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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE ARTICLE ON C.G.BABCOCK

C.G. Babcock occupies a prominent and influential position among the wealthy and extensive farmers and stock-raisers of Branch County.  He resides on section 15, Gilead Township, where he owns, in the company of his father, a farm of 510 acres, and he is the sole owner of a fine farm of 168 acres near Bronson.  Our subject was born in Portage County, Ohio, in 1837, and was the second child in the family of eight born to E.R. and Alma (Hoskin) Bobcock, natives of Ohio and N.Y. respectively.  His paternal grandparents were pioneers of Portage Counbty, Ohio, and the father of our subject was the first male child born in the township of Hiram, in that county.

He was married in Gilead Township, in 1861, to Miss Artimieia Green, who was born in Michigan in 1843.  She was the eighth of the nine children of David Green.  His wife's maiden name was Chalker, and they were natives of New York.  The father died in Coldwater, and the mother now lives in Orland, Ind., at the advances age of 86 years.

After marriage Mr. Babcock settled in Bethel Township, and was there extensively engaged in speculating, buying and shipping stock to Buffalo and New York....  Feb. 11, 1863, he sustained a sad loss in the death of his young wife, after a short illness; she was 19 years ol, and she left a child, a babe of two weeks, Edwin G., who was taken to live with his grandfather in Portage County, Ohio.

After the death of his wife our subject left Branch County .... subsequently returned and bought 80 acres in Bethel Township, on section 15, and bought a farm of 160 acres near Bronson.  In 1865, in Portage County, Ohio, Mr. Babcock was a second time married, Miss Cornelia Kneeland becoming his wife.  She was born in Ohio in 1836, and was the 2nd of the 5 children of Isaac and Electa (Thompson) Kneeland, native respectively of Conn., and New Hampshire.   When a boy of 10 years, her father moved with his parents from his New England birthplace to Portage County, Ohio, and there he grew to manhood and married, until his removal with his family to Illinois in 1838.  In 1844 he returned to Ohio and settled on a farm. He subsequently came to Michigan in 1871, and settled in Bethel Township, wher he was living at the time of his death,k which occurred May 10, 1884, at the age of nearly 80 years.  His wife passed away in 1881, at the age of 80 years.

After marriage Mr. Babcock settled in this county, making their home for many years in Bronson Township.  In 1884 our subject bought with this father the farm in Gilead Township.