Fairgrove Biographies A - H

SYLNANUS N. ALDRICH, merchant, was born in Ontario, N. Y., February 8, 1836. He was reared and educated in his native State, and spent his early time mostly in mercantile employment. He came first to Fair Grove, Mich., in the spring of 1857, and in 1861 he and his family came and settled in section 32, and at once began to open up a home in the beautiful forest. He had been married to Miss Maria L. Haggerty, of Lewiston, Niagara County, N. Y., November 13, 1859. She was born there February 5, 1842. They have four children, Helen L., George N., Charles M., and Sylvanus Brice. Mr. Aldrich has devoted some time to farming in his Michigan home, but has had to return occasionally to his native place for the benefit of his health, and while there has engaged in mercantile life. In 1874 he opened a mercantile enterprise in Fair Grove, consisting of dry goods, groceries, and general merchandise. His patronage has increased regularly with the rise of this flourishing township. Fraternally, he is a member of the Caro Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons. His motto is: Brotherly love, relief and truth.

GEORGE W. CRANE, merchant, was born in Oakland County, Mich., February 2, 1850. He removed from there in his youth to Genesee County, and later went to Saginaw County, where he resided several years, employed as saw filer and foreman in lumbering, in both of which he enjoyed profitable success. On August 23, 1881, he opened a commercial business in Sebewaing, in Huron County; but just one year later he transferred his business to Akron Station on the Saginaw, Tuscola & Huron Railway, where he had invested in lands suitable for a village enterprise, believing that business facilities there offered pleasing inducements. He soon realized the correctness of his former estimate, as there is already one saw-mill running and two more in course of erection; one store also beside his own has been opened; also two blacksmith shops and a postoffice. There is also a hotel in prospect in the near future, and most of this on ground where a few months ago the forest was unbroken. Mr. Crane conducts a well furnished store of dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes and general merchandise, with a steadily increasing custom, and has almost daily requests for lands for residences and business plats in the rising village, of which he has thus become the founder. On March 9, 1882, he was married to Miss Dora Mast, of Sebewaing. She was born in Unionville, Mich., March 18, 1862. At the age of sixteen years Mr. Crane stood six feet in height and weighed 155 pounds, and had assisted in clearing a farm of 120 acres; but he then betook himself to his trade and to various studies, thus qualifying himself by dint of earnest effort and toil both socially and financially for the success in business enterprise which he and his companion now enjoy. He started business with $2,700, and in eighteen months has increased to $4,500.

DAVID E. CRANSTON, postmaster, merchant and notary public, was born in Roxbury, Delaware County, N. Y., June 16, 1813. At the age of fourteen years he removed with his parents to Wayne County. N. Y. He spent some four years there, and then returned to his grandfather’s in is native county. Here, in 1833, he commenced teaching school, and continued steadily in that profession until 1845. He was married December 20, 1835, to Miss Mary Davis, of Marbletown, N. Y. They had four children, Ann M., Thomas C. (killed in the army), Elizabeth O. (now Mrs. William Partlo), and Mary I.(afterwards Mrs. M. Murphy), deceased in April, 1870. Mrs. Mary Cranston died August 11, 1844. Mr. Cranston’s second marriage was to Miss Ann E. Smalling, of Goshen, N. Y., May 4, 1845. She was born on Long Island, October 4, 1817. They have four living children, Frances (now Mrs. D. Bussing), Henry, Elixa (now Mrs. C. Dutcher), and Emma ( now Mrs. F. Rogers). Mr. Cranston came to Tyrone, Mich., in May, 1845, and resided there until 1856, when he sold his estate there and came to section 16, in Fair Grove, where he now has a pleasant home. He has also a store of drugs, groceries, etc., in Fair Grove village, where in connection with the post office he conducts a steadily increasing business. On January 2, 1864, he enlisted in Company I, Fourth Michigan Cavalry, when he was over fifty years of age, and served his country until the Confederacy was quashed. He had in the war one son, two brothers-in-law, two sons-in-law, and seven nephews. His son was killed: one nephew was starved to death in Andersonville prison: and another cam home from Danville prison with his mind perfectly demented. Mr. Cranston has served as township clerk in Livingston County four years, and in Tuscola County he has served as county surveyor eight years, justice of the peace four years, and as notary public some ten years and to that office he had just received another appointment. He has been a local preacher among the United Brethren in Christ since 1871.

W. E. H. GAYLORD, architect, builder and painter, was born in Painted Post, N. Y., November 17, 1822. He went with his parents to Ohio when about thirteen years of age, and afterward resided a while in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, and came to Fair Grove, Mich., in 1868. He had been married to Miss E. L. Hutchins, of Perry, Ohio, March 26, 1846. They have had nine children, Marion E., Margaret E., Myraette E., George W., Mary E., Minetta E., Charles H., May E., and Minerva E., Mrs. Gaylord died July 20, 1869. Three of the children still reside with their father in the village of Fair Grove. Mr. Gaylord serves as township school inspector, has been justice of the peace about six years, and is also a notary public. On October 8, 1861, he enlisted in the Fifty-fifth Illinois Infantry, and served his country in suppressing treason, until discharged in February, 1863, for disability caused by a gunshot wound in the right arm, received at the battle of Shiloh.

FRANCIS W. HARRIS, farmer and mechanic, was born in Chardon, Ohio, September 23, 1842. He was reared and educated in his native State, and in 1865 he went to Madison, Ohio, from whence in 1872 he came to section 22 in Fair Grove, Mich. He had been married to Miss Ellen Foster, also of Madison, October 23, 1867. She was born there December 16, 1842. They have one daughter, Mary C. They have eighty acres of land, with nearly thirty acres improved, a fruit-bearing orchard of various fruits, and pleasant home conveniences. Mr. Harris has been school moderator eight years, and is now school director. He has been township clerk nearly five years, and deputy clerk two years. Religiously they are Episcopal Methodists, and he is a steward in that church.

EZRA HEATH, farmer, was born in Williamsfield, Ohio, Noveber 3, 1827. He came from his native State and settled in section 25, in Fair Grove, in May, 1860. He had bought his land in February, 1856. On August 5, 1859, he was married to Miss Malinda Collar, of Fair Grove. She was born in Kendall, N. Y., November 14, 1834. They have two children, Mary L., and Leonard G. They came to their place when all around them was a dense forest, except a few small clearings south of their place. Their first dwelling was made of poles and boards; was 12x16 feet in size, and was covered with boards. Their bedstead was made of poles. They had stools for chairs, and they used a cross-legged home made table, but never suffered for food and clothing, and now, where the lofty forest used to wave they have fertile fields, remunerative crops, delicious fruits and increasing home welfare. They have 160 acres of land with about 100 under cultivation. They have also a thriving orchard of apples, peaches, plums, pears, cherries, grapes and other small fruits, an excellent dwelling, good farm buildings and plenteous home comforts. Mr. Heath states that one Alva Spaulding, formerly of Ohio, came to Fair Grove in the fall of 1856. He took up forty acres of land on section 23, and worked out most of the time to support a large family. He often went and chopped hard all day for provisions for his family, and had only bran bread for his breakfast, dinner, and supper. He also had to back in their provisions from Watrousville to their home, a distance of six miles.

JOSHUA A. HEATH, farmer, was born in Williamsfield, Ohio, February 7, 1821, and spent his youth and early manhood there, chiefly in farming and mechanical employments. Some twenty-eight years ago he came to Tuscola County, Mich. He was married July 10, 1858, to Miss Cynthia F. Butler, of Andover, Ohio. She was born there July 30, 1842. Their children are Emerson, Selah, Eddie (now deceased), Clarence and J. C. (now also deceased). They have a quarter section of land in section 26, bought directly from the government. He has about seventy acres under cultivation; an orchard of apples and plums and an inviting home. He has served as highway commissioner and as treasurer of his township. Mrs. Heath is a member of the Protestant Methodist Church.

MRS. NANCY HILLER,  was born in Rome, N. Y., June 10, 1819, and came to Genesee County, Mich., in November, 1847, with her husband, Michael Hiller. Resided there about ten years. Settled in section 35, in Fair Grove in June, 1856. There was then not even an underbrushed road to their place. Mr. Hiller was killed by a falling tree October 26, 1858, and Mrs. H. was left (with her son) to provide then for ten children, and a few months later for eleven. Aftrward three sons went to the army, three others of the family died of fevers, one son returned home and died, and thus the task and troubles of the pioneer mother increased more and more. She and her children have lived a whole week at a time with only the milk of one cow for the whole family to drink to sustain life: and they have lived forty-eight hours at a time without any food, the little ones patiently saying, "O, ma, I’m so hungry!" but no food could be obtained. One winter Mrs. H. was for two months unable to get a dress. Five cent calico was 40 cents a yard. But these sufferings have passed away. They have now 120 acres of land with about sixty improved, and with a fruit bearing orchard and a comfortable home.

D. P. HINSON, settled in Fair Grove in the year 1852, and died May 4, 1882, at the age of eighty-four. He was born in the State of Connecticut. Married in the State of New York, February, 1821, to Miss Sarah Vickery. Settled in Michigan in 1827, and in Fair Grove in 1852. He was one of the oldest Masons in the State and was connected with all the important events of the county of Tuscola.

PHILIP HONSINGER, a farmer, was born in Alburgh, Vermont, April 21, 1819. He spent his youth and early manhood in his native State, mostly in farming. On August 28, 1842, he was married to Miss Almira Mott, also of Alburgh. She was born there October 6, 1823. They had two children, Albert and Celia. In 1843 they went to Bangor, N. Y., spent seven years there, then sold their estate and came and settled in Oakland County, Mich., in the fall of 1850. In September of the next year he visited Tuscola County and bought 160 acres of land in what is now Fair Grove, then a part of Rogers. He thinks his was the first deed given of lands in Fair Grove. They came to their new place in August, 1855, and opened them a home in the dense but beautiful wilderness, which was almost all solid woods from Watrousville to their place. They came in by the way of Watrousville, by an underbrushed track cut by Messrs. Otis some time before when coming in as choppers. Mr. Ira Tappan had made a beginning three miles from Watrousville in Rogers. Mr. H. had chopped eight acres before his family came. Three acres of this he cleared, sowed with wheat and got a crop of twenty-seven bushels. This he cleaned with a hand fan of his own making before taking it to mill. In the summer of 1856, he went out south and earned $40 to aid their family finances. Thus they pioneered their course. Their eldest son when small had to go three miles through the woods to school, and other aspects of their surroundings were equally wild, but by dint of earnest effort the disadvantages of those early days were overcome and a pleasant and comfortable home secured. Mrs. Honsinger died May 6, 1856. On February 7, 1858. Mr. H. was married to Miss Almina Oakley, of Akron. She was born in the State of New York, June 10, 1828. They have five children, Harrison, Alice, Frank, Maty and Adeline. Some time ago they sold the pioneer estate, and they have now eighty acres of excellent land in section 19, seventy-five of which are under cultivation. They also have an orchard of apples, cherries, crab-apples and small fruits, an elegant dwelling, and other farm buildings, rendering their farm home a most inviting situation. Now, instead of the hooting of the owl in the near forest as of old, they have the shrill hoot of the railway whistle, as the train comes puffing across their fields from Sebewaing or Saginaw. Mr. H. has been highway commissioner five years, and three years justice of the peace, and is now in his eleventh year as school director in his district. He has belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church twenty-two years, and was the first leader of the class organized in the woods. Mrs. H. has belonged about twelve years.