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Ezra Stearns
Ezra Stearns
is one of the old residents and early settlers of Muskegon County, having
purchased land on section 2, Fruitland Township, where he still resides,
in 1867. Moreover, he is a veteran of the late Civil War, and one of the
brave preservers of the Union he is the more entitled to mention in the
history of one of the States and counties which did so much to maintain
the liberty and prosperity now enjoyed.
Our subject is a native of
the Bay State, where his birth occurred in 1836. He is of English descent,
his paternal ancestors having emigrated to New England from their native
land. The grandparents, Cyrus and Sarah (Weeks) Stearns, were residents
of Goshen, Mass., for a number of years. The former was a blacksmith by
trade and continued at that arduous employment until he reached advanced
years, when he retired from business and passed his remaining years with
his children. He had passed his ninetieth birthday when summoned from this
life, and his wife had passed from the shore of time but a few years previous
to his demise. He was a member of the old Predestinarian Baptist Church.
The father of our subject,
Alanson Stearns, was one of seven children, the others being as follows:
Ezra, Electa, Almeda, Levi, Enos and Thomas. He was born in 1800 n Goshen,
Mass., and made his home with his parents until his marriage, which occurred
when he reached his Twenty-second year. In his youth he learned the blacksmith's
trade of his father and followed that vocation together with farming throughout
his life. In 1832, he wedded Eliza Ann Dumbleton. For a number of years
thereafter, he rented land in Massachusetts, and it was not until 1854
that he removed to this State. He purchased land near Brooklyn, Jackson
County, and to the clearing and cultivation of the property devoted himself
for several years. After the war he became a resident of Leoni and there
resided until his death. He and his wife were devoted members of the Baptist
Church, and for many years he held the office of Deacon in the same. In
regard to politics, he was first a Whig and later a Republican. To himself
and wife were born ten children, as follows: James; John, deceased; Ezra,
of whom we write; Marcia E., whose death occurred at about the age of fourteen
years; Ellen M., the widow of Jairus Bewer; S. Harvey, deceased; Edwin,
who wedded Mary Hinman; Carrie G., widow of Dwight J. Bewer; Frederick,
deceased; and Ernest W., deceased. The mother of these children died in
Brooklyn, and the father married again, taking for his second wife Mrs.
Margaret Aylesworth; whose maiden name was Hinman. Two children were born
of this marriage, Charles and Minnie.
Ezra Stearns was given good
educational advantages and assisted his father dutifully until he was twenty-five
years old. At this time, in company with him, he purchased eighty acres
of land and, as previously stated, in 1867 finally located on the land
which has been in his possession up to the present time. He has become
a successful agriculturalist and is recognized as such by all who know
him. Though his original purchase in this community was a tract of one
hundred and eighty acres, he has since disposed of a portion, but still
owns one hundred and twenty acres of valuable land, upon which he has placed
many improvements. In Lenawee County, Mr. Stearns was united in marriage
with Miss Mary E. Allen, daughter of Alfred A. and Nancy J. (Stearns) Allen.
Three children have come to bless the home of this worthy couple: Arthur
A.; Susie E., now the wife of H. B. Carr; and Frederique M.
Mr. and Mrs. Stearns are active
workers in the Baptist Church, in which they have held membership for a
number of years. In politics, our subject is a stanch Republican and fraternally
is affiliated with N. H. Ferry POst No. 3, G. A. R., of Whitehall. The
boys in blue have a warm place in his heart, for he was one of their number
for three years and one month during the war. On the 30th of September,
1861, he enlisted as a private in Company H, First Regiment Michigan E.
& M. He was, with his regiment, placed in the Army of the Cumberland
and served on detached duty nearly all the time during his term. He was
stationed in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia, and
participated in two engagements, one at Perryville and the other at La
Vergne, near Stone River. As a soldier his career was always marked by
fidelity to duty and unwavering courage. These qualities he has carried
into the further battles of life, and as a citizen is patriotic and true
to his country in times of peace as well.
George McMillan George McMillan has been for a quarter of a century
a leading agriculturalist of Dalton Township, Muskegon County, and for
nearly that length of time has lived on his farm, which is situated on
section 30. His parents were Abraham and Melvina (Pangborn) McMillan. Our
subject's paternal grandfather was of Scotch ancestry, though his birth
occurred in the northern part of Ireland. After receiving a good education
he came to the United States alone and made settlement in Onondaga County,
N. Y. He was married in this country and reared a family of two children,
Abraham and Arthur, the latter of whom died in early manhood of smallpox.
The mother, whose maiden name was Catherine Smith, was the widow of a Mr.
Speed at the time of her marriage with Mr. McMillan, and by her first union
had two children, Nicholas and Hannah.
Abraham McMillan, Jr., was born in Onondaga County,
N. Y., where he passed his boyhood days. Quite early in life he began
working in a woolen factory and was employed there for many years. He served
an apprenticeship of three years at the blacksmith's trade and afterward
followed that vocation. About 1841, he married in New York a daughter of
John and Polly Pangborn. About ten years later, Mr. McMillan removed with
his family to St. Joseph County, Mich., and opened a blacksmith shop in
the village of Burr Oak, which place was the scene of his labors until
he was summoned by the Death Angel in 1875. His wife survived him only
two years. In politics he was a Whig and a strong Abolitionist. After the
organization of the Republican party, he became one of its staunchest supporters.
The subject of this record was born in Marcellus,
Onondaga County, N. Y., in 1844. In his boyhood he acquired a good education
in the district schools and learned the blacksmith's trade of his father.
He resided under the homestead roof until his twentieth year, when he started
out to make his own livelihood. For two years he engaged in blacksmithing
at Burr Oak, and in 1866 located on Muskegon Lake, doing blacksmithing
for lumbermen. The following year he abandoned his trade and has since
almost exclusively devoted himself to the care of the farm which is still
his home and of which he then purchased a portion. On the place was considerable
timber, both hardwood and pine. Mr. McMillan afterward became the owner
of forty acres adjoining and cultivates sixty acres of the farm. The timber
was quite valuable and brought to the owner a considerable income for many
years. In connection with his farm, Mr. McMillan has carried on a blacksmith
shop to some extent.
On the 16th of April, 1865, occurred the marriage
of our subject and Miss Emeline Wilcox, who was born in Branch County,
Mich., and is the daughter of Elias and Hannah (Thompson) Wilcox.
Fur children came to gladden the home of our subject and wife. Etta died
at the age of thirteen months; Nellie is the wife of Ernest R. Califf;
Willie married Alma Lewis; and Emma resides with her parents. The children
were given good educations and the last-names, who graduated from the district
schools, is now engaged in teaching. The other sister was also a successful
teacher in the county prior to her marriage.
For nearly fifteen years, Mr. McMillan has been a
School Director and is greatly interested in the cause of education, being
an advocate of our admirable school system. He has faithfully served his
township for six years as Supervisor, was Justice of the Peace eight years
and for a number of years was Clerk of the township. He is a Republican
in his political convictions and is in every sense of the word a patriotic
citizen. As a man, he is upright, and in all his intercourse with his friends
and neighbors is thoroughly reliable and honorable. In 1870, Mr. McMillan
left his farm and went to Whitehall and worked at his trade for about two
years, when he returned to his farm.
Chauncey E. Koon Chauncey E. Koon, a noted
surgeon of Michigan, and a prominent resident of Casenovia, was born in
Tyrone Township, Steuben County, N. Y., October 1, 1843, and is a son of
Alanson and Marilla (Wells) Koon. His father, a native of New York and
a blacksmith by trade, came to Michigan in the spring of 1844 and settled
in Hillsdale County, where he died about 1868, at the age of sixty-eight.
In politics, he was first a Whig and afterward a Republican. In religious
matters, he was a believer in the doctrines of the Baptist Church, with
which he was indentified. He was of Dutch descent, and the family name
was originally Kuhn.
The mother of our subject was a daughter of
Henry Wells, a farmer, who passed his entire life in Steuben County, N.
Y.. She was the mother of six sons and two daughters, all of whom attained
maturity. Chauncey E. was reared on the home farm, and was occupied in
farming pursuits when the war broke out. His patriotic spirit was at once
aroused on behalf of the Union, and on the 24th of August, 1861, he enlisted
in Company B, Eleventh Michigan Infantry. With his regiment he participated
in the battles of Stone River, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Resaca, Kenesaw
Mountain, Buzzard's Roost, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, and many other minor
skirmishes.
Before leaving Michigan our subject was commissioned
Sergeant, and after the battle of Stone River he was promoted to be Second
Lieutenant, and commanded his company during the engagement. In the fall
of 1863 he was commissioned First Lieutenant, and in the spring of 1864
became Captain. In the fall of 1864 he was honorably discharged at Sturgis,
Mich.,, at the expiration of his term of service. Afterward he traveled
for a number of years, engaging in the sale of goods. In the fall of 1870
he commenced the study of medicine at Lisbon, under the preceptorship of
a brother. Two years later he took a course of lectures at the University
of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, and subsequently was graduated from the Chicago
Medical College. In 1873 he located in Casenovia, where he has since conducted
an extensive and lucrative practice, making a specialty of surgery. He
keeps abreast with the latest discoveries in the medical world, and has
prosecuted his studies in the hospitals at Ann Arbor, Chicago and Bellevue.
Socially, he is a member of the County and State Medical Societies, and
is also identified with the Masonic fraternity. For one year he officiated
as State Medical Director of the Grand Army of the Republic, and is a member
of the United States Pension Board, which meets in White Cloud.
September 7, 1866, the Doctor was united in
marriage with Miss Rebecca S., daughter of William and Amanda (Lemon) Clark,
natives of Monroe County, Ind. Two children have blessed this Union, William
A. and Thomas M. The elder son was educated in a Normal school, and studied
law in the University of Michigan. He is now a resident of Minneapolis.
The younger son was educated in the Normal school at Ypsilanti, and is
now a student in Rush Medical College at Chicago. Politically a Republican,
the Doctor has always been interested in every measure calculated to promote
the welfare of the community, and has been honored by his fellow-citizens
with the highest office in their power to bestow, that of President of
the village.
In the medical world the name of Dr. Koon
is well known and his abilities universally recognized. His biography,
thus briefly related, is one that, when measured by characteristics of
study, unemotional honesty and common-sense, marks the full rounded man
and citizen who is equal to the higher demands of civilization. Such a
man is invaluable in any community, and certainly the Doctor has proved
himself an important factor in the progress of Casenovia.
George J. Tillotson George J. Tillotson,
Vice-President of the Lakeside Manufacturing Company, of Muskegon, is well
and favorably known throughout the county and is esteemed for his many
excellent qualities of mind and heart. The firm with which he is identified
conducts an extensive saw and planing mill and box-factory business, the
sawing capacity being about one hundred and twenty-five thousand feet,
and the annual output aggregating some eighteen million feet. The box department
manufactures for the general wholesale trade, doing a business of about
$100,00 in that line. The affairs of the company are in a highly prosperous
condition, its sound business methods having secured for it a wide acquaintance
and good standing in the commercial world.
The business was originally
established in 1883 by Hunter, Tillotson & Co., who were superseded
by the Tillotson & Loveless Company, with a capital stock of $25,000.
In 1890, this firm was bought out by P. P. Misner, whose interests were
merged with the present Lakeside Company, which was organized in May, 1891,
with a capital stock of $30,000. The officers are, J. W. Moon, President;
George J. Tillotson, Vice-President; P. P. Misner, Secretary; and W. W.
Barcus, Treasurer, all well-known business men of Muskegon. The original
of this notice was born in Saratoga County, N. Y., November 14, 1819, to
the union of David and Sally (Hamlin) Tillotson. The mother was born in
Saratoga County, N. Y., and was the daughter of Daniel Hamlin.
Our subject, the fourth
in order of birth of seven children, passed his boyhood in Warren County,
N. Y., and received his education in the district schools. He assisted
his father on the farm until seventeen years of age, and then went to the
village of Glens Falls, N. Y., where he was employed in a sawmill until
1865. From there he came to Muskegon, Mich., and was in the sawmill business
in this city for eleven years. After that he bought a sawmill and engaged
in the manufacture of lumber for two years, when he took in as partner
E. A. Blodgett. The business was continued under the firm name of Tillotson
& Blodgett for eight years, when our subject disposed of his interest
to his partner. Later he bought a sawmill at Bluffton, on Muskegon Lake,
and conducted this this successfully for four years, when the mill was
burned. Since that time he has been engaged with others in the sawmill
and box-factory business, under the firm title of the Lakeside Manufacturing
Company.
Mr. Tillotson was married
in 1842 to Miss Martha Norris, a resident of Glens Falls, and a native
of Vermont. They have three living children: Dallas C., insurance agent
for the State of Michigan, representing the West Chester Insurance Company
of New York; Florence A., wife of D. D. Erwin; and Fanny, wife of J. E.
Montgomery. In politics Mr. Tillotson is a strong supporter of Republican
principles, and since its organization has voted with that party. He is
a Director in the Union National Bank, and is one of the substantial and
worthy citizens of the county.
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