Edward H. King is a leading photographer of Van Buren county and one of the best known in the state of Michigan, this having been achieved through the exercise of his natural ability to which he has made telling addition through study and observation. He as born in Fremont, Ohio, October 3, 1855. His father, Samuel King, was born in Columbus, Ohio, and followed the occupation of farming in Sandusky county, where he passed his life and where his demise occurred at the age of sixty-two years. In his political views he was a stanch Republican and Protectionist, taking an active part in political affairs and serving faithfully and with efficiency in a number of township offices. He married Mary Moore, who was born in Pennsylvania, the daughter of Samuel Moore, a Sandusky county farmer, in which section he spent his entire life. Mrs. Samuel King was one of a large family and the mother of eight children. They are as follows: John, who is a builder and contractor in California; James, a farmer in Gratiot county, Michigan; Laura, deceased; Charles, who is one of the prominent men of Montcalm county, holding the office of sheriff and being the proprietor of a hotel; Edward, of this review; Ella, who resides at Battle Creek, Michigan; and two who died in infancy. The mother, now eighty-eight years of age, also resides in Battle Creek. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel King were attendants of the Advent church.
Edward H. King's father died when he was but seven years old and he spent his early years on a farm, was educated in the public schools and being of a musical bent, he early turned his talent to advantage by teaching singing, both individually and in classes. After following this occupation for a few years and discovering that he possessed an artistic temperament in another direction, he began the study of photography in 1887 at Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he later established himself in business and conducted the same successfully of twelve years. He was then out of business for a year and subsequently removed to Belden, where he built up a large business, which he later sold out. Some idea may be gained of the prominence to which he had risen, when it is related that the gentleman who bought out his business made prints from the negatives and exhibited them a a convention, where in competition with a large number of others took first prize. Mr. King was then out of business for four years and then went to Grand Rapids, where he erected a building fitted with all the latest appliances for making the highest grade portraits. This building was declared by competent authorities to the most complete of its kind to be found in the United States. After conducting this for a time, he sold out and in 1908 removed to Paw Paw, where he has since resided.
His work has evoked the highest praise from all who have examined it and he not only ranks among the best as an all-round photographer, but he is easily and by far the leader in his specialty as an artist in the line which is an art in itself and to which he has given a vast amount of attention, that of making his subject forget that he is sitting for a picture and removing him from every vestige of camera embarrassment with the result that he produces a likeness which is so strikingly natural as to call forth the highest commendation from even the most critical.
He is known farm and wide as the photographer who is capable of placing at perfect ease even the most nervous person and thereby making a portrait which is a pleasing likeness and gives the highest satisfaction possible.
Edwin J. Dayton, farmer and stock-raiser of Waverly township, was born near Cleveland, Ohio, on January 5, 1860. His father Allen G. Dayton was born in hevicinity of the same city in 1826. It was here that he was married to Fannie H. Slitor, born November 6, 1832, in the state of Connecticut, the daughter of James and Flavia Slitor. Her mother died when Fannie was two years old and her father some years later. Of the five children born to Allen G. and Fannie Dayton, only Edwin is living at present. Three grew to maturity and the others died in childhood. The father of this family moved to Michigan in 1862 and after living four years at Hillsdale county, moved to the farm in Van Buren county which is now part of Mr. Dayton's place. He lived there the rest of his life and it is still the home of his wife Fannie Slitor Dayton, who has been a resident of the township for forty-five years.
Until he was ten years old, Edwin Dayton attended school. From that age until he was sixteen, he attended only part of each term and then at seventeen, he entered the high school at Paw Paw and completed the four years' course in three years, graduating in 1880. He paid his own way while in school by milking cows and delivering the milk for Mrs. L. L. Hall. He became a teacher in the public schools of Van Buren county where he taught of six winters. He saved the small salary he received and increased his capital by working at other things and in time was able to invest in some valuable lands. At present he owns 260 acres of land all in Waverly township and he has remodeled the farm home where he lives and made it one of the most attractive places in the county. Besides general farming Mr. Dayton is a breeder of high grade cattle and sheep and he has done much to improved the stock in this district. He is a stockholder in the Paw Paw Savings Bank and altogether one of the substantial members of the community.
In April 1887, Mr. Dayton married Lura, the only daughter of Truman and Harriet Sinclair Allen, mentioned elsewhere in the history of the county. She was born January 9, 1861, and was educated in the schools of Paw Paw. Two sons have been born to her and her husband. Allen D. is a student in the Bangor high school, a member of the class of 1915, and is sixteen years of age; Charles, aged thirteen, is attending the district school.
Mr. Allen belongs to the Masonic order, his lodge being the Bloomingdale, No. 221 of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. As an enterprising and progressive farmer, he is influential in the Grange. He has made a signal success of all that he has undertaken and he is of that admirable class who are termed hustlers. What he has and what he is are due entirely to his own work and character. "Character is fate" said the old Greek, so Mr. Dayton's success is not so surprising. In the eminence he has attained, he has been ably assisted by his wife, who like himself, is esteemed for her neighborly kindness and for her sterling worth.
Herman Langelan. - In proportion to its population, Van Buren county has great a number of substantial and intelligent agriculturists as any county of its size in Michigan, and among its number is Herman Langelan, of Keeler township, the owner of a farm of excellently well cultivated land, which he has operated with such judgment as to have made him, financially, a successful and substantial man. Mr. Langelan was born in Westphalia, Germany, July 3, 1856, the fourth in order of birth in the family of six children born to Wilhelm and Carolina (Krohne) Langelan. All of these children are living except one son, and the survivors reside in Michigan with the exception of Mr. Langelan's sister, Caroline, the wife of Herman Ahrends, a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Langelan's parents never came to the United States, but both died in the Fatherland, where Wilhelm Langelan was an agriculturist all of his life.
Herman Langelan received a good education in the German language, and as a lad of sixteen decided to come to the United States, having heard of the excellent opportunities offered in the new country. In 1872 he sailed from Bremen, and when he landed in New York City, he was not only without capital, but was $120 in debt. Coming to Berrien county, Michigan, by way of Cincinnati, he became a wage earner, and soon engaged in the milling business with his brother, continuing therein for eight years and also spending one year in Minnesota. During this time he practiced the strictest economy, and was able to clear off his indebtedness, and he then purchased eighty acres of farming land in Berrien county, for which he went into debt to the extent of $1,600. In 1894, having sold his Berrien county farm, he came to Keeler township and bought eighty-seven acres of land, to which he has since added another tract of seventy-three acres, and he now has it all under cultivation. This property, which is known as the "Maple Avenue Farm," is located ten and one-half miles from Dowagiac, ten miles from Hartford, and one mile from Sister Lakes, and is one of the best farms in Keeler township. Mr. Langelan has been ably assisted in his operations by his estimable wife, whose advice and counsel have done much to help him to succeed. They stand high in the esteem of their neighbors, who recognize and appreciate their many good qualities, and they have been active workers in church and charitable work, and have reared a family that would do credit to any community, giving their children good, practical educational advantages, and teaching them lessons of honesty and honorable living. Mr. Langelan is an adherent of Republican principles. Fraternally, he is a member of the Keeler Camp, M. W. A. , holding a policy for $3,000 therein, while his wife has a policy for $1,000 in the Dowagiac Assembly No. 1, International Congress. They are faithful members of the German Lutheran church, and have liberally supported all movements of a benevolent nature that have been worthy of their consideration.
On January 9, 1885, Mr. Langelan was married to Miss Angeline Kettler, and to this union there have been born five sons, one of whom is deceased, the survivors being: Henry Fred, educated in the public schools and now a salesman in a grocery store at Sisters Lakes; Clarence, a graduate of the public schools, who is now at home assisting his father in the work of the home farm; Ernest, who is now attending public school; and Herman, the youngest, is at home.
Frank E. Gorton. - For over thirty years the well-known and estimable citizen whose name inaugurates this review has been enrolled among the successful farmers and stock raisers of Waverly township, Van Buren county. His estate is located in section 24 and is typical of the picturesqueness and splendid agricultural methods of this favored section of Michigan. Mr. Gorton is a native of the state, his birth having occurred in Allegan county, on December 20, 1856. He is the son of I. H. and Betsy (Cabot) Gorton, both of whom were natives of the state of New York. There they were married, and like so many people of that state, they eventually cast their fortunes with the newer state of Michigan and its alluring wealth and natural resource. They took up their residence in Van Buren county, in 1866 and here in 1872 the father was summoned to the Great Beyond, his devoted wife and life companion surviving him until February 1877. They became the parents of five children, four of whom survive at the present time. William J. makes his home in Kalamazoo, Michigan; Ida I. is the wife of Clarence Stephens of North Dakota; Hattie L. is the wife of Albert Strubel of Allegan county, Michigan; Marion L. is deceased.
Frank E. Gorton was a lad of ten years of age when his parents took up their residence in Van Buren county. He attended the district school and at the age of sixteen lost his father, a circumstance which threw him at an early age entirely upon his own resources. From that time he managed the farm and he continued thus engaged until the death of his mother. He then assisted various agriculturists by the month.
On April 23, 1881, Mr. Gorton laid the foundation of a happy home life by his union with Laura E. Streator, a daughter of Franklin M. and Mary (Green) Streator, and the representative of an old and distinguished family. She was born in Waverly township, September 25, 1858. Her father was a native of Randolph, Portage county, Ohio, where his birth occurred October 12, 1835, he being the son of Cyrus H. and Laura (McCrinan) Streator. The date of the birth of Cyrus Streator was March 1, 1811, his parents being Isaac and Clara (Plum) Streator. Laura E. McCrinan was born May 18, 1813, and was married November 26, 1834. They became the parents of four children, two of whom died in infancy. The mother died in Ohio, and Cyrus Streator came from the Buckeye state to Paw Paw in 1856. Franklin M. Streator was married in Ohio, January 1, 1856, and became the father of three children, namely: Laura E. ; Clara I. , wife of Robert Taylor, of Waverly township; and Mattie, who died in infancy. Franklin M. Streator was called to his eternal rest December 17, 1906, but his benignant influence will not soon be lost in the scenes in which he was best known. He was quiet and unassuming by nature, high principled and rightly respected. Prewitt T. Streator died in August 13, 1906.
The union of Mr. Gorton and his admirable wife has resulted in the birth of two children, a son and a daughter. Mattie S. , a graduate nurse, is connected with the Michigan State Hospital at Kalamazoo, having charge of Monroe Cottage. Lynn E. , is single, and makes his home on his father's farm. The Gorton farm consists of one hundred and twenty-six acres in sections 13 and 24 in Waverly township. Mr. Gorton is a Republican and is a public-spirited type of citizen.
To revert to Mrs. Gorton's family, the Streators, they were known far and wide as breeders of high grade sheep and cattle. The family is an old one and on American shores has been traced back beyond Isaac Streator, of Massachusetts, whose wife was Clara Plum, of the well-known family of that name. Clara Streator bore her husband ten children. Isaac H. was a son of Isaac H. , Sr. , who married Hannah Alderman, they being the parents of five children. Mrs. Gorton's mother, whose maiden name was Mary E. Green, was born in Portage county, Ohio, June 27, 1837, and came with the Streators to Michigan in the spring of 1856, as a bride. She survives, a venerable and well-established lady, and a member of the Christian church in Bloomingdale. Mr. and Mrs. Gorton are people who play quiet, but none the less useful part in the many-sided life of the community.
George Weldin. - The life of George Weldin, one of the most prominent and successful agriculturists of Van Buren county, Michigan, presents a striking example of enterprise, industry and integrity, conducing to eminent success, and of business consistencies based on enlightened and moderate views- views at all times compatible with a generous toleration of the rights of others, and commanding general confidence and esteem. Mr. Weldin was born November 20, 1839, in Lenawee county, Michigan, and is a son of L. H. and Betsy (Merritt) Weldin, natives of New York and Pennsylvania, respectively.
L. H. Weldin came to Michigan in 1837, and in 1839 located in Porter township, Van Buren county, buying a farm of 170 acres which he cultivated until 1850. In this year he went West, where he remained a short time, but eventually returned to Porter township and bought another farm of 160 acres on which he was engaged in agricultural pursuits at the time of his death in 1867. His wife, who passed away in 1850, was the mother of nine children, as follows: Jewel, who is deceased; Almira, the wife of L. R. Day, of Nebraska; Augustus I. , Hannah, Polly and Eliza, deceased; George; and Susan and Clara, deceased.
George Weldin was reared on his father's farm, attending school each winter when he could be spared from the duties of the home place, and when he had reached the age of twenty-two years purchased eighty acres of land at Pine Grove, Michigan, which he still owns. As the years went by, Mr. Weldin's operations grew rapidly, and from time to time he added to his land until he became one of the heaviest taxpayers in the county, owning 497 acres of well cultivated land in addition to considerable other real estate, although he had disposed of a great deal of property, now having 136 acres of farm land, most of which is devoted to the growing of grapes. In addition to his home and the lots on which it stands in Lawton, he is the owner of twenty building lots in this town. He has always been alive to and identified with the promotion of the best interests of Van Buren county, of which he has so long been a resident and where he has seen so many changes for the better.
On February 3, 1862, Mr. Weldin was married to Margery Turner, and to this union there have been born four children: Lewis H. , a merchant of Battle Creek, Michigan; Cora, the wife of Henry Mock, of Fort Morgan, Nebraska, the owner of a 1,600-acre ranch; Nora, the widow of J. Dorsey, of Battle Creek; and Merritt, living in Porter township. Mr. Weldin's first wife died in 1887, and he was married in July 1891, to Manila Ray, born in Lake county, Ohio, daughter of G. C. and Elizabeth (Bellington) Ray, the former a native of New Hampshire and the latter of New York.
In his political views, Mr. Weldin is independent, and his fraternal connection is with the Maccabees. Since his twenty-second year he has been a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church, he assisted materially in the construction of the church of that denomination in Lawton. Mr. Weldin has a comprehensive knowledge of realty valuations in Van Buren county, and perhaps no man in the county can boast of an opinion which carries more weight or advice which is deemed more reliable.
Nathaniel H. Bangs. - The fertile fields of Van Buren county have furnished some of its best citizens with the means of working out their life's destiny, and of laying up for themselves a comfortable provision of later years. Farming a hard, unremitting work, and to carry it on successfully requires good management and an intimate knowledge of all its details, but in these days of modern machinery the life of the agriculturist has its advantages and is certainly remunerative. One of the well known farmers of Antwerp township, who is specializing in fruit growing, is Nathaniel H. Bangs, who was born in Monroe county, New York, May 31, 1833, a son of Nathaniel and Mary (Woodman) Bangs, natives of Vermont.
Mr. Bang's father, who had spent his life in agricultural pursuits, died in 1834, his widow surviving him for many years. They had eleven children, namely: David, Didama, Lorenzo, Maria, Daniel, Riley, Orange, all of whom are deceased; Woodman, Nathaniel H. , and two children who died in infancy. Nathaniel H. Bangs was sixteen years of age when he went to Churchville, where he was apprenticed to the trade of harness maker in the shop of Willard and Bangs for three years, at the end of which time he became proprietor of a business at Bergen, Genesee county, New York. One year later he sold out and went back to the old homestead for two years, after which he purchased sixty-five acres of farming land. In the spring of 1862, Mr. Bangs came to Michigan and settled on a farm of ninety acres, situated in Antwerp township, but traded this eleven years later for a property in Paw Paw, which in turn, was traded six months later for forty acres in Bloomingdale township. Selling this land, Mr. Bangs purchased 117 1/2 acres in sections 4 and 9, Antwerp township, where he has since carried on fruit farming. Mr. Bangs has established himself in the respect and esteem of the people of his community, and is a man who has the ability and desire to form warm personal friendships. He is a leading Republican of his community, having served as treasurer of Antwerp township for one year. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons and the Sons of Temperance, and religiously with the Presbyterian church.
Mr. Bangs was married (first) to Miss Mary Jane Warren, who died February 19, 1874, leaving four children: Jerome W. , of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Adie Loraine, the wife of E. F. Parks, cashier of the First National Bank of Paw Paw; Byron, who is deceased; and Charles Vernon, of Kansas City, Missouri. On October 21, 1875, Mr. Bangs married for his second wife Arlette Morrison, daughter of Robert and Mariannia (Harwick) Morrison. Mr. Morrison was a native of Vermont and his wife of New York, and they came to Michigan in 1833, locating in Antwerp township, where Mr. Morrison followed farming until his death, September 18, 1907, his wife having passed away June 19, 1887. They were the parents of three children: Arlette, wife of Mr. Bangs; Alice, who died in 1863; and Daniel, residing in Paw Paw. Mr. and Mrs. Bangs had three children: Alice M. , who was born January 21, 1878, the wife of Myron Griswold, of Chicago; Robert M. , born July 7, 1880, and now managing his father's farm; and Earl Nathaniel, born July 7, 1882, now in Sheldon, Illinois.
C. B. Manley, whose farm home in sections seven and eight of Lawrence township is one of the attractive places of the vicinity and illustrates the thrift and enterprise of the man who developed it, is a native son of Van Buren county and represents one of the oldest families in the county.
He is the grandson of ___________Manley, who came up from Ohio into Michigan and was one of the pioneers in the community of Keeler township, where he entered his homestead about 1838. He possessed the sturdy traits of the early settlers and set to work and cleared and improved his land until it was a valuable and productive home. It is now known as the Charles Hammond place. He was the father of seven sons and three daughters, and three of the children are still alive:-Richard is in northern Michigan, Judire is in California, and Joseph, who was the seventh son, is a resident of Oregon.
James Manley, the father of C. B. , died when the latter was ten years of age. He was reared in Keeler township, and married Miss Jane A. Olds. Their three children were: W. D. , who married a farmer in Montana; C. B. ; and Clara J. , wife of O. G. Hungford, of Kalamazoo, Michigan.
C. B. Manley was born in Keeler township, October 13, 1854, and was reared in his native township on what is now known as the Lee Drullinger farm. During his boyhood he attended the country schools during the winter and worked on the farm in summers until he was twenty years old. On April 6, 1881, he married Miss Laura Cook, and began to make a home and independence. Mrs. Manley was born in Newbury township, Cass county, Michigan, November 5, 1859. Her parents were Sullivan and Harriet (Austin) Cook, who were from Medina county, Ohio, where they married, and in 1853 came to Michigan. Their home for a number of years was in Cass county, and later in Van Buren. Her father was in the lumber and saw mill business. Mrs. Manley received her education in the schools at Hartford, and is an accomplished woman. She formerly taught music for some time.
Mr. and Mrs. Manley are the parents of three children: Bernice is the wife of Gordon Gould, and they have one son, Bernard; Ralph married Miss Ava Bennett, and they have a daughter, Laura; Mildred is the wife of Claire Sheppard. Mrs. Manley is an active member and has served as president of the literary organization, the Corwin's Woman's Club. Mr. Manley is affiliated with the Maccabees at Hartford. In politics he is a Democrat, and at the present time is serving as treasurer of the township. His farm consists of one hundred and sixty acres of land in Lawrence township, and during a life of industry he has accumulated sufficient of the world's prosperity to be comfortable the rest of his life. In 1904 his right arm was severed by a corn shredder, so that is former capacity for all kinds of work has been much impaired.
Albert B. Blackinton. - Among the enterprising, progressive and able business men of Van Buren county that have triumphantly trod the pathway of success, and have acquired wealth while developing the rich mineral resources of Northern Michigan, is Albert B. Blackinton, of Pine Grove township. The descendant of a New England family of prominence, he was born, April 29, 1861, in Susquehanna township, Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, where the birth of his father, Albert A. Blackinton, occurred in 1830.
His paternal grandfather, Lyman Blackinton, was born in Blackinton, Massachusetts, of English lineage. In early life he moved to Pennsylvania, going there before the day of railroads, and for many years being a noted stage driver of his locality. Although never wealthy, he acquired a modest sum of money, and spent his last days in Susquehanna township, dying at the remarkable age of one hundred and four years. He married and became the father of fours sons and two daughters.
Brought up and educated in Susquehanna township, Pennsylvania, Albert A. Blackinton was there a resident until 1867. Coming then with his family to Michigan, he purchased a home in Kendall, Van Buren county, and was here employed in tilling the soil until his death, in 1908, at the age of seventy-eighty years. He married first Caroline Taylor, who was born in Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of William and Margaret Taylor, natives of the Keystone state. She died in 1866, leaving four children, Charles, William, Albert B. and Sarah, of whom Albert B. , the subject of this sketch, is the sole survivor. The father subsequently married for his second wife Emily Merritt, who survives him.
Leaving school at the early age of thirteen years, Albert B. Blackinton began to be self-supporting, working at any offered employment. While yet in his teens, he was for a time employed in a saw mill at Sand Lake, Kent county, afterwards being similarly occupied at Sault Sainte Marie, in Chippewa county, for eight years. Then, imbued with the restless spirit characteristic to the territory of Washington, locating in Tacoma, then a city of about twelve thousand inhabitants. He there continued work in the saw mills for four years, when he awoke to the fact that working for daily wages was a very slow road to wealth. Determining to find something more profitable as an employment, Mr. Blackinton returned East, and became a prospector on the northern shores of Lake Superior. He was exceedingly fortunate in his ventures, discovering valuable deposits of iron, and in due course of time found himself the possessor of a handsome fortune. He still retains an interest in mines on the Mesaba and other ranges. Returning to the scene of his childhood days in 1911, Mr. Blackinton purchased a farm in Pine Grove township, and is making extensive and valuable improvements on his property, intending to make this his permanent home.
In 1880 Mr. Blackinton was united in marriage with Maude Wilson, who died in early womanhood. Four children were born to them, none of whom are living. Fraternally Mr. Blackinton is a member of the Knights of Pythias.
S. E. Overton. - The beautiful art of carving on wood always enlists interest in both the artistic and the inartistic mind, for there is something about it that appeals to every taste and gives pleasure to all classes of observers. It has the majesty of fare centuries upon it in practice, giving dignity and exaltation to its history, and has found expression in every clime and country under the sun, which proves its value in an esthetic sense and also in the line of utility, for it is everywhere in operation for the service as well as for the enjoyment of mankind.
This art has its highest and most extensive expression in the city of South Haven in the establishment of the S. E. Overton Company, of which S. E. Overton is the head and directing force. This company manufactures artistic wood carvings, gable ornaments, stair newels, oval door panels, and other fine products of wood, including some of the delicate and many of the beautiful parts of pianos. Its plant is one of the complete in the country, and its trade extends all over the United States and Canada. S. E. Overton, the proprietor, is himself a practical wood carver of unusual skill and refinement of taste, having acquired a through knowledge of the business in a long and studious apprenticeship.
Mr. Overton was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 8, 1875, and is a son of Charles and Esther (McIntyre) Overton. The father was a native of England, where his life began on July 21, 1855, and the mother came into being in Ireland on August 19, 1857. They had four children, all of whom are living, and of whom their son S. E. was the first. The father came to this country with is parents and lived with them for some years in Washington, D. C. , where he obtained his education. He was a machinist, and after his removal from Washington to Chicago, worked for a number of years at his trade in Streator, Illinois. In church connection he was a Baptist, and in political affiliation a Republican.
S. E. Overton was educated in Chicago and Streator, Illinois. After leaving school he worked for awhile at molding, then learned the trade of wood carving. In 1903 he began business as a manufacturer of wood carvings at 102 Lincoln street, Chicago, where he conducted his operations one year. He then moved to 488 Carroll avenue, and there he remained until 1908, when he moved to South Haven, Michigan. After locating in that city he built a large plant for the general manufacture of wood work, in which he employs regularly about sixty-five to seventy-five men, and from which he turns out large quantities of goods to supply an active demand that comes as has been stated, from all parts of the United States and the Dominion of Canada, and is especially voluminous from the manufacturers of pianos.
Mr. Overton was married on April 22, 1897, to Miss Linne Zehrden, who was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin. They have two children, theirs sons Charles and Samuel R. The father is a Freemason in the lodge, capitular and cryptic branches of the York rite in the fraternity. He belongs to Star of the Lake Lodge, No. 158, Royal Arch Chapter, No. 58, and Council No. 45, Royal and Select Masters, all located and working in South Haven. He is also a member of Pomona Lodge, No. 153, Knights of Pythias, of that city.
Wesley T. Barker. - The life of a successful man is an interesting study, butthat of a good one furnishes a fitting example for others. Some men never shirk from the line laid out by duty, but unflinchingly tread it to the goal, wherever it may be. Many remarkable characters were developed by the Civil war, the trials, dangers and privations of that struggle bringing out the good and strengthening the weak points in a man, making him a hero. Among those who are honored above the ordinary in Van Buren county is Wesley T. Barker, who throughout his life has continued to heel the call of duty as he did when his country made its call for defenders. Mr. Barker is a native of Wayne county, Michigan, and was born December 12, 1835, a son of Harvey and Content (McKinstry) Barker, the former a native of Massachusetts and the latter of Vermont.
The Barker family came to Michigan in 1828, settling in Wayne county, where Harvey Barker followed the occupations of local preacher and farmer. He came to Van Buren county in 1839, and was here engaged in agricultural pursuits for many years, owning at one time three hundred and twenty acres of land in Porter township. He spent his last years near Bellevue, Eaton county, and died in 1863. He was the father of seven children, as follows: Eleanor, deceased; John P. , of Kalamazoo, Michigan, now eighty years of age; Lucy; Wesley T. ; Oscar J. and Harriet, deceased; and Charles H. , residing at Kalamazoo Junction.
Wesley T. Barker as a young man was engaged in breaking land, and estimates that during his life he has laid open for cultivation over six hundred acres of Michigan property. When he was twenty-one years of age he began hauling wood with an ox team to Lawton. In 1858, having secured eighty acres in section 19, Porter township, he drove to his property with an ox team, the snow at that time, in March 1862, being three feet deep. In August of the same year, he enlisted for service in the Civil war, becoming a member of Company C, Fourth Michigan Calvary, under Captain Melchor, and he served with that organization until July 1865. During this time, in the numerous skirmishes, raids and engagements in which the Fourth Michigan participated, Mr. Barker faced the enemy no fewer than ninety-seven separate times, but his only injuries were received when his horse fell on him after a seven mile charge at Shelbyville, Tennessee. He was honorably discharged at Nashville, that state, after a brave and faithful service and one of which he may well fell proud, returning thence to his Michigan land, which he proceeded to clear from the wilderness. On this land, which is located only about a mile from where the family first settled on coming to Van Buren county, Mr. Barker erected all the buildings and fences and made all the improvements.
On November 20, 1861, he was married to Mary H. Barker, a daughter of Thomas and Melissa Barker, who came to Michigan in 1849. Mrs' Barker's parents had six children: Mary, William, John C, Elizabeth (deceased), Peter, Alsophine (the wife of George Kerby, of Volenia township). Mrs. Barker died in May 1911. Mr. Barker is a Republican in politics and is affiliated with the Grand Army of the Republic. He and his wife are members of the Methodist church. Many and great are the changes which have taken place in Van Buren county since the family first settled here. When they came from Wayne county Mr. Barker and his father drove one hundred and sixty miles through the woods with ox teams, the journey consuming a space of time that seems almost incredible in these days of speedy railroad trains. The stock, a little herd of cattle that formed the nucleus of Mr. Barker's present magnificent herd of animals, had to be driven through the wilderness of trees and brush which formed this part of the country at that time. Finally, on their arrival, it was found they did not have enough provisions to carry them through, and the father was compelled to trade a wagon for the bare necessities of life. The father grew the flax from which their mother made thread, and wool was carded to make the clothes for the family. All of the original buildings were made of logs, there being no boards available at that time, but these have been replaced by modern buildings. Now, looking back over the intervening years, Mr. Barker can appreciate the changes that have come over the section, and can see that he has taken no small part in bringing about the development of Van Buren county from a wilderness into a smiling, prosperous farming community. He is one of his section's true pioneers, and as such is honored and respected by his fellow townsmen, many of whom are reaping the benefit of the years of hard and incessant toil of just such men as he.
William Leedy, farmer, stock raiser and fruit grower of Arlington township, has through hard and persistent labor won a place for himself among the successful farmers of his community, and is now the owner of an excellent tract of one hundred and fifteen acres. With no other advantages than a progressive mind, a determination to succeed and inherent ability as an agriculturist, he started out to establish himself in a profitable occupation, and the success which he has attended his efforts is well deserved. William Leedy was born September 3, 1866, in the state of Indiana, and is a son of Henry C. and Mary (Lawrence) Leedy, the former boron in Indiana and the latter in Pennsylvania.
The Leedy family was established in Michigan in 1865, when the parents brought their children to Arlington township, buying one hundred and sixty acres of land. Mr. Leedy was for some time engaged in the mercantile business at Bangor, but sold out and for two years was located in Kansas and later in Iowa. On his return to Michigan he opened a market, which he operated in conjunction with a livery business for three years. For three or four years following he operated a part of the old homestead, and he then purchased fifty acres of timber land and worked the timber into lumber, having built a sawmill on the place. Eventually he purchased seventy acres, moving his sawmill to the new land, and from time to time added to his property until he was the owner of three hundred and twenty-two acres of well cultivated land. He died June 26, 1899, and his widow is now living at the family home in Columbia township. Henry C. and Mary Leedy had eleven children, as follows: Sarah, who is deceased; William; Jacob, living in Kalamazoo; James, a resident of Arlington; Viola, the wife of Fred Goodwin, of Columbia township; Cora and Anna, who died in infancy; Daniel, a farmer of Arlington township; Alice, the wife of Arthur Lee, of Arlington; Mattie, the wife of Emory Hathaway, of Arlington township; and Earl, who resides at home.
William Leedy was reared to manhood on the home farm, and when he was eighteen years of age he went to northern Michigan and for a year worked in a lumber camp. On his return he took up farming, and he and his brother Jacob raised a mortgage of three hundred dollars on sixty-six acres of their father's farm. After a few years William Leedy purchased his brother's interest in the land, and later purchased fifty acres and eventually thirty-three acres more, and he now has one hundred and fifteen acres of some of the best land in Arlington township. He has made numerous improvements on this land, and can point with pride to as fine a set of buildings as can be found in the township. A man of Mr. Leedy's abilities is always a valued citizen, and he has many warm friends and admirers in his community.
On April 5, 1883, Mr. Leedy was married to Miss Tamson Pathie, and she died leaving two children: Annie, the wife of Clifford Daniels, of Waverly; and John, who is deceased. Mr. Leedy was married (second) December 8, 1904, to Miss Edith Weikel, daughter of Levi and Martha (Curtis) Weikel, and two children have been born to them: Glen Levi and Orville Clay. Mrs. Leedy's father was born in Indiana and her mother in Michigan, and both are now living in Columbia township. They had four children: Edith, who married Mr. Leedy; Ellen, the wife of Fred Corden, of Elkhart, Indiana; George, residing in Columbia township; and Perry, who also lives in that township.
Mr. Leedy is independent in his political views, voting for the manrather than the party. His religious faith is that of the Methodist church, and he is known as a liberal supporter of the religious and charitable movements.
Lemuel Lyle. - A resident of Porter township, this county, for twenty-five years, and living on and cultivating the farm of two hundred acres which he now occupies for fifteen years, Lemuel Lyle has been a long-continued and substantial contributor to the progress and improvement of Van Buren county, a potential force in its industrial life, a valued aid in the work of the intellectual and moral agencies laboring among its people, and a man of influence in connection with its civil affairs as a citizen who never neglects his duty or abates his interest with reference to them.
Mr. Lyle is not a native of Michigan or the United States, but he is as warmly attached to the institutions of the land and state of his adoption and as earnest in support of them as he ever could have been in connection with those of the country and province of his birth. This was Prince Edward Island, Dominion of Canada, where his life began on March 14, 1842. He is a son of James and Elizabeth (Berch) Lyle, the former English and the latter Irish by nativity. Both died many years ago on Prince Edward Island, of which they became residents in early life. Eleven children were born to them, and of these nine are living, Lemuel was the sixth in the order of birth. The others who are living are: John R. , who still resides on Prince Edward Island; Thomas B. , whose home is in Wexford county, Michigan; Edward James, who is living in New Hampshire; Mary, the widow of George Gay, whose home is also on the island which was the scene of the parent's labor; Lizzie, the widow of James Rod, another resident of Prince Edward Island; Letitia, the widow of James Dailey, who lives at Wexford in this state; Eliza, the wife of Alexander McCormick, of Prince Edward Island; and Caroline, a widow, who also has her dwelling place in New Hampshire. The children who died were the fifth and tenth, William and Henrietta, who passed away a number of years ago.
Lemuel Lyle came to Michigan in 1866 and located in Paw Paw township, this county, where he remained three years. He then moved to the town of Paw Paw and made that his home for a short time. In 1869 he returned to his native place, where he passed the next five years. Soon afterward he bought forty acres of land near White Oak in Ingham county, which he farmed for five years, then rented one hundred and sixty acres which he cultivated for five years.
During all this time he has a strong yearning for Van Buren county, and at length he determined to gratify it. He once more returned to the county and rented the two hundred acres which he now owns and occupies, after devoting ten years to the development and improvement of other land. He has lived on this farm ever since, and been a resident of Porter township for a full quarter of a century continuously, as has been already noted. He has made his farm one of the great productiveness and value, and one of the most desirable and attractive in the township by his industry and skill as a farmer and his excellent business management.
On August 18, 1869, Mr. Lyle united himself in marriage with Miss Louisa Labadie, a daughter of Anthony and Sara (Mason) Labadie and a native of Paw Paw township, residing in Mattawan at the time of her marriage. She and her husband had five children, four of whom are living: Anna, the wife of John Reits, of Decatur township, this county; William, who has his home in Porter township, not far from that of his parents; and Frank and Ebenezer, who live at Wexford in this state. Alonzo, the third born of the five children, died at the age of thirteen months. The wife and mother has also passed away, after having traveled life's pathway with her husband for more than forty years.
Mr. Lyle has been an active member of the Democratic party from the beginning of his citizenship in this country. He believes in the principles of the party and its theories of government, and he supports it warmly on that account. The desire for public office has been no part of his incentive to loyalty, for he has never felt it. But earnestly interested in the welfare of his county, state and country, as he is, that party seems to him to offer the best means of securing that welfare and enlarging it. He was reared under the guidance of the Episcopal church, and he still adheres to it with devoted earnestness and a sincere zeal for its advancement to the largest measure of usefulness and a constant willingness to do everything in his power to aid its progress. His membership is valued highly by the congregation in which he holds it, as his citizenship is in all parts of the county in which he has so long lived and labored.
Phineas Farrow. - Forced by circumstances to make his own way in the world from the age of ten years, with nothing in the way of capital but his willing spirit, his good health and his strong determination to win an independent estate, and with his efforts, now crowned by a success that grows with his advancing years, Phineas Farrow, one of the prosperous farmers in Porter Township in this county, has given in his creditable career a fine illustration of the all-conquering mettle of American manhood, and of the possibilities always open to industry, frugality and steady perseverance in this land of boundless wealth and opportunity.
Mr. Farrow was born in Kalamazoo county, Michigan, on November 1, 1853, and is a son of Phineas and Maria (Bennett) Farrow, natives of New York, who came to Michigan in the forties. The father was a blacksmith and worked diligently at his trade until the discovery of gold in California set the world on fire with excitement and unlimited expectations. He then yielded to the prevailing enthusiasm and joined the army of argonuats that streamed across the plains to the new Elderado. He remained in the Golden state until 1861, and then enlisted in a California regiment of volunteers raised for the defense of the Union at the beginning of the Civil war. He served through the memorable conflict, and at its end returned to Illinois and was never heard from afterward. Three children were born in the family: Phineas, the last born, and his brothers John and Charles. John died at an early age, and Charles is now living in Nebraska.
After the death of her first husband the mother married his brother Edward, and of this union three children were also born: Thurman, who is a resident of Nebraska; Eugenia, who is the wife of Charles Souls, of Paw Paw; and George, who lives in Battle Creek. The mother has also passed away, her death having occurred a number of years ago. She was sorely pressed by adversities at times in her life, but she did the best she could for her offspring and was almost heroic in her efforts to rear to usefulness her two families children.
Her son Phineas remained at home until he reached the age of twenty-one but, as has been stated, began making his own living when he was ten. He had very limited opportunities for schooling, and the greater part of his training for the struggle among men for advancement has come from the harsh but thorough school of experience, and many of its lessons have been difficult, while its discipline has always been severe. But While its rod of stimulus at times seemed merciless, he never winced under the pain to an extent that deprived him of his nerve or abated his efforts for progress.
On January 1, 1877, when he was twenty-four years old, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Lonfeor, who abode with him only ten years, three months and fifteen days, dying on April 15, 1887. Directly after this marriage he rented eighty acres of land, which he continued to farm for thirteen years. He then contracted a second marriage, on March 26, 1890, which united him with Miss Emma Hubbard, a daughter of Roswell and Samantha (Smith) Hubbard. The father was a native of Ohio and the mother of New York, and both were early arrivals to Michigan. They were the parents of six children: Pliny, who lives at Lawton; Emma A. , the wife of Mr. Farrow; Eva, the wife of George La More, of Eau Claire, Michigan; Effie, the wife of William Waugh, of Marcellus, Cass county; Francis, a physician at Eau Claire, this state; and Frederick, who died in 1905.
After his second marriage Mr. Farrow rented eighty acres which constitute his present farm in section 29, Porter township, for one year. At the end of that lease he rented two hundred and sixteen acres south of this eighty and lived on it three years. He then moved to Prairie Ronde township, Kalamazoo county, where he rented C. F. Nesbitt's farm of two hundred and sixty acres, and this he occupied and cultivated eleven years. In the meantime he had bought the eighty acres in section 29, Porter township, this county, on which he formerly lived one year as a tenant, and when his lease in Kalamazoo county expired he removed to his own farm, where he has ever since been living and prospering finely, as his industry and wisdom in the cultivation of his land entitle him to. He carries on general farming and live stock raising on a scale commensurate with his facilities, and gets good returns from both. The place has been highly improved by him, and is now one of the choice farms of its size in the township, and one of its most attractive rural homes.
Mrs. Farrow was a school teacher for more than fifteen years and taught thirty-five terms in all. She and her husband have three children: Cletah May, who married Edward Cornish and lives in Porter township, not far from the home of her parents; and Irma Lena and Thelma Marie, who are still members of the parental family circle. The father is a Democrat in his political faith and allegiance, a Methodist Protestant in his church connection, and a member of the Eastern Star, and the Farmer's Union in fraternal relations. He was a director of school district No. 6 for 5 years.
No citizen of the township enjoys and none deserve a higher degree of respect and good will from its residents of all classes and conditions.
Henry Spaulding. - The name Spaulding has been one connected with the history of our county since the Colonial times and the representative of that family whose life is briefly outlined in this sketch has borne a part worthy of the best. His great-grandfather was Zebulon Spaulding of Connecticut; his grandfather, Marcus Spaulding, also born in Connecticut, but for the most of his life, a resident of New York state. He married Sarah Bump and they became the parents of eight children, four boys and four girls. The boys were M. M. Spaulding, the father of Henry of this sketch; Merritt, aged ninety years, still living; Warren W. and Almond M. , who died December 25, 1909, aged fifty-two years. Of the girls, Mary died in infancy and Elizabeth before she was married. The other two became mistresses of homes of their own. Shortly after his marriage, Marcus Spaulding the grandfather, moved to Erie county, Pennsylvania, and there spent the remainder of his life. The father of Henry also lived and died in that county. He was married to Emeline Van Ostran and there were eight children in their family too. Three are now living (in 1911), Henry, Mary Spaulding Crane, and Sarah Spaulding Smith, both the latter are widows. M. M. Spaulding died in 1901 and his wife thirty-two years before.
Henry Spaulding was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1842, on July 25. He grew up in that city and attended the public schools until in 1861 when he enlisted in the Eighty-third Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H. He was in the first division of the third brigade of the fifth army corps and was a sergeant. He was wounded at the battle of Gettysburg and thus disabled for further service and on December 27, 1863, was discharged. After this he returned to Erie and for about two years followed the trade of carpentering. Later he became a contractor and in 1870 came to Lawrence. It was the fifth of October when he arrived at that city and in the following April, he came to Hartford and did his first work on the Hartford hotel.
On the twenty-fifth of September of the year in which Mr. Spaulding came to Hartford he was married to Helen Beaman and for nearly forty years, this union lasted being broken in April 29, 1910, by the death of Mrs. Spaulding. She was born and reared in Orleans county, New York, and was very well known in this district. She was a member of the Benevolence Chapter, No. 46 of the Eastern Star and of the Hartford Rebecca Lodge, No. 281. Her death removed a zealous worker and an estimable woman from the county.
Mr. Spaulding has long been prominent in the lodge circles of the township. He is a member of the Florada Lodge, No. 309, and a past master of that body. In the Odd Fellows fraternity, he belongs to the Charter Oak Lodge, No. 231, and is a past Grand in it. He belongs to the Elsworth Post, No. 20 of the Grand Army of the Republic and is a past commander of the same. In the Michigan G. A. R. he is a past Junior Vice-Commander and is now chairman of the executive committee. In the Benevolence Chapter No. 46 of the Eastern Star he is a past Patron, being the first to hold that office in the chapter.
In political matters, the Republican party has always had his support and he has served his party in various office. He has been the clerk of Hartford township, justice of the peace, and supervisor for one year. While supervisor, he was appointed by the legislature assistant sergeant at arms and served during the term in 1889 and in 1893 was again elected to the same office. This same year he was appointed custodian of the Military Museum at Lansing and held that position until 1897, when he was made postmaster of the senate. He concluded his services at the capital by serving two years on the police force at the state house.
Conscientious in all he does, a kind neighbor, and a citizen of unimpeachable integrity, Mr. Spaulding has the universal respect of the community where he has lived so long. He has borne his part in peace and war and has acquitted himself in both with steadfastness and valiant courage.
James Canning is one of the well-known and representative farmers of Decatur township, Van Buren county, where he has lived for upwards of half a century. Since he first engaged in agricultural pursuits the status of the farmer has undergone a radical change. A farm and a mortgage used at one time to be synonymous terms, but a man burdened with debt is not apt to be beautiful either in looks or disposition. Now all has been changed and "back to the farm" means a return to efficiency, health and life; we reach the farm by going forward, not by going backward. The business of the farmer who produces food must be regarded as a fine art, not to be left to the whipped-out and the discouraged, as in former times. Much of this changed condition has come about within the recollection of Mr. Canning, and it is due to the work and example of such as he that ideas on this subject have so completely changed.
Ireland is the country which Mr. Canning proudly claims as his birthplace, his nativity having occurred in County Antrim, in 1833, but he is of Scotch ancestry. The first twenty-four years of his life were passed in the Emerald Isle, where he learned farming, according to the methods which have been practiced by the Irish from time immemorial. Mr. Canning, however, was progressive in his ideas, and determined to leave the land which is bound by custom to remain in the rut formed by primitive methods, and he took passage in a sailing vessel bound for New York, in which city he landed in 1857. He remained in the east for the ensuing nine years, during which time he succeeded in earning money, and as his wants were simple he was enabled to save a large proportion of his wages. In 1866 he came to Michigan, bought eighty-two acres of land in Decatur township, in section 7, and here he has remained ever since, engaged in general farming and in stock raising.
The year 1857 was doubly memorable to Mr. Canning, as he then came to America, as above mentioned, and he was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Richard on the 2nd day of July. Mrs. Cannning is a daughter of Alexander and Jane (Reed) Richard, of County Antrim. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Canning: Robert, living in Idaho; Alexander, also a resident ofIdaho; Jane, wife of Ed Kernes, of Van Buren county; Mary, married to Milo Youels, of Van Buren county; James, who makes his home in Indiana; and William, who lives on the old homestead.
Mr. Canning is a Republican in his political sympathies, stanch in his allegiance to the party to which he has always given his support since he first became an American citizen. In religious connection he is a Presbyterian, a devout member of the church in Decatur. During the years of his residence in this neighborhood Mr. Canning has made many friends, and his uprightness of character and his kindly personality have won him the respect and esteem of all who come within the sphere of his sympathetic nature and his genial kindliness.
John Barker. - The late John Barker, who was for many years engaged in agricultural pursuits in Porter township, showed so much ability in handling his own affairs that during a long period he was elected to positions of honor, where he displayed marked fidelity to his trust in taking care of the affairs of his fellow townsmen. Possessing the full confidence of his community, he worked always for the public welfare and the influence of his life will be felt long after his name has been forgotten. Mr. Barker was born in Yorkshire, England, April 15, 1817, and was a son of Jeremiah and Mary (Bentley) Barker.
The parents of Mr. Barker immigrated to the United States some time after their marriage, and first settled in New York, from whence they made their way to Michigan during the early days of this state and settled in Porter township, where they spent the remainder of their lives, the father dying in 1849 and the mother in 1862. They had a family of ten children, as follows: Thomas, John and Ann, deceased; Mary, who married Robert Gould of Ceresco, Michigan, and she died aged ninety years; Elizabeth, Susan, George and Joseph and Josiah, the latter twins, all deceased; and Ezra, deceased.
When his father's estate was divided John Barker inherited eighty acres of the old homestead, and this land he was engaged in cultivating throughout the remainder of his life. He was a good farmer, a public spirited citizen and an honest official, and he possessed in the fullest extent the esteem and confidence of his fellow citizens. An ardent Republican in politics, he was always a hard worker in the ranks of his party, and was considered one of the most influential men of his organization in this part of Van Buren county. For many years he served in positions within the gift of the people of Porter township, including the offices of township clerk and township supervisor. He died firm in the faith of the Baptist church. Mr. Barker was married to Mrs. Grace (Hayne) Marshall, widow of John Marshall, and they had a family of five children, as follows: George, who died in infancy; Ella J. , who is now the owner one hundred and fourteen acres in section 9, Porter township, which she cultivates as a general stock and fruit farm; Mary, who married George Hathaway, one of Porter township's leading agriculturists; Irwin M. , also engaged in farming in this township; and Joseph H. , who is deceased. The Barker family is one of the best known in Porter township, and its representatives have been prominent in almost every line of endeavor.
Irwin M. Barker. - When the visitor to a farming property sees neatly arranged buildings, well-built fences, graded land, sleek cattle and carefully cleaned machinery and implements, he is not apt to be far wrong in the surmise that he is looking at the land of a successful farmer, for the agriculturist who is thus conscientious in his work cannot fail to achieve success, especially it he be the owner of such fertile land as to be found in Van Buren county. Such a general air of prosperity is to be found pervading the homestead of Irwin M. Barker, farmer and stockman of Porter township, who has lived on his present property all of his life. Mr. Barker was born in Porter township, March 19, 1862, a son of John and Grace (Hayne) (Marshall) Barker, members of one of Van Buren county's old families.
Jeremiah and Mary (Bentley) Barker, the grandparents of Irwin M. Barker, immigrated to the United States from England, settling first in New York, and then going to Michigan as pioneers and settling in Porter township, where Jeremiah Barker spent the rest of his life in farming and died in 1849, his widow surviving him until 1862. They had ten children, as follows: Thomas, John, Ann, Mary, Elizabeth, Susan, George, Joseph and Josiah, twins, and Ezra. John Barker was born in Yorkshire, England, April 15, 1817, and accompanied his parents to the United States as a lad. He had always lived at home, and when his father's estate was divided he came into possession of eighty acres of the homestead in Porter township, where he became a leading and influential farmer and served in various township offices. He married Mrs. Grace (Hayne) Marshall, widow of John Marshall, and they had five children, as follows: George, who died in infancy; Ella J. , the owner of a general stock and fruit farm; Mary, the wife of George Hathaway; Irwin M. , of this review; and Joe H. , deceased.
Irwin M. Barker was born on the homestead farm and grew to manhood there, attending the district schools of that vicinity. At the time of his father's death he inherited a part of the property and bought more land until he now owns a tract of eighty acres, all under a high state of cultivation. He is a skilled farmer, and in addition to farming along general lines he specializes in grapes. His success is well merited, as it has been gained through industrious, persevering labor and energy that has overcome all obstacles. He has many friends in this part of the county.
Mr. Barker was married December 23, 1891, to Miss Franc C. Burlington, daughter of James and Mary (Rich) Burlington. Mrs. Baker's parents had nine children: Franc C. , who married Mr. Barker; James, of Porter township; Grace, the wife of Charles Mohney, of Porter township; Guy, who is engaged in farming in Porter township; Nellie, who married Claude Miller, of Marcellus, Michigan; Floy and Roy, residents of Marcellus; Jay, of Decatur, Michigan; and George, residing in Porter township. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Barker, namely: Marshal J. , born November 20, 1893, and died November 1, 1908; and Joe Whitney, born December 1, 1895, and died December 7, 1910. Mr. Barker is a Republican, a member of the Maccabees and a Methodist, and he is active in the work of his party, popular in fraternal circles and a consistent attendant of his church.
George Hathaway. - Presenting as it does a worthy example to the rising generation, the life of this gentleman, which from early boyhood has been one of assiduous industry, untiring energy and unquestioned integrity, is well deserving of being sketched, however briefly, in the pages of this volume. George Hathaway was born on the farm which he is now operating, in section 16, Porter township, Van Buren county, December 13, 1860, being a son of Anson and Experience (Reynolds) Hathaway, the former a native of Massachusetts and the latter of Ohio. The family was founded here when Michigan was still a territory, by Mr. Hathaway's grandfather, who settled in Kalamazoo county and took up wild land where he lived for a time then went to Antwerp township, Van Buren county, where he died two years later. Anson Hathaway, son of the pioneer and father of George, was brought up to the life of a farmer, and as a young man located at Porter township on eighty acres of land which as yet had not known the touch of the axe or plow. He built a small house and started in to clear the property, but having only a limited supply of farming implements and no improved machinery, the work cultivating and improving progressed slowly. he persevered, however, keeping ever before him the prospect of one day owning a comfortable property which he could call his own. With constant care and industry his land finally was converted into a smiling, productive farm, and the original little buildings were supplanted by modern structures of the best workmanship. Here his wife died July 31, 1879, and he followed her to the grave March 4, 1889. They were the parents of five children: Mary Adell, who died August 15, 1908; Ella, the wife of Charles Wiles of Oxford, Kansas; Frances, the widow of William Hoyt of Lawton; George; and Ida, who died May 17, 1900.
George Hathaway received his education in the district schools of Porter township and the high school at Lawton, from which he was graduated in 1883, for one year after which he was engaged in teaching school. During the next two years he attended Parsons Business College, but eventually returned to the home farm, which he has conducted ever since. Farming and stock raising have occupied his attention, and his energy, economical habits and physical strength have been factors in his success, but his business sagacity and good judgment have also proved on no small value. Honest and trustworthy, he has always enjoyed the confidence of all who have had dealings with him in any way. Politically he is a Democrat, and has always been stanch in supporting the principles of his party, but he has never aspired to political honors himself, his own extensive interests demanding the greater share of his time. In religious connection he and his wife are members of the Methodist church and support it liberally.
On August 14, 1902, Mr. Hathaway was married to Miss Mary Barker, daughter of John and Grace (Hayne) Barker (a sketch of Mr. Barker appears on another page of this work). Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Barker: Ella, who lives in Porter township; Mary, wife of Mr. Hathaway; Irwin, residing on the old homestead in Porter township; and Joseph, who died February 28, 1889.
Jacob D. Houseknecht. - The substantial and prosperous citizens of Bloomingdale township have no more worthy representative than Jacob D. Houseknecht, who stands high among the industrious, progressive, and business like farmers who are so ably conducting the extensive agricultural interests of Van Buren county. A son of John Houseknecht, Jr. , he was born in Penn township, Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, March 26, 1842.
His grandfather, John Houseknecht, Sr. , was born either in Germany or in Pennsylvania of German parentage. Early in life he moved to Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, from his former home, which was near Reading, locating in Penn township when nearly all the land in that vicinity was owned by the government, and was covered with a heavy growth of native timber. Purchasing seven hundred acres of land, he began the pioneer task of hewing a farm from the wilderness. After putting up the customary log house he built a bank barn eighty-four feet long and forty-five feet wide, putting heavy bars across the windows to keep out the bears and other wild animals, which were plentiful, and oft times very destructive to crops and stock. With the assistance of his stalwart sons, he cleared and improved a valuable homestead, on which he and his good wife spent their remaining years. He married Elizabeth Smith, and they reared ten children, as follows: Betsey, John, Jacob, Benjamin, Daniel, George, Christopher, Katie, Hannah and Polly. All of the children married, reared families, and many of their descendants still live in Penn township.
John Houseknecht, Jr. , was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, but was reared and educated in Lycoming county, where his parents settled when he was a child. Choosing for his life work the independent occupation of his ancestors, he succeeded to the ownership of the parental acres, and was successfully engaged in farming in Penn township until his death, which occurred in the fifty-sixth year of his age. He was twice married, by his first wife whose maiden name was Christie Ann Hill, having five children, namely: Julia Ann, George, Charles, Ellis and Frank. He married second Mrs. Sally Ann (Fox) Houseknecht, who was born in Pennsylvania, of English ancestry, and was the widow of Christopher Houseknecht, by whom she had four children, Charles, Philip, John and Elizabeth. By this second marriage John Houseknecht, Jr. , became the father of seven children, namely: Christopher, Sarah, Jacob D. , Albert L. , Reuben, Frederick and Hiram S. The mother lived to the venerable age of four score and four years.
At the age of fifteen years, being left fatherless, Jacob D. Houseknecht went to Genesee county, New York, and for two years there lived with his half-brother, in Alabama township. Enlisting then in the Nineteenth New York Battery, he went South, and, was with the Army of the Potomac, to which his company was assigned, participated in many of the more important engagements in and around Richmond and Petersburg. At the battle of Spottsylvania Court House his battery was charged by two brigades, and the greater number of its members were either killed or wounded. At the close of the conflict, Mr. Houseknecht was honorable discharged from the service, and returned to New York state, where, at Indian Falls, he was engaged in farming for a number of years. Migrating to Van Buren county, Michigan, in 1882, he purchased a tract of timbered land in Bloomingdale township, one and one half miles west of Gobleville, and immediately began felling the huge progeny of the forest, preparatory to placing the ground under cultivation. Laboring with a will, he has succeeded well in his undertakings, and has now a finely improved and highly productive farm of one hundred and forty-two acres, with good buildings, and well stocked.
Mr. Houseknecht married, in 1878, Elizabeth Nighthart, who was born at Honeoye Falls, New York. Her father, Anson Nighthart, was born in Germany, where his parents were life-long residents. With two of his sisters he immigrated to the United States, locating first as a farmer at Honeoye Falls, New York, but afterwards buying land at Indian Falls, in the same state, where he continued as a farmer until his death, at the age of seventy-four years. The maiden name of Anson Nighthart's wife was Susan Sliker. She was born in Germany, and as a girl came with her parents to Indian Falls, New York, where her father bought land, and was thereafter a resident until his death. She died on the home farm at the age of sixty-four years, leaving seven children, namely: Elizabeth, now Mrs. Houseknecht; Kate; Enos; Annie; Susan; and Martha, all of whom were reared in the German Lutheran faith. Mr. and Mrs. Houseknecht have one son, George Houseknecht, who is associated with his father in farming. Mr. Houseknecht is an active member of A. Calvin Post, No. 59, Grand Army of the Republic.
Dr. Marshall J. Harvey. - That field of usefulness in which Dr. Marshall J. Harvey has played an active and satisfactory part in Waverly for many years is that of a veterinary surgeon, and in this capacity, so necessary to an agriculturist community, he has proved conscientious and enlightened. That which may be said of so many Van Buren county's best citizens may be said of him--he is a native of the state of New York, his birth having occurred in Genesee county, November 23, 1839. He is the son of Norman and Louise (Wright) Harvey, both of whom were born in the Empire state and the latter in Byron, Genesee county. The father came to Michigan at a much later date than his son, his arrival within its boundaries being in 1887. He made his home with Mr. Harvey until summoned to a better land. The mother died in 1844. They were the parents of three children. Reuben P. was a member of Company H, of the Eighth New York Regiment and in 1864 gave up his life for the salvation of he Union on the battlefield of Lookout Mountain. Louise, wife of Wilson Martin, lived in New York until her death.
Marshall J. Harvey was reared upon a farm in Genesee county and received his education in the district school. At the age of twenty-two years he left the home of Dr. Peter Crowell who had reared him and began life for himself. Esteeming the acquisition of a loyal and helpful wife the first element towards a successful career, he was united in marriage to Mary E. Root, on August 25, 1861. Mrs. Harvey was born in Hamlin, Monroe county, New York, February 8, 1842, and received her education in the district schools. On November 1, 1866, a little over five years after their marriage, Dr. and Mrs. Harvey severed old associations in the Empire state and came to Van Buren county, Michigan, where they engaged in farming shortly after they went back to the old home, but remained in New York only two years, and subsequent to that came back to Michigan where they have ever since remained. With his uncle, Dr. Peter Crowell, Dr. Harvey made a study of veterinary science and ever since finishing his preparation he has engaged in its practice. He resides in Waverly township, section 1, southwest quarter of northwest quarter.
In his children, Dr. Harvey has given a number of good citizens to the community. The union of himself and his wife was blessed by the birth of five sons and one daughter and four sons survive. Charles, who married Rosa Beardsley of Waverly township, makes his home at Waverly; Frank, took as his wife Hattie Weatherwax, and resides at Waverly; Ray, is unmarried, living with and being associated in business with his father; and Martin, who married Dessie Herrington, is also located at Waverly. The daughter, Hattie, became the wife of Bert Cleveland, and an admirable life was ended in untimely fashion by death. Dr. Harvey and his wife have several grandchildren to perpetuate the good name and high principles of the head of the house.
In the matter of politics Dr. Harvey is a Democrat, but he has never taken an active part in public life, other than to give to all public-spirited measures his interests support. He and his wife enjoy high standing among the good citizens of Van Buren county and are well entitled to a place in this record of its representative men and women.
Goodwin S. Tolles, general farmer and stock-raiser, residing in the vicinity of South Haven, supervisor and justice of the peace of Geneva township, is one of the well-known citizens of Van Buren county, Michigan. He was at one time engaged in the lumber business, but has found a more congenial occupation in the great basic industry of agriculture. Mr. Tolles was born in Burton township, Geauga county, Ohio, on February 6, 1858, the son of Goodwin S. and Clarinda (Tracy) Tolles, both natives of the Buckeye state. The family removed to this state in 1865, just following the termination of the conflict between the states, and located in Geneva township. The father owned at one time three hundred and twenty acres of land, during the most of his active career was in possession of a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He eventually sold his holdings and at his death was living a retired life, enjoying in ease and quietness the fruits of his former industry and thrift. He passed to the Great Beyond in the year 1895 and his wife's death occurred in 1909. To their union were born four children, namely: Mary, deceased; Goodwin S. ; one who died in infancy; and James, who resides in Geneva township.
Until the age of twenty-one years Goodwin S. Tolles, the subject, devoted his energies to securing an education and to assisting his father in the work of the farm. Upon the attainment of his majority he embarked in the lumber business and was identified with the lumber camp in Bangor township for four years. Subsequent to this he purchased eighty acres of land in Geneva township and removed to this well-situated farm where he has ever since maintained his home and which is the scene of successful and intelligent operations in the line of general farming and stock-raising.
On August 9, 1883, Mr. Tolles laid the foundations of a congenial life companionship by his marriage to Miss Clara Warner, daughter of A. and Olive Warner, both natives of the state which has given to Van Buren county a large proportion of its stanchest and finest citizenship,- New York. Mrs. Tolles is one of a family of six children, the other of the original household having been as follows: Husam, a citizen of South Haven; Frank, who makes his home in Geneva township; Lucy, who is the wife of John Meyers, of Kibbie, Michigan; Lilly, who is the wife of W. V. Chaddock, of Geneva township; and Emma, who married Claude Lockwood, of Geneva township. Into the home of Mr. and Mrs. Tolles was born one son, Shirley E. , who is associated with his father in his farming operations. On July 1, 1907, the younger Mr. Tolles married Myrtle Wilkins, daughter of George and Mary Wilkins and they have a small son and daughter- Mary Morie, born August 20, 1908; and Ralph Goodwin, born April 11, 1910.
Mr. Tolles takes a helpful and public-spirited interest in all the affairs of the community and can ever be depended upon to give his support to all such measures as are likely to be of general benefit. He is affiliated with the ancient and august Masonic order and also with the Maccabees. His religious conviction is that of the United Brethren church. Mr. and Mrs. Tolles maintain a pleasant and hospitable home, their address being South Haven, R. R. No. 5. Mr. Tolles has since his earliest voting days given his wholehearted allegiance to the policies and principles of the Republican party and he has several times been entrusted with public office. He is at the present time supervisor and in times past has given valuable service as township clerk and highway commissioner.
Daniel W. Allen, a representative man of Waverly township, is a dairy-farmer, whose well-situated, well kept estate is in section 3, of this township. One must go far to find a better citizen, one more liberal and broad-minded, altruistic by nature and generous and public-spirited in his attitude towards the affairs of the community. He is the friend of good government, the champion of the best education possible and it truly typical of the citizens who have made Waverly township one of the favored portions of earth. The Allen family is of Welsh origin and the American founder of this particular branch was among the earliest colonial immigrants, coming sometime in the sixteenth century.
In the state of New York, Daniel W. Allen first opened his eyes to the light of day in Providence, Saratoga county, May 7, 1845. He is the son of Job and Hannah M. (Odell) Allen, while his paternal grandparents were Daniel and Susannah (Almey) Allen. Daniel Allen was born in Washington county, New York, and was a blacksmith by occupation; his death occurred in Providence, New York. The father, Job Allen, was a manufacturer of chairs; he was married in New York and came to Michigan about the year 1865, locating in Kalamazoo county, where he rented a farm and remained for four years. He then removed to Van Buren county, where he purchased forty acres of land, on which his son, Joseph C. Allen now resides. On the homestead mentioned he passed on to the life eternal in 1886, his beloved wife and life companion surviving until September 1895. They were the parents of seven children (six of whom were living in 1911), namely: Daniel W. ; Joseph C. ; Susan, who died at the age of sixteen years; William C. , of New Haven, Connecticut; Alberta L. , wife of J. L. McKnight; Lydia, wife of George Scott, of South Haven, Michigan; and Job S. , of Waverly township.
Daniel W. Allen came with his parents to Kalamazoo county, Michigan, at a time when he was learning his trade, which was that of a carpenter. Shortly thereafter he returned to his native state and there completed his apprenticeship. He remained there until 1877 and then returned to Van Buren county. In the meantime the married, the young woman to become his wife being Katie Hughes, of Saratoga county, New York, who was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and was left an orphan at the age of three years. She remained in the city of her birth until about eleven years of age, then lived with Mr. and Mrs. Geer until her marriage. She has proved an ideal wife and mother, possessing grit, energy, capability and cleverness in marked degree and she is respected most by those who know her best. She is devoted to her children in whom she has ever placed implicit confidence. It might be said in this instance, slightly to paraphrase the words of the poet.
"Happy
they
With such a mother! faith in womankind
Beats with their blood,
and trust in all things high
Comes easy to them."
Mrs. Allen's father was of Scotch descent. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Allen has been blessed by the birth of two daughters, Mina M. , who is now the wife of Rev. D. G. Wakeman, and resides in Worthington, Indiana. They have four children; the second daughter, is the wife of Dr. Hugh Smith, of Gobleville, Michigan, and they have two children.
Mr. and Mrs. Allen are not members of any particular church, but they attend the churches and support them and are essentially moral people. In politics Mr. Allen is in harmony with the tenets of the Democratic party. He has given the most enlightened service as a member of the Bangor school board and his work while connected therewith was greatly appreciated. He is a stanch friend of the cause of securing the best education possible. He is a great reader and keeps abreast of the issues of the day. He and his wife are rightly known as friendly, courteous and hospitable people.
Floyd Harris. - Although he has been actively and successfully engaged in farming almost ever since the dawn of his manhood, and has gone at the work and conducted his operations as if he never had any other purpose in life, Floyd Harris of Porter township, this county, did not begin his efforts for advancement in a worldly way in this department of useful endeavor, or seek his education as if he had only it in view. But the pulse of life is so rapid and the currents are so various in American enterprise that no man's destiny, and scarcely one's vocation can be predicted for any length of times with any degree of certainty in this country. This condition, to the man usually enters upon the stage of action prepared for usefulness in almost any possible contingency.
Mr. Harris was born in Porter township, Van Buren county, Michigan, on February 27, 1884, and is a son of Lafayette and Cora B. , (Glover) Harris, the former born in Mattawan on March 26, 1856, and the latter born in Lawton, July 14, 1866. The father was a son of Leonard M. and Esther (Munger) Harris, and the first born son of their three children, the other two being William Henry, who lives in Kalamazoo, and Flora L. , whose life ended some years ago. Lafayette Harris passed the whole of his life to this time (1911) on a farm, and is still engaged in tilling the soil with energy, skill and progressiveness, and prospering in the occupation. He owns one hundred and sixty acres of land in Van Buren county.
The mother is a daughter of Jonathan and Lovina (Fifield) Glover. Mr. Glover was born in Canada and Mrs. Glover in Pierpoint, St. Lawrence county, New York. Mr. Glover served in an Indiana Regiment in the Civil war. He came to Michigan, 1866, and engaged in farming in Porter township and spent his last years here. Mrs. Glover still resides in this county. Mr. Harris' parents were residents of this county until 1908, and in all respects so passed their years among these people so to win their cordial and lasting regard for their fidelity to their family, their wisdom and care in rearing their children, and their serviceable interest in the community around them. Mr. and Mrs. Harris became the parents of three children: Their son Floyd; their daughter Ethel May, who married with William Ferre and now has her home in California; and their other son, Mack, who is deceased.
Floyd Harris began his academic education in the district school in the vicinity of his father's home and completed it at the Coloma (Michigan) State Normal School. After leaving the Normal school he pursued a course of special training at a business college in Kalamazoo. He then taught school for two years and a half, but at the end of that time felt such a yearning for the farm that he returned to it. Since then he has made farming his principle occupation, but has done something in the way of raising live stock for market in addition. He has always given attention to the public affairs of his township in the way that every citizen should and every good citizen does, by zealous support of whatever is best for the locality and the people who live in it, and by aiding in the development of its resources and the quickening of its progress and improvement.
On May 10, 1905, Mr. Harris was united in marriage with Miss Isabelle Copenhaver, a daughter of Samuel and Mary (Kline) Copenhaver, and the fourth born of their seven children, only one of whom, Charles, has died. Those who are living, besides Mrs. Harris, are: Jennie May, the wife of Oliver Everhart of St. Joseph county, Michigan; Emma Eugenia, the wife of Lewis Jones of Battle Creek, Michigan; Carrie, the wife of Luther Thomas of Schoolcraft, Michigan; and Merle and Earl, twins, both of whom are living in Porter township, this county.
Mr. Harris is a Republican in his political faith and gives strong allegiance to his party because he believes firmly in its principles and theories of government. In fraternal relations he is a member of the Order of Gleaners, and in church connection a Methodist. He and his wife have two children: Zorma E. , who was born on April 28, 1906; and Maxine L. , whose life began on April 26, 1910. The parents are esteemed throughout the township and in other parts of the county for their genuine worth, their upright lives and the helpful interest they show in everything that contributes to the enduring welfare of the locality in which they live and the people by whom they are surrounded.
Charles Kietzer. - If the secret of the success of the German-American farmer is sought it will be found in the qualities of his character. He is primarily a home-maker and he has besides a real liking for work. His native land is not large enough to permit of waste and so he trained to make the most of all that comes to his hand. When he brings his capacity for taking pains-which Carlyle declared to be the definition of genius-to the pursuit of farming he makes a signal success of that industry, upon which all our economic life depends and so becomes a potent factor in our industrial prosperity. Van Buren county is fortunate in having a number of such farmers, among whom Charles Kietzer holds a high place.
The family to which he belonged are natives of Prussia. He is one of four sons born to Michael and Minnie (Dahms) Kietzer. In 1881, the family decided to come to America to take advantage of the greater opportunities here and accordingly sailed from Bremerhaven and landed at Baltimore after a voyage of three weeks. They came directly to Berrien county, Michigan, and rented a home, supported themselves by working by the day. In time, the father purchased eight acres of land and there he lived until his death. He was a Republican and a member of the Lutheran church in his native land. When he came to America, he joined the German Evangelical body of the Christian church. He died at the age of 77, but his faithful wife is still living. All four of the sons, Michael, John, Charles and Frederick are farmers and residents of the state of Michigan. Frederick and Michael live at Bainbridge, John at Watervliet and Charles in Keeler township. All are married.
Charles is next to the youngest of the family and was born April 1, 1863. He was therefore, seventeen when he came with his family to America. He first went to La Fayette, Indiana, where he worked for an Englishman. He remained in La Fayette for a year and a half and did any work by which he could earn an honest living. He came to Berrien county in 1883 and thence to Van Buren county where he has sinceresided. At first here, he supported himself by working for wages; then he became a renter and so gradually climbed the latter of fortune.
On October 3, 1894, he wedded Miss Clara Rokenbauch. They became the parents of three sons and two daughters of whom three are living. Eva K. , and Dean G. are bright pupils of the seventh grade and Eva will study music. Maurice Elden, the youngest, is in the third grade. Mrs. Kietzer was born in Van Buren county in a log house which stood on the farm where she now lives. The date of her birth was May 21, 1863. There were four children in the Rokenbauch household and Mrs. Kietzer is the youngest. Only two are now living, the other surviving member being Louise, the wife of Willard Mays, residing in Bainbridge. Mrs. May has four children. Father Rokenbauch was born in Wurtemburg, Germany and came to America when a young man. He made the trip in a sailing vessel which lost its course and wandered north almost to the coast of Labrador, and so took fourteen weeks to reach New York. The young immigrant worked as a laborer in New York state and then came to Van Buren county. The country was mostly improved when Mr. Rokenbauch came to Michigan and the first tract of forty acres which he purchased was all woods. It is on this place that Mr. Kietzer now resides. The log cabin gave place to more comfortable and modern structure and the place was freed from encumbrance. Mrs. Rokenbauch was a native of Prussia and was born June 22, 1820. She died October 3, 1890, eight years before her husband's decease. Both of them were members of the Evangelical church. They are buried in the Keeler cemetery where monuments mark their last resting place.
Mr. and Mrs. Kietzer began their wedded life on a farm of forty acres for which they had gone into debt. They have added to their original place and after purchasing Mrs. Kietzer' sister's share of the estate lived for time in the frame house her father had built to replace the log structure. In 1907 they built their present comfortable and spacious modern dwelling and now it stands on their eighty acres of fruitful land, all free from debt and adapted in every way to be a place where it is a joy to live. Prospect Hill Farm is a home in the truest sense of the term.
Mr. Kietzer has always supported the policies of the Republican party and while in no sense a politician, his interests in the public questions is keen and intelligent. Mrs. Kietzer is a member of the Christian church of Bainbridge. It is impossible to speak too highly of Mr. and Mrs. Kietzer. He is known as one of the truest as well as one of the most eminent citizens of the county and his wife is worthy of sharing all the success which falls to his lot. These are the "timbers our of which to build a republic" and their record deserves a lasting place in the history of the county their industry has advanced.
Henry L. Dobbyn. - To him whose name inaugurates this review, belongs to the distinction of having lived on the same half section in Van Buren county since the age of seven years. He is a Canadian by circumstance of birth, but for many years has been one of the most loyal and helpful of the adopted sons of this township, and has ever given his support to such measures as he has esteemed likely to be of general benefit to the community. Henry F. Dobbyn was born September 9, 1846, and is the son of James and Margaret (Drake) Dobbyn. They were among the early pioneers in this section, having come to Michigan, in April 1854, at which time they took up three hundred and twenty acres of land from the government in section 32. The father who engaged in farming throughout his entire life, died in 1907, his wife preceding him the Great Beyond in 1905. They were the parents of a family of children of typical pioneer proportions, eleven boys and girls coming to bless their household. An enumeration of them is as follow: William, residing in Mancelona, Michigan; Henry L. ; John and Richard, deceased; Jane, wife of George W. Hale, of Mancelona; George, a citizen of Mancelona; Curtis, residing in Hyburn; Mary, deceased; and George and his twin brother whose young lives ended in infancy.
Mr. Dobbyn's homestead, a desirably situated tract, consists of eighty acres and it is the scene of successful operations in the field of general farming. He makes a specialty of the raising of grain and fruit, and has done his share toward the achievement of the agricultural prosperity of Van Buren county, which more than any other factor gives it its prestige.
On April 21, 1868, Mr. Dobbyn laid the most important stone in the foundation of his success by his marriage to Martha Johnson, the daughter of Newton Johnson, deceased, both of whom are natives of the state of New York. Her family came to Michigan at an early day and Mrs. Dobbyn was engaged in teaching school in this district when she married. Their happy marriage has resulted in a family of four children, as follows: Ida B. , wife of Elsworth Chorpenning, of Coloma; Alvin, an employee of the offices of the Michigan Central Railroad and located in Chicago; Minne, wife of E. Rockwell, of Coloma; and Daniel, of Covert township.
Mr. Dobbyn is a stalwart supporter of the cause of the Republican party. There is nothing of public import in his township in which he is not helpfully interested and no local movement which in his judgment promises to benefit any considerable number of his fellow citizens that does not have his cordial advocacy and support. He has held several township offices very creditably. He enjoys that highest honor of being a true and useful citizen, of the type whose record is essential to the completeness of this history of Van Buren coutny, Michigan.
Charles W. Havens. - The father and grandfather of Charles W. Havens, both of whom were christened William, were natives of Stueben county, New York. The grandfather was one of the early settlers of Keeler township where he had a small farm upon which he and his wife lived to the end of their lives. William Havens grew to manhood in the county in which he was born and was married to Jane Lewis. There was one other child of their union besides Charles, of this review, Olive, who became the wife of Martin Olds. The father came to Michigan after his marriage and settled in Keeler township, Van Buren county, where he lived until 1874 when he moved to Hartford, remaining there until his death on September 24, 1892.
Charles was born on the 29th of November 1867, in Keeler township, and lived there until he was six years old. His life was that of a farmer's son of that time, to work on his father's place and to attending the district school. After the age of seventeen he gave all his time to farming. He now owns sixty acres and has an interest in an additional ninety. Besides general farming, Mr. Havens is engaged in quite extensively in growing fruitand in both lines of agriculture is successful.
On September 28, 1898, Mr. Havens was married to Miss Pearl Humphrey who was born in Girard, Illinois, in 1875. Her father, B. F. Humphrey, had graduated from the theological course of a well known Baptist school and was a minister of that denomination. Mrs. Havens was one of a family of six children and two others are still living. F. D. Humphrey is a physician in Henrick, Oklahoma, and May is the wife of Elmer Benedict. Mrs. Havens was educated in the high school of Mishawaka, Indiana, and later her family came to Hartford township to live. It was here that she met Mr. Havens and became the mistress of his home and the mother of their three sons. The boys are aged twelve, eleven and nine years respectively. The eldest is William B. Havens; William being a name which has been a favorite in the family for generations. The two younger children are called Russell and Gerald. All of them are in school and are among the best students in their class.
Mrs. Havens is a member of the church in which her father spent so many years of faithful service for the salvation of souls, her membership being in the church at Hartford. She also belongs to the Fraternal Brotherhood in which she carries two thousand dollars insurance. Mr. Havens is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America, and carries one thousand dollars insurance.
For twelve years Mr. Havens has been treasurer of the school district and he has the welfare of the educational activities of the district always at heart. In politics, he is aligned with the Democrats. Personally he is a man of pleasant address and sociable in disposition. Both he and his wife are widely acquainted in the county and count a host of friends here.
Frank J. Tedrow.- Well versed in the art and science of agriculture, Frank J. Tedrow ranks high among the progressive and successful farmers of Bloomingdale township, his well-kept farm, on section 29, and everything about his premises, bespeaking the thrift and good management of the proprietor. A native of this township, he was born April 7, 1865, a son of the late Aaron K. Tedrow.
Born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, in December 1827, Aaron K. Tedrow was left motherless when a child, and at an early age became self-supporting. He was blessed with a rugged constitution, a cheerful heart and willing hands, and thus equipped began as soon as old enough to learn the stone mason's trade, which he followed for a number of years. In 1856, desirous of investing his earnings in cheap land, be came to Bloomingdale township, Van Buren county, Michigan, and bought eighty acres of land, which included the east half of the northeast quarter of section 29. This entire section and the surrounding country was at that time heavily wooded, and the few settlers lived in log cabins, subsisting the first few years of their residence in this locality largely on the wild game to be found in the forests. Building a typical log house, he began the improvement of the land, and was here engaged in farming until his death, in 1876, at the age of forty-nine years. He had in the meantime acquired considerable wealth, being the owner of four hundred and forty acres of rich land, much of which was under a good state of cultivation. His wife, whose maiden name was Catherine Kooser, was born in Pennsylvania, and died in Bloomingdale township, in 1906, leaving six children.
After completing his early education in the district schools, Frank J. Tedrow took a course of study at Parson's Commercial College, in Kalamazoo. Familiar with the various branches of agriculture from his youth up, he then decided to continue in the occupation to which he was bred, and in 1899 settled in section 29, on the place which he now owns and occupies. Energetic and enterprising, Mr. Tedrow has placed his rich and fertile land under a good state of cultivation, and has erected a tasteful and convenient residence, a good barn, and all the necessary out buildings, and has installed all the machinery required by a first-class modern agriculturist. He carries on general farming with excellent pecuniary results, making a specialty of dairying and poultry raising.
In 1897 Mr. Tedrow was united in marriage with Myrtle M. Baughman, who was born in Bloomingdale township, Van Buren county, a daughter of Edmund and Catherine Baughman. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Tedrow, namely: Gladys and Doris. Fraternally Mr. Tedrow is a member of the Bloomingdale Lodge, No. 161, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and of Bloomingdale Camp, No. 1859, Modern Woodmen of America. He has been treasurer of the school board for the past fifteen years.
George W. Chapman. - Having earned all they have in the way of worldly possessions by hard and continuous labor, and worked their way through difficulties, over obstacles and under privations and hardships that were at times oppressive in both their extent and severity, George W. Chapman, one of the progressive and enterprising farmers and fruit-growers of Lawrence township, and his faithful and industrious wife are entitled to all the pleasures they can get out of their present property, and all the pride they may ever feel over the gratifying success that has crowned their efforts.
Both of these excellent persons are products of the township in which they now live, and they are also fine representatives of its most sterling and reliable citizenship. Mr. Chapman was born in Antwerp township, this county, on May 4, 1848, a son of Clinton and Lydia (Wait) Chapman, natives of New York. Clinton was the son of "Elder Chapman," as the respect of all who knew him and his standing in his community induced the people to call him at times, and he was a native of Allegany county, New York, where he passed the whole of his life and reared his family. The elder died about the time his son Clinton came to Michigan with his young wife, the mother of George W. , to whom he was married in their native state a short time before.
On the arrival of the young couple in this state they located at Litchfield, Hillsdale county, where they remained until 1847, the head of the house working out on farms and in other pursuits to earn a living for his family and secure what the could in the way of advancement in the world. In the year last named they moved to Van Buren county, where they passed the remainder of their lives, the mother's ending in 1864, the father surviving a number of years, and dying at the age of sixty-seven. They were the parents of nine children, of whom their son George W. is the only one now living. His mother's death occurred when he was sixteen years of age, and his father was afterward married to Miss Malinda Logan. By his second marriage the father had two children. Their mother died, and the father contracted a third marriage, which united him with Mrs. Celeste (Hayden) Swift. They had four children, two of whom have departed this life. The two who are living Freedeus and his sister Lilly, who is the wife of James Horton, of Minnesota, where he is profitably engaged in farming.
George W. Chapman has passed the whole of his life in Van Buren county. He was educated in its country schools, assisting his father in the labors of the home farm while attending them. When he reached the age of seventeen, being ambitious to work out his own destiny and make his own way in the world, he left school and hired out to work for others by the month. This he continued five years, living frugally, laboring industriously and saving his earnings for use in starting his own independent career, which he was eager to begin.
On July 30, 1870, being then a little over twenty-two years old, he was united in marriage with Miss Laura J. Braybrooks, a daughter of James and Jane (Simmons) Braybrooks of Lawrence township. After his marriage he worked by the day at whatever he could get to do until the following February, when he located on a farm near Hartford, and this he farmed as a tenant for two years. He then moved to Keeler township, and there he and his wife cultivated a farm which they rented for eight years.
At the end of that period, in 1880, he bought sixty acres of land across the road from where he now lives, and moved on the tract in 1881. But by the fall of 1887 he found something more to his desire, and bought the farm he now lives on and located on it at once. Here he has lived ever since, cultivating his land with enterprise and skill, improving his property with good judgment, and developing all the possibilities of his situation by studying what might be and devoting himself with steady industry to their full realization. He built his present dwelling in 1899.
One of the avenues to prosperity which he opened and has made the most of is his industry in fruit culture. He planted his orchards with intelligence and has cultivated them with care, and they have yielded good returns for his enterprise in starting them and his zeal and prudence in caring for them. While he is not one of the great fruit-growers of the county, he is one of the most successful, and the products of his orchards always bring good prices, for they are choice and prepared for the market with every attention to details in packing and shipping required to bring the best results.
Mr. and Mrs. Chapman have one child, their son H. Hurvey Chapman. He is a graduate of the Lawrence High School, and now usefully engaged in working his way forward in the struggle for advancement among men. On November 10, 1896, he was married to Miss Frances Clark, the daughter of Edward and Ellen (Wallace) Clark, residents of Arlington. Two sons have been born of the union: Keith Clark, who is now thirteen years of age; and George Virgil, who is eight.
Mr. Chapman and his son Hurvey are members of the Masonic order in several of its branches. They belong to Rising Sun Lodge No. 119, at Lawrence, and also to a Royal Arch Chapter and Council of Royal and Select Masters in the fraternity. In addition, they have and their wives all belong to the Masonic auxiliary the Order of the Eastern Star, and the elder Mrs. Chapman holds membership in the fraternity of the Maccabees.
The father is independent in his political action, always casting his vote for the good of the community and the candidates he deems best fitted for the offices they seek. His son trains with the Republican party, and is zealous in its service. The father has filled the office of road commissioner acceptably in Lawrence township, but he has never been desirous of public office. His farm of one hundred and sixty-five acres, which he calls "Maple Ridge Farm," and which is so designated by everybody else, occupies his time and attention, and furnishes him all the drafts on his energies he cares to have. It is the fruit of his own and his wife's hard labor and thrift, and the object of chief concern to them. But they never neglect the duties of citizenship, and are highly esteemed for their fidelity to them.
Henry J. Dodge. - Both as a citizen who has always shown an active interest in all that pertains to the general welfare, and as the proprietor and partner in the Hartford City Mills of Hartford, Michigan, and enterprise that has done much to promote the general welfare of the whole city, Henry J. Dodge has well deserved the general esteem with which he is regarded by all who know him. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 15, 1844, a son of Philander and Thirza (Eastman) Dodge. His father was a native of Oneida county, New York, and his mother was born in West Poultney, Vermont. After their marriage in New York state, his parents went to Milwaukee in 1835, where his father who had first been a farmer, served on the city police force for twenty-two years. For some time he lived in Casco, Allegan county, Michigan and engaged in farming. His death occurred in Milwaukee. He and his wife were the parents of four children, Henry J. , being the only survivor in 1911. Truman and Henry died in infancy and Leander W. , later.
Henry J. Dodge was reared until his fourteenth year in Milwaukee and attended the public schools of that place until he went to Dane county, Wisconsin, to live with his grandfather Eastman on a farm. There he attended the district schools until his seventeenth year when he enlisted in Company "K," 33rd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry on August 4, 1862. His military career lasted for three years, one month and five days. During his service, his regiment many times saw the front, and he was present at the battles of Vicksburg and Nashville, and was in the celebrated Red River Expedition under Banks. After he was mustered out, he returned to Dane county, Wisconsin, and for two years engaged in farming for himself.
On the 26th of January 1866, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Shumway. Two years later Mr. and Mrs. Dodge came to Michigan and in February 1869, located in Allegany county where Mr. Dodge proceeded to farm for twenty-two years, gaining in that time many loyal friends and the respect of the whole county. He then sold out and came to Casco where for four years he was variously engaged before buying a farm in South Haven township, Van Buren county, and in the latter place he served for fifteen years as highway commissioner. In 1910, Mr. Dodge came to Hartford and purchased the Hartford City Mills, and has taken a prominent place among the business interests of the community.
To Mr. and Mrs. Dodge have been born four children. Truman A. is a farmer in Allegan county, Michigan; Warren S. is a contractor and builder in South Haven; Clara E. is now the wife of Isaac McKinzie of South Haven township; while Thirza M. is Mrs. W. A. Keeny of Hartford, her husband being associated with her father in the Hartford City Mills.
Mr. Dodge is a member of the Baptist church and interested in all of its good works. He is also a member and ex-commander of the Jack Chandler Post of the G. A. R. In his political affiliations, he is a stanch Republican, thoroughly convinced that the men and measures of that party are best fitted to manage public affairs.