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.

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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM.

academies of learning and he remained at home
with his parents until he reached the age of twenty,
when he was apprenticed to the carpenter's trade
at Mason, under Matthew Elder, doing Lis tirst
work on the old court-house. In 1858 he can c to
Lansing and worked at his trade until the war
broke out.
The marriage of our subject with Miss Mary N.
Rhodes, who was born in LaVail, St. Lawrence
County, N. Y., in 1839, was solemnized October
18, 1858. This lady is a daughter of Philip
Rhodes, whose father, William, was a farmer in St.
Lawrence County, and a soldier in the War of
1812. Philip Rhodes was a shoemaker and a
farmer who came to Michigan for his health in
1852 and locating in Mason began the manufacture of shoes. There he continued until his death,
in 1862. His wife bore the maiden name of Ursula A. I-oward and was born in Vermont, a
daughter of Calvin Howard, a farmer of English
descent who came to live near Ogdensburg, St.
Lawrence County, N.Y. She was the youngest
of nine children and was a prominent member of
the Baptist Church, in which she found a broad
field of activity. The wife of our subject was
next to the eldest among the seven children of her
parents and when thirteen years of age came fron
New York to Michigan, traveling by steamer to
Detroit, thence by rail to Jackson and staging it
to Mason. After pursuing her studies in the public school she began teaching at the age of eighteen and continued in that line of work until her
marriage.
In August, 1861, Dorman K. Fuller enlisted in
Company E, Eighth Michigan Infantry, and being
mustered in at Grand Rapids was sent South.
During the expedition to Ft. Royal he was taken
sick and was carried to Beaufort, then to Annapolis and back to Beaufort, and was then returned
home by way of New York. The surgeon of his
regiment, Dr. H. B. Shank, said that he could not
live to get home and asked for a furlough for him.
lie received his honorable discharge at Hilton
Head in November, 1862, by reason of physical
disability and was sick for three or four years. After
recovering his health he went back to his trade.
This enterprising young man was not content to

remain in a subordinate position but put himself
in training for better work, becoming superintendent for different contractors. He superintended
the erection of the 0. M. Barnes building and the
finishing off of the High School building and then
began for himself as a general contractor and
formed a partnership with Charles E. Wheeler tunder the firm name of Fuller & Wheeler, which
lasted for thirteen years. The firm undertook extonsive and superior work and put up among
others eight different buildings for the State Agricultural College. In 1887 this partnership was
dissolved and since then Mr. Fuller has carried on
the business alone and generally has three or four
buildings "in the works." He has just completed
the Society Building of the Phi Alpha Pi at Olivet,
Mich.
The residence of our subject is at the corlier of
Walnut and Lenawee Streets and he has put upon
this property handsome improvements and made
it very attractive. Besides this he owns a number
of building lots in the city. He was a charter
member of the first Fire Department of Lansing
and for fourteen years was Alderman of the Third
Ward. He was Supervisor also for seven years
and is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of
Mt. Hope Cemetery. His interest in education has
placed him upon the School Board where he has
helped forward materially the progress of the
schools of Lansing. In every way he has favored
and promoted movements for the improvement of
the social, educational and business interests of
this city. His three children are Ada M., now
Mrs. C. H. Crane of Lansing; Charles M., Superintendent of the steel department of the Bement
Works, and Fred G., who is at home. He has
held various offices in the social orders to which
he belongs which are numerous and representative.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Fuller are devoted members
of the Plymouth Congregational Church, and Mrs.
Fuller is especially active in the Ladies' Society
and has been Vice-President of the Missionary Society. Mr. Fuller is a "Black Republican" in his
political sympathies and has been delegate to
county and State conventions. He has also filled
positions of responsibility upon the Ward and