Jacob Butzbach

As printed in 1906

JACOB BUTZBACH, of Bainbridge township, was born in an old log house on what has long been known as the homestead farm of the family, his natal day being March 27, 1854. His boyhood days were spent upon the farm and in early life he began working for Randall Brothers at Millburg. He was also employed in the woods in Lake township and in Millburg, having charge for two years of the operations in the forest. Later his business attention was given to the purchase and sale of fruit in Benton Harbor for two seasons. The first land wliich he ever owned was a tract of forty acres in Benton township a mile south of the Pearl schoolhouse, and taking up his above thereon he made it his home for nine years, during wliich time he was engaged in the cultivation of small fruit. He prospered in his undertakings and at length sold his place to advantage. He then invested in his present farm, comprising eighty acres, a half mile north of Bainbridge Center, for wliich he paid thirty-tW'O hundred and fifty dollars. It was all under cultivation at that time save sixteen acres which he has since cleared and developed, and as his financial resources have increased he has added to the original place until he now has one hundred and forty acres, constituting a valuable property, which is well improved and which returns an excellent income for the care and labor bestowed upon it. In 1900 Mr. Butzbach erected his present residence, which is one of the fine homes of the township. His farm is devoted to grain and fruit raising and he has thirty-five acres planted to peaches, six acres in grapes and also a variety of other fruits, although plums, peaches and grapes are his principal products. His sales of fruit have netted him in a single season a profit of twenty-five hundred dollars. When this farm came into his possession it was in a run down condition. It had been rented and was used for the raising of grain. Mr. Butzbach planted it to clover, which he plowed under, and through modern farming methods he has brought his place up to a high state of fertility and productiveness. He keeps six cows and is a stockholder in the Mi 11 burg creamery.

At the age of twenty-eight years, in February, 1884, Mr. Butzbach was married to Miss Sophia Sinn, a daughter of Adam Sinn, of Royalton township. She was born in Chicago but in her early girlhood days was brought to Berrien county and was twenty four years of age at the time of her marriage, which has been blessed with a family of five children, Alfred, Roy, Alice, Delia and Luella. Mr. Butzbach is a member of the Maccabee tent, at Bainbridge, and is a stalwart Republican, who frequently attends the conventions of his party and is recognized as one of the unfaltering advocates of its principles.

As printed in A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.