John W. Calkins Biography, Grant Township, Clare County, Michigan Submitted for use by USGENWEB Clare County, Michigan October 2002 wilkinschw@aol.com MIGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed MIGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the MIGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ________________________________________________________________ _____ JOHN W. CALKINS, Biography / Clare County, Michigan Biographical History of Northern Michigan, B.F. Bowen & Company, 1905. JOHN W. CALKINS The well-known and popular proprietor of the Hotel Calkins, at Clare, figures as the subject of this brief sketch, and in a prefatory way it may be said that his is the distinction of being at the present time the oldest settler of the town, there being no resident of the place now living here whose arrival in the village antedates his. Mr. CALKINS is a man of genial nature and sterling attributes of character, and as a citizen and business man he is held in the hightest esteem in the community which has so long been his home, while he has done his share in promoting the advancement and material prosperity of the community. Mr. CALKINS is a native of the Wolverine state, having been born in Eaton county, Michigan, on the 22d of June, 1846, and being a son of ELIAS B. and LEMIRA CALKINS, both of whom passed the closing years of their lives in Isabella county, this state, the father having been a farmer by vocation. When our subject was a lad of eight years his parents removed to Ohio, where they continued to reside until 1861, in which year he accompanied them on their return to Michigan, the family settling in Isabella county, where Mr. CALKINS continued to reside until the time of locating in Clare. His educational advantages had been such as were afforded in the common schools, and while residing in Ohio he learned the tinner's trade, becoming a competent workman when still a youth. Upon locating in Isabella county he set to himself the task of clearing a tract of land and opening a farm for his father, consisting of one hundred and twenty acres. He and his brothers continued to devote their attention to the improving and cultivation of this place until 1870, in which year he first took up his abode in Clare county. Upon coming here he secured employment with the firm of Patt & Baker, contractors, who were engaged in constructing a portion of the line of what is now known as the Pere Marquette Railroad. He continued with this firm about six months, working in the vicinity of Farwell, but so annoying became the ravages of the mosquitoes in the forests that the workmen found it almost impossible to continue their labors, Mr. CALKINS acknowledging himself defeated by the tiny foe and returning to his home in Isabella county. Late in the autumn of the same year he returned to Clare county, intending to again engage in railroad work, but upon his arrival he found a party of surveyors who were engaged in laying out the plat of the prospective village of Clare. Mr. CALKINS canvassed the situation and finally decided to purchase a lot in the new town, the site being at the time covered with the dense growth of native timber. He paid fifty dollars for this lot, which lies at the foot of McEwan street and which is now one of the most valuable properties in the central portion of the town. Shortly after securing this lot Mr. CALKINS entered into a contract to erect a store building for PETER CALLAM, who had likewise purchased a lot and who had decided to open a general store, though there were but few settlers in the county. Our subject had natural mechanical ability and had worked at the carpenter's trade to a certain extent, so that he felt himself justified in entering into the contract noted. He returned to Isabella county and secured his tools, and upon coming again to Clare instituted at once the erection of the store for Mr. CALLAM, who was one of the first to settle in the town and who served as the first postmaster here. The store opened in the building mentioned was the first in the village. After completing his contract Mr. CALKINS returned to the lumber woods where for a time he was engaged in manufacturing drays and sleighs for B.C. Freeze, near Loomis. A few months later he returned to Clare and built a store on his lot, hauling the lumber for the same from Mt. Plesant, a distance of fifteen miles. The building was sixty by twenty-two feet in dimensions and was practically the best in town, and after the same was completed Mr. CALKINS found his available cash capital reduced to forty dollars. As has been noted, he had learned the tinner's trade in his youth, and with his set of tools he opened a tin shop in the rear portion of his building, and thus became one of the pioneer business men of the town. He was desirous of putting in a stock of hardware, but how to secure the same with his small capital was the problem which faced him. He made a trip to Detroit, but was not successful in securing the necessary goods from the dealers there. He then made his way to Saginaw, where he made a vigorous effort and finally secured a stock of goods to the value of eight hundred dollars, mainly on credit. He shipped his stock to Clare and opened his hardware store, the first in the town. He finished off a small room in his building and there established his sleeping apartment and domestic domain, doing his own cooking and catering for nearly a year. It may be noted that his accomodations were far different than he is now able to offer his many patrons in his fine hotel. His business increased in scope and importance with the settling of the town and surrounding country, and after five years had elapsed he found it expedient to secure larger quarters. He accordingly erected a new store building just opposite his old stand, and there he continued in business until the autumn of 1883, when he sold out. He had accumulated several thousand dollars during his business operations here, and after disposing of his local interests he removed to Arizona, where he engaged in the cattle business, in which he continued until 1890, having met with fair success in his operations. In the year last mentioned he sold out his interests in Arizona and returned to his old home in Michigan, the attractions of Clare being sufficient to call him again to the place. He was urged to build a hotel here, and after due consideration determined to carry forward this enterprise. Within the same year he began the erection of his present attractive and substantial hotel building, which was completed at a cost of somewhat more than twenty thousand dollars and which is the best in the northern part of the state. The hotel has forty guest rooms and the appointments throughout are thoroughly modern, while the excellence of the cuisine and other departments of the service make the hotel most popular with the traveling public, while it is a credit to the town and to its honored owner and proprietor, Mr. CALKINS having personally conducted the business from the time of the opening of the hotel. In politics Mr. CALKINS accords an unwavering allegiance to the Republican party, and he has ever shown a lively interest in public affairs of a local nature, while he has been called upon to serve in various township and county offices, his preferment in the connection showing the confidence and esteem in which he is held in the community. He is identified with the Masonic fraternity and with the Knights of Pythias, and is distinctively popular in both business and social circles. In Clare, on the 25th of February, 1871, Mr. CALKINS was united in marriage to Miss MARY CALLAM, daughter of the late PETER CALLAM, of whom mention has been made in preceding paragraphs. She was born in the province of Ontario, Canada, on the 12th of September, 1850, and passed her youthful years there and in Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. CALKINS became the parents of two children, a daughter who died in infancy, and CHARLES W., who is engaged in the hardware business in Clare, being one of the able and popular young men of this city. Submitted for use by USGENWEB Clare County, Michigan October 2002 wilkinschw@aol.com