born October 10, 1830, in Burlington 
 County, New Jersey, and is a son of Captain 
 Samuel and Mary Borton. 
 
 The Borton family is an old Quaker one of 
 English extraction and it was founded in Phil- 
 adelphia in the days when William Penn's 
 friends and associates first gathered tliere and 
 named it the "City of Brotherly Love." The 
 grandfather and four of his brothers were mar- 
 iners, captains of seagoing vessels and that 
 calling was also adopted by the father of our 
 subject. Capt. Samuel Borton was born in 
 Burlington County. New Jersey, and died there 
 in 1855, aged 60 years. He was thrice mar- 
 ried, the mother of our subject being his sec- 
 ond wife. She was a daughter of Bethuel and 
 Rebecca (Clifton) Borton. of New Jersey, and 
 died when her child was but two weeks old. 
 Three daughters were born to the first mar- 
 riage and one to the third. 
 
 On account of the earlv death of his mother 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 547 
 
 and his father's absence on the water, our sub- 
 ject was reared by his grandfather, with whom 
 he remained until he was 15 years of age. Dur- 
 ing these years he learned much concerning the 
 details of fruit-growing as the grandfather 
 operated a large fruit farm. When he had 
 reached the above mentioned age he concluded 
 to try his father's business and went on board a 
 trading vessel on the Delaware River which 
 carried ship timber and supplies for the navy 
 yards, and continued a sailor for four years. 
 Then he worked variously as a farmer and 
 thresher in Burlington County until 1856, when 
 he went to Williams County, Ohio, and worked 
 for his uncle Benjamin on a farm located some 
 55 miles from Toledo, later taking charge of 
 the farm of 240 acres and operating it for nine 
 years. 
 
 The opening of the Civil War made neces- 
 sary the employment of men to go to the front, 
 while it was just as essential that equally brave 
 and reliable men should attend to the further- 
 ing of the cause at home. Mr. Borton was 
 chosen one of the latter and his services were 
 duly valued and doubtless the records of the 
 secret service in Washington, D. C, could tell 
 of many occasions when his courage and brav- 
 ery clipped rebellion in the bud, in the rear of 
 the fighting army. For these services he never 
 charged the government, although he spent 
 something like $3,000 of his own money. He 
 was busy all through the war and assisted many 
 a man in securing a substitute after the drafts 
 were made. 
 
 After the close of the war, Mr. Borton went 
 to Toledo and bought a small tract of land near 
 the city, where he engaged in gardening for 
 about 15 years. He owned that fract of verj^ 
 valuable land which is now known as "Point 
 Place." In 1879 he came to Bay County and 
 bought 20 acres of land. He sold a part of 
 this and then added five acres, so that he had 
 
 16 acres, which he subsequently sold for $7,000. 
 He then moved to Millington, where he spent 
 three years, also engaged in farming. In 1902 
 he came back to Bay County and purchased his 
 present place. This farm he sold early in 1905 
 and purchased 30 acres in section 14, Ports- 
 mouth township, of which he will take posses- 
 sion in a short time. His knowledge and ex- 
 perience have made him wonderfully success- 
 ful in all his gardening and agricultural oper- 
 ations. In one year the returns from 1 1 acres 
 of garden produce and small fruits were 
 $2,385. He paid $100 an acre for his farm in 
 section 18, Hampton township, on which he 
 made many improvements, erecting substantial 
 buildings, making it one of the rich garden 
 spots of the county. On this farm he has 1,000 
 peach trees and all kinds of berries and the 
 yield is something enormous. His trees and 
 vines seem to recognize his e.xperienced hand- 
 ling and reward his care and attention with 
 generous fruitage from every limb and branch. 
 He is an authority on fruit-growing in this 
 section. 
 
 Mr. Borton was married first, in 1850, to 
 Caroline Stockton, of New Jersey, and they 
 had three children: Edmond L., of Toledo; 
 Mary E., wife of Jacob Carr of Chippewa Lake. 
 Michigan; and Benjamin F., of Esse.xville. He 
 was married second, in 1878, to Sarah M. 
 d'Isay, who was bom August 8, 1844, at Lun- 
 teren, the Netherlands, and came to the United 
 States with her parents when a child of four 
 years. She is a daughter of Capt. Joseph and 
 Aegidia Jacoba (Hansen) d'Isay, the father a 
 native of Belgium and the mother of Amster- 
 dam, the Netherlands. Captain d'Isay was an 
 officer in the army of the Netherlands. His 
 death took place at Essexville, and that of his 
 wife at Toledo, Ohio, where they lived for 
 some years. Captain d'Isay spent 13 years in 
 .Vrnhem. the Netherlands, — from 1873 ^o 1886. 
 
548 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 — and had only been 17 days with his daughter 
 in Essexvihe when he died. The children of 
 Mr. Borton's second marriage were: Barbara 
 Helena, wife of Henry Koth, of Bay City ; and 
 Charlotte M. and John C. Fremont, both at 
 home. 
 
 Mr. Borton has always been a stanch Re- 
 publican. In 1856 he recalls with pride that he 
 carried a Fremont flag and that he had a chance 
 to shake the honest hand of the great "Path- 
 finder" when he visited Saginaw, 20 years 
 ago. During his residence in Toledo he served 
 on various civic boards and was a member of 
 the school committee, which secured the erec- 
 tion of five school houses in that city. He 
 served also in similar offices in Bay County 
 and has been active in working for good roads 
 through Hampton township. Mr. Borton is 
 one of the real representative citizens of this 
 section and enjoys a large measure of public 
 esteem. 
 
 He then moved to Millington, where he 
 spent three years, also engaging in farming. In 
 1902 he came back to Bay County and pur- 
 chased his present place. This farm he sold 
 early in 1905 and purchased 30 acres in section 
 14, Portsmouth township, of which he will take 
 possession in a short time. 
 
 OHX B. LAING, one of the most prom- 
 inent citizens of Bay City, holds the 
 office of county commissioner of 
 schools. He was born in Norfolk 
 District. Ontario. Canada, in 1856, and is a 
 son of John and Sarah E. (Youmans) Laing, 
 and a grandson of George and Elizabeth 
 (Laing) Laing. 
 
 John Laing was a native of Scotland, born 
 in Aberdeen, on Christmas Day, 1800. He re- 
 moved to Ontario, Canada, in 1832, when Nor- 
 
 folk District was a barren wilderness, and by 
 indomitable resolution and unremitting toil 
 cleared three different farms in succession. He 
 remained there until 1879, engaged in agricul- 
 tural pursuits, and then moved to Bay County, 
 Michigan, where he farmed a few years. He 
 lived in Bay City until 1892. He was married 
 in Norfolk District, Ontario, to Sarah E. You- 
 mans, who was born in Nova Scotia, in 1819, 
 and was taken by her parents to Norfolk Dis- 
 trict, Ontario, when she was six months old. 
 It was a matter of frequent comment with her 
 that her birth and marriage occurred in the 
 same years as did similar events in the life of 
 Queen Victoria. She died in 1891. 
 
 John Laing became a Mason in Scotland at 
 the ag'e of 21 years, and was buried with Ma- 
 sonic ceremonies at Bay City, Michigan. He 
 passed away January 6, 1901, at Chicago, Illi- 
 nois in the home of his daughter ^Irs. Lewis 
 Berger, when more than 100 years old, having 
 lived in three centuries. He retained his facul- 
 ties until a few months before his death. Al- 
 though possessing but a common-school edu- 
 cation, he was well-read and well-informed and 
 kept abreast of the times. He had lived in Chi- 
 cago since 1892. 
 
 Ten children resulted from the union of 
 John Laing and Sarah E. Youmans, namely : 
 Matilda (Wayne), who died at the age of 29 
 years; Catherine L., widow of Lewis Berger, 
 of Chicago ; Mary, wife of Edward Wilkinson, 
 of Chicago; Rachel, wife of William I. Gel- 
 naw, of Bay City, Michigan ; Jennie, widow of 
 Henry Schafer, of Chicago ; John B. ; George 
 W., of Chicago; Garrie C, city editor of the 
 Bay City Times; Louis N., deceased; and 
 Mahlon D., of Chicago. 
 
 John B. Laing came with his parents to 
 Bay City in 1879. He was reared on a farm 
 and attended the public and high schools of 
 Simcoe, Norfolk District, Ontario, Canada, 
 

 HOLY ROSARY ACADEMY 
 
 J 
 
 ST 
 
 . BONIFACE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND PAROCHIAL BUILDINGS 
 
REV. JOHN G. WYSS 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 553 
 
 after whicli lie taught school for some time. He 
 then pursued a course of study in Fenton Col- 
 lege, at Fenton\-ille, Michigan, where he grad- 
 uated with the class of 1894. Among the 
 schools which he subsequently taught were 
 ones at North Williams, Linwoocl and Amelith 
 and in Merritt township, all in Bay County. He 
 has pursued the profession of teaching for more 
 than 20 years. He served nine years as a mem- 
 ber of the School Board, where he gained an 
 experience which has proved useful to him in 
 his present office. He was elected county com- 
 missioner of schools in April, 1903, and his 
 term of service began on July ist, following. 
 His ofifice is in the Phoenix Block. 
 
 Air. Laing married Jessie Sprague, a na- 
 tive of New York, and they have a son, John 
 Harold, who lives with his aunt in Chicago. 
 
 In politics, Mr. Laing is a strong Repub- 
 lican, and has served his party as a delegate to 
 county, State and congressional conventions. 
 Fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of 
 the Modern Maccabees and the Benevolent and 
 Protective Order of Elks. 
 
 EV. JOHN G. WYSS, pastor of St, 
 Boniface Catholic Church, at Bay, 
 City, Michigan, one of the most zeal- 
 ous and faithful priests of the Catho- 
 lic Church in all Michigan, is compar- 
 atively a young man, although he has accom- 
 plished what might well be regarded as the 
 fruits of a lifetime. 
 
 Father Wyss was born June 24, i860, at 
 Reiden, Canton of Luzern, Switzerland. His 
 preliminary education was obtained at Sarnen, 
 in the Canton of Unter-Waklen, and his class- 
 ical cfHirse was completed at Engelberg, where 
 excellent advantages were offered. With this 
 
 sound foundation, the young man came to seek 
 an education in American schools, knowing 
 that his life work would probably be in this 
 field. He arrived in the United States in Octo- 
 ber, 1882. and entered the Pro\-incial Seminary 
 at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the study of phil- 
 osophy and theology. .\t this institution he 
 was graduated June 24, 1887, and on the 29th 
 of the month he was ordained priest by Rt. 
 Rev. Henry Joseph Richter, D. D., Bishop of 
 the Diocese of Grand Rapids. 
 
 The young priest was sent first to St. James 
 parish, at Montague, Muskegon County, Mich- 
 igan, where he remained eight months and was 
 then assigned to his present charge, coming to 
 St. Boniface parish in 1888, when he was but 
 28 years of age. His assuming charge of this 
 parish brought new life to it and ere long his 
 work began to show the effects of the masterly 
 hand which had taken the helm here. Giving 
 his attention first to the rebuilding and im- 
 provement of the parish school-house and the 
 Sisters' home, he arranged for the purchase of 
 a lot at Lincoln and McKinley avenues as an 
 addition to the school grounds, and subse- 
 quently he bought still another lot, on Lincoln 
 avenue. 
 
 The crowded condition of the old church 
 gave him serious thoughts for a time, as the 
 building of a new one would require a greater 
 outlay than the parish seemed able to afford, 
 but he was agreeably surprised to see how will- 
 ing!)' his parishioners came forward as soon as 
 they had learned to trust and reverence him. 
 Hence the building of a new church was com- 
 menced in October, 1896, and on June 4, 1899, 
 the church was solemnly consecrated. Father 
 Wyss and his congregation being able to rejoice 
 not only in its completion but also in the fact 
 that it was free from debt. St. Boniface has 
 the distinction of being the first Catholic 
 
 30 
 
554 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Church in the Diocese of Grand Rapids that has 
 been consecrated. 
 
 This beautiful building, in its external ap- 
 pearance, is in every way a credit to the city, 
 while within its decorations are not only seemly 
 but artistic and inspiring. A number of ex- 
 quisite memorial windows have been placed, 
 and some of the religious paintings equal those 
 which adorn the churches of older countries. 
 
 Father Wyss has continued his efforts for 
 the advancement of his parish, and another re- 
 sult of his energ\' is shown in the handsome 
 parochial residence of brick and concrete which 
 adjoins the church property. Every modern 
 con\enience to add to the comfort of the resi- 
 dent priest and for the requirements of the 
 parish have been introduced, resulting in a 
 much finer church home than many older and 
 larger parishes enjoy. Adjoining Father 
 Wyss' residence but independent of it is the 
 fine new brick school building to be occupied 
 by the Sisters of St. Dominic, as an academy, 
 under the name of the Holy Rosary Academy, 
 a select boarding school. It is under the super- 
 vision of Mother Superioress Aquinata, O. S. 
 D., who has a corps of able teachers. This is 
 the largest academical institution in the Dio- 
 cese of Grand Rapids. It will be ready for 
 occupancy in September, 1905. The Sisters 
 will find in their new quarters adequate room 
 for carrying out many plans as to higher edu- 
 cation and more extended scholarship, aims 
 very dear to their hearts. The new building, 
 when completed, will be a great structure 100 
 by 100 feet, extending to Birney street, and it 
 will be strictly modern throughout, and will 
 accommodate 200 pupils. The curriculum in- 
 cludes all the higher branches with special at- 
 tention paid to art and music. 
 
 As Father Wyss looks back over these 
 fruitful years, he must feel, indeed, that his 
 work has been l:)lessed. He has been 
 
 able to work harmoniously with his con- 
 gregation and stands in the position of 
 priest, father and faithful friend to every one. 
 Outside his own religious body, he has won 
 admiration and respect, and turn where he will, 
 in Bay City, finds all faces friendly and re- 
 spectful. A portrait of Father Wyss and views 
 of St. Bonifice Church, Holy Rosary Academy 
 and the parochial buildings appear on fore- 
 going pages. 
 
 rSTIN WEXTWORTH, senior mem- 
 ber of the firm of J. & G. K. Went- 
 worth, which is extensively engaged 
 in lumbering, with offices at Bay City, 
 Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois, is one of the 
 representative men of the former city. He 
 was born near Hope, Knox County, Maine, 
 March 7. 1834, and is a son of Leonard and 
 ?^Iary (Arnold) Wentworth. 
 
 The ancestry of the Wentworth family is 
 traceable back to the time of William the Con- 
 queror, and includes many who have attained 
 prominence in the annals of public and civic 
 life. It has furnished New Hampshire witn 
 several governors, and "Long John" \\^ent- 
 worth, who was mayor of Chicago, a member 
 of Congress and a man of national reputation. 
 This family possesses one of the oldest gen- 
 ealogies in the world, as is shown in a publica- 
 tion of two volumes by "Long John" W^ent- 
 worth of Chicago, for private circulation 
 among his kinsmen. 
 
 The Wentworth family was established in 
 America bv William \\'entworth who came 
 from Lincoln County. England, where he had 
 been baptized at Alford, March 15, 161 5. The 
 first indubitable evidence of his presence in this 
 country is his signature, with that of Rev. John 
 Wheelwright and 33 others, to a "combination 
 for a government at Exeter, N. H.," on Oc- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 000 
 
 tober 4, 1639. This combination continued for 
 three years. In 1642, he was a juror from the 
 town of Wells, Maine, in the York County 
 Court, and in 1648 he was constable of Wells. 
 He was one of the jury at York County Court 
 held at Kittery, Maine, in 1647 ^nd 1649. As 
 he did not receive a grant of land there, it is 
 doubtful whether he ever intended to make 
 that place his permanent home. He was first 
 taxed at Dover, New Hampshire, in 1650, and 
 he served five terms as selectman of that town. 
 He was moderator of the Dover town meeting 
 in 1 661, and became elder in what is now 
 known as the First Church of Dover. The 
 records show him to have owned land in Wells, 
 Maine, in 1657. He was one of the seven 
 wealthiest men of the Dover tax list, and after 
 his death on March 15, 1697, his estate was ap- 
 praised at £97, 1 6s., 4d. His wife's given name 
 was Elizabeth. Among his oldest children was 
 John, the first record of whom is his enrollment 
 on the tax list of Dover, New Hampshire, in 
 
 1668. He took the oath of fidelity June 21, 
 
 1669, and as he must then have been 21 years 
 old he was born some time prior to 1649. His 
 name appears as plaintiff in a number of law 
 suits, one in Dover, New Hampshire, and one 
 in York, Maine. Dover suffered greatly at that 
 time from depredations by the Indians, which 
 probably was the cause of his removal to Dor- 
 chester, Massachusetts. On October 20, 1680, 
 he and his wife Martha conveyed to John Har- 
 mon 100 acres of land in \\'ells, INIaine. and 
 the next known of him is at Punkapaug, now 
 Canton, Massachusetts, where his name appears 
 in a deed from Indians to Mehitable Eames. 
 
 The next in line of descent to our subject 
 was Shubael W'entworth, who was a farmer 
 and blacksmith at Stoughton, Alassachusetts, 
 where he served as clerk of the precinct. He 
 was first married April 11, 1717. to Damaris 
 Hawes, who died at Stoughton December 7, 
 
 1739. He died in 1759. They were parents of 
 Sion Wentworth, great-grandfather of our sub- 
 ject, who was born at Stoughton, Massachu- 
 setts, March 31, 1725. He was a blacksmith at 
 Weston, Massachusetts, and was the owner of 
 considerable land. He married Hannah Pet- 
 tingill, who died of consumption, January 29, 
 1780. He died of consumption, November 9, 
 1776, and his widow subsequently was married 
 to Joshua Whittemore of Sharon, Massachu- 
 setts. Sion Wentworth, grandfather of our 
 subject, was born in Sharon, Massachusetts, 
 May 30, 1769, and died in Hope, Maine, Feb- 
 ruary 18, 1842. He was married at Warren, 
 Maine, March 19, 1794, to Mary Morgan, who 
 was born April 13, 1776. and of the children 
 born to them Leonard was the oldest. 
 
 Leonard Wentworth was born in Hope, 
 Knox County, Maine, February 22, 1796, and 
 engaged in farming and lumbering throughout 
 his active life. He was a Whig and Republican 
 in politics, and although taking an active inter- 
 est in public afifairs was never a politician. He 
 served some years as a member of the School 
 Board. He was a very vigorous man physi- 
 cally, was of a retiring disposition and had the 
 courage to maintain his stand for what he con- 
 sidered right. He was of benevolent inclina- 
 tions, and was much respected wherever known. 
 On January 21, 1827, he married Mary Arnold, 
 who was born in Appleton township, Knox 
 County, Maine, on July 6. 1806, and 
 was a daughter of William .\rnold. They 
 were parents of the following children : 
 Elizabeth, wife of Lerkin Safford, of 
 Kelso, North Dakota: Augustus L., of 
 Kelso, North Dakota : Delphina, deceased, 
 who was the wife of Elisha Safford. of Hope, 
 Maine, also deceased : Justin, whose name heads 
 this sketch : Veranus, of Newtonville, Massa- 
 chusetts: Mary A., deceased wife of James 
 Trowbridee: \\''illiam A., a member of a Maine 
 
556 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 regiment during the Civil War, who was killed 
 at the battle of Thatcher's Run, February 6, 
 ]865; George K.. of Chicago, Illinois, who is 
 in partnership with his brother, Justin : Sion 
 R., of Portland, Oregon; and Nelson L., of 
 Sanilac County, Michigan. ^Irs. W'entworth 
 died in 1851. 
 
 Justin Wentworth remained on the home 
 farm until he reached the age of 20 years. On 
 September i, 1855, he started West for Michi- 
 gan. After a stay of a couple of weeks at De- 
 troit, he proceeded to Tuscola County and 
 worked in the woods by the month for one 
 firm for four years. He then took a farm and 
 engaged in farming in that county for five 
 years, after which he sold out and purchased a 
 farm, which is now in the village of Vassar. He 
 has 325 acres, which are under a high state of 
 cultivation and devoted to general farming and 
 stock-raising. He has made a specialty of thor- 
 oughbred Durham and Polled Durham cattle 
 (a large number of them being registered) and 
 of thoroughbred Berkshire hogs. He also has 
 raised fine poultry, his favorites being the thor- 
 oughbred Buff Plymouth Rocks. He raised 
 grain extensively for years, feeding all except 
 the wheat to his stock, and has what is consid- 
 ered the best wheat farm in that section of the 
 State. 
 
 His farming has been done in connection 
 with other business enterprises. As early as 
 i860 he began lumbering on his own account, 
 doing an extensive business at buying- and sell- 
 ing logs. In 1868 he formed a partnership 
 with his brother, George K. Wentworth, and 
 the firm of J. & G. K. Wentworth has since 
 existed. They had headquarters at Vassar un- 
 til 1870. when the}^ opened an office in Bay 
 City. From that time on they have manu- 
 factured all kinds of lumber as well as dealt in 
 logs, and have timber lands in all parts of Mich- 
 igan and in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oregon, 
 
 Washington and Alabama. Tliey also main- 
 tain an office in Chicago, of which George K. 
 Wentworth has charge. 
 
 The subject of this sketch is vice-president 
 of the German- American Sugar Company, vice- 
 president of the Bay City Bank and a director 
 and vice-president of the Bank of Vassar. 
 
 Justin \\'entworth was united in marriage 
 with Sophronia Merrill, of Brewer, Maine, who 
 died leaving four sons. The two oldest — 
 George W. and ^Villiam A. — died at the age 
 of 21 years. The two sons now living are: 
 Norris R., of the firm of Ross & Wentworth, 
 Bay City, who married Martha Agnew of 
 Grand Rapids and has a son, John Justin ; and 
 Lloyd J., manager of the Portland Lumber 
 Company, of Portland, Oregon. This company 
 succeeded the Portland Lumber Manufacturing 
 Company in 1901. and has for its president 
 George K. Wentworth. Lloyd J. Wentworth 
 is vice-president and general manager. Our 
 subject formed a second union with Susie L. 
 Teller, of Vassar, by whom he has two chil- 
 dren : Hazel and Harold. The family attend 
 the First Presbyterian Church of Bay City. 
 Mr. Wentworth has consistently supported the 
 Republican party since reaching man's estate. 
 
 HATFORD A. HOWELL, who is 
 one of the most prominent farmers 
 of Merritt township. Bay County, 
 Michigan, is the owner of much 
 property in that township and resides on a 
 homestead of 86 acres in section 14. He was 
 born in Porter township, Niagara County, New 
 York, November 21, 1841, and is a son of John 
 and Phoebe (Vrooman) Howell. 
 
 The paternal grandparents of our subject 
 were natives of Holland, and removed with 
 their familv at an earlv date to the old Holland 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 557 
 
 Purchase in New York State. \\'itli the excep- 
 tion of three years spent in Eaton County, 
 Michigan, John Howell lived in New York 
 State throughout his entire life and followed 
 farming", dying at the age of 62 years. He 
 married Phcehe X'rooman, who was born in 
 Niagara County, New York, and was a daugh- 
 ter of Tunis Vrooman, who was a native of 
 Holland. Mrs. Howell died at the age of 50 
 years, leaving the following children : Henry 
 S., a prosperous citizen of Independence, Mis- 
 -souri; S. J., an instructor in the Oswego (New 
 York) High School; Phoebe J. (Kinney), who 
 died in New York ; Jackson, who died in Tus- 
 cola County. Michigan ; Chatford A. ; Agnes, 
 who died in New York; Ella (Moore), of 
 California; and Frank H., of Tuscola County, 
 Michigan. 
 
 Chatford A. Howell was reared on a farm 
 in Niagara County, New York, and in April, 
 1864, enlisted in Company G, 179th Reg., New 
 York Vol. Inf., under Col. William N. Craig, 
 of Elmira. The regiment was sent to Elmira, 
 New York for drill and three months later was 
 sent to City Point, Virginia. The first en- 
 gagement was in the fight and mine explosion 
 at Petersburg, after which occurred skirmishes 
 in an attempt to cut off Lee's army in its re- 
 treat to Richmond. Mr. Howell w^as then de- 
 tailed as commissary sergeant to see that the 
 guards at Alexandria received their rations. 
 Our sui)ject next returned to Elmira witli his 
 regiment, where both officers and men were 
 given a grand reception and banquet by their 
 colonel. They were there honorably discharged 
 in July, 1865. In September of that year. Mr. 
 Howell moved to Saginaw County, Michigan. 
 He soon acquired I\y purchase a tract of 80 
 acres of woodland in section 13. township 13, 
 range 6, in what is now IMerritt township (then 
 a part of Portsmouth) . Bay County. Upon his 
 arrival he had but $5 in money, and he lived 
 
 in a log house, 18 by 26 feet in dimensions for a 
 number of years. He cleared and cultivated 
 about 40 acres of this tract, and lived upon it 
 for 16 years. He then sold the property and 
 purchased three acres at Munger, where he 
 conducted a general store for a period of 10 
 years. During this time he had purchased i6:j 
 acres in section 14, Merritt township, upon 
 which he located after selling his store. He 
 built a dwelling and barns and set out a fine 
 orchard, and has since made this his home- 
 stead. Of the home farm, which had grown 
 through several purchases, in recent years he 
 gave a 40-acre tract to each of two sons. He 
 now owns 86 acres in section 14 and 160 acres 
 in section i, Merritt township, and 105 acres in 
 Gibson township. He has made extensive im- 
 provements, successfully engaged in general 
 farming and stock-raising and has become one 
 of the most prosperous citizens of the town- 
 ship. 
 
 Mr. Howell has taken an earnest part in 
 the development of the community and has 
 served during the past nine years as supervisor. 
 He was tow^iship clerk two years, justice of 
 the peace 12 years, drain commissioner two 
 terms, and school director 16 years. While a 
 member of the Board of Supervisors, he was 
 chairman of the board for three years and .set 
 in motion a suit against Tuscola County, in- 
 volving water rights, which is now pending in 
 the Supreme Court. Mr. Howell cast his first 
 vote for Abraham Lincoln while serving in the 
 arm}', and has been a Republican ever since, 
 frequently serving as a delegate to county con- 
 ventions. 
 
 Chatford A. Howell was united in marriage 
 at Bridgeport. Saginaw County. Michigan, in 
 1866, with Mary Bell Whitney, who was born 
 in Wayne County, Ohio. January 6, 1845, ''^"^ 
 is a daughter of John P. and Hannah (Robin- 
 son) Whitney, natives of Ohio and Indiana, re- 
 
558 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 specti\ely. Her mother died when she was 
 1 1 years old, and she accompanied her father to 
 Bridgeport, Saginaw County, Michigan, in 
 1857. Four children have blessed this union, 
 as follows : Percy W., who married Myrtle D. 
 Young and lives on a farm near his father ; 
 Sidney J., who married Margaret Whiteside, 
 of Bay City, and has three children; Edward 
 A., who married Rose Young, of Munger, — 
 he is mail carrier on Route No. i, R. F. D., 
 from Bay City, and owns a farm adjoining that 
 of his father; and George L. D., who resides at 
 home. Mr. Howell is a member of the Na- 
 tional League of Veterans and Sons, of Bay 
 City, and is the oldest past commander of the 
 K. O. T. Tvl. tent in ]\Ierritt township. 
 
 
 ILLIAM PEOPLES, supervisor of 
 Beaver township. Bay County, 
 Michigan, and one of the active 
 politicians of the neighborhood, 
 was born October 22, 1854, in Jefferson 
 County, New York, and is a son of Henry and 
 Adaline (Doty) Peoples. 
 
 In 1866 the parents of Mr. Peoples came to 
 what is now Beaver township. Bay County, 
 Michigan, which was then included in Will- 
 iams township. Here the father preempted 80 
 acres of land, 40 of which is the old homestead 
 on which our subject resides, in addition to 
 W'hich he owns a tract of 48 acres just across 
 the road from his home farm. The other 40 
 acres of the original preemption is owned by 
 our subject's mother and brother. The father 
 died in September, 1903, in his 73d year. The 
 mother is still living at the age of 71 years. 
 
 William Peoples attended the district 
 schools of Beaver township, spent a year in the 
 West Bay City High School and then went to 
 work in the lumber camps in the woods, and 
 
 was employed five seasons by the Ballon Lum- 
 ber Company. 
 
 On October 8, 1879, ^^^- Peoples was mar- 
 ried to Catherine Farquharson, who is a daugh- 
 ter of John and Catherine (Forbes) Farqu- 
 harson, who were born in Scotland. ]\Irs. 
 Peoples was born after her parents removed to 
 Canada. Mr. and Mrs. Peoples have seven cliil- 
 dren : Grace, born August 5, 1881 ; Edith, born 
 February 15, 1882, who married Charles Berg- 
 told; John, born December 31, 1883; Henry, 
 born November 28, 1885 ; Roy, born December 
 20, 1887; Alice, born November 28, 1889, and 
 William Forbes, born November 25, 1893. 
 
 Mr. Peoples has always been more or less 
 prominent in public affairs in his township. He 
 was township clerk for eight terms, township 
 treasurer for eight years and is now serving his 
 fourth year as township supervisor. For some 
 10 years he served as school moderator and has 
 always been interested in school development. 
 He is somewhat independent in his religious 
 views, but has a strong leaning to the Methodist 
 Church. He belongs to the Maccabees. In 
 political faith he is a Democrat. 
 
 WILSON CRESSEY, a leading busi- 
 ness citizen of Bay City, Michigan, 
 secretary of the German-American 
 Sugar Company, one of the city's 
 largest and most successful enterprises, was 
 born at Detroit, Michigan, May 5, 1866, and is 
 a son of Col. Edward Potter aufl Caroline 
 Frances (Brooks) Cressey. 
 
 Col. Edward P. Cressey, father of our sub- 
 ject, was born at Delhi, Delaware County, New 
 York, May 19, 1836. He entered the United 
 States Military Academy at West Point, New 
 York, ALav i, 1854, and was graduated and 
 appointed brevet 2d lieutenant in the regiment 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 559 
 
 of mounted rifles, July i, 1858. On May 14, 
 1 86 1, he was promoted to the rank of lieuten- 
 ant; was commissioned ist lieutenant of the 
 Third United States Cavalry, on August 3, 
 1 86 1 and was made captain on July 17, 1862. 
 From 1858 to 1861 he served with his regi- 
 ment in New Mexico and participated in skirm- 
 ishes with the Indians at Canon de Muerto on 
 February 18, i860, and an active engagement 
 with the Confederates at Mesilla on July 25, 
 1861, being taken prisoner at San Augustine 
 Springs, New Mexico, July ly, 1861. He was 
 on garrison duty at Fort Wayne, Michigan, as 
 a paroled prisoned until he was exchanged Au- 
 gust 2^, 1862. Rejoining his regiment in July, 
 1863, at Memphis, Tennessee, he marched with 
 it to Huntsville, Alabama, and participated in 
 the battle of Cherokee Station, October 21, 
 1863. In the spring of 1864 he was ordered to 
 St. Louis with his regiment; was sick in the 
 hospital during the winter of 1864-65 and 
 upon his recovery was placed on mustering and 
 dispersing duty until the close of the war. For 
 faithful and meritorious service during the war, 
 he received brevets as major and lieutenant- 
 colonel to date from March 13, 1865. 
 
 After the close of the war. Colonel Cressey 
 continued on frontier duty until he was hon- 
 orably mustered out of the service January i, 
 1871. For several years after he left the army. 
 Colonel Cressey was engaged in business in 
 China, Japan and among the South Sea Islands. 
 In 1874 he entered into the service of the Pa- 
 cific I\Iail Steam Ship Company, with which he 
 continued until his death, at which time he 
 was occupying a very responsible and impor- 
 tant position in the San Francisco offices of the 
 company. 
 
 Colonel Cressey was a prominent Mason 
 and Knight Templar and he was a comrade of 
 the Grand Army of the Republic. He was 
 elected a companion of the first class (No. 
 
 968), Commandery of California, Military 
 Order of the Loal Legion of the United 
 States, March 30, 1892, insignia number 9405. 
 He was a splendid specimen of manhood, an 
 educated and efficient soldier, a genial and hon- 
 orable gentleman and a true friend, respected 
 by all who knew him. He died at Altruria, 
 California, June 21, 1899. 
 
 The mother of our subject was a ladj' whose 
 old and honorable ancestry is clearly traced 
 through many generations. She was a sweet 
 and gracious lady who passed out of life while 
 her son was but a child. She was married to 
 Colonel Cressey on April 20, 1864, and they 
 had two children : Frances, of Detroit, who was 
 Ixirn March 23, 1865, and E. Wilson, of this 
 sketch. Mrs. Cressey was born November 26, 
 1 84 1 and died September 2"], 1867. Both Col- 
 onel Cressey and his wife were members of the 
 Protestant Episcopal Church. 
 
 The Brooks family, of which the mother of 
 our subject was a member, was founded in 
 America by one Thomas Brooks who crossed 
 from England in the ship "William," in 1635, 
 when he was 21 years of age. He was at York, 
 Maine, according to the historian, Savage, in 
 1640 and purchased land there from Sir Fer- 
 dinand Georges. He died May 21, 1667, and 
 his wife, Grace, born in May, 1622, died the 
 same year. He Avas a deputy to the General 
 Court at Boston, in 1642. 
 
 John Brooks, son of Thomas and Grace 
 Brooks, married Mary Martyn. She was a 
 daughter of Richard and Margaret (Trelaw- 
 ney) Martyn and a granddaughter of Sir Rob- 
 ert Trelawney. 
 
 Caleb Brooks, son of John and Mary (Mar- 
 tyn) Brooks, married Mary Fogg, daughter uf 
 Daniel Fogg, of Kittery, Maine. 
 
 John Brooks, son of Caleb and Mary 
 (Fogg) Brooks, married .-\nnah or Hannah 
 Staples. 
 
56o 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUxXTY 
 
 John 3ilartyn Brooks, son of John and Han- 
 nah (Staples) Brooks, was born March ii, 
 1736 and died in 1825. He married Mary 
 Hoare, who was probably born August 11, 
 1736 and died December 23, 1832. 
 
 John Brooks, son of John Martyn and 
 Mary (Hoare) Brooks, was born at Lincoln- 
 ville. Maine. June 13, 1785, and died at Colum- 
 bus, Ohio, February 19. 1869. He married 
 Phoebe Perkins, a daughter of Joseph and 
 Phoebe (Weare) Perkins. She was born at 
 Castine, Maine, April 18, 1787, and died in 
 December, 1864. They were the great-grand- 
 parents of our subject. 
 
 Nathaniel \\'ilson Brooks, our subject's 
 grandfather, was born at Castine, Maine, Au- 
 gust 27, 1808, and died at Detroit, Michigan, 
 September 30, 1872. He was an early pio- 
 need in Michigan, lived at Detroit and for 
 years operated a sawmill at Salzburg. Bay 
 County. On March 21, 1838, he married Car- 
 oline Frances Jeffords, at Columbus, Ohio, 
 where she was born May 12, 181 8. She djed 
 in Detroit, October 25, 1885. 
 
 Through our subject's grandmother Brooks, 
 his ancestry is traced to distinguished fore- 
 bears. The mother of Mrs. Brooks was Sarah 
 Elliott Leavenworth. She was born May 10, 
 1780, and married John Jeffords, who died in 
 1842, aged 34 years. She was a daughter of 
 Maj. Eli and Sarah (Elliott) Leavenworth. 
 The mother was born November 30, 1750, at 
 New Haven. Connecticut, and was a daugh- 
 ter of John and Lydia (Atwater) Elliott and a 
 granddaughter of John and Mary (Wolcott) 
 Elliott : a great-granddaughter of John and 
 Elizabeth (Gookin) Elliott, and a great-great- 
 granddaughter of Rev. John Elliot and Ann 
 Mumfourd, the former of whom was the noted 
 apostle to the Indians. 
 
 Maj. Eli Leavenworth was born December 
 10. 1748, and was married December 23. 1778. 
 
 to Sarah Elliott, daughter of John and Lydia 
 (Atwater) Elliott. Major Leavenworth was 
 first appointed by the Legislature, captain of 
 the loth Company of the Second Regiment of 
 New Haven. Julv i, 1775 and was honorably 
 discharged December loth of the same year. 
 He reentered the service in 1776 as captain in 
 Colonel Webb's regiment of Continentals and 
 marched from New York to Boston with Wash- 
 ington, under whose order he engaged in forti- 
 fying Brooklyn, August 27, 1776. He was not 
 a participant in the battle of Long Island, but 
 did take part in the battles of Trenton and 
 Princeton, which followed soon after. At the 
 request of Washington he remained with his 
 regiment six weeks after its term of enlistment 
 had expired. On May 27, 1777, he was com- 
 missioned major in the Sixth Continental Line 
 Regiment, Col. Charles Webb's, which went 
 into camp at Peekskill. He retired in the spring 
 of 1781 and was bre\-eted colonel, and he be- 
 came a member of the Connecticut Society of 
 the Order of the Cincinnati. 
 
 The parents of Major Leavenworth were 
 Rev. Mark and Ruth (Peck) Leavenworth. 
 The former was born August 27. 171 1, at Strat- 
 ford, Connecticut, and died at \\'aterbury, Con- 
 necticut, August 27, 1799. He graduated at 
 Yale College in 1737 and was ordained and 
 settled as pastor of the church at Waterbury, 
 where he continued until his decease. On Feb- 
 ruary 6, 1 740, he married Ruth Peck, a daugh- 
 ter of Jeremiah Peck of Waterbury. 
 
 The father of Rev. Mark Leavenworth was 
 Dr. Thomas Leavenworth, who in 1699 mar- 
 ried Mary Jenkins, daughter of David Jenkins 
 and settled at Stratford. Connecticut. His 
 father, Edmund Leavenworth, emigrated from 
 Germany to America and settled at Hunting- 
 ton, then a part of Waterbury, prior to 1680. 
 
 The early childhood of our subject was 
 spent at Detroit, but the earlv death of his 
 
PATRICK KEATING, Sr. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 563 
 
 mother ;;nd the enforced absence of his father 
 broke up tlie home and he went to live with his 
 grandparents, with whom he remained as their 
 own son until their decease. After completing 
 the common school course, he attended the 
 University of Michigan and upon his return 
 began to learn the lumber business. He began 
 at the bottom of the ladder and worked his way 
 up through the various positions until he be- 
 came secretary of the company whose employ 
 he had entered in the humblest position. In 
 1895 lis became president of the Kern Manu- 
 facturing Company and filled that position until 
 1898 when he entered the employ of the Michi- 
 gan Sugar Company. He continued with this 
 company until its combination with the Bay City 
 Sugar Company, at which time he accepted his 
 present responsible place as secretary of the 
 German-American Sugar Company. 
 
 This company was incorporated February 
 18, 1901, with these officers: Rasmus Hanson, 
 of Grayling. Michigan, president: Justin Went- 
 worth, vice-president ; E. Wilson Cressey, sec- 
 retary ; and John C. Ross, treasurer. Tlie first 
 campaign of this company was in 1901-02. The 
 factory was originally planned for a capacity of 
 400 tons, but its capaciti has been increased to 
 600 tons. The season of 1904-05 produced 
 over 8.000,000 pounds of sugar. It is an in- 
 corporated company and a large amount of its 
 stock is held by producers of sugar beets. 
 
 On October 13, 1891, Mr. Cressey was 
 married to Cornelia William Buckley, who is a 
 daughter of Henry J. Buckley, of Detroit. 
 They have one child. Cornelia M., who was 
 born August 20. 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Cressey 
 are members of the First Presbyterian Church 
 of Detroit and they attend the Presbyterian 
 Church in Bay City. 
 
 Mr. Cressey is interestefl in public affairs 
 but is in no way a politician. He is identified 
 with the Republican party. He has many 
 
 pleasant social connections, being a member of 
 the Sons of the American Revolution, the Bay 
 City Club, and of his university society, the 
 Chi Psi. For five years he served as presi- 
 dent of the Bay City Boat Club and still con- 
 tinues a member of its directing board. 
 
 ATRICK KEATING, Sr. one of the 
 representative citizens of Merritt 
 township. Bay County, Michigan, 
 whose portrait is shown on the oppo- 
 site page, has a fine farm of 140 acres in section 
 22. He has successfully engaged in general 
 farming, stock-raising and fruit-growing, but 
 his greatest success has been as an apiarist. 
 
 Mr. Keating was born near Cahersiveen, 
 County Kerry, Ireland, March 10, 1852, is a 
 son of James and Norah (Hollahan) Keating, 
 and grandson of Daniel Keating, who was a 
 pilot in early life and aided Ainerican privateers 
 during the War of 181 2. James Keating and 
 his wife were natives of County Kerry, Ireland, 
 where they lived until 1854, the former being 
 engaged in farming and fishing. In that year 
 he came to America, settling in Pennsylvania, 
 where he engaged in railroad work. In 1858 
 he moved to Canada and continued in railroad 
 work during the remainder of the acti\'e portion 
 of his life. He died at Clinton. Ontario, at the 
 age of 87 years, and his wife is now liv- 
 ing at London, Ontario, at the age of 75 years. 
 Mrs. Keating had a brother, Daniel, and two 
 cousins who were killed in the Civil War. and 
 two other brothers, Michael and John, who 
 went to Australia and made large fortunes in 
 the gold fields. John Keating, a brother of 
 James, served three years in the Union Army 
 during the Civil War, and had a son, John, who 
 was a lieutenant during tliat war. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Keating had six children, as follows: 
 
564 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Ellen (Blake), of New South Wales, Aus- 
 tralia; Patrick; Mary, of New South Wales, 
 Australia; Jennie (Dean), of Edmonton, Al- 
 berta District, Northwest Territories, Canada; 
 Daniel, of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; 
 and Michael, a lumberman of Minnesota. 
 
 Patrick Keating was nearly six years old 
 when his mother came to America, and joined 
 her husband, who was then living in the oil 
 region of Pennsylvania. They remained there 
 one year and then located near London, On- 
 tario. In 1869 our subject went to Pennsyl- 
 vania, and in 1870 came to Bay City, Michigan, 
 alone. For four seasons he worked on square 
 timbers, an occupation he had previously fol- 
 lowed on the Allegheny River. He then re- 
 moved to Munger, Bay County, when the 
 surrounding country was heavily wooded, and 
 sparsely settled, and here he cleared land for 
 various parties. He then worked on the rail- 
 road for three years. He again engaged in 
 clearing land, including a tract of 40 acres 
 which he had purchased. This he later sold 
 and then continued in clearing for others until 
 he embarked in the bee business. He continued 
 this exclusively for seven years and steadily 
 increased his business until his apiary contained 
 150 hives and produced annually from 4,000 
 to 7.500 pounds of honey. With the proceeds 
 of this business he was enabled to buy his pres- 
 ent farm of 140 acres in Merritt township in 
 1896, and in 1900 he moved upon it. He has 
 placed it in a high state of cultivation, has set 
 out an orchard, and erected a dwelling, barns 
 and a honey house. He also follows general 
 farming and stock-raising. 
 
 Mr. Keating was married m Ontario, Can- 
 ada, in 1 87 1, to Elizabeth Tighe, by whom he 
 has the following children : Daniel, who went 
 to Central America and after four years was 
 never heard from again, presumably having lost 
 his life in the revolution of 1892; James, of 
 
 Wisconsin ; John, who is engaged in ranching 
 in the West; Ellen, of Bay City; Michael, of 
 Minnesota; Charles, who is engaged in lumber- 
 ing; and Patrick, who is at home. 
 
 In 1894 ]\Ir. Keating married his present 
 wife, Mrs. Christine Clifton, widow of Frank 
 D. Clifton and daughter of Captain John and 
 Jane (McAlpin) Graham, natives of Scotland. 
 When our subject was at Clinton, Ontario, he 
 served as a member of the 33rd Battalion of 
 Canadian Volunteers, under Captain Murray. 
 Politically, he has been a Greenbacker and a 
 Populist, and is now a Democrat. He is a 
 charter member and was the first commander 
 of Munger Tent, No. 423, K. O. T. M. 
 
 RS. SELINA POWELL, widow of 
 the late Capt. John Powell and a 
 most highly esteemed and capable 
 lad)-, owns and manages a magnifi- 
 cent farm of 280 acres, situated in sections 22 
 and 2y, Monitor township. Mrs. Powell was 
 born at Bristol, England, in October, 1854, and 
 is a daughter of Thomas and Sarah Gardner. 
 
 Mrs. Powell was reared in a home of plenty, 
 her father being engaged in an excellent busi- 
 ness in Bristol. She was educated in a private 
 school and was given a chance to acquire many 
 accomplishments. She was scarcely through 
 school, being only 17 years of age, when she 
 married Capt. John Powell, who was a deep-sea 
 sailor and a man of means and ability. In 1870 
 Captain and Mrs. Powell came to Bay County 
 and took possession of the present farm, which 
 at that time was all timberland. with the excep- 
 tion of 25 acres of clearing. Mrs. Powell has 
 had charge of the farm for many years. Cap- 
 tain Powell was engaged in a lumber business 
 at Bay City and for 18 years owned an interest 
 in and was master of the steamer "Racine," 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CTiTZENS. 
 
 56: 
 
 wliich plied between Tonawanda and Buffalo. 
 
 Captain and Mrs. Powell had these chil- 
 dren: Ellen, deceased; ]\Iary Florence, wife of 
 James McGnill, of Indianapolis, Indiana; John 
 Howard, deceased; Ralph; Alice, wife of 
 Frank Shaller, of Bay City; Margaret, wife of 
 Nicholas Dean, of West Bay City; Nellie, wife 
 of Lee Walsh, of West Bay City; and Elsie, 
 who resides with her mother. Mrs. Powell 
 successfully operates this large estate, with the 
 assistance of her son Ralph. The family home 
 is a beautiful brick residence, built in modern 
 style, with all the comforts and con\eniences of 
 a city home. 
 
 Mrs. Powell is a member of Grace Protes- 
 tant Episcopal Church, Bay City, West Side. 
 
 ICHAEL GARLAND, one of the 
 representative business men of Bay 
 City, Michigan, president of the 
 M. Garland Company, and major- 
 ity owner of the stock in the Valley Iron 
 Works, of Bay City, of which he is president, 
 was born at Cape \'incent, Jefferson County, 
 New York, January 17. 1838, and is a son of 
 William H. and Aurelia (Cross) Garland. 
 
 William H. Garland, father of our subject, 
 was a native of Leeds, Yorkshire,. England, 
 where he was born March 11, 1808. Seven 
 years of his life were given to learning the 
 machinist's trade, but just as he was prepared 
 to make the knowledge profitable, he was 
 pressed into the English naval service. After 
 some years before Constantinople and other 
 ports, he was sent to Canada as one of a body 
 of surveyors working in the mountains, and 
 tlien his service ended. He first settled at Clay- 
 ton, New York, but sulisequcntly removed to 
 Cape Vincent, where he l)uilt a machine shop 
 and was engaged as its superintendent for a 
 
 number of years. About 1845 he erected for 
 himself a sawmill at Warren Settlement, New 
 York, and he operated this mill during the re- 
 mainder of his active life. He died July 21, 
 1 87 1. Politically he was a stanch Whig. 
 
 William H. Garland married Aurelia Cross, 
 who was a daughter of Moses H. Cross, who 
 was in the military service of the United States 
 during the \\'ar of 1812. Of the 11 children 
 born to this marriage, nine reached maturity, 
 viz.; Michael, of Bay City; Sarah E., born 
 February i, 1840; Jane, born May 29, 1842; 
 James and Edward (twins), born November 
 4, 1843, the former of whom died November 
 3, 1864; William Harry, born August 21, 
 1848; John, born May 26, 1850; Aurelia, torn 
 April 10, 1852: and Cynthia, born August 23, 
 1855, who is the wife of Capt. E. T. Rattray, 
 of Cleveland, Ohio. The parents were worthy 
 members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 The father was a whole-souled man, full of 
 generous impulses. 
 
 Michael Garland was educated in books in 
 the local schools, but his natural mechanical 
 abilities were encouraged in his father's mill, 
 very little of its construction or operation be- 
 ing unknown to him while he was still a child 
 of tender years. When but 12 years of age he 
 was perfectly competent to operate a steam en- 
 gine. Naturally he learned the business of 
 millwriglit and steam engineer and the knowl- 
 edge of these trades has been the basis for much 
 experimenting and for innumerable inventions, 
 Mr. Garland and his fellow stockholders at this 
 time owning some 60 patents for improvements 
 in sawmill, windmill and other kinds of ma- 
 chinery. 
 
 At the age of 17 years, Michael Ciarland left 
 home for the West, going first to Milwaukee. 
 Wisconsin, from which point he sailed on Oc- 
 tober 17, 1857, -for Mainstee, Michigan. He 
 had been engaged to put up a double-cutting 
 
566 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 circular sawmill for Adam and James Stronach. 
 at Old Stronach, Michigan. This contract he 
 satisfactorily completed, but when its owners 
 were ready to opearte it they could not find 
 sawyers of sufficient knowledge to run it. Mr. 
 Garland consented to run it through the winter, 
 filing for himself and the otiier sawyers, but in 
 the spring returned to his parents' home in 
 New York, where, at their earnest solicita- 
 tion, he remained through the summer. In the 
 following year he went to Dubuque, Iowa ; from 
 there he proceeded by boat to Cassville, Wis- 
 consin, and shortly afterward went to Turkey 
 River, Iowa. The summer was spent in that 
 locality, full of work, erecting sawmills and 
 building freight barges. As operator of a mill 
 for Brown LeGraff & Company, at Cassville. 
 Wisconsin, he remained in that village about 
 two years, and during this period he also com- 
 pleted the manufacture of a number of barges, 
 in association with Homer Smith, a partnership 
 having been formed under the name of Smith 
 & Garland. 
 
 About 1859 Garland sold out to his partner 
 and returned to Manistee, Michigan, where he 
 engaged w-ith the firm of Canfield, Coles & 
 Company (lumbermen) and had sole charge of 
 the mechanical departments of two mills, in- 
 cluding the engines as well as all mill machin- 
 ery. He remained in this important and re- 
 sponsible position until i860, when he went 
 to Chicago. During his stay there he had the 
 pleasure of seeing the Prince of Wales, on his 
 visit to the United States, who is now King 
 Edward VII, of Great Britain. 
 
 From Chicago, Mr. Garland went to what 
 was then a more progressive place, one where 
 business opportunities were better, Eau Claire, 
 Wisconsin, and there he operated a mill until 
 June 15, 1862. The Civil War was then at 
 its height and the military spirit penetrated 
 every industry and aroused patriotic feelings 
 
 in every loyal breast. Mr. Garland was now a 
 young- man only 24 years of age and had ac- 
 complished more than ma ny men succeed in 
 doing in double the time. He was known all 
 through the section where he had followed his 
 line of work as a thoroughly competent man 
 and most reliable engineer. Openings were 
 ready for him with many companies, but he 
 decided to offer his services to his country, and 
 on the last-mentioned date enlisted in Company 
 I. 30th Reg., Wisconsin Vol. Inf., and con- 
 tinued with that organization until it was mus- 
 tered out October 28, 1865, at Madison, Wis- 
 consin. 
 
 INIr. Garland spent the winter of 1864-65 
 at Fort Union, at the mouth of the Yellowstone 
 Ri\-er. and during this period was in a number 
 of Indian skirmishes. His mechanical skill 
 was frequently called into play in the building 
 of lx)ats designed to carry four companies of 
 soldiers down to Fort Randall, at Sioux City, 
 and he also had charge for 60 days as a non- 
 commissioned officer with a guard of privates, 
 of a steamboat on the river. He made a trip 
 from Fort Union to St. Louis, on the steamer 
 "Yellowstone." While at Fort Union he built 
 and operated for the government a portable 
 sawmill, fitted with circular saws. Another 
 experience, far from pleasant, was an attack of 
 smallpox, at Yankton, Dakota. 
 
 After his final discharge from military serv- 
 ice, Mr. Garland returned to Eau Claire and 
 resumed his place in a machine shop there, that 
 of superintendent, but later gave it up to rebuild 
 a sawmill at Gravel Island, Wisconsin, which 
 he had originally assisted in building and which 
 had been destroyed by fire. This mill was 
 owned by Taylor & Bussey and was fitted with 
 gang and circular saws: after he rebuilt it, he 
 remained two years as superintendent of all its 
 departments. In 1867 he returned to Eau 
 Claire, resumed his old position of superin- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 567 
 
 tendent and Ijuilt a comfortable home for liim- 
 seli' and wife diere. He next took charge of 
 a mill for Ingraham, Canada & Dole, which he 
 operated until 1869. During the two years he 
 had spent at Gravel Island, he had been in part- 
 nersliip with Samuel Sykes, under the firm 
 name of Sykes & Garland, and it was during 
 this period that he patented his first invention, 
 a sawdust feeder for furnaces. A patent was 
 granted June 15, 1869, and a second patent on 
 May 28, 1872. 
 
 In the fall of 1869, Mr. Garland went to 
 Muskegon, Michigan, looking up opportunities 
 to sell his sawdust feeder patents, but returned 
 to Eau Claire for the winter, returning to 
 Muskegon in the spring of 1870. He installed 
 a sawdust feeder for O. P. Pillsbury & Com- 
 jjany, founded an agency there and then came 
 on to Saginaw and Bay City. On March 17, 
 1870, he entered into a contract with A. Rust 
 & Company, for the introduction of the sa\\(lust 
 feeder in their mill. This feeder was installed 
 and remains in the mill, which has passed into 
 the control of the Kneeland-Bigelow Company, 
 of Bay City. In the spring of 1871 he returned 
 to Eau Claire and worked through that summer 
 for Ingraham. Canada & Company, but came 
 back to Bay City in 1872, leaving his family at 
 Eau Claire. He entered into the manufacture 
 of his invention and of mill machinery. He 
 was kept busily occupied in putting up sawmills 
 and installing his sawdust feeder all over Mich- 
 igan and other lumbering States. For many 
 years his office in Bay City was on Water 
 street, opposite the Eraser. 
 
 The M. Garland Company as organized has 
 Michael Garland as president, H. \V. Garland 
 as secretary and treasurer, and Maude G. (iar- 
 land as vice-president. With the exception of 
 two shares, the stock is all owned in the family. 
 The plant covers 13 city lots, on both side of 
 23d street and includes a fully ec|uippcd foun- 
 
 dry and machine shop, with every facility for 
 manufacturing machinery. Employment is 
 given 71 men and the product includes all kinds 
 of machinery. Mr. Garland's conveyors are in 
 use in all sorts of manufactories all over the 
 United States, in sugar houses, wood pulp 
 mills, coal mines, etc. In July, 1903, Mr. Gar- 
 land and wife purchased the Valley Wind En- 
 gine & Iron Works, the product of which is 
 windmills, grain grinders and pumps, and here 
 also is a splendid foundry and machine shop. 
 This plant covers a space of 375 by 100 feet. 
 The business was incorporated October 28, 
 1903, with Mr. Garland as president; ]\Irs. 
 Garland as secretary and treasurer : and W. H. 
 Shapley of Toronto, vice-president. 
 
 Mr. Garland was married first to Cyrena L. 
 Vradenburg, who was a daughter of Christo- 
 pher Vradenburg, of Durand, Wisconsin. One 
 child survives this union. Harrison W., who is 
 secretary and treasurer of the M. Garland 
 Company. Mrs. Garland died February 26, 
 I go I. Mr. Garland's present wife was for- 
 merly Emma Collins, of Bay City, Michigan. 
 
 Mr. Garland votes with the Republican 
 party and takes much interest in politics, but is 
 not a seeker for office. He was a charter mem- 
 ber of the Bay City Club and is a stockholder 
 and regular member of the new club, in which 
 his son is also actively interested. 
 
 Mr. Garland has an immense volume of 
 accomplished work behind him. In addition to 
 his other Ijusiness associations just mentioned, 
 he is a member of the firm of Oaks & Garland, 
 of \Vest Bay City, manufacturers of a new de- 
 vice, in the way of a metal nozzle for a fire hose, 
 .so constructed that it can be driven into a solid 
 wall of wood. This has met with approval all 
 over the country and it is destined to be used 
 in every fire department in the world because 
 of its general utilil)-. The largest mill Mr. 
 Garland ever built, among the many scattered 
 
568 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 all over the lumbering districts, was the Whit- 
 ney & Batchelor mill at Melbourne, Saginaw 
 County, Michigan, erected in the winter of 
 1878-79. This mill has cut 30,764,000 feet of 
 lumber in a season, not running nights, and 
 during a season of 202 days of ii}i hours 
 each has cut an average of 166,666 feet per 
 day, the record for the Saginaw Valley. 
 
 Mr. Garland is not only a man of excep- 
 tional business ability, but of most remarkable 
 mechanical talent. Personally he possesses a 
 winning, courteous manner, is the dispenser of 
 generous hospitality and is in the enjoyment of 
 universal esteem. 
 
 IT.LIAM CUTHBERT, who oper- 
 ates a successful dairy in Bay City, 
 Michigan, and is conveniently lo- 
 lated at No. 2494 Center avenue, 
 is a citizen who enjoys the esteem of all who 
 know him and they are many. He was born 
 May I, 1864, at Probus, Cornwall, England, 
 and he is a son of William and IMary (Grieve) 
 Cuthbert. 
 
 The Cuthbert famih' is an old one in Corn- 
 wall, the grandfather, Henry Cuthbert, having 
 been born there, where he established a large 
 brewery. The father of our subject was born 
 at Falmouth. He was reared there and subse- 
 quently was made inspector of the county con- 
 stabulary stationed at Torquav. He died in 
 
 1873- 
 
 At the time of his father's death. William 
 Cuthbert of this sketch was a child of only 
 II years, but he found a home with an aunt 
 with whom he remained until he was 13 years 
 old. At this early age he started out to grapple 
 A\-idi the world for himself, and he was fortu- 
 nate in finding employment with a farmer who 
 was kind and considerate to him and with 
 
 whom he remained for 13 years. In 1890 Mr. 
 Cuthbert crossed the Atlantic to Canada and 
 located near Simcoe, Ontario, where he worked 
 on a dairy farm for three years and thus gained 
 a practical knowledge of the milk and dairy 
 business which has since proved of such ad- 
 vantage to him. 
 
 In 1893 ^'f''- Cuthbert came to Bay City and 
 went on the Culver farm for one year and 
 then purchased his present milk business, which 
 he has operated ever since. Mr. Cuthbert 
 purveys his own milk and has a 12-year record 
 on the wagon, without missing a single day. 
 This means a great deal of consideration for his 
 patrons, few of whom can show as fair a title 
 to fidelity to business. He has a very large 
 trade, handling some 60 gallons per day of 
 milk and a large quantity of cream. He deals 
 both wholesale and retail. 
 
 Mr. Cuthbert married Mrs. Grace (McDon- 
 ald) Culver, widow of the late W. H. Culver, 
 who left one daughter, Lou. The family at- 
 tend the Congregational Church and are liberal 
 contributors to its support. 
 
 Mr. Cuthbert is a Republican in politics, but 
 he does not take any very active part in cam- 
 paign work, his business absorbing the greater 
 part of his time. He is a member of the Ma- 
 sonic fraternity, lacing a member of Joppa 
 Lodge, F. & A. M. 
 
 RS. YETTA VANBUSKIRK, wid- 
 ow of the late Richard Vanbuskirk, 
 is one of the highly esteemed ladies 
 of Merritt ownship, Baj' County, 
 where she resides on her fine farm of 100 acres 
 which is situated in section 36. Mrs. Vanbus- 
 kirk was born JNIarch 4, 1869. in Tuscola 
 County. Michigan, and is a daughter of Henry 
 and Elizabeth (Betram) Schultz.' 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 569 
 
 The late Richard Vanbuskirk was a son of 
 Samuel Vanbuskirk, who was a native of Penn- 
 sylvania. Richard was born in Canada, July 
 16, 1836. He lived on a farm there until about 
 20 years ago, when he came to Bay County, 
 where he lived until his death on May 9, 1899. 
 When he came here his land was covered with 
 timber and it required years of hard work to 
 put the home place under its present state of 
 cultivation. Mr. Vanbuskirk left several farms 
 to his widow, one of these being the home place 
 as mentioned, which borders on Tuscola and 
 Saginaw counties, and another farm of 40 acres 
 at Fair Grove. Mrs. Vanbuskirk sold the latter 
 and with the proceeds paid the claims of the 
 other heirs. Mr. Vanbuskirk made many im- 
 provements on the home farm, put up good 
 buildings and left his widow and children sur- 
 rounded with much comfort. 
 
 Mrs. Vanbuskirk's mother was twice mar- 
 ried and had four children by her first union 
 and six by her. second, our subject being one of 
 the former. In 1885 she married Richard Van- 
 buskirk, and they had six children : May, Ida 
 (deceased). Orpha, Fred. Lottie and Grace. 
 By a former marriage. Mr. Vanbuskirk had 
 three children: Samuel, Isaac and Elisha (de- 
 ceased). 
 
 ON. PETER LIND, formerly mayor 
 of West Bay City, Michigan, and a 
 prominent citizen of Bangor town- 
 ship, where he, in association with his 
 brother Charles, owns a fine estate of 200 acres, 
 located in section 4. was born in November. 
 185 1, on an island in Lake Vanern, Sweden, 
 and is a son of John and Catherine Lind. 
 
 The father of Mr. Lind was born in Sweden 
 in 1822 and died in 1S76. The mother was 
 born in 1826, came to America in 1880 and now 
 resides in Bangor township. The six children 
 
 of John and Catherine Lind were : Peter ; 
 Mary, wife of Frank Sandquist, of Williams 
 township; Emma, wife of Charles Johnson, 
 of Beaver township ; John, a draftsman in the 
 West Bay City shipyards ; and Charles and 
 Lena (twins), the former employed in the 
 shipyards and also a joint owner of property 
 with our subject, and the latter, the widow of 
 John Larsen of West Bay City. 
 
 Our subject had made such progress in the 
 schools of his native land by the time he was 
 15 years of age, that he was given a teacher's 
 certificate and prior to coming to America, in 
 1870, he had taught school for four years. He 
 sailed from Sweden for a port in the State of 
 Maine and first had a farm in Aroostook 
 County, but subsequently went to lumbering 
 in the great timber regions along the Penobscot 
 River. In the fall of 1872 he came to Bay 
 City and worked first in the woods and in saw- 
 mills and then in various shipyards, engaged in 
 building boats. From 1887 to 1888 he carried 
 on a mercantile business in Bay City and was 
 one of the leading business men of the place. 
 From 1896 to 1902 he served as mayor of West 
 Bay City. He was also a member of the City 
 Council for several terms and had much to do 
 with shaping political affairs in his part of the 
 county. He served also as supervisor from 
 \Vest Bay City for two terms and probably has 
 refused every local office in the gift of his fel- 
 low-citizens. 
 
 Since 1902 Mr. Lind has been interested 
 with his brother Charles in the management of 
 their 200-acre farm in section 4, Bangor town- 
 ship, 100 acres being under a fine state of culti- 
 vation. General farming is carried on and 
 Mr. Lind has proven himself just as capable a 
 farmer as he has been a valued public ofticial. 
 
 On November 23. 1892, Mr. Lind was mar- 
 ried to Ellen Croft, who was born at Kingston, 
 Canada, and is a daughter of John and Emma 
 
570 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Croft, the former of whom was l)orn in Ger- 
 many and died in 1899. The latter was born in 
 England, accompanied her husband to Bay 
 City in 1879, 'i"^ still resides here. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Lind have five children : Earl, Jennie, 
 Elmer, Jessie and Oliver. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Lind is a stanch Republican 
 and has always been active in politics. For a 
 number of years he was a member of the Li- 
 brary Board of West Bay City and has taken 
 a public-spirited interest in all matters of civic 
 improvement. Coming here unknown and de- 
 pendent upon his own efforts, Mr. Lind has 
 shown very conclusively what can be accom- 
 plished by enterprise, industry and honest busi- 
 ness methods. His fraternal connections are 
 with Wenona Lodge, No. 296, F. & A. M., and 
 Wenona Lodge, No. 221, L O. O. F., both of 
 West Bay City. Mrs. Lind is a member of 
 the Rebekahs. 
 
 OUIS IvNECHT, one of the older res- 
 idents of Portsmouth township and 
 the owner of a well-improved, valu- 
 able large estate, consisting of 60 
 acres, in section 13, where he resides, 40 acres 
 in section 14 and 70 acres in section 12, aggre- 
 gating 170 acres of fine land, is a well-known 
 and much esteemed citizen. He was born on 
 February 13, 1849, at Windsor, Ontario, dur- 
 ing a short period of residence there of his 
 parents, who were Casper and Margaret Ro- 
 sina (Kutz) Knecht. 
 
 Casper Knecht was born at Wittenberg, 
 Germany, and died in Michigan in 1902, aged 
 82 years. He had a long, useful and eventful 
 life. At the age of 24 years he came to the 
 LTnited States in company with two brothers, 
 Louis and Martin. They settled first at De- 
 troit, where Casper found work in the car 
 
 shops, having learned the wagon-making trade 
 in Germany. He entered the government serv- 
 ice as a mechanic during the Mexican War and 
 later went to Canada, while his two brothers 
 were sent to the front ; one of them while in 
 the army was shot three times but survived in 
 spite of these wounds, and lived to a good old 
 age ; the other brother died from the hardships 
 of the service. From Detroit, Casper Knecht 
 moved to Howell, Michigan, after a year in 
 Ohio, and then came to South Bay City, Bay 
 County. He was employed as a clerk in the 
 establishment of Charles Sherman for 12 years 
 and then purchased a large body of land. At 
 one time he owned 160 acres in one tract. Prior 
 to his death he sold his land to his children, 
 with the exception of 20 acres. He was a good 
 manager and left his family well provided for. 
 In politics he was a Democrat. In religious 
 views he was a Lutheran. 
 
 The mother of our subject was also born at 
 Wittenberg, German, and crossed the At- 
 lantic Ocean on the same ship that brought 
 Casper Knecht to America. They were mar- 
 ried in Detroit. She was a most estimable wo- 
 man, a worthy wife and good mother. She 
 died in 1900, aged 83 years. They had these 
 children: Mrs. Mary Shilling, who died aged 
 19 years; Louis, of this sketch; Charles, who 
 died young at Detroit ; Mrs. Caroline Partridge, 
 of Detroit ; and John and William, both resi- 
 dents of Portsmouth township. 
 
 Louis Knecht was one year old when his 
 parents moved to Ohio, and was six years old 
 when they settled permanently in Bay County 
 in 1855. Mr. Knecht has been on his present 
 farm for the past 33 years. When he took his 
 portion of the estate from his father, it was 
 totally unimproved and the handsome and 
 commodious dwelling and the substantial barns 
 and all other excellent improvements have been 
 put here by Mr. Knecht himself. They repre- 
 
HON. SPENCER O. FISHER 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 573 
 
 sent many years of industry and management 
 and the result is seen in this being one of the 
 most attractive rural homes and valuable farms 
 of Portsmouth township. Mr. Knecht has car- 
 ried on a general line of farming and has given 
 some attention to raising sugar beets, devoting 
 about 40 acres to this industry. 
 
 In 1875 ^^^- Knecht was married to Elea- 
 nor Conoly, who was born December 20, 1852, 
 at Chatham, Ontario, and they ha\-e seven chil- 
 dren : Casper W., of Bay City; John J., of 
 South Bay City ; William, Jr. ; Louis C. ; Asa 
 F. ; Emanuel and Ansel M. 
 
 Politically Mr. Knecht is a stanch Demo- 
 crat. He is a leading member of the Hunger 
 Presbyterian Church and one of the board of 
 five trustees. 
 
 ON. SPENCER O. FISHER. In the 
 practical days upon which we have 
 fallen, thus early in the 20tli cen- 
 tury, the men who make possible the 
 rapid de\-elopment of great industries, the pro- 
 motion of vast enterprises and the successful 
 carrying out of what once would have been 
 deemed but the visions of an over-heated brain, 
 attract and hold our attention and excite our 
 admiration. We feel more than a passing in- 
 terest in these men of mental strength and per- 
 severing activity, of far-seeing judgment and 
 broadened view. A prominent factor in the 
 remarkable growth of West Bay City, Michi- 
 gan, has been the personal effort of Hon. Spen- 
 cer O. Fisher, whose life has been incorporated, 
 more or less, with almost everything of a public 
 nature here, for the past third of a century. 
 His life history is more interesting than that 
 of many of his contemporaries in that it shows 
 the accomplishment of great undertakings and 
 the honorable and successful career of a busi- 
 
 31 
 
 ness man, capitalist, statesman and public bene- 
 factor. 
 
 Spencer O. Fisher was born at Cainden, 
 Hillsdale County, Michigan, on February 3, 
 1843, 3nd is a son of Benjamin and Rosette J. 
 (Sutton) Fisher. 
 
 James Fisher, the paternal grandfather, 
 was born in New Jersey in 1781, and died July 
 II, 1838, aged 57 years. His wife Charity 
 was also born in New Jersey, in the same vil- 
 lage as her husband, in 1773 and died June 9, 
 1838. James Fisher followed the trade of 
 shoemaker in his earlier years, but after his 
 marriage he removed to Wayne County, New 
 York, where he bought a farm. His subse- 
 quent life was passed there. 
 
 Robert Blaine Sutton, the maternal grand- 
 father, was a native of New York and he re- 
 sided for many years at Lyons, Wayne County. 
 He was born in 1787 and died at Hillsdale, 
 Michigan, March 2, 1876. By trade he was a 
 cooper and at Lyons he owned a large cooper 
 shop, doing such a great business that it is re- 
 corded that he worked 17 and 18 hours a day, 
 ate four or five meals and manufactured by 
 hand heavy casks for wine. Only a man of 
 strong constitution could have followed such 
 a life and that he possessed this was shown 
 during the War of 18 12, in which he took 
 part. He suffered from bayonet wounds in 
 the legs and was later shot in the chest. After 
 lying neglected on the battle-field for more 
 than 24 hours, he was taken off supposedly 
 dead, but his strength rallied and he lived 
 through many subsequent years of usefulness. 
 He was a man of excellent business judgment 
 ^nd of industrious, frugal life. He early in- 
 vested his means in government lands in Mich- 
 igan and moved to the State in 1866. In the 
 following year he entered into a lumbering 
 business with Benjamin Fisher, the father of 
 our subject. 
 
574 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Benjamin Fisher was born March 22, 181 1. 
 in Wayne County, New York, and died June 
 5, 1882. His attendance at school was cov- 
 ered by 12 days, but he had ambition and an 
 active mind and he succeeded in educating- him- 
 self. At the age of 17 years he left the home 
 farm and accompanied Robert Blaine Sutton 
 to Michigan and subsequently married his 
 daughter. The trip was made by boat from 
 Buffalo to Monroe, and the rest of the way by 
 following an Indian trail through the woods 
 to Camden township, Hillsdale County, on the 
 tract where Michigan corners with Indiana and 
 Ohio. There he built the log house in which 
 our subject was born, the comfortable, pict- 
 uresque little cabin to which Mr. Fisher's 
 thoughts often return with tender recollections, 
 sweetened by memories of venerble grandpar- 
 ents, honored and beloved father and mother 
 and other kindred. Benjamin Fisher cleared 
 about 15 acres of land and set out a beautiful 
 grove of locust trees which were nourished by 
 the rich soil and grew luxuriously, throwing 
 their grateful shade over the happy little pio- 
 neer home. When all was prepared, Mr. 
 Fisher went back to New York, married and 
 brought his bride to the backwoods cabin. He 
 later became one of the largest farmers and 
 most important men of that locality, taking 
 part in public matters and ser\'ing a number of 
 years as township supervisor. When the vil- 
 lage of Hillsdale was incorporated as a city, 
 he was elected the first alderman from the 
 Third Ward, and through his whole life he 
 continued a wise counselor to his family and 
 community. Like other men of success, he 
 possessed a strong personality, great courage 
 and keen business perceptions. 
 
 Benjamin Fisher was twice married, first 
 to Rosette J. Sutton, and second to Adeliza 
 Leach. The five children born to the first 
 union were: Spencer O., of this record ; James 
 
 K. ; Mary, deceased, formerly wife of C. E. 
 Underbill, of Deerfield, Michigan; Benjamin 
 B., of Chicago; and Rosette J., wife of George 
 W. Thompson, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. 
 The mother of this family died in 1856, aged 
 36 years. She was possessed of all those quali- 
 ties which make the memories of her children 
 dear and lasting. Her religious belief made 
 her a devoted member of the Methodist Church. 
 The one daughter of Mr. Fisher's second mar- 
 riage, Sarah Leach Fisher, resides at Hillsdale, 
 Michigan. 
 
 Our subject's early childhood was spent in 
 the little log house mentioned and then the, 
 father moved into the village of Hillsdale for 
 a time. Later the father's large lumbering 
 operations took him to various parts of the 
 State and into Canada, and thus the son's edu- 
 cation was pursued in various villages. One 
 school and its elderly master, at Port Burwell, 
 Canada, Mr. Fisher recalls on account, partly, 
 of the very unique manner in which the teacher 
 rewarded good scholarship. He had a neck- 
 lace made of silver pieces, from a dollar to a 
 five-cent piece, and it was the proud privilege 
 of the pupil who stood at the head of his class 
 to wear this decoration. In recalling these old 
 incidents of his school-boy life, Mr. Fisher in- 
 sensibly shows the deep feelings which, under 
 the calm exterior of a hardened business man, 
 might not always be suspected. 
 
 In 1856 his parents returned to Michigan 
 and he completed his public-school course at 
 the Hillsdale High School and subsequently 
 spent parts of two years at Hillsdale College, 
 of which his father was one of the founders, 
 and parts of two years at Albion College. He 
 then entered the employ of his father and 
 grandfather Sutton and for alxjut five years 
 was engaged in shipping hardwood lumber for 
 them. After he had reached his majority, he 
 decided to embark in merchandising, and to 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 575 
 
 tliat end entered the employ of Hall & Marvin 
 at a salary of $240 a year ; but from the start 
 he displayed so much energy and business 
 ability that, without demand from him, the 
 firm paid him $600. After working for them 
 about a year and a half, he entered into part- 
 nership with Chauncy W. Ferris under the 
 firm name of S. O. Fisher & Company. This 
 continued until 1868, during which period Mr. 
 Fisher had complete charge of the business. 
 He was now 28 years old, at an age when 
 many young men of our day are but looking 
 about for an entrance into business. This 
 alert young merchant was already a good finan- 
 cier and had acquired sufficient knowledge of 
 business probabilities and possibilities in his 
 section to make him feel confident that he 
 could carry out a contract he signed that fall, 
 for the building of a railroad between Hills- 
 dale and Ypsilanti, an extent of 30 miles. This 
 road was built according to contract, including 
 bridges, fences and all things pertaining to a 
 finished railway. Through the unqualified suc- 
 cess of this undertaking, Mr. Fisher not only 
 secured a large amount of capital, but he also 
 proved the quality of his business ability. In 
 1 87 1, Mr. Fisher entered into partnership with 
 his father under the firm name of B. & S. O. 
 Fisher, and came to Wenona (now West Bay 
 City). The firm purchased a one-fourth inter- 
 est in the timber in Williams township and took 
 the contract to cut the timber ofT the entire tract 
 of 4,000 acres. At the close of the first year's 
 work, the junior member of the firm bought the 
 senior's interest and continued to conduct the 
 business by himself for several years. .-Xs his 
 other interests increased, he found it desirable 
 to have a partner, and on July 15, 1877, he 
 formed a new partnership with Alfred Mosher 
 under the firm name of Mosher & Fisher. Sub- 
 sequently, Mr. Fisher disposed of his interest. 
 In the meantime he had founded the village 
 
 of Fisherville, which continues to be a lumber- 
 ing point. 
 
 In 1889, Mr. Fisher became interested in 
 another large enterprise, this being the promo- 
 tion and building of the electric street railway 
 in West Bay City. He was the main owner of 
 this road and when he later acquired a con- 
 trolling interest in the horse-car system in Bay 
 City, he consolidated the two companies under 
 the name of the Bay City & West Bay City 
 Street Car Company. Another instance of 
 business enterprise was the purchase, with Ben- 
 jamin Burbridge, of large tracts of land at 
 Sebawaing. The company put down the first 
 shafts and mined the first coal in this part of 
 the State. Being the pioneer company in the 
 field, it had to face conditions which took away 
 profits, but it was the means of discovering to 
 the residents of this section of the State the fact 
 that great veins of coal awaited the capitalists 
 who. since then, have mined to the extent of 
 immense fortunes. Mr. Fisher's activities have 
 continued in almost every developing way. He 
 was one of the first to promote, foster and en- 
 courage different business enterprises which, 
 with his clear foresight, he could see would 
 contribute to the general welfare, and one of 
 these was the founding of The Lumberman's 
 State Bank, of West Bay City. This bank suc- 
 ceeded the private bank of H. H. Norrington, 
 in which Mr. Fisher was interested. He was 
 the first president of the new organization and 
 remained its head continuously for 25 years. 
 He was also the promoter and organizer and 
 also president of the Flome Light Company of 
 Wenona, which was later consolidated with the 
 company in Bay Citv' and now bears the name 
 of the Bay County Electric Light Company. 
 
 During- its first year of existence, Mr. 
 Fisher was vice-president of the Michigan 
 Sugar Company, but closed out his interest in 
 1899 and in one day organized the West Bav 
 
5/6 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 City Sugar Company, of which he became 
 president. At present he is president and man- 
 ager of the Micliigan Land & Lumber Com- 
 pany and of the Morgan Lumber Company, 
 owners of stancHng pine timter in the Georgian 
 Bay district of Ontario. His pubhc spirit and 
 devotion to the interests of West Bay City has 
 been shown all through his business career in 
 Bay County. During the period when he was 
 manager of the street railway company, he 
 spent thousands of dollars of his ow-n fortune 
 in the development of that l^eautiful and popu- 
 lar summer resort. — Wenona Beach, which 
 has proved a successful financial enterprise, 
 whose advantages to the city in every way can- 
 not be over-estimated. 
 
 >\Ir. Fisher's activities have been in no way 
 limited to a business career. He has won de- 
 served reputation not only in his State but in 
 the halls of Congress and has not hesitated to 
 raise his voice in the interests of his constitu- 
 ents as well as to defend the great principles of 
 his party. Politically, he is a Democrat. When 
 he moved from Hillsdale to Wenona, he had 
 served two years in the former village as alder- 
 man and his influence was immediately felt in 
 his new home. It was mainly through his 
 efforts that a consolidation of the villages of 
 Salzburg, Wenona and Banks was effected. 
 The leaders from each of the villages sought 
 to give the new municipality the name of their 
 village, but the "Grand Old Man of Greater 
 Bay City," realizing that the two distinct com- 
 munities on opposite banks of the Saginaw 
 River, were in reality but one city, named the 
 new city "West Bay City," and for weeks con- 
 tended against the opposing factions until the 
 name he had chosen was adopted. That was 
 in 1877, and in every session of the Legislature 
 from that time he agitated the consolidation of 
 the two cities. He was instrumental in having 
 passed by the Legislature the first bill to unite 
 
 Bay City, West Bay City and Essexville, the 
 same to take effect in 1891. The bill was 
 signed by the Governor on June 21, 1887. This 
 act provided for the appointment of a commit- 
 tee of three from each city to fix the equaliza- 
 tion of debts and taxes and to adjust other 
 matters of importance to the united cities. In 
 case of disagreement, Hon. Spencer O. Fisher 
 was named as arbiter, with power to decide 
 any controversy. The opposition, however, 
 managed to manipulate a special election which 
 gave an adverse vote on the matter of consoli- 
 dation, and so the subject was dropped for a 
 time. When the new movement for consolida- 
 tion was started in 1903, Mr. Fisher again led 
 the consolidationists. He was looking after 
 his lumber interests in the Georgian Bay region 
 in January, 1905. when the bill to repeal the 
 consolidation act was railroaded through the 
 Legislature. When he learned that the realiza- 
 tion of one of his fondest hopes was in danger 
 of being set back for another twenty years, he 
 hurried back home, rallied enough prominent 
 business men to make sure that consolidation 
 still had many loyal supporters, and called for 
 an open meeting in the parlors of the Fraser 
 House. The "antis" pretended to laugh at INIr. 
 Fisher's efforts; Ixit when on a few hours 
 notice hundreds of representative business men 
 and leading citizens went on record as still 
 favoring the 1903 agreement, they found that 
 all the movement required was a powerful and 
 earnest leader. Governor Fred INI. Warner 
 was wired to hold up the repeal act, which he 
 did, although not of Mr. Fisher's political faith. 
 Mr. Fisher was- spokesman for a committee 
 that went to Lansing to arrange for a public 
 hearing before the Governor. Public meetings 
 were held in the two cities, and such a senti- 
 ment was created, as indicated by the stream of 
 letters and telegrams with which the Governor 
 was deluged, that tlie Governor vetoed the 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 577 
 
 repeal act. During all those days and hours 
 when so much trembled in the balance, Mr. 
 Fisher was the soul of the consolidation move- 
 ment. He gave the energy and vitality to the 
 movement that carried it to victory when all 
 seemed lost ; and in the celebrations which fol- 
 lowed, the lion's share of the credit was ac- 
 corded to the "Father of Greater Bay City." 
 
 In 1887, Mr. Fisher was a candidate for 
 the honor of being the first mayor of West Baj' 
 City. He was defeated by only two votes. He 
 was subsequently elected alderman of the Third 
 Ward and served se\-eral terms to the benefit 
 of the city. Later he was elected mayor and 
 during his administration of the office, during 
 three terms, the city increased in prosperity 
 along every line. In 1884 he was sent as a 
 district delegate to the National Democratic 
 Convention at Chicago, and in the same year 
 he was elected by his district as a member of 
 the 49th Congress, and was returned to the 
 SOth Congress by a majority of 2,000 votes. 
 At Washington he became closely identified 
 with measures which provided for the general 
 welfare and, with characteristic energy, worked 
 for the improving of his own district. His suc- 
 cess is seen in the establishment of the United 
 States District and Circuit courts and in the 
 large appropriations for the Government Build- 
 ing at Bay City. In affairs of general interest 
 he was not silent, and he gave assistance in 
 bringing about the forfeiture to the govern- 
 ment of unearned land grants in favor of home- 
 stead settlers : in obtaining needed appropria- 
 tions for the improvement of rivers and har- 
 bors and in the establishment and maintenance 
 of lighthouses. 
 
 In 1894 Mr. Fisher was the Democratic 
 candidate for Governor of Michigan, and al- 
 though his defeat in a Republican stronghold 
 was a foregone conclusion, the large vote he 
 received was a flattering testimonial of the 
 
 high esteem in which he is held throughout the 
 State. 
 
 For 21 years Mr. Fisher served as a mem- 
 ber of the School Board of West Bay City. Ht 
 was appointed president of the Sage Library 
 Board by its founder, Henry W. Sage, and has 
 served in that capacity and as trustee since the 
 library was established. For many years he 
 has been a trustee of the Westminster Presby- 
 terian Church and gave freely and liberally to 
 the erection of the new church edifice. His 
 charities have always been large and he has 
 been a benefactor on many occasions when the 
 fact never became public. 
 
 On June 26, 1867, Mr. Fisher was married 
 to Katherine H. Crane, who is a daughter of 
 D. P. Crane, of Hillsdale, Michigan, and they 
 have three daughters, viz. : Grace, wife of 
 Floyd A. Goodwin, of Bay City; Nellie Jose- 
 phine, wife of Edwin M. Eddy, of San Fran- 
 cisco; and Kate, who lives at home. A portrait 
 of Mr. Fisher accompanies this sketch. 
 
 F.V. R. G. VAN ROOY, pastor of St. 
 John's Catholic Church at Essexville, 
 Bay County, was born October 18, 
 1867, in the Province of North Bra- 
 bant, the Netherlands, and is a son of Henry 
 and Petronella Van Rooy. 
 
 The parents of Father \'an Rooy still re- 
 side in the Netherlands. The father carried on 
 a business as merchant and dealer in iron and 
 iron castings, from which he has now retired, 
 being succeeded by his four sons, who continue 
 to be interested in that line. The family con- 
 sisted of five sons and one daughter, and of 
 these Father Van Rooy was the only one to 
 come to America. 
 
 Until he was 26 years of age. Father \'an 
 Rooy remained in his own land, attending the 
 parochial schools until 12 years of age and en- 
 
S78 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 joying collegiate advantages in North Bra- 
 bant until 1 8 years of age, when he entered a 
 Belgian convent college. Upon his return to 
 the Netherlands, he completed his theological 
 studies at the convent at Heeswijk, following 
 which he was sent to America by his church su- 
 periors. He arrived in the city of New York 
 on August 4, 1894, and proceeded at once to 
 Wisconsin to take up work in the Diocese of 
 Green Bay, being settled at Dyckesville. There 
 the young priest had a congregation of 180 
 families and during his 10 vears' season of work 
 Ijuilt a new church and parish house and be- 
 c^.me known in all that section for his religious 
 zeal and executive ability. 
 
 Father \'an Roov came to Essexville on 
 April I, 1904, taking charge of a parish of 
 360 families, made up of many nationalities, 
 including 200 French, 160 Hollanders and Bel- 
 gians, with a considerable sprinkling of Irish 
 and German. This large parish provides the 
 faithful priest with many duties. The parochial 
 school, which has an average attendance of 
 about 270 children, is under the care of the 
 Dominican Sisters. He is now engaged in 
 building a new residence for the Sisters on the 
 site of the academy, which was burned just be- 
 fore Father Van Rooy took charge. The first 
 church was what was erected for a school house 
 by Father Thomas Rafter, of Bay City, in 
 1884. The first resident pastor here was Father 
 Roche, who came in 1887 and built the present 
 parish house in 1888 and the present church in 
 1892. Father Roche died here in 1900 and 
 Father Kenny supplied until Father Bresson 
 came to take charge. He fell ill and was suc- 
 ceeded by Father Van Rooy. who has made 
 many friends, both within and without his con- 
 gregation, and has impressed all who have 
 come within the sphere of his influence, as a 
 man of superior intelligence, great learning and 
 excellent Christian charncter. 
 
 ON. \V O R T H Y L O V E L L 
 CHURCHILL, one of the strong 
 men who has stood at the head of 
 financial aft'airs and great business in- 
 terests in Northern and Eastern Michigan for 
 many years, still dominates the policies of many 
 of the prospering commercial enterprises of va- 
 rious parts of the country. As president and 
 treasurer of the Bay City-AIicbigan Sugar 
 Company ; as president and general manager of 
 the Tawas Sugar Company ; president of the 
 Onoway Limestone Company and as a director 
 of the Stearns & Culver Lumber Company, of 
 Bagdad, Florida, he demonstrates the same un- 
 bounded business capacity of younger years and 
 a thorough comprehension of all questions of 
 vital interest to these great concerns. Mr. 
 Churchill was born at Batavia, Illinois. Decem- 
 ber 14. 1840, and is a son of Joseph \\'. and 
 Delia S. (Wilson) Churchill. 
 
 Along with personal traits and physical re- 
 semblance, our subject also inherited the name 
 of his grandfather. Gen. Worthy Lovell 
 Churchill, who was named in honor of the 
 heroic General Lovell, of Revolutionary War 
 fame. At the time of the birth of General 
 Churchill, in A'ermont. the daring exploits of 
 this young soldier of that State were being cel- 
 ebrated in story and song as those of the 
 Worthy Lovell. 
 
 In 1802, after his marriage with a member 
 of the old family of \Mielpley. the grandf:ither 
 removed from Vermont and settled in the Hol- 
 land Purchase in New York State, where the 
 city of Batavia now stands. He took a prom- 
 inent part in the War of 181 2, a comrade of 
 General Warren, and both he and Warren gal- 
 lantly led their commands at the battle of Black 
 Rock, where the brave Warren was killed. Gen- 
 eral Churchill's life closed at his home at Ba- 
 tavia, New York. 
 
 The matern?! grandfather of IN.Ir. Churchill 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 579 
 
 was a distinguished jurist. Judge Isaac G. Wil- 
 son, who was a son of Judge Isaac Wilson. The 
 judicial toga has fallen upon the son of the 
 second Judge Wilson, who occupies a seat on a 
 judicial bench in Colorado. The mother of 
 Mr. Churchill was born at Batavia, New York, 
 in June, 1808, and died September 17, 1898. 
 Joseph W. Churchill, father of the subject 
 of this record, was born in 1800, at Hubbard- 
 ton, Vermont, and was two years old when his 
 parents removed to Western New York. There 
 he grew to manhood, perfected himself in the 
 law under the direction of Judge Moses Tag- 
 gart, and, in 1835, decided to cast in his lot 
 with that army of immigrants flocking from 
 North, East and South, into the rich lands of 
 Illinois. Such men as Joseph W. Churchill, 
 coming with an abundance of means, social 
 prestige and acknowledged superiority of in- 
 tellect, were w'elcomed. He settled in a hamlet 
 to which he gave the name of his formed place 
 of residence, Batavia, now a beautiful little city 
 which is noted for the elegance of its homes, 
 many of them owned by Chicago magnates. 
 Mr. Churchill made rapid progress in the law, 
 and with others of the same profession, Morris, 
 Wentworth, Douglas and Lincoln, traveled the 
 circuit, weighed down with their saddle bags of 
 legal documents. He was intimately associated 
 with Douglas and Lincoln both in professional 
 work and political campaigns. Soon after com- 
 ing to Illinois, Judge Churchill was elected to 
 the State Legislature and was prominently 
 identified with the making of the laws that sub- 
 sequently resulted in developing the State in the 
 way of opening up means of transportation, 
 both by rail and water. Judge Churchill was 
 still a resident of Illinois when the trouble arose 
 concerning the settlement of the Mormons 
 there, but before political discord reached its 
 height between the northern and the southern 
 portions of the State, he removed, in 1853, to 
 
 Davenport, Iowa. There he confined his at- 
 tention for the remainder of his active life to 
 the practice of his profession. His death took 
 place in 1884. His three children were: 
 Georgia, who died at Davenport, January 8, 
 1892; Worthy Lovell, of this sketch; and Ho- 
 bart D., who died March 11, 1904. The last 
 named was a very astute business man. He 
 was closely associated with our subject in vari- 
 ous important enterprises for a long period. 
 Judge Churchill and wife were de\'oted mem- 
 bers of the Protestant Episcopal Church, strict 
 in their observance of its usages. From youth 
 he was a Free Mason, like the majority of the 
 prominent intellectual men of his day. 
 
 In taking up the personal history of our 
 subject, we meet with many interesting inci- 
 dents. He was reared at Davenport, Iowa, 
 where he attended first the local schools and 
 then entered Griswold College until his parents 
 placed him in a noted Episcopal school, con- 
 ducted by Dr. Reid at Geneva, New York. 
 After two years of careful training there, he 
 entered the office of a civil engineer and con- 
 tinued his studies for several years. In 1858 
 the discovery of gold on the Platte River in 
 Colorado created great excitement throughout 
 the country. Many a prairie schooner, in- 
 scribed with the words "Pike's Peak or Bust," 
 crossed the Western plains for the El Dorado 
 of the gold seekers. Only those who lived 
 through those exciting days can realize the hold 
 the stories of fortunes made in a few days se- 
 cured on the imaginations of young and ambi- 
 tious men, especially those, who, like Mr. 
 Churchill, had been directing their studies in 
 the line of engineering. With little difficulty 
 he and others organized the Cherry Creek Mill 
 Company, of which he was made secretary, and 
 the prirtv set out for Cherry Creek, which was 
 the origiml name of Denver, well equipped, as 
 thev imagined, with a portable sawmill. They 
 
s8o 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 had only reached Grand Island, Nebraska, 
 when all the members of the pioneering party 
 became disconraged at the difficulties of the 
 enterprise and turned back, except Mr. 
 Churchill, who w as made of sterner stuff. Prob- 
 ably by this time his hopes of success were not 
 so high, but. instead of turning backward, he 
 joined forces with a man who owned an ox- 
 team, and they were joined by still another ox- 
 team and the party resumed the journey. 
 
 This true story continues through Mr. 
 Churchill again being left alone on his way, 
 climbing the lonely trail on the back of a mule, 
 determined to reach the point for which he 
 started. Human endurance, however, has a 
 limit and he came to the day when he could 
 progress no further. He then made his way to 
 the old California trail to Salt Lake City, and 
 reached California in i860. Conditions were 
 not such as he had expected and he soon left 
 California and went to the South, but before he 
 had entered intn business there the Civil War 
 broke out and he returned to Davenport. The 
 growing importance of Chicago as a business 
 center led him to go there, where he accepted 
 a position in a mercantile house which he held 
 during the Civil War. The Chicago fire, in 
 1 87 1, opened up a great business in lumber 
 and its possibilities were early recognized by 
 Mr. Churchill. From a local lumber business 
 he became interested, about 1874, with the 
 lumber mills at Alpena. Michigan, to which 
 point he removed, with the expectation of re- 
 maining six months. His residence extended 
 to 28 years, his removal to Bay City being in 
 1902. His brother's failing health caused the 
 dissolution in 1903 of the firm of W. L. & 
 H. B. Churchill, a firm which had done much 
 to develop the lumber business in Northern 
 Michigan. They had purchased extensive tracts 
 of timber land and towed logs from Canada to 
 Michigan, where they were manufactured into 
 
 rough lumber. This was sold in cargo lots 
 and shipped all over the world. It is estimated 
 that the cutting of this company was from 
 25.000.000 to 40,000,000 feet annually. 
 
 In 1898 Mr. Churchill, in connection with 
 other leading capitalists here, organized the 
 Bay City Sugar Company, which at a later date 
 was united with the Michigan Sugar Company. 
 The former company built a factory and had it 
 in operation in 1899. ^^'- Churchill's interest 
 has continued in the sugar industry and he is 
 the president and treasurer of the Bay City 
 Michig'an Sugar Company, president and gen- 
 eral manager of the Tawas Sugar Company 
 and has interests in numerous other factories. 
 His other enterprises have been indicated. The 
 Stearns & Culver Lumber Company, of which 
 he is a director, cuts long-leaf yellow pine lum- 
 ber in the South, and also manufactures tur- 
 pentine. He was one of the organizers of this 
 company as he also was of the Onoway Lime- 
 stone Company, of which he is also the presi- 
 dent. 
 
 Mr. Churchill was married, during his res- 
 idence in Chicago, to Amelia Montgomery, who 
 is a daughter of Joseph A. Montgomery of that 
 city. Of their three children but one survives, 
 a daughter, Florence. The family belong to 
 the Protestant Episcopal Church and Mr. 
 Churchill has been a vestryman for many years. 
 
 Mr. Churchill became prominent in politics 
 at Alpena, where lie was twice elected mayor. 
 In 1875 he was sent to represent the district in 
 the State Legislature. In 1894 he was unani- 
 mously chosen by the Democratic party of the 
 loth Congressional District as a candidate for 
 Congress, but was defeated, that being the year 
 of the great Republican victories all over the 
 country. Hon. John Donovan was the only 
 Democrat elected that year to the Legislature, 
 being tlie only one of the party's candidates 
 successful on State or national ticket. 
 
MK. AND MRS. HENRY KRANEK AND FAMILY 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 583 
 
 Mr. Churchill has withdrawn from many 
 of his business enterprises and devotes more 
 time, than he formerly permitted himself, to the 
 leisurely enjoyment of the good things of life. 
 He takes much interest in the raising and driv- 
 ing of good horses and owns many valuable ani- 
 mals. His fraternal connections include the 
 Knights of Pythias and the Elks. Personally, 
 Mr. Churchill is a man very pleasant to meet 
 either in a social or business way. His manner 
 is cordial, his attitude engaging and his cour- 
 tesy of the kind that wins friendship and ad- 
 miration. 
 
 ENRY KRANER, deceased, was one 
 of the pioneer settlers in Bay County, 
 Michigan, and at the time of his 
 death owned 200 acres of fine land 
 in Monitor township. He was born in Prus- 
 sia, Germany, July i, 1827. and died on his 
 own farm in Bay County, June i, 1904. 
 
 Mr. Kraner came to America when he was 
 a young, unmarried man, landing in Washte- 
 naw County, Michigan, in 1847. He secured 
 farm w-ork there and continued to work on 
 various farms by the month for three 
 years and then worked one year in 
 Bay County. After his marriage, he re- 
 turned to Washtenaw County, where he 
 bought a farm of 80 acres, which he operated 
 for seven years. Securing mill w'ork in Bay 
 City, he sold his farm and worked in a sawmill 
 for three years, and then bought another farm 
 and again engaged in agricultural pursuits. 
 His first purchase was one of 80 acres and he 
 continued to buy other tracts until he owned 
 200 acres. It was all heavily timbered. When 
 Mr. Kraner started to build his home, he had 
 to make a clearing so as to obtain an open site. 
 With the assistance of his sons he cleared off 
 
 this large body of land and put it under culti- 
 vation. He was an intelligent, honest, industri- 
 ous man, one who did his duty to his family and 
 his community. He was a strong Democrat 
 and was elected to school and township offices. 
 He was one of the organizers and liberal con- 
 tributors to the first German Lutheran Church 
 established at West Bay City. 
 
 Henry Kraner, was married May 2, 1852, 
 to Fredericka Mackenson, who was born in 
 Brunswick, Germany, May 26, 1829, and came 
 to Bay City, in 1850, with her parents, Zacha- 
 rias and Fredericka (Schroeder) Mackenson. 
 Six children were born to this union, the four 
 survivors being : Anna ; Frederick ; August ; 
 and Caroline, who is the widow of George 
 Nickels, and who has one son, — George. The 
 mother of this family is still living. Mr.' and 
 Mrs. Kraner celebrated their 50th wedding 
 anniversary on May 2, 1902, at which time 
 Mr. Kraner enjoyed the testimonials of esteem 
 shown him by his family and friends. 
 
 August Kraner, who has succeeded his 
 father both in the management of the home 
 farm and in the respect of the community, 
 owns 125 acres of land, 80 of which are situ- 
 ated in sections 24, Monitor township, where 
 he resides. Since his father's death, he has 
 completed many improvements, including the 
 relniilding of the dwelling house and the erec- 
 tion of a substantial barn. He carries on gen- 
 eral farming and is extensively engaged in the 
 raising of good stock. 
 
 August Kraner was married April 26, 1892, 
 to Christine Rheinhardt, w-as bom in Monitor 
 township, in 1872. and died February 16, 1893, 
 leaving a little son, — Henry, — motherless. 
 
 In politics Mr. Kraner is one of the town- 
 ship's leading Republicans. He has held a 
 number of school offices and was school treas- 
 urer for a considerable time. He is one of the 
 
584 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 trustees and treasurer of the German Lutheran 
 Church at West Bay City. 
 
 On a foregoing page, in connection with 
 this sketch, is shown a group picture of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Henry Kraner, their sons and daugh- 
 ters and their two grandsons. 
 
 ILLOX PROSSER CLARK, senior 
 member of the firm of Clark & ]\Iun- 
 ger, one of the leading firms of ar- 
 chitects at Bay City, Michigan, was 
 born in Medina township, Medina County, 
 Ohio, October 20, 1850. and is a son of James 
 and Annie M. (Wright) Clark. 
 
 James Clark was born in 1823 in Argyle 
 County, New York, and died in Ohio in the 
 spring of 1877. In boyhood he learned the 
 mason's trade and worked at the same after he 
 had removed to Ohio. He became a mason 
 contractor, which business he conducted suc- 
 cessfully to the end of his life. He married 
 Annie M. Wright, who was a daughter of Or- 
 ris and Elizabeth (Reece) Wright. Mr. 
 Wright was born in New York but moved at 
 an early day to Ohio and owned and operated 
 an old-fashioned water-power grist-mill at 
 Johnson's Corners. The mother of our subject 
 died in 1893, aged 66 years. The four children 
 of Mr. and Mrs. Clark were : Dillon P.. of this 
 sketch : Delia, wife of Albert Herkner, of Me- 
 dina. Ohio: Clarence O.. of ISIedina. Ohio: and 
 Eugene E., of Cleveland, Ohio. The parents 
 were consistent members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church, in which the father served 
 many vears as a member of the of^cial board. 
 
 After completing the common-school course 
 in his native locality. Dillon P. Clark learned 
 the mason's trade with his father and worked 
 with the latter for four years. In 1870 he en- 
 tered into business for himself as a contractor 
 
 at Aledina, and followed contracting there for 
 10 years, a part of this period being in part- 
 nership with Wallace Munger, father of his 
 present business partner. During all these years 
 ]\Ir. Clark had devoted more or less attention 
 to the study of architecture, at first as a recrea- 
 tion but later with the idea of giving the pro- 
 fession his entire time, it being one congenial 
 in every way. His former occupation had laid 
 the foundation, for the laws that govern build- 
 ing and construction are applied by every prac- 
 tical mechanic and must be thoroughly under- 
 stood. Mr. Clark was not able, however, to 
 avail himself of the advantages given in a school 
 of architecture ; his knowledge has been entirely 
 gained through study and observation, assisted 
 by a natural artistic ability. 
 
 In 1880 Mr. Clark began to follow archi- 
 tecture as a profession and on November i, 
 1882, he came to \\"est Bay City and opened 
 office, four years later removing to Bay City. 
 While his work covers all kinds of construc- 
 tion, Mr. Clark makes a specialty of churches 
 and public buildings. He superintended the 
 construction of the Federal Building in Bay 
 City, one of the finest buildings in the State: 
 was one of the architects of the Phoenix Block : 
 designed the Methodist Episcopal and Christian 
 churches and many fine residences at Medina, 
 Ohio ; the Ridotto and many other fine build- 
 ings of both public and private character in Bay 
 City and West Bay City ; the :Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church, Greenville. ]\Iichigan : :\Iethodist 
 Episcopal churches at Owosso. Sault Ste. 
 Marie and Calumet. Michigan; four churches 
 and numerous other buildings at Flint, the First 
 Baptist Church at Alpena, ilichigan, etc., etc. 
 In collaboration with his present partner, the 
 new Bay City Club house, the Genesee County 
 Court House, sherifif's residence and jail, the 
 new Carnegie Library and four splendid school 
 buildings at Flint, Michigan, have been de- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 :}°D 
 
 signed, as well as a large number of churches, 
 school buildings, business blocks and fine resi- 
 dences at various points throughout the State. 
 
 W'lien the Phoenix Block was completed, 
 Mr. Clark took an office there, where he contin- 
 ued until February, 1898, when the firm moved 
 into its present fine suite of offices in the Shearer 
 Block, which are convenient and modern in 
 every particular. On September i, 1897, the 
 firm of Clark & Munger was formed, Averton 
 Edmund Munger, whose sketch appears on an- 
 other page of this work, becoming the junior 
 member. 
 
 Mr. Clark married Alice Hickox, who is a 
 daughter of Roman F. Hickox, of Lodi, Ohio. 
 They had one daughter, Matie B., a beautiful, 
 accomplished girl, whose death on May 10, 
 1897, was a crushing affliction. Mr. Clark is 
 a member of the ]\Iethodist Episcopal Church 
 in West Bay City, of w-hich he is at the present 
 time a trustee. Politically a Republican, he 
 takes no very active part in campaign work. He 
 is a member of W'enona Lodge. F. & A. M., of 
 West Bav Citv. 
 
 [)GAR J. REILLEY, who follows the 
 business of lumber inspector and log 
 scaler, and as such is widely known 
 through the Michigan lumber regions, 
 has well-appointed offices located at the corner 
 of Center avenue and North Water street, 
 Bay City. Mr. Reilley was born in Edinburg, 
 Ohio, March 24, 1851, and is a son of John 
 Scott and Cornelia Bissell (Webb) Reilley. 
 
 The Reilley family came originally from the 
 North of Ireland. The paternal grandfather 
 of our subject was John Reilley. who married 
 Margaret Scott, of Franklin County. Penn- 
 sylvania. 
 
 John Scott Reilley was born in Green V'il- 
 
 lage, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, July 28, 
 1818. His father, John Reilley, was a mer- 
 chant and justice of the peace and in later years 
 engaged in school teaching. His uncle, James 
 Reilley, was killed in the battle at the river 
 Raisin. John S. Reilley learned the tailoring 
 trade at Steubenville, Ohio, but the greater ])'irt 
 of his young manhood was spent in West \'ir- 
 ginia. He traveled over the country as a jour- 
 neyman tailor, working at various points until 
 the introduction of factory-made clothes made 
 it no longer profitable. He then opened a hotel 
 at Edinburg, Ohio, but later removed to Ra- 
 venna, Ohio. About 1853 '^^ removed to Vas- 
 sar, Tuscola County, Michigan, where he be- 
 came interested in lumbering. Eight years 
 later he came to Bav Citv, where he subse- 
 quently opened a grocery store. After operat- 
 ing it about two years he retired from business 
 and died 15 years later, August 5, 1904. While 
 a resident of Ohio, he was a member of the Odd 
 Fellows but did not continue his relations with 
 the organization after coming to this State. 
 Politically a Democrat, he was elected by his 
 party to numerous local offices and served as a 
 member of the Bay County Board of Super- 
 visors from the Fifth Ward for some time. 
 
 On Decemljer 31. 1846, at Freedom, Por- 
 tage County, Ohio, John S. Reilley was mar- 
 ried to Cornelia Bissell Webb, who is a daugh- 
 ter of Dr. James Webb, of Holly, Orleans 
 County, New York. Mrs. Reilley was born 
 February 7, 1829, and is of Scotch and Eng- 
 lish ancestry. Her mother was born in East 
 Hartford, Connecticut, and w^as a niece of 
 Major General Bissell, an officer in the Revo- 
 lutionary War. Mrs. Reilley's brother, ]\Iervin 
 Webb, was a member of an Ohio heavy artillery 
 regiment during the Civil War and died at 
 Natchez. Mississippi. The four children of 
 Mr. and Mrs. John S. Reilley were: Florence, 
 deceased, who was the wife of .Mbert Miller, 
 
586 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 of Spokane. \\'ashington ; Carrie Gertrude, 
 Crawford Scott and Edgar }., of this sketch. 
 
 Carrie Gertrude Reiiley is one of the well- 
 known educators of Bay County. After com- 
 pleting her education in the Bay City schools, 
 she taught at St. Helen's, near Hemlock, in 
 Saginaw County, then at Kawkawlin and finally 
 in the Bay City Training School. She then 
 began a professional career of 13 years' dura- 
 tion in Bay City, teaching first in the Wood- 
 side School, then in the Fifth Ward, then spent 
 four years in the Sixth Ward and completed 
 her work as teacher in 1897 in the Farragut 
 School. She is a very intelligent lady and is 
 particularly gifted in the art of teaching. 
 
 Crawford Scott Reiiley was born in Bay 
 City, August 14, 1867. After finishing his 
 work in the grammar schools, he attended the 
 Bay City High School for a period and then 
 began the study of the law with John L. Stod- 
 dard, and continued with T. A. E. and J- C. 
 Weadock. Subsequently he was graduated 
 from the law school of the University of Mich- 
 igan in 1889 and then entered the office of his 
 former preceptors for a time. Later he located 
 in Sheboygan, Michigan, where he has gained 
 great prominence in his profession. In addi- 
 tion to having a large private practice, he has 
 been city attorney for a number of years, 
 county prosecuting attorney and circuit court 
 commissioner. Fraternally he is an Elk. 
 
 Edward J. Reiiley, the subject of this 
 sketch, was educated in the public schools of 
 Vassar and Bay City, and began his business 
 life as a messenger boy. One year later he went 
 to tally lumber for the W. C. Yawkey Company 
 and was with that firm three years, going then 
 to Tawas as lumber inspector for three years 
 more. During this period he had charge of the 
 Western Union telegraph ofiice for one year, 
 having learned to receive and transmit mes- 
 sages over the wire several years before, when 
 
 he was a messenger boy in Bay City. 
 In 1 87 1 he went to work for E. Y. 
 Williams and continued with him about 
 20 summers, working through the win- 
 ters in the woods as a log scaler for other 
 parties. In i8qi he went to the Lake Superior 
 country as an inspector and after a two years' 
 absence came back to Bay City, where his serv- 
 ices are offered to lumber men as a skilled in- 
 spector and log scaler. The business is one for 
 which every man is not qualified, and no one is 
 competent without years of experience. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Reiiley is a Democrat. 
 Fraternally he is a Mason, belonging to Bay 
 City Lodge, No. 129; Blanchard Chapter, No. 
 59, R. A. M. ; and Bay City Commandery, No. 
 26, K. T. The whole family attend the Pres- 
 bvterian Church. 
 
 ONORE LEMIEUX is a well-known 
 farmer and blacksmith of Bay 
 County, whose farm and shop are 
 located in section 4, Kawkawlin 
 township, and whose postoffice address is 
 Linwood. 
 
 Mr. Lemieux was born at Montreal, Prov- 
 ince of Quebec. Canada, in 1865, and is a son 
 of Peter and Philomen Lemieux. The father is 
 living on the farm with his son, the mother 
 having passed away several years ago. They 
 had nine children, as follows: Peter, who 
 resides at Essexville, Bay County ; Au.gust and 
 Wilbrod, who live in Minnesota : Honore ; 
 Evangeline, who is the wife of Homer Pen- 
 guin: Wilfred, who owns the 40 acres adjoin- 
 ing the property of his brother, Honore; 
 Eladie, deceased : Zinnophile, whose home is in 
 section 5. Kawkawlin township: and Elizabeth, 
 married Austin Brancham, nf Beaver township. 
 
 Tlie subject of this sketch came from Can- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 587 
 
 ada to Michigan in 1891. He spent a year in 
 Bay City, and in 1893 located on his present 
 farm, which consists of 40 acres of desirable 
 land, and is kept in excellent condition. 
 
 On October 7, 1902, Mr. Lemieux was 
 married to Elizabeth Mennier, a daughter of 
 Solomon and ilargarct (Grelenx) Mennier. 
 Solomon IMennier came from Canada about 
 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Lemieux have had two 
 children, — Lillian, who died in infancy; and 
 Felix, who was born November 18, 1904. The 
 subject of this sketch is an industrious, upright 
 and worthy man, and is favorably regarded by 
 all with whom he is brought into contact. In 
 politics Mr. Lemieux acts with the Democratic 
 party. Religiously, he is a member of the 
 Catholic Church. 
 
 lOHN :M. NUFFER, a leading citizen of 
 Williams township, who is the owner 
 and operator of a large cheese factory 
 and also the proprietor of a general 
 store at Aul^urn, was born February 16, 1870, 
 in Frankenlust township, Bay County, and is a 
 son of William and Mary (Kranzlein) Nuffer. 
 The ancestry of Mr. Nuffer on both 
 sides is of German extraction, both pa- 
 ternal and maternal grandparents having 
 been born and married in Germanv. Thev 
 
 came to Michigan at 
 
 a verv early 
 
 (lav 
 
 and settled in Frankenlust township. Bay 
 County, right in the wilderness, far removed 
 from civilization. They were obliged to cut 
 their own paths through the forests and tam- 
 arack swamps in order to reach the land they 
 had purchased. Both Mr. Nuffer and Mr. 
 Kranzlein became very prominent citizens in 
 the settlement and development of this section, 
 but they were not able to give their children 
 many school advantages, our subject's father 
 
 being almost a man before he enjoyed any op- 
 portunities. He was very young when the 
 family came to Bay County, and the mother 
 was five years old. 
 
 William Nuffer and Mary Kranzlein were 
 married in 1864 and they had six children, 
 viz. : Margaret, wife of Michael Uhlrich, of 
 Saginaw: Darliara, deceased, who was the wife 
 of Adolph Wirth ; William, who died in 1900 
 and was buried in Frankenlust township ; John 
 M. of this sketch ; and George A. and Henry 
 of Amelich, Bay County. Mr. Nuffer died at 
 the age of 38 years and his widow married 
 again. She had eight children by the second 
 marriage and died at the age of 58 years. 
 
 Our subject was educated in the schools of 
 Frankenlust township and worked on the home 
 farm until he was 21 years of age and then 
 spent a season in the woods engaged in lum- 
 bering. He then learned cheese-making with 
 William ^^'a]ker, a veteran cheese-maker of 
 Frankentrost township, Saginaw County, with 
 whom he worked four months and then fol- 
 lowed the Inisiness with ^Michael Bickle for 
 two months. j\Ir. Nuffer then embarked in the 
 business for himself, starting a factor}' in 
 Monitor township where he continued three 
 years and then bought a factory at Amelith, 
 where he continued his business for four years. 
 In igoi he started his large factory at Auburn, 
 where he has a capacity for the making of 8,000 
 pounds daily. His milk is secured within a 
 radius of four miles and he ships his finished 
 product to Bay City, Saginaw, .\drian and 
 Detroit. 
 
 Mr. Nuffer is a man of enterprise and of 
 progressive ideas, and he has just completed 
 and occupied a fine store building, run in con- 
 nection with his factory. This building is con- 
 structed in a modern way and its steel ceiling 
 is not only an object of beauty, but is also de- 
 signed for safety. Mr. Nuffer carried a large 
 
588 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 stock of well-selected goods, including shoes, 
 clothing, dry goods, groceries, hardware, con- 
 fectionery, etc. 
 
 ^Ir. Nufifer was married June 28, 1898. at 
 Monitor, to Katie Weber, who was a daughter 
 of Fred and Eliza (Phillips) Weber. Mrs. 
 Nufifer died on January 5, 1905, aged 28 
 years and 17 days, leaving a family of five chil- 
 dren (the youngest a newly born babe), viz.: 
 William, Elma. John. Otto and Katie Mary. 
 In her death Mr. Nuffer has met with a terrible 
 bereavement. She was a most estimable lady. 
 a willing and valued helpmate and a devoted 
 wife and mother. 
 
 Politically Mr. Nuffer is a Democrat. He 
 is a member of the German Lutheran Church. 
 
 ON. JONATHAN SMITH BAR- 
 CLAY, who is well remembered by 
 the older citizens of Bay County, 
 was for many years one of the most 
 enterprising and progressive business men of 
 Bay City. He was identified with various 
 enterprises and established the well-known 
 hotel known as the old Wolverton House, but 
 for a period of 25 years prior to his death he 
 lived a retired life. He was a son of Richard 
 and Hannah (Smith) Barclay, and grandson 
 of John Barclay, who founded the Bank of 
 Northumberland at Philadelphia. The family 
 is of Scotch origin and is descended from the 
 first colonial Governor of New Jersey, Robert 
 Barclay. Hannah Smith, the wife of Richard 
 Barclay, was a daughter of Col. George and 
 Effie (Drake) Smith, which family also traces 
 its ancestry to early colonial days. 
 
 Jonathan S. Barclay was born in Northum- 
 berland County. Pennsylvania. August 8, 1807, 
 r.:-id at the age of 16 years learned the trade of 
 a millwrio-ht and miller. He conducted a grist- 
 
 mill when a mere bov and moved to Tamaqua, 
 Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, to assist in 
 the construction of a branch railroad. He then 
 vvent to Pottsville, where he followed his trade 
 for a time, after which he went to Lycoming 
 county to build a furnace. About this time he 
 gained the displeasure of his father by voting 
 for Andrew Jackson, Democratic candidate for 
 President, and was disinherited. Senator 
 Thomas E. Bayard, United States Senator 
 from Delaware, was familiar with these facts, 
 rnd gave what assistance he could to the young 
 man. He took him to his home, gave him em- 
 ployment and the use of a large law library. 
 Mr. Barclay took advantage of his opportunities 
 by spending all his spare time in the i)ursuit 
 of legal studies. After leaving the Senator's 
 home, he started to- Rochester, New York, 
 where he was located for two years, during that 
 time helping to build some of the largest flour- 
 ing mills of that section. At that time the war 
 between Texas and Mexico was raging, and 
 with a party of young men he started south to 
 enlist in the Texas army, but on reaching Cleve- 
 land, Ohio, was met with the intelligence that 
 Santa Anna had surrendered to the Texans. 
 The "Toledo War," the fiasco relating to the 
 boundary between Ohio and Michigan, was 
 about to begin, so instead of going to Texas, 
 Mr. Barclay, with 16 others took a boat for 
 Monroe, Michigan. When they landed, Gover- 
 nor Stevens T. Mason was reviewing his troops. 
 After the review, the party volunteered their 
 services, which were declined on account of 
 scarcity of food and arms. Our subject then 
 started for Detroit, where he remained a few 
 days, then \\'ent on foot to Jackson, and from 
 there to Albion, searching for employment 
 without avail. Finally at Tekonsha he con- 
 tracted to jjuild a sawmill and a hotel ; three 
 years later he returned to Alliion. where he 
 built the Jesse Crowell flouring mill, the first in 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 589 
 
 operation at that point. He then had charge 
 of the plant for five years, and while there 
 ser\ed as justice of the peace a number of 
 years, his early legal training while in the 
 liome of Senator Bayard standing him in good 
 stead. When the Michigan Central Railroad 
 Company had under consideration the advisa- 
 bility of running its line through Albion, Mr. 
 Barclay, being well known among the farmers 
 for miles around, worked hard for the right of 
 way. Afterward he was appointed agent at 
 Albion, a position he filled with credit four or 
 five years. When the Michigan Central Rail- 
 road ofifices were moved to Detroit, he also 
 moved and conducted the Michigan Central 
 Railroad eating house, where the Hotel Wayne 
 is now situated. Subsequently he purchased a 
 stock of goods and estabhshed a general mer- 
 chandise store at Lower Saginaw, now Bay 
 City, arriving December 20, 1849. This was 
 the second store in Bay City and most of its 
 early trade was among the Indians, with 
 whom he was well acquainted. He did 
 an extensive business with them and later 
 re-embarked in the general mercantile busi- 
 ness at Bay City. He finally disposed 
 of his store and stock to the firm of 
 Park & Munger and commenced building the 
 old Wolverton House at the corner of Third 
 and Water streets, which he thereafter con- 
 ducted about 15 years, in the meantime engag- 
 ing extensively in the fishing business on 
 Saginaw Bay. He was elected sheriff of Bay 
 County in 1856 and again in 1861, and proved 
 an efficient officer. After leaving the hotel he 
 devoted his time to liis vineyard and peacli 
 orchard on the l)ay shore until he met with re- 
 verses. At one time he also conducted a stage 
 h'ne and carried the mail between Lower Sagi- 
 naw and Saginaw, and Lower Saginaw anrl 
 Alpena. He was a Democrat in politics and 
 
 was one of the early members of the State Leg- 
 islature. The last 25 years of his life were 
 spent in happy retirement in the companionship 
 of his family, his death occurring in August, 
 1887, in the 80th year of his age. 
 
 While serving as station agent at Albion, 
 Mr. Barclay was united in marriage with Sarah 
 Ann Sweeney, a handsome and intelligent 
 woman. She survived her husband many 
 years, dying in October, 1904, aged 90 years. 
 She remained well and strong to the last, pos- 
 sessing fully her mental factulties and her 
 memory of the early events of her life when the 
 State was young and in its early development. 
 She was a woman of the best type, in character 
 and intellectuality, and was an ardent church 
 worker, having been one of the founders of the 
 Protestant Episcopal Church in Bay County. 
 Three children were torn to ^Ir. and Mrs. 
 Barclay, namely : Frederick, who fought for 
 three years under Admiral David Farragut in 
 the United States Navy, and was a member of 
 the Farragut Veterans' Association of Phila- 
 delphia : Lyman ; and Helen, widow of Lucian 
 S. Coman. a record of whose life appears else- 
 where in this work. 
 
 ISS MARY BARBARY APPOLD, 
 who resides with her brother Fred- 
 erick in Frankenlust township and 
 is the owner of valuable land bor- 
 dering on the Saginaw River in that township, 
 not far from Bay City, is a lady who enjoys the 
 respect and esteem of a very wide circle of 
 friends and acquaintances. She belongs to a 
 fine old family of this section and was the only 
 rlaug-hter in the family of seven children born 
 to her parents, John C. and Barbara (Arnold) 
 Appold. Miss Ap]3old was born in lier parents' 
 
590 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 farm in section 5, Frankenlnst township, Jan- 
 uary 26, 1859. 
 
 The parents of Miss Appold were botli born 
 in Germany, crossed the ocean in the same ship 
 and were married in 1853 at Bay City. They 
 became prominent and wealthy people in Bay 
 County, through their own industry, economy 
 and good management. The father took a lead- 
 ing position in the township and served hon- 
 orably in many of the public offices of trust 
 and responsibility, and when, in the fullness of 
 time, on April 9, 1903, he passed away, his 
 memory was perpetuated through the influences 
 of a life of Christian uprightness. The mother 
 brought her children up carefully and well and 
 her six sons and one daughter reflect credit 
 upon their rearing. She died December i, 
 1890. Their children were: Michael, of 
 Frankenlnst township; John Jacob, of Moni- 
 tor township ; Mary Barbara, of this sketch ; 
 George, of Williams township; Christian, of 
 Frankenlnst township ; Frederick, of Franken- 
 lnst township; and Leonard, of Huron County. 
 
 Miss Appold remained with her aged par- 
 ents until the close of their lives, giving them 
 tender, filial care ; in fact, she has not only 
 been the daughter and sister of the family, 
 but also the willing and capable nurse. For 
 the last five years of her father's life, she lived 
 in a new home built by him opposite the old 
 homestead. Since his death she has lived with 
 her brother Frederick. She owns considerable 
 valuable property, including 10 acres, with 
 home, in section 8, on Stone Island, and two 
 other tracts. She attends to the operating of 
 her farms personally and very successfully. 
 
 Since she was a babe five days old. a niece 
 of Miss Appold. Johanna Appold. has had a 
 home with our subject. Johanna was born 
 June 14. i8g8, and is a daughter of George 
 Appold, who is a scliool teacher in Monitor 
 township. The mother died at her birth as also 
 
 did a twin brother, but she has found a mother 
 in her aunt. 
 
 Miss Appold is very highly valued in the 
 German Lutheran Church in which she has 
 taken an active interest all her life, and she 
 is noted for her kind neighborliness and her 
 estimable Christian character. 
 
 ILLIAM M. KELLEY, who is now 
 serving in his third term as justice 
 of the Police Court of Bay City, 
 Michigan, has been a resident of 
 this city for the past 40 years, during which 
 period he has been thoroughly identified with 
 its closest interests. Justice Kelley was born in 
 Kings County, Ireland, February 28, 1831, 
 and came to America in his 19th year. 
 
 Prior to locating permanently at Bay City, 
 William M. Kelley followed the life of a sailor 
 on the Great Lakes for the most of the period 
 1849-64, his place of residence being Buffalo, 
 New York. Beginning as a wheelman, he con- 
 tinued until he became master, and finally 
 owner as well, of many of the stanchest vessels 
 afloat on these waters. He was captain of his 
 own tug for five years previous to settling at 
 Bay City. After selling his interest in this ves- 
 sel he engaged for five years in a grocery busi- 
 ness and also kept an interest in various vessels 
 until the fall of 1876. when he was elected 
 county clerk on the Republican ticket. He 
 served three terms notwithstanding the fact 
 that the county was then largely Democratic. 
 At one time he had the distinction of being 
 the only Republican county officer elected. His 
 service as county clerk closed December 31, 
 1882, and shortly after he was appointed deputy 
 oil inspector, a position he filled for 15 months. 
 During the succeeding three or four years he 
 was employed in one or other of the county 
 
J. MADISON JOHNSTON 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 593 
 
 offices until his election to his present office, in 
 which he is efficiently serving his loth year. 
 
 Justice Kelley was married at Buft'alo, New 
 York, to Sarah A. Waite of that city, and they 
 have four children : Georgiana, a kindergarten 
 teacher in West Bay City; William, a lumber 
 inspector at Menominee, Michigan ; Arthur, at 
 home ; and Genevieve, a student at the State 
 Normal School at Ypsilanti. 
 
 Justice Kelley is very prominent in Ma- 
 sonry. He is a member of Bay Lodge, No. 
 129, F. & A. M.; Blanchard Chapter, No. 59, 
 R. A. M. ; Bay City Commandery, Knights 
 Templar, No. 26, in which he was high priest 
 for three terms and has filled nearly all the 
 offices ; and the Detroit Consistory. For )-ears 
 he has taken a very active part in fraternal 
 affairs and is well and favorably known in 
 this connection all over the State. In his re- 
 ligious views he is an Episcopalian. 
 
 MADISON JOHNSTON, who has 
 filled at different times the offices of 
 county surveyor and surveyor of 
 Bay City, came here from Green Bay, 
 Wisconsin, in 1853. He was born at Green 
 Bay, Wisconsin. February 18, 1833, his parents 
 being George and Phyllis (McPherson) John- 
 ston. George Johnston's brother William was 
 the father of Gen. Joseph E. Jdlmstmi. the 
 noted Confederate leader. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject 
 was one of the last of the clan Johnston in 
 Scotland, from which country he emigrated to 
 .America in colonial days, settling in Virginia. 
 He was a soldier in the War of the Revolution, 
 and became a prosperous planter and slave- 
 owner in Rockingham County. 
 
 George Johnston was Ixirn and reared on 
 
 his father's plantation in Rockingham County, 
 Virginia. While still a young man, and prior 
 to the War of 181 2, he removed to Detroit, 
 where he was married and his two oldest chil- 
 dren were born. He was a captain of dragoons 
 in our second war with England, and in the 
 reports of the battle of Brownstone is men- 
 tioned with praise. At the surrender of De- 
 troit he was taken prisoner and carried to Fort 
 George, Canada. Later he was exchanged, 
 joined the army of General Harrison and took 
 part in the battle of the Thames. He was ap- 
 pointed sutler at the close of the war, and in 
 1819 was stationed at Fort Howard (Green 
 Bay), situated in what is now Wi.sconsin, but 
 was then included in the Territory of Michi- 
 gan. Early in 1827 the Winnebagoes became 
 hostile, and the murders and depredations com- 
 mitted by them led the Secretary of War to 
 order out the troops to arrest the murderers. 
 There were but few soldiers at Fort Howard, 
 and the commanding officer called upon the 
 citizens for assistance and appointed George 
 Johnston captain of the company which was 
 formed. In 18 18, when Brown County, Mich- 
 igan (now Wisconsin), was formed, he be- 
 came its first sheriff, and held the office until 
 1829. 
 
 The first action toward the organization of 
 a lodge of Free Masons in the Northwest was 
 taken on the 27th of December, 1823, at the 
 house of George Johnston, at which time a 
 petition was drafted. A dispensation w-as 
 granted by the Grand Lodge, and on September 
 2, 1824, Menominee Lodge was organized at 
 Fort Howard. He was captain of a band of 
 Menominee Indians against Black Hawk and 
 his allies in the Black Hawk War in 1832, and 
 after its conclusion returned to Fort Howard. 
 After resigning he became an Indian trader, 
 buying and selling furs, and continued in that 
 
 sa 
 
594 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 business until his death in 1850 at the age of 
 72 years. 
 
 George Johnston was a man of powerful 
 build, six feet two inches tall, and weighed 
 220 pounds. He was fearless and much ad- 
 mired by the Indians, having many friends 
 among the Menominees, Winnebagoes and 
 Pottawatomies, whose languages he spoke. He 
 left much real estate which grew in value and 
 placed his family in comfortable circumstances. 
 Politically, he was a Jacksonian Democrat. 
 His religious ties were with the Protestant 
 Episcopal Church. 
 
 George Johnston married Phyllis McPher- 
 son, who was born in Montreal, Canada. Her 
 father, John McPherson^ was a native of Mas- 
 sachusetts. He began to follow the sea early 
 in life, later became a navigator on the Great 
 Lakes and was the first man to draw a 
 chart of the Upper Lakes. He was a man of 
 powerful physique and splendid address. His 
 wife, our subject's mother, was reared in De- 
 troit, to which city the Captain retired when 
 his sailing days were over, and where she died 
 in 1856. at the age of 70 years. She was a life- 
 long member of the Roman Catholic Church. 
 
 J. Madison Johnston, the subject of this 
 sketch, was the 5-oungest of a family of eight 
 sons and one daughter. One of his brothers. 
 Thomas J. Johnston, was a general in the Con- 
 federate Army, and after the war became a 
 Catholic priest. Before his. death he was made 
 canon of the Diocese of San Antonio, Texas. 
 
 Our subject was reared at Green Bay, his 
 educational opportunities being limited to three 
 months of each year in the little log school 
 house. At the age of 16, he began trading with 
 the Indians, having by that time acquired con- 
 siderable fluency in the language of the Me- 
 nominees. His business grew until he became 
 an extensive dealer in furs for those days. He 
 was a fine shot, and his undaunted cotirage won 
 
 him the admiration of the Indians. These 
 qualities, together with the Indians' supersti- 
 tion regarding his father, combined to protect 
 him from the many dangers to which he was 
 exposed. His summer seasons were spent in 
 the woods in the employ of the Government 
 Survey, and it was in this way that he acquired 
 a practical knowledge of the profession which 
 he was ultimately to follow. 
 
 In 1853, Mr. Johnston came to Lower Sag- 
 inaw (now Bay City) on the ill-fated steamer 
 "Huron," which foundered on a rock at the 
 mouth of the Saginaw River. The Captain and 
 our subject came up to the city in a small boat 
 and that night they stopped at the hotel kept 
 by John Barclay. At that time Bay City 
 boasted only one board sidewalk, and of this 
 the citizens were very proud. 
 
 At that time there was very little surveying 
 to be done in this region, and Mr. Johnston 
 clerked for one year in the general store of his 
 cousin, James Watson, one of the earliest mer- 
 chants in Lower Saginaw. With the savings 
 he had accumulated he then purchased a ves- 
 sel which he named the "King Fisher," and 
 embarked in the business of fishing. This ven- 
 ture proved profitable, and he was soon able 
 to have a fleet of boats built to engage in fish- 
 ing in Saginaw Bay and Thunder Bay. His 
 fisiiing operations were carried on during the 
 fall and spring seasons and, commencing in 
 1855, his summers were employed in surveying 
 until the outbreak of the war. Since 1861 his 
 entire time has been given to the practice of 
 his profession. Mr. Johnston was elected 
 county surveyor in 1864 and served in that 
 office until 1868. Bj^ that time his personal 
 practice had grown to such proportions that 
 he felt it necessary to decline the office to which 
 he had been reelected. In 1873, however, he 
 was prevailed upon to accept the office of city 
 surveyor of Bay City, the duties of which he 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 595 
 
 discharged most efficiently until 1881, when 
 he was succeeded by Capt. George Turner. 
 
 In 1883, Mr. Johnston made a trip to Hon- 
 duras, Central America, to engage in prospect- 
 ing and placer mining on the Polia River. He 
 was thus engaged as president of the Bay City 
 Mining Company. But although he found 
 some gold, he had not the facilities for mining 
 it. and returned to Bay City the following 
 summer. Since that time he has devoted him- 
 self exclusively to civil engineering, and is the 
 oldest man in that profession here. Previous 
 to 1853, our subject and his brother John 
 located the first mail route between Escanaba 
 and Marquette, Michigan. This route was 
 marked by "blazed" trees and was used for 
 many years. 
 
 In 1858, Mr. Johnston married Hannah 
 Reid, a daughter of Wilbur Reid, of Paines- 
 ville. Ohio. She was a member of the First 
 Presbyterian Church. She died in 1869, leav- 
 ing five children, of whom two are now living : 
 Carrie E., wife of A. G. Parker, of Minneapo- 
 lis, Minnesota; and Belle A., who resides with 
 her sister. 
 
 On December 25, 1890, our subject mar- 
 ried Martha Edgerton. who was born at Eagle, 
 Clinton County, Michigan, and is a daughter 
 of H. M. and Rebecca (Kilbourn) Stark, early 
 settlers of that locality. Her mother was a 
 native of New York State, but for many years 
 was a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio. Mrs. John- 
 ston was one of a fatnily of nine children, and 
 received her early education in West Bay City. 
 She taught the first school in the Pinconning 
 school house, beginning with 30 Indian and 
 four white pupils. At that time she was only 
 17 years old. This second union of our sub- 
 ject has been blessed with two children: J. 
 Madison, Jr. ; and Edgerton Stark. Mrs. John- 
 ston is an active member of the Universalist 
 congregation, while in his religious views Mr. 
 
 Johnston is an Agnostic. While never a seeker 
 for political preferment for himself, he is an 
 active Democrat, and has done good service on 
 ward and city cominittees. His portrait accom- 
 panies this sketch. 
 
 HARLES C. UNDERWOOD. After 
 one has li\'ed for 20 years on a farm 
 which he has cleared up from a 
 wilderness, it naturally possesses 
 great value, and especially so when it is well- 
 situated, well-improved and very productive. 
 This is the case with the 40-acre farm owned by 
 the subject of this sketch, which is located in 
 section 36, Portsmouth township. Mr. Under- 
 wood has always lived in Bay County and was 
 born in Hampton township, January 13. 1859. 
 He is a son of Jesse Underwood, who was 
 born in England, January 9, 1823. 
 
 Jesse Underwood came to America with 
 his wife in 1857. She was then the mother of 
 five children. The family settled on 40 acres 
 of land, located on the Center avenue road in 
 Hainpton township, which Mr. Underwood 
 cleared and upon which he made many im- 
 provements. There he died on November 7. 
 1903, and his wife on November 26, 1897. 
 aged yy years. The eight children of the fam- 
 ily were: Clara (Mrs. Gracey), of Ports- 
 mouth township: Henn.-. of Portsmouth town- 
 ship; Jennett (Mrs. Miller), who died in 
 California; Selena (Mrs. Cassedy), of Grand 
 Rapids, Michigan : Abner. who was acciden- 
 tally killed in Hampton township, at the age of. 
 27 years: Charles C. of this sketch: .Mbert. of 
 Portsmouth township : and Ira, who lives on the 
 old homestead in Hampton township. 
 
 As noted above, our subject has done all the 
 improving on his farm and has devoted it to 
 general farming, market-gardening and fruit- 
 
596 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUXTY 
 
 growing. He is one of tlie practical agricul- 
 turists of this section, thoroughly understands 
 his husiness and has made a success of farming. 
 
 On November i, 1882, Mr. Underwood was 
 married to Mary Whalen, who was born in 
 Bay City, on September 19, 1865, and is a 
 daughter of Alva and Rosella (Young) 
 \\"halen, the former of whom w-as born in New 
 York and the latter in ^lichigan. They have a 
 family of four daughters who have been af- 
 forded excellent educational opportunities : 
 Alice M., wife of \\'illiam E. Collins, of Bay 
 City; and Mary Jennett, Maggie Ann and 
 Agnes E., who reside at home. ilrs. Under- 
 wood and her daughters are valued members 
 of the Baptist Church. 
 
 Politically ^Ir. Underwood has always af- 
 filiated with the Republican party. He is a 
 member of two fraternal bodies, the Maccabees 
 and the Gleaners. 
 
 UCIEX S. CO^IAX, deceased, was for 
 many years engaged in the wholesale 
 and retail drug trade at Bay City and 
 took rank among the foremost busi- 
 ness men of the county. He was bom at ilor- 
 risville. New York, and was a son of Smith 
 and Louise (Bickwell) Coman, his inaternal 
 grandfather being Major Bickwell. 
 
 Lucien S. Coman received his educational 
 training in the public schools of Morrisville, 
 New York, and from his Ixiyhood days was 
 identified with the drug business. .\t the age 
 of 19 years, he came \^'est to Bay City, ^lichi- 
 gan, to manage a drug-store, and later started 
 in business for himself. He was a man of 
 great energy and enterprise and made a suc- 
 cess of his venture from the first. He gave en- 
 couragement to all worthy young clerks he 
 employed. 
 
 Many of these young men, becom- 
 
 ing imbued with his principles and business 
 methods, went forth into the world and now 
 own stores of their own, some of them having 
 stores in Bay City. ^Ir. Coman's success was 
 such as to w-arrant him in extending the field of 
 his energies and he established a wholesale and 
 retail drug-store, which he conducted until his 
 death in 1887. After his death, his widow- 
 continued the business for two and a half years, 
 employing a manager. Mr. Coman was united 
 in marriage with Mrs. Helen F. Clark, uee 
 Barclay, and their home life approached the 
 ideal. 
 
 Helen F. Barclay was bom in Detroit, 
 Michigan, and is a daughter of Hon. Jonathan 
 Smith and Sarah Ann (Sweeney) Barclay, 
 her father having been a prominent man of 
 Bay City in its early days and for many years 
 thereafter. She received a good education, and 
 is a woman of culture and refinement. Her 
 first marriage was with Harry J. Clark, who 
 was the first cashier of the First National Bank 
 of Bay City, and thej' had one daughter. Grace 
 Barclay Clark, who now resides with her 
 mother. After the death of ^Ir. Clark, Mrs. 
 Clark was married to Mr. Coman. To this 
 union two children were born, namely : Harri- 
 son L.. who is at home: and Marian Louise, 
 wife of Harry B. Phelps, of Detroit. ^Ir. 
 Coman was a Royal Arch ]\Iason and Knight 
 Templar. Mrs. Coman has been regent of the 
 Daughters of the American Revolution, and 
 was the first president and founder of the Bay 
 City \\'oman's Club, which had its inception 
 in her parlors. She moves in the Itest 
 circles of the city and is identified with 
 its literary clubs and societies, being a 
 \-ery able writer. Her memory of the 
 happenings in the early days of Bay 
 County is remarkably fresh and she has at times 
 written articles for newspapers and the D. A. 
 R. Mrs. Coman has been an extensive traveler 
 
AXD REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 597 
 
 at home and abroad, having visited all foreign 
 lands. She is a fluent speaker of the German 
 language, which has proved of great conveni- 
 ence in her travels. She had the pleasure of 
 seeing the palace of Frederick the Great, of 
 Germany, and as there were royal functions at 
 the time of her visit she saw the Empress with 
 her body-guard and many of the royalty of 
 Europe. 
 
 ILLIAM E. :\IAGILL, :\I. D.. physi- 
 cian and surgeon and also city 
 treasurer of \\'est Bay City. Michi- 
 gan, was born at Port Stanley, 
 Ontario, November 3, 1847. and is a son of 
 Alexander and Sarah (Mclnnis) Magill. 
 
 The father of Dr. Magill was born at the 
 village of WHiitern, near Glasgow, Scotland, in 
 1788 and died in Canada in 1849. ^g^d 61 
 years. He emigrated to Canada in 1834. be- 
 ing among the early pioneers in Ontario, where 
 he secured a large holding of land and followed 
 agricultural operations all his remaining years. 
 In Scotland he married Sarah Mclnnis. who 
 was a daughter of Henry iMcInnis. and they 
 had 1 1 children born to them, those who 
 reached maturity being: Henry and John, now 
 deceased ; Alexander, a practicing physician at 
 Midland. Michigan; Elizabeth, who married 
 William Glover and lives on the old homestead 
 at Port Stanley: Mary, who married Samuel 
 Mason, of London, Ontario: Sarah, of Chi- 
 cago; William E., of this sketch: and Bessie, 
 of Chicago. For generations the family has 
 belonged to the Presbyterian Church. 
 
 ^\'ilHam McGill was primarily educated in 
 the public schools and then read medicine and 
 prepared for higher study under the preceptor- 
 ship of Dr. James McLaughlin, of Fingall, On- 
 tario, and subsequently entered the Western 
 Reserve Medical College at Cleveland, Ohio, 
 
 where he was graduated in 1870. He located 
 at West Bay City and has continued here ever 
 since with the exception of the years 1876 and 
 1877, which he spent in post-graduate work at 
 Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York 
 City, receiving his medical degree from that 
 great school in 1877. 
 
 Dr. Magill is a very intelligent, progressive 
 citizen and has always taken an active interest 
 in public affairs. Originally a Greenbacker, he 
 was twice elected mayor on this ticket, serving 
 in 1881 and 1882. and in the fall of the latter 
 year was elected county treasurer on the same 
 ticket and held the office for two j^ears, and in 
 1886 was re-elected and held office until 1890. 
 During Governor \\'inans' administration. Dr. 
 Magill was appointed insurance commissioner 
 for Michigan, an office he filled acceptably for 
 two years. In April, 1903, he was elected 
 treasurer of West Bay City. His public serv- 
 ices have always been of such a character as 
 to command the confidence of the public, irre- 
 spective of party ties. 
 
 Dr. Magill married Adeline Keefer, who is 
 a daughter of Abram Keefer. a prominent citi- 
 zen of Lawrence. Kansas, and they have had 
 four children, viz. : Arthur K., who died aged 
 14 years; Walter A., of West Bay City; Don- 
 ald A. and Frances Sarah. The family belong 
 to the Presbyterian Church. 
 
 Fraternall}', Dr. Magill has been prominent 
 in a number of the leading organizations. He 
 is a memljer of W^enona Lodge, F. & A. M.. 
 Blanchard Chapter R. A. M., and Bay City 
 Commandery K. T. : and the Sovereign Con- 
 sistory. S. P. R. S.. and Moslem Temple. A. 
 A. O. N. M. S., at Detroit: for 31 years he has 
 been a member of Wenona Lodge. I. O. O. F.. 
 of which he is past grand; for 27 years has 
 lieen a member of the Royal Arcanum and a 
 charter member of Wenona Council. No. 38. 
 He is also a member of the Knights of the 
 
598 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Loyal Guard and of tlie Independent Order of 
 Foresters. Dr. ]Magill is a very prominent 
 citizen and is known professionally far beyond 
 the confines of West Bav City. 
 
 ICHAEL T. ARNOLD, whose fine 
 farm of 200 acres is situated in 
 section 10, Monitor township, was 
 born December 6, 1861, in Frank- 
 enmutli township. Saginaw county, and is a 
 son of John ]\I. and Barbara (List) Arnold. 
 
 John ^I. Arnold, the father of our subject, 
 was born October 20, 1820, in Hosstetten 
 Kloster, Heilsbronn, ^littelfranken, Bavaria, 
 Germany, while his wife was born in the neigh- 
 boring town of Rosstall Cadolzburg, in ]\Iittel- 
 franken, Bavaria, Germany, April i, 1S25. 
 Both left the fatherland on the 7th day of April, 
 1847, and on June 12th of that year arrived in 
 Frankenmuth township, Saginaw County, 
 Michigan. After living there about 18 years, 
 they sold the farm and left for Bay County, 
 April 17, 1865, arriving at Stone Island the 
 next day. ]\Ir. Arnold erected a sawmill, which 
 he continued to operate until he sold it June 27, 
 1867. He then purchased 180 acres of land 
 in section 36, Monitor township, on which farm 
 he died February 8, 1878. The subject of this 
 sketch has one brother and four sisters in 
 Michigan, namely : Adam J., who owns a farm 
 in Monitor township ; Mary, who is the widow 
 of George Staudacher, of Kawkawlin town- 
 ship; Rose, the wife of Fred Staudacher; Bar- 
 bara, who is the wife of Fred Lowessell; and 
 Mary. The three last mentioned are residents 
 of Salzburg, Bay County. 
 
 Alichael J. Arnold attended the district 
 school of the neighborhood and assisted on his 
 father's farm until h.e started out for b.imsclf. 
 about 1887. At thp.t time lie purchased his pres- 
 
 ent farm of 200 acres, only four acres of which 
 had been cleared. At the present time, 120 
 acres are under cultivation, the remainder of 
 the farm being in pasture and brush land. Mr. 
 Arnold has made many substantial impro\e- 
 ments on the property and has just completed 
 a fine residence of 18 rooms, which contains 
 all the comforts and conveniences of a city 
 home. The polished oak trimmings, which 
 give the interior such an artistic finish, came 
 from timber that was cut on his estate. 
 
 Mr. Arnold was married first, in 1890, to 
 Annie Swatz, who was a daughter of Christian 
 Swatz. Mrs. Arnold at her death left one 
 daughter, Emma R., born January 3, 1892, 
 who resides at home. On January 27. 1895, 
 Mr. Arnold was married to Mrs. Mary Kraenz- 
 lein, the widow of Henry Kraenzlein. whose 
 death was caused by fatal injuries recei\-ed 
 from being run over by a railroad train, his 
 death occurring two weeks after the accident. 
 Mrs. Arnold has two children by her first 
 marriage, — John M. and Katie M. Kraenzlein. 
 Our subject and his wife have one daughter, 
 Laura B. Arnold, born June 3, 1896. 
 
 Mrs. Arnold was born December 16. 1865, 
 in Mittelfranken, Bavaria, Germany, and is 
 a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Oeder. Mr. 
 Oeder was a carpenter in Bavaria, Germany, 
 before coming to this country, at which time 
 Mrs. Arnold was three years of age, and there- 
 fore does not recall many events of the long 
 six weeks' voyage on the ocean. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Oeder first lived in Bay City, afterward oper- 
 ated a farm in Bangor township, which they 
 later sold and moved to Standish, Michigan, 
 where they live at the present time. There were 
 seven children in their family as follows : Fred, 
 of Bangor township ; Alichael, who resides with 
 his father at Standish ; Margaret B., wife of 
 John P. Ittner, of Beaver township; Barbara, 
 wife of George Gerbauser, of Frankenlust 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 599 
 
 township; Katherine. wife of William Hubner, 
 of Portsmouth township; Sophia, wife of Ed- 
 ward Schuman, of Bangor township; and 
 Mary, the wife of the subject of this sketch. 
 The Oeder family are members of the German 
 Lutheran Church. 
 
 Mr. Arnold is best known, perhaps, for his 
 connection with the coal industry of this sec- 
 tion. He has been interested in the discovery 
 of some of the most prominent and best known 
 coal mines of Bay County. On September i8, 
 1896, he found and struck the first coal on the 
 Albert Pfundt place, at a depth of 121 feet. 
 The following year two shafts were erected, 
 and the two mines are known as the Michigan 
 and Central mines. On January 6, 1898, in 
 the presence of Messrs. Maxon, Flower and 
 Lewis Howe, he found a vein of coal on the 
 Von Alstein Place, in Bangor township, at a 
 depth of 124 feet. This was the first test-hole 
 put down for coal in that vicinity ; it was some- 
 what outside of what has been found to be 
 the main vein and consequently only a small 
 quantity of coal was struck. But one year 
 later, however, Messrs. Voss and Jackson had 
 a good shaft erected three-quarters of a mile 
 east of the test-hole and have been mining ever 
 since. This is the well-known Wenona mine. 
 Mr. Arnold also enjoys the distinction of hav- 
 ing been the first one to discover Wolverine 
 coal here. While drilling on his farm in the 
 southern part of section 10, in Monitor town- 
 ship, on Decemlier 6, 1898, he discovered coal. 
 From there the vein runs directly southwest to 
 the present shaft of the mine called Wolverine 
 mine No. 2. A litttle over a year later, while 
 drilling on the Everson farm, he located an- 
 other coal bed, and struck on March 20. 1900, 
 in tlie presence of his helper, Henry Erbisch, 
 and Messrs. Everson, Johnson and Hunter, 
 what has proved to be one of the best-]iaying 
 coal mines in the State of Michigan, which is 
 
 known as Wolverine No. 3. Views of the 
 Wenona and Wolverine No. 3 are shown earlier 
 in this work, on a foregoing page. As these 
 mines have been very extensively operated 
 ever since their discovery, and as the Pere 
 ]\Iarquette Railroad to the Wolverine mines 
 was built especially for the purpose of provid- 
 ing transportation for the product of the mines, 
 it can be said that Mr. Arnold, through his dis- 
 coveries of coal, has been of great assistance in 
 developing Bay County and bringing prosperity 
 to the doors of its inhabitants. 
 
 About the same time that he made these 
 discoveries of coal, he leased some 3,000 acres 
 of land of the farmers in his neighborhood for 
 coal development purposes, but on May 29, 
 1901 , he sold all his leases and machinery to the 
 Handy Brothers Mining Company, of Bay 
 City, with the exception of the famous drill 
 that has brought him so much wealth. He has 
 no intention of parting with it. 
 
 Mr. Arnold is a progressive and enterpris- 
 ing man, one w'ho has shown judgment and 
 foresight in business life, and he stands well in 
 his community. In politics he is a Republican. 
 
 E\'. EDWARD AUGUSTIN LE- 
 FEBVRE, pastor of St. Michael's 
 Catholic Church at Pinconning, was 
 Irani at Saginaw, Michigan, in 1868, 
 and is a son of Augustin and Rachael (Viau) 
 Lefebvre. His father died in 1878, in his 47th 
 year, and his mother now resides with him at 
 the parsonage in Pinconning. 
 
 Father Lefebvre received his primary edu- 
 cation at St. Andrew's Academy and the High 
 School at Saginaw, and afterward took an 
 academic course at Assumption College. Sand- 
 wich, Ontario, from which he was graduated 
 in 1886. He then completed his philosophical 
 
6oo 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 and theological courses in the Grand Seminary 
 at Montreal, Pro\ince of Quebec, and was then 
 ordained to the priesthood. He became as- 
 sistant pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church, 
 West Bay City, and at the end of seven months 
 was transferred to Sacred Heart Catholic 
 Church at Au Sable. Michigan, as assistant 
 pastor. He remained there until March, 1893, 
 when he was called to St. ^Michael's Catholic 
 Church at Pinconning, of which he has since 
 had charge. The parsonage, which was under 
 course of construction at his coming, he com- 
 pleted, adding improvements to the amount 
 of $1,000. He has also added $2,500 in im- 
 provements to the church, increasing its seating 
 capacity by one-third, and under his direction 
 the congregation has purchased a cemetery of 
 five acres lying along the river. 
 
 Prior to the organization of a parish here, 
 Pinconning was visited by a Jesuit missionary. 
 Father Shular, whose devoted work through 
 this section of the county was of such value to 
 the church as to live as a monument to his 
 memory. He discontinued his visits here in 
 1889 and was succeeded by Rev. John G. San- 
 son, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church at 
 West Bay City, whose mission it continued 
 until 1 89 1. In that year Rev. C. H. Dequoy 
 was appointed pastor of St. Michael's Catholic 
 Church and its missions, which included Lin- 
 wood. Gladwin. Standish and AuGres. He 
 was succeeded in 1893 by Father Lefebvre, 
 who was assisted from October, 1893, until 
 April of the following year by Rev. L. H. 
 Gourin, D. D., and again from April, 1899, to 
 November, 1901, by Rev. Arthur La Mon- 
 tague. In 1894, the Linwood mission was de- 
 tached and made the parish of St. Ann. and in 
 1901 the Standish mission was detached and 
 made the parish of St. John the Baptist. But 
 one mission remains attached to St. Michael's, 
 that of the Sacred Heart, at Gladwin. St. 
 
 Michael's Church has a congregation of mixed 
 nationality, and in 1904 the Polish element 
 erected a chapel at Nine ]\Iile. a flag station in 
 Mount Forest township. Father Lefebvre has 
 labored faithfully and well over his charge, and 
 many are the kind deeds and charities traceable 
 to his door. 
 
 The subject of the above sketch has been 
 transferred to St. Ann's Catholic Church, 
 Cadillac, Michigan, since he was interviewed. 
 
 ORTON GALLAGHER. M. D., 
 one of the leading medical practi- 
 tioners of Bay City, was born May 
 19, 1863, at Portland, Ontario, 
 Canada, and is a son of William Gallagher. 
 
 The father of Dr. Gallagher was born in the 
 North of Ireland, and the mother, in Canada. 
 W'illiam Gallagher was a pioneer in his sec- 
 tion of Ontario, where his 10 children were 
 born. All survive with one exception, and our 
 subject is the ninth member of the family. 
 
 Morton Gallagher was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools at Portland and the Athens (On- 
 tario) High School and then taught a country 
 school for several years. During these years. 
 1882 and 1883, he prepared for entrance to 
 the Queen's Medical College, at Kingston, On- 
 tario. The records of that institution show 
 that at the end of his third year he stood third 
 in a competitive examination and was awarded 
 the position of interne for six months. He 
 was graduated with the class of 1887, but was 
 then obliged to pass still another examination, 
 that of the physicians and surgeons, before he 
 could practice in Ontario, where the rules gov- 
 erning medical practice are more strict than 
 this side of the border. Each student passes 
 three searching examinations : the primary, the 
 intermediate and the final. To the public this 
 
/^ '^^niil^ 
 
 •*f 
 
 ISAAC H. HILL 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 603 
 
 seems as it should be, for upon the physician's 
 knowledg'e and in his trained liands rest respon- 
 sibilities of vast consequence to his fellow 
 mortals. 
 
 After Dr. Gallagher was thus well prepared 
 to enter upon practice, he settled in the town 
 of Campbell ford, Ontario, where he remained 
 for seven years. In looking about for another 
 location where he would find a wider field of 
 etTort, he selected Bay City and came here in 
 May, 1894, previously having taken, in 1893, 
 a post-graduate course at the Polyclinic Col- 
 lege and Hospital, New York City. Dr. Gal- 
 lagher is well known to the public of Bay City, 
 both professionally and otherwise, and is held 
 in universal esteem. He is president of the 
 Bay County Medical Society and belongs also 
 to the American Medical Association and the 
 Michigan State Medical Society. 
 
 Dr. Gallagher was married in Ontario to 
 Emily Tucker, who was born in Canada. They 
 have a family of seven children, viz: Sherman 
 G., Florence E.. William H., Fletcher T., Helen 
 J., Marion M. and Pauline. 
 
 Dr. Gallagher has served as a member of 
 the Board of Health of Bay City and also on 
 the Board of Education. He is an active mem- 
 ber of a number of social bodies and fraternal 
 organizations, including the Odd Fellows and 
 the Masons. 
 
 SAAC H. HILL. Among the history 
 builders of Bay City. Michigan, was 
 the late Isaac H. Hill, whose portrait 
 accompanies this sketch. He was pres- 
 ident of the Michigan Pipe Works, manager of 
 the Bay City Bridge Company and closely 
 identified with many of the other great busi- 
 ness interests of this section. Mr. Hill was 
 born in Tompkins County, New York, in 1814. 
 After the death of his first wife, he moved to 
 
 Tyrone, Schuyler County, and after his long 
 and useful life had closed, his remains were 
 taken back and laid to rest with the dust of his 
 ancestors. 
 
 Mr. Hill was of great service to Bay City 
 in many capacities. His business abilities, exec- 
 utive power and high sense of commercial in- 
 tegrity made his service of great importance. 
 He was one of the moving spirits in the found- 
 ing of numerous industries and the present 
 prosperity and scope of the Michigan Pipe 
 Works are due directly to his efiforts. In many 
 other departments of activity, he was promi- 
 nent. His was a busy life, one which reflects 
 credit and honor upon this city and his name 
 will long be perpetuated by what he succeeded 
 in accomplishing. 
 
 In 1848, Mr. Hill was married, in Steu- 
 ben County, New York, to his second wife, — 
 Mrs. Susan Ann Hale, widow of Samuel P. 
 Hale and daughter of Henry S. and Margaret 
 (Teeple) Williams. Mrs. Hill was born June 
 30, 1829. Her two children by her first mar- 
 riage are deceased. Four children were bom 
 to Mr. and Mrs. Hill, the two survivors being: 
 Mary, who is the wife of H. B. Smith, of the 
 Alichigan Pipe Works; and Charles H. Hill, 
 also financially interested in the Michigan Pipe 
 Works and a resident of Bay City, who married 
 Bertha Hay. 
 
 The father of Mrs. Hill was a merchant in 
 Steuben County, New York, for many years, 
 also county judge for several years, in which 
 office he was serving at the time of his death. 
 Mrs. Hall was reared and educated in Steuben 
 Cotmty, being one of a family of six children. 
 Her interests have been centered in Bay City 
 for more than half her life-tiine and there are 
 few ladies in private life here who are more 
 beloved or esteemed for noble qualities of mind 
 and heart. She can recall all the various steps 
 by which Bay City has climbed from a small 
 
6o 1 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 lumber town to its present prosperity, and in 
 the furthering of all those agencies looking to 
 the establishment of schools, churches and char- 
 ities, she has taken an active part. Her beauti- 
 ful home is situated at No. 1403 Fifth street, 
 Bay City. 
 
 OHN C. ROWDEN, a well-known 
 citizen of Auburn, Bay County, Mich- 
 igan, is a lawyer by profession and en- 
 joys a fair land and pension practice. 
 He was born in Devonshire, England, Febru- 
 ary 9, 1844, and is a son of John and Mary 
 (Crispin) Rowden. 
 
 John Rowden, the father, was Ijorn in Eng- 
 land and came to this country with his wife 
 and four children in the fall of 1854. The 
 voyage from Plymouth, England, to Quebec, 
 Canada, on the sailing vessel "Oriental" con- 
 sumed more than seven weeks. They proceeded 
 straightway to Detroit, JMichigan, thence to 
 Williams township, Bay County, the latter part 
 of the journey taking three weeks, as there were 
 no roads. They followed bridle paths and fre- 
 quently found it necessary to go ahead and cut 
 a way. His oldest son. Samuel, had preceded 
 him by two years, and together they took up 
 80 acres under the preemption act. They 
 cleared the virgin land of its timber and under- 
 brush, erected a cabin and then set to work to 
 cultivate the land. Provisions were exceedingly 
 scarce and they experienced all the hardships 
 incidental to pioneer life. The father was a 
 Republican in politics, and a man of a high 
 order of intellect. He possessed a wonderful 
 memory, and, although not a member of any 
 church, was able to tell the book and verse of 
 any passage in the Bible when he heard it. He 
 died in 1877, at the age of 79 years, and his 
 wife died one month later, at the same age. He 
 had two brothers, William, a private in the 
 
 Queen's Guards, of the English Annv, who 
 probably lost his life in the siege of Sebastopol, 
 as he was last heard of there ; and Robert, who 
 was commander of the battleship "Warrior," 
 in the English Xavy. j\lr. Rowden married 
 Mary Crispin and they had the following chil- 
 dren: Samuel, of West Bay City; Mrs. Mary 
 Ann Kent, a widow ; Mrs. Susan Dutton, who 
 died in 1903 and was buried at Fentonville, 
 Michigan ; John and Martha, who died in Eng- 
 land; and John C, our subject. 
 
 John C. Rowden's schooling was limited to 
 two years, and his education was mainly ac- 
 quired by private research in such books as he 
 could borrow. He frequently walked a dis- 
 tance of 10 miles to borrow a book, which he 
 would peruse thoroughly and carefully. He 
 developed a taste for study and began reading 
 law, gaining his knowledge in a slow way as 
 opportunity presented itself. He passed the ex- 
 aminations of the Department of the Interior 
 in 1 88 1, and in 1895 was admitted to the bar of 
 Bay County. He has established a remunera- 
 tive land and pension practice, and maintains 
 his office at Auburn. He voted the Republican 
 ticket until 1866, since which time he has been 
 independent in politics. In 1901, he was elected 
 representative from the Second District, on the 
 Industrial ticket, receiving the endorsement of 
 the Democratic party. He served one term in 
 that capacity, two terms as supervisor and two 
 terms as justice of the peace. 
 
 On August 2, 1862, at the age of 18 years, 
 Mr. Rowden enlisted in Company F, 23rd Reg., 
 Michigan Vol. Inf., and was mustered in on 
 September i itli for a term of three years. He 
 was shot in the hip joint while serving at Dal- 
 las, Texas. May 28, 1864. and on No\'ember 
 30th of that year received a bullet wound in 
 the head at the battle of Franklin, Tennessee. 
 He rose from private to 2d sergeant as a re- 
 sult of bravery in carrying ammunition to the 
 
AND REPRESExXTATlVE CITIZENS. 
 
 605 
 
 firing line in tlie face of severe fighting, being 
 promoted over 1 1 non-commissioned officers, 
 who magnanimously congratulated him for 
 merited reward. He later was advanced to be 
 1st sergeant, April 5, 1865, and was discharged 
 at Salisbury, North Carolina, June 28, 1865. 
 He participated in the following engagements : 
 Campbell's Station, Lenoir, siege of Knoxville, 
 Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Altoona, Atlanta, 
 Franklin, Nash\-i!le, Fort Anderson, W'ilming- 
 ton and Goldsboro. He is a member of Mar- 
 shall Post No. 407, G. A. R. 
 
 On December 31, 1865. Mr. Rowden mar- 
 ried Alice Moore, a daughter of Joseph and 
 Eleanor Moore, and they have three children : 
 Joseph, of Beaver township; Robert, who lives 
 at home : and George Vleit, who at the death of 
 his mother, in March, 1880, was taken to raise 
 by the Vleit family. Our subject was again 
 married July 20, 1881. to Selina Gilbert, a 
 daughter of Joseph and Chastina Gilbert. 
 
 REDERICK BEYER, a prosperous 
 farmer residing in section 8. Merritt 
 township, was born in ^lichelbach, 
 Bavaria, Germany. September 6, 
 1844, and is a son of Christian and Christine 
 (Brunenmeyer) Beyer. 
 
 Christian Beyer was born in Bavaria, (jer- 
 many, August i, 181 3, and came to America 
 in 1854, locating in Lower Saginaw, now Bay 
 City, Michigan. He worked in sawmills and 
 cut cord-wood until he retired and went to live 
 at the home of bis son, Frederick, where he 
 died July 6, 1900, at the age of eighty-seven 
 years. He was always a very active and ener- 
 getic man and continued so to the time of his 
 death, having been walking around the bouse 
 within a half hour of the final summons. He 
 was a Democrat in politics. Religiously, he 
 
 was a member of the German Lutheran 
 Church, and three times assisted in 
 building the German Lutheran Church 
 at Madison avenue and Eighth street. 
 Bay City. He married Christine Brunen- 
 meyer, who was born in Bavaria, Germany, and 
 died in Bay City, at the age of 69 years and 
 five days. They were parents of four children, 
 as follows: Adam, a farmer of Portsmouth 
 township; Frederick, our subject; John, who 
 died at the age of 15 years; and Mary, of 
 Muskegon, Michigan. 
 
 Frederick Beyer when a boy came to this 
 country w-ith his brother, their parents having 
 preceded them to this country about one year. 
 They made the journey from Hamburg to New 
 York in a sailing vessel, the voyage consuming 
 42 days, and during this period occurred the 
 nth anniversary of the birth of our subject. 
 The law at that time was such that Frederick 
 and his brother were too young to travel alone, 
 so a friendly lady took oath that she would see 
 the boys safely to their parents. She took them 
 to Buffalo, Detroit, Toledo and Chicago, 
 finally leaving them in the latter city. There 
 they remained for seven weeks, the landlord of 
 their house taking excellent care of them, and 
 when he finally sent them to their uncle in 
 Aurora, Illinois, returned their money to them. 
 They lived with their uncle two months and 
 then went to Pontiac, Michigan, by rail, thence 
 by stage to Saginaw, where they joined their 
 father and mother. All the trouble had been 
 caused by letters being missent. Frederick 
 lived at home until he reached the age of 23 
 years, working in a sawmill as early as he was 
 able. Later, in partnership with his brother, 
 he conducted a lath and stave mill for some 
 years. Later they both moved to Portsmouth 
 township. Bay County, each buying a tract of 
 40 acres of good farm land, which they cul- 
 tivated. Frederick Bever sold his 40 acres to 
 
6o6 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 good advantage and purchased a farm of 120 
 acres in section 8, Merritt township, where he 
 has since resided. He has since disposed of 60 
 acres of this farm by sale, and one acre by 
 donation to the churcli, retaining 59 acres at 
 the present time. At the time he acquired it, 
 the property was all woodland and unimproved. 
 He cleared it of its timber and erected a num- 
 ber of good substantial buildings, necessary for 
 the successful pursuit of farming. With the 
 hardheads he cleared from his place he built the 
 foundation for his home, which is one of the 
 best farm houses in the township. He has en- 
 gaged in general farming and stock-raising; 
 making a specialty of Jersey and Durham cat- 
 tle of a high grade, and keeps an average of 
 about 12 head, of which fi\'e are usually milch 
 cows. 
 
 On April 28, 1869. Frederick Beyer was 
 united in marriage with Rosena Armbruster, 
 who was born in Ohio, February 12, 1850, and 
 was a daughter of William Armbruster, of 
 Wurtemburg, Germany. She died May 8, 
 1889, having given birth to the following chil- 
 dren: Fred, of Bay City: Mary, wife of George 
 Berndall, of Bay City; William, of Muskegon, 
 Michigan; Annie, wife of John Kamiscke, of 
 Detroit: Adam, who died young; Maggie, wife 
 of Walter Pertenfelder, of Bay City; Adam, 
 who lives in Bay City ; Matthew, of Bay City ; 
 and Dora. 
 
 On September 20, 1890, Mr. Beyer mar- 
 ried Mrs. Justina Mayer, nee Koebres, widow 
 of Fred Mayer and a daughter of Adam 
 Koebres of Germany. She was born in Wurt- 
 emburg, Germany, February 24, 1850, and 
 after her first husband's death came to this 
 country with her two children : Charles Mayer, 
 of Merritt township; and Maggie (Man) of 
 Bay City. As a result of this union Mr. and 
 Mrs. Beyer have a son, Henry, who is attending 
 school at Bay City. 
 
 Our subject was a Democrat in politics un- 
 til recent years ; he is now a Republican. He 
 served as highway commissioner three years, as 
 drainage commissioner two years, as justice of 
 the peace eight years, as treasurer of Merritt 
 township two years, and as township clerk 13 
 consecutive years, filling that office at the pres- 
 ent time. Owing to the delicate condition of 
 his health he has refused offices of greater re- 
 sponsibility. He is a member of the German 
 Lutheran Church, to which he donated one 
 acre of his farm, and assisted in the erection 
 of the present church. 
 
 EORGE LEARNED MOSHER, 
 president and manager of the George 
 L. Mosher Company, of West Bay 
 City, Michigan, retail dealers in 
 hardware, house furnishings, farm implements 
 and carriages, was born in West Troy, New 
 York, January 16, 1850, and is a son of Alfred 
 and Amaretta (Learned) Mosher. 
 
 Zabad Mosher, grandfather of our subject, 
 was born in Vermont, followed the occupa- 
 tions of farming and teaching, and died in 
 1872, aged 81 years. His son Alfred Mosher, 
 father of our subject, was born April 14, 1819, 
 at Royalton, Vermont, and died September 12, 
 1898, at Watervliet, New York. 
 
 Alfred Mosher left home when about 16 
 years of age and became a grocery clerk in an 
 establishment at Troy, New York, which per- 
 mitted him to serve in this capacity during the 
 winters and to spend his summers on a sloop 
 sailing on the Hudson River, He became mas- 
 ter and then owner of a vessel and continued on 
 the river some 12 years. He then went into a 
 lumber business at West Troy, his facilities for 
 freighting on his own vessels making this very 
 profitable. He became a prominent citizen of 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 607 
 
 W'est Troy, served on the Police Board and was 
 elected president of the village. The opening 
 u]) of the great lumher interests in this section 
 of Michigan attracted him hither in 1870, and 
 he immediately began operating in timber lands. 
 In 1879 he formed a partnership with his son 
 Alfred, the firm name being Mosher & Son, 
 and the business continued until it became finan- 
 cially embarrassed in 1895. While this proved 
 disastrous in a monetary way to Mr. Mosher, 
 it proved to him the high regard in which he 
 had been held by his fellow-citizens. They had 
 implicit confidence in his business integrity 
 and they showed that his great misfortune had 
 not caused it to be withdrawn. On account of 
 the large operations and connections of this 
 firm, its failure was a public disaster in the 
 sister cities, but Mr. Mosher's honesty was 
 never for one moment questioned. Five of his 
 nine children reached maturity, viz: George L., 
 of West Bay City; Emily R., wife of George 
 H. Tilden, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Charles 
 A., who died in 1885; Ella, who died in 1881 : 
 and Alfred, of Bay City. Our subject's parents 
 were members of the North Dutch Reformed 
 Church of West Troy. 
 
 George L. Mosher came to West Bay City 
 in 1873 and was employed for about two years 
 in his father's lumber office. Then he pur- 
 ch;ised an interest in his present Inisiness, which 
 at that time \\as conducted by the firm of Moots 
 & Rupff. and the firm style became Motts, 
 Crane & Mosher, which continued two years, 
 at the close of which period Mr. Mosher pur- 
 chased his partners' interests and conducted the 
 business alone from 1877 to 1896. In the latter 
 year it was incorporated as the George L. 
 Mosher Company, with our subject as president 
 and manager, and his son, Alfred Locke 
 Mother, as secretary and treasurer. This is the 
 oldest hardware house in W'est Bay City and 
 probably has a larger trade than any other 
 
 retail concern of its line. Mr. Mosher is a care- 
 ful, conservative man of business and stands 
 very high with the trade and the public. 
 
 Mr. Mosher married Sarah J. Locke, who 
 is a daughter of Charles Locke, of W'est Troy, 
 New York, and they have three children : Al- 
 fred Locke, Ambrose R. and Emily. The fam- 
 il\' belong to the Westminster Presbyterian 
 Church, of West Bay City. Mr. Mosher is past 
 master of W'enona Lodge, No. 296, F. & A. 
 M. ; and is a member of Bay City Chapter, No. 
 136, R. A. ]\I. ; and Bay City Commandery, 
 No. 26, K. T. 
 
 EORGE E. W^EDTHOFF, register of 
 deeds for Bay County, Michigan, is 
 one of the well-known, reliable and 
 substantial citizens of Bay City. Mr. 
 Wedthoff was born at Bay City, February 20, 
 1870, and is a son of the late Albert R. and 
 Louise (Schultz) Wedthoff. 
 
 Our subject's parents were both born in 
 Germany. They are both deceased and are 
 survived by four sons, our subject being the 
 youngest. One brother, W^illiam F., is asso- 
 ciated with the New York Life Insurance Com- 
 pany. 
 
 George E. Wedthoff is one of Bay City's 
 sons who has attained prominence through per- 
 sonal endeavor. His school days ended at the 
 age of 15 years and in 1885 he entered Judge 
 Webster's office. In 1889 he was employed by 
 Webster & Pettipiece, who were engaged in 
 the abstract business. He was apt, careful and 
 observing and after the formation of the Bay 
 County Abstract Company he became its man- 
 ager in 1895. He continued with that corpor- 
 ation until his election as register of deeds in 
 19CX). In 1903 he purchased a set of abstract 
 books and has continued in the business for 
 
6oS 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 himself ever since. His careful, accurate, 
 thorough work in this line has made his serv- 
 ices of the greatest value. Mr. Wedthoff is 
 also interested in other enterprises and is vice- 
 president (jf the Mutual Building & Loan Asso- 
 ciation of Bay County. • 
 
 On September 12, 1894, Mr. \Vedthoff was 
 united in marriage with Nellie H. Crippen. who 
 was born at Saginaw. Michigan. They have 
 one son, Guy G. Mr. Wedthoff is a Republi- 
 can in politics. Fraternally he is associated 
 with many of the leading organizations, viz: 
 Masons, Elks, Modern Woodmen of America, 
 Foresters and Loval Guards. 
 
 APT, JOHN Y. McKINNEY, who is 
 engaged in market gardening with 
 good success, is the owner of a val- 
 uable tract of land in Portsmouth 
 township, on the boundary line of Bay City. He 
 was engaged in the sawmill business for a 
 period of 28 years, and is well known to the 
 citizens of this county. 
 
 Captain McKinney was born in Detroit, 
 Michigan, June 28, 1836, and is a son of Ira 
 and Elizabeth (Somerville) McKinney. His 
 father was born in Orange county. New York, 
 December 27, 1804, and was reared on a farm. 
 He worked on the home farm until he arrived 
 at his majority, then went to New York City 
 and engaged in mercantile business. He later 
 engaged in the grocery business there, and took 
 an active part in politics, being a stanch \Miig. 
 His connection with politics led to the ruin of 
 his business, although he was not a seeker for 
 ofifice himself. About 1834, he removed to De- 
 troit and went to work in a sawmill, continuing 
 there until 1850, in which year he came to Bay 
 City. He formed a partnership with C. L. 
 Russell, of Cleveland. Ohio, under the firm 
 
 name of Russell & ^IcKinney, and engaged in 
 the sawmill business, their mill being located 
 on Fremont avenue. They continued actively 
 in the business until i860, when the mill was 
 rented to John Y. ^McKinney, our subject. In 
 1 858 Ira McKinney bought of the government 
 a farm of 40 acres on the west side of what is 
 now Michigan avenue, opposite the present 
 home of our subject. He carried on general 
 farming and lived on this property until his 
 death on April 4, 1888. Politically he was first 
 a Whig and in after years a Republican. Jan- 
 uary 15, 1827, he was joined in marriage with 
 Elizabeth Somerville, who was born in Ire- 
 land May 10, 1 80 1, and was the youngest of 
 18 children born to her parents. She came to 
 America with two brothers and was married 
 to Mr. McKinney in New York City. They 
 were parents of the following children : Sarah 
 Jane, born December 5, 1827, and deceased 
 October 12, 1878, who was the wife of Hum- 
 phrey Owen, a prominent lumberman of De- 
 troit; James Renwick, born January 17, 1830, 
 deceased August 30, 1848; Lucinda, born De- 
 cember I, 1832, who was first married to 
 Charles Wilber, and later to Clark Johnson, of 
 Bay City, — she is now a widow and resides in 
 St. Paul, Minneapolis ; Mary Ellen, born March 
 12, 1834, who married Henry N. Eastman, 
 December 22, 1850, and is now a widow resid- 
 ing in Des Moines, Iowa : John Y.. our subject ; 
 William, who was born and died on January 
 16, 1840; and Eliza, born June i, 1843, who is 
 the wife of Daniel Campbell, of Denver, Col- 
 orado. ]\Irs. ]\IcKinney died October 2. 1865, 
 aged 64 years. She and her husband were 
 members of the Universalist Church. 
 
 John Y. McKinney attended the public 
 schools of Detroit and Bay City, and during his 
 boyhood days worked in his father's mill. In 
 i860, he rented this mill and conducted it until 
 1861. when it was destroyed by an explosion. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 609 
 
 He then placed in operation the first circular- 
 saw sawmill on the Saginaw River. On July 
 3, 1862, he enlisted in Company F, 23rd Reg.. 
 Michigan Vol. Inf., and served with the regi- 
 ment throughout the Civil War. He 
 went out as a lieutenant and in 1864 
 was promoted to a captaincy. He was hon- 
 orably discharged in 1865 and returned to Bay 
 City, where he became foreman of a sawmill. 
 He continued identified with sawmills until 
 1893, and in that time accumulated quite an 
 estate, which included six stores, a skating rink 
 and a fine residence. He then purchased I73^ 
 acres of land in Portsmouth township, adjoin- 
 ing Bay City, and has a fine truck garden, or- 
 chard and vineyard. He has 200 grape vines, 
 and an orchard of 400 trees, comprised of 
 peach, pear, plum, cherry and apple. He is a 
 man of energy* and enterprise and has met 
 with deserved success. 
 
 On February 13, 1872, INIr. McKinney was 
 united in marriage with Harriet Hudson, a 
 daughter of John R. Hudson, of Grand Lodge, 
 Michigan. She was born in St. Lawrence 
 County, New York. To them were born the 
 following children : John H., was born June 29, 
 1874, who is identified with the Northern Pa- 
 cific Railroad, and lives at Superior, Wiscon- 
 sin ; Ira H., born August 25, 1876, who is a 
 chemist in the employ of the Marine City Sugar 
 Company, of Marine City. Michigan; Nellie, 
 born March 28. 1878. deceased, who was the 
 wife of Van Rensselaer B. Gark of ^letamora, 
 by whom she had two children, John McKinney 
 and Helen Gark McKinney, the latter having 
 been adopted by our subject: and Mary, born 
 December 25, 1879. who is a teacher in the 
 Bay City public schools. Religiousl\-. Mr. 
 McKinney and Jiis family belong to the Fre- 
 mont .\venue Methodist Episcopal Church, of 
 which he was trustee for many years. He re- 
 sides with his familv in a comfortable seven- 
 
 room home, which he built at the time of mov- 
 ing upon his place in 1893. Politically, he is a 
 Republican but has never taken an active part 
 in political affairs. 
 
 HARLES NERRETER, a thrifty 
 farmer, whose farm is situated in 
 section 35. Fraser township, was 
 Ijorn at Clio, Saginaw County, Mich- 
 igan, May 12, 1869. He is a son of John and 
 Minnie (Myser) Nerreter, who came from 
 Germany, where they were married, before the 
 Civil War. The father enlisted for service in 
 that war in a Michigan infantry regiment. He 
 engaged in farming and lumbering at the close 
 of the war. He died about 18S6. when 64 years 
 old. His W'idow is still living, aged about 75 
 years. 
 
 Charles Nerreter is the fourth of nine chil- 
 dren born to his parents. He received his early 
 
 mental 
 
 trammg 
 
 in Saginaw, and after his 
 
 school days worked at farming and on the river. 
 For 16 years he was employed as an engineer 
 on lake steamers, and for the last nine years 
 of that period worked for Bigelow Brothers, of 
 Chicago. He bought his farm in Fraser town- 
 ship, which consists of 80 acres, in March, 
 1902. 
 
 On January 2. 1896. Mr. Nerreter was mar- 
 ried to Carrie Watkins, a native of Pennsyl- 
 vania, a daughter of Homer and Sarepta (Gil- 
 more) Watkins. Homer Watkins was born in 
 W^est Bloomfield, Ontario County, New York, 
 on July 26, 1825. His father, Lewis Watkins. 
 was born November 27, 1789, in Connecticut, 
 and removed to Western New York when quite 
 voung. He learned the shoemaker's trade, and 
 carried on a shop in the then village of Buffalo, 
 where he was living before the War of 18 12. 
 He afterward moved to Black Rock, then a 
 
6io 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 separate village but now a part of the city of 
 Buffalo, and had a shop there. On January 28, 
 j8iS, he married Philena Rew, a native of East 
 Bloomfield, New York. Her father, Lot Rew, 
 was one of the first settlers of East Bloomfield, 
 having moved there from Connecticut. Homer 
 Watkins' mother died in Bloomfield. October 
 13, 1831. In 1832 his father came to Michi- 
 gan, and bought 80 acres of land in the town of 
 Farmington, Oakland County. 
 
 Sarepta (Gilmore) Watkins, Mrs. Nerre- 
 ter's mother, was a daughter of Oliver and 
 Tyla (Wilson) Gilmore, who were natives of 
 New York State, where Mrs. Watkins was 
 born. Her grandfather, John Gilmore, was a 
 soldier in the Revolutionary War, and lived 
 many years in Chautauqua County, New York. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Nerreter have reared five 
 children, namely: Ferris Watkins, horn No- 
 vember 5, 1896; Ferolene Beatrice, born Oc- 
 tober 18, 1898: Charles Harris, Jr., l)orn No- 
 vemljer 3, 1900: and Ruth and Helen (twins), 
 born December 5, 1903. Politically, Mr. Ner- 
 reter is a Republican. Fraternally, he is a Ma- 
 son. His religious views are non-sectarian. 
 
 YMAN RIVKIN, who is a successful 
 general merchant at Linwood, Bay 
 County, Michigan, was born in 1851 
 at Mogelem, Russia, his parents be- 
 ing natives of that place. 
 
 Mr. Rivkin lost his father when he was a 
 child of nine years. His mother was dependent 
 upon her son's support, and as soon as 
 he had completed his education, in the com- 
 mon schools of his native village, he be- 
 gan to teach, and continued in the edu- 
 cational field for 21 years. In 1890 he 
 decided to emigrate to America, his one 
 
 regret being that his mother could not ac- 
 company him. She died one year later. When 
 Mr. Rivkin reached West Bay City, Michigan, 
 his capital was exhausted and he was obliged to 
 work from the bottom in building up a busi- 
 ness. His family joined him one year later 
 ailM Mr. Rivkin attributes much of his success 
 to the advice and assistance of his capable wife. 
 He engaged in a dry goods business at West 
 Bay City for about 18 months and then located 
 at Linwood where he has remained ever since, 
 building up here a business second to none in 
 the locality. He carries a large and varied 
 stock of seasonable goods, giving his patrons 
 careful and courteous attention and sells at the 
 lowest prices. 
 
 In 1870 Mr. Rivkin was married to Lottie 
 Chwerbilou, who was born in his native place. 
 Their children were born in Russia and accom- 
 panied the mother to America in 1891. They 
 are as follows: Jacob, born in 1871, who is 
 engaged in a junk business at Buffalo, New 
 York; Lena, born in 1873, who is the wife of 
 A. Cohen, who was born in Russia: Samuel, 
 born in 1875, who is a general merchant at 
 Omer, ■Michigan: Annie, born in 1877, who 
 married Benjamin Terris, a native of Russia, 
 and resides in Detroit: Ida, born in 1884, who 
 on April 6, 1905, was married to Julius Rosen- 
 berg, a native of Russia, now a resident of 
 Alpena, Michigan: and Lillian, born in 1887, 
 who resides at home. In addition to this fam- 
 ily of affectionate children, all of whom are 
 doing well, Mr. Rivkin has 11 grandchildren, 
 as follows : Bluma and Morris, JacolVs chil- 
 dren ; Sylvia, Florence, William and Pearl, 
 Lena's children : Fivus, Freda and Marcus, 
 Samuel's children : and Zimka and Eveline. 
 Annie's children. When there is a family re- 
 union, joy abounds, for all are closely united in 
 affection. Mr. and Mrs. Rivkin have worked 
 
JAMES H. POTTER 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 613 
 
 hard and are now al)le to enjoy the fruits of 
 their in(histry' and economy. They are very 
 lii,<,dily respected by the residents of Linwood. 
 Poh'licallv Mr. Rivkin is a Repubhcan, but 
 he is no seeker for otifice, his time and attention 
 lieing aI)sorl5ed in his business, his family and 
 liis pleasant social connections. He is a member 
 of the Maccabees. The family is Jewish in re- 
 ligious belief. 
 
 A^IES H. POTTER, one of the repre- 
 sentative citizens of Portsmouth town- 
 ship, Bay County, Michigan, who re- 
 sides on his fine farm of 137 acres 
 in section 34, township 14, range 5, was born 
 in Surrey County, England, within 20 miles 
 of London, on April 24, 1844, and is a son of 
 James and Sarah (Adams) Potter, an old 
 English family. 
 
 Our subject is the sixth member of a 
 family of 13 children and, with the exception 
 of his late brother William, the only member 
 of the family to come to Michigan. In 1856 
 he went to Brighton, England, and found em- 
 ployment in that fashionable seaside city, re- 
 maining there until 1870, when he emigrated 
 to .\merica. Prior to this he had been em- 
 ployed by the great contracting firm of John 
 Aird & Sons and assisted in the construction 
 of the great gas works at Bromley, Kent ; spent 
 four years assisting in the construction of the 
 Millwall docks ; spent two years at Hampton 
 assisting in the construction of the Vauxhall 
 water-works ; helped build the Charter gas 
 works at Barkin on the Thames, and was 
 employed in much railroad building in and 
 around the city of London. 
 
 On April 7, 1870, Mr. Potter left Liver- 
 pool for Portland, Maine, and during the next 
 three months visited many parts of Canada and 
 
 83 
 
 New York, and worked a short time in a brick- 
 yard near Rochester. In July he reached the 
 Saginaw Valley and found employment in the 
 construction of the Michigan Central Railroad 
 for a few months and then turned his attention 
 to lumbering, working first in a sawmill and 
 then in a lumber camp in the woods. He then 
 went to California and while there bored a 
 number of artesian wells in the San Francisco 
 Valley. Finally he returned to the Saginaw 
 Valley and worked for the leading companies 
 in various capacities in the lumber region for 
 16 years, 14 of these in the woods. 
 
 When Mr. Potter decided to settle down 
 permanently, his knowledge of values served 
 him well and his selection of land proved most 
 fortunate. The tract he secured was entirely 
 unimproved, but Mr. Potter soon placed it 
 under cultivation. He was obliged to cut a 
 road through to his property and to make a 
 number of public improvements on his own 
 account, all of which tended to make his farm 
 more valuable. As soon as practicable he built 
 a substantial residence and commodious barn 
 and outbuildings, to which he has added as 
 necessity has demanded. In 1900 he added to 
 his holdings by the purchase of 97 additional 
 acres adjoining his original 40-acre tract, his 
 land being situated in section 34. For the past 
 1 6 years he has operated a first-class dairy, his 
 place bearing the name, — "Alderney Dairy 
 Farm." He has made a specialty of sugar beets 
 and has devoted 20 acres to them. Few men 
 have had a wider experience in \-arious lines 
 than has Mr. Potter and few have been more 
 successful in what they have undertaken. 
 
 Mr. Potter was married first, in England, 
 in 1866, to Hannah Chipperfield. who remained 
 in England until 1873, when she joined Mr. 
 Potter. She died in 1893, without issue. In 
 1895 Mr. Potter was married to Nancy Richter, 
 who was bom in 1862, in Ontario, Canada, 
 
6i4 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 and they have four interesting children : Jennie, 
 Ralph, Frances and Granwell. A portrait of 
 ]\Ir. Potter accompanies this sketch. - 
 
 IIRISTIAX APPOLD, who owns a 
 fine farm bordering on the Saginaw 
 River, consisting of 120 acres in 
 sections 5, 6 and 7. township 13, 
 range 5. in Frankenlust township, was born on 
 this farm December 17, 1861, and is a son of 
 John C. and Barbara (Arnold) Appold. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Appold were both born 
 at Bayern, Germany, the father on August 9, 
 1826, and the mother on June 21, 1824. John 
 C. Appold died on his farm in Frankenlust 
 township, April 9. 1903. one of the most highly 
 valued men of the southern section of Bay 
 County, one who for years had directed every 
 energy to the development of this section and 
 who had been more than usually honored by his 
 fellow-citizens. He came to America and di- 
 rectly to Bay County in 1852. For some four 
 years he worked at the carpenter trade in Lower 
 Saginaw, by which name Bay City was at that 
 time known, and then bought 30 acres in Frank- 
 enlust township, now included in our subject's 
 farm. At that time the land was still covered 
 with its virgin growth of timber. He started 
 in at once to clear and put the property under 
 cultivation, and for a while lived in a little 
 shanty where housekeeping was carried on in a 
 primitive way. He w-as a man not only of in- 
 dustry and determination, but also of business 
 foresight. He soon erected a sawmill and then 
 operated it for 12 years, being succeeded by 
 Schaller & Stevens. He subsequently bought 
 over 300 acres of pine lands in Frankenlust 
 township, and at his death left an improved 
 farm of 130 acres. 
 
 Politically John C. Appold was in perfect 
 accord with the Republican party and in the 
 early days was one of the only three members 
 of this party in the township. During a period 
 of 12 years he served as a delegate to every 
 convention. With the greatest honesty and 
 efficiency he served in the office of highway 
 commissioner, drainage commissioner, path- 
 master, school inspector, for 25 years was 
 school moderator and for a long time was a jus- 
 tice of the peace. He was always among the 
 foremost to urge improvements of a public 
 character in the township, while at the same 
 time he was a careful guardian of the public 
 funds. When the project was advanced con- 
 cerning the building of the first German Lu- 
 theran Church in the township, he was one of 
 the handful of earnest men who were ready to 
 insure its completion. Before coming to Amer- 
 ica he had loyally served his own country for 
 six years in the army. 
 
 The mother of our subject was Barbara 
 Arnold, who came to America on the same 
 vessel that brought Mr. Appold across the 
 ocean. They were married at Bay Cit}- one 
 year later. She died here on the homestead in 
 Frankenlust township, December i, 1890, the 
 mother of seven children : Michael, of Franken- 
 lust township ; John Jacob, of Monitor town- 
 ship ; Mary Barbara, of Frankenlust township ; 
 George, of Williams township; Christian, of 
 this sketch ; Fred, of Frankenlust township ; and 
 Leonard, of Huron County. 
 
 Our subject has always resided on the old 
 home farm which he operates as a grain and 
 stock farm. He has, like his late father, always 
 been identified with county politics and is usu- 
 ally selected as a delegate to the Republican 
 county conventions, but has refused to accept 
 office. He has also been very active in the 
 affairs of St. Paul's German Lutheran Church 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 615 
 
 at Frankenlust and is a memlier of tlie build- 
 ing committee wliicii is now putting up a fine 
 new edifice. 
 
 On November 31, 1889. Mr. Appold mar- 
 ried Anna Xeumeyer, wlio was born August 
 15, 1866, at Salzburg, Bay County, and is a 
 daughter of Martin and Mary (Schwap) Neu- 
 meyer, natives of Germany and pioneers of this 
 county. They have six children : George J., 
 Benjamin, Jacob. Christina. Carl and Chris- 
 tian, Jr. 
 
 — — < « » 
 
 OHN H. SHARPE. one of the prom- 
 inent men of Bay County, who resides 
 on his well-cultivated farm of 20 
 acres, situated in section 17, Hampton 
 township, has been identified with public af- 
 fairs and educational progress in this locality 
 for the past 30 years. Mr. Sharpe was born 
 September 3, 1849. "^^^ Kingston. Ontario, 
 Canada, and is a son of Andrew and Delila 
 (Kronke) Sharpe. 
 
 The Sharpe ancestry is traced to James P. 
 Sharpe, Archbishop of Sterling, who suffered 
 death in the time of Charles II of England. 
 Lawrence Sharpe, the paternal grandfather of 
 our subject, was born in Perthshire, Scotland, 
 and came to America at a very early day, set- 
 tling in the State of New York in Revolu- 
 tionary times. 
 
 Andrew- Sharpe was born near Oswego, 
 New' York and was 1 5 years old when the fam- 
 ily removed to Canada, where it remained 
 through his life. Andrew Sharpe took part in 
 the iMcKinzie Rebellion in 1837. His occupa- 
 tion was farming. His death took place at the 
 age of 73 years. The Sharpe family was rep- 
 resented by several members in the military 
 operations of the War of 1812. The mother of 
 our subject was hnrn in Ontario, Canada, where 
 she died at the age of 67 years. The family 
 
 consisted of nine children, three of these being 
 sons. 
 
 Our subject was 15 years old when he left 
 the home farm and entered Prince Albert Col- 
 lege, at Belleville, Canada, where he enjoyed 
 three years of collegiate training. Then he 
 crossed the border and resided at W^atertown, 
 New York, working at various callings for 
 some two years, and then came West to Mich- 
 igan, becoming bookkeeper for a large woolen 
 mill at Flint. After 18 months at Flint he 
 went to Hawley and later to Lapeer, and 
 finally, in 1873, settled in Bay County. This 
 section of the State has been his chosen home 
 ever since and he has resided for the past 26 
 years upon his present compact little farm, 
 which is noted for its fertility, and is mainly 
 devoted to fine gardening and fruit-growing. 
 
 Mr. Sharpe has been one of the most vigor- 
 ous promoters of education in this section of 
 Bay County. After locating here, he taught 
 country schools for three years and then w-as 
 principal of the Essexville School for one year; 
 later he became principal of the Sterling School 
 and taught also at other points. His services 
 were valued and he was made county school 
 examiner and for six years was secretary of the 
 local School Board and for two years held 
 other official positions. 
 
 Mr. Sharpe is now identified with the Dem- 
 ocratic party and has been honored by the party 
 on numerous occasions. He served one term 
 as township clerk and for the past 20 years 
 has been a justice of the peace. 
 
 In 1873 Mr. Sharpe was united in mar- 
 riage with Mary Dillon, who was born near 
 London. Ontario. Canada, August 17, 1853, 
 and is a daughter of John and Johanna Dillon, 
 natives of Ireland. They have had nine chil- 
 dren : Harold, of Everett, Washington ; Carl 
 S., of Seattle. Washington: Agnes M., wife of 
 F. P. Sawyer, of Everett, W^ashington ; John 
 
6i6 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 who died aged 17 years; and Lawrence. \'er- 
 non, Edward M., Mary and Thomas R.. who 
 Hve at home. 
 
 Air. Sharpe's fraternal associations are with 
 the St. Andrew's Society and other Scottish 
 clans. As one of the representative men of 
 this section, Mr. Sharpe exerts a wide influ- 
 ence and is probably as well-known as any 
 other agriculturist in Bay County. 
 
 HESLEY WHEELER, one of the 
 oldest and most prominent citizens of 
 Bay City, is a retired ship-builder, 
 who was born in Warren County, 
 New York, June 17, 1823, and is a son of 
 George and Sally (Padden) Wheeler. 
 
 George Wheeler was born in Eastern New 
 York, and devoted his entire life to farming. 
 He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and was 
 stationed at Sackett's Harbor. There the 
 United States government had built a large ves- 
 sel for war purposes, which, peace having been 
 declared, was never launched. The subject of 
 this sketch well remembers going over this ves- 
 sel, after it had lieen housed in and placed on 
 exhibition. The father died in 1831 in Jeffer- 
 son County, New York. His death was the 
 result of diseases caused by over exertion, and 
 the exposure incident to frontier life. 
 
 Chesley Wheeler's mother had six sons and 
 four daughters, of whom he and three sisters 
 are the only survivors. Of these, Mrs. Mary 
 Ann Eaton, who is next older than he. lives in 
 St. Louis, Michigan. Another, Mrs. Emma 
 Williams, lives in Columbus, Pennsylvania. 
 The third sister. Mrs. Melissa Casselman. re- 
 sides in Chautauqua County. New York. The 
 mother of this family was a native of New 
 York, but of Scotch extraction. In religious 
 faith, she was a Presbyterian. 
 
 Chesley Wheeler grew up in Jefferson 
 County, New York, where he receixed his men- 
 tal training and where he was married. Before 
 and after his marriage, he was engaged in 
 farming. Subsequent to that event, he learned 
 the trade of ship carpenter, which he followed 
 until within the last few years. Before com- 
 ing to Bay County, he built a few small ves- 
 sels on contract. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler arrived in Saginaw, ]\Iichi- 
 gan, in the fall of 1865 and started a ship- 
 yard there. Eight years afterward he moved 
 to West Bay City, where he started another 
 shipyard, having discontinued the one at Sag- 
 inaw. He remained in West Bay Cif)' until 
 about 1878, when his son, Frank Willis 
 Wheeler, who up to that time had been in part- 
 nership with his father, became sole owner of 
 the yard. 
 
 The "Elfin Mere" was the property of 
 Chesley Wheeler, and was operated by him as 
 a freight steamer until 1901, when the boat was 
 destroyed by fire. Mr. Wheeler gave employ- 
 ment at times to a force numbering from 300 
 to 400 men. 
 
 On February 14, 1843. M^. Wheeler mar- 
 ried Eliza Hoselton. of Jefferson County, New- 
 York. They had five children, four of whom 
 grew to maturity, as follows: Jane L., wife of 
 William Durand, of Bay City; Fred D., de- 
 ceased ; Emma, wife of John R. Goodfellow, of 
 Los Angeles, California; and Frank ^\'illis. 
 The mother of this family died December 12, 
 1 89 1, aged 65 years. She was a member of the 
 Congregational Church. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler subsequently married Airs. 
 Chauncey Greenman, iicc Imogene Thurber, a 
 daughter of Noah Thurber. of Penn Yan, New 
 York. She is a member of the Presbyterian 
 Church. 
 
 Cheslev Wheeler is a Republican in politics. 
 In West Bav City he was quite active politi- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 617 
 
 cally, and exercised a powerful influence in 
 public affairs, although he was absorbed in 
 business to such an extent as to preclude the 
 idea of holding office. Fraternally, he is a 
 member of Joppa Lodge, No. 315, F. & A. M. 
 
 Hon. Fr.\nk Willis Wheeler was born 
 March 2, 1853, and received his mental train- 
 ing in the public schools of Saginaw. He 
 learned the trade of ship carpenter with his 
 father, with whom he entered into partnership 
 about the time they came to Bay City. In this 
 line he continued until the trust bought up the 
 shipyards on the Great Lakes. He then went 
 to Detroit, where he engaged in business as a 
 ship owner. He purchased 200,000 acres of 
 timber land in North Carolina, and incorpor- 
 ated a company with a capital of $1,000,000, 
 Frank W'illis W'heeler married Eva Arm- 
 strong, of Saginaw, and they have one daugh- 
 ter, Mary, who is the wife of George Clark, of 
 Detroit. Mr. Wheeler, like his father, is a 
 Republican in politics. He w-as elected to Con- 
 gress in 1888 from this district. Fraternally, 
 he belongs to Joppa Lodge, No. 315, F. & 
 A. M. 
 
 LLlAAl REID, manager of the 
 L'nion Ice Company, at Bay City, 
 Michigan, was born in Perthshire, 
 Scotland, March 30, 1850. and is a 
 son of John and Ann (Morrison) Reid. 
 
 John Reid was a native of Perthshire. In 
 1850 he left his native land and settled in 
 Huron District. Ontario. Canada, where he en- 
 gaged in agricultural pursuits until the close 
 of his life, in 1900. at the age of 74 years. 
 
 Our subject was reared in Canada and ob- 
 tained his education in the public schools. In 
 1870 he came to Bay City and spent five sea- 
 sons in the lumber regions. He then secured 
 
 the position of gang sawyer and continued in 
 that work for some 10 years, after which he 
 operated a salt-block for a like period and for 
 the same company, and cleared the mill of lum- 
 ber and refuse. During this time he was also 
 engaged in farming, carrying on extensive 
 operations for some nine years on the Watson 
 farm, which he had rented. He raised wheat, 
 oats and hay and had 20 head of stock, mainly 
 horses. Mr. Reid then returned to lumber- 
 ing during the winter seasons, working for 
 Butman & Rusk, his former employers, having 
 been two years engaged in clearing E. Y. 
 Williams' mill. In his lumbering operations he 
 was associated with John Redy, the firm style 
 being Reid & Redy. and the partnership con- 
 tinued for two years. In 1893 ^^^- Reid lx)ught 
 the wood business of Smalley & Woodruft". ad- 
 mitted Samuel Mapes to a partnership and the 
 business was conducted under the firm name of 
 Mapes & Reid, for six years. Then W. H. 
 Reed bought the partner's interest, and the 
 firm became Reid & Reed, one year later our 
 subject becoming the sole ow-ner. 
 
 When the Union Ice Company was organ- 
 ized in 1899. Mr. Reid became its manager and 
 it is the oldest and best equipped ice concern in 
 the city, doing the major part of the ice busi- 
 ness. The company cuts its own ice, consist- 
 ing of about 35,000 tons annually, and sells 
 both wholesale and retail. H. H. Aplin is pres- 
 ident and Robert Beutel is secretary and treas- 
 urer of this company, both being well-known 
 capitalists. 
 
 Mr. Reid married Jessie Foote, who is a 
 daughter of John Foote. of Huron District, 
 Ontaria, Canada, and they have four children : 
 James L., Mabel May. William H. and Jessie 
 T. The family belong to the Memorial Pres- 
 byterian Church, in which Mr. Reid has been a 
 trustee for about 10 years. 
 
 Politically he is a stanch Republican and 
 
6iS 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 has served two terms as alderman from the 
 Fifth \\'ard. His fraternal ties include mem- 
 bership with the Maccabees and with Bay City 
 Lodge, No. 129, F. & A. yi. 
 
 ILLIAM GEORGE KELLY, M. D.. 
 C. M., a well-known physician of 
 Bay City, was born at Kingston, 
 Ontario, February 5, 1874. He is 
 a son of Isaac and Susan (Faucett) Kelly, and 
 a grandson of William and Mary Kelly. Will- 
 iam Kelly, the grandfather, came from the 
 North of Ireland and settled in Kingston, where 
 he followed the trade of a carpenter. 
 
 Isaac Kelly was born at Kingston, Ontario, 
 March 17, 1847. When a boy he learned the 
 trade of a pattern maker, which occupation he 
 followed until the very day of his death,— 
 August 5, 1904. He was a stanch Liberal. 
 During the Fenian raid, he did military duty 
 and received a grant of land for his services. 
 He was an active member of the Presbyterian 
 Church, in which he officiated as an elder. Fra- 
 ternally, he belonged to the A. O. U. W. The 
 wife of Isaac Kelly was born in Ireland and 
 landed in Canada, after a three months' voyage, 
 when she was about seven years of age. She is 
 now 55 years old, and is in the enjoyment of ex- 
 cellent health. In religious faith she is a Pres- 
 bvterian, and a consistent member of the 
 church. Isaac Kelly and his wife had four chil- 
 dren, namely: Henry J., who lives in St. Louis, 
 Missouri: William George: Isaac John, of To- 
 ledo, Ohio : and Nettie Louise. 
 
 The subject of this sketch received his early 
 mental training in the public schools of Kings- 
 ton, and afterward entered the medical depart- 
 ment of the Queen's L^niversity in that city, 
 where he was graduated in 1897 with the de- 
 grees before mentioned. In the same year lie 
 
 came to Bay City, an utter stranger, and since 
 then has built up an extended and successful 
 practice. 
 
 Doctor Kelly married Florence Ethel Lan- 
 deryon, a daughter of John C. Landeryon, of 
 Kingston, Ontario, and they have one daugh- 
 ter, — Dorothy May. The Doctor is a member 
 of the Presbyterian Church. Professionally, he 
 belongs to the Michigan State Medical Society, 
 and the Bay County jMedical Society. Fra- 
 ternally, he is a member of Bay City Lodge, 
 No. 129, F. & A. M., of which he is senior 
 warden ; Blanchard Chapter, No. 59, R. A. M., 
 and Bay City Commandery, No. 26, K. T. In 
 politics, the Doctor is a Republican. 
 
 ,m 
 
 AMUEL F. WAIT, a prominent citizen 
 and postmaster of Auburn, in Will- 
 iams township, was born September 
 12, 1852, at Ogdensburg, New York. 
 He is a son of Ebenezer and Caroline (Pierce) 
 Walt, and is a descendant of Thomas Wayte, 
 who was one of the signers of the death war- 
 rant of King Charles I, of England. 
 
 Ebenezer Wait was a native of New York 
 State, and was one of several children born to 
 his parents, among them being: Calvin, a 
 farmer and real estate dealer who died and was 
 buried at Malone, New York: and Lucy, wife 
 of Daniel O. Files, of St. Regis Falls, New 
 York. Ebenezer Wait became a machinist and 
 engineer on lake boats, and was the first to 
 put a walking beam on a propeller, putting it 
 on the "B. F. Wade." He went to Chicago and 
 for several years worked for Savage Brothers, 
 machinists, and later was manager of a large 
 sugar refinery in that city. In 1891, he retired 
 from business and came to Bay County to live 
 with our subject, dying here November 23, 
 1902. He was buried in Pine Grove Ceme- 
 terv in Williams township. He married Caro- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 619 
 
 line Pierce, a native of New Plampshire and a 
 daugliter of Daniel Pierce, and they became 
 parents of tliree children : Daniel Edward, of 
 Chicago, who was an engineer on the Great 
 Lakes and was drowned, it is thought, in the 
 sinking of the steamship "Oconto ;" Charles, a 
 farmer of Tuscola County, Michigan ; and 
 Samuel F. 
 
 Samuel F. Wait was seven years of age 
 when his mother died and thereafter shifted 
 for himself. At the age of 10 years, Thomas 
 Wolverton, a shipbuilder, saw and was at- 
 tracted to the boy and persuaded the latter to go 
 with him to his farm on the St. Clair River. 
 There Samuel attended the district school at 
 Robertson Landing, working before and after 
 school hours on the farm. The farm was sold 
 two years and a half after, and he accompan- 
 ied the family of his benefactor to Belle River 
 Mills, Michigan, where he worked on a farm 
 for a daughter of Mr. Wolverton. In Septem- 
 ber of the same year he moved with this fam- 
 ily to what was then Portsmouth, now South 
 Bay City, and attended school that winter, be- 
 ing then 14 years old. The following spring he 
 went to work in Watrous Brothers' shingle- 
 mill. He attended school in Portsmouth 
 whenever he could until he was ig. 
 He worked in the lumber camps during 
 the winter months and was scaler for 
 Watrous Brothers until he was 24 years old. 
 He then accompanied Mr. Wolverton to a farm 
 of 134 acres in section 19, Monitor township, 
 which the latter had purchased, and for six 
 years worked at clearing and cultivating the 
 land. He purchased 40 acres of this tract and 
 engaged in farming it, in the meantime con- 
 tinuing to live with Mr. Wolverton, whose 
 house and barn he helped to build. At the end 
 of six years he left the home of that gentle- 
 man and became clerk for Ira E. Swart in the 
 iatter's furnishing store at Auburn, continu- 
 
 ing 12 years, serving as deputy postmaster to 
 Mr. Swart for the same period. 
 
 After leaving the employ of Mr. Swart, 
 Mr. Wait engaged in the grocery business for 
 himself one year, then returned to his farm and 
 remained until he was appointed postmaster of 
 Auburn. July 29, 1897. He took charge on 
 September 15 of that year jind has since served 
 most creditably in that capacity. He has been 
 unswerving in his support of the Republican 
 party, and has held numerous township offices. 
 He was elected township clerk in 1883 and 
 served 12 years in the office and a like period 
 on the School Board. He is progressive and 
 public-spirited and it was largely through his 
 efforts that the Town Hall was built in 1894. 
 He was also instrumental in securing the new, 
 modern school at Auburn. The business of the 
 Auburn post office has been more than doubled 
 under his administration, and there are now 
 three rural delivery routes running from his 
 office. He has served 20 years as a notary 
 public. 
 
 On January 28, 1884, ]\Ir. Wait was joined 
 in marriage with Mary A. Hershey, who was 
 born in Ritchfield, Ohio, and is a daughter of 
 Abraham and Mary (Shoemaker) Hershey of 
 Bath, Ohio. She is one of seven children, as 
 follows: Samuel J., a farmer and wholesale 
 butcher of Williams township: Irving B.. an 
 attorney of Cleveland, Ohio; Elmer G., a 
 farmer and wholesale butcher of Williams 
 township; Mary A., wife of our subject; Ma- 
 tilda, wife of Linus W. Oviatt. supervisor of 
 Williams township, a stock breeder and State 
 speaker for the Farmer's Institute ; Ella M., 
 wife of George R. Beattie, a farmer and whole- 
 sale butcher of Williams township ; and Sarah 
 J., widow of T. D. Oviatt, who was a lawyer 
 of Warren, Ohio. Mr. and ]\Irs. Wait have 
 five children: Iva Glenn. Ralph H., Clyde F., 
 Charles F. and Mvron R. Fraternallv, our sub- 
 
620 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 ject has been a member of tlie Independent Or- 
 der of Foresters since March 12, 1891, has 
 fiUed the offices of financial secretary and court 
 deputy and is now treasurer of Court Auburn, 
 No. 758. Rehgiously, he is a memljer of the 
 Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 
 EORGE A. NUFFER, one of the en- 
 terprising business men of Amelith, 
 I-'rankenlust township, who controls 
 a number of successful enterprises 
 and industries here, was born March 30, 1872, 
 at Amelith, Bay County, Michigan, and is a 
 son of William and Mary (Kranzlein) Nuffer. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Nufifer were born in 
 Germany, but came to America before mar- 
 riage. William Nuffer came to Bay County 
 in i860, and died at the age of 38 years. The 
 mother of our subject lived to be 58 years of 
 age. They had six children : Margaret, wife 
 of Michael Uhlrich, of Saginaw; Barbara, de- 
 ceased, who was the wife of Adolph Wirth ; 
 John M., of Auburn; William, deceased; 
 George A. ; and Henry, of Frankenlust town- 
 ship. Mrs. Nufifer married again after her 
 husband's decease, and reared eight more 
 children. 
 
 Until he was 14 years old Mr. Nuffer at- 
 tended German and American schools, and then 
 devoted hiinself to assisting on his father's 
 farm until he embarked in the general mercan- 
 tile and cheese business some 12 years ago. This 
 venture was joined in by his brother and the 
 firm name was Nuffer Brothers, and the busi- 
 ness continued until last fall when it was dis- 
 solved. John M. Nuffer took the cheese fac- 
 tory and store, used in their joint business, to 
 Auburn where the output of his cheese factory 
 is about 8,000 pounds a day. The one our sub- 
 ject conducts on his place at Amelith turns out 
 
 5,000 pounds a day, the quality being su- 
 perior and meeting with ready sale. Mr. Nuffer 
 has an acre of land on which all his plants are 
 located, — cheese factory, cider mill and store 
 building. The last named building is 30 by 46 
 feet in dimensions and is well stocked with 
 seasonable goods. He also deals in farm im- 
 plements. These buildings were all put up by 
 our subject and his brother, with the exception 
 of the cheese factory, and are in section 15, 
 Frankenlust township. 
 
 Mr. Nuffer was married February 16, 
 1896, to Maggie Bauer, who was born in 
 Frankenlust township. Bay County, and is a 
 daughter of George Bauer who was born in 
 Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Nuffer have three 
 l)right, interesting children : Adolph, John and 
 Eleanor. 
 
 Mr. Xuffer is a Republican and has fre- 
 quently been put forward by his party for re- 
 sponsible offices, being a man well-qualified for 
 the same. He is one of the leading members 
 of St. John's German Lutheran Church at 
 Amelith and a liberal supporter of its enter- 
 prises. 
 
 OHN ANDREW FEINAUER, one of 
 the representative citizens of Monitor 
 township, and the owner of a well- 
 inipro\e(l farm of 80 acres, situated 
 in section 29, was born February 29, 1856, at 
 Bay City, and is a son of those well-known 
 pioneers, John M. and Margaret B. (Sex- 
 linger) Feinauer. 
 
 John M. owned a farm in Ba\'aria, 
 Germany, but felt that he could do better 
 in the United States and, with two sisters, 
 took passage in a sailing vessel in 1846. The 
 ship was almost wrecked and its supplies ran 
 out before land was reached, and this three 
 months of danger was never forgotten by those 
 
NELSON NELLES 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 523 
 
 who endured it. The party came directly to 
 Bay City, Micliigan, by way of Buffalo. Two 
 years later Margaret B. Sexlinger came to Bay 
 City, and soon after her arrival she and Mr. 
 Feinauer were married. Our subject's father 
 easily secured work as sawyer and millwright 
 and the ruins of the first mill in which he 
 worked, dismantled some two years ago, can 
 still be seen in Bay City. He subsequently pur- 
 chased a tract of 80 acres of land, where the 
 Michigan coal mine was recently opened, tak- 
 ing charge in the fall of 1856. About three 
 years later he added 40 acres to the original 
 purchase and continued to operate this farm of 
 120 acres until 1898, when he retired and went 
 to live with his son, John C. Feinauer, in Mon- 
 itor township. Here he died in March, 1900, a 
 man respected by all who knew him. He was 
 a stanch supporter of the principles of the Re- 
 publican party and was frequently selected for 
 responsible offices. For seven years he served 
 as a justice of the peace and was also elected 
 township treasurer and highway commissioner. 
 His aged widow still survives and is an honored 
 and beloved member of the household of her 
 youngest daughter, who lives in Frankenlust 
 township. 
 
 Our subject is the second member of the 
 family of 10 children bom to his parents, the 
 others being: John G., of Frankenlust town- 
 ship; George M. and John C, both of Monitor 
 township : John Leonard, deceased ; Christina 
 B., wife of A. Schwab; Louisa W., wife of 
 Charles F. Engelhardt, of Hampton township ; 
 Mary B., wife of F. Smith, of Monitor town- 
 ship; .\nna M., wife of George Richard; and 
 Mary M., wife of John Lutz, of Frankenlust 
 township. 
 
 After completing his education, our subject 
 worked for his father for four years and then 
 learned the milling trade and later that of 
 l)utchering, and followed the latter for three 
 
 \'ears pri(.)r to settling on his farm of 80 acres, 
 which he had bought in 1877. At that time it 
 was in its native state, all covered with forest 
 and brush. He did all the clearing himself and 
 made use of the fine timber in building his own 
 handsome residence and large barn. Mr. 
 Feinauer has an exceptionally fine house which 
 he built in 1899 at a cost, for construction, of 
 $r,200. He carries on general farming and 
 stock-raising, his land being well adapted to 
 l:oth industries. 
 
 John A. Feinauer was married on Septem- 
 ber 3, 1879, to Margaret E. Schmitt, who is a 
 daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Webl>er) 
 Schmitt, and they have had seven children ; 
 Christina B.. who died aged 18 years; Lizzie 
 L. W., who is the wife of Leonard Uhlman, of 
 Garfield township; John F.. of Monitor town- 
 ship; Annie M., wife of Charles Geiser; and 
 George M., Minnie W. and Martilla M., the 
 last three living at home. The family belong 
 to the German Lutheran Church, of which Mr. 
 Feinauer has been a trustee for six years. In 
 politics he is a Republican and is moderator of 
 the School Board, a position he has held for 
 three years past. 
 
 ELSON NELLES. For many years 
 the late Nelson Nelles, whose portrait 
 is shown on the opposite page, was 
 one of Bay City's prominent and suc- 
 cessful business men, closely identified with her 
 lumber interests. Mr. Nelles was born March 
 2. 1830, in York, Canada, and died at Bay 
 City, April 22, 1901. He was a son of Col. 
 William and Margaret Sophia (Clements) 
 Nelles. 
 
 The family is one of considerable political 
 and military distinction in the Dominion of 
 Canada, being well represented in the LTpper 
 
624 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 House of Parliament. The late Colonel Nelles 
 was a man of prominence in his locality, a 
 magistrate and during the rebellion of 1837- 
 38 he was captain of a company there, later 
 becoming colonel in the militia. He was a 
 member of the Church of England. His wife 
 was born at Niagara, Canada, and died in 
 York, aged 50 years, and was survived by her 
 husband 15 years. They had 11 children and 
 10 of these grew to maturity. 
 
 The late Nelson Nelles was reared on his 
 father's farm and remained at home until the 
 age of 22 years, his education being secured 
 in the district schools. His inclinations did 
 not lead him to adopt an agricultural life, turn- 
 ing rather to business. Several years after he 
 had started out for himself, he accepted employ- 
 ment in a lumber yard at Vienna, Canada. 
 During his residence there he advanced from 
 the position of tally-boy to that of manager, 
 his employers being a firm, whose headquarters 
 were in Albany, New York. Mr. Nelles was 
 employed by this firm for five years at Vienna, 
 Canada, inspecting and shipping lumber, and 
 then he went into the business on his own ac- 
 count, and successfully pursued it for the next 
 five years. Attracted by the great development 
 of the lumber interests at Bay City, he came 
 here in 1870. He inspected lumber here for 
 a large firm during the first year and shipped 
 millions of feet and then went into the business 
 for himself, continuing his extensive opera- 
 tions. In 1888 he admitted his son, J. Alex- 
 ander Nelles, to partnership and they continued 
 the business until 1896, when our subject re- 
 tired. During his long and successful business 
 life he was known for sturdy honesty as well as 
 commercial ability, while he had few equals 
 in this section as a lumber expert. 
 
 In 1865, Mr. Nelles was married at Shelby, 
 Ohio, to Jennie E. Alexander, who was born at 
 St. Thomas, Ontario. Mrs. Nelles still sur- 
 
 vives with five children, viz : Margaret, who 
 is the wife of Lieut. H. G. Gates, United States 
 Navy ; J. Alexander, of North Hampton street, 
 Bay City ; Helen E., a graduate of the Bay City 
 High School and the University of Michigan, 
 who is the wife of L. L. Axford, of Detroit ; 
 Frederick N., of Chicago, a civil engineer, 
 class of 1900, University of Michigan; and 
 Charles A., of Bay City. 
 
 Mr. Nelles always took a prominent part in 
 civic life but he neither sought nor held polit- 
 ical office. His large business operations made 
 him well-known all through this section. 
 
 USSELL WARNER BROWN, 
 M. D., physician and surgeon, whose 
 office is located at No. 207 North 
 Walnut street, Bay City, West Side, 
 was born at Summerfield, Monroe County, 
 Michigan, March 2^, 1864, and is a son of 
 George R. and Mary (Hunter) Brown. 
 
 The father of Dr. Brown was born in Mass- 
 achusetts in 1829, and died at Deerfield, Mich- 
 igan, September 20, 1904, aged 75 years. He 
 came West with his father, Doctor Jonas 
 Brown, in boyhood, and spent his whole subse- 
 quent life in Michigan, mainly engaged in ag- 
 ricultural pursuits. His wife Mary was a 
 daughter of Benjamin and Ann Hunter. 
 
 Dr. Brown was educated in the comiuon 
 and high schools of Petersburg and Deerfield, 
 Michigan, where his parents resided during dif- 
 ferent periods of his boyhood and youth, and 
 began to read medicine under the careful pre- 
 ceptorship of Dr. Dayton Parker, of Blissfield, 
 Michigan. He thus prepared for entrance to 
 the Michigan College of Medicine at Detroit, 
 from which he was creditably graduated in 
 1889. After one year of practice at Republic, 
 Marquette County, he removed to Meredith, 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 625 
 
 Clare County, wlicre he practiced for four 
 years and made man_\- friends. In 1894 he 
 came to West Bay City, where he has 1jeen in 
 practice ever since. He is well equipped natur- 
 ally for his noble profession, and he keeps well 
 posted concerning its scientific advancement, be- 
 longing to both county and State medical or- 
 ganizations. 
 
 Dr. Brown was united in marriage with 
 Victoria A. Mcintosh, who is a daughter of 
 Joseph Mcintosh, a native of Ontario. They 
 iiave two children : Mary Evangeline and Fred- 
 erick yi. Dr. Brown and wife belong to Grace 
 Protestant Episcopal Church, of which he is a 
 vestryman. 
 
 For a number of years Dr. Brown has been 
 prominent in various fraternal organizations. 
 He is a member of Wenona Lodge, No. 296, 
 F. & A. M.; Othello Lodge, No. 116, K. P.; 
 and Wenona Lodge. No. 221, I. O. O. F., all 
 of Bay City, West Side, and is past grand of the 
 Odd Fellows lodge at Meredith, Michigan. He 
 is also a member of Salzburg Tent, No. 909, 
 Knights of the Modern Maccabees: Michigan 
 Tent, No. 2, Knights of the Maccabees of the 
 World; John A. Logan Post, No. 8, L'nion Life 
 Guards; and Perfect Primary, No. 23, Prudent 
 Patricians of Pompeii, all of Bav Citv, West 
 Side. 
 
 TCHARD PADLEY. Among the 
 many prominent men whose business 
 ability and public spirit have contrib- 
 uted to the material prosperity of Bay 
 City, the late Richard Padley occupied a lead- 
 ing place. Mr. Padley was born April 25. 1824, 
 near Boston, Lincolnshire, England, and passed 
 away in the fall of 1903, in his 80th year. 
 
 Mr. Padley was a younger son of a gentle- 
 man farmer in England. Tn 1852 he immi- 
 grated to America with tlie determination of 
 
 making a career for himself. Circumstances 
 led to his locating at Bay City, Bay County, 
 Alichigan. Here he entered into the industries 
 of the section, working in the lumber districts, 
 in sawmills and even on a pile-driver, finding 
 excitement and adventure in this far Westem 
 country a\ hich made him resolve to remain here 
 permanent!}-. In 1857 he purchased his first 
 farm, located on the Tuscola plank road. This 
 land he cleared and cultivated but never re- 
 sided upon it, later selling it and going into 
 the shingle business. For five years he was 
 associated with the late Theodore Walker, and 
 then he resumed farming, buying tracts of land 
 in Bangor township. He also followed con- 
 tracting at Bay City and built many houses 
 both on his own and other property. 
 
 ]\Ir. Padley also was the maker or construc- 
 tor of the early macadamized roads about Bay 
 City and not two years before his death he re- 
 ceived a letter from the mayor of Detroit, ask- 
 ing him to undertake a contract to construct 
 many miles of such roads in and about Detroit. 
 As he had retired from business over 30 years 
 before, he wrote and declined the work. 
 
 Air. Padley was prominent in civic affairs 
 and accepted public office when called upon by 
 his fellow-citizens to do so, serving as super- 
 visor, as a meiuber of the School Board and as 
 alderman. His business interests were numer- 
 ous and he was financially connected with many 
 of the city's most successful enterprises. Mr. 
 Padley was one of the founders of Trinity 
 Protestant Episcopal Church, of Bay City. 
 
 By his first marriage, with Mary Barton, 
 Mr. Padley had two daughters, — Charlotte 
 (Mrs. Henry W. Weber), of West Bay City, 
 and Eliza, who died in infancy. On July 18, 
 1 89 1, in London, England, he was married to 
 tlie talented lady who still sur\nves him, — 
 Phillis Donnison, who is a daughter of the late 
 Frederick Donnison. of the Stock Exchange, 
 
626 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 and of Angel Park Gardens, Southwest Lon- 
 don. Since the death of Mr. Padley, Mrs. 
 Padley has admirably managed his large inter- 
 ests. She occupies one of the most elegant 
 homes in Bay City and many of the exquisite 
 paintings, which adorn this perfect home, are 
 the works of this artistic lady's brush. Her 
 standing among artists in London is \'ery high. 
 She lias exhibited a number of fine landscapes 
 in the London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool 
 and Manchester and Newcastle-on-Tyne an- 
 nual exhibitions. Mrs. Padley is a charter 
 member of the Bay City Woman's Club and 
 has prepared many interesting papers of literary 
 excellence for this society. 
 
 ILLL-\M WAGNER, supervisor of 
 Portsmouth township, one of the 
 old and respected residents, resides 
 on his well-cultivated farm of 80 
 acres, situated in section 7. Mr. Wagner was 
 torn in Nassau, Prussia^ Germany. May 12, 
 1843, and is a son of Carl and Elizabeth (Her- 
 bert) Wagner. 
 
 The Wagners were people of intelligence 
 and respectability in the community in Ger- 
 many from which they came to America in 
 search of better agricultural conditions. Li the 
 fall of 1856 Carl Wagner, with his family, 
 sailed from the port of Havre for New York, 
 proceeded to Detroit by rail and started for 
 Bay City, but the season was too far advanced 
 for navigation and the steamer was ice-bound, 
 the passengers not reaching their destination 
 until the following April. Mr. Wagner first 
 rented a 40-acre farm which he operated one 
 year and then bought 40 acres in Hampton 
 township. Bay County. Here he lived until the 
 close of his useful life. He was born in Ger- 
 many in 1 8 19, and died in 1884, aged 65 years. 
 
 He served 18 years on the township board, was 
 a justice of the peace for a long period, and 
 was one of the leading men of his community. 
 He married Elizabeth Herbert, who was torn 
 in Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany, in 1820, and 
 who still survives, making her home with her 
 son, Philip Wagner. They had seven children, 
 one of whom was born on the ocean. The 
 record is as follows : Frederick, of Portsmouth 
 township ; William, of this sketch ; Mrs. Amelia 
 Ramm, of Bay City; Philip, a sketch of whom 
 will be found in this work; Mrs. Gertrude 
 Shultz. deceased; Mrs. Louisa Flues, deceased; 
 and Elizabeth, of Bay City. 
 
 Soon after reaching Bay City, our subject 
 found employment with Thomas Stevenson, 
 with whom he remained for two years. He 
 then worked at home and in sawmills for the 
 next seven years. He assisted in building and 
 keeping in repair the old plank toll road in 
 Hampton township, being thus employed for 
 si.x years. He also conducted a meat market 
 in Bay City for 18 months, his store being on 
 the site of the present Federal Building on 
 Third street. After his marriage he came to 
 his present farm, which he had purchased in 
 1863. about 10 acres of the 80 having been pre- 
 viously cleared. The remainder he cleared and 
 placed under cultivation himself, and in 1890 
 he erected his comfortable dwelling and two 
 substantial barns. He has carried on general 
 farming, has done some raising of sugar beets, 
 keeps 10 cows and cares for an orchard which 
 covers three acres. 
 
 Li 1870 Mr. Wagner was married to Hen- 
 rietta N. Stenz. who was born May 4, 1848, at 
 Monroe. Michigan, and is a daughter of Con- 
 rad and Kunegunde (Seibert) Stenz, natives of 
 Bavaria. Germany, who come to America in 
 1846. Mr. Stenz died in 1884. The children 
 born to Mr. and Mrs. Wagner were: Minnie, 
 wife of Herman Smith of Bav Citv. who has 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 627 
 
 six children ; Amelia, wife of Peter Smith, of 
 Bang'or township. Bay County, who has six 
 children; Mrs. Augusta Diehl, of Denmark 
 township. Saginaw County, who has two chil- 
 dren ; and Philip and Henry, who live at home. 
 Mr. Wagner has always been affiliated with 
 the Repyhlican party, casting his first presiden- 
 tial vote at the second election of Abraham Lin- 
 coln. In 1895 Mr. Wagner was first elected 
 supervisor of his township and has held this 
 office continuously ever since, with the excep- 
 tion of two terms. For eight years he served 
 as highway commissioner ; was township treas- 
 urer for seven terms and has almost continu- 
 ously been a school director since 1870. He is 
 a member of the German Lutheran Church, of 
 which he has been treasurer for 13 years and a 
 trustee for nine years. 
 
 UGENE FIFIELD, secretary of the 
 Bay City-Michigan Sugar Cumpany, 
 one of the largest business enterprises 
 in this section of the State, is also 
 identified with other important business con- 
 cerns of this locality, which have been furth- 
 ered more or less by his influence and good 
 management. Mr. Fifield was born in Water- 
 ford township, Oakland County, Michigan, 
 March 5, 1851, and is a son of Hon. Francis 
 W. and Joan (Morris) Fifield and a grandson 
 of Samuel and Sarah (Norris) Fifield. 
 
 Samuel Fifield was born in New Hamp- 
 shire, August 23, 1793, from which state he 
 entered the patriot army during the Revolution. 
 He died September 10. 1843. Until her death, 
 his widow drew a pension on account of his 
 services. She was born in New Hampshire 
 January 21. 1794. and died in Bay City, May 
 26. 1884. 
 
 Hon. Francis W. Fifield, our subject's 
 
 father, was bom April 10, 1821, and came with 
 his parents to Michigan, where the older In- 
 field took up land in Oakland County. In 
 early manhood he bought a farm in Waterford 
 township, Oakland County, which he operated 
 successfully until 1865, when he embarked in a 
 mercantile business in the town. He was a man 
 of business enterprise and owned and operated 
 at this time a flouring-mill, a plaster-mill and 
 an old-time, upright sawnu'll. In 1877 he dis- 
 posed of his mercantile and manufacturing in- 
 terests and returned to farming, settling in De- 
 catur township, VanBuren County, where he 
 lived until his death, December 3, 1893. He 
 was one of the representative men of his time 
 in his locality, a strong Democrat and an able 
 member of his party. In 1863 he was elected 
 to the State Legislature and at various times 
 filled local offices of trust and responsibility. 
 His name is still recalled as that of a man 
 who was noted for his ability and for his up- 
 rightness of character. For many years he was 
 a member of Waterford Lodge of Masons, of 
 which he was worshipful master for 21 years, 
 and he was also high priest of Decatur Chapter, 
 Royal Arch Masons. 
 
 Francis W. h'ifield married Joan IMorris, 
 who died in July, 1899, aged 80 years. She 
 was a consistent member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church. Of their seven children, 
 onl}- three grew Xo maturity ; Eugene, of this 
 sketch ; Ann Nettie, who married Cassius M. 
 Lanning, of Decatur Michigan, and with her 
 husband lives on the Fifield farm in Decatur 
 township; and Hattie. who is the wife of Sam- 
 uel S. Bradt, of Detroit. 
 
 Eugene Fifield was reared by a wise father 
 and a pious mother. He grew to manhood in 
 the family home, securing a good, common- 
 school education and then l)ecoming his father's 
 chief clerk in the store and subsequently, in 
 1871, his partner, the firm style being Fifield 
 
628 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 & Son. This continued until 1876, when our 
 subject came to Bay City and went into part- 
 nership with Gustin & ^Merrill, the firm name 
 becoming Gustin, IMerrill & Company. This 
 firm did a large grocery business and Mr. 
 Fifield continued in tliis association of interests 
 until 1884. when changes were made, our sub- 
 ject and Mr. Merrill buying the Gustin interest. 
 The firm then became Merrill, Fifield & Com- 
 pany. This congenial business association was 
 formed without any legal papers, simply the 
 spoken agreement of two honorable and up- 
 right men. Without a single jar or difference 
 of opinion, the partnership continued until 
 broken by the sudden death of Mr. Merrill on 
 November 17, 1891. Mr. Fifield deeply felt 
 the loss of his friend lx)th in a personal and 
 business way, but he continued the business 
 alone until the partnership term expired in 
 1893, '^nd then closed out its affairs, his other 
 business interests pressing for more attention. 
 In 1892 Mr. Fifield, with others, operating 
 under the firm name of Mundy & Fifield, 
 bought a tract of 1.200 acres of land in Buena 
 Vista and Zilwaukee townships, Saginaw 
 County, Michigan. At that time this land was 
 submerged during the greater part of the year, 
 but when the new owners took charge a dredge 
 was put in, dykes constructed and three cen- 
 trifugal pumps installed, each having a capacity 
 of 10,000 gallons of water per minute. A 
 large part of this land is devoted to the grow- 
 ing of sugar beets, but general farming is also 
 carried on, grain and hay being harvested and 
 stock raised. Mr. Fifield also owns a farm of 
 240 acres in Monitor township, Bay County. 
 This was formerly owned by Gustin & Merrill 
 and later came into the possession of Merrill. 
 Fifield & Company. Mr. Fifield operates both 
 farms in the same w^y. Before he became so 
 thoroughly identified with the beet sugar in- 
 dustry, he made a specialty of Shropshire sheep 
 
 and Hereford cattle, but he found that in order 
 to make them profitable he would have to de- 
 \"ote too much time to them, which was more 
 valuable to him in other pursuits. On this 
 farm, therefore, he now raises high grade cattle 
 only for market purposes. In 1903 the F. ^l. 
 B. Live Stock Company, of which Mr. Fifield 
 is a member, purchased 2,100 acres of land in 
 Iosco County for a sheep and cattle ranch. The 
 sheep and cattle are wintered on the 1,200 acre 
 farm in Saginaw County, and the 240-acre farm 
 in ^lonitor township, Bay County, and in the 
 spring are driven back to this ranch, in Iosco 
 County, where they are summered. 
 
 In 1897 the Michigan Sugar Company was 
 incorporated at Bay City, with Thomas Cran- 
 age, president ; Nathan B. Bradley, vice-presi- 
 dent; Henry S. Raymond, secretary; and E. T. 
 Carrington. treasurer. In June, 1903, this or- 
 ganization was consolidated with the Bay City 
 Sugar Company, and the new concern was 
 called the Bay City-Michigan Sugar Company. 
 The new officers consisted of : ^^'. L. Churchill, 
 president, treasurer and general manager; and 
 Eugene Fifield, secretary. On December 2, 
 1898, the Bay City Sugar Company had been 
 incorporated, the officers being : ^^^ L. Church- 
 ill, president and manager; Benjamin Boutell, 
 \-ice-president ; Baptist Benton, treasurer ; and 
 Lorenzo S. Boutell, secretary. On Februan,^ 
 7, 1 901, Mr. Churchill became secretary upon 
 the resignation of Mr. Boutell and continued 
 until May 28. 1901, when these officers were 
 elected : \\'. L. Churchill, president and treas- 
 urer; Benjamin Boutell. vice-president; and 
 Eugene Fifield, secretary. The officers of this 
 company remained the same until the consoli- 
 dation above-mentioned. 
 
 The company with which Mr. Fifield is so 
 prominently identified has become one of the 
 largest employers, operators and producers of 
 any in this section. It has sliced more beets 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 629 
 
 than an}' otlier company. One year this com- 
 pany sHced 63,000 tons of beets and made 
 nearly 15,000,000 pounds of sugar. What this 
 means to this section, where tlie money is dis- 
 tributed for the beets and the operation of the 
 plant, may easily be estimated. It is interest- 
 ing to note the prosperity this industry has 
 i^rought into the agricultural districts. It costs 
 a farmer from $30 to $35 an acre to raise beets, 
 for which he gets from $50 to $75 an acre. 
 
 In addition to his duties with the above 
 company, Mr. Fifield is interested in the Tawas 
 Sugar Company, of which he is secretary and a 
 director. In 1886 he was elected director of 
 the Michigan State Agricultural Society and 
 has been a director ever since, and for the past 
 eight years he has been general superintendent. 
 When he became superintendent, the associa- 
 tion was $25,600 in debt and his ailministration 
 has been marked by the payment of all debts, 
 with a balance in the treasury of $20,000. 
 
 In 1875 Mr. Fifield was married to Hattie 
 B. Hammond, who is a daughter of Joel Ham- 
 mond, of Oakland County. One beautiful 
 daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Fifield, a 
 child who became the idol of her parents and 
 one beloved by all who knew her. Her death 
 occurred February 2;^. 1893, when but 13 years 
 of age. Mrs. Fifield is a member of the Baptist 
 Church. They occupy a beautiful residence 
 on Fifth avenue, Bay City, 
 
 In political sympathy Mr. Fifield is a Re- 
 publican, but his business interests have always 
 I)een of so much importance that he has had no 
 time to give to politics. For many years he has 
 been one of the leading members of the Ma- 
 sonic fraternity in Michigan. He is a 33d 
 degree Mason and has taken all the York Rite 
 degrees, receiving this highest honor at Buffalo 
 in 1896. He belongs to Bay City Lodge, Xo. 
 129, F. & A. M., and Blanchard Chapter, Xo. 
 59. R. A. M. : is past eminent commander of 
 
 Bay City Commandery, Xo. 26, K. T. ; is past 
 thrice potent grand master of McCormick 
 Grand Lodge of Perfection ; is high priest of 
 Bay City Council, Princes of Jerusalem; is past 
 most wise and perfect master of Saginaw Val- 
 ley Chapter, Rose Croix ; is a member of the 
 Michigan Sovereign Consistory of Detroit; 
 and of Moslem Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He 
 is president of the Bay City Masonic Temple 
 Association, has been on the finance committee 
 for years and is a trustee, and has long been 
 identified with the Bay County Masonic Mu- 
 tual Benefit ?fssociation. 
 
 ILLIS D. FOX, one of the well- 
 known business men of West Bay 
 City, retail dealer in lumber, 
 shingles, lath and interior finish- 
 ings, was born at Genesee, Michigan, July 21, 
 1857, and is a son of Jackson and Melissa 
 (Bush) Fox. 
 
 The Fox family is an old settled one in the 
 "Empire" State, the grandfather of our sub- 
 ject, Daniel D. Fox having been born at Sodus, 
 Wayne County, X"ew York. About 1831 he 
 moved with his family to Michigan. 
 
 Jackson Fox, father of Willis D., was lx)rn 
 at Sodus, February 23, 1833, and died in Mich- 
 igan, September 18, 1898, aged 65 years. He 
 was nine years old when his parents came to 
 Genesse County Michigan, where he continued 
 to live all his life. He carried on general farm- 
 ing and stock-raising and was a man of consid- 
 erable local prominence. He was a strong sup- 
 porter of the principles of the Republican party 
 and held many township ofifices, and was elected 
 treasurer and highway commissioner on a 
 numlier of occasions. He married Melissa A. 
 Bush, who is a daughter of Henry Bush, of 
 Canandaigua, X^ew York. She still resides on 
 
630 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 the old homestead in Genesse County, aged 67 
 years, and her venerable mother lives at Howell, 
 Livingston County, Michigan. 
 
 Jackson Fox and wife had 10 children, viz : 
 Willis D., of this sketch; Addie, widow of 
 Daniel D. Tompkins, a resident of Ouincy, 
 Michigan; Lewis H., a resident of Richfield, 
 Michigan; Elma E., wife of Edward C. Moss, 
 of Genesee, Michigan; Charles M., of Flint, 
 Michigan ; Arthur, of Genesee, Michigan ; 
 Frank J., of Flint, Michigan; Myrtle, of Chi- 
 cago ; and Irving J. and Clare, both of Flint, 
 Michigan. 
 
 Willis D. Fox was educated in the schools 
 of Genesee County and remained on the home 
 farm until he was 25 years of age. In 1882 he 
 came to West Bay City and entered the employ 
 of the lumber firm of Switzer & Eastwood, with 
 which he remained about five years and then 
 took charge of the retail department of the 
 West Bay City Manufacturing Company, for 
 some II years. On February i, 1899, Mr. Fox 
 embarked in business for himself and has con- 
 tinued to meet with satisfactory success. In 
 1 89 1 he bought his present desirable location 
 on the comer of Michigan and Williams 
 streets. His energy and enterprise have en- 
 abled him to build up a fine trade. 
 
 Mr. Fox married Ida A. Le Baron, who 
 was a daughter of Erastus Le Baron, of Fenton 
 township, Genesee County, Michigan. Mrs. 
 Fox died February 22, 1901, leaving four chil- 
 dren motherless: Caroline M., Erma A., Lewis 
 Curtis and Erastus J. She was an attendant of 
 the Westminster Presbyterian Church. 
 
 Mr. Fox is identified with the Republican 
 party, and he has been chosen twice as alder- 
 man from the Sixth Ward. His disinterested 
 interest in public affairs has made him a very 
 valuable city father. Fraternally he is a mem- 
 ber of Wenona Lodge, No. 296, F. & A. M., of 
 which he is past master and present secretary ; 
 
 Blanchard Chapter, No. 59, R. A. M., of which 
 he is past high priest ; and Bay City Comman- 
 dery. No. 26, K. T. He belongs also to the 
 Modern Woodmen of America. He is a man 
 who stands very high in public esteem and well 
 represents the honorable type of business men 
 of West Bay City. 
 
 RED E. SHEARER, one of the lead- 
 ing business men of Bay City, gen- 
 eral insurance agent and dealer in 
 rubber stamps, steel dies and stencils, 
 was born in this city, December 16, 1874, and 
 is a son of John W. and Marie E. ( Earned ) 
 Shearer. 
 
 The Shearer family originated in Scotland, 
 where for 14 generations they occupied and 
 cultivated the same estates. Lhitil within the 
 past two generations, the family has always 
 been an agricultural one. 
 
 George Shearer, the grandfather of our 
 subject, was born in Scotland in 1817 and 
 married Agnes Buchanan, who was born in 
 1820. He accumulated an ample fortune, but, 
 being a man of sympathetic nature, he was led 
 to endorse paper for friends and thereby suf- 
 fered great losses which were increased by a 
 disastrous fire that swept away the old home. 
 This led the family to remove to America. 
 They settled at Albany, New York, where 
 John W. Shearer was born August 19, 1833. 
 
 In 1850 John W. Shearer went to Detroit 
 where he learned the carpenter and joiner's 
 trade with his brother, James Shearer, and in 
 1856 he went South and spent four years in 
 various car shops, filling the position of master 
 mechanic. In i860 he returned to Detroit and 
 formed a partnership with his brother, James 
 Shearer, and they continued in business until 
 the Civil War broke out. John W. Shearer 
 
BRAKIE J. ORR 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 633 
 
 enlisted in the Second Regiment, Michigan 
 Vol. Inf., as a private and was honorably dis- 
 cliarged at Yorktown with the rank of lieu- 
 tenant. In 1865 lie came to Bay City and took 
 the contract to install machinery in D. G. Ar- 
 nold's sash and blind factory, subsequently en- 
 gaging with his brother, James Shearer, in mill 
 construction. His last business partnership 
 was with H. W'atkins. On June 30, 1866, he 
 married Mary E. Earned, who was born in 
 Ohio, and they had tln-ee children. John W. 
 Shearer died May 15, 1903. 
 
 Fred E. Shearer was educated in the Bay 
 City public schools and began his business ca- 
 reer in the employ of E. B. Foss & Company, 
 tallying, a few months later accei^ting the same 
 position on the river for different parties, and 
 during his third and last season working for 
 George Jackson. When cold weather inter- 
 rupted lumber transportation, he took advan- 
 tage of the opportunity to acquire a good 
 knowledge of business in Devlin's Business 
 College, in Bay City, and on October ^4, 1902, 
 he entered the Bay City Bank as collector, from 
 whicii position he was later advanced to be 
 bookkeeper. In 1901 Mr. Shearer bought the 
 G. \V. McCormick insurance agency and has 
 continued in this business ever since, repre- 
 senting the leading insurance companies of the 
 world: Travelers" Life, Accident & Liability; 
 American Central ; Home Fire & Marine ; 
 Royal Exchange Assurance, of London ; Liver- 
 pool & London & Globe ; London .Assurance ; 
 Federal; Granite State; Mercantile I'ire & Ma- 
 rine. Indianapolis; and British-.\merican .As- 
 surance, of Toronto; and also represents the 
 American Surety Company of New York ; the 
 Maryland Casualty Company of Baltimore and 
 the New Jersey Plate Glass Insurance Com- 
 pany. 
 
 On April 15, 1903, Mr. Shearer married 
 
 Roxanna Peter, who is a daughter of William 
 .\. Young, of Bay City, Michigan. 
 
 Politically Mr. Shearer is active in Repub- 
 lican politics. He is a very prominent member 
 of numerous fraternal orders, belonging to 
 Bay City Lodge, No. 129, F. & A. M. ; Blanch- 
 ard Chapter, No. 59, R. A. M. ; Bay City Coun- 
 cil, No. 53, R. & S. M. : and all the Scottish 
 Rite bodies in Bay City and the Michigan Sov- 
 ereign Consistory, S. P. R. S., and Moslem 
 Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., at Detroit. He is 
 also a member of Lodge No. 88, B. P. O. E. ; 
 of the Knights of the Loyal Guard : and of the 
 Bay City Club. He is an attendant of the Pres- 
 byterian Church. 
 
 RAKIE J. ORR, city attorney of Bay 
 City and prosecuting attorney of Bay 
 County, whose portrait accompanies 
 this sketch, was born in i860 at Sagi- 
 naw, Michigan. His parents, Alexander and 
 Lovina (Goheen) Orr, who are both living, 
 are highly respected residents of Saginaw. 
 Ale.xander Orr is of Scotch-Irish descent, his 
 father having come to America during' the 
 early part of the 19th century and engaged in 
 contracting and building and also in dealing 
 in real estate. He was killed in 1837 while en- 
 gaged in the construction of the first church 
 erected in the then village of Chicago. Alex- 
 ander Orr was torn in New York City about 
 67 years ago and there learned the trade of a 
 cooper. However, he worked at this business 
 very little and after removing to Saginaw in 
 1857 he accepted a position as shipping clerk 
 in a large hardware company of that city and 
 remained in the employ of the concern in that 
 capacity for many years. Later he engaged in 
 contracting and building in a small way and 
 
 34 
 
634 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 has continued to make his home in Saginaw. 
 His wife, Lovina Goheen, was of Dutch parent- 
 age and is a native of Pennsylvania. They have 
 nine sons and a daughter Hving. Our subject's 
 brother William formerly resided in Bay City. 
 
 Brakie J. Orr, the subject of this sketch, 
 attended the Saginaw High School and for a 
 time took up the study of medicine, which was 
 afterwards discontinued. He learned the stone- 
 cutter's trade and for 17 years worked at it, 
 in the meantime taking up the study of the law 
 in Bay City with such good success that he was 
 admitted to the bar in 1894. He has been 
 engaged in the constant practice of his profes- 
 sion ever since. Almost immediately after his 
 admission to the bar, he was elected to the 
 office of justice of the peace and a little more 
 than two years later resigned from this office 
 to accept that of assistant prosecuting attorney 
 under Mr. Gilbert. After serving in that capac- 
 ity during 1897 and 1898, he was appointed 
 city attorney and he has but lately been chosen 
 by the voters of Bay County to look after their 
 interests as prosecuting attorney of the county. 
 
 Mr. Orr was joined in marriage to Euphe- 
 niia A. Calvin, of Bay City, and their pleasant 
 home on Garfield avenue is made more cheerful 
 by the presence of a happy family of children. 
 The eldest son, Herbert S., who is at present 
 in the law department of the University of 
 Michigan at Ann Arbor, was born at Saginaw. 
 The other children, — Queenie, Sadie, James, 
 Norman, Ruth, Frederick M. (or "Teddie" as 
 he has been lovingly termed) and Hilda, — are 
 all natives of Bay City and live at home. Mr. 
 Orr was brought up in a Methodist home and 
 still favors that denomination. In politics he is 
 a Republican. He is prominent in fraternal 
 orders, being a member of Joppa Lodge, No. 
 315, F. & A. M. ; Columbia Camp, No. 1328, 
 M. W. of A. ; Bay Lodge, No. 104, 1. O. O. F. ; 
 Kanonda Encampment, No. 36, I. O. O. F. : 
 
 Grace Lodge, No. 8, Rebekah Degree of the 
 I. O. O. F., of which Mrs. Orr is also a mem- 
 ber ; and he is the present deputy grand master 
 of the Grand Lodge of Michigan, I. O. O. F. 
 
 EORGE A. HERBOLSHIMER, one 
 of the well-known general farmers 
 of Frankenlust township, resides on 
 a farm of 80 acres in section 10, 
 township 13. range 4. and was born in this sec- 
 tion, in the old home in which his brother now 
 lives, November 18, 1856. He is a son of John 
 George and Mary (Hacht) Herbolshimer. 
 
 The father of our subject was one of the 
 old pioneer settlers in Frankenlust township. 
 He came here from Germany in 1S52 and lived 
 here until his death in 1872, at the age of 52 
 years. During his 20 years' residence in section 
 10 he cleared up a farm of 53 acres and made 
 it a valuable property with many improve- 
 ments. Tlie first h.ome. a log cabin 20 by 26 
 feet in dimensions, was the birthplace of our 
 subject and remained the family shelter until 
 he was 12 years old. Mr. Herbolshimer was a 
 Democrat in his political faith. He was a 
 member of the German Lutheran Church and 
 helped to build the first church structure of 
 this denomination in Frankenlust township. 
 In 1854 he married Mary Hacht, who was born 
 in Germany in 1827, and who still survives, 
 residing at Pontiac. Michigan. Their children 
 were: George A., of this sketch; John, who 
 lives on the homestead farm ; Barbara, who re- 
 sides with our subject: Mary (Mrs. Herman 
 Timm), of Bay City: and Maggie (Mrs. War- 
 ren Curley), of Bay City. 
 
 When our subject took charge of his pres- 
 ent home farm, it was partially cleared, but the 
 stumps remained and it took a long period of 
 hard work to put the land under cultivation. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 635 
 
 He also owns 90 acres in section 6 and formerly 
 owned another farm of 80 acres in section 8, 
 all in township 13. range 4, which he gave to 
 his son John. He carries on a general line of 
 farming and has always been noted lor the ex- 
 cellence of his methods and the satisfying char- 
 acter of their results. The place where Mr. 
 Herholshimer and family live is one of the most 
 attracti\-e rural homes in the township. The 
 residence is large, convenient and comfortable, 
 and the two substantial barns indicate the 
 abundance of his crops. A prolific orchard also 
 contributes to the family comfort and adds to 
 the yearly income. 
 
 In 1880 Mr. Herholshimer was married to 
 Maggie Weiss, who was born in Frankenlust 
 township, November 16, 1856, and is a daugh- 
 ter of George and Christina (Feinauer) Weiss, 
 natives of Germany. They have six children : 
 John Gottlieb, John George. Christian, An- 
 drew, Anna and Mary. 
 
 In politics our subject is a strong Democrat. 
 He is a stockholder in the German-American 
 Sugar Company whose factory is located at 
 Salzburg, and was one of the first to invest in 
 this stock. He is one of the leading members 
 of St. John's German Lutheran Church at 
 Amelith, Frankenlust township. 
 
 M 
 
 OHN P>. MORITZ. secretary, treasurer 
 and general manager of the Bay City 
 Brewing Company, was born at Port 
 W'ashington. Wisconsin. May 26, 
 1855. '"■"1 h^s been a resident of Bay City since 
 the early part of 1884. 
 
 Mr. Moritz was educated in the schools of 
 Port Washington and Milwaukee. At the age 
 of 16 years he accompanied his parents to Ger- 
 many, and during the subsequent three years 
 visited nil the leading breweries of Europe in 
 
 order to acquaint himself with all the meth- 
 ods and details of manufacture. Mr. Moritz 
 was 19 years old when he returned to Mil- 
 waukee, and he then entered the employ of the 
 Philip Best Brewing Company as a brewer. 
 Two years later he became foreman of the 
 Ozaukee County Malting Company and re- 
 mained with that organization for 31 months. 
 His next business connection, prior to coming 
 to Bay City, January i, 1884, was with the 
 Hansen Hop & Malt Company as superintend- 
 ent of the malt house and as traveling salesman. 
 
 The Bay City Brewing Company is one of 
 the old business concerns of this place, the pres- 
 ent name having been adopted in 1884. It was 
 established originally by Van Meter & Com- 
 pany, -who came to Bay City from Albany, 
 New York. The product they manufactured 
 was known as "Present Use" ale. About 1873 
 Charles E. Young interested himself with them 
 and the business was carried on, first under his 
 name, and later, as Charles E. Young & Com- 
 pany. At this period the brewery l^egan the 
 manufacture of lager beer in a small way, and 
 the business was conducted on these lines until 
 1884. when it was reorganized and incorpo- 
 rated under the present firm style of Bay City 
 Brewing Company. The officers at organiza- 
 tion were : Charles E. Young, president ; John 
 E. Moritz, vice-president; Walter Young, sec- 
 letary and president; and Louis Moritz, super- 
 intendent. Both Mr. Young and Louis Moritz 
 die,i in 1902. The present officers of the com- 
 pany are: W. D. Young, president; W. A. 
 Young, vice-president ; and John B. Moritz, 
 secretary, treasurer and general manager. 
 
 In 1902 a brick brew house was erected, 
 fcr.r stories high, 170 by 55 feet in ground di- 
 mensions, but by 1905 the growth of the busi- 
 ness had been such as to necessitate the building 
 of a bottle house 108 by 86 feet, two stories 
 high, which is also constructed of brick. The 
 
636 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 company employs about 25 experienced men, 
 and the product is sold mainly through Michi- 
 gan. 
 
 Air. Moritz was married to Marie Gavord, 
 of Bay City, and they have two sons, — Adolph 
 and Louis. Mr. Moritz is an enterprising and 
 public spirited man. He has a wide acquaint- 
 ance through the State and is personally very 
 popular in Bay City. He is a member of Lodge 
 No. 88, B. P. O. E., and other social organi- 
 zations. 
 
 ENRY TURNER, postmaster at La- 
 redo, and one of the leading general 
 merchants of W'illiams township, and 
 also the owner of a fine farm of 40 
 acres in section 16, was born in Pennsylvania. 
 February 22, i860, and is a son of John and 
 Mary (Higgins) Turner. 
 
 The father of Mr. Turner was born in the 
 State of New York, but later moved to Ohio, 
 where he bought a farm and operated it until 
 he came to Michigan, about the time of the 
 opening of the Civil War. He was a loyal 
 supporter of the government and enlisted in 
 its service, and for two years was a member 
 of a Alichigan regiment. In 1865 he located in 
 Midland County, but subsequently went pros- 
 pecting in British Columbia, wdience came the 
 news of his death. He was then 55 years old. 
 
 Our subject attended the local schools and 
 grew up on his father's farm. He continued to 
 pursue farming as an occupation until 1901, 
 when he bought the village store and was ap- 
 pointed postmaster by the late President Mc- 
 Kinley. He continues to operate his farm 
 which promises to be a very valuable piece of 
 property. Experts are testing for coal, indica- 
 tions of its presence having been found. Mr. 
 Turner is one of the leading men of his locality. 
 He carries a large stock of goods, including 
 
 everything likely to be needed throughout the 
 surrounding country. 
 
 Mr. Turner was married February 3, 1884, 
 to Belle Snyder, at Flushing, Michigan. She 
 is a daughter of John and Maria (Eaton) 
 Snyder, of Holly, Oakland County, wdiere Mr. 
 Snyder was a merchant and man of promi- 
 nence. "Sir. Snyder died June 12, 1902, aged 
 82 years. His widow still lives, making her 
 home in New Lothrop, Michigan. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Turner have one daughter, Laura, an 
 attractive and accomplished young lady of 20 
 years, the sunshine of the home. Mr. Turner is 
 one of the stanch Republicans of Williams 
 township. 
 
 LDER WALTER SIMS. It is often 
 said that man proposes but God dis- 
 jjoses, and the truth of this has been 
 many times e.xemplified in the life of 
 Elder Walter Sims. Nothing was farther from 
 the ideals of his youth or the aspirations of his 
 early manhood than the thought of becoming a 
 preacher. By circumstances which he could 
 not avoid he was led into the work and, though 
 seeking many times in the beginning to escape 
 from the path in wdiich his footsteps were be- 
 ing directed, God has show-n him, by unmis- 
 takable manifestations of divine power, that 
 only in the path of obedience is there rest and 
 joy. Elder Sims was born at Brantford, On- 
 tario, August 19, 1849, 'i"'^! 's a son of Edwin 
 and Mary (Duckworth) Sims. 
 
 The father of our esteemed subject was 
 born in 1823, at Cheltenham, England, where 
 his father was the owner of larges estates. He 
 was carefully reared in a home of wealth, re- 
 ceived a college education and was trained in 
 music for which he had great talent. He be- 
 came an accomplished pipe organist and before 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 ^37 
 
 leaving England was organist in a large cathe- 
 dral. The panic of 1837 greath- depleted his 
 father's resources and caused tlie emigration 
 of the whole family to Canada. There Solo- 
 nmn Sims^ the paternal grandfather of our sub- 
 ject ami head of the family, secured a large 
 tract of land and conducted agricultural opera- 
 tions for his remaining years. He was a local 
 preacher in the Methodist Church for many 
 years and a worthy, Christian man in every 
 walk of life. 
 
 The famil}- grew and prospered in Canada 
 and the father of Elder Sims was appointed, 
 shortly after his marriage, crown commis- 
 sioner, an office he still holds, at the advanced 
 age of 82 years. The mother of Elder Sims 
 was Mary Duckworth, who was a daughter of 
 Stephen and Alice (Baraclough) Duckworth. 
 Stei)hen Duckworth was a merchant in En- 
 gland, but emigrated also to Canada and settled 
 at Rrantford. The children born to Edwin 
 Sims and wife were: Walter, of this sketch; 
 Edmund and Robert (twins), the latter of 
 whom is deceased; John J., who is engaged in 
 evangelistic work in Ireland; Stephen H., who 
 is a teacher in Bay county, Michigan ; Elizabeth 
 E., the widow of Merion Whitney, of Hamil- 
 ton, Ontario; Annie M., the wife of George 
 Mitchell, of Detroit ; Mary, deceased, who was 
 the wife of the late Herbert George, of Chi- 
 cago; and Martha, who is the wife of Robert 
 Charles, of Adrian, Michigan. The religious 
 connections on the maternal side had been with 
 the Protestant Episcopal Church, but they later 
 became connected with the Wesleyan Metho- 
 dist Church. The father was a Methodist in 
 his earlier years, but later became identified 
 with the Plymouth Brethren. 
 
 Walter Sims was reared in a home where 
 virtue and industry were taught. His educa- 
 tion was secured at the Collegiate Institute at 
 Brantford, from whicli he was graduated with 
 
 a life teacher's certificate of the ist class, and 
 he immediately engaged in teaching, officiating 
 at several places, one of these being the 
 Burlington School near Hamilton. He then 
 became the Hamilton correspondent and repre- 
 sentative of the Toronto Globe. After several 
 years of work in this capacit}' he was sent as 
 the representative of this great journal to Eng- 
 land, having letters of introduction to many 
 members of Parliament. After some time 
 spent in London, during which he fulfilled the 
 wishes of his employers entirely to their satis- 
 faction, he returned to Canada and was ap- 
 pointed cashier of the company that published 
 the paper. This position he retained but a 
 short time, removing in 1877 to Detroit where 
 he became superintendent of a railroad news 
 agency and continued connected with that work 
 until he came to Bay City in 1880. 
 
 Although from this date Elder Sims be- 
 came more prominently identified with public 
 religious work, for many years prior to this 
 time he had been an earnest Christian laborer, 
 preaching at various times as opportunities 
 offered. Matters of business importance 
 brought him to Bay City just at a time when 
 a somewhat noted rabid temperance agitator 
 had secured Rouech Hall in this city, where he 
 was nightly pouring forth torrents of vitupera- 
 tion against all who countenanced the liquor 
 traffic. One evening our subject went up to the 
 hall to hear this speaker, but for some reason 
 the agitator did not appear and as an audience 
 was assembled Mr. Sims consented to address 
 them. His lecture was not what they had ex- 
 pected, for it was a .stirring Gospel appeal, but 
 it was so well received that he consented to 
 speak on the following and subsequent nights. 
 The results of his work were astonishing and 
 when he returned to Detroit the people were 
 loath to let him go. Thus he was led to give 
 up his interests in Detroit and to return to Bay 
 
638 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 City where a field seemed ripe for his garner- 
 ing. Upon his return to Bay City he founded 
 the Christian Assembly, a sketch of which will 
 be found in the historical part of this volume 
 which is devoted to the churches of Bay City. 
 
 Elder Sims was married at Guelph, On- 
 tario, to Elizabeth Knowles, who is a daughter 
 of Robert and Jane (Poole) Knowles. The 
 latter \vas born at Bandon, near Cork, Ireland, 
 her people being originally English. They 
 went to Ireland with Cromwell, from whom 
 they received large estates. The children born 
 to this marriage are : Edwin Walter, who is 
 solicitor of the Department of Labor and Com- 
 merce at Washington; Robert Henry Hewitt 
 Poole, who is field manager for the Bobbs-Mer- 
 rill Publishing Company, of Indianapolis; 
 George Reginald, of New York City, who is 
 one of the managers for the University So- 
 ciety ; Herbert, who is one of the assistant man- 
 agers of the Bobbs-Merrill Publishing Com- 
 pany; and William S., of Chicago, who is man- 
 ager of the claim department of the Western 
 Electric Company. 
 
 Elder Walter Sims is a man of strong per- 
 sonality, possessing all the qualities of a leader. 
 He has no creed but the Bible, believing that 
 all denominational divisions are unscriptural. 
 He has proven himself a man among men and 
 Bay City honors and loves him. 
 
 He is a member of the Bay City Yacht Club 
 and takes much pleasure in sailing on the 
 waters of the river and bay. 
 
 Elder Sims became a national character 
 during the campaign of the American Protec- 
 tive Association as a champion of the principles 
 of separation of church and state and the 
 American public schools. The following is 
 from the Chicago Iiitcr-Occan of July 16, 
 1894: 
 
 Prof. Walter Sims, the lecturer of the American 
 Protective Association, is one of the men who are 
 
 destined to play a conspicuous part in public affairs 
 during the next few years. Even to those who differ 
 from him, his personality must have an interest. 
 
 During his visit to Chicago two weeks ago, when 
 he delivered an address at Central Music Hall, Pro- 
 fessor Sims made a favorable impression. He is a man 
 of fine appearance and of undoubted eloquence, and 
 has a faculty of winning friends. He is never scurri- 
 lous nor bigoted, and in his lectures endeavors to 
 make plain the elements he condemns as un-American, 
 always carefully distinguishing between what is re- 
 ligious and what is political. 
 
 Professor Sims was born in Brantford, Ontario, 
 Canada in August, 1849. He was educated at the 
 schools of his native place, graduating from the Brant- 
 ford Institute. After teaching school for a few years 
 in Hamilton, Ontario, he became connected with the 
 Toronto Globe. In 1874 he moved to Detroit, Michi- 
 gan, and later to Bay City, in the same State, where 
 he still resides. 
 
 He was principal of the West Side Academy, Bay 
 City, for II years, and for three years was editor and 
 proprietor of the West Bay City Daily Post. 
 
 OBERT JNIONRO, one of the most ex- 
 tensive farmers and stock-raisers of 
 Bay County, was born in the Province 
 of Ontario, Canada, September 10, 
 1834. Pie is a son of Samuel and Margaret 
 (Young) i\Ionrij, both natives of Canada. 
 
 Samuel Monro followed farming through- 
 out life and was 55 years old at the time of his 
 death, which resulted from an accident while 
 taking out timber. ]\Irs. Alonro moved to 
 Michigan with our subject and lived in this 
 State until 1869, when she died at Unionville, 
 aged 63 years. They had the following chil- 
 dren : Mary, who died at the age of 10 years; 
 William, who died in 1901. aged 80 years; Jane 
 (McComber), who lives in Florida: Emily, 
 who is living at Unionville at the age of 78 
 years; Lucinda (Fuller), deceased; George, 
 who went to British Columbia ; Robert ; Cath- 
 erine (Roe), who died in British Columbia in 
 1903: Sarah, who died in St. Clair County, 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 639 
 
 Michigan; Daniel, deceased; Lydia, who died 
 near St. Mary's, Canada ; and one that died in 
 infancy. 
 
 Robert Monro was reared on a farm and 
 was 17 years old at the time of his father's 
 death, thereafter conducting the home farm for 
 his mother. They later removed to Michigan 
 and purchased a farm of 240 acres in Tuscola 
 County, where he still owns 80 acres. He re- 
 sided there for more than 36 years, then came 
 to Bay County, Michigan, and purchased 800 
 acres of valuable land in sections 25, 26 and 36, 
 Hampton township. He sold 241 acres of im- 
 proved land and moved to his present farm, 
 where he has erected a substantial dwelling, 
 good barns and out-buildings. He now has 820 
 acres and conducts a stock farm, buying, sell- 
 ing and shipping stock to distant points. He 
 raises corn and about 100 tons of prairie and 
 timothy hay each season and employs about 
 five hands. While in Tuscola County, he was 
 in the livery and butcher business for a period 
 of seven years and met with deserved success at 
 the same time conducting the affairs of his 
 farm. He was a stanch Republican in politics 
 for many years, but of late years has been inde- 
 pendent. He has held numerous township 
 offices such as highway commissioner and 
 school trustee. Religiously, he is a member of 
 the Presbyterian Church. 
 
 In i86g Robert Monro was united in mar- 
 riage with Johanna Ellis, who was born in St. 
 Catharines, Ontario, in 1836, and is a daughter 
 of John Ellis, who was a custom house officer 
 at St. Catharines until he was retired on a pen- 
 sion because of old age. Five children were 
 born to bless this union, namely : Charles, who 
 lives in Hampton township; Baney, wife of 
 John Cline, of Hampton township; Jane, wife 
 of Stephen Delling, of Tuscola County; Will- 
 iam, of Unionville, who is residing on one of 
 his father's farms; and T.ena, who married 
 
 Robert Young, had one child and died at the age 
 of 22 years. Mrs. iMonro died January 22, 
 1905, and was laid to rest in the new cemetery 
 at Bay City. 
 
 BRAM SIMPKINS, deputy postmas- 
 ter at Linwood, Bay County, and one 
 of the highly respected citizens of 
 Eraser township, was born in Bruce 
 township, Macomb County, Michigan, in 1840, 
 and is a son of Samuel and Hepzibah (Haines) 
 Simpkins. 
 
 The father of Mr. Simpkins was born in 
 1793 in Albany County, New York, and died in 
 Macomb County, Michigan, at the age of 62 
 years. The mother was born in 1808. in the 
 Catskill Mountains, in Greene County, New 
 York, and died at Limvood in 1886, aged yj 
 years. Our subject was the only child of his 
 parents. 
 
 Air. Simpkins was educated in the schools 
 of Macomb County, to which his parents later 
 removed, and became a practical farmer. From 
 his 22d year to 1876, he followed farming in 
 Shiawassee County, Michigan, and then came 
 to Bay County, buying a farm in Kawkawlin 
 township. This he operated until an accident 
 made it impossible for him to continue an agri- 
 cultural life. In 1886 he was appointed post- 
 master at Linwood by President Cleveland, and 
 he occupied the office for three years. In 1894 
 he was appointed deputy postmaster and still 
 serves in this position. Mr. Simpkins has many 
 friends, made during his long term in office. 
 
 In 1870 Mr. Simpkins was united in mar- 
 riage to Carrie A. Muck, who is a daughter of 
 Myron F. Muck, a prominent citizen and farmer 
 of Shiawassee County, Michigan. They have 
 two childcen living, viz : Edward H., born in 
 1872. a traveling salesman in the confectionery 
 line; and Susan, born in 1886, who lives at 
 
640 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 home. Lizzie Maj- and Willie A. are deceased. 
 Politically, Mr. Simpkins has always been 
 identified with the Democratic party. Fra- 
 ternally he is an Odd Fellow. In religious 
 views he is independent bnt has always been a 
 liberal supporter of all moral and educational 
 movements. 
 
 R. OTTO B. GATES, a practitioner of 
 (isteopathy at Bay City, was born in 
 Barry County, Michigan, July 15, 
 1866, and is a son of Edwin M. and 
 Delia Hannah ( Kellogg) Gates. 
 
 Both the Gates and Kellogg families are 
 representati\-e American. Many members of 
 both fill the public eye at the present time, in 
 various fields of activity. The paternal grand- 
 father of Dr. Gates was an early pioneer in 
 Michigan, bringing his family from \^ermont, 
 by way of the Erie Canal from Fort Edward 
 to Bufifalo, up the lake to Detroit and by team 
 to Marshall, Michigan and thence to the ham- 
 let in Eaton County, which he named \^ermont- 
 ville. He was a contractor and builder. 
 
 Edwin M. Gates accompanied the faniil}' to 
 Michigan and remained here until he had fitted 
 himself to be a teacher, when he went back to 
 the East and followed teaching in Vermont un- 
 til his health failed. Upon his return to Michi- 
 gan he attempted farming, but that life was not 
 to his taste, and as he had become a practical 
 builder and contractor, under his father, he set 
 up in the business for himself. He was one of 
 the founders of Nashville, Barry County, where 
 he lived until 1874, when he removed to Ionia 
 County and engaged in lumbering until his 
 death, March 11, 1894. During this time he 
 also owned a farm and held the office of justice 
 of the peace. He also was a useful member of 
 various school boards, and he never lost his in- 
 terest in educational matters. For manv years 
 
 he \\as connected with the Masonic fraternity. 
 
 On June 22, 1853, he married Delia Han- 
 nah Kellogg, and they had a family of five sons, 
 three of whom grew to maturity : Archie D., of 
 Sheridan, Michigan: Otto B., of this sketch; 
 and Roy M., of Grand Rapids, Michigan. 
 Archie D., the eldest, was a volunteer in Com- 
 pany I, 31st Michigan Infantry, U. S. Volun- 
 teers, in the Spanish-American War. At 
 Chickamauga he fell a victim to typhoid fever 
 and was brought home on a stretcher. He has 
 never regained his health. 
 
 After completing the common-school 
 course, our subject learned telegraphing and has 
 filled every position in that branch of railroad 
 work, from night operator to chief train de- 
 spatcher, and has had under his care at one time 
 600 miles of railroad lines on one of the busiest 
 W'estern roads, when he was obliged to have 
 25 office assistants. However successful he 
 became in that line, his ambition was not quite 
 satisfied, however, for he had always had a 
 leaning toward the study of medicine. The 
 desire became so strong at last that he gave up 
 railroad work and entered upon the study of 
 osteopathy, after considering the claims of all 
 other schools. He was fortunate in securing as 
 an instructor the founder of the system, A. T. 
 Still, M. D., and he was graduated in the Amer- 
 ican School of Osteopathy, in June, 1903. Dr. 
 Gates is not alone in his enthusiasm concerning 
 this new system of healing, for many have com- 
 menced to repudiate the wholesale drugging of 
 the old schools and to gladly seek relief through 
 the scientific manipulations of the well-trained 
 osteopath. After passing the examination of 
 the State board, he began the practice of his 
 profession in Hastings, Barry County. In Sep- 
 tember, 1904, he removed to Bay City, where 
 he has met with a very cordial reception, and 
 numbers among his patrons many of the best 
 penple of the city. 
 
CAPT. HIRAM B. BECKER 
 
 MRS. LUCY E. BECKER 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 643 
 
 Dr. Gates married Pauline Newcomer, who 
 is a daughter of Dr. Henry Newcomer, of Tou- 
 lon, Illinois, and they have one son, — Henry 
 Martin. They attend the Baptist Church. 
 
 Dr. Gates is a member of the Michigan 
 State Osteopathic Association and the Ameri- 
 can Osteopathic z\ssociation. His fraternal 
 connections are the following : Joppa Lodge 
 No. 315, F. & A. M.: Bay City Chapter, No. 
 136, k. A. M. ; Bay City Council, No. 53, R. & 
 S. M. : Bay City Commandery, No. 26, K. T., 
 all of Bay City; Queen Esther Chapter, No. 35, 
 O. E. S., of Ionia, Michigan ; Wabasis Tent, 
 No. 144, K. O. T. M. M., of Ionia. Michigan, 
 of which he was commander in 1892; Ionia 
 Council, No. 623, Royal Arcanum: and Bay 
 Lodge, No. 104, I. O. O. F.. of Bay City. 
 
 APT. HIRAM B. BECKER, de- 
 ceased, was a prominent resident of 
 Merritt township. Bay County, 
 Michigan, where he had resided and 
 farmed for many years. He was well-known 
 among his fellow-citizens in the county, and 
 also among the lake men, with whom he worked 
 in earlier life. 
 
 Captain Becker was born in Painesville, 
 Ohio. July 6, 1840. and was a son of Barney 
 and Hannah (Rose) Becker, natives of Lower 
 Canada and New York State, respectively. He 
 was next to the youngest of six sons and six 
 daughters born to his parents. All of the sons 
 became captains of vessels on the Great Lakes. 
 Of these children, three now live, namely : 
 John, of Missouri ; Albert, of Painesville, Ohio ; 
 and Mrs. Lucinda Pike. 
 
 .\t the early age of 12 years. Captain 
 Becker, with a brother, commenced sailing on 
 the vessel "Emory Fletcher," of Cleveland, 
 Ohio, making the trip between Saginaw and 
 
 Cleveland. He became mate under his 
 brother, and in 1863 became captain of 
 the "J. C. Hill," running between the 
 same ports for two seasons. He then 
 sailed the "Colorado" two seasons, load- 
 ing supplies at Cleveland and lumber at 
 Saginaw and Bay City. During the season of 
 1863, he brought the brick for the Thomas 
 Watkins home, erected at the corner of Center 
 and W'ashington avenues in Bay City, and in 
 1865 the stone for the Fraser House. During 
 the same year he purchased a farm in section 
 II, AVilliams township, and commenced exten- 
 sive improvements immediately, erecting the 
 first frame dwelling in the northern part of the 
 township. Of this tract of 80 acres he cleared 
 40, which he devoted to general farming, and 
 also set out an orchard and erected substantial 
 buildings. In addition to farming, he engaged 
 in lumbering and attained considerable success. 
 The North W'illiams post office was located on 
 this farm until abandoned because of the rural 
 free delivery of mail. He sold this property 
 in 1884 and moved to West Bay City, where 
 he bought Paul Kusch's brick cottage, which 
 he remodeled and enlarged into a hotel build- 
 ing. He then conducted the Becker House, 
 now known as the Wenona House, for eight 
 and a half years, at the end of which time he 
 exchanged it for 80 acres of land in section 13, 
 INIerritt township, where he spent the remainder 
 of his days, dying May 13, 1904. Thirty-five 
 acres of this land had previously been broken, 
 and he cleared 40 acres more. He engaged in 
 raising stock and grain, and always contended 
 that his was one of the best grain farms in the 
 county. He erected a comfortable home and 
 good substantial outbuildings, and set out a 
 fine orchard. He was a quiet home man, much 
 devoted to his family, and was always found 
 in their companionship except when away on 
 business. 
 
644 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 In 1865, Captain Becker was united in 
 marriage with Lucy E. Hardy, who was born 
 in Painesville, Ohio, July 6, 1843, and is a 
 daughter of EHsha and Lois (Bushnell) Hardy, 
 the former a native of Painesville, Ohio, and 
 the latter, of Connecticut. Mrs. Hardy was 
 distantly related to Governor Bushnell, of 
 Ohio. j\Irs. Becker is the oldest of three chil- 
 dren ; her brothers, — Samuel and Ambrose. — 
 live in Williams township. Three children 
 were born to bless the union of Captain and 
 Mrs. Becker, as follows : Ward, who died of 
 diphtheria at the age of 15 years; Ellis, who is 
 single and manages the home farm for his 
 mother ; and Effie, who died at the age of three 
 and a half months. Mrs. Becker is a woman 
 of most lovable character, and is well liked by 
 her many acquaintances, among whom she has 
 lived so many years. Portraits of Captain and 
 Mrs. Becker accompany this sketch. 
 
 ULILTS KAISER, vice-president and 
 superintendent of the Phcenix Brew- 
 ing Company, whose brewery is lo- 
 cated in Bay City, West Side, is an 
 exceptionally good business man, a practical 
 brewer and is also one of the city's enterprising 
 citizens. Mr. Kaiser is of German birth, born 
 May I, i860, in Gommersdorf, Tauberbischof- 
 sheim, Baden, and is a son of John Adam and 
 Juliana (Baier) Kaiser. 
 
 The father of Mr. Kaiser was born in 1S34 
 in the town in Baden, Germany, named above. 
 He followed agricultural pursuits all his life, 
 dying on his homestead. July 12, 1904. His 
 seven children were : Charles, of Bay City ; 
 Florian, of Mount Pleasant, Michigan: Joseph 
 Peter, a brewer with the Champion Brewing 
 Company, of Detroit : Julius, of the Phoenix 
 Brewing Company ; Ludwig, of Saxony, Aus- 
 
 tria ; August, who is living on the homestead 
 farm ; and Alary, a Sister of Charity at Man- 
 heim, Baden. Both the father and mother of 
 this family were devout Roman Catholics. 
 
 Our subject completed the common-school 
 course in his native locality and enjoyed two 
 years instruction at the gymnasium. He then 
 learned the brewing business and followed it at 
 various points until 1882, when he came to 
 West Bay City where his brother, Joseph Peter 
 Kaiser, was already established. He went to 
 work for the Ba}' City Brewing Company and 
 in 1883 became foreman for the West Bay City 
 Brewing Company and remained with that or- 
 ganization until the Phoenix Brewing Company 
 was formed. 
 
 The beginning of the business, which 
 through many changes has developed into the 
 great industry known as the Phoenix Brewing 
 Company, was as far back as 1865, when Johp 
 Rosa established a primitive brewery upon the 
 establishment's present site, and operated it for 
 about 10 years. He then took in Andrew Fink 
 as a partner and the firm became the West Bay 
 City Brewing Company. Mr. Fink remained 
 four years and then John Kohler and Jacob 
 Knoblach became proprietors and the business 
 was continued under the same name. They con- 
 ducted it from 1882 until 1896, when the brew- 
 ery was destroyed by fire. In 1898 the Phoenix 
 Brewing Company was organized and it bought 
 the property. The plant consists of a four-story 
 brick building, soot house, one racking room 
 and one wash house 34 by 90 feet : boiler room, 
 with two boilers, each having 100 degrees high 
 pressure '.and a bottling department with di- 
 mensions of 80 by T,2 feet. The capacity of the 
 plant is 25,000 barrels a year. A large quan- 
 tity of export and keg beer goes north. Six 
 teams are in constant requisition. The busi- 
 ness is one of the prospering ones of Bay City, 
 West Side, and it is backed by plenty of capi- 
 
AND REPKESEXTATRE CITIZENS. 
 
 645 
 
 tal. The president of the company is Frank 
 H. ]\Iohr, Louis Hine is secretary and man- 
 ager and Julius Kaiser is vice-president and 
 superintendent. ]Mr. Kaiser lias full charge 
 and oversight of the manufacture of the pro- 
 duct, his practical knowledge of all the details 
 of brewing making his service very efficient 
 and insuring the uniform grade of the goods as 
 well as their healthful purity. 
 
 Mr. Kaiser was married in \\'est Bay City 
 to Minnie Bronke. who is a daughter of August 
 Bronke, and they have a family of five chil- 
 dren : Hattie. Ludwig, Minnie, Julius. Jr., and 
 Edward. 
 
 Mr. Kaiser is connected with these organi- 
 zations: Arbeiter Unterstuetzung Verein, Mac- 
 cabees and Brewerv Masters' Union. 
 
 ERGT.-MAJ. CHARLES C. CUTH- 
 BERT, superintendent of Pine Ridge, 
 Green Ridge and Seaman's cemeter- 
 ies, was born in Bay City, Michigan, 
 February 17, 1879, and is a son of Charles and 
 Jane (Carter) Cuthbert. 
 
 The father of our subject was born May 30, 
 1824, in England, and died in Bay County, 
 Michigan, December 6, 1896, aged 72 years. 
 He was married in Canada wdiere he resided 
 some years, but in 1875 he came to Bay County 
 and purchased a farm which is now owned by 
 our subject. He carried on general farming 
 and also operated a dairy. In politics he sup- 
 ported the Republican party. He was a valued 
 member of Trinity Protestant Episcopal 
 Cinirch, of Bay City, a religious tody to which 
 his surviving widow also belongs. They had 
 12 children, namely: Elizabeth, wife of Byron 
 O. Gothman. of St. Louis, Michigan: Ellen. 
 wife of Edward Lord, of Standish. Michigan: 
 Thomas M., of Bay City; Annie, teacher of 
 
 music in Bay City; George, of Bay City; John 
 W., of Bay City ; Charles C, our subject ; Dolly 
 E., residing with her mother in Bay City; 
 Frank F., of Bay City; Bessie, wife of James 
 D. Scott, of Bay City; and Deliah and William 
 Roswell who live at home. 
 
 Charles C. Cuthbert was educated in the 
 public schools. At the age of 16 j-ears he be- 
 gan work in the cemeteries under C. D. Fisher 
 and George D. Seaman, his first duties being 
 the watering of the graves, and for the past 
 10 years he has been connected with cemetery 
 work, with the exception of his period of service 
 in the Spanish- American War. In 1897 he en- 
 listed in Company C, Third Infantry, Michigan 
 National Guard, and the following year went 
 through the Cuban campaign as a private of 
 this company, which was one of the companies 
 of the 33d Michigan Infantry, U. S. Volun- 
 teers. Shortly after his return he was appointed 
 corporal and about a year later was made a ser- 
 geant. In 1902 he was made ist sergeant and 
 served three years in that rank and then was 
 appointed sergeant-major of the Third Bat- 
 talion, Third Regiment and has held this posi- 
 tion during two encampments. He is a mem- 
 ber of Camp Sheridan, No. 5, National League 
 of Veterans Sons; Gen. Henry Lawton Coiu- 
 mand. No. 60, Spanish War Veterans; and 
 Wenona Lodge, No. 221, I. O. O. F. 
 
 In 1899 Mr. Cuthbert was made superin- 
 tendent of Bay City's beautiful resting places 
 for her dead. Since taking charge he has made 
 many improvements, including the fencing of 
 all the cemeteries, and, with his force of four 
 experienced men. has made these spots all that 
 the most critical could ask in the way of quiet 
 beauty and orderly attractiveness, for the final 
 home of their departed ones. Mr. Cuthbert 
 has shown s]5ecial interest in caring for the 
 sacred plot known as Soldiers' Rest, in Pine 
 Ridge Cemetery, thereby fulfilling the wishes 
 
646 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 of e\ery citizen. He possesses taste and good 
 judgment and liis long experience in this work 
 makes his services ahnost invaluable. 
 
 Mr. Cuthbert was married on January 24, 
 1905, to Ida M. Pegg, who is a daughter of 
 Jacob Pegg, of Bay City. They attend the 
 First Congregational Church. 
 
 OBERT R. LANE, president of the 
 Bay City Business College, is one of 
 the most enterprising citizens of Bay 
 City. He was torn in Durham Dis- 
 trict, Ontario, in 1864, and is a son of Robert 
 and Ann (Bray)' Lane, whose union resulted 
 in the birth of nine children. 
 
 Mr. Lane received his early mental training 
 in the public schools of Durham and Ontario 
 districts and afterward attended the high 
 schools at Bowmanville, Durham District, and 
 Port Perry, Ontario District. He was princi- 
 pal of a school in Durham District for three 
 years, and taught for the same length of time 
 in a Canadian business college. He then moved 
 to Seattle, Washington, where he taught a short 
 time. While there he opened up stenographic 
 offices, in connection with which he did court 
 work. He subsequently removed to Saginaw, 
 Michigan, where he was principal of the Inter- 
 national Business College until March, 1893. 
 At that period he moved to Bay City and pur- 
 chased the International Business College in 
 the Averell Block. 
 
 In 1896 Mr. Lane changed the location of 
 the institution to the rooms above the Y. M. 
 C. A. on Adams street and from there moved to 
 his present location in the Washington Theatre 
 Building, where he occupies the second and 
 third floors, covering nearly 9,000 square feet. 
 In 1898 the International Business Col- 
 lege, of Bay City, Devlin's Business College, of 
 
 Bay City and J. G. Lamsen's private school, in 
 West Bay City, were consolidated under the 
 name of the Bay City Business College, and the 
 attendance has been increased by years of hard 
 and earnest work, until in 1903 the number of 
 pupils was 292. Many were placed in good 
 positions in different parts of the country. 
 
 Everything pertaining to the equipment of 
 the institution is strictly modern. The cloak 
 rooms and offices of the college are well lighted 
 and ventilated. The rooms are divided into 
 departments for commercial instruction, sten- 
 ography and typewriting. The faculty, at pres- 
 ent numbering five members, is selected from 
 the very best of experienced teachers, and the 
 sul)ject of this sketch himself possesses super- 
 ior qualifications as a teacher, and brings to 
 bear 21 years of ripe experience. He has been 
 a special instructor in every branch of the work. 
 He is also interested in other enterprises. More 
 than 70 students from other business and short- 
 hand schools have been in attendance at this 
 institution, some of them having previously 
 graduated elsewhere. 
 
 Mr. Lane married Mary Oliver, a native of 
 Chatham, Ontario, and their union has resulted 
 in two children, — Marv and Beth. 
 
 NDREW F. HOFMANN, manager 
 and proprietor of The Valley Sheet 
 Metal Works of Bay City, West 
 Side, and one of the city's progres- 
 sive and enterprising citizens, was born at 
 Kochville, Michigan, March 26, 1878, and is a 
 son of John L. and Minnie (Baumbach) 
 (Wuepper) Hofmann. 
 
 John L. Hofman. our subject's father, was 
 born at Bayern, Germany, and lived in the city 
 of Berlin until he was 25 years old. He then 
 came to America, locating for a short season in 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 647 
 
 Indiana, and then came to Bay City where he 
 followed his trade of carpenter and millwright, 
 but formerly had settled for a few years, on a 
 farm. At one time he was a member of the 
 Bay City Board of Public Works. He married 
 Mrs. Minnie (Baumbach) Wuepper, widow of 
 Lieut. John Wuepper. The three survivors of 
 the family of Lieutenant Wuepper are: Ernes- 
 tine, wife of Matthews Keopplinger, of Sagi- 
 naw, ilichigan; Sophie, wife of Harry Hay- 
 ward, of Buena Vista township. Saginaw 
 County ; and John H., of Detroit. The ciiildren 
 of Mr. and Mrs. Hofmann are : Louisa, wife of 
 Henry L. Menthen, of Saginaw, Michigan ; 
 George L., living at home; Andrew F.. of this 
 sketch; August E., of Mayvillp, Michigan: and 
 Minnie, living at home. Mr. and Mrs. Hof- 
 mann are members of the Salzburg German 
 Reform Churcii, of which Mr. Hofmann is a 
 trustee. 
 
 After completing the common-school 
 course, our subject learned the trade of sheet 
 metal work, with C. R. Laderach, of Salzburg, 
 remaining with him three years and becoming 
 an e.xpert, skilled workman. To gain exper- 
 ience in all lines, he then worked for a year at 
 Caro. Michigan, at Battle Creek and at St. 
 Paul, Minnesota. Upon his return to Bay City 
 where he desired to make his home, he entered 
 the employ of Wilson & Wanless for a year and 
 then with J. C. Weber for a few months. In 
 1903, in partnership with Carl A. Mueller, of 
 Joliet, Illinois, Mr. Hofmann opened The Val- 
 ley Sheet Metal Work.s, and after si.x months 
 he bought his partner's interest. Since then he 
 has operated the works alone, doing general 
 sheet metal work of all kinds on a large scale. 
 He deals also in heating aparatus, this being 
 an important branch in its season. His plant is 
 well equipped and is a leading representative of 
 the industry here. 
 
 On September 29, 1904, Mr. Hofmann 
 
 married Bertha Elizabeth Kleckner, who is a 
 daughter of Israel Kleckner, of Cementon, Le- 
 high County. Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Hofmann are members of the German Re- 
 formed Church. He belongs to the Arbeiter 
 Unterstuetzung Verein. Politicallv he is a 
 stanch Republican. 
 
 )OLPH FRANCIS, one of the pros- 
 perous farmers and walued citizens 
 of Gibson township, who owns a fine 
 farm of 80 acres, situated in section 
 29, was born near Montreal, Canada, in Febru- 
 ary, 1850, and is a son of Adolph Francis. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Francis both died in 
 Alontreal, the mother at the age of 57 years, 
 and the father at the age of 85 years. They 
 were highly respected residents of that city 
 and faithful members of the Catholic Church. 
 
 Our subject's boyhood was spent in the 
 city of Montreal and he attended school there. 
 In 1873 'i^ came with his wife to Michigan. 
 They resided in Bay City 12 years, then lived 
 at Grayling, in Crawford County, until 1895, 
 when they came to the present farm in Bay 
 County. The whole place was then but a wil- 
 derness of brush and timber, and before they 
 could even put up a temporary home they were 
 obliged to clear a space. Although before her 
 marriage Mrs. Francis had been a school 
 teacher, she cheerfully took upon herself many 
 hard ta.sks and much physical labor. The re- 
 sult is that the}- now ha\-e as comfortable and 
 substantial a home as can be found in Gibson 
 township and a farm which is productive and 
 valual)le. 
 
 In 1872 Mr. Francis married Virginia He- 
 marre, who is a daughter of Herbert and Vir- 
 ginia (Daniel) Hemarre. Mrs. Francis is a 
 lady of superior education an«l she taught school 
 
648 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 both in Montreal and in the adjacent country. 
 To this marriage 1 1 children were born : Jo- 
 seph, born in Canada in 1873, who is a raih'oad 
 man ; Rosa, Ada and Laura, all three deceased ; 
 Frederick : George ; Edward : Frank, deceased ; 
 Arthur; and Charles and Lidia, both deceased. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Francis are members of the Cath- 
 olic Church. 
 
 Mr. Francis takes only a good citizen's in- 
 terest in political affairs, but always casts his 
 vote with the Republican party. He has en- 
 couraged all agricultural movements in the 
 township and belongs to the Grange and to the 
 Gleaners. Honest, intelligent and industrious, 
 a kind friend and a good neighbor, Mr. Francis 
 enjoys the esteem of his fellow-citizens with 
 whom he is on the most friendly terms. His 
 pleasant hospitable home has many visitors. 
 
 i 
 
 m 
 
 ENRY CLEMENTS, deceased, was 
 one of the leading business men of 
 Bay City for many years and was 
 closely identified with almost every 
 important phase of civic life. Mr. Clements 
 was born in 1855 in New York City, and died 
 in his magnificent home in Bay City, on Oc- 
 tober 31. 1 90 1. He Avas a son of James and 
 Agnes (McCready) Clements. 
 
 James Clements was of English parentage 
 and his wife of Connecticut ancestry. Mr. 
 Clements, who was an expert machinist, after 
 visiting a number of States, finally located at 
 Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the purpose of in- 
 stalling gas plants in divers localities. From 
 Ann Arbor he removed to Bay City where he 
 subsequently organized a company, largely 
 made up of friends at Ann Arbor, and founded 
 the important industry now known as The In- 
 dustrial Works. He survived long enough to 
 
 realize ample returns for his energy and enter- 
 prise, and died at Ann Arbor, where several of 
 his children reside. His family consisted of 
 Mary, of Ann Arbor ; James, who died in South 
 Africa ; Henry, our suliject : Ida, of Ann Arbor; 
 and William, of Bay City. Mr. Clements was 
 a man of sterling character and was intimately 
 associated in friendship with his neighbor. 
 Judge Thomas M. Cooley, of the Supreme 
 Court of Michigan. 
 
 Henry Clements was graduated in the liter- 
 ary course of the University of Michig'an at 
 Ann Arbor and returned to Bay City to enter 
 his father's office in The Industrial Works. 
 Finding this business environment congenial, 
 he continued here and later purchased a one- 
 half interest in the business, devoting the whole 
 of his subsequent life to its expansion and in- 
 terests. He finally purchased the whole plant, 
 but continued to conduct the business under the 
 name of James Clements & Son. At the time 
 of his decease it had grown to be a business of 
 vast proportions and wide connections. After 
 his decease, his widow secured the services of 
 her brother-in-law, Edward J. Bissell. attorney, 
 to look after her interests in The Industrial 
 Works, with the result that he saw such a fu- 
 ture in the business that he gave up his law 
 practice, and, with his son, purchased the plant. 
 
 In 1882 Mr. Clements was married to 
 Luella Hovey, who is a daughter of Dr. W. F. 
 and Sarah (Stinson) Hovey, who had two 
 daughters, viz : Mrs. Clements and Carrie, de- 
 ceased, who was the wife of Edward J. Bis- 
 sell. Mr. and Mrs. Clements had two chil- 
 dren : Harold and Madeleine. The beautiful 
 home, in which Mrs. Clements and her children 
 reside, situated at No. 1.601 Center avenue. 
 Bay City, is probably one of the best appointed 
 ones in the city, adorned with everything to 
 gratify the tastes of its cultured owners. It 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 649 
 
 was erected in 1890, being the first of the many 
 elegant mansions which have been built in this 
 exclusive locality. The Clements family attend 
 the First Presbyterian Church. 
 
 RS. ELIZABETH LINDERMAN, 
 who resides on her well-cultivated 
 farm of 40 acres, situated in section 
 26, Hampton township, is one of 
 the old and respected residents of this section, 
 having occupied her farm here since 1857. Mrs. 
 Linderman was born August 18, 1834, in 
 Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Germany, and is a 
 daughter of Christian and Helena (Blake) 
 Koch. 
 
 Mrs. Linderman's parents lived and died in 
 Germany. They had 1 1 children and Mrs. 
 Linderman is one of three daughters. One 
 brother. Henry Koch, came to .\merica with 
 our subject and her first husband, in 1857. 
 
 Mrs. Linderman was reared in her father's 
 house and was taught all the accomplishments 
 for which German housewives are noted the 
 world over. When 20 years of age she mar- 
 ried Ernest Blake, who was born in 181 5 at 
 Wismar, Germany, \\nien they came to Amer- 
 ica they settled immediately in Hampton town- 
 ship. Bay County, Michigan, Mr. Blake pur- 
 chasing the present farm of our subject, which 
 at that time was entirely unimproved. He 
 survived but two and a half years. Mrs. Lin- 
 derman's second marriage was to another of her 
 countrymen, Henry Linderman, who was born 
 in Hanover, Germany, in 1834, and came to 
 the United States when 25 years of age. Dur- 
 ing the Civil War. Mr. Linderman went to De- 
 troit and there enlisted for service in the Union 
 Army. All trace of him was afterward lost 
 and it is supposed that he was one of those re- 
 ported missing, after some great battle. He 
 
 left two sons : Harry, deceased ; and Ernest, 
 born August 20, 1865, who operates the farm 
 for his mother. It is a fertile, well-watered 
 tract of land and under Mr. Linderman's ex- 
 cellent management has proved very productive. 
 Mrs. Linderman is widely known and very 
 highly esteemed. She has seen very many won- 
 derful changes take place in the county since 
 she first settled here and she recalls manv very 
 interesting events of the early days. 
 
 ITZLAND L. WILSON. Few citi- 
 zens of Bay County are better known 
 than Fitzland L. Wilson, who has 
 achieved success along many lines and 
 stands to-day as a representative of the class 
 known as self-made men. Mr. Wilson was 
 born after the death of his father, at Akron, 
 New York, February 24. 1838. 
 
 The widowed mother took care of her fath- 
 erless son until he had reached the age of nine 
 years, and then the little lad started out to be a 
 wage earner himself. His beginning was in a 
 tanyard, where he was given his board and 
 $2.50 per month for his services; but two 
 months in this situation proved to him that he 
 was not fashioned to be a successful tanner, 
 and he engaged with a neighboring farmer to 
 work during the summers and go to school dur- 
 ing the winter seasons. Little by little his small 
 earnings, providently saved, increased, so that 
 by the time he was 18 years of age he felt justi- 
 fied in going to .Akron and entering the L^nion 
 School, paying for a part of his board and 
 working for the other part. He followed out 
 the same methods when, after .several seasons 
 of farm work and study at night by himself, he 
 entered Oberlin College, where he took a special 
 teacher's course, not being able to take the full 
 college course. 
 
650 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Mr. Wilson then entered into teaching as a 
 profession and followed the same in different 
 parts of Ohio, — in Delaware County, Pick- 
 away County and in the city of Chillicothe. 
 During- all this time he was husied in studying 
 out and endeavoring to solve construction 
 prohlems, his natural bent being in the direction 
 of machinery, and he finally went into the 
 bridge building on an Ohio railroad and was 
 thus engaged in 1861, at the outbreak of the 
 Civil War. 
 
 This great national crisis found the young- 
 teacher and embryo machinist and inventor a 
 loyal, patriotic supporter of the government, 
 and he enjoys the distinction of being the sec- 
 ond man who enlisted in the "Continentals," the 
 first company that went out fron-i Cleveland, 
 for the 90-day service. This con-ipany re- 
 mained at Camp Taylor from April until the 
 middle of i\Iay, expecting to be mustered into 
 the United States service, and during this 
 period Captain Stacy came to the camp to get 
 recruits to enter the Second Kentucky Regi- 
 ment. Our subject was one of the 500 who 
 went to Camp Clay where they remained until 
 the new order of the government discharged all 
 90-day men who did not care to enlist for three 
 years or the duration of the war. Mr. Wilson 
 decided to resume bnage building and he con- 
 tinued until the road he was working on was 
 captured in October, 1862, by the Confederate 
 general, Kirby Smith. 
 
 Mr. Wilson then returned to New York on 
 a pass from Gen. Lew Wallace, giving him 
 permission to leave Covington and Cincinnati, 
 and in the metropolis he remaineil until late in 
 the fall, when he came to Michigan to visit a 
 half brother, L. D. Lighthall, a resident of Ing- 
 ham County. In February, 1863, he reenlisted 
 for service in the Union Army and was mus- 
 tered into Company B, — Sixth Michigan Heavy 
 Artillerv, which was sent to serve under Gen- 
 
 erals Butler and Canby in the Gulf con-ipaign. 
 The regiment was used in garrisoning- h'orts 
 Morgan, Wagoner and Port Hudson, on the 
 Mississippi and took part in the capture of Mo- 
 bile. He was finally mustered out of the serv- 
 ice on August 26, 1865, at Jackson, Michigan. 
 
 After the close of his military career, Mr. 
 Wilson went into the mill business at Macon, 
 Lenawee County, ]\Iichigan, where he contin- 
 ued for 20 months and then sold out his interest 
 and moved to Ingham County. He then pur- 
 chased a mill where he manufactured one of 
 his own inventions which he had patented, the 
 celebrated Wilson washboard, and continued in 
 this industry until November, 1879. He had 
 made many business friends by this time and 
 shortly afterward was instrumental in organ- 
 izing the Saginaw Barrel Company, a stock 
 company. Mr. Wilson was elected superinten- 
 dent of tlie work of this company and he re- 
 mained a resident of Saginaw until May, 1882, 
 when he built the Wilson hoop factory in West 
 Bay City, which is now operated by the ("loldie 
 Manufacturing Company. This n-iill was en- 
 tirely equipped with machinery invented by Mr. 
 Wilsoi-i, himself, and here were manufactured 
 the first elm hoops ever made iii Bay County. 
 
 Mr Wilson was always alive to all new in- 
 dustries and when the beet sugar industry first 
 attracted general attention, he was a leading in- 
 vestigator of its possibilities. His technical 
 knowledge soon assured him of future success 
 in sugar making and in 1898 he entered into 
 the business as an expert and has continuetl ever 
 since. He put out a large acreage of his own 
 land and rented properties in sugar beets and 
 has proven the complete success of this indus- 
 try, conducted on his lines. 
 
 For the past 15 years Mr. Wilson has 
 owned a magnificent farm of 240 acres, which 
 is situated in sections 9 and 16, Llampton town- 
 ship, where he has carried on general farming, 
 
< 
 
 »■*■ - 
 
 
 LUCIOUS W. TOBIAS 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 653 
 
 stock-raising and fruit-growing, under the very 
 best possible conditions, having spared neither 
 time nor expense on his property. He has 
 made this a model farm and lias expended over 
 $5,000 in buildings. The farm is now under 
 rental, he having retired from its active man- 
 agement, his sugar interests having engaged his 
 entire attention for some time. During 1900 
 he was associated with the Lansing Sugar 
 Company, of Lansing, Michigan, and traveled 
 through the country, lecturing in its interests 
 through Ingham, Shiawassee, Genesee, Liv- 
 ingston and Jackson counties, placing before 
 the farmers the advantages accruing from the 
 culture of the sugar beet. His work met with 
 much success. 
 
 On iMarch 21, 1863, ]Mr. Wilson was united 
 in marriage with Eleanor S. Reed, a lady 
 whom he met in Ingham County while visiting 
 his brother. Mrs. Wilson was born November 
 29, 1840, in Huron County, Ohio, and is a 
 daughter of James P. Reed, who removed from 
 Ohio to Ingham County. Michigan, in 1849. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have had these children : 
 Carl F.. who is a mail carrier in West Bay 
 City ; Alice L.. who is the wife of Lee E. Joslyn, 
 one of the leading attorneys of Bay City ; 
 Grace, who is the wife of William Crabb, of 
 North Tonawanda, New York; James R., who 
 is a farmer in Hampton township; Charles D., 
 who is in business at Buffalo, New York ; Clara, 
 who is the wife of John Ingersoll. teller of the 
 Peoples' Savings Bank, of West Bay City ; and 
 George M., who is a resident of Buffalo, New 
 York. 
 
 During all these years of activity, Mr. 
 Wilson has continued to work at his various in- 
 ventions and many of them are of a very prac- 
 tical character and have been patented and are 
 in use in many of the manufacturing centers. 
 Although he has been an active supporter of the 
 Republican party all his life, he has accepted 
 
 85 
 
 little in the way of political reward, his con- 
 victions being those of principle. His first 
 vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln and each 
 successive Republican candidate has received 
 his generous support. During his residence in 
 Ingham County he served as a justice of the 
 peaee, an office to which his sterling character, 
 experience of men and things and his stern 
 sense of justice, brought most desirable quali- 
 fications. He belongs to H. P. Merrill Post, 
 No. 419, G. A. R., of Bay City and is a valued 
 comrade. His fraternal associations are mainly 
 with the various Masonic bodies, — he holds 
 membership in Wenona Lodge, No. 296, F. & 
 A. M., of West Bay City ; and of Blanchard 
 Chapter, No. 59, R. A. M.. of Bay City. 
 
 UCIOUS W. TOBIAS, deputy United 
 States marshal for 29 counties, com- 
 prising the Eastern District of Mich- 
 igan, whose portrait accompanies this 
 sketch, has been identified with the business 
 interests of Bay City since 1870. Mr. Tobias 
 was born in 1856, at Chesaning, Saginaw 
 County, Michigan, and is a son of Solomon 
 and Sarah A. (Thayer) Tobias. 
 
 The father of Mr. Tobias was born in Ash- 
 tabula County, Ohio, in 1831, and died in 
 Michigan in 1878. The mother was born in 
 1829, in Pennsylvania, and died in 1896. The 
 four surviving children are: Mrs. Mary A., 
 Mrs. Jean, of Bay City ; Blanche, wife of Ed- 
 ward S. Lattimore, of Bay City ; James Frank- 
 lin, a general storekeeper in Beaver township, 
 Bay County : and Lucious W., of this sketch. 
 In early life Solomon Tobias was a lumberman 
 and millwright. In 1854 he settled in Sagi- 
 naw^ County, Michigan, where his youngest 
 son was torn two years later. 
 
 Our subject was educated in the common 
 
654 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 schoolsof Shiawassee County, tlie family having 
 moved to Corunna in 1861, from which place 
 he came to Bay City in 1S70. In looking about 
 for a business opening, the best prospects 
 seemed to be in the transfer line. He had little 
 capital and began what developed into a large 
 business with a one-horse dray. He was in- 
 terested in this business from 1872 until 1902. 
 Several years after his modest beginning, he 
 found it necessary to have several vans built 
 and about this time met William Jennison, who 
 was on the point of starting into a general 
 storage business. They joined capital and 
 organized the Riverside Truck & Storage Com- 
 pany, and continued in partnership, with Mr. 
 Tobias as general manager, for seven years. 
 Other duties pressed at this time and he gave 
 up this business, having accumulated quite a 
 fortune through his commercial enterprise. 
 
 In 1874, Mr. Tobias entered the tire depart- 
 ment and for 12 years held the position of cap- 
 tain in the Second Ward. He gave 18 years 
 of service to the department and laid out many 
 of the plans which have made this branch of the 
 city's work notably effective. In 1882, in part- 
 nership with W. F. Miller, he purchased a 
 livery business on Saginaw street. A short 
 time after, he purchased Mr. Miller's interest 
 and continued alone in the business until 1883. 
 
 Politically, a strong Republican, he has ex- 
 erted much influence in his part of the city and 
 has filled a number of civic positions. In 1882 
 he was elected constable of the Second Ward. 
 He served two terms as supervisor of the Fifth 
 Ward, and has been a member of the Board of 
 Education for 12 years. In 1898 he entered 
 the government service, being appointed United 
 States deputy marshal by United States Mar- 
 shal W. R. Bates, of Detroit. He has a large 
 territory to cover, including 29 counties in the 
 eastern part of Michigan. He is a man well- 
 qualified for this responsible position. 
 
 In 1877, Mr. Tobias was married to Eliza- 
 beth A. Sears, and they have two daughters : 
 Edith M., who married Charles A. Russell and 
 has two children, — Lee and Efifa Elizabeth; 
 and Effa, who is a student in the Bay City High 
 School, of which her sister is a graduate. The 
 handsome home of Mr. Tobias and family is 
 situated at No. 400 Howard street, and is one 
 noted for its hospitality. Our subject belongs 
 to the leading fraternal societies, in which his 
 genial personality makes him a favorite com- 
 rade. He is one of Bay City's self-made men 
 and commands the respect of his fellow-citizens 
 and enjoys the esteem of hosts of friends all 
 over the State. 
 
 lOMAS FRANK MARSTON, one 
 of Bay City's successful business 
 men, treasurer and business manager 
 of the Bay City Sanitary Milk Com- 
 pany, Ltd., was born in Bay City, Michigan, 
 March 15, 1869. and is a son of the late Hon. 
 Isaac Marston, a member of the Supreme 
 Court bench of Michigan from 1S75 to 1883, 
 the year of his resignation from the bench, and 
 also for a long term of years one of the leading 
 members of the Bay County bar. His sketch 
 may be found elsewhere in this work. 
 
 Mr. Marston was reared in Bay City and 
 attended school here, later taking a course in 
 mechanical engineering at the Michigan Agri- 
 cultural College and the University of Michi- 
 gan and in agriculture at the University of 
 Wisconsin. He then returned to his father's 
 farm and still continues to operate it on ap- 
 proved scientific principles. 
 
 The Bay City Sanitary Milk Company, 
 Ltd., was organized in May, 1902, by Oscar 
 F. Meiselbach, William Cuthbert and Thomas 
 F. Marston. The officers were Oscar F. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 -■00 
 
 Meiselbach. chairman : William Culhbert, sec- 
 retary ; and Thomas Frank Marston, treasurer 
 and business manager. Mr. Cuthbert has since 
 withdrawn and operates a milk business inde- 
 pendently. This company not only controls a 
 large portion of the city milk trade, running- 
 five wagons and handling, both wholesale and 
 retail, 375,000 pounds of milk a month, Init 
 also manufactures ice cream and other by- 
 products. Employment is given to 10 work- 
 men. The industry is on the increase, the com- 
 pany's products making an enlarged area of 
 demand wherever they are known. The com- 
 pany has clean, sanitary ([uarters and every de- 
 vice and precaution is taken to make their 
 products just what they are represented to be. 
 Much of the success that has attended this laud- 
 able industry is undoubtedly due to the busi- 
 ness management and commercial integrity of 
 Mr. Marston and Mr. Meiselbach. 
 
 Mr. ;\Iarston has a pleasant home in Bay 
 City, and has a family of four children : Helen, 
 Sheldon, Frances Marian and Thomas I-'rank, 
 Jr., The family attend the Presbyterian Church. 
 Mr. Marston served si.x years on the State 
 Board of Agriculture, by appointment from 
 Governor Hazen S. Pingree, and was president 
 of the board the last two years. In 1905 he 
 was again appointed a member of this board. 
 
 01 IX C. ARNOLD, one of the well- 
 known ctizens and first class farmers 
 of Frankenlust township, owning a 
 well-improved farm of over 100 acres 
 in sections 6, 7 and 8, township 13, range 5, 
 was tern in Frankenlust township, October 25. 
 1857, and is a son of Michael and Mary Bar- 
 bara (Appold) Arnold. 
 
 The parents of Mr. .\rnold were born at 
 Baiern. Germany, the father in 1827, and the 
 mother in 1830. The former died in Franken- 
 
 lust township, aged 42 years, and the mother, 
 in 1895, aged 65 years. They had these chil- 
 dren : John, of Frankenlust township : George, 
 of Saginaw County; John C, of this sketch; 
 Michael, of Saginaw County ; John (jeorge. of 
 Saginaw County; and Martin, of Saginaw. 
 
 Mr. Arnold was reared on his father's farm 
 and obtained his education in the local schools. 
 His life has been devoted mainly to farming, 
 although in young manhood he worked for a 
 time in the sawmills. His father came to Bay 
 County in 1852, after completing his term of 
 service in the German Army, and took up the 
 present farm of our subject from the govern- 
 ment. It was all wild, uncultivated land at 
 that time, but now is one of the best farms in 
 the township. The early death of the father 
 threw much responsibility upon bis sons. Our 
 subject did a great deal of the clearing and has 
 erected all of the fine modern buildings, which 
 make such an attractive appearance. In 1900 
 the handsome residence was completed and 
 other improvements have been added, making a 
 home of much comfort and one that is very 
 presentable. 
 
 On May 6, 1881, Mr. Arnold was married 
 to Margaret Kuch, who was born in Franken- 
 lust township, August 6, 1859, and is a daugh- 
 ter of John and Anna Barbara (Ziegler) Kuch, 
 who came from Germany among the \-ery first 
 settlers and established a home here in 1846, 
 where the father died aged 85 years and the 
 mother, aged 73 years. They were highly re- 
 spected people, worthy members of the German 
 Lutheran Church. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold also 
 lielong to this church and he is extending a 
 liberal, helping band in the erection of the 
 new church edifice. Politically he is a Repub- 
 lican. Mr. and ]\Irs. Arnold have two chil- 
 dren: George, born March 11. 1882, and Mary 
 Katherina Barbara, born June 15, 1884. both 
 of whom live at home. 
 
656 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 HELL H. THOMPSON, a promising 
 young attorney-at-la\v, of Bay City, 
 was born in Bay City, July 2, 1877. 
 He is a son of Joseph and Helen E. 
 (Babcock) Thompson, and a grandson of John 
 Thompson. 
 
 John Thompson came from Canada and lo- 
 cated in Michigan in the "forties." He served 
 a full term in the Union Army during the Civil 
 War. He was in General Custer's command and 
 participated in Sherman's "March to the Sea." 
 Joseph Thompson, who came to Bay County 
 in the "fifties," died in 1892 at the age of 45 
 years. He had three brothers who served their 
 country in the Civil War. The only one of 
 John Thompson's sons now living is a resident 
 of Duluth, Minnesota. 
 
 Dell H. Thompson's mother is a native of 
 Washtenaw County, Michigan. She is now 
 living in Bay City and is about 56 years old. 
 Her ancestors were soldiers in the Revolution- 
 ary War. She had three sons, two of whom 
 died in infancy. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was reared and 
 schooled in Bay City. He attended the Uni- 
 versity of Michigan, where he was graduated 
 from the law department in 1902. He has 
 since acquired a good general practice in Bay 
 City. His offices are at No. 217 Fifth avenue. 
 Politically, Mr. Thompson is a Republican. 
 His religious views are in accordance with the 
 doctrines of the Presbyterian Church. He be- 
 longs to the Delta Chi college fraternity. 
 
 OHN H. EMERY, manager of the 
 house of John H. Emery & Company, 
 leading retail dealers in coal and wood 
 in West Bay City, Michigan, was born 
 July 6, 1865, at Girard, Erie County, Pennsyl- 
 vania, and is a son of John and Sophronia J. 
 (Kirkland) Emery. 
 
 The Emery family is of English extraction 
 and many generations were born and reared in 
 the neighborhood of Red Line Square, Lon- 
 don. It has always been a musical family and 
 a number of its members have been connected 
 with the orchestras of prominent London 
 theatres. The name of John has appeared in 
 every generation as far back as can be traced. 
 The first of the family to cross the Atlantic 
 was our subject's grandfather, John Emery, 
 who was born in London and emigrated to 
 Prescott, Ontario, where he operated a general 
 store and was identified with musical circles. 
 He married Ann Barrett, bornin England, but 
 a resident of Prescott, and died when his son 
 John was small. 
 
 John Emery, father of our subject, was bom 
 at Prescott, Ontario, March 3, 1839, but was 
 reared mainly at Ogdensburg, New York. 
 There he learned the trade of millwright which 
 he has followed more or less ever since. He 
 resided in a number of places as his work de- 
 manded and was residing at Gir-ard, Pennsyl- 
 vania, when our subject was born. He then 
 moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and three 
 years later, about 1880, came to Bay City, 
 which has been his home ever since although 
 his work takes him all over the country. He 
 has erected many mills in difl^erent sections. He 
 married first Sophronia J. Kirkland, a daugh- 
 ter of David Kirkland of Girard, Pennsylvania, 
 and three of their six children survive, viz : 
 John H., of this sketch; Edwin R. : and Belle, 
 wife of Walter C. Foote. of Pittsburg. Penn- 
 sylvania. For his second wife Mr. Emery 
 married Alice Green, of Bay City, and they 
 have two children : Kitty Faye and Lottie Lee. 
 Both Mr. and Mrs. Emery are members of the 
 Central Methodist Episcopal Church of Bay 
 City, in which Mr. Emery is a steward. 
 
 Our subject was yet small when his parents 
 settled at Grand Rapids and there he attended 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 657 
 
 school. After the death of his mother, the 
 family removed to Bay City. When about 16 
 years of age he commenced saiHng on the 
 Great Lakes, I)eginning; in a humble position 
 and working- his way up until he became cap- 
 tain of both sailing vessels and steamships. In 
 1 89 1 he left the water and started into a coal 
 business alone, but later associated with him 
 Capt. Peter C. Smith, under the firm name of 
 J. H. Emery & Company. They handle coal, 
 wood and builders' supplies, their office and 
 yard being located on East Midland street, cor- 
 ner of Williams, on the West Side. Mr. Emery 
 is also the patentee and manufacturer of the 
 "Emery Cement Brick Machine," an in\ention 
 which promises to revolutionize the manufac- 
 ture of brick. It is simply constructed but an- 
 swers every purpose. 
 
 Mr. Emery married Catherine Herrick, 
 who is a daughter of John Herrick of West 
 Bay City and they have one son, Herrick. The 
 family attend the Presbyterian Church. 
 
 Mr. Emery's fraternal connections are with 
 Wenona Lodge, No. 221, I. O. O. F., and the 
 Modern Woodmen of America. He is recog- 
 nized as one of the progressive and enterpris- 
 ing business men of the city. He owes noth- 
 ing to luck or circumstances, having made his 
 own way in the world and accomplished much 
 through his energy and native ability. 
 
 ON. ISAAC MARSTON, late asso- 
 ciate justice of the Supreme Court of 
 Michigan and an able and forceful 
 member of the bar, achieved prom- 
 inence and a State wide reputation as a jurist. 
 He was born in County .\rmagh, Ireland, Jan- 
 uary 3, 1839, and died Octoljer 31. 1891. at 
 Bay City, where his legal career had really 
 commenced 29 years before. For much of the 
 
 characterization that we are enabled to give in 
 this brief sketch, we are indebted to an article 
 published in TJic Inlander, the official organ of 
 the University of Michigan, that was written 
 b}' Hon. Thomas M. Cooley, who was asso- 
 ciated with Judge Marston on the bench of the 
 Supreme Court. 
 
 With tlie utmost propriety may we refer to 
 Judge Marston as a self-made man and in do- 
 ing so use the term in the strictest sense to 
 which usage commonly limits it. He had the 
 benefits of no such adventitious aids as inher- 
 ited wealth, influential connections or friends, 
 or fortunate accidental circumstances ; he laid 
 the foundations of his fortune in his own per- 
 sonal diligence and built upon these, relying 
 for success entirely upon most vigorous and 
 judicious use of the advantages which in the 
 State of his residence are offered with an equal 
 liberality to every member of society. 
 
 Judge Marston's father, Thomas Marston, 
 was born in England, but removed to Ireland, 
 where he was married and resided the re- 
 mainder of his life. He owned a small estate 
 upon the income of which he lived, but his 
 means were so restricted that from the first it 
 was certain that Isaac could look to him for 
 only the most meager assistance. While at his 
 death Thomas Marston did not leave a large 
 estate, our subject's mother sent her son $1,200 
 after his marriage. Mrs. Marston, whose 
 maiden name w'as Amelia Purdy, died about 
 1898, aged 96 years. 
 
 At the age of 13. Isaac Marston was ap- 
 prenticed to a grocer with whom he remained 
 for three years, but the prospect of such a start 
 in life was not flattering, for it was hard work 
 from the outset and the future could scarcely 
 promise more than a scanty subsistance. With 
 a view to bettering his circumstances, he came 
 to America and made his way to Michigan, 
 making his liome with an uncle at Southfield, 
 
65S 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Oakland County, Andrew Muldragh by name. 
 In order to find immediate means of support, 
 he farmed with his uncle and cousins and with 
 neighbors, attending school during the winter 
 sessions, until he reached the age of 20 years. 
 By this time he had determined in his own mind 
 that he should take up the law as his life work. 
 
 When the law department of the University 
 of Michigan was organized in 1859, young 
 Marston went to Ann Arbor that he might 
 have the benefit of the advantages the law school 
 was expected to afford. To the resident pro- 
 fessor, when he introduced himself, he frankly 
 stated that his means were extremely limited, 
 giving this as the reason for the seeking of em- 
 ployment during his attendance at the school, 
 whereby he might help the defraying of his 
 necessary expenses. He endeared himself to 
 all the instructors, who saw that while his ed- 
 ucational advantages had been limited, he was 
 fully determined to overcome them. He 
 quickly showed himself to be industrious, with 
 a cjuick and accurate grasp of legal principles. 
 With his fellow-students he was always a fav- 
 orite, for he was of a cheerful and bouyant dis- 
 position and as companionable as he was atten- 
 tive to his studies. Upon taking his diploma in 
 1861, Mr. Marston went to the little village of 
 Alma. Gratiot Count)', Michigan, where he 
 opened an office, but accidentally fire soon de- 
 stroyed this office and his few books. He re- 
 moved to Ithaca, in the same county, but did 
 not find there the promising location that he 
 had expected. Altogether he practiced in Gra- 
 tiot County for over one year. 
 
 In the summer of 1862 Mr. Marston came 
 to Bay City, and after practicing alone for a 
 short time, formed a partnership with Herschel 
 H. Hatch, under the firm name of Marston &. 
 Hatch. This was a fortunate move for him, 
 as the town was a growing place, with a con- 
 siderable and increasing business, and his part- 
 
 ner a man of ability and well read in the law. 
 The firm was not long in laying the foundations, 
 and retainers soon came to them from consid- 
 erable distances. Their regular legal business 
 was not, however, so exacting as to preclude 
 Mr. Marston from acting for a tiine as justice 
 of the peace. For one session he served as a 
 Representative in the State Legislature and for 
 one term held the office of prosecuting attorney 
 of Bay County. He also filled, by appoint- 
 ment from Governor Bagley, a vacancy that oc- 
 curred in the office of Attorney-General of the 
 State. A few years after the original firm of 
 Marston & Hatch was formed, Edgar A. Cooley 
 became a partner and the firm name was 
 changed to Marston, Hatch & Cooley. 
 
 When Judge Christiancy left the Supreme 
 Court in 1875 to take his place in the United 
 States Senate, Mr. Marston was nominated by 
 the Republicans and elected to the vacant place 
 that he first filled for a short time by appoint- 
 ment from the Governor. To obtain the nom- 
 ination no considerable canvass was made by 
 his friends on his behalf; the office seemed to 
 come to him naturally as a recognition of his 
 professional prominence in his section of the 
 State, which was then unrepresented on the 
 bench. His own sterling qualities brought him 
 the office. His associates when he took his seat 
 were James V. Campbell, Benjamin F. Graves 
 and Thomas M. Cooley. Two of these had been 
 his preceptors at Ann Arbor and all of them 
 knew him well as a lawyer and were well 
 pleased with his selection. They knew that 
 they were to expect in him an industrious and 
 painstaking associate and that the manner in 
 which he would discharge his judicial duties 
 would be alike honorable to himself and useful 
 to the public. Coming to the judicial office, 
 Judge Marston brought as part of his endow- 
 ment two qualities always indispensable if the 
 best results are to be looked for ; the first, a 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 659 
 
 sterling integrity, ;uul the second a judicial 
 temperament. Quoting the words of Judge 
 Cooley : "Judge Marston was a party man al- 
 ways, but the judicial office had come to him 
 wliolly free from any improper obligation, real 
 or suspected, and no opponent feared or no 
 supporter could hope for partial rulings. He 
 had strong views of the relationship of the law 
 to public morals but in so far as he was now to 
 deal with them judicially he knew very well 
 that he was to do so under rules which the 
 usages of his race embodied in the common 
 law or the voice of the Legislature, speaking 
 by its statutes, had prescribed for him ; and no 
 partialities or preposessions could incline him 
 to such usurpation of judicial power as is 
 always present when the law is given an effect 
 which is not within its true meaning. But, 
 while he would not attempt the impossible task 
 of giving support to public morality by false 
 opinions, he did not fail at all times and under 
 all circumstances to give such example, in his 
 own official conduct, of sturdy uprightness and 
 integrity as would, in its influence upon public 
 morality, be of the very highest value. The 
 legal opinions of Judge Marston are notable for 
 brevity and clearness, and for an evident pur- 
 pose to make them express the exact idea he 
 had in mind." His duties on the bench were 
 discharged to the public's entire satisfaction and 
 he was elected for the second time by popular 
 vote. He did not fill out his term of office, re- 
 signing in 1883 because of a fear that the state 
 of his health was becoming precarious and a 
 feeling that he ought, in justice to his family, 
 to go back to the bar in order that he might be 
 able to make for them a better provision than 
 the compensation made to him by the State 
 would render possible. 
 
 Upon leaving the bench. Judge Marston re- 
 moved to Detroit and resumed practice at the 
 
 bar, which soon became large and remunera- 
 tive. It soon became evident, however, that the 
 seeds of pulmonary disease were in his sys- 
 tem ; necessarily his practice was embarrassed 
 by this state of affairs, and it was not long 
 before it was seen that it must be given up. 
 With the utmost courage and cheerfulness he 
 struggled against surrender until 1890, when 
 he returned to Bay City and took up his resi- 
 dence upon a farm nearby, in the hope that ag- 
 ricultural pursuits might be less exacting in 
 their demands upon his remaining strengtii. 
 The end approached steadily but surely, and 
 cheerfully to the last he met the final summons. 
 He left behind him many dear friends who will 
 never cease, as long as life lasts, to cherish with 
 affection and respect the recollection of his 
 sterling sense and strong manly qualities. 
 
 On May i, 1862, the subject of this sketch 
 married Emily Sullivan, daughter of Adam D. 
 Sullivan, of Southfield, Oakland County. 
 Mrs. Marston who is an esteemed resi- 
 dent of Bay City, was born May 17, 
 1843. Her great-grandfather on her father's 
 mother's side was Peter Lowe. He re- 
 moved from Newburgh. New York, to Oak- 
 land County, Michigan, in 1830. He drew^ a 
 pension for his services in the Revolutionary 
 War. Adam D. Sulli\an was a son of Cor- 
 nelius and Elizabeth (Lowe) Sullivan. Be- 
 cause of the death of his parents when he was 
 young in years, he lived with his grandparents 
 Lowe, by whom he was reared. Of the five 
 children born to Judge and Mrs. Marston, four 
 grew to maturity, namely: Amelia, wife of 
 James B. Shearer, of Bay City ; Thomas Frank, 
 of Bay City, a sketch of whom appears else- 
 where in this work; George Arthur, an attor- 
 ney-at-law of Detroit; and Charles Isaac, of 
 Detroit. About two years before his death, 
 Judge Marston joined the Westminster Pres- 
 
66o 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 byterian Church of Detroit, of which his wife 
 was also a member. Slie is now a member of 
 the First Presbyterian Church of Bay City. 
 
 CTAVE TURMELL, a substantial ag- 
 riculturist of Fraser township, whose 
 farm is located in section 5, was born 
 in the Province of Quebec, Canada, 
 in 1842, and is a son of Francis and Maggie 
 (Fecto) Turmell, who were natives of Quebec, 
 and were engaged in farming. 
 
 Francis Turmell and his wife came from 
 Quebec to Bay City in 1880, and subsequently 
 bought a farm in Williams township, near Au- 
 burn. The father died in 1892 at Auburn at 
 the age of 83 years. His wife died on the farm 
 of her son, Octave, in 1903, when 90 years old. 
 
 Mr. Turmell lx)ught his farm of 80 acres in 
 section 5. Fraser township, in the spring of 
 I goo. He is engaged in general farming and 
 stock-raising. 
 
 The subject of this sketch has been three 
 times married. His first wife was Virginia 
 Labie, whom he married in Quebec, and who 
 died in Canada, leaving one child, — Jeddie. His 
 second wife was Mary Labie, who died in Bay 
 City, Michigan, in 1885, leaving one child, — 
 Edmund. For his third wife, Mr. Turmell 
 married Rosetta Labie, a daughter of John and 
 Susan (Turcott) Labie, natives of Quebec, who 
 now live in Bay City. 
 
 From the third marriage seven children have 
 resulted, namely : Valeta, born in December. 
 1886; Joseph, born in July, 1890; Rena, born 
 in January, 1892: Fred, born in November, 
 1893; Leva, born in December, 1895; Deneige, 
 born in October, 1897; and Ernest, born in Oc- 
 tober, 1902. Politically, Mr. Turmell is a 
 Democrat. He and his family are members of 
 the Catholic Church. 
 
 EORGE B. HUBBELL, postmaster 
 at Colden, Williams township, where 
 he also operates a general store, is 
 one of the well-known residents of 
 the western part of the county. Mr. Hub- 
 bell was born November 8, 1864, at Holly, 
 Oakland County, Michigan, and is a son of 
 Charles and Angeline (Yorton) Hubbell. 
 
 The father of Mr. Hubbell was born in 
 1842 in Connecticut, and came to Michigan in 
 1861. Soon after he enlisted in Company F, 
 Seventh Reg. Michigan \'ol. Inf., as a private. 
 He served under General McClellan in the 
 Army of the Potomac and participated in all 
 the battles of that memorable time, and was 
 wounded at the battle of Antietam. After three 
 years of service, during which period he was 
 promoted for gallantry to the rank of cor- 
 poral, he was honorably discharged in 1863. 
 He is a valued member of Dwight May Post, 
 No. 67, G. A. R. He is one of a family of 
 seven children, the others being : Samuel W., 
 of Unionville, a well-known politician of Tus- 
 cola County, Michigan; John E., deceased 
 April 20, 1904, who was engaged in a milling 
 business at Cedro Wooley, Washington; Julia, 
 who is the wife of N. Stewart, of Cairo, Mich- 
 igan ; Lucy, who is the wife of Morris Van 
 Order, of Beaver Dam, New York; Sarah, de- 
 ceased, who was the wife of George W. Brown, 
 of Harrison, Clare County, Michigan ; and 
 Edward L„ of West Bay City. 
 
 At Holly. Michigan on July 3, 1863, 
 Charles Hubbell was united in marriage with 
 Angeline Yorton. and six children were born 
 to this union: George B., of this sketch: Nora 
 (Mrs. James Lamay), of Midland, Michigan; 
 Fayette, a farmer living near Midland; Myron, 
 who died at Saginaw November 28, 1904, and 
 was interred at Midland ; Annie, wife of Fred 
 Morden, of Merrill, Saginaw County: and 
 Lena, a maiden of 15 years, residing with her 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 66i 
 
 parents at Midland. Charles Hubhell has been 
 engaged in farming since the close of the Civil 
 War, but recently retired to Midland, after 
 selling his farm. 
 
 Our subject followed the milling trade with 
 his uncle, John E. Hubbell. for i8 years and 
 then bought 40 acres of land in Williams town- 
 ship, which he operated as a farm for five years. 
 After disposing of that he moved to the village 
 of Colden, where he has since carried on a gen- 
 eral store. He has always been active in local 
 politics, but votes independently. On August 
 28, 1899 he was appointed postmaster of the 
 village by the late President McKinley, and 
 was reappointed to the office on August 28, 
 1903, by President Roosevelt. Mr. Hubbell 
 has proved himself a very satisfactory official 
 and enjoys the respect of all who have public or 
 private business with him. He is a member of 
 the Maccabees. 
 
 On April 17, 1885, Mr. Hubbell was united 
 in marriage to Rose Woltz, a daughter of 
 Henry and Hannah (Wrenz) Woltz, natives 
 of Germany, who came to America in 1844. 
 Mr. Woltz died February 6. 1905. and Mrs. 
 Woltz died when her daughter, Mrs. Hubbell, 
 was but three years old. Mr. and Mrs. Hubl^ell 
 have one child, — Lulu May, born July 3, 1897. 
 They have a very pleasant home. 
 
 ^:ANK p. YOUXG. a well-known citi- 
 zen of Bay City, is a member of a 
 family which has been prominently 
 identified with successful business en- 
 terprises here since his grandfather. George 
 Young, came here in 1870. Frank P. Young 
 was born at Albany, New York, October 21, 
 1869, and is a son of George H. and Mary 
 (Phillips) Young. 
 
 George Young, the paternal grandfather, 
 
 was born in Scotland, January 12, 1820, and 
 came to America in 1840. He located at Al- 
 bany, New York, where he worked first as a 
 grocery clerk and later went into business for 
 himself, operating a wholesale and retail gro- 
 cery at Albany until 1870, w'hen he came to 
 llav City. He was a very successful business 
 man and became interested in financial afifairs 
 in Bay City, which led to his organizing the 
 Bay City Bank, of which he continued vice- 
 president until his death on January 18, 1890. 
 In 1845 lie married Annie McCormick, who 
 was a daughter of William McCormick, of 
 Bethlehem, New York, and they had four chil- 
 dren : George H., Charles E., William A. and 
 Walter D. The mother of this family died 
 January 12, 1905, aged 78 years. She was a 
 woman of strong and beautiful character. Until 
 advanced years caused her retirement from ac- 
 tive church work, she was very prominent in 
 the benevolent and social enterprises of the 
 First Presbyterian Church, of which she was a 
 devoted member. 
 
 Frank P. Young was but two and a half 
 years old when his parents brought him to Bay 
 City, where he was educated in the common 
 and high schools. Later he became a clerk in 
 the Bay City Bank, of which his father is 
 president, and remained there six years and 
 then entered into partnership with his uncles, 
 Walter D. and C. E. Young, who were doing 
 business under the firm name of Young Broth- 
 ers. Upon the admission of our subject, the 
 firm style became Young Brothers & Company, 
 which continued until 1896, when he became 
 sole proprietor. He now conducts the business 
 under his own name. This business is one of 
 the largest retail ones in the city. Coal, wood, 
 sewer pipe and masons' building supplies are 
 dealt in. It was established originally in 1880 
 bv T. R. Dennison, who was succeeded in 1889 
 by Young Brothers. In addition to this busi- 
 
663 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 ness Mr. Young has other interests, being sec- 
 retary, treasurer and general manager of the 
 Michigan Coal Mining Compan}-. He pos- 
 sesses the necessary equipments for business 
 success and enjoys the confidence of the public. 
 
 Mr. Young married Sarah Davidson, who 
 is a daughter of James Davidson of Bay City 
 and they have three children : Davidson, Miriam 
 and Frank P., Jr. The family attend the 
 Protestant Episcopal Church. 
 
 Mr. Young is prominent in Masonic cir- 
 cles, being a member of Bay City Lodge No. 
 129, F. & A. M., and of higher Masonic bodies 
 at Bay City, which go to the i8th degree. He 
 has taken higher degrees, to the 32d inclusive, 
 in Michigan Sovereign Consistory S. P. R. S., 
 at Detroit, of which he is a member. He is also 
 a member of Moslem Temple, A. A. O. N. 
 M. S., at Detroit. 
 
 SlOHN W. EGBERT, who owns a f^rst- 
 class farm of 40 acres, situated in sec- 
 tion 6, Portsmouth township, is a 
 well-known and highly respected res- 
 ident of the township. Mr. Egbert was born 
 November 29, i860, near Hamilton, Canada, 
 and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Newton) 
 Egbert. 
 
 The family is of English extraction. The 
 paternal grandfather, John Egbert, was born 
 and died in Canada, his home being near St. 
 Catharines, Ontario. There the father of our 
 subject, also named John Egbert, was born in 
 182 1 ; he died in Portsmouth township, Bay 
 County, Michigan, December 12, 1901. He 
 was a man of more than usual intelligence and 
 possessed chemical knowledge and business 
 faculties which enabled him to become a suc- 
 cessful match manufacturer. He was one of 
 the pioneers in this business and on several oc- 
 
 casions nearly lost his life in experimenting. 
 He was a born mechanic and understood many 
 lines of manufacture. He came to Bay County 
 in 1863 and, with his other industries, opened 
 up a boarding house near Essexville for labor- 
 ers in the lumber camps. This he conducted for 
 some 10 years and then removed to Portsmouth 
 township and settled down to farming. He 
 was a very moral man and in his earlier days 
 was a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church, but in his later years w-as affiliated with 
 the Church of the Latter Day Saints. 
 
 The mother of our subject was born in On- 
 tario, Canada, and died at Essexville, Bay 
 County, on January 24, 1869, aged 33 years. 
 She was the mother of three children, namely: 
 Herman zA.ugustus, who died aged one year ; 
 John \V., the subject of this sketch; and Flora 
 Marinda, who was accidentally burned to death 
 when four years old. 
 
 John ^V. Egbert was only three years of 
 age when his parents came to Bay County, in 
 which his home has been ever since, although 
 his residence has not always been here. ]\Ir. 
 Egbert has not always been a farmer. When 
 he was 18 years of age he became a sailor on 
 the Great Lakes and for the past 25 years has 
 spent every summer on the w-ater. His present 
 farm, now so well-cultivated, was totally unim- 
 proved when his father bought it of Henry 
 Brandt in 1869. The whole region was then 
 covered with woods and no roads had been cut 
 by which the new owners could reach their 
 property. Mr. Egbert's father cleared this land 
 and put it under cultivation and also built the 
 present substantial house and barn. It is a 
 valuable property and Mr. Egbert carries on 
 general farming here, raises some stock and 
 does a little dairying. 
 
 In 1882 Mr. Egbert was married to Lucy 
 Neadow, who was born September 15, 1841, 
 in Ontario, and is a daughter of Herman Has- 
 
AND RErRESEXTATIYE CITIZENS. 
 
 663 
 
 kins and Elizabeth (Amer) Xeadow. both of 
 whom were born in Canada. Mr. Egbert is a 
 member of the Gleaners. 
 
 )X. COLUMBUS V. TYLER. M. D. 
 Among the many men who have at- 
 tained justifiable prominence in Bay 
 City, none are remembered with more 
 admiration and esteem than the late Dr. Colum- 
 bus V. Tyler, who, as physician, surgeon and 
 statesman, was a representative man in city, 
 county and State for so many years. Dr. Tyler 
 was born in 1S25 at Auburn, Xew York, and 
 was a son of Lewis S. and Martha (Eldridge) 
 Tyler. 
 
 The family is of Xew England origin. El- 
 liott Tyler, the grandfather of Dr. Tyler, was 
 born in Connecticut in 1781, and died in 1856. 
 He accompanied his parents to New York, 
 where he engaged in agricultural pursuits all 
 his life. 
 
 Lewis S. Tyler, father of Dr. Tyler, was 
 born in the hamlet of Nuntz, Cayuga County, 
 New York, in 1804, and died at Grand Blanc, 
 Michigan, in 1871. Very early in its settle- 
 ment, among the pioneer families from the 
 East, the Tylers removed to Genesee County, 
 Michigan, and located near Grand Blanc. 
 
 In that county, with scanty educational ad- 
 vantages, was Columbus V. Tyler, the future 
 eminent physician, reared. Much of his youth 
 until he was 21 years old, was spent in assisting 
 to clear the farm. This life had no charms for 
 him and when his uncle. Dr. N. B. Eldridge, 
 gave Columbus an opportunity to study medi- 
 cine with him, the offer was eagerly accepted. 
 Dr. Eldridge was located at Lapeer and there 
 the youth completed his medical studies and 
 settled then at Flushing, Genesee County, to 
 practice. This was in 1850 and he remained 
 
 there until 1869. In addition to attending to a 
 large practice, he served as postmaster from 
 1856 to i860. Although an old-line Democrat, 
 he was fully in accord with the administration 
 during the Civil War, and served at Flushing 
 as a deputy United States marshal, and, as 
 such, took the census of the northern district of 
 Genesee County. While at Flushing he organ- 
 ized the first Masonic lodge there, and through 
 his efforts an effective medical society was or- 
 ganized in Genesee Coimty. 
 
 In July, 1869, Dr. Tyler came to Bay City 
 and almost immediately took a leading position 
 in public and professional life. He served as 
 presiflent of the Bay County Medical Society 
 and was a member of the judicial council and 
 the first vice-president of the [Michigan State 
 Medical Society and was also a member of the 
 X^ational Sanitary Association. In 188,3 li^ 
 was appointed a member of the State Board of 
 Health by Governor Begole, and filled the office 
 until October. 1888, when he resigned on ac- 
 count of ill health. He had suffered from a 
 fall which produced an abcess in his side which 
 was subsequently the cause of his death. In 
 1885 Dr. Tyler was appointed one of the board 
 of medical examiners for pension claimants and 
 held the ofiice until October, 1888. 
 
 Dr. Tyler was not only a man of command- 
 ing presence and magnificent physique, being 
 six feet tall and weighing 200 pounds, but he 
 was also one of the brainiest men in public life 
 in Bay County in his time. In 1877 he was 
 elected to the State Senate and in 1878 he was 
 a candidate for Congress and failed of receiving 
 the nomination by but a few votes. In 1879 
 Dr. Tyler was returned to the Senate and again 
 in 1889. receiving at the last election 5,892 
 votes, although the district was strongly Re- 
 publican. John McKim, the Republican and 
 Union Labor candidate, received 5.067 votes, 
 and David .-\. Ross, Prohibitionist, received 148 
 
664 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 votes. During this last session of the Senate, 
 he served on the following committees : Coun- 
 ties and townships, saline interests, roads and 
 bridges and religious and benevolent societies. 
 
 Dr. Tyler was married to Marie Antoinette 
 Herrick, who was a daughter of Truman Her- 
 rick. She was born in Connecticut, but at the 
 time of her marriage resided in Genesee 
 County. They had three children of whom the 
 only survivor and the only one who reached 
 maturity is Frank Elliott Tyler, of Bay City. 
 Both Dr. Tyler and wife were consistent, 
 worthy and valued members of the First Pres- 
 byterian Church. 
 
 After the death of Dr. Tyler on June i, 
 1889, a special meeting of the Bay County 
 Medical Society was held to take action in re- 
 gard to his decease, and speeches were made by 
 Drs. Landon, Newkirk, Baker, Erwin and 
 Carron, They remarked upon the purity of 
 Dr. Tyler's professional character, his wide- 
 spread generosity and the general sorrow that 
 was felt by the community at large. It was 
 voted that the society attend the funeral in a 
 body and the following resolutions were 
 adopted, a copy of which was presented to his 
 family : 
 
 IVhcrcas, Our esteemed brother physician, Dr. C. 
 V. Tyler, has been removed from our midst by death, 
 and 
 
 Whereas, We would give expression to the sincere 
 sorrow we feel in his loss and indicate by appropriate 
 resolutions our esteem for him as a man and as a 
 physician, be it 
 
 Resolved. That in our deceased brother. Dr. Tyler, 
 we recognized one who was a gentleman, an able physi- 
 cian and a sympathizing friend and neighbor, whose 
 pure character and regular deportment through life 
 commands respect and may well be emulated by all. 
 
 Resolved, That we extend to his family our heart- 
 felt sympathy in their great bereavement. 
 
 Resolved. That a copy of the foregoing be pre- 
 sented to the family of the deceased and printed in the 
 Bay City Tribune. 
 
 Dr. Tyler may well be said to have been 
 one of the best citizens of the State in the sense 
 of always furthering her interests. His public 
 life was as sincere and honest as was his private 
 career and his repeated elections and appoint- 
 ments to positions of trust showed that he con- 
 tinued to have the esteem and confidence of the 
 county. On all subjects pertaining to the pub- 
 lic health, sanitation, water supply, epidemics, 
 etc., he was an authority, keeping in close touch 
 with the most advanced thought on these sul> 
 jects, and his position as such was acknowl- 
 edged by the most eminent of Michigan's pro- 
 fessional men. 
 
 rSTACHE MASSON, Jr., an indus- 
 trious and worthy farmer, whose 
 homestead is situated in section 9, 
 Fraser township, was born in Mont- 
 real, Province of Quebec, October 4, 1849. He 
 is a son of Eustache and Mary [De Lome) 
 Masson. Both of his parents died in Montreal, 
 — his father in his 75th year, and his mother, 
 when she was 45 years old. 
 
 The subject of this sketch attended school 
 near Montreal, and came to Bay City, Michi- 
 gan, in 1865. He cooked in the lumber camps 
 during the w-inter months for 22 years, and in 
 summer worked in sawmills. In 1891 he 
 bought his farm of 40 acres in Fraser town- 
 ship, and has built a fine dwelling and a con- 
 venient barn. He is engaged in general farm- 
 ing and raising stock. 
 
 Mr. Masson has been twice married. In 
 1882, he married Oxile Sharkey, a daughter of 
 Calias Sharkey, who lives near Bay City. Six 
 children resulted from this union, namely: 
 Louis. Melvina, William, Henry, Amendine 
 and Oxile. Louis keeps a hotel in Beaver town- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 665 
 
 sliip. He married Ida Bennett, and kas one 
 cliild, — Norien. Melvina married Thomas 
 Parry, and lives in Massachusetts. She has 
 three cliiiihxn, — Henry, Charabelle and an in- 
 fant. Oxile married Amos Foche, and has 
 three children, — Clara, Glendolia and Lulu. 
 William. Henry and Amendine are deceased. 
 The mother of these children died March 27, 
 1884. 
 
 For his second wife, Mr. Masson married 
 Elsere Turmell, a daughter of Thomas and 
 Amy (Belodo) Turmell. Mr. Masson is a 
 Republican in his political opinions, and in re- 
 ligious belief is a Catholic. 
 
 HILLIP MARTENS, one of the lead- 
 ing citizens of Frankenlust township, 
 and its present township clerk, was 
 bom in Phenish, Prussia, Germany, 
 March i, 1849. He is a son of John and Mary 
 .Anna (Schmidt) Martens. 
 
 Our subject has no memory of his mother, 
 as she died when he was a babe only three 
 days old, nor has he many recollections of his 
 father, lor he passed away when Phillip was 
 but 10 years of age. There were seven chil- 
 dren in the family, four of whom came to 
 America, our subject being the youngest. The 
 others were.: John, who died in Detroit; Will- 
 iam, a resident of Lansing. Michigan; and 
 *Mary, who lives in Detroit. 
 
 From the age of ten years until he was 17, 
 our subject lived in the home of his brother-in- 
 law, John Stangier in the city of P)et7.dorf, 
 where he had e.xcellent educational opportun- 
 ities. Tw^o of his brothers emigrated to Amer- 
 ica and as both of them had prospered the 
 youth grew anxious to join them. In 1867 he 
 reached Detroit, joined his brother John on his 
 farm and while he worked on the farm also 
 
 learned the trade of carpenter from this brother. 
 This excellent trade Mr. Martens has followed 
 more or less in the subsequent years, when 
 other interests and public duties have permitted. 
 After a winter spent with his brother William, 
 at Lansing, he moved to Saginaw in 1870 and 
 in the following spring came to Bay City. In 
 1876 he located in Frankenlust tow-nship 
 where he first bought 10 acres of stump land, 
 for which he paid $7.50 per acre, and later 
 added 15 acres more. He resided on this 
 farm, wdiich he improved w^ith excellent build- 
 ings, until the spring of 1904, when he sold it. 
 At the present time he owns a one-acre corner 
 lot in section 9, Frankenlust township. Here he 
 erected a handsome home in 1904. 
 
 Mr. Martens has always been one of the 
 useful men of his township, a leader in its 
 alTairs and a man of such substantial character 
 that his fellow-citizens have found it not only 
 to their best interests to consult his judgment, 
 but to also elect him to responsible puljlic po- 
 sitions. In politics he is a stanch Democrat. 
 He w-as elected township clerk and served con- 
 tinuously for eight years, from 1885 to 1893. 
 In 1900 he was reelected to this ofifice and is 
 still serving. While Frankenlust township was 
 still a portion of Saginaw County, he was 
 elected justice of the peace. He efficiently ad- 
 ministered the duties of this office for a period 
 of 10 years. 
 
 In 1870 Mr. Martens was united in mar- 
 riage with Barbara Daeschlein, who was born 
 in Germany August 20, 1850, and is a daugh- 
 ter of Michael and Mary (Schmidt) Daesch- 
 lein, who came to Bay County when she was 
 only two years old. .A family of 12 children 
 have been born to this marriage, all of whom 
 survive and are highly respected members of 
 the sections in which they live, all of the sons, 
 with one exception, adopting their father's 
 trade. They are: William, of Frankenlust 
 
666 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 township: Lena (Mrs. Holiday), of Detroit; 
 Margaret, wife of Charles Phippen, of De- 
 troit ; J\Iary. a resident of Detroit ; Herman, of 
 Frankenkist township ; George, a cheese-maker 
 living in Detroit : Henry, of Bay City ; Emma, 
 of Detroit; and Phillip A., Jr., Edward, John 
 and Albert, who live at home with their parents. 
 Mr. Martens is a consistent member of St. 
 John's German Lutheran Church at Amelith 
 and has been church treasurer for six years. 
 He is a representative man of his section of the 
 county and enjoys a full measure of public 
 esteem as he commands the respect of all who 
 know him, either in public or private life. 
 
 LARENCE B. CHATFIELD, of the 
 great milling and grain firm of Hine 
 & Chatfield, of Bay City, has been 
 identified very prominently with 
 many of the important business enterprises of 
 the Saginaw Valley for a number of years. ^Ir. 
 Chatfield was born at Dryden. Tompkins 
 County, New York. December 15, 1851, and is 
 a son of David Asa and Elizabeth (Brown) 
 Chatfield. 
 
 Mr. Chatfield comes of Revolutionary 
 stock, his great-grandfather having served in 
 the patriot army. The great-grandfather re- 
 sided in the vicinity of Albany, New York. He 
 was a good citizen and a faithful adherent of 
 the Presbyterian Church. 
 
 David Asa Chatfield was born at Ballston 
 Spa, Saratoga County, New York, in 1825, 
 and when 10 years of age accompanied his pa- 
 rents to Dryden, New York, and after becom- 
 ing of age engaged in farming. He was a son 
 of William Asa and Asenath (Warner) Chat- 
 field. For 30 years he was an elder in the 
 Presbyterian Church. He married Elizabeth 
 Brown, a daughter of Conrad Brown, and they 
 
 had fi\e children who reached maturity, viz : 
 Clarence B., of Bay City; Estella, wife of 
 Charles G. Fitts, of Dryden, New York ; Anna, 
 deceased, who was the wife of William Haire, 
 now of East Jordan, Michigan; Aaron W., of 
 Bay City ; and William, of Dryden, New York. 
 Mr. Chatfield died in 1894. The mother died 
 at the age of 32 years, about 1863. 
 
 Clarence B. Chatfield's boyhood and youth 
 were spent on his father's farm and his educa- 
 tion was secured in the district schools, in 
 which he subsequently became a teacher for a 
 few winters. After a course in Eastman's 
 Business College at Poughkeepsie, New York, 
 in 1875, Mr. Chatfield came to Bay City, Mich- 
 igan, in the capacity of bookkeeper for John 
 McGraw & Company, with which firm he re- 
 mained two years and then entered into the 
 same relation with Carter & Maltby. In 1879 
 ;Mr. Chatfield formed a partnership with Eli A. 
 Spear in a retail grocery business, under the 
 firm name of Spear & Chatfield, which was 
 continued for three years, when Mr. Chatfield 
 gave up his grocery interests and bought a one- 
 half interest in a milling business. 
 
 In 1877 the firm of Fray & Merrill estab- 
 lished a grist-mill on North Water street. Bay 
 City, between Seventh street and McKinley 
 avenue, the present site of the Phoenix Flouring 
 Mills. Shortly after, a new firm succeeded 
 (Fay & Gates), which made improvements 
 here, installing new machinery and enlarging 
 the business. In 1882 Mr. Gates purchased 
 Mr. Fay's interest and in April of that year 
 :\Ir. Chatfield purchased *a one-half interest 
 from Mr. Gates. The firm style now iiecame 
 Gates & Chatfield, later C. B. Chatfield & 
 Company, and in 1898 took its present name of 
 Hine & Chatfield. The original name of the 
 business was the Central Mills which was con- 
 tinued until the structures were burned in No- 
 vember. 1886. After the present improved 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 667 
 
 plant was completed on tlie old site, the name 
 was adopted of the Phoenix Flouring Mills. 
 \\'ith greatly increased capacity, the output be- 
 coming 250 instead of 125 barrels of flour per 
 day. and with elevator storage increased from 
 20.000 to 60.000 bushels, the business has con- 
 tinued to steadily advance in volume until it 
 now leads in its line in the Saginaw Valley. 
 Its leading brand "Purity" is known to the 
 trade all over the country, although the de- 
 mand is so enormous in Michigan that almost 
 all the output is sold at home. Use is made of 
 Michigan wheat. 
 
 In addition to merchant milling, this firm 
 engages in another entirely distinct line, being 
 jobbers of grain, manufacturers and jobters 
 of feed and grain, jobbers of grain and field 
 seeds and operators of a custom feed mill, doing 
 an immense business in every line, leading both 
 in milling and grain dealing, not only at Bay 
 City but all through the valley. To hold this 
 position in the face of competition indicates 
 that the business is managed with great 
 capacity. 
 
 One of Mr. Chatfield's leading interests, 
 aside from the enterprises mentioned, is his fine 
 farm of 150 acres, situated in Portsmouth 
 township. It has long since been cleared of 
 forest growth, stumps and stones and is prob- 
 ably as valuable as any land in the rich south- 
 eastern section of Bay County. He has stocked 
 it with Shorthorn and Durham cattle and Berk- 
 shire swine, and owns many valuable animals. 
 This farm it is his pleasure to operate as a 
 dairy farm and he keeps some 40 head of the 
 finest milch cows. 
 
 Although Air. Chatfield has had such large 
 personal interests to look after for .so many 
 years, his fellow-citizens have alwavs found 
 him ready to give time and financial assistance 
 to encourage public enterprises tending to pro- 
 mote the welfare of the people. He was one 
 
 of the organizers and active promoters of the 
 Michigan Sugar Companj', which was the in- 
 itial company in the State, and was one of the 
 directors. To Hon. Nathan B. Bradley and 
 himself must be given the credit for the intro- 
 duction of the industry, which through their 
 urgent efforts has become an important and 
 profitable one in this section. Mr. Chatfield 
 was one of the organizers of the Alutual Build- 
 ing & Loan Association of Bay County and 
 served for 10 years as president of this body. 
 He was also one of the organizers and directors 
 of the Commercial National Bank and served 
 as president of this institution for one year. 
 Air. Chatfield has never been an aspirant for 
 political honors, although he has been offered 
 many public offices. His feeling of civic duty 
 caused him to accept one term as a member of 
 the City Council. 
 
 Mr. Chatfield has one of the most tasteful 
 homes in Bay City. He has a charming family 
 of wife and four children. He married Char- 
 lotte P. Russell, who is a daughter of Rev. 
 William P. Russell, who was pastor of the Con- 
 gregational Church at Memphis, Michigan, for 
 30 years. The four children are : Blanche Eliza- 
 beth : William Russell, of Bay City; Ray Prall, 
 a student at Alma College: and Frederic 
 Stevens. 
 
 The family belong to the First Presbyterian 
 Church, of Bay City. Mr. Chatfield has been 
 an elder for the past 20 years and a trustee for 
 the same length of time. He has always been 
 interested in the work of the Sunday-school 
 and has served as superintendent at various 
 times. Fraternally he is a Mason and is at 
 present worshipful master of Joppa Lodge. No. 
 315, F. & A. M., and is also a member of Bay 
 City Chapter. No. 136. R. A. M.. both of Bay 
 City. 
 
 In Clarence B. Chatfield, Bav City has a 
 representative citizen, in the sense that he 
 
668 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 comes from an old and honorable American 
 family, the roots of which are entwined around 
 the firm foundations upon which this great 
 country has risen to its place among the nations 
 of the world, and because of the material suc- 
 cess he has obtained through the legitimate 
 conduct of great business enterprises. Person- 
 ally, Mr. Chatfield impresses a visitor favor- 
 ably. While quiet determination is marked in 
 manner and speech, he possesses the courtesy 
 and consideration of gentle breeding and easily 
 converts a business acquaintance into a per- 
 sonal friend. 
 
 ENRY VAN POPPELEN. one of the 
 highly respected citizens and substan- 
 tial men of Hampton township, re- 
 sides on his well-cultivated farm of 
 nine acres, situated in section 19, which he de- 
 votes to gardening and fruit-growing. Mr. 
 Van Poppelen was torn December 27, 1854. in 
 the village of Niftrick, Province of Gelderland, 
 the Netherlands, and is a son of Anthony and 
 Anna Mary (De Haan) Van Poppelen. 
 
 The father of our subject was born April 
 26, 1 82 1, in the province of North Brabant, 
 the Netherlands, and died at Essexville, Bay 
 County, Michigan, October 10, 1891. He was 
 a gardener all his life and through his industry 
 accumulated an ample fortune. Politically he 
 was a Democrat. He belonged to the Catholic 
 Church. He married Anna Mary De Haan, 
 who was torn June 26, 1826, in the Nether- 
 lands, and who still survives, residing with her 
 youngest son at Bay City. They had seven 
 children: Theodore, who died aged 41 years; 
 Henry, of this sketch; Alphonse. a resident of 
 Hampton township; Mrs. Helena Finn, of 
 Hampton township; Frank, of Superior: Al- 
 bert, of Hampton township; and John, of Bay 
 City. 
 
 Our subject was educated in Holland and 
 came to America with his parents in 1872. 
 They located at Bay City and he has continued 
 to live in Bay County ever since. His work 
 has been in sawmills and on farms. During 
 seven years when he was engaged in sawmill 
 work, he continued to live with his parents and 
 then bought a tract of 20 acres of favorably 
 situated land and inherited 10 acres from his 
 father, which he devoted to market gardening. 
 This, in addition to the growing of choice fruit, 
 he has found very profitable and after his years 
 of industry he finds himself ready to retire 
 from hard work. He traded the 30 acres for 
 his present place of nine acres receiving quite a 
 sum in addition. He has a very comfortable 
 home and excellent buildings. 
 
 On June 21, 1887, Mr. Van Poppelen was 
 married to Huberdina Janssen, who was born 
 May 13, 1859, at Alphen, the Netherlands. She 
 came to America in the spring of 1873 with her 
 parents, Anthony and Antoinette (Van Lent) 
 Janssen. i\Ir. and Mrs. Van Poppelen made a 
 very enjoyable visit to Holland in the fall of 
 igoi, returning to their American home on 
 February 24, 1902. In religious belief they are 
 Catholics. Politically, Mr. Van Poppelen is a 
 Democrat. He served two years as drainage 
 commissioner and has been connected with the 
 local School Board for many years, at present 
 serving as treasurer of School District, No. i, 
 Hampton township. 
 
 OHN WALKER HAUXHURST, 
 M. D., physician and surgeon, of Bay 
 City, West Side, was born at Jericho, 
 Long Island, in Queens County, New 
 York, April 30, 1848, and is a son of Jacob V. 
 and Mary (Hicks) Hauxhurst. 
 
 The parents of Dr. Hauxhurst were born 
 in Oueens County, and there the father fol- 
 
GEORGE W. AMES 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 671 
 
 lowed tlie business of builder and contractor 
 for many years, but subsequently settled on a 
 farm in Wisconsin. He was Ijorn in 1817 and 
 resided on Long Island until 1856, when he re- 
 moved to Richland County, Wisconsin, where 
 he followed building and contracting until 
 1862, when he retired to his farm in Eau 
 Claire County where he clietl in 1884. He was 
 a most worthy man in e\ery respect. In re- 
 ligious belief he was a Quaker. Of his 12 chil- 
 dren, 10 reached maturity and became scat- 
 tered through various States where each estab- 
 lished a home of his own. These were : James, 
 of Los Angeles, California ; Sidney, deceased, 
 who was a wholesale grocer in Milwaukee, 
 Wisconsin ; Eliza, who married James Young 
 of Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Ann A., who mar- 
 ried Robert Swift of Eau Claire, Wisconsin; 
 John W., of West Bay City; Jacob, of Salt 
 Lake City, Utah ; Cynthia, who married George 
 De Long, of Minneapolis, Minnesota ; William, 
 of Tombstone, Arizona ; Elisha, of Salt Lake 
 City, Utah ; and Mary, wife of Charles Ingram, 
 of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 
 
 The early youth of Dr. Hau.xhurst was that 
 of the average farm boy, — attendance at the 
 local schools and the vigorous out-door labor 
 which were strenuous in the extreme. In 1870 
 he left home and went to Boonville, Missouri 
 where he taught school for two years. His 
 spare moments during this time were spent in 
 reading medicine, and in this way he prepared 
 himself for entrance into the medical depart- 
 ment of the University of Michigan, where he 
 jvas graduated in 1876. He then came to 
 Wenona, now Bay City, West Side, and has 
 continued in the successful practice of his pro- 
 fession here ever since. He is well known all 
 through this section and is a valued member of 
 the county and State medical societies and of 
 the American Medical Association. 
 
 Dr. Hauxhurst has a delightful home and 
 
 36 
 
 pleasant family circle. He was married to 
 Mary Fox, who is a daughter of James Fox, of 
 Angelica, New York. They ha\e one son and 
 one daughter, \iz : Henry Austin, a graduate 
 of Princeton University in the class of 1902 
 and of Harvard Law School, class of 1905 ; and 
 Florence Clarke, who is a member of the West 
 Bay City High School, class of 1905. The 
 family attend the Presbyterian Church. Dr. 
 Hauxhurst belongs to the Royal Arcanum and 
 also to Bay Tent No. 194, Knights of the Mod- 
 ern Maccabees. 
 
 EORGE W. AMES, whose portrait 
 accompanies this sketch, is an active 
 and energetic real estate and insur- 
 ance agent of Bay City, Michigan, 
 with office located in the Phoenix Block. 
 
 Mr. Ames was born October 31, 1852, at 
 Albion, New York, and is a son of George C. 
 and Sarah (Howell) Ames. His father is 
 engaged in mercantile pursuits. The son re- 
 ceived his mental training in the public schools 
 of Erie, Pennsylvania, which he attended until 
 he was 16 years old. At that age he went to 
 work on the Philadelphia & Erie Railroad as 
 a news agent. When he w-as a year older, he 
 was employed as a brakeman <in the Erie & 
 Pittsburg Railroad, having a run from Alle- 
 gheny City to Sharpsville, Pennsylvania. In 
 1870 he took up his residence in Detroit and 
 l>ecame a brakeman on the Detroit, Lansing 
 & Lake Michigan Railroad, now included in 
 the Pere Marquette system. On October 4, 
 1872, he was transferred to the Detroit & Bay 
 City Railroad, which was under the same man- 
 agement as the D., L. & L. M. He remained 
 at work on this line until May 14. 1888, latterly 
 in the employ of the Michigan Central Rail- 
 road Company, which had obtained control of 
 
6/2 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 the road. During this period Mr. Ames served 
 as a passenger conductor for 12 years, of which 
 the last six years were spent on a run between 
 Bay City and Mackinaw. 
 
 The first lousiness experience of Mr. Ames 
 dates from 1884. In that year he began to buy 
 and sell property through agents in Chicago, 
 Detroit and Bay City, and in this line he pros- 
 pered. Within three weeks of the time when 
 be severed his connection with the Michigan 
 Central Railroad Company, he opened offices 
 in Bay City, where he has conducted a success- 
 ful business ever since. He has handsome 
 quarters on the lower floor of the Phoenix 
 Block, where he has an extensive real estate and 
 insurance patronage, his business being liber- 
 ally advertised. His patrons include many of 
 the leading banking institutions and railroad 
 companies in different States, as well as promi- 
 nent attorneys and other citizens. 
 
 Mr. Ames is a member of Joppa Lodge, 
 No. 315, F. & A. M. ; Blanchard Chapter, No. 
 59, R. A. M. ; and Bay City Commandery, No. 
 26, K. T. He is also a member of the Bay 
 City Club and the Board of Trade. 
 
 lONAS JOHNSON. Among the most 
 enterprising citizens of South Bay 
 City, is the subject of this sketch, who 
 was born in Sweden, March 29, 1836. 
 Mr. Johnson is a son of John and Katherine 
 Johnson, of whom the latter died when her son, 
 Jonas, was four and a half years old. He has 
 one brother, August, living in the old country, 
 who is a widower, with three children. 
 
 The subject of this sketch emigrated from 
 Sweden to the United States, May 15, 1870. 
 He first went to Chicago and from there came 
 to Bay City. He gained the competency which 
 he now possesses by toiling as a laborer, apply- 
 
 ing himself to whatever work he could find to 
 do, in order to make an honest dollar. He was 
 one of the first to be employed on the water- 
 works. He continued striving in various labor- 
 ious occupations until about 1889. when he had 
 accumulated an amount sufficient for the con- 
 struction of several dwelling houses on South 
 Lincoln avenue. 
 
 On the arrival of Mr. Johnson in this vi- 
 cinity, the ground occupied by the street on 
 which he now resides was a swamp and cattle 
 were often herded through it. In the 300 
 block on South Lincoln avenue he now owns a 
 row of five houses and has spent considerable 
 money on sewerage and cement walks. He ex- 
 pects to lay more cement walks in 1905. 
 
 There were but few dwellings on 12th 
 street, now called Columbus avenue, when the 
 subject of this sketch first settled here, and he 
 and his good wife lived in a shanty. They still 
 occupy a humble cottage in plain and simple 
 style. 
 
 iNIr. Johnson has contributed freely to all 
 movements which tended toward the improve- 
 ment of the city, giving liberally to church and 
 school. 
 
 He is a strong believer in improvements 
 and warmly favors the location of manufac- 
 turing enterprises in South Bay City. He voted 
 for the street railway francliise, and helped to 
 grade Lincoln avenue. In 1900 he put in new 
 sewerage for all his tenants. He derives a good 
 income from his houses, which furnish him a 
 comfortable living with a surplus to lay by. 
 
 In 1857. in Sweden, the subject of this 
 sketch married Johanna Johnson, who did not 
 have to change her name. Their first meeting 
 was at a place where he was working. There 
 he also obtained employment, and their court- 
 ship began, which resulted in marriage. She 
 well remembers how wild things looked when 
 they first settled in Bay City. She has stuck 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 673 
 
 to her husband througli thick and thin. To- 
 getlier tliey accumulated what they have, and 
 now a happy, old couple, they together enjoy 
 the fruits of their labor. 
 
 In politics. Mr. Johnson is a Republican, 
 believing that the administration of that party 
 has tended to promote his prosperity. 
 
 OBERT NIVEN, whose comfortable 
 and attractive home is situated in sec- 
 tion 27, Hampton township, on a por- 
 tion of his fine farm of 120 acres, 
 which extends through sections 33 and 34, was 
 born in the famous old city of Glasgow, Scot- 
 land, ^lay 3, 1834. He is a son of Mars and 
 Susan (Don) Niven. 
 
 Although our subject was a man grown 
 when his feet first touched the soil of the United 
 States, the blood of his great-grandfather, 
 Capt. Robert Niven. had been shed here dur- 
 ing the Revolutionary War, while he was lead- 
 ing his British command at Crown Point, New 
 York. Capt. Robert Niven left two sons, John 
 and Robert, the latter of whom was not born 
 until after the tragic death of the father. 
 
 Robert Niven, our subject's grandfather, 
 born under such cirsumstances, was educated 
 by the British government and was technically 
 instructed in the art of weaving. He died in 
 Scotland, leaving these children : Robert, An- 
 drew. Daniel, John, David, William, Mars, 
 James and two daughters. Three of the sons 
 served with gallantry in the British Army and 
 two in the British Navy. One of those in the 
 army was badly wounded in the Napoleonic 
 wars. 
 
 Mars Niven. father of our subject, was 
 given a rather unusual Christian name, under 
 these circumstances. His oldest brother was at 
 the time of the child's christening signal officer 
 
 on the British man-of-war "Mars" and was the 
 first man to sight the French fleet off Trafal- 
 gar. In celebration of that triumph, the infant 
 brother was named Mars. However, he never 
 took to military life. As a means of support 
 he learned the trade of weaver. In 1841 he 
 came to the United States and worked at cot- 
 ton spinning for two years at Providence, 
 Rhode Island, and then removed to Canada, 
 where the remainder of his active life was 
 spent in farming. His last three years were 
 spent with our subject and brother and he died 
 in Michigan, aged 75 years. 
 
 Mars Niven married Susan Don, who was 
 born at Glasgow, Scotland, and died in Can- 
 ada, aged 70 years. Robert Niven, our sub- 
 ject, was the first born of the family of six 
 children, the others being as follows: ]\Iar- 
 garet, a resident of Montreal; Susan (Mrs. 
 Porter) , of Hampton township ; Janet Cath- 
 erine, of Lindsay, Ontario, Canada ; a daughter 
 Agnes, who died in Glasgow, Scotland, aged 
 four years: and John, who was killed at Sag- 
 inaw by the railroad. Mars Niven and the dis- 
 tinguished African explorer. Dr. Livingstone, 
 were schoolmates and later neighbors. 
 
 Our subject was 10 years of age when his 
 parents settled in the village of Lanark, Canada. 
 Until he was 21 years old he was submissive to 
 his father, giving all his earnings to the latter, 
 although from the age of 13 years he worked 
 on farms and later at the carpenter's trade all 
 over the neighborhood. He moved to Huron 
 District, Ontario, when he was about 18 years 
 old, and then worked as a carpenter until he 
 was about 32 years of age. .After he had satis- 
 factorily built his first barn, he started out for 
 himself as a builder and, as such, he came to 
 Bay City in 1866. Here he helped to build 
 many of the great mills of this section, working 
 as a millwright for eight years. He assisted in 
 the building and operating of the old Hargrave 
 
674 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 mill and had charge of its machinery for seven 
 years. 
 
 Finally ]\Ir. Niven decided to purchase a 
 farm and settle down to an agricultural life. 
 Land was plentiful, prices were within his means 
 and during a very dry spell of weather, he was 
 induced hy unscrupulous agents, to buy his 
 farm, — 120 acres of unbroken, low lying prairie 
 land, with no settlers in sight, no roads and no 
 improvements. Mr. Niven was obliged to 
 suffer for some years on account of the season 
 of the year in which he had visited his prop- 
 erty, for he found when the rains came that he 
 had land which could ne\er be made produc- 
 tive without extensive ditching and a great sys- 
 tem of drainage. During the first six years he 
 made a living by ditching through this neigh- 
 borhood as his crops were all drowned out, but 
 all the time he was getting his land, the soil of 
 which was rich and wonderfully fertile, in good 
 shape, and now he is well repaid for it is one of 
 the best farms of the township. He has made 
 all the improvements, erecting a dwelling and 
 two barns on section 34 and on the home place 
 has a comfortable dwelling, two barns, a gran- 
 ary and a workshop, including a tool shed and 
 all necessary out-buildings. These he has con- 
 structed himself and all are substantial build- 
 ings. Mr. Niven has set out two fine orchards. 
 He has 10 milch cows and sells his cream 
 wholesale. He carries on general farming, 
 raising grain, hay and sugar beets and many 
 fine cattle yearly and is probably one of the 
 most successful farmers of his section. 
 
 Mr. Niven was married on June i, 1867. to 
 Mary Tacie, who was born in Huron District, 
 Ontario, Canada, March 17, 1848, and is a 
 daughter of Prosper and Harriet Tacie, of 
 Quebec, Canada, of French extraction. They 
 have had 14 children and have been very for- 
 tunate in rearing 12 of them, viz: Mrs. Susan 
 Bort, of Bay City; Mrs. Janet Bort, of North 
 
 Dakota ; Mrs. Mary Grischke, of Merritt town- 
 ship; Mrs. Margaret Smith, of Chicago; Mrs. 
 Harriet Quinn, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; 
 Robert H., living at home; Mrs. Elizabeth 
 Pittsford, of Chicago; Mrs. Julia Agnes Zim- 
 merman, of Merritt township ; Mrs. Bernice 
 Vernon, of Chicago ; and John, Arthur and 
 Edward, who are living at home. Two little 
 girls died, — Margaret, aged one year and 
 Laura, aged nine months. 
 
 Mr. Niven was long identified with the 
 Democratic party, but when it departed from 
 its old standards, he could no longer support its 
 principles and has since been affiliated with the 
 Republicans. He has always been a leading 
 man in his township, one whose responsible 
 character has made his advice regarded with 
 consideration on all public matters. For 18 
 years he has been connected w'ith school offices 
 and it was mainly through his efforts that the 
 creditable school building was erected in School 
 District, No. 6, Hampton township. For two 
 years he was school inspector. 
 
 -,-,AUL RICHARDS, an industrious, 
 yM thrifty and worthy farmer of Bay 
 County, is located in section 19, Kaw- 
 kawlin township. He was born in 
 Germany in 1835 and there received his school- 
 ing. He came to Bay County and bought his 
 farm of 40 acres in 1886, and has since then 
 been successfully engaged in general farming. 
 In 1902 he built his present residence. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was married in 
 Germany, in 1869, to Augusta Spawlock, a 
 daughter of John Spawlock, a shoemaker, who 
 died when Augusta was nine 3'ears of age. 
 They have had 12 children, eight of whom were 
 born in Germany. Those who came to this 
 country were : Conrad, Jennie, Alvina and 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 6/-; 
 
 Clara. Four died in Germany. Conrad is liv- 
 ing at Port Huron, Michigan. Jennie was mar- 
 ried to William Deplounty, a farmer of Kaw- 
 kawlin township. They have si.x children, as 
 follows : Julia, l*"rancis, W'illiam, James, Jennie 
 and Sarah. Alvina was married to Thomas 
 Cavanaugh, who lives in West Bay City, and is 
 a conductor on the Michigan Central Railroad. 
 They have reared five children, namely : Lizzie, 
 Thomas, Irene. Clara and Harold. Clara was 
 married to Peter Monltane, a stationary en- 
 gineer, who lives in Bay City. They have two 
 children : Harvey and Theresa. 
 
 Four children have been born to Mr. and 
 Mrs. Richards since they came to this country, 
 namely: Frances, who lives at home; Lizzie, 
 who married Edward Moultane, and has one 
 child. Lewis; Paul J., who is living with his 
 parents on the home farm ; and Kate, deceased. 
 
 In politics ]\Ir. Richards acts with the 
 Democratic party, and in religious faith he is a 
 Catholic. 
 
 HARLES T. NEWKIRK, ^I. A.. 
 M. D., a well-known physician and 
 surgeon of Bay City, and a specialist 
 of wide experience in yellow fever, 
 was born near Simcoe, Norfolk District, On- 
 taria, December lo, 1844, and is a son of Moses 
 and Catherine (Topping) Newkirk. 
 
 The Newkirk family is of Dutch extrac- 
 tion, its founders having settled in Eastern 
 New York many years ago. Peter Newirk. the 
 paternal grandfather, was torn in the Catskills, 
 but subsequently moved to Canada. 
 
 Moses Newkirk, our subject's father, was 
 born in Norfolk District, Ontario, where his 
 whole life was passed. He was a local min- 
 ister and also a farmer and was known far and 
 wide, not only for his eloquent expounding of 
 the Gcspel, but also for his charitable and phil- 
 
 anthropic work. It is related that his gifts of 
 speech were so unusual that no edifice could 
 ever be found, in that section, large enough to 
 hold his auditors, whether his subject was re- 
 ligion or politics. He lived a long and blame- 
 less life and died at the age of 78 years. 
 
 The mother of Dr. Newkirk was a daugh- 
 ter of John Topping, also of Norfolk District, 
 Ontario. She became the mother of a large 
 family, many of whom occupy prominent posi- 
 tions in life. 
 
 Dr. Newkirk was educated at Victoria Uni- 
 \-ersity, where he secured both his degrees. 
 After his final graduation, he practiced his pro- 
 fession for four months in Canada and then 
 started on a visit to South America. At Buenos 
 Ayres he secured the position he desired with 
 the Argentine Army, one which enabled him to 
 make a special study of tropical diseases. Four 
 months later he resigned and entered the Bra- 
 zilian Army, and served there for four years, 
 with the rank of major, taking part in the 
 memorable war which waged between Brazil 
 and Paraguay. In 1868 he settled down to 
 practice at Buenos Ayres, but in 1872 he was 
 homesick enough to return to his native land. It 
 was an accident that caused his location at 
 Bay City. He came here on a visit to his 
 brother and was so impressed with the natural 
 beautiful location and the evidences of com- 
 mercial prosperity and educational advance- 
 ment, that he decided to make it his future 
 home. 
 
 When in the late war with Spain the sol- 
 diers of the American Army, youths born and 
 bred in a vigorous Northern climate, were sud- 
 denly hurried to Southern points, without any 
 chance to get acclimated, it was feared that 
 yellow fever and kindred troubles would claim 
 more victims than Spanish bullets. Realizing 
 this. Dr. Newkirk offered his services to Gen- 
 eral .'\lger, then Secretary of War, who pre- 
 
676 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 sented them to the late President McKinley, 
 who gladly availed himself of the knowledge 
 and skill of one who had had such unusual ex- 
 periences in tropical diseases. Dr. Newkirk 
 fully realized what he was undertaking, but he 
 heroically accepted the conditions and served 
 through the whole period of the Spanish- 
 American War as brigade surgeon, with the 
 rank of major. His whole attention was de- 
 voted to the yellow fever camps and his re- 
 markable work is a matter of war history. He 
 returned to Bay City with a consciousness of 
 duty well performed, but with his own system 
 almost wrecked. 
 
 Dr. Newkirk has spent much time in for- 
 eign travel and has visited all the important 
 centers of Europe, increasing his medical 
 knowledge and his social acquaintance with 
 those of congenial aims. He was a member of 
 the International Congress of Military Sur- 
 geons who attended and carried on their delib- 
 erations at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 
 at St. Louis, in 1904. 
 
 Dr. Newkirk was married to Mary J. An- 
 derson, who is a daughter of John Anderson, 
 of Dover, Ontario, but was born at Cleveland, 
 Ohio. They had a family of six children, the 
 two survivors being : Harry A., a graduate of 
 the University of Michigan, class of 1896, who 
 is now a practicing physician at Iron Mountain, 
 Michigan ; and Dolores, now a resident of New 
 York City. This cultured and accomplished 
 lady was born in Corrientes, Argentine Re- 
 public. She graduated first from the Leggett 
 School, at Detroit and then entered Vassar 
 College, at Poughkeepsie, New York. She 
 has traveled extensively in Europe and speaks 
 the languages of France and Spain like a 
 native. 
 
 Dr. Newkirk is a Republican in politics but 
 is in no sense a politician. He is a member of 
 a number of medical societies, including the 
 
 Bay County Medical Society, the Michigan 
 State Medical Society and the American Medi- 
 cal Association. He is surgeon of the Third 
 Infantry, Michigan National Guard ; is a mem- 
 ber of the Spanish War Veterans and the Na- 
 tional League of Veterans and Sons. He is 
 also United States pension examiner at Bay 
 City. He was made a Mason at Asuncion, 
 Paraguay. 
 
 OACHIM SIGELKO, one of the suc- 
 cessful farmers and much respected 
 citizens of Merritt township, who 
 owns 40 acres of well-improved land 
 in section 10, has made his own way in the 
 world and through his own industry has be- 
 come a man of independent means. Mr. Sig- 
 elko was born in Magdeburg, Germany, May 
 2", 1858, and is a son of Christopher Sigelko. 
 Mr. Sigelko's mother died when he was 
 four years of age, leaving two other children : 
 Frederick, of Germany ; and John, of Tuscola 
 County, Michigan. The father also died in 
 Germany and our subject came alone to Amer- 
 ica and in 1880 reached Tuscola County, ]\Iich- 
 igan. For about three years he worked at rail- 
 road construction and on farms by the month, 
 and then came to Bay City and began to work 
 in sawmills and lumber-yards. After about 10 
 3'ears of this labor, Mr. Sigelko bought his 
 farm of 40 acres in Merritt township, which at 
 that time was all covered with a heavy growth 
 of timber. For a time he lived in a little log 
 house he found on the place, but since clear- 
 ing his land and getting it under cultivation he 
 has erected a very comfortable home and a 
 substantial barn. He has made many other im- 
 provements and now has a valuable property in 
 which he takes much pleasure. 
 
 On June 11, 1886, Mr. Sigelko was mar- 
 ried to Louisa Man, who was born in Germany, 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 677 
 
 November 3, 1863, and came to Bay County in 
 1 87 1 with her parents, August and Alary Mau. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Sigelko have six children : Annie, 
 Henry, Elsie, Emma, Bernhardt and Minnie. 
 Tlie older ones attend school. In politics Mr. 
 Sigelko is a Democrat. He is a member of the 
 German Lutheran Church at Merritt. He 
 bears the reputation of an honest, upright, in- 
 dustrious man, a good husband and father and 
 a liberal supporter of the church. 
 
 ENRY C. THOMPSON, city engineer 
 of West Bay City, Michigan, was 
 born in Middlefield, Geauga County, 
 Ohio, April 4, 1855, and is a son of 
 Augustus and Rovilla (Johnson) Thompson. 
 
 William Thompson, the paternal grand- 
 father of our subject, was born in Pennsylvania 
 but before the birth of his son Augustus he had 
 settled in Ohio. He was a soldier in the War 
 of 1812. Later he became a substantial farmer. 
 .'Xugustus Thompson was born March 12, 1825, 
 in Middlefield, Ohio, and grew to manhood on 
 the home farm in Geauga County. He married 
 when about 26 years of age and in 1856 moved 
 to Ashtabula County, where he was engaged in 
 farming when the Civil War broke out. He 
 was one of the first loyal patriots to respond to 
 the call to arms and served through a three- 
 months enlistment in Company D, 19th Reg., 
 Ohio Vol. Inf. and then reenlisted in Company 
 A, 29th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., for three years 
 but was honorably discharged in July, 1862, on 
 account of disability. In the fall of that year 
 he removed with his family to Bay City. Here 
 he engaged in teaming, jobbing and farming 
 for 14 years. In 1876 he went to Little Rock, 
 Arkansas, where he spent two years on a farm 
 and five years in a planing mill. Mr. Thomp- 
 son then went to Texarkana, Texas, where he 
 
 engaged in hotel-keeping for a year, after 
 which he returned to Ohio and settled on a farm 
 in the vicinity of Yellow Springs. There he 
 followed farming for the next 20 years, but in 
 1904 he retired from active labor and is now a 
 venerated member of his son's household at 
 West Bay City. In spite of a life of unusual 
 activity, Mr. Thompson is hale and hearty and 
 bears his 80 years very easily. 
 
 Augustus Thompson was married first to 
 Rovilla Johnson, who was a daughter of Eras- 
 tus Johnson, a native of New York State, and 
 they had two children : Henry C. and Frank C, 
 the former of West Bay City and the latter of 
 Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The mother of 
 these sons died in 1890, aged 54 years. She 
 was a good. Christian woman. Mr. Thompson 
 was married second to Matilda Hamma, who 
 died in 1904. Mr. Thompson is a member of 
 the Masonic lodge at Yellow Springs. 
 
 Henry C. Thompson came to Michigan in 
 the fall of 1862 with his parents, and accom- 
 panied them to West Bay City in 1864. He 
 attended the public schools but the bent of his 
 mind was so much in the direction of civil en- 
 gineering that by the time he had completed 
 the common-school course he had learned the 
 practical details of his chosen profession under 
 the instruction of J. M. Johnston, who was 
 then city engineer at Bay City. The youth 
 decided to become an engineer and in 1872 he 
 went into Mr. Johnston's office and worked 
 under him and under his successor, Capt. 
 George Turner, until 1895. ^or a period of 
 10 years of this time he served as county drain 
 commissioner. In 1895 he went to Sault Ste. 
 Marie, Michigan, where he was engaged as 
 civil engineer for the Board of Road Commis- 
 sioners of Chippewa County, and remained 
 there during 1895, 1896, 1897 and 1898. Dur- 
 ing the last three years he was also engaged as 
 engineer and as superintendent of the water- 
 
678 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 works at Sault Ste. Marie. Mr. Thompson 
 spent one year at Lansing, Michigan, as city 
 engineer and then returned to the Sauk where 
 he was assistant engineer on the Water Power 
 Canal until 1891, when he became city engineer 
 of West Bay City, a position he has filled ever 
 since. 
 
 Mr. Thompson married Kate M. Whitmore, 
 who is a daughter of George R. and Frances 
 (Nims) Whitmore, of Champaig'n, Illinois. 
 Mrs. Thompson was born in Vermont. Her 
 father, the late George R. Whitmore, was a 
 son of Perley Whitmore and was born in Win- 
 field, Vermont, in 1835 and died March 8, 
 1897. He was a school teacher the greater part 
 of his life, and came to Wenona, now West 
 Bay City, in 1873, from Marine City, Michi- 
 gan, where he had taught school for many 
 years. In 1880 he left West Bay City and re- 
 moved to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where he 
 engaged in the fire insurance business until his 
 death. He married Frances Nims, who was 
 born December 5, 1832, and is a daughter of 
 Warren Nims. a native of New York. They 
 had two children : Mrs. Thompson and Perley 
 Nims. i\Irs. Whitmore makes her home with 
 Mr. and Mrs. Thompson. 
 
 Politically the family voters have been 
 identified with the Whig and Republican par- 
 ties. Mr. Thompson has served in several po- 
 litical offices, having been deputy treasurer of 
 Bay County for several terms and in 1882 and 
 1883 was city recorder of West Bay City. He 
 is a member, like the other masculine members 
 of the family, of the Masonic fraternity, and 
 belongs to Wenona Lodge, No. 296, F. & A. M. 
 of which he is past master ; of Blanchard Chap- 
 ter, No. 59, R.A. M., and all the Scottish Rite 
 bodies up to the i8th degree in Bay City. He 
 is a 32d degree Mason, having taken the de- 
 grees from the i8th to the 32d in Michigan 
 
 Sovereign Consistory, S. P. R. S.. at Detroit. 
 He belongs also to Bay Tent, No. 194, Knights 
 of the Modern Maccabees. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have three chil- 
 dren: Ray W'., Jessie S. and Leone. The fam- 
 ilv attend the Presbvterian Church. 
 
 RANK SERMEYER, who owns a 
 valuable truck and fruit farm situ- 
 ated near Bay City, consisting of 30 
 acres in section 19, Hampton town- 
 ship, was born June 18, 1858, at Bay City, and 
 is a son of Joseph and Theresa (Sattler) 
 Sermeyer. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Sermeyer were born in 
 Bavaria, Germany, the father in 1809 and the 
 mother, in 181 6. The former died at Bay City 
 at the age of 62 years, and the mother died on 
 March 12, 1895, aged y^ years. Joseph Ser- 
 meyer came to America in 1852, a stone-mason 
 and carpenter, trades he followed for a time 
 and then engaged in farming. He was one of 
 the first Republicans in his locality. In re- 
 ligious faith he was a Catholic. The children 
 of Joseph Sermeyer and wife were: Jacob, who 
 died in Germany; John N., of Bay City; J. B., 
 of West Branch, Michigan; Joseph, who has 
 been lost sight of; and Martin (deceased) and 
 our subject, who were both born in America. 
 
 Frank Sermeyer has lived in Bay County 
 all his life and was 10 years of age when the 
 family removed to Hampton township. His 
 little farm is one of great fertility and is in a 
 high state of cultivation. He raises garden 
 produce and fruit and makes a specialty of the 
 tuber known as the "six weeks potato." 
 
 On Julv 10. 1883. Mr. Sermeyer was united 
 in marriage with Margaret Lynch, who was 
 born at Bay City, October 24, 1865, and is a 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 679 
 
 daughter of Thomas and Hannah (Reardon) 
 Lynch, both of whom were born in Ireland. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Sermeyer have no children. 
 
 Ever since attaining his majority, Mr. Ser- 
 meyer has been identified with the Republican 
 party, and on numerous occasions he has served 
 in township offices. He is the present treas- 
 urer of Hampton township, has been constable 
 and path-master, and in November, 1894, was 
 a member of the Bay County grand jury. He 
 bears the reputation of being one of the honor- 
 able and upright men of his section. He has 
 owned his fine farm for the past 10 years, hav- 
 ing acquired it through his own efforts. Both 
 he and his wife are consistent members of the 
 Catholic Church. 
 
 RANK ELLIOTT TYLER, an enter- 
 prising business man of Bay City, 
 president of the Bay City Omnibus 
 Company, president of the Wood's 
 Opera House Company, one of the man?gcrs of 
 the Crapo Building Company and one of the 
 managers of the Shearer Brothers Building, 
 was born April 4, 1852, at Flushing, Michigan, 
 and is the only surviving son of the late Dr. 
 Columbus V. and Marie (Herrick) Tyler. 
 
 Mr. Tyler was 19 years old when he accom- 
 panied his parents to Bay City, where he worked 
 as Ixjokkeeper for the old dry goods house of 
 Munger & Company for two years and then en- 
 tered the Bay City Bank. In this institution 
 he filled every position from bookkeeper to as- 
 sistant cashier and is still associated with it as 
 a member of its directing board. 
 
 r^Ir. Tyler then embarked in an extensive 
 livery business, building for its accommoda- 
 tion the fine brick stable on Saginaw street, 
 which is now occupied by the Bay City Omni- 
 bus Company. He was one of the organizers 
 
 of this company and has ever since been its 
 president. He has many other large business 
 interests here, all of which are pushed with the 
 vigor and success of an able business man. Al- 
 though he has always shown commendable in- 
 terest in the development of Bay City, he has 
 never taken as active a part in city politics as 
 have many of his contemporaries, usually cast- 
 ing his influence in the direction of tried, true 
 men, oblivious of party ties. In 1890 he was 
 elected alderman but an attack of typhoid fever 
 prevented him taking as prominent a stand on 
 the leading questions of that time as he desired. 
 L'ntil 1896 he was a Democrat, by sympathy 
 and rearing, but since then has been identified 
 with the Republican party, voting first for the 
 late President McKinley. He is a member of 
 the Board of Police Commissioners and one of 
 the directors of the Elm Lawn Cemetery Com- 
 pany. 
 
 In 1875 ^I''- Tyler married Ella Fay, who 
 is a daughter of Hon. William L. Fay, who 
 was one of the first mayors of Bay City. His 
 son. La Fountain, is a student in the Detroit 
 University and will graduate in the class of 
 1905 in mechanical engineering. The family 
 belong to Trinity Episcopal Church, in which 
 Mr. Tyler has been a vestryman for a number 
 of years. Fraternally he is a member of Joppa 
 Lodge, No. 315, F. & A. M., Bay City Chapter, 
 No. 136 R. A. M., and the Scottish Rite bod- 
 ies in Bay City to the i8th degree, and Scot- 
 tish Rite bodies at Detroit from the i8th to the 
 32d. He is a member of Michigan Sovereign 
 Consistory, S. P. R. S., and Moslem Temple, 
 A. A. O. N. M. S., both of Detroit. Mr. Tyler 
 assisted in the organization of the first lodge of 
 Elks in Bay Cit3\ although he is not now con- 
 nected with that body. Socially he belongs to 
 the Bay City Club. 
 
 Mr. T\ler stands deservedly high in the 
 estimation of his fellow citizens. To the 
 
6So 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 stranger he appears, in addition to being a cap- 
 able, polished man of affairs, a sincere, cour- 
 teous, refined gentleman. 
 
 ICHARD GILLESPIE, principal of 
 the Bay City Business College, is one 
 of the well-equipped educators of 
 Bay County. He was born near 
 Cobourg, Canada, September 24, 1869, and is a 
 son of Edward and Martha (Davies) Gillespie. 
 The parents of Mr. Gillespie have passed 
 their lives in the Dominion of Canada and now 
 reside in the vicinity of Hamilton, Ontario, 
 where they located about 1870. The father 
 was born near Cobourg, December 7, 1824, and 
 although he has passed his 80th milestone he is 
 still active, both in mind and body. He has 
 always led an agricultural life. He married 
 Martha Davies and they had seven children, 
 viz: William, of Battle Creek, Michigan; 
 Elizabeth, wife of Wesley Packham, of Hamil- 
 ton, Ontario; Sarah Jane, wife of George T. 
 Packham, living near Hamilton, Ontario; 
 Charles, of Perry Sound. Ontario; Mary, wife 
 of D. D. Springsted, living near Hamilton; 
 Margery, wife of Robert Lewis, of Hamilton, 
 Ontario; and Richard, of this sketch. 
 
 Richard Gillespie comes of sturdy old 
 Scotch ancestry, his paternal grandfather hav- 
 ing left his native land on account of religious 
 persecution. He settled at Belfast, Ireland, 
 and some years later was an early settler in the 
 Province of Ontario. Our subject was edu- 
 cated in the public schools at Hamilton, the 
 Hamilton Collegiate Institute, the Albert Col- 
 lege at Belleville, Ontario, and later secured a 
 I St grade teacher's certificate from the Hamil- 
 ton Institute. He then engaged in teaching in 
 the suburbs of Hamilton for some four years, 
 filling important and responsible positions. In 
 
 1897 he turned his attention especially to com- 
 mercial work and subsequently came to Bay 
 City to become principal of the business depart- 
 ment of the college here, and in 1903 was ap- 
 pointed principal of the college. Notable 
 changes have been made since his connection 
 with the school, resulting in increased attend- 
 ance and extended facilities. The graduates 
 have no trouble in securing good positions, 
 the thorough preparation given them here 
 making them familiar with every form of a bus- 
 iness education. Special attention is given to 
 penmanship, Professor Gillespie giving this his 
 personal direction. He secured his training at 
 the Zanerian Art College at Columbus, Ohio. 
 
 Mr. Gillespie was married to Edith Will- 
 iams, who is a daughter of Henry Williams, of 
 Hamilton, Ontario, and they have three chil- 
 dren : Margery, Cora and Florence. The fam- 
 ily are adherents of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church. Our subject is a member of Joppa 
 Lodge, No. 315, F. & A. M. He has made a 
 name for himself in Bay County as an educator 
 and has won many personal friends on account 
 of his courteous manner and sterling character. 
 
 OHN M. ARNOLD, one of the leading 
 men of Monitor township, who owns a 
 fine, well-improved farm of 70 acres 
 in section 30, Monitor township, and 
 30 acres in section 19, Bangor township, was 
 born June 27, 1868, at Salzburg, Bay County, 
 Michigan, and is a son of John G. and Anna 
 B. (Zill) Arnold. 
 
 John G. Arnold was born in Bavaria, Ger- 
 many, and came to America in 1853. on a sail- 
 ing: vessel which was tossed on the ocean for 
 nine weeks. Two years prior to this his two 
 sisters had come to Bay County and were mar- 
 ried and settled in Frankenlust township. Mr. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 68 1 
 
 Arnold joined them and was a resident of the 
 county from that time until his death, which 
 occurred July 30, 1900. At first the young 
 man sought any kind of work that he could do, 
 providently saved his money and in 1854 
 bought 20 acres of wild land in Salzburg, 
 which he placed under a fine state of cultiva- 
 tion and then added 40 acres more. Then, in 
 partnership with two others, he bought 80 
 acres in ^Monitor township; in 1868, 30 acres in 
 Bangor township; and in 1888, another 30 
 acres in Monitor township. All these lands he 
 redeemed from the wilderness, draining, clear- 
 ing and Cultivating them. He also owned 20 
 acres on Center street. Bay City, of which prop- 
 erty all was sold but five acres. Prior to his 
 death, he gave 66 1-3 acres to his son George 
 L., and 30 acres to our subject, the latter being 
 a wedding present. Politically he was a stanch 
 Democrat. He was one of the leading mem- 
 bers of the German Lutheran Church, of which 
 he was a trustee and for two years was treas- 
 urer. His remains were laid to rest in Monitor 
 township. His children were : Margaret (Mrs. 
 A. G. Hufnagel) ; Barbara E., wife of George 
 Feinauer; Michael, deceased; George L., a 
 farmer of Monitor township; IMaria A., who 
 married J. L. Hufnagel, and at her death left 
 two children, — .\ndrew M. and Clara .A. ; 
 Anna B., wife of George Leiberger; John M., 
 of this sketch; and Kunigunda, deceased. 
 
 Our subject was educated in the schools of 
 Frankenlust township and enjoyed the advan- 
 tages of one term at Salzburg. When he mar- 
 ried, his father gave him 30 acres in Monitor 
 township and he purchased 40 acres, and he 
 has continued to carry on general farming ever 
 since. He has a very valuable property and an 
 exceedingly pleasant home. 
 
 On May i, 1890, Mr. Arnold was married 
 to Maria K. Kolb, who is a daughter of Thomas 
 G. and Margaret (Gerhaenser) Kolb, and they 
 
 have had seven children, all of whom survive, 
 except the eldest, George L., namely : John G., 
 Adam G., Edwin G., Emily A. B., Alfred G., 
 and Edmund L., the eldest 13 years old and 
 the youngest, a babe of two years. This is a 
 bright, merry, happy family, who will be given 
 every chance to develop into first-class Ameri- 
 can citizens. 
 
 Grandfather Kolb was born in Germany in 
 1821, and his wife, in 1818. They came to 
 America with their son, Thomas G. Kolb, in 
 1852, and Mr. Kolb worked in the lumber mills 
 until he had earned enough to buy 11 acres of 
 wild land in Frankenlust township. This was 
 his home for many years. He adopted the 
 principles of the Democratic party and was 
 very highly thought of, and served as road- 
 master and as township treasurer. He was 
 buried in West Bay City. Mrs. Arnold's father 
 was six years old when the family came to 
 Michigan. He assisted his father until the age 
 of 24 years, and then married, and became the 
 father of 11 children, viz: Maria R. (Mrs. 
 Arnold) ; Margaret E., wife of Leonard Ger- 
 linger; Caroline A., wife of John Scherzer; 
 George, of Brooks, Bay County ; Barbara .\. 
 (Mrs. Heaberlaiid ) ; Johanna, wife of John 
 Huber; John H., of Monitor township; Anna 
 B., deceased ; Fred J., of Monitor township ; 
 Michael G., deceased; and Emma, of Monitor 
 township. Mr. and Mrs. Kolb reside in sec- 
 tion 30, Monitor township. 
 
 Mr. Arnold has always taken part in poli- 
 tics and is one of the stanch Democrats of the 
 county. In 1892 he was elected township treas- 
 urer and in 1893 ^^^ ^^^^^ reelected. The largest 
 vote ever known in the township was polled and 
 at the next election he had no opposition what- 
 ever. This was a pretty fair evidence of the 
 confidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens. In 
 1894 he was appointed census taker by his 
 friends" efforts, without his knowledge. In 
 
682 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 1896 he was elected townsliip clerk and after- 
 wards was reelected, serving in all six years. 
 His capable management of the clerk's office 
 has resulted in general satisfaction through 
 the township, and by his courteous and oblig- 
 ing manner he has won hosts of friends. These 
 regret the partial loss of hearing, which was 
 caused by a serious accident in 1899. 
 
 ACOB F. BOES, proprietor of a meat 
 market at No. 705 Adams street, Bay 
 City, is also the owner of a large stock 
 and fruit farm near the city. He is 
 one of the enterprising and progressive busi- 
 ness men of this locality^ having risen to a posi- 
 tion of importance in the community from the 
 lowest round of the ladder. He was born at 
 Port Washington, Ohio, July 12, 1862, and is 
 a son of Charles J. and Caroline (Eckfield) 
 Boes. 
 
 Charles J. Boes was born in Birkenfeld, 
 Germany, October 2, 1830, and died September 
 15, 1881. His father, John Boes, was a wealthy 
 dealer in linseed oil and was a manufacturer of 
 linen on the river Rhine. Charles J. Boes was 
 a young man when he came to America and lo- 
 cated at once in Cleveland, Ohio, where he be- 
 came a malt buyer for a big malting concern. 
 He traveled extensively through New York 
 State, Michigan and Canada until 1852, in 
 which year he entered the employ of the Penn- 
 S3dvania Railroad Company as construction 
 foreman. He had charge of a gang of 1,000 
 men in the construction of the "Panhandle" 
 Railroad from Pittsburg to Columbus. He 
 continued with that road until 1863 or 1864, 
 then proceeded to Port Washington, Ohio, 
 where he conducted a general store and meat 
 market until 1872. In that year he moved to 
 Coshocton, Ohio, where he leased and con- 
 
 ducted a brewery with success for some years. 
 In the winter of 1874-75 he purchased ice from 
 Saginaw, Michigan, at $20 per ton F. O. B., 
 but as he could not get a sufficient quantity 
 $25,000 worth of beer was lost. He closed out 
 the brewery and returned to Port Washington, 
 where he went into the grocery and saloon bus- 
 iness, at which he continued until his death. He 
 was a Democrat in politics and served as alder- 
 man and held other minor offices. He was a 
 very popular man, was generous to a fault 
 and a good friend to all who knew him. He 
 married Caroline Eckfield, who was born in 
 Birkenfeld, Germany, February 2, 1836, and 
 was a daughter of Jacob Eckfield. who came 
 to this country from Germany in 1840 and lived 
 at Mount Eaton, Ohio, where he followed farm- 
 ing. Eight children blessed this union, seven 
 of whom grew up, namely : Caroline, wife of 
 Edward J. Schmidt, of Unionville, Michigan; 
 Elizabeth, deceased: Otto C, deceased; Jacob 
 I". : George B., a carriage manufacturer of Bell- 
 ingham, Washington; Christina, wife of Fred 
 C. Leyer, of Unionville : and Theodore C. All 
 were members of the German Lutheran Church. 
 The Eckfield family is noted for its longevity, 
 nearlv all reaching the age of 84 years or more. 
 The father of Mrs. Boes died in 1875, aged 72 
 years, while his wife attained the age of 84 
 years. 
 
 Jacob F. Boes received a common-school 
 education and when 13 years old started to 
 make his own way in the world, working on a 
 farm for $8 per month. He continued until 
 October of the same year, then served an ap- 
 prenticeship of three years to the tanner's trade, 
 working at this eight months of the year, the 
 other four months being spent in a planing-mill 
 and in attendance at night school. He next 
 served two years at learning the butcher's trade, 
 after which on April 21, 1883, he came to Bay 
 City, his capital at that time being $73.20, 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 683 
 
 which he had saved out of his earnings. Two 
 (lays later he began work for \V. E. Tapert, on 
 Center avenue, and two months later for George 
 W. Mansfield, with whom he remained until 
 January 18, 1889. Two days later he entered 
 the employ of L. Bertch & Son, and on August 
 26, 1890, formed a partnership with E. \V. 
 Funnell, under the firm name of Funnell & 
 Boes. After one year the partnership was dis- 
 solved and on September 14, 1891, he opened 
 his i)resent meat shop. In 1896 he bought the 
 old Partridge farm on the Tuscola road, where 
 he lives and raises stock and fruit. He feeds 
 more cattle than any man in Bay County, also 
 sheep, hogs and poultry, and does much of his 
 own killing. He is secretary of the Retail 
 Butchers' Association. He is a member of 
 Joppa Lodge, No. 315, F. & A. M. ; Lodge No. 
 88, B. P. O. E., and Camp No. 1328, M. \V. A., 
 being venerable councillor for three years, dur- 
 ing which time the membership of the lodge 
 was increased from 14 to 140 members. 
 
 Jacob F. Boes was united in marriage with 
 Katherine HofYmann, a daughter of Frank H. 
 Hoffmann, of Bay City, who came here in 1854. 
 This union resulted in the following issue : 
 Lillian M.. aged 15 years; Helen L., aged 10 
 years ; Katherine May, aged five years ; Dolores 
 C, aged three years. Our subject and his wife 
 are members of the German Lutheran Church. 
 
 nWARD M. WRATTEN. a well- 
 known and popular railroad official 
 of Bay City, occupies the position of 
 freight agent of the Detroit & Mack- 
 inaw and Pere Marquette railroads. 
 
 Mr. \V ratten was born in Utica. New York. 
 March 29. 1845, 'Tifl '^ a son of Richard and 
 yia.ry E. (Messenger) Wratten. 
 
 Richard Wratten was born in Kent, Eng- 
 
 lantl, where he learned the trade of a carpenter. 
 He was a young, unmarried man when he came 
 to iVmerica. After following his trade in New 
 York City for some time, he went to Utica, 
 New York, where he worked as a carpenter 
 during the remainder of his active life. He 
 married Mars- E. Messenger, a daughter of 
 John Messenger, of Jamaica, Long Island, and 
 later of Sodus, New York. Their union re- 
 sulted in three children, namely : Edward M. ; 
 Amy ( Mr.s. Dagwell), of Utica, New York; 
 and Mary Elizabeth, who is married and re- 
 sides in Utica. Richard Wratten died in 1898, 
 at the age of 82 years, his wife having passed 
 away in 1894. when 84 years old. Both were 
 members of the Protestant Episcopal Church. 
 
 Mr. Wratten's grandfather was a native of 
 Kent, England, and a carpenter by trade. He 
 came to America at the same time as did his 
 son Richard, and for many years carried on 
 business as a carpenter and joiner in Utica. He 
 lived to the age of 88 years. On the maternal 
 side, Mr. Wratten's great-grandfather (Mes- 
 senger) was an early settler on Long Island. 
 
 The subject of this sketch attended the pub- 
 lic schools of Utica. and after completing his 
 early mental training was emploj^ed as clerk 
 in a store until 1871. In that year he came to 
 Michigan and located in Bay City, where he en- 
 tered the employ of the Flint & Pere Marquette 
 Railroad Com])any, as a clerk in the freight 
 office. In the course of time he was promoted 
 to be cashier, and in 1888 was again promoted 
 to the position of freight agent. 
 
 At the beginning of Mr. Wratten's service 
 with the company here, l)ut three men includ- 
 ing himself, were employed in the freight office. 
 The number of clerks and warehouse men now 
 employed in the freight department in Bay 
 City is 26. Much of the increase in business 
 indicated by this fact is attributed to the faith- 
 ful management of Mr. Wratten. 
 
684 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 The subject of this sketch was married to 
 Hester Jane White, a daughter of Thomas 
 Wiiite, of Utica, New York. Four sons re- 
 suhed from their union, namely: Arthur D.. of 
 Bay City, warehouse foreman for the Pere 
 Marquette Railroad Company; and three who 
 died in infancy. Mrs. Wratten died in Janu- 
 ary, 1902, aged 55 years. She was a member 
 of Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church of Bay 
 City. 
 
 In politics, Mr. Wratten is a Republican, 
 Init is not ambitious for political preferment. 
 Fraternally, he is a member of Joppa Lodge, 
 No. 315, F. & A. M.: Blanchard Chapter, No. 
 59, R. A. M. ; Bay City Commandery, No. 26, 
 K. T. : and Moslem Temple, A. A. O. N. M. 
 S., of Detroit. 
 
 DWARD C. BABCOCK, a well- 
 known citizen of Bay City, is engaged 
 in the business of a general decorator 
 and dealer in wall-paper and painters" 
 supplies. 
 
 Mr. Babcock was born in Buffalo, New 
 York, February 3, 1861, and is a son of Ed- 
 ward V. and Sarah (Cornwell) Babcock. His 
 father was a native of the same city, and 
 learned the painters' and decorators' trade when 
 a boy. This he followed as a journeyman in 
 Buffalo until 1865. He then came to Bay City 
 and pursued the same occupation about six 
 years. At that period he established the busi- 
 ness which the subject of this sketch now car- 
 ries on. He was the first man engaged in this 
 line of work in Bay City, and was active until 
 the time of his death, which occurred in 1896. 
 at the age of 56 years. His first location was at 
 No. 508 Jackson street. 
 
 Edward ^'. Babcock married Sarah Corn- 
 well, of Buffalo, and thev had three children. 
 
 namely: Edward C. : George R., of Portland, 
 Alichigan ; and Lucy, wife of Louis Koch, of 
 Bay City. The father of this family attended 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which his 
 widow is a member. Fraternally, he was a 
 member of Bay City Lodge, No. 129, F. & 
 A. M., of which he was worshipful master sev- 
 eral years. He also belonged to Blanchard 
 Chapter, No. 59, R. A. M., of which he was 
 past high priest ; and to Bay City Commandery, 
 No. 26, K. T. 
 
 Edwin Babcock, the father of Edwin V., 
 was a native of Buft'alo, New York. There 
 when a boy he learned the carpenter's trade, 
 and pursued that vocation throughout his life. 
 The subject of this sketch received his early 
 mental training in the public schools of Bay 
 City, after which he learned the trade of painter 
 and decorator with his father. He also gave 
 considerable study to portrait and figure work, 
 in which line he is the only artist in the city. 
 He was in business with his father from 1884 
 until the latter's death under the firm name of 
 E. V. Babcock & Son. 
 
 In 1896 Mr. Babcock opened a store at No. 
 909 Center avenue, where he continued two 
 years, and then moved to No. 816 Washington 
 avenue, where he remained until 1905, when 
 he located in his own building on Jefferson 
 street, near the Pere Marquette Railroad Sta- 
 tion. This was formerly the home of Devlin's 
 Business College. At first Mr. Babcock merely 
 dealt in wall-paper, paints and oils. Now he 
 does an extensive business throughout the State 
 in decorating churches and theaters and resi- 
 dences of the higher grade. He has done work 
 on about 50 churches outside of Bay County 
 and employs on an a\-erage 20 men throughout 
 the year. 
 
 Mr. Babcock married Rosa Belle Schune- 
 man, a daughter of Isaac N. Schuneman. of 
 ^Metamora. ^Michigan, and thev have one son. — 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 685 
 
 Harry N. The family attend the Congrega- 
 tional Church. Politically. Mr. Babcock ie a 
 Republican, and has .ser\-ed a term as member 
 of the Board of Education. He is not an as- 
 pirant for office. 
 
 I'raternally, the suliject of this sketch is a 
 32d degree Mason, being a member of Joppa 
 Lodge, No. 315, F. & A. M. ; Michigan Sov- 
 ereign Consistory, S. P. R. S., at Detroit; and 
 Moslem Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., at Detroit. 
 He is also a member of the Maccabees and of 
 the Modern Woodmen of America. 
 
 ELSON LETOURNEAU, who is a 
 successful farmer and prosperous 
 merchant in section 9, Kawkawlin 
 township, and the owner of a farm of 
 40 acres here and of 160 acres in section 2, 
 Garfield township, was born in the Province of 
 Quebec, Canada, in 1846, and is a son of 
 Eustache and Zoe (Ramon) Letourneau. 
 
 The parents of Mr. Letourneau were of 
 French extraction. The father lived to the age 
 of 76 years, l)ut the mother died when our sub- 
 ject was an infant. Of their 18 children, only 
 two remain, — Nelson and Joseph, the latter of 
 whom owns a 40-acre farm in section 9, Kaw- 
 kawlin township. 
 
 Our subject was only a child when his 
 father settled at Chatham. Ontario, and he 
 worked there as a laborer until 1880 and then 
 came to Michigan. He had learned the car- 
 penter's trade and was employed for 10 years 
 in F. W. Wheeler's shipyard in West Bay City, 
 being a master workman in the ship carpen- 
 ters' and caulkers' union. In 1891 he bought 
 40 acres of land in the northwest corner of sec- 
 tion 9, Kawkawlin township, which he has 
 operated ever since in connection with a gen- 
 eral store. In 1902 he bought his second farm. 
 
 — 160 acres of good land in section 2, Garfield 
 township. 
 
 Mr. Letourneau was married first on May 
 18, 1868, to Elizabeth Pachett, who died in 
 1874, the mother of five children: Elizabeth 
 (La Pane), deceased, who left one daughter, 
 Elizabeth; Noel, who died aged 16 years; 
 Emma (Duroshire), deceased, who left one 
 daughter, Louise; Gilbert, who married Caro- 
 line Poirer and has five children; and Rosa, 
 who married James Lagenness and has four 
 children. In April. 1882, Mr. Letourneau was 
 married to Maggie De Lisle, born in Canada, 
 who died July 20, 1890, leaving two children, 
 now deceased. Mr. Letourneau's third union 
 was to Fanny Dupuis, who was born in Canada, 
 and is a daughter of Boniface and Matilda 
 (La Bounte) Dupuis. 
 
 During his residence in West Bay City, Mr. 
 Letourneau took an active interest in city af- 
 fairs and served as alderman of the First Ward 
 for four years. He served also as school di- 
 rector and has held this position in Kawkawlin 
 township for three years. He is a consistent 
 member of the Catholic Church. 
 
 DWARD E. EVANS, the rising young 
 man of afifairs, alderman and prom- 
 inent fraternity man, modest as he is 
 popular, was born at Selkirk, Prov- 
 ince of Ontario, Canada, November 5, 1873. 
 
 The whirr and buzz of Bay City's many 
 sawmills attracted many people from Queen 
 Victoria's domain about 1882, and among the 
 number was the Evans family. They came pre- 
 pared to make their way by dint of hard and 
 honest labor, and their expectations were not 
 disappointed. 
 
 Edward E. Evans received a good common- 
 school education and although always a mere 
 
686 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 mite of a boy, early began life in Bousfield & 
 Company's woodenware works in the South 
 End. For three years he worked in the Leaver 
 & Vance box factory, part of the time cutting- 
 boxes by the thousand on contract, with Orpha 
 Coffin, since deceased, and demonstrating thus 
 early the qualities of enterprise and energy, 
 that have since given him marked prominence 
 and success in other fields. Desiring a still 
 wider field of action, he entered the coal busi- 
 ness with Charles Coryell in 1896, remaining 
 for three years, and then taking a larger posi- 
 tion with C. H. Klumph & Company in 1899, 
 until in 1901 he became the active manager for 
 Boutell Brothers & Company, the largest dis- 
 tributor of coal, cement, brick and masons' sup- 
 plies in this part of the State. The success at- 
 tending his well-directed efforts in this new 
 field has earned for him the appreciation of the 
 company, and the plaudits of the business com- 
 munity. 
 
 Though charged with the supervision of ex- 
 tensive and varied business interests, he has 
 managed to find time for devoted and appre- 
 ciated public service, being elected alderman of 
 the I ith Ward by the largest popular vote ever 
 given a ward candidate on the Republican 
 ticket. He was reelected in April, 1905, for 
 two years service on the first Council of Greater 
 Bay City, and is chairman of the important 
 committees on judiciary and ways and means. 
 He has brought to his public duties the same 
 exacting business methods and integrity that 
 have brought him success on other fields of en- 
 deavor. The "Midget" of the City Council, 
 tipping the scales at little above the century 
 mark, he has in his brief public service made 
 his presence felt along lines of public enter- 
 prise, tempered with sound business judgment. 
 
 Mr. Evans became a member of the Bay 
 City lodge of Elks in 1899, and almost imme- 
 diately was honored with official positions by 
 
 the antlered tribe. He was a knight for two 
 terms, and exalted ruler for two terms, stepping 
 out of this position to accept "the rumpled and 
 wrinkled robe of District Deputy for Eastern 
 Michigan which has been ironed out and prop- 
 erly creased, and it now enfolds, by virtue of 
 Grand Exalted Ruler O'Brien's dictum, the 
 small stature but mighty form of Aid. Ed. E. 
 Evans of Bay City," to quote the exact an- 
 nouncement made by The Friendly Elk, upon 
 the promotion made in April, 1905, the recip- 
 ient of the honor being too surprised to adjust 
 the rolie properly, until he had the commission, 
 under the great seal of the order, and this com- 
 mission verified by wire through Grand Esquire 
 Phelps, as the real thing and no counterfeit. 
 Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler Evans was the 
 representative to the Grand Lodge meeting at 
 Cincinnati in 1904, and is one of the best known 
 and most popular members of the order in 
 Michigan. Equally exemplary has been his 
 home life, being ever a devoted husband and 
 fond father. In public or private life. Aid. 
 Evans is one of those favored few, whose 
 friends are indeed lesion. 
 
 HARLES F. KUHLOW, deputy 
 county treasurer of Bay County, and 
 one of the prominent and influential 
 men of affairs at Bay City, was born 
 in Bay City, January 21, 1874, and is a son of 
 John and Caroline (Zahrt) Kuhlow. 
 
 The paternal grandparents of Mr. Kuhlow 
 were Frederick and Maria (Erdman) Kuhlow, 
 both of whom were born in Mecklenburg, Ger- 
 manv. In 1873 Frederick Kuhlow came to 
 Michigan and settled in Bay County. He be- 
 came an employee of a lumber company at Bay 
 City and was injured in one of the sawmills 
 two vears later, which incapacitated him for the 
 
DAVID H. YOUNG 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 689 
 
 rest of liis life. He died in Monitor township. 
 His five children were : John, of Monitor town- 
 ship ; William, of Bay City ; Fredericka, w'ife of 
 John Black, of Monitor township ; Frederick, 
 of Bay City; and Lena. 
 
 John Kuhlow, father of our subject, was 
 born in 1844 at Strelitz, Mecklenburg, Ger- 
 many. He was reared on the parental farm un- 
 til he had reached the age of military service 
 and then served in the army during the Franco- 
 Prussian War. In the fall of 1872 he came to 
 Bay City, where a brother was already settled, 
 and for several years he was engaged in the 
 lumbering industry, but later w^ent into con- 
 tracting, owning a team of horses. In 1891 he 
 moved to Monitor township and settled on a 
 farm which he had taken up soon after coming 
 to the county, and he has resided upon that 
 property ever since. He is a supporter of the 
 Republican party but is a man of domestic 
 tastes and quiet life and has never desired po- 
 litical office. His marriage with Caroline 
 Zahrt resulted in the birth of five children, the 
 two survivors of the family being : Charles F., 
 the efficient deputy county treasurer, and Gus- 
 tave. Both ]\Ir. and Mrs. Kuhlow are con- 
 sistent members of the German Lutheran 
 Church. 
 
 Our subject enjoyed the educational ad- 
 vantages offered by the German Lutheran par- 
 ochial schools and later the public schools of 
 Bay City. After the completion of his educa- 
 tion, he learned the trade of bookbinder and 
 paper ruler, one which he followed first at Chi- 
 cago and later at Detroit. In 1899 he re- 
 turned to Bay City and embarked in a book- 
 binding business of his ow-n, one which he con- 
 ducted with satisfactory success for several 
 years, but increased business brought about the 
 necessity of a partnership and he associated 
 w-ith him O. W. Widman, the firm style becom- 
 ing Widnian & Kuhlow. This continued until 
 37 
 
 the latter part of 1902, at which time other du- 
 ties demanded his attention and he sold his 
 interest. 
 
 I\Ir. Kuhlow's life-long fidelity to the Re- 
 publican party was recognized about this time 
 by his appointment to the position of deputy 
 county treasurer of Bay County. This position 
 Mr. Kuhlow still fills, his services giving entire 
 satisfaction to the public at large. 
 
 Mr. Kuhlow has one of the very pleasant 
 and attractive homes of Bay City. He married 
 Alma Zagelmeyer, who is a daughter of Alex- 
 ander Zagelmeyer. 
 
 In addition to being prominent in political 
 and business life, Mr. Kuhlow has long been 
 active in several fraternal organizations. He is 
 a member of Joppa Lodge, No. 315, F. & A. 
 M. ; McCormick Grand Lodge of Perfection; 
 Bay City Council. Princes of Jerusalem ; Sag- 
 inaw Valley Chapter, Rose Croix, all of Bay 
 City; and Michigan Sovereign Consistory, 
 S. P. R. S., and Moslem Temple, A. A. O. N. 
 M. S., of Detroit. He is also an Elk and a 
 Knight of Pythias and a member of the Na- 
 tional League of Veterans and Sons. From 
 1892 to 1894 he was a member of Company C, 
 Third Infantrv, Michigan National Guard. 
 
 AVID H. YOUNG. The late David 
 H. Young, whose portrait is shown 
 on the opposite page, was one of the 
 most highly respected citizens of Bay 
 County, Michigan, and at the time of his death 
 owned 140 acres of fine land in sections 15 and 
 22, Alonitor township. Mr. Young was bom 
 December 6, 1833, in Schoharie County, New 
 York, and died in his comfortable home in 
 Monitor township, on September 6, 1900, aged 
 67 years. 
 
 Mr. Young's residence in Bay County dated 
 from 1 87 1, when he came to West Bay City as 
 
690 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 overseer of Henry W. Sage's salt-block. Mr. 
 Sage owned one of the first salt-pits in this 
 section, and, through Mr. Young's careful and 
 economic management, this industry reached 
 immense proportions. He continued as a valued 
 employee of Mr. Sage until 1888. For seven 
 years he made salt by the barrel and during his 
 whole period with Mr. Sage was regarded by 
 the latter as his "right hand man." 
 
 While Mr. Young's duties confined him 
 to the salt-pits, he looked forward to the time 
 when he could retire from that arduous work 
 and settle down to peace and rest on his own 
 farm. He therefore bought several tracts of 
 well-located land, — one of 60 acres and an- 
 other of 80. These he hired cleared and put 
 under cultivation, making the second tract his 
 home, to which he retired in 1898. For some 
 10 years Mr. Young enjoyed an agricultural 
 life, growing on his fertile fields the crops best 
 adapted to them and carrying on a large dairy, 
 selling the milk product of 50 cows. 
 
 In 1870, Mr. Young was united in mar- 
 riage with Elizabeth Davis, who was born in 
 Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. She had one 
 brother, Charles Davis, whom she lost sight 
 of some 40 years ago. She accompanied Mr. 
 Young to Bay County and materially assisted 
 him during the early days, when hardships in 
 this section were many and comforts few. She 
 still survives and resides on the homestead. 
 
 Mr. Young was always identified with the 
 Democratic party and, while he never would 
 accept any office, he took a lively interest in 
 his party's success. He was a charter member 
 of Wenona Council, No. 38, Royal Arcanum, 
 of West Bay City. His religion was one which 
 must be recognized as a good one both to live 
 and die by, a conscientious following of the 
 "Golden Rule." He is remembered by all who 
 knew him as a hearty, whole-souled, liberal. 
 God-fearing man. 
 
 APT. AUGUSTUS H. GANSSER, 
 the editor and compiler of the his- 
 torical features of this volume, whose 
 portrait is shown on page 16 of this 
 work, was born among the foot-hills of the 
 Alps, in Wurtemberg, Germany, July 5, 1872. 
 The quaint little village nestling among vine- 
 clad heights lies on the headwaters of the 
 Xeckar, one of the main tributaries of "Father 
 Rhine." Its rushing waters turned the old 
 water-wheel of the primitive sawmill which for 
 generations had been owned and operated by 
 the Gansser family. The quaint old church, 
 where he worshiped in his youth, had then cele- 
 brated its 350th anniversary, and his ancestors 
 dated back their direct lineage even centuries 
 beyond that period. Among the weather- 
 beaten stone crosses in the churchyard ceme- 
 tery, the young student delighted to decipher 
 the names of both branches of his family, who 
 had helped to build that church and the chapel 
 that had preceded it. In the old town hall 
 were records that proved that the ancestors of 
 both father and mother had stood high in the 
 military annals of the "Fatherland," while 
 others had served with equal loyalty, but less 
 public clamor, in the pursuits of the sciences 
 and the arts of peace. 
 
 Captain Gansser's grandfather, surnamed 
 Augustus, according to time-honored family 
 tradition took an active part in the revolution- 
 ary movement in Germany in 1848, and only 
 his previous good service for his king and 
 country saved him from banishment. But the 
 sacrifices then made brought the family into 
 financial difficulties, which eventually lirought 
 the last survivor of the family to Michigan in 
 1873. Peter Baur, grandfather of our subject 
 on his mother's side, was for over 30 years dis- 
 trict treasurer and moderator, positions of 
 trust held by his family for many generations 
 before him, a faniilv heirloom. like the sur- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 691 
 
 name Peter. His only son, also named Peter, 
 died at 21, leaving' as the last sprig of the fam- 
 ily tree, the daughter, Johanna. 
 
 Augustus Gansser, the father of Captain 
 Gansser, was educated at the University of 
 Tubingen, but early found the confines of the 
 little kingdom too narrow for his roving na- 
 ture. Before marriage he traveled almost 
 around the globe, his trip including a stay 
 among the gold fields of Australia. Returning 
 to take up the burden which age compelled his 
 father to surrender, he wooed and won Miss 
 Baur in 1865. The first three children died in 
 infancy, but Emma (now Mrs. R. Boehringer) 
 and the subject of this sketch brightened the 
 lives of their grandparents' declining years. 
 Both families would survive through these in- 
 fants, and to the good old people who prized 
 their family tree above all else, this meant 
 much. 
 
 By 1872 a business depression throughout 
 Germany brought the climax to the entangle- 
 ments of the sawmill and gypsum properties, 
 and reluctantly enough the family relinquished 
 this heirloom of many generations to 
 strangers. Hearing of the "big mill" in 
 Wenona. the head of the family determined to 
 apply his practical sawmill experience in the 
 heart of the world's lumber industry in Bay 
 County, and that very year began life anew as 
 gang foreman for Henry \V. Sage on the W'est 
 Side. Emma accompanied her parents, while 
 Augustus H.. the immediate subject of this 
 sketch, remained with his grandpai'ents, at their 
 earnest solicitation. One by one the old folks 
 passed away. Grandfather Baur dying after 
 only a few days illness in the fall of 1880. The 
 following March his daughter returned to the 
 old home to straighten up family affairs, and in 
 June the little lad, who never remembered see- 
 ing his mother, and who had studied assidu- 
 ouslv in the German di.strict school, was united 
 
 with his family at Bay City. Eugenia and 
 Emil, born on the West Side in the meantime, 
 and Emma took the little foreign stranger to 
 the Sherman School, and for two years he 
 worked hard to master a new language, trying 
 experiences never to be forgotten by the prin- 
 cipal. 
 
 In June, 1884, Augustus H. Gansser grad- 
 uated from the Ninth grade and was admitted 
 to the High School. The loss of father left 
 the little family entirely dependent upon the 
 invalid mother that summer, and the oldest son 
 assisted by working before and after school, 
 for local newspapers as carrier and mailing 
 clerk. That fall he secured, in addition, a po- 
 sition with B. H. Briscoe & Company, then a 
 box factory (in 1905 the Quaker Shade Roller 
 Company), which he held for three years, con- 
 tinuing his newspaper work evenings, and 
 studying nights. In 1887 August Rathke was 
 accidentally killed at this factory while he and 
 our subject were adjusting a broken lielt. and 
 this fatality changed the whole course of the 
 young man's life. His mother insisted other 
 fields might be less remunerative at first, but 
 they offered a wider field, were less dangerous, 
 and within a week he began more than nine 
 years experience in the carpet department of 
 Capt. A. J. Cooke (formerly See Brothers & 
 Cooke), for many years subsequently, city 
 librarian. 
 
 In 1897 our subject was given charge of the 
 carpet and curtain department for the Bay City 
 Cash Dry Goods Company, which position he 
 held when President McKinley's call for vol- 
 unteers brought him to the colors in 1898. He 
 had enlisted in the Peninsulars, June 16. 1892, 
 and been promoted, through competitive exam- 
 inations, to I St sergeant. Company C, Third 
 Michigan Infantry, by 1897. Shortly before 
 war was declared he was united in marriage to 
 Elizab.eth Almira Henrietta Richardson, daugh- 
 
692 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 ter of Mr. and Airs. Robert Richardson, of the 
 West Side, and wlien on April 26, 1898, he 
 marched fortli with his company he left in care 
 of his brother Emil not onh' the aged mother 
 and two sisters, but also a young, brave but dis- 
 consolate bride. Rejected tlirough a technical 
 error on the regular army medical examination, 
 later corrected, he became a member of Com- 
 pany D, 34th Michigan Vol. Inf., and orderly 
 to Colonel Petermann, commanding: the reel- 
 ment, having charge of the regiment's mail at 
 Camp Eaton, Camp Alger, Virginia, and much 
 of the time before Santiago. The regimental 
 staff correspondent of the Detroit Tribune and 
 Evening Nezvs declined to go to Cuba, and at 
 the last moment the assignment was given Cap- 
 tain Gansser, and during the stirring scenes 
 before Santiago, in addition to his regular mil- 
 itary duties, he did his best to keep the people 
 of Michigan informed of the doings of their 
 regiments serving with General Shafter's Fifth 
 Army Corps, through the Detroit Tribune, 
 Muskegon Chronicle, Detroit Netcs, Bay City 
 Times and Bay City Freie Presse. On July 3d, 
 when the hospitals in the rear of the San Juan 
 battle-field and the supply trains for the front 
 were being fired on by Spanish sharpshooters 
 from the chaparral west of General Shafter's 
 headquarters, he volunteered with 20 members 
 of his regiment under Lieut. Angus McDonald, 
 for special duty with regulars to clear the San 
 Juan valley of these bushwhackers, and for 10 
 days, armed with Krag-Jorgensen rifles and 
 ammunition secured from the dead American 
 regulars, this detachment did its share of the 
 work in protecting the extreme right flank of 
 the army. Tropical heat and insect pests made 
 trailing through the rocky and wooded heights 
 near Santiago an arduous task, and a number 
 of that detachment were so weakened by the 
 strain, that the first attack of prevailing fevers, 
 shortly after the surrender, brought death. 
 
 Some weeks after the surrender (July 17, 
 1898) were spent in guarding the prisoners 
 and in a vain endeavor to make a tropical camp 
 in the rainy season habitable for men direct 
 from the North. Devoted nursing saved many, 
 and peace brought speedy relief, yet 21 of that 
 fated company of 86 gave their lives for "Cuba 
 Libre." Assisting the sick of the regiment on 
 the homeward trip, the robust volunteer of 
 April, weighing 154 pounds, came home in 
 September, a mere skeleton, weighing 118 
 pounds on arriving at Detroit. Then followed 
 months of intermittent fever and ague, cam- 
 paign reminders that spasmodically torment to 
 this day. Outdoor life, nature's best remedy, 
 prevented a return to former avocations and 
 perforce Captain Gansser entered the insurance 
 and free lance newspaper field. In 1902 with 
 a class of 48 he took the civil service examina- 
 tion at Detroit, standing sixth, being appointed 
 United States ganger for the Michigan Chemi- 
 cal Company, a position he still holds. 
 
 Mrs. Johanna Gansser, the devoted mother, 
 died May 29, 1902, in her 60th year. She 
 lived to see two little girls bless the home of 
 her daughter, and four sons the home of Cap- 
 tain Gansser, three of whom survive, — Emil 
 Augustus, Webster Homer and Victor Lincoln. 
 
 Since 1898 Captain Gansser's promotion in 
 the State militia service has been rapid. He 
 was commissioned ist lieutenant and adjutant 
 by Governor Pingree in June, 1899, ^d lieu- 
 tenant of Company B, July 17. 1900, and cap- 
 tain commanding Company B, by Governor 
 Bliss, May 15, 1901, being in 1905 senior cap- 
 tain of the regiment. With Company B, he 
 had the distinction of being Alichigan's sole 
 military representatives and body guard 
 to Governor Bliss at the Louisiana Purchase 
 Exposition, October 8 to 17, 1904. 
 
 Always an active Republican, yet never 
 seeking an office, he was secretary of the Re- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 693 
 
 publican County Committee for four )-ears, 
 1 898- 1 902, and for 10 years past has com- 
 manded the marching dix'isions of the Young 
 Mcn"s Republican League. He is editor and 
 pubHshed of The Modern Archer; a regular 
 contributor to various journals; for nine 3'ears 
 secretary of the local Clerks' Association ; mem- 
 ber of the Knights of Pythias, Arbeiter Unter- 
 stuetzung \^erein and Spanish \Var Veterans; 
 is inspector general. National League of Vet- 
 erans and Sons ; member of the Modern Wood- 
 men of America, Union Life Guards, Knights 
 of the Loyal Guard and Modern Archers of 
 America. As a citizen. Captain (iansser has 
 always been ready to assist wortliy public en- 
 terprises, intended to benefit the city of his 
 adopted home. 
 
 ERMAN RUTERBUSH, whose ex- 
 cellent farm of 70 acres is situated in 
 section 7, Portsmouth township, 
 township treasurer and leading citi- 
 zen generally, was torn December 11, 1852, in 
 Pommerania, Prussia, Germany, and is a son 
 of Charles and Minnie (Dummert) Ruterbush. 
 The parents of Mr. Ruterbush were farm- 
 ing people in Germany and moved to Canada 
 in 1866. Charles Ruterbush was born March 
 30, 1819. and found in his declining years a 
 comfortable home with our subject. He died 
 January 19, 1905. His wife, Minnie Dum- 
 mert, was born January 13, 1832, in Germany, 
 and died in Michigan, February 26, 1889, aged 
 57 years. Of their 14 children, three sons and 
 five daughters still survive, all of whom reside 
 in Bay County. 
 
 Prior to leaving his German home. Herman 
 Ruterbush had attended school regularly. The 
 family reached Quebec in 1866 and settled in 
 the village of Arnprior, Ontario. 40 miles from 
 
 Ottawa, removing later to Stratford, Ontario. 
 After three years in that section, the family 
 settled at Port Huron, Michigan, in 1871 and 
 came to Bay City in 1873. Previous to settling 
 on the present farm which was originally taken 
 up by the family and contained 144 acres, our 
 subject was variously employed, mainly in saw- 
 mills. After locating on the farm, there was 
 plenty of work to be done by his brothers and 
 himself as the whole tract was heavily tim- 
 bered. They cleared the land and put it under 
 cultivation. On his portion of the property Mr. 
 Ruterbush built his fine brick home, one of 
 modern construction and convenience and prob- 
 ably one of the very best farm houses in the 
 county. With this handsome dwelling he has 
 two substantial l)arns and numerous other 
 buildings. 
 
 In addition to general farming and stock- 
 raising, Mr. Ruterbush has utilized his fine 
 pasture land in raising a first-class grade of 
 milch cows and for six and a half years oper- 
 ated a milk route in Bay City, but now he sells 
 exclusively at wholesale. He has experimented 
 extensively and successfully with sugar beets. 
 
 On January 16, 1884, Mr. Ruterbush was 
 married to Rose Hubner. who was born iSLirch 
 3. 1861, in Bay City. Michigan, and is a daugh- 
 ter of Charles and Margaret (Steinbauer) 
 Hubner, natives of Bavaria, Germany. Upon 
 coming to this country, Mr. Hubner settled on 
 a farm in Portsmouth township and both he 
 and his wife spent their last days on their 
 homestead. Mr. and Mrs. Ruterbush have lost 
 four children, namely : Herman, the oldest 
 child, who died when two and a half years old; 
 Max, the second child, who died when a few- 
 days old; Carl, who died aged eight years; and 
 Norman, who died four days later, aged 18 
 months. In 1900 five of the children were 
 stricken at one time with that dread disease, 
 diphtheria, and little Carl and Norman did not 
 
694 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 recover. The survivors of the family are : 
 Ahna, Elsie, Hugo, Otto and Martin Bern- 
 hardt. The family belong to the German Lu- 
 theran Church in Merritt township. 
 
 Mr. Ruterbush has always been identified 
 with the Republican party and on many occa- 
 sions he has been called upon to serve his fel- 
 low-citizens in responsible positions. In 1889 
 he was elected township treasurer, served two 
 terms, was again elected in 1893 and once more 
 in 1894 and is now serving in the office. He is 
 a man of sterling character, and has the con- 
 fidence of all who know him and stands as one 
 of the representative men of his locality. 
 
 ORLD'S STAR KNITTING COM- 
 PANY, one of the great industries 
 of Bay County, was organized in 
 the spring of 1895 at West Bay 
 City by its present officers, members of the 
 Galbraith family. The story of its rise, from 
 an experiment conducted within the confines 
 of the domestic circle, to the building of great 
 factories and the equipping of them with mod- 
 ern machinery, in order to meet the world's 
 demand, is one of the most interesting con- 
 nected with the growth of this city's many gi- 
 gantic concerns. Archibald Galbraith, the 
 founder of the business, still survives. 
 
 Mr. Galbraith was born in Ayrshire, Scot- 
 land, December 25, 1845, ^""^^ '^ ^ ^o" °^ Don- 
 ald and Catherine Galbraith, who came to Can- 
 ada in the boyhood of their son. They settled 
 near Toronto and there Archibald was reared 
 and attended the schools of Durham District. 
 The father engaged in lumbering, but the son 
 preferred a less active life and engaged in bus- 
 iness in a grocery store at Bowmanville. Later 
 he embarked in a dry goods business for him- 
 self, at Guelph, which he continued until 1892. 
 
 He was gifted with natural mechanical ability 
 and it was during his mercantile life that he 
 saw what might be accomplished if a high 
 grade of hosiery could be placed on the market 
 at a reasonable price and manufactured with- 
 out a large outlay. He entered upon the bus- 
 iness as an experiment, with hand knitting ma- 
 chines, and manufactured a very superior ar- 
 ticle for his own retail trade. The business 
 increased rapidly, the experiment proving a 
 success, so much so that in 1890 he disposed 
 of his store and devoted all his energies to the 
 manufacture of hosiery for the wholesale trade. 
 He was prospering and a bright future seemed 
 before him, when the financial panic of 1892 
 brought embarrassment upon him as to the 
 number of large concerns which he carried on 
 his books, and the result was absolute failure. 
 
 Mr. Galbraith then came to West Bay City. 
 He still had faith in the line of business that 
 he had developed, and started in again with a 
 few hand knitting machines, all of the busi- 
 ness being confined to the family circle. One 
 memlier disposed of the product by canvassing 
 from house to house and met with most encour- 
 aging success. The capital with which Mr. 
 Galbraith and family began operations at West 
 Bay City consisted of two hand knitting ma- 
 chines and $100, and the product had to be 
 finished by hand. Within the first six months 
 the orders exceeded the capacity of the work- 
 ers and it became necessary to employ help, this 
 being but the beginning of the expansion which 
 has continued to the present day. 
 
 Early in January, 1899, the business was 
 moved to Bay City and a store was opened at 
 No. 410 Washington avenue in which to retail 
 the finished product, but two years later the 
 store was discontinued as that room was re- 
 quired for additional manufacturing purposes. 
 In the spring of 1901 the company built an ad- 
 dition to the store and soon was obliged to rent 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 69: 
 
 an adjoining store at No. 412 Washington 
 avenue, all the space being used for factory pur- 
 poses. In July, 1902, the company purchased 
 the McDonald flouring mill property. This 
 they remodeled to suit the requirements of their 
 business, equipped it with the best of modern 
 machinery which enabled them to still turn out 
 the best of goods with less cost of production. 
 The business still continued to expand, making 
 necessary, in 1905, still larger additions. The 
 company has a main building 96 by 180 feet, 
 with three stories and basement, and the ma- 
 chinery is operated by electricity. The com- 
 pany has a modern power plant for generating 
 electricity which is conducted to the individual 
 motors connected directly with each machine. 
 This does away with shafting and belting and 
 not only materially adds to the cleanliness of 
 the work and surroundings but also to the 
 safety of the employees. This plant furnishes 
 employment to 200 operators, while 500 sales- 
 men are required to carry the finished product 
 to consumers, the policy of the house continu- 
 ing the same as at its beginning, the selling of 
 the product directly from factory to home, one 
 which the remarkable growth of the business 
 has shown to be satisfactory to all concerned. 
 The company has recently opened another 
 department, installing machinery in its newest 
 mill for the knitting of underwear. Each gar- 
 ment is custom made, built according to the 
 measurements of the purchaser. This prom- 
 ises to be one of the most appreciated depart- 
 ments, people of taste gladly supplying them- 
 selves with garments so perfect in fit and finish. 
 The company has been so well managed that 
 there has been little or no friction. It has been 
 generous in providing comforts and conven- 
 iences for its employees, facilities being af- 
 forded for providing hot meals at the factory, 
 and a rest room has been set aside where all 
 the luxuries of a home may be enjoyed during 
 
 the periods of relaxation, including the supply- 
 ing of periodicals and other literature. A cor- 
 dial feeling of mutual esteem makes this great 
 hive of industry like one big family. 
 
 One of the main factors in the almost un- 
 paralleled success of this company has been the 
 maintenance of the quality of the goods with- 
 out fluctuations in price^ regardless of the cost 
 of material. Another has been the marketing 
 of the goods through agents directly to the con- 
 sumer. In 1899 the business was incorporated 
 as the Bay City Knitting Company and under 
 this name its goods have gone all over the 
 world. For this very reason the name became 
 too local and one of wider significance became 
 a matter of policy. Thus it came about, that 
 in 1905, the old name was abandoned and the 
 present one — World's Star Knitting Company 
 — was adopted, which is more in consonance 
 w^ith the great territory covered by the com- 
 pany's sales. Through all the changes and 
 growth of this great industry, Mr. Galbraith 
 has been one of its leading spirits and to his 
 courage, perseverance, judgment and ability, 
 much of its success is due. He continues the 
 master mechanic of the mills. 
 
 Mr. Galbraith was married in Canada to 
 Angeline Van Camp, who was a daughter of 
 Thomas Van Camp, a resident of Durham Dis- 
 trict. She died in 1880, leaving two children: 
 Clarence A. and David Leonard. The former 
 was born March 24, 1873, 'i"<^l '^^^ '^^^" asso- 
 ciated with the business since its inception. He 
 is now the capable superintendent of the fac- 
 tory. He is a well-known citizen, respected in 
 business circles all over the country, and is a 
 member of the Knights of the Loyal Guards. 
 The second son. David Leonard, was Ixirn 
 April 24, 1877 and he, too, has always been 
 connected with the family concern. He is now 
 the secretary and treasurer of the company, and 
 in addition has charge of the office and man- 
 
696 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 ages the selling force. He is a member of the 
 Knights of the Loyal Guards ; Eden Tent, No. 
 225, Knights of the Modern Maccabees, and 
 is an of^cial in Lodge No. 88, B. P. O. E. 
 He married Helen Pearl, who is a daughter of 
 Anton Pearl, of Bay City, and they have one 
 son, Stuart Dranoel. 
 
 In 1882 Mr. Galbraith was married to Els- 
 peth MacRobb, who was liorn at Oshawa, On- 
 tario. They have one son, Frederick Norman. 
 The family has always been identified with the 
 Presbyterian Church. Mr. Galbraith belongs 
 to the Canadian Order of Foresters. 
 
 x 
 
 ALENTINE KNODLE, a prosperous 
 farmer of Bay County, whose farm is 
 located in section 20, Eraser town- 
 ship, was born in Germany in 1836, 
 and when an infant was brought to America by 
 his parents. They lived on the corner of Clin- 
 ton and Scranton streets, Rochester, New 
 York, and in that home two more children were 
 born to them : Peter, who died in Bay City in 
 1903: and John, who died in the army during 
 the Civil War. 
 
 The father of our subject was a soldier in 
 Company I. 161 st Reg., New York Vol. Inf. 
 and served in Grover's division during General 
 Banks' expedition. He died in the Soldiers' 
 Home at Bath, New York, in his 85th year. 
 The mother died when she was about 84 years 
 old. 
 
 The subject of this sketch attended school 
 in Rochester, New York, and when the family 
 moved to Danville, Livingston County, New 
 York, he went to work on a farm. In 1864 he 
 came to Bay City and was employed in boiling 
 salt, continuing thus for 13 years. In 1S75 he 
 located on his present farm of 80 acres. It 
 was then a dense forest, and Mr. Knodle has 
 
 cleared every foot of the tract, having logs piled 
 40 feet high. He now has a fine orchard of 
 100 trees, covering two acres, and is engaged in 
 general farming- and stock-raising. He is also 
 occupied in threshing. 
 
 On November 17, 1859, Mr. Knodle was 
 married to Christiana Sick, a daughter of 
 Philip and Christiana (Kiefer) Sick, both na- 
 tives of Germany, who were engaged in farm- 
 ing near Danville, New York. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Knodle have had eight chil- 
 dren, as follows: Sophia, Julia C, William, 
 Catherine, Charles, Frank E., Lewis Henry and 
 Doroth}'. Sophia was born in Danville, New 
 York, January 4, i860. She is the wife of 
 James Coughill, and lives at Harbor Beach, 
 Michigan. Julia C. was born November 19, 
 1862. She married John Lameraux, and has 
 eight children, among which are the following: 
 Thomas, Isabelle. Martha, Hollis, Pearl and 
 Dewey. William was born April 3, 1864. 
 Catherine was born November 5, 1865. She 
 married Hugh Dining, and has five children : 
 Lilly, Sophia, Valentine, Pearl and Roy. 
 Charles was born November 8, 1867; Frank E. 
 was born September 29, 1874. Lewis Henry 
 and Dorothy are deceased. 
 
 In political action, the subject of this sketch 
 is a Republican. Fraternally he is a Mason. 
 He is a member of the German Lutheran 
 Church. 
 
 ON. JAMES VANKLEECK, soldier, 
 lawyer and statesman, was born in 
 Exeter. Monroe County, Michigan, 
 September 26, 1846. He is a direct 
 descendant on the parental side of Baltus Van- 
 Kleeck, who came to New York from Holland 
 in 1 610. His grandfather moved across the 
 Canadian border, where his father, Robert 
 \'anKleeck. was born and grew to manhood, 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 697 
 
 later seeking again the land of his forefathers, 
 by coming to Michigan. 
 
 James VanKleeck was an ambitious student 
 in the Monroe High School, when I'ort Sumter 
 was fired on, and he promptly came forward 
 when less than 16 years old, in answ^er to Abra- 
 ham Lincoln's call for volunteers. But none of 
 the first regiments would ha\'e him as he was 
 too young and too small. But he was not to 
 be denied the privilege of serving his country, 
 and in 1862 his patriotic ardor triumphed over 
 the scruples of the commander of Company D, 
 17th Reg., Michigan Vol. Inf., who mustered 
 him in as "drummer boy," that being the only 
 legal way of enrolling the 16-year-old vol- 
 unteer. But from the first he shouldered the 
 musket with the rest of Company D, bearing 
 all the hardships of McClellan's Peninsular 
 campaign with as much fortitude as many older 
 men. 
 
 At the battle of Antietam the 17th Michi- 
 gan was in the forefront of battle, and his older 
 comrades to this day delight to recall the fight- 
 ing ardor of "Young VanKleeck," as they still 
 call him. Late in the day, when the fortunes 
 of battle were going against the Union Army, 
 the little volunteer received a minie bullet in 
 his left side, which he still carries, and from 
 this wound he has suffered to this day. He lay 
 for hours on the battle-field, among the dead 
 and dying. He was finally carried to a field 
 hospital, and later taken to the town made fa- 
 mous by Whittier's immortal song "Barbara 
 Frietchie," the quaint hamlet of Frederick, 
 Maryland, where he was placed in a German 
 Lutheran Church, which was being used as an 
 emergency hospital for the thousands wounded 
 in that campaign, and for eight long, dreary 
 months, he lay under the belfry, too weak to be 
 moved. This long siege has earned for him 
 among Michigan's veterans the record for 
 longest continuous church attendance! The 
 
 German pastor was indefatigable in his care for 
 the wounded, being with them often day and 
 night, together with the army nurses. Many 
 anecdotes are told of this venerable preacher. 
 Comrade Hopkins of the 17th Michigan died 
 from wounds in this church hospital, and his 
 brother, now Maj. George Hopkins, of De- 
 troit, and once private secretary to General 
 x\lger, Secretary of War, wanted to escort the 
 remains to their native heath in far-off Michi- 
 gan. It was a critical period for the .\rmy of 
 the Potomac, and furloughs w^ere out of the 
 question. But the resourceful pastor concluded 
 the soldier's uniform needed alterations, so he 
 furnished Hopkins with civilian clothes, also 
 passports for a friend to see the dead soldier 
 safely home, and ere many days had passed, 
 that uniform w-as mended, returned to its 
 owner, and thereafter saw much active service. 
 But VanKleeck was less fortunate. The 
 wound would not heal, and on November 17, 
 1863, he was discharged for disability. 
 
 Refreshed by the cool breezes of Lake Erie 
 he read law with Bakhvin & Rafter at Monroe, 
 entered the University of Michigan in 1868, 
 and graduated from the law department in 
 June, 1870. Shortly after he located at Mid- 
 land, with a "cash paid-up capital of $4" to 
 begin life and practice for himself. Pluck car- 
 ried the day. He served tw^o terms as city 
 attorney and two terms as county prosecutor. 
 In 1882 be was elected to the State Legis- 
 ture, where he served for several years on the 
 judiciary and University of Michigan com- 
 mittees. 
 
 In 1885 he crossed the county line to the 
 east, and entered into a partnership with George 
 W. Mann in Bay City. He was appointed com- 
 missioner of immigration by Governor Alger in 
 1885, and elected prosecuting attorney in 1886. 
 He served four years on the Board of Educa- 
 tion, two years as president, and contributed 
 
69i^ 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 much to the development of the present splen- 
 did school system. In 1890 he was the Re- 
 publican candidate for Congress in the loth 
 Congressional District of Michigan, when that 
 district was favorable to the opposition, T. A. 
 E. Weadock, Democrat, winning out by a nar- 
 row margin. 
 
 Mr. VanKleeck is a past commander of 
 U. S. Grant Post, No. 67, G. A. R. He was 
 unanimously chosen department commander 
 for Michigan, 1901-02, being presented with a 
 beautiful, solid gold past commander's badge. 
 It is inscribed: "Presented to Comrade James 
 VanKleeck, Department of Michigan, G. A. 
 R., as a token of their appreciation of his 
 services as department commander for the term 
 ending January 13, 1902." In his annual ad- 
 dress the retiring commander covered vigor- 
 ously all the various departments and features 
 of Michigan's G. A. R., lauded the army nurses 
 of the South as well as the North, and praised 
 the loyal service of the volunteers then serving 
 in the Philippines, who were being assailed at 
 home and abroad as inhuman, insisting that 
 men who are brave are also humane and tender- 
 hearted. The address was widely circulated 
 and heartily endorsed. 
 
 In addition to being a member of U. S. 
 Grant Post, No. 67, G. A. R., Mr. VanKleeck 
 is a Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the 
 Ancient Order of United Workmen and Sher- 
 idan Camp, No. 5, National League of Vet- 
 erans and Sons. 
 
 In 1872 Mr. VanKleeck wooed and won 
 Juliette C. Carpenter, daughter of Thomas J. 
 Carpenter, one of Midland's most prominent 
 pioneers. Three children have blessed the 
 union : James C, aged 21, now in the Attorney 
 General's ofifice at Lansing, assisting in the fa- 
 mous State case against the railroads of Michi- 
 gan, who are trying to evade State taxation; 
 Edith A., graduate of the literary department 
 
 of the University of Michigan ; and Delia, a 
 student at Michigan's famous University. The 
 family are members of the First ^ilethodist 
 Episcopal Church, and reside on Fifth avenue. 
 Few men in Michigan are more widely and 
 favorably known than Mr. VanKleeck. 
 
 DGAR B. FOSS. Among the repre- 
 sentative, public-spirited business men 
 of Bay City, no one stands higher in 
 the esteem of his fellow-citizens than 
 the gentleman whose career is here briefly 
 traced. Edgar B. Foss was born in Williman- 
 tic, Connecticut, in 1853. His parents, John 
 and Sarah (Slade) Foss, were natives of New 
 England, his father having been born in 
 Rhode Island, of English parents, while his 
 mother, the daughter of a Quaker minister, was 
 born in L^xbridge, Massachusetts. There were 
 10 children in the family, one of whom, Sam- 
 uel S., served through the Rebellion as adju- 
 tant of the Eighth Regiment, Connecticut Vol. 
 Inf., receiving a wound at Fort Darling. 
 
 Edgar B. Foss, the youngest of the family, 
 was reared to young manhood in Rhode Island, 
 attending the common schools of Woonsocket 
 and later a business college at Providence, 
 Rhode Island. At the age of 17 he came to 
 Michigan and entered the employ of D. A. 
 Ballou, of Kawkawlin, Bay County, a lumber 
 manufacturer of that place. As he was unac- 
 quainted with the work, he began at the bottom 
 but soon worked his way up and in 1872 ac- 
 cepted a very desirable position which was ten- 
 dered him by Van Etten, Kaiser & Company as 
 their representative, his territory being the en- 
 tire State of Ohio. Six years later, with his 
 brother Samuel, he formed the company of 
 S. S. & E. B. Foss and purchased the lumber of 
 his former employers. Van Etten, Kaiser & 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 699 
 
 Company, continuing the business there until 
 1879, when they disposed of it and moved to 
 Bay City to take advantage of the better facil- 
 ities for putting their stock on the market. Their 
 first location was on the West Side, but they 
 later moved to their present yards in Bay City, 
 where they have every convenience for ship- 
 ping. In 1883 Samuel S. Foss was thrown 
 from a buggy and killed. His interest m the 
 business was then purchased by our subject, 
 who soon after took J. M. Leiter into partner- 
 ship. In 1888 Mr. Leiter retired, since which 
 time Mr. Foss has managed the large business 
 alone. In addition to his lumber-yard, which 
 is one of the largest and best situated in the 
 county, Mr. Foss operates a large plant for the 
 manufacture of dressed lumber, turning out the 
 best grades ; the business requires a number of 
 salesmen to keep it up to the standard at which 
 he has placed it. He is a director of the Old 
 Second National Bank, and treasurer and 
 manager of the W'enona Coal & Mining 
 Company. 
 
 While Mr. Foss has never sought political 
 preferment, he has always given the weight of 
 his influence to all public movements which 
 promised increased prosperity for Bay City. 
 He served the city efficiently for four years as 
 a member of the Board of Aldermen. In 1905 
 Mr. Foss was given the honor of carrying the 
 Michigan electoral vote to Washington. His 
 name was suggested when, after a spirited con- 
 test in tJie Electoral College, it became evident 
 that none of the aspirants for the honor could 
 win, and he was chosen on the 26th ballot. He 
 enjoyed the privilege of admission to the floor 
 of the Senate on January 15th, it being one of 
 the electoral messenger's perquisites. He was 
 also the recipient of many courtesies from the 
 United States Senators from Michigan. He 
 was presented to President Roosevelt in the 
 White House. 
 
 Mr. Foss was married in 1871 to Eliza- 
 beth Fitzgerald, a native of Limerick, Ireland, 
 by whom he has three children, — Walter I., 
 Edgar H. and Edith H. Mrs. Foss is a mem- 
 ber of the Protestant Episcopal Church and a 
 lady whose kind, motherly heart and sympa- 
 thetic manner have won her a host of warm 
 friends among both old and young. Mr. Foss 
 occupies a prominent place in both social and 
 business circles. He has taken every degree in 
 Free Masonry to the 33rd degree. He is a mem- 
 of Joppa Lodge, No. 315, F. & A. M. ; Blanch- 
 ard Chapter, No. 59, R. A. M. ; Bay City Com- 
 mandery, No. 26, K. T. ; and Bay City Coun- 
 cil, No. 53, R. & S. M., all Scottish Rite bodies 
 in Bay City ; and Michigan Sovereign Consis- 
 tory, S. P. R. S., and Moslem Temple, A. A. 
 O. N. M. S., at Detroit. 
 
 YRELLE RABY, one of the well- 
 known citizens of Bay County, whose 
 30 acres of well-improved land in 
 section 29, Hampton township, he 
 has owned and occupied since 1885. was born 
 December 15, 1842, at Ottawa Lake, some 36 
 miles north of Montreal, Canada. He is a son 
 of Hyacinth and Joset (Charlette) Raby. 
 
 The father of Mr. Raby was born at Quebec, 
 of French parents. The mother was of Ger- 
 man and French extraction. Hyacinth Raby, 
 who was a farmer by occupation, was 65 years 
 of age when he came to Bay County, Michigan. 
 For years prior to his death, at the age of 87 
 years and four months, he lived retired. The 
 mother was a native of Montreal and spent the 
 last few months of her life with our subject, 
 who was one of her 1 1 children, dying at the 
 age of 62 years. 
 
 Cyrelle Raby was 19 years of age before he 
 left his father's Canadian farm. In 1861 he 
 
"OO 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 and a brother came to Bay County which has 
 been his home ever since. For several years he 
 worked at carpenter work and then bought a 
 comfortable home on i8th street, Bay City, 
 which he occupied for 23 years and still owns. 
 He entered the Bradley mills, where for 17 
 years he was superintendent and millwright, 
 with 100 men in his employ, hax'ing complete 
 charge. After 23 years in mill work, Mr. Raby 
 decided to try farming, securing his present 
 place when it was still wild land. This he 
 cleared himself and placed under cultivation, 
 operating it for some time but now having his 
 son take charge of affairs. Its many improve- 
 ments make this one of the most attractive and 
 comfortable homes on the Center avenue road. 
 
 On July 16. 1866, Mr. Raby was married 
 to Mary Bauer, who was born June 20, 1842, 
 at Quebec, Canada, and came to Bay City, with 
 her brother, a few months prior to her mar- 
 riage. Mr. and Mrs. Raby have four children, 
 namely: Emma (Mrs. Gregory), of Bay City, 
 who has two sons and one daughter : Cyrelle, 
 who married Mary Spegel and operates the 
 home farm; James, an officer in the United 
 States Navy, who was married in 1896 to Jan- 
 etta Callahan and has one daughter; and Jo- 
 seph, of Bay City, who married Cora Conlon. 
 Mr. Raby and family belong to St. John's 
 Catholic Church at Essexville. 
 
 Mr. Raby's son, Lieut. James Raby, has 
 made an honorable record in the navy. He was 
 born September 17, 1874, at Bay City, and was 
 16 years old when he was admitted to the great 
 United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. 
 Maryland. On July i, 1897. he was commis- 
 sioned ensign, and later was advanced to lieu- 
 tenant and the latest advices received in No- 
 vember, 1904, from his ship, the "Monadnock." 
 then stationed at Shanghai, China, were to the 
 effect that he was to be made navigator and 
 have charge of the target practice as ordnance 
 
 officer. He seems to have a brilliant future in 
 store. His home is at San Francisco, Cal- 
 ifornia. 
 
 OHN L. WEBER, who owns one of 
 the fine homes of Portsmouth town- 
 ship, consisting of 63 acres of well- 
 cultivated land in section i, where is 
 located one of the modern residences of the lo- 
 cality, 20 acres in section 36 and 40 more 
 acres in section 7,1,, is a native of Bay County, 
 and was born February 24, i860, in Hampton 
 township. He is a son of Philip and Mary 
 (Saxlinger) Weber. 
 
 Philip Weber was born in Germany some 
 80 years ago and now resides at Bay City. The 
 mother of our subject was also born in Ger- 
 many and has passed her 61 st birthday. They 
 have a comfortable home on Park avenue. Bay 
 City. They have six children, namely ; Mrs. 
 Mary Rodel, of Bay City; John L. ; Mrs. Min- 
 nie Gies, of Portsmouth township; Mrs. 
 Maggie Boehringer, of Bay City ; George, who 
 is farming the old homestead ; and Mrs. Bar- 
 bara Weber, of Hampton township. 
 
 John L. Weber was reared in Hampton 
 township and attended school there but has 
 lived on his present farm for the past 20 years. 
 When he located on it, only 15 acres of the 
 property had been cleared ; all the subsequent 
 clearing was done by him. He has erected a 
 fine home and substantial barns and shelters 
 and has placed his land under a fine state of 
 cultivation. He carries on general farming, 
 paying most attention to grain and hay, and 
 keeps 40 head of cattle. He is ranked with 
 the successful and enterprising agriculturists of 
 the county. 
 
 In August, 1882, Mr. Weber was united in 
 marriage with Rosa Schabel, who was born in 
 Merritt township, Bay County, Michigan, Au- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 701 
 
 gust 15, 1861, and is a daughter of Paul and 
 Barbara Schabel, natives of Germany. Their 
 family of four cliildren — Fred John, Minnie, 
 WilHam Piiilip and Leo Ciiarles — are all at 
 home yet and make a happy, united family. 
 
 Mr. Weber has never taken any very active 
 part in politics beyond voting — the duty of 
 every good citizen — and he has always sup- 
 ported at such times the candidates and meas- 
 ures of the Republican party. 
 
 r.L'RIG LLOYD DAVIES, secre- 
 tary and treasurer of the North 
 American Chemical Company, 
 whose plant is located in Bay City. 
 was born in Liverpool, England, October 3, 
 1865, and is a son of William H. and Eliza- 
 beth Lloyd (Griffith) Davies. 
 
 Mr. Davies' father was torn in Liverpool, 
 England, September 11, 1830, and still resides 
 in his native city. The greater ])art of his life 
 has been spent in business as an estate agent. 
 
 Mr. Davies of this sketch was educated at 
 the Liverpool College and the Liverpool Uni- 
 versity and received his business training with 
 the noted chemical firm of James Muspratt & 
 Sons. In i8go that firm, together with the 
 greater number of the large chemical operators, 
 was absorbed in the United Alkali Company, 
 Ltd., capitalized at $42,000,000. This is the 
 parent company of the North American Chem- 
 ical Company. 
 
 The North American Chemical Company 
 was incorporated April 21, 1898, with John 
 Brock, of Liverpool, England, as president: 
 and Meurig L. Davies, as secretary and treas- 
 urer. The company purchased the McGraw 
 mill property and erected mills suitable for the 
 manufacture of its products, locating the plant 
 on the Saginaw River south of 40th street. 
 
 The main building is a one-story brick, 625 by 
 225 feet in dimensions, and other smaller build- 
 ings are utilized. The company has a salt- 
 block and manufactures salt both by the grainer 
 and \acuum pan processes. The main products 
 are chlorate of potash and chlorate of soda, 
 which go to supply the match, bleaching and 
 fire-works industries of the country. The pro- 
 duction of both coarse and fine salt from their 
 2j wells, 1,000 feet in depth, is a very large part 
 of their business, it being probably the largest 
 concern of its kind in the world. 
 
 This company has a river frontage of nearly 
 one and a half miles, giving fine transportation 
 in that direction, and they have the best of 
 railroad facilities, both the Pere Marquette and 
 the Michigan Central railroads running through 
 the plant. The greater part of the salt is 
 shipped by water and is entirely consumed 
 the United States. A force of 160 men is used 
 in connection with the chemical works. 
 
 In order to provide fuel for these factories, 
 the same capitalists acquired the Bay Coal 
 Mining Company, which owns coal lands in 
 Frankenlust township, some six miles away. 
 The chemical works alone consume 4,700 tons 
 of coal a month. The coal company does 1)oth 
 a wholesale and retail business. In 1904 it 
 hoisted 60,000 tons, but the company handles a 
 large amount of coal over what its own mines 
 produce. The plant of the chemical company 
 at Bay City represents an investment of 
 $1,250,000. Its location in the United States 
 is a direct result of the McKinley tariff bill. 
 The annual pay-roll exceeds $150,000. Mr. 
 Davies came to take personal charge of this 
 plant in 1899. In addition to his official rela- 
 tions with the North .\merican Chemical Com- 
 pany, Mr. Davies is also president of the Bay 
 Coal Mining Company, vice-president of the 
 Bay County Coal Operators' Exchange, and a 
 director of the Michigan Salt Association. Mr. 
 
702 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Davies is a man of very strong individuality; 
 his face expresses intellect, vigor and deter- 
 mination. 
 
 In 1893 ^^- Davies married Lillian Sim- 
 ister, who is a daughter of Timothy Simister, 
 of Runcorn, England. They have one daugh- 
 ter, Marjorie Myering. Both Mr. and Mrs. 
 Davies are members of the Protestant Episco- 
 pal Church and Mr. Davies' love of music led 
 him to become a member of the church choir. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Davies is a Mason, a mem- 
 ber of Bay City Lodge, No. 129, F. & A. M., 
 Blanchard Chapter, No. 59, R. A. M. ; Bay 
 City Council. No. 53, R. & S. M. : and ail 
 of the Scottish Rite bodies up to the 32d de- 
 gree. He belongs to the Michigan Sovereign 
 Consistory, S. P. R. S., and Moslem Temple, 
 A. A. O. N. M. S., at Detroit. Socially he is 
 a member of the Bay City Club, Bay City Boat 
 Club, Married People's Club and Golf Club. 
 Politically he has identified himself with the 
 Republican party, seeing in its principles the 
 foundations of wise government for the L'nited 
 States. 
 
 Although this great enterprise at Bay City 
 is controlled by English wealth, it is managed 
 strictly on American principles, from an Amer- 
 ican standpoint. 
 
 ENRY H. THOMAS, a prominent cit- 
 izen of Bay City, has been extensively 
 engaged in the manufacture of dyna- 
 mite in Kawkawlin township for 
 many years. He is a veteran of the Civil War, 
 bearing an honorable record for service in the 
 Union Army. Mr. Thomas was born at Staf- 
 ford, New York, December 13, 1843. ^'""^^ '^ a 
 son of Henry and Catherine (Collins) Thomas. 
 Henry Thomas was born in Bideford, Dev- 
 onshire, England, his parents having come from 
 
 Wales. He came to America at the age of 21 
 years and located at Stafford, New York. He 
 first engaged in farming, and later established 
 a factory for the manufacture of potash, con- 
 tinuing in that business the remainder of his 
 life. He married Catherine Collins, who came 
 of an old pioneer family of Geneseo. New York. 
 ' The}' had six children, as follows : Emma, wife 
 of Solomon Ford, of Buffalo, New York; 
 George H., deceased; James P., of Titusville, 
 Pennsylvania ; Henry H. ; Horatio, deceased ; 
 and Daniel W., of Raton, New Mexico. Re- 
 ligiously, the family were Methodists, the father 
 being a devout Christian and a class leader in 
 the church. 
 
 Henry H. Thomas left home at the age of 
 nine years to learn photography, and it was this 
 work which gave him a taste for chemistry. He 
 made daguerreotypes and later ambrotypes, 
 commonly called tintypes. After the Civil 
 War broke out, in 1862 he enlisted in Company 
 G, 129th Reg. New York Vol. Inf., which after- 
 ward was reorganized as the Eighth New York 
 Heavy Artillery. He served in all the engage- 
 ments of the regiment, and was seriously 
 wounded before Petersburg, being sent to the 
 general hospital at Buffalo, New York. In 
 1864, he was made a sergeant and upon more 
 than one occasion covered himself with glory, 
 although unjustly deprived of the honors in the 
 official records. The War Department refused 
 to entertain his claims for recognition of his 
 services, although accompanied by the recom- 
 mendations of his comrades, as it was claimed 
 no reference to the events, upon which his 
 claims are based, had been made in the records 
 of the ofifice. The colonel of his regiment, how- 
 ever claims that a full statement of the facts 
 were included in the history of the regiment. 
 Mr. Thomas has in his possession the follow- 
 ing statement, signed and sworn to by Lieu- 
 tenant LeRny Williams, ist lieutenant of Com- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 703 
 
 pany L, Eighth New York Heavy Artillery, 
 relative to his bravery and valor on the battle- 
 field, a tribute deserving of preservation in an 
 imperishable form : 
 
 The following statement of facts, relative to Sergt. 
 Henry H. Thomas of Co. G, 8th N. Y. H. Art., during 
 the Civil War, are such as came under my personal 
 observation, (viz.) at the battle of Boynton Plank 
 Road on Hatcher's Run, as we called it. On the 2Sth 
 day of November, 1864, (I think it was), Sergeant 
 Thomas displayed wonderful coolness. The enemy ad- 
 vanced a column of infantry across the Run and de- 
 ployed them as skirmishers in front of our battalion, 
 which was at the time lying down in line of battle some 
 forty rods distant across an open field. Sergeant 
 Thomas discovered the move and at once ordered the 
 men near him to open fire, setting the example himself 
 by loading and firing his own piece repeatedly while 
 urging the men to more active work. Our fire seemed 
 to waver the advance of the enemy and he at once took 
 in the situation and commanded the men to follow him 
 and drive the enemy back across the Run, which was 
 done, he being in the extreme advance. And again, at 
 the battle of Five Forks (or as we knew the place. 
 Crow House,) on the morning of April 2, 1865, the 
 regiment was ordered to charge the enemy's works 
 through a slashing of timber, which had been felled and 
 burned over, and Sergeant Thomas again led the ad- 
 vance of his company and scaled the breastworks into a 
 fort which was afterwards named Fort Porter, ordered 
 the men in the fort to throw down their arms and sur- 
 render, and later marched 30 of the prisoners out of 
 the sally-port at the rear of the fort and turned them 
 over to an officer who praised him for his gallantry and 
 said to him he "should receive a commission therefor," 
 but taking the prisoners in charge reported them him- 
 self to headquarters and was, I am told, breveted cap- 
 tain for Sergeant Thomas' gallantry and the sergeant 
 not mentioned. I believe this sergeant should even at 
 this late date receive from the War Department some 
 token or mark of recognition in the form of brevet 
 rank or service medal, which could be handed down to 
 his children, and proper inention of his personal service 
 be made on the records at Washington. 
 
 (Signed) Lieut. LeRov Willl^ms, 
 
 1st Lieut. Co. L, Sth N. Y. H. Art. 
 
 (Sworn to before Jasper W. Garlich, Not. Pub., 
 Lansing, Michigan.) 
 
 .\ similar statement, not cjuite so com])lete 
 in detail, signed by John R. Coo]ier. captain of 
 
 Company G, and assistant adjutant general, is 
 in Mr. Thomas' possession. 
 
 After the war Mr. Thomas returned to 
 Stafford, New York, for a short stay, then 
 went to Titusville. Pennsylvania, in the days 
 of the oil boom of 1865. He worked first as 
 an engineer, then became an owner of wells 
 and continued as a producer there until 1869. 
 He then began operations in the oil regions of 
 West Virginia, where he was an active pro- 
 ducer until 1872. in which year he came to 
 Bay City, Michigan, where he has since l>een 
 located. He first engaged here in the manu- 
 facture of nitro-glycerine torpedoes for salt- 
 wells, and from that branched into the manu- 
 facture of all the various forms of high ex- 
 plosives in which nitro-glycerine and dynamite 
 are used. His output is from 800,000 to 
 1.000,000 pounds of dynaiuite of various 
 grades per year. His plant is located in Kaw- 
 kawlin township. In December, 1904, his 
 new factory was completely destroyed by fire, 
 Init undaunted he rebuilt immediately and has 
 his factory in running order and in full opera- 
 tion. On April 3, 1905, his store house in 
 which a quantity of high explosives was kept, 
 was destroyed in a terrific explosion of its 
 contents. Three men, employees of the works, 
 but who had no business at the storehouse, 
 were blown to atoms, while windows for miles 
 around suffered severely. 
 
 Mr. Thomas is a man of great energy and 
 enterprise, honorable in his every act, and has 
 attained success through his own industry, 
 never profiting by another's misfortune. He 
 possesses a strong personality and is highly 
 esteemed by his many acquaintances. 
 
 ^Ir. Thomas was first united in marriage 
 with Maria L. Smith, a daughter of Thaddeus 
 Smith of Bay City, who died leaving three 
 children : Elizabeth M. : James P., of Bay 
 Citv: and Hemw Randall, who died at the 
 
yo4 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 age of four years. Mrs. Thomas was a mem- 
 ber of the Protestant Episcopal Church. Our 
 subject formed a second matrimonial alliance 
 with A. Delia Stewart, a daughter of John A. 
 Stewart of Southfield, Michigan, by whom he 
 has a daughter, Ida Belle. They attend the 
 Presbyterian Church. Fraternally, Mr. 
 Thomas is a member of Joppa Lodge, No. 315, 
 
 F. & A. M. ; and H. P. Merrill Post, No. 419, 
 
 G. A. R. 
 
 EORCiE C. TOUGH, who has resided 
 for the past 10 years on his present 
 farm of 40 acres, situated in section 
 21, Merritt township, is one of the 
 prominent citizens of the locality. He was 
 born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, November 
 13, 1843, ^^^ is ^ son of Alexander and Jane 
 (Copeland) Tough. 
 
 The old family farm on which our subject 
 was born contained 100 acres and at the period 
 of his birth had been in the possession of the 
 Tough family for a number of generations. 
 Both our subject's parents spent their lives 
 there, the mother of George C. being Alex- 
 ander Tough's second wife. By this marriage 
 five daughters and three sons were born. Two 
 daughters were born to the first marriage. 
 
 George C. Tough grew up on his father's 
 farm and attended the schools in his native 
 locality until he was 16 years of age, when he 
 learned the trade of pattern-maker. He was 
 too ambitious, however, to feel satisfied with 
 his prospects in Scotland, and in 1871 he came 
 to America and was employed for a time in the 
 city of Chicago. Competition was so great 
 there that he decided to seek another location 
 and his travels brought him to Bay City in 
 1874. He was always handy with tools and, 
 in addition to working at his trade, was occu- 
 pied during a part of his residence in Bay City 
 
 at work in the carpenter line. After purchasing 
 his present farm, 25 years ago, he set to work 
 to clear it. The tract was heavily timbered at 
 the time Mr. Tough bought it. Prior to mov- 
 ing on it in 1895, he had cleared a consider- 
 able portion of it ; this work has now been 
 completed and the whole farm has been placed 
 under a fine state of cultivation. He carries 
 on general farming and stock-raising, in which 
 he meets with very satisfactory results. The 
 comfortable home and barns and necessary 
 farm buildings are of a substantial character 
 and add greatly to the value of the property. 
 
 Mr. Tough has always been a man of pro- 
 gressive ideas and when he located on the farm 
 he opened a general store which he conducted 
 for eight years. For 1 5 years he was agent for 
 the Mutual Fire Insurance Company, an or- 
 ganization he still represents. During Presi- 
 dent Cleveland's last administration he was ap- 
 pointed postmaster at Munger and held over 
 through the administration of President Mc- 
 Kinley, although he is a very stanch Demo- 
 crat. He has always taken a very active part 
 in political matters and has served his town- 
 ship in many public offices. For several years 
 he was a justice of the peace, for two years was 
 highway commissioner and has filled school 
 offices for a long time. 
 
 In 1876, at Chatham, Canada, Mr. Tough 
 was married to Ellen Graham, who was born 
 December 13, 1854, in Oxford District, On- 
 tario, and is a daughter of John and Jane 
 (McAlpin) Graham, natives of Scotland. Mrs. 
 Tough is a member of the Presbyterian 
 Church, to which Mr. Tough liberally contrib- 
 utes. He assisted in the erection of the Pres- 
 byterian Church in his neighborhood, drawing 
 the plans and helping in the construction. He 
 has never united with the church, but he was 
 the first trustee of this organization. 
 
 When Mr. Tough came to Michigan he 
 
CAPT. GEORGE TURNER 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 707 
 
 was a poor man, a business venture having 
 failed in Cliicago just prior to tliis. Thus he 
 was obliged to begin at the bottom of the lad- 
 der. Patience, i)erseverance and industry all 
 contributed to his success in a material way, 
 while his sterling traits of character soon won 
 him the respect and esteem of his fellow- 
 citizens. 
 
 APT. GEORGE TURNER, whose 
 portrait accompanies this sketch, has 
 been city engineer of Bay City for 
 27, years and in that capacity has ren- 
 dered invaluable services to the public as is 
 evidenced by the public works erected under his 
 supervision, which are unexcelled in the State 
 of Michigan. Captain Turner was born in 
 Clinton County, Michigan, January 29, 1835, 
 and is a son of Joseph and Emeline (Knox) 
 Turner, both natives of England, the former 
 of Nottinghamshire and the latter of Birming- 
 ham. 
 
 Upon coming to the United States, our 
 subject's parents first located in New York 
 State. They came to Alichigan in the early 
 "thirties," and Joseph Turner operated a grist- 
 mill at Clinton for some years and later one 
 at Dearborn, where he remained until 1848. 
 In that year he moved to Detroit, where he 
 was identified at different times with the dry 
 goods and grocery lines, in addition to operat- 
 ing grist-mills at Rochester and Stony Creek, 
 Michigan. After two years he closed out the 
 mercantile business and took up his residence at 
 Stony Creek, where he continued in the milling 
 business until his death at the age of 52 years. 
 He was a Democrat in politics. He was a 
 member of the Royal Arch Chapter, the 
 highest IMasonic body in the State at that 
 time, was past master of Detroit Lodge, F. & 
 A. M., and at the time of his death was grand 
 
 38 
 
 treasurer of the Grand Lodge, F. & A. M., of 
 Michigan. He was united in marriage with 
 Emeline Knox, whom he met in New York 
 State, and they had six children who grew to 
 maturity, namely: George: Charles K., of Sag- 
 inaw, Michigan; William, of South Bend, In- 
 diana; Edwin, deceased, who resided in Chi- 
 cago : Albert, a member of Company B, loth 
 Reg.. ]\Iichigan Vol. Inf., during the Civil 
 War, who died of wounds received at the siege 
 of Corinth ; and Joseph, who is a resident of 
 Bay City. Religiously, the family are Episco- 
 palians. 
 
 George Turner received his educational 
 training principally in the public schools of 
 Detroit. While still in school he became a 
 cadet in the surveyor-general's department, 
 United States Survey, under General Lyons, 
 working mostly in Michigan. He thus gained 
 a thorough knowledge of surveying. He con- 
 tinued with that department until the outbreak 
 of the Civil War, although during the last 
 three years of that time he was on leave of 
 absence and served as county sur\-eyor of Mid- 
 land County and as register of deeds. He was 
 called into the service in 1861 as 2nd lieutenant 
 of Company B, loth Reg., Michigan Vol. Inf., 
 and subsequently was advanced to a ist lieu- 
 tenancy in that company. He became captain 
 of Company A, of the same regiment, and later 
 captain of engineers, ist U. S. Veteran Volun- 
 teer engineers, which regiment was authorized 
 by a direct act of Congress and was called 
 "General Thomas' Regiment." He partici- 
 pated in the battles of Farmington, Booneville, 
 luka. sige of Corinth, skirmishes about Nash- 
 ville in 1862, battle of Stone River, advance on 
 Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, 
 advance on Atlanta and the battle of Nashville. 
 Immediately after the battle of Chickamauga, 
 he joined the engineering corps. At Stone 
 River, on different days he was twice wounded. 
 
7o8 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 once in the hand and once in the leg. He was 
 mustered out of ser\-ice in 1865. and for a 
 period of 16 years remained in the South, en- 
 gaged in contracting in Tennessee, Alabama, 
 Georgia and Arkansas. 
 
 In tlie fall of 1881, Captain Turner re- 
 turned to Michigan, locating at Bay City and 
 the following spring became city engineer, a 
 position he has filled creditably up to the pres- 
 ent. Nearly all of the sewerage system was 
 put in and all the present paving laid under his 
 direct supervision. The City Hall, a magnifi- 
 cent granite structure costing $250,000 and one 
 of the finest municipal buildings in the State, 
 was erected under his supervision, as were the 
 Belinda street bridge and the 23rd street bridge 
 across the West Channel, both built in 1902. 
 Captaui Turner was one of the promoters and 
 since its inception has been a director in the 
 Bay City Belt Line Railroad, a corporation 
 whose lines are leased by the Pere Marquette 
 Railroad Company. 
 
 Captain Turner was united in marriage 
 with Julia Smith, a native of Michigan. They 
 had one daughter, Edith, who is the wife of 
 Richard Richardson, of Midland, Michigan. 
 Captain Turner was again married in 1865 at 
 Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Sophia P. Thomp- 
 son, a native of Georgia, and they have one 
 son, now grown to maturity, — G. Edwin, who 
 is county surveyor and resides in Bay City. 
 
 Captain Turner is a member of U. S. Grant 
 Post, No. 67, G. A. R., of which he is past 
 commander. He is also a member of the Mili- 
 tary Order of the Loyal Legion of the United 
 States and the LInion Veteran Legion. He is 
 a member of Bay City Lodge, No. 23, Knights 
 of Pythias ; is colonel of the Third Regiment, 
 Uniform Rank, Knights of Pythias; and a 
 member of Lodge No. 88, B. P. O. E. In poli- 
 tics he has always been a stanch Republican 
 since the organization of the party. 
 
 G. Edwin Turner, son of Capt. George 
 Turner, attended the schools of Bay City and 
 immediately after graduation entered his 
 father's office, in which he gained a practical 
 and technical knowledge of surveying. In 1898 
 he was elected county surveyor and has held 
 that office ever since. He was joined in mar- 
 riage with Kathleen Atkinson, a daughter of 
 Robert Atkinson, of Bay City. Fraternally, 
 he is a member of Portsmouth Lodge, No. 
 190, F. & A. M. ; Blanchard Chapter, Nc. 59, 
 R. A. M. ; and Bay City Council, No. 53, R. 
 & S. M. He is a Republican in politics, and 
 both he and his wife are members of Trinity 
 Protestant Episcopal Church. 
 
 OMER E. BUCK, born at Bath, Mich- 
 igan, October 4, 1859, is to-day a 
 living example of the possibilities 
 before the enterprising and aggres- 
 sive 3'outh of our great country. Attracted by 
 the booming lumber town, the Buck family 
 moved here in 1871, but all their liright pros- 
 pects were soon blasted by the death of the 
 father. A mother and sister alone remained 
 to mourn with Homer. With the decision of 
 character that has since contributed so much 
 to his success in life, the little lad at once deter- 
 mined to provide for the lo\'ed ones at home. 
 He became a newsboy, later circulation man- 
 ager for the Detroit Ncn-s, earning $30 to $35 
 per month, and worked evenings, while attend- 
 ing school regularly. 
 
 \\'hen 16 years old Mr. Buck entered the 
 employ of L. F. Miller & Company, where in 
 five years he thoroughly mastered the whole- 
 sale grocery trade, and when scarcely of age 
 went into business for himself. With Joseph 
 Leighton he conducted for 14 years a most 
 prosperous and successful commission store, 
 which the latter is still maintaining. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 709 
 
 Mr. Buck, after selling out, entered a new- 
 field by opening offices in the Shearer Block, 
 where he has since em joyed a constantly in- 
 creasing business, as merchandise broker, im- 
 porter's and manufacturer's agent, and car-lot 
 shipper. This business calls him frequently 
 (.)ut of the city, ijut that has ne\er appeared to 
 interfere with the manifold public enterprises 
 and public duties with which he has in late 
 years become associated. He is at present 
 president of the E. P. Roe Company, of Bad 
 .Axe, Michigan; is a director in the Argentuil 
 Gold Mining Company, with ])roperties located 
 fin Jackfish Bay, Canada, and stockholder in 
 a number of thriving local business institu- 
 tutions. He was one of the organizers 
 and is a director of Bay City's beautiful city 
 of the dead. — Elm Lawn Ceinetery. The first 
 sugar beet seed brought into Bay County was 
 secured by Mr. Buck from Germany for Hon. 
 Nathan B. Bradley. C. B. Chatfield. and their 
 colaborers. 
 
 Despite the constantly growing demands of 
 his varied business interests, his prodigious 
 energy, earnest devotion to the welfare of his 
 home city and its higher institutions and keen 
 interest in every public enterprise, have for 
 many years carried him into every movement 
 for the development and advancement of Bay 
 County. He was instrumental in bringing 
 here the first chicory factory, introduced to the 
 markets of the country some of the first beet 
 sugar manufactured in Bay City, contributed 
 to the development of the coal mining indus- 
 try locally, and through his years of devoted 
 work on the executive committee of the Board 
 of Trade has been actively identified with every 
 new enterprise secured through that organiza- 
 tion. 
 
 For Years Mr. Buck has been an ardent ad- 
 vocate of a new railway line through the 
 "Thumb" of Michigan, thus opening for Bay 
 
 City's trade the rich farming country Iving to 
 the east. On May i. 1905. with Hon. Nathan 
 B. Bradley, Hon. George .\. Prescott, of 
 Tawas (Secretary of State, 1905-06), W. C. 
 Pennoyer, Edgar B. Foss and Hon. Chester L. 
 Collins, he has succeeded in getting a good 
 franchise for entering Port Huron with their 
 proposed new road, — the Bay City & Port 
 Huron Railroad. The line has been surveyed, 
 has excellent terminals, good freight prospects 
 in the products of farm and coal mine, touches 
 a thickly settled urban district and will fill a 
 long felt want for this part of Michigan. 
 
 Mr. Buck labored for years to bring about 
 the consolidation of the Bay Cities, and when 
 in 1905 the union seemed hopelessly lost he it 
 was, who with Hon. Spencer O. Fisher, \\\ D. 
 Young, and others, carried the vital matter be- 
 fore Governor Fred M. Warner and won out. 
 Already some of the strongest opponents to 
 this union of the sister cities are acknowledg- 
 ing the benefits following consolidation, and 
 the years to come will surely place the seal of 
 unqualified approval upon the union, brought 
 about in the last analysis by a handful of pub- 
 lic-spirited business men. 
 
 Mr. Buck has always found time from his 
 business affairs for the plain duties of good 
 citizenship. An ardent Republican, he cast his 
 first vote for James G. Blaine in 1884. and his 
 party service has since been continuous. For 
 15 years he served on his ward committee, for 
 six years he was treasurer of the Repul>lican 
 County Committee, being its chairman in 
 1900-02, proving there as ever an aggressive, 
 energetic organizer. He has contributed much 
 to the success of his party and its standard- 
 bearers in Bay Coimty during more than 20 
 years of active party service. He has never 
 aspired to any public office, although his many 
 friends would have been delighted to see him 
 the first mavor of Greater Bav Citv. In the 
 
7IO 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 State Convention at Grand Rapids in June, 
 1904, he was honored by being nominated as 
 one of Michigan's electors at large, being 
 elected on the Republican ticket in November, 
 1904, by the sweeping endorsement accorded 
 President Theodore Roosevelt by the electors 
 of the State, who organized the party under 
 the oaks at Jackson half a century ago. Mr. 
 Buck represented Bay County at that semi- 
 centennial celebration in July, 1904. He has 
 served five years on the Board of Water 
 Works ; five years on the Board of Fire Com- 
 missioners, two years of which he was presi- 
 dent, and at present represents the Fifth 
 Ward on the Board of Education, a member 
 of some of its most important committees. He 
 is an active member and deacon of the First 
 Presbyterian Church, taking an active part in 
 the building of the present magnificent house 
 of worship, as well as in the recent eflfort, 
 which resulted in wiping out the last indebted- 
 ness on this church. He is a Scottish Rite 
 Mason, being a member of Bay City Lodge, 
 No. 129, F. & A. M.; Blanchard Chapter. No. 
 59, R. A. M. ; and Bay City Council, No. 53, 
 R. & S. M.. all of Bay City; and Moslem 
 Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Detroit. He is 
 also an honorary member of the Peninsular 
 Military Company, a member of the ^Modern 
 Archers of America and of the Knights of the 
 Loyal Guard. 
 
 Mr. Buck was married on April 23, 1884, 
 to Alargaret Lewis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. 
 D. M. Lewis, two of Bay County's oldest and 
 most esteemed pioneers. Seven children have 
 blessed their home : Homer Clifford ; I\Iary A. ; 
 David Justice; Alma Blanche; Harold Lewis; 
 Edna Marguerite and Helen Esther. Mrs. 
 Buck is a true type of American womanhood, 
 a loving, dutiful wife and mother, charitable 
 to a degree, and beloved and respected lay the 
 community. 
 
 The Buck family on the paternal side trace 
 their ancestry back to 640 in Holland, the head 
 of this branch going to England in 1500, a 
 later sprig to Boston in 1647, and to New 
 Amsterdam shortly after. The family is very 
 prolific, members being now found all over 
 the country, being especially noted for the 
 number of civil engineers and surveyors it has 
 has produced. 
 
 I 
 
 AULUS GREUL, who owns a fine 
 farm of So acres in section 24, Mon- 
 itor township, is one of the highly 
 esteemed citizens of this locality and 
 one of its well-informed men. Mr. Greul was 
 born in Bavaria, Germany, August 7, 1836, 
 and is a son of George and Margaret (Winter) 
 Greul. The parents of "Sir. Greul spent their 
 li\-es in Germany, Paulus and Adam being the 
 only ones of the family of seven children to 
 come to America. 
 
 Our subject was only 16 years of age when 
 he left Germany and came to America with 
 his uncle, John Winter. The travelers came 
 right through to Saginaw City, where the 
 youth found work at the Webster House for 
 two years. He then came to Lower Saginaw, 
 as Bay City was originally called, and was em- 
 ployed for seven and a half years teaming for 
 Charles Fitzhugh. About this time he was 
 married and embarked in hotel-keeping, hav- 
 ing learned much about the business at the 
 Webster House. With the asistance of his 
 good wife he made money in this business and 
 for 15 years conducted the Detroit House in 
 Bay City. Li the meantime he had bought his 
 present 80-acre farm and had it cleared and put 
 under cultivation, and when his hotel burned 
 in 1878 he moved upon the farm, where he has 
 been comfortablv settled ever since. He has 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 711 
 
 here e\crything a reasonable man could desire, 
 — a fine home, two substantial barns and good 
 out-buildings, a productive orchard and fields 
 full of cattle and stock. 
 
 Mr. Greul was united in marriage with 
 Margaret Meckler, who was born in Bavaria, 
 Germany, October 31, 1841, and is a daughter 
 of George and Christiana (Beyer) Meckler. 
 Three children have been born to them : Eus- 
 tace, who died in infancy ; ^largaret. who died 
 aged six years and eight months; and Mary, 
 who married Henry Gies. Mr. and Mrs. Gies 
 live with our subject and wife; their only son, 
 Oscar Gies, died when aged almost a year. 
 
 !Mr. Greul has never taken any active part 
 in politics, preferring to vote more for the man 
 than the party and satisfied if an honest citi- 
 zen is elected who will execute the laws with- 
 out any party bias. He has been one of the 
 board of trustees of the German Lutheran 
 Church at West Bay City for the past 12 years 
 and is a man who is respected by all who know 
 him. His industry and good management 
 ha\'e brought him large returns and he is one 
 of Monitor township's substantial men. 
 
 
 
 M 
 
 1 
 
 fl.LIAM W. SIMPSON, one of the 
 early settlers of Portsmouth town- 
 ship, owning a fine farm in section 
 5, was born March 23. 1847. at 
 Glasgow, Scotland, and is a son of William C. 
 and Janet (W^ingfield) Simpson. 
 
 William C. Simpson was born October 27, 
 1 816, at Glasgow. Scotland, and came to the 
 United States with his family in 1850. He 
 came five years later to Bay County, where he 
 died November 8, 1879. He was an experi- 
 enced machinist and set up the first millstone in 
 Bay County and ground the first corn at Mc- 
 Ewan's mill. He was a fine man, one who de- 
 
 served, as he received, the respect of all who 
 knew him. He was a justice of the peace dur- 
 ing two terms, was overseer of the highways 
 for a number of terms and was one of the first 
 officers of School District No. 5, Portsmouth 
 township. He identified himself with the Re- 
 publican party and supported its principles. 
 The mother of our subject was born at 
 Straven, Scotland. July 11, 1S21, and died in 
 Bay County on March 27. 1902. Nine chil- 
 dren were born to William C. Simpson and 
 wife. 
 
 A tourist making his leisurely way over 
 Portsmouth township, at the present day, 
 would very probably select as the finest Irmd 
 in view what was, when our subject came with 
 his parents to Bay County, land all covered 
 with water. The tourist would be right, for 
 these former swamp lands, like the valley of 
 the Nile, are undoubtedl)" the most fertile in 
 this locality, but only those who have been en- 
 gaged in the draining, clearing and cultivating 
 of them, really know their value. 
 
 I\Ir. Simpson was three \-ears old when his 
 parents reached New York and cannot recall 
 the long overland trip to Detroit and thence to 
 Carmeltown, Canada, where the family lived 
 three years. In 1855 the father led the wav to 
 Bay County, the family following in Septem- 
 ber, 1856. The father was engaged in lum- 
 bering at that time and they lived in Bay City 
 until February. 1862. His rapidly increasing 
 family made the father consider the advisabil- 
 ity of securing land while plenty was in the 
 market, and he took up 120 acres of swamp 
 land in Portsmouth township, securing it under 
 the swamp land act. We may imagine the 
 little family supplying their needs from Bay 
 City, walking a "blazed" trail, the only high- 
 way liy which they were able to reach Bay City 
 for seven years after they settled here. Enough 
 lumber was taken around by boat and then 
 
71- 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 carried across the prairie, witii which to build 
 a house i6 by 26 feet in ground dimensions 
 and eight feet high. Tiiere were no dwehing 
 houses between the family home and Bay City 
 and this fact alone presents a most convincing 
 picture of the lonely life and hardships which 
 this worthy family lived through in those pio- 
 neer days. This was by no means all. When 
 the spring rains came, the water in the un- 
 drained territory rose waist high, occasioning 
 untold hardships, many thrilling adventures 
 and a number of serious accidents. 
 
 Mr. Simpson and his father cut the hay 
 growing wild on the prairies during the sum- 
 mers and in the winters the sale of this brought 
 in an income. They hauled it over the ice in 
 hand sleighs. They also hauled the hay for 
 many of their neighbors who came later, and 
 during a prosperous season hauled 15 tons in 
 this way. In 1870, after years of hard and un- 
 remitting toil, almost everything was swept 
 away by a forest fire. In addition to their 
 buildings, the family lost t,;}, tons of hay, all 
 their machinery and a great quantity of rails 
 and cord wood. Following came sickness, the 
 inevitable chills and fever associated with a 
 wet country, and the result is that Mr. Simpson, 
 in spite of his life of unvarying industry, has 
 but a part of the original farm. This, however, 
 is in a fine state of cultivation and, as noted, is 
 of great fertility. He has worked in sawmills, 
 and in lumbering camps and has cut the lumber 
 off a large territory in Bay County. 
 
 In October, 1890, Mr. Simpson was mar- 
 ried to .Mice C. Collin, who was born at Bay 
 City, July 20, 1868, and is a daughter of Will- 
 iam and Eliza (Burbridge) Collin, who were 
 natives of England. They came to America 
 on January i, 1850 and to Bay City in 1862. 
 Mr. and Airs. Simpson have adopted three 
 children from the Coldwater Home, giving 
 
 them parental love and care: Mary, Roland 
 and Ethel. 
 
 Mr. Simpson's political sympathies have 
 always been with the Republican and Prohibi- 
 tion parties. He has taken an active part in 
 the county's affairs, served for six years as 
 overseer of highways and at present is justice 
 of the peace, making an admirable ofiicial. 
 Both he and his estimable wife belong to the 
 Presbyterian Church. 
 
 OHN HEARIT, deceased, who was a 
 prosperous and substantial farmer of 
 Kawkawlin township, with farm in 
 section 19, was born at St. Clair, 
 Michigan, and is a son of George and Bar- 
 bara (Pribster) Hearit. George Hearit died 
 w'hen 32 years old, and his widow is now living 
 at the age of 85 years. 
 
 In 1883, the subject of this sketch bought 
 the farm of 80 acres that he left to his widow 
 and children. Previous to this he owned an- 
 other farm in Kawkawlin township, where he 
 lived six years. He had been married just 20 
 years at the time of his death, which occurred 
 February 9, 1898, in his 43d year. He was an 
 upright and worthy man, and was much re- 
 spected. In politics, he was a Republican. He 
 was a member of the Catholic Church. 
 
 i\Ir. Hearit married Annie Cook, a daugh- 
 ter of William and Elizabeth (Harris) Cook, 
 and eight children resulted from their union, 
 namely : Frank, Elizabeth, George, William 
 Bertha, Mamie, Arthur and Charles. Frank 
 was born in 1880. He married Annie West- 
 ern, and they reared two children, — Elva and 
 Ethel. George was born March 19, 1887. 
 William was born November 19, 1888. Eliza- 
 beth, deceased, was the wife of William ^^^est- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 713 
 
 ern. Bertha. Mamie, Arthur and Cliarles are 
 aged, respectively, 14, 12, 10 and seven years. 
 Mrs. Hearit was married August i, 1904, 
 to Charles Baker, who was born in Canada, 
 and lived for a time at Au Sable, Michigan. 
 
 EORGE RUEGER, Sr., who resides 
 on his 40-acre farm in section 16, 
 Frankenlust township, owns four 
 80-acre farms in the township, and 
 is one of the representative citizens. He was 
 born June 2, 1835, at Gunzenhausen, Bavaria. 
 Germany, and is a son of Michael and Anna 
 Barbara (Schu) Reuger. 
 
 Mr. Rueger's parents were farming people 
 in Germany and passed their whole lives there. 
 Of their six children, our subject is the only 
 one that came to America. The others were : 
 Andrew, Leonard, Michael, Barbara and 
 Mary. 
 
 Our subject came to America in 1852, and 
 after reaching Bay City secured employment 
 in the sawmills, where he worked some three 
 years. Then he bought 40 acres of land in 
 section 16, Frankenlust township, for which he 
 paid $160, as it was school reservation land, it 
 was entirely unimproved, but he built a small 
 home in which he lived alone for about five 
 years, being mostly engaged during this time 
 in clearing and hauling timber. There were 
 no roads then where now fine stone highways 
 invite transportation, and Mr. Rueger, like his 
 neighbors, had to give many days' work to get 
 roads of any kind over which they could drive 
 their heavy wagons. Mr. Rueger has bought 
 other farms, all in Frankenlust township, and 
 is considered one of the substantial men. 
 
 In 1859 Mr. Rueger married Anna Bar- 
 bara Eichinger, who was born on June 2, 1834, 
 near the same town in Germanv as was our 
 
 subject. She accompanied her parents to 
 America on the same ship in which Mr. Rueger 
 crossed, and they came directly to Bay City. 
 She was a daughter of Andrew and .'\nna Bar- 
 bara Eichinger, and died February 22, 1900. 
 She was the mother of these children : George, 
 who is operating a farm in section 8, Franken- 
 lust township; Michael, who married Mar- 
 garet Lutz, a daughter of .\dam and Margaret 
 Lutz, and operates the home farm ; .Andrew, 
 whose farm is in section 18, Frankenlust town- 
 ship; Margaret, wife of George Seidel, of Sag- 
 inaw County; and John, who is farming in sec- 
 tion 8, Frankenlust township. 
 
 Mr. Reuger has been a Democrat ever since 
 he has taken an interest in public affairs. He 
 is a leading member of St. John's German 
 Lutheran Church at Amelith and has been one 
 of the most liberal contributors to the building 
 of a new church structure. He has been one of 
 the trustees of the church for si.x years. 
 
 ARVEY GILBERT, M. D., a prom- 
 inent physician and surgeon at Bay 
 City. Michigan, who, on account of 
 his remarkable success in the treat- 
 ment of that dire disease, smallpox, is gener- 
 ally considered smallpox specialist, is a native 
 of the Dominion of Canada. He was born at 
 Simcoe, Ontario, January 28, 1846, and is a 
 son of John Wyckoff and Christine (Smith) 
 Gilbert. 
 
 Col. Isaac Gilbert, the grandfather of Dr. 
 Gilbert, was one of the United Empire Loyal- 
 ists. He was born in Connecticut, but during 
 the Revolutionary War adhered to the cause of 
 the English Crown and removed to New 
 Brunswick, and subsec|uently to Western 
 Canada, and died in 1848 at Simcoe. Ontario. 
 He acquired his title as a member of the 
 
714 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Canadian militia. His wife was Margaret 
 Wyckoff. of Long Island. Her ancestors were 
 born at Flatbush in an old mansion which was 
 built there 22 years after the Pilgrims landed 
 on Plymouth Rock. Its ruins still are in ex- 
 istence. The family originated in Devonshire, 
 England, and Great-grandfather Gilbert, a 
 lieutenant on a man-of-war, was the original 
 settler in New Brunswick, under the proclam- 
 ation from the English Crown in favor of loyal 
 Tories. 
 
 John WyckofT Gilbert, father of Dr. Gil- 
 bert, was born on his father's farm at Simcoe 
 in 181 3. He became a man of influence, served 
 for a long period as a justice of the peace, and 
 died full of years and honors. He married 
 Christine Smith, who was a daughter of An- 
 drew Smith, of Paterson, New Jersey, and 
 they had nine children, six of whom reached 
 maturity, namely : Samantha, wife of William 
 V. Culver, of Simcoe, Ontario; Peter, of 
 Sterling, Michigan, formerly a member of the 
 State Senate; Harvey, of this sketch; Isaac, 
 an attorney at Bay City ; Albert, operating the 
 homestead farm ; and Frank O., who is a den- 
 tal surgeon at Bay City. In religious connec- 
 tion the parents of this family were Metho- 
 dists, the mother ha\-ing lieen a devoted mem- 
 ber of this church for 56 years. The father 
 had been reared in the Protestant Episcopal 
 Church, but attended religious services with 
 his wife. They were in every way worthy, 
 estimable people and their descendants have 
 reason to recall them with both pride and 
 affection. 
 
 Dr. Gilbert obtained his education in the 
 common schools and the High School at Sim- 
 coe, and then entered upon the study of med- 
 icine with Drs. York and McDonald, in that 
 city, subsequently graduating from a medical 
 college in the citv of New York, and also 
 
 from the New York Ophthalmic Hospital. In 
 1874 he came to Bay City where he practiced 
 for six years as an eye, ear, nose and throat 
 specialist. Since 1880 he has been a general 
 practitioner and since 1900, he has been en- 
 gaged in caring for contagious diseases. 
 
 Dr. Gilbert was one of the first health of- 
 ficers appointed by the Bay City Board of 
 Health as now constituted. He holds an ap- 
 pointment under the Board of Supervisors as 
 smallpox specialist, his remarkable success in 
 handling this disease having brought him into 
 prominence in this line. He has reversed the 
 old methods of treatment. He favors light, 
 air and water for the afflicted and depends 
 mainly upon the skilled use of antiseptics. Very 
 few of his patients show any marking after 
 recovery. To have conquered, through zeal, 
 watchfulness and personal courage, a dreaded 
 scourge which has afflicted the human race, 
 certainly since A. D. 572. one which has at- 
 tacked the king on his throne as surely as the 
 child of the slums, is something which justifies 
 a feeling of pride, and clearly testifies to the 
 supremacyy of skill and talent in the medical 
 profession. Dr. Gilbert has handled over 
 1,600 cases in the present epidemic without 
 anv fatal cases. 
 
 Dr. Gilbert married a daughter of a well- 
 known citizen of Simcoe, Ida A. Beemer, and 
 they had three children : Carlton, who died at 
 the age of nine years ; Leta, a student at Alma 
 College, a member of the class of 1905 ; and 
 John Van Campen, who will graduate from 
 the Bay City High School in the class of 1905. 
 
 Dr. Gilbert is a member of the city and 
 county medical societies and of the American 
 Medical Association. He is fraternally asso- 
 ciated with Bay City Lodge, No. 129, F. & 
 A. M. and Blanchard Chapter, No. 59, R. A. 
 M. In politics he is a Democrat. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 715 
 
 JOHN ENDLIXE. one of the represen- 
 tative citizens and large farmers of 
 Beaver township, has a beautiful 
 home located in section 22 and owns 
 200 acres which extend through sections 22, 
 23 and 15. Mr. Endline was born in Ger- 
 many, in 1849, 3nd is a son of Paulus Endline. 
 
 The father of Mr. Endline was a native of 
 Germany. His death took place when his son 
 John was 13 years old, at the comparatively 
 early age of 41 years. Three years later, the 
 mother remarried, and she died aged 62 years. 
 
 Our subject reached Detroit, Michigan, 
 with his uncle on June 6, 1869, and during the 
 following year he worked for the latter. In 
 1870 he came to Bay City, where he was em- 
 ployed in the Brooks & Adams mill until July, 
 and worked for Miller Brothers in South Bay 
 City until tlie fall of the year, when he was 
 taken down with malaria and was obliged to 
 remain idle, much against his wishes, all the 
 succeeding winter. In the spring of 1871 he 
 was engaged by Mr. Staudacher, of Salzburg, 
 who owned a salt-block, store and farm, and 
 he remained with him until January, 1872, 
 when he went to teaming for Mr. Hecht. Since 
 then he has devoted his attention to farming. 
 
 In No\-ember, 1872, Mr. Endline married 
 Dorothy Betcolt, who was born in Germany 
 and was a daughter of Simon Betcolt. She 
 died in 1886. The six children of this mar- 
 riage were: Annie; Barbara, wife of Gus 
 Nitzchke : Andrew ; Michael : John and Fred- 
 erick. In 1888 Mr. Endline married, as his 
 second wife, Kate Conrad, who was born in 
 Germany and is a daughter of Vitus and Mar- 
 garet (Coiner) Conrad. They have six chil- 
 dren : Dora, bom January 22, 1890; Johanna, 
 born February 11, 1891 : Mary, born July 16, 
 1893; George, born August 4, 1895: Trongott 
 and Maggie (twins), born December 6, 1900; 
 and Katie, born May 7, 1903. 
 
 I Mr. Endline is a stanch Democrat and has 
 been one of the important men of the township 
 for a number of years. In 1877 and 1878 he 
 was township treasurer; in 1880. 1881 and 
 1882, and from 1884 to 1893 he was super- 
 visor, and then was reelected treasurer for two 
 years more. He was elected township clerk in 
 1901 and still holds the office, and has been 
 a school director or assessor for the past 25 
 years. These frequent elections to responsible 
 positions testify plainly as to the confidence and 
 esteem in which he is held by his fellow-citi- 
 zens. He belongs to the German Lutheran 
 Church. 
 
 nXA G. LEWIS, one of the active 
 and enterprising business men of 
 Bay City, and manager of the Lewis 
 Manufacturing Company, one of the 
 city's most flourishing industries, was born at 
 Bay City, and is a son of Hon. George and 
 Frances (Merrill) Lewis. 
 
 The Lewis family is of Welsh extraction, 
 but for many generations it has been estab- 
 lished in the State of New York. Its founders 
 in America settled in Orange County, in the 
 \icinity of West Point. There the paternal 
 great-grandfather, John Lewis, died at the age 
 of 86 years. The grandfather, James Lewis, 
 was of less sturdy constitution, his death oc- 
 curring at the age of 56 years. James Lewis 
 married Elizabeth Thorn, who was a daughter 
 of Da\-id Thorn, and a granddaughter of Jesse 
 Thorn, an old and prominent English Quaker. 
 Mrs. Elizabeth (Thorn) Lewis died at the age 
 of 36 years, leaving six children, all of whom 
 have long since passed away, the death of the 
 youngest, George Lewis, the father of our 
 subject, on January 29, 1897. closing that 
 page of the family record. 
 
 The late George Lewis was one of the early 
 
n6 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 and able business men of Bay City, one whose 
 energy and enterprise left its mark in the firm 
 founding of business concerns that still con- 
 tinue. He was born November 8, 1827, in 
 Orange County, New York, and remained at 
 home until the age of 21 years, securing as fair 
 an education as was possible in the poineer log 
 school house of his native locality. He was 
 very likely better acquainted with farming and 
 lumbering than with books. Prior to 1849 
 he came to Michigan which was then consid- 
 ered as the far, far West, and pleased with the 
 outlook in the Saginaw Valley he located at 
 Zilwaukee and embarked in a lumber business. 
 At this time the most pressing demand in this 
 locality seemed to be for fish barrels, and these 
 Mr. Lewis resolved to make, despite the fact 
 that he had no capital with which to buy ma- 
 chinery. He had, however, plenty of lumber, 
 two strong and capable hands and inherited 
 mechanical genius and until his removal, about 
 1857, to Bay City, he made fish barrels by hand, 
 successfully competing with those who used the 
 clumsy machinery of that day. Prior to leav- 
 ing Zilwaukee he had served in a number of the 
 local offices and was looked upon as one of the 
 representative men of that place. 
 
 After coming to Bay City, Mr. Lewis was 
 superintendent of a mill for about five years 
 and then bought a one-half interest, with Will- 
 iam Peter, in the Partridge sawmill which was 
 then on the site now owned by the Campbell- 
 Brown Lumber Company, on 26th street, and 
 they started into the manufacture of lumber. 
 Subsequently he disposed of this interest and 
 opened the Bay City Savings Bank, contin- 
 uing for two years sole proprietor, and then 
 taking in George Young as a partner. Later 
 it was incorporated with a capital of $50,000 
 and became the Bay City Bank. Mr. Lewis 
 remained president of this institution until he 
 
 resigned the position, in 1886, but he continued 
 on the directing board until 1890. 
 
 Mr. Lewis was interested in other success- 
 ful business enterprises. In 1879 he formed a 
 partnership with Albert Miller, under the firm 
 name of Miller & Lewis, which did business 
 until 1 89 1, when it was reorganized as George 
 Lewis & Company. This company operated a 
 large shingle mill on 26th street, which had 
 capacity and facilities for turning out 40,000 
 shingles a day. During this same period, Mr. 
 Lewis became connected with the lumber firm 
 of G. H. Merrill & Company, which developed 
 into and still continues as the Lewis Manufac- 
 turing Company. 
 
 It is interesting to note the rise and devel- 
 oping of large enterprises, typifying as they do 
 the foresight and judgment of those who ul- 
 timately bring about their prosperity. The 
 Lewis Manufacturing Company had its begin- 
 ning in 1882, when Hyde & Trombley erected 
 a planing mill at Lafayette and James streets, 
 and that firm operated it for some two years. 
 It then fell into the hands of the firm of Merrill 
 & Campbell. The death of W. M. Campbell 
 made a change in the firm style and for a time 
 the business was conducted as G. H. Merrill & 
 Company, George Lewis purchasing Mr. 
 Campbell's interest. The status of the com- 
 pany continued thus until the death of G. H. 
 Merrill, in 1895, when the Lewis Manufac- 
 turing Company was organized and incor- 
 porated, with George Lewis as president; G. 
 H. Lewis as vice-president, and Adna G. Lewis 
 as secretary and treasurer. The control of the 
 mill remains in the hands of Adna G. Lewis, as 
 manager. The business is the manufacturing 
 of and dealing in all kinds of lumber, sash, 
 doors and interior finishings. As a substantial, 
 well-managed concern, it stands as a leader 
 among the many great industries of Bay City. 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 717 
 
 Politically the late George Lewis was 
 always identified with the Republican party. In 
 Bay City he served two years as supervisor 
 from the Sixth W'artl, and two years as a 
 nieniher of the Board of Education. In 1872, 
 witiiout undue effort on his part, he was elected 
 a member of the State Legislature, and served 
 consistently through the session of 1874 which 
 was memorable, as it saw the revision of the 
 State constitution. He was a liberal, broad- 
 minded man and an ideal citizen. He owned 
 much Bay City property, especially in the resi- 
 dential districts and, as he conducted his busi- 
 ness enterprises with marked ability, he became 
 one of the largest capitalists of this section. 
 
 Mr. Lewis was twice married. His first 
 union was with Martha Campbell, who died in 
 Michigan. In 1866 he married Frances Mer- 
 rill, who was a daughter of Alonzo Merrill, of 
 Detroit, and who still survives. Six children 
 were born to this marriage : Jennie, who is the 
 wife of H. R. Albee, of Portland, Oregon; 
 Adna G., who is the immediate subject of this 
 sketch ; Elizabeth, who is the wife of W. W. 
 Chapman, of Bay City; George H., deceased; 
 Frank, a resident of Bay City ; and Marjorie. 
 Mrs. Lewis is a member of the Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church. 
 
 Mr. Lewis held fraternal associations with 
 the Knights of Pythias and the Masons. For 
 eight years he was worshipful master of the 
 Portsmouth Lodge, No. 190, F. & A. M., of 
 which he was a charter member; he was also a 
 member of Blanchard Chapter, No. 59, R. A. 
 M. ; and Bay City Commandery, No. 26, K. T. 
 
 Adna G. Lewis was educated in the public 
 schools of Bay City, and had the benefit of his 
 father's teaching and experience in entering 
 upon business life. From the beginning he 
 was associated with some of his father's enter- 
 prises, and in 1895 he became manager of the 
 Lewis Manufacturing Company. It is a pretty 
 
 good test of a man's business capacity, in these 
 days of fierce competition, to safely and se- 
 curely guide a great business enterprise, avoid- 
 ing labor complications and ca])italistic en- 
 croachments, and still not only continue but 
 add to the concern's prosperity. ]\Ir. Lewis 
 has the satisfaction of knowing, on consulting 
 his balance sheet, that such is the case. 
 
 Mr. Lewis occupies one of the beautiful 
 homes of Bay City and he has a domestic circle 
 which includes a wife, son and daughter. He 
 married Gertrude L. Layton, who is a daughter 
 of Charles E. Layton, of Bay City, and their 
 children are: George Merrill and Gertrude. In 
 politics he takes the same interest in the Re- 
 publican party as did his father, but he has 
 accepted no office, the demands of his business 
 taking up his time. He is a Mason, a member 
 of Portsmouth Lodge, No. 190, F. & A. ^I., 
 and Blanchard Chapter, No. 59, R. A. M. 
 
 RED C. VAN TUYL, secretary and 
 treasurer of the F. C. Van Tuyl 
 Company, funeral directors and em- 
 balmers of West Bay City, was born 
 in Genesee County, Michigan, February 4, 
 1859, and is a son of William L. and C. Jean- 
 nette (Fifield) Van Tuyl. 
 
 The Van Tuyl family is of Dutch ancestry 
 and was founded in New Jersey prior to the 
 Revolutionary War. Grandfather Isaac Van 
 Tuyl was born January 16, 1792 and died Oc- 
 tober 7, 1863, and was a son of John Van 
 Tuyl, who was born in 1760. Isaac Van Tuyl 
 was married March 31. 181 1, to Betsey Seeley. 
 They lived at Ovid, Seneca County, New 
 York, and in Oakland and Shiawassee counties, 
 Michigan. 
 
 William L. Van Tuvl was born in Seneca 
 
7i8 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 County, New York, Jul}- 24, 181 5, and died 
 January 25, 1900. He came to Michigan in 
 1837, among the early pioneers, settling first 
 in Oakland County. \\'hile there he farmed 
 and served in local offices, but in 1844 he re- 
 moved to Genesee County and cleared up a 
 farm in Thetford township. In 1855 he went 
 to Burton, Genesee County, where he also 
 farmed and then embarked in a grocery busi- 
 ness at Owosso and also operated a planing- 
 mill. In 1882 he came to West Bay City where 
 he li\-ed retired until his death. Up to 1872 
 he had always voted with the Democratic 
 party, but after that his influence was 
 given to the Prohibition party. His chil- 
 dren were four in nuinber, the two sur- 
 vivors being: Edwin, of West Bay City, 
 born September 14, 1846; and Fred C, 
 of this sketch. The mother still survives, mak- 
 ing her home with her son Edwin. She is a 
 lady with clear recollections of the early days 
 in Michigan, her father having brought his 
 family here in 1839. She was born August 
 21, 1824, and is a daughter of Samuel and 
 Sarah (Norris) Fifield. Mr. Fifield was born 
 in New Hampshire, August 23, 1793. and died 
 September 10, 1843. He moved to New York 
 prior to his marriage, and settled in Monroe 
 County where he engaged in agricultural pur- 
 suits for many years. He then moved to Erie 
 County and lived there until 1839, when he 
 came to Michigan, settling at Waterford, in 
 Oakland County. He was married May 25, 
 1820, to Sarah Norris, who was born January 
 21, 1794, in New Hampshire and died May 
 26. 1884, at West Bay City. Mrs. Van Tuyl 
 is the only surviving member of her own and 
 of her husband's family. 
 
 Our subject was 12 years of age when his 
 parents located at Owosso, and there he at- 
 tended school six or seven years, in the mean- 
 time attendinsT to various duties in his father's 
 
 store. In 1879 he commenced learning the 
 cabinet-maker's trade and in 1881 came to 
 West Bay City and entered the employ of the 
 West Bay City Manufacturing Company, 
 manufacturers of sash, doors and blinds, and 
 he continued in that business until 1901, when 
 he started in as a contractor and builder. This 
 line he followed until 1903. In the fall of this 
 year he entered upon the business of an under- 
 taker, locating first at No. 203 South Henry 
 street. On October 20, 1903, he opened his 
 present place of business at No. 411 East Mid- 
 land street. 
 
 Mr. Van Tuyl is a graduate of the Massa- 
 chusetts College of Embalming of the class of 
 1897 and holds embalmer's license No. 165 
 from the State Board of Health. From 1895 
 to 1896 he was county coroner and was elected 
 again in 1899, and is still in office. 
 
 Mr. Van Tuyl was married first to Ger- 
 trude H. Lester, who was a daughter of Capt. 
 George H. Lester, of West Bay City. Mrs. 
 \'an Tuyl died March 14, 1888, leaving one 
 son. C. Brake. She was a member of the 
 Methodist Church. Mr. Van Tuyl was mar- 
 ried second to May E. Martinell, of ^\'est 
 Bay City, and they have four children : \\'. 
 Stanley, Wyvel E., Floyd M.. and Vera I. 
 
 Mr. Van Tuyl has many pleasant fraternal 
 connections. He is noble grand of Wenona 
 Lodge, No. 221, I. O. O. F. ; and has mem- 
 bership with Othello Lodge, No. 116, Knights 
 of Pythias; Court Miranda, No. 326, Inde- 
 pendent Order of Foresters: Modern ^^^ood- 
 man of America : and the Union Life Guards. 
 
 Through his years of residence here, ]\Ir. 
 Van Tuyl has maintained the same business 
 status which became recognized as soon as he 
 entered the business world. Strict attention to 
 details and careful management have brought 
 about very satisfactory results. He is highly 
 esteemed as an intelligent, substantial citizen, 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 719 
 
 one who takes pleasure in promoting e\ery 
 movement contributive to the welfare of West 
 Bay City. 
 
 stock-raising and stock-dealing. 
 
 .LIAM C. WALSH, a well-known 
 citizen oi the village of Pincon- 
 ning, conducts a livery at that 
 place and is extensively engaged in 
 He was born 
 at Pontiac, ^Michigan, and is a son of Redmond 
 and Margaret (McAulifYe) Walsh. 
 
 Redmond Walsh was born in Ireland aiul 
 reared in England, where he met and married 
 the mother of our subject, who was born there. 
 He came to this country, and for eight or ten 
 years lived at Toronto, Canada, where he fol- 
 lowed his trade of mason and also engaged in 
 farming. He later moved to Pontiac, ]\Iichi- 
 gan, and is now living at Owosso, Michigan, 
 in his 71st year. His wife is in the 68th year 
 of her age. Mr. and ^Irs. \^'alsh became pa- 
 rents of seven children, all of whom are living, 
 namely: Nellie, wife of Peter Betzing; John 
 M., a farmer of Owosso, Michigan; Redmowd, 
 Jr. ; Margaret ; Neil R. ; of Owosso, Michigan ; 
 Daniel J. ; and William C. The five first 
 named were born in Toronto, Canada, and the 
 two last named were born at Pontiac, 
 Michigan. 
 
 William C. Walsh, after completing his 
 schooling, turned his attention to mercantile 
 business, buying bankrupt stocks. He later 
 conducted a general store at Corunna, Michi- 
 gan, five years, and in 1895 traveled through 
 tlie Southern States for the Duncan .\rt Com- 
 pany, meeting with considerable success and 
 gaining largely in experience. In 1896 he re- 
 turned to Michigan, making the trip from 
 Jacksonville, Florida, to New York City by 
 steamer. He then purchased a bankrupt stock 
 at Xew Eothrop, Michigan, which he closed 
 
 out. then purchased one at Corunna, where he 
 continued in the mercantile business some 
 years. He had in mind at this time a stock 
 farm, and, after selling his store, in igoo he 
 purchased 200 acres of land in section 27, Pin- 
 conning township, where he has since been lo- 
 cated. He still retains 160 acres of this farm, 
 which is well-improved in every respect, and 
 lias dealt in stock on a large scale. He makes a 
 specialty of raising Durham and Shorthorn 
 cattle, and Ohio Improved Chester W'hite hogs, 
 which he sells to farmers for breeding purposes 
 and has shipped in pairs to all parts of the 
 country. He buys about 150 head of cattle 
 of the common breeds during the summer 
 months, fattens them and in the fall shi]3s in 
 car-load lots to the BufYalo and Detroit mar- 
 kets, also buying of the farmers for immediate 
 shipment. During the past year he has dealt 
 largely in horses among the farmers of this 
 section. 
 
 On April 6. 1899. Mr. Walsh was married 
 to Clara Worth, a daughter of Williard Worth, 
 a pioneer farmer of Maple Grove, Saginaw 
 County, Michigan, who died in 1893. He is 
 survived by his widow who resides at Mason, 
 Michigan. This union resulted in the birth of 
 three children : Kathleen. lx)rn February 9, 
 1900: Williard, born July 30, 1902; and Mar- 
 garet. The Walsh family are Catholics. In 
 politics our subject has been unswering in his 
 support of the Democartic party. 
 
 
 IIILIP V. WAGNER, proprietor of 
 the "Center Avenue Dairy Farm," 
 which is situated in section 19, 
 Hampton township, but two miles 
 east of the city limits, has been a resident of 
 Bay County since Iwyhood. He was born on 
 the celebrated river Rhine, in the province of 
 
■J20 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 Hessen-Nassau, Prussia, Germany, September 
 17, 1847, and is a son of Carl and Elizabeth 
 (Herbert) Wagner. 
 
 Our subject's parents were born in the same 
 part of the fatherland as himself, and they came 
 to America in 1855. The father died in 1888, 
 aged 68 years, after a life spent in farming. 
 He was successful in his agricultural enter- 
 prises and left a good estate to his children. He 
 was a man of sterling character and was se- 
 lected for local offices on many occasions, serv- 
 ing as a justice of the peace and for 12 years 
 was a member of the township board. He was 
 a deacon in the German Lutheran Church. His 
 estimable wife still survives, making her home 
 with our subject and bearing well the weight 
 of her 85 years. The family consisted of three 
 sons and four daughters, namely : Frederick ; 
 William ; Philip F. ; Mrs. Amelia Ramm. of 
 Bay City; Mrs. Elizabeth Diehl, of Bay City; 
 Mrs. Gertrude Shultz, deceased ; and Mrs. 
 Louisa Flues, deceased. 
 
 Our subject was but eight years old when 
 his parents settled in Lower Saginaw, now Bay 
 City, at which time there were but few houses 
 in the place. His father bought a farm of 40 
 acres, on which our subject resided until 1889, 
 when he sold it and purchased 60 acres in sec- 
 tion 19. Hampton township. Here he carries 
 on general farming and dairying and his place 
 is well known as the "Center Avenue Dairy 
 Farm." He keeps 18 head of high grade milch 
 cows and supplies a large city demand. Mr. 
 Wagner has a first-class orchard of four acres 
 and has erected excellent buildings and made 
 many admirable impro\ements on his property. 
 
 In 1 87 1 Mr. Wagner was married to Louisa 
 Shilling, who was born in Huron County, 
 Michigan, August 22, 1853. '^"c' is a daughter 
 of Frederick and Katherine Shilling, farming: 
 people, natives of Germany. Wx. and Mrs. 
 Wagner have had seven children, namely: 
 
 William, who resides in his father's tenant 
 house and works for his father; Carl, who lives 
 at home; Mrs. Ida Klopf, of Merritt township; 
 Mrs. Elizabeth Plesternith, of Bay City ; Fred- 
 erick, employed in Bay City; and Bertha and 
 Ellen, who live at home. Mr. Wagner and 
 family belong to the Bethel German Lutheran 
 Church, on Madison and McKinley avenues. 
 Bay City. 
 
 Politically a Democrat, j\Ir. Wagner has 
 filled many responsible public offices in Hamp- 
 ton township. For nine years he was township 
 treasurer, for 18 years he was on the School 
 Board and was president of School District 
 No. 5, and for four years was township grain 
 commissioner. His reputation has always been 
 that of a man of strict integrity and the duties 
 of public office have been performed with the 
 same care and thoroughness as those pertaining 
 to his own affairs. 
 
 OHN McGUINNES. who with his 
 twin brother Edward is operating the 
 splendidly improved farm in section 
 2. Monitor township, that was left by 
 their father, was lx>rn July 13, 1872. He 
 is a son of Edward and Anna (Brisbois) 
 McGuinnes. 
 
 Edward McGuinnes was born in Erie, 
 Pennsylvania, in 1842. He attended the com- 
 mon schools of his native place and when 22 
 years old came to Kawkawlin. Bay County, 
 Michigan, where he worked at lumbering sev- 
 eral years for Ballon & Company. He was 
 engaged in summer in dri\-ing logs, and in 
 cutting timber in the winter. Between seasons, 
 he worked on the farm which he had bought in 
 Monitor township, consisting of 380 acres. 
 For a number of years he applied himself to 
 clearing the wood from this land and to seed- 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 721 
 
 ing the new ground. When lie could not get 
 hired men. his sons helped him in this work. 
 He lumhered on shares with others, and later 
 undertook a lumber deal on his own account, 
 leaving the operation of the farm to his twin 
 sons, then 15 years old. 
 
 Mr. iMcGuinnes had the reputation of 
 knowing a good horse and took much interest 
 in raising cattle. He built a modern brick 
 house, and erected three fine barns, provided 
 with every convenience for stock. Two years 
 before his death he bought an interest in a 
 hardware concern, which was then conducted 
 under the firm name of Lambert, Staudacher 
 & IMcGuinnes, but the business not proving 
 profitable, he soon disposed of his interest. He 
 also owned several pieces of city property. In 
 politics he was a Democrat, and served on the 
 School Board for several years. 
 
 The union of Edward McGuinnes with 
 Anna Brisbois resulted in five children, as fol- 
 lows : Margaret, who became Mrs. George 
 Staudacher, of AVest Bay City: .\nna, who 
 married Gilbert Archambeau, of Monitor 
 township; Mary, who is at home: and Edward 
 and John (twins), who operate the farm. 
 
 John McQuinnes received his early mental 
 training in the common schools of Kawkawlin, 
 and also took a course of study in St. Bede 
 College. On finishing this he returned to the 
 farm, and continued working it with his 
 brother Edward. They have turned their at- 
 tention to grain and stock-raising, in which 
 they were well drilled by their father. 
 
 John McGuinnes was married June 29, 
 1904. to Lottie Abare. a daughter of Morris 
 and Josephine (Larges) .-\bare, of West Bay 
 City. Her parents formerly lived in Detroit, 
 where the father was a fisherman. About i860 
 they moved to Bay City, where the father fol- 
 lowed his vocation. He was a government sur- 
 veyor for 14 years. He and his wife had i :; 
 
 children, eight of whom are living. Millie 
 (Mrs. Eugene La Flame) and our subject's 
 wife were the only daughters. The sons are 
 all fishermen except ont, who keeps the light- 
 house at Detour, Michigan. In politics, Mr. 
 McGuinnes is a stanch Democrat. Fraternally, 
 he is a member of the Knights of the Modern 
 Maccabees, and holds a position on the auditing 
 committee of his tent. The members of the 
 family are Catholics and attend the Church of 
 the Sacred Heart. 
 
 HOMAS MOLYXEAUX, one of the 
 good farmers and respected citizens 
 of Williams township, who owns a 
 fine farm of 79 acres in section 4, 
 was born in County Down,, Ireland, May 10, 
 1852, and is a son of Alexander and Sarah 
 (Hanna) Molyneaux. 
 
 The father of our subject was a shoemaker 
 and also farmed five acres of rented land, this 
 being considered a quite large farm there. He 
 died in Ireland shortly after the rebellion. He 
 was a member of the Presbyterian Church. 
 The mother of Mr. Molyneaux still lives in the 
 old home in County Down. The children of 
 the family were: James, who died in Ireland in 
 1901 : William, who died in Ireland in 1885; 
 Thomas, of this sketch : Ellen, a resident of 
 Loverpool, England: Alexander, of Bay City; 
 and Catherine, who resides with the mother in 
 Ireland. 
 
 Our subject came to America in March, 
 1 87 1, and secured work in the Silas Merchant 
 iron-pipe factory, at Cleveland. Ohio, where he 
 remained two years and then came to Bav City. 
 He worked in a lumber camp for Sage & Com- 
 pany during the first winter and then came to 
 Bay City and secured a position with the street 
 railway company, with which he continued for 
 
722 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 20 years. He drove the first horse car into 
 Essexville. 
 
 In 1880 Mr. Molyneaux bought his farm, 
 which was then far out from civihzed tracks. 
 There were no roads except the ones he made 
 himself and his nearest neighbor hved in a 
 log house off in the next section. His first 
 purchase was 40 acres, which he managed to 
 clear while still liA'ing at Bay City. The tim- 
 ber he burned as there was absolutely no mar- 
 ket for it, the same timber which now com- 
 mands $17 a thousand feet. Later he built a 
 comfortable house and two substantial barns. 
 
 On September 4, 1878, at Bay City, Mr. 
 Molyneaux was married to Jennie Patterson, 
 who was a daughter of Aritus and Amelia Pat- 
 terson, natives of Canada. Mrs. Molyneaux 
 died April 22, 1890, the mother of three chil- 
 dren, of whom the only survivor is Thomas, 
 who was born July 5, 1880 and lives on a farm 
 adjoining his father. On May 11, 1891, Mr. 
 Molyneaux was married to Marion Maitland, 
 who is a daughter of John and Sarah (Jobes) 
 Maitland, and five children have been born to 
 this union : Lola. Iiorn July 28, 1892 : Margaret 
 E., born October 21, 1894; Naomi T., born 
 June 3, 1897; Dorothy J., bom June 11, 1899; 
 and Wallace M., born December 29, 1903. 
 
 Mrs. Molyneaux's parents lived in Canada 
 prior to their marriage. Her father came first 
 to Bay City and built a home on 33d street and 
 Jennison avenue and then went back for his 
 wife. For 25 years he was an employee of the 
 Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad. Mrs. Moly- 
 neaux has one sister, JNIargaret I., who is an 
 instructor in the Fremont School in Bay City. 
 
 Our subject and Mr. Maitland are both 
 identified with the Republican party. Both are 
 prominent in the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 our subject being a class leader, church trustee 
 and treasurer. Both he and his father-in-law 
 are members of Valley Lodge, No. 189, I. O. 
 
 O. F. Mr. Molyneaux belongs to South Bay 
 City Tent, No. 177, Knights of the Modern 
 Maccabees. 
 
 OHN A. VOGTMANN, sole owner and 
 proprietor of the Frankenlust Flour- 
 ing Mill, one of the oldest industrial 
 plants in its section of Bay County, 
 was born April 17, 1863, in Mittel Franken, 
 Bavaria, Germany, and is a son of Leonard and 
 Elizabeth (Dankmayer) Vogtmann. 
 
 The parents of our subject passed their 
 entire lives in Bavaria, where the father fol- 
 lowed the trade of weaving. The family con- 
 sisted of seven children, — five sons and two 
 daughters. The only members to come to 
 America were our subject and his brother 
 Adam, who is a farmer in Beaver township. 
 
 Mr. Vogtmann attended school until he 
 was 16 years old and then spent four years 
 learning the milling business. In 1883, wish- 
 ing to improve his worldly chances, he came to 
 America and settled in Bay County, Michigan. 
 Through the first year he worked as a laborer 
 and for the next three years was engaged as a 
 farmer for one employer, and then he went into 
 lumbering. During the two years he was thus 
 engaged he studied the workings of the various 
 mills that came under his observation, his ob- 
 ject being the purchase of a mill so that he 
 could continue work at the trade he had 
 learned. After laboring one year more, this 
 time in a brick-yard, he rented a mill in Sagi- 
 naw, but this venture did not prove a success 
 as he lacked the capital to get himself well es- 
 tablished. He was then employed by the 
 owner of a mill in Freeland township and 
 operated that mill successfully for three years. 
 
 In 1892 Mr. Vogtmann bought his present 
 mill property. It was the first mill built in 
 Bay County, Adam Hecht having erected it 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 1^1 
 
 over 50 years ago. When Mr. Vogtmann took 
 cliarge, the capacity of the mill was 35 barrels, 
 which he has increased to an output of 175 
 barrels. He rebuilt the mill and installed 
 modern machinery and now has cxxry equip- 
 ment necessary to make all kinds of flour. His 
 trade covers all this territory and for many 
 years lie has been looked on as the most reliable 
 miller in this section. In addition to rebuilding 
 antl refitting the mill, he purchased a farm of 
 four acres in section 2, on which he has built a 
 comfortable residence and large warehouses. 
 He does a very large business, amounting to 
 $70,000 annually. 
 
 In 1892 Mr. Vogtmann was married to 
 Katie Burk, who was born in Bavaria, and 
 came to Saginaw County, Michigan, with her 
 parents, when a child of eight years. They 
 have two children, John antl Mary. 
 
 Mr. Vogtmann is one of the leading mem- 
 bers of St. John's German Lutheran Church at 
 Amelith. He is a man who has made his own 
 way in the world and has reached his indepen- 
 dent condition through his own industry. He 
 is well known and very highly respected. 
 
 HARLES P. McDonald,* a highly 
 respected citizen and well-known 
 farmer of Hampton township, own- 
 ing a well-cultivated farm of 23 
 acres, situated in section 13, was born at Mont- 
 real, Canada, February 17, 1853, and is a son 
 of Terrence and Sarah (Woods) McDonald. 
 
 The father of our subject was born in Bel- 
 fast, County Down, Ireland, and came to Mont- 
 real, Canada, in 1848. The mother was born 
 in Dublin and came to Montreal at a later date 
 than Mr. McDonald. The father died at Bay 
 City in 1894. aged 76 years, but the mother still 
 
 38 
 
 resides there in the city. They reared a large 
 family as follows : Charles P. ; James, of Mont- 
 real; John; Thomas, who is on the Pacific 
 Coast; Peter, of Bay City; Andrew, of Wis- 
 consin; Terrence, of Canada; Edward, of Bay 
 City; and Sarah, who married a Mr. McDon- 
 ald in Clinton County, New York. 
 
 For fi\e years after settling in Montreal, 
 Terrence McDonald carried on a butchering 
 business and then accompanied his brother to 
 Clinton County, New York, where he worked 
 at railroad construction. He subsequently 
 joined our subject in Michigan. 
 
 Charles P. McDonald was three weeks old 
 when his parents removed to Clinton County, 
 New York, where he remained until he was 17 
 years old. In 1865 he came to Bay City and 
 has been a resident of the county and ever since, 
 working in sawmills from 1865 until 1871, 
 when he began to farm. Mr. McDonald ob- 
 tained his land when it was still unbroken 
 prairie and has made all the improvements upon 
 it. He has a comfortable home with substan- 
 tial out-buildings, barns and fences, and de- 
 votes his land to gardening principally. He 
 also rents land on which he cultivates sugar 
 beets. 
 
 On August 15, 1875, Mr. McDonald was 
 married to Mary Van Someson, who was born 
 March 4, 1859, at Detroit and came to Bay 
 County with her parents when one year old. 
 She was a daughter of Henry and Barbara 
 (Lincoln) Van Someson, early pioneers here, 
 of Holland and Belgian ancestry. Mr. Van 
 Someson, who was a carpenter, built many of 
 the residences still standing in Bay City. Mrs. 
 McDonald died in March, 1899, the beloved 
 mother of these children : Mabel, a teacher in a 
 religious order, who is located at St. James, 
 Beaver Island ; Clara, who died aged 20 years ; 
 Sadie, who is her father's capable housekeeper; 
 Emma ; Terrence J. ; Nellie ; Mary, who died 
 
724 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 aged i6 years; Edward, of St. Paul; John; 
 James ; Joseph and Margaret. Mr. McDonald 
 and family belong to the Catholic Church. 
 
 EORGE A. ALLEN,* who has the 
 distinction of being the oldest insur- 
 ance agent at West Bay City, Mich- 
 igan, his business dating from 1877, 
 is also an honored surviving officer of the 
 Civil War. Mr. Allen was born in Macomb 
 County, Michigan, March 4, 1835, and is a son 
 of Dr. Samuel C. and Julia Ann (Bickson) 
 Allen. 
 
 Dr. Samuel C. Allen was born in New Jer- 
 sey. When he came to Michigan, he had a 
 wife and several children. He settled at Utica. 
 Macomb County, taking up a farm on the 
 Clinton River, and it was here that our sub- 
 ject was born, in an old log house. Dr. Allen 
 also owned and operated a sawmill on the 
 banks of this river, and continued to practice 
 his profession, riding over the untilled prairies 
 for miles and miles in every direction and 
 undergoing many hardships, such as fell to the 
 pioneer physicians of Michigan. About 1841 
 he moved to Clarkson, Oakland County, where 
 he devoted all his time to the practice of his 
 profession, frequently driving the whole dis- 
 tance to Flint. In 1857 he located at Byron, 
 where he continued in practice until his death 
 in 1866, aged 70 years. His wife died in 1861, 
 aged 65 years. Early in life Dr. Allen was a 
 Whig; later he identified himself with the Re- 
 publican party. He was a man far above the 
 average, well read both in literature and in his 
 profession and a man of influence wherever he 
 lived. He was a Mason. 
 
 George A. Allen was well educated, for the 
 days of his youth, at Clarkson Academy, Oak- 
 land County, and then entered into a mercan- 
 
 tile business at Byron, whither his parents had 
 removed. In i860 he accepted a position as 
 bookkeeper for Stewart & Pratt, at Hazelhurst, 
 Mississippi, but the outbreak of the Civil War 
 changed his plans and probably the whole 
 course of his life. Manly and outspoken, he 
 soon found that the only way to secure his lib- 
 erty was to leave at once for the North, and 
 several of his associates had the same ex- 
 perience. In the fall of 1S61 Mr. Allen en- 
 listed as a private in Company A, loth Reg., 
 Michigan Vol., Inf., and before leaving the 
 State he was made quartermaster sergeant and 
 filled this position until he was promoted to a 
 lieutenantcy and transferred to Company C. He 
 continued with this company through all its 
 subsequent campaigns, including Sherman's 
 "March to the Sea," and returned practically 
 unharmed, although on numerous occasions 
 he had holes shot through his uniform and had 
 his horse shot from under him. He was a sol- 
 dier who displayed courage in face of danger 
 and fidelity to the cause he had espoused. 
 
 After his return from the war, Mr. Allen 
 clerked for one year in Detroit, was married in 
 1867 and then came to West Bay City. Here 
 he conducted a general retail store, on the cor- 
 ner of Midland and Henry streets, for 10 years, 
 it being one of the first stores on the West 
 Side and his energy and faculty soon built up a 
 lucrative business. In 1877 he entered into 
 the insurance business and again he was a bus- 
 iness pioneer. He has continued in the insur- 
 ance line ever since, dealing also in real estate 
 and has owned and developed a large amount 
 of property. 
 
 In 1867 he married Emma Hicks, who is a 
 daughter of W. F. Hicks, then of West Bay 
 City, now of Southfield, Michigan, and they 
 had five children, the three survivors being: 
 Alena, wife of Harry J. Walsh, of West Bay 
 City; Hicks, of Dayton, Ohio; and George, of 
 
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 
 
 725 
 
 West Bay City. Tlie family belong to the First 
 Presbyterian Clnuxh of West Bay City. 
 
 Mr. Allen has been a life-long Republican. 
 He was township clerk of Wenona until it was 
 included in West Bay City, and is now a mem- 
 ber of the Common Council. He is public- 
 spirited and progressive and takes a good citi- 
 zen's interest in promoting the city's welfare. 
 
 Mr. Allen was a charter member of 
 Wenona Lodge, No. 296, F. & A. M. of which 
 he is past master; he is also a member of 
 Blanchard Chapter, No. 59, R. A. M. ; and 
 Bay City Council, No. 53, R. & S. M. He 
 assisted in the organization of Henry S. Bur- 
 nett Post, No. 278, G. A. R., and gave the or- 
 ganization its name. He has always taken a 
 great interest in this noble jjody and has been 
 its commander. He is also a member of the 
 National League of Veterans and Sons. 
 
 RKDERICK D. PAIGE,* one of the 
 highly respected citizens and good 
 farmers of Kawkawlin township, 
 who owns a well-cultivateil farm of 
 80 acres, situated in section 7, was born in 
 1864 in Bangor township, Bay County, Mich- 
 igan, and is a son of Daniel W. and Carrie 
 (Shcpard) Paige. 
 
 Daniel Webster Paige, the father of our 
 subject, was born at Lockport, New York. His 
 first wife, our subject's mother, was born in 
 Ohio. In 1866 they removed from Bangor to 
 Kawkawlin township, where Mrs. Paige died 
 in 1883, leaving four children: Frederick D. ; 
 Ralpli, a farmer of Kawkawlin township; 
 Alice, widow of James Calvert ; and Harry, a 
 farmer of Kawkawlin township. The father's 
 second marriage was to Minerva Hilderbrandt, 
 who was born in New York. The two children 
 of this union are: Jessie ancj Hattie. Our 
 
 subject's father, who has retired from active 
 labor, resides in Kawkawlin village. 
 
 Frederick D. Paige obtained his education 
 in the common schools of Kawkawlin town- 
 ship and prepared himself for the life of a 
 farmer. His first farm, Ixiught in 1887, was a 
 part of the family homestead ; later he bought 
 more land in section 29, in the same township, 
 both farms being sold at a later date and the 
 present one bought. He has excellent land 
 here and it would take a large of¥er to induce 
 him to part with it. He has made excellent 
 improvements. 
 
 In 1889 Mr. Paige married Mary Bedell, 
 who is a daughter of Calvin Bedell, a farmer of 
 Kawkawlin township. They have had six chil- 
 dren, as follows: Jacob, a sturdy youth of 12 
 years; Elmer, aged 10 years; Florence, aged 
 eight years; Max, deceased at the age of two 
 years; Bessie, deceased at the age of three 
 years; and Benjamin, a child of 11 months. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Paige is a Democrat ; he 
 has been school inspector and is now serving 
 as township commissioner. He belongs to 
 Lodge No. 148, I. O. O. F.. of Kawkawlin 
 township. 
 
 GUIS ROSEBUSH,* a well-known 
 citizen of Linwood, was formerly in 
 the hotel business here for 14 years. 
 His hotel was destroyed by fire in 
 1901, and he is now rebuilding it. He also 
 owns a saloon in Arenac County. Michigan. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born in 
 Canada in 1852. He is a .son of Samuel and 
 Sylvia (Merrian) Rosebush, the former of 
 whom was born in Canada, and died in 1882. 
 at the age of 71 3'ears. The mother pns.scd 
 away in 1886. in her 75th year. They reared 
 12 children, of whom Louis was the sixth. 
 Seven are still living;. 
 
726 
 
 HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY 
 
 The parents of Samuel Rosebusli were na- 
 tives of Canada, and their grandparents were 
 born on De Rosa street, Paris, France. This 
 street was named after the original name of the 
 family, which was afterward changed to 
 Rosebush. 
 
 The Merrians, grandparents of Sjdvia Mer- 
 rian, came from Spain to this country in the 
 early colonial days, settled on the Connecticut 
 River and endured all the hardships of pioneer 
 life. Some of them were ofticers in the Revo- 
 lutionary War. In the possession of the fam- 
 ily were formerly some of the relics of that 
 conflict, such as silver buckles worn by their 
 ancestors in military service. 
 
 Louis Rosebush went to New York State 
 in 1868. There he remained six months and 
 then came to Saginaw County, Michigan, 
 where he at once went to work in the lumber 
 camps, and continued thus for two and a half 
 years. He then returned to Canada to visit 
 his parents. He came back to Michigan where 
 he remained for two years, after which he went 
 West and spent four years among the Choc- 
 
 taws, Chickasaws and Cherokees, in the Red 
 River region, engaged in lumbering for him- 
 self. About 1876, he returned to Canada and 
 brought his father, mother, two brothers and 
 two sisters to Michigan with him. 
 
 Mr. Rosebush was married in 1880 to 
 Laurie Annie Roe, a daughter of Theodore 
 and Theresa (Young) Roe. Theodore Roe 
 died when Mrs. Rosebush was four years old. 
 His widow now lives in Saginaw, Michigan. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Rosebush have had eight 
 children, namely: Sylvia, Hiram, Samuel, 
 Willie, Bertie, Laurie, Fred and Louis. Sylvia 
 was born in 1883; she married Victor Turcott, 
 who was 1)orn in Canada, and is an engineer. 
 Hiram was born in 1886; Samuel died in in- 
 fancy; Willie was born in 1889; Bertie, in 
 1891 ; Laurie, in 1892; Fred, in 1894; and 
 Louis, in 1896. 
 
 In politics, Mr. Rosebush is a Republican. 
 Fraternally, he is a member of Bedell Lodge, 
 No. 248, I. O. O. F. His religious views are 
 nonsectarian. Mrs. Rosebush is a member of 
 the Catholic Church- 
 
H 43 90 '^^ii 
 

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