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

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HISTORY OF OTTAWA COUNTY.

N. Y., April 25, 1823. Settled near Jenisonville, Georgetown Township, in 1836, on Sec. 34. They are actively engaged in farming,
and also proprietors of the grist mill at Jenisonville, built in 1864.
Neither ever married.
J. W. CLOSTERHOUSE was born in Georgetown, June 5, 1857.
Studied medicine for nearly two years, but health failing, engaged
in the mercantile business at Grand Rapids. Subsequently established a store at Jenisonville, where he is now doing business. He
is the present post master. Married Nov. 2, 1880, Nora M. Taylor,
who was born in Knox County, Ill., May 20, 1860. Father's name is
Wilby-born in the Netherlands and settled in Michigan in 1848.
JOHN F. HARDY, born in' Kent County, Mich., Sept. 29, 1851.
Early learned the milling business, which he has ever followed, and
at present is the head miller in the custom mill of L. & L. Jenison at Jenisonville. Married Feb. 28, 1881, to Mary Hice, who
was born in Lamont, Ottawa County, Mich., Feb. 28, 1858. Father's name is Thomas Hardy, born in Franklin County, Vt., July 12,
1827. Settled at Grand Rapids in 1843, and in Georgetown in
1865, where he held several township offices of trust. Married May
1, 1847, Lucinda Powell, who was born in the State of New York
in 1831.
EUGENE A. WEATHERWAX was borll'in Hillsdale County, Mich.,
Aug. 25, 1844. Was actively engaged in lumbering till 1879, when
he settled in Georgetown, where he died April 4, 1881. He was
married March 26, 1877, to Mary Haire, who was born in Georgetown May 29, 1853, who after receiving a very liberal education,
engaged in teaching, both day school and instrumental music. Two
children, Don and Jessie.
IRA Y. BURNHAM was born in Orange County, Vt., Dec. 22,
1829. Graduated at Burlington University in 1853. Subsequently
studied law, being admitted to practice in January, 1855. Followed
his profession at Northfield three years, thence to Manitowoc, Wis.,
and in Milwaukee till 1863, when he settled in Georgetown, taking
a government contract of constructing a road from Berlin to Allegan County line, receiving therefor one and a half sections to the
mile, of which he still retains some 2,000 or 3,000 acres. At present he resides at Grand Rapids, but has ever been identified in the
interests of Georgetown. He exerted a large influence in securing
the railroad which is operating in this locality. Married May, 1855,
to Abby King, who was born in Grandville, Vt., Dec. 17, 1830.
FRANKLIN PHELPS was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio, Aug. 13,
1833. Settled in Georgetown, on Sec. 23, in 1865, where he now
lives. Married in 1855 Julia A. Cone, who was born in Medina,
County, Ohio, Feb. 16, 1839. Three children-Winnie L., born
Oct. 17, 1866; Willis A., born Aug. 26, 1868; Flora A., born Feb.
26, 1870.
JOHN GREEN, was born in Genesee County, N. Y., March 31,
1831. Blacksmith by trade. Settled in Grand Rapids, Mich., in
1850, remaining till 1853, when he commenced business on his own
account at Grandville, Kent County, finally settling in Georgetown,
Ottawa County, in 1856, being among the first settlers in the vicinity
of Hudsonville, where he engaged in farming, and has ever since
resided in Ottawa County. In the spring of 1881 he sold his farm,
and engaged in general merchandise at Hudsonville; is also the post
master. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Company B., 6th Michigan

Cavalry, as blacksmith and farrier, serving three years and three
months. Mr. Green has been twice married; first, Feb. 22, 1853,
to Ann Eliza Morris, who was born in Racine, Wis., in 1836, and
died Feb., 17, 1854. Second marriage, Dec. 31, 1859, to Phebe S.
Smith, who was bore in Ontario County, N. P., Oct. 4,1828. Five
children.
HOMER E. HUDSON, the subject of this sketch, as statistics show,
has been and is one of the prominent self-made men of Hudsonville.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, May 30,1828, he early turned his attention
to the nursery business. In 1847 we find him employed in the nursery
of Elisha Kellogg, of Grand Rapids. Subsequently, in 1851, he settled in Holland, Mich., and engaged in the same business on his
own account, where he remained ten years, when in 1861, he established a nursery at Hudsonville, Georgetown Township, on Sec. 33,
which he followed till 187'3, when he sold out his nursery business,
and is now engaged in farming. In township matters Mr. Hudson
has ever taken a part. He has been Township Treasurer two terms,
Highway and Drain Commissioner, School Director, and Post Master since the establishment of the office till the spring of 1881. Is
the present Master of Hudsonville Grange, P. of H., and has been
ever since its organization, with the exception of three years. Is
also the present Master of Western Pomona Grange, P. of H., No.
19. Married Oct. 18, 1849, Clarinda Burt, who was born Oct. 2,
1829. Five living children.
INDEPENDENCE DAY KNAPPEN was born in Chesterfield Co., N. Y.,
July 4, 1797, enlisted as a teamster in the war of 1812 and 1813,
served eighteen months, previously however he had made his
holme in Plattsburg, N. Y., (1811). In 1817 he went to Canada
(Quebec), and engaged in lumbering until 1837, when he espoused
the cause of the Patriots, soon after was taken in custody by the
English Government as a rebel, but preferring liberty to death, took
"Scotch leave" brngiing up in the United States, settling in Oneida
Co., N. Y., where he acted as foreman on the canal, thence to Chemung Co., N. Y., where he acted as contractor on wooden docks on
the canal. He first settled in Michigan at Hastings in 1844, became
the owner of a saw mill, which he operated for some years. He
finally settled in Georgetown, Ottawa Co., Mich., in 1855, and at
the present writing (Dec. 2, 1881), we found him in his 83rd year
engaged in pulling stumps, and as hale as a man of 50. He was
married March 13, 1842, to Miami Fulton who was born in Pennsylvania in 1814.
DELL BARNABY was born in Potter Co., Pa., Dec.' 16, 1856, settled with his father in Georgetown, on section 27, in 1865. He was
married June 30, 1880, to Delphia C. Hudson, who was born in Holland, Mich., Aug. 21, 1859.
ALBERTUS KRONEMEYER was born in the Netherlands Feb. 10,
1839. His father was a mechanic by trade, and settled in Holland,
Mich., in 1847, bringing his family. Mr. Kronemeyer settled in
Georgetown in 1858, and now lives on section 21. Is the present
(1881) Supervisor, has been Township Clerk, Treasurer, etc. Enlisted June 1862, in the 21st Mich., Infantry, Company G., taken
prisoner at Bentonville, S. C. He was married June 28, 1866, to
Mary Van Strate, who was born in the Netherlands, March 13, 1845.
He has three children.
BENJAMIIN ROBINSON Was born in Schoharie Co., N. Y., Jan. 31,
1810, settled in Kent Co., Mich., in 1838, and in Georgetown, Ottawa Co., in 1858. He was married Feb. 10, 1831, to Phebe R. Wilson, who was born in Chittenden Co., Vermont, Oct. 23, 1811. He
has had ten children, six of whom have died.
GEORGE WEATHERWAX was born in Clinton Co., N. Y., Dec. 3,
1822, settled in Ottawa Co., Talmadge Township, in 1843, engaged
in lumbering, being the owner of a saw mill at Lament, and has
ever since been engaged in the same business, settling in Georgetown
in 1855, owning 320 acres of land on sections 11, 12 and 14. Has
been Supervisor, Justice of the Peace, etc. He was married in 1851,

to Huldah Ann Van Tassel. Received a Captain's commission and
enlisted in Company I., 3rd Mich., Infantry, in 1861, served in the
army of the Potomac eight months and resigned.
JOHN H. TOREN was born in Kalamazoo, Mich., March 5, 1857,
settled in connection with his father's family in Ottawa Co., in,1860.
Subsequently he engaged as a clerk in Grand Rapids. In 1879 he

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