Source: A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Branch County, Michigan, by Rev. Henry P. Collin, M.A., published by The Lewis Publishing Company, New York: Chicago, 1906;
Pg. 393
JOHN F. PHILLIPS.
Many of the successful men of this country have achieved success while conducting agriculture along with other lines of business, giving a portion of their time to each avocation and becoming adept in each. One of these is the gentleman named above, Mr. John F. Phillips, who occupies a comfortable farm home on section sixteen, Kinderhook township.
Mr. Phillips is of English birth, he having been born in Cornwall, England, May 6, 1844. The Phillips had been residents of Cornwall for many generations and the first of the family to leave the mother country and come to America was the paternal grandfather of our subject, who settled in Hastings county, Canada, where he spent the remainder of his life. Our subject's father, John Phillips, was also born in Cornwall, England, where he grew to manhood and married Elizabeth Roberts, a native of the same place. They were the parents of three children, when, a few years after the departure of the senior Phillips, they decided to also try their fortunes in the new country. They made the voyage in 1850 and likewise located in Ontario upon ,a new farm. The father died two years after their arrival and the son, John F., was brought up by strangers, he being only eight years old when his father died. John Phillips and Mary Roberts Phillips were the parents of five children, as follows: Peter died in Hastings, Canada; John F. is the subject of this review; Mary Honey, Susan Holmes and Josiah Phillips always made their home in Ontario, and of the family only John F. and Mary Honey are living. The mother also died in Ontario in 1880.
John F. Phillips lived in Canada until 1865 and then went to Lockport, New York. He had learned the trade of carpenter and joiner in Canada and after going to Lockport he worked at his trade in shops there for several years. This was followed by two years' work upon a farm not far from Lockport, after which he worked at his trade at Charlottesville, New York, until 1871, when he came to Michigan, locating first at Kinderhook Corners, where he remained for two years. His first purchase of land was fifty acres, which comprises a portion of his present farm, and in later years he increased this to one hundred and eighteen acres. The place was but little improved and he cleared the land himself, working also at his trade when opportunity offered. It is an acknowledged fact that no carpenter or contractor in this portion of the county has so many good buildings to his credit as has Mr. Phillips. He has been engaged in construction in all the southern townships of Branch county, as well as in the northern townships of Steuben county, Indiana, and his buildings have stood the test of years.
Mr. Phillips was married, March 30, 1871, to Emma Ketchum, who was born in Niagara county, New York, February 8, 1846, and who died here January 10, 1887. Two children were born unto them: Mertie is the wife of Frank Whaley and their home is in Kinderhook; they have one daughter, Mildred. The other daughter, Nettie L., is the wife of Francis Flandemeyer and they live in Coldwater, Michigan. Mrs. Phillips' parents were George Ketchum and Mary Jane West, natives of western New York state, where Mrs. Ketchum died, her husband afterward coming to Michigan and dying at Flint December 11, 1905. Three of the Ketchum children are still living: Mrs. L. J. Skinner, of Flint, Michigan; William I. Ketchum, of New Fane, New York; and Charles Ketchum, of Lockport, New York.
The second marriage of Mr. Phillips occurred November 11, 1888, when he was united with Miss Alice A. Hess, a native of Alabama, New York, where she was born May 5, 1859, her father being Phillip Hess, born in Germany, and her mother being Mary Lawrence, a native of Rloyalton, New York. Mr. Hess was born March 31, 1821, and Mary Lawrence was born December 6, 1823. They were married at Buffalo, New York, and were the parents of nine children, all of whom grew to maturity, as! follows: Charles PL lives in South Dakota; Frances Ross died in South Frankfort, Michigan; Homer died in Orleans county, New York; Mary Martin lives in Kinderhook; Nellie died in New York state; George P. died in Genesee county, New York; Iona J. Thompson lives in Genesee county, New York; Martin K. lives in Kinderhook; Alice Phillips is the wife of our subject. Mr. and Mrs. Hess were esteemed people and both members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Hess died April 19, 1902, while Mrs. Hess passed away November 20* 1897. Tracing their genealogy still further we learn that the father of Mr. Hess was George Hess, while the father of Mrs. Hess was Alvin Lawrence, whose wife was Abigail Parker, both being of English descent. The marriage of John F. Phillips and Alice Hess has been a particularly happy one, and it has been blessed with one son, Clare J., whose birth occurred September 28, 1895. He lives at home with his parents and is attending school. In addition to his business as a builder, Mr. Phillips also finds a great deal of his time occupied with other outside matters, he having been administrator of many estates and dealing considerably in real estate of various kinds. At the same time he manages his farm after the best and most approved methods and we find it a model in condition and general appearance, being supplied with excellent buildings and all needful machinery for operation. The whole premises possess a remarkable neatness of appearance, the owner being methodical and having an eye for beauty as well as utility.
Although of necessity a very busy man, nevertheless Mr. Phillips finds time for fraternal and social duties and he is a member of the Masonic order, Greenleaf Lodge No. 349, and the A. O. U. W. in Kinderhook. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips are also members of the Methodist Episcopal church in Kinderhook.
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AUSTIN H. PHILLIPS, son of John H. and Clarinda Briggs Phillips, was born in Armada August 17, 1854. He attended school at Armada, lived on the homestead, and was married, December 30, 1870, to Lillian, daughter of Ezra Sibley, of Armada. She was born May 1, 185(J. They have two children—William Sibley, born June 10. 1878; John Alva, born February 18, 1880. Mr. Phillips is a farmer, meeting with good success. He is a member of the Baptist Church of the village, and Superintendent of the Sabbath school. He is a Republican in politics.
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JOHN H. PHILLIPS, son of John Phillips, was born in Lima, Livingston Co., N. Y., February 17, 1811. He was a farmer in New York, and moved to Macomb in 1848. He settled on a farm in Armada, in Section 17, which he kept for three years. He then removed to a farm adjoining the village of Armada, consisting of 200 acres, which he kept until his death, which took place May 16,1875. His wife, Clarinda S. Briggs of Livingston County, N. Y., was born in 1824; she died in May, 1804. They had nine children, eight of whom are living. Mr. Phillips was a strong advocate of temperance, having taken the pledge when a small boy, and kept it sacred; a Baptist in religion, and anti-slavery in politics.
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GEORGE W. PHILLIPS, son of Ira and Martha (Day) Phillips, of Livingston County, N. Y., was born at that place July 17, 1829. His father was born in October, 1802. A farmer in the East, he sought the West to pursue the same calling, arriving in Macomb County September 6, 1831, and immediately entered upon 100 acres of land in Section 19, Armada Township, where he reared a family of three sons, and died on the homestead September 4, 1855. Mrs. Phillips died July 14, 1800. G. W. succeeded his father on the homestead; was married, in 1850, to Lydia, daughter of A. W. Sterling, of Romeo, and has children as follows: Carrie E., born December 10. 1857: Frank I., born May 24, 1859; George W., born July 24, 1801; Charles J., born April 29, 1803; Hattie M., born July 17, 1800; Fanny S., born May 22, 1870; John S., born March 17, 1872; L. Minnie, born June 8, 1874. Mr. Phillips has always been foremost in the agricultural interests of the county; a charter member of the county agricultural society, and, from the third year of its existence an officer, and seven times its President; an officer of the State Agricultural Society twenty-two years, and President in 1880 and 1881; a member of the State Board of Agriculture eleven years; also a leading officer in the Armada Agricultural Society and the Union Farmers' Club. Mr. Phillips is a fine musician, a prominent man in society, and a Republican.
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CHAPTER XXVII.
NECROLOGY.
In the chapter devoted to township history and biography, reference is made to the pioneers and old settlers of Macomb who are gone to the land beyond the grave. To insure a more precise notice, their names are grouped under this heading, and, in a great number of instances, a brief sketch is given, while in other cases, the name of the pioneer is merely subscribed. From the records of the Pioneer Society, it is learned that the necrology of the pioneers comprises the following names:
-Ira Phillips.
-Hannah Miller, wife of Daniel Miller, died March 8, 1873. Her maiden name was Phillips. She was born at Bush, Monroe Co., N. Y., May 9, 1811. In 1833, she married Nicholas Wheeler, and with him moved to Chicago, 111. He dying in 1841 left her at liberty to marry Daniel Miller, October 9, 1843, with whom she came to Macomb County.
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HENRY FRIES, born in Dutchess County, N. Y., June 3, 1827, son of John A., of same county, and Margaret Mink, of Columbia County, N. Y. Mr. Fries was educated in the schools of Dutchess County. He moved to Wayne County, N. Y., in 1843, and to Macomb County, Mich., in 1851, where he resided on a farm in Harrison Township, as agriculturist and stock-raiser, until 1877, when he sold and removed to city of Mt. Clemens. He was married, in March. 1853, to Mrs. Gertrude Shook, daughter of William Phillips, to whom were born five children by first husband, three of whom are living— Jacob, Elizabeth (Hall) and Ada (Chase). Mr. Fries was County Superintendent of the Poor for over twenty years.
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WILLIAM A. ROWLEY, son of Ransom M., of Monroe County, N.Y., who came to Macomb County about 1832, was born in Shelby Township November 8,1843; he enlisted in Company B, Fifth Infantry, in July, 1861; re-enlisted in 1864, and served till the close of the war. He was one of the musicians attached to the command from its organization. He was married, December 5,1865, to Miss Theodosia Adams, daughter of Oliver Adams, an early settler of Macomb; the lady is a native of this county, and died here in January, 1867. February 10, 1869, he married Miss Mattie M. Phillips, daughter of the pioneer, Ezra Phillips, deceased; they are the parents of three children—Maud, Mattie and Mary. Mr. R. was Treasurer of Shelby in 1868-69; came to Clinton Township in 1876, of which he has been Supervisor for the past three years;, is an extensive dealer in and breeder of pure Holstein cattle; has three thoroughbreds, two of which were imported from Holland; he also deals in fine Berkshire hogs, paying as high as $60 for one to its owner, near Toronto, Canada; he imported Prince Bismarck, in May, 1879, from North Holland, the animal being then four years old and weighing 2,400 pounds.
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CHARLES A. LATHROP, son of Edward and Emma Andrews Lathrop, was born in West Springfield, Mass., October 25, 1816. His father and grandfather were natives of the same place, his great-grandfather, of Norwich, Conn., descendant of Rev. John Lathrop, of Barnstable, England, who settled in Barnstable, Mass., where he was the head of a colony. Mr. Lathrop's father died at Armada Village September 11, 1863; mother died several years later. They had eleven children, all living but two. In 1847, Mr. Lathrop, in company with his brother, opened a store of general merchandise, it being the second in the place. The first bill of dry goods amounted to $90, and was purchased of Zach Chandler, of Detroit Two brothers have been with him in the business, but both have retired, and Mr. Lathrop conducts it alone. He was married, in May, 1858, to Rachel A. Youngs, of Armada, and they have had two children—Charles E., born June 17, 1859, is in the store with his father; Lillie A., born October 1, 1860, married Edwin F. Phillips and lives in Armada Village. Mrs. Lathrop was born January 6, 1832. Mr. Lathrop was an early officer in the township and the village; in politics, first a Whig and now a Republican.
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ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY PIONEERS.
MEMBERS ENROLLED SINCE ORGANIZATION.
-G. W. Phillips, was born at Lima, Livingston Co., N. Y., July 17, 1829, came to Armada, August, 1831. He has been president of the State Board of Agriculture from 1870 to 1872; member of the Board for twelve years, and president of the M. Co. Ag. Society for eight years.
-Mrs. G. W. Phillips, born at Romeo, December 6, 1828, daughter of A. W. Sterling.
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ALVAH SIBLEY was born in Berkshire, Mass., in March, 1796, where he lived until he was twenty-one years of age. He then removed to Brighton, Monroe Co., N. Y., where he was married to Mary, daughter of Joseph Corbin, of Woodstock, Conn. She was born March 4, 1803. Her parents were pioneers of Western New York. Mr. Sibley removed his family to Macomb County in October, 1835. and settled on Section 25. township of Armada, where his widow still resides. His father, Ezra Sibley, was a Revolutionary soldier, having served in the conflict for seven years, during six of which he passed without sleeping outside of camp. His grandfather was a British officer in the West India service, and died of yellow fever. The family are of Norman origin. Mr. Sibley was a man of stern principles of honesty and adherence to the Christian faith: a Deacon in the Congregational Church of Armada from its organization until his death, which occurred in February, 1870. Deacon Sibley is remembered with affectionate regard. His family consisted of three sons—Alfred I. Sibley, born in Brighton, N. Y., September 18, 1824, and is now a resident of Cass County, Iowa; Ezra F. Sibley, still a resident of Armada; and William H. Sibley, born in Armada December 2, 1838. He remained with his father's family and attended school at Ml Clemens and Romeo until the commencement of the civil war, when he laid aside his great ambition for an education and went forth in defense of his country. He enlisted in Company A. Ninth Michigan Infantry, under Col. Duffield, and died of typhoid fever in January, 1862, at Elizabethtown, Ky. He is remembered as a worthy Christian soldier.
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EZRA F. SIBLEY, son of Alvah and Mary Sibley, was born in Brighton, N. Y., November 29, 1827. He removed with his father's family to Macomb County in 1835, where he attended school and remained at home until he attained his majority. He then began working at the carpenter's trade for a few years, and was married, September 13, 1853, to Adaline A. Pierson, a native of Rush. Monroe Co.. N. Y. In 1859, he engaged in mercantile business, in company with William H. Clark, in Armada Village, and at the opening of the civil war. he enlisted in Company A, Ninth Michigan Infantry, under Col. Duffield; served as a musician most of the time, and was captured, July 13. 1862, by Gen. Forrest; was paroled, and soon after discharged by general order mustering out all regimental bands from the service. He again engaged in carpenter work until 1869, when he was appointed station agent on the Michigan Air-Line Railroad at Armada, Mich., which office he has held . since that time. His family consists of two daughters— Lillian M. Sibley, born May 1, 1859, married, 1876, to Austin H. Phillips, and resides in Armada; Minnie A. Sibley, born August 22, 1867.
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IDDO WARNER, son of John Warner, of Vermont, was born February 11, 1790, and came to Macomb June 12, 1824, in Washington Township, where he lived three years, then moved to Armada and settled on Section 31, on the North Branch of the Clinton River, where he lived up to the time of his death, which took place August 15, 1852. He was married, July 13, 1819. to Sophia Phillips, at Lima, Livingston Co., N. Y., and had three children—Julia, born August 1, 1820, married J. Smith, and died July 9, 1878;
James, born September 11, 1824, living in Armada Township: Elizabeth, born March 9, 1835, married Robert Coykendall and lives at Romeo. Mrs. Warner still lives with her son.
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JAMES I. WARNER, son of Iddo and Sophia (Phillips) Warner, was born at Washington Village, Macomb County, September 11, 1824; moved with the family to the farm on the " Branch," where he lived till June, 1856. when he purchased the Gates farm. Section 18, Armada, where he still resides; was married. June 29. 1847. to Spedee Bishop, who was born at Ontario County. N. Y., and died July 9, 1852. They had two children— Ellen, born April 22,1848. married Norman Perry and lives in Armada Township; George I., born June 26, 1852, and lives in Armada Township; married again, June 28,1854, to Jane Walton, who died April 13, 1860; had one child, Terry, born November 9, 1857, died April, 1862; again married, July 2, 1872, to Phoebe Wilder, of Armada Township. Mr. Warner has added to the original purchase of land 784 acres, situated in various parts of the State. He has erected one of the finest and most substantial farmhouses in the county, good barns and sheds, wind-mills, and all the requirements for a first-class farm business; in politics, always a Republican.
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HON. CALVIN DAVIS (deceased) was born at Hubbardston, Worcester Co., Mass., April 27, 1793; at the age of eleven, he came to the wilds of Western New York, with his widowed mother; settled at Covington, N. Y., where he remained until 1815, when he married Miss Sylvia Beardsley, they being the first white couple married in the town; in 1824, came to Shelby Township, and purchased a farm in 1826, was appointed, by Gov. Lewis Cass, Associate Justice of the County Court, which he held until the court was abolished a few years after: in 1832, he removed to the adjoining township of Macomb, where he purchased a large and heavy timbered farm: there were very few settlers in this part of the country, few neighbors nearer than Mt. Clemens, ten miles distant; in 1838, Judge Davis was elected Sheriff of Macomb County, being prior elected to the position under the State constitution in the county; in 1841, he was elected to the Legislature; he also held the office of Postmaster twenty-three years, at Macomb, and twenty-four years Justice of the Peace, six of which were under appointments by Gov. Stephens F. Mason and George B. Porter; few men in Eastern Michigan ever became more closely identified with the interests of the State than he, and none more favorably known; he is a man of more than ordinary sound judgment and mind; is a zealous worker in the cause of truth and religion; he is a Methodist and a true friend and neighbor; became a Free and Accepted Mason in 1824; in politics. Judge Davis is a firm Republican, having left the Democratic party in 1850; he died February 10, 1870; his children were George W., bore September 8, 1810; Lavancha, November 24. 1818; Smith, December 10, 1830; Eunice, March 22,1828; Jonathan A., August 30, 1825; Mary A., January 5,1828; Levi B., March 12. 1830; Calvin. July 27, 1832; Sylvia. May 1, 1835, and Victoria. September 17. 1837: George W. died May 0. 1843; Smith died September 4. 1850; Eunice, January 15. 1854, and Jonathan, August 23, 1872. Calvin Davis, son of the settler just referred to. was born July 27. 1832: he married Miss Rosa Phillips, a native of Vermont. March 13, 1807, by whom he had three children. Mrs. D. died April 7. 1870; a year later, he married Miss Julia E. Hayes, of Greene County. N. Y. to whom three children were born: the two youngest died in infancy. Mr. D. is politically a Republican. Mr. D. is a strong temperance man and always foremost in matters affecting the well being of the town; his farm and home are on Sections 5 and 8. pleasantly located.
Pg. 784
Among the first settlers of Memphis still living among us may be mentioned Hartfort Phillips, who was born in Chenango County, N. Y., in 1809, and came to Memphis in 1836, having lived here continuously since that time. His wife, Polly Wade, of Rhode Island, a descendant of Roger Williams, of Puritan fame, died in 1879, at the age of seventy-three years.
