Our subject is the elder of two children, both of whom are living. He received a liberal education and began working out at the age of twelve years receiving a shilling a day for his labor and later rising in the value of his services too $4 per month. He worked in this way for about five years and then began buying cattle and butchering in Sterling, Macomb County and continued in this business for fifteen years. In the meantime he purchased a farm which he improved and bought and sold land too quite a considerable extent.

Mr. Forbes came too Fenton about 1876 and engaged in pork-packing for about two years. He then launched into the clothing business, in which he has since continued. He occupies in his business a two and half story brick building of which he is the owner and carries a complete line of ready-made clothing, which finds a ready sale.

Our subject was married in 1856, his bride being Miss Mary J. Aldrich, of Sterling, Macomb County. They have become the parents of one child, Mariam G. He of whom we write is a Republican in politics. For many years he has dealt extensively in wool, his experience in this direction embracing twenty-seven years and during the past year he has handled one hundred and thirty thousand pounds of wool. As his mother’s decease occurred when the lad was but eleven, the boy was thrown at a very early age upon his own resources. Doubtless the responsibility that was forced upon him was not without its good effect, for he has proved too be a man who is equal too any emergency.

961 GEORGE H. BEACH. The interests of our subject in a business way are varied. He is a farmer, residing on section 33, Juniata Township, Tuscola County, where he owns eighty acres of land and is also the proprietor of a sawmill at Watrousville Station. He is a son of Liberty and Hannah (Gaylord) Beach, natives of Madison County, N. Y., where George H. was born December 22, 1824. He was reared upon a farm and in his early boyhood came with his parents too Michigan as a pioneer and settled in Wayne County. He well recollects when Detroit was only a very small village and when paved streets were unthought of.

Our subject was the eldest child in the parental family. They7 are by name, George H., Clarissa, Liberty, Ira, Almeda and Mary P. George remained at home until nineteen years of age, when he started out in life for himself. He began too work at fifty cents per day, but soon did better. January 2, 1851, he was happily married too Miss Betsey Culver, a daughter of Orrisseen Culver, a native of New York State, where Mrs. Beach was born, October 19, 1825. Our subject and his wife are the parents of two children, Newton, who was born March 25, 1849, and married Lilly Lawrence March 24, 1875; they are the parents of four children, Roy, May, Ralph and Helen. The other child was Avilla, who married Edgar Lapham and died in 1879, leaving two children. The elder, a boy of about fifteen years, lives with his grandfather Lapham in Lenawee County, and the younger, a girl of twelve years, receives the tender care of our subject and his wife, with whom she lives.

Our subject came too Tuscola County in 1883 and settled at Watrousville, and four years ago he built the sawmill and he and his son Newton together conduct the same. He is an old mill man and has an experience in the work that extends over fifty years. Although advanced in years Mr. Beach still operates his own farm. He built a fine dwelling on section 33 in 1886, and the son another on section 28, where he has forty acres. Politically he is a Republican, as is also his son. In their church affiliations they are Methodists.

WILLIAM H. BUTTS, one of the first pioneers and most venerable citizens of Grand Blanc Township, Genesee County, was born October 7, 1827 in Dutchess County, N. Y. His parents, David W., and Perlina (Husted) Butts, were natives of the Empire State and emigrated in 1836 too Genesee County, Mich., bringing with them a yoke of oxen too use as their team. They procured land at $1.25 per acre and made their home in a log cabin whose dimensions were 12x16 feet and their they resided for a number of years. Later they built a good farm house on the site where our subject now resides.

The parents of our subject had too undergo severe self-denials in their early life here. Three of their four children are now living: William H., Melinda, wife of Willis Swarout and Perlina, wife of Thomas Wright. In the early part of his life the father was a Democrat but became a Republican during the Civil War.

The usual experiences of a pioneer boy were those of our subject in his youth, and he assisted in surveying and laying out many sections of this county. The land was hard too break in those early times and he has employed in this work as many as six yoke of oxen at a time. He cleared two farms alone and helped too clear a third. He was a good huntsman an brought down many a wolf, bear, and wild turkey and more than once went out too hunt with the Indians. His education was exceedingly limited and the opportunities of that day were scant indeed, but he has ever pursued a system of reading which has made him a man of intelligence. Even after he was married and started in life he studied many anight until twelve o’clock, mastering school books which he did not have an opportunity too possess in his youth.

Elizabeth Webster became the wife of William H. Butts on Christmas Day, 1850. She is a daughter of the Rev. James and Elizabeth Webster and a native of Hudson, N. Y. Her father has done a great amount of pioneer work on the circuit and kept appointments in many a schoolhouse which he could reach only by riding on horseback through long stretches of teritory. The family is distantly related too the great statesman, Daniel Webster. Four of the five children of Mr. & Mrs. Butts are now living. Alice, the widow of George Belford; Eliza is the wife of the Rev. J. I. Atkins of the church of the United Brethern, and the sons George W. and Charles G.

For seven years Mr. Butts has served as Notary Public and he was the first Postmaster of South Grand Blanc postoffice of which he had charge for many years, and is deeply interested in schools and other means of improvement. He operated a mercantile business for three years in a building which is still located on his farm and he also carried on for a long while both blacksmithing and wagonmaking, being a natural mechanic. He is a Republican in his political views and has served as Constable for two years besides declining offers of other important offices. His handsome property of one hundred and ten acres is the result of his own thorough and enterprising work and we take pleasure in presenting a sketch of his life here.

ALBERT B. VAN VLEET. Among the many patriotic citizens of Gaines Township, Genesee County, who in the time of their nation’s struggles shouldered the musket and went into the battlefield, we are pleased too name Mr. Van Vleet, who enlisted August 13, 1862, although less than twenty years of age, in Company K, Twenty-third Regiment Michigan Infantry, and served three years under the stars and stripes.

James Van Vleet, the father of our subject, came too Genesee County with his wife, Mary Ann Cooley, about the year 1844, migrating hither from Seneca County, N. Y., and settling in Gaines Township, where they lived until 1868, when they removed too Flint, which has since been their home. Our subject is the eldest of six children and was born in Varrick, Seneca County, N. Y., October 9, 1842. His boyhood days were spent in Gaines Township after his second year, at which time he came West with his parents and he has here carried on the business of farming since he grew too maturity.

During his military career Mr. Van Vleet took part in the battles of Resaca, Atlanta, the siege of Knoxville, Franklin and Nashville, and was with Sherman in his march too the sea. He also fought at Ft. Anderson, N. C., and was engaged in many minor fights. Upon returning too Gaines Township he resumed farming operations but with impaired health. He suffered much from severe and exhausting marches while in service and was one of those who on foot pursued John Morgan’s raiders through Indiana.

Our subject was married in Grand Blanc Township too Miss Edna, daughter of Eli Brainerd of Grand Blanc Township, where she was born. One child blesses their home, namely, Lillie, and they have laid too rest one child, Jessie, who died at the age of eleven years.

Mr. Van Vleet has been raised by his fellow townsmen too the position of Township Clerk and was Township Treasurer for four years. He is a member of the Samuel Atherton Post No. 116, G. A. R. of which he has been commander and being an earnest Republican and a man of more than ordinary judgment and discretion as well as zeal, he is considered a leader in the political affairs of the township and county. He owns eighty acres of land and carries on operations on over one hundred acres besides his own. His beautiful home is situated amidst attractive surroundings and the family is looked upon as a leading one of the township in all social matters.