Joshua Feather

As printed in 1906

JOSHUA FEATHER is a retired farmer living on section 7, Oronoko township. A review of the past indicates that for a long period he was one of the most active and enterprising representatives of agricultural interests in his part of the county and as a result of his labors he acquired a competence that is sufficient to enable him now to enjoy a well earned rest. He was at one time the owner of six hundred and thirty ty-three acres of valuable land but he has since shared his holdings with his sons.

His life record began in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, February 2y, 1832. His father, Joshua Feather, also a native of the Keystone State, was a son of John Henry Feather, who was likewise born in Pennsylvania. The family is of German descent and was established in America at an early period in the colonization of the new world, Joshua Feather being of the fourth generation in this country. John H. Feather followed the occupation of farming during the greater part of his life, although he was a shoe-maker by trade and did good work along that line. His son, Joshua Feather, also became a shoe-maker and farmer. He remained a resident of Pennsylvania until after his marriage to Miss Mary Smith, a native of that state and a daughter of Michael Smith. In the year 1836 they brought their family to Michigan, settling in Oronoko township, Berrien county, where the father entered one hundred and twenty acres of land from the government. Not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made upon the place but with characteristic energy he began its development and with the assistance of his three sons transformed the wild land into productive fields. He also figured prominently in public life, serving as highway commissioner and doing much for general progress. In politics he was a Democrat, active in the work of the party and he did much to mold public thought and action in an early day. He was prominent in Masonry, in which he attained the Knight Templar degree, at Niles, Michigan. He held the highest office within the gift of the chapter at St. Joseph and which he helped organize. He was also one of the most helpful and zealous members of the Evangelical Lutheran church and he died in that faith at the age of seventy-three years. His wife, an earnest Christian woman, passed away in her eighty-second year. There were four sons and one daughter in the family, all of whom reached adult life.

Joshua Feather, the third child and third son of the family, was but four years of age when brought to Berrien county, Michigan, and now for three score years and ten he has been a resident of Oronoko township. He has, however, traveled all over the country, thus gaining an intimate knowledge of his native land. He spent one winter, or three months, in the west and three months upon the gulf in the south. When a boy he was a student in a log schoolhouse which was furnished with slab seats and an immense fire place. The methods of instruction were primitive as compared with those of the present day but he made good use of his opportunities and reading, experience, observation and travel have since added largely to his knowledge. He remained at home until twenty-one years of age, when he began earning his living by working in the woods and thus he gained his start in life. When he was married he took his.bride to a hewed log house on the farm where he now lives and there he has resided continuously since, covering a period of more than a half century. He has been very successful in a business way and an analyzation of his life record shows that this result has been attained through close and unremitting diligence, supplemented by sound business judgment and unfaltering enterprise. As the years passed and his financial resources permitted he added to his land until his holdings embraced six hundred and thirty-three acres but he has since given two good farms to his sons, William A., of Lake township, and Stephen A., of Oronoko township. In the year 1856 Mr. Feather was united in marriage to Miss Susan Harner, a daughter of John Harner, who was one of the early settlers of Lake township. Her father was a native of Snyder county, Pennsylvania, whence he removed to Ohio, where Mrs. Feather was born. She was a little maiden of only six summers when her parents came to Berrien county, Michigan, and here she has lived continuously since.

Mr. Feather has never been an office seeker although he is not neglectful of the duties of citizenship devolving upon him. He has preferred, however, to perform his public service as a private citizen rather than as an incumbent in office. For a long period he voted with the Democracy but a change in his political views led him to give his support to the Republican party, of which he has now been an advocate for many years. He is an active and helpful member of the Lutheran church and has contributed freely and generously to its support. He has also been a member of the Masonic fraternity since 1858 and belongs to Western Star Lodge, No. 39,

A. F. & A. M. He continued for many years in active farm work but now leaves the more arduous duties of the fields to his sons, with whom he has been most generous, dividing with them his extensive landed possessions. His name has long been a synonym for activity and integrity in business affairs and not through speculation or any particularly fortunate circumstances but through his own intense and well directeci activity has he gained the place which he:: now occupies as a substantial and representative citizen of Berrien county. ri

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.