Homer H. Hayes Homer H. Hayes. The soil of Michigan is in many places peculiarly adapted toraising of small fruits, and many of the most successful citizens now residingin the State have secured prosperity through the medium of this occupation.Fruit-growing is one of the prominent industries of Ottawa County, and amongthose who pursue this vocation may be mentioned Mr. Hayes, who owns eighty acresin Tallmadge Township. He is an extensive fruit farmer, his specialties beinggrapes, peaches and pears. He has ten acres planted with Niagara grapes, in theraising of which he has been especially successful. The family of which our subject is a member is of German-Scotch descent, andhas been represented in America for several generations. The parents of oursubject, Ira and Roxie (Kawkins) Hayes, were natives of Vermont, the formerhaving been born in 1801. They had a family of thirteen children, the third ofwhom, Homer H., was born in Chenango County, NY, February 25, 1834. At the ageof three years he was taken by his parents to Canada, where he remained until hewas eighteen, meantime spending his winters in the schoolroom and his summers infarm work. In 1852 Mr. Hayes came to Michigan and settled in Lamont, Ottawa County,where for four years he worked as a day laborer. Carefully saving his earnings,he was enabled at the expiration of that time to purchase a tract of eightyacres and embark in agricultural pursuits. He was unfortunate, however, forduring the same year in which he bought his farm he was truck by lightning andinjured to such an extent that he was unable to perform any manual labor forsome time thereafter. Indeed, he has never entirely regained his health and theshock still affects his nerves. After recovering sufficiently, Mr. Hayes attempted to join the Union army,but the physicians pronounced him unable to do active service and he wasrejected. However, he procured permission to serve in the Quartermaster’sDepartment an filled that position for eighteen days, when he was taken ill andforced to resign. Upon returning home, he and his wife secured positions asattendants in the Kalamazoo Asylum for the Insane, where they remained for sixyears. They then removed to Muskegon, where Mr. Hayes worked at the trade of acarpenter and joiner for two years, and afterward conducted a boarding-house forthree years. Upon coming to Tallmadge Township in 1870, he purchased the placewhere he has since resided. In 1858 Mr. Hayes married Miss Alena Smallman, and one child, Harley H., hasbeen born to bless the union. He is a young man of ability, and makes his homewith his parents. Politically, our subject is a Republican, and always advocatesparty candidates and principles. Socially, he belongs to Muskegon Lodge No. 140,A. F. & A. M., in which he is prominent. He is not identified with anyreligious organization, but contributes to the support of the MethodistEpiscopal Church, of which Mrs. Hayes is an active member.

Portrait & Biographical Record of Muskegon & OttawaCounties, Michigan 1893, Chicago: Biographical Publishing Company

Transcriber: Evelyn Sawyer
Created: 14 August 2003
URL: Return to Bios Index