The following biography, and the portrait above, are from History of Lapeer County, Michigan : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers (1884) by H. R. Page pp. 74-6.

Hon. Joshua MANWARING was born in the township of Springfield, Burlington County, N. J., October 2, 1824, and was of English-French descent, his grandfather, John MANWARING, emigrating from Lincolnshire, England, about the year 1760, where he left two sisters. He settled on the sea coast of New Jersey, near the present village of Barnegat, Ocean County, and on the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, enlisted in a regiment; of militia, and marched down to New York to oppose the landing of the Hessians. After the capture of New York, he returned to his home and soon thereafter joined with others in forming a company to watch the Tories, who were numerous at that time, and continued in that service to the close of the war. In 1778 he married a French lady by the name of ESOPUS, raising a family of four sons and three daughters. Adam, the second son, and father of the subject of this sketch, was born January 8, 1783, and removed from Ocean to Burlington County, when a young man, where he married Miss Susan PIATT; the fruit of this union being a family of fourteen children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the tenth, and was born October 2, 1824. With his parents he came to Michigan, arriving September 8, 1836, his father having purchased the John SARGENT farm, in the township of Avon, Oakland County. There Joshua worked on the farm summers, attending the district school winters, and by dint of hard study acquired a good business education. At the age of twenty-one years he left the parental roof to seek his for tune, in the far West, poor in purse, but with the never-to-be forgotten blessing of his dear mother, who admonished him to be honest and industrious, and that success would follow him. He went to the then unorganized county of Montcalm, and assisted in clearing the land where the flourishing village of Greenville now stands, and helped to build the first frame house in the place for Abel FRENCH. He also engaged with the firm of MYERS & BURRELL in building a saw-mill, which he assisted in running, and was engaged during the summer of 1846, in rafting and running lumber on the Flatt and Grand Rivers. In April, 1846, he attended the first township meeting in Montcalm County, where he cast his first vote. The entire county at that time was organized into one township and attached to Ionia County for judicial and county purposes. The township meeting was held at the LINCOLN Mills, and about twenty three votes polled, Mr. MANWARING voting the Whig ticket. In the fall of 1846, he engaged with Nelson ROBINSON to run the BELDEN Mill on Flatt River, where he continued during the following winter to the satisfaction of his employer, and in the spring of 1847, in company with Charles HEACOX, engaged in rafting lumber from the mills, then known as the DICKSON Mills—now Kidville Mills—which they successfully performed, but meeting with many hard ships before reaching the mouth of Grand River. The consequences were that Mr. MANWARING was attacked with that pest of the pioneer—fever and ague—which caused him to resolve to return to his former home in Oakland County. Not being successful in getting the money for his work, he purchased a team of horses and a wagon of Thomas MYERS, paying the purchase price in negotiable notes, part of which were against MYERS himself. He then started on his journey, going via Lansing, where the capital of the State had been located the previous winter by the legislature in session at the old capitol building in the city of Detroit. Arriving at the new seat of government, he found parties clearing off the timber preparatory to erecting the capitol building, which has since been destroyed by fire. The place was over-run with adventurers and speculators from all parts of the State, and he found it impossible to get accommodations for the night, and was obliged to sleep in his wagon wrapped in his blankets. The following morning he left the little village of smoking huts and log heaps little thinking that thirty-six years after he would return to a beautiful capital as the honored senator from the Sixteenth District. He remained but a short time at home after his arrival, and in August, 1847, engaged to work on the academy or high school then building at Rochester, Oakland County. Again leaving the county he went to the township of Dryden, Lapeer County, and engaged with his brother-in-law, the Hon. John M. LAMB, in the mercantile business, which he continued for two years when he engaged in business for himself, erecting buildings for the purpose. He was married December 5, 1852, to Miss Emily E. ROSS, daughter of Jacob ROSS of Mason, Cass County, Mich., who has contributed, both in intelligence and industry, an equal share with himself in acquiring a competence which both of them have justly earned and now enjoy. In 1853 he decided to engage in lumbering and with that purpose in view purchased a tract of pine land in the township of Attica, Lapeer County, upon which he erected a mill in partnership with Munroe FULLER, which they continued one year when he purchased Mr. FULLER's interest and continued the business himself in the Red Mill, familiarly known as the MANWARING Mill. He continued the manufacture and sale of lumber, lath and shingles for many years, supplying the immediate vicinity as well as the adjacent counties of Oakland, Macomb and St. Clair, keeping on hand a full assortment of all kinds of lumber, until it was a common saying—"Go to Manwaring's Mill and you can get anything you want." In 1858 he rented his mill to A. HOVEY of Oxford, and April 7, 1859, in company with five others started on a trip to the Rocky Mountains in search of health, wealth and adventure. The company comprised William QUATERMAN, William EMMONS, Dr. E. A. HEBORD, Charles BRAINARD and Aaron MOE, all old pioneers of Dryden, Lapeer County. Going by the way of Omaha, up the Platte River by team, and across the plains, they finally, after a tedious journey, encamped on the ground where the city of Denver now stands, and were among the first to arrive there. From there they went to the mountains where Central City is now located, and returned by the way of Denver, south through the "Garden of the Gods," and west into the Park, where the Indians were hostile, lying in ambush to cut off stragglers, many losing their lives during 1859. After many months of tedious travel and perilous adventure in the Rocky Mountains, spiced with narrow escapes from the Indians, they started on their way home going down the Platte River a part of the way on a flat boat built for the purpose. About two hundred miles east of the mountains the water failed and they were obliged to abandon their boats in that portion of Colorado known as the Desert, and proceeded on foot, a distance of six hundred miles, to the nearest settlement on the eastern borders of Nebraska. The journey occupied six weeks, during which time they endured many hardships, interspersed with reckless buffalo hunts and narrow escapes sufficient to satisfy the cravings of the best specimens of "Young America" desirous of going West. Arriving at Omaha they proceeded down the Missouri River to St. Joseph, and thence by rail to Detroit and home, where they were welcomed by their families and friends.

Mr. MANWARING then decided to devote his time strictly to business in future, and accordingly started a branch store at Imlay, where he furnished the lumbermen and others with supplies. He was also engaged at the time in mercantile business in Dryden, and soon after in Imlay City, being engaged in lumbering in Sanilac County, as one of the firm of LAMB, MANWARING & Co. At the same time he was manufacturing and selling large quantities of lumber, lath and shingles at his mill in Attica. January 12, 1871, he removed with his family to Lapeer City, where he purchased land and now resides. His farm is one of the best improved in the county, and he has erected the MANWARING Block and a number of dwelling-houses. In 1874 his mills in Attica were burned, and he has since improved the land he formerly lumbered from, converting it into well tilled farms that "blossom as the rose," where heretofore were stumps and forests. These farms lie one mile south of the village of Attica, on the Grand Trunk Railway. He is now engaged in lumbering on the Au Sable in the county of Alcona, Lake Huron Shore. Mr. MANWARING's political history dates from his connection with the Whig party until the collapse of that party, when he joined the Republican party on its formation, and during the war was active in helping to send men to the front, contributing both time and money freely for that purpose, not forgetting the wives and children left behind. He furnished them with supplies on relief orders furnished by the authorities, without recompense for his time and trouble, and otherwise aiding the cause of his country, not being situated so as to go to the front himself. After his removal to Lapeer City he was induced to accept the office of supervisor for the First District, which he filled creditably, and was also a member of the school board. In the fall of 1871 he attended the Liberal Republican convention held at Grand Rapids, which nominated the Hon. Austin BLAIR for governor. The Liberal Republican party proving a failure, he, in 1876, was induced to accept the nomination of State senator from the Democrats, but was defeated. Was again nominated in 1878, and again failed, as he also did in 1880, in a contest with the Hon. John T. RICH for representative. With characteristic determination and perseverance he again accepted the nomination from the combined Democratic and Greenback parties for the sixteenth senatorial district, and was elected by the handsome majority of 800 over his competitor, the Hon. Wm. W. ANDREWS, of Macomb County. In the senate Mr. MANWARING has taken an interest in all measures brought before that body, and is chairman of the committee on Michigan Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, and is a member of the committees on lumber interests, agricultural college, horticulture and public buildings. Senator MANWARING belongs to that class of eminently useful men who have helped to develop the wonderful resources that nature has so lavishly bestowed upon the peninsular State. Coming to it poor as regards this world's goods, but bringing stout hearts and willing hands, success has perched on their banners and they are surrounded with honors, friends and wealth. The great commonwealth can well be proud of such men, as through them have her great industries been developed, and upon such does her future greatness depend. Mr. and Mrs. MANWARING have five children; one son, George R., residing at Imlay City, and four daughters, Lilla, wife of Joseph ARMSTRONG, merchant, Lapeer City; Corena, wife of H. E. HATCH, hardware merchant, Lapeer City; Lavango, wife of Daniel W. JOHNSON, railroad agent, Lapeer City, and Dell, now living at home. With their children all settled near them and enjoying the comforts of a fine home, Mr. and Mrs. MANWARING can look back over their thirty-one years of wedded life and feel that they have been well spent. As a prominent and leading citizen; as an active and representative legislator, Senator MANWARING is well known throughout the State.