History of Saginaw county, Michigan; together with ... portraits ... and biographies ... History of Michigan ...

BRIDGEPORT TOWNSHIP.

771

son of Conrad and Sarah Sinons, natives of New York and Vermont. Mr. Simons' father died when he was yet a youtlh, and he
was reaied at Camden, N. Y., and received a fair education. In
1869 he came to Bridgeport and operated a saw-mill for two years.
He then formed a partnership with W. H. P. Benjamin, in the
mercantile trade. On Aug. 15, 1861, Mr. Simons enlisted in Co.
E, 32d Reg. N. Y. Vol. Inf., under Capt. Forbes, and participated
in all the battles of the army of the Potomac. He was honorably discharged June 9, 1862.. He was married in April, 1871, to
Marion Lull. They have 3 children —Effie, Charles and Edwin.
Mr. Simons is a staunch Republican. He manufactured 1,000,000
brick in 1880.
Silas Woodard, agriculturist, sec. 24, was born at Geneva,
N. Y., Nov. 11, 1812; parenlts were Benjamin and Polly Woodard; grandfather and two brothers came from England, and settled
in Onondaga Co., N. Y.; subject of sketch passed his early life in
Cayuga Co., N. Y., and in 1839, came to Saginaw Co., purchasing
80 acres of land, where he now resides; he returned to New York,
and in 1840 located in Oakland Co., Mich., and five years later on
his farm in this county; was the first settler in county east of
plank road; built log cabin 18x24 feet, where he resided 14 years
without seeing the smoke of a chimney of a neighbor; is a cooper
by trade, and worked at that trade more or less from 1833 to 1879,
six years of which in Tuscola Co., Mich.; is Republican; has been
Justice of the Peace two terms, and owns 80 acres of land; was married Oct. 8, 1837, to Elizabeth, daughter of James and Lydia La
Rue, of New Jersey, who was born in Livingston Co., N. Y.,
July 22, 1818. Three children are living ---Esther, wife of E. C.
Roberts; Henry, who married Sarah Sutherland, and Wilhelmina;
deceased are Leona, Desias, Burt and William. Their flour was
obtained at tle Thread mills beyond Flint, following trail by marked
trees.