Charles Walbridge Calkins

Charles Walbridge Calkins, a well-known member of the bar of Grand Rapids and a native son of Kent county, Mich., was born on the 19^th day of June, 1842; his father is Charles P. Calkins, of whom an appropriate mention will be found elsewhere in these pages. Charles Walbridge Calkins was educated in Grand Rapids, and just before the time for graduating in 1861, left school to take up arms in defense of the national Union, enlisting September of that year in company B, First Michigan engineers, under Col. William P. Innes. He immediately accompanied his command to the front, saw much hard service in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia campaigns and participated in many of the bloody battles in which the armies of Tennessee and Cumberland took part. He entered the army as a private, and by successive promotions reached the rank of sergeant major of the regiment, and also served as second lieutenant, first lieutenant, and at the time of his discharge, which took place at Atlanta, in November, 1864, was holding the office of regimental-adjutant. On severing his connection with the army, Mr. Calkins located at Nashville, Tenn., where for a period of three years he was connected with the Nashville-Chattanooga R.R. At the end of that time he returned north, and during the succeeding three years was also engaged in railroad work, with headquarters at Kalamazoo, Mich. In 1872 he abandoned railroading and engaged in the retail grocery business at Grand Rapids, in partnership with his brothers, and continued this for a period of four years, studying law during his leisure hours. He prosecuted his legal studies for some time under the instruction of his father, and also read under the direction of William J. Stuart, and H. E. Thompson, being admitted to the bar in 1880. In addition to general practice he is also largely interested in the real-estate, loan and insurance business, his success in these lines being of a most satisfactory nature. Mr. Calkins was married in Nashville, Tenn., to Mary L. Scovel, who was born in that city December 7, 18848, a daughter of H. G. and Mary (Wait) Scovel. To this union have been born three children, Anna M., Effie L. and Charlotte WV. Mr Calkins and family are members of St. Mark’s Episcopal church, of which parish he has for seven years served as vestry man. Politically he is a democrat, and as such was elected to represent his ward in the city council, of which body he was an active member for two years. He has also served four years as a member of the board of education, for eleven years on the board of health, and for a period of six years was secretary of the Masonic home of Grand Rapids. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Grand River lodge No. 34, in the deliberations of which he has taken an active part. He served in the Michigan state militia for a period of seventeen years, and retired there from with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and chief of brigade4 staff under Gen. I. C. Smith. The family residence of Mr. Calkins is at No. 169 North Lafayette street, where the doors are ever open to their many friends.