Cheboygan County MI Genealogy


Biographical Source: "The Traverse Region, Historical and Descriptive, with Illustrations of Scenery and Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers", Chicago: HR Page & Co., 1884.
Francis M. Sammons, son of Jacob Sammons, the first settler in Cheboygan County, was born near Syracuse, New York, in the year 1834. In 1846 he joined his parents at Cheboygan, having spent a year with an uncle in Illinois. July 4, 1857, he married Samantha R. St. John, of Cheboygan. They have nine children. At an early day Mr. Sammons used to buy fur and in that pursuit traversed nearly the whole region between the Saginaw Valley and the Straits. His principal occupation has been mercantile business, lumbering and contracting. As is seen in the history of Cheboygan County there have been but few public enterprises with which he has not been connected. He was one of the contractors for building the old wharf in 1861, also the Third Street bridge. In company with Dr. A. M. Gerow, he opened the first drug store in the village. He was also one of the contractors for opening the route to Crooked Lake, he having been the first to conceive the idea of carrying the mail over that route. He held the offices of county clerk and town supervisor several terms and was school director and moderator about twenty years. In these capacities he rendered the public very valuable service in organizing the affairs of the town and establishing a prosperous school system. He has been from its beginning a prominent member of the Greenback party, and was a candidate for representative to the state legislature in 1878. Notwithstanding long public service Mr. Sammons has preserved his popularity with the people of the county. He has recently become interested in the farm lands of Dakota. Moses W. Horne, deceased, one of the earliest settlers of Cheboygan County, was born at Wolfborough, N. H., March 17, 1820. In 1845 he went to Mackinac Island from Chicago where he had been at work for a short time. In 1846 he came to Cheboygan and worked part of that season at coopering, and made the first fish barrels made in the county. That fall he pre-empted fifty-four acres of land, he and Jacob Sammons being the first to take up land in the county. He then returned to his native state, and Dec. 17, 1846, married Sarah T. Bunker. They have had six children, three of whom are now living. In 1847, accompanied by his wife, he returned to Mackinac and in December, 1850, they settled in Cheboygan, Mr. Horne was the second sheriff elected in the county, and was again elected in 1864. He also held the office of marshal of the village for several years. Mr. Horne has been one of the active pioneers in the work of general development and progress. He was instrumental in starting the first Sunday school in the county, and was very active in carrying forward to a successful termination the efforts to build a Methodist Church. During late years Mr. Horne's business interests have been mainly in village real estate and pine lands. He has been a valuable contributor to all efforts towards advancing the general welfare of the village and county. His death occurred in November, 1883. Medard Metivier was born at Lacadie, Canada, Sept. 25, 1815, of French parentage. His father was an architect and builder, and Medard's early years were spent in assisting him and in attendance at school. In May, 1836, being about twenty-one years of age, he left home and came to the States, locating at Rochester, N. Y. There he was engaged in a soap and candle factory, and afterward in a fruit garden. He remained at Rochester until November, 1837, when he removed to Grand Rapids, Mich., and remained until August, 1889. He then went to Mackinac Island, where he remained twelve years and carried on a cooper shop, and a portion of the time kept a hotel. During his residence there he held the offices of sheriff and coroner, each two terms. Jan. 2, 1842, he married Rosalie Hamel, at Mackinac. They have had eleven children, eight of whom, four sons and four daughters, are now living in Cheboygan. In the spring of 1851 they removed to Cheboygan County and settled upon land bordering on Mullett Lake, where they remained about two years. In 1854 Mr. Metivier built a hotel, called the Cheboygan House, and kept it two years. This was the first hotel built in the village and is now a part of the Spencer House. At the first county election in 1855 he was elected sheriff, and the following year register of deeds. In 1855 he succeeded Bela Chapman as postmaster, and retained the office until 1861. In 1872 he was elected clerk and register of deeds of the county, and has held those offices continuously to the present time. As a public officer he is exceedingly popular. Mr. Metivier is a veritable pioneer of northern Michigan, having been a resident of this part of the state well toward half a century. He has had to do with all the onward movements of Cheboygan, as will be observed during a perusal of these pages. He is a prominent member of the Catholic Church and has been during the history of St. Mary's Church at Cheboygan. William H. Maultby, one of the pioneers of Cheboygan County, was born in the city of Cork, Ireland, Oct. 25, 1809. In the summer of 1828 he emigrated to America and settled in Vermont. May 4, 1831, he married Cynthia A. Branack, at Fairhaven, Vt., and in 1833 they removed to the state of New York. He was a cooper by trade and followed it for several years. In 1851 he settled in Cheboygan County, living first on the west side of the river on land purchased of J. W. Duncan. He then purchased a place in the town of Inverness, where he still resides. They have had three children, two sons and one daughter, all of whom are now giving. His wife died May 7, 1873. Mr. Maultby has had more or less to do with county affairs since its organization, having been probate judge, county treasurer and is now deputy treasurer. He is well known and highly respected in the county. Lorenzo Backus, one of the pioneers of Cheboygan County, was born at Groton, Tompkins County, N. Y., in the year 1809. When about thirteen years of age, he removed to Cayuga County, and after remaining there about three years, removed to Erie County. In the spring of 1835 he married at Evans, Erie County, and removed to southern Michigan. In 1844 he removed to Mackinac. In 1847 he first visited Cheboygan, and built a house for W. M. Belotte. He then returned to Mackinac and remained until 1849, when he removed his family to Cheboygan and settled here permanently. He finished the first steam saw-mill built at this point by Jacob Sammons and Peter McKinley. He then followed carpenter work for a time and afterward, in company with W. M. Belotte, built a portable saw-mill. He was elected county clerk in 1860 and county treasurer in 1862, holding each office one term. Mrs. Backus died in 1879. She is well remembered by the early settlers in connection with pioneer life. For some time she was the only physician in the settlement. Being an excellent nurse she obtained some information of the use of medicine and was enabled thereby to be of much service. Mr. Backus has erected several buildings in the village. In 1883 he completed the Backus Block, containing two stores, and centrally located for business purposes. Peter Spooner, one of the early settlers of Cheboygan County, was born near Montreal, Canada, in the year 1832. In 1853 he settled in Cheboygan, where he still resides. He first worked at lumbering, and then ran a mail boat to Mackinac for eleven years, a portion of which time he also kept hotel in what is now the Spencer House. Mr. Spooner in those days was an indispensable individual in the community, doing a little of everything for every body. In 1868 he started the first meat market in Cheboygan, which he continued to operate for three years. He then moved on his farm on the Cheboygan River, and remained there nine years, after which he came back to the village and kept a boarding house three years. After another year on the farm he returned to the village. Since May, 1883, he has kept the American House, but still owns his farm on the river. Philip O'Brien, a pioneer of Cheboygan, was born in Ireland in the year 1815. In 1847 he emigrated to Nova Scotia, and in 1850 came to Cheboygan. In 1851 he was married at Mackinac and went to live above the dam on a part of the farm now owned by Peter McDonald. He was the first settler above the dam. He worked at lumbering more or less until the breaking out of the rebellion. In 1861 he enlisted in the Third Michigan Battery. He was a good soldier, but his service was cut short by a wound at the battle of Corinth, which resulted in the loss of his right arm. In the spring of 1862 he received an honorable discharge and returned home. He now lives in the village of Cheboygan. His family consists of his wife and five children, four sons and one daughter. Philip Bries, one of the pioneers of Cheboygan, was born in Belgium in the year 1817. He served in the army from 1838 to 1844. Oct 21, 1847, he married Marie Struyf. In the spring of 1856 they emigrated to this country, reaching Mackinac in July of that year. The following autumn they removed to Cheboygan, where they still reside. Mr. Bries was a cooper by trade and has pursued that avocation to the present time. In 1858 he built, a house, still standing on Main Street, which was their home for twelve years. This worthy couple struggled with the hardships and privations of pioneer life, but by industry and frugality acquired a competency for old age. John Barber, a pioneer of Cheboygan, was born in the state of Vermont in 1824. At an early age he removed with his parents to the state of New York, and in the fall of 1850 came to Cheboygan and worked at lumbering for the firm of J. W. Duncan & Co. He remained with them as foreman of their wood operations until the failure of the firm. When McArthur, Smith & Co. began operations here he went into their employ and has remained with, the business through the changes of firm, and is now connected with W. and A. McArthur. He was married August, 1856, at Cheboygan, to Annie Mahoney. They have three daughters. Mr. Barber is a man of high standing in the community, and one of the few pioneers of the earliest days yet living. Watts S. Humphrey, attorney at Cheboygan, is one of the prominent lawyers of northern Michigan; is a native of Perry, Wyoming County, N. Y. At an early age he removed to Michigan with his parents who settled near Lansing and were one of the pioneer families in that section of the state. In 1862 he attempted to get into the army but was rejected on account of being too young. The following year he was more successful and enlisted in the Second Michigan Cavalry. In 1864 he was wounded and sent to the hospital. In the spring of 1865 he left the hospital and was mustered out of service. It is worthy of note that as soon as he was in comfortable pecuniary circumstances he declined to longer receive the pension to which he was entitled, and which he had drawn up to that time. After the war, being broken in health, he pursued the study of law at Lansing, and subsequently entered the Michigan University, from which he graduated in 1869. An extensive lumberman then proposed to him that he locate at Cheboygan, and when not occupied with law business, to hunt pine lands. Mr. Humphrey acted upon this suggestion and arrived in Cheboygan, May 7, 1869, being one of the first lawyers to settle there. During the first year he spent a portion of his time locating pine lands, and since then has dealt extensively in pine and farming lands, and is also engaged in lumbering. Very soon after becoming located here he secured a lucrative practice which has continued to increase, and in which he has won a wide reputation as a successful lawyer. He has held the offices of prosecuting attorney and treasurer of the county, besides other minor offices. He is an active member of the Republican party. John F. McDonald, a pioneer business man of Cheboygan, was born in Canada, but removed to the state of New York as early as 1848. In the spring of 1865, he came to Cheboygan in company with John R. McArthur, Lucius Southwick and George W. Swan. These four men purchased the property of the Duncan estate and engaged in lumbering, under the firm name of McArthur, Southwick & Co. Mr. McDonald remained a member of the firm nearly three years, and helped lay the foundation of permanent prosperity in Cheboygan. After selling his interest in that business he engaged in the grocery business near the town line bridge which he still continues. When he purchased the property, the only building upon it was an old cooper-shop which he fitted up as a store. He has since erected a comfortable building for a store, and a fine residence upon the opposite side of the street. He has a wife and ten children. Mr. McDonald has been, and is, a successful business man, and one of reliable citizens of the place. Sanford Baker, who appears in the history of Cheboygan as one of its most extensive business men, was born in Oneida County, N. Y., in the year 1811. At twenty years of age he removed to Jefferson County, where he remained eight years. He then went to Canada and located upon an island which took its name from him and is still known as Baker's Island. Here he built a sawmill and operated it very successfully for several years, when the interests of his business requiring a change of location, he removed to Bellville where he continued the manufacture of lumber with the same success that he had previously enjoyed. In 1866 he sold his mill property in Canada, and was possessed of a fortune amply sufficient for the remainder of his life. In the fall of 1866 he visited the Saginaw Valley, and from there followed up the shore to Alpena. Wishing to examine the lumbering prospects on the Cheboygan River, he, in company with others, made the trip to Cheboygan in a Mackinaw boat. The village of Cheboygan at that time consisted of a few scattering buildings, several huts, and a mixed population, numbering in all about 250 persons. On this trip he was accompanied by Robert Patterson and Archibald Thompson. While here they purchased the bay property of McArthur, Southwick & Co., and also entered other lands in the county. The new firm was Baker, Thompson & Co., and at that time Mr. Baker's connection with Cheboygan began, although he still owned extensive land interests in Canada. In 1872 Messrs. Baker and Smith divided the property, Mr. Smith retaining the mills and dock property, and Mr. Baker having the lands of the company, on the west part, consisting of Cheboygan village lots. Mr. Baker at one time owned about 200 acres of land in the village and about 10,000 acres in the country. In 1877 he disposed of his interests in Canada, and removed his family to Cheboygan. About two years later he built his family residence. His family consists of a wife and two children, one son and a daughter. A. M. Gerow, M. D., is the pioneer physician of Cheboygan. He was born in Lenox County, Canada, in 1845. After studying medicine three years in Canada he came to the States and entered the Buffalo Medical College, at Buffalo, N. Y., from which he graduated in 1868. He practiced for a few months at Galena, Ill., and then came to Cheboygan, arriving here in June, 1868. In July, 1869, he, in company with F. M. Sammons, started the first drug store in Cheboygan. His practice increased as the population multiplied, and he came to be recognized as a leading physician in this part of the state, which position he still retains. He has taken an active part in public matters and in the general growth of the place. He was for some time county superintendent of schools, and is now chairman of the county board of examiners and school director. During his residence in Cheboygan he has built four dwellings and four business buildings, one of which, a substantial brick block on Main Street, was built during 1883. He was one of the original members of the M. E. Society, and one of the first trustees. He is one of the men who have contributed liberally to the growth and prosperity of Cheboygan. J. W. McGinn, banker, Cheboygan, is a native of Canada, and came to Cheboygan in 1867 from Port Huron. For several years he engaged in lumbering and real estate, and whatever could be done profitably. He started out in life wholly dependent upon his own exertions for success, and had no capital to operate with when he came to Cheboygan. He applied himself with energy and industry to building up a fortune, and so far, has been very successful. Upon the organization of the Cheboygan Banking Company he became the principal stockholder, and manager of the business. He has been a trustee of the village three years. He is still largely interested in real estate. Charles R. Smith, a prominent business man at Cheboygan, is a native of Fredonia, Chautauqua County, N. Y. His father, William Smith, came to Cheboygan in 1867, having become a member of the firm of McArthur, Smith & Co., a history of which is elsewhere given. Charles came the following year, being at that time eighteen years of age. From 1868 to 1872 he had charge of the books in the office of McArthur, Smith & Co. In 1871 he purchased an interest in the business, and received an additional interest by will upon the death of his father which occurred in 1876. In 1879 he disposed of his interest in that firm. From 1877 to 1882 he operated the mill known as the Smith Mill. In 1879-'80, in company with his brother, William Smith, he built the large hotel on Mullet Lake, called the Mullet Lake House, at a cost of $42,000. In 1880 he organized the Inland Navigation Co., and has operated the line since that time, he being the principal owner. He is a member of the firm of Smith & Adams, proprietors of the North Shore Line of propellors; and also proprietors of a large planing-mill, elsewhere mentioned in this work. R. M. Thompson, editor of the Northern Tribune, is a native of Ripley, Ohio, and has been engaged in the ministry since the fall of 1860. He was first pastor of a Congregational Church near Cincinnati, Ohio, and subsequently organized an Independent Church at Newport, Kentucky. In 1876 several persons who had been under Mr. Thompson's ministry in Ohio, having removed to Cheboygan, induced him to come here, which he did, and preached for the Congregational society from 1876 until 1879, but was never settled as pastor, although urged to do so. An Independent Church was organized and Mr. Thompson preached for that society until the spring of 1884. In the spring of 1883 he purchased an interest in the Northern Tribune and became editor of the paper, and in consequence of the duties of that position was obliged to temporarily suspend ministerial work. Mr. Thompson is a popular speaker and has been successful in his ministerial work, and is equally successful in journalism. James J. Brown, a prominent member of the Cheboygan County bar, was born in the city of Detroit in the year 1840. He studied law there and was admitted to the supreme court in 1864. He immediately engaged in practice which he continued very successfully about nine years. From 1868 to 1872 he was city attorney of Detroit. In 1873 he came to Cheboygan, and with a reputation already established soon took a leading position both professionally and politically. He held the office of prosecuting attorney from 1876 to 1880, and has also been president and clerk of the village, circuit court commissioner, and has held other minor offices. He was at one time the candidate of the Democratic party for circuit judge but was defeated. Mr. Brown is particularly distinguished as an orator and elocutionist. His reputation as a reader is well established, and he is frequently called upon to fill engagements in various parts of the state. Thomas A. Perrin, M. D., a prominent physician and citizen of Cheboygan, was born in Brantford, Canada, in 1814. He spent five years pursuing the study of medicine, and then came to the States in 1864. In 1866 he came to Cheboygan and engaged in the mercantile business, which he continued several years. In 1873 he graduated at Ann Arbor, and engaged in the practice of medicine, which he has since continued with marked success. For several years he carried on the drug business, but his increasing practice requiring his whole attention, he sold that business in the spring of 1883. He has held several local offices, and is one of the leading citizens of the county. In 1881 his brother, Charles A. Perrin, became associated with him in practice, since which time the firm has been Perrin Brothers. Merritt Chandler, Cheboygan, is a native of Adrian, Mich. In the fall of 1874 he came to Cheboygan, from Cass County, and engaged in lumbering. In 1876 he took the contract to build the Presque Isle and Little Traverse state road. In addition to the work upon this road, he has been engaged in lumbering and real estate, having located upward of 50,000 acres of state lands. He still owns a large quantity of lands, mostly in Presque Isle County, and has done much toward bringing settlers into that county. He is also a stockholder in the Northern Tribune, published at Cheboygan. His family consists of himself and wife. C. A. Gallagher, dealer in groceries at Cheboygan, is a native of Ireland. At an early age he came to America with his parents, who settled in northern Michigan. In 1871 he came to Cheboygan and worked in the woods. Then he was fireman on a tug two seasons. In 1876 he went into the grocery business on Main Street, opposite the postoffice. In the spring of 1880 he sold out and followed other business until January, 1883, when he again engaged in the grocery business, which he still continues. Mr. Gallagher has taken an active part in local matters, and has held the offices of town treasurer, supervisor, and member of the village council. He was chairman of the board of supervisors one term, and in the fall of 1879 received the nomination for member of the legislature, on the Democratic ticket, but was defeated at the election. He was one of the first to advocate water works for the village, and has been a member of the board of water works commissioners since the board was created. He has a wife but no children. Howard Lynn, marshal of the village of Cheboygan in 1883, is a native of Yates County, N. Y. In 1855 his parents removed to Michigan. In 1874 he came to Cheboygan from St. Clair, and carried on a meat-market until the spring of 1883, when he was elected marshal of the village. He has a wife and one son. Is a member of the Masonic fraternity. Mr. Lynn is a superior public officer. Edwin Z. Perkins, judge of probate and treasurer of Cheboygan County, was born in Ingersoll, Canada, and first came to Cheboygan in 1877. The following year he graduated at the Michigan University, and immediately entered upon the practice of law in Cheboygan, as a partner of Watts S. Humphrey. In the fall of 1880 he was elected probate judge, and treasurer in 1882. James W. McDonald, son of Peter McDonald, a pioneer of Cheboygan County, was born at Cheboygan in 1853. He spent four years in Detroit, two of which he spent at book-keeping, and two years he was engaged as teacher in a commercial college. After returning to Cheboygan, he engaged in the hardware business, the firm being McDonald & Cueny. He was three times elected president of the village, and held that office during the years 1880-'81-'82. He has also been a member of the village council. He is a business man of prominence and popularity, and gave excellent satisfaction as a public officer. He has a wife and two children. W. H. Scott, merchant tailor, Cheboygan, is a native of Canada. In the fall of 1878 he went to Cheboygan from Rochester, N. Y., where he had been for some time engaged as cutter in a merchant tailoring establishment. Upon locating at Cheboygan, he engaged in the merchant tailoring business, which he still continues, occupying the leading position in that branch of trade. Mr. Scott is a prominent member of the Odd Fellows, Knights of Honor and Royal Arcanum Societies. A. D. Farmer, a native of Vermont, removed to Cheboygan from Wisconsin, in the spring of 1860. He had been engaged in the mercantile business. He remained a short time, and then went away. He afterward spent a short time here, and went away again, after which he settled here permanently. He was engaged in the boot and shoe business, until his death, which occurred Sept. 3, 1869. His widow and two children, Charles D. Farmer, and Mrs. J. E. Nichols, remain in Cheboygan. Charles D. Farmer was born in Wisconsin, and after the death of his father continued the boot and shoe business until 1880, when he closed out his stock, and since that time has been principally engaged in the hotel business. He is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity. Has a wife but no children. Captain E. A. Bouchard, at present master of the propellor Messenger, is a veteran of the lakes. He was born on board a vessel, near Green Bay, Wis., and has followed the water from a child. He first took command of a vessel in 1857, and continued in that capacity until the breaking out of the war of the rebellion. In July, 1861, he enlisted in the navy and continued in the service as long as there was any fighting to be done. In September, 1865, after the war had closed, he was honorably discharged, and returned to his home on the lakes. In 1878 he removed his family to Cheboygan, which place is now his home. From this port he has commanded the Mary Van Raalte, and since the spring of 1883, the propellor Messenger. He has a wife and three children. Is a member of the Odd Fellows, Royal Templars, and Good Templars. Captain Bouchard's reputation as a brave and efficient vessel master has long been established. William Harrington, sheriff of Cheboygan County in 1883, is a native of the state of New York. In 1864 he enlisted in Onondaga County, N. Y., and went into the army as a member of the Second New York Cavalry. He remained in service until the close of the war, when he returned home. In 1869 he settled in Cheboygan, and in 1876 removed to a farm in the town of Burt. At the fall election in 1882, he was elected sheriff of the county on the Republican ticket, and is a most capable and efficient public officer. He still retains his farm consisting of 170 acres in the town of Burt. H. J. Miner, clothing merchant, Cheboygan, is a native of Clinton County, N. Y. In 1876 he came to Cheboygan from Detroit, and was first engaged as salesman in a general store. After a short time he became a partner in a general mercantile business. In the spring of 1880 he engaged in the clothing and merchant tailoring business, in a store on Third Street. In December, 1881, he removed to his present store in the Bennett Block. Mr. Miner was the first to start an exclusive clothing store in Cheboygan. He does a large business and is one of the most enterprising merchants in the place. He is a prominent member of the Odd Fellows, Masonic, and Ancient Order of United Workmen societies. Joseph Cochran is a native of Ottawa, Canada, and came to the states in 1867. In 1874 he came to Cheboygan from Flint, and worked at lumbering in the woods and on the river. He then engaged at carpenter work for a short time, when he entered the employ of Smith Bros., in their planing-mill, and has remained in that business to the present time. The business is now carried on by Smith & Adams, and Mr. Cochran is foreman of the mill. He is also an architect, and among others made the plans for the Mullet Lake House and for the new hotel at Cheboygan. He has a wife and three children. William Hess, proprietor of the boiler works at Cheboygan, is a native of Manitowoc, Wis. He learned the trade of boiler making in Milwaukee, and in the spring of 1879 located in Cheboygan. In 1880 he built his present works and commenced business, which he has successfully operated to the present time. At times he employs as many as twenty men. His work is noted for its excellence and his business is rapidly increasing. Frank Osier, proprietor of the Benton House, Cheboygan, is a native of Potsdam, N. Y. In the spring of 1867 he located in Cheboygan, where he still resides. After coming here, his business was that of contractor and builder, and for a time carried on a sash and door factory. He was the first proprietor of the American House, and has been proprietor of the Benton House since the fall of 1883. He has a wife and three children. Is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity. Albert Legault is one of the pioneers of Cheboygan County. He was born in Montreal, Canada, in 1846, and in 1850 came to Cheboygan with the Legault family. For a considerable portion of the time since he began to do for himself, he has been engaged in farming. He kept the Cass House four years, and is now part owner of the tug T. M. Bradley. He has a wife and six children. C. S. Ramsay, deputy collector of customs, at Cheboygan, is a native of Springfield, Ohio, and came to Cheboygan from Detroit, in 1871. He engaged in lumbering and continued in that business for some time. In the fall of 1876 he received the appointment of deputy collector of customs, which office he still holds. In January, 1882, he became editor and part owner of the Northern Tribune. He continued its editor until the spring of 1883, and is still a stockholder in the company. Mr. Ramsay is a leading member of the Congregational society, and occupies a prominent position in political and other public affairs. G. F. Raynolds, cashier of the Cheboygan Bank, is one of the representative business men of that place. He is a native of Canton, Ohio, where he was disciplined in banking business. In the winter of 1882 he removed to Cheboygan, and was one of several stock holders who purchased the banking business of Rollo & Hitchcock, and the new organization started business with Mr. Raynolds as cashier, which position he now occupies. J. P. Sutton, attorney at law, Cheboygan, was born in the state of New Jersey, but at an early day removed to Michigan with his parents, who settled in Oakland County. At the breaking out of the war he raised a company and went into service as captain of Co. H. 7th Mich. Inft. At the expiration of his term of service he returned home, but soon afterward went to California and finally to Texas. In the spring of 1869 he came to Cheboygan, and has been prominently identified with the affairs of the village and county ever since. He has held various public offices, including that of probate judge, and has been a justice of the peace for many years, and also deputy county clerk. Mr. Sutton is a lawyer by profession and a member of the county bar, but his time and attention are principally occupied with the various public positions he is called upon to fill. He has been active in educational matters and has contributed liberally to the welfare of the public schools. He was married in 1862 at Orion, Oakland County, Michigan, to Mary E. Shadbolt, of that place. They have two children. H. A. Blake, foundryman, at Cheboygan, was one of the early lumber manufacturers of Cheboygan. He is a native of Bethel, Vermont, but afterward removed to Whitehall, N. Y. In June, 1868, he came to Cheboygan, and in company with a Mr. Watson built a saw-mill, the frame of which is still standing on the river above the dam. The firm of Watson & Blake operated the mill about two years and then sold it to Nelson & Strohn. At sixteen years of age Mr. Blake had learned the machinist's trade, and in 1870 made the first castings made in the county, in a shop connected with the saw-mill. After going out of the lumber business, he built a foundry and machine shop on Main Street, which business he still continues, having very materially increased the capacity of his works since the business was first started. During the first four months of the business the firm was Blake & Perry; since that time Mr. Blake has carried on the business alone. Mathias J. Kesseler, one of the pioneer business men of Cheboygan, is a native of Prussia, and emigrated to America in 1854. His parents first settled in Ohio, but in 1861 removed to Michigan and located on the St. Clair River. From there Mr. Kesseler went to Alpena, and in June, 1869, settled in Cheboygan and opened the first barber shop in the village, he occupied the second floor of Sammon's block on Main Street. Not long afterward he erected the building now occupied by Louis A. Parcelle as a drug store. Mr. Kesseler occupied that building for several years, and in it opened the first gents' furnishing store in the place. In 1881 he erected the large building, a portion of which he now occupies. June 5, 1872, he married Sophia Metivier, daughter of Medard Metivier, one of the pioneer families of Cheboygan. They have four children. Louis A. Parcelle, druggist, Cheboygan, is a native of Virginia, and of Spanish descent. He settled in Cheboygan in 1880. In the spring of 1883 he purchased the drug stock of Dr. C. P. Hill and continues that business at the present time. Mr. Parcelle is a young man of more than average business ability, and is considered one of the soundest business men in Cheboygan. He is enterprising and encourages all measures calculated to benefit the community. Carmody & Co., liquor dealers, Cheboygan, is composed of Daniel Carmody, James Duggan and James Workman. The firm dates from the spring of 1882, in which year the building they now occupy was built. Daniel Carmody is a native of Canada, and came to Cheboygan from Ohio in 1876. He has been engaged in the liquor business here since that time. James Duggan is a native of Quebec, and has lived in Michigan eleven yoars. He is a timber inspector for a Canada firm, and has been a resident of Cheboygan since the spring of 1880. James Workman is a native of Canada, and came to Cheboygan in 1879, from Lake Superior. He has been connected with lumbering for eighteen years, and is now the agent of a Canada film of lumber and timber dealers. Joseph Spooner, dealer in fresh and salt meats, Cheboygan, is the pioneer butcher of the county. He is a native of Montreal, Canada, and went to California in 1803. In the winter of 1867 he removed to Cheboygan, where he soon afterward opened the first meat market in the place in company with his brother, Peter Spooner. He has continued that business to the present time, and has an extensive patronage. He has a wife-and nine children, five sons and four daughters. They have buried one son. Mr. Spooner is one of the reliable business men of the place. George Carleton, manufacturer of brick at Cheboygan, is a native of the state of New York. In the fall of 1880 he came to Cheboygan from Clyde, Ohio, and engaged in the manufacture of brick. He has facilities for manufacturing by steam power, and his works have a capacity of 20,000 a day. Mr. Carleton has been engaged in the manufacture of brick about sixteen years, and is an expert at the business. He served about four months in the army during the war with the l69th Ohio Vol. Inft. He has a wife but no children. John Reid, of the firm of Reid & Co., dealers in groceries, provisions, etc., Cheboygan, is a native of Ionia, Michigan. In the fall of 1877 he moved to Cheboygan from Detroit, and was employed as salesman until the fall of 1882 when he engaged in business with George Thomas, of Owosso, the firm being Reid & Co. Mr. Reid is an enterprising business man. F. J. Todd, son of H. F. Todd, one of the pioneers of Cheboygan, was born at Mackinac, and removed to Cheboygan with his parents in 1867. He started out at an early age to establish a business for himself, and sold confectionery at the dock and acted as salesman in stores. At one time he purchased an interest in a vessel and sailed two seasons. In 1880 he opened a confectionery store and afterward added a bakery to his business, which is now known as the Peerless Bakery. He does a large and prosperous business which is the result of his own industry and energy. George E. Fax, merchant tailor, Cheboygan, is a native of Montreal, Canada. In the spring of 1881 he went to Cheboygan from Detroit, and for several months was in the employ of W. H. Scott. He then had an interest in the merchant tailoring department of H. J. Miner's business, which continued until May, 1883, when he engaged alone in business. He is a popular business man. Daniel D. McDonald, lumberman, Cheboygan, is a native of Ontario, Canada. He went to Detroit in 1858, and afterward removed to Alpena where he was engaged exploring for pine. In 1809 he settled in Cheboygan, where he continued his business, afterward dealing in timber and standing pine. He is still engaged in woods ranging for the J. L. & S. Railway Company, and is also interested in the manufacture of logs and timber for foreign markets. Mr. McDonald is a lumberman of long experience, and is well known in this part of the state. I. E. De Gowin, dealer in groceries, provisions, etc., Cheboygan, is a native of the state Of New York. He first went to Cheboygan in 1878, and remained a short time. In June, 1879, he settled there permanently. In April, 1881, he engaged in his present business, and is now one of the leading merchants of the place. He is clerk of the town of Benton, and a prominent member of the Odd Fellows fraternity. M. E. Huston, pattern maker, Cheboygan, is a native of Elkhart, Ind. He served in the army in Company D, 130th Indiana Volunteers, four months during 1864. In May, 1878, he settled in Cheboygan, and engaged as pattern maker at the Blake foundry. He is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity. Mr. Huston is a skillful mechanic and a respected citizen. P. H. McDonald, son of Peter McDonald, one of the earliest settlers of Cheboygan County, was born in Ireland in 1848. In 1849 his parents settled in Cheboygan, where he has remained to the present time. His principal business has been lumbering and farming. He was married in 1870, and has two children. He is at present proprietor of the Cass House. Samuel S. Eddy, manager of the store of W. & A. McArthur, is a native of Saratoga, N. Y. He first entered the mercantile pursuit in 1804, and came to Cheboygan from Chicago in the winter of 1880. Is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity and St. James Episcopal Church. Mr. Eddy is a man of high standing in the community. W. F. McDonald, liquor dealer, Cheboygan, is a native of Canada. He served in the army two years, early during the war of the rebellion, and in 1863 received his discharge and came to Michigan. He lived several years at Harrisville, Iosco County, where he was engaged in keeping hotel. In the spring of 1870 he settled in Cheboygan, and engaged in the liquor business, which he still continues. T. J. Crumley, lumberman, Cheboygan, was born at Toronto, Canada, and came to Michigan in 1863 from Lower Canada, where he had worked on the St. Francis River. He located at Alpena, and worked in the woods. In the fall of 1868 he settled in Cheboygan, where he worked in the woods for a time, and then engaged in lumbering for himself, which he still continues. He has a wife and six children, four daughters and two sons, having buried one son. In 1884 Mr. Crumley is building a commodious brick hotel on Third Street. Alexander McRae, dealer in liquors, Cheboygan, is a native of Canada, and first settled in Alpena. In 1870 he removed to Cheboygan, and worked at lumbering for several years. In the fall of 1881 he engaged in the liquor business, which he still continues. J. A. McQuaig, dealer in liquors, cigars, etc., Cheboygan, is a native of Canada, and settled in Cheboygan in 1877, where he worked at lumbering. In 1880 he engaged in business, opposite the Benton House. In November, 1883, he removed his business to the Bellant Block on the west side of the river. D. N. McLeod, proprietor of McLeod's Exchange, Cheboygan, is a native of Canada, and settled in Cheboygan in 1875. He was first engaged at lumbering in the woods, and afterwards kept the Benton House. In the fall of 1883 he exchanged the Benton House for his present place, near the postoffice, where he deals in liquors, cigars, etc. Murray & Rich, proprietors of a foundry and machine shop, Cheboygan, succeeded J. N. Perry, in the fall of 1882. The business was first established by Mr. Perry in 1873. The firm is composed of Andrew and John W. Murray and Fred E. Rich, all of whom are practical machinists and good business men. They have built up a large and prosperous business, and have the reputation of doing excellent work Andrew and John Murray are natives of Washtenaw County, Mich, but for several years before coming to Cheboygan were employed at Saginaw, where they learned their trade. Fred E. Rich is a native of Bangor, Me., where he learned his trade. He was also engaged in Saginaw five years prior to coming to Cheboygan. They are young men of excellent business habits, and are meeting with deserved success.
Copyright 2004- by MIGenWeb Project. All rights reserved. Copyright of submitted items belongs to those responsible for their authorship or creation unless otherwise assigned.

Biographical

Source: "The Traverse Region, Historical and Descriptive, with Illustrations of Scenery and Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers", Chicago: HR Page & Co., 1884.

Francis M. Sammons, son of Jacob Sammons, the first settler in Cheboygan County, was born near Syracuse, New York, in the year 1834. In 1846 he joined his parents at Cheboygan, having spent a year with an uncle in Illinois. July 4, 1857, he married Samantha R. St. John, of Cheboygan. They have nine children. At an early day Mr. Sammons used to buy fur and in that pursuit traversed nearly the whole region between the Saginaw Valley and the Straits. His principal occupation has been mercantile business, lumbering and contracting. As is seen in the history of Cheboygan County there have been but few public enterprises with which he has not been connected. He was one of the contractors for building the old wharf in 1861, also the Third Street bridge. In company with Dr. A. M. Gerow, he opened the first drug store in the village. He was also one of the contractors for opening the route to Crooked Lake, he having been the first to conceive the idea of carrying the mail over that route. He held the offices of county clerk and town supervisor several terms and was school director and moderator about twenty years. In these capacities he rendered the public very valuable service in organizing the affairs of the town and establishing a prosperous school system. He has been from its beginning a prominent member of the Greenback party, and was a candidate for representative to the state legislature in 1878. Notwithstanding long public service Mr. Sammons has preserved his popularity with the people of the county. He has recently become interested in the farm lands of Dakota.

Moses W. Horne, deceased, one of the earliest settlers of Cheboygan County, was born at Wolfborough, N. H., March 17, 1820. In 1845 he went to Mackinac Island from Chicago where he had been at work for a short time. In 1846 he came to Cheboygan and worked part of that season at coopering, and made the first fish barrels made in the county. That fall he pre-empted fifty-four acres of land, he and Jacob Sammons being the first to take up land in the county. He then returned to his native state, and Dec. 17, 1846, married Sarah T. Bunker. They have had six children, three of whom are now living. In 1847, accompanied by his wife, he returned to Mackinac and in December, 1850, they settled in Cheboygan, Mr. Horne was the second sheriff elected in the county, and was again elected in 1864. He also held the office of marshal of the village for several years. Mr. Horne has been one of the active pioneers in the work of general development and progress. He was instrumental in starting the first Sunday school in the county, and was very active in carrying forward to a successful termination the efforts to build a Methodist Church. During late years Mr. Horne's business interests have been mainly in village real estate and pine lands. He has been a valuable contributor to all efforts towards advancing the general welfare of the village and county. His death occurred in November, 1883.

Medard Metivier was born at Lacadie, Canada, Sept. 25, 1815, of French parentage. His father was an architect and builder, and Medard's early years were spent in assisting him and in attendance at school. In May, 1836, being about twenty-one years of age, he left home and came to the States, locating at Rochester, N. Y. There he was engaged in a soap and candle factory, and afterward in a fruit garden. He remained at Rochester until November, 1837, when he removed to Grand Rapids, Mich., and remained until August, 1889. He then went to Mackinac Island, where he remained twelve years and carried on a cooper shop, and a portion of the time kept a hotel. During his residence there he held the offices of sheriff and coroner, each two terms. Jan. 2, 1842, he married Rosalie Hamel, at Mackinac. They have had eleven children, eight of whom, four sons and four daughters, are now living in Cheboygan. In the spring of 1851 they removed to Cheboygan County and settled upon land bordering on Mullett Lake, where they remained about two years. In 1854 Mr. Metivier built a hotel, called the Cheboygan House, and kept it two years. This was the first hotel built in the village and is now a part of the Spencer House. At the first county election in 1855 he was elected sheriff, and the following year register of deeds. In 1855 he succeeded Bela Chapman as postmaster, and retained the office until 1861. In 1872 he was elected clerk and register of deeds of the county, and has held those offices continuously to the present time. As a public officer he is exceedingly popular. Mr. Metivier is a veritable pioneer of northern Michigan, having been a resident of this part of the state well toward half a century. He has had to do with all the onward movements of Cheboygan, as will be observed during a perusal of these pages. He is a prominent member of the Catholic Church and has been during the history of St. Mary's Church at Cheboygan.

William H. Maultby, one of the pioneers of Cheboygan County, was born in the city of Cork, Ireland, Oct. 25, 1809. In the summer of 1828 he emigrated to America and settled in Vermont. May 4, 1831, he married Cynthia A. Branack, at Fairhaven, Vt., and in 1833 they removed to the state of New York. He was a cooper by trade and followed it for several years. In 1851 he settled in Cheboygan County, living first on the west side of the river on land purchased of J. W. Duncan. He then purchased a place in the town of Inverness, where he still resides. They have had three children, two sons and one daughter, all of whom are now giving. His wife died May 7, 1873. Mr. Maultby has had more or less to do with county affairs since its organization, having been probate judge, county treasurer and is now deputy treasurer. He is well known and highly respected in the county.

Lorenzo Backus, one of the pioneers of Cheboygan County, was born at Groton, Tompkins County, N. Y., in the year 1809. When about thirteen years of age, he removed to Cayuga County, and after remaining there about three years, removed to Erie County. In the spring of 1835 he married at Evans, Erie County, and removed to southern Michigan. In 1844 he removed to Mackinac. In 1847 he first visited Cheboygan, and built a house for W. M. Belotte. He then returned to Mackinac and remained until 1849, when he removed his family to Cheboygan and settled here permanently. He finished the first steam saw-mill built at this point by Jacob Sammons and Peter McKinley. He then followed carpenter work for a time and afterward, in company with W. M. Belotte, built a portable saw-mill. He was elected county clerk in 1860 and county treasurer in 1862, holding each office one term. Mrs. Backus died in 1879. She is well remembered by the early settlers in connection with pioneer life. For some time she was the only physician in the settlement. Being an excellent nurse she obtained some information of the use of medicine and was enabled thereby to be of much service. Mr. Backus has erected several buildings in the village. In 1883 he completed the Backus Block, containing two stores, and centrally located for business purposes.

Peter Spooner, one of the early settlers of Cheboygan County, was born near Montreal, Canada, in the year 1832. In 1853 he settled in Cheboygan, where he still resides. He first worked at lumbering, and then ran a mail boat to Mackinac for eleven years, a portion of which time he also kept hotel in what is now the Spencer House. Mr. Spooner in those days was an indispensable individual in the community, doing a little of everything for every body. In 1868 he started the first meat market in Cheboygan, which he continued to operate for three years. He then moved on his farm on the Cheboygan River, and remained there nine years, after which he came back to the village and kept a boarding house three years. After another year on the farm he returned to the village. Since May, 1883, he has kept the American House, but still owns his farm on the river.

Philip O'Brien, a pioneer of Cheboygan, was born in Ireland in the year 1815. In 1847 he emigrated to Nova Scotia, and in 1850 came to Cheboygan. In 1851 he was married at Mackinac and went to live above the dam on a part of the farm now owned by Peter McDonald. He was the first settler above the dam. He worked at lumbering more or less until the breaking out of the rebellion. In 1861 he enlisted in the Third Michigan Battery. He was a good soldier, but his service was cut short by a wound at the battle of Corinth, which resulted in the loss of his right arm. In the spring of 1862 he received an honorable discharge and returned home. He now lives in the village of Cheboygan. His family consists of his wife and five children, four sons and one daughter.

Philip Bries, one of the pioneers of Cheboygan, was born in Belgium in the year 1817. He served in the army from 1838 to 1844. Oct 21, 1847, he married Marie Struyf. In the spring of 1856 they emigrated to this country, reaching Mackinac in July of that year. The following autumn they removed to Cheboygan, where they still reside. Mr. Bries was a cooper by trade and has pursued that avocation to the present time. In 1858 he built, a house, still standing on Main Street, which was their home for twelve years. This worthy couple struggled with the hardships and privations of pioneer life, but by industry and frugality acquired a competency for old age.

John Barber, a pioneer of Cheboygan, was born in the state of Vermont in 1824. At an early age he removed with his parents to the state of New York, and in the fall of 1850 came to Cheboygan and worked at lumbering for the firm of J. W. Duncan & Co. He remained with them as foreman of their wood operations until the failure of the firm. When McArthur, Smith & Co. began operations here he went into their employ and has remained with, the business through the changes of firm, and is now connected with W. and A. McArthur. He was married August, 1856, at Cheboygan, to Annie Mahoney. They have three daughters. Mr. Barber is a man of high standing in the community, and one of the few pioneers of the earliest days yet living.

Watts S. Humphrey, attorney at Cheboygan, is one of the prominent lawyers of northern Michigan; is a native of Perry, Wyoming County, N. Y. At an early age he removed to Michigan with his parents who settled near Lansing and were one of the pioneer families in that section of the state. In 1862 he attempted to get into the army but was rejected on account of being too young. The following year he was more successful and enlisted in the Second Michigan Cavalry. In 1864 he was wounded and sent to the hospital. In the spring of 1865 he left the hospital and was mustered out of service. It is worthy of note that as soon as he was in comfortable pecuniary circumstances he declined to longer receive the pension to which he was entitled, and which he had drawn up to that time. After the war, being broken in health, he pursued the study of law at Lansing, and subsequently entered the Michigan University, from which he graduated in 1869. An extensive lumberman then proposed to him that he locate at Cheboygan, and when not occupied with law business, to hunt pine lands. Mr. Humphrey acted upon this suggestion and arrived in Cheboygan, May 7, 1869, being one of the first lawyers to settle there. During the first year he spent a portion of his time locating pine lands, and since then has dealt extensively in pine and farming lands, and is also engaged in lumbering. Very soon after becoming located here he secured a lucrative practice which has continued to increase, and in which he has won a wide reputation as a successful lawyer. He has held the offices of prosecuting attorney and treasurer of the county, besides other minor offices. He is an active member of the Republican party.

John F. McDonald, a pioneer business man of Cheboygan, was born in Canada, but removed to the state of New York as early as 1848. In the spring of 1865, he came to Cheboygan in company with John R. McArthur, Lucius Southwick and George W. Swan. These four men purchased the property of the Duncan estate and engaged in lumbering, under the firm name of McArthur, Southwick & Co. Mr. McDonald remained a member of the firm nearly three years, and helped lay the foundation of permanent prosperity in Cheboygan. After selling his interest in that business he engaged in the grocery business near the town line bridge which he still continues. When he purchased the property, the only building upon it was an old cooper-shop which he fitted up as a store. He has since erected a comfortable building for a store, and a fine residence upon the opposite side of the street. He has a wife and ten children. Mr. McDonald has been, and is, a successful business man, and one of reliable citizens of the place.

Sanford Baker, who appears in the history of Cheboygan as one of its most extensive business men, was born in Oneida County, N. Y., in the year 1811. At twenty years of age he removed to Jefferson County, where he remained eight years. He then went to Canada and located upon an island which took its name from him and is still known as Baker's Island. Here he built a sawmill and operated it very successfully for several years, when the interests of his business requiring a change of location, he removed to Bellville where he continued the manufacture of lumber with the same success that he had previously enjoyed. In 1866 he sold his mill property in Canada, and was possessed of a fortune amply sufficient for the remainder of his life. In the fall of 1866 he visited the Saginaw Valley, and from there followed up the shore to Alpena. Wishing to examine the lumbering prospects on the Cheboygan River, he, in company with others, made the trip to Cheboygan in a Mackinaw boat. The village of Cheboygan at that time consisted of a few scattering buildings, several huts, and a mixed population, numbering in all about 250 persons. On this trip he was accompanied by Robert Patterson and Archibald Thompson. While here they purchased the bay property of McArthur, Southwick & Co., and also entered other lands in the county. The new firm was Baker, Thompson & Co., and at that time Mr. Baker's connection with Cheboygan began, although he still owned extensive land interests in Canada. In 1872 Messrs. Baker and Smith divided the property, Mr. Smith retaining the mills and dock property, and Mr. Baker having the lands of the company, on the west part, consisting of Cheboygan village lots. Mr. Baker at one time owned about 200 acres of land in the village and about 10,000 acres in the country. In 1877 he disposed of his interests in Canada, and removed his family to Cheboygan. About two years later he built his family residence. His family consists of a wife and two children, one son and a daughter.

A. M. Gerow, M. D., is the pioneer physician of Cheboygan. He was born in Lenox County, Canada, in 1845. After studying medicine three years in Canada he came to the States and entered the Buffalo Medical College, at Buffalo, N. Y., from which he graduated in 1868. He practiced for a few months at Galena, Ill., and then came to Cheboygan, arriving here in June, 1868. In July, 1869, he, in company with F. M. Sammons, started the first drug store in Cheboygan. His practice increased as the population multiplied, and he came to be recognized as a leading physician in this part of the state, which position he still retains. He has taken an active part in public matters and in the general growth of the place. He was for some time county superintendent of schools, and is now chairman of the county board of examiners and school director. During his residence in Cheboygan he has built four dwellings and four business buildings, one of which, a substantial brick block on Main Street, was built during 1883. He was one of the original members of the M. E. Society, and one of the first trustees. He is one of the men who have contributed liberally to the growth and prosperity of Cheboygan.

J. W. McGinn, banker, Cheboygan, is a native of Canada, and came to Cheboygan in 1867 from Port Huron. For several years he engaged in lumbering and real estate, and whatever could be done profitably. He started out in life wholly dependent upon his own exertions for success, and had no capital to operate with when he came to Cheboygan. He applied himself with energy and industry to building up a fortune, and so far, has been very successful. Upon the organization of the Cheboygan Banking Company he became the principal stockholder, and manager of the business. He has been a trustee of the village three years. He is still largely interested in real estate.

Charles R. Smith, a prominent business man at Cheboygan, is a native of Fredonia, Chautauqua County, N. Y. His father, William Smith, came to Cheboygan in 1867, having become a member of the firm of McArthur, Smith & Co., a history of which is elsewhere given. Charles came the following year, being at that time eighteen years of age. From 1868 to 1872 he had charge of the books in the office of McArthur, Smith & Co. In 1871 he purchased an interest in the business, and received an additional interest by will upon the death of his father which occurred in 1876. In 1879 he disposed of his interest in that firm. From 1877 to 1882 he operated the mill known as the Smith Mill. In 1879-'80, in company with his brother, William Smith, he built the large hotel on Mullet Lake, called the Mullet Lake House, at a cost of $42,000. In 1880 he organized the Inland Navigation Co., and has operated the line since that time, he being the principal owner. He is a member of the firm of Smith & Adams, proprietors of the North Shore Line of propellors; and also proprietors of a large planing-mill, elsewhere mentioned in this work.

R. M. Thompson, editor of the Northern Tribune, is a native of Ripley, Ohio, and has been engaged in the ministry since the fall of 1860. He was first pastor of a Congregational Church near Cincinnati, Ohio, and subsequently organized an Independent Church at Newport, Kentucky. In 1876 several persons who had been under Mr. Thompson's ministry in Ohio, having removed to Cheboygan, induced him to come here, which he did, and preached for the Congregational society from 1876 until 1879, but was never settled as pastor, although urged to do so. An Independent Church was organized and Mr. Thompson preached for that society until the spring of 1884. In the spring of 1883 he purchased an interest in the Northern Tribune and became editor of the paper, and in consequence of the duties of that position was obliged to temporarily suspend ministerial work. Mr. Thompson is a popular speaker and has been successful in his ministerial work, and is equally successful in journalism.

James J. Brown, a prominent member of the Cheboygan County bar, was born in the city of Detroit in the year 1840. He studied law there and was admitted to the supreme court in 1864. He immediately engaged in practice which he continued very successfully about nine years. From 1868 to 1872 he was city attorney of Detroit. In 1873 he came to Cheboygan, and with a reputation already established soon took a leading position both professionally and politically. He held the office of prosecuting attorney from 1876 to 1880, and has also been president and clerk of the village, circuit court commissioner, and has held other minor offices. He was at one time the candidate of the Democratic party for circuit judge but was defeated. Mr. Brown is particularly distinguished as an orator and elocutionist. His reputation as a reader is well established, and he is frequently called upon to fill engagements in various parts of the state.

Thomas A. Perrin, M. D., a prominent physician and citizen of Cheboygan, was born in Brantford, Canada, in 1814. He spent five years pursuing the study of medicine, and then came to the States in 1864. In 1866 he came to Cheboygan and engaged in the mercantile business, which he continued several years. In 1873 he graduated at Ann Arbor, and engaged in the practice of medicine, which he has since continued with marked success. For several years he carried on the drug business, but his increasing practice requiring his whole attention, he sold that business in the spring of 1883. He has held several local offices, and is one of the leading citizens of the county. In 1881 his brother, Charles A. Perrin, became associated with him in practice, since which time the firm has been Perrin Brothers.

Merritt Chandler, Cheboygan, is a native of Adrian, Mich. In the fall of 1874 he came to Cheboygan, from Cass County, and engaged in lumbering. In 1876 he took the contract to build the Presque Isle and Little Traverse state road. In addition to the work upon this road, he has been engaged in lumbering and real estate, having located upward of 50,000 acres of state lands. He still owns a large quantity of lands, mostly in Presque Isle County, and has done much toward bringing settlers into that county. He is also a stockholder in the Northern Tribune, published at Cheboygan. His family consists of himself and wife.

C. A. Gallagher, dealer in groceries at Cheboygan, is a native of Ireland. At an early age he came to America with his parents, who settled in northern Michigan. In 1871 he came to Cheboygan and worked in the woods. Then he was fireman on a tug two seasons. In 1876 he went into the grocery business on Main Street, opposite the postoffice. In the spring of 1880 he sold out and followed other business until January, 1883, when he again engaged in the grocery business, which he still continues. Mr. Gallagher has taken an active part in local matters, and has held the offices of town treasurer, supervisor, and member of the village council. He was chairman of the board of supervisors one term, and in the fall of 1879 received the nomination for member of the legislature, on the Democratic ticket, but was defeated at the election. He was one of the first to advocate water works for the village, and has been a member of the board of water works commissioners since the board was created. He has a wife but no children.

Howard Lynn, marshal of the village of Cheboygan in 1883, is a native of Yates County, N. Y. In 1855 his parents removed to Michigan. In 1874 he came to Cheboygan from St. Clair, and carried on a meat-market until the spring of 1883, when he was elected marshal of the village. He has a wife and one son. Is a member of the Masonic fraternity. Mr. Lynn is a superior public officer.

Edwin Z. Perkins, judge of probate and treasurer of Cheboygan County, was born in Ingersoll, Canada, and first came to Cheboygan in 1877. The following year he graduated at the Michigan University, and immediately entered upon the practice of law in Cheboygan, as a partner of Watts S. Humphrey. In the fall of 1880 he was elected probate judge, and treasurer in 1882.

James W. McDonald, son of Peter McDonald, a pioneer of Cheboygan County, was born at Cheboygan in 1853. He spent four years in Detroit, two of which he spent at book-keeping, and two years he was engaged as teacher in a commercial college. After returning to Cheboygan, he engaged in the hardware business, the firm being McDonald & Cueny. He was three times elected president of the village, and held that office during the years 1880-'81-'82. He has also been a member of the village council. He is a business man of prominence and popularity, and gave excellent satisfaction as a public officer. He has a wife and two children.

W. H. Scott, merchant tailor, Cheboygan, is a native of Canada. In the fall of 1878 he went to Cheboygan from Rochester, N. Y., where he had been for some time engaged as cutter in a merchant tailoring establishment. Upon locating at Cheboygan, he engaged in the merchant tailoring business, which he still continues, occupying the leading position in that branch of trade. Mr. Scott is a prominent member of the Odd Fellows, Knights of Honor and Royal Arcanum Societies.

A. D. Farmer, a native of Vermont, removed to Cheboygan from Wisconsin, in the spring of 1860. He had been engaged in the mercantile business. He remained a short time, and then went away. He afterward spent a short time here, and went away again, after which he settled here permanently. He was engaged in the boot and shoe business, until his death, which occurred Sept. 3, 1869. His widow and two children, Charles D. Farmer, and Mrs. J. E. Nichols, remain in Cheboygan. Charles D. Farmer was born in Wisconsin, and after the death of his father continued the boot and shoe business until 1880, when he closed out his stock, and since that time has been principally engaged in the hotel business. He is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity. Has a wife but no children.

Captain E. A. Bouchard, at present master of the propellor Messenger, is a veteran of the lakes. He was born on board a vessel, near Green Bay, Wis., and has followed the water from a child. He first took command of a vessel in 1857, and continued in that capacity until the breaking out of the war of the rebellion. In July, 1861, he enlisted in the navy and continued in the service as long as there was any fighting to be done. In September, 1865, after the war had closed, he was honorably discharged, and returned to his home on the lakes. In 1878 he removed his family to Cheboygan, which place is now his home. From this port he has commanded the Mary Van Raalte, and since the spring of 1883, the propellor Messenger. He has a wife and three children. Is a member of the Odd Fellows, Royal Templars, and Good Templars. Captain Bouchard's reputation as a brave and efficient vessel master has long been established.

William Harrington, sheriff of Cheboygan County in 1883, is a native of the state of New York. In 1864 he enlisted in Onondaga County, N. Y., and went into the army as a member of the Second New York Cavalry. He remained in service until the close of the war, when he returned home. In 1869 he settled in Cheboygan, and in 1876 removed to a farm in the town of Burt. At the fall election in 1882, he was elected sheriff of the county on the Republican ticket, and is a most capable and efficient public officer. He still retains his farm consisting of 170 acres in the town of Burt.

H. J. Miner, clothing merchant, Cheboygan, is a native of Clinton County, N. Y. In 1876 he came to Cheboygan from Detroit, and was first engaged as salesman in a general store. After a short time he became a partner in a general mercantile business. In the spring of 1880 he engaged in the clothing and merchant tailoring business, in a store on Third Street. In December, 1881, he removed to his present store in the Bennett Block. Mr. Miner was the first to start an exclusive clothing store in Cheboygan. He does a large business and is one of the most enterprising merchants in the place. He is a prominent member of the Odd Fellows, Masonic, and Ancient Order of United Workmen societies.

Joseph Cochran is a native of Ottawa, Canada, and came to the states in 1867. In 1874 he came to Cheboygan from Flint, and worked at lumbering in the woods and on the river. He then engaged at carpenter work for a short time, when he entered the employ of Smith Bros., in their planing-mill, and has remained in that business to the present time. The business is now carried on by Smith & Adams, and Mr. Cochran is foreman of the mill. He is also an architect, and among others made the plans for the Mullet Lake House and for the new hotel at Cheboygan. He has a wife and three children.

William Hess, proprietor of the boiler works at Cheboygan, is a native of Manitowoc, Wis. He learned the trade of boiler making in Milwaukee, and in the spring of 1879 located in Cheboygan. In 1880 he built his present works and commenced business, which he has successfully operated to the present time. At times he employs as many as twenty men. His work is noted for its excellence and his business is rapidly increasing.

Frank Osier, proprietor of the Benton House, Cheboygan, is a native of Potsdam, N. Y. In the spring of 1867 he located in Cheboygan, where he still resides. After coming here, his business was that of contractor and builder, and for a time carried on a sash and door factory. He was the first proprietor of the American House, and has been proprietor of the Benton House since the fall of 1883. He has a wife and three children. Is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity.

Albert Legault is one of the pioneers of Cheboygan County. He was born in Montreal, Canada, in 1846, and in 1850 came to Cheboygan with the Legault family. For a considerable portion of the time since he began to do for himself, he has been engaged in farming. He kept the Cass House four years, and is now part owner of the tug T. M. Bradley. He has a wife and six children.

C. S. Ramsay, deputy collector of customs, at Cheboygan, is a native of Springfield, Ohio, and came to Cheboygan from Detroit, in 1871. He engaged in lumbering and continued in that business for some time. In the fall of 1876 he received the appointment of deputy collector of customs, which office he still holds. In January, 1882, he became editor and part owner of the Northern Tribune. He continued its editor until the spring of 1883, and is still a stockholder in the company. Mr. Ramsay is a leading member of the Congregational society, and occupies a prominent position in political and other public affairs.

G. F. Raynolds, cashier of the Cheboygan Bank, is one of the representative business men of that place. He is a native of Canton, Ohio, where he was disciplined in banking business. In the winter of 1882 he removed to Cheboygan, and was one of several stock holders who purchased the banking business of Rollo & Hitchcock, and the new organization started business with Mr. Raynolds as cashier, which position he now occupies.

J. P. Sutton, attorney at law, Cheboygan, was born in the state of New Jersey, but at an early day removed to Michigan with his parents, who settled in Oakland County. At the breaking out of the war he raised a company and went into service as captain of Co. H. 7th Mich. Inft. At the expiration of his term of service he returned home, but soon afterward went to California and finally to Texas. In the spring of 1869 he came to Cheboygan, and has been prominently identified with the affairs of the village and county ever since. He has held various public offices, including that of probate judge, and has been a justice of the peace for many years, and also deputy county clerk. Mr. Sutton is a lawyer by profession and a member of the county bar, but his time and attention are principally occupied with the various public positions he is called upon to fill. He has been active in educational matters and has contributed liberally to the welfare of the public schools. He was married in 1862 at Orion, Oakland County, Michigan, to Mary E. Shadbolt, of that place. They have two children.

H. A. Blake, foundryman, at Cheboygan, was one of the early lumber manufacturers of Cheboygan. He is a native of Bethel, Vermont, but afterward removed to Whitehall, N. Y. In June, 1868, he came to Cheboygan, and in company with a Mr. Watson built a saw-mill, the frame of which is still standing on the river above the dam. The firm of Watson & Blake operated the mill about two years and then sold it to Nelson & Strohn. At sixteen years of age Mr. Blake had learned the machinist's trade, and in 1870 made the first castings made in the county, in a shop connected with the saw-mill. After going out of the lumber business, he built a foundry and machine shop on Main Street, which business he still continues, having very materially increased the capacity of his works since the business was first started. During the first four months of the business the firm was Blake & Perry; since that time Mr. Blake has carried on the business alone.

Mathias J. Kesseler, one of the pioneer business men of Cheboygan, is a native of Prussia, and emigrated to America in 1854. His parents first settled in Ohio, but in 1861 removed to Michigan and located on the St. Clair River. From there Mr. Kesseler went to Alpena, and in June, 1869, settled in Cheboygan and opened the first barber shop in the village, he occupied the second floor of Sammon's block on Main Street. Not long afterward he erected the building now occupied by Louis A. Parcelle as a drug store. Mr. Kesseler occupied that building for several years, and in it opened the first gents' furnishing store in the place. In 1881 he erected the large building, a portion of which he now occupies. June 5, 1872, he married Sophia Metivier, daughter of Medard Metivier, one of the pioneer families of Cheboygan. They have four children.

Louis A. Parcelle, druggist, Cheboygan, is a native of Virginia, and of Spanish descent. He settled in Cheboygan in 1880. In the spring of 1883 he purchased the drug stock of Dr. C. P. Hill and continues that business at the present time. Mr. Parcelle is a young man of more than average business ability, and is considered one of the soundest business men in Cheboygan. He is enterprising and encourages all measures calculated to benefit the community.

Carmody & Co., liquor dealers, Cheboygan, is composed of Daniel Carmody, James Duggan and James Workman. The firm dates from the spring of 1882, in which year the building they now occupy was built. Daniel Carmody is a native of Canada, and came to Cheboygan from Ohio in 1876. He has been engaged in the liquor business here since that time. James Duggan is a native of Quebec, and has lived in Michigan eleven yoars. He is a timber inspector for a Canada firm, and has been a resident of Cheboygan since the spring of 1880. James Workman is a native of Canada, and came to Cheboygan in 1879, from Lake Superior. He has been connected with lumbering for eighteen years, and is now the agent of a Canada film of lumber and timber dealers.

Joseph Spooner, dealer in fresh and salt meats, Cheboygan, is the pioneer butcher of the county. He is a native of Montreal, Canada, and went to California in 1803. In the winter of 1867 he removed to Cheboygan, where he soon afterward opened the first meat market in the place in company with his brother, Peter Spooner. He has continued that business to the present time, and has an extensive patronage. He has a wife-and nine children, five sons and four daughters. They have buried one son. Mr. Spooner is one of the reliable business men of the place.

George Carleton, manufacturer of brick at Cheboygan, is a native of the state of New York. In the fall of 1880 he came to Cheboygan from Clyde, Ohio, and engaged in the manufacture of brick. He has facilities for manufacturing by steam power, and his works have a capacity of 20,000 a day. Mr. Carleton has been engaged in the manufacture of brick about sixteen years, and is an expert at the business. He served about four months in the army during the war with the l69th Ohio Vol. Inft. He has a wife but no children.

John Reid, of the firm of Reid & Co., dealers in groceries, provisions, etc., Cheboygan, is a native of Ionia, Michigan. In the fall of 1877 he moved to Cheboygan from Detroit, and was employed as salesman until the fall of 1882 when he engaged in business with George Thomas, of Owosso, the firm being Reid & Co. Mr. Reid is an enterprising business man.

F. J. Todd, son of H. F. Todd, one of the pioneers of Cheboygan, was born at Mackinac, and removed to Cheboygan with his parents in 1867. He started out at an early age to establish a business for himself, and sold confectionery at the dock and acted as salesman in stores. At one time he purchased an interest in a vessel and sailed two seasons. In 1880 he opened a confectionery store and afterward added a bakery to his business, which is now known as the Peerless Bakery. He does a large and prosperous business which is the result of his own industry and energy.

George E. Fax, merchant tailor, Cheboygan, is a native of Montreal, Canada. In the spring of 1881 he went to Cheboygan from Detroit, and for several months was in the employ of W. H. Scott. He then had an interest in the merchant tailoring department of H. J. Miner's business, which continued until May, 1883, when he engaged alone in business. He is a popular business man.

Daniel D. McDonald, lumberman, Cheboygan, is a native of Ontario, Canada. He went to Detroit in 1858, and afterward removed to Alpena where he was engaged exploring for pine. In 1809 he settled in Cheboygan, where he continued his business, afterward dealing in timber and standing pine. He is still engaged in woods ranging for the J. L. & S. Railway Company, and is also interested in the manufacture of logs and timber for foreign markets. Mr. McDonald is a lumberman of long experience, and is well known in this part of the state.

I. E. De Gowin, dealer in groceries, provisions, etc., Cheboygan, is a native of the state Of New York. He first went to Cheboygan in 1878, and remained a short time. In June, 1879, he settled there permanently. In April, 1881, he engaged in his present business, and is now one of the leading merchants of the place. He is clerk of the town of Benton, and a prominent member of the Odd Fellows fraternity.

M. E. Huston, pattern maker, Cheboygan, is a native of Elkhart, Ind. He served in the army in Company D, 130th Indiana Volunteers, four months during 1864. In May, 1878, he settled in Cheboygan, and engaged as pattern maker at the Blake foundry. He is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity. Mr. Huston is a skillful mechanic and a respected citizen.

P. H. McDonald, son of Peter McDonald, one of the earliest settlers of Cheboygan County, was born in Ireland in 1848. In 1849 his parents settled in Cheboygan, where he has remained to the present time. His principal business has been lumbering and farming. He was married in 1870, and has two children. He is at present proprietor of the Cass House.

Samuel S. Eddy, manager of the store of W. & A. McArthur, is a native of Saratoga, N. Y. He first entered the mercantile pursuit in 1804, and came to Cheboygan from Chicago in the winter of 1880. Is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity and St. James Episcopal Church. Mr. Eddy is a man of high standing in the community.

W. F. McDonald, liquor dealer, Cheboygan, is a native of Canada. He served in the army two years, early during the war of the rebellion, and in 1863 received his discharge and came to Michigan. He lived several years at Harrisville, Iosco County, where he was engaged in keeping hotel. In the spring of 1870 he settled in Cheboygan, and engaged in the liquor business, which he still continues.

T. J. Crumley, lumberman, Cheboygan, was born at Toronto, Canada, and came to Michigan in 1863 from Lower Canada, where he had worked on the St. Francis River. He located at Alpena, and worked in the woods. In the fall of 1868 he settled in Cheboygan, where he worked in the woods for a time, and then engaged in lumbering for himself, which he still continues. He has a wife and six children, four daughters and two sons, having buried one son. In 1884 Mr. Crumley is building a commodious brick hotel on Third Street.

Alexander McRae, dealer in liquors, Cheboygan, is a native of Canada, and first settled in Alpena. In 1870 he removed to Cheboygan, and worked at lumbering for several years. In the fall of 1881 he engaged in the liquor business, which he still continues.

J. A. McQuaig, dealer in liquors, cigars, etc., Cheboygan, is a native of Canada, and settled in Cheboygan in 1877, where he worked at lumbering. In 1880 he engaged in business, opposite the Benton House. In November, 1883, he removed his business to the Bellant Block on the west side of the river.

D. N. McLeod, proprietor of McLeod's Exchange, Cheboygan, is a native of Canada, and settled in Cheboygan in 1875. He was first engaged at lumbering in the woods, and afterwards kept the Benton House. In the fall of 1883 he exchanged the Benton House for his present place, near the postoffice, where he deals in liquors, cigars, etc.

Murray & Rich, proprietors of a foundry and machine shop, Cheboygan, succeeded J. N. Perry, in the fall of 1882. The business was first established by Mr. Perry in 1873. The firm is composed of Andrew and John W. Murray and Fred E. Rich, all of whom are practical machinists and good business men. They have built up a large and prosperous business, and have the reputation of doing excellent work Andrew and John Murray are natives of Washtenaw County, Mich, but for several years before coming to Cheboygan were employed at Saginaw, where they learned their trade. Fred E. Rich is a native of Bangor, Me., where he learned his trade. He was also engaged in Saginaw five years prior to coming to Cheboygan. They are young men of excellent business habits, and are meeting with deserved success.