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.

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W. H. Walker, of Berlin, has a fine apiary of about 80 swarms,
all Italian. He is a skillful apiarist.
Benjamin Laubach has held the office of Justice of the Peace
since 1856-about twenty-six years. He is President of the Counties' Agricultural Society.
H. S. Lawton came in 1849. Benjamin F. Lillie came in
1843, four years after the first survey of the town, and was elected
to the legislature in 1863..
Perley Lawton came in 1847 and has been six years town clerk.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
WILLIAM F. KELLY, Supervisor of Wright Township, was born
in Oneida County, N. Y. He came to Wright in April, 1865.
Having received in his youth but a common school education, he
has, notwithstanding, risen to become an excellent public officer,
and is a rising man in the popular estimation. At 27 years of age he
held the office of Town Clerk, and in the Spring of 1881 was elected
-Supervisor, discharging the duties of the office to the satisfaction of
all. He is also Secretary of the Counties' Agricultural Society.
BENJAMIN LAUBACH, farmer, was born in Columbia County,
Penn., Oct. 8, 1823. He moved to Ohio in 1836, thence to his
present farm in Wright. He was elected Justice of the Peace in
1856, holding the office twenty-two years. In 1873 he was elected
Supervisor, and held office four terms, when he resigned, and was
elected to the State Legislature in 1877, holding office for two terms.
He is President of the Counties' Agricultural Society, and enjoys
the esteem of all who know him.
W. H. WALKER, of Berlin, wagon and carriage maker, was born
in Oakland County, Mich., in 1834, and settled in Berlin in 1844
with his father, there being no roads cut out or buildings erected
there at that time. Mr. W. is extensively engaged in bee-culture,
in which he has been very successful. He is a man of strict morals,
sound judgment, and is a moderate Republican in politics.
HIENRY A. COOK, farmer on Section 6, was born in Warren
County, Pa., in 1827. He came to Detroit with his parents in
1840, and to Grand Rapids in 1844, going to California in 1850,
and returning to this State in 1861, and next year purchased his
present farm. He enlisted in 1st Michigan Engineers, Dec. 1863,
and was discharged in 1865. He married in Feb. 1865, Miss Mina
L. Dietrich.
B. S. WHITMAN, farmer on Section 28, was born at Plattsburg,
N. Y., in 1821. He came to Muskegon in 1848, and into Wright
in 1862, purchasing his present farm. He married in 1845
Miss L. Suier, of Washington County, N. Y., and they have four
children, three now living. He has been Justice of the Peace four
years, and Deputy Sheriff of the county four years, and also Road
Commissioner for several terms, showing the great esteem in which
he is held by the community.
H. S. Lawton, farmer on Section 21, was born in St. Lawrence
County, N. Y., in 1817, settling on his present farm in 1849. He
married in 1838 Miss Prudence Cole, and after her death-he was
married a second time in 1868, and has three sons and six daughters. The eldest son, George, was married in 1877 to Miss Woodworth, and assists in the management of the farm. Mr. L. is

highly respected, and is one of the early pioneers.
BENJAMIN F. LILLIE, farmer, was born in St. Lawrence County,

N. Y., in 1823, and settled in Wright in 1843, only four years after
the first survey, and was the first white settler in the township.
He married, just previous to his settling in Wright, Miss Fletcher,
who died ih 1864, leaving ten children. George, the eldest son, being the first white child born in the township. Mr. Lillie has been
thrice married and is the parent of twenty-four children -all living.
He was appointed Deputy State Marshal in 1861, and took a leading part in the enlistment of soldiers for the late war. In 1863 he
was elected to the State Legislature, and received his credentials,
but owing to the sickness and death of his wife, and his own illness
he was unable to serve. He is a man highly respected, and still
takes a lively interest in all public matters.
PERLEY LAWTON, farmler, Sec. 30, born in St. Lawrence County,
N. Y., in 1818, and settled first near Coopelville with his father
and brother Albert in 1816, and in the following year settled on his
present farm. Married in May, 1841, Miss Nancy Ferguson; has
three sons and one daughter. The youngest son is married and
carries on the farm. Mr. Lawton has taken an active part in public affairs, and has been director and president of the Counties'Agricultural Society, also Superintendent of the Poor, and Town Clerk
for six years. Mr. Lawton has also been a school teacher, and to
everything that affects the good of the community has given his aid
and encouragement.
S. D. HALL, deceased, father of Geo. W. Hall, was born in New
York, in 1801, and settled in Wright in 1861. Married in 1858,
and died in 1880. He was a highly respected citizen, and his memory will long be cherished by those who survive him. Geo. W.
Hall was born in 1859, and lives on the old hoimestead, his widowed
mother living with him. He married in 1880 Miss Libbie Huntley,
of Berlin.
A. E. SCHEIMMEL, M. D., of Dayton & Schemmel,, Berlin, was
born in Jefferson County, N. Y., in 1816, moved to Nunica in 1869,
in eight years came to Berlin, and graduated at Ann Arbor in 1880.
He then commenced the practice of medicine in Berlin, and being a
young man of skill and energy, has met -with success in his efforts.
W. B. BECKER, blacksmith, born in Norfolk, Ont., Canada, in
1833. Came to Berlin in 1875, and for eighteen months engaged
in hotel business, since which time he has been carrying on a general blacksmlith shop. Mr. Becker has good natural ability, and has
added a good store of knowledge. He is a thorough workman, having had thirty-four years experience.
J. MARLATT, merchant, Berlin, born in Oakland, County, Mich.,
in 1852, settling in Wright in 1856, and in 1873 opened a general
store and has met with good success. He is probably the most enterprising merchant in Berlin. He had the misfortune to lose his
right hand while working in a Muskegon saw mill. Married in
1875 Miss Alice Fuller, by whom he has one son.
REV. TIMOTHY J. MURPHY, Catholic priest of Berlin, was born
in Bandon, Cork Co., Ireland, April 5, 1848. His early education
was in the county school, where he studied classics under Thomas
Lourdan, nephew of the first Bishop of Charlestown. After a rigid
examination, he was admitted to All-Hallow's College, Dublin,
where he finished his studies in philosophy. He came to America,
and on May 30, 1871 was ordained priest by Bishop Burgess in the
City of Detroit, with Bay City as his first parish. He has been actively engaged in Grand Haven and elsewhere in building churches
and helping the needy. He is a man of genial nature, is ready and

entertaining in conversation, and exhibits unusual depth of thought.
He is a natural orator, speaking eloquently and logically.

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