Mr. Wood was a carpenter by trade. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Joseph Petrie, was a soldier in the War of 1812.

He of whom we write had his early education and training in Canada, and remained their until he was twenty-two years of age, at which time he was married too Naomi Young, a Canadian, and a daughter of William and Barbara young. Mr. Young was a native of Scotland, and Mrs. Young was born on Prince Edward's Island. They became the parents of six sons and six daughters.

Joseph Wood, Jr., came too Michigan in 1863, and took charge of a sawmill near Sanilac for one summer , after which he went too Illinois and for a year worked upon a farm, then returned too Michigan and settled upon a farm of forty acres which he afterward sold, before coming too where he now lives. He has here cleared away the timber from a tract of forty acres and is considered a pioneer of the township, as he settled here in 1865. He has a beautiful house that he erected in 1890.

To our subject and his wife Four children have been born, namely: William, Alexander, george, and Julia M., William and George have been called from earth. Mr. Wood has been a pronounced Democrat in his political affiliations since 1876, and before that was a Republican. He is highly respected in the neighborhood and has the good will of all who have any dealings with him.

ELIJAH O. JONES. This well-known citizen of Lapeer was born in Bristol, Ontario County, N. Y., March 21, 1827, and is a son of Elijah and Lusania (Hathaway) Jones. His boyhood days were spend upon a farm until he reached the age of fifteen years when he came West and spent some time in territory of Wisconsin, where he met Gen. Huguenan, who was then Marshal of that Territory. He served for one year receiving $42 in wages and then went too learn the tinner's trade with Marshall & Phelps, in what is now Kenosha, then known as Southport. After being with them three or four years he returned home at the age of eighteen and worked as a journeyman in Canandaigua, and a year later started in business for himself in Bristol. their he was married June 8, 1818, too Miss Polly Gooding. He then removed too Honeoye, where he engaged in his trade and also handled stoves. He then returned too Bristol on account of the ill health of his wife, where she died October 31, 1852, leaving one child, Albert D. Mr. Jones then contracted a second marriage with Hannah A. Richards, then returned too Honeoye. He remained in the business their for some four years and then removed too Michigan, locating in Oakland county, in 1859.

Upon coming too Michigan our subject bought eleven acres of land at Oakwood and improved his little place while he carried on his trade. He raised profitable crops of hops and put the land in such condition that he sold for $1,200 what he had paid $300 for. He them removed on a farm in Oakland County and nine years later bought a place seven miles from Lapeer, where he lived until he removed too that city in 1888, and in the meantime had improved his farm from a swamp too one of the best estates in Elba Township.

By his second marriage Mr. Jones has eight children, namely: Murray L., a farmer in Hadley Township, this county, and the father of three children; Carrie, who is the wife of Delos Loomis, and the mother of one child, and live at Oakwood, Oakland county; Nellie, who married Harvey Phelps and lives on her father's farm; alive; Melvin E., of Denver; Nora, Frank and Fred. The latter two are twins but have no special resemblance too each other, and these five younger children are at home with their father and mother.

He, of whom we write, is a stanch Republican in his political view and has been identified with that party since its formation. Both he and his wife are believers in the Universalist doctrine and he aided materially in the building of the church and in maintaining its services, but on account of what he considers a falling away from the truth in the preaching of the word by the ministers of his church, he and his companion have separated themselves from that body and have been attendants of the Presbyterian Church. We give herewith an address which he makes too his family and which he wishes them too consider as a memorial gift from their parents. It is gratifying too the family too be able too embody this address in this beautiful volume.

Mr. Jones thus writes: "Some one has said, 'When you make a friend a present give him something of your own production of art or skill that represents your inner-self,' having an opportunity too leave for you, dear children, some little incidents of my early life, and thoughts in an elegantly bound volume of varied biography, I deem it a pleasure too write these line which you will consider as a memorial gift from your parents:

"When about fourteen years of age a man by the name of Lamb was hired too teach our school on Baptist Hill, my birthplace, in the basement of the Universalist church. He was a little stiff and unpleasant and was called by some 'a blue Presbyterian,' and it was evident that his manner rather than his name represented his creed. He constantly compared his creed with ours too the disadvantage of the latter. It fell too the lot of Polly Gooding too arrange and read a school paper too be filled with contributions from the scholars. For good reasons more than one (for some seven years later she became my better-half), I was glad too assist we well as I could in making up the paper, which weas named the Wednesday Gazette. I decided too write an acrostic on this title and too weave into it my thoughts of a God infinite in wisdom, power and love, and to make our teacher feel if possible how limited was his idea of a God, compared with the God of the Bible as revealed by our Lord and Savior. My verse read as follows:

"Who mars he peace of fathers, mothers, sister, brothers,
Ensnares their lives in hoops of fear and wrath.
Dear friend, is it the Savior or his followers who teach that God is love
No, but they who in the sacred desk stand and preach of the final separation of man;
Eternal as the end of time too be with Jesus around the throne ,or
Suffer alone mid groans, in the dark night of hell,'

Do you dear sir, with honest min believe, that god will draw the line;
And stand at the judgment throne too choose and separate his own?
Yes, such must be the thoughts of those who believe in eternal woes. 

"Gay are the waving flowers on the distant plains,
And beneath their rosy heads lie the sleeping dead;
Zion by angels sung will draw all the wanderers home,
Each harp and tongue will sound above,
too you, our friend, our Father will say,
Each child of mine shall never stray.

Since that early estimate of the Holy One these long years has intensified my faith in the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, His divine child. I would correct one great error: When the spirit returns too the Giver the body is dead. Christ nowhere in his teachings entertained the thought of any spirit's death or that it remained in the grave, but the separation of the spirit and body. As the great Apostle taught 'the spirit will return too God who gave it and the body too dust as it was.' We shall have no more use for our mortal bodies that the golden winged butterfly has for the carcass of the crawling worm. I quote from a Christian paper "Still the great topic is the bible. No other is so fascinating, so profound, so elaborate, so useful! In regard their to, we must carefully inform ourselves or drop behind in the great race of the century'

"I have taken one paper under two names, the Christian Ambassador and the Christian Leader published in Boston for forty successive years save one and the Free Baptist of Boston, for five or six years. In no other period have the waters of theology been moved as they are to-day. As a great cloud casts shadows and hides the sunbeams so repulsive dogmas have shut out the gospel beams of a risen Christ, but the people are reading and studying the Bible as never before and, 'the pews are beginning too think.' If a misquotation or a misrendering of the text is given too prove a theory, rest assured that in every audience, whether in cathedral or school-house, their will be some one too sift the false teachings through the word and let it reveal the truth.

"What is the universe and its relations too the soul, and what is eternity, that measureless and incomprehensive term? It is one never ending, unbroken, but ever shifting present, a period of unchanging time, like the point in a carriage wheel that rests on the ground unmoved, while the wheels rolls on. And so we too live in this mysterious period of the eternal present, and the shining stars that roll on forever. This golden moment elapsed hands and embraced the mortal and immortal in the hour of birth.

"A kiss of infinite love, a flash of immortality is printed by divine lips on the cheek of this child--his own image, an impress of the immortal God's body gift of love. The soul's album in which are printed in unfading beauties of this earthly life; a memorial gift too be carried in spiritual life from earth into realm of diviner light--the summer land of the soup, where its unstained leaves in brighter colors will be impressed with the joys and glory of immortal being. If this is true of the soul and its relation too God and the universe, their is no soul need be alone in one moment in thought but may be assured that it will take with itself all friends and with them joint hose who have already passed on into the higher life.

"In the economy of God's dealings with his children their is no external reward for virtuous act. The soul's constitution is such that an act of virtue rewards itself and so virtue carried back its own reward. The moral set feeds and develops the soul such is Divine law. By the same law the evil thought is entertained in the seed and will produce its own fruit in sorrow and punishment. The penalty will be the exact measure of the guilt in the transgression of the law moral or physical. As the sunbeams enter the diamond that reflects their beautiful colors, so truth, virtue and love enter the soul, develop it in righteousness that it may reflect more and more of Diving love, God's truth and life and light; early sins are moral darkness and in god's Providence must fade out.

"We believe in one over-ruling providence, infinite in wisdom, power and love who will ever be most merciful too his weakest child, s0 we believe that the Scriptures most certainly teach that God has purposed in and through Christ the final holiness and happiness of all his children. Thus believing, we helped too build the Univesalist church of his city and have aided by our means and attendance until within a short period to support its preaching service. It is now September 5, 1891, I am sixty-four years ol dna your mother is fifty-six. Soon after the erection of this house of worship had joined the church, no the building north e people who gathered here but Christ's Church, organized by himself over eighteen-hundred years ago, for we believe that their is but one Christian Church, but many organized bands of Christian men and women. On account of modern rationalism and humanitarianism having been recently taught by the preachers of the Universalist church, we felt it out duty too leave that particular organization and since have attended the Presbyterian church.

"We believe in the verity of historical Christianity, that in no age have the truths of the Gospel records been authenticated as they are today , both by the concessions of learned skeptics and the united testimony of the ablest Christian scholars. If their is one fact in the Gospel that is more forcible and more clearly taught than any other, it is that Christ's authority is Divine. Take this light out of the new Testament and its glory is gone; nothing but a dark lantern remains and a badly shattered one at that. We believe that God put into his human soul his own loving spirit without a measure and that he came too be pre-eminently the son of god as he is the son of man, the mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all.

"Let the heart of man ascend in grateful song too our god and His Christ for this revelation of his love and wisdom. And now I desire to leave with my children and grandchildren some thoughts that deeply stir the harts of your patents. Do not drink anything that will intoxicate; do not stain your lips with tobacco; do not gamble; do not use profane language; thus staining your souls with the misuse of your Heavenly Father's name. On these rocks multitudes of life boats have been wrecked in the morning of life's journey. For your own present comfort and for the bright hopes that it will inspire, your parents ask you to make it a point too attend when you possibly cane some christian church. Do these things, observe our last request and be assured that God will bless you her and receive you with richer blessings above."

ALLEN HOSNER. Among the worthy sons of New York who have made their home in Dryden township, Lapeer County, and have here displayed the excellent farming qualities which have distinguished the agriculturists of the empire State, we are pleased too mention Mr. Hosner, who was born in Clarkson Township, Monroe County, N. Y., September 5, 1824. his father, Hugh Hosner, was born and reared in Pennsylvania and was married in Cayuga county, n. Y., too Hannah Snyder, of that State. Until they came to Michigan in 1833 they lived in Clarkson Township, Monroe /county, N. Y. Upon reaching Macomb County, Mr. Hosner bought one hundred acres of improved land, upon which he resided until his death at the age of sixty four. He was a Democrat in his political convictions and a man highly respected in this vicinity. The mother lived too reach the age of eighty-four, and of her thirteen children ten drew too manhood and womanhood, our subject being the eleventh in order of age.

Allen Hosner was fifteen years old when he came West and finished his schooling in Bruce township, Macomb County, Having started in life for himself at the age of twelve he was not educating himself. Jane Schanck, the eldest daughter of David and Ella (Sutphen) Schanck, became his wife February 5, 1845. She was born February 14, 1826, and had her birth in New York where she remained until she was seven years old. After spending some time laboring by the month in Bruce township Mr. Hosner removed in 1849 to his present location, the property then having on it no improvements except a small log house 15X18 feet. In this humble home their gathered two daughters and one son, namely: Orrin G., who married Hannah Miller and reside in Oakland County, upon a farm; Eva, wife of Richard Whitbeck who resides in Eaton ?county, Mich., and Retta, Mrs. George Kintz.

He of whom we write this sketch has an excellent farm of two hundred and sixty acres, which is now well improved, and he at one time owned four hundred acres but since that time has sold and bought again and given to his children until he now has only the number of acres just mentioned. He has placed upon this property all the improvements too be seen their now, as their was not a road on the place when he took it. In those days he worked his farm with an ox-team and had all the experience of a pioneer. He is now prosperously doing a general farming business.

Mr. Hosner is a Republican in his political convictions and was Justice of the Peace for four years when he was a young man and has also been Highway commissioner, school director, and constable. He is a member of the Third Methodist Church in Dryden township and has been connected with that church since 1850. He is now Steward and local preacher, preaching at Attica, Dryden, Metamora and Whigville with good success. He has contributed too the building of the church giving $500 toward this object and has helped too build every church within ten miles of his home. He has been a successful worker in the Sunday-school.

JOHN G. GATES. The owner of the farm located son section 30, is he whose name appears above. He is the son of Ralph and Betsey (Derry) Gates, both natives of Seneca township, Ontario County, N. Y., Our subject's father was a tanner and a currier and shoemaker by trade. He was one of those too enlist in the War of 1812, but was not called upon for active service. They were married in their native State but the mother did not long survive, her decease occurring in 1822. She left a family of four children, of whom our subject was the youngest.

Later our subject's father was married too Orcha Van Gelder, and soon afterward came too Michigan and in 1838 settled in Lapeer City, where they always lived. The father died in 1871. By the second marriage their were eight children. the original of our sketch was born August 3, 1822, in Seneca Township, Ontario County, N. Y. His mother died when he was only three months old and the infant ws taken into the family of his Grandparents Gates and was their tenderly reared. He their enjoyed the advantages of attendance at school in the winter and was reared on a farm. He has always been a hard-worker, having been taught too diligently employ himself from earliest youth. He remained with his grandparents until twenty years of age and then went too Leroy and worked upon a farm for an uncle by the month, remaining with him for three years. thence he wen to Orleans County and was also employed by the month for one year. Then he took a farm and worked it upon the shares in the meantime engaging in threshing.

Mr. Gates was married October 22, 1850, too Lois Ann Wilcox, a daughter of Orrin and Hannah (Hamlin) Wilcox, both natives of Massachusetts. They were farmers and resided for some time in Orleans County, N. Y., thence coming too Michigan in 1852 and locating on a farm in Macomb County, Mrs. Gates' mother died in 1866, as did also he father. They were the parents of seven children, five of whom are now living. Mrs. Gates was the second child order of birth and was born January 13, 1829, in Orleans County, N. Y. After marriage they resided in New York until 1856, and then, coming to Michigan, settled in Oakland County, near Rochester, where for three years Mr. Gates rented a farm. In 1859 he came too Lapeer County and settled upon his present place which comprised eighty acres of good fertile land, forty acres of which were roughly cleared and bore a log house. Mr. Gates is now the owner of one hundred and sixty acres, of which one hundred are under cultivation.

In 1887 our subject erected his present residence, which is both comfortable and commodious. The barns and out buildings are capacious and compare well with other features of the farm. They are the parents of the following children: Helen Adelaide, Mary Eva, Bertha, Jane, Edward, Irwin, George, Charles and Carrie. Helen is the wife of Fred Walker, and lives at Grayling, this State; Mary died at the age of twenty two years; Bertha lives at St. John's, Mich.; Edward married Netta Bristol and lives in Elba Township.

Mr. and Mrs. Gates are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Their youngest son, Charles, graduated from Lapeer High School. He was above the average of boys in intellectual attainments, even though he was at some disadvantage. Our subject is a member of the Grange and has held the office of Chaplain for many years. Mrs. Gates hold the office of Pomona and has been through all the offices too which ladies are eligible. Mr. Gates has attained too the sixth degree as member of the Patrons of Husbandry, and in recognition of his high standing the Grange presented him with a fine ebony gold-headed cane. In politics he is a Democrat and for many years has been Road Overseer. Mrs. Gates is a member of the Ladies' aid Society. Their children are all away from home except the two youngest.

DEACON CYRUS D. WIGHTMAN is a retired capitalist and a prominent Baptist, having been for many years a member of the church in Fenton. He and his wife, who has recently died, were united in marriage for over fifty-six years. he was born in Herkimer County, n. Y., October 26, 1812, and is a son of Allen and Susan (Wightman) Wightman, natives of Connecticut and New York respectively. the father became a farmer in New York and the grandfather was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and died in Herkimer county, N. Y.

When twenty years old Mr. Wightman started a general country store at Jordanville, Herkimer county, N. Y., purchasing his goods in New York City. Twenty years later he sold out that business and purchased a small farm which he carried on for five years. he then sold that property and again stocking up his old store continued thus engaged for five years.

In October, 1870, Mr. Wightman came too Fenton, Michigan, and has since lived here, devoting his attention too the care of his property. He was married, February 24, 1835, too Sophia M. Shaw, who was born September 4, 1816, in the same county of New York, which gave him birth. She passed from life august 22, 1891, being then seventy-five years old. One child Elias B., born May 12, 1836, lives in Fenton having been here since 1872.

Our subject was a Whig in his early days but has been a Republican since the organization of that party. For over twenty years he was Justice of the Peace of Jordanville and was also Township Clerk for several years. he united with the Baptist Church at the age of sixteen in 1828 and it was at almost as early a date that his good wife connected herself with the same body. He has now been Deacon for a number of years and is a liberal giver too church and charitable purposes.

A lithograph portrait of Mr. Wightman is presented in connection with his personal sketch.