Joseph R. Austin, an old-time farmer and one of the highly-respected residents of Sparta township, Kent county, Mich., was born in Oakland county, this state, July 8, 1845, and is the third in order of birth of the five children that constitute the family of John and Elizabeth (Forsythe) Austin, of which children three are still living, viz: Joseph R., the subject of this sketch; Henry J., married farmer of Chester township, Ottawa county, and Nancy, wife of W. H. McCune, also of Ottawa county, Mich. John Austin, the father, was a native of Ireland, was reared a farmer and was there married. Soon after this last-mentioned event, he came to America, landed in New York, and came thence to Michigan, locating first in Oakland county and then coming to Kent county, where he purchased eighty acres across the boundary line in Chester township, Ottawa county, for which he paid the government $1.25 per acre, the original deed for this and, signed by Franklin Pierce, president of the United States, and Gov. Greenly, of Michigan, being now in the possession of Joseph R. Austin, the subject of this sketch.

John Austin’s first habitation in this western wilderness was the inevitable log cabin, and wilderness it was of a verity, as not a tree had been cut when he settled here. Indians were numerous, and often called at his cabin door on their way to Grand Rapids, which, at that early date, was a mere "shanty town." Wild deer would venture upon the little clearing Mr. Austin had made on his farm and browse with the domestic cattle; bears were frequently seen in the neighborhood, and all these primitive scenes age still vivid in the recollection of Joseph R. Austin, the subject of this sketch. Ox-teams were the means of conveyance, no highways were laid out, not a church-building nor school-house was known to the vicinity, nor was there a building of any kind to be seen north of the Grand river. Often it required two days and half to make the trip to and from Grand Rapids, to attend church or for other purposes; and teams were frequently stalled in the mud at the corner of Canal and Monroe streets, that city. The mail from Grand Rapids to Newaygo was carried on foot once per week, and many times the sturdy old pioneers would go by ox-team five to seven miles to visit neighbors-quite a different state of affairs from that to the present. But John Austin was a man of tireless energy and fertile resources, redeemed his land from the primitive forest, increased its dimensions to 240 acres, and died one of the substantial pioneers of the state. In politics he was a republican, but cast his last vote as a prohibitionist, and in religion he was a Methodist. Mrs. Austin was called away May 7, 1873, and Mr. Austin, May 4, 1888, both devout members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Lisbon, and their mortal remains now rest side by side in the Lisbon (Kent county) cemetery, where beautiful monuments stand sacred to their memory. Joseph Austin was but three years of age when brought to Kent county, and still retains in memory the condition of affairs as detailed above, and which still existed during his boyhood years. His opportunity for an early education was very meager, as may well be inferred from reading the foregoing paragraphs, but he has witnessed the growth of the little trading-post of Grand Rapids into a great and booming city of 100,000 population, and the development of Sparta township from a dense wilderness into a rich agricultural district, improved with all the convenience and appliances of modern civilization and progress. He was reared to farming, stock raising and fruit growing, and has passed all his life in Kent county. July 16, 1865, Mr. Austin married Miss Emma A Converse, and three sons and two daughters have graced this union, namely: Ettie V., wife of William Vanderhoof, a farmer of Ottawa county, and to them has been born one little daughter Hattie now at school; Alice A., who was a student at the Sparta high school, was a music teacher for some years, is now the wife of William Humphreys, a prosperous farmer of Casnovia, Muskegon county, and is the mother of two children—Hazel and Joseph J.; Robert L., a very industrious lad, is being reared to agriculture on the home place; Tracy N., a hustling, bustling boy, and of a very ingenious turn of mind; and Joseph V., the youngest of the five, is a natural born stock raiser and farmer. Mrs. Emma A. (Converse) Austin was born in Potter county, Pa., April 13, 1850, and is a daughter of Henry and Augusta C. (Wolbert) Converse. The father was a native of Vermont, was a farmer, and died in Indiana, in 1880, at the age of seventy-nine years, a

Methodist in religion and in politics a democrat; the mother was a native of New York, of German parentage, and died March 2, 1863, also in the faith of the Methodist church, and in age fifty-four years. There are two brothers and five sisters still living of the Converse family, viz: One brother and sister in Pennsylvania, one brother in New York, one sister in Oregon, and the remainder in Michigan. Mrs. Austin was educated in the common schools and is a lady of most pleasing personality. Mr. and Mrs. Austin began married life on their present farm of ninety acres, on which they have a beautiful residence, which is the abode of a good will that is extended to their numerous friends as well as to the passing strangers. They are the friends of public schools and members of the Free Will Baptist church, of the Sunday-school of which Mr. Austin has been the superintendent many years, and his wife a teacher. They have aided financially in the erection of three different churches in their community, and Mr. Austin is a strong temperance man. He and wife are highly esteemed for their many personal excellencies of character, and move in the best social circle of the township.