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As a man of acknowledged ability, sound business principles, wide experience, and noble integrity of character, our subject occupies an important position among the agriculturists of Branch County, he being the owner of one of the fine farms, very pleasantly located in Coldwater Township, for which this region is so justly celebrated. He is a native of New York, born in Newfane, Niagara County, May 8, 1832, and is a descendant of a good old Pennsylvania family. His father, Nicholas Culp, was born near Gettysburg, Pa., and Culp Hill in that vicinity was named in honor of the family. The grandfather of our subject was reared in the Keystone State, and married Agnes Walton, a native of Delaware. He moved to New York and became an early settler in Niagara County, where he was actively engaged in farming until 1844. He then came to Michigan with his family, and locating in Coldwater Township, bought a home here, in which he and his wife spent their last years. The father of our subject was reared in his native State, and was a young man when he accompanied his parents to New York. He married, in Niagara County, Phoebe Rockwood, who was born in Clarkson, Orleans Co., N.Y. In the spring of 1837 Mr. Culp started, with his wife and five children, for Michigan, coming by way of Lake Erie to Toledo, and thence by rail to Adrian, then the western terminus of the railway, a primitive affair, with wooden rails and the cars drawn by horses. Our subject located in Palmyra Township for a time, that he might have a home for his family while he was searching for land that it suited him to buy. During that time he came to Branch County, and selected a tract of timber land in Girard Township. After he had completed his purchase, he returned to Palmyra, but continued to live there until 1839, instead of locating on his land. In that year he hired a teamster to take his family and goods to Branch County, and they moved into a vacant log house near his place. He immediately commenced the erection of a house of logs on his homestead, and cleared a small part of the land, on which he raised a small crop of corn while the logs were still lying on the ground. By incessant and well-directed labor he improved a good farm from the wilderness, and resided there until the death of his beloved wife deprived him of her valuable aid and counsel. He then sold his farm and removed to Coldwater, where he lived in retirement in the enjoyment of the comfortable competency which had accrued to him through his far-seeing judgment, and the wise and skillful management of his affairs. He died in his home in that town in September, 1873. He was one whom to know was to respect, as in him were combined all those qualificatons that go to make up a good man and a loyal citizen. To him and his wife were born six children --- Joshua, John W., Phoebe, Laura, Jason and Hattie.

John Culp was but five years old when his parents brought him to Michigan, yet he remembers well the indicents of the journey, and of his subsequent life here in those pioneer days, when the Indians still lurked in the vast primeval forests, and wild beasts were plentiful. He was seven years of age when he came to Branch County, and he has since, for nearly fifty years, been a continuous resident here. He attended the pioneer schools, and being a studious, thougtful lad, he managed to glean the rudiments of a sound education, which he has since completed by careful reading and intelligent observation. He remained at home with his parents and assisted in the farm work until he was nineteen years old, and then launched into a mercantile life as a clerk in the employ of H. C. Lewis, remaining with him until he disposed of his business. The two succeeding years he clerked for Crippen & Son, and then in 1858, he entered into business with I. G. Miles, opening with him a dry-goods and grocery establishment. They were very successful in this enterprise, and built up a flourishing trade. Mr. Culp was also engaged as a traveling salesman for a New York firm. On the breaking out of the late Rebellion, our subject, leaving the entire control of the business with Mr. Miles, earnestly entered into the work of assisting in recruiting regiments and equipping them for battle. He became a member of the Loomis Battery, as independent company, in April, 1861, and did efficient service in organizing the regiment, remaining with it until it was mustered into service for three years, and he was then compelled to resign on account of the claims of his private business, and returned to Coldwater. But sterling patriots were needed at home as much as at the front, and our subject worked zealously for the cause of the Union., and did all in his power to promote the confort of the soldiers on the field. In 1869 Mr. Culp severed his business relations with Mr. Miles, selling his interest to his partner, and then entered the employ of a New York firm as a traveling salesman, being thus engaged the following five years. He met with marked success in that line, securing the confidence of his employers by his zeal and faithfulness in their service, and by his easy and courteous manners, ready conversation, and strictly honest dealings, making large sales. At the expiration of five years in that capacity, our sibject decided to abandon mercantile business, and devote himself to the calling to which he had been reared. Accordingly he settled on his present place, which he had purchased in 1861. This is of great historical interest to those of the present generation, who are curious concerning the history of the dusky race of people who used to inhabit the primeval forests of Michigan, as it was camping-ground of the Indians at the time our subject came to Michigan over half a century ago, and his son has a large collection of relics of the aborigines, that he has gathered on the farm; 145 acres of the richest and most productive land to be found in this vicinity is comprised within the limits of this fine farm, and nearly all of it is improved and under good cultivation, and well provided with substantial frame buildings.

Our subject undoubtedly owes much of his success in life to his good fortune in securing a good wife, who has been to him a wise and cheerful helper, and by her amiability and tact has made their pleasant home one of the most attrractive in the communtiy. Her maiden name was Josephine Goodell, and they were untied in marriage June 10, 1858. She was born in Fairport, N.Y., a daughter of Abisha and Ruby (Johnson) Goodell, natives respectively of Vermont and New York. The happy household circle of Mrs. and Mrs. Culp is completed by their two children --- Millie and Charlie. Mrs. Culp is a valued member of the Presbyterian Church.

One needs but to peruse these brief lines recording imperfectly the life of our subject, in order to be convinced that he is a high-minded, straightforward man, of good business capacity, and of unblemished character. He is a man of enterprise and rare energy; is a great reader of both books and men, is well informed on all topics, and keeps himself posted as to what is going on in the outside world. In politics he was for many years a sound Republican, but the later joined the ranks of the Greenback party. He is identified with the Tyre Lodge No. 3, A. F. & A. M.