History of Manistee, Mason and Oceana counties, Michigan ...

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138 HISTORY OF (
K. Howe, 1878-74; George Wyckoff, 1875-76-7-8; Clark B.
Genung, 1879; George A. Wagar, 1880-'81-2.
CLERKS: Alfred C. Wilson, 1865; Hiram J. Wilson, 1866;
IH. S. Bronson, 1867; Ed. Goodman, 1868; G. C. Hannum, 1859 -1870-71; William Hiles, 1872-73-4-5-6-7; Samuel J. Sparks,
1878; (resigned in October, 1878); E. H. Hotchkiss, from October,
1878-79-'80-1-2.
TREASURERS: W. J. Haughey, 1865; Asa M. Pringle, 1866-'68;
William Hiles, 1869; Henry Howarth, 1870-71-2-8-4-5-6; Reese
T. Morris, 1877-78-9; A. M. Pringle, 1880-'81; Clark B. Genung,
1882. The latter was appointed, first, in October, 1881, owing to
resignation of Mr. Pringle.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
HARMON V. FERGUSON was born in Ann Arbor, Mich., September 28, 1833, when Michigan was yet a territory. He came to
Oceana County in May, 1875, and has spent his time in farming
and other industrial employments. He was married to Emogene
Higgins, of Benona, December 31, 1870, with whom he still shares
the toils and pleasures of domestic life. Mr. Ferguson's aged
mother, Mrs. Hannah Longstreet, who was born in Johnstown,
N. Y., August 18, 1799, but has lived in Michigan nearly fifty years,
resides with him at Mears, and is remarkably comfortable and
cheerful for one so aged. Mr. Ferguson enlisted in Company I, of
the Eighteenth Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, July 7, 1862,
and was mustered into the seirvice just one month later. He served
his country in the army of the frontier during the last three years
of the late rebellion, and received his discharge August 7, 1865.
Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson are lovers of industry and enterprise, and
delight in social and fraternal progress in their community.
PERRY HOvEY, one of the old settlers of Golden Township,
was born in the town of Bruce, Macomb Co., Mich., December 18,
1829. At the age of twenty-five, he went to Lapeer County and
bought a farm, and in 1855 married Miss Eleanor Nash, of Oakland County, who was born in 1836. In 1861 Mr. Hovey went to
the oil regions of Pennsylvania, and remained a year and a half,
and then settled in the town of Golden, Oceana Co., Mich., taking
a homestead of eighty acres in Section 11, where he now resides.
His worldly wealth, on arriving with his family at the farm, consisted of one trunk, their clothing, and seventy-five cents in money,
nearly all their possessions having been burned in the D. & M.
depot at Detroit. They went to work with energy, and now have
one of the best farms in town. There is a fine orchard on their
farm, consisting of 125 apple, seventy-five peach, sixty pear, fifty
plum, and fifty cherry trees.
JOSEPH KOB was born in Soultz, Alsace, France, in 1820. From
the age of fourteen to twenty-one he was engaged in learning the
trade of miller. He then entered the French army and was seven
years and four months in the service. He was in the war in Africa,
and was in several engagements with the Arabs, and was once
slightly wounded. After leaving the army, he returned to his native
place, and July 25, 1849, married Miss Augustine Meuret, of Roufach, France, who was born in 1828, her parents being well-to-do
farmers. In 1850 Mr. Kob came to America, and arrived in Tomp
kins County, N. Y., January 15, 1851. In June following lihe
bought a farm and lived on it ten years. In 1861 hlie sold out and
moved to the town of Caroline, same county, where he lived till
1865. He then sold out, and after living a short time in Lake
County, Ind., he came to Oceana County, Mich., in the Fall of 1866,
and bought land in Section 14, Golden Township, his present home.
He endured the hardships and difficulties met with by those who
settle in new countries, but overcame all obstacles, and now has a
home which many might envy.

)CEANA COUNTY.
ROBERT M. MATHEWS, one of the early settlers of Golden
I Township, was born in Sussex County, N. J., in 1824. In 1839 lihe
went, with his parents, to Pike County, Pa., and remained there
about fifteeiin years. In 1843 he married Miss Esther Wainwright,
of Pike County, who was born June 12, 1826. They have seven
children. In 1855 Mr. Mathews settled in Wisconsin, buying land
in the town of Saxeville, Waushara County, and remained until
1860. In that year he removed to Iowa, where hlie remained until
the Spring of 1865, when hlie came to Oceana County, Mich., and
bought land in Section 14, Golden Township, where he has since
resided. He has now a fine farm, and enjoys all the comforts and
luxuries of old and prosperous settlers.
HENRY CROSSMON was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., in 1842.
He learned the trade of carpenter and joiner, and at the age of
twenty-one engaged in the manufacture of spokes. Ini 1864 lihe
married Miss Mary Van Norman, of St. Lawrence County, N. Y.,
who was born in 1847. After being engaged in the manufacture
of spokes about four years, Mr. Crossmon was burned out, when lihe
engaged in the sawmill business until the Summer of 1871, when
hlie sold out. Ini the Winter of 1872 hlie moved to Ottawa County,
and again engaged in the manufacture of spokes. After some
years hlie sold out and came to Golden Township, Oceana Co.,
and bought a mill in Section 36, in the Fall of 1881. His mill has
a capacity of 15,000 per day, and can turn out a greater quantity,
if necessary.
JAMES S. POST was born in the state of New York, February
18, 1822, and settled in Ingham County, Mich., about 1842. In
1847 hlie married Miss Rebecca Mathewson, of Ingham County.
After his marriage, Mr. Post moved to Livingston County, and after
living there one year, moved to lonia County, where he lived ten
years. Ini 1859 hlie settled in Pentwater, Oceana Co., and lived
there two years. He then bought a farm in Section 13, Golden
Township, where he resided until 1878. He then bought and sold
a farm in Section 1, and then bought property in the village of
Mears. Mr. Post died February 26, 1878. Rebecca Mathewson
Post, his wife, was born November 2, 1826, in Attica, Genesee Co.,
N. Y., and moved with her parents to Ingham County, Mich., in
1836, where she was married to Mr. Post. She is the mother of
six children. Mr. and Mrs. Post were among the first settlers in
the county. There were but few inhabitants in Pentwater, mostly
lumbermen or fishermen, when they settled there.
SIDNEY S. BRANCH was born in York, Medina Co., Ohio, February 20, 1842. His father, Levi H. Branch, was an old pioneer of the
state, having moved there at an early age, with his parents, from
Genesee County, N. Y. His mother was from Massachusetts. On
May 26, 1861, Mr. Branch enlisted in the Eighth Ohio Volunteers,
and served over three years. He was in the battles of Winchester,
Antietam (where le was wounded in the head), Chancellorsville,
Gettysburg, Mine Run and the Wilderness, where he was wounded
in the heel. He was discharged July 13, 1864. He remained in
Ohio about a year, and in 1865 settled on Section 21, Golden Township, Oceana Co., Mich., where he has since lived. He married,
November 22, 1873, Miss Anna M. Hudson, of La Porte County,
Ind., by whom he has two children-Edna E., born October 27,
1876, and Eda M., born April 23, 1879. Miss Hudson was born

in La Porte County, Ind., January 10, 1844. Her father was a
farmer and carpenter, and in easy circumstances. Mr. Branch has
a very fine farm, his specialty being fruit growing. He has 1,000
peach, 150 apple and fifty plum trees.
MRS. MARGARET DeKAY. The subject of this sketch is the daughter of Jacob A. Harms, of Sullivan County, N. Y., and was born
in February, 1831. In 1853 she moved to Cattaraugus County,
and remained there four years. In 1856 she married Thomas D.