nable was a most excellent citizen in all respects, and always possessed the esteem and confidence of all people who knew him. The firm of Pinney, Connable & Company had a quartette of bright, active and enterprising traveling men, composed of W. H. Withington, Elihu M. Cooley, Harold Sprague and James W. A. Culton. After Mr. Pinney's death, and on settlement of the estate, these four young men purchased and succeeded to the business, under the firm name of Withington, Cooley & Company, and laid the foundation of a business and firm that today has a world-wide reputation. The two last named dropped out of the firm in 1860 and went to Chicago, where they amassed a competence during the war in the grain business, and as contractors for supplies for the army. The other two partners have continued the business until the present time successfully. Mr. Cooley died in 1882, but his wife and daughter still hold their interest in the firm, Mr. Withington being the president and manager. Benjamin Newkirk came from Columbus, Ohio, with his brother-in-law, E. J. Connable, and worked for the firm a short time, then engaged with the Cooper & Thompson Bank, of which he became cashier in 1860, and held that position until the consolidation of the City Bank and the P. B. Loomis & Company Bank. Mr. Newkirk then interested his friends in starting the State Savings Bank, of which he was chosen president, and held that position until his death, in 1902. Mr. Newkirk was a model of honesty, accuracy and thrift, one of the most exemplary of men, and his death was a great loss to the community. Gilbert R. Byrne was born in Jackson, and spent his whole life here. He became connected with the Cooper & Thompson Bank at an early day, and remained with it until his death, in 1902. He was an excellent citizen and for many years one of the pillars of the Baptist church. Billy J. Billings came from Batavia, New York, in 1853, and engaged in the hardware trade with S. S. Vaughn. He continued in business in Jackson until his death, in 1878, and always bore the reputation of an excellent citizen and a good business man. He Francis Woodbury came from Westfield, Massachusetts, in 1843, and made Jackson his home the rest of his life. He was a man of means and was a loaner of money. was a strictly honest man, one of the kind whose word was as good as his bond, and looked at others to follow the same rule. He was a Congregationalist, and was a very liberal donor to his society and to other religious objects. Tarsus E. Hayes was an early settler, dating back to 1839. He was a mason by trade, and built a number of buildings for himself and others. He was identified with the fire department of the city from its start, and was for about fifteen years chief of the department. Willard Lewis was a son of Dr. Edward Lewis, and came to Jackson when a young lad. As soon as he finished his education he adopted bookkeeping as a profession. He was much interested in music and church work, and was for many years the leader of the Congregational church choir and superintendent of the Sunday school. When the People's National Bank was organized he entered its employ and remained there until his death about 1890. He was always a favorite with all who knew him. Edward H. Kingsley came to Jackson in 1840, and established himself in the jewelry trade, which he followed until 1894, when he retired from business. He died in 1902. George D. Walcott came to Jackson with his father in 1843, when he was about fifteen years old. His father was a machinist and engineer, and young George learned the trade with him. He lived for a while in Minneapolis, but returned to Jackson after the Civil war. He superintended the construction of the Jackson water plant, also the Holly water system in East Saginaw. Later he established a machine shop for manufacturing fine lathes for iron, brass and steel work, which was successful. He died some ten years since, but the business is still carried on in his name by his sons. Hiram H. Smith first came to Jackson in 1831, and settled on a farm six miles south of the city. Later he moved to Mason, and in 1847 to Lansing. He became a contractor, and became well off. He was one of the projectors of the Jackson & Lansing Railroad, and, with R. A. MacDonald, built the road to Saginaw. He returned to Jackson in 1866, and, with his sons, Dwight S. and Henry, and the late S. B. Collins, engaged largely in manufacturing. Mr. Smith was a man of great energy and perseverance, and of excellent business judgment. To him and his son the city is indebted for its street railway system and many other improvements. He lived to the age of eighty-four years, and his death removed not only an old pioneer, but one of the most energetic and public spirited citizens. John W. Hulin came from Albany, New York, in 1840, and was for many years one of our most prominent hardware merchants. business men and politicians. He was the agent and business manager for Corning & Company, of Albany, and later for himself. He was a village trustee, and held other local offices. In 1864 he was appointed clerk of the state prison, and held the position for ten years. The public were at last astonished at the discovery that he was a heavy defaultter. He admitted the crime, his peculations extending over nearly his whole term. He was sentenced for a term of years, and died before its expiration. Lenson Wilcox became a citizen of Jackson in 1838, and established a shoe store, in which business he continued for over thirty years. He was prominent as a citizen and as a church member, serving for twenty-five years as a deacon in the Congregational church. He was a pronounced temperance and anti-slavery man, and was prominent in all work to forward his moral and political ideas. Joseph B. Pierce arrived in the place in 1839, and became landlord of the American Hotel. He was a genial person, and a great story teller, and to some extent a story inventor. A great many of "Jo Pierce's stories” were floating around the county for years. He engaged in politics-as a Democratwas elected justice, and served one term in the state legislature. He acquired a state reputation in 1853, when, in a suit brought before him as a justice of the peace, he declared the prohibitory liquor law unconstitutional. After that he was always styled by the temperance men and newspapers as "Chief Justice Jo." He was a great horse jockey, and many jokes were told of him and Dan Hibbard, which culminated in Hibbard palming a dead horse off on him, and when he went into the barn to get his nag, he exclaimed, "Dan, that critter's eyes is sot!" Daniel V. Bunnell came to Jackson in 1848, and began life as a clerk. Later he entered the clothing trade of his own account, and conducted a large business. He was mayor of the city one term, and was prominent as an Odd Fellow and in social circles. Joseph Mabley came here during the war, and engaged in the clothing business. He was one of the celebrated family in that line of trade in Rochester, Detroit and Toledo, and other places. Mabley was a man of strong character, a rabid politician, and was three times mayor of the city. A man of large ability, his life and usefulness were marred by too great a tendency to conviviality, and he died at an early age. He but who removed or who dropped out of sight by reason of failure or other causes, that are omitted. Our object is to preserve the memory of the best and fittest, those most deserving to be remembered. We have endeavored to be fair and impartial and naught set down in malice. We have purposely omitted those who still live, with a few exceptions, for they are still here to speak for themselves. The following statistics, compiled from old copies of the Jacksonburg Sentinel, will give a few more names and a bird's eye view of earliest business conditions in the old "burg." In the year 1837 N. Munroe was dealing in dry goods, groceries, hardware, boots and shoes, drugs, dye-stuffs, window sash, etc. In the spring of 1837 J. N. & D. F. Dwight sold their stock of goods to N. Munroe. In the summer Arza Richardson sold his stock to Derrick W. Owens, who kept a general assortment of goods, as did W. Budington and Wolfley & Rockwell. Spears & Collier were succeeded by Stowell & Collier. They sold out to S. W. Stowell, who entered into Silas Heyser was one of the later comers. dating from 1855. He was a carpenter and builder, but one of those forceful and energetic men who are always successful. soon engaged in the making of sash, doors and blinds, and became interested with the late Allen Bennett in a lumber yard and planing mill. Mr. Heyser did more to supply the people with homes than any other citizen, owning at one time over forty dwell-partnership with A. A. Welling, forming ings. He engaged quite largely in farming, and built a large manufacturing plant in the east part of the city, in which his sons had an interest. The destruction of this plant by fire was a severe loss, and before he could rebuild and reconstruct his business his life was suddenly ended by a stroke of apoplexy. Thus we have briefly pen-sketched a part of the business men who laid the foundation and builded the superstructures of the city. The professional men we shall reserve for another chapter. There were many others who were more or less prominent for a time, the firm of Stowell & Welling. Welling in the spring had been one of the firm of Clark & Welling. All these were dealers in groceries, liquors, paints, oils, etc. Moses Bean, David Porter and S. W. Stowell were selling lime. The Jackson Furnace and Iron Foundry, on the east side of Grand river, near the Ford mills, was owned and managed by Samuel P. Clark, Stephen Munroe and Joseph Ganson. Paul B. Ring kept the Exchange Hotel and run a line of stages to Tecumseh. M. L. Sutton kept a select school. Phineas Farrand, Leander Chapman, Merrick C. Hough, Fairchild Farrand and Will iam J. Moody were practicing attorneys. * John N. Dwight was justice of the peace. In 1838 the merchants of Jackson were W. Budington & Company, S. Blackwell & Company, Wolfley & Rockwell, succeeded by B. W. Rockwell, Dyer & Derby and H. H. & J. M. Gilbert. Grocery and provision stores were kept by Stowell & Welling, succeeded by A. A. Welling, Myron Collamer, P. C. Vreeland & Company, S. W. Stowell and Norman Allen. C. E. Silsbee kept a furniture establishment. John Phelps had an ashery. N. M. & J. M. Gilbert were saddle and harness makers. Wright Chittock and L. Graves, tailors. Ring & Hibbard kept livery stable and run a line of stages to Adrian. In the fall D. B. Hibbard kept a livery stable. Ganson & Munroe were running the furnace and iron foundry and selling plows. A. P. Maybee kept the Grand River House, and Munroe & Carpenter the Exchange. Johnson & Higby, Moody & Johnson, L. Chapman, D. Parkhurst, M. C. Hough, Edward Higby, Phineas Farrond and Fairchild Farrand were practicing attorneys. Dr. John McLean kept a drug store and practiced his profession. Dr. Ira C. Backus and Dr. Oliver Russ were also practicing physicians. J. W. Glidden repaired clocks and watches. Cobb & Smith were painters and glaziers. G. W. Logan & Company made and sold boots and shoes. In 1839 Moody and Johnson were partners as attorneys; D. Parkhurst, Myrick C. Hough, Leander Chapman, Phineas Farrand and E. Higby were also practicing attorneys; M. B. & J. W. Medbury, W. Baker & Company, Green & Jessup, L. Blackwell & Company, Ford & Buck, and William H. & N. Munroe were merchants; Amos Bigelow, hardware merchant; J. M. Gilbert, sad dlery; L. Graves, tailor; W. Chittock, tailoring establishment; J. B. Cobb and Smith M. Brown, carriage painters; Russell Blackman was keeping public house, and the Grand River House was kept by H. P. Maybee; George W. Gorham was a practicing physician; L. S. House, hat store; J. W. Gledden, watch and clock repairing; Jackson Academy, by Mr. Dudley; D. B. Hibbard, livery stable; Charles Derby, auctioneer; Joseph Ganson and Stephen Monroe, proprietors of the Jackson Iron Foundry; Samuel Higby, Alonzo Bennett and Jason W. Packard, school inspectors; Lewis D. Welling, John Gillespie and John Kane, constables; Fidus Livermore, township treasurer; Oliver Russ and William P. Worden, directors of the poor; Norman Allen, agent for sale of Rowland's tonic mixtures; David F. Dwight and David Porter, in lime business, and Bunnell & Fish, shingles; Ring & Hibbard ran a daily line of stages to Adrian. D. G. McClure and J. M. Terry were practicing physicians; E. D. Merriman became a resident; Childs, Houssel and Brown were carriage painters, paper hangers and dealers. in cabinet ware, and Benjamin Hazleton was running an ashery. There were in Jackson in 1839 two banks, two printing offices (the Jackson Sentinel and Michigan Democrat), two semi-monthly publications (the American Freeman and Michigan Temperance Herald), two drug stores, ten dry goods stores. Five religious denominations held services weekly (the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist, CloseCommunion Baptist and Free-Will Baptist). The population of the village was, by the newspapers at that time, claimed to be one thousand, and the number of dwellings two hundred. CHAPTER XV. THE EARLY COURTS AND LAWYERS. We have already recited the appointment of the first justice of the peace, and the holding of the first county court by Dr. Russ, who was appointed special judge for the occasion. The first regular judge assigned to judicial duty was William A. Fletcher, the presiding chief justice of the state. He was a resident of Ann Arbor, a college graduate and an able lawyer. He was a very convivial man, and it was some times a matter of grave doubt how long the court would hold together on account of the Judge's "sprees," which were frequent and lasting. On one of these sprees the Judge got married. The bride was a buxom, high-spirited Irish woman, who made up in physical force. and vim what she lacked in refinement. She took excellent care of "my Lord” when he was at home, frequently running him from "the tavern" and his companions in Ann Arbor, and carrying him home. It was said the Judge always doted on the chance to "ride the circuit," as it freed him from her motherly supervision. It was when on one of these sprees that he decided a case against Phineas Farrand, and the attorney gave notice of an appeal. "What for?" asked the judge. "May it please your honor," replied the lawyer, "I want to appeal from the court drunk to the court sober." The appeal was granted, and the lawyer won. The court was assisted by two associates, called "side judges." judges." My father was one of these, and on one occasion Judge Fletcher referred a case to him, by saying, "Judge DeLand is the only part of this court that is sober." Judge Fletcher was succeeded by Judge Charles W. Whipple, who presided several ternis, and he by Judge Alpheus Felch. When Felch was appointed bank commissioner Governor Barry appointed Judge Warren Wing, of Monroe, who retained the place until 1850. The new constitution of 1850 made the circuit judges elective, and provided for two or more judges in each district, which continued until 1858, when each district chose its own judge. The judges from 1851 to 1858 were Samuel T. Douglas, Abner Pratt, David Johnson, Edward H. C. Wilson and Edwin Lawrence. Under the single-district system the circuit judges have been, successively, Edwin Lawrence, Samuel Higby, Alex. D. Crane, George M. Huntington, G. Thompson Gridly and Erastus Peck, the present incumbent who is serving his third term of six years. The early terms of court were attended by lawyers from outside counties, principally Washtenaw, which was well stocked with legal talent. Among the old practitioners we recall the names of Ramsdall, Hawkins, Morgan, Wilcoxson and Allen, of Ann Ar ༨ 辜 1 |