Increase S. Hamilton

As printed in 1879

INCREASE S. HAMILTON was born in Cummington, Hampshire county, Mass., January 5, 1810. His father, Obadiah Hamilton, was born in Pelham, Mass., where he resided until *his marriage to Miss Lusanah Richardson, of Cummington, Mass. After his marriage he made Cummington his home until 1818, and raised a family of eight children, of which Dr. I. S. Hamilton, now the only survivor, was the youngest. In 1818 he moved with his family to Perinton, Monroe county, N. Y., and purchased a farm. He lived there until his death, in 1828. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. The mother, Lusanah Hamilton, died in Medina, this county, in 1843. When Increase 8. Hamilton was fourteen years old he was thrown entirely upon his own resources, and learned the carpenter’s trade, which he followed for several years. At the age of sixteen he commenced a course of study, with a definite idea of first getting an education, and subsequently choosing a profession. He worked at his trade during the summer months, and went to school and taught school until he was twenty-two, and in September, 1830, he went to Painesville, Ohio, and commenced the study of medicine with Dr. James Willard, and regarded him as his private recep tor for three years, although he spent considerable of the time dur- ing the years 1832-3, in Pennsylvania, teaching school. In the fall of 1833 he entered Fairfield Medical College, at Fairfield, Herkimer county, X. Y., and graduated in March, 1835. Previous to going to College the Doctor studied Latin and Greek for nearly three years under a tutor, and was a proficient scholar. May 28, 1835, Dr. Hamilton landed in Detroit. On the following morning he started for Adrian, and after a two days’ walk he arrived at the residence of his brother-in-law, Wanton Graham, who lived five miles south of Adrian. During the following month he prospected through Lenawee, Washtenaw, Jackson, Calhoun and Hillsdale counties, with the idea of locating in some village that gave a prospect of becoming a large place, but was finally induced by a Mr. White (who had come on from Canandaigua, X Y., and located on Bean Creek, and called the place Canandaigua,) to settle there, as it was then believed that the Michigan Southern railroad, which had been partially surveyed through there, would make it a large town. But as the road did not come on that route the village never grew to become of much importance. IV. Hamilton erected the first frame house in Canandaigua village. During the fall of 1835 the Doctor opened the first school in Canandaigua, but after teaching about one month his professional services were so much sought after, that he was obliged to relinquish the school to his wife, who taught through the winter. During the winter of 1836 he purchased a farm on sections 3, 10 and 11, in Medina, and moved into the village of Medina in the spring of 1837, and devoted himself to the practice of medicine, and clearing off his farm of 200 acres. He did a large professional business until the spring of 1844. He was a delegate to the county convention which convened in Adrian to consider the action of Congress in regard to the settlement of the Toledo war difficulties, and the setting off of the strip of territory including Toledo, and acquiring in return the Up per Peninsula. The Doctor acted as one of the clerks of the convention. He was a member of the first county convention that nominated officers under the State constitution. At this time there were no party lines, but soon after, when there was a party organization, the Doctor went with the Whigs. In 1840 lie made the first Fourth of July oration ever delivered in Hudson. On the Fourth of July, 1836, he delivered the first temperance lecture on Bean Creek, at Canandaigua. In 1842 he svas the candidate of the Whig party for member of the Legislature. In 1844 he went to Adrian and formed a partnership with Dr. Cad man, but the following December the partnership was dissolved, and Dr. Hamilton went to Tecumseh, where he now resides. Since his residence in Tecumseh he has devoted himself exclusively to his profession, and has attained a high position as a skillful and scientific man; has for several years been a member of the State Medical Society, and also the Southern Michigan Society, of which he has been President. He has represented both societies as delegate to the National Medical Association of which he is a permanent member. Owing to his advanced age and failing health, at the last meeting of both the State, and Southern Michigan societies, he was made an honorary member. In October, 1879, he was made a corresponding member of the Detroit Academy of Medicine. The Doctor has ever since his residence in Michigan, been an ardent supporter of our educational interests, and for thirty years has been a Trustee of the Kalamazoo College. For forty years he has been a member of the Baptist Church, and a prominent and active worker in the Christian cause. During the war of the rebellion the Doctor was a warm and active supporter of the Union cause, and not only did active work, but gave liberally of his means to carry on the war, sustain the government, and make the soldiers as comfortable as possible. April 18, 1834, Dr. I. S. Hamilton married Sarah B. Wheeler, daughter of Abel Wheeler, of Painesville, Ohio, who died in Medina in 1842, leaving him with two children, one only three days old. In 1843 he married Harriet R. Daniels, sister of the Hon. Ebenezer Daniels, of Medi na, who died July 3,.1871, leaving two daughters. Of the children, only one is now alive, Harriet L., now the wife of Albert L. Brewer, of Tecumseh September 5, 1873, Dr. Hamilton married Miss Ann Elizabeth White, daughter of Thomas and Sophrona White, of Seneca Falls, N. Y.

iTTBENEZER G. MILLS was born in Groveland, Livingston iFgv county, N. Y., February 12, 1810. His father, Major Philo Mills, was a native of the State of New York, and was born November 1, 1775. He was a farmer and owned a farm in Groveland, Livingston county, N. Y., where he resided until 1835, when he came to Michigan and settled in Franklin, where he located and purchased 960 acres of land on sections 7 and 18, besides 320 acres in Cambridge, and 400 acres in Moscow, Hills dale county. He built his house on section 18, in Franklin, where he resided until his death, which occurred August 27, 1841. He was one of the most active and energetic men that had settled in Lenawee county up to that time. During the five years that he resided on the land he cleared, fenced and cropped nearly two* hundred acres. He built a frame house and barn, and was the largest and most prosperous farmer in the township. During his residence in the State of New York he was made a major in the State militia, his brother William being a general, and his brother Lewis being captain. About the year 1800 Major Philo Mills married Mary Green, by whom he had fourteen children, Ebenezer being the third son and fourth child. Mrs. Mary Mills was born in Canada, June 7, 1783, and died in Franklin, February 2, 1842. Ebenezer Mills lived with his parents until he was twenty-two years old, and was brought up a farmer. In 1829 his father came to Michigan and purchased land in Lenawee county, and in the fall of 1830 Ebenezer came to settle on a part of it. The land was on section 18, in the present town of Franklin. He resided there until 1835, when he traded with his father for land in Hillsdale county, which he afterward sold and purchased a farm on section 8, where he now resides. When he came in 1830, and for a year or two afterward, deer were very numerous. His house stood near a “run way/’ and he has often of a morning counted from seventy to eighty in a drove going from the “ openings to the timbered laud.” Fresh meat was plenty then, for all he had to do was to wait until they came along and shoot a deer most any day. He was quite familiar with the Indians, and sometimes went hunting with them. He remembers two Indians in particular, “Swash” and “Kidney,” who often camped near by, and would trade and beg as only Indians can. Wolves were very plenty, and, although he never lost any stock by them, he often heard of the neighbor’s stock be ing attacked and driven in. It was nothing uncommon to hear that a neighbor’s pig had been carried off by a bear. Ebenezer is the only one of seven children who came to Lenawee county with their parents, that now resides in Franklin. May 3, 1831, Ebenezer Mills married Ann Brears, daughter of Thomas and Leah Brears, by whom he has had eight children, as follows. Nancy, born December 31, 1832, now the widow of William Smith, of Franklin; Philo T., born November 6, 1834, was a soldier in the war of the rebellion, and member of Company E, Eighteenth Michigan Infantry, and died at Decatur, Ala., October 24, 1864; Elizabeth B., born February 29, 1837, was the wife of Mason Camburn, and died April 5, 1874; Henrietta, born August 23, 1839, now the wife of Edwin Bunting, a farmer of Rush, Shia wasser county; Ransom W., born January 24, 1843, was a soldier in the war of the rebellion, and member of Company E, Eighteenth Michigan Infantry, now a farmer of Franklin; Sarah Jane, born December 25, 1845, now the wife of Mason Camburn, of Franklin; Edward J., born May 6, 1847, and died December 8, 1871; Emma M., born April 8, 1850, at home. Mrs. Ann Mills was born at Ferry Bridge, Yorkshire, England, November 3, 1811, and came to America with her brother, John Brears, in 1830, and settled in Franklin. Her parents were natives of Yorkshire, were farmers, and both died there.

SPHRAIM SLOAN was born in Pawlet, Rutland county, Vt, April 28, 1806. His father, James Sloan, was a na five of Townsend, Mass., and when young learned the shoe maker’s trade, but after moving to Vermont, he purchased a farm, where he lived until his death, which occurred in 1819. About the year 1801 he married Elizabeth Beal, daughter of Seth Beal, of Conway, Mass., by whom he had six children, Ephraim being the third son and child. Mrs. Elizabeth Sloan came to Michigan in 1835, and died in Rollin in 1837. Ephraim Sloan lived with his parents until he was fourteen years old, when he went to Palmyra, N. Y., and lived with his uncle until he was twenty-one. In 1827 he went to Williamson, Wayne county, N. Y., and purchased a farm and resided there three years. He then sold out and went to Macedon, residing there until 1833, when he came to Michigan, and in the spring of 1834 located land on section 8, in Rollin, where he now resides. When a young man he followed car entering, and assisted in building all the first mills on Bean creek, in Rollin. He also assisted in building a large number of the first houses and barns in the township. He was young when he came to Lenawee county, having everything to gain, and took considerable interest in the topography of the township. He sent to Dan. B. Miller, Land Commissioner, at Monroe, and made an arrangement by which he got a plat of the townships of Rollin and Wheatland, each month, showing the land still untaken. These plats afforded him an advantage that no one else enjoyed, and his services as “ land looker” were in constant* demand by the newcomers during the year 1834. He enjoyed his pioneer life here, and never met with any serious accident or misfortune. He always had enough to eat and to wear, and to visit with the neighboring settlers, to hear the trees fall, and see the light from the burning log heaps and brush piles at night, was greater enjoyment than he has ever experienced since. He thinks a pio neer’s life a glorious one, if health and strength is spared, and now thinks back to the old times with a painful longing to live them over again. He then knew every person for ten miles around, and all was as one family in sickness, trouble or want. He remembers one day in 1834, that Abel Whitney, then a young man of Adrian, came along in search of his brother-in-law, Burrows Brown, who lived in Wheatland. Mr. Sloan directed him to the “ Cold water trail,” some little distance northwest. Mr. Whitney went on, spending nearly all the afternoon in search of the trail, and just before dark returned to Mr. Sloan’s, utterly confused and out of patience with his ill success. Finally Mr. Sloan went with him to the trail, although it was nearly dark, and directed him to put the spurs to his horse and not to be found in the woods at night, as wolves were plenty. He finally found the house. September 23, 1842, Ephraim Sloan married Charity G. Hathaway, daughter of James and Dorothy Hathaway, of Rollin, by whom he Bad two children, as follows: William J., born in Rollin, August 16, 1843, works the home farm; Ellen H., born same place, November 4, 1848, at home. Mrs. Charity Sloan was born January 1, 1819, came to Michigan with her parents in 1834, and settled in Rollin in 1837. She died in Rollin, August 20, 1866. Her parents were members of the Society of Friends, and were natives of Massachusetts. Mrs. Sloan was also a member of the Friends’ Society, and was an unselfish, charitable, Christian woman, whom all admired and respected.

fAMUEL M. HAMILTON was born in Perinton, Monroe county, N. Y., December 24, 1826. He lived there only a few years when his father moved to Orleans county, and in the fall of 1834 he moved to Portage (now Summit) county, Ohio. Samuel M. only stayed there through the winter, and in the spring of 1835 he came to Michigan with his uncle, Dr. I. S. Hamilton, who settled in Medina, this county. Samuel only remained with his uncle about three months, when lie went to live with his aunt, Mrs. Wanton Graham, in Madison. He lived with Mrs. Graham until the fall of 1845, when he went to Whiteside county, Ill., and remained about fifteen months. In February, 1847, he returned to Michigan, and followed different pursuits until August, 1853, when he purchased one hundred acres of land on section 18, in Ogden, of Benjamin F. Butler, who at one time owned a large tract in that township. Mr. Hamilton lived on this land, improving it, setting out a good orchard, erecting good buildings, and making it his home until 1865, when he sold out and purchased a farm on the town line, on section 7. September 16, 1861, Mr. Hamilton enlisted in the Sixth U. S. Cavalry, and served three years. His regiment was in the Army of the Potomac, and he took part in over fifty battles and skirmishes, never receiving a wound or an injury. In 1869 he sold his farm in Ogden to Stephen C. Baker, and went to Saline county, Kan., where lie purchased a large farm. His experience in Kansas was not the most pleasant, and he says he would as soon take his chances in the regular army as there. In 1870 the State experienced a terrible drouth, when everything was completely destroyed by the dry weather and chinch bugs. But the worst scourge he ever experienced was the great grasshopper raid in 1874. He says he has never read anything that describes the utter desolation caused by these pests. With the drouth, grasshoppers, cyclones, hailstorms, prairie fires, etc., to which farmers were then exposed he has no pleasant recollections of Kansas. In November, 1877, he returned to Michigan and purchased the old Jesse Stretch farm, on section 7, in Palmyra, this county, where he now resides. During Mr. Hamilton’s residence in Ogden he was quite active in politics, and served as justice of the peace eight years, school inspector twelve years, and town treasurer two years, filling all these offices acceptably. Samuel M. Hamilton’s father, John L. Hamilton, was born in Cheshire county, Mass., June 1, 1797, of Scotch ancestors, and died in Ogden, this county, July 25, 1866. His wife was Matilda Durkees, who was a native of New York. She was married to John L. Hamilton, October 16, 1824, and died June 28, 1832. ' August 21, 1853, Samuel M. Hamilton was married to Miss Nancy Nash, daughter of Samuel and Sarah M. Nash, of Madison, this county, by whom he has had. three children, as follows: Nathan

As printed in History and biographical record of Lenawee County, Michigan : containing a history of the organization and early settlement of the county, together with a biographical record of many of the oldest and (1879). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.