History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of their prominent men and pioneers.

VILLAGE OF ST. JOHNS.

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PUBLIC AND PRIVATE BUILDINGS IN ST. JOHNS.
St. Johns has much of which to be proud in the way of
residences as well as business blocks, while it may be truly
said in respect to the court-house that few buildings of
the kind in the State can approach it in point of massive
and imposing proportions and architectural beauty. It was
built at an expenditure of forty-five thousand dollars, of
which the village of St. Johns contributed five thousand
dollars, Oct. 3, 1868, by a popular vote of 167 to 11.
The first brick structures in the town were John W.
Paine's store and residence. Both were built in 1860. The
best block of its day, and now a conspicuous feature of the
town, was the Hicks & Steel Block, built by John Hicks
in 1867. There are besides the Hicks Block, numerous
fine brick blocks deserving of more than passing mention,
among them being the Opera-House building. There are,
moreover, other brick blocks in course of construction, and
these when completed will add materially to the present
attractive appearance of the chief business thoroughfare of
the village.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
OLIVER LYMAN SPAULDING.
Oliver Lyman Spaulding was born at Jaffrey, N. H.,
Aug. 2, 1833, and is the son of Lyman and Susan (Marshall) Spaulding. He prepared for college at Melville
Academy, in Jaffrey, working on the farm during the
time. In 1851 he entered Oberlin College, from which
he graduated in 1855. He then spent three years in
teaching, devoting his leisure to the study of law. He
taught successively in the union schools at Medina,
Ohio, and Hillsdale, Mich., and in the academy at Medina, Mich. In 1858 he was admitted to the bar, and
settled at St. Johns, where he has since continued to practice his profession, with the exception of the time spent in
the civil war. In 1862 he began military service as captain in the Twenty-third Michigan Volunteer Infantry,
and was appointed, successively, major, lieutenant-colonel,
and colonel, having been senior officer in command of the
regiment from the time of receiving his commission as
major in 1863. At the close of the war he was in command of the Second Division, Twenty-third Army Corps,
and was brevetted brigadier-general of United States volunteers, June 25, 1865, " for faithful and meritorious services during the war." In 1858 he was elected a regent
of the State University, and held the office until 1864. In
1866 he was elected Secretary of State, and was re-elected
in 1868. In 1875 he was appointed by President Grant
Special Agent of the Treasury Department, which office he
still holds.
Gen. Spaulding has for a number of years been actively
connected with the Masonic fraternity. In 1869 he was
Grand Master of the Grand Council of Royal and Select
Masters; in 1872, Grand Commander of the Grand Com

mandery of Knights Templar; in 1877, Grand High Priest
of the Grand Chapter; and for several years has been
chairman of the standing committee on appeals in the
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Grand Lodge. He is at present Deputy Grand Master of
the Grand Lodge of the State of Michigan.
Gen. Spaulding was reared a Congregationalist, but in
1866 became connected with the Episcopal Church, and
since that time has been senior warden.
Politically he has been an active member of the Republican party since its organization, and an ardent member of
the State Central Committee since 1870. In the Republican Convention held at Owosso, he was nominated by
acclamation, Aug. 5, 1880, for member of Congress from
the Sixth District.
His family consists of a wife and three children. Mrs.
Spaulding was the daughter of the Hon. John Swegles,
who was the founder of the village of St. Johns.
JOHN H. FEDEWA.
Among the honorable names in the county of Clinton
that recall the qualities of energy and force of character as
the chief elements in a successful career, no finer example
is discovered than that presented in the life of John H. Fedewa. With two hundred and fifty dollars given him in
early life,-a mere adjunct to the capital which his own industry and ambition supplied,-he has at the age of thirtyone years not only acquired a thorough legal education
but been the recipient of many offices of trust, and is now
filling for the second term the office of prosecuting attorney for the county.
His father, Morris Fedewa, was born in Germany, in
1812, the birth of his mother, also a native of Germany,
having occurred the year following. They emigrated to the
hospitable shores of America during the year 1842, and at
once embarked in agricultural pursuits in the township of
Dallas, Clinton Co. Here their son was born May 8, 1849,
having been the eighth in a family of twelve children.
Mr. and Mrs. Fedewa experienced all the hardships of
the early settler, the former having borne his grist many
miles to Lyons, to avail himself of the nearest mill. Until
the age of eighteen years John H. led the accustomed life
of the farmer's son, having labored in summer and studied
in winter. He later enjoyed for two years the advantages
of the St. Johns High School, after which he taught for a
brief period. In 1870 he entered the law-school at the
University of Michigan, from which he graduated May 27,
1872. He then began the practice of his profession in
Westphalia, and in 1873 was elected supervisor of the
township. He was re-elected the following year, and soon
after honored with the office of prosecuting attorney of
the county, which occasioned his removal to St. Johns,
where he remained until 1877. He returned again to his
former residence, and was soon recalled to the office of supervisor of the township, which he filled for two successive
terms. The ability with which he discharged the onerous
duties of prosecuting attorney during a previous term insured his re-election in 1878, and his removal again to St.
Johns as a result. Mr. Fedewa was on the 27th of No

vember, 1876, married to Miss Lizzie Petsch, of Fowler,
Clinton Co., Mich. Their home is graced by the presence
of one little daughter, named Pauline May.