Biographies
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John E. Rainbow

"The Traverse Region, Historical and Descriptive, with Illustrations of Scenery and Portraits and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers"
Chicago: H.R. Page & Co., 1884
Page 319

JOHN E. RAINBOW, farmer, was born in Wheatland County, N. Y., April 26, 1846. At the age of eight years he removed with his parents to Canada. Two years later they removed to Coldwater, Mich., where he remained several years. On Dec. 7, 1872, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Nye, also of Coldwater. She was born there in 1847. She died in August, 1880. His second marriage was to Miss Libbie Heart, of Cold Springs, May 11, 1882. She was a native of Indiana. In 1878 Mr. Rainbow removed to Mancelona, spent one year, and then settled in Cold Springs, Kalkaska, County. He has 240 acres of land with fifteen under cultivation, a thriving orchard and a pleasant farm-house. He has filled all the township offices except that of clerk. Fraternally he is a memler of the I. 0. 0. F. and of the Grand Army of the Republic. He has served his country three years in the suppression of the rebellion, and receives a pension for a wound received in his left shoulder at the battle of the Wilderness.

Contributed 2009 by Pat McArthur

Jacob Rickers

"The Traverse Region, Historical and Descriptive, with Illustrations of Scenery and Portraits and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers"
Chicago: H.R. Page & Co., 1884
Page 315

JACOB N. RICKERS, of the firm of Rickers Bros., of the township of Clearwater, was born in Holstein, Europe, May 18, 1851. In August, 1864, he arrived with his parents and their family in Quebec, Canada. About two years later they removed to Detroit, Mich., and in August, 1868, they located land in what is now Clearwater, Kalkaska County, and prepared them a pioneer home in the forest. His parents are now both deceased. Their present mill was built in 1882 by himself and his brothers, Julius, William and Carl Rickers. It has a capacity for cutting about 10,000 feet of lumber per day. They also have 400 acres of real estate, with about seventy-five acres under cultivation. They have also a thriving orchard, a good dwelling, and inviting home conveniences. Julius and William Rickers, twins, were born in Holstein, Feb. 15, 1857. Carl was born Aug. 28. 1861, in Montreal, Can. Mr. J. N. Rickers has been justice of the peace four years, clerk over two years and treasurer two years in Clearwater.

Contributed 2009 by Pat McArthur

Norman Ross

"The Traverse Region, Historical and Descriptive, with Illustrations of Scenery and Portraits and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers"
Chicago: H.R. Page & Co., 1884
Page 314

Norman Ross moved from Indiana to Clearwater in the summer of 1867, and located on Section 36, where he lived until the fall of 1882, when he removed to the village of Kalkaska where he now resides. He is a native of Susquehanna County, Pa., and was born in January, 1808. In 1866 he removed to Indiana. Mr. Ross took a leading part in the organization of the town of Clearwater, and was the first supervisor from that town. He has also been prominently identified with the religious activities of the county.

Contributed 2009 by Pat McArthur

Orange A. Row

"The Traverse Region, Historical and Descriptive, with Illustrations of Scenery and Portraits and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers"
Chicago: H.R. Page & Co., 1884
Page 318

ORANGE A. Row was born in Monroe County, N. Y., in the year 1837. About the year 1849 his parents removed to Michigan and settled in Eaton County. October, 1862, Mr. Row enlisted in Company K, Forty-fourth Indiana Infantry, and remained in the service until the close of the war. Sept. 7, 1871, he was married at Wright, Hillsdale. He was engaged in farming in that county before coming to Kalkaska County, in 1872, as already stated. He lived on his farm in Orange until 1881, when, having been elected sheriff of the county at the previous fall election, he removed to the village of Kalkaska. Since his term of office expired he has been in the real estate business. His homestead farm is one of the finest in the county, there being about seventy-five acres improved and good buildings.

The town of Orange dates back to the spring of 1871, when Orange A. Row, A. P. Wheeler and Lewis Deuel located homesteads, Row and Wheeler on Section 18, and Deuel on Section 8. The three men named from HIillsdale County set out in March to locate homes in this new country. They were accompanied by four others who came up here but did not remain. The party came by train to Paris, near Big Rapids, and from there the journey was made on foot. The first night after arriving here they camped out in the woods. There were plenty of hemlock boughs for shelter, but their stock of provisions consisted of one loaf of bread. A pioneer, however, was never known to starve. Persons die of hunger in crowded cities and in midst of plenty, but all the annals of history do not furnish an instance where the genuine pioneer has died of starvation.

O. A. Row was the first supervisor, James H. Drake, first clerk, and Norman Saunders, first treasurer. The first chopping was done by Row and Wheeler. The first school-house, known as "Row's school-house," was built on Section 19 about four years after the town was settled. The postoffice was first established in 1879 with O. A. Row postmaster. The first frame barn in Orange was raised May 15, 1878, on the farm of Mr Row. The town of Orange settled very rapidly, and by the fall of 1874, the government land had been nearly all taken up. When the first house was built there was not another within a distance of seven miles. The nearest postoffice was at Traverse City, thirty-five miles away, and from that place the settlers had to transport their slupplies upon their backs.

Contributed 2009 by Pat McArthur

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