Wayne County MI Genealogy – Access Genealogy

Selman, T. William – Obituary

T. William “Bill” Selman, 66, died while visiting family in Portland on Oct. 30. A celebration of his life will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church. Bill was born June 28, 1941, in Detroit, Mich., to Joseph and Catherine Selman. He lived in many places throughout his life and always said home was where his family was. Those who knew him say his faith was the guiding principle in his life through which he strove to bring love and healing to others. He reached out with an open mind and an open heart … Read more

Slave Narrative of Sam McAllum

Interviewer: Marjorie Woods Austin Person Interviewed: Sam McAllum Location: Meridian, Mississippi Date of Birth: September 2, 1842 Age: 95 Place of Residence: Meridian, Lauderdale County To those familiar with the history of “Bloody Kemper” as recorded, the following narrative from the lips of an eye-witness will be heresy. But the subject of this autobiography, carrying his ninety-five years more trimly than many a man of sixty, is declared sound of mind as well as of body by the Hector Currie family, prominent in Mississippi, for whom he has worked in a position of great trust and responsibility for fifty years … Read more

Garrett, Mayme Thelma Hacker Mrs. – Obituary

Mayme Thelma Garrett, 86, of Baker City, died Jan. 27, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Gray’s West & Co., 1500 Dewey Ave. Friends and relatives are invited to a celebration in her memory at the Eagles Lodge, 2935 H St., after the service. Mayme was born on June 17, 1918, to Perly O. and Flora Temple Devaney Hacker. She was christened with the name of Mayme Thelma Hacker. She married Harlin Lawrence Garrett in Morgan County, Tenn., on Nov. 9, 1935. The couple started a family on a small … Read more

War Between the Colonies and The Western Indians – From 1763 To 1765

A struggle began in 1760, in which the English had to contend with a more powerful Indian enemy than any they had yet encountered. Pontiac, a chief renowned both in America and Europe, as a brave and skillful warrior, and a far-sighted and active ruler, was at the head of all the Indian tribes on the great lakes. Among these were the Ottawas, Miamis, Chippewas, Wyandott, Pottawatomie, Winnebago, Shawanese, Ottagamie, and Mississagas. After the capture of Quebec, in 1760, Major Rodgers was sent into the country of Pontiac to drive the French from it. Apprised of his approach, Pontiac sent … Read more

Biography of Richard M. Kleinhans

Richard M. Kleinhans is a veteran railroad man, having been in the active service more than twenty years. He started in his native State of Michigan, worked through various grades of promotion with the Lake Shore Branch of the New York Central lines, and finally came to the Southwest in the employ of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas. He is now car accountant for that road with headquarters at Parsons. Born in Detroit, Michigan, September 8, 1877, he is a son of George and Cecelia (Hunt) Kleinhans. His father was born in Pennsylvania in 1813, moved from that state to … Read more

Biography of Bert R. Parrot

Bert R. Parrott, a mechanical engineer and one of the directors of the Dorris Motors Corporation of St. Louis, was born in Mendon, Ohio, in December, 1873, his parents being Joseph J. and Harriet (Waters) Parrott. The father was a native of Virginia and was of French descent. The mother was born in Ohio belonging to one of the old families of Columbus, Ohio, whose founder was Mitchell Waters, the grandfather of Mrs. Parrott and recognized at one time as the merchant prince of that city. He established the first department store in that section of the country and in … Read more

Biography of Archibald Miller

Archibald Miller. Chase County was organized in 1859. One of the local citizens of the meager population then living here who took a prominent part in the organization, and one of the very few survivors of that time, is Mr. Archibald Miller, now living in comfort and retired from business cares at Cottonwood Falls, the county seat. Mr. Miller had witnessed all the development of this Kansas county, its growth and population, the development of its splendid resources as an agrioultural and stock raising section and had borne more than an individual share in all these developments, having been a … Read more

Biography of John Lumbard

The name of John Lumbard is closely interwoven with the history of Muskogee, for he remained an active factor in the development and progress of this section of the state to the time of his death. He was born in Sweden, May 21, 1862, and was a son of William and Catherine Lumbard, who were also natives of that country. The father was warden of the Lutheran church in Sweden, to which he belonged through the greater part of his life, and was always a faithful follower of the teachings and high purposes of the church. He died in Sweden … Read more

Life and travels of Colonel James Smith – Indian Captivities

James Smith, pioneer, was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, in 1737. When he was eighteen years of age he was captured by the Indians, was adopted into one of their tribes, and lived with them as one of themselves until his escape in 1759. He became a lieutenant under General Bouquet during the expedition against the Ohio Indians in 1764, and was captain of a company of rangers in Lord Dunmore’s War. In 1775 he was promoted to major of militia. He served in the Pennsylvania convention in 1776, and in the assembly in 1776-77. In the latter year he was commissioned colonel in command on the frontiers, and performed distinguished services. Smith moved to Kentucky in 1788. He was a member of the Danville convention, and represented Bourbon county for many years in the legislature. He died in Washington county, Kentucky, in 1812. The following narrative of his experience as member of an Indian tribe is from his own book entitled “Remarkable Adventures in the Life and Travels of Colonel James Smith,” printed at Lexington, Kentucky, in 1799. It affords a striking contrast to the terrible experiences of the other captives whose stories are republished in this book; for he was well treated, and stayed so long with his red captors that he acquired expert knowledge of their arts and customs, and deep insight into their character.

Slave Narrative of Ambrose Douglass

Interviewer: Martin D. Richardson Person Interviewed: Ambrose Douglass Location: Brooksville, Florida Age: 92 In 1861, when he was 16 years old, Ambrose Hilliard Douglass was given a sound beating by his North Carolina master because he attempted to refuse the mate that had been given to him–with the instructions to produce a healthy boy-child by her–and a long argument on the value of having good, strong, healthy children. In 1937, at the age of 92, Ambrose Douglass welcomed his 38th child into the world. The near-centenarian lives near Brooksville, in Hernando County, on a run-down farm that he no longer … Read more

Biography of Ludwick Oldenburg

LUDWICK OLDENBURG. – The distinguished orchardist, of whom we now have the privilege of speaking is one of the prominent men of Union county and by his commendable efforts, as well as by his excellent abilities and stanch moral worth, ahs merited the position that he holds, wherein he has demeaned himself with a discretion and wisdom that have commended him to his fellow men, while his most excellent achievements in the line in which he is industrially employed have placed his name among the largest and most capable fruit growers of the entire northwest. In the northern part of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W. H. Canniff

Canniff, W. H.; railroad business; born, Litchfield, Mich., Oct. 22, 1847; business career, entered railway service in 1863; until 1865 was night watchman on the Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana R. R., at Osseo, Mich.; February 1865, to August 1868, was agt. of the same road at Trenton, Mich.; August 1868, to August 1872, joint agt. of The Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana, and Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railways, at Salem Crossing, Ind.; August 1872, to December 1879, trackmaster of the Kendallville Division of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern R. R.; December 1879, to November 1880, trackmaster of … Read more

1894 Michigan State Census – Wayne County

United States Soldiers of the Civil War Residing in Michigan, June 1, 1894 [ Names within brackets are reported in letters. ] Brownstown Township – David Sanderson. William Carson. Edward Carson, William J. Vreeland. William S. Vreeland, Albert W. Wegar. Roderic Broughton, Frederick Closser. John Busembark. John Washer. Frank Ferstel, William Knight. John R. Brown, William H. Blanchard, Charles Strewing. John Shavanaw. Thomas Raymond, H. A. M. Jones. H. Abram Frank, William Anteau. Samuel W. Vanpelt, Henry M. Smith. Samuel F. Smith, Henry Lautenschlager. Wesley B. Littlefield, Chandler D. Wells, David Smith, Lorenzo Ferstel, Edmund Beech, Charles Simpson, Lucius Lobdell, … Read more

James Bethel Todd of Detroit MI

James Bethel Todd8, (Bethel7, Jehiel6, Stephen5, Stephen4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born March 25, 1830, died Nov. 25, 1898, in Detroit, Mich., married June 10, 1860, Louisa M. Howard, who was born Nov. 22, 1840, at Amherst Island, Canada. Children: 2067. James Howard, b. May 26, 1869, in Pultneyville, N. Y. 2068. Percival.

Lord Dunmore’s War

The war in 1774 with the Indians, known as “Dunmore’s War” had its origin from the murders committed upon Indians by the Virginians in the region of the upper Ohio.

Biography of George H. Crafts

George H. Crafts, a rancher near Redlands, was born in New York City in 1844, and came to California with his father in 1861. His father, Myron H. Crafts, was born in Whately, Massachusetts, in 1816, and established the first temperance grocery in New York City. He also had a large meat-curing house there, but was burnt out in 1844, and then went to Jackson, Michigan, where he started a soap and candle factory. He next went to Windsor, where he farmed for a while, and then went to Detroit and accepted a position as cashier in C. & A. … Read more

Ottawa Indian Chiefs and Leaders

The following were chiefs or leaders of the Ottawa Indians. Pontiac An Ottawa chief, born about 1720, probably on Maumee river, Ohio, about the mouth of the Auglaize. Though his paternity is not positively established, it is most likely that his father was an Ottawa chief and his mother a Chippewa woman. J. Wimer says that as early as 1746 he commanded the Indians, mostly Ottawa, who defended Detroit against the attack of the northern tribes. It is supposed he led the Ottawa and Chippewa warriors at Braddock’s defeat. He first appears prominently in history at his meeting with Maj. Robert Rogers, in … Read more

Slave Narrative of John Cameron

Person Interviewed: John Cameron Location: Jackson, Mississippi Date of Birth: 1842 John Cameron, ex-slave, lives in Jackson. He was born in 1842 and was owned by Howell Magee. He is five feet six inches tall, and weighs about 150 pounds. His general coloring is blackish-brown with white kinky hair. He is in fairly good health. “I’se always lived right here in Hinds County. I’s seen Jackson grow from de groun’ up. “My old Marster was de bes’ man in de worl’. I jus’ wish I could tell, an’ make it plain, jus’ how good him an’ old Mistis was. Marster … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Roy Wright MacDiarmid

MacDiarmid, Roy Wright; candy merchant; born, Detroit, Mich., Jan. 31, 1889; son of Alex. A. and Hester L. Wright MacDiarmid; after finishing the public schools, was in a banking position for a time; then with Marks, wholesaler of Ladies’ Furs, as cashier and office mgr.; there five years; in 1905, entered with his family into making and retailing their homemade candies, retaining his position with Marks until 1909, resigning then to devote his entire time to the MacDiarmid’s candy business; came to Cleveland in 1910, and established three retail stores and a complete department for making candies; treas. and mgr. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles A. Ricks

Ricks, Charles A.; sec’y and treas. Kuhlman Car Co.; born, Knoxville, Tenn., Aug. 14, 1868; son of Augustus J. and Emma Maxwell Atwater Ricks; educated, Kenyon Military Academy, and Kenyon College; married, Oct. 21, 1897, at Detroit, Mich., Miss Margaret Trowbridge; business career, 1888 clerk First National Bank, Massillon, O., sec’y and treas. Massillon Loan Ass’n; came to Cleveland in 1890, and became auditor and traveling salesman for the Standard Oil Co.; in 1896, appointed mgr. of the Cleveland station; in 1900, organized the G. C. Kuhlman Car Co., sec’y and treas., builds electric and steam railway cars, turning out … Read more