History of Lapeer County, Michigan : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers.

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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.

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Lapeer. Attended one term at the law school of the Michigan
University. Came to Lapeer in 1856. In 1863 he enlisted in the
Eleventh Regiment, Michigan Cavalry, and saw service with it until
the war closed. Held the rank of orderly sergeant whe mustered
out. Admitted to the bar in 1871 and has practiced law since
then. Has held the following offices: In 1867 was township clerk
of Mayfield and Lapeer Townships; collector of taxes in Lapeer two
years; circuit court commissioner four years, 1872-'76; was elected
county clerk in 1875, previous to which he had been deputy clerk
for four years. Has held the office continuously since, his last reelection being in the fall of 1882. Was married in 1871 to Miss
Kate E. Bentley, a native of Lapeer County. They have three
children.
REV. JONATHAN ALDEN WOODRUFF, who began home missionary
work in the pine woods of Lapeer County in 1859, was born in Coventry, Conn., April 18, 1808. His father removed to Wayne, Ashtabula County, Ohio, when "Alden" was about ten years of age, where
he helped to clear and work his father's farm, meanwhile studying
winters until he was nineteen. He then entered Hamilton College,
N. Y., and at twenty-two graduated with the honor of delivering
the philosophical oration' At Auburn Seminary he studied theology
and was licensed to preach by the Black River Association of
northern New York. In 1831 he married Susanna, daughter of
Rev. Jeremiah Osborn, by whom he had eight children, of whom
Mrs. Marvin P. Grant Keyes, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is the sole survivor. In 1845 he married Aurelia, daughter of Deacon Erastus
Talcott, of Coventry, Conn., by whom he had five children, of whom
Mrs. Sarah Bryce, Edward T. Woodruff and Emma A. Woodruff
are living and reside in Lapeer. This most estimable lady died in
the fiftieth year of her age, but is still remembered with great affection by all who ever knew her. Her remains lie in Burnside with a
neat marble slab to mark the place, bearing the inscription, "Her
children shall rise up and call her blessed; her husband also and he
praiseth her."
In 1872 he married Emma Griffith, who still survives him as
Mrs. J. R. Holmes, of Manchester. The first eight years of his
ministry were spent in Ohio, and were divided between Warren,
Madison, Kelloggsville and Wooster. In 1839 he removed to Rock
Island, Ill., where he formed the First Presbyterian Church of that
place. The Rock Island University was formed about that time of
which he was elected chancellor. In 1845 he returned to Ohio and
ministered to a church in Newton Falls two years. He was afterward pastor of a church in Conneautville, Pa., following which he
was principal of the Olean Academy, supplying the pulpit in Portville, N. Y., at the same time. He next ministered to a church in
Conneaut, Ashtabula County, Ohio, from which place, after spending
one summer with a church he had formed in Marquette, he removed
his family in 1858 to Lapeer. Here hle ministered one year to the
First Presbyterian Church before entering upon his missionary work
in Burnside, during which time an extensive revival took place
which doubled the membership of the church. Speaking of his
missionary field he says: "We are one of the pioneer families,
the first having come but three years in advance. The impediments
to our progress were such that we were three days reaching our forest home after having come within two miles. Only they who have
had to cut their track through dense forests with much 'down timber,' crossing swamps and small streams with a loaded wagon

know what it is to pass over such roads. Our usual mode of going to
meeting was this-Mrs. W. and two children on our Indian pony,
myself leading him with hatchet in hand, sometimes through the
untouched forest, except that I cut away the limbs and fallen trees
that obstructed our way. Soon we could count a little church of
fifteen members, and the following spring the way was opened to

the enlargement of my field of labor. In a settlement six miles
south I was called to officiate at the funeral of an Irish Presbyterian
who had been crushed by a pine log. This introduced me to a
company of poor but faithful disciples to whom I ministered for
eight years. At first they proposed to unite with the church here
and five came seven miles on foot, were examined and propounded
for admission at the next communion. One member of session was
absent, who, on his return, objected to their reception, which was a
terrible blow to our prosperity. Other opportunities for enlargement of my field of labor presented themselves, and were embraced,
in the new settlements, though the task of reaching them was ofttimes herculean; but with my French pony I was equal to any
emergency in traveling." Much more of his pioneer experiences
could be given but the foregoing will suffice, being an ample illustration of an interesting epoch in the history of the church and of the
participator. Rev. J. A. Woodruff closed a long and useful career
on Sept. 26, 1876, at the age of sixty-eight years. His remains are
buried in the cemetery at Imlay City where he died. Many touching instances of his patience and fortitude in his sufferings and his
unflinching adherence to what he believed to be right, as well as
his unqualified trust and confidence in the Master whom he tried to
faithfully serve, might be given but for want of space. A favorite
text he often repeated was, "He knoweth our frame he remembereth that we are dust." Fitting words to close this sketch are"Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Yea, saith the spirit,
and their works do follow them."
EDWARD T. WOODRUFF was born in Cattaraugus County, N. Y.,
in 1853. His parents came to Michigan and settled in Lapeer in
1858. He received a common school education in Lapeer and
Flint. Has been a farmer, run a saw and grist-mill, taught school,
etc. In 1880 was elected register of deeds for Lapeer County, and
reelected in 1882. Married to Lena M. Van Wormer, of Lapeer
City. They have two children, a son and daughter.
HON. JOSHUA MANWARING Was born in the township of Springfield, Burlington County, N. J., October 2, 1824, and was of
Englishl-French descent, his grandfather, John Manwaring, emigrating from Lincolnshire, England, about the year 1760, where he
left two sisters. He settled on the sea coast of New Jersey, near the
present village of Barnegat, Ocean County, and on the breaking
out of the Revolutionary War, enlisted in a regiment of militia, and
marched down to New York to oppose the landing of the Hessians.
After the capture of New York, lie returned to his home and soon
thereafter joined with others in forming a company to watch the
Tories, who were numerous at that time, and continued in that
service to the close of the war. In 1778 he married a French lady
by the name of Esopus, raising a family of four sons and three
daughters. Adam, the second son, and father of the subject of this
sketch, was born January 8, 1783, and removed from Ocean to Burlington County, when a young man, where he married Miss Susan
Platt; the fruit of this union being a family of fourteen children, of
whom the subject of this sketch was the tenth, and was born October 2, 1824. With his parents he came to Michigan, arriving
September 8, 1836, his father having purchased the John Sargent
farm, in the township of Avon, Oakland County. There Joshua
worked on the farm summers, attending the district school winters,
and by dint of hard study acquired a good business education. At
the age of twenty-one years he left the parental roof to seek his for

tune, in the far West, poor in purse, but with the never-to-be forgotten blessing of his dear mother, who admonished hill to be
honest and industrious, and that success would follow him. He
went to the then unorganized county of Montcalm, and assisted in
clearing the land where the flourishing village of Greenville now
stands, and helped to build the first frame house in the place for Abel

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