JOHN C. BEARDSLEE is one of the pioneers of Nelson township and the vicinity of Cedar Springs, and has witnessed the remarkable development of Kent county, as it was a wilderness when he first beheld its wooded plains. He was born in Sussex county, N. J., August 3, 1830, the eldest in a family of six children-five sons and one daughter-born to Robinson and Barbara (Hubbard) Beardslee. There are three of these children yet living-besides our subject-viz: Morrison, a resident of Holly, Oakland county, Mich.; Mary, widow of Alonzo Godfrey, a resident of Solon township, and an agriculturist; and Jeremy, of Bay City, Mich., engaged in the warehouse of the F. & P. M. R. R. The father of Mrs. Beardslee was also a native of Sussex county, N. J., born about I816, and died in 1887. By calling he was a carpenter, and commenced his trade with the " old scribe rule," so well known by the early mechanics. He first emigrated from New Jersey to Ohio, and during the memorable presidential campaign of 1840 he came to Oakland county, Mich., and to Kent county in I882. He was a democrat in his political sentiments and he and wife were members of the Methodist episcopal church from early years. His father, Henry Hubbard, lived to the advanced age of 101 years. John C. Beardslee came to Kent county in 1853, when there was no township organization, no churches nor school-houses. Nelson township was then known as North Courtland township, and Cedar Springs and Sand Lake were not known at all. He purchased the northwest quarter of section No. 34, in township 10 north of range 10 west, of James TenEyck, whose father was a lieutenant in Capt. White's company, New Jersey militia, in the war of 1812, and was a resident of Oakland county, Mich., at time of purchase, and had obtained this land on a war grant. Mr. Beardslee has in his possession the original deed, which has the signature of Franklin Pierce, the president. These were the days when wild-cat and red-dog currency were extant. This tract of land was purely virgin forest, with not a sign of an improvement, but one of the best pieces of timber in the township. Mr. Beardslee was one of the first settlers in Nelson township, coming there before the township was named, and the only one with the exception of one or two of the early pioneers who came here in the early fifties, now living here, and he is still living on the same land he purchased in 1853. He wedded Miss Ann Maria Cool, a native of Sussex county, N. J., February 17, I857, and fourteen children-nine sons and five daughters — graced this union —ten yet living: Charles E., of Minden, St. Joseph county, and married; Melvin R., of Nelson township, married and a farmer; Walter B., with his parents; Jeruse and Ella are milliners and dress makers, respectively. Miss Ella was a graduate in the Cedar Springs high school, and has taught success; fully several terms, and was the first student of the Cedar Springs high school who received a second grade certificate from the county superintendent, standing the highest in her class work. Ettie, the next child, is the wife of Fred Butler, of Linden, Genesee county, Mich.; George C., Jesse E., Leroy J. and Edna A., are all at home. Mr. and Mrs. Beardslee have given their children good common-school educations. When Mr. Beardslee brought his bride to Kent county they had no home to shelter them, so he erected a little shanty, I2XI4 feet, one story in height, the chimney being a stovepipe thrust through the roof. Not an acre of land was cleared, and their first potato patch, as Mrs. Beardsiee says, was their present front yard. Mrs. Beardslee has shared with her husband all the privations and hardships of a pioneer's life and has nobly done her part. The ox-team was the means of conveyance and they were forced to cut their roads through the forests. The Indians were numerous, and at one time there were 300 camped on Pine lake, just one mile east of Mr. Beardslee's farm; Grand Rapids, the now beautiful, populous city, was but a trading post. Their nearest trading point at that time was Rockford, then known as Lappenville. Mr. Beardslee well remembers the first store in Cedar Springs, which was kept by one Nicholas Shaw, who also kept a kind of inn, sold goods and bought shingles. Mr. Beardslee witnessed the laying of the first railroad through this part of the county. At that time the closest railroad was in Ionia. When they came to Kent county, or their western home, they drove through from Oakland county with an ox-team. The first school-house erected in this district was built of logs; church was held in the settlers' homes. The whole of Nelson township was covered with heavy timber and brush and no neighbors were close. At'nightfall they might look in vain for a neighboring light, but none was visible, since the heavy timber and brush obscured it. Mr. and Mrs. Beardslee say in those good old days friendship was more genuine than in the modern times. Mr. and Mrs. Beardslee well know the privations and hardships of a pioneer's life. These sturdy pioneers left an eastern home of plenty and came to a wilderness, to carve out a home for their children from the primeval forests, and to blaze the way to civilization. Politically, Mr. Beardslee is a stanch democrat. He can well remember the Tippecanoe campaign against his party-one of the most memorable in American history. He and wife are friends of the public-school system of our nation, and have endeavored to support those measures best adapted to the elevation of the moral and religious status of their community. Mr. Beardslee traces his ancestry to old England, since the early Beardslees came to the colonies in I700. Mrs. Beardslee was born in Sussex county, N. J., February 17, I837, a daughter of Charles P. and Susanna (Thatcher) Cool. She is the eldest of ten children —three sons and seven daughters-all living, which is quite remarkable, from the fact that they are all well along in years. Her father was an agriculturist by occupation and he and wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, but are now deceased. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Beardslee are Jeruse, married; Rebecca, married: Loueta, married, and all are residents of Oakland county; Peter Cool, resident of Minden, St. Joseph county; Eli, a resident of Oakland county; Mary, wife of William Smith, and resident of Plainfield township, Kent county; Ella, resident of Oakland county; David, also a resident of Oakland county, and Orilla, a resident of Ohio. Mr. Beardslee has officiated as director of his home schools for many years, and has endeavored to secure the best instructors possible. He has also been assessor for years. Fraternally he is a member of the F. & A. M. lodge, No. 213, at Cedar Springs. His sons, Walter, George and Jesse, are members of the Maccabees, at Evans, Mich. He and wife are adherents to the Methodistic faith and have done their part towards setting their children examples worthy of imitation. The Beardslee estate comprises 240 acres of good land, and the family is classed amongst the leading pioneers and agriculturists of the township.