BIOGRAPHICAL.

Andrew Jackson Haines is a native of Albany County, N. Y., but subsequently moved to Niagara County, and afterward to Oxford, Oakland County, Mich., where he remained until 1843, when he came to Tuscola, where he has since resided, with the exception of three years in the township of Tuscola. His father came six months previous, and it is said that he filled out the first summons issued in the county. He had previously visited the county in 1835 and located land in Tuscola Township, and at that time made the shakes for the first house, probably, erected in what is now Tuscola County. Mr. A. J. Haines enlisted in the Seventh Michigan Infantry during the late war, and served four years, receiving a wound at Antietam which incapacitated him for duty for six months. He married Miss Elizabeth Hughes, a native of Boston, Mass. They have had three children, all of whom are living.

Henry Sezer was born in Pennsylvania, in 1827, and in early childhood, with his parents, moved to Steuben County, N. Y., where he continued to reside until 1864, when he came to Tuscola County, living in the village of Vassar one and a half years. He then settled in the township of Fair Grove, where he remained four years, thence to Indian Fields, remaining three years, when he moved on the Harrington farm in Tuscola, where he has since resided. He was married in 1848, to Miss Mary Knight, a native of Steuben County, N. Y. They have had no children of their own but have reared several adopted ones.

Martin L. Miller was born in Niagara County N. Y., in 1818, and first visited Tuscola in 1836, at which time he purchased land and made a trip to Saginaw on skates, for R. Leonard Hurd, bringing in his mail, which, without doubt, constitutes him the first carrier. In 1838 he came to Tuscola and located permanently, and has since resided on the farm he purchased on his first visit. He was married in 1849, to Miss Mercy E. Wilson, a native of Bolton Stanstead County, Canada, but who moved with her parents to Genesee County, Mich., in 1837. Mr. Miller is a land surveyor, and has surveyed and laid out very many of the roads in the townships of Tuscola and Arbela. In 1880 he engaged in the manufacture of tile and brick, having discovered a fine quality of clay for the purpose on his premises, and expects to largely increase his present capacity. A spring, which is highly charged with iron, flows from underneath the bank of clay, which no doubt is strongly impregnated with it, thus causing the articles manufactured from it to be strong and durable.

Ruben Hinckley was born in Ohio, in 1830, and in 1851 came to Saginaw, and about two years thereafter, to Tuscola, where he has since resided. His farm is on section 30, and is well improved. He has been twice married, first to Helen Davis, who came to Tuscola from New York with her parents, Ebenezer and Phoebe Davis. The date of her birth was October 22, 1837, and was the first white child born in the county. His second wife was Elizabeth Wilson, Davis, widow of M. V. Davis, who was a son of Ebenezer and Phoebe Davis.

Orson Orms was born in Vermont, in 1831, and made that State his home until 1857, when he came to Tuscola. In 1862 he enlisted in the Twenty-third Michigan Volunteer Infantry, and

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served three years, being mustered out at Saulsbury. He was first corporal and then sergeant of his company. Mr. Orms built the I. O. O. F. Hal, in Tuscola, in 1879, and is the owner of the same. He also has a sorghum and cider-mill, and has the reputation of doing a good business. He is a capenter and joiner by trade. He was married in Genesee, Genesee County, Mich., to Miss Harriet Twogood, a native of New York. They have had six children, of whom Manley D., is now attending Yale College.

L. Henry Lee was born in Albion, Orleans County, N. Y., in 1837, and remained there until 1857, when he came to Tuscola, and in the spring of 1859 purchased his present farm, which is situated in section 31. The following June he commenced chopping and clearing the land, but did not build for some time, as he rented a piece of land and a house in the vicinity. At that time there were no roads to Mr. Lee’s farm, and he was obliged to chop his way out. He now has a fine farm, and is giving his attention to the breeding of fancy stock, having at present three thoroughbred Jersey cattle- one male and two females, and several grade cattle. Mr. Lee was married to Miss Frances L. Hunt, who was born in Mt. Morris, Livingston County, N. Y., September 6, 1837, and came to Tuscola with her parents at six month’s of age. Her parents were Abijah A. and Minerva Hunt, both of whom died in the county.

Thomas Lewis is a native of Bay Quinte, Canada, and was born in 1827. He remained there until eight years of age, when he moved to Lewiston, Niagara County, N. Y., where, after on years’ residence, he returned to Canada. Subsequently he resided one year in New York, and 1850 came to Tuscola, and located on the Cass River, and removed in 1854 to his farm on section 17, where he has since resided. Mr. Lewis has been a tradesman, lumberman and farmer. In 1851 he was married to Sarah G. Davis, daughter of Ebenezer Davis, and has been a resident of the county since 1836.

Oscar F. Shoff, M. D., is a native of Middlesex County, Ont., and was born in 1847. He there commenced the study of medicine and graduated from the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, March 31, 1869, and in April following came to Tuscola, where he has since resided. He was appointed postmaster, and took possession of the office in June, 1882. Soon after the doctor’s arrival here he saw the importance of improving the stock of the county, and in 1871 brought in his first thoroughbred stock. Since that time he has engaged quite extensively in the business, and has handled Berkshire hogs, Cotswold and Lester sheep, and at present has a herd of short horns, consisting of seven females and one male. In 1879 he purchased of John P. Sanborn, the celebrated short horn bull, Victoria Duke 6^th, probably the finest bred animal ever brought to the county. The doctor’s stock are all thoroughbreds and registered.

J. Q. A. Burrington was born in Burk, Caledonia County, Vt., in 1829. In 1853 he moved to Ohio, and with the exception of three years spent in Iowa resided there continuously till the fall of 1856, when he came to Tuscola. The following spring he purchased his present farm which is on section 30, and has since resided there. He was the third and last county superintendent of schools in 1873-’74, but before his second term had expired the office was abolished. The county then contained about 120 districts. From 1869 to 1873 was supervisor of the township of Tuscola, but in the fall of 1873 resigned, owing to his duties as superintendent of schools. Has been a member of the executive committee of the State Agricultural Society for ten years and was at one time president of the County Agricultural Society. For four years was a member of executive committee of the State Grange, and was again elected at the last election. Is at present chairman of the committee.

Charles T. Killin was born in Indiana County, Pa., in 1835, and resided there until 1870, when he came to Tuscola County and located on section 23, of Tuscola Township, where he has since resided.
Mr. Killin cleared up his farm from what was then a dense wilderness and did pioneer work in every sense of the word. He married Miss Jennie A. Bolar, of the same county of his nativity, and has a family of three sons.

Clark Appleby was born in Otsego County, N. Y., April 3, 1822, where he resided until 1869. In February of that year he came to Tuscola County and located on section 2, in the township of Tuscola, where he has since resided. He has made many improvements on his place which will now rank with the best farms in the township. Mr. Appleby has been twice married his first wife having died in New York previous to his coming West. His second and present wife was the widow Bates, formerly Miss Mary Grover, also of Otsego County, N. Y.

Avery Malin is a native of Ontario County, N. Y., and was born in 1804. At six years of age, with his parents, he moved to Erie, Erie County, where they lived one year, and then moved to Geauga County, Ohio, and remained there till 1855 when he came to Michigan, and after stopping awhile in Genesse County reached Tuscola County in May, 1855. He purchased land on section 2 and 12, in Tuscola Township, and after stopping in Vassar about six months, he moved on his land on section 12, where he has since resided. He married Miss Eliza Ann Copley, a native of New York, in 1835, and who died in 1876. They raised a family of four children, of whom all are living, except Sarah, who died in 1870. David and Ann E. are still living at home.

Samuel H. Hughes was born in Boston, Mass., in 1796, and at thirteen years of age engaged in the hardware business. In 1831 he moved to Ohio, where he remained twenty-two years. He came to Tuscola in 1852 where he has since resided. He married Priscilla Woods, of Boston, in 1817. They had seven children, of whom all are living except nelson, who died on his return farm the war- no doubt from the exposure he had experienced.
Mr. Hughes has been in many kinds of business, among which may be mentioned the manufacture of cotton and woolen goods in the town of Ware, Hampshire County, Mass, farming and hardware business.

Orrin Bradley was born in Lenawee County, Mich., in 1837, and subsequently moved to Livingston County, where he remained until 1870, when he came to Tuscola and located on section 35, where he has since resided. He has given his attention almost exclusively to farming, but has held the office of highway commissioner for the township of Tuscola.

P. S. Baldwin is a native of St. Lawrence County, N. Y., and was born in 1832. At ten years of age his father took him to Waterloo County, Ont., to learn the tanner and currier’s trade, where he remained until 1846, when he came to Tuscola. His time since has been spent here and in Saginaw County, and has been engaged in lumbering, farming and fishing. He first commenced lumbering by doing job work on the north branch of White Creek. In 1872 he purchased his present farm on section 29, and in 1881 commenced the manufacture of cheese. His factory is supplied with milk partly from his own cows and by purchase from others. He uses the milk of 200 cows.