IRVING D. BRACKETT

 IRVING D. BRACKETT, president of the village of Bellevue and one of its most honored and influential citizens, is undoubtedly one of the oldest native residents of the town and is a representative of one of the distinguished pioneer families of Eaton county. He was born in Bellevue, which was then a mere hamlet, May 4, 1839, being a son of Martin S. and Mary L. (Earl) Brackett, the former of whom was born in Elbridge, Onondaga county, New York, December 9, 1810, while the latter was born, in the same state, August 23, 1816. The father died in Bellevue, February 7, 1877, and the mother passed the closing years of her life in Charlotte, where she died September 28, 1887. They were married in the state of New York, where they remained until 1838, when they located in the village of Bellevue, this county. Martin S. Brackett had received a liberal collegiate education in his native commonwealth, where he had also studied for the ministry, and had later prepared himself for the profession of law. Upon locating in Bellevue he took up the practice of law, being one of the pioneer attorneys of the county, and continued to follow his profession until the close of his life, in addition to which he was distinctively a man of affairs, prominent and influential as a citizen and businessman. He was one of those largely instrumental in securing the railroad for Bellevue, the line having been originally known as the Peninsular Railroad, and he was secretary of the original company. He was a Democrat of the uncompromising type and was an able advocate of the principles of the party. He served for a time as prosecuting attorney of the county and was once a candidate for the office of lieutenant governor of the state. He bought and sold a great amount of real estate in the surrounding country, and at the time of his death he owned one hundred acres of land adjoining the village of Bellevue, while he also owned a large amount of realty in the village. He was a man of impregnable integrity and left a definite impress upon the professional, industrial and civic history of Eaton county, where his name merits a place of enduring honor. The home of the Brackett family was ideal in its makeup, kindliness being in evidence at all times and a generous and gracious hospitality being dispensed. The friends of the large family of children were always made welcome, and Mr. and Mrs. Brackett never lost their appreciation of the pleasure of having young folks about them, their popularity thus being doubly enhanced. Concerning the eleven children it is consistent that a brief record be entered in this connection. Reuben E. is a prominent manufacturer of the city of Lansing. He married Helen Flint and they have two children. Martin S., who was a successful business man of Petoskey, this state, died in that city. He married Addie H. Bond, also deceased, and they are survived by two children.  Irving D., the immediate subject of this sketch, was the next in order of birth. Vera L. is the widow of Charles P. Brown, who was engaged in the practice of law in St. Paul, Minnesota, at the time of his death. His widow and two children survive, and she is a resident of the state of Texas. Edgar D., who died in Charlotte, is survived by his wife and two sons. Charles M. and Mary L. were twins, the former dying in Bellevue, while the latter is the wife of George Huggett, of Charlotte; they have two children. Frank C. is a farmer of Sheridan township, Montcalm county. He married Margaret A. Fargo and they have two children. George E., who is engaged in the shoe business and in the manufacturing of gas in Petoskey, married Minnie Hall. David E., who is engaged in the clothing business in the city of Lansing, married Caroline Bradley, and they have three children. Caroline is the wife of Dr. William Bolles, a prominent physician and surgeon of Brownton, Minnesota. Irving D. Brackett secured his educational discipline in the schools of Bellevue, and at the age of nineteen years he began clerking in a dry-goods store here conducted by his father, continuing thus engaged for a period of three years and then removing to the farm of his father-in-law, William Goss, in Convis township, Calhoun county, where he continued to be engaged in agricultural pursuits for the ensuing thirteen years. In 1874 he purchased one hundred and twenty acres in the same township, remaining on the place until 1889 and in the meanwhile making excellent improvements, including the erection of good buildings. He also engaged in the buying and shipping of live stock, being very successful in his operations. He still owns this farm. In 1889 Mr. Brackett returned to Bellevue, where he conducted a general merchandise business until 1892, when he sold the stock and returned to his farm. In the following year he again took up his residence on the homestead farm of his father-in-law, for whom he conducted all business, having been given the power of attorney, and this arrangement continued until the death of Mr. Goss, two years later. In 1894 Mr. Brackett returned to his own farm, and while there he purchased a lot in the village of Bellevue, erecting on the same one of the finest modern residences in the town, and in the autumn of the same year he and his family took up their abode in this attractive home. Since that time Mr. Brackett has given his attention to the supervision of his varied real-estate and capitalistic interests, which are large. He is interested in about one thousand acres of land in the vicinity of Bellevue, all the farms being improved, and he has been particularly fortunate in securing good tenants, a number of whom have rented land from him for many years. Mr. Brackett is a liberal and public-spirited citizen and has the unqualified regard of the people of his native town, as is evidenced by his incumbency of the office of president of the village, in which position he is now serving his third term. He served two years as treasurer of Convis township, Calhoun county, one year as township clerk and four years as justice of the peace, while for many years he was a member of the board of trustees of Bellevue and a member of the board of education for five years. In politics Mr. Brackett is a stanch Democrat, and he is identified with the local lodge and chapter of the Masonic fraternity. May 14, 1861, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Brackett to Miss Mary A. Goss, who was born in Convis township, Calhoun county, May 11, 1845, a daughter of William and Chloe (Stern) Goss, the former of whom was born in Boyleston, Massachusetts, January 28, 1814, while his death occurred on his home farm, in Calhoun county, Michigan, October 21, 1894. His wife, who was born in Saybrook, Connecticut, September 27, 1820, died on the homestead farm February 15, 1893. They were married in Marshall, Calhoun county, February 5, 1837. Mr. Goss came to Michigan in 1835, about two years before the admission of the state to the Union, and after a brief residence in Marshall he removed to Eaton county and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of government land, in Bellevue township. He located on this place, which, in 1838 he traded for a portion of the homestead on which he died, in Convis township, Calhoun county, removing to the latter in that year and eventually becoming the owner of a magnificent landed estate of about one thousand acres. He individually reclaimed his homestead farm of four hundred acres and aided in improving the various other farms which he purchased. He was one of the most successful and influential farmers of Calhoun county and was a man of irreproachable character, commanding the respect of those who came in contact with him in the various relations of life. He was a loyal supporter of the cause of the Democracy but would never consent to become a candidate for office, though often importuned so to do. Of his several children, of whom Mrs. Brackett was the first born, all died in infancy save her. Mr. and Mrs. Brackett became the parents of three children, namely: Clara, who died at the age of twenty-two months; Mary E. at the age of fifteen months; and Ruby E. at the age of nine months.