Portrait and biographical album of Ingham and Livingston counties, Michigan, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties ... the governors of the state and of all the presidents of the United States.

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM.

587

R. and Susan (Hallack) Foster, early settlers of this
State. Their marriage was solemnized in January
1862. After a number of years of wedded hapliness the wife died in 1879. After some time our
subject was again married to Miss Belinda Dyer,
of Calhoun County, this State. She is a daughter
of Orvil and Lucinda (Andrews) Dyer, natives of
New York. The father was a farmer and came
West to Michigan as one of the early settlers of
Calhoun County. There they resided until death
claimed them for his own. Mrs. Sargent is the only
child of this couple. No children have graced the
union of our subject and his wife.
The beautiful farm which is owned by Mr. Sargent is given largely to the raising of fine stock.
Politically he is a Republican, and shows his progressive tendencies, however, by affiliating with
the Patrons of Industry and the Grange. Of the
first-named body he has been Vice-President and is
enthusiastic over the rights and privileges of the
masses of the people who are laborers. A generousspirited man he has given liberally of his store to
the upbuilding of churches, schoolhouses and roads.
The farm upon which he at present resides comprises two hundred acres, and is represented by a
view on another page. A sojourn in its pleasant
home, that is surrounded with trees and rolling
lawns, and dewy meadows, would be an ideal one
to the urbanite, weary of the daily struggle.
"'" ""J ""' — r~In

was a pioneer, and died in 1855, at the venerable
age of ninety-four years.
The Dutton family originated from three brothers who came to Connecticut from Denmark in the
early Colonial days. Our subject's maternal grandfather, Asahel Langdon, was,a farmer and blacksmith in Southington and died in 1852, at the age
of eighty-six. His was an old Connecticut family,
as the Langdons have been known since the founding of the colony. After marriage I)avid and Vashti
I)utton removed to Vienna, Oneida County, N. Y.,
where they became pioneers and lived until 1834,
when they came to Michigan. While in Oneida
County Mr. )lutton operated both a sawmill and a
farm.
Upon emigrating to Michigan the Dutton family
settled in Lima Township, Washtenaw County, but
in 1837 made their home on section 5, Unadilla
Township, this county. It was then all wild land
and after building a log cabin the young man proceeded to fell the trees and prepare the land for
tillage. Red neighbors were more plentiful than
white, and wild animals abounded. He had but
little more means than enough to buy forty acres
of land, and after improving this he added to it
eighty acres more of forest. He was a temperate
man in his habits, never using either liquor or
tobacco. Hte took a lively interest in political matters voting with the Republican party, and was for
a number of years Assessor of Unadilla Township.
Both lie and his excellent wife were charter members of the Presbyterian Church at Plainfield. He
died May 29, 1867, and his faithful companion survived him until D)ecember 21, 1881. Fonu of their
nine children are now living.
David 0. Dutton was born April 13, 1827, in
Oneida County, N. Y., and was therefore seven
years of age when the family emigrated to Michigan, where le acquired a limited education in
the log schoolhouse. I-e lhad to make himself useful upon the farm while very young, and helped
to fence the first field here when so small that lie
and his brother were barely able to carry a rail
between them. Hardships and privations were his
lot through all those early years, and many a night
he went to sleep crying from hunger. He was
faithfully devoted to his.parents and cared for

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'iAVID 0. DUTTON. This respected farmer
) residing on section 5, Unadilla Township,
( Livingston County, is a son of David Dutton, Sr., a native of Connecticut who was
born August 4, 1792 and of Vashti Langdon, who
was born in Southington, Conn., September 27,
1795. This worthy couple were married November 27, 1816, in Southington. The grandfather,
Moses Dutton, of Southington was a soldier in the
Revolutionary War and afterward an officer in the
State militia. In his later years he removed his
family to Chautauqua County, N. Y., twhere he