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.

547

which prevents much physical Labor. lie and his
wife joined tile Presbyterian Church soon after
coming to this city, and now they with all their
children, belong to that organization. Mrs. Hull
has engaged witll the churcl in many benevolent
undertakings and the poor have always found relief through her exertions.
/
OSEPHl RIDER. There is probably no man
more prominent for intelligence and character within the confines of Genoa Township,
Livingston County, than he of whom we
write. I-is success may well be attributed to his
intelligence, his good management and hard work,
and he has the universal esteem of the community.
He was born in DeKalb Township, St. Lawrence
County, N. Y., Malrch 25, 1817. Iis father, Joseph
Rider Sr., who was born in Rockiand County,
N. Y., was of Holland descent. This parent was
bereaved of his father and mother when quite
young and was bound out to learn the shoemaker's
trade in New York City and therefore received
but little education. lie was a soldier in the War
of 1812 having gone as a volunteer from DeKalb
to (gdensburg, and later he engaged in farming.
Hle received a payment of $150 as a pension from
the Government.
The father of our subject came to this State in
1833 and settled in Milford Township, Oakland
County, upon fifty acres of land. In 1835 lie came to
this county and resided with his son until his death
which occurred at the age of eighty-four. His wife
bore the maiden name of Sarah Peck, and sle was
reared in New York. Her children were Martha, Jemina, and our subject, besides one who died when
quite young. The mother passed from earth about
the year 1830, being still in middle life, and her
death was caused by a cancer.
The education of our subject was taken in the
district schools after he was ten years old, and lxe
came West in 182t3 by way of water to Detroit,
and then by team to Oakland County. After two

years' residence there he came to this locality and
took up one hundred and twenty acres of (-vernment land. IIe exchanged one horse for a yoke
of oxen and worked for lis neighbors to gain the
money to obtain anotlher yoke. There were then
only three houses in the township, but he soon
added anotler to the settlement. The Indian trail
passed his house and the savages were frequent
callers. Ile could talk their language and they
traded him venison for commodities which lie
could furnish. Wild game was abundant and lie occasionally brought down a fine animal, but never
devoted himself to hunting. It took five days to
go to Detroit and back with ox-teams as was necessary to obtain supl)lies.
Mr. Rider carries on mixed farming and raises
large numbers of stock and at one time made a
specialty of Short-horn cattle. In (ctober, 1858,
he was awarded the diploma for the best cultivated
farm in the county. This was given him at the
Livingston County Agricultural Fair. Ile now
has two hundred and eleven acres of land having
given to his son some sixty acres. His marriage
March 19, 1840, united him with Isabella M. Fishback, who was born in l)epuyster, St. Lawrence
County, N. Y., May 3, 1824.
Mrs. Rider's parents, Jacob and Elsie (Stearns)
Fishback were from New York State, who came
here in:1836 and lived in Genoa Township for one
year and afterward removed to Marion Township,
where they carried on a farm of one hundred and
twenty acres. The father died when sixty-four
years old from consumption and the mother, who
retained her faculties most wonderfully, passed
away at the age of eighty-four. HIer eiglt sons
and six daughters all grew to years of maturity
and one of these daughlters is ilow 1ninety-follr years
old and is living in the State of New York. The
mother was a Presbyterian in her religious belief.
Ten children came to blless the home of our subject, and seven of them reached the age of maturity.
George W. died at the age of sixteen. Andrew J.,
owns a commercial college in Trenton, N. J.; he also
runs two large cranberry bogs yielding about three
thousand bushels a year; Albert J., is a farmer in
HandyTownship; Elsie, Mrs. Milton Pettybone, is
the wife of a clothing merchant in Flint; Isabel has